The Tale of Two Brothers

Chapter 4. Enjoy.



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The first two weeks with Tucker were absolutely insane. If someone had walked up to Nat in that time and asked him if he'd like to join the Looney Bin of his own free will, he would have jumped in the band wagon. Nat and Jack had to dig out Nat's old restraints and enlist the help of the titanium. Tucker hated them. Somehow, titanium was one of a vampires weaknesses. No one knew the mechanics of why buy it was. The reason they had come back to employ was because Tucker had been chasing Jill and the Agency employed staff around the mansion while Jack and Nat were out. One time, Jill had actually cast a holding spell on him and Nat came home to see Tucker stuck up in mid air where he'd tried leaping on Jill. When she was asked why, Nat actually slapped himself in the head. And then proceeded to drag his brother back into the bedroom they shared.



They had established the first night that Nat slept on the side of the bed with the phone while Tuck slept on the side of the bed away from the door. Since vampires shut down during daylight hours, it was a safe bet that Tuck wouldn't be able to even pull himself out of the sleep the sun induced let alone attack anyone who came waltzing through the door. The room had gotten cleaned, another dresser had been moved in and now, Tuck was sporting new clothes as well as half of Nat's stocked weapons.



When Jack and Nat worked in the bakery at night, Tuck stayed home, in the chains...with Jill. Jack and Nat had taken bets on how much Jill taunted Tuck while they were gone. Nat won that bet hands down. Once Tuck was released, he ran after Jill like hell had him by the ass. Jack always dragged him back to the room, sputtering curses about how he was going to tear out Jill's heart. Jack would have beaten him but he was too busy laughing at Tucker's misfortune to do anything. After having a talk with Jill, she stopped taunting Tuck, around the end of the second week that was. Whatever gave her the motivation, no one wanted to ask because somehow, they knew they wouldn't like the answer.



Tuck had finally relented and gave Nat the number to his contractor. After dodging the questions of how long Tuck would be out of commission and how he got that way, but assuring the man that the target was indeed dead, Tucker's pay was wired to Nat's account. Tuck had refused when Nat said all of his money would have to be transferred but realizing he wasn't going to win the argument, relented. Now, they shared a bank account and only tapped into the money fount when they needed it. Thank gods it was password and key protected otherwise, if someone got a hold of that money, they were done for. Jack had already told Nat that he wasn't about to let any child of his mooch. They'd work for their keep and by damn, Nat worked. Tuck had to sit out the working until he gained enough control to take the shot without drooling.



Right now though, Nat was laying on the bed, Tuck over in the closet playing with sharp, pointy objects. Nat fed Tuck twice a night and it was coming time for his second feeding. he'd taken blood from another willing host that night after his first feeding. It wasn't necessary to feed him so much but Jack explained that with more of Nat's blood, Tuck would be able to control himself better when in the presence of humans and other beings with a heart beat. Nat remembered when he fed from Jack so much. Even now he fed once every couple of months from Jack. Those times were difficult for Nat. He himself was due for another feeding from his sire but he was putting it off like the plague.



"Tuck, come here brother." Tuck set down the short sword he was playing with and walked over.



"What is it man?"



"Don't play dumb." Nat held out his wrist and Tucker came eagerly to it. When he went to bite down, Nat took his hand away. "Prep first." Tucker licked, hands behind his back, balled into fists. "Now, use your power to will your host no pain." Tucker rolled his eyes up and when Nat felt the push of Tucker's will, he nodded. Tucker bit down and waited a few seconds before removing his fangs. As usual, he couldn't help himself and grabbed on to Nat's arm, holding it to his mouth as he fed. When Nat thought his brother hand taken enough, he used his free hand to gently pry Tucker's head away from his wrist. Tucker licked the wounds dutifully and blinked up at Nat.



"I'm good." Nat let his brother go and watched as Tuck wiped his mouth and went back to playing with sharp, pointy objects.



"Why did you dye your hair?"



"Hm?"



"Your hair." Tuck thought about it for a moment before answering.



"A phase I guess. I never did like my black hair. Besides, I look better with blond."



"No you don't Tuck. I thought you liked being Black."



