12
PSOH 'The Next Day'
It was a tableau that greeted Leon, golden in those first pale rays of dawn and the flickering aura of candlelight, a still life image that practically yanked his heart right out of his chest, so that he blinked back tears from what must be pain. The two D's: his ensconced in the center of their big canopied bed (which amazingly was clean and fresh, with no sign of blood or tears or fluids), wearing one of his thin silk nightshirts and the paisley velvet-edged wrapper he favored, the older Count in the tapestry armchair next to the bed, leaning forward intently, both bent over a tiny blanket-wrapped bundle in D's arms with identical faint smiles and rapt gazes, clearly caught up in the wonder that is 'newborn'. D's gentle fingertips rested on the pale fluff that sparsely covered the baby's head and a second pang in Leon's chest caused him to blink again, harder.
Oh, yes. This was exactly what he wanted to see.
Of course, it was like seeing double, for the elder Count and D could be twins, with that chin-length blue-black hair, and those nearly identical faces, especially when one couldn't quite see the incredible shades of their eyes, shadowed by pale lids and long dark curling lashes as they doted on the infant…the miraculous child – his son and D's – who had alternately terrified Leon and filled him with an inexpressible happiness; the baby, who he so wanted to see.
And D. Whom he could not live without.
D was first and foremost, as always: alpha priority. Leon's eyes went to examine D in exacting detail the moment after he registered the gorgeous bundle that was his child, heart tripping again at the long-awaited sight of his lover, who glowed. Was lit up from beneath that porcelain-pale skin, as if inhabited by golden-tongued fire.
It was the oddest thing, but no less than Leon expected, really. Of course D would manage to steal all the light in the world. Fuck, he might as well be made of it, as far as Leon was concerned!
Leon did his usual visual health check and confirmed all was well, or as well as could be. D did look tired and pale, maybe even a little peckish, but the set of his face was utterly joyful-calm-quiet now and Leon wanted so much to touch every bit of D in turn, to run his aching, hungry, 'I've-missed-you-so-much-I-can't-tell-you' hands down D's sides and belly, his long arms and his gorgeous face, making sure that he was all there and healthy again, pain vanished in the night. And there were changes…of course there were changes. This was not the D Leon had gotten used to these last endless nerve-grating months of pregnancy. This was a whole new D, a remade one. Phoenix-D.
Leon grinned helplessly. Literally, he couldn't stop the smile from overtaking his face and consuming it. If D was the light in a sometimes dreary world, Leon was now that same world's goofy smile.
His lover was visibly thinner, the bulge gone from his middle, the bloating subsided, and Leon hoped heartily that D's old energy and strength had returned as well, freeing him from the restrictions pregnancy had entailed. Leon had missed the steel beneath the velvet, though he loved D so much that it didn't matter what D looked like or how he felt, really – he was D and simply the center of Leon's little universe.
"Babe." Leon silently whispered the one pet name he ever used for D. Generally, it meant I love you and never failed to call up a blush. This time it meant simply that Leon was a very happy man. "Oh…babe. There you are."
Leon entered slowly, quietly, so as not to startle anyone, closing the door behind him. He crossed to the side of the bed opposite Q-chan and leaned down to press a fervent kiss on D's lowered forehead, a wordless 'thank you' for a hard job well done. D smiled at him, eyes sparkling like champagne, but turned quickly back to the scrap of life held closely in his arms. Leon followed his gaze, sliding onto the bed to get closer, for the receiving blanket hid much of their son. Grandfather glanced over and nodded and Leon smiled back, dazzling the elder Count with the brilliance of his grin. But they both turned back immediately to watch the baby.
"And what's this? He's beautiful, is what. My gawd, D…"
The boy was tiny, and very wrinkled, an eighty-year-old-man in a too-large skin. A fine blonde Mohawk crowned his pale pink head and his eyes were startlingly blue, the high clear blue of the vaulted summer sky. No. Wait. There were amber flecks in the left eye and the shades of the right tended toward purple. Leon wondered if they would darken as he got older and become the odd colors of his dad's. They watched him now, unfocused, and Leon was thrilled by the attention. He leaned closer, careful not to breathe, and examined the baby's face closely, his hand coming round D's shoulders as he bent forward to see.
"…My god."
