I felt a cold shiver race down my spine and I clutched Alexandre's hand tighter. He gently pulled free to wrap his arms around me and I clung to him. The story he told was unsettling, but it seemed both brothers shared an equal responsibility in the tragedy that befell their family. I couldn't blame Alexandre for being a vampire when he didn't choose it, and I couldn't blame Luc for reacting the way he did when he saw Alexandre drinking his sister's blood. Luc couldn't have known Alexandre would most likely have done very little harm to their sister in the end, and Alexandre had no one there to help guide him through his bloodlust to prevent him accidentally snacking on family. They were both idiots for fighting.
"I want your permission to keep talking to Luc." I told Alexandre calmly. He gripped me by the shoulders and held me at arms length to look at me.
"Have you lost your mind? After what I just told you Carys?" Alexandre yelled. I winced as the baby kicked in response to the noise.
"Ssh, you scared the baby." I scolded, laying a hand on my stomach and Alexandre looked repentant for an instant and cupped my stomach with both hands as if to ease the movements himself.
"I just don't think it's safe." He argued. I crossed my arms.
"After what you just told me, I shouldn't think you're too safe either." I retorted and Alexandre blanched. I could tell I had hurt his feelings badly. I sighed and lightly gripped his face in my hands. "But I do. I don't blame you for what happened. You both made mistakes, and you've both had to deal with the consequences of those actions. Some of those mistakes were due to misunderstandings, and some you can't entirely be faulted for because they were forced on you, but I would like to see if I can get Luc to see that too." I told him quietly. He suddenly looked relieved and leaned in to kiss me lightly, placing his forehead against mine.
"You mean you don't blame me for my sister's and family's death?" He whispered.
"It's not my place to do so, and it seems you and Luc have done a century's worth of that already." I shrugged. Alexandre sighed and his shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Yes, I suppose you are right about that." He choked out and I ran my hand down his face, wiping away the tears with my thumb. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead gently.
"Now, I really hate to cut this short, but my back is killing me." I laughed "And I think I could use a nap." I ran a hand over my wide stomach and Alexandre jumped up immediately, helping me to my feet. He pulled me into his arms for a hug that lasted a brief moment, before accompanying me back to the house.
"Carys, I know I've told you over and over, but I love you." Alexandre said, pulling me to a stop. I smiled at him lightly.
"I will never get tired of hearing it because the meaning changes each time you say it." I responded, twining my fingers in his and leaning my head on his shoulder. We began to walk forward again.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked me quietly.
"Well, today, it means 'thank you for still loving me and not judging me because of my past' or something like that, but sometimes it means 'you're beautiful and I can't take my eyes off you' or 'I have missed you' or 'you belong to me' and sometimes it means all these and more." I explained. Alexandre chuckled and kissed the top of my head.
"When did you start seeing through me so well?" He asked softly.
"Mmm... I think it was when I got pregnant, it's a mom thing." I replied sleepily and he chuckled again. He opened the back door for me and we walked inside. "Why aren't you happy anymore?" I blurted abruptly. Alexandre looked at me warily.
"I don't know what you mean.." He hedged.
"Yes you do." I replied, pausing outside our bedroom. "You've scarcely touched the baby since I woke up, and you could barely keep your hands off this bump for months. You don't seem excited about her anymore and your whole personality has been dimmed. I feel, lost...without you.. the old you." I hugged myself and Alexandre's face took on an anguished look. He ran a finger down my cheek.
"I'm sorry Carys, I've just been having some internal dilemmas I have to work through. I'll figure it out soon, ok?" He asked. I nodded, looking away.
"Make it really soon, if you can. I wanted to enjoy this with you now that I've finally started to make peace with my life and suddenly...I'm alone again.." I wrapped my hands around the baby bump and Alexandre looked pained. He nodded slightly and turned to leave.