"I do-did I mean. I did. But I guess after you left, I didn't really have a reason to." The words stung a little even after Nat explained why he left. he couldn't very well eat Tuck. It just wouldn't work. He'd apologized and Tucker accepted the apology and they'd left it at that. But Nathaniel knew his brother was still very bothered by the fact that he left with no word. Hell, he would have been too but he would have understood -after the explanation- and dropped it. "Why don't you cut your hair?"



"I'm used to it."



"Sure you ain't just leaving it there for memories?"



"What memories Tucker? That twenty or so years I was in your life I spent protecting you and before that, mother from getting the shit kicked out of her. I don't have any memories that are good. Well, except when mom brought you home." he chuckled. "You peed right in dad's face. It was one of the rare nights he wasn't drunk and mom and I nearly died from fits of laughter." Just thinking about the face his father made after Tuck decided to pee in his face made Nat laugh. "And then you smiled at him a huge, dopey smile."



"Seriously?"



"Dude, I swear he never got over it. When he was sober all he could do was talk about it. Hell, I think he even remembered when he was drunk and that was why he picked on you more. or tried to at least."



"So why do you still have your hair?"



"Because, even if I didn't have a good home life Tuck it's still an honor to be of the Black Pack."



"But you aren't a wolf anymore."



"No tuck, I'm not." He sighed and rolled to his feet, looking around the room. It actually looked lived in now and not just like someone let a cyclone run through it. "I'm going out. Don't leave or I'll chain you again."



"Jill's been good about not coming around when you're not here. Whatever you and Jack said to her stopped her the day before yesterday and besides, the servants don't come near here. I guess they are too scared too."



"Wouldn't you be if you were human or a lesser being?"



"Guess I would. Don't die. Would hate to have to pick up the pieces." Nat just grunted and headed for the door, grabbing his jacket on the way. He needed to feed. He'd tried to not feed for the last three days but it wasn't working. between feeding Tucker twice a day and using energy to get out of bed, he couldn't manage more than two at the most without feeding. After the door closed behind him, Nat locked it and headed for the door. He was stopped on the way by Jill.



"Hey Nat. Jack's looking for you."



"Bet he is. I'm going out."



"It won't do to keep ignoring him like this."



"Maybe not." he smiled and skipped out the door, only to run smack dab into a brick wall. Or more rightly, Jack's chest.



"Inside." Nat stepped back and then around Jack. Only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "You can't avoid it forever boy."



"But I can try like hell Jack. Let me go."



"How many days have you gone?"



"This is three."



"And you need to go out again don't you?"



"So?"



"Get inside before I pick you up and carry you." Nat looked at his sire and jerked his shoulder out from under then vampires grasp.



"Look Jack, I'm not doing this with you right now. Not with Tucker here."



"So it's that spineless heap in there that's stopping you? Are you such a baby Benjamin?" If it had been anyone else, Nat would have killed them on the spot but Jack...in the ten years they had been together, Jack had become like his father and somehow, Nat didn't mind when the elder vampire called him by his first name.



"No Jack, I''m not. I just can't do this right now."



"Inside. Now. Don't make me ask again." Nat growled and looked at Jack who just crossed his arms over his chest.



"Leave me be Jack. Unless you are so eager to open a vein?" His throat was seized and he had to remind himself he only had to breath for talking before he 'suffocated'.



"You are getting mighty ballsie Benjamin. I will not put up with your attitude simply because you now have a fledgling of your own. Get inside before I knock your ass out and drag you back into those chains your brother's been sporting." He was dropped and Nat hissed, turned on his heel and stormed back inside. He ignored Jack when the elder told him to stop and just went straight back to his room. He ignored Tuck, grabbed up the chains and walked right back to Jack who was standing in his doorway.



"You want to use them then it's fine by me Kelton but I will be damned if I do this willingly."



"Do you hate it so much?" Jack looked him deep in the eyes and Nat had to look away. No. That was the whole problem. Tuck watched as Nat was put in the same chains he'd sported more than once over the last weeks and dragged out of the room. he got up and followed only to be stopped at the steps by Jill. He looked at her and fought back everything inside of him that ordered he jump on her and sink his fangs into her soft flesh.



