Holier Than Thou

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad tilted his head in a kind of defential nod to his captor, despite Tenele's laughter. "Well, I'll admit it was pretty fun until you went comatose." The flush that climbed to his cheeks as he said it proved that "pretty fun" meant something more like "deliriously hot" in his mind.

[Emora Deen]

Atul smirked. "Well, I'm glad you found it enjoyable." He stood up on wobbly legs, wanting to caress the vampire and to worried his touch was still a little unwelcome. So, he admired him. "I enjoyed it too."

He went to Tenele and bent down to give her a warm kiss on the cheek. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she mused with a pleasant sigh.

"How are you feeling?" He brushed a hand over her forehead.

Tenele sighed. "I'll be fine," she replied. And then it struck her that no... She might not be fine. And then her conversation with Maxwell came flooding back to her and her spirits visibly dropped. If they got the help she needed she would have to give up the child she carried or her husband, a man she loved and missed with each long distance they parted. A year was a very long time to her, but for him... she wasn't sure how time would feel.

Her heart started racing again. Tenele stood up, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself. She felt the flush of heat that often followed an adrenaline rush. It took her a second to realize she was panicking. She forced herself to look at her husband, and then away. She blinked her eyes. Calm. Calm. Calm down. You're okay. Your baby is okay. Everything is okay. "I should sit down," she muttered, before plopping back down on the bed. She pulled Atul's robe tighter around her.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's attention sharpened as he turned his gaze on his wife. "Tenele?" he asked, carefully aware of her racing pulse. His voice was gentle but firm as he said, "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele shook her head, gasping a breath and swallowing hard. She lifted her hand. "I'll be fine in a second," she assured him. It took her a minute, but she managed to get her panic under control. She exhaled in a soft whistle, leaning forward until her head rested on her knees. "Better," she murmured. She sat up slowly, looking exhausted. She lifted her gaze to her husband, her forced smile flattening. "I'm not better..." Tenele tugged Atul's robe around her tighter. "I don't know what I'm doing. I didn't think it would happen so soon. The first time? What kind of odds are those! Something so impossible... We don't know what we're doing. What if we're creating something dangerous? What if it doesn't live? Vampire's aren't supposed to be able to have children..." Tenele clamped her mouth shut when she realized she was rambling.

"I thought I'd have more time to get used to the idea. I thought we'd have to try harder," she whispered. "And now, I don't know what we need to do to make this work. Normal children are predictable, this is not a normal thing. This is frightening."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's mouth flattened into a tense line as he listened. She was afraid to bear his child. He told himself not to be hurt. "It's not frightening," he said softly. "It's wonderful. Tenele, we have a child. I don't care who says we're not supposed to. We do. We will learn as we go," he said, confused. Unless he was missing something, he couldn't quite make sense of exactly how fearful she seemed. "Did anything else happen?" he touched both her shoulders gently.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele swallowed, not sure how he would take what she'd done. "I called Maxwell," she told him in a whisper. "I had terrible dreams, and I was alone, and scared. I thought that if anyone would know what we were getting into it would be a man who studies the strongest of beings... But, he will only help if we give him our child, or you go with him, for a year. I won't agree to that." Tenele shook her head, reasoning that she didn't need his help that much.

Atul frowned next to her. He didn't want to increase her fear by pointing out that the women in his family couldn't survive childbirth... and that was Verin's god-curse to them. Like Tenele's brother was born to die, the women his family loved were doomed to death by the life their love created. Shea's mother, and grandmother before her, and his mother and grandmother before her. But, Atul didn't believe... He wouldn't believe that was the case for Tenele. Because, Tenele was different. She wasn't a normal human, or half-elf. Her mother's blood was strong, and he believed, or at least he told himself too, in the fact that she would not have the same fate befall her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered inaudibly, before he could get a handle on his voice. He backed into a chair, staring at Tenele with paling skin.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's temper flared up and was doused just as quickly by a surge of concern. "Maxwell? You called Maxwell? Tenele...dreams are only dreams. Why should we need Maxwell's help?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele coward back, sensing his flare of anger and instinctively wanting to shy away from it. "I'm sorry," she muttered. She still had a lot of patching to do after the incident in Ida, where he'd lashed out in anger at her. She registered the mark of concern stifle his anger, and her heart came out of her throat. "I-"

