Chapter One Hundred Forty-nine

Snuggling back in to Anton's embrace, Bryn blinked her eyes open and stared groggily in to the darkness. The motorized shutters were opened, and she had a feeling it was what had awakened her. Stretching lightly, she glanced at the clock and then groaned. Tonight would be her last session with Mulder and her mother. Chances were, it wouldn't be a piece of cake.

Anton let out a soft snort and pulled Bryn tighter against his stomach. He was fighting the urge to wake up further. He nuzzled her head, sliding his hand over her back. He meant to ask what time it was, but it came out more as 'wha...tim..zzzit?"

"Too early," she mumbled. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rolled over to face him and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. "We need to reset that stupid timer so it doesn't open the shutters until nine or so."

"Sounds like a good idea, my dear." Reluctantly, Anton opened his eyes and let out a big yawn. His hands continued rubbing up and down her back. He smiled at her softly. "How are you feeling, my dear?"

She looked up and gave him a shy smile. "Weird. A little like I was possessed. I can remember everything that happened very clearly, but it's hard to believe it was actually me that did it. And I guess...a little ashamed. Not on my part, but on our kids'. I worry about what they would think, if they could understand."

Anton let out a heavy breath. "I understand, my dear. It's a thought that has bedeviled me." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's what we do to survive, but we don't have to like it." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "And you don't have to do it again."

She lowered her gaze. "That's what worries me even more. More than worrying about what they would think knowing I did it...what would they think if they--if you--knew that I liked it."

He tilted her head so she was looking at him once again. "Bryn," he said softly. "That is the same fear that I have as well. Because there is a part of me that likes it too. That rebels at the thought of drinking cow's blood, and craves human in its place." He gently stroked a finger along her face. "I can't hold against you the same feelings that I have myself."

Squeezing him tighter, she pressed her lips to his chest. "I feel just awful for ever acting like there was something wrong with you for not wanting to feed from those stupid cows. I had so many misconceptions. It's a wonder you didn't lose all trust in me."

"Actually, Bryn, you sort of inspired me." He nodded when he saw her look of disbelief. "I had tried to live on animal blood before, but always ended up returning to hunting humans. But when I started again this time, it was the longest that I've gone without drinking human blood. And I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

"Yeah, and now I'm encouraging you the other way." She shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know if I'll ever do that again or if I'll ever get up the nerve to. I just wanted you to know how I felt. And maybe figure out why I didn't feel all of the guilt that Lindy did after her first hunt."

"There is no right or wrong that you feel different than Lindy did after her first hunt. And it was under very different circumstances." He gently stroked her hair, wishing he could make her feel better. "And you never have to hunt again, Bryn, if you don't want to. And if you decide you do need to hunt, I will support that decision one hundred percent."

Pushing him on to his back, she crawled on top of him and settled her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. I always knew you would understand my feelings, no matter what they were. I just wish I had been more understanding of yours. I'm sorry, sugar. I wish I could change that about me. I'd never want to hurt you."

"I know, Bryn." Anton softly kissed her lips. "And as for you not understanding my feelings then, well, you were..." He smiled at her, letting his eyes light up and his fangs extend. "Only human."

She laughed softly. "You're a nut." Pushing up to meet his lips, she kissed him, her own fangs descending to gently scrape his flesh. "I love you so much, Anton. So much more than I could ever express."

"I love you too, my dear." He returned her kiss with a gentle one of his own. "Human, vampire, or even if you figured out some way to become an undead werewolf, I will always love you."

"An undead werewolf? I knew I never should have mentioned Lindy in bed. Now you can't stop thinking about her." She let out a put-upon sigh. "I guess I'll just have to think of something to take your mind off of her."

"Oh?" Anton said with a wide grin. "What did you have in mind?"

"Hmm." She glanced up at the ceiling, pretending she was really thinking it over. "How about this?" With that she immediately sat up and started a full-fledged tickle attack.

Anton let out an undignified squawk as he pulled his arms and legs against his stomach in a vain attempt to protect himself. "No fair, my dear," he gasped out. He tried to grab her hands, and succeeded grabbing one wrist.

Giggling, she continued to tickle him until he had grabbed both wrists and disabled her. Struggling against his grip, she snapped at him with her fangs, growling softly. "Who's your mind on, now, tough guy?"

"Who do you think?" Anton responded, his fangs extending as well. He leaned forward, fingers tightening around her wrists further as he kissed her. His fangs scratched her lips lightly and then clashed with her fangs.

Bryn moaned softly, her fingers spreading and clenching with the urge to grab him. The light tang of blood slid between their tongues, making her heart beat faster and her breath race. Whimpering softly, she tried to wrap her arms around him, trying to silently tell him to let her go.

