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

Sprayed On

"Jessica: I would prefer you to be next to me the entire night tonight. On my arm. Holding my hand. My arm around your waist. Snugging your delicious body to mine and thinking about how much I love you. I know it's a big ask since everyone will be in a party mood. You'll be dolled up and utterly lickable, as you always are. DeWayne and Carol may want to drag you off into the bushes. They would be crazy not to want that."

"Go on... not that being bushwhacked by those two would not be fun." Jessica said.

"I want to have my arm around you. Or you and Morgan: I have two arms for a reason. I would have her in the other but Helen will be off hobnobbing. This is her kind of gig. She lives and breaths this kind of thing. It's her world, and I don't want to steal her joy from her more than I already have."

"She has new joy." Jessica said. "She found out she is a homebody. That's not a bad thing."

"I am not trying to change who and what she is. I married her eyes wide open on that. Her political life is not a shared interest we have. Family is, and yeah: I think she just found out we have a lot more in common on that than she knew." I said.

"I'm OK with that too. I'm a family girl. Always wanted to be, anyway. Mama Gaia. Then Vampiredom tried to steal it." Jessica said.

"You are that indeed. I won't lie: Helen realizing she is a family person too gives me hope for the future. Not only of our family but how she approaches fixing our world. That is still going to be her passion. That's good because we need that. She is right about me to some degree: I may have some vision and ideas about what is wrong, but she is the engine of the change. Without her, I am nothing. She is the power." I said.

"Our little hellion." Jessica said.

"Back to tonight: Some people will just want to say 'hi'. Congratulate me. Harmless stuff. Some will be looking for political favors. Some will want on the Crew, or to schedule my Catalyst services as if I am doing it the old Alexander way. You know: 'hey: We want to have a kid, so come join me and my lover in bed and I'll get you off in payment!'. So wrong. Some will want to talk about Ninovan development plans or whatever. I want those people to go away. There is a process for all of those things and networking with me at a party is not it. Especially Catalyst: That is YOU. I do not charge sexual favors like some Catalysts I know of. They want to have a kid, they talk to you for a can of mist. If they are a Vampire lady, some blood. If they don't have a daddy handy in their bed, then your syringe."

"Have those in stock." Jessica agreed.

"My idea of networking is family and friends at a private shindig; Exactly like Morgan said. Take us to Holly's for a Council celebration, and my entire outlook would change. Friendly, not political. For this thing tonight? I need help. Support. I want to hold you and show you off and say to people: 'You know what? I did a much more important thing than becoming a CouncilCritter. I married my dream girl. Here she is. Hold me. Protect me. Let me show people what is really important in this world to me. Not Council. Family. You. Morgan. Helen, Denise. Vera, Angel. The kids. My Family! To survive that big, scary world we want to change, this is the core. This is the model. It started at the Hollow, with you and me. That is what I am proud of. That is what I want to show off."

"If Morgan and I are hanging off you, you are going to miss out on a lot of proposals from women. Women who will offer you all sorts of things."

"Good! Awesome! Perfect! Name one thing these theoretical women could offer me that I would want, that you or our lovely wives won't. Just one."

"Uhh..." Jessica looked thoughtful.

I filled in the blanks. "Children? We have them. More Children? Planning more. You want another child with me? Let's go. So what else? Sex? You and I have sex. Not nearly often enough as it is because everyone drags me all over the damn place. Some particular sex act you and I don't do? What the hell is that? You are the perfect lover. You know what I like and avoid what I hate. The only thing we have not done is bondage, and that is just because I have not asked to tie you up yet. It is not as if I want to be tied up ever again."