Tyler sat around plucking at his guitar and wondering just what Lauren Allen wanted to talk about. It was late evening, but for some reason Lauren had insisted they meet at night. She’d arranged a meeting with all the children of Def Leppard because she had some big news to impart. Now all Tyler could do was wait until she got there to find out.

At twenty, Tyler had all his father’s good looks and talent. The lucky young man had even inherited his father’s hair, a blessing for anyone in a rock band. He pushed his long dark curls back out of his face and walked around the house, thinking about his father all day. For some reason, he just couldn’t get his dad out of his mind. His fingers ran over the gold and platinum albums that still hung on the wall, even though his mother had wanted to take them down.

He was still raw over his mother’s death three months before. She’d died of cancer, which had put Tyler into shock. It had only been two years since his father had passed away and now he was really an orphan. His mother had tried to make him give up the dream of following in his father’s footsteps, but Tyler was more determined than ever to give it a go. They’d fought only days before she’d passed away, but she just couldn’t sway Tyler.

Rory walked in and said, “What’s wrong, Ty? You look like a ghost is chasing you round this house!”

“Well, I guess one is,” Tyler sighed as he sat down. “I just keep thinking about Dad.”

Rory took a seat next to him and said, “You know, my dad’s been gone for nearly twenty years, but he’s been on my mind a lot lately, too.”

They heard a knock on the door and Tyler got up to answer it. Lauren Allen and Lily Campbell stood there. And behind them, to Tyler’s surprise, was his father’s girlfriend Lyra. Tyler hugged them all and showed them into the living room.

“Okay, Lauren, what’s your news?” Rory said as they sat down. Lyra was looking around the room, her hands going over the same records Tyler had looked at a few moments before. Lauren looked up at her and gave her a nervous smile. And Tyler watched her, wondering why even after his father was gone, he still felt so close to Lyra. She dropped by often after his father’s death, much to his mother’s dismay. When his mother had passed away, Lyra had come to stay with him for a week, making sure that he was being taken care of. He loved her dearly, that was a fact.

“Um, oh, man, this is gonna be tougher than I thought,” Lauren sighed. “Lyra, help, please?”

“Okay, luv,” Lyra said with an indulgent smile. She looked at each of the adult children slowly, then said, “Your father is not dead.”

“Whose?” Rory said incredulously.

“Actually, none of them are,” Lyra said softly. “This is gonna be very hard to understand, but all the members of Def Leppard are still walking around out there.”

“Fuck, Lyra, don’t do this to me!” Tyler choked out. “You know Mum just died, you were there for me afterwards! Please, don’t pull any of these sick jokes!”

She walked over to him and ran a hand over his face, saying, “Tyler, I would never to anything to hurt you, you know that. I’ve know you since you were a baby. In fact, I can remember changing your diapers. So trust me, okay, luv?”

Tyler looked up at her with tears in his eyes, then was struck by a thought. She really had known him all his life. How was it that her appearance hadn’t changed in twenty years? He was about to ask when thirty year old Rory jumped up and said, “I don’t believe a fucking word of this! What kind of joke are you playing, Lyra?”

“It’s not a joke, Rory,” she said softly. Then she turned and stared at the doorway she’d just entered. Rory grabbed her arm and spun her around just as they heard footsteps in the hallway.

“I wouldn’t do that, mate,” came a voice from the entrance.

Rory jumped and spun around. Tyler’s head snapped up. And Lily was staring at the door with huge eyes. There were six men standing there, men who looked like younger versions of all their fathers. Lily started to cry as she stared at a man with long black curly hair. Her father had died when she was a very young child, only three years old, so she only knew him from photographs. But this man looked just like him when he was younger.

Rory was staring at the man who’d spoken to him with a suspicious look in his eyes. The short blond smiled back at him and said, “She’ll kick your ass all over the place. Trust me, she decked me once.”

Tyler’s eyes fastened on a man who was standing behind the others. This guy could have passed for Tyler’s brother. Tears glistened in the boy’s eyes. Then he turned to Lyra and said, “How the hell did you find these lookalikes?”

“They’re not lookalikes, Ty,” she said softly. “They’re vampires.”

“Oh, you’ve lost your fucking mind!” Rory said spitefully. “My father’s been dead for twenty years, Lyra, not traipsing around the world sucking people’s fucking blood!”

“Rory,” the blond said slowly. “I know this is really hard to believe, but it’s true. Ask me anything, I’ll answer it for you!”

“Fine,” Rory growled. “What’d you give me for my last birthday before...”

The blond got a blank look on his face for a moment, then said, “A guitar and a new soccer ball.”

“I’ll asked the next question and only my father would know the answer,” Tyler said slowly. He looked up and said, “What did you say to me, the day before the accident?”

