“Yes, but they are healthy, and he
sees no problems arising. It seems
young Zachary was the only one home with her when she went into labor, but our
Mr. Jones arrived just in time for the actual delivery.”
Beatriz smiled again, “The girl is named Isabella, and the boy remains
unnamed as yet. It seems she’s
given Zac the honour of naming the child, and he’s taking his time about
it.”
Sonya sat down on the sofa and
pulled her legs up, “I can’t imagine Zac doing that.”
She said with a chuckle. “He
seems a bit…skittish.”
Beatriz joined her, “Yes, he does
have a healthy respect for his own safety and for things he’d like to avoid.
But, you know what they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get
going—so I guess he just did what had to be done, and was rewarded for it.”
Sonya shook her head, “It sounds like it.”
She said, imagining the boy she knew taking charge.
She smiled, “I’m actually glad this happened.
That family needed something to help them to let go of Taylor.
If anything can do it, it’s having two babes to take his place.”
“Yes,” Beatriz agreed, “though
I can’t imagine they’d really take his place.
He’s a lovely child.”
Sonya laughed, “Yes, he is.”
“I adore him, Sonya.”
She said seriously. “I
don’t know why, but I do. He’s
rotten to the core.”
Sonya leaned forward, “Oh, you
know better than that.
He reacts sometimes to all the crazy things he’s
experiencing. All things
considered, I think he’s coped with it all as well as could be expected.”
Beatriz nodded.
“He’s still as sweet as he can be.
He’s got a big heart, especially for one of us.”
Beatriz sighed, “I know.
I just worry about him so.” She
looked at Sonya, “It drives me mad to think the elders are watching him now
the way they are. That whole piano
incident just…it scares me.” She
shook her head, “I don’t want him going there anymore.”
Sonya raised an eyebrow, “Well, I
think he’s actually made some friends there now.
It’s going to be hard to make him give that up.”
“Hmph.
It’s probably one of those friends
who is telling the elders things about him.
I want to kick myself every time I think about what I’ve allowed to
happen.” Beatriz said. “I never
should have allowed him to show his powers.
And I certainly shouldn’t have let my anger get the best of me.
I was the idiot who made him break that mirror at the Living End.”
“Well, the beauty of it is, the
young ones would follow him to the ends of the earth now, and the older ones are
certain it was you and not him who did that.”
Sonya replied.
She grinned, “You underestimated him, didn’t you?”
Beatriz looked back at her from the
corner of her eye, “Perhaps, I did. But
who would have thought a tiny little baby like him would have those kinds of
powers?”
Sonya stood up, “And who would have thought the queen of vampires
wouldn’t just know by being in the same room with him, that he had some kind
of extra stuff going on in his pretty head?”
She placed her hand on her hip, “Now, speaking of tiny little
babies…” she said, “how exciting is it?!”
She gushed. “I’m going
to Times Square tonight and I’m going to some baby stores and I’m going to
pick out some clothes and some shoes and some—“
Beatriz laughed, “Taylor’s
family is far from poor, Sonya.
I’m sure they will have no problem providing for those
children.” She smiled, “Still,
it’s the closest we’ll ever come to having nieces or nephews or
grandchildren, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I believe so.” Sonya
said. “Maybe Diana will send us a
picture.” She mused.
Beatriz smirked, “Mr. Jones said
he would send us one tomorrow morning so we can delete it before Taylor wakes
up.”
“Ha! You’re just as
excited as I am.” Sonya accused
her.
“I know.”
Beatriz admitted. “Now,
what is the best baby store in New York City?”
She asked.
~~~~~
Taylor walked slowly into the living room where all the women were
sitting and chatting about their plans for that evening.
His feet were bare and his hair stood up in places that made him look a
bit crazy. “Good grief,
Taylor.” Melanie laughed.
“I think you overslept.
I hope you don’t have a job interview or anything.”
He didn’t reply, he simply sat in
a chair and looked at all of them. Camille
held in her laughter and reached over and patted his head, trying to make his
hair lay down, but to no avail. “What
shall we do tonight?” She asked.
He looked at Beatriz, “Where’s Kirk?”
He said, his voice scratchy.
She furrowed her brows, “I’m not
certain. I haven’t seen him for a
day or two.” She answered.
For a moment, he just looked at her,
his blue eyes tired looking. “More
like, a week or two.” He groused.
“Kirk takes off now and then.
I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
She said. She was almost
uncomfortable with the look he was giving her and she made sure she used
everything in her power to shield her thoughts, lest she give away the fact that
two children had been born earlier that day that he’d fathered.
“I never thought I’d say this,
but, I’m sick of women.”
He grumbled.
“Well, we’re equally sick of you my darling.”
Beatriz said. She looked at
the clock on the mantle. “Roberto
will be here very soon. Perhaps you
should shower and be ready when he gets here for once.”
Taylor rolled his eyes up in his
head and rubbed his face, “I wasn’t really feeling like getting the shit
beat out of me. I was hoping for
something more along the lines of…I don’t know…playing guitar and writing
a song together with Kirk or something.”
