A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and faves, guys! I had a lot of fun writing this story, so I'm glad you all enjoyed it too. Credit goes to Virdi-avis for giving me the idea of going into more depth with Vanitas' backstory and his hunters, so due to the length (and me running away with that idea) this is the epilogue, and the next part will be posted separately.

This chapter is just over 9000 words long…so grab yourself a drink (and possibly a cat), and get comfortable.

Epilogue: 15 Years Later.

Starting Again.

Even after all these years, the memories of that night never seemed to stray far from Roxas' thoughts. Although they were mercifully faded now, he sometimes found himself getting lost in them – certain fragments and dialogue repeating over and over inside his head. Without fail, he faintly relived every spike of fear that had raced up his spine – every whimper of pain that had surged past his lips.

He told himself he should have known that something wasn't right the minute he'd walked into his parent's kitchen to find his older brother's boyfriend cutting up bunches of herbs with his mother. His brother in question was nowhere in sight.

He'd told himself it was just his imagination though, as his mother was happy and relaxed – completely carefree, and he'd foolishly pushed down his feelings of unease. Even if he'd known what was to come, he'd asked himself countless times – what could he have done to stop it anyway? He'd been powerless against the machinations of that heartless monster.

Lareen had been chopping up a handful of carrots when he'd arrived but as soon as she turned and saw him, she'd wiped her dainty hands on a nearby tea towel and come over to greet him. He'd only returned her welcoming hug distractedly, his eyes still glued to Vanitas' back. If he'd known that would be the last time he would hold her close, he would never have let her go.

There was just something about Vanitas that was wrong. He didn't like the man one bit. He remembered his mother had been excited; gushing over Vanitas' 'marvellous' cooking skills and how she was teaching him one of their family's favourite pasta sauces.

Vanitas had turned with a smile on his face, and the hairs on the back of his neck had stood on end. He had his hands resting on his mother's shoulders, her happy face still gazing up at him, but he was still looking at the unwelcome man standing over by the kitchen bench. He did not return Vanitas' smile.

"Where's Ventus?" He'd questioned, Vanitas' fingers twitching minutely on the handle of the knife he was holding. "He'll be along shortly. He got called into work this morning." Roxas had huffed out a breath and averted his eyes. Of course Vanitas' excuse was plausible, but he didn't believe it. This man barely knew them, why would he arrive on his own?

Vanitas' smile quirked and his eyebrows had lowered minutely. Roxas could tell Vanitas knew he didn't like him, but he didn't care what the dark haired creeper thought. He'd get through to Ventus eventually, and then they would never have to see the unsettling man again.

Sometimes he'd lie awake at night, Xion sleeping soundly against his chest; his fingers tangled deep within her silky, black hair, and recall the unnerving glint he'd seen in Vanitas' eyes, the man's hand twitching on the handle of the knife. Xion would shift against him, and his hold on her would tighten.

He'd tell himself for the umpteenth time – If only I'd known.

He'd left the room for all of five minutes – five minutes, his mother asking him to head up to the study and see if his father needed help coming down the stairs. Eraqus was getting weaker by the day, and Roxas knew his father didn't have much time left. These thoughts had dogged him as he'd stepped into the study and immediately pulled the older man into a tight embrace. Eraqus had chuckled in surprise, but had hugged him back just as hard. He'd been going over some business reports for Lareen, papers and ledgers strewn over his office desk. He had one more to go through and then he'd make his way down to join them. Ever so independent, even as his illness continued to cripple him, Roxas had respected his father's wishes to try and navigate the stairs on his own. He'd returned downstairs, the last words he ever spoke to his father being, "If you change your mind, just let me know. I'll come and give you a hand," when really, what they should've been was – "I love you."

His mother and Vanitas were no longer in the kitchen, but he thought they couldn't have gone far, what with the preparations for dinner still underway. He walked past the pasta sauce bubbling away on the stove, and stepped into the dining room, only to find himself freezing in the doorway. His mother had been setting the table, a stack of dinner plates and cutlery were placed ready on one side.

At first he'd thought Vanitas was simply hugging his mother, the man's back turned towards the doorway as he hunched over the smaller woman, his arms wrapped tight around her. Roxas's heart had started racing as soon as he'd seen she wasn't returning the embrace at all, her fingers shaking and twitching down by her sides. Lareen had gasped audibly and Vanitas released her. The man had turned slowly to face him, and what he saw next made his lungs seize hard against his ribs.

There was blood running down one side of his mother's neck from two small, gaping holes. Her eyes were glazed and far away, a confused expression gracing her abnormally pale face.

"Oh…I suddenly don't feel so well," she'd murmured, Vanitas grinning over at Roxas with his sharpened teeth gleaming a grotesque, vivid red as he'd steered his mother into a nearby chair. Roxas had instinctively stepped forward, his panic rising tenfold. "What…What are you doing!?"

Vanitas had breathed out a laugh and suddenly, Roxas found himself crushed violently into the wall behind him, the breath he'd been holding bursting out of him in an almighty whoosh as the other man pressed in hard. Then there was pain – so much pain, as Vanitas all but slammed his razor sharp teeth into the side of his neck. Instantly, a scream had ripped its way up his throat, but the monster had slipped a hand over his mouth, clamping down hard and stifling his terror. His panicked brain was telling him this couldn't be real, that this couldn't be happening – they weren't supposed to exist! Supernatural beings with human skin and faces – fictional monsters only found in horror films – monsters who fed on human blood…

Vanitas was a Vampire.

