Re-United - 12. Chapter 12

After getting nods from Chris and Josh, I followed Brian when he opened the door and walked confidently into the living room. Chris and Josh split up, with Josh standing by the front door while Chris stood in the archway that led into the kitchen. I stood behind the recliner as Brian walked in front of his father, reached down to grab the remote, and turned off the television.

“Brian, turn that back on; the game starts soon,” Jason angrily whined.

“No, Dad. We need to talk,” Brian replied, holding eye contact with his father.

Jason moved to stand, but I put my hand on his shoulder and shook my head. “I think you should just sit and listen to your son.”

Shrugging my hand off, he stood and stepped toward Brian. I was afraid this was going to quickly lead to violence and prepared myself to jump in when my friend surprised me. In a calm voice, he said, “You need help, Dad, and right now, you have two choices: sit back down and listen, or we sit you down and you listen. Which is it?”

Jason stopped and stared at his son, who, for the first time in his life, had just stood up to his father. I could sense pride for a split second, but that soon gave way to anger, then bewilderment as he looked around and began to laugh. Shaking his head, he asked, “Do you really want to do this, boy?”

“There’s four of us and one of you, so yes, I do. And stop calling me boy,” Brian growled.

“A real man wouldn’t need someone to hold his hand. I’m giving you one last warning: turn the TV back on and leave,” he warned, then added, “Boy.”

Standing his ground, Brian replied, “And I’m giving you one last chance, Dad. Sit down and listen. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

I could sense his anger, and I thought I knew what was about to happen. I was stunned by what actually happened. I saw Jason’s muscles tense, saw him ball his fist, and before he had a chance to swing, Josh leaped over the sofa and tackled Brian’s dad, his lips pulled back in a snarl as he bared his fangs.

I quickly shifted and pulled Josh away while also grabbing Jason by the throat. Now that Josh had exposed us, I had no choice but to reach out and form a connection with Jason’s mind. When I did, I was confronted with a jumble of thoughts and emotions that seemed totally random, with no sense of control. I noticed how many thoughts seemed to be drawn toward what looked like a void, an empty nothingness that all the positive thoughts and emotions disappeared into. I had some theories, but this was so far beyond my experience I decided I needed some help. I sent Jason into a deep sleep, pulled my phone out of my pocket, and called George.

While I was talking with George, Chris noticed some blood in Jason’s hair and ran to get a towel. After a quick conversation with George and Frederick, I still didn’t understand what I had seen. The blood gave me an idea, and I decided to take a risk; I went back into Jason’s thoughts, seeking anything that had happened that day. I removed his memories of Josh’s face and of Josh’s tackling him, then planted an image of him tripping when he stood to confront Brian. After a quick check, I was satisfied he would accept things as we would explain them. As I was pulling from his memories, I left the marker for him to obey me, and then I told him he was to wake up in one minute but be very disoriented for the next hour. Then, I shifted back to human and pointed at Josh. Fortunately, he’s not stupid, and understood he needed to be human.

Before Jason woke, I quickly told everyone as much as I could and said they should just follow my lead. My phone was already in my hand, so I quickly called 911 and requested an ambulance. As he woke, Jason slowly looked around and asked what happened.

“You got angry at Brian and jumped up, you fell and hit your head. Maybe you stood up too fast?” I suggested innocently.

He looked at me, unsure, then seemed to be considering my story. He touched the wound, then stared at the blood on his hand. “Um, yeah, maybe I should’ve eaten breakfast,” he looked around. “Help me up.”

“No, Dad. You hit your head pretty hard, wait for the ambulance,” Brian argued.

“Yeah, I think you need to let them check you out,” I said. “Let them do x-rays or a CAT scan or whatever they do.”

Accepting my instructions, Jason laid back and relaxed. Looking first at Brian, then Chris, Josh, and finally me, he asked, “Would you guys really have fought me?”

I nodded. “You’re injured; now’s not the time, but we know what’s been happening, and it has to stop. We would do anything we had to to protect Brian.”

I sensed a moment of clarity and sadness as he looked at his son and said, “That is supposed to be my job.”

With genuine concern, Brian said, “Just worry about getting better, Dad. We can talk about other things once your brains stop dripping onto the floor.”

Jason smiled. “I don’t think I’m hurt that bad, Bubby,” he replied, using the nickname he’d used for Brian until we went to middle school.

