Title: Diamond Ring
Author: Ebony Silvers

Chapter 1: "Diamond Ring"

(Jon Bon Jovi)

Diamond ring, wear it on your hand.
It's gonna tell the world, I'm your only man.
Diamond ring, diamond ring,
Baby, you're my everything, diamond ring.

Red, red rose brought it home to you.
Blood red rose, tells me that you're true.
Red, red rose, blood-red rose,
Like a fire inside that grows, blood-red rose.

When you're hungry, I will fill you up.
When you're thirsty, drink out of my loving cup.
When you're crying, I'll be the tears for you.
There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you.

You know, I bleed every night you sleep.
'Cause I don't know if I'm in your dreams.
I want to be your everything...

Diamond ring, wear it on your hand.
It's gonna tell the world, I'm your only man.
Diamond ring, diamond ring.
Baby, you're my everything, diamond ring.
Darling, you're my everything, diamond ring.
Now, you've got me on your string... Diamond ring.

New Orleans, Louisiana, Thursday, 10:14 am, November, 2020

Baby sat bolt upright in bed with a cry for Jack.

Spike clasped her arms lightly. 'It's alright, rose. You're safe now. Nothing is..."

Her palm impacted his cheek with a crack that rang throughout their bedroom. 'Where's Jack?" she said through clenched teeth. She could barely feel her son and husband. The impressions she received were misty, nebulous, and distant. But alive. Thank the Powers That Be and everyone above them, Jack was still somehow alive.

Spike licked the tiny bit of blood from the corner of his mouth where his tooth had ripped the inside of his cheek. 'It's alright, pet. He's in Jean's room. He'll be fine." He didn't quite know what to say. She'd never struck him before. Not like that. He reached out for her.

She avoided his touch and slid from the bed. 'He damn well better be."

René stood between her and the bedroom door, concern evident in his body posture. 'Belle ange, Papa didn't...." She glared at René until he stepped out of her path. He'd never experienced her anger in quite that way either. He followed her down the hall, his father beside him.

She found Jean's room nearly filled with people but she only had eyes for Jack laid out on Jean's rich blue sheets. She paused long enough to accept an embrace from Remy before motioning Jean from Jack's side. Jean couldn't meet her eyes. He was too mortified by the feelings he'd experienced in the courtroom. Wordlessly he released Jack's hand and stepped away so she could take his place. She was vaguely aware of Wesley standing at the foot of the bed, murmuring in a language that she didn't understand, a large crystal ampoule of swirling light held in one hand. He shattered the vessel and the glowing mist covered Jack, sinking slowly into his body. 'He'll be alright now," Wesley said with a tired sigh. 'Give him a few moments."

Baby ignored her eldest son as she whispered his younger brother's name. 'Jack. Wake up, baby. It's alright now."

Jack gasped and his eyes flew open. He was holding Baby faster than even René's eyes could follow. The whiplash of relief and joy from both of them staggered the vampires as it ricocheted through their various links. Remy sank down on the edge of Jean's bed and let his eldest brother wrap him in a protective embrace. Linked to Jack and Baby both, he and Wes felt the full force of that tidal wave of emotion. Jean felt it, too, and staggered back into René's arms. He'd never felt anything like that from his two lovers.

Jack was awash in his wife's inner turmoil. The hurricane that raged in her mind threatened to consume her. René felt it, too, and was moving to take her hand when his link to her shut down. Jack had blocked out everyone but him. He grasped her face, forcing her away from his chest. 'Look at me! Stop it right now and look at me," he ordered. He'd had a decade of holding her together when that need to kill rose up inside her, when the grief and the fear of loneliness threatened to engulf her, when madness circled just beneath the turbulent seas of her psyche. He'd whispered in her mind every hour of every day for ten years. He knew how to keep her monsters at bay. As humans in a magic-free world, he'd still managed to link their minds to such an extent that they could exchange words as well as emotions. He was now restored to his vampire body, marked as her son and companion, and the connection between them was a bridge of burning steel cables that could never be broken. 'I mean it!"

'Jack?"

He could feel the storm beginning to abate. 'Mmm hmm."

'Jack?"

