Thorne Ch. 12

"Wow," Gene said. "And Louise and Kevyn are alright with this?"

"Of course they aren't alright with the rapes!" Leon exclaimed. "And neither am I, but they're doing everything possible to keep it from happening again."

"What about the victims?" Gene asked. "Have they gone to them?"

"They're looking for them," Leon replied. "When they are found, they are contacted and given the opportunity to meet with them. The mate of whoever the victim belonged to is always there, but as support and nothing more."

"How many have agreed to meet with them?" Gene asked.

"A few, but not many, but then not many have been found."

"Don't they have prisons for this kind of thing?" Gene asked still shocked.

"The thing that's hardest to get used to is that this isn't like the human world. The rules here are different although they are changing to be more like yours. When Katrina, Ethan's wife became a part of this society there was no protective services for children. There was no mandatory reporting of suspected abuse of any kind. There was no place for people in need to go. Now these things exist. Unfortunately, she had to be one of the victims before things began to change."

"And you're sure that Kevyn and Louise aren't being hurt?"

"I swear to you that they aren't," Leon said. "I told Patrick and Nathan that I would kick their asses."

"You gave the brother talk that I should have given," Gene said quietly.

"Yeah well- you can still give it," Leon replied. "I'm sure that they're expecting you to approach them."

"I will... so that's what Patrick was talking about," Gene said almost to himself. "He told me to call him if I ever needed someone to help share my guilt."

"Probably," Leon said. "Any and all of them will answer any questions that you have. But Gene, I can't stress enough how important it is that you keep the vampire thing under wraps."

Gene nodded, hesitated, and then asked the question that he had been thinking about ever since Leon told him that vampires existed.

"Could I be turned if I wanted to?"

"I think that you need to think about it," Leon replied. "I turned because Nadine was my mate and, like Louise, I didn't like the odds of having my daughter - if I had one, be born human."

"You make it sound as if that's a bad thing," Gene said almost offended.

"I don't mean for it to sound that way because it isn't. It's just that she would be susceptible to human illnesses and dangers. Then the decision as to whether she should be turned when she's old enough or do we wait until her mate finds her has to be made. My turning takes the guess work out."

"But if I wanted to turn I could?" Gene pressed.

"You need to hear what's involved," Leon said, "and then you have to be sure it's what you want because once it's done; it's done. Take your time and sleep on it- there's no hurry."

"I guess you're right," Gene said. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around that other thing."

"The best way to do that is to talk to them about it. They won't lie to you or sugar coat it. Look, I have to get going. I'll call you tomorrow and I'll take you out to where you'll be working."

"Am I working with you?" Gene asked. "I thought that I would be doing something for Patrick."

"In a way you are, you'll be working in the investment department of Sinclaire enterprises." Leon said. "From what I hear it's a sweet assed deal. You'll have your own office with one of those fancy coffee machines and your own secretary."

"Are they all vampires?" Gene asked.

"Mostly but there's a few wolves there too, but I think that your secretary is vampire."

After Leon left, Gene called Patrick's cell phone.

"I know what you mean," he said when Patrick answered. "And we need to talk."

*****

Barb was getting more uncomfortable by the day and it wasn't just because of the pregnancy. She wasn't sleeping well, even with the mild sedative. Her mind wouldn't allow her to rest and, because she was restless, the baby was restless. She tossed and turned for most of the day before she finally got up and began to pace. She hadn't spoken to any of her siblings since the party for Gene, preferring to stay to herself. Part of the anxiety was because she felt something was missing. She wracked her brain trying to figure out what it was. She was sitting on the patio when it occurred to her- she hadn't heard the voice since it said that last soft 'tick tock'

She looked down at her belly when she felt a particularly hard movement.

"Will you stop it?" she said exasperated. And the movement stopped but only for a few minutes. Now near tears, Barb tried to lie down. She felt alone. She waited for the voice to ask her whose fault that was, but it remained silent.

Her guards were making rounds and the only one with her was Cheung whom she couldn't stand. He never spoke to her, other than to tell her what the escape plan was or something along that nature. Adrianna was meeting with Thorne and, even if the wolves were available, she liked them no more than she liked Cheung.

