Best of Both Worlds – An Everyday Miracle

(Those most precious of things which we take for granted.)

*

Joshua stretched out amongst the long grass, feeling the sun heating his naked flesh.

"This is just... unbelievable!" he sighed euphorically.

Celia rolled over next to him and leaned across him. "This is just the beginning Joshua," she murmured as she kissed him on the lips.

They had emerged from their home deep underground, from the shelter of the massive oak tree, which guarded them whilst they slept the sleep of the undead.

On this bright summer afternoon the two vampire/witches had done what no other vampire could do; they had walked out in the daylight, and survived.

As Celia's lips massaged his lips, her hands were stroking down his body. Her WARM hands were doing wonderful things to his flesh, and his libido.

Celia's mouth released his, as she slowly kissed down his throat; she suckled gently but didn't draw blood though, as she moved restlessly away from that tempting vein.

Her lips drifted down, to lick and taste the salty flesh of his chest.

While her mouth was worshipping his upper body though, her hands were doing wonderful things to his lower body, as Celia gently stroked down the shaft of his dick before grabbing him firmly.

Joshua groaned in ecstasy, as he lay powerlessly under her, she pulled on him, and he groaned again, she found his hard flat nipple and suckled, nibbling at his flesh but never hard enough to break the skin.

For a long time he allowed her to have her way with him; but in the end found that he could endure no more of her sweet torture; and so taking her by surprise, he rolled suddenly; taking her with him, so that she ended up beneath him.

He braced himself on his arms, as he grinned down at her, and Celia pouted sulkily up at him.

"You said that you wanted to make love under the blue skies, and summer sun..."

"I did..." she nodded. "And we have..."

"The sun hasn't quite set yet... so wouldn't you like to do it again?" He pinned her down with his lower body, as his hard cock nudged at her.

Celia wrapped her arms and her legs around him and drew him deep into her warm moist embrace. "I don't think that I'll ever get enough of you my beloved Joshua." She sighed happily.

*

As the sun sank below the horizon, they made their way slowly to the shelter of tree, walking back hand in hand, just like any other young and in love couple might do.

As they approached the centre of the forest, they saw a youngish woman standing near the clearing.

Celia's shoulders stiffened slightly. "I don't know how, but they always manage to find me!" she muttered in a low tone that Joshua only just heard.

The woman stepped towards them.

"Are you...?" she whispered nervously, as her eyes fixed on to Celia with a kind of desperate hope. "Can you help me?"

Celia gave the woman a dark glare, as she turned and snapped a flower from a bush close by.

"What do you want with me?" Celia demanded coldly as she held the flower to her face to inhale the fragrance of it.

The woman licked her lips nervously. "I've been married for twelve years now," the woman murmured hoarsely. "And for twelve years we have tried to make a baby..."

"And I take it that you've had no luck?" Celia asked dispassionately.

"No!"

"You have doctors don't you? Surely they can help you?"

"The doctors have told us that it's impossible... that it will never happen for me!" she whispered in devastation.

Celia shrugged indifferently. "I'm sorry for you, but I do not understand what you think I can do about it."

The woman's eyes filled with tears. "I know who you are," she said. "I know what you are, and what you can do."

Celia shrugged again. "I think that you've made a mistake, I'm very sorry, but I cannot help you."

The woman put a hand to her breast and bent forward slightly as though she was in great pain, as though her heart was breaking inside her chest.

"Please!" she whispered brokenly, as the tears began to fall down her cheeks in earnest.

Celia just stood watching as the woman broke down; and it became too much for Joshua, who was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of compassion that he'd never felt before; he tried to step towards the woman to comfort her.

His feet seemed to be glued to the ground though, and he realised that he couldn't move.

As the woman became more and more distraught, and the pain she was feeling seemed to be eating her up from the inside; it became more and more painful to watch.

"Please!" she gasped once more as she literally began to collapse in front of them.

Celia suddenly reached out.

In the depths of this woman's anguish; Celia held out the flower and scooped up several of her tears.

She grabbed the woman's arm and held her upright.

"You must do exactly as I tell you to do," Celia told her firmly. "You will only get one chance at this, so you MUST do it right the first time."

