I've updated! Yup, I know about time too. Excuse any spelling or grammatical errors. Thanks to all that have signed you reviews, they are much appreciated.
I am a bit miffed at fanfiction.net right now. Most of my stories are rated R but I do have a few NC-17 fics and I think that what they are doing is down right evil. It goes against our freedom of expression. It's so un-American. Even with the petition that's out right now (hello over 1,000 signatures. Get a clue. Someone hit them on the backs of their heads so they would pay attention to the real people who make this site work. I mean where would they be without us writers contributing our works?) it doesn't look like they are reconsidering. Boo. Grr. ::makes a disgusted look at whoever decided on that choice of action. In a whinny mocking voice, "It's to save the children from reading inappropriate writings.":: Well duh, parents are supposed to watch and pay attention to their kids not us.
Its not like there isn't a little box saying, "Warning if you aren't 17 this is inappropriate for you to read. Yes/No to continue." ::rolls eyes:: Makes you wonder what genius makes up these decisions, note sarcasm when I say that. Now that I've said my peace…
::bats eyes in innocent fashion:: Please read and enjoy my story. Feedback is much appreciated and loved.
Inheritance
Chapter 5
Lying in bed, Melanie stared at the ceiling, her headache finally gone. Glancing to her side at the clock sitting on the dresser, she rolled to her side. She had taken only a thirty-minute nape and had woken up without the headache that she had fell asleep with. Whatever her father did was not something that she would care to experience again.
Deciding that she felt a little stuffy in her sweater Melanie made her way to the closet that she had hung up her close in and looked at what she had. In an hour and a half she was going to be meeting her grandfather, another family member that her mother failed to inform her of. How could her mother have kept her from knowing these things, especially with her unique abilities? Maybe they would have been able to help her to understand them; her father seemed to not be surprised when she had told him about them.
Switching on the light in the closet, to better see what she had to choose from, she looked for a particular square neck blue long sleeve shirt she liked. Finding the shirt she carried it to the bed and changed. Hanging up her sweater she made her way to the bathroom and stared at her reflection.
What would her grandfather think of her? Would he accept her as easily as her father did? Melanie really hated meeting new people. One thing she had learned early on in her life was that you cannot trust people, not completely anyway. She felt as if she could trust her father but there was this intuition in the back of her mind telling her that he was keeping something major about himself away from her. He had outwardly admitted as much to her when she had pressed him about why she was the way that she was and why her mother would have been so fearful.
It just did not seem like her mother to keep such a secret away from her, her mother was always stubborn, strong willed, and let no one intimidate her. Melanie smiled; she was a lot like her mother in that aspect. With her secret though, she had always kept to herself, afraid to get close to anyone because she could never tell them about her true self and that always frustrated her. All she ever wanted in her life was to fit in, to belong.
Taking a deep breath she touched up her make up and straightened her hair. She was not going to allow her fears of what ifs and what could have would haves ruin this family reunion. Knowing that her grandfather would be over in an hour or so she started for the door and made her way down the stairs.
Seated upon the couch sat her father. He sat with his leg across his knee holding a wine glass of a dark wine. She noticed that he drank an awful lot; made her wonder if that's why her mother left him. Melanie pushed away that idea, she had only known him for a day and a half. As usual, she was drawing up conclusions before having all of the facts. Not everything is as it seems, she had to keep reminding herself that.
Making it at the bottom of the stairs, Melanie paused for a moment; there was that sensation again. It was like a warm tickle at the back of her mind, very strange. She had never had these feelings before coming here.
Sensing his daughter's arrival Nick turned his head towards her, placing his glass of bloodwine onto the coffee table as he asked, "Feeling better?"
Walking around the coffee table, Melanie sat sideways facing him at the other corner of the couch, "Yeah. So, um, when did you say that he was coming?"
Before Nick could have answered her question she felt that sensation again, only very much stronger, and her back stiffened. It was so strong that it almost seemed a bit uncomfortable. For reasons unknown to her she looked over to the door that lead outside to the garage.
Just as he was about to answer her question he felt the vibrations along his link with his Sire and noticed Melanie's change of posture. She surely could not have sensed LaCroix could she?
After a moment of silence Melanie and Nick watched as the door opened. Nick stood to greet his father and Melanie just sat there, her eyes fixed on the man that surely could not be her grandfather. Grandfather's were old not… he was way to young looking but then again her father did not look that old either. What the hell was going on?
The man that walked in was taller than her father with a military cut hairstyle. His hair color was dark blond and his eyes were an intense blue. It was a strange look for someone with such fair, white skin. This guy definitely never got out in the sun! He was also dressed all in black making him seem almost menacing and otherworldly. This man made her feel uneasy.
Making his entrance, LaCroix's eyes were locked on the mortal that sat on his son's couch. Immediately he could sense that there was something different about her. She was lovely, with long brown curly hair, not unlike a certain coroner he remembered from not that long ago. Her eyes were a brilliant blue; she had his Nicholas eyes.
Greeting his Sire, Nick softly said, "You're early."
LaCroix arched a menacing brow, "I was eager to meet my granddaughter."
