Chapter Fifty-five Amanda stood on the curb by the front of her school, waiting for Bryn. She was really looking forward to going out shopping. Three pop quizzes and a book report had left her feeling frazzled. Plus the fact that she had lunch alone again had just made her feel even more of an outsider at this new school. It seemed everywhere she looked, people were talking in groups, or paired off. Bryn pulled into the bus lane, slowing the Lexus to a stop in front of Amanda. She flipped the lock on the passenger door, and smiled as the girl hurriedly climbed in the car. "Hey. Sorry I'm late. I'm not used to being awake this early." She pulled back out into traffic as Amanda buckled her seatbelt. "How was your day?" "Okay. I think that my teachers were all conspiring to make sure every class I took had a quiz or a big assignment due. That and they're really promoting this dance that's coming up at the end of the week. But I don't think I'm going to go." Bryn nodded. "I don't really blame you. All the dances I ever went to were really lame. Boys on one side, and girls on the other. The only people who really danced together were the popular kids...and who needs them? Football players and cheerleaders end up as mechanics and waitresses once school is over. Basically, nobodies." She paused for a moment, glancing over at Amanda as she drove. "It's only been a few weeks since school started. Are there any kids in your classes you like talking to?" "Yeah, but they all have boyfriends. They go out as a group after school, and it's really awkward for me to go with them. And none of the guys seem interested in me." She sighed and put her head on her hand. "Is there a problem with me, Bryn? Why don't guys like me? I mean, they're friendly with me, but they don't *like* me." Bryn sighed. "You know, I have to have Anton remind me all of the time that he really does love me, because I have a very hard time believing him." She blinked several times, trying not to get emotional. "I went through the same things growing up, only I never changed schools. I went to school with the same kids through twelve grades, all the while knowing that they didn't like me. And the only thing I know for sure is that boys are boys and men are men. Sounds stupid, huh? But it's pretty much true. Boys don't know what they want. They been preprogrammed by the television and people around them to think that blondes with big boobs are the only women worth liking. It's not until they start maturing that they learn to make up their own minds. And even then it's no guarantee. Even some men are still boys." "Gee, that's reassuring. But thanks, Bryn." Amanda sat back further into the seat. "So what do we need to pick up at the art store? I've already got a sketchpad and some pencils, but I don't know what I need to start painting." "Um, I guess we'll find out when we get there. I thought we might get something to eat first...and then we have appointments at a salon around 4. Don't worry, I asked your mom first. She said it was okay." "Cool! Now if she'd only say it's okay to get my navel pierced." She looked at the mall they pulled into. "Maybe if there's time can we look for clothes too?" "Sure. I think we have plenty of time." After waiting patiently for a parking space near the doors, Bryn pulled the car to a stop and shut off the engine. "I'm glad you came with me, Amanda. I get pretty lonely when I have the house all to myself." "Give me a call then and I'll come over." She gave Bryn a shy smile. "I like hanging out with you Bryn." "Thanks. I like hanging out with you, too." She grinned, genuinely happy. "Shall we go get started?" "Yeah!" "I heard from Mack today," Chandra said, out of the blue, as Anton was showing her around the warehouse. "He asked me if I still wanted my half of the money for training the Wilson's foal. He said he wasn't sure because I hadn't picked it up yet." She got a little grin on her face as she said, "I almost told him to shove it up his ass, but I figured that was too generous. So I told him to put it in the mail instead." "And that was all he said?" Anton snorted in disgust. "And I thought he was doing better in his relationships. But good for you, Chandra." He handed her another form. "This is a office supply request. I need you to look these over and make sure the requests aren't too unreasonable. Sign it off here, and then give it to Michelle. She'll input the order. Any questions?" "About this, no," she said, looking over the form. "But I do have one question- -am I sharing an office with Lindy now?" "For a few days until the new office furniture arrives. If you'd like, you could have your own desk in her office, or your own office. I want you in an office that can be locked instead of a cubicle due to the paperwork you'll be handling." He paused to look at her. "If you think you can't handle this, let me know and we'll shift responsibilities around." She met his gaze, then lifted an eyebrow. "I think I'll do much better than even you could expect. If I can handle Mack and a rampaging stallion at the same time, I think paperwork will be a breeze. Shall I get started on this now?" Anton gave her a chastised grin. "I'll leave you to your work, then. I'll be in my office if you need me." He pulled out the keys and unlocked his office. "Chandra?" "Yes, Anton?" "Thanks for helping me out here." She nodded, then smiled. "Thanks for helping me out, too, boss." He smiled back, shaking his head, then opened the door to his office. He'd barely sat down when Michelle informed him that he had a phone call. Picking up the receiver, he pressed it between his ear and his shoulder as he looked over the mail. "This is Anton." "Hi Anton, this is Jess." "Jess...is something wrong?" "No. I just thought you might want to know your horses are being unloaded as we speak. There's plenty of grass for them, for now, but you'll need to order some hay to be delivered." "I'll do that right now." He grabbed a pen and made a note to himself. "So, have you talked to your friend yet?" "Mulder? Uh, yeah. He's probably going to come out sometime next week or so. He's going through some rough stuff himself. But I haven't told him about you yet." "Okay." He still wasn't happy with how the situation was being handled, and would prefer Mulder not to be around at all. But it didn't look like he'd be able to avoid the man any more than Nathaniel would. "Has Bryn come home yet?" "Nope. Not yet." Anton