tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82977947319445435102024-03-14T02:35:52.813-05:00Moonlight Madness - Where Evil LurksWelcome to Moonlight Madness - Where Evil Lurks. This is the fourth story in my Moonlight saga.Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-36742529824414212672015-02-02T10:31:00.000-06:002015-02-02T10:31:03.397-06:00Chapter 33 For the First TimeLani entered the code for the
door to the safe room; she could only access it by fingerprint,
something that Rose thought was ingenious and an extra level of
security. She was further impressed when the door swung open and she
saw that it was 6 inches of heavily reinforced metal of some type,
titanium she believed.<br /><br />"Dorothy, this level of the house is
completely self-contained; separate ventilation system, water,
electrical, you name it. You are absolutely safe here."<br /><br />"I
heartily approve, Lani. Josef is very aware and inventive. This is a
great place. All vamps need somewhere like this." Rose looked around
with satisfaction, this was ideal for the situation.<br /><br />"I really need the bathroom. Lani, where is it?" Dorothy asked, a worried look on her face.<br /><br />Lani
led them into the guest suite and headed to the left and turned on the
light. "Right here Dorothy. Let us know if you need anything."<br /><br />Dorothy
nodded, ashamed to admit that she hadn't been able to hold it in long
enough. Her slacks were now damp and she went into the bathroom with
the intent of cleaning herself up.<br /><br />Rose moved close to and spoke
quietly into her ear, "Dorothy, I believe your water is breaking. Let's
get you into the bathroom now."<br /><br />Dorothy's eyebrows raised a
fraction. That possibility hadn't even occurred to her. A small hand
flew to her mouth and she moved as quickly as she could into the
bathroom. It was real - she was having these babies, without Clark. <br /><br />She
was an adult; she had a doctor here and Beth and Lani, she would be
fine but she couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment that suddenly
overwhelmed her, along with another labor pain. <br /><br />"Dorothy, how far apart are they? Have you kept track?" Rose questioned as she looked at her watch to check the time.<br /><br />"I - I don't know."<br /><br />"Rose,
there are towels in that cabinet right there in the closet outside the
door," Beth spoke quietly as well, knowing that Lani or her mom couldn't
hear her. She had heard Rose saying that her water had broke and knew
that was time for her brother and sister to make their appearance. It
was all sort of scary, but exciting as well. She felt so pleased to be
here for her mom and to welcome the babies into the family.<br /><br />Suddenly
she blinked in confusion. She could swear that she heard a tiny little
voice in her head say, "We love you, sister." It was
preposterous…wasn't it?<br /><br />She tried to shake the thought from her
head and told Lani, "We need to get a lot of towels to put in the bed,
Lani. Her water broke and she's in labor." At Lani's puzzled look she
tapped her ear and said, "Vamp hearing!" She gave out a quick laugh and
then heard the voice again, "We are glad you are here for Mother,
Sister Beth."<br /><br />"Lani, did you hear anything?"<br /><br />"OMG! Is Martin in the house?"<br /><br />"Nooo,
not like that." The truth was though that Martin seemed to be
battering the doors up stairs and she'd also heard a couple of shots.
He must be really frustrated. The many glass walls up there were
heavily tempered glass. It would take a cannon to break them, according
to Josef but of course Martin didn't know that. She shuddered because
he was such a creepy man when they were growing up and now he was just a
twisted piece of dirt. <br /> <br />Lani pulled a half dozen towels out of
the linen closet, thick and divinely soft, they would make an excellent
cover for the bed and for Dorothy to lie on.<br /> <br />Beth heard a
really loud crash upstairs; it sounded as if he had tried to drive his
car though a wall. For a moment her heart sped up and then quickly
slowed to its very slow, normal rhythm. No matter what, he couldn't get
down here even if he broke into the upstairs.<br /><br />She startled again when she heard the house phone ring. Lani rushed to get it in the control room; surely it must be Josef.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Martin
was determined to get into this house. What the hell was it
constructed of anyway? Even his gun didn't break the glass of the door.
What the fuck?<br /><br />A new idea came to him and he headed to his car
and aimed it at the front door. He figured the windows were some kind
of bullet-proof glass, so that left the door. He pulled into the yard
and gunned the engine and slammed into the door. It definitely looked
battered so he backed up, out to the street and gunned it again. When
he backed away this time his bumper fell off and lay on the lawn. One
more time and this time the door frame gave away, just enough for him to
squeeze into the house. <br /><br />It was all he needed. Now, to find those bitches.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />"Lani, Sweetness, are you all okay?" <br /><br />Josef's
voice on the other end of the landline helped to immediately comfort
her. "Yes, we're in the safe room, Josef. But Dorothy is in labor."<br /><br />"Okay. Rose is with you, right?"<br /><br />"Yes, she and Dorothy are in the bathroom right now; Dorothy's water broke. How far away are you?"<br /><br />"We're two minutes out, Sweetness. We'll be there before you know it. Clark is with us."<br /><br />"Uh, is this going to be okay?"<br /><br />"Yes, it will be fine. Logan has him downing enough blood to fill him up for a month."<br /><br />"How are Ryan and Vaygar?<br /><br />"They're
both fine; they broke a few bones and Vaygar got shot in the shoulder,
but it all healed before the highway patrol got there. Right now they
are in the process of giving statements, poor bastards," he said with a
grimace.<br /><br />"I hope they're really okay."<br /><br />"Yep, no worries. I can see the house now. Lani, this was really smart heading there.<br />"<br />"It was Beth's idea, not mine. I was too scared to think actually."<br /><br />Josef
smiled to himself, he loved her so damn much. "You would have thought
about it though, eventually. We're landing now, Sweetness…son of a
bitch!!!"<br /><br />"WHAT?" Lani yelled, forgetting about vampire ears on
the other end of the phone and suddenly afraid they had been attacked
outside.<br /><br />Josef winced, but his attention immediately went back to
his lawn and front door. "He tore up my carefully manicured front
lawn."<br /><br />Lani could hear the anger almost choking him. Had he told
her that Martin was actually in the house she would have been
petrified. Just then she heard a faint pounding on the door to the safe
room. "Josef, he's in the house. He's trying to get into the door
down here."<br /><br />"Sweetness, you know as well as I do that he can't get in. Just hold tight, we'll be down in a few minutes."<br /><br />"After you, um take care of the problem?" She hated her uncle, but she knew she didn't want details.<br /><br />"Don't worry about it. I'm heading into the house. See you soon. Bye."<br /><br />"Bye," she echoed.<br /><br />She
told Beth that they were here, which was totally unnecessary since Beth
had heard the conversation. Beth had the towels spread out on the bed
and looked up as her mother and Rose came into the room, a bath sheet
around her waist, or what passed for one at this time.<br /><br />Beth
helped Rose get Dorothy settled. When Rose heard the pounding on the
door to the safe room she glanced up at Beth and Beth murmured, "Don't
worry, we're safe and the men are here now too."<br /><br />Rose nodded and
looked at her watch as Dorothy had another pain. "Three minutes apart,
Dorothy. You're doing well. Lani, I need a sharp knife or pain of
scissors and some string or thread. Do you have any vodka down here."
At Lani's nod Rose continued. "Get the scissors and cut me a piece of
string about a foot long. If there is no string do you have thread?"<br /><br />"I do have that, in a small sewing kit. Just one strand?"<br /><br />"No,
three or four will work. White is best." She smiled at Lani and said,
"After you cut the thread I want you to soak the scissors and the
thread in the vodka, okay?"<br /><br />Lani nodded again and rushed off to get the things that Rose needed.<br /> <br />Rose
headed back into the bathroom and found some antibacterial soap and
started scrubbing. She wished she had some gloves, but did the best she
could.<br /><br />When she came back into the bedroom Beth was sitting on
the bed with her mother, an arm around her talking softly in an effort
to reassure her. Rose also realized that Beth was mentally talking to
her mom, sending her thoughts to relax, be calm and it seemed to be
working. The girl certainly had a gift. Once she was trained there
would be no stopping her.<br /><br />"Dorothy, can you lean back a little
for me? Beth, why don't you sit in back of her so she can lean against
you, please?" As Beth moved into place she finished, "Dorothy, I need
to feel how far dilated you are. I'll try to be gentle." <br /><br />Dorothy
let out a long breath and waited as Rose examined her. "You're about 8
centimeters now. Another one and you can start pushing. Until then,
just try to breathe with the contractions, okay?" They were coming
about every 2 minutes or so now.<br /><br />As Dorothy leaned back and tried to relax Rose nodded in approval. It wouldn't be long now she knew.<br />In her head Beth heard, "We are ready now. Father is here." Beth grinned to herself. Her brother and sister were amazing.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Four
vampires pushed through the broken door in practically less time than
it took to blink. Clark's head was lifted as he scented the air,
seeking and finding Martin. Before anyone could stop him he was around
the corner and leapt down the stairs, landing gracefully and quietly.
He tapped Martin on the shoulder and when he turned he gave him his
best, toothy, vampire grin and said, "Looking for someone? No, wait…you
want me, right? Because you damn sure better not be looking for my
wife." He felt Martin's shoulder stiffen in response and waited for him
to respond.<br /><br />It was the surprised look on Martin's face that made
Clark chuckle. "No? Not me?" He picked Martin up and tossed him up
the stairs like the garbage he was.<br /><br />Martin landed on his shoulder
and he felt it crack. So did the vamps. Clark leapt up the stairs
with one jump and stood before Martin who was still lying on the floor.<br /><br />"Cat got your tongue, Martin? Or maybe vampire got your tongue, huh?"<br /><br />"Vampire?
Nice disguise, Griffin. Besides that point, you're supposed to be
dead." Martin's heart was thumping wildly in his chest, so loudly
anyone could have heard it. For a moment he thought he might pass out,
which made all the vamps laugh as he slid to the floor. When he looked
down he got the joke; not only had he pissed himself but his bowels had
let loose as well.<br /><br />"Do you need help getting up? I think you
do," Clark said, yanking on his damaged arm and tossing him all the way
across the room, past a couch and into the glass.<br /><br />"Don't you guys
just love this glass here? So totally reliable. I highly recommend
it," Josef said with a grin, thoroughly enjoying the show.<br /><br />Clark
strode across the room, his nose wrinkling in distaste at the strong
odor of defecation that was all over Martin. He picked the man up by
the collar and hissed, "Stand up like the man you've never been. You
have some debts to pay."<br /><br />"FUCK YOU, GRIFFIN!" Martin screamed. "You're dead! I killed you."<br /><br />"Well,
yes, you did actually. I rose again. Remember the fangs?" He flashed
them again and snapped at Martin and realized that the only thing that
was holding Martin up with his hand. His knees were a shaky, wobbly
mess. "Yes, Martin, this is such a thing as vampires!"<br /><br />It was at
that moment that Clark heard his wife, loud moans and heavy breathing.
He knew what Josef hadn't told him, that she was in labor.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />"Okay,
Dorothy. It's time to push now. Beth, you need to help her sit up a
bit and support her carefully as she's pushing, okay?"<br /><br />Beth nodded and waited for Rose to tell her when. A new pain started and Rose said, "Okay, NOW Dorothy!"<br />Dorothy
let out a long moan, pushing as hard as she could. Lani sat on the
side of the bed, wiping Dorothy's forehead with a cool cloth. <br /><br />She
had another 30 seconds before the next pain started and this time she
let out a low scream. It didn't matter how much it hurt, she just
wanted them here safely.<br /><br />"You're doing great Mom! They are ready now, Alexander told me so!"<br /><br />Beth smiled as Dorothy tried to turn her head around. "What?" she asked.<br /><br />"Just trust me."<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bieBrWI8Y_I"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">For the First Time</span></a><br /><br />Clark's
ears heard Dorothy scream this time and knew that he had to end this
with Martin now. Which made him have to make a decision; he wanted to
tear this bloody bastard apart, but that would leave him covered in
blood and he refused to let his wife see him like that. He could leave
it to Logan; Martin had tortured him relentlessly over their youth. <br /><br />Right
now the only thing that would satisfy Clark was getting to his wife;
he'd promised her to be there. He looked at his brother and said,
"Logan? I want to get down to Dorothy and I don't want her to see me
covered in blood."<br /><br />Logan growled with pleasure as he realized that Clark was asking him to finish the job. "Yeah, I got this, brother."<br /><br />"Make it hurt."<br /><br />Logan
nodded and they shared a look for a second that no ordinary mortal bond
could compete with. Then Clark was down the stairs again yelling,
"Josef, get this door open!"<br /><br />Beth and Rose both heard Clark at
the door and while pleased, they both prayed he'd be strong enough
because of the scent of blood. There wasn't really a lot of blood, but
the scent still hung in the air.<br /><br />Neither had time to think about
it as Clark rushed into the room, quickly followed by Josef, who Lani
thought was almost blushing. He quickly headed into the media room and
prepared to sit this out. He knew that having babies was a natural
thing but Dorothy sounded as if she was hurting badly.<br /><br />"I'm here, Dorie. I promised and I'm here."<br /><br />Dorothy
looked up and saw her mate and started crying. Beth saw those tears
mirrored in her dad's eyes as she moved so that he could sit behind her.<br /><br />"I
love you, girl. I'll never let go. Now, just like we learned in
Lamaze class." He wrapped his arms around her and put his hands on her
belly, gently rubbing as he felt another pain coming on. "Just breathe,
Dorie, come on, just like we practiced. We got this."<br /><br />"Clark…I…love you…" she said as the pain took her and she pushed through it.<br /> <br />"Okay, here comes the first one. Lani, I need a clean towel and the scissors and thread now. Just cut the thread in half."<br /><br />Lani
ran to get the requested items and hoped that the vodka had killed all
the germs. She was back in a flash as and handed the towel to Rose so
she could cradle the first baby in it.<br /><br />Beth wasn't surprised that
it was Grace because somewhere in her head she had heard Alexander say,
"Ladies first." She was going to have a great time with these two, she
knew.<br /><br />"Here is Grace." She quickly cut and tied the cord, her
expertise doing it all smoothly. She wrapped Grace up and handed her to
Dorothy and watched as the two parents admired their daughter, their
love for her shining brightly in their eyes. She was perfect, in every
single way. She seemed to be breathing easily which was a relief. <br /> <br />Beth
leaned over and lightly touched her sister on the hand and was rewarded
as two stunning blue eyes looked at her. "Welcome to our world," she
whispered. "You are beautiful!"<br /><br />"Beth, you might want to hold Grace because Alexander is coming now. Dorothy, get ready to push!"<br /><br />Two
minutes later Alexander arrived and greeted the world with a wide eyed
smile as Rose finished working on him. She was positive she heard,
"Thank you, Rose, you took good care of Mother," in her head and felt
bemused by it. <br /> <br />Beth had heard it too and grinned at Rose. She
could see that some explanation was going to be necessary. It had been
painful for her mom, but it was so worth it. Her dad was holding Grace
and her mom had Alexander. She smiled at them both and went into the
media room where Lani and Josef were waiting.<br /><br />"Two beautiful
babies have now joined our family." She suddenly burst into tears just
as Mick and a very wet Logan came down the stairs. She held Mick
tightly and he held her as she cried. He could tell they were tears of
joy. <br /> <br />They had weathered out this storm; life was good.<br /><br />To be continued<br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="http://s749.photobucket.com/user/moonlightmadnessbeth/media/BabyAnnounc640x441_zps1461c3ef.jpg.html"><img alt="Image" class="" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/BabyAnnounc640x441_zps1461c3ef.jpg" /></a>
<br />
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-22814280856194024982015-01-26T09:54:00.004-06:002015-01-26T09:54:53.501-06:00Chapter 32 Gimme Shelter<br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_a0zOLMAfw"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Gimme Shelter</span></a><br />
<br />Dorothy
shifted restlessly in the seat of the Cayenne, but it wasn't because
the ultra plush leather seats were uncomfortable. Quite the opposite
she decided; the real issue was that she was a nervous wreck because
Clark was coming home in the morning and it was almost like their first
time together. Not that they would be making love, but she felt
terribly shy about seeing him again, which was utterly ridiculous she
admitted. She was a grown woman and was more than excited to be with
him again. She knew that the twins were more than ready to be born,
even if Vaygar hadn't told her that. No, she just knew…somehow she
knew. Was Vaygar correct telling her that she would likely have his gift
of psychic abilities? It seemed strange to even contemplate.<br /><br />"Lani,
the new car is wonderful. It's such a beautiful night as well. Could
we take a drive up the beach?" It was a beautiful night, she wasn't
lying about that but she also thought that a drive might distract her a
bit.<br /><br />"Sure, um, you're sure you're up for it?" Lani caught
Rose's gaze in the rear view mirror and saw the slight nod of approval
in the rear view mirror and relaxed a bit. "Ice cream first or after?"<br /><br />"After,
please." For some reason she wasn't sure that she actually wanted ice
cream after all. It had sounded wonderful half an hour ago, but not now
she decided.<br /><br />"Alright then. A relaxing drive it is. Sounds
good to me," Beth said, sensing her mother's restlessness. And the
faintly different scent that seemed to be wrapped around her mother as
well.<br /><br />Rose had also picked up the change in scent; those babies
were coming and soon. Still, a short drive might be good for her as a
distraction tactic. She'd like to ask Dorothy if she was having any
pain but decided to hold off in case it made her more nervous.<br /><br />Lani
headed north on the PCH and within minutes the traffic thinned a bit
and the lovely moon shone brightly on the ocean. It was strangely calm
tonight, looking almost glassy at times.<br /><br />Dorothy took a few deep
breaths and felt a little bit calmer; this was exactly what she needed
she decided. She looked out the window and sighed, feeling strangely
content, maybe for the first time since Clark had been turned. Tomorrow
he'd be home; life seemed suddenly very promising.<br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br />Vaygar
and Ryan cruised along the PCH far enough behind the girls that they
were still in sight but enough to room to make them feel that they
weren't being followed too closely. The men chatted amiably, also
enjoying the night cruise down the highway. The ladies had picked a
perfect night for it.<br /><br />Vaygar admired the young vampire greatly;
he had excellent manners that were displayed anytime he was around the
girls. He had managed to develop a good working relationship with Josef
while remaining faithfully loyal to Miss Lani, who he liked a good
deal.<br /><br />Vaygar knew that she was a bit of a spitfire, much like
Beth and she would make an excellent vampire and a very appropriate mate
for Josef.<br /> <br />In Vaygar's opinion, you rarely found such strong
relationships among vampire mates. He noted with pride the very strong
bonds between Mick and Beth, Clark and Dorothy and Josef and Lani. He
wondered, only briefly if he were honest, what his life may have been
like to find such a mate? Rose and Brody, even though they had never
married shared that bond, and never seemed to grow tired of one another.
That was purely amazing he admitted.<br /><br />Vaygar occasionally hooked
up Kiki, but she was like a butterfly; she'd come close enough to land
briefly and then was right back soaring in the air again. She would
never be tied to anyone for long. That didn't make Vaygar sad because
he instinctively knew that she would never be his mate. <br /> <br />Nya,
the beautiful Anasazi woman might have easily captured his heart he
admitted. She could have and even though they had several children
together, she was more content with her shamanistic life; prayers and
healing pursuits suited her well and Vaygar had made a pact with himself
to never try to change her.<br /><br />It would incorrect to say that he
was discontented with his life because he wasn't, not in the slightest.
That didn't mean he couldn't admire the strong bonds of the others
though.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />The farther north the little
group caravanned the angrier Martin became. Where in the hell were they
going, anyway? They couldn't go too far; Dorothy looked like an
over-bloated cow. She needed to drop that calf soon so he could get rid
of it. He knew she'd appreciate his gesture because she would never
want that bastards offspring. He knew that for sure because she'd never
even had a funeral for him. That told him more than anything else.<br /><br />As
he drove he fumed more and more about the delay in getting his hands on
her. Yep, he had some serious business with her, the kind of business
that meant her spread-legged on the bed and him finally getting some
satisfaction out of the bitch. Hopefully she'd learned a few things
over the years and wouldn't lay there crying like a baby.<br /><br />He
looked into his rearview mirror and thought he saw that big, black SUV
that sometimes followed Lani around. He slowed a bit, making sure to
keep the vivid red Porsche Cayenne in sight, not that if would be hard
to spot. He wondered now if he could tap that rich bastard that she
lived with? The idea brought a huge smile to his face.<br /><br />He
finally got close enough to the black SUV to verify that it was two of
the men that he'd seen hanging around the women. What the hell was up
with that anyway? He glared into the dark windows of the SUV and cursed
at them.<br /><br />He didn't realize that Vaygar had recognized him immediately.<br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br />"Son-of-a-bitch!" Vaygar shouted, infuriated by the fact that Martin was following the girls.<br /><br />"WHAT?" Ryan yelled in return. "What the hell is going on?"<br /><br />"That little weasel is following the ladies. Ryan, we need to take care of him once and for all."<br /><br />"Agreed. Shall we just follow him and see if we can get to him? As Josef says, a trip to the tar pits are in order."<br /><br />Vaygar was clearly puzzled by Ryan's words. "Really? The tar pits?"<br /><br />"You
bet. Lots of bones in that tar pit, supposing of course they haven't
disintegrated by now." Ryan grinned, a strangely wicked grin in fact
and Vaygar had to laugh for a moment.<br /><br />It didn't take long for
their focus to return to Martin though. Vaygar picked up his phone and
called Rose, hoping that they were in range of cell service. He let out
a sigh when the call went through and explained the situation to Rose
who listened carefully. He heard Beth as she let out a small groan as
she had heard his comments. He waited for a moment as the girls talked
in vampire tones so that Lani and Dorothy couldn't hear the
conversation.<br /><br />The subject was debated for a moment or two and Beth finally had a solution.<br /><br />Vaygar hoped it would work.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />"Hey,
Lani. Since we're out this far north, how about we go out to Josef's
beach house? I'm sure Mom and Rose would love to see it."<br /><br />"Yes,
that would be delightful," Rose agreed. She saw Lani staring at her in
the rear view mirror again and nodded slightly, trying to send her a
silent message. It seemed to work.<br /><br />"I like that idea. And you know what? We've got ice cream in the freezer there. Is that okay with you, Dorothy?"<br /><br />Dorothy
laughed and quickly agreed. "I have to admit, I'm curious about the
place because you all talk about it a lot. And - I have to also admit
that I need to pee - again," she said with a groan.<br /><br />"Well then,
Malibu it is. We're about 15 minutes away. Hold on to your hats,
sisters," giggled. She sped up a little, deciding that if they were
pulled over by the police it wouldn't be so bad, at least she thought so
but since she wasn't quite sure what was going on, she hoped that would
be okay.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Martin knew that he'd been
spotted when first the girls and then the black SUV sped up. He spent a
minute spewing every curse he could think of before he decided that he
needed to think carefully about what he intended to do. He had to take
the men out of the equation. He looked down at the gun lying beside
him; he hated to do it, but he had to get a shot off and that shot
needed to count.<br /><br />He rolled his window down and yelled, "Hey,
assholes! Hey, lookie here!" He waved the gun out the window of the
Taurus and watched as the passenger window slowly receded into the door.<br /><br />"Martin Parker! Pull over now," the one with long blond hair yelled in return.<br /><br />Martin
laughed. Who the hell did this long-haired sissy boy think he was
talking to? And how the hell did he know his name? That should have
set off a warning bell, but he was so caught up in the moment and his
perception of feeling omnipotent that he didn't spare even a moment for
alarm. Instead, he grinned at his foe and fired a shot into the
vehicle.<br /> <br />The SUV swerved a bit and he could see the sissy boy
holding his arm. GOOD! Martin's laughter sprang from him as he crowed
in triumph. He took another shot, this time at the rear tire and his
aim was again true. The vehicle careened madly, crossing over two lanes
and hit another vehicle which spun out of control. The black SUV tried
to recover but couldn't and finally flipped over before another vehicle
hit it mid-section, spinning it off into the median on its roof. <br /><br />Martin
laughed manically as he watched to collision in the side window. That
took care heof those bastards, for sure. Clear sailing ahead. Exactly
what he needed. This was turning out to be a fantastic night; with the
spoils of the battle still ahead he knew that nothing could stop him
now.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Both Vaygar and Ryan were okay,
basically although both of them had various broken bone which would heal
quickly, but they still hurt like the devil. Ryan pulled his phone out
of his pocked and stated, "I'm calling Josef. Hopefully he can get to
them in time."<br /><br />Vaygar nodded and said, "I'm calling Rose. She and Beth might have to take on Martin. I hope they bloody well make it hurt!"<br /><br />Ryan
quickly got through to Josef. Their conversation was brief, with Ryan
filling him on what had happened and telling him where the girls were.<br /><br />"I'm calling for the helicopter; it can get us there quickly. Do you need someone to come and get you?"<br /><br />"Yes; this vehicle won't be drivable. I do see red lights heading for us though. Just worry about the ladies."<br /><br />"You
got it," Ryan heard right before the call ended. He heard Vaygar still
speaking to Rose and interrupted long enough to state that Josef and
the men were meeting them at the house, via helicopter.<br /><br />As she
hung up the phone she felt a bit of fear. This wasn't going to help
Dorothy a bit. She knew that between her and Beth they wouldn't have
any trouble with Martin, but it was still going to be hard on Dorothy.
She startled a bit as she heard Beth's phone ring and thought it was
probably Mick. By Mick's greeting she knew she was right.<br /><br />She heard him speaking, his voice a bit agitated. "Beth, get into the safe room as soon as you are there. Don't hesitate!"<br /><br />"Mick, don't you think it's more important for Rose and I to, uh, take care of the problem first?"<br /><br />"No, baby. We'll be there pretty quickly. I hear the 'copter now. Just keep them safe, Beth."<br /><br />"Okay. I love you."<br /><br />"Love you too, Beth. Forever, baby."<br /><br />Dorothy
turned around in the front seat, as much as she could that is. "What
is going on? Don't tell me that everything is alright because I know it
isn't."<br /><br />Beth looked at Rose, not sure what to do. Sometimes
knowing there is trouble, but not know exactly what it is was much worse
than knowing; a person's imagination always seemed to take the scariest
route available. Rose nodded to her and so she decided to just tell
them.<br /><br />Lani knew that they were only minutes away from the beach
house. She was driving with an acutely tense feeling in the pit of her
stomach. She seemed to know instinctively that she needed to get them
there as quickly as possible. Two minutes she intoned to herself, over
and over as she listened to Beth.<br /><br /> After Beth explained it all she looked at her mom who seemed to be handling it well. "Mom, are you okay?"<br /><br />Dorothy
was okay, but she also knew that she was in labor. At first just a few
tiny flutterings, now the pain was becoming more intense. She could
only hope they were close to the beach house. When she voiced the
question she left out the part about her labor.<br /><br />"We're maybe a
minute away, Mom. In the house Josef has a safe room; it's a completely
safe contained level of the house. There is no way that Martin is
getting into it. We'll be safe."<br /> <br />Rose had been watching out
the rear window. "I can see headlights back there, maybe a half a mile
or so." She frowned at how close he was and became edgy as she realized
that Dorothy really was in labor.<br /> <br />At Rose's words Lani turned
the lights off, leaving only the nearly full moon to guide her on the
road, but she knew it well and never hesitated for a moment until she
quickly slowed and turned into the drive. She pushed the button on
garage and it lifted obligingly, but not nearly fast enough for her
comfort.<br /><br />As soon as they were in she pushed the button again and
the door swung slowly shut. Her hopes were that Martin was far enough
behind them that he wasn't sure whether she had turned or just gone
around the curve that was a few hundred feet ahead of them. Either way,
they were safely inside of the house and as she opened the door into
the house and led them in. By then Rose and Beth had heard Martin's car
pull into the drive.<br /><br />"Come on, Mom. Let's get downstairs. How are you doing?"<br /><br />Dorothy gave a weak smile and uttered, "I'm in labor."<br /><br />Beth felt a sick feeling in her stomach. What else could go wrong?<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Clark
and Logan listened as Josef spoke urgently into the phone. Both of
them heard that the helicopter would be here in about five minutes and
then take about 12 minutes to get to the beach house. Logan immediately
got up and started putting blood into a canvas bag, to take with them.
He knew that there was no way that Clark would stay home. He knew if
it were him, nothing would be able to stop him.<br /><br />Clark looked at Josef and Mick and stated, "I'm going with you. That bastard is MINE!"<br /><br />Mick
pursed his lips for a moment and then nodded. "I agree, he's yours to
take care of. But if we have to, we'll keep you away from Dorothy if
you show any signs of being out of control. Agreed?"<br /><br />"Agreed."<br /><br />Josef
nodded, satisfied with what was happening. Let's get out to the
helipad gentlemen. It's time that bastard was put out of our misery."<br /><br />They all nodded in agreement. Yes, it way past time for that.<br /><br /><br />To be continued...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #4000bf;">Hi
everyone! Sorry to have missed last week but we're back on schedule
now. Real life was kicking my behind last week for sure. The good news
is that my daughter is doing much better now. The bad news is that
most of us in the house have had the flu and it is still got 3 grandsons
down. They are going to the doc this morning - yeah, they are SO
looking forward to that! NOT...<br /><br />Thank all of you who take the
time to read and comment as well. I am behind on answering comments,
but will hopefully get to them soon.<br /><br />By the way, I often post
messages on Face Book about what is going on. If you would like to
friend me on there, you'll usually find out if the post will be delayed.
You can find me at Cyndy Klein Hodge. <br /><br />Cyndy</span></span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-65239212747577659582015-01-12T12:16:00.002-06:002015-01-12T12:16:37.948-06:00Chapter 31 Miracles<br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj3W9rt3GTE"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Miracles</span></a><br /><br />Jackie
scrubbed the stove in her apartment until her fingers were raw; the
contributing factor to that was that she had scrubbed every possible
surface until the room was practically sterile. She sighed with
frustration and pushed an errant strand of hair that had escaped her
ponytail out of her face and bent back to her task. It didn't matter
that she'd not used the stove for weeks; she usually just zapped a
microwave meal and called it good. Why bother to cook for yourself? <br /><br />The
effects of her cleaning spree were evident everywhere; her refrigerator
gleamed as did counters and cabinets. On the countertops all that
remained were bottles of cleaners, mostly empty ones she acknowledged.
The bathroom was as clean as the kitchen. Her bedroom and living room
hadn't been spared from the cleaning attack either; not a speck of dust
or a dust bunny for that matter could be found anywhere.<br /><br />No
matter how much she cleaned she couldn't shake the past. She could
eradicate the clutter and dirt from her home (not that there had been
any to begin with) but she couldn't push the memories out of her head.<br /><br />Ben.
Benjamin Talbot. Here, in Los Angeles. That shouldn't surprise her;
after all, this is where he grew up. She had known that when she came
here with Rose; what she hadn't considered was that no matter how big a
city was, someone you knew was just around the corner. Someone you once
loved.<br /><br />Someone you still loved.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">New York, 1998<br /><br />Something
sharp was digging into her back and she groaned and tried to move off
of it, but realized that she was tied up, her feet and hands both. She
also had a gag on and a blindfold and for a moment she tried to remember
what had happened, where she was. As she tried to ease her position a
bit she felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her shoulder that burned as well.
A wave of heat spread over her as she tried to settle into a less
painful position, but she had no luck with it.<br /><br />She was in a
vehicle and it was moving swiftly, or so it seemed. It could have been
crawling for all she could tell but it was on a twisty road and she
wondered where they could be; there weren't any twisty roads like this
in New York City. Next she felt an up and then down feeling, the bumps
happening rapidly and a feeling of panic started to overwhelm her.
Nausea made her stomach churn and roll and her mouth watered which was a
step away from her vomiting. Between the motion of the vehicle and the
biting pain in her shoulder she knew that she was going to be sick.<br /><br />Car
sickness; it had plagued her since she was a child and never had gone
away. If she vomited now she'd choke and die because of the gag. She
tried to hold it back but it started to rise in her throat and she began
to thrash about and scream as best as she could, trying to get
someone's attention, anyone's. For the moment the searing pain was
forgotten in her panic to get someone's attention.<br /><br />"Calm down,
bitch!" The words were delivered with a sharp slap and then the gag was
removed as her captor said, "Shut the hell up and you might just live!"
right before she vomited all over herself and the floor.<br /><br />"Car…car sick. Can't help it," she murmured before she did it again.<br /><br />"Stupid bitch. Hermie, stop the goddamn van. She got puke all over everywhere!"<br /><br />Hermie
already could smell it and had his window down as he pulled the van
over. As they stopped he opened his door before the contents of his
stomach reappeared as well. Spaghetti and meatballs definitely weren't
as good coming up as they were going down.<br /><br />Bugle threw open the
side door and emerged, gagging as well but he quickly drew in deep
breaths in an effort to keep his dinner down. He almost succeeded,
until he felt the warm vomit on his pants and then he lost it as well.<br /><br />Michelle
moved her foot and felt it touching something that was sort of soft and
realized it was another person. Memory of what had happened started to
flood her brain and she suddenly felt even more afraid than before.<br /><br />They
had been coming out of the courthouse, the back way so that they could
mostly avoid the reporters that flooded the street entrance. Margaret,
the attorney she worked for had just won a huge case; a mobster, and
although guilty as hell he had managed to walk free.<br /><br />Michelle had
already decided that being a defense attorney wasn't for her; she
didn't particularly like defending the scum of the earth. Like this
case, the head of the largest crime family in New York, was now free and
back on the streets, not guilty on all charges. It wasn't right, not
at all.<br /> <br />As they came out there was a gray van at the curb.
Margaret looked confused for a moment; there was supposed to be a limo
but she thought that perhaps the firm had thought this would be a bit
less conspicuous. As they got close to it the side door swung open and a
man with a ski mask on opened fire on them. The mobster went down
immediately, followed by Margaret.<br /> <br />The last bullet was for her
and she watched as the mobster, then Margaret and finally, after some
discussion she as well was loaded into the van. When she was tossed in
she blacked out at the jarring pain in her shoulder. She hadn't awoken
until a few minutes ago.<br /><br />So that was probably the body of one of
the others; were either of them alive? She softly called out Margaret's
name and listened, but didn't hear any response. She tried again, a
bit louder which attracted the attention of one of the men. He hit her
again with something solid and she didn't wake up until they were
stopped somewhere and the men were moving her out of the van into a
cabin.<br /><br />They hadn't put a gag back on her, which she found
curious. Did they want to keep her alive? Like a kidnapping? She
didn't have any money, it didn't make sense. She fought to stay
conscious as they tossed her onto some sort of pallet on the floor and
she gritted her teeth at the pain in her shoulder but she was determined
to remain silent.<br /> <br />Damn! She wished they had removed the
blindfold so she could see who these guys were. As luck would have it
she didn't have long to wait to find out, but not because they removed
the blindfold. They were scared because they didn't know what to do
with her; Leo was pissed at them and wanted them to kill her and dump
her body somewhere. The two men, one called Fingers and the other LeRoy
were debating doing just that. Actually arguing was a closer
description of it.<br /> <br />Fingers was all for killing her and LeRoy
was against it. He considered her just an innocent bystander and
apparently, even a mobster can have a few scruples. Leo, Michelle knew
was the son of the mobster that had walked free. Apparently he had been
running the syndicate since his father was in jail, pending trial and
he liked it. He'd ordered the hit on his father; she and Margaret were
apparently collateral damage.<br /><br />It got very quiet and Michelle
decided that they were asleep. She was sore, her body a mass of bruises
from being tossed around and her shoulder constantly sent out burning
pain that made her breath catch in her throat. The dizziness had gone
and since she was very limber she ignored the pain and worked her arms
under her body until they were in front of her. She managed to get the
duct tape off of her feet and then her eyes. The room was dark and she
couldn't see anyone else in what seemed to be a small room, like a
bedroom except that there wasn't a bed in it. There was a window
though, which might prove helpful. Lastly she worked on the tape around
her wrists and was the hardest of all to remove since that had wound
the tape around many times to make sure it was secure. Finally, she got
it off and rubbed her hands together to try and restore a bit of
circulation in them. As the painful tingles spread she gradually got
the feeling back into them and she stood up to check out the view from
the window. <br /><br />It was pitch black outside with a million stars
overhead but she couldn't see the moon. She had no idea what time it
was but it had to be many hours since she was abducted. A quick search
in the corners of the room proved it to be empty and there was no light
showing under the door. Were her captors asleep? She stood and
listened for a few more minutes and when it remained quiet she decided
that now was as good a time as any to try to escape.<br /><br />She was
positive that they hadn't just abandoned her up here, where ever 'here'
was. Actually, it didn't matter where it was, as long as she could get
away. She was positive that if she didn't Fingers would get his way and
kill her; she knew she couldn't count on the benevolence of LeRoy for
too long.<br /> <br />She was surprised when the window opened relatively
easily and quietly. She could see the ground, maybe 5 feet or so below
her, so if she jumped quietly they might not hear her. The question
was, when she was on the ground, which way to go? She didn't want to
follow a driveway down to whatever road was there; if they realized she
was missing that was likely the first path they'd take to find her.<br /><br />It
would be best if she could hang from the window sill and drop down but
her shoulder wouldn't allow it. It hurt horribly and the dried blood
stuck to her skin and pulled every time she moved. So she sat on the
sill and hoped for the best, biting her lower lip in an effort to keep
from crying out if she landed and fell onto her shoulder. Luckily, she
didn't and she stood for a moment, looking around her in the dark. <br /> <br />And
it was really dark; it didn't help that the cabin was surrounded by
trees. They were probably somewhere in the Adirondacks she decided and
was glad that it was spring so it wasn't too cold. If she kept moving
should likely be okay, but the key phrase was 'keep moving'. She
wandered into the trees and decided that she really had to go to the
bathroom and sighed with relief as that need was taken care of. <br /><br />Another
survey of the area made her realize that it probably didn't matter what
direction she went in as long as she avoided the road. She didn't know
how long it was until dawn and she needed to be far away by then. She
took off running towards what she thought was the west and tried to keep
a steady pace. An hour later she saw a cabin that had a light on and
ran to it thankfully. After she banged on the door for a moment a
blonde haired woman answered it and she fell into her arms gratefully.</span><br /><br />That
was the night she met Rose and Brody and everything had changed for
her. She knew that the mobsters would be looking for her; she knew what
was going on and they'd likely stop at nothing to get to her. Rose
convinced her to stay with them since Brody could protect her (although
she didn't realize what his special gift was at that time) and she
mourned for her life, for Ben. The plan was to wait a few months and
then let him know that she was okay. If he didn't know anything about
her then hopefully they'd leave him alone. So she let him finish school
and as time wore on she began to feel more guilty and worried. Why
would he even want her back? She'd not even let him know she was okay.<br /><br />So she stayed with Rose and decided it was better for Ben if she let him go. But her heart never had.<br /><br />Jackie
looked around her and suddenly felt overcome with pain from the past;
stupid mistakes can do that to you. She sank to the floor in tears.
She didn't think she could fix this mistake.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />The
trip to the mall had been a total success; Clark had even managed to
make a few purchases, one of them for Dorothy and he did it all on his
own. He bought her a new locket, one that they could put pictures of
the babies in when they got here. He looked longingly into the lingerie
store but that was a purchase he wanted to make on his own, not with
Logan and Mick with him, however discreet they tried to be.<br /><br />There
was something at the mall that bothered him a lot and it wasn't the
scent of the people; it was the scent of the food court. Oh man, he was
going to miss food! It was amazing how blood tasted, but food smelled
great! He walked though, taking in the scents of Chinese, pizza,
burgers, all the things he loved.<br /> <br />It was a trade off, he knew. He got to live forever with his Dorie; that was better than pizza any day of the week.<br /><br />They
made their way back to Josef's and all three of them considered it a
successful outing. Tomorrow morning he'd feed fresh again and then
would meet Dorothy at the house. He was a bit nervous; not because he
was afraid he'd hurt her, but he was different now and not in the
obvious way. His perceptions were different and he worried how Dorie
would feel around him. Until she was turned would she feel comfortable
with a vampire in the house? She had always been a bit nervous around
them; he wouldn't be able to handle it if she were to feel scared of him
and his newly developed skills.<br /><br />It would tear out his heart. He only prayed that love would get them through it.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Rose
watched Brody head into his apartment as she waited for the door to be
answered at Mick and Beth's. A slight shiver of anticipation crept up
her spine as she thought about him and the visit to his bed later on.
She just wanted to check on Dorothy; those babies were literally due at
any time and it didn't take a doctor to know that. They had moved down
to station zero and if she made it 24 more hours it would be a miracle.<br /><br />Beth
answered the door and grinned, happy to see Rose as always. She liked
her antecedent very much and always enjoyed visiting with her.<br /><br />Rose
saw that Lani was here as well and decided it must be a girl's night.
Beth told her that the boys were having a poker night at Josef's guest
house since Clark would be coming home tomorrow. Dorothy was beside
herself with happiness and anticipation at being with her husband again.
If anyone else had any misgivings about Clark's ability to keep
himself under control she certainly didn't.<br /><br />It had been decided
that she would have the babies at the women's hospital where Rose was
the attending. They could control things a bit more there, the idea
being that Dorothy's OB/GYN didn't know that Clark was now a vampire; if
anything started to get a little shaky there, they could whisk him away
and take care of his needs. <br /> <br />It was a bit of a crapshoot, Rose
admitted. Still, Vaygar had no worries about Clark's ability to go
through the process with his wife. Vaygar said that Clark was going to
be just fine and Rose trusted him, implicitly.<br /><br />The ladies were
getting ready to go and have some ice cream and asked Rose if she'd like
to come as well. She almost said no, but then some strange instinct
told her to go with them. And after all, how could she turn down ice
cream?<br /><br />On the way to the elevator she stopped at Brody's and let
him know that she was going with the ladies and would be over a little
later than planned. He grinned at her; they had all the time in the
world and he knew that Rose couldn't resist ice cream. She promised to
bring him some as well and he sent her off with a kiss and a whispered,
"Hurry back, Rose. Ice cream isn't the only thing I intend to partake
of tonight!"<br /><br />She gave him a nod and a saucy grin and hurried to
the elevator, where the girls were waiting. All of them were grinning.
Love was amazing.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />There was almost a
bitter-sweet feel to the evening at the guest house. They indulged in a
purely guy evening, a little poker, a little football. Even Logan was
okay with it now that Mick had taught him about it, via the computer
that is. Clark still couldn't believe how quickly Logan had picked it
up, once it was shown to him in terms that were relatable to him that
is. Not only that, he knew the stats from practically every team out
there, something that brought a smile to Mick. Josef was interested in
who Logan thought would make it to the super bowl, based on statistics
that was.<br /><br />In the poker game they all won a little and lost a
little. Even Josef didn't complain too much about that; he just enjoyed
the camaraderie that they shared.<br /><br />They all did, until the phone call that would change everything.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Lani
waved to Ryan as they girls got into the Porsche to head to get their
ice cream. He nodded and got ready to follow them. When told that the
girls were going out Vaygar had came downstairs and asked if Ryan minded
if he rode shotgun.<br /> <br />"Sure, come on. The more the merrier! Besides, those girls are likely to sit and talk for an hour and it gets pretty boring."<br /><br />Vaygar
laughed, a deep, booming laugh that made Ryan grin from ear to ear. He
liked Vaygar a lot; the vamp was always ready for a joke or a bit of
fun. This outing might not be as bad as Ryan thought at first. <br /> <br />From
down the block Martin watched as first the Porsche pulled out, followed
by the black SUV. It pissed him off as it always did that there was
always someone following Dorothy. He was at the end of his patience
with it. He fingered the gun on the seat next to him and determined
that tonight he was going to get to her, no matter who was around. <br /> <br />He
pulled into traffic, being careful not to get too close. Yep, tonight
was the night. Dorothy Turner was going to be his, again…finally.<br /><br /><br />To be continued…Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-33912840733294046522015-01-05T09:35:00.000-06:002015-01-05T09:35:16.538-06:00Chapter 30 Evil Woman<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9qeJskx6r0"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Evil Woman</span></a><br /><br />Josef
sat back in his chair in the study, elbows resting on the arms and his
fingers steepled as he thought about a situation that could prove
problematic.<br /><br />He was due to go to the guest house in an hour;
right now Clark, Logan and Mick were out at the mall of all places, in
an effort to show Mick that Clark really was ready to reintegrate back
into society. Personally, Josef had no doubts.<br /><br />Clark had immense
control of himself; even feeding fresh had proved no challenge for him.
Tomorrow morning he'd feed fresh one last time and if all went well
he'd be home again and according to Lani, it would just barely be in
time. Dorothy was ready to have those babies she'd said. Something
about station zero and effacement or things he really knew nothing of -
yet. He hadn't gotten that far in the book yet.<br /> <br />For sure it
scared the hell out of him, what lay ahead. He'd always thought birth
was a fairly normal process; that was before the woman he loved was an
active participant in the process. It was dangerous! And the pictures
of the baby in the womb made him cringe. How did mother or child stand
it?<br /><br />Lani had gone to Beth's so that they could take a ride in the
new Porsche SUV. Lani had finally quieted about it, and then decided
she loved it. Today had been a rough day which led to the problem that
faced Josef tonight.<br /><br />Today had been the memorial service for
Lani's father. He'd been cremated, but because of scheduling, the
memorial had just been held. Helena Parker had been front and center,
the grieving widow displaying her loss to the hilt. She had gloried in
the role, it had been apparent to all.<br /><br />Josef had to commend
Marcus Parker for one thing: he had taken care of his wife's finances
and she'd be wealthy enough to live comfortably-very comfortably. Josef
had gotten those details in advance of the memorial service. <br /><br />His
dilemma was how to keep Helena away from Los Angeles and more
specifically, Lani. Possibly a condo in Europe, a place she loved and
so help him, if she kept causing Lani distress it would be the tar pits
for her selfish and egotistical ass.<br /><br />She'd called frequently, and
it was always upsetting for Lani. Not once (and Josef wouldn't forgive
her for this) had she ever showed even the slightest bit of interest in
how Lani was. Not about her father's death, or about being pregnant.<br /><br />Josef
did take some pleasure in causing Helena a bit of discomfort at the
service and with luck; the calculated risk might pay off in her
departing for Europe quickly.<br /> <br />Josef, Lani and Helena had stood
chatting after the service; Josef and Lani listening as Helena had
lamented how bereft she felt at the loss of her husband. She was
fretting about how she would manage to live (financially) without him.
Since Josef had already heard that she'd be taken care of, he wasn't too
concerned about it.<br /><br />The truth was, if he had to supplement her 'retirement' somewhere, far, far away he'd have done it without blinking his eye.<br /><br />"I'm
sure when the baby is born, Helena, that you'll be thrilled and have
something to occupy your time." Josef watched her carefully because this
gambit might not pay off and the last thing he wanted was her around
her upsetting Lani. The woman didn't have a shred of mother in her;
he'd gotten her nailed correctly on that one.<br /><br />"The baby? Lani, surely you're not pregnant!"<br /><br />"Yes, Mother, I am. I told you this a month ago."<br /><br />"I'm sure you didn't. Are you married yet?"<br /><br />"No, not yet; sometime in January," Lani replied, keeping it vague.<br /><br />"Um hm, well, see to it. I can't imagine what people will think if you don't do it quickly."<br /><br />"Helena,
won't it be a joy to have a grandchild? Imagine little sticky fingers
and mouths coming to grandma for kisses! That's the amazing thing about
the kiddies, they not only leak at both ends but they manage to find
dirt everywhere!"<br /><br />Lani cast Josef a quick sideways glance, barely
managing to keep from laughing; she knew exactly what he was doing. He
only grinned and rocked back on his heels, hands in pockets. <br />Helena
had been sipping her bourbon with a twist and almost choked. The
horror on her face turned it first a vivid red and then paled. Josef
pressed on.<br /><br />"I know you'll love having our kids for long weekends
at grandma's house! Imagine the fun that bath time and feedings will
give you. They say a person gets more patient with age, so let's face
it, you should be great at that. I plan to put a large birth
announcement in the Times and of course I'll mention "Grandma Helena
Parker" very prominently!"<br /><br />Lani had to turn away and coughed
briefly as she choked back laughter as her mother sputtered into her
glass. The last thing her mother would want would be for everyone to
remember that she was old enough to be a grandmother. She'd spent good
money on plastic surgeons and spas over the years to keep the effects of
aging at bay.<br /><br />"How many children?" she asked and Josef heard a quiver in her voice. Fear perhaps or disgust?<br /><br />He
pulled Lani close to him and said, "What do you say, honeybunch? How
about at least a half dozen? Would that be enough for you, Grandma?"<br /><br />Helena
took a compulsive gulp of her drink and then gasped as it burned her
throat. "Um, excuse me, please," she said, rushing off.<br /><br />Josef and Lani both watched with amusement; she didn't speak with them for the rest of the memorial.<br /><br />Now,
Josef hoped that it would be enough to keep her away. He decided to
call a friend in France who sold property there; maybe he'd have a few
ideas about places for Helena. <br /> <br />It was either that or the tar pits. Fielder's choice.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Carl
and Cami stepped into Heroku's office and saw that Brody and Rose were
with him. "Oh, excuse us, we didn't know that you were occupied,
Heroku," Carl said, a small nod to show his respect to the elder
vampire, as well as Rose and Brody. He and Cami started to leave, only
to be stopped by Heroku.<br /><br />"No, I have called you to meet with Rose
and Brody, as well as myself. It is an important matter. Please, do
be seated," he told them and then he bowed to them.<br /><br />Carl's heart
started hammering in his chest. He took a deep breath and then focused
on slowing it as he had been taught. As he sat down on the couch it
calmed a bit and he took another deep breath and felt a bit steadier.<br /><br />"Have
we, um, have I done something to offend you, Heroku-san?" He was
positive that he must have; either that or Rose and Brody must have an
objection to his turning.<br /><br />"No, not at all, Carl. Rose and Brody
would like to share some information with you." At Carl's fleeting look
of panic he added hurriedly, "It is good news, I believe." He smiled at
the young man, hoping to alleviate his fears.<br /><br />Rose smiled as well and Carl watched her, trying to gauge what she might say.<br /> <br />Heroku
and Brody both took seats in arm chairs across from the couch and Rose
perched on the arm of Brody's chair and both Carl and Cami noticed as
Brody took Rose's hand and squeezed it gently.<br /><br />"Carl, we wanted
to tell you that you are one of our descendents." Brody waited for the
news to sink into Carl; he didn't have long to wait.<br /><br />"Wha…I don't
understand," Carl said, confused by their announcement. Rose and Brody
had kids, together? How was he a descendent? From whom? A hundred
questions filled his head.<br /><br />"We had a daughter, a long time ago. Well, in human terms, that is. She was your great-great grandmother."<br /><br />"Was she a vampire?"<br /><br />"No, she fell in love with a human man and chose that path. She was your Grandmother Carter's grandmother."<br /><br />"So from my mother's side of the family, then?"<br /><br />How
sad that they had watched their daughter choose a mortal life, Cami
thought. Otherwise, this was fantastic news. She smiled at Carl and
said, "This is wonderful, Carl. You'll still be able to do so many
things that I can't."<br /><br />Which was precisely the issue Carl decided;
he didn't want to be able to do things that Cami couldn't. It didn't
seem fair to him. It was just…wrong, he decided.<br /><br />"I…I don't know
what to say, I guess. It doesn't seem fair to Cami. I know its
prestigious and all, but I just want to be like she is. I mean no
offense, honestly."<br /><br />Rose's eyebrows raised a fraction and Brody
was clearly surprised. No one had ever not wanted to be a descendent;
it was an honor. "I, uh, you can still live your life as a vampire like
Cami, Carl. But you will be different; there is no way of changing
that."<br /><br />Carl let Brody's words wash over him; so, he didn't have
to be different. Except of course he would be, even if he lived the
life of a normal vampire.<br />Normal? <br /><br />Vampire? Was there such a thing?<br /><br />"Carl,"
Rose began, tentatively. "Think about all of this; there are many
things to consider. As Brody said, you can live a vampire existence,
just like Cami, but you will be different. Our blood assures you of
that. You already have superior physical attributes, just like Brody
does and there will be other things as well. Things you might very well
be happy about. But, that being said, how you live daily is up to
you."<br /><br />Carl nodded; he felt like he was being a jerk. Most vamps
would be so thankful for this gift and all he was doing was rejecting
it. It wasn't that it didn't make him feel proud to be a descendent of
these two wonderful vamps, it was just that it made him feel guilty to
have the options that Cami didn't.<br /><br />"So, I guess this makes you my
great-great-great grandparents, huh?" he joked in an effort to lighten
the mood. "Look, I AM proud to have you as my antecedents; I can't
think of two people that would have made me as happy. It's just that it
makes me feel guilty." He looked at Cami and saw that she was ready to
protest and continued, "Cami, I know, I really do that you don't mind
this situation, but it bothers me. I just can't help it."<br /><br />Cami
smiled, a sad smile that clearly showed her understanding of his
feelings. She would never want him to feel guilty over something,
especially not this. It was a reason to celebrate, it was amazing.