Over the monster's shoulder he could just see his mother starring wide eyed, one of her hands pressed to the weeping bite mark on her neck. "Oh…oh no…" she was gasping, tears sliding down her cheeks. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her quietly panicked expression and he couldn't break free, Vanitas mercilessly pinning him hard into the wall, one of the monster's cold hands still tightly covering his mouth. Roxas had felt himself growing weaker as his blood was slowly drained; the vile sounds and sensation of Vanitas drinking his blood making him feel sick to his stomach.

"Our Father who art in heaven…hallowed be thy name…"

Lareen's feeble voice had just managed to reach him through the thick fog that was slowly blanketing his mind. She sounded so weak, The Lord's Prayer slightly garbled through her gasping breaths.

"Thy kingdom come…thy will…be done…as it is in heaven…"

Roxas had heard Vanitas growl deep within his throat, his anger apparent at Lareen's desperate, halting prayer. His teeth had torn at Roxas' flesh again; the monster's suddenly unnaturally sharp fingernails raking furiously down his right arm. He'd squeezed his eyes shut and screamed again, his panic and terror once again muffled by Vanitas' hand before, suddenly and quite unexpectedly, he'd felt himself being released. His legs were boneless beneath him as he slid down the wall, blood trickling down his neck, and soaking warm and wet into his shirt and jeans.

"Give us this day…our daily bread…!"

He'd watched on helplessly, unable to look away, as Vanitas had stalked back over towards his mother, the still pointed fingertips of one of the monster's hands stained and dripping menacingly with Roxas' own blood.

His mother had stared desperately up at the man now looming over her, her voice rising with her growing terror.

"Forgive us, our trespasses…!"

Vanitas had not even paused as he snatched at her hair and harshly wreathed her head upwards. He sunk his bloodied, clawed fingernails into the flesh of her frail neck, instantly tearing her throat wide open. Lareen had choked and gurgled – rich, crimson blood spurting out all over her front, her eyes clouded in her disbelief and shock as she dragged her gaze over to Roxas one last time.

"Oh, God…no…!" Roxas cried, his stomach heaving from the sight, even as he'd shakily tried pulling himself across the floor towards her, his eyes frozen on her now unresponsive features. He always remembered vividly how her mouth had hung open in a silent cry, her cheeks still glistening with her tears as she finally went deathly still.

There was a click of a tongue and the monster was standing directly in front of him sprawled across the floor, saying – "Oh, don't you start, too." He'd just managed to find the strength to crane his neck upwards and look at Vanitas' face, the monster's expression one of mild irritation. He hadn't had time to dwell on it then, but Roxas realised now that it had looked like Vanitas had simply found the whole sinister task of murdering his mother as something as tedious and tiresome as taking out the trash.

Vanitas had stooped down and grabbed at his arm, Roxas instinctively cowering away, his panic rapidly spiking. "Why are you doing this!?" He'd burst out, the stronger man effortlessly dragging him to his feet, those wickedly sharp fingernails once again tearing along his arms.

He was pulled into the living room by the front of his shirt, his legs feeling like lead, and his feet dragging and stumbling against the carpet. "It's nothing personal," the monster had replied, "You're just in the way." Roxas had tried to fight, had uselessly scratched at the man's arms and clothes – whatever he could reach, but he was too weak and Vanitas was much, much too strong.

He was carelessly thrown onto a nearby couch, his head nauseously swimming, and the room spinning around him.

And then that's when his father had called for his assistance from upstairs.

Choking down a whimper of pain, Roxas had tried to answer, but all he could do was breathe. Little lights had started bursting in front of his eyes.

He could vaguely make out Vanitas looking down at him – a cruel, patronising smirk twisting his lips. A large, cold hand had landed on the top of his head as the monster sardonically ruffled his spikes.

"You be a good little boy now…"

Vanitas had turned away from him, already calling out to answer the unsuspecting man upstairs. "I'll help you, Eraqus, just wait there!"

Roxas had tried to yell out a warning, but had only been able to watch as the monster calmly walked out of the living room, heading back towards the hallway and stairs. He'd tried to will himself to get up from the couch and follow – call out, scream – anything! But he couldn't move at all, his heart jolting painfully as waves of nausea crashed over him relentlessly. He'd lost too much blood, the gaping wounds on his neck and shoulder, and the deep, jagged cuts on his arms throbbing with every stricken beat. His blood had not stopped flowing in the slightest.

The whole house was silent, save for his quiet sobs, his entire body wracked with pain. He'd struggled against unconsciousness, just barely making out Vanitas' heavy foot falls climbing the wooden stairs. He'd given in to his despair. He hadn't been able to save his mother…and he was too weak to rescue his dad, and – Oh, God – Ventus was coming!

Vanitas would kill him too!

It was all too much, and he'd been fading in and out of conscious for what felt like hours, the lights exploding in front of his eyes blinded him as the pain completely obliterated every other thought.

The next thing he remembered was being jerked back into full consciousness by Ventus' heart-wrenching scream. He'd managed to feebly call out then, but Ventus hadn't heard him – had completely bypassed the living room where Roxas was incapacitated, and run up the stairs in a blind panic, their father's name being stuttered out brokenly before complete and utter silence.

Then…he could hear his brother crying.

Roxas steeled himself, took in as much of a breath as he was able and called out again. He had to tell Ventus to run – to get away! He had no idea where Vanitas had gone but if he hadn't found Ventus yet then maybe there was still a chance!

In hindsight, it was an exercise in futility. Vanitas had been after Ventus all along; their parents and himself nothing more than a simple hindrance to what the monster truly wanted…

Fifteen years had passed since the events of that horrific night, but sometimes the nightmares still succeeded in jolting him awake. They were always worse in the winter, when the dark hours were long and cold.

