Erasure and Affirmation (Hypernaturals 11)

You Had Me At 'Tamales'

"My mother is going to want a big wedding. All the trimmings. Lots of grand-babies. The works." Lori said.

"What do you want?" Jessica asked.

"I am with her on the lots of babies part." Lori said. "I think my mom is just happy I ended up with a guy so we could give her Grand-babies. As if being married to a woman would have stopped me. Not going to stop Angel and Vera, now is it?"

Jessica raised her eyebrow in perfect Spock. "Microsurgery or turn?"

Danny looked at his love. "Turn. I guess. We talked about it and we can't get past the place where if we have babies as humans, then turn, they will be human babies. Always. Unless they take the turn. We had a huge discussion about the ethics of making that choice for our kids by turning first. It's different than for you guys. You already turned and had no choice in the thing, you know? We are deciding for our kids ahead of time what they will be."

"It has been a very long and deep set of discussions. Followed by nice love. One of the things I love about my guy? We can talk about stuff like this, and it doesn't get all emotional and weird, and end up in raised voices." Lori said. "Don't get me wrong: He's not perfect. Hiding test results for example. Sort of him in a nutshell. He won't fight. He won't talk about it at all if he's not ready."

"I guess we know why Danny and Adrian were best friends because I am familiar." Jessica said

"Thanks. Helen." I said to her at the zinger.

"It's true and you know it." Jessica said.

"The thing that decided it? Your kids. That is who our kids are going to grow up with and they are all going to turn, right? That's what the Ninovan history says. Kids of two Vampires become Vampires. Even Vera will now have Vampire babies if Adrian is the father. With Kevin, they end up something else: Astral, right?" Lori said.

"Makes sense. If there is anything that would drive a kid crazy growing up it would be knowing that they are different from the kids around them like that. Though since we are going to set up a school at Ninovan for the kids there, that is going to happen anyway. They will have Sirens and Astrals in class with them. In your example with Vera? Hard to know how the turns out. She is the first Siren turned Vampire, that we are aware of anyway. Nothing says down the millennia we did not get one or two the fang way. For us, Vera's genetics are all new. Everything I see about her says 'Vampire', but after talking to Angel and Vera on the subject, she still fights with some Siren issues. It's not as bad, but they are still there. She is more than likely all new. Also, she turned from a double dose of the two most unique Vampires we know about. The offspring of mutant versions of us. Who knows what her babies are like? I guess we'll find out. She and Angel are talking about kids, as you said." Jessica said.

"Everyone will be special. Everyone will be something other than baseline human." Lori pointed out.

"Does not have to be that way. Ninovan has had humans in it before. Ninovan started from Humans. Unique ones, according to their own legends. When you combine their legends, Siren ones, and what the witches had, it seems likely Ninovan's were already somewhat non-standard when they separated themselves from the rest of humanity, before Sirens and Vampires came on the scene. The original issue was being so empathetic, so sensitive to how other people felt that being around them could be painful. Stir in the music from the Sirens, and the extended sensorium of the Vampires, and let it bake for generations and you get Astrals. My opinion and we are testing this with Angel, is that her brain integrates an enormous range of inputs at the subconscious level. Scents like Vampires even, to some degree. Anyway. Not important right now because we are talking about your wedding. You know how Angel and Vera want to do it?"

"No. I had not heard they made up their minds about it." Lori said.

"Commitment Ceremony. The same way we four did it. Common law to humans, but in our world as married as it gets. Here is the cool part. Friends and family. On 'Nightwing' just off the shore of the nude beach at the executive retreat. Not the Hollow, because too many lurkers there. Clothing optional at the wedding but discouraged. A sort of statement about how they came together. The struggles in the past Vera had with, among other things, nude beaches. Angel's awakening happened this way. Sort of. Symbolically, in any case. They will both legally change their last names to 'Sagan' to show their connection to us. Since Simi and Tobey are going to wait on their second baby for a while, Vera and Angel will move into the original apartment over the small garage. We'll add a bigger shower, though they plan to use our shower most of the time."

"Oh. Wow. That is beautiful. I love it!" Lori said. "I'll be as naked as the day I was born. For sure."

Danny looked dubious. Lori smacked him in the arm, "Oh, come on, Danny. Get in the spirit! You know what? Whatever. I'll be naked. You wear whatever the hell you want. I'll just sit in Helen's lap. She'll be naked too, so that will be cool. If YOU were naked, I'd sit in your lap, but... You know. I'll just sit in your lap later when your shy ass is in the right state."

"Aye!" Danny exclaimed. "Fine. I'm in. That's blackmail you know."

"That's me knowing I'm going to be a Vampire, and live a long time, and getting into the swing of things. You need to catch up, lover boy. Don't forget: you have a lot of years ahead of you, and a lot of ladies beside me to love. Me too, still. I mean: You have to love me as well. I will also be loving lots of ladies. I will be, but not the point. Damn, that got complicated fast." Lori verbally spun off the road.

"You know what Lori? We don't really want this big wedding your mom wants. What if we get married with the people we want around us, and then we can let your mom do whatever she wants, knowing we are already married?" Danny proposed.

"You, my lover, are perfect. Small ceremony. Us and our family and friends, just like Angel and Vera. Details! Let's see. Where and when?" Lori asked.

"When? Sooner the better. Where? Don't care." Danny said. "Long as you are there."

"Vera and Angel are doing Nightwing. DeWayne and Carol are doing it in France at the Estate. It is likely that one will be a madhouse. Lots of free passes." Jessica said.

"You and Adrian did the botanical garden. Three of you. Helen was right over there in the Living room. Also the three of you. Morgan's was in the pool, and had a few more witnesses... I like small. I like just the family for ours. Everyone that lives here. Marvin and Skye. My mom will get her big one whenever she has it all planned." Lori said. "What do you think, Danny?"

"I like it. Where?"

"Right there, where Helen said 'yes'. Adrian: You cook me my tamales. We keep it just us."

"Denise lives here now." I said. "The minute you have her, you can't leave out Carol and DeWayne. It snowballs from there. How about this. The wedding hall we built at Holly's? You can start your wedding night in your own cabin. We can cater it from there. I will do the tamales." I countered.

Lori and Danny consulted for two seconds. "Done!" Lori said. "You had me at 'Tamales'. No matter where those are, I shall be. When I am a Vampire, and you and I get together in the sack and screw our brains out someday? Not Avocados. I am going to eat Tamales off you."

"Oh, brother." Danny said.

"Yumm." Lori said back.