WtBB-Ch.3

By the time I pulled into the driveway of my house, Julienne had fallen asleep in the passenger seat.

She didn't stir as I parked and killed the engine, which made me smile a little. I used to be like that, before I had killer zombies and rogue shapeshifters coming after me.

I shook her gently and she jolted awake, blinking the vestiges of sleep from her eyes as she frowned, as if trying to remember where she was.

"We're home, sweetie," I told her and she nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt and climbing out of the car.

I followed her onto the porch and unlocked the door, letting her precede me inside the house.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" I asked, leading her into the kitchen. "Maybe a sandwich or something?"

Normally, I didn't care that my cupboards were nearly bare, with only the cursory attempt at anything edible. I never cooked, so why stock up?

But now, I felt the urge to make my daughter something to eat. Something better than bologna sandwiches and hot chocolate. I am really not a mother-type person.

She gave me a bright smile at the offer, though, and I was grateful that she didn't seem to be offended that all I had to offer her was a sandwich and cocoa.

Setting the cup of steaming liquid in front of her, I rummaged through the cabinets until I found the bag of little marshmallows I'd seen Nathaniel hide, then set it on the table. "Help yourself. We'll have a real meal later on."

She giggled and put a heaping handful of marshmallows in her cocoa while I pulled the bologna and bread out of the refrigerator.

"Your house. It's pretty, but everything looks..." she gave a little shrug. "It looks like a man decided where everything went."

I opened my mouth, didn't know what to say, and closed it again. Jean-Claude had decorated my house. I hadn't thought it was that noticeable, except to anyone who knew him, but I guess I'd been wrong.

Thank God I wasn't drinking anything. Almost choking twice in the space of two minutes. Wow.

"Yes. But, he won't hurt you," I assured her. If Jean-Claude so much as laid a hand on her, I'd kill him. I knew after having my daughter for half an hour that if anyone even looked at her funny, they were dead, it didn't matter who.

"Granpere Josíf, Mere Cherise's daddy. He was a vampire. He lives in California," she said, unperturbed by the whole situation.

It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. A vampire I didn't know, didn't trust, had been close to my daughter, my baby, while I wasn't there to protect her. It didn't matter that I'd given her up for adoption. It didn't matter that I didn't have a choice in the matter, that I'd signed that choice away. What mattered was that a vampire had been in a position to easily kill my child, and I would never have known.

I couldn't feel his anger, so he was shielding, which I appreciated. Dammit, though. I didn't want to deal with him. Not yet. Not now.

I carried the cordless phone into the living room with me, beckoning her to follow. Handing her the remote control, I smiled. "Why don't you watch some television while I'm on the phone, sweetie. I'll just be a few minutes."

She beamed at me and clicked the television on, flipping channels until she got to Cartoon Network, where Scooby Doo was nearly sitting on Shaggy's head, both of them shaking like leaves.

I went back into the kitchen and shut the door, leaving a small crack so I could peek into the living room and check on her.

Now, I was getting pissed. "No, Jean-Claude doesn't know. And yes, I'm probably hiding other things, but I can't think of anything right offhand," I said sharply. "What would you have had me tell you, Richard? I told you I was engaged before I graduated college. His parents made him break it off because I wasn't white enough for their precious son, and that was the end of it."

"You told me you were engaged, and that he broke up with you, yeah. You never mentioned having a child, Anita," he said coldly.

"I gave her up for adoption seven years ago, Richard," I said softly. "I held her one time, and then I gave her away, because I couldn't take care of her. Not like she deserved."

"God, Anita." Richard sounded like he felt guilty. Good. Smug, self-righteous bastard. "How did you get her back?"

"I didn't get her back, not the way you mean, anyway. The couple that adopted her died. They gave custody of Julienne back to me in their will," I answered.

"Gee, thanks, Richard. I really needed that vote of confidence," I said dryly. "I've thought of that. I know how dangerous my life is, Richard, probably better than you do. I'm not mother material. I know that. I've always known that."

