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Complicated Lives

by A. Fraser and Jean Hontz

Part 8

© Copyright 2005 A. Fraser and Jean Hontz. All rights reserved.

T'Beth, when she'd realized Janine had left Toronto had written openly to Alex.  Adele, having seen the correspondence, announced her intention of chucking school for a few days and getting herself to Maine.  Alex had tried to talk her out of it, but he was entirely unsuccessful, not to mention any excuse to see her seemed like a good thing to him.

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Meanwhile, Adele was still in Paris. Her late class had extended even later when her prof asked her to stay for a word. Then two other people before her monopolized his attention. Adele was nearly frantic. She still had to get home, get changed, grab her stuff. And then she could port to Maine. She'd already changed her spell to take her to the front door of Valley Mansion rather than to Fairlawn where she'd usually arrived. Still...

Finally, it was her turn. And, she was irritated to learn the wait had been for this idiot to make a pass at her. She stood there mostly with her mouth hanging open. This was the first time it had happened to her. Oh, other students had certainly made known an interest in her, but a professor? Granted he was one of the more attractive ones, and she had heard rumours he liked his female students, but Adele had sort of thought herself immune from this sort of thing. After all, she wasn't blonde and made-up and wearing some high-Paris fashionable alternative to painted on jeans. In fact, she'd been so worried about Alex she hadn't even put on make-up. Her freckles were showing, her hair was a wild, untamed cloud of curls that she had to blow out of her face periodically, and her sweater was actually one of Julian's she'd grabbed in error from the laundry room and it fit too tightly across her breasts. Oh.

It took her some time to extract herself gracefully from his hot bad breath and grabby hands. She'd wanted to do it diplomatically rather than using her knee into his groin. No sense making an enemy if you didn't have to. At any rate, she'd backed him up toward the door, him thinking she was coming on to him during that silly dance, and at the last moment when he went to clutch her she'd swept past him with a giggle.

"Bastard," she muttered as she ran full out for home. Near as she could tell, she'd be only a couple of hours late. Surely Janine couldn't have reached Valley Mansion yet. Alex might be worried why she was late though. She needed to hurry.

She ran most of the way home. It was near enough that walking was generally faster than driving, and she could cut through side and back streets that way. Still, she hated every moment lost. She arrived home nearly breathless, ran up the stairs to her room, and decided not to even change.
She'd go as she was. She merely grabbed the duffle-bag she had ready and with a word, and a hand movement, disappeared from her bedroom and reappeared on the front porch of valley mansion, Julian's warning, delivered to her before she'd left for class, ringing in her ear. "Don't let yourself be used against Alex. He's got enough to deal with without having to factor in protecting you, too."

She stood on the porch, took a deep breath, and rang the bell.

Alex opened the door, smiling. "I knew it was you. You drive the wards on the road crazy when you just pop in and out, you know. One of these days, Ray Griffin is going to smack you."

"He can try," Adele said, and folded herself into his open arms.

"Easy now," Alex laughed. "I'm fine. There's no sign of Janine." His eyes swept the expanse of driveway and the Cliff Road. "Somebody would have warned me if she was on the road."

"But I'm too smart to take the road, darling cousin," said a voice, and Janine stepped out from around shadows by the tower. Without further warning, she rushed at Alex, knocking Adele aside, and plunged a wooden stake into his chest.

Adele at that point let out a psychic yell that probably reached Toronto. Somewhere in that mostly incoherent scream was the name Michael. Then she turned on Janine and dove at her. She didn't know if that stake would (or already had) killed Alex all she knew was that if he were still alive she had to keep Janine away from him until Michael - or someone - arrived. And she doubted Janine had realized she'd shouted for help.

Adele hit Janine at knee level which dropped her. Even a vampire can't stop knees from buckling. Adele knew she was no match physically for Janine. But if she could have only a moment, she could send her own dagger -a dagger of mental energy rather than wood, into her. Maybe it would at least slow her down.

Alex had fallen, blood streaming down his shirt front, when Janine had staked him. The world span; the pain was indescribable. But he didn't seem to be dying. As the lights began to fade on him, he heard Adele scream Michael's name. What possible use could Michael be, he wondered muzzily. Not even the Druid could bring a vampire back from True Death... although that fate seemed to be an awfully long time in arriving.

