The airport was quiet, not exactly dead, but it was quiet. Taylor sighed a breath of relief when they got out and no one noticed them.

"Why can't all our arrivals be this peaceful," he muttered out loud.

"No kidding," Zac replied quietly.

"And I thought you guys enjoyed the throngs of screaming girls," Shiye laughed

"It was cool, oh maybe the first few times," Zac started.

"Yeah, but it got real old, real fast," Tay finished.

"Our ride is here," Ike replied hoisting his luggage off the conveyor belt.

"Mine's not here yet," Zac replied looking for his.

"Maybe you should've put a sticker on it that said 'contents under pressure,'" Tay laughed.

"Yeah Zac, some poor baggage guy probably bumped into it and got blown across the terminal," Ike laughed as Zac sneered at him.

"You know, stick it up your ass," Zac snarled.

"Zac," Ike barked suddenly no longer laughing.

"Oh lay off, ok, mom and dad aren't here and that doesn't work anymore," Zac replied as Ike realized he couldn't bully Zac. Even if it was in the interest of their parents.

"Just don't be so vulgar," Ike replied.

"Whatever, finally," Zac replied as his bag slid up.

"Ok, lets go," Tay said glancing at his watch.

"What's the matter, it's only a little after midnight," Ike replied.

"I just wanna get settled in," Tay replied.

"You can't even tell there was an earthquake," Will said quietly as they walked outside.

"Yeah, but dude that was, what, like a few months ago," Tay replied as they walked up to the curb.

"Ok, so, where's that ride," Zac said glancing from side to side.

"Oh you've got to be kidding," Tay exclaimed as the limo rolled up.

"What, guys I swear I didn't call for a limo," Ike defended as Tay and Zac shot him a dirty look.

"Hey, all the vans were out, this is all we had," the driver said as he got out of the limo.

"See," Ike replied.

*          *          *          *          *

"You hungry or anything," Will asked.

"Starved," Tay replied without thinking.

"You weren't hungry earlier," Ike muttered as he walked past them to his room.

"Come on, there's bound to be something open here in Hollywood," Will said pulling Taylor down the hall.

Taylor started to open his mouth, to object. But he caught sight of two things. First the happy expression on Wills face as they ran past a mirror. The second thing he noticed was that only Will ran past the mirror. He almost stopped as he noticed this, but kept moving.

"Oh shit," Tay muttered.

"Huh," Will asked as they walked down to the lobby.

"Nothing," Tay lied as he walked up to the desk.

"Yeah, we should have a car reserved, under Island," Tay exclaimed.

"Yes, we have that waiting, it will be right out front in about five minutes or less," the lady exclaimed handing Taylor the keys.

They walked out the doors and stood at the curb. A few moments later the car rolled up.

"Hey not bad," Will smiled as the convertible BMW came to a stop.

"Yup, I love sporty little cars," Tay grinned.

Will smiled.

"So, you've probably got a better idea than I do of where we should go," Will said glancing around.

"I know of a lil place we can go," Tay said as he pulled out into the road.

"Too bad they closed Spagos," Will frowned.

"Yeah, it was kind sad, seeing it for the last time," Tay replied, he glanced in the rearview mirror and for once saw fully behind himself.

"Shit, ok you know I just realized, I think the only place that's open this time of night is Jack in the Box," Tay exclaimed.

"Uh, ok sounds fine to me, but, didn't they get in trouble for bad meat or something a while back," Will asked with a worried look.

"Beats me," Tay shrugged.

They rolled into the parking lot the 'drive through only' light was on.

"Better than nothing," Tay smiled.

"What do you want," Tay asked.

"Bacon double cheese burger, fries and a Dr. Pepper," he replied.

"Yeah, that'll be one bacon double cheese burger, fries and a Dr. Pepper," Tay called into the box.

"Will that be all," the female voice asked.

"Yeah," Tay replied.

"You're not eating," Will asked shocked.

"What," Tay said turning around.

"Taylor," Will asked in shock.

"I'm not," Tay started.

"Oh bull-shit, you told me you were starved back in the hotel," Will exclaimed.

"Yeah," Tay said glancing down.

"Make that two," he replied.

He pulled up to the window and handed her the money.

"Do you want any Jack sauce with that," she asked.

"I don't know, what's Jack look like," Tay smirked. The latin looking girl looked at him with a slightly confused face.

"Oh no you didn't," she laughed as she handed him the sack.

"Thanks," Tay winked as he pulled away.

"This smells amazing," Will growled as he peeled the foil wrapper away from the burger.

