Mason Ch. 04

Eustace hesitated, he had never told another living soul what he was about to tell Mason. "Before I say anything more, give me your word that you won't laugh, at least not to my face," Eustace said, his tone serious. "If you can't do that, then this session is over."

"What the fuck? Eustace you have my word that I won't laugh. In all of my years I've never laughed at a client and I'm not going to now; and, not only that, you're not a client but my friend," Mason assured him, still surprised at Eustace's nervousness.

"I... I get very nervous around women. It doesn't matter who or what they are, I can't talk to them."

Mason tried to keep his face impassive but couldn't hide his shock. Eustace Matthews, who would and has told a room full of vampires to go fuck themselves and each other, was afraid to talk to women? Mason was in a word: shocked.

Mason had two questions and decided that the best way to ask them was straight out. "Eustace, are you drawn to males?"

"What? What the fuck? NO," Eustace exclaimed, angered by the question.

"Whoa! Calm down, I was just asking and, by the way, if the answer had been yes, it wouldn't have mattered," Mason said, holding his hands up in surrender.

Eustace blew out a breath and calmed. It was a question that he had asked himself many times but to hear someone else ask him the same question just didn't sit well.

"I apologize for my reaction. It's a question that I've asked myself many times but... At any rate, I'm not drawn to men as you put it. My cock gets as hard as yours does when I see an attractive woman and before you ask, I've also considered the question of whether I was bisexual and the answer is, no. I have never felt the desire to be with another man in that way."

Mason nodded; the hard questions were out of the way.

By the time morning arrived, Mason had a better understanding of what Eustace was going through. He was surprised to find that Eustace wasn't born vampire but was turned when he was in his mid thirties, over four hundred years ago. In his human life, he had been just as shy around women as he was now and, while he was no virgin, the encounters were at best difficult for him. He chose the fields of psychology and psychiatry in order to understand himself and it turned out that he was one of the best psychiatrists around and worth every penny that he charged.

"Eustace, I have an idea but I need to talk to the other person first. If she agrees, will you trust me?" Mason asked.

"She? She who?" Eustace asked nervously.

"A friend of mine who is visiting me this week. Will you trust me?" Mason asked again.

Reluctantly, Eustace agreed.

...

Gretchen was still awake when Mason came in. While Mason was gone, she had done some thinking. He was right to remind her of the terms of their relationship. She was going to leave in the evening and wouldn't be back for awhile. Gretchen sat up in the bed when she heard Mason come up the stairs.

"Good, you're still up," he said as he walked into the bathroom. "I have a favor to ask," he inserted.

Gretchen was intrigued, Mason wasn't one to ask favors although he granted them without expecting one in return.

"What's that?" Gretchen asked intrigued by what he would possibly need from her.

Mason came out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, Gretchen listened as he explained the favor.

"So you basically want me to help him become more comfortable around women," she stated.

"That's it. I want to have him over for dinner tonight, if you'll still be here," Mason said.

"I was planning on leaving but I can stay for another day. so who is this friend of yours?" Gretchen asked.

"Eustace Matthews."

"Eustace Matthews, the psychiatrist? Are you joking?" Gretchen asked shocked.

"No, I'm not, and this is a big deal for him so don't make light of it," Mason commented as he stood and walked to the side of the bed and got in.

"I would never do that," Gretchen said as she laid back.

"Thanks, Gretchen. Have a good rest," Mason said as he closed his eyes.

...

James and Toni sat out on the deck of their hotel room in the Bahamas. Toni's eyes were closed as she listened to the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean and the festive music. This had been a good idea. It was the honeymoon that they never really had; as it turned out, that had been the intent.

Toni opened her eyes and looked over at him. He was back to his normal weight and was as handsome as ever.

A small smile played on his lips; he knew that she was watching him. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as he reached for her hand.

"You and how glad I am that you're alright," Toni replied, squeezing his hand. Their appointment with the pediatric cardiologist was scheduled for the next week and both of them were trying not to think about it. This was a good a time as any to bring up the subject of a move.