The woman gave a sob but her eyes widened with as they once more filled with hope. "I promise!" she vowed earnestly. "I'll do whatever you want."

Celia clicked her tongue impatiently. "It's not about what I want," she growled irritably. "It's about what is needed."

The woman opened her mouth to apologise for any offence given, but Celia held up her hand to silence her.

She flicked her fingers, and a little grubby basket appeared out of thin air, well used and abused by the looks of it. She held it out to the woman.

"Everything you'll need can be found in this forest; but they will be difficult to locate and we only have so much time..." Celia lectured as the woman took the basket.

"You will need some moss to line the basket," she continued before the woman could speak. "You will need two daisies, with a single drop of dew joining them. You will need a bluebell and a snowdrop; you will need a pink rose OR a red rose, which ever you find first will do."

The woman nodded her head anxiously as she turned to go.

"Wait!" Celia snapped. "Remember, you MUST get it right."

"Moss to line the basket, followed by two daisies joined by a dewdrop, then a bluebell, then a snowdrop, and either a pink or a red rose for the top whichever I see first."

Celia smiled at the woman for the first time. "Try and break them as close to the earth as you can," she told her. "And you only have two hours to collect it all, so don't linger to admire the scenery."

"I'll be very quick," the woman promised as she turned and disappeared into the trees.

Joshua stood staring at the woman he loved and adored; the crusty callous and decrepit old witch that he worshiped.

"You are a kind and wonderful woman," he whispered as if seeing her for the first time.

"Ah... get away with you!" she snapped, turning away from him although he saw the pleased little smile which curved her lips.

Celia turned back on him suddenly.

"We are going to need a small fire," she told him in a businesslike tone. "But make sure you do keep it small, and contained... the trees don't like fire, it makes them nervous; you know."

Joshua gave her a wry little smile. "I can understand the trees," he said dryly. "But what I can't understand is why you're telling me?"

"Because I need you to build it, while I get some bits together," She retorted. "And put something over the fire so that we can hang a pot of water to boil."

She spoke absently as her mind ran through the magic she would be performing soon. To create new life would be the most powerful magic she would ever have to call upon.

"Why are you doing this Celia?" Joshua asked her softly.

She blinked her amber coloured eyes at him, eyes that were bright with unshed tears - and a remembered pain.

"Because it was asked of me," she told him quietly. "One of the conditions of spell craft is that you help, when it is requested of you."

Joshua frowned heavily. "I'm not sure that I like the sound of that." His yellow eyes narrowed. "How come you've never mentioned that before?"

Celia shrugged defensively. "It never came up before, and I've taken steps so that it's difficult... almost impossible for them to find me."

"ALMOST impossible?" he sneered. "But SHE managed to find you?"

"Yes she did; didn't she?" Celia sighed.

"And that worries you?" Joshua realised suddenly.

"Yes, where one comes; others are sure to follow," she said tiredly.

"Is it so awful to help those in need... to give that woman her dearest wish?"

Celia gave a bitter little laugh. "For those in need, it is the most wonderful thing that we can do..." She shrugged her shoulders. "But not all of them are as noble as that woman, and once the way is found, then ALL can seek us out."

"Us?" Joshua's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Celia's smile returned to it slightly malicious curve. "You practice spell craft -- do you not?"

She turned on her heel and walked over to the tree. Her sing song voice opening the entrance as the branches bent back and the tree fell over, to reveal the staircase leading down to the underground cavern.

Joshua gave an irritable little sigh as he began to gather fallen twigs and small branches.

He dumped them down in the biggest clearing he could find; and then searched around for some large rocks and pebbles, to create a temporary fire place.

By the time Celia returned; he had assembled the fire and was busy trying to light it.

He knelt over the kindling and blew gently - as Celia had taught him, but so far nothing was happening.

Celia leaned over him to look.

"Very nice, my love," she murmured appreciatively. "But this fire needs the breath of life from the mother, to ignite it."

Joshua turned to look at her resentfully. "You could have told me that before!" he snapped impatiently.

"What... and spoil the chance of seeing a breathless vampire trying to blow flames onto a dead stick!" she cackled in her old and crusty voice; and for a split second the old decrepit witch stood before him, in place of the beautiful nubile vampire/witch that he'd created.

