After Dawn, What Came Next

Phoenix flashed her weapons holster at her dad and earned a crooked smile and a big thumb’s up. Her mom knew the importance of a journey and gave her a wave. Before settling into her seat for the ride, Phoenix noticed her mom’s attention flicker to Carter and wondered what was up about that. Someday she was going to ask. She waved to her brother and Tom, grinning as they lifted their joined hands to wave back at her. She would miss having her brother at her side. But, his choices had led him one place while hers were leading her to another.

Shayla slid away from the group and tapped on Carter’s window. Obligingly, Carter rolled down the window and stared at her with an inquisitive expression on his face. “Take care of my kid,” Shayla said.

Carter reached down and gave Shayla’s braid a gentle tug. Leaving her behind again was bittersweet as always. He felt the pang of regret that their destinations were in different places and the two of them were never going to end up at the same place at the same time. She was the embodiment of the irony of his long life and would always in so many ways be the one thing he wanted and couldn’t have. The both of them had moved beyond into the lives they had chosen to live, but that didn’t mean there still weren’t times he wondered about all the possibilities that might have come into being instead. “Tracker already beat you to that particular request.”

Shayla nodded. Of course Tracker would have made an appeal on Phoenix’s behalf. Tracker was always one step ahead of her and the nobler of the two of them. Carter’s fingers were gentle, slicking over her braid in stroking motions. “You’ll take care of yourself too?”

“I gave my word over twenty years ago to protect you and yours. There was no time limit placed on the vow. Phoenix will be safe. I promise. And I promise to do everything in my power to keep myself safe as well. You love me. Maybe, differently than you love Tracker, but it’s still there. And therefore, my promise to protect you and yours extends to myself. I give you my word to do everything in my power to protect those you hold most dear.”

“You are special to me.”

“I know and that has saved me from my worst enemy, myself, more times than I care to admit.” He released Shayla’s braid and pressed a kiss to the pad of his finger and then gently rested the tip on her lips. “You’ll take care of the things I hold most dear as well.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Shayla said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Shayla, I will always worry about you. Although love changes and evolves, I will always love you.”

“I know and that has saved me too.”

Danni forced the zipper on her duffel bag closed and slung the bulk over her shoulder. She bolted as fast as the awkward weight of the bag would let her. At first, she had resolved herself to staying behind, but the emptiness of the days ahead of her had quickly changed her mind. Truly, she had no particular plan for her life and doing something as important with it as Cat was going to do with hers had a certain appeal. Cat wasn’t the only one with big dreams of changing the world. Danni had a few of her own too. “Wait up!”

She bounded down the porch steps and made for the SUV. The vehicle was crammed to capacity with people and all the things they needed for the trip. Well, they’d just have to make room for her and her stuff too. The only inch of space was in the very back seat with the twins. She didn’t hesitate. Her duffel bag landed on the floor and unceremoniously, she clamored over the seats and plopped down into the seat left empty between the twins.

It had taken her a while to come to terms with what had happened. Her emotions had bounced between hatred to pity, to rage and then finally to forgiveness. The twins, she would never believe they were hapless victims, but they weren’t exactly the masterminds behind the bigger plot either. She could let it go, assuming they kept their fangs to themselves. There was an added benefit to tagging along. She would finally get to know her uncle.

The twins had nobody to see them off. There were probably plenty of people eager to see them go. They were technically, their own agents. But, Carter kept a very watchful eye on them. Danni bristled in the seat between them. She was definitely putting off a don’t fuck with me wolf vibe and the air was filled with her musky scent. Steven squished against one side of the seat and Paul against the other, giving her plenty of what a wolf needed. Space. One day, it might be different and somebody might be happy to see them and might actually want to keep them around for some other purpose than containing them. It wouldn’t be today, but maybe someday soon.

Barbara leaned over Daniel’s lap and waved to her mom and dad through the window before finally ducking into the middle seat. Daniel’s lap was warm and the feel of him just a little more than enticing. She hadn’t missed the exchange between him and Fallon. It would take a while before he began to notice he had other admirers. For now, what she felt was nothing more than a crush, but who knew what the future might hold?

She was half human and what the U.S. government might make of her was anyone’s guess. Hell, what the powers that be thought of all of them was a crapshoot. Barbara had visions of pitchforks, torches, and angry mobs, but she also had the sunny side of hope. Maybe, their time had finally come. Cat certainly seemed to think so. Barbara guessed there was nothing more to do but to show up on the doorstep and see what happened next.

