This is my first Cirque Du Freak story so I'm sorry if the characters are at all OOC. I'm still learning. Read, review and let me know if it sucks. Criticism increases my writing skills.

I lied down in my hammock. Thanks to Truska, I had finally let out my feelings about Mr. Crepsley's death. However, no matter what I did, I couldn't stop crying. It had been almost three days since I finally had started. I still couldn't believe he was gone. The tough, stubborn old geezer I was proud to know was gone. It was hard enough losing one dad but…

I had been having a lot of trouble getting to sleep recently. I had tried everything to get myself to fall asleep, but my mind kept venturing back to my mentor. It was hard for me to believe I used to want nothing to do with him and now I wished more than anything he was with me.

I wanted to blame Steve for everything. I wanted to hunt him down and make him suffer the way I was, but my promise to Mr. Crepsley kept me sane. I knew I had to kill Steve, but it couldn't be out of hate.

If I could have said anything to Mr. Crepsley it would be that I was sorry for basically being a weight upon his shoulders. Part of me wished I had never met him, then maybe none of this would have happened… but the other part of me didn't want that at all. The other part of me was glad I had met him and all the other vampires.

I could feel my eyelids droop, which surprised me. Had I cried myself out already? I still felt like I could cry a river! No sooner did I think that, than I slipped into unconsciousness.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

I opened my eyes. I didn't recognize where I was but I was lying down on... sand? I looked up to find something burning my eyes. I quickly covered them as I discovered I could hear a rushing sound of… the ocean! I was on a beach. But how did I get there? I didn't recall leaving the Cirque and there was no way I could have sleep walked all the way in just one night! Could I possibly have sleep flitted… Nah. I must have been dreaming.

I noticed tiny grains all over my body, so I stood up and shook the sand out of my clothes. The ocean rushed slightly over my feet. The sand stretched so far back that I couldn't see the other side, as did the ocean. I figured as long as I was dreaming, I might as well explore. I'd never been to a beach before anyway. I had just decided this when I heard a voice.

"It is good to see you again Master Shan."

My eyes grew wide and my mouth fell open. I slowly turned around. Could it be? Even if it was just a dream? A huge smile grew on my face when I saw I was correct.

"Mr. Crepsley!"

I wasted no time and ran to him. I flung my arms around him. I could feel him hug me tightly. Even though I was dreaming, I couldn't have been happier. Fresh tears came to my eyes, but these ones were of happiness.

"Have you missed me?" Mr. Crepsley teased.

"Talk about asking stupid questions." I laughed and cried at the same time. Mr. Crepsley chuckled.

"You sound like Arra."

I laughed too, but soon my happiness turned to sorrow again. "I just wish this wasn't just a dream…" I cried.

"Well this may be just a dream, but I truly am talking to you."

Confusion filled me. I pulled away from my teacher. "How?"

Mr. Crepsley slowly looked at the surroundings with wonder. "I have never been on a beach. Let us take a walk and I will explain."

I nodded, wiped the tears away, and we began to walk down the sandy area. No one was on the beach except for the two of us.

"I've actually never been on a beach either, even before I became a vampire." I said.

"Well, in Paradise, you are able to go out in the sun. The worst you can get is a regular sunburn and even that takes a while to appear."

I snickered. "I'll have to tell Vancha that. He'll be ticked." We both laughed.

"So how did you come here again?" I asked.

"Oh yes." He ran his finger over his long scar. "Well, when a soul moves on to Paradise, if they wish, the gods of the vampires allow them to enter the dreams of someone still on Earth and talk to them one last time. However, they are only able to talk to one person and they can only enter someone's dreams once in their afterlife."

I stopped walking. My eyes grew wide once again. "So out of everyone you could've chosen to talk to, you chose ME?"

He smiled. "Well, who else will put up with all of your questions?"

"Vain old geezer." I snuffed a smile glued to my face.

"Rude young brat." He retorted. You have no idea how much I missed him teasing me like that. We continued walking.

"Are Arra, Gavner and Paris in Paradise too?" I questioned.

"Indeed they are, Darren."

"Are you and Arra mates again?" I asked, trying to hide a smile.

Mr. Crepsley sighed, but I could tell he was trying not to smile as well. "If you must know, yes."

I smiled, mostly because I was happy for my mentor, but also because I had been right all along. "How long?"

"Well the mating contracts still apply in Paradise, so it is just ten years for now."

We stopped walking again and I looked him straight in the eye. "I'm proud of you." I said without hesitation.

He smiled back at me and put his hand on my shoulder. "I should be the one saying that to you."

I looked at him curiously. "You have proven yourself as a true vampire on countless occasions." He began. "It does not take a mastermind to know that you will do so many times more. You revealed a traitor, you fought valiantly in a war against the vampaneze and still are, Charna's Guts, you even became a vampire prince!"

I was about ready to hug him again, but he wasn't finished. "This is something I had wanted to say many times when I was alive, but I never got the chance- or the guts- to do so. You have made me more than just a proud mentor, Darren. You have made me a proud… father."

My heart nearly stopped. "What are you saying?"

"Darren… I love you as if you were my own son."

Had he really just said that? I had no idea what to say to him, so I went with what my heart told me to do. I flung myself into his arms again, nearly knocking him down this time.

"I love you too… dad. I'm sorry if I was ever a weight upon your shoulders." I felt his arms tighten around me once again, even more than the first time.

"No matter how much of a pain you were, Darren, if I could do it over, I wouldn't have chosen anyone else as my assistant or son."

I don't know if we stayed like that for five second, five minutes or even five hours, but I knew I didn't want it to end.

"Larten," came a voice. "It's time to go."

I looked up at Mr. Crepsley- my father- as he slowly let me go. "Do you really have to go?"

He smiled at me. "I won't truly be gone." He put his hand on my chest. "Until you come to Paradise someday, I will be in your heart."

I smiled again and after one final hug, I watched him walk away into the light that began to grow in front of him.

"Goodbye dad." I said with tears in my eyes once again.

He looked back at me with a smile once again. "Goodbye my son."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

I opened my eyes to find that the sun was shining through the slightly open tent flap. For once, I didn't wake up scared, sad, angry or emotionally drained. I woke up happy. I lied on my back for a while with a smile on my face. I wanted to remain happy for as long as I could. For once in a long time, I wasn't worrying about the war. I felt at peace.

"Thanks Dad." I said, looking like I was talking to the ceiling. I put my hand over my chest. "Until we meet again, I'll keep you in my heart."

The End