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of a siren. Josh ran out to flag down the driver, and soon we were all back in Josh’s truck, following the ambulance to the hospital. I had insisted Chris drive, and once we were on the main road, I turned to Josh and growled.

“Do you want to explain why you took it on yourself to ignore our plan and attack him?”

He lowered his eyes and timidly explained. “I saw him attack Brian; then he was about to attack him, so I had to stop him.”

I raised an eyebrow and stared at him. The other heads that turned to stare told me they didn’t understand him either, so I asked, “Do you want to try that again? In English this time?”

Josh took a deep breath, then blew it out and shrugged. “I can’t explain it, Greg. It’s like I saw him take a roundhouse swing at Brian, and when it connected, Brian fell back, and his head hit the fireplace. When he landed, there was blood all over, and his head was twisted around wrong. I think he broke his neck.”

We all looked at each other, then back to Josh. “Um, I didn’t see any of this, Josh. And Brian looks fine to me,” I said, confused.

“Like I said, I saw it. Then there was like, a flash or blink or something, I don’t know, anyway, the next thing I know, I saw Jason tensing to take the swing, and I knew what was going to happen if I didn’t stop him,” Josh said, sounding as confused as we were.

“So… you saw the future?” Chris asked slowly, thinking as he spoke. “Or you rewound time?”

With his eyes wide open, Josh slowly nodded. “Something like that, I guess. I really don’t know,” he replied. “All I know is, I was sure that Brian would die if I didn’t act. I felt it in my gut.”

“So this is your ability? Like Greg can do telekinesis?” Chris asked.

“That little fact is to be kept quiet, as should Josh’s ability, at least until we understand it better,” I stated rather firmly.

Maybe too firmly because three voices replied, “Yes, My Lord.”

“I guess that’s what I get for giving an order, huh?” I asked sheepishly.

Josh blushed. “You’re my baron, Greg. You have been since the day you stopped us from bullying Brian.”

Chris and Brian both nodded their agreement. I shrugged. “Guys, Jake should hear this too, but he probably already knows it; you guys never have to bow to me or call me anything but Greg. Anyone that has a problem with that can take it up with me, understand?”

I instantly regretted that last statement. They all looked at me, smirked, and said, “Yes, My Lord.”

I expected more smart-ass comments, but luckily, we pulled into the hospital parking lot. Brian had called his mother, and she was in the emergency room with Jason. We sat in the waiting area for over an hour before she came out and gave us an update.

There was no damage to Jason’s head other than the small cut that required two stitches. Unfortunately, the CAT scan revealed what I had expected: a tumor. He and his wife were meeting with the neurologist tomorrow and would learn their options. While this was bad news, it might explain his alcohol use and moods. The way his emotions seemed to circle that spot in his brain, confused, with the better, more positive ones vanishing into oblivion, I knew there was a connection. And I knew Brian would be fine when, rather than leave with us, he stayed with his dad.

Tommy drove us home, and I immediately sent Josh and Chris, with Billy, to dig through the manuscripts to research Josh’s newfound ability. I decided to try some practice with my telekinesis while they read. Up till now, I’d only made an ink pen wriggle and frozen one of my best friends in mid-stride. That didn’t exactly demonstrate a lot of control, and if this was going to benefit me, control was something I needed. After a few hours of focused practice, Billy and Scott started throwing things at me because my favorite items to practice with were the manuscripts they were trying to read. Sadly, Josh was no closer to understanding his gift, and Chris still had no idea what his ability was, if he even had one.

After dinner, Brian called to say his father was complaining that he desperately wanted a drink but was fighting that urge. He asked if I could do anything, and I cursed myself for failing to take away his desire to drink while I was in his mind. Unsure it would work; I asked Brian to give the phone to his dad. I asked how he was, and casually said that he didn’t need a drink. His voice immediately relaxed; he thanked me for my concern and for being such a good friend to his son and asked if Brian could spend the night so he and his wife could have the house to themselves. I quickly agreed, and twenty minutes later, Brian walked in the door.

I was still practicing my telekinesis when Chris asked, “Greg, now that I’m a vampire, do you still want me to go to law school? Or should I do something else?”

