(A/N): LOTS of exposition in this one. New characters, or characters whose names are finally revealed, in this chapter. Also some more on Leo's childhood. Also also, some... foreshadowing.

Jerremyah

Sixteen. Fucking... sixteen. That was only one year older than Leo himself was now- but if she birthed his mother at sixteen, then unless she was in the last few months of her sixteenth year, she must have been fifteen when Anthophilius... Oh, god...

"That's- you said she was- she's not... 'right'?" Leo nodded- he looked pained or... like he might be sick. I couldn't say I blamed him- I was feeling a bit queasy myself, and I didn't even know these people.

"She's... distant. Like she's not really aware of her surroundings. You talk to her, and nothing really gets through. When she speaks, it's usually just... pleasant sounding nonsense. She talks to herself a lot- or, well... she sings, mostly. Whenever we visited her in France, you could always hear her humming." He smiled, and I thought it looked rather sad. "She spent most of her time in her quarters- she had human staff, always has. They take care of her... she needs it. To be taken care of." Human staff, instead of house elves.

"They live apart? Anthophilius and your grandmother, I mean?" Leo's eyebrows furrowed.

"Caliste." Right- it was the least we could do to offer her the respect of using her name. I nodded, and he continued. "Yeah. As far as I know, they've been that way for a while- at least as long as I've been alive... longer, even. I know there was a time, before my mother got married and left home, where she lived with just Anthophilius. My- my stepfather-" I noticed his brief pause, but did my best to pretend I hadn't. "He told me that he hadn't met his mother-in-law until just before the wedding- their union was arranged completely between Anthophilius, Sebastien, and Sebastien's father, Daimen Joannis." So, their marriage was an arranged one? I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised, given the way pureblood's did things.

"On the upside, I don't recognise the name, so if he's a Hunter, he isn't a very good one." Or a very bad one... depending on what side you were on. The corner of his lips quirked up, at that.

"Caliste, she-" He hesitated. "Whenever we stayed with her, my mother was... different. Softer." Oh. "My mother's presence had an effect on Caliste, too. She seemed a little more... aware of things, when they were together. We would spend time together every night- Caliste would brush my mother's hair, my mother would brush Mia's, and I-" He paused, taking a deep breath. "Caliste seemed to like it when I played the piano for her, so I did. I... I wasn't very good, but... she didn't seem to mind. Music helped her, I think, and it was something my mother encouraged me to pick up." I blinked.

"You play the piano?" He flushed slightly, and shrugged.

"I used to- a bit. Violin, too. It- my mother didn't approve of a lot of creative outlets, like drawing or painting, but music... I think it reminded her of Caliste." Ugh, don't make me feel bad for that... woman. He huffed out a sad little laugh. "I told her, once, that I wanted to be an artist- from memory, I think I specifically said I wanted to be a Painter. She told me that art- making art, anyway- was for... 'low-bred, soft in the head, wastes of space', and that 'any respectable pureblood- especially the heir of the Meliflua and Joannis families- wouldn't be caught dead associating with Artists, let alone daring to become one themselves'." Well, at least now, I no longer felt bad for her.

"Color me surprised." I said, rolling my eyes, and Leo bit his lip, clearly trying to restrain a smile. Good- if he was smiling, I was doing my job. His expression sobered slightly.

"Anyway- before we got sidetracked, we were talking about how things are worse now than they were before- when you and Lisbet were together. You said you were exposed, and that you took down the operation, but... how?" I grimaced.

"Right. Well, as I said, Lisbet didn't take it... well. I don't know if I ever would have seen her again, if the Bishop wasn't running his own little... side business. He- well, let's just say he was using his influence as a man of the cloth to lure women into a false sense of security." His eyebrows shot up, then furrowed. "Maybe it never would have come to light, if he hadn't started... poaching his own flock. Once the Novice Mistress caught on that he was behind the disappearances of a few of her charges, she confronted him- and he killed her for it. She was a shrewd old bird, though, so she left a letter for her novitiates that told them everything." Leo frowned.

"He was... what? Kidnapping them? Killing them?" I winced.

"A little of column A, a little of column B- mostly, he was selling them into slavery, or offering them up as... prizes, to important benefactors. Lisbet and the other novitiates fled- but not before they made contact with one of the Hunters, like their Mistress had instructed them to. That Hunter- Dorian Wilde- was the one who got back into contact with me- rather begrudgingly, I might add. Once he made his plan known, however, Lisbet insisted on coming with him." He snorted, rolling his eyes in a decidedly fond manner.

"Of course she did." It... yes, it made sense for Lisbet now, but for the person she had been back then... it had been in surprise, to say the least.