"You don't want to see this sugar. It's not pretty."



"What are they doing?"



"Come, let me walk you back to your room." It was going to be hell on his nerves but it was a test he needed to pass. besides, the witch could defend herself. As they started walking, Jill looked at the stairs twice before looking to the floor. "When a vampire is made, the blood of the one that sired them animates their body. Later in their unlife, the blood of non-humans or humans animates them. But a vampire has to reach a certain...age if you will, before they can completely remove themselves from their masters blood.



"Jack doesn't require the blood of his adopted sire any longer because he is old enough to take care of himself. I'm sure Nathaniel has told you but being only ten years dead means nothing to a vampire in terms of age or maturity. Technically speaking, your brother is still an infant compared to Jack and needs to be taken care of until he gets a little older. Are you following?"



"So far, yea." For once, he was more interested in what Jill was saying rather than the blood pumping through her veins.



"A vampire can actually reach an age where they can stop drinking blood entirely but the elders who could do that no longer live. The oldest vampire known today is actually in a deep slumber over in the Congo. Now, a vampire can't actually die per say from lack of blood but, at a certain point they go into a blood lust that is even worse than a shifters rage." Tucker looked at her incredulously but she nodded. "It's true and proven. But that's for another time. Anyway. Your brother fights whenever he has to take from Jack because well, it's enjoyable. Jack being a man isn't the problem or that it has to be done. But Jack once told me, while he was half asleep that is, that when a fledgling takes blood from their sire, something passes between them. He didn't explain further but I think you would understand. What do you feel when you take blood from your brother?"



Tucker thought about it long and hard but he couldn't think of anything. Then, it hit him. "Well, when I took your blood, i felt like I couldn't stop, like I didn't want to stop. When I take Nat's blood..." He actually gained a little color in his cheeks. "I guess I understand where he's coming from. And I guess I understand why he doesn't want it to happen." Tucker came to the bedroom he shared with his brother an turned around, hands fisting at his sides. Jill waited patiently for him to open the door but thankfully, wasn't poking fun at him. Or trying to tempt him into taking from her vein. "Thank you for informing me. Would you like some company?" He was forcing himself to stay calm now, the curiosity for her story quickly fading.



"No but thank you for the offer sugar. I'm just going to go play with some magic and hope I don't blow anything up this time." She looked uncomfortable and Tucker's heart went out to her.



"Jill...?"



"Hm?"



"He told me it wasn't possible to get hard and actually...have sex unless you were with your destined mate. If he can't do anything, why does he fight it so much?" She looked up at him then, right into his eyes and he saw something there. It spoke volumes. A wisdom older than she was. A deep sense of loss.



"I don't know Tucker. I wish I did, believe me. It might make me feel a little better knowing that Nat was okay with it and not fighting his baser instinct every step of the way. I feel..." She snuffled for a moment and moved to wipe her nose. "In some ways it's rape Tucker. I don't want him to feel that way." She turned then and started walking away, back straight. Tucker got the feeling she'd been in Nat's position before. He had a new found understanding of her. With a nod in her direction, he opened the door and closed himself in, awaiting his brother's arrival.





The chains had long since been abandoned and now they were tossing around like a bunch of animals fighting for dominance. Nathaniel had used every inch of will power to keep from biting, or taking the blood when it was offered to him and now he just wanted to go. He thought the chains would help but he was wrong. He just didn't want to be here. He'd been fighting with Jack the whole twenty or so minutes they'd been up in the private room. Jack wasn't relenting. Deep down Nat knew it had to be done but he couldn't do it. He wasn't like Tucker. He didn't need to feed every day, every week and was thankful he'd gotten it down to every few months. Why couldn't Jack just accept that he couldn't do it and they try again later?



Because Jack was a stubborn asshole who'd grown up in Scotland with a Laird for a father and a mother who could whollop some ass in her day. He wasn't going to relent on anything.



"Let me go jack."



"No Benjamin. Not until this is finished. I don't like it either but it has to be done."



"Lying sack of shit."



"Possibly, but I have a wife to take care of me."



