Authors Note: Thanks for reading and thanks for the feedback. We really appreciate it. Also, as usual, neither of us own these characters, but we love them and would never hurt them and will return them in due time.
Chapter 9
Henry paced the area in front of the small couch where Bettie sat, questions with no answersgoing through his mind. His hair was a riot of curls from his fingers running through them.
He turned to face her. "Alright, what happened to the me in this world? The Henry who has been living with Vicki, the man who goes to hockey games with Mike?"
"I'm not sure, but it is most likely that you are inhabiting this Henry's body. That's why you woke up in your bed and not in the house where the portal to this world is."
Henry stared at her. "There is two of me in one body? Great! Vampire schizophrenia. That explains why I think I'm going crazy."
Bettie stood up and walked to him, putting one small hand on his arm. "We'll figure this out Henry. Let me do some research and see what I can come up with." She tilted her head to one side as she looked up at him. "You know while your here maybe you should try to enjoy yourself."
Henry's eyes got wide. "What?"
She smiled at him. "You finally have the woman you love! The woman you have wanted for over a year. Yes, she is different here but at her core she is the same. You can show this Vicki how much you love her, do all the things you have always wanted to."
Henry swallowed. "I don't know if I can do that Bettie. When I go back, my Vicki will just want to be friends, partners. And to be honest , I'm not sure I could ever leave if I made love with her."
Bettie smiled sadly. "Just take it one step at a time and follow your heart. You'll make the right decision."
Henry wasn't so sure about that. When it came to Vicki his body tended to be more insistent than his mind. Resisting her would be the hardest thing he had ever endured. He kissed Bettie softly and left with the promise that he would call at sunset tomorrow. Getting into the car, Henry started for the condo, then he turned around and headed for the house. If the way back home was there, then he would have to go and find it.
At first Henry thought he had turned down the wrong street, the houses were all pristine, the lawns neatly trimmed. It was obvious this was an upscale neighborhood, not the rundown slum he had visited with Vicki in the other world. It took him a moment to find the house because it looked so different. It was large, with three stories, and out front on the lawn was a sign that read Rooms for Rent. It seemed in this world the house had been divided into small apartments. Lights glowed in the windows.
Henry took a deep breath and got out of the car, approaching the front door. He rang the bell and waited. When no one answered he put his ear to the door,not hearing any heartbeats, he assumed no one was home. Henry turned the knob and the door opened.
Henry turned the knob, pushing the door open. He stepped inside and looked around, noticing the furniture was more for comfort than style, everything simple but nice. Henry entered the large room on his right and looked at everything around him. If there was a portal into another world, it certainly wasn't obvious. He stood in the center of the room under the chandelier and turned around searching for anything, some clue that would get him home.
Suddenly Henry gasped. He smelled a light scent, a scentthat he knew. He could feel a presence, also one he knew. "Vic?" He whispered, he knew she was here, close. She must be in the old house in the other dimension. She was looking for him. Henry smiled. "Vicki, I'm here. I'll find a away back to you. Somehow." Then a light breeze seemed to engulf him as if her very soul had passed through his body. Tears sprang to his eyes. "Oh Vic, help me." He stood still for several minutes but the feeling was gone. Vicki had left, no doubt more determined than ever to bring him home. Rubbing the tears from his eyes Henryleft too, butsat in the car and just looked at the house. A house no one would think was a portal into another world.
He had just started the car when his cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID he saw it was Vicki. He cleared his throat and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey sweetheart. Where are you? I got home and you weren't here. Are you getting something to eat?" She asked.
Henry suddenly realized that no, he hadn't fed, and knew he better before he saw her or he mightbe tempted to feed from her and he wasn't sure he would be able to stop. "Yes, I am. I'll be home in a few minutes."
Vicki sniffed. Henry frowned as hefigured out she had been crying. "Don't rush. I had a horrible night at work, Celluci jumped my ass. Again. I came home and took a sleeping pill so I will probably be asleep when you get here."
Henry didn't think he would ever get used to this Vicki, to her being so sensitive. Or taking pills. "I'm sorry you had a bad day. I'll be there in a little bit."
"OK. I missed you today." She said.
Henry smiled. "I missed you too. I'll see you soon." Before she could say anything else he hung up. Letting out a deep breath he started the car and went to feed.
Thirty minutes later Henry entered the condo, hunger satiated. He looked into the bedroom and saw Vicki in the bed sound asleep. Part of Henry was glad, his emotions hadbeen through enough for one day. As he stood looking at her he remember something. For several centuries had had kept journals, since he had lived so long he wanted to make sure he didn't forget things that were important to him and he loved the tactile sense of pen on paper. He turned to his office and looked, finding lined up neatly, several small notebooks. Henry removed the one for the last year and began to read.
He read the entry where Norman Bridewell had started his killing spree. Henry had turned to Mike, the lead investigator on the case, to help him track the man down. Henry frowned as he read events that weren't quite theway they had happened in his world. He saw that without the jealousy between them they had been able to become friends. It was a shock to realize that they had a lot in common and wereactually very much alike. The irony didn't escape him.
He had met Vicki through his friendship with Mike. He had been drawn to her from the start but there were problems in their relationship. Henry felt that her father spoiled her too much, always giving in to her. This explained why the Vicki here was so soft. His Vicki had grown up raising herself, her father's leaving made her not trust anyone, especially men, and standing on her own two feet, dependent on no one.
His mind going in a million directions, Henry closed the book and entered the bedroom, removed his clothing and climbed in beside Vicki, gathering her in his arms and closing his eyes to sleep.
Henry woke at sunset. At first he looked around thinking maybe it had been a bad dream. Then he heard a voicecoming from the door.
"I hope you're ready for our date." Vicki said.
Henry looked at her. For the first time in hisalmost five hundred years he knew what the word breathtaking meant.