He took a few bites and slurped his Dr. Pepper when he glanced over and saw Tay wasn't eating.

"Dude," Will asked his eyebrows furrowed.

"Uh, yah," Tay asked glancing up.

"You gonna eat babe," Will asked.

"Yeah," Tay said looking at the burger.

Something inside him kept telling him no, something in the back of his brain kept warning him.

"Ok then, do I have to play choo-choo train and feed you," Will smiled.

"No, I'm ok," Tay smiled sheepishly as he held the burger up to his mouth.

"It's a hamburger, not a cow patty," Will exclaimed as he watched Taylor stare down at the food in his hands.

"Yeah," Tay said as he bit down.

The taste at first was as he expected. Nothing more than a hamburger, with cheese and bacon. He chewed, and swallowed. It went down, nothing happened.

"See, was that so bad, I swear if I didn't know you better I'd think you had been taking diet tips from Alley McBeal," Will laughed as he burped slightly.

Will glanced over at Taylor. He looked positively ill.

"You ok," Will asked.

"Yeah," Tay replied quietly with a weak voice.

"You look like you're about to hurl," Will said sheepishly.

"I'll be ok," Tay said as he swallowed hard.

"Here have some Dr. Pepper," Will said handing him his drink.

Tay took a sip.

"Better," he asked.

"Kinda," Tay replied quietly.

Tay leaned down to take another bite.

He stopped.

Will heard a strang noise. He glanced over at Taylor and heard it again.

"What was," Will asked as Taylor threw up all over the steering wheel.

"Oh shit, Tay," Will yelped as he put his hand on Taylor shoulder.

Taylor lurched forward and threw up again.

"Oh God," Will yelled as he looked around in shock.

"Taylor," Will cried knocking the Dr. Pepper onto the floor.

"I'm ok," Tay gasped slightly.

"No, Taylor you're throwing up blood," Will cried as he covered his mouth.

"I'll," Tay replied as he heaved again. Torrents of blood spraying out of his mouth onto the dash board.

"Oh God, someone help us," Will screamed as he scrambled in his seat.

"Taylor oh God Taylor," Will cried as Tay slowly leaned forward and rested his head on the steering wheel.

*          *          *          *          *

Anthea walked down the hall, her plane ticket in her hand. She chuckled at how easy it was to get cash advances from her mothers credit card. She resituated the strap on her back pack. It was loaded with garlic, a hammer and about five pointed wooden stakes. Along with a book she had bought on how to kill a vampire as well as a flask filled with Holy Water.

"Please place your items on the belt," the black lady said to her as she walked up to the entrance to the lower terminal.

"Oh yeah sure," she smiled putting the bag down.

"Step through the metal detector."

Anthea walked through. The alarm didn't sound. She smiled.

"Uh, miss," the lady said pulling her to the side.

"Yeah," Anthea asked with a smiled.

"You mind explaining what all this is," the woman asked as she dumped the contents of the book bag onto the counter.

"I, uh, well you see," Anthea stuttered. She was sure they wouldn't have said anything.

"I'm going to LA, to film a movie," she smiled suddenly.

"Uh, yeah, ok."

"And these are my, props," she smiled.

"These look pretty real to me, in fact," the lady exclaimed as she lifted the stake in her hand.

"I'm pretty sure if you jabbed at someone hard enough you could pierce the skin," she said eyeing Anthea.

"Who would do something like that," Anthea laughed nervously.

"And, if I'm not mistaken, you could club someone over the head with a hammer like this and do some pretty nasty damage with that alone," the lady said as she pressed her finger to her ear and glanced to her left.

Anthea began to fidget. Her smiles and clever replies were failing.

"If you combine both the hammer and these stakes, I'm pretty sure you could out right kill someone," the lady exclaimed.

A few people that had come through the detector began to move away from Anthea as she started to tremble.

"It's for a vampire movie," she replied quietly the color draining from her face.

"Miss, I'm gonna have to ask you to come with me," the black woman exclaimed as she began to move towards Anthea.

Before anyone was sure what was happening Anthea took off running for the escalator.

An alarm sounded and about five police officers stormed up out of nowhere.

"That's far enough young lady," one of the officers exclaimed as he tackled her, knocking her to the floor.

"You don't understand, I have to go, I can't let him go, he's a vampire," she screamed as they got her arms behind her back.

"Right, and I'm sure you can call up Elvira and Buffy when you get to the detention center and warn them all about it," the lady laughed as they hauled Anthea away.