"Rub it in my face why don't you!"



"I didn't mean it like that Ben and you know it."



"Stop calling me that! You only call me that when-" he stopped and looked away from the yellowish eyes boring a hole into his skull. He stopped fighting. "I don't want to do this right now Jack. Just let me go out."



"You are having a hard time controlling yourself right now Nat. You could hurt someone. I can't allow that as your sire and as your friend."



"I'm surprised you didn't say father since your wife is so insistent I call her mother or something to that affect."



"Did she say that?"



"Weren't you paying attention in the car?" Jack nodded and sighed. He let go of Nat's leg but remain a hold of his arm.



"We're doing this Nat. There is no way out of it."



"But I can't. Not right now." Nat looked to the floor and relaxed his body. He wasn't going to run even though he wanted to. And didn't at the same time.



"Why?"



"Because." He couldn't say it. It was embarrassing. "Don't make me say it Jack."



"I think you need to Nat." Jack sat at his side and rested a hand on his shoulder. "There are some things the unlife brings us that we must accept."



"I didn't vote for this life."



"But you were an innocent murdered. If you haven't noticed, I only kill bad guys."



"For lots of money."



"Too true but all in all, they are still purely evil."



"I don't want to do this Jack."



"But you have too Nat. Do it now and get it over with then don't worry about it for another few months." Looking over to his sire, he sighed and leaned into the heavily muscled frame. He'd never done this with anyone before, not even his mother but somehow, even though it was embarrassing, it was comfortable with Jack. His sire didn't expect anything and didn't ask for anything other than he work to earn his keep. This should be no problem. But it was. He wondered if any other vampires had this trouble? Maybe. Probably not. Most vampires hadn't been a shifter before death.



Moving a little, Nat grabbed Jack's hand and pulled the sleeve up to his elbow then stared down at the already healed wrist in front of him. Jack's blood was power and that power called to the primal part in him. The one that wanted to fight, survive, get stronger. Leaning over, Nat licked the tender skin of his sire's wrist and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the blood rising to the surface in preparation for his bite. Then he took the plunge and sank his teeth deep.





It was three in the morning when Nat stormed into the room, grabbed up a few clips of 9mm ammo and stormed back out. Tucker noticed a limp, the scent of fresh and old blood, the slight flush in his brother's cheeks and the speed in which his brother moved but didn't seem to notice himself. When Tucker went to speak, his brother made a sound that had Tucker backing away slowly and making sure his mouth was closed very tight. Then, Nat was gone just as fast as he'd come.



The training room was below ground several hundred feet and made for the purpose of training. In Nat's case, he was making things explode. This happened every three months. Every time he took blood from Jack, he was left frustrated, hurting and absolutely livid. Jack on the other hand spent the night alone in his study. There was no making Jack explode. No pumping him so full of led he couldn't move. Nope. Couldn't kill the sire. Killing the sire killed the fledgling still bound to his blood. As much as the thought of death appeased him in these times, he'd rather live and make the sons-of-bitches who desecrated the earth with their presence speaking of human superiority pay with their lives. And protect Tucker from those perverted fanatics.



Wait, Tucker was dead now. The only protecting he needed now was from the sun and himself. With another wave of anger, and another few clips of ammo, Nat watched as the clay bust of some random person was filled with holes. Lots and lots of holes. When he ran out of ammo, he slammed his gun down on the table and snarled out a few curses. When a hand touched his shoulder gently, he whipped around with the intent to maim or kill. He stopped dead in his tracks though. It was Jill. She pressed her fingertips against his forehead and he felt a rush of calm enter his blood stream. She didn't do this often because it cost her a lot of strength to do so but he was ever thankful when she did.



When she started to sway a little, he wrapped his arms around her waist and helped her to the only chair in the entire room. It was there for her solely. When he started to walk away, she grabbed his hand and he sank to his knees beside her. He just held his hand and stared at it for a moment. She'd once told him that she wished he didn't have to do what he did, that to her it reminded her of rape. He told her he was okay with it, kind of, maybe not but he did it anyways because keeping the fanatics bent on destroying non-humans off the streets meant more to him than his sensibilities.



