Undesirable

Chapter 32

"Oh, goddamn it," I muttered with frustration. I really didn't want to use the damn branch again. I thought I'd made my point. In a fit of impatience, I waded right into their path and grabbed Chuck's arm. He pulled out of my grip with such speed it left my fingers tingling. A moment later, the inevitable happened. Chuck brushed against me and I was tossed several feet across the clearing and onto my butt. Thankfully, my dignity was hurt worse than my body.

I rolled onto my side, wincing and rubbing a particularly sore spot on my left butt cheek. Then I noticed the sound had stopped. I looked up. I had been so busy cursing my own stupidity, that I hadn't realized I'd actually achieved my goal.

Chuck had backed away from Jeffrey, leaving him curled on the ground. He rounded on me, absolutely furious. Grabbing my arm, he pulled me to my feet with one quick yank. "Are you insane?" he managed to gasp out.

"Yes," I said flatly, pulling out of his grip. "Because that's what it takes to get your goddamn attention."

"I'm giving you what you want!"

"No you aren't," I said. "Yes, I want him, but not like this. Christ. Give me a chance to convince him," I asked. Then I caught my breath and calmed myself down. The stakes were too damn high for me to screw this up. I had to make my words count. "Please," I continued. "He can't lobby for a cause he doesn't believe in. I know him. He'll find some way sabotage anything we try to do if we force him into this against his will."

Chuck crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He doesn't need to be your patron," he pointed out.

"But I want him," I said. Chuck was nonplussed. "He's the best for the job," I reasoned. "I've seen him walk into a room of his enemies, uninvited, and have them all agreeing with him in a matter of minutes. After he'd insulted them. That's the kind of wit I need on my side. Besides you have your resistance to take care of," I said. "This is going to take some time and there will still be people in need of help."

Jeffrey stood up warily. His face was grey with exhaustion, but his eyes were as sharp as ever. "I appreciate you going to bat for me, George" he said. "But I won't put myself in submission to a complete stranger."

"Why not?" I asked him.

Jeffrey looked startled. "My dear, you don't know what you are asking. Submission is just a word to you!"

"Oh?" I asked. "Don't I?"

Jeffrey stopped. His eyes widened. "It's not the same," he said at last.

"I've known you for two weeks, Jeffrey. And yet, I'm about to put myself completely in your hands and trust that you won't mess with my mind or personality. And I'm doing this after you promised you'd condition me." I walked over to where he stood. "You know this terrifies me to the core. Are you saying you aren't as brave as I am?"

Jeffery glared down at me furiously. Oh, he did not like being called a coward. "I want assurances."

"So do I," I snapped back. "But will either of us get them?"

Jeffrey looked completely flustered for a moment, then sighed. "From me, yes. I have no reason to control you if you behave reasonably. If you promise me that, I'll leave your mind alone. Unless, of course, you ask."

I looked for confirmation to Chuck. He nodded slowly. A giddy relief overwhelmed me. I'd been so goddamn scared of losing myself and becoming like those cheerful automatons I'd met at Nadette's party. One less worry. Now I needed to return the favor.

"Well? What about you?" I said to Lord Chauncey. "There is no reason for you to be such a dick about this. If he's in submission to you, can't you leave him his memories? Can't you offer him an end date? Is it fair to demand that he trust you when you are unwilling to trust him back?"

I could clearly see that Chuck didn't want to. Not one bit. But his sense of fairness fought with his practicality. With a squinched face he nodded. "I will listen to his conditions."

"You leave my memories alone," said Jeffrey, stepping forward and pointing. "If we are successful in this crazy endeavor and you quit running the human resistance, then it won't matter who knows what you did in the past. God knows vampires have been forgiven for worse."

"I'll let you keep your memories – if at the time of your departure, things are settled enough that the risk to me is gone."

"You don't try to change my mind or my political philosophy," said Jeffrey. "I can disagree with you."

"Disagree all you like, as long as you don't act in a way that I find philosophically repulsive."

"Fair enough," said Jeffrey. "Next: my submission ends either when this constitution is ratified or in five years, whichever comes first. I'm not going to chase an impossible dream forever."

Chuck nodded.