He knew without a doubt, that even if he lived for a thousand more years, the memories of his mother and father, and the brother that he had so tragically lost would always torment him.

Ventus had sacrificed himself to save him, only to turn around and nearly kill him, himself. An unnatural, inhuman change had stolen away the kind, wonderful brother, Roxas had been so familiar with, and in his place, a cruel, calculating monster had been born.

In his nightmares he saw Vanitas' face, the monster's eyes glowing in the darkness, his lips twisted into that cruel smirk. He heard his mother gasping The Lord's Prayer – saw the blood gurgling out of her torn throat, and bubbling over her pale lips…

He'd never known how his father had met his end…and he still wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse.

And Ventus…

The haunting memories of his brother were the ones that always chased him into the early hours of the morning – shocked him into wakefulness, gasping brokenly for air. Ventus' screams would ring anew through his ears, the image of Ventus' contorted, twisted body writhing in agony on their parent's living room floor burned permanently into his retinas.

But the worst memories – the ones that awoke him and left him a heaving, sobbing mess were those of his loving brother's cold, cold blue eyes boring hungrily into his own. The feel of his brother's sharpened teeth scraping slowly along the skin of his neck – the cold touch of Ventus' lips so longingly pressed into his. Xion would always hold him; rock him back and forth like a newborn child, her small, warm hand carding through his hair until she felt his panic attack subsiding.

She'd been on shift that night they'd brought him into the hospital. She worked in a different ward to emergency cases, but once Roxas had abruptly stopped answering her text messages, and she'd caught snippets of gossip in the break room, she had instantly put two and two together, and nothing had kept her from going to him.

The fire that ravaged his childhood home had miraculously left Roxas all but untouched. He'd been rushed into Emergency with haemorrhagic shock and smoke inhalation, the ER doctors immediately administering several blood transfusions, hoping against all hopes that it would bring him back from the brink.

He'd survived – barely.

Xion had been there when he'd woken up, she'd been there when the police had come with their invasive questioning, and she'd been there when the fireman that had physically pulled Roxas out of the inferno had come to see if he'd made it out okay. The fireman's name was Axel, and on seeing Roxas, looking small and pale in his hospital bed, the tall redhead had crushed Roxas' hand in between his own, and cried because he'd never been so frightened for someone in his life. After that they had become close friends, but even after so many years of friendship, Axel had never once asked Roxas about the sad, mysterious circumstances that had nearly killed him. And Roxas had never told him. It was something that he couldn't bear to revisit – ever.

The first couple of years had been brutal. Initially, Roxas hadn't told a soul about what had happened that night – even the police, who had deduced from the autopsy of his father's charred remains that the man had been dead long before the fire had ever reached him. Roxas had been evasive about the odd wounds to his body as well, not to mention the disappearance of his older brother, who the police were unable to locate anywhere, despite Ventus' car being parked in the driveway of their parent's home. They caught Roxas out on several lies before coming to the only logical conclusion that Ventus was in fact the culprit.

When they had approached Roxas about their suspicions, while he was still thoroughly traumatised in the hospital, he had flown into such a wild, incoherent rage that he had to be sedated. He swore black and blue that Ventus had not done this to him, and with no solid leads and no charges to press, the police could only begrudgingly believe him.

Then various media outlets began showing up, all hoping to interview and wrangle a few more answers out of him – The Green Family Murders being the hottest, most talked about mystery quivering on the townspeople's lips. Even a private investigator had shown up one day, his long hair a strange blue colour, and a large, misshapen 'X' slashed across the bridge of his nose. He'd asked some very strange questions which Roxas had been careful to ignore. Xion had shooed him out, just like all the rest of them. Roxas had never told her, but somehow he had just known. The blue haired man had been one of them.

Roxas spent a lot of time in hospital, spent a lot of time with a lot of different psychologists. His nightmares were violent and disturbing; he barely ate and only drank liquids when it was forced upon him. He eventually lost all will to live, his brother's supposed heroism of saving his life feeling more and more like a curse as the days endlessly flew past him.

Xion moved into his apartment and he tried for her sake, he really did, but he just couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel anymore. He'd strung a rope up around the rafters in the garage and had breathed a long sigh of relief when he'd coiled its looped end around his neck and effortlessly kicked the chair out from under him. He had no idea how long he'd hung there before Xion had unexpectedly returned home to retrieve a text book and found him like that.

He'd come to, to find her sitting on his chest slapping him repeatedly in the face. Over and over, she smacked him, tears streaming down her cheeks and soaking into his shirt, gut-wrenching sobs wracking her small frame. She'd kept on hitting him, even after he'd gained consciousness, and she hadn't stopped until there were dark bruises along his cheekbones and round the bridge of his nose.

"Don't leave me," she'd gasped again and again, her blows continuing to rain down on him, until finally he'd managed to sit up and pull her into a rough embrace, his swollen face buried in the crook of her neck. It was like waking up from a dream. Xion had managed to pull him from the darkness that had swallowed him whole. He couldn't change what had happened to him – what had happened to his family, but he finally realised he shouldn't let the life Ventus had sacrificed for him go to waste.

Things got better after that – a lot better. He went to regular counselling for years and finally, finally told Xion about everything that had happened that night. She was the only one who knew the truth – the only one who wouldn't think him insane for believing a monster had slaughtered his parents and spirited away his brother. He'd salvaged nothing but photographs from the burned out shell of his parent's house, and he and Xion moved nearly a world away from their home town, where no one knew them, especially nothing about Roxas' infamous past. He started working at a local hospital again, the regular work good for him, and good for his soul.

Beautiful Xion was his saviour, his figurative light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel. They bought a house together, and when Roxas turned 21 and Xion 22, they got married in a field full of cornflowers, with their closest circle of friends as their witnesses. The love that they shared for each other finally chased away the darkness that had plagued the beginning of their relationship.