Wow. It really, seriously, _hurt_ to have a stake driven into your chest. He'd forgotten; it had been quite some time since Cassandra had done the same, and he hadn't exactly been in his right mind at the time. She'd missed the heart.

Dammit to hell, another expensive shirt ruined! He wished just once that someone could give him some warning of when they were going to hammer a stake into his chest, so that he could wear an old painting rag or something besides a two hundred dollar hand-sewn designer original.

Mrs. Jenkins was going to be really peeved with him... why was she leaning over him? Why wasn't anyone helping Adele?

But someone was. Not only Michael had heard that scream. The Archdruid had appeared nearly as soon as the last syllable of his name had resounded in the ether, so had Ray Griffin. The sound of car engines and running feet could be heard in the distance. Help was on the way.

Michael knelt by Alex's side and quickly assessed the damage. "Missed the heart," he said. "Thank the goddess. But he'll need blood."

"We're well stocked," said Mrs. Jenkins.

"He might need fresher than that."

Ray moved to help Adele. He grabbed the wild young vampire by the hair, the handiest thing he could find.

The moment Ray grabbed Janine, Adele scrambled on hands and knees over to where Alex lay bleeding. "Is he," she asked. But her answer was seeing Alex's eyes open and move toward her.

She shifted over to hold him, putting his head in her lap, and did not really hear Michael as he explained that Janine had missed Alex's heart. She was crying. Just holding Alex as tight as she could, looking pale and miserable, not to mention bruised and partly naked since her sweater had ripped leaving one breast bare. She didn't notice that at all.

Ray, meanwhile, was in a bit of trouble. Janine fought like a wildcat, and he still only had a grip on her hair. He was too busy trying to control her physically to risk any magic. He'd sort of expected a little back-up from Adele, but the dratted girl had scarpered off to Alex's side. Young love.

Fuck.

Janine turned, snarling, breaking his grip on her hair. She lunged and sank her fangs into Ray's arm, making him cry out in pain and surprise and sink to his knees while she clung like a lamprey. Then strong hands appeared and peeled her off, flinging her to the ground.

Janine looked up into furious hazel eyes. A booted foot came down and held her in place on the ground, even though she struggled. Others began to gather behind Evan, staring down at Janine, or moving to help Ray, or offering to assist Michael.

"Adele, hold his head," Michael instructed. "You might want to cover his eyes.
I've got to pull the stake out."

"Do it," Alex said through clenched teeth.

Adele said, "Alex, look only at me." Surprisingly he did.

Alex's cry of pain was a sound Adele would never forget. It echoed off the cliffs.

Michael took off his own shirt to staunch the wound, while at the same time managing to worry about the other wounded.

"How's Ray?" he flung the words over his shoulder.

"I've stopped the bleeding," said Pandora, crouching down beside the fallen mage. "But he's in shock."

Mrs. Jenkins, who had vanished inside unnoticed, now came out with blankets. She draped one over Adele, decorously hiding that exposed breast, put another over Michael's shirtless torso, then went over and handed some to Pandora to get Ray warm. "Look after him for me, will you?" Michael asked. He didn't need to add 'keep him away from Alex', because Pandora would know that. "And Janine?"

"We have her secure," said Evan. Between himself, Gideon, Josh, and Francis, they were managing to hold the screaming, fighting girl.

"Good," Michael nodded. He shivered a bit, despite the blanket. "Adele," he said to the young woman who was still holding Alex's head, wiping his forehead and wishing she could do something more concrete for his pain, "I'm going to give him blood. Hold his head up for me."

"No," said Adele; Michael looked tired and frail in the dim moonlight, not to mention cold. And she felt, as Alex's lover, that this was her... could one call it a right? A privilege? Responsibility? "Let me do it."

Michael met her eyes, and looked into them for what seemed an eternity. She shivered. She felt her soul being searched.

"Yes," said Michael. "Very well, then."

He didn't try to argue her out of it. She would remember that, too.

"Brace yourself," he said. He took her arm, and made a quick pass with his hand over her wrist. Adele gasped. Blood welled in the path Michael's hand had followed, yet she had seen no blade nor felt a slash. He then took her hand and guided the bleeding wrist to Alex's mouth.

The vampire's lips fastened onto the bleeding wound. Another gasp escaped Adele; it was a sensation impossible to describe. Pain and ecstasy combined made her arch her body and cry out. The other vampires, even the thrashing, spitting Janine, all glanced in her direction, eyes flickering hungrily.