Oh! The tiny eyebrows were slanted, slashes of pale blonde, and the nose was snub, but no! – he knew that nose – it was reflected in the mirror every morning when he shaved. Those baby lips, though, were pink and pouty as a cherub's kiss. They'd be like D's, always rosy and enticingly sweet. Leon decided immediately that he'd better make sure D taught the little one that kung fu of his – no stupid teenagers were ever going to gang up on his little boy...or anything else, not if he could help it.
"Mm," D murmured, and leant his body gently into Leon's, careful in every way of what he held in his arms. "Detective."
There was a most beautiful silence entered into the room: the silence of awe, and it lingered unbroken till the little one's face screwed up in the preliminary stages of a wail; tired, maybe, of being stared at and very hungry now, as it was hard work being born. D glanced at his Grandfather as he undid his pearl buttons with one hand, ever so slowly, as if unsure his kind did this sort of thing. Leon's eyes widened as he watched—fucking of course kamis did this. Why the hell not, hey?
Q-chan nodded approvingly and the little one found a nipple pressed against his unhappy mouth, which instinct told him was a good thing. He slurped and licked tiny lips and then suckled, and D jolted with the first electric shock of that motion, eyes closing, though his arms never faltered. Leon tightened his own arm and held D steady with fingers that trembled. It was amazing, what D could do. Awesome, impossible and utterly enchanting. Everything he would ever need in this life.
0o0o
"Good."
The elder Count rose out of his chair and stretched, eyes shut against the growing light. He turned to close the curtains to block the glare of dawn and gather his bag from the floor, glancing again at the occupants of the bed. They were silent, fully occupied with the little one, leaning against one another and the mass of pillows at the head of the bed. They didn't notice at all when the Count quietly departed, going in search of tea, which he dearly desired. Births were not easy for kamis – perhaps that was why they were so seldom and rare – although this one had been much easier than he'd expected, when he first arrived to find Leon half-dead and his grandson nearly insane with pain.
It was past time to find his own small son (soundly asleep in the room T-chan had conveyed him to, naturally, and safe), eat a filling breakfast, and then direct the irrepressible Ten-chan as to how to set up the bassinet for the new one.
The 'new one'. The newest addition to their family would be in need of mundane things. Nappies, appropriately miniature garb, amusement. He strongly doubted that either Leon or his grandson would have done anything about a nursery. Leon was a man, and probably hadn't thought to do anything even if he was vaguely aware there should be one, and young D was a blank slate when it came to parenthood and would only think in terms of what Pets needed, not kamis. Or humans. Or babies that were a mix of both. Q-chan snorted with laughter. He should just let them deal, but he wasn't that cruel.
0o0o
He was excessively small and his stomach could only hold so much. He stopped sucking in earnest when it became uncomfortable, but he kept the nipple in his mouth, because it felt good. He liked it, and the warmth that he was pressed against, and the larger warmth that wrapped around that. These things made him happy. Or, in his terms, not-hungry, not-cold, not-wet, not-lonely. He rather thought he might like those blurry wide-eyed shapes above him, but he would figure that out later. He was sleepy now and not-hungry, not-cold, not-lonely….
0o0o
"What are we going to call him, babe?" D shifted a little, so that he and the baby he held were cradled firmly in Leon's arms. He'd rather assumed they'd name the child 'D' but perhaps Leon had other ideas?
Leon met D's inquiring glance and shrugged, lightly, so as not to wake the baby. He definitely had other ideas.
"Maybe we could call him Christopher?" He threw the name out to see if D would bite. This was more to distract D anyway, since he was still tense from his first nursing experience and Leon wanted him relaxed enough to sleep. Leon started toeing up the comforter so that he could pull it up around them in a minute. The candles had burned out, and the curtains were drawn. It was dim enough to catch some Z's, something he was positive D needed.
"Um, no. Not Christopher. That is his name."
"Then how 'bout 'Liam'?" Leon had always liked that name. And 'Harry', but he wouldn't suggest it. The superstitious part of him shied away from using 'Harry', not for his newborn son.
"No, I don't think so, Leon. He should be named D—"
"Not 'D', babe." When his lover glared at him, Leon shrugged again and raised his brows. "We've got too many 'D's as it is. He'd be the fourth, damn it, all at one time. Too confusing." He shook his head slowly, reasonably, and D's glare faded. Trust Leon to point that out.
"Well, what, then? I have no experience naming babies, except the Pets. It is very important, Leon, that he be given the right name." D's visage set in stern and sober lines and Leon caught the odd wave of déjà-vu. Oh…yes. Little D, earlier. He should tell D about that, but not right now. Now was for sleeping.