Anton growled softly, half afraid that he was going to tickle her again. He released her wrists and pulled her tight against his body, rolling her underneath him. He settled between her legs, encouraging her to wrap them around him as well.

Moaning loudly, she wrapped herself tightly around him and scratched lovingly at his back in an attempt to get him closer still. If he could have, she gladly would have let him crawl inside her. Somehow his acceptance of her cravings, and hers of his, made her feel that much more bonded with him. She wanted to be so close they were merged in to one.

Anton settled more heavily against her. His hips began a slow, pumping motion, one that rubbed their groins together rather than put him inside of her. That would come later, when they were both frantic for it. Right now was more about the bonding that was going on between them.

Gasping softly, she shifted one leg higher against his torso. He was deliciously warm on top of her, even more so between her legs, and she kissed him wantonly, sucking at his tongue. Curling her toes in the hair on his thighs, she slid her hands down to firmly squeeze his ass.

He let out another moan, all of his intentions going by the wayside. He slipped inside of her, and he marveled at the perfect fit. Almost as if they had been made for each other in every detail. "Bryn," he whispered reverently.

She whined softly, lifting her hips towards his to push him as deep as possible. Quivering lightly, she pressed her heels to his ass and lifted her hand to touch his lips. She stared at him with luminous eyes, so in love with her beautiful vampire. "My sweet Anton."

His hips kept moving in a slow rhythm. One hand reached for her wrist again, this time so he could press his lips against it. Then he pressed his lips to her neck as his thrusting began in earnest.

Gasping again, she started squeezing him every time he withdrew, making him loathe to leave the warmth of her body. Tilting her head back, she offered herself to him, eager to feel the sharp pierce of his fangs in her flesh.

It was so tempting to take her up on his offer. But it would end things way too soon as far as Anton was concerned. So instead he licked and nuzzled the spot where her pulse pounded so close to the surface. Placing a soft kiss there, he squeezed her breast as well, thumb teasing her nipple into a stiff peak.

She shuddered lightly, pushing her hand between their bodies to lazily rub around her sex. Her finger occasionally brushed through his pubic hair and around the base of cock, teasingly giving him stimulation before pulling it away.

That was almost worse than the tickling earlier. Anton gave a soft whimper as he continued to nuzzle her neck. The hand on her breast sped up its motions as his hips pumped faster and harder into her.

Moaning with every slam of his hips against hers, Bryn pulled her hand out and squeezed his ass again. The bed was squeaking, it's noise almost matching hers. Tightening even further around him, she bit her lip as she as she started to twitch, then dug her fingernails in to his flesh, crying out as she came. "Anton!"

He almost let out a cry that was just as loud as hers. But Anton muffled it by sinking his fangs into her throat. He trembled as his cum shot deep inside of her, holding onto her body like a lifeline. Otherwise, he thought he would float away.

Gripping him just as tightly, Bryn pressed her face against his neck and released a deep breath. She still had adrenaline zinging through her veins and it was making her giddy. "That was...lovely!"

"Lovely doesn't begin to cover it, my dear," Anton said after releasing her neck. He watched fascinated as her wounds quickly closed. "Although it is a great way to wake up, the only problem is that now I'm ready for a nap."

She laughed softly. "Well, it's not quite time to get up yet. The only thing we have to worry about is the kids waking up. If it were up to me, we'd stay here all night long...even when Mulder shows up for that stupid session."

Anton let out a soft chuckle. "Now that would be an interesting session." He rolled over, pulling her onto his stomach. He rubbed one hand over her back. "Think we could get away with it, my dear?"

Anton let out a heavy sigh. "No. I do have to go in and work on the property taxes. The after hours notary is coming in tonight, and this has already been postponed twice." He cocked one eyebrow at Bryn. "If you don't want to go, why don't you just cancel for tonight?"

She let out a soft groan, rubbing her nose against his neck. "If I thought my mother would let me, I would, believe me." Resettling against his body, she murmured, "That's why I was trying to find a way to blame it on you."

Anton let out another laugh. "Well, since you are part owner, you could be 'necessary' to signing the paperwork, if you like."

She smiled brightly at him. "I'd love that. But...I probably should stay here and get this over with. She is leaving tomorrow morning. At least we won't have to deal with her again for a while. I'll just keep thinking about tomorrow and hopefully I'll get through it."

Anton nodded. "I'll keep that in mind as well. my dear." He stretched against her. "You know, my dear, you're growing up. Before, you would have jumped at the chance to run away."

"Yeah, well, the night isn't over yet. I still might." Running her fingers through his hair, she kissed his mouth softly. "So I guess Lindy will be signing the papers, too?"

"No," Anton said with a shake of her head. "She signed in my name while we were in Hawaii. Now that I'm back, they want to get my official signature now that I'm back. Some sort of government red tape."