At 26, Xion brought two, perfectly healthy, twin girls into the world – Namine and Kairi. When Roxas had cradled the two, baby girls in his arms for the first time, and gazed down in quiet awe at their beautiful, innocent faces – that's when he'd begun to believe in God again.

Now feeling considerably a lot more thankful for being alive, Roxas was 33 years old, and the new life he had created with Xion and his two girls had never felt so complete. Xion worked full time at the local hospital, Roxas opting to only work part time so he could take care of the girl's upbringing.

Roxas had never pictured himself becoming a stay-at-dad, but it was an arrangement that had always worked best for them. He was occasionally still prone to sudden bouts of social anxiety, had a justified reason for not trusting new people, and the nightmares that never quite stopped, continued to plague his sleeping patterns. Overall, these were things that no longer largely affected his life in a sense, but some days he just didn't feel like leaving the house.

He'd spent an unhealthy amount of time devoted to researching Vampires – racing through a plethora of books, be they fiction or nonfiction, watching every film he could get his hands on, too, and of course the internet had supplied him with a vast, endless wealth of information, all easily accessible, right at his fingertips. He'd devoured any little bit of information he'd stumbled across, taking it all in with an open mind, and knowing that not everything he would find would be the truth. From the limited interaction he could remember with Vanitas and Ventus, he knew that at least some of what he'd learned seemed to be true…

He'd shied away from purchasing a house that was too far from neighbouring properties – the idea of being isolated and vulnerable unnerving to him. They had eventually chosen an appropriate home nestled securely amongst the chaotic, yet quaint lifestyle of suburbia. As soon as they moved in, Roxas enlisted the help of a local priest, and had the home blessed – had also paid a ridiculous amount of money for a large quantity of holy water, which he'd mixed into the house's new top coat of paint. He'd planted thick clumps of garlic under every window, hung a wooden cross on every door. He had no solid evidence that any of these protective measures would deter one of them from hurting his family, but it certainly afforded him some peace of mind, and his renewed faith in the almighty God gave him strength.

Namine and Kairi were both eight years old now, and had only just started to ask increasingly insistent questions about the other young man pictured in the old family photographs that Roxas had salvaged, all those years ago. He had sat them down one evening and spun them a story of their grandparents losing their lives in a fire, their Uncle Ventus perishing along with them. Maybe when they were older, Roxas would entertain the idea of telling them the truth, but for now this was all they needed, to satisfy their curiosity.

He thought about it often, but he knew in his heart that he had lost all hope of ever seeing his brother again. Sometimes he felt sad and conflicted when he thought of Ventus, recalling how he had so easily left with the man that had callously murdered their parents. He would never understand, and sometimes it would make him feel bitter and angry, but most of the time he just wondered. Where was Ventus now? What was he doing with his life, now that he was supposedly an immortal? They were questions he had resigned himself to never knowing the answers to.

-0-

It was turning out to be another beautiful summer afternoon and Roxas had finally worked up the enthusiasm to get stuck into the hedges in the front garden. The rows of leafy, green buxus encircling the lawn wasn't overly shaggy, but it definitely warranted getting out the electric hedge trimmers instead of the clunky pruning shears he usually ended up using.

Shutting off the trimmers and swinging them down by his side, Roxas wiped his forearm across his brow, a few beads of sweat escaping and slipping down the side of his face. He hadn't worked today and had spent the majority of his time outside. Kairi and Namine were also home already from school, laughing and playing happily as they jumped on the trampoline. Roxas stood for a few moments, taking a break and just watching as the girls clasped their hands tightly between them and jumped in unison, their navy blue, pleated uniform skirts fluttering prettily in the breeze. He looked up to the sky, watching the cirrus clouds sweep along slowly, the sudden afternoon breeze bringing along with it a much appreciated shift in temperature. It had been particularly hot today, but as the sun was now lingering lazily along the horizon, he was finally feeling some relief from the heat.

Laying the hedge trimmers down on the grass at his bare feet, Roxas pushed his hair back from his forehead and headed back over to the front porch where his water bottle was keeping cool in the shade. He flumped down onto the small set of steps and took a long drink, his other hand pulling at the collar of his shirt. It stuck to him in some places, the heat of the day being ridiculously humid. Perhaps a storm was coming? He hadn't managed to get all the hedging finished, but he was well and truly ready to call it a day. Xion would be home from work any minute now, and then they would make dinner together. He would call the girls in, too…they knew he hated them being outside past sunset.

He took another long drink and just closed his eyes, savouring the quiet, peaceful sounds of the surrounding neighbourhood. There were shouts and laughter from Namine and Kairi, and then far off in the distance, he could make out the exuberant barking of a dog. Just outside his front gate there was the cheerful chatter of wagtails, and the wind whispered softly through the nearby trees. It was all so blissfully familiar and comforting. He sighed with content. He loved this place and the normalcy it brought to his life.

He heard Namine laugh loudly again and he smiled, the wind still rustling quietly through the trees.

But then something suddenly changed.

The birds had stopped singing.

Confused, Roxas frowned and lowered the water bottle. He looked out towards the street. His blue eyes swept along the border of his garden fence and all along what he could see of the sidewalk outside, but there was nothing there. He shifted slightly – felt strangely uneasy. The noticeable silence of the birds didn't seem normal at all. He nervously looked over towards his two girls on the trampoline, but found them both as happy as ever. Something made him pause though – a familiar feeling of disquiet, and he was instantly reminded of his mother. That time, she hadn't noticed anything out of the usual either…and he'd ignored his gut feeling, but he'd be damned if he would ever ignore it a second time!

