C&C is sire's blood to a writer.

    D shot awake in his bedroll and gasped, trying to disjoin the dream and reality. He stiffened at the feeling of something wet touching his face. A hand went to investigate. Tears? The Dhampir blinked and starred at his fingers glistening with the evidence that he'd been crying. He never cried.

    With a great amount of will, he forced himself to think past the feelings. It had been a dream. A nightmare. That in itself was nothing new though, it was the content that caused the tears. Pain. Not regular physical pain or mental agony though there were aspects of both. No this had been complete and utter terror. Not a human terror, an eternity of pain experienced and expected. Sorrow and guilt and loss and hopelessness, so little hope.

    All through the dream was darkness. That was the first clue that the fear was not his own. D knew it couldn't be his fear and pain because he thrived on the darkness. He was picking up the dreams of someone else.

    Focusing more on the subject of the vision, he found no individual feature stood out. None at all. Not human was all he could come up with until a sharper pain lanced through the memories, a physical pain and agony. A phantom ache in a hand he'd lost. Lost to a sword held by . . . Gensay! He was seeing the pain of Ray Gensay!

    //But why would I feel him unless. . .// "Wake up." He pulled off his glove and addressed the face on his palm.

    "D? What do you want? It's not even noon."

    "We have to go back to the castle of Lee."

    "We won my boy. It's over."

    "Gensay is still alive."

    "D, Lee smashed his head open, that means he's dead."

    "And I stabbed him through the heart and got stabbed instead. He is a manipulator of time and space. Nothing about him is what it seams, I think his death should be seen as another trick. It has to be, because I know he's alive."

    "So you want to rescue the bad guy."

    "He saved Dan and didn't kill me when he had the chance."

    "That doesn't make him one of us."

    "It doesn't make him not either." D finished breaking camp and saddled his horse, "I felt his terror. I can't leave him to that."

    "Well I am not helping you this time. He cut me off!"

    D nodded, "I understand. I will meet you at our castle."

    The face frowned but slid into a mist state and slid free of the Dhampir's skin. "I expect you home within the month."

    "Yes father." D mounted his stallion and rode hard back the way that he'd come.  Going to the rescue of the man he'd called enemy.
____________

    The ruins of the castle had been spit back from the bowels of the Earth, purified of their transient experience.  He picked his way through the remains of Lee's keep carefully. Unwilling to unintentionally hurt the mutant wherever he was.

    Moonlight offered a small reprieve from the darkness as he worked swiftly, pulling huge slabs of wall up and stacking them out of his way. "Gensay." He spoke loudly but without emphasis, "If you can hear me make some noise to guide me."

    Nothing.

    D grit his teeth and pushed on, ripping the skin of his hands in his haste. Finally a splash of deep red in the gray and white stone broke the monotony and D tore the rock away from the sparse color. It was him! He had been crushed under a large portion of the wall and by the scent all around him, he'd lost a lot of blood.

    It took all of the Dhampir's substantial strength to lift the wall aside and once he had he almost wished he could put it back.

    What had once been simply pale skin was mottled gray, almost blending in with the ruins around him. His veins were bright against the dull flesh and the blood covering his left side and head was the only real color he had left besides the red shock of hair D had seen from the distance.

    //Shit. So much blood lost. . . he's going to die. I can't heal this.// He lifted the too light man in his arms and got him out of the castle. He couldn't do anything in the midst of all that.

    Stitching the wounds was easy and a welcome distraction but soon finished. D clenched his fists and growled slightly at his inability to do anything. There was one option left to him but . . . //Would that be any better than death?//

    The Dhampir studied the mutant before him. Gensay had wanted eternal life. He'd wanted it badly. But in the end, he had spared D and saved Dan regardless of his own dream. The mutant was strong and at least basely kind. Those things would be in him even after. . . //Can Dhampirs even 'do' it though? In theory it would work but. . .//

    The rough breathing of the mutant made up his mind for him. He didn't have much time. Pulling the cold man up against him, D sank his fangs deep, ignoring the primal urge to kill. He drank until the other man was at the door to death, then he pulled back with regret and bit open his own vein. Ray's blood tainted with the vampire virus flowed to the surface and D placed it to the bluish lips.

    Nothing.

    "Gensay, drink."