Brian, Josh, and Jake lifted their eyes from their reading and waited for my reply. “I want you to do what you want, Chris. Nothing’s changed,” I looked at each of them, then said, “That goes for all of you. You’re not—”

“Don’t try to bullshit us, Greg,” Josh interrupted. “Our old lives died when we did, and you, of all people, should know that.”

Jake completed his brother’s thoughts. “Now, tell us how we can serve you, or do we have to call George and ask for his input?”

“I’m not trying to bullshit you, honest I’m not,” I sighed, “but I don’t want to tell you what to do with your lives. I just want you guys to be happy.”

Billy cleared his throat, then looked at my friends. “Josh, as a baron, Greg will need many projects like the one you’re working on. You wanted to study engineering and architecture, and with a degree in those, you can handle those, correct?”

“Yes, My Lord,” Josh replied, with a slight bow.

“Enough of that,” Billy said sharply. “Now, Chris; a baron needs a legal advisor to help him navigate the human legal system. He will also need one who is familiar with the laws of Dracul. I don’t see why that can’t be you unless you don’t feel up to it?”

Chris sounded offended as he replied, “I’m up for it. I’ll need to dig through George’s library, though.”

Billy nodded, and his voice took on a commanding tone. “Then your first assignment is to get in touch with Harvard. Now that you don’t need as much sleep, there’s no excuse for you to start as a freshman.” He turned to Josh and added, “That goes for you as well; MIT offers online classes.”

They both nodded, although it looked more like a bow. I thought about Billy’s words for a moment, then said, “Billy, please contact our liaison at Harvard. If Chris can do it, so can I. Get me enrolled in online classes so I can get moving on my requirements.” I glanced at Scott, and when he nodded, I added, “Scott’s already enrolled, so ask what they advise. Remind me to email WVU so I can transfer my credits and withdraw from the classes I just set up for this fall.”

“That leaves us lowly humans,” Jake said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. Then, in a hopeful tone, he asked, “Does this mean you’ll change us so we can accelerate our studies too?”

I shook my head and sighed. “Nothing’s changed, Jake. You can’t graduate from West Point in less than four years, and I won’t ask you to give up that dream. I promise I’ll change you once you graduate.” I turned to Brian and said, “And Brian—”

“I need to deal with some issues before I try to deal with my beast. I understand that now, and I agree,” Brian said, looking me in the eyes. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “That doesn’t mean I can’t take some online classes and maybe graduate in three years instead of four if you’ll allow it?”

“You do what you feel is best, Bri,” I said with a smile. “I only ask that you find a counselor and deal with your personal demons, and if school is too much, you make that your priority. Classes can come later. Once those demons are dealt with, you, Jenny, and I can discuss your change. How’s that sound?”

With a glance at Jenny, who was bringing Charlie to Scott, Brian nodded. “Sounds like exactly what we want, Greg.

An idea popped into my head, and I looked at Jenny. “What about you? Would you like to take any classes while we’re in Boston?” I hesitated, then asked, “You still intend on coming with us? Or would you prefer to go to Philadelphia with Brian?”

“I intend to be there for Charlie until he no longer needs me, Greg. By the time you move to Boston next summer, he’ll need a tutor. I’d like to fill that role if you’ll allow me.” She glanced at Brian and said, “Brian and I have talked, and we can see each other often enough until he graduates.”

“You’ll be in Charlie’s life as long as you like, Jenny. That doesn't mean you can’t take online classes. Please let Billy know if you’d like to do that.”

We spent another few hours discussing things in the manuscripts, with Chris, Brian, and Billy all making notes on topics they wanted to research further. I could smell Brian and Jake getting more and more tired, and finally, near midnight, I suggested we all get some sleep. Adrian and Serena were stalking in the shadows outside, Tommy and Leonard were at Scott’s house, and Jenny had Charlie in my new, er old, room. Chris and Josh moved furniture while Jake and Brian pulled out blankets and pillows and made a nest on the living room floor. The other seven of us cuddled in a pile in the nest and fell asleep.

Just before five, I woke; it took a moment for me to understand why. I looked around, and Jenny was standing in the hall, holding Charlie, and Chris and Josh were trying their best to ignore their hunger. I woke Scott and asked him to feed Charlie, then I sat in a chair and directed my new changelings to drop their fangs and feed on their own. Billy brought some whitetail from the kitchen for Scott, me, Jenny, and himself, and once everyone was fed, we decided to go for a run. We left a note for Tommy, and Adrian and Serena joined us. When we got back, Brian and Jake had breakfast waiting.