The man who looked so much like Tyler stepped forward and said softly, “I told you I loved you and that I was proud of you.” Tyler’s eyes glittered as he continued, “And I said you were a better musician than I was at your age.”

“Jesus,” Tyler moaned as he slumped back down on the couch. “Dad?”

Sav nodded mutely. He wasn’t prepared for what happened next. The boy launched himself out his chair and tore across the room, pummeling Sav with his fists. “YOU LEFT ME!! WHY!!”

Laying there, Sav took every punch until Lyra picked the boy up off him and pinned him to the wall. She looked him dead in the eye and said, “Do you think he wanted to? He had cancer, Tyler! If I hadn’t brought him over, he really would have been dead!”

Tyler slammed his head back into the wall and stared at the ceiling. Then he murmured, “Why didn’t you come back when Mum died then? I was left all alone.”

“That’s why Lyra came, Ty,” Sav said softly. “I was afraid if I showed up, you might not be able to handle it right then. It took a lot of discussion and planning before we came here.” Tyler collapsed into Lyra’s arms, not knowing what to do or say.

Rory shot a hate-filled look at Phil, then stormed out of the house. Phil squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to fight back tears that poured from his eyes. Tyler took one look at the bloody trails on his face and said, “Shit, his eyes are bleeding!”

“No, luv,” Lyra explained quietly. “He’s crying, that’s all.”

Rick crossed the room and sat down next to Lauren, who laid her head on his shoulder. Lily looked at her and said accusingly, “How long have you known about this, Lauren?”

“I was at the house when they brought Dad home like this,” she said softly. “But I’ve known about them since I was little.”

“Why didn’t you tell us, Lauren?” Lily cried as Vivian walked over to her. He knelt down beside her as Lauren replied, “Because I wasn’t allowed to.”

Vivian put a gentle hand on Lily’s leg and said, “You’re even more beautiful than your mother, luv.” With that, Lily started to cry and Vivian took her in his arms, holding her while her tears ran down her face.

Tyler was still staring at Sav when Lyra turned to Phil and said, “Aren’t you going to go after him?”

“Should I?” Phil asked.

“God, yes!” Lyra said with a small laugh. Phil headed out the back door of the house and was greeted by a flower pot flying at his head. He ducked just in time, but Rory was screaming, “Leave me the fuck alone!

“Rory, please, let me talk to you at least!” Phil said desperately.

“You haven’t talked to me in twenty years, why start now?” Rory yelled.

“I didn’t have a choice!” Phil pleaded. “How could I tell a ten year old what had happened to me? Do you really think you could have understood?”

“I don’t know, but you could have given me a chance to find out!” Rory screamed as he threw himself at Phil. Phil’s head rocked back as Rory’s fist slammed into his jaw. “I was just a lonely little kid without a father,” Rory raged as his hand drove into Phil’s stomach. “I needed you and you fucking left me alone!” Phil’s unresisting body crashed back into a chair, smashing it into splitters. Picking up one of the broken legs, Rory stood over his father and hissed, “You’ve been dead to me for twenty years! It’s time for you to be dead for real now!”

Rory reared back as Phil stared up at him with sorrow filled eyes. But if this was really what his son wanted, Phil was prepared to die for the younger man. He couldn’t fight back. Not against his own son. Watching his death come down in the form of his son, Phil closed his eyes and waited for the pain of the stake to take away his life.

Rory swung down full force, but couldn’t have seen the form that dashed between himself and his father. The person had thrown his body over Phil’s with the speed that only a vampire could reach. Pulling away in horror, Rory looked at the form that had taken the blow intended for his father. He watched as Phil sat back up and cradled the body against his chest, bloody tears trailing down his face as he looked down at the person on his lap. Backing away, Rory walked into someone who was running out of the house towards the chaos he’d just created. Without looking to see who it was, Rory ran out to the front of the house and jumped into his car, peeling out of the driveway in a race against his own fear.

Lyra threw herself down next to Phil and pulled the limp body into her arms as she hissed, “What the hell happened here?”

“He, he threw himself between me and Rory!” Phil cried just as the others came running out of the house. Lyra’s hand grasped the wood and pulled it firmly out of the man‘s back, then laid him down gently on the concrete.

“Is he still alive?” Phil whimpered, looking down at the lifeless body in front of him.

“If you listen carefully, you can still hear his heart,” Lyra whispered. “But I’m afraid there may still be some of the wood inside him. Otherwise, he’d be starting to heal already.”

She knelt down close to the inert form and whispered, “Steve? Can you hear me?”

Steve didn’t move, only lay still on the ground. Lyra looked around and then gathered Steve up into her arms, making her way into the house. Heading into the kitchen, she laid his inert form down on the table and took a deep breath. The rest of the group gathered around her, the mortals among them wondering just what was going to happen now.

“Is he still alive?” Lily whispered.

