Part 5
A week later
"Say something," Aaron urged Alex, looking and sounding worried.
Alex was gazing off into the distance with her face expressionless. When Aaron had said that he needed talk to her she hadn't unexpected what she had been told. She had known that it wasn't likely good news when Aaron had asked to talk to her privately, where others could not overhear, but she hadn't expected what he had told her. No one could expect the kind of story Aaron had recited for her.
The two of them were up in her room, so they would have privacy. They were sitting in a little sitting area that was adjunct to the bedroom. There was also a reasonably sized kitchen.
"I knew something weird was going on," Alex finally stated, turning to face Aaron. "I've been having dreams for the last few weeks that started soon after I had met you. They were based on the past."
"They were based on my past, weren't they?" Aaron said quietly, getting what Alex was saying immediately.
"Yes, they were. I thought at first that they were just based off one of your ancestors, one that closely resembled you. Now I know differently," Alex said, refusing to look at Aaron.
Aaron winced and Alex saw it out of the corner of her eye.
"You were a cruel, arrogant, careless of others feelings back then," Alex said finally turning to face the man she had fallen in love with.
"I know I was," Aaron said looking ashamed. "I didn't really know any other way to be. I was raised by a nanny and my parents were basically absentee. I think my mother figured she done her job by giving birth to a son so why pay any attention to me? I basically grew up by myself, after the age of seven."
Alex winced in sympathy for the man sitting in front of her. His parents apparently, hadn't been good examples to their son and she knew very well what that kind of behavior could do to a child. He had no siblings, no one to talk to, go to for advice. She had no doubt, considering the time that he had been born, that he hadn't been allowed to play with any of the servants children, as the parents would have considered the servants status far beneath their own. Alex could see the father firing whatever servant had allowed such a travesty and Alex didn't doubt they would have had a lot of trouble getting another position.
"I didn't dare play with the servants children," Aaron added after a few minutes of silence, in an uncanny echo of Alex's own thoughts. "If my parents had heard about it, then that servant and their entire family would've been kicked out. It was very likely they would have, even if that wasn't for awhile. Both my parents would've considered the servants far beneath my own status and it never would have occurred to them that boys need other boys to play with or that I was lonely being an only child. It probably never would have occurred to them that they could spend some time with me, encourage me, play with me, tell me stories, even if that was only at bedtime. I still would have grown up lonely, but at least I would've known that my parents cared about me."
"Not as much was known about that kind of thing so long ago," Alex said thoughtfully.
"That's true enough and really there wasn't much to do for entertainment, unlike Dave with his stories. Dave wasn't exactly stretching the truth when he said telling stories were about the only way to pass the time when one was not working, unless you had a musician in your family or a friend that was one that knew how to play decently."
Alex was nodding at this, because that was the absolute truth. There hadn't been many ways to pass the time back so long ago, especially for the men, not even for the wealthy, though at least they had the means to hire a minstrel if a decent one passed through the nearby village or town.
Aaron's parents though, didn't sound like they type to go to the trouble of hiring a musician and that was only if one had passed through the nearby village in the first place. It would've been dangerous traveling from place to place so long go, as there were many natural disasters that could catch someone by surprise and that didn't include unnatural disasters like bandits. Women, at least, could pass the time by sewing, making samplers or something more practical like quilts for winter and even clothes. A lot of them even enjoyed it. Some women had even painted and were halfway decent, even if their paintings weren't acknowledged back then, basically, because they hadn't been painted by a man. Women were basically ignored in the time Aaron had been born unless the husband or father was a different sort from most of them. Women were expected to produce a child a year if they were from a poor family. Women from wealthier families might have had it a little better but a cage was still a cage and there was so many restrictions on what a woman was allowed to do back them. They were basically servants to their husband.
"I didn't even have music for entertainment occasionally, as my father had a tin ear as it's now called."
"It must've been boring," Alex said.
"I was taught to read and write and figure and I had lessons on economics and a lot of other things. I was taught how to dance as well, since that was a skill that young men and women both needed to know, especially those from my class. I even had my father's personal financial manager to teach me about investing and not as much was known about that kind of thing back then. I've picked up a lot of useful tips when it comes to investing since that time."
