Chapter 5
"Get up" Mick kicked the couch where Katherine lay sleeping, sharply, watching as she stirred and looked up at him bleary eyed "Up. Now"
"What time is it?" she mumbled, trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep.
"Never mind that" Mick said dismissively, thrusting the note from Josef under her nose, "Home, where is it?" he demanded, underlining the part where Josef had written the words "it's time I went home" with a frantic tap of his index finger.
"Who's home?" she stifled a yawn and took the note from Mick's hand, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
"Josef's" Mick snapped in frustration, "Where did he come from, originally"
"Where did Josef come from originally?" she pretended to think for a moment, "Well, when a mummy and a daddy love each other very much" she began to say, slowly with tongue firmly planted in cheek, until she saw the dark look that flashed over Mick's face and held up her hand in a signal of retreat, "Ok, sorry I guess now isn't the time for jokes, "she said apologetically, looking at Mick a little fearfully at the same time. "The village of Ballinfad, Connemara, Galway" she quickly told him, "but the parish he belonged to was St Mary's Church on The Hill, situated in a part of Galway known as An Cladach, The Claddagh".
"Thanks. I need to contact the pilot and see if the plane's taken off yet" Mick muttered under his breath, as he stood up and hurriedly made his way over to the phone near the front door.
"Don't you mean the airport?" Katherine called out after him, just as Mick picked up the receiver of the phone and hurriedly punched in the direct number for the pilot of their private jet.
"We have our own plane. Josef has money" he replied distractedly, quickly adding "that's not why I'm with him" before he heard the click of a distant receiver being picked up and the voice of the pilot, still thick with sleep, ask "Who is it?"
"I never said it was" Katherine rolled her eyes and muttered half to herself, "some of us should be so lucky though"
"You know you're just as big a smart alec as he is sometimes." Mick told her when he had finished a brief conversation with the pilot and hung up the receiver.
"Must run in the family" she smirked at him, "So what's the story? Is your private jet currently winging its way to the Emerald Isle or not?"
"No, it's not. He must be flying one of the local airlines" the frustration and worry in Mick's voice was evident.
"Well great, you can contact one of them and see if he's onboard, can't you?" Katherine tried to smile helpfully.
"It's not that simple" Mick told her, picking up the receiver of the phone once again "Josef has hundreds of different identities he can use, by the time I asked the Airline to check all of them to find which one he's using, he'd be halfway over the continent. I need to phone Ryder and Beth" he turned away from her and muttered, quickly entering Ryder's number into the keypad of phone.
"Why? Do they have a private plane as well?" Katherine laughed as she stood up and stretched, then went to check on the still sleeping infant wrapped in a blanket and lying on the armchair next to her.
"No they don't, "he replied, gritting his teeth in annoyance before announcing, as if it were already a foregone conclusion, "but we're going to Ireland and I can't protect you and Miri, sorry Roisin, and worry about Josef at the same time" just as he heard Beth's voice say "Hello" on the other end of the line.
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"Mick" Beth got up from her seat on the plane next to a sleeping Ryder and made her way over to him, "it's ok, we'll find him" she said gently, sitting down next to Mick and reaching over to take hold of his hand in a gesture of comfort and friendship.
It had taken five hours for the plane to be refueled and ready for take off. Five hours in which Mick had placed a frantic call asking both Beth and Ryder to come to Salzburg immediately and Beth had begrudgingly, at first until Mick explained the situation, told him they would be there as soon as they could. Five hours in which he had placed a call to the Salzburg Airport to find out the estimated departure and arrival times of any flights from Salzburg to Ireland specifically landing at the Galway Airport, including any connecting planes, trains or automobiles travelling to the village of Ballinfad itself, then proceeded to grill Katherine for every little detail of where they were headed that he thought might even remotely be useful or important for him to know. Five hours in which he had just enough time to work himself into a state of near panic.
Now, several hours later, he found himself seated on Josef's private jet, heading for the Emerald Isle with Beth, Ryder, Katherine and a very small infant in tow and his feelings of dread and concern for Josef's welfare hadn't abated.
