Chapter 21:
God, I'm busting for the loo & in a taxi an hour from home, so you're getting a chapter to keep me distracted!
"Many years ago, when I was approximately 200, I was still in London. Amelie and I were aquantainces, joining forces whenever Bishop came around, or the other needed help, but not friends. Myrnin was as much as a bugger then, as he is now - I'm not going to get into what he did," Oliver begins and the end'd normally spark my interest but now... Not even a flicker of 'botheredness'.
"Anyway, I was just beginning to go out during the day for little bouts, to build my resistance (as that's what you do), when every day I walked the same way as this young woman named Lucy. And everyday we would have a small exchange of communication - nothing much. Still, I began to notice how pretty she was, her kind heartedness, her helpfulness. Soon I began walking more and more, just to 'bump' into her. I forgot I was a vampire with her... I just felt as if I was falling in love with her. That's why I asked her out," he says, eyes foggy with remembrance. Still, not much feelings here at all.
"We had a few 'dates' and by this time I was pretty besotten, and she was also. I felt like I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, no question about it. Unfortunately, I was a vampire, and she human - it never would have worked: I couldn't inflict this life on her, no matter how much I had wanted it. So I went to her house, to break things off and... I found her... Lying on the floor, unconcscious," he chokes up, and emotion suddenly flows back into me. Poor Oliver - he knows just what I've been through, just the other person's views. And I know that this story doesn't have a happy ending. I reach out and pat his shoulder in a comforting way.
"I gave her CPR - not like most of the idiots of my day (unfortunately I cannot count Myrnin in that category here) I believed in William Harvey and the others like Pare and Vesalius in their beliefs (Lister, Koch and Pasteur weren't for another century, almost) in how the human body worked. This is why I didn't blood let or anything based on the 4 humours. After a while, however, she wasn't coming back so I got Amelie over to help. She said the reason she was like she was, was because we had both wanted to be together, forever, and in fact we were right for each other. She told me to change her," he breaks off once more, tears pouring from his eyes in a way I'd never have expected from Oliver.
"I deliberated for hours - Amelie said that there were 12 hours in which she could be changed. Finally I decided to do it. So I tried... And nothing happened. It turns out she must have been there for ages before I found her. She died!" Oliver bursts into great 'mansobs' and I reach to give him a hug, feeling more sorry for him than I imagined I could ever in my life.
"That's where my hatred, my prejudice, for humans comes from: if Lucy hadn't have left me... I don't know. I didn't hate humans before but when she died, so much rage went through me, it's ridiculous. It's so, so stupid but I have no control of how I link things," he explains through his hands.
"Oh, Oliver, I'm so so sorry, I didn't have a clue," I say apologetically (depressions gone as fast as it came) because I really do mean it. This is completely and utterly the truth because I know how awful it must be to loose the one who love, forever more. Some people may say that because he was going to break up with her (or whatever they did back then) he has no right to feel this way about her still. But the way I view it is that if he loved her that much, that he could see the light of reason to leave her, he would definitely stay. He may have been on his way to leave her forever, but in actual fact he'd probably have ended up proposing when he got there, as he felt like this.
"Are you ok?" I ask him, as he begins to pull himself together.
"Oh yes, this hasn't happened in many years - the heartache, although it doesn't weaken, over time becomes bearable," he grimaces as he stands up. "But this is sort of where I feel I can say that you may think that telling me your innermost thoughts and such is a stupid idea - I can see why you'd think that. However, if you see the fact I've told nobody else this entire story before, you have to believe me that I'll do eveything to help you, just like Amelie did to me," he presses and I nod - with the emotion shown here, and the entire way he let me right in, letting down all walls, gives me that security.
"Yep!" I say.
"Something else that should help you believe me: but if you tell anyone this, I may kill you!" he further presses - ooohhh, what is it?
"What is it?" I ask.
"When I was like you are in your odd moments, I drank a lot of blood of drunks so that the effects of the alcohol could pass through me more. One of these moments, I was in pretty much a hovel and Amelie came by. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I made a pass at her. That's sort of why we're like we are - love/hate. She knows how I am and how I was then and so on. So there you have it," Oliver says with a small chuckle at a long ago memory.
"Ok," I reply slowly but not really sure why he a) told me that or b) whether I can laugh, "Tomorrow for a meeting?"
He nods now, and sits down in his chair.
"10am please - Amelie wants to see you afterwards and as there's the council meeting at 6pm I don't want to not have enough time," he explains - 6pm? I thought it was 7pm normally!
"But I thought the council meetings were at 7pm?" I ask, conpletely confused. He simply smiles, a slightly bitter smile at that.
"Oh Claire, do you really think we made all the important decisions involving humans?" he asks, pitingly (almost reduces the sympathy I have for him), "No, there's a vampire meeting beforehand - before loony bot got out of hiding, it was Amelie and I. Now it's us three and loon!" he finishes and the sympathy loss almost occurs again at his insulting of my boyfriend. Almost. I couldn't lose sympathy for him after what he's said - yet anyway!
"Ok then, so 10am sharp, I'll be here," I confirm, then for the first time, I reach forwards and give him a hug. At first, he's a little confused but then awkwardly wraps his arms around me and I realise this is probably the most intimate movement he's done since Lucy died. This also makes me think of his pass at Amelie - I'm going to have to talk to her about that!
"Goodbye Claire," he says as I walk to the portal and wave. I re-enter my room and as I extend (and really push) my hearing, I can hear the M's still talking about whatever it was they were discussing. I gather myself together (wiping away the marks under my eyes) and then proceed downstairs, where the duo barely look up as I walk back in.
My phone beeps:
you have a text message from Sam.
Hey kiddo, just wanted to say thank you for helping me get the suits today because otherwise I'd never have gotten anything. Also, good luck with Amelie because she's already asked me about colour schemes the suits and everything 5million times so enjoy her pestering on you! Sam x
Ahhhh that's sweet for saying thank you and also warning me (although it's already 4 hours too late!) about his soon-to-be wife's obsessive disorder on knowing of all the details in everything she is involved in. Anyway, it's still nice of him to do such a thing for me, so I send a message back.
No problem Sam and also thanks but it's already too late: she was on the warpath for details 4 hours ago! Claire x
I look through the crack in the curtains and see the sun is almost down so we can leave shortly for the car. Hopefully anyway, because I check my phone and see that it's already 10pm (sun doesn't go down until almost 10:30pm in Summer here) and the majority of humans (99%) are in their houses by now! Thank god because I couldn't face talking to/facing any of them, especially Monica Morrell.
"When can we go?" I whine to Michael who laughs at my impatience.
"We'll go at 11pm," he says, "Let's just have some pizza first!"
I nod - j'adore pizza and this'll mean this enjoyance will mean the sun can go completely down before I grow too impatient!
"Well unfortunately, I must go because I have some work to do, see you tomorrow!" Myrnin proclaims, standing up, and I run over to him and plant a massive smooch on his lips which stuns him slightly before he responds, putting his arms around my waist. Michael makes a bleugh noise before laughing and walking into the kitchen and removing a pizza from the fridge before plonking it in the oven.
"See you tomorrow," I say, rather breathlessly because of the snoggathon we've just had.
He lightly kisses my lips before disappearing through the portal to the lab. Oh I can't WAIT to get out into the open air!
Did you like what Oliver said to Claire? Both parts - tell me please, your opinion!
Please review this story for me!
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Also, I had an idea about an Oliver story or Oliver/Amelie (after Sam died). Just wondering what you thought of these possibilities? Vicky xx