FicWad

Chapter 16



The couple returned to their house, confused as to the reason the both of them were laying on park benches asleep, and feeling quite refreshed. The young woman told her husband, "Baby, I had the strangest dream."

"About what?" he asked.

"It was strange," she said, "You were in it, but you were me, and I was you, and you said such encouraging things."

"Yeah," he said, "That is strange, because I feel so good right now. I mean, we're facing foreclosure, and I don't even feel worried about it!"

"Me too," she said, "You even said in your dream that there were worse things that could happen, so we should not worry. Worry gets nothing done anyway."

"Man, I ought to listen to myself more often," he said, joking.

"Well, I suppose you were right, if that was you. Anyway, you said for me to worry into one hand, and spit into another, and see which one gets filled up first."

They continued on their way, laughing and joking the whole way, acting as if nothing was wrong. However, their night was about to get a whole lot better. When they got to the porch, there was an envelope jammed in the doorframe. Now the man was a bit worried. He approached it cautiously, and slowly took it out of the door. He then opened it, and there was 25,000 yen in cash. He stood there in shock, not knowing what to say. He looked all over the envelope, and inside it, even between the bills for some indication of who may have done this, but there was nothing. "Honey, where..." but his wife who was cheering and jumping up and down in joy cut him off. She said, "Honey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth! We're saved, WEEEE!"

Jean-Claude stood around the corner, with a smile on his face, happy that he could help someone else again.



He returned to the hilltop, but standing outside were Ai and Chiyuki. They were both terrified beyond reason, and Ryuu came to them fast going, "Did I get away from her, is she..." but they all pointed up to the roof. "Hello, son," she said with a large grin on her face, and very mocking and angry green eyes. She leapt off the roof and landed before them as if she jumped off a street curve. Jean-Claude asked, "Your mother?"

"Um, yes and no," said Ryuu.

The hackles on Jean-Claude's neck rose, and he immediately wanted to go on the defensive. He asked, "Just how did you get past the wards?"

Her demeanor took on a motherly stance, despite the eyes, and she said, "Oh come now, my child, I know all my children's tricks."

"Yourchildren," he said, not liking her attitude, "And would you please explain just who in the name of common sense you think you are?"

"Why Jean-Claude," she said, (Jean-Claude being taken aback in that she knew his name,) "I am the mother of all your kind."

"I mean," he said, becoming frustrated, "Who are you?"

She went, "Oh pleased to meet you; hope you guess my name," and she extended her hand.

His face went deadpan serious, and he locked his gaze on her, disgusted. She then said, "My name is Teresa Howard, and I am the reason why you even exist, at least, exist the way you do. It's so good to see another one of my children!"

She then tried to hug him, but he stood there stiff. It was not so much the attempt at embracing him as it was the cold chill that accompanied the act. She was actually drop-dead gorgeous, with long blonde hair in a braid that hung to her buttocks, and with those sinister eyes. Although she was what she was, Jean-Claude did not seem impressed. However, the three elder ones stood there in disbelief that he would take such a flippant attitude with her. Apparently, no one had briefed him on the history. Jean-Claude wanted answers, and he demanded, "Do you want to run by me that 'mother of all our kind' thing again?"

Ryuu chimed in, and said, "Um, I'm actually a lot older than I look."

He then lifted up the long hair in front of his forehead, and Jean-Claude saw the mark. Already, the "little white birdie" on his shoulder, (as Jean-Claude often referred to the Spirit,) was telling him who stood before him. Jean-Claude did not need to say anything, because he had a good idea. Teresa then said, "Son, would you mind telling him how you got this way?"

"I know you know the Bible, yes?" asked Ryuu.

"I've read it a few times," said Jean-Claude sarcastically.

"Then you recall what happened with the offering, yes?" said Ryuu.

"Oh, you mean the time you tried to offer up a fruit salad?" Jean-Claude quizzed back.

Ryuu shuddered, and rolled his eyes, saying, "It was the best of my crops!"

"It was bloodless, and cost you nothing,"snapped Jean-Claude, "You DO remember what He told you, right?"

Ryuu was becoming a bit aggravated himself, not liking how the spotlight was now being thrown on him. "Yes," he said, exasperated, "Evil lay at the door if I did not do right. Well, it was right outside the door, and it got a hold of me."

Teresa interjected, and said, "And that was my birth child with myhusband. He is..."