'I'm right here." His hold on her became gentle, a caress instead of a restraint. This time there was no question in her voice when she cried his name. He let her bury her face in his chest and just cling to him. 'It's okay. I'm here." He looked up at those gathered about as though noticing them for the first time. Spike was frowning as golden lights played across his blue eyes. René was staring in slack-jawed amazement. 'What?" Jack asked as he ran a hand over his sire's hair. 'She's okay now."

René shut his mouth with a snap. 'Yeah. Seeing as I can't tell what she's feeling I wouldn't know." His canines looked just a tad sharper than they normally were.

Baby opened her eyes and turned so she could see René. He gasped as everything she was feeling suddenly exploded in his mind. He took refuge in Jean's arms. The splintered mixture of relief, joy, love, rage, and betrayal was enough to weaken his knees and set his head to aching. 'Oh, I'm sorry, ange!"

Jack looked around. 'What the hell did you do? What got her like this?" he snarled.

Baby sat back but kept a hold on Jack's hands. 'They killed you." He felt her mental shudder at the memory. The fear and rage boiled up in her again. She glared at Spike. 'And I really want to know why."

Wesley spoke up softly. 'It was the only way to get you back. You were both the target of an assassin. Someone slipped you a Mickey. He used the drug Sunlight. Took me a bit but I finally figured out what it does. It's actually a magic potion. It sends your consciousness into other realities." He held up his hand when Jack started to speak. 'Your consciousness, not your soul. It takes whatever it is that makes you, you. Everything. It's ingenious actually. It searches for a body that's fairly identical to the one you had—one that's about to die—and changes that one action so the host body lives and inserts the consciousness in the new body. It's also rather diabolical. If the new body dies, the old body turns to dust, leaving your consciousness trapped in the ether, formless forever."

Jack shivered as Wesley continued, 'But the only way to free your consciousness from the new body is to kill it." He sighed. 'It was quite a delicate bit of manipulation I had to do. I had to find a way to keep your vampire bodies intact when your human ones died, find your new bodies, create a portal to them, rescue your consciousness when your new body died, transport it here, and restore it to where it belongs." He smiled. 'Luckily, I'm rather brilliant."

Baby nodded. 'Thank you, Wesley." She was silent for several long moments before she took a deep breath. 'It didn't take Wes long to explain that to me, now did it?" She never took her eyes from Jack as she said, 'Spike, if you ever touch one of my children again without telling me why up front, I'm gone for good." Jack frowned a bit.

'Dove, I..." Spike began to explain but she ignored him.

'Let's go home, Jack," she said softly as she stood. She looked around the room, taking in everyone who was there for the first time. 'Agent Monroe? How'd you end up here?"

'That crazy man dove through the portal before it closed," Jean said. 'And before you even ask, I doubt we can send him back. Wes' spell was a one-time thing. He barely got us there and barely kept the portal open long enough for us to get you two out."

She sighed and exhaustion ran through her bond to Jack. 'You'd better come with us then, SA Monroe."

Monroe tugged at the steel grip Paul Athanasius had on his arm. 'I hope you're better at explaining what the Hell is going on better than this bunch."

Baby grinned. 'We'll try. Paul? Take Agent Monroe down to one of the limos. We'll be right there."

Her vassal bowed and led the human away.

'Nina, Kevin, Johanna? Why don't you meet us at the house? We all need to spend a little time together." She waited until they were gone before she stood and reached out for Jack.

'Where do you think you're going?" Spike asked softly, though not without a hint of menace in his voice.

'Jack's house," she said coldly. She'd never been this angry with him. And she wasn't afraid of him. She never had been and she wasn't about to start now.

'Sweetheart," Jack said, encouraging her to calm down.

'No," she said forcefully. 'Understand me, all of you." She paused until she was sure she had the attention of everyone in the room. 'From this moment on, Jack is off limits. I don't care who you are, if any of you lay a hand on him, I'll kill you." None of them had any doubt she meant it. She led a startled Jack out of the room. Remy followed. Wes paused for a moment, staring at Spike's shocked face, before he too decided to follow his sire to his brother's house.

*

Carole Monroe was desperately trying to figure out what had happened. One minute he'd been pursuing John and Abby Niemczyk's murderer across a courtroom at the Federal Building and the next he'd been in some sort of fancy sitting room. Just like that; no sense of time passage, no sense of anything except a flash of pain and nausea, and he was in a different room. Before he could recover from the shock, he'd been lifted off his feet. Deep brown eyes stared into his and a grip stronger than any he'd ever felt closed over his gun hand.