“He couldn’t be,” Tyler said, his eyes wide as he stared at Steve. “A wooden stake kills a vampire.”

“Only if it penetrates the heart,” Lyra said softly as she looked over at the young people in the room. “If it had, Steve would already be dead. As it is, there’s hope so long as I can make sure the wood doesn’t make it that far.”

Phil moved close to Steve, whispering desperately, “She’s gonna make things all right, mate, I promise!”

Lyra laid a gentle hand on Phil’s shoulder and said, “Phil, you and Rick get the kids together and out of here, okay?”

“I’m not leaving him, Lyra,” Phil whispered.

“Phillip, what I’m going to have to do is going to hurt him,” she answered firmly. “You can’t be here to see it. Am I understood?”

“But he...”

“I realize exactly what he did out there,” she replied quickly. “I was watching but couldn’t get there in time myself.”

“Please, just don’t make me leave him,” Phil pleaded.

“Rick, get him and the children out of here,” she said quietly. “I’ve got to get this done before that wood works its way any closer to his heart.”

“Come on, mate,” Rick said softly. “Let her do what she has to do.” Reluctantly, Phil let Rick lead him out of the room and usher their children out as well.

Lyra pushed her hair back out of her face, then started searching for something in the kitchen drawers. Joe was just about to ask what she wanted when she pulled out a small, very sharp knife. Wide eyed, Vivian shrieked, “What the bloody hell are you going to do with that?”

“I’ve got to dig that wood out of him,” she said quietly. “The three of you will have to hold him down. Make sure he doesn’t bloody move or that wood could do to him exactly what Rory intended for it to do to his father.”

“Rory tried to kill Phil?” Sav asked in disbelief.

Lyra nodded and answered, “We’ll talk about it later, after I get Steve taken care of.”

Vivian had turned away, then heard the fabric of Steve’s shirt being ripped away. He watched in morbid fascination as she peeled the shirt off him, then took a deep breath. Turning to the men around her, she said, “Okay, Joe, get his right leg. Sav, get his other arm and Viv, you get his left leg. Once that wood is out, he’s likely going to start thrashing around and trying to get away from us. I won’t lie to any of you. This is going to hurt him like Satan’s sticking him with a hot poker.” She closed her eyes and ran her hand gently over Steve’s shoulder, then whispered, “I’m sorry, luv.”

Lyra laid herself down over his arm and shoulder, then brought the knife down into the wound. Steve barely whimpered as she cut fast and deep into the area around where the stake had gone in. His blood poured sluggishly out of his shoulder, slow enough that she could pretty well see what she was doing. “Let it be a large piece,” Lyra prayed. Too small and she might never be able to find it. And that would leave

Steve in this horrifying state of near death until the wood actually managed to fester down and find his most vital organ. It would be a horrible, nasty, slow death and Lyra had to save him from it somehow.

Another cut and she moved deeper into his shoulder. Past the bone and through the muscle. Then she saw it. A sliver of painted wood, only about an inch long, lodged down through his lung. “Okay, guys,” she said softly. “Once this wood is out, he’s going to start healing and it’s, well, this is going to be painful.”

Her fingers closed over the splitter and she gingerly pulled it out of his body. The blood immediately started to flow more quickly. She only had time to pull the edges of the cut together before Steve tried to rear up, his voice tearing from his throat with the howl of a wounded beast. All four of the vampires holding him down threw their full weight onto him, keeping him on the table as the wound mended itself. Steve’s eyes glowed a violet blue and his fangs shot down into his mouth. A moment later, those fangs bit deeply into Lyra’s arm, the only flesh within his reach. She let out a yelp, then held still as he took the healing blood from her body into his.

The others relaxed their hold on him as it became apparent that he was done thrashing about. Lyra brushed his hair back from his face and let Steve continue to feed as long as he could. Then he collapsed weakly down on the hard wood of the table.

“Steve, luv, can you hear me?” she whispered next to his ear. He nodded slightly and she continued, “I need to get you back to the coven house. Do you think you can fly?”

“No,” he whispered hoarsely. “Too weak to fly.”

Phil burst into the room and threw himself down beside Steve, saying, “You bloody bastard! Did you have to play hero?”

“Couldn’t let him kill you,” Steve mumbled. “Would have only hurt him in the end.”

“Ah, so you did it for Rory, eh?” Phil laughed.

“I woulda missed you, ya wanker,” Steve murmured. “Couldn’t let you die like that.”

“It was bloody well nearly your funeral,” Phil answered.

“Phil, you need to find Rory,” Lyra interrupted. “Take Sav and Joe with you and no more noble gestures like letting Rory stake you. Talk to the boy. Vivian and Rick can stay here with the other children and I’m flying Steve back to the coven house. We’ve got enough blood there to heal this wound right up.”