"Then how about Alexander, 'Alex' for short. After his other grandfather." This time Leon, too, was serious. It was the perfect name to honor their child, and his illustrious forebears – Marquises, Counts, whatever. And it should make Q-chan happy, too, which, for some reason, was rather important to Leon just now. He owed the old bat but good. And he had really liked Alex, had missed him after he died – or dissipated, or whatever it was vampires did when they'd had enough. Alex had been a good guy, despite whatever little peccadilloes he might have had before marrying Isabelle, the love of his life.
Of course, Leon figured Grandfather D was one of those peccadilloes. It was the only thing that made any sense at all when Q-chan had shared his '24 moons/blandishments of humans' experience. Even if it was mad idea, and totally unreasonable, and Alex was a vamp, not a human. Even so, Alex was a really good name for their kid. Nobody would beat him up on the playground because of that name.
"Mmm. Alexander." D tried it out on his tongue, considering conquerors and vampires and poets…and having a child whose name meant "Man's defender." That was not such a bad thing, after all, at least in his experience. And if Leon was correct in his guess, the Marquis Alexander Hans Von Moldavia had indeed been one of his own grandfathers, and thus the little one's great-grandfather. It would indeed be appropriate and suitable to name the baby 'Alexander'… and a subtle bow to tradition. And it might please Grandfather, which was to be desired, since without him it might not have gone well at all. D winced away from the brief vision of Leon gasping and decided that 'Alexander' would do very well. He might call the child 'Zander,' just to differentiate, but they could argue that later.
"Very well." D nodded, agreeing, and Leon stared at the back of his head, mouth open. Just like that? Excellent! He'd expected it to be much harder, but apparently D liked 'Alex' too. Maybe he wasn't wrong in thinking they agreed on a lot more things, these days.
He grabbed the comforter, finally within reach, and pulled it up over their legs. They both moved beneath it, sliding apart, making a safe space between them, and D laid little Alex down carefully on the bed, instinctively turning him to his side so that he would breathe easily. He adjusted the blanket and scooted down beneath it, as Leon already had. After a minute Leon put his free hand out and grasped D's, their fingers curling together under the covers.
"I love you." D's eyes opened wide a second after Leon said it, and his answering smile was a delight to behold. He blinked slowly, like a happy cat.
"Yes. As I love you, Mr. Detective. We will have many joyful years."
It was a benediction; nothing more needed to be said. Leon fell asleep with the words still whispering in his ears. D slept too, after a little longer, for he wanted to gaze at the sleeping baby for a few minutes more. It was the warmth of Leon's hand that finally relaxed him, and when sleep claimed him, it was peaceful and deep.
0o0o
Leon emerged in the late afternoon, freshly showered and sporting a sheepish, silly smile. He claimed the dinner tray Pon-chan and Tetsu had ready and disappeared back in to the bedroom. Little D sighed and went back to his watercolors and Q-chan finished one book on botany and started another, apparently engrossed in the life cycles of bromeliads and orchids. They ate dinner early, as did the Pets, and settled in for a quiet evening, every one of them secretly hoping D would appear at the last moment, with the baby, so they could see. But it remained quiet and eventually even young D gave up and went to bed, yawning and muttering under his breath. Q-chan tucked him in bed and told him a story, and sometime later sought his own bed. They'd set up the room next to D and Leon's as a nursery that day. Pon-chan and Little D had had a marvelous time decorating and arranging things 'just so' while Ten-chan and T-chan had grumbled over the bassinet and the pram wheels and how nothing 'man-made' fit together properly, but they both still went at it willingly and, in the end, it all got done.
It wasn't the usual nursery, though, and Leon and D would be in for a surprise. Pawprints and clawprints from 'hands' dipped in a rainbow array of colors and pressed against the surface decorated the freshly painted walls, in an abstract but soothing design that may have possibly spelled 'Welcome Alexander' in hiragana. Shed snake skins and the translucent scales of a dragon shaded the overhead lamp. One entire wall boasted an aquarium that serious marine biologists would have cheerfully killed to own, and the sound of the sunlit ocean beyond the tempered glass lent a lovely hush of calm. The Turkish carpet was overlaid with grass mats, intricately woven by the weaver birds and the chimps, and padded with the donated raw wool of a ram and his flock. Blooming honeysuckle and ivy grew up the fourth wall and the bentwood rocker standing before it was truly 'bent wood'; the Harvey's Walkingstick had been more than willing to accommodate Count D. The occasional brilliant feather turned in the air currents, suspended from the ceiling by spider silk, and completely overshadowing the fuzzy yellow duck mobile the Count had purchased so hastily on the way. Wooden blocks, shaped by the beavers with help from Ten-chan and sanded smooth by Pon-chan and other 'handed' creatures, stacked gaily in the corner, waiting to be jumbled. The first of Little D's water colors, a deceptively deep landscape with small figures that seemed to move, stood on the bureau in an ebony frame. And the Count had laid a silver rattle there as well, elegantly monogrammed with the initials DAL.