    Still no reaction. D worried his lip a moment and thought before he decided on changing tactics. How did human parents feed their sick children? Calm, praising each effort. . . they used their first name. . . full first name. . . "Ray, Ray, drink. Drink my good childe. You're a good fledge Raymond. Drink. It will make you strong. I promise."

    Instantly he felt a cool tongue lapping at the wound, "That's right Raymond. Good, my good childe, drink. Drink all you need."  As he grew stronger Ray began suckling until his blood flowed fast back into him and D kept crooning calmly to him. Assuring him with his voice.

     At the speed Ray was suckling, he quickly passed the amount of needed blood, once he was finished though, he still licked at his sire's flesh. It wasn't about feeding anymore. Ray was quickly making it an act of want and even maybe worship. Then the Dhampir gasped of a sudden and clutched the drinking man to him. All words came to a stop. The caress of that small, pink tongue was driving him out of his mind. When it pressed into the wound to lick at the muscle that was bared, a bright light blocked out the world and D screamed as he stepped over the edge into orgasm. Shivering and panting he blinked at the mutant who was looking at him with clear and unveiled eyes. He'd never felt such completion before! The sharing of blood was so intimate he almost wept for the feeling when those sweet lips pulled away. Still, there was something wrong about the man before him. The eyes. . . it kept returning to the eyes. They were too innocent and hopeful for the mutant D had known. Childlike.

    "Sire."

    D wrapped his arms around the newly formed fledgling and swallowed hard, "I am going to get wood for a fire, you will wait here."

    "Need sire. No go."

    He stood quickly, spilling Ray onto the ground.

    The other man, looking bereft and afraid of being so suddenly alone, curled in on himself and began suckling on his thumb, a keening hum audible to his sire. He only stopped when D relented and sat down once more, pulling him into his lap and letting him snuggle close.

    While his first childe slept, D worried. He didn't know much about sireing by blood sharing, but he knew that the fledge should retain his human memories and attitude as well as pick up the shared knowledge all vampire demons held about their kind. It seemed that Ray had not done either. He was helpless as a child. Innocent and frightened and sweet. Definitely not the Ray that D knew.

    //His demon must be an infant. It hasn't had time to obtain what it needs to know and in it's fear from that it pulled Ray back into an equal stage in his life. Is it because of how weak he was when I found him? Because I'm a Dhampir and not a pure blood? I wish my father had come with me, I could use his knowledge.// The Dhampir rubbed the small of his childe's back and sighed, there was only one thing to do then. Ray was coming home with him. Dracula would have to help his child out of this latest mess. //I will never hear the end of this.//

    Ray shifted and curled closer with a happy sigh, reaching to twine his finger's in D's hair while he lay his head on the Dhampir's shoulder. His breathed, "My sire." Warmed D all through and he closed his eyes, pulling his childe closer, //It might just be worth it.//

<Part 2>

    D had never been a childer, he was born a Dhampir from the womb of his mother and the seed of Dracula. His father had never made any childer either, so D had no experience with fledgelings outside hunting them. He was sure that Ray was the sweetest fledge there'd ever been though, despite his minimal contact with them. His childe was always touching and begging for touch. His ultimate comfort seemed to be his sire's hands.

    After he was sure Ray was stabilized in his new form, the Dhampir lifted his child up into the saddle before him and began the ride toward his father's castle. Brooding would have been his regular reaction to such a long trip but Ray refused to let him slip into his thoughts, instead twisting around in the saddle and cuddling as close as he could to his sire. Neither of them offered any warmth since both were cold to the touch, but the cuddling warmed D's heart none the less.

    Time passed slowly as they traveled and soon his childer became unsettled and fidgety. He wanted to play and they hadn't time for such frivolities at the moment. "Ray, stop that. We will stop for the night soon enough."

    "Play?"

    D closed his eyes in surrender, "All right."

    "Sire? Sire mad?"

    "No Ray." D kissed his child's cold forehead, "I'm not mad. You are a good fledge, a very good childe."

    "Pet?"

    The Dhampir nodded and ran his fingers through the mutant's soft hair. He had been shocked by it's texture, like a kitten's fur, soft and full. Amazingly so after the amount of bleaching that must have been used to make it so white. And it was bleached. After being trapped as he was the roots had begun to grow out. His hair was naturally a golden auburn color. A shame that he hid it really.

    He must have been zoning because Ray pressed more firmly into his palm pleadingly.

