Chapter 5

As Peter stopped his car a short distance from Elissa's house, he shut off the engine and then looked to Charley with a worried expression.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea," he said nervously, "She asked to me to leave, that was weeks ago -"

"Just walk up to the front door and knock," Charley told him, "You love her, Peter – you have nothing to lose by trying."

"But maybe I do," he replied, "Maybe I'll lose the last tiny glimmer of hope I've been clinging to that she might change her mind."

"As long as you want to try, it's got to be worth a shot."

Peter looked towards the gate, where through the bars, he saw a light on at the porch at the end of the path.

"Oh, I'm not sure, Charley! Maybe I should just leave."

"And then you'll never know."

Sadness reflected in his dark eyes.

"Sometimes never knowing is the best way."

"I don't believe that and neither do you," Charley replied, "I'll wait outside by the gate. If she tells you to go, I'm here for you."

As Peter looked at him, gratitude shone in his eyes as he thought how young, yet kind Charley Brewster was.

"Thank you for taking the time to help out an old man like me, when you could be out enjoying yourself instead."

Charley laughed off the remark.

"Just go and make things right with your girlfriend, Peter," he said.

Suddenly his words had lent him the confidence he needed.

"I'll certainly try to do that," he replied, and they both got out of the car.

Charley waited outside the gate, watching as Peter walked up the path toward the porch. Once he got there, he reached for the door knocker and then he hesitated and looked back, and seeing Charley still waiting there, he turned away, paused for a moment, and then knocked on the door.

As he waited he felt nervous, but then the door opened and suddenly there was no time left to hesitate or to turn back, because Elissa was standing there and in the soft light that shone down from the porch he felt sure she had never looked so beautiful as she did at that moment.

"Peter," she said, "What are you doing here?"

He felt his eyes sting as his vision blurred, and as he blinked away tears he noticed her eyes were glazed too now.

"I came to see you," he told her, "I had to see you, I miss you so much."

"I've missed you too," she whispered as she put her arms around him, and as they kissed he felt her tremble and he knew it was too late to stop a tear running down his face.

They stood there in the darkness of nightfall, with just the light on at the porch as they stayed locked in an embrace that lasted for a long time. Then as Peter drew back he made no attempt to wipe away his tears as he looked into her eyes and saw love reflected there.

"I'm I love with you," he told her, "And it doesn't matter that you're a vampire, I love you, that's what matters most. Please will you give me another chance?"

She smiled as she blinked away tears.

"Of course I will! It was a stupid quarrel, I regretted letting you go."

He smiled too.

"You'd better not let me go again, my dear!"

She laughed softly.

"I won't!"

And as she took him by the hand and led him inside, Charley watched from the gate and smiled as they went inside and the front door closed – he guessed it would take a while to walk back home from here, but Peter had the car keys. Not that it mattered, it was a warm night and he didn't mind the walk, and most of all, his close friend was happy once more...

Once they were inside the house, Elissa paused to kiss him again, and then she led him through to the front room and they sat together on the sofa.

"April took my daughter out flying," she told him, "She loves to fly by moonlight. And she will be so pleased to know you are back, they will both be glad."

Then she paused, and her smile faded as she held his hand tightly.

"It really doesn't matter if Jet Marlowe asked you to reconsider, I'm just thankful to have you back again, because I love you."

As he looked at her with a confused expression, she knew at once she had been wrong about her assumption, and let go of his hand.

"He didn't send you?"

"If your vampire king wanted to speak with me, I can assure you he wouldn't be giving me orders, Elissa! And why would Jet Marlowe ask me to come back to you?"

All the joy he had seen in her eyes had now faded.

"Because I'm pregnant," she quietly, and looked away.

His eyes widened in surprise, and then as he thought about it, he felt angry.

"Again? Listen my darling, I know he's the vampire king, but he has no right to use you and walk away twice! It was bad enough he didn't use protection the first time around – now he's left you with two children to raise!"

"No!" she exclaimed, "No Peter, its not like that – Jet is a good father to Opal, and she was a genuine accident, just like this baby is too."

