Blueblood 2: The World - 18. The Wallaces

I looked to see if Katie was hurt, but bounced a little seeing she wasn’t. “That could have been much worse,” I said to Colin as I grinned. Colin grabbed Wayne’s arm to keep him from going to Katie’s side.

Sean looked back at his wife and ran to her. “Katie!” He said lifting her head. “Katie, darlin’.” He cradled her head in his lap and slapped her lightly on the cheeks.

The woman was an attractive woman in her late forties and dressed in a nice pair of slacks and blouse like they had been somewhere nice. She had long dark hair like Wayne’s color. Sean was dressed casually formal in nice pants and shirt. They had been somewhere. She moaned a little as she regained consciousness and then sat up. “What happened?”

“Ye fainted,” Sean said simply and then looked at us. “I canna wait t’ hear about this.”

“Yep.” I smiled. “He’s Scottish.”

Katie sat up more and rose with her husband’s help. “Who are you?” She demanded.

“I’m Colin Wentworth,” Colin said. “This is Devon Wentworth.” He touched me. “And this…” he touched Wayne, “is Wayne Dawson Scott.”

Katie got a little angry now. “I don’t know what this is about, but Wayne Dawson Scott died before I was born!”

Wayne took a step a little closer. “I am your father.”

“That’s impossible!” Katie said angrier.

“But I am,” Wayne said pleading.

Katie was going through possibilities in her mind quickly and was coming up with nothing. “What…did you fly into space, fall through a time warp or get frozen somehow?”

Wayne scratched the back of his head. “That would be easier to explain than what I have to tell you. I am your father.” He said. “I can explain, though.”

Sean opened the door wider. “Absolutely!” He was grinning knowing this was going to be good. Either it was a scam or the truth, either way, it would be interesting. “Come in!” He invited us with a sort of grand wave.

“You’re just letting them in!?” Katie balked. “Just on that crazy story!?” She asked her husband.

Sean nodded. “And here I thought it was gonna t’ be another borin’ Sunday night.” He took her hand. “This is not gonna t’ be borin’.”

We were escorted into a nice living room by Sean. Katie was still looking as if she didn’t believe anything.

“My father died forty-nine years ago,” Katie said.

Wayne gave a shrugging nod. “Sort of…I ran into a problem then. These two fine individuals rescued me.” He looked at her. “This is going to be hard for you to accept, but…I was bitten by a vampire.”

Now Katie’s eyes were angry. “Are you kidding me!?” She waved at the curtains. “The sun’s still out!” She folded her arms over her chest. “This is for money, isn’t it?”

Wayne looked surprised. “They have more money than anyone I even know about!” He smiled at her. “When you do that, you look just like your mother. She would do that arm cross when she was upset.”

“You couldn’t be a vampire!” Katie said. “You said these men rescued you. They took it away?”

Wayne looked at Colin and me. “No, they’re vampires, too.”

Sean was sitting in a chair and smiling at this conversation between his wife and the man who claimed to be her father. He was enjoying it.

“Can you turn into a bat?” She asked.

“No,” Wayne said. “Neither can any other vampire.”

“Show your fangs.”

“I’m being treated with a serum,” Wayne said. “The fangs are gone.”

I walked forward having planned for this. “Excuse me,” I said quietly. I brought a Tablet out. “George…he’s a friend of ours. He’s a vampire, too. He recorded the sessions with Wayne.” I scrolled through some videos having gleaned through the extensive footage for the revealing shots. “I can show you. I have scenes from times with Wayne from when he first arrived.” I pulled one of the scenes when Wayne first arrived.

Wayne looked puzzled. “I don’t remember him doing that.” He whispered to me.

I shrugged. “He’s a scientist. He documents everything.” I whispered back.

“Wait,” Colin said. “You both reacted to Wayne before I even told you his name. You both knew who he was.”

Sean nodded. “Sure, w’ did.” He got up and waved to a grand piano and there was a group of pictures on top of the piano that the top was down on.

I grinned at what had to be a half a dozen pictures…of Wayne! The father, not the son. He and Rosalind getting married, Wayne graduating from college, one of him and Rosalind posing in a picture where they were goofing off and others. It was Wayne in hair from the 1960s and 1970s.

Sean was grinning more as he returned in his chair. “I’ve always known about Daddy Wayne. I met Katie when she was sixteen and on the second date, I was shown his picture."

