Chapter 15: The History of Ellis and Thatcher

Derek stirs, seeing the room in dim shadows now, aware of the sun sinking. Stretching his arms out, putting his hand out for Meredith, but coming up with nothing. The bed is huge, the sheets crisp and cool, with a thick duvet and feather soft pillows. They had both fallen into bed earlier, sleep claiming him instantly, restoring his body, completing the recovery from his encounter with Michelangelo. He is anxious to return to his own penthouse, but he is content to stay here with Meredith for a few days. Then it will be her decision whether she wants to stay here and come with him. Though as his bonded mate now, her choice should be with him. He runs a hand over his jaw, and sits up, pushing the sheets down.

From the bathroom comes the sound of the shower, and he can see remnants of a late afternoon dinner on the small table by the fireplace. The alluring thought of Meredith in the shower stirs his interest, and with a wicked smile, Derek shoves the covers away from his body. In an instant, he is inside the steamy space with her, gliding his hands along her upper arms, pulling her back against him. "This is very nice to wake up to," he whispers in her ear. "Shall we work on that little naughty image you had yesterday?"

By the time they had both tumbled into bed earlier, they had been too emotionally and physically tired, to do more than kiss softly, and hold each other. Derek succumbed to his vampire sleep first, with Meredith drifting away next. Meredith turns now in surprise, watching his dark eyes beginning to turn gold.

"I couldn't resist joining you," he adds, seeing the frothy soap trailing down her skin. "You don't mind a little company, do you?"

"You've read my mind once again," Meredith giggles with a little shake of her head. Turning in his embrace, she lets her fingers follow the drops of water chasing down his taut abdomen. Lower still, until she grasps the hard, full, length of him in her small hand. Water sluices over and between them, steam enveloping them. A small groan escapes Derek, and he moves closer to her, wet skin sucking and sliding together. "And I don't have to read your mind to know how much you like this…" She caresses him a little more firmly, stroking the velvet softness encasing the hard-pulsing muscle.

"Very good, Meredith…"

Derek finds himself backed against the wet tiles, as she continues to stroke him. Leaning into him, she kisses him, winding her tongue around his. Her curves rub against his solid muscle, her soft breasts crushing against the coarse hair on his chest. Her hot mouth travels lower, teeth nipping here and there, pausing along the indent of his navel, before following the trail of hair that tapers down to his cock. Derek's head goes back, losing himself in the sensation of it. Pure desire arcs in him, from his groin to his fangs. He wants her sweet mouth to do the things she was thinking of, and he wants her blood. As her lips go around him, her tongue swirls along the leaking, aching tip, and his hips flex instinctively forwards. He tries to control himself, to not push too hard, but it takes all of his vampire willpower not to rush her. Heat and need build in him to a fever pitch, and he puts his hands out, fingers splaying along the slick tiles, to keep from tangling his hands in her hair and pulling her closer. He shakes his head to clear the water from his eyes, reveling in the pure eroticism of the moment. No other woman has ever matched his own desires so perfectly before.

His blood mate.

His adored woman.

Meredith feels every throb of his pulse with every touch of her mouth, connecting with him from the blood he gave her. Tasting the water, and his own masculine essence, as she continues to pleasure him. She moves a little faster, a little slower, teasing him to the point of mindlessness. All he can do is feel, trying to remember to breathe, to hang onto the last shred of his control, as his body fills with molten heat.

"Meredith…" he mutters, pulling away from her exquisite mouth, "I'm far too hungry for you to be satisfied without being inside of you..." Without pausing, he lifts her easily in his powerful arms, finding her hot slickness, and driving himself into her as far as he can. Kissing her deeply, feeling the urgency of her desire everywhere they touch. Thrusting up into her, as she wraps herself around his pistoning hips, meeting him stroke for stroke. His strong hands are supporting her back, as he relinquishes her mouth, watching her share the passion flowing between them.

"Yes, I need you…" she moans, feeling the delicious sensation of him moving inside her, drinking in the liquid desire in his eyes. Knowing this man, this vampire, is all hers, for all time.

Utterly.

Irrevocably.

