Brother vs Brother

 "Mary is not going anywhere with you," Steven said, his voice a low growl. Arthur paced the room with an arrogant smirk. 

 "Is that so, brother? Did she make that choice or did you?" 

 "She did," Steven said between gritted teeth. "There's nothing for you here, Arthur. Feel free to leave." 

 "Leave?" Arthur repeated. "You lock me up for twenty years in your dark grimy basement and now you wish me to just leave?" 

  Arthur walked over to Steven and looked him up and down.

"You just don't want me around when Mary arrives because you fear she will choose me," Arthur said. 

Steven's fangs came out and before Arthur could blink, he was slammed against the wall. 

 "Thomas, are you in here?" Bailey called, wandering through the dark shadows of the basement. She heard a weak voice call to her and followed it to see Thomas slumped against a wall holding a hand to his bloody neck. She rushed over and knelt in front of him. 

 "Are you alright?" she gasped, putting her hand over his. 

 "Do I look alright?" Thomas choked, frowning up at her. "How many of you are there in here?" 

 "Please don't lump me in with the rest of them," Bailey pleaded. "I would never act like them."

 "So you have never fed off a human?" Thomas snapped. Bailey looked away biting her lip nervously.

 "I may have at some point," she admitted. "But I would never feed from you." 

 Before Thomas could respond, Lee strolled in casually.

 "How's the little guy doin?" he asked. Bailey turned and glared up at him. 

 "What do you care?" she snapped. Lee put a hand to his chest and gasped in mock offense.

 "I care deeply. He has a lot of potential."

 Thomas looked up at Lee questioningly. 

 "What does that mean?" he asked, and was met with a knowing smile from Lee.

 "No, no," Thomas said, scooting himself away from the vampires across the cold basement floor.

 "You're not making me one of you." 

  Lee took a step toward Thomas licking his fangs but Bailey put herself between them.

"Leave him alone, Lee," she hissed. "You're not putting a finger on him."

"Fine, fine," Lee said, putting his hands up in surrender. "You might wanna patch him up before he bleeds out. I can get the--" 

"Just leave, Lee," Bailey snapped. "I can handle this on my own." 

 Lee took a step back looking slightly defeated. 

"Alright, just tryin' to help." 

Lee left the room and Bailey turned back to Thomas.

"He likes you ya know," Thomas said in a whisper, his neck still dripping blood.

Bailey scoffed as she helped Thomas to his feet.

"Sure he does. And the sky is yellow." 

Thomas chuckled. "I'm just saying what I see. He's kind of a jerk but he likes you. And I think you like him too." 

Bailey stiffened as she led Thomas through the dark basement hallway to the stairs.

"It doesn't matter. You're my priority right now," she told him, leading him up each step one by one.

"That's sweet but Bailey, we both know I can't stay here. I have to get back to whatever is left of my life," Thomas said with a grim chuckle.

"I'm sure I've lost my apartment and my job by now." 

"You can stay here," Bailey suggested, but even as she said it she knew Thomas would never go for it.

"I don't want to be a vampire, Bailey," he told her as they reached the top of the stairs and she led him to the bathroom. She pulled a First Aid kit from the cupboard and pulled out disinfectant and a sterile pad.

"And I don't want to live with vampires as a human."

"So this is it then," Bailey said with a hint of finality as she put a band-aid over Thomas's wound.

"Yeah I think so," Thomas said, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

"I appreciate you saving me but I can't stay here." 

Bailey nodded and Thomas opened his arms for a hug. Bailey walked into them and hugged him back gently, holding back tears. She led Thomas to the door and watched him from a distance as he opened it and stepped into the newly dawning sunlight. A moment later he shut the door behind him and Bailey was alone. 

"Will you two stop with this already?" Darby yelled at Steven and Arthur who were struggling with each other. 

"Dueling over a woman is so two centuries ago. We are better than that now." 

Her words were ignored and the two vampires fell to the floor in their tussle. Darby rolled her eyes and sighed and George walked up behind her.

"This Mary must be quite a prize to have them acting like this," he said, watching as Arthur pinned Steven on the rug. 

"To be honest, I never got the appeal," Darby answered. "But obviously she has something going for her if she's causing centuries old men to act like children." 

"She will never love you," Steven growled up at Arthur. "She loves me. She always has." 

"You're a fool to think that," Arthur snapped back. "She has all but forgotten you by now." 

"I guess we will see about that when she arrives," Steven countered, pushing Arthur off of him.

"I guess we will," said a voice from the doorway. 

Everyone's heads turned to see a curvy woman in a blue dress with long curly blonde hair walk into the room. Arthur and Steven got to their feet brushing themselves off and straightening their clothes.

 Steven took a step toward the woman and held out a welcoming hand.

"Hello again, Mary."