Chapter Seventy His skin was lightly bronzed against the pure white of the sheets, his flesh sprinkled with pale golden hairs. His muscled chest rose and fell in even rhythm, his flat belly covered by his spread fingers. And even though he was lightly snoring, she'd never seen him look more angelic. His face was lax with sleep, those little stress lines evaporated. Legs slightly spread and arm thrown above his head, he was taking up more than his half of the bed. Not that she minded. Lying on her side next to him, Bryn lightly brushed his dark blond hair away from his eyes. Her false-labor contractions had stopped fairly early in the morning, and after a refreshing day of sleep, she felt better than she had in days. And he was looking much more attractive as well. Carefully pulling the blankets away from his lower body, she gazed at him lovingly. Reaching her hand out, she lightly traced her fingertips through the line of hair running from his navel to his groin. Anton shifted lightly on the sheets, murmuring something too quiet for her to understand. He stretched lightly and resettled, not quite awake, but no quite asleep either. One of his hands swept over the mattress until it touched Bryn's body. There it rested, and Anton gave a contented sigh. She smiled to herself, still lightly stroking his flesh. She slid her hand down his hip and traced her fingers over his cock, watching it lightly twitch, before gently cupping his balls, enjoying their intense heat and weight in her hand. Anton moaned softly, shifting to push himself more firmly into her hands. He gave another sigh, and his eyes slowly slid open. He smiled brightly, if still a bit sleepily, at Bryn. "Now this is the way to wake up." He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Feeling better, my dear?" She smiled, leaning into his kiss. "Yes, I am. And you looked so beautiful just lying there that I had to touch you." She continued to gently stroke him, watching his expression change, and the rise and fall of his chest increase in speed. After a minute or so of the light touches, she slid her hand back up the length of his hardening cock, circling her thumb over the head, before finally sliding her hand up to his chest once more. Leaning closer, she kissed his mouth, sucking lightly at his lower lip. He cupped her head, thumb drawing little circles at the base of her jaw. He opened his mouth, tongue nudging her lips apart after licking across the upper one. He had spent part of the day watching her carefully for signs that her false labor was becoming the real thing. Anton had been emotionally shaken at the thought that Max could have been born premature. And he realized how little preparation they had made - where he would be born, what to do if Bryn went into labor or delivered by daylight. Not to mention the complications of Max being half vampire. Would he be able to walk in the sun like his mother, or have to stay in the darkness like his father? They'd have to have a serious discussion with everyone. But not at this moment. Not while he was tasting Bryn. She settled against him, rubbing his leg between hers. She enjoyed his slow, gentle kisses, the laziness of waking together. He smelled delicious, felt so warm and welcoming as he wrapped his arms around her. Rubbing her breasts against his chest, she ran her fingers through his hair. Gently sucking his tongue. He gently stroked her back, running his hand up and down her spine. He slipped a hand between their bodies to tease her breast as he pushed his tongue deeper into her mouth. Pushing his leg further between hers, he rubbed the sole of his foot against the back of her calf. His other hand tangled in her hair, coming through it. She let out a soft moan and pulled away from his mouth, panting for air. Caressing his face, she gave him a small smile. "We don't have to make love, if you don't want to. I just wanted to kiss you, and touch you. You always look so sweet when you first wake up." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "What do you say we just play around for a bit and see where it leads?" He stroked his knuckles along her cheek. "I will have to go into work today, but there's no reason I can't show up late." He gently kissed below her ear. "But when I get home, we're going to have to talk with everyone, make some decisions." "You have to work?" She pulled back to look at him, her expression sobering. "What about the birthday party? Jess can't stay up all night. Do you want me to just go alone?" Anton made a face. "That's tonight. And yes, I did tell everyone I wouldn't be in. It slipped my mind after last night." He began rubbing the sides and back of her neck. "I guess that means I've got time to properly make love to you, then. Unless we still need to get her and Liam a present." "Jess...we have Jess's present, but we may need to look for something for Liam. Every time I go to a baby store, I end buying things for Max instead." She settled on to her back, head on the pillow, staring at her stomach. "For a while there, I thought we might miss the party, anyway. