Vampire
Chapter 7
They were three days into their trip when Alexis got up, knowing today was her birthday. She braced herself for what was to come. Taking a deep breath, Alexis came upstairs to the Main Deck. There, she saw a banner that read, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. In addition, the teenager waded through lots and lots of balloons. How her dad managed to blow them all up escaped her, but she smiled.
"Happy Birthday!" Rick and Kate told her at the same time. "Surprised?" he asked her.
"With you, Dad, never. Though I'll admit, I didn't expect all this." She kicked one of the balloons out of her way.
"I had Kate to help me blow up the balloons."
Kate smiled. "It's true – lots of these are because of me."
"Come on, I have games for us to play." Rick smiled at the birthday girl. "The first game is Spin the Bottle." He watched Alexis make a face. "It's not what you think. This is Nail Polish Spin the Bottle. You spin the bottle, and whatever color it points to, you must use it to polish one nail. The game ends when all ten fingers have polish on them."
"Really? You, Dad?" Alexis didn't believe him.
"It wasn't my idea; Kate talked me into it. Come on, let's play." Rick wanted to get this one over with.
~oo0oo~
Rick now had colorful nails, and Alexis was laughing her head off at him.
"The next game is outside." Rick led them out, where Alexis saw three doughnuts hanging there. "The trick of this game is eating the doughnut as fast as possible. Kate agreed to play knowing she'll throw up. The first to finish their doughnut is the winner."
Alexis stood under her doughnut, as did Rick and Kate. "Ready, set, eat!" They began eating their doughnuts, but it was more of a trial than expected. The doughnut kept moving on them.
"My doughnut fell off the string. Do I win?" Alexis asked. As she watched, Kate ran to the closest bathroom to throw up. "Maybe it wasn't such a good game." She felt terrible for Kate.
Once Kate returned, a worried Alexis asked her if she was okay. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, Alexis. I told you I couldn't eat anything."
Rick was almost glad that this part was about over. "The last game is a dance-off," he announced. "You select a piece of music from a bowl and try to dance, while matching that music.
"Oh, boy." Kate wasn't looking forward to this game.
Rick was the second to dance, and Alexis was last. He announced the winner once they finished. "It's Alexis!"
"Time to eat cake and open presents," Rick declared. Only he and Alexis had cake. Kate couldn't eat any of it as she had demonstrated with the doughnut.
"Open Kate's gift first."
Alexis picked up Kate's gift and ripped it open. "Flamenco music." She looked up at Kate.
"We both liked the Flamenco dance, so I thought you could listen to it whenever you wanted." Kate waited to see if Alexis liked it or whether she had bombed.
Alexis jumped up and hurried over to her, hugging her. "Thanks, Kate, I love it!"
Then Alexis looked at her dad's present, surprised at the size of the package, which was rather large. She tore off the wrapping paper, opened the big box, and pulled out a gown. Her mouth dropped open in amazement as she looked at her dad.
"It's a Flamenco dress. I thought you would like it."
She held it up to herself first. "I gotta try this on." Alexis laid the dress carefully over her arm so she wouldn't step on it and ran to her room.
She was eventually back to show them what it looked like on her. It was red and black. It had no shoulders, but it had long sleeves. It also had a long slit up one side and roses at her hip. And ruffles were all the way down. She spun to show it off. "What do you think?"
"You're gorgeous, Alexis. Simply gorgeous." Kate knew Rick had bought her a dress but didn't know it was this one.
Rick had tears in his eyes. "My little girl is almost grown."
"I'm still flat-chested," Alexis complained because she didn't fill it out.
"That'll change, Alexis. You look amazing." Kate moved in to hug her.
"Thank you so much for my dress, Dad." She loved it even if she was still flat-chested. "I don't know when I will wear it, but I love it." Alexis kissed him on the cheek. She kept on the dress all day, only taking it off when she went to bed.
~oo0oo~
When they arrived in Monaco, Alexis contacted the Marina and got a slot for them. It turned out they were right on time. They got a space showing them the cars coming out of the tunnel, taking the chicane – a tight series of S-turns on the racecourse – and then racing down the short straight before turning left and heading for the pits.
But the space cost them a fortune. After they backed in, they watched as a boat backed in right next to them. Then, another shoehorned in next to them. Eventually, they watched as boat after boat entered and shoehorned in right next to the other. Even super yachts shoehorned into their spaces.
Kate walked into Rick's bedroom, intent on having sex with him when she spotted him at his desk in front of the computer.
"No, Gina. I am not telling you where I am."
Kate moved closer and saw Gina on the screen. She was a blonde woman.
"Who was that?" Gina demanded. It got Rick to turn his head, and he saw Kate standing there.
