Louise Ch. 16

"Angel? Hi... ummm ok... when? This weekend? What time tomorrow night? Yes, I understand. Sure....They'll be ready."

Juliette hung up the phone and looked at Hans.

"Angel wants the kids this weekend. He wants to talk to them about you without you being around."

"Good." Hans replied. "It will be good for all of them and it will give us a chance to be alone. What would you like to do?"

"Do you mean that you aren't going to talk me into this mating thing?" Juliette asked surprised.

"When we mate is in your hands." Hans replied. "But I wouldn't be honest if I said that I want you in my bed in the worst way."

Juliette's nipples tightened and her womb clenched at the thought of being in bed with Hans.

"Oh lord." She murmured and cleared her throat. "How about a dinner and movie? Angel is picking the kids up at six."

Hans gave her a knowing smile and kissed her. If the fates and luck were with him, by the time the weekend was over; Juliette Yancy would be his mate in name and deed.

*********

The next phone call Leon made was to Nathan. He had to make sure that Louise was safe and he wanted to talk to Nathan about turning him. He dialed Louise's number hoping that she would be the one to answer, but it was Nathan's resonant baritone that filled his ear.

"Leon, is everything alright?" Nathan asked.

"Yes... look, I know about your family." Leon said. "I want to repeat what I told you before you married my sister. If you hurt her or that baby in any way; your ass is mine."

"Leon," Nathan said. "I would never hurt her or my child in any way. You are empathic, listen to me and tell me if I'm lying to you."

Leon closed his eyes and replayed Nathan's words in his head and heard no lie.

"Alright, but if that ever changes..."

"It won't just as how you feel about Nadine will never change." Nathan replied. "It is the way of mates."

"Can I ask a personal question?" Leon asked.

"Of course." Nathan replied. He already knew what the question was.

"How did you deal with it? Not just the family history; but how you were conceived."

"I was a teenager when I found out." Nathan replied. "I was so hurt and angry at my father that I didn't speak to him for a week. I couldn't believe that he could hurt my mother that way. Finally, he took me camping and told me about the family legacy. I can't even begin to tell you how I felt, but the thing is... my issue wasn't my conception. My issue was that he hurt the one that he was supposed to love and protect.

For a long time after that, I would stay close to my mother just in case my father was going to hurt her again. It took her sitting down with me to change that. She told me that she loved my father and that he loved all of us. I asked her if she trusted him not to hurt her or anyone else again and she gave me an unequivocal yes. She didn't even take time to think about it.

Even now, I look at her and Katrina with awe and admiration. To have survived what they did and then to keep the children that resulted from the rapes is nothing short of amazing."

"And then they married their rapist." Leon commented.

"Exactly." Nathan replied. "Even now I look at them and it's hard to believe how their life together began. It hasn't been easy. Mom still had her moments but they work through it."

"Thank you for talking to me about it." Leon said. "It couldn't have been easy for you to talk about. I also have a favor to ask."

"I would be honored to be present when you are turned." Nathan replied.

"Thanks... I was thinking the sooner the better." Leon replied. "Could we do it the week that we get back? And Nate? I want you to be one of the one's who turns me."

"Let me know and I'm there." Nathan said. "Thank you Leon, you have no idea of what this means to me."

They talked for a few more minutes and then Leon spoke to Louise. He exacted the same promise from her that he got from Kevyn. Afterwards, he felt much better and went to look for Nadine.

********

Louise was in the bathroom when Leon called. She stopped at the door when she heard Nathan talking about his family. She lowered her shields and felt his pain as he told Leon how he felt when he heard the truth about his family and conception.

She quietly walked up behind him and put her arms around him wishing that she could change the past. Nathan stroked her arm as he talked to Leon. Other than her, Leon was the only other person that he talked to about his family. She wondered if Hans told Juliette yet and what her reaction would be and then decided that she knew the answer to her question, Juliette didn't know yet. If she knew, she would have called.

She could hear and feel Leon's anxiety as he asked Nathan about his family and wondered if he had already spoken to Patrick. She had her answer a few minutes later when he made her promise to tell him if Nathan mistreated her in any way.

"I told Kevyn the same thing." He said. "I expect you to keep your word."