The sun was hanging lower in the sky now as twilight began to set in. The temperature was rapidly dropping. Roxas shivered.

He braced his hands against his knees and pushed himself upright, his attention still solely focussed on his daughters. He was intent on calling them inside when out of the corner of his eye he caught movement.

Someone was standing in front of the garden gate.

Roxas' eyes snapped around, his water bottle slipping through his fingers.

Golden hair – blue, blue eyes – a boyish face, and a curve of a painfully nostalgic smile.

It couldn't be…

Roxas blinked, not quite believing what he was seeing. He shuddered in a breath, and then suddenly the young man before him was no longer standing outside on the sidewalk. He blinked and he was inside, walking up Roxas' garden path as if he'd done so countless times before – as if suddenly appearing here wasn't completely and inexplicably out of the blue.

"Ven…Ventus?" Roxas heard himself gasp. "Is it really you?"

Ventus stopped a few meters short of where Roxas stood on the top step of the porch, a small smile still gracing his lips.

"It's been a long time."

His older brother didn't look like he'd aged a single day since Roxas had last seen him. He felt inexplicably self-conscious and strange, knowing that he now looked the older of the two – Ventus wouldn't be able to help noticing how much his younger brother had changed over the years in comparison. Roxas knew he was a little bit taller, his blond hair cut a lot shorter, and the stubble on his chin was just starting to turn white around the edges. Ventus was eternally young – his mortality frozen at 26.

A dry sob threatened to work its way up Roxas' throat but he stifled it, his face twisting with so many warring emotions as his eyes slid hurriedly over the brother he had always thought lost to him. He could see subtle differences in Ventus' appearance the longer he looked, his skin was so pale, and the way he held himself seemed more composed – Roxas would go so far as to describe him as almost ethereal. His hair was styled and swept to the side, exactly how it always used to be, but his eyes…they were what had changed the most. Roxas felt a spike of dread drive its way deep into his heart. He found no trace of his older brother's usual warmth there; now completely lost in those cold, blue depths.

As his rampant emotions had assailed him, Roxas had taken a shaky step towards Ventus, but now – now his expression hardened. How quickly he had begun to lose himself – to lose sight completely, of what his brother had become. He was suddenly afraid, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he squared his shoulders, his eyes flicking minutely over towards the electric hedge trimmers lying off to the side, then over to Namine and Kairi, who were still playing unaware.

"What are you doing here, Ventus?"

The corner of Ventus' lips quirked into a wry smile, and the coldness in his eyes seemed to swirl and coalesce before his gaze followed Roxas' line of sight, over towards the two young girls still laughing and cavorting on the trampoline.

"I wanted to see you," Ventus replied softly, the breeze ruffling at his hair as his eyes flicked back over to Roxas. The reasoning behind his answer was ambiguous at best.

"That doesn't explain why, after all this time you're suddenly standing on my doorstep. What are you really doing here? How did you find me?" Roxas was not convinced. He slipped a hand into the back pocket of his jeans, his fingers closing tightly around the small switchblade he kept on his person at all times. He'd had it custom made – the blade made of pure silver, and the smooth wooden handle inscribed with the holy book's Psalm 23. He soaked it in a bowl full of holy water every day without fail. He only had myths and legends to go on, but he'd always believed that there must be some truth to it all…his faith would not fail him now.

Ventus didn't answer right away, his brilliant blue eyes tracking the movements of Roxas' hand.

"Can I come in?"

Roxas' eyes narrowed dangerously, his expression instantly turning thunderous. How dare this monster wearing his beloved brother's face even attempt to enter his home – as if after everything he'd been put through he wouldn't know that vampire's needed permission first!

He didn't even hesitate. "No."

Ventus breathed out a small laugh and looked away, his expression deceptively wistful, and his smile seeming sad. "Good. I'm glad you understand that much, at least."

"Where's…him?" Roxas spat, Ventus' casual façade not mollifying his anger in the slightest. Sudden alarm settled into the pit of his stomach, his eyes rapidly searching all around them, and out to the street beyond. It foolishly hadn't occurred to him until now – that if Ventus was here, then Vanitas would be, too.

"…I asked him not to come. I didn't want to upset you more than I already am." Ventus murmured quietly, his eyes once again meeting Roxas' guarded blues.

The man he had once called brother really did look genuinely sad, and Roxas wondered if he was being a fool in letting down his guard. This wasn't fair. He felt so conflicted, his hand clenching tightly around the switchblade even as he felt his resolve wavering. He had no reason to believe Ventus – had all the reason to believe that the vampire was only here to hurt him and his family…but he just knew in his heart that it wasn't true.

Despite their past, despite the horrors that had happened between them, and the fact that Ventus was no longer human, Roxas wanted – no he needed to trust Ventus so badly...and maybe he was being naïve, but this was still the older brother he had loved and missed, with all of his heart.

Roxas swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak. Still feeling largely apprehensive, he was just finding his words when Xion's blue Hyundai pulled into the driveway. She was home on time – the sun's lingering rays splashing light pinks, oranges and purples all across the darkening sky.

She was stepping out of the driver's side now and slamming the door closed, a welcoming smile lighting up her pretty face. She was still in her nursing uniform, one hand lightly clasping the strap of her tote bag that was slung over her shoulder. Roxas suddenly felt nauseous. Xion knew everything there was to know about his traumatic past – had seen firsthand what Roxas had suffered through in the aftermath, and she would not take kindly to Ventus unexpectedly showing up at their home. This situation had serious potential to turn ugly very quickly.

