The Supernatural World of Vladimir and Viktor, Chapter 12
Sam Winchester appeared at the Vam San first, outside Hank's door, and knocked.
"I thought I would be brave and in control for her," said Hank. "But I've never had to deal with something like this." He kicked at the box on the floor with Beryx's head in it.
"I've had experience with this," Sam assured him. "Give me the box and let's go talk to her."
When they reached the lobby, Anica was giving orders to the new residents who were still setting up their rooms as if it were just another day. Sam approached Anica with box in hand just as Castiel appeared with Eddie, her son Vladimir and Viktor.
Vladimir spied the box immediately. "Oooh! What's in there?" He and Viktor rushed up to Sam to see.
"Nothing!" Sam switched the box to behind himself and pushed it back against Hank and mumbled, "Take it back to your room."
Hank disappeared again with the box.
Eddie pulled the boys back, giving Sam a knowing look. He would find out later what was going on.
"Anica," he said. "The boys don't know the news yet. Do you want to talk with them together?"
"Yes. Come with me, you two. I have something serious to talk about with you." Anica led Vladimir and Viktor outside behind the complex, as Eddie followed Sam back to Hank's room and Castiel disappeared to get Sheriff Mills.
Anica came back into the Vam San with a teary-eyed Vladimir clinging to her side. They settled into a chair in the lobby and Monica set them up with hot chocolate and gave them space. One by one, residents came by and hugged Vladimir and gave their condolences.
Eddie noticed young Viktor had quietly entered later and was standing stone-faced in the far corner of the room, staring at the floor. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and whispered, "Come on, son. Let's take a walk."
They settled in on the farthest couch in the lounge, and sat quietly for a while.
Finally, Eddie said to the boy, "This is just between you and me, Vik. You're glad Vladimir's papa is gone, aren't you?"
"He was mean to me. I hate him." Viktor began to pout and lowered his face into his father's side.
Eddie wrapped his arm around him. "You're absolutely right. He was mean, and you have every right to be angry at him. It's natural for you to feel as you do. It's perfectly right."
They sat for a few more minutes, then Eddie continued. "I don't know if you heard, but when you were flying over the woods upset that day, everyone here was angry with Beryx and told him what they thought of what he did. Vladimir said he was staying out among the cement blocks, too, and his mama told Beryx she was ashamed of him. He went and hid when you came back. I really believe if he had more time, he would have told you he was sorry for being mean to you." Viktor was looking up at him.
"And think of Vladimir and his mama. They know all the good things his papa did over the years that you never got to see. He protected them from really bad people who aren't happy with what's being done here, and now he's gone and they're scared and hurting and sad. Do you think you could forgive Vladimir's papa for being mean, and feel sad for Vladimir losing his papa for today? I think he really needs that right now."
Viktor sat upright and stood up with some urgency. "Yeah. I need to tell Vladimir I'm sad for him."
Eddie walked with him back to the lobby to find Vladimir. There, Sheriff Jody Mills and Claire were with Castiel giving their condolences to Anica and introducing Andros Pesti and his papers.
"We weren't going to share this yet," explained Andros. "We had hoped to find all of Mr. Griswald's assets, beyond just the vampire-infested buildings. But this is most of them. And I have connections to the service that supplies their victims. It's based in Denver. Beryx and I agreed that, if one of us were killed, the other would take what we have to Sheriff Mills. He figured that it would be unwise for me to bring these here directly."
"Joseph, take Mr. Pesti into the lounge and help him lay his papers out on the tables," said Anica. "We can look over them after things settle down. It's been a long day."
Everyone had grown quiet as the loss of Beryx totally sank in. Anica turned Vladimir over to Viktor's attention and took Sam's arm. "Let's take care of Hank."
Castiel realized he had forgotten about Dean and transported to the bunker to get him. When they both appeared in the lobby, Dean looked around puzzled at the unusually quiet group.