He stood up from the chair and went back to his room.
There, he threw on a white button down shirt and put on a clean pair of
blue jeans and a pair of worn sneakers. As
he walked back into the room, he immediately made for the elevators. Running his
hands through his hair, he punched the button.
Sonya stood with her hands on her hips, “Where are you going?
What are we supposed to tell Robert when he gets here?”
Taylor shrugged and turned for the
stairs, deciding he didn’t want to risk running into the man, “I don’t
care. Tell him I forgot about our
date and I’ll make it up to him next time.”
He said, his voice fading as he took the stairs three at a time, leaving
the rest of them shrugging their own shoulders and shaking their heads.
~~~~~
Kirk opened his eyes and glanced around the room he lay in.
Recording equipment was all around him and the windows near the ceiling
had been covered with thick material to keep out the cruel sunshine.
Pulling himself up into a sitting position, he sighed.
He was still in Tulsa. After
more than two weeks, he was beginning to seriously miss New York City and the
people he’d left behind. Still,
he felt that what he was doing was important.
Not only to Beatriz, but to Taylor as well; the boy had paid the ultimate
price for being the apple of Camille’s teenaged eye.
Standing, he shoved his feet into the old tennis shoes next to
the coffee table and started up the stairs.
As he neared the door that would open into the first floor of the house,
he sensed something; an excitement in the place, a quiet electricity of
emotions. Opening the door, he
stepped into the hallway. On one
side of him was the kitchen, on the other the living room.
The stairway continued on up to the second floor.
He stood still and listened, his sensitive ears allowing him to hear
several conversations all going on simultaneously.
Upstairs, he could hear Diana and Michelle going over the perils of
breastfeeding. Then Mr. Jones
telling them he felt formula would be needed as well.
In the living room, Jessica and Avery, were talking excitedly about
Zac’s heroism. And in the room
next to him, he could hear the distinctive fizz of a soft drink being poured.
He walked in, “So,” he said to Zac and Isaac, “what did
I miss?”
Mackenzie stood up in his chair,
“I can’t believe how you just sleep through everything!
Zac had to deliver the babies!!!”
He crowed.
He looked over at Zac as he stood
shaking his head, “Mack, Mr. Jones is the one that did all the dirty work.”
He looked back at Kirk and smiled, “I just did all the panicking.”
Kirk crossed the room and slapped him on the back, “Aw, man!
That’s fantastic!
What’d she have?” He
asked.
“A girl and a boy.”
Zac said, beaming.
“Yeah? That’s so
cool.”
He said softly. He
looked at Isaac, “Is everybody fine and healthy and all that?”
Isaac nodded, “Yep.
I think the girls have the boy in the living room, come on.”
He said, and he stepped passed Kirk, who followed him.
Jessica looked up from the bundle in her lap, “Hey Kirk, you finally
decided to join us, huh?”
He smirked, “I wish y’all would
stop rubbing that in.”
He smiled, looking down at the tiny infant she held, “So,
this is the boy? What’s his
name?” He asked, looking at her.
She looked up at Zac as he shrugged.
“Michelle told Zac he could name him.”
As they all locked eyes on him, he
visibly blushed, “Hey, I don’t wanna mess up!
This is very important!” He
sat down beside Jessica and took the child from her, and looked into his face,
“You’re gonna be stuck with it forever, so it’s gotta be right.”
He cooed. “Besides,” he
said, looking up at Isaac, “you know the perfect names would have to be Luke
and Leia and Mom already told me she wouldn’t allow it.”
Isaac laughed, “Well, since
Michelle already named her Isabella, I think that’s a moot point.”
“She could be Isabella Leia
Antonelli.” He reasoned.
“True.”
Isaac conceded.
“Man, it’s sort of weird to me that their name isn’t
Hanson.”
“Yeah, well, Taylor died before he
could make an honest woman of her.” Zac
said sadly, watching the child chew on his fist, “Hey,” He said, looking up
at his brother, “I could still name him Lucas, right?”
Isaac shot him a look, “Mom’s
not as dumb as you think.”
He said.
“Well, she wasn’t the one here
when all hell broke loose!
I earned the right to name him whatever I want.”
Zac said. “You know,” he
smiled, “I could name him Zachary Walker Antonelli…”
A chorus of protestations flooded
the room as Kirk laughed and leaned against the wall, watching Taylor’s
brothers and sisters marveling over his son.
~~~~~
Taylor walked alone down into the Subway.
The sounds of the trains were almost overwhelming to him now.
But, he loved to watch the people coming and going, heading home to their
families or off to work across town. He
put his money into the machine and pulled out the little card that would take
him anywhere in the city that he wanted to go.