could hear a voice yelling at Jess in the background, but couldn't make out the words. Then she came back on the line. "Sorry to cut this short, but I'm needed outside. I'll talk to you later tonight. Bye." "Talk to you later, Jess." He hung up the phone and looked at the picture of him and Bryn on his desk. He smiled, reaching for the phone again. Dialing his number, he waited for the answering machine. "Hi my dear. I know you're not home yet, but I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you, and I love you. See you later." He hung up the phone, and then started opening the mail, counting the hours until he could go home. Nate sat in front of the computer, his fingers gliding across the keyboard effortlessly like pianist before a Baby Grand. He still had his sweats on, hastily pulled on just after crawling out of bed. Liam sat on the floor next to the desk, playing with hourglass paper weight. He'd let Lindy sleep in, anxious to go to the study and check his email. So far he'd gotten two responses to his request for information about 11th century French families. Neither one had been the kind of information he really wanted. Lindy leaned against the door to the study, terry robe wrapped around her. She watched Nate type. He seemed absorbed, and not completely pleased, by what he was seeing on the computer screen. She walked over stand behind him, and wrap her arms around his shoulders. "Good evening. Whatcha doing?" "Not a whole hell of a lot," he said, irritably. He hit send on the email he'd just finished, then grabbed her arms with his hands. "I'm trying to look for our children, and I'm not having any luck." She gently squeezed his shoulders tighter. "Maybe we should put me under again and see if I can give you any more details." He turned his head to look up at her. "You can't remember?" Lindy shook her head. "Nope. I can remember some of what I spoke about under hypnosis, but not a lot. Not enough to help you." She was quiet for a moment. "Nate, can I ask you something?" "What, gorgeous?" She seemed oddly shy. "What was your first time with me...Lindara like?" "Awkward," he said, softly, reaching for her arm. He pulled her around the chair and onto his lap, making sure she was comfortable before continuing. "It was my first time, ever. And yours." As he continued to talk, his slid his hand inside the gap in her robe, gently rubbing his hand in sensual circles across her stomach. Just barely brushing her breast with each sweep. "I was scared to death that I was going to mess things up...be too eager, cum too fast. And I think a part of you expected it to be that way, too. But, we soon realized that we had the whole day to ourselves, so if we made a mistake it was okay to try it again." It was strange for her to think of him as sexually inexperienced. She leaned against his chest, letting her hand brush across his chest. "And did we make that mistake? And for some reason, I keep getting this impression of us being outside?" "Yes, we did make that mistake, more than once. But there were plenty of other times that we were in perfect sync, moving like one being." He nuzzled his nose against her neck, kissing the soft flesh beneath her ear. "And you're right. We were outside. Ivan had more land than he could handle, almost. One of the fields was always resting when the others were in use. So we went out to the south field, put a blanket down in the tall grass, and made love with the sun shining on our naked bodies." She turned her head to kiss his forehead. "I would love to have seen that. I'll bet you looked absolutely devastating in sunlight." She pressed her forehead to his. "I think it was in that field I became pregnant, almost like we had been performing some sort of fertility rite." She gave a large sigh. "I'm sorry, Nate. Sorry that I withheld my betrothal, my lycanthropy, and my pregnancy from you. I was just so in love with you, I didn't know what to do." He tilted her chin up, lightly kissing her mouth. "I didn't make things easy on you, Lind. I was selfish little brat back then. I obviously didn't know a good thing when I saw it." He pulled her close, squeezing her tightly against him. "But we are so lucky to have a second chance, baby. I swear I'm going to do everything I can to keep you with me. I'm not going to make those mistakes anymore." "No more mistakes for either of us. Or at least ones that we run from." She leaned her forehead against his temple. "I...don't think I ever took another lover, or married. I stayed faithful to that brief time we had together.. As much as I hated what happened, I never stopped loving you." She could feel him hardening beneath her, and he shifted her around on his lap to face the desk. Untying her robe altogether, he slid his hand lower to cup her pubic mound, lightly teasing her sex with the feather light brush of his fingers. "I want you. Right here. In this chair." She pushed up long enough to help him pull his sweat pants down to his ankles. With a soft moan, she sank down on his cock, whimpering at how full he made her feel. "What did we do that day, Nate? Did we talk to each other, tell each other what felt good?" He grunted, starting to lift her up and down the length of him. "Yeees...the first time, you wouldn't let me see you naked. I did everything by feel. When I put my hand under your skirts, you were so wet I nearly came in my braies." She leaned back, trying to nuzzle his cheek. "I was afraid that my passion for you was so great that I'd lose control and Change. It was a defense against that, although I think you soon convinced me that it was unnecessary." Her tongue snaked out to trace around his ear. "How many times were we together? And was that field our only time?" He groaned, nipping at her neck as he started thrusting up into her. "Five times," he said, harshly. "We were together five times. But we made love all day...in the field. It never stopped...uhhn...or started again." She whimpered, trying to resist moving fast and hard on him. His slow, steady strokes felt incredible. Glancing to one side, she saw Liam still playing with the paper weight. "Not enough time, Nate. We were robbed of so much." She guided one of his hands down between her legs. "We've got...all the time in the world now." His stroked became shorter, deeper, and his slick fingers played with her wet sex. He spread her open wider, exposing her clit, which he lazily rubbed between two fingers, touching just