"Because she could die," Atul muttered from his chair, his blue gaze lifting apologetically. He then let them settle on Tenele. "You're right, Tenele. We should have thought this through. I should have warned you. But, I don't think you will. I have faith you'll be okay. You aren't like the others. You're different. You're stronger. You're mother is the goddess of nature and life, of course you didn't find it hard to conceive when you were with someone who could make that possible. And because you have your mother's blood, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Your child will be healthy and beautiful... But, we should take every precaution. I don't think calling Maxwell should be an option, my doctor is capable of handling this situation. He's done so many times."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad looked over his shoulder at Atul. This couldn't be right. He hadn't expected anything like this to happen. He suddenly remembered the doctor's words to him the day before. "No stress." "Extremely critical."

He took his hands away from her shoulders, feeling her fear like a sickness worming into his soul. His expression evened out with calm, sincere smile. "Then the doctor will guide us every step of the way. And should we need Maxwell's help, we will call upon him then. If you have nightmares, or sick spells, I will be at your side. You will have all the help you need. You shall have my support, Tenele. I swear it."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele frowned. "If we need his help we won't get it. He said I had to tell him by tonight, or he wouldn't help us at all. He said tonight I had to light a candle as a sign that I agreed." Tenele watched his hands leave, but she didn't want them gone. She wanted them around her, holding her tight. "We shouldn't seek him out. I don't trust him. So, we won't answer him tonight, and all will be fine. We'll use Atul's doctor. We'll be okay."

Atul nodded slowly, trying to wipe the haunted look off his face to be more convincing of his stance on what they should do.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad looked at both his lovers, finding neither of them particularly confident looking. "Atul," he said, searching the man's gaze. "Tell me the truth in your gut. Will the physician have the skill to handle this? Can you be certain?"

[Emora Deen]

Atul frowned. He wanted to answer Vlad with something optimistic, but the truth was... He didn't know. The answer he would give would only frighten Tenele more. "He has the skills to handle this, to the best of his knowledge." Atul grimaced, looking away from them. "But, my mother did not live. Children of Verin... even grandchildren, are hard to bear."

That's when it occurred to Tenele that the child she carried the dead god's grandchild. Atul was so different form his father that it was hard to remember at times just who his father was.

Tenele reached out and took Vlad's hand, holding it tightly. "I will be fine," she reassured him as well as herself. "Like Atul said, I'm different. I am my mother's daughter. I may be mortal, but her blood is still mine. We don't need Maxwell's help, like you said."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stared into her eyes. Why did he suddenly have the sense both of them were protecting and worrying over him? "Tenele, I love you. But I won't let you forego your safety just to protect my feelings. Maxwell is a man of science. He may be cold, but he is practical and extremely knowledgeable. He can be trusted to do what he says he will." His red eyes met hers. "Tenele, if you were in my shoes, what do you think you would do?" His expression said he already knew the answer and knew that she knew as well.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele shook her head. "I don't want to lose you for a year," she whispered. "That will be a year you won't see our child grow. A year you'll miss important things, accomplishments that he'll make. A year you won't hold me in your arms, or touch me, or kiss me. A year is a hefty payment for the services of a mad torturing monster. What do you think he'll do to you in a year? What will he turn you into? A year away, under normal circumstances might not seem so bad, but a year with him..." Tenele blinked tears away. "He's capable of anything, I don't trust him..." But, she knew the choice he'd make. She couldn't convince him not to make it. Arguing would be exhausting.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad put his arms around her and drew her in close to his chest. "Did he say when?" he asked. "If not, then it's negotiable."