WtBB-Ch.6

I'd like to say I had a good reason for ending dinner soaking wet and splattered with spaghetti sauce-among other things-but sadly, I can't. There just isn't any excuse good enough to justify a twenty-seven year old woman indulging in a food-fight.

Jean-Claude, Asher, and especially Jason, are never going to let me live this down. I wouldn't be surprised to start getting mailed glossy 8x10 photos blown up from Jean-Claude's security cameras, actually.

We sat down at Jean-Claude's gigantic dining table-another antique that I was half afraid to touch for scratching it-and were eating spaghetti with meatballs, croissants, green beans, mashed potatoes, and a host of other things that I can't pronounce let alone identify, when the 'leopards and some of the 'wolves began bantering light-heartedly.

No one had tried to eat my daughter yet, and I was actually starting to relax, when Jason leered at me over the table. "Want me to get that for you?"

He grinned and pointed at my chest, and I looked down to see that I'd gotten a bit of spaghetti sauce on my shirt, above my right breast.

He pouted. "Aw, you're no fun," he sulked, dropping his fork in the heaping pile of mashed potatoes he'd gotten on his plate. When the fork landed, it splattered gravy across the table, and onto my shirt.

The look he gave me was much, much too innocent for it to have been real. I smirked and 'accidentally' flicked my spoon, sending a dollop of chocolate pudding soaring through the air to splat right smack on his forehead.

Julienne burst out laughing, pointing at him, and I saw the thought cross Jason's face a split second before he sent a handful of spaghetti across the table at her.

Within seconds of Julienne standing and slinging her plate like a Frisbee, holding onto the plate as the food went flying, everyone else stood and started throwing food, too.

It seemed silly to just sit there and get pelted, so I joined in, snatching whatever food was in reach and tossing it randomly.

I wish I'd had a camera to capture the look on Jean-Claude's face as I pegged him with a handful of cherry pie square in the face.

He blinked at me, his mouth opening and closing a few times like a landed fish, and then his eyes narrowed and I gave a slight squeak as I dove under the table, scrambling to the other side to hide behind Asher.

Of course, I should've known better than to try to hide behind him. Not only had he and Jean-Claude been friends and more for longer than I'd been alive, but I'd creamed Asher-literally-with sweet potatoe pie topped in whipping cream, not even two minutes before.

Asher turned and slid his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides before I knew what was happening, then turned to face Jean-Claude. "I've got her, mon ami!"

Jean-Claude gave a wicked smirk and used both of his hands to scoop a huge amount of chocolate pudding out of the serving bowl.

I felt my eyes widen and I shook my head disbelievingly. "No, don't!" I said, though it was more a shriek, really, as ashamed as I am to admit it.

He just laughed and flicked his hands, sending the pudding hurtling straight for me, and I couldn't even move to avoid it, though somehow Asher managed to keep a single bit from hitting him. Damn vampires.

I started to bring my arms up in an attempt to break Asher's hold, but he let go instead, moving in a blur to Jean-Claude's side and exchanging an evil grin with his compatriot.

I stared at Jean-Claude, my face carefully blank, and slowly licked the chocolate pudding off of two of my fingers.

Just as his look of suspicion was beginning to fade to lust, I used those two fingers to whistle shrilly, stopping everyone else in their tracks.

I broke Jean-Claude's gaze and looked at the 'leopards and 'wolves. "Jean-Claude, Master of the City of St. Louis, and Asher, his second in command, have just challenged my authority as reigning champion of the distinguished sport of food-fights," I said.

I glanced back at Jean-Claude and Asher, smirking at their stupified looks. I winked at them, then turned back to my people. "I have accepted the challenge," I said. "As the 'wolves Lupa, and the 'leopards Nimir-Ra, I am giving you leave to act as proxy in my stead."

Another glance at the two vampires, who looked as if they were beginning to understand where I was going with this. Oh, it's good to be me sometimes.

I gave them a grin that was pure evil, then looked at the 'wolves and 'leopards, pointing at the two vampires. "Get them!"

There was a heartbeat of pure astonished silence, then chaos erupted, with Jean-Claude and Asher being splattered with food from all sides, unable to avoid all of it.

