Shane let her have her moment, of repeating the words she was sorry. He ran his hands up and down her back to reassure her, and bent his head forward to press his lips to the top of her head. He knew her inner demons well, and this was just a case of them resurfacing. Now, he needed to lay them to rest permanently. She didn’t need the stress of worrying about them being separated, or worse, and he figured he had the right thing in mind. He had saved it a long time, and took it out of his pocket, still in the black box which it came in.
“I…Shane Williamson, take you, Carmen Marquez, to be my wife, in name, in honor, in blood.” He took her hand and slid the diamond ring on her finger, letting the box fall to the ground. He kept his eyes on her and continued. “To have and to hold, in un life and death, and forsaking all others, will keep you in eternal life. With this ring, I wed you. Now none can tear us asunder. Not now…not ever.” he kissed the ring hand, then he cupped both her cheeks and kissed her as though he had actually married her….in their quiet home, standing under the light of the silvery moon.
<3>
He stepped back from her and she took notice of the little black box in his hand. Her eyes widened in shock when he pulled the diamond ring from within it’s black velvet nest. He took her hand and slid the ring on her finger, letting the box fall to their feet, forgotten.
“I…Shane Williamson, take you, Carmen Marquez, to be my wife, in name, in honor, in blood.” His gaze captured hers and she couldn’t look away if she tried. This was the defining moment in their relationship and with each word he spoke to her, she knew that his commitment to her was very serious. “To have and to hold, in un-life and death, and forsaking all others, will keep you in eternal life. With this ring, I wed you. Now none can tear us asunder. Not now…not ever.” He kissed the hand he’d placed his ring, an everlasting commitment to her before he cupped her cheeks and kissed her as if they’d actually gotten married. The silvery light of the moon bathed them in her light as she moaned against his lips, tears forgotten in the face of this commitment.
She drew away from him. She didn’t have a ring to give him in return, but she felt the need to commit to him as he had just done for her. “I…Carmen Marquez, take you, Shane Williamson, to be my husband, in name, in honor and in blood. To have and to hold, today, tomorrow and forever. Forsaking all others and cherishing every moment, every memory we make together. With this ring upon my hand, I pledge, once again, my love, my loyalty and my commitment to keep you as happy with me as I am with you. No one will tear us apart. I will kill them if they try.” Her smile was full of love as she spoke her personal vows to him and their relationship. She then returned his kiss with one of her own.
“If they start fucking in front of the television, I’m out of here.” came an amused voice from the doorway. Carmen turned her head to see that the vampire trio had returned. It was Jarvis that had spoken.
“Jarvis! Damn, you have not a single romantic bone in your body.” Misty scowled, smacking Jarvis in the back of the head. Bianca was too busy staring at Shane and Carmen with stars in her eyes to even respond. But she made a little sighing noise.
“That was so much better than those movies on the Hallmark channel.” she finally stated.
“Way to ruin the moment, guys.” Misty stated, rolling her eyes. This had Carmen chuckling as she turned to face them, Shane’s arms still around her body.
“I want to apologize to the three of you for snapping at you earlier. I realize I’m new to the whole vampire/sire relationship and you three have been with Shane a long time. I shouldn’t have tried to curtail your external activities as you’ve been caring for yourselves and each other longer than I have. I was worried and scared and I had no reason to be and for that I apologize.” she stated to them earnestly.
“If they start fucking in front of the television, I’m out of here.” Jarvis had to spoil the moment. Great goober strikes again, and Shane actually was willing to take him up on it, and do just that. Course Carmen being in the middle of the most romantic moment of her life, and young Misty decided to take matters into her own hands, dishing out punishment. She clapped him over the back of the head, enough to have him see stars, and tweety birds.
“Jarvis! Damn, you have not a single romantic bone in your body.”
“I do!…OW…but its more of a muscle than a bone, but some would call it a boner…get it? boner?”
“You’re such a dick.”
“Close.”
Shane held Carmen close, as she apologized for the way she had snapped at them earlier, remarking how she was new to the vampire lifestyle, or un lifestyle, and that she got into the frame of mind of “mother”, which is perfectly natural, since they acted like a family….with the good and bad moments.
Misty got all gushy and flounced over, wanting a group hug, with Bianca not far behind. Shane was soon caught up in this and looked a bit awkward, but it got even worse when Jarvis decided to “flail” and do a girly sort of half jog half…god, can’t describe it. (think Dr Evil).
“Group hug, group hug.” The trio chorused, while Shane rolled his eyes.
