FicWad

Pete bit his lip as he stared down at the water moving at a steady pace under the bridge that he was perched on. He had been here for a few hours now, going over everything that he had been through in the past couple of years.

He was turned half way into a blood-sucking vampire, lost his family in the process, and essentially took his friends away from their families when they decided, for some odd reason, to stick by him in the fight against those who turned him. Then, through a year and a half of fighting for his life, and trying to avoid becoming one of William Beckett's whores, which he failed at one night, he wound up in the kind of situation he had been hoping to avoid; feeding. The day he ripped out William's throat was the day he'd had to take his first, and so far not his last, actual drink.

After celebrating their victory it was discovered that William was indeed alive, and that at some point after he turned Pete, he had also turned Andrew Wentz as well. Once again he and his loved ones had to fight to stay alive in what would turn out to be the last of William Beckett's twisted webs. His brother had died, but was now thankfully back, but Joe was a vampire, and soon Andy would be too, if they could bring him back. And, if they could bring him back, would he choose to live as the thing they had hunted? Or, would he take the smart way out?

Pete sighed and looked up at what few stars he could see, given the light pollution of the nearby city.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Pete's head shot over to his right at the sudden voice and turned to stare with wide, surprised eyes at the previously thought of comrade, who gave him a weak, but reassuring smile. "What are you doing here? How long have you been back?"

Andy hopped up to sit up by Pete, and reached over to lightly pat his friend on the back. "Only an hour or so," he answered before gesturing to his right. "They had to bring me or I would have come looking for you on my own."

Pete looked to where Andy was gesturing to see Joe and Patrick leaning up against he hood of the group's car, each giving a small wave when they saw Pete wave. Inside the car, in the front passenger seat, Ryland gave a small mock salute and a grin when Pete's eyes landed on him. When he looked at Andy again, he smiled briefly before he frowned and shook his head. "You should be at Tom's getting your rest-"

"Pete, you and I need to have a talk," Andy said, cutting off a further tirade, "plus I know you. You've been mourning my death, and then wondering what would have, whether or not I made it... Try to tell me I'm wrong."

Pete merely ducked his head and looked at the river, staring at the reflections of himself and Andy in the water. "You always have known me more than I would prefer..."

"Because I look out for those close to me," Andy replied as he leaned forward slightly, feeling suddenly very weak as he wrapped an arm around the middle of his torso. "Look, I need to get in the car soon, so I can go to Tom's and get the proper rest I need right now, so I'll keep this as short as I can. I know you're upset about the fact that I've been turned, but if Bren wakes up, I'm staying this way. If he was a human I would want to grow old with him. I've finally found someone to spend the rest of my life with, and situation be damned, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

When it became obvious that Pete was about to talk, Andy held up a silencing hand. "I need to finish, Peter. You have the whole of Patrick's heart, ready to love you, and your emotional and mental conflicts are about to make you lose it. Same thing is going on with poor Hilary and that Nate kid. Only a select few people in life find the person they're destined to be with. How many of those couples can say they will never have to part by death's hand? Either leaving their loved one, or watching that other person die?"

Pete stared at Andy as he took in everything that his friend was saying to him. "It's never going to get old, is it?" He questioned, earning a very confused look from Andy.

"What's that?"

"Telling you, 'I hate it when you're right'." Andy gave a weak laugh before he grimaced in pain, making Pete frown at how bad off his friend appeared at that moment. "Come on Hurley, let's get you to the car."

- - - - -

By the time the sun had risen in the sky, Andrew Wentz had woken up once more after having passed out when he first came to and had to sit up to take his first feed upon waking. The pain of sitting up and being able to feed had drained too much energy from him and Hilary had to catch him when he fell forward and nearly hit the floor from the bed. As he lay in the bed that he was recovering in, he stared at the ceiling and went over the recent events in his head, wondering if he even wanted to remain alive anymore. If Tom did recover, he might not even take Andrew back after what he had done, and if he didn't forgive him then he would have no reason to stay among the living. If he didn't live at all then Andrew would undoubtedly end his life. Although he was over his last love, he knew he could never recover if he lost Tom. Tom was the final person Andrew wanted to live a life with.

