CHILDREN'S HOUR

Liz became a vampire to escape death, but did not count on her cancer continuing to live within her. Too weak from pain, she attacked children, and a very pregnant Vicky. She is now teneded by her family, with the understanding that she will have to be put out of her misery soon. In the meantime, Barnabas is trying to find an answer to Vicky's fears as to her baby due to Liz's attack

Chapter 1

Urien looked down upstairs "Hello" he said hurriedly to Barnabas.

Barnabas smiled indulgently at him. He was finally behaving like a normal teenager. He was also trying to find himself sexually (to put it euphemistically).

And, Barnabas reflected it as time he was told something about it.

"Urien" he called "will you please come down?"

Urien did, jumping the steps two at a time.

"Careful there" Barnabas admonished him. "You may trip on one of the cats."

"You are right." Urien acknowledged "These cats have a way of getting themselves underfoot."

"They may think that you are the one who keeps getting in the way." Barnabas was philosophical "Well, there are a few things that I'd like to discuss with you."

"About what?"

"About they way you are spending your free time."

"What about it?"

"I know that you have been going out with girls. No, it is all right. But there are a couple of things you should realize."

"Like what?"

"I..." Barnabas was a bit embarrassed "I don't know how far you have gone Given the times, it would not surprise me if you had not gone all the way, at least one."

"Well... not yet." Urien acknowledged "but next time... She's ready to put out."

Barnabas did not like the tone of his voice as he said that, but since that was going to be the second part of the lecture, he let it pass "I hope that you are aware that women do get pregnant. If you want to experience the joys of heterosexuality, you should know about birth control. Most methods are used by the women themselves, because it is their risk. But that does not mean that you should not do your part." he took out a box of condoms, that he had gotten out of Jessica King. " these are very effective. Also they keep VD from spreading. Because if you come down with VD I'll take you down tot he clinic and let Dr. Jessica King lecture you. And if you think that my lectures are bad you should listen to her on the subject."

Urien took the box gingerly. "I don't like wearing these. Don't feel the same."

"They are better than paternity suits."

Urien shrugged "She won't be able to pin it on me. I can arrange for that."

"And that's the second part of the lecture." Barnabas sighed deeply, letting Urien know that the serious lecture was about to begin.. He did his best to look contrite. Barnabas saw this and laughed.

"Urien I understand what you went through. For you, sex was just part of being exploited. I know what that kind of thing can do to a human being" memories of Angelique's fury came to him. " I know how it makes you angry to think about it. How you think that someone owes you for it. It is natural to feel that way. But..." he paused for effect, wondering if Urien would add anything of his own. Urien didn't.

"But that does not give you the right to exploit others."

"I don't" Urien protested.

"The way I heard you talk about this girl, you were planning to exploit her."

"But that's different. She.. she's..."

"She's just a girl? Just as I said of Angelique, just a servant girl...it did not work so well for me."

"But she is no witch."

"No, but she can find other ways to find justice for herself if you abuse her. And I will uphold her."

"She's just a girl."

"And you are just a hustler. And I am just a bloodsucker, and George is just a cop... She is a human being, just as you are."

"She... she.."

"She is a human being, just as you are. She needs the same things other human beings do. Some understanding, some respect, some knowledge of her own worth. The same things you desperately needed all those years."

"But it is different with girls!"

"It is not." Barnabas said evenly "I know why you insist that it is. It was a way of keeping some self-respect when you were walking the streets. You knew that there was someone lower than you in the scale, and that made it better. Maybe you had dreams of becoming a pimp one day."

There was a dark blush in Urien's face. "How did you know?"

"It is not so difficult to figure out. You lived in a world where kindness was an alien concept. Where no one ever did anything for no one. Where you did unto others before they did unto you. You are no longer in that world, but old habits die had. It took you a while to value yourself. It might take you longer to value others. I should know." But now Urien was getting impatient and he did not blame him "I am speaking from my own experience. I don't accuse you of anything that I have not done myself, ten times over. If you want to, I'll recite my tragic mistakes to you. All I ask is that you benefit from my experience."

"Yeah." Urien said, not convinced, but not willing to argue over it.

"Well, enough of a lecture for today. Just remember what I told you. And don't forget this." he handed Urien the condoms that he had abandoned on the table. "that's the part of the lecture I insist on. No sex, with anyone, without these."

"So this is my grandson" Liz managed to smile amiably at Edmund "how are you doing, young man?"

Edmund was a bit uncomfortable. He knew that there was something odd about the situation. He sensed the tension in Carolyn, even if she tried to disguise it.

"I am all right, ma'am." he said, politely enough.

"Don't call me ma'am. Call me granny." Liz pleaded with him.

"All right. ma... granny." Edmund said with formality.

"Not very demonstrative, are you? But then, no one told you that you had a grandma, I bet. Well, I hope that we'll get to know each other better. Give me kiss."

A bit reluctantly, Edmund pecked Liz on the cheek, then having been given permission, he raced out of the room.

"I will have to teach him better manners" Carolyn said, somewhat embarrassed by Edmund's behavior.

"No, there is nothing wrong with his manners. He just sensed the tension in you."

"I am not tense." Carolyn protested.

"You are, my baby. You think that you could fool your mother? You are worried that I might bite Edmund."

"I am not."

"You'd be a fool if you didn't worry. I have been biting children. I am not proud of it. I am not proud of the fact that I am not fully in control of myself, that the hunger may strike when I least expect it and I may not be able to contain it. No, you do well to worry about Edmund.

"Mother, it isn't like that!"

"I am dangerous, Carolyn. I try not to be. And since Barnabas has been helping me, there have been no more... mishaps. But I don't blame Beth Tignor for being scared of me. Nor Vicky, either."

"Bu I am not afraid, and Uncle Roger is not afraid... "

"You love me too much for that. It is all right, Carolyn. It is as it should be. You are just being a good mother to Edmund."

"I want to be a good daughter to you."

"You are. But it is ore important that you be a good mother to my grandchild."

Beth Tignor hung back. She did look scared of Liz. Carolyn determined to she would replace her in this task. She would ask Barnabas for somebody who could work with Liz. Frances Jackson, maybe. Or Buffy Torrance, if she was willing to take the job, now that she was married to a civil servant."

"Mr. Deale Atwater is here" Lucile Staszak came in. "He says that he wants to see his wife."

"Mother?" Carolyn asked Liz.

"Tell him that he can come in."

Adam arrived a few moments later. "Hello, Liz." he said.

"Hello, Adam." Liz said firmly "How are you doing? Still painting?'

"Liz, why didn't you tell me?"

"What for? I didn't want anybody to know."

"But Carolyn and Roger knew..."

"I could not hide it from them. I would if I could."

"Liz..."

"It is over, Adam. Officially you are now a widower and that's how I want it to remain. You are free of me."

"I don't want, not this way... I don't what to be dismissed this way. As if I just wanted to get rid of you."

"I did not say you did. But it is over." She patted his cheeks. "Go Adam. We gave each other what we needed when we needed it. We should not push it. What I need now you can't give me, and I have nothing to offer you. You are not bound to me anymore."

"Liz, I care about you."

"Adam" a small groan escaped Liz "This is just your hurt pride talking. You were fun, and we had good times together. But that's all there was. Don't make it hard."

"I can't leave you like this."

"You must. I am dead, Adam. While I lived you did right by me. Now it is time to let me go."

Carolyn began pulling Adam away while Liz kept talking.

"You are free Adam, You have your painting. You have your future. Don't tie yourself to me because of pride."