Chapter 4: New Haven

Leonard and Father H ensured that Jack was never left alone. Leonard's primary concern was that Jack would flee in a misguided attempt to protect them.

Father H was skeptical that Benjamin would venture inside his domain to take Jack. Leonard countered that since Benjamin was working with a witch, all bets were off. He also worried about how Jack would react if he were startled. Jack hadn't shown any inclination to violence, but no one wanted to risk another incident. Jack continued to believe he'd killed all the victims he saw in his nightmares despite their efforts to convince him there was no proof.

Leonard gave him a burner phone the day after Jack's return to London.

"I don't need this," Jack protested. "I already have a phone."

"Aye, but Benjamin knows that number. This one will replace it. I placed my number on speed dial and we're going to conduct a beta test on it."

Jack stared at him in confusion. "I don't understand."

"This is a prototype for our Time Thief," Leonard improvised. "What if he's worried about being abducted? Wouldn't he want to send a signal to his mentor? I figure he could tap a speed dial number on a cell phone in his pocket without the assailant being aware of it. What do you think? Is it possible?"

"Maybe," Jack said, looking more attentive. "If he has our agility."

"We need to confirm it. I don't want to include it in the game unless we're sure it will work."

Over the next few days, Leonard drilled Jack on the technique. He aimed to make the call an automatic reaction. The downside was that the practice was a reminder of Benjamin's success in recapturing Jack. But they had to face reality. Benjamin wouldn't all of a sudden give up. The next time he made a move, Jack could transmit an SOS.

Leonard also brought home assignments from Cicely for Jack to work on. She suggested he use his talent for knots to build a maze for a future game. Jack liked the idea and Leonard did too. It would channel something he enjoyed drawing into a money-making project. Nothing in knots to remind Jack of the dark years he'd spent with Benjamin.

Bryn was in frequent contact with Leonard. Her offer to help was appreciated, but it was hard to know what assistance she could provide from Russia. One idea she tossed out probably wouldn't be practical but Bryn insisted she could make it happen.

On the day she was due to arrive, Leonard returned home to find Father H working in his office. Jack was playing the cello in their studio on the floor above the office.

"How is he?" Leonard asked, lowering his voice so Jack wouldn't overhear.

He had a bad period this morning when all he could draw were victims."

"Do you know what set it off?"

Father H shook his head. "He had been drawing knots when the onset occurred. He wasn't violent. The illness abated after six hours."

Leonard turned at a familiar scent of lavender and chamomile as well as a second stronger smell. "She came!"

"This will be just the medicine Jack needs," Father H said, a smile crossing his face. His delighted expression made Leonard think Jack wasn't the only one who would benefit.

A few minutes later Bryn opened the door to the office. Next to her was an overgrown bundle of white fur.

"I thought you were getting a puppy," Leonard said. "He's as big as a sheep!"

"I couldn't find a puppy, but trust me, this is much better," she said. "And hello to you both. A reunion was way past due."

An instant later, Jack charged into the room. "Bryn! Is this really you ...?" He hesitated, his eyes turning black.

Leonard had already warned Bryn about Jack's probable reaction. The planted memories of Bryn's corpse were fighting with reality, just like when Jack first saw him.

"Look what I brought you," Bryn said cheerfully as if nothing was wrong. The dog was straining at his leash. When she released it, he charged straight for Jack and began licking him frantically.

Leonard tensed his muscles, prepared to separate them, but there was no need. Jack blinked with a jerk as if awakening from a deep sleep. A grin spread over his face as he stroked the dog. "Lobero?"

Bryn laughed. "I figured you'd call him that." Her face softened as she watched Jack. "I found him at a rescue shelter. He'd been abused as a puppy by a family who didn't realize he'd get so big. Lobero needs someone to love and care for him. Do you know of anyone willing to tackle the challenge?"

As if there was any doubt. From that moment on, the two were inseparable. In Leonard's experience, Komondors were one-owner dogs. Lobero—or Mop as they called him for short—latched onto Jack as if he was the reincarnation of the first Lobero Jack had owned. And maybe he was. The two appeared virtually identical.

Mop couldn't cure Jack, but he provided yet another anchor when the sickness took hold. Bryn moved into the bell tower, keeping Jack company when Leonard or Father H was away. Evenings they played trios. During free moments, they hatched plots for Time Thief and potential sidekicks.

They were all marking time while the search for Diana and Matthew continued. Leonard contacted Françoise for help but had yet to receive an answer. He couldn't tell her how desperate they were, but he could mention that they had something belonging to Diana that they needed to return.

The week before Mabon, a reply finally came.

