Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

by N. J. Nielsen

  was sure to find him. Michael headed to the one place he

  knew he shouldn’t go. The one place he needed to stay far

  away from, yet it was the one place which cal ed to him:

  home. He needed to see his family, and he wanted them to

  see him. He wanted for things to go back to normal even if

  it was only for a little bit.

  Just for tonight Michael needed his real family and

  everything it entailed. Right now he wanted love, and not the

  perverted kind he had found today.

  But most of al , he wanted to see Gypsy. His soul craved

  her. Even he knew he wasn’t meant to stay away from her

  for so long. If he could just see Gypsy then he knew

  everything would be alright. Gypsy would fix things just the

  way she had always done for him. She was the stronger

  half of them. Gypsy would knock him on his arse for being

  so stupid then pick him up, dust him off, and make

  everything al better. This is exactly what he needed right

  now. Though he didn’t think it would be as easy with his

  parents. They would have questions that he just didn’t have

  answers for. Wel , not answers they could easily accept.

  When he got to his house Michael stood under the tree

  in the front yard like he had on so many nights since he had

  been changed. Heart aching, he watched through the

  window as his father picked up his photograph and

  frowned. Michael knew that it was a photo of him just by

  seeing the frame. It was the picture of him and his dad

  sitting on the Ferris wheel at the fair. He watched as his

  father tried to cover his sadness when his mother came to

  stand beside him. Wrapping her arms around him, she took

  the photo and put it back in its place. It was then he realised

  his father was crying. This smal act made his heart lurch in

  his chest. He hated knowing he was the one which had

  caused his father al this pain. Watching his mother wipe

  away his father’s tears made his feet final y move.

  Standing before the front door, Michael hesitated, his

  knuckles held only inches from its surface. Sadness

  overwhelmed him as he debated whether or not this was

  the right thing to do. Should he come back into his family’s

  life, only to have to leave again? Would his coming back

  only cause them more pain or would it ease what his family

  was now feeling? Would being near his family be any good

  for him or would it just screw him up even more than he

  already was? Michael’s internal struggle was answered for

  him as his mother opened the door.

  “Damn it.” Michael pul ed his mother into an embrace,

  hugging her tight against his chest. “I’m sorry, Mum. Can

  you forgive me? Please, I need you to forgive me.” Tears

  streamed down Michael’s face as he she clung to him in

  disbelief. “I love you so much, I’m so sorry I hurt you. So

  damn sorry.”

  “Michael!” His mother gasped in shock. It suddenly hit

  Michael — he could hear her heart racing. “Charlie, come

  quick! Michael’s come home.” His mother screamed as

  she clutched at him. Michael was worried she had gone

  into shock. Maybe he should leave before he caused them

  anymore heartache. She must have seen it in his face what

  he was thinking because she grabbed a hold of him and

  refused to let go.

  “Michael!” He was pul ed roughly from his mother’s arms

  when his father reached them. “Where the hel have you

  been? I don’t care. I missed you. We al have. Tel me

  you’re home for good.” His father stood there and held him

  tight as they al cried. This is what Michael had come for, to

  be loved as only his family could love him.

  Slowly, Michael’s father let him go when he felt Michael

  trembling against him. “What is it son?” His parents pul ed

  him into the house, and he was too overwhelmed to protest.

  “Whatever it is, you can tel us.”

  “I… I… I can’t stay.” Everything in him hurt when he

  realised he had made a huge mistake in coming here. This

  wasn’t right. He couldn’t drag his family into his bizarrely

  twisted life. It wasn’t fair to any of them, especial y when

  their scents were so overpowering. He would never be able

  to control himself around them. “I just came back to say

  goodbye, and to tel you that I am so sorry for leaving the

  way I did. I just… I don’t belong here anymore. I’m so sorry.”

  “Why?” Michael’s mother cried, reaching out to touch his

  arm, but he pul ed away. A look of shock fil ed his mother’s

  face as she saw him stare at her. Her reaction horrified

  him, and at the moment he couldn’t handle how she kept

  touching him. She didn’t know what each little touch was

  doing to him and he couldn’t tel her. How could you explain

  to the woman who gave you your life not to touch you

  because you wanted to take her life from her? Her blood

  cal ed to him and it made his gut clench in need.

  “I’m sorry. I never should have come back here. I never

  meant to leave, but now I can’t stay.” Michael tried to make

  them understand. He wanted them to know they were stil in

  his every thought. “I love you. I wil always love you al .”

  In an attempt to stop him from leaving, Michael’s father

  asked, “Are you in trouble?” Michael sensed his inability to

  explain things was pissing his father off. But he couldn’t tel

  them, if he did they would tel him to leave and never come

  back. This only confused him more because he knew he

  should leave them, they didn’t need him in their lives. It

  would be best if he just walked away from them right now.