“Can you fly him back there?” Phil asked quietly.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “One of the benefits of living for nearly a thousand years is that I’m a hell of a lot stronger than any of you know. That, plus the fact that Steve is light as a feather, I shouldn’t have any problems.” She turned to Sav and said, “Keep him out of trouble, okay?”

“Yeah, we will,” Sav answered with a smile. “We’ll see you soon, luv.” He kissed her gently, then stepped aside as Joe said his own farewell to her. Lyra bundled Steve into her arms and walked out into the night, kissing his forehead gently before taking to the night sky.

“Think she’ll make to the house by daybreak?” Sav asked nervously.

“I’m sure,” Joe said confidently. “She came fly like the wind when she needs to.”

“Then I guess we need to find Rory, huh?” Phil whispered.

“Let’s wait til tomorrow night,” Joe answered softly. “Give the boy a chance to get his bearings and put his head back on right. At the moment, he probably thinks he just killed someone. Have Tyler call him tonight and make sure he’s okay.”

“Yeah, let Tyler tell Rory Steve will be okay, too,” Sav added. The friends walked into the house, only to find Lily on the phone. Lauren held her hand as she said, “Rory, please, just come back and talk to him. I’m telling you, nobody died tonight. Lyra saved Steve. He’s going to be okay. Please, just come talk to your dad.” She paused for a moment, then went on, “You can’t tell me you don’t have anything to say to him, Ror. He’s been gone for twenty years, isn’t there anything you didn’t get to tell him before he went?” Listening, she answered, “Damn it, Ror! You know that’s not true! Please, just come back!” A moment later, she said, “Okay, we’ll see you here tomorrow. Rory, remember, we all do love you. Yes, he does too and you know it. I’ll see you then.” She set the phone back down in its cradle and turned back to the men in the doorway.

“Is he coming back?” Phil asked anxiously.

“He’ll be here tomorrow, Phil,” Lily sighed. “But I’ll be honest, he’s really confused right now. The man he’s idolized for all his life, the father he mourned for? He just found out that he really just left him behind and that hurts. I guess I can honestly say I totally understand how he feels right now.” Looking up at Vivian, she whispered, “How could you just leave me like that?”

Falling to the floor at her feet, Vivian pleaded, “Lily, my little luv! You have to know I just didn’t have a choice. Did your mother ever tell you what happened to me?”

“Not really,” Lily sighed. “She just said you died in an accident, that’s all.”

“A lighting rig, it fell down from above the stage,” Vivian said quietly. “If it hadn’t been for the vampires who looked out for us, I would have really died right there on that stage. My neck was broken and my heart wasn’t going to last much longer. After I, well, became what I am now, how could I go back and see you? Your mother knew I was ‘dead’. And I looked so much younger afterwards! She probably wouldn’t have even recognized me. And I couldn’t very well just show up and say, ‘By the way, luv, I’m a vampire, can I hold my daughter?’ Do you really think she would have let me?”

“Is that what happened to you, Dad?” Tyler asked softly. “Did you nearly get killed in that car wreck?”

“No, that wreck was just staged so I could disappear without you worrying about me and so no one would look for me,” Sav answered softly. “Just before that wreck, I’d found out I had lung cancer. Choosing to crossover was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. I had to give up my son in order to keep my life. If it hadn’t been for Lyra and the others, I would never have made the decision I did. I didn’t want to leave you, Ty. You’ve got to know that.”

“That last day, when you showed up at rehearsal,” Tyler said quietly. “You knew you’d never see me again?”

“No, I knew you’d never see ME again,” Sav whispered. “Tyler, I’ve seen you perform with your band night after night, my heart ready to burst with the pride of it. I wanted so badly to be able to say, ‘I’m here’, but I couldn’t. I was there that first performance after the wreck, when you dedicated your set to me. It took everything I had to be able to hide those bloody tears from the crowd.” His shoulders started to shake as the tears reformed in Sav’s eyes.

Tyler threw his arms around his father and said, “I’m glad you saw that, Dad. I meant it”

Holding on to his son tightly, Sav whispered, “Can you forgive me for leaving, Ty?”

“Of course I can,” Tyler said with a teary eyed chuckle. “I’m just so damn glad you’re here! I couldn’t care less why, I’m just so happy...”

“So am I, son,” Sav murmured as he pulled his son closer. “So am I.”

Lyra flew into the castle just as the sun was about to break over the horizon. Steve was already sleeping the sleep of the dead as she laid him down gently on her bed. Brushing his hair back from his forehead, Lyra took him into her arms and settled down to rest herself.

“Do you think Rory will come around?” Lauren asked quietly as the mortal children of Leppard sat around eating a late lunch.

“Yeah, he will,” Tyler said confidently.

