Everything property of someone else, sadly.
--
It had taken about a week to arrange, but they were finally back in London, and Rupert was trying to line up a taxi while Luke went after the luggage.
Luke had been right about the hospital, although calling it a hospital was probably generous. Some beds, some medical supplies – and a surprising amount of experience dealing with vampire bites. He'd been almost back to normal after a few days, and only walked with a slight limp, that the doctors (if they were doctors) assured him would go away in a week or two.
Trouble was, now that he was back in London he didn't know what to do, where to start. He needed to talk to Mina – but he didn't want to. He had kept so many secrets from so many people for so long, but never from Mina. She knew everything he knew. He couldn't accept that she would have kept secrets about his parents from him.
And Alex. He had no idea if she would ever see him again, but she had been in those nightmares. Or visions. Or whatever they were. And so had he. And they were real. He needed to see her. And he wanted to. Would she see him?
"Where to Galvin?" Luke asked after they had secured the luggage in the taxi.
Rupert took a deep breath. "Did you call your mother?"
"Yes. She knows I'm on the way home."
"Did she ask why you were coming home early?"
"Yes. I told her we'd arranged it with the Italian school so I could be home to start the next term here. And that my coursework would transfer and there were no problems."
"And?"
"And? She can't wait to see me. Is delighted that I'll be home for Christmas. Hopes I took photos in Italy."
"Did you?"
Luke shook his head and grinned. "Nah. Too busy saving your arse."
Once Luke had been deposited at home, Rupert gave the driver another address. One he hadn't been to in a long time. But he supposed, under the circumstances, it was time.
–
"Hello Mom," he whispered as he turned on the light in the foyer.
She wasn't there of course. She'd died over five years earlier, and he hadn't been to the house since. There had been someone taking care of it, and he hadn't been able to bring himself to sell it. It had simply been avoidance, really, but if he was going to stay in London for a while he'd might as well have someplace nice to live.
Rupert puttered around the house for a while, re-familiarizing himself with the rooms and the furniture. He'd never lived here – his mother had bought the place after his father died and he was living in the states with Maggie, but he had spent plenty of time here with her. It was still her house.
After finally deciding to settle into a guest room on the second floor, Rupert pulled out his cellphone and dialed.
"Hello Mina."
"Rupert! My god! Where are you?"
"At my mother's."
"You're in London? Wait – why are you..."
"I needed someplace to stay. And she's not using it anymore." He was silent. He'd rather do it face to face. "Mina I need to speak to you. About a few things."
"Of course. I can send the car right over."
"No, no. We just got back and I need some sleep." Some real sleep. "I'm exhausted."
"Of course. I'll meet you at The Stacks in the morning."
"Sounds great."
"And Rupert."
"Hmm?"
"Alex Drake has been calling – looking for you. And she came to see me about two weeks ago."
"Alex...?"
"Yes. She seemed worried." Rupert heard her hesitate. "She wants to see you."
"OK. Thanks." He tried not too get too excited, but he couldn't help it. She might not know it, but he had a lot of making up to do to her. And things to tell her. He wanted to get it right.
–
"Excuse me, Inspector?"
Alex hung up the phone. "Yes, Natalie?"
"This just came for you." She handed Alex a small box. "It looks like it's from the posh cupcake shop down the road."
"What?" Alex took the box from her assistant. "Cupcakes?" Suddenly all the oxygen left the room and she sat gingerly in her chair.
"There's a card – look." Natalie pointed to a small envelope taped to the top of the box. "Well? Aren't you going to open it? See who it's from?"
Of course it was Rupert. It had been weeks since she'd seen Mina but maybe she'd got in touch with him. Or he'd come back to London. Her finger traced the envelope and she swallowed air.
"Inspector Drake? Are you alright?"
"Yes. Yes. Thank you." She slid the card out of the envelope. "I'm fine Natalie. Thank you."
Alex, I heard you were looking for me. I'm back in London. Rupert
He'd written his phone number at the bottom, but she didn't need it.
–
"Fuck."
Rupert slammed his car door and gunned the engine, still trying to process the things Mina had told him. And she hadn't wanted to tell him, he'd practically had to threaten her to get her to talk and he still wasn't sure she'd been completely honest.
It turned out his father had fallen out with the elder Van Helsing years before he was born, but had continued his pursuit of the half-lives on his own, using his own resources and his own considerable fortune. He'd never wanted Rupert to know, though, and had insisted on complete secrecy from Mina. He hadn't wanted Rupert to follow in his footsteps and when he met Jay at school his father had been very upset.
