A close knit family can be a wonderful thing. In times of need, they can be the support that helps you pull through. They are often the shoulders to cry on or the back up when it seems like you are alone. But sometimes a family can do too much. At times they can think they know what’s better for you than you do yourself. They can also help even if you don’t want it or need it. They’ll stick their noses in your business just because they are your family. If humans are funny that way…Kindred can be truly scary. Either way, family can be a pain in the ass.

****

“I wanna go out,” Justin said, sitting across from Willow and Buffy. He ignored their shocked faces and turned to his lover and repeated, “Brian, did you hear me? I wanna go out and have some fun. How about Babylon?”

“Sounds possible, if you’re a good boy,” Brian replied with a sly grin. “Let’s just make sure Will and Buff understand the realities of the situation.”

“She’s not a vampire,” Buffy protested. “She’s not a blood sucker…see?” Buffy grabbed Willow’s face and checked her teeth. “She doesn’t have the pointy teeth and those mountainy ridges on her forehead. And she’s way with the not needing sucking of blood. I would have noticed that. Kinda can’t miss that.”

“I’m not dead, Buff,” Willow said softly. She cringed at the thought and looked at Brian. “And I way don’t want to be. I’m a Royal Blood or someone whose ancestors are vampires…or Kindred. We’re called Kindred, right? It’s like a cool name for family. Kindred. See? Sounds not evil and very not blood sucking.”

“Makes sense you’re a Tremere, Red,” Spike mentioned as he flipped through pages of a magazine. “I mean most humans just can’t pop off and do that hocus pocus shite. It’s a blood thing, you know. Blokes would give their right eye for your skill…and I know a Cretedden demon who did.”

“Demons,” Justin snickered. “Ick. I don’t like demons.”

“They’re not allowed in Pittsburgh,” Brian replied, snaking himself behind Justin and then propping his young lover onto his lap. “It’s one of the few rules of your dad’s that I kept.”

“I’m glad we got rid of some of those other rules, like being queer,” Justin sighed. “I like sucking cock.”

“Me too,” Willow agreed, then explained when the others glanced at her questioningly. “That came out wrong. I like being queer…not…sucking…anything on a guy.” And just to make it clear she added, “I like women…and vaginas and boobies and stuff.”

“Next topic of conversation. How do you keep demons out of Pittsburgh?” Buffy asked, giving Brian all of her attention. “I kill them and they just keep coming back. They hide and all that, but if you go to a couple of underground spots…there they are, ready to be killed again.”

“She’s stupid,” Justin declared, rolling his eyes and leaning back into Brian’s arms.

“Am not!”

“Are so!”

“Alright, children,” Brian sighed. “The fact remains that although you are a Vampire Slayer, you know nothing about Kindred.”

“I thought Kindred were vampires,” Willow stated, a bit confused. “It was just another name for something like Barney and purple dinosaur or Robert Downey Jr. and smack head.”

“Vampire is a name humans gave us,” Justin clarified. “Kindred is the name given to us by the father of us all.”

Justin sunk into Brian’s arms, tiring of the conversation. He knew Brian wanted to make certain Willow understood her own situation, but wondered why the Slayer had to be there. It felt like he was giving all their best secrets to their biggest enemy. Maybe he was making it too personal; he had to admit to himself that Buffy irritated him no end. Justin couldn’t say exactly why, but it probably had something to do with the fact that she was the type of person those stupid blonde jokes were made for.

“The father of you all?” Buffy snickered. “That’s that guy from the Bible, right?”

“Caine,” Willow answered. “As in the slayer of his brother, Abel.” Willow thought about what Brian had told her and tried to recite it back to him. “And Caine had children…I mean childer, each of whom started their own clan. Spike’s a Ventrue. Justin’s a Toreador and I’m a Tremere…just like Brian.”

“Way not getting it,” Buffy sighed.

“Way not surprised,” Justin snapped.

“Just ‘cause you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you get to be all bitchy and complainy,” Buffy snapped back at Justin. She turned her attention to Willow and tried to understand. “Besides those other vampires…or Kindred or whatever…there’re Malkavians who are crazies like Dru, Nosferatu who looked icky like The Master, Assamites who are assassins, Gangrels who, like, turn into wolves or something, Ravnos who are the gypsies and…for crying out loud! Who the hell have I been fighting all this time?”

