Left to Ashes - 5. Nemesis

Chapter Five - Nemesis

During the week after Maria had visited, Emmett took me out every night to a local bar in hopes to find this mysterious person from his halloween party. It was cold now, and the winter coats had come out. We had been to quite a few bars, not just the gay ones.

Not that there are many gay bars in London.

So here it was Saturday night, and we were in Toronto. Since London had been a flop, Emmett and his siblings dragged me here. I offered to let us stay at my Dad's condo. He wasn't there, and I was allowed to stay there when I was in town. Just not long term.

So while my vampire friends avoided the sun, I got myself some groceries for the condo. My Dad didn't keep a lot of perishable foods on hand since he was rarely home. So I had to buy just enough for two meals for today. We'd go back tonight after bar hopping, so the vampires could drive in the dark.

So somewhere around 2:00 pm I had a nap. I was going to need it with how fast Emmett could check a bar, and Toronto was full of gay bars and night clubs. Oh boy. Well maybe I might find someone for myself.

So after the fifth club of the evening, we stopped in at Starbucks. I needed a coffee, because despite the nap I was getting tired. Emmett actually danced, and Alice dragged me on the dance floor. I got to learn a lot about the Cullen's that night.

“So Alice, I don't know a lot about you.”

Alice nodded a little. “I can see the future. But it's always changing, so my visions aren't always right. Edward can read minds, but not Bella's, and apparently not yours. Bella has a magnetic shield/force thing going on, Emmett has his great looks and strength. Esme has her motherly charm, and Carlisle has his compassion.”

“Ah, I see.” I sipped my coffee. “What about Renesemee?”

I looked between Bella and Edward. “She's... special. She can send images, and she can receive thoughts.”

I nodded to Bella after she answered this, and sipped my coffee again. “Cool.” I stood from my chair, “We should get going.”

Before I could turn around, we heard gun shots in the coffee shop. Before I knew it, I was on the floor. I felt wet.

I could hear people panicking and screaming. My mind sort of shut off, I didn't know what was going on. Emmett was quickly by my side. “Keenan, you're going to be okay. We'll get you taken care of.”

Alice looked to Emmett. “He won't be okay. He's been shot 5 times, Emmett! All outcomes I see have him dying, or else...”

“NO!” Edward shouted. “I won't have him going to hell just because that bastard decided to...”

“Not in front of him, Edward!” Alice had her hand over his mouth.

“Wh... o sh... ot... who?” I tried to ask.

Bella returned to where I could see her. “The attacker has been... disposed of.”

I started to feel myself getting faint. I lost consciousness. I slightly awoke what I could only discern to be a few minutes later.

“If we don't turn him, he will die.” Alice was whispering to the others, but I could hear them. From what I could see, we were back at my Dad's condo.

“But Alice! He'll just be... we can't do it!” Edward objected, attempting a whisper.

“Edward, if we don't, he'll die for sure!”

I passed out again. Somewhere in my being passed out, I felt a great pain. My body was overcome with pain I could not describe.

Then I had another dream. The big white dragon had come back, and kissed me on the forehead again. I hadn't had this dream since the night my mother had left when she visited. But this time the red dragon came forward.

“They are your friends, the Cullen's. Trust them.”

It was the first time the red dragon had ever spoken to me.

“Who are you?”

“I am you.”

“You can't be me. I'm human, or perhaps a vampire by now.”

The red dragon shook his head. “You do not understand.”

“He cannot understand.” The white dragon said.

I looked at the white dragon. “Who are you?”

“I am the one seeking the red dragon.”

“But he's right beside you!”

I woke up to a bright room. I had no idea where I was, but all of the Cullen's were standing around me. I blinked a moment, “What's going on?”

Emmett looked at the floor, actually all of them did. Carlisle finally spoke up. “Keenan, while you were at Starbucks, your step father Cameron shot you five times. You would have died, so Emmett tried to turn you. Into a vampire that is.”

I nodded. I had figured that out from the argument everyone had in the coffee shop and at the condo. “Hrumph. Can't go into a Starbucks anymore. If the coffee doesn't kill you, something else will! Alright, so what's your point?”

“That was three hours ago. You shouldn't be awake. It takes a week for the transformation in a normal human. Bella was pretty quick, but Keenan... all your injuries have healed themselves. It started after Emmett bit you. Even his bite healed, and those never heal because of the venom.”

Emmett came up to me and hugged me tight. “I'm so sorry.” He was crying. “I had no idea you'd get shot. I didn't want to... turn you.”

I blinked, I was so confused. “So am I a vampire then?”

Carlisle shook his head. “You're immune to the venom. But somehow it activated something inside of you that caused your healing to kick in. In a few hours, you'll be better than before you even met Cameron.”

I hugged Emmett back. “It's okay, I'll be fine apparently. You did what you thought was best.” I tried to console a vampire. Hadn't I done this once already?

I just nodded to Carlisle, and they others left the room. Emmett joined me on the hospital bed in the Cullen's home infirmary. Emmett told me later that they had this in case they needed it for special circumstances.

“I'm sorry, Emmett. I wanted you to find your guy. I know you've been searching for a long time.” I said quietly.

Emmett shook his head and looked me in the eye. “When you were shot, I realized I found him a long time ago. It was you I had danced with at the party, you who I was searching for.”

Out lips met, and we exchanged a slow kiss. His lips were cold as they touched mine, his tongue meeting my own as we showed true affection for each other. Perhaps even love.

After a few minutes, we both broke so I could get some air. I just looked into his eyes and he gently stroked my cheek. He held me while I laid in my hospital bed, and we just remained silent. No words were needed.

******

I was back at the house. With Cameron dead, my Mom owned the house and car. I was packing a box with all of my things. My cousin Dallas and Emmett had both come along. They too were packing things in a box.

My step sisters were being sent off to their grandparents, and had moved out yesterday. Maria planned to sell the house, so everything I wasn't taking that didn't have any sentimental value would be sold at a yard sale.

I felt Dallas' hand on my shoulder and looked over to him. I gave him a warm smile. “Thanks for your help. You're sort of like the annoying older brother I never had!”

Dallas laughed at that and then went back to work. But then Emmett decided to pull me onto my bed and cuddled me for a good ten minutes. “Okay you two, break time is over.” Dallas said and then grinned.

The rest of the day was spent packing up, and a brief water balloon fight in the backyard before we all headed back to Dallas place where Emmett and I got a little closer.