    The petting continued until they dismounted to make camp. Both of them liked the contact and it threatened to become addicting.

    After he had a fire going, D bit into his wrist and offered it again to his childe. He as a Dhampir healed quickly and didn't need blood, but he was unsure of what his childe would require and felt better being safe. He never wanted to cause the sweet man pain.

    When Ray was full and happy, D went to unsaddle his horse and settle it in for the night. While he had his back turned he could hear Ray moving around. When the movement got closer he grinned to himself. The fledge was trying to stalk him! He chuckled and spun on the startled boy with a loud, "BOO!"

    Ray jumped high and giggled, running to hide behind the tree the horse was tied to. "Sire! Play sire!"

    D shook his head and placed the saddle on the ground before misting into the leaves.

    "Sire?" Ray blinked and looked around frantically, "Sire! Sire! No go! No go sire!"

    The Dhampir instantly felt terrible. He hadn't thought the fledge would react that way. All playfulness gone, he hurried to show himself and accept the distressed embrace from his shivering childe. Holding him back just as close and stroking his hair. "I am sorry my fledgeling. I didn't leave. I won't ever leave you my heart."

    Ray sobbed and pulled his sire closer, "Sire."

    "Shh." He lifted his childe and walked to the bedroll, tucking them both in safely. "I'm here. I'm here. Don't be afraid my good childe."

    Ray snuggled his head until his whole face was burried in D's shirt and covered by his hair. Only then did he allow sleep to claim him and even then it was a restless sleep. All new vampires experienced nightmares, it was a part of their growth. But without the ability to distinguish between a dream and reality, they were frightening experiences. Ray would need to be protected from them all night.

    Once Ray settled into a true slumber, his sire let his mind wonder to all of the fledges and childer he'd come in contact with in the presence of their sires. He knew a fledge would imprint on the one to feed them first. Like a bird hatching. And if his reaction to his childe was anything to go by, the imprinting was a mutual thing. . . but what of training and care?

    No childe he'd seen had been so innocent as his Raymond. They were usually bloodthirsty, evil creatures, molded by brutality and violence from their sires, the ones meant to care for them all their lives. D would never brutalize his childe in such a way. He could not treat him that way. But Ray needed to remember how to be 'Ray'. He had to treat the mutant as he had been to become who he was. To do that they would have to travel, to find Ray's past sine D knew so little about it. First things first though, they needed to speak to his father. He had to know how to keep his childe best.

    "Sire." Ray mumbled and scooted closer to his beloved sire, rubbing his cheek against D's shirt.

    D smiled and rubbed back, inhaling the mutant's scent caringly, "Childe."

<Part 3>

    Night fell quickly in the woods and D opened his eyes slowly to watch his child's face become painted in shadows. He smiled and brushed the soft hair from his brow. He regretted having to wake the soundly sleeping man. He looked so content in sleep. But night was their traveling time and Dracula's castle was still a few days ride away.

    "Raymond. Raymond. Wake up sweet one."

    "Shut the fuck up it's too early."

    "Ray?!" D shot into a sitting position and hauled the fledgling vampire up with him. "Ray."

    "Sire?"

    His precious was back. No sign of the nasty tempered mutant he had woken as. Obviously it was a trait from his life. Ray was NOT a morning person and baby demon or not he let you know it. D fought back a smile at the endearing trait. His childe was frightened now, he shouldn't be amused.

    "I am sorry my Raymond. You didn't do anything wrong. You are a good childe. A very good childe."

    "Sire, I hurt." He whimpered softly and clung to the taller man and D almost swore aloud. He forgotten this part.

    "It's all right my Raymond. You're all right."

    "Sire?"

    "It's only the virus taking hold." D  crooned and kept his hold on Ray with one hand as he broke camp with the other. "Don't worry, I'm here."

    "Hurts."

    D left a blanket out and lay Ray upon it. "Sleep while I finish packing. You'll feel better."

    In ten minuets they were on the road again, Ray bundled closely against D, still wrapped in the blanket and sleeping soundly. The Dhampir guarded him fervently and pressed the horse into a gallop. The sooner he got Ray back to his father's castle the better. Dracula would know what to do. His father always knew what to do.