*          *          *          *          *

"Taylor," Will cried quietly.

"Hmmm," Taylor replied quietly, his head still resting on the steering wheel.

"What's happening," Will cried.

"Not here," Tay said slowly sitting up.

"What," Will asked in confusion.

"Not here, not in this parking lot," Tay said turning the car on.

"Taylor you're sick, you can't," Will started as Taylor pulled out of the parking lot.

"Hush sweetheart, it's gonna be ok, I'm gonna explain it all," Tay replied quietly as he drove higher into the Hollywood Hills.

Taylor remained quiet. Will sat in his sat, he rolled down the window in attempts to air out the car. It was filled with the foulest odor from Taylors vomiting.

They came to an older looking road. Taylor pulled off the main roadway and drove slowly up the mountain side.

"Where are we," Will asked just as he saw where they were. He sucked a breath of air into his lungs.

There up ahead of them sat the Hollywood sign. The bright bold letters shining brightly in the night. The spot lights beneath them causing them to glow.

"Here," Tay said as he pulled to a stop behind the letter O.

"Here," Will asked as he got out of the car and walked over beside Taylor.

"Here is where I can talk to you," Tay replied quietly.

Taylor sat down on the edge of the car. Will walked over.

"Babe your shirt is," Will frowned. Dried blood was splattered all over it. Taylor glanced down and pulled it off.

"You've been wondering why I've been acting so strange, I've not been eating, I burned so badly yesterday, and I'm awake all night long," Taylor said quietly.

"I know," Will replied quietly.

"You promised me, that you would be by my side, that you would walk with me, be with me and help me through this," Taylor said looking into the sparkling city lights below.

"Yes, I did, I still will," Will replied.

"Before that can happen I must tell you what has happened," Taylor said, still not looking at Will.

"Ok," Will said putting his arm around Taylor.

"I guess the easiest way to put it," Tay started.

"I, am a vampire," Tay said quietly.

Will glanced at Taylor, and then out at the city. He remained quiet. He then looked back at Taylor again and back out at the sparkling lights below.

"I was bitten three times while we were out of the country, the first time our one night in Romania," Taylor continued.

"The second and final time just before we returned home," Tay said quietly.

"Taylor, you can tell me anything, nothing will make me change my mind," Will replied quietly. His mind refusing to believe what he was hearing.

"I am a vampire," Taylor replied turning towards Will.

Taylors eyes shined in the darkness, the slits glinting, his canines fully elongated.

Will flinched slightly.

Taylor took his hand and placed it on his chest.

"You will feel no heart beat," Taylor said quietly.

Will turned pale as he realize there was no rhythm inside Taylors chest.

"I cast no reflection," Taylor said as he looked back at the windshield. In the dim light only Wills body was reflected.

"And I must have blood to survive," Taylor finished.

"But," Will asked confused.

"I can make you understand, if you wish I can come inside your mind and show you everything that happened to me," Taylor whispered as he leaned in close.

"Yes," Will sighed as he looked into Taylors cat like eyes. Fear welled deep in the back of Wills mind, yet that same glowing ebullient love wavered and shined behind those slits.

Taylor closed his eyes and concentrated. Will suddenly jerked. His eyes, while open did not see what actually existed in front of him. Instead they watched as every event that took place between Taylor and Ivan (Vlad). He saw how Taylor was first attacked, how he was attacked in Paris and that in the end when the mortal Taylor Hanson died, a new Taylor was born.

Will cried as he realized why Taylor felt he had to cross over. He realize his love, the love Taylor had for Will was what had made him decide to stay. To not let go. He watched Taylor destroy both Vlad and his wife. He watched Taylor as he moved through the woods, he watched him feed on the small animals. The entire time Will weeped. The lost and lonely feeling surging around him as he realize that from the moment of his transformation Taylor had felt utterly and totally alone.

The vision ended. Will looked at Taylor. The sweet glowing Taylor he had fallen in love with looked back. The cat eyes now gone, the teeth had returned to normal. He hugged him close.

"I'm here, I'll always be here, for anything you need," Will cried as he hugged Taylor tightly.

"Now you understand it all," Taylor replied quietly a tear running down his cheek.

"Yes, oh Taylor why did you force yourself to eat that food," Will cried looking into his eyes.

"Because I saw how we used to be in your eyes, I saw how happy you had been, and I knew I couldn't loose that," Taylor cried.

"Taylor, you can't eat our food, even I know vampires can not eat dead flesh," Will said as he raised Taylors face up to his.