"But, I can't give her up again. It was hard enough the first time," I said. "I'll do whatever I have to to keep her safe, but I can't give her away again. She looks exactly like me, except for her eyes. It's...I don't know."

That was enough to make me sit up straight, sloshing cocoa all over the white table. I hadn't even thought of that.

"Can you imagine the look on his face?" Richard asked, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Yeah. Shut-up. I'm entitled to spoil her a little," I told him, but I wasn't really angry.

She nodded, eyes lighting up as I dropped a huge handful into her mug. I smiled and she grinned back before padding back into the living room to watch more cartoons.

Normally, I would've bitched about anyone drinking anything but water on my white couch, which sat on white carpet. But, I knew enough about kids to know that there was just no way to avoid messes. She wouldn't do it on purpose, and I couldn't really blame her for it. She still had quite a bit of growing into her long willowy limbs to do.

"I think you should tell Jean-Claude before he hears it on the evening news. I heard it from Irving. He's afraid you're mad at him, but he figured I'd take it better if I heard it from him rather than the evening edition," Richard said.

I frowned. "No, I'm not mad. I mean, I am. But, it's not Irving's fault. I know I'll have to tell Jean-Claude...If not for the fucking reporters at the airport, I could've put it off for a little while longer. I sort of wanted some time alone with her before everyone knew, you know? I haven't seen her since the day she was born. I wanted to get a chance to know her a little first."

"Yes, ma'am," he teased. "I guess I'll talk to you later, Anita. If you feel up to it, would you go to lunch with me sometime this week? I want to meet her."

"Sure, Richard. I'm about to call Bert and tell him I won't be in for a week or so, which will make him oh, so happy...No reason why we can't meet you for lunch in a few days, since I probably won't have a job to go to," I told him.

"Bert won't fire you. He likes money too much. He'd lose a lot more of it if he canned you," Richard said.

"You're probably right, but I'm not an optimist. Anyway, I'm gonna get off here and call Jean-Claude, then go watch the end of Scooby Doo," I said.

I hung up and dialed the number for the Circus of the Damned. It was doubtful if Jean-Claude was still awake, but who knew?

Oddly enough, Jean-Claude was still awake. It was almost noon, so I was a little surprised. I knew the marriage of the marks had made him rise earlier, but he'd never been awake this early. Well, not counting when I woke him up biting Verne's neck in Tenessee. But, that was different. I think.

I had to think about that. "I'm not sure. But I don't want you to see it on the 6 o'clock news, so I don't get much of a choice. Richard already heard it from Irving."

"And what is it that this reporter saw that has you scrambling to inform me first?" Jean-Claude inquired.

"Excusez moí?" Jean-Claude sounded startled, even over the phone. That was just about unheard of. Normally, I'd give myself a pat on the back.

I took a deep breath. "Remember when I told you about my fiance before I graduated college?"

"He dumped me. But, he left me a little something to remember him by," I told him. "I gave her up for adoption when I had her, but her adoptive parents were killed in a car accident, and they left custody of Julienne to me in their will."

I was relieved that he didn't seem to be as upset as Richard had been initially, but I felt sort of guilty that he was hurt by it.

"I didn't want to think about it, Jean-Claude. I gave my baby away to people I had never met. Would you have wanted to think about it?"

"No, I suppose not. But, now you have her again. What are your intentions?" he questioned.

"I don't know. She'll stay with me, but beyond that..." I shrugged, then realized he couldn't see it. "I just don't know."

"I see. Do you wish for me to stay away until she has become acclimated to her new life?" he asked.

"For the next week, yeah. I want to hang out, just the two of us, for a little while," I said, thankful that he seemed to be taking it pretty well. "I agreed to go to lunch later on this week with Richard so he could meet her. If you want, I can bring her by the Circus sometime this week, as long as everyone keeps their hands off of her."

"Of course, ma petite. No one here will harm your daughter," he said, sounding vaguely offended at the notion.

