CH40

"That, my child, is an excellent question. What do you say we find out?" Kay knew this was trouble and her husband would likely have a fit, still she knew they both had a soft spot for both Katherine and Sirene.

Kay got up and started searching for something she could use, finally deciding on her darkest colored scarf. "I apologize Katherine, but I cannot allow you to see where we are going or see anything while we are there. You will be perfectly safe, I give you my word." Kay stood there and waited.

Kate had to guess that Kay would need to do something, but she was more thinking of having to hand over more blood for testing like Hunt had done earlier. Still she stood up and put her back to Kay and waited for her to blindfold her with the scarf.

Once it was tied into place Kate could tell the lights were still on, and she could make out where Kay was standing when Kay turned her, but everything else, including her, was a blurry ghost image. "Here we go." And Kay jumped them.

At first everything was dark for Kate when suddenly the place was very bright and it had her blinking. She could no longer make out where Kay was so she raised her hands to her blindfold. "Leave it alone child or I'll have to jump us back," Kay warned her, which had Kate snapping her hands to her side.

She could hear something which made no sense to her. It was beeping and clicking. "Mute on," Kay called out and all of the noise ceased.

"Okay, there is a table behind you that I'm going to guide you to, when you reach it I want you to feel around it and climb up and lay on your back for me." She could feel Kay guiding her backwards until her butt hit something. Kay turned her around and she started touching the table. It was a table alright and it felt like it had a leather cushion on it. "Jump up and a little backwards to sit on it and then lay down for me." Kay guided her as she hopped up and landed on the table and laid down to her left, head first.

"Now just lay there and keep your hands to yourself. This won't hurt a bit, except for when I need a blood sample," Kay informed her.

She felt something being attached to her forehead and one of her fingers being pinched by something. "You're doing fine Katherine, just relax." Kay placed a hand on her shoulder.

She could feel something running across her stomach on the outside of her shirt. "May I ask questions?" she asked.

What she couldn't see was Kay smiling wide. "The thing attached to your hand is giving me data on your blood pressure and heart rate, both of which are significantly elevated. You can relax child, I have no intention of hurting you, or changing you just because you have a few Lycan cells in your body," Kay told her.

"The thing on your head is monitoring your brain activity as well as giving me scans of your brain. Think of it as a human MRI if you know what that is," Kay offered. "I do actually. I thought I had to be in a giant machine for that," Kate commented.

"Not this time," Kay responded. "And what you feel on your stomach is a version of a human sonogram, it allows me to see what is inside you." Kay explained and kept moving it around and around Kate's belly.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned since Kay never seemed to stop.

"You are definitely changed, child." Kay sounded shocked. "I think it is time for a blood test. This will only hurt for a second," Kay warned her as she felt a needle penetrate her arm for a short time. It felt like Kay walked away.

Moments later, "WOW!" Kay sounded surprised.

"What's wrong?" Kate started to sit up and take her blindfold off, only to feel Kay use her strength to force Kate back down and her hands away from the blindfold.

"Relax child, I was only reacting to your blood test. Your hormone levels are extremely elevated. Far above normal for a vampire," Kay informed her.

"What does that mean?" She was scared now, what were the Lycan cells doing to her?

"That's what we're here to find out. Just lay still Katherine, I need to do some research." Kay removed her hands and walked away.

She just laid there freaking out thinking that this was a bad idea after all, when suddenly there was a strange tone. "Hello darling, how are things going?"

"I'm in our room and you're not here."

"I'm at our old home doing some research, I should be done soon." Kay told him a partial truth.

"In that case I'm going to go pick up a portable power core. I'll meet you in our room."

"Be careful darling, I love you."

"It'll only take me a few minutes. I love you, too."

"Power core?" Kate questioned.

"Emergency generator," Kay responded.

"We have three of them on the roof, you could have asked," Kate countered.

"This is for personal use Katherine, we didn't want to impose." Kate could soon hear typing with some humming from Kay.

"Do I want to know?" she asked as Kay had been silent for a while.

Kate could feel Kay's hands on her and soon felt something crossing over and over her belly again and again. "There's something wrong isn't there? I just knew it. God what have I done?"

She felt Kay hold her down with a hand. "Relax Katherine, you're not dying. Actually quite the opposite if I'm right. Now just lay still." Kay patted her shoulder; she could hear typing again. "Damn it my typing stinks and I'm taking too long." Kay moaned because if she wasn't back in their room soon her husband was going to come looking and if he found her here with Katherine, he was going to go ballistic.

"Oh the hell with it. …Mute off," Kay said and Kate could hear the beeping and clicking again.

"Analysis of blood sample designated X4?" Kay queried.

"Subject's blood shows elevated amounts of estrogen along with greatly elevated levels of progesterone," a new voice intoned.

"Who was that? Who's here?" Kate started moving her head around in an attempt to see who it was.