But there was more that he'd never been told. And now he had to find out how all of these secrets were going to affect his life. And Alex's.
His phone rang as he was shifting into gear.
"Galvin."
"Rupert?"
He shifted back into park. "Alex? Hi. How are you?"
She managed a nervous laugh. "I honestly have no idea. I can't believe...it's good to hear your voice."
"Yeah, yes. Yours too." Say something else. "Did you, um, get the cupcakes?" Idiot, of course she did.
"Yes, thank you." She laughed again. "I, um," oh Christ Alex "God I feel so stupid now. It's just that - "
"I'd like to see you." He held his breath. I miss you.
"Me too. See you, I mean."
"Can I buy you dinner?"
She didn't want to see him in a restaurant. "Actually, Rupert, I want to talk to you about what happened to me, some of the things, well, they're still hard for me to talk about without, um, breaking down a little. Would you mind if we met at your hotel?"
"Well, that'll be difficult. I'm not staying there anymore. How about you come to my house."
"House?"
He gave her the address. "Dinner tomorrow? I'll cook." Now he only had to figure out what to tell her.
–
Alex was more than a little nervous as she approached the address Rupert had given her. Her palms were sweating. She had broken things off with him without much of an explanation and he had been pretty upset about it. And then she wouldn't see him even after he had saved her life. But she couldn't see him then. She knew better now.
She'd been surprised when he gave her an address in Marylebone, but more so when she reached the house.
"Fighting demons must be a lucrative career," she murmured to herself as she rang the bell. She bit her lip.
"Hi Alex. Come in." Rupert was wiping his hands on a dishtowel as he opened the door and tossed it over his shoulder when she came in. Her hair had gotten longer and she was wearing her work clothes. Christ she looked beautiful. "Sorry, still cooking."
"Thanks. Um, yes. It smells great." She looked at him, standing in the entryway. "Thank you for seeing me." She stumbled over her mouth as she followed him toward the kitchen. "I mean, I'm sorry about before. I was just confused. And then later wh-"
"Alex," Rupert interrupted.
"Yes? What?
His eyes twinkled at her. "You look great."
"So do you." She really looked at him now. He'd lost weight, and there was a scar across one corner of his mouth that wasn't there before. She had to fight to keep from reaching out and touching it.
"Nah." He looked away. "I got old since the last time I saw you." He poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her, taking his own from the counter. "Older. I was already old."
The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile and she had to turn away or she'd kiss him. She leaned against the counter. "I am sorry about that. I didn't do that very we -"
"A lot of thing have happened since then, Alex. To both of us. How about we start over?"
She wanted to throw her arms around him, wanted him too hold her, tell her everything would be alright. "Start over. I can do that."
He grinned. "Good. Dinner's ready."
–
"So are you renting here?" Alex asked over chicken marsala, potatoes and asparagus. He turned out to be an excellent cook. "It's awfully big."
"No, actually, it's mine. My mother retired here after my father died. I was still in the U.S. but after Maggie died I spent most of my time with Jay, and mom always liked London best so she decided to live here. It's been empty since she died, but it looks like I'll be staying around for a while, so I thought I would open it up and live in it. See what happens." He stopped to drink some wine. "Will probably need to refurnish it, though."
"That'll be a big job." They were quiet for a while, neither knowing what to say next. "So, uh, what's keeping you in London?" Alex was unreasonably excited at the thought, even thought she felt she had no right to be.
He chuckled and watched her chew for a moment. "I took a job. With your government."
"You what?" Alex laughed. "Doing what?"
"Well it seems as though the half-life activity in England has picked up to the point that it's been noticed by folks in a more official capacity. And as I am the nearest expert on eradication I've been hired as a domestic terrorism consultant." He smiled. "I start in January, and I'm supposed to supervise training and tactics for the newly formed demon-fighting squad. I think they still need to work out which department I'll be reporting to, though." He rolled his eyes. "Probably all of them."
"Won't that keep you away from Luke? Away from directly fighting the problem?"
He shook his head. "Luke doesn't need me anymore. Not much anyway. And I'm getting too old to fight anyway. Too slow."
"No." She looked up at him, her eyes soft. "You saved my life, Rupert. I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me."
He looked away, more nervous than he should be. Or than he wanted to be. "Yeah, well. It was Luke who shot the thing. All I did was run around a lot and shout."
Alex laughed. "I doubt that."
