Father Brother Son

Father Brother Son
Vampires don’t have a soul. They don’t have feelings like we do. They have no sentiments or passions. They are ruthless and evil and blood thirsty. They are hell bound demons who want nothing more than to eat us alive. They would even eat our children.

That is what legend and bigots would like us to believe.

But Eric and Bill were fathers once, and I have seen their faces light up with joy at the sight of the Kaiser and Eric loved to feel the honey bun kick Butter’s belly. Butter confessed that Eric loved to pull her very close to him when they lie together naked to feel the baby move against his own cool belly. If there was an unforgiveable crime to the Vampire it was to harm a child.

And for a long time, it was the Vampire credo that little humans were off limits, they were the next crop of blood sources. But now with Vampires making human connections the attitude was more one of human love. They could not have children, their otherness took that away from them, but they could love the children in the world. And they did. Most of them….some of them.

We had learned many things during the last week. We learned Eric and Bill and Pam and Jessica cared about us immensely and would go to great lengths to protect us. And I think they learned we would do the same. They would never take us for granted or underestimate just what we would do on their behalf. They learned we were resourceful and we strong and brave for them. They knew we loved them and we knew they loved us.

And that is scary for Vampires. How do you love that upon which you feed? It is easy, you create the symbiotic relationship. Whatever they got from us by way of our blood, we got back in companionship and loyalty and ….love? Yes, the Vampires were learning to love and that brought back so many memories. Some of them were on the surface, like Jessica, who would be a two year old Vampire when we finished this summer’s adventures. She remembered love and hate and her humanity, the mixed emotions of her struggling teen years to her immortality. Forever 17, forever young and beautiful, forever Vampire.

Bill was rediscovering what he thought was lost to him. Damned and cursed to walk the night, he searched for not just peace in his world, but peace within his skin. His heart would never beat again either in fury or in passion but he could feel love and fear and hatred sure as the fires of hell. And he remembered. A wife, children, family. He thought he had forgotten in them in the slimy beds he shared with his maker, in the fruitless and passionless sex he had with other Vampires or with the humans he seduced. Now, he had love. With Sookie, of course, but with us as well. And this conjured up the feelings he had of home and contentment when he would come in from the fields and his wife would bring him his supper and later when they lay in the darkness of their bed, both of them warm and alive.

Pam had discovered herself and realized herself liberated in more ways than one. Being Vampire opened the world up to her. The fact her heart no longer beat did not bother her ever, and it still doesn’t. She is learning however about love and friendship outside the Vampires she knew. There was nothing like Pam and Renee and Raki and Fairy admiring one another’s clothes and shoes in the parlor. She of course loved the company of women and relished not only love bonds with some of our ladies, she also enjoyed the friendships. She had never had human friends til now and it was a curious thing to her, something to study as Isabella had observed. She discovered after her long isolation from humans that women today are not so very different from her. They were as ambition and cunning as she and she admired them. For the first time in a couple of centuries, she admired and felt kinship to her own gender. The past was no specter. She had a new world in her view.

And Eric. I fear sometimes I have written all there is to write about Eric. The Viking Warrior, the chieftain’s son, made Vampire when the world was not only wild for him but for humans too. Eric was so old that much of what he knew about himself was a distant memory, something that had to be scratched out, forced to the top. Eric didn’t like that. When the years turned into decades and then to centuries he forgot everything about his human self and became a survivor. He had to let go of his faint memories of a soft blond woman who cooked his food, took care of his lodge, made love with him in the night, and bore him ……children, sons and daughters who never outlived their father and had no memories of him at all except perhaps that he was big, handsome and brave and he went to visit another village and he never came back. It was not unusual for that to happen. There were beasts and man who would take advantage of a lone man and consume him or conceal his body. Their lives simply went on, the sons and daughters of Eric, now called Northman, and when they lay dying old and toothless, if they were lucky, they could not know their beautiful, immortal father was walking in the world, as young as the day he left the village, never to return.

But we humans can be as alone and isolated as the Vampires. Being an outsider once and sometimes still am, we find ways to insulate ourselves. We become self contained. We find our own diversions in books and music and if you were to ask us if we were lonely we would say, “Huh? What?” I knew what lonely meant and I knew what being alone was but was I ever really lonely? Sometimes I could just sit quietly and my mind would work, telling me stories, entertaining me. Much as I do now.

So imagine a child as lonely as cloud and as quiet as a Vampire’s heart. The only time this child felt quiet was when he was alone. Because he had a gift, an ancient power, thought of as a sign of the gods: the ability to know the secret thoughts hidden in the hearts of men. He had never encountered a person whose thoughts he could not read.

The boy, sweet and blond, was alone. He had not known his mother, had only vague memories of her. His father was…gone. He didn’t know where. Hunter pretended that he had another parent, a parent that would scoop him up out the loneliness he felt and take him away, who would care for him.

