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A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll - Chapter 16

Summary: After receiving a distress call from the boys, David faces his master head-on in a confrontation. However, it's Max that has the upper hand, as he gives David an ultimatum that he cannot refuse. If he does, it may hurt the love of his life.

TW: Chapter contains mentions of abuse, blood, physical violence, domestic violence, vampire powers, threats, pushing a loved one away, and manipulation

This is a very special chapter, as certain secrets are about to be revealed. I hope y'all are ready for this~

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Never before had David flown so fast. He didn't care about the sharp, cold air nipping at his face or the whipping winds practically pounding in his ears. Hell, he didn't even care if someone happened to look up and see him flying across the night sky.

All he cared about was getting to Max's house as soon as physically possible. His brothers were in danger and nothing else mattered.

The sheer speed of his flight was enough to get him to the house in a matter of minutes. By the time he burst through the front door, he was heaving from being so out of breath. Across the room in a sleek, leather chair sat the man himself. Max was remarkably calm, considering David had practically kicked his door down. In one hand he held his favorite smoking pipe, and in the other he had a book open. To any other person, he was the picture of an all-American, wholesome father figure.

David would never accept such an image. Max was a monster, through and through.

"Why David, what a surprise!" the older vampire greeted him, a smile stretched across his face as he looked up from the page he was on. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I am so not in the mood for these games, Max," David spat. He stormed over to his sire, smacking the book out of his hand and letting it fall to the ground. "Where are they? Where are the boys?!"

Max simply sighed at David's actions. He took hold of his glasses and brought them down to his shirt, carefully rubbing an invisible smudge with the fabric.

"You know, David, it would not kill you to start off with a simple 'hello' from time to time," he sighed. "I should have known this was going to happen. They've clearly only encouraged your terrible manners. This entire plan I had was just one big mistake."

"Don’t blame the boys for the way I am! They didn’t do any-"

"I'm not talking about your brothers," Max interrupted. "I'm talking about the Emersons."

Any anger that David had felt in that moment had stopped in its tracks. It had been quite a while since Max had brought up Michael and his family. He was certain that the party crashing had made his sire shut up permanently about his plans for the humans.

He must have been displaying his confusion quite obviously because Max continued with a more thorough explanation.

"Yes, my boy, your old man did in fact make a mistake. I know I'm not the best at admitting when I'm wrong, but I certainly was this time. I shouldn't have pushed for this plan to blend our families together. I'm glad you didn't end up changing Michael."

David cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Never in all the decades he had followed Max and his commands did he ever hear an actual, genuine apology. His sire would always insist he knew best or that his plans would always work out in the grand scheme of things.

Hearing Max admit to being wrong was so gratifying. If he hadn't been worried sick about the others, he would have had the biggest, shit-eating grin on his face. Instead, all he could do was express some skepticism.

"And why do you say that?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? Their family is....how do I put this nicely....uncouth."

David could feel his gloves tighten around his fingers as he unintentionally squeezed them into a fist. Any negative talk towards the Emersons royally pissed him off. Michael and his family were the best thing to ever happen to him in his life. They were a far better family than Max could ever dream of being.

"Excuse me?"

"Am I wrong?" Max continued, crossing a leg over his knee and leaning back in his chair. "They're loud, obnoxious, crass, and to be perfectly honest, I loathe that trash they call music. I thought Lucy was a darling little southern lady, but she just encourages those hooligans she calls her sons. I think it would be best for everyone if I were to simply move on to something else."

"So...you're not gonna have me pester Michael about sharing the blood?"

Max shook his head, that damn smile still stuck on his face. David was getting sick of looking at it. Max would have been more convincing if he were wearing a mask rather than attempting to show genuine, positive expression.

"Correct. We needn't bother with such company," Max explained. "You can go ahead and stop spending time with them. It won't be necessary any longer."

The blond vampire didn't even bother to hold back the scoff that came out of his mouth. He couldn't believe the audacity of his sire. Their blood bond aside, the man could not control the choices that he made. All of the Lost Boys loved the Emerson family far too much just to ditch them like Max would.

