Whipped Crème 10
Inferno
JJ sat up in bed automatically reaching for his weapon. His eyes struggled to adjust in the darkness looking for the source of Lord D's agitation. Lord D had sat up gasping in bed holding his stomach. "Darling?" JJ asked placing a hand on his shoulder. Lord D jerked at the touch. Wide glassy eyes found JJ's as he stared about the room. "Are you alright?"
"We have to go," Lord D said getting to his feet.
"Go… Where?" JJ stood going around the bed to place his hand on Lord D's arm. "Precious, tell me what's wrong."
" We have to go to the pet shop. Father is calling me." Lord D peeled his night robe off heading to his closet to find a cheongsam.
"Ok, get back into bed," JJ said trying in vain to pull Lord D. "I will take you before I go to work in the morning."
"No… We have to go now." Lord D pulled away from JJ going back to the closet.
"Darling, it is three in the morning." JJ grouched sitting on the bed. "Please be reasonable and come back to bed."
"I can not…" Lord D paused breathing with some difficulty. "I can not ignore a summons." JJ panicked when it looked as if Lord D would be violently ill. "It is urgent. The summons is urgent. We have to go now."
"Ok," JJ agreed pulling on his pants. "We'll go, calm down. You get the boys I'll get the car then come help you." Lord D nodded grateful when JJ left the room. He rushed to the twins' nursery to find them both sitting up in their cribs looking for him. They too could feel his father's message. Lord D heard the garage door moving as JJ pulled the car to the front of the house. He filled a diaper bag then began to dress the boys. JJ returned in time to grab the bag and one of the small boys. He cast a worried look in Lord D's direction as they headed out.
Break
Count D sat on his bed rocking Aoi. His grandfather had warned him that the summons might agitate her. Count D had been unprepared for the reaction in himself. Because he was freed from parental constraints due to his binding with Leon, it was mild. But his father was feeling more than this, Count D shuddered as another wave hit him and he blinked to clear his vision. Aoi whimpered clinging tight to her papa. Leon aimed a frown at Sofu but the Kami paid him no heed.
"We're here," Lord D and his family came rushing into the room. "Father, what do you wish of me?" Lord D dropped into a bow before his sire.
"Only your safety child." Sofu answered pulling Lord D to his feet. The younger Kami's in the room all breathed a sigh of relief as the summons ended. "I want only your safety." Lord D looked for and found his mother sitting by the window peering out into the dense early morning fog.
"Grandfather," Count D sat Aoi in Leon's arms to approach the ancient being. "You have been acting rather erratic. First in the garden and now this, please, if it is not too presumptuous of me, tell me what is going on."
"What do you mean 'in the garden'?" Sofu asked Count D a frown marring his beautiful features.
"The other day I was in the garden, you came to me as Q-Chan and cuddled for a few moments, then flew off."
"I know nothing of what you speak." Sofu looked as if he was thinking back over the past few days.
"It was you, I can tell, grandmother has softer fur." Count D smirked. True his grandfather was embarrassed to admit to such affection but Count D had never known Sofu to outright tell a lie.
"And I tell you it was not," Sofu said with chilling alacrity. " Come here child." Count D approached his grandfather cautious of the foreboding in his father's eyes. "Submit your will to my own," Count D dropped to his knees unable to resist the pull of his grandsire's words.
"How are you able to do that?" Lord D demanded. "He is freed from constraints."
"I do not need parental constraints to exert my will over a younger mind." Sofu words were crisp as he placed his hand on Count D's head. He watched as the events in Count D's mind played out. "That creature is a near exact replica of me. But I sense no malevolence coming as it touches you, only curiosity." Sofu paused watching. "It went in the direction of the nursery, as if mapping this place."
"Sofu! Do something," Lady Aurora got to her feet taking her husband's arms she pulled him to his feet. "Don't let her harm them."
"Who?" JJ asked placing his sleeping sons in bed next to Aoi.