"So you were rude to my possible ancestor Blaire Blake," Alex questioned and Aaron nodded looking a little sheepish and contrite, although the incident had happened centuries ago. "So do you weren't kidding when you said that I could be the twin of this Blaire."
"No, I wasn't," Aaron said. "You shocked the bloody hell out of me when you just seemed to appear in front of the reception desk, as I never saw you approach."
"So you knocked my ancestor into a mud puddle and did not offer to help her up or apologize and because of your rudeness, your thoughtlessness she cursed you to be immortal," Alex repeated what she had been told.
"I'm afraid so," Aaron said looking ashamed not for the first time in the last hour. "I think she wanted me to learn how the poor had to just scrape by, a lesson I probably never would have learned if not for her curse. I have no doubt she wanted me to see how the other half lived, how cruel and tyrannical lords that owned a lot of land could be. Some lords were more than decent to the peasants that worked the land but a lot were not. I've been poor now, so I do indeed know how the other half lives. Poverty is still a big problem, though at least they're programs now to help the poor. Shelters for the homeless, programs to help people find jobs and many others."
"She wanted you to understand how the other half lived those that weren't from wealthy families," Alex said. "Sounds like something an ancestor of mine would do actually. We're big on seeing justice done, though turning you immortal seems a little much, as all you did was accidentally knock her into a mud puddle and then not apologize."
"Dave and I were thinking that perhaps she saw it was the only way I would learn my lesson, become kinder more considerate of others feelings, no matter their wealth, breeding or position in life. I never went back home once I left at 24. I'm kind of surprised my parents never tried to arrange a marriage for me, though maybe they were going to by the time I was 25 or so. I took money with me of course, but it wasn't enough to last forever and it wasn't like things like electronic transfers existed so far back. I wouldn't have been surprised if my parents arranged for me to marry a 15 or 16-year-old, as that's how things were done so far back."
"So the woman could have as many children as possible," Alex said in understanding and Aaron nodded.
"It's not like there were any child protection laws so far back and women got married as young as 14, once they started their monthly as its known. That I was an only child was rather unusual in the time I was born, as wealthy families usually had at least two children, a heir and a spare, but I suspect that my parents never again consummated their relationship once my mother was pregnant, especially since it was a son. That was about the only way to prevent pregnancy back then."
"Unless something went wrong with your birth," Alex said. "Some women just aren't suited to have children, so perhaps your exit from the womb tore it to the point that she couldn't get pregnant again."
"That's possible," Aaron agreed after a moment never having considered that before.
"Things go wrong even today, but back then, stuff like that happened on a regular basis and there was no way to fix the problem," Alex said.
"I still think that my parents never had sex again after my mother was pregnant and gave birth to me, or at least that's the most likely possibility. They were very cold to each other all throughout my childhood, so I have no doubt that their marriage was likely arranged. I'm sure I would have shared the same fate if I hadn't left, as 24 was quite old in the time I was born."
"I know you're a different kind of man now then you were back when you were born," Alex said finally. "However, I need time to think. I like you a lot, I might even love you, but I need some distance. Changing my whole life takes some serious consideration. I've lived in Washington ever since I finished college nearly 10 years ago. I have tenure at Georgetown. That's not to say I couldn't get a position here at Columbia or some other college in New York. Columbia has actually been wanting to hire me for sometime and has offered me an excellent salary. The head of the linguistics department is going to retire in a few months time and they've offered me the position. I was going to tell them no, as I was happy in Washington and you know the extra pay doesn't matter to me, but my relationship with you changes things for me."
Aaron was cautiously relieved, because Alex hadn't totally rejected him like he had half feared. She had said that she needed to consider about changing her life and that was something he could understand. He didn't like it, but he did understand it.
Alex saw the slump of Aaron's shoulders and patted his hand. "I'm not going reject you just because you used to be a bastard. People can change, I know that, as I've seen it for myself. For all I know, Blaire had a vision about you and saw herself turning you immortal or perhaps she saw you in some future time. I have no idea if I had an ancestor named Blaire, as records become lost or just disintegrate over time. There's a good chance that she is an ancestor of mine, though Blake isn't exactly an uncommon surname."
"How else do you explain that you look like a twin?" Aaron asked relaxing a little more at Alex's quiet acceptance of his past. "And while Blake isn't that uncommon a last name combined with the fact that you could be Blaire's identical twin..."