"Oh, fuck off!" David snapped. "You can't stop me from spending time with them, Max. I do whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm sick of you and your stupid rules. Punish me all you want, but you're never gonna change who I am, old man. So back off!"

"Now you know well and good that this kind of behavior isn't becoming of a vampire your age," Max scolded. His glasses had been discarded, forgotten on the side table next to his chair. The smile he once wore had swiftly morphed into a deeply disappointed frown.

"Your brothers would certainly agree. After all, I've given them a very rigorous lesson on what is to be expected of them as my spawn."

In a brief moment, David’s world came to a screeching halt.

His body froze over with an icy shot of terror running through his veins. His hands went clammy and began to tremble. The worst thoughts and scenarios flashed in his mind like some kind of grotesque horror movie.

"What....wh-what did you do?"

"The same thing I do whenever you cause trouble for me," he said. "I punished them."

Once again, the sinister smile had returned to his face. It only worsened David's fears.

"Oh, boys!" Max called out, not breaking his eye contact with David. "You can come out now. Come say hello to your brother."

The silent air slowly filled with the soft sounds of footsteps from down the hall. As they got closer to the room, the more obvious it became that something wasn't right. When the boys finally stepped into the room, it was clear to David why exactly that was.

Dwayne, Marko and Paul were practically dragging themselves along. They all were either limping, hobbling or just off balance with their movements. If their pained movements weren't enough a clue that they'd been through something, then their appearances certainly were.

David was horrified to see that his boys had been battered and beaten. Their eyes were swollen almost completely shut with black eyes already taking form. Dried blood was smeared across their scalps, noses and lips from the gashes carved into their skin. Bruises were blooming over their jaws and around their necks. The patterns clearly showed that someone had tried to choke them out. Their clothing was tattered and covered in gore, much like they were after a hunt. But the dark color of the stains and the slight shimmer in the light told David that it was their own blood, not that of a human. All three of them looked utterly exhausted, barely left with any strength to stay standing upright.

His heart ached in his chest, devastated to see such pain. A thick lump caught in his throat as he could feel the tug of tears ready to fall from his eyes.

"Y-You..."

"Oh no no, I can't take the credit for this," Max nonchalantly explained. "I didn't lay a single finger on them. I can assure you they did this to themselves. Or rather....did this to each other."

Max's brown eyes briefly flashed to gold, a clever way of showing that he had exercised the power of control he had over the boys and their minds. A closer look towards their hands proved that Max was being truthful. All of them had bruised and bloodied knuckles. Flecks of red and mauled skin were stuck under their fingernails.

A thick, bitter flavor shot up David's throat, making him sick from the disgust he felt in the pit of his stomach.

"Wh....why....wh-why would you d-do this...?"

Max tutted and rose from his chair, his height dwarfing David as it always did. He reached out to cup a hand over David's shoulder. The younger vampire was powerless to stop him or move away. The haunting sight of his family beaten within an inch of their lives had paralyzed him.

"I believe I made myself perfectly clear when I said there were consequences when you do not listen to me, son." Max stated. The sharp tips of his claws were making an appearance once again. They threatened to dig into David's skin under the coat, just as they did at the video store.

"Here's what you're going to do. You're going to take your brothers home, help them feed until they've fully healed, and then you will go about your life like normal. You will not ever speak to the Emerson family again, especially Michael. If I ever find out that you do, then I suppose I'll have to extend my methods to him as well. Then again, I don't know how well he could handle it, given that he's human."

There was no holding back the tears now. Thick, warm drops swiftly fell down his pale cheeks, the dread of what Max could possibly do to Michael overwhelming his senses. He would rather drop dead than let any harm come to the man he loved.

David could not speak. He was certain his silent tears would become terrible sobs if he tried. So, all he did was nod. Accept the words of his sire, and seal his fate. The idea of life without Michael was his worst nightmare, but he wouldn't dare put him in any danger. If not for his sake, then for the sake of his vampire brethren.

"Very good. You three are free to go," Max spoke to the injured spawn.

