Chapter Eleven Lindy sat in her office, half dreading the sunset. She knew Anton would be down almost immediately afterwards. She had thought about ducking out of the office early, but knew that it would only be putting off the inevitable. Instead, she looked at the bouquet of lilies. The flowers were starting to fade, but she couldn't bring herself to toss them out just yet. And she couldn't believe what she had said to Anton and Nathaniel the night before. At the moment she knew it was the right thing to say, no matter how badly it hurt Anton. She just hoped she could salvage her friendship with him. Staring at the window, she watched the sun set. She would have maybe half an hour before Anton would appear. So she returned to her paperwork, aimlessly sorting and resorting it. She looked up at the knock on her door. "Come in." Anton stepped into her office alone, closing the door behind him. Lindy frowned. He had never felt the need to knock on her door before. "How's Bryn?" she asked. "She's got a little morning sickness, but other than that, she's fine." He stood in the center of her office, arms crossed and a disapproving look on his face. "We need to talk." "I know." "How long?" "How long have I been dating him?" She wished he would sit down. But she had the feeling he liked looming over her. It made him all the more intimidating. "How long have you known who he is?" "Not long. Only about a day before you found out." "And you didn't bother to tell me?" He rested his hands over the back of the chair, leaning forward menacingly. "I can't wait to hear what lies he's told you." "Actually, he's been very honest with me." She sat back in her chair, crossing her legs and resting her clasped hands on them. "He told me that the two of you never have gotten along well at all. He also told me about what happened with Natasha." "Did he also tell you he's responsible for my father's death?" "Yes," was the calm response. "And you seem to forget his mother was killed as well that night." He was silent for a moment. "I guess that was the price he had to pay for his actions. He plotted against my family for months and never once had a care about her or her feelings. It didn't seem to matter to him that she loved my father. All he cared about was himself." "He was hurting, Anton--" "Don't give me that bullshit, I've heard it before! He was a spoiled little brat. And if you think he wants you when he's not getting in your pants, you'll be sorely mistaken." She growled softly. "Not that it's any of your business, but we aren't sleeping together yet. He wants to wait until we're actually married before we have sex." "No... I did not just hear you say that!" Anton shook his head. "Yes you did." She stood up as well. She may be shorter than he was, but she wasn't going let him bully her. "You know, it's really sad, Anton. After 900 years, you haven't moved on past that night. At least he's trying." He smiled bitterly. "Evidently he didn't bother to mention that I've tried to forget...he's the one who keeps storming back into my life with Natasha in tow. He has made my life a living hell more than once. Believe me, if I could forget him, I would." "That's her fault, not his." "Oh really? Was she twisting his arm every time he came around?" He raked his fingers through his hair. "Did it never occur to you that he's using you? He's done it before, Lindy." "He's not with her anymore." "Maybe not physically. They have these wonderful inventions these days. They're called phones. And e-mail. He doesn't have to be in 'contact' with her to stay in contact with her. What makes you so certain he's not playing you for the fool you're being?" "Give me a little credit, Anton. You think I can pinpoint an object's age within 5 years and I wouldn't be able to smell when he's holding something back from me?" She shook her head. "He told me he doesn't know where she is. And he's telling the truth." "Natasha is here as well." "I know. Bryn told me that's where you were last night before you two quarreled." "And she knew that Bryn's pregnant. Don't tell me that Nathaniel didn't pass that information onto her." "Really? He's psychic as well as being a vampire? Bryn didn't tell us but maybe five minutes before you arrived." Sighing heavily, he sank down into the chair, boneless, as if she'd totally exhausted him. Rubbing a hand over his face, he glanced at the lilies on her desk. "He's really gone all out this time. No wonder he's got you so fooled." "You really do have me pegged for a complete moron, don't you?" She put up a hand as he started to protest. "You were able to believe in Bryn's pregnancy, against