"James, I've been thinking. I'm tired of the Massachusetts' winters and I would like to move someplace warm and sunny like this."

James didn't respond right away, he had known that this was coming and was actually surprised that it took her this long to say anything; Toni had always hated the winter.

"James?" Toni called.

"I heard you," he replied. "What took you so long to say anything?" he asked.

"Well, you really like Boston and your parents—"

"Have nothing to do with where we live," he interrupted. "The night that you shanghaied me to the hospital, I was going to give you a surprise, remember?"

Toni remembered. "You were being so secretive about it, so what is it?" she asked.

"You'll see," he replied, "It's where we'll be spending New Years."

"James..."

"That's all I'm saying," James said with a grin.

The surprise was a house in San Diego. He had already talked with several hospitals and all of them would take them as a package deal, they only had to say the word. He had the application packets hidden away to give to her later but, for now, it was fun watching her face as she tried to figure out what the big secret was.

James had something that he wanted to talk about too, after they found out what was wrong with him. He had both of his parents checked out as well as his grandfather. His father tested positive and, according to the doctor, was a very lucky man; his grandfather was positive as well. That didn't bode well for any children that he and Toni would have together. As much as he wanted children with her, he just couldn't take the risk that they would be born with what he had.

"Sweetness, we need to talk about something," James said.

Toni felt and heard the change of mood and opened her eyes, her initial thought being that he was sick again.

"James, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine, I feel great, so stop worrying but what we have to talk about involves what's wrong with me. I know that I was initially angry that you hadn't stopped taking the birth control, but now I'm glad that you didn't. Toni, I want a baby with you so badly that I can even imagine what she'll look like, but we can't do this. I can't take the chance that she or he will have what I have and not survive it. I'm saying that we shouldn't have a baby."

Toni was floored, she knew that he had something on his mind but she never thought it was this. "James, why don't we talk to the peds guy first before we decide?" she asked.

"We could do that but Toni, my father and grandfather have this, so what are the odds that it will skip our children?" he asked.

Toni knew that he was right but, now that she had gotten used to the idea of having a baby, she didn't want to give up.

"I still want to talk to the cardiologist; maybe it's some weird fluke that the three of you have it," Toni replied.

James gave her a weak smile and squeezed her hand. Who knew, maybe she was right, although he really didn't think so.

"Toni, how would you feel about adoption if we don't have children of our own?" James asked. It was something else that he had been giving a lot of thought to. "There are so many kids that need a good home with people to love them," he added.

"Adoption?" Toni asked. "I've never thought about it. I'm not saying no, but I want to wait until we see the doctor before we talk about that," she replied.

"That's reasonable," James said as he stroked her hand. "Toni, I love you," he added softly.

Toni swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "I love you, too."

...

Mason checked on the roast in the oven; satisfied that it was doing fine, he set the table for dinner. Gretchen had offered to help, but he kicked her out of the kitchen to do whatever it was she did to relax.

"Don't you want to finish your book?" he asked.

"Yes, but..."

"Then shoo! Let me work," he teased.

The truth was that he did some of his best thinking when he was cooking. The more complicated the dish, the better he thought. As he pulled out the ingredients for twice baked potatoes and spinach soufflé, Mason thought about Eustace. The man had helped so many but only now sought help for himself, it had to be a lonely life being afraid to look for your mate. He owed Eustace a huge debt; it was only because of him that he could start healing.

Every day the pain of Katrina was diminishing, the thin scab that covered the hurt was now considerably thicker. He could think about her and not feel the sharp pain in his heart as he did before. He could even think of her as Ethan's without the old familiar wish that she was his coming up. This was because Eustace wasn't afraid to point out the facts to him, even though he knew that he was risking his wrath.

As he wrapped the potatoes in foil and put them in the oven, he had another thought. What if Eustace and Gretchen were mates? He pushed the idea aside with a chuckle. That would be too easy he decided and, in his experience, the fates never did anything the easy way.