“I’m not so sure about that, Ty,” Lily answered quietly. “Rory worshipped his dad, we all know that. When he thought Phil was dead, he was devastated. You can’t just expect him to get over that quickly. He feels betrayed by his father and it hurts. I know how it feels. My dad left when I was a lot younger than Rory, so the only good thing is that I didn’t have the chance to bond with him the way Rory did with his dad.”

“But, I forgave my dad, why shouldn’t he get over it and be glad to have Phil back?” Tyler asked.

“Your dad was only gone for two years,” Lily whispered. “For me and Rory, it’s been almost a whole lifetime.”

“Yeah, and Rory and his dad were awfully close before Phil crossed over,” Lauren sighed. “I can barely remember it, but it seemed like Rory followed him everywhere.”

“What time is he supposed to be here?” Tyler asked quietly.

“He didn’t say,” Lily said quickly. “I just hope that, well, THEY’RE awake before he gets here.”

Rory drove blindly around the Irish country side, wondering why he’d agreed to go back to Tyler’s house. All it was going to do was bring him more grief at the thought he’d been abandoned by his father. How could Phil have done that to him? His mother had always been good to Rory, but she just couldn’t make up for the loss of his dad. He just couldn’t believe the events of the previous night. Pulling into Tyler’s driveway in the late afternoon, he sat in the car and tried to let it all sink in. His father was really alive. Part of him, way down deep inside, was happier than he’d been since his father had supposedly died. But, at the surface, he was still furious with Phil for what he’d done. Slamming his hand onto the steering wheel, he got out of the car and headed for the house. Phil had a lot of explaining to do before Rory could ever forgive him.

Lyra woke an hour before sunset and made her way upstairs to fetch Steve several bottles of blood to help him heal. Slipping silently back into the bed, she laid down beside him and watched over him as he slept. Just as the sun went down below the horizon, Steve’s eyes slowly opened.

“Evening, luv,” Lyra said softly.

“Wow, it’s been a long time since I woke up like this!” Steve laughed.

“What do you mean?” Lyra said as her brow furrowed in confusion.

“With you watching over me,” he said with a smile.

“Well, you’ve been with Lisel so much, I just figured that’s what you were happy with,” Lyra said after a moment’s thought.

“Well, Lisel is wonderful, I’ll give you that,” he said with a sheepish smile. “But, I don’t know how to explain this! I’ve just always felt, I don’t know, close to you too. Don’t you know what I mean?”

“Of course I do,” she whispered as she brushed the hair back from his forehead. “And I do know why. I’ve brought you over as a vampire twice now. Once as Rafe and again now, as Steve. That’s a powerful bond between two people. As powerful as any bond of blood sharing, actually. It’s a lot like the bonding between me and Sav. He brought me over hundreds of years ago, when he was my husband. Then I helped him cross over a couple of years ago. That kind of exchange is something that can never be set aside. Ever.”

“What about Joe?” Steve asked quietly.

“Joe’s different,” she sighed. “Even though I made him one of us this time, it’s not as strong as the bond between me and Sav or me and you. With Joe, it’s more emotional, like you and Lisel.”

“Oh,” Steve said, laying back in the bed. “So, what you have with Joe is like what I have with Lisel, then?”

“A bit,” she said slowly. “Though there is more, since I brought him over this last time. But, well, that part of it isn’t as strong, no.” Looking down at Steve’s pale skin, she reached behind her and grabbed one of the bottles she’d brought in earlier. “You need to drink, luv. To get your strength back.”

Taking it from her hand, he gulped down the first drink from the bottle, then whispered, “Thanks for saving me back there, Lyra.”

“I did what I had to, Steve,” she answered slowly, her hand running lightly over his chest as he drank. “I couldn’t let you die like that. Besides, you took that stake because I wasn’t there to stop Rory first. And you saved Phil’s life. Or un-life, I guess,” she said with a chuckle.

“I couldn’t let Rory stake Phil like that,” Steve said quickly. “It would have only hurt the boy in the end. Plus, I would have missed the sorry bastard!”

“You know, what you have with Phil is a bit like me and Joe,” Lyra smiled. “You love him, don’t you?”

“Always have,” Steve answered honestly.

“And you brought him across this time, didn’t you?” she asked rhetorically.

“Of course,” he said quietly.

“So maybe you can see what Joe and I have then,” she said quietly.

“You’re right, I guess I can,” he sighed, looking away from her for a moment. “But it’s different in some ways too. I mean, there’s no physical thing between me and Phil. With you and Joe...”

“That’s true,” she said softly. “Then again, there’s always been some of that between us as well, luv.”

“Not in over ten years, Lyra,” Steve whispered. “I’ve missed you.”

She leaned down and kissed him gently, then whispered, “I’ve missed you, too, Steve.”

Taking another bottle from the night stand, she opened it and gave him another long swallow before taking one herself. She let him drain the bottle in silence. Then, putting the empty bottle on the stand behind her, she turned back to him and said, “How are you feeling, luv?”