Katie was looking and a very violent, hairy, bearded man in tattered rags as he was hissing at us and reacting wildly. He could have been any man as he had the long hair and beard. The clothes were in tatters.

“This was the Sunday before last,” I explained. “He was really quite wild then…” I looked at Wayne. “…but not really.” I moved on. “Here he is just after the first haircut I gave him.” I grinned at Katie. “I’m not a stylist,” I explained but he looked more like he did now. “Here he is right before his first injection of serum.” I moved on. “The second night.” I moved on. “The third.” Each filmed he was calmer and quieter. Until we got to the last one right after the disc was inserted. He looked as he does now. I looked at her. “He didn’t leave you or your mother. He was taken.” I went on to explain about George and his findings and work he’d done to come up with the serum. “Now, he’s not in pain now. He has a disc of serum that delivers the needed serum to stop the venom from working fully.” I rolled up my sleeve and showed my disc. “Your father has one now, too.” Wayne rolled up his sleeve and showed his. “As soon as he was stabilized, he wanted to come to see you.” I chuckled. “He was so nervous about this meeting.” I became serious. “He’s not a full vampire now. He is still a vampire, as I am and Colin are. His first thought was to come back to see you.”

Katie was no longer angry, but she wasn’t accepting it yet. “This is such a…wild story.” She said. “You don’t have any proof.”

Colin came up next to Wayne. “You’re forgetting one thing.” He said logically. “Here is your father. Isn’t that proof?”

Katie looked at Colin and then back at Wayne. The anger was gone and now there were tears coming from her. “When I was a little girl…my mother told me about you.” She laughed wiping a tear away. “I have dozens of other photos of you. She kept all of them and even got some from friends that had them.”

Sean shook his head marveling. “This is so great!!” His Scottish burr becoming more pronounced the more excited he became. “The only thing I reasoned was he was the son of Wayne; Katie had a half-brother from a father who had run off with someone else!” He looked at me. “I was right! This is not borin’.” He looked around. “I wish I had some popcorn!”

I grinned at Sean. “I’m going to like you!” He was a character!

Colin walked closer to Katie. “I know this is hard to take. Call the…” he thought, “…MI5 office in London. I’d give you the number, but if you get it yourself, you’ll know we’re telling the truth. Just look it up in the phone book.”

I turned to Colin. “Phone book? No one uses a phone book now!”

Colin rolled his eyes at me. “Infant.” He groused. He looked at Katie. “Look up Eric Mattingly. He’s a Unit Director there. He knows about us. I’d advise you to call your Prime Minister, but that would be nearly impossible to get through. He knows about us, too. Give my name, the Director will confirm what we’ve said.”

“Or!” I said happily. “You could see us at Thornwood.”

Katie’s eyes grew. “Thornwood? That’s where you’re staying!?”

I grinned nodding. “And have been quite a few weeks.”

Sean’s eyes widened. “Well, aren’t we fancy?” His smile broadened.

I laughed. “And vampire owned and run.”

Sean looked more surprised. “Is it?”

Colin chuckled. “Yes. You can stay there a while. See us and what we do.”

Katie looked at Colin puzzled. “What do you mean? There are other vampires?”

I nodded. “Quite a few.”

Colin nodded and raised a hand. “Yes, but…please keep this to yourselves. It wouldn’t be common knowledge.”

Sean shook his head. “Or commonly believed.” He was having a wonderful time hearing this.

Katie looked very lost but was trying to make it become some sense. “This is just…so…”

“Odd?” Wayne asked smiling. He shook his head. “I never left your mother. I didn’t leave you. I loved Rosalind. I never wanted to leave.” Now, he was tearing up again. “Even when I was…that horrible thing…unable to speak or even think straight, I never forgot her. We had just found out you were coming. She was beginning her second trimester. I didn’t even know what gender you were or if you and your mother were dead or alive.”

Katie was also crying as her anger was now gone completely as she couldn't argue with the obvious evidence. “I used to dream you’d come back.” She said as tears came. “Just as you are now. Mom gave me pictures of you and told me stories about you and I would dream that…somehow…you’d come back.” She laughed. “And here you are.” Then she shook her head. “You should be in your eighties. Not this…young man. I’m older than you!”

I nodded to Colin with a smile. “And I thought I had it tough with Gabriella.”

