Justine Ch. 17

David nodded his thanks and stood up. He looked down at Maurice and gave him a weak smile.

"Did I ever tell you that when I grow up that I want to be just like you?"

Maurice stared at him and burst out laughing, "Oh shut up and go tend to your mate who by the way is quite lovely."

Josephine looked at David as he sat down next to her and took her back into his lap.

"I'm alright." he assured her as he kissed her cheek.

*******

The countdown had begun. Justine paced from one end of the huge house to the other with Quinn pacing with her. He had given up on trying to settle her down and simply walked with her with an arm around her waist. The closer to the time of Josephine's arrival came, the more anxious Justine got. Quinn drew the line when she started snapping at people.

"Our room now." he said not giving her the option to refuse.

"I'm not...."

"Yes we are." Quinn said picking her up and carrying her away.

"Take a deep breath." he told when they were alone. "Take another one." he urged and then hugged her.

"I'm better. Thanks." she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I have an idea... come on." Quinn said taking her hand and leading her out of their room.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see." he replied as he whipped out his cell phone, said a few words and then hung up.

By the time they reached their destination, Justine was so curious that her nervousness was temporarily forgotten. Along the way, Buddy jumped out at her excited to see his mistress again. Justine knelt before him and hugged him allowing some of her tension to flow into him.

The destination was the indoor garden where the picnic table was set with paper bowls, napkins and plastic eating utensils. Violet came out pushing a cart that contained several kinds of ice cream and every topping imaginable with Edward following with a cart filled with beverages.

"Quinn, what is this?" Justine asked.

"It's called circling the wagons." he replied. "We're all going to eat ice cream until we're sick and wait here with you. I think that you kind of forgot that you're not alone in this so I'm just trying to remind you that we're here for you."

"I don't know what to say." Justine said looking around at the people who had become her closest friends and family. "You have all gone so far above and beyond duty that thank you doesn't seem adequate, but it's all that I can say."

"How about this?" Edward asked, "Dig in!"

Justine wiped a tear from her face realizing that whatever happened or didn't happen with her mother, she still had a family.

*********

Josephine's hands felt like ice in David's much bigger and warmer one. In her mind, she rehearsed what she wanted to say to Justine when she saw her and none of it sounded right. As the plane descended, Josephine's heart raced and she was sure that she was going to throw up the blood that David had encouraged her to drink. A few minutes later, she was in the bathroom kneeling in front of the small toilet throwing up. David knelt behind her holding an icepack to the nape of her neck with one hand and holding her hair back from her face with the other.

When she was through, he helped her up, poured a small amount of mouthwash into a cup and offered it to her.

"I'm sorry." she said as she took the small cup from him.

"You have nothing to apologize for." he assured her as he held her steady.

Thirty minutes later, they were taxiing down the runway of the Philadelphia International Airport. Gremlin and Maurice got off first to make sure that the rest of the security detail was in place and that the car was out front.

"We're all set." Maurice said when he got back on the plane.

David put Josephine on her feet and hugged her before taking her hand and leading her from the plane. As she walked off the plane, Josephine felt as if she had entered a foreign land. In a way she had, the airport looked nothing like it did when she disappeared. She wondered how many malls had gone up, what her old neighborhood looked like and if the nursing home was still in operation. She thought of anything and everything to keep the nausea and the fluttering of her heart under control. In two hours, she would be face to face with her daughter.

*********

Lorenzo leaned back against the car smoking a cigarette. He looked completely at ease but he was anything but. He couldn't believe that he had let Maurice con him into being the driver for the queen mother. Once he agreed, he had to meet with the queen herself and he counted that as one of the most harrowing experiences that he had ever had and hoped not to repeat it anytime soon.

His stomach twisted as he remembered her poking around in his head, heart and soul. He was certain that with the things that were hidden there that she would have turned him away. Instead, she had managed to relieve him of some of the guilt that she told him was misplaced.

"It wasn't all you fault." she told him when she was done poking around. "While it's true that you played a part in the death of those people, you were misled and there was nothing that you could have done to save them. She had already decided their fates."

"I should have known." he told her, "Maurice tried to warn me but I wouldn't listen."

"Lorenzo," Justine said softly, "You're taking on more guilt than you need to. Yes, you should have listened but you didn't. That's something that you will always have to live with but you tried to save them once you realized what was happening and you did manage to save four of them."

"What's four out of thirty?" he shot back forgetting that he was addressing the queen.

"Four that lived to have children," Justine said kindly, "and their children had children. The lines of the four that you saved live on and they have remained friends to us. As of this moment, I am absolving you of your part in what happened that night. I'm also accepting Maurice's recommendation that you be a part of the day guard detail pending the approval of the others."

A few short minutes later, Lorenzo Delgado was officially a member of the Queen's court. Even now as he thought about it, it didn't seem real. However, it was. That day he had the most peaceful rest that he had had in centuries. He hadn't been aware of just how heavy a weight his guilt had been.

After meeting with Justine, he met with Maurice. He knew what Maurice thought of him and hadn't done anything to correct it because it was how he saw himself. The meeting was tense at first but gradually the tension eased as Lorenzo finally told Maurice the whole story.

