Nature or Nurture Ch. 57-59

You know, I'll think about it, if you promise you'll think about getting Catherine a little sister or brother. All right?'

That is an easy deal to make, and Vincent shakes on it. Then he is jumped again by Percy, and this time he catches him and roughs his coat, surprising the big black lamb into licking his hands and offering his belly to have it scratched.

Last of all they get a tour of all the horses, and it is clear Lucy loves the large ones with the sensitive characters best. With a good feeling they take their leave, Lucy hugging Vincent almost fearlessly, and when they are ready to cycle off, he can see her take George's hand and wink at Vincent. That means it is his turn next, but how to proceed? Adison has told him she has stopped taking some Chinese medication that prevents women from getting with child. How long does it take to know for certain that he cannot sire one? Years, as far as he knows. Maybe a little talk with Lukas or Melissa next time they meet?

When they get home, they have visitors, Miss Yves and Mr Chandler are sitting in the kitchen with Victor and Mina. They must have had an exciting night, not to be able to wait until dark to share it with Mina.

Victor and Mina have already shared their experiences at the ball with their friends, hoping the others will return in time to hear what takes hold of Mr Chandler as the full moon rules the night sky. Mr Chandler is rather quiet, it is clear that whatever happened has touched him deeply, but Miss Yves doesn't seem to mind so much, of course she likes excitement.

She is sweet, though, she notices Mr Chandlers dejection and talks to him soothingly.

'Never mind, Ethan, we'll find a solution. You know how clever Adison is, and their friends can make anything out of silver.'

That doesn't seem to settle him down at all, and Miss Yves strokes his hair with obvious love, if she cannot convince him she can at least try to make him feel wanted. Vincent recognizes both his feeling, and hers. It is much like himself and Adison not so long ago. Though yesterday he didn't need her to soothe him, Lukas had seen to that.

When they all sit and have a cup of coffee in front of them, Mr Chandler gestures to Miss Yves that she should start.

'We had dinner together, then talked as usual, until Sir Malcolm went to bed, he's had a rough time, we'll talk about that some other time Mina, it's about your mother.

As we descended into the cellar, Ethan became restless, he didn't want me to see it after all, but Sembene convinced him I could handle a thing or two, besides, Ethan knew that as well for he had been there when Sir Malcolm shot Mina, and the raid before that.

Anyway, Sembene shackled Ethan, not a pretty sight, but Ethan said it was needed for our safety. We sat and waited. It took hours, but then Ethan started to moan as if pain.

I wanted to help him, but he ordered me to stay put, and Sembene was ready to enforce that, I didn't doubt. Poor Ethan seemed in agony for minutes, no wonder for his hands and feet grew the most ferocious nails, and his face, it turned into the face of a terrifying creature.

It was a wolf's face.

The creature snarled at us, but it didn't try to free itself, it just sat there, watching both of us with its copper eyes. Whenever one of us came closer, it would snarl, but it wouldn't try to attack. I knew it was Ethan, he wouldn't harm me for the world, and he looked as if he needed some comfort, so I went to him and offered to hold him.

He didn't attack, didn't snarl, he just bowed his fierce head and settled in my arms, with me scratching his coat and his ears, and him just lying there with his eyes closed. I could feel he was very tense, but of course he couldn't tell me what was wrong, until his hands, with the claws, started touching me very gently. Then I knew, and I suggested to Sembene he'd better leave the room, or he might be shocked to witness what happened.

I suppose he understood, and the moment he was gone this creature was all over me, though he let me remove our clothes, he didn't rip them or anything. As soon as they were open, he jumped me, I suppose all that wild energy must go somewhere, and we had a very good time, though kissing was impossible. He didn't smell like a dog, fortunately, and he was shaped just like man, just like himself actually, but he was way fiercer. I loved it, he was so wild, he let go totally, and afterwards he was much quieter. I put our clothes back to order and told Sembene he could come back. Then we both fell asleep. When I woke he was back to himself, still shackled, Sembene was still watching over us.

Ethan, I don't know what your problem is, it wasn't so bad, was it?'

'I don't remember at all, love,' he replies, 'though I'm glad to finally know. But I remember flashes of other scenes, and they were less innocent. I remember killing people, killing innocents, and I'm afraid I really did that, roaming the city after dark, slaughtering women and children, brutally.