Colin chuckled. “She’s my daughter.”

“Which according to your face, Colin and apparent age and hers, you would have fathered her when you were six!” I said. “But somehow, Wayne fathered Katie before he was even born!”

Katie let out a moan of frustration. “This will be difficult to explain to the children.”

Wayne smiled. “Whatever you tell them will be fine.” He shrugged. “I could be a distant relative.”

Katie shook her head. “Looking exactly like their grandfather? I mean exactly like him because you are him. That will be harder to explain how it happened rather than you being a vampire. We'll tell the truth and show the evidence or there will be a mystery they will solve.” She smiled. “They’re pretty sharp children.” She shook her head. “Karen wouldn’t let me by with Santa past four years of age!”

Sean got up and touched Katie and kissing her cheek quickly. “I’ll get them.” He ran off into the depths of the house.

Wayne looked again at his daughter. “With you back in my life, I have a part of Rosalind here, too. You’re half of her. I know she passed away. I do so regret not seeing her.”

Katie nodded. “I do, too.”

It didn’t take too long before Sean came back with three young people each protesting for different reasons as they followed Sean down the elegant stairs.

“…and I have that huge Anatomy test tomorrow. I have to study.” Karen said, which had been several times she told him from the tone of her voice.

“I haven’t gotten my clothes out for tomorrow. I need to call Darleen…” Kelly said her part of the protest.

“I was almost at the next level! Can’t this wait?” The only boy, Wayne said.

Sean stopped as he turned and smiled at each of them. He said to directly to Karen. “You’ll do fine, you always do.” He said directly to his son Wayne. “The game will pause.” To Kelly he said. “Darleen can wait.” Then he said gruffly. “Or better yet, don't call at all!” But he had a pleasant tone when he said that.

Katie walked closer to her children. “There’s someone you need to meet.” She motioned to her father, Wayne. “This…is your grandfather; my father.”

Three dark heads of hair I saw they got from both Sean and Katie, looked at Wayne, their grandfather and then to the pictures on the piano and back at Wayne, their grandfather.

“That’s impossible!” Karen stated quietly in awe.

“No way!!” Wayne, the grandson said with wide eyes.

“That is so…cool!!” Kelly said smiling.

I looked at Colin. “And here we go again.” Colin chuckled.

Studies were forgotten as was the game being played and forget Darleen...whoever she was.

For the next three hours or so, Wayne their grandfather, Colin and I explained again the whole thing…again.

While the family was getting acquainted Colin and I talked with Sean.

“What do you do?” Colin asked.

“I’m an Architect,” Sean said.

“Really?” Colin grinned. He looked around the house. “A pretty good one seeing where you live.”

Sean nodded. “I am good.” He boasted happily.

I could see why Colin said that. “We’d pay you, of course. You have contact with construction crews and suppliers?”

Sean nodded. “I do.”

Colin smiled even bigger. “How about a building project at Thornwood?”

“If needed.” Sean nodded. “I’ll need contact with the owner.”

“You’re looking at some,” I said pointing at Colin. “It’s still locally owned, but we just bought into the estate.”

Now Sean was smiling bigger. “Ye did!?” His Scot’s burr back in full swing and his eyes got brighter.

Another hour and the grandchildren had to go to bed. We found out the grandson went by his middle name Scott. Now we didn’t have to worry about calling Wayne and getting two replies. They were sworn to secrecy about their grandfather, but it was getting late so, Colin and I went to Wayne.

“Stay and visit,” Colin said looking at Katie. “I assume he can stay here for the night?”

Katie smiled and nodded. “Certainly, but we can find room for you two.”

I shook my head. “That’s okay. You two have nearly fifty years of catching up to do.” I smiled. “Get to know each other. I know there’s a hotel in Edinburgh. We’ll be back.” I looked at Katie. “What time do you need to go to work tomorrow?”

Katie shook her head. “I think I’ll call in for a personal day tomorrow.” She smiled at Wayne.

Colin smiled and handed Wayne a phone. “This is my phone. When you’re ready to go, call Devon.” He showed Wayne where the number was in contacts and what to push to call.

Wayne smiled shaking his head. “All this new technology. I’ve got some serious catching up to do.”

Katie chuckled. “Your youngest granddaughter will teach you. She lives with one attached to her face.”