Walking over to the turnstile, he slid his card and went through, joining
the other people waiting for their train. In
front of him, a woman a foot shorter than him was wondering what to make for
supper. The young man standing next
to him was angry with his girlfriend. Shaking
his head, Taylor stepped away from them and walked farther down the tunnel,
hoping for some peace. For some
reason that day, he’d felt lonely, though he was surrounded by the rest of his
“family”. He longed for his
real family; longed to hear about Isaac’s latest romance, or Zac’s latest
love affair, be it with a girl or a new car he was enamored with.
He wanted to be captive in an audience of parents and squirming children
watching a dance recital his sisters were performing in.
Or just to watch Mackenzie or Zoë swing from the big tire their father
had hung in the old tree at the edge of the clearing in their back yard.
As his thoughts turned to his mother and father, he had to blink back
tears. At times, he’d thought he couldn’t wait to be old enough to be on his
own, to move out from under their watchful eye—but the reality of it was
nothing like his thoughts of freedom had been.
He missed them everyday. He
missed his mother’s loving words and touch, and his father’s wise ways.
He’d taken those things for granted, and now, he was haunted by the
words of Joni Mitchell: don’t it
always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone…as
the song began to play in his head, the wheels of a train scraped, metal against
metal causing him to cringe. As
it’s doors slid apart, he stepped in, not knowing what train it was or where
it was heading. As long as it was
away from there, it would be fine.
~~~~~
Avery leaned on the rail of the deck, looking at the water in the pool
shimmering in the last golden bits of sunlight before dusk settled. Fireflies
sparked their gentle lights at the edge of the trees. The quiet of the backyard
was a welcome change from everything going on inside the house.
Mr. Jones monitored the babies constantly wanting to see if
anything changed in their first hours of life, as Diana and Walker discussed who
should be called and what they should be told.
It wasn’t like two new babies wouldn’t be noticed at
Thanksgiving, or next month’s family reunion.
Everyone else, from Isaac on down to Zoë seemed to be fascinated by the
new additions, passing them around and wanting their turns at feeding each of
them. Michelle’s milk hadn’t
really come in yet, and what there was wasn’t enough to feed two hungry
babies, so the family gleefully went about bottle feeding.
She shook her head thinking that would wear off very quickly as nighttime
feedings would take a toll on everyone.
“Hey, what are you doing out here?
All the excitement is inside.” Kirk
said, stepping up beside her and looking down into her face.
“I know.” She said,
softly. For a moment, she continued
to look into the distance, then she looked up into his brown eyes, “Kirk, do
you think Taylor ever misses us?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
He asked with a chuckle. “Taylor
is a weenie, Avery. He moons over
you all pretty much all the time.”
“Yeah?”
She asked, a sad smile crossing her face.
“Yeah.
I think I’ve seen the video of your last birthday party at least three
or four times. I hope you liked
that Credit Card Barbie you got. That
looked pretty cool.” He smiled
and raised an eyebrow.
She shook her head and laughed,
“It was “shopping Barbie”. Mom hated that!
It had tiny money and a tiny little credit card that went through the
cash register. I had a plastic bag
for it all, but you know, some of it just finds itself on the floor.”
She said innocently. “She told Taylor he was encouraging my consumerism
by getting that for me.”
“Yes, well, she’s probably right.”
Kirk answered.
She snorted, “Oh please, I am so
over that.”
He laughed, “I’ll bet you are!
Even Melanie’s eyes light up when we pass a fancy shoe store.
It’s just part of being female Avery, nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Shut up.”
She said, smiling. For a
moment she just looked at him, “Kirk, how come Taylor can’t come see us?
And see the babies and stuff?”
He sighed, “It’s complicated.
He’s just so afraid something will happen to you.
I don’t think that Taylor trusts himself, even.
Let alone the people who are sort of…after him.”
“Somebody’s after him?”
She said, alarmed.
“Well, not exactly.
He just…he’s sort of different than the rest of us, and that bothers,
or scares some of the older vamps, and so they sort of pick on him or something.
It’s hard to explain.
But don’t worry, Beatriz is always watching out for him.”
He leaned down and whispered to her, “And, I think that she
is much tougher than any of them, even though they may not know it.”
“Well, why can’t he come here,
though?” She asked.
Kirk stooped down so that he looked
her in the eye, “He just can’t. He
doesn’t want the bad guys to know anything about you guys.
And you aren’t supposed to know that we are real.
If they found out that you all knew about us, they might want to hurt
you. And Taylor can’t know about
the babies because he would want to be here so badly.
Do you understand that?”
Her eyes teared up and she looked
away from him, “I guess so. But,
I miss him so much.”
He put his arm around her shoulder,
“I know you do.
I sorta miss him myself.”
He smiled. “You can do
something really important for him though.
You take good care of his children, Avery.
They’re a part of him.”
She nodded and then bowed her head,
letting the tears fall finally as Kirk pulled her into an embrace, “It’s all
gonna be alright.
He’ll always love you, and maybe someday, you can be
together again.” She sniffed and
he stood up and took her hand, “Let’s go back inside.
It’s probably your turn to hold Isabella.”
“Yeah, I think I got skipped last time.”