Derek lowers his mouth to her throat, and she arches back, as supple as a feline, giving him total surrender. Quivers of anticipation feather her spine, as he grazes the soft skin. "Yes…" she sighs, pleasure mounting rapidly. He waits, anticipating the perfect moment, feeling the spasm of her pussy around him. Just as it spikes, his fangs pierce her skin, and Meredith shudders at the sensation. He sucks the sweet blood, feeling it flow through him, fueling his own pleasure. This time he is not fighting for his life, just thirsty for her essence, binding her to him even more with every swallow.

Shaking and squeezing around him, the orgasm starts to take Meredith away, the pull of his mouth on her adding to the otherworldly feeling. It seems more intense, more incredible, this time, and she floats into an endless arc of bliss. She wants to savor it, rein it in to make it last, but the fire consumes her to the point of no return, leaving her breathless.

Derek takes the last pull of her blood, before his own climax wrenches him, and he lets her throat go, a small trickle of blood mingling with the water before he licks it away, sealing the puncture. Taking her mouth again, kissing more gently now, breathing raggedly. He lowers his forehead to hers, letting the water hiss around them. Meredith wraps her arms around his neck, holding him closer, as her heart continues to hammer in her chest. Unable to speak, still in the euphoria of the moment, she settles for holding him, knowing the blood bond between them allows him to feel just how good it had been for her.

"Tell me about my mother," Meredith says, looking over at Thatcher, as she sits with him in the library. Derek is at the windows, hands laced behind his back, staring out at the silent night. Dressed in a tailored black suit, and blue shirt, his hair still damp, he looks nothing like the man who had made Meredith boneless with want earlier. He clamps down firmly any kind of thought of her, naked and wet, to keep from giving Thatcher any insight on what happened before they met with him here.

Meredith herself is dressed in a slim pencil skirt, black with a slit along the thigh. A royal magenta silk blouse, with long sleeves, and black boots completes her outfit. She had found rows of clothes and shoes in the closet, all in her size, to her amazement. The colors flatter her perfectly and fit like a glove. Thatcher spared no expense in preparing for her.

Composed and not giving away any indication either of that what they had been doing, Meredith sips the tea that has been set out. "I want to know how you met her, how you fell in love."

Thatcher nods, his glance flicking from Meredith to Derek and back. "Of course, my dear. But first, was the suite to your liking? I trust you slept well. You look very content."

As Meredith prepares to answer, Derek turns to look at her. A small flush betrays her thoughts this time, and he grins to himself. Crossing the room to join her, he takes a spot on the sofa. "It's all perfect. Everything – the clothes, the food, everything. More than I expected," she assures Thatcher. Everything about the estate is overwhelming - from the rich Oriental rugs, to the delicate marble statuary to the various original works of art - it's all exquisite.

"It's the least I can do for your homecoming." Thatcher turns his attention to Derek. "And you, you are well rested and recovered as well? Do you need to feed tonight?"

"Rested, recovered, and no, I do not need to hunt for now, sir." A ghost of a smile passes his lips, the taste of Meredith's blood still lingering on his tongue. "But perhaps you need to speak to your daughter in private – I can disappear for a while."

"Stay, you are part of this now, Derek. You should know Meredith's heritage as well." Thatcher steeples his fingers, his dark gaze growing thoughtful. "Ellis was in London for a medical conference, and a group of them went out for dinner and the theatre one evening. She became separated from the group, sidetracked by a street musician. I was out tracking a pair of Renegades that evening and came upon her wandering alone in a dimly lit side street. A thief was nearly upon her, and I managed to stop him and discourage him before he made off with her purse." For a moment, he pauses, remembering that night. "She offered to buy me a drink, to thank me, which of course wasn't a good idea for me, but I found myself unable to say no. I should have just declined, wiped her memory of the incident, and let her go. But something in her eyes spoke to me. She was so alive, so different from anyone I met before. I thought to go along, to have a small moment of time with her, and go on my way. But one drink became dinner, and I ended up seeing her every evening until she was ready to return home.