She'd known the 13 over the years she'd been a vampire and although she
didn't know any of them well at all, she knew that they were
compassionate and intensely beneficial to the vampire world, whether
other vamps realized it or not and most didn't. Her Carl would be the
same she knew and she also knew she had to make him realize that, accept
it.<br /><br />"Carl, I see this as a blessing for you, for us. You'll
have attributes that I don't and that will be better for you as a cop.
This will be beneficial, a good thing and cause me a lot less worry.
Really," she told him and her sincerity was palpable, even to him.<br /><br />He took a deep breath and released it slowly, lost in thought for a moment. "Okay, what do I need to know, to begin with?"<br /><br />"The
most important thing is that on full moons, you will always have to
feed fresh; there is no way around it. For us, it is an imperative.
Most of what you'll need to know you will learn in training; the next
one will be in March." Brody told him, waiting for more questions
because he was sure they would follow.<br /><br />"March? I don't know if I can get off work again so soon. How long does training last?"<br /><br />"At least a month, Carl. It is extremely important that you have a least the basics."<br /><br />He
frowned at Rose's words; it wasn't that he didn't want to go, but you
couldn't just take a month off from the force when you were a cop - it
didn't happen and he voiced his thoughts about that.<br /><br />"Well, see
what can be worked out at the time, Carl. Let's not worry about it
right now. We're here to help you, when you have more questions or
other issues. And, to welcome you to our family, Carl. We've wanted to
tell you since we got here, but we wanted you to make up your mind
about what you wanted on your own, without our influence."<br /><br />"I
appreciate that. Right now I'm sort of shocked, you know? As far as
family go, I'm really happy to have you; other than a cousin you are the
only blood relatives I have any longer. That means a lot to me; I was
so close to my grandma and I've missed her so much."<br /><br />It only took
a moment for everyone to spot the brightness in his eyes, unshed tears
that he was trying to hold back. That, along with the catch in his
throat relieved Rose and Brody's fears about his acceptance.<br /><br />"Uh, is it okay if I call you Granny and Grampy?" he teased, his eyes sparkling now not only from the tears but from humor.<br /><br />"Not if you don't want me to kick your butt, kiddo," Brody laughed.<br /><br />"I
think you could, but you might not always be able to, Grampy!" he
laughed and stood up. Cami rose beside him and they got ready to leave.
"Is it okay if I uh, give you a hug, Rose?"<br /><br />"Of course; I'd
have been disappointed if you hadn't." She had spoken the truth; this
situation didn't happen very often, finding family. She accepted his
hug with love in her heart for him and hoped that he knew how much she
cared about him.<br /><br />Carl pulled away finally and didn't bother to
hide the tear that trickled down his cheek. He looked at Brody and
said, "Oh what the hell," and pulled him into a hug as well.<br /><br />Rose,
Brody and Heroku watched as Carl and Cami left before speaking. "His
reaction surprised me," Heroku said, still a bit puzzled.<br /><br />"I
think it's just a reaction to the shock of it all. After he and Cami
discuss it and I'm sure he'll agree that it is a good thing. Still,
we've never had anyone not be thrilled about it all before."<br /><br />Heroku
nodded; it was a first for him too. He realized Carl's reluctance came
from his deep love and devotion for his daughter and in the end, Heroku
couldn't find fault with that.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />After
they left Heroku's office Rose and Brody headed to his apartment. When
they arrived Rose told him she was going to check on Dorothy. She
smiled at him as he opened his door and as he watched her walk farther
down the hall and knock on Mick's door he couldn't help the look of love
that washed over his handsome face. <br /> <br />Damn, she was as beautiful
as the day he'd met her, two millennia before. The softly rounded hips
that swayed ever so slightly as she walked, the graceful curve of her
neck; it all still aroused him tremendously.<br /><br />Of the 13, he and
Rose were the only ones that had been a couple, off and on from the
beginning. Most of them were loners to some degree, or because of the
longevity of their existences they chose not to have relationships of
any kind. Not that there were not sexual encounters because there had
been plenty of them, but even in vampire lives it was difficult to
explain their longevity. <br /> <br />Early on, when they had first been
given the gift they had all felt hopeful that it might unite and bring
prosperity to this world; instead all it brought was division and a dark
and twisted version of the gift that made it unrecognizable as a gift
at all.<br /> This ominous perversion of the simple beauty and love of the
gift made them all feel disillusioned and go into hiding. Gradually
they reemerged into earth's cities and populations, keeping their gifts
quiet, secret.<br /><br />It was much easier to do than it was for a regular
vampire; they could much more easily hide in plain sight since they
could eat and blend in well. The thing about their secret was that
vampires as a whole scared humans and the gifts that the 13 shared
incensed other vampires, who usually were angered by their existence.
Yes, they led a privileged existence, they understood that but as hard
as they had tried to make others understand that it was a gift, not the
twisted perversion that most vampires existence was, they generally
could find little acceptance. Either way, it didn't inspire too many
relationships with others.<br /><br />She grinned at him as Beth answered
the door and he saw how her eyes ate him up. He knew that later on
she'd be in his bed and they would share a love and passion that would
take his breath away.<br /><br />He loved her. And luckily, she loved him as well.<br /><br /><br />To be continued…<br /><br /><b>AUTHOR'S
NOTE: I'm so sorry that I have missed answering some comments. Jenn
had surgery a week before Christmas and has had a lot of complications
because of it. That has taken a good deal of my time. I do want to
thank you SO much for taking time to read and comment, you, the readers
make this all worthwhile!
</b>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-28694135732426063132014-12-22T11:48:00.001-06:002014-12-22T11:48:28.427-06:00Chapter 29 Highway to Hell<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKggnBh2Mdw"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Highway to Hell</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Early summer, 1980<br /><br />Martin
was running again, but this time it was for the sheer joy of the
experience. He'd just had Dorothy Turner and taught her a lesson that
she'd never forget. He was suitably impressed with his treatment of her
as well; that stupid bitch wouldn't run back to Clark Griffin now.
He'd made sure that she'd never do that again; he had no doubt that
she'd do exactly what he told her, if she knew what was good for her
that is.<br /><br />The downer came when he got home and his father bellowed
at him from his office upstairs. No telling what the old bastard
wanted Martin thought as he climbed the stairs, taking his time just to
irritate his father just a little bit more. <br /> <br />Richard Parker had
been on the warpath for a week now, ever since his son had been expelled
from high school; his idiot son was incapable of just shutting up and
finishing his last year in peace. No, instead he'd got into a fight,
using a knife of all things, which brought the local police into it all.
It had cost Richard a pretty penny to ensure that no charges had been
filed but no matter what he offered to them, the school refused to let
Martin come back in the fall.<br /><br />Instead, Richard had confirmation
today that Martin would be allowed to attend a military academy in the
fall. It specialized in 'rehabilitating' young men who had authority
issues, something that Martin had in spades. It was going to be a hard
year for him, but Richard knew it was the best thing for his son. And
it would keep him out of the way as well and if he got a bit of sense
knocked into him here and there, well, Richard would cry over that.<br /><br />He
waited impatiently for Martin to get upstairs so that he could let him
know. It wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation and because of that
Richard had been fortifying himself with his best whiskey all evening.
Yes, he was past the point of much clear thought he acknowledged, but
it didn't take much of a clear head to tell the kid that he was being
shipped away, whether he liked it or not.<br /><br />"You screeched?" Martin
said, disrespect dripping from his voice. He flopped down into one of
his father's expensive hand-tooled leather wing chairs and threw one leg
over and arm and let it swing against the fine leather, leaving scuff
marks.<br /> <br />"Watch your fucking mouth! Show some respect," Richard spate, kicking his son's leg down onto the floor. <br /><br />Martin
only scowled and put his leg back over the arm, his scathing look
daring his father to move it again. He'd had about enough of all this.
He was going to be 18 in two weeks and he was getting out of here then.
<br /> <br />"I have received a confirmation today that you'll be attending
Benton Academy in the fall for your last year of high school. You'll
leave on August 12; for god's sake, stay out of trouble until then. I
do not plan to pay the police anymore money to keep you out of jail. If
you get in trouble again, you'll be on your own."<br /><br />"I've always
been on my own, haven't I? I was never a part of the Parker boys club,
was I? You and Marcus, such pompous pricks, always telling me what a
disappointment I was. I killed my mother, that's what you said." Martin
came to his feet in a lithe move that was exquisitely fluid and as he
took a step towards his father Richard recognized the hatred in his
son's eyes.<br /><br />"You watch how you talk to me. I won't stand for
this insubordination, and neither will Benton Academy. You'd better get
used to towing the line, Martin. You're a worthless human being but
that academy is going to beat you into shape."<br /><br />"Submission, you mean don't you? Something you could never do, could you old man?"<br /><br />Richard
swung at his son, his fist barely missing Martin's jaw. He stumbled and
managed to catch himself by grabbing the chair before he hit the floor.
He turned and looked at Martin, completely enraged.<br /><br />Martin
watched the vein that had popped out on his father's forehead. He
stared at it in fascination. It throbbed rhythmically; had there been
music it might have kept time. The more he stared the madder his father
got; his face was flushed bright red and Martin watched as Richard fell
to his knees, holding his head.<br /><br />"Call…the police…ambulance…" Richard sputtered.<br /><br />"No,
I don't think so." Martin knelt down at his father's side; the old man
was dying. Probably. Hopefully. He was wheezing furiously now, his
hand reaching out to his son, opening and closing spasmodically.<br /><br />Martin
watched it all with interest; he probably was dying, which was okay.
But if he survived, he wouldn't forget that Martin hadn't helped him.
That posed a big problem. There was no one else here now; the
housekeeper left at 6 everyday. Martin made a decision and then picked
up his sputtering father and carried him to the top of the stairs. He
held him for a minute and told him, "You are the sorriest excuse for a
father and human being I've ever known. You don't deserve to live." <br />He
then tossed his father down the stairs and watched as he bounced and
rolled and finally came to a stop at the bottom after hitting his head
against the mahogany support at the bottom. Martin ran quickly down the
stairs and noticed that his father's head was at an unusual angle and
that he'd peed himself. This was death, to be sure. He stepped over
the body and headed over to Johnny's house; maybe they could go out
cruising for awhile, then he'd get him to come back to Martin's house,
where they could 'find' the body of his drunken father lying at the
bottom of the staircase. As he closed the door he started whistling.
Not such a bad night after all.<br /><br />The coroner's report stated that
Richard had died from a fall that was the result of heavy alcohol
consumption and complicated by a stroke. He had evidently wandered too
close to the staircase, or possibly had attempted to go downstairs, but
he'd lost his footing and died. His younger son and his friend
discovered him at 1 am when they came back to the home.<br /><br />The next
week went by in a blur and when the will was finally read left Martin
furious; Richard had left Marcus in control of everything. Martin was
to be granted five thousand dollars on his eighteenth birthday,
providing he was in school. Upon graduation from college he would be
granted twenty-five thousand more, at the discretion of Marcus if he was
satisfied that Martin was achieving his potential.<br /><br />What
potential? Martin mulled that over and over; both of those two bastards
had seen to it that he'd never achieve anything. When someone calls
you stupid and worthless for as many years as they did you couldn't help
but believe it. He was a product of his environment he decided. What
was it they called it all? <br />Nature or Nurture? He was what nurture got you.<br /><br />He
made nice until his birthday, convincing Marcus that he'd seen the
error of his ways and was willing to go to military school in the fall.
Not that it took a lot of convincing; Marcus didn't want to be bothered
with his younger brother. He was anxious to get back to New York.
He'd graduated in May and was looking for work, Helena was pregnant and
he had a life. He was not a babysitter for his reprobate brother. <br /> <br />As
soon as Martin had the money in hand he hit the road. He had thought
at first that five thousand dollars would last him for a couple years
but quickly realized that wasn't the case, even in Mexico. But it kept
him drunk and angry for a good long while and that was what mattered.
He had to figure out a way to get that other twenty-five thousand from
Marcus. He was sure he could. One way or the other, he'd get that
money and he wasn't going to wait much longer.<br /></span><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br /><br />"Not
much longer, Dorie. Maybe two days and I'll be home with you girl. I
can't wait!" Clark's words had a low, sexual tone to them that made her
shiver with need and desire. Not that they could do anything about
that, for a while at least, but just to be in his arms again would be
perfect. <br /> <br />She remembered something that Rose had told her and
she said, "Rose told me that if you give me a few drops of your blood
everyday that I'll heal faster, after the birth I mean." When she said
that she blushed furiously, knowing exactly why she wanted to heal
quickly.<br /><br />He gave a low chuckle over the phone; it was like he was reading her mind.<br /> <br />"Vaygar told me the same thing. He also explained about vampire mates."<br /><br />Mates to Dorothy were two people who were married or together, so what was the difference? She couldn't help be ask.<br /><br />"Vampire
mates are on a different level, Dorie. When a vampire bites their
lover, other vampires can scent that on the human. When the human takes
some of the vampire's blood other vampires can scent that at well. It
means they are mated and warns other vamps to stay away."<br /><br />"I have so much to learn. Honestly, how can you do that?"<br /><br />"Honestly?"
he laughed. "I honestly don't know." He heard her giggle over the
phone and it made him so happy. She hadn't been doing much of that
lately; then again, neither had he.<br /><br />"Clark, when you're home, I…I
have something things I need to tell you." She swallowed hard and felt
her heart beat speed up since he didn't speak immediately.<br /><br />"Dorie,
I know it was Martin Parker that raped you." He heard her break into a
sob and was tempted to go to her now, she needed him.<br /><br />"Clark, how did you know?"<br /><br />"It
wasn't hard to figure out; since he's the one that tried to kill me, it
made sense. Baby, you need to know that when I'm out of here I'm going
to find that bastard and kill him. It is my right."<br /><br />"Your right? Clark, I want you to stay far away from him, do you hear me? What if he kills you this time?"<br /><br />"Honey,
he can't kill me. And it's my right as a man and a vampire to exact
vengeance for what he did to you. It's the vampire way. I will do
this, you need to understand that."<br /><br />Dorothy was quiet while she
let his words settle on her; it wasn't right and she could only hope
that he'd change his mind. She decided to try and change the subject,
for both of their sakes.<br /><br />"Merri called me this afternoon. She
and Kip are going to be here over Christmas. They want to see us and
the babies. That is, supposing that they have decided to make an
entrance by then."<br /><br />"They will, or so Vaygar tells me. How are
they?" Over the years they had stayed in contact with their childhood
best friends. Kip had attended USC with Clark, although he'd been two
years ahead due to Clark's army enlistment. He'd studied to be an
architect and Merri had become a mathematician. They lived in Boston
where he had his own business and Merri taught at MIT, her alma mater.
They had 4 kids, who were all apparently math whizzes like their mother.<br /> <br />"Good,
she said. Only Ethan will be with them, the rest of the gang are all
involved in their own lives. Funny how that works," she laughed.<br /><br />Christmas
was in two weeks; her shopping had been mostly online this year, but
some of it had been accomplished before she got too far along. She
hoped that the babies would be here by then, she really did. She laid a
hand over her belly and softly rubbed it, trying to let Alexander and
Grace know how much she loved them. It was strange but sometimes she
thought she was able to communicate with them. She'd been around Vaygar
way too much she decided.<br /><br />"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing them."<br /><br />"Clark, how are we going to explain why you can't eat? We always have them to dinner or we go out."<br /><br />"I don't know for sure; we'll figure something out, Dorie. Don't fret about it, baby."<br />Somehow she knew it would be okay. She just couldn't figure out how.<br /><br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br /><br />Josef
got home and headed into the house with a huge smile on his face. He'd
bought Lani an early Christmas present. For the first time in
literally centuries he was looking forward to Christmas. Maybe for the
first time ever because when he was a youth in Ireland it was a
religious celebration. Very little joy and fun. If it hadn't been for
his 9 brothers and sisters, his mother might have been a nun because of
the religious fervor that she exhibited in her everyday life.<br /><br />He
didn't often think of his life then; really, after 400 years a lot of it
had faded anyway. But he remembered his ma and da, and the names of
most of his siblings. His ma had been beautiful and she regarded that
as a curse because she had been considered too beautiful to become a
servant of the lord. Instead, she was basically sold off to the highest
bidder, his da, and while she led a comfortable life as a noble woman,
she was never really happy. Prayers and daily devotions took up a good
part of her day when she wasn't overseeing the household, a skill that
she was very good at.<br /><br />Perhaps he was looking forward to it
because of Lani; he felt as if he had so much to give her. Not in the
material sense; there wasn't much they needed. Well, the one thing he'd
bought today but otherwise they were blessed. Yes, blessed, a word he
hadn't considered in a very long time. This time next year his son or
daughter would be here, another blessing. Hell, life was one big
blessing he decided and then grinned at his own corniness.<br /><br />As
always, Franklin met him at the door. "Good evening, sir. Miss Lani is
in the library," he said, knowing what Josef's first question would be.<br /><br />Josef
nodded, still grinning like an idiot and headed into the study, his
steps lively as he headed to see the love of his life. As he approached
the room he heard soft sobs emanating from the room and his step
quickened.<br /><br />"Lani, sweetness, what's the matter? Are you okay?" Stupid question, Josef. If she were okay she wouldn't be crying.<br /><br />He
knelt down on the floor in front of her and pulled her into his arms
and held her as she cried. He patted her on the back gently in an
effort to soothe her and she quieted after a few minutes. He cupped her
face with gentle fingers and tilted her head upwards so he could see
her face better. <br /> <br />"Now, tell me what is wrong. Do I need to
send someone to the tar pits?" His attempt at a joke backfired as she
began crying again. <br /><br />"I…I lost my favorite pen. I ca…can't find it anywhere, Josef. I love that pen."<br />A
pen? She was crying over a pen? He could buy her a thousand of them
if she wanted. "Sweetness, it's okay. I'll buy you another pen."<br /><br />"Really?
I really liked that one." Two huge, salty tear drops rolled down her
cheeks and he brushed them away tenderly with his thumbs.<br /><br />"Yes, I promise. Lani, it's just a pen. Now come on, smile for me, please?"<br />She
gave him a slight smile, the corners of her beautiful mouth tweaking
upwards just the tiniest bit. The smile didn't quite reach her eyes but
it was a start.<br /><br />"There, now that's better. And I know something
that will make you happy as well. I have a surprise for you. Come
with me, sweetness."<br /><br />She sniffled and then rose to her feet when
he held out his hand to her. She followed him outside to the drive and
saw a large, red SUV in the drive tied with a huge golden ribbon. She
stared at it for a moment, not sure what to think.<br /><br />He saw her
hesitation and rushed his next words. "You have been worried about a
vehicle for when the baby gets here. This is a brand new, Porsche
Cayenne. It's not a Maserati, but it is a Porsche!" He laughed,
clearly delighted with the thoughtfulness of his gift.<br /><br />She
continued to stare at the vehicle and when he saw her eyes narrow he
realized she wasn't happy. He drew in a deep breath and had to fight
the urge to take a step back. <br /> <br />"You have to buy me a…a…an armored vehicle?"<br /><br />"It's
not an armored vehicle, Lani. It's a Porsche!" He wasn't at all sure
why she thought it was an armored vehicle. He figuratively scratched
his head in confusion. It is a freaking Porsche for goodness sake, the
finest, most sporty and stylish SUV he could buy her. She'd stated
several times that she wasn't a minivan kind of girl so he thought this
would be a good choice for her. He guessed he'd guessed wrong.<br /><br />"A Porsche?"<br /><br />"Yes, sweetness. A Porsche. Do you like the color? You love red cars."<br /><br />"I…yes,
I do like red cars." She had gone from angry to sounding a bit sad
again. He held his breath as she walked around the Cayenne, assessing
it.<br /><br />"It has all the best features, sweetness." He opened the
door to show her the beautifully appointed interior and ran his hand
over the butter-soft leather seats. "See, it even has a DVD player for
our kids to watch when they get older."<br /><br />"Our kids? We'll have more than one?" The tears started again.<br /><br />"Yes,
sweetness, if you want that. We'll have as many or as few as you
like." He pulled her to him again and felt her crying as he hugged her.<br /> <br />He'd been reading <span style="font-style: italic;">What to Expect When You're Expecting</span>.
Her hormones were going crazy right now. He sighed; it was going to
be a long pregnancy. Still, he was the happiest man alive.<br /><br /><br />To be continued…<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf0000;">I
hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I will be taking a brief holiday
break and won't be posting again until January 5, 2015. I hope you have
a lovely holiday season. May the new year brings blessings and joy to
your lives. Happy New Year to all of you!</span></span> <br />
<br />
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<img alt="Image" class="" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/X-masBanner2014Cyndy640x360_zps94a54a33.jpg" /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: green;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: green;">Merry Christmas from Mick, Beth, Josef and Lani!</span><br /><span style="color: #bf0000;">This gorgeous banner is by Moonlightlover60!!!</span></span></span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-69710308474417293072014-12-15T11:07:00.003-06:002014-12-15T11:07:33.125-06:00Chapter 28 Just My ImaginationBeth drank more tea and ate another cookie as she
watched Maeve and Mick talk about their lives. They dwelt little on the
past; by some unspoken agreement they had moved forward to their lives
now. Perhaps it was just too painful for them to discuss or maybe time
and his new presence in her life transcended the situation, Beth didn't
know but she was happy that Mick had the courage to meet with Maeve. <br /> <br />Maeve
had told them that although Margie had told her, she hadn't shared the
information about vampires with anyone else. "After all, who would have
believed her? So we just kept it to ourselves. I never gave up hope
that someday I'd see you again though, Mick."<br /><br />Mick nodded,
accepting her words and knowing them to be true since Catherine hadn't
known. It had almost killed him to give up his family; had he known
about Margie's pregnancy he might well have asked Josef to take his
life. Living with that knowledge and being unable to share that child
with Margie would have certainly made him want to die. <br /> <br />"So you
are telling me that I will become an aunt, at this point in my life?"
Maeve's eyes sparkled with mischief as she watched Mick stifle an
embarrassed laugh.<br /> <br />"Afraid so, Squeaks. I mean, not right now, Beth isn't pregnant, but we can have kids."<br /><br />"Well, I'm just damn happy that you never had kids with that horrible Duvall woman. Mama would turn over in her grave!"<br /><br />Beth
held back a snicker; Squeaks wasn't the only one happy about that
because the child that they might have had would have been HER! Which
was a truly frightening thought. <br /><br />Mick wisely kept quiet on that subject and only nodded his agreement.<br /><br />"So Beth, how did you meet Michael?"<br /><br />Oh
oh, dangerous territory. Think quick Beth! "Actually, we met at a
fountain downtown where I was covering a story for Buzzwire, the
internet news outlet I work for." It was the truth, always better to
lie as little as possible, especially with family. It omitted part of
the story, true, but it was the truth.<br /><br />Maeve was excited to hear
about their courtship, as she called it, and they told her about lots of
their adventures and their wedding in Las Vegas. Maeve was first
surprised and then pleased to know that Josef had been the mastermind
behind the plan.<br /><br />"He seems to be a good man. I do hope he will
make a good husband for Lani. She is such a dear thing, I always enjoy
her visits."<br /><br />Beth told a few stories about her and Lani and
Robbie growing up. As she spoke, Noodle inched closer to her and
finally sat at her feet and she slowly reached her hand down to pet him
and he laid a paw on her knee.<br /> <br />"Little beggar," Maeve said, laughing at her cherished pet. "I'd wager that he's hoping for a bite of cookie."<br /><br />Beth
obliged the fluffy dog with a bite and agreed with Maeve as he sighed
in happiness. "Mick, try to give him a bite and see if he'll take it."<br /><br />Mick
was skeptical, but while it took Noodle a minute or so to decide what
to do, he finally came close and cautiously took the bite. Mick's face
lit up as Noodle begged for more; he seemed to forgive all if he was
fed.<br /><br />"So Beth can eat food, but you can't?" Maeve questioned. <br /> <br />They
explained about their different types of vampirism and she seemed to
accept what they told her. Privately, she thought it rather sad that
her brother couldn't enjoy food, but in the long run, he was still here
and that was all that mattered.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Heroku pushed the 'end' button on his phone and laid it down on his desk, replaying the call in his mind.<br /><br />It
wasn't often that he got a call from one of the 13 and in this case it
was from two of them, in a manner of speaking. Rose called; she and
Brody requested a meeting with him. Not that they had been formal about
it, she just asked if they might stop by and see him for a few minutes.<br /><br />He
couldn't help but be curious; they seldom made social calls, or most of
the 13 didn't normally do that anyway. Several of the older cadre
would never do that; actually, they never left the compound where many
of them worked and lived.<br /><br />Naman, Eochaidh, Kerwyn and Christophe
never left or at least hadn't in centuries. Naman, if they had a leader
(and it was totally unclear if they did) would be the one Heroku
guessed. When tough decisions needed to be made they usually ended up
on his lap, something that he took in stride. Eochaidh and Kerwyn
didn't want to be bothered by the world, at all. Both of them studied a
great deal, something that Heroku found rather amusing at times since
they had lived most of the history they studied. But then again, they
had lived during those times but since they didn't go out he could only
suppose that their experience was somewhat limited. <br /> <br />Amara and
Nya were in many ways their spiritual leaders, if spirituality could be
attributed to them. Certainly it could have been, at one time. Now?
It wasn't so clear. <br /> <br />Aislin, Ishaq, Kiki, Vaygar, Rose, and
Brody lived in the world, preferring that to seclusion. He chuckled as
he tried to imagine Kiki in particular living in seclusion; she was the
original party girl, ancient Asian style that is. Shinji, his sire
preferred his mountaintop aerie to anyone or anything.<br /><br />He was
stirred from his reflections by his intercom buzzing; his assistant
announced that Rose and Brody were there. Heroku glanced at his watch
and saw that only 10 minutes had gone by since Rose called; surely they
must have been in route at that point, assured that he would see them. <br /><br />And of course he would.<br /><br />He
rose as his door was opened and bowed in deference to his guests, even
though he knew that these two did not expect that form of respect nor
appreciate it much either. It was an old habit that had been trained
into him by Shinji, who demanded respect always.<br /><br />"Rose, Brody, welcome. May I offer you a refreshment?" The words sounded overly formal even to him, but he was a bit nervous.<br /> <br />"No,
that's not necessary, Heroku. Thank you so much for making time to
visit with us. May we sit down?" Brody smiled at Heroku, trying to
ease a bit of his nervousness. Thank goodness everyone wasn't quite
this anxious around them; Shinji had been a tough task-manager and it
clearly showed in Heroku's interactions with the 13.<br /><br />"Yes,
certainly," Heroku said with another slight bow. He waited for them to
choose their seats and watched as they sat on the couch so he sat in an
arm chair across from them. He crossed his legs and then smoothed down
his pants leg, trying to relax a bit.<br /><br />"Well, um, the reason we're
here is about Carl. He will be marrying Camille soon and you're going
to turn him at that time, is this correct?" Rose smiled as she spoke,
but she saw Heroku sit up a bit straighter in the chair, suddenly
alarmed.<br /><br />"Heroku, nothing is wrong. We have absolutely no
objections to Carl; quite the contrary, in fact," Brody said. He
watched Heroku let out a long breath before he continued. "Carl is a
descendent, actually one of mine and Rose's; through his maternal
bloodline."<br /><br />Heroku let the words sink in; Carl was a descendent,
their descendent. He cleared his throat, a totally unnecessary response
and asked, "Does Carl know this?"<br /><br />"That's unlikely; certainly not from us. We wanted to tell you first, as you'll be his sire."<br /><br />"I
am only taking his blood; Camille will feed him her blood to complete
the turn. I'll see to his training and she will provide succor for his
emotional needs after the turning. I'm sorry, Brody, you would want to
see to his training yourself, I'm sure."<br /><br />"No, you've done well
with him. From all the knowledge we have, he has flourished under your
tutelage. We don't want that to change. We do want him to know that he
is a descendent but are willing to wait until you think the time is
appropriate."<br /><br />Heroku pondered Brody's words for a moment before
replying, "I believe he should be informed before his turning. It will
make a difference in how quickly and what methods will be used. I hope
you will share in this talk? I think it will be a very happy
circumstance for him."<br /><br />Rose and Brody both smiled delightedly; it
wasn't often that they were able to tell one of their descendents of
their lineage so this was a special time. They had lost track of some
of their descendents, but Carl's line had been carefully tracked. <br /> <br />Heroku
mused out loud, "This explains his superior physical abilities; he
learned all that Kenji could teach him extremely quickly. He would have
inherited that from you Brody."<br /><br />Brody grinned and nodded, "Most
likely but I think he has always been involved with physical activities.
That obviously helped. We're very excited about this, Heroku. Will
you set up a time with him when we can speak with him, Camille and you?"<br /><br />"I, yes, I will do that."<br /><br />"Anytime
you can arrange it, we'll make it work. Just let us know," Rose said,
coming lithely to her feet; her grace sometimes took Heroku's breath
away.<br /><br />"Of course, I'll let you know immediately." He bowed slightly again and bid them goodbye. <br /> <br />After
they left he sat in his chair behind his desk and contemplated this bit
of news. He'd always known that Carl would make an excellent vampire;
as a descendent he would also be powerful. It was a shame that Camille
wasn't a descendent as well; they might have had children to carry the
line farther. A female descendent with a non descendent vampire mate
can still have children; her body still produces the necessary eggs and
can merge with what in normal circumstances vampire seed that isn't
viable and create a child. As a descendent, Carl would still produce
active seed, if it came into contact with a viable egg, of a descendent;
it didn't work with a human. As Camille wasn't a descendent, she had no
viable eggs. Heroku knew that Rose had worked on that for many years,
trying to find a way to change that.<br /> <br />Perhaps someday. But not yet.<br /><br />He
called Carl and got his voice mail; he left a message for the young man
to call him at his convenience. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5Z9-QCmZyw"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Just My Imagination</span></a><br /><br />Cat
was taping a few more legal segments, her last ones before she went to
England in January. So much had happened in the past few weeks and for
the first time she regretted leaving. Another time might have been
preferred, but since she was teaching a course it was now or not at all
and since she had a contract, it was going to be now.<br /><br />Two things
had surprised her recently: she found that she actually liked her
father, a lot in fact and was amazed at how much they had in common.
The other thing was that she really liked Beth as well. The young woman
was smart, engaging and had a true knack for knowing what was going to
work at Buzzwire. And on a personal level, she was very caring and
obviously loved Mick with all her heart.<br /><br />The shock of her father
being a vampire had worn off; in fact as soon as she found out it
changed everything. She knew enough from her younger days to accept
that it was beyond his control and if her mother could forgive her,
well, it seemed that she could as well. Ben was still struggling with
it all and that made her a bit sad. She knew that Ben and Mick had a
lot in common as well and she hoped that eventually Ben would make peace
with his own heart. He would always feel loyal to his grandmother;
they had built a special relationship when Michelle had disappeared.
Margie had stayed in New York with Ben while he finished his last few
months of law school and he might not have made it without her there.<br /><br />Cat
was surprised when she looked up and saw the object of her musings walk
into the studio area. She smiled at her son and greeted him with a
kiss on his cheek, which he returned happily.<br /><br />"Benjamin, what brings you by here?"<br /><br />He laughed and smiled in return as his smile made his whole face light up. "Do I need a reason to see my mom?" he teased.<br /><br />"Normally no, but this is a bit out of your way I'd think." She looked up as Beth walked into the studio, smiling at Ben.<br /><br />"Hey, Ben! What are you doing here?"<br /><br />"It
seems my motives are questioned by all females today. I was out on an
interview with a prosecution witness, the Cummings case. She is still
in the hospital and will be testifying by video feed. I wanted to see
if Buzzwire would be interested in doing a contract job for us
actually."<br /><br />"Aha!" Cat laughed. "I knew you wouldn't just have come by here for me."<br /><br />Ben raised his hands in surrender and laughed again. "Okay, I'm caught. Still, Mother, it nice to see you here."<br /><br />"Okay,
I'll settle for that. Beth, I didn't know that Buzzwire did outside
contracts like that and Ben, since when doesn't the DA's office use
their own crew?"<br /><br />Beth and Ben looked at one another as they both
began to speak at the same time. They laughed and Ben said, "Please,
ladies first!"<br /><br />"I don't think we've done that before, but I'm sure we could. But like your mom, I'm curious as to why you need that?"<br /><br />"Andrea
Cummings is the sister of Randal Cummings, who works in our office.
I'm sure you remember him, Beth?" At her nod he continued, "I think
it's best if we have an independent source on this one." Randal was the
head tech for their video staff. What he said made sense; this would
make the video interview more credible.<br /><br />"I'm sure we can work
that out. Why don't we discuss this over dinner? Mick is baking a
chicken for dinner tonight; we'd love it if you came over."<br /><br />"I can't, unfortunately, Beth. I would have loved to otherwise."<br /><br />Beth
could see the sincerity in Cat's reply. "I understand, such short
notice. But promise me you'll come before you leave for England? It
would make Mick really happy. My mom has been helping him perfect his
cooking skills and he loves to practice. So, Ben, what about you?"<br /><br />For
a moment he felt a bit of panic; he wasn't sure he was ready to sit
down and have a meal with his grandfather. Not that Mick actually ate,
but still, it was a little close for comfort. Still, his mom told him
several times that the discomfort would only get better when he became
more familiar with Mick. He made his mind up and nodded, "Yeah, I think
I can do that. I need to get back to the office and take care of a
couple of things there. What time?"<br /><br />"Around 7 I think. Ben, I'm really happy you're coming!" <br /><br />So
was Cat; this was a positive step for Benjamin and she was sorry she
couldn't join them. She was sure she'd hear about it later though and
so she decided to just be happy for now.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Beth
called Mick to let him know that Ben was coming and she could tell that
he was happy about it just by the tone of his voice. She told him that
if he could handle the main course, she'd take care of dessert, which
meant a stop to grab a cheesecake on the way home. <br /> <br />When she got
there it was a quarter till 7 and the scent coming from the kitchen
made her mouth water. After she greeted Mick with a kiss she hugged her
mom and said, "I think your cooking lessons for Mick are really paying
off."<br /><br />"He's pretty good as he is, actually. But its fun to teach
someone, especially since you never had a bit of interest in cooking!
At least he can carry on the family recipes. Oh, and Beth, I want you
to meet Jackie."<br /><br />Beth looked into the living room and realized
that she'd been so carried away by the activity in the kitchen that
she'd failed to notice the young woman sitting in the living room.<br /><br />Jackie
came to her feet and smiled when she and Beth were introduced. Jackie
was beautiful and obviously at home around vamps, which would be a good
thing, especially in this family. They sat and chatted while waiting
for Ben to get there. <br /> <br />"Jackie, you're staying for dinner too, I
hope?" Beth asked, totally enjoying the young woman's company. Well,
actually she was 7 years older than Beth but for some reason she seemed
younger. Maybe it was just Beth's perception of life since she'd been
turned, she wasn't really sure.<br /><br />"I wish I could because it smells
really great in here. But, I am working the overnight shift at the
women's shelter tonight, my last shift there actually. I think the
staff has some type of party going for me, but I'm not supposed to know
that!" she laughed.<br /><br />They all looked up as someone knocked on the
door. Beth and Mick together said, "Ben!" and Beth headed to the door
while Mick wiped his hands self-consciously on a towel before going to
join Beth.<br /><br />When they opened the door Ben smiled and handed them a
bottle of white wine. "Chicken for dinner, right?" he asked with a
smile.<br /><br />"Yep and doesn't it smell delicious?" Beth asked. "Ben,
you remember my mom and this is Jackie; she's going to be working for
Mom and Clark when the babies get here."<br /><br />"Yes, sure. Hello, Mrs.
Griffin." When he looked at Jackie his face paled and his heart beat
rapidly for a few seconds. He stared in confusion and said, "Um,
Jackie? Your name is Jackie?"<br /><br />Beth and Mick both saw the
bewildered look on his face and glanced at Jackie, who seemed to not
catch the undercurrent in the room. Mick's eyebrow raised a bit as he
listened to Ben's heartbeat finally begin to calm as he shook Jackie's
hand.<br /><br />"It's nice to meet you, Ben. Perhaps we'll see one another
again? But now, I have to rush off, I'm already running a bit late.
Dorothy, I'll talk to you in a day or so."<br /><br />They watched as she
left the loft. Ben's eyes stayed focused on the door. It couldn't be,
he thought. The hair was lighter, her eyes were a different color and
her nose was different too. No matter all that - his instincts still
told him that it was Michelle.<br /><br /><br />To be continued…
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-85071749457220167412014-12-08T11:10:00.003-06:002014-12-08T11:10:50.751-06:00Chapter 27 Moonlight Seranade<br />
Dorothy and Rose had settled down to drink their
tea on the comfortable couch in the living room; the beautiful blue
fireplace cast an inviting glow in the room. Even if it was a gas
fireplace, it really was lovely, Dorothy thought.<br /><br />"Rose, tell me more about Jackie. She said that you helped her after something traumatic. What happened?"<br /><br />"She'd been shot and kidnapped. Despite that, she managed to escape and found her way to a clinic where I was working."<br /><br />"Were vampires involved?"<br /><br />"No, not until me. She had no knowledge of us. It took a year or so before she found out."<br /><br />"The
poor thing, I mean about being shot and kidnapped. Did they catch the
person responsible? Didn't she have family to go to?"<br /><br />"No, they
never caught them. Not that authorities didn't know who was
responsible, but without any real proof it is hard to do anything. The
situation was hard; if she told what she knew there wouldn't be any way
the police could protect her. She walked away from her family because
she was terrified that if she went back they be targets too."<br /><br />"I'm
betting the vamps could have protected her, but then she didn't know
about them at the time. How very sad. Is she still afraid of going
home?"<br /><br />"I guess there is no one to go home to any longer. So she
stays with me; she feels safe and we're family, of a sorts. She'll be
great working for you, Dorothy. Not only does she know all that I could
teach her about medical care but she has also trained with Brody so
she's good at protection as well."<br /><br />"Goodness, I can't thank you
enough for recommending her. We're lucky to have found her. I hope she
finds someone though, who'll love her so she can have those babies she
wants."<br /><br />"I hope so too, but you never can tell. Well, I think I
will leave you now. Remember, Brody is right next door if you need
anything."<br /><br />Dorothy laughed, "Yes, I'm not likely to forget.
Clark is going to Skype with me later, after his trip out with Vaygar.
Oh, Rose, I hope it goes well. If something happened Clark would never
forgive himself."<br /><br />"Vaygar will make sure that doesn't happen.
Not a thing to worry about." Her words were spoken with such certainty
that Dorothy didn't doubt them at all.<br /><br />The women hugged goodbye
and Dorothy closed the door and locked it up tightly. Now she just had
to wait. She picked the book up and began reading again. Time passes
quickly, but sometimes not nearly fast enough she thought.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZQQ0vUBceM"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Moonlight Seranade</span></a><br /><br />"Beth,
how nice of you to stop by. Won't you come in for some tea? I've just
made a fresh pot." Noodle had barked a bit at first and then gradually
came a bit closer to inspect Beth. She held out her hand for him to
sniff, hoping that he wouldn't be afraid.<br /><br /> "Hi, Noodle. Lani
says you are a good boy. You remember Lani?" He perked his ears up at
the mention of Lani; he loved Lani because she always shared her cookies
with him. Beth smiled at him and he cocked his head, still confused
about her strange smell but obviously no longer afraid. "Yes, I'd be
happy to. But I really need to talk to you about something; it's
important, Mrs. Carter."<br /><br />"Goodness, is everything alright? Oh my dear, is it Lani? Is she alright?"<br /><br />"Yes, Lani is just fine. No, it's not that. Perhaps we could sit down with that tea and I'll explain."<br /><br />Mrs.
Carter looked confused and still a bit alarmed. "I must admit dear,
that you have me a bit scared. My old heart is about to beat out of my
chest."<br /><br />Beth had been listening to Mrs. Carter's heart and knew
that was only partially true. Yes, it was a bit faster than when she'd
got there, but certainly not racing. "Well, let's have that tea and
I'll explain. You've no reason to be afraid and in fact, I think you'll
be very happy at my news."<br /><br />"Would you like some cookies to go with the tea, Beth? I've got ginger cookies here."<br /><br />"That
sounds delicious. Thank you," she said as Mrs. Carter set the teapot
and plate of cookies on the table, followed by the cups and saucers.
Beth looked around the room and saw that Lani was right, Mrs. Carter did
love purple.<br /><br />"Now dear, why don't you tell me why you stopped by?"<br /><br />Beth
took a deep breath, trying to choose her words carefully. "Mrs.
Carter, Lani told me about your family. Specifically about your
brother, Mick. I know you loved him a great deal. Would you be happy
to know that he is still alive?"<br /><br />"Alive? Mick? And where has he been? We looked everywhere for him. Is he still married to the Duvall woman?"<br /><br />"No, they haven't been married for many years now. Would you like to see Mick? Talk to him, Mrs. Carter?"<br /><br />"Oh
heavens, yes. Where is he? He'd be 86 now. I guess he's probably in a
nursing home?" Her eyes regarded Beth speculatively over the rim of
her cup. Something in Mrs. Carters words didn't quite ring true; her
heart had sped up a bit and she quickly became quite busy placing
cookies on plates for them. Suddenly, the picture became a bit clearer
for Beth.<br /><br />Beth grinned, "No, he's not. He's out in the car
actually. He was afraid it would be too much of a shock to you, to see
him. You see, he hasn't aged. He'll tell you how that is possible."
Beth stood up and nodded to the door way, "I'll go and get him." She
didn't wait to see the look of sheer surprise on Maeve's face.<br /><br />At the car Beth said, "Okay. She knows you're alive and she's fine. Come on, Mick. Time to see your sister."<br /><br />"Yeah, she knows I'm alive but does she know how, Beth? That's the hard part."<br /><br />"That
is for you to tell her, Mick. It will be fine, I promise you. Oh, and
take it easy with Noodle. He's still a bit wary. Speak softly to him
and keep to yourself. I think he'll come around."<br /><br />Beth opened
the screen door and stepped into the house. Maeve St. John stood in the
foyer, waiting to see her big brother. Her hands were clenched and
both Mick and Beth scented her nervousness, although there was no fear
mixed with it.<br /><br />She and Mick met one another's eyes and Maeve
gulped in a large breath. She walked forward and touched his cheek with
trembling fingers. "It can't be!" she exclaimed.<br /><br />"Its…it's me,
Squeaks. It's really me," he told her, watching and listening for any
signs of distress in his sister. Instead all he saw was wonder.<br /><br />She
frowned slightly and while she was puzzled, she knew without a doubt
that this was Mick, her brother. What she'd been told was true, no
denying it. She finally walked to him and put her arms around him to
hold him tight. Mick heard her sobs as he scented her tears. Beth
stood back, a silly grin on her face. Too bad she didn’t have a camera
for this moment.<br /><br />Finally Maeve stepped back on a smacked him on
the arm. She still had a pretty good arm Mick noticed and he grinned
for the first time. "How dare you not let me know you were alive
before? And our parents grieved for you forever, Michael St. John!"<br /><br />Inwardly
Mick winced; using his formal name meant she was pissed, really pissed.
She glared at him angrily and he suddenly felt like he was in for a
really rough time. Oddly enough she didn't even mention how he looked
and that couldn't be good. Maybe her eyesight wasn't good? That
question was answered quickly with her next statement.<br /><br />"And look
at you! You have some explaining to do. In the kitchen, now!" she
commanded. When Noodle started to yap she looked at him and said,
"Enough, Noodle. Go lay down!" She pointed to the living room and the
little dog ran away, presumably to do as told. <br /> <br />As they made
their way into the kitchen Beth stole a glance back at the little
floppy-haired dog and saw him spying on them as they went into the
kitchen. He raised a paw towards her, a move that made her feel bad for
the little guy; he felt left out, something that he wasn't used to
obviously.<br /><br />Maeve poured Mick a cup of tea without questioning if
he wanted it. As she sat it down in front of him he knew he'd better
drink it or else. He watched as Beth dipped a sweet ginger cookie into
her tea and took a bite; she obviously relished it and for a moment he
felt a bit sad that he couldn't.<br /><br />"Well, explain yourself," Maeve said, skewering him with a look that meant business.<br /><br />"I…I
know this is going to be hard to accept or even understand, Maeve but
when I married Coraline, I didn't know that she was a…a…vampire. She
turned me on our wedding night, so I became a vampire too."<br /><br />He
watched her closely and listened to her heartbeat. It held very steady,
something that surprised him. Her next words floored him though and it
was his heart that sped up when she spoke.<br /><br />"I know that, Michael! We'd already figured that out. Now, why didn't you contact us?"<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Clark
was nervous; a bit scared in fact. Vaygar and Logan both thought he
was ready to venture into the realm of humans again, and he felt strong,
he really did, but what if he went crazy or something? If Vaygar and
Logan had to pull him off someone, that would let humans see much more
than was safe for all of them.<br />It was interesting to him to
acknowledge how he'd already made a mental shift between the human world
and the world of vampires, or immortals. Like him. <br /><br />Yes, like him.<br /><br />He
was now one of those who walked amongst the night shadows. Well, only
figuratively, but they told him that it would be awhile before he could
be out in sunlight without it being really uncomfortable if not
dangerous. <br /><br />Still, the reward of doing well and staying in
control was being with Dorie again and getting to see his babies being
born. Vaygar insisted that would happen and it was the best goal ever,
so Clark was going to hold up his end of the bargain.<br /><br />Their first
stop was a walk in the park, literally. There was a concert going on,
but they were going to stay far enough away that if there was any sign
of him not being able to stay in control Logan and Vaygar could get him
out of there in a hurry. If staying on the fringe of the group went
well, they'd move closer in. It helped that it was pretty chilly for a
Los Angeles night so there would be fewer people out; that was the idea
anyway.<br /><br />They went in Logan's VW, with the top down. Clark sat in
the back and he had to admit that the night air felt amazing. It
wasn't cold at all to feel the wind rushing past him and just looking at
the stars in the sky was a treat all on its own. So many more than he
ever saw as a human, even out in the middle of nowhere. Millions more,
maybe? He didn't know for sure, but the view was incredible.<br /><br />As
they neared the park he began to feel a bit more anxious; he was sipping
from a travel mug of O-, which so far was the flavor he liked best.
That thought made him laugh out loud and Logan glanced over his shoulder
as they turned into the parking area. He wasn't concerned but he was
curious about what had captured Clark's attention. Clark just shrugged,
not explaining what he had been thinking about because probably every
vampire had similar thoughts at one time or another. Who would have
thought that different blood types could taste so different? Not the
human Clark, for sure.<br /><br />In the parking area people were carrying
blankets and small coolers with them as they headed to find their
favorite spots to watch the concert. Before they got out of the car
Vaygar handed Clark a pair of foam earplugs.<br /><br />"What are these for?" he asked, very curious.<br /><br />"The sound may be too much for you, so if it is, just put them in and that will help."<br /><br />Clark
nodded; sounds did still sound pretty loud at times, so he might need
these he thought as he stuffed them down into the pocket of his jeans.
"Thanks, I appreciate you thinking of that; I didn't."<br /><br />Vaygar nodded and smiled as Logan put the top up on the car and got out, locking it up. "How are you feeling? Ready for this?"<br /><br />"As I ever will be, I think. A bit nervous I guess."<br /><br />"Understandably.
