CH19

"You're home early," Kate mentioned as she watched the death dealers enter the basement to pick up more clips, grenades and 2 blocks of C-4. "What happened?" Kate stopped Alexis and poked a finger in one of the damaged areas of her vest.

"We went down Castle's storm drain access as planned. We went upstream deeper into the city where we found a large storm water containment chamber. It had two more large tunnels, one of which had 7 or more Lycans in wolf form come charging down it."

"The other had 3 or more Lycans in human form with automatic weapons." Alexis ran her fingers over her 3 holes thankful for the vests they had taken from the Canadians.

"We blew the first tunnel and exited the tunnels. …They also had grenades mom, and we're going to need to carry a lot more ammunition. We went through 30 rounds per clip in no time." Alexis explained as she showed her mother her 2 empty clips and 3rd with barely anything in it.

"Oh, we also blew the tunnel below that manhole. We're going to need to find another way in," Alexis added as she picked up two light sticks.

Kate cursed silently. "How did they know you were there? Trip wires? Infrared? Door chimes?" Alexis shook her head at each one.

"Sound," Rick suggested since he was standing next to Kate. They had been talking with Solomon about Paige's weapons and how to make them. "They're tunnels, there is nowhere else for the sound of you walking through to go. The sound will go each direction alerting them to your presence."

"Assuming that Lycans can hear, smell and see like a normal wolf, they can likely hear and smell you coming. Down there they smell like the space they live in, while you smell like you don't." Rick theorized and then snapped his fingers.

"That's why those two who robbed the bank look like homeless people, wearing old, ripped, soiled clothing. Everyone but them stands out like a sore thumb." Rick was proud of himself and watched as Alexis and the other vampires around him start staring at him.

"Not bad dad, not bad at all." Alexis stepped up to Rick and kissed his cheek. "Where's Paige?"

"Exercise room. Castle came up with a new training technique for her that might take away the strength of the Lycans. Allie and Michael are with her. She's probably ready to slip into the Jaccuzi tub in our bathroom," Kate told her, since the tub in her and Castle's bedroom was the only one that had Jaccuzi jets.

"Castle and I will stay out of our room for a few hours," Kate called to the retreating form of Alexis.

Kate turned to Solomon. "We have or had enough ammunition for 3 clips per person, to double that we need what and how much time?" Kate asked him.

"We need the clips since we don't have that many. We have just short of 6,000 rounds and used 2,000 to fill the clips we do have. Meaning we will use up 4,000 of our 6,000 rounds to fill these extra clips. It will take another month to make another 6,000 rounds."

"That's assuming we keep sending out the death dealers who will use up rounds for each trip." Solomon pointed out.

"I'll get the clips, you just concentrate on making the rounds. What about the grenades and C-4?" Kate had a number in her head but wanted to hear Solomon's.

"We've barely scratched the surface in grenades though most of them are at a satellite location. We still have enough C-4 to blow our own house to the moon, though most of it is also at a satellite location. Not counting the C-4 that is already in place," Solomon informed her.

Kate nodded her head since that jived with what she remembered. "I'll get the clips, get them filled and handed out to everyone in the house, including Castle and Paige."

"Yes Mistress," Solomon replied and started loading the empty clips the death dealers brought home.

"Come on Castle." Kate took hold of his arm and jumped them to their room. "Strip, we're going somewhere," as she started to strip down to her birthday suit.

Kate smiled at what she saw as did Castle. "Come on, we're going skinny dipping." She took hold of his arm and jumped them.

Next thing Rick knew they were outside. It was just a little cool and he was standing on a cliff overlooking a lake. "Where are we?" He didn't see much even though it was almost a full moon.

"This is Lonesome Lake and it is in Southern Oregon on the border with Northern California. "We're miles from anywhere, the closest town is called Applegate and it is miles from here. Come on!" And Kate did a swan dive down into the lake below.

"Castle!" she yelled from below. He screwed up his courage and jumped. "Cannon Ball!"