She muttered, and they went inside, sliding the door shut behind them.
~~~~~
Taylor got off at the third stop, just because he’d always liked the
number three. As he went up the
steps to the street, he stopped and looked around.
Stores, apartments, bars, and little eateries lined the street.
He smiled thinking it was a welcome change from the areas he usually
frequented. Walking along, he gazed
into each place, looking for an inviting place to spend the evening.
That one is too dark, he thought—that one is too bright—that place
smells weird—this one smells like fish. On
and on he walked, scoping out each place and turning them all down.
Then, he crossed the street, seeing a sign that simply said, “Steam”.
The possibilities for an establishment with a name like that were
endless. It could have been a
coffee house, or a brothel. He
decided to find out. Though, if
indeed it were a brothel, he’d be in trouble as he’d left without a cent in
his pocket. He grinned, thinking
surely, they’d take a debit card in this day and age.
No one carried cash anymore…not that he had a debit card. Once
one became a vampire, it really was necessary to cease leaving a trail that
could lead to them, whether it was a paper trail or the more modern cyber trail.
With a shrug, he stepped up to the door and went inside.
On the stage, a beautiful woman danced to some seductive sounding music
as foggy stuff rolled around her ankles. “I.D.”
A man said, walking up to him. Caught
unawares, the man was easily led to believe that Taylor didn’t need an I.D.
nor the seven dollar cover charge. Looking
around the place, he spotted a table near the back and made his way over and sat
where he could see the rest of the patrons as well as the stage.
In front of the dancer was a line of men, bills in their hands, waiting
patiently for their chance to tuck their money into the tiny sequined pants she
wore. Suddenly Taylor realized he
was surrounded by 98% men. The only
women in the place were a bartender and a couple girls going from table to table
with trays in their hands, keeping the fellows in peach schnapps and
screwdrivers and sex on the beach. He
smiled thinking he’d told them at the apartment that he was tired of women, so
what better place to hang for the night than a gay bar?
Perhaps he’d take a drink from the beautiful dancing man before the
night was over, he thought.
“Sorry my son, but I’ve already
chosen that to be my own midnight snack, you’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Robert said as he sat down in the seat next to Taylor.
“For fuck’s sake, can’t I just
get a night out alone once in a while?” Taylor
said, trying to hide the fact that he’d been startled by the man.
“Certainly you can.
But not when you allow yourself to be followed and leave your thoughts
open for one such as myself to listen in on.”
Robert replied, blowing out the candle on the table.
“I can’t stand the smell of those wretched things.
In my day, candles weren’t full of perfumes and flowers, they merely
gave light to a dark room.”
Taylor just stared at him. “Why
are you here?” He asked.
“I told you.”
Robert answered leaning back in his chair, “I followed you.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said.
How about if I leave, and you can have the place to yourself?”
Taylor asked.
“Nonsense.
There’s plenty here for the both of us.
And really, with a face like yours, blood is only one of the gifts you
could receive tonight.”
He smiled; something Taylor had rarely seen from the man.
“Well, blood’s the only thing I
need, thank you.” Taylor snorted,
looking back at the dancer as she finished her set and walked off the stage, her
pants full of money sticking out all over.
“I didn’t say you’d take
anything that was offered.
Sex is overrated.” Robert
answered.
“Sometimes, yes.”
Taylor said, thinking of Beatriz.
“Shield your thoughts, please.”
Robert said, waving a waitress over to their table.
When she stood in front of them, he handed her a twenty dollar bill from
his wallet, “Two waters, and none of that stuff from the tap.
Keep it coming.”
He said, and she turned and walked away.
“Wow.
That must be some good water.” Taylor
said.
“I doubt it, you can’t get good
water anymore. It’s all full of
chemicals.” He answered.
“Yeah, well, I’m used to it I
guess.” Taylor said, noticing the
looks he was beginning to get.
“I’m sure you are.
That man is about to ask you to dance with him.”
Robert said, his eyes on a young, dark haired boy making his way toward
their table.
“So, how come you can read people’s thoughts and stuff, if Kirk
can’t?” Taylor asked.
The boy had reached them now, “Um,
hey.” He said.
“Are you guys here together, or could I ask for a few minutes on the
dance floor with you?” He said to
Taylor.
“We’re not together, he’s just
stalking me.” Taylor answered.
He looked into the boy’s dark eyes, “Tell ya what, you get them to
play some real music, and I’ll dance with you.”
“This is music.”
The boy said with a grin.
Taylor’s brow furrowed, “This
techno shit? Uh-uh.
You get ‘em to play some Aretha, and we’ll talk.”
The boy smiled, “Oh, I can do that.”
“Go for it.”
Taylor said and he turned back to Robert.
“Can I have that one? Or
are you wanting him for your after dinner mint?”
“He’s awfully thin, you can have
him.”
“Thank you, master.”
Taylor replied.
“Oh, now don’t be so bitter.
Just because I’m older than you, that gives me some bit of authority.