He vaguely noted Ventus watching Xion's approach with a casual interest, but he pushed down his persistent misgivings about his brother and his motives, and rushed down the porch steps to meet his wife halfway.

"I'm home," Xion called in a singsong voice, Roxas successfully managing to keep her attention focussed on him for one brief moment as his hands firmly squeezed at her shoulders.

"Xion –" He began but she was already craning her neck to see over his shoulder at the man standing behind him.

"Who…?" He watched her eyes widen in recognition, the words dying in her throat.

"You…" Xion was struggling against him now – was attempting to push herself in front of him, while her eyes never left Ventus' face. The fingers of her right hand were already frantically scrabbling around inside of her tote bag. Roxas knew what she was searching for. "Xion – wait."

"You need to leave – right now," Xion breathed, her tone of voice strained, but defiantly holding strong. She was still fighting to get around Roxas, but he was determined to keep himself firmly between her, and his estranged brother. He had never once doubted that she would willingly die to protect him and their daughters – that she would defend the ones dearest to her at all costs – especially when she knew the blond haired, blue eyed stranger in front of her was actually an unpredictable, inhuman monster.

Ventus, for his part, said nothing, but he was no longer smiling. All of his focus was now trained solely on the confines of Xion's bag. She finally managed to retrieve what she was searching for and swiftly held it out in front of them both – a small leather bound Bible with a wooden cross set deep within its cover. She brandished the Bible at Ventus. "How dare you – after all this time!"

Ventus' eyes narrowed and he all but glared at the little holy book held within Xion's small hand. His lips curled in obvious disgust, but he still stood his ground – his feet only shifting warily in place.

Roxas roughly pulled at Xion's shoulders again, and manoeuvred her more fully behind him, pushing his face directly in front of hers.

"Xion – look at me." A small shake to her slender frame and he had effectively recaptured her attention. He needed this to stop from escalating further. Namine and Kairi were still playing over on the trampoline, completely oblivious. They didn't need to see this – they were too young to understand. He took a deep breath, gazing hard into his wife's wild eyes, "I'm going to talk to him, and then he's going to leave, and never come back."

Xion frowned, her expression turning pained. "But…" She looked back over to Ventus, the steel instantly returning to her voice.

"Haven't you and that – that man done enough to him? Do you have any idea what he went through –" She pressed one of her hands hard against her chest. "What we went through?"

The harsh truth of Xion's words struck a chord deep within Roxas' heart, the pain and sadness of this entire situation rapidly threatening to overwhelm him. He had to stay in control. Gently lifting his hands to her face, Roxas cradled Xion's cheeks within his palms, and turned her away to face him again. "It'll be okay…" He murmured. "I need you to trust me on this…"

"Mummy!"

A sudden shout carrying over to them from across the lawn made Roxas' fingers twitch against Xion's skin, their attention abruptly drawn over to their two young daughters. Namine and Kairi had clambered off the trampoline and were already running towards them, their laughter loud and carefree as they waved their arms about in joy at finding their mother returned home.

Ventus still hadn't moved an inch, his expression now cautious and guarded. His eyes lingered on the leather bible held lax within Xion's hand for a second longer before bypassing her completely and lifting to Roxas' face. They stared at each other silently. Roxas' decision was made.

Drawing Xion's attention back to him, Roxas spoke quickly, but quietly.

"The girls are coming. I need you to take them inside and be safe." He chanced another glance over at Ventus before once more looking deep into his wife's stormy, blue eyes. "He's…He's not here to hurt us."

Xion lifted her free hand and pressed it over one of Roxas' own that was still gently caressing her face. She shook her head slowly, angry tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "…He's not the brother you once knew, Roxas."

His eyes were sad as he leant down and kissed her firmly on the lips, his hands dropping to the slight curves of her chin and neck. "I know he isn't, but you have to trust me. I want to speak to him alone, but what I really need right now, is for you and our daughters, to be safe inside our home. Please, Xi'?"

There was a tense second longer where Xion gazed up into his eyes, her frustration and worry colouring her beautiful features, but finally she gave him a shaky nod in understanding, her lips set into a hard, thin line.

Completely unaware of the monster currently within their midst, Namine and Kairi ran straight passed Ventus and into their mother's legs; their little hands clutching at her shirt and pants as they hugged her tightly. While their faces were still pressed into her clothes, Xion painstakingly re-schooled her features into a faux, happy expression. She pressed the little bible into Roxas' hand wordlessly before wrapping both of her arms around her daughters in return.

"Come on, girls – inside," she spoke breathlessly, Roxas finding her forced smile almost painful to witness. "I've got a surprise for you both, tonight – I'm gonna make your favourite – chocolate pudding!"

Instantly excited at the mention of their favourite dessert, Namine and Kairi both whooped with delight, their eyes turning up to meet with their mothers'; identical grins of joy dimpling their cheeks.

"Yayyy!" Kairi cried.

"I love chocolate pudding!" Namine beamed.

Keeping her brave smile firmly in place, Xion immediately began steering the two girls towards the steps of the front porch, Roxas and Ventus silently watching. The girls settled on either side of their mother comfortably, her arms still wrapped protectively around their petite shoulders.

Namine suddenly turned within her mother's hold, and looked back at her father and Ventus. Her eyes were alight with curiosity.

"Mummy, who is that man?" Kairi, who had been chattering away about her day at school, instantly turned to look, too, her attention drawn back behind them as well, even as Xion kept encouraging them up the steps and towards the front door.

"Yeah, who is he?" Kairi questioned, "…He looks just like Uncle –"

"No girls," Xion swiftly cut Kairi off. "That's just a friend of Daddy's. He's leaving now, but you can meet him another time."