"That's a very good point," Alex admitted. "It's entirely possible that she is my distant ancestor. I am a witch just like you suspected, though I decided to go into academia instead of working in some kind of magical profession. Of course, my whole family are cops, except mom and me, though they do use their powers occasionally to protect themselves or to help pick up the clue that would otherwise have missed."
"I can understand you needing time to think," Aaron said finally taking both her hands in his own. "But please let us at least keep in contact. While I'm happy you didn't reject me completely, my heart is now on the line. I won't beg you to stay at my side, as that wouldn't be fair to you or to me."
"You've never allowed yourself to fall in love before," Alex said feeling genuine sadness that this kind, compassionate, generous man had never allowed himself to truly fall in love. On the other hand, she could understand it. It wouldn't be easy tell most women about immortality. They would either scoff at you think, you were crazy, or try to blackmail you once they knew your secret. Some would just walk away and others would want to be immortal for all the wrong reasons. It would take a very rare woman to believe in such a fanciful thing, unless they were a witch or warlock of course. It would be even rarer to find one with strong ethics and morals, who was honest and wouldn't want to use their newfound immortality for all the wrong reasons, like making themselves rich by committing illegal acts, even if that was just insider trading.
"I didn't dare," Aaron admitted. "That's not to say I didn't have relationships, but that was just for the sex, not because I loved them. It would take a rather unusual woman to take well to being immortal, as most females just couldn't handle it, the boredom of doing the same thing day after day for centuries. We immortals have to be spontaneous or we'd go insane with boredom if nothing else. We have to move around a lot change our last names at least, though Blake is common enough that it can be used for the next few centuries. It's not like Hotchner."
"That's only if we want to stick to the regular world. Most magical know it's at least possible to turn someone immortal, even if they don't know the actual curse to do so."
"So the immortality curse isn't common knowledge then," Aaron said rather relieved at that.
"No, as magicals would turn someone immortal for the stupidest of reasons if it was and there is no counterspell," Alex said. "It's restricted knowledge, but there is another way to do it, not that most people think of that."
"By feeding someone your blood," Aaron answered immediately.
"How in the world do you know that?" Alex asked in astonishment.
"Because I turned Dave immortal about 500 years ago," Aaron said. "We had been friends for several years before he was stabbed in the belly, a fatal wound. I happened to be walking to his place through the darkened streets, so we could have our nightly nightcap and chat just like we did about every night. I happened to find him not far from his home. The wound was deep and it was unlikely that a doctor would be able to do anything so that he lived, even if one could be gotten in time. You know that medical technology was very primitive back then, so there was probably a less than 20% chance that he would've survive such a grievous wound, because even if the wound itself didn't kill him or the blood loss, infection likely would.
"Infection killed so many people that might otherwise have survived back when Dave and I were born. He knew I was immortal, as he was a first one I ever told my full past to. Well, the first one that accepted it anyway and didn't look disgusted or outraged. Dave was past the age that most people lived to in those days by at least a couple of years. He was just one of those that had a very hardy constitution, one of those that rarely got sick. He was over 40 by the time he received that fatal wound. I offered him immortality, although I wasn't sure if him drinking my blood was going to work, but he was dying anyway, so the risk was slight. It was the only thing I could think of that could possibly save the life of my good friend, the only good friend I'd ever had, the only one I'd ever been able to open up to about my rather sordid past."
"I knew there was something different about your friend," Alex murmured thoughtfully. "He slipped into the way people talked in Italy a really long time ago, particularly from poor families and he was a little too realistic describing what that kind of life was like. It was as if he had actually lived it."
"Oh, he did, he was the son of the cook and the stableman just as he told you. He just fudged it a little and said it was an ancestor."
"So he's the one that wrote it all down," Alex said having seen the journal that had apparently been written by one of Dave's ancestors. The pages were indeed very yellowed and dog-eared, as if they had been read countless times.
"Yes, he was," Aaron said smiling a little.
"I didn't think servants were taught to read and write back in those days," Alex said.
"Mostly that was true," Aaron said, "just as Dave told you, but a well-to-do scholar stayed there for awhile and taught Dave the basics. He didn't have much else to do, Dave, I mean, not once his chores were done."