It’s no different than humans. I’m
sure you do whatever your father tells you to.”
Robert said, loving the look that passed Taylor’s face.
“You are the farthest thing from a
father figure to me I can think of.” He
said, his eyebrow raised in indignation.
“And why is that?” Robert
asked. “Beatriz and I were
together for a great many years, and she is like a mother to you.”
Taylor laughed out loud, “I’d
never do the things I’ve done with Beatriz with my mother!”
He shook his head, “Besides, you’re a jerk and my Dad is a very cool
guy.”
“But we both only want what’s good for you.”
Robert said matter of factly.
“Psshhh—whatever.”
Taylor said, taking a glass of water from the woman who had appeared in
front of him.”
“You know, Taylor,” Robert said,
taking the other glass from her, “I really do.
Your future is my future. It’s
not that I love you or care for you a great deal, though frankly, I have become
fond of that little spirit that we can’t seem to break—still, I don’t want
to see you beheaded or tortured to death by the elders because then, I’m right
back where I started. But,
if you become the King to Beatriz’ Queen, then I would of course make many of
your decisions for you, since you are so young and care nothing for the power it
would bring.”
“Why do you all dislike the elders so much?
Other than the way they pick on me, I’d hardly know they existed.
I actually figured they didn’t really exist at first.
I thought they were like some boogey man that Sonya and Beatriz kept
throwing at me to try and keep me in line.”
“It’s a long story.
But, what you need to know, is that they are very jealous of their power
and they will stamp out any threat to it. I’m
actually surprised Beatriz is still around.
I suppose it all has to do with the fact that she has built them a
financial empire and she does much of their dirty work for them.”
Taylor shook his head and drank half
the water from the glass, “Beatriz doesn’t do any work, she just sits around
on the phone and occasionally accompanies me someplace where she knows I’m
going to get bullied on. And half
the time, she just lets it happen.”
“Because it’s for your own
good.” Robert said smugly.
“Stop saying that.
What would be good for me, is if I was allowed to just live my boring
life the way I want to. Everybody
else gets to have their own apartment. Everybody else gets to go where they want
with whoever they want. Melanie
pulls shit all the time that I’d get a tongue lashing for—“
“Everybody else has to scrape a
living off whatever they can lift from their victims.
You are treated like a prince and therefore you must behave like one.”
Robert said. “Besides,
because of your fame and such when you were one of them,” he said, gesturing
to those around them, “you must be extra careful, and Beatriz knows that.
Luckily for you, by the time the elders realized that you were a vampire and
a rock star, Beatriz had already put a claim on you—or you and
possibly your family would have been found dead due to some freak accident.
I commend you on your decision to cut all ties with them.
You are saving their lives.”
The hardness had left Taylor’s
face, “I know. It’s so hard
though…”
“I’m sure it is.”
Robert said, “But, I’m sure you know it’s worth it.”
“Yeah.”
Taylor said.
For a moment, he sat there in his thoughts, careful though to
shield them from Robert, not because they were in any way incriminating, but
because he just wanted them to remain private.
He knew they should always remain that way, but sometimes, he just
forgot. The sounds of “Respect”
pulled him from his reverie just as the dark haired boy returned to the table.
“So, if your stalker doesn’t
mind, you did promise me a dance…” He
said, holding his hand out.
“Dammit,
I was sure there was no way they’d play that here…”
He sent to Robert.
“Gay men love Aretha Franklin,
don’t you know anything?” Robert
returned with a smile.
“Just be sure he’s back here in one piece.
I don’t stalk damaged goods, you know.”
Robert joked with the boy, eliciting a straight toothed smile.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt
him.” The boy laughed.
Taylor stood, feeling like an idiot,
but following the boy anyway. When
they got to the dance floor, he closed his eyes and let himself go with the
music. It was a song he and his
brothers had listened to and sung along to for years.
And now, it brought him some comfort on a lonely night, when he found
himself surrounded by strangers. He
and Robert both were being watched and admired by the men in the club—not only
because they were both nice looking young men, but because there was an aura
about them that was magnetic. That
was one part of the myth that was true.
~~~~~
“What about George Lucas Antonelli?”
Zac said, looking down at the face of the tiny boy he held.
“Naw,” he answered himself, “I don’t like the name George.
No offence to you, George.” He
said, as if the man were standing next to him. Beside him, Michelle smiled and
lay back on the pillow of the couch.
“God, I think I’ll just stay
here on the couch for a few days. I
don’t want to have to go back up those stairs.”
She sighed. “Why don’t
you name him Taylor, or Jordan? It’s
not like they’d be getting mixed up now, you know?”
She said softly.
“I don’t know, it’d just be
too weird to call him Taylor. At
least to me.
And he’s not a junior, so there’s no reason to call him
by both those names.” He looked
over at her, “Hmm, maybe his middle name should be Hanson.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Well, that
would be interesting.
What would your parents think of that, and the fans?”
He frowned, “I don’t know.