all odds...granted, it did take you a while, you stubborn ass. Why can't you believe me?" "You don't know what you're asking of me." "I think I do. And I also think you just realized that I've never lied to you. Why would I start now?" She lowered her voice, casting a glance at the door. "Is this about what I said that night? Do you think this is some sort of revenge against you over a couple of hurt feelings?" "No, I--" "Good, because I think that would be about the most arrogant assumption you've ever made. And I'm sorry if my relationship with Nathaniel hurts you, Anton...but that's just it. It's between him and me. It's not about you." Lindy dropped back into her chair. "I don't expect you two to be best buddies. I just want you to respect my choice. I don't want to be forced to choose between you and him." "And who would you choose?" She shook her head. "You're not going to like the answer to that." "I see." He sighed heavily. "He's going to break your heart, Lindy." "That remains to be seen." She shifted in her chair uneasily. "I want to take some time off. Take a trip back home and visit my parents since I didn't go while we were back east." "Is he going with you?" She nodded. "Maybe I'll get lucky and your mother will rip him apart." He couldn't seem to hold his scowl any longer. Standing up, he stepped around the chair and put his hand on the door. "Take all the time you need. But I'd appreciate it if you kept in touch." "I will. Thank you." Nodding, he started to turn the doorknob but stopped. "You do know I'm just trying to protect you, right?" "Yes, and although it's not required I do appreciate it." He nodded again, heading out the door. "We have a shipment coming in soon," he said, effectively finishing the conversation. The moment he stepped out of sight, her shoulders slumped. It was the first time she'd relaxed all day. [She's going to end up with a broken heart, and there's nothing you can do about it.] Anton walked out of her office and started heading towards Sabryn's. He'd have to warn Sabryn to be careful what she said around Lindy. [She's thinking with her heart, not her head. Nothing good can come of this.] He could hear her talking to someone, so he knocked on the door jamb before stepping inside. Sabryn and George both went silent when they saw him. He frowned slightly, watching George fidget before saying, "I should go...I probably have some work I could be doing." He gave Anton a sheepish smile before brushing past him out the door. Glancing at Bryn, noticing the somewhat nervous look on her face, Anton said, "Did I just interrupt something?" "No." She brushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. "He was just--he wanted to make sure I was all right." Walking in the door, closing it behind him, he walked over to where she stood leaning against the desk. "He looked like he thought I was going to eat him for dinner." "Well, I didn't have a chance to tell him that you know we're not having an affair." "We'll have to get that cleared up. He's a good employee, and I'd hate to see him leave because of my stupidity." Sabryn smiled and leaned forward to kiss his lips lightly. "How'd it go with Lindy?" Anton sighed and dropped into a nearby chair. "Not too well." "Not too well for her, or not too well for you?" "What's the difference?" he asked suspiciously. She sat down on a clear spot on her desk, tucking her skirt under her thigh. "Anton, I know you have problems with Nathaniel, but that doesn't mean everyone does. He's never been anything but nice to me." He stared at her for a moment. "How exactly do you know him?" "He was in one of my classes at the college. And he also talked to me that night you found me in the bar." Anton shook his head in disgust. "I knew it." "Knew what?" "That he's up to no good. Why else would he show up in Baltimore, and then follow us to San Francisco?" "How do you know he wasn't already living in Baltimore, and just followed Lindy here?" She raised her eyebrows when he didn't have an answer to that. "From what I can tell, I think he really does care for her. If that's genuine, would it be so bad?" "He wouldn't know an honest emotion if it bit him on the ass," Anton grumbled. "So you met him at college? Did he join the class after it already started?" "Well yeah." "And did he flirt with you?" "Yeah." "And you shot him down, I presume." "Of course." "See?