"Oh Dave, this is marvelous! My first art showing!" Gemma said she looked around at all the people. A lot of her paintings were on display as there were quite a few of them all with large price tags. Dave had kept his word and introduced her to a lot of people in the art world. Those people had been really impressed with her paintings just as Dave was.
One in particular Mr. Bellerose was well known in the art world and he offered to let her show her paintings at his art gallery. While Gemma had made the decision Dave had approved as Bellerose had a good reputation for being honest and Dave made sure the man knew Gemma was his fiancée. It was just a precaution Dave had told his fiancé, as a lot of times people who did you favors wanted something in return and sometimes that was sexual in nature. Letting Bellerose know that she was under his protection would make sure he behaved himself and not come on to her in order to try to threaten her into having sex with him in order to promote her paintings.
"I could ruin him if I wanted to," Dave had told Gemma. "Normally, that's not like me at all, but if he tries to force you to have sex with him then I will with no regrets about doing so. Knowing that you are under my protection will ensure he behaves himself. He'll get a large commission because he is owner of the art gallery where your paintings are showing and that is his reward. The better you do the better he does, so it's a symbiotic relationship."
"You deserve this Gemma," Dave said, as he sipped the excellent wine that was being passed around by the waiters. "Talent like yours should be realized not stifled like your parents tried to do. It should be encouraged, not denied."
"Well you're certainly helping my dreams come true," Gemma said, as she looked around at all the who's who of the art world. The mayor and his wife was here as were plenty of other people with a lot of money. Bankers, business people, basically the cream of society, those that had the money to buy expensive art.
"Oh wow this is fantastic!" said a woman enthusiastically who was looking at a painting the Gemma had done on the beach at Devil's Island. It was of the beach with the cliff that the house was on in the background and the water at the bottom. The scene was so realistic it was easy to see why the woman loved it so much.
"It's yours honey," said a man beside her checking the price tag it was $10,000. That was a lot of money to Gemma, but then art was expensive if you had the right patron. Really $10,000 for a painting by a well-known artist was nothing as you could pay 50,000 or more. Since this was the first showing $10,000 was low and the prices would slowly rise as she became better known.
"See you just sold your first painting," Dave said so proud of his fiancé.
"I still have trouble believing that somebody would be willing to pay $10,000 for one of my paintings," Gemma said shaking her head. "To me that's a lot of money, even if I know it's not to other people. I come from money you know that, but still I have trouble believing that somebody's willing to pay so much."
"This is only your first showing and you'll slowly get more popular to were you command a lot more per piece."
The two of them wandered amongst the crowd many not realizing that the artist was amongst them.
Gemma watched as people looked at her paintings. Many were interested, but no one bought another. Still, for a first showing it hadn't gone too bad Gemma thought as $10,000 was nothing to sneeze at.
"I want this one," Dave said looking at a scene of his own home on the bluff it was on with a bit of beach and water showing. The sky was blue with several fluffy clouds. It was majestic.
"I'll give it to you," Gemma said and Dave shook his head.
"No, I'll pay for it like anyone else Gemma. It wouldn't be fair for you to give it to me, which is why I waited until tonight. I can help you with your career by helping you get more popular. I'm happy to do so."
Gemma tried to protest but Dave shook his head and gave her a look.
"I don't feel right taking your money Dave, considering you've done so much for me and we are now engaged," Gemma said.
"No more protesting," Dave said quietly. "This is my way to help you get the attention you deserve. You know I can more than afford it."
"We'll be talking about this later. I don't want to cause a scene at my first showing," Gemma said.
"You won't change my mind so you might as well not bother. Let's not cause bad feelings between us," Dave said. "You don't seem to want to accept that I want to help promote you as an artist, which means buying your paintings so they can be admired by others. I've going to loan this one to a museum so that they can be admired by whoever visits there. I know I'll end up buying others as well and some will be hung on the walls at home and others will be loaned to places like museums. 10 or $15,000 is really nothing Gemma. You know I have money, more money than I'll ever spend and even a million isn't that much to me. If even 1 million isn't that much then 10 or 15,000 is mere pocket change and it's going to a good cause. Even if it was 1 million it would be well worth it and who knows you might gain that price tag one day. You have to realize I buy a lot of art on a normal basis, just because I'm buying your paintings means nothing. Art is a good investment. You of all people should know that."