She nodded. "You know I'm teasing you about the whole Lindy thing, right? I'm not jealous of her anymore. I know your eyes are only on me."

"My dear, they never stray from you." Anton kissed her neck and then her lips. "You're the only woman for me, Sabryn Rudenko, and I have no intentions of having to chase you down in yet another lifetime."

She grinned at him. "You won't have to chase me anywhere. I'm here to stay."

Things finally seemed to be settling down to normal for all of them. True, with Kat's birth and Bryn's Transformation, things weren't exactly like they used to be. But in Lindy's mind, they were better.

So that was why she was baking chocolate chip cookies. Unlike her mother Jess, who baked when she was worried or stressed, she baked when she was feeling content. The first batch was cooling, and the second batch that would go Anton and Bryn had just gone into the oven. "Nate? Liam?" she called out. "The cookies are about ready."

Liam came scurrying around the corner with Nate hot on his heels. "Mmm, cookies." Grabbing their son by the back of his pants, Nate lifted him in the air, grinning as Liam's legs kept running. "I think he's excited, Mom. If you put one on the floor, he might roll on it."

"That would be silly," Lindy said, snitching one of the cookies off of the rack. "Because then you couldn't eat it, unless you sat up and begged." She held the cookie close to Liam, grinning when her son reached for it.

She was enjoying being with her son and her husband so much, she almost didn't notice the pounding on the front door. "See, my cookies smell so good, I'll bet Mom's already come to snatch some," she said as she wiped her hands on a tea towel.

Nate nodded, his mouth full of cookie. Sitting Liam on the counter, he finished chewing and said, "Tell them to go make their own. We're not sharing."

"Deal!" Still grinning, she bounced over to the front door and opened it. It seemed that nothing could spoil her mood. Until she saw who was standing there. Immediately the grin fell off of her face. "What do you want?"

Wearing a dirty pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Marrok pulled a twig out of his hair and glanced past her in to the house. There was no car in front of the house, so she could guess how he'd gotten past security--most likely by tunneling under the fence as a wolf. "I need to talk to you. Come out and shut the door."

Lindy frowned more, shifting her weight to her back leg. "Why? So you can kidnap me again and blackmail my husband into giving you Liam? I don't think so." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Just tell me why you're here."

"How do you expect me to kidnap you--drag you a mile back to the fence, with you kicking and screaming the whole way? I may be good, but I'm not that good." He glanced behind her again. "I just need to talk to you without him overhearing. It's important."

She glanced back into the kitchen thoughtfully. Marrok did have a point. All she had to do was scream and four vampires, four werewolves, and probably a human, would all come running to her rescue. And she had to admit, she was curious as to what Marrok had to say. Quietly she crossed the threshold and pulled the door shut. "I'm listening."

"I'm leaving," he said, plainly. "I've left my vineyard in the care of the workers and my manager. I'm moving my family to France, and I won't be back. We'll be safe there, among my own kind. The kind of protection that even someone like Natasha can't violate. And...I want you and our son to come to with me."

"What?" The surge of joy she felt when he said that he was leaving was quickly dampened by the fact that he wanted Liam with him. But she had to have heard that last part incorrectly. "Why are you going?" she said, trying to figure out what was going on.

He gritted his teeth. "That ex of your husband's threatened my daughter. Apparently she didn't like it when I refused to play her games. I've had enough of her shit. I'm going somewhere she can't possibly follow...and you'd be smart to do the same. Come with me. I can protect you. Let me protect our son. I'll never let her get anywhere near him. I'll make sure he can stay with you, forever."

Lindy looked him up and down, not quite believing what she was hearing. "Let me get this straight," she said and started ticking off items on her fingers. "You almost killed two friends of the family. You kidnapped me. Tortured me. Threatened to kill me. And I'm supposed to drop everything, leave my husband, and run away with you?"

Marrok narrowed his eyes. "Your husband brought that woman in to your life. She *has* tried to kill you, several times. You wouldn't ever have to worry about her again if you pack up and leave now. You'd have my protection, anything you ask. I would treat you like a queen. And you'd have a daughter, Lindy. Think about it. You would never want for anything again."

"Except for love." Lindy shook her head. "Marrok, I don't love you. You're Liam's biological father, and nothing more to me." A cold thought ran through her. Was he going to try take Liam with him?

"I know you don't now. But things could change, given time. And..." He glanced around, trying to find more to convince her. "You could bring your family! Wouldn't they want the chance to meet more of their kind? My family is very old and stretches many generations. And the land is beautiful. It's French countryside, with an old castle and a river that flows through it. You can smell lavender the minute you walk outside. Liam should grow up in a place like that, safe from anything that could harm him."