"None of your business. Have you finished the redlines or not?"
"I'll finish them when you tell me where you are, Rick," Gina snapped.
"Goodbye, Gina." Rick ended the call, which was a visual Skype call. "Damn it. I should have known better."
Kate apologized for poking her head in. "I'm so sorry, Rick."
Rick turned his seat around to face her. "It's nothing. Gina doesn't need to know who you are. It's fine, Kate. I promise."
"Will she tell the authorities?" Kate was worried that the Hunters would learn of it.
"It doesn't matter when she doesn't know where we are. Now, how can I help you, beautiful?"
"I came down to see if you wanted to make love, but it can wait."
"I can get behind that." Rick stood and put his arms around her, held her close, and kissed her.
~oo0oo~
They watched while the finishing touches were made just before the start of the race. It was fascinating to watch them work. And they waved at their neighbors. It was hard to miss them since all of them were so close.
Alexis caught her dad up on the Fly Deck. "We need to talk, Dad."
"About?"
"About where we're going next. We could go on to Italy or Sicily, or we could go back to Gibraltar. After that, we could go to Greece and then Turkey." Alexis waited, impatient for him to say something.
Kate joined them. "What are we talking about?"
Alexis brightened. "Hey, Kate! We're talking about where we go next. Our options are Italy, Sicily, Greece, and Turkey, or we go backward to Gibraltar."
"Anything you choose is fine with me. I'm a guest here."
"You're more than a guest, Kate," Rick insisted. "You get a vote too."
Alexis felt the same. Kate was far more than a guest. "So what do you vote?"
"Italy, maybe, I really don't know."
Alexis nodded in agreement. "I vote Italy, too."
"All right. I guess that means we're going to Italy. Now, where in Italy do we go?" Rick looked from his daughter to Kate.
"Rome is out since it's not coastal, so I'm thinking Naples because it is coastal." Alexis waited to hear what they had to say.
"Any place is good with me, you two." Kate shrugged. "I know that sounds like a cop-out, but I like the idea of going to Italy, and Naples is as good a place as any."
"Naples it is, then," Rick said, glad they settled on some of it. "Where do we go next? I'm thinking Athens."
"Athens sounds nice," Alexis agreed, and they both looked at Kate.
"Athens is fine with me."
"So Naples then Athens. After that, we can decide again." Rick was able to relax for a while.
~oo0oo~
Kate had sex with Rick every night. Rick used a condom sometimes, but sometimes he didn't.
It was race day, and the three were up on the Fly Deck toward the rear in a seating area. It gave them the perfect view. The only real problem with this location was that it was raining out. It wasn't just raining; it was raining. So they retreated to the lounging area on either side of the hot tub.
It still gave them the perfect place to watch a race filled with crashes, two of which were at the chicane just past the tunnel.
Rick flinched while he watched the latest crash. "OUCH! That had to hurt."
Kate just shook her head. "This is a real mess."
They weren't positive who won, but it was entertaining to watch. Even if it was raining and full of crashes, and that was just the ones they could see.
~oo0oo~
"Do you need blood?" Rick inquired.
Kate thought for a minute. "I don't think so. I have about three bags, which should last me for a while. How long will it take us to reach Naples?"
"About two weeks." Rick made a face when he said that.
"Then, I'm good." Kate was able to relax.
"We need to see if we can get to a grocery store while we're here. We're already out of fresh fruit, and two weeks without fresh fruit will drive Alexis mad."
Kate nodded. "I did notice that she does like fresh fruit."
~oo0oo~
They walked over to the Casino Supermarket, just across the street from the Marina. Kate went with them since they needed her help to carry bags back to their boat.
Then they left, which was no easy task. They were shoehorned in, side by side. They inched their way out until they were finally out of the Marina and could set sail.
Kate stood in front of the mirror in the main bedroom and repeatedly ran a hand over her belly. She turned from one side to the other and could swear she saw something. There was a very slight bump that she wasn't sure was there before.
She needed a second opinion and found Alexis first. Kate dragged her down to the main bathroom. She showed Alexis her stomach. "Do you see something, or is it my imagination?"
"May I?" Alexis meant could she run her hand over her stomach, and Kate gave her the go-ahead.
"Suck it in." Alexis watched her and then ran her hand over her belly. "Let it out." She did it again. "I think you're pregnant, Kate." Alexis ran her hand over Kate's belly again.
"That's what I thought but wasn't sure." Kate ran her hand over her belly and turned from side to side.
"Congratulations, you're pregnant. Do you want to be pregnant?"
"I don't know. I thought I was ready to be pregnant, but now that I am, truthfully, I don't know." Kate bit her lip, worried. "What do you think Rick is going to say?"