"I get the point," said Jean-Claude, "And is that what made you what you are?"

"Yes," he said, "Forced to roam the earth and be a vagabond! Not quite fair, was it?"

Jean-Claude curled his lip up and tried to stifle a laugh. "Ah, I think it was very fair," said Jean-Claude, "God had every right to fry you where you stood for killing your brother. The fact that he let you live, and be what you are was His mercy, don't you think?"

Ryuu wanted to say something, but he could not gainsay it. Jean-Claude then said,"I just have to know how you got past the flood."

"Well, spending a year latched onto the front of a boat was not the most fun in the world, living off shark and whale blood along with it, but you do what you can."

"But you see, dearest Jean-Claude," said Teresa, "because I spawned him, he spawned all of your kind-the vampire, vampyre, (the undead,) and you."

She got in close, stroked is face, and said, "So, you see, the humans are the creation and children of Him, and all of you are..."

Jean-Claude indignantly slapped off her hand, and said, "I am nowhere NEAR his child, much less yours!"

He started to pace in front of her, and he continued, "Furthermore, how did vampires like the Markers, the Amarash, and the Tachibanas come from? From what Ihave gathered, the undead were the first to exist, but we had to come from somewhere."

"We?"she asked in a sarcastic tone, "You are making quite a claim, considering that you are a mix."

"I know well what I am," he scowled, "And these vampires, and my own mother, are not like what the legends speak, and are not the killers the legends claim vampires to be."

"Oh, but they were killers," said Teresa,"They just did not know how to be discreet. Yet, they are Lucifer's children, as you are, because of your mixed blood..."

"Look," he thundered, "I think I've had just about enough of you! I want answers, woman!"

The other three were stunned that he was still standing. They wondered why it was she was just taking it. Teresa then growled back, and said, "Why should I answer you? You are a disgrace to my children by being achild of Satan and God at the same time!"

"Oh really?" said Jean-Claude, "A minute ago, I was your sweetie pie! Now I am the dregs of the earth. Who's confused now? Worse, you act as if I chose to be this way. THIS WAS NOT OF MY CHOOSING!"

He calmed himself, and then said, "Even if what you said were true, I did not choose to be born that way, but I am afreewill moral agent. I can certainly choose what I want to do, despite my blood. If I am such an abomination, as you claim, and a disgrace, then, why has God accepted me? Why do I seek the betterment of my fellow sentient creatures?Why do I seek a day when I can finally set my saber down and live in peace? Why did God allow me to have children with another 'disgrace?' Besides, if I have my way, there will be no more separation: we shall be one. My twins can lead the way if I cannot."

A feral growl ripped out of Teresa's throat, her eyes turned red, and her hair feral and she said as she bent into acrouch, "Disgusting child! How do you know you were accepted, and that you were not being lead on?"

Now righteous indignation filled him as he finally recognized what was before him. "You lying demon!" he snapped, "With a blood bought, Holy Ghost filled king and priest of the Almighty living up here, you had guts coming here!"

"You have corrupted my beautiful children enough!" she thundered, "I shall allow this no further!"

Jean-Claude began to laugh as if someone had told him a funny joke, thinking, "If there was a demon seminary, she must be a fresh graduate, or something, because she has no clue what stands before her!"

She then said, "You have the audacity to mock me?"

"SILENCE!" said Jean-Claude, and it felt like a rush of power washed over the hilltop. He then said, "Silence, for it is written that I am more than aconqueror through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. You still cannot stand how you lost at the Cross, you lying spirit! You dare threaten me? If you have a blood desire, try coming through THE Blood that I claim and stand behind. I can do ALL things through Him-ALL THINGS!"

Suddenly, she did not look so brave anymore, and she started to cringe back, saying, "Don't you dare invoke that Name, or else..."

"OR ELSE WHAT!" Jean-Claude yelled, and then he said, "In the name of Jesus, by power of His blood and His Holy Ghost, I command you to leave this hill and never to return! If that is not enough, then I say what Michael said when he whipped your hubby's butt-THE LORD REBUKES YOU!"

She screamed as if she was in pain, and then she said, "I'll leave, but so will my children!"

She motioned and the three of them froze. They then blankly began to leave with her, but Jean-Claude was going to have the last laugh. He said, "In the name of Jesus, they shall not!"

They suddenly stopped, and then seemed torn as to which way to go. She screamed, "God took enough away from me already! How dare you take my children?"