Louise couldn't help but smile. Leon had just used the same words that their father had used whenever they made a promise.

"I promise, but there won't be anything to tell." She replied.

Louise felt Leon relax and then she relaxed.

"What can I do to get your house ready?"

"Jalapeno bread extra spicy, hot wings and potato salad." Leon replied. "But not until after i do this change thing." He added.

"He wants me to participate in his turning." Nathan said when the phone call was over. "Other than you accepting me and carrying our child; that is the greatest honor that I have ever received."

"He sees you as a friend." Louise said. "When is the turning going to happen?"

"As soon as he returns." Nathan replied. "I suspect that Hans will be the other vampire although I don't know how it will change things if Hans doesn't come back with him."

"They'll work it out." Louise said. "Nathan, have you had any more of those feelings?"

"No, have you?"

"No... maybe it really was nothing." She replied.

Nathan hesitated.

"I don't believe that which brings up something that I wanted to talk to you about. I want you to make sure that you have your phone on you at all times; even in the house. I can't quite explain it, but I think trouble is coming our way."

"I... I know; I feel it too." Louise replied.

"I know that you know this, but sweetheart; don't go anywhere alone. If you see or hear anything that you think odd, no matter how small; say something."

"I will; but what do you think it is?" Louise asked.

"I have no idea but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

********

It had been a week since Barb had spoken to anyone from her family. Part of her missed them and wanted to talk to them, but the other part of her; the part that felt that she had been wronged won out. She still didn't know when she was going to approach Thorne about the baby, but she knew how she was going to do it.

If things went as planned, she would be kissing the tiny efficiency apartment goodbye and moving in to a home that rivaled any of those that Louise and Kevyn lived in. When that happened, she would invite all of them to her new home and serve a meal that they would talk about for weeks.

But first she had to deal with Thorne Blackwell. On some level it bothered her that she wasn't more concerned about the child she was carrying. She didn't want anything to happen to it, the baby was a means to an end and it really was in her best interest to keep it and her healthy.

Whether she wanted to spend the money or not, she needed to find a doctor. The one thing she did do was to go to the store and buy multivitamins. She gave brief thought to calling Louise and asking who she was seeing, but changed her mind. She wasn't ready to let them know that she was pregnant and she probably couldn't afford whoever they saw anyway.

Barb stretched out on the couch and looked at the glass of milk and frowned. She hated milk under the best of circumstances.

"Next week." She said to herself. Next week, Thorne Blackwell will find out he's going to be a daddy.

She fell asleep leaving the milk untouched and with thoughts of diamonds in her head."

********

Angel was at the door right at six. Juliette called to the kids that their father was there and nervously opened the door.

"You look nice." Angel said when he saw her. "Julie, I hope that you understand that I'm not trying to be difficult. You're talking about taking our babies to the other side of the country to be with a man that you barely know."

"I know that you want what's best for them and we understand." Juliette replied.

"We?" Angel asked.

"Me and Hans. He's prepared to move to Pittsburgh if need be."

Angel looked surprised.

"What about work?" he asked. "And where will he live?"

"Work isn't a problem and he has a home here." Juliette replied.

"Do you have any concerns about him?" Angel asked. "Do you really trust a man that you've known for two weeks with our babies?"

"I trust him as much as I trust Anna with our babies and as you know, I trust and like her." Juliette replied. "In fact, I didn't meet her until several weeks after the kids did. What I'm saying is that I trusted your judgment and I'm asking you to trust mine. I understand that one of your concerns is the speed that this happened, but Angel; he loves us."

"Do you love him?" Angel asked looking at her intently.

Juliette hesitated. She hadn't even admitted to herself how she felt about Hans and here she was going to tell her ex-partner first.

"Yes, I love him." she said softly. She felt a flash of heat that started at her head and ran clear down to her toes.

"Julie? Are you alright?" Angel asked concerned.

"I'm fine... what time will you bring the kids back on Sunday?"

"Is four alright? We like to go to church and go out for lunch afterwards."

"That's fine... oh I have a new cell phone number and the kids have one too. I can write them down for you so that you can enter it into your phone...."

"The kids have phone? Why is that?" Angel interrupted.