"By that time, I knew I had to say something to her. We were becoming more than friends; she was captivating – strong, feminine and independent. I think I was already in love with her, it seemed to be so easy to be with her, to be almost myself. I sensed also her open mind to everything, that she might accept what I was."

Thatcher draws a long breath. Meredith is curled now under Derek's arm, listening intently, as he plays with the strands of her hair.

"That last night, however, as we laid in bed together, I sensed an evil approaching. Renegades had entered her hotel, killing some of the tourists on her floor already, and were heading for her room next. Without thinking, I prepared to fight, grabbing the knives I kept hidden in my coat, leaping out at the creatures as they clawed into her room. I killed them both, before any harm fell on her, my protective rage making me wild, leaving her staring at me in shock. I suppose it was a strange sight, waking from a sound sleep, to find me naked, fighting with a strange creature. As the dust swirled away, I resigned myself to losing her, hardly able to look at her, sure that my own eyes were still red with anger.

"However, she surprised me, she wanted me to explain what just happened. There were no hysterics on her part. I can still see her, wrapped in the sheets, her hair just as long as yours, Meredith, with the moonlight falling over her. She was so beautiful – she just took my hand, pulling me back down to her without a word.

"And so, I told her everything, without sugarcoating it, giving her the full exposure to my fangs, but she didn't flinch. She just wanted to know if I was going to bite her, and was I going to make her a vampire as well? Because she didn't want to give up her career, so I better not be planning on making her undead. I had to laugh out loud at her utter lack of fear. She wasn't scared whatsoever, just mad.

"I assured her that I wasn't going to turn her, unless she wanted it, of course. And we spent the rest of the night talking about what we were going to do for the future. We agreed she would return home, and I would follow later, staying with her as much as I could. I bought that house in Seattle where you were living, Meredith. It was our sanctuary, not as lavish as what I have here, but we were happy there. I would have preferred her to at least consider moving, but she was stubborn. Determined to continue as a surgeon, saving lives. I loved her determination, yet it would be her downfall…"

Meredith reaches over and touches Thatcher's hand. "Tell me the rest. I want to know everything. I have so little information on what happened…"

Thatcher relishes her touch, closing his eyes briefly. The touch of a human is something he has not felt in many years, let alone the tenderness of his own flesh and blood. "She told me she was pregnant, after a time, and I almost didn't believe her. Vampires don't normally procreate like that, after all. But then I realized what that meant - she was my true mate. Legends told of that happening, and it was all true. Ellis was happy, surprised, and ready to be a mother, even if it would mean taking a small break from working. Richard and Adele offered to help her when I was away, since their own marriage had not been blessed with children.

"Ellis and I…we didn't marry as mortals would, but we exchanged vows with each other one night beneath the full moon, pledging eternal devotion, and our love was true and good." He rubs an intricate looking ring still in place on his left hand. "Believe me, Meredith, I was the happiest I had ever been, caught up in feeling we were the only ones to be so lucky. My feud with Michelangelo was forgotten for the moment. When you were born, I realized the enormity of the situation, however. Half vampire, half mortal, you would become fully changed at twenty-one. Fully empowered, in my lineage. But when I held you for the first time, Meredith, all that mattered to me was that you were healthy, and you were our child."

Meredith bites her lip, as her eyes sting with tears. "I wish I could remember more…"

"You were a happy baby, full of giggles and smiles for everyone. All the staff at the Seattle Grace Daycare adored you, you charmed them all. I hated every time I had to leave you and Ellis, to return here to attend to business, but it was always a happy time to see both of you again. Many nights I watched over you as you slept in the cradle, so that Ellis could rest, or if she was called to the hospital.

"At that point, Michelangelo reared his ugly head, contacting me here. Taunting me about becoming weak, in love with a mortal. Telling me he could easily take it all away, make me suffer. Why should I be happy when he lived in bitterness? Our lives had always been full of anger between us, he blamed me for leaving him alone with our father too long. I myself had escaped to the seminary, only returning after I had become vampire, but it was too late. Father's anger burned in Michelangelo's veins by then and changing only increased that anger. I regret trying to help him by turning him. So many lives would have been saved…."

"You had no way of knowing," Derek speaks up.