the sides. "God, you feel so good. Put your feet up on the desk. I want to see you." She arched her head back, her blonde hair spilling over his shoulder. Keeping her legs spread wide, she lifted her feet to desk. She whimpered as fingers kept circling her clit. "Nate," she moaned turning her head so she could kiss his cheek. "Please." He kissed her mouth, teasing her lips open with his tongue. One hand lifted to squeeze and pull at her nipple, the other moving in faster circles over and around her clit. He started thrusting harder, faster, bouncing her on his lap. He couldn't keep quiet any longer, and moaned into her mouth. She kissed him frantically back, whimpering as his hands moved faster. She writhed against him, feeling her orgasm start. She ground against him, spasming and giving a sharp cry. He grunted, thrusting into her hard and fast until he reached an orgasm of his own. Then he buried himself deep inside her, letting out a loud moan as erupted. His hand between her legs continued to stroke her gently, his whole hand covering her, while he continued to shake beneath her. She pushed against him, still trembling. The crest that had been receding suddenly surged again. She let out another whimper, biting her lip as he continued to stroke her. She panted, her chest heaving underneath his hand caressing her breast. He kissed her ear, pulling the lobe into his mouth to gently suck on it. His hands continued to tease her until all of her tremors stopped, then he grasped the sides of her robe and eased them back into place. She looked over to see Liam staring at them curiously, obviously alerted by their moans and whimpers. He watched them for a few minutes, in which they held completely still, and then went back to playing with the hourglass as if nothing had happened. Slowly, Lindy lowered her legs back to the floor. She blushed a bit, turning her head in to nuzzle his neck. "You think we've psychologically scarred him for life?" He gave her a small smile. "There are much worse things he could be scarred by...domestic abuse, screaming matches, murder, suicide. Somehow I don't think seeing his parents making love when he's eight months old is going to turn him into a psychopath. Although, that being said, we probably shouldn't do that again." She nodded, stretching against him. She placed her hands over his, gently rubbing them. "Nate, if you do find your descendants, what are you going to do? I mean, how are you going to explain yourself?" "I don't know, Lind. I hadn't thought that far ahead. Honestly, I don't really believe I'm going to find them." He watched Liam absently, his eyes unfocused. "It's been too long. I'd probably have more luck finding the holy grail." "Nate, I have a feeling that whatever you set your mind to, you'll accomplish." She gently kissed his cheek. "We'll find them. And then we'll figure out what to do." The large spotlight outside the stables was shining brightly as he drove down the driveway. The large appaloosa gelding trotted along the fence, keeping in stride with the Jaguar. There wasn't any sign of Bryn outside, but he was sure she was probably in the barn somewhere. As he pulled into the driveway, Petunia rushed over to greet him. He knelt down an patted Petunia hello. Standing back up, he walked over to the stable and looked inside. He saw Bryn in one of the stalls with Amanda, teaching her how to groom Whiskey. "Hey there, how's things going?" Bryn looked up and gave him a wide grin. "Hey! Things are going very well." She handed the brush over to Amanda, then stepped out of the stall. Placing her hands on his chest, she lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "How was your day?" His hands came on her shoulders to hold her close. "It went well. Chandra looks like she'll be able to handle the job okay." He kissed her gently. "How about yours? Did you have fun with Amanda?" She nodded, glancing back at the teenager. "Yes, we had a lot of fun." She gestured Amanda over, so she was in the light. "Show him your hair." Talking to Anton once more, she said, "We got some new clothes, and whole bunch of painting supplies, and even some extra goodies." She got a sly smile on her face. Amanda had a similar smile as she stepped out of the stall. Her hair was now shorter. Instead of flowing to the middle of her back, it ended below her jawline, curling and the newly added red highlights glinting. She seemed to wince when her leaned forward to pick up the curry brush that fell to the floor. "Well, what do you think?" "Nice," he said nodding. "Are you okay Amanda? You're acting like you're a little sore." Bryn bounced on her feet, giddy as Amanda lifted the hem of her shirt and showed him the blue ring in her navel. "Isn't it cool? But you can't say anything to Jess...'cause we kind of didn't ask her. She'll probably notice sooner or later, but hopefully not right away. And I'm prepared to take full blame for it, so she'll get mad at me and not Amanda." "Please, Anton, promise you won't tell?" Amanda added. Anton sighed. "I won't tell. But I don't want to be around when Jess finds out. Are you sure you want to risk the wrath of an angry werewolf, my dear?" "I've faced your wrath before. I think I'll live. Besides, I have you on my side this time." She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tightly. "You won't let me get eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, will you?" "Of course not, my dear." He kissed her hair lightly. Amanda rolled her eyes. "You two are as bad as my parents." She grabbed her jacket from the stall door she had hung it on. "I'd better get home." Anton and Bryn called good night after the young girl. Anton then turned his attention to Whiskey and her foal. "How are the horses, my dear? And come up with a name for the foal yet?" "They're good. Come in and say hello." She walked over to the stall, opening the door and pushing Whiskey's butt out of the way. The horse gave her an indignant look, but quickly moved. The foal was very tall and gangly, it's black coat tinted with auburn. It had no markings, surprisingly considering that the dam was a palomino. Bryn smiled as the colt nibbled at her shirt. "I was thinking of naming him Irish. Short for Irish Ale." "Sounds very fitting." Anton reached out and stroked the foal gently. "You think we should bring the other foal up here soon? He should be ready to wean shortly." She nodded. "Probably. Although, we're eventually going