“Tzmisce,” Justin chuckled. “They are outcasts, even amongst Kindred. They kill for the sake of killing. They are in constant torment just for existing. They want everyone to be in the same sort of pain that they are always in…they are the types of vampires that try and end the world. They’re poisonous creatures that don’t deserve to exist. The elders of all the clans were correct to banish them to the Hellmouth where they would be killed off by the Slayer. It’s the only thing you’re good at Buffy…killing the lowliest of us all.” Justin paused and ended with an evil smile. “And Kindred allow you that because we can’t be bothered by such lowly cretins.”

“You’re a little…” Buffy began.

Justin laughed as he leaned into his lover and stroked the hair at the nape of Brian’s neck. He wanted to tell Buffy that she had no idea what real Kindred power was, but he dared not. That was something she would see later, no doubt.

“I don’t believe any of this,” Buffy snickered, shaking her head. She looked at Willow who seemed to be absorbing all the information. “This is crap.”

“I’m used to hearing shit like this,” Justin sighed with a smile that brightened up the room. He intertwined his fingers in Brian’s and squeezed. “You’re not the only one in denial around these parts.”

****

“Bullshit!” Michael snapped, trying to walk away from Matt only to have his new brother stop him. “Let me go!”

“I just wanted to warn you, brother,” Matt replied calmly. “I didn’t want you to see our Sire to find out only then that Justin’s back.”

“Bullshit!”

“You’re not thinking,” Matt sighed. “If you calmed down, you could feel Justin.”

Michael took a deep breath and paused for a moment. It was then he could feel Brian’s unborn baby and the blond who carried it. He wondered why he hadn’t felt it earlier and supposed it was because he didn’t want to. He had thought Brian was over the little brat. He had assumed. Then his Sire punched him in the face. But when that happened he thought that something else might have been wrong with Brian.

“Fuck!”

“You should be happy,” Matt said.

“Happy?” Michael answered, laughing so hard it made him seem a bit deranged. “Justin is the reason all of this has happened. He’s the cause of every problem that has ever happened around here, but you’d know that if you weren’t so new.”

“I can’t change the past,” Matt replied, shaking his head. It was clear Michael wouldn’t listen, but he had to do his duty and try. “Neither can you. Right now you should be happy Sire’s mate and their unborn child is here for us to protect. They are family and they need to be close…just like Gus.”

“Justin isn’t a part of my family,” Michael protested, slapping Matt’s hand away. “You kiss his bubble butt if you want., I have other things to do.”

Michael turned and walked away before Matt had an opportunity to stop him again. His first mission was to see his Sire, so he headed upstairs and ordered to be let in. After a moment, he was allowed in a room full of people, most of whom he didn’t know. There was one face he did know, however. He could never forget Justin and his smug smile, no matter how much he tried.

“Brian, can I speak to you alone?” Michael asked.

“No,” Justin answered. He held Brian’s hand in his own and rubbed his large belly. “We have company, if you haven’t noticed the blond twat who calls herself the Slayer, the Royal Blood redhead Tremere and the bleached blond wannabe Brujah over there.”

“I resent that,” Spike snickered.

“Brian…”

“You and Buffy should get together and start a club,” Justin sighed. “You could call it People in Denial or Idiots and Assholes.”

“Fuck you,” Michael snapped.

“It’s time for you to go, Mikey,” Brian said softly. When Michael tried to open his mouth, Brian gave him a stern look and ran his hand down Justin’s stomach all the way to the Toreador’s groin. “Now.”

Michael watched Brian’s display, turned around and slammed the door as he left. After all the trouble he went through, Justin was still a thorn in his side. Maybe that was because he didn’t go all the way. He opened the book of spells, Liber Utercumque Turbatus Sedatus. Michael had worked through the first chapter, but he’d let it go after that. Justin was gone, so he thought it had done did its job. He should have known better.

Trudging upstairs, Michael decided that no matter what happened he would finish what he had begun. He went into the library [c] happy that no one was there. Obviously, someone had stopped in the middle of their research. Ignoring the books on pregnancies, he went for Liber Utercumque Turbatus Sedatus. He flipped past the first chapter, Genitus, Mei Sinus or My Sire, My Heart, and went directly to the second, Mei Impendeo, Saevio or My threat, My Action.

As Michael read, the information rang in his mind. He was never good in school, but the information in this book seemed to fit his way of learning. It felt like the book was made for him and him alone. It knew what he needed and how he needed to fix his problems.

