Generation 2, Chapter 39 - Homecoming

"Where is he?" Beverly shouted at her father.

"Honey calm down," William pleaded with her.

"No I won't calm down. He's my fiance," she cried "his children need him....I need him." She wrapped her arms around herself crying.

"Bev I know but..." he tried to soothe her only to be rebuffed as she stepped away from his embrace.

Wiping tears from her eyes "tell me where he is," she demanded.

"Honey he...he's changed," William stuttered.

"Changed how?" she inquired "he hasn't met someone else has he?"

"No no nothing like that," William sought to reassure her wondering how he could explain how he had changed without telling her Adam was a vampire. Adam had been adamant in not wanting her to know. William thought it was a bad idea. He knew his daughter wasn't the type to stop until she found out the truth.

"Something happened to him while he was away didn't it," her eyes widened "is he hurt?" Grabbing her father's arm she demanded "tell me I have to know. I have a right to know. His children need their father."

"I know and I wish I could tell you," William saw her begin to shake as her facade began to unravel. 

Wrapping his arm around her he said "give him time. He needs to adjust to the changes..."

"So something did happen," she cried on his shoulder "I don't care what happened. I love him and I want him to come home." Looking into her father's eyes "tell him I need him. Tell him if he doesn't come home soon I'll come and find him. There's nothing we can't face together."

"I'll tell him," William hesitated "don't expect ..." sighing he turned "just don't expect him to come home anytime soon."

"He will. I know he will. He loves us," she said as her brilliant green eyes swam with tears.

"I wish it were that easy," William muttered "his love for you is what's keeping him away."

***

Once her father left Beverly sank to her knees. What did he mean? Why would Adam's love for her and the kids keep him away? What happened to him? Why wouldn't her father tell her? 

"Mom what's wrong? What happened? Did something happen to dad?" Heath's concerned voice cut into her thoughts.

"I don't know. I simply don't know," Beverly said allowing him to help her up from the floor.

"Next time grandpa comes," Heath said "I'm going to follow  him. I'm going to find my dad. It's time he comes home."

Smiling at the young boy Beverly sadly acknowledged Adam had missed a milestone in his son's life. Heath just turned thirteen and Jonah was already a year old. She could hardly believe Adam had been gone for over a year now and his absence was still a physical ache to her. At least she knew he was still alive unlike Jean who had no idea what happened to Peter other than he's trapped in the future with no way of coming home. "That's a good idea except I'm going to do it," she smile at him as he opened his mouth to protest.

"Mom I'm sure you can but I can move faster than you and I'd be less likely to be seen," he opened his mouth to continue.

"Ok you win," Beverly said "just be careful."

"My dad won't hurt me" Heath said his confidence in his dad undiminished.

"I know" Beverly agreed "that's not what I meant. There's a reason why your father's not here. If he felt it was safe he'd be home."

"I'll find him" Heath said hugging her before going to his room.

Beverly watched him leave wishing she was as confident as he was. Her father's words chilled her. Something happened, something that fundamentally changed Adam and it scared her.

***

Later that night Adam watched as the last of the lights went out in his house. He knew where everyone was. He longed to go home to hold his fiance in his arms. To hug his children. Instead he lurked in the dark behind a tree hidden from sight watching over them as they slept. He hated what he had become a creature of the night. His thirst was building and at times he felt only Ambrogio kept him from feeding.

"Why don't you go to them?" Ambrogio asked "if she loves you she'll accept you and what you've become."

Shaking his head Adam closed his eyes in a vain attempt to block Ambrogio's thoughts from his mind. "I might hurt her or the kids. I can't take the chance."

"You've become much stronger than you were," Ambrogio encouraged "you've lived with the others without feeding..."

"No," he shouted into the night air "it's still too hard to resist. Too many close calls. I can't take the risk not where my family is involved."

"Then why come here?" Ambrogio asked "Why torture yourself?"

Shaking his head Adam leaned against the tree "I long to be with them the loneliness is worse then the hunger." Shrugging Adam continued "I'm as good as dead so I do what ghosts do when they can't move on. Haunt their loved ones."

"It won't always be this way," Ambrogio insisted.

"How can it be any different? Forsake what little humanity I have left? Feed and join Alessandro?" falling to his knees Adam cried out into the night shattering the silence. "I hate this half life caught between  not quite human and not quite monster. What am I? Why am I fighting it?"

"I know it's difficult Adam but it is necessary. This is all happening for a reason," Ambrogio told him "you must remain strong. You must fight the hunger. You can do it....trust me."