"Are you kidding? Dad will blow his mind. He'll be so happy. I'm happy for you, Kate." Alexis hugged her. "You're pregnant."
Kate felt tears well up. She was pregnant, and she needed to come to terms with that.
"In about seven months, you'll have a little mouth to feed. What do you feed them? Blood?" Alexis asked.
"I have no idea. Since it's going to be part vampire and part human, the baby may do both, eat, and need blood. I guess we'll find out."
"Yes, we will," Alexis confirmed. "You need to tell Dad, Kate, and I want to be there."
Kate groaned; she wasn't looking forward to that.
~oo0oo~
They found Rick on the Fly Deck working on the hot tub. He was busy adding chemicals to the water. "Dad, we need to talk to you." Rick stopped and gave them his undivided attention.
"I have something to tell you." Kate waited a minute. "I'm pregnant." Kate made a face since she wasn't sure what to expect.
"You're pregnant? Are you sure?" Rick watched her nod. "YOU'RE PREGNANT!" He dropped his chemicals so that he could hug and then kiss her. "You're pregnant!" Rick couldn't be more excited if he tried.
Then he dropped to one knee, remembering the deal they made. "Marry me, Kate."
"Yes, I'll marry you," Kate told him as her voice shook slightly. And she listened to Alexis erupt; she was that happy.
Rick got up again and kissed her. "You're pregnant. How far along are you?"
"I don't know exactly. Maybe about two months."
"Two months. Any morning sickness?"
"No, no morning sickness. I don't think vampires get morning sickness."
"Lucky you." Alexis knew when she was pregnant someday, she could expect morning sickness. But she had to have sex for that and needed a boyfriend first.
"We'll get married in Naples," Rick told her while still holding her.
"About that. If we get married there, there will be a paper trail, something the Hunters could use to follow and find me."
"Hmm, I don't see how. Even if those bastards do, we'll be gone by then. But if it worries you so much, there has to be some way we can give you a new name. You're pregnant!" Rick was over the moon with joy and he kissed her again.
"Told you so," Alexis piped up and grinned at her.
"That's what my mom always said. 'I told you so,'" Kate said wistfully. She missed her mom so much right then.
~oo0oo~
Rick made love to her and didn't use a condom. She was already pregnant, so what was the point?
They made it to Naples and Alexis contacted the Marina to see if they had space for them. They did and they were assigned a dock space. Powerboat Italia.
They weren't shoehorned in this time, though they still had neighbors. They planned to stay a month and had a brochure that told them about every service the marina provided. In addition, they had a key to get past the gate.
They took a taxi to Carrefour Market first thing, which turned out to be downstairs, but they had everything. They took Kate with them even if she didn't eat because they needed her help to get everything to the boat.
They bought everything they could think of. Next came going to a hospital for Kate.
Pilgrims Hospital was nothing like the other hospitals they had ever seen. It looked ancient. "I think I'll wait here. Good luck." Rick kissed her and watched her go inside. He waited and waited. He didn't see the cops come, but he was beginning to get worried when finally she showed up. He walked out with her. "How did it go?"
"I'm sorry it took so long. I had to find someone who spoke English first. Then I had to find someone with a key, but I got six bags again, so that should last me a while."
"Good, that's good. Now, we need to find a taxi back to the marina." Their trip didn't take long at all, only about ten minutes or so.
"So, how did it go?" Alexis asked the second they were onboard.
Kate gave her the short version. "I got six bags."
"That's great. So you didn't have any issues then?" Alexis looked from Kate to her dad and back to Kate.
Kate told Alexis what she'd told Rick.
Rick made love to her that night.
~oo0oo~
First up was the Naples Botanical Garden. They walked and walked their way through it.
They spent the next day at Lowdermilk Beach and brought sunscreen, towels, and a Frisbee to play with. Kate actually had fun with them. Rick was a blast to play with!
The following day, they went to the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens. "I'm not so sure about this." Kate was hesitant to go to the zoo based on the last time. It turned out that this time wasn't much different. "The animals can tell I'm a vampire. I'm ready to leave." And they left the zoo without seeing everything.
Two days later, they wandered around and found themselves at Third Street South. It was full of chic shops, restaurants, and cafés, which they passed up since Kate couldn't get anything out of it.
A couple of days passed, and they went to Tin City, another marketplace filled with shops. They bought something for each of them to remind them they were in Naples.
Three days later they went to Sun-N-Fun Lagoon. It was a water park. Unlike the one in Nassau this one didn't have a vertical drop but they still had fun.
Another three days went by, and they went to Sun-N-Fun Lagoon, a water park. Unlike the one in Nassau, this one didn't have a vertical drop, but they still had loads of fun.