"I thought it was a trap- well, I would have thought it was a trap either way, being contacted by a Hunter that said he wanted to go against his orders, but the second I realised that Lisbet was there-" I cut myself off, sucking in a breath. "Turned out it was a trap, just not for any of us. The meeting place was a different church, and although I got there first, I let them enter first, in case there were any traps waiting. When I entered..." The sight flashed before my eyes, even now, over three hundred years later. "There must have been magic hiding it all from the outside world, because... it was packed with people, as if they were all just... listening to the preacher deliver a sermon. All of them... dead." His face dropped. "In their seats in the pews, or braced against the pulpit. They thought it was my doing, of course." Leo winced.

"But if it wasn't you, then who-?" I hesitated.

"Technically speaking, there's no proof that could condemn someone to be sentenced for that particular attack, but... CJ is certain that it was meant as a message for him- delivered through me- from a certain committee member that... isn't on the best terms with him." Leo's eyebrows shot up, and his mouth dropped open.

"A committee member murdered a whole church, then propped them up, just to send a message to someone they're 'not on the best terms with'? And they haven't faced justice?" I grimaced, and he took that as all the answer he needed. "Bloody Hell." I didn't disagree with him.

"It's... a well known fact that they... have issues. If CJ were to accuse him, it would just be seen as a smear campaign. It would simply backfire on him- and more people support Abraham than they do CJ." Unfortunately. I would love to take that bastard down- as, I know, would Lisbet.

"Because CJ is a Hunter?" He asked, and I hesitated.

"Yes, but also... they represent different things. Different aspects of the vampire community, different paths towards very different futures." And then there was the other thing, but I wasn't going to drop that on Leo unless I had to.

"...You said they thought it was your doing?" I nodded.

"I mean, I can't fault their logic. They were supposed to meet me there, and when they arrive, they find... that. I think Lisbet knew it wasn't me, when I was just as shocked- and disgusted- by it as they were. Wilde took a little more convincing, but that's about what I've come to expect from Hunters. I told them that I couldn't have done it- not because I wasn't capable, morally, but because I wasn't capable, physically. I would have ripped through that place if I had been behind the attack, not... anyway, my honesty, even at my own detriment, seemed to satisfy Wilde, at least for the time being." I paused for a second, then shook my head. "Anyway, none of this is necessary. Long story short, Lisbet, Wilde, and I, worked together to take down the Bishop, on the provision that if I helped them stop him from kidnapping women, they would help me stop him from producing holy water for the Hunters."

"But... wouldn't they know that Wilde was the one sabotaging their arsenal? There's no way they took kindly to that, right?" I winced.

"I think that's a story for another time." He opened his mouth to protest, but I continued. "Wilde was prepared to deal with the consequences of his actions, but his past caught up with him first. If you want to know more, ask Lisbet- she was closer to him that I was." Technically not a lie, but... "I would have worked to take down the Bishop's trafficking ring even if I hadn't earned the promise of their help in return, but it was certainly a bonus to have a Hunter on my side. Well... another one. After things... concluded, I left. Took the first ship back to France- to Grey. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't where I was supposed to be. Even then, Lisbet was in my head. She had a hold on me in a way I'd never felt before. I honestly don't know how I managed to stay away for a whole year, but I did. And when I returned... I had Grey in tow." Leo perked up.

"What did Lisbet think of Greygorry? Did they like each other right away, or...?" I huffed out a laugh.

"Not exactly. Grey was a little... well, I don't want to say 'jealous', but... he was certainly fed up with me nattering on about her for the past year. He told her to her face that he didn't think she was anything special- and she told him the feeling was mutual. Still- they got along more easily than Grey and Wilde did." For a variety of reasons. "Lisbet was... in trouble. She was... well, it doesn't really matter now, but it seemed to matter a hell of a lot back then. I saved her life- without even thinking about it, really. She was in danger, I got her out of it- but... it was coming for her. Eventually, it would have caught up to her- maybe sooner, rather than later. So, she asked me to turn her. You know how that turned out." With her alive, and that had always been the most important thing to me- until she had left, that is.

"And being a vampire stopped that danger?" I hesitated, then shrugged.

"Not exactly. It gave her the means to defend herself- without revealing her magic- and the means of escape, before they ever reached her- hopefully." Leo didn't seem to miss my use of 'they', rather than 'it'. "And the ability to flee the country and disappear for a few decades- which simply wasn't a practical idea while she was human." Despite my having suggested it numerous times.

"People were after her?" I winced.

"It's a-" He cut me off, rolling his eyes.

"'A long story'- Yeah, I get it." What a little shit... "So you turned her, at her request- then what? Did you- you weren't together when you turned her, right? So when did you-?" I shook my head.

"No, we weren't together when I turned her. It- There were a few months between her becoming a vampire, and us getting together. I think-" I paused, trying to compose myself. "I think, after she'd turned, she would have accepted me earlier- her position with the Church, and her humanity- her role in society- caused a turmoil in her... and losing all of those things made her more open to the idea. But I- I knew. I knew if we started things..." I shrugged lamely, and Leo piped up.

"So you knew? Even before you were together, you knew you were mates?" I hesitated.