Clark, you've surpassed all expectations I've had for you, and I'm
sure your sire would agree with me. You handled drinking fresh without a
single problem, you've been training hard and learning defensive
techniques incredibly quick; this should go quite well, I believe. We
wouldn't have brought you here if Logan and I didn't think you were
ready. Now, come on, let's walk a bit. At the first sign you are
feeling uncomfortable all you have to do is say so."<br /><br />Logan nodded
in agreement with Vaygar. The past couple of days working with him had
been great; not that Mick hadn't been an excellent and patient sire
because as far as Logan was concerned he had been the best and an
example to live up to. But, Logan agreed with Vaygar that they had to
get Clark ready, sooner than later and so he'd bowed to the older vamps
guidance and here they were, giving Clark his first chance to walk
though humankind. And somehow, Logan knew that Clark was going to do
just fine.<br /><br />As the moved away from the car they fell into step
right behind a group of laughing humans who were obviously excited about
the upcoming event. Clark inhaled, scenting their blood but didn't
feel in slightest bit drawn to it. He breathed in and out once, feeling
relieved and relaxed. <br /> <br />They circled along the fringes of the
groups of happy concert goers and as they got closer to the stage, the
sound grew louder and Clark put the ear plugs in. He saw Logan wince
and knew that his sire wished for a pair of his own. Vaygar smiled to
himself as he saw Logan cringe a couple of times; unfortunately he'd
only brought along one pair.<br /><br />After a half an hour they sat down
to listen to the band play, surrounded by people. It was apparent that
Clark was fine among humanity and all three of them enjoyed the concert;
an older rock band that they all liked.<br /><br />When the concert was
over they walked back to the car among the throngs of humans and they
chatted easily about the concert and the songs that were playing. It
had actually been a very enjoyable evening.<br /><br />"So, when do I get sprung?" Clark asked, hoping that he could go home immediately. He was disappointed at his answer.<br /><br />"Another
time to feed fresh tomorrow, Clark and then tomorrow evening another
outing with humans. If that all goes well, and I expect it will, then
we can get you home."<br /><br />At least another day; it seemed like
forever. He decided it was tantamount to being a kid and waiting for
Christmas each year. It was going to take forever.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Mick
stared incredulously at his sister, not sure whether to be shocked or
doubt her sanity. "What do you mean you figured that out already? How
could you have?"<br /><br />Maeve smiled and for a moment took a bit of satisfaction in his reaction. Beth, she noted, didn't seem surprised at all.<br /> <br />Almost
comically, Beth sat sipping her tea as her eyes scanned back and forth
between brother and sister, an eyebrow quirked upward in amusement. Mick
was thoroughly freaked out by this admission from Maeve and Beth was
enjoying his reaction a good deal. True, it was very sad that all these
years were wasted, but it was hard for Mick to shed the 'I'm a monster'
idea he'd carried around in his head and soul for so many years. She
hoped that this would be the final layer that would unravel his views on
being a vamp and let him start enjoying his existence. When she'd
realized earlier by Maeve's demeanor that she knew the secret it made
her intensely curious, but she knew that Mick had to be there to hear
the story so she'd gone and fetched him in.<br /><br />"Margie told me, told us."<br /><br />Mick choked on his tea and it brought a few tears to his eyes as he sputtered when it went up his nose. <br /> <br />Damn!
Again, Beth so wished she had a camera handy. These types of moments
only happen once. She had to laugh at herself, always the reporter!
She knew that was being a little mean, but honestly, what she was
learning was that there was no such thing as vampires - being a secret
that is. It seemed that practically everyone knew.<br /> <br /> <br />Maeve
handed Mick some napkins and patted his hand. "Do you remember Jimmie
Jacoby? From your band?" At Mick's nod she continued, "Well, he was a
vampire. That apparently is how your band got that gig at Coraline
Duvalls. Of course, you didn't know he was one, he told us later, and
Coraline took care to never let you see him afterwards. After the news
about your death he went to see Coraline, but she wouldn't let you see
him. He began to worry that you hadn't been turned, that she had killed
you. So he started watching that glass house where she lived, in hopes
of seeing you. When he finally did he relaxed about it, to some
degree. That's when he saw Margie and she was pregnant with Catherine.
She was seeing Herb by then but she missed you so badly and was
inconsolable about your death. So he told her the truth, Mick. She
accepted it and later told me, hoping that I would at least find
consolation in the fact that you hadn't been killed. Jimmie had not
told anyone where this glass house was, although we did eventually find
out through the police department. By then it was deeded to a Cynthia
Davis. We stayed away, hoping that you'd come to see us. Eventually I
told mama and papa and it did make them feel better to know that you
weren't dead, but none of us could understand why you wouldn't let us
know. Mick, papa was very angry with you because of that."<br /><br />Mick
was stunned; he wasn't sure what part upset him more, the fact that
Jimmie was a vampire, that Margie and his family knew or that he might
have still had relationships had Coraline not kept him from them. And
she had, he knew, just like she'd kept Jimmie from him. All those
years, he'd secluded himself from his family because Coraline told him
that was the way it had to be, that his existence would bring danger to
them. He knew that wasn't the truth any longer; too many people knew.
That wasn't a good thing but he might have had a relationship with them,
after awhile that is. And to know that his father had been so angry
with him, that he had died being angry hurt Mick deeper than anything
else ever had.<br /><br />He cried in earnest this time; he shed tears for
what might have been, for the gift of his sister and her obvious love
for him even after the hurt he had caused them all. <br /><br />Life
doesn't always take the path you expect it to, but if you just look
around you might find that it takes you where you need to be.<br /><br /><br />To be continued…
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-17293792462033153662014-12-01T12:00:00.003-06:002014-12-01T12:00:38.199-06:00Chapter 26 Starry, Starry NightChapter 26 Starry, Starry Night<br /><br />Dorothy
had just settled down on the bed to take a nap when her phone rang. It
was Clark and she answered it eagerly. "Hi," she whispered, her voice a
bit breathy from excitement.<br /><br />"Hi, Dorie! Guess what?, You'll never guess?"<br /><br />"Um, I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"<br /> <br />He
could hear the laughter in her voice and said, "I fed fresh today!
First time and it went great, honey. I'll be out of here in no time at
all. Tonight we're going to take a walk at the mall or a market or
something. And I'll feed fresh again tomorrow and, Dorie? If that goes
well I'm coming home in just a couple of days. Vaygar is helping me
through it and has been working on some physical training with me as
well outside. Honey, it won't be long and I can hold you in my arms and
I'll be there for you when the babies are born. He tells me that
Alexander will not come until I am ready because I need to protect you
and his sister."<br /><br />"Goodness," she said, frowning. Vaygar seemed
to think he had some type of mental connection with the twins, Alexander
in particular. Rose said that Vaygar had very strong psychic gifts and
that she would most likely have those as well. Dorothy didn't see how
because there was nothing about her now that bespoke of being
psychically tuned. "Clark, I am so relieved; I just want to feel your
arms around me, honey."<br /><br />"I know. Dorie, it won't be long, I promise you. Just hold on a little bit more, girl. I won't let you down."<br /><br />"I know, Clark. I've always known that."<br /><br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Mick
pushed the end call button on his phone and sat it down on the desk, a
bit shaken up by what he'd just been told by Logan. Clark had just fed
fresh today, successfully in fact. <br /> <br />Clark wasn't a descendent;
apparently they make the transition in a few days. It was only a week
since Clark had been turned and yet he'd fed fresh and hadn't had any
control issues. He would do so tomorrow and tonight he was going out,
out to walk among humans.<br /><br />Mick could only hope that Vaygar knew what the hell he was doing.<br /><br />It
wasn't that Mick was wishing for anything bad to happen; it was just
that it was all happening so fast. In his experience it didn't work
that way. Or did it? It had taken him a full month to be able to
socially engage humans with no worry of losing control. How could that
have been?<br /><br />Because of that he'd kept Logan isolated for a whole
month, just to make sure. And he'd tried to keep Beth isolated as well;
that one didn't work out as planned and certainly wasn't necessary.
Now it looked as if Clark was going to be ready to go home in a couple
of days. The truth was he reflected, he had fed fresh and been around
humans in his first week, at Josef's place, under the careful and
critical eye of his friend. It was only around Coraline, that he felt
as if he'd lose control. He realized now that she had kept him that way
so he'd be dependent on her. The thought of that, the memory rang true
for him in a way that it never had before.<br /><br />Mick was genuinely
happy for both Clark and Dorothy. He could only hope it would go well
because one thing was for sure, Dorothy needed him to be with her.<br /><br />He
heard Beth step off the elevator and glanced at his watch. It had been
a full hour since he'd talked with Logan; a full hour that he should
have used to start some dinner. Dorothy was upstairs, taking a nap
because she wasn't sleeping well at a night. Mick hadn't heard her get
up so he figured that she was still sleeping.<br /> <br />He met Beth in the living room and gave her a hug. He had lots to tell her, about Catherine's visit and about Clark.<br /><br />"Hi," Beth said, heading straight into his arms. "Um, it's good to be home!"<br /><br />"Hard day at the office, dear?" he teased.<br /><br />"Not
too bad; does it have to be a bad day for me to be happy to be home?"
She grinned at him before adding, "What's for dinner? I don't smell
anything and I'm starved! I think my house husband if neglecting his
duties!"<br /><br />"Oh, he is? Shame on him. Maybe you could overlook it, just this once?"<br /><br />"I think I can manage that. Where's Mom?"<br /><br />"Sleeping, for about an hour now. Probably the best for her." <br /><br />Beth
nodded, knowing how often her mom had been up in the night. She headed
into the kitchen a pulled out a carafe of A+ and raised an eyebrow at
Mick in question. At his nod she poured two glasses and handed him one
of them.<br /><br />Mick leaned against the counter and told her about Clark.<br /><br />"Wow, that's wonderful! Maybe he'll be back before those babies are born."<br /><br />"I hope so. It just seems so soon. If anything were to happen I don't know how Logan will handle it."<br /><br />"Mick, you need to stop worrying about your fledgling. Vaygar is helping, it will be okay."<br /><br />He
nodded again and took her glass before rinsing both of them out putting
them in the dishwasher. "Beth, Cat came to see me today."<br /><br />Beth
looked down for a moment; she had a feeling she knew what this was about
and so she prepared herself for trouble. "What did she have to say?"<br /><br />Mick
told her of their conversation and Beth almost held her breath in
anticipation of what Mick might think about it. It didn't matter that
she could hold her breath for, well probably forever, either.<br /><br />"I want to go and see her, Beth. Soon."<br /><br />"You…you're kidding, right?"<br /><br />"No,
I'm serious. Maybe tonight before I change my mind. Do you think your
mom would be unhappy if we left for a little while?"<br /><br />"Do you
think mom would be unhappy about what?" Dorothy asked, slowly descending
the stairs. With her belly so big she couldn't see beneath her feet so
she literally just felt her way down.<br /><br />"Mick has decided to go and see his sister," Beth said.<br /><br />"Mick,
I'm so proud of you! I don't might a bit. It's not like I'm alone,
what with the vampire squad next door," she said, with a nod of her head
in the direction of Brody's apartment.<br /><br />"Okay then. Well, let's get you girls fed first. Beth has told me that she is starving."<br /><br />"Let's do it," Beth said, looking in fridge. There had to be something in there that would be tasty.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Starry, Starry Night</span></a><br /><br />After
dinner was finished and the dishwasher was running Mick and Beth said
goodbye. Dorothy had settled in on the couch with a murder mystery to
read. She would talk to Clark again later, when they could Skype. She
was anxious to hear about his walk among humans.<br /> <br />Her heart was
heavy; maybe it was the impending birth of their children, something
they could have had a long time ago, if it hadn't been for her fears.
In the end though, perhaps her fear had been justified…<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Early June, 1980<br /><br />"Come
on, Dorothy, snap out of it! It's been 2 days since Clark left. I
know you miss him but you have to stop living like a boring old nun!"
her best friend, Merri told her as they sat outside in Merri's back yard
and sipped their Coke's. <br /> <br />"Merri, you don't know, you can't
understand. Kip is still here; he's going to college here and you'll
still see him sometimes. Clark will be a world away!"<br /><br />"But not forever, Dorothy. You said you love him enough to wait and you will."<br /><br />"But
will he? He's going to be out there in the world, around women, adult
women who, well you know, well, let's just say they aren't virgins!"<br /><br />"And
you are?" Merri laughed and as she saw the crestfallen look on her
friends face she realized the truth. "You are, aren't you?"<br /><br />Dorothy
nodded, feeling miserable about that. "I tried to get him to, uh, you
know. Before he left, but he wouldn't. He didn't want me!"<br /><br />Merri
reached for her friends hand and squeezed it lightly in a show of
support. What Dorothy had told her was a bit surprising; Clark and
Dorothy were so much in love and it seemed natural that they would have
done it. "Dorothy, it wasn't because he doesn't love you; Kip says that
you are Clark's world and all he talks about is the future you two
have. He's just being smart; not starting something that either of you
are ready for before he went."<br /><br />Dorothy held back a sob and hugged
her knees to her chest as she rested her chin on them. Part of her
knew that what Merri had said was true, but it stung that he hadn't
taken what she had offered. She didn't really want to do it yet, but it
made her feel insecure that he wouldn't do it.<br /><br />Just then Mrs.
Macintosh called out the back door, "Dorothy, your mom just called and
said it was time for you to get home, young lady. Hadn't you two
chatterboxes noticed that it was dark now?"<br /><br />Neither girl had and
they both stood guiltily and brushed their shorts off before heading
into the house. Dorothy sat her empty can on the counter and headed to
the front door, waving goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Macintosh.<br /><br />"Dorothy, do you want me to give you a lift?" Mr. Macintosh asked, frowning when she quickly shook her head no.<br /><br />"Thanks anyway, but I'll just cut through the park, it's a lot quicker. Bye, Merri. See you tomorrow?"<br /><br />"Yep, you can count on it!"<br /><br />Dorothy
quickly ran down the steps and through the yard, crossing the street to
get to the park. It was dark and a bit creepy she decided. It wasn't
like she hadn't been there at night before but never alone. She hurried
across the grounds, past the play area to the far side, which was
through the trees. She cast a look around her, suddenly feeling
unsettled. Maybe she should go back and take the long way around the
park?<br /><br />He'd been watching her since Griffin had left. He couldn't
believe his good luck; here she was, all alone walking quickly through
the park. He suddenly stepped out of the trees and stood in her path,
making her jump and let out a small shriek.<br /><br />"Well, it if isn't
Clark Griffin's girl. And where is Clark by the way? Oh yeah, he's not
here. How ya doin' Dorothy?" He took a step closer to her and reached
out and touched her face. "Looks like you been crying. Missing that
jerk? Here, I'll make it all better for you!"<br /><br />A minute later she
was on the ground, screaming uselessly because one hand covered her
mouth while the other ripped her shorts off and then her panties.
Dorothy tried to twist and heave his body off of hers but it was
pointless; he was too big and too heavy. Instead she stared at him with
hate filled eyes and saw his laugh in response before he swung and hit
her hard, the blow cutting her lip and leaving a bruise on her cheek.<br /><br />It
didn't take long and for that she was grateful. She lay there, staring
up at the stars in the sky, mourning what was just taken from her. She
didn't know a lot about sex but she knew that it was supposed to be
given with love and this had been anything but.<br /><br />Sobs tore through
her body; great heaving sobs that almost made Martin feel guilty.
Almost. He zipped his jeans up and tossed her ruined panties at her and
then picked them back up and stuck them in his pocket. He knelt down
and said "A souvenir I think. And Dorothy? If you ever tell anyone
about this, your parents, Griffin, anyone, I'll kill them, got it? You
are mine, MINE and you'd better remember that. If you ever let Griffin
get close to you again I'll kill him. I promise you and you had better
believe me." He slapped her again, just so she would understand that
he'd meant what he said.<br /><br />With that he walked off nonchalantly, as
if this had been an ordinary stroll though the park. She curled into
the fetal position and let the tears flow in an effort to wash him away
but he was firmly in her head. She knew that he meant what he'd said,
that she could never have Clark. She got to her feet and pulled on her
shorts, realizing that she couldn't fasten them because he'd ripped the
button and the zipper. She held them together and ran for home,
thankful that her mom was the only one there. He father was away for
business in Fresno and she hoped she could get into the house and too
her room before her mom could see her.<br /><br />As she opened the front
door she knew that it wouldn't be possible. Not only was her mom in the
front room but so was Shelly Griffin, Clark's mom. Both women rose to
their feet as she came in and Grace immediately started crying, knowing
instinctively what had happened. Shelly was right behind her and both
women were questioning her about how she was, what had happened, a
million questions that Dorothy didn't want to answer.<br /><br />"Mama, please, don't make me talk about it. I just want to take a bath!" she cried.<br /><br />"Dorothy, some man has hurt you. We need to call the police!"<br /><br />"NO.
No, Mom, you know how they treat girls when this happens. They make it
seem like it's our fault. You know that. Please, Mrs. Griffin, you
have to know that too. I don't know who did it. I can't identify them,
what good would it do?"<br /><br />Shelly's heart was breaking for Dorothy,
but at the same time she knew the truth of Dorothy's words. It was the
girls who suffered when rape went to trial; why were they dressed in
such a revealing manner, why were they at that place, etc.. "She has a
point, Grace. Maybe it's best to just get her cleaned up." If she had
just seen who did it then they might risk calling the police but it was
still chancy.<br /><br />"Dorothy, are you sure you don't know who did
this?" At her daughter's negative shake of the head Grace felt so
angry, so helpless. "I need to call your father, Dorothy."<br />"Mama,
please don't. PLEASE…I feel so ashamed, so dirty. Please don't tell
anyone about this. Please…" her words were punctuated by more sobs.
"Mrs. Griffin, you can't tell Clark, please, just don't."<br /><br />Shelly
nodded, understanding the reason for this request. If Clark found out
about it he would want to find the person and it would never let Dorothy
put it behind her and find peace and that is what she needed, to find a
way to make peace with it.<br /><br />It was against her better judgment but Grace acquiesced to her daughters pleas. Six weeks later he would have to be told.</span><br /><br />Dorothy
was shaken out of her memories by a knock on the door. She realized
she had been crying when she felt the wetness on her cheeks. She stood
up, hastily wiping the tears away and looked at the security camera and
saw Rose standing at the door. It would do no good to ignore the knock
because the vampire would know that she was in here.<br /><br />As Rose
waited she could scent the tears that Dorothy had been shedding. She
didn't sense any problems within the loft but Dorothy had been crying.
She made herself smile when Dorothy opened the door, trying to appear
unconcerned when in truth she was not only concerned but curious as
well.<br /><br />"Hi, Rose. Did Mick and Beth ask you to stop by?"<br /><br />"Um, no. I was visiting Brody and thought I'd stop and see you while I was here."<br /><br />Dorothy
nodded, lightly biting her lower lip. She didn't really want company,
but she also didn't want to be left alone with the memories. She knew
that as soon as Clark was home she needed to tell him what she had
concealed all these years, about Martin's threats. They would have to
find him because he'd never leave them alone otherwise.<br /><br />"Come in, Rose," she finally said.<br /><br />Rose scented her indecision and said, "If this is a bad time, I can go. It's just a social visit, Dorothy."<br /><br />"No, please, come in. I'm going to make some tea, would you like some?"<br /><br />"Yes, that sounds lovely. Can I help you?"<br /><br />"No,
just have a seat. It won't take me long." Dorothy got the kettle
heating as she pulled out tea bags. "Is chamomile okay? It's either
that or the red raspberry pregnancy tea," she laughed.<br /><br />Rose smiled and said, "Chamomile is perfect, thank you. How are you feeling?"<br /><br />"Ready
to have these babies. However, Vaygar tells me that Alexander tells
him that he and his sister are not coming until Clark is back." She
laughed because it seemed preposterous to her that Alexander was talking
to Vaygar and she told Rose as much.<br /><br />"Well, he does have amazing psychic abilities, Dorothy. Really. This is probably very possible."<br /><br />Dorothy
set the mugs down on the counter with a clatter. "Rose, how in the
world? I mean, talk to a baby not yet born? It takes them a year of
more to actually understand what you are saying sometimes and longer to
respond and it's only simple language at that."<br /><br />"It can take
awhile for them to respond, I agree, but is it that they have no
understanding or that their bodies aren't yet to the point where they
can respond? Dorothy, I don't have that much of a psychic gift. Some
yes, all of the 13 have at least basic ability, but Vaygar has always
had a very strong ability. Beth's ability to communicate with Mick when
she was kidnapped is more from Vaygar's genes than mine, even though
her DNA is more prominently mine. I expect that since Vaygar is your
only antecedent that you will have very strong gifts as well; most of
his descendents do."<br /><br />"I just don't think that can be true, Rose.
I mean, I don't have any ability now. So it's just going to magically
appear when I'm turned?"<br /><br />"I suspect so. Seriously," she added when she saw the skeptical look that Dorothy gave her.<br /> <br />Dorothy
filled the mugs and carried them to the table where Rose was sitting.
She was mulling over what the vampire had said and she just couldn't
quite wrap her brain around it. Frankly, being psychic wasn't something
she ever even wanted. After all, they said her grandmother always knew
when someone was going to die. Every single time. It was eerie
Dorothy always thought. And then it all started to fall into place.
Her grandmother. Dorothy's descendent line came through her mother.
She told Rose about it and she nodded in agreement.<br /><br />"So maybe there are a few of those talents out there, in your family, Dorothy."<br /><br />"Maybe, but I don't want to know when someone I love is going to die, Rose."<br /><br />"And you may not. Also, keep in mind that you'll have training to help you direct your gift."<br /><br />"Really? I can control it?"<br /><br />Rose nodded. "Yes, you'll learn so much when you train."<br /><br />"About that…Rose, how soon before I can be turned? How old do the babies have to be?"<br /><br />"As
a descendent, it only takes a couple of days for you to acclimate. You
will have complete control, Dorothy but you'll still need a couple of
days to get used to the elevated sensory sensations. That is the
difficult part. How soon do you want to be turned?"<br /><br />"I want to
breast feed the twins for as long as I can but I also want to be turned
as quickly as possible. Does that make me a bad mother?" She felt very
guilty over the thought.<br /><br />Rose smiled. "Not at all. You can be
turned very quickly; you can pump milk for the babies for the couple of
days you'll be away. Also, when Clark is back, make sure you take a bit
of his blood every day, just a few drops as it will help you heal much
more quickly. Your body will return to normal in a few days or so that
way."<br /><br />"Does that mean we could, um, be together?"<br /><br />"Yes,
but you're going to be so tired with twins in the house that I'm
thinking you'll be too tired for many extra activities," she said with a
laugh.<br />Now that was something to think about!<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Mick
pulled the old Benz up into the driveway at Maeve's house. Beth
scouted the yard but didn't see Noodle anywhere and decided the little
dog must be in the house. Surely the car in the drive must have
attracted the occupants attention so Beth went to open her door but was
stopped by Mick's hand on hers.<br /><br />"I don't know if I can do this, Beth. How do I do this?"<br /><br />"Why don't you let me go and talk to her for a moment, to sort of prepare her?"<br /><br />"Is that any better than just seeing me? I don't know."<br /><br />Beth
sensed he was waffling on it and quickly opened the door and stepped
out of the car and closed the door. She saw the front door of the house
open up and waved and called out to Mrs. Carter, aka Maeve St. John.
"Hi Mrs.Carter. I'm Beth; remember I met you the other night? I'm a
friend of Lani's. May I talk to you for a minute?"<br />Mick listened from the car. This was it, his moment of truth. He hoped that it wasn't a huge mistake.<br /><br /><br />To be continued…<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #400080;">AUTHOR'S
NOTE: Rape is always a difficult subject to deal with. I didn't go
into any real detail because of that fact but it was necessary to
complete the chain of questions started in my first story, Beth's Diary.
The question has always been posed as to why Dorothy never told anyone
and kept Clark away from her for so many years. This was integral in
her life, her fear that Martin would find out. When he did, he tried to
kill Clark and Dorothy has a great deal of guilt over that. We aren't
quite done with this yet, so hand in there with me.<br /><br />Also, another
thing to mention; young women today are often unable to understand the
issues dealing with rape in the past. Granted, it can still be horrible
now to go through a court proceeding where rape is concerned but in the
past, it was usually an all out attack on the woman and her loose
morals or manner of dress. Women and girls 'enticed' or 'excited' men
to do such things and the poor guy just couldn't help himself. That is
the reason why so many women didn't report rape. If you've ever seen
the movie, The Accused, you'll have a good understanding of the
situation. It is a movie well worth seeing, however it is very graphic.<br /><br />Dorothy
was a sign of her times, as Grace and Shelly both knew. Even if the
rape had been reported, Martin might very well have never been arrested
or charged. That is a very bitter pill to swallow, even now, I
understand. <br /> <br />I hope this chapter wasn't too upsetting for any of you. I tried to do it in the least invasive way possible.</span></span>
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-49883397404557459672014-11-24T11:10:00.001-06:002014-11-24T11:10:17.525-06:00Chapter 25 Just a Song Before I Go<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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"Two it is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goodbye, Catherine."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He heard her murmur goodbye and then the line
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OOOOOOOOOOOO</div>
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Rose stared at the report that was on her computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been sent to her by Naman, the sort of
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Vampires were dying of an, so far, undetectable
disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dying</i>…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How could that be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
couldn't possibly be true and yet it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several hundred so far, that they knew of, and all so far in Eastern
Europe and Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The symptoms were
pretty cut and dried; in a human they might even be diagnosed and cured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how did you kill a vampire with a disease
when nothing in the form of a disease could do that?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The blood in their bodies was essentially eating itself,
thereby starving them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, it
just consumed them and no amount of blood could help, not even returning by another,
healthy vampire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps the bigger question was, how were they getting the
disease?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it a poisoning agent of
some kind and if so, where did it originate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was it a culling of vampires, a natural end to a cycle of
vampirism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did special blood factors
contribute to it, or types of blood?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was
it from a specific familial line?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Would it affect the 13 and their descendents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it eventually spread though out all
vampires? Was it limited to vampires only or were humans susceptible?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they were, health agencies would get
involved and vampires might be exposed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If that happened and they were determined to be the point of origin, one
way or another there would be what most vampires had long feared, a war.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rose sat back and frowned, a hundred thoughts racing through
her head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She reached for her phone to
call Brody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She needed his comfort right
now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OOOOOOOOOOOO</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cat knocked on Mick's office door, suddenly aware of her
rapidly beating heart and that her palms were sweaty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wiped them unconsciously on her skirt
just as Mick opened the door.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He heard her racing heart and began to feel a bit of alarm
himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he opened the door she
swallowed nervously and licked her lips and gave him a small smile, trying to
summon a bit of courage because she was truly nervous about his reactions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Catherine, please come in."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mick stepped aside and watched as his
daughter entered the room and stood unsure of herself for a moment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Have a seat, please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would you care for a drink?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She sank down into one of the chairs across from in at the
desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She nodded gratefully at his offer
for a drink and crossed her legs as she waited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He couldn't help but notice that she'd not sat on the couch as she had
before, so this probably wasn't just a cozy 'getting to know you' chat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Catherine accepted the scotch gratefully and took a bigger
sip than expected and sputtered for moment before she looked up, spotting Mick
watching her closely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Catherine, what's on your mind?" he finally
ventured, as curious at the proverbial cat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or Travis, fielder's choice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Mick, I wanted to talk to you about - about
Maeve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your sister."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she had been taping more segments at
Buzzwire Beth had told her about Mick's sister and his reluctance to see her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of everything she could have said to him, this might well
have been last on his list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In truth,
her nervousness had convinced him that she was going to tell him she didn't
want him in her life, in any way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No,
talking about Maeve was a total surprise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He quirked an eyebrow upward and finally said, "What
about her, Catherine?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"You…you have to tell her you are still alive,
Mick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can't keep avoiding it."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beth</i>…Beth had told
her, it couldn't have been anyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did he know that he needed to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Did he know that he needed to do it before Josef's wedding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was he still afraid of what it might do to her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Positively panicked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He cleared his throat and said, "Um, Catherine, that's
kind of personal, you know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven't
decided what to do yet."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Haven't decided what to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you crazy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You'd just let her see you, no explanations
at Josef's wedding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is just cruel!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn't figure you for a coward,
Mick!"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her words were rushed and a
trifle loud, especially to a vampires ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had to focus hard on not wincing at just how loud they were.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Catherine, this kind of shock might kill her, or - or
cause a stroke or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, it's
dangerous."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Catherine scoffed at his words and then laughed
outright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn't have a clue at just
what a strong woman his sister really was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She didn't know her aunt well but she had met her a number of
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Margie had always made sure that
Catherine had knowledge of Mick's family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had even met his parents before they died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wouldn't tell him how heartbroken they were
about their son; it wouldn't serve any purpose and would only make him feel
guiltier about something that truly had been out of his hands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I know her, Mick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It will do nothing of the kind."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"You've met her, you know, Maeve?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow that shocked him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Yes, mother made sure I knew your family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wanted me to know my grandparents and my
aunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maeve will be thrilled to know you
are still here, Mick, regardless of the circumstances."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"How could she?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She has to hate me."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Give me a break," Cat said, unable to keep the
irritation out of her voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"It
seems that you are the only one that hates you, Mick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even me, once I understood the situation, I
can't hate you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know that."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mick digested her words; perhaps she had a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn't hate him any longer although the
jury was still out on Ben.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it always
would be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"You think she's healthy enough for this kind of
news?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again Cat gave a small laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Yes, she will be fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'd feel sorry for you if she ever found out
and it wasn't you who told her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
would hunt you down, I promise you."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mick finally smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>"She'd probably sic that floppy little dog of hers on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'll bet he has sharp teeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some strange reason though he liked
Josef; go figure."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Josef?" she asked with a grin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Had to be allure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noodle doesn't like many men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess he likes to be the only rooster in
the house, so to speak."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mick nodded, beginning to think seriously about telling his
sister for the first time. He'd give anything to have a relationship with
Squeaks again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Mick, just tell her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She'll be so happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She adored
you and the fact that they didn't know what happened to you hurt them all so
much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every year on the anniversary of
the day you disappeared your mom cried so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She baked you a lemon cake on your birthday each year as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can't tell your mom and dad, but you have
the chance to make it right with Maeve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just do it."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"So you knew my parents as well?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like a stake in his heart as he waited
for her answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Yes, I knew them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were wonderful people, Mick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don't think they ever gave up hope that you'd come home, safe and
sound."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He felt tears sting his eyes and he shut them quickly,
trying to keep back the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he felt
then as he felt now, that family can be told, things might have been different
for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He couldn't change it, that
part, but he could make things right with Squeaks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cat saw the change in his demeanor immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wouldn't be a top notch attorney if she
couldn't read people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would see her,
he'd made his decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She smiled at
him, feeling so much happier.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"So, you're going to talk to her, aren't you?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Yes, soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank you, Catherine."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"You know, Mick, you can call me Cat," she teased.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I think it's just my age, it's more formal I
guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I'll work on it."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to
go now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've still got a million things
to accomplish before I leave for England after Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm looking forward to going but getting
ready isn't easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now 3 months seems
like a lifetime, you know?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
didn't add that partly that was because she was enjoying getting to know him
but somehow she thought he understood that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He nodded and rose to his feet when she did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be hard to see her go, but he'd do
it and hope she'd actually miss him a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He knew that he'd miss her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OOOOOOOOOOOO</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lani was in the shower when Josef got home; he immediately
scented the sweet honeysuckle shower gel she was using and he inhaled deeply
and let his nose lead him into the bathroom as he shed clothing on the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stepped into the shower with
her, which wasn't a surprise to her because she'd sensed the moment he entered
the house.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She turned in the spray of the shower which was at a temp
that vamps could appreciate, done out of hopefulness; that being that he'd join
her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The smile she gave him could have lit up half of New York
City and he almost hated to kiss it away, but he did anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He held her close, an arm wrapped securely
around her waist just to make sure she didn't lose her footing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When his mouth found hers he felt her melt
against him with a sigh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When he finally pulled away she was breathless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Hi," she said, wearing a
ridiculous grin. "Glad you joined me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think I feel something that needs some special attention!" Her
hand slipped down between their bodies, capturing an aroused Josef and stroking
lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His knees felt suddenly weak at her touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a touch, that was all it took from this
woman to make him turn into jelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
was it Jello?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, they didn't
have that when he ate food, all he knew was that it wiggled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or wobbled, much like his knees right now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He leaned back against the side of the shower as her mouth
moved farther down his body, licking lightly at his nipples and then scratching
softly with a fingernail, making them ache in a way he was unaccustomed to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Sweetness, let's take this to our bed, hm?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She stood up and leaned against him before smiling in a way
that let him know exactly who was in charge at this moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She whispered in his ear, "I think we're
fine here, Josef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want you as wet as I
am."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly she was on her knees
and was placing kisses up and down his heated length.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He groaned and let her have her way for a minute and then
pulled her up and turned so that her back was to the wall before lifting her
and settling her on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lani moaned
against his shoulder, loving the feel of him as he moved within her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wrapped her arms around his shoulders a
bit tighter but she knew that he'd never drop her, no matter how carried away
they got.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lukewarm spray of the shower was soon forgotten by both
of them as they moved as if of one mind, one body. When they were both at the
point of ecstasy, he bit his finger and she sucked it into her mouth greedily,
licking every bit of blood from it as he bit his shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She clung to him as wave after wave of
pleasure swept over her, the warmth of his blood singing through her body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn't the same as when he bit her, but it
was a way of keeping them connected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Slowly they both came down off of the plateau and stood in
the misty spray, enjoying the feeling of satisfaction that encompassed them
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The moment ended when Josef heard
her stomach growl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"It seems that something else needs feeding,
Sweetness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let's get you dried off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that Franklin told me that the chef
has prepared sushi for dinner tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know you'll like that!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sushi was a newly added food to their diets; it might be
because Josef had insisted because Lani loved it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe not, but since his chef didn't want a
one way ticket to the tar pits there it was.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Um, yummy!" she declared, in a hurry now to get
out and get dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Come on,
Josef!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hurry!"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She quickly was out and dry, pulling on a pair of yoga pants
and one of those skimpy little tee shirts that Josef loved her in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her belly was still flat, but he knew that
before too long that wouldn't be the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He couldn't wait for that day, when he saw the visible proof of his
child growing inside her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He figured
that made him a bit of a chauvinist, but he didn't give a damn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They descended the stairs hand-in-hand, both of them smiling
like two lovers who were completely besotted with one another, which they
were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The headed into the dining room
and sat down and almost before she blinked Lani found a glass of ice water with
a lime twist set before her quickly followed by a plate with sushi and all the accompaniments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked at it and smiled; California roll
and spicy tuna, her favorites.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Franklin smiled at her obvious delight he prepared to
leave the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Miss Lani, is
there anything else I can get for you?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She shook her head no and then changed her mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Yes, Franklin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you bring me some grape jelly,
please?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Of course, Miss Lani." He left the room, a
confused look on his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, it
wasn't for him to question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was back
in a minute, having had a brief disagreement with the chef over why she wanted
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not for Franklin to question
why, however, the chef felt he was entitled to an explanation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in the dining room Lani was spreading wasabi liberally
over the sushi, her mouth watering in anticipation over it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Josef watched, knowing the pink pieces of
ginger would be next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, when
Franklin set a small bowl of the gooey, grape condiment on the table she spread
that over the wasabi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Josef smelled the combination of the fish, wasabi and grape
jelly and wrinkled his nose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that
the bait, as he continued to refer to it, was ever pleasing but the odd
combination was particularly gross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surely she wasn't going to eat that?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Lani, are you feeling okay?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Yes, wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You should know, you were very thorough in feeling me a little while
ago," she laughed, popping a bite of the strange combination into her
mouth and chewing with a happy sigh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"This is so good, I should have tried this
before," she said as she popped another piece into her mouth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bait was bad enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That grape stuff was worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was going to be a long pregnancy he decided.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be continued…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-75985925990261913762014-11-19T11:27:00.002-06:002014-11-19T11:27:52.848-06:00Chapter 24 Last Dance<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf0000;">So
sorry to be late. I moved a few days ago and I had the internet
switched yesterday and it decided not to work. It has taken two days
now to get it figured out, mostly because I added TV to the mixture.
Anyway, we're good to go now, I guess. </span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Early June 1980<br /><br />Today
was their last day together, before Clark left for Fort Leonard Wood
for his basic training. Dorothy awoke already feeling depressed, like
the world was filled with shadows and thunderheads. When she looked out
her bedroom window it was almost an insult to see that the day was
sunny and bright.<br /><br />Today the neighborhood was having a cookout to
send Clark off tomorrow. Dorothy knew this day would be hard enough to
get through, even with everyone there. But tonight, that is the time
she really dreaded. She and Clark were going to spend some time
together alone, for their final goodbyes. She knew she couldn't bear to
go to the airport in the morning with the Griffin's, although she had
been invited. Let that be their private time for goodbyes she had
decided; tonight would be her time.<br />How could it hurt so much? It
wasn't forever, she knew that. But it felt like forever, it did and no
one could tell her otherwise. <br /> <br />She dressed carefully, wanting to
look her best for him. Her white shorts she decided with the red tank
top, he always liked her in that outfit. She put on some red canvas
shoes as well because she knew that they'd make a trip to the park for
some baseball. Finally, she pulled her hair up into a pony tail and put
on the Austrian Crystal necklace he'd gotten her their first Christmas
together as 'a couple'.<br /><br />Grace watched Dorothy as she came into
the kitchen, a sad look marring her face. She knew how deeply her
daughter felt the events of this day; if it were possible to have found
love so young then she knew that Dorothy and Clark had. Shelly had told
her that Clark was a morose as Dorothy, even though he was excited
about his future. This separation would be hard for both of them.<br /><br />Much
as Grace hated to see Dorothy, well, either of them so sad she also
knew that from a pragmatic point of view it was for the best, Clark
going away. Yes, both of the kids understood the birds and the bees,
but no matter how good their intentions were, there came a point when
temptation was almost too much to resist. With Clark being two years
older, that point might come sooner than later.<br /><br />"Hi, Mom," Dorothy said, grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl. What are you making today?"<br /><br />"Some baked beans; I know how much Clark enjoys them," she told her daughter as she chopped some bacon to go in them.<br /><br />Dorothy laughed out loud and said, "Yeah, but everyone else doesn't enjoy it. Do you know what they do to him?"<br /><br />Grace
did and if it made her a worry wart to acknowledge that fact, to
herself at least, well, so be it. It might keep a bit of distance
between them later since the kids were going out after the cookout. She
hoped that her ploy didn't really make her a bad person…<br /><br />"Do you need my help before I go over to the Griffin's, Mom?"<br /><br />"Nope, got it all covered. I got the brownies done this morning, so I'm mostly done."<br /><br />"Okay, I'll see you later then. We'll be going to the park to play ball in a little while you know."<br /><br />"Yes, I do. Don't ruin those white shorts by sliding in the dirt!"<br /><br />Dorothy
grinned, she hadn't thought about that. For a half a moment she
considered changing into some jean shorts and then decided to stick with
the white ones; she'd just have to be careful. "I'll watch it, Mom.
Bye…"<br /><br />The screen door slammed and Grace watched out the window as
Dorothy cut across the yard and through the gate that separated their
backyard from the Griffin's. It wasn't going to be an easy day for her
daughter. None of them actually; Clark was a good young man and he
would be missed.<br /><br />The day wore on; in one respect Dorothy didn't
want it to end, because that made it that much closer to her saying good
bye to Clark. In another, they'd all had a great day at the park. She
watched the camaraderie between Clark and Kip, his best friend. Boys
didn't get weepy but both of them seemed to be a bit kinder to one
another instead of the usual ceaseless teasing they did. <br /> <br />It
wasn't like he wouldn't be home in a couple of months, after basic
training. Dorothy couldn't help but wonder how much he would change
during that time? Would he still care about her when he came back?<br /><br />All
too soon friends said goodbye and it was only the Griffin's and the
Turner's left. Clark tugged on her hand and said, "Come on, there is a
movie with our name on it. Bye, everyone."<br /><br />Dorothy followed silently; they were going to a movie? He hadn't mentioned that.<br /><br />In the car Clark headed for the coast, to the beach they liked. "What happened to the movie?" she asked him, suddenly nervous.<br /><br />"You
really want to spend our last night together at the movies?" he teased.
Even in the deepening light of twilight he could see her blush.
"It'll be fun, Dorie. I brought marshmallows!"<br /><br />She swallowed
hard and looked out the window, trying hard to compose herself. She was
afraid of herself, what she might do. She didn't want to ruin these
last hours with him crying like a baby and if they were alone on the
beach that is exactly what might happen. She couldn't be really happy
that he was going, no matter how excited he was about it, but she didn't
want him going off knowing how devastated she felt either.<br /><br />As if
reading her mind he reached across the car and took her hand, holding
it warmly in his. "I know how hard it is for you, Dorie, but I promise
you these two years will fly by. Promise!"<br /><br />She nodded and if the
nod was a bit shaky he ignored it and turned the radio on. The
beginning strains of Last Dance came on and for a moment he thought
about turning the station and then he remembered how much she liked the
song.<br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOpUfTi1keI"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Last Dance</span></a><br /><br />Last dance<br />Last dance for love<br />Yes, it's my last chance<br />For romance tonight<br />I I need you by me<br />Beside me, to guide me<br />To hold me, to scold me<br />'Cause when I'm bad<br />I'm so, so bad<br /><br />So let's dance the last dance<br />Let's dance the last dance<br />Let's dance this last dance tonight<br /><br />He
realized his mistake when he glanced at her and saw the tears running
down her cheeks in rivulets. "Oh, Dorie, I'm so sorry. You like that
song; I thought it would make you happy!"<br /><br />"I…it…it does," she said, choking out the words, still crying. <br /> <br />He
pulled the car over into a parking lot and turned the engine off. He
reached for her and pulled her to him and held her as she cried. He
stroked her back tenderly and suddenly all his bravado, all the
excitement faded at he realized how much he loved her and would miss
her.<br /><br />"Hey, hey, we're going to be alright, Dorie. We're going to be just fine. Do you believe that?"<br /><br />She
nodded, but knowing that they were going to be alright didn't help at
all. Later on, at the beach she tried to explain it to him.<br /><br />"I
know that we will be okay, Clark. But I'm going to miss you so much.
Since before we started school we've always been together."<br /><br />Clark
chuckled for a moment. "I seem to recall clearly that when you were in
4th grade that you told me to get lost and drop dead. More than
once!"<br /><br />"Yes, well, you were annoying at times! Dorothy tried to
smile, but it came off as a watery simulation of a smile at best.
"Clark, I love you. I know people say we're too young, or at least I am
but I know that I love you."<br /><br />"I love you too, Dorie. Forever, I promise."<br /><br />He
kissed her then, and pulled her close to him as they settled back onto
the blanket. It was past twilight now, the sky and inky blue littered
with stars that sparkled and seemed to wink down on them. <br /> <br />Dorothy
sighed and wrapped her arms around him, loving the solid feel of him
against her. The kiss deepened and she trembled, and for the first time
she began to understand what her mom was worried about. This was what
desire felt like; it was exhilarating and she moaned against his mouth.<br /><br />"Clark, I - I want to be with you. Before you go."<br /><br />"You are with me, Dorie," he said, not understanding what she meant, at first.<br /> <br />"No, I mean, BE with you, Clark. You know…"<br /><br />Clark
sat up abruptly. "Dorie, I won't do that. I promised my parents,
hell, I promised myself that we wouldn't do that, not yet."<br /><br />"Why? I don't want you to forget me when you're gone!"<br /><br />"Forget
you?" He laughed for a moment and added, "How in the world could I
forget you, Dorie? You're all I've thought about for years. No girl, I
could never forget you."</span><br /><br />Clark remembered that night as
clearly as if it just happened. He never had forgotten her, not even
when he thought he'd lost her. Somehow love had found a way. And he
would find a way now, a way to get back to her before those babies were
born.<br /><br />He was startled when he heard someone knock on the door.
He lifted his head and scented vamp, but not a familiar one. He stood
up as Logan went to answer the door, waiting to see who it was.<br /><br />A
very tall, very handsome man smiled at them. Logan immediately knew
that this was one of the 13. They had a distinctive scent, or maybe
lack of a scent would be a better way to describe it. They had vamp
scent but it was different than the rest of them.<br /><br />"Hi, I'm Vaygar. Might you be Logan?"<br /><br />"Yes,
I am. Come in," Logan said, trying to relax in the presence of the
older vamp. "This is Clark, my, uh, brother. And fledgling…"<br /><br />He
bowed slightly, whether to Logan or Clark, they weren't sure. "Ah yes,
the Lady Dorothy's mate. So pleased to meet you, both of you." His
voice had a refined quality to it that was almost a lilt and yet neither
Clark nor Logan doubted his ability to be deadly when he chose to be;
it was in the way he held himself, as if ready for anything.<br /><br />Logan
looked flustered for a moment, or at least he would have had he been
human. Instead it was more of a unsure of himself look and Vaygar
smiled at the young one's discomfort, an emotion he hoped to dispel
quickly. <br /> <br />"I've heard much about you, Logan, all good things I
assure you. Mick speaks very highly of you, as does Beth. It seems she
is very fond of her uncle. Might I sit down so we can chat?"<br /><br />Logan let out a deep breath and began to relax a bit. "Would you care for a drink, um, Vaygar?"<br /><br />"No,
but thank you. Please, let me get directly to the point: Clark,
Dorothy will be having the babies soon and we need to get you ready for
that. Logan, do you agree with me on this point?"<br /><br />"YES! Yes, I
do. I've been thinking about it all day. I know Mick says it's too
soon but Clark is doing really well and I think he is ready to get out
among humans and see how he does."<br /><br />Vaygar nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I think you're right. She needs protecting, she needs her
Guardian. Clark, do you have a say in this matter?" he queried the
silent vamp that sat and watched them closely. Vaygar understood that
Clark was taking his measure, something he heartily approved of.<br /><br />"You
know, Vaygar, you have really managed to piss my wife off, more than
once and I can see why." Clark suddenly grinned; the man was courtly to
the point of excessiveness and that is what made Dorothy so mad. She
didn't like to be coddled or overprotected and Clark could see that
Vaygar took his duty to protect her very seriously. For that reason, he
liked the man enormously. "That being said, I agree with you
completely; I am more than ready to get on with training."<br /><br />"Good,
then we are all in agreement. We need to make sure you are ready to
meet the human world, Clark. We also need to teach you to feed fresh
and some physical training as well, defensive as well as offensive
maneuvers. If you're ready we can start immediately."<br /><br />Clark stood up, anxious to get started. "Hell yes, I'm more than ready. What do we do first?"<br /><br />Vaygar
smiled at the eagerness that Clark exhibited. "First, I've arranged
for you to feed fresh. The young woman will be well-protected and if
you feel or show the slightest lack of control the experiment will end.
It takes supreme control, Clark, and that is much harder than it
sounds. Would you like to try? If so, say the word and I'll have the
young lady brought here immediately."<br /><br />"I want to try. A few
nights ago I was around humans, I felt a bit weak at the scent of the
blood, but at no time did I feel like I couldn't control it. I am
ready."<br />"Excellent." Vaygar made a phone call and when it was done
he said, "Miss Murdoch will be here shortly. Tell me about any physical
activities you have participated in, in the past I mean."<br /><br />"Well,
I do exercise regularly; I run 3-4 miles a day and work out some with
weights. In high school and college I played football. Does that help?
I've never had any karate training or anything like that."<br /><br />Vaygar
nodded, pleased to hear all of this. It meant that Clark was no
stranger to some of the rigors that his new training would demand of
him. "Those things will help immensely, I assure you. For now, you
will learn some basic moves; when you and Dorothy go for training you
will learn very complex and detailed measures."<br />"I'll happily learn anything you can teach me. I can't wait to be her Guardian. Actually, I've always been her Guardian. "<br /><br />Vaygar
nodded in agreement with that statement. "Yes, I have heard that.
Good. I can't promise it will be easy, but it will be very rewarding."<br /><br />The
three of them chatted easily until there was a knock on the door. All
three vamps lifted their heads to scent both vamp and human scent.
Vaygar watched Clark carefully as he scented the air, his head raised as
he inhaled deeply.<br /><br />When he seemed to stay in control, Vaygar
rose and opened the door. Brody stepped through along with a young
human woman, who wore a smile on her face. Clark rose to his feet, as
if in a daze and walked to her, his eyes silvered over.<br /><br />Vaygar watched carefully, ready to step in between them if the need arose. He could only hope that it wouldn't.<br /><br />Clark
held out his hand and shook Brody's and then shut his eyes for a
moment, trying to gain control before greeting the young woman. He
offered her his hand and she shook it easily and smiled.<br /><br />"Hi, I'm Clark. Thank you for coming and giving me this chance," he said simply, deeply gratified at the young woman's courage.<br /><br />"Hi Clark. I'm Melissa Murdoch and I'm happy to be here. I think we are going to do just fine, so don't be nervous, okay?"<br /><br />Clark
nodded, suddenly very nervous. He wasn't sure if it was because this
was his first time or the other three men in the room watching. For
some reason he almost equated this to the first time you had sex, which
was crazy. Or maybe not; both were deeply intimate acts he believed. <br /> <br />He
looked to Vaygar, not sure how to proceed. Vaygar in turn said,
"Logan, why don't you talk your fledgling through this? I'm sure you
can."<br /><br />Clark admired how Vaygar was keeping Logan in the loop,
deferring to him actually. Add that to the fact that he would feel more
comfortable with Logan talking him through it and he actually started
to relax. <br /><br />"Uh, okay. Miss Murdoch, are you right or left handed?"<br /><br />"Logan, please call me Melissa. And I'm left handed."<br /><br />"Okay,
Melissa, then. Clark, sit there on the right side of the couch so that
Melissa can sit next to you." Logan noticed that Vaygar and Brody had
both stepped back a bit so that Clark didn't feel like he was being
hovered over.<br /><br />Clark sat and Melissa sat next to him on his right,
so that he could have access to her right arm. Clark looked at it, at
the beauty of the veins that were pulsing with blood and inhaled deeply.
It smelled warm and sweet, vital even.<br /><br />Logan talked him through
the rest; the bite wasn't as bad as he thought it might be. His fangs
were wickedly sharp and it took so little to break the skin he was
amazed. No need to bite down hard and hurt her, just puncture the vein
and let it flow. When he was done he obediently licked at the wounds
before pulling his mouth away.<br /><br />Melissa smiled at him and then
glanced at her arm. "You did a great job, Clark, I hardly felt that
bite. You have a light touch."<br /><br />Clark self-consciously licked at
the corners of his mouth, hoping that no tell-tale remnants of blood
remained. He felt warm as he hadn't been since he'd been turned. It
was amazing actually.<br /> <br />"Thank you, Melissa. I'm glad I didn't hurt you."<br /><br />"Nope, if only all new turns were this gentle." She laughed lightly for a moment. "Gentlemen, I think this went very well!"<br /><br />All
three of the seasoned vamps agreed with her. Finally Vaygar spoke,
"Melissa, we do thank you my dear. Will you send Wendy tomorrow for
another lesson?"<br /><br />"Yes, I will. Brody, I'm ready to go, now."
She turned to Clark and winked, "Keep up the good work, Clark!" and with
a wave she was gone.<br /><br />Logan exhaled loudly and laughed out loud!
"I need a popsicle! Clark, you nailed it! Good job," he praised,
thumping his brother on the back a few times.<br /><br />Clark sat back,
happy it was over and pleased that he'd done so well. Thoughts of his
wife filled his head and he suddenly felt sad. It hadn't been her blood
he'd tasted first and he almost felt as if he'd been unfaithful to her.
