Warm me up one touch I'm on fire
Love me back to life, back to life, but I died.
The voices inside were so quiet.
But you stood my side
-Lyrics to 'Loved Me Back To Life' performed by Celine Dion
Crimson Bonds Part 64
One of the first sensations that came to Angela as she slumped back into to the land of the living was the coolness pressing gently against her brow. A cold compress, no doubt. Before her eyes blinked open, she remembered her last moments of alertness from her return home to John's unexpected arrival at her doorstep... only he was a Vampire.
A dream, clearly. That was the only possible explanation. When she opened her eyes, she would be back in her room and everything would be normal again... including his absence from her life again.
She was partially right, she realized as her blue eyes blinked to focus. She was back in her room. Something cold was resting against her forehead, only to pull away once she began to show signs of waking.
And John was sitting close by her bedside, his hand reeling back... and he was wide-eyed with gold ringlets around his dark irises. Holding up both palms in surrender, he urged, "Okay, Angela, I know that this looks bad, but-" He was cut off by his lover's shrill scream.
Scrambling backwards across her bed, the law student's back slammed against the wall behind her to pin her in its corner. Her ragged breath panting in and out, she cried, "P-please don't kill me!"
Those words striking him like a blow to the gut, the Infected youngling gasped with a pained expression washing over his face. "I couldn't hurt you," he breathed. The shock of her initial reaction to him wearing off to anger, he glared and snapped, "You know that too! Get a hold of yourself for one second!"
An undignified sound broke from Angela as her eyes grew anew. Forcing herself to relax when there was no evidence that her visitor was about to cover the distance between them to strike, she raked her gaze up and down her former lover to really appraise him.
Each inch that she took in was agonizing, her emotions swelling up once again to betray how furious she wanted to remain at him. Even with this revelation, this admission of the ultimate betrayal to his identity, she was inexcusably torn over how she actually felt over being in the same space with him.
Trying her best to hold onto her rage, the living shot a fiery glare of her own back at the creature before her. "Where the hell is your tracking band, Vampire?" she spat out, gesturing to his bare, exposed arms. "By the new laws, you could be killed on sight if anyone caught you without it."
"Yea," John snorted.
Slowly bending forward so that their faces were close together, he was actually pleased to physically make her change into a bundle of nerves as he asked quietly, "And what will you do about it? Turn me in? Kill me, yourself? How would it make you feel if anything happened to me? If you would never be able to see me again?"
Opening her mouth to say the word 'relieved,' 'happy' or 'satisfied'... hell... any response like them, Angela's voice lodged in her throat so fast that she could only manage a small squeak. To her disgust, tears began to well up against the strong defenses that she had spent the last few weeks building up.
With a long sigh, the youngling sat back in the chair beside her bed, muttering sincerely, "I'm sorry to be putting you through this, Angela. I really am. As incredibly difficult these last weeks apart have been for me, I can only imagine how bad off you've been over my leaving without any contact."
Heart racing in her chest, the intern sniffled and shook her head vehemently. "How could you possibly say that to me?" she bit out between clenched teeth while she clutched desperately to the only thread of anger that she had. Lifting her head, she huffed, "You don't know me, blood sucker. I hardly missed you while you were gone."
Unconvinced, John smirked, "Sure. I never once crossed your mind for a whole day. You never dreamed about me every night. Not once did you ever give a hopeful glance to your phone to see if I had called-"
"Stop it!" Angela shrieked, her hands flying up to cover her ears and her eyes squeezing closed as tears ran down her face. Trembling and locking herself into a tight ball, she sobbed against her legs pressing against her chest.
Covering his mouth, John gave into his personal battle and his face was quickly dampened as well. He dropped his hand into his lap, frowning deeply, "I wish that I was able to come forward with who I am right from the start. However, the legislation around my kind didn't allow it."
He paused before adding, "The legislation that your mother pushed for. So, you have to understand why I ran when I realized your connection to her."
The law student lowered her arms to her sides, her lower jaw falling away at the instant recollection of their last moments together. She had heard the Infected call to her from her bedroom when he noted the photo of her and her mother. By the time she had finished her shower, he was gone.