The fans might think it was the greatest thing in the world for Taylor to
posthumously father two children, and they might want to condemn him to the
seventh level of hell. You never
know.”
“Are you going to let anyone know
that he’s the father?
I mean, I know the fans are still following you guys and your
personal life, as much as they can. You’re
sort of hiding out here, aren’t you?”
She asked, sinking deeper into the soft cushion.
“Well, as much as we can.
Kelly got pissed a couple weeks ago because someone posted a picture of
her and Ike at a show and a bunch of girls said mean stuff about her.”
He smiled. “Some things
never change.”
“Well, weren’t you dating some
red haired girl while you guys were on tour?
And Taylor had that mean little blonde.”
She said, reaching over and touching the soft hair on the child’s head.
“No. They were just our
bodyguards. I know nobody believes
that, but it’s true.” He said.
“If you say so.” She
said.
He rolled his eyes, “See?
You’re just like the rest of ‘em.”
He said with a grin. He
watched as the baby began to loudly suck on his fist.
“Hey, I saw how she reacted to me
sitting on a piano bench next to him. You
can think what you want Zac, but I know a jealous girl when I see one.
And I probably have her to thank for getting pregnant.
I think he was just trying to prove to her and himself that
he wasn’t into her.” She said.
Zac shook his head, “The story of
her and him is so long and so complicated I wouldn’t even think
of trying to tell it. But, I swear
to you, she was not his girlfriend, whether she was jealous or not.”
He looked over at Michelle.
“Hey, somebody looks hungry, you up for it?”
“God, it never ends does it?
I think I’m getting used to it, though.”
She said, unbuttoning the top of her gown.
Zac handed him to his mother, “You
want me to leave?”
He asked.
She waved her hand, “I think
you’ve seen enough of me that there’s no reason for me to be embarrassed by
you seeing me breast feeding your nephew, Zac.”
Zac watched as the child began to feed from his mother, thinking it
bizarre that Taylor had sort of come full circle now, being in the same position
as an infant and having to drink all his meals.
Zac smiled as the baby began to make little satisfied sounds as he
swallowed. “I don’t think it
was Camille that caused you to get pregnant, I think it was fate.”
He said.
~~~~~
“Now you’ve done it.” Robert
said to Taylor as he sat back down at the table.
“That little hoochy coochy number
you just did has all the boys drooling.”
“Well, they obviously don’t know
a bad dancer when they see one, then.” Taylor
said, picking up the empty glass from the table.
“Dang, I’m getting thirsty.” He
said.
From behind him, the boy spoke up,
“Can I buy you a drink?”
Taylor and Robert looked at each
other for a moment, then Taylor turned to the boy, “Right now, I’m just
drinking water, but thanks anyway. Maybe
we can have a drink together later…” He
said, his eyes sparkling in the coloured lights.
The boy smiled, “Didn’t you have something you were gonna ask me?”
Taylor cocked his head to the side,
“I don’t know, did I?”
He leaned in closer, “You were
gonna ask me for my phone number.” He
smiled. Around them, other men
laughed, having been listening to see how far one of their own would get with
the tasty newcomer.
Taylor smiled at him, “So I
was.” He picked up a napkin from
the table, and looked around him for someone to have a pen.
No less than three were shoved in his direction.
Shaking his head, he looked up, “Don’t tell me, 867-5309.”
The boy looked puzzled for a minute,
“Nope. I don’t live anywhere
near that prefix. That’s probably
like, Brooklyn or something.”
“God, I feel so old.”
Taylor said. “If you
don’t know that song, then you’re probably not old enough to be in here.”
The boy laughed, “Well, you look
every bit of nineteen, Grandpa.” He
bent down close to Taylor’s face, so that he could smell his cologne, “Now,
don’t mess up, it’s 969-0666…cuz I’m evil.”
Again, every one around them laughed.
Taylor smiled up at him and handed
the pen back to the man he’d taken it from, “Well, good.
We have something in common, then.”
Now, go away for a while. I’ll
call you when I’m ready.” He
sent to the boy, his icy eyes locked onto the boys warm brown.
Robert
watched, admiring Taylor’s talents as the boy simply turned and walked away. A
look thrown their way from Taylor caused the others to turn their attention
elsewhere as well. “Very good.”
He said. “Where did you
learn that? Beatriz?”
“Actually,
it was Camille.” Taylor said.
“But, I want you to answer some of my questions now.
You never told me how come you can read minds while Kirk can’t.”
Robert
tipped up his own glass and downed the last drops of water from it, “Kirk can.
Just not in the same way. He’s
much younger than me. As the years
pass, the powers grow.” He
sighed.
“How
old are you?” Taylor asked.
“I
am younger than Sonya, but only by a few years.”
He answered.
“How
did you get turned?” Taylor
asked.
“You
know, Taylor, in our circle, these questions are considered rude.
By telling you my age, you could figure out whether or not
you could over power me. And by
knowing who my sire is, you could also learn things about me that I may not want
you to know.” He answered.