"Marrok," Lindy said gently. "I know that you mean well. That you are doing what is best for your daughter by taking her far away from Natasha. But my life is here. I might have fit into your family a few years ago. But not now that I am... no longer a werewolf."

"You'd rather stay, where she might try to kill you again? Where she might kill my son? If any harm ever came to him..." His ears started to turn red, and he clenched his jaw. "I'll never forget it. I'll never forgive that husband of yours. Never."

Oddly enough, Lindy didn't feel afraid the more enraged he became. It sounded like he wasn't planning on taking Liam with him. "I swear to you, as long as there is breath in my body, I will protect Liam. And I know that all of my family will do the same. My husband included."

"Come with me, Lindy. I'll be good to you, I swear it." He watched her with hopeful eyes. "I would be true to you, always."

Lindy looked down and shook her head. "No, Marrok. I'm not coming."

He bit his lip, nodding, also looking down. "I hadn't realized that I made you hate me that much." He let out a shaky breath. "Because I do care for you, I won't take my son with me...but that doesn't mean I'm out of his life. I'll be in touch." Stepping down from the porch, he cast one last longing look in her direction before disappearing around the side of the house.

Lindy stood stock still for about ten seconds, holding her breath. The whole conversation had a surreal tone to her. Did Marrok just tell her that he was leaving Liam? Not daring to believe that he had just walked off, she backed up until she could feel the door knob behind her. Praying she didn't lock the door out of habit when she stepped out, she twisted it. And much to her relief, the door opened and she stepped into the warmth of her home.

Still in the kitchen, and still eating cookies, Nate and Liam smiled when she returned. "What's up, buttercup?"

Lindy had a bit of a shell shocked expression as she dropped down onto a stool by the counter. "You're going to yell at me, but I think we've just gotten Marrok out of our lives."

Nate frowned, grabbing Liam and setting him down on his feet. He couldn't help glancing suspiciously towards the door. "What did you do, Lindy?"

"That was Marrok at the door," she said after taking a deep breath. "He wanted to talk to me alone. So I went outside on the porch and talked to him. Lindy looked at her husband a bit defensively. "I knew if there was trouble, one scream and everybody'd be over here to the rescue."

"What the hell were you thinking? That man kidnapped you, Lindy!" He started towards the door, intent on making sure the bastard was long gone.

"I know that, Nate. Which made what he asked me all the more surreal." She followed him and took his arm. "He's going back to France, where his family is. Apparently Natasha threatened his daughter, and he's getting the hell out of Dodge while he can."

"What?" It didn't make any sense. Marrok definitely didn't seem the type to turn tail and run. Whatever Natasha did had to have been a powerful message. He almost felt sorry for the guy. Nah, not really. "What did he say? When you were alone with him."

"He told me that Natasha threatened his daughter, and that he was taking her some place safe." Lindy took a deep breath, steeling herself for the inevitable reaction. "He then asked me to take Liam and come with him."

"He what?!" His shout was so loud Liam let out a whimper.

She squeezed his arms to remind him that she was here. "I told him no, in no uncertain terms. And I think he finally understood that I don't love him. But he told me because he cared about me, he's leaving Liam with us." She slowly let go of his arm and went back to the kitchen to comfort their son. "He's gone, Nate. He said he wouldn't be cutting himself out of Liam's life entirely, but he never asked that I give him up."

Still fuming and unable to believe she'd done something so foolish, Nate rubbed his forehead and tried to calm down. "It's a trick, Lindy. He's just trying to get us to let our guard done...which is exactly what you did. He could have done anything to you, Lindy."

Lindy shook her head. "No, you didn't see how... heartbroken he was at the end." She picked up Liam and bounced him against her hip. "And I know it was stupid of me to talk to him alone. But I don't think he would have said anything if you had been there."

Nate wrinkled his nose. "You feel sorry for him, don't you?"

"It's flattering in one way that he's attracted to me," she said with a serious face. Then her expression scrunched up into one of disgust. "But another part of me is asking, 'Why him?'"

Nate shook his head. "Well, I'm not believing a word of it until he's long gone. Years gone. And I hope he never comes back."

"I say we call the vineyard tomorrow and see if we can verify that part of the story at least." She stepped closer to him. "And if he really is gone? Then what?"

"Then we thank God. Other than that, nothing changes. I'm not letting my guard down. If it's not one asshole, it's the other." He pulled her against his side and kissed her forehead. "It doesn't surprise me that he can't resist you. I'm sure no one can."

"I wish he would try. It's really starting to creep me out." She leaned her head against his chin. "Think we should call my parents and Anton and Bryn to let them know what just happened?"

Nate nodded, looking down at Liam. "Invite them over for dinner. We might just have a good reason to celebrate."