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "He's shifted tactics. When he couldn't get anywhere with you, he insinuated himself into Lindy's life." "All right...so, if what you're saying is true, what's the problem?" She held his gaze. "There's nothing he could possibly do, Anton." "He can break her heart!" "And so can any other man. You're not above contempt yourself, you know. Isn't that old saying true, that it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?" "Oh, give me a break. He can do a lot more damage than you're giving him credit for." "And you're giving Lindy a lot less credit than she deserves. She can take care of herself." She touched the toe of her shoe to his calf. "Who are you more worried about, Anton? Her or yourself?" "Her, of course." "She's more than capable of taking care of herself, Anton. Like it or not, it's out of your hands." He leaned back, growling slightly. "Apparently so. She's even taking him back to meet her family." Sabryn shook her head, laughing a bit. "You're cute when you're grumpy." "I'm not grumpy." She smiled. "Sulky, then." He made a sound of disgust, but didn't say anything more. "I got an email of congratulations from Caroline today. Apparently John didn't waste any time in telling her the news." That seemed to brighten his expression somewhat. "Oh, and what do you think of the fourth of July?" "What about it?" "For the wedding?" "I would think that night would be crowded. I don't know if you'd be able to find anyone to perform the ceremony." "Well, most people don't get married at midnight, in the middle of summer. I thought it might be kind of nice to walk out the doors to a shower of fireworks. And besides, I think two and half months might be cutting it close if I still want to fit into that dress." He smiled at her. "You'd be beautiful no matter what you wore, my dear." She blushed. "So is that a yes or a no?" "Yes. I do like the idea." He stood up and stretched. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I have to go out for a while." Sabryn nodded. He usually fed every other night. The night before was supposed to be one, according to his schedule, but he had been obviously distracted. "I understand, Anton." He leaned forward to kiss her. "I'll be back shortly, my dear." "You'd better. We've got to start discussing names for our baby." He got a goofy grin on his face. "I'll hurry back, Bryn. I love you." He heard her soft 'love you too,' as he left the office. He walked out of the building, but did not take his car. It was too noticeable, and he did not want to draw any attention to himself. He tried to kill far away from his home, where if it drew attention... Attention. The cult killings. He froze, cursing himself for not thinking of this before. The murders both in San Francisco and Baltimore weren't a deranged human's crime, but a vampire feeding. The only question in his mind was who the vampire was - Nathaniel or Natasha? And oddly enough, he hoped it wasn't Nathaniel, for Lindy's sake. He turned up the music a little more, tapping his sock-covered toes on the floor. Grabbing the eggs out of the fridge, he looked proudly at his concave mound of flour. Adding the water and an egg, he started mixing the dough carefully in the center with his fingers. The goo stuck to him like mud, making him glad he'd already taken his shirt off. Moving his hips in time to the music, he finished the dough and rolled it into a ball. Reaching for the flour, he heard the phone ring and swore under his breath. It was probably Lindy, running late. He almost hoped so, because the pasta was nowhere near ready. Wiping his sticky fingers on a paper towel, he cradled the phone between his shoulder and his ear. "Hello?" There was silence at the other end of the line. Nathaniel said hello again, and finally got a response. "Who is this?" It certainly wasn't Lindy. At the sound of the unfamiliar male voice, his attention perked up. "No, who is *this*?" The male voice at the other end of the phone did not sound at all pleased at being questioned. "Is Lindy there?" A little put out at the lack of an answer, Nathaniel decided to mess with the caller a little. "Na khuya?" (What the fuck for?) "Ty mne van'ku ne val'aj, ubl'yudok " was growled response. (Don't pretend you are dumber than you really are, bastard.) "Now put her on the phone." He was speechless. Dropping the towel onto the counter, he scratched his head. It was rare that anyone knew what he was talking about when he spoke Russian, let alone that they answer him. Not quite sure how to proceed, he said, "She's not here...now would you mind telling me who the hell this is, so I can take a message?" He looked up in relief when he heard the door open. "Actually, hang on a moment. She's just coming in." Lindy looked at him in curiously as he held out the phone to her. "Know anyone other than Anton who can