Gretchen felt a nervousness that she had never experienced before. While she was pleased that Mason had asked her for help, it made her nervous. The whole evening was making her nervous, Mason was the only man that she had been with in a long time and she knew that it was what humans called a 'friends with benefits' type of thing but still, she had harbored a tiny hope that it could turn into something more. It wasn't unheard of for two unmated vampires to commit to each other until their mates showed up, but Mason had made it clear that he didn't want that. The fact that he asked her to meet his friend confirmed that for him their relationship was two consenting adults spending time together and nothing more.

She took a shower and dressed carefully. She knew of Eustace Matthews and had heard that he was quite the looker, if not a little standoffish. Now she knew why. Gretchen could smell dinner cooking and her stomach rumbled; she hoped that Eustace didn't mind a woman with a big appetite because, as thin as she was, she could eat more than most men.

Promptly at seven, Eustace was in Mason's living room pacing.

"Eustace slow down, you're wearing a hole in my carpet!" Mason exclaimed. "It will be fine," he added.

A few minutes later, Gretchen came down the stairs. Mason turned to greet her with a warm smile while Eustace just stared at her speechless.

"Gretchen! You look lovely!" Mason said, "Come meet my friend and colleague, Dr. Eustace Matthews. And Eustace, this is my friend, Dr. Gretchen Davis."

Gretchen stepped forward and offered her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, I've heard about you and it's nice to put a face with a name."

Eustace took Gretchen's small hand in his. "The pleasure is mine," he replied shyly.

Mason watched with interest as Gretchen did one of the things that she did best, she began to put Eustace at ease. She approached him as if she were a mother about to have her first child. This, he decided, had been a wise move on his part.

The first fifteen minutes were tense as Gretchen made no moves to interact with Eustace on a personal level, but interacted with him on a professional one. It wasn't long before they were talking in generalities and the Eustace that Mason knew began to resurface.

By the end of the evening, they were all laughing together and trading stories about their work experiences. By morning, Gretchen and Eustace were still talking and Mason excused himself to clean up the kitchen. When Gretchen offered to help, he waved her away.

He was sitting in the breakfast nook when Gretchen found him.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down. "I like him," she said and waited.

"Good, I'm glad. He's a good man," Mason replied.

"We're going out for dinner tonight, if that's alright with you," Gretchen said.

"Gretchen, its fine, have a good time."

When Mason finally went to bed, he noticed that Gretchen's things were no longer in his room; their physical relationship had come to an end.

...

Four days after they returned home from the Bahamas, Toni and James sat in Dr. Mark Peterson's office, nervously holding hands.

"Why didn't you say that you were doctors? I would have set up a special time for you."

Toni and James looked at each other but it was James who spoke.

"We try very hard not to play that card, we aren't any more important than anyone else."

Dr. Peterson nodded in understanding. "So what brings you here?" he asked.

He listened as Toni and James told him their situation.

"We need to know what the probability is that our children will have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The bottom line is we're trying to decide whether we should have children or not," James said, speaking for both he and Toni.

Dr. Peterson leaned back in his chair.

"As you know there are no guarantees in anything. On the face of it, your family history indicates a very high probability that your children will be born with this. On the other hand, you have been very healthy until a few months ago and then it was only caught because of another issue. Your grandfather, how old is he?"

"Eighty-four and my father is sixty-three," James replied.

"And how old are you?" Dr. Peterson asked.

"Thirty-three," James replied.

"Both your grandfather and father have lived with this for quite some time as have you, even though you weren't aware of it. All of you have led active lives, but... you were all fortunate. Any of you, especially you because you are an athlete, could have died from this. And you still could if you're not careful, but you know all of this. What I'm saying is that while you have been fortunate, your children may not be. They could be born with a case much worse than yours."

James squeezed Toni's hand and fought back tears. Toni squeezed back and stood up, there was nothing left to say. They couldn't possibly gamble with the life of their child like that.

"I'm so sorry; I wish that I could tell you differently," Dr. Peterson said as he stood up and offered his hand. "If you should decide to have a child, I'd be more than happy to participate in his or her care if the need arises," he added.

