There was a discomfort in Vivika's body when she woke – perhaps 'came to' would have been a better term – and though irritating she wasn't in any actual pain. She lay there a moment with her eyes closed and wondered what had managed to wake her from such a dead sleep, pondering didn't take more than a split second though as that mild irritation was suddenly replaced by utter panic. Vivika snapped her green orbs open unsurprised darkness still dominated the room, besides her attention was firmly focused on where her baby was. Quickly Thomas came into view as he stood by the window he'd opened hours earlier and there was Erik cradled in his arms; her baby was fine. She couldn't rip her eyes away from the sight before her, it was so innocent and unlike her husband that Vivika found herself smiling in seconds.
"Mein sohn, mach mich stolz." There was a pause then, and right away Vivika knew she'd been spotted. "And I believe your mother has woken." Slowly the jacket-less Strigoi turned around to find his beloved bride smiling at him. "I was just about to wake you, I believe it is feeding time for Erik."
"He's never going to cry like human babies, is he." It was more of a statement than anything else.
"No, liebe, Born do not cry."
"Nor do Eichhorsts." Vivika added softly with a smile as Thomas crossed the fairly small room to the bedside.
"Exactly."
Easily he handed over their son and the raven-haired beauty beamed down at Erik, so small and yet so very deadly. She cradled him gently in her left arm; Thomas' suit jacket actually rather suited their boy. Just as she had before Vivika lifted her right arm and held her wrist out for him to latch on to and that was exactly what Erik did.
"Perhaps he should have blood less laced with White."
Thomas had only meant it as a suggestion but that didn't stop his wife from glaring at him with daggers; from happy to rabid in less than a second as was her way. Sometimes Eichhorst wondered if Vivika has some kind of chemical imbalance but quite frankly the intense volatile nature of her was most of the reason he loved her and he'd long ago learnt how to navigate her mood swings. Had Thomas been anyone else he'd have been unnerved by the harshness in her emerald orbs.
"Are you suggesting I give our newborn somebody else's blood?!" She demanded. "No!"
Vivika's voice was firm and those eyes honestly could have bored a hole in him if it went on much longer.
"This isn't the same as milk, Vivika."
"You're fucking right about that. I'm feeding my son and that's final."
Thomas lifted a fake eyebrow. "Do not yell at me, Vivika." He warned.
"Hit me and I'll stab you."
Oh he knew she would; was proud of her for that. Vivika sighed then as her momentary rage subsided and her attention turned back to their child.
"I would expect nothing else."
The German watched her a moment while Vivika calmed down. She knew Thomas only wanted what was best for her and Erik so finally she relented, the anger drained from her face and she leant backwards against the pillows.
"Fine," she began softly. "when we return to the city we'll ask our Lord about feeding Erik my blood. If he says no then we'll explore other options, if not then you shut up about it. Deal?"
It sounded reasonably. "Very well, this seems fair."
Erik's stinger retracted just as Thomas sat down on the bed beside his family. 'Family' that word would take some getting used to. The arm with his only remaining hand wrapped around her shoulders and held her lovingly close. For the rest of the night Thomas sat guard over his wife and new child.
~X~
Thomas drove back to the city as soon as they could do so without looking as though they'd neglected their original duty at the Menschlager; Eichhorst seemed happy enough with Chetwynde's running of the building and he'd never been one to dawdle. The sun was in the sky – what little could get through anyway – and the Eichhorsts couldn't leave things in the city to run themselves for much longer. Yes, Vivika hadn't doubted Beckett's ability but being away for too long could always end up being a gateway to the few remaining 'free' humans getting ideas far above their stations.
For much of the drive neither Strigoi nor wife had said much to one another, just let the journey pass in a comfortable silence. Every now and again Thomas would flash Vivika a glance out the corner of his eye, she cradled Erik lovingly in her arms and just couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she gazed down at him. All Thomas had ever seen from humans when they gazed at a Strig was one of three things; fear at the very high possibility of being torn to shreds, disgust simply because Strigoi weren't human or that shine of ambition when they thought they could get something. Eichhorst had never seen any of those from his wife, not even when he'd nearly choked the life out of her. No, Vivika didn't look at their little boy with any of that, instead she looked at their baby with utter love, pure devotion. People could think anything they wanted about Vivika but she truly was the only woman in creation who could love a Strigoi and a Born the way she could.
The vehicle surged forwards not exactly at breakneck speed but certainly faster than the old laws would have allowed. Thomas couldn't stop trying to process the word 'family', of course he'd known Vivika was pregnant since the start but it wasn't until Erik had actually been given to him to hold that everything had struck him, he was a father and had a family. Everything a human man – especially one from when he'd been human – would want in life. Thomas had become a father. A father! Regardless he was The Master's right-hand man and wouldn't freak out, it was much too unbecoming.