"They're for emergency use only." Juliette explained. "All of our numbers, yours included are programmed in. He isn't trying to buy them off if that's what you're thinking. He wants the same thing that we do; he wants them to be safe."

"But cell phones?" Angel asked. "They will chat with their friends and play games. Their school work will suffer and what about Celeste?"

"The game apps have been disabled, only I or Hans can turn them on. The text is set to go to certain numbers... the numbers that are programed into the phone and the only calls that can be made on the phones are the ones programmed which by the way, includes nine-one-one. The GPS system is activated and can't be turned off. As far as Celeste, her phone is voice activated; actually all of them are. She can either push the buttons or she can say the name of the person that she wants to call. Would you like me to write the numbers down?"

"Please." Angel said softly. "Are they ready to go?"

Hans was standing in Juliette's living room an hour after Angel left with the kids. His hands itched to touch every part of her; but he restrained himself. He could tell that Juliette had something on her mind and wondered what it was.

"We don't have to go out." He said hugging her. "We have things to talk about. In fact, I would prefer that we get it out of the way."

By two am, Juliette knew the Sinclaire story. She couldn't speak for several minutes after Hans finished talking.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "Rapists? All of them? What about Kev and Lou? Do they know?"

"Not all of them are rapists. Nathan was a product of rape as were Ethan and Katrina's twins. Both Kevyn and Louise are aware and are dealing with it."

"Did Patrick hurt Kevyn?"

"No. He will tell you that Kevyn saved his life. I know that you have many questions some of which I cannot answer; but if you ask any of them to tell you what happened; they will."

"I need to talk to my sisters." Juliette said still in a daze.

An hour later, she had spoken to both Kevyn and Louise. By the end of the phone call she was satisfied that they were safe. At the end of the phone call with Louise, she asked about Barb.

"I haven't talked to her." Louise replied. "She made it clear that she doesn't want to see us. She's even changed her phone number."

"Have you gone to her apartment?"

"I did once and she for all practical purposes kicked me out." Louise replied. "I thought about going back, but I'm not going to. She wants to be left alone. She knows where we are if she needs us. But how are you?"

"I'm good... I just wanted to talk you guys after Hans filled me in about the family. I'm glad that Leon talked to Nathan and Patrick. I know that they would never hurt you guys; but it makes me feel better to know that he knows. By the way, Gene is hanging in there. I call him once or twice a day to check with him."

"I know." Louise replied. "Kevyn and I call him a couple of times a day just to let him know that we're thinking about him."

"Look, I have to go, Hans is here; but I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. I'll call you later." Juliette said and hung up.

"Is she alright?" Hans asked.

"She's fine." Juliette replied suddenly nervous. Hans was looking at her with undisguised love and desire. "Angel asked me if I trusted you."

Hans didn't say anything. He knew she was working up to what was bothering her.

"I told him that I did and I told him about the phones. He was kind of upset, but I think he's okay with it; especially after I addressed his concerns about it. He... he asked me if I loved you. I hadn't even told myself let alone you that I loved you and I had to tell him first. There's something wrong with that."

"Juliette, he only wants confirmation that you and the children will be loved and cared for. It doesn't bother me that he was the first person that you admitted your feelings for me to."

"You're not upset?" Juliette asked.

"No, I'm not and you shouldn't be either. Juliette, come here."

Juliette shivered with anticipation. She had heard Hans use those words with the children, but for her they held an entirely different meaning. Hans' normally soft voice sounded deeper, richer to her ears and seemed to vibrate through her body.

She moved closer to him on the couch and waited. For several seconds nothing happened. Then suddenly, she was sitting in Hans' lap. She yelped and then moaned as she felt him grind against her bottom.

"Do you feel that?" he asked. "That is for you and no one else. My body like everything else I own is yours to do with as you wish. You never need ask to touch me and my hope is that it will be the same for you."

"I don't have much." Juliette replied. "But you're welcome to what I have."

"You are wrong." Hans replied. "You have much to offer... Juliette, will you trust me with your heart and your body?"

"Is that your way of asking me to go to bed with you?" Juliette asked. Her heart was pounding. She hadn't been with anyone in months.