to need to figure out what we're going to do with two stallions in the same field. Not to mention that Whiskey is still fertile. The only one we don't need to worry about is Moonshine." She scratched the colt's muzzle, making it stick its upper lip out. "Did you want to name the other colt?" "Let me think about that and see if I can come up with a name. And I guess we should get the two colts gelded." He scratched the foal behind his ears. "What do you say we go eat dinner, and then call your parents and let them know the horses made it safe and sound." He nuzzled Bryn's head. "The horses are okay with the werewolves being around?" "They're still a little nervous, but doing better than I expected. They got to meet Lindy back when you came to Baltimore, so it's not an entirely new experience." She gestured for him to make his way out of the stall, then followed and closed the stall door behind them. Checking to make sure the outside door to Moonshine's stall was open, she then laced her fingers together with Anton's and started heading towards the house. "I got your message on the answering machine. You made my whole day. Thank you. I love you very much." He raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed hers. "I love you to, Bryn." Hand in hand, they went back inside their home. Bryn made sure the gate to the pool was securely locked before turning on the heater on the Jacuzzi. She had on a new sapphire blue bathing suit, which she'd bought at the mall--it wasn't exactly flattering, but she wasn't planning on trying to turn anyone on, anyway. Heading back to the house, she opened the sliding glass door. "They aren't here yet?" she asked Anton, who was standing it the kitchen. "Not yet," Anton answered. "I thought I saw their porch light go on five minutes ago." He walked around the island in the kitchen, revealing that he was wearing black trunks. He picked up the tray with the glasses and the pitcher of iced tea. "Let's get in the Jacuzzi and they'll show up when their good and ready." "Okay." She opened the door for him, and then the gate, which she closed behind them, making sure Petunia wouldn't be able to fall in the pool. As clumsy as the dog was, Bryn wasn't even sure if she'd be able to swim. Since the backyard was walled-in, Liam and Petunia would be able to roam to their heart's content without being in any danger. Following Anton to the Jacuzzi, she tilted her head slightly and smiled at how good he looked in those trunks. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you don't wear Speedos, sugar. I think those things should be illegal." "Really, my dear? I thought that you would have been disappointed I didn't." He placed the tray on the ground by the Jacuzzi. "I wonder what's taking them so long." "They probably stopped to admire the moon on the way over." "Maybe," he said. Stepping down the first of the steps, he offered Bryn his hand to help her in. She smiled at him, letting him guide her down the steps into the sunken Jacuzzi. She shivered at the difference between the cool night air and heated bubbling water. She sank down onto the seat, sitting in water up to her shoulders. "Mmm. Maybe we should take advantage of their lateness, and make out in our hot little Jacuzzi." "Mmmm..." He pulled Bryn onto his lap. "I like the way you think, my dear." He pulled her in closer for a kiss, gently caressing her cheek and neck with his fingers. Nipping at her lips, he was about to slide his hands down to her breast when he heard the gate open. "Geez! Can't you two keep your hands off of each other for five minutes?" He pulled away to respond to Lindy's snide remark. "No more than the two of you can, it seems," Anton said as she twisted the bra strap of her bikini so it wasn't inside out. "Nathaniel, you could make a man go deaf with those trunks." Nate grinned, pulling the elastic waist of his Hawaiian print trunks out and letting it snap back against his stomach. "Deaf and blind, that's my goal. Then you won't notice when I take both of these gorgeous women home with me." Bryn grinned, even as Anton frowned at him. Sliding off his lap, she still sat close-by and kept her legs resting over his. "Where's Liam?" Lindy nodded her head in the direction of the fence. "Over there playing with Petunia. He Changed as soon as he saw her. We should be able to keep an ear on them from here." She stepped into the water, giving a little moan as the heat of it hit her. She sank into the Jacuzzi up to her shoulders, not worrying about getting her pulled up hair wet. Noticing that they hadn't mentioned anything about navel rings, Bryn figured she was still safe. She relaxed in the warm water, letting her feet rub against Anton's calves. She shook her head as Nate stepped into the water behind Lindy, his bright lime and magenta Hawaiian print shorts nearly as blinding as the sun. "Have you gotten anymore used to being nocturnal, Lindy?" "Somewhat, although I'm still finding it hard to sleep during the day." When Nate sat down in the water, she scooted against him. "Although it's not as hard a transition as I thought it would be." Bryn smiled, glancing at Anton. "It does help when you have incentives. I used to worry about missing my favorite TV shows, but I realized that's what those Ultimate TV receivers are for. Now, I'm going to have a hard time getting up to go to fencing class in the evening." "Fencing? That sounds like fun." Lindy stretched out a bit in the water. "Are you going to wait until Max is born to start?" "I was thinking about starting soon, but I don't know if I should wait until after the end of October and the Gathering." Bryn looked up at Anton. "Will there still be one this year since it was supposed to be in New York." "There is always a Gathering, my dear, come hell or high water. The last I heard, the Council was discussing holding it in Los Angeles instead." "That would definitely be a much easier trip." She glanced over at Liam and Petunia, grinning as they wrestled in the grass, growling, yapping, and chewing on each other. "Were you planning on bringing Liam with you?" Lindy shrugged her shoulders. "We really haven't decided. Sometimes I think it would be easier to leave him here with Mom. Other times I don't think I could stand to be away from him for a week." Bryn glanced at Anton and Nate. "Would it be safe for him to be there? I know there's probably a rule against harming children, but what about werewolves in