What Hunter did not know, what he could not know, was that someone very far away, someone he did not know, found him and had called a very special man who was even now standing in the shadows, watching him and remembering another child, another boy, with the same yellow hair. A child he had not thought of in a thousand years. His child.

Hunter could not articulate the storm of noises in his head. It was like everyone was talking at once though their mouths did not move. It made his head hurt. Sometimes it made him cry, it hurt so much. The man in the shadows could hear his heartbeat and his breathing and to him it sounded exhausted. Hunter could not explain to the grownups what it was like and he wished there was a grownup who would understand. When the noise got really bad, he would sneak outside and that is what he did that night.

The group home was loud and he was tired. Hunter looked like a little old man for all of his being four years old. He went out and sat down in the swings and held his little head in his hands. He was surprised when he heard a voice.

“Hunter,” said the deep soft voice. Huh?
“How do you know my name?” asked the little boy.
I know many things about you. My friends and I have been looking for you, to make sure you are safe,” said the voice. Hunter closed his eyes and heard…nothing.
“I can’t hear you,” he said.
“Of course you can hear me,” said the voice.
“I can’t hear your head,” he said.
“No, you can’t,” said the voice.

“What is your name?” he said to the dark.
“Eric,” he said.
“Where are you?” asked the boy, turning around looking for the soft voice.
“Right in front of you,” he said. The boy turned around and there he was, crouched down in front of him. Hunter jumped a little, startled.
“How did you do that?” he asked, taking in the face of the man.
“I can fly,” said Eric. He reached out and touched the tears on Hunter’s face. The Viking rubbed his fingers together and could smell the salty aroma of the boy’s tears.
“People can’t fly,” he said.
“No, people can’t, but Vampires can,” said Eric honestly. The little boy flinched a little. He had heard stories of the Vampires. They had great long teeth and they sucked your blood and drained you dry. Vampires were dead, like zombies.

“Are you going to eat me?” asked Hunter, his voice trembling with fear. Eric’s face softened, his mouth parted as if he had been hit in the chest.
“Absolutely not. I am taking you somewhere where there are nice people to look after you for the night, and then to some nice people who will take care of you for me,” he said. Eric put his hand on the little boney shoulder. “You feel like a good strong little person. Do you want to go with me?”
Hunter was afraid. He could not read the man’s mind and so he did not know if he was in danger. He looked around. “Do I have to go with you?”
“Yes, but I would very much like it if you would go with me because you want to go with me,” Eric kept his voice even. Hunter was a telepath and could not be glamoured, and he would hate to just snatch the boy and take him screaming to the night. So he tried to stay calm. If he was calm, perhaps Hunter would be calm.

“Do you have a little boy?” he asked.
Eric had had children a thousand years ago. He remembered his last son, born in the time of a great snow, and the midwives brought him to him and he laid on his side and unbundled the child and marveled at the little man his wife Aude and he had made. But then he became Vampire and was forced away from his family by his maker and he never knew what happened to the boy with long corn silk blond hair and his mother’s face and his own greenish grey storm colored eyes.

“I did have a son,” said Eric. “And he was very like you, but he had light colored eyes, like mine.”
“Did you love him?” Hunter asked. Eric swallowed hard.
“Yes, I loved him,” said the Viking, unsure of his voice.
“Where will we go?” he asked.
“The safest place in the world,” said Eric.
“Is it far?” he asked.
“No, it will not take us long to get there,” he said. “Will you come?” The little boy looked at the handsome Vampire and nodded. “It will be cold high up in the air, so I want you to get into my coat and hold on to me very tight and I will cover you up and hold on to you.”
“You promise not to drop me?” he asked.
“I won’t let you go, Hunter,” confirmed Eric. He straightened his back and pulled the long leather coat open. It was lined in fox fur. He felt the child sort of sit on his long broad thigh and turned himself to straddle Eric. He put his head against the Viking’s shoulder and he could feel Hunter’s warm breath on his neck. His arms went around him and grabbed up a hand full of his shirt. Eric secured the coat around him, covering his head as well as he could, then stood, his arm supporting his bottom. “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready,” he said.
“Then we must fly,” he said. And Eric took off.

When Eric was human, and on the raiding trail, he thought about his children and his wife, somewhere far from where he was resting. He loved his children, but this last child, was his heart because he was the most like him, haughty and fearless. There was that quality in this child. He could feel him wiggling a little against him, his hands tightening on his shirt. Eric could feel him breathing, his little heart beating, strong and fast against him. He smelled warm and young and healthy, vital. Like all humans, like his son.

I paced the parlor. Westexan was folding a couple of blankets and Aolani was fluffing a couple of pillows. Eric had been specific when he called. Aolani was to work the charm to shield us from Sookie’s mind and get ready for a guest. We were expecting Sookie, maybe she was hurt. Maybe Eric was hurt. Bill was not answering his phone, but he may have been with one of the sister wives and his phone turned off.

