Unchained
Addie, November 2000
 

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Oh my love, my darling
I hunger for your touch,
Alone.  Lonely time.
And time goes by, so slowly
and time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me.

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
to the open arms, wait for me,
Wait for me.

Unchained Melody  by The Righteous Brothers.
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He was glad they had argued, or he wouldn't have found it.

 Now that Louis was almost as strong as he, their arguments seemed to be
worse, more physical.  They had eyed each other off, swung a few punches
then Louis had picked up his favourite video and thrown it out the window,
which was closed at the time.

He had been about to shove him out the window when Louis disappeared.  He
had moved so quickly Lestat hadn't even seen where he went.  He screamed
after him, then smashed the television set with his fist.  With blood
streaming everywhere he stormed into Louis' room, wreaking havoc.  By the
time the place looked like a tornado had blown through it, he slumped down
on the broken bed and let out a sigh.  He hated it when they fought, but
Louis made him so angry.  He knew it was hard for him coming to terms with
his increased powers, but he didn't have to be so angry all the time.

They had been alone together for some weeks, since Merrick and David had
decided to go on an adventure together.  Lestat thought it would be good for
them to be alone for a while, to have some time to talk and perhaps reignite
their love.  After this last altercation though, he wondered if Louis still
loved him, or if in fact he had ever loved him.

He picked up the pillow and ripped it to pieces, watching the feathers
floating  around him, landing in his air and on his face.  He blew a couple
of them away, then went to stand up.  As he put his hand down to push
himself up, he let out a yelp.  Something  hidden in the bed clothes had cut
his hand.  He was about to squash it flat when he saw it was a small box.
Curiously he opened it and pulled out several sheets of carefully folded
paper.  It seemed to be permeated with a musky perfume and the corner of the
first sheet had a stain on it...blood.

It was a letter addressed to him, in Louis' perfectly formed hand writing.
His anger nearly made him screw it up and burn it, but something made him
stop.  With trembling fingers he began to read...

My dearest Lestat.

It's dark in my corner, where I sit watching over you.  I haven't fed for
two nights and I don't suppose I will feed tomorrow night either.  My body
is cold, my heart is cold, my soul, I think, has taken leave of my body.  I
am but a shell, lonely and bereft without you.

The others keep telling me to get on with my life, but how can I?  You were
my life, Lestat.  You were my sunshine, my reason for living.    David keeps
telling me you have gone forever.  But what would he know?  I know you will
come back.

Three nights ago, when I left for an hour to feed, I passed by a music
store.  It's not the kind of place I usually frequent, not really enjoying
the current craze in music, but they were playing a tune that drew me in.
You know, the words that were playing  have always played in my heart, but I
never realised it before.

"Oh my love, my darling,
I hunger for your touch,"

I do, Lestat.  There is a pain in my heart that doesn't ever leave.  It
takes hold sometimes and leaves me gasping for breath.  David saw me the
other night, bending over against the wall, the tears streaming down my
face.  He thought some one had hurt me physically.  It had felt like some
one had  punched my abdomen. He doesn't understand how I feel, no one does.
You are there, but you are not.

I am so alone...

"Alone.  Lonely time."

This song, I am singing it to you now, can you hear me?  I wonder.   I
wonder if you will ever hear me again.

"And time goes by, so slowly
and time can do so much
Are you still mine,"

Are you Lestat?  Are you mine, or are you somewhere else?   Your body is
there, perfect as always, your golden mane resting gently against your face,
your eyes hidden from me, you lips enticingly close, but untouchable.

"I need you love.
I need your love
God speed your love to me."

My hands are shaking as I write these words.  Words I have never been able
to say to you before.  Funny how I can only say them when I am not sure you
are hearing them.

"Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea.
To the open arms, wait for me,
Wait for me."

But it's me who is waiting for you, my love.  Come back.

Yours forever
Louis
 

He dropped the letter to the floor and stared at it, not noticing the soft
footfalls of Louis entering.  Louis didn't see the letter on the floor, just
the carnage from Lestat's anger.  He let out a soft cry when he saw his
books ripped to pieces and his favourite painting with a scar down its face.

He pounced on Lestat, snarling and cursing him, knocking him out of his
reverie.  Lestat just laid there as Louis reigned punches to his body and
face not  even lifting his hands to protect himself.   After a few minutes
with no retaliation forth coming, Louis stopped and looked down upon
Lestat's bloodied and bruised face.   He heard one soft plaintive cry,
"Louis."

Lestat had tears in his eyes as he stared up at his fledgling, who was even
more confused than he was.   "What is it, Lestat?   Why aren't you hitting
me back?"

"I don't want to."

"Why?"  Louis sat back on his haunches and took in Lestat's cowering
demeanour and sad expression.  Then with a sudden movement,  Lestat grabbed
Louis by the shoulders, swung him onto his back, straddled him,  then pinned
his arms to the bed.  "Louis, did you really wait for me while I was in a
coma?  Did you really sing to me?"

"Wha...what are you talking about?"

"You weren't there when I first woke up, so I thought you didn't care."

Louis struggled a bit more, but Lestat held him firmly.  "Lestat, let me go.
Of course I was there.  I hardly ever left your side."

"Did you mean what you said?"

"What did I say?"

Then Lestat began to sing, softly at first, as the tears coursed gently down
his face.

"Oh my love, my darling,
I hunger for your touch,
Alone.  Lonely time,
and times goes by, so slowly
And time can do so much."

Louis' lips trembled  as Lestat let go of his arms and pulled in him to a
strong embrace, then his soft Creole voice joined with him to sing.

"Are you still mine,
I need your love,
I need your love
God speed your love to me"
 
 

The end.