"We all know you mean well, Mrs. Pruitt," Mulder said, softly.

"We do?" Bryn asked. "Because I could have sworn she was just being a pain in the ass."

Mulder gave her a sharp look. "Please, if we could refrain from name-calling and accusations, this would be much simpler. Now, as I was saying, we know you mean well...but it can be a little hard to understand your point of view. I think your daughter understands your reasons for not believing her in the past, but your position now is more confusing."

[I understand?] Bryn thought. [The hell I do! She was my mother. She should have believed me no matter what!]

Seated to her left, Bernadette was ringing her hands. "I don't know what you want me to say. I've heard what she has to say. I can't just start believing in something just because someone wants me to. You've told us that you had trouble believing in certain aspects of spirituality, Mr. Mulder. Would you suddenly see the light just because someone wished it?"

"No, Mrs. Pruitt, and I'm not asking you to do so, either. What I am saying, however, is that your reasoning is inconsistent with the situation. You explained that you had trouble believing Sabryn because of the pressure put upon you by your in-laws and the community as a whole. What about now, without those people factoring in to the equation?"

"Old habits are hard to break, I suppose."

Bryn sighed, rubbing her forehead. "This is ridiculous."

"Give her a chance," Mulder said. Returning his attention to her mother, he said, "Is that your opinion on what you're feeling, that it is habitual?"

"I don't know. Maybe I don't want to believe her. It makes me feel..."

Mulder was silent for a moment. "Vulnerable? Or maybe, as if you've failed somehow?"

Bernadette frowned. "Of course not."

"No, of course not," Bryn said, irritated. "She's raised a liar for over twenty years and isn't bothered by her mothering skills there. Why would she be bothered if I were abducted?"

"That's not what I meant, and stop putting words in my mouth."

Bryn rolled her eyes before looking at Mulder. "Are we done now? I've had more than enough."

He put a hand up. "I think we're getting somewhere. Please, Mrs. Pruitt, continue. What does it make you feel, when you think about believing her?"

"It makes me feel naive, all right? As if I'm not in on the joke. I know she's my daughter, and I know it's ridiculous to think that she would betray my trust, but I just can't accept those words yet."

Her eyes stinging, Bryn stared at her hand as she pulled at a thread on her jeans. "I spent nine years in that house with you, Mom. Nine years, in which you treated me like some kind pariah. I craved your love and acceptance. I needed your compassion and reassurance so much. Every day kids made fun of me, strangers in the street would stop and stare. Teachers treated me with contempt for interrupting their classes--because other kids were picking on me--or they just plain ignored me. And when I should have been able to come home to my parents and be pulled in to their embrace, both you and Daddy did the same exact thing as everyone else. You hated me, and didn't believe a word I said."

"I never hated you!"

"You did! You made me feel it with every glance and hear it in every word. Is it any wonder that I wanted out of that house the moment John left? He was the only one who ever cared. Maybe he'll have some sympathy for you. Why don't you go back to him?"

Wincing, her mother shook her head. "Because he doesn't want me there anymore."

"What?"

"He asked me to leave. He said he wanted some time to himself with the kids."

Bryn laughed, without humor. "He kicked you out? Why doesn't that surprise me?" She bit her lip. "That's what this was all about, wasn't it? The whole therapy thing. You wanted us to kiss and make up, because you needed a place to stay."

"That's not it, at all."

"I think maybe we should take a break," Mulder interrupted.

"No," Bryn said. "I want to hear this. Tell me, Mother. What is it, then?"

"I do want us to forgive, but not for that reason. I can find an apartment in Baltimore..."

"With what, your retirement money? Give me a break. It's barely more than welfare."

"It's enough. And that's beside the point. I wanted a better relationship with you, Sabryn. And with my grandchildren. I saw what happened with John's family. I could have lost them all. I won't risk something like that happening again, not with things the way they are."

Closing her eyes, Bryn bit her tongue. She wanted to bitch the woman out, to tell her she would never ever forgive what had happened between them. But she heard her son innocently playing with his toys and she couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"You do realize that this isn't something that could happen overnight?" Mr. Mulder said.

"Yes, I do. But it's a start."

"She's not moving here," Bryn said, adamantly.

"No, I'm not."

"And I wouldn't suggest that, either," Mulder said. "But keeping the lines of communication open is definitely a start."

Bryn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. [Yeah, but a start of what?]

Anton drove back home, glad that the night was almost over. Things were finally feeling normal to him, and he was starting to stop looking over his shoulder the whole time. And he hoped that Bryn was feeling the same too.

Pulling into the garage, he let out a soft sigh. Stretching, he walked to the entrance of their home. But he didn't call out, just in case Max and Kat were asleep. Instead he wandered from room to room until he spotted Bryn.