"The creature," Lady Aurora paused remembering Count D's accounts of his beautiful visitor. "Helen… is my mother. She abandoned her family for a flight of adulterous fancy. When she came back she had to ask who I was. She did not even recognize her own daughter. She is bone deep selfish, only caring for herself and her own pleasure. Daughter of Zeus or not, no one should be so self-centered." Lady Aurora spat giving the room at large a glimpse of the human girl she once was. Left behind and forgotten. Sofu placed a gentle hand on his wife's arm. "My light," Lady Aurora turned into his embrace. Count D got slowly to his feet slightly dizzy from having his grandfather searching around in his mind.
"You ok?" Leon asked steadying Count D. Count D nodded his head. He allowed himself to be sat on the bed near the children.
"We will stay here together tonight." Sofu looked out into the night. Seeing nothing he closed the curtains. "I will re-align the shop. My love, have the Honlon, T-Chan and several of our more interesting species roam freely about the shop. We are hereby closed for business indefinitely. When this is over. Well… It will be over." Sofu said no more. He went into a dark corner of the room focusing his mind outward. The shop began to shift. The realms of the shop briefly connected to the mortal world then were wrenched apart. Lord D watched his father work awed by his concentration and stamina. Lord D leaned his head against JJ falling into a fitful slumber just as the sun crested the horizon.
Break
Ryo opened his eyes when he heard singing. He listened for a moment and realized that Rain must be in the shower. "I love Saturdays," Dee muttered beside him just as the telephone rang. "Yeah," He answered emerging from the blankets with a scowl on his face. "You're beautiful," Dee whispered to Ryo. In the pale morning light that filtered in through their window Ryo's hair formed a mussed halo around his lovely features. Ryo blushed and took a moment to push his hair back from his face. "Leon… what?" Dee sat up earning a questioning look from Ryo. "A couple of days off, yeah whatever, but you know we are working one hell of a case now. Yeah, yeah, I'll talk to the chief about it. Rose too. Good luck." Dee hung up and flopped back into the pillows. "Never mind, my day has not started yet." Dee pulled Ryo's arm. "You lay down and we will start all over again."
"Dee, what was that all about?" Ryo asked leaning on his arm to face Dee.
"Sofu is closing down the shop. He wants us to act like nothing is amiss and keep visiting them, but if we need a sitter send the kids to the consulate or something."
"Well, we intend to hang around the house today anyway remember. We took a few days off ourselves," Ryo said.
Dee smiled as a new thought occurred to him. "Yeah, Rose is going to be fit to kill us all. Not to mention Jill. She's on vacation with Diana Spacey. Apparently they are shopping. Diana is getting married to that Gryphon she started dating a few years ago. The whole Arcadian/ CIA unit is out."
"The good thing about that is that we can have an arc of Fae support take our places for a few days." Ryo said being the only one in the group to actually go over the files that Agent Miaka had given them.
"HEY!" Bikky called pounding on the door, " Will you two get out of bed already? We're hungry." They heard Alicia and Renee both laughing. Dee said nothing. He picked up a shoe and threw it at the door. "Dee quit complaining and put some pants on. I'm a growing boy and you know when Rain gets out of the shower he'll be…" Bikky paused when Ryo opened the door. " Morning," He greeted with a cheeky grin. Ryo reached out and pulled Bikky's hair. Dee tied his freshly donned pants and followed the group downstairs. Lyo clung to Ryo's pant leg. Alicia smiled through the pain of her son abandoning her so quickly.
Break
Randolph stepped around the open office door. Stopping in his tracks he stared at the two strangers sitting at Ryo and Dee's desks. "Who the heck are you guys?" Randolph gazed at the strangers flowing hair that blew in the wind from the open window as if it were made of the lightest tinsel. Their pale skin seemed almost translucent in the dull light of the office while their slim figures offered the illusion of frailty belied by the guns strapped to their holsters. They turned to face Randolph and the clear beauty of their eyes startled him. Where one new comer was piercing with dark brown hair and blue eyes the other was ethereal with platinum hair and gray eyes so light they appeared silver to Randolph.
"We are Agents… Detectives… Brown and Goldman, respectively," The dark haired one answered. Randolph felt his heart melt at the musical voice that issued forth as Brown continued to speak. "Detectives MacLean, Laytner, Orcot and Jameson are all on leave due to separate and uniquely intriguing family matters. We are fill-ins until their return. We will handle their cases and in due process turn them back over to them upon their return."
