Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2000 00:59:08 -0500
From: Kathrine <storykath@operamail.com>
Subject: Eternally Yours, part eight

Legal disclaimer: this is fiction. Don't read if you're not old enough.

Author's note: poetry used in this part is written and owned by Thao Nguyen.
Thanks again, for letting me use it, sweetie. :) So, here yet another part,
enjoy! :)

- Chapter eight -

"Are you going to be allright with Justin tonight, baby?" Joey asked while
putting on his jacket. "He hasn't exactly been in the brightest of moods
lately, so I hate to be dumping him on you like this." "We'll be fine," JC
assured him. "It's better for Lance that he's not around tonight, although the
Lord knows Justin might need a repetition of the rules himself." "We'll get to
that," Joey answered. He gave JC a quick kiss on the lips. "I don't want you
two hunting downtown tonight."

"Joey," JC started, "I can take care of myself, you know." Hearing the slight
edge in his lover's voice, Joey sighed. "I know you can, but I don't want you
to take any changes." Hugging JC tightly to him, Joey continued: "I'm worried
about you, I'd feel a whole lot better knowing that you're some place safe
tonight. Please? For me?" "Ok," JC answered, resting his head on Joey's
shoulder. "I'll take Justin and go down to the harbour. When do you think
Lance and you will be back?" "I don't know," Joey answered him. "We might be
late..." "You take care of yourself too, you hear me?" JC pulled back a bit so
he could look Joey in the eyes. "I will, I promise," Joey told him.

They shared another kiss and then the four men left the house. "You ready,
Lance?" Joey asked softly as they were on their way downtown. "As ready as
I'll ever be," Lance answered. One corner of his mouth twisted up in a smile.
"Guess I just have to make the best out of it, huh?" Joey laughed a little.
"That's the spirit!" "Now, the rules I'll tell you about doesn't apply for
every vampire, but it is what JC and I live by. And Justin, on the rare
occasion he follows any rules..."

For a moment Joey's eyes went dark, then he seemed to shrug the emotion away.
"You never take somebody that doesn't deserve it. It has to be someone who
willingly inflicts pain or hurt on anybody else, harms them in any way. And
without reason, you know what I mean? Not the one who hurts someone in self-
defense, but the one who does it because he enjoys it." "I understand," Lance
answered.

Joey became quiet for a little while. "It gets easier after a while, Lance.
Then they become real easy to spot." A faint shimmer in his eyes reminded
Lance that the man next to him could be deadly. "And then it gets fun to take
them out..." There was something in his voice that made Lance desperately want
to ask Joey how he was turned, but he knew that the brown-eyed man wasn't
willing to share that.

"Another issue," Joey said, "discretion is a good thing. We're stronger than
most mortals, but that's still no reason to be careless. For instance, you
really don't want to end up in a cell at a police station somewhere when the
sun is coming up." "Yeah, I can imagine that," Lance said with a little smile.
"And I think telling them that you're a vampire wouldn't help either..." He
earned a smile from Joey too. "No, that would probably land you in a mental
institution, which wouldn't be any better."

Pulling up to a small parking lot, Joey turned the car's engine off. "Here we
are, let's go." Getting out of the car, Lance took a look around. They weren't
at the same place as the night before, but he recognized the street.
Joey walked around the car and stood next to him. "Let's go." Thoughtful Lance
studied the people they passed as they walked. Joey's words had made sense. If
they had to do this, this had to be the best way.

Looking up at Joey he noticed that the Italian was watching a women standing
by a lamp-post a couple of yards from them. Keeping Joey's words in mind,
Lance just watched her too. It was obvious what she was doing, but still...
After a little while Lance discovered a tall, heavy-set man keeping close to
the women. As her he was eyeing the passer-byers.

"What do you think?"  Joey's voice was soft, his breath warm against Lance's
skin as he spoke quietly into his ear. Lance drew a deep breath. "I think she
would be a good choice." "Why?" Joey asked him. "The man standing behind her.
She picks up guys and takes them somewhere where he's waiting. Then he robs
them or kills them..." "Very good," Joey answered. "Very perseptive, Lance.
So, do you want the female or the man?"