There is someone after me, too, an inspector. He suspects I'm something violent, and he will follow me around until he finds proof, or let's be honest, until he's tired of waiting and fabricates proof.

The murders I dreamt of committing were in the papers, they really happened, I'm a mindless killer three days of the month, how can you live with that? And there is someone else after me, an American from my past, a ruthless bounty hunter. I'm not a safe person to be around, Vanessa.'

Miss Yves' face is a study in unbelief, and she retorts, 'And I'm the holy virgin! Ethan, it's me you are talking to, please don't try to protect me! No-one ever could, you know what was after me, maybe you can make me feel safe, maybe we're meant to be together. Please don't shut me out.'

Now Mina speaks up.

'Ethan, you have seen me at my worst, do you believe I killed my share of innocents?'

He nods, he remembers her as a totally evil vampire.

'I have to live with those memories every day of my life, but still life is sweet, because I have love. Three nights shackled in the basement with your love nearby don't seem too large a price to pay for a normal life between full moons. Just make sure you don't get out.'

Their visitors soon plead tiredness from being awake most of the night, and go home, most likely to sit through another night of full moon in the basement, making love roughly to use up some of the energy that is released by Mr Chandler's wild nature.

When Miss Yves and Ethan have left, they are all rather silent. That quiet, friendly man, a werewolf, with the law after him, it's hard to get their minds around.

'Why doesn't Sir Malcolm just pull a few strings to get him off the hook?' Victor asks.

'Maybe he cannot,' Mina offers, 'father may be of high birth, but he has fewer connections than he might have had, if he hadn't been off to Africa most of his life.'

That is right, and besides, would they want justice to be different for the rich? Of course Mr Chandler has the same excuse Mina had, but the police don't care very much for that. Maybe he'd better disappear for a while, they should all go to Africa, Miss Yves is still bored.

Still, they are a cute couple, and Mr Chandler seems to love Miss Yves as much as she loves him.

Now Vincent and Adison give Catherine a short version of what happened last night, and show her the figurine. She is as impressed as they all were, and as disconcerted. Looking from the figurine to her father, she observes, 'So this is what you looked like when I was born. Well, you probably wore some clothes of course. But I mean, this is the person I will resemble when I'm grown, in the colour of my hair and eyes, and the tone of my skin.'

That is certainly true, though with her mother so very pale in colour it may very well be that Catherine will never be as swarthy as her father.

'If I get such a dark skin as yours was, daddy, I'll be quite the exotic beauty when I'm a young lady.'

Vincent very easily manages to give his memory of Cathy black locks and black eyes, and a skin a few shades darker.

'You will be absolutely ravishing, my lovely. And in London, you will not stand out as I did in the little village near Wuthering Heights.'

Taking his tiny daughter on his lap, Vincent tells the others what master Man said, and they all feel some kind of rightness in the lightning-strike theory on how the spell failed. Of course master Man's observation that Vincent's skin is white because of the bleaching action of the magic coursing through his blood all the time strikes all of them similarly.

'It never ceases to amaze me how that old man can have such profound insights. I feel jealous of his deductive qualities.'

Victor doesn't look jealous at all as he says this, but he does show a healthy respect for the wise old man. After that, he changes the subject to their house.

'If we're going to entertain like this,' he suggests, we should really have a sitting-room, like all our friends have.'

They all agree, but there aren't any rooms available except the attic, but having a sitting-room in the attic is a bit impractical.

'It should be close to the kitchen, preferably in direct contact with it,' Victor observes, and he even has an idea.

'Mina and I have talked it over and we'd like to redecorate the attic, then move our bedroom upstairs.

I'd like to have the rest as workshop, not for dissecting of course, I want to experiment with electricity. I'll give up the hired workshop, I'll be asked to do some work for the morgue I guess, enough to stay in practise. But I prefer to spend my time inventing things. I've always wanted to do that, not as Paul does it, with craftsmanship, but with experiments, and thinking. The attic will be perfect, and I'll be close to Mina as she sleeps.

Then we can use our bedroom as sitting-room, maybe even connect it to the kitchen.'