He knew he had to learn before seeing her, but it still bothered him.<br /><br />Logan
was in the kitchen, rummaging in the freezer for a celebratory popsicle
and Vaygar caught the scent of sadness and guilt that washed over
Clark. He understood the human's feelings quite well.<br /><br />"She understands, Clark. Whatever it takes to get back to her. Whatever it takes."<br /><br />Clark nodded and looked at Vaygar, not ashamed of the tears that shone brightly in his eyes. She would understand.<br /><br />To be continued…
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<br />_________________<br /><a class="postlink" href="http://s749.photobucket.com/user/moonlightmadnessbeth/media/Thanksgiving640x367.jpg.html"><img alt="Image" class="" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/Thanksgiving640x367.jpg" /></a>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-49344001921125312852014-11-10T10:10:00.000-06:002014-11-10T10:10:01.189-06:00Chapter 23 Biggest Part of MeLani sat at the table, her face pale in the cool morning air. Three
pairs of eyes watched her closely, and three sets of ears listened,
trying to determine how much distress she was in.<br /><br />"How - how long until Rose get's here?" Lani asked, a hand resting on her stomach.<br /><br />"Not long now, Sweetness," Josef told her.<br /><br />"Is it still hurting, Lani? Are you still having pain?" Beth asked. <br /><br />"I
don't know, I mean, no, it's not hurting right at the moment. It's
just really scary, Beth. I don't want to lose this baby!" Silent tears
streamed down her cheeks and Josef knelt between her legs and held her
close.<br /> <br />"No, Sweetness, no, that isn't going to happen. It will be okay."<br /><br />"Lani,
I think this happens a lot in pregnancy. Just hold on," Beth said,
trying to remember if Robbi had ever mentioned anything like this. She
was scared to death for Lani because she knew it would devastate her if
she were to lose this baby; Josef too for that matter. Beth could still
hear the baby's heartbeat and it sounded steady, which surely was a
good thing.<br /><br />Three vampire heads perked up as they heard a car in
the driveway. Together they breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that
Rose was here. It didn't take long for Franklin to bring her to the
terrace.<br /><br />"Well now, Lani, what is going on?" Rose asked, already pulling a stethoscope out of a bag to listen to the baby's heartbeat.<br /><br />"I don't know, Rose. I just suddenly felt this - pain - I guess, low in my stomach. It scared me."<br /><br />Rose
listened intently for a few moments, a small frown marring her face.
"Lani, was it a sharp pain? How long did it last?" she asked, trying to
determine what had happened exactly.<br /><br />"I - it only lasted for a
few seconds. It was, not really sharp, actually. I just felt it
briefly. What's wrong, Rose? Please, just tell me the truth." <br /> <br />Josef
held her hand, nodding at Rose in a signal to just be frank with them.
Rose stood up and put the stethoscope away in the bag and snapped it
shut, the click sounding loud in the quiet of the yard.<br /><br />"Do you really want me to be honest?" she asked, watching Josef and Lani carefully.<br /><br />Oh god, Beth thought. She's lost the baby! But if that was true why could she still hear the heartbeat?<br /><br />"Please, just tell us," Josef said, a choking pain threatening to keep him from speaking.<br /><br />"Okay,
here it is. Lani, what you felt was your baby moving! You are fine,
and so is the baby." Her words were spoken gently, with a good deal of
kindness.<br /> <br />"Wha - what? It's okay?" Lani said, positive she'd
heard Rose incorrectly. Her hand went back to her stomach, touching it
with shaky fingers. She looked down and said, "You're okay in there,
you're okay! Josef, we're still pregnant!" Teary-eyed laughter spilled
from her and her relief was evident, as was everyone else's.<br /><br />Beth,
Mick and Josef all started talking at once; each one thrilled and
excited at the news. "So it wasn't really a pain?" Josef asked.<br /><br />"Well,
it's a fluttering more like," Rose explained. "It can feel somewhat
like a cramp at times, especially at first. Lani, you're going to feel
it much more from now on I'd say. And in a few months you'll be wishing
it was only these flutterings."<br /><br />"But it is normal, then? It
just took me by surprise, I wasn't expecting it. It really did feel
weird." She tried not to feel embarrassed about it, but couldn't help
the slight blush that swept up her face. "Ooh, there it is again!"
This time she laughed, loving the feel of the movement in her body.
"Josef, our baby is okay!" she declared to the man she loved, and pulled
his head down for a kiss.<br /><br />After his kissed her, he tossed a brilliant smile over his shoulder at Mick and Beth. "Just call me daddy," he laughed.<br /><br />Franklin
who had heard the good news stepped out onto the terrace and said, "Now
that we know that everything is fine, shall I serve breakfast?"<br /><br />Four heads nodded yes and Lani said, "Rose, would you like to join us?"<br /><br />As
Franklin sat the plates of pancakes down she noticed the chopped up
peanut butter cups in them, the topping of sliced jalapenos. Her
eyebrows rose a bit and she said, "I've already eaten, thanks. I'll
just um, leave you to it."<br /><br />Beth was speechless, understanding why
Franklin had asked if she'd like something different. She managed to
mumble goodbye to Rose as she stared at her plate. Perhaps if she
scraped the jalapenos off? Somehow she wished she'd asked for blood.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOm0Dq_kNU"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> Biggest Part of Me</span></a><br /><br />Carl
pulled Cami a bit closer to him, placing sweet, nibbling little kisses
along her neck and breathing in the delicious scent of the woman he
adored with all his being. <br />Cami shivered a bit in his arms and laid her forehead against his. “So you are sure you’re ready, love?”<br /><br />“Absolutely,
Cami. I’ve worked out and mastered what Kenji has taught me and Heroku
says I am ready and that he will do this whenever we choose.”<br /><br />Cami
nodded, but lightly chewed her lower lip as she thought about what was
going to happen. Heroku would take his life and she would give him her
blood so that he could complete the journey. It was a terrifying
process but a bit exciting as well.<br /><br />Heroku had made the decision
to do it this way for several reasons; he didn’t want Cami to carry the
weight of taking Carl’s life. He thought it fitting that her concern
should only be about bringing him back. Heroku would basically mentor
him and teach him how to handle his new vampire self while Cami would
nurture his emotional needs. They would be married right before this
happened so that they could begin their path together united as only
vamps can be, connected by blood.<br /><br />Cami remained silent as Carl
studied her face. A silent, lone tear slipped down her face, tracing
over her pale cheek and Carl’s heart sped up a bit. What if she no
longer wanted to marry him?<br /> <br />“Cami?” he questioned softly. “Have
you changed your mind?” He felt like his heart was going to stop as he
waited for her answer.<br /><br />“No, absolutely not!”<br /><br />“Then what is wrong?”<br /><br />“It's
just, you’ll lose your mortal life and while we’ll be together for
always, I guess I feel a little guilty for being the cause.”<br /><br />“Cami,
you are not the cause; this is my choice to make. I made it on my own
and I’m anxious to get it done. I could still love you whether or not
I’m a vamp, but I want this, Cami. More than you could possibly know.”<br /><br />“How soon?" she asked.<br /><br />“Soon,
next week or maybe two weeks from now? I just need to put in for my
vacation time. Heroku says to plan two weeks, for the honeymoon, but
also for my training.”<br /><br />“Two weeks? It took me so much longer than that.”<br /><br />“Baby,
you were turned under such different circumstances; Heroku says you
were almost feral by the time his men found you. I’ll have him and you
both helping with my training. I’m going to be just fine.”<br /><br />She nodded, feeling a bit more composed about it. "I am excited about our life together, Carl."<br /><br />"Me
too,Cami. Now, come here and let me love you. I need you Cami!" His
fingers and then his lips traced a delicate path down her throat and
teased the hollow of her neck. He felt her shiver in delight and it was
all the encouragement he needed. His lips stroked over her sensitive
flesh, thrilling and arousing her beyond what she'd ever experienced
before. Each time with him their bond increased and so did the pleasure
she felt. <br /> <br />His touch elicited a soft moan from her and he
smiled against her breast, before sliding his mouth up to capture hers,
sealing their lips together in a passionate kiss as he entered her body.
His tongue mimicked the movement of his body as it thrust into hers
and he knew that it would never be like this with anyone else, this
sense of fulfillment beyond any human understanding. As they both
approached the epitome of the pleasure he said, "Cami, I need to taste
you, your blood."<br /><br />"Carl?" she questioned, confused.<br /><br />"Bite your finger, baby. I need to taste you, when you come for me."<br /><br />Heroku
had told her that he would ask for this, but it seemed almost unreal to
her. She bit her finger and he pulled it into his mouth, sucking on it
rhythmically. The blood made him feel as if his whole body was
throbbing with the pleasure he felt. When he felt her bite his neck he
spiraled into her arms, knowing, no, understanding the blood bond now<br />. <br />They were both complete.<br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Logan
sat strumming his guitar while Clark paced the room, a scene that had
played out all too often in the past couple of days. Logan got it, that
Clark was beyond frustrated but he didn't know how to make it better
for his fledgling yet. Logic (and Mick) told him it was too soon to
take him out into the world, but so far, from what Logan had seen Clark
was doing really well. When were they going to give him a chance?<br /><br />Clark
had the best motivation possible for controlling his inner vamp - a
wife who needed him there when those babies were born. He had handled
everything so far really well, with exceptional control even and it
seemed to Logan that maybe they needed to give him more of a chance.
Logan just hadn't determined what that chance might be yet.<br /><br />It
had only been a week since Clark had been turned. That's not really a
long time, and yet some vamps never even had seclusion for any length of
time and they were fine. Mick had kept him secluded for a whole month;
by the time Mick told him he was ready for the world he was a bit
freaked out, afraid he'd go crazy around people.<br />He didn't want Clark to experience that.<br /><br />Logan
valued Mick's help and guidance but he also understood where Clark was
coming from. He needed to get his fledgling out of here soon; he just
needed to figure out how to do that, just in case.<br /><br />"Logan?" Clark asked, seeing that his brother had stopped strumming the guitar and was staring off into space.<br /><br />Logan realized that he'd zoned out for a few minutes and laughed or tried to in an effort to keep his thoughts to himself.<br /><br />"Um yeah, Clark. What's up?"<br /><br />"Nothing, really. You just looked like you were far away."<br /><br />"I
- I was just thinking about Audey. I didn't have the chance to talk to
her about a baby when I was home. We got, uh, preoccupied with other
things."<br /><br />Clark grinned, knowing full well what those things were. He was more than ready for those things himself.<br /><br />"You don't want to talk to her about it over the phone, do you?"<br /> <br />"No,
not really. I think this is a face-to-face kind of thing. If she
doesn't want to do it, then I'll be able to tell if we're together. On
the phone, not so much."<br /><br />Clark nodded, understanding. Their
sense of smell told them so much about how a person was feeling;
frankly, it was amazing and something he'd never imagined. If someone
wasn't telling the truth, it wouldn't be hard to know that in person;
over the phone? Not nearly so easy to know what they thought; he
understood that in a way never before imaginable.<br /><br />"You really would like a child, wouldn't you, Logan?"<br /><br />"I…yeah,
I guess I would. I never even considered it before, because of
circumstances. I'm a vamp, and I never had anyone in my life that made
me feel like I'd like the chance. With Audey, it's so different, Clark.
I think she'd make a great mother, but she chose to be with me,
knowing that children weren't a possibility, so maybe that means that
she never really wanted them anyway.<br /><br />"Well, nerdo, unless you ask her, you'll never know!" Clark told him and Logan couldn't help but notice the twinkle in his eye. <br /><br />"Yeah, you're right. Gotta ask." His fingers resumed his strumming, picking out an old Ambrosia song. <br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;">More than an easy feelin'<br />She brings joy to me<br />How can I tell you what it means to me<br />Flow like a lazy river<br />For an eternity<br />I finally found someone who believes in me<br />And I'll never leave<br />She was… yes, she was the biggest part of him.</span><br /><br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><br />Vaygar
cruised on his bike up through the Hollywood hills, enjoying the cool
day as the wind whipped through his hair. The ride up to Kostan's place
was enjoyable; he hoped that his purpose there would be just as
enjoyable.<br /><br />Rose had told him that in her opinion, Dorothy only
had a week left before she delivered, if that and he was frankly
concerned about Dorothy's state of mind if her husband wasn't with her.
Not that Dorothy wasn't a very strong woman; she was. But giving
birth, while a very natural state was a scary prospect and with Clark
being away from her it was increasing Dorothy's stress incredibly.<br /> <br />Rose
had told him, what limited information she knew about Dorothy's past;
that she had been raped and Beth was the result of it. She went through
all that with the help of her parents and they had stood by her every
step of the way it seemed. When Clark had come back into her life she
had kept him at arm's length, a fact that Rose didn't particularly
understand. <br /> <br />She knew that he wasn't Beth's father, even without
knowing that he wasn't a descendent. Why did she push him out of her
life? Obviously they'd always loved one another; Clark had apparently
always been in her life. He'd waited for years for her and his
perseverance had paid off eventually. In Rose's mind, men who were that
devoted and unshakable in their love were few and far between.<br /><br />Vaygar
agreed completely; Clark Griffin was more than worthy of being
Dorothy's Guardian and it was his job to make that happen. He just
wished they had a bit more time to make it happen.<br /><br />For someone
who is a descendent, a turn is quick. They maybe need a day or so to
rest and recuperate from the turning, but they are pretty much ready to
take on the world. They could control the blood lust, and usually felt
it only minimally. The time after a turning was more of an adjustment
period; getting used to the new senses and sensations that the vamp
experienced.<br /><br />Other new turns did have that blood lust, to some
varying degrees usually. He'd spoken with Mick St. John, whom he
admired greatly but Mick felt that a month or so was called for in
regards to new turns. Vaygar respectfully disagreed.<br /><br />He needed
Clark ready to go and it needed to happen quickly. His mission today
was to meet and discuss this with Clark and his sire, Logan Griffin, who
also was his brother. Where the problem came from was that Logan was
the fledgling of Mick; if he carried his sire's feelings about this, he
might not be willing to let his fledgling go quite so quickly. Vaygar
could only hope that Logan would be reasonable and understand what was
at stake here.<br /><br />Since Dorothy was one of his descendents, he felt
compelled to move heaven and earth for her and right now that meant
bringing her husband home.<br />He could only hope that Clark was ready.<br /><br /><br />To be continued…Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-80955572447540771172013-08-26T13:59:00.002-05:002013-08-26T13:59:43.849-05:00Chapter 22 Don't Fear the Reaper<br /><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">**So
sorry for the lateness everyone. I can honestly say moving and all it
entails is truly a, well, a rotten thing. Then, last week I came down
with strep. It's time for this summer to end and give me a break!**</span></span><br /><br />Chapter 22 Don’t Fear the Reaper<br /><br /> <br /><br />“Miss
Lani and Josef will be downstairs momentarily.” Franklin hoped, but,
it was apparent that there was more than scrubbing going on in the
shower by the sounds which could be heard by any vampire’s ears. Beth
looked down demurely, trying to hide the smile on her face but failing
dismally.<br /><br />“Yes, well…” Mick said, grinning himself. What else could you expect in a house full of vampires?<br /><br />“Cook
is making breakfast for Miss Lani; perhaps you’d care for something
yourselves? I’ll serve it in the dining room if you would like,”
Franklin asked.<br /><br />“That would be nice, Franklin. Is the terrace
still free of sun? That would be lovely because it’s cool, but
hopefully not too cool for Lani.”<br /><br />Franklin was pleased with this
genuinely caring young woman, always worrying about Miss Lani’s
well-being. “I believe that would be a pleasant place for breakfast.
What would you both like?”<br /><br />“I’d love a glass of A negative, if
you have some,” Mick said, his voice low and his words almost clipped, a
sure sign of his irritation.<br /><br />“Certainly, Mick. And you, Miss Beth?”<br /><br />Mick
didn’t speak other than that, another sign that he was still upset
about the drive last night that took them to his sister. Well, he was
damn well going to have to get over it because enough of this hiding
away was enough, Beth thought.<br /><br />“I’ll have whatever Cook is
preparing for Lani.” She smiled at Franklin, engaging him with all her
charm and for a moment she could see he grew a bit flustered.<br /><br />“Miss Beth, you might want something different…” he started, but she laughed.<br /><br />“No, seriously, whatever it is will be fine, Franklin. Thank you!”<br /><br />Franklin walked to the kitchen and Beth was positive he was either muttering or chuckling, she couldn’t tell which. <br /><br />Hm,
I wonder what’s going on. What on earth did Lani ask for? Most likely
something with peanut butter, which was fine with Beth she decided.<br /><br />Outside, Mick and Beth sat in the cool shade of the terrace. It might be too chilly for Lani but they’d wait and see. <br /><br />Beth looked at Mick who was staring stonily out across the grounds, in the direction of the guest house. “You ready to talk?”<br /><br />He
looked at her and for a moment she saw his expression flash with regret
and maybe even a bit of fear. He finally sighed; he knew it wasn’t
Beth’s fault what happened, but he also didn’t know if he was ready to
face it all either.<br /><br />“You have to, Mick; you can’t keep hiding
from it. And, you have to talk to her before the wedding. What’s going
to happen when she sees you standing up there with Josef? That would be
a horrible shock for her. We just need to go and talk to her; I’ll
sort of ease her into it.”<br /><br />His eyes flashed brightly for a
moment, but instead of anger they were filled with pain. She knew him
so well, could always read his mind. He rubbed the bridge of his nose,
something he always did when he was worried and then took an unnecessary
breath. “How the hell do you ease into that, Beth?” he asked his voice
raising as he fought the anxiety he was feeling.<br /><br />“We just…do it, Mick.”<br /><br />“How
the hell is she going to take this? ‘Oh hi, Mick. Gee we thought you
died years ago. Welcome back?’” He scowled for a moment, playing out a
worst-case scenario in his head.<br /><br />“Did you consider that she might actually do just that? That she loves you and will be glad you’re okay?”<br /><br />“Beth,” he said, his voice rough with emotion, “You just don’t understand!”<br /><br />“I
don’t? How about when I had to tell Robbi? That was hard as hell, but
you stood by me and we got through it. Yes, it might be a shock for
her but you know what, Mick? I spoke with her last night and let me
inform you, she’s a lively and smart lady and I’m telling you she’d be
happy to know you are alive.”<br /><br />“Alive?” Mick asked, one eyebrow quirked upward. <br /><br />“You
betcha, boyo! Alive in the very best way, with awesome women with us
forever. You complaining about that? Stop being Donnie Doom! Geez,
Beth, how do you stand him?”<br /><br />A smile twisted one corner of Mick’s
mouth upward and he finally laughed. “Yeah, I know. Sorry. Lani, you
are looking radiant this morning!” he said trying to ease into a new
subject.<br /><br />Lani blushed an amazing rose pink and looked at Josef and whispered, “They KNOW, Josef!”<br /><br />Beth
stood up and hugged Lani. “I know it’s hard to get used to, Lani but
we sort of tune it all out, like a filter system. You’ll understand
once you’re turned, I promise. It’s okay, sweetie.”<br /><br />She sat down
when Josef held the chair out for her and tried to regain her composure,
spreading the napkin delicately over her lap. A panicked look spread
over her face as she rested her hand on her belly. “Oh my god,
something is wrong!”<br /><br />All three vampires’ ears searched for signs
of distress from the baby, but all they heard was a normal heartbeat.
Perplexed, they all looked at Lani in question.<br /><br />“Lani, we don’t
hear anything wrong; I mean the heartbeat is steady and strong,
Sweetness,” Josef said gently. All three nodded in agreement.<br /><br />“NO, I felt a pain; I’m going to lose this baby! Help me, please and call Rose!”<br /><br />Beth was already doing just that and spoke quietly into the phone, her voice so low that Lani couldn’t hear it properly. <br /><br />“Tell me what she says,” Lani demanded, tears streaking her face.<br /><br />“She
says to just be calm and she’ll be here in a few minutes. Just try to
remain calm, that’s her best advice till we know what is going on.” Beth
said.<br /><br />Wait, they had to wait? How could she? She could be losing her baby. The miracle baby that she and Josef created. <br /><br />Wait. Just wait.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Martin’s
visit to Turk went even better than he expected. Not only did he have a
whole new identity and all the backup documents to go with it including
credit cards, he scored even better on the jewelry.<br /><br />Who the hell
knew that his brother had such expensive taste in jewelry, especially
the highest quality stuff to be found? He’d thought that he might get
around 150 K for it all and instead it was actually worth well over a
half a million. Turk knew some guy in Europe who collected that kind of
high-class stuff and was willing to pay for it. Nice, Martin thought.<br /><br />So
between the cash Marcus had on hand and the jewelry Martin had nearly a
million dollars at his disposal. He and Dorothy would be set for life
in some small South American country that didn’t have US extradition. <br /><br />The good life, with Dorothy by his side. He was ready for it.<br /><br />He
knew he’d been a fuck up most of his life. His father had hated him,
so had Marcus. Good riddance to both of them. And Clark…he’d taken
care of that bastard for sure.<br /><br />The years rolled backwards and the past stood right in front of him… <br /><br />1979<br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdMi_TW65Ho"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Don't Fear the Reaper]</span></a><br /><br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />It
was the last day of school and while Dorothy was happy about that, she
also hated that fact; Clark would be going into the army in a week.<br /><br />Only a week left – she didn’t know what she’d do without him. Loneliness overwhelmed her suddenly and she stifled a small cry.<br /><br />Logan
looked at Dorothy, walking next to him and knew something was wrong and
he didn’t have a problem guessing what it was. Both she and Clark had
been gloomy for the last week and neither one was any fun at all. <br /><br />He
and Dorothy were walking to the parking lot where Clark would meet
them. Logan felt bad for Dorothy, but he didn’t really know what to do
about it. With electronics, he was a wizard, with girls, well, he felt
awkward and stupid. Even with Dorothy who was like a sister.<br /><br />Both of looked up when they heard someone yell and saw Martin Parker picking on someone, a young girl who looked terrified.<br /><br />“He’s
such a jerk, Logan. Why does he do that?” Dorothy said as she watched
Martin try to grab the girls’ breasts. Dorothy saw blazing fire in her
eyes and dropped the bag that she was carrying with things from her
locker, heading directly towards Martin.<br /><br />OH SHIT! Trouble was now at their doorstep and Logan rushed to defend Dorothy who was already yelling at Martin. <br /><br />“Shut
up, Dorothy!” Martin yelled, turning his back on her to try and fondle
the girl who was now crying, cringing as he touched her.<br /><br />Dorothy
hit him on his back and instinctively swung around to hit her. Dorothy
was a bit faster than him and dropped but the punch hit Logan instead,
startling him with the blow.<br /><br />Logan knew that there was no way in
hell he could kick Martin’s ass but the murderous look in Martin’s eyes
told Logan that he wasn’t going to back down. Better me than Dorothy,
Logan thought.<br /><br />He bent over and ran directly at Martin, his head
connecting with Martin’s solar plexus. A loud whoosh could be heard and
then Martin dropped to the ground, struggling for breath.<br /><br />Logan assessed the situation for half a moment and said, “Let’s get the hell out of here!”<br /><br />The
young girl had already run away and Dorothy decided Logan was right.
She ran to get their bags and headed down the sidewalk but before they
got more than a few steps away Martin was on his feet and he grabbed
Logan from behind, pinning him around his neck.<br /><br />“What you gonna do now, boy? I’ll tell you what; I’m going to kill you, right here.” <br /><br />Logan
felt the arm around his neck tighten and realized he couldn’t catch his
breath. He heard Dorothy yelling but it sounded like it came from a
far off place and he realized he was beginning to black out.<br /><br />“Let
him go, Martin! NOW!” Dorothy screamed. “You jerk, stop it!” Anger
and fear vied for attention in her; she was trembling she was so upset.
She decided to run at him when she saw that no one was going to help.
She sort of couldn’t blame them; everyone knew Martin was crazy.<br /><br />Just
then Clark saw what was happening and headed straight for the trouble.
He pulled Martin off of Logan and gave him a swift upper cut to the jaw
and watched with pleasure as Martin tried to get his balance back.<br /><br />Dorothy
ran to Logan, trying to get him to open his eyes. A quick glance
showed Clark that Logan was shook up, but was breathing again. <br /><br />“You’ve
picked on the wrong kid this time, Martin. I’m going to kick your ass
and everyone here is going to watch and enjoy it.” As if on cue the
group cheered Clark on but he stayed focused on Martin who was gathering
his strength.<br /><br />“You gotta stick up for your pansy brother, huh?
Well, there’s going to be a time when you ain’t around, soldier boy and
his ass is mine!”<br /><br />“Not going to happen because I’m going to show
you what will happen if you ever touch a hair on his head.” Clark hit
him hard, twice in the stomach and then kneed him in the shoulder when
he bent over in pain. But he missed Martin’s next move and if Dorothy
hadn’t yelled it could have proven fatal for Clark. He glanced down at
Martin and saw that he’d pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and
Clark jumped out of the way seconds before Martin took a swipe at his
legs.<br /><br />When the knife missed its mark, Martin jumped to his feet
as quick as a cat and took a fighting stance, circling around Clark,
trying to psych him out. “You’re dead, you know that don’t you? And
when you’re gone I’m going take your girl, Clark. She’ll be all mine,
soldier boy! What do you think of that?”<br /><br />Clark heard Dorothy cry
out for a moment and cast a quick glance at her and that one brief
glance was long enough for Martin to shove the knife at Clark’s
shoulder. It hit with a glancing blow off of his shoulder blade,
immediately leaving a red stain across his arm. <br /><br />Suddenly, two teachers pulled Martin away from Clark while another sat Clark down so he could look at his shoulder.<br /><br />“I’m going to kill you, Clark. One of these days, I promise you…” Martin screamed as they pulled him towards the building.<br /><br />“What happened here, Griffin?” Mr. Hack, the Assistant Principal questioned as they walked indoors to take care of his wound.<br /><br />“When
I came out of the building I heard yelling and saw Parker going after
Logan. He had his arm around Logan’s throat, and Logan couldn’t
breathe. The story obviously starts before that though.” He looked at
Dorothy and Logan who were standing nearby, watching at the cleaned the
wound.<br /><br />Mrs. Benson popped her head in and said, “The police will
be here shortly and all the parents have been contacted, Mr. Hack.” She
looked at the bluish mark that was across Logan’s neck and tut-tutted
over it. “Better have the nurse take a look at that too.”<br /><br />“Does Principal Lowen have Parker under control?”<br /><br />“They got the knife away from him and managed to tie his hands together but he’s still causing a lot of problems.”<br /><br />Mr.
Hack nodded grimly. Martin Parker had been trouble since the first day
he began school, but it wasn’t like Griffin to be involved in something
like this. He turned and focused on Dorothy. “Well, Miss Turner, what
happened out there?” His tone was serious and scared her.<br /><br />“W…we
saw Martin grabbing the br…, the um, breasts of a seventh grader, Rosa
Mendoza, and it made me mad.” She continued on, describing it all with a
few comments by Logan thrown in. Mr. Hack shook his head sadly. What a
mess!<br /><br />Both Dorothy and Logan watched as Mr. Hack grimaced and
shook his head. The older man wore the cloak of his position wearily
and the strain showed clearly in his demeanor, his shoulders seeming to
sag just a bit.<br /><br />An hour later the police, parents and school
officials came to an agreement and went their own ways. Dorothy was in a
bit of trouble for not going straight to the office when she saw Martin
instead of jumping in. Clark and his parents made a trip to the
doctor’s office so they could take a look at the knife cut. The school
officials sighed with relief that the school year was done and Martin
was taken to the police station, his father following along behind,
growing madder by the minute.<br /><br />Mr. Parker was tempted to let them
put Martin into juvenile detention but knew that might help with the
immediate situation, but in the long term wasn’t a good solution. No,
the boy needed constant guidance and motivation to stop the crazy
nonsense he seemed to thrive on. He made a deal with the police; Martin
would be sent to military school to finish his education and he’d get
out of jail time, providing he also did 100 hours of community service
over the summer. <br /><br />Martin should have been thrilled that he wasn’t
put into a detention facility but all he could think about was having
to work his ass off all summer for nothing but the reward of ‘getting’
to go to military school in the fall.<br /><br />Hell no…oh, HELL NO! Not going to happen.<br /><br />A
plan started to form in his mind and he was pleased with it. But first
he had Clark Griffin to deal with. He was going to kill that bastard,
one way or another. It might take years but he’d do it. And, in the
process he’d take what Clark cherished most – Dorothy Turner. <br /><br />She’d be his and be spoiled goods. Griffin would never touch her again after he got through with her.<br /><br />He
lay back in his bed, hands behind his head and grinned like a Cheshire
cat. Yes, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad summer after all.<br /><br /> <br /><br />To be continued…</span>
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-86603467558844898052013-07-15T12:10:00.000-05:002013-07-15T12:10:13.441-05:00Chapter 21 JoyrideChapter 21 Joyride<br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQf4ewiMtl4"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Joyride</span></a><br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="http://s749.photobucket.com/user/moonlightmadnessbeth/media/Characters/Noodle_zps6917fd45.jpg.html"><img alt="Image" class="" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/Characters/Noodle_zps6917fd45.jpg" /></a><br /><br />“Noodle!
Where are you? You're such a little scamp!” Mrs. Carter said, looking
out into the darkness for the little brown floppy-haired dog.
“NOODLE!”<br /><br />She didn’t see any movement and she didn’t hear him
either, only the far away sound of an automobile coming down the hill.
She needed to find him before he scampered out into the roadway. Silly
dog didn’t have a lick of sense.<br /><br />She had searched the yard for a
hole, or a broken board in the fence that he could get out of, but she
hadn’t found anything. It was completely frustrating, and it made her
madder than blue blazes too. How in the world did the little imp get
out? <br /><br />He was just too small to jump the 4 foot high fence, or at
least he should be. Inside the house he couldn’t seem to make the jump
up onto the sofa and she was beginning to think that he was playing on
her sympathies. If he could jump the fence he could certainly jump up
on the sofa or bed by himself instead of looking at her with his sad
little puppy dog eyes as if to say “Please, mommy, I need help!”<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Well, she wasn’t buying that one anymore! So siree! Never again. </span><br /><br />As
she thought about it she knew that she’d give into him, no matter how
mad she was now. But one thing was for sure, she was going to get a
fence he couldn’t jump!<br /><br />“Noodle!” Suddenly, she saw the glint of
headlights around the bend in the road and she headed out to the road,
frantically calling for Noodle. She spotted him just as the car
approached. Thankfully the driver saw him too and came to a rapid halt.<br /><br />“Oh
my goodness, he’s okay isn’t he? I didn’t hit him?” Beth said as she
jumped out of the car and quickly picked up the errant ball of brown
fur. Noodle looked at her for a moment and let out a whimper and Beth
quickly handed him to Mrs. Carter. A glance at the mailbox startled her
and she suddenly knew exactly who this woman was. She cast a look at
Mick in the car and realized he knew who she was as well and was doing
his best to be inconspicuous. He dad seemed to be calm in the back
seat, which was a good thing at least.<br /><br />“You silly dog. Bad boy, Noodle!” Mrs. Carter scolded but the only thing Beth heard in her tone was relief. <br /><br />“I
believe I know who you are, Mrs. Carter. My friend Lani talks about
you and Noodle frequently. She adores you both.” Beth cast a sideways
glance at Mick, knowing that he could hear her words. He’d be mad but
sooner or later he had to face her. She was coming to Lani and Josef’s
wedding and there would be no ignoring her there.<br /><br />“My dear, Lani!
How is she? I love it when she comes to visit and last time she
brought that dashing young man of hers. I am looking forward to
attending their wedding. You surely must be Beth?”<br /><br />“Why yes, I
am.” Another glance at the car reminded her that Clark could be
struggling and she needed to get them moving again. “I will look
forward to seeing you at the wedding, Mrs. Carter, but I’m afraid I must
rush right now.” She reached out and let Noodle sniff her hand, but he
pulled away and so she just smiled and stepped away.<br /><br />“Goodbye, I enjoyed meeting you!” she called out with a wave.<br /><br />Mrs.
Carter watched the car move away and frowned at Noodle. “What IS your
problem? She’s such a nice girl, Noodle. Shame on you!” Noodle ducked
his head under her arm as they made their way into the house. “Silly
dog!”<br /><br />In the car, Mick’s face stared stonily ahead but Beth could
scent his anger; it was rolling off of him in waves and she knew that
he struggled to control it. She also knew that he was ashamed as well.<br /><br />Clark
sat in the back, silent as he took in all scents he couldn’t quite
identify. Beth pulled into an empty parking lot and turned the car off.
The three of them sat silently for a moment and then Beth asked Clark
how he was.<br /><br />“I’m okay. I could scent the blood and I have to
admit it made me feel a bit weak just like earlier tonight but I sipped
the blood and it was okay.”<br /><br />“What the hell do you mean, ‘earlier tonight’, Clark?” Mick asked, piercing Clark with a burning look. “What happened?”<br /><br />Clark
swallowed convulsively, suddenly taken aback of Mick’s anger. “I, uh
I, at the house, I sensed something was wrong and went and looked in the
window at Josef’s. I was afraid that something was wrong with Dorothy
or the babies.”<br /><br />“Why didn’t you tell us that?” The scowl on
Mick’s face was a bit intimidating but Clark relaxed a little, sensing
the blinding anger was over with.<br /><br />“I told Logan, I guess it just
slipped my mind. Nothing happened, really. I looked in the window and
saw that Dorothy seemed to be fine but that Lani wasn’t and I could
scent the blood and went back to the guest house. Nothing happened.” He
spread his arms in a shrug.<br /><br />“But you scented the blood and walked away on your own?”<br /><br />“Yes,
I did. Despite the circumstances, Mick, I can control myself,” Clark
said, a hint of exasperation in his voice. “I’m working hard on it; I
have to be ready for when the babies are born. I have to be. I WILL
be,” he said and the conviction in his voice rang true for all of them.<br /><br />Mick contemplated his words for a moment. <span style="font-style: italic;">Okay,
so he seemed to have some self control. Still, both times there was
glass separating him from the human’s. That didn’t make him ready to
re-enter the mortal world. But, he was ready to begin the socialization
process Mick decided. Hoped.</span><br /><br />“Sorry, Clark – for the
scare.” Mick knew that his anger had panicked Clark a bit and he felt
bad about it. Part of that was due to Beth and his sister, but they
could tackle that tomorrow when they were alone. But, he was still
pissed about it.<br /><br />“Let’s take a quick ride through the mall
parking lot. That way we can keep moving and not seem too out of place.
I can get us out of there in a hurry if need be,” Beth told them. For
a moment Mick looked hesitant and then he finally nodded his head.<br /><br />“Clark, keep that blood handy,” he reminded as they headed down the road to the mall, about a mile away. <br /><br />They
stopped at three traffic lights on the way and Clark didn’t seem in the
bit bothered by it. He did sip from the cup a couple of times, but he
remained calm.<br /><br />A movie had just gotten out at the mall and there
were many people walking to their cars, which neither Beth nor Mick had
counted on. She kept a distance from them but the heady scent of warm,
human, pulsing blood was everywhere.<br /><br />Finally Clark said, “I think I’ve had enough, Beth. Can we go now?”<br /><br />“Of course. On our way,” she told him with a smile. “It was starting to get to me a bit too, Dad.”<br /><br />Mick
looked askance at her for a minute, knowing that statement couldn’t be
true; Beth had better control of her senses than he did. It occurred to
him that she was perhaps trying to make Clark feel better. It seemed
to work.<br /><br />Back at Josef’s they settled in for the rest of the night and Mick questioned Clark about his experience.<br /><br />“It
felt great actually. The scent of the blood didn’t really bother me,
but I really wanted to get out at the mall and just walk freely again.
God, I miss that!”<br /><br />His statement surprised both Mick and Beth.
Still, it meant that he was coming along. He might just make it home
for the birth of those babies yet.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Martin
pulled out of the building parking lot with enraged fury ripping
through him in waves. Who the hell was that asshole who tried to
question him? He hoped that he’d killed the bastard when he hit him.<br /><br />One
thing was for sure; they were looking for him and protecting her. It
was time for a couple of changes and one of them was already planned for
tomorrow. He was getting new identity, completely new in fact and
meant he’d have to get the car registered in a different name, other
than Vinton McCullough’s. Hell, maybe he’d even get a different car
because they were looking for this one now.<br /><br />Those bastards were
not going to keep him from her, he’d kill them all first. A smile swept
over his face as he contemplated that thought and he sighed with the
pleasure he’d feel watching them die. <br /><br />A new identity would
provide him with a whole new life. Maybe they’d head to Mexico or down
in South America somewhere; take in some local color and he’d heard you
could live dirt cheat there too.<br /><br />It was always good when he had a plan and this was one of his best.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />The ride back to the guest house was mostly silent; all three of them contemplating how the night had gone.<br /><br />For
the most part, Clark was happy. He’d been out, had been around
humanity and hadn’t even been tempted to break out of the car. He knew
that the windows were closed but he could easily scent the blood all
around him at the mall. Clark knew that he was ready for more exposure
and the sooner the better. His wife needed him and he had to be there
for her and the babies. He HAD to be.<br /><br />Beth was impressed with
her dad’s reaction to the evening. She felt sure that if he’d really
been determined he could have gotten out of the car and he hadn’t shown
even the tiniest bit of need to do so. Mick was so worried about Clark
going rogue that he just wasn’t seeing that he was doing fine. She
didn’t understand why Mick felt the need to keep new vampires away from
the world for so long. Had Coraline done that to him?<br /><br />Curiosity
made her want to ask questions but wisdom made her not do it. He wasn’t
ready to talk yet because he was still upset with her about his sister.
He was going to have to face it soon, but that event made her anxious
because it would tear him up. She knew that he felt so much shame over
what had happened to him. Talking to her would ultimately be a good
thing, eventually. She hoped.<br /><br />Mick’s brain was working overtime.
Was he being too hard on Clark? Maybe he was farther along than he
thought. And, after all, the fact was that Clark was Logan’s fledgling,
not his. Coraline hadn’t kept him separate at all and he’d killed
ruthlessly but he couldn’t handle it and he ran to Josef’s, wanting to
die. He knew what he’d been capable of, what he took so much pleasure
in when he’d drained that young woman that night and the fear of that
loss of control had always haunted him. How could he separate his
actions from others? He couldn’t bear the thought, the guilt that he
would feel if he didn’t spare other fledglings the same thing,
especially if keeping them separated for a while would prevent it.<br /><br />And
then was the situation of his sister. He felt like he was watching a
movie, “Of all the gin joints in all the world…” or something like that.
Beth had managed to see the little dog, which was good, but why did it
have to be his sister’s? How on earth could he explain all this to her,
that he’d been turned into a vampire and that it had been dangerous to
see his family?<br /><br />Had it been? He knew that immediately it had
been but after awhile? Coraline had said so, but he’d also seen in the
past year or so that it wasn’t necessarily true. He’d cut himself off
from everyone who had loved him for decades to protect them but he was
beginning to believe that part of that was because Coraline didn’t want
him to be around anyone except who she chose. God, that bitch was so
screwed up.<br /><br />Which lead him back to Maeve? Was she even
physically strong enough to handle the news about him? What if she had a
heart attack or a stroke or something because he revealed himself to
her? <br /><br />What if? He sighed in frustration and closed his eyes, wanting to shut it all out for a few minutes. Just a few minutes…<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Mick,
Beth and Clark all rested fitfully that night. Excitement was the
reason for Clark, finally feeling as if he was making headway and would
be ready soon. Beth was still concerned for Mick, who had hardly spoken
and also for Lani. She hoped that her friend had rested some this
night. She and Mick decided to go up to the house when Logan got back
to the guest house in the morning.<br /><br />Logan came back around 10 am,
smiling a mile wide and with a satisfied twinkle in his eyes. It did
Clark good to see and understand that his brother had needed the time
and that it was well spent. <br /><br />Mick explained about the previous
night’s adventures and Logan seemed happy about it. “Looks like you may
be free before too long, brother!”<br /><br />Clark beamed at the words. “I can’t say it’s too soon. Can we go out again tonight?” he asked hopefully.<br /><br />“I don’t see why not,” Logan said and then saw the look of unease on Mick’s face and added, “We’ll be very cautious, Mick.”<br /><br />“Yeah, I know.” He closed his mouth then, trying to refrain from saying anything else.<br /><br />Beth
saw that he was getting upset again and said, “Hey, Logan, do you mind
if Mick and I get out of here? I want to go and check on Lani.”<br /><br />“No,
go ahead. Thanks so much for giving me some time with Audey. We both
appreciated it.” He and Clark waved as Mick and Beth walked towards the
house and it didn’t take a genius to see that Mick was still very
tense. Clark told Logan about Mick’s sister and it all began to make a
little more sense.<br /><br />“That’s going to be a real problem for him. He’ll figure it all out though. Beth will help him.”<br /><br />Clark nodded, knowing that to be true.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />“Good morning, my love,” Josef said to Lani, as she stretched in the bed and turned to face him for a morning kiss.<br /><br />Her
warm lips lingered briefly against his cool ones as the kiss comforted
them both. “Good morning to you as well my delicious vampire.”<br /><br />“How are you this morning, Lani? Do you feel okay?”<br /><br />A
slight frown crossed her face as she thought about the question. “I
still feel in a bit of shock about it all and I have to say I’m more
than puzzled about my reaction to it. I mean, I wasn’t close with him,
far from it but it still hurt to know he died. Especially that way!” she
finished with a shudder. <br /><br />“Sweetness, there is some truth to the
old adage, ‘blood is thicker than water’, you know. It’s just going to
take you a bit of time to get over it.”<br /><br />“I guess. Have you
spoken with my mother?” Lani had a strange suspicion that he had. Her
mother would have no clue about what to do in a situation like this.<br /><br />“Um,
I spoke briefly with her last night. She wanted me to wake you up so
she could talk to you but I refused. You needed your rest.”<br /><br />Lani
nodded at his words but still sighed inwardly. She knew that she and
Josef were going to have to take charge of the situation and she told
Josef as much.<br /><br />Josef pulled her closer for a hug. “I know that,
Lani. We’ll get through it all. Hopefully your father left her a large
insurance policy and we can take care of the funeral expenses so she
doesn’t have to deal with that. It will all be okay.” To himself he
thought that one way or another, he would make sure that Helen would
have plenty of money so she would stay the hell out of Lani’s life.<br /><br />She
sighed and snuggled into his shoulder, trusting him in this matter.
Suddenly her stomach growled and while she frowned, she saw Josef grin.<br /><br />“I guess I’m hungry,” she said apologetically.<br /><br />“That
is a good thing!” he told her, running his fingertip down her nose and
following it with another kiss. “What would you like for breakfast,
Sweetness?”<br /><br />She thought about it for a moment and then said, “I
know this sounds really strange but I’d like pancakes with peanut butter
cups in them and sliced jalapeno’s on top.”<br /><br />Josef winced at that combination of ingredients. “If that’s what you want, but are you sure about that?”<br /><br />She
sat up in bed with a smile, stretching her arms over her head. Her
breasts looked beautiful in the morning light, creamy globes topped with
cherries that looked good enough to eat.<br /><br />He stared at her for a
moment, feeling his passion for her grow each second. He wanted her
fed but he also wanted her! Just then there was a light tap on the
door.<br /><br />“Yes?” he asked, knowing that it was Franklin. <br /><br />“I’m sorry to disturb you but Miss Beth and Mick are waiting downstairs. Shall I have them return later?”<br /><br />“No,
that’s okay, we’re awake. Can you get Lani her breakfast?” He told
Franklin what she wanted and wished he could see Franklin’s face at the
odd order.<br /><br />“Certainly. I’ll tell cook to prepare it. Would you like it up here, or downstairs?”<br /><br />“Downstairs.
I can’t wait for Mick to see this,” he laughed. Lani gave him an
impertinent and saucy grin then headed to the shower, winking at him.<br /><br />Ah, opportunity raises its head again. He wasn’t going to waste it this time. They could be quick, maybe!<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span>
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Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-68170386196972244412013-07-08T13:03:00.003-05:002013-07-08T13:03:22.036-05:00HomeSynopsis of previous chapter: I’m not nearly as good at writing these as VampFan5 is, but I’ll do the best I can! <br /><br />Lani’s
father was killed and the group gathered at Josef’s house. Lani was
understandably shaken, even given the tenuous relationship with her
parents. As the group tries to put the pieces of why and what was going
on, Clark senses that something is wrong at the manor house and runs to
peek in the window and sees Dorothy, who spots him as well. They stare
at one another, their love pulling them together but Clark realizes
that he must go back to the guest house because the scent of the blood
is hard for him to take.<br /><br />Beth, Dorothy, and Vaygar go back to the
loft so that Beth can pack an overnight bag as she and Mick are staying
with Clark that night which lets Logan have a free night to be with his
sweetie pie, Audrey. As Dorothy heats some dinner in preparation for
Jackie, the potential nanny to meet Clark, via Skype there are problems
in the garage below. Martin shows up in a new car and runs over
Madigan, who is standing guard in the garage after Madigan recognizes
him. They decide to put more guards down there as Mick and Vaygar talk
about safety procedures and Rose fixes Maddy’s broken leg.<br /><br />Martin
feels like he struck it rich with all the money and jewelry he took
from Marcus’ safe when he killed his brother and determines that the
money will keep he and Dorothy well, after he gets rid of the baby.<br /><br />Dorothy
asks Rose questions about how she received the gift of vampirism and
why and Rose tells her a bit about it but assures Dorothy that she will
understand all when the girls and their mates go to study the gift.
Dorothy confides that the saw Clark outside the window and Rose is
secretly pleased that Clark knew he wasn’t ready yet to be around
humans. Still, she decided that they needed to get him socialized
quickly because she knew that there wasn’t much time before the twins
were born. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />Chapter 20 Home<br /><br /> <br /><br />Dorothy
booted up the laptop in preparation for her talk with Clark when Jackie
got there. She hoped the she and Clark would have a few minutes alone
to talk because she needed that connection with him. Seeing him
watching her from outside the window had shaken her to her core, in both
good and bad ways. Elation at actually seeing him close up had made
her spirit soar, but the pain of not being about to run to him had hurt.<br /><br />Not that she was actually running anywhere these days, she thought dryly.<br /><br />Even
though it wasn’t yet 9 o’clock she put the Skype call through and to
her joy, Clark was ready, apparently hoping she’d call a bit early.<br /><br />“Baby,
oh, Dorothy, it – it was so good, just seeing you for a minute this
evening. But it hurt like hell to know that I couldn’t touch you and
to…to know that I’m not quite ready for that yet.”<br /><br />“What happened, Clark? What’s wrong, honey?”<br /><br />“It’s
just, I could scent the blood and it made me feel a little weak, you
know? I hadn’t been prepared for that exactly, even though they have
all told me that’s how I would feel. Damn, Dorothy, I need to get out
of here, so that I can practice being around humans. I need to be done
with all this!” he told her, frustration ripe in his voice, making
Dorothy’s heart ache for him.<br /><br />“I know, Clark. Hopefully it will be soon. We can make it just a bit longer, can’t we?”<br /><br />“Yes.
I’d wait forever for you, honey. I just need to hold you, to smell
the sweetness of you. It’s a very erotic thing for vamps, Logan tells
me. He also says that vampires don’t have an ‘off’ switch when it comes
to making love,” he said.<br /><br />The teasing tone of his voice made her
smile and the way his eyes sparked made her shiver with anticipation.
Well, they’d have their chance eventually. It was all just wishful
thinking right now, between the pregnancy and his absence. But someday…<br /><br />“I think your guest is there, honey,” he told her as he heard the elevator ding, even over the computer.<br /><br />Dorothy
shook her head in wonder; all this was going to take a bit of getting
used to, but she excused herself for a moment to greet Jackie in the
living room. She hoped that Clark would like the young woman as much as
she and Rose did. Dorothy knew that somehow, Jackie belonged with
them.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Josef climbed the
stairs, heading straight to the bedroom after a quick chug of some A-.
Not the way he preferred to drink it; slowly as it soothed his inner
urges. But his need to check on Lani, to hold her and appease the
nagging worry inside of him that she was okay was the strongest
requirement of his soul at this moment. If you believed that vampires
had souls. Heroku had convinced him that they actually did so, he’d go
with that.<br /><br />When he reached the top of the stairs he saw Franklin
peeking into her room, the worry that he felt etched starkly upon his
face. <br /><br />“How is she, Franklin?”<br /><br />“She seems to be resting but I don’t believe that it is a peaceful rest, sir.”<br /><br />Josef
nodded solemnly, knowing in his heart that was true. “I’m sure you’re
right; how could she with all that she’s been through?”<br /><br />“Is there anything else I can get for you tonight, Josef? Or for Miss Lani?”<br /><br />Josef
shook his head no and said, “I think we’ll be fine.” As Franklin
started to protest, Josef smiled and said, “But I’ll call you if we do?”<br /><br />“Yes, of course. Goodnight then.” <br /><br />Josef
watched for a moment as his long-time friend moved slowly towards the
stairs, his shoulders slightly hunched as well. His usual stride was
full of vigor and an almost regal posture. Again, it showed how they
both were taking Lani’s distress. They both loved her and that thought,
that Franklin would always be there for her made Josef feel a good deal
of relief.<br /><br />Josef quietly opened the door and slipped inside.
The drapes were pulled tightly shut and the only visible light, to a
human anyway was the glowing numbers on the clock. <br /><br />He quietly
took his clothes off and hopped in for a brief shower, partially for the
invigorating qualities of the vibra-spray shower head and also to try
to calm down. He didn’t want Lani to somehow sense, as she often did,
that he was worried.<br /><br />What game was this asshole Martin playing?
Was it about money with his brother and if it was would he go after Lani
or her mother next? As far as Josef was concerned, he’d applaud if
Helen had an early appointment with death. Hell, it wasn’t as if he
hadn’t thought about taking her for a nice sight-seeing trip to the tar
pits himself, but he knew how much it would hurt Lani now. <br /><br />His
precious Lani had existed in an emotional void growing up and yet she
was the most loving and caring individual he’d ever known. Well, Beth
was too and it was all most likely because of Dorothy and Clark’s
ability to provide a safe and happy home life. Because of that he’d
move heaven and earth to make sure that they too were taken care of.<br /><br />A
few minutes later he stood silently, watching Lani sleep and listening
to the soft, breathy sounds she made that were so comforting to him.
When he slipped into the bed beside her she immediately rolled over and
draped an arm across his chest as a silken smooth leg slipped over one
of his. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her and
breathed in her scent. He heard both of their heartbeats and once again
he felt truly over-whelmed with the sheer magic of it all.<br /><br />Magic?