Rick broke the surface. "HOLY SHIT THAT'S COLD!" He wrapped his arms around himself while kicking his legs.

"What's the matter Castle?" Kate was grinning as she made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll keep you warm." Kate kicked her legs and buried her face into his neck and started nibbling on his ear.

She didn't mean to but her fang nipped his ear causing it to bleed. She planted her lips on the wound and started sucking, feeling her eyes roll back into her head. God, but she loved his taste.

Kate drew her mouth away from his ear. "Ready to go again?" She grinned at him and jumped them back to the top. She let go of Castle and jumped, this time adding a summersault to her dive.

He followed soon after, this time feet first, ramrod straight.

She found him again and wrapped her arms around him and this time she kissed him. "Ready to go again?" She wanted to have fun.

"Couldn't we do this somewhere we won't be turned into frozen Popsicles?" Rick was sure his teeth were going to start chattering.

"Okay fine, you wimp." She caved in and jumped them someplace else. Immediately they were warm and their feet could touch the bottom.

He looked around and saw that they were in a small pond with a river flowing past nearby with rocks between the two. "Now where are we?" It was well past midnight and the place was empty, not that it was very big to start with.

"This is Penny Hot Springs in Colorado. Happy now?" she asked and was rewarded by having him kiss her like she taught him to.

Kate was happy to bend her legs so that only her head was above water as she continued to kiss Castle. He broke from one of the kisses. "Mistress can I ask a question?" He had been curious for some time.

"Of course, ask away." She stroked her tongue along his lower lip.

"Are you capable of having children Mistress?" Alexis was 19 now and not his 5 year old little girl.

Kate pulled her head back to look at Castle. "I'm sorry, but vampires are infertile. We can't have children. The only way we can increase our population is to convert humans into vampires."

"Theoretically we can live forever, but we have to pay a price for that. We need blood, can't ever see the sun again and we can't have children. Alexis is as close to a child that I'll ever have. It's part of why I love her so much." She placed a hand to the side of Castle's face.

"Why do you ask?" She wanted him to talk to her.

"I was just curious." He bent his head down away from her eyes. She lifted his head back up. "You want a baby, don't you? Someone to replace the Alexis that you lost."

Kate saw his tears starting to form. "I'm sorry, but it's just not going to happen. You get to have a 19 year old daughter who will never age." She tried to find a silver lining.

"Except I'll grow old and die." Rick lowered his head again.

She wrapped her arms tighter around him to hold him closer. "I'm not biting you Castle. We have a lot of years ahead of us still and they can be good ones." Kate pressed her face into his hair.

"Do you not want to be with me?" She would release him if that was what he really wanted, though it would break her heart. She started blinking back her tears. She was offering him an out and was scared he would take it.

"No, Mistress." Kate bit her lip as she started to fall apart. "I mean yes, Mistress. I want all the time I can have with you. I just wish it could be more than the years that we have." Suddenly being human wasn't such a good thing.

She squeezed him even tighter to her. "I'm still wearing your key Castle, do you want out?"

"Yes. …No." Rick was conflicted. "I want to be released so I can make love to you by being inside you. But after wearing it for that month, that one evening when you released me were some of the strongest orgasms I've ever had." He pulled away from her and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"You're the most beautiful, sexiest, strongest, most challenging woman I've ever met. It's just my luck the woman of my dreams, who gave me a reason to live, would be a vampire." He used his thumbs to wipe away Kate's tears.

Then he took his finger and rubbed it along her lower lip, poked his finger on one of her fangs, pushed it into her mouth, and watched as she squeezed her eyes closed. She grabbed hold of his hand to hold it in place and started sucking all the blood she could out of his little wound.

Rick smiled as he confirmed to himself that Kate loved the taste of his blood.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Hunt was satisfied with the answer to his question. "Have a nice day, the sun will be up in a few minutes. I really am sorry I didn't bring any sunscreen, but then I don't use the stuff personally." He patted the top of the guy's head who was sitting bound to a chair out in the middle of the dessert. Pakistan huh?" He thought it over. It was too late to go to Pakistan since the sun was already up there, just like it was minutes from being up here.