"Didn't you know that," Will asked.

"A part of me did I think," Tay replied.

"Anyone who's seen 'Interview with a Vampire,' knows that," Will smiled.

"I'm so weak," Taylor sighed.

"I know, you need to feed," Will said glancing out into the distance.

"I don't know where I can find any animals," Taylor said quietly.

Will did not reply.

"Taylor," Will said quietly.

"Yes," Tay replied looking up at him.

"No," Taylor said quietly as he saw the look in Wills eyes.

"Yes Taylor, you know just as well as I do the reason you became one," Will said quietly.

"I will not," Tay cried.

"Taylor, a day will come, when I will die," Will began.

"No, I won't listen to this," Taylor cried turning away.

"You must, listen to me," Will said jerking him by the shoulders.

"Taylor, one day I will die, I will pass away and I will be buried, you will no longer have me, I won't be able to hold you and comfort you. I won't be here to understand you and listen to you, to tell you how much I love you," Will said as tears formed in his eyes.

Taylor looked up at him.

"In my lifetime that day will come years from now, but for you, this life, my life will pass before you like sands through the hourglass, weeks will blend into months, years into decades, and then one day you will find that you are alone," Will cried quietly.

"I will not, I refuse to allow you to condemn yourself to solitude on my behalf, I do not wish to die knowing that I will never see you again," Will cried.

Taylor looked at him in confusion.

"Heaven would not be heaven without you," Will cried.

"Therefore, you must help me cross over," Will continued as he pulled his over shirt off.

"Will," Taylor muttered quietly.

"You can bring me over tonight can't you," Will asked.

A voice in the back of Taylor's mind answered yes.

"Yes, but," Tay started.

"Then it is settled," Will replied.

"But you don't understand what you're giving up," Tay whimpered.

"I am giving up my life as a mortal, I am giving up death as a mortal and an afterlife without you, I can not imagine how painful it would be to go on in any form of existence without you by my side," Will said quietly, tears trickling down his cheeks.

"Once the process begins, it can't be stopped," Taylor warned, a voice in the back of his mind guiding him.

"I know, and I wouldn't dream of stopping you," Will replied quietly.

"You will be my first human," Taylor said quietly.

Will smiled.

"And my only," he finished.

"Do not say that, because years from now I know we shall both be able to feed, among each other while our bonds of love remain strong, remember, Taylor love is love, but food is food," Will said quietly.

"You talk as if you already know what it is like," Taylor said quietly.

"Taylor, this is the moment," Will said quietly as he rested back against the windshield.

"Will," Taylor replied quietly.

"Now Taylor, take me," he sighed as he closed his eyes.

Taylor closed his eyes. Deep within he felt the surging of energy. He opened his eyes and looked down. Will stared up at him through heavy lids. Taylor panted quietly as he leaned in.

"I love you," Will whispered as he gazed up into Taylors gleaming eyes.

"I love you too," Tay whispered as he leaned in close.

Tay licked gently at Wills neck.

"This might hurt a bit," Tay cautioned quietly.

"Pain means nothing, you are all that matters," Will breathed.

Taylor hissed quietly as he sank his teeth in.

Will winced. He raised his arm up and wrapped it around Taylors back. The feeling at first was beyond excruciating. The piercing, the throbbing, agony rushed through him. But just as it felt it could not get worse it began to electrify. Will felt himself being rushed from all sense with pleasure. His mind spun, his body ached. He groaned loudly as Taylor heaved deeply, the blood rushing from his neck into Taylors mouth.

Will began to come down. He felt himself return to the level it started. Then it began to sink lower. He felt the feeling in his legs fade. The feeling in his hands flickered. His arms dropped from Taylors back. He heard his heart beat slowing.

"I'm dying Taylor," he muttered almost totally inaudible.

Taylor pulled away quickly. His eyes wide, the blue now nearly white, his face full.

"No," he hissed.

Will's eyes stared off, glassed over, his breaths more and more shallow.

Taylor frantically tried to think. The blood from Will was intoxicating. Richer and stronger than the blood of animals. His body was groggy and slow, as if he were drunk. He looked up at the moon, and then back down at Will. Wills face was white as snow. His body almost motionless.

"Taylor," he heard Will breath slightly.

"Taylor, I'm slipping," Will gasped.

"Your blood, he needs your blood you fool," a voice from behind Taylor growled.

"What," Taylor looked around suddenly.

A wolf sat in the brush watching him.

"Bite your foolish young wrist and put it to his mouth," the voice came from the wolf, yet his mouth did not move.