His life since William Beckett turned him had been so hectic and constantly changing. He spent so much of his life over the past year and a half being forced to learn how to be a sex slave, was given to Tom as a peace offering by William. And then, had his world flipped topsy-turvy when he had been expecting Tom to be as brutal and uncaring as those William had whored him out to, only to receive very gentle treatment as long as he behaved. Once he had informed Tom of how he came to know how to please a Master, Tom took him under his care and changed his life even more.

Even though he was still a pet he had become the personal pet of the coven leader himself, an honor so few ever received. And...he was loved. Tom had loved him dearly, and because of William's tangled webs and grand ability to mess with one's mind, Andrew had been blinded to Tom's love.

As things slowly fell into place in Andrew's mind, it became glaringly clear that throughout the entire time he had been a vampire, he had been a pawn. A pawn saved and set aside until it could prove useful, and as soon as William was desperate and down to his last try, the pawn was moved. He was used to hurt both his brother and the man he had grown to love.

Turning over in the bed and using what little strength he had, Andrew got situated in a more comfortable position while still being careful of the blood bag that was by his bed. Until he was ready to feed again, the bag was resting in hot water to ensure it didn't coagulate, but he wasn't feeling very hungry. His ears picked up the foot steps before the door opened, flooding the room with light from the hallway as Pete walked into the room, looking uncomfortable to be walking in.

"Would it bother you if I turned on a light?"

Andrew's ears just barely heard the low-spoken words, but he nodded to give permission. His eyes squinted for a moment as the lights flicked on and Pete shut the door to give them privacy.

Pete hesitated before he walked a couple of steps closer to the bed where his brother lay; the brother he hadn't seen in so long, and had almost lost before he could speak to him one last time. "How are you doing?" He questioned, surprising himself when he found his voice.

The youngest Wentz looked at his brother with wary eyes, uncertain of how Pete felt about him since their last encounter.

- - - - -

Andrew hesitated as he stood outside of his brother's room, debating whether or not to knock. Pete had been acting too strange lately, and given what happened the last time Pete had withdrawn from everyone, Andrew was worried about a repeat performance. If he would have spoken to him the last time he noticed the withdraw, maybe this worry wouldn't be bubbling up inside of him. Maybe he could have stopped Pete before he walked out the car for his "calming drive" and avoided this anxiety all together. Finally, he brought his hand up and knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Andrew put his hand on the doorknob and turned it, pushing open the door as he walked into his brother's room to see Pete sitting on the bed, staring at him with a strange look in his eyes. It almost looked like fear, but he wasn't sure.

"Hey."

"Hey Pete," Andrew said as he shut the door to his brother's room, wanting them to have privacy. "How are you feeling?" He questioned, leaning against the door and looking at his brother, who had been noticeably paler the past couple of days. His naturally tan skin was as pale as it had been when he had been letting himself go, only confirming Andrew's worries about a repeat performance from his brother.

Pete frowned as he gave a small shrug and rested back against his headboard, still staring at Andrew. "I've been better," he answered, "I'll be okay though, so don't worry about me."

"What's wrong, Pete?" Andrew asked as he left his spot against the door and moved to his brother, watching as he moved off of his bed and away from Andrew, causing the younger Wentz to give a confused frown. "Pete?"

"Look, I don't really feel like seeing anyone, so could you just leave?" Pete snapped, his face showing annoyance and anger now.

Andrew frowned deeper at the switch in personality as he recognized one of Pete's masks, the one he used to get people to leave him alone when he thought being nice just wouldn't cut it. He watched him turn his back to him. "Pete, talk to me," he begged. "I'm worried about you. You've been acting strange, you don't occupy all hours of the day, and at night we barely see you... What's going on? Are you depressed again?" He questioned, whispering the last part as his mind flooded with images of his brother, paler than his current state while laying near death's door at the hospital bed.

It was no secret in the family that Andrew looked up to Pete, and had damn near been crushed when he found out his only brother had tried to kill himself in some parking lot. They couldn’t get him to leave the hospital until Pete was able to go home, because if things had taken a turn for the ultimate worse, Andrew refused to let his brother die alone. That had always been one of Pete’s fears when he was younger, dying alone, and Andrew refused to let it happen.

