Chapter One
A Family is Born

The group of bikers rode into the quiet Midwestern town slowly feeling the native's eyes watching them as they rode through their sleepy streets. "I can't believe YOU grew up here, Dave," Matt giggled from the side car he was riding in attached to his brother's cycle. "Satan's son coming from a town with 4 churches." Dave, nicknamed Leviathan by the group, turned his head to look over his shoulder arrogantly at the younger man who had a Hogan's Hero's style helmet on. "Why do you think they HAVE so many churches? By the time my brother and I got done with these people their God was all they had left to cling to."

Marcus chuckled and shook his head. "Such an evil little vampire you were child." Glenn looked over at his older brother and chuckled. "Like either of us have the room to talk Marcus. As I recall we have driven many a town to God in our lifetime…. And that was BEFORE we became the undead." Marcus nodded laughing and paused in what appeared to be the middle of this small town. "Well two hundred years is a long time to wait, Leviathan, but you are home. How does it feel?"

Dave looked around and saw images of his twin Sean everywhere. They had left this hellhole together swearing that they'd never return, but here he was… only he was alone 'cept for his new brothers. "Wonderful," Dave responded sarcastically. Jeffrey looked around the quiet town unimpressed. "Crap this looks like home," he said disgusted shaking his head. "Y'all got exactly one bar and I bet it's full of a bunch of hicks!" Dave smiled slightly and chuckled. He was especially fond of the young southerner and his big brother. The elder of the two wasn't much in the brains department and needed looked after more often than not… something the younger had been struggling to do until he, Glenn and Marcus had found them about fifty years ago. "It always was Skinny. Can't imagine why it would be any different now."

Matthew on the other hand was enchanted by the small town, feeling also like he was back home. "Well I think this place is GREAT! Can we stay Marcus PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!?" Glenn and Marcus exchanged looks and smiled. Matthew was the baby of the group even though he wasn't the youngest. He held a special place in all their hearts and usually what Matthew wanted Matthew got. Jeffrey par for the course looked down at his dingy brother and sighed then nodding looked up at Marcus. "Yeah y'all got my vote. If Matty wants to stay then Matty gets to stay." Dave nodded smiling softly and reaching over from his bike cuffed the younger brunette affectionately in the back of the head.

"You heard the man," Dave said nodding his agreement. "Matty wants to stay so we stay." Marcus nodded his understanding knowing that he and Glenn both felt the same way. Turning in his seat Marcus looked back at Thomas their 6th and quietest member, but also their most trusted.

Of them all it was Thomas that was the mystery. Appearing young in age, no one was sure just how old he was. Thomas had the strongest powers of them all, which led Marcus to believe that he was older then either him or his brother Glenn, but would never get a confirmation from the other man. They had rescued him from a sure death one night after his old master had decided he was no longer useful and he had been faithful and loyal to them ever since. The two babies Jeffrey and Matthew looked at him as almost a mother figure and the rest of them knew he was a keen strategist and valued his opinion highly. No decision was made without Thomas' agreement. "Well Thomas? Where do you ring in on this place?"

Thomas lifted his head almost as if he were sniffing the air… something the group was long used to. "I'm thirsty and Matthew and Jeffrey need to eat so they can take their meds. Let's hit the bar." Thomas responded without really answering Marcus' question meaning he hadn't decided how he felt about the small town yet. Nodding the small group started off again crossing the short distance to the bar.

Dave walked in first and stiffened immediately feeling other presences within the small building. The restaurant was separated from the bar by a wall so he couldn't see who was in there, but he wasn't itching for a confrontation tonight and headed into the restaurant part. Jeffrey on the other hand had other thoughts and tried to slip around the bigger man but didn't make it as Dave caught his arm. "But Dave please, I jus wanna…" Jeffrey started but was silenced with a harsh shake from the bigger man. "NO! We eat in the restaurant."