"I still blame myself. And I blame myself for Ellis dying. We quarreled again about her staying in Seattle, and I admit, I flew off in a fit of anger myself. I had been advised there were gangs of Renegades here, and I needed to help out. But we parted on that note, and she was killed before we could apologize for our angry words. It haunts me always, that I left her alone like that, that she died so needlessly. If only I had been there, I could have saved her, given her my blood..." His voice is thick with emotion, mourning Ellis again.

Derek remembers this part of the tale from his earlier meeting with Thatcher, and he tightens his arm around Meredith. "Do you need anything, love?" he asks softly, giving Thatcher a moment as well to compose his thoughts.

Meredith looks at him gratefully. "A drink maybe…?"

With a nod, he springs up and pours her a measure of brandy from the decanter on the side table. The cut crystal tumbler catches the fire light, as he brings it to her. She takes a small sip, letting the heat burn down her throat. "Did you ever come back to Seattle?" she asks Thatcher then, wondering if he had been around without her knowledge.

"Just twice – once after the funeral, when I grieved in private over her grave that night. Then again, after you were settled in with Richard, to make sure they had everything they needed for you. It was the hardest thing I ever did, to walk away and leave you there. But it was for the best, to let you grow up without any idea of what you were, to keep you safe that way. If I could have done it differently, I would have, believe me, dear. But I kept track of your progress, your grades at school, and I am so proud of you. Ellis would have been as well. I am so sorry that it didn't work out for you to pursue that calling."

"She has a healing touch, sir," Derek mentions, thinking of her hands on him after the fight. "There is more to it than just a surgical skill – I believe she has a power there that will become stronger once she is fully vampire."

Meredith shrugs. "I always felt I was different somehow. This just confirms it. But if there will be some way to keep using my medical skills, I would love that."

Thatcher looks at her thoughtfully. "It may be useful. As you discovered from Derek's injuries, there are some things that even vampires can't heal immediately - if you could take away some of the worst pain, until they could feed, perhaps. We can speak of that after your birthday."

"Does it hurt?" Meredith asks suddenly, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. "Becoming a vampire, I mean? Will there be pain?"

Thatcher shares a look with Derek, who speaks first. "I can't advise you on that, love, since your father put me out cold when I transformed," he says wryly. "We could do the same for you...but any pain will be fleeting, as you transform. We have time to discuss everything - there is still more than six weeks until your birthday."

"It may be different with her, Derek, since she already has my blood in her veins, and has taken some of yours, if I am correct…." He holds Derek's gaze.

"You are correct, sir. I knew I couldn't keep that from you," Derek admits. He takes Meredith's hand again, lacing their fingers together. "It was after the fight with Michelangelo – I was desperate for blood, and Meredith offered me hers. I was too weak to feed elsewhere, and yet I almost resisted. Later, she took some of my blood as well, so yes…we are bonded…"

"I couldn't let him die, Father, could I?" Meredith asks, a little note of defiance in her voice. "After all, you put us together; I think you knew it would happen, didn't you?"

Thatcher glances at her, one eyebrow raised. "You are indeed your mother's daughter, Meredith. I am glad to see your spirit hasn't been shaken by all these recent events. Yes, I admit I was fully aware of it. You two have the same love that I shared with Ellis, I can feel it. Forgive an old vampire for wanting the two of you to find each other. But we need to be careful you don't share the same fate as your mother...I couldn't bear losing you as well, my dear."

"I won't let it…" Derek starts to say, determined not to have any harm befall her either.

"…no…I want to learn to fight as well," Meredith interrupts. "I want to know all about the silver daggers, and the ways to kill these creatures. I'm not going to stand by and be a helpless female – I want to be at your side, Derek, not behind you - or you, Father." Her look encompasses both men equally. "And you know I'm capable of taking care of myself…" she finishes, with a wink at Derek.

"Well….you'll have your hands full, Derek," Thatcher says knowingly.

"Yes, I'm quite well aware of that already, sir..." Derek shares a long look with Meredith, fiercely possessive and proud of her.

What are your thoughts on the history of Ellis and Thatcher?