Vincent thinks it is a great idea, he has always avoided the attic, somehow he still associates it with intense pain, though he also experienced intense love there. Having it redecorated will change all that, and once the machines are removed, and especially that table, he'll be more at ease going there sometimes, to watch Victor's experiments. It sounds interesting.

'A sitting-room is a marvellous idea,' Adison comments, 'I really like the way our friends entertain, very comfortable, I'd like that. But what if we were to have another child, we'd run out of space again.'

'We could move the files to the practice, Adison, and the medical drawings to the library, and we'd have a whole room extra,' Victor offers.

'And you know the house next-door belongs to a friend of master Man,' Vincent says, 'maybe he'll consider selling. With Heathcliff's house sold for a good price, we can in fact afford our own place, Adison, though I'd like to stay really close.'

They decide to have the attic done, and make a sitting-room, it will be such a luxury to have a sofa and lazy chairs. The practice is doing better than ever, and there is still something left of Heathcliff's inheritance, though Vincent wants to keep the proceeds of Heathcliff's house in reserve should a suitable house become available for purchase in their neighbourhood.

It is so good to sit here together and discuss improving the house, there is every reason to stick to living in the same house, they have so much to discuss and enjoy each other's presence so much, they all prefer to stay together.

Catherine goes to bed straight after dinner, she is tired, having skipped her nap, and Adison and Vincent turn in early as well, tomorrow will be a busy day again. Of course they do not forget to spend some time on each other, testing their new skill of connecting minds and exchanging magic power. Soon, they are making love, quietly but very intensely, feeling not just their own ecstasy, but that of the other, will this feeling truly become habit after a while?

Vincent cannot believe it, this exquisite merge of their minds and feelings demands that they connect their bodies as closely, and they cannot seem to stop and take some rest, they continue their loving until they are both totally exhausted.

Well before midnight they finally fall asleep.

A few hours later, Adison sits up straight in her bed, a bell tolling loudly in her mind. She shakes Vincent to wake him up, and wonders what time it is, is Mina still awake?

'There is an intruder, Vincent,' she whispers urgently, 'wake up!'

Vincent sits up straight as well, and he quickly dons some garments, then picks up his sword.

'You take the gun, will you stay with Catherine for now? I'll see if Mina's still awake. Do you sense any evil?

'I don't, I do know the intruder is near the front door. But I don't like letting you go alone anyway, what if whoever it is has magic?'

She dresses quickly and sits back on the bed with her gun at the ready.

'I'll take Victor if Mina's asleep, or send him to fetch Catherine and take you, he will not like to leave Mina undefended. I'm off now,' and he is indeed gone. Minutes later, Victor comes in, sword and gun in hand, and joins her on the bed.

'Mina was still up, they've gone together. I'll stay here with Catherine and you.'

Vincent is very relieved to find Mina still up, Catherine will certainly be safe with Victor and Adison guarding her. Mina has her heirloom sword in hand now, this is after all their own home they're defending, no need to fear leaving evidence behind. They turn towards the entrance, very much on guard, Vincent checking every inch of the hall with sight, finding nothing.

Reaching the entrance, they see the front door wide open, a dark figure against the wall as if trying to hide in the shadows and failing miserably. Probably intent on fire-arms, Mina has the shape in a stranglehold before Vincent has decided what to do, and whoever it is, he's not offering any resistance, so Vincent closes the door, finding the lock picked clumsily, it will not be locked anymore.

The shape in Mina's grip now speaks up, but it is muffled by the hood of its cloak, and Mina peels it back to reveal the intruder.

It's a young, handsome man, very frightened, not your average intruder. It's Mr Grey.

Mina shakes him a few times, then demands, 'What are you doing trespassing in our house in the middle of the night? Let's call the watch, Vincent, I'm sure they will convince him to leave you in peace.'

'I seem to remember this guy getting quite a clear message already, and that hasn't stopped him from trying. He just waited until we were sleeping.

Better just kill him.'

'That may frighten a child, Vincent, but not me.'

Mr Grey is very quiet and accepting of his fate.