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out what I did to make the labor start early." Anton placed his hand on her stomach. "You didn't do anything wrong, Bryn. If Max had been born early, it wouldn't have been your fault." He gently stroked his hand over her belly. "Would you rather go out and get Liam's present this evening instead of staying in bed? I won't be offended if you say no." She continued to stare at her stomach for a few minutes more, before giving a single nod and whispering, "I--I think I would rather go out." She blinked a few times, still not looking at his face. "I'm sorry." He caught her face between his hands, tilting it upwards to look at him. "It's okay, Bryn. You have nothing to be sorry about." He gently kissed her forehead, meaning to reassure her. He was a little surprised that she didn't want to have sex, but not certain if he should pursue it now or wait a bit. "Do you want to take a shower first? Or should I?" "You can. I just want to lay here for a while and think. Besides, that way I can use up the rest of the hot water." She gave him a small smile, but there didn't appear to be much humor behind it. "Go ahead. I'll just wait here until you're done." "Okay." He gently stroked her cheek one last time before sitting up. "I'll make breakfast after I get dressed." He slipped out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. "I should be done in about ten minutes, my dear." She was about to roll over and stew in her own misery, when she changed her mind. Just as he'd disappeared into the bathroom, she opened her mouth and quietly said, "Anton...please don't go. Will you stay and hold me? I don't know what's wrong with me right now, but I don't want to be alone. I just...I want you." Anton stepped back around the bathroom door and leaned against it. "Are you sure, Bryn?" When she nodded, he walked back over to the bed and pulled down the covers. Without a further word, he slipped in beside her and pulled the covers back over their bodies. Settling on his side, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tight against him. He looked into her eyes. "Are you okay, Bryn? Is there something wrong?" She pressed her forehead against his chest, and wrapped her arms around him, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I'm sending you mixed messages. I'm just scared. I feel like if I breathe wrong I'm going to go into labor, and then who knows what would happen. I'm afraid something bad is going to happen to Max, and I'd never forgive myself if that were my fault." He gently combed his fingers through her hair before gently placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Bryn, if you go into labor early, it's not your fault. No more than the car accident. We're just going to have to trust that if it happens, it will be okay." He kissed her forehead again, urging her to look up at him. "We've been give this wondrous gift. I don't think Whomever gave it to us would take it back." "I hope you're right." She scooted up a bit on the bed, until she was face to face with him. Lying there, she could only stare at his face, tracing the faint lines on his forehead with her thumbs, tickling her own fingertips with the new growth of stubble on his cheeks, and finally outlining his lips. "Can we pretend like this is my first time again? I want to see you as brand new. To remind me how lucky I am." "I think we can do that." Anton grinned at her, reaching out to stroke her face, winking at her. Thinking back, he recalled some of their conversation on the beach where they had met. "First time? My dear, I am honored. But there is something you should know before we do anything." He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "I'm a lot older than I look." She gave him a small smile, stroking his face. "It doesn't matter, because I'd fall in love with you anyway." She leaned in closer to kiss him, lingering against his mouth. "On second thought, sugar, I think I have too much love for you to pretend that it hasn't happened yet. I've grown to love so much more than I did that night, even though I thought that wasn't possible. So why don't you lead me? What would you like, Anton?" He kissed her, sucking on her upper lip. "I want you above me, Bryn. I want you to ride me. I want so deep inside of you I'd never be able to find my way out. Or want to." He gently stroked her back, hand lingering on her ass. "I want you to cum so hard you see stars and I almost pass out. But most of all," he whispered in her ear. "I want you to do this only if you want to. If you don't, I won't hold it against you." She smiled softly, pulling him close and hugging him tightly. "I love you so much, Anton, and you always take such good care of me. But you don't have to worry, because I do want to do this. I *love* making love with you. I think about the only times I've ever been hesitant is when I was sick, worried, or angry...and even then you can usually make me feel better. Being with you heals me, and I can't think of anything I'd rather do right now." Anton smiled at her, squeezing here tight. He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top so she was straddling his stomach. He stroked her stomach and moved up to rub her breasts. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, my dear?" She squirmed on top of him, pressing herself into his hands. Her nipples were stiffened to tight peaks, rubbing against his palms. She shifted back a bit, sliding her ass against his erection. "How beautiful?" "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He moved one had from her breast to cup her cheek. "Alabaster skin, eyes the color of the noontime sky, hair as dark and soft as a mink's. Physical perfection enfolding a noble and generous spirit. Almost too much for me to bear." He couldn't help but lift his hips, rubbing his erection harder against her ass. She moaned softly, inching backwards once again until he was barely brushing her perineum. "You make me feel beautiful, sugar." Reaching back behind her, she lightly scraped her fingernails up the inside of his thighs, smiling as she felt him jump, and finally cupping his balls. "Are you sure I'm the most beautiful? Of everyone in the whole wide world?" "Positive." He continued to lift against her, hoping to encourage her. "It's not just your gorgeous body, Bryn, that I love. It's your soul, your spirit that draws me in every time." He gently squeezed her breast. "It warms me, Bryn. Makes me feel could do the impossible." "Mmm..." With a soft smile, she scooted backwards once more, lowering his hands to her hips, allowing him to guide her. She reached behind her, carefully centering herself on the head of his cock before sliding down its length. "Oooh...ahh-Anton." She shuddered, quivering around him. "Shhh-sugar, you feel so good." She let her eyes slip closed, grinning. "I love having you inside me." "I love being inside you." His eyes were closed, his head tilted back. It was taking all his self control to not start pumping into her. He lost that resolution when she tightened around his cock. "God, Bryn....you're so tight." Thrusting upwards, he slid his hand downwards, heading towards her sex. She gasped as he filled her, leaning forward on extended arms to rock her hips. Moaning, she backed into his thrusts, shuddering each time he buried himself completely. She spread her legs a little wider, allowing his finger to slip between them. She squealed as he circled her clit, squeezing his cock tightly inside her. "Oh God...not yet, Anton. I don't want to cum yet. It feels so good." He pulled his fingers away, biting the inside of his lip to keep from cumming. He watched her though slitted eyes as she continued to move on him. Staring at her bouncing breasts, he reached back up to cup them, running his thumbs over her tight nipples. He moaned at their weight. She slowed down her movements a bit, churning her hips, using her inner muscles to suck on his cock every time he withdrew. She whimpered, her thighs spreading even wider as she ground herself upon him. It was feeling so good, she knew she could've stayed that way for hours, rhythmically squeezing, her sex milking his cock. But judging by the look on his face, he wouldn't be able to last much longer. "Anton, if you need to cum, fuck me. I know it will feel good." He groaned, her words enflaming him further. Grabbing her hips, he started guiding her in a demanding rhythm. Pumping her furiously, he let go with one hand and began circling her clit again. He grunted with each thrust, trying to hold out longer for her. Shuddering almost continuously, but still unable to reach her peak, she slid her hand behind her and pressed her fingers hard against his perineum. She gasped as his hips leapt off the bed and he slammed himself inside of her, shouting as he came. She squeezed him tightly, breathlessly watching him shake, gently rocking her hips to intensify his orgasm. When he finally settled back to the bed, still quivering, she leaned forward and kissed his lips. "You're so gorgeous when you cum, Anton." He kissed her gently. He felt blissfully drained, but there was one nagging thought. He was aware that she hadn't cum. Still kissing her, he rubbed his fingers around and over her clit with a bit more intensity. "Mmm..." She moved against his fingers continuously, moaning softly against his mouth. After a minute or so, she jerked over his fingers, her body rocked into a spasm, and she clenched hard around his softening cock. Gasping, she pulled away from his mouth and stared at him in shock as the strong waves shook her. Finally calming down, but