'My God," she thought to herself, 'there were so many signs that she had completely missed. Cold hands. Especially pale skin. And now this new detail. 'How could I have been so stupid?'
Still, there were was one very important question that remained. Finding her nerve, Angela asked, "Why aren't you registered, John?" raising an eyebrow, she corrected, "If that even is your name. You wouldn't have had to hide your identity if you just followed the new procedures. It wasn't like the new laws affected your kind that greatly."
A sad smile curling his lips, the Vampire replied, "Actually, it affected my family more than you could understand."
Drawing a deep breath, he sagged heavily in his seat and dry-washed his face in preparation for what he was about to share. Once he focused back on the young woman across from him, he informed, "My first name really is John. But my last is Chang. I am the third child and second son of Wufei and Anna Chang."
That setting in like a bolt of electricity coursing through her, his Companion jolted upright where she sat. "Anna Chang," she whispered, "The same Vampire who turned Wufei when all Vampires had been ordered to never turn another human lest they suffer the penalty of death?" Eyes narrowing, she growled, "She's still turning livings and calling them her children now?"
"No!" John quickly barked out in defense of his mother. Raising a hand in apology for his harsh tone, he calmed himself. "My siblings and I were all conceived and delivered as any mortal is brought into the world."
Paling, Angela slowly began to shake her head. "T-that's impossible," she breathed. "Everyone knows that Vampires can't reproduce. God granted that gift only to His true creations, all things alive."
Taken aback by the sentiment, the youngling muttered, "That's what you and your family really believe?"
Quickly letting go of that, he brought himself back to the important matter at hand, insisting, "There is more than enough documented proof to clear my parents, but they weren't about to risk the possibility that we would likely be put under the microscope for study."
Bending forward, he asked urgently, "Could you imagine what will happen when word of this gets out, the dangers that we'll be facing if just anybody can find us thanks to the new registration laws? We wouldn't be safe anywhere in the world when we can be tracked at any given time."
Unconsciously wiping her cheeks dry, Angela couldn't argue against the trouble the family could face. As one who studied law, she knew every in and out of the new registration to agree that there would be nowhere any tracked Infected could hide. That was the point of the amendment in the first place.
When the silence got to him, John stated, "Right now, I need your help... your mother's as well because my mother's existence depends on it. She was kidnapped months ago... not long after we first met. What she'd feared all along ended up coming true."
Swallowing roughly, he went on in a thick voice, "We have no idea where she is and she's eight months pregnant."
Another inarticulate pitch bubbled from the living's lungs. "W-why are you telling me this now?" she stammered, shoulders slumping in defeat. "How could you trust me with all of this?" There was no need to ask about the reason behind his mentioning her Mom's assistance. But she needed to comprehend his reasoning for seeing her.
"I have to trust you," John answered with a small grin and a shrug. "You're my Chosen."
That... was the last thing Angela expected to hear. In fact, every sound in the world was silenced by the ringing that filled her ears as that proclamation took hold.
Chosen? She was bonded to a Vampire? The very thought was laughable... and yet... why had she not sent John away the second she was shown what he really was?
Folding his hands together in frond of his face, the youngling gave her a good pause for her escalated breathing to calm before he said in little more than a whisper, "I don't know why our souls are linked like this, Angela... but even you can't deny it. How else does any of this make sense?"
Not having a single rebuttal to set the theory to ruin, the blonde mortal's mouth opened and closed a couple of times before it stayed locked shut. Her vision clouding over with stinging tears and the sheer disbelief of what had been laid out to her, she stared out without actually seeing anything.
John roughly brushed a drop from his face and tentatively reached out to latch onto his lover's hands. Reassured when she stopped herself from initially pulling them away, he squeezed them and told her softly, "I love you. More than anything or anyone else in this world, I love you. And I'd give anything for this situation to be easier on you."
Sniffling at his heartfelt proclamation, Angela shivered... only she felt no cold, even from the hands holding onto hers. Finally, her vision returned and she focused on the Infected as he took his free hand to reach into the pocket of his jeans.