"Tell me why? Why is it necessary?" Adam growled "no one tells me anything. Percy knows but avoids my questions. You know and hint at answers but refuse to tell me. All I feel is a growing discontent with this life ..."

***

Inside the house Beverly stirred restlessly in her sleep. "Adam she called leaping from the bed. "I could have sworn I heard his voice." She frowned pulling up the covers around her shoulders. Straining her ears to listen she heard the wordless cry that brought tears to her eyes. She raced to the window peering outside "Adam" she whispered his name "I know your out there. Suffering ... come home baby. Whatever it is I'll help you."

She saw motion at the far edge of the yard "what is that?" she wondered. Opening the window she shouted "Adam is that you?" Startled a figure looked up it's eyes glowing in the moonlight then it turned and ran. An animal maybe? It moved too fast for a person. "Oh Adam where are you?"

***

Shock propelled Adam into running faster then he had ever ran before. Why had he screamed out? He should have known Beverly would hear him. The sound of her voice sent a thrill to his heart. How he wanted to run to her, caress her skin, kiss her lips, make love to her. Instead he was running away. He stumbled to his knees weeping.

"Adam?" Elliot said reaching out to him "you need to come home," Elliot entreated him "the sun is going to be up soon."

"I don't care," Adam cried "I can't do this anymore ...I don't want to do this anymore." Mentally he shut Elliot's voice from his mind as he lay down on the grass waiting for the sun to rise. Briefly he heard Percy and Ambrogio protesting in the background until they too faded away. This was it. The end. His choice. Biting his tongue he grunted in pain as the sun's rays touched his skin.

***

Heath heard Beverly call out to his dad as he lounge on the patio by the pool. Jumping the wall in his toy form he was able to keep pace with Adam who was running faster than he should have been able to. As the sun rose he watched his dad lay down where it seemed the sun's rays were cooking him. Cautiously Heath approached the spot where is dad lay motionless on the ground. "Dad?" he queried. Touching his hand Heath jerked his hand back "ouch" he cried sucking on his fingers where they had touched Adam's skin.

"You need to get your father out of the sun," a voice commanded in his head.

"Whose there?" Heath asked looking around.

Laughter resounded through his mind "I'm inside your head. Like I was inside your dad's head. He quit listening though." Ambrogio's voice turned serious "you need to get him out of the sun before he burns up."

"I can't...I'm not strong enough," Heath struggled to drag Adam under a shade tree. Wiping sweat from his forehead Heath took his phone out "mom I found dad ...he needs help...I don't know...he's burning up...hurry."

Heath watched Adam's skin blister while he waited for his mom to arrive. He took his shirt off to try and shield him from the son "It's not working," he cried out in frustration.

"Calm down," Ambrogio commanded "you've slowed the process down."

"Who are you?" Heath asked biting his lip.

"I'm Ambrogio an ancestor of yours."

"What? I don't understand. Why are you in my head? What's wrong with my dad? Did you do this to him? Are you the reason why he's stayed away so long?" Heath asked one question after another. All he got in return was static. Ambrogio wasn't answering. Standing up Heath waved Beverly over when he heard a car door shut.

Dropping to her knees beside Adam she reached out and touched his blistered face. Hissing as his skin burned her fingertips. "What's wrong with him?" Heath asked anxiously beside her.

"I don't know" she shook her head "some kind of allergic reaction to the sun. We've go to get him inside." Handing Heath the keys she instructed "inside the trunk there's a sleeping bag. We can use that to protect him from the sun when we move him."

Coming back Heath dropped the sleeping bag beside Adam handing Beverly  a couple of bottles of water. "I thought may be we could use these to cool him off."

Smiling up at him Beverly nodded "I forgot those were in the trunk too. Good thinking." Pouring the water over Adam's body they watched the steam rise as it hit his skin. "Maybe we should take him to the hospital," Beverly mumbled.

"Don't let her," Ambrogio instructed Heath "they can't do anything for him."

"Mom I don't think that's a good idea," Heath said reaching for her hand "we don't know what happened." to him while he was gone. You did say Grandpa said he was changed. What if he changed biologically? Do we want him to become some lab experiment?"

Staring at Heath for a moment Beverly nodded "you're right. Let's get him home first."

Between the two of them they struggled to lift and carry him to the car. Chewing on her lip Beverly thought for a minute before dialing her phone. "Meet me at the house" she demanded "Yes we found him and he's burning up...No I won't bring him there...he's coming home." Disconnecting she felt like tossing her phone out the window. "He's been staying at your Uncles house. All this time and he was so close."

"Mom please don't be angry at him" Heath implored her "he has to have a good reason."

