North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Boot Camp Plans

On the way into the office, Denise and I rode in her Jeep. Top down. Morgan was home with the kids or I would have ridden in with her, as is my usual thing. We would have stopped in our park, and been late. My life with Morgan and Jessica, even Angel and Vera has proceeded as it has been. Helen and I do not talk. Not the stupid 'Would you tell the man over there to pass the butter' thing. Just do without the butter.

Denise on the other hand has been so distracted by Crew stuff that she is once again running herself raggedly close to the edge of her blood need. I know she does it. I know the scent.

"Denise: What are your plans for blood?" I asked her as she drove along, humming. That is the dichotomy of her need now. She is happy and paying no attention to it.

"Uh...." Denise stopped humming. "No plan?"

"That is what I thought. You are the worst at this. Why do I know your blood needs better than you?"

"I have been busy!" Denise protested.

"I know. Same thing as the Siren lab. You were too busy." I scolded.

"I wish I could be like you and Morgan. Not even have the damn thing." Denise complained of her nearly 600-year-old problem. Exactly what Rachel and I talked about.

"Pull over." I instructed. "Someplace private where you can have some."

"Adrian: You know how that works. The way it affects my self-control. If I drink your blood, I will want to make love. You know that." Denise said. "It's bad enough hunting humans for blood and not having some sex for dessert. It's impossible with you now. I taste you, I want you. If we don't make love, then I just traded one hunger for another, and all the damn day I'm going to be distracted and starving."

"Then I suggest you pull over in a really private place. I'm not into your self-denial of love thing. That is all you. Pull over. Blood and sex if you need that too. I am requiring you to have some blood now, and I will not take no for an answer on that. If that turns into more than that, then that is your problem to deal with because I like making love with you."

"Well: That's nice to hear, anyway." Denise was a little sarcastic.

"I love making love with you, but the fact that you keep denying you means I don't want to get too wrapped up in how much I love it, because it's infrequent and I never know when the next time will be. You like that better?" I asked.

"No." Denise admitted.

"It's the truth. I try to support you and your mission of self-incrimination, but it has a cost. It's hard to be 'all in' knowing you are still off beating yourself up. I completely approve of the remorse and the idea it will not happen anymore. Support it totally. I hate that it means you and I cannot fully be together. Not only you and I. You and Jessica and Morgan and I."

"You do not mention Helen." Denise poked.

"You can have her too if you like." I said.

"Remind me to never get that far up your nose." Denise said and made a turn off the road to a non-road.

"It's... simple..." I said haltingly as we jounced along the complete lack of road. "All you have to do... is not betray... me."

I came to understand Denise has a Jeep for a reason. She rolled to a stop in some trees in the middle of nowhere. Not all of the way we got to here was a road. Or gravel. Or even path. She turned off the Jeep and started shucking her pants. I took that to mean she is planning on a two-course meal, and it might start with love.

I did the same thing, and she moved agilely out from under the wheel on over onto me. Also why she has a Jeep: Plenty of room. The bucket seat perfect for her needs.