"Why didn't you come to me?" Maurice asked.

Lorenzo shrugged, "what was I supposed to say?" he asked. "Was I supposed to tell you that I helped round up thirty humans for the Queen?"

"But you didn't know..."

"I should have! I should have listened to you but I was so fucking full of myself because the Queen asked me to help her and she didn't ask you. Twenty-six people died because I did what she asked without questioning it. Twenty-six! It doesn't matter that I saved four... None of them should have died."

Maurice listened to Lorenzo and felt his guilt even though Justine had absolved him.

"I can't tell you that I understand how you feel, I can only imagine it." Maurice said. "But Lorenzo, the Queen is right and she's given you a gift and it's up to you whether you accept it and the place on her court that was offered to you. I also want you to know that I am glad to know the truth and that I wish that you had come to me long before this."

Lorenzo pushed the conversation from his mind and stood up. He looked around extending his senses, searching for trouble. While he wasn't blessed with all of the gifts that Maurice had, he was very talented with the ones he had. He closed his eyes and listened to the conversations around him making sure that no mention of the queen or the queen mother was happening. He stiffened slightly when an elderly couple walked a little too closely by the car. He sniffed the air and recognized them as beings other than vampire but not human.

"We're coming out." he heard telepathically.

"I'm ready." he replied in kind as he looked around again.

Fifteen minutes later, Maurice came out of the airport in front of a couple who were flanked on either side by two huge vampires and were followed by a large greenish colored vampire. Mikhail was inside gathering their belongings; he would meet them at the house. As soon as Lorenzo saw them come out, he opened the back door to the car and waited.

Maurice got in first followed by the woman and then the vampire who was her mate. Gremlin got into the front seat while the other two vampires walked away and vanished when they reached a corner.

"Are you ready?" Maurice asked Josephine.

**********

"How soon?" Justine asked as she rubbed Buddy's head. "An hour? Alright just get her here safely." She told Maurice.

Justine wiped her sweaty palms on her legs of her sweat suit. One hour. One more hour and her mother would arrive.

"Jussie? You ok?" Quinn asked.

"I'm scared as hell but ok." she replied honestly.

"Just remember to be your sweet sometimes hardheaded self and you're going to be fine." Quinn said.

********

Josephine peered through the darkened windows holding on to David's hand.

"So much change." she whispered as they sped away from the airport toward where Justine was waiting for her. She wanted to vomit again but there was nothing left in her stomach to vomit. David pulled her into his arms and kissed her head ignoring his own nervousness.

"It's going to be fine, you'll see." he told her.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Lorenzo pulled up to a gate. Three large vampires appeared and stopped them. One stood in front of the car and one on either side of it.

"State your business." the one on the driver's side said to Lorenzo.

Lorenzo gave his name as well as the names of everyone in the car.

"Wait here." he said gruffly. When he walked away, another guard took his place.

Several minutes later, he returned and dropped to his knees.

"Welcome Queen Mother." he said. The gruffness in his voice was replaced with reverence and awe. The other guards followed suit and remained frozen in place.

"They're waiting for you to tell them that they can rise." David murmured to her.

"What? Oh! You can get up." Josephine said a little self-consciously.

As one, the vampires rose and peered into the car to get their first look at the queen mother. Josephine's nails dug into David's hand as the car approached the house. The closer they got to the house, the more they felt their gifts leave them.

"Don't worry, once it is determined that we are who we say we are our gifts will return." Maurice assured them.

Josephine wasn't listening and could have cared less if she ever got her gifts back; she only wanted to see her child.

"Please stay in the car until we say otherwise." Gremlin said when the car finally came to a stop in front of the house.

Josephine reached for the door handle but David stopped her.

"No love, just a few minutes more."

Josephine swallowed the lump that had been forming in her throat ever since they passed through the gate and put her hand back into David's holding it tightly.

Finally, Gremlin came back to the car and opened the back door.

**********

Justine was almost hyperventilating. She was the one who had answered the phone when the guard at the front gate called.

"Let them pass." she said with a voice so shaky that she didn't recognize it as her own. After all that she had been through her wasn't nearly as nervous as she was now.

It was time.

Quinn stood behind her with his arms around her as she stood in the foyer. He tightened his hold when he heard several footsteps approach the front door.

"Breathe baby." he whispered in her ear and then telepathically called for Buddy.

The dog entered the room silently and sat on the floor next to Justine pressing his body close to hers taking away some of the anxiety. Justine had a death grip on one of Buddy's ear but he didn't whine or object but instead moved closer pressing his body against her legs.

Slowly the door opened and Maurice walked in. A few second's later, Josephine Graves Sheffield walked into the room. Time stopped as the two women, mother and daughter looked at each other for the first time for more than twenty-five years.

Josephine looked at the woman who was a stranger but wasn't with tears flowing down her cheeks. She had always imagined that Justine would grow up to be a beautiful woman who would do great things but the woman standing in front of her was beyond beautiful with her black eyes surrounded by dancing red flames- she was exquisite. She choked back a sob as she remembered the last time that she saw Justine and all of the time lost. For just a brief second, anger at David flared but was gone before it took root. What mattered now was that she was here.