0o0o
Around 5 am, Leon crept out of the bedroom again, this time in search of the diapers Pon-chan had said were there somewhere, and tripped over another tray (breakfast, this time) and a loaded diaper bag, along with the "Idiot's Guide to Infant Care", the page with the diagram for diapering a newborn carefully marked by Q-chan. He didn't remember buying that one. He went back in with his booty, blessing their little furry hearts and the Count, not so furry, but whatever, and then tackled the huge job D presented him with. D took a bath, very long and hot, requiring almost an entire bottle of the lavender bath salts Leon had gotten him for Christmas. He spent ages examining his ankles and wrists, which were nearly back to normal, and his fingernails, which had chipped and needed touch up. A light purple for repainting, he thought, suitable for a young matron.
For the most part, he felt fine, though still a little sore. The channel kamis using for birthing did double-duty, as they were far more efficient than humans in that; human females required three separate orifices when kamis handled everything with just two. His body wasted very little, unlike Leon's, and in the days before birth he had eaten almost nothing, purging the conduit of any foul remains.
Leon called it 'D's sweet ass' and it was indeed unlike anything a human was equipped with. D had no problems with lubrication when he and Leon made love, for his body manufactured a viscous silky fluid that did the job nicely. The same fluid had helped greatly when little Alex arrived, making the baby's journey from D's hidden womb safer and faster than any child born of a human woman….or a female tiger, for that matter. Grandfather had explained the tiny valve, hidden at the top of the channel, deep within him, and which was accessible very rarely, for it existed only to allow the kamis some means of reproduction if their usual solitary way was not possible…or preferred. Grandfather's learned opinion was that Leon was larger or longer than many human males, and perhaps was able to force the valve, and that D had also somehow allowed this bodily invasion, thus introducing Leon's sperm to D's eggs (and sperm!), an unusual and exceptionally unlikely event.
But not unknown: Father was a product of the same type of union, at least in his previous incarnation. Grandfather had a right to his opinion; he had been there and done that, long before D was a sparkle in Papa's eye. D was most thankful he'd been spared twenty-four months!
It was all very interesting scientifically and no doubt Leon would be amazed, as he was when D first nursed the little one. D, too, had felt a great sense of wonder. This was all new to him, but slowly he was assembling the puzzle pieces of what he was now, rearranged by love and Leon and Leon's child. He had changed, very briefly, in that final endless push of birthing, when his mind wandered completely free of the pain. He had changed and this was what Grandfather did not want Leon to see, for a kami was formless in truth, bound by nothing but will and self. Leon might have seen teeth and claws and fur, or reptilian scales and lidless eyes, brilliant plumage or an elephant's hide, or perhaps even the blinding golden glare that was godhead, but he would not have seen the D he loved in that final moment…and D was profoundly glad Leon had been excused from that.
Little Alex was a kami, too. D didn't know if Leon would ever be ready for that.
It mattered little in the end. He and baby Alex would be far less likely to slip into other, unlike Grandfather, who was pure blood, and Father, who had been vastly unstable in his past life. Perhaps Grandfather knew whether it might be the watered-down humanity D carried in his gene structure that held him more firmly in place in this world. He knew how to change; had been taught by Father how to use that urge when he was but a child. All kamis could do this, for the imperative to survive had made them so, long generations past. But he preferred not to. This world was enough, and Leon…and Alex.