"So a well-to-do is scholar took an interest in him, because Dave was interested in learning and probably pestered him with questions."
"Yeah, that sounds about right," Aaron smiled.
"Most young boys wouldn't have been interested," Alex said.
"Yes, but the Rosewood Villa was located out in the countryside, several hours journey by horseback, carriage or cart to the nearest city. It wasn't like Dave could go into the city, the nearest was Florence, just so you know. He could never have walked that distance and back again in a single day and not have his parents miss him. Sure, he played with some of the other servants children, but they also had to obey their parents and they might not have had much free time just to be kids. Times were different back then, harder, particularly for the working class."
"And kids don't always get along," Alex murmured in understanding.
"That's true," Aaron said. "There was some woods that were part of the villa grounds, as they were apparently quite extensive. The villa was actually a castle, that was once a residence that was turned into a hotel by the family," Aaron said.
"So Dave and his friends likely took their time exploring the woods that were part of the grounds," Alex said. "That would've gotten boring after a few years, as they would've known every stream, every rock, every tree, every blade of grass."
"And every animal and their habits," Aaron added smiling.
"I bet you that Dave had a little hideaway, where he could be alone for awhile," Alex said not being able to help imagining Dave as a little boy. "I bet he was adorable as a child."
"Probably," Aaron said laughing at the image that made in his head. "I never knew him as a child, as he was living in Florence by that time. He'd done quite well for himself, as he was a scholar and wrote letters, for those that couldn't read and write. That was a valuable skill back then, as not a lot of people could read and write, except the nobles, the merchants, and the priesthood. Scholars usually came from well-to-do families."
"I'm attracted to Dave to you know, though not as much as I am to you," Alex admitted.
"I'm not surprised or insulted," Aaron said. "Dave can be extremely charming when he wants to be and he's also an attractive man. He's my best friend and one of the best men I've ever known, so I wouldn't mind sharing you with him. However, we would all have to agree on some ground rules, if we were to go that route."
"I don't think we need to worry about it right now, but it is certainly a possibility I hadn't considered," Alex said. "I've had two lovers at the same time before, something I've never told my family as they wouldn't approve. I won't say that those double relationships lasted, but still I've tried having two lovers that know about each other at the same time. It's kind of exhausting to have two men at the same time."
"But so much fun," Aaron said grinning, which caused the dimple at the corner of his mouth to appear.
"That's very true," Alex grinned. "It is something to consider for later. I'm going back to Washington in a few days. As I said earlier I need time to think. I need time to discuss my options with the dean of Georgetown. I need to talk to my family. We'll keep in contact though I promise."
"That's all I want," Aaron said relieved. "How long do you think you'll need to think about it?"
"A few weeks at least," Alex said. "This has been one of the best vacations I've ever had. Alright, so I was lecturing for several hours every day at Columbia, but still, other than that I've had a good time. It was very nice of you to take me to that perfume shop. You didn't have to you know, or at least you didn't have to buy me anything I wanted. I could've bought my own if you hadn't insisted on treating me."
"That was the whole point Alex," Aaron gently chided, causing Alex to blush in embarrassment. "The point was for me to treat you and for you not to buy for yourself for a change. Yes, you could've afforded to buy whatever you wanted, but hasn't anyone ever made you feel special, other than your family?"
"Well, no," Alex admitted. "I've never had that kind of relationship with any of the men I've dated. I've dated other professors, a few doctors, a couple of lawyers and while most of them were very nice they just didn't think in that direction. They might have developed that kind of thoughtfulness if our relationship had lasted more than a few months at most, but it's doubtful, as their personalities were set."
"Then they didn't really love you, which is why I'm sure that they broke up with you or you broke up with them, with no hard feelings."
"That's mostly the truth," Alex murmured. "We all have busy lives and I don't think they had time for a serious girlfriend or maybe they didn't feel the need for one. Some people just don't ever want to get married, because they're just too busy."
"And some professors or doctors for that matter have poor social skills, at least in their personal lives," Aaron suggested. "They feel that nobody will ever accept them, because of their poor social skills or maybe they just aren't people persons."
"That's very possible," Alex said. "We've been in here for hours and I'm sure your friend is wondering where you are."
