****

Benji found himself immersed in old thoughts. Images that he had spent lifetimes trying to extinguish had now found their way back to life, just as he had. The pang of pain hit him hard. If it hadn't been such a horrid feeling, he would have welcomed the onset of any feelings, but this was too hurtful even for him to take.

He shook his head in another futile attempt to clear his head. He felt his stomach ache in hunger, bringing with it memories of what he had fondly called his "angry years."

****

Benji tore into his victim with ferocious animal intensity. The body that once held life now laid limp and torn to shreds in his arms. Both of their bodies covered in the life giving liquid that both of them so desperately needed and Benji so severely wanted.

He wanted to spill the blood of every mortal he came in contact with. Somehow in his mind he decided that if Elizabeth couldn't be alive than no one else should be either. She was the one that deserved to live, not the oblivious mortals that walked around him. They were all food. Nourishment for him to feast upon, until there was none of them left.

From the moment he took the first drink of the life giving fluid, he had decided that it was all his for the taking, whether he needed it or not. He would bath in it, waste it, drink it, paint with, do with as he saw fit. Anything, but let it flow through the veins of the mortal it was graced with.

Benji bit into the lifeless body again, listening as the flesh tore away from the bone. He allowed his sense to go into overload, relishing in his easy kill.

"Benji, brother, what am I to do with you?" Joel asked as he looked at his blood soaked brother.

Benji opened his eyes, giving an evil stare at his twin as if he had interrupted on a personal moment.

"Leave me alone."

"I will not, you promised to go into town with me tonight."

"I lied."

"Don't think you're getting off that easily brother."

"I'm busy, now leave me alone," Benji growled as his tolerance grew short.

"Now, I'm sorry, but you promised and you will not break a promise to me," Joel warned as he eyes glowed with an eerie red light.

"Or what? Brother," Benji pushed.

"If you break a promise to me, it will be the last promise you will ever break."

"Is that a threat?"

"No brother, it's a promise. Now, come with me," Joel said sternly as he turned to walk away from the gory site behind him.

In a swift movement, Benji had jumped up and grabbed Joel by the throat lifting the man a few inches from the ground. Benji's eyes grew silver as he looked deeply into Joel's eyes. He's fangs pushed from under red lips allowing only a deep growl to escape.

"Put me down," Joel gagged as he struggled to free himself.

"No one threatens me. Never again, will anyone threaten me, do you understand?"

Joel watched his brother unafraid of the authority he was trying to show. "Put me down now, Benji."

"Or what Joel? You'll hurt me? There is nothing you can do that will hurt me," Benji warned with a snort.

"I will kill you brother. I made you into this, and I can kill you just as easily."

"Not if you're dead first," Benji said lowering Joel to his open mouth. Benji allowed his sharp fangs to penetrate Joel's milky skin, tasting the glorious juice it held beneath it.

Joel panicked. He had never been scared of his brother, until now. The pain of the loss of blood tore into him, but the betrayal of his brother ripped into his soul. Joel closed his eyes knowing that Benji's rage was now out of control. He knew that his death would mean Benji would lose more than his brother, he would lose all his humanity, if he even had any of that left.

Benji released his bite and dropped Joel into a pile on the ground. He blinked as he watched his wounded brother slink away from him. Benji felt as if he had been controlled by someone else, as if he thoughts were not his own. He took a step back afraid of what he might do next.

"You bit me," Joel stated the obvious.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened," Benji apologized unsure what had really happened.

"You frenzied. You let your emotions rule your actions and you lost control."

"What?"

"You have to learn to control you anger and hatred before you become nothing but an animal. You will cease to become anything remotely as human and become that which only wants to kill and live," Joel blurted out not sure if this was the last chance he'd get to helping his only brother.

"I'm sorry Joel," Benji said as tears ran down his face.

"It's ok Benny. I'll be ok, just we really have to work on controlling your anger before it just takes over you," Joel explained as he embraced his brother.