Sitting in the dining room, Bryn was eating ice cream out of the carton. A can of whipped cream was in her other hand, and she sprayed a little dollop on every bite. Looking up as he walked in the room, she gave him a chocolate-tinted smile. "Hey."

"Hey." Anton crossed over to where she sat, dragging one of the chairs along with him. He sat down next to her, a lazy smile on his face. "How has your evening, my dear? And do you have any of that for me?"

She passed over the carton and spoon, turning to face him. "It was...interesting. I guess. Needless to say, I needed the ice cream."

"So I see." Anton took a spoonful of ice cream and ate it with a smile. But he recognized Bryn's habit of stress eating. He was glad, though, that she hadn't transferred it to her blood drinking. "Want to talk about why you needed it?"

She let out a heavy sigh, crossing her arms on the table and resting her head on them. "Long session with Mulder. A lot of screaming and crying, from both of us--me and mom, not me and Mulder." Burying her face in her arms, she mumbled, "And then she said she didn't have a place to live, so she's going to move here."

Anton reached over to rub Bryn's shoulder with one hand. "I'm sorry, my dear. I think I misheard you. I thought you said your mother was going to move here."

She let out another heavy sigh, well aware that he wasn't going to be at all happy about it. "That's because I did. She's flying home tomorrow morning, but only to pack up her stuff. Then she's coming back here until she finds her own place."

He looked at Bryn, not quite believing her. "I see," he said quietly. He then looked at the ice cream, and pushed the carton away, suddenly no longer hungry. "And why doesn't she want to stay near John and the kids any longer?"

Since he wasn't eating, she took hold of the spoon and carton once more, shoveling out a giant mouthful and covering it with whipped cream. "John kicked her out," she said, before popping the spoon in her mouth.

"You're kidding," Anton said a bit incredulously. He hadn't expected that at all. But it would be the only thing that made sense as to why she would leave her home for the West Coast. "When did this happen?"

"Just shortly before we got home. He didn't physically throw her out or anything, but he did make it very clear that he wanted her to get a place of her own." Scraping some peanut butter off the side of the carton, Bryn grabbed another spoonful of ice cream. "I don't think he meant out of town or even out of state, but my mother always has been a drama queen. She tried to pass it off as wanted to be closer to her younger grandchildren, but I think she's just sulking."

"Oh." He resumed stroking her shoulders. "So she's going to stay here with us until she finds a place?" he asked. "With rents so high, it may be a while before she finds anything she can afford. Unless she's willing to accept a little help."

Bryn groaned. She hadn't even thought of that. It meant her mother might be staying with them for weeks...even months. "God. I wonder if Nate still has that townhouse."

Anton was about to say something and then paused. "You know, my dear, that might be a good idea. She could be moved there when she returns, assuming Nate isn't renting to someone else. Seth and Mulder haven't seemed interested in it."

Bryn sat up a little straighter. "We need to talk to him about it. As soon as possible. I don't know how much more of her I can take under the same roof." She knew she was practically frantic, but finally she'd had a good idea. "And you just know Mulder is going to want to do more of those damned sessions."

"We'll give Nate a call after dinner," Anton said. He looked over his shoulder, suddenly worried that the conversation he and Bryn were having was being listened in on. "Where is your mother now, my dear?"

"Sleeping. Her flight is at 8:00 AM, and she needs to be at the airport by six. I haven't had the guts to ask how soon she's coming back." She gave him a contrite look. "I'm sorry I didn't discuss this with you first, but she kind of threw it at me all of the sudden, right in front of Mulder, and I really didn't want him to witness her full-fledged poor-me act."

"It's okay, my dear. You handled the situation the best you could." He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers lightly. "I'll bet you she did it deliberately in front of Mulder so there would be a witness."

Bryn sighed, her shoulders deflating. "This was about the last thing I ever wanted to happen. I already have a reason to dislike my family. You didn't need one, too."

"Bryn, believe it or not, I do like your mother. She was the one who actually took the time to listen to us when I came out to your family. But that doesn't mean that I like what she puts you through."

No longer in the mood for ice cream, Bryn dropped her spoon back in to the container. "Thank you, sugar." Standing up, she gathered up the ice cream and whipped cream before heading for the kitchen. "What do you say to grabbing the baby monitors and heading outside for a while? We could just lounge by the pool?"

"That sounds like a good idea, my dear." Standing up, he snagged the two monitors off of the table and followed her outside. And it seemed that his spirits lifted some when he breathed in the cool night air.

Bryn let out a deep breath too, meandering towards their favorite chaise. "So, sugar...how was your day?"

"Quiet, compared to yours," Anton said, taking his customary seat next to hers. "We had a delivery of Victorian furniture you might want to come down and look at. There are some beautiful pieces in it."