Finally she had had enough of her self-imposed exile. She grabbed her phone and hit a number for speed-dial not caring who it belonged to.

****

Kevyn was getting ready to join Patrick in the Jacuzzi when her cell phone rang.

"Damn it," she swore and thought about ignoring it. The thought that it might be an emergency made her answer it.

"Kev?"

"Barb?" Kevyn asked surprised. "Are you alright? Is the baby coming?"

"I-I'm fine-no I'm not in labor. I just wanted to call."

"Okay... what's up?" Kevyn asked not knowing what to make of the phone call. Louise was the empath not her.

"I couldn't sleep and decided to call somebody. I just hit speed dial and it was you."

"Okay, but are you sure that you're ok?"

"Baby-wise, I'm ok," Barb replied. "I just want it - I mean him - out of me. I didn't ask for all of this... "

"I know you didn't," Kevyn said still shocked.

"All I wanted was to live like the people on that show 'the rich and famous' remember us watching that?"

"Yeah, I do. Next to the cooking shows, it was mom's favorite show."

"I used to imagine that I lived in a house like that," Barb said. "I would have a cute little red convertible and people to wait on me."

"I think that we all had those daydreams," Kevyn said.

"You did too?" Barb asked surprised.

"We all did," Kevyn replied. "I think that it got us through some pretty hard times."

"But-but you had a chance at that with Clay Robinson."

"Clay Robinson was a crook and a murderer," Kevyn replied. "I know that you don't believe it, but I saw him kill someone. I didn't want a life like that, at the expense of other people's lives. He was a drug dealer - he was Leon's dealer for a while - did you know that?"

Barb's silence told her that she hadn't known.

"You're probably busy, so I'll let you go," Barb finally said.

"No- it's...."

But Barb had already hung up.

"Everything ok?" Patrick asked from the bathroom doorway.

"I don't know," Kevyn replied as she dialed Louise's number hoping that she wasn't asleep. Nathan had become almost obsessive about her getting enough rest since the baby's birth was just a few short weeks away. As the phone rang, she wondered what Patrick would be like and decided that he would be even worse than Nathan.

"Lou? You still up?" Kevyn asked.

"I just laid down, what's up?" Louise asked and then listened as Kevyn told her about the conversation with Barb. "She called you?"

"She said that she just hit a button on speed dial and it happened to be me." Kevyn replied. "You, Leon and Celeste are the family empaths, but at the moment you're the strongest of them so what do you think?"

"I didn't hear her so whatever I say will be a guess," Louise said. "I think she's at the point where she has to decide what to do about us. She's for all practical purposes is alone and, yes, she chose that, but she's feeling it. The closer her due date comes, the more alone she's going to feel. Thorne is with her but he isn't, so she doesn't have the closeness that she really wants and needs. Even if she asked him for it, she won't get it. He doesn't love her."

"So expect more of the sporadic, short phone calls then," Kevyn said.

"That's my guess," Louise said. "And Kev- don't expect an apology. Her calling is probably it."

Kevyn hung up and let out a sigh. "One small step..."

*****

Barb dropped the phone as if it was something hot. What had gotten into her? A moment later she realized that a little of her anxiety was gone-enough that she could finally sleep a little. Even the baby cooperated by being still. When she woke up, she felt a little better.

The next day the anxiety returned and she hadn't heard anything from her inner voice. By the end of the day, she found herself pushing an autodial button. This time it was Juliette who received a call. As with the call to Kevyn, it didn't last long before she suddenly hung up. This continued until there was one person that she hadn't spoken to. It struck her as odd that she hadn't made repeat calls to anyone. But here it was- the anxiety. This time she didn't the autodial for Louise's number; she dialed it and was about to hang up when Louise answered the phone.

"Barb?" Louise said, "Please don't hang up."

Barb didn't say anything, so Louise continued.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but just listen. I don't know what I did or didn't do that made you so angry. Tell me what it is and I'll apologize but don't let whatever it is stop you from being a part of us. You miss us; I can feel it and you're scared. I can feel that too. Let us help you through the rest of this pregnancy. You don't even have to explain yourself - just tell me what I did wrong and let us help you."