“Back to normal, I believe,” he said with a smile, figuring she’d get up and leave him now that he’d said that.

“Good,” she whispered, moving down and laying her lips lightly over his. His fingers twined threw her long chocolate hair as he pulled her deeper into the kiss. Hearing her blood running through her veins, Steve longed to sink his now descended fangs into the tender white flesh of her throat. Pulling back, he asked softly, “Why?”

“Steve, I do love you too,” she answered quietly. “Every relationship in my life is different from the other. Even Sav and Joe. I don’t think anything could ever really separate me from Sav. The bond is just too strong for that. Same with you. Emotionally based ties, well, sometimes they can be volatile.”

“I guess that’s good to know then,” he said quietly as he pulled up and kissed her again. Her fingers raked over his shirt, scraping the flesh underneath. As her hand reached the bottom of his shirt, she burrowed under it and ran her nails up the tender skin of his torso. Tugging his shirt off over his head, she stopped for a moment and felt the harsh inner cry of his body. He wanted her blood, she could sense it. She tugged her own shirt off and stared down at him as she moved her hands slowly up her own body. Flinching from the quick flash of pain, she sliced the skin of her left breast open, just above her heart. As the blood flowed, she saw Steve’s fangs descend of their own will. His tongue ran out over his lips as she smiled down at him. Then, faster than any human could have seen, Steve pinned Lyra to the bed. His mouth closed over the small wound at her breast, his body tensing at the taste of her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she ground her hips up into his denim covered groin. She let out a long moan as his hardness pushed against her mound.

Running his tongue lightly over the small gash in her skin, Steve let his tongue continue to work its way to the hard tip of her only centimeters away. A shudder passed through her body as one of his fangs raked over her nipple, only to be replaced a second later by the softness of his tongue.

His fingers moved down her side until they found the waist band of her jeans. Then, with quick, deft movements, he undid them without ever taking his mouth from her. He leaned back only long enough to remove the remainder of her clothing before laying back down on top of her and kissing her roughly. The soft denim rubbed her inner thighs before pushing past them. Lyra tried to open his jeans, but Steve grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. She laughed up at him, thinking there was no way a vampire as young as Steve could ever hold her against her will. Tugging her arms in an attempt to free herself, she stared up at him in surprise when she couldn’t break from his grip. It was Steve’s turn to laugh as he realized her problem.

“How?” she whispered quietly.

“I’m not sure, honestly,” Steve said with a smile. “All I know is that about five years ago, Lisel discovered that I was physically stronger than her. She said that vampire powers come out in each of us differently, so this must be what it’s done to me. Just like the way you’re so good with controlling people’s thoughts?”

“Wow,” Lyra replied quietly, stunned by this surprising news. She’d never even thought about what ‘side effects’ there might have been to crossing over for any of the others. Then the thoughts were driven from her mind as Steve shifted his grasp on her wrists, now holding her down with only one hand. His free hand went down her side slowly, tickling her skin as he moved. Pushing her thighs further apart, his fingers swiped gingerly at her most sensitive part.

“Oh GOD!” Lyra groaned as she threw her head back. Teasing her with ever so light touches, Steve smiled down as a tremor tore through her body. His thumb worked over her clit as two of his fingers slid into her tight, wet channel. Each stroke into her was matched by a gentle rub of his thumb until Lyra felt her entire body start to tense. Just before the dam inside her broke, Steve leaned his head down and recaptured her nipple between his lips, his tongue working in the same rhythm as his hand. Then her world exploded inside her body as her climax hit her.

Steve felt her go limp in his grasp and he let her wrists go so he could finish undressing. Her breath was still coming fast and hard as he sank into her. His arms went under her shoulders, pulling her down onto him as he thrust home hard and deep. He kissed her roughly, then let his lips follow the curve of her jaw down to the pulsing vein at her throat. Feeling his sharp teeth raking over her skin, Lyra’s body was racked by a second, far more intense orgasm as they pierced her pale flesh. His pull on her vein got stronger as his issue poured into her body. Waiting only a brief moment, she let her own fangs descend and sank them deep into his shoulder. They lay locked in an embrace only two vampires can share for a long while before finally settling down into each others arms to recover.

Steve stared up at the ceiling as a thought hit him. “I wonder how things are gong with Phil and Rory?”

“Maybe I better give them a call,” Lyra said absently as she reached for her cell phone on the night stand. Turning her back to Steve, she dialed the number to Tyler’s house and waited for an answer. Steve’s hand ran gently over her back and down to her ass just as Tyler picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Ty, it’s me, Lyra,” she answered quietly. “How are things there?” She swatted at Steve’s hand as it wandered between her thighs. He was making it difficult to concentrate on just what the boy on the other end of the line was saying.