still panting, she settled down on his chest with her eyes closed. "Mmm, that was nice." Anton gently smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I'm glad you enjoyed that, my dear." He rubbed the small of her back in soothing circles. He closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. "If I'm not careful, I could fall back asleep. But we still need to get Liam's birthday present." She let out a soft groan and slid on to her side, on his side of the bed. Still snuggled close to him, she rested her head on his shoulder. With her eyes closed and the covers tucked around her, she murmured, "Go to sleep, Anton. We can give 'em something of Max's." "Aren't all of those too small?" "Shhh. Lemme worry 'bout it." She yawned, then burrowed even closer. "Go'sleep. Love you, booger." "Love you, Bryn." He reached over and forwarded the alarm a hour. He then snuggled beside his wife and kissed the top of her head. "Love you too, my dear." She waddled along behind him, Liam's present perched between her arms and her stomach. "I feel like we're forgetting something. Did you let Petunia outside before we left?" "Yes I did, my dear. And I locked the doors, turned off the oven, and set the alarm." He gave her a slight smirk. "Sorry, sugar, I'm just trying to figure out...Oh crap...I was going to put a bow on Jess's present." "I think somehow we'll avert a national tragedy, Bryn." They walked across the path towards the werewolves' home. Tonight he whole family would be gathered - in addition to Nathaniel and Lindy, Jess's brother Michael and Dr. Anne would be there as well. It would be a full house, to celebrate both Jess and Liam's birthday. No body was certain exactly when Liam's birthday was. Guessing he was now about one year old, Nate and Lindy had picked a date at random in December. They had settled on the second. And since Jess's was November 26th, it had been an easy decision to make things easy for everyone and celebrate them both at once. "Happy Birthday," Bryn said, as Jess opened the door. "Thank you." Jess hugged her before moving to Anton to do the same. "Come on in. Everyone's in the living room. Liam's been showing off how he can stand up all by himself now." "Uh-oh. Now we're all in trouble," Anton said. "Tell me about it. He's already gotten into the presents on the coffee table, so we had to move them. It won't be long before he's running up and down the stairs." They walked into the main living room where everyone was waiting. Alex was down on the floor, holding out his arms to Liam, who was clinging to Lindy's knee, debating about actually trying to take a step. Walter was talking to Anne and Michael, with Nate and Chandra splitting their attention between them and Liam. Jess walked back over to the couch and sat down by Lindy. "Come on, guys. Take a seat. We're all here." She watched Bryn carefully. "You feeling okay after last night, Bryn?" "Better. The contractions stopped around 6 in the morning. After that, it was just a matter of falling asleep." She carefully lowered down on to the floor, next to Anton's legs. "I was worried for a little while, because Max wasn't moving, but he started up again pretty quickly. Must've fallen asleep himself." Anton leaned down to talk to Bryn. "Are you sure you don't want to sit up here?" When Bryn shook her head, he reached over and rubbed her shoulders. Lindy meantime, grabbed Liam and handed him to Jess as she sat down cross legged on the couch. Jess planted him firmly on her lap. "Okay. Where's our presents?" Michael made a face at his younger sister. "I didn't think you were so greedy, Jess." "Hey! I said *our.*" She stuck out her tongue in his direction. "We were supposed to bring you something?" Nate asked. "I thought you were too old for presents." He laughed, ducking as she tossed a couch pillow in his direction. Bending over the arm of the sofa, he grabbed the present they'd brought her and passed it towards her. "Hopefully you'll be able to use this next month." Jess weighed the present in her hands. "You got me a box of air," she joked as she started to untie the ribbon. She pulled off the lid and looked inside. Frowning, she picked up the four slips of paper, and then smiled. "Tickets to Disneyland?" "Hopefully it won't be too cold to go during Winter Break," Nate said. Amanda brightened up. "Cool!" "Thank you," Jess said, smiling. "I think we'll have a great time." "You're welcome." Bryn handed Anton Liam's present, so he could pass it over to Lindy. Unlike most of the presents, this one was in a large shopping bag, folded over at the top. "Sorry about the packaging. I didn't have a box big enough to fit." "That's fine, Bryn. I don't think Liam will care." She opened the bag, and pulled out a large, brightly colored box. She tilted it so everyone else can see it. Pictured on the box was a small table a child could sit in front of and hit various keys that