"Not... not in so many words. I knew that she made me feel... things I've never felt before. I knew I would fall in love with her if I stayed by her side, let alone if we got involved. If she let me love her, I knew I would do it with all my heart- and I wasn't willing to risk getting my heart broken, just because Lisbet wasn't ready for something serious. It wasn't until I was sure she was ready that I allowed things to... progress." I paused. "There's 'knowing' someone is your mate, and then there's knowing. I 'knew' almost immediately, but I didn't know until... until she bit me." His eyebrows shot up.

"She bit you?! But- wait, doesn't- vampire venom hurts other vampires- right? I mean, I know that from when she bit me-" I nodded, rather gravely.

"Yeah. Stings like a bitch." That was a major understatement, and he knew it just as well as I did. "She was trying to prove a point- and she did. She insisted that we were mates, and I denied it-" Leo's eyebrows shot up again, and I amended my statement. "I told her that there was no way of proving it. But there is- mated vampires aren't hurt by their mates venom... and Nuria didn't hesitate to tell her as much, once pressed. She tried to get me to bite her first, but- I refused to take the risk, that I might hurt her. Honestly, I-" I hesitated, again. "I thought- well, I knew that she was my mate, but I couldn't believe that... that I might be hers." His eyebrows furrowed.

"And I take it that wouldn't work?" I shook my head.

"No. No... The reason mated vampires aren't affected by their mate's venom is because, once mated, their physiology changes to match each other. If only one changes to match the other, I'm sure it hurts less, but... it still hurts." He frowned.

"Their physiology changes?" I shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't know how it works. I don't think there's been like... studies, or anything. Anyway, she set me straight. There was no denying that she felt for me- well, maybe not quite what I felt for her, but... that she loved me enough to claim me as her mate, not just in title, but in action, too. She made me a better man. It- her love, made me a better man. A better vampire. Things were easier, because I knew I had to fight it- for her. When she left- I didn't know if she would ever want to see me again, let alone- it shouldn't have mattered. Even if she never wanted to see me, it shouldn't have affected me, but it did. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but..." I shrugged, and Leo frowned, his eyebrows once again furrowing.

"From what you've told me... Lisbet means everything to you," I nodded quickly, but he continued anyway. "You said your life didn't have purpose before you met her-" His frown intensified here. "You struggled to believe that you were worthy of her love-" I shifted uncomfortably. "A love that, you feel, made you a better man-" Because it did. "And when you thought you lost that love-" He paused, and I pursed my lips.

"Say what you're going to say." He hesitated for a second, then opened his mouth.

"When you thought you lost that love, you thought your life was losing meaning again. It became harder to fight that side of you, because as much as you wanted to- to stay in control of yourself, and to not hurt anyone- you didn't think there was a point. Why fight, when you have nothing to fight for?" Well... he wasn't wrong...

"Go on..." He smiled slightly- almost hopefully.

"But you didn't lose that love. You and Lisbet may not be together, right now-" His 'right now' was comforting, because it meant that he believed it wasn't permanent- God, I hope he was right. "But that doesn't mean she doesn't love you. I know she does. And..." He hesitated. "I shouldn't tell you this- she wouldn't want me to-" I perked up. "But I feel it bears mentioning. While you were out getting your belongings, we had a conversation- about why she hadn't told me, ahead of time, that you two were- that she'd told you she never wanted to speak to you again." Something that had broken my heart- cracked it clean in two, and then into more and more, until it shattered into a thousand tiny pieces- then ground it into dust.

"Oh. Yeah. That." He gave me a look that was almost apologetic.

"She told me she thought it was time to get back into contact with you- that it had been long enough that you knew she was serious about being able to cut you off if you didn't get your act together-" Oh, I knew, alright. "And that, more than anything... she contacted you, because... she missed you." ...She missed me? She had told him that? His voice was laden with emotion, clearly, he thought this held great significance. But... she didn't want me to know that she missed me?

"You shouldn't have told me that." His hopeful smile faltered, and I softened my voice even further. "...But thank you." A new smile appeared now, a little bigger, and I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge the emotion that had built up there. "Shall we get started?"

(A/N): Jerremyah: 'Lisbet bit me.'

Leo: 'Why?'

Jerremyah: 'Kinky reasons, mostly. Uh, I mean-!'

Jerremyah: 'To prove that we're mates.'

also

Jerremyah: 'If Leo's smiling, I'm doing my job.'

Leo: *stops smiling*

Jerremyah: 'Hey, no! Bring the sun back!'

Caliste's full name is Caliste Myrica Bellâme (Cah-leest Mih-rye-kuh Bell-ahm). Caliste means 'beautiful', and is a French variation of the name 'Calista', which means 'she that is most beautiful'. Myrica is the Latin name for the Bayberry tree, and it's fruit and flowers. Bellâme means 'beautiful soul' in French, with Belle being 'beautiful', and âme being 'soul'.

We will hear more about other characters mentioned here later on, like Dorian Wilde, and the mysterious mass murderer, Abraham, and why he and CJ don't get along.