She reached to stroke his face, and he hoped she couldn't hear his heart thumping in his chest. Her fingers stroked his cheek, traced the scar on his lips. He might have stopped breathing.
"What happened?"
His hand covered hers, his fingers curling into hers as he tried to answer. "Had a run in with a few vampires in the mountains." He broke her gaze. "I didn't come out so well. I might still be the main course if Luke hadn't been there."
Alex took a sharp breath. "Please don't get yourself killed Rupert. I don't want to lose you again."
He wanted to kiss her, he needed to. It was probably too soon. "No dying. I promise." He let go of her hand. "I should clear this up." He stood up, picking up his and Alex's plate.
Alex rose, following him into the kitchen with the leftover food. "Please, let me help you." In the kitchen Rupert took the plates from her, setting them on the counter. "Dinner was lovely Rupert, you are a very good –"
Turning around he pulled her face to his, kissing her softly on the mouth. She tasted salty, and like wine. He wanted to linger. He didn't. "You're welcome."
–
"So why did you want to see me?" Rupert poured them both more wine as they sat close together on the sofa.
"Nightmares. Since I woke up from my coma, I've been having nightmares."
"About what?"
"About what happened...when I went back. I told Mina about it. Did she tell you...anything?"
Rupert shook his head. "Not much. Though I've recently discovered there are a great many things she hasn't told me." He rolled his eyes. "She said that you had experienced time travel backwards, or possibly a dimensional shift putting you into a parallel reality. I imagine it was very traumatic, but they could just be nightmares, Alex."
Again Alex told the story. What happened to her and what she learned, both about her parents and herself. The terror and the loneliness. How desperate she was to get back to Molly. As much as she could she avoided talking about Gene, but when she finally did she closed her eyes to keep away the tears, but they came anyway. The feelings were still so strong.
"And I trusted him. Because he was you."
Rupert froze. "What do you mean, he was me?"
"He was you, Rupert. He didn't just look like you a little bit. He was you exactly. And it took me some time to realize it, but that was why I trusted him so completely. Because he made me feel safe. He made me feel safe because you make me feel safe." She looked at him, his blue eyes dark and shining. "And I need you."
He didn't know what he expected to hear, but this wasn't it. He had been in her alternate reality. It couldn't be and it was. And he'd seen it all. Been in it.
"Alex, something happened to me, in Albania. Luke and I weren't just chased by a pack of vampires...was caught. And I saw what happened to you."
He took a deep breath, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. He couldn't look at her now, he didn't want her to see. He told her about the vampires had fed off him, and made him see things. How real these things were, like he was living them, or had lived them. That she was in these visions. That they terrified him then, and terrified him more now that she had told him about her experience, about the old Albanian witch – she had to be a witch, what she'd done for him – to keep him alive. He didn't tell her about his father. He didn't know what that meant yet – if it was important.
Alex was confused. "I don't understand. Rupert, what do you think this means?"
"I don't know. It was so real." He reached out to touch her, expecting her to recoil. "But I'm not him."
She didn't recoil. Instead she slid one hand into his, resting the other on Rupert's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Alex," he said quietly. "I didn't know." When she still said nothing he was certain that was it. She would leave, and it would be over. For both of them.
"Please look at me." She pulled his shoulder and he sat up slightly. "I know you're not him, Rupert."
He turned his head, she was so close.
"I know you're not him, Rupert." Her fingers trailed his jaw, guiding him to her. "I know."
Closing the gap, he kissed her, tentatively at first, waiting for her reaction. Her hand curved around the back of his head, pulling him tighter as her lips parted and his tongue slid between them and together they fell back against the sofa.
"Alex," he pulled away slightly as she kissed the scarred corner of his mouth, "I promise you this isn't what I thought would happen tonight. Kissing you, I mean" He slid his arm around her back, kissed her again. "Though I might have hoped a little."
"Me neither." Alex twisted her body, sliding one leg between his knees. "I wasn't sure you'd even see me again, after how I ended things last time." Her fingertips traced his collarbone, to his throat, down the open neck of his shirt.
"It wasn't your fault," he played with the buttons on her blouse, but didn't undo them. "I was an asshole, I know. I rushed you."
Alex shook her head, nuzzling closer as Rupert abandoned her blouse, ran his fingers through her hair. "I wasn't ready. It wasn't your fault" She kissed him, lingering, not letting him go. "But I was wrong, Rupert. I realized that when I couldn't find you. I told you, you make me feel safe."