"Hey! Who's funeral?" Dean announced cheerfully.
Sam looked to Castiel. "Did you think to tell Dean that Beryx had died before popping him over here?
Castiel looked down a moment and back up at Sam. "Um, no. I didn't think to do that."
"Hank, honey, give me the head." Anica stood at Hank's doorway with Sam behind her. Eddie was nearby.
Hank picked up the box and solemnly handed it over.
"It's sweet of you to worry about my feelings," Anica explained. "You're still new enough to believe there's a chance for romance as a vampire. I hope that, here, that can come true for you. But, when you are several hundred years old like I am, there's no room for left for that. It's just lust and then the bloodletting. Beryx and I are only married because I failed to kill him during the act and I bore a child, and we chose to give him legitimate parents for the records.
"Now, that doesn't mean I won't tear Griswald's little fiefdom down around him to pay for what he did. But there won't be tears about it. I'll report Beryx's final death in Vienna – let's see, how many death records have there been filed for him so far? Fifteen? Yes, so this will be for Beryx Tomesku, the Sixteenth, the final one. We'll bury his remains in the family cemetery in Cluj, back in Romania and redirect the Tomesku estate to his son Vladimir. Then, that will be that."
"Oh, one more thing." Anica turned to Eddie. "I need to set up guardianship with you for Vladimir, eventually full adoption. He's a tough little boy, but I don't want him centering his life around a vampire's nest. Twelve years is enough. He should think of you and Viktor when he thinks of home. I want to be able to control when he comes here, so he isn't involved in whatever conflict we're likely to have with the east coast. It could get serious. Beryx would have agreed."
After giving profuse apologies in the lobby, Dean checked his ringing smart phone. It was Wogglebug. "Hey, what's up?"
"I found out more about your parasite," said Wogglebug. "I found the parts that secrete venom and digestive enzymes. They are on the lower side of the mass on which its legs are attached. That's explains why the spinners are in your mouth. It's attached to you upside down. Otherwise you'd have been spitting silk out of your butt."
"Ho, funny, ho," replied Dean.
His brother was listening in behind him and snickering. "You'd have to change your pants every time you farted, Dean."
"Bitch!"
"But," continued Wogglebug, "with the organs on the part of the parasite on the inside of the host, the fluids would spill into the host's body instead of the host's victim's body, which would kill the parasite, too. And without the hard shell of an insect, the dissolved body would just become a gooey puddle on the floor. There is nothing logical about a parasite killing itself along with its food source. Nothing gets digested so why bother?"
"And, have you found Charlie?" Wogglebug added.
"No," said Dean. "I was going to ask Sandra about him when I go to see her. Maybe I should pay an early visit." He swatted at Sam, who was trying to get at something on him with a paper towel.
One final dab with the towel and something large and shivering dropped from Dean's shoulder onto the floor. Vladimir and Viktor were over it in a heart beat.
"Oooooh!" said Vladimir. "It's got babies!"
Sam pulled the boys apart so he and Dean could see, as a sprinkling of black dots scurried about and regroup back onto a large spider's back.
"A mother wolf spider carrying it's babies on her back. It was climbing up you shoulder, Dean," said Sam.
He reeled back as Dean came closer to crouch down over the spider family. "Eww! Didn't you shower? You're all musky smelling. Maybe you're attracting them."
"Sam could be right," said Wogglebug over the phone. "The parasite probably ejected pheromones into your system. Eddie flushed clean blood into you, but they could still be embedded in your skin, and you are attracting female spiders. You need to scrub thoroughly with tomato juice and vodka. That should take care of it."
"So you want Dean to bathe in a tub full of Bloody Mary," Sam confirmed.
"Pheromones would explain why there were spider babies in my car when I visited Sandra," said Dean. "Charlie was looking over my car and probably got his male spider pheromones all over it. I probably splattered the mothers all over the engine when I started the car."
"We should check out where Charlie stayed in Concordia tomorrow," said Sam.