By Raven
It had taken a week to fix all the damage that DeRuyter had done. She remembered waking at one point. �Easy, Raven. You are safe.� she heard.
She was home, it wasn�t a dream. She knew that Chris had brought those that had rescued her to the house. She had been awake but not completely aware yet. The pit was cool and comfortable to her, but when she sat up, she found it was very difficult to do.
�Raven,� came Salem�s voice again, �You need to relax. You were bled out, which means you are going to be stiff.�
�Real stiff, cat.� came her retort, with a little too much venom. She tried to scratch his ears as an apology, but even that was hard. So, she gently tk�d his fur. She then moved enough to use the hidden intercom. �Carl, please get the hot tub ready. I need a soak.� she said.
�Glad to hear you again, Madam.� Carl replied, with what seemed to be genuine warmth in his voice, which was unusual for a computer.
�Salem, can you help me get undressed, please?� Raven asked her familiar and friend.
�Oh, were you talking to me?� he said with much disinterest. She was about to retort when she noticed her fuzzy was neatly lying beside her.
�Carl, set the hot tub on boil and let me simmer for two hours.� Raven requested. Carl then transported her to the holodeck. He could and did, when it regarded her, take the initiative.
The hot tub would have been enough to scald a normal human. She was in the water when she noticed the lid on the not tub, but tank. In the water were mineral salts, and the lid was to create a steaming effect. She let out the air in her lungs and just floated in the near boiling water. Exactly two hours later she was transported back to the pit. But instead of onto the bed she was floating above it. �Salem, here is your charge.� Carl said. The cat hit her with a drying spell, then she floated down.
When Jade went to check to see if her mother was awake, she found a strange sight. Her mother was laying on the bed, face down and naked, with a cat walking up and down one leg. Another cat was on her back, busily kneading away at it like there was nothing wrong. She opened one eye and said, �Don�t look at me. It was their idea.�
�Glad to see you are feeling better, Mother.� Raven took one look at her daughter and knew something was wrong, or at least different. One: Jade�s long hair was cut to shoulder length. Two: she had both ears pierced. Three: gone was the baby face, and standing before her was a young woman. Then, it truly dawned on Raven what was missing.
�Where is your necklace? The one Emperor Wu gave you?�
�Mother, many things have happened while you were away. Ming has once again gone to the service of the emperor.� Jade replied.
�Why?� she asked.
�Mother, Ming was to learn from me and protect me until I could protect myself.�
Raven was getting dressed by then, and was still unsure. �I no longer need him, Mother, since I have this.�
In Jade�s hand was the one thing Raven was not expecting- the blood rose. �The only way I was going to be allowed to go and help rescue you was if I could beat Shawn. Dad said if I could do that, then I was grown up enough to go. So I did it.� she explained. That was when Aurora changed into a black panther the size of a tiger, and was about to roar. Raven went over to her and put her hands gently on both parts of her muzzle. �I understand, Rora. No need to get vocal.� she said to the cat. The cat closed her mouth with a bashfulness that was hysterical.
Then, she changed into a small house cat, said �Sorry.�, and padded over to her partner.
�So my little girls are all grown up.� was all Raven could say, the pride apparent in her voice.
It took her a week and a half to finish all the paperwork from the little escapade. She was actually just relaxing in her office when she got the flash. �Carl, where is Allison?� she shouted.
�Incoming.� replied the computer.
�Carl, fire up the holodeck.� Raven commanded. She turned as she heard, �Mom, help.�
Raven didn�t let her daughter finish the sentence. She picked her up and was heading for the deck at all due speed. �Carl, I want Julian.� she ordered.
She set Allison on the exam table, then subvocalized to Carl that she wanted the rape pictures from all angles in succession. �I want you to sit still for a minute, baby.� she told her traumatized daughter.
She removed the tape and placed it in the evidence bag. �Julian needs to examine you, baby.� she said soothingly. With a small expense of the lavender, she had the clothes off her, then dressed Allison in her fuzzy. The ruined leather she put in the evidence bag.
She walked away slightly. �Carl, call Duncan.� In a few seconds, Raven heard his voice inside her head. �Hello, Mother.�
�You need to come here now. Allison has been raped, and Julian is worried about shock.� Raven had met and worked with Dr. Bashir on a few occasions when she was at the guild. She had learned to read his reactions. What was funny was that Schuyler had made an upgrade to the holodeck when he had brought her the slide rule. He had given the programs heartbeats and endocrine systems. This was so that Raven could �read� the programs. The only difference was that there was a slight synthetic smell. This had been helpful on more then one occasion. Doc understood medicine, but Raven understood body language.
Duncan soon was there, in shorts and a tee-shirt. He walked over to Allison and told her, �Show me.�
What Raven was not ready for was the onslaught of human suffering she felt. She had to quickly link with Duncan to avoid having him get lost in the pain, fear and sick pleasure.
�He was a soul drinker, Duncan.� Her son by Charles was strong, but he had no taste for the evil that could live in another�s mind. It tended to sicken him, so Raven shielded him from that.
�Mother, hurry. She is losing it.� he reported. Raven looked at her battered child. �SLEEP. NO PAIN� she commanded.
Looking at Duncan, she said, �She is safe now for you to work with.�
It took them nearly an hour to go through the memories and remove all that were not hers. She took them within herself. While Duncan was finishing, she was doing another job. �Carl, begin file recording.� She took the lavender and began projecting the images of the memories. She did this from all cases including his mothers rape and murder...