When D emerged after an hour, draped in three towels, two wrapped round him and one on his head, Leon greeted him happily, for once not instantly horny like he usually was whenever D appeared from a bath, all pink and smelling of heaven, and instead of lustful groping (which D very much enjoyed) Leon proudly showed off the fruits of his labor – a clean, dry baby who appeared to be leaning how to smile. Leon was not a rank amateur, although Q-chan's book was very helpful for someone who was eleven years rusty and who'd only changed Chris a couple of times. They admired Alex again for a while – he was blowing bubbles and blinking, which was adorable, both of them agreed - and then ate, enjoying the little pool of peace and quiet that surrounded them. But that was soon shattered by Aex's wail. D fed him, talking nonsense all the while, till baby Alex had had more than enough, and then his father quickly had to learn the fine art of burping, since Alex started coughing and gasping after his meal and making other uncomfortable, terrifying noises. This totally freaked them both out for five long excruciating minutes till D figured out what to do, entirely by accident, while Leon was still frantically flipping through the pages of Q-chan's helpful little book. Exhausted, D settled in for another nap, baby beside him, blocked in with pillows for safety, and Leon opened the door and ventured out to the Shop…escaped, actually, although he never admit that.
He was set on immediately, Pon-chan hurling herself at him, and a babble of voices that was deafening and strange falling like a tsunami on his unprotected ears. Leon cringed and nearly ducked. The upshot of it was, naturally, the baby – 'where was the baby?,' when would the Count bring out the baby?", "what did the baby look like?", "how big?", "how long?," eating?", "eye-color?" , etc, etc until Leon was forced to shout to make himself heard. As he scanned the room frantically for backup, he sincerely hoped D was planning to stay safely in the bedroom for a while, and not come out to endure the fucking riot.
"Whoa! Settle down, damn it!" Where was the Count, for chrissake? Or T-chan, so he could get these people under control? "Shut up, alright? Just shut the hell up!"
Honlon bellowed, piercing the ears and shattering the water pitcher, and everyone else shut up, at least for a few minutes, so that Leon could make himself heard.
"Ok, ok, I'll tell you, alright? Calm down, damn it! And listen up, 'cause I'm only saying this once! His name's Alex, " ("ohhh – not "D", did you hear? – that's a good name – how unusual – what will the Count say? – but I like it!" came the murmuring response), "he's about this long," and here Leon held his shaking hands apart about 20 inches, so that all the Pets looked closely and tried to figure the math, "and he's got blue eyes, right now, I mean, but I think they'll change later and yes, he's eating, and D is just fine. A little tired and no, I don't know when you'll see them – whenever they're ready, I guess. And does anyone know where the Count is now? Or Tetsu?"
"I do, Leon! They went to the Garden, both of the Counts. T-chan went with them, to show them around. They'll be back at tea time, I think." That was Honlon, again, who was always reliable, unless she was crying, but even that aspect of her had grown up somewhat over the years. Leon wondered sometimes if she still talked to Chris, back in the States. Hell, she was a dragon – she could probably manage that, tail tied behind her back.
"Alright. Good. You guys hungry? Did the Count make breakfast or lunch?" A chorus or "yes's" and "we're fine's" answered him. Leon figured he might as well get started on tea – he and D would need more food soon, especially D, and maybe someone might need a snack. Plus, if he was busy, they were less likely to corner him and ask questions he couldn't answer or babble or fuss.
Leon escaped to the kitchen, which had been subtly rearranged, so that it took him a while to find basic stuff like knives and measuring cups. His brief annoyance was eclipsed by gratitude – without the Count there, this would have been a total fucking mess. What had they been thinking, getting pregnant? Oh…yeah, Alex.
Worth it. Definitely worth it.
Precisely at 4 pm, the Count and small D returned, bearing pasteboard boxes of miniature Danish and éclairs. There were also cookies, shortbread, linzer torte, and double chocolate chip, and a huge pear and raspberry truffle, drizzled with white chocolate curls and caramelized almonds. Leon had fruit ready and all three teapots, and salad and buttered toast and biscuits. He sliced cheese – he was getting handy in the kitchen these days – and started a vegetable curry for dinner, during trips to the kitchen to get more tea. In a little while, he slipped off, a tray loaded for D, decorated with cream blush roses Little D presented him for that purpose, and the elder Count kept a weather eye on the curry (adding things like cardamom and turmeric) and got the Pets to clean up the parlor and put away the leftovers, T-chan riding herd.
0o0o
"Ahh! Welcome back!"
"Oh, he's adorable!"
"Can I pet him? Please?"
"Small! My heavens, he's just a little mite, isn't he?"
"You're back, you're back! Oh, I missed you, Count D!" That was Pon-chan, dancing carefully around D so as not to knock him over.