Joshua blinked rapidly, and his lover returned to him; merging together with the withered old hag to create something truly spectacular.

He stepped towards his lover, just as the woman came hurrying into the clearing, holding the little basket out in front of her.

"I found it all!" she gasped breathlessly as she held it further out so that Celia could see.

"So you have..." Celia murmured as she studied the contents of the basket. "But what's that there?"

She pointed to a thick stem with two roses springing from it; one red and one pink.

The woman shrugged uncertainly. "You said to get the first one that I saw, and this was it, and in order to break it close to the ground, like you instructed, well I had to get both... it's not wrong is it?" the woman asked tearfully.

Celia smiled and patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It was a surprise is all; not wrong really."

She moved away from the woman and her basket, putting her hands behind her back as she did so.

"Now you must light the fire over there," she indicated with a thrust of her chin, "and you need to fill the pot hanging over it, with water from the stream."

"Very well." The woman held the basket out to Celia again, but Celia just shook her head.

"Just put the basket down next to the fire for the moment."

The woman looked a little surprised at Celia's constant refusal to even touch the basket, but she had put all her faith into Celia and so would obey her every instruction.

She knelt in front of the fire placing the basket at her side, and then after a moment of staring into the unlit timbre and twigs; she suddenly dug into her pocket and brought out a small packet of matches.

"A woman who comes prepared!" Celia grunted under her breath, although there was a note of respect in her voice.

The woman struck one of the matches and then quickly stuck it under the sticks and kindling.

For a moment nothing seemed to happen, then suddenly smoke began to trickle out and finally flames began to lick at the fuel.

The woman gave a little grunt of satisfaction before jumping to her feet and grabbing the pot that Celia had placed over the fire.

Joshua stood staring at the fire as it blazed, but then he turned to his beloved and opened his mouth to talk.

Celia turned suddenly to look at Joshua.

"I'm going to need you to do something for me soon, and when I do, you must not hesitate, or question me over it."

Joshua frowned at her. "What..?" he began, but the woman came hurrying back carrying the pot of water with her, and Celia hushed him with a look and then turned to the woman.

"Put it over the fire to boil," she ordered firmly.

The woman did as instructed immediately, and Celia clicked her tongue impatiently.

"You have a name?" she asked abruptly.

The woman looked back at her in surprise... she seemed to hesitate for a moment...

"Marion," she whispered softly. "I'm called Marion."

"Marion..." Celia nodded in acknowledgement. "Shall we help you to make a baby tonight Marion?"

Marion's eyes filled with tears of hope. "Oh please... yes please!"

Celia stepped across to her, and patted her consolingly on the arm. It was the most human thing Joshua had ever seen Celia do, he realised with surprise.

Celia stared into the water hanging over the fire, and muttered a few words under her breath.

Joshua felt her power rippling in the air, and caressing the people in the clearing, drawing strength from each of them.

The water in the pot began to boil and Celia gave a little grunt of satisfaction.

"Now Marion, empty the items from your basket into the pot," she instructed absently as she kept her attention fixed firmly on the boiling container.

Marion wordlessly picked up her basket, and stepped around Celia to get closer to the fire.

She reached out and upended the basket, allowing the contents to drop heavily into the steaming pot.

Celia's voice rose as the contents hit the water, and the air warmed considerably.

The pot began to bubble and spit, and the steam turned a dark green in colour.

Celia continued to chant and sing, as she raised her hand and held out the flower she had picked earlier this evening. The one on which she had gathered Marion's tears.

She held it over the pot allowing the green steam to coat the flower, and her hand; and part of her arm as well.

"Now Joshua," Celia suddenly called out. "I need her blood!"

Without blinking or thinking or hesitating, Joshua grabbed Marion from behind, wrapping his strong arms around her and pulling her back against him.

His strong hand grasped her wrist and he bit down hard onto the main vein, releasing the blood and allowing it to run free.

Some of her blood touched his lips, and Joshua licked it off reverently.

His eyes glinted silver as he tasted the woman's blood, and his fangs began to lengthen.