And then she paused for a moment, slowly meeting his gaze as she spoke in a hushed voice.

"The baby I'm carrying isn't Jet's. The baby is yours."

Those words left him stunned for a moment, and at first he was lost for words as he thought about how he had always wished he had raised a family – but his career had been busy and left him little time to find the right woman and settle down...

"It's mine?"

She nodded.

"I'm sorry."

Joy filled his eyes as he took hold of her hands.

"No, don't be sorry, Elissa! I'm overjoyed! I wasn't expecting to father a child at my age, but this is perfect! Don't worry about anything, it's going to be fine, I couldn't be happier!"

Tears filled her eyes and as he saw the look on her face he knew at once he was very, very wrong about his assumption that all would be well.

"Oh no," he said quietly, "What's wrong?"

She blinked away tears.

"I told you before, there is no such thing as a half human vampire. This child is half mortal and its unlikely to survive, if you had been a vampire, there would be no problem, but you're a mortal. The child could die, and so could I. Mortal blood is poisonous when introduced to a female vampire's body via pregnancy. It simply is not meant to be."

Peter thought about all she had said, and then he shook his head, deciding to follow his heart in all matters concerning Elissa and his child, for now and always.

"No," he said defiantly, "I do not accept that! I believe this child will survive, how could it be wrong for us to have created a life, a life born of our love? I don't care what you've heard about mortal blood being dangerous to vampire mothers – this child is going to be born and it will be just fine, and so will you!"

And he put his arms around her protectively.

"I swear it," he said to her, "I will do whatever it takes to make sure both of you are alright."

They sat together in silence for a while, as Peter thought about the possibility of a future with a wife and two children. And she would be his wife, because he wanted to marry her, and he wanted to be a father to Opal as well as his own child, he had already decided that. And while he was making these plans, Elissa said nothing, thinking only of the dangers she knew she faced. It was Peter who broke the silence, when he spoke up and voiced his plans aloud.

"I very much want to marry you," he said to her, "I want to be your husband, and a father to your children."

Sadness shaded her eyes.

"The baby will most likely not survive. If it does, it will not be well. There are ways to save a half mortal but none of them are perfect. Jet knows the ancient ways, and he's very keen to preserve all vampire life. He's not pleased about what's happened of course, but he said he wants to see us together to face the consequences, he said you had a right to know. I'm so glad you came back, not just because I love you, but because I was afraid to tell you. I thought you'd walk away from me."

Her words had shocked him.

"Walk away? You think I'd leave you with a baby and an uncertain future?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know," she replied, "I mean, you're a mortal, you're getting older, you probably want a quiet life."

Peter laughed as warmth and softness filled his eyes.

"I'll tell you what I want," he told her, "I want the rest of my life to be filled with you and me and all that we can share, I want us to be happy together and I want to hear our children running about this house at night and I want to hear their laughter and I want to raise them! I really do want this, Elissa."

"But you mortals have such a short lifetime," she replied, "Vampire children grow up the same way as mortal children do, but then you would grow even older and then you would be gone. And I would be alone again, with nothing but memories to keep me company for all of eternity."

"That is very true," he agreed, "But there's nothing I can do to change that."

And he took hold of her hand again, his heart aching as he saw deep sadness in her eyes.

"It's unfortunate for me that I had to wait a lifetime to meet you, but at least I can spend the rest of my life with you."

"Or all of eternity."

He stared at her.

"Eternity?"

As he looked at her, he knew what she meant, and her suggestion had come just as pain had cut deep into his heart as he considered his own mortality and the fact that he probably had few years left to be with his new family.

It made sense that he could become a vampire and join them forever.

But that thought also terrified him...

"You want me to become a vampire? Me? Elissa, I have killed vampires!"

"I know that, but your actions were justified, they were preying on human life. I'm suggesting you join me so that you can be eternal, then we can always be together."

He looked at her doubtfully.

"You really think I could live as a vampire?"

"Why not?"

He looked back at the woman who he wanted to spend forever with...

Forever would be a certainty if he became a vampire.