curse in Russian?" "Russian? Oh no..." Lindy took the phone. "Uh, hi Alex," she said rather weakly, walking back to the living room. "How's Jess, Walter, and Amanda?" "They're fine," Alex Krycek said. "Who answered the phone?" "That would be Nathaniel." "Is he the reason we haven't heard from you in almost a month?" Alex gently chided. "We've been worried." "I'm sorry. Things have been crazy at work, and in my personal life as well." She glanced back at Nathaniel and smiled. "You don't have any plans to be out of town soon? I'd like to come back for a visit." "No, we'll be around." He paused for a moment. "Would Nathaniel be coming along?" "Yeah, he would." She could hear him bite back a sigh. "Make your plans and give us a call with the details. I'm assuming he's aware of our situation?" "Yeah, and actually, he's a bit of a situation himself." She suppressed a giggle at the face Nate made at her. "It's gotta be late for you. It's almost ten here. I'll call tomorrow and let you know when we'll be there, okay?" "Okay. And Lindy, take care of yourself. Be careful." "I will, Alex. Goodbye." She hung up the phone and looked at Nathaniel. "What did you say to him?" "Who's Alex?" he asked, suspiciously. "I'm not telling you until you tell me what you said." He heaved a sigh, turning back to his pasta dough. "I asked who he was, and he wouldn't tell me." "And what exactly made him curse in Russian? He doesn't do that very often, Nate." When he was quiet, she walked over to stand next to him, in his line of vision, crossing her arms. "Well?" "I might have...said something." "Something?" "I was messing with him, OK? He wouldn't tell me who he was, so I got a little testy." "A little jealous, you mean." He finally met her gaze. "I did not. I was merely curious. And he didn't sound too happy to talk to me, either, by the way." He sniffed, flouring her rolling pin before flattening his dough into a rough square. "So, who is he?" "Well, in a way, I suppose you could call him my step-father. Beautiful first impression, Nate. They're going to love you." She couldn't keep the hint of amusement out of her voice. "At least you didn't tell him to fuck off...did you?" "No, of course not. Jeez, you'd think I had the manners of a wildebeest." She finally glanced down at what he was doing, watching him draw a blade down the dough in long strips. "What are you making?" "Well, I was going to make us some fettuccine alfredo...but you'll be lucky if I share with you, now." "You're making it from scratch? I'm just amazed that you found all this in my kitchen." She watched him continue to form the noodles. "I spoke with Anton a bit ago." He put down the knife to look at her. "How did it go?" She shrugged her shoulders. "As well as could be expected. He accused you of using me to get to him, that you are going to break my heart, and I'm being stupid for trusting you." "And do you believe him?" he asked quietly. "Of course not!" Searching around for her pots and pans, he selected one and began running water in it. Once he'd set it on the stove and turned on the burner, he turned around to face her. "So how did the conversation end?" "We came to an understanding, I guess. We agreed to disagree." "I'm not so sure I like that." "Like what?" "He was your friend first, Lindy. I don't want to be the cause of a rift between you." Adding olive oil to the water, he added, "If he isn't going to be able to accept this, maybe I should...just step back for a while." "I can give you two good reasons not to. If you do step back, Anton will just think he's right and you're trying to find a new angle. You're not going to change his mind by running away, Nate. But the second, and more important reason is that I will be very, very unhappy if you do so. Wolves are loyal by nature, but loyalty to a mate takes precedence to loyalty to a friend." Nathaniel turned to look at her, stunned by what she just said. "Did you just call me your mate?" A shy dip of her head was her answer. "I know we haven't slept together yet, but that's how I find myself thinking of you." She couldn't look him in the eyes, so she used that as an excuse to admire his chest. It was well muscled with a sprinkling of dark hair. Tearing her eyes away from a tan nipple that seemed to be calling to her mouth, she noticed his arm. "What's this?" she said, reaching out to touch the tattooed sun on his left bicep. "Ah..." He laughed, self-consciously. "I would blame it on a misspent youth, but I only got that done a few years ago." "You don't like it?" "Do you?" It seemed to be an important question to him. "I asked you first." "It's a bit garish at