In a mere second, the boys crashed down to the wooden floor they stood on. They cried and winced as the sudden force of gravity worsened the pain they were in. It was like watching puppets get their strings sliced off. Such an act was all too fitting for a man like Max. That's all his children were to him. Puppets to control and then toss to the side when he grew tired of using them.

While Dwayne was able to gather enough strength to slowly lift himself back up and aid Paul, Marko was still in far too much pain to even attempt to get back up. David rushed to him in a flash, wrapping his arm around the back and throwing one of Marko's arms over his shoulder so he could lean on him for support. Blood quickly began to soak into the side of his jacket. Even through the thick fabric he could feel that the bones in Marko’s arm were broken.

It killed him to see his boys in this state. They horror they must have experienced being forced by their master to hurt one another. It broke his heart.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to think about how much worse of a heartbreak Michael was going to face. This was the most despicable situation he could have ever found himself in. And Max knew that all too well. He only hoped his sire would leave the human and his family out of this if he did in fact stay away.

"Let's go home, guys," David said somberly. It would be the first time in a long while that they would head to their cave at the bluffs and not the warm, cozy home of the Emersons. They were going to be worried about the boys not showing up, but there was simply nothing they could do.

David only hoped they would find it in their hearts to forgive him someday.

"Any sign of them yet?"

"I'm sorry, Michael, but they still haven't been around."

The weekend had come and gone, and Michael hadn't seen his boyfriend or friends the entire time. He had waited patiently that first night for the boys to return home and meet Cookie the cow. David had seemed so enthusiastic about his buddies meeting the newest calf on the farm.

So, when the nighttime slowly morphed into morning and they still weren't home, he understandably got confused. When he noticed that the Triumph was still parked in the driveway, he started to get worried. He took his ATV out at the first light of dawn to go looking around Santa Carla for them. With the wind in his hair and fear in his stomach, Michael was determined to make sure they were okay.

When he went by the cave and found their hangout space empty, he decided to scour every inch of the city that he could possibly find. The beach, the boardwalk, the trails, the woods, and every store and business in sight. Since they liked to go by Max's video store the most, he popped in to ask Maria to keep an eye out for them. He even asked that she give him a call if necessary.

To his dismay, there hadn't been any sign of them. Maria knew how much they meant to Michael. It was such a shame to see him so dismayed as they talked over the counter at the video store.

"You seen Max 'round here either?" he asked her. Even if he hated the guy, that was still David's father. If he was around, then David had to be too.

"Actually, Max took some vacation time," Maria explained. "It's been a bit calmer lately now that school is back in session, so he's just taking some downtime."

"I see," Michael sighed. "Well just give my mama a call if you see them before I do."

Maria nodded, sympathetic to his situation. He gave her a wave ‘goodbye’ as he shuffled out of the store, the disappointment weighing heavy on him as he did so. It just didn't make sense to him. It was as if the boys vanished into thin air, but he knew it really wasn't like them.

Dreadful thoughts danced around in his mind, fueled by his anxiety of the worst possible situations. Even if it turned out they were perfectly fine, he still missed them terribly. Dinners at home were a lot more silent, and he couldn't bring himself to pick up his guitar without David there to play along with him.

Their absence was affecting the rest of the family too. Lucy still cooked grand meals, but sadly had to put more food in the leftover containers each night since there were less mouths to feed. Sam hadn't even spoken to anyone since the night David left. He'd shut himself in his room, not talking to anyone unless it was the Frog brothers over the phone. Grandpa insisted they’d be back soon, but there was a touch of uncertainty in his voice.

It was all just so lonely and hopeless without the others in their family circle. All Michael could do about it was drag his boots along the planks of the boardwalk and hang his head in sorrow. He imagined he looked just like a lonesome little hound dog. All sad, puppy eyes and pitiful-looking pouts. Michael just couldn’t take this. He just wanted his Huckleberry back.

He would have kept on going if something hadn't caught his attention on the boardwalk.