"Papa! We have an issue here," the man holding him said in faintly accented tones.

John's killer cursed softly before saying, "I don't have time for this right now, Jean. Wes! Do you have them or not, damn it?"

The man holding him shrugged and said he'd take care of it. Monroe's identification and weapons were taken. The man, apparently named Jean, sighed when he saw the badge. "He's one of Jack's people," he said, as though that explained a great deal.

Monroe found himself hustled up a narrow staircase and into a bedroom where he was shocked to see John Niemczyk's body stretched out on an ornately carved four-poster bed. Monroe was handed off to a bearded, dark-haired man with a brisk, "Keep him out of trouble, Paul."

Monroe's new guard half-bowed and said, "Of course, Your Highness." He dragged Monroe into one corner of the rather crowded room. The windows of the bedroom were shuttered and the room was rather dim but Monroe could see everything from that vantage.

Jean moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He lifted John's hand, clasping it between his own. "It's going to be alright, cher. You're going to be home with us soon, my Jacques." There was no mistaking the concern on the man's face. Monroe, who'd been concerned before, was now deeply worried. The man was talking to a corpse as though it could hear him.

Monroe got a good look at John as a second man turned on the lamp by the bedside and said, "Of course he will, Prince Jean. Dad's too stubborn to die." The jolt Monroe felt turned the worry to pure fear. The speaker was the mirror image of the body lying motionless on the bed. Monroe blinked and his heart rate slowed a bit. Not quite a mirror image after all, the speaker was at least ten years too young to be John Niemczyk. Likewise, the man lying on the bed was too old to be John. It was freakish how much they resembled John, though, especially the dead body on the bed.

An unbelievably beautiful girl came and wrapped her arms around the man seated on the bed. "Kevin's right, Daddy. Jack's too in love with life to go out without a fight."

A second woman, her green eyes bearing a strong resemblance to the two look-alikes, smiled wanly. "That's for sure. I don't know how many times Kev and I heard the 'never give up' speech." She snorted delicately. "He's right; Dad can't die from something like this. John Patrick Niemczyk is the most stubborn man ever born."

Jean laughed softly. "Oui, that he is. I wouldn't love him so if he were not."

Before Monroe could force even one of the questions that bounded through his brain into speech, another man entered. Monroe recognized him as one of the invaders from the courtroom. He held out a glass filled with glowing fog and began to mutter a chant of some sort. Monroe's attempt to speak was cut off by the vice-like hand that painfully gripped his upper arm. "It's best not to interrupt Prince Wesley's magics," Monroe's guard ordered in a voice as clipped and British as the newcomer's. "I have no wish to harm you but I can't allow anything to interfere with Lord Jack's awakening. Be quiet now."

Any retort Monroe might have made was aborted when Abby Niemczyk strode into the room. It was undeniably Abby, though she looked younger somehow and her hair was longer. She replaced the man at John's side and at an order from her, John's eyes flew open.

Monroe watched the resulting exchange in silence and disbelief. Older or not, Monroe now had no doubt that the man lying on the bed was John Niemczyk. His voice, mannerisms, facial expressions, and most notably the way he looked at Abby proved who he really was. Monroe couldn't quite grasp it. He'd seen them both die. He'd heard the horrible sounds of their necks breaking and seen their dead, open eyes. He wasn't sure how they'd faked that, though it was obvious they had.

More and more, he was convinced none of this was real. The sense of unreality only grew when he was led to a waiting limousine. Inside the opulent interior, Monroe was seated directly across from Abby with his guard Paul on one side and the other Englishman on his right. John sat on Abby's right while a man Monroe had yet to identify sat on her left. This man was obviously laboring under some great mental strain. There was a gold shield clipped to the belt of his suit. It marked him as a high-ranking member of the New Orleans Police Department.

As the limo rolled out into the street and Monroe realized they were somewhere in the French Quarter, the man reached out to take Abby's hand and tried in disjointed jerky sentences to describe his deep fear that neither she nor 'Jack' would awaken.