<3>
“All right, back off you leeches!” she chuckled, shoving bodies away left and right. “We have things to discuss.” She turned to look at Shane. “Do you know of anyone named Richard Chase? Or an FBI Special Investigations Unit? When I was out shopping for your birthday, I ran into him in one of the stores. He told me that he has a team watching David and that things were not over. And Shane…he knew me by name, and where I worked. It kind of worried me.”
The others settled in chairs around the room while she sat on the couch.
“All right, back off you leeches!”
Carmen was practically getting squashed by the show of affection from the teen trio, and she did say that with affection in her voice, which thankfully the kids listened too. Each sat down back in their favorite chairs, as Carmen asked about a strange occurrence that happened while she was out just hours before.
“Do you know of anyone named Richard Chase? Or an FBI Special Investigations Unit? When I was out shopping for your birthday, I ran into him in one of the stores. He told me that he has a team watching David and that things were not over. And Shane…he knew me by name, and where I worked. It kind of worried me.”
Shane cocked his head slightly, and furrowed his brow, having never heard of a Richard Chase before, or the fact there was even an FBI special investigations unit in Derry. This was really all news to him.
“Love, the name means nothing and…why would the FBI be involved with surveillance on David…he is one of the forces most decorated under cover agent. I mean, sure he is a right prick, but he is good at his job.” Now that may have come off as sounding off as well, considering David’s more recent dealings, especially with the photograph of Bridgette and having Matt be messenger.
The kids had never heard of this man before either and shrugged at the mention of his name. But what really bothered all of them, was the fact this guy knew Carmen and where she worked. Shane took the initiative.
“Make sure you check who comes in and out of the station. If this guy shows up at your work place, you are to call me immediately. I don’t know, I have a bad feeling about this.”
There was a good chance, he was right.
<3>
Misty, Bianca and Jarvis had never heard of him either.
“Make sure you check who comes in and out of the station. If this guy shows up at your work place, you are to call me immediately. I don’t know, I have a bad feeling about this.”
Carmen made a face. “The guy seemed friendly enough, but I kept getting a weird vibe. I’ve learned over the years to trust my gut and it’s only steered me wrong once or twice.” Carmen gave Shane a very pointed look, a small smirk on her face. “But if he does come looking for me, you’re my number 1 on speed dial.” she reassured him.
“So what now?” Bianca wondered. “We just sit and wait for them to make a move or what?”
“We still need to find out where Vincent is hiding.” Carmen stated. “I’ve got Mary, Dyna and Booker working on that for me. They’re good at their jobs and I hope to have information from them by the end of the week. And they can work unobserved since they can be out in daylight hours.”
“And there’s the matter of Shane’s kid.” Jarvis spoke up. That caught everyone’s attention, wondering what Jarvis was thinking. “Well…she’s been with Vincent, we’re assuming he’s the one who has her, all these years. For all we know, he could have had her brainwashed into thinking Shane abandoned her or something and that she deserves some kind of revenge for that.”
Everyone stared at Jarvis in shock. It was rare when he came up with something so profound, so sensible that it was a surprise to hear it come from his mouth. And what he said was very disturbing. Carmen hadn’t even thought of that. She wondered if Shane did, and how he would react.
She turned her head to look at him.
Carmen was right, they did need to find where Vincent was holed up. It hadn’t left his mind, that he still had Bridgette. Thoughts of how they were the last time he saw her, she remembers her anger about the failings of her parent’s relationship. She knew the signs, the late night meetings, the way her father came home and tip toed in the house. She had even caught him one night, waiting up. Sitting in his chair with the night stand light on. Bridgette defied her parents, and said she would not be part of no family dinner, since she believed her family was so fractured, that it was beyond repair. In a way, she was right about this, but then the fact she didn’t go home that night…saved her. Well, saved her in the short term, till she was found, by Vincent. Shane remembered that last moment, when she packed her small bag, and said she was going to go stay with friends. Her voice in his mind, etched forever. The rejection and then…he came home that fateful night to find the rest of his family murdered. Everything ties in, and that was the catalyst for what made Shane what he is today.
“Well…she’s been with Vincent, we’re assuming he’s the one who has her, all these years. For all we know, he could have had her brainwashed into thinking Shane abandoned her or something and that she deserves some kind of revenge for that.”
Jarvis for once spoke with intelligence about his thoughts on Bridgette, and everyone stopped in their tracks, at what he said. Shane knew that the teens feelings before her family was destroyed, was one of hatred for her Father. It’s highly likely, that Vincent would have taken that hatred and used it to suit his own purposes. Shane killed his wife in retaliation for the deaths of his family. Vincent, took his daughter…as a replacement for his wife, and now that was becoming clear. Whatever Shane had…Vincent wanted.
“We need to find where Vincent’s lair is. Before the end of the week if possible. Carmen, I know you got people on it, but, you have to understand, this guy is the Master of making things, and people vanish.”
Little did the group in front of him know, that someone else was on the case…..but who?
That worried Carmen a slight bit. She just hoped her friends were discreet in their inquiries.
- – -
A few nights later…
Carmen’s Bedroom
Shane had decided to go to the office to catch up on some work. Jarvis and the girls had gone out to do whatever it was they liked to do. Carmen was essentially alone in the house. She lay in her room upon her bed alone watching television. She wasn’t really paying attention to what was on the screen, it was just background noise to her as she tried to organize her thoughts. Things were beginning to come to head between the vampires and she was worried about Shane, Jarvis, the girls and her own friends. She was expecting news from them soon and she hoped it was something she could bring to Shane to use. She had taken a few days away from work to be with Shane and the others as they tried to think of where Vincent may have been hiding out.
Her phone went off, signaling a text. She grabbed her phone and looked at it. Dyna and Booker were following a lead that was taking them out of the city for the day and they would call her if they found something.
She replied back and told them to be careful and she would see them when they returned. She then shot off a message to Shane, letting him know that Dyna and Booker were going to be out of town for the day, following up some leads. She also let him know that Misty, Bianca and Jarvis were out for the evening and she was missing him like crazy. Done with that, she set her phone down and decided to head down to the kitchen to make some popcorn.
Since she was the only one home, there were minimal lights on inside and outside the house. The ones lining the walkway, the one outside the front door and the pool lights cast the grounds in their slight glow. She had left her bedroom light on, but the rest of the house was silent and dark as she headed for the kitchen.
Kitchen
She flipped on the single light over the stove and searched in the cabinet for the box of microwave popcorn she’d bought the last time she’d gone shopping. She threw out the plastic covering and tossed the bag into the microwave. She leaned against the counter and waited for the ding to signal her snack was ready, taking a moment to stare out at the pool, lit by the underwater lights.
“Maybe I’ll go for a swim.” she muttered to herself as the microwave finished its cycle. She took out her popcorn and dumped the warm contents into a bowl. Cleaning up her mess, she flipped out the light before heading back to her room.
Shane had just left the office, and was heading home, when the strangest thing happened. The power to his car started to die, and the headlights flickered before the car rolled to a stop on the side of the road. “Fuck…what the hell?” Shane uttered, then picked up his phone to see that it was out of power. This was either a huge coincidence, or…something had been tampered with. He got out of the car, and then stepped around, opening the hood, and trying to find the cause to why his car electronic systems gave out so suddenly. Little did he know…someone had tampered with it in the car park.
Shane’s house.
The low growl of a black Mercedes pulling up into the driveway, would not have been what Carmen would have been expecting to hear, but with her heading up the stairs towards her bedroom, to change for a swim, she wouldn’t know that the man that had everyone out hunting, was about to enter her door. Alighting from the car, Vincent grinned slyly, and adjusted his fake FBI badge, before walking towards the front door. He could see the bedroom light come on, then off and he had a clever idea. He took off around the back, and headed for the pool area, where he made himself comfortable on one of the lilos. Vincent then lay in wait. Would she come out and take a swim? It was a guess, since the pool lights were on….and there was only one person home to enjoy it. He had made sure of that.
<3>
Not knowing she was no longer alone on the manor grounds, nor that Shane hadn’t received her text, Carmen returned to her room, setting the bowl of popcorn on a side table, her gaze drawn to the movie on the television she was no longer interested in. She moved to her bedroom window, glancing down at the pool.
“Yeah, think I’ll go for a swim.” she muttered to herself. Standing in the open window, not bothering to see if she was alone, because in all honesty, she wasn’t expecting anyone and the nearest neighbors were some distance away, she stripped off her clothes in full view of anyone who happened to be peeping. She stood naked, the light of her lamp casting her body in silhouette against the window.
She turned away, going to her bureau to pull out a little red two-piece bikini, slipping it on before snatching a towel from the hall closet and heading down to the pool.
Poolside
She dropped her towel and her cell phone on the patio table before turning to the water. Now most people would have taken a moment to take a breath or two before diving in to the water. Carmen, being a vampire, had no such restrictions. With her toes at the pool’s edge, she raised her arms over her head and executed a flawless dive into the water, barely causing a splash or ripple.
[
She swam a couple of laps the length of the pool, working off some excess energy, all the while, her thoughts were on Shane and why he wasn’t answering her text.