“I’m not really sure,” Tyler whispered uncertainly. “Phil just woke up not long ago and he and Rory headed outside to talk. They’ve only been out there a few minutes, but Rory still seems pretty pissed.”

“Do you need us to fly back?” Lyra asked in concern, then jumped as Steve’s fingers sank into her again. Trying to keep her voice steady, she stifled a cry as Steve’s teeth sank into her shoulder. He pushed her onto her stomach and lay on top of her as Tyler said, “That might not be a bad idea. I’ll see you when you get here!”

Lyra bit her lip as Steve’s cock entered her from behind, then rasped, “Okay, we’ll be there as soon as we can.” Her breathing was ragged as she said, “Goodbye” and hung up the phone.

Still pulling hard at her vein, Steve reached under her and pulled her up onto her knees. His body pounded into hers as their hands twined together. “You just can’t stop, can you?” Lyra whispered harshly.

Rather than answer her, Steve slammed into one last hard time before falling ungracefully down across her body. Turning into his arms, she said softly, “We’ve got to get back to England, luv.”

“So I gathered,” Steve sighed regretfully as she pulled away from him. He watched her grab her clothing before retrieving his own. Then, with one last smile in his direction, Lyra led him out into the courtyard behind the castle. Spinning her around, Steve kissed her again as they made their way up into the air, heading off to find the others.

As soon as they landed outside Tyler’s home, Lyra could feel something missing. Concern for Phil distracted her and she turned to Steve, asking, “Is Phil okay?”

“He’s fine,” Steve said after a moment. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, something just doesn’t feel right, I guess,” she answered dismissively. “Let’s get in there and find out what’s going on, okay?” She headed into the house with Steve close on her heels, going straight into the living room where Sav was sitting.

“How’s it going?” she asked quietly as she snuggled down beside him.

“Ask Steve or Leesha, luv,” Sav sighed. “They’re the ones with the links to Phil. I’m having to wait right along with the mortals on this one.”

“Leesha?”

“He doesn’t seem terribly over wrought,” Leesha said thoughtfully. “He’s regretful, sad, but not angry. And I don’t think he’s in any danger.”

“Well, that’s good,” Lyra sighed. Looking past where Steve had settled down with Lisel, she found Tyler staring out the window. “How’s he taking all this?”

“We’ve had a lot of time to talk,” Sav answered softly. “He understands why I did the things I did. Actually, he’s just glad I’m still around, much to my relief.”

“I knew he’d be okay after a bit,” Lyra said with a soft kiss on his cheek. “What about Lily?”

“She and Vivian haven’t stopped chattering since he explained about the accident where he ‘died’,” Sav laughed. “I guess her mother didn’t really tell her much about it and he was pretty good at explaining why he couldn’t come back to her after that. Lily, Kerrie and Vivian are down in the rec room, probably still talking now.”

“That’s great,” Lyra said with a smile. Her expression turned serious as they saw Phil walking slowly back into the house. Alone. Leesha headed for his side, but he brushed her away and sat down heavily in the chair. Try as she might, Leesha couldn’t get him to tell her what happened outside with his son. After a few minutes, Lyra moved quietly from Sav’s side and knelt in front of Phil. Steve came to stand behind her as she looked deeply into Phil’s eyes and asked, “What happened, Phil?”

“I don’t think he’s ever going to forgive me, Lyra,” Phil whispered. “He hates me now. And every memory he’s ever had of me is tainted by what I did that one bloody night. I should have just died that night, rather than leave him alone like that.”

“No, Phil,” Steve softly replied. “You don’t mean that, mate. Rory will come around, you just wait and see.”

“No, Steve, he won’t,” Phil said quietly. “I’ve destroyed everything I ever meant to him...”

Before Lyra could say a word, Sav spoke up. “Don’t even fucking think about it, mate.”

Phil’s head snapped up, wondering just what Sav was talking about. But Sav’s own expression was one of bewilderment as he looked at Lyra. He asked softly, “He didn’t say anything, did he?”

“No, he didn’t,” she whispered. “What did you hear?”

“I could have sworn I heard him say he was better off dead,” Sav breathed quietly. “But I must have been hearing things.”

“You were thinking that, weren’t you, Phil?” Lyra asked and Phil stared down at the floor, nodding silently. She looked up at Steve and said, “Looks like we know what being a vampire has given Sav, then.”

“You’re right about that,” Steve said with a smile, then got serious again as he turned back to Phil. “You’re not going to do anything stupid, mate.”

“No, he’s not,” Lyra said emphatically. “That boy would never forgive himself for it and you know it, Phil.”

“He wants me to be dead, Lyra,” Phil sighed. “I’m just giving him what he wants.”

“Right now, he doesn’t know what he wants,” she said calmly. “But when he really realizes that you’re here and alive, he’ll want you to be in his life again. But what if you’re not there when he finally comes around?”