Thinking a little, Lance then made up his mind. "I want the woman," he said,
an almost child-like eagerness shining through his earlier inhibitions. Giving
Lance's shoulders a light hug, Joey told him to go for it. "I'll be right
behind you, he promised. "And don't worry about the man, I'll take care of
him." Waiting a little before he followed the blonde, Joey let himself study
him a little. He seemed to be getting the hang of this fast, which was good.
Even as a wayward he could see the changes in the society. Their world was
changing and Joey wasn't sure if that was to the better or to the worse. But
whatever happened they all needed to be ready.

Lance had now approached the woman. Joey knew that Lance's expensive clothing
and mild manners would make her think he was going to be an easy target. That
made him smile. Only thing better than being a vampire, was being a rich
vampire... The woman was now flirting heavily with Lance, smiling and batting
eye-lashes, constantly touching him. A moment later, Lance nodded questionly
towards the the narrow alley and the woman nodded back. As Joey had expected
the man followed them a couple of seconds after the two of them had left the
corner.

"How come a sweet little thing like you are down here?" the woman asked,
letting her fingers brush over Lance's chest. "Needing some excitement?"
Looking into pale blue eyes, Lance smiled. "Something like that." He raised
his hand to let it run through her long brown hair, before letting it lock
around her neck. "Now now, she admonished, "not so eager now... We have to
talk business first. " I don't think so," Lance answered, his green eyes
lingered on her exposed neck. "I think you'll give me what I want now."

"What? Wait a minute..." her words ended in a sharp cry as Lance sank his
fangs into her neck. Even though she struggled against him, she was no match
for Lance's now increased strength. As her body lost power, she gasped out a
name and the large man rushed around the corner. As his eyes narrowed and he
made ready to leap at Lance, arms embraced him from behind. Almost like a hug,
but lethal. "I think we'll let them be," a slightly amused voice told him.

The man tried to pry Joey's arms off him. He couldn't see his opponent, and
soon he was staring at Lance who was still feeding of the woman. Nearly
hypnotized by the vision the man hardly felt at first when Joey bit through
the skin on his neck. Lance looked up from the woman's limp neck and caught
Joey's eyes. Smiling a little Joey gave him a playful wink. It was on oddly
erotic sensation, Lance watched as Joey closed his eyes and let the man's
blood fill his mouth. The alley was silent as they both finished up.

"How do you feel?" Joey asked as they left the two bodies behind. "I feel
good, actually," Lance answered. Shyly he let his eyes meet Joey's. Feelings
rose inside him, which he quickly pushed back. "Wait a minute." Joey stopped
him. "You spilled a little...let me get it." Carefully Joey licked a finger
and wiped the small stain of blood from Lance's face. The feeling of the damp
finger-tip sliding over his chin, right at the corner of his mouth, sent a
shudder through Lance's body.


"I can't be feeling this!" he scolded himself. "He belongs to someone else,
someone I care very much about! I can't be wanting him this way!" But when
Joey placed his arm gently around Lance's shoulders to lead him back out on
the street, Lance wasn't so sure about that. For a moment Lance had to fight
the urge to lean into Joey's strong, warm body and forget about the rest of
the world. "Do you want to go back?" Joey asked. No, Lance didn't want that.
He didn't want to see the smile on Joey's face when he saw JC again, he didn't
want to see Joey's deep brown eyes light up in that amazing way as he looked
into JC's clear blue ones. Not yet, he wanted to have Joey all to himself just
a little bit longer. "I'd like to stay a little longer," he told Joey, "if you
don't mind." "Of course I don't mind! JC and Justin won't be back for a long
time yet either" Joey answered. "Come, I want to show you something."

Taking Lance by the hand, Joey lead him across the street and down a small
sideway. In the end they were standing in front of a little rundown building.
A small sign over the curved door read: "The Sanctuary." "What is this place?"
Lance asked. "It's a number of things," Joey said, "it's what you make it to
be." "You've been spending too much time around JC, I think, " Lance said with
a raised eyebrow. "I'm not that bad!" Joey answered, throwing him a fake,
shocked look. "No," Lance answered. "I don't think anybody is that bad..."