Within this chapter you will find that there is always a beginning. There is a beginning to love. There is a beginning to hate and there is a beginning to the end…

****

“It’s about to begin, I see,” Julian said, pouring himself a drink and then pouring Craig one as well when asked.

“The time is almost here,” Craig chuckled. “Brian’s got his hands more than full as of late. Those lesbians of his are trying to steal his son. His eldest childe resents Justin and Justin…well, the Slayer is more than a handful. To think Brian allowed the wench into his home.”

“How do you know so much?”

“I still have people in Pittsburgh,” Craig replied, taking his drink, finishing it in one gulp. “Kinney would be surprised.”

Julian poured Craig another drink and put his down without even a taste. He had much on his mind. Both men were delving into a situation where they had once been beaten. The strangest part was that Brian didn’t even know what he was doing until it had already been done. Kinney’s luck made it difficult to find a way to attack him. Julian wondered how Craig was planning to defeat someone who had fate on his side. If he was going to put himself in another situation where he’d have to deal with Brian’s powerful father, he was going to find out.

“What is your plan of attack?”

“In due time, Luna,” Craig smiled. “The only way that I know things will go my way, is to keep my plans to myself. You would have been wise to do so yourself when you had your own opportunity against Kinney.”

“With that I will agree,” Julian sighed, remembering his own downfall. “I will say that I do not like being put in such a precarious situation. Even though I’m not in his domain right now, Brian would throw a fit if he knew I was meeting with you.”

“You are a Ventrue,” Craig declared as if he needed to. “You are allowed to visit Ventrue in other cities if you so choose. If I didn’t need you in Pittsburgh, I’d have you here in Philadelphia by my side.”

“Even though we don’t always agree?”

“Especially since we don’t always agree,” Craig clarified. “I would have stood a better chance against Kinney if I had others to go to for guidance.”

“You have me now,” Julian told the man. “But how to guide a person who won’t tell me his plans?”

“My plans will be made clear to you soon enough, Julian,” Craig assured the worried Justicar. “And this time I will not make the same mistakes I did before. This time I plan to start at the top.”

****

Ulugh teleported into the meeting and acknowledged Justin and Brian, though quickly turned his attention to the redhead sitting before them. He could sense her power and knew their lineages linked. She was not his childe, but the grandchilde of his long dead brother. It seemed, however, his son was quick to bring the young woman back into the fold. She smelled of Brian and Ulugh knew his son would have little to do with a woman. The only things women were useful for, to his son, were as mentors or soldiers. Ulugh felt exactly what Brian had in mind for Willow. The extent of her power surprised even him.

“Good evening, young Willow.”

“Ummm…hey?”

“Willow, this is my father, Ulugh Beg,” Brian introduced, though he never got up from his place behind Justin, who fidgeted on his lap. He quickly linked to Matt and told his youngest that they’d be going to Babylon soon. Like Justin, he needed a little quiet time surrounded by hundreds of mostly naked men in g-strings and cowboy hats. But, back to the conversation at hand…“I think I mentioned him.”

“All powerful Kindred who can make things go boom,” Willow summed up. “Yep, you mentioned that.”

“Master Beg,” Spike politely said, standing and bowing to the elder vampire. “I am William the Bloody. It is an honor, Me Lord.”

“Our eyes are upon you, the one who calls himself Spike,” Ulugh replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry,” Willow quickly said, hearing how formal Spike was. “I mean Master Borg…Bag…Bug…Beg. I meant to say Master Beg.”

“No need for formalities, Willow,” the old Justicar told the newest member of his brood. “You are family and now you are home.”

“Our family keeps getting bigger and bigger, wouldn’t you say, Father Beg?” Justin asked as he happily rubbed his belly.

“For that I am greatly pleased,” Ulugh replied, motioning for his son to follow him. Ulugh led Brian out of the loft and into the elevator where he pressed the button for the bottom floor. He waited for the elevator to move, its chains loud in motion, before he began.

“Something wrong?” Brian asked softly.

“I have urgent business in the old country,” Ulugh explained. “The matter is so pressing I have no knowledge when I will return.”

“You’ll keep in contact?”

“Of course, My Son.”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“No,” Ulugh replied with a smile. “I did wish to speak to you about the mothers of your only born child.”

“They wouldn’t have gotten far,” Brian said.