"You have my phone number and I promise to answer whenever you try to reach me," he began, "But you need time, I understand that. I'm entrusting you with the number to someone who would be able to help you. Someone who was in your shoes once."
Moving only on instinct, his intended Companion released a hand to accept the offering. At no surprise, above the number stretched out across the folded piece of paper was the word 'Dad.'
Wufei Chang. The one who had done all he could to deny his connection to his Vampire by making the ultimate act of rejection by attempting to end his life.
Unsure why, Angela felt herself nod firmly and clasped a tight fist around the small token. In the next breath, her mouth was claimed by a firm kiss that she melted into when her aching heart took over the rest of her being.
What last bit of strength he had in controlling himself was used so that John could pull himself back. Resting their foreheads together, he murmured, "Thank you for hearing me out, Angela. I'll be waiting for whenever you're ready to accept all of this."
Gasping, the living failed to find her voice in time to respond before her... Vampire disappeared in a blur of himself. The window opening and closing in a flash, she spun in its direction and rushed to her feet to peer through it for any sign of him.
What greeted her was the sight of her mother's car pulling into the driveway.
Sick to her stomach and floating mentally in a raging sea of confusion, Angela stared down at her clenched fist carrying the simple phone number and the incredible weight that came with it. Under her breath, she uncharacteristically swore the only thing that summed up what had just transpired, "H-holy shit."
* * * * * *
Senator Dobson was beside himself with excitement, standing in the observation room of the lab alongside Septum and Doctor Berg.
Two large screens flanking each other just above the control board showed each of the prone Hybrids.
Strapped down to beds and fixed with taped nodes and headbands to monitor their brainwaves, neither half-breed looked particularly concerned over their position. They had been through these sessions all too often to give their captors the benefit of showing anything more than disinterest.
But the guest of honor was most invested in what was about to transpire, this being the first demonstration of the studies set upon the half-breeds. "So, how much energy have they been able to absorb?" he asked the old man to his right.
Adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his long nose, Berg turned towards the politician and smiled, "Actually, I have yet to reach what I would call a limit for their bodies to absorb. They might be a little unsure on their feet after an extensive round, but neither has lost consciousness or come close to needing intervention to revive them should any of their systems fail."
"Excellent," Eric smirked darkly, never breaking his gaze from the monitors. "Let's just see how far they can be pushed today?"
The doctor decided right at that moment that he was going to get along quite well with the Senator. Chuckling deeply, he reached out to the first dial of the control panel.
He started with the level that he had stopped at before, nearly topping the levels off as the air filled with agonized screams.
* * * * * *
"Angela, dear, are you alright?"
Broken from her distracting thoughts, the blonde intern nearly dropped her fork from her physical jolt back into reality. Her wide eyes settling on her concerned mother's face at the head of the table, she forced a convincing enough grin. "Sorry. I was just thinking about work, since it starts back up next week."
Nancy giggled, "That's my girl. Just like her Mom, always thinking of how to stay ahead the game." Shaking her head, she beamed, "I couldn't be more proud. However, you really should try and enjoy this time off as well. It's pretty rare when we all get to be together like this."
At her right, David smirked, "Yea, sis. There is more to life than trying to get ahead in everything. Besides, it's not like every law firm in the country isn't already foaming at the mouth for a chance to take you in, thanks to Mom's claim to fame in the political world. Not to mention how you'll be able to make a name for yourself wherever you go."
'My God,' Angela's subconscious whispered. What kind of future was she going to have if she were to go against everything that she had grown up believing... everything that her mother had fought for?
But could she go on without John, knowing what fate that would doom him to? If anything, how intensely she still felt towards him even after he had shown his true identity was all the proof she needed that he told her the truth. She was his intended Companion.
Grinning, Cynthia told the family matriarch, "Just so long as you don't use up your influence by the time I finish getting my Master's Degree to take up your place in the Senate to keep up the fight against those blood suckers. Someone is going to have to carry on the torch to give those monsters a good run in trying to be equal to us livings."