Leonard found Jack in their music room. He was playing the cello while Father H read.

"Great news!" Leonard exclaimed, hoping Jack would have the same reaction. "We now have an address and a location. Diana's in New Haven, Connecticut."

Jack's face grew ashen but his eyes remained brown.

"Jack, the moment you've dreamed of is at hand," Father H said calmly. "I'll make the arrangements. We'll leave tomorrow." He turned to Leonard. "Hubbards of Houndsditch will be in your hands while we're gone. I fully expect you to run it as smoothly as if I would."

"Can't someone else handle it?" Leonard blurted, aghast. "I need to go with you." Jack was eyeing them both uneasily. Leonard saw his hands start to shake, and he quickly moved to stand beside him.

"I'm sorry but that's not possible." Father's H voice deepened. "Benjamin is too much of a threat. He could make a move on London while we're gone. You're the only one I trust in this matter. You have excellent relations with the witches and daemons in our community. Consider the risks and you'll realize I'm right," he added, his eyes boring into Leonard.

That was when Leonard realized the unspoken message. Jack hadn't been around warmbloods since his return to London. He was easily spooked by sudden movements or unfamiliar faces. Leonard believed his anxiety over being recaptured was the culprit. And when Jack was startled, the sickness resurfaced. Father H was able to control him better than Leonard. He was also much stronger. If Benjamin made a move against Jack overseas, Father H was the best equipped to defend him. Still, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

The morning of their departure, Leonard stayed with Jack in their bedroom while he tossed a few items into a backpack. Leonard attempted to put a positive spin on their separation. "Mop, I'm counting on you to protect Jack," he told the dog sternly.

"Don't worry about us," Jack said, even as his eyes turned black. He swallowed convulsively. "Keep yourself safe," he added, his voice rough. "You're what keeps me going."

Leonard drew him into his arms. "Go have your reunion with Diana and Matthew. I'll be here waiting for you." He kissed him on his lips, an action that these days more often than not plunged Jack into sickness, but not this time. He returned the kiss and deepened it. Their few attempts at intimacy had been difficult since Jack's return. This time they surrendered to their pent-up emotions till there was nothing left to give.

Leonard kept telling himself this was just a brief separation, but his heart feared otherwise. For Jack's sake, he needed to appear confident. But he knew his dread would resurface as soon as Jack left.

After their passion was spent, Leonard wrapped his arms around Jack, holding him in a tight embrace."We'll get through this and come out stronger than ever."

"I wish I had your confidence," Jack whispered.

"I have enough for both of us."

One day later. New Haven.

Saying goodbye to Leonard was the hardest thing he'd ever done ... until now. Jack's nerves went into overdrive as Father H pulled to a stop at the intersection of two quiet residential streets.

They'd flown in a private jet to New Haven. The pilot was a witch from London. Father H had called in a favor to arrange for the flight. Their passports were forgeries Jack had made a few years ago. He and Leonard had given one to Father H at Yuletide, never dreaming that he'd actually use it.

Jack dug his fingers into Mop's fur. "Mistress Roydon won't want to see me ... not as I've become. I'll stay inside the car while you give her the manuscript."

"We've already gone over this, pup," Father H said calmly as if he were discussing a driving route for his company. "You will exit the car. You will greet Diana and Matthew. Then, after we've delivered the manuscript, we will return home."

Father H made it sound so simple. All he needed to do was maintain control for a few minutes. Perhaps she wouldn't need to know what he'd become.

Father H sniffed the breeze through the open window. "Do you smell her?"

"Honey and horehound? That's Mistress Roydon?"

Father H nodded. "Her scent wouldn't have registered when you were a boy since you weren't a vampire. Go greet your mother."

Jack swallowed. After so many centuries of yearning, it was finally here. Father H was right. He needed to see her one last time. Thank her for all she'd done and bid her farewell. He'd close this chapter of his life and then return to Leonard.

He opened the car door and stood up, forcing himself to adopt a relaxed stance. Mistress Roydon and a vampire he didn't recognize were on the front stoop of a house a few doors down the pedestrian-only street. When the vampire spun around, Jack gasped. Gallowglass! His Gael lion from so long ago.

Jack flinched when Gallowglass stared at him with a shocked expression. Did he already know about Jack's years with Benjamin?

Gallowglass approached him. Mistress Roydon followed close behind. Jack steeled himself, removing his sunglasses so he'd have a better view of her. She was pregnant. He knew he'd treasure the sight of her for as long as he lived. "You're a hard woman to find, Mistress Roydon."