The tops of the city's buildings came into view just as Thomas had managed to shelf his internal debate. Every other time Eichhorst had approached the city there had been so much damn noise but with the humans gone everything was blissfully quiet.
"I can't wait to see him in his little crib tonight, it'll be so cute." Vivika cradled their son closer so she could press a devoted and loving kiss to his tiny greenish-white forehead. "I hope he likes his crib."
Thomas' didn't take his fake blue eyes from the road, not with the speed he hurtled along at.
"I'm sure he'll like his room." He encouraged.
He knew full well that this was a dream of Vivika's to have the child of Thomas Eichhorst and now she had. Vivika was undeniably delighted while Thomas was just happy that The Master's experiment had worked so miraculously. The Born existed, he was healthy and showed great promise for the next stage of the experiment into the mongrels. Things were going remarkably well.
"My little Erik, my baby boy." She cooed.
"Meine süße, he is a powerful Born, there is no need to baby him."
She shot him a look, a momentary glare which Thomas felt bore into him before it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"He's my baby so yes there is."
That was that, she adored her little boy and wouldn't hear a bad word said about him. Thomas had seen all of this coming of course so he said nothing else on the subject lest he start a fight he didn't care to be part of.
Thomas' suit jacket was still wrapped around Erik so it was of little surprise to him when they drove over the newly repaired bridge and Vivika quickly demanded they head to the penthouse so she could make their son more presentable. While Eichhorst had no desire to keep their Lord waiting, they'd made good time and quite frankly he agreed with his wife regarding the 'presentable' situation. A detour wouldn't take them very long at all and he'd long ago figured out how to navigate the topic of Vivika taking too long to get dressed.
When he pulled into the underground parking lot Vivika was out and practically half way to the elevator before he'd even parked. Clearly Vivika was excited to select one of the many, many,outfits she'd acquired for their son; excessive is the word Thomas would have used. Still, he followed her quickly and held every door for her just like the perfect gentleman.
He closed the penthouse door without a word and watched her vanish off up the stairs towards Erik's room, once she was gone Thomas turned his attention to his dungeon which he had so carefully constructed to his personal tastes. Inside was his latest victim – a fairly tall Hawaiian man – who Thomas was pleased to find still alive. Being The Master's right-hand earned Eichhorst a few perks but with the humans in the camps he needed to be somewhat more economical with his prisoner.
Oh the look of terror in the human's dark eyes when he saw Thomas return, that was all he needed, to bask in the fear of his latest blood bag and check he was still in the land of the living. Later, once he'd met with his Lord and reported Thomas would return to torment his meal.
Pleased he didn't need to roll a body up in a carpet again he left his victim changed and made his way back to the main staircase and traced his wife's footsteps to Erik's bedroom where he found Vivika bent over the changing table. Curiosity had him step closer as she fastened something then stood back with a huge grin on her face; an expression of triumph.
The German peered at their son. "Did you just dress him in a suit?"
Sure enough Erik had been dressed the smallest grey suit he'd ever seen. White shirt, grey pants, matching waistcoat and a little blue bow tie.
"Of course!" She chirped with glee. "He's an Eichhorst and he's about to meet his Lord."
When he took a second to think about it he realized he had actually expected something like this, it was totally the sort of thing his wife would do, she'd probably got a thousand more of these little suits for Erik. Regardless, his son looked perfectly presentable just like they'd wanted and Thomas supposed Vivika had a point.
"Watch him while I change into something that isn't a maternity dress, would you?"
"Of course, but don't take too long."
The raven-haired semi-immortal practically rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, we don't want our master to kept waiting."
Then she was gone for their room to change into something befitting her beauty. For a second he stared at the doorway where his bride had been until a slight movement drew his attention back to the newborn on the changing station.
"You're mother truly is beautiful." He informed as he regarded his son.
He'd never seen an infant Born until Erik, so this was unique even for him. Carefully he lifted the baby into his arms, a harder job with only one hand than he'd imagined but Thomas managed it, and wandered into the bedroom he shared with his wife just down the hall. The former Nazi rested against the door frame to stare at her supple form decorated only in her lace underwear so she could better see the c-section scar in the full length mirror. A series of thoughts quickly shot through his worm infested mind as he took in the scar, Vivika honestly didn't look as though she'd given birth in the late hours of the previous night but Erik lay in Thomas' arms regardless. From deeply sliced open to little more than a cat scratch; The Master's power never ceased to amaze.
Through the mirror dazzling green eyes spotted the former Nazi. "I can work with this recovery time." She teased, her smirk devilish.
Eichhorst hummed in agreement while he took his fill of her beauty; he may not have been a red-blooded man any longer but by God did she make him feel like one.