"I mean it, Jean-Claude. Anyone touches her, and I will kill them," I said, my voice very matter-of-fact.

"I believe you, ma petite," he said quietly. "I will see that everyone knows where they stand. Am I to understand that I may not touch her as well?"

"Bon. You sound as if there is something else you have yet to tell me," Jean-Claude commented.

"I love you, Anita. Any child of yours might as well be mine, for all the difference it shall make. What do rumors and speculation matter?" he questioned.

Something loosened in my chest, and I could breathe again. "I thought you might be offended."

"Non, ma petite. This child is part of you. It would be incredibly stupid of me to dismiss her out of hand," he replied.

There was sort of a muffled snort, as if he'd laughed and tried not to. "Perhaps. Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

"Now that you mention it, maybe. The people who adopted her lived in France. Paris, actually. She speaks English, but I'm pretty sure she speaks French too," I told him. "So, you may not be alone in trying to teach me the 'language of love'." I did the last bit in an incredibly horrible French accent that had Jean-Claude chuckling. I'm pretty sure he was cringing a little, too, but I couldn't see him to be sure.

A sound got my attention, and I looked up to see my daughter standing in the doorway, her mug empty once again. "Okay, I'm drawing the line here. Two cups of cocoa is enough, or you might get sick."

She pouted slightly, but didn't argue, which sort of surprised me. "Is that your boyfriend?"

It didn't do me much good, considering that I'd been right about Julienne speaking French. Though, 'speaking' is kind of a understatement. It was more like a rapid-fire machine-gun. It all sounded like one incredibly long, complex word to me.

Whatever Jean-Claude said had her giggling as she handed the phone back to me. I shook my head and put the receiver to my ear to find that Jean-Claude was laughing, too. And it wasn't his usual seductive chuckle, or bemused snicker, either. I'm talking full-out, clutching your sides belly-laugh.

After he'd recovered, Jean-Claude explained,"She was aquainted with a vampire I once knew, named Josíf. He traveled with the Council, once upon a time, until he tired of the politics and less than politely let them know what he thought of them, and left. He spoke of me to your daughter on occasion, apparently, and when her adoptive parents were killed, he asked her to pass a message along to me."

"Oh, simply that if the Council came calling again that he would be more than happy to come to St. Louis and give them another verbal seeing to, Belle Morte especially," Jean-Claude said.

"Josíf is handsome, but not so much as to draw Belle's interests, and she made a habit of being less than polite in her observations of his supposed shortcomings. He is rather perturbed with her, and would love the chance to point out that while she is alone, he is happily married for the third time and has eleven children," he answered. "Not to mention the modest fortune he has amassed through his career as a model for a sportswear magazine."

I had to snicker at that. "So, Belle tells him he's not pretty enough, and he tells her to fuck off and becomes a model. I like it."

"As do I, ma petite. But, for now I shall bid you adieu," Jean-Claude said. "I am up rather late, and feel sleep coming on. Would you rather I kept Julienne's arrival to myself for a time, or do I need not police what Jason and the others tell your leopards?"

I sighed. "You don't have to make them hide it. I just don't want a bunch of people tromping in here before I've had some alone time with her, that's all."

"Then I shall see that they stay entertained here for the next few days," Jean-Claude offered.

"No thanks are necessary, ma petite. You gave me time alone with Asher after the Council's visit. It is the least I can do to make sure that you are given the same," he said.

"You are welcome, ma petite. I shall look forward to meeting this Julienne. She has your spirit," he observed.

Julienne was watching me from the opposite chair and I smiled."We should go to the park," I said.

For the next few minutes, we went around packing things we thought we might need into a large duffel bag to take with us. There was a jump-rope Nathaniel had brought to the house, plus a slightly bent Frisbee. I had also packed a couple of bottles of water, and some potato chips I'd found shoved in the back of the pantry, trying to hide behind a box of Frosted Miniwheats.