"And last, I want this kept quiet." Jeffrey crossed his arms. "No one, and I do mean no one is going to know that I agreed to this indignity. I'm doing this as price of admission to a cause I frankly think will help the world —not because you beat me into it. And I'm not just being vain," he said for my benefit, "If it were open knowledge I was being kept by another, they'd never take me seriously. They'd only see me as a mouthpiece for him. We'd have no traction whatsoever."

"Agreed," said Chuck. "If I'm to remain running the resistance, I don't need the attention placed on me."

"Won't they wonder where the money is coming from?" I asked, feeling a twinge of worry.

"Let them guess," they both said, nearly simultaneously.

"It's time," said Chuck and held out his arm again.

But Jeffrey still hesitated. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"Would it make it easier if I beat you some more?" Chuck grinned, putting up his fists again. Jeffrey backed away until the metal rail groaned against his weight.

"Chuck!" I chastised. "Patience! Give him a goddamn moment."

Abruptly Jeffrey surged forward, covering the distance between himself and Chauncey in five long strides. His face had taken on a look a look of determined focus similar to the one he had when he was fighting. He was going to do this on his own terms.

Chuck stretched out his arm once more. For a moment they just looked at each other. Then, as if in slow motion Jeffrey took the proffered arm and held it carefully in both hands as if it might explode. In a swift jerk, he raised the wrist to his lips, closing his eyes tightly as he did. I saw a fine line of red bubble up around corner of his lips, then it disappeared. His body shivered as if he were cold. Chuck pulled the taller man to his shoulder, seeming as if to comfort him.

The silence was broken by Chuck's long sigh. A look of deep contentment settled on his face, his lips twitched into a smile. Then Jeffrey broke free, his eyes still shut. He took one step, then staggered, sagged, then fell to his knees. Chuck stepped in to lay him on the ground, then continued to kneel by his side.

What passed between them at that point remained private from me. To my eyes, Jeffrey appeared to fall into a drunken sleep. His head lay thrown back, his mouth open slackly, eyes closed. The only sign of any struggle was a single wince accompanied by a moan. Chuck soothed them both away with a "shhh." Gradually, the fine lines of anger and frustration that had marred Jeffrey's face faded and he looked smooth and pale and very young.

Chuck stood up and stepped back, looking as smugly satisfied as I'd ever seen him. His eyes positively danced and his grin was triumphant. "There. It's done. I was afraid he'd chicken out and struggle, but it seems when he makes up his mind about something, he stays true to it."

I sighed with relief. The whole ordeal sat poorly. As poetically justified as it was, I really didn't want Jeffrey to be put in my position. "Does it hurt him?" I asked when Jeffrey let out a slight moan.

"It's disconcerting, not painful," said Chuck, dismissively. "He'll find his bearing in a moment."

As if to make a lie out of his words, Jeffrey's face suddenly twisted and he rolled over to his side. His fist clenched and weakly smashed at the ground.

"Leave him be," Chuck said quickly as I stepped closer. "Don't distract him. It'll be over faster if you just let him deal with it."

Reluctantly, I stepped back. "You seem to be enjoying yourself," I mentioned. "I take it that it's not uncomfortable for you?"

"Not even a little." Chuck looked inward and seemed to glow. "Oh, I wish I could show you. It's beautiful. Truly beautiful. Adoption is not quite as heady as making a new childe, but definitely quite… quite… satiating," He sighed with nauseating self-satisfaction. "And thank you for the assistance. I would have never been able to make such a tight, smooth bond if I'd taken him unwillingly. That's quite a present you've given me, George."

My face burned. "He's not a present. Or a child. He's a partner. Those are the conditions you promised."

"So I did," said Chuck offhandedly. He patted himself down, brushing the largest clumps of dirt from his skin. He seemed to sober up as he did so. "And, if I'm not to interfere, perhaps it would be best if I took off now. My job here is done." Chuck took a quick look over the twisted viewpoint rail, then started walking away towards the path.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To hunt. I'm hungry. Shame I fed so deeply on you last night, I really could—" He stopped and grinned at my horrified expression. "But you really don't need two hungry vampires breathing down your throat right now."

He ducked his hand into the grass and I saw a set of rental keys in his fist when he straightened. He tossed them at me. "Jeffrey's going to need more than you can offer as well. Take these. You know which car is his. Get him to his harem as quickly as you can. There are two at the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport. You'll find your father and Walter there as well."