It was, to him at least. A child would be born of his supposedly dead
seed. Magic or a miracle, fielder’s choice but it was happening. Life
no longer seemed a playground of pure indulgence and decadence; he had a
life now, a <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> life that had meaning.<br /><br />He was going to make the most of it.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Clark
listened with a smile as Jackie told them about her experience and a
bit about her life as well. She was 33 and comfortable with vamps since
she’d known Rose for a few years. Apparently Rose had rescued her from
a terrible situation in New York and because of that she gave Rose
undying loyalty. She didn’t expand on what had happened, but the
sadness and pain that showed on her face as she talked made Clark feel
her pain.<br /><br />She had experience with basic medical procedures which
was a boon where a newborn baby was concerned. She wanted a child of
her own before she was turned, but as yet hadn’t found the right guy.
Well, once she had, she said, but it was a long time ago.<br /><br />Apparently he wasn’t in her life now. She wanted to be turned someday as well. She really must be comfortable with vamps.<br /><br />“Jackie,
I think you’ll be a perfect addition to our home. How do you feel
about it?” He already knew that Dorothy really liked her and trusted
her as well.<br /><br />“I’d love to take the job, Mr. Griffin and I can start as soon as you like.”<br /><br />“Please,
it’s just ‘Clark’ and you and Dorothy can work out those details.
Thank you for being available to talk to me this evening.”<br /><br />“Of
course, Mr., um, Clark. I’m terribly excited now.” She grinned and
Clark decided that he really did like her; there was something very
vulnerable about her, which seemed quite silly really. Still, she was a
great addition to their world.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />“Mick! Beth! I’m so happy to see you! “Clark said, rushing to hug his daughter. “How is your mom, sweetheart?”<br /><br />“She’s fine, Dad, but she misses you like crazy. How are you?”<br /><br />“I’m
okay. But I need out of here, soon. Can you help me? I need to be
around people so that I can adjust to the scents around me. I have to
be out of here before the babies are born. I promised her, please, help
me?” <br /><br />The tone of his voice, a blend of sorrow and desperation
made Beth and Mick look at one another with dread. They both knew how
it bothered him, worried him and they had talked about some
possibilities on the way here.<br /><br />Beth took a seat on the sofa and patted the cushion next to her. Clark sat down, suddenly dreading what they might say. <br /><br />“Dad, we understand how you feel, but it’s so soon, so risky.”<br /><br />“I
can handle it, I promise I can. I know it has to be controlled and I
can do it. Please, give me the chance to show you both, to prove it to
all of us. Please,” he asked and the pain in his tone broke both of
their hearts.<br /><br />“How about a short drive, Clark? Under our terms?”<br /><br />“Yes, yes, any terms you want.”<br /><br />“We’re
in the Prius, so the door locks will be disabled in the back, where you
will sit, buckled in tightly. If you try to come over the seat I’ll
stop you, know that and we’ll head straight back home.”<br /><br />“Okay, that’s fine. Can we go now? Please, I need to do this.”<br /><br />Mick
nodded and the three of them headed out the door. Mick watched Clark’s
reactions and he seemed fine. But the scents in the air were limited
here, not like how it would be on the street. Mick tried to control his
worry about it all and he suddenly had a feeling that they shouldn’t do
this. He opened his mouth to speak but when he saw how happy Clark was
with this possibility he quickly closed it and hoped for the best.<br /><br />Mick
and Beth shared a look that could have been trepidation or resignation,
neither one of them was sure. They both knew that if he was really
determined to get out of that car, locked doors or Mick probably
couldn’t stop him. Neither would a window.<br /><br />“Okay, let’s do
this.” Mick slid into the passenger seat and heard the ‘click’ as Beth
disabled the window and door locks in the back. Beth handed Clark an
insulated cup full of blood to help keep the blood lust away.
Hopefully…<br /><br />Sooner than they suspected they knew whether he was ready. <br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAMPcH_PYdk"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Home</span></a><br /><br /> <br /><br />As
soon as Logan walked into the house Audrey let out a scream and ran to
him, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist as she
kissed him just as he’d dreamed of for weeks. She tasted of peppermint
or a hint of it anyway he thought as her soft tongue stroked his. Both
of them managed to ignore a cacophony of kitty sounds for a full minute
before both cats started demanding attention as they best knew how – by
climbing up Logan’s legs.<br /><br />“Ouch! Hey you two little fiends,
watch the claws. He grinned and set Audrey down and picked up the boys,
cradling each one in an arm. “Okay, okay, I’ve missed you too!” he
laughed.<br /><br />The whole family sat down on the couch, snuggling warmly
together and the happy purrs of the boys made a comforting background
sound as he and Audrey kissed again.<br /><br />“Oh, Logan, I’ve missed you
so much! I know it’s necessary for you to be with Clark, and I don’t
mind, really but I’m so happy you’re home, for a little while anyway.”<br /><br />“I
know exactly how you feel, Audey. Every night, when it’s quiet
especially I can’t get you out of my mind. Girl, I really need you,” he
said, tracing a finger tip down her cheek. He looked down at the boys
who were now sleeping next to him and added, “Let’s slip away from them,
shall we?”<br /><br />She couldn’t resist the rakish grin that he was
wearing and a tingle of anticipation streaked through her deliciously,
heightening her senses. Logan was the only thing in her world right now
and she silently stood and held her hand out to him.<br /><br />Plato and
Travis stirred for a brief moment before settling back down into kitty
dreamland. Neither heard the bedroom close with a firm click or the
sounds of the giggles that neither Audrey nor Logan could hold back.<br /><br />Romance
was forgotten at this point, shed as quickly as their clothing. This
was about need, pure, blazing desire, which was quickly sated for both
of them. They both lay catching their breath afterwards, each wearing
huge smiles.<br /><br />“Sorry, Audey. Uh, kinda wrecked that one.”<br /><br />She
giggled and rolled over onto him, wriggling her hips against his
immediately responding manhood. “No off switch, remember?” She bent
over to kiss him; the erotic feel of her breasts against his chest
brought a moan of desire to both of them.<br /><br />Audrey slipped him into
her eager body, trembling from the intimate contact as she sank down
and sheathed him completely. She leaned back as she moved on him,
eliciting a long sigh from Logan. Even in the dim light of the room he
could see her neck, stretching upward with her efforts. <br /><br />The
beauty and grace of her neck transfixed him and his fangs lengthened
with the need to bite, to let his vampire side out. Still, he restrained
himself and placed his hands on her hips in order to guide her
movement. Faster, quicker they moved until Logan suddenly turned her
over and settled between her thighs, taking control. He kissed her,
passionately setting them both on fire. Their tongues dueled and then
grew softer as the danced the dance of lovers, softly stroking one
another’s.<br /><br />He slowed the movement of their bodies, thrusting
deeply and deliberately until they both were ready for the bite. Audrey
was crying his name, asking, begging for release and she let out a keen
cry of satisfaction as she felt his bite. On and on it went, both of
them crashing together in a sea of passionate fulfillment.<br /><br />In the
morning Logan opened one eye and found Travis staring at him as he
licked his rough tongue over Logan’s rougher cheek. He turned his head
and saw Audrey staring at him wearing a mile wide smile.<br /><br />“Not funny, Audey! Why did you let the fur kids in here?” he grumbled.<br /><br />“Sorry, but I didn’t.”<br /><br />“Then
how they hell did they get in here?” he asked, trying to move his foot
but finding it blocked by Plato’s body, lying comfortably between his
legs. <br /><br />“Honestly, Logan, I don’t know!” she said and he knew she
was speaking the truth. He sighed and looked at the two cats, eyeing
them suspiciously. “Okay, I don’t know which one of you was Houdini in a
former life but a closed door means to stay out!<br /><br />He knew for just a moment Travis’ eyes flashed silver. He was sure of it.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued.</span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-31096568840349990552013-01-09T10:31:00.003-06:002013-01-09T10:38:52.351-06:00Chapter 19 In the Air Tonight<span style="color: purple;"><b>Hey Everyone!!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Don't forget to check in on Facebook or Twitter for tidbits about the story! You never know what you might learn!!!</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMTzlk2pIjw"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">In the Air Tonight</span></a><br />
<br />
Clark
felt on edge, a decidedly untypical feeling for him, well until
recently that is. Since he’d been turned he seemed to be edgy about
everything which Logan told him was common with new turns. Right now
Logan was on the phone chatting with Audrey as they made plans for their
night, leaving Clark at loose ends. <br />
<br />
Clark knew that Logan
missed Audrey terribly and really, he deserved to have some time with
her but Clark had to admit that Logan being away was at least partly the
cause of tonight’s flavor of edginess. Was that all?<br />
<br />
He wasn’t
sure; something was wearing at his nerves like crazy but he hadn’t been
able to identify it. Yet. It was as if something was in the air. He
stood in his room, the window open to the fresh, chilly breezes and for a
moment he could have sworn he scented his wife. Or at least what he
thought her scent would be since he’d been turned. <br />
<br />
He missed
her, so damn much. Yes, he technically saw her each and every day but
he needed to hold her in his arms, to reassure them both that their love
could survive anything. Logan was a good sire and Clark appreciated
getting to learn new things about his brother, but damn, he needed out
of here. So far Logan adamantly refused to let him try to be around a
human for fear of what would happen.<br />
<br />
Clark felt strong, strong
enough to control himself. He had the best motivation imaginable;
getting back to his wife before his children were born was pretty
powerful but if they wouldn’t even let him try, how would they ever know
if he could do it? She only had two weeks before her due date and it
looked like she’d make it that far the doctor said. And that was
another thing, he needed to be with her at the appointments so he
understood more about what was going to happen.<br />
<br />
He hadn’t been in
LA when Beth was born. Hell, he hadn’t even known Dorothy was
pregnant. They’d all kept it a secret from him for fear that he’d go a
little bit crazy. She stopped writing to him and wouldn’t accept the
call he tried to made her when he was stationed in Germany. When he
finally got leave and came home Beth had already been born. She’d
stolen his heart immediately but Dorothy wouldn’t talk about anything,
wouldn’t even see him. She said she wasn’t mad at him and denied that
she was seeing anyone else, but he was past the point of believing that
babies were found under cabbage leaves. His friends all said that she
hadn’t been seen with anyone else and it drove him nuts, wondering who
the apparently absent father of that adorable baby girl was.<br />
<br />
It
had hurt him beyond reason, thinking that she’d been unfaithful to him.
He knew she loved him; even when he was home from the army and starting
college he’d catch her looking at him at times, her heart clearly open
to him as her eyes adored him but she wouldn’t come near him.<br />
<br />
He
would have married her right then and there; his friends had said he had
no pride that he would be willing to settle for someone else’s
leftovers but he didn’t look at it like that. He’d left, he’d left her
alone and missing him and she’d evidently turned to someone else. Or so
he’d thought until their honeymoon, when the truth came out.<br />
<br />
It
had almost killed him to know that she’d been raped. He’d failed her in
so many ways, first by leaving for the army and then by not showing her
in a way that she believed back then that it hadn’t mattered to him a
bit, that all he’d wanted was to be with her.<br />
<br />
Instead, he’d
thrown himself into life at college and he’d dated, hell, he’d screwed
his way through his first year like there was no tomorrow but in the end
it left him cold and feeling more lonely than he could have imagined.<br />
<br />
That
was when he knew that she really was the one, the only one and that if
he had to wait forever for her he would. He couldn’t do anything else.<br />
<br />
He
took another deep breath, puzzled by the scents that the breeze carried
his way. The main house was lit up tonight, much more than usual but
it was the scents that made him pay attention. There seemed to be a
pervasive air of…was it pain, or sadness? Something was wrong, he knew
it. <br />
<br />
He could still hear Logan on the phone in the living room.
He headed to the back door, just to step outside for a little fresh air.
That’s what he told himself, just getting some air. Logan allowed him
to do that at times which was amazing, after the skunk incident. One
thing was for sure, he’d learned to pay attention to what he was
smelling after that.<br />
<br />
The breeze was brisk out by their small
pool, blowing from the direction of the main house. Yes, something was
definitely wrong up there. He could smell the distress but also there
seemed to be a wave of something like, well, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t a
scent he was familiar with. Like, maybe like, heartache, loss, he
couldn’t be sure. Then it hit him, someone had died, he was sure of it
and fear clutched at his heart so strongly that had he been human he
would have died. <br />
<br />
Oh God, please, no one I know! Not my family!
What if Dorothy had lost the babies? Without thinking he headed to the
house, his movement a blur, looking for a way to get answers. He ran
around the grounds until he saw brightly lit windows and that was when
he saw her.<br />
<br />
His wife, his mate. She was sitting on the couch
next to Lani, holding her as the young girl cried. Beth was there too,
so they were both okay. But Lani wasn’t. <br />
<br />
He pulled in the
scents, of vampires and the human scent of blood and for a moment it
pulled him towards it but he fought hard to resist the urge. The blood,
sweet, warm…alive. He could control the need, the emotions, he kept
repeating that thought like a mantra. Through the window he could even
see the blood pulsing in Lani’s neck and it was almost hypnotic for him,
he yearned for it.<br />
<br />
He continued to gaze into the window at his
wife, his heart and body aching for her and suddenly she looked out the
window and saw him. He took a step closer, almost touching the window
all the while sending her every bit of love and support that he could.
Her eyes remained locked with his until he stepped back away, sinking
into the shadows of the night and blending into the landscape. His
family was safe, but he knew that someone in Lani’s world wasn’t. <br />
<br />
The
hardest thing he’d ever done was to turn and walk away. He felt as if
he were magnetically being pulled towards his love but it wasn’t time
yet and he could feel it. Halfway back to the guest house he found
Logan, running wildly towards him.<br />
<br />
“Clark, where the hell have you been?”<br />
<br />
“I,
I knew something was wrong. I was so afraid that Dorothy or the
babies…” he said, his words trailing off in the chilly night air.
“They’re fine, but something is wrong with Lani.”<br />
<br />
“You went up to the house?” Logan said, a tone of panic making the words sound shrill to Clarks sensitive ears. <br />
<br />
“Yes, I had to see, Logan. I need to get back to the house and have some blood.”<br />
<br />
Logan
understood immediately what had happened, that Clark had realized that
he wasn’t ready to be around humans yet. He felt so terrible for his
brother, for his fledgling. He put his arm around Clarks shoulders and
said, “Yes, let’s go. Josef just called, Lani’s dad was murdered last
night, Clark. By the same person who attacked you, Martin Parker.”<br />
<br />
“He
killed his own brother? I wish I would have killed that bastard years
ago, Logan. That day before right before I went into the army, I could
have. Oh my God, his own brother? Not that Marcus was any prize as far
as that goes. It also makes me wonder why me? Revenge for the past?”<br />
<br />
“Don’t know, Clark,” Logan said as they each drank a glass of fresh blood. “He’s crazy though, always has been.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
For
a moment she was afraid she was seeing things, that her eyes were
playing tricks on her and yet, she knew that wasn’t it at all. He’d
been there, outside the window, staring at her. First her heart had
nearly stopped and then it beat so rapidly that Beth cast her a
concerned look. She gave her daughter a slight smile and tried to focus
her attention back on Lani.<br />
<br />
Lani kept saying she didn’t
understand why she was so upset, but how could she not be? Her father
had been murdered in the most brutal of ways and that was something that
would be hard to find peace with, not to even mention the fact that it
was her uncle that did it. <br />
<br />
Lani seemed to feel guilty about her
relationship with her father and Dorothy could understand that. Still,
when all was said and done, regardless of your relationship, dealing
with the death of a parent was a horrible tragedy. Lani’s feelings for
him were so complicated; she hated what he’d done, to her mother, to her
and yet he was her father. The old axiom that blood was thicker than
water was so very true.<br />
<br />
Lani was worn out and Josef finally
insisted that she go to bed and she went meekly. After he’d tucked her
in she’d fell asleep almost immediately and when he came back downstairs
the group was conducting a post mortem conversation about what had
happened.<br />
<br />
“There’s got to be a connection between Clark’s attack
and Marcus’ murder. But what?” Beth asked, frowning as she thought
about it. “Mom, you grew up with Martin and Marcus, were they close?”<br />
<br />
“I
don’t know, really. I mean, Marcus was 6 years older than me so I
never really knew him. I mean, he was around sometimes, summer and
holidays I seem to remember but I don’t know how he got along with his
brother.”<br />
<br />
Mick watched Dorothy as she spoke and he knew that she
was telling the truth, up to a point. She was leaving things out, he’d
bet on it. But why? Was she trying to protect someone and if so, who?<br />
<br />
“Did
they get along with Clark?” Mick asked and heard Dorothy’s heart jump
and then pound. A glance at Beth told him that she’d heard it too.<br />
<br />
“I,
well, they did have some issues. Martin used to pick on Logan,
horribly in fact and Clark intervened a few times. Right before he left
for the army Clark and Martin got into a terrible fight that got Martin
thrown out of school.”<br />
<br />
“Oh, wow,” Beth said. “I have never heard you talk about that, Mom.”<br />
<br />
“It,
well it wasn’t really my story to tell, you know? The good thing was
that Martin spent his last year of school in a military academy
somewhere. Without Clark there heaven only knows what would have
happened to Logan.”<br />
<br />
Beth nodded, understanding that. “You three, you were really close, weren’t you?”<br />
<br />
“Yes,
we were.” Dorothy smiled briefly and added, “Mostly because our
parents were afraid of Clark and I going out alone too much so poor
Logan got to be chaperone.”<br />
<br />
“Oh!” Beth exclaimed. “I had no
idea.” She wanted to ask what they were all like back then; was Logan a
computer geek even then? Did they even have computers back then? And
Clark, it was so easy imagining him as a football player in high school,
popular and so caring about her mom. But it was really hard to imagine
what her mom could have been like back then. She knew she was pretty,
but what did she do? What music did she listen to? Did she and her
friends get into trouble, like she had with Robbi and Lani? It suddenly
occurred to her that she knew so little because none of them talked
about it much.<br />
<br />
She couldn’t imagine her oh so perfect mom getting
into trouble, sneaking out, disobeying her grandparents. And yet,
somehow she’d ended up pregnant at 16. She needed to know what happened
in her mother’s life. Whatever it was didn’t turn Clark away from her
obviously. What exactly was the story? Who the hell was her father?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A
little while later Beth followed Dorothy and Vaygar home to gather the
overnight bag for her and Mick. It had been decided that they would
still stay with Clark and Dorothy would stay home so that Jackie could
meet Clark. There wasn’t anything else that could be done for Lani
tonight. Rest was the best thing for her; that and Josef screening her
calls as her mother had called twice, demanding that Lani be woke up
because she needed to talk to her. After he discovered that all she
wanted was to whine (his opinion) he refused to wake Lani. <br />
<br />
Mick
was concerned about Beth; were any of them safe now? There was
definitely a connection but he didn’t know what it was. At the last
minute he decided to follow Beth so that they could ride back to Josef’s
in one car. He knew that Beth wouldn’t like the idea but she was going
to have to accept it. <br />
<br />
The connection, what was it? He tapped
at the steering wheel of the Benz as he drove, focused on the question
but no answers came to him, save one that he didn’t want to believe.<br />
<br />
He
decided that he was going to have a long talk with Clark, come hell or
high water and he would get some answers…one way or another.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When
Mick pulled into the parking garage he say Madigan, one of Vaygar’s men
standing in the shadows of the parking garage. Someone watched at all
times but Mick was thinking that perhaps they needed two of them down
here, to watch the elevator and stairwell.<br />
<br />
He didn’t want to
inconvenience his tenants by restricting anyone in the building or their
legitimate guests but they had to make sure that everything possible
was covered. Upstairs when he stepped off the lift he headed to Brody’s
place before going to the loft. Vaygar answered almost immediately.<br />
<br />
“Mick, come on in,” he said and stepped aside so that Mick could enter. <br />
<br />
“Hi,
Vaygar. I’m concerned and I think that we need to step up the security
here. What do you think?” He told Vaygar that he’d like another man
downstairs at all times and Vaygar agreed with the idea.<br />
<br />
“I
agree; we can’t be too cautious in this matter. Until we know that
she’s safe I intend to make sure she is protected at all times, whether
she is thrilled with the idea or not. So you think what happened today
is related to Clark’s attack?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Yes, that too but I
believe there has got to be a connection between what happened to Clark
and now Lani’s father. I’m going to talk to Clark tonight, but it’s
just too much of a coincidence. And Dorothy seems to be the connecting
factor to all of this.”<br />
<br />
“Most likely, but she did say that Clark had fought with Martin Parker in the past. Perhaps it’s personal, related to that?”<br />
<br />
“I
hope you’re right, but my gut tells me that there is a lot more to it.
Dorothy said that Martin used to pick on Logan and Clark stood up for
him but what,” Mick paused for a moment, hesitant to finish his
sentence. “What if Dorothy was a catalyst? That the rivalry was
actually about her? Dorothy had Beth after Clark was in the army,
Vaygar.”<br />
<br />
“Are you saying that you think it’s possible that Martin Parker is the father of Beth?”<br />
<br />
Both
men looked up when Rose came in the door and stared at them both.
She’d heard what Mick had said and suddenly, it all started to fall into
place as far as she was concerned. Cousins, the girls were cousins.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
His
fool of a brother had kept $165,000 in the safe and enough jewelry to
at least double that amount. He’d have to find someone to unload the
jewelry with and maybe it would be safer to remove the stones and sell
them and the settings separately, he wasn’t sure. He used to know a guy
here, but Martin wasn’t sure he was still around.<br />
<br />
He decided to
unload the piece of crap car he’d taken when he killed Vinton McCullough
two years ago. He’d had a stroke of good luck, seeing him in
Bernalillo that day. They could be twins and the old fool didn’t have
any family either. He followed him for a few days and saw that he had
definitely gotten lucky - due to a serious injury a few years before
Vinton collected disability insurance and farmed out his land. Nothing
to do but sit back and collect the rewards. Not that there was a lot of
money, but he got by okay. <br />
<br />
So, he just slipped into Vinton’s
life, learning to write like he did, to talk like he did and if anyone
suspected that he was impersonating him, well, they never said anything
to him. He took it from Vinton’s address book that they ole boy didn’t
have much in the way of a social life or friends. Martin knew that for a
fact because trying to strike up a friendship with him had been harder
than meeting the queen. <br />
<br />
Now his fortunes had changed again;
money, lots of it with more to come. Yeah, it wasn’t a windfall
exactly, but it was enough to keep him going for awhile, enough to
support him and Dorothy after he got rid of that baby she was carrying. <br />
<br />
First he had to find the bitch.<br />
<br />
He
drove his new black Taurus, a very non-descript car past her house once
and then back again. She wasn’t there, he could tell, so where the
hell was she? She had to be at that daughter of hers place, but it was
hard to know for sure. He headed the Taurus in the direction of
downtown to drive by the apartment building where her daughter lived.
As he got close he slipped a baseball cap onto his neatly cut hair,
liking the super-short cut. <br />
<br />
He turned into the parking garage
and slowed down to take a look at the cars parked in the visitors
spaces. There! He spotted it, her Lexus, sleek and silver and
undoubtedly a gift from Clark Griffin. He idled for a moment and then
saw someone walking to him so he put the car into gear and started to
move forward.<br />
<br />
“Hold it!” a commanding voice said, standing directly in front of the car. “Who are you here to see?”<br />
<br />
“None
of your damn business; they’re not here anyway. Now get the hell out
of my way,” Martin yelled, easing forward on the gas. “MOVE!”<br />
<br />
“Not
so quick sir,” Madigan said as he scrutinized the man in the car. It
was a different car than the description they had but he was positive it
was the same guy. Too late he realized his mistake in not moving as
Martin floored the car, the tires squealing loudly on the garage floor
before hitting him square on.<br />
<br />
Martin looked in the rear view
mirror and saw the man fly through the air and crash into a concrete
pylon. He laid there like a broken doll and Martin smiled, content that
he was dead as he raced out of the parking garage. <br />
<br />
He knew
where she was, where she was most likely staying. He’d get to her,
somehow. He wasn’t sure exactly how yet, but he’d figure it out. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Rose
said nothing about the conversation she’d just heard, about her
thoughts about Dorothy that is. She did agree though that they needed
more protection, something that proved true a few moments later when
Vaygar’s phone rang.<br />
<br />
He listened and headed out the door at a
run, signaling Mick to follow him. “Madigan was run over, downstairs.
I’m going down the stairwell,” he said as he opened the door and leapt
over the side railing. Mick followed and a moment later they were
downstairs and at Madigan’s side. Rose got there a minute later having
taken the elevator.<br />
<br />
Madigan was a mess, covered in blood with a
bone sticking out of his thigh. “Son of a bitch!” Vaygar exclaimed and
then shut his mouth quickly as he saw Rose enter the garage at a run.
Mustn’t speak such words when ladies were present he reminded himself.<br />
<br />
Rose
bent to examine Madigan’s leg and let out a long breath as she checked
it out. “Sorry, Maddy, but this is going to hurt. I have to put it
back into place so it can heal properly.”<br />
<br />
He nodded, knowing what was coming. “Yeah, go ahead, I’m ready.”<br />
<br />
Vaygar
held his shoulders and Rose tugged and twisted and the bone snapped
back into place. Madigan let out a howl that was followed by a curse
and earned a severe look from Vaygar. He looked down sheepishly,
knowing how Vaygar felt about such language in front of ladies. <br />
<br />
Rose
examined the rest of his body, but the other bones had apparently
already knitted back together with no problems. Vaygar helped Madigan
stand and called up to the loft to get a couple of other guys to get
down to the garage.<br />
<br />
There were six of them staying in that
apartment with Brody and Mick knew he needed to find more space for
them. There was an apartment that was going to be vacant on the 10th
floor soon and he planned on converting it for their use. He knew that
they were pretty cramped where they were.<br />
<br />
“Was it him? Martin Parker?” Vaygar asked Madigan.<br />
<br />
“Yes
sir, I think so. He had a different car though and his hair is short
now. This guy had a ball cap on but he was stopped by Mrs. Griffin’s
car and when he saw me he got ready to leave. I told him to stop and he
decided not to.”<br />
<br />
Mick saw the tire marks on the pavement and
knew that Madigan had gotten hit hard. He also knew that he probably
hadn’t noticed the tag, but he had to ask.<br />
<br />
“Not really; I did see
that it was a temp tag, like he’d just bought the vehicle. It was a
new Taurus, a black one with 4 doors.”<br />
<br />
“Hey, that helps, Madigan. I can check on that.”<br />
<br />
The
doors to the elevator opened and Vonn and Rueben stepped out, ready to
take their posts. Vaygar filled them in on what had happened and both
listened carefully. “He won’t get back in here again, Vaygar.” Both
men nodded solemnly and watched as the group headed to the elevator.
Their comrade Madigan looked like hell and both of the men prayed that
the bastard would come back. They’d take care of him!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Beth
was just setting the overnight bag by the door when it opened and Mick
and Rose came into the apartment. She could tell by their scent and the
look on their faces that something had happened but she remained
silent, hoping that no one else had died.<br />
<br />
Rose greeted Dorothy
who was heating up some leftover lasagna for a late dinner. Rose
sniffed it appreciatively and sat at the counter as Beth and Mick said
goodbye to Dorothy.<br />
<br />
“I’ll be calling your dad as soon as I have a
bit of dinner. Jackie is due anytime now. Give your dad a hug for me,
Beth, and tell him I love him.” She tried to keep her emotions under
control but there was a curious scent to her when she talked about him
and Beth couldn’t figure out what was causing it. Her mother just
seemed to have a glow about her.<br />
<br />
Mick walked in and glanced
around the loft, focusing on Dorothy, Rose and Beth in the kitchen.
“Hey, I thought I’d follow you here and then we could drive back to
Josef’s together,” he said, giving Beth a quick kiss.<br />
<br />
“Sure, sounds good to me. I’m ready anytime, Mick.”<br />
<br />
“Okay
then. Is this the bag?” he asked, nodding to the obvious bag that was
sitting on the floor by the door. “Stupid question, huh?” he laughed.<br />
<br />
Beth grinned and said, “Well, aren’t you the smart boy? Come on, genius, let’s go! Mom, see you in the morning.”<br />
<br />
“Give him my love, sweetie.”<br />
<br />
“You know I will.”<br />
<br />
Dorothy
and Rose both took a plate of lasagna and went to sit at the table to
eat. “This is really good, Dorothy. Your mother’s recipe?”<br />
<br />
“Actually,
more like my grandmothers or maybe even older than that. A family
tradition,” she said with a smile. “When you were human, did you have
things like that?”<br />
<br />
Rose took a bite of the lasagna and then sat
her fork down as she contemplated the question. “Well, you must
understand that the world was much different then, food was more…simple I
guess is a good way to describe it. Not that there wasn’t ‘recipes’,
there were, but more like roasted meat, fruit or vegetables. Those were
more likely to be found on a table.”<br />
<br />
“Um, probably much healthier fare, I’m sure. Do you, what do you remember about being human?”<br />
<br />
“Sometimes
I think not much at all and then at times I remember bits and pieces of
things. I had siblings, a family, before I was chosen.”<br />
<br />
“How were you chosen?”<br />
<br />
Rose
grinned with a shrug, “I really am not sure. Possibly in the right
place at the right time? No?” she asked as Dorothy looked skeptical.<br />
<br />
“I guess I’m just wondering what the point is? Why this happened?”<br />
<br />
“Why thirteen of us were chosen to be recipients of the gift?”<br />
<br />
“Well, yes. And I’m not alone when I say that many don’t think of it as a gift.”<br />
<br />
“Certainly
Mick doesn’t, but I think that’s changing. He has so much potential
and the things he will learn and be able to do will win him over.” Rose
wiped her mouth and hands with a napkin and continued on. “Look,
Dorothy, anytime there is something wonderful, there is jealousy by
others. Jealousy can make people do terrible things. When it was
discovered early on that if we turned someone, they didn’t possess our
gifts, it sparked hatred and rage. The only way to have our gifts is by
being a birth descendant and many people didn’t like that. So, they
turned the gift to something dark and evil. That made it powerful, in
all the worst ways and the evil was prolific as well.”<br />
<br />
“But even if someone is a birth descendant, they still have to be turned,” Dorothy said. “It doesn’t seem fair in a way.”<br />
<br />
“The
reason for that was simple; people should have a choice whether or not
to accept the gift. The world seemed a much smaller place then,
Dorothy. The enormity, the extent of the world and its inhabitants now
was pretty much incomprehensible at that time.” As she spoke the last
words Dorothy thought that Rose looked very sad.<br />
<br />
“So it is not exactly what the bearers of the gift intended?”<br />
<br />
“Not exactly is correct.”<br />
<br />
“Who are they, Rose? Were they?”<br />
<br />
“They
were magical people, who understood a great deal about the world - at
that time. They would be lost if they walked the earth these days.”<br />
<br />
“So they are no longer here? Alive?” Dorothy asked, very curious.<br />
<br />
“No,
not as such. Dorothy, these are things that you will learn when you go
to study, as will Beth and Lani and your mates. There is much to
learn, but there is a method to doing that. Please, you must accept
that.”<br />
<br />
“Alright, I am very curious, but I understand. I’ll try
to stop asking so many questions,” she said with a smile. She stood up
and picked up their empty plates and carried them into the kitchen, with
Rose following.<br />
<br />
“Here, let me load the dishwasher. Jackie
should be here soon so you can go boot the computer if you like. You
are going to Skype with Clark aren’t you?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, we are.” Dorothy looked faraway for a moment, almost lost Rose thought and then she said, “Rose, I saw him tonight.”<br />
<br />
Rose
sat the plate she was rinsing onto the counter top, giving her a moment
to compose herself. She looked up and asked, “When? Where?”<br />
<br />
“We were at Josef’s. He was outside the window. He was there for a minute or so, and then he just went away.”<br />
<br />
It
could have been worse, Rose realized. He could undoubtedly scent the
human blood and yet he didn’t try to attack, an excellent sign. They
needed to get him socialized quickly because from her opinion of
Dorothy’s pregnancy, the babies were dropping, moving towards station
zero so there wouldn’t be too much longer before the births. She licked
her lips and then said, “Do you feel better, to have seen him?”<br />
<br />
“I…yes, I think I do. He looked good, but very sad.”<br />
<br />
Rose
nodded, understanding that. “Dorothy, he’ll be ready by the time of
your delivery. They are working towards that, you much understand
that.”<br />
<br />
“But you can’t promise me that, can you, Rose? I need him there; I’m so afraid this time.”<br />
<br />
“Because of what has happened?”<br />
<br />
“Maybe,
a little. I just have this ominous feeling, in the pit of my stomach
about it. There is a black cloud hanging over us and I can feel it.
It’s… it’s in the air.”<br />
<br />
Rose nodded, wishing she could disagree. But her gut told her the same thing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span>
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-84720263826965376722013-01-02T00:05:00.003-06:002013-01-02T00:07:12.606-06:00Chapter 18 What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Author's Note!</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Things were very hectic here and might be for a while still but I wanted you to know a couple of things. I now have a Twitter account, Hopesjourney226 so if you have a Twitter account you might check in. From time to time I'll be posting clues and information about the story! You can also get info on my Facebook page, Cyndy Klein Hodge! I'd love to see you at either or both places!!</b></span><br />
<br />
Chapter 18<br />
<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M1SD2bGxUA"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted</span></a><br />
<br />
Beth
watched her mom as she slipped the last few items into the overnight
bag that Beth was packing for her and Mick. They were going to spend
the night at the cottage so that Logan could go home and be with Audrey.
Of course, it also gave them a chance to see how Clark would do
without his sire being nearby and it was an important part of
reintegrating him back into his life.<br />
<br />
“Mom, I don’t have to go.
Mick can handle this alone.” Her mom looked so sad and Beth felt a rush
of guilt creep up her spine. Rose was staying here in the loft with
Dorothy, who kept reassuring Beth that it was fine.<br />
<br />
“I want you
to be able to spend some time with him, honey. I just miss him so damn
much and I can’t wait until I can be with him again.”<br />
<br />
Beth hugged
her mom tight and held her for a moment, scenting the distress that
Dorothy was trying to hide. “Are you sure you’re okay with Rose being
here with you? I could have Lani and Josef come instead, you know?”<br />
<br />
“Don’t
be silly. I’ll be fine. Actually, I’m not sure why you feel like I
need someone here at all because Vaygar has his men everywhere! On the
roof? Good grief, that man is going to drive me nuts. I keep looking
around every time I take a shower, positive that someone is hiding in
the linen closet! And don’t forget that Jackie is coming over to chat
with Clark on Skype, so he can meet her.” The last words were said with a
smile in an attempt to lighten the mood and Beth smiled in return, even
though she knew what Dorothy was doing.<br />
<br />
It was heartbreaking to
see her mom hurting so much; Beth knew how it would feel if Mick
couldn’t be with her and she was sure it was the same for her mom.
Dorothy tried to be positive about it all but Beth could see that deep
down she was miserable. Which made her feel more guilty for going with
Mick tonight.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t so much that she needed to be with Mick
as it was that she wanted to see her dad, a purely selfish move on her
part. She paused a moment in her packing, lightly chewing her bottom
lip as she thought about the situation. <br />
<br />
“Mom, I think I will
stay home. I know you’re fine and that you will be fine, but I just
don’t feel right about leaving you here.”<br />
<br />
Too late she saw the
anger blossom in her mother’s eyes, turning them a deep, dark chocolate
brown, a sure sign she was ready to speak her mind and Beth knew that it
wouldn’t be pleasant.<br />
<br />
“You will go!! I’m right here and I’m
fine! Yes, I miss him with all my heart, Beth but he’s there, cut off
from his world, struggling to get himself and his emotions under
control. He needs to see you! He needs the familiar, loving touch of
his family, Beth. How dare you deny him that!”<br />
<br />
The vehemence of
Dorothy’s words startled Beth. She’d been so focused on how her mother
was feeling that she’d forgotten what her dad must be going through.
She remembered how lonely she’d felt at times when they were in Seattle.
Not that Mick wasn’t wonderful to be with but she’d missed the people
in her life, the people she cared about and sometimes the phone just
wasn’t enough. <br />
<br />
“You're right, Mom. I was so focused on you that
I forgot what he will be going through. Of course I’ll go. I’m sorry
to have upset you, Mom.”<br />
<br />
“Thank you, Beth. That means a lot to
me, but it will mean even more to him. He is so lonely, honey. I’m
very worried about him.”<br />
<br />
Beth understood what her mom was saying
but she also knew that her dad was okay basically. He wasn’t in any
physical danger but they didn’t know for sure whether or not that was
true for her mom. Each day Mick felt more strongly that Dorothy could
be in danger and he welcomed the help of Vaygar and his men.<br />
<br />
“Hey, Mom? Do you have that scarf you were wearing yesterday? The green silk one?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, but why?”<br />
<br />
“I’ll take it to Dad; he’ll scent you on it and it will make him feel closer to you.”<br />
<br />
“Oh, I hadn’t even thought of such a thing. Let me get it.”<br />
<br />
Beth
watched as she walked up the stairs, still moving fairly easily. Thank
heavens all was going well with the pregnancy. She hoped that the
babies could wait until Clark got home, but it was doubtful. Still, she
crossed her fingers and hoped.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Lani
was getting ready to meet with Heroku and Cami at Sesumi about their
next project when she heard a knock. She always put her phone on cover
status when going to meetings so when Heloise, her assistant stepped
into the office Lani could tell immediately that something was wrong.<br />
<br />
“Lani, I’m sorry, but you have a visitor and I think you should speak with him,” Heloise said. <br />
<br />
Her first thought was that something was wrong with Josef, even though she knew that was ridiculous. “Who is it, Heloise?”<br />
<br />
“It’s
Detective Carl Davis, from LAPD.” The look of sadness in Heloise’s
deep blue eyes deepened as she spoke and Lani stood up, on legs that
were definitely shaky.<br />
<br />
Heloise nodded and went back to her desk to show Carl in and then made a quick call to Heroku, telling him what was going on.<br />
<br />
Lani
watched as Carl walked in, his face deadly serious and she suddenly sat
down as her knees gave out. Carl rushed around the desk and said,
“Lani, are you alright?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t know, Carl. Am I? What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
“There was a break in at your parents house last night. I’m afraid your father has been killed. Lani, I’m so sorry.”<br />
<br />
Lani
drug in a deep breath that then escaped slowly, painfully. A sob shook
her to the core; it was a reaction that she hadn’t ever expected to
have. She wasn’t close to her father, why did she feel so horrible?<br />
<br />
“My, my…mother?”<br />
<br />
“She
wasn’t there apparently. She’s on her way back to LA from Palm
Springs. The housekeeper found your dad this morning when she came to
work. Lani, would you like me to call someone? Beth, Josef?”<br />
<br />
She
nodded, wishing she could breathe. She tried to pull air into her
lungs but they weren’t working. The next thing she knew she felt a
light-headed sensation take over and she sat back the chair, trying to
suck in gulps of air. Heroku and Cami came into the office and Lani
went to sit on the couch, her eyes filling with tears as Cami sat down
next to her and gave her a hug, telling her it would be fine, trying to
reassure her friend.<br />
<br />
It took less than 15 minutes for Josef to
get there and as soon as he saw her his heart broke. He scooped her up
into his arms and held her close, murmuring soothing words to her and
trying to calm her down. Heroku and Cami left the office and Carl sat
by nervously, waiting to see if there were more questions.<br />
<br />
Beth,
quickly followed by Mick appeared a few minutes later and Beth sat with
Lani while Josef and Mick talked quietly with Carl.<br />
<br />
“It happened
sometime last evening, ME puts time of death around 11 pm. He was
stabbed, multiple times.” He watched Mick’s expression carefully to see
if he put two and two together.<br />
<br />
“Stabbed? Do you think there is any connection?”<br />
<br />
“I
don’t know. It does look like there was a robbery though; the safe was
open and empty. We think that Marcus Parker opened it himself because
there was no damage to it and no fingerprints other than his. Luka is
there on the scene while they process the crime scene for as much
information as they can gather. Her mom wasn’t there, no one but Marcus
was.”<br />
<br />
“Carl, I need to get into that crime scene.” Mick glanced
over his shoulder at Beth who had an arm around Lani. Lani’s head was
lying on Beth’s shoulder, her eyes closed but she was still crying
softly.<br />
<br />
“I know and I’m going to get you in as quickly as possible. The body is already at the morgue, so shall we start there, Mick?”<br />
<br />
Mick looked again at Beth who nodded. “Okay, let’s go. Josef, are you taking Lani home?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, as quickly as I can. I suppose we’ll have to see her mom at some point.”<br />
<br />
“I believe she’s due in within the hour, Josef.”<br />
<br />
Josef nodded tersely and went back to the couch. “Lani, I’m taking you home Sweetness. Beth, would you like to come with us?”<br />
<br />
“Of course, Josef. I’ll follow you there. I just want to talk to Mick and Carl for a second.”<br />
<br />
Josef
gathered Lani’s coat and purse and Beth helped to get the coat on her
and then they left. All three watched them leave and Mick saw that Beth
was genuinely upset about it all.<br />
<br />
“You’re going to the morgue? I need to go too, before I go to Josef’s.”<br />
<br />
“Beth, you don’t have to.”<br />
<br />
“I know I don’t have to but I need to. I can sometimes see things that you can’t Mick. It won’t delay me too much. Let’s go.”<br />
<br />
Beth
looked at Josef who had heard the conversation; he nodded at her and
she left with Mick and Carl. Her stomach was twisted with the pain that
her friend was going through, making her feel sort of ill. On the way
to the morgue she gave her mom a call and told her what they knew at
this point and Dorothy listened quietly, hurting for Lani.<br />
<br />
Dorothy
couldn’t say or think a single decent thing about Marcus Parker.
Growing up he’d been a cruel bastard with a brutal streak. He’d finally
gotten what he deserved but unfortunately he’d left behind a family
that would have to come to terms with his passing. <br />
<br />
Over the
years Dorothy had seen Marcus and Helen Parker, the last time at Josef’s
house for the Sesumi party. She’d always done her best to ignore their
existence but it was hard considering the memories she had. She closed
her eyes tightly for a moment, trying to shut the past out, even though
she knew from experience she couldn’t. <br />
<br />
Was this justice? Karma? She’d like to think so.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
At
the morgue when Guillermo pulled the cover off of Marcus Parkers body
and waves of fear and anger rolled off of it. It hit Beth in the gut
and she sucked in a deep breath, almost doubled over with the pain and
lost in the moment he’d died. She saw him on the floor, trying to fight
off the blows and then watched as he lay there, the blood flow
gradually stopping as his heart could no longer pump. Mick reached out
to steady her as she viewed the scene.<br />
<br />
She focused, looking at
the back of the man who held the knife and when he turned around she saw
those eyes, they same eyes behind the mask of the man who had attacked
her dad. She looked at his face, trying to remember it so she could
describe it. There was something familiar about it, but she couldn’t
think, this close to Marcus’ body. She was right there, she could scent
the blood, the fear that tainted the air with an acrid odor. <br />
<br />
She
opened her eyes and tried to step away only to realize that Mick was
holding her up. His beautiful eyes were watching her with love and
concern. She tried to give him a smile but knew it was impossible.<br />
<br />
“I, the eyes…it’s the same guy who attacked Dad. The same guy. I got a good look at his face.”<br />
<br />
Mick
nodded, agreeing with her. “Come on, Beth. Let’s go sit down and you
can tell us what you saw. Guillermo, can we use your office?”<br />
<br />
“Sure, but it’s pretty cramped in there, sorry.”<br />
<br />
“That’s
okay. Come on, Beth.” Guillermo and Carl both followed them into the
tiny room, closer to a closet than an office really.<br />
<br />
“Tell us what you saw, Beth.” Mick said, kneeling down by her as she sat in the desk chair.<br />
<br />
Beth
swallowed hard, trying to get herself under control. It was so vivid,
so graphic. Hate and brutality tainted the scene, washing over it in a
dirty rush and she’d picked up every bit of it. This was a crime of
passion, not just some random burglary. This guy knew Marcus. If so,
what was the connection to Clark?<br />
<br />
She tried to share all her
impressions with them, tried to make them understand how sure she was
about what she saw, what she felt. “Mick, what did you scent?”<br />
<br />
“Most
of what you saw, baby. It was a pretty wicked scene.” He looked into
her blue eyes that were so full of pain and distress and he wanted to be
able to wipe it all away and yet he couldn’t. Her gift actually took
her into the scene while his only allowed him to see it.<br />
<br />
“I know him, or I’ve seen him, Mick. I know it!”<br />
<br />
“You know him? Who is he, Beth?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t know, exactly. But I’ve seen him. His face was a bit different, maybe, but I know him.”<br />
<br />
“Beth, could you work with us and do a composite picture of him? We’d have to go to the station.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, but how will you explain that? There were no witnesses, Carl.”<br />
<br />
“We’ll
worry about that later. If he’s the same guy that attacked Clark I
doubt if the police will be involved.” He looked at Mick who nodded.
They both knew exactly what would happen if they found the guy.<br />
<br />
“Okay, let’s try then. I can’t get that face out of my mind.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Dorothy
was frantic; she needed to be with Lani; she loved her and wanted to
support her. But going to the mansion had risks; she’d be so close to
Clark and yet wouldn’t be able to see him. How hard would that be?
Could she control her need to see her husband? She had to, she had to
be there for Lani. She picked up the phone and then realized how
senseless that was; instead she walked out into the hallway, under the
watchful eyes of one of Vaygar’s men and knocked on the door of Brody’s
apartment which was functioning as Vaygar’s base of operations.<br />
<br />
He
opened the door with a smile and a slight bow. “Knock it off, Vaygar!
Don’t you ever stop?” she asked, irritation in her voice. “I need to go
the Kostan house, now.”<br />
<br />
“Oh course, mila…um, Dorothy,” he said,
checking himself before the ‘milady’ came out. For some reason the
genteel courtesy irritated her. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was
due to the late stage of her confinement. Who was he kidding he
realized, there was nothing ‘confined’ about this woman. “Might I ask
why?”<br />
<br />
“You may, but I don’t have to tell you!” she said in a bit
of defiance. At his worried look she felt contrite and added, “Lani,
her father has been killed. I need to go and be with her. She’s like
my daughter. Please, can we go quickly?”<br />
<br />
“Of course, but are you sure? It will be hard for you, Dorothy.” <br />
<br />
The
gentle look of concern in his eyes almost made her cry. She actually
wanted to hug him because she was so upset but she kept that thoughts in
check. “Yes, it will but sometimes we have to put aside our personal
feelings. Lani needs me. I’m strong, I can do this.”<br />
<br />
“To be
sure, you are quite strong, Dorothy. Please, it’s chilly out so do
gather your cloak and then we’ll go. I’ll take you personally.”<br />
<br />
“Thank
you, Vaygar.” Her words were quietly spoken and deeply felt. She had
such a big heart he knew and for a moment he thought about how lucky a
man Clark Griffin was to be wedded to such a woman.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Beth
worked with Sergeant Edie Petrowski at the composite computer for an
hour, trying out different chins and face shapes and such. While the
face was vividly implanted into her mind she found that actually
describing him was a bit tough. As the picture began to take shape Mick
stared at it in amazement. He and Carl went to his computer and he had
Carl pull up the DL picture of Vinton McCullough. <br />
<br />
“You’re
right, it’s close, but somewhat different. Eyes for one thing and look
at the nose, that’s different too.” Carl printed it out and they kept
it with them when they went back to the composite computer but didn’t
show it to Beth. <br />
<br />
When Beth felt the picture was done she stared
at it, more convinced than ever that she knew this man. Sergeant
Petrowski printed it out and asked if Carl wanted a BOLO put out on it. <br />
<br />
“No, right now we’re not even sure if this is the guy we want. But thanks, Edie. Can I take the picture?”<br />
<br />
“Sure.
It will be saved on the computer so let me know if you need it later,”
she said as they walked away. She couldn’t help but be curious about
it because Ms. St. John seemed sure about the picture, but she let it go
with a shrug. Maybe she wasn’t as sure as she seemed or Detective
Davis didn’t think she was reliable. Who could tell?<br />
<br />
At Josef’s
house, Josef watched as Franklin showed Dorothy in; he could only hope
that this visit went well, but he knew that Lani would be happy to see
her.<br />
<br />
Helen Parker had called Lani when she got home, more
concerned about the inconvenience to her since she had to stay in a
hotel instead of her home because the incompetent police were taking so
much time processing the house that was considered a <span style="font-style: italic;">crime scene</span> for heaven’s sake!<br />
<br />
She
never once asked how Lani was or expressed any sadness that her husband
had been murdered. Josef hoped she stayed away because right now he’d
love to drain that bitch. Instead, he made arrangement for the Cleaners
to take care of the house later, after Mick and Beth had a chance to
look at it and then he also made reservations for her to stay in one of
LA’s best hotels, on him. Anything to keep her from staying here, which
was what she was hinting at.<br />
<br />
If he thought that it would bring
Lani comfort he’d move her in, lock, stock and barrel, but that wasn’t
the case. Lani and her mother would have to work together for the
funeral arrangements but he hoped that her exposure to that miserable
woman would be limited to that. He knew for a fact, from Ryder’s
investigation into the Parker’s finances that she’d be well-taken care
of so at least he wouldn’t have to deal with that.<br />
<br />
“Dorothy,” he
said, taking her hand and then hugging her lightly. He could feel her
tremble and knew that this was very hard for her. “Thank you for
coming. Lani is in the den and I know she’ll be happy to see you. It
means so much. Would you like some tea or juice?” <br />
<br />
“No, thank you, Josef. I’ll just go and see Lani now.”<br />
<br />
“Certainly.
I’ll be right along.” As she walked away he eyed Vaygar for a moment;
the man was watching Dorothy like a hawk. In vamp tones he said,
“She’s perfectly fine, Vaygar. Would you care for a beverage?”<br />
<br />
Vaygar
got his meaning and shook his head no and then looked around the foyer
with interest. Opulent and yet it wasn’t austere feeling at all. He
followed Josef down a hallway into a very comfortable and warm room,
both in temperature and detail. <br />
<br />
It was large, with plush leather
furniture and a very large television on one side of the room and a
huge walnut bookcase built into another. It was filled with hundreds of
books and many of them were extremely rare, Vaygar realized. A
fireplace crackled quietly in the background, the flames low more as a
visual comfort than for warmth. Dorothy was already sitting on one of
the couches, holding Lani tightly as she cried, stroking her hair and
patting her back. Quiet words of comfort where murmured into her ear
but they mattered not at this point. The child had just lost a parent
and that was never an easy burden.<br />
<br />
Franklin hovered in the
doorway, completely unsure as to what to do. He cared about Miss Lani
with all his old heart and he’d do anything to take this pain from her
and lift her spirits. It had been centuries since he’d lost someone
he’d been connected to, in the human world and the memories were vague
at best. Josef cast him a sympathetic look as he sipped a glass of
scotch near the fireplace. His look said it all, there was nothing to
do at the moment.<br />
<br />
Dorothy finally got Lani calmed down a bit and
sat with her arm protectively around her. Josef remembered the night
that Beth had been turned and Lani’s grief, how Dorothy had done the
same thing. That was the night that he’d decided that Dorothy Griffin
was an amazing woman; she shared her love openly and freely.<br />
<br />
A
little while later they heard the doorbell again and Josef started to
leave the room but Franklin shook his head and said, “I’ll get it,
Josef.”<br />
<br />
Beth and Mick stood and waited for the door to be opened.