Off to the side, practically hidden in the shadows behind a chain-link fence were two bright-colored shapes. Michael raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He wasn't sure what he was looking at, but he was rather interested in seeing what it could be.

Michael moved past the light crowds of people as he got closer and closer to the spot he had his eye on. When he finally got up to it, he realized just what it was he was looking at.

Flowers. Long, green stems with a full bloom of petals. They boasted bright shades that rivaled that of the sunset he saw every day. He didn't expect to find such unique flowers in such a random spot, especially in autumn.

He sighed to himself, reminiscing about that special first date he had with David. Seeing these flowers reminded him of the lovely rose he was gifted. It seemed that everywhere he turned there was something that sparked a memory he shared with David. It was a rather bittersweet experience to say the least.

“David…” he sighed to himself. “I wish I knew where y-”

His words cut off without him even realizing. The train of thought was lost once it dawned on him what flowers he was looking at. Foxtail lilies.

Foxtail.

Without a second thought, Michael sprinted off back to where he left his ATV parked, kicking up dust and dirt as he went. He had to move as fast as he could push himself to go.

He knew where to find David.

Another cigarette was lit up to smoke. Was it his tenth or eleventh? The pack was getting light, but David didn’t even bother to keep track. All he’d done since he woke for the night was hide away from the world and smoke by himself at Foxtail Grotto.

The others were still healing after their gruesome night at Max’s house. David had hidden them as deep as possible in the caves so that nobody would possibly find them during their recovery. Not even Star or Laddie were allowed to see them. It would have been traumatizing for them to see the boys in such a state.

He must have brought at least two dozen victims to their hideout for a thorough draining. Any vagrant, nobody or tourist he could find was fed to his wounded friends. They all drank heavily and slept through both daytime and night, allowing their bodies to repair themselves with the power of the blood.

Still, their journey to recovery wasn’t done quite yet. Max had made sure the damage they inflicted was thorough. The boys still had some bruises and cuts to heal up. David only wished their suffering would end faster.

When he wasn’t taking care of them, he was all alone in the wilderness. His thoughts were so jumbled that it was the only thing he could bring himself to do. All the while he couldn’t stop thinking about Michael. What Max had demanded of him was possibly the worst punishment he’d ever given David. He would have happily taken a beating of his own if it meant he could still be with Michael.

To his dismay, Max’s word was final. He could never see his true family again. He wouldn’t allow more people he loved to get hurt. The best thing he could do for their safety was stay away from them.

But that didn’t mean Michael was going to do the same.

The familiar roar of an engine filled the otherwise silent landscape. David whipped his head around in surprise, the headlights of a red ATV shining directly on him. The fresh cigarette slipped out of his fingers and snuffed out in the sand at his feet.

“DAVID!” a southern drawl called to him. Out from the shadows came Michael, sprinting towards David as fast as he could.

Before he could even get a word out, Michael body-slammed him with a massive bear hug. He gripped David’s shoulders and back tightly while pressing feverish kisses all over his cheek. When he finally let go, he nervously fumbled with his hat, trying to keep it from falling off.

“There you are! Hell almighty, you scared the goddamn shit out of me!” Michael scolded him. He sounded exhausted. “Where did you go? What happened to you??”

The brunet boy pulled away to get a better look at David’s face, desperate to look into those eyes again. Though the expression that looked back at him was not one of relief or happiness. It was more akin to fright. As if he had been worried about Michael finding him.

“How…how did you find me?”

“Well…it’s hard to forget a place like this after that special night we had, Huckleberry,” Michael smiled sheepishly.

David could hear the rush of the human’s heartbeat at the mention of such memory. He had missed that sound more than anything.

“No…” he said. “I’m not your Huckleberry. You can’t be here, Michael. I can’t do this with you.”

Michael’s head tilted slightly to the side while he raised an eyebrow. Surely he didn’t hear that right.

“David, what are you talkin’ bout? Is somethin’ wrong? Did I do somethin’ wrong?”

David wanted to pull him into his arms and never let go. Tell him that he could never do wrong by him. That he was always so happy to have the human boy in his life. But he just couldn't. All that he could think about was Max breaking Michael, in both body and spirit.