would play music, flash a light, or recite a short nursery rhyme. "He's going to love this." Nate snorted. "Yeah, it makes noise...of course he'll love it. Now, if only he could chase it around the room and chew on it, he'd never stop playing with it." Lindy whacked him on the arm. "It's perfect. Thank you." "You're welcome." They continued to open presents, including a San Jose Sharks jersey for Jess from Anton and Bryn, several outfits for Liam from his grandparents, more toys from Chandra and Amanda, an elegant family portrait for Jess from Lindy, Nate, and Liam. She also received a homemade book of gift certificates from Amanda, good for car washes, hugs and kisses, lawn mowings, house cleaning, and more. Cross-stitching patterns from Chandra, and box seats to a Sharks game from Alex and Walter--hidden, much to her embarrassment, underneath a red lace negligee. Her brother added a British set of the Chronicles of Narnia for Jess, and a plush Big Bird for Liam. "Looks like we've opened everything," Jess said, eyeing the pile of crumpled wrapping paper by her side. "Actually, Mom, Lindy and I have one more present for you." Nate pulled out a small box with a ribbon around it and handed it to Jess as Lindy took Liam from her lap. Jess started unwrapping the box, trying to figure out why they both smelled slightly nervous. Ribbon slid off and paper torn away she lifted the lid and raised an eyebrow at what was inside. "You got me a men's wallet? And a used one by the smell of it." She pulled it out of the box and casually flipped it open to look at the pockets. She let out a loud gasp and dropped the wallet on her lap. She looked up at Nate, her complexion gone pale. Swallowing and dropping her head, she picked up the wallet again, handling it as if it were a poisonous snake ready to strike. Shaking as Walter and Alex leaned over to see what was wrong with the wallet, she looked at the ID inside again and then back to Nathaniel. "What have you done?" He swallowed heavily, taking Liam from Lindy's arms. Somehow he felt marginally safer with a buffer between him and his mother-in-law. "I kept a promise," he said, quietly. "I thought at least I could stop what happened to you from happening to someone else." Jess closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She looked for a moment like she was going to say something, but couldn't get the words out. eyes bright with unshed tears, she stood up. "I just need some air. I'll be back in a moment." Wiping at her face, she quickly got up and ducked into the kitchen. Lindy started to stand up and follow her with Nate. "No," Alex said softly as Walter followed Jess. "Let's give her a moment or two." They heard the door leading outside from the kitchen open and close. Alex studied both Lindy and Nathaniel. "You both knew he was living here again?" "No. Lindy didn't know any of it until yesterday," Nate said, his chin resting on Liam's head. "Jess told me a few months ago that he was here somewhere. I didn't know exactly where until this week." Bryn and Chandra exchanged a confused look. "You can tell me it's none of my business," Chandra said, "but I'm curious. Who exactly are we talking about?" Alex glanced at Amanda. She hadn't been told the whole truth yet, but he thought she was now old enough to know. "Jacob Farnsworth. He was Jess's boyfriend a long time ago. He beat her up a few times, and assaulted her when she tried to break up with him." Bryn discreetly glanced at Anton before squeezing his thigh. "But why do you have his--" Chandra cut off her question, suddenly realizing why they had the man's wallet. "Oh, I hope Jess is okay." Just as the words left her mouth, the door in the kitchen opened once again and they all waited quietly to see what would happen next. Looking slightly pale, but better than she had before she left the room, Jess walked through the doorway, followed by Walter. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Jess," Nate said, quietly. "We shouldn't have told you this way." "It's okay, Nate. I was just..." She shrugged her shoulders. "It was the last thing I expected." She hugged him tight before heading back to he couch. "I'm fine, Nate. Thank you." "What are you going to do with it, sis?" Michael asked quietly. Again Jess shrugged. "I don't know. Let me think about it." She gave everyone a weak smile. "Come on, this is supposed to be a party. How about we cut the cake now?" "Sounds like a good idea," Chandra said, heading towards the kitchen. Deciding to give Jess some time with her family, Nate stood up with Liam to head to the kitchen as well. He covertly motioned for Lindy to follow him. Once they were in the hallway, in relative privacy, he asked, "Do you think she's really okay, or is she just putting on a show for everyone?" "She's putting on a show, but I think she's in shock. If she's like this tomorrow, I'll be more worried." She slipped an