Call me, she thought. Kevin, where are you? Call me, dammit.

"What's wrong?" AJ asked, emerging from the basement for the evening.

"Kevin. There's something wrong with him. He's in trouble. I don't know what it is, but he's in pain," Rhiannon said. There was an unbreakable bond between a vampire and his or her creations. No matter the distance, there was a bond. Rhiannon could feel Kevin's pain, and she knew he needed her help.

AJ sat down on the couch, worried. "What can we do?"

"I don't know," she said. It was one of the rare times that she had ever said those words... she always knew what to do.

"Sit down. You're making me nervous," AJ said, pulling out a cigarette. He lit it up and took a draw from it. Nicotine wasn't doing much for him anymore. He didn't know why he even continued to smoke. Habit, he guessed. Rhiannon continued to walk the floors, ignoring AJ. She had to find Kevin. She continued to send him messages in her mind... call me.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Rhiannon jumped to answer it.

"Hello?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Um, Rhiannon? You don't know me. My name is Kathleen. I have Kevin here. He's hurt pretty bad, and I don't know what to do."

Rhiannon closed her eyes and sighed. "What's wrong with him?"

"He got burned. By the sun. It looks really bad. He's getting delirious, and he's talking all kinds of nonsense. He thinks he's with Brian out in the woods, and they're playing some kind of game. I'm so worried about him. He kept saying that you could help him, but he was afraid to call you. I got your number from his black book. I hope you don't mind that I called."

"No, no, of course not. I'm glad you did. You've got to get him home. Right now. Kathleen, you've GOT to get him home," Rhiannon said, shaking her head slowly. Kevin... her baby. Her best friend. He was in serious trouble.

"Ok. Uh, where's home?"

"Get him to Orlando. Where are you?" Rhiannon asked.

"Destin, Florida. I'll get him home as quickly as I can."

"Get him on a plane, Kathleen. Get him here now."

"Is he going to die?" Kathleen asked, the words catching in her throat.

"I don't know, sweetie. I don't know. Just get him back her to me. I'd come to you, but what needs to be done has to be done here."

******************************

Kathleen helped Kevin onto the chartered plane. She hoped he wouldn't be mad that she put the flight on his credit card. No, of course he wouldn't be mad. The pilot gave her a strange look as she helped Kevin into his seat. He was completely out of it. He was mumbling all kinds of things that didn't make any sense.

"You taking this one to rehab, too?" the pilot quipped.

"Shut up and fly the damned plane," Kathleen snapped back. Kevin put his head in her lap and she pulled up the back of his shirt to check his burn. It was getting worse. The blisters were breaking oopen, and the wounds they left were going deep into his skin. Any further, and they would be in his muscles. She had to fight the urge to gag.

Less than two hours later, they were on the ground in Orlando. Kathleen hailed a cab and gave them Rhiannon's address. She was surprised when they pulled up to the opulent old house. Every light in the place was on. She tried to get Kevin out of the car, but he was unconscious by that point, and she couldn't lift his dead weight.

"I'll be right back," she told the driver. She hopped out and ran up to the house. AJ answered the door.

"Kathleen?" he asked.

"Help me," she cried, grabbing his hand and dragging him down to the cab. AJ looked in at Kevin.

"Oh shit," AJ gasped, pulling Kevin from the car. He carried him effortlessly into the house.

"RHIANNON!!" AJ yelled, laying Kevin down on the floor. Kevin moaned as his back pressed against the hardwood.

"His back!" Kathleen exclaimed, rolling Kevin onto his side. Rhiannon ran into the room and looked down at Kevin. She felt a sob rising in her throat. She knelt beside Kevin and pulled up the back of his shirt. The blisters were so deep now. She knew she could still help him, but she had no idea how he had lived this long. The burn would have killed most vampires. She had to calm down and do what was necessary.

"AJ," she said calmly, "go to the basement and get the small green bottle from Stephen's closet. It's the one with the silver covering on the outside. You'll see it."

AJ ran downstairs as quickly as he could. He was so scared that Kevin was going to die. He loved Kevin so much, and it frightened him out of his mind thinking that he might lose him. He forgave Kevin. As God as his witness, he forgave Kevin. He would never even mention how he had left him there, all alone, after Kevin made him. As long as Kevin was ok, that was enough for AJ.

"Kevin," Rhiannon whispered, "you're gonna be ok."

Kevin's eyes opened weakly. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's ok, baby," she replied, kissing his forehead. She stroked his hair, and his eyes closed again. AJ returned with the bottle, and Rhiannon rolled Kevin onto his stomach. She ripped the shirt from his body and poured a few drops of the liquid from the bottle onto Kevin's back. The wounds immediately began to heal. It was as if something was healing them from the inside out. She sat Kevin up and held him close to her, resting his head on her shoulder. She nuzzled him into her neck.

"Drink," she whispered.

With the pain gradually subsiding, Kevin felt a little better. He pressed his lips to Rhiannon's neck, tasting her soft skin. He felt his fangs coming down, and he gently bit into her throat. As he drank from her, he felt his strength returning. Rhiannon rocked him slowly, whispering, encouraging him to drink deeply. Finally, Kevin pulled away and looked into Rhiannon's eyes.

"Thank you," he said, his voice much stronger now. He wrapped his arms around her and held her for several minutes. "I love you."

"I know," she said, smiling.