"All right, I see your point," Gemma finally agreed sighing in reluctant acceptance. "I'm not argue with you anymore, though I still think that I should just give you that paining but still I understand your point."
"Good," Dave said pleased. "That's very good.
~~~Dave and Gemma~~~
Several weeks later
"I've been thinking," Gemma told Dave as the two of them walked along the beach on Devil's Island. The two were holding hands and Gemma was carrying a bag over her shoulder with her art supples.
It was a nice bag, a gift, from Dave made of real leather, the color a rich brown. It was big enough for her sketchbook and her colored pencils and anything else she wanted to carry like her wallet.
"About what?" Dave asked when Gemma didn't continue.
"Well, I've been doing some research," Gemma begin to explain.
"What kind of research?" Dave asked already having a suspicion.
Instead of answering directly Gemma asked, "There is no new cancer treatment is there a Dave? I can find no mention of a new treatment anywhere, so that either means that it's brand new and it hasn't hit the medical journals yet or someone fed me a line."
Dave subtly winced and Gemma knew she was right, as she was watching his face closely.
"So how did you do it? How did you and Ducky cure my cancer and why isn't available to the general population?" Gemma ask Dave calmly not seeming upset at all.
"You're not upset?" Dave asked and Gemma shook her head.
"I just want to know how you did it," Gemma replied.
"Ducky suggested that we use a few drops of my blood in your treatment," Dave begin to explain. "As for why it's not available to the general populace the reason is that thousands of people would want it to cure their relatives their children, their grandparents and anyone else close to them. An immortals blood is ancient and powerful. The little bit that was used in your treatments wasn't enough to turn you immortal, but it was enough to overcome the cancer cells that were making you so sick. No immortal with any sense would reveal what they were to most people. There's no way they'd agree to give their blood just so say a child could be cured of one of the more aggressive types of cancer. You, however, were special case."
"What makes me so special?" Gemma asked.
"Besides the fact you washed up on my shore?" Dave asked with twinkling eyes. "I was already starting to have feelings for you. At first you were a mystery that needed to be solved, but then, I started to care for you. You helped relieve the boredom of my long life. You were like a breath of fresh air. I, then fell in love with you, which is why I told you what I was after asking you to marry me. So that makes you special."
"Your blood is that different?" Gemma asked looking rather stunned.
"Yes," Dave replied, even as he gave Gemma's hand squeeze.
"So the regular treatments wouldn't have worked," Gemma asked questioningly.
"They might have," Dave shrugged, "but you would've lost all your hair and felt worse before you got better if we had gone that route and that's only if it worked. You would have at least gone through a lot of pain and then a long recovery before all was said and done. That's what radiation does it make you lose all your hair and even if you were cured you might not have been able to have children due to the treatments, which are intense. Your body might've recovered in time to where you could procreate if you cared to, but also it might not have. All my blood did was ensure that your cancer was eradicated and you didn't have to go through multiple radiation treatments and risk losing your ability to have children. Also, you'll never be able to get that sick again. There will be no chance of you ever getting cancer again, because you're gonna let me turn you immortal, though Ducky of course."
"So you said your blood will turn me immortal?" Gemma questioned.
"You already know that our blood is powerful, since I just finished explaining about how it eradicated your cancer. It shouldn't take more than a couple of syringes worth, but since I've never done it before I'm not sure. If you're really curious you can ask Ducky for those details once you're alone."
Gemma nodded knowing she was being subtly warned never to discuss the subject when other people were around, as most humans had no idea that immortals existed.
"Now that my first showing is out of the way I think we should go ahead and contact your friend," Gemma said. "I'm assuming I can't get pregnant until I am like you are and I really want children."
"I can't blame you there," Dave said. "I know you can't get pregnant until you are immortal so I'll be glad to arrange things with Ducky. We won't even have to go into his office, as he can do it here as it's only a couple syringes of blood not a major operation."
"Well, that's good I suppose, as there won't be other people who aren't in on the secret around," Gemma said.
"That is one reason I'm glad it's so simple," Dave said, even as he and Gemma continued to walk along the beach. "Not only that, but it's also in no way dangerous for you to be injected with my blood. An immortals blood isn't based off blood types so there's no chance of you dying."