"Alexandre..would you... hold me while I go to sleep? Like you used to?" I asked tentatively. He smiled softly and escorted me into the bedroom. To my surprise he changed his clothes, removing his top and putting on pajama bottoms before handing me a pair of his flannel pajamas. I grinned and slipped into them, though I had to leave the waistband below my belly. Alexandre laid on the bed and opened his arms. I smiled shyly at him, but went to him immediately. He drew my back against his warm chest and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I could feel my self relaxing into him and my body immediately started to sync with his, heartbeat and respiration slowing as I began to drift off to sleep.
"Love you Alexandre." I murmured.
"What does that one mean?" He asked with a chuckle.
"I'm grateful to you and will love you forever." I sighed and felt his arms tighten around me.
Cornelius woke me with a look of distaste.
"Your cop friends are back." He informed me dryly.
"Oh dear God." I moaned. I reached for Alexandre, but he was already gone, so I struggled to a seated position, groaning. The baby was taking up so much space these days, it made simple tasks difficult. Cornelius chuckled and offered me his hand, helping me up. I grunted with the effort, but stood stretching my back.
"What do they want?" I grumbled and Cornelius shrugged a reply. "Well, it's been too long for it to be Nurse related surely..." I looked at the closet with disgust and decided I was going as-is, in pajamas, the cops be damned. I started for the door.
"You're not going to change?" Cornelius asked.
"No." I replied flatly.
"At least do something with your hair." He fussed, smoothing it. I shrugged him off. It had been like this lately. As Alexandre withdrew, Cornelius suddenly got closer.
"Why should I? They woke me up, let them deal with it." I complained and padded towards the kitchen in my bare feet. Cornelius tsked, but he laid a gentle hand at the small of my back to escort me. I sniffed, confused, when we got to the foyer. "Why are they in the library?" I asked. Cornelius chuckled again, once again trying to smooth my hair.
"Alexandre was feeling...less than hospitable..." He replied, then gestured for me to enter to see for myself.
When I opened the door to the long room, the first thing that struck me was that Alexandre had staged this whole thing, and I suddenly understood why Cornelius had fussed about my appearance. Alexandre was seated in one of the two chairs by the fire, back and neck held straight, chin slightly raised, one leg crossed over the other. He had on a nice suit today, but he might as well have been wearing a robe and crown for all it was worth, because the air and posture he gave off spoke of that of a King. When he saw me enter, his eyes glimmered with mischief. The cops were standing in front of him, hats held in hands, heads slightly bowed like they were intimidated. Hell, I was intimidated and I was in love with this beautiful beast.
"Carys, please come sit down, you look exhausted, and these gentlemen have a few more questions for us." He said witheringly. I saw the younger cop flinch slightly. I suddenly felt very under-dressed in my loose maternity pajama set, the top was sort of long and billowy and I resisted the urge to cover my swollen chest as I walked towards Alexandre, who had extended a hand towards me. He rose as I neared and helped me sit before sitting back down himself, still holding my hand and glaring at the cops. I felt myself blushing. He knew how to create a scene, and I had a feeling I had played right into it whether I dressed the part or not. Damn that hundred year ability to out-think everybody. I laid a hand on my stomach as Alexandre played with the fingers of my other hand and crossed his legs again. "Well?" He asked bitingly, and I was again struck by the image of a displeased King and his blushing Queen before their disobedient subjects.
"You look well ma'am. When are you due?" The older cop asked. I smiled lightly at him.
"In about a month." I answered. "Though it can't come soon enough." I laughed and he chuckled.
"I remember when my own wife was at that stage, she said it was pure misery, the frequent bathroom trips, the aches and pains.." The cop began and I laughed with him again in agreement. Alexandre cleared his throat.
"Surely you didn't come to discuss my future wife's pregnancy with her, officer?" He said with condescension. I felt like I had been scolded too in that remark and blushed again, but Alexandre's gentle touch resumed, so I figured I was forgiven.
"Ah no sir. We actually came because the Nurse is being charged with multiple counts of murder sir, and we were hoping we could talk you and your fiance into being witnesses." The cop replied.