Barb's mouth was dry. She licked her lips as she tried to think of a sarcastic response, but she couldn't. She couldn't even think of what it was that Louise had done wrong. Louise had always been the one to reach out to her no matter how horrible she had been treated. She searched her memory for when the unreasonable contempt for her younger sister really began.

"You said it had something to do with me not wearing hand-me-downs- was that it? Is it because I wasn't teased the way that you and the others were?" Louise asked.

"Yes..." Barb finally whispered. "You got new of everything! You were so good... what a good little girl you were!" Barb spat finding the lost sarcasm. "What do you want to be when you grow up Louise? A nurse cuz I wanna help people. It was never a fashion model or a doctor and even now you've got all of that money and where do you shop? Fucking target! Just what are you trying to prove? That you're better than I am? I watched you grow up and I saw the way that men looked at you and you acted as if you didn't know! That grocery store manager you worked for... he had it for you bad! And you just threw it away! I can understand Kevyn walking away from Clay Robinson but you walking away from the heir of a supermarket chain? You could have ..."

"You're mad because I wanted to be a nurse?" Louise asked in disbelief. "You're mad because I didn't want to be some high profile model or whatever? Are you serious? You are pissed because... you know what? You aren't even making sense! That store manager by the way was married and I don't care how much money he had I wasn't interested..."

"Oh but you managed to wrap Patrick Sinclaire around your little finger didn't you? You didn't hesitate in jumping into bed with Nathan Sinclaire and getting knocked up did you?"

"Nathan and I belong together," Louise said. "And I didn't come out here looking for a rich man to marry - that was you! All of your life you've wanted what other people had and that hasn't changed. You got your money but you're still not happy and I'll tell you why - we have something that you don't have. We're happy! And don't give me that crap about how I wouldn't say that if they didn't have money because you know that it isn't true. You had a mate - Hans. But you judged him by what he did for a living. You're pissed at Juliette because she now has what you wanted and she's happy. You're pissed at all of us for the same reason so just be honest about it and move on. I'll tell you one more thing, if you leave that's your choice, but don't you dare say that it was because your family didn't want you. It was you who didn't want us!"

Barb opened her mouth but no sound came out. She could hear Louise's rapid breathing on the phone and felt her anger. She hung up and threw the phone on the bed.

*****

Louise took slow deep breaths to calm her anger. She was actually surprised that Nathan hadn't come in and taken the phone from her.

"It was a conversation that needed to happen," he said as he wrapped his arms around her. I was listening to the baby's heart beat and she's fine. Lie down and let me rub your feet."

As Nathan rubbed her feet, Louise thought about Barb. She really hadn't meant to be that harsh with her but she had had enough and as much as she was enjoying being pregnant, she was ready for it to be over.

"Have you thought of any baby names yet?" Nathan asked trying to distract her.

"How about Nathan Jr. if it's a boy?" Louise replied distractedly.

" That's called a cop out and one Nathan in the family is enough. I was thinking something like Martin Victor..."

"After our fathers," Louise murmured misty eyed.

"I think that it's appropriate," Nathan said. "I didn't know your father, but I know that I would have liked him. He was a man that loved his family as I love you and her. Actually, I like Victor Martin better- it flows better. What do you think? And if this baby really is a girl, we'll save it for when we have a son."

"I think- I think that I like it," Louise said smiling through tears.

Nathan lay down next to her and took her into his arms. Gretchen had warned him that as the due date neared she would become more emotional. He like her was going to be glad when the baby came even though the extra perk of the super intense orgasms would go away. She was becoming more uncomfortable which made him unhappy. She couldn't sleep longer than an hour lying down. It was easier for her to sleep sitting up with her back against his chest. He kissed her head and hugged her.

"I also took the liberty of coming up with a name for our daughter," Nathan said. "I'm kind of letting the cat out of the bag, but we know about your genealogy because we have someone working on it. We were curious about where your family got their gifts from and that's when we found out about the connections between our families. Your father's ancestry began in South Africa- the Zulu tribe. The tribe has healers called Sangomas who were trained in several areas including tending to social disharmonies. They learned humility, divination and how to counteract witches. I know that this is a long explanation but I want you to understand why I like this name."

"It's alright- I want to know," Louise said. "I always wondered where we came from."