"Congratulations, Count D…and Leon, you too!" That was Honlon, who had the good grace to remember the 'other' parent in the excitement of the seeing the baby for the first time.
"Sssoo sssweeet, Count D!"
"He's blonde, he's blonde, just like me!"
"Hey, good work, Leon!" T-chan walloped Leon hard on the shoulder and then just as quickly caught him before he went sprawling into D and the baby.
"My son! And my grandson! Oh, I am so happy!" That was Little D, and he too was cavorting, overjoyed at the sight of healthy father and child.
"You should sit, Grandson. Here," and the Count swept off the immaculate couch cushion, "give him to me while you get settled." There was no arguing that, for the Count had first dibs, and then small D, who came to sit beside his Papa on the couch and was eventually allowed to hold little Alex carefully, the Count's arm around them both. D and Leon watched and D said not one word to stop his Father, so Leon relaxed finally, and answered the questions all over again.
"About this long – I don't know – 20, 21 inches?"
"Maybe six pounds – he's tiny, isn't he?"
"Alex. Cause we like the name. And it's special, after an old friend—" and here Leon looked at the Count, as did D, but the elder Count was cooing at little Alex and apparently heard not a word.
Yeah, right.
The pandemonium subsided, in deference the baby most likely, and everyone got a chance to quietly come over and pay their respects. Alex, though very, very young, seemed to take note of each of them and practiced his beginner's smile, to the delight of them all. Leon and D were dragged off to see the Nursery, while the Count held Alex and let him suck his pinkie, Father begging to hold him again. They loved the Nursery, D especially so, for he saw all the effort his Pets had put forth for him, and Leon wandered around and touched things, quiet and awestruck, so that D knew he understood what they'd been given.
Lord Sohki arrived just before dinner, which was late because D took the baby for another nap, and he stayed for it, getting in the way in the kitchen while they were preparing, T-chan, Leon and the Count. Leon took Sohki firmly off to the corner of the parlor and they both had a wholesome dollop of the brandy D kept there for emergencies, and after that Leon was much happier and able to deal with the noise.
0o0o
It was not until late that Leon had a chance to go to his study, looking for a book that he knew he'd bought and his cell phone, so he could call Chris, and that's where the Count found him when he ran him to earth.
"Old friend, Leon? I hadn't realized you were hobnobbing with nobility these days." The Count's tone was supercilious, a far cry from his helpfulness in the kitchen and the soft voice he used for D and Little D and the Pets. Leon straightened up, hands full of papers that he was still trying to get to one day, and smiled right back at the old bat.
"Yeah, well, we thought you'd like that. After your lover, isn't that right?"
The Count removed a pile of dusty tomes from the one other armchair and blew on it to remove the remaining dust. He handed the pile to Leon, who took it without comment, and sat down heavily, so that Leon was worried for a split-second that Q-chan was aging. It made him panicky – but he was tired and still excited from the baby – so he quelled it firmly and put the books down.
"Yes, it is so. I should have known you would pry into that, Mr. Detective." His voice was just as sharp as ever, though. Leon relaxed, getting into it. He really enjoyed these sparring matches with Q-chan – they kept him in shape for the ones with D, and he needed all the practice he could get.
"Not really 'prying', Grandfather. It was kinda obvious, once you knew to look."
"Really, is that so? Then how come my son, the renowned researcher of our biology, never managed to learn this?"
"Um." Leon wasn't stupid enough to say what he was thinking, so he changed the subject, since that worked sometimes with D.
"So, how did it happen?...If you don't mind telling me, that is."
"No. Oddly, I don't mind telling you. Provided that you find some way of informing my grandson without upsetting him."
"Got it." Leon nodded and tried to look trustworthy and sympathetic, something that had always worked when he played the 'good cop' back in L.A.
"We met sometime in the late 1870's, in Paris, the hub of the civilized world. I attended a soiree at his parent's home and he was there as well. We were introduced, we talked, became friends fairly quickly. Alex was still human, then, very young, I recall - perhaps seventeen or eighteen at best, and still at boarding school."
Leon clamped down on the horrified gasp – 18? Did he just say '18'? What the fuck was the Count thinking, jeezus! That was barely legal, damn it! He hadn't even had his first woman till he was almost 20!