Justine's grip on Buddy's ear tightened as Quinn's hold on her tightened. She took in the appearance of her mother thinking that this all had to be a dream. She was afraid that when she woke up, she would be in bed with Quinn and their night would go on as usual. She was brought back to the present by the nudge of Buddy's head against her leg and Quinn's soft kiss on her neck.

"Baby go to her." Quinn urged with another kiss.

Justine turned to look at him with tears of uncertainty in her eyes.

"Go on, she's waiting for you." he whispered.

"Come with me?" Justine asked softly.

"This is your time but I'm right here so go see your mom." Quinn replied. "I love you now get going; you've waited for this for a long time."

Justine turned around, touched Buddy's head and took the first step toward her mother.

Josephine watched as Quinn talked with Justine and waited. For what? She didn't know. She felt David pressed against her and planting soft kisses on her head.

"Go to her." he murmured. Slowly he loosened his hold on her and gave her a gentle shove. "Go."

Slowly mother and daughter made their way to each other stopping when they were about a foot apart. They looked at each other from head to toe neither of them knowing what to say. Josephine spoke first.

"Jussie?"

Justine couldn't speak but nodded as she closed the distance between her and Josephine and wrapped her arms around her.

Neither woman spoke but sobs filled the foyer as they held each other. Justine felt a sense of completeness that had nothing to do with Quinn; she needed her mother. Josephine felt the same sense of being complete as she hugged Justine even tighter.

"This is my baby." Josephine thought as she cried tears of relief thanking god that Justine was well.

David watched the scene with a mixture of emotions. Anger at himself, happiness because his mate was happy, sadness because it had taken so long, anxiety because it was clear that Justine was the most powerful being ever in spite of her tears and he still had to face her.

He looked over at the male whom he assumed to be the King and wondered what he was like and how big a part he would play in deciding his punishment if there was any. He started when Quinn's green eyes landed on his the green around them flickering indicating how angry he was.

Not knowing what else to do, David bowed his head deferentially and then looked away. He realized that he was really in trouble and that the only thing that was going to save him was begging for mercy and that Josephine was his mate. It was then that he knew that he would have to face both Justine and Quinn and he had neglected to ask Delgado about the King.

"The same applies to him." Delgado whispered from behind him, "Don't lie and you'll be fine." he added.

After several minutes, Justine stepped back and looked at Josephine, stepped forward and hugged her again. Josephine ran her hands through Justine's hair remembering how she used to hate having it combed. She could even remember the scent of the off brand baby shampoo and conditioner that she used to wash it with.

"I'm so glad that you're safe." she murmured into Justine's ear. "I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you! I would have never left you like that."

"I know and it's alright. We'll talk about that later, I'm just glad that you're here." Justine said slowly going back into the role of queen. There would be time for more emotional release later.

She stepped back from her mother and took her hands in hers.

"I want to thank everyone who helped look for my mom and made sure that she got here safely. Maurice, would you let Mikhail know that he can shut down the phone and internet lines as soon as possible? Also, Zoe can pay out any reward money to those who earned it."

"Yes my Queen." Maurice said with a bow.

Justine looked at David while speaking to her mother.

"This is your mate?"

"Yes, his name is David Sheffield. Is that young man your mate?" Josephine asked looking over at Quinn.

Justine's expression softened when she looked back at Quinn.

"That's Quinn; he is my mate and king. He was the first to question if you were really dead."

She held out her hand toward Quinn and waited until he reached her before she spoke again.

"I wish that we could have done this the normal way but mom, this is Quinn O'Dell my mate and my King. Quinn, this is my mom Josephine."

"I'm glad to meet you." he said taking Josephine's hand and kissing the back of it. "Welcome."

Josephine looked back at David and nodded at him indicating that he should join them.

"Jussie, Quinn, this is my mate and the man who saved my life the night that I was taken from you."

Quinn and Justine looked at each other and then at Josephine.

******

Jeremiah knew without being told the instant Josephine stepped into the house. He felt it as he was sure every vampire in the world felt it. There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere signaling that Justine and Quinn's power was now complete. All of the parts of the legend were now complete. There was nothing for him to but to serve his sentence and wait for Josephine to pronounce his sentence.

*******

The party in the realm of the queens that have gone before grew even more rambunctious when the subtle power surge was felt. For many it was a freeing moment- the chances that they would be called upon to serve as queen again had just gone to zero. For others it was a reason to have fun and plan for the gala. For Wilhelmina it signaled the end of a dream that if she still wanted it, she would have to initiate drastic measures to make it happen. She didn't quite believe the entire story and felt that there had to be a loophole of some kind. The one thing in her favor was that the gala wouldn't happen for some time yet... She could have as long as a year or as little as a few months to form some kind of plan.

She watched the celebrants, Thomas among them with undisguised hatred and disgust. She rose from her chair in the corner and went to their quarters, locked the door and sat down at her desk.

It was time to start calling in some favors.