Blueblood 5: Exposed The Secrets about V5H Revealed - 17. Marty and Robert Come to the VUN

“So, our presence here is to what?” The general asked.

Colin smiled. “Knowledge about us.” He said simply. “To know we…” he waved at me, George and John, “are not the threat, but there is a threat.”

George nodded. “Which is something I was totally against letting people know at first.” He admitted. “Trust for us is very difficult. To come and say what we are...goes against our very essence. However, I now see the benefits of telling some. We can’t carry the burden alone anymore. Not if we expect to win.”

The general nodded. “Fine.” He sighed. “Well, I will feel better having someone here.” He shook his head. “I will assign some…” he looked at Kevin, “observers here?”

Kevin nodded. “I think would be fine.” Then he looked at Colin and George. “Oh, this isn’t my facility. Will that be okay with you?”

George nodded. “I think it will be necessary if this is going to work but make sure whoever is sent here, understands medicine because basic science will not be enough.”

The general nodded. “I think I know who.”

General Edwards finally consented to just three active duty military personnel at the VUN of his choosing. It took two days before those people arrived. General Edwards was Air Force, but the man that showed up was a Navy Commander. The other two were Air Force like General Edwards. The General’s control included all military services. A woman ranked as Master Sargent and a Staff Sargent. The Master Sargent was a woman, the Staff Sargent was a man. General Edwards, George Holm, John, Colin and I met them at the elevator. Dressed in the sharp white uniform for the Navy, he was in his early forties with dark hair that had grey in his temples. The Master Sargent was a woman in her forties, as well. Reddish brown hair was done up due to regulations. The Staff Sargent was an African American man in his mid-thirties. Both of them were in Air Force uniforms.

It was evening when the Commander stepped off the elevator and immediately saluted General Edwards, as did the other two. The Commander stuck his hand out to the general. “General Edwards.” He nodded at him and waved at the other two with him. “This is Sargent Davis and this is Sargent McCall. We got here as soon as possible.”

General Edwards nodded and shook hands with the two enlisted. “I appreciate your coming.” He turned to George. “This is George Holms. He is the doctor and scientist you will answer to. He knows more about this than anyone.” He looked at George. “This is Commander William Canaday. He is an excellent doctor and scientist.”

George shook the Commander’s hand. “I hope we work well together, Commander Canaday.”

The commander nodded but had the look of some urgency in his eyes. “I hope so. Please call me Will.”

“Very well, Will.” George then introduced each of us, including the fact that John was his fiancé and Colin and I were married. Not one ever reacted at that. The new military? Or was it just because none of these people were uneducated? Your guess.

“I read your credentials, they are impressive,” Will said respectfully. “This V5H, I saw the breakdown on paper…you say it’s not new?”

“No, quite the contrary, it’s very old. It is just now coming to the attention of the world.” George looked at me. “They are up now, perhaps you can be with them while I show these good people what we’re up against.”

I nodded. “Sure, George.” I looked at Colin. “Care to join me?”

Colin grinned. “I’d love to.”

Going to the room where the Old Ones were again, we went in and was greeted by all three. Repetate, Iustina, and Ralph were so…different now. They were relaxed and calm. Their needs were met, so they weren’t aggressive now. They even gave Colin the greeting they gave me and Vlad. Rubbing and making those noises of affection that was almost like a purr from a cat.

“…so bizarre!” I heard Commander Canaday’s voice as the speakers came on. “Vampires!?”

“So, why aren’t they attacking those two?” The woman, Sargent Davis asked.

“Because they already are vampires,” George answered. “As are John and me.”

I smiled as I heard the usual questions asked and answers given. The evidence was right before their eyes. They didn’t have a choice, but to believe.

We, our family, again gathered for a meal again in Colin’s and my apartment. I loved that everyone was here. I missed them. The usual chaos of many conversations going at the table as food was brought and dished out. There was an easy comfortable togetherness, a closeness that just could be felt.

Willie grinned as Colin was piling his plate with food. “At least this hasn’t affected your appetite.”