"We met again ten years later, 1890 or so. Moldavia had been absorbed into what was becoming Germany, and Alex's parents had lost their holdings, their heritage – everything, in fact, but their useless title. They had died in the meantime, one of suicide, the other of shock, perhaps. Alex had returned to Paris and fallen in with a bad crowd. Drinking absinthe, being an artist's model…selling his body, all the things a beautiful young man could do at that time to survive. I did not realize it, but he had been bitten already – though I wondered why he looked very little older than when I'd first met him. The Paris Opera, I believe, had quite a 'night life', if you understand me and it was likely there…In any case, he sensed that I also was not…quite...human, and so our bond reaffirmed and grew deeper. We continued to see one another here and there, at balls and concerts and so forth, for he evidently realized that immortality can yield great wealth and had climbed his way back up in the world."
Leon swallowed and thought of the blonde guy who loved Isabelle. How had the Count fit into that equation? This was going to be sad, he knew it.
"I was still young myself, then. I was…curious…as to certain aspects of physical pleasure. Remember, please, that my kind had been fêted and honored before we were cast down. We were used to attention, pampering, and material luxury. That was achieved again after my ancestor left China, for we rose to prominence on the Continent over the years. Our Pets were sought after, prized…as was I, and my Father before me."
Leon nodded sharply. He understood quite well, thank you. How many people over the centuries had thrown their lives away pursuing an elusive Count? And he had been one of them, too, only he got lucky, real lucky.
"Now, my father had warned me that 'pleasure', or at least of that kind, could be quite…addictive and even…deadly… in the end. Apparently, we kamis were allowed to take humans for lovers, but were still required to hate them, of course. They were the instruments of our vengeance, nothing more, no matter how attractive they might be." The Count paused and smiled at the Leon's rapt face, though he most likely wasn't actually seeing his audience now. "I've often thought the old wisdom might be wrong in that one aspect– my son suffered from that very conundrum, I'm sure – but then Alex was not a human at that point, so where could be the harm?"
Yep, no doubt about it, it was going to be sad.
"We engaged in a relationship, then, after a time. Purely physical, naturally, but not oppressive or uncomfortable for me, because Alex understood me, up to a certain point. I met his friends and he met...mine."
Leon wondered for a moment what the hell that meant, but he didn't want to interrupt the Count and ask.
"We spent considerable time together, over the years. Eventually, I became pregnant, which I had believed well nigh impossible, and I turned immediately to Father for aid. He had heard of such a thing, but the records had been expunged by a previous Count and there was nothing to refer to, or help me in my need, but Father, who stood by me despite my wanton, shameful act. In the end, it was twenty-four moons before I gave birth to my son, and they were difficult and terrible to bear, as neither of us had any idea of what to expect. When D was born, he had amber eyes, similar to mine, though darker. As he grew, they changed, and became a deep amethyst…remarkably like his father's."
Leon's eyes widened. He had thought that was it. The one sign clearly posted.
"I was always glad they never met – I would not have enjoyed explaining to Alex - or D – why they shared that trait."
"But, but...what about Isabelle? Where is she in all this? Weren't you mad when he left you – didn't it piss you off?"
"He did not leave me, Leon. He met Isabelle well after our son was born – in the late '30's, I believe. There's a photo hanging about from that time, if I recall, which my grandson has. We were all there in Berlin before the War."
"But, how can you say that? You just let him go?" Leon could not imagine, not for either of them – there must have been something that tore them apart!
"Ours was not a love story, Leon, please do remember that. We were friends only. Good friends, I must admit. But little else beyond that."
"You're shittin' me, Count! No way could you have a goddamned kid with the guy and feel fucking nothing when he took off! Don't pull my chain like that!" Leon was angry, so angry, though he didn't know why – was it for the Count, or Alex?
"It is true, Leon, although you don't believe me. We were never that way – only comfortable, I think, because we shared a past. And lonely as well. It is not an easy thing to live so long. I was glad for Alex when he found Isabelle, truly, though I may not have acted that way. He was a vampire, an immortal, and she was most definitely doomed to live a human's short life. I did not wish to see him suffer, but love cannot be halted or stayed." The Count sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Then why did you do nothing when me and D-! How come you let that happen if you were all worried about Alex being screwed up? You knew I was human, Grandfather, you must have known how we felt!"
"Did he not leave you, Leon? I seem to remember that he did."
Leon goggled, mouth open. He couldn't argue that. But still – but still, Q-chan had done nothing but yell when Leon moved in with D. He hadn't even bothered to stop by and haul Leon out by the short hairs. For chrissake, he could have killed Leon, set the Pets on him, but he had not. Why?