I sniffed in a breath of air with a jolt. I'd actually forgotten about them. Were they all right? What must they be thinking about now?

Chuck bent his head to the side, as though deep in thought. "Try to forgive him, George. You know, he never really planned on taking them to Chicago. He was relying on you not calling his bluff. He was more desperate than you could know. But all that is moot and it's best to just move on."

I let out my breath.

"I'll catch up with you in a few weeks, George, when you've had a chance to settle down." He turned around and began walking towards the head of the trail. With a shock, I realized Chuck was going to wander down to the very public rest stop wearing nothing but his dirty skin and a single sock. I could only imagine the people down there would think when he wandered out of the woods. Even with the sun behind Mt. Hood, there was plenty of late afternoon light out.

I quickly pulled off my shirt. "Wait – it's not much but—" I held it out to him.

Chuck just looked amused. "No need."

"But dude – you are naked." And covered in blood and dirt.

"Am I?"

And suddenly I didn't see Chuck anymore. I saw someone who seemed rather comfortingly average wearing rather non-descript clothes. There was no trace of any blood or soil or anything remotely disturbing about him. I let out a rueful laugh and put my shirt back on. Goddamn but that was a neat trick.

"I'll be seeing you." Chuck waved a casual hand.

And with that he disappeared down the trail.

"Is he gone?" came a murmur behind me. I turned to see Jeffrey pulling himself off the ground and onto the bench. He looked exhausted and bedraggled and nearly as unclean as Chuck. Defeat lay heavy on his bent shoulders.

"Yes."

"No he isn't," said Jeffrey. "He's never gone. He's in here now. Like a rock." He pointed to his head. "Oh, Mouse, what have you gotten me into?"

I tried to feel guilty, but I couldn't regret my actions. I just couldn't. I'd put everything I had into that conversation and now that it was over and I'd gotten what I wanted – I couldn't help but feeling happy about it. I'd gotten Jeffrey a job, a calling and the satisfaction of the willing loyalty of the trickiest, most obstinate white this world has ever seen. Everything I was capable of even promising. Maybe it wasn't ideal, but it was pretty damn sweet. And that went for both of us.

"Lean on me," I said. "Let's get you to your harem."

Slowly the two of us navigated our way down the path. It seemed steeper and more treacherous than ever. I hadn't realized until now the extent that Jeffrey had been hiding his injuries. His skin might be smooth and whole, but he seemed even weaker than Darlene had been when I had last seen her. He stumbled practically every other step the whole way down the hill. It took all my strength to keep him from tumbling. Never had the man seemed heavier. When we reached the start of the trail, I let out a deep sigh of relief and let go of his waist.

While Jeffrey staggered away to cast off the remnants of his shirt in the nearest trashcan, I scanned the parking lot for gawkers. The last thing either of us needed now was for someone to call the police. The blood on him had dried and dulled but was still obvious for what it was. His clothes looked post-apocolyptic. Even if the daylight weren't interfering, I doubted Jeffrey had the strength to use any of his vampic powers. I put an arm up to hold him back to the shadow of the woods until the lone car in the lot pulled away.

As soon as the coast was clear, I took Jeffrey to the empty men's room him to bathe away the worst of the blood and dirt in the sink. When he straightened up at last, shiny wet and smelling strongly of institutional soap, he looked more or less normal. I hooked his arm over my shoulder and helped him stagger to the car. He eased himself in the passenger seat with sigh of relief. I dashed around to the driver's side, eager to see how a Corvette ZHZ handled. Sweet.

As I flexed my hands over the steering wheel I felt a cool touch on my chin. I turned to see Jeffrey lunging at me. I stiffened expecting the he'd be feeding on me, to my astonishment his lips met mine. The moment of shock faded and I relaxed into it and responded. Blood flushed to my face and I felt lightheaded. Jeffrey broke it off, and released my head, settling back into his seat with a look of satisfaction.

"What was that?" I asked, a bit breathless.

"That was me showing absolutely astonishing restraint." Jeffrey said, pleased with himself. "Now, be a dear and drive before my willpower crumbles completely. Five hundred years old or not, there's only so long a few tablespoons of Chauncey's blood can sustain me. I'm literally starving."