"That among other things." Hans replied as he brushed his lips across her cheek. "I am asking for your hand in marriage. I love you and the children and I want to marry you in a human wedding. When we make love, we will be mated, but I want you to have my name. Will you marry me?"

"Marriage?" Juliette asked surprised although she shouldn't have been.

"It doesn't have to be right away..."

"Yes." Juliette said softly.

"Yes to which question?" Hans asked as he ran a hand up her thigh and stopped at her hip.

Juliette took a deep breath but didn't say anything for several minutes. What was she saying yes to? A full fifteen minutes passed before she finally spoke.

"I'm saying yes to both."

It was Hans' turn to be quiet. He wanted to savor the moment when Juliette agreed to mate with him and to become his wife. During his time of silence, he sent a prayer of thanks to every benevolent force that he could think of.

"Show me to your bedroom." He finally said.

Juliette stood up and immediately missed Hans' lap. She held out her hand to him in invitation, waited for him to take it and then led him to the bedroom. Hans stood in the doorway and looked around. The room was small, big enough for a double bed; but immaculate. There were more windows than he liked...

"Juliette, could we go somewhere... a hotel perhaps? I want this night to be like a honeymoon for us."

"Let me pack a few things." Juliette said.

While she packed, Hans called the hotel that Kevyn and Patrick had stayed out weeks before. Satisfied that his instructions were going to be followed, he hung up and then called Nadine.

"I will be gone for the weekend; the house is yours... tell Leon not to worry, we'll work that out even if Nathan has to come here... Thank you Nadine, I'll tell her... yes I love you too."

"I'm ready." Juliette said from behind him.

The room at the hotel was bigger than her entire apartment. It was filled with flowers of every kind and the freezer was stocked with her favorite ice cream. Hans stood back and watched her reaction when she saw the bags of blood in the refrigerator.

"Do I have to drink that?"

"No, that's for me." Hans replied. "If you decided to turn as we discussed then yes; you would need blood."

"So... Louise drinks blood?" Juliette asked.

"Yes." Hans replied. "If you are considering turning; I would suggest that you talk with her about it."

He was more than ready, but didn't want to rush her. He didn't say anything as she walked around the suite smelling the flowers. He knew that she was coming to grips with a major life change and would give her all of the time and space that she needed.

Finally, Juliette walked over to him, looked up him and smiled.

"I'm ready."

This time it was Hans who held his hand out in invitation. Juliette took it without hesitation and allowed Hans to lead her through the bedroom and to a room that had a large Jacuzzi in it. She expected him to take her to bed right away, but was surprised when he ran the bathtub and added vanilla scented bath oil to the swirling water.

"There is more to making love than just hopping into bed as enjoyable as that may be." Hans said when he saw her confusion. "Making love includes ensuring that the emotional needs are met as well as the physical ones. Something as simple as running a warm bath and a massage can say I love you as well as anything overtly sexual."

Hans snapped his fingers and the candles scattered around the Jacuzzi room were lit adding their light vanilla scent to the fragrance of the bath oil. He walked over to Juliette, drew her into the room and began to undress her kissing her as he unbuttoned her blouse.

"Sometimes all that is needed to make love is a kiss." He said after he broke the kiss.

When she was naked, Hans stepped back and looked at her. He started at her face and slowly made his way down her body. His eyes lingered on her breasts which were large with large nipples that were begging to be sucked. In his mind's eye, he could see her nursing their son or daughter. His eyes dropped to her stomach and imagined her large with child. Finally his gaze reached the vee between her legs.

"You more beautiful than I imagined." He murmured as he looked down at her. "Come; get in before the water gets cold."

Juliette was speechless. If she had any doubts; they disappeared as soon as Hans touched her. When she was settled in the tub, Hans undressed. He stood still giving her a chance to look at him as he had looked at her. He looked much bigger naked then he was clothed.

Juliette started with his face and made her way down his body as he had done hers. The chest had always been her favorite part of a man's body; and Han's had one that she could see herself falling asleep on. His stomach was flat and muscled, but didn't have the pronounced six-pack like she envisioned vampires to have. Her eyes rested on his erect manhood. He was large, but not obscenely so. She swore that she could see it pulsing and wanted to touch it.