****

Benji shuttered at the rage he had once felt. Thanks to his brother he had overcome the hatred that had filled him. It was true that at times it tried to make it's way to the surface, but now Benji knew how to deal with it. He allowed it to live inside him controlled by his brutal feedings.

With the evenings dreams and thoughts Benji knew that he had to feed, not only to relinquish the hunger he felt inside him but to subside the feelings that grew in him.

He looked up to see he had unconsciencly brought himself to his favorite hunting spot. The local club was the best place he knew to find fresh vibrant young mortals to entice into being alone with him. Without thinking, Benji entered the club.

Inside the club was alive with motion. Hot bodies danced as others sat leisurely awaiting someone from the opposite sex to notice them. Benji stood in the back to watch and wait for the one mortal that would come there for the last time.

A small woman alone at a table caught his eye. She was dressed in a tight black dress and high heels, quite attractive by anyone's standards. He smiled as he made his way towards her.

"This seat taken?" Benji asked as he plopped himself in the chair across from her.

The young woman looked up at him and smiled, "I suppose it is now."

Benji froze when his eyes met hers. He starred at her unable to believe what he saw. Her eyes pierced through him with a strong gaze. Hers was a face he knew better than anyone else he had ever known.

"Elizabeth?" he asked unable to say anything else.

"No, I'm sorry. You must have the wrong person," the woman answered with disappointment in her voice.

Benji shook his head and told himself that he had to be delirious with hunger. He quickly decided to find out more about this girl. "I'm sorry, you reminded me of someone I once knew."

"Is that good or bad?"

"It is very good. I'm Benji," he said offering his hand to her.

"My name is Ana," she replied shaking his hand.

"That's a very pretty name Ana. It's hard to figure why such a beautiful girl like you is in a club like this. Won't your boyfriend get mad?"

"I don't have a boyfriend, which I guess is why I decided to come here. My friends said it was a good place to meet new people, but until just know I hadn't met anyone."

"Well, maybe it was fate then?"

"Maybe," the woman blushed.

"I hope you don't think me too forward, but would you care to get out of this club? It's too loud. Maybe we could go for a walk," Benji suggested.

"Okay, that sounds nice," Ana replied standing up.

****

Somehow, the night had flown by. Benji's hunger seemed to have subsided enough for him to temporarily forget it and immerse himself into Ana. He had soon found himself in her apartment deep in conversation. Shortly after that, they found themselves kissing passionately as clothes began to fall to the floor.

Benji kissed the woman deeply intoxicated by her scent. Everything about her reminded him of Elizabeth, and he wasn't going to rob himself of this moment.

"I'm not usually this forward," Ana said breaking their kiss.

"It's ok, neither am I," Benji explained continuing to kiss the woman on her neck.

"It's actually been a while since I've allowed any man up to my apartment, especially for making out," she giggled.

"Well, it's definitely been a while since I was with a woman in anyway," Benji explained as his kisses on her neck grew deeper.

"It's just I feel as if I've known you forever. I know that sounds crazy, but I just feel we click."

"Yes, definitely," Benji muffled as he sucked on the flesh of her neck.

Ana lost herself in Benji's kisses. She closed her eyes enjoying the electric feeling she felt with his every touch. A low moan escaped her throat.

Benji began to kiss Ana's neck wildly, forgetting himself. In seconds his fangs found refuge in her soft flesh, causing the rest of her body to tense up. Benji hadn't noticed the woman's cry of pain as he began to drain her of her life.

The sound of the woman whispering for him to stop in his ear brought him back to where he was. He immediately released his hold on the woman dropping her limp body to the couch. Her neck covered in the thick liquid he was taking from her.

His eyes widened as he realized what he had done. He panicked knowing that if he had taken too much she would already be dead, but he could still hear her heart beating. He knew she was still alive for the moment.

He immediately picked her and left her apartment scared that he may have lost the only thing he had any human feeling for.

****

"Joel!" Benji shouted as he entered their apartment. He laid Ana's body on the couch, leaving her alone and unconscience.

"Joel!" Benji yelled again as he wandered the house looking for his twin.

