Deep in Blue

Chapter Two: Mega Surprise

It was a long and sleepless night following the birth of the little half-dhampir girl. Doris was trying to keep herself from dozing off as she gave her daughter her first "bath" with a warm washcloth wipe down. Dan wasn't fairing much better in staying awake, "I wish that D was here," he groaned.

The dark-haired teenager shook her head violently to keep herself from falling over asleep. Just then there was a gentle knock at the door and the young boy sluggishly answered it to see D. Thinking that he was hallucinating from sleep deprivation, Dan rubbed his eyes vigorously, "D?! Big brother?! Holy shit it is really you!"

"You don't look too good. Is everything all right?" asked the dhampir calmly.

"Yes it sure is now. Doris! D is here!" cried the young boy happily as he pulled the hunter into the house.

Dan's sister quickly swaddled the newborn and went downstairs to greet her guest. D made eye contact with his former client before navigating his gaze at the infant in her arms. His face hardened before the realization hit him, "is that baby mine?" he asked suddenly.

Doris held the baby out to him, "yes. Her name is Rosalia."

D hesitated before taking the newborn into his arms, "I wish that I would have known," he responded. He then examined the infant and made the determination that despite being half-dhampir, the child would be able to live amongst the humans inclusively.

"She'll have some abilities that'll be above average for a normal human such as strength and speed but not to freakish levels," the vampire hunter told his former client before handing the newborn back.

"Will you stay?" Doris suddenly asked him.

"For a little while," responded the vampire hunter before he removed his travelers hat and sword.

Though, the young lady was ecstatic to have the man that she loved inside her home, the exhaustion was starting to overwhelm her. The dhampir quickly took notice and reached his arms out for the baby, "here, I will take her. You need some sleep," he told his friend.

"I'll go fetch the bassinet," Dan said before walking upstairs.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her while you two get some sleep," responded the hunter calmly.

"Thank you, D," Doris responded with a relieved sigh. After the bassinet was placed next to the couch, the Lang siblings went to their bedrooms to sleep.

Meanwhile, D peered over the bassinet at the baby and stared at her sweetly. Other than a couple reflex movements, the baby remained still and slept. With the vampire blood flowing through her veins, he knew that she would possess a much milder temperament than full blooded human infants and would be easier to care for especially as she aged.

"Cute kid," chimed Left-Hand.

"Did you know that Doris was pregnant for my child?" D asked matter-of-factly.

"Well…yeah-but I didn't want to tell you because I thought that it would interfere with you work!" responded the parasite.

The dhampir remained quiet before grabbing the baby and laying her across his chest after placing himself out on the couch. The newborn opened her eyes momentarily but quickly fell back to sleep from the sound of her father's strong heartbeat. D placed a gentle hand across his daughter's back and stared blankly at the ceiling. Deep down he was overjoyed and in total love but he knew that in order to keep his newborn daughter and his former clients' safe, he would have to leave and never return. A tinge of emotion welled up in his chest but he quickly suppressed it.

"Awe…are you getting emotional there?" inquired the parasite in his left hand.

D did not respond.

"You know it is ok to cry," it told him.

"You are out of line," he responded.

"Am I? I have a hard time believing that. After all it was your choice to return here and it was your choice to have sex with that girl after your job was done. I knew that you were in love with her from the very start," Left-Hand stated, "but just like then, you won't admit it to yourself…that you love Doris."

"You are wrong," D told the parasite.

"Actions always speak louder than word my dear friend-actions always speak louder than words."

The half-vampire continued to lay awake on the couch with the baby across his chest. Just then the newborn began to cry and it didn't take long for him to figure out why from the rancid smell emanating from her diaper. Luckily, besides the bassinet, Dan brought down several diapers and a package of wet wipes for the baby.

"Oh my god! A baby produced that? Oh, I think that I am going to puke!" Left-Hand cried out in disgust when D undone the diaper to reveal a royal mess of poo.

D quietly cleaned the baby from fecal matter before putting a fresh diaper on her. After throwing out the contaminated diaper and washing up, D lifted the baby back into his arms and continued to hold her for the rest of the night.

The next morning:

Doris felt very refreshed and quickly made her way downstairs. She stopped and smiled to see D asleep with their daughter across his chest. The baby was awake but seemed content underneath her father's gentle hand. As her mother approached to take her, D suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the farm girl.

"I was just going to take her for a feeding," Doris told him.

"Go ahead," he told her calmly before lifting his hand from the babe's back.

The dark-haired teen assisted her daughter with getting a good latch onto her nipple before allowing her to feed. D sat up from the couch, "I won't be able to stay for long but is there anything that I can help you with in the meantime?"

The dark-haired girl could feel the sadness growing within her soul as the realization of the inevitable hit her like a ton of bricks, "I wish that you wouldn't go D. I love you so much and I need you," she told him sadly.

Though outwardly stoic, her former savior also felt his heart grow heavy because apart of him really loved her too and there was a part of him that really wanted to stay to help raise their baby.

"I am sorry but I can't stay. It wouldn't work out and I could not bear to put you, your brother, or our daughter in danger," responded her guest.

She looked at him with sad eyes, "I understand…"

"I'll help your brother with the chores but afterwards, I will have to be on my way," he told her without making eye contact.

As he got up to go outside, Doris reached out with her free hand and grabbed him by the arm, "please tell me that you will return soon? I mean it when I say that I love you."

D turned to her and without warning, he gently pressed his lips against her. She took the gesture as his confession of love for her. Once their lips parted, the half-breed went outside to start work on the farm.

To be continued…

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