As her eyes lit up with recognition, Mop flung himself out of the car. Did he think Gallowglass was a threat? Jack grabbed the dog's collar and ordered him to heel. He took a few steps forward, fearful they'd disappear before he had a chance to speak with them.

Mistress Roydon embraced him before he could stop her, and he awkwardly returned the hug. His heart threatened to pound out of his chest. Gallowglass was speaking, something about thinking he was dead. Jack could feel the sickness rising but he fought to contain it. Just a few more minutes and then he'd return to the car.

Suddenly his ears picked up the heartbeat of another vampire. Had Benjamin found them? Mop began to bark as the vampire raced forward. Benjamin would snatch him and Mistress Roydon if he didn't do something.

Jack shielded her with his body as Father H leaped out of the car. Then all was a blur. Father H restrained the vampire but that scent ... Jack had smelled it in London. Cinnamon and cloves. The fragrance broke through the haze of blood.

Master Roydon was speaking to him, calling him by his name. God, he was holding her—another vampire's mate. Jack released his hands and raised them in a gesture of surrender. Would Master Roydon refuse to have anything to do with him? Jack hoped he'd get the chance to warn them about the threat facing them

Benjamin had fed off him countless times. He knew everything Jack did about the Roydons. He needed to let them know before he vanished from their lives.

Two hours later.

Gallowglass shook his head at the odd assortment of companions he was taking to his house. They'd be lucky if the neighbors didn't call the police.

Jack looked wasted. He was wearing an old crew t-shirt belonging to Diana. If he were still in his own bloodied shirt, they'd be picked up for sure. Meanwhile, Hubbard's glower was enough to frighten anyone. Only Lobero seemed happy at the thought of another adventure.

When Diana was an undergrad at Yale, Gallowglass had bought an old church on a lark. He'd had it converted to condos, retaining the equivalent of two condos for his use. Hubbard should feel right at home, he thought sourly. Not that he didn't agree with Matthew's order for them to move in with him. Jack couldn't stay with Diana, not after the events of the evening. And wherever the pup went, so did Lobero and Hubbard. Matthew and Diana didn't trust Hubbard, and the priest didn't trust them. What a family.

And wasn't that a kick in the gut for Matthew to learn that Hubbard was his grandson? The only positive was that Hubbard seemed equally dismayed at the truth coming out.

Scratch that. For Jack, the disclosure was a blessing. The lad thought of the Roydons as his parents but had never felt he was good enough to claim them as such. Now there was a blood connection to bind them.

The last time Gallowglass saw him, he'd been maybe sixteen. Leonard brought him to the Old Lodge with a mortal injury. Jack was bleeding internally. If Françoise hadn't been present to coach Gallowglass in a rare technique, the lad would have died. Once he'd recovered, Gallowglass never expected to see him again. Christ, he was glad he'd been proven wrong.

But Jack was only alive by the slimmest of margins. If Matthew hadn't known what to do, he might have died this evening. Gallowglass had never seen a vampire so ill. After the lad revealed he'd been Benjamin's tool in the murder spree, he hurled up so much blood, it was a wonder any was left. Fortunately, Matthew knew how to treat the condition. Now he and Auntie were giving Jack a second chance at life.

Gallowglass didn't believe for a second that the pup was responsible for the vampire slayings. That responsibility lay squarely with Benjamin.

Jack's confession to Matthew was heart-rending, not just for him but because Matthew blamed himself. He'd created Benjamin. He'd refused to kill him when everyone else in the family knew Benjamin was just plain evil. But Matthew hoped against hope that Benjamin could be redeemed. Bet he didn't feel that way any longer.

And who would have thought Hubbard was Benjamin's son? The idea appeared equally repugnant to Hubbard and Matthew.

"Why is Mistre—Diana in New Haven?" Jack asked awkwardly.

"She's a history professor at Yale, lad. She and Matthew are currently working on a research project."

"Is he also a professor?"

"He could be if he wanted to, but he mainly does research."

Jack nodded, looking lost. Did he wonder how he'd fit in?

"You see that brick church ahead?" Gallowglass said to distract him. "That's my place. Miriam's staying there as well. There's plenty of room, even for Lobero."

"Do you teach at Yale too?"

"Me, a professor?" Gallowglass snorted a laugh. "That will never happen! I still got the wanderlust."

"Then why did you settle here?"

Gallowglass hesitated before admitting, "To be close to Auntie. Back when she and Matthew were at the Hart and Crown, Philippe asked me to watch over her after she appeared on the scene and that's what I've done."

Jack stopped to stare at him, his trademark lopsided smile appearing. "You've been waiting along with us."

