Forgiveness and Punishment

12

Pimpernel is sleeping when a knock startles her awake. "Yes?" She says rather confused, they've never bothered with knocking before. She was beginning to think that they didn't use common courtesies in the vampire world.

"Time to get up, miss," Timothy says opening the door just enough to stick his head through. "We will need to leave in a couple of hours to see your lawyer. We are scheduled to leave at two to fly to your home town to place your ashes with your father's grave. 

"I've arranged to have the jet ready at that time in anticipation that your lawyer will have a great many documents to go over with you and questions for you. He likely will request to have lunch with you and so I allowed for that as well. 

"If that is unnecessary then I can have the flight time moved up. Pack your bags for a weeks stay and I'll have them taken directly to the jet so you won't have to worry about them."

"We can eat human food?" Pimpernel says grasping onto the first thing she can to help her understand everything.

"Yes, sorry, I forgot to inform you of that. You won't need to eat, but you can if you are in the presence of humans it is generally a good idea to do so. I would suggest ordering something bland at first until your body is once more accustomed to eating food. Be careful, some favorites you may no longer be able to eat." Once more Timothy goes to leave.

"Why did you say Miss when you entered?" Pimpernel asks once more trying to understand.

Timothy opens the door a bit more and just shrugs. "You have yet to tell me a name you would prefer to be called by. You no longer wish for me to call you by Pimpernel Lancaster. I needed to call you by something. I thought Miss would be preferable to something like Love or Bitch."

Finally a faint smile appears on Pimpernel's face. "Yes, you are correct. Thank you. I have decided on Melissa Heath for my new name. I've already called my lawyer and informed him."

"Good. By the time we get there all the correct documents should be in order then." Timothy smirks, "I think that man has connections to the underworld with how quickly he is able to get the identity papers in order with your new name."

Melissa bites her lips to keep herself from smiling. She actually believes that her lawyer does have connections to some very seedy people. For some, crime does pay and pays very well at that. And they all need lawyers to deal with the estate planning.

"It won't take me too long to get ready," Melissa tells Timothy.

"Very well. If you are interested in breakfast just let a maid know and she'll take you to the breakfast room. Then she'll let me know."

"Okay?" Melissa hadn't been offered human food since she woke up and is rather shocked that Timothy is doing so now.

Timothy gives her a pained smile and leaves the room closing the door softly behind him. He had truly treated her badly when she first woke up and he could kick himself for it. He's done everything wrong. He has trouble holding his head up as he walks down to his study. 

Mel sees him and follows him. "Further trouble with Pimpernel?" Mel is more than a little worried. There won't be much time for Timothy to get Pimpernel to accept him before he'll be called before the council. The only reason he hasn't yet, Mel believes, is because Tavistock was biding his time. But now that Tavistock and the others have been neutralized they will be looking at Timothy breaking one of the major laws.

"No, nothing more than what I've already done. She actually didn't look at me with hate for once. So, I guess you could even say that a small amount of positive has happened. It's just so little and time is running out. But, I've given the power into her hands. She knows what's likely to happen to both of us if she doesn't act soon. By the end of the week I'm sure that she'll have a decision."