"Here... over the flower!" Celia snapped as her face began to bead with sweat, and her complexion began to turn a strange greyish colour.

Her cold words were enough to keep Joshua from the blood lust, but Marion had seen the vampire in him and had tried to pull away in fear.

"Remember your desires; remember why you came here tonight Marion!" Celia snapped again, as she saw the woman's distress.

Joshua pulled her along with him, taking her closer to the fire.

Marion, should have fought him, should have tried to pull away again, but she did in fact help, as she leaned forward to hold her wound over the soggy blossom.

The blood slowly dripped down to splatter onto the petals.

The steam darkened and became richer in colour, going from green to brown to a dark blood red.

As the steam changed to red; Celia continued to chant and sing in her low crusty voice. And then suddenly she dropped the bloody flower into the pot.

The bloodstained blossom fell and then just seemed to... float on the bubbling surface for a moment.

Then very slowly; it began to sink down below the water, to mix and mingle with the dissolving contents of Celia's old basket.

The steam puffed out and went from its dark bloody red to scarlet, to bright red to pale red to pink and then finally after a couple more puffs it faded back to a thick milky white colour.

All the time Celia had continued to chant, her voice rising, and growing louder... until as the steam turned white, she let out a loud cry almost a howl, and a loud thunderclap shook the earth around them, and killed off Celia's voice in an instant.

Marion and Joshua both looked around in alarm, but failing to see anything threatening, they returned their attention to the witch and the bubbling pot.

The small fire was out, not even smoking anymore, and the little vaporous cloud which had hung over the pot had now evaporated, dissipated or else just plain vanished; they didn't know quite which.

Celia was on her knees in front of the pot, her head was down and her shoulders were slumped in what seemed to be total exhaustion.

Joshua rushed across to her in concern, and knelt down beside her.

"Are you okay?" he demanded worriedly.

Celia turned a little, and Joshua bit back a shocked exclamation as he saw her properly.

Her face was white; well more a greyish, greeny colour, and the lines which were etched around her mouth and eyes were deep gashes, and her glorious long black hair was a course iron grey, bird's nest.

In short Celia seemed to have aged more than fifty years, in less than five minutes.

"I'll be okay... once I've fed Joshua," she smiled shakily.

Joshua glanced meaningfully at Marion, and prepared himself to overwhelm her.

"But first we need to finish what was started here!" Celia said firmly as she grasped his arm, as if to restrain him.

Joshua wondered WHY she wouldn't take nourishment from the woman, after all Marion was the cause of her state, and Celia wouldn't have to kill her, just feed a little, take a little from the woman to restore her own self.

He opened his mouth to ask... to DEMAND that she do it; but Celia just shook her head. "I'll explain later." Her clawed withered old hand on his arm, gripped tighter. "But for now Joshua, help me to my feet," she whispered raggedly.

Joshua put his arms around her waist and helped her to stand, and as Celia leaned heavily against him, she beckoned to Marion to come closer.

The woman approached warily, having seen the withered old hag that the witch had become and the monster that Joshua had almost turned into; and probably sensing the danger she had almost been facing.

From somewhere in the folds of her dress, Celia pulled out a small silver flask, and held it out to Marion.

"Take this and pour the contents of the pot into it," she instructed breathlessly.

The two of them stood watching silently, as Marion walked past them and knelt down by the dead fire, she tensed and then reached across to grasp what she obviously thought was a still scolding hot pot.

Her shoulders sagged with relief when it became obvious that it wasn't scolding.

She tilted the pot; and slowly and carefully, poured the contents into the flask. When she was finished she dropped the pot, and put the lid on the flask, and then turned back to Celia holding it out questioningly.

"Now shake it up hard, and then take a good sip of it," Celia ordered.

She shook the flask as hard as she could and then unscrewed the top again.

Marion tipped her head back and took a gulp of the mixture - pulling a face of disgust as it slid down her throat.

"Now my love," Celia whispered softly to Joshua, "Now you must do as I say without argument."

Marion pushed the top back onto the flask and then looked at Celia again waiting wordlessly for her instructions.

"Now Marion for the most difficult part... you must lay with a man who will not be father to your... child... and you must do it now, while the brew is still fresh in your system!"