    When Ray didn't stir as day broke, D covered him completely and kept ridding. As a Dhampir the sun didn't hurt him, even if he didn't like it he could stand it. He had to this time, so intent was he on getting home. His childe needed him.
__________________

    Ray woke warm and secure, wrapped in blankets still against his sire's chest. He wriggled a little to tell the rider that he was awake and felt the horse immediately still.

    "Raymond?"

    He loved his sire's voice. Such a strong, protecting voice. "Sire."

    He didn't fight as he was lifted into strong arms and swept from the saddle. "There is a stream here that the sunlight doesn't touch." The elder vampire explained, "We will reach the castle of my father tomorrow night, I plan on riding through the day again, so let's clean you up a bit."

    Ray snuggled closer, he didn't care what the tall man who held him did, as long as he never let go.

    The stream was a frightening experience at first. As a fledge, the cleansing, natural water scared him, but he was a fledge of a strong line. He fought back the fear and watched his sire's face brighten in approval and pride as he stepped into the cool liquid. Praise followed the look and Ray drank it all in. He was a good boy, a good childe, he made his sire proud of him.

    When the large, slim fingered hands ran over his flesh, Ray leaned into the touch. Allowing his sire to wash the grime of the road from him. "Sire."

    "There you are." The Dhampir ran his fingers through the childe's damp hair, "Go dry yourself while I wash."

    Ray reached to help his sire but the taller man shook his head.

    "I will wash myself this time. Dry, you are still not well."

    He nodded and trudged to the bank shaking the droplets from him like a canine. After ward he stood naked, waiting for his sire. He hadn't been told to dress and he didn't like the coarse feeling of fabric against his skin. All he wanted against his flesh was his sire's flesh.

    He watched the long black hair float around the body he loved so well. Strong and lithe and full of kindness and fire. His sire was amazing. Perfect. "Sire."

    D walked onto shore and shook himself before donning clean clothing. "Here." He tossed Ray a pair of his own trousers, not the turquoise he wore at the moment, but black as night and one of his sleeveless tops of the same color.

    When he was dressed Ray stood before his Sire waiting for his ok.

    "You look beautiful." Was D's reply and Ray hugged him tight around the waist, rubbing up against him innocently enough. Just happy to be with his sire. He was caught off guard when his body reacted. He tensed and bit his lip. His sire wouldn't be pleased. "Ray?"

    The mutant looked away in shame and his sire cuddled him closer, unaware of why he had pulled back. "Come, let's go. We have a lot of traveling to do."

    Ray allowed himself to be carried and closed his eyes, his mind sped over all he knew and had learned. The reaction he had gotten was a good one. It happened when he was very content and when his sire was touching him. It had gotten worst when he had seen his sire without clothing at the stream. It must have a purpose. Did his sire's do the same? "Sire?"

    "Yes?"

    "Love you."

    Those wonderful lips turned up and Ray ached to kiss them, he moved to do so, but his sire turned his head, "I know. I love you, you are my favorite childe. How are you feeling?"

    "Hot."

    His sire smiled, "I can't take the blanket off until the sun sets." He explained it warmly, "The sun is a bad thing, it can hurt you."

    The childe wanted to tell his sire that it was only hot around his lower body, but he had turned from the kiss he'd tried to take, maybe his sire didn't want him. The thought hurt. It hurt a lot. Ray was quiet the rest of the day. Trying to convince himself that his sire loved him.

    It was an argument he was losing to his reasoning and that made him afraid and upset. He wanted his sire to love him. Love him all ways. Not just in word. He wanted to be happy and naked and touching and touched and covered inside and out with his sire.

    But his Sire didn't love him. Wouldn't kiss him. He wasn't a good childe. He was nothing. His sire didn't want him. If the Dhampir hadn't forbidden him to remove the blanket, he would have, and let the sun take him away. He was nothing without his Sire's love.

    "Love you."

<Part 4>
 

    D fought back his natural urges, afraid that he would traumatize his childe with them. He had been caught off guard when Ray had tried to kiss him, and even more so when his body reacted to the questing lips. He had almost leaned down and. . . But no! He loved his childe. Doing something, anything that could hurt him was not an option.

    Of course he'd wanted Gensay when they'd first met. The man drew him for some reason and D could only go along with it then, but not now. Not when the mutant was so helpless. Not when he was D's childe. He would never force himself on his childe, and Ray wasn't thinking clearly enough to know what he wanted. All he knew was that he loved his sire, he was unsure of how he loved him, and something had led him to believe it was Physical.