So he stepped behind his bound friend and jumped to a new location. Well, actually it was an old location. Hunt took in a deep breath. "Ah, it's good to be home again. Even if it does look nothing like I remember it.

Hunt pulled out his satellite phone and sent a message about the contact being in Pakistan and they would need to get someone there if they wanted him during the day. He only worked at night. Satisfied, he saw that he had a text message. "New York, East 90th Street, meet you there."

"YES!" Hunt yelled. Somehow if she was going to be found she was just the one to do it. It would be good to see her again. Catch up after all this time. If he was going to get there he needed to start moving. So he jumped for the coast of France and waited.

A little before the sun was going to rise, he jumped to Northern Ireland and waited. From there he jumped to Iceland, followed by Greenland, followed by Canada. From there a quick jump to the Statue of Liberty next to the torch, just to get his bearings and jumped near 90th street and started walking.

It was just about midnight. "This looks like the spot." Even though he hadn't been given an address. He knew even when he got the text that it was a test from her.

It really wasn't that hard. "Not bad, Katherine. Hiding in plain sight in the middle of downtown Manhattan." He tilted his head to look up at all six floors and walked up the steps to the front door, rang the doorbell and waited.

Kate was curled up next to Castle while Alexis was curled up next to Paige. They and a few others of the house were watching a movie. There had been comments from everyone except Castle and Paige about the movie he had chosen for tonight. "A black guy who is half human and half vampire walking around at night wearing sunglasses." He shook his head. "Don't forget and stronger than any vampire." Another huffed at even the implication of such a thing. "At least we know where the movie got its name from," another commented as they watch him sword fight with a vampire who lost and flash fired into ash.

It was mostly Hollywood, however watching vampires die was just a little too close to reality for most of them. Blade was not who most of the room was rooting for when the front door bell rang.

Kate bolted upright. "Are we expecting a delivery?" She looked over at Alexis who shook her head. "Are you armed?" she asked and watched her daughter make a face that clearly said. 'Are you serious?'

"Select two of your death dealers and meet me at the front door," she told Alexis. "This will only take a minute Castle, stay here." She kissed him soundly in front of everyone and jumped for the front door.

She turned on the front light, looked at the camera display panel, and saw a relatively young looking guy with his head down, hiding his face. Kate looked behind her and saw Alexis kneeling down on the floor with two death dealers standing behind her. Paige poked her head and weapon around the corner just behind them.

She smiled. Paige was really into keeping Alexis alive. It made her happy that her daughter had found someone who loved her that much.

She unlocked and opened the door. She was standing in front of a young man who lifted his head up. "Hi Katherine, it's been a long time." Kate slapped a hand over her mouth as she stared wide eyed at the man in front of her.

After the initial shock Kate went down on one knee in an instant. "My Lord." She bowed her head. "Oh, get up off of the floor Katherine, this is your coven not mine," he chastised her and could hear behind Kate, "Lord?" He saw a young women with red hair and fair skin down on one knee along with a man and a women standing behind her all pointing weapons at him. Just beyond them was a dark haired young woman who looked confused, but also had a weapon.

"Are you going to invite me in, Katherine, or are you going to leave me out here in the cold?" Hunt asked, not that it was cold out. Fall wasn't for a few weeks yet.

She stood. "Of course Lord, please." She gestured for him to enter and closed and locked the door behind him. "And skip the Lord part too. I'm not in charge or anything anymore, nor anyone. Hunt or Jackson will do fine Katherine."

"Perhaps my sitting room," she offered since the living room was already full and walked to the stairs. "You're with me, sweetie and Paige, go find Castle. We'll be in our room." Hunt raised an eyebrow at the word "sweetie,"but said nothing.

