FicWad

Note: Sorry about the loooooong delay, I've been on holiday in France for a while. :)

Dawn's heavy head slowly raised off of her pillow as she woke. Through her translucent curtains she could see the golden glow of her namesake lighting the small room with a dull shine. Memories of yesterday haunted Dawn's memory. She dragged herself from her tangled quilt and pulled on any clothes she could find. The need of fresh air, not breakfast, made her insides claw.
I don't know what to think, she thought as she sat on her doorstep, staring at the flowery house opposite. Was my boyfriend even the Brendon Gerard bit? She shook her head and took a deep breath. She was going to have to face Gerard sooner or later. In fact, she wanted to talk to him. About what, she didn't know.
Slowly, Dawn made her way towards the main building. Dark grey clouds seeped into the sky just as she entered though the door. A cascade of cold rain immediatly began to fall. Dawn put her hand on the door to the chill out room, but she heard voices coming from within the room. Curious, she put her ear to the door instead.
"...I can't believe I'm hearing this. You told me that you were going out at night-" Patrick shouted to someone, clearly angry.
"I can't, okay? I just can't do it!" replied Gerard just as loud. From the sounds of it, they were the only two people in the room.
"What do you mean you can't do it? I'm surprised you're not dead already!" Patrick argued back.
"What would you care? What would anyone care. If I died no one would even notice," the vampire replied. Dawn felt a slight twinge in her stomach. There was silence for a few seconds, but Patrick's regretful voice pierced the uncomfort.
"Don't say that."
"Why? It's true."
"It's not true, Gerard, and you know it! Besides, that's off the point. You're supposed to be going out /every night/, otherwise your body will just shut down at its own accord. We would notice if you died, I'm sure of it. We care for you more than you think," Patrick stated, trying to get the vampire to see sense. Dawn heard a sob from through the door. She was shocked and saddened; Gerard hadn't seemed the type to cry.
"I can't do it. I would rather die then do it again. The pain I cause ... the loss others would have to experience ... Dawn was right, I am a murderer."
"Gerard, listen to yourself. Never before would you of let something like that get to you-"
"It's always gotten to me!" Gerard shouted. "I just couldn't say anything because no one would care. It would just be like: 'Oh, the vampire isn't feeling himself. I'm sure if he just pushes everything deep down inside him and ignores himself then his problems will-'" Gerard was interrupted when a loud crack sounded through the room. It took him a while to realise what happened, and when he did, he was stunned. Patrick had hit him.
"What the hell was that for?!" he gasped, putting a hand to his swelling cheek. Patrick stared at his clenched hand for a second.
"I'm trying to knock some sense into you."
"What, I can't even talk to you without getting beaten up?" Gerard said sadly. Patrick sighed, and braced himself.
"Gerard, I never told you this, but you've been like a son to me the time you've been here. You remind me so much of Billie ... plus you have an uncanny resemblance," he said, sitting down. Gerard stood up quickly, staring down at the old man.
"Replacing me with your dead son isn't helping anybody," he growled, his usually calm eyes flashing green.
Dawn jumped backwards as the wooden door swung open. Gerard took a little time to realise it was her, growled again and stalked out of the building and into the rain. His appearence had scared her ... he looked more like the vampire he was forced to be. Turning away from the dark corridor, Dawn looked at Patrick. He had his head in his hands.
"Patrick? Are you okay?" Dawn asked softly. The elderly man didn't show any shock at her arrival. He slowly lowered his hands and clasped them in front of him, pain on his face.
"Morning Dawn, I hope you don't go around eavesdropping too often. It may get you into trouble," he said quietly, amusement in his voice. Dawn nearly slapped herself.
"How did you know?"
"Whilst I was lecturing him, Gerard threw a quick and rather suspicious glance at the door. I assumed he had sensed someone there."
Dawn nearly slapped herself again. Gerard had known she was there the whole damn time. She silently puffed out her cheeks and blew the air out from the tight hole in her lips, but she saw that Patrick wasn't as merry. He looked at her with his grey eyes.
"I'm sorry you had to hear it, Dawn. It seems he's been defying orders, understandably of course. I can't imagine how it feels to suck blood, I really can't."
"What did you mean when you said his body would shut down?"
"Vampires rely on blood to keep their bodies in balance, which are one half natural and one half magic. Blood keeps their natural side going, the human side. If they don't get the proper intake, the magic can overpower their bodies resulting in terrible anger or depression, since their magic is the power of shadows. They usually end up dieing, since a body with a human form cannot withstand the power that is unleashed," Patrick recited, choosing his words carefully so Dawn would understand. "They can do terrible things when they're angry, even the best of them."
Dawn nodded slowly. "So that's what that big gale was yesterday, right? His anger got so great that the power overtook him?" she wondered outloud. Patrick nodded in reply, then stood up, looking grey in the dull glow of the rain.
"But enough of this. It's hard enough on him already without me telling someone else something even he doesn't know. All he thinks about himself is that he's some kind of monster, and won't accept any explanations. Anywho, we have a rather inconveniant visit from somebody who will be arriving soon, so we'd best head to the main hall. Follow me, I believe you've never been there before."
"Okay," Dawn said. She was just about to step out of the room, when she hesitated suddenly. "I don't know who your son was, but I'm sure Gerard didn't mean what he said, what with the whole anger problem he has."
Patrick glanced at her, smiling slightly. "I know, Dawn, but thank you. For someone who's supposed to hate him, you're being surprisingly kind to Gerard ... at least, behind his back," he said, and walked out the door before she could reply.