"No, Michael, it's nothing you did. It's me..." David explained. "We can't be together anymore....I don't love you..."

The silence hung thick in the air. David held his breath, waiting for his lie to sink in with Michael. It had to be enough to work properly.

"Yeah, nice try, slick," Michael smirked. "You wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to how ya feel 'bout me."

Shit. He should have known that wasn't going to work. Michael was absolutely right, and not even his best attempt at lying could deny that. The blond let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose with his gloved fingers. It was difficult not to be frustrated with all of this.

"Look, darlin', whatever is goin' on, you can tell me. I can help y-"

"NO!" David snapped, raising his voice. "Dammit, Michael, this isn't some little problem you can fix! You need to stay away, or bad things are going to happen!"

Michael tensed at the sudden change of tone. David stepped away, turning his back to the human boy. He was running out of ideas, and he couldn't even think straight with Michael looking at him.

"I'm just gonna hurt you, Michael, and I can't let that happen. There's something dangerous that I deal with. Something that is gonna put your whole family at risk."

"David-"

"I'm serious! Go away, Michael, or you'll just make it worse."

"Why should I?"

"THIS IS WHY!"

A piercing screech rang out as David sharply snapped back around. His face had morphed into that of his vampiric appearance. His mouth stretched open to display the deadly row of fangs he had. The blue of his eyes had melted into the color of gold, with red, jagged lines taking over the white space.

This wasn’t how he wanted it to happen. Michael learning about the secret he carried. But it was all he could think of to get him away.

“JESUS FUCKIN’ CHRIST!” Michael yelped. He stumbled backward, his eyes widening in shock as he took in what he was seeing.

“I’m a vampire, Michael!” David hissed out. His voice was deeper and raspier than before. His back was hunched and his arms outstretched, showing off his predator stance that he’d use for hunts. “We all are! Me, the boys, Star, even Laddie. We’re killers, Michael. I’ve been slaughtering the innocents of Santa Carla before your goddamn grandpa was born!”

The heartbeat he heard from Michael before was now ramped up faster than ever. It was echoing in his skull with the fierceness of its pounding. What would have delighted him from any other person just made him feel worse in this situation.

“You should have listened to Sam and those Frog brats. Now go! Run away from the big, bad monster! Don’t ever come find me again!”

Surely this had to work. Michael could see all of the viscous beast he had locked away for months now. All those sweet images he once held of David being his lover would be replaced by the vision of a bloodsucking creature of the night. He’d get away as fast as he could, and David would never be at risk of putting him in any danger from Max ever again.

But that wasn’t what happened.

Michael stayed in place. Though sweat poured from his face and his body shook in terror, he didn’t run away. It could have easily blamed it on shock, so he tried even harder.

“GET OUT OF HERE, MICHAEL!” he growled, baring his fangs and talons even more now.

Still nothing. If anything, Michael’s reaction was only softening. His expression did not hold fear, but rather a deep sadness. As if he had…pity.

“D-David…”

“Goddammit, why won’t you leave me?” the vampire asked, the demonic tone slightly fading. Now he was the one struggling to hold his look properly. He could feel those pesky tears making an appearance once again.

Even in the face of a monster, Michael still had the same love in his heart. His entire understanding of the world and the reality of who was in his life was flipped upside down. Not even in his home state of Texas had such a wild thing happened to him.

But he just couldn’t look away. He couldn’t abandon David. Though his body felt the fear, his heart just wouldn’t deny the feelings he still had.

“Huckleberry…I-” he whispered.

David had enough. He couldn’t take this any longer. If Michael wouldn’t run, then he would instead.

With a swift turn of his body, David pushed himself off the ground and soared into the inky, night sky. Shadows covered his trail as he got away as fast as he could. If this was the last time he’d see Michael, it wouldn’t be the image of him completely gutted with heartache.

Little did he know that the human lover he had left behind was feeling the exact same way. All the love in the world for the monster he had shown himself to be.