'Though you may be one of the few people able to kill me, you will not, because you don't just kill people. I beg you not to call the watch on me, I've come to beg you once again to talk to me, I have information you need, you're in grave danger. The Master is desperate, he needs a new body, now, and he wants yours even if it's flawed. He'll remove everyone who stands in his way, starting with your wife, and your friends.'

'What is in it for you to warn Vincent? If you know what your master is planning, you must be close to him, why would you betray him to someone who hates you?'

Mina has not released Mr Grey yet, but the guy knows he has their attention and he is starting to get some hope.

'Please don't hate me, Vincent, if you want I'll beg forgiveness from you, I just wanted you so much...,' Mr Grey's face is a study in earnest contrition, 'I understand your wish never to speak to me again and I will respect it, but I need to talk to you just once more. I'm as good as dead, I need to tell you everything I know, will you please listen to me?'

'If I listen to you, will you go away and leave me alone?' Vincent asks.

'I'll be dead within days, so I guess the answer is a decided yes.'

'Follow me to the kitchen then. Will you get Adison and Victor, Mina? Catherine will be safe enough with Adison at home.'

Mina protests leaving the two of them alone.

'What if he spells you again?'

'It won't work on me anymore, the creature took care of that. He will not let me be possessed either, if what Mr Grey says is true, the Master is making a mistake. I'm not worried for myself. I just want to be left alone, play my role, raise my daughter.'

Vincent sounds very tired, he's so fed up with all this, the one crisis is past, the next announces itself. But George told him the whole community of magic-users is with him, if things heat up he can always leave Catherine at the manor.

'And you will be, Vincent,' Mr Grey pleads, 'the Master has betrayed me the last time, this time I'm fighting back even if it costs me my life. I thought I sold my soul to the devil, but the Master is just a man, he can be killed, and that is what I want from you, Vincent, I want you to kill him. Before he finds a way to prolong his life even more, before he forces me to serve him for another lifetime, or two, and makes you his servant again, or worse.'

Chapter 58

Mina has left, and soon returns with Victor and Adison. Adison's eyes spit fire, Vincent is shocked to see his mild beloved so incredibly angry. He opens his arms to her, and she sits on his lap, trying to control herself.

Mr Grey just wilts under her gaze, which actually gives Vincent his first spark of belief in his sincerity. If he was just acting, he'd ignore her.

'Talk,' Vincent says.

'Countless years ago I met a man who offered me eternal youth. I thought he was the devil, for he said he wanted my soul in return. I took him up on his offer, for if I wouldn't die, I couldn't lose my soul, could I? I was young and foolish.

It took me a long time to realize that my soul was already his, from the moment he put his spell on me. He delivered eternal youth, and set me up in a magnificent house with plenty of cash, and I enjoyed my beauty and my fortune for years. I befriended the upper class, got to know the most influential people, men and women, and they told me everything, all their weaknesses, all their hopes and dreams. They all liked me, I did suspect that was not entirely natural, and I never tried to find out, that's true as well.

I liked my master, he had done so much for me, he was beautiful, and he entertained me, and I told him everything I learned from my friends. With this information he spread chaos throughout the city, and this seemed to benefit him somehow, for he was pleased with me and treated me as his favourite.

But after a few score more years, he started to age, he could have put the spell on himself that he had put on me, it clearly worked fine, I was unchanged, but he didn't want to just live on and on as I did, he wanted more.

He wanted true immortality, and godhood. Having unearthed a vague Egyptian prophecy, he set after Miss Vanessa Yves, apparently pairing off with her would make godhood a possibility, but since he wanted a talent of his own to make practising magic more easy and to get more power, he planned to first possess a different body, one of his underlings, a particularly intelligent and violent man, possessed of a sizeable magic talent that was clearly visible in him, though inactive.

My master planned to wake the talent with a combination of a spell and an obscure procedure he had ferreted out some obsessed scientist had developed. But the procedure failed, the subject's mind was blanked as planned, but the talent was still not usable, and the mind had lost its rage.

The Master decided to postpone the plan, trying to get hold of Mr Heathcliff's daughter instead, hoping she'd develop the rage, her talent obvious from her birth. He didn't mind waiting a little longer, didn't mind living as a female, as long as he had ultimate power.

But you took your daughter back and in your wife's hands she also lost the rage, and then a witch here in town ended up trying to recruit her for her own ends.