times, but I guess I've gotten used to it." He shook his head, glancing at his heating water. "I couldn't even begin to tell you how drunk I was when it happened." She frowned slightly. "Does that happen often?" "No," he said, softly. "Bad day. Bad year, actually." "A woman?" His lips quirked, but he didn't say a word. Until she continued to stare at him. He couldn't take her scrutiny. "I was feeling depressed, OK?" "About?" "About having to always skulk in the night, taking lives to preserve my own. About watching Anton find someone to devote a human lifetime too, while I could hope for only a few years of stolen moments, or Natasha's possessive, demented embrace. About the fact that I caused the murder of my mother, and the man I desperately wanted to be loved and respected by." He sighed. "It was the 900th anniversary of my Transformation. I decided to celebrate by getting drunk and forgetting everything. I guess I was a little too successful in the forgetting department, because I woke up the next night with this." He tapped the tattoo. She made a soft sound of despair, pressing her lips against the flaming sun. "Well, at least you can be sure it's the only tattoo you'll ever get." He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that right, mate?" "Yeah." She grinned. "So are you coming with me to visit the family? I promise I won't chicken out this time." "All right. Just give me time to pack a bag." Seeing that his water was boiling, he excused himself for a moment to plunge his fresh pasta noodles into the pot. Setting the timer, he said, "When were you planning on going?" "I took next week off. Does that sound OK to you?" He nodded. "I made some alfredo sauce earlier. It's in a container in the refrigerator. Will you grab it?" "In a second." She licked her lips. "Nate?" "Hmm?" "I was thinking that, if this week goes all right, you might want to propose to me properly." That got his full attention. He stared at her for a moment, looking completely in awe, before tugging her closer and placing kisses all over her face. She giggled, ducking slightly under the assault. Pulling her tight into his embrace, nuzzling the top of her head, he whispered, "I'm going to make you very happy, Lindy. I promise." [You already have.] Bryn was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper, when Anton walked in the room. Shoes off and hair down, she still wore her blouse and work skirt. She looked tired, but that was understandable. In the past week she'd done more tossing and turning than actually sleeping. She looked up as he neared, watching him sit down on the coffee table across from her. "Hey." "Hey. I looked for you downstairs, but you weren't in your office." "Yeah, I wasn't feeling very good." She set down the newspaper, the Help Wanted section open on her lap. "I wanted to talk to you about something." He didn't like the uneasy feeling he got at those words. "About what?" "I think I want to look for work somewhere else. Possibly in a gallery or maybe even an art supply store." "Any particular reason?" "I just...I think we could use some time apart. Not a lot. I think I'd only work part time, and then I could come home and have time to paint." She licked her lips. "I'd have some spending money, and you wouldn't get sick of seeing me 24 hours of every day. There's only one drawback--I'd have to ride the bus." "Are you sure you want to do that, my dear? Riding the bus here isn't like back in Baltimore. And what makes you think I'd get sick of seeing you 24 hours a day?" She made a face. "Anyone would get sick of seeing me 24 hours a day. And I'm not exactly wild about riding the bus, but I'm sure I can handle it. Hopefully it would only be a short ride. And maybe if I make some friends where I end up working, we could always carpool." "Or you could let me buy you a car." "Anton, that's not the point." "Then what is the point?" "Part of the reason I want to work is so that I don't feel so guilty spending your money. I would be able to contribute somehow. And I don't really feel like I'm doing that here. As much as I appreciate you giving me a job, I kind of feel like I'm..." She paused, searching for the right words. "Like I'm grading the teacher's papers, for lack of a better phrase. You don't really need me here, so I'm stuck doing everyone else's leftover tasks." She swung her legs off the couch, facing him. "Besides...I'd kind of like your eyes to light up when you see me, instead of being so comfortable with me that I'm almost scenery." He searched her face. "It means that much to you, Bryn?" "Yes." "Then go ahead, my dear. If you find one you'd like, I'll