~oo0oo~
Rick started with the list. "So, to get married in Naples, Italy, we need a passport."
Kate nodded. "I've got that."
"A birth certificate, either a copy or the original."
"That too."
"Evidence of the termination of any previous marriage/s if applicable." Rick glanced at her. "I have one of those."
"And I don't need that."
"We need an affidavit or 'Dichiarazione Giurata' sworn to before a U.S. consular officer."
Kate stared at him. "Where in the world do we get that?"
"It gets better. We need an Atto Notorio: This is a declaration, in addition to the 'Dichiarazione Giurata' described under point 4, stating that according to the laws to which you are subject in the United States, there is no obstacle to your marriage. This declaration is to be sworn to by two witnesses (who may be of any nationality, must be over 18, possess valid photo identification, and know the applicant; they cannot be family members, future family members, or affines) before an Italian consul outside Italy or, in Italy, before a court official in the city where the marriage will take place.'
"And we have to do this, too: 'You should present all the above-listed documents to the Marriage Office (Ufficio Matrimoni) of the town hall (municipio) in the city where the marriage will be performed and make a 'Declaration of Intention to Marry.'" Rick waited for her reaction.
"Good grief, all that just to get married?" Kate didn't believe it.
Rick nodded. "Yep. It sounds like we got our work cut out for us."
"I guess. Where do we find two people who know us but aren't family members?"
"That's a good question. Leave that to me, I'll think of something." But Rick had no idea how to solve it.
"You just need to figure out where we're getting married," Rick said, leaving her sitting in front of the computer.
~oo0oo~
"I found the perfect spot, Rick! It's called La Terra Degli Aranci. It has an indoor and outdoor place, and either location looks lovely. I especially like the outdoor location. I need your phone to find out if they have any openings."
Rick handed over his phone. "Good luck." He kissed her, and Kate left him to go downstairs to the computer.
It wasn't long before she was back. "They have space in two weeks for the outdoor wedding location. I didn't book it because I need your credit card and need to know if you like it."
Rick handed her his credit card. "If you like it, then I like it." Kate smiled, kissed him, and ran to the computer and phone to book it.
She had a wedding venue, but now Kate needed a dress, and she knew just the person to help her. "Alexis, I need a wedding dress and wanted to know if you'll come with me?"
"I would be honored to join you in the hunt for a wedding dress. Have you got a wedding venue yet?"
"I just booked it. It's outdoor and it's lovely. It better not rain in two weeks!"
~oo0oo~
Kate came out wearing another gown. "What do you think?" This one was the fourth she had tried on.
"I really think it's you, Kate." Alexis loved it.
It had a built-in bra. The gown was backless with lace covering the bodice down to the top of the hips and silk all the rest of the way down. It had a removable silk cape that covered her shoulders and partway down her arms. It needed some alterations but would be ready in two weeks. That was cutting it so very close. Kate still had Rick's credit card, so she used it to pay for it.
She sighed and looked at Alexis. "What do we do next?"
"We need to find Dad a ring."
"A ring. Today? There's a lot to do, and I'm tired."
"Look at it this way, Kate. At least we don't need wedding invitations or a guest book. We need to find a photographer."
Kate felt overwhelmed. "I'm so glad I don't need to find two people who know us that will sign a form. Rick said he would handle that part."
"You need two people who know you?" Alexis didn't believe her.
"Yes. Thankfully, I have a passport. And brought a copy of my birth certificate with me."
"They wanted those? A passport, I can understand, but a birth certificate? It's a good thing I'm not getting married. I don't even know where my birth certificate is."
~oo0oo~
Together, they decided on a ring for Rick. Now, all that remained was finding a photographer, but it had to wait another day. It was getting late, so they headed home.
"I took care of finding two people," Rick announced.
"Really, how?" Because Kate didn't know many people.
"One of them is Roy Montgomery. He's an old friend."
"My boss." Kate shook her head. "No, I mean my former boss when I was a homicide detective. He's your old friend?" She had a hard time believing him.
"He sounded surprised to learn you were getting married, Kate. He was happy for you and promised not to tell anyone."
"Who else?"
"Someone I know at Black Pawn." Rick saw Kate's eyes open wide, and he hurried to put her at ease. "It's not Gina but someone else. He doesn't know you, but that didn't matter to him. So we now have two people. I told you I could do it."
Kate could hardly believe it. She kissed him for it. "We found a dress and your ring. Finding a photographer will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm beat."
"Ooo, can I see?" Rick wanted to see her dress.
"No. Besides, it's still at the store undergoing alterations. It'll be ready the same day we get married."
"Darn." Rick felt bummed that he couldn't see her dress.