After the first deep draught, Alex didn't suck Adele's blood, but lapped it. She'd seen documentaries of how vampire bats drank blood, and it was exactly like that--rapid tongue movement that was really incredibly erotic... if he hadn't been so obviously in pain and distress, she would have jumped him right then and there despite the witnesses. She actually protested when Michael gently but firmly took her wrist away from Alex's mouth and stopped the bleeding.

"That's enough," he said, and his tone brooked no argument. "We can give him pig's blood now."

Adele wondered if anyone could see how fragile her grasp on ..well, everything...was at present. The sensations of the real world seemed dulled, distant, even voices seemed muffled. Movements seen took too long to process. All she knew was that Alex would be all right and she clutched him as her only real tie to reality. Was this what it felt like always? This eerie stillness, this separation from everything, even from her body? She'd done some out-of-body work, but this was different. She was firmly rooted in her body but still detached in a way she didn't understand.

Michael was talking to her and she squinted to concentrate on the words. But she felt the press of Alex's eyes, felt her heart beating, slow and steady, and she couldn't hear the words.

Adele and Ray were both picked up and carried inside to the den of Valley Mansion, where a roaring fire had been produced. They were wrapped well in blankets and force-fed hot sweet tea, orange juice, and soup.

Michael, too, found himself forced into one of Alex's sweaters, swaddled in a blanket, and handed tea and soup and a firm order to finish both.

Alex was helped inside and down to his cryptic bedroom, where he was plied with pig's blood. He took it well.

Janine ... poor Janine. Evan had brought silver chains from the basement cell in Oakwoods and bound the girl in these. She quieted immediately, cringing in pain from the bite of silver, and allowed herself to be locked in an empty, secure room in Valley Mansion until a decision on her fate could be made by her turnsire.

When Adele slowly became aware of her surroundings, she heard a murmur of voices and realized she could taste the remnants of tea, sugar, chicken soup and orange juice. She felt warm and secure. She opened her eyes and met the direct, blue gaze of a similarly swaddled man across from her.

Ray Griffin was leaning back in his chair, a heavily bandaged arm resting on the side of it, letting Estella soothe his fevered brow. He groaned a little as he shifted his arm and she immediately fussed over him.

Adele caught him winking at her. "Faker," she mouthed at him, managing a grin.

Her own wrist felt fine. There was no scar, no sign of blood. But Michael had supervised both the opening and closing of the vein, and it hadn't really hurt. How much did it hurt to have a vampire tear into you with their fangs? Maybe Ray wasn't faking that much. She looked around the room.

Most of the Brotherhood seemed to be there, but there was one noticeable absence. She was halfway out of her chair before Maggie moved to her side, catching her up and forcing her back down.

"Alex is fine," said the redhaired Druidess. "He needs some recovery time; there's nothing more you can do for him right now. Doctor's orders."

"What doctor?" Adele asked.

"Nurse's orders, then," Mary Fairlawn said, coming over and peering at Adele. "And that goes for you, too, Michael Fairlawn. Sit!"

Michael subsided into his own chair. "Yes, dear," he said meekly.

Although she did indeed feel safe, Adele felt far from comfortable. It had all happened too quickly. She'd gotten in the way, Alex had almost .. No, she wouldn't think about that. She couldn't bear it. One tear leaked out of one eye. "Everything's going to be fine, Adele," Maggie assured her. Everyone else seemed busy and no one was paying much attention to them so Adele turned to Maggie, her eyes wide and a bit wild. "Maggie, if I hadn't..."

"Hush. Don't you dare blame yourself, young lady," Maggie said leaning close to her and whispering intently. "This began long before you arrived and would have happened if you'd never met Alex. It's Janine."

"But..." Adele said.

"Hush. He's fine. It's over." Maggie patted Adele rather awkwardly. Maggie wasn't really the motherly type, but Mary was with Michael making him drink more tea.

Adele sighed and leaned back into the chair, letting her eyes close, and attempting to review what she remembered of things. But things just refused to make sense. "What happens now?" she asked without moving.

"We have to decide what to do about Janine." It was Gideon's quiet voice that answered her.

Adele opened her eyes and met his kindly ones. She nodded. Understanding. With regret.