"Okay." She wasn't quite sure she was up to shopping, but maybe it would take her mind off of her mother. Leaning back, she stared up at the sky and tried not to think about how depressed she was. It was a lost cause. "Was there anything in particular that you liked?"

"There was a serving board that reminded me of one that Alexandra and I had." He leaned back as well and stared up at the sky. "It's a beautiful night tonight, my dear. The stars seem closer than usual tonight."

She turned slightly to face him, watching his face. "Why are you so calm? I feel like screaming. Or breaking something."

Anton let out a heavy sigh. "I think I'm in shock still, my dear. It'll sink in once she returns." He looked over at her. "I'm assuming she wouldn't take up an offer of a paid apartment back east?"

Bryn shook her head, wearily. "I already asked her months ago. She flat refused." She got a bit of a devious look on her face. "I wonder if we could ship her off to Hawaii. She wouldn't even have to pay rent there."

"Except that we could never go there again, my dear." He raised an eyebrow. "And why do you want to punish poor Nico, who's only been good to us?"

Bryn shrugged. "I'm not all that sure I would want to go back there, sugar. It sort of brings up bad memories. Except for Kat's birth."

"I know, my dear. But that one good memory should make up for all the bad ones." He let out a soft sigh. "Besides, if I need to exorcize some demons, I do want to be able to go there without the added stress."

She gave him a sideways glance. "You're kind of a high maintenance pain-in-the-ass sometimes, you know it? Good thing I like you so much."

"Really?" Anton arched an eyebrow. "I didn't think I was that high maintenance. Pain-in-the-ass maybe, but not high maintenance."

She smiled at him. "At any rate, you better get used to her being around all the time. I don't think a few miles is going to stop her."

"Oh, I think that we'll be setting some ground rules up really fast," Anton responded.

"Oooh. Did I tell you I like it when you take charge and get aggressive?"

"So I've heard." Releasing her hand, Anton stroked up and down her arm. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"Me? Nothing. You're the take-charge one. I'm just the poor house wife whose under the vampire's control. What are *you* going to do about it?"

"Take advantage of it, if I can convince her to come back inside to the couch," he said with a smirk. "Remember what happened to the last chaise we tried to fool around on?"

"Uh huh...but I also remember that the poor housewife's mother is sleeping in the room right next door to the room with the couch."

"Hmmm... then it seems that I might need to cool off then. How about we take a dip in the pool?"

She gave him a bigger smile. "Sounds good to me, sugar. But I am a little tired, and I don't know if I feel like walking all the way upstairs just to get my suit." She stood up. "I hope you don't mind me going al fresco."

Anton let out a heavy, put upon sigh. "If I must endure it, I will." He stood up and stretched, stepping out of his shoes. His fingers started to undo the buttons of his shirt as he continued talking. "And I hope you don't mind if I do the same. It is quite a long walk back to our room."

She grinned. "I'll suffer through it." Walking towards the stairs, she slipped off her shoes. Before pulling her t-shirt off, she said, "The only problem with this is that we have no towels. I guess we'll just have to air dry."

"True, my dear," Anton said. His shirt fell from his shoulders and his pants soon followed. "Of course, if the water is cold, we'll have to keep close to conserve body heat," he said with a wink as he stepped out of his boxers.

"Of course." Smirking, she dropped her shirt to the ground and unzipped her jeans. "And should any body parts just happen to mingle...well, there's not a lot we can do about that."

"Very true," Anton said. Now naked he walked over to the edge of the pool. He turned back to Bryn, gave a cocky little grin, and dove into the deep end head first.

He made it half way across the pool before breaking the surface. "Brace yourself, Bryn. Water's a bit chilly."

"Then you better get your lily-white butt back over here and heat me up." Kicking free of her underwear, she walked closer to the edge and touched her toe to the water. She shivered. "Damn. Maybe we better go in the jacuzzi instead."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Swimming quickly to the shallow end, he hoisted himself out of the water. "Brr.... it's even worse when you're out of the water," he said as quickly walked over to the jacuzzi. He thumbed on the bubbles and settled into the warm water. "Ahhh... that's more like it."

She still shivered when she stepped in to the sunken hot tub. Although warmer than the pool, it would still be a while before the water got up to the correct temperature. Checking to make sure it would be warm enough, she waded across the center and sat down close to Anton. Then she changed her mind and sat on his lap instead. "That's better."

"Definitely." He put his arms around her, making sure she stayed in close. Back against one of the jets, it was relaxing a knot he hadn't realized he he had in his back. And if he had gotten that tense just talking about Bernadette, what must Bryn feel like? "Want me to rub your back, my dear?"