"Well there's Cherokee too and that is a very strong line as well. Your mother's and grandmother on your paternal side ancestors were elders in the tribe. They were also strong empaths and warriors. The point is this- your family is a powerhouse that has intersected with our family for years. Anyway, one of your female ancestors on your father's side was a Zulu healer. Her name was Khanyisile which means bright light."

"What was the Cherokee name?" Louise asked after thinking for a minute.

"Ahyoka which means bringer of happiness," Nathan replied. "I like that one too and the name would definitely but somehow..."

"Khanyisile feels right," Louise finished for him. "I like it and if we have another girl we'll name her Ahyoka."

The baby moved as if giving approval.

"Maybe you're right and it is a girl," Louise said suddenly sleepy. She cuddled against Nathan and fell asleep.

****

Barb ranted and raved while Adrianna and Cheung played chess. They no longer paid attention to her ranting - they had gotten used to it. Finally exhausted, Barb sat down. She looked at the printouts that Monica had given her from the Lamaze class and threw them on the floor.

"You must calm yourself," Cheung finally said. "Such anger is not good for the child and it is wasted energy."

Barb bit back a retort and decided to take a shower. While she showered, her anger cooled enough that she could think rationally. Deep down she knew that Louise was right and that's what made her angry. In retrospect, she realized that she had always been jealous of the good people that she knew. It was just that she knew that she couldn't get away with tormenting them the way that she could Louise. She had thought that she could get what she wanted with just her looks and yet her sisters weren't as beautiful as she was... they weren't ugly- they were pretty but yet they had everything that she had ever wanted except in Louise's case; a baby.

It all boiled down to one word: Jealousy.

Louise had been right in saying that she had always wanted what others had. She thought about the prom dress. By the time her grandmother had finished it, it was gorgeous. She had refused to see the beauty of it. It was the fact that it wasn't new. It was ...

"It's about time," the voice said startling her.

"I thought that you were gone," Barb whispered.

"Almost, but not quite," the voice replied. "You had to experience truly being alone, but tell me what are you going to do now? Are you going to go off halfcocked or are you going to start listening to me as you should have been?"

Barb swallowed hard and picked up the phone and dialed Louise's number. She figured of all of them, she was the one most entitled to an apology. She grimaced when Nathan answered the phone.

"Barb, is everything alright?"

"Yeah- is Louise around?"

"She's sleeping- can I take a message?"

Barb's courage began to wane. She knew that if she didn't say it then, she wouldn't say it.

"Just tell her- tell her that she was right."

And then she hung up. She dried her sweaty hands on her pants and began to shake. Adrianna stopped the chess game that she was winning and went to Barb.

"Congratulations on making your way back to your family.

*****

The next few weeks sped by. Both Barb and Louise were increasingly uncomfortable. Thorne stayed close just in case Barb went into labor early and worked from home. The nursery was completed with the assistance of Celeste and was painted in soft blues with the shapes of different animals stenciled in. Barb took no part in the decorating of the nursery. She did however speak to Celeste, who spoke back, but initiated no conversation. All of her conversation was for 'Uncle Thorne'.

"You know what?" Thorne told Celeste one day, "some man is going to be very lucky some day, and if he isn't good to you, I'll beat him up."

She rewarded him with a giggle and a hug. She also knew that he meant what he said. Barb stood outside of the door listening and had to tamp down her anger. She was finding just as Thorne had that it took conscious effort to change her behavior. While she was a little more pleasant to be around and was interacting with her family more- one thing hadn't changed. She did not want to be a mother. She knew that Juliette was hoping that once she saw the baby she would change her mind. She stopped trying to convince them otherwise. The only one of her siblings that she still tiptoed around was Louise and she didn't know why. Louise greeted and treated her as she always had and made no mention of their last real conversation.

"Guilt?" The voice asked and went silent.

Just as she hadn't helped with the decorating of the nursery of her own baby, she didn't help with Louise's, although she did buy a baby gift. The gift was a bath set whose color was appropriate for a male or female. She hadn't been to see the nursery but knew that it was varying shades of green because according to Louise it promoted rest and harmony. There were splotches of pink-Celeste's contribution- because it was also soothing and meant affection. All of this information came from Kevyn, who of late had a wistful look on her face every time she saw Barb and Louise or when she talked about the nurseries.