support your choice." He leaned forward to kiss her on the nose. "I'd feel better if you weren't taking the bus, but I know better than to try to stop you once you've made up your mind." She wrinkled her nose. "Did you just call me pushy without saying it outright?" He smiled, trying to keep the twinkle out of his eyes. "No." "Stubborn?" "Determined, and that's all I'm going to say." "Hmm. Well, how's this for determined?" She grinned at his arched eyebrow. "You can buy me a car if you really want to, but it's going to be your decision and not mine. Deal?" "Deal." He sat back and sighed. "And speaking of dealing, Lindy and Nathaniel have left for her parents." "Well I hope they have a better time than we did." He scowled at that. "I don't." "I'm sure you don't," she said, leaning forward to place her hands on his knees, "but I'm proud of you for not calling her parents to warn them about what's coming." "How do you know I didn't?" "You better not have!" "I did not call her parents, my dear." "Good." She looked at the paper and then up at him again. "You emailed them, didn't you?" "Do you think I can't stay out of other people's business? Uh, on second thought, don't answer that." He smiled at her as she laughed. "Actually, Lindy's already told them that Nathaniel is a vampire. Jess emailed me to ask if there were any, um, dietary needs other than the obvious she should be aware of." "As long as you didn't tell her 'cyanide'." He merely grinned. She made a soft tsking sound, standing up. "I think I'm going to go call some of these places. I just hope I can find something a little more stimulating than McDonald's." She wiped the frown off his face with her fingers as she walked by, lingering for a moment on his lips, before walking towards the bedroom. "Besides," she said, nearing the door, "I'd have to keep buying a new uniform every time my stomach grows. And considering how tight this skirt is already getting, that would be quite a bit." He got up and followed her. "But I like you in tight skirts," he pouted. She smiled, before gasping suddenly...making Anton look alarmed that she was in pain or something. Her face lit up. "I just got a brilliant idea!" He let out a breath. "What?" "I could go into business for myself! I know how to paint...and tons of people like having the walls in their houses decorated. You know, with either murals or special paint effects like stone and marble? I could advertise to paint people's rooms!" He barely had a chance to answer, she was so excited. "It sounds--" "I could set my own prices, and I'd be doing something fun. I'd have to figure out labor expenses, supplies, and an hourly fee," she said, counting off each item on her fingers. She looked back at him. "And I probably would have to have a car...I'd be traveling all over the place. Jeez, I'd have to set certain hours--what do you think of 6pm to 10?" "I think it's fine..." he said quickly, glad to get a word in edgewise. She bounced up and down in front of him. "Oh my God, this is the best idea I've ever had. Forget about short skirts...I'd need overalls and tee shirts. Paint swatches, brushes, a ladder--" As she continued talking, barely noticing he was in the room, he watched her and shook his head. It had been the dark after sunset when they left San Francisco International, and it was the dark before sunrise when they arrived at Dulles. They both sat in their airplane seats while the rest of the passengers got their luggage out of the overhead compartments. They stood up and got their stuff when it was only a few passengers and the flight attendants left. "You ready for this?" Lindy asked, squeezing his hand. Nate lifted hers to his lips. "As ready as I'll ever be." Hand in hand, they walked down the tunnel towards the terminal. Most of the passengers were standing in knots, talking to people. Lindy scanned the crowd for a familiar face. "There she is!" She half led, half dragged him in the direction of a short woman with brown hair. "Jess!" The brunette had started towards them. Lindy dropped his hand to hug her. From Lindy's descriptions, he had expected someone as tall as his love. Jess had to stand up on her tiptoes to hug Lindy since she was a good five inches shorter. "I've missed you, Lindy. How was the flight?" "Good." Lindy broke the hug, looking around when she realized that Jess was alone. "Where's everyone?" "We thought it might be better if we didn't attack en masse," Jess joked. She gave the vampire besides Lindy an assessing look. "So Lindy, are you going to introduce me?" Lindy blushed slightly. Reaching back, she took Nate's right hand. "Jess, this is