"You're going to have to talk to Tucker about what happened tonight."



"Not yet I don't."



"I explained to him the why but not what happens. It wasn't my place."



"True but I think it would have been better coming from you." His voice was rough at the same time it was smoothe as silk. It was times like these he was glad Jill had the strength of will to resist his vampire charm. If she didn't and didn't have Jack's help to do so, she would be in deep trouble.



"He's not my brother Nat."



"No. No he's not." he stood and removed his hand from her grasp to run it through his dark locks. "I just don't think he needs to know right now. Besides, he's my brother. Telling him what goes on will, ehgu, no thank you. It's bad enough that it might happen later in his life but gods, never to that extent."



"Then leave out those details Nat. Either way he needs to know. The sooner he knows the better prepared he'll be later."



"When did you get so smart woman?"



"When you weren't looking." She grinned at him and he couldn't help but smile. It was contagious. But then she frowned. "Ben, I need to tell you something." Oh no. Not the name again. When he went to tell her about it he stopped. The look on her face made him frown and go back to his knees in front of her. He took her hand.



"Jill, what's the matter?"



"You have to promise me, your word of honor you won't say anything to Jack." Oh no. This was bound to get him into trouble.



"I don't know how well that will work out seeing as he can force me to tell him anything he wants but I promise Jill. Anything." Tears started pouring from her eyes and she hiccuped before composing herself enough to talk.



"Remember how I said I couldn't have children?"



"Yes." He frowned. Where was she going with this?



"I'm not immortal Ben. I can't have children because when I promised my soul to Jack and the Moon, I was dying. I thought it had gone away but it's back. No amount of wishing, hoping or magical blood can stop it. I haven't been able to bring myself to tell him because when I'm gone, he will be nothing. He'll withdraw, maybe met the sun. He can't do that. Not yet. He'd take you and Tucker too."



"Wait a minute, what are you saying to me Jill?" She slapped him upside the head and tried to fight back the smile.



"Even now you're such an idiot, boy! I'm dying. I can't be turned. When I promised myself to immortality with Jack, I had cancer of the cervix. Back then, they didn't know what it was. Now they do and when I went for my yearly, without blood, they found I had it again. It's why I can't have children, other than the fact Jack is dead. When I go Ben, he's going to lose it. I don't know if he'll wait for my reincarnate or just follow me. If he goes before you're ready, you will die and so will Tucker. I wouldn't be able to survive up there knowing that." Stunned was such an understatement. Shock. That was starting to set in and before he knew it, he was on his ass staring at her in disbelief. Then he cracked and smile. Frown. Smile and finally, settled on a frown.



If she was lying, she wouldn't be in tears. She never cried unless something was serious. But she couldn't die could she? She was immortal. Witches when the pledged themselves to a deity gained immortality. If that was the case, how was she dying? But she had cancer before she pledged herself. In this situation, his intelligence wasn't working for him. He didn't know what to say. He looked away from her then back again and she stared at him.



"Jill, I- I don't know what you want me to say. Why tell me and not Jack?"



"Because he'd try to save me. I can't make the change Ben. I'm a witch. My immortality would have been granted already and my deity would smite my soul into shaddome should I cross her. Even if the transformation did succeed, I would die a horrible death because my deity wished it."



"But why me?"



"Because Tucker wouldn't keep his mouth shut and Jack well, we both know how Jack will take it."



"Why couldn't I taste it Jillian?"



"Because it just showed up on the tests recently. It hasn't spread far enough for you to taste it. Soon enough I will have to stop giving him blood or he will find out."



"You can't just stop Jill. You will kill him if you do. Not physically either."



"Then help me."



"Do what? Kill you faster? Not a chance in hell sweetums. I refuse to."



"Not kill me but think of a way to break it to him without him going over."



"Hate to say it Jill but you know him better than I do. You've been with him sixty years."



"And I don't look a day over twenty five." She primped her hair and Nat smiled. Trying to make light of a bad situation as always.



"I don't know how to help you Jill."



"You're going to have to give him a reason to live after I'm gone Ben."



"And how do you propose I do that?"



"Find your mate and save the non-human world of course."