Kate led them into their bedroom. "I'm impressed Katherine. You seem to be doing well, and hiding in plain sight in the middle of downtown New York City. That takes courage." Hunt always did have a soft spot for her. "I like your room, you always did have a soft spot for things with character." He was smiling when he turned to Katherine. "Don't I get a hug?" He held out his arms and watched as she launched herself into them and buried her face in his chest.

"It's been a long time Katherine. I'm sorry I lost track of you after our house was destroyed." Hunt held her close. "And who is this?" He nodded his head at Alexis.

"OH, my manners. Alexis, this is Lord Hunt. My Lord, this is Alexis…my daughter." "Daughter?" Hunt looked at Kate questioningly. "It's a long story." Kate replied, a little bashful.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir. Mom has told me stories about her early years." Alexis held out her hand that Hunt took and shook before using his strength to pull Alexis into a hug. "I'm looking forward to hearing this story." He turned his head towards Kate.

"You're the one that converted mom into a vampire!" It suddenly struck Alexis.

"I am, but that was a long time ago. And why do you look older than I remember?" Hunt asked, looking at Kate.

"That's part of that long story," she told him just as the bedroom door opened. "Mistress, Paige told me that there was someone…at the…front door." Castle, with Paige right behind him, stopped to stare at Hunt.

"Castle, this is Lord Hunt, my Lord this is Castle. He's with me. And the woman behind him is Paige, she's with Alexis." She made introductions again. And watched Paige step and take hold of Alexis's arm and looked ready to defend her, while Castle closed the door and moved in behind Kate.

"Now I'm really dying to hear this story." Hunt told them as his eyes got wider. Kate was saved by the sound of the doorbell. "You might want to get that, could be important." Hunt couldn't keep the smile off his face.

She gave him a perplexed look, stood, and jumped for the front door. Kate turned on the front light and looked at the video panel. "NO FRICKIN WAY!" She unlocked the front door as fast as she could. "SIRENE!" Kate launched herself out the front door and just about knocked both of them to the ground.

She backed off just enough to place her hands on either side of the woman's face and kissed her soundly, getting kissed back just as soundly. Kate broke away from the kiss, "How, what, why, where have you been? …You better come inside." Kate pulled her inside and closed and locked the door. "Lord Hunt is here," she said, all excited.

"I know, I sent him here," Sirene explained. Now it was Kate who had a shocked face. "You, he, here, how? …Ohh, that man." Kate shivered and to Slrene it felt like old times. "You're with me." Kate took hold of her arm and jumped for their bedroom.

"You're late," Hunt stood and told Sirene. "Actually I'm on time, you're early," Sirene countered, broke into a smile, and hugged him. "It has been too long my Lord."

"As I told Katherine, I'm not the Lord of anyone anymore. That time has come and gone." Hunt replied, letting go of her. "Nonsense my Lord, to us you're still the man in charge. Right Kate?" Sirene turned her head to get Kate's support.

"She speaks the truth my Lord. You're the oldest vampire I even know of or heard rumors about. … And just where the hell have you been all this time?" She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Hunt cursed internally. "Fine, fine, I never could say no to the two most beautiful women on the planet. Is there anything to drink in this place?" he asked since it sounded like he was going to be doing a lot of talking.

"I'll get it." Paige jumped up and rushed for the door. She stopped at the door and turned to count the number of vampires in the room. "Just don't start any stories without me. I want to hear everything."She opened the door, closed it softly, and started running for the closest kitchen.

"While we're waiting, would you care to explain why there are two humans in a house full of vampires?" Hunt queried. Not that Hunt was mad, he had been trying to combine the two when he was Lord.

"I was chasing a pair of Lycans when I ended up in the morgue of a police station. It was there that I found who they had attacked and… mutilated." Kate took hold of Castle's hand; a move that Hunt couldn't fail to notice.

"There was a broken 5 year old girl there. She had this beautiful full head of long orange hair and she just spoke to me. As I was taking the head, someone walked in and I only caught her first name on a tag and jumped away. I converted her to being a vampire by giving her a piece of my heart, like you instructed us, Lord. That was how I ended up with Alexis, my daughter."