"You cannot stay love, Leon, nor halt it. I have learned that, I think, in all my many years on this planet. My Father taught me loyalty and my son the error of our inflexible ways. Young D, your D, has taught me that things can change, perhaps only in small ways, but they change all the same." Q-chan was smiling at him, imperturbable, his usual calm cool self.
"Things?" He didn't get it, not at all. What was Q-chan trying to say?
"Kamis, Leon. Pay attention. Your child is healthy, beautiful and strong. He will shoulder his various roles with good will and spirit. My son, Mr. Detective, was also beautiful but…he was not strong. You have a medical term for people like him – 'bipolar,' I believe it is. He was exactly that, my lovely boy, and it damaged him, especially when he was young and wild. I did not realize the repercussions when I had relations with his father, that Alex's vampire blood would harm the child. No one could have known it, not me or my Father, nor did we know quite what to do with poor D in the end. Perhaps that is the reason he researched our biology, attempting to discover his own ailment. Perhaps, also, that is why he wished me to raise his son, although I was considering retirement then."
"Is he, um, better now? D's father?" Leon had been struck by the sadness of the Count's ethereal voice yesterday, and he pitied him now, knowing why.
"I believe so. I do, but I also wonder whether it was…complete, his transformation. We do not forget so easily, you know."
"Yeah. I know." Leon nodded his understanding and they sat there for a moment longer in a peaceable silence. The Count then stood up, and Leon too, till he suddenly remembered the discovery they'd made last – no, three nights ago now, when he'd been hunting snark, looking for the Count's lover.
"Wait! Hang on a sec – Let me find it! It was just here, where the fuck did I put it, damn it," and papers flew around his head. At last he emerged, triumphant, from under the desk where yet another pile of books was hidden.
"This! Look at this, Grandfather – tell me what you think it is!" Leon shoved it toward Q-chan, who looked startled as he reached out to take a tiny leather bound book. It had few pages, all of them very tattered and lacy where the silverfish had snacked, but they were closely written in tiny Chinese characters and it could still be read.
"Where did you find this one, Leon? I've never seen it before!" The Count took it to the desk and turned Leon's bankers light on it and peered closely, obviously excited by Leon's little treasure.
"It was in a larger book, sewn into the binding, hidden or something, like it was secret. Hamlin found it, when he was shelving – he helps me out a lot and practically lives in here, so when he thought it was weird – too heavy, too thick, didn't look right – we took it apart and found that."
"Well, well, Leon, my boy, that was an excellent find! Tell Hamlin I'll get him an extra lot of black sunflower seeds, if you please, and we must show my son this – when he's older, of course – and young D, too, as soon as we can! I am so glad – Father would be most pleased – that it is discovered again, this little book."
"So, what the hell is it, then? Q-chan?" Leon prompted, puzzled but happy he'd done the right thing.
"Oh, only the information I needed…and what you and young D searched for so desperately – as I did, and likely Father. And my son, of course. It is what you would call our Bible, this book, our Koran or Talmud. You see, we have been here so long, young Leon, and tales change in the telling. One of my ancestors, very wise and learned, wrote it all down for the future generations, while it was still fresh in memory. Another hid it – we thought destroyed it – perhaps fearing discovery or for some petty reason of his own. But it is important, Leon, so very important - it tells us of our past and what we are now, and could be. Gods forget that, you know, why they were worshipped, why they exist." The Count smiled and Leon smiled back, not quite sure he got it, but happy anyway. Q-chan looked younger somehow, energized, as he had not been when speaking of Alex and his son, and Leon was glad of that, god or no god. He'd gotten fond of the old bat, admired him even, and it was good to see him looking this way.
"You'll pardon me, then?" The Count turned toward the door, obviously eager to peruse the little book in his hand.
"Yeah, goodnight, Q-chan. I'm outta here, too. Got to get some sleep – it's been a damn long day – and go see my family." Man, it felt good to say that. Hadn't thought he'd ever have one again, not after D left. He think about the 'god' thing, too, but later; D would probably take pains to make sure Leon understood that although he might be the daddy of the demigod, he wasn't a god himself. Politely, of course, and timed just right to infuriate him. Leon looked forward to it, 'cause then he would fuck his own particular demigod silly and who'd have the last word then?
0o0o
END (I think, rather.)