Ulugh laughed. It pleased him to know his son was aware of the goings on within his home. Although he knew there would be other, more dangerous, issues to be dealt with, the ancient Justicar was pleased that his son had the smaller issues in hand. He was certain the others would show themselves soon enough.

“Do not forget your childer…”

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Brian replied. The words rolled from his lips so easily he forgot there was ever another man he called father. It was ironic that the human had been so cold and the vampire only showed him love.

“I cannot help but worry.”

“I’ll keep an eye on my childer.”

The last word Ulugh said before teleporting was, “good”. Brian smiled and returned to the top floor. One day he’d learn how to teleport at will. Then everyone would have to watch their backs for him…starting with his childer.

****

“Arcesso genetrix perago venio…”

“What are you doing?” Matt asked Michael as he entered the room.

“None of your business!”

“Where did you get that book?”

“Lazarus gave them to me to study,” Michael retorted, slamming the book shut. “Maybe when you get to my level you’ll get to read it too. Then again [c] it’s not your area of expertise.”

“Give me a fight any day,” Matt growled back. “Which you’ll get, considering where we’re going.”

“Where?”

“Babylon,” Matt replied with a grin. “Though Father didn’t mention you specifically, I can only imagine he’d want his actual gay childe to be there.”

“He’s not our father!”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have told you,” Matt sighed, shaking his head sadly. “If you did go, you wouldn’t be going for fun. You’d be there to protect our Sire and his mate. Somehow, I don’t think that would be your top priority.”

Michael opened his mouth to reply, but kept quiet when Matt turned and left. He wanted to shout obscenities until he couldn’t think of anymore, but decided against it. He had other things to attend to first. His silly brother had interrupted his spell and that needed attending to. After that, he could go to Babylon and dance with Brian. It would be like his gift for a job well done. A celebration with Brian…a day they’d never forget.

****

Three men stood at the bar amidst scantily clad men and flashing lights, nursing their beers. It didn’t matter that no one bothered to talk to any of them because the men weren’t there to find a date or even a bedmate for the night. Though humans at Babylon didn’t know who these men were, the Kindred did. Though they were mostly Toreadors, the Kindred in the club recognized the new Ventrue Primogen when they saw him.

“How long do we have to stay?”

“Until he gets here,” Chris replied, flashing a steely glare to his guard. “All you have to do is follow my plan.”

“He’s powerful…”

“Mate or no mate, he’s also horny,” Chris retorted. “My sources tell me that he comes down here often and when he doesn’t, he sends his people down here to fetch him a boy to play with. Mostly humans…probably to eat after he finishes…eating them.”

“What does Master Taylor say about this?”

“I am Primogen of Pittsburgh!” Chris snapped, happy the music was so loud he could hardly hear his comrades. He took a deep breath and regained his composure. “You know your goal...”

The guards nodded their heads and whispered under their breaths, “Brian Kinney.”

****

Brian strolled back into the loft hearing voices he didn’t want to. Though he smelled the return of Regillio, he ignored the Nosferatu and went into his bedroom. He picked out one of his favorite designer shirts and put it on.

“Just to make it perfectly clear,” Em began, waving his arms flippantly at Brian. “We are not walking meals for Brian or Princess…” After thinking about it for a moment, he had to add an aside, “But occasional I do allow Justin to feed when he’s really hungry and only because he’s pregnant. And in no way shape or form have I ever fed from either of them.”

“We’re not ghouls,” Ted clarified.

“Absolutely not,” Em concurred. He straightened out his puce satin shirt and picked lint from his velvet leopard print pants.

“We’re Michael’s friends,” Ted said, smiling.

When Em saw Justin shoot him a pouty look he added, “And we have grown to love Princess since the moment we saw him stalking Brian…or the first time we saw him give Brian a blow job…or the first time we saw him heels over head getting rammed pretty efficiently by the asshole over there.”

“Memories,” Justin recalled fondly. The Toreador glanced at Brian and laughed. “Didn’t we do that earlier?”

“Most likely,” Brian replied, buttoning up his shirt. “I think that was before cumming in your mouth the second time, but after I licked your balls.”

“Was that what you were doing?” Buffy wondered aloud, shaking her head.

“Don’t pretend like you never did that,” Spike snorted. “I recollect you liking the taste of me tickle. I know for a fact that you liked an occasional finger digging you from the backside. Just watching you made me want to squirt all over.”