"Well, that certainly explains why you look older now," he admitted just as Paige came rushing into the room with four warmed bags of blood and two cold bottles of water. She handed them out and sat next to Alexis. "What'd I miss?"

"Katherine was just explaining why she has a daughter." Hunt explained. "Oh good, I already know that story." Paige was relieved. She leaned up against Alexis and took a drink from her bottle of cold water.

Sirene couldn't help but watch the two of them and remember back to years long since passed. "I remember that look, we used to have that look." Sirene pointed out, as she poked her straw into the bag, and started sucking.

Kate instantly turned red since she hadn't told anyone in this house about her and Sirene. "MOM!?" Alexis missed poking her bag altogether.

"Sirene and I…I had never met anyone who could say no to Sirene, including me. We were…we were lovers for the final, what, ten years before the disaster?" Kate looked at Sirene and poked her straw into her bag.

"Near enough. It was only after that disaster and our...debate, that we split up and went our separate ways." Sirene confirmed.

"Debate my ass! It was a full blow argument. Our first big blow out since we had been together. As I recall I hit you several times." Kate took a long drag on her straw.

"I'm sorry Kitty, it seemed like a good idea at the time. The vampires and Lycans had destroyed our home. All we found was dead humans and piles of ash. We even surmised that one of those piles was our Lord. We had to split up if we were going to escape from them and keep our race alive. One of us had to live." Sirene had hated it, but it made sense to her.

"I LOVED YOU! You meant the world to me at that time. You and Lord Hunt were all I had." Kate didn't want her blood bag anymore and retreated further into Castle's arms who had thankfully remained silent through all this.

"I LOVED YOU TOO KITTY! You're not the only one who has been hurting. It's been a long 500 plus years." Sirene calmed down. "I did what I thought I had to do. …I'm sorry." Sirene deflated. She still thought it was the right thing to do, but she also thought she had screwed up.

"You broke my heart," Kate added. "I know and I'm sorry. If it's any consolation mine has been hurting too," Sirene said.

"Is there still no one?" Paige suddenly spoke, though softly. Sirene shook her head and it broke Kate's heart. She at least had found Castle; her old lover was still in pain.

Paige pulled out her cell phone and started searching her contact list. "Paige?" Alexis questioned her softly only to have Paige hold up her hand to quiet her. "Hi Irene, you remember that blind date you used to pester me about? Well, I may have just found one for you. You just have to keep an open mind. How about tomorrow, 8:00 pm just outside the front doors to the Empire State Building? You two can go up to the observation deck before they close it and talk and go from there. …Perfect! You can thank me later Irene." Paige ended the call.

"There, now you have a date tomorrow. You are going to be here tomorrow, right?" Paige had just assumed and watched a slack jawed Sirene nod her head. "OH! And this is what she looks like so you can find her tomorrow." Paige got up and walked across to Sirene to show her a picture she had of Irene on her phone.

Everyone watched Sirene's eyes open wide. "Where do you live anyway?" Even Paige thought she was beautiful and shouldn't have any trouble finding someone. "Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, a few miles east of Victoria, Canada," Sirene answered her question.

"Victoria, Canada. Irene is still in school studying to be a nurse and has a part time job at a local hospital. I suppose you two could move to Victoria and she could get a job there." Paige walked back over to Alexis and snuggled in close. "Irene used to be the ugly duckling and she was treated a lot like one too. She hit puberty a little later than everyone else and then she transformed into what you saw."

"Irene is still a little shy and doesn't trust easily. She doesn't like men much; they didn't treat her very well when she was little. She's been pestering me for days to introduce her to someone." It was mostly after she figured out that Paige was into other women. "She's human if that puts you off," Paige warned her, only to see Sirene shake her head.

"Alright Richard, speak your mind, you've been staring at me ever since you came into the room." Hunt told them, getting Kate to twist her head to look up at Castle.