“Whatever.”
Taylor dismissed his admonitions. “I
know that Beatriz turned you. Besides,
people are always asking me that kind
of stuff.”
“Perhaps
the elders do, but I’d bet that none of your peers have.
Not that you really have any peers, but I’m sure you see my
point.” Robert said.
Taylor
thought for a moment, “Hmmm…yeah, maybe you’re right.
My “peers” as you call them avoid me for the most part.”
He said bitterly.
“That
is because they respect you. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”
Robert laughed at his joke.
“Very
funny.” Taylor said.
“All I know is, if anyone really actually wanted to become
a vampire and live like this, they should have their head examined.
It’s boring and there’s too many rules and people watching you and
stuff. I hate it.”
Robert
shook his head, “Taylor, you lived an exceptional human existence.
A fraction of one percent of people have a life like that.
Most would be happy to give up their human existence for the life we
lead.
Besides, you had people watching your every move before you
became one of us—it shouldn’t be that different to you.”
The
waitress appeared before them with two large bottles of water, sweat dripping
down the sides from the chill. Taylor
took one and immediately screwed the cap off and downed a large gulp.
“Yeah, but they didn’t beat me or break my knee or anything if I did
something they didn’t approve of.” He
said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Robert
looked up at the woman, “I’d rather not have to wait so long for something
I’ve already paid for madame.” He
said.
“I’m
sorry.” She said, backing away.
“Just
keep it coming please.” He said,
dismissing her.
“You
scared the crap out of her, man.” Taylor
said.
“She
was scared to begin with. Some
people have a sixth sense about us.” Robert
answered. “Back to our previous
discussion—the things you did as a human didn’t endanger your species.
When you go up on stage, or on television and your eyes fire and fangs
grow, people notice. When humans
realize we exist and that we feed on them, they will come after us. And
they will win.”
“Are
there really slayers and stuff? Like
on Buffy?” Taylor asked, a grin
on his face.
Robert
rolled his eyes, “That is the single most ignorant show, at least as it
pertains to us, that I’ve ever seen. But,
that’s a good thing. We like all
the misinformation we can get. I
especially love to see a movie where the vampires can walk around in daylight.
We really don’t want anyone to realize that we are pretty
much helpless during the times of high sun.”
He looked at Taylor’s innocent face, and in that moment, he doubted the
plans he’d made. Taylor really
was very young, and so inexperienced. He
hoped that any actual battle between the elders and the rebels he was gathering
could be put off as long as possible. But,
with the way the elders were pushing at Taylor at that moment, he doubted it
would be long before something happened. He
smiled at the boy, “There have been a few humans who found out about us, and
they even managed to exterminate a few of our kind.
But we have humans working for us as well, and sunlight means nothing to
them. And so, the slayers were
slayed. To tell you the truth
Taylor, you are living with one of the true vampire slayers.”
“Beatriz?”
Taylor asked.
“Yes.
As I said before, the elders have her carry out most of their dirty work.
Now and again, they will do something openly to sort of remind us of
their power, which is why I need you to be more careful.
If I was able to follow you, their assassins could do
it effortlessly.”
“If
they have assassins, why do they need Beatriz?”
Taylor asked, as he drank the rest of the bottle of water.
“They
want those to remain faceless. They
don’t want you to realize who is standing next to you when you do something
stupid. Always listen to those
around you. You’ll know a vampire
by his lack of scent, and by the sound of his heartbeat.
Be aware at all times. Particularly
now.” Robert answered.
“You know, I believe you’re going to split at the seams if you drink
anymore water. Why don’t you
feed?” He stood up, “I’m
going to go backstage and visit that lovely dancing girl.
I hope she shaved her neck this morning…”
He muttered as he walked away.
Taylor
couldn’t help but smile. He
looked around the room until he saw the boy he’d danced with.
Standing, he ran his hands through his hair and picked up the empty
bottle. The waitress was already on
her way over with another. He met
her halfway, “I think we’re finished for the evening.
Thank you.” He
said, smiling at her. She smiled
back as he tried to ease her fears, but he still felt some sort of nervous
energy from her. As he read her
mind, the word vampire was nowhere to be found, but she still felt something was
not right about them. As he turned
away from her, he left her with a feeling of confusion.
She’d been on her way somewhere, to some table, but now, she couldn’t
remember who’d ordered water in a bar. With
a shake of her head, she headed back to the bar and placed the bottle of water
back in the refrigerator.
~~~~~
Kirk
stepped out the back door, making his way to his car.
It would take him to town and sustenance.
Though he knew he could probably find some lonesome victim
working at a gas station out this way, he preferred a more crowded scene in
which to choose the evening’s meal. As
he placed his hand on the chrome handle of the mustang, his senses fired.
For a moment, he stood there, frozen, listening to the sounds around him.
In the trees he could hear summer insects singing, and the wind blowing
the leaves, the filter of the pool, probably not noticeable to the humans, but
to him, a constant hum. Stepping
back from the car, he looked up. Though
he couldn’t see them, he knew they were there.