Dawn tapped her foot and stared around the main hall. It was a large room with various portraits on it's deep red walls, and had a staircase that led to a balcony looking over the hall. Gold patterns swirled around the portraits in intricate patterns.
Nearly the whole village had been cramped into the room. There were all sorts of hunters in there: tall, short, thin, large. All experienced. Through a line of bold looking women, Dawn could see Gerard sat on a gold coloured chair, looking angry. Was it anger from his and Patrick's shouting match, or was he expecting something? Dawn sure didn't know what to expect.
Patrick stood on the staircase and gestured with his hands to stop the hum of babbling going on. Every face turned to look at him, apart from Gerard's.
"Right, the reason I've gathered you all here is because we're having another - ahem - visit from La Oscuridad Errante," he said loudly, making sure to add a rather awful Spanish accent to the last words. Groans and sighs came from the crowd of people. Dawn joined in, pretending to know what the hell La Oscuri- whatever was. Patrick gestured again to quiet the noise.
"They messaged me not long ago. They could appear anytime-" Just as he said that, a loud bang crashed through the room. Everyone ducked out of pure instinct, then looked up to see a wierd, purple fog hanging on the ceiling. Patrick sighed as a shadow enveloped him. The Hunters gasped as the shadow swirled around him a few times, then seeped into the air to form the shape of a woman. Her hair was long and black, and swirled about in the air at its own accord. A long, dark purple gown covered her shapely body, leaving her bare pale arms free. Though she appeared to be youthful at first glance, Dawn could make out faint wrinkles in her forehead.
/"We return,"/she said in a ghostly voice, but her mouth never opened. Dawn looked around to see why she said 'we', but could see no one else. Although, various shadows were swirling on the walls, white eyes gazing from the flat blobs.
"I have come for Gerard. Now is the time we need him more than ever. Ville is sick... very sick. He asked for Gerard to be brought to him immediatly. Where is he?" the woman continued, her head slowly turning, surveiling the hunters. Her eyes finally fell upon Gerard, who hadn't moved from his chair. His eyes flashed green again as he looked at the shadow woman.
"I've told you everytime, I'm not going. Nothing's changed, so leave," he said, clearly trying to keep his voice down.
"But Ville needs you, Gerard. /we need you. Please, just come see him. Please, Gerard,"/ the woman replied in an annoyingly pathetic voice. He shook his head and turned away.
"Ville doesn't need me, he made that clear long ago," he said quietly. "I'm where I belong at the moment."
One of the shadows on the wall quivered slightly, then swirled off of the wall into the air. A figure wearing a long, black cloak landed on the tiled floor. Nothing but glowing red eyes could be seen from under the hood.
"Oh no you don't," Gerard growled, and stood up off of the chair. Dawn, more than confused, shoved her way through the crowd over to Patrick.
"What the hell's going on!" she hissed, staring as the hooded figure glided towards Gerard.
"They keep trying to get him to join them. That one," he muttered, pointing at the hooded figure, "has no name. All I know about him is that he has no body but is good at brainwashing."
"What! Why's no one doing anything?" Dawn gasped, and the shadow woman looked at her with piercing, violet eyes.
The cloaked figure swooped at Gerard, but the vampire raised a protective barrier that was shaped like a large bat. The figure - and various hunters - was thrown backwards. From the cloak came an inhuman hiss.
"I see you are still reluctant to join us. This is a grave mistake you have made. With us, you could defeat Moe and his followers," came the voice of the shadow woman. Gerard turned to her, his eyes turning back to their usual hazel from the red they had just burned.
"You know what? With your attitude, you're an exact reflection of Moe. Just female. Now get lost and don't you even attempt to come here again, because I'm not joining your stupid group," he said, finality in his strong voice. The Shadow Woman hissed slightly, her mouth opening to reveal her pointed teeth. All the hunters gasped when they saw that her teeth poked from all around her mouth, like a hagfish. She raised a ghostly hand and snapped her spindly fingers loudly. The hooded figure glaring at Gerard vanished, the shadows swirling on the walls vanished, and finally, the shadow woman vanished. Silence exploded through the room.
"They'll be back," Mikey concluded, rubbing his hands together. Gerard grunted in agreement. "It's like they're freakin' obssessed with me. I wish I knew why, though. That would clear my mind up quite alot-"
Dawn felt Patrick stiffen next to her. He knew why, but obviously didn't want to tell anybody. She felt him stiffen yet again when Gerard made his way over to the old man.
"Erm, dude, about what I said earlier-" he began, scratching his head embarressedly. "If you think I should do something, then I'll do it. I was wrong to doubt you and insult you like that." he finished, ashamed. Patrick smiled, his eyes shining.
"Don't apologise, it wasn't your fault. I had expected such an outburst from you for quite some time. I'm sure you're feeling slightly better. But, Gerard, I know what's best for you, and what's best for you at the moment is-" he said, pausing when he realised every hunter in the hall was staring. He looked at Gerard meaningfully, and the vampire nodded looking slightly subdued.
"Gerard," stated Dawn suddenly. He turned to look at her, slightly alarmed. She gazed at him with emotionless eyes. "I wanna talk to you outside."

Note: I'm not great at Spanish, so if I've gotten La Oscuridad Errante wrong then you Spanish speaking people can let me know if you like. Thankies :)