general?" "Yes, there is a rule against harming children that would keep him safe, but it may be better for him to stay home." Anton grabbed one of the glasses of iced tea and took a swallow. "As for werewolves, most vampires take an 'if they don't bother us, we don't bother them' approach. My friendship with Lindy would be considered unusual, but not unheard of. However, there are the irrational few who feel that werewolves are a menace to be exterminated. But these are usually the fanatics who think we should also be ruling human kind by terror instead of attempting to co-exist." Nate sighed. "If I thought Liam was in any danger, I wouldn't even be considering taking him with us. There's an unwritten rule that Gatherings are supposed to be civil and all differences are left outside. The Chairmen will be attending, and whether we like it or not, they have the power to punish those who don't follow the rules. I think everyone will be on their best behavior." Anton nodded. "It should be safe enough for him there. Just don't be surprised if you get some odd looks if Liam does that," he nodded to where Liam was raising a leg against a fence post, "during the reception." Bryn giggled as Lindy's face turned pink. She laughed even harder as Petunia peed on the ground near the same spot, once Liam was finished. "You, uh...you shouldn't have that problem if you take him for walks often enough." Nate shook his head. "That's my boy. If we could just teach him to write his name while he does that, we could have him on Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks." "And you would teach him to do that." Anton leaned back against the edge, spreading his arms along the rim. A serious expression crossed his face. "And what do we do if Natasha is there? I'll be very surprised if she doesn't take this opportunity to at least verbally taunt us. I don't think she'd be so stupid as to try something at the Gathering." "Too bad garlic and crucifixes don't work on her," Bryn muttered, suddenly sour- faced at the change in subject. "Although, if you decided to whittle me that present I mentioned, Anton, I wouldn't object." "What present?" Lindy asked. "A rosewood stake with my name carved on it. That way everyone would know who finally got rid of that banshee." Nate roared with laughter, but Bryn didn't so much as crack a smile. Neither did Lindy. "I, personally, would love to have five minutes alone with that harpy. She's caused us all too much grief as far as I'm concerned." She looked at Anton with raised eyebrows. "I'm surprised you haven't gone to the Council before about her." "I have," Anton said, not mentioning that at the time Nathaniel was also part of his complaints. "Because what had been done could only really be considered verbal harassment, I was told basically to put up and shut up. But then she's never physically harmed my wives before." Bryn crossed her arms after that comment, meeting Lindy's eyes with an unmistakably annoyed gaze. But she wasn't about to bring up the subject with Anton now. She didn't really feel like starting a fight at the moment. If she was honest with herself, though, she really wondered if Anton and Nate would ever talk to the Council about Natasha. If they hadn't done so yet, after Lindy's poisoning and her own car crash, it didn't look likely that they would. Lindy also looked a bit peeved. Several times she had been tempted to go out and hunt down Natasha herself, but had decided to follow Nate's lead. But she half wondered if in some ways he was still trying to protect her. Yes, she believed him when he said that he didn't, and never had, loved her. But old habits were hard to break, especially if they were over 900 years old. As if guessing what she was thinking, Bryn said, "Lindy, do you want to come over tomorrow? I was going to start teaching Amanda painting techniques, and I thought you might want to watch." Lindy nodded. "That sounds like fun." They both knew there would be a lot more than painting going on. Late in the evening, Lindy walked alone to Anton and Bryn's home. She had woken up before Nathaniel, and fed on some blood stashed in the refrigerator. She didn't quite feel up to hunting humans again, or anything living for that matter, yet. She opened the front door, and silently slipped in the foyer. She heard a car engine start up, and glanced out a window just in time to see Anton pull out of the driveway. [He's off to work,] she thought with a sigh. [Another thing I'll have to face.] She hadn't considered that her senses would change once she was Transformed, more emphasis on sight than smell. And since she assayed most of the antiques by smell to determine if they were fakes, she wasn't sure she could do it still. Shaking her head, she started towards the room that Bryn did her painting in. "Hey," Bryn said, looking up from the canvas Amanda had set up. They were still working on the sketching for the picture Amanda wanted to paint. Her sister smiled at her, then went back to her drawing. "If you want to see what I've done on your portrait so far, it's over there." Bryn pointed to the canvas leaning against the opposite wall. "It's still nowhere near being done, but it's more than I had the last time you looked." "Okay." Lindy walked over to the wall and bent down to study her portrait.. The background was done, as well as the outlines of her faces as wolf and as human. Some of the base coloring had been done, filling in the flesh tones of her human face. Her wolf face lacked individual hairs and whiskers, but some of her personality was showing through on both. "This looks good, Bryn." "Really? I was kind of thinking of scrapping it and starting over." She sighed as she looked around Lindy's arm at the painting. "I'm hoping I can get more in the spirit of things, and do a better job next time, but who knows." Walking over to sit down on the couch, Bryn crossed her arms in what was becoming her classic pose for this topic of conversation. "What the hell do we do about Natasha? I'm sick and tired of waiting for Anton to do something about it, and frankly I'd like to kick his ass right now. So much for trying to find her and turn her in." Yeah. I know what you mean. And if it's any consolation, Nate's the exact same way." Lindy crossed over to the table where she sat the previous night to pose. She hopped up on it, crossed her legs and sighed. She rested her elbows on her knees and her head on her hands. "It's almost