My mother’s eyes widened as she nodded with a chuckle. “I don’t think anyone could eat that much and not gain weight. Not even a vampire.”

Colin looked up innocently. “What do you mean? I always eat like this.” He took a forkful of meat sticking it in his mouth and munched happily. “It just tastes so good!”

As relaxed as it all seemed so far, there was always the fear that something would go wrong. This many people now knowing, with no ties personally with a vampire they loved, there could be problems. We all knew that.

“But this whole…” Shelly began, “telling people hasn’t been bad?”

George shook his head. “No, it hasn’t. I think if we had tried this before the serum it would have been much worse. We showed them we have being a vampire under some control. The ones we’ve told are calmer about it.”

Colin shrugged a little. “Just like with you, Chuck, Mark and Stan…you came around.”

“Yes,” Stan nodded. “We saw the evidence. We could hardly deny it.”

Mark bumped Stan’s shoulder. “It was Buddy you fell in love with.”

Stan grinned. “Well, sure! It’s an amazing computer. You never were afraid of them.” He pointed at me and Colin. “You believed in what they were doing and it is the right thing.”

“Things are pretty good,” I admitted. “I think we need to plan for something else now.” I grinned at them. “We have several weddings to plan.” I waggled my eyebrows. “There’s Vlad’s and Gaius’ wedding,” I looked at Stan. “Yours and Mark’s and then George’s and John’s.”

“Not necessarily in that order.” Colin chuckled.

Vlad nodded as he was helping himself to some of the food. “Well, Devon did promise to show us Wentworth Manor.”

“Nicolas, Helga, and their children are coming, too?” I said more as a question.

“Yes,” Gaius smiled. “Helga wants to return to Romania afterward.”

“She’s going back?” Colin asked a little disappointed.

“Only to pack.” Vlad chuckled. “They don’t want to leave now.”

Gabriella laughed. “I knew they would.”

I worked with the Old Ones at night to help them gain a better understanding of language. I napped in the early morning. Colin still worked on the computer to keep things businesswise going. I had gotten so used to sleeping with Colin, it was not the best sleep I got without him, but…we had different things to do at different times. We did sleep together, I mean as in slumber. We also had our lovemaking, but I missed Colin. He was there, don’t misunderstand that. He would have forgone the computer and all that, but he had things that were time sensitive he had to do. I understood that.

I was awakened as I felt a familiar brushing of lips on the cheek and those lips traveled down my face toward my neck. I also caught the familiar scent. There was that cologne I loved, but it was all Colin. I didn’t even have to open my eyes, I knew where he was. My hands traveled up his chest and my arms went around him, pulling him down to me and held him close.

“Hi,” I said softly to him.

His chuckle rumbled in my ear softly as his arms encircled me. “Hi.” He stretched out over me. “It’s a little earlier, but you need to come downstairs.”

“Oohh.” I moaned a little, then was awake. Was something wrong? “Is everything okay?”

He chuckled again kissing me lightly again. “Yes, everything is fine. Just throw something on, you’ll want to see this.” Colin said.

“But you’re not saying why.” I nodded. “Okay.” I got up, having showered before I went to bed, I brushed my hair and teeth, then put some clothes on.

Colin escorted me to the elevator with our hands joined as usual. We went down a few floors to the reception area of Holm’s Laboratories. That was the main entrance for anyone coming to these offices, be it the Holms' Laboratories or the VUN.

Ursula stood in front of the rounded reception desk and was talking with two well-dressed men in dark suits and as I got closer, my eyes widened when I finally recognized who they were. Ursula smiled and commented to them and walked off to do…what she needed to.

“Robert! Marty!” I practically yelled rushing over. They both looked at me and grinned as I came quickly.

“Hi, Devon!” Marty greeted with a big smile and held out his hand which I bypassed, hugging Marty tightly. Colin was smiling, but he was shaking Robert’s hand and giving the “bro-shoulder bump” to Robert. I let go of Marty and then I hugged Robert. No shoulder bump for me.

