Title: Legacy IV
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR
Rating: PG-13
TV verse: Blood Ties
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.
Summary: Mike's reaction & Henry's theory.
AN: Thanks to luvinmike for beta-reading!
WK: 1420

Part IV:

A sound from the bedroom swiftly erased the vampire's smile. It was a desperate sound and he could hear suppressed sobs. What was happening there?

His sudden stillness alarmed his female companions and when he slowly went to the bedroom door, they followed silently.

The moment they opened the door they were hit by a wave of pain like none they had felt before. Feelings of hurt, disbelief, forlornness, and disgust swarmed them. It was so intense it nearly knocked the breath out of them.

"Mike?" Vicki whispered softly.

The blond practically jumped out of his skin, eyes wide and wet. Swiftly, as if not wanting them to see that side of him, he quickly erected an emotionless wall and suddenly all the pain they felt was gone.

So, he also could project feelings. Curious, very curious, the vampire thought.

Now standing near the window, still as a statue, Mike watched them warily.

Vicki, having drawn her own conclusions and being able to read him like no other, did not wait long to walk right up to him and hug him tightly.

Mike closed his eyes as he felt her against him for the first time since his transformation.

The sensation was so intense it was almost painful. The feeling of her skin and clothes against his skin, her radiating heat, even her heartbeat was unnaturally loud and strong. He felt like he was drawn into her, like a warm blanket was wound around him, making him feel like he belonged, but at the same time a draft of something cold swirled around him.

He took a deep breath and pushed her carefully away.

With her physical absence, the warm feeling disappeared and Mike mourned its loss, but he simply could not stand all these emotions! When the room's other two occupants closed in on him he backed away. It was too much! All those different feelings-for that was what he felt he was now sure-closing in on him.

He could feel Coreen's excitement, her curiosity but most of all her confusion and sadness, and felt the vampire's short spark of jealousy that swiftly changed into hurt and then – pity.

Pity! How dare that bastard pity him?

A sudden rage possessed him and he did not care anymore what happened or who would see him. He only wanted to leave!

Swifter than even the undead prince, the detective vanished, leaving the three friends alone.

Vicki blinked astonished.

"OK, what exactly happened here? Henry?"

Henry shook his head sadly before he sat down heavily on the bed.

Both women followed him expecting answers. After a deep sigh, Henry tried his best to explain.

"I am not sure but my guess is that, as I already indicated, Mike is not entirely human." He held a hand up to stop Vicki's protest.

"Hear me out, please! When I was still a boy there was a legend my nanny used to tell me. It told a story about a great kingdom existing in a world between ours and the heavens and that world was inhabited by beings of light and darkness. Those of light fought the darkness and sometimes such beings could come through to earth. Those of darkness would wreak havoc, but those of light would bring peace and justice. They would be powerful like no other beings known to man."

He paused.

"I used to think she meant angels and demons. But those, as we know, are forces and children of heaven and hell, not something in between.

I had forgotten all about it until a few years ago. Betty found an old Celtic text, reporting something about fair warriors of enormous power and beauty. Their moods could influence the weather and nature's creatures would flock to their inner light like to the sun. It said that they could feel people's pain as their own and could see past every lie people told, as their glowing eyes could peer into their souls.

They would move like the wind. And here is the best part: Their ears would be pointy and it was told that they were of the race of ………"

"Henry!" Both females cried simultaneously.

"Elves." The vampire grinned.

"Elves." Vicki said unbelievingly.

"Elves? Like the counterpart to the Schwarz Elfen? Are you telling us Mike is a light elf? Or, are we talking Tolkien now?" Coreen inquired excitedly.

"Both, more or less. You see light elves are from our realm living in the mists of Avalon, but they are clearly different from the human form. Those other elves are not. They might be kin, but only like humans are kin to apes. Like in Lord of the Rings, theirs is a world of their own and it is only by accident that they come through, or in times of great peril, when they are needed to restore balance."

Vicki still was not buying it. "And why would Mike be such a thing?"

"Ahm, Vicki, it sounds a lot like it. He is 'fair', if you want to call it that, has as of a few minutes ago pointed ears, his eyes glow, he seemed to sense something just now that made him ran out, pretty quick I may add, and if you would look over your shoulder out of the window you would see a nice storm brewing outside when it had been a nice warm and windless night only a few moments ago. So how many is that? 6 out of 7? 7 out of 8?" Coreen answered with a 'duh' expression on her face.

"Yes, well, regardless! This is Mike we are talking about! Nobody is as white bread as he is! And I have known him for a really long time. Don't you think I would have noticed if he showed any inhuman powers! I even shot him! No, miraculous healing, or freakily fast way to dodge the bullet, nada!" she answered, a little ticked off.

Although she was not sure if she was really upset, or only enraged on Mike's behalf, she could only imagine what this was doing to him. She had met his father only a few times, but those times she actually thought she was better off with her dad gone.
The man had had a talent for making people consider hiring a hit man. With the way he treated his son, Vicki had always been impressed how Mike was able to let all those belittlements that the old bastard continuously dished out slide. To her own shame, it also explained a lot how Mike could stand to live with her…

A hand on her shoulder drew her out of her musing.

"Has Mike ever been shot or injured on the job?" Henry asked her at the same time for an answer and her forgiveness. Why would he want her forgiveness?

"Sure he has! He's been in quite a few brawls along the way!"

"Think hard, Vicki! Has he had any broken bones, anything apart from bruises, or little cuts?"

She tried, but as much as she wanted to, she could not think of anything. And with horror she realized that she had been the only person to have actually wounded him! Shocked, she looked at Henry and shook her head. Henry only nodded in understanding.

Coreen, seeing the dark way her thoughts were going, tried to bring her back on track.

"How about sicknesses?"

Again Vicki came up empty handed.

"So, we can additionally say that Mike has a strong immune system, is not prone to injuries, and looks extremely well for his age, approximate age. Does the number 39 have any special significance?"

The others looked at her questioningly.

"I mean maybe it has something to do with his birthday. After all it would be quite the coincidence that he would change on that specific date, right? - That is, if he really is what Henry believes he is," She amended when her boss gave her a hard look.

"Vicki!" Henry tried to focus her thoughts. She could try to deny what looked more and more to be the truth, but she would sooner or later have to accept that even her darling ex-boyfriend was not what he seemed to be. Yes, the supernatural seemed drawn to her, even before Astaroth. The question that remained was had it really been Vicki or Mike all along?

"We will ask Betty for her aspired opinion. In the meantime, let's hunt some elf!"

The three companions set out to search for their missing friend.

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