She nodded, leaning even further against him, her legs lazily swirling in the bubbling water. "You can rub me anywhere you want to, sugar."

"Oooo... I like that," Anton purred in her ear. "But I shall start with your shoulders and work my way down." Putting action to his words, he began kneading her shoulders, searching out the little knots in her muscles.

Groaning softly, Bryn turned a bit more so she was straddling his legs, facing away from him. Pressing her hands to his knees, she leaned forward a little so he had more room to maneuver. She hissed when he found a particularly sore spot next to her spine. Her eyes drifted shut, and she tried her hardest to relax.

Anton continued his soft massage, hands playing up and down her muscles. He leaned forward slightly to kiss her neck, lips playing just under the hairline as his hands started to work their way around to the front to cup her breasts.

Leaning back, Bryn slid her hands up his thighs to his hips, her fingernails lightly scraping his skin. "You're so good to me," she said, softly. "You somehow manage to make me feel good even when I want to cry. How do you do that?"

"Just lucky, I guess," he said. His hands began a gentle squeezing rhythm. "But then, I have been doing this for quite a while. If I haven't learned how to cheer you up after nine hundred years, I've really not been paying attention."

Settling her head on his shoulder, she kissed his neck and lingered there for a while. "Well, you're very good at it. And I love you very much. I'm so lucky to have you, to be with you forever."

Anton kissed the curve of her neck, running his nose against the curve of her jaw. "Forever and ever, my dear. And I'm the lucky one. Because I'm not going to let you go, and I'll never have to worry about finding you again."

She smiled softly. "Would you really want to go back to Hawaii?"

"Not right this minute, but yes," Anton said. He paused thoughtfully. "But I can't say I'm too keen on the idea of going to Australia."

"May we never even speak of that country again." She kissed him softly. "I'll go to Hawaii if you want to. But not this year. I think we need a year at home, preferably without my mother. And since, blessedly, she isn't here at the moment, why don't you see what other body parts you can rub?"

"Well, let's see here..." His hands glided from her breasts to trace along her ribs. "There are just so many to choose from. He nipped at her earlobe before whispering in her ear. "Do you have a suggestion, my dear?"

Her breathing sped up a bit, and she couldn't help spreading her legs. "Anywhere you want. Heading south works. I think you'll find the water much warmer there."

His hands were working downwards even as she spoke the words. But they bypassed her sex to stroke along her thighs. "Yes, things are quite warmer down here," he breathed into her ear. Slowly his fingertips started working their way up the inside of her thighs. "I'll have to see if I can find what's heating up the water so much."

Biting her lip, Bryn leaned harder against him and lifted her hips a bit. He had such large, perfect hands. His long, thick fingers were making her nerve endings sing. "God, I love it when you touch me."

"You think that is good," he growled in her ear, as the fingers of his right hand moved even higher. "Wait until you feel this." Slowly they parted her folds and began a lazy up and down stroking, just barely grazing against her flesh.

She sucked in a sharp breath, grabbing the back of his neck. "Mmm...y-yeah, you're right. That is better." With her free hand, she slid it down and covered his, squeezing lightly. "Much better."

His touches became much firmer as his left hand traced up and down her thigh. "And is there anything els you want me to do, my dear?" Words said, he nipped at the back of her neck, just barely letting his fangs scratch her skin.

Shuddering lightly, she licked her lips and moved her legs a bit wider apart. "I want you to talk dirty to me, and make me forget anyone else even exists."

Anton's voice almost dropped an octave. "You want me to tell you how I want to suck on your perfect titties? Shove my dick deep into your cunt and bend you over and fuck you until you can't walk?"

His words nearly made her vibrate with anticipation. "Yes! All of it!" She turned slightly in his grasp, grabbing the back of his neck, and kissed him hard.

His tongue thrust in and out of her mouth, miming what they would be doing in a few minutes. "You sure you want me to tell you, Bryn?" he asked when they broke apart for air. "Or would you rather I show you?"

Licking her lips, she nodded eagerly. "Please. I want you to...need you to. Fuck me until I can't breathe."

He had been growing steadily firmer as they talked and kissed. Anton pulled back for a moment. "On your hands and knees," he ordered. And when she climbed onto the seat, he got onto his knees behind her. And in one smooth movement that sent a wake of water breaking over her back, he impaled her.

Gasping, Bryn stumbled forward with her hands, nearly knocked off balance. She quickly righted herself and pushed back against him, moaning at the way he possessively gripped her hips. Glancing back at him over her shoulder, she gave him wide smile as she squeezed him possessively in return, her sex tight around his cock.

"Yeahhhh..." Anton moaned as he started rocking his hips. His eyes locked onto hers, the tips of his fangs peeking past slightly spread lips. "God, you're so tight."

"And you're so thick. You feel incred