"Aye, and it was worth it. She and Matthew found each other."

"Matthew never discovered that his future self timewalked to the past," Hubbard commented unexpectedly. "We should all be proud of the part we played in preserving the secret." He winked at Jack. "Not that you didn't do your best to find them when you were a boy. You had me at my wit's end, dreaming up excuses on why they wouldn't return."

Hubbard's softness with Jack wasn't what Gallowglass would have expected. Come to think of it, the only times he'd seen the priest smile were when he looked at Jack.

The feeling was clearly mutual as he grinned affectionately at the priest. "I think I knew the name of every sailor and galleon that visited London."

Gallowglass slung an arm over Jack's shoulders and tousled his hair like he used to do in London. Getting used to him being a vampire would take time. He looked so much like he did at sixteen, and compared to Gallowglass, he was still a twig of a pup.

"I've never heard Corra cackle so happily," Gallowglass joked. "She's probably already dreaming of you supplying her with sweet buns once more." He was still adjusting to Corra popping out unexpectedly from somewhere inside Auntie. The firedrake seemed even more unreal in the modern era than she had in Elizabethan London.

Jack's face dissolved into a look of joy. "Leonard and I used to imagine she was flying over the courtyard of the Dog and Whistle. That's the inn the Normans run in London." As he launched into a description of the Normans and their history, the club he and Leonard belonged to, and the festivals they celebrated there, Hubbard tossed in several mildly sarcastic comments.

Their openness in discussing past events was so unlike the vampire cloak of secrecy. Gallowglass gained a much better feel of what their lives had been like than he would of from any other vampire. Hubbard's community where witches, daemons, and vampires were all welcome was very different from the solitary life Gallowglass led.

As they walked up the front steps to his house, Jack asked, "Is Miriam a de Clermont?"

"No, she's not. Have you met other members of the family besides Philippe?"

He nodded. "But none of them know of my connection. I lived with Freyja in the seventeenth century. She was my spymaster."

Hubbard gave a low rumble in his throat. "Philippe and his machinations."

"They were better than Gerbert's by a long shot!" Jack declared. His face darkened. "I was in Baldwin's presence once. It was when Leonard and I provided the music for His Majesty Louis XIV during an evening of cards."

Jack rattled off the details, making Gallowglass even more curious about the life he'd led. Just how had Philippe used him? As for the lad's description of Baldwin, it was spot on. Jack only knew about his dislike of witches. If he heard how Baldwin had treated Auntie, he could easily fall into blood rage. Gallowglass didn't have the disease, but Baldwin's recent actions at Sept-Tour made his blood boil. How Matthew had managed to maintain control was in his view a miracle. It gave Gallowglass hope he could help Jack as well.

"That's enough, Jack," Hubbard said quietly, and Gallowglass snapped to attention. He could smell Jack's anger.

Jack uttered a low growl so unlike himself that Gallowglass prepared to throttle him.

"Baldwin is not our concern," Hubbard said sternly as he clamped a hand on his arm. "Let Matthew deal with him."

Jack nodded jerkily as Lobero pressed against his side. This was a good reminder to never let his guard down. Auntie was counting on him to keep the lad safe when Matthew wasn't there. If rage overtook Jack, he could flee into the night. Not something Gallowglass fancied telling Auntie about.

Thankfully the lad was quickly distracted by their arrival at Gallowglass's house. Miriam opened the door as they walked up the steps. She hadn't changed from the clothes she'd worn earlier in the day—a miniskirt, boots, and a geeky t-shirt. This one said Think Like a Proton. A good slogan for them all.

Miriam wasn't known for her tact, and her views of Hubbard were about as strong as his. This could get messy fast, no matter how much positive thinking he did. But unexpectedly Miriam stared at Jack in surprise, and he looked equally flummoxed. "Gallowglass didn't tell me your name," she said.

He grinned. "Jack Blackfriars. Does anyone call you Helena?"

"Not anymore." She nodded briefly at Hubbard.

Gallowglass knew he didn't have to quiz them. Jack would soon explain without being prompted.

"Are you still a chemist?" Jack asked.

"Of sorts. Are you still an artist and musician?"

"Of sorts." He laughed. "We've both evolved with the times." He turned to Gallowglass. "We met at Freyja's house in Stockholm around 1800."

Miriam's brand of sarcasm blended well with Andrew's and Jack clearly loved their banter. After an evening of high drama and despair, a round of lighthearted teases was the medicine they all needed.

Notes: I've woven canon elements into the scenes of New Haven. The words Jack spoke to Diana when he first saw her are a quote from the Book of Life.