He chuckled gently. "You know Alex, twenty years ago if a woman had told me that I'd have been horrified." He kissed her neck, fingers moving back to pop the top button on her shirt.
"What about now?" Alex tilted her head, inviting as he undid the second button, his fingers tracing the curve of her breast.
"Now?" He kissed her collarbone, her newly exposed flesh. "Now I want to tear your clothes off." He slid another button through it's hole, teasing her shirt open.
"So what's stopping you?"
He tugged back the lace of her bra, running his thumb over her pebbled nipple. "Nothing."
Pushing her back against the sofa he covered her breast with his mouth, tongue swirling the tight peak before taking it between his teeth. Alex gasped, pulling at his shirt as he moved over her.
Rupert kissed her neck, her ear. "Alex are you sure?" he murmured. "I thought you might want to take it slower this time. Maybe go on a date?"
I'm sure." She kissed him, sliding her tongue across his before breaking away again. "What about you? You've been through a lot lately. Are you sure you're up to it?" She giggled when he frowned in response.
"Alex, I spent the better part of last night anticipating seeing you again." He kissed her neck, nibbled her earlobe. "Trust me, everything works."
"Taking the equipment on a test run?"
He nodded. "Just in case."
He captured her mouth again and after that there was no stopping them. Buttons, hooks and zippers were conquered in seconds. Alex pushed the shirt off his shoulders and for the first time saw the scar that now ran from over his left nipple down across his stomach. She stopped for a moment, tracing it slowly with one finger.
"How could this have happened to you," she whispered as he placed kisses across her face.
"Told you, I got old. Too slow." He looked away.
She held his face, kissed him. "Don't let it happen again."
"Don't plan to." He struggled out of his jeans, turning his attention to Alex's trousers and tugging them down to her ankles and off, pulling her knickers along the way.
A naked tangle of arms and legs, mouths and hands everywhere, they moved together, both desperate and terrified to take the final step. Alex could feel him hard against her leg and ached to have him inside her. Reaching between their bodies she gripped his shaft, stroking slowly at first as he groaned and bit her lips, her neck. Her thumb grazed the sensitive head of his cock, droplets forming as she worked him harder. "Rupert, please." Hooking one leg over the back of the sofa she wrapped the other around his waist, guiding him inside her as she did. They gasped and stilled, finding each other's eyes until Alex arched her back, moved her hips against his. He moved slowly at first, grunting with each thrust, urged on by her hands, her mouth. "Love you, Rupert" she whispered and he thrust harder, his full length deep inside her over and over, murmuring her name. Again and again she said it, and he wanted her more, "love you, love you...." He couldn't stop, wanted to come, god he loved her too, how could he ever, he could never.... "Alex" he groaned "oh god." Finally she shook beneath him, holding him deep as she came. A few more short hard strokes and he followed, all the pain and fear disappearing in a flash as he exploded inside her.
–
Half asleep, Alex burrowed against the warmth of his body.
"You cold?" he mumbled.
"Mmm."
"We could go upstairs?" He kissed her shoulder. "It's warmer up there."
"No." Her voice was sleepy, content. "I'll fall asleep."
"Eventually." His fingers traced circles on her hip, across her stomach. "Maybe."
"Oh, Rupert. I'm sorry, but -"
He sighed. "You have to go home."
She nodded against his chest. "I hadn't planned to be out all night."
"No, it's OK. I understand." Rupert shifted so she rolled onto her back, so he could see her face. "You don't have to leave yet, do you?"
"Not yet, no." She kissed him, and he broke away with a nervous look. "What is it?"
"So, uh, you think we can try it again? Me and you?"
Alex smiled. "Yes. But there is one thing."
"OK, what? Anything."
"Molly will need to approve. Although I think you're a shoo-in there. She was quite angry with me when I wouldn't see you after the accident."
"She's a smart girl."
"Yes. Too smart. Do you think you can make it for breakfast on Saturday? It's a bit cold, but maybe we can find something to do in the afternoon?"
"I'd love to come for breakfast." He kissed her deeper, pulling her body close to his again. "But tonight we can make up for lost time."
–
"I think it's your turn now."
The man with the greasy hair pointed the gun at his head. He could see his finger squeezing the trigger...
Rupert woke with a start, looking around. The bedroom in his mother's house. His house. The bed was empty – Alex had gone home hours earlier.
Kicking his feet over the edge he stumbled to the bathroom, splashing water on his face. This dream was different. This one hadn't happened yet, wasn't a memory, he knew. It was the future.