  Then why was he finding it so difficult to do just that?

  Because he needed them. He needed someone to stil

  love him unconditional y.

  Hesitating, Michael looked at his father. “I’m not in

  trouble, but my life has changed. It’s different, and now I

  don’t belong here. I never wanted it to be this way, but now

  it is and I can’t change it,” he rambled, stil not making

  sense.

  His father threw his hands up in the air. “Then what the

  hel is it Michael? Is it drugs? Are you in trouble with the

  police? Have you gotten some girl pregnant? Mixed up in a

  gang? Or a cult?” His father asked, probably hoping he

  could guess why his son felt the need to leave home the

  way he had. Michael knew they could see how upset he

  was at being back at home and they knew he wasn’t going

  to be able to stay.

  “It’s not drugs; it’s not any of those things. Dad, my life is

  just different now, real y different. It’s better if I’m not around,

  better for you both, better for Gypsy.” Now that he was

  actual y here standing in his former home, Michael felt

  nervous and il at ease, yet his mind and heart stil

  wondered where his sister was. “Where’s Gypsy?” It was

  weird how he had come here to see her and she wasn’t

  here. It was so typical of the way his luck was running.

 
It was then Michael saw something dawn in his father’s

  eyes “Is it because you’re gay, son?” His father asked.

  Michael flinched at the question, and it was a dead

  giveaway to his parents. “Michael, we don’t care if you are.

  We just want you to come home. You can even bring a

  boyfriend home to meet us. It doesn’t matter who you love.

  Not to us, because you are our son and we love you.”

  Michael slowly nodded, taking a deep breath he spoke.

  “His name is Christian, he’s just…” Michael shook his

  head, “it’s complicated.”

  “But you love him?” His mother asked.

  Standing there, Michael thought about it for a moment.

  “Yeah, I do. I real y do.” He looked into his mother’s eyes. “It

  isn’t al perfect, but I…”

  She smiled. “You love him.”

  Michael nodded again. “Yeah.”

  “Michael, if you need to come home. If you need us for

  anything…” his father fel quiet.

  Angry with himself, Michael hit himself in the head with

  his fist. “I can’t,” he said. His parents scent was so

  intoxicating. It was messing with his mind. Their fear for him

  was driving him mad. It was al he could do to keep his self

  control. “I have to go. I left Chris. I just walked out, I need to

  go back and make things right.”

  Was it real y a fib? He knew he would go home

  eventual y, but he stil needed time to think, and Christian

  would be there waiting for him when he went home. Michael

  abruptly turned toward the door. In his heart, Michael

  realised he was glad Gypsy wasn’t here after al . Deep

  down he didn’t honestly know if he would have been strong

  enough to walk away from her again, not when she stil

  consumed nearly every thought. This is the longest they had

  been apart since the moment of conception. He wondered

  if she was suffering as badly as he was.

  “Wait! Michael, al your things, they are stil in your room.

  Don’t you want any of them?” His mother cal ed out in

  desperation. “Please Michael, don’t shut us out. Not now

  that you have come back. I won’t be able to survive you

  leaving again.”

  Tears slid from his eyes as Michael tried to shut out her

  words as he changed direction, heading through the house

  toward his old room. Nothing had changed; it was stil

  exactly as he had left it. Did this mean they had always

  expected him to come home one day? He could hear his

  parents arguing quietly about him out in the lounge room.

  His mother was begging his father to make him stay and

  his father was tel ing her he couldn’t — the choice had to be

  Michael’s. Pul ing his bag from under his bed, Michael

  threw in as many clothes as he could fit. How in the hel was

  he supposed to get through this? Even now he didn’t want

  to dwel on the fact that this was going to be the last time he

  would ever get to stand in his room with al his belongings.

  Taking one last look around his room Michael headed back

  out to his parents, stopping only long enough to grab one of

  the family photos which sat beside his own picture.

  “Can I have this?” He hugged his parents, kissing their

  tear stained cheeks while his father pushed money into his

  pocket. “Dad, I never came here for this.” Michael said as

  he tried to return the money. He just needed to get away

  before he did something to them he would never be able to

  forgive himself for. “I love you both,” he whispered.

  “You keep it; you come back if you need more. You hear

  me son? Whenever you need more, the door is always

  open.” Michael felt heartbroken at the pain he was causing

  his family. “Son, I…” his father’s words faltered as his voice

  clogged with tears. “We’ve had no clue where you have

  even been al this time, and I need to know you are taking

  care of yourself. I don’t want you living on the streets.”