Nathaniel Adrik. Nate, this is my mother, Jessica Leahs." Nate offered his left hand. "A pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Jess grinned. "Nice to meet you too Nathaniel, but please, don't call me ma'am. I'm trying hard to deny my age." Nathaniel laughed. "Deny it? I find it hard to believe that you are old enough to be Lindy's mother." "Flatterer." They started towards the baggage terminal, Nate and Lindy hand in hand. "So, Nathaniel," Jess said conversationally. "Alex tells me you're bilingual." He blushed slightly. "Uh, yeah. Multilingual, actually. I speak French, German, and a little Italian, too." "Really?" She glanced over at them, noticing that although Nathaniel looked directly at her when addressing her, he quickly returned his attention to Lindy. She couldn't help but smile. "Just where did you two meet?" "In a bar." When she gave him a questioning look, he grinned. "Long story, actually. I think I'll let Lindy fill you in on that one. I'll just say that she showed up rather abruptly and I was smart enough not to let her leave." While Jess and Lindy shared a look, Nate glanced around him, eyes searching the crowd. "I've never been here before. I keep wondering when Bruce Willis is going to show up." "Excuse me?" "You've seen Die Hard 2, right?" Jess laughed. "We'll get out of here before the terrorists take over." The collected their luggage and went to the car. The drive home was filled with mostly Jess and Lindy's chatter, catching up on little things, with the occasional comment from Nathaniel. Eventually Jess pulled up in front of a two story house. "Here we are." Almost as soon as Lindy had stepped out of the car, a thirteen year old girl ran out of the house, launching herself into Lindy's arms. "Lindy! You're home! Whatcha bring me?" "Who said I brought you anything, you spoiled brat?" Lindy retorted, hugging sister tight. "I've missed you too, Amanda." Stepping around the car, Nate stood close by, watching the two. Unlocking the trunk, Jess said, "That's my other daughter, Amanda. I'm sure the two of you will get along just fine. If you want to go ahead and go inside, I can get the guys to get your luggage." "Oh, no, I can do that--" "It's no problem, really." She walked along side him, up the pathway. When she opened the door, she called out, "We're back!" Nate wasn't quite sure what he was expecting. Certainly not a normal home, with a seemingly normal family. They were anything but common Americana. Werewolves in a loving trio. Except, everything did feel quite normal. There were pictures on the walls, comfortable looking furniture, neighbors...probably even Tupperware in the cupboards. He felt a bit of the weight lift off of his shoulders. Although he certainly hadn't grown up in the conventional sense, he had to admit he was expecting something a lot weirder than this. Glancing at the two men in the living room, the bald one already heading towards him, he couldn't help but wonder which one was Alex. "I'm Walter Skinner," he said, offering his hand. As Nate shook his hand, he knew he was being sized up. "Nathaniel Adrik," he offered. He turned then to the other man, who was quietly moving towards Jess. "That means that you must be Alex, who I owe an apology to." "Apology accepted," the other man said, rather sternly. Looking to Jess, he asked, "Is there luggage in the car?" "Yes." "Excuse me." The way he brushed past Nate, with barely a glance, made him wince. He cast his gaze on Lindy, minutely shrugging his shoulders. Before either of them had a chance to say anything, Jess effectively ended the awkward moment by offering to show them to their room. [Room? Doesn't she mean rooms, plural?] He nervously followed behind Lindy, as her mother led them through the house. And indeed, there was only one room. Although it had been graciously accessorized with dark curtains, something he was appreciative of, he couldn't help but stare at the single queen- sized bed in dread. [Oh God, they're trying to kill me already.] He felt Lindy's gaze on him, and turned to see her expression matched his. This was going to be the longest week of his entire life. Jess picked up on their discomfort immediately. "Is there something wrong?" "No," Lindy said quickly. "Just, um, what's with Alex?" Jess shrugged, thinking that was the cause of their unease. "He's having trouble adapting to the idea that you've found someone. Nothing personal, Nathaniel," she added. "I think he was half-waiting for you to move back, Lindy. You know how he's had problems with his family, and watching you move across country was more difficult on him than he wanted to admit. Give