    Ray hadn't spoken all night and as the new day approached and they slipped into a cavern for darkness and sleep, and to groom his childe to meet his grandsire. The childe quietly curled up alone in a corner.

    "Raymond?" D sat beside him and touched his face gently, "What's wrong?"

    Ray tucked his face deeper into his own chest and hid from his sire.

    "Raymond."

    Strong fingers lifted his chin and forced his face and, to his shame, his tears, into the light.

    "Why are you crying? Does it still hurt?" D pressed his panic down. It shouldn't still be hurting but he had never known a Dhampir born childe before, maybe it varied.

    "Love you." He sobbed.

    D pulled the shivering man into his lap and crooned nonsense to him, stroking his hair and rubbing his back. "I know you do Ray. I love you too. You're my good boy, my beautiful childe."

    "Kiss?"

    He'd known this conversation was coming, but still he wasn't ready for it. "Ray. . . You were hurt. You don't really remember me."

    "Sire."

    "But I wasn't always, and you aren't sure of your feelings right now, It would be unthoughtful of me to take advantage."

    "No. Love you. Kiss."

    "Ray. . ." D sighed sadly, "No baby talk all right?"

    The pale man bit his lip, shifting his eyes in thought, "huh?"

    The Dhampir bit the inside of his lip in pain. "Don't worry. Love you. Sleep now ok?"

    Ray nodded and yawned a large yawn, then curled up in a tight ball against his precious Sire. "Day bye."

    "Good sleep my Childe."

    "Pet?"

    D smiled and stroked his childe's hair until he grew heavy and his breathing evened out in sleep.

    //Father. Father can you hear me?//

    /D? How close are you? I haven't felt you yet, what happened?/

    //I need your help.//

    /What did you do?/

    //I took a childe. He was dying. . . can Dhampir's make healthy childer?//

    /You. . . a childe? D, please tell me you didn't. . ./

    //It's Gensay.//

    /After I TOLD you I didn't like him you take him to sire are you mad?! Is this some petty rebellion that I should have foreseen?!/

    //No father, it was all I could do to save him.//

    /He cut me off!/

    //He didn't know you were there, and he didn't kill me.//

    /If he had known I was there we would both be dead./

    //No, he wouldn't have. . .//

    /We will discuss this when you get home./

   //Hai father.//

    /Now what trouble are you in? You're news could have waited a night./

    //It's my childe.//

    /Hn!/

    //He didn't turn correctly. He has no knowledge of what he is or who he is. . . he's like a baby.//

    /How did you turn him? What did you say?/

    D went through it word for word and action for action.

    /Shit./

    //Father?// D clenched his teeth so hard that his mouth began to bleed. //What did I do? Did I hurt him? Break him? Can you fix it?//

    /Bring him home soon as you can. You weren't aware enough to focus your power into him and attract a strong demon. Instead he got one of the weakest. One who couldn't fight for a host. A baby./

    //I hurt my child.//

    /You didn't know. Get some sleep and bring him here at nightfall, we will try to fix this./

    //Father, please. . . I love my childe.//

    /I know D. All fathers love their sons./

    D blinked back tears at his father's veiled declaration. The closest he'd ever come to saying he loved him. //Thank you.//

    /Sleep D./

    //Yes Sire.//

    Dracula broke the mind touch as his son's signature faded into slumber. He had offered his son big words of bright promise, but he was unsure of what to do as D was. In all truth, Dhampir could not make childer. How D had succeeded was a mystery. /I hope that I can help them. D would be heartbroken to loose this . . . Chide./

    /No, he won't loose him. I'll do something. I am the prince of the night. Of course I can help this!/ He sat down heavily and held his head in his hands wearily, "I hope."
_______________

    Ray woke up as the sun set and pressed closer to his sire. "Sire? Blood?"

    D yawned, "No baby talk."

    "Siiiiiiiiire." Ray whined helplessly and D was lost.

    "Here." He held out his arm, "Drink."

    "Neck?"

    The dark eyes ran over his childe's face in question.

    "Like you do?"

    He sighed and sat up, pulling Ray into his lap and barring his neck, "Go on then."

    The feeling of breaking the skin of his sire's neck war euphoric. Ray hummed in pleasure as he suckled the life blood his sire offered. Sire's blood. The taste was all he'd ever known but he 'knew' that it was unlike any other blood he would ever take. It was thick and heady and full of tingling jolts of strength, magic, and love for his childe.