"Mick" Beth repeated, "We will find him. Josef can take care of himself you know" she added, trying her best to reassure Mick as she saw the considerable amount of worry that was etched in his face, "I don't think he would have made it to four hundred otherwise"
"I know" Mick half whispered a distracted reply, entwining his fingers with Beth's then pulling away when he felt her thumb begin to stroke the back of his hand. "I'm sorry" he told her when he saw the confused look on her face, "that just felt a little" he hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say, "That just felt a little uncomfortable" he said finally.
"Oh. Oh ok" Beth tried to force an understanding smile, then drew in a deep breath and furrowed her brow, chewing on her lower lip as she considered whether or not she should try and discuss the issue with Mick any further. "We are friends though Mick, aren't we?" she said after a few more moments of thought, deciding that the issue did indeed need to be discussed and now might as well be as good a time as any.
"Of course?" Mick's initial reply was slightly questioning in its uncertainty, unsure of where the conversation might be headed.
"Wow, don't sound so sure now" Beth rolled her eyes and laughed teasingly, then quickly changed the tone of her voice to a gentler level when she saw the look of annoyance that flashed over Mick's face, and said "Friends are allowed to show affection to one another you know, especially when one friend is hurting and needs some comfort or reassurance"
"I know" he replied a little hurriedly then repeated the words again, softer and more reassuring this time "I know, Beth ok. I know"
"Then why did you pull away from me just then?" she asked, looking at him with an expression that was part way between challenging and demanding, belying the hurt she actually felt at Mick's rejection of her attempt at offering him some sort of comfort in what she perceived to be a time of need.
"Don't look at me like that, Beth" Mick spat in response, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at her as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively, "I told you, it just felt uncomfortable"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across like I'm trying to give you third degree, Mick" Beth apologised and smiled gently, "I was just trying to offer you some comfort. As a friend" she quickly clarified with an affirmative laugh, before dropping her eyes to the floor and quietly admitting, "It kind of hurt my feelings when you pulled away like that, Mick. I was just trying to be a good friend and it really felt like you were rejecting that"
"Beth, look at me" Mick told her gently, waiting for her to lift her eyes to his, "I didn't mean to make you feel rejected, ok? Just you doing that with your thumb felt a bit weird to me, that's all" he smiled at her reassuringly and reached over to take her hand back into his, squeezing it gently.
"I guess we both still need some time to learn what's appropriate for the boundaries of friendship and what isn't it" she laughed softly and returned Mick's reassuring squeeze of her hand with gentle pressure.
"Kissing is definitely out" Mick nodded and pretended to be serious for a moment, before allowing a cheeky smile to play over his face.
"Oh definitely" Beth nodded in reply, putting on a mock serious tone of voice, "Kissing is definitely not within the boundaries of friendship. Strictly no lip locking between friends"
"Or groping of private parts, groping of private parts wouldn't be acceptable either" Mick responded, nodding his head firmly as the grin on his face widened and he stifled a laugh
"No, definitely no groping of private parts" Beth returned Mick's same firm nod and grinned back at him, "Or sex, definitely no sex either. Although I've been told anal sex doesn't count so..." she looked at Mick and winked, then laughed when she saw the look of surprise that flashed over his face.
"You know you being a Vampire," he told her, shaking his head and letting out a slightly incredulous laugh "has definitely bought that feisty side of yours to the forefront"
"Why thank you" she smiled at Mick charmingly in response, then looked at him with a cheekily seductive grin and asked "Do you like it?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact I do" Mick replied with the same charming smile, then leaned forward more towards her "You know if I wasn't already taken" he said, dropping the tone of his voice to a playfully salacious level, then raising his eyebrows and winking at her, leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished.
"But you are taken, Mick" Beth responded simply, deciding the time for making jokes was over, "You are taken" she repeated; as she smiled at him and squeezed his hand in hers gently, "and I do know that. So please" she added, shaking her head and laughing softly, "no more being so touchy about me touching you, ok."
"Ok" Mick replied with a slightly sheepish smile, "Just so long as you don't do that thumb stroking thing on the back of my hand again, deal?"
"Deal" Beth grinned and nodded firmly, then furrowed her brow and looked at Mick as if she was trying to decide something. "What was it like? Falling in love with Josef?" she asked finally.