"I think you could be right," he said to her, "It won't be easy but I believe I can cope with the idea of drinking blood if I had to do it."

"And there will be no more talk of drinking blood without my permission."

They both looked to the doorway, to see Jet Marlowe standing there.

"I didn't hear you knock," Elissa said.

"I'm the vampire king – I don't need to knock," he replied, and then he looked at Peter.

"We need to talk, Mr Vincent," he told him, "Because becoming a vampire isn't an easy choice – nor can you change your mind once the deed is done."

As the fire glowed in the hearth, Jet sat down in the leather armchair, got comfortable and then looked intently at Peter.

"So, you were once the great vampire killer."

"You know who he killed and why!"

Jet held up his hand, and Elissa fell silent.

"I'm waiting to hear what Peter has to say about it," he told her, "So hush."

"What do you want me to say?" Peter demanded, "Jerry Dandrige and his sister were dangerous! I had no choice."

"And had you to got there first my people would have eventually caught up with them and contained the situation – you saved me a lot of work," Jet replied, "As you know, we do not prey on mortals, and we detest those who do. However, there is a small matter that I must raise with you."

Confusion clouded his eyes.

"I don't understand," Peter replied, "You just said you understood why I killed them -"

"I get why you killed the Dandrige siblings. Both of them, and their kind, were predators. But you also drove a stake though the heart of a young man known as Evil Ed."

There was a name he had not heard in a long while...

"Ed was also dangerous," he told him, "He was crazy, and volatile with it."

Jet shook his head.

"No, Peter – he did not deserve to die. Had I known of him, I would have had him brought into my clan. He was young and barely into his transformation. He needed guidance and education."

Peter looked at him in disbelief.

"Guidance and education? He was insane and dangerous! How can you even suggest that he could have changed?"

"Because he was a young mortal who became a vampire and did not have the right guidance," Jet replied, "And I see his death as unnecessary and unjustified, and therefore this is something you must consider if you wish to become a member of our clan. You also need to be agreeable about certain matters concerning your own child."

As he felt something angry and protective rising up along with his unusually fierce temper, it dawned on Peter that he was already protective over his unborn child.

"Leave our baby alone."

He had spoken darkly, and as Jet looked at him, he could almost see the thought there at the back of his mind:

Peter Vincent intended to protect the child, so much that he would have taken up a wooden stake to do so if anyone threatened the baby – even the king of the vampires...

"I was suggesting a way that your child can be saved," Jet told him.

Peter stared at him in shock.

"Evil Ed died! How could he do anything for the baby? And you don't even know if this child will be sick – it could be strong and healthy."

Jet shook his head.

"That baby is half mortal. It's a vampire that can't flourish. It will be born weak, it will not feed, and it will die – unless it is fused with the life force of a deceased vampire. That would mean taking bone from the corpse and grinding it down to fine powder and mixing with human blood. If the child drinks it, the mortal half will be destroyed and the child will become full vampire – even taking on the traits or appearance of the deceased vampire. It's a way to save your child. That's why I have decided if this method is employed, it would only be right to use the remains of the young vampire who you killed."

Peter felt as if his own blood had been shot through with ice.

"But Ed was insane and dangerous, how many times do I have to tell you that?"

"And the child will be yours, but with some of Ed living on within him. You can raise that child to the ways of the Banished, he may not be easy to handle but he will certainly live the way we expect our clan to live."

"I will do anything to save my child," Elissa said quietly.

"And now on to a subject of more immediate importance," Jet added, "Peter, if you take the bite, it is forever. That means eternity in night, no more sunlight, drinking blood to survive. Do you really want to do that? Because I see fear in your eyes. You can't become what you're afraid of."

"I want to be with my family," Peter replied, "I'll do what ever it takes."

The vampire king looked at him doubtfully.

"I don't think you have what it takes to become a vampire," he told him, "You spent a lot of time fighting our kind. Not all those who take the bite can transform. Some, on rare occasion, fight the process so deeply that they grow sick and die because they can't let go and give in to immortality and the darkness it brings with it. So, she could bite you and you could fight the procedure and die. It could happen, it can go wrong. And I'm concerned about this possibility - because you were a vampire killer!"