"Oh God," Taylor yelped as he bit down on his wrist blood spurting upward through the tear. He pressed it down to Wills mouth.

At first Taylor thought it was too late. Will remained motionless. Just as he thought all was lost Wills eyes blinked. His head turned slowly as he began to bite down on Taylors open wrist.

"Ahh," Taylor winced quietly.

"Not too much," Tay cried slightly.

Will slowly began to move, he raised his hands up and ran them across Taylor's face. Tears streaming down his cheeks as the blood rushed into his mouth.

"I love you too," Taylor cried, a smile crossing his vampire mouth.

Will pulled away. He groaned out loud and began to thrash. His jerking motion threw himself off the hood of the car into the weeds. Taylor leap from the hood to the ground beside him.

"Taylor," Will gasped groping blindly at the ground.

"I'm right here," Taylor replied grabbing Will's hand.

Will screamed and went limp.

"Will," Taylor whispered.

Will didn't reply.

"Will," Taylor cried.

"That is the problem with bringing one over in one turn," the voice returned to him as the wolf stood off to the side.

"What?" Taylor gasped looking up.

"Some humans are not strong enough to withstand the change that takes place when they are take in one bite," the wolf explained.

"Oh God no," Taylor cried.

"No God can help him now, he is cursed, as you and I are, weather he survives is not up to us," the wolf said as it turned away.

"Who are you," Taylor cried as he rubbed Wills back.

"One of you, one of many, but few of my era," he replied quietly.

"Will he make it," Tay cried running his hand through Wills hair.

"He has been gone for a bit too long," the wolf replied looking over at Will's motionless body.

Will shifted.

"Then again," the wolf said as he turned again.

"You will need to feed again tonight, after this," the wolf replied as he trotted off into the night.

"Will, are you ok," Taylor cried as he helped Will sit up.

"Yeah, oh Taylor," Will cried hugging him.

Taylor pulled back and looked at him.

"Oh God," Tay gasped.

"What?" Will asked with confusion.

"Now I see why you reacted like that to me that night," Tay smiled through his tears.

"What?" Will asked in confusion.

"You look absolutely unearthly," Tay cried happily.

"I'm still hungry," Will said as they stood up.

"I know, I am too," Tay said glancing around.

"Do you think we'll get used to this?" Will asked.

"Alone, no, but together, I'm sure of it," Tay smiled as he pulled Will to him and kissed.

They turned toward the city, the lights sparkling below. From their view everything was beautiful, pain and sorrow had no hold, sadness and oppression had no place. Their pairs of eyes glinted in the darkness.

"You know things are going to be even more different now," Will smiled at Taylor.

"I know, but I've got you here, and you've got me, I think we'll be just fine," Tay smiled.

"Think, ha, I know," Will grinned as he kissed him.

*          *          *          *          *

"You know Ike isn't gonna be to thrilled that our entire time in Paris you spent writing this, story," Will smiled as he slid the lap top across the tray table over to Taylor.

"Yeah, I know," Tay smiled.

"Do you like it," Tay asked.

"Yeah, it's amazing but, well I mean, whatever gave you the idea to write a story like that," Will asked.

"I don't know, vampires always kind of caught my interest," Tay shrugged.

"By the way, who the heck is Anthea," Will asked as he shifted in his seat.

"A girl I used to date," Tay said glancing at the lap top.

"You wrote her kinda nutty," Will grinned.

"She is kind of nutty," Tay laughed.

Will grew quiet.

"Something wrong," Tay asked.

"No, I'm just amazed at the depth of your mind, I mean that was really wild," Will grinned as he closed the screen down.

"Well, lets just tell Ike I didn't write anything while we were gone," Tay smiled as he leaned over and kissed Will.

"You think we would have ended up like that, say if that had really happened," Will asked.

"I'm pretty sure," Tay grinned.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are preparing to land in Tulsa," the captain began his normal routine.

They both sat there, arm in arm hand in hand. A smile graced both their mouths. The fantasy world of the human mind has no boundaries and no limits. Creatures of all sorts, and events of all kinds exist, live and thrive in those dimly lit areas. Where the gray matter of the human brain sends pluses of energy resides a world only seen in dreams... and nightmares. A world where good and evil constantly battle.

Where heroes save maidens, and monsters destroy kingdoms. But one thing, one simple and true thing always remains. Love, weather it shines and glows in beaming sunlight, or dark mist filled evenings, love exists. Eternally in day, as well as in... Eternal Night.

The End


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Eternal Night is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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