Her eyes closing at that, Angela swallowed the last bit of food that she had begun to chew and pushed her place away as she stood up. "I'm sorry," she frowned deeply. "I don't seem to have much of an appetite. I'll start cleaning up the dishes."
"Oh, sweetheart," Nancy replied in kind, deep with worry, "if you're not feeling well, you should go to your room and rest. It's almost Christmas Eve and I would hate to see you under the weather for one of your last holidays with us before you graduate."
Bowing her head, the blonde sighed, "Thanks, Mom."
Turning on her heels, she couldn't bring herself to eye her siblings before she all but ran from the room. Her whole family was still holding onto their hatred of anything to do with Vampires. She, herself, had been that way up until that very night.
Now, what Angela had thought she knew and how she felt was unraveling at the seams and tearing her apart in the process. Why... of all people had she been bonded to a Vampire when she had once despised Companions for agreeing to become their permanent 'blood banks'?
Closing her bedroom door behind her, the living covered her mouth to stifle the sharp cry ripping from her throat an sank to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her legs to pull them close to her chest as she wailed and cried uncontrollably.
* * * * * *
Hours later...
John returned to the cabin, head ducked out of fear as he walked through the front door. Already emotionally drained from his visit with Angela, he was silently hoping that his father, uncle and brother might have been too buried in their work to want to lay into him for vanishing for the better part of a day without explanation.
Luck was not on his side, it turned out. The moment he entered the living room, he found the three Vampires sitting around the minimal furnishings in wait for him. Freezing in the doorway, the youngling swallowed roughly and tried to come up with something... anything to say but his voice failed him.
A relieved smile spreading across his face, Wufei made the first move from the other side of the room. Rising to his feet, he crossed the space to pull his son into a tight embrace. "I'm glad you're alright. We've been worried," he greeted quietly.
Sobbing sharply, the younger Infected held fast just as tightly as his walls came crashing down. It should never have been a doubt to him that of all creatures, his father would welcome him back without hesitation or an argument against why he had left. That was just as upsetting "I'm sorry, Dad," he whispered brokenly.
"No need," Chang reassured as he pulled away while Heero and Charles approached them, small grins on their own faces. "We all understand how intense the bond between our kind and our Chosen is." Raising an eyebrow, he stated, "You took one hell of a risk, given Angela's relation to Senator McAdams, but I know you wouldn't have acted if you didn't trust her."
He squeezed his boy's shoulder, asking, "How did your visit go?"
Taking a deep breath, John dried his eyes and answered, "Angela knows everything now. I thought it best to give her the space that she needs to take it all in." He frowned, "So, the ball's in her court now and I have no idea what move she'll make... if any."
Heero was the one to respond confidently, "Whatever she decides, we'll be here to support you and get through it."
Charles snorted, "Hell, yea, we will." He clasped hands with his younger brother in a firm handshake. "I would have been pissed off at you for leaving if I hadn't met Hillary. It's killing me to be away from her, so I can only imagine how much worse off you are since your situation's... well... pretty sucky."
"Yes, but enough of that for now," the scaly Vampire broke in before John had to absorb further emotional turmoil. Facing his dark-haired youngling, he smiled, "You made it back just in time for us to leave."
Blinking widely, his son guessed aloud, "Hunters closing in?" Only then did he notice that there was pieces missing from the picture. "Where's Uncle Trowa? And the data drives?"
His Uncle snickered, "Already ahead of us. We're actually leaving for Rosshe's estate to celebrate Christmas with the family. Crystal has secured us two whole days and evenings from being tracked so that we could spend some needed time as a family."
Christmas. The holiday had crept up on them.
Unable to hide his excitement at spending the day with his siblings, John's face broke out into a wide smile. "That... sounds awesome," he chuckled deeply. Wufei nodded and took hold of his sons' shoulders while Heero gripped onto Charles's free arm.
Surrounded in colorful light, the Vampires disappeared from the cabin that had been their temporary home for the last couple of weeks.
TBC...
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