He put his keys in the pocket of his jeans, and jumped up, grasping the
bottom branch of the tree by the house. In
moments, he was high enough to see into Taylor’s bedroom window.
Diana was there, holding Isabella and singing to her as she walked across
the floor, lulling the child to sleep. “I
know you’re here.” He said,
quietly.
Above him, he saw a woman’s face, peering from around the
trunk of the tree. To his left, he
saw a male, on the roof of the house. Without
a sound, both of them made their way to him.
“When
are you leaving?” The woman asked
him.
Kirk
looked at her. He hadn’t seen her
before. “Who sent you?”
He said, already knowing, but wanting to hear it from them.
The
two looked at one another, then the male spoke.
“The Lady, as you know.” He
and Kirk locked eyes for a moment, feeling each other out.
“We’ve
been sent to watch. It’s not the
first time.” The woman said.
“When will you be leaving?” She
asked again.
“When
the Lady tells me to. Probably very
soon.” Kirk answered.
“When you’ve been here before, have there been any
problems?” Kirk asked.
“If
you mean others of our kind, only two. And
they belonged.” She answered.
Kirk
raised an eyebrow, and the man spoke, “Taylor and Sonya were here a while ago.
Perhaps a few weeks.”
“Hmmm…very
interesting.” Kirk said.
“I guess the Lady knew about that?”
He questioned.
“Of
course.” The woman said, standing
and gazing into the window again. “Who
is the girl?” She asked, looking
down at Kirk.
“You’d
have to ask the Lady that.” Kirk
said. He looked at both of them,
hoping things were as they should be. He
didn’t distrust them, as obviously they’d been in touch with Beatriz, or
they would have been surprised to see him. “Well,
I’m off to the city. Be careful,
this is important stuff to the Lady.” He
said, and then he swung back down to the lower branch, and then down to the
ground. When he looked back up, he
could no longer see them. He
listened for a moment and smelled the air.
Nothing else gave him any reason to stay, so he got in his car, and
headed down the long driveway.
~~~~~
Diana
walked carefully down the stairway, Isabella in her arms.
The child’s dark eyes were nowhere near closing, just
seeming to watch her. Walker met
her in the hallway, “Can’t get her to sleep?”
He asked. The child’s eyes went to him as he spoke.
“No.
She’s not fussy, and she doesn’t seem to be hungry, but she just
doesn’t seem to want to go to sleep.” She
answered.
“Well,
her brother is asleep in there on top of Michelle.
I don’t think she’s having any trouble sleeping, huh?”
He said, reaching out for the tiny girl.
Diana
handed her to her husband, smiling as he settled her in his large arms.
“I’m sure. She’s had a
very very long day today.” They
walked together into the living room where Zac, Michelle, and Avery all sat on
the couch. Michelle cradled the boy
in her arms, pressed against her chest.
Her head lay back on the pillow and her eyes were closed.
Behind them, Isaac walked in and took in the scene.
“It’s getting late, is everybody else in bed?”
He asked.
“I
think so.” Diana answered.
“I think I heard Jessica on the computer. Zoë and Mack are definitely asleep.
I couldn’t take them on top of everything else, so I put in a video and
let them have snacks in her room. They
couldn’t turn that down, even for the new babies.
I think the new’s worn off for them already.”
She smiled.
Isaac
sat on the arm of the couch. “Whatcha
watching?” He asked Zac.
With
a sigh, his brother looked up at him, “I don’t even know.”
Avery
spoke up, “Seinfeld re-run.” She
said.
“I
think I might have a name.” Zac
said, causing all of them to look at him.
“Well,
spill it. I’m getting tired of
calling him “boy”.” Isaac
said.
“I’m
thinking maybe Jordan Elijah Antonelli.”
Zac mused.
Isaac
cocked his head at him, “Elijah?” He
asked. “What if you don’t like
the movie?”
“Then
I’ll change it to Lucas.” Zac
smiled. “Besides, with eyes like
those, even if the movie sucks, it’s a cool name.
And when we met him a couple years ago, he was a really neat guy.
Plus, there’s no way that movie will suck.
And Taylor loved the book, so I think he’d approve.”
“I
think that’s a lovely name.” Diana
said, taking Zac’s hand.
He
looked up at her, “I think Michelle was really wanting to name him after
Taylor, so I figured she’d like that. Is
that okay with you, Mom?”
“Of
course. He certainly looks enough
like him.” She said, softly.
“Dad?”
Zac said, looking up at his father, wanting his approval as well.
“I
agree with your mother. I think
that name suits the little guy.” He
said.
“Finally.”
Isaac said, standing. “Now
I can go to bed. I have a feeling
in a few hours, there’ll be some waking up going on. C’mon Ave, let’s hit
it.”
She took his hand, and the two turned toward the hallway.
“No
doubt. Now if we can just get some
going to sleep going on…” Walker
said, looking into the sparkling eyes of his granddaughter.
