Chasing Eternity (Chasing Destiny pt 2)

1. The birds stay

So here it is. The second part to "Chasing Destiny". If you haven't read it, I would recomend you do that before reading this story.
Than you all so much for your support and the countless people that messaged me and wanted me to continue this. I hope you all stay safe!

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"Where is Marko? Is he getting food?" I felt another jolt of pain go through me and this time I was sure it was coming from my boys. Paul and Dwayne moved in behind me and David gently took my face in his hands.
"He is gone, Amy." I looked at the blond in indifference, his word not registering with my mind.
"What do you mean? Where is he?"
"Baby, he is dead...", Paul whispered next to me and pulled me against him. My eyes went wide. I looked at Dwayne but the pain in his eyes was all the confirmation I needed.
"No...", I whispered. This couldn't be happening. "No!!!" I screamed out loud. I felt my own pain, same as I felt the pain of the others. I felt a loss so heavy it was almost unbearable. Everything life had taken from me had been painful but I survived. This hurt beyond comparison, it was a pain so unbearable, I wondered if it did leave physical evidence. I was surrounded by my boys as I weeped. Giving me comfort and sharing my pain.
"Whoever did this will suffer..." My voice was cold and the anger I felt was nothing like the anger I had felt when Shelly died. This time they had taken a piece of my soul and I would make them suffer greatly.

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Once the first waves of anger had ebbed down, I felt empty. It was as if a part of my soul had been ripped from my body and I had a hard time to calm down. I was curled up in David's lap, a mixture of tears and blood running over my cheeks. Paul and Dwayne were next to us since David had for once refrained from taking a seat on his "throne", so the others would be able to be close as well. My heart felt broken and to make things worse I could feel the pain of the three male vampires as if it was my own.
I had made David tell me how exactly Marko had died and wasn't surprised when he told me the stake went in through his abdomen. So that explained the excruciating pain that I had felt before passing out. I couldn't bring myself to look towards the corner where Marko had kept his pigeons, their voices a constant reminder of the blond vampire's absence.
Another sob escaped my throat and I felt like suffocating, even when my body didn't run on oxygen anymore. David's hand found its way back up my spine towards my neck and he gently pulled me closer into his chest. I buried my face against his neck, hoping his scent would calm me down. But the fading scent of Marko, that still clung to his skin, triggered another flood of partially bloody tears.
"Maybe we should get rid of the birds. I mean..." My head snapped back up at Paul's words and I let out an involuntary growl, ready to pounce on him if he made another suggestion in this direction.
"Easy, Amy! I was just thinking none of us know how to care for the..." I cut him short with a loud snarl. I felt my face shift and lunged forward only to be yanked back short of reaching his throat. An arm around my waist held me captive although I struggled as hard as I could.
"Let me go!", I screamed, rage and sadness mixing together in a whirlwind of emotions.
"No. Not until you calm down." Dwayne's deep voice didn't calm me down for once, I still refused to let this go.
"Amy... They were Marko's..." Again I cut Paul short.
"Exactly! They were Marko's birds! We can't just throw them out like that! I love you Paul but I swear, if you say anything like that again, I will rip you fucking head off!" The blonde stared at me with eyes wide open, not sure how to respond to my outburst. After a second or so he looked at the ground, clearly ashamed and I felt guilty for snapping at him like that.
"Let me go. Please, Dwayne..." A little suspicious Dwayne loosened his grip on me, still keeping me against his chest as if to make sure that I didn't go for Paul again. Again the tears came flowing freely. I hated it. I hated feeling so weak and insecure. I hated this hole in my heart and soul that Marko had left behind. At the moment I didn't know what to do with myself or how to feel whole again.