Pete had always been there for Andrew when he needed him, forming their deep bond that grew stronger with each more hurdle thrown in their life’s path. When Andrew’s boyfriend was found murdered, Pete had been the one he went to, sobbing his heart out. Pete had held him and did what he could to comfort him. Although Andrew still hurt he could still go to Pete, but obviously his brother needed him right now. Andrew frowned more when Pete kept his back to him.

"I'm not depressed, I just want to be alone. Would you just leave already?" He snapped, turning an angered glare over his shoulder at Andrew, who shrunk back from it.

Andrew stared at Pete, studying the angered look, desperately searching for any sign it was a fake. "Pete, we’ve always been able to talk, why not now?" He questioned as he took a step towards Pete.

"There is nothing to talk about Andrew, just leave!" He growled, turning his head away to look back out the window he was standing by.

"I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me, Pete," Andrew said, speaking slowly with a voice laced with worry an determination. "You have something going on that you obviously need help with."

"Andrew, I can’t talk to you," Pete replied, but his voice weakened the faintest bit, and Andrew caught it. "Please… Leave…"

"Pete, what the hell happened?" Andrew questioned softly, putting a hand on his older brother’s shoulder.

Andrew jumped back a little as Pete turned and faced him, staring into is eyes. Andrew's mind went blank as his body went numb, and he slowly moved his head to the side. He didn't care as he watched his brother lean in and start to open his mouth; but he pulled back suddenly and Andrew's mind woke up from it's trance that he had suddenly gone under. As his eyes focused on Pete, he stared at him with anger and betrayal as everything fell into place.

"Andrew... I'm-"

"You're one of them/...? You're a /vampire? When did this happen!?" He exclaimed, his chest tightening as memories of his secret boyfriend's obituary in the paper assaulted him.

"Andrew, listen, I didn't ask for this," Pete said as Andrew took a disgusted step away from him. "It happened a couple days ago and-"

"And you came home!?" Andrew exclaimed, not caring as he cut Pete off, glaring at him with more anger. "How could you endanger your family like this!? How could you betray me like this!?"

"I'm not the one that murdered him, Andrew!" Pete frowned and tried to move closer, but Andrew stepped back once more, not wanting the traitor to be any closer to him. "Please don't say anything."

"Only if you leave," Andrew growled out, his hands clenching into fists as he tried not to hit the brother he had once looked up to. "Leave and don't come back or I'll kill you myself. Got it?" He questioned, glaring at his brother with hatred.

Pete stared at his brother with hurt eyes that didn't affect Andrew's decision one bit. "A-Andrew, you're not serious," he said softly, his voice almost too low for Andrew to hear. "You don't mean it."

"I'll cut your head off myself if you don't pack your shit and leave right now," he demanded, his body tensing up as he stared at the one that was ruining their family by turning into the monster before him. "Get the fuck out of my home, Peter."

Pete opened his mouth but quickly closed it after as he slumped in resign. "I'll leave..."

- - - - -

Andrew watched Pete as the oldest Wentz's eyes danced from the chair by the bed to Andrew himself. "You can sit if you want to..." He followed his brother's movement with his eyes as Pete did sit in the unoccupied chair. "I'm feeling weak still," he said, answering the question finally.

Pete nodded and shifted in his seat as his hands fidgeted together, and both his legs bounced. "They told me it would take you a few days to get your strength back once again..." He bit his lip and messed with his hair as he looked everywhere in the room; completely avoiding looking at Andrew.

Silence fell between the two vampires, as neither really knew what to say to the other; both not sure where to start or how to move their mouths to form the words they wanted to say. Andrew watched Pete's rapid eye movement, feeling slightly wounded that Pete couldn't look at him, even though he understood why. The two had parted on such harsh terms that it was really no shock that Pete was unable to look at him; still hurt though.

"Pete..."

The single word cut through the tension in the air, stilling Pete's rapid, uneasy fidgeting. His line of sight stayed to his right until he took a small breath to prepare himself and shifted his eyes to meet his brother's gaze.

"I'm sorry..."

A small smile pulled at Pete's lips as he shook his head. "You don't need to say you're sorry Andrew," he replied at a more audible level. "You were right to make me leave, I was unstable. The night everything happened I nearly attacked you, imagine what I would have done to the rest of the family."

Andrew frowned. "I miss mom..."

[Author's Note: That took a long time to write =) I rewrote the flashback to be from Andrew's POV to give you all a better view of things =)]