Kairi shrugged and turned back around towards the front door, easily accepting her mother's words, and started chattering about school again. Namine however, still looked behind them silently; her pale blue eyes never leaving Ventus.

"Inside, inside! It's starting to get dark. That pudding's not going to make itself, you know?" Xion sang cheerfully, finally pulling the door open, and ushering the girls inside.

"Can I lick the spoon?" Roxas heard Kairi shout enthusiastically from just inside the entryway.

"Of course you can," Xion answered, and then finally, the door snapped shut behind them.

Silence reigned for a long moment, a heavy, sombre mood settling over the two remaining occupants of the garden.

Roxas looked off to the side, still gazing after his family, his fingers idly playing with the leather cover of Xion's bible. He could feel Ventus looking at him and God, he was just so tired of this entire situation. In the space of a single afternoon, Ventus had waltzed back into his happy, peaceful life, and completely destroyed the calm he had found here. If Roxas hadn't still been feeling majorly apprehensive about his long lost, vampiric brother suddenly showing up on his doorstep, he would have felt thoroughly annoyed.

The sun had all but set now, the last of its light fading below the horizon. Stars were beginning to blink softly above them, the cool summer breeze still flowing around them and swirling through their hair.

"Your daughters?"

Roxas breathed out a sigh, and turned back to face Ventus properly. He still couldn't quite manage looking the other man in the eyes.

"Yeah. Namine and Kairi."

He realised Ventus was encouraging him to speak about something he found safe and familiar, but he didn't feel the need, nor want to elaborate. Looking the bible over one last time, he slid the little book into the back pocket of his jeans.

"I…I had to tell them, that you were dead. That you died in the fire that killed their grandparents…" He shook his head forlornly, finally looking straight into Ventus' eyes.

"It's been 15 years…why now, Ventus? You told me you were no longer my brother – so why seek me out like this? What do you want?"

Ventus' eyes gleamed softly in the half light, his solemn expression mirroring Roxas'.

"Despite what I am, and the things I've done, I've never been able to completely shake the vestiges of my humanity. I have no desire to encroach on the peace you have found here." Ventus paused and looked away briefly before finding Roxas' intent gaze again. "I just…wanted to see you. To see your life. I can't help what I've become, but I would never harm you or your family, Roxas. Please, believe me."

Roxas' heart throbbed a pained, mournful beat hard within his chest. He wanted to believe Ventus so much, but at the same time he didn't want to at all. A brief, horrific memory of Vanitas' cruel smile rose unbidden to the forefront of his mind – the ghostly sensation of Ventus' sharpened teeth dragged along his neck. He shuddered slightly and looked away, his inner turmoil written clear across his face.

Ventus was speaking again, his voice carrying clearly over the soft sounds of the persistent wind.

"I only come now, because it's the first time I've been able to, without endangering your life. Vanitas and I, have won a hard battle, and now finally we have the freedom to live peacefully…" His expression hardened. "However, given the chance, there are still many of my kind that will seek to harm you or your young family."

He looked over at Roxas' house, his eyes glancing over the wooden cross adorning the front door and the thick clumps of garlic bordering the windows. His gaze fell upon Roxas again, a sardonic smile pulling at his lips. "The garlic by the windows will only deter the very weakest, and although I can see that you and your wife's faith is strong – to an immortal as strong as I – faith can only do so much. Fear and doubt can easily weaken the strongest of resolves."

Roxas drew in a sharp breath and clenched his fists at his sides. He stared down at his feet, feeling completely and utterly helpless. If what Ventus was saying was true, then everything he'd done up until now in protecting his family had all been in vain…

"And that is why…I've come to give you something."

Roxas' eyes were wide as he looked back up to find Ventus standing with his arm outstretched in front of him. A small, black box was resting in the palm of his hand. Without a word, Roxas slowly moved forward a step and hesitantly took it.

Ventus' smile was reassuring as Roxas pried open the stiff, cardboard lid of the box and cautiously peered inside. He paused for a second longer before reaching in with his thumb and index finger, and gingerly lifted out the small, glass vial which appeared to be full of a dark, unknown liquid. As he continued to look at it curiously, the dim evening light caught along the glass, and Roxas could finally see it for what it was.

Blood.

Instantly, he was furious. "Is this some kind of twisted joke?"

Ventus was completely unfazed. "It's true that amongst my own kind I'm still relatively young, but over these years, Vanitas and I have made a…lasting reputation for ourselves. None of our kind would dare disrespect us." He gestured to the vial of blood still held within Roxas' hand. "Think of this as a 'vaccination' of sorts. I want you and Xion, and your girls to share this amongst you. It won't hurt you or change you in any way, but my blood is powerful and it will meld with yours, and it will protect you from others of my kind. It is the ultimate protection – one that will never weaken."

Roxas was not convinced. "If you think I'm going to drink anything you give me, you're sorely mistaken."

Ventus' stared piercingly into Roxas' eyes, his face only marginally showing his disappointment. He shrugged. "I can't force you, but if you're ever in trouble, my kind will never touch you – so long as my blood runs in your veins. Your children and their children as well, will all be safe."

Roxas stared down at the small vial now resting in the palm of his hand. It sounded too good to be true. He and his family could ingest this minuscule amount of blood, and they would never have to fear vampires again? How did blood hold power anyway? Could such a small amount really be so effective?

He rolled the vial of blood back and worth along the skin of his palm, and wondered what Ventus had been up to for the last fifteen years to have created such an infamous name for himself. Even amongst his own kind, he'd said – amongst other immortal monsters, Ventus was someone who was respected and feared. What exactly had his brother been doing…?

The cool breeze rippled through the fine hairs on the back of his neck and he shivered violently. He decided he really didn't want to know.