Usually Jeffrey listened to the bigger man well, but tonight there was a look in his eyes that seemed focused on something other than his group of friends. "Levie please I just gotta…" Jeffrey tried again only to be stopped once more by Dave. "YOU… ARE… NOT… GOING… IN… THERE… UNDERSTAND?" Dave asked punctuating each word with a shake hard enough so that the smaller man's head flopped back and forth like that of a rag doll. Hearing a growling sound Dave looked up in time to see Marcus' hand clamp around his neck just before he shoved him into the nearest wall.

Jeffrey would have fallen to the floor whimpering, but for Thomas and Matthew catching him. "Matty do you…" Jeffrey asked but didn't have to finish before Matthew was nodding. "Yeah I feel them too." Thomas heard the quiet exchange but wisely kept his mouth shut not commenting on whatever it was that had upset the brothers so greatly. There was a much larger presence here… one maybe as big as Dave and possibly more violent and Thomas had no urge to put his little ones into harms way.

Marcus and Glenn growled at Dave with Marcus' nose touching Dave's. "I don't know what got into your head boy, but you seem to have forgotten that you have no rights to treat him like that. If you ever do that to him again, brother or no, I will slice you and leave you to fry."

"I was just trying to keep him from the bar. There's somethin' in there." Dave insisted growling and Glenn snorted shaking his head. "No shit Sherlock, but there's somethin of his in there too… Or in your race to turn him into the brain dead lump his brother is by shakin' his brains out did you not stop to feel what is goin' on in HIS head? There's somethin over there he wants to get at desperately." Glenn growled softly baring his fangs in the darkness of the entranceway letting his eyes glow red. "But if you ever do that to him again it will be the last time you do anything understand?"

Chagrined Dave nodded his head yes and let himself be led into the tiny restaurant where the group chose a table in the back near the emergency exit. Dave tried to apologize to the younger man and lifted his hand to touch the little one's shoulder, but Jeffrey jerked away his eyes wide with fear. Matthew instantly hissed his face transforming into vampire rage as he moved to protect his brother.

Thomas chuckled his approval and put a calming hand on the elder brother's shoulder as Marcus grunted his approval. Dave bowed his head with regret knowing he had done wrong by the little one that looked up to him so much. They had all worked hard to bring Jeffrey and Matthew out of their shells after they found them and now with one ill chosen decision Dave threw Jeffrey back into his scared bubble.

Jeffrey eased around behind Matthew and headed to the table picking a seat at the head of the table where he could see the wall of the bar. Normally it would have been Marcus' seat and the elder of the group opened his mouth to chase the youngster out of his chair, but Thomas put a hand on his arm and shook his head. "Let him be Marcus," Thomas said quietly in Marcus' head. "Something has stirred him up and he won't calm if you drag him from that chair. We need to find out what is in that bar."

Marcus nodded his agreement and instead chose the chair that would put his back to the room letting Matthew slip in behind the table to sit on Jeffrey's other side. Dave on the other hand remained standing for quite some time staring at the wall as if he could see through it and only sat when he was ordered to do so by Glenn.

Marcus looked at Glenn who just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as puzzled as his brother as the waitress came up and took their orders then cluelessly slipped away. The small group of friends slipped into a cloak of quietness as their food was brought to the table. Marcus and Thomas both tried to get Jeffrey to eat, but the youngster seemed oblivious to anything going on around him. They were all just about done with the exception of Jeffrey who hadn't even started yet when Matthew's head whipped up and he looked at Jeffrey who was already out of his seat. Leaping onto the table Jeff ran its length with Matt right behind him as the startled elders watched momentarily stunned until they realized that the two were headed for the bar. Growling the other four men leapt up and followed the brothers.

Upon entering the darker room the first thing Marcus spotted was Matthew standing in a corner near them facing the room. Behind him crying and holding an arm was a boy about his age with long curly dark hair and appearing to be skinnier than Jeffrey. In front of him was a big fat redneck and Matthew seemed to be defending the youth behind him as if his life depended up on it.