He had spoken accusingly.

"And now I wish to become a vampire," Peter replied, "And I am decided on this matter – I was decided from the moment I knew about the baby, when I knew Elissa loved me and wanted to be with me forever. I will not change my mind!"

The vampire king looked at him thoughtfully.

"You don't have to do this," he told him, "That child is half mortal. You should wait until its born, then if it doesn't live you've made no commitment. Why commit now ? You should play it safe, wait and see if there's a baby that thrives at the end of the pregnancy, otherwise you could be joining us and stuck with Elissa forever, all for a dead child who didn't make it."

Anger flashed in Peter's eyes. He made a move to rise from his seat but Elissa grabbed at the sleeve of his jacket and held him back.

"Don't!" she said in horror, "He will kill you if you strike him!"

Looking at the powerful vampire king, Peter knew she was right – he was certainly no match for Jet Marlowe. But he refused to hold in his anger as he glared at him.

"How dare you say such a thing!" he exclaimed, "I am here with Elissa because I love her! And I will love her regardless of what the future holds! I am here for her and both of her children, and any more children we may one day have together! Is love so hard for you to understand?"

To his surprise, the vampire king smiled as warmth crept into his ice blue eyes.

"That is exactly the reaction I was hoping for, Peter," he told him, "I can see that you do love her – and you would even stand up to me to prove it. Very well, you have my permission – you may join us by receiving the bite if you wish to do so. When you choose to receive is up to you, but know you have my blessing."

His reply had come as a surprise.

"Thank you," Peter said, and then Elissa looked gratefully to Jet.

"I really appreciate this help," she told him.

"Had you waited until he was a vampire, your kid would have been just fine," Jet said as he glanced at Peter, "Then you wouldn't have needed my help at all. But know that I'm here – I'm around for both of you now."

And then his image shrunk in dark mist, and twisted and formed into a bat, and he flew out of the room, down the hallway and out of the open door and into the night sky.

By the time morning came, Peter's mind was made up and no doubts remained. His only fear now, was how Charley would react to the news. Thinking about all they had faced together, when fighting what he now knew was the evil side of the vampire community, he dreaded to see the look on his young friend's face when he told him that he planned to embrace eternity to be forever with Elissa and the children. He had decided to hold back on telling him the part about the complications with the baby being half mortal, because it would be enough for now, to learn of his plans to become a vampire...

They met at the coffee shop before college started, as Charley walked in and came over to the table to join him, the room was brightly lit by morning sunshine and Peter thought about how soon he would never see sunlight again, and how its warming glow that had once seemed so welcome would become the enemy. And then he wondered if he would become an enemy in Charley's eyes, and suddenly telling him seemed very difficult indeed...

"I take it last night went well?" Charley said brightly as he sat down.

Then he noticed Peter looked tense.

"Or not? Did something go wrong, you don't look too happy? Please say she took you back."

Peter gave a heavy sigh.

"Yes, she did take me back. She also told me she was pregnant. I'm going to be a father."

For a brief moment Charley's eyes lit up with surprise.

"That's great news - oh no...wait...she's a vampire, so -"

"The baby will also carry vampire blood, yes," Peter told him, "You're right, it's not as simple as that, but thats not what I needed to talk to you about."

"Then what is it?" Charley asked him.

Peter drew in a deep breath.

"I'm getting old, Charley. I don't have many years left to spend with Elissa and my new family. But...I could have, there is a way..."

He paused and looked at Charley, who looked back at him across the table. Suddenly he got it, and his eyes widened as she looked in horror at Peter.

"No, you can't do that...you can't become a vampire!"

"I can, and I will because it is the only way – Charley, wait!"

His words had no effect as Charley got up and turned away and began to walk out of the coffee shop.

"Please listen to me!" Peter said, but he didn't even look back.

"No, Peter, I can't listen to this - leave me alone!" Charley called back sharply, and then he walked outside into the sunshine, and he kept on walking without looking back, leaving Peter Vincent very much alone with his decision to become a vampire...