By ten Monday morning, Billy was on the phone with Harvard, lining up classes for all of us — Scott, Chris, himself, and me. I had already sent an email to WVU and was withdrawn from my classes, and I was assured that my transcripts would be sent as soon as the official request was received. After calling Harvard, Billy would help Brian and Josh make contact with their liaisons at MIT and Wharton.

Tommy dropped Scott, Adrian, and Serena at the real estate office to discuss housing for the couple. Then he took me to David’s office, where we talked about our plans in Pennsylvania, as well as going over plans for buying and developing the farm. Knowing Scott and I would never live in the refurbished farmhouse like we had once discussed, I gave David a free hand to do as he saw fit, with one restriction. I didn’t want houses too close together, so after some discussion, we agreed that the lots would be half an acre, and no house could be closer than twenty feet to any property line.

After picking the others up, we looked at the three apartments that were available and, after a bit of arguing from Adrian and Selena, convinced them to take the one that was most recently remodeled. They felt it was a waste, saying they only needed a place to rest, but when I pointed out that they would put less wear on the apartment and allow us to remodel the others sooner, they agreed.

On the way home, we called ahead and ordered fourteen steak subs. Once again, we all gathered in the backyard of James and Donna’s house and enjoyed our meal. As we ate, Billy filled me in on his calls.

“MIT’s liaison suggested Josh get his freshman classes out of the way through Harvard. With that in mind, I called Wharton next. Everyone should be getting class information later today,” he explained.

“Everyone except me,” Jake grumbled.

“Not entirely true, Jacob,” Billy said with a grin. “Harvard is willing to allow you to choose from an assortment of classes that West Point doesn’t offer. It won’t help you graduate early, but it will broaden your education. Are you interested?”

Jake’s face lit up, and he eagerly nodded. “Hell yes, I’m interested!”

“And I guess we need to figure out how Chris, Josh, and I are going to get out of wrestling,” I said with a sigh.

There were suggestions of a group car accident, separate car accidents, ATV accidents, and even things as simple as a stumble down the stairs. After debating this for almost an hour with no resolution, I decided to let it wait and asked who was heading to the farm. Brian asked if he could stay with his father another day or two, and I was happy to agree. Josh and Chris were eager to experience their full beast as soon as possible, so of course, they both wanted to go, and Jake blushed as he admitted that he wanted some private time with Tony Riva. I agreed with the understanding that they would have another conversation with me and either Jenny or Tommy to discuss the risks of a human having sex with a vampire.

Adrian and Serena would spend the next week settling into their apartment and, with help from Leonard, put in place the plan Tommy had for providing security at our school. With help from Mike, they would both take jobs with the local sheriff’s department and volunteer as what our school called the ‘resource officer.’ This meant their assigned job would be to hang around the high school during regular class times, as well as cover events such as band concerts and sporting events.

Two hours later, Josh’s truck followed us up the driveway, and we parked both vehicles in the garage. As we all piled out, Jenny headed for our room to put Charlie down for his nap. James and Donna had stayed back to deal with some business. Scott, Billy, and I informed him of a decision I’d made, so we three, with the help of the others, moved all our things into the small office and all of James’ things back into the larger office. With my being in WV for high school and James a serving baronet, he needed his office, and his home. Until school started, my marshals would remain in the house, and we would decide what to do with them in August.

After dinner, I once again sat with Jake and Tony Riva, but this time, Billy, Scott, and Tommy joined us. In our previous talk, Jake and Riva had assured me that they had no romantic interest in each other, but both were interested in exploring physical fun. I had given my tentative blessing, but I wanted to be sure that neither would be risking any physical harm.

“What’s the risk if Riva drinks from Jake?” I asked.

“Unless he loses his mind, there is none, Greg,” Tommy replied. “It’s common for vampires to feed from their lovers during sex.”

“And unless he drains me and I feed from him, it’s perfectly safe,” Jake explained. “You know he’d have to stop my heart to change me.”

“And isn’t it also common for vampires to share their blood? How would that affect you?” Scott asked.