Upon seeing my tears Paul stepped closer cautiously. I could see my own pain reflected in his eyes when he took my face into both hands and looked down at me.
"Fuck, Amy... I didn't want to upset you, I... I just don't know what to do right now. I have no idea how to take care of those birds. I swear they hate me." With a sad smile I leaned up on my tip-toes and softly pressed my lips against his.
"I know, Paul.", I let out a heavy sigh before I continued. "I know you didn't mean it like that. And I am sorry for yelling at you. I don't know what to do either... I haven't known Marko long enough for it to really count but I loved him. And the loss of him hurts so much, it's tearing me apart. We need to keep the birds. For him." Instead of an answer Paul leaned down and captured my lips with his, going soft at first but growing more intense by the second. I wanted to pull away from him but he wouldn't let me. He pushed me a little back against something solid, which I knew to be Dwayne's chest.
"Paul. Enough." David's voice brought us back to reality and the blonde finally broke the kiss. Suddenly something came back to my mind.
"Laddie! We need to get Laddie!" I whirled around and tripped over my own feet. Gladly David was able to catch me before I hit the ground.
"Where is the boy?", he asked and helped me stand back up.
"He should be with Maria. I told him to go to her when I was able to get him out of the Emersons's house. Oh god, I hope he got there..."
"I will go and get him. It's too close to dawn for you to be outside." Dwayne moved faster than I could have protested and David grabbed my arm before I could follow him. What if something had happened to the boy? Dwayne would never forgive me...
"Amy." I looked up at David and felt some calm wash over me. He tugged on my hand and made me sit in his lap again.
"We will think about what we will do about all of this after we rested."
"How can you say that? We need to do something now! If Star gets away with that..."
"Amy! We don't know yet if she is behind this. It was those kids from the comic book store that killed Marko." I gave him a criticizing look.
"Yeah. And they came up with that whole plan all by themselves... I don't care what you say, when I get my hands on that bitch, I will tear her from limb to limb and dance around the fire I built from her carcas!", I growled low and angry. I didn't give a rats ass about David's approving or disapproving. I wanted to see, who I knew was responsible for the young vampire's death, pay for this. I would make her suffer for her betrayal.

"Amy!!!" I looked to the cave's entrance and despite everything a smile appeared on my lips. I scooped the boy up into my arms and held him close for a moment. I was just so relieved to see him unharmed.
"Look what Maria gave me!", he almost yelled with joy written all over his face. He pulled something out of his jacket and held it too close to my face for me to really see what it was. After explaining to him that I couldn't see anything, he held it so that I could admire his new possession. It was a small Guns'n'Roses patch which he seemed very proud of.
"Oh, that's beautiful. That was really nice of her.", I told the beaming boy and thanked the heavens for Maria. I looked up at Dwayne and caught him smiling softly while looking affectionately down at the two of us. He took another step towards us and leaned down for a soft and short kiss.
"Eeeeww, gross!" I smiled against Dwayne's soft lips and looked back at the boy.
"One day you will think differently about that, buddy." The dark haired vampire ruffled the boy's hair and placed another quick kiss on my forehead.
"Alright, bedtime everyone.", David announced and I felt worried all of a sudden.
"What if they come back while we are all asleep?" My voice wasn't much more than a whisper.
"Don't worry about that. There are still rooms that can be used further inside the cave. We will retreat there. If they dare to come back, they will have to search a labyrinth of rooms and hallways and more caves for hours." I nodded slowly, still not convinced but what other option did we have. I could already feel the heaviness of the sun and the exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours weighing down on me.
I slowly followed David through the passage at the back of the cave. We passed the room I had stayed in up until now and the shaft where I knew the boys slept most nights. David led us further into the cave until we reached a larger room that seemed to be still mostly intact. There were two large beds and I couldn't help a smile when Laddie ran towards one and launched himself onto it.I stayed at the door for a little longer and watched my family settle into the room. Two strong arms wrapped around me from behind and a head rested on my right shoulder.
"I am glad you came back." I leaned back against David and kissed the side of his throat.
"Where else would I be? I love you. You are everything I have. I would always come back, no matter how angry I will be at you." I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around his neck to be able to look into his face.
"Good girl." With a little shriek on my part he scooped me up and walked us over to the bed to place me right in the middle between all of my boys. Laddie curled into my side right away and the others settled in around me before we all fell asleep pretty fast.