"What was it like falling in love with someone I'd been friends with for more than fifty years?" Mick shook his head and snorted in disbelief. "Are you sure you want to know, because I really don't think I can explain it properly"
"Just try" Beth smiled and shifted her position in the seat slightly, turning to face Mick more front on as she leant on the armrest between them and rested her hand under her chin, "Please. I'm really curious to know"
"Always the reporter, hey Beth" Mick teased her gently, then took a deep breath and paused just for a moment, trying to find the words to answer her question. "It was confusing, terrifying, exhilarating, exhausting, nerve wracking, wonderful, did I mention confusing" he stopped for a moment and let out a snort of laughter, then held her gaze firmly in his own and added with quiet sincerity, "and it felt more right than anything I've ever known in my life, mortal or otherwise"
"Even with me?" she asked in a tiny voice, and then mentally kicked herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth, "God I sound like I'm 14 years old" she thought to herself with a derisive roll of her eyes. "Mick, I'm sorry I didn't mean for that to come out quite the way it sounded" she blurted, looking more than a little shamefaced as she hurriedly tried to counteract the childish tone of her previous words lest Mick think something was amiss. "I just meant" she hesitated, gesturing with her hand in frustration as she tried to find the right words.
"What was different about Josef compared to you?" Mick ventured helpfully and smiled when he saw the look of relief on Beth's face, "With Josef it felt like I was falling in love, with you?" he paused for a moment then shrugged, "it felt like I just wanted to take care of someone. Does that bother you?" he asked cautiously when he saw the look of pain that briefly crossed Beth's face.
"A little, I guess" she admitted, then waved her hand dismissively and tried to give him a reassuring smile, "but I'll get over it"
Mick thought for a moment about pressing the issue with her further, then decided the time wasn't right, he did have other more important things on his mind after all, "You should probably go and sit back down with Ryder now" he told her gently, "I think I'd like to just be alone for a while".
He saw her get up and then hesitate, looking at him with questioning concern as she asked "Are you sure?" then stood there and shifted nervously from one foot to the other, waiting for a response. He smiled and nodded briefly, then watched her turn and walk away, taking her seat back next to Ryder and resting her head on his shoulder, as she draped an arm across his chest and closed her eyes, drifting off into something resembling what looked like a restless sleep.
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By the time the plane carrying Mick and his entourage of undead and mortal companions had reached the aerial borders of Germany, Josef's flight had already landed at Galway airport. Making his way through customs, false documents in hand, he had managed to raise a small laugh at the reaction of the Immigrations Officer to the name on his passport, Charles Manson. Initially the name had been Josef's warped idea of a joke, but on a number of occasions he had found that having the name of an infamous mass murderer on your passport had come in very handy, especially in situations where one didn't want to be held up for too long. People tended not to want to draw too much attention to the fact that your name was Charles Manson out of a misguided desire not to cause offence. This time the Officer in question had given Josef an apologetic look and waved him straight through, not bothering to give the luggage he was carrying with him more than a cursory glance over.
Josef had made his way then to the nearest taxi stand. Climbing into the back of the first available vehicle he had muttered an instruction to the driver to "head for Balinfad" before handing him a small slip of paper with the address of his mortal home scrawled on it and resting his head against the window, watching the streets of Galway go by as he looked for what was old and familiar amongst the new and strange. It was the middle of a cold and overcast day in the village of Balinfad, when the driver eventually pulled up to the address Josef had provided him with, the rays of the noon day sun being blanketed somewhat by a thick layer of cloud. Josef hesitated for a moment, his hand resting on the handle of the door as he looked out the window and surveyed the old building in front of him. His former home was barely recognizable to him, having undergone numerous restorations and renovations in the many long years since he had lived there. He waited a few more moments, closing his eyes briefly and taking a deep breath to try and clear his head, before he told the driver to wait for him and then stepped out of the vehicle and made his way across the street, to the gate of the house he had been born in and spent the majority of his mortal years.
Standing there, at the threshold of so many memories, Josef found himself somewhat surprised to feel absolutely nothing, no sense of homecoming, of comforting familiarity or overwhelming nostalgia for the past, no pain at the loss of a life he couldn't go back to or the life he had once had, just nothing at all. Part of him had almost half expected a large sign saying "Welcome home Josef O'Dwyer" to leap out at him as soon as he approached the house, instead the overwhelming feeling he had was one of complete emptiness. What stood in front of him was merely a collection of bricks and mortar; all placed together in a certain way to form what could be considered a suitable habitat for a person to live in. It was just a house, like so many other houses, no more and no less.