I pulled back to look at them. Marty Davis and Robert Cummings looked nothing like they did in Romania. They were traveling college graduates there for the big Transylvania Halloween event. They were now dressed in business suits and hair combed and neat. Their youth was still there, but the maturity was there as they looked…professional. Robert had his light-colored hair highlighted with those blonde-white streaks while in Romania, now it was a darker blonde, but combed and groomed well. Marty’s dark hair was also combed and neat. “I almost didn’t recognize you two!” I held their arms out as I looked at what they wore. The dark-colored suits; dark navy for Robert and black for Marty. The white shirts were so white they almost glowed. Robert wore an electric blue tie and Marty’s as electric red. Sharp!

Marty grinned. “Well, I had to come, my disc needs replacing.” He pointed to his arm. “I had a couple of replacements since Romania, but…”

“…and you invited us to come,” Robert said smiling as he finished Marty’s sentence. “Where better to have it done than here?” He waved at the surrounding personnel and offices.

I nodded. “I meant for you to.”

“So, this is okay?” Robert asked. “Our coming here?”

“Yes! Of course, it is.” I replied. “I hope you plan to stay.”

“You mean in New York? We’d like to.” Robert said sheepishly scratching the back of his head. “I was sort of a pain in the ass, back in Romania…so I wanted to be sure.”

“You had a human reaction.” I shrugged. “It happens. When did you get here?”

“Yesterday,” Marty said. “We have a hotel room not far away.” He thumbed over his shoulder to mean Manhattan.

“And you’re checking out of it today,” Colin said firmly with a smile. “Bring your things here. You should stay here, and not just in New York. You can live where you like, but…you might be more comfortable here at the VUN.”

Robert looked at Marty and smiled at me. “Well, we weren’t sure…”

“Colin’s right.” I nodded. “You both need to be here.”

Robert was happy to hear that. “Okay.” He looked at the other people working down here. Answering calls and working on computers and the quiet, ordered commotion going on. “So, this is Holms' Laboratories?”

Colin nodded. “Just part of it. George came up with many treatments from everything from Hemophilia to Leukemia and Lymphoma. Holms' Laboratories, with the partnerships with some drug manufacturers, are sending out medications and treatments for many diseases of the blood.” Colin explained. “That is the basis of where we really started. We began getting those out and that helped pay for a lot of what we do at the VUN. There is also our computer manufacturing…”

Robert seized on that. “Are you planning to market that more?” Robert asked quickly but smiled. “Sorry, I interrupted, but I saw the computers you used. They were faster than any I’ve seen. They could be a lucrative marketable product. I searched and can’t find any out in the world.”

Colin smiled as he put his arm around me as we walked. “Mostly we used them for our needs.” He explained. “Our computers are completely compatible with most computers out there. In fact, they can hack into everyone’s computer so far. Stan has come up with programs that seem to knock down any barriers. That’s just Stan, but the computers can do the job. The language program for the Delkenzie software is loaded here but works by satellite to every computer networked. We are working on a lesser…Language Buddy for public use.” Colin smiled. “Perhaps you, Robert, would like to see about that?”

Robert’s eyes grew. “That would be wonderful!” He said excitedly. “Those things will be HUGE!!!”

Colin nodded. “All the computers used here are ours. Using normal components, but has our processors and memory chips and devices.” He waved as we walked through the office work area. “Almost all down here are working for Holms' Laboratories. Upstairs is where the VUN is. We’ll show you.”

Colin explained a lot of the business of Holms' Laboratories and how big it really was as we strolled leisurely through the corridors. Robert and Marty were looking at everything. We led them to the elevators and took him up to George’s lab. The two were not prepared for how complex George’s lab was. I say again, George’s lab was orderly and dimly lit as most of what he did was on a computer and monitors. He had fixed lights he used to see more details like loading specimens. And a vampire had good eyesight, so bright lighting was unnecessary. That, and most of what he worked on was light sensitive, so bright lights would harm what he worked on and looked at.

I was pleased that John and George were working in the same place. George in his long white lab coat was looking at a monitor at something that he blew the image up to see more details. He tapped on the screen and a portion got larger so he could see more. John was working on the new combination sun and serum gun.