Fairy had made some fresh chocolate chip cookies and I had made some tea. Minnie popped a Tru:Blood in the microwave, ready to be warmed.

“I wish I knew what was going on,” said Westexan. “I am worried.”

About that time Bill showed up. “Has he made it yet?”
“What is going on, Bill,” asked Fairy. “Is Eric okay?”
“Presumably he is fine,” said Bill. “He will be here as soon as he can.” He patted Fairy on the shoulder. He leaned down to kiss Westexan and me.
“Are you hungry Bill?” asked Minnie. “I can warm you a bottle.”
“I am fine,” said Bill. “Thank you.”

We waited. Only Bill was perfectly still. That was the nice thing about Vampires. As the world came down around them, they could be calm.

Finally, we heard a noise at the door and Eric stepped in. At first it appeared he was injured because he was holding himself, but then we realized he was not holding himself, but holding someone against him, a small someone. He put his finger against his lips in a shooshing motion and gently opened his coat. He revealed a small boy with blond hair, sleeping against his silent chest, clutching his shirt. Westexan moved to him and helped dislodge him from the Viking’s body and she carried him to the couch and laid him down. Aolani opened a blanket and tucked it around the boy and Eric stood there, looking down at him.

“Is this Hunter?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Poor thing, unable to screen anything out,” said Aolani. The little boy turned and looked at Aolani.
“I can’t hear you either,” he said. “I can’t hear any of you. Are you Vampires too?”
“No,” she said. “I cast a magik spell so you can’t hear our heads.”
“Are you a witch?” he asked.
“Yes, but I am a good witch, so you don’t have to worry,” she said. “Are you hungry?”
“Had my supper but I didn’t get my snack,” he said.
“Fairy, looks like you have a young man who could eat a couple of cookies,” said Minnie.
“Fairy!!!! You have Fairies too Eric?” he said, his dark brown eyes looking at all of us in wonder.
“Sure, Hunter, she is your Fairy godmother and she is going to help look after you,” said Eric. He winked at his lead wife. She graced the Big Viking with a smile.
“Come get your cookies,” said Fairy. She held her hand out and he scampered out of the blanket and grabbed Fairy’s hand.

Fairy, Bill, Aolani, Minnie and Westexan sat at the big dinner table and chatted with Hunter. He was surprised when Bill finally accepted the T:B Minnie had offered. Eric pulled me just out the door to talk to me.

“Aslinn, you need to contact the Barrister and find out what we can do to keep Hunter,” said Eric.
“I can do that Eric, but honey, he is British, and this is the American system,” I said.
“Vampires have certain laws about our kind taking care of human children. It is frowned on in our world. It would be temporary, but I don’t know anything about a precedent,” said Eric.
“He will try,” I said. “I’ll help him all I can.”
“Thank you,” he said. Eric slumped against the wall, so uncharacteristic of the Vampire. Oh no, he was injured in some way.

“Eric, are you okay?” I asked, putting my hand on the Viking. Eric and I had a complicated relationship. I was often irritated with the Viking, but I cared for him. Eric pulled me to him and put his arms around me and stood there still as a statue with his arms around my waist. I waited for him. “Eric, are you okay?”
“I remember my son,” said Eric. His voice was calm. “I remember my boy.”

“Oh, Eric,” I said. I put my arms around him and patted him. What do you say to a man who was mourning a child dead for almost a thousand years, give or take a few decades. I patted him gently.

Finally I let him go and he did the same. His eyes were clear. “It is almost dawn.”
“Yes, it is, you and Bill are both caught out,” I said.
“Close the shutters and I will rest on the couch and Bill can take the coffin,” he said. “Stay here with Hunter and tomorrow evening I will take him to the people I have arranged things with.”
“Are you going to tell Sookie?” I asked.
“Eventually, but not right now,” he said. Eric leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you for helping me, and for….”
“It’s fine Eric,” I said. “You and I are friends; I do anything for my friends.”
“Anything?” asked Eric, grinning his lopsided grin.
“Come on, get your ass to bed,” I said to the Vampire.

We stepped back into the room. Aolani was carrying the boy. “Bill, you can have the coffin. I will rest out here.”

Minnie and Fairy began to close the shutters against the coming light. I helped Bill into the coffin by tucking the blanket over him. I leaned over and kissed my lover on the mouth and looked at him and he at me til the lid of the coffin came down. Eric lay down on the couch and motioned with a come on gesture to Aolani. Aolani brought the sleeping boy to Eric who helped her cuddle the child against the Vampire. She put a blanket over them and Eric stroked the sleeping child’s hair and when he thought none of us were looking, he kissed the boy.

“Min son,” he said. “Min son.”