"How come you can walk around in the daylight?" Roxas mumbled out instead, his eyes drifting back up to Ventus' now faintly amused expression.

"Most of my kind cannot, but because the power in Vanitas' blood has melded with my own, I'm now one of the strongest immortals there is. Over the years, I've built up a strong resistance to the damaging effects of sunlight…amongst other things." Ventus was undeniably smug in explaining this and Roxas definitely didn't like it – didn't like the arrogant smirk twisting Ventus' features either. The brother he'd known had never even remotely gloated about anything.

Roxas carefully placed the vial of Ventus' blood back inside the small box and securely closed the lid. He was still largely undecided about this supposedly miraculous gift, and it would have to be something he figured out later. Ventus was still grinning in front of him, most likely still lost in his own little ego trip, or perhaps he'd caught Roxas' look of condemnation.

Roxas only continued to frown. "I'll never understand how you can be with him…after what he did to Mum and Dad…after what he did to you."

Ventus' smile immediately softened into something whimsical and slightly pensive.

"Vanitas is…everything to me. The one who created me…and the one who loves me." Ventus' deep blue eyes almost seemed to glow in their intensity. "Fate decided that we would be bonded long ago, and if he were to die, then I would die, too. I can't live without him."

Roxas shifted uncomfortably under Ventus' intense scrutiny, his fingers tightening around the little box still held in his hand.

No, he would never, could never understand how Ventus could be in love with the man who had brutally slaughtered their parents. It would never make sense to him, and he found Ventus' sudden shift in demeanour thoroughly unsettling. He could definitely see some aspects to the man in front of him that were still exactly like the Ventus he had grown up with, but without a doubt, he could clearly see there was this other, darker, colder creature, that had all but taken over. Ventus would never again be the big brother that he had loved and admired with every fibre of his being. Roxas felt like his heart was breaking all over again.

"I have to go."

Roxas blinked and opened his eyes to find Ventus so closely in front of him, their feet were nearly touching. Frightened beyond belief, Roxas gasped and instinctively tried to pull himself away, the breath catching in his throat as his panic-filled eyes met the vibrant, unnatural blue of his brothers.

Ventus slid a cold hand down Roxas' cheek, and then settled his grip firmly around his nape, effectively halting Roxas' meagre attempts at escaping their sudden proximity. Roxas tensed, a fine tremor working its way through his body as Ventus slowly applied pressure to the back of his neck and encouraged him to lean down. Oh so gently, Ventus pressed their foreheads together, his cool fingers brushing through Roxas' short blond hair.

"Drink the blood, Roxas. You'll never have to worry about my kind hurting you again," Ventus whispered onto his lips, their shared breaths mingling warm between them.

Roxas couldn't pull away now if he tried, one of his hands shakily moving to grasp at the front of his brother's shirt. Ventus' eyes were mesmerising – drawing him in further, as he watched a myriad of emotions swirling there. Ventus had never looked more sincere.

"I know what I said back then…but I could never bring myself to forget. You'll always be my brother…and I'll always be here to protect you."

Ventus' hand slid away and released him altogether, Roxas staggering in place at the sudden loss of his touch. Ventus was now standing a few steps away from him, watching him calmly with a small smile playing over his lips. The stars twinkled softly above them, the darkness of night having well and truly fallen.

Roxas had never felt so lost in all of his life. Regardless of what Ventus had become, Roxas regrettably still loved him…and would still miss him, every day. He knew things could never be as they were, but after so many years apart, the thought of Ventus simply vanishing from his life again just seemed so terribly cruel.

"…Will I see you again?"

Ventus still smiled, the wind curling and playing through his soft blond spikes.

"Only if you want to."

There was another, stronger gust of wind that caught him off guard and Roxas blinked rapidly. He found himself standing alone; the space in front of him where his brother had been mere seconds before was now empty.

Ventus was gone.

"I'll never forget you," Roxas whispered, his voice carrying along the cool summer breeze, and out into the enveloping darkness.

-0-

Later that night, after he had returned inside to his family, and long after Namine and Kairi were tucked up safe in their beds, Roxas lay in his own bed and held Xion warm in his arms and told her everything Ventus had come to share with him…everything except his brother's true purpose in seeking him out.

He'd hidden the little vial of Ventus' blood deep within the confines of his sock drawer, still not entirely sure of what to do with it, but knowing full well that if he were to tell his wife of its existence, it would surely cause a spectacular fight.

He thought about it all night, his fingers sliding soothingly through Xion's silken hair, their arms and legs wrapped tightly around each other as they sought the comfort and intimacy they had always found so easily together. For the first time in a very long time, Roxas woke up feeling refreshed and well rested. His mind was set.

He made his wife, and his two beautiful daughters the perfect breakfast – preparing crispy, hickory smoked bacon, fried tomatoes, hash browns, and eggs cooked sunny side up. He even squeezed fresh orange juice – just enough to fill four tall glasses.

He divided the contents of the small, glass vial between them.

Even if he had ultimately decided to trust Ventus' word, it didn't stop him from feeling an immense, crushing relief when his family displayed no sinister aftereffects of ingesting vampiric blood. He himself felt perfectly fine – in fact, he had never felt happier in all of his life.

What Roxas wouldn't know until much, much later, was that Xion suddenly found studying for her medical degree a lot less tedious, her brain easily retaining more complicated, detailed information. Namine sometimes just knew things about people – things they had never told anyone, and often predicted events long before they ever happened. Kairi could sometimes feel other people's emotions, and look deep into their thoughts; her beautiful blue eyes alight with wisdom beyond her years.

And Roxas…well.

He just simply couldn't wait to see Ventus again.