Christian was driving, a fact that drove Cat’s father nuts. He was a baby vampire and Cat thought it was a good idea for him to have something productive to do besides ride shotgun. The daylight was killing his sensitive eyes. She thought it was a good idea for him to get used to it and keep hold of as much of his human habits as he possibly could. Maybe, she was right. Cat had no plan beyond simply getting there. Christian wondered how she was going to pull it off once they got to D.C. It wasn’t like you could just show up on the front porch of the White House, knock on the door, and expect to visit the president. But, then again, knowing Cat, maybe it was possible.

He slid the SUV into drive and slowly inched down the gravel lane. There were shouts of good luck and people waving into his rearview mirror. Once he had navigated around the bend in the lane, the shouts grew distant and the waving crowd had disappeared. He gave the vehicle a little more gas and edged out onto the road. The sleepy little town had yet to awaken for the day and the streets and sidewalks were empty. He passed the gas station at the mouth of the on ramp and noted the brother inside watching them drive past.

Working up speed, he merged onto the interstate and headed east. The interstate was deserted. Most people preferred the speed and efficiency of high velocity commuter trains to old-fashioned driving. That had never been his style. People had no idea what they actually missed out on. Half of the fun of any adventure was taking the time to look at everything around you while you got where it was you were going.

Cat steeled herself and wiped her hands on the thighs of her jeans. The city around her was a bustling metropolis of both old and new. The monuments still stood tall and erect always reaching for the sky. There were other people over the course of time that had been where she was. Fighting and blazing the trails that made this country what it was. Along the way, much to her surprise, her little band had acquired some new followers, first in Indianapolis, then in Columbus, Ohio, and in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and in Washington D.C. itself. There wasn’t simply a handful of paranormals hungry for change there were hundreds, perhaps thousands standing behind her as she took this brave first step forward.

She had expected a fight when she showed up on the White House lawn and demanded to speak to the president. Cat was terrified the powers that be would simply dismiss her as another crackpot. Perhaps, that was why she had done what she had and unleashed her wolf right there on the doorstep. It worked. It got their attention. It got her inside the White House and sitting where she currently sat, outside the door of the Oval Office. Cat wasn’t alone in her vigil. Carter sat across the hall from her and Christian immediately to her left. Her little group of revolutionaries filled the seats impatiently feigning patience while the president tended to more pressing duties than a bunch of ragtag paranormals requesting an audience.

She rapped her fingertips on her thighs and exhaled a breath, casting Christian a hesitant smile. This was it, the big league. Cat wished her dad were here. He’d know exactly what to say.

She tried to remind herself that being here was a step in the right direction. There weren’t any mad scientists sharpening their scalpels waiting to get their hands on her and her friends. The Nevada test site didn’t really exist. The whole thing had been a very creative cover up by her uncle in an attempt to keep the pack safe and their lands undisturbed. Roswell, New Mexico was just a small town. Bionic men and genetic mutants were nothing but the result of somebody’s over active imagination.

Sitting here in a narrow straight-back chair and staring up at the paintings of former presidents lining the walls, it was easy to imagine how it all began way back when in her father’s human time. The entire place vibrated with the echoing whispers of history. The White House and everything it contained was a holy place no less sacred than the bluffs. These people, the presidents shaped a country that she was proud to call home. This was a place of justice and fairness. The president would listen to her. She would make him understand that this was indeed her country and everyone like her deserved an equal place in it.

Carter didn’t share her optimism. She could see it written all over the expression on his face. He sat stoically, his brow drawn tight and lips puckered as if he had a stick shoved up his ass. But, then again, his expression was usually less than pleasant and welcoming. Cat didn’t even know what she should ask for or exactly how she was going to present her case. She needed everyone here, Christian in her corner, Carter’s ancient vampire fangs, Barbara’s half-human presence, and the pack’s gentle support to keep her on her course.

There was still time to pull out and disappear into the shadows. No species was as canny as a wolf and Carter never went anywhere without a plan B. Running wouldn’t help anybody’s cause. She had already introduced the human world to the paranormal world when she had pulled the presto-change-o act on the doorstep and there was no going back now.

The door, a massive block of honey colored glistening wood at the end of the hall, opened and a man emerged. There was no doubt about the identity of the man. He stood in a crisp, expertly tailored, three-piece suit of navy blue with an American flag pin affixed to the lapel.

Cat’s heart skipped a beat and her mouth was suddenly dry. She stood as he beckoned her and the rest of the group forward and into the office. He had such an air of authority to him, of assuredness and confidence. She sat as he had directed her to do.

With just her group and him in the office, he took his time choosing a seat of his own. She expected him to settle in the leather chair behind a desk that rivaled her father’s in its grandness. Instead, he moved with cat like grace and claimed a place on the sofa across from her.

She sat, studying him as he, mimicking her inquisitiveness, sat studying her and the rest of the group. Up close and personal and without the buffering of the video screen, revealing more of his true self than he showed the rest of the world and perhaps, even those closest to him. There was no mistaking what he was or, despite the short brown hair, wire framed glasses, and modern dress, the man he actually was. He had dropped his mask and given her a glimpse at the face no public or private person had seen in almost three hundred years.