"Remy," Abby said with such care on her face that Monroe frowned. "I'm so glad you're alright." She ran a tender hand over his face. "I was afraid the separation when you are so young would kill you. I don't even know how long we were gone. Kevin and Nina don't look any older."

"Two weeks," the Englishman on Monroe's right stated. "You and Jack were out for two weeks, Sire."

'It felt like forever," Remy stated.

John closed his eyes, shaking his head. He seemed to be in shock. Abby was only moderately better. "Oh Remy! I'm so sorry."

Her words of care unmanned the policeman and he laid his head on her lap and began to weep. "I was so alone, Sire. I couldn't feel you or Jack."

John, who everyone seemed to refer to by the name Jack, just as Abby had always done, reached out and caressed the dark head lying in his wife's lap. "It's alright, little brother."

Abby's hand joined Jack's in stroking the dark hair. "I can feel you now, Remy. You're not alone anymore. I'm so sorry, honey. Things like that shouldn't happen when you're only a few weeks old." Her fingers raked gently through his coffee-colored hair. "You've been so strong." Tired golden eyes looked from Jack to Wesley. "All of my babies are so strong."

Wesley reached across and added his hand to those already comforting the man lying across Abby's lap. "It was hard, Sire. Even for me. Being cut off like that, not able to feel you, is something I don't care to repeat. It reminded me far too much of when you were dead."

Her hand rested atop his. "I can feel you now. I can feel all of you." Her voice was strangled and she closed her eyes against threatened tears.

"Dearest?" The English magician dropped to his knees on the floorboard before Abby. "What is it?"

She didn't answer but folded her body over the man's in her lap. The magician frowned and looked at her companion for answers. "What happened, Jack? She's a wreck."

Jack rubbed her neck. "She knows exactly how you both feel. They separated us, Wes. She's been alone in a jail cell for three days."

Fire ignited in Wesley's hand to match the anger on his face. Monroe had never seen anything to compare. The Englishman's hand was just suddenly afire. Wesley seemed to feel no pain from the flames. Jack's hand closed comfortingly over Wes' forearm. "It's over. There's nothing to be done about it now."

The blue flames died slowly and that same hand reached out to smooth red hair. "No wonder she had a fit when Spike killed you."

Jack's eyes went wide and somewhat frightened. "Spike killed me?"

The nonsensical aspects of the question seemed to bother no one in the car but Monroe. Wes continued stroking Abby's hair. "Yes. He broke your neck. I doubt I've ever seen or felt her that angry. Even though I was fairly consumed with dealing with the portal, I could feel her rage. She staked Spike with a pencil. If it had been any other of us, we'd be dust."

Jack blinked. "Whoa, back up. Baby tried to kill Spike?" His 'why' died before it completely left his lips. He looked from his brother to his wife and started breathing hard. Monroe didn't understand the surprise on Jack's face or why the hand resting on her back began to tremble.

"She did indeed." Wesley smiled. "Rather amazing, actually."

As they pulled into the drive of a beautiful red brick mansion, Jack's hand slowly clenched in his wife's red locks. He didn't say anything as they all disembarked from the car and trooped up the white marble steps to the house where a large, dark-suited man held the door open.

Monroe found the interior of the house as elegant as the exterior indicated. It was cool, dark, filled with rich wood and classic lines. Within five minutes, Monroe realized it belonged to Jack as his former employee was greeted by those within the house. "Welcome home, sir," the large man stated. "Ma'am."

Jack was still having difficulty speaking. He simply nodded as he gathered Abby up and carried her down a hall.

"Jerrod," Wesley said. "Have Wilda make tea and bring it to Lord Jack's study.

A thin, middle-aged black woman in a black-and-white uniform stepped out of a hallway. "Yes, Prince Wesley."

"Lady Nina, Mr. Kevin, and Miss Johanna should be right behind us," Wesley continued. "They can join us in the study."

Wilda nodded. "Is Prince Devereau coming? I'll prepare something suitable if he is."

"Probably," Wesley answered. "Kevin already seems to be an outstanding father and Dev hates being away from him." The Englishman sighed. "Would God all of our lives turned out as happily as that young man's has."