"It is up to Alexander to decide her fate," Gideon continued in that same quiet tone.

"Yes, Genevieve explained things to me," Adele said. "Sort of. She said it was..." that word again, "complicated."

"Vampire law," Gideon said, nodding. "Technically, I am senior vampire here; not that you'd notice from the way the others treat me," he added with what looked like a furtive grin. "But this isn't Europe. There's no Prince; no equivalent of Genevieve. We rule ourselves. So although I'm senior, Alexander must decide what to do with Janine. I can advise, but not rule."

"So there will be no trial," continued Michael softly, "as such. Alex is judge, jury ... and executioner."

"Ex..." Adele swallowed. "Not on my account, I hope."

Others were shaking their heads. "No," said Gideon.

"Michael?" Adele appealed to him, knowing his wisdom, his stand on non-violence. "She's just a bitter, jealous, silly girl. You can't let..."

He freed his hands from the bondage of blankets around him and spread them in a gesture of helplessness. "This is out of my hands, Adele," he said. "This isn't a Brotherhood matter. This is vampire law. I have no say, and I would not interfere between a turnsire and fledgling."

Oh, God. Her heart sank into her stomach. He'd suffer for it. He already blamed himself so often, this might.... All she could do was offer him her support, regardless of what he decided. She'd have to hide her own feelings and trust in his.

"Thank you," she said quietly, "for helping me to understand."

Not all of the Brotherhood was in the den. Evan was guarding Janine, unmoved by the girl's sobs for mercy. She had changed personalities entirely since being chained in silver, but she might as well have asked a rock for mercy as Evan. Whatever the Nameless One thought of this situation, he kept to himself.

Mrs. Jenkins was with Alex, continually plying him with pig's blood and cleaning him up. She would trust nobody else with this task, except Evan or possibly another vampire, and they were all busy. Anyone with potable blood in their veins was in danger until Alex was sufficiently replenished. Already the awful wound in his chest was closed and the redness around it was vanishing. The glazed red look in his eyes was gone; he was alert and coherent. "Enough, Mrs. J," he finally said, pushing away the latest glassful she handed him. "You're sure?" she asked severely. He nodded, and looked down at his chest. Healed. A lot of pigs had died to effect that... but there'd been fresh human blood, too. Dear God. Adele.

"Adele," he said out loud.

"Fine," said Mrs. Jenkins brusquely. "They're looking after her upstairs." Alex closed his eyes, trying to make sense of the images from earlier. "Ray," he said suddenly. "Janine... bit him."

"He's going to be okay," replied the housekeeper. "But I won't pretend she didn't hurt him." This seemed to be slight understatement for a raw chunk of flesh torn from an arm, but Mrs. J had a pretty keen idea of just how much information Alex could handle at the moment.

"Shit." Alex sighed and stood up. "I'm going to have to kill her, aren't I?" Mrs. Jenkins just looked at him.

Fucking vampire law. Alex, gloom gathering around him, went to take a quick shower and sluice away the last of the blood from his wound. Jean had been forced to do this once. Gods alone knew if Genevieve had ever had to kill a fledgling of hers; she had certainly never mentioned it if she had. But Alex remembered Jean's bitter regret when he had no choice but to send Lucinda to the True Death. Lucinda, Alex's turndam; whom Jean had turned against Gen's advice, and who had turned Alex and one or two others as well. If Jean hadn't stopped her, she probably would have had half of Europe turned within a century.

'You'd think,' Alex muttered to himself as he towelled off, 'that would have taught me something.'

Genevieve had warned him, he remembered, to take the lesson to heart and not to create fledglings on a whim. Fine for her, she was Prince and master and had been a vampire for half a millennia. Had she ever had a beautiful young gi... er, man, walk into her bedroom and demand to be first ravished and then turned? Yes, all right, he should have shown some self-control, but he'd been lonely and depressed, and things had rapidly gotten out of hand. Out of fang.

Guilt plagued him as he dressed. They'd be waiting for him upstairs. Waiting for his decision. But they'd already know what it was. Janine would already know what it was. To attack your own turnsire with intent to kill... automatic death sentence.

Mrs. Jenkins appeared in the den. Everyone turned to look at her. "He's coming upstairs," she said. A current of alertness ran through the room. Michael freed himself from his blankets. Maggie helped Adele unwrap.