Josef stood there for a few more moments, shifting from one foot to the other, his hand almost reaching out to push the gate open, thinking about walking up the small pathway to the front door and rousing whoever lived in side with a sharp knock on the door, until eventually he gave the small building that stood in front of him one final look and turned away. He crossed the road and climbed back into the taxi, thanking the driver for waiting for him and instructed him to "drive to St Mary's Church, Galway".
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"Beth" Mick hissed at her sharply, grabbing her by the arm and spinning her around to face him after they had booked into a small hotel on the outskirts of the city of Galway, "What's going on? You've been acting weird ever since we got off the plane"
"I'm just a little jet lagged, Mick" Beth replied defensively, shaking her arm from his grasp.
"You don't get jet lag flying from Salzburg to Galway, Beth" Mick crossed his arms and gave her a pointed look.
"Well ok then, I'm just tired all right. You were the one that dragged me and Ryder out of bed at some ungodly hour of the morning and then made us drive god knows how many miles to rush to your aid because Josef's decided to throw some sort of a hissy fit" Beth snapped back at him in reply, turning heel and starting to walk away.
"Beth" Mick called out after her, shaking his head and letting out an infuriated breath as he saw her wave a hand dismissively over her shoulder and kept on walking.
Their plane had landed at Galway Airport an hour ago, after a tense few minutes where Immigrations Officers had paid just a little too much attention to Katherine's forged travel documents (luckily for Mick she actually had forged documents in the first place, as she reminded him several times over, much to Mick's growing annoyance) they were waved through the gates and left the airport terminal to find a taxi to the nearest available hotel. From the time Mick had gently shaken Beth awake as the plane approached the runway, until the time they had booked into their respective hotel rooms, Beth had been in a mood. Not just any mood, a sullen, pouting, childish mood where nothing was good enough and no one, least of all Mick, could do anything right.
Standing at the counter of the hotel's reservation desk and watching Beth march away in a cloud of palpable annoyance, all Mick could do after she had gone was turn to a confused and suffering Ryder and shrug an apology.
"Maybe it's just that time of the month" Ryder laughed weakly, trying to make a joke of the situation, although he too had noticed Beth's sudden change of mood and wondered what exactly was going on.
"Yeah, maybe" Mick flashed Ryder an apologetic smile, not really knowing what else to say. He couldn't really think about any sort of a situation with Beth right at that very moment, he had other, more important things on his mind. He had to find Josef.
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Josef sat in the taxi parked across the road from the Church he had once served as a Priest and stared out the window, his eyesight moving quickly back and forth over the bricks and stonework of the building in front of him, as his mind attempted to process the myriad of memories that it was being bombarded with when confronted with such a tangible and solid reminder of the past.
"Are you just going to sit there and stare at the bloody thing all day, or are you getting out?" he heard the taxi driver ask after more than several minutes had elapsed.
"You don't need to be anywhere in a hurry, do you?" Josef replied nonchalantly, as he reached into the pocket of his suit pants and pulled out a very expensive and elegantly stylish black leather wallet, drawing out a few hundred Euros in notes and waving them, with a pointed smile, at the driver.
"Your time, your money" the driver replied with a dismissive shrug and took the money from Josef's hand, quickly stuffing into the breast pocket of his shirt. "What are you waiting for anyway? Jesus has already been and gone, he ain't coming back" the driver laughed at his own joke and Josef rolled his eyes and gave him a patronising nod before he flashed a stern look in the drivers direction and told him, forthright, that he hadn't been paid to ask questions.
The next few hours were spent in forced silence, the driver chain smoking one cigarette after another, the smoke lingering in circles around the inside of the taxi, making Josef think for a moment that if he wasn't a Vampire he may very well have died of lung cancer by the time he exited the vehicle, whilst he watched a seemingly never ending parade of people coming and going from the Church in front of him. Staring out the window at them he wondered if any of them ever felt that God had abandoned them too, not just abandoned but also completely obliterated his image from their sight.
Josef waited until he was certain the very last person had left the building, the full moon forming an eerie backdrop of half lit clouds over the steeple of the Church, night having fallen some hours ago, then curtly thanked the driver for his patience and climbed out of the taxi. He lingered on the footpath across the road and took one last lingering look at the structure that loomed before him. After a few moments hesitation, he took a deep breath of resignation and began what felt like one of the longest walks of his life, towards the arched doorway.