Joey pushed the door open and they entered the house. Inside there was a
wooden bar, stretching along the wall in the back. Shelfs holding liqour and
beers clung to the walls over it, tiles of mirrors reflecting smoky light from
candles at the tables. Round tables accompagnied by two or three chairs were
scattered around the floor. Over by the end of the bar there was a small,
medium-lit stage.

Sitting on a barstool on that stage was a young man, his dark brown eyes
silently watching the crowd that was looking back at him. The tables was
filled with people, of all various races and ages. "Let's go sit down," Joey
whispered, motioning Lance towards a table in the back of the room. Sitting
down Lance's eyes went back to the stage. The young man with short, black hair
was holding a notebook in his lap. "His name is Thao," Joey said, "he recite
his poetry here some nights."

The atmosphere in the club was intimate and cosy. "Do you come here often?"
Lance asked. "From time to time," Joey answered. "The stage is usually free
for those who want to try...but this guy tends to draw a lot of people. When
you hear him, you'll understand why."

The quiet rustling of paper got their attention and they both sat back to
listen to the young man on stage. "This is called "Dream"," he said, his voice
soft, yet perfectly audible over the faint buzz at the bar.

"Love is but a dream
What is love
But an illusion
Here today
Gone tomorrow

What is love
But pain and agony
Swift of love
Drawn out Grief

Love is but a dream
>From which stems hope
>From which despair flows
In the wake of reality

Love is an illusion
Love is pain
Love is despair
Love is but a dream

Love, who needs it
Love, who wants it
Love, who craves it

I don't..."

As the poet went quiet again, applause spread among the tables. Joey looked
over at Lance. "How do you like our sanctuary so far?" "It's nice here," Lance
answered. "And I liked that poem." "Me too," Joey answered. "Told you he was
good." Waiting for the poet to start another poem, Lance studied Joey's hands
that rested on the table. Something about those strong, powerful hands made
feelings deep inside of him slowly burn.

Lance wanted to melt back into the wall behind him. He didn't want this, he
didn't want to fall in love with someone so obviously in love with someone
else.

And then the voice of the young poet reached him, filling the room with words
that almost made tears sting Lance's eyes. "I don't want this," he thought.
"He doesnt't want me. Joey loves JC, JC loves Joey." But he couldn't help
moving just a little closer to Joey, resting his head on his shoulder.

"This is a new one," the the dark-eyed poet had said, "I have called it
"Unparallelled love"." The crowd went quiet again, as he started to read.

"I am here
But where are you
My heart and soul

All my life
I've been searching
For the right guy

Someone loving
Someone fun
Someone to love

But what is love
But a fleating thing
Here today, gone tomorrow

When you walk by
All I see is you
With a radiant light

The sweet smile
That lit your face
And shine through it all

Your dark brown eyes
That pierced my soul
Oh, how it burns with ecstacy

My love for you
Is unparallelled
Oh, how I love you so

My heart and my soul
Belongs to you and no one else."

Again the applause roared through the room, the sudden noise startling Lance.
The poet smiled and closed his book. All of a sudden the walls felt
constricting, the room too packed with emotions for Lance to breath. "Can we
leave now?" Lance asked Joey. "I think I want to go home." That wasn't what he
really wanted to do, but maybe, just maybe, the sight of Joey and JC
together... To feel the never-ending love always radiating from the couple,
would be what Lance needed to end the un-wanted feelings.

"We'll go home," Joey soothed him. "Are you feeling ok, Lance?" "Yes," Lance
lied. "Just getting tired, that's all," Lance continued. Looking up in the
incredible, shimmering depths of Joey's eyes, a smile played across his face.
"Thanks for taking me to this place, I really like it here." Lovingly ruffling
Lance's blonde hair, Joey smiled back. "No problem."

Following closely behind Joey, Lance was silent as they reached the car. When
they got back, JC and Justin would be there too. And that was where this would
stop. But the house was still a car-ride away. One last moment where he would
let himself be taken away by the strong feelings the man next to him provoked
in him. One last moment, than Lance vowed to himself to get over it. He was
not going to love Joey anymore, not like that.