"I hadn't even thought about that," Gemma said, even as she and Dave continued to meander along the beach holding hands. "I hadn't thought about the different blood types. I would hate to die just because I get the wrong blood type, especially since I was just cured of cancer."
"I won't let you die I promise you that," Dave said. "You are now the center of my happiness Gemma. I won't let anything happen to you. If I thought for an instant that this was not a good idea I wouldn't let you go though with it. I would never risk your life if both me and Ducky weren't certain that this will cause you no harm. I'll get Ducky out here sometime in the next few days," Dave promised. "I'm looking forward to having children, though we do need to get married first."
"Believe me, I am too, as I thought I would never be able to have, even one child after my doctor told me I had cancer. To have a child will be like a miracle and the confirmation that I am now healthy," Gemma said.
"You had accepted you were going to die. That you've never be able to have kids and you were going to die at a young age, as late 20s, is nothing in this century or even the 20th," Dave said and Gemma nodded and confirmation.
"I certainly feel more alive than I have ever since my doctor told me that I wouldn't live to see 30," Gemma said.
"You're going to live a long, long time Gemma," Dave told her, as he tenderly kissed her. "I promise I'll love you every day for the rest of our very long lives."
"I think you more than proved that already," Gemma said smiling gently, "which is why I'm not mad at you for saving my life or at least for not telling me at the time what you did so that I lived. I do understand that the world can't know that immortals exist, except for those that prove their trustworthy like me."
"I'm going to gradually show you the world and that's a promise," Dave said, as they stood together on the shore with the waves lapping the sand. "We'll explore different countries and then come home to Devil's Island."
"Sounds wonderful, but that's not going to happen now, as I've just gotten started as an artist," Gemma said.
"Not right now, but in a few decades. You will need to retire at some point from painting, but that won't happen for awhile," Dave said. "By the time you do retire our children will be all grown up and possibly have children of their own."
"That's a really wonderful scenario," Gemma said smiling widely. "I can hardly wait."
"Neither can I," Dave said with a goofy smile, as the two of them, as if in silent agreement, started back to the house, as they had walked quite a ways down the beach.
Dave had enjoyed himself more just walking along the beach with his fiancé then he had in a very long time. He was looking forward to the life they would forge together.
~~~Dave and Gemma~~~
Epilogue
Five years later
"This is really great!" Gemma said, as she watched all the people milling about at yet another of her showings. She had a glass of juice in her hand as no wine was allowed until after the birth of her son, though considering that the children were immortal it shouldn't do them any harm but why risk it? Gemma was dressed in a beautiful gown made for a pregnant woman that Dave had had especially made for her growing pregnancy. She had a lot of such gowns and other clothes tailored to her specifically. Dave was dressed in a tuxedo looking handsome and debonair sipping a glass of wine, even as he stood beside his wife. Gemma had been turned immortal sometime ago and was also pregnant with her third child. Dave had been ecstatic to finally have children and had both a boy or a girl. The staff at Dave's home were also happy to have children running around the estate as it had only been Dave for so long. It made for a much happier home with children's laughter ringing through the air. The oldest, a girl, they'd named Jenna who was four and the boy was Donald after Dave's good friend Donald Mallard. Donald or Donnie as he was called by the family was only two. This third child was going to be another boy and Gemma was very close to giving birth, as it would only be a few more weeks. They had already picked baby names since Gemma was so close to going into labor. They had decided on Nikola which was a version of Nicholas or Nicole. It was considered a unisex name and could be used for either boys or girls. It was more unusual then the normal Nicholas and Czech/Greek.
"Yes, it is. Didn't I tell you you would slowly become more popular," Dave said, as he observed the crowed, which was a much larger then at her first showing because word had spread about the talented new artist. Several paintings had already been bought and the price tags on each painting were much heftier than they had been at that first showing as most of them were over $50,000,
"You did," Gemma said and she took a sip of a juice. "Five of those paintings have already sold and that's quite a hefty amount for my bank account, even taking out the commission for Mr. Bellerose."
"Just you wait. It'll get even better a year from now and soon you'll be commanding at least 100,000 a painting," Dave said.
