As promised, I'm posting what I have for you - a shortish chapter, but it brings Meredith and Derek back to his ancestral home. Next update will give you some of what is going on with the other couples, just so you aren't left wondering!


Chapter Thirty-six

Meredith looks around at the peaceful countryside, bathed in the soft glow of the full moon. The old manor house is still standing, albeit showing it's age rather gracefully. Vines of ivy crawl along the stone walls, softening the harsh edges. Many of the windows have been long gone, but here and there, a stained glass mullion is still there, glinting in the moonlight.

"It's gorgeous, Derek," she murmurs.

He nods silently. The ancestral home has been empty for several centuries. The land is under his control, rented out to various farmers and other country noblemen who want to live there without the worries of ownership. The manor has been keep under security, with enough repairs to keep it from crumbling away entirely.

They have come here as the final stop on their trip. He wanted to share this part of his heritage with her – let her into the part of his life he had kept away from everyone else. Wyndhaven Manor was all that was left of that past.

Their honeymoon had been magical – they spent long hours in Paris, along the Seine, walking and talking. Veronique had been their host there, introducing them to many of her close circle. They found their way to out of the way night clubs, some owned by vampires, and some not. Enjoying the smoky jazz music, finding willing hosts to feed from, and making slow sweet love until daylight claimed them.

They also toured Rome, Vienna and Athens. Meredith had been enchanted with all of it, and Derek took delight in her discovery of all the places she had never been before. Seeing it all through her eyes made it fresh and new to him again.

Now he looks at her, standing in the overgrown gardens behind the manor house. The scent of roses is heavy in the warm evening air, the brambles still growing in profusion along the arbors, and lavender and honeysuckle vied for space along the edges of the flowerbeds. The yew hedges that were once clipped into symmetrical shapes have long resumed their natural state, sprawling out in every direction. "It was gorgeous in its day, but now…"

"It still has a certain charm," she admits, taking his hand. "Why did you leave? I mean you could have stayed…?"

Derek shrugs. "Hard to explain why I didn't age, when everyone around me would have. Easier to keep moving. There were no heirs to leave it to, I was the only son of an only son, and my child died, as you know. But this is still my home, always, in my mind."

"Can you show me more? Or is it too dangerous?"

Derek grins, fangs flashing white. "Not too dangerous for our kind, love." He squeezes her hand. "Let's go…"

In an instant, she finds herself inside the great hall. Though it's dusty and crumbling, she can sense the grandeur of by gone days. Even though Kiera is no longer part of her, Meredith can almost picture the elegant tapestries and furnishings. She turns around in a slow circle, as Derek watches her carefully. Dressed in her slim black slacks tucked into knee high boots, and white gauze shirt, with her hair around her shoulders, she looks as if she could almost fit into the past. Just as if she were a tomboyish young lady, dressed for a ride on a favorite filly.

"Maybe I can find more of Kiera's diaries here," she says, her eyes sparkling as she turns to face him.

"Maybe," Derek agrees, "but don't get your hopes up. Things could have been destroyed by time, after all. I took many mementos with me, and left anything that was too painful to remember." He moves silently to her side, pulling her into his arms. His mouth brushes her temple, and along her cheek. "I'm glad you are able to see this place. I still feel a deep connection, and always will. I used to come here when I could, to rest."

Meredith rises up on her toes to kiss him, sliding her tongue along his briefly. "I can understand why."

"Come…I want to show you the view from the top tower. It's a clear night, and we can watch the shooting stars. You'll never see them like this anywhere else," he promises, leading her towards the stairs. The twisting staircase has been reinforced, but he takes no chances. Without conscious thought, Meredith finds herself with him, standing at the stone turrets, the night air warm around them once again.

The stars are brilliant, so far away from any kind of artificial lighting, and she can make out constellations clearly. She gives him a smile of delight, as he moves in to circle her with his arms, standing behind her. "Just wait…" he murmurs. Then the first star falls, shooting across the inky sky like a giant sparkler, fading away to nothing. "There!" One more follows, and another.

"Oh…so beautiful…"

Derek trails his hands higher, along her arms, turning her around to face him. Capturing her face, before kissing her deeply, tongue teasing hers. "Just like you…" he breathes, his eyes dark blue pools, with the gold flaring to life.

"This is just we need to do…make love to me here, Derek…here in the moonlight," she whispers, quivers of anticipation blazing along her spine. The night air seems richer, her acute senses picking up the scent of the roses, and Derek's unique essence. "Where your new existence all began."

"If you're sure…it's not the most comfortable of places," Derek points out, even as he kisses a little nibbling trail along her neck. Even as her hands are pushing his jacket away from his shoulders. A few more stars dart across the heavens, as they slowly undress each other. Standing face to face then, their fingers entwining, as they continue to kiss, with slow sensuality. Here where they are utterly removed from everything else, all that matters is the touch of skin on skin, the slide of his lean muscle against her soft curves, the caress of lips and tongues.

Derek lowers her down carefully, arranging the discarded clothing beneath them. "Again…not the most romantic…" he growls, poised above her.

"It works for me," Meredith whispers, holding out her hand to pull him closer. Admiring the play of his muscle as he moves, the black hair tumbling over his forehead, the moonlight slanting over his skin. "We're part of the darkness, Derek, forever…"

"…forever…" he agrees, stroking his hand along her thigh, settling between her legs.

Her fingers slip along his spine, pulling him closer, and she loves the way he feels against her. His cock teases her dampness, as he moves to kiss her again, taking her mouth just as he enters her. Just as one more flash of light arcs above them, with a scattering of smaller sparks following it.

Derek throws his head back, as she pulls him in deeper, losing himself in her with every fiber of his being. She is right, they are part of the darkness, creatures of the night, and it feels amazing to be here with her like this. Joining the past with his present, their love wrapping them together forever.