    //I wonder. Do all Sires love their childer? Does his sire love him like 'I' do?// Ray felt pain slice through him at the unwelcome thought. //Will I lose him? When we reach his sire will he belong to him? No! He can't have him!//

    D gave a moaning sigh and pulled his childe away from his neck and out of the nightmarish thoughts he was having. "Enough my one. We need to ready you to meet your grandsire."

    Ray glowered at his sire and D sighed in resignation to another battle.

    "Raymond Tepes."

    "What?"

    "You are going to meet your grandsire."

    "But I don't want you to. . ." He shut his mouth quickly and turned away.

    "What?" D held him close and smoothed his hair lovingly.

    "I love you."

    "I know my own. I love you too."

    "Do you love him?"

    "He's my sire Ray, of course I love him."

    "Oh." Ray shrank away from D and jumped when he was caught back to him.

    "Wait."

    "Sire." the childe sniffled.

    "You think. . ." D shook his head, "Oh Ray."

    "You said. . ."

    "I was never human Ray. My sire is my father. He spawned me with a woman. We don't have a childe bond. I'm not a childer."

    "You don't. . .?"

    "No Ray, I don't."

    "I'm sorry Sire."

    "Hush now." D soothed and led him to their mount. "We're almost there."

    Ray climbed on in front of his sire and burrowed into his cloak.

    D held in a groan. His father hated his childe and his childe was nervous and jealous of his relations with his father. This would 'not' be a pretty homecoming.

<Part 5>

    Vlad Tepes was waiting at the doors when his son finally returned home. The ancient vampire lord flung the great oaken portals wide open and stepped into the night with a wide smile. "Dracul. Welcome home my child."

    He brushed passed without a word, his Childe wrapped tightly in his arms.

    "Well then if you don't wish to greet your father. . ."

    D carefully sat Ray on his feat and smiled at him slightly before kissing his forehead and whispering, "You are beautiful. Don't worry, he will learn to love you too."

    The once mutant nodded and blinked up widely as the full seven foot form of the true Dracula came into his line of site.

    "Although I do not approve, he is a beautiful childe D." He looked Ray over carefully and nodded, "He's healthy too. What have you been doing for him so far?"

    D shrugged, "I offered my blood each morning and night and have treated him with great care, as anyone would treat their childe."

    "Many do not treat them so well, but you've done good. I see you've given him your style sense. I don't know how my own flesh and blood could dress so badly." He clucked his tongue and walked passed D and into the kitchen area off to the side of the antechambers. "Well? Come on. If you've been feeding him your blood only then you must be hungry."

    "Father. . ."

    "Donated boy. It's all donated blood from the hospital in the village. This blood was in some small way unfit and therefore is no good to the humans who would have it."

    He nodded and took the cup offered him.

    "I suppose your boy wants some too?"

    Ray blinked at the blackish red liquid and then up at D, "Sire?"

    D held the cup to the pale lips and Ray took one swallow and grimaced.

    Dracula laughed, "You've spoiled him D. He seams to be a conossuier. Only the best for the childer of the Dhampir vampire hunter?"

    The dark prince looked up in fear, "Have I done wrong again?"

    "No, no, he's just a picky eater. A lot of fresh borns would be if they had a choice."

    With a nod the Dhampir shoved the goblet into his childe's grip. "You cannot afford to be picky." He dead toned. "Drink."

    His father nodded, "D will not always be there for you to feed from. It would be good for you to develop a taste for regular fare."

    Ray looked at his sire with wide eyes, "Sire. No good."

    His childe's face was so disappointed and D felt his resolve waver. But when he opened his mouth to take the order back, his father placed a hand on his shoulder. "Spare him a little discomfort now and it may kill him later D."

    The Dhampir knew his sire was correct. He nodded and ordered in a cold tone, "Drink it Raymond. It is my wish."

    The smaller vampire glared at Dracula and pouted at D but drained the whole glass. "Bad. No more?"

    "Not tonight." D agreed and Ray climbed into his lap and cuddled closer and glared at the eldest vampire in jealous anger.

    "He doesn't like me very much, does he."

    "He is threatened by your position. Body Sire and Blood Sire are both the same to him."

    "Afraid of his place in your heart eh?"

    "Sire please."