"Oh, I certainly already have more than I ever dreamed I would have," Gemma said. "You helped jumpstart my career."
"I like encouraging and helping new talent," Dave said simply taking a sip of wine. "This world would be a poorer place without art or stories or anything else that takes creativity. That's why the good artists make so much money, because a lot goes into that art no matter the medium. They certainly make more money than somebody in a more ordinary profession a nurse or a cook for example."
"True," Gemma said, even as she rubbed her very pregnant belly. People know who she was now Gemma noticed and several people had approached her while she and Dave had been talking.
"Are you getting tired?" Dave asked his wife solicitously. "Do you need to sit down?"
Dave never missed a thing Gemma thought with a smile. He was always on the lookout for signs that she was tired and considering she was heavily pregnant it was understandable.
"My feet are aching, even though I'm wearing flat shoes," Gemma said, "but that's understandable considering."
"Considering your heavily pregnant and going to give birth in just a few weeks," Dave finished.
"Yes and yes. I probably do need to take a break where people aren't wanting to meet the artist," Gemma said. "I could probably use some food to, even though we had dinner before the showing."
"You're pregnant, the baby simply needs fuel," Dave said. "Why don't you sit down in the back room and I'll get you a plate of food for you to munch on. We can get you something more substantial after the showing."
"That sounds like a good idea. I really want to get off my feet for a few minutes. The baby's kicking isn't helping," Gemma said.
Dave led her to where she could sit down for a few minutes as he had arranged it that way with Mr. Bellerose. Mr. Bellerose had been happy to accommodate such a simple request, as he understood pregnant women needed to get off their feet often, especially one as far along as Gemma was.
Dave then brought her a plate with bite sized bits of food on it several minutes later and Gemma took it. The waiters that had been hired for the event were passing out drinks and food to the attendants. There was a red velvet rope up protecting the paintings that the attendees couldn't go past to actually get close to them. There were also security cameras all over the place if anyone tried to get past the rope unless they worked for the gallery.
"Thanks," Gemma told Dave. "That took the edge off, though I'm still starving."
"Hopefully, it will last you until we can get out of here," Dave said, "and then we'll go get you a second meal anything you want is yours. We want our son healthy."
"Yes, we do," Gemma agreed rubbing her tummy lovingly. "I adore the two we have, because I never imagined I'd be able to have a family, but this one will be special."
"They are all special," Dave said smiling as he thought about his two children with a third soon to be born. "So does this mean you don't want anymore after this at least not for awhile?"
"I don't know," Gemma said, as she finished her snack. "I suppose I wouldn't mind a fourth one and I hope we get a girl, but that will be it for at least a few decades."
"I hope we get another girl to, as we need an even number of both sexes before we stop for a number of years," Dave grinned at Gemma's response telling his wife he was very happy at the thought of a fourth child. They would love that child whether it was a boy or a girl unlike her own parents, but another little girl to love would be pretty terrific. "Thank you for my family Gemma. You've certainly changed my life in the best possible way."
"You changed my life to, but let's not dwell on the past," Gemma said. "Let's look towards the future.
"That's a great idea," Dave said, as he leaned down to kiss Gemma gently before taking the plate from her and helping her to her feet.
"Let's go mingle for another hour and then we can leave," Dave suggested.
"Sounds good," Gemma said smiling taking Dave's offered arm, as he escorted her out of the storeroom to mingle with the attendees.
Gemma was so happy with her life and she was so glad she washed up on the shore of Devil's Island. The island that was now her home and would be for a very long time. With Dave though she didn't mind that at all as he brought her happiness and also contentment. Her children were just an added bonus and she would welcome whatever child she and Dave had over the centuries. She was so happy now that her past seemed like a distant dream and she hoped her parents were just as miserable as they had always been as they would never see their grandchildren grow and do great things. She would never force her children to be something totally contrary to their natures like her parents had tried to do to her nor would she force them to marry if they didn't want to.
If her parents found out she'd married someone with money and showed up at their door Dave would send them packing as he had promised her he would, which made Gemma love her husband all the more.
Her life had gone from despair that she was dying, to happiness in the space of a few short months. This was the way that life always should be Gemma contently thought, as Dave escorted her to mingle with the crowd.