Adele noticed that the rip in her sweater had been magically mended. She hoped to hell it had been Maggie who had done that.

Estella was helping Ray, trying not to jog the injured arm.

Mugs and glasses vanished, clothing was straightened, and everyone looked very serious.

Alex came into the room. He was dressed in black, and carried... oh, god. He carried a long, sharp-edged sword. Somehow, even though this was 2005, it didn't look at all out of place in his hands.

"Good evening," he said to the assembled crowd. His voice was cold, distant; his eyes echoed that. "You know why we are here. Bring the fledgling to judgment."

Gideon bowed to him and exited the den. Alex was focused on the issue at hand and did not look Adele's way. For that she was grateful. She wasn't sure she could have maintained her dignity if his eyes had fallen on her. The wait seemed eternal to Adele, but it was, she was certain, merely a few moments later Gideon returned, with Janine imprisoned between him and Evan.

Janine was forced to her knees in front of her turnsire.

Adele looked around the room, felt the tension, responded to it as she'd been taught in her own life. She nearly crumpled though when she saw the Fairlawn twins, looking pale, present with their parents. She caught Michael's eye. He had a hand on each slim shoulder, and nodded at her. Of course. They had to learn. They would be Brotherhood members some day soon, and they were no longer children. But this... She closed her eyes and prayed for them.

"Janine Goldanias," said Alex, still in that cold voice. It was the first time Adele had ever heard him _sound_ like a vampire.

Janine looked up at him. Her eyes were dry, her face impassive. But there was something there... in her eyes, in her expression... that showed her mind was not calm. "Yes," she replied.

"You have violated vampire law," Alex continued. "You attacked me, your turnsire, with intent to kill. You attacked a member of the Brotherhood," his eyes flickered towards Ray, "despite the pact. You have repeatedly disobeyed my dictates. For these crimes, the penalty is True Death. Do you have anything to say?"

"I am what you made me," Janine said.

"I know." The coldness in Alex's voice did not waver. "But you had ample opportunity to remake yourself, and did not. As your turnsire, your fate is in my hands. I must uphold the law."

"Then do it," said Janine.

Without warning, hands and arms moving so quickly they were but a black blur, with a steel blur at the end, Alex swang the sword.

Adele would have stood, purely in reflex. She had control of her voice, though. But a strong hand on her shoulder held her in her seat.

She tore her eyes from Alex long enough to look up to see it was Mrs Jenkins who helped her now. Adele gave her a grateful look. She'd misjudged Mrs Jenkins. She'd have to correct that. Adele was fighting back tears for Alex and for Janine. Her face was pale but set in stone. No one, just looking at her, would have known how the moment had torn through her. Only perhaps Mrs Jenkins, whose physical connection would let her feel the trembling of Adele's body.

Wide eyed Adele watched Alex and willed to him the strength he needed now. No-one spoke or moved; and the soft terrible thump that followed in the wake of the sword moving was a sound everyone would have trouble forgetting.

There was, surprisingly, very little blood. Alex stood there, sword in hand, staring down at his cousin's body.

Evan moved forward and gently took the sword; Gideon found a blanket and used it to cover what lay on the floor.

"Justice has been done," said the Baron in a flat, emotionless voice that made Josh start. But hands held Josh in place, too.

Vivain threw up. Galen held fast, but he was so pale that every freckle glowed. Their mother hugged them both, but offered no other comfort. A lesson learned; a harsh lesson, but a vital one. Being in the Brotherhood wasn't all about rescuing people or fighting the bad guys.

"If justice was to be done," Alex said, and some emotion was creeping back into his voice, "then Evan would take that sword and off my head, too."

Adele stood, despite Mrs Jenkins restraining hand. Her movement brought all eyes to her. Even Alex sensed something and turned to meet her eyes.

Adele stood there looking regal and calm. Despite the fact she was wearing jeans and a sweater, she stood as if she were dressed in the most sophisticated and regal gown imaginable. She walked calmly across the room, all the while holding Alex's gaze with hers by sheer force of will.

When she reached him she held her arm in the universal position that gentlemen were taught to automatically respond to.

When Alex held his arm for her she slipped hers through his.

Then she said, meeting his eyes levelly, loudly enough for all to hear her clearly, "I have heard it said that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. What you've given Janine is mercy."

The two of them walked out of the room together.
 

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