"Dave is an intelligent and perceptive man," Aaron said smiling, though it was a little sad. He might not have lost Alex completely, and while he did understand her need to just think, he was still pretty anxious about her not coming back. Moving so far away from her life was a major life changing decision and Aaron knew it. Alex agreeing to keep in contact gave him hope that all was not lost. "Yes, we've been up here for hours, but we're also not screaming at each other and you haven't kicked me out. Rumors about a screaming match would reach Dave in no time, as he keeps his ear to the ground, so he knows most of what goes on here. I'm not saying he won't be curious, but that's better then the other option. I'll tell him everything as soon as I leave here, as I know he'll be waiting for me."
"You tell him everything don't you," Alex said smiling.
"Best friend," Aaron said with a genuine smile. "He's really my only close friend for obvious reasons, so yes, we tell each other basically everything."
"I'll need to visit my parents tell them about you and your past," Alex said. "I can't lie to them, because both are perceptive and would probably be able to tell I wasn't being completely truthful. It's better just to come out and tell them everything, as it will only help our case if I'm completely truthful from the very beginning."
"Let's hope that they don't tell you to never darken my doorway again," Aaron said.
"They won't," Alex tried to assure Aaron, who didn't look very reassured and Alex couldn't blame him, as he didn't know her parents after all. "They'll want to meet you of course, as I told you when we first met, but neither one of them is naïve or judgemental. They know that people can change for the better. The way you grew up at least partly forms who you are going to turn out to be. If you were raised basically by servants then that's going to have an impact on your personality. You basically raised yourself after you were seven. Both my parents will understand that, and that it just took a kick in the pants for you to change, even if turning you immortal is rather drastic. I understand you had to get some experience in how the other half lived for you to become a more kind, compassionate, generous person. Some people have experiences so life altering that it changes them for the better. They could've been arrogant asses before and had an experience that changes them into better people. Of course, some people aren't going to change no matter their experiences, but then, some people just can't change, because they're too arrogant or stubborn."
"If you're sure," Aaron said.
"Positive," Alex assured him.
"I've never had anyone accept my past before, except Dave," Aaron said.
"Some people don't have much experience with human nature. There lives were probably pretty sheltered by their parents and they might even be a little naïve. Some might even remain so throughout their lives. Some people never break out of that mold Aaron and that's something you need to think about. Those types of people are often taken advantage of by criminals or just the dishonest. Of course, they could just be the type that don't accept that everyone comes with that kind of baggage some worse than others and those that don't accept others for who they are often leads small, circumscribed lives. They are the ones that do the same thing every day and their lives are very limited, they go to work, they come home, they cook dinner or they order out, there's absolutely no time for spontaneousness and any change in routine makes them panic," Alex told Aaron gently.
"I know I've gotten a lot better at judging people than I used to be," Aaron shrugged, "but then I'm 700 years old so that's not surprising."
The two continued to talk for a few minutes before Aaron took his leave.
"I'm going to miss you very much Alex," Aaron told her sincerely. "I never imagined that I'd fall in love or at least if I did, the lady in question, would accept my past. I figured, I'd never have children of my own, something I never wanted before I met you. I know you haven't agreed to be mine yet, but I'm hoping that after you think about it for a few days that you'll return to me."
"Who knows perhaps my ancestor knew we were meant to be," Alex said sounding rather fanciful and normally that word could not used to describe her.
"I can't imagine ever falling in love with anybody else, so let's hope that's true," Aaron said sounding and looking sober. "I hope you do me the pleasure of your company tomorrow night."
"Of course, I'll look forward to it," Alex said immediately making Aaron relax.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Aaron said.
"Tomorrow," Alex promised kissing his cheek with genuine affection, causing Aaron to shoot her a beaming smile at her. Since Aaron rarely fully smiled this was quite a treat for Alex, who found herself wanting to make Aaron smile more often then he did currently.
Alex showed Aaron to the door and then closed it once he had left. It had been a rather intense, but very rewarding evening Alex thought, as she got dressed for bed. She just knew she was going to have trouble going to sleep as thoughts just raced through her mind, refusing to let it shut down. Alex used the bathroom brushed teeth and then climbed into bed. Alex fell asleep immediately, as soon as your head hit the pillow. That it never occurred to Alex that Aaron would smile a lot more if she was a permanent part of his life just went to show how deluded she was.
~~~Aaron, Dave, Alex~~~