As soon as it opened Beth stepped through and saw the sadness etched
into Franklin’s face. “How is she, Franklin?”<br />
<br />
“Not well at all, Miss Beth. I’ve never seen her suffer so.”<br />
<br />
Beth
nodded and reached out and laid her hand on the usually stoic vampires
arm. “I know, Franklin. We’ll get her through this though. I saw who
did it; now all we have to do is find him. It was the same man who
attacked my dad.”<br />
<br />
“You're sure, Miss Beth?” Franklin knew that
she possessed some very accurate skills when scenting a scene. Josef
had remarked on it a number times. He said there was no getting around
the fact that she was always dead on. He hoped that this was the case
this time. He nodded and said, “They are in the den; your mother is
here as well. May I get you something to drink?”<br />
<br />
If she was
shocked by the news that her mother was here she didn’t show it.
Actually, she’d expected it and was even glad for Lani’s sake. She
smiled at Franklin again as both she and Mick declined his offer. He
looked lost; his way of helping was action and yet there was nothing for
him to do. He led them down the hall to the den and Beth immediately
went to Lani and her mom, while Mick joined Josef and Vaygar by the
mantle. He accepted a scotch from Josef and sipped slowly, watching the
women.<br />
<br />
Josef sipped pensively, quietly but Mick saw the deadly
look in his eye. They spoke quietly, in vamp tones and he filled Mick
in on the situation with Lani’s mother. Mick was also filled with a
sense of outrage because of that callous, spoiled woman. Yes, he knew
the story now, from Beth about Lani’s upbringing but this was a
situation where she needed to worry about her daughter and show a little
grief instead of complaining about the inconvenience she was
experiencing.<br />
<br />
In one way Mick was a bit surprised by how hard
Lani was taking her father’s death, considering that past, but losing a
parent is devastating. He remembered when his parents had passed and how
it had hurt so much and he hadn’t been able to contact his sister, who
must surely have struggled with it all.<br />
<br />
All of which made him think of her for a moment as a fluid rush of guilt washed over him. <span style="font-style: italic;">Another day, he’d figure it out another day.</span><br />
<br />
“Beth
saw it all, very clearly, too clearly for my taste because she actually
seemed to experience the situation while it was happening. But she saw
who did it and it was the same guy who attacked Clark. We have a
composite of him and she is sure she’s seen him in the past.” <br />
<br />
Lani
was wiping her eyes and took a sip of some water that Franklin had
brought in. She was pale, ghastly pale and Josef was glad she wasn’t
crying any longer; that was good. <br />
<br />
“Lani, Sweetness, Beth saw who
did it. She has a picture of him. It was the same man who attacked
Clark. We’re going to find him and take care of him, I promise you,”
Josef said and watched as curiosity sparked in her eyes for a moment.<br />
<br />
“Is
that true, Beth? You saw him, in…in your mind?” Lani wasn’t exactly
sure how it worked but she knew that Beth was good at it.<br />
<br />
“Yes, I
did. We did a composite picture of him and I swear I know him from
somewhere. Unfortunately, I don’t know where,” she said with a frown.
“Do you want to see?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, I do.”<br />
<br />
Beth pulled the picture
out of her purse and showed it to Lani, whose face flamed for a moment
and then paled again, her eyes tearing up as she gasped for breath. <br />
<br />
Dorothy
saw the picture as well and her worst nightmare had just came to knock
on her door. Her first fears, after Clark had been attacked all came
rushing back and she knew that she was going to have to tell her story
now. She had to tell Clark the truth first though, he deserved it. She
also recognized that most likely she was in danger too, if Martin meant
what he’d said in the past. Having Vaygar and his men around was a
comforting thing because she had the babies to think of now. Her eyes
closed tightly for a moment and she took a deep, steadying breath.<br />
<br />
“Beth,”
Lani said, “That’s my uncle Martin. Of course you know him but it’s
been a number of years. Yes, definitely it’s my uncle Martin.”<br />
<br />
Mick watched understanding spread over his wife’s face but it was Dorothy’s expression that actually concerned him the most.<br />
<br />
She had a story to tell and he knew that it wasn’t going to be a good one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued… </span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-89726455969519107942012-12-27T00:48:00.003-06:002012-12-27T00:48:28.842-06:00Chapter 17 Dream On<span style="color: red;">So sorry for the
lateness of the post, my internet has been so slow that I haven't been
able to post or even get on the board much. Hopefully things will get
better soon.<br /><br />Cyndy</span><br /><br />Chapter 17 Dream On<br /><br />Catherine
walked into the Buzzwire offices and glanced around her with curiosity;
the place was alive with energy and it felt good to see it. Whether it
was the people themselves or what they were doing, the atmosphere
surged with vitality and excitement and Cat decided that she had made a
wise decision, deciding to become a part of all this. Now, she just
needed to let Beth know that she had.<br /><br />Beth, her…stepmother?
Catherine smiled at the thought and looked around, trying to spot her
but quickly gave up and approached a young woman sitting at a desk near
the doors who was typing rapidly on a keyboard as she frowned at the
screen in front of her.<br /><br />“I’m sorry to disturb you but I’m looking for Beth St. John; do you know if she’s available?”<br /><br />The
woman scowled at her screen for a moment and then turned to see who was
speaking to her. Expensively dressed and well groomed, the woman
looking at her seemed to have a no-nonsense manner and while she wore a
pleasant smile Trish knew that she shouldn’t be kept waiting.<br /><br />“Uh,
sure, I think she’s free. Just let me check for you.” Trish pushed a
couple of buttons on the phone and spoke into the headset. “Hey, Beth,
you have someone here to see you. Are you free?” Trish listened for a
moment and then hung up. “Yes, she’s free. Just head down that hall
and it’s the second office on the left.” She nodded to an almost hidden
hallway and Cat nodded her thanks and walked down it in search of Beth.<br /><br />As
she approached the door it opened, and a surprised Beth smiled at Cat,
and offered her hand. “Hello, Catherine. Please, come on in.”<br /><br />“Hi,
Beth. Please, call me Cat; I hope I’m not disturbing you. I happened
to be on this side of town and wanted to speak with you about the legal
segments that Benjamin told me about.”<br /><br />“Oh! Yes, please, have a
seat,” Beth told her, indicating a chair that faced the large window in
the office. Cat glanced around the office, but it was fairly spartan;
modern furniture with little decoration. Either she’d not really taken
the time to decorate or she appreciated a minimalist approach to her
work environment. Either way, there was little to distract her and Cat
appreciated that.<br /><br />“Would you like some coffee, or tea, Cather…, um, Cat?”<br /><br />“No,
thank you very much though. So, Ben told me that you are looking for
someone to do some legal spots on Buzzwire and I wanted you to know that
I’m very interested in doing them.” <br /><br />Beth’s smile lit up her
face and Cat saw that she was genuinely happy to hear that news. Being
an attorney for so many years had taught her to read people with a
fine-tuned precision because if you couldn’t decipher what your client
was telling you, or not telling you, as the case may be, you’re
representation wouldn’t be worth a damn.<br /><br />Cat wasn’t really sure
why she was so excited to be a part of this; whether because it was just
a new opportunity if it was a chance to get a closer look at this young
woman who was married to her bio father, well, she didn’t really want
to hazard a guess. But she looked forward to it eagerly and she waited
expectantly for Beth to tell her about it.<br /><br />They discussed the
ideas that Beth, Max and Rodney had for the segments and Cat could see
that it could actually work, even with her being in England for 3
months. They would be able to tape close to a dozen 10 minute segments
before she left. Buzzwire would feature 1 new segment each week that
repeated daily. All segments were also available to the viewers at will
so even if they missed one they could always catch it when it was
convenient.<br /><br />“We already have close to a hundred questions from
viewers, Cat. Some of them are very mundane, some most likely
inappropriate, and some very interesting, from a layman’s view that is.
We’ll email you all of them so you can go through and choose what you
think will be important or even entertaining.” <br /><br />Cat’s face
reflected a bit of surprise at Beth’s last words. Obviously it wasn’t
only about the information, legally speaking. Buzzwire, while providing
reliable news and information was still about entertaining their
viewers so the segments would need an entertaining factor to them,
something that would keep them coming back again and again. <br /><br />“That
sounds like a good place to start. I hadn’t really considered the
entertainment factor in all this but I guess it is necessary, isn’t it?”<br /><br />“Yes,
it definitely is. We want to be able to help people, really help them,
but every now and again, a question about someone who has a neighbor
who likes to bathe in their backyard or something equally weird, well,
people will laugh and that’s good for everyone.”<br /><br />“Don’t tell me that’s really a question?”<br /><br />“Yep.
The guy wears a shower cap as he uses the hose and sings to boot.
It’s driving his neighbor crazy.” As Cat cracked up laughing Beth
added, “But, most of the questions are just the normal run of the mill
variety, we think anyway. Do you have a bit more time so that I can
introduce you to Max and Rodney?”<br /><br />“Yes, I do. I have to admit, I’m intrigued and excited about all this, Beth!”<br /><br />“That’s
exactly the attitude we love around here!” Beth called Max and then
she and Cat headed into the conference room and the group chatted and
got some of the details worked out. When Cat left all three of them
felt as if they’d struck gold.<br /><br />“She’s going to be great,” Rodney
said. “She’s so intelligent and she’ll shine on camera I’m guessing.”
Since being at Buzzwire he’d already started to see how they had to
understand how something would look through the camera’s eyes instead of
just being concerned with a visual print presentation of the news. It
was new and exciting to him and he’d discovered that he loved it.<br /><br />“I
think so too!” Max added. Things were working so well here, all the
pieces coming together smoothly. Ad revenue was going through the roof
and Buzzwire was gaining new viewers daily. It was a paying proposition
now and Max realized that her dreams were finally coming true. She
lifted her cup of coffee and said, “Here’s to the future! It really
looks good!”<br /><br />Beth and Rodney did the same and nodded. The future really did look great.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Carl
was shown into Heroku’s office and when the elder vampire rose from his
seat Carl bowed in obeisance and said, “Heroku-san, it is good to see
you.”<br /><br />Heroku bowed as well. “Carl, thank you for coming to see
me. Please, have a seat.” Heroku watched as the young man sat politely
and couldn’t help but notice that his heartbeat remained steady as he
did so. Carl was much better able to control his emotions and physical
responses now thanks to all his intensive training. Kenji had stated
that the detective had been an apt pupil and had mastered all the
physical challenges put before him and many of the mental ones as well,
no small feats for a human. <br /><br />Heroku settled into his own seat and
stated, “Kenji tells me that you have surpassed my expectations for
you, Carl. I want you to know that I appreciate your hard work and
dedication to the tasks. You have done well.”<br /><br />These were words
of high praise, coming from Heroku as they did and Carl felt a small
rush of pride at them. “You are welcome, Heroku-san. I will continue
to work on my skills so that your approval will be justified.” The
words all seemed so formal Carl thought as he said them. Yet, Heroku was
a man of formality, of tradition, a man to whom the old ways were still
very much present in his life. Carl could understand that because he
was a man who appreciated the values that he had learned from his past
as well.<br /><br />“Carl, I will come directly to the point; it is time to
talk of your turning. Is it your wish still to give up the mortal coil
and become immortal?”<br /><br />“Yes, Heroku-san, it is my desire to do so.”<br /><br />Heroku gave a terse nod of approval; it was an expected answer. “<span style="font-style: italic;">Hai</span>,
it is good. We will meet with Camille to determine a time for this
transition to take place. You will need to be gone from your job for as
long as a month, but most likely two or three weeks. You will need
time to adjust to your new skills and feel comfortable among human’s
again. I will not lie to you, Carl; this can sometimes be difficult,
mentally as well as physically.”<br /><br />“I understand, Heroku-san. I am still resolved to join Camille in immortality.”<br /><br />“Is that the only reason for your decision?”<br /><br />“No,
in truth it is not. I feel that I can make a contribution, to the
immortal brethren and humanity as well. Like Mick St. John, I see how
our skills and talents can benefit both.”<br /><br />“Yes, they can. I am pleased that you can see the benefits. How will you explain your absence from your work?”<br /><br />“I
have many weeks of vacation time that I have not taken. While it would
be unusual that I ask for so much time off of work, if I were to
combine it with a honeymoon with Camille, I think it will not be
questioned. My partner, Luka is supportive of what will happen.” The
last sentence was possibly a bit of a stretch; Luka was trying to become
comfortable with it all and Carl felt sure that in time he would manage
it.<br /><br />Heroku nodded, satisfied. “We shall meet with Camille and determine a date. Have you two spoken of your wedding yet?”<br /><br />“We
have discussed it some. Since it is going to be followed by my turning
we want a very simple ceremony. We will possibly have a reception
after I am turned and reintegrated back into the human world.”<br /><br />“That
is a wise plan I believe. Please plan on having dinner on Wednesday
next week to discuss the details.” Heroku rose to his feet, followed
quickly by Carl, who bowed again. “Thank you for coming by, Carl.”<br /><br />“Thank you, Heroku-san.”<br /><br />Heroku
watched as the young man walked away; tall, well-muscled thanks to his
training and with a good deal of pride in his steps. Yes, he would make
an honorable addition to the family.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ynrSEjHyRI"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dream On</span></a><br /><br /> <br /><br />“What the hell are you doing here, Martin?”<br /><br />“Now, big brother, is that anyway to talk to me? You haven’t seen me for a long, long time, you know.”<br /><br />“Not nearly long enough. The money train is done, Martin. I’ll not give you another cent. Now get the hell out of here.”<br /><br />Martin
looked around the richly appointed office in his brother’s home and
then sat down in a Queen Anne chair covered in red, supple leather that
was situated across the desk from where his brother’s chair sat. He
tossed one leg carelessly over the arm of the chair and grinned at his
brother’s frown at his insolence. “Now, we really need to talk about
that. I believe you need to reconsider that idea.” <br /><br />Martin
watched as his brother stood up, his fingers gripping the edge of the
desk tightly as his face turned an alarmingly blotchy shade of red. The
waves of anger rolled off of him, palpable all the way across the wide
desk and Martin realized his brother was considering coming over the
desk to attack him.<br /><br />Martin continued to grin and shrugged
carelessly. “I don’t think so. Don’t forget brother, I know where a
lot of your skeletons are buried. All those girls, before you went off
to college, and all the ones after you got married. Really, you should
have been a bit more discreet. And buried the bodies a bit more,
carefully, so to speak.”<br /><br />“I never killed anyone! You little piece of shit, get out of here now!”<br /><br />“Killed?
Well no, I guess not. Sometimes though a person might wish they were
dead after nasty things happen to them, don’t you think?”<br /><br />“You
are truly a miserable person, Martin. It’s too bad that father didn’t
tie you into a gunny sack and toss you into the river when mother died.
It would certainly have saved a lot of people countless misery.”<br /><br />Martin
laughed loudly. “Oh, you would have liked that and so would that
miserable excuse of a man we had for a father. Oh, wait! He loved you;
you got the best of everything, including his money and love. Or is
that love and money? I forget, since I got screwed on both of those
things.”<br /><br />“You got exactly what you deserved, Martin. You are a useless waste of air.”<br /><br />“As
opposed to you, who does so many good deeds? Yes, I suppose you’d
think so.” Martin came to his feet in one cat-like and dangerously
agile movement and leaned over the desk, his eyes so dark blue that they
appeared almost black. “Now, listen to me because I’m not going to
repeat it. Turn around and open up that fucking safe and give me the
cash out of it because I know that there is plenty in there.” For
effect he pulled out a large and deadly looking knife that reflected the
light of the desk lamp.<br /><br />His brother’s eyes widened briefly in
fear and he swallowed down a lump the size of a tennis ball. It was
late and the house was quiet. The maid was gone and his wife was in
Palm Springs, at her favorite spa. He was alone and he suddenly wished
that he had a gun tucked away in a desk drawer.<br /><br />“I’m not joking and I’m not a patient man. You should know that. Now open the fucking safe!”<br /><br />“Are you going to kill me, Martin? How will that benefit you, in the future that is? You’re certainly not in my will.”<br /><br />“Then you better hope that what you have in that safe is enough to make me happy. And rich, very rich.”<br /><br />“Don’t be ridiculous, Martin. Do you think I keep piles of cash in there?”<br /><br />Martin
heard the chastising tone in his brother’s voice and rage suddenly
crept over him. He swept his arm across the desk, sending papers, pens
and the lamp flying across the room. The lamp shattered against the
floor and the room was suddenly a bit darker, only the overhead light
shining on the scene. Martin jumped across the desk and grabbed his
brother, holding the knife against his neck. His fear was apparent
because Martin could see his pulse beating frantically in his neck and
suddenly he knew that whether he got the money or not his brother was a
dead man. Forty-five years of being the brunt of hatred and pain were
enough. Tonight it ended.<br /><br />“Open the safe, Slick,” Martin hissed, using the derisive nickname he used for his brother.<br /><br />“Okay, alright, Martin. Let go, so I can.”<br /><br />Martin
watched as his brothers hand shook as he tried to turn the dial. He
messed up the combination twice before the door finally swung open.
Inside several tall stacks of money could be seen, as well as some of
his sister in laws jewelry boxes.<br /><br />“Well, well, looky here. Looks
like I hit myself the jackpot tonight.” Martin pulled a small canvas
tote out of his pocket and started filling it with the cash and jewelry.
“Wifey won’t miss this stuff, I’m sure.”<br /><br />As Martin scooped
things out of his safe his brother realized for the first time that he
had gloves on. Latex gloves and suddenly he knew what was going to
happen. His eyes looked longingly at the door. Could he make it? He
started edging closer to it, hoping that Martin wouldn’t notice.<br /><br />Suddenly
Martin turned, seeing what his brother was doing. “Not so fast, Slick.
You really think I’m going to let you out of here?” He jumped the
desk again as his brother made a dash for the door and jumped on him,
the knife sinking deeply into the middle of his brothers back.<br /><br />He
pulled the knife out and sank it in again, over and over until he was
spent and out of breath. God, that felt good, he thought. The legacy
of pain, of loneliness, of bitter rejection melted away with each
downward stroke of the knife until he suddenly felt as if it all had
been exorcised from his psyche. <br /><br />He was free; he was clean of the
rancor and anguish that seared his soul. It was time for a new
beginning. He had money and he could reestablish his life. As soon as
he could find Dorothy that is. <br /><br />One more task, just one more. Then his life would be complete.<br /><br /> <br /><br />To be continued…
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-49411123213575319122012-12-19T10:46:00.002-06:002012-12-19T10:46:46.063-06:00Chapter 16 All I Want For Christmas Is YouHenry opened the door that led out to the balcony
slowly, not wanting to startle the young woman who stood gazing out at
the city lights, her face a mask of sadness. He walked to her and
leaned against the balustrade, his elbows resting on the stone edge.<br /><br />“I’m truly sorry, Lani. I had no business saying what I did. It’s between you and Josef, what you do in your relationship.”<br /><br />He
watched as she licked her lips and then bit the lower one lightly as if
debating how to answer. He felt like a world class jerk for upsetting
her.<br /><br />Still, even in this modern age of living together, he just
couldn’t agree with it. A man and woman who create a child owed it to
that child to provide the most stable home for it as possible. Old
fashioned beliefs, he knew but he could see the love these two shared
and he couldn’t help but wonder why she wanted to wait.<br /><br />There
were all kinds of families and the reality was that two parents couldn’t
always provide a loving home for a child, together. Differences of all
kinds, death, lots of things separated families and sometimes it was
okay and sometimes not. No, marriage between two people who were
miserable wasn’t right but there was love here, lots of it. <br /><br />Henry
loved children even though he’d not been fortunate enough to have them.
After he came home from the war his was dispirited, a walking empty
vessel and it took awhile to get straight with himself and then get
straight with his creator. Yes, he was a man of God, in whatever vision
of that someone believed in. God had many names and faces and he felt
that as long as someone had faith, faith in a higher power and faith in
themselves they could accomplish anything. <br /><br />As she remained
silent he thought that perhaps those feelings were making him push this
young woman into something she wasn’t ready for. Possibly he had
interpreted what he saw incorrectly and the love simply wasn’t there?
He felt very confused and closed his eyes for a moment, asking for
guidance.<br /><br />Lani continued to remain motionless, almost holding her
breath as she thought about her feelings. What did she want? Truly?
She wanted Josef, she wanted to marry him, with all her heart. A silent
sob broke through and warm, salty tears tracked down her face,
glittering as the lights of the city reflected off of them.<br /><br />“I’m
not…Josef, he’s such a good man. He loves me deeply and I know that he
would do anything for me. But Henry, I’m just a girl who was spoiled
with material things and denied love all my life. I’ve been selfish and
egotistical, doing what I wanted because for most of my life no one
really gave a damn. Except for Beth and Dorothy and Clark. They were
more of a family to me than anything I’d ever known. Even so, I was
still an outsider, Henry. Our housekeepers showed more affection for me
than my parents did and that doesn’t provide much of an example, you
know? I don’t deserve someone as wonderful as Josef. Someday, he’ll
wake up and realize that. Forever is a very long time to a vampire.”<br /><br />“Lani,
I know less than nothing about vampires or vampire relationships but I
do know genuine love when I see it. It’s those tender looks and awe
that someone expresses when they are looking into the eyes of love.
It’s almost palpable sometimes, so deep and true that nothing can tear
it apart. When a person is lucky enough to find that other person who
completes them, who makes them a better person, everyone sees it. There
isn’t a doubt in my mind that you and Josef feel that way about one
another. But I understand why it’s so scary for you, Lani, I really do.
Taking a chance like this is like free-falling over the edge of the
highest cliff imaginable and trusting that the other person will be
there to gently catch you. Josef will catch you, Lani.”<br /><br />Josef
stood inside the door, listening to their conversation. Should he be
ashamed for listening? Maybe but he wasn’t, not one damn bit. He’d
lost one love and he wouldn’t lose this one. He was made for Lani, as
she was made for him. He opened the door and stepped through, walking
straight to her and pulling her tightly into his embrace.<br /><br />“Lani, I
won’t just catch you, I’ll be there with you, all the way. Remember
the cliff at the beach house? We did it together and we can do this.
If I’m lucky enough to be married to you forever I’ll never regret a
moment of it. Not a single second,” he said quietly, his lips lightly
brushing hers. “I can handle anything you can throw at me, Sweetness,
just give me the chance.”<br /><br />Her tears started in earnest then and
he held her tighter, patting her back like he would a small child.
Henry started to move away, to go inside and leave them alone and she
saw him and said, “No, please, Henry, don’t go.”<br /><br />Henry glanced at
Josef, waiting to see what he wanted and when he nodded, adding his
consent to Lani’s request Henry stood silent for a moment, waiting.<br /><br />“Henry, I think we have a wedding to plan. Will you marry us?” Lani asked.<br /><br />“Of course, you tell me the day to be there.”<br /><br />“Josef, I want to wait long enough…”<br /><br />Josef interrupted, an ache the size of a tennis ball threatening to choke him. “Lani, no more waiting!”<br /><br />“I
want to wait until Clark is back and Dorothy has the babies. I want
them both to be at my wedding. Please? It’s important to me.”<br /><br />He nodded, suddenly understanding what she wanted. “Yes, I agree to that. Maybe a month, then?”<br /><br />“Yes, a month. I can do that. Henry, do you think your church will be ready for a wedding by then?”<br /><br />“Well, I’m sure it won’t be done but hopefully we can make it presentable.”<br /><br />Josef
laughed outright then, the thought of so many vampires, who often had
phobias about churches, gathered in a church hysterical to him. At both
Lani’s and Henry’s quizzical looks he explained and they both laughed
as well.<br /><br />Josef noticed that Lani was shivering and said, “Come
on, let’s go in and share the good news!” All three of them went back
in and Josef made the announcement to a rambunctious round of applause.<br /><br />“Why are you waiting a month? Do it now!” Dorothy urged.<br /><br />“No.
Dorothy, it’s important to me that both you and Clark be there on that
day. And besides, I have to have a little bit of time to try to find
dresses for me and Beth and Robbi.”<br /><br />Josef grinned from ear to
ear, his pose relaxed as he rocked back on his heels as he watched
everyone. All the hurt had been swept away; she really did love him and
their child would be born into a real family, with two parents who
would love it and protect it forever. <br /><br /> Beth and Dorothy were
both hugging Lani and then both of them hugged first Josef and then
Henry. Even Mick got in on the action and when he walked towards Josef
he laughed as Josef said, “Mick, if you hug me I’m going to have to kick
your ass!” And then when Mick did it anyway he could only laugh
himself, feeling on top of the world as he did. <br /><br />If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Wasn’t that the phrase?<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />“Benjamin!”
Cat said when she answered the phone. “What’s going on? Is everything
alright?” Ben was more likely to come by to see her at the office
instead of calling.<br /><br />“Sure, everything is great, Mom. How are you and dad?”<br /><br />“We’re
fine. You’re father is in D.C. this week, meeting with some of the
group that will be arguing the Morrison case before the Supreme Court in
February. Why don’t come over for dinner tonight?”<br /><br />“Can’t, Mom, but thanks. I’m working on closing arguments for the court on Monday morning. I need to get this done. But…”<br /><br />“But?” she prompted with a smile.<br /><br />“I
wanted to ask you something. I saw Beth and Mick the other night and
she asked me about doing a legal question and answer spot on Buzzwire.”
He went on to tell her the details about it all, hoping to hook her
into it.<br /><br />“I think you’d be wonderful, Benjamin! You told her yes didn’t you?”<br /><br />“Well,
no, I couldn’t. Mom, the District Attorney wouldn’t want an ADA
handing out legal advice to possible criminals! But, you could. Mom,
you’d be perfect for this. You always look good on camera when you're
in the news and it might even be good for business,” he teased, hoping
he could convince her.<br /><br />She thought it over for a minute. He had a
point, it could be good for the firm and it would be fun as well. “I
love the idea, but I’m leaving for England in 3 weeks; I’ll be gone for
the winter term. I doubt if they want to wait that long to go into
production.”<br /><br />“No, see that’s the beauty of it. They already have
some questions so segments could be pre-taped and when you’re in
England, if they can find a media facility there you could even tape a
few while you were there. Come on, Mom! You know you want to do this!
Give Beth a call!”<br /><br />“You know, I think I just might. I’m always up for a bit of fun. Sure you don’t mind?”<br /><br />“Why
the hell would I mind?” he laughed. “Hell, you're doing me a favor
because I felt terribly guilty turning her down. I know that they are
working really hard to make Buzzwire a reliable and respectable news
source.”<br /><br />“Okay, I’ll call her soon. Now, you're sure you’ll have to pass on dinner?”<br /><br />“Yes, I really do. I’ve got so much to do, Mom.”<br /><br />“Mick and Beth are coming to dinner tomorrow, remember? Please tell me you haven’t forgotten, Ben.”<br /><br />“No, I’ll be there. Mick and I had a pretty good chat the other night. It’s getting better.”<br /><br />“Good. Just give him a chance, Ben. He is a good guy, you know that.”<br /><br />Ben
grimaced. Yes, he knew it but it still sat wrong in his gut. Maybe in
time. “I know, Mom. It just sort of freaks me out to hear you
supporting him.”<br /><br />“I’m not really, supporting him that is. But I
understand now what happened and why he had no say in it all. I can’t
hold that against him. I don’t think of him as my father, Benjamin. No
one could ever replace your grandfather in my heart, but Mick deserves a
chance to get to know us.”<br /><br />“Mom, has it occurred to you that he might want to tell grandma?”<br /><br />“It
did, but I also know that he’s scared to death to tell her and doesn’t
want to upset her. I also think he’s still very ashamed about what
happened with her.”<br /><br />“Mom, it would be terrible if he told her.”<br /><br />“I
guess you're right. I know you're right actually but I also know that
if I were her I’d want to know. Wouldn’t you? If you found out that
Michele was still alive wouldn’t you want to know?”<br /><br />A momentary
pain clutched at his heart and he closed his eyes tightly as thoughts of
Michele flowed through his head. He could even still smell her
perfume, something fresh and lightly floral. Yes, he’d want to know,
but it was so different with his grandmother. She was much older and
the information might be damaging to her.<br /><br />“Yes, Mom. I’d want to know but we both know that won’t happen.”<br /><br />“I
know, son.” Both of them were quiet for a moment and she regretted
mentioning Michele to him. It seemed that he’d never get over her and
her heart ached for him so badly. “See you tomorrow night then?”<br /><br />“Yes, Mom. I’ll be there.”<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA8UHeoYHQM"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">All I Want For Christmas Is You</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">December 24th, 1978<br /><br />Dorothy
and Clark sat on the front porch of Dorothy’s house, peering up at the
stars that seemed to shimmer in the blue-black sky. The air was chilly
and crisp, especially for LA and their breaths turned into misty puffs
of air. Both of them were wrapped up in jackets and Clark had his arm
around her shoulders, but that had nothing to do with the temperature.<br /><br />He
leaned down and kissed her lightly, his lips a mere whisper against
hers. “Our first Christmas together, as a couple I mean.” He held her
hand and traced over her fingers with his thumb, the soft skin on her
fingers fascinating him, so different than his own calloused ones.<br /><br />She
gave a small laugh and said, “You’d better not let my mom hear that.
The cavalry will be out that door and sitting between us before you can
bat an eye.”<br /><br />“Hell, Dorothy, I want to shout it from the roof. I
don’t care who knows it. I know what they expect of us; I’m not going
to do anything that will screw up our futures.”<br /><br />The future was
one of his favorite subjects. He painted it easily, picturing it all in
his head. He’d graduate and spend a couple of years in the army, to
learn some skills and get money for college. She’d finish high school
and go to college so she could be a teacher. After they’d both
graduated from college they’d get married. It all seemed so simple, at
least to him.<br /><br />He was going into the army; he was leaving her!
There would be women in the army and she knew that they’d be after him.
Who wouldn’t be? He’d miss her, sure, but she knew he’d forget her for
some glamorous girl, someone who was mature, experienced; she didn’t
have a single doubt about it.<br /><br />It was a sore subject for them and
one they both tried to avoid. Clark knew how he felt about her and he
also knew that there wasn’t anyone who could take his focus away from
him, not about her or school or anything else. He hoped in time she’d
see that too - that they were made for one another.<br /><br />A movement in
the sky caught her attention and she said, “Look, a shooting star!”
She closed her eyes quickly and made a wish. When she opened them Clark
was looking at her, a deeply penetrating look that she didn’t quite
understand. “What?” she asked.<br /><br />“You’re beautiful, Dorothy.” He
glanced away and cleared his throat, unable to hold his emotions in
check. She was beautiful, she was perfect. The only girl in the world
for him. “Hey,” he finally said. “Are you ready to open your present?”<br /><br />“Tonight? On Christmas Eve?”<br /><br />“Yes,
on Christmas Eve. Our families open gifts on Christmas Day, but this
will be our time, Dorie.” He handed her a small box that he’d obviously
wrapped himself and she had to fight back a grin. It sort of looked
like Charlie Brown had wrapped it but it didn’t really matter, it was
from him.<br /><br />“Oh, it’s pretty, Clark. Let me go in and get yours, okay?”<br /><br />She
came back soon with a neatly wrapped box and handed it to him. The
beauty of the wrapping made him laugh. It was ironic in a way; he’d
worked so hard to make it pretty for her and instead it was a mess. And
here was her gift to him, all the seams straight and tidy with a pretty
little bow on top.<br /><br />“Why are you laughing?” she asked, puzzled,
trying not to feel hurt. She’d worked hard on wrapping that present
just so! Not to mention how long she’d saved babysitting money to buy
the gift for him.<br /><br />“It’s great, Dorie! Really…it’s just, look at
it. It’s perfectly wrapped and mine looks like I did it blindfolded! I
worked so hard on it and it’s, well, it’s pretty pathetic!”<br /><br />“It is not, Clark! It’s beautiful and I love it!” A small white lie was okay. Wasn’t it?<br /><br />“Okay. Well, I promise what’s inside is better. Go ahead, open it.”<br /><br />“You too!” As he shook his head she said, “Together?”<br /><br />“Together!” <br /><br />They
both pulled the wrapping paper off and opened the boxes inside.
Dorothy opened a small, velvet covered box and saw a delicate necklace
inside. A small Austrian crystal hung on a finely detailed silver
chain. Her small ‘Oh’ of pleasure was music to his ears.<br /><br />“Do you really like it?”<br /><br />“I love it, Clark. Help me, please?”<br /><br />He
fastened it around her neck, his fingers fumbling a bit with the clasp
but it was finally secured and all he could do was stare at it as the
moon caught the brilliant fire in it and made it sparkle. He gazed at
it, laying against her delicate skin in the open collar of her jacket.
“Wow,” was all he could say.<br /><br />“You, now! You were supposed to open yours when I opened mine,” she teased.<br /><br />His
box wasn’t terribly large but it was kind of heavy. He couldn’t
imagine what was in it as he tore the last bit of wrapping paper off of
it. When he opened the box his eyes opened wide and he let out a loud
whoop of happiness. <br /><br />“Dorie, it’s fantastic! Thank you so much!”
He stared at the chrome-plated Los Angeles Rams gear shift knob. It
was shaped like a football helmet with the Rams logo on it. “I’ve wanted
this ever since I got my car!”<br /><br />“I know. You really like it?”<br /><br />“Oh, Dorie, it’s perfect. Thank you!” <br /><br />He’d
yelled so loud that it brought Dorothy’s parents out to see what was
going on. They stood at the door and saw Dorothy grinning. “He liked
it!” she laughed. He dad had helped her pick it out. <br /><br />“No, I love it, Dorie! I can’t wait to put in on!”<br /><br />“Look, Mama, look at the necklace he got me!” <br /><br />Grace
had already spied the necklace, the light of the moon reflected off of
it making it easy to see. “It’s lovely, Dorothy. Clark, you have good
taste.”<br /><br />Grace knew what the gift was because Shelly had helped
Clark pick it out. It was perfect for a young girl, not too flashy or
ostentatious. Still, it was jewelry, but it could have been a ring so
this was better. One of these days it would be a ring, she had no
doubt.<br /><br />A long while; she hoped that wouldn’t happen for a long time yet. But it would happen; she knew it.<br /><br />“It’s getting really chilly out here. Why don’t you two come in and I’ll fix some cocoa?”<br /><br />“Sure. Thank you Mrs. Turner.”<br /><br />They
headed inside and Dorothy stood in front of the mirror in the foyer to
admire the necklace. “Oh, it really is beautiful.” She sighed with
pleasure as she looked at it, touching it lightly. “It really
sparkles!”<br /><br />“Like your eyes.” Clark stood behind her and their
eyes met in the mirror and for a moment they were both lost in the
others gaze.<br /><br />“I really do love it. Thank you, Clark.” She
turned to him and mindful of her father in the living room with a full
view of the foyer she kissed him on the cheek. She wished she was brave
enough to actually kiss him, on the lips but she just couldn’t.<br /><br />He
hugged her briefly, uncomfortable with the scrutiny of her father as
well but he had to hug her. “Do you suppose that cocoa is done?”<br /><br />“I don’t know. I’ll go check! Come on, you can help with the marshmallows!”<br /><br />That
evening, their first Christmas Eve together they both became a bit more
aware that they were growing, as individuals and as a couple. Clark
was dead sure where their future lie and Dorothy had wished that it be
true. That their love would last forever.</span><br />Now, thirty
years later Dorothy knew that the wish had come true. She was staring
out the window of the bedroom, looking at the few stars that were
visible. She fingered the crystal as she remembered that night. Every
Christmas Eve since then she’d worn the necklace, even the years they
hadn’t been together. It wasn’t Christmas ever yet, that was a few
weeks away but she’d needed the comfort of the necklace. She remembered
the wish she’d made on that shooting star that year; it was the same
one she’d made on every shooting star she’d ever seen. Now it was
coming true.<br /><br />They would be together forever. No, it wasn’t
Christmas Eve yet, but she knew that some way, some how they’d be
together that night. Like that very first year, this year too would be a
beginning for them. A beginning to forever…<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Authors Note: I just want to take the time to wish you all the best of holidays! May your life be filled with love and happiness always. Thank you to each and every one of you for taking the time to read this story!</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Cyndy </b></span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-12136553523232707582012-12-13T10:37:00.000-06:002012-12-13T10:37:02.353-06:00Chapter 15 The Way of the World<br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsAaLNMtb1A"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Way of the World</span></a><br /><br />Mick
watched Dorothy make the sauce, using ingredients and methods he’d
never seen before. She explained as she went along, telling him about
her family and her mother’s recipe.<br /><br />“My mom’s family was from
Italy, northern Italy, near Venice. My grandmother and grandfather fled
Italy in 1940 after they were married. Her family were all dead,
killed under the fascist regime lead by Mussolini. Grandpa’s remaining
brothers eventually came to America after the war but they had lost
everything. Grandma and Grandpa both worked their way here, on a ship.
I think the conditions on board were horrific but neither of them ever
complained; they were just thankful to be able to get here.”<br /><br />“I
was stationed in Italy, during WWII, Dorothy. It was beautiful, even
during the war and the people were very welcoming to us. I can’t tell
you how many families shared whatever they had for their dinner’s with
us. I’ll never forget them or their generosity of spirit.”<br /><br />“Yes,
to Italians, everyone is family. They do share a joy for life, for
people, and for food. I know that grandma was sorry to leave her home
but she created her own family right here in America, in the
neighborhood where they lived. Over in West Adams by the way, where you
grew up.”<br /><br />“Is that where your mom was born?”<br /><br />“Well, yes. In a hospital but she grew up in West Adams. Mom was born in 1942.”<br /><br />“The year I went to war. This is amazing. What was the family name, Dorothy.”<br /><br />“Pirelli.
They lived on Elmhurst Avenue, past Miller’s Grove. They both died in
the seventies so my memories of them are sort of spotty. But mama knew
all the stories and also learned how to cook all the traditional family
foods. You know, Italy is much like the States, every region has its
own particular tastes and specialties. I make northern Italian style
lasagna, which is different from the southern versions that are much
more well known here in America. This recipe is made with a tomato
based sauce, which is a bit unusual for Northern Italian cooking. It’s a
farming region so fresh produce is plentiful. Most recipes feature
lots of vegetable and because they are right near the Adriatic Sea
seafood or <span style="font-style: italic;">frutti di mare </span>is a very common ingredient as well.”<br /><br />As
she spoke she finely grated some carrot to add to the sauce and Mick
was surprised by the addition. She’d used fresh roma tomatoes from his
garden plus some fresh basil, putting they through a food mill to begin
with after she’d seeded the tomatoes. She had also added large garlic
cloves that she’d simply cut in half to the simmering mixture.<br /><br />“Why the carrot and why didn’t you chop or mince the garlic?”<br /><br />“The
carrot gives it a bit of sweetness and the garlic will flavor it but
will be pulled out before it’s served.” Nest she added a small pork
bone that she’d gotten from the butcher as it simmered. At his
questioning look she added, “The pork bone cuts a bit of acidity from
the sauce. I’ll pull it out later as well.”<br /><br />As she finished
adding other ingredients and the sauce simmered he thought it looked
deceptively simple but the aroma of it was definitely a complex blend of
scents. While the sauce was simmering she browned some ground sirloin
to go into it later on. “Mama almost never added meat to the lasagna
but I find that we American’s tend to like it in there,” she laughed.<br /><br />“I definitely wish I could taste this,” he told her as he inhaled deeply.<br /><br />“Can you not taste anything, Mick? Like you can’t even taste general things, like sweet or salty?”<br /><br />“No, I can’t. If Beth has eaten chocolate or popcorn, I can taste, hm, maybe an echo of it on her lips. But not outright, no.”<br /><br />Dorothy
thought that was really sad and then considered that Clark would be in
the same situation. He loved her lasagna and for a moment she bit her
lip to keep from tearing up at the thought. She was lost in thought
when Beth opened the front door a minute later and jumped a bit at the
sound.<br /><br />Mick was chopping vegetables from his garden to add to the
store bought greens for the salad to go with dinner. He put down his
knife and went to greet his wife, pulling her tightly to him as his lips
captured hers in a delicious kiss. <br /><br />“Hi,” he said, smiling at her.<br /><br />“Hi
yourself.” She kissed him again and then stood on tiptoes to peek over
his shoulder. “Oh wow, it smells so good in here! Mick, are you
watching so you know how to do this?”<br /><br />He chuckled and said,
“Well, I’m watching but I’m not sure I could do it.” He took the bag
she was carrying which had a couple of loaves of fresh Italian bread in
them and Spumoni ice cream for dessert.<br /><br />Beth shrugged out of her jacket and headed over to give her mom a kiss on the cheek. “How are you feeling, Mom?”<br /><br />“Really good and guess what?”<br /><br />“I don’t know!”<br /><br />Dorothy grinned and said, “I now know that we’re having a boy and a girl!”<br /><br />“So they finally got a clear picture of the little shy one, huh?”<br /><br />“No. Actually, Vaygar told me. He said that Alexander apparently protects his sister when people get too close.”<br /><br />“Vaygar? He’s here now?”<br /><br />“Yes,
this morning but really, he’s a pain in the neck. Tried to tell me
that I couldn’t go to my doctor’s appointment! How dare he?”<br /><br />Beth
saw Mick leaning against the counter behind her mother and he had a
very wide smile on his face. There must be more to this story and she
couldn’t wait to hear it.<br /><br />“Bethy, could you make the almond sauce for the ice cream, please?”<br /><br />“Sure, Mom. Is that all I can do?”<br /><br />“Yes, for now. You remember how don’t you?”<br /><br />“Yep, just let me go and wash up first, okay?”<br /><br />Dorothy
nodded as she waited for the huge pot of water to boil so she could put
the noodles in to cook. She’d bought pre-made noodles from the store;
while they weren’t as good as homemade she knew that she didn’t have the
stamina right now to make them from scratch.<br /><br />A couple of minutes
later Beth was back dressed in jeans and a deep blue sweater that Mick
had bought her. It brought out the blue in her eyes and he loved to see
her in it. He watched as she stirred together the almond sauce over
the stove and lifted his nose to scent it as well. Altogether this meal
smelled delicious. <br /><br />A half an hour later Mick watched as Dorothy
built the last layer of the 12 layer dish. She’d been smart to grab
her lasagna dish from her house because he didn’t have anything nearly
deep enough to hold it all. <br /><br />As much as watching her make the
sauce was interesting, watching her build it was also intriguing.
American lasagna typically had lots of ricotta cheese layered in it and
she only put one layer in hers, telling him that typically in northern
Italy you might not find any. “They like the flavor of good olive oil
in their lasagna, as opposed to all the cheese.” She’d used lots of
fresh mozzarella, the kind that is very soft and came in little balls.
Mick had never seen it before and discovered it wasn’t waxy at all like
the normal cheese he’d seen.<br /><br />He picked the heavy pan up and slid it into the oven; it had a good hour to bake and they all sat back to relax for a bit. <br /><br />Dorothy
curled up in one of the arm chairs and within a couple of minutes Beth
noticed that she was sleeping. As she draped the afghan over her mom
she realized that her mom was finally getting back some of her color;
since Clark had been attacked she been very pale but the shock seemed to
be wearing off and she was adapting well.<br /><br />On the couch Beth
snuggled into the crook of Mick’s arm and he told her about the
encounter with Vaygar that morning. She was surprised when he told her
about her mom’s angry reaction.<br /><br />She grinned and said, “He really stuck a chord in her; she hardly ever gets mad like that!”<br /><br />“Tell
me about it. I’ve never seen her that mad. Actually, he was pretty
nice but I think he just came on a bit too strong for her. He’s worried
about her obviously and just tried to sort of take over. Never a good
thing where Turner women are concerned!” He chuckled, his eyes
sparkling as he watched her.<br /><br />“Just remember that, buddy!” She
laughed softly, trying not to wake her mom. “I hope he’ll back up the
bus a notch or two though; it will make things simpler.”<br /><br />“I think
he got the idea. I called my friend Craig Martinez in Santa Fe
earlier. He’s a PI I met at a conference a couple of years ago. He’s
going to take a trip down to Bernalillo to see if he can lay eyes on
Vinton McCullough, or his property anyway, if he’s here.”<br /><br />“Do you really think this guy had something to do with dad’s attack?”<br /><br />She
was skeptical, he could tell but then so was he. “I don’t know, Beth.
His car was here and he wouldn’t stop to talk to Brody. That makes us
suspicious, but he might not have ever heard Brody for all we know. He
could have been lost and looking for an address or something. We need
to get eyes on him and actually talk to him to see what was going on.”<br /><br />She nodded, agreeing with what he said. “Nothing else has happened though; I assume the house was okay today?”<br /><br />“Yes,
nothing out of place and no one else had been in there. It all might
have been random, who knows? Except my gut tells me it isn’t.”<br /><br />“Mine
too, Mick.” She moved over onto his lap and melted against him, loving
the feel of his body against hers. It wasn’t a sexual feeling really,
just the comfort of his being, of feeling safe and loved. For a few
minutes that was all that mattered to either of them.<br /><br />A few
minutes later they heard the elevator and stood up and headed to the
door. They both recognized Lani and Josef’s scents and Beth also
identified Henry. They opened the door, smiling at their guests and
welcoming them. Dorothy woke up then and stood, happy to see them as
well.<br /><br />“Lani, how are you feeling, honey?” she said as she gave the young woman a hug.<br /><br />“Good. Is that grandma Grace’s lasagna I smell?” At Dorothy’s nod she added, “Ooh, I can’t wait!”<br /><br />Beth
smiled and gave first Josef and then Henry each a kiss on the cheek.
“Henry, may I take your jacket?” She noticed he was dressed in gray
slacks and a nice button down shirt, a little dressier than he normally
wore. <br /><br />“Yes, here you go,” he said as he slid the jacket off.
“And I have to agree with Lani, it smells wonderful in here! I don’t
get too many home-cooked meals, like this anyway.”<br /><br />Josef handed
Mick a couple of bottles of wine and Mick’s eyebrows rose in surprise as
he spied the labels. “Nice!” he declared, grinning at Josef who just
shrugged. “Getting soft, Josef?” he said in vamp tones.<br /><br />“I wouldn’t count on it. They were just collecting dust!” he countered.<br /><br />Beth
added her smile to Mick’s and invited everyone to sit down. The timer
went off on the oven and Dorothy went to check it. She nodded
approvingly at the golden goodness that she saw and asked Mick to pull
it out of the oven. “It needs to rest for about 20 minutes so we have
time to get the bread in and get the table set.”<br /><br />Lani got busy on
the table, setting if for dinner. It was fairly large but with 7
people around it, it might be a bit cramped. Mick helped to gather
chairs and few minutes later the vamps heard the elevator and Beth
headed to the door and saw Luka approaching it. <br /><br />He ran a finger
around his collar, a nervous gesture which sort of puzzled her for a
moment but then she realized this was the first time he’d been to the
loft since he and Carl had taken Mick in for questioning, so many months
ago. No doubt it was uncomfortable for him to think of and she
resolved to help him feel at ease. <br /><br />“Luka, welcome,” she said
wearing a big smile. “I’m so glad you came. Please come in. Looks
like dinner will be in about 15 minutes. Mick’s manning the bar so
drink orders go to him.” She led him farther into the room and heard
his heartbeat skip a couple of times. He was still a little unsure of
being around vampires she thought.<br /><br />“Luka, what can I get you?” Mick said as he poured a scotch for Josef.<br /><br />“I’ll have a scotch too I guess. That will be fine,” he said as he walked across the room. <br /><br />Henry saw how uncomfortable his friend was and went to stand next to him. “Luka, good to see you. How are you?”<br /><br />Luka
smiled at Henry, suddenly a bit more at ease. Henry was certainly much
more comfortable around the vamps then he was and he decided to just
chat for a moment to help him relax a bit. <br /><br />Luka and Henry had
formed a strong friendship during their captivity and now that Luka was
volunteering a good deal of his free time at the church that bond had
become stronger still. He respected and admired Henry’s dedication to
the homeless population and since being held captive with some of them
they weren’t just folks to be over-looked anymore. He now saw them as
individuals, each with a unique set of needs and problems. He knew that
he had helped some of them and he’d never felt happier with himself.<br /><br />Now
if he could only learn to feel the same ease with the vamps. He
watched Carl with curiosity each day; the way that he eagerly embraced
his future, the future that would include becoming a vampire. He had
big plans, big dreams about it all too. Marrying Cami, continuing to
work for LAPD as well as for Heroku, Cami’s father, of a sort.<br /><br />Big
plans, plans that made Carl feel on top of the world. Luka was happy
for Carl that he had found a woman that he loved so much and a future
that excited him. But he also felt a bitter twist of pain in his own
gut that he’d never found ‘the one’, never found that spark, the magic.
Hell, he doubted that it even existed for him.<br /><br />He saw the
lasagna sitting on the kitchen counter and wandered over to it and
sniffed appreciatively. “That smells really good. Like something my
Italian mama would have made,” he observed.<br /><br />“You’re Italian, Luka?” Dorothy asked as she poured dressing over the salad and tossed it.<br /><br />“Yes, I am. Last name is Fiorentino,” he laughed. “Can’t get much more Italian than that!”<br /><br />“Pirelli! Or at least my mother’s family.”<br /><br />They
discussed Italy and family and by the time they were ready to eat Luka
was feeling very comfortable. Mick picked up the lasagna and carried it
to the table as Josef poured wine for those imbibing. Lani and Dorothy
were having juice with their meals but neither cared that they were
missing out on the wine, the company was good and the food better. <br /><br />Much
of the talk around the table centered on the renovations that were
going to be done to the church. It was obvious that Henry was very
enthused about it and also that he took a certain pride in how the
project was being handled.<br /><br />“We’ve already had several of our
people, who have related experience offer to pick up a paint brush or
move things around, anything that they can do to help. It’s helping the
homeless community come together. We’ve figured out how to reconfigure
space and come up with an additional 30 beds! And some of the best
news? Clark told me right before I came here that he’d managed to get
someone to provide a brand new heating and cooling system for the
church! Isn’t he amazing?”<br /><br />Mick happened to glance at Josef and
saw how the elder vamps fingers tightened around the stem of his wine
glass as he looked around the room, trying to look as if he didn’t care.
Mick smiled to himself, knowing easily exactly who it was that had
donated the new system.<br /><br />It was actually an amazing discovery.
Not that Josef wasn’t often very generous, even if he protested on the
surface of things but this church project was completely different for
him to be involved in. It didn’t have anything to do with future
returns or opportunities; it was only about the mutual good it would do
for Henrys group of homeless people, the community as a whole in fact.
