Chapter Two
Lovers Reunited

Marcus stood rubbing his temples as Matthew screamed hysterically, Shannon cried and Jay tried to blend into the background. Jeffrey stood in the middle of this chaos with his face turning redder and redder by the second. Everything had been fine until Jeffrey dared to suggest that Matthew ride to the farm that they had all agreed upon staying at on the back on Tommy's cycle with Sean so that he could take Shannon and Jason with him on his cycle. It was apparent that Jeffrey and Jason had immediately formed some kind of bond and Jeffrey hadn't let go of Shannon's hand yet. Next to Marcus stood Sean and Dave and Sean's face held a bewildered expression that Marcus would have found comical in any other circumstance, but he knew the warning signs of Jeffrey losing his temper. If they didn't put a lid on things all hell was about to break loose… maybe literally. Just as he thought they were all doomed a soft voice broke through the chaos drawing Jeffrey's attention.

"It's ok Jeffrey. I ride with Seany. It ain't like we ain't all goin' to the same place after all. If your brother don't feel safe with anyone else, I wouldn't dream of taking his spot in the sidecar. An' it ain't gonna 'fect our bond." Jason's cheeks blushed pink as Jeffrey studied him intensely. "You are truly a miracle," Jeffrey uttered softly then stepped forward to draw Jason into his arms.

"I am the only safety Matthew knows and truly trusts. I have been taking care of him since… well… since before we became vampires and he just doesn't have the… mental powers to withstand change this dramatically. Thank you, love." Jeffrey placed a soft kiss on Jason's right cheek that made Marcus' eyebrow arch as he turned his head to look at his grinning brother.

Glenn again though just shrugged happily not caring how it happened so suddenly just glad that it had happened at all. Off to one side stood Tommy and Raven with the raven color haired younger man nestled within his lover's arms. Happily Tommy bowed his head slightly and kissed the cheek of his newly returned lover.

"I missed you love," Tommy whispered in the other man's ear and Scotty shivered slightly. "I didn' wanna leave I swear," Scotty whimpered softly and Tommy tightened his arms around him. "I know love," he started to say but Scotty kept on like he didn't hear him. "They made me. I didn't wanna… I woulda stayed there an' fried with ya in the sun, but that big fuckin' oaf Sal made me go."

When Scotty began to cry softly thinking of the past pains, Tommy rocked him whispering in his ear. "Shh love. It's alright. I always knew why you left. I felt your pain of not being with me. I don't blame you. I don't hold any ill will against you. I know who is to blame for our parting and someday I swear they WILL pay for what they did." Scott nodded and sniffled turning to bury his face in Tommy's neck happy that he was finally safe again. Tommy looked over to see Jeffrey trying to get Matty settled into the sidecar and the rest taking their places on the various cycles.

After waving at Marcus to signal they were leaving Tommy straightened Raven and took his hand then headed down the road. Since there were 12 of them and only 5 cycles 2 of them had to walk. Since Raven had been at the farm they had decided to stay at earlier with his little family, Tommy and he volunteered to be the ones to walk. It would give them some much needed time to restrengthen their bond, as both knew that they wouldn't get much downtime with 12 people in one old farmhouse.

Tommy enjoyed the comfortable quietness and the companionship that being back with Scotty brought until the 5 cycles with it's 10 passengers zoomed past and he knew that they were truly alone. "So, love, tell me how you got from that scum Paul E to your new family." Scotty nodded and took a deep breath trying to decide where to start. "Well, after Sal carried me away from you, Paul E decided that it would be best if we left the area, 'cause he thought that maybe space would help to break our bond." Tommy grunted and shook his head. "He never was very smart. The greedy bastard only wanted you for himself."

Scotty nodded slowly before taking back up his story. "Yeah well, he didn't waste much time in trying to develop a bond between him and me. I think he tried every night for months, but the bond would never take. Every time it didn't work he… punished me more severely. He was sure that I was somehow blocking the bond. I kept telling him that I wasn't… that I wasn't… strong enough, but he didn't believe me." Scotty paused his story to sniffle and wipe his eyes before continuing and Tommy stopped walking pulling his love in for a tight hug before proceeding down the road with his arm around the younger man's shoulders.

"Eventually he stopped and they decided to make me their whipping boy. So for awhile I got to do every rotten and crummy chore and deed they could think up. They wouldn't let me feed until they had to and then only just enough to keep me alive. When they'd go out hunting they would tie me up to a tree so that I couldn't escape while they were gone."

"Well one night they had that stupid little Tony Mamaluke kid tie me up. Fortunately he like always was too concerned with what was in Guido's pants than doing what he was supposed to be doing and didn't tie me up very well. It only took me 15 minutes to get out of my bonds. By the time they got back I was too far away for them to find me."

"I don't remember how long I ran. But I do remember when I stumbled up on Sean. It was almost light… so close to sunrise that my skin was growing warm. I was almost irrational with fear at being found and at the same time knew that if I didn't stop soon I would fry… as I thought you had. I think that somewhere in the back of my mind I wanted to suffer that painful and torturous death because then I could be reunited with you where ever you were."

Scotty stopped again and turned to look at Tommy with big eyes filled with tears. "I don't wanna live without you. I never wanted to. I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for… Sean. He… he made me live. He wouldn't let me die. I don't know how he knew I was coming… but one second I was running through the woods and the next I was being pulled into this old rundown shack."

"I don't know where the strength came from, but I fought… harder than I ever had. I was sure that somehow Paul E or one of his… fiends had found me. When I woke up it was quite dark. Sean must have already gone to hunt because there was a couple animals tied up in a corner. I wanted to eat, but I was afraid to. Paul E… Paul E didn't let me eat until he said I could. When Sean came back… he asked me why I wasn't eating so I…. explained to him." Scotty shrugs slightly before continuing, "He told me that I didn't ever have to worry about that again. He's been takin' care of me ever since."

Tommy nodded smiling as he again kissed Raven's forehead. "Then I will be forever grateful to him." Nodding Raven sighed and rested his head on Tommy's shoulder. "Promise you'll never let then separate us again," Raven begged shakily and Tommy nodded before stealing a hot steamy kiss. "Never my love, you have my solemn vow on it."

Read Chapter Three Getting Settled