“Again, unless my heart has stopped, there would be no permanent effect. In the short term, the exchange of blood acts as an aphrodisiac, heightening the senses and making the orgasm more powerful,” Jake explained. “And, as you might already know, other fluids have the same effect.”

I looked at Riva and said in a rather threatening tone, “If you lose control, your life is forfeit; am I clear?”

“Crystal, My Lord,” he replied with a bow.

“Greg—” Jake objected.

“NO!” I snapped. “I will not forbid the two of you from enjoying each other’s company, but I want it understood. I will be the one to risk changing you when the time comes. If you can’t accept that, I will forbid any sexual contact. You’re free to do as you wish, but I know Tony will obey me.”

Jake bowed his head and said, “We both will, My Lord.”

“Jake,” I said with a sigh, “I almost lost two of my brothers less than a week ago. I’m just trying to protect you.”

“I know, Greg, and I love you for it, but I don’t need you to protect my virtue. I plan to save some things for my fated mate.”

“As do I, My Lord,” Riva added.

I had stuck my nose in Jake’s private business more than I liked, so I decided to move on. “I’ll be taking Chris and Josh out after dark so they can meet their beast, Tony, and I would take it as a personal favor if you would entertain and protect my human brother.”

“No, Greg,” Jake exclaimed, jumping to his feet. I want to go and watch.”

“You can’t,” Riva said before I could. “They’re too young and won’t have control. I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Greg on this.”

“If they show control tonight, you can go tomorrow night. That’s the best I can do, Jake. I’m sorry,” I offered.

He smirked, glanced at Tony, and said, “Well, I suppose I can find someone, er, something to do.”

I punched his shoulder, stood, and headed for the door. Josh, Chris, Scott, and Billy followed, undressing as we went. Tommy and another marshal were already at the rock, waiting. It only took Josh ten minutes to let his beast out and then five to gain control and integrate the now divided parts of his psyche. Chris was almost the exact opposite, taking only five minutes to get his beast to surface while struggling almost fifteen to reconcile his personal demons with his more proper side. Both beasts instantly bowed to my authority when I shifted and demanded obedience. We spent the night hunting deer, rabbits, squirrels, and each other.

At breakfast, we could all sense the change in Jake’s mood, and I was glad my brother had found a distraction. Of course, he had to hear about every moment of our night of hunting.

“So… you spent the whole night climbing trees?”

“Well, no, Josh and Chris decided they’d try their hand at wrestling as beasts,” I said with a smirk.

“Let me guess, you whipped them both at the same time,” Jake said with a grin.

“And the prize goes to Jake!” I said, without thinking. I immediately remembered our lunch with Dad and how he gave Scott and me points for answering his questions. Suddenly, I was sobbing. The table fell silent as everyone wondered what had happened; everyone but Scott. He quickly moved to my side and knelt, holding me tight as I sobbed like a baby.

“Shh, it’s ok, babe. I remember that day, too.” Scott began to slowly rock me as he stroked my hair.

Soon, a second pair of hands was wrapped around me, and I heard Billy whispering, “The pain will go away if you let it, Greg. Let it out.”

Minutes passed, and other hands joined. One on my shoulder, another on my head; after several minutes, everyone in the room was touching me in some way, giving me their unspoken love; giving me permission to grieve. No one moved until I was able to speak.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” I took a stuttering breath, “Dad took us to lunch and...” They waited, silent. “He would ask us stuff…” Another breath, more silence. “And when one of us got the answer…” Sniff. “He gave us points like it was a game show….” Another sniff and a cough. “It was just so silly, but so much like him…” Deep breath. “Now I’ll never see him again.” And I was wracked with more sobs; still, no one moved.

I don’t know how long I sat there, sobbing, with all my family patiently waiting as I processed my pain. I felt someone pushing through the tangle of arms, and then I understood. Someone had picked up Charlie and was trying to put him in my arms. I reached out and pulled him to my chest, and as I looked down into his beautiful red eyes, I felt it break; I felt the beginning of a smile. He reached his tiny hand up and touched my face, and suddenly I understood. God, or god, or gods, whatever you prefer, needed to take my father to be with my mother so this little angel could be here with us. If not for everything that had happened, Dad might not have found out what happened to Janet. If not for us reading his will, George might not have found my brother. If I hadn’t been in California at that exact moment, my son would still be human and being raised by strangers. Everything was exactly how it needed to be.