"Silence!" Jean-Claude commanded, "He,(pointing to Ryuu,) is not your child just as much as this rock is not! He may have allowed a spirit to enter him, but the fact that he lives, and seeks to do right shows a repentant heart. That makes him so far from being your child as the east is from the west!"

He then looked at the three of them, and said, "You lying spirits trying to possess them, I command you in the name of Jesus to come out! The girls had this forced on them, and Ryuu-Cain-is trying to right his wrong. You cannot have them!"

The three of them looked as if they had come to from a long hypnosis. Teresa was livid. She tried to lash out at Jean-Claude, but she staggered back in pain, "Woman, (and I use that term loosely,) you are stuck on stupid, aren't you!"

"Know that I will empower Mimoun!" she screamed, now looking very ugly despite her outward beauty, "None of your friends and family is safe! YOU SHALL NEVER HAVE PEACE-YOU, OR THOSE DEMON SPAWN YOU CALL YOUR CHILDREN!"

She screamed as she fled in a blur. Jean-Claude was still just as indignant, and he mocked her as she left, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog Toto too! Hee, hee, hee, hee!"

The three looked at him, shocked at how he handled that. "In my thousand years of life I have never seen anyone stand her down like that!"

However, Ryuu said, "I've always heard of what I just saw, and this was the first chance to see it in action. Thank you, you don't know how that feels to have the chance to do something right."

"You've already saved one life," said Jean-Claude, "So that's a start."

"Then let me tell you what she would not,"said Ryuu.



"If you want to know where the pure bloods came from," said Ryuu, "it was me."

Jean-Claude stared at him, not sure what to think. "I would have thought that the undead were first," wondered Jean-Claude.

"Well, in truth, breeding with humans had something to do with it," said Ryuu, "Genetically, there is always a 33.3%chance that our offspring would turn out pure blood, but that is how all our children emerged. Of course, since Icould not die, nor could my children, I was able to mate with my offspring when they were old enough. I know that sounds perverted, but what other choice did I have. I bred many children pure bloods in my time, many of the names that still survive today. Teresa may have had a hand of things, but she had nothing to do with how our society formed. Yet, what I find amazing is that I see ashift in things that is good, and that she does not like."

"What would that be?" asked Jean-Claude.

"By all this around," he said, "you must understand that she is losing more and more of a grip on us, mainly, the undead. Karin was the key to this, but now Ruby Innocent Katiri is that new key; and she would love noting more than to stifle the Fount of Psyche."

"She's in with good company now," said Jean-Claude.

"That is good, but that may not be enough," said Ryuu, "but that is not all."

"What do you mean?" asked Jean-Claude, expecting to hear the worst.

"She seems to think that your twins are chosen ones meant to defeat her," said Ryuu.

"Any truth to that?" asked Jean-Claude.

"It could be," he said, "because your children could be human, vampire, what you are, or something else."

"Something else," said Jean-Claude.

"Let's face it;" said Ryuu, "You and your wife are a first. Nothing like that has ever happened before. There is no telling what your children have become. Whatever the case, with a father like you, I know that they would turn out good. If so, and if they are as powerful as she fears, then every inch of power she holds, or thinks she holds, is in jeopardy."

"Thus," he said, "my children are threatened."

"That's about the size of it," said Ryuu.

Now, Jean-Claude wanted to explode, but the Spirit tapped him on the shoulder, reminded him that his wrath did not work His righteousness, and told Jean-Claude that he needed to channel all that the right way. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He said, "Maybe I should get them as far away as I can? I could send them to my mentors in New Hampshire."

"Not a good idea," said Ryuu, "She would find them. In truth, your little action tonight has chased her off this hill forever. The ward about the hill now includes keeping her out. Believe me, right now, the safest place for them is right here. However, you did give me an idea."

Jean-Claude looked at him quizzically, and Ryuu said, "Call your mentors, and ask them to come here. Such allies like them would be abenefit. If she tries to aid Mimoun, then smoke, tricks, and drugged up soldiers would be the least of your worries."

Jean-Claude began to laugh, and he kicked himself. It was one of those things that was such a simple idea, one would wonder why no one thought of it before. He said, "You three: make yourselves at home. I need to make a phone call."

With that, he left, and the three of them discussed the matter. They now realized that they indeed now had allies on the hill, and now they had a safe haven. "Fear not, my sisters," said Ryuu, "Redemption shall come."