Looking sideways at Heath she took a deep breath "I know, I know I'll try. First we get him better," glancing over her shoulder at Adam's still form "then I want answers."

True to his word William and Chase were waiting for them at the house. They carried Adam up to the bedroom where Beverly applied cool compresses to his burned and blistered skin. When she was satisfied he was as comfortable ah she could make him she turned to her father. "Tell me what's happening to him." She glared at him "I want the truth this time."

It was Chase who spoke first explaining his role and what led up to them arriving in Moonlight Falls.

"He's a what? A vampire...." she glared at them.

Turning away muttering "I'm sorry he didn't want you know."

"Dad is what he's saying true?" she demanded turning her green eyes towards him hoping he would tell her this was all an elaborate joke.

"I'm afraid so honey," William kneeled beside her "he's in between two states of being, not quite human and not quite vampire. He's been resisting taking the final step .. but it's been difficult..."

"What final step?" she demanded anger in her voice.

"Feeding," Chase said looking up at her.

"Feeding? You mean blood?" She asked as they nodded she looked at Adam's still form on the bed. Understanding finally dawned on her "the son it was killing him wasn't?"

"Yes," William and Chase mumbled together.

Dragging her eyes from Adam to her father "why was he out in the sunlight? Surely he knew..."

"He did baby he..."William hesitated knowing the truth was going to hurt. "He wanted to die. I'm sorry sweetheart..." He took her in his arms "he was tired of fighting the hunger. Tired of not being able to come home. He wanted so badly to come home but was afraid of hurting you. Losing control. He'd rather be dead then hurt any of you."

"He should have told me," Beverly cried "he didn't have to go through this alone. I know he'd never hurt us," she went to sit beside Adam.

***

A week later Heath was sitting beside his dad watching him toss uneasily on the bed. Looking up as Beverly walked into the room "is he ever going to wake up?"

Giving him a hug Beverly said "he'll wake up when he's ready."

Covering his eyes Heath sat down in the chair he had pulled along side the bed.

"He needs nourishment." Ambrogio said in his head "he'll heal faster if he feeds."

"No," Heath screamed at him "my dad fought too hard to keep from feeding I won't be the one to turn him into a full vampire."

"It was only a suggestion." Ambrogio said quietly "He is struggling and his will to live is low. He needs help."

"Can't you help him?" Heath asked.

"I cannot ... before he passed out Adam blocked my link to him. He blocked his link to his brother and to Percy. None of us can reach him until he opens up the link between us. You might be able to link to him though."

"How?" Heath jumped at the chance to help his dad. "I'll do anything short of giving him blood to feed."

"You're his son. You're already partially linked. Close your eyes. Concentrate on your dad. Listen to his heart. Once your hearts beat as one link to his thoughts. Take them into your mind ... make them your own..."

"Dad? Where are you?" Heath called out into the dark silent mind that he knew was his dad's inner turmoil. It felt like death.

"Go away son," Adam told him "It's better this way. I don't want to hurt you..."

"You won't," Heath told him confidently "you won't because you love me."

"You don't know how strong the hunger has become. The need to feed is so strong. Even now I can smell you. Hear your heart pumping...just leave me. I don't want to exist like this."

"You don't have a choice," Heath told him "you told me once everything happens for a reason. If you give up now how will you ever find out the reason?"

"I...I...don't want to know the reason. I'm tired of fighting," Adam cried in despair.

"Dad come with me. Together we can get through this. Beverly needs you. The kids need you. I need you. The entire family needs you.  Now more than ever since grandpa can't come home. Now is not the time to throw a pity party. Not when so many people need you."

"I..." a soft chuckle sounded in Heath's mind "there's no way to argue with you is there? Alright you win but promise me if I ever tell you to lock me up just do it, no questions asked."

"I promise but we won't need to. You love us," Heath repeated.

"I may not be in control of myself when it happens," Adam told him "there's a powerful Vampire who has been trying to gain control of my mind. I don't know how long I can fight him and the desire to feed. If he gains control he will force me to feed and I won't be able to stop him. So promise me."

"I promise," Heath told him hoping that day would never come. He noticed the colors in his dad's mind were brightening as he started to come out of his trance. 

When he disconnected from the link with his dad Ambrogio was saying " you did very well for one so young."

"Who is Alessandro? Why does he want my dad to feed?" Heath asked.

"It's a long story and one I can't divulge at the moment," Ambrogio told him "not that I don't want to but I can't. I will tell you though that in time Adam will need to face Alessandro in a fight of good and evil. If he wins he will be given a choice to become the vampire ruler or he can decline and become human again. The choice to become human is forfeit the minute he feeds."