I gave a laugh that would've done Raina proud, grabbed Julienne's hand, and ducked under the table, out of the cross-fire.

After a few minutes, the laughter and curses stopped, and Julienne and I looked at each other, unsure if the coast was clear or not.

We waited a few more minutes, and then I slowly slid from under the table, poking my head above the tabletop hesitantly, like a frightened rabbit checking to see if the big bad wolf is really gone.

Unfortunately, the wolf in this case was a pack of about twenty, all with super-enhanced reflexes and perfect aim. As soon as I saw them standing silently, arms hefted, hands full of food, I started to duck back under the table, but it was already too late.

I squealed as the food splatted onto my face, neck, hair and shoulders, then toppled onto the floor on my back, laughing hysterically.

I think the food fight really might've kept going for hours, but we just ran out of food to throw. The majority of it was in our hair and clothing, and the carpeting. I felt sorry for Jean-Claude having to explain the mess to whoever cleaned for him. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.

After much giggling, and half-hearted brushing at the food on our clothes, we gave up and trudged into the back parking lot of the Circus, where there was a waterhose hooked up.

We might've used the bathrooms, but short of dunking us under the water like dogs getting flea dipped, there was nothing to be done, and there were about twenty-five of us. There was no way the hot water heater could stand up to that many baths, or showers.

We must've looked crazy lined up to get sprayed, but I don't think anyone really cared. Our clothes were more than likely ruined, we'd just engaged in an activity that most children would spend months grounded over, and we were having one hell of a good time. Who cared what anyone else thought about it?

I suppose Jean-Claude and Asher might, if some lucky reporter happened to pass by with his camera. I can just see the headlines now: 'MASTER OF THE CITY AND SECOND IN COMMAND CREAMED BY POTATOES'. Just imagining it sent me off into another fit of giggles.

Once we'd all hosed off, after a lengthy break during which we had a water-fight, we traipsed back into the Circus and went for the towels.

By then, it was starting to get late, and Julienne was yawning, half-asleep on the couch, which someone had intelligently covered in a plastic tarp of some kind. It looked ridiculous, but it would keep any stray food from staining Jean-Claude's nifty furniture. The same certainly couldn't be said for anything in the dining room. Even the chandalier got it.

After drying off as best I could without shedding my clothes, I sank onto the couch next to Julienne, smiling as she scooted across the couch and climbed into my lap, resting her head against my chest.

After all the worries over whether I could handle taking care of her, or if we'd even like each other, for her to cuddle up in my lap so trustingly was a comfort. I could do this. And if I couldn't, it wasn't like I didn't have help. Jean-Claude had already made it crystal clear that he didn't care whether or not people thought Julienne was his daughter or not, that he would treat her as if she were. And Asher seemed smitten with her, simply by her uncompromising acceptance of his appearance. I think it was the fact that she didn't pity him that cinched it.

I was half-dozing myself when Jean-Claude knelt in front of the couch, touching my hand softly to get my attention.

"You look very tired, ma petite. Jason has procured nightclothes for both of you, if you would like to sleep here. Julienne is already gone," he said, reaching out and gently tucking an errant raven curl behind my daughter's ear.

I looked down, and sure enough, Julienne was out like a light, one thumb tucked in her mouth, the most peaceful expression I've ever seen on her face.

I couldn't help but smile at her sleeping figure. My life may be one catastrophe after another, but it was comforting to know that even if I doubted myself and half-knew I was at least becoming a sociopath if I wasn't one already, I had at least done one good thing. Julienne was beautiful, and perfect and innocent, and I had created her. It gave me a measure of peace that I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Can you give me a push up from behind?" I asked, and Jean-Claude nodded, moving behind the couch and nudging me upward, supporting my weight slightly from behind as I stood with Julienne cradled in my arms.

I followed Jean-Claude down the hallway to the room he'd had Jason fix up for Julienne and I. It was the same room I usually used, next door to the room where Jean-Claude slept the day away when he chose not to use his coffin.

I'd once asked him why he bothered with the bed instead of sleeping in his coffin all the time like most vampires I'd ever met. He'd just given me this sort of sad look and told me that sleeping in a coffin was depressing. I could understand that.