I turned the engine on and revved it up. Because of that, I'm not quite sure I actually heard Jeffrey's next words. They were breathy and low and he'd made no effort to have them echo in my head. But I'm pretty sure I did hear them – almost like a purr themselves.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Jeffrey and I didn't talk during the forty-minute drive to the airport. Our minds were too full of thoughts. We drove in comfortable silence, the Corvette purring sweetly beneath me and the sunset painting the sky purple all around. At last, I pulled into the tiny municipal airport and helped Jeffrey walk the few feet from the parking lot to what passed for a gate.

As promised, Dad and Wally were waiting just inside. For a few minutes, nothing occupied my mind other than the bear hugs that I pressed onto each of them. The two of them looked no worse for wear. In fact they looked just fine.

Wally reached out a tentative hand and touched my shirt. "What happened?"

I looked down to see that Jeffrey's blood had rubbed off all along my left side. It looked like I'd hurt myself badly. "Not mine," I assured him. "Really." I lifted my shirt to show him my spotless belly. When the two of them were satisfied that I was, indeed just fine, it was my turn to demand explanations from them.

"What the hell happened?" I asked. "You guys go off to the toilet and disappear off the face of the earth. I looked all over for you!"

Dad rubbed his neck and shrugged. "Strangest thing," he said. "I'm on my way to the toilet and all of a sudden I just had this urge to get into a car with a couple of complete strangers. I can't explain it, George. At that time It felt like the most normal thing in the world, like boarding a bus or something."

I nodded. To someone not used to being tweaked by a vampire, it would seem completely baffling.

Dad went on: "It wasn't until we were back on the freeway that I came to myself and thought, 'hey, wasn't I told not to do this as a kid?'" He shook his head and laughed. "I didn't even get any candy."

"They didn't mistreat you though?" I persisted, remembering the twisted arm Ted or possibly Jim had given me when I'd first met them. I glanced over to see Ted lounging in one of the plastic chairs on the other side of the long room. He didn't appear to be eavesdropping, but who knows. Jim and Jeffrey had vanished, where to, I had no idea, but I had a pretty good idea what for.

"No," Dad assured me. "Not at all. They were the most polite young men I've met in quite some time. They seemed embarrassed about what they were doing, but what can you do when a vampire orders you around. Really, they were nice as pie. They even went through the Arby's drive through and got us some dinner on the way here."

I snorted. Well that put them a peg up on me. I hadn't eaten anything since those bowls of cornflakes this morning.

"They said that Jeffrey was going to have a private conversation with you and then you'd come and join us here," said Wally. "There didn't seem much point in fighting. You were caught. They didn't want to hurt us. We were just incentive to get you to listen to Jeffrey. Jim promised to drive us back to the car after we'd had a chance to say goodbye to you."

So Chuck had been right. It had never been the plan to take them to Chicago. Things would be easier now that I didn't have to hold that against Jeffrey.

"Never thought I'd be kidnapped by a vampire at 58," Dad mused. "What's this world coming to?"

"Me," I said, apologetically. "Causing you trouble. Again."

"Oh, George" said Dad, "I didn't mind. I never minded." He frowned. "I came all this way to rescue you, but it looks like I wasn't much help in that."

I grabbed him back for another hug. "Don't think that, Dad, you were a huge help. More than you know."

Dad seemed unconvinced but he nodded. "I'm just really glad to see you unhurt – but does this mean you aren't coming home?"

And here I had to shake my head. "No. I'm not coming home. Jim and Ted told you right. I guess I'm going to live in Chicago now. I'm sorry. I know you and Mom were hoping – but maybe I can visit, from time to time."

"Well, I'm glad you got settled someplace," he said. "Even if it's not conveniently close. Your mom and I won't hold it against you."

I laughed. There wouldn't be much settling down for me in the future. Not if I was going on a worldwide crusade.

"So what happened to you?" Wally asked.

"Jeffrey and I came to an agreement," I summarized. That didn't sit, so I ended up giving an account of the events that he'd missed. I found to my consternation that at the end of the story, I'd left Wally and Dad the distinct impression that Jeffrey had won the fistfight with Chuck. I frowned. I hadn't meant to do that at all, yet, every time I tried to say or even think anything to contradict the story I found my head going blank.

Was this what "conditioning" felt like? But Jeffrey had promised!