Randolph nodded and turned to go back to his own office. He paused turning back to the beautiful pair. "I don't mean to be rude, but I have to ask," Randolph paused looking them over again debating whether or not to voice his concern. Brown and Goldman both waited with mild curiosity on their faces. "You are men…?"
Brown and Goldman both looked at each other with bright smiles on their faces that seemed to light the room. Then they looked at Randolph who became so enamored of their smiles that he almost did not hear their answer. "Yes," They both said. "We are male." Randolph nodded leaving the office for good baffled at the strange events taking place inside the precinct.
Break
"Ryo," Alicia entered the kitchen where Ryo was busy preparing dinner. Ryo looked up with a smile on his face He heard Bikky and Rain upstairs talking excitedly and poring over one of Rain's journals. "I want a question answered before I make my decision about Arcadia."
Ryo turned his sauce to simmer and sat down at the table with Alicia. He looked into the living room to see Dee in deep conversation with Renee. He smiled to see them getting to know each other. They had yet to deal with her being Rain's aunt, right now, they would focus on her as Dee's mother. "What question?" Ryo asked taking his tea and warming it in his hands.
Alicia stared at the bubbling liquid a moment. Her eyes lifted to Ryo's then dropped to her folded hands. " You said Lyo would have to stay with you or you would not help me… Why would you be deliberately… I mean he is my son. Why are you taking my son?"
"Arcadia is based on rules," Ryo tried to explain. Failing that he sighed. "I am not doing this to be mean," Ryo sighed again thinking that the words were something that Bikky or Rain would say. "Or selfish, I do not just want to keep Lyo, though I do love him as my own. Arcadia is… Well they adhere to human free will. You are old enough to make such a decision on your own. My own mother never told me I was a dragon. I would have found out when I was eighteen. Then I would choose the life of a mortal or the life of a dragon. Even at that age I cannot say I knew what was best. As I am now it is a tough choice to make and one I am finding an ever increasing burden as the title carries several lesser titles and land…" Ryo shuddered then purposefully refocused on Alicia. "You will be in his life, and when he is eighteen the choice will his to make. That is all. Arcadia will accept consenting adults, not children. He will be heavily influenced."
"What do you mean?" Alicia asked worried that her son would never truly be human.
"Take Rain and Bikky for instance. They still have years yet before they would make any choices. They can choose what family of Arcadia they will belong to. They may want to be marked by dragon blood, or that of the phoenix, or the unicorns, or any race offered there. They can even choose to become oblivious to Arcadia, forgetting all… even me. Prince Angel has said that Rain has the possibilities of Wind in him and Bikky could master fire. They could both be mages of Arcadia if they so choose."
"But what about me?" Alicia wondered having her mind at ease about her son and the man she had left him with.
"What do you wish?" Ryo asked instead. "Think of a creature you would like to emulate. If the king allows it, you will be human still, but you will have to ability to take the form of your preferred creature…"
"A mermaid," Alicia blushed to have so quickly cut off Ryo's words. "When I was a child in Italy I fell in love with the tales of mermaids and King Triton…"
"He will be delighted to hear it." Ryo said when Alicia trailed off. "When we go to the consulate later this week to formally announce you, I will introduce you two." Alicia's eyes widened and filled. Ryo smiled, reached a hand over and warmed her coffee.
Break
"This is stupid!" Leon exploded charging to his feet startling Lord D. Count D placed a reassuring hand on his father before he turned his eyes to Leon. "We are playing right into their hands. They spook us, then have us alter our lives to try to supercede a plan only to fall into a trap."
"Leon this is an angry, vengeful relative, not a criminal mastermind." Count D tried to placate his lover.
"Most times you can not tell one from the other." Leon muttered earning a halfhearted snicker from JJ.
"What would you suggest we do?" Sofu asked. He looked over at Leon from his perch on the armrest of Lady Aurora's chair.
"I suggest," Leon arched a brow at the Kami. "That we go on with out lives. When the trap is sprung, be ready. I would rather face this head on than hide in here and have them blindside us. It's coming, you know it. I would rather let it come and fight. The best defense is a good offense."