Clarks company secured the necessary permits and provided the labor but
the donations for the project were all being kept strictly confidential,
including the sizable chunk that Mick and Beth had donated as well as
what was sure to be a much larger contribution from Josef. The new
heating and cooling system was the single most expensive item needed and
now it was covered and Josef looked decidedly uncomfortable about it.<br /><br />Yep, he was the anonymous benefactor for sure. Mick felt a great deal of gratitude and pride for his friend. <br /><br />“Henry,
I know the church functions as a…mission, of sorts but does it also
function as a regular church, like with normal services I mean?” Josef
asked.<br /><br />“Yes, we do have services on Sundays for our people. We
are a non-denominational church, in other words we are not part of any
particular belief structure or guidance from a church diocese. Which is
why we don’t have funding from those groups either. The building is
leased from the city for a small stipend, yearly. In return for that we
maintain it as best we can and provide an open door policy for those
needing help, housing, meals, things like that.”<br /><br />“This city? Being that generous? Seems a bit unusual,” Josef remarked. <br /><br />“Just
a bit of luck I guess. Maybe someone working behind the scene that had
a guilty conscience, who knows? But I’ll take it. As far as daily
functions, we have several endowments and grants from various agencies
that provide help with expenses.”<br /><br />The table talk turned to babies
and the news that Dorothy and Clark were having a boy and a girl. Lani
was thrilled with the news. “So, Beth, you get a brother and a sister!
You’re going to be a great big sister. And our baby will have a
couple of cousins, sort of,” she said, smiling at Josef and resting her
hand on her stomach.<br /><br />“I hear you had a craving for pistachio fudge ice cream last night and Josef had to go find some,” Beth teased.<br /><br />“Well,
yes he did and then I had fallen asleep before he got back.” She
smiled a bit but it was apparent that she felt bad about it.<br /><br />“Yes,
all true. Of course, I was gone for nearly 3 hours, looking for an
unusual flavor of ice cream that apparently only one place in town
sells. And of course that place wasn’t open at 3 am. But rest assured,
Sweetness, you now have a freezer full of that green stuff downstairs.”
The smile he gave her was indulgent but there was a bit on an edge to
his words. It apparently hadn’t been much fun scouring the city for the
ice cream.<br /><br />“Well, you know, after seeing that mess of chocolaty
goop in the bowl that was on the nightstand this morning I’m not sure
I’ll ever want it again. He poured a whole jar of hot fudge sauce over
some pistachio ice cream! It looked pretty sickening this morning.”
She patted his hand and added, “I’m sorry, Josef.” But her smile told
him how much she appreciated the gesture and also how much she loved
him.<br /><br />Josef only laughed, something that amazed both Mick and
Beth. He didn’t even seem irritated about it all; his indulgence for
Lani was very apparent. He would have bought her the moon if she’d only
ask.<br /><br />“Lani, maybe after the baby is born you two can get married
in Henry’s church. You do weddings there, Henry?” Dorothy asked. Yes,
she wanted to push a bit and see what happened.<br /><br />Henry looked
stunned for a moment. “I - well of course we could although I never
have done one there.” He looked back and forth between Lani and Josef,
apparently upset about the request. “Forgive me, but you two aren’t
already married?”<br /><br />A blush swept over Lani’s face and Josef
reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face when
she hung her head a bit. “No, not yet. The love of my life, my very
long life I might add wants to wait until after our child is born.”<br /><br />There
wasn’t any rancor in his words but an underlying layer of pain was easy
to hear, even to the humans. He didn’t want to wait, but she did?<br /><br />That wasn’t typical, in Henry’s experience.<br /><br />“Lani,
may I be so impertinent as to ask why? It’s not a difficult thing to
do, get married I mean.” Henry’s words were spoken reassuringly and
without any intent to hurt her but she suddenly felt ashamed of herself
and extremely embarrassed. She stood up and headed out to the balcony
without saying a word. <br /><br />Josef started to rise and Beth shook her head. “Give her a bit of time, Josef. Come on, you know that by now.”<br /><br />“She needs me. I shouldn’t have said what I did. It’s her decision and I have to live with it. For now.”<br /><br />“I
apologize, Josef. I never meant to embarrass her it’s just - most
women aren’t the ones who hold back in these situations. Let me talk to
her, please. I need to express how sorry I am for saying something
that caused her pain.”<br /><br />Josef debated for a moment on Henry’s
offer. He liked the young man and knew that his words hadn’t been
intended to cause Lani any shame. <br /><br />Dorothy looked out towards the
doors to the balcony as she thought about what had happened. Lani had
turned a corner; she did want to get married now. She was very easy to
read to someone that had been reading her most of her life. She just
didn’t know how to get out of the corner she’d backed herself into. <br /><br />“Josef,
I think it’s a very good idea for Henry to go and talk to her. Let
him.” She smiled at the man whose sherry brown eyes were full of pain
and indecision. She nodded and felt relief when she saw him nod in
return.<br /><br />“Up the stairs and out the doors, Henry,” Mick said.<br /><br />As
Henry ascended the stairs he didn’t know how he was going to do it but
he was going to convince that young woman that she needed to marry Josef
Kostan. That baby needed a name and all the love it could get and
Josef apparently had much love to give and share. <br /><br />Yes, she needed to marry him. And soon.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span>
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-11631209383994914382012-12-10T16:11:00.000-06:002012-12-10T16:11:03.634-06:00Chapter 14 They Boys Are Back In Town<br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQo1HIcSVtg"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Boys Are Back In Town</span></a><br /><br />
“I’m telling you, Mick, it was totally humiliating! A…a comedy of
errors, all mine! He didn’t have to do a thing, basically just stand
there and let me make a fool out of myself!”<br /><br />Mick ducked his head
down for a moment, knowing that even in the darkness of their freezer
she could still see the small smile that tweaked up the corners of his
mouth.<br /><br />He wasn’t really laughing at her, or her outrage over it
all but over the fact that it hadn’t taken Brody any time at all to
realize that his mate lacked patience and had a fiery temper to boot.
Personally, he liked the temper, when it wasn’t directed at him that is
and even then sometimes it wasn’t so bad. Beth was passionate, in every
incredible way imaginable. Just thinking about that stirred him and he
rolled over to her and pulled her tightly to him so that she could feel
his need. <br /><br />He felt her stiffen in his arms, definitely not a
good sign. What was that about anger directed towards him? He had a
feeling he was going to get a good dose of it. Okay he admitted it, he
was a guy and he’d let the thought of her delicious body moving against
him deeply erotic and had been unable to resist the pull of it. But
she was upset and while he absolutely supported his mate, he knew that
Brody was right and it was going to be necessary to teach her patience
and how to control her anger if she ever really wanted to be able to
take care of herself. It didn’t mean that she had to surrender that
spark that made her Beth, it just meant that, when in a dangerous
situation she needed to think logically and not give in to the red haze
of fury that clouded her head. <br /><br />He tried to explain that to her and her eyes narrowed as she listened. “So, you’re on Brody’s side?”<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">That was what she took away from what he’d said?</span><br /><br />“No,
Beth. Baby, there are no ‘sides’ here. I think…” and he shut up as he
felt her pull away from him and push the button that raised the lid to
the freezer. <br /><br />He watched as she sat up and swung her legs over
the side and pulled her blanket tightly around her, tucking in the ends
under hers arms.<br /><br />“Well think about this, Mr. St. John! You’re
sleeping alone tonight!” She grabbed her robe off the hook on the back
of the door and slipped it on with her back to him. The blanket fell to
her feet and after she tied the belt of the robe tightly around her
waist she bent to retrieve it and opened the door, disappearing from his
sight as it closed.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dammit!</span><br /><br />He
ran his fingers through his hair and laid there for a moment. This was
one of those times a guy really felt stupid. If he went after her and
she didn’t want him to it would only make things worse. If he didn’t
and she wanted him to, well, he’d face a firing squad in the morning.<br /><br />Which
was the better choice? His choice was made when he heard her crying
downstairs. He was out of the freezer, into his pajama bottoms and down
the stairs before she barely had time to sniffle. He sat down on the
couch and she immediately crawled into his lap and he held her tightly.<br /><br />“I’m sorry, Mick.”<br /><br />“No, baby, I’m sorry. I do support you, Beth. Always, you know that.”<br /><br />She
nodded and gave a small hiccup as she tried to stop crying. “I know,
it’s just, it was so humiliating tonight! I just kept falling on my
ass, every time I tried to take him down.”<br /><br />“I know. I get that. Do you think that Brody did it to hurt you?”<br /><br />“No, he didn’t. He wanted me to think about what I was doing, about how I was doing it.”<br /><br />“And?”<br /><br />“And
it made me realize he was right. I do let my anger take control of me.
I know that! He just didn’t have to show me in quite that way.”<br /><br />“If
he would have just said, ‘Look, Beth. You have to control your
emotions when you get into a dangerous situation’, what would you have
said to him?”<br /><br />She was quiet for a moment, thinking about that question. “I guess I would have told him no problem, that I could control it.”<br /><br />“But that wouldn’t have been true, would it?”<br /><br />“No, I guess not. But still, it hurt my feelings!”<br /><br />“Your feelings or you pride, to end up on your butt so often?”<br /><br />She
sputtered as anger again threatened to overcome her. Finally, she took
a deep breath and muttered, “My pride. There, are you happy now?”<br /><br />He
chuckled; he couldn’t help it. It just spilled out and soon she was
giggling along with him. “Okay, you may have a point. It’s a good thing
vampires heal quickly or I might not ever sit on my ass again. It
hurt!”<br /><br />“It did?” he murmured against the silken skin of her neck.
“I can’t have that.” He scooted down on the couch and pulled her to
lay on top of him. His hands followed the path of her back down to the
curves below it, massaging enticingly. “I don’t know, baby, feels okay
to me.”<br /><br />Her teeth nipped lightly at his neck and she ground her
hips against his. “Yes, I’d say I’m doing much better now. Mr. St.
John, I think you have the magic touch!” Her lips found his and they
were lost in a deep and stirring kiss that left both of them panting.<br /><br />“I think we’d better head upstairs, to our freezer, Beth. Just in case.”<br /><br />“Yes, I think you’re right.”<br /><br />He
scooped her up and carried her up the stairs. No one heard their door
close or the soft sounds that emanated from their freezer that night.
The two lovers shared the night while Dorothy slept on, dreaming of her
own lover. <br /><br />Soon, her dream told her. Soon…<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Rose
and Brody caught the familiar scent as the door to the elevator opened
outside Brody’s loft. Together they opened the door and were
immediately enveloped in the arms of Vaygar, who squeezed them both
tightly.<br /><br />“Hey, geez, I may be a vamp but my bones still break,” Brody laughed. <br /><br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/Vaygar300x4502.jpg" /><br /><br />“Aw, I didn’t wanna hug you anyway,” Vaygar laughed, picking up Rose and twirling around with her, while she giggled madly.<br /><br />“Put me down, Vaygar! For heaven’s sake, it hasn’t been that long since we saw one another,” she told him. <br /><br />He
set her down after she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then gave
Brody a wink. “Oh, yes, that night in Coos Bay, the little inn on the
cliffs. Very nice, very secluded!”<br /><br />“Yes, and definitely NOT
soundproof. You and Kiki made enough noise to wake up the humans two
cottages away!” she exclaimed and yet she was still laughing. “Well, it
was a fun weekend anyway. How was the ride down?”<br /><br />“Good, very pleasant actually. I love this time of year, out on the open road.”<br /><br />“It’s really good to see you, man. Where’s your team?” Brody asked.<br /><br />“They’ll
be along tomorrow sometime. I was anxious so I hit the road early.
Got any refreshments around here?” he asked, looking around the loft.
He gave a low whistle and said, “Nice, really nice.”<br /><br />“Yeah, come
on into the kitchen. And you’re right, the place is great. Mick was
very generous as we were getting the place ready. You should see the
gym,” he said, nodding to a door on the left side of the room as he
poured three glasses of O+.<br /><br />Vaygar headed to the room and opened
the door, his eyes lighting up as he took in the ultra modern and well
equipped gym. “Whoa, this room is wild, man! This guy Mick is really
serious about you training his lady isn’t he?”<br /><br />“Yes, he is.
She’s amazing, Vaygar. Now that I know that her mom is one of your
descendants it explains why Beth has so much psi potential. You’ll be
amazed at how talented she is.”<br /><br />“What about Dorothy? Do you perceive anything about her?” he asked Dorothy.<br /><br />“No, but I haven’t really been looking for it and I don’t want to scare her too much.”<br /><br />“Why would that scare her?”<br /><br />“Well,
that’s probably a poor choice of words. I just mean, she’s so
over-wrought right now with her mate being turned and away from her.
She’s due in about two weeks and I don’t know if he’ll be ready to be
there with her.”<br /><br />Vaygar fixed Rose with a solemn stare and said, “He’ll be there. I’m going to see to it. Now tell me more about her.”<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Mick
and Beth showered early Thursday morning, hoping to get ahead of the
game. Beth had to go to work, in for a meeting at 9 am and Dorothy had a
doctor’s appointment at 10 so he planned on fixing her some breakfast
before they went.<br /><br />They had a couple of other errands to run while
they were out; stop by her house to pick up some warmer clothes because
it was a bit chilly for her at Mick and Beth’s.<br /><br />Last night Mick had told her, “Dorothy, I do have furnace, I can just turn it up for you.”<br /><br />“No,
it’s not that cold. I will be perfectly comfortable in some heavier
clothes, Mick. Honestly!” she said with a grin. “Besides, it’s been a
couple of days since we were there and we need to check on things. And,
I need mama’s lasagna pan too. It shouldn’t take too long; the trip to
the market will take much longer.”<br /><br />Mick was going to watch as
she made her mother’s lasagna for their dinner guests tonight and he
considered himself lucky that she was doing it. Everyone who ate the
dish exclaimed over and over about how good it was and so he was going
to pay close attention to the scents of it all and the methods. <br /><br />Beth
came down the stairs, ready for work and picked up the glass that Mick
had filled for her. As she sipped she watched him stir oatmeal on the
stove and add some apple that he had chopped as well as some golden
raisins. “Um, smells good,” she said as he added a bit of cinnamon too.<br /><br />“Let’s hope so,” he said as he stirred the concoction.<br /><br />Dorothy came down the stairs as Beth finished her breakfast. “Good morning, Mom. Did you sleep well?”<br /><br />“Yes, actually I did. Mick, that smells delicious!” she said, looking into the pot that he was stirring again.<br /><br />“Thanks.
Should be ready in a minute.” He smiled as she grabbed a bowl out of
the cupboard and a glass which she filled with milk.<br /><br />Beth came
out of the downstairs bathroom after having brushed her teeth. Just
rinsing with water could sometimes leave traces of blood and she didn’t
want to freak anyone at out like that. “Well, I have to go! I can’t
wait for dinner tonight, Mom!”<br /><br />She kissed Mick quickly and said in vamp tones, “You keep her safe!”<br /><br />“Of course!” Louder he said, “Love you, Beth. Have a good day!”<br /><br />“I intend to. Love you too, Mick!”<br /><br />“Dorothy, do you want some toast to go with that?” Mick asked as he watched her blow gently on a spoonful of the oatmeal.<br /><br />“Good
grief, no! They’re going to weigh me later,” she laughed. “It’s bad
enough as it is. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to get this
baby weight off before I can be turned as it is.”<br /><br />“That’s your plan? I mean, you’re going to be turned that soon?”<br /><br />“Yes,
I am. Rose says I will only have to be away from the babies for a few
days so when I’m done breastfeeding them I’m going to be turned.”<br /><br />Mick
hid a smile; this was the woman who had fought against the very thought
of vampirism for years. She was actually going to be a great one he
thought because she had great instincts, just like her daughter. <br /><br />The
idea that she, and Lani and Beth were different kinds of vamps made it
easier for him for some reason. They could still enjoy some of the
comforts of humanity and while that might bother some vamps for him it
definitely took the edge off of the fact that they wanted to be turned.
It might be a silly idea but it didn’t seem as bad as it did before
they knew about the Children of the Moon.<br /><br />At that thought he
heard someone approach his door an since he hadn’t heard the elevator it
had to be Brody. He caught his familiar scent along with a new one,
definitely vamp but with that strange variation to it that meant they
were one of the 13. <br /><br />He answered the door and stood aside for
Brody and another guy, who must be Vaygar he decided. “Hey, come on
in,” he said, stepping aside. <br /><br />Dorothy had just finished putting
her glass and bowl into the dishwasher when the men entered. The man
with Brody was tall, maybe 6’4 or so and thin, but very well muscled she
noticed. He had a short sleeved tee shirt on it showed his muscular
physique quite clearly.<br /><br />His blue eyes lit up at the sight of
Dorothy and as if compelled by a power she didn’t understand she walked
to him and stood facing him.<br /><br />Vaygar knelt down on one knee and
took her hand, first pressing his forehead reverently against the back
of it. “My lady Dorothy. I am at your service. I am Vaygar.”<br /><br />“My lady,” Dorothy couldn’t help but laugh. “Dorothy is just fine thank you.”<br /><br />“Nay, do not forget that you are royalty, of a sort. You are a descendant, my descendant and therefore special.”<br /><br />“I, um,” she looked at Mick as a flush spread over her face. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Vaygar.”<br /><br />“You
are well as are the little ones.” He reached out and placed a hand on
her belly and she fought the urge to back away. She felt the babies
shift inside her and caught her breath for a moment. “Alexander
protects his sister, even before birth. He shall be a wonderful warrior
some day.”<br /><br />“His sister?” she asked. The still had never had a
clear view of the second baby and so they didn’t know if it was a boy or
girl.<br /><br />“Yes, his sister. You did not know?”<br /><br />“No, we
didn’t. Each time they do a sonogram all we get a clear view of is a
boy. We’ve not been able to tell if it’s two boys in there or if the
second baby is just camera shy,” she told him, suddenly excited at the
news of a boy and a girl.<br /><br />“As I said, he protects his sister.”<br /><br />“How did you know that we’re naming him Alexander?”<br /><br />“You
know the name, Dorothy. It is in your mind. I do not mean to intrude
in your personal thoughts but when he rolled to protect his sister you
called him that. In your mind. Alexander is a family name, is it not?
Do you have a name for the girl yet?” He actually knew that she did;
they would call the girl Grace, another family name.<br /><br />“We haven’t
decided for sure yet,” she told him, turning away in an effort to gather
herself. He was amazingly strong, psychically, that is. She’d have
some of his traits they’d told her. Would she be like this, able to
pluck information out of people’s minds? She hoped not!<br /><br />Mick
glanced at his watch; they had about 35 minutes to get to her doctor’s
appointment and as it was across town they needed to leave. He felt
sure that Dorothy would be happy about that as she seemed to be
struggling a bit with Vaygar.<br /><br />The guy did come on pretty strong
and the news about the babies might have been better left unsaid, as
least so soon that is. Frankly, he needed a bit of distance himself and
so he said, “Dorothy, we need to leave if we’re going to make your
appointment.”<br /><br />“An appointment? No, my men aren’t here yet. It will have to be postponed!”<br /><br />Dorothy
suddenly turned around, anger making her face flush this time. “Excuse
me? This is my doctor’s appointment and I will not miss it. It is
important that I go and so you and your men will just have to catch me
next week.” She picked up her purse and said, “Mick, I’m ready!” and
headed to the door.<br /><br />“Dorothy, please!” Vaygar said. “You need to be protected!”<br /><br />“I
am protected! Mick protected my daughter for over twenty years and
he’ll protect me as well! Now gentleman, I have an appointment to get
to.”<br /><br />Mick couldn’t keep the sparkle out of his eyes as he said, “You heard the lady!” In vamp tones he added, “She’ll be fine.”<br /><br />“We’re following you,” Vaygar said, his voice low as well.<br /><br />“Just
don’t let her see you. In a fight, I’d put my money on Dorothy!” He
headed out to the hallway and saw her waiting for the elevator. When
the doors slid open he held it for her as she stepped in. <br /><br />As the doors closed Brody turned to Vaygar and laughed, “You really have a way with the ladies, brother!”<br /><br />“She’ll come around! She liked me, I could tell!”<br /><br />“If that’s the truth you were the only one that could,” Brody laughed again. “Come on, it’s down the stairwell for us!”<br /><br />They
watched from the shadows as the elevator door slid open and Mick
stepped out, checking the garage before he let Dorothy out. In his car
the pulled out into traffic with Brody and Vaygar following cautiously
behind. Mick wasn’t upset really; he didn’t take it personally because
he was worried about the mysterious Vinton McCullough himself. Every
pair of eyes available would make it easier to spot him if he came
around.<br /><br />“You alright?” he asked her.<br /><br />“Yes, but god, what
an infuriating man. I may be his descendant but I am not his child! I
think he’s rather odious actually! Mick, I trust you with my life!”<br /><br />“I
know that. He just takes keeping you safe seriously and the truth is,
Dorothy, until we know what, if anything we’re dealing with I’m glad to
have other eyes on you.” <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And fangs…<br /><br /> <br /><br />To be continued…</span>
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-73301051017811010132012-12-06T09:44:00.000-06:002012-12-06T09:44:05.270-06:00Chapter 13 Count On MeBeth finished setting the table as her mom came
down the stairs. Both Mick and Beth noticed that she seemed more
relaxed than she had been for quite awhile. Her smile was wide and
happy and Beth sighed in relief.<br /><br />The news from Rose had obviously made her happy for some reason and that was good.<br /><br />“Hey,
Mom. Mick made you some homemade tomato soup and I made you a grilled
cheese sandwich, with pepper jack. Hope that’s okay?”<br /><br />“Oh, sounds wonderful. Mick, surely you didn’t have time to make that while I was showering?”<br /><br />“No, I actually made it earlier. I hope it’s okay, Dorothy.”<br /><br />“It
smells wonderful. You really are a good cook, Mick.” She took a small
spoonful of the soup and blew gently on it before tasting it. “Oh my,
this is delicious! You should be a chef, Mick!”<br /><br />Mick chuckled
and said, “I’m not sure vamps really make great chefs. I heard about
one in France years ago, at a vineyard, but it’s rare!”<br /><br />As
Dorothy ate they talked more about Vaygar and what Rose had said about
Guardians. “She isn’t sure that Josef is going to be all that pleased
about it.”<br /><br />“I can see why she said that. He’s a lover, not a
fighter,” Beth declared with a cocky grin. “I’m sure Lani would agree
with that one!” Beth sipped her dinner and added, “Still, Dad as your
Guardian? I can totally see that. As if anything could stop him. What
do you suppose these ‘privileges’ are, the ones that the Guardians
get?”<br /><br />“I don’t know, she wouldn’t share that information. She said it would be disclosed later.”<br /><br />Mick
was wondering the same thing. Frankly, he didn’t need anyone to tell
him he was Beth’s ‘Guardian’. He was - period. A title for it? Seemed
stupid because that was what a vampire did for their mate, protect them.
He was curious about it though and also about the security force that
Rose had mentioned. So even among the old ones there was war? Sounded
like it. Maybe especially among the old ones?<br /><br />Beth and Mick both
lifted their heads and sniffed the air. Dorothy supposed that they
heard the elevator and were figuring out who was here. She’d watched
them do it often and it fascinated her, how they could scent who was at
their door. It made her wonder about all the things they could scent
and also wonder how they could differentiate so easily as they seemed
to.<br /><br />Together they stood up and said, “Lani and Josef” as they
headed to the door. Dorothy saw Mick open it and smiled as Lani and
Josef came in.<br /><br />“Hi, Dorothy,” Lani said walking into the kitchen. “Oh, that soup looks good!”<br /><br />“Would you like some, Lani?” Mick offered. “There’s plenty left. I made it earlier today.”<br /><br />“You bet I would.”<br /><br />Josef
smiled indulgently at his mate, thrilled to see her happiness, her joy
in something so simple as a bowl of soup. She’d been eating a little
better the past week or so since she was feeling better. Her cheeks
bloomed with health and that suited him just fine. <br /><br />He knew that
part of that was because he refused to drink her blood when they made
love, something that was a terrible bone of contention between them.
She seemed to believe that she wasn’t fulfilling her obligations because
he bit himself instead and it made her angry or sad, depending on her
mood.<br /><br />The moods were quick changes it seemed. One minute she was
happy as a clam and the next he knew better than to speak a word. He’d
done a little research on line and found out that was very typical for
pregnancy because of elevated hormone levels and that it was best to
just ignore the mood swings or humor the mommy to be.<br /><br />Getting the hell out of Dodge worked sometimes too, a strategy that he’d used more than once.<br /><br />While
Lani ate Beth told them about Dorothy’s news and Mick watched Josef
carefully when Beth talked about the Guardians. He couldn’t read Josef
all that well at times and this time in particular Josef kept his
feelings cloaked, keeping them to himself but for just a moment Mick
could has sworn he scented a spark of interest from his friend.<br /><br />Rose
and Brody knocked on the door shortly after and the conversation was
only about the coming session. Brody explained to Lani that due to her
pregnancy, she’d be limited in what she could do, although she’d
certainly be observing everything.<br /><br />“What can I do, Brody?” she asked.<br /><br />“You’ll
do the warm ups, the stretches and such and learn the basic strategies.
You won’t be allowed to learn the throws or tumbles, anything that
would risk you falling and hurting the baby.”<br /><br />“Okay, I’m good with that. Actually, I’m excited, whatever I learn. I need exercise!”<br /><br />“Lani,
you can still exercise while you’re pregnant you know. In fact, as
your physician, I encourage it. Within limits and you’ll learn about
those things this evening. Now, are we ready to go?” Rose asked.<br /><br />“Yes, we are,” Beth said. “Mick, you have clean-up duty tonight, baby! Sorry,” she said, giving him a quick kiss.<br /><br />“No problem! Have fun. And Brody, watch her because she’s a daredevil. Just ask her about the broken leg in Seattle!”<br /><br />They
left to go next door and Dorothy started to help Mick. “No, go on and
talk to Clark, I’m sure you’re both anxious for that nightly call.
Josef and I are just going to hang out, after I load the dishwasher that
is. Josef, this will only take a minute so pour us a glass of scotch,
will you?”<br /><br />Josef nodded tersely and Mick could tell something was
bothering him. They’d have time to talk because Dorothy would be
occupied with Clark for a while. <br /><br />Five minutes later, with the
dishwasher running quietly in the background Mick settled into the couch
and took a sip of his scotch, feeling the burn slide down his throat
with appreciation.<br /><br />“What do you think of this Vaygar guy?” Josef asked.<br /><br />“I
think if he can manage to keep an eye on Dorothy more power to him. I
was going to talk to you about getting some security for her but it
sounds like I won’t need to now. And I must admit I’m intrigued about
this training for Guardians.”<br /><br />Josef scoffed at that. “Who the
hell do these people think they are? They think they can just come in
here and turn our lives upside down?”<br /><br />“I don’t know, Josef but I
am, as I said, intrigued by it all. I might learn something new, who
knows? Whatever it takes to make Beth and I stronger and safer, I’m up
for it.”<br /><br />Josef considered that for a moment. He hadn’t really
thought of it from that angle. Stronger, as individuals and as mates.
That could be worth it all. Suddenly, his foul mood lifted and he
relaxed. Yes, this could be a good thing. “You might be right, Mick!”
He lifted his glass is salute. “To stronger bonds!”<br /><br />“To stronger bonds,” Mick echoed. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">May it be so.</span><br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Next
door in Brody’s loft the girls and Brody went through a series of
stretches and warms ups to ensure that their muscles were ready for
action. Beth and Lani both realized many of them were akin to yoga and
commented on it.<br /><br />“Yes, many are similar and it’s okay to practice
yoga for warming up as well. The moves help to make you flexible as
hell and that’s a good thing, whether you’re fighting or not. So work
on it every day, ladies!” Brody said.<br /><br />He told them about many of
the defensive moves that the training would involve and which ones Lani
could learn and he and Rose demonstrated some of them as well as a few
offensive moves.<br /><br />The ease of their movements was amazing to watch
but Beth realized that they were long practiced moves which made them
look more like a dance than anything thing else. Finally Brody got Beth
up to work with her while Rose helped Lani with some safe defensive
moves for her to learn.<br /><br />“Okay, Beth, I want you to attack me. Any way you think will work; come on, give it a try.”<br /><br />She
thought about it for a moment, of some of the self defense moves she
and Lani had learned when her friend was still petrified of vampires.
She tried to grab his arm and twist it to bring him to his knees but it
didn’t work, the first or the second time. So, she needed a new move
and thought about it for a moment before trying to kick behind his knee
to throw him off balance but that didn’t work either.<br /><br />Vampires
had exceptional strength and balance and she began to realize how
ineffectual any of her moves would be against a vampire. Which pissed
her off, a lot.<br /><br />She tried to think about where vampires were the
most vulnerable and everything she tried only made matters worse. He
out maneuvered her every single time, if not literally a step ahead of
her at the least able to counter any of her attempts.<br /><br />Easily in
fact. Her anger grew into a full rolling boil and she finally ended up
on her butt, almost sputtering because she was so angry.<br /><br />“A least give me a damn chance,” she growled.<br /><br />“So
you think an opponent will do that? Let you take a shot? I hate to
tell you this but they won’t. If you’re facing a vampire it’s either
kill or be killed. Sorry, but that’s the truth. You’re not just
looking to disable them and they sure as hell won’t be trying to do that
to you.”<br /><br />She stood up with a huff and faced him, looking up into
his brown eyes, her own eyes flashing that deadly, swirling blue. He
was right, she just didn’t want to admit it. <br /><br />“Your main problem,
Beth was that you didn’t control your anger. That’s your first lesson.
When your anger takes over you get stupid and careless. A vampire out
of control of their emotions is easy to take out. You have to stay in
control, Beth; always in control.”<br /><br />Control. Yes, she knew the
truth in that. She remembered rushing Shatel, before she and Max were
taken downstairs. He easily evaded her attempts and she realized now
how effortlessly he could have taken her out. Had she been a normal
vampire that is and had he not had other plans for her.<br /><br />Control. Yes, she’d learn it. She could do it.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMuK7YYxeg"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Count On Me</span></a><br /><br />Clark grinned at his wife on Skype. “I’ll be damned! A descendant, just like Beth? That’s amazing, Dorie!”<br /><br />“You’re okay with it? That I’ll be different?”<br /><br />“Of
course I am. Honey, this really is fantastic news. I can’t wait to
start learning about being a Guardian. And to meet this Vaygar guy!”<br /><br />“Rose
say’s I’ll like him. Right now I can’t really even picture him. I
asked her if he was some sort of Viking guy, with that name and she
laughed and told me he kind of was. Now, I’m picturing some Hagar the
Horrible type,” she laughed.<br /><br />“Hey, remember that Halloween party, I think you were 15? I dressed as Hagar? That was fun!”<br /><br />“Sure
I do. You spilled your Coke on me so you could feel my boobs. Of
course, you called it sopping up the spilled drink,” she teased.<br /><br />“Hey, baby, don’t complain. You liked it!”<br /><br />“I did not!” she laughed. “It was embarrassing!”<br /><br />“Yeah, well I don’t think that flush that spread across your face was embarrassment, Dorie. I think it was excitement!” <br /><br />He
chuckled low and deep, that sound that was almost a growl. Her heart
sped up when she heard it and the pit of her stomach tightened for a
moment as she thought about how much she missed him, needed him.<br /><br />“You know that I can tell now when you want me?”<br /><br />“How?” the word was a mere breathy whisper.<br /><br />“Your heart races, like it is now and when we’re together I’ll be able to scent your need, your desire.”<br /><br />Could
all vamps do that? Could her daughter scent when she was aroused by
Clark? The thought was beyond embarrassing. Panic kept her quiet,
afraid to speak.<br /><br />“Dorie, we - we tune it out I guess. That’s
what Mick and Logan say. Personal sounds, scents, that kind of thing.
They say you learn to filter it all. It’s our business, honey. How we
feel about one another, how much we want one another. Forget about
them, only think about us.”<br /><br />This wasn’t going to be easy, knowing
now what the others could do. She could only hope the time would come
soon when she would be like them. Feeling so vulnerable was really
hard.<br /><br />She switched the subject to Jackie and told him all about her.<br /><br />“So you really like her?”<br /><br />“Yes,
I do, Clark. I think she’ll be perfect. But I told her I wanted to
talk to you first and set up a Skype meeting with you. Is that okay?
Do you want to meet her?”<br /><br />“Yeah, I’d like that. Anytime you want, Dorie. Set it up and I’ll be here.”<br /><br />“Okay, maybe this weekend sometime.”<br /><br />“Great.
I talked to Scotty this afternoon. The church project is going to be
great; it wasn’t in quite as bad of shape as I’d imagined. Before too
long Henry is going to have a really nice place to work in. I have to
say I’m excited about it.”<br /><br />“Clark that’s wonderful. He’s such a
nice guy. He’s coming to dinner tomorrow night, along with Josef and
Lani and Luka. I think we’ll have a nice evening.”<br /><br />“Have fun, honey. God, I miss you girl.”<br /><br />“God, I miss you boy,” she echoed.<br /><br />“All my heart, all my love, Dorie.”<br /><br />“Forever yours, Clark.” <br /><br />Both of them felt choked up with emotion. Their goodbyes were quiet, almost painful.<br /><br />“Not much longer, Dorie. I’ll be home soon. I promise. You can count on me.”<br /><br />“I know. Until then, remember how much I love you.”<br /><br />“Always.”<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Josef came alert in the night, aware that Lani was awake, softly calling his name.<br /><br />“Sweetness, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Damn it, did she overdo it at Brody’s earlier?<br /><br />“Yes, I’m fine but I can’t sleep. I’ve been trying hard but I can’t get it out of my head.”<br /><br />“It? What is ‘it’?<br /><br />“Pistachio fudge ice cream. Josef, I have to have some. Please.”<br /><br />“You want me to go downstairs and get you some?” he said, preparing to get up.<br /><br />“No, I mean, we don’t have any. I ate it for breakfast this morning. The little gourmet shop on Quinton sells it.”<br /><br />“Sweetness,
I doubt if the shop is open at,” he leaned up on his elbow so he could
see the clock glowing in the darkened room. “At 2:48 am. Can it wait
until morning? I’ll buy you all you want then.”<br /><br />“I can’t sleep, Josef. It’s driving me crazy!”<br /><br />So
this was what craving’s were? He’d read about them on line. He was
getting a real education on the pregnancy web sites. “You want me to go
and try to find it somewhere else, Lani?”<br /><br />“Please. Do you mind, Josef?”<br /><br />He
smiled at her indulgently, even though she couldn’t see him. “I don’t
mind; after all, I am a night person,” he laughed. He slid out of bed
and headed to the closet so that he could dress. Afterwards he said,
“Now, you just stay tucked into the bed and I’ll be home before you know
it.”<br /><br />“Okay. I love you, Josef.”<br /><br />“I’m counting on that. Love you too, Sweetness. Back soon!”<br /><br />Famous
last words he decided, two hours later. He’d been to 4 all night
supermarkets, an all night frozen yogurt place and countless convenience
stores. Not a single one of them had pistachio fudge ice cream.
Finally, at Ralphs, a stocker suggested that he buy the pistachio ice
cream they had and a jar of hot fudge sauce to pour over it. <br /><br />“I
understand mister. My wife had all sorts of crazy cravings when she was
pregnant. One night she wanted crab dip and vanilla wafers.” The guy
shuddered at the memory. “Gross, but she ate ever bit of it.”<br /><br />Josef
nodded sympathetically; he didn’t know what either of those things
tasted like but they were obviously a strange combination. “Well,
thanks for the suggestion, I appreciate it,” he said with a wave as he
headed to the checkout. <br /><br />Outside as he walked to his car a couple
of young thugs jumped out from behind a car and demanded his wallet and
what was in the sack. He stared at them for a moment, irritated as
hell.<br /><br />He smiled at them, letting them see his fangs glinting in
the dim lighting of the parking lot. “You really wanna try? Come on,
let’s see what you got.” He added a loud growl and watched as one of
them peed his pants and then bolted, the second one following behind.
He unlocked the door and sat in the car, and for a moment he felt tired,
really tired.<br /><br />Fifteen minutes later he pulled into the garage
and headed into the house. He stopped in the kitchen and scooped some
of the green goo into a bowl and poured some of the brown goo on top of
it. He looked at it and wondered if there was enough of the fudge on
it. Maybe there should be as much fudge as ice cream? He poured more
of it on top, until barely any green could be seen. Still wondering he
tipped the jar up and scooped the remainder of it out into the bowl. <br /><br />Was
that right? He sniffed at it, easily recognizing the scent of
chocolate, one of Lani’s favorite foods. He was sure she’d love it. <br /><br />Upstairs
he opened the door and stepped into the bedroom only to be greeted by
the soft sounds of Lani’s breathing. She was asleep. He stepped closer
to her and looked down. <br /><br />Yep, she was asleep! Did he wake her?
Nah, let her sleep he decided. He sat the bowl on the night table and
pulled his clothes off, letting them fall where they may. In the bed he
slid between the sheets and kissed her lightly on the forehead.<br /><br />“I love you, Lani.”<br /><br />“Love you too,” she said as she snuggled into his arms, cravings gone.<br /><br />He smiled and held her close. Life was getting better every day.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span>
Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-6371791298980608592012-12-03T10:25:00.006-06:002012-12-03T10:25:55.926-06:00Chapter 12 With A Little Luck<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFqKN8yhA54"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">With A Little Luck</span></a><br /><br />Clark
scanned the estimates that his foremen had sent him regarding the
church. All in all, it didn’t look too bad he thought. He picked up
his phone and called Scott, his assistant to go over some of the figures
and plans.<br /><br />“Hey, Scotty, this looks great actually. Much better
than I expected. You can go ahead with the purchase orders. This
source for the red tiles for the roof, you think they’re on the level? I
want you to eyeball them before you buy.” At just mere pennies a tile
it seemed like too good of a deal to Clark.<br /><br />“Stollen and Harper
used them last year on that mission project; Klaus Stollen swears by
them. But yeah, we’ll definitely eyeball them first. How’s your back?”<br /><br />“Getting a bit better every day. Hopefully I won’t be out too much longer. Thanks for asking, Scotty.”<br /><br />“Good,
glad to hear it. So, I can free up the Goddard team next week to start
on the electrical at the church; seems like the best place to start.”<br /><br />“Sounds good. I want to speak to a few people and see if we can wrangle a donation of a new heating and cooling system for it.”<br /><br />Scotty
let out a long whistle on the other end of the phone and Clark winced;
it sounded like an out of control police whistle. “If anyone can do it,
you’re the guy, Clark.”<br /><br />They chatted a bit longer about the
other projects that were working and then Clark ended the call, glancing
at his watch. He was waiting to hear from Dorothy to see what the
doctor said. He stood up and paced the room, feeling caged in again.<br /><br />“Clark!
She’ll call.” Logan stood up and stretched; he’d just finished the
game program he’d been debugging and sent it off to the production
company. He walked into the kitchen and pulled a couple of popsicles
out of the freezer and handed one to Clark. “Here, take the edge off.”<br /><br />“How
can you be so fucking calm all the time, Logan? I’m going crazy here!
Come on, teach me something!” Clark pulled the wrapper off the
popsicles and bit into the cherry flavored treat. A treat that he
couldn’t taste but he did like the cool sensation in his mouth.<br /><br />“It’s
just what you have to do, Clark. Like it or not it takes time to get
under control - your physical abilities, your emotions. I know that you
feel great, that’s a given but it hasn’t even been a week yet. I am
not ready to let you loose on the world yet and you’re just going to
have to accept that.” As he heard the words come out of his mouth Logan
was amazed at how in control they sounded. Maybe he was getting the
hang of it, of being in control, a sire. Mick had said to be firm, but
compassionate. It felt as if it was coming together.<br /><br />Clark heard
the words and there was a part of him that knew that Logan was right.
The scent of blood still excited him and he might not be able to control
it if he smelled it on a human. He just felt as if he was cheating
Dorothy; leaving her to carry the load by herself and now with this
person who might be stalking her he needed to find the bastard and rip
him apart.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yeah, that would be satisfying as hell…</span><br /><br />“You’re
going to be there for the births, Clark. I don’t know how I know that,
just some instinct maybe, but you will be there.”<br /><br />Clark looked
up at his baby brother and felt a great admiration for him. He was so
strong, so sure of himself. It was too bad that Logan never had the
chance to have kids because he would have made a terrific dad. He told
Logan his thoughts and watched as something spread over his face, a
revelation, maybe.<br /><br />“You know, I never really saw myself with
kids; I guess I always thought I was too much of a geek to be a dad and
then I was turned and I just never thought about it anymore. Until
Audey that is. Clark, when I was in college, at Berkley, well, some of
us thought it would be a great idea to share ourselves with the world,
you know? The great brain trust; that’s how we thought of ourselves.
So we went and donated sperm, so that everyone could have a little piece
of us.” He gave a wry laugh and his eyes took on a far-away look as he
remembered those times. “We were idiots of course, but I checked with
the bank, to see if any of it was left and if it was still viable.
Turns out that once it’s cryogenically frozen, it’s keeps basically
forever. There are still some of my swimmers up there.”<br /><br />Clark
let out a huge laugh and then thumped Logan on the back in excitement.
“Logan, you need to talk to Audrey about this. You really should.”<br /><br />“I don’t know that she wants kids, Clark. I mean, it’s never been on the table before.”<br /><br />“All
the more reason to talk to her. But for heaven’s sake, marry her
first. I don’t mean before you talk to her but before she gets
pregnant. Logan, I’m telling you, she’d love to have your baby.”<br /><br />“You think? Really?” His voice sounded small and insecure to him. <span style="font-style: italic;">What if she didn’t? What if she did?</span><br /><br />“I
really do. That girl is crazy about you and she obviously loves kids;
you’ve seen her around Robbi and Kevin’s kids. Talk to her, Logan.”<br /><br />“Yeah,
maybe I could do that on Friday.” He smiled at the thought. He
realized more each day that he’d like to have a family; kids of their
own. He could only hope she would too.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Dorothy
stared at Rose, waiting for her to speak. Her heart was racing and her
mouth went suddenly dry. Fear, anticipation? She held her breath as
she watched Rose, who was smiling at her.<br /><br />“Dorothy, no reason to
be alarmed; his name is Vaygar. He’s actually on his way here, to meet
you. Should be here tomorrow sometime.”<br /><br />“Vaygar? Like …like a Viking or something?”<br /><br />Rose laughed and her eyes twinkled. “Yes, well actually very much like that. He’s of Norse descent, definitely.”<br /><br />“Are you sure? How can that be? I mean, how could Beth and I have different antecedents?”<br /><br />“Well,
it’s like having parents with different colored eyes or hair. The
child is going to inherent different traits, could be anything. Beth
inherited her father’s blood type, his genomes for the most part.”<br /><br />“Are gnomes the same as DNA?”<br /><br />“Not
exactly. DNA is something that is shared by all living organisms on
this planet; we are all 99.9 % the same, DNA wise. Genomes make us all
individuals; they are sort of the genetic blueprint for people. Beth’s
genomes are more strongly from her father then you. Although, it does
answer several puzzling questions that I’ve had.”<br /><br />“Like what?”<br /><br />“Beth’s
psychic skills - frankly, I don’t have many of those gifts. The way
that she and Mick managed to communicate when she was kidnapped was
amazing and she didn’t get it from me! However, Vaygar is very
psychically oriented and once you’re turned I think you’ll find you have
some of those same traits.”<br /><br />“So tell me about him, about Vaygar.”<br /><br />Rose
smiled again and Dorothy could tell that she liked Vaygar a lot. She
relaxed a bit and took a deep breath, thinking it might now be so bad
after all.<br /><br />“Vaygar is our Master at Arms, for the Children of the Moon. He trains Guardians and our Protectors. He is amazing actually.”<br /><br />“Guardians? Like Mick you mean?” She remember Beth telling her that Mick was now a Guardian.<br /><br />“Yes, like Mick, like Clark will be for you and Josef will be for Lani.”<br /><br />“What are Guardians exactly? I don’t get it and how do they vary from Protectors?”<br /><br />“Guardians
are usually related or attached to descendants, like a spouse. They
have strong bonds with the descendant. They aren’t exactly guards,
don’t get me wrong, but they are trained well in the physical arts, just
in case. They are also given certain privileges that other vampires
don’t have, if they choose that is.”<br /><br />“Gifts? Like what?”<br /><br />“That’s
something that we’ll discuss later on, Dorothy. Now, Protectors are
our security forces. In cases of emergency, they protect us all, man
the defenses.”<br /><br />“Like, war?” Dorothy’s breath caught in her throat. “Like vampire wars?”<br /><br />“Dorothy,
as long as there are people who have special gifts, there will be
others who want them. We, the Children of the Moon were given a special
gift, a blessing. Over time, the gift became polluted, perverted by
those determined to twist it to their own benefit. Yes, we must be
protected from those who would try to harm us for our peaceful lives and
those of our descendants who follow our way of life. There are always
enemies, Dorothy. It is not always goodness and light.”<br /><br />“From what Mick has told us there is very little of that.”<br /><br />“In Mick’s world, that is the case. He will learn soon that there is a whole different life for him, for his kind.”<br /><br />“Mick is such a good man, Rose. He has led such an unhappy life since Coraline Duvall turned him.”<br /><br />“Yes, but if he opens himself he’ll find joy and a new purpose to his life that is better than anything he ever imagined.”<br /><br />“And Clark as well?”<br /><br />“Yes,
Clark too. I think Clark will be an amazing Guardian. Josef? Well,
the jury might still be out on that one,” Rose laughed.<br /><br />Dorothy
nodded, understanding how Josef’s skewed and skeptical take on the world
might lead him to have a hard time with it all. <br /><br />“So Vaygar gets here tomorrow. What will he do?”<br /><br />“Yes,
but I don’t know when. He’s driving down from Oregon. He is bringing a
protective team for you, Dorothy. You might as well know that right
away. He likes to be involved in his descendants lives and when I told
him what was going on in yours he knew he needed to be here right away.
You’ll like him, I promise you and he’ll be crazy about you too.”<br /><br />“Okay. I feel sort of stunned by all this though.”<br /><br />“I can understand that. Go home, talk to Clark about it all. Brody is waiting outside to make sure you get home safely.”<br /><br />“Why?”<br /><br />Rose
looked down for a moment. She didn’t want to scare Dorothy too much
but she also needed to know what was going on. She told her, as simply
as she could, about the man in the garage.<br /><br />“Oh my gosh. But we don’t know he was looking for me, do we?”<br /><br />“No, but he wouldn’t talk to Brody and so we’re not taking any chances.”<br /><br />“Okay,
I guess it won’t do any good to protest. I realize it might have been
rash of me, leaving on my own. I won’t do it again.”<br /><br />Rose
chuckled and said, “Seriously, I doubt if you could. Vaygar and his
guys are very good at what they do. You might never even see them, but
they’ll be there.”<br /><br />“That’s good to hear. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I don’t want to alarm them at the office.”<br /><br />Rose nodded and stood up. “Come on, I’m taking you out through the private entrance to where Brody is waiting.”<br /><br />Dorothy
followed, her mind full of questions but she felt suddenly calm about
it all. For some reason she knew it would be okay.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />At
the loft Mick opened the door as Dorothy and Brody approached it. Beth
jumped up and immediately embraced her mother saying, “Don’t do that
again! Mom, you can’t go out by yourself!”<br /><br />Brody’s eyebrows rose
and he shook his head slightly. “Beth, she’s fine and after tomorrow
it will be a moot point anyway. I’ll see you in an hour or so for your
lesson, okay?”<br /><br />“What do you mean it will be a moot point?” Beth asked, looking from her mom to Brody who was heading for the door.<br /><br />“Beth,
I’ll tell you all about it. Brody, thank you for everything.” She
smiled and gave him a quick wave as he headed out the door.<br /><br />“Mom?”<br /><br />“It’s quite a story, Beth.” Dorothy told them all that she’d found out from Rose.<br /><br />“You mean that you're a descendant too, but from a different one of the 13?”<br /><br />“Yes, that’s what Rose tells me. You can ask her about it yourself if you like because she’ll be here for your lesson.”<br /><br />“I don’t understand, Mom.”<br /><br />“I
don’t either, exactly. But Vaygar is my antecedent and tomorrow he’ll
be here. Bringing a security force with him to protect me, although I’m
still not sure I need it.” As Beth started to protest she held her
hand up and added, “But - I’m going to go along with it so that everyone
will stop worrying.”<br /><br />“And this Vaygar is the Master at Arms for the group? A trainer?” Mick asked.<br /><br />“Yes
and apparently he’ll be working with you, Clark and Josef, since you’ll
all be Guardians. There definitely seems to be a sense of hierarchy
with them, like a well-organized corporation,” Dorothy finished with a
smile.<br /><br />Mick was intensely curious about Vaygar; he’d not heard
anyone else mention him. And, like Beth he was very curious how Dorothy
could be his descendant and Beth wasn’t. Of course, obviously her
father was a descendant too. He needed to find out who that was, if he
was a vamp or not. He could have been; since Dorothy is a descendant he
could have impregnated her. <br /><br />Beth’s father could have been a vamp. It was a sobering thought.<br /><br />“Dorothy,
I have a picture I’d like to show you. Of the guy who was in the
parking garage earlier.” Mick told her the information they had on him,
which wasn’t much. Logan found the car on the traffic cam but didn’t
get anything useful from it. Still no clear picture of him. But
curiously enough, out in the sunshine he had sunglasses on.<br /><br />Dorothy
looked at the picture of Vinton McCullough and frowned. It was a
terrible picture, as Mick had told her but even knowing that, it still
wasn’t really familiar. <br /><br />“I don’t know, Mick. He doesn’t, I mean it’s so bad I really don’t think I’ve seen him before. I’m sorry.”<br /><br />Both
Mick and Beth could tell she was telling the truth. No rapid heartbeat
or respiration, tell-tale signs of lying. “Okay. Keep your eyes open
though. If you do see him, let one of us know.”<br /><br />Dorothy nodded,
knowing he meant one of the vamps. “I want to take a quick shower
before I talk to Clark. I met Jackie, the young woman Rose recommended
and I really like her. I think she’ll be perfect to work for us.”
