Do It Now

Mike stood across the street from Vicki's office / apartment building. He watched the lights turn on upstairs and the two agents come back for the evening conference. Jamus Peters had been keeping him up to date on the status of Vicki's agency and that so called Harry Royce character. Mike knew the truth about Harry, but it appeared that no one else did. Mike hadn't heard about any weird cases since that long ago night at Henry's condo. He kept his mind from going there. The girl with the bite on her neck that had caused Mike to confront Vicki the month before had died of natural causes. The bite was from a pet chimpanzee that had escaped the night she died. No mystery there. Mike had jumped to conclusions because he hoped to prove to Vicki, Henry was vicious and she should forget him. Instead, Henry was Harry and a active part of Vicki's life. He took a deep breath and walked over to the office.

He opened the door and stood in the reception area and hoped he was doing the right thing. Sometimes the right thing was done for the wrong reasons. It was time to do the right thing for the right reasons.

He called out, "Vicki do you have time for a consultation?"

Vicki was listening as Jamus finished up his current case summary. Lana was ready with her report, and Harry was leaning against a wall as usual. Recognizing the voice Vicki called out, "Mike come on back." Mike walked through to her office and looked at the four people in the room. Vicki, pale, calm, beautiful with her tinted lens and half smile. Jamus looked away, and Lana gave a finger wave. Harry came away from the wall and gestured for Mike to take a seat. Harry then went into the reception area and brought a chair back for himself. "I hope I'm not disrupting your meeting."

Vicki shook her head no, "Not at all Mike. Jamus just finished up and the other reports can wait until later. What do you need a consultation on?" She wanted ask about chimpanzee bites but felt it was much better to let that alone.

Mike looked directly at Harry and started speaking, "There have been some reports of odd behavior in a park near here. Something Royce here would find intriguing."

Vicki felt her vampire responding in anger, she looked at Henry who was also fighting his vampire. Vicki stood smiled and said. "Jamus, Lana good work. See you Monday night." With that she handed them their pay envelopes and wished them a good week-end off.

Henry got up and stood behind Vicki while saying, "Cut the crap Mike."

Mike looked Henry in the eye, reached behind his back and pulled out a very pointed wooden stake, he turned it so that the point was aimed at his own heart. He extended his hand toward Henry and said, "It's not you in the park. I know that. Something is there and you are the only one I know that can help." Henry took the stake from Mike's hand, "How many more of these do you have?"

Mike shrugged, "I carry only one a night. Never needed it, but given our history, I plan on being prepared." He then pulled out a small revolver holding it up, "silver bullets."

Vicki started laughing, "Just don't pull garlic and holy water out of your pocket." Mike's heart warmed to hear Vicki's laugh and said, "No I don't have those items. Henry claims they don't work." Mike turned to Henry, "Please give me a minute alone with Vicki."

Henry bowed his head, "Since you said please. Vicki I'll be upstairs if you need me." He bent over and kissed her cheek.

Mike watched Vicki as she smiled at the kiss and gave Henry's hand a quick squeeze. Mike sighed, "It's him isn't it. He's the reason you look so beautiful. You love him."

Vicki took off the tinted glasses and looked into Mike's heart, "Yes I love him. I loved you but not enough. When I started loosing the view of the outside world I started looking inside. I wasn't ready to have anyone protect me or keep me from doing the job I loved."

Mike felt he had to ask one more question, "If I had been more open to you after the night you saved Coreen, would there have been a chance for us?"

Vicki bend her head forward and covered her face with her hands. She owed Mike the most honest answer she could give. "We gave it our best shot. The few times we tried, we were so out of step, out of touch with each other that nothing went right. I will always love our past. Any future includes Henry."

Mike looked torn, "How can you speak for him?"

Instead of answering Mike she called out, "Henry come back." The speed of a vampire never failed to amaze Mike as Henry appeared beside Vicki and said, "You bellowed?"

She punched him lightly, "I didn't bellow. He asked how I can to speak for you. Well? Can we all be friends? Yes or no?"

Henry could feel Vicki's tension as he placed his hand on her shoulder, "Let's work on trust first. "

Henry started pacing as he spoke, "The mistrust runs deep between us Celluci. Vying for Vicki's love was at the core of our mutual mistrust." Vicki started to speak as Henry turned toward her, "No Vicki it has to be discussed. Not one of us can go back to the way things were. We have all changed." Vicki looked into Henry's eyes and allowed hers to beg him not to speak of her being vampire. Henry nodded in understanding. He turned away for a second to gather his thoughts, "I have asked Vicki to spend the rest of her life with me. She said yes. If you can accept that, then perhaps we can work on trust."

Mike looked from Vicki to Henry. "Is that true? What are you going live with him? What about you, a family? Growing old? What about his feeding on a different woman each night of the week and all that so called vampire passion he passes around?"

Vicki looked down, then out the window, everywhere but making contact with either man. "Your both doing it again. Trying to tear me apart. What do I want? I want a friend and a lover. Mike I can only offer you friendship. I give everything else to Henry as long as he will have me. His feeding habits are well known to me. Loving him means accepting him and his life without trying to change him. Mike you tried to change me. Make me into something I was not nor ever could be. Henry loves and accepts me just the way I am now sitting here in this chair. Growing old together is our business not yours."

Henry placed a hand on Vicki's back, "Tell me Mike, is the problem in the park real or just something you made up to get through the door."

Mike looked at him in disgust, "So much for your trust. Yes it's real enough. Check it out for yourself and get back to me with what you find. I brought a copy of the complaints. Vicki if he's what you want. You got him." He turned and walked out of the office slamming doors as he went.

Vicki whispered, "Thanks for not letting him know about me. He's angry enough without knowing that."

Henry pulled her up from the chair, "Tell me you don't regret being vampire."

Vicki's eyes changed color as she bit ever so softly into his neck. Her vampire called out to his. His fanged teeth made their own mark on her neck. Drops of blood filled both mouths as the vampires shared the passion that made them one. They held tight until the moment passed. She breathed into his ear, "No I don't regret being vampire."

Another little bit of a story. Thinking out loud on paper. Hope you enjoy.

RealTears