The old Priest inside the Church heard the sound of the heavy wooden doors being pushed open as he collected the Chalice and Paten from the altar and prepared to pack them away, ready for the morning's mass. He turned, just in time to see Josef rise from his genuflection and lift his face towards him. As he stared at the image of the man before him, he did something he had never done in his forty years of service as a Priest. He dropped the Chalice and Paten, the items slipping out of his grasp with a clattering chink of metal meeting tile as they fell to the floor, the Chalice rolling along the aisle to stop just at Josef's feet.
"Saints preserve us" the old Priest whispered under his breath.
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"You dropped this" "Josef bent down to pick up the Chalice that had stopped just at his feet and held it out to the old Priest, watching with curiosity as he approached Josef carefully and studied his face closely.
"Thank you" he took the Chalice from Josef's hand and then hesitated, as if he were trying to work out what to say next. "Frater meus Jesu Christi (my brother in Christ)" he said finally, after a momentary pause.
"Dominus Tecum (may the lord be with you)" Josef replied cautiously, looking at the old Priest in front of him suspiciously, not knowing what to make of the greeting he had just been given, a greeting which indicated the old Priest knew that Josef had once been ordained to the Priesthood himself. "How do you know-"he started to question, but the old Priest held up a hand to quiet him and responded simply with,
"Et cum spiritu tuo (and with thy spirit)" The old Priest laughed then, looking at the wondering expression on Josef's face, "You have a certain 'look' about you" he told him, reaching out to pat his arm gently in a gesture of reassurance, adding almost apologetically "I'm afraid you missed the evening Mass though"
"I can't take Holy Communion" Josef responded a little uncertain, still looking at the old Priest somewhat suspiciously.
"Of course not, I'm sorry. How silly of me to forget" the old Priest laughed and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture "Perhaps you'd like to join me in praying the Rosary though?" He gave Josef a warm, welcoming look and then smiled at him merrily, his eyes twinkling almost mischievously as he leant forward and whispered "For old time's sake", as if he was sharing something very conspiratorial. "I just need to put these away first"
"Of course" Josef gave a brief nod then paused for a moment, considering the offer he had just been given. "Sure, why not" he shrugged eventually and followed the old Priest to the front of the Altar, watching with detached interest as he stepped up behind the Altar and very reverently opened the tabernacle, carefully placing the Paten and Chalice back inside it, before walking back to take a seat in the front pew. Sliding in alongside him, Josef watched for a moment as the old Priest bowed his head and began to pray. After a few moments hesitation Josef joined him, bowing his head almost reluctantly and silently mouthing along, the words flowing easily from his memory, yet feeling strange and foreign on his tongue.
"Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus Tecum" (Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee)
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"Mick, be reasonable" Ryder pleaded with him, following Mick back down the stairs of the hotel as he prepared to rush off into the night to find Josef. "You can't just go barging into a Church in the middle of the night"
"Oh yeah? Watch me" Mick replied defiantly, pausing just at the door to the front entrance of the hotel and crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at Ryder almost challengingly.
"Besides that-"Ryder continued, ignoring Mick's words and body language, "I highly doubt the Church will even be open"
"Fine, I'll kick the door in" Mick huffed in response, prompting Ryder to let out a burst of laughter, as he rolled his eyes in mock exasperation and said, "Ok Mick, now you're just being ridiculous"
"Yeah, alright" Mick smiled and looked a little sheepish for the moment, then reached out and placed a hand on Ryder's shoulder, his expression turning serious once more.
"Look" he began to say, trying to make Ryder understand "I listened to you before when you stopped me from just rushing off to find Josef a few hours ago. I listened to you when you said we needed to arrange things like a supply of blood for us to drink and bags of ice for us to be able to sleep safely first, but now-" he paused and squeezed Ryder's shoulder gently, looking at him earnestly "-now I can't wait any longer. I have to find him Ryder, ok? I have to find him and I have to find him right now"
Ryder saw the desperate, determined look on Mick's face and smiled softly, "I understand" he said, patting Mick's hand on his shoulder, "Just be careful though, ok?"
"I will be" Mick smiled back at him, then felt Ryder's arms around his neck as Ryder suddenly rushed forward and spontaneously hugged him.