like they're afraid of her." "Afraid of her, and the Council." Bryn chewed on her lip, a scowl darkening her face. "Do you know if there's a way to get in touch with the Council other than when the Gathering happens? Some phone number, or email address...or a freaking bat spotlight?" Lindy shrugged her shoulders. "Probably. I'll work on it and see what I can come up with." She looked at Bryn, then at Amanda, then back to Bryn. "Why? What did you have in mind?" "I think you and I should go to the Council ourselves." She saw the nervous look on Lindy's face and leaned forward a bit. "You're a vampire, now, Lindy...so we wouldn't be out of place. Or at least you wouldn't be. But I don't care if I'm a human, a vampire, or a hippopotamus...I'm not going to sit around and do nothing anymore!" "I'm not sure about this, Bryn." Lindy shifted uneasily. "I mean, I know next to nothing about vampire etiquette. I don't want to blunder in a way that makes it harder for us. From what I've heard Anton and Nate say, the Council's word is law -- no ifs, ands, or buts." She sighed. "But you're right. I'm sick of waiting for them to do something. I'll see if I can find out any way to contact or petition them." Lindy looked at Amanda, who was still sketching on the canvas. "And this doesn't leave this room, Amanda. I don't want you talking to Mom or Nate or Anton or anyone about it." "I won't," Amanda promised. She glanced at Bryn and smiled. "We're already sharing a secret, so adding one more is no problem." "Secret?" Lindy asked. "What secret?" "If I told you sis, it wouldn't be a secret any more." "It would be a much better kept secret if you stopped mentioning it," Bryn grumbled. Blushing, Amanda went back to her drawing. Looking at Lindy, Bryn shook her head. "It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it." "Is it that bellybutton ring you got?" She laughed when both Amanda and Bryn gasped. "Manda, you can't wear tight T-shirts and not expect people not to notice. But I don't think Mom has yet. And no, I won't rat you out." Bryn sighed. "You might as well tell her. She'll figure it out sooner or later." She yawned, then stood up, blinking a few times. "Looks like it's getting close to transfusion time again." Once her vision had cleared, she walked over to the stool next to Amanda and sat down. "That looks good. Are you ready to get started painting yet, or do you want to keep drawing?" Amanda looked at the sketching. "I guess I'm ready. But are you up to it? You look kinda pale." "Yeah, Bryn," Lindy added. "If you're not well, you think you should be up?" "I'm fine. I'll just stay seated on this stool." She took a deep breath. "You brought everything we bought yesterday, right? First thing you need to do is get out your palette and start squeezing out your paints." She readjusted herself on the stool. "Lindy, will you bring me a glass of water, please?" "Sure, Bryn." Lindy hopped off the table and left the room as Amanda began squeezing paints onto the palette. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass. After filling it with water and dropping in some ice, she walked back to the library. Amanda was looking at the canvas, sighing. "I dunno. Maybe I should stick with paint-by-numbers." "You're making it harder than it is. You haven't even touched the brush to the canvas yet, Amanda." Bryn looked at Lindy, gratefully taking the icy glass. She couldn't help the way her hand shook as she brought the glass to her mouth. She looked away from Lindy's gaze quickly. "This would really work better if I weren't sitting down. Here, let me see the palette and line your brushes up on the tray by size." She slid off the stool, scowling at the little points of light that danced before her eyes. "Bryn, are you sure you're okay?" Amanda asked, her green eyes looking worried. "Manda, I think the lesson is over." Lindy stepped over to catch Bryn if she fell. "Bryn, when was the last time you had a transfusion?" "A couple of weeks ago...not long. I just--this is a waste of paint. I need to show her something." She made a shooing motion with her hands, trying to move Amanda away from the canvas. "If you know how to do this, you'll save time for the background." Amanda glanced at Lindy, who shrugged her shoulders. Amanda handed Bryn the brush. "Okay, show me." Lindy didn't look too happy, but didn't try to stop her. Bryn looked a bit surprised that neither one of them had argued this time. "All right then." She grabbed the palette and the brush, holding on to both in one hand, while mixing the right proportion of blue and white with a painter's knife. Then she grabbed the bottle of gesso. "This is probably going to be one of the easiest skies you've ever done." She grabbed large brush, squirted some of the gesso onto the palette and swept the brush through the snow-white base color. "Mind you, I haven't had any training on this, myself. A lot of people told me to go to classes on painting, but I always felt it would stifle my creativity. So, this is just my style." She then showed Amanda how to fill in the area of sky, and its reflection in the water, with a layer of gesso. Then taking a smaller brush, she blended the lighter blue with the white of the gesso directly on the canvas, making a solid color in some areas, abstract swirling clouds in others, dark storm clouds with a touch of grey and green...all the while emphasizing that there were no mistakes that couldn't be painted over. Amanda watched carefully, asking questions every so often. Lindy watched as well, frowning as Bryn grew paler and paler. She glanced at the clock, and saw her opening. "It's almost 11:00 PM, and Amanda's got school tomorrow. I think you'd better head home, Manda." Bryn nodded, then immediately regretted that move. Handing over the palette and brush, she gave Amanda a small smile. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. Don't be afraid to work some of this stuff at home...just remember to let it dry if you find something you really like." She took another deep breath, then made her way over to the couch. "I'm going to lay down now, before the choice isn't mine anymore." "Okay." Amanda packed up the paints and carefully picked up the canvas. "I'll stop by sometime tomorrow. 