arm around his waist and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I think Mom'd be acting like this no matter how we told her." "So maybe we shouldn't have told her at all." He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. "I think Alex was glaring at me. How do you think he and Walter are feeling? Glad or pissed? I just can't imagine knowing this guy was around and letting him get away with it. If I had the chance, I'd kill him again." "I don't think they knew." She leaned against him a bit. "If she knew, I don't think she'd have told them. I don't think she wanted to relive it. And I think Alex and Walter are a bit of both. Glad that he's dead, pissed at the fact we didn't let them help. But I think they knew that our hearts were in the right place." He nodded. "Let's go get Liam his first piece of birthday cake. I'm sure he's dying to dig in." Lindy grinned. Still in the living room, Bryn pushed herself off the floor and curled up on the couch next to Anton. Leaning close, so only he could hear her, she said, "I wish that was a present I could give you." Anton put his arm around her and held her tight. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much that means." Glancing up, he saw Jess's brother and sister-in-law give her a hug. Looking elsewhere, he saw Alex looking at him. The werewolf gave him a brief nod before Alex turned back to Jess. He took one of Bryn's hands in his own and squeezed. "Do you want some cake, sugar?" Bryn's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Yes, my dear. No, let me go get it," he added when she started to rise. He stood and headed to the kitchen, passing Nathaniel and Lindy. He'd have to talk to his brother about what he did. Although he wasn't certain the way Nathaniel had revealed he had dealt with the problem was the best, he more than agreed that the younger vampire had done something that should have been done long before. Nate was settling Liam into his high chair when Anton reached the kitchen. The little boy stared avidly at the cake, leaning towards the colorful frosting-heavy creation. Chandra was placing candles on its surface, as well as adding one to a small cupcake for Liam to blow out. Sliding the high chair's tray into place, Nate turned around and noticed Anton standing close by. "What?" "What do you mean, what?" "Why are looking at me like that?" "I was just a bit surprised by what you did." Anton leaned back against the counter. "Well...I guess you just don't know me very well, Anton." He walked around behind Liam and tied his bib into place. "I don't like the idea of scum like that walking around free. Even if it hadn't been my mother-in-law that was attacked, I still would've felt action needed to be taken. The less people like that in this world, with my wife, let alone other innocent women, the better. And maybe I'm new to this whole thing, but I'm going to take care of my family. Every one of you." Anton took the rebuke gracefully. "You're right, Nathaniel. I would have done the same, had I been aware of the situation. And I agree that you did the right thing. There is more to you than I once thought. And as I have said before, I am proud to be your brother." He wasn't ready to tell Nathaniel about his past. Maybe some day, but not today. Nate kept his gaze downcast for a moment, the finally murmured, "Thank you." He wasn't quite sure why he was feeling so defensive. Maybe it was because he'd expected something more like gratitude for what he'd done. Not that he'd done it only for the rewards it might bring. Or had he? Now he wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that now he felt ashamed, like someone had told him to think before he acted...and he wasn't sure he'd done that. At the time he hadn't cared. The man was evil, in his own mind, and he got rid of him. No trial, no mercy. No innocent until proven guilty. He bit his lip to keep from excusing himself from the room in embarrassment. Anton also looked a bit uncomfortable standing there. "I'm sure she appreciates what you did, Nathaniel." [I know I would.] At that point, Walter stuck his head in the kitchen. "Are we going to eat the cake in here or out there?" Nate couldn't quite look at him. "In here, since Liam will probably make a mess." "Okay." He started to duck out of the room, but turned back for a moment. "And Nate, thank you for what you did." Nate gave him a single nod before looking away, staring silently out the window. He remained there until the others entered, then turned to watch Jess and Liam blow out their candles. He grabbed Lindy around her waist, pulling her back against his chest and tucking his thumbs in her pockets. He felt a bit better with her standing in front of him, like a buffer, but not a whole lot. Part of him still wanted to leave. Lindy tilted her head bit so she could whisper in his ear. "I love you, Nate." A little louder she said. "I knew were forgetting something. We didn't bring the camcorder." Privately she was worried. She knew her mother was in shock from having her past unexpectedly confronting her. She had seen it before, and knew that Jess would be okay, given time. But Nate... she gently stroked her hands over his. He was taking Jess's reaction as disapproval. And she was afraid that it could cause a rift between her parents and her husband. "Why don't I go get it? We might miss him blowing out the candle, but at least we'll get him eating the cake." He shuffled her to the side, stepping out from behind her. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He kissed her temple lightly before going. "I love you, too, Lind She watched him duck out of the kitchen, feeling helpless. Jess looked like she was putting on a brave front, and no one seemed to know exactly what to say or to do. She bit back a sigh, knowing that it would be a long night ahead. They walked back in the house through the tunnel entrance, greeting Petunia as she hurried into the library. The dog bounced around excitedly, gnawing on Anton's fingers and instantly looking ashamed as he told her "no!" Shaking her head, Bryn said, "I'll let her out in the back yard for a while. Did you want me to start something to eat, or are you still full from the cake?" "I don't have much of an appetite yet, my dear." Anton gave her a half hearted smile. "Go ahead and let Petunia out. I'll check the answering machine." As Bryn left the room, he walked over to the answering machine. There was a message on it, and he hoped that it was Mack calling. He had bee n trying to contact Mack to apologize, but so far the messages he had left had been met with silence. It looked like his attempts were being ignored. But still he hoped as he pushed the 'play message' button. The accented voice that came over the line sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it until the man started to get to the point. "This is a message for Mr. Anton M. Rudenko. Ms. Lilith urgently requests his immediate attention at 555-9666, extension 101. The switchboards are open at all times. Please have your pass-code ready." Seth, Lilith's assistant. It could only mean a council meeting was about to convene. Even with all of their security in place, the phone number he'd been given still wouldn't connect him directly with Lilith. Only Seth could do that. And he could only reach Seth with the pass-code he'd been given nearly a hundred years before. It was his personal identification number, insuring that no one but him could claim his place. He walked over to the library door and called towards the kitchen. "Bryn? I'm going to be on the phone for a while." Closing the door, he walked back to the desk and sat down. Pulling the phone in front of him, he dialed in the number and the extension. A computer synthesized voice asked him to enter his identification code. He punched in the sixteen digit number, and waited for confirmation that he passed the first level of security. Then he was asked to say his name, checking his voiceprint. This was a new addition to security, as the Council was paranoid about those who weren't members gaining access. The computer confirmed again that he was who he said he was. Now he waited for Seth to pick up the phone. "Good evening, Mr. Rudenko," Seth answered, somewhat stiffly. "Your presence has been requested in Seattle at 9 AM Pacific time, November 25th. Yes, that is tomorrow. Flight plans have been arranged and I can send a car to pick you up in an hour at your home. We do not anticipate this to be a long stay, however packing an additional change of clothing would be wise. If, for some adequate reason, you are unable to proceed as requested, I've been instructed to put you in contact with Lilith immediately. May I have your confirmation?" "Yes." He knew that when he had accepted the position on the Council, that there would be the last minute meeting to attend, emergencies to attend to. He just hadn't expected the first meeting to be one. "Am I correct in assuming that it the reservations are for one person?" "Yes, that is correct." Anton bit the inside of his lip. He knew that Bryn would not be happy. "Very well. I will be ready to leave in one hour." He listened as Seth perfunctorily ended the call. Resisting the urge to slam the phone, he hung up as well and went into the kitchen. Seeing it empty, he went outside. Bryn was there, watching Petunia run around, sniffing a few of the bushes that lined the house. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her. Bryn leaned back against him. "Who left a message? Mack?" "No," Anton said with a sigh. "Seth, Lilith's assistant. They're calling an emergency meeting of the Council, and I'm needed in Seattle. Tomorrow." "Oh." She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I can call Lindy before we go to bed and ask her if she can watch Petunia. How long will we be gone?" He let out another soft sigh. "Actually, I'm leaving in an hour. They need me there by 9 in the morning. And the reservations were made for one." "Oh." She was aware that she was repeating herself, but couldn't think of anything else to stay. She blinked a few times. "Well, I guess we need to get you packed then. What do you need to take with you?" "A change of clothing. Maybe something to read on the flight up. Think I could fit you in the carry on?" He hugged her a little tighter. "I'm sorry about this, Bryn. I knew there would be meetings on short notice, but I didn't think it would be this short. Or the first meeting." She shrugged, turning around to wrap her arms around him and press her cheek against his chest. "I just...I thought you said I could go with you every time." He kissed the top of your head. "I thought you would be able to. I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting to be called away on an hour's notice." He gently stroked her hair, the lowest tips now just barely touching her shoulders. "I had thought that I would have about a week's notice, so we could make arrangements. Everything was arranged by the time I returned the call." He paused for a moment. "I could call Seth back and insist that space be made for you. I'm not sure how much time we'll have together." "No. They already think I'm annoying as it is. I'll just stay here...as long as it's just one day." "It should be. Hopefully I'll be home by this time tomorrow night." She nodded. "Just try to get some sleep when the meeting is over. And you could bring me a small souvenir from the airport, if you want." "I'd bring you half the city, if you asked. I love you, my dear." He pressed his lips to her forehead for a moment, lingering to breathe in her scent. "I guess I should go get ready since the car will be here in about 45 minutes. And we should also let Nathaniel, Lindy, and the werewolves know." He squeezed her once more. "Help me pack?" "Only if you kiss me first." She batted her eyelashes at him, smiling as he cupped her jaw and leaned closer. She let out a soft moan as he pressed his lips to hers. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she opened her mouth to his tongue, allowing him to explore at will, gently stroking his lips with hers. When he reluctantly pulled away from her mouth, she lunged forward to give him one more quick smooch. "I love you, Anton. And I'm going to miss you holding me today." Anton gently ran his fingers over her lip. "I'm going to miss holding you too. And if I do manage to get any sleep o this trip, I'm going to miss snuggling up to you. Actually, I'm going to miss that even if I don't get any sleep." Arm around Bryn's waist, he turned her towards the kitchen and whistled for Petunia. The dog obediently trotted over and went inside the house, followed by the pair. By the time they returned to the house, Liam was sound asleep. While Lindy got him settled into his crib, Nate grabbed the baby monitor and walked out to the living room. Stripping out of his clothes along the way. "Lind, I'm gonna heat up the hot tub. Do you want anything to drink?" Walking over to the bedroom, she started taking off her clothes as well. "Why not that bottle of Zinfandel we got in Napa?" She ducked into the linen closet next to the bathroom to grab a couple of oversized towels. Looking in on Liam one last time, she went into the living room. Nate hurried down to the wine cellar, searching for the bottle they'd bought. Part of him was a bit grateful to escape the room, if only for a little while. He didn't feel like talking. Mindless sex would be nice, but he doubted it would take his mind off of the matter. He still felt awkward about telling Jess about Jake Farnsworth's death, and he wished he could take it back. Not the feeding itself--but letting her know. They all would've been better off if he'd just kept it to himself. Lindy went into the kitchen and grabbed two wine glasses. She paused to look out the window at the moon. She had been a bit shocked to realize that a full moon had already passed, that one was approaching, and she hadn't even noticed it. But she did notice that Nate wasn't comfortable with what had happened. When he had returned with the camcorder, there had been an unspoken agreement not to talk about it during the party. But now that they were alone, she wasn't sure that he'd be willing to talk at all. He walked back to the living room, his jeans still on but unbuttoned. "Maybe we should take some liquid soap with us, have a bubble bath." He gave her a small smile as he walked past, opening the sliding glass door. He flipped on the outdoor lights, then walked outside to turn on the hot tub. "I used to think it would be so cool to have one of these in the living room. We could just lounge there while we watch TV." She grinned at him, one of the towels wrapped around her