"Are you really willing to risk so much?" Aurora looked at Leon her eyes showing her age more than her features ever could.
"We could lose it all either way. I want to lose it knowing I lived to the bitter end, and fighting." Leon smiled. "No one takes something from me without me giving them something for their effort."
"So what do you suggest?" Sofu got to his feet and walked over to Leon. "Do we let them take our children?"
"As soon as they get it out of their system, we can kick their asses then get on with life."
"Do you realize who we are dealing with?" Aurora asked feeling a shudder of revulsion. "Daughter of Zeus, she could call aid from her father and have the many ancient titans come against us… I am mighty, but not that mighty."
Leon looked out into the brilliant afternoon sunlight. "I am not for sitting locked in this pet shop."
"Can we not look to Arcadia for aid?" JJ asked wondering at the gravity of their situation.
"You have no inkling, child, what that could do to the Arcadian realms." Sofu heaved a tired sigh. "I will not be the cause of such a harrowing event on the plains of that lovely palace."
"What kind of event would calling for help bring?" Leon whispered to Count D.
Before Count D could answer his question Sofu continued. "Many years ago when Zarro ascended the throne, there were several Olympians who tried to wrest it from him feeling that the leader Zeus should retain his former glory serving no one. But their might was as nothing compared to the might of the White Lions, the Gryphons and the Dragons. This was just before the Fairy and Elven kingdoms joined us. Arcadia was terrorized by…"
"Civil war," Leon finished thinking of a time in the US's own troubled past. "But wouldn't that mean that they would go against Zarro if they attacked us."
"They have no qualms against that," Lady Aurora sighed. "It would mean another shot at the crown. A simple family squabble would turn into a full-scale war; something mother is fond of starting. Her infidelity lost so many lives I am ashamed to admit she birthed me."
"Are you forgetting," The room turned startled eyes to the doorway to see Nestoir leaning against it, as if he had been there a while. "That Zarro has an entirely new army at his disposal." Nestoir walked into the room. "You Kami's are not without your own defenses and allies. Your oldest brother…" Nestoir looked deeply into Sofu's eyes. "Is quite fond of you." With those words Nestoir turned to smoke. His voice wafted to them as he floated out into the warm afternoon. "Let them come." Leon grinned, he had always liked Andy's husband. "…Be…Prepared…"
Break
Ryo stood at the sink mulling over the Andy's words as he cleaned the lunch dishes. He was amazed that Rain was doing so well after such a complete mental breakdown. Whatever it was that Prince Angel had said to him had worked wonders. Bikky would not speak on it. Thinking of that day brought him back to what Andy had wanted to speak with him and Dee about. She had looked more adult than he ever hoped to see the vivacious bubble of childish energy.
While Ryo had sniffled wiping the trail of tears that fell down his cheeks and Dee had simmered Andy had leaned over her chair looking deep into their eyes. "He will need to talk." Andy had said. "He will have questions, and you will have to answer them."
"Questions?" Dee wondered aloud as Ryo blew his nose on the handkerchief that Daphnus gave him. The silken article the first sign that he had entered the sumptuous room.
"We have already discussed things of a sexual nature," Ryo whispered his face heating. "He asked, if Dee loved me so much why would he hurt me so terribly. I explained…"
Andy shook her head, "When he needs to talk, you be ready, no matter how embarrassed you are you need to talk to him. Or he will get his answers elsewhere and who knows what knuckleheaded teenager will give him advice…the wrong advice. Better he hear the truth from you than fantasy's from a child."
Ryo nodded prepared to speak but Andy got to her feet her dress sliding over her form like lavender liquid sparkling in the jewel toned light. "Another thing Ryo-Chan." Ryo looked up and felt warmth wrap around his chilled body. "You need to forgive him, and so does Rain. This hatred will kill you inside. Let it go."
"Forgive the boys who…" Ryo began but Andy shook her head slowly her own eyes filling as she touched the raw, burning emotions that roiled inside of Ryo a similar heat emanated from Dee. Andy took her hand away from his face and touched his heart.
