In Dreams: Bleed Out

Traumatized

"I overheard your conversation with Alexandre, he's worried you might be a little bit...ah...traumatized."  Cornelius said softly, leaning on the rail nonchalantly.

"Cornelius...is that Roman?"  I asked him, looking out over the gardens while gripping the rail tightly.

"Yes."  He replied sounding slightly startled.  I glanced at him.

"All that time, all that history, and you still ended up a bitter, hateful, dick."  I remarked.  Cornelius chuckled.

"Maybe it's because of it that I ended up this way.  I have seen a lot, child.  So much, I can scarcely remember half of it."  He sounded weary, causing me to turn to observe him.  His arms were crossed and his gaze lost in the distance as he stared blankly at the house.

"But you've never seen anything like this?  In all that time?"  I gestured vaguely at my stomach.  He looked at me with eager interest.

"No, and it fascinates me.  I had heard stories of course, especially in my youth.  Such things were common then, but I thought them all superstitions, I thought I was the only true living myth.  Well not me alone, vampires, and that the rest was foolishness."  He scoffed  "But now this.."  He continued quietly and extended a hand, stopping a foot short of my stomach.

"And suddenly, I have so many questions and theories and ideas and...  I'm frightening you again, aren't I?"  Cornelius withdrew his hand and clasped both behind his back.

"I sort of feel like a science experiment."  I offered and he laughed and clapped his hands.

"Yes, exactly!  Oh no, don't get that look, it's not a bad thing, I just want to observe, help where I can.  Think of me as Jane Goodall."  Cornelius said mildly.

"Still not helping."  I growled.

"So fiery."  He murmured and extended a hand again, as if to stroke my cheek, but retracted it swiftly.  "How about I offer you some observations I've made then, in the short time I've been with you?  But first-I really think you should dress appropriately, it's still quite crisp out here."  He noted, looking pointedly at my bare feet.  I sighed, but complied and returned to the balcony fully dressed and prepared for the weather.  Cornelius nodded approval.  "Shall we walk?"  He offered, sweeping an arm in a gesture to ask me to proceed him.

"The first thing I guess you have to understand is that the virus I have and the virus you have are not quite the same.  Like most other diseases on this planet, it has evolved over time.  Further, the longer a particular vampire carries it, it has the potential to mutate the virus from the original virus they were infected with, based on the behavior and feeding patterns of said vampire, which I believe is what has happened to the virus carried by you and Alexandre.  I believe it has mutated."  Cornelius explained as we walked slowly down the path of the gardens.  I grimaced, this was beginning to sound like an old fear of mine.

"Is this mutation..dangerous?"  I asked softly.

"Well, perhaps to people you choose to infect in the future, depending on their choices, but on the contrary, I think it's been rather beneficial to the two of you."  He stopped and pointedly looked at my stomach.  I groaned, trying not to panic.

"I was so worried about this."  I gasped and once again felt my knees start to give.  Cornelius held me up.

"Child, why are you panicking over this?  Most of our kind would give up a limb for the relationship, no family, that you and Alexandre have created.  We are, for the majority, loners, but you've found a way to stay together and even have a child."  His greedy expression returned and then turned to one of extreme pain and sadness.  "You have no idea what I would give to have this opportunity."  He reached an unsteady hand towards my stomach again and gently cupped it in his palm.  I flinched slightly and withdrew.

"I apologize.  I'm getting sentimental in my old age."  Cornelius said, straightening.  "To continue,"  He turned on the path and began walking again.  "I noticed, for instance, that when you two are close to each other, it seems as though you are drawn to each other irresistibly, and the pheromones are...intoxicating."  I blushed hard.  "I think that yes, you two love each other, but the virus is driving you together as a bonded pair even more tightly.  I'm not really sure that you could be in love with anyone else if Alexandre is around, and I don't think the two of you could bear to part at this stage without extreme pain."  I clinched my teeth.  He was confirming almost all of my original fears.  Cornelius observed my expression.

"Carys, please understand, I think the virus mutated because of your love, not in spite of it.  I'm making an assumption that you two have shared several, ahem, body fluids.  Most of our kind do enjoy a bit of a bite.."  He chuckled as I blushed hard again.  "Well, in my opinion, every time you two shared..fluids..in the midst of a passionate exchange, I think that the virus took that hit of endorphins and pheromones and mutated to use it to its own advantage.  You two are stronger as a bonded pair, and at the risk of upsetting you about the birth of your child again, may have provided the virus with its best evolutionary advantage yet."  He ran a finger down my midriff.  I shivered.

"Excuse me if I am still not so thrilled about that aspect of it."  I responded.  Cornelius sighed.

"But what if the virus mutated to allow the possibility of children in our kind?  Until now, we've had to rely on passing the virus via fluid transfer, but what if the virus has finally mutated to allow us to find a partner and reproduce."  Cornelius said with an ache in his voice.  I blinked and looked down at my stomach with our little baby safely nestled within and placed a hand over Alexandre's and my daughter carefully.  Cornelius' hand soon followed.  I didn't pull away, allowing him to feel as my daughter moved within me.

"Do you see now why this is so exciting to me?"  Cornelius asked quietly and I looked up into his urgent expression.  He was searching my face for understanding and I nodded slightly.

"Ok, but you still creep me out."  I told him with a snort.

"Understandable."  he replied holding his hands above his head.

"So what the heck anyway, over one thousand years old?  What the Hell have you done all your life?"  I asked.

"Technically over fifteen-hundred, I sort of lost count somewhere in there."  He smirked and we began walking back towards the house.  "And I've mostly just down whatever I wanted."  He answered.

"It shows."  I declared.  Cornelius chuckled.

"Carys, about the birth...  We are trying to think of every eventuality, and as many solutions as possible.  Please don't worry so much.  I truly feel it will follow the natural path, as your pregnancy has to date.  Well, mostly."  Cornelius told me softly.  I looked at him warily.  "Please, at least trust Alexandre, he will do everything within his power to keep you and your infant safe, and for him, I will try too."  His expression was sincere and open.

"Thank you."  I said seriously and waited a beat.  "But don't you dare be trying to steal my man."  I scolded.  He grinned.

"I honestly don't feel it would be possible to get between you now.  Though, if you're ever interested, I would be happy to show you a few tricks that even Alexandre doesn't know."  Cornelius offered with a lascivious smile.

"Oh gross, now I know where Alexandre got it from."  I groaned and stomped off towards the house.  "What are you like fifty, sixty?  Don't you think you're a little old for me?"  I tossed over my shoulder at him.  He chuckled and followed me back inside.

"I dated Alexandre, and he was turned younger than you."  Cornelius whispered beside my ear.  "So what do you think?"  He laughed at my stunned expression and disappeared down the hall.

"Men."  I grumbled, rubbing my stomach  "Worse, vampire men.  Stay away from them honey, Mummy should have done that too."  I shook my head and headed back to Alexandre's room.