"Analysis of scans?" Kay ignored Kate for now.

"Chemical reaction has taken place and division has already commenced. Estimate is roughly 24 hours of time has taken place since chemical reaction," the voice droned.

"What's going on?" Kate asked and sat up, ripping her blindfold off. Just for a second she saw walls of silver filled with lines of blue light and Kay seemed to be standing in front of a wall of blinking lights.

"Power off!" Kay called out. Kate could feel herself being jumped and found herself back in their room and still didn't see Lord Hunt.

Kate spun in place till she saw Kay. "Mistress?" Kate was becoming genuinely frightened.

"You should probably sit down child." Kay tried to guide her to the love seat.

"NO! I want to know what is going on. Who was that voice and what did it mean chemical reaction and division? …Please Mistress, please. It's my life. How long do I have?" Kate was sure she was as good as dead.

Kay started smiling. "You're not dying Katherine. Quite the opposite in fact. Your elevated hormone levels and chemical reaction and division is in fact the opposite of dying. You really are a first Katherine. Leave it to you to be the first vampire to accomplish it." Kay was still surprised.

"Accomplish what?" Kate didn't remotely understand and why was she smiling at her?

"You're pregnant Katherine. About 24 hours in, at the moment, give or take a few hours. Your scans indicate that your internal organs are all functioning again since being converted to a vampire. Apparently your human reproductive system is active as well." Kay was still amazed.

"I'm, … I'm." Kate found herself being guided to the loveseat where she collapsed onto it.

"Pre, … pre, … " Kate couldn't get the word out. It wasn't possible, vampires were infertile. It was a known fact.

"I'm going to have to run a lot of tests on you over the next few months. There are so many unknowns involved with this. So many complications. But you're first Katherine. You're going to have a baby. The very first vampire to have a baby in you wouldn't believe how long." Kay was smiling.

"Baby?" Kate managed to get that word out, and watched a smiling Kay nod her head. "I'm going to have a baby?" She tried it again only to see Kay still smiling and still nodding her head.

"For now I'm going to suggest that you keep doing what you've always been doing. If it was good enough to get you pregnant it should be good enough to keep you pregnant. Keep drinking blood, keep eating your steaks. Probably increase the amount of both. Eat and drink even if you feel like you don't need to. Go out into the sun, just don't stay out there too long. As for when the next full moon is, we'll talk about that when the time comes. I need to run a number of simulations first, which isn't going to be easy. Nothing like this has occurred before." Kay was still smiling.

Suddenly Kay felt a rush of air just as Kate said, "I'm pregnant." as she stared out into the empty portion of the room.

"Say that again?" Hunt stood there holding what looked like a mini keg that had blue lights in lines up and down it.

"Oh shit." Kay knew she was in big trouble now.

Kay helped Kate stand up. "Go do what you always do Katherine, we'll talk later. If I'm still alive." Kay knew she was at least going to get an ear full, as she escorted Kate out of their room and closed the door behind her and turned to face her husband.

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Kate was wandering around the house and only found herself in their bedroom by accident. She finally sat down and stared at the fake fire of the electric fireplace.

There were 3 fireplaces down in the living room. One for each seating area and those were gas inserts which allowed for smaller flues up to the roof. Every bedroom along with the library had electric fireplaces. They originally had tried for gas inserts everywhere, but their contractor had talked them out of it, and not because of cost.

"There you are." Rick had searched the house for Kate and their bedroom was the last place to look. He sat down next to her and saw that she was transfixed by the fake fire in the fireplace.

"Mistress?" Rick called out to her. That was followed by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mistress is something wrong? I found out from Sirene that Hunt and his wife have agreed to stay here, that must make you happy." Rick was pleased that Kate had some friends from her past life.

"Mistress?" Rick had noticed that Kate still hadn't looked at him. It was enough to get him to move in closer and suddenly found Kate in his arms who started crying.

"What happened? …Please Mistress talk to me. Don't shut me out." He couldn't handle a Kate that suddenly shut him out of her life.

She calmed down and was simply sniffling while she kept her face buried in his neck. "You planning on finally biting me Mistress?" he asked getting her to chuckle into his neck. He pushed her back and looked into her eyes and asked his question silently this time.

"I'm…I'm pregnant Castle." Kate didn't know what to expect but getting crushed in his arms followed by being kissed, wasn't at the top of her list.

"You're sure!? And how do you know? I thought you said vampires can't get pregnant?" Rick was filled with questions.

"I went to Mistress Kay and asked her some questions. Next thing I knew she jumped me blindfolded to someplace, started doing tests, and took another blood sample. I'm about 24 hours pregnant Castle." Kate still had a shocked look on her face.

"I don't understand, even if you are pregnant, and I'm not saying that you're not, but it takes weeks to find out if you are pregnant. No one can do it in just one day."