“George,” Colin said to George. One more time, George was so tunneled and didn’t seem to hear anyone or anything. He was concentrating.

John looked up smiling at us he saw us come in and then turned to George who wasn’t responding. He rolled his eyes and walked over and leaned in kissing George lightly on the cheek near an ear and said something to him.

“What?” George asked John who waved back at us. George turned to see us and his eyes grew, as did his smile. “Oh, sorry.” He waved at the screen. “I get so focused…”

Colin chuckled with a nod coming to George giving him an affectionate hug. “We know, George.” He waved at Marty and Robert. “Do you remember these two?”

George looked and nodded. “Oh, yes, of course!” He came over shaking their hands. “Are you joining us now?”

Marty nodded. “We’d like to.”

I looked at the image on the monitor. I’d seen venom in blood and how it reacted, but I noticed something different with this sample. “Is this Nicolas’ blood, George?”

Now George was smiling even more. “No, it’s Jan’s.” He looked at Colin and waved our attention to the monitor screen. “Gaius’ grandson’s blood, but there are similarities to Nicolas’ blood including type which Rica doesn't share as he was his their mother's. You can see that!”

“He has the same antivenin and antibody,” I said.

George nodded again getting excited again. “Yes, it’s not as strong as the venom he inherited from his father wasn’t as strong, to begin with, but they are there.” He waved at the screen. “It has many of the same properties. The inherited venom and the body’s making of the venom are there but under control!” He grinned at the screen. “I was seeing the reaction of ultraviolet light on his blood! I am studying it at very slow progression.”

I saw Will Canaday come in, also with a long white lab coat on (why is that the dress code here?), but was wearing his uniform underneath. He stopped. “Oh, hello.”

George walked over to Will. “Will, these are two from Romania I told you about that we rescued when Iilya and Lucian tried to convert more to becoming vampires.”

Will stopped looking uncertainly at Marty and Robert. “Are they…?”

George chuckled. “One is and one isn’t.”

John nodded. “Can’t tell, can you?” He asked Will with a chuckle.

“No,” Will admitted.

“Now, you understand a little more about what we want to do,” George said.

Robert nodded seeing the uniform. “So, you have the military here now?” He said shaking Will’s hand.

“He’s sort of a…liaison officer between us and the President,” Colin explained. “We need that support to do what we need to do.”

“He’s a doctor and scientist,” George explained to them. “He and other scientists around the world will be helping me to find the cure and help with others that are vampires.”

Marty shrugged. “You did it in Romania and England. It just makes sense.”

We had Marty and Robert with us at dinner. We took them to Vamps before they were to be taken to their hotel and checked out of there and into the VUN. As they left to do just that I turned to Colin.

Looking at him, I felt it again. Here was a human being I loved more than anyone. More than I thought possible. I knew he loved me. I came up and hugged him which of course, he gave the hug back. Feeling his presence, solid, warm and…just there. It was more than lust, it was more than love. He was part of me. I really did feel my heart beat faster and more intensely.

“Are you doing anything for the next hour or so?” I asked Colin as he bent in allowing my nose and mouth near his throat and ear.

He grinned at me as his hands ran over me. “I think so.” He chuckled. “I think my husband and I need some time alone together…to connect.” He said as his lips touched mine gently. “Shall we go?”

I took his hand and led him to the elevator to go to our apartment. Once there, in our room, clothes were shed and the caresses began. Lips to lips, the pressing of skin to skin and passion was reignited in a flame that only got brighter, not a burst, but just slow and steady burning brighter. We did connect again; making love slowly and deeply. There was nowhere I didn’t touch on Colin. There was no place I didn’t kiss on Colin. Nor was there a place on me that wasn’t touched and kissed. It was sex, yes, but the most important thing. It was love.

After we both climaxed…no panting or gasping needed. We were solid again. My hand in his hair and arm around him. “I love you, Colin.”

“I know,” Colin said softly as he kissed me. “I love you.”

“I know.”