8:00 okay?" When Bryn nodded, she started towards the tunnel. "Okay, I'll see you later. Bye Bryn! Bye Lindy!" "Night, Amanda," Lindy called out and shut the bookcase concealing the stairway to the tunnel. She walked over to Bryn who was now sitting on the couch. "So, you want some company until Anton comes home?" Bryn gave her a lazy smile. "Sure. Why don't we move out to the living room." "Okay." Lindy helped Bryn steady herself as she stood up, then they headed towards the living room. Bryn grabbed her glass over water along the way, then settled down on the couch in the living room. She gestured for Lindy to take the love seat across from her, then nestled her head into the soft feather pillow. "Is something wrong between you and Nate?" "No." Lindy twisted her legs under her to recline on the love seat. "He went out hunting. I didn't feel like going, so I told him I'd feed on some of the blood we stashed for the move. I don't think he was too happy with that. Liam's with Mom." She sighed. Bryn shrugged. "Well, it's your decision. You could probably feed like that for as long as you want. He may like hunting, but he'd been doing it for centuries. I don't blame you at all for not wanting to do it. I think it's kind of sexy in some ways now...but that's only because I've sort of desensitized myself to it. If I had to do that myself, I can guarantee you I'd puke up more than I swallowed." "It's sexy when you sink your fangs into your lover's neck as you cum, but a complete stranger because you're hungry?" She shook her head. "I don't think I realized how hard it would be, Bryn. And somehow," her voice dropped to a whisper, "I can't help but think I've let Nate down." Bryn stared blankly at her, still stuck on her first sentence. [God, I wish I knew that for myself.] Swallowing heavily, she said, "I--I don't think he really thinks that. It's still new to you, Lindy. I might get up the nerve to bungie jump if I had someone push me, but I sure as hell wouldn't do it a second time. Not without a lot of time to get used to the idea, anyway." Lindy shifted her legs to the floor. "Some vampire I am, Bryn. I'm getting queasy just from the thought of feeding again." She sat back, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "And I'm not sure I shouldn't just resign from my job. I don't know if I'll be able to assay anything accurately now." She tapped her nose. "My sense of smell is completely gone. Well, not completely. Probably what a human smells like...no, that doesn't quite sound right. But you know what I mean?" "Yeah I do." Bryn frowned. "You could always give the assaying duties to Chandra, while you do everything else...but do you really want to be stuck with paper work is the question. If you did do another job, what would you do?" "I don't know." Lindy sighed again. "I know I said I'd stay with you until Anton arrived, but I think I kinda need to be alone. Do you mind if I go, Bryn?" "Um...okay." She could tell she'd asked a question Lindy didn't want to think about. And she really didn't want to start a fight by pushing the issue. "Will you let Petunia in when you get to the door?" "Sure." Lindy got up and headed for the foyer. "See you later." "Bye." Bryn laid the for a moment, until Petunia trotted over to say hello and the door closed behind Lindy. Glancing at the kitchen, she muttered, "Damn. I should've asked her to get me some ice cream." He returned home two hours after Lindy left. Chandra seemed to be settling in well to her duties, a great relief to him. He wondered how soon Lindy would want to return to work. There was a backlog of pieces waiting her inspection. Things weren't quite as busy at the warehouse due to the tight economic times, but her backlog couldn't wait too much longer. Wondering how to approach her about it, he walked from the garage into the house. He couldn't help but smile tenderly when he saw Bryn laying on the couch, looking like she was asleep. Walking over to the couch, he knelt down and kissed her forehead. "Hey there, my dear. How was your evening?" "It sucked," she mumbled. "I need another transfusion already. I started getting light-headed and Amanda and Lindy were looking at me like I was freak. Then they both left, and we hadn't even started the painting lesson! It was just a sky. We painted a freaking sky!" "Another transfusion already?" That would be two weeks since her last one, not the four that she had been lasting before. It appeared that Dr. Leahs was right. "Let's get you upstairs and everything set up." Helping her to her feet, he put his arm around her waist and started guiding her towards their bedroom. "I'm sure Amanda and Lindy were concerned about you." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I know. I'm just sick of being the invalid. I feel like the one always ruining everyone else's fun." She sat down on the bed and looked up at him, then grabbed his face to pull him closer for a kiss. "It's a good thing you're not an adventurous, sky-diving, snowboarding, and scuba diving kind of guy, because I'd never be able to keep up with you." Anton leaned down, stopping with his lips centimeters from hers. "Give it about four months, Bryn, and we'll be on the greatest adventure of our lives." He then kissed her, making sure his tongue explored every corner of her mouth. And after a few minutes, he pulled away with a groan. Grabbing the IV stand, he pulled it closer to the bed. "Do you remember where we put the needles, my dear?" She stared at him, stunned, before realizing he'd said something. "Um...needles...no, no I don't." She noticed his somewhat smug expression and sank back onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling, she blinked a few times, filled with simmering arousal. "Do you know that we've been together for six months now? In this lifetime, anyway." "Six months? I hadn't realized it That calls for a celebration." he looked back over his shoulder from the drawer he was rummaging in. "Of course, it's not like we don't 'celebrate' every night." Finding the needles, he set up the equipment, pierced her arm, and hung the unit of blood. Once done, he settled onto the bed beside her and began stroking her hair back from her face. It was about an inch long now, and tickled as he ran his palm over it. "So how do you want to celebrate, my dear? We can't do anything too vigorous until the transfusion is done." "Right now, I just want to lay here with you," she murmured, scooting closer to him. She kissed his neck with her open mouth, then nuzzled him, breathing in his scent. "And then...maybe we could try making love in the pool again? If I promise not to freak out this time?" He wrapped an arm over her waist, snuggling close to her. "The pool sounds good. And if you freak out, my dear, that's fine." He rubbed his hand back and forth on her hip. "It's been an incredible six months, hasn't it my dear?" "Mmm. It feels like it's been much longer, but, I guess that's understandable, considering." If the IV tube had been longer, she would've wrapped her arms around him as well. For now, she had to settle for rubbing her cheek against him. "I think this is the most fun I've ever had in my life. I don't even mind the fights, because all I want to do at the end of each night is lie in your arms. I can't think of anything more perfect." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Everything we've been through together has been worth it if I end up with in your arms. I love you, Bryn. And this time I don't want to lose you and have to find you again. I'm only complete when I'm with you. I'm only truly alive when I'm with you." She smiled widely at him, then kissed his chin. "I love you, too. And I'm not going anywhere. Even if you drove me out into the middle of the desert and dropped me off, I'd still find my way back. You're stuck with me, so it's a good thing you aren't protesting." She smiled again, then glanced back at the ampoule. "Almost done." Anton smiled at her. "No protests here, my dear." He gently stroked up and down her side. He watched as the last of the blood drained through the tube into her arm. Kissing her once gently, he climbed off the bed and pulled out the needle. He held a cotton ball over her arm to keep it from bleeding. "There. Finished." "Although I'd do just about anything for Max, I can't wait until I can fit into a normal pair of jeans, stop needing transfusions, and--most importantly--when I'll be able to hug you without worrying about squishing him." She replaced his fingers with her own, then stood up. "Just let me use the bathroom, then we can go play in the pool. I'm assuming that blue bathing suit is unnecessary, right?" Anton got an evil grin on his face. "Only if you want me to take it off five minutes after getting into the water. Do you want me to walk down with you, or shall I meet you down there?" "I think I'm okay...although, there was something I wanted to give you." She opened a dresser drawer, and dug around in the back, coming up with a slender black box. "Sit down. I'm not sure if you're going to like it, and if not we can take it back, but I took a chance." Once he was seated on the bed again, she handed over the box and stood nervously next to him. "Go ahead and open it." Curious, he opened the box, eyebrows raising in surprise as he saw what was there. "Bryn," he said softly, pulling the necklace out of the box so he could look at it more closely. There were two gold bars in the middle of the chain, on either side of the cross. "It's beautiful, Bryn, but why?" "You can read Latin, right? Read what it says on those bars." She felt like pacing, she was so nervous. Although, she couldn't quite say why. "Ubi Amor Ibi Fides...where there is love, there is faith?" She nodded, biting her lip. Then, clearing her throat, she said, "I don't think it's a random coincidence that we keep ending up together, Anton. And I don't necessarily think it's by sheer will, either. I think I find you, and you find me, because something, or someone, is bringing us together. And...I guess this is a reminder of that." He looked down at the cross with mixed emotions. In some ways, it was a reminder of a past he had left behind, a belief system he abandoned long ago. And yet that wasn't what he saw. Instead, he saw a symbol of the love between him and Bryn, one just as strong as the ring he wore. "Put it on me, Bryn." "Anton, if you don't like it, just say so." "Bryn, please, put it on me." He watched her take the necklace from him and clasp it around his neck. trembling as she leaned forward to do so. Before she could get away, he took her head between his hands and kissed her gently. "I'll cherish it always, my dear. Thank you." She grasped his hands, still crouching before him. "I'm not trying to shove any kind of religion on you, okay? So, if you're bothered by the cross, we can always get something else. Or maybe even a watch or something. I just don't want you to wear it just because you think it will make me happy." "Bryn, I'm not wearing it just to make you happy." Pulling her over to the bed, he sat her down, turning to the side so he could face her. He ran his thumbs over the backs of her hands. "You said that this is a reminder that someone or something keeps bringing us together. Well, Bryn, I need that reminder, because I stopped believing in a Higher Power, God, Fate, whatever you want to call it along time ago. And unless I'm reminded, I will slip back into that disbelief. It's hard to break a habit that's almost a thousand years old. A watch wouldn't hold the same meaning for me, Bryn. " He gave her a wry grin. "Besides, there's something that appeals to my sense of humor about a vampire wearing a cross." She grinned at him, letting out a small laugh, then caught him off guard as she pushed him onto his back. Quickly scrambling over him, she claimed a deeper kiss than the one before. "Get naked and go downstairs. I'll meet you down there in a few minutes." She gave him a saucy grin as she hurried off to the bathroom. "Yes, ma'am," he called after her. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it back on the bed. Deciding to take off his jeans when he got to the pool, he walked into the hall, stopping at the linen closet to grab some towels before heading downstairs and outside. Turning the outside lights on, he walked over to the walled in pool, shucked his jeans and underwear. He checked on the temperature of the Jacuzzi, but decided to stick with the pool for the moment. Then he got into the shallow end, and did laps to pass the time until Bryn arrived. When she finally got downstairs, she'd already put her clothes in the hamper. She stepped quietly out the door he'd left open, silently watching as he swam. His every rippling muscle caught her attention, water dripping from his golden skin with every stroke. His body was sleek and elegant, gliding effortlessly through the water, and she couldn't help but lick her lips as she settled down at the edge of the pool. She dipped her feet into the deep end, content to watch until he noticed her. He stood up when he reached the shallow