“Way more information than I ever needed to hear!” Em screeched. “One of Brian’s silly rules that I actually agree on is no hetero talk.”

“Yeah,” Willow agreed. “This lesbian would rather not hear about penises and…liquids…”

“OK, let’s not talk about sex anymore,” Buffy declared, which seemed to appease everyone.

The group sat in silence as Brian put on his Italian shoes and new platinum watch. He ran his fingers through his hair and assumed he looked great. Didn’t he always? Brian smiled and watched as the group sat uncomfortably. Not talking about sex apparently left the room open for a topic of conversation. None seemed to be forthcoming. Lucky for Brian he didn’t have to stand there in bare silence: his youngest childe entered the loft.

“Babylon has been secured for your entry,” Matt declared, turning his attention to his Sire’s mate. “There are many Toreadors there who wish to spend time with their Primogen. They appeared a little on edge…I think there might be some issues.”

“Aren’t there always?” Justin sighed, getting up. He looked down at the Obfuscated belly then back to Brian. “Save the last dance for me?”

“Always,” The Prince replied with a smile.

“Why are we going to a gay club?” Buffy asked as everyone got up, ready to leave.

“You can stay here if you want,” Justin snorted, rolling his eyes. He grabbed his jacket and headed out saying, “I feel the need to be surrounded by a roomful of hot sweaty men.”

“That’s a good reason to go,” Buffy agreed, following the Toreador.

Em took Ted by the arm and followed Justin. He checked Buffy out from behind and shook his head as if he saw a car wreck, “As if any of those guys would be interested in snatch.”

“I’m interested in snatch,” Willow said innocently while holding up her hand. When she saw the look on Brian’s face she amended, “Well, not right now, but eventually I have needs too.”

“Stay and study all you want, Red,” Spike declared before following the group. “If I’ve got to exist as a bloody Ventrue, I might as well break every one of my Clan’s sodding rules.”

Matt watched as everyone but Brian left the room. His Sire didn’t have to say anything, he knew Brian wanted to know why Michael wasn’t there. What was Matt to say? Michael was acting suspiciously? The truth was…when wasn’t he acting suspiciously? No words needed to be exchanged. It was something that would have to be dealt with…among other things.

****

Michael chanted the last word and spread his blood across the open pages of the spellbook. Though there were only a few drops, the blood increased, swirling like a tornado on top of the pages. It began as a slow swirl then increased until Michael began to see a picture like an old movie reel. He saw two vague liquid figures start off red, and then change into color until it was clear he was looking at Brian and Justin.

The young Tremere watched the strange show, not knowing what to make of it. It started off as two men standing then quickly went to two men kissing, and then two men having sex. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes he wouldn’t have believed the clarity of Brian’s body even though it was licking down Justin’s back, stopping at the young man’s plump butt.

Michael watched, waiting for something else to happen, but he sat there as the figure of Brian twisted the figure of Justin around switching his area of interest from butt to cock. It was always like that with Brian…not that Michael would know that personally. After Brian was done with that, Justin’s legs were over the figure’s shoulders. The figure of Brian began a slow melodic movement, inserting himself while at the same time holding Justin’s hand. It was then Michael began to hear Justin grunt and Brian groan, “I can do this all night long.”

“No!”

The moment the words came out of Michael’s mouth, the figure of Brian began a steadier pace. The sounds, like the picture, became more distinct as the slapping of flesh against flesh could be heard with every thrust. The drips of sweat and spray of cum was as real as Justin’s screech when he came. But it wouldn’t end there. Brian made sure of it when he promised Justin, “I’m not done with you yet…”

The anger within Michael grew so much he didn’t know how much longer he could take the display. To him it wasn’t even a display anymore. For Michael, it was just as bad as having to watch Brian and Justin have sex in real life. Agony. The figures of Brian and Justin were moving at a fast pace, grunting and groaning, breaths heavy and guttural. At first Michael didn’t hear it, but the second time the figure of Brian said it, it was clear, “I love you…I love you, Justin.”

“No!”

Michael screamed and shoved his fist into the swirling blood, slashing it about the room. Although the blood spread everywhere, it had found a home. Within moments of Michael’s outburst, the blood slid and slicked its way back to the book and into the pages forming the words of the next chapter.

Venio Denuo Familia
The Rise of the New Family