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

Office Picnic

Morgan was, as usual, correct.

Morgan and I both went into the 'Olsen and Sagan' office after our talk, and Angel is in the office today too. Full house. We usually split up the in-office duties. I usually come up here because I also have the Crew office here. Morgan came because she wanted to work on hacking into the paper to get that picture and was running into better-than-average firewalls. The paper looks like it protects its sources pretty well. We may have to ask the paper upfront for a copy or get help from a Crew super-hacker.

We three were talking about what to do for lunch when Helen popped in unexpectedly. She had a huge hamper and a blanket, plus Laura and Rachel in tow.

We scooped up the little ones, and the three of us passed them around for kisses. Rachel was a little quiet, but Laura was downright chirpy, and when she was on the ground kind of dancing and hopping.

I pulled Helen to me. "Hi!" I said and kissed her in a continuation of our date.

Helen smiled up at me. "Hello, my beloved husband." With genuine warmth. Her scents are of happiness and some industry. Effort expended by preparing the hamper and herding the kids, I assume.

Helen went to Morgan for a hug, but Morgan would not accept a hug. "Hey: You kissed him! Do not be stingy with me, woman!"

Helen pulled Morgan's face to hers for a kiss with fairly good heat to it.

Angel, having a baby bump, meant hugs, kisses, and touching the bump. While the third phase was going on, Angel looked over at me with a questioning look. She was not in on the entire weekend's events, as she and her wife were in for the evening with Kevin when we did the big costume reveal. She knew we went dancing. Not the grand production that it was.

"Rachel, Laura, help me spread this out please?" Helen requested, and they took the center of the reception area / Angel's office and made it into a picnic zone.

Kneeling by the hamper and flipping open the lid, Helen gestured and Laura came hip-hopping over to help take things out.

"Who made all this?" Morgan asked as sandwiches appeared on French Bread.

"Laura and I did." Rachel replied shyly. Shyly? Who is this girl?

In France, if you order a ham sandwich, it will come with one slice of ham, one slice of cheese, and various types of mustard or Aioli for moistening. The sandwich is mostly bread. For Vampires, protein is a requirement, so these sandwiches are much better endowed with meat and cheese. Ham. Roast beef. Thick sliced crispy bacon. All the traditional toppings. Out of the hamper came yellow mustard to go with the spiced mustard, and even ketchup, because kids.

I selected a roast beef and bacon sandwich about leaking sliced tomatoes and opened it up to admire it. "Girls: You did this perfectly. Just how I like it!"

Rachel fairly glowed. "Momma said you would like it that way. I made that one!"

"Baby-doll, it's perfect!" and I was not just saying that. Here is a way in which childish enthusiasm met up with Vampire needs in total alignment.

Rachel had the same kind of sandwich. She put ketchup on hers because of course she did. I don't have any room to talk, because I picked yellow mustard, not spiced.

I sniffed the Aioli and chose it as well. A thick sandwich requires lubrication. I scented Helen on the jar, so I knew she made this. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a slight smile. Sometimes, it's the little things.

Morgan picked one Laura made, and now Laura sat in her lap grinning up at her mother. Morgan could tell Laura made it, of course, and not merely by the precise assembly.

As we ate and chatted, Angel kept touching her baby bump and looking at the girls sitting there so happily. It was not hard to read her mind. Catori would soon enough be joining in on things like this.

"Did you see the Society page this morning?" Morgan asked Helen.

Helen had about the same reaction that I did. "There is a society page somewhere? Is that like one of those gossip TV shows?"

Rather than answer, Morgan retrieved the computer, and handed it to Helen, full framing the picture.

"Oh." Helen said, not expecting that.

"The article calls you the mystery couple at the charity ball that danced the night away. How many actual balls are there any more?" Morgan asked.

"Not many." Helen said.

"You should fix that. You have a ballroom, at the Executive Retreat. Have a whole weekend long charity soiree up there. Drinking. Dancing. Overnight rooms. Golf. Boating. Nude beach. Get the rich and famous in, promise no telephoto shots at the beach will be taken, and have a party that you two can dance at." Morgan finished.

Helen looked at the picture and touched the screen lightly. "I think I will. I'll need security."

"You start the deal. Jessica and I will help..."

"Vera and I will too..." Angel added.

"I'll help mommy..." Rachel said, adding, "Can I see?" She pointed at the computer.

Helen showed her. "Oooohh mommy! You are so pretty!"

Rachel showed it to Laura, who agreed "Pretty."

Morgan went on "We'll all help and during that weekend? You do nothing. You dance. You let us take care of everything. You just get us pointed in the right direction to start, we'll take it from there."

Morgan pointed again at the picture. "It is an absolute requirement for me to see that look on your face again."

Helen nodded. "Done."

"Also, you and I are going to sit down. I am going to use my lifelong skills as a detective, and I am going to interview you." Morgan said firmly.

"Why?" Helen asked, puzzled.

"Because it was recently brought to my attention by a certain asshole, that shall remain unnamed, that I am a child, and I need to know what you did for the five hundred or so years you were bumping around the planet before I came into it. Once I have enough information, I will come up with a cunning plan."

"Oh?" Helen asked, eyebrows raised.

"We each approach things our own ways. Some wait for inspiration to strike. Others are more deliberate. My goal is to find the activity you and I can do together that will cause that look to be on your face too. A look you have because of you and me, not the aforementioned nameless asshole."

"I see. You want to plan a moment of pure unadulterated joy and abandon." Helen smiled.

"I do." Morgan agreed.

"I see. Well, my dear, if anyone can so deliberately do such a thing, it is you. If nothing else, I think spending the time trying will be a joy."

"God, I wish I was married to you all, sometimes." Angel complained.

Helen smiled at her. "You will be. Someday. We'll know when the time is right. We are still figuring out how four people work now. Plus Rachel and Denise. Seven or perhaps nine depending on the order will be far more complicated. We have time to get it right."

Angel tilted her head. "Seven? Nine?"

"You'll figure that out too." Helen assured her.