Author's Note: Last chapter's non-BttF MJF reference was the blatantly obvious homage to Teen Wolf.
This chapter has another cameo in it, this time of a slightly different sort. Tim Canton is a "genderbender" cameo of Flaming Trails, as I needed a nicely dramatic leader for the clan, and she seemed the logical choice. Thanks again, Vic!
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Chapter Eight – Finding New Family
Sunday, April 7th, 1985
Unknown location, California
7:52 PM
It took Marty almost all night to master the basics of flight, but once he was in the air, he could hold his own. By the time the sun began to show signs of rising, Marty's eyes began to hurt and Katherine led him to a nearby farm and showed him how to feed from large animals. At first he was hesitant about it all, but hunger won out and he discovered, to his great surprise, that it wasn't as repulsive as he had thought it would be.
They spent the rest of the daylight hours deep in the forest so Marty could try to control the winds, which didn't work out as well as they'd hoped. By the time the sun set, he was only able to make a minor breeze, but Katherine assured him that it was normal.
The two vampires flew over the forest, staying close to the treetops. Everything seemed bright as day to Marty, and he couldn't resist looking around at everything in amazement. The trees grew tall and thick, glowing with quiet life-power. It's amazing that I've adjusted this fast, he realized as they continued their flight. Maybe I'm just…still in shock from being shot, he speculated, and then had a thought. If I heal almost instantly, and I was kidnapped, they'll be expecting to see at least some bruises…damn, I'd better get control of that before I go back.
"Here we are," Katherine said, jolting him from his thoughts. Marty looked up as they crested a long line of tall trees and his jaw dropped in astonishment. There in the clearing was a large, dark green dome with an intimidating double-door arch in the side. Katherine swooped in for a graceful landing in front of the doors, and Marty followed hesitantly. He stumbled slightly as he made contact with the ground, silently envious of Katherine's fluid landing.
"Where are we?" he asked as he absorbed his wings into his back.
"This is where the Vântstăpân Clan Council is based," Katherine explained. "Each new vampire is brought before the Council twenty-four hours or so after they wake from the Change coma, to determine if they are fit to join the clan. The Council consists of the six eldest vampires, and one appointed Lord of the Clan. Our Lord has led the Council for over a hundred years, after our previous Lord was killed by vampire hunters. He will be passing final judgment on you. Speak as I do and do not anger him." She stepped forward and rapped on the door six times.
Marty swallowed nervously. "Uh…I'll try…"
The double doors creaked open seemingly by themselves, and Marty stuck close to Katherine as she entered the dome. Inside of the structure was a large amphitheater, with a raised platform in the middle. Across from it was a raised seat, much like a judge's seat in a court, with three lesser seats on either side. In each seat was a vampire, all dressed in black.
The center vampire, presumably the Lord of the Clan, had midnight blue woven into his clothing. Though he seemed to be shrouded in darkness, Marty could see that he was very young in appearance, with short dark hair and piercing ice-blue eyes. He was almost aristocratic-looking, but there was a bitterness about him and a great power tempered with age.
Katherine gestured for Marty to follow her, and she stepped onto the raised platform. Now feeling very nervous about the whole thing, Marty stepped up next to her.
"Lady Katherine O'Conelly," the Lord vampire said suddenly, icy eyes glowing, "you bring before us a new candidate."
"I do, my Lord Canton," she replied promptly, bowing slightly. "I found him in the forest where I was patrolling, and he would have died had I not saved his life. He gave his consent to be Changed, and has been taught our ways."
"Very well, lady Katherine, please step down," Lord Canton commanded, and Marty's nervousness spiked up another notch as he was left to face the Council alone. "What is your name?" the Lord inquired.
"Uhh…Martin McFly, my Lord," Marty stammered, hoping he was using the proper address.
"And your age?"
"Sixteen, my Lord."
Lord Canton watched him intensely, making him feel like a bug under a microscope. "Your family…do you live with your parents?"
What? What does that have to do with anything? Marty wondered in bewilderment, but responded. "Yes, my Lord."
"Have you any siblings?"
"A brother and sister, my Lord," Marty answered, still confused.
Lord Canton's eyes narrowed. "Lady Katherine, you would Change a boy who still lives with his family?" he accused.
"I have, my Lord," she replied, stepping back up onto the platform.
The six other vampires whispered amongst themselves, and the Lord nodded slightly. "Then he must stay here, away from the humans, until they pass on," he declared.
Marty stopped breathing. No…no! They can't do this! "That's not fair!" he blurted without thinking, ignoring Katherine's look of warning. "Why can't I go home? I'm a vampire because I wanted to stay with them!"
"They will grow suspicious as you do not age," Lord Canton said, raising an eyebrow at the teen. "Therefore, to avoid any risk of our clan being discovered, you must remain dead to them until they are dead to you."
Marty felt a horrible ache in his heart as he realized what they were saying. I'll never see my family again…? Not Mom, not Dad, not Linda or Dave? Not even Doc? His eyes burned with bitter tears, and he quickly looked down so that the Council wouldn't see.
But Katherine saw. A gentle arm wrapped around his shoulders, and a hand brushed away his tears. "My Lord Canton," she said, "esteemed Elders. The boy is too young to be separated from his family. They need him, and he needs them. If no body is found, they will not cease in their search, and we may be discovered much sooner than you would like. At least give him some time with them, if nothing else…everybody's acting like we can do anything and it doesn't matter what we do, but maybe we have to be extra-careful because it might matter more than we even know. Please, Timothy…please do this, for me if no one else."
The Council was silent for a few minutes, and Marty didn't dare look up to see their uncaring faces. He sniffled, the tears coming faster now.
"Martin."
Startled at the use of his name, Marty looked up to see not uncaring looks, but curiosity. Lord Canton leaned forward, his eyes showing a flicker of something unidentifiable. "If we release you to return to your family, will you swear to join the clan when you are ready?"
Marty didn't understand for a moment. "You…you mean…I can go back?"
Lord Canton nodded. "We will have Katherine check up on you every few years, and when you are ready to join us, just let her know and she will bring you to us."
Marty wiped his face on his sleeve. "Th-thank you, my Lord."
"You are dismissed," Lord Canton declared, leaning back in his chair again.
Katherine smiled slightly and steered Marty towards the double doors, her arm still around his shoulders. "Congratulations, Martin," she said as soon as the doors swung shut behind them. "You're the first person to ever get an exception like that from the Council in the entire history of vampires."
"The first?" Marty repeated in surprise as they spread their wings. "Well I'll be damned. Er, that is, um…never mind."
Katherine laughed, taking off with a graceful flap of her bat-like wings. "Don't worry about it."
"So now what?" he asked, clumsily catching up to her after a rough takeoff.
She turned to him, eyes glowing soft green. "Now we have one more thing to take care of, and then you get to reunite with your family."
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A/N: This chapter also has a non-BttF MJF reference in it, but it's not in Marty's dialogue this time. It's probably too little-known for most people to get, but it amused me, so in it went.