A Beautiful New Wonderland

~{09}~

Alice:

I felt so horrible, and I know Vlad did too, to a degree. 

" I'm sorry, my lioness. I knew he cared...but to know it was to this severity is a shock."

" Vlad, we have to make it up to him somehow." 

" You can't mend a broken heart with anything but time, and even then it isn't guarantied."

" Well, I can't let this just sit on my conscience! I feel so horrible and cruel!" 

" I have an idea, albeit I'll have to adjust and be nice, but there is a solution that might make you both happy." 

" What? I'll do anything to get rid of this guilt." 

" I know it's relatively taboo to most, but vampires, as a species, typically will have more then one bride at a time for various reasons, and for females, that means more than one male. Humans call it polyamory, but in vampirism, we call it Tri-Courting." 

" But...you said you didn't want to share me, that you were greedy." 

" I am, but, to be fair, me being with you is technically taboo in of its own right. I can't do a lot of the normal romantic stuff, mostly because I'm not much of a romantic, but I am a good spouse in how I'm supportive, how I protect you, and in how I always have your best interests at heart. Anderson can do everything I can't. I love you, with all my undead being, with every soul at my disposal, that is fact, however, I am lacking in some areas, areas he can fulfill." 

" So you want me to be with him, and still be with you at the same time?" 

" Yes. I can be your life partner, the one you settle down with, but he can be the one to give you all the stuff I can't. The fun one, so to speak."

" And you promise you won't get jealous or angry?" 

" I can promise that if I do, you'll never know and I won't make it your problem." 

" So you'll be ok with it if I go to the basement and tell him I have your blessing?" 

" Yes. Go, your Mad Hatter needs his Alice. This old Cheshire Cat will be fine. 

I give him a kiss and bolt for the basement, where I find his room easily. It's the only one that was locked. Most of the troops left their doors unlocked out trust, but his was locked. I knock, and he opened the door, half dazed and bloodshot in the eyes, which only made the blue of them much more obvious. 

" Yes, Ma'am? What do you want?" 

"To talk. Can you change and meet me in my office please. Me and Vlad would like to offer you a proposal of sorts, where everyone wins." 

" No offense, but I'd sooner shoot him in the face then be nice right now." 

" Then will you hear me out here?" 

" What?" 

He leans on the doorframe, his head resting on his arms as he looks down at me, agitation clearly in his voice. He looked so sexy it wasn't fair, and the fact he was shirtless did little to help with that.

" I want to propose an idea Vlad offered to me. Vlad knows he can't give me everything I want or need in our relationship, and given he isn't much of a romantic, he wants to offer you the role of filling that void, saying he knew you cared, but how deep was illusive, and he feels a little bad about all of this, and I feel so horrible about it." 

" So what? I'm the patch to make your taboo sham of a relationship work?" 

" I'll chalk this attitude up to being hurt. I'm saying we can be a thing with Vlad's consent. He understand sometimes it takes more than one person to make a relationship work, and in vampire culture, polyamory is normal and very commonplace." 

" So what, I becomes the side piece to compensate for the fact Vlad is a monster who lacks emotional depth? I don't quite follow how I win here."

" I wish I wasn't so shit at explaining things...how about we try it like this. Vlad is my boyfriend, and is the one I want to settle down with, but I also want to be with you, someone who shows me how to be human and how to live, to go on dates with and to live a human life along side the eventual vampiric one I'm going to live." 

" So you want the best of both worlds to feel balanced out then?" 

" Yes! That, that's it! A balance so I don't get too wrapped up in one world over the other." 

" And what does that mean for me? What is a no go for us?" 

" Well, that's just it, until I take the turn , I can't have sex, or until I feel ready to have kids. Should I chose to have kids, then I'll live out my human life until I pass on."

" That's your only rule then?" 

" Well, one of four, actually. No sex, not fist fights with Vlad outside of training reasons, no antagonizing each other, and should I chose to be a vampire, you aren't to get mad at me and break it off just because I'm inhuman." 

" That...it actually sounds fair. So if I were to kiss you, he won't pop out of nowhere and try to impale me?"  

" No, I don't think so-" 

He was on me in an instant, his lips were stronger and full of passion, his arms cocooned me and felt as safe as Vlad's, just warmer and sturdier. I could taste the menthols on his breath, but it was a far better taste then the iron of Vlad's, his scruff was scratchy, but in a ticklish way, the soft hum under his breath vibrated into my being. I wrapped him in closer, my arms on his neck and legs on his waist due to his height, the musk he had was intoxicating. He supported me and we didn't part for a good few solid minutes, that is, until I heard a chuckle. 

" Easy kids, don't mind me." 

" Vlad, hi, um...how long?" 

" Long enough. So, Anderson, do we have an accord? You can have her, so long as you respect her rules and such." 

" We do. I'm sorry I was such an ass." 

" No, you handled it with far more kindness then I would've. Now understand this is a privledge, not a right. I can revoke this should I believe you to be mistreating her under her nose." 

" I would never, but I get it." 

He held me tight, and I just let myself curl into his broad chest, and noticed his cross was missing. 

" You need a new uniform, and a new cross." 

" I do. Left the old once since it was a Iscariot tracker. If the cord got cut or the cross got crushed, it meant the agent was dead and needed pick up. Clever, and effective." 

" Very. Now, please put me down so I can go run my company." 

" Of course, my little bunny."

" Bunny?" 

" Small, cute, skittish, and very easy to startle, but also quick, and gentle. Plus with the new hair you remind me of a easter rabbit so, yeah, bunny." 

" Ok, big guy, whatever you say." 

He puts me down with another kiss, and I leave to go upstairs back to my office, with both men on my heels. Mom, I don't know if you'd be proud of me, but I like to think I am doing my best.