"Easy to say," Dee ground out his jaw clenched. "You were not there that night," Dee stared at the hanging painting of Queen Victoria. "You did not see him Andy, a child… A child being held down and… he was on top of him…"
"He has been taken from this world and sent to his judgment. Harboring this hatred cannot hurt him, it never could, and all it can do is tear you up inside." Andy's words felt like a knife in his soul. Ryo realized he was just standing with his hands running under the hot water. As it fell off his hands it sizzled and evaporated never reaching the sink. "Let it go," Andy's words rang in his heart. "You all need to let it go."
"Ryo!" Bikky ran into the kitchen pulling Ryo away from the sink. Not knowing what was wrong Bikky simply put his arms around Ryo. Ryo cooled his hands and returned the impromptu embrace. "You ok?"
"I'll be fine…I" Ryo tried to smile. Thinking of how well Rain had seemed to adjust after his talk with Prince Angel Ryo smiled. "I am fine. So is Rain. We will be ok. He can't hurt us anymore…"
"Ryo?" Bikky questioned tossing a helpless look at Dee who rushed into the kitchen when he saw Ryo in tears.
"Prince Angel said that Andy told him," Rain said entering the kitchen a small smile on his face. "That you can't always look behind you. If you look behind you, you are more than likely to walk into a wall or off a cliff. Look forward and see where it can lead." With a simple smile from Rain Ryo could feel his grip on his anger slip. The smile widened and just like that he let it go.
Break
Count D sat on the park bench next to his father and watched as Chris, Rain and Bikky pushed them on the small toddler swings. Leon prowled the playground keeping his eyes wide. T-Chan marched beside him sniffing random strangers. T-Chan growled as a stranger sidled up to the bench ignoring the children. "You are still so beautiful," Count D frowned at the familiar voice of the man who addressed his father. Lord D looked up at Hamanosuke a small smile on his face. Hama- allowed his hand to stray to a length of Lord D's silken hair where it fell over his shoulder.
Lord D smiled as the hand was shoved away. JJ stood behind Hama holding the wrist of the offending hand. "Haven't you learned not to touch him?" JJ tossed the hand aside. "It pisses me off."
"Tell me," Hama said as Count D gasped feeling a pain in his heart that he did not recognize. "What pisses you off more? ME touching him, or…" Hama turned his head to look at Leon and T-Chan fighting several large men while several figures headed for the children. "Her touching them?" Count D jumped to his feet as he saw Helen heading towards the children. Chris held Aoi in his arms backing away while Rain and Bikky snatched Kiba and Shinrai.
JJ's heart beat in a twisted cadence of panic. He needed to protect his children, yet he needed to free Lord D from Hamanosuke. What a great time for Sofu and Aurora to seek Soofu A JJ thought frantically. They should never have left the safety of the shop. "Be at ease," JJ's mind reeled when he saw Bikky and Rain knocked out and Chris soon following. "All is as planned."
"Andy these are my children! Are you insane?!" JJ yelled struggling against her words.
"You had already lost this battle before it began. At least this way we can plan a counter. Leon was correct about staying in the shop. They think to attack from all sides."
"What do you mean?" JJ asked as he grappled with Hama.
"We were coming to your aid when the alarm sounded at the palace. Dae is making war on Arcadia! If we had gone to the shop we would have gotten here too late to aid the king." Andy's presence left JJ as he received a ringing blow to his scull from behind. Lord D struggled but was caught in a strong embrace.
"It's us," Angel looked up where Collins shoved against the thin Asian man that stood over JJ. Collins was amazed at the wiry strength that was pushing him back.
"Get back human. This is not your fight!" Hama yelled shoving Collins to the ground. He looked at Angel holding on to Lord D and a smile lit his face. "But it is now." Angel bit back a scream as he and Lord D were enveloped in a black cloud and solid ground vanished from beneath their feet. He felt Lord D slump in his arms unconscious.
Count D felt rage build in his slight frame as he fought the demons trying to take the children. Several swarmed him at once enveloping him in a mound of hard, scaled bodies. Leon felt the breath leave his lungs as Count D vanished from view along with the group of children. The demons disbanded leaving Count D on the cold ground panting for air. "They're gone," Count D sobbed feeling his own heart pound as he suffered through his first parental attack that all Kami's experienced when their children were in peril. "Oh, my love, they have taken the children."
To-BE-Continued