I hate you and you hate me...there, now we're even with each other. (Chp. 1)

I hate you and you hate me...there, now we're even with each other. (Chp. 22)

Recap

Seth's POV

I jumped up and slammed my fist into the nearest tree, murmuring into the wind, "You won't get away with this Blake. I will get my Aislin back. And justice will be brought upon you." The light breeze picked up a bit and it felt as if it were singing a melodic song to me as it danced around my body in a gentle motion. I then smiled and closed my eyes as I thought about the day Aislin and I had been in our special meadow up on the mountain where no one else knew about it.

I love you so much Aislin...

End of Recap

Seth's POV

I was going mad. Absolutely, positively mad. Aislin had been missing for over four weeks and there was still no sign of her. We'd searched practically all over the U.S.A in a minimum of four weeks. I was going to lose it. It was obvious that Blake had either taken her out of the country or was hiding her very well or worse...killed her. I snarled at my insanity and began to pace around the hotel room me, Jake and Chris had payed to sleep in for the night in New York. I was nearly at the end of breaking something when Chris took me by the shoulders and began to shake me gently, "Dude, calm the fudge down! We're going to find her."

He released me and I let out a deep breath of air just as Jake came out of the bathroom, smelling like soap and after shave. I ran a hand through my hair and spotted my reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall just above the sinks. I looked awful considering I hadn't gotten any sleep in the past couple of days. And I felt awful too. I had started to form dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep and my eyes had red rimmed around them. I growled at Chris and he took a step back.

"We've been searching for her for four damn weeks Chris! All over the frickin' country!! She might have been taken to another country for all we know. She could be turned in to the vampire council and...and killed..." I whispered the last word and felt all the anger coming back. This time I brought my fist back and pounded it straight into the T.V. sitting on top of the desk. It made a cracking sound as sparks flew but then died down. Broken.

Chris let out a sigh of frustration and Jake shook his head, "Dude! You just broke the damned T.V!! Now we're going to have to pay for that!!" I shook my head, disbelieving, and sat down, head in my hands, "I don't give a crap about it..." I muttered.

Jake sighed and came over to sit next to me on the edge of the bed, "Seth--" "--don't say it, Jake. I know already. I know..." I interrupted him. Chris sighed just as Jake had and leaned down in front of me, "Now listen to me Seth, we're going to find her. Even if it takes all our damn lives!! I can see how much she means to you." He whispered softly. I looked up at him and smiled slightly, "Thanks." I whispered back. Chris nodded and stood up to look at the time. "We should get to sleep, especially you Seth. You look like crap." He said bluntly.

I rolled my eyes and stood up to head to the shower, "I'll get sleep. I just need a shower first." I muttered as I grabbed a towel and some clothes before entering the bathroom.

Jake's POV

I watched quietly as Seth grabbed his things and headed into the bathroom. I sat down and waited to hear the sound of the water running. When I did, I looked at Chris who was sitting in his bed staring at the ceiling, "What are we going to do?" I whispered. Chris looked at me and sat up, "What do you mean?" I glared at him and chucked a pillow at his face. He grabbed it, chuckling, and rolled his eyes, "I was joking." I nodded and looked down at my hands, "I know."

I looked back up at him and he was frowning. I tried to match my frown like his and when he looked at me, he smiled angrily and chucked the pillow back at me. I caught it easily and set it aside, "I've never seen him like this before." Chris looked over at the bathroom and back at me, "Like how?" I shook my head angrily, "Like...all angry and fearful at the same time. He's never been this way. Always being careful and keeping a watchful eye wherever we go. It's...it's not like him."

Chris smiled at my apologetically, "Dude, he's in love." I nodded and looked out the window that was next to Seth's bed, "I can see that but...it's like...it's like she's got some stronghold on him. Not wanting to let go..." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and looked back at him, shaking my head, "Nevermind. It's stupid. I don't even know how to explain it." Chris opened his mouth to reply when the bathroom door opened and Seth came out smelling clean and fresh. He looked at us cautiously, as if knowing what we'd been talking about, and stuffed his clothing in a bag before sitting down on his bed.

Both me and Chris just stared at him and noticed that he began to feel uncomfotable under our gaze so he tried to get rid of it by breaking the silence, "What are you staring at?" his voice held hostility in it but I shook it off, "Nothing. Right Chris?" I glanced at him and he nodded, "Yeah. Nothing." I narrowed my eyes. Damn. He was a bad liar. Seth shook his head and got under the covers, "Good night." He muttered. I sighed, "Night." Chris shrugged when I looked at him, "Night. To both of you." before getting under the covers himself.

I smirked and went over to the window to close the curtains and then the lights. As I did that, I heard snoring coming from Chris already and I was about to laugh when I heard a weak voice call out to me, "Jake?" I looked at Seth and he was sitting up on his bed, staring at me with, what I thought, was fear in his eyes. I cleared my throat and sat next to him, "What's wrong?" Well, that was a stupid question. My mind scoffed at me. I clenched my fists but kept my expression soft.

Seth looked at me, I mean, really looked at me for the first time as if he could see my soul. "I...I love her..." he whispered painfully. I felt my heart swell up in compassion for my little brother and patted him on the shoulder, "I know." Seth looked down at his hands and I thought he might cry because it looked like tears were forming in his eyes, and it was, but he held them back. He looked up at me and the pain was evident in his eyes, "I...I can't lose her, Jake. She's too important to me..." he choked out.

That's when the tears started to roll quietly down his cheeks and I was a little shocked and overwhelmed because I'd never seen Seth, or any guy, cry before and I seriuosly didn't know how to handle it. With Angel it was different because she was a girl but Seth was a guy and...I was just shocked. I tried my best to comfort him, "Seth, we'll find her and kill that damn bastard for taking her. I promise you that and I won't break that promise." I said as confidently as I had expected it to be. Seth looked up at me with his big brown eyes and it made me feel terrible to see how badly pained my brother was from the loss of Aislin.

"But what if we never do...?" he said doubtfully. "What if...what if we never find her and then...then find out later that we were to late...that she was already dead...?" he choked out again. I swallowed and felt my heart wrench sadly. I shook my head and tried to make him understand that my answer was the honest answer I could think of, "Seth, I truly don't know." He looked down sadly and shrugged but before he could move, I stopped him, "But I do know that we won't find her too late. I know because we're going to find her. You two will be united together again and we'll kill Blake once and for all. I promise to keep that promise and all the other promises with it." I said with a serious face.

Seth wiped away the remaining tears and smiled at me. It warmed my heart to know that he was happier, "Thanks Jake. I'm truly thankful." He whispered. I shrugged, "You're my brother and I don't like seeing you like this." Seth smiled, "Kinda makes me look like a wimp, huh?" I laughed lightly, "No. No it doesn't. It actually proves that you're twice as tough as I thought you were. Only a true man can cry." Seth smiled at me and punched my arm playfully, "I love you, bro." I smiled and ran my hand through his hair, messing it up, "Love you too."

But little did we know that it would be a year before we'd find Aislin again.

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