*

Jack settled Baby on the big leather couch and dropped down beside her. He felt disoriented. Baby's mental instability nagged at the edges of his mind but he'd felt that before. She'd faced bouts of severe psychosis, especially in their early days alone away from the family. Her mental illness had, in fact, led him to push and strive to re-establish their companion link. The only way she truly understood that she was not alone anymore was that telepathic and empathetic bond. He had pushed every mental and emotional ability he had to the limit but it had been worth it. Their bond was incredibly strong now. It had been years since he'd bothered to censor anything that went on in his mind from her or she from him. He wasn't going to start now but he wasn't sure what he was feeling himself at the moment.

It was beyond wonderful to be home, to have a strong, immortal body again, to be who he really was. It was so wonderful it felt dreamlike. The transition between that odd human life and this one had been too abrupt. He needed some time to adjust; so did his sire. They needed time alone. He opened his mouth to order everyone out of his house and met Remy's eyes. Jack closed his mouth, his order unvoiced. Remy had suffered severely while his sire was gone. Jack could see it in the new lines on Remy's face and new thinness of his body. Remy had been too young to face that sudden aloneness without consequences to his body and spirit. Jack tried to imagine being separated from Baby that way, being unable to see or sense her. He found he couldn't visualize it.

His heart hurt for Remy. He smiled at his friend. "Hey little brother. Come here." Remy sat down beside Jack as the older man continued with as soft a smile as anyone was likely to ever get from Jack, "So you missed me, huh?"

Remy smiled back, though there was an ironic twist to it. "Yeah. For an arrogant, annoying Yankee you sorta grow on a person."

Jack grinned. "You're not bad for a crazy Cajun yourself."

To Monroe's shock, Jack reached over and pulled the other man into a kiss that had nothing brotherly in it at all. Abby giggled slightly. "If you two start that, you'll squig Kevin out when he gets here," she warned.

'Too late! Already squigged," Kevin said as he led Nina into the room. 'Honestly, Dad!"

'I think it's cute," Nina said.

Kevin shook his head. 'You've lived with the Undead too long."

His sister laughed as she followed them into the room. It was good Kevin was starting to joke about it. Then Jo's gaze settled on Jack and with a tiny wail she threw herself at him. Jack accepted her into his arms gladly. He'd missed his children and worried about them. He was glad time flowed differently and he'd only been gone from their lives a short time. 'It's alright, honey," he told her.

She thumped him on the shoulder with a soft fist. 'Don't you ever, ever die on me. I couldn't stand it," she said between sobs.

Kevin agreed. 'She's right. You need to work on that immortality thing a little better, Dad. It..." He stopped to swallow. 'It was too hard seeing you..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. 'Dad," he said in a choked voice before dropping down beside his sister.

Jack, who'd learned the importance of physically expressing his love from Baby's excellent parenting, reached out and enfolded his son into the embrace that already held his daughter.

*

Baby turned her golden eyes on her former hunter. 'I suppose you have about a million questions, Mr. Monroe. I'm not sure how many I'm up to answering," she said as she fed Devereau a cookie over Nina's protest that the little boy didn't need sweets.

'That would be a pretty fair summation, Mrs. Niemczyk," the agent answered.

'Mrs. Niemczyk?" Kevin said. 'Why are you calling Lady Roxton Mrs. Niemczyk?"

'Because she went and married your daddy," René said as he stepped into the study. He looked at Jack with an expression that was impossible to interpret. 'I saw these on your hands, back there, in that other world. Thought you might like to have them back." He took Jack's hand and dropped a pair of gold wedding bands into the other man's palm. 'I reckon that makes my belle ange your step-mama as well as your mama-in-law," he said to Kevin with a coldness that had nothing to do with his son-in-law.

Jack stood slowly. 'Yes, I married her. Is this a problem?"

René shrugged. 'Depends. You marry her because you had to or because you wanted to?"

Baby stood as well. 'René..."

Jack ignored her. 'Wanted to. Not that it's any of your business."

'She's my wife. That makes it my business." René was acting oddly and Jack didn't like it one bit. The Cajun pulled Baby to him. 'You ain't even said hello to me." There was no mistaking the edge of anger and hurt in his voice. 'I thought I was gonna lose you." This time there were tears under the anger. 'I thought you was gonna turn to dust. And then you can't even say hello to me. I..." He turned and strode out the door. Baby hurried after him.

'René! René, wait!" Baby called as she hurried after him.

