Holier Than Thou

[Soran Nightblade]

Maxwell stroked his chin, giving the idea some thought. "He will not leave my custody for one year, regardless of the situation. Those are my terms. However, you may call Knight once per month. One month with you, one month he will come to me, alternating.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's teeth clenched and she drew her hand away from Atul. She took a step forward. "I may call Knight, but whether he visits you or not is his decision. I cannot control him. He cannot be controlled. If you think that he can, then I hope I'm there to see him teach you otherwise."

Atul made a strained laugh. "Tenele," he chuckled poorly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's be a little nicer to the tyrannical doctor who will hold your husband from you for a year, shall we?" he murmured into Tenele's ear.

Tenele pressed her lips together. "I'll see if I can persuade Knight to agree to your terms," she amended darkly.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Good," Maxwell said. "It is settled."

"My student will accompany me," Vlad interrupted. "He will be given quarters and reside on site, without interference from you."

Maxwell raised his eyebrows. "You have a student?"

"A bloodling. He will accompany me."

This made the doctor look even more confused. "You turned someone? You?"

"I did."

"He may come, but he will not interfere. It' won't do you any good to be pampered."

"He won't," Vlad said, hoping the request didn't make him look weak to Tenele and Atul.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele took a step forward. "Vlad," she muttered. "Talon... I don't think its the best idea of Talon to go with you. What if..." She turned her gaze on Maxwell. "I don't know if it is such a good idea that my bother go..." She was trying to say she didn't trust Maxwell not to harm Talon, or use him in some way, without actually coming out and saying it. But, that meant she'd lose her brother and her husband for a year, and it made her insides twist. She'd only recently grown close to Talon in the last few years, and after his turning it seemed the ground they gained was ripping out from under her.

But, she also knew that Talon couldn't be left alone and unwatched in his current state.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad paused at the reluctance and fear in Tenele's thoughts. He worked hard to keep the same feelings out of his own. What kind of vampire leaned on a bloodling for companionship?

"Vlad sets the terms for his bloodling, not you," Maxwell asserted matter-of-factly. It was a simple fact of vampiric culture.

"No..." Vlad interceded. "She has a point. Talon will decide for himself."

"You pamper him," Maxwell criticized. "All of them. You are superior."

"He will decide," Vlad said quietly. "This is my judgment as his master, and not for you to address."

"Makes no difference for me," Maxwell said skeptically. "Mrs. Dracul, I will see you in two weeks."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele nodded, resisting the urge she had to pound her fist into Maxwell's face repeatedly. She wanted to kill him. She'd wanted to kill him since he tired that immunity experiment on him a year ago. By the grace of necessity she hadn't tried yet, but she made a quiet vow that after Vlad's time was paid she'd at least put forth an effort to murder the man.

"Two weeks," she muttered darkly.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Very well. I shall see you soon," Maxwell said blandly. "Vladimir, we have an agreement."

"Yes," Vlad frowned.

The demon turned and flickered out of existence without another word. Vlad stared at the empty space. "Well, that's settled! Time for dinner," he announced flippantly.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele looked up at him, away from where she'd been glowering at Maxwell. "I'm not feeling very hungry," she muttered as she turned back to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. The room was dark now that the sun had set. She didn't bother feeling around for a candle, and instead just paced back and forth in the blackness slowly.

It was settled, she thought. And she just needed to give her brain a moment to process it. A moment to absorb what had just taken place. A moment to come to terms with the fact that she had three years, good years, with her husband and her child before he had to go live with a monster. But, she feared what she'd receive when he returned. When Maxwell had mentioned continuing the research that Sinead had stopped, she'd felt Vlad recoil at the mention of it.

* * *

Atul stood quietly in the room with Vlad, staring at the bathroom door. "Vlad," he muttered. "What Maxwell said about not needing a second father. He was wrong, you know that. She needs you, and your child will need you. I am not going to replace you, please don't think that I mean to."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad frowned at the bathroom door, wondering if she would find it difficult to forgive him. "I know," he said softly, turning to Atul. He wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders and cupped a hand against the back of his head, drawing it to his shoulder. "You will take fine care of them. And if you all have to need me a little less to cope during that time, then you should. We'll rebuild what we can when I return."

[Emora Deen]

Atul sighed. "Don't worry for her right now, she just needs a moment I'm sure. She's got a lot rolling around in that head of hers. And she isn't upset with you. She hates that man, I hate him." He wrapped his arms around Vlad. "She will miss you fiercely," he muttered.

* * *

Tenele finally gave a heavy sigh. Whether she was hungry or not she needed to eat, she knew that. And she'd gained enough control over her anger at Maxwell to not be worried about lashing out at anyone. Tenele opened the door to peek her head out. "Is dinner still an option?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"Yes. Let's go," Vlad said too eagerly. He wanted to be normal. It was too soon to think about leaving them behind. His eyes danced to Tenele's. "And while we're at dinner, we can all talk about your brother complex," he teased.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele gave him a perplexed look as she snatched a dress out of her wardrobe and tossed him some pants. "His complex?" she asked him warily. She had a feeling that he was joking about something, but wasn't too sure. "Has he found an affinity with nesting dolls?" She dropped the robe and slipped the dress on as she ushered Vlad to make himself decent enough for the servants.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Brother complex. It sounds like you have one. 'Oh, don't take Talon away from me!'" Vlad teased in a feminine voice while pulling a clean tunic from his bureau.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele gaped at him. "I do not have a brother complex!"

"Very clingy," Atul chuckled.

Tenele glowered at them. "Come on Stalker," she announced, running her hand over the hell hounds head. "We don't have to put up with this."

Stalker trotted alongside her, peaking back to look at his master questioningly.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled. "Will we be okay at dinner by ourselves, or should I tell Talon you need him?"