Chapter 3
Roderick Bell was what happened when a horny demon met a slutty faerie during spring break in Cancun. He was short and thin with a lanky face framed by slightly pointy ears usually adorned with 17 mm gauges. His overly long black hair sported random splurges of brightly colored highlights which amused Adele to no end. He also had a tail that he somehow kept concealed in his skinny jeans and concert shirts.
He was Adele's babysitter and one of the most powerful creatures I had ever encountered. Unfortunately he also had a tendency to ramble on about the most inconsequential things. Like now.
"Got mom to agree to pay for the plane ticket to Ixtapa. She even offered to pick up the hotel tab if I somehow grew five inches and lost a tail. Dad said to stay away from the green drink whatever that means."
He was talking about his future spring sojourn even though it was early November.
"I figured I needed one of those Spanish-English dictionaries so Adele and I went to Barnes and Noble. The kid headed straight to the Gluten-free diet books. I have a feeling that there is a millet and quinoa kick coming your way in the near future. You sure she's only nine?"
I glared but he continued to hammer away. "I'm telling you this kid is something else. Bet you they skip her a grade real soon. Sorry to say that won't do much for her social life."
"I am certain my daughter does not want for company."
"That's what she says but she only has you and me and only one of those people is around during the day. I think she could do with a few friends. Maybe get her a bike or a skateboard and set her loose in the park. I could pretend that I don't know her or maybe climb up a tree or something. My mother's people are good at hiding in the foliage so I'm sure I could manage. And hey, my dad has a cousin in Peru that can turn into a lizard. I bet I could do that too and ride in her pocket…"
"You will do no such thing." I growled.
"Okay… okay ease down oh great Viking vamp. I was making a few suggestions. Jeez you'd think I wanted her to take up naked gambling or something. Just trying to make her life a little more normal-like- after all she is in for a bumpy ride once she comes into her own."
I wondered what faerie-demon would taste like and if I could drain him before he teleported out. I was only dissuaded from trying by the fact that it would be very hard to procure another such creature to protect Adele when I could not. She also was deeply attached to the annoying boy so that she might object to my killing him. Everything was so much more difficult when you were a parent.
"So any who…she's been asking me about my mother a lot lately. I tell her what I can 'cause you know my mom is pretty unconventional even for a faerie. I think Adele's trying to get a connection to her own mother that goes beyond the memories she picks up from reading your mind."
"She's been reading my mind?"
"Oh yeah. Kid's empathic and is smart enough to have figured that when you get blue is because you're missing your girl. So she latches on to your thoughts to see her mom. That's probably not a good thing because when I think of my girl my thoughts are not exactly PG rated."
If it had been possible my heart would have stopped. "Roderick go home. I'll be staying with my daughter tonight."
"Okay…whatever you say boss. I have a couple of papers to finish anyway. I'll see you tomorrow"
I walked out of the kitchen where I'd been sipping a bottle of warm O positive. Adele was in her room finishing up a school project that would not have been due for another three weeks. I entered my own bedroom and pulled out the lockbox where we stored our passports both real and counterfeit. Underneath the false bottom lay something that belonged to Adele and it was time for her to have it.
As was my habit I knocked on her door and waited for her permission to enter.
"Come in poppa."
She was sitting at her desk. A flowchart on the different forms of carbon was spread before her and she was highlighting the different colored squares. Her hair was unbraided and flowed freely down her back. It was exactly the same shade as her mother's. Her eyes were mine though.
"I have something for you."
Adele turned around and looked at me curiously. I had Sookie's letter in my hand. The letter she'd written for her daughter on the day she was born.
"What is it?" she asked gravely.
"Just read it. It might answer the questions that I know you have or at least give you an idea as to why things have to be the way that they are."
Adele reached for the sealed pink envelope. "Did you read this?"
"No, I never opened it. It's yours to have. It's the only thing I can give you of her" I said and headed towards the door.
"Poppa, I think she would have wanted you to read this too." Adele said softly and beckoned me to come to her. Like a child I sat on the floor besides her chair and waited to hear my Dear One's words.
My beloved Adele
You were born just four hours ago. My hands still shake from holding your for the very first time. You are so beautiful and I cannot help but wonder what grace have I been granted to be your mother. What good have I done the world to be give such a gift?
My Adele, you were named for the best woman in the world. Your great-grandmother opened her home and her heart for a girl who found herself lost and alone. She taught me how to be strong and how to carry on when life is difficult. How to keep your head up when all you want to do is hide in your room and cry. I hope that someday I will be able to pass on this to you so that we may both live by her example. Her strength is what we need now the most.
It pains me so much to let you go. Your father sits in the next room waiting to take you far away from here and I will let him. He will protect you as he has protected me all these years. Our need for each other is strong but it is second to our love for you. Adele you are our miracle and it is our mission to keep you safe.
I know that life will not be simple for you. The abilities that you have been granted are burdens as much as they are gifts. Even from my belly you have been able to read the minds of those that surrounded us. I have heard your father's thoughts clearly and I realized that this ability was not coming from me but from you. I have moved things with my mind and have even lifted my body off the ground. Adele, I have flown and once I was even able to influence the thoughts of others. It is a great power and it is all yours. This gift makes you a target. I have been used for my own limited skill by vampires, shifters and humans. They crave the knowledge that I can give them. I know that if anyone were to know what you can do they would find you and never let you go. This is why you must leave and I must stay. It is only by letting them have me that they will not go looking for you. I can protect you from here and they will never know of your existence.
My beautiful daughter it's my hope that someday when you are older you will have such control over your abilities that you can shield them from those that would harm you or that you will be so formidable that no one could ever touch you.
When I think about your future it both excites and frightens me. You are so much more than me. My life has not been easy and I am not the woman that I hoped to be when I was young. I am uneducated, easy to fool and have brought harm to some just because they had the misfortune to know me. I've hurt people and they have hurt me. There have been moments in my 27 years that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy but at the same time there have been moments of great happiness such as discovering that I was pregnant when it should have been impossible. I cannot shield you from the challenges that your own life will bring but I hope that the time that we will be apart will prepare you for what is ahead. I have no specific ambitions for you except that you find the joy that you have granted me.
Adele there is so much more that I could write but the time is short. The most important thing that I know is that love is the key and those whom we love define us. Be careful with you heart but also be sure to open it to the right people. True love- the unconditional love that lasts forever is often found in the unlikeliest of places. For me it came in a vampire bar in Shreveport and I've never regretted it.
Please be good to your father. He has been more than his nature meant for him to be. I am afraid that the next years will be hard for him. Eric has given up his place in the world, his vampire child and his bonded mate. Without these he will be adrift and cling to you Adele. Please don't push him away even if his love seems to smother you. His instinct is to protect and be certain that he would walk into the full sun if it meant that you would be out of harm's way. You could not have a better father.
It is time to say good bye my daughter. Know that I love you and that I will see you again someday. My heart is with you. Please keep it safe.
Your mother
Sookie Stackhouse.
TBC. Again I am overwhelmed by the attention this little story is getting. Thank you so much for I know that there are many great offerings in this fandom. I hope this chapter answered some of the questions you had although the mystery of Eric's paternity will be answered later on. Let me know if the angst is getting too out of hand as that is my tendency.