�Duncan, I need you certification on this.� she said. He took one quick look. �Yes, Carl, certify it all.� She walked over to Duncan. Even as a child, they had a very close bond. She opened her mind to her son. Like he did when he was a child, he hugged her. She concentrated and took all the memories that were not his from him. She used her ability of suggestion to place him in a light sleep. �Carl, send us to Berne.�
She got to his place and tucked him into bed. He would wake in an hour, feeling much better. �Send me home, Carl.�
Back at the manor, Carl asked tentatively, �Will she be all right?�
�Yes, Carl, in time. She will be, in time.� She picked up Allison and took her upstairs. As many times before, she was about to have a philosophical discussion about humanity with Carl about why humans did such things to one another. Then, she had another flash.
She saw Jade feeding on a man. She knew instantly who he was. She was about to rush to her youngest daughter�s aid when she felt a presence.
�Mother, no. This is a lesson that she needs to learn on her own.� Sky�s voice penetrated Raven like hot steel.
�She has a point, Mother.� Adrian was standing at Allison�s doorway. �She must learn that just because you can kill, does not mean you should kill.� It had taken Raven a long time to learn the difference between justice and revenge, killing to protect one�s self, or murder in cold blood.
�Mother, she will be home soon.� came Adrian�s voice in her mind �You must let her come to you.�
It was a little after breakfast when Jade came in to Allison�s room.
�Mom, I have done something terrible.� was all the could say before the tears overwhelmed her. Raven got up from her chair and her reading.
�I know, Jade. Adrian told me what you did.� Raven kept her face as blank and unreadable as possible. �Adrian also told me that he had done many more things that made him worthy of how he died. �What have you learned, Jade? was all she asked next.
�That even if you have the power to cause death, that you should only use it when you have to.� came Jades� answer.
�Then, Jade, you have learned the one lesson I could not teach you, that with great power comes great responsibility.� That was when Raven hugged Jade and said, �Come here, kitten.�
Allison was already in the bed, asleep. Jade fell asleep next to her mom, sandwiched between her and Allison.
Raven had been sitting there after Jade fell asleep when she got a few visitors. Salem came in along with one of the gold fire lizards. She looked right at Raven and sent, �My name is Larith and I am a mind healer. Salem told me of what he saw and felt from the girl. I will do my best to help her through this. I am talking to the other victims also. With the makers help, and time, all will heal from this vile creature�s torments.� She stayed perched on the bed until Allison woke, her eyes a myriad of colors, and her stare never leaving one position. It was though there was a golden statue watching over the two of them.
When Allison awoke, she asked Raven to teach her self defense in earnest. They spent nearly three hours doing different tactics when Allison asked to stop. �I need to eat, Mom, and sit down. My ankle is getting sore.� she said. She had a good bruise from working on leg sweeps, but refused to use anything to make it go away.
They headed upstairs and into the kitchen, Raven making herself a cup of tea and Allison grabbing a piece of fruit and a go juice bottle. Jade walked into the kitchen still wearing her fuzzy. She leaned against the refrigerator, and was about to say something when she began to fall.
Raven managed to catch Jade as she was falling to the floor. She heard the tea cup break as it hit the floor. Alison looked up at the sound.
�What�s wrong with Jade, Mom?� she asked.
Raven could smell the stench of pre-manifestation. �I am not sure, Ali.� she said. In her heart, though, she knew something was wrong.
She carried Jade to the holodeck, Allison following. She hit a random program and came up with the Voyager doctor. �Try again.� she said, then Julian was standing there. But, before Julian could open his mouth, Allison said what she didn�t want to hear.
�She can�t manifest, Mom. She is like you. She needs active virus.�
Raven�s heart sank to somewhere in the vicinity of he toenails. She knew what she needed to do. �Carl, call my father. Allison, go get the damn stuff from Grandpa.� she ordered.
In her heart, she knew what she wanted- to not be too sick to take care of her baby.
�I will go get it, but you can�t be in here when I do it, Mom. We all know what the stuff does to you.� Allison said sternly.
�I know. Now, just go!� Raven barked.
�What are you up to, old bird?� Salem asked with a suspicious tone in his voice.
�Helping my little girl.� she said.
Allison returned, saying, �You need to leave.�
�Not bloody likely, little one.� She tk�d the hypo-spray out of Allison�s hand, and had Carl random teleport her out of the way. She knew she had only seconds to do what she needed to do. She injected herself first, then Jade.
Allison returned, saying �Mother, I can�t allow you to do this.�
�Too late, little one.�
Allison looked at the empty hypo-spray, and threw her arms up in disgust. �Dad isn�t going to be very happy about this.�
�I know, but I am the only one that knows what it feels like the first time.�
Salem looked at Raven, then at Allison. �She has a point.� he said. He also sent to Allison �This may be the only chance that you will get to study a first time manifestation in a vampire.�
�What do you want me to do, Mom?� she asked.
Raven would spend the first three days nursing an unconscious or delirious Jade. It would take a week before Jade was strong enough to walk around. Raven would spend another week in the same condition as her daughter, but she had gotten her desire. She had remained conscious to take care of Jade. In the time it took her to do so, she had talked for many hours with Allison. Both of her daughters were going to be fine, just fine.