The drive home was quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Now that they couldn't or shouldn't have a baby, Toni wanted one in the worst possible way. She now understood what patients meant when they told her that they never wanted certain things until they were told that they couldn't have them.

As soon as they were home, they turned off the phones and went to bed. They didn't make love or talk; they just held each other and cried for the children that they would never have together.

Two years later

"James! Come on, we have to get to the hospital! She's in labor!" Toni called out.

"I'm coming! I just wanted to make sure that we have everything," James said as he came into the living room carrying his camera and the baby toy that he wanted to give the baby.

They'd moved to the house in San Diego soon after they had decided not to have children. It had turned out to be a good move; they both loved the weather and the city. They loved the hospital that they worked at, especially since they worked the same days, although they sometimes had to take call on different days. And now, they were going to see their baby being born.

Toni had met Wanda when she was fifteen, homeless and pregnant. Toni was going into a Denny's when she saw the girl huddled against the wall; she was going to bypass her when she looked at her again and decided to stop.

"Are you alright?" she asked the girl.

"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied, not looking at her.

"Are you hurt? I'm a doctor, I can help if you are," Toni said.

"Just hungry," the girl replied miserably.

Toni's heart broke at the pain and misery in the girl's eyes.

"Come with me, I'll buy you breakfast."

"I can't go in there, I'm not allowed," the girl said.

"Why not?" Toni asked.

The girl hesitated before speaking. "I go in there and take the leftover food off the plates that people leave."

Sweet Jesus, Toni thought as she looked at the hungry girl. "Come on, we're having breakfast!"

"But..."

"My name is Toni, what's yours?" she asked as she helped the girl to her feet.

"Wa...Wanda," the girl stammered.

"Nice to meet you Wanda, now let's go eat."

Toni took another look at the girl, she was pregnant. She didn't say anything as she took the girl by her hand and led her inside the restaurant.

The manager stopped Wanda at the door, completely overlooking Toni. "Get out before I call the police," he said gruffly.

"Excuse me," Toni said, "but Wanda is my breakfast guest, so if you'll be kind enough to show us to a table, I would appreciate it."

The manager's mouth clamped shut as he led them to a corner booth. When they were sitting, Toni remembered that she needed to call James; he was supposed to meet her for breakfast.

"Hi, I'm here and we have a guest for breakfast, see you soon. Love you, too."

"Who'd you call?" Wanda asked, suddenly wary.

"My husband James, he's a doctor too. I was meeting him for breakfast when I saw you. Wanda, what are you doing living on the streets? Where's your family?"

Wanda didn't answer but looked away.

"Well, I'm going to order, get whatever you like; one of everything if you want," Toni said, changing the subject.

James came in a few minutes later and slid in next to Toni. "Morning, sweetness," he breathed as he kissed her cheek. "And who is your friend?" he asked.

"James meet Wanda; Wanda, this is my husband James."

That was five months ago. They found a group home for pregnant girls that had room for one more girl and took Wanda there. They never asked her about the baby's father or where her family was, figuring that she would tell them when she was ready. Once a week they took her home with them for a good home cooked meal, prepared by James, and took her back the next morning. It was during one of those visits that Wanda finally opened up.

"My parents moved away and left me here with some friends and they just never came back, I don't know if they're alive or dead. But anyway, I met this guy and..."

"Did he rape you?" Toni asked.

"No, it was nothing like that," Wanda replied. "It was just one of those things, you know? Anyway, when he found out that I was pregnant, he took off, saying that he didn't want a kid. The people I was staying with kicked me out, saying that they couldn't support another person. I had been out on the streets for almost two weeks when you found me. I didn't know what to do or where to go, I'd heard stories about what happens in foster homes and I didn't want to risk it. I tried to find a job but no one wanted to hire a girl off the street, so I started stealing food and begging for money."

"Wanda," James said gently, "What were you going to do with your baby?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I only knew that I couldn't keep it. I guess, when it was time, I was going to go to the hospital, have it and then leave it there. Is that wrong?" she asked.