At this, Melanie stood from her place and cautiously approached the two, "Nick?"
Nick turned to his daughter and smiled, "Melanie, I'd like you to meet my father, your grandfather."
LaCroix stepped past his son and approached the young mortal, "A pleasure my dear. I was a bit surprised to hear that I have a granddaughter and was anxious in meeting you."
Her intuition told her that there was more to it than that. Smiling, she felt herself relax a little, he seemed nice enough though her first impression screamed that he was a scary and dangerous man, "Well, that makes two of us then."
Nick approached the two, "LaCroix, would you like something to drink? Melanie?"
LaCroix nodded, "That will be fine."
Melanie looked from her grandfather to her father and felt as if there was some kind of tension between the two. Storing that observation in the back of her mind she smiled to her father, "I'm okay."
"Melanie," her attention was pulled back to LaCroix, "I am saddened to hear of you mothers passing, my condolences. She was an admirable woman."
At the reminder of her mother her smile faltered, "Thank you."
Nick was quickly back into the room handing his Sire his drink, he suggested, "Why don't we sit down?"
Melanie was all for that idea and made her way back to her original spot on the couch. She felt a bit uncomfortable as her grandfather sat just besides her, not touching but a little closer than she felt comfortable with. There was something about the man that screamed danger.
Nick noticed this and frowned at his Sire but quickly hid it under a smile as he looked to his daughter and sat down in a chair before the couch. He had no idea what his father was going to do and was a bit on edge. He would be ready for anything though. So help him, if his father did anything to harm her he would kill him and make sure that it was permanent this time.
Taking a sip of the bloodwine Nicholas had provided, LaCroix sat the glass down and turned to face Melanie, "Melanie, please tell me about your self."
Why did she feel as if she were at some kind of interview, "What would you like to know?"
His lips formed a smile; a chill ran down her back at the sight, "How is it that you have chosen now to come to your father?"
Melanie's eyes darkened slightly, "I only found out after mother died. She told me in her will. I only found out about you this afternoon."
LaCroix was searching his senses, he could feel the vampire within her, and it was a strong presence. His face depicted that of concern, "I am sorry to hear of that. It must have hurt to know that your mother kept something so important from you."
She frowned, "Yes, it did."
Nick cut in, "She's agreed to stay here with me. She's taken an extended leave from work and is planning on working on her writing."
His eyebrows rose at this, he would have thought that the daughter of Natalie would have pursued something along the medical field.
Melanie was thankful for the change of subject; she was really starting to feel uncomfortable with the direction that the conversation was going, though it felt more like an interrogation, "Who knows, I might decide to live over here. I don't have any other family and I've always believed that family is important."
A glint of a smile reached his eyes at this, "Yes, I do so agree." LaCroix looked pointedly to his son.
Nick cleared his throat, "You would really consider moving here?"
Melanie shrugged her shoulder, "I don't really have anything to return to."
Making herself more comfortable on the couch, Melanie smiled to her father, "Besides I'd like to spend a lot of time getting to know the family I never knew I had. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"Indeed," came LaCroix's response.
Nick gave his Sire I warning glare before returning his attention back to his daughter, "Is there no one that that will miss you?"
Melanie grinned, "Are you trying to ask me if I have a boyfriend?"
"Well, do you?" he grinned back.
She shook her head, "No, its hard to make a relationship work when you have secrets."
LaCroix arched his brow at this, "Oh and what secrets do you hold?"
Biting her lower lip she looked to her father questionably. Nick saw her inquiring look and told her, "Melanie, you can tell him."
Looking back to her grandfather she took a deep breath, all of her life she had only spoke of these things to her mother and now she was sharing this with two strangers who she just found out were her family, "I can see clearly in the dark, as long as there is a small portion of light. I'm stronger than I should be as well as faster. I sometimes see things before they happen and can effect objects, sometimes people's emotions."
LaCroix looked to her inquisitively, "Effect objects how?"
Biting the inside of her cheek she looked around the room to find something but didn't want to risk breaking anything. Reaching into her pocket she smiled as she found a quarter that she had remembered leaving in her pocket. Lying it down on the coffee table she told them, "Watch the quarter."
Both vampires' eyes looked to one another before focusing on the object in question. Closing her eyes she took in a deep calming breath before she focused on the quarter, picturing it perfectly in her mind before opening her eyes.
The quarter slowly started to spin, then shift. It started to clank against the coffee table as it started a lazy spin before it shot out across the table and landed on the floor.
Melanie apologized, "Sorry, I'm still working on controlling that."
Nick stared at the quarter that lied on the ground before slowly moving his eyes towards his daughter, "How did you do that?"
Clasping her hands in her lap she shrugged, "I just focus my mind and picture it to move and then project. That's the best way I can describe it."
LaCroix was watching her; his interest peeked in this woman that was a product of Nicholas and Natalie. She had power, power that would be greatly magnified if she were to be brought across. Anyone that could control that power… Arching his brow he pondered the possibilities. One thing was a certainty; he could not allow anyone outside his family to know of her gifts or to bring her across.