"What?" Joel asked irritated as he emerged from his bedroom half naked.

"I need your help," Benji pleaded.

"I'm kinda busy at the moment Benji. Can't it wait?" Joel asked as he ran a hand through his tussled hair.

"No, please Joel, I need you," Benji begged feeling desperate.

"What is it?" Joel asked feeling Benji's panic hit him.

"Come, I'll show you." Benji grabbed Joel by the arm and pulled him to the front room where Ana's body laid.

"What's this?" Joel asked.

"I bit her, but i didn't mean to. What can I do, please she can't die," Benji quickly explained as he knelt by Ana's side.

"There's nothing you can do Benji. If she lost too much blood, she'll die, if she didn't, then there's a chance she'll live. It's not in your hands anymore," Joel explained.

Benji watched Ana's breathing. He felt a tear fall from his eye. It was the first time he had allowed himself to cry since Elizabeth's death. "Please Joel, do something. Do to her what you did to me."

"Benji, I can't."

"Why? Why can't you, you did it to me. You changed me. Why won't you change her?"

"You gave me permission to change you Benji. She hasn't."

"I don't care. I want her," Benji explained.

"I can't. I'm sorry," Joel answered.

Ana moved slightly as her eyes fought to open. She looked up seeing Benji above her. "Benjamin?"

"Yes Ana, I'm here," Benji answered.

"Where am I?"

"Your at my place. You were hurt, and I needed to bring you here."

"What happened?"

"It doesn't matter now. I want to take care of you."

Ana blinked and focused in on Joel. "I know you."

"I'm Benji's brother, Joel," Joel introduced.

"Can you now?" Benji asked his brother.

Joel knelt down to Ana's side and smiled at her.

"Hey Ana, I have some bad news."

"What?" she asked trying to stay conscience.

"I think that you might die," Joel explained.

"Why?" she asked as she grabbed Benji's hand.

"Because you were bitten and you've lost a lot of blood, but I can help you," Joel continued, "if you want, that is."

"Of course I do. I don't want to leave Benjamin," Ana answered squeezing Benji's hand.

"If I help you, then you can't contact anyone that you use to know. You can't contact any friends or family. You will get to be with Benji and you will have some friends, but it will be different. It won't be like your old life," he explained.

Ana looked up to Benji, who tried to give her a comforting smile. "Ok, I promise."

"What I need you to do is to relax and close your eyes," Joel instructed.

Ana nodded and then smiled at Benji. She stared into his brown eyes. He looked into them and saw a person he once knew. The woman he had fallen in love with and then was taken away from him. He knew that she had returned to him.

"Come on Joel, please," Benji said as he watched Ana close her eyes and relax. He could hear her heart beat slow down.

"No," Joel said.

"What?" Benji asked surprised.

"You do it."

"I don't know how."

"I'll instruct you. Take her in your arms."

Benji did as he was told, holding Ana's body tight to his.

"Now I want you to bite her and drain her until her heart is about to stop, then withdraw."

Again, Benji did as he was instructed draining Ana once again of the blood she so preciously needed. He felt her body tense up to him once again and he began to feel the pain that she was in. He felt the pain and pleasure of her entire life go through him. Her memories and thoughts passed through his mind. Then the that of the past lives she had lived, including that in which he had been a part of. He felt the horror of that dreadful night once again, but in her shoes.

"Now cut your arm and let her drink from it, quickly," Joel instructed.

Benji released Ana and cut his wrist deeply allowing the blood to run freely into her mouth. He felt her begin to suck on his arm as she experience the memory rush of him that he had just experienced of her.

Ana let go, awake with a new life, her heart still. She blinked remembering things she never knew that happened.

"Benjamin?" she asked. "Benjamin, you know it wasn't your fault. It was never your fault."

Benji kissed his love deeply relieved with the knowledge that she had never blamed him for what happened. He held her tight against him not wanting to let her go, afraid she would leave him once again.

"She's returned to you Benji. Don't lose her this time," Joel said as he left the two to the beginning of their new life.