  Michael frowned, and his father continued. “I know you are

  an adult and can take care of yourself. In my head I know it,

  but my heart doesn’t believe it. My heart says you are stil

  my little baby boy, and I need to provide for you. Just let me

  do this. Let me take care of you.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Just so you know I haven’t been living on

  the streets. I haven’t been on my own.” Okay, so it was a

  little white lie, but he didn’t want his parents to worry.

  “Please tel Gyps… just tel her, just tel how much I love her,

  and I miss her like crazy, and I am so sorry for leaving her

  the way I did.” Turning, he left before he al owed them to talk

  him into staying.

  Michael didn’t look back, not even when his mother cried

  out his name. It punched a hole through Michael’s chest

  right where his heart should stil exist, but now thanks to

  Christian there was nothing. Everything and everyone he

  had ever loved was lost to him forever because of what

  Christian had done to him. Michael knew there was no way

  he would ever return to his parents’ home. He couldn’t put

  them through this again. He didn’t want to return to

  Christian either but couldn’t stop his feet from heading in

  his direction anyway. Some part of him deep down knew he

  belonged with Christian. The closer he got to home the

  more the pain he was feeling eased.

  Why was life always so fucking complicated?

  What was he supposed to do now? Where did he

  belong? Why the hel was he headed back to Ambrose

  Street now that he knew the truth? How could he face

  Christian again, knowing deep down there was some sick

  and twisted part of him which didn’t want to kil Christian for

  making him into this monster? Stil craved his kiss, stil

  wanted to be comforted in his arms, even with everything it

  entailed? Shaking his head he knew it was because he stil

  loved Christian. Being with Christian was the only thing that

  felt right, even if he was pissed at him. He wasn’t sure he

  could admit this to the others though, not until he had ful y

  worked it out in his own mind.

  A lone figure stood at the end of the street Michael was

  walking along. Without a doubt he knew she was watching

  him approach, waiting for him. Even at this distance she

  was familiar to him. What the hel was she doing out here?

  Had she fol owed him? And why could Michael feel waves

  of anger flowing out of her, and why the hel were they

  aimed at him?

  “Charm?” Michael placed his hand on her shoulder.

  Anger slammed into him as Charm’s eyes almost

  glowed with her fury. “I came to find you but I lost your scent.

  It just fucking disappeared. One moment it was there and

  then — poof — it was just gone. How the hel did you do

  that?” she punched him in the shoulder — hard.

  Rubbing his shoulder he answered her. “I’m here now.

  You found me. What was so important you had to come

  looking for me? Don’t tel me — you had a dream,” he

  ended sarcastical y.
<
br />   “Kerr and Doyle made Chris leave.” Her voice vibrated

  with anger. “You have to find my angel. You have to bring

  him home. If you bring him home the others wil let him stay.

  It’s your fault they threw him out so you can fucking fix it.”

  She growled as she punched him again. “Why did you have

  to blurt out everything the way you did?”

  “I’l find him,” Michael said, calmer than he actual y felt.

  “And for the love of God quit punching me.” Michael shook

  his head. How the hel was this his fault? He wasn’t the one

  who had changed an innocent person without their consent.

  The little niggling voice in the back of his head piped up.

  Are you sure this is all Christian’s fault? It takes two to

  tango, dumbarse.

  It struck him as funny how the pain in the arse voice was

  beginning to sound more and more like Gypsy as time

  passed.

  “Promise me,” Charm demanded, grabbing his arm. “I

  need him to come home. You have to bring him home.”

  “I promise.” Michael took hold of her hand, and began

  walking home with her. As they walked along Michael

  wondered if the others in the family even cared he had

  walked out. Pul ing out Christian’s phone from his pocket of

  his jeans where it had been left, he flipped through the

  stored numbers until he pul ed up Kerr’s name and pressed

  cal .

  “What?” Kerr snapped into his ear.

  “I’m with Charm,” Michael said calmly.

  “Michael, where the hel are you? You walked out and

  she disappeared about an hour ago. Doyle and I haven’t

  been able to find either of you.”

  “We’re on our way home now. We’l be about twenty

  minutes or so. See you then.” He hung up without letting

  Kerr reply, it was juvenile but a part of him was hurt they had

  forced Christian to leave. They were supposed to be a

  family after al .

  “The night is such a wondrous time don’t you think? It is

  when al the interesting creatures come out to play.” Charm

  wrapped her arm through Michael’s as they walked. Her

  change in mood freaked him just a tad. “I feel so alive when

  darkness covers the earth.”

  To any people passing by, it would seem like they were

  two lovers going on a moonlit strol .

  “Don’t be too mad at him when you find him.” Charm

  paused for a moment, “even if it is true and he real y did

  create you. The look on Chris’s face was total shock. I think