“I’ll give him time then,” Phil whispered. “But if he doesn’t...”

“You’re not doing it and that’s final,” Lyra said quietly. She turned to Leesha and said, “Don’t let him out of your sight, understood?”

“Of course not,” Leesha answered, almost indignant at the mere thought she’d abandon him.

“Sav? Steve? Come with me,” Lyra said quickly, standing and walking thoughtfully outside the house. “We’ve got to find Rory.”

“Wait, Lyra,” Sav said, grabbing her by the arm and turning her to face him. “What were you and Steve talking about? About what being a vampire had ’given’ me?”

“I get the feeling you’re going to be able to read thoughts,” she answered absently.

“WHAT?”

“I guess I should have told you and Joe both this long ago,” Lyra started, then a thought hit her. “THAT”S what was wrong! Where was Joe during all this?”

“He flew off right after he got up,” Sav answered. “It was kind of weird, but with Rory and Phil, I didn’t really think about it.”

“Well, once we get things right between Phil and Rory, we’ll have to find him,” she sighed. “But for now, let’s find Phil’s runaway and bring him home.”

“Yeah, I think that’s the best thing for Rory and Phil,” Sav said quietly. “Tyler said he was staying at the Holiday Inn here in town.”

“Then that’s where we’re headed,” Lyra said quietly, then jumped into the air. Steve and Sav followed only a second later for the brief flight across town. Landing in the back of the building, they all walked in and headed to the front desk, where Lyra asked if Rory was registered there. The clerk told her he was and gave her his room number.

Turning to the men, she said, “Okay, I’m going up to talk to him alone, first. You guys come up in just a bit, all right?”

“Yeah, we’ll just wait in the bar if you need us,” Steve answered, pulling Sav towards the restaurant and pub.

Lyra went to the elevator, punching the buttons for Rory’s floor. Steve and Sav walked into the bar, only to find Rory sitting there with two empty shot glasses sitting in front of him. Sitting down on either side of him, both men looked at Rory as Sav asked quietly, “You really think the bottles going to help you, Rory?”

“Sod off,” Rory hissed drunkenly.

“Listen, Rory,” Steve said patiently. “I’ve known your dad a bloody long time and I was the one who made him what he is now. He didn‘t want to leave you like that, but think about his only other choice. The night he crossed over, he took a fucking knife to the chest! Either he became a vampire or he died. Which one would YOU rather he chose?”

“Why couldn’t he come back to me when I moved out?” Rory slurred.

“How?” Sav asked quietly. “When you saw him yesterday, you didn’t even want to believe it was him!”

“Do you really think you’d have accepted him any more five years ago?” Steve said calmly. “Or even ten years ago?”

“Damn it, Steve,” Rory whispered. “I’ve got a wife and two kids back in the States. What am I supposed to tell THEM about Dad?”

“Don’t.”

“I can’t lie to them,” Rory hissed. “What else could Tyler have called us all here for?”

Steve and Sav looked at each other, deep in thought as Lyra walked slowly into the bar. She sat down beside Sav, relieved that Rory was there with them. And they seemed to be getting through to him, if the look on his face was any indication. Sav looked up at her and asked, “What reason can Rory give his wife for Tyler calling him here?”

“How are those tapes you guys have been working on coming?” Lyra asked, throwing Steve and Sav both way off her train of thought.

“Fine,” Steve said in bewilderment as Sav caught what she was thinking.

“Lyra, that’s bloody brilliant!” Sav laughed. “Rory, let’s get you back to Ty’s and sobered up, then we’ll give you a perfect reason for all this!” Steve slung Rory’s unresisting arm up over his shoulder and let Sav lead them out to Rory’s car as they headed back to the Savage home.

As soon as they pulled into the drive, Tyler and Lauren came bursting out of the house, wanting to know what had happened. Lyra shooed them into the kitchen to make coffee for Rory, then watched as Steve carefully sat the boy down on the couch. Phil stared at him leerily, wondering what poison would pour out of his son’s mouth at this meeting. Letting out a long sigh, he stood and started out the door, only to find his way blocked by Sav and Steve.

“You’re not going anywhere, mate,” Steve said quietly. “Just wait. Be patient.”

“Dad?” Rory said groggily between gulps of coffee that Lauren poured into him. “Stay, please?”

“I’ll do whatever you want, son,” Phil said sadly.

Tears sprang into Rory’s eyes as he said, “I don’t know what I want, but I know I don’t want to have to lose you again.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Dad, so please, don’t go.”

Phil sat down next to him, hope returning to his eyes for the first time since Rory’d tried to put a stake through him. Lyra pulled Steve, Sav and the others away from them, leaving them alone to finally work things out after twenty years. Just as she was closing the door, she saw Rory throw his arms around his father and let out a long held breath. Things were going to be just fine. For them.