Wayne grinned. “It’s a telephone and she’s a teenage girl.” He shrugged at that explanation which explained it all.

Colin and I said goodnight and went downtown to Edinburgh. We checked into the Caledonain. No suites tonight, but it was nice. This was just overnight.

Colin came from the bathroom as we got ready for bed. “That went well.”

I nodded with a grin. “They are family.”

Colin smiled as he stretched out on the bed. “They seem nice.”

“I think they are nice,” I said crawling to that king sized bed with Colin. “I’m happy for Wayne,” I said with less enthusiasm as I meant to use.

“Devon,” Colin said in the tone that said he knew something was wrong.

I gave him the shrugging nod. “I feel a loss.”

“Loss?” Colin asked. "Why?"

“He doesn’t need us anymore,” I said sadly. “It’s stupid, but that’s what I feel.”

Colin smiled. “Isn’t that the whole reason we’re here? Find these lost souls and get them back to living again?”

I nodded. “Yes,” I said reluctantly.

Colin smiled. “I was going to see if he wants a job.” He sighed. “With his daughter now in his life, he will want to stay in England, but he’s not gone,” Colin said. “I have a feeling Wayne will be around working with VUNGB for some time.”

“Vampire United Nations: Great Britain.” I nodded. “But it’s not the same.”

“Our little boy is growing up, Devon,” Colin said softly. “We need to let it happen.” He smiled at me. “Now, how about giving some love to someone else?”

I grinned. “And who would that be?”

“Who do you think? Me!”

I chuckled as we kissed. “I remember when all I worried about was people finding out I was gay. Now with this whole vampire thing, the gay part sort of takes a back seat.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” His voice muffled as he kissed me deeper.

We got up and went for breakfast and waited to hear from Wayne. We even walked around town and the various shops and at things that wouldn’t take a lot of time. It was ten thirty in the morning when my phone rang.

“It’s good here,” Wayne said. “We can go back to Thornwood any time.”

“We’ll be there shortly,” I said.

We checked out of the hotel and got back to Katie's and Sean’s house. Once back in the house, Katie, dressed in a nice bathrobe and hair done, but Wayne and she had talked most of the night; she hugged me and Colin.

“Thank you for bringing my father back to me.” She said smiling. “Daddy was right, you two are angels.” She looked at her father.

Colin chuckled. “So, now we’re gay, vampire angels?”

She nodded. “I guess so, and that’s fine by me.” She said kissing us on the cheeks. “If it would be okay, Sean and I would like to come down to Thornwood on Friday morning. We would like to stay until Sunday if that’s okay?”

I nodded. “We’ve got the rooms.”

“We’ll hold off on some of the vampires were getting on the serum.” Colin nodded also. “It will be fine.”

On the way back, Wayne told us about the grandchildren and Sean. How easily they seemed to accept what had happened. Though he thought Kelly was a little more excited than the other two grandchildren. The idea of having a secret vampire grandfather sat well with her. It was cool! Sean had said he could use the trip as a business trip so no time was lost at work. I was pleased to see Wayne smiling, but this time the smile was in his eyes now, too.

When we got back…I guess being there all the time, I hadn’t noticed the changes that had slowly started to happen. Thornwood was a place that people got married and had parties in. There were the occasional guests that stayed at night and Edward Addams and Nigel hired staff when necessary to take care of housekeeping for guests and people who just wanted to party. Now walking through the house I was seeing faces I knew. A few were in domestic uniforms complete with name badges.

“The house is staffed by vampires!?” Wayne asked looking at faces he knew as well.

I was as surprised as he was. I saw Lilly! She was in a uniform. I stopped her.

“Lilly,” I said. “You’re working here?”

Lilly nodded with a smile. “And earning a paycheck!” She shrugged. “A girl’s got to earn her keep. Who else would hire me without references? I have a gap in my employment for two years other than school. Now, I’ll have something to refer to future employers.” She said logically. “Edwin said he’d backdate any inquiries to cover.” She giggled. “I even have a work permit. An American working in a place like this gives me merit!” She gave a soft squeal and hurried off to do…whatever.

“This place is sure changing,” Colin said as he saw someone running a vacuum on a hallway carpet. “I hate to say it, but when we got here, this place was dead.” He looked at another man was carrying clean towels. “I thought it was just due to the off season.”

Wayne smiled. “Well, these former vampires need jobs, and who better to give them one, but a former vampire?”