    Dracula lowered his eyes, "I am sorry, that was uncalled for."

    Ray pushed his head under D's palm and whined, "Pet."

    "No whining Ray."

    "I see what you mean about the childish behavior. And he doesn't remember a thing about his past or who he was."

    "Not a thing."

    "You need to raise him as a vampire then, and also remind him of things he had known before."

    "All I know from before is what I saw and rumors I heard. It isn't enough. And his hand didn't regenerate after his rebirth. He can't hunt properly like that."

    "I can fix that." The dark lord mused, "Maybe even help his memory in the process."

    "How?"

    Opening him mouth Dracula reached inside and pulled a hand from his lips inch by inch until is was whole and in his grip.

    "That. . ."

    "I swallowed Gensay's hand when you cut it off. Never know when it'll come in handy, stuff like that." He grinned and waved it in front of D. "With Vampire healing, one day of sleep with it tied to the wrist and it'll be as good as new."

    "That will help his memory? How?"

    "Every cell carries memories of what it's been. Held. Felt. They'll all be there for him."

    "But it won't bring him back entirely."

    "No. Nothing but time will do that."

    "Time." The Dhampir smoothed his beloved childe's hair and nodded, "I have time."

    "Another thing that might help is being near where he spent a lot of time in his living years."

    "As I said before, I do not know where he originates from."

    "Well then. You should find out."

    "I would have to leave him while I search."

    Dracula nodded, "It would take a day at least. I could watch him for that time. I have raised a childe or two before."

    Ray flinched back into D and the Dhampir looked torn, "He doesn't like you."

    "He might not 'like' me but he is safe with me." He sighed, "I know you want him to be happy and feel secure D, but a child can't dictate his own life. Children don't have the capacity to do that. You need to be a father, not a friend."

    "I. . ."

    "And not a lover."

    D looked away, "I would never do that." He offered in his calm and crisp voice. "Not until he knows who I am. Ray will be better in time."

    "And then you have. . ." He made a face like it hurt him bodily to go on, "My blessing."

    "Thank you."

    "I'm your father. This is what I'm here for. Just. . . be careful D."

    "I am."

    He nodded, "Go, you've been traveling a long time. Go upstairs and sleep. We can talk more in the morning."

    "Yes father." D stood and Ray quickly followed behind him. "Good morning."

    "Good rest, my son."
______________________

    D slipped out of his clothing and divested his child of the travel dusted outfit he wore, then led them both into the large bathroom. With great care he bathed both of them clean and dried his child of with a soft towel before slipping a pair of black sleep bottoms on Ray and pulling his own on as well.

    He led his sleepy Childe to the bed and turned down the covers.

    "Sire sleep?"

    "No baby talk Ray, and yes, I am sleeping too." He slid beneath the sheets and motioned. "In with you."

    Ray needed no invitation. He climbed into the bed and was happily spooned against his sire. "Sire?"

    "Yes Ray?"

    "Bad?"

    "Ray." D's voice was chastising.

    The childe nodded and thought carefully, "Was I bad today?"

    "No. You were scared and upset, but not bad."

    "The blood was bad."

    "You need to learn to drink it like that though. Just in case."

    "You want me to?"

    "Yes."

    "I will." He said it in a very determined voice and D smiled.

    "I know you will childe. Now sleep."

    "'k."

    He ran a hand through Ray's white hair and sighed. "My child."

______________________

    As D was putting his childe to bed,  his father remained at the table. His thoughts chaotic and dark. "My child, your feelings for the mutant are dangerous to you and to him. How can I help you? What is there for me to do?"

    He ran on regal hand through his hair and stood quietly, accending the staircase to D's chambers. Inside was dark and warm, like a nest. or a womb. D had always like small and warm places to sleep in.

    The bed was huge and dark, the only paleness in it was his child's moonlit white skin and the skin and hair of his son's child.

    //Childe. My son, of my body, has a childe. I will try to be there for you my little Dracul. But it is hard to be a father, when your childe has surpassed you.// "I am proud of you D." He smiled and kissed his beautiful son's forehead. "And he is a very nice childe."

    "Sod OFF!" The pale childe growled in his sleep and Dracula frowned.

    "I take it back. He's as nasty as ever." He glared and stomped out into the hall.

    D opened his eyes and looked at his father's retreating figure. "Father."
 
 

~tbc~