"I'm jealous of you, you know" Ryder admitted a few moments later as he stepped back from the embrace. "What you have with Josef, I mean" he quickly explained when he saw the questioning look on Mick's face. "I often wonder if I'll ever find something like that myself, one day"
"You don't think you have that with Beth?" Mick ventured carefully.
"I don't know. Maybe" Ryder replied, the tone of his voice frustrated in its delivery, before he quickly waved a hand dismissively in front of his face and said, "It doesn't matter now, it's not important. Just go find Josef"
Mick nodded once, just briefly, then turned to leave, letting out a snort of laughter and waving back over his shoulder as he heard Ryder call out after him…"and kick his ass from me when you do"
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Josef looked up and turned towards the door, the knocking that had begun just as they were completing the final round of prayers becoming louder and more insistent.
"I think I'd better answer it, don't you?" the old Priest sitting next to him laughed and stood up, waiting for Josef to do the same, quickly shuffling him back along the pew and into the aisle. Josef followed the old Priest as he strode towards the front door of the Church, his steps firm and insistent as he squared back his shoulders and brokered a no nonsense attitude, and found himself suddenly thinking he could almost be impressed with this guy.
"Yes? Can I help you" the old Priest's tone of voice was firm and simple as he opened the door to the stranger who had been hammering away with their fist on its wooden and metal structure.
"I'm looking for someone, a guy" Mick replied hurriedly, pushing his way inside the Church without waiting to be invited, "looks about 25 to 30, short brown hair, six foot tall…"
"Incredibly handsome, fantastic dresser" Josef added cheekily, stepping into Mick's field of vision.
"Josef" Mick hissed his name with relief, rushing forward to embrace him and smother his face and lips with a myriad of urgent kisses, not considering or caring at that moment that not only were they both standing in a Church, but they were also in the presence of a man of the cloth.
Mick's initial relief quickly turned to fury at Josef for causing everyone so much worry and he stepped back, holding Josef at arms length as he began to berate him angrily. "What the hell do you mean going off like that without telling me first? Do you have any idea what you've put me through, I've been out of my mind with worry"
"I take it this is a friend of yours?" Josef heard the old Priest asking him, thankful for the interruption to Mick's sudden outburst.
"In a manner of speaking" Josef smiled at Mick and raised his eyebrows, as Mick stood in front of him and tried to look stern then burst into laughter and embraced him once again.
"I was so worried" he repeated softly, burying his face in Josef's hair as he held him tightly "Please; don't ever do this to me again"
"Mick" Josef gently pulled away from his embrace and linked his arm with Mick's, smiling as he indicated the old Priest standing to one side of them, "this is-" he stopped mid sentence and realised he didn't even know his name.
"Father Patrick, Patrick O'Malley. My friends call me Paddy" the old Priest stepped forward and extended his hand towards Mick with a merry smile.
"How very Irish" Mick laughed and shook the hand that was offered to him, "Mick. Mick St John" He introduced himself then gestured towards Josef standing next to him and added, "This is my partner, Josef Kostan"
"I know" Father Patrick smiled knowingly as he returned Mick's firm handshake, "or at least I already knew his first name"
"How could you? I never told you it" Josef started to say looking at Father Patrick in disbelief, but his words were cut off half way when the old Priest followed up with a question that completely floored the both of them,
"So are the two of you both Vampires, or just Josef?"
"How do you know what we are?" Mick replied with a defensive tone of challenge, stepping in front of Josef slightly and holding his arm out protectively to cover him as Josef rolled his eyes in disbelief and blurted out incredulously,
"Is there anyone, in Ireland, who doesn't know I'm a Vampire?"
"I'm a Historian" Father Patrick responded to Mick with a reassuring smile, holding his hands out in front of him, palm up, in a gesture meant to indicate that they had nothing to fear from him, "I've studied the history of the Ordo Praedictorum, the Dominican Order" he quickly clarified for Mick's benefit, "in Ireland extensively. As a matter of fact I've devoted the past forty years of my life to it. The story of Josef O'Dwyer, the young Dominican Priest known as Father Luke or Lucias, who disappeared from the Church in the mid part of the 17th century, is a very well documented piece of Church history"
"That still doesn't explain how you know what we are?" Mick challenged him, still covering Josef protectively.