Don't blame me, came Jeffrey's voice in my mind. It was loud and happy. Apparently feeding had lifted his spirits as much as it had strengthened his powers. That would be wonderful Chauncey's handiwork. Don't ask me to undo it. Submission and all, you know. By the way, I hate to break up your reunion, but we will be going in 20 minutes. I don't dare stay longer, lest a local vampire catch on. It's not too late for someone to steal you away from me. Until I show proof in my own home territory, no one will take my word that you are out of play.

At that point Jim staggering back into the lobby, looking well and truly fed upon. He exchanged a word or two with Ted before collapsing into a chair. Ted disappeared out the door. If I'd still been running this would have been a perfect opportunity to give them all the slip. Jim wasn't even paying any attention to me. Because, I realized, Jim wasn't there to guard me. He wasn't my enemy. He was just another dude in Jeffrey's harem.

I turned back to Dad, but it seemed that all the conversations I wanted to have had dried up. There wasn't time to start in on anything. Instead I let a companionable silence come down and the three of us stood, looking out the large picture windows, as a private prop plane touched down on the runway outside.

Jeffrey returned after precisely twenty minutes, freshly dressed and groomed and looking pretty much his normal cheerful self. What words he had were all business. Ted would drive Dad back to his car. Jeffrey and I would return to Chicago and present ourselves before as many vampire witnesses as necessary to get the hunt for me called off. And then would come a long night of settling me in. With luck I might get some sleep before dawn.

"What about me?" asked Wally, standing a bit awkwardly off to one side. "Where do I go?"

I opened my mouth to say of course, you are coming with me, but then stopped. I wanted Wally. Christ I wanted him. But this was one decision I couldn't make for him. I had to leave Portland behind, but he didn't. All his friends were here. All his familiar things. Even his family, little as he cared for them.

Jeffrey spoke for me. "You belong to Abram. It would be against etiquette for me to steal you. In fact, it would be downright hypocritical, given how I feel about Nadette doing the same to me."

Wally's face dropped with horror.

"But as someone pointed out to me today," Jeffrey went on cheerfully, "Etiquettes are worthless, toothless, bits of bunk that everyone ignores when they aren't convenient. Abram's got about a day to make his peace with God before Chauncey avenges his childe at which point you'll be in free play. So. Of course, I will take you, Walter. Though I can't promise to ignore you for the better part of the year the way your last patron did. I'm afraid if you accept, you will have to put up with my attentions – are you sure you wish to do this?"

Wally nodded with no hesitation.

"Are you really sure?" I asked, because there is just this part of me that has to kick my good luck in the nuts. "I mean, you would be giving up your game group. And you know – " I broke off. You know I won't be able to be faithful to you. I couldn't quite bring myself to say that.

Wally looked insulted. "You really think I'd choose a role playing game over my boyfriend? What the hell kind of loser do you think I am?"

I shrank sheepishly, but Wally smiled to show he was not really offended.

He turned to Jeffrey. "As long as I can be with Geo, I'm fine. If you will take me, sir."

"Well then, off we go." Jeffrey clapped him on the back, the matter decided.

I gave my Dad a last hug, and then the four of us, Jeffrey, Wally, Jim and myself, headed out the door. We crossed the long expanse of hot tarmac to a waiting Gulfstream 100. The business jet stood out like a needle-nosed giant among the Cessnas. A luxurious swan among ducklings. No sooner had we settled into the wide leather seats than the plane began taxiing to the runway. Everything was happening fast now. It would only take four and a half hours to undo the two weeks of hard work it took me to get here.

This was how my journey ended. With Wally by my side, and Jeffrey behind me, and my entire future yammering for my attention. I'd come within two hours drive of home, only to have it snatched away permanently. But really, what was home for someone like me? Was home really a place? Or was it a state of mind? I was in my element now. I had a purpose. A plan. And even a few things I hadn't expected I'd ever get. I reached across the aisle and grabbed Wally's hand. He grinned back at me, like a kid at an amusement park.

"This is cool," he said.

I nodded. It was, indeed, very cool. As the Gulfstream took to the air, I was at peace.

---

A/N: There will be an epilogue. I have one last loose end to tie up. I just couldn't do it in this chapter. I tried. It just didn't work.

Notes and replies to comments are here: http://velvet-mace.livejournal.com/318218.html