Dorothy stood up and headed up the stairs.<br /><br />“Mom, would you like me to heat you some soup or make a sandwich for your dinner?” Beth asked.<br /><br />“Yes, that would be lovely, Beth. Whichever is handiest, sweetheart.”<br /><br />“Okay. It will be ready when you get downstairs.”<br /><br />Beth and Mick watched her head up the stairs and heard the bedroom door close.<br /><br />“She is amazingly calm about all this, Mick.”<br /><br />“Yes, she is. But she didn’t know him, from that picture anyway.”<br /><br />Beth
nodded in agreement. “All this just makes me think about my life,
Mick. Just who is my father? Why won’t she tell me about him?”<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-43783263966528276462012-11-29T10:10:00.000-06:002012-11-29T10:10:00.404-06:00Chapter 11 New Kid in Town<br />
<br />
<br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u7J60I_wro"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">New Kid in Town</span></a><br /><br />After
Brody left Mick started thinking about new measures for improved
security for the building. He felt confident that his loft was safe,
but what about the rest of the building? If someone was trying to get
to Dorothy they could do it in a variety of ways. <br /><br />Something to consider.<br /><br />He
ran the New Mexico tag and saw that it was registered to Vinton
McCullough, in Bernalillo, just north of Albuquerque. He used Google
Earth to check out the address on the registration and saw that it was a
valid one, a small ranch house in need of some repairs, judging by the
peeling paint and neglected yard. Next, he pulled the driver’s license
for Vinton and got a look at him for the first time.<br /><br />Blond shaggy
hair, 6’1, brown eyes, he had a scruffy appearance for the most part
although DMV photos were notorious for taking the worst pictures
possible. The image also wasn’t terribly clear, but again, given the
source excusable. He was 45 years old and single too, a quick search of
public records showed. As far as Mick could tell he’d been a life-long
resident of New Mexico.<br /><br />So what was he doing here in Los Angeles?
The car he was in wasn’t in the best of shape, by the looks of it as
far as Brody could tell. 1995 Honda Civic according to DMV and it
seemed to be quite a road trip for such an old car, but you can never
tell by looks.<br /><br />Mick leaned back in the chair and ran his hand
over his face, thinking about other sources for information. First he
decided to call Logan and see if he could check a few of the traffic
cams around here.<br /><br />“Hey, Logan,” Mick said when the phone was answered. “Does the name Vinton McCullough mean anything to you or Clark?”<br /><br />He
waited while Logan and Clark talked for a moment and knew that neither
of them had any idea who he was. “Logan, I’m sending you some info on
him, you guys take a look and if it sparks anything let me know. Also,
can you check the traffic cams for the area around the loft,
approximately, um,” he paused for a moment to check his watch.
“Beginning about an hour ago, maybe 2. Not sure how long he was out
there. Let Clark look at the picture and see if he’s familiar to either
of you. The information I’m sending has the car description and tag
number and I’ll also send a copy of his driver’s license.”<br /><br />“Okay, I’ll let you know what we find out. Do you think it could be the one who attacked Clark?”<br /><br />“I
don’t know, Logan. He was hanging around here and took off when Brody
tried to talk to him; makes me suspicious. At any rate, we’re not
taking any chances. And tell Clark that I’m changing security here at
the apartment building too.”<br /><br />“I heard, Mick,” Clark said in the background. “You keep her safe for me.”<br /><br />“You know I will, Clark. I’ll protect her until it’s your watch.” The words were solemnly spoken and acknowledged. <br /><br />Now,
he needed to decide on what to do for the building. He closed his eyes
for a moment, trying to focus his thoughts. He took his responsibility
to protect Dorothy very seriously. He meant it when he said he’d keep
her safe, no matter what.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Rose
met Dorothy in the lobby, giving her a brief hug to welcome her and
help to put her at ease because Rose could see that Dorothy was nervous.
Rose wasn’t sure whether it was from being out on her own or fear
about what she might discover today. <br /><br />“Hi, Dorothy! I’m so glad
you could come in this afternoon.” She didn’t tell her that Brody had
called but she continued to speak as they entered a locked door to get
to the private area of the clinic. “I have some news for you that I
think you’ll find interesting but first, I’m going to take you to the
conference room where you can meet with Jackie. She is anxious to meet
you.”<br /><br />She couldn’t tell if Dorothy was relieved or not; she
smiled graciously and followed Rose into a room with a large table, it’s
beautiful wooden grain polished to a high shine. Comfortable chairs
rimmed it and at one of them sat a lovely young woman, wearing a smile.
She stood as the two women walked into the room, and offered her hand
to Dorothy.<br /><br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/Jackie350x263.jpg" /><br /><br />Rose
made the introductions and then quietly excused herself, hoping the two
would hit it off. They both needed one another, whether they knew it
or not. <br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Brody found
Dorothy’s car in the parking garage at the clinic and then cruised the
area, making sure that he didn’t see the Honda lurking anywhere. When
he felt comfortable with the situation he called Mick and let him know
she was there safely and that he’d stay and make sure she got home
safely.<br /><br />He heard Mick explaining the situation to Beth when she
walked in and Brody smiled, knowing that Mick was going to have his
hands full with that. He said goodbye and headed into the building to
meet with Rose.<br /><br />Brody really liked Beth’s spirit; she was going
to make one helluva vamp and when he got her through her training no one
would be able to get the best of her physically. Her passion and fiery
attitude would carry her though it all, he had no doubt. She had asked
that her friend train with her and Brody was still okay with that, even
though Lani was pregnant. She’d learn less physical techniques, but
even the basic training was important all the same. It would help her
with her pregnancy as well Rose assured him.<br /><br />He knocked on the
door to her office, the internal door that is, not the public entrance.
She answered with a smile, a hug and a quick kiss. “Hey there
handsome, I’m glad to see you!”<br /><br />Brody inwardly groaned. “What do
you want, Rose. I know that tone of voice, that smile that promises
the world! I’ve been there, baby. We’ve been there,” he laughed.<br /><br />“Do I have to want anything? Honestly, Brody, sometimes you are so off-base. I’m just happy to see you.”<br /><br />“Um hm. So you say. You saw me last night, and many nights before that. It’s not like you’ve had time to miss me.”<br /><br />She
laughed at the expression on his face; he was skeptical and she didn’t
blame him in the least. They had been an on again, off again couple for
more centuries than she could remember, more on than off in truth.
Wherever in the world she was, he was never too far away and she was
always happy about that.<br /><br />When you live for thousands of years,
eternity with one person was a sticky proposition at best. None of the
13 had ever married; each other or anyone else. Didn’t mean that they
didn’t all have those people in their lives that they loved, it just
meant that their creator encouraged different paths for them by the
sheer diversity of their personalities and beliefs. <br /><br />She and
Brody loved one another fiercely; it was understood by all the 13. None
of the others had ever paired up as she and Brody had, on such a lasting
basis, that is. They’d had several children and in fact one of their
descendants was right here in this area. The time would come when he
would know it and they carried that secret joy with them.<br /><br />He sank
down into her comfortable office chair and pulled her into his lap. A
dozen sweet kisses later he again asked her what was up.<br /><br />She
laughed and it sounded delightfully like melodic bells to him. She
rested her forehead against his and sighed. “Really, I’m just happy to
see you. And glad that Dorothy got here safely.”<br /><br />He breathed in
deeply, taking in the wonderful scent of her. How could she smell like
the first blossoms of spring, of innocence and sunshine after so long?
And yet she did. The 13 and their descendants had a different scent
than most vampires, less decay and more of a rich and lush scent of the
very earth itself, fruitful and fertile. <br /><br />“Do you think the guy you saw is the one that attacked Clark?”<br /><br />“I
don’t know. Impossible to tell. I gave Mick the car and tag info and
hopefully he’ll have some answers soon. Right now I’m guessing he’s
under fire from his wife,” he chuckled.<br /><br />“She is a spitfire, isn’t she?”<br /><br />He laughed out loud and nodded his head. “Don’t be so smug; she didn’t get that from you!”<br /><br />Rose
giggled and nipped at his neck, her teeth blunt so they’d do no more
damage other than to …arouse… and she wiggled on his lap when she met
her goal.<br /><br />“Alright, that’s enough! I surrender,” he told her.
“But it’s going to have to wait until later, woman! Now, what have you
discovered about the lovely Dorothy?”<br /><br />Her reply caused him to raise his eyebrows. “I’ll be damned! Have you called him?”<br /><br />“Yep. Guess who’s coming to visit?”<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />“What
do you mean she’s not here, Mick?” Beth asked the question while Mick
was talking to Brody. Mick looked at her pointedly, trying to finish
his conversation with Brody.<br /><br />Beth paced the small office, a growl
simmering in her gut. She literally saw blood and hurried to the
kitchen and poured a tall glass and drank it down in a couple of
swallows. That was followed by a couple of deep breaths to get her
emotions under control. She looked up as Mick came into the kitchen and
she pointed to the carafe of blood and he nodded, feeling tired
suddenly.<br /><br />He explained to her in detail what had happened and she
listened quietly, but he could see that she was still pissed. “Look,
Beth, we can’t tie her up here. We can’t stay glued to her; we have to
find some other way of keeping watch over her. I’m going to talk to
Josef later and see if we can get a couple of his guys to help keep her
in sight when she leaves. I don’t want her to feel like a prisoner,
Beth.”<br /><br />Beth nodded, knowing he was right but still afraid for her
mother. “Where is the picture of the guy?” she asked. Her brow
furrowed as she looked at the slightly blurry image and she finally
shook her head, realizing that she didn’t know him.<br /><br />“Look, she’s
okay right now and Brody is going to follow her home. We’re going to
have to have a talk with her and let her know that we’re going to take
some security precautions that will hopefully help her feel a bit more
independent and yet keep her safe. Like them or not she’s going to have
to live with them.”<br /><br />Beth knew without a doubt that her mom
wouldn’t like them but that was too bad. They were going to keep her
safe, one way or the other.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Dorothy smiled at the young woman, not exactly sure where to start. She guessed at the beginning was a good place. <br /><br />“Rose tells me that you are volunteering here at the clinic but that you’re looking for a regular job?”<br /><br />“Yes,
that’s true. I love what I do here, don’t get me wrong but I’ve been
living off of my savings and I’d much prefer not to have to do that,”
she said with a wistful smile. <br /><br />“I can understand that. How long have you known Rose?”<br /><br />“I
met her about 8 years ago. I stumbled into the clinic and literally
fell into her. I think she took pity on me and she’s been my hero, ever
since. She helped me get back on my feet and got me some basic
training and then I got the job with the Hansen’s. They were a
wonderful family but they wanted to move back to New York and I kind of
like it here. They kids weren’t going to need a nanny for much longer
anyway and since I have a house here I decided to stay.”<br /><br />“You weren’t a live in?”<br /><br />“No, I wasn’t. I worked full time though,” she said, hoping this wouldn’t hurt her. “Do you want someone to live in?”<br /><br />“No, actually we don’t.”<br /><br />“What are you looking for Mrs. Griffin?”<br /><br />“Please,
just call me Dorothy. I guess we’re looking for someone to help out
with the twins, housework, that type of thing. I remember chasing
around Beth and that was rough, even though my mom helped a lot. Two of
them? I don’t know about that!” Dorothy declared with a grin. <br /><br />“So you’d want me to work days? Help out so that you could get some rest if you’ve been up all night?”<br /><br />“Yes
and some light housekeeping, errands, things like that. Honestly, I
don’t have a firm idea yet because this is all new territory to me.
I’ve never had someone help around the house before.”<br /><br />“That all sounds manageable, Dorothy. Nothing I haven’t done in the past.”<br /><br />Dorothy nodded and then asked, “And you’re comfortable around, um, vampires?” <br /><br />Her
last word was all but whispered and Jackie reached across the table and
gave Dorothy’s hand a slight squeeze. “Yes, I am. I understand about
them and have worked with them since I met Rose. I’m going to be turned
eventually in fact, but not for a few years I think.”<br /><br />“You…you are?”<br /><br />“Yes. I never want to be a victim again, Dorothy. Never. I’ll take care of myself and that’s one of the ways I can do it.”<br /><br />“Forgive me, but you seem so young, Jackie. How can you make up your mind so easily?”<br /><br />“Actually, I’m 33, but I’d still like to have a child of my own before I’m turned, you know?”<br /><br />“Oh, I understand that. Do you have, I mean, are you in a relationship?”<br /><br />A
sad look passed over her eyes, clouding the soft blue for a moment.
“No, I don’t. But I do have hope of one,” she told the older woman
softly. “I have hope…”<br /><br />The room grew quiet for a moment as both
women felt the pull of something strong; maybe an understanding or
recognition of a past tragedy in each of their lives. Neither knew what
the other had faced, but both of them knew that it drew them together.<br /><br />“Would
you like to meet my husband? Via Skype, I mean? I’m sure he’d like to
meet you and then we can talk about the details of things.”<br /><br />“Yes, I’d like that, Dorothy. When would be a good time?”<br /><br />“I’ll talk to him tonight and get it set up. May I call you then?”<br /><br />“Yes,
absolutely!” Jackie said, excited at the prospect of working for this
woman. She gave Dorothy her number and watched as the woman added it to
her phone. <br /><br />“There, done! I’ll talk to you very soon, Jackie!”<br /><br />“Great.
Do you know how to get to Rose’s office from here? If not I’ll show
you,” she said and took Dorothy down through the twists and turns of the
hallways when Dorothy admitted she didn’t know how to get there. <br /><br />At
the door, before she knocked and told Jackie goodbye and then knocked
on the door, her stomach suddenly clenching as apprehension swept over
her.<br /><br />Inside Rose crawled off of Brody’s lap with a final kiss.
“Oh dear, her heart has sped up again. She’s so nervous, poor thing.
Come on, you need to wait outside for her.”<br /><br />“Whatever you wish,” Brody said with a grin. “I’ll see you later? Are you going to come work out with Beth, Lani and I?”<br /><br />“Lani
is going to be there too? You bet I’ll be there. See you then.” She
watched as Brody disappeared out the private door as she opened the
public one.<br /><br />“Dorothy, come on in. Would you like some juice or water?”<br /><br />“Maybe some water would be nice actually.”<br /><br />“Great! Have a seat while I grab a bottle for you.”<br /><br />Dorothy
looked around the comfortable room and took a seat in a well-padded
chair that while comfortable, was built with ample support, probably
with pregnant women in mind. As she settled into it she took a deep
breath, trying to relax.<br /><br />Rose watched as Dorothy walked across
the room and noticed that the babies still hadn’t dropped much. Not yet
time but she knew that it had to be hard on Dorothy. She handed her
the bottle of water and asked how she was feeling.<br /><br />“Not bad. I’m so ready though, except for Clark being gone. I refuse to have these babies until he’s home!”<br /><br />That
made Rose smile; if only pregnant mommie’s could dictate that to the
little ones who sometimes were very anxious to make an appearance.
“Yes, well let’s hope he makes it home soon, then, shall we?”<br /><br />Dorothy nodded and took a long drink of the chilled water, trying to delay the chat as long as possible.<br /><br />“How did you like Jackie?” Rose asked, trying to help Dorothy relax a bit.<br /><br />“She
seems very nice; I liked her a great deal. I’m going to arrange for
her to meet Clark, via Skype to get his opinion, but I think she’ll work
well for us.”<br /><br />“I can’t speak highly enough about her, Dorothy. She’s very conscientious and dedicated, both extremely valuable qualities.”<br /><br />“Yes, I agree. She said that in a few years she’s going to be turned.”<br /><br />“I think she will; she decided a few years ago. I know she wants a child of her own first.”<br /><br />“So, she’s not a descendant?”<br /><br />Rose shook her head, a sad smile for a moment played across her face. “No, she’s not so she’ll need to have a child first.”<br /><br />“Yes,
I understand.” Dorothy looked at Rose, her heart pounding so loudly
she could easily hear it. It was the elephant in the room and she had
to ask.<br /><br />“Rose, what did the blood work tell you?”<br /><br />Rose
leaned forward, extending her hand across the desk and touched
Dorothy’s. It felt a bit chilled and trembled slightly, both giveaways
to her emotions.<br /><br />“Dorothy, you are a descendant. But you’re not one of mine.”<br /><br />Dorothy’s
face blanched starkly white and Rose rushed around the desk, afraid
that Dorothy was going to faint. Suddenly, her color rose again and the
look of shock was wiped away by curiosity.<br /><br />“Well then, just who am I a descendant of?”<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-32955167748285011752012-11-26T10:17:00.001-06:002012-11-26T10:21:19.637-06:00Chapter 10 Dust in the WindIt was Wednesday afternoon and so far today things had been quiet. Mick
had been working in his office all morning, which left Dorothy alone
for the most part. He’d come out once and asked if she’d like to go out
to lunch or run errands or anything and she’d politely declined. He’d
hesitated before saying that he had to go out for a bit and did she
think she’d be okay alone?<br /><br />She assured him she’d be fine and she
would be but in truth she was going stir crazy. And they didn’t seem
happy about letting her go out alone. She understood that; they didn’t
know who had attacked Clark and they didn’t know if she could be a
target or not. Clark had all but begged her to stay in the loft, unless
accompanied by one of the vamps in her life and she’d agreed to the
request, mostly because it seemed to calm him.<br /><br />In all honesty she regretted the promise; no matter how nice of a cage it was, the loft still felt like one. <br /><br />Her
cell rang and she glanced at the incoming call; from Rose she saw with a
sigh. Would this be good news or devastating news? Was any of it
really good news?<br /><br />“Hello?”<br /><br />“Hi, Dorothy. How are you today?”<br /><br />“I’m feeling well, thank you.”<br /><br />The
words were a bit clipped Rose noticed; chances are Dorothy was feeling a
bit of frustration. “I wondered if you might want to come by the
office in an hour or so? I have your test results and Jackie will be
here, the young woman I told you about?”<br /><br />Jackie was the vamp
friendly young woman that Rose said was looking for a job. Rose had
sang her praises; she knew both infant and adult CPR, emergency medical
care and worked as a volunteer at the women’s clinic. She wasn’t a
vampire, but she knew about them and wasn’t afraid. She’d been working
as a nanny for a family here in LA, but they moved to New York city, a
place where Jackie didn’t want to go to. She sounded ideal, but until
Dorothy actually met her she wouldn’t commit to anything.<br /><br />Dorothy
almost jumped at the chance to leave the house. She’d be careful, if
Mick wasn’t home yet but she had to get out or she’d go crazy. “Yes!
I’ll be there in an hour, Rose. And thank you!”<br /><br />That seemed to perk her up Rose thought. Wonder if she’ll still feel that way later?<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Martin
was furious! Three days after he killed Clark and there hadn’t even
been an obituary? Had he actually done Dorothy a favor? Maybe she was
happy that Clark Griffin was gone and didn’t care enough to have an obit
put in the paper. That had to be it because frankly he couldn’t
imagine that the beautiful woman would ever willingly submit to that
bastard.<br /><br />He’d obviously forced her to marry him, after all these
years and then gotten her pregnant as well. Well, eventually she would
be taken care of. Nobody could handle her the way he could. She just
needed a bit of guidance and discipline.<br /><br />Martin had been out of
town for 6 years now; he’d told himself that eventually he’d come home
and claim his prize but he’d had a few stops along the way and by the
time he got home he’d found that she’d married Clark, something he’d
forbidden her to do. First, she had to pay for that but then things
would be different.<br /><br />He had to find her to start with. He decided
that he’d drive by the daughters house; his daughter, although he’d
never claim her. If she really was his and not Clark Griffin’s whelp.
At any rate, she was insignificant; it was her mother that was his goal.<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Mick
hadn’t gotten home by the time for Dorothy to leave for the clinic; she
debated on whether or not to call Rose and postpone the visit but then
decided to just go. She had to get out of here or go crazy. She’d just
be careful and check things out. Always be aware of your surroundings
they said, so she would. Before she left she’d jotted down a quick note
to Mick, telling him where she’d went. She didn’t want to worry him
unnecessarily.<br /><br />Down in the garage no one was about and so she
walked the short distance to her car and climbed in, locking the doors
immediately after. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There, that went okay. Geez, Dorothy, you’ve got to stop being so paranoid!</span><br /><br />A
few minutes later, as she cruised along Wilshire Boulevard she felt
free, as she hadn’t in days. It was reasonably warm for late November
and the sky was blue.<br /><br />It was all good!<br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />As
Mick approached the guest house at Josef’s he winced; the smell was
over-powering. How in the hell did the vamps stand it? No wonder Josef
was mad as hell. <br /><br />He’d received a call this morning from Josef,
informing him that his fledgling had crossed a line. Not that he was
going to kick Logan and Clark out or anything; Josef was just blowing
off steam about it all. Mick had laughed as Josef described the
pandemonium that ensued the night before, all because Clark wanted to go
outside. <br /><br />One word to Josef had shut him up though - karma!
Mick still chuckled about it because Josef had tortured him relentlessly
about his sister. How much had Josef found out? How much had he said?
<br /><br />What had <span style="font-style: italic;">she</span> said? <br /><br />Vampires
and skunks weren’t a good combination and even though Tango’s crew had
used super-strength cleaner and a product that was supposed to eliminate
the smell, for a vampire it certainly didn’t. Maybe a human couldn’t
smell it but he sure could.<br /><br />“Hey, Mick. Come on in,” Logan said,
a sheepish look on his face. He looked like he was caught skipping
school or something Mick thought.<br /><br />“Don’t know if I can handle it,” Mick said, wrinkling his nose is distress. “Man, this is bad!”<br /><br />“It
was worse before Tango got here last night, that’s for sure!” Logan
sat back down on the couch and picked up the acoustic guitar he’d been
playing earlier.<br /><br />“You playing again, Logan? Something besides Guitar Hero, that is?”<br /><br />“A little, here and there. It’s something to do.”<br /><br />Clark
came into the room, fully dressed and didn’t even wince at the bright
afternoon sunlight. He was making remarkable progress. Well, minus the
whole skunk incident.<br /><br />“He still plays great, but then he always did, huh, Nerdo?” <br /><br />Logan
glanced at his older brother in surprise. Clark didn’t often use that
old nickname but since he’d been turned he’d been a bit different.
They’d spent a lot of time talking about when they were kids and about
what their lives were like now and what they wanted.<br /><br />“I don’t know about that, Clark. But it was always fun.”<br /><br />“Don’t
let him kid you, Mick. He was popular at my dad’s cookouts.
Especially with Jenni!” His eyes twinkled with merriment as he
remembered something from the past. Logan groaned softly and continued
to play. <br /><br /> <br /><br /><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dust in the Wind</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Late October, 1978<br /><br />“Dorothy? Will you please stir the Watergate Salad together for me? Everything is on the counter over there.”<br /><br />“Sure,
Mom.” As she mixed the salad together, what she had always thought of
as ‘green fluff salad’ she asked, “Mom, why do they call this Watergate
Salad? I mean, it’s really pistachio and pineapple.”<br /><br />Grace
laughed and Dorothy saw her shoulders move in a careless shrug. “You
know, I haven’t a clue. Just a catchy name I guess.”<br /><br />“Oh, I thought maybe it was a political thing or something like that.”<br /><br />In
1978 the country was still healing from the break in at the Democratic
National Committee offices at the Watergate. Combine that with The
Pentagon papers, and the later resignation of Richard Nixon, there had
been a lot of lost faith in our political leaders, both Democrats and
Republicans. Dorothy’s Social Studies class had been learning all about
it and boy, was there a lot to learn!<br /><br />As she stirred the whipped
cream and marshmallows into the pudding and pineapple mixture she could
hear a game of Frisbee going on next door and was anxious to get
outside. A final stir of the concoction made her smile and say, “Yup,
green fluff!”<br /><br />Grace laughed again and peered into the bowl. “Okay, go ahead now. I know you want to get out there!”<br /><br />Dorothy
gave her mom a quick kiss on the cheek and said, “Thanks, Mom!” before
she rushed out of the house, the screen door slamming loudly behind her.
Grace sighed at the impatience of youth and scrapped the salad mixture
into a large plastic bowl with a cover and set it in the fridge until
it was time to go next door to the cookout.<br /><br />Every fall the
Griffin’s had a huge cookout for their neighbors; it was always a lot of
fun and they all looked forward to it. The weather was cooperating
nicely this year too, shorts and tee shirts would be perfectly
comfortable and Grace was thankful for that.<br /><br />She’d made a gallon
of her potato salad to bring, as well as Dorothy’s ‘green fluff’. Walt
was already over there helping Alexander with the grills because it took
a lot to get them ready for so many people. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and
chicken would soon be cooking, sending their enticing odors wafting
through the air. Later that night they’d get the fire pit going and the
adults would dance on the patio, or sit around the fire with the kids.
The main thing is that a good time would be had by all.<br /><br />Grace
watched through the kitchen window as the kids played Frisbee, running
to catch and throw the plastic disk amid laughter and sometimes groans.
It seemed to Grace that most of the groans were done by Logan who
wasn’t crazy about the game. Later on, when more kids got there she
knew that the group would move to the park to play a game of baseball
until dinner. It was always their favorite part of the day she knew and
sometimes she wished that she could forget all the preparations and
just go with them!<br /><br />An hour later Walt helped her carry their
contributions to the party over and set them on the tables. The kids
were gone already and she knew that when they came back they’d be hungry
and a bit more quiet.<br /><br />At the park 16 kids divided up into two
teams, paying little attention to who got on what team. Clark and Kip
were the captains, of a sort and there was no picking, the others just
fell into place. This annual game was always the most fun and usually
the last played each year. Yes, most of them played on teams during the
summer months but this game was just for fun. They really didn’t keep
score, just 3 outs and the other team was up. There was no pressure,
the idea was to have fun and they all did.<br /><br />When the sun was
beginning to sink into the west Mrs. Baker called out across the street,
“Clark, your mom says to break up the game now. And could you please
help me to carry my baked beans down to your house, please?”<br /><br />Clark grinned and said, “Sure, Mrs. B! I’ll be right there.”<br /><br />Dorothy
laughed because even though Clark was one of her favorite neighbor kids
she hated it when he called her ‘Mrs. B’ and because he knew that she
hated it, he did it often. He really didn’t mean it disrespectfully
even though he knew that the old busy-body detested the nickname.<br /><br />She
nodded and then frowned but watched as the kids packed up the equipment
they’d brought to play the game with. Really, they were well-mannered
for the most part but they were certainly loud!<br /><br />Later that
evening, when bellies were full and a bit of a chill set in the fire pit
was filled with fragrant wood and lit, sending up the curling wisps of
smoke like offerings to the gods. No matter what age you were, there
was something about the cheery crackling of the fire that put a smile on
your face.<br /><br />The kids sat around it, on blankets that ringed it
like a circle. The adults sat farther back and watched as the kids
toasted marshmallows and laughed. Soft music played and a few of the
couples danced on the patio, the nearly full moon overhead sharing it’s
cheery light on the group.<br /><br />Grace sat talking with Clarks mother
as they watched the two youngsters who were sitting together, laughing
and talking to the other kids, their heads bent together. Clarks arm
was around Dorothy’s shoulder and they were both very happy.<br /><br />“I don’t think this is something that’s going to pass,” Grace said. “They really love one another.”<br /><br />“Yes, they do. I know they’re young, puppy love and all, but sometimes you just know when you’ve found the right one.”<br /><br />“Yes,
yes you do. I was 17 when I met Walt and I knew immediately. We were
married a year later, when I was 18 and he graduated from college.
Never regretted a day of it.”<br /><br />“I know what you mean. I hope they
can keep it all under control though; I have to be truthful about that,
Grace. Alex has talked to Clark about it more than once and Clark
seems to be in control, but at their age, hormones tend to take hold of
you.”<br /><br />Grace nodded; these were her fears as well. They were just
too young and yet all four parents couldn’t pull them apart; it would
only make them more determined to be together. “I know, Shelly. We
just have to support them and be vigilant. I’ve talked to Dorothy too
and while I don’t think she has any interest at all in the adult part of
a relationship yet she certainly has feelings for him. When he leaves
to go into the army she’s going to be miserable.”<br /><br />“If they’re still together in two years, that is.” But both women instinctively knew that somehow they would be.<br /><br />“Looks
like Logan has a fan,” Grace said. Logan had gotten his guitar out and
was playing a song softly. The strains of Dust in the Wind floated
across the lawn of the large backyard. Jennifer Langston, aka Jenni,
who was Kip’s younger sister sat next to him, smiling at him with an
adoring smile.<br /><br />“She certainly seems to like him, but he still
likes the computer better,” Shelly said with a laugh. “Girls aren’t
really in his vocabulary yet.”<br /><br />“Yet,” Grace said with a smile.<br /><br />Logan’s
fingers strummed the strings of his acoustic guitar in the sparkling
firelight. Dorothy started singing softly to the song and her voice was
crystal clear and beautiful.<br /><br />As the song ended Jenni said, “Wow, Logan you play really well and I sure wish I could sing like you Dorothy!”<br /><br />Both
of them murmured thanks, their embarrassment apparent. Clark pulled
her a little bit tighter to him but Jenni was right, she sounded
wonderful. She looked up at him and the flickering light shone brightly
in her eyes for a moment and he forgot where he was. His lips brushed
against hers for a moment before Kip and Merri started giggling. When
he pulled back Dorie smiled at him before self-consciously biting at her
lower lip.<br /><br />“Logan, play something else,” she said, to cover their embarrassment.<br /><br />“Sure, what do you want to hear? Hey, Clark, how about some disco? I could do a little ABBA!” he teased.<br /><br />“Only
if you want to wear that guitar,” his brother grumbled good-naturedly.
“How about that Jimmy Buffett song you were working on?
Margaritaville? We could all sing along!”<br /><br />“Yeah, Logan, play that,” the group said and so he did. Besides, he like that song!</span><br /><br /> <br /><br />OOOOOOOOOOO<br /><br /> <br /><br />Brody
came home that afternoon and pulled into the garage at the loft and
grabbed his packages. Meals to go, he laughed to himself. He noticed a
car idling slowly through the garage and he stood for a moment watching
it. It wasn’t one of the tenants and they were all being vigilant
right now. After a couple of minutes he called out and said, “Hey
buddy, can I help you?” as he walked towards the old Honda.<br /><br />A
blond haired guy cast a swift look over his shoulder and suddenly hit
the gas, pulling out of the garage with a squeal of nearly bald tires.
Brody got a good look at it and a tag number to boot but couldn’t see
much of the guy driving.<br /><br />Mick pulled in right then and Brody
waited on him to get out of the Benz. “Hey, there was a guy just
sitting here in the garage, in his car. I tried to talk to him but he
left in a hurry. I got a description and a tag number though.”<br /><br />Mick nodded and then saw that Dorothy’s car was missing. “Son of a bitch!” he exclaimed. “Are you just getting home?”<br /><br />“Yep. Getting ready for Beth’s first lesson this evening. Gotta drink up! What’s wrong, Mick?”<br /><br />“Dorothy’s
car isn’t here. Where the hell is she?” He and Brody both headed to
the elevator at a trot and Mick tapped his foot impatiently as they
waited for the lift to arrive. “I’ve told her she needs to let me know
when she wants to go somewhere!”<br /><br />“Mick, I understand that but
damn, she’s not a prisoner and you can’t keep her cooped up like one.
Can’t you get her some unobtrusive security?”<br /><br />Mick nodded, as the
doors swept open. He was glad for the new security door but it took
extra seconds to open and a quick scan of the loft told him she wasn’t
there. He found the note on the kitchen counter, telling him that she’d
went to the clinic.<br /><br />“She’s with Rose. Can you give her a quick call to make sure that Dorothy is actually there?”<br /><br />Brody
nodded and placed the call. Mick didn’t have to ask what she said
because he heard it all. So she was there right now, that was good. He
needed to leave quickly, to make sure that she got home okay.<br /><br />“Mick,
why don’t you let me go and watch for her and you can track down that
tag number? It was from New Mexico; you can check those too, right?”<br /><br />Mick nodded and said, “Yes, that’s a good idea. You don’t mind, Brody?”<br /><br />“No,
not at all. And after you run that tag I’d suggest you start working
on some security for her. If that guy in the garage was here looking
for her, he’s got the right place and eventually he’ll get to her,
Mick.”<br /><br />Mick nodded grimly. Those were his thoughts exactly.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued…</span>Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297794731944543510.post-34521064431551957072012-11-19T08:58:00.001-06:002012-11-19T22:14:43.254-06:00Chapter 9 Dead Skunk<img alt="Image" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/Banners/EvilLurksChapter9copy.jpg" /> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>My friend from Moonlightforever was inspired to make this today after she read the chapter and I had to put it up. It is awesome and I wanted to share!! </b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
“Is everything okay with your mom?” Mick asked. He’d talked to Catherine earlier in the day and it was okay then.<br />
<br />
“Oh, yeah. She’s fine, Mick. She told me she invited you and Beth to dinner on Friday.”<br />
<br />
Mick watched Ben as he spoke; he was obviously upset by this new development. “Would you prefer it if we didn’t go, Ben?”<br />
<br />
Ben
leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees with his
hands clasped before him. “I can’t really ask that, Mick. She wants
it.”<br />
<br />
“But you don’t?”<br />
<br />
“Hell, I don’t know how the hell to
feel about it. You see, Mick, for years your name was anathema to our
family; spoken in a derogatory manner and not often. She hated you,
what you’d done to grandma. Not that grandma ever said a word about
you, because she didn’t.”<br />
<br />
Mick sat quietly, waiting to see what
else Ben had to say. While it hurt, it was best to let the young man
get the feelings out because they couldn’t ever build any kind of
relationship if he didn’t.<br />
<br />
Ben suddenly stood up and turned to
look at the painting that hung over the red couch, his hands thrust down
into his pockets almost as if afraid of what he might do if they
weren’t. Mick could see that they were balled into fists and he knew
that whatever Ben was feeling had been building for a long time and
wouldn’t go away quickly.<br />
<br />
“Mom hated you and because she hated
you, I hated you too. The only one who didn’t was Grandma; she just
left it all behind her.” He turned around then and caught the look of
pain in Mick’s eyes and shut his own so that he could continue.<br />
<br />
“She
was happy with my grandpa, really happy and I’m thrilled about that.
But how did she let it all go? I’d really like to know because I can’t
seem to. Mom has managed to do it as well.”<br />
<br />
He took a deep
breath and let it out slowly and continued. “I want to hate you, Mick.
It was easy to do it, you know? Even when I first met you with Beth
and I thought you must be a cousin, I still hated you, because of your
name. Mick St. John, the man that left my grandmother alone and
pregnant. Then I got to know you and I discovered that I didn’t hate
you; you were an okay guy. Beth believed in you with all her heart and
that meant a lot and the more I looked, the more I appreciated how you
took care of her and how you fought for what was right made me like you
even more. Even when I was sure you’d taken out Tejada, it was okay
because I knew that bastard would never have had any justice in the
legal system.”<br />
<br />
He sat down again and tipped up his glass and
swallowed the last of the scotch. He looked at the empty glass for a
moment and then sat it back on the desk. “When I found out who you
really were, that you weren’t Mick St. John, cousin, but grandfather I
hated you even more than before. I’ve never felt such a rage as I felt
and then the whole story came out and as the details of the situation
became clear I saw that you had no control over what happened, that it
hadn’t been your choice.” Ben wiped a tear away hastily and fixed Mick
with a stare. “I want to hate you still but I can’t. So where the hell
does that leave me?”<br />
<br />
Mick tried to chose his words carefully.
He didn’t know how it had happened but he and Catherine were building a
relationship. Not as a father and daughter but as two people who liked
one another, had a few similar interests, that kind of thing. He
admired his daughter, as he also admired his grandson. He didn’t want
to blow it; Ben had to come around in his own time, in his own way.
Perhaps he never would though and that scared Mick because he wanted a
relationship with his grandson. <br />
<br />
When he looked in the mirror his
image belied his heart. His head and heart told him he was 86 years
old, that he had a history in this life. Some of it good, some of it
not and he had a bucket list of regrets longer than his arm, even if
Josef didn’t believe in them. Since Beth, from the very beginning with
Beth for that matter his heart had begun to open, to dream for more than
what Coraline had offered. Since they’d married and he was surrounded
by family and friends life became something magical; that thing that
he’d dreamed of when he was 30 and had married Coraline in the first
place. <br />
<br />
Each path that he’d taken in his life, each and every
step had brought him to this place and in this place he’d been amazed to
discover he had a daughter and a grandson. He ached for those
relationships to grow, to flourish. He wanted to know them, to share in
their lives, even though it would not be as father and grandfather. He
was okay with that, he really was because he’d found a sense of peace
with it. Catherine had opened a door for him and he was more than
grateful to step through it. Could Ben offer the same? It seemed
doubtful.<br />
<br />
“Ben, I understand and even empathize with all you're
feeling and it makes perfect sense. How you decide to handle this is
completely up to you and I’ll support whatever that decision is. It may
take you some time to figure it out, and I’m okay with that too.”<br />
<br />
“Is
there anything you're NOT okay with, Mick? You seem pretty damn calm
to me about it all. Maybe you’d rather I just walk away so you don’t
have to deal with any of it?” <br />
<br />
Ben’s voice had risen a bit as he
said the last words and Beth heard them clearly in the living room.
She’d actually heard it all, the whole conversation although most likely
Dorothy hadn’t. She tried to stay focused on the movie but it was hard
because she knew that this conversation was hard on Mick, who wanted a
relationship with both Catherine and his grandson. She picked at her
nails a bit, anxious about it all and noticed that her mom was staring
at her.<br />
<br />
“Are they alright in there?” Dorothy asked with a glance at the office door.<br />
<br />
“You heard?”<br />
<br />
“Hard not to, sweetie. Mick is wise not to push him. Give him a bit of space and he’ll come around.”<br />
<br />
“Hope so,” Beth said, turning back to the movie. Hope so…<br />
<br />
“That’s not what I want, Ben,” Mick told him patiently.<br />
<br />
“Just what do you want, Mick?” <br />
<br />
How much to say? Go for it or be subtle? He decided on the latter.<br />
<br />
“I
would really like to get to know you, Ben. I admire you a great deal,
from what I know about you. Beth spoke very highly of you when she
worked for you. That’s a good start, I think.”<br />
<br />
Mick didn’t say
that not only did he admire him but that he was proud of him as well;
proud as hell in fact. Maybe he should have? For a moment uncertainty
flashed through his mind, but he pushed it out. No, stay simple, brief.<br />
<br />
Ben
swallowed, his lips pursed as he thought about what Mick had said. No
pressure, just get to know him. Okay, maybe that was a place to start.<br />
<br />
“I
think I can do that, Mick. I always enjoyed having Beth working for me
as well. She’s a bit pushy, not a bad trait for an investigator.”<br />
<br />
Mick laughed and Ben asked why. Mick was only too happy to share.<br />
<br />
“So she had you at pushy?”<br />
<br />
“Something like that,” Mick acknowledged. “I don’t know what I’d do without her. I spent so many lonely years, Ben.”<br />
<br />
The
sadness in his words made Ben’s own heart ache for Michele and he
suddenly felt the need to tell Mick about her. Mick listened, his face
thoughtful as Ben told him of his love for her, the certainty that they
belonged together and about the heartache he still felt at her loss.<br />
<br />
Mick
nodded in sympathy. “I understand that, Ben. When a vampire finds the
right person, they are mates for life. I have Beth and I can’t imagine
life without her. I’m so sorry that you lost Michele.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah, me too. If it’s possible for humans to know that they’ve found a mate, then we did.”<br />
<br />
“I think they call it soul mates.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah, but I guess vamps don’t?”<br />
<br />
“Most
vamps don’t think they have souls, Ben. But I do. I believe that we
do thanks to a friend of mine. His name is Tim and he was a warrior
with the Cheyenne Indians almost 200 years ago. He is the caretaker at
our property near Seattle. It’s a beautiful place.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, I
interviewed for a job up there after school. Then the DA’s office in
Sacramento offered me the an ADA position and it was closer to home so I
took it.”<br />
<br />
“And then you ended up here?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, after Josh
Lindsay was killed they wanted someone new to come in and take a look at
the Tejada case. Of course, that turned out not to be necessary.”
Ben’s eyes shifted downwards for a moment, hiding his thoughts from
Mick. Whether that was a good thing or not he didn’t know.<br />
<br />
“I
suppose I should get going.” Ben stood up and held his hand out to
Mick, who took it and for a moment as the two of them shook it was very
comfortable. Then Ben tensed a bit; whether it was because Mick’s hand
was a bit cool or something else he wasn’t sure.<br />
<br />
“Ben, thank you
for coming by. Anytime I can help, or listen, I’m happy to. I know,
um, I understand how difficult all this is for you. Whatever you
decide, it’s okay.” The word ‘son’ was silently unspoken by Mick. He
hoped that Ben hadn’t picked up on it.<br />
<br />
Mick opened the door and
the two headed back out to the living room where the girls were still
watching the movie. Beth looked up and said, “Hey, Ben, I have a
question for you.” She told him about Buzzwire and how she would like
him to be involved. <br />
<br />
He thought about what she’d asked.
Actually, it sounded like fun but he wasn’t sure the DA would be happy
with an ADA giving out free legal advice to people who could possibly be
criminals. He explained that to her and then had an idea.<br />
<br />
“Hey, how about my mom? This is just the sort of thing she’d enjoy.”<br />
<br />
“I thought your mom was heading to England after Christmas?” Mick asked.<br />
<br />
“She is. But if I understand what Beth said, the segments could be taped in advance? Am I correct, Beth?”<br />
<br />
“Yes,
you are. Having Catherine McFarland be a part of the Buzzwire team
would certainly be a feather in our cap. Do you really believe she’d be
interested?”<br />
<br />
He laughed, suddenly feeling a bit lighter in mood.
Whether it was due to the scotch or the fact that he’d relaxed a bit
he wasn’t sure. “I really do. It’s the kind of thing she’d like.
Shall I talk to her for you?”<br />
<br />
“That would be great, Ben. If she’s amenable to the idea I’ll give her a call and set up a meeting. Thank you, Ben.”<br />
<br />
“Glad to help. It sounds like a good idea. And I revise my earlier opinion, Buzzwire is a bit more than trash journalism.”<br />
<br />
Beth
laughed, remembering his comment about pictures of Brittney’s panties.
It seemed like ages ago, forever in fact. It was certainly another
lifetime ago, to be sure.<br />
<br />
“Thanks, Ben. I appreciate that. We’ve worked hard to dispel that image of Buzzwire.”<br />
<br />
He grinned and nodded, heading to the door. “I suppose a little trash, here and there isn’t so bad!”<br />
<br />
Beth laughed out loud and said, “Not likely, not with Rodney as the content editor. But I’ll see what we can do for you, Ben!”<br />
<br />
Mick
closed the door and lightly shook his head as he looked at the
television. Looks like he’d have to sit though another hour of the
movie. Just his luck!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaN7xuAIjXI"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dead Skunk (In the middle of the road)</span></a><br />
<br />
Logan
frowned as he worked on debugging a new game program for a software
company that he free-lanced for. It was occasional work that paid well
and was usually interesting but tonight his mind strayed from it as he
watched Clark move restlessly around the cottage.<br />
<br />
It had been
only 3 days or so since Clark had been turned and already he was pushing
to be let out of what he felt was a cage, although a comfortable and
luxurious one. He had stopped using the sunglasses, insisted that they
speak at normal levels and wore regular street clothes in an effort to
prove that he was ready to feed fresh from a freshie.<br />
<br />
Last night
Mick had sat him down, well, Logan and Mick but Mick did most of the
talking and explained about his new world, including the bats and the
bees talk that had made Logan want to crawl under the couch. He never
in his life had anticipated having to explain to his big brother about
vampire sex or watching the gleam in Clark’s eyes as he got it. Really
GOT it. Too much information, to be sure but at least it was done,
another thing off the check list.<br />
<br />
“You talked to Dorothy this evening?” Logan ventured.<br />
<br />
“Not until later. She and Beth are watching a Colin Firth movie. Probably get her all hot and bothered and I can’t even help!”<br />
<br />
Logan
had to fight back a laugh and dipped his head to keep Clark from seeing
his face and the grin that slipped over it. Everything in the world
was relating to sex for his brother right now and it was enough to make
Logan want to stick his fingers in his ears and sing, ‘La lala la
lalala…” He got it; his brother adored his wife and missed her, in the
biblical sense. The moment that he felt that Clark was ready he was
pushing him out the door, post haste! On Friday night Mick and Beth
were coming to fledgling sit for him and he was going to go home and
spend the night with Audrey and do a bit of catching up himself. He
sighed at the pleasurable thought! Hell, he even missed the boys!<br />
<br />
“Logan!”<br />
<br />
The loudness of Clarks words startled him out of his thoughts. “What? You scared the shit out of me, Clark!”<br />
<br />
“I
gotta get out of here, Logan. No, not leave, just get some air. Can’t
we take a walk or something? It’s dark out, no sunshine to worry
about.”<br />
<br />
Logan debated the idea for a moment. They were quite a
ways from the house and the girls all knew to stay away from the back of
the house anyway. But it wasn’t just human blood that would draw him,
Logan knew. Any creature that was out there could make Clark go a
little bit crazy with their scent. Dare he let Clark attempt it?<br />
<br />
The
look on Clark’s face told him that it was happening, whether or not
Logan agreed and he sighed reluctantly. He explained a few ground rules
to Clark, much like a parent would explain to a child about crossing
the street as he shut down his computer. He hoped he wasn’t making a
huge mistake.<br />
<br />
They went out the back door of the cottage and
Clark breathed in the air with a smile. Logan wasn’t exactly sure why;
it’s not like Clark hadn’t smelled the pollutant-laden Los Angeles air
before but to watch his face you’d think it was pristinely pure.<br />
<br />
“Logan,
look!” Clark pointed to the back of the yard at a pool that glimmered
in the moonlight. “Let’s swim!” As he spoke he ran towards the pool,
pulling off his clothes as he went. He made a clean dive into the
smooth surface of the water and came up a few seconds later, yelling
with delight.<br />
<br />
“This feels fantastic! Come on in little brother!”<br />
<br />
Right
before he saw it Logan caught a scent to be dreaded by all, not just
vamps. “Clark, there’s a skunk near the pool! Don’t move!”<br />
<br />
Clark spun around in the water and saw the skunk, it’s nose raised as it was surprised by the strange smelling human.<br />
<br />
“Duck!
Down into the water and stay there,” Logan yelled, heading for the
door, where he could hopefully watch without being noticed by the skunk.
Hopefully it would lose interest and wander away in few minutes.<br />
<br />
Which
is exactly what it didn’t do. It stood looking at the pool and the
head that bobbed just along the surface with interest, for a minute or
so anyway. When a baby skunk followed mama out onto the pool decking
mama skunk decided to warn off the humans and sprayed, the malodorous
scent settling over the water of the pool just as Clark dove for the
bottom.<br />
<br />
“Aw, crap!” Logan said, wondering how long the scent
would be mixed with the water. If Clark surfaced would it cling to him?
He couldn’t possibly rest in the small space of a freezer smelling
like skunk spray.<br />
<br />
“Clark! Stay under the water,” Logan said,
knowing that his brother could hear him and that he could stay under the
water indefinitely. He ran to his phone and dialed a number that would
cause him all kinds of grief, but he had no choice.<br />
<br />
“Josef?”
Logan asked when the phone was answered. He quickly explained the
dilemma and heard Josef draw in a sharp breath, but no immediate
recriminations were offered. Logan knew that would come later.<br />
<br />
“Is it still there?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, it’s out by the back edge of the pool, watching everything. It has a baby with it.”<br />
<br />
“Fuck!” Josef breathed. “Don’t do anything, Logan. Got that?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, I do. I’m not going out there.”<br />
<br />
“Glad
to hear it. Now if NO ONE had went out there…” The rest of the words
were left unsaid, but they both knew what the gist of them was.<br />
<br />
Josef
called Ryan who gathered up a couple of the other guys and with Josef
made their way towards the guest house. The smell of skunk was strong,
over- powering in fact, the closer they got. Ryan was armed with a
pellet gun and a pistol, in case the pellet gun didn’t frighten the
skunk family off.<br />
<br />
“How long before it can spray again?” Josef asked.<br />
<br />
“I’m not sure. It might depend on whether it sprayed a full load.”<br />
<br />
“It smells like it did. Even if Clark is in the water he’s still going to smell. And stink up my freezer too!”<br />
<br />
“Ever the pragmatic one, Josef,” Ryan said dryly, a grim smile on his face.<br />
<br />
“Someone
obviously has to be. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to take the
clean this out of the pool!” With that thought he called Tango, whose
loud laughter could be heard by Ryan, Greg and Rob.<br />
<br />
“Just shut up and just get a crew down here, Tango. Got anything for people that smell like a skunk?”<br />
<br />
“I do, actually. We’ll be there soon, promise.” His laughter continued until Josef pushed the end call button. <br />
<br />
They
entered the front of the cottage and found Logan in the dark by the
back door, watching what was going on. Mama skunk and baby skunk
sniffing along the bushes that lined the pool deck.<br />
<br />
“Sorry, Josef,” Logan murmured. “He just wanted to take a walk and I didn’t see the harm.”<br />
<br />
For
a moment Josef felt bad for the young vamp. It had been a reasonable
request really, and none of them could have anticipated what had
happened. “Yes, well, let’s just take care of the situation. Tango and
his crew are on the way over. We’ll talk later.”<br />
<br />
Logan nodded glumly and watched as Ryan, Rob and Greg moved quietly out the door, pellet guns at the ready.<br />
<br />
“Josef?” Ryan asked quietly.<br />
<br />
“Go ahead.”<br />
<br />
Ryan
fired in the general direction of the skunks and they all watched as
mama skunk levitated straight upwards a full foot. When she came down,
landing delicately she headed straight for them, at a speed that amazed
all of them. They ran for door but not before mama skunk got close
enough to spray them and the back of the house. The five men, including
Josef and Logan all gagged as the mist of scent settled over them.<br />
<br />
At
that point there was nothing to lose and Ryan and Rob took off after
the skunk that was chattering to its baby and running full tilt towards
the back hedge. Greg followed, trying to wipe the spray from his eyes
because it stung like hell. He stumbled and fell into the pool and came
up a moment sputtering in the foul-smelling and even worse tasting
water.<br />
<br />
Mama and baby disappeared safely into the shrubbery,
leaving 6 vampires aromatic and foul smelling in the pleasantly cool
November air. Suddenly the quiet of the night was broken by the raucous
laughter of Tango and his crew as they came around the corner of the
guest house.<br />
<br />
Tango assessed the situation; from one smelly
individual to six. “Josef, I don’t even want to know,” he said,
laughing so hard it was hard to make out his words.<br />
<br />
All of the
cleaning crew continued to laugh while they sprayed the men with a
compound that got rid of the smell. Mostly, that is…<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
To be continued…
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br clear="all" />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Author's Note:</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">There will be no post this Thursday, due to the holiday of course! May it be a happy one for all of you! My family will be here and we'll continue the tradition of signing the table cloth, as we started in 2006 when What My Heart Desires was running. To you and yours, may your day be blessed with love and joy!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br />Cyndy</span>
<br />
_________________<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx136/moonlightmadnessbeth/Thanksgiving640x367.jpg" />Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479790492257510580noreply@blogger.com2