Belle Morte Bites (Belle Morte 4.3)

Old Friends: Part One

Modern Day (set after the events of Changes)

Gideon was woken by the sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door. He opened his eyes. Jason was still asleep, his back pressed against Gideon's chest, and Gideon buried his face in the warm skin of Jason's neck.

The knocking came again, and Jason groaned. "Gid, get the door."

"You get the door," Gideon said, closing his eyes.

"Guys?" Roux's voice came from the hallway outside. "You awake?"

Jason groaned again and climbed out of bed, scrubbing his eyes and raking his fingers through his bed-head.

"What's up?" he asked, as he opened the door.

"Sorry to wake you so early, but Ysanne needs to see Gideon," Roux said.

Gideon sat up.

"About what?" Jason asked.

"I don't know, but she did say it was urgent," Roux said.

"Is she in her office?"

"Yes."

Jason glanced back at Gideon. "We'd better get dressed then."

Message delivered, Roux didn't wait for them. Jason and Gideon dressed as quickly as possible and hurried to Ysanne's office.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Jason asked.

"I really don't," Gideon replied.

"Probably nothing to worry about, though, right?" Jason sounded uneasy.

Gideon took his hand. "I'm sure it's nothing."

But he couldn't help a twinge of unease himself. What could Ysanne possibly need them for? What was going on?

They reached Ysanne's office, and knocked on the door.

"Entrez," she said, and her voice was as crisp and unruffled as ever, giving nothing away.

They went into the office. Ysanne was sitting behind her desk, and despite how early it was, she was as polished and well-dressed as ever. Despite how long he'd lived in the same House as her, Gideon had rarely seen her as anything less than perfect.

"Gideon," she said, fixing him with her frost-coloured eyes. "I have been contacted by a young man named Harry Thomas. Do you know the name?"

"No," Gideon said, baffled.

"He says that he's Jerry Thomas's nephew. Does that mean anything to you?"

Jerry . . .

Gideon sat down, hard, in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ysanne said.

Gideon struggled to organise his thoughts. He hadn't seen Jerry in decades, hadn't even thought about him since coming to live in Belle Morte, and suddenly a piece of his past was colliding with his present in a way he'd never anticipated.

"Apparently Jerry asked Harry to try and get in contact with you," Ysanne said.

"Why?"

Ysanne's face softened, just a fraction. It probably wouldn't have been visible to anyone who didn't know her.

"Jerry's very ill," she said. "His nephew doesn't believe he has much time left, and the one thing he's asked for is to see you."

Jason took the seat next to Gideon, putting his hand on Gideon's knee and squeezing.