Disclaimer: See Ch1. Lyrics used are Down by Criss Angel, he pwns every letter
Under The Rose
Chapter 11: Personal Engagement
You don't look hard to find
What's deep in your mind
It's easier to hate than see
Your convictions of stone
You kill off your own
"Hey there chief, mind if we come in?"
I was about to ask who we was, then I saw Rick. Instant explanation.
"No, come on in!" I replied with a smile, ushering my family inside. "Where's the fat one?"
"Out donating her money to the slot machines," my dad replied.
"No, she's not chief," my brother countered. "She's at that Chippendale's club,"
You'll have to forgive my family and our titles. Somehow, everyone is chief. I'm chief, Dad's chief, and Rick is chief. Except Joclyn. She's just the fat one, Java the Hutress, or Java for short.
"Gee, what a surprise. Speaking of, what the hell are you guys doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, cause believe me, I am!"
And I honestly was too. Never in these long 15 years had they come to visit me. I wasn't resentful about that though. Aside from the Nox Manor, we moved around a lot. Something I was to blame for. Everyone wants a psyvamp, I really couldn't see why, still don't to this day.
"Well your brother here—"
"Dad, don't gank my thunder dude! I got a job in town, as the on-call animal doctor to, get this, Siegfried and Roy."
"OH MY GODS!" I exclaimed, tackling him. "That's amazing! I'm so happy for you I knew you could do it!" And I did too; my brother could do anything he set his mind to. He was always the smart one. I had the common sense, and the artsy skills. But it was alright, no report cards in vampire home school.
"So, you gonna introduce us to your friends?" my father asked, looking from Criss to Niyessa.
"Oh! Of course! Guys, this is my brother Rick, and Henry, my Dad. Family, this is Niyessa Delano, Criss Angel, and Doyle, whom you know already."
Everyone shook hands, all hunky doory.
"So, what's true and what's fiction?" my brother inquired.
"What do you mean?"
"Tabloids," Criss explained.
"Oh! Those. Well, depends, if they say I'm a psyvamp who's currently dating Criss Angel, then they're true." I honestly wouldn't know if they did either. The only magazines I ever read are Metal Edge and Alt Press. Not much of a newspaper person either. Doyle is. If anything important comes up, he tells me. Only if its 'must know or die' though, otherwise, any speculations about me I could care less.
"Well," my father laughed, "There are some interesting bits about you and, ah, Criss here. But your nature is safe as ever."
I knew it would be. Mortals always explain what they can, deny what they can't, and block out everything else. It's a really odd thing to witness.
One look at Criss would reveal that he was almost nervous, trying to impress my dad. He didn't have to. Seriously. My dad has never cared who I date, he trusts my judgment. Always has and always will.
"So, what brings the whole family to town?"
"You do, for us anyway. I gave your mother the excuse we were going to help your brother here get acquainted."
"But really," Rick continued, "We're here to see you. Catch up and stuff, go see your show tonight and what not."
Oh yes, my life is busy. Despite all of this insanity, I've still been holding to my contract of one show a night for the Mirage, 7-9. I like 7-9, gives me plenty of time to go clubbing afterwards, or investigate Bryce's death as it turns out lately.
"Yeah chief, we miss you. Stopped by to say hi and hopefully drag you, I mean, invite you to lunch with us!"
Before I could say anything, Niyessa's phone rang, halting all speech in the room save for hers. She sounded excited. Said assumption was confirmed when the young Sanguine squealed like a deranged Loyal upon clapping the cell shut.
"Scooter! Tonight! JET!"
You had to be kidding me. At first, I could only blink, brain completely fried in shock for a few seconds. Then my voice box sounded what my mind was thinking.
"Oh. My. GODESS! And-and we can get there wicked early, and line jump, cuz, I freakin work here! Sweet Diana mother of Aradia!"
Everyone looked confused as hell. Even Criss. Apparently he wasn't quite the techno obsessed raver that we were.
"Sorry, guys. Scooter, the world's most talented DJ ever to grace a mixing board, is playing tonight at the JET, on the ground floor of this hotel. Criss, we go, yes?"