This man had sat behind the desk before. Maybe, not in that particular chair or behind that exact desk and definitely not in this exact office, considering the White House hadn’t been built yet. But, he had been here at the start of it all. His picture was on the wall in the hallway. “You’re…”

He settled back on the sofa and then reached forward to grasp her trembling hand. “I am, Miss, on both accounts,” he said. “You thought you were alone in the world. On that account you were wrong. We’ve watched and waited a very long time for you to come to us, Cat. The brotherhood, Guardians, and the pack are not unknown to us. At first, we intended to come to you, but thought it best to wait until you were ready to come to us.”

“And the time…”

“Is finally right.”

Epilogue

Fifty years had come and gone. In the early days of the revelation there was fear and grumbling. Bitter fights and blood spilled on both sides and afterwards peace and reluctant acceptance that eventually evolved into understanding.

There were still pockets of resistance out there waiting for the opportunity to stir the pot. But, the face of the nation had changed. The brotherhood and Guardians, as good as they were at sniffing out rogues, they were even better and ferreting out those up to no good. Her dad and Carter split the duties of heading up the paranormal division of the CIA. Her grandpa was in charge of the FBI’s elite wolf task force. Local law enforcement had jumped on the bandwagon and it seemed even the most remote Podunk town had at least one supernatural on the force.

Time had sped forward and while the United States had spearheaded the cause for equal rights and protective legislation for paranormals, other countries hadn’t been far behind. Maybe, it was that the vampires had willingly donated their blood to help cure hundreds of human diseases or that thousands of lost loved ones could creep out of the shadows and return home that had turned the tide. Maybe, it was just that the world was finally ready for them that had made the difference.

It didn’t matter. They were out of the shadows and they were going to stay out. Paranormals, just like everybody else, worked jobs, filed income tax returns every year, owned property and homes, and lived lives, productive, real, everyday, ordinary lives.

Cat’s campaign was a whirlwind of handshakes and speeches, random cities, and fundraising engagements. She had even kissed the salty forehead of a baby or two along the way. Everywhere she went there were support and an equal measure of criticism. Everyone wanted something from her and expected their issue to be at the top of her agenda. Now that the election was over, she simply wanted to put her feet up and catch her breath.

Christian, as always, had been her rock. She had started her political career as a consultant for beings like her with one foot in both worlds. Funny, when this crazy ride first began, she hadn’t wanted a career at all. She had simply wanted to change the world. Well, she had accomplished that and had certainly earned at least ten minutes to sit on her laurels. That and to get one of Christian’s famous foot massages before the inauguration began.

Life, for all its insanity and ups and downs was good. The kids were grown and pursing their own course in life. Her best friends were close at hand. Danni held a position in the senate. Tom and Ray had moved to D.C. and owned a cozy bed and breakfast serving the special needs of the paranormal community. Phoenix had found her niche and held a chair position in the ATF. The twins chaired at least a dozen special interest groups for victims’ rights and were currently planning on attending the wedding of the century with Danni and Phoenix as their brides.

Since the invention of synthetic blood the entire world had relaxed a little. Claire, a capitalist to her very core, had opened a chain of coffee shops that catered to vampires and served more than the typical latte on the menu. She and her brother were tight these days. Daniel had coughed up the money for her to open her first shop and of course, he wasn’t one to let loose of the reins on his little investment. He came up with the ideas and Barbara labored in the kitchen to concoct them into reality. It was good to see the two of them married and Daniel finally happy and at peace. His latest invention, a vampire version of a chocolate shake, still needed a lot of work before it was unleashed on an unsuspecting public though.

Janine puffed and buffed her one last time before declaring her fit to be presented to the pubic. Cat never would have thought she would need an image consultant. But, apparently, she did. Janine planned the parties, booked her schedule, and basically badgered her to death in her zeal to make sure Cat got where she needed to be on time and reasonably presentable. Today was perhaps the most important day of Cat’s life and fortunately, Janine did enough fretting for the both of them.

Christian leaned over the back of the couch and moved to give Cat a peck on the cheek earning a scowl from Janine. “Madam President.”

Cat smiled and tilted her chin up to meet Christian’s lips. “Say that again.”

“Madam President, it’s time. Your public awaits.”

With the blinding flash of thousands of cameras, Cat placed her left hand on the bible. The cover was worn and stained with sweat from the palms of the dozens of presidents that had come before her. She lifted her right hand, held high and proud and spoke the vow. These were the most important words she would ever speak and every bit as sacred and holy as her wedding vows. “I do so solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States.”