Jean-Claude pulled the covers back and I laid Julienne down on the bed, touched by the gentleness the bad-ass hard-as-nails Master of the City displayed while tucking her in.

There were times when I was utterly convinced that Jean-Claude was a stone-cold killer, incapable of remembering what it was like to be human. Then there were times like this, when he would do something so unlike any monster I'd ever seen that it would very nearly bring tears to my eyes. Sometimes, I actually thought Jean-Claude might be more human than I was.

He stood in one of those fluid movements that still managed to make me catch my breath sometimes, and slid his arms around my waist, tugging me gently against his body as he captured my lips with his in a soft kiss.

For once, I didn't try to summon the feeling of shame at being with a vampire, instead melting into his embrace with a soft sound that might've been relief.

This day had been hectic, even if most of the events had been good and non-life-threatening. It had still been stressful as all hell, and dammit, I just wanted to be the one being held for once.

"You are exhausted, ma petite. Physically and emotionally," Jean-Claude murmured, his unneeded breath fanning my neck lightly as his lips brushed my ear as he spoke. "Perhaps you should change into the nightclothes Jason brought and go to sleep. I am sure you will feel much better in the morning."

I nodded and pulled out of his arms reluctantly, picking up the shirt Jason had loaned me for the night. I'd expected it to have naked women, cut-outs in strategic places, or at the very least, vulgar text, but it was just a plain black t-shirt that would probably hit me just above the knee.

Jean-Claude shrugged. "He purchases several in large sizes each month so that he can have clothing set aside for the full moon and not ruin garments he likes."

His eyes widened, and I think he actually went a bit pale. "Non. I would rather not, if you do not mind. I am not quite sure what to think regarding that...creature, but I do not want to find out badly enough to seek it out."

I'd have stumbled over the him/her/it question, but apparently Jean-Claude was all for taking the high road and jumping straight to 'it'. Can't say that I blamed him. When I first met Narcissus, I got a peek-a-boo glimpse into Jean-Claude's memories.

I saw things that had given me nightmares for weeks, and that was only second hand. I can't even imagine what it must've been like for Jean-Claude to live through some of the things done to him and still cling to his sanity with such tenacity. I like to pride myself on being one helluva tough bitch, but if I'd been raped by a shapeshifting sadomasochistic nymphomaniac hermaphrodite, it just might've been enough to send me screaming over the edge into madness.

And the really sad part was that Narcissus hadn't even been the only one that Jean-Claude had been thrown to like a piece of meat. Narcissus hadn't even been the only one that year. I'd seen enough in Jean-Claude's memories to know that he'd been passed around and used like he was less than nothing for centuries.

I probably shouldn't have brought Narcissus into the conversation, now that I thought about it. It was just barely short of cruel when I remembered the sharp edge of terror I'd felt in Jean-Claude's mind at the mere thought of being touched by the werehyena ever again.

Knowing any apology would only offend him, I fell silent, instead shedding my clothes and pulling on the over-sized black t-shirt. I'd begun to get a little more comfortable with nudity, including my own, but the truth was that the only time I ever really felt comfortable naked was after bathing by myself, or when it was just Jean-Claude and I.

The fact that he never seemed to see any of the imperfections in my body that were so glaringly obvious to me and simply saw me as beautiful made me unselfconcious around him in a way that I knew I would never be around anyone else, including Richard.

I was eyeing myself critically in the mirror, making sure that the t-shirt covered everything well enough, when Jean-Claude approached me from behind and laid his hands on my shoulders, kissing my neck lightly.

"It is several hours until dawn yet, ma petite. There is still some business I must attend to before I retire for the day, so I shall bid you goodnight and leave you to your rest," he said.

I turned in his arms and drew him down for a kiss, smiling as I released him. "Okay. Tell Asher and the others I said goodnight, then."

I slid under the sheets and turned on my side, facing Julienne, unable to quell the warm, fuzzy feeling I got when she turned in her sleep, cuddling closer to me, one hand clutching a bit of the cotton shirt.

*Yup, that's the end. Though, this will prolly be a series. I've already started working on another story along this line called 'The Cradle Will Fall'...As soon as I get a couple of chapters written, I'll start sending it.