Criss
"Yes babe, we go," I responded with a grin at her adorable state of excitement.
Though despite her smiles and laughter, Tara's mind was a confusing blend of terror and rage. All of which caused by her mother.
She put on a brilliant act of it. If I hadn't come into this new ability via vampyric bond, I would have never noticed anything was wrong. And I'm a pretty insightful guy.
"Sow how about we take you out to lunch? Catch up on the past decade."
'But I have lunch, with Criss! A lunch date with Criss! Our first ever date and I love you guys but I don't him to feel all awkward and at the same time I don't want to look like I'm blowing off my family, ugg! Why do these things have to be so damn complicated?!'
What she actually said was:
"I have a…prior personal engagement."
"Oh well, we can come later and—"
"No, its no trouble at all. You're both welcome to join us. Just give me a moment with your daughter and we'll meet you in the lobby."
Tara
How the hell had he…oh wait a bum fluffing minute! Which I actually had to while my family left. As soon as I gauged they were out of hearing range, I stopped waiting.
"You know, maybe you should knock from now on or something."
"And how could I possibly do that?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at him as if daring me to figure out how.
"I don't know! Add it to the list of questions I can't answer."
I had to stop and think for a moment, right the fuck now. Moving this quickly from one crisis to the next could not be healthy, almost immortal or not.
"I'm sorry if I did something wrong to somehow upset you just now. I thought that this would solve all of your problems."
Hey, at least he tried. I gave him a point for effort.
"It does, sort of. I just wanted to have some time alone with you that didn't involve mental break downs or the divulging of big dark secrets, that's all."
I honestly couldn't think of anything else to say that wasn't sappy or an apology.
"Dinner, tonight. We can eat in at my place and meet your friends at JET afterwards."
I wasn't exactly sure what to say, so I reverted to the words that first came to mind.
"Thank you. Now lets go get some lunch Captain six-pack."
Criss
"You cut your hair. I like it; looks like Dr. Chase."
"Well," her brother laughed, fluffing his collar "I am a fully certified veterinarian with a specialty in infectious disease."
"You didn't cut yours," was all her father had to say. Some would take it as an insult, but his grin said otherwise.
"I don't like being forced to change my look," Tara answered, giving me an almost glare as she took a bite of her roast beef on rye with extra lettuce.
"What? My stylist said I should soften my look, so I did. She's usually right about it too."
"And you?" Rick asked, looking at his younger sister with that challenging smirk only years of sibling rivalry could bring.
"I had a stylist once. She asked me to cut my hair, get a more 'now' style. She only lasted a week. Never decided to get a new one. Doyle is all the fashionista I can handle or need."
Now I had to ask.
"Doyle, a fashionista?"
"Mmhm. Who do you think picked out that sexy number I wore to Resurrection last night?"
Tara
Yes, I just used sexy to describe myself in front of my dad. And none of us were the least bit uncomfortable about it. Except maybe Criss, I couldn't tell if he was. If so, he hid it damn well.
Though my family looked worried, what about I had no idea. It had been lingering ever since they arrived at my suite. At first I thought I was just imagining things. Now I knew otherwise.
My reasoning was about Criss. But we had already told them about us, leaving out all magical ties of course. That would only confuse the hell out of them, and I was confused enough for all four of us.
"Alright, spill."
"What?" my brother asked, feigning innocence. If I wasn't a psyvamp, he would have easily fooled me. There's a reason why he kicks ass at poker.
"Oh don't try the poker face, psychic here! Doesn't work anymore bud."
"Well, your brother isn't the only reason your mother is in town…"
"What is it then?" I asked, trying to keep the happiness out of my voice. Did she actually want to see me? What if she wants to apologize and make amends like one of those Life Time flicks, except less annoying, and with better dialog.
"Its cancer Tara. Stage four lung cancer."
so...I have this thing written up to ch14. But I doubt anyone still reads it since I haven't posted since fuck knows when. If you do, comment! and I'll post the next chapter.
Much love to everyone who's favorited this thing, only reason I bothered with putting this up at all!