him a little time." As if to underscore Jess's words, it was Walter who brought the luggage upstairs. "You two must be tired from your trip. Why don't you get some sleep, and we can finish catching up tonight." After a few comments of 'pleasant dreams' Jess and Walter left, heading back downstairs. As soon as the door was closed, Nate turned to her. "Why didn't you say something about the sleeping arrangements?" "I wanted to, but I couldn't." She giggled at her next thought. "Do you find it at all funny that most couples would be uncomfortable telling their parents that they are sleeping together, while we can't seem to say we *aren't*?" Nate sat down wordlessly on the bed, puffing out a pained breath. "I guess I can just make myself a bed on the floor with some blankets." "You don't have to do that." He glanced up her, looking frustrated. "Lindy, there is no way this is going to work. Either I sleep on the floor, or on the couch, because if I sleep in here with you, I can--" "You can what?" "I can almost guarantee you I won't be able to keep my hands off of you." A little chill ran up her spine, a not-at-all-unpleasant sensation. Sighing, he flopped onto his back on the bed, and she got a glimpse of exactly what he was talking about. She tried to avert her eyes, but it wasn't easy. He was already hard, and judging by the look on his face, not pleased at the prospect of having her crawl on to that bed next to him. Lindy shifted her weight back and forth. "I could go talk to Jess and..." "No," Nate said a little too swiftly. "I think that would piss off your step-dad even more." "Then what are we going to do? You can't sleep like that." A flush crept along Nate's cheeks as he glanced from her to the attached bathroom. "Give me a few minutes, Lindy. I'll handle," he winced at his choice of words, "the situation." [What is he going to do?] she thought, watching him walk stiffly to the bathroom. Realizing what he intended, she looked away, turning bright red. Picking a spot on the bookcase to watch, she tried not to listen to the door shut. She was relieved in a way that he was trying to honor his promise to her. But at the same time, she was thrilled that he had that reaction to the thought of her sleeping in the same bed as him. Taking advantage of his distracted state, she quickly opened up her luggage and searched for something to wear. She'd brought shorts and tee shirt to wear to bed, but she didn't feel quite comfortable enough to wear them braless. Searching for the most comfortable bra she owned, she quickly put in on and slipped the tee shirt over it. Looking at the shorts, she agonized for a moment before deciding to wear the baggy old sweats she'd brought instead. They were the same pair she'd worn during her movie fest with Nate. He hadn't been too distracted then...hopefully he wouldn't be this time either. She'd finished pulling on the sweats and closed her luggage before Nate finally emerged from the bathroom. He'd pulled on his own sweats and walked past her bare-chested, not meeting her gaze. Settling on the other side of the bed, he laid down on his back and stared at the ceiling. "Sorry," he said, softly, still not looking at her. "Hopefully that won't happen too often." "S'okay." She slipped under the sheets, rolling onto her side to look at him. "I mean, it's a natural reaction, and it's not like you haven't been that way around me before..." He finally turned his head to look at her. "That way? Look, if you're referring to that night on the roof, it had just been a long time for me--" "Nate, that's not what I meant." "So what did you mean? That I'm a walking boner?" She couldn't help but laugh at that image, which only made him scowl all the more. "I--No, that's not what I meant, either." She sighed. "This isn't exactly easy for me, either, you know. You just can't see that as readily in my case." His expression softened somewhat. After a few seconds of staring at her, he said, "Really?" She nodded. "I can still smell your arousal, Nate. And it's turning me on. And it's not just now. Every time you kiss me, or touch me, or sometimes even look at me, I squirm and want to go take a cold shower." "Girls take cold showers too?" "Yeah, it's just not quite as effective." He started to smile, but cut if off abruptly. "Uh, maybe we should stop talking about this. Either that, or I'm going to have to set up camp in the bathroom." She smirked, turning over onto her other side. "Sweet dreams, Nathaniel." Exhaling, he closed his eyes and tried to think of baseball. "Yeah, just hopefully not too sweet." 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