"Mick, it's ok. If Father Patrick meant us any harm I'm sure he'd be laying dead on the floor by now" Josef took a step towards Mick and held up a hand to quiet him.
"You wouldn't kill a Priest, would you?" Father Patrick laughed nervously, looking at Josef and suddenly feeling a little afraid.
"No I wouldn't" Josef replied with a reassuring smile, seeing the look of relief that passed over the old Priest's face, "not ordinarily at least" he quickly added. "If my life or Mick's life were to be threatened though" he shrugged and left the rest of the sentence unfinished, giving the old Priest a pointed look of warning at the same time.
"I understand. You have nothing to fear from me Josef O'Dw…sorry, I mean Josef Kostan" Father Patrick smiled and nodded in assurance, "You or your friend here"
"My partner" Josef corrected him matter of fact, wrapping an arm around Mick's waist and pulling him in close, "and that's certainly reassuring, for your sake" he continued, smiling at Father Patrick pointedly, "but I think we'd both still like to know exactly how it is you happen to know what we are"
"Well it's not really all that difficult to understand" the old Priest shrugged in response. "I've seen portraits of you, very accurate in their likeness I might add, from the 17th century and yet here you stand before me, still living, or unliving" he paused for a moment and smiled knowingly, "as the case may be, so what else am I suppose to deduce? This is Ireland you know, land of the leprechaun, we believe in little men that hoard pots of gold at the end of a rainbow, believing in the existence of Vampires isn't that much of a stretch for us" he finished with a merry laugh.
"No I don't suppose it is" Josef quipped in response and then turned to face Mick. "Where are you staying?" he asked simply, drawing his arms around Mick's neck and leaning back to study his face, smiling at him warmly.
Mick ignored the question, answering instead with a pleading, "Josef, please just come home with me, we can get a flight back to Salzburg first thing in the morning."
"I am home" Josef cupped Mick's face with his hand tenderly and kissed him softly on the lips, "but this is something I need to do. I'd like to stay here for a while and speak with Father Patrick. That is alright with you, isn't it, Father?" he turned back towards the old Priest and asked.
"Quite alright" the old Priest answered merrily, "it's not everyday I have history literally walk through the door"
Josef laughed and nodded in reply, then turned back towards Mick and repeated his question from before, "Where are you staying"
"Flannery's Hotel, just on the outskirts of Galway" Mick replied hurriedly, as if it didn't matter where he was staying, "What about you though? What about us? We're supposed to be getting married. We've got a wedding to plan. You're the one that's been so pedantic and uptight about everything being perfect for that and now you're just going to put all of that on hold" Mick rushed through any reason he could think of for Josef to turn around and agree to come home with him that instant.
"Mick" Josef shook his head and regarded Mick almost sympathetically for a moment.
"I'm just worried, Josef" Mick finally admitted. "How do I know you're alright?"
"You don't" Josef shrugged and offered Mick a simple smile in response, "but there's also nothing you can do about anything anyway, so please, just go back to the Hotel and wait for me. I'll come and see you when I'm done. I promise"
"Josef-," Mick tried to offer another round of protests, but Josef quickly held up a hand to silence him.
"Now who's trying to control everything, Mick?" he chided him with a teasing smile, then drew his face towards his, covering his lips with several warm, soft kisses as he pressed his forehead against Mick's and whispered, "I love you. Now go"
"Ditto" Mick mouthed after him, reluctantly letting go as Josef disentangled himself from Mick's arms and turned away from him.
"So the two of you are getting married? Congratulations" he heard the old Priest saying as he walked back up the aisle towards the Altar, with Josef alongside. "How long have you been together?"
"Fifty years"
The old Priest looked surprised for a moment "I must say you do make quiet a handsome couple" he said eventually, a merry twinkle in his eye.
"Yes. We're quite the pair" Josef laughed in response and turned back towards the entrance of the Church, just in time to see a fleeting image of Mick as he walked out the door.
"So what did you wish to speak to a humble servant of the Lord, such as myself, about" Josef heard Father Patrick ask simply, as he turned back towards him.
"God" Josef replied after a brief moment of hesitation, regarding the old Priest with a look of determination.
"Well you've certainly come to the right place" Father Patrick quipped slightly, then smiled warmly at Josef, opening the door leading to his private offices at the back of the Church, and ushering him through it.