"I certainly have no objections." His enticingly accented voice remained light.
Vivika finally turned to face him then; long legs, firm thighs, a tiny waist and very generous breasts, Vivika truly had the sort of body that could have been described as divine but Thomas knew the truth, with a body so sinful she'd been carefully carved by Lucifer himself.
"You're a very bad man, Thomas." She teased which earned only a deeper smirk from her husband.
"Put the green dress on." He insisted. "The queen Anne with the lace sleeves."
The German could remember the day he'd presented her with that dress, he'd found her swimming in the infinity pool as he often did and lured her out of the water with the promise of presents. Above all his wife was fickle. He'd held the garment bag with his remaining hand while she'd unzipped it and quickly squealed in delight – a sound only he ever got to hear - and then she'd promptly run off to dry off and try it on. When Vivika had come back down stairs he'd still been by the pool staring up at the masked sky but his bride was far more stunning than the new world they'd created together. He'd taken her there on the deck, her hair still damp while the dress cuddled her breasts. His perfectly wanton whore.
Thomas snapped out of his memories only when Vivika left her closet with the dress in hand. As her husband he saw it as his responsibility to shower her in gifts, cover her in diamonds, wrap her in silk and let gold drip from her skin. That dress though, the perfect match to the color of her eyes, Thomas found it intoxicating.
"Want to choose my shoes as well?" Vivika had meant to tease him but he'd never turn down such an offer.
"The green velvet choos, the ones with the little straps."
She nodded knowing exactly which pair he spoke of and headed back into the closet after muttering a single word to herself. "Joyce."
Before Vivika he had literally never paid a single iota of attention to women's fashion or shoes, it had never mattered before, sure he'd thought a woman now and again looked good in a certain dress but it was only Vivika he wanted to dress. Thomas supposed it was a way he could be even more possessive of her.
Fake blue eyes peered down at his boy. "Told you your mother is beautiful."
Erik didn't fuss at all while his mother dressed, not a single peep, but that was to be expected since the boy wasn't human. Erik wouldn't cry, wouldn't scream nor wail like needy human infants, he was better than that.
Normally the raven-haired beauty would have kept her movements slow and enticing for Thomas' pleasure but not that day, they needed to go to their master and couldn't keep him waiting. The couple loved to tease and torment one another but they would always remain loyal to their Lord and never disrespect him in such a way. None of that stopped the suit-clad Strigoi from eating up the sight of her putting on her heels though; oh the things they did to her legs. Thomas wasn't obsessed with women's shoes, he truly wasn't. What really had his attention was the high-heels and outfits on Vivika, the way the fabric would caress her legs when she walked, how lace and silk would cuddle her bust or the intoxicating click-clack of her shoes as she strutted. Everything about her only made him want her more.
Once dressed Vivika made no attempt to change her make-up, why would she when she looked every inch the powerful woman she was with her bold red lipstick and sharp cat eyes. She did, however, pause to take out the bracelet and earrings Thomas had given her for her twenty-second birthday, the perfect accent to her dress and eyes.
"Ready, meine liebe?" He asked once she'd she'd slipped her earrings on; his bride nodded.
Thomas based in the gentle sway of her hips as she approached him and pressed a loving kiss to his lips which quickly grew deeper until Erik shifted, the kiss broke then and Vivika quickly gathered her son into her own arms with all the love of any new mother.
"Don't you look just as smart as your daddy." The raven-haired beauty grinned boldly. She looked up at her husband, smile still bold. "Bet he'll be as handsome as his daddy too."
With that Vivika headed off out the bedroom and down the main stairs while Thomas grinned a self-satisfied smirk. Quickly but certainly not at full speed Thomas hurried to pass her and have the penthouse doors open for his bride by the time she reached them; Eichhorst was many things but the gentleman was reserved entirely for her.
Of course it was Thomas who drove to the Empire State building since Vivika cradled little Erik in her loving arms. Since every human except for the ones of utmost use had been moved to the camps the streets were always so quiet and peaceful; bliss.
The drive was short but Thomas moved on auto-pilot because this was it, they were to present heir boy to The Master. Erik wasn't just his son but a completion of The Master's experiment. Every now and again Thomas turned his eyes to his wife as she held their child, so much love for the offspring of a monster. Vivika started to hum softly after a short time, a gentle dancing of notes to comfort their son. Eichhorst didn't recognize the song but it was certainly one of those 80s rock songs she was so fond of; he'd not voice it aloud but there was something endearing about it.
This was to be Thomas' life now, loyal servant, loving husband and father. He remembered every second of the night he'd been turned, the cold air, the hard stone under his knees, but most of all he remembered everything he'd imagined would come; Vivika and Erik were certainly more than he could have asked for.