I grinned. “This IS the VUN! In Great Britain! We’re helping them get their lives back!”

Colin frowned. “The problem with this is…we’re paying them to work for our own as guests. The vampire guests aren’t paying. We are.”

“Yes, but when we’ve gotten these vampires on the serum, they will go home. They’re mostly local. They can staff this place when there is an event.” I said. “The gardens and grounds need tending and the cattle portion. We have your son-in-law coming this Friday. We’ll talk to him about building another part to house the vampires we bring from other parts of England to help them there. We need a lab added, and a place to house more than one vampire in the day.”

“You need to talk to Edwin where to build it.” Wayne said. “We don’t want the wandering guest stumbling across a vampire in transition.” Then he practically bounced. “This is great!! I want in. Can I get a job with the VUN?”

I grinned at Wayne’s happiness. “Would you work for Edwin? Or do you want to work with George, Colin and me?”

Wayne looked a little disappointed. “Don’t you want me to work with you?”

Colin smiled and played coy. “Well, you are a college graduate. You are good at math, so you say. We’ll need a team that functions internationally. You can travel now. But you just found a daughter and grandchildren!”

“You know vampires and you’ve seen some we haven’t,” I said and then I smiled. “I’d hate to lose you when we go to the next city.”

“I want to work with you two! Having Katie back is great, but I will be around to walk Kelly’s great-granddaughter down the aisle.” Wayne smiled a little shyly. “I don’t want to lose you.” He chuckled. “I’ve sort of gotten very attached to you two.” He brightened. “I don’t consider you members of my family. Having Katie is wonderful, but you are my family.”

Colin smiled. “We are?”

Wayne nodded. “Sure. You’ve seen me at my worst, but didn’t run. You stuck by me the whole time. You helped me find a daughter and grandchildren and helped get them back in my life! I owe you my life!” Then he looked very serious. “I was lost until you came. Naturally, I feel attached to you two. I appreciate and love George, but you two were right there. Who does that except for family. I love you two.”

Okay, break out the fireworks! I hugged Wayne and then we were both engulfed in Colin’s hug of both of us.

“We love you!” I said. “No other vampire, except for Willie, Alex and Gabriella, has reached in me like this. I was telling Colin last night I thought we were losing you.”

Colin nodded. “He did, really. Does that mean you’ll join our team?”

Wayne grinned and nodded. “Not just yes, but HELL YES!!” He laughed and thought. “I had a passport, but I know it’s expired.”

Colin wrapped an arm around Wayne’s shoulder. “Well, that could be a problem. Too bad we don’t know anybody…say that works for…MI5?” He waggled his eyebrows.

“But please, stop scaring poor Director Mattingly,” I said smiling as we walked down the hall. “You really scared the shit out of him when he first met you and you scared him almost as much when he came back.”

Wayne smiled. “Well, the first meeting, I sensed more than a target.” Wayne chuckled as he confessed. “I got…this feeling…he was going to be hard to reach.” He smiled. “I heard your conversations when I was that…thing, I knew what you wanted me to do and what had to be done. So, I did it!” He grinned. “And when he came back, I just drove the fact that it worked home to him.”

“We’re international!!” I said happily. “We have an Englishman on our team!” I grabbed Colin’s arm excited. “We need a new name! VI?”

“VI?” Colin asked.

“Vampires International!”

Colin nodded and looked at Wayne. “He has a thing for names.”

Wayne chuckled. “I see that. I am an Englishman. I guess it would multi-national.”

“Wait until you meet the others.” Colin grinned. “We have one in New York that will surprise you. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do with that computer.”

“Vampire?” Wayne asked.

“FBI,” Colin answered.

“Human.” I smiled.

“Oh.” He frowned. “The other humans here have something that gives off a scent.”

I groaned. “Yes, unfortunately, George named it Disflavor. Not a very good name. But they have to take it every day.”

Wayne frowned. “He can’t make a disc?”

My eyes widened as I looked at Colin who shrugged. “We need to ask him that.”

Wayne nodded. “With Katie back and Sean and the grandchildren, I don’t want them even possibly becoming vampires.”

Colin nodded. “George is very smart.” He snickered. “Too smart. Sometimes he only sees the forest, sometimes just the trees. We need to tell him about the forest and the trees.”

I grinned. “We have a lot of planning to do.”