Marcus grunted and stepping forward grabbed the redneck and threw him into the brick wall behind them effectively knocking the idiot out. He then turned to see where Jeffrey was only to see Dave running to the other side of the room. Following his path spotting a couple overturned tables in his wake, Marcus found Jeffrey standing next to an older man about Dave's age his vampire features apparent even in the darkness of the bar. Behind them seemed to be a small boy appearing very young and clinging to Jeffrey's leg with terror. Jeffrey also had transformed and the savagery in which he was defending this child told him this what Jeffrey had wanted so badly over here.

What intrigued him the most though was Dave. When Dave reached this small group, Jeffrey dropped to the floor to tend to the boy and Dave moved to station himself next to the mystery man. The ease in which they worked together made it apparent that they'd done this before. Their movements were timed perfectly as if they'd spent a lifetime fighting together. "I think we found Sean," Glenn commented in his head and smiling Marcus nodded his agreement.

The mortals, who had thought they stood a chance as long as one of their opponents appeared to be a boy, quickly realized they stood not a chance against the older pair and ran out the bar's emergency exit screaming with fear. As the elder pair turned to embrace, Matthew and his charge ran across the room to huddle down on the floor with the Jeffrey and what appeared to be a child. Thomas came up to stand with Marcus and Glenn and smiled as he said, "and another family reunited."

Sensing they were wearing out their welcome Marcus paid for his group's dinners and ushered his charges including what appeared to be their new additions out of the building. Stepping outside Marcus and Glenn stopped to scowl at the fool that had two young blondes corralled near their cycles, but again they were surprised as this time Thomas stopped short. "Oh my God," he whispered and the black haired man Marcus had labeled a fool turned immediately and stared grinning slowly at Thomas. "My birdling," Thomas whispered and no sooner were the words out of this mouth than the youth ran across the parking lot and launched himself into Thomas' arms in a spinning embrace.

Marcus cleared his throat and looked to Glenn for some assistance only to find him as bemused if not also happy as he was. The young blondes dashed around the other men until they reached the younger boys and turning Marcus listened to the introductions shaking his head. "This is gonna be a helluva lot of babies to keep track of brother." Dave and Sean came up to them just them and it was Sean that answered instead of Glenn. "Jas and Adam listen to Scotty fairly well and I'll help all I can. Shane and Shannon are my charges and they rarely disobey me." Marcus nodded watching the youngest of the group. "He's awfully young. Who would turn a child that small? Little thing would be practically defenseless."

Sean shrugged as he glanced at Shannon. "He actually does a good job in a fight if the odds aren't too unbalanced, but he isn't as young as he appears either. He was 23 them he was turned." Marcus raised an eyebrow in disbelief as the boy didn't appear to be over 18. "Shane takes good care of him too. I'm glad they found Jeffrey and Matthew though. We've been lookin' for those two forever now. They're all brothers you know with Shannon being the baby."

Glenn sighed and shook his head. "So that's what they'd never tell us. We didn't know there was two more. They don't talk about their past much." Tommy came over with Scotty whom he introduced as Raven and it was Raven's turn to speak. "Shanny and Shane don't talk much either, but we knew there were two more. Shannon cries for Jeffrey at night and Shane has terrible nightmares about something their parents did to Matthew. I have gathered he is a little… scrambled in the brains?"

Marcus nodded and shrugged. "He has his good days and bad days. We have him on some medication that helps but… poor kid needs someone to look after him and love him. Jeffrey tries hard, but… he shouldn't be burdened with that weight on his back. He's too young for that." Dave watched his brother staring at Matthew and chuckled. "I think that problem will be solved soon." Sean growled and punched Dave in the arm only serving to make the group laugh out loud.

Hearing the commotion Jeffrey bounced over with his friend's trailing and Marcus noticed right away the possessive hold he had on both Shannon AND Jason's hands. Adam smiled shyly at Dave and it was Sean's turn to laugh as his brother blushed pink. Jeffrey unafraid of Marcus looked his leader square in the eye and straightening said, "We're keeping them!" Again Marcus knew he should be unhappy, but didn't have the heart and nodded his agreement. "Yes we are Skinny." And so the new family was born.

Read Chapter Two Lover's Reunited