"One day, one day." Rick tried to let that sink in until his eyes opened wide. "We made love to each other during the full moon 24 hours ago. We've been so busy that we haven't had time for days prior to that. What else did she say?" Rick needed to understand.

"That I'm the first vampire to ever get pregnant. …She said something else too." Kate tilted her head as if that would cause the memory to come to the surface. She tried to replay everything since being blindfolded.

"Mistress Kay said that all of my internal organs are active again. Conversion to a vampire doesn't destroy them, it simply shuts them down," Kate remembered and then suddenly sat up straight. "That must be why I'm using the bathroom for a different reason. I've never used the toilet in years, not since before I was converted to being a vampire."

"We're both eating steaks daily along with the blood bags each morning. What else did she say? Do you need to stop drinking? Did she say anything about the baby? Is it a vampire? Oh god, what if it's a Lycan." Rick was suddenly way out in left field and showed no signs of stopping.

"Castle! …Castle stop. Mistress Kay simply said to keep doing what I've always been doing. If it was good enough to get pregnant, it was good enough to stay pregnant. She did say that she was going to give me a lot of tests in the future. I've only been pregnant for 24 hours!" Kate tried to shut him down, she was frightened enough to even begin to think that she would give birth to a Lycan.

"What do we tell the others?"

"Nothing, we tell them nothing Castle. I'm only 24 hours pregnant. I'm not telling them anything only to turn around and tell them that I've lost the baby."

"They're going to find out eventually when you can't hide it anymore"

"I know Castle, but until then we tell them nothing. I'm a vampire and vampires don't get pregnant. …What if I lose the baby Castle?" She suddenly found herself in his arms and he was holding her close. "You're not going to lose the baby Mistress."

"I'm so frightened, Castle. Vampires can't have babies. What if I die in childbirth? What do I feed the baby? What is the house going to say when they find out? What if this baby is a Lycan? I can't do this Castle, I'm a vampire!" Kate was following Rick out into left field with her own fears.

Castle however was back in the game. Rick pulled away and placed Kate's head in his hands. "Nothing is going to happen Mistress. You're going to be the first vampire to give birth to a vampire baby, or maybe Hybrid like we are. You're fine Mistress and we're going to get through this together." He pulled her back in for a hug and listened to her sniffle.

"We're going to have a baby, Mistress." To Kate, Rick sounded so happy. Maybe he was going to get his 5 year old child back and she was going to give it to him. Kate was calming down when it occurred to her that Castle had said he had raised Alexis all alone, so he must know what to do with babies. Kate buried her lips in his ear. "I love you Castle." She was in uncharted territory and was going to need all the help she could get.

"I love you too, Mistress." Rick just held her close.

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"We need to start moving the blood over from the safe house before the sun comes up here and then start working the blood across from my home," Sirene told Alexis and Paige.

"Where's mom, she doesn't need to stop at the safe house," Alexis questioned.

"I'll look for her, you two start moving the blood. We also need to move the food over for Irene to cook and eat," Paige mentioned and left them to start looking for Kate. "God, I miss eating food and I used to be a good cook, too." Paige moaned softly, just not softly enough for Sirene and Alexis not to hear her.

"Don't worry Alexis, she loves you too much to worry about drinking blood for the rest of her life," Sirene assured her and took hold of Alexis and jumped them to the safe house.

Alexis was putting the blood bags together and handed them to Sirene. "You really think so?" Alexis suddenly questioned.

"Paige loves you more than I think even you or she understands. Remember she is new to being a vampire and still remembers her human life. Relax Alexis, a few years from now and several hundred bags of blood and she won't even remember how to cook. Just don't screw it up like I did and you two will be together for who knows how long. WAY past our 10 years." Sirene had faith and had watched these two.

Feeling much better, Alexis went back to emptying the refrigerator.

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Paige was looking for Kate and Castle when she came across Solomon and Michael. "Paige! Did you manage to keep the weapons that were made for you?" Solomon questioned.

Paige was forced to shake her head. "I lost them when we lost the house. I'm thinking I dropped them when I got shot in the chest." She hung her head. "You should have seen me, I was dropping Lycans in wolf form left and right while protecting Alexis. I was doing so well, and then this female-looking human I'd never seen before stepped up and put three shots in my chest."

"Next thing I remember was Kate bending over me and jumping me away. I can remember hearing Irene being so scared. I knew I was dying and all I could think about was trying to find Alexis to see if she was still alive. Then I got really tired and someone was yelling at me to drink, except I wasn't thirsty. Next thing I knew I was covered in dirt."

"I'll get to work on making you some new ones as soon as I can along with some training weapons," Solomon told her.

"It sounds like your training served you well. Perhaps a minor modification to your weapons for next time. Allie and I will talk with Solomon and see what we can come up with," Michael offered.

Paige hugged both of them. "Thanks guys, I'm so glad that you survived the attack. I'm sure Kate is happy too." Paige left them to continue her search for Kate so they could move most of Sirene's blood supply.