'Why? You made your choice pretty clear," he said without slacking his pace down the hall and out the door. He headed for his car.

'René! Damn it! Stop," Baby said as she reached for his arm. He jerked it away and she stumbled into the noonday sun with a cry of pain.

'Ange!" René grabbed her, heedless of his own safety, and swept her back under the portico. He patted out the smoldering spots in her hair. 'You got to be more careful!" He ran a thumb over a blistered patch on one cheek, anxiety ringing through his link to her. Teal eyes met golden and René crushed her to him, lifting her from her feet so he could grind his mouth against hers. Her hunger matched his and she held him as tightly as she could. It took him a few minutes to realize she was crying. He set her on her feet but didn't loosen his hold on her. 'Ange?"

Her hands were now knotted in the front of his shirt. 'I'm so sorry," she murmured over and over.

'Précieux?" He frowned down at her. 'What you sorry for?" She wouldn't look up at him. 'Ange?"

'I gave up," she finally said. 'After you didn't come, I gave up." She still wouldn't meet his eyes.

'You gave up thinking I'd come for you?" he said in confusion. 'You know better. You know I'll come for you anywhere." She wouldn't answer him. 'You gave up on me after a couple of weeks?"

She leaned her forehead against his chest. He could feel her cool breath with every word. 'Not a couple of weeks. I gave it a couple of years."

Realization hit him like a steel bar to the head. 'Years?" Fear settled into his gut. 'How long were you gone, ange?"

'Ten years," she whispered.

'Ten... mon Dieu!" His hold on her was crushing. 'You were alone for ten years? Oh cher belle!" He simply held her for a moment but her sense of guilt kept bleeding through their link. 'Ange? What's wrong? Why you feel this way?" Slowly, an unpleasant thought crept into his mind. 'But you wasn't alone, was you? You had him."

She nodded. 'I always thought I'd die without you, René. I honest to God thought I'd never be able to live in a world without you."

An unseen hand grabbed his heart and began squeezing it. 'But you did. For a long, long time." He took a deep breath. 'Because you had him."

She nodded. 'Yes. I'd have died or gone crazy before too long if Jack hadn't shown up when he did. I've never been happier to see anyone in my life."

René didn't say anything but he began to breathe heavily.

'He saved me, René. He gave me a reason to open my eyes in the morning."

'I used to be that reason," he said bleakly.

He tried to pull away but she wouldn't release him. 'Jack kept me from losing my mind. He kept me together when I didn't have anyone else in the whole world." She pulled at René's shirt. 'Do you see why I can't let anyone hurt him? Do you understand?" She finally looked up at him with tears in her eyes. 'You're my heart, René, but he's my sanity."

René looked toward Jack's shuttered windows. 'I'm still your heart?"

'Always," she answered. 'I love you more than anything."

'But you love him, too." It was a statement, not a question.

'I do. He has been completely loyal to me, René. He hasn't had a thought in the last ten years that wasn't for my benefit. Jack has lived his life for me for over a decade." Her face was serious.

Something occurred to René that he never thought he'd ask. "You been married to him a long time?"

She nodded. 'Pretty much the whole time we were gone."

He ran his tongue over suddenly dry lips. There was one other thing he suspected but he had to know for sure. 'So, you married to him for ten years. For those ten years, you ever sleep with anybody else?"

She drew herself up, ready for whatever came. 'No. Not ever."

René drove his fist into the hood of his car hard enough to leave a substantial dent. 'Motherfucking son of a bitch!"

Baby flinched but didn't say a word.

'He had you all to himself for ten years! The Powers That Be won't let me have even a day." He screwed up his face as he fought to control the rage and pain. 'God damn but they hate me." He went silent and still, not speaking for several minutes before he took a deep breath. 'You really would kill me if I tried to hurt Jack, wouldn't you?"

She wouldn't meet his eyes. 'I can't live without him."

He smiled painfully. 'But you found out you can live without me." He looked back toward the house as if he could see through the walls to where Jack stood and was still and silent again. His decision came easily enough, though. 'I hope he lives forever then, ‘cause I still can't live without you." He raised her hands to his lips and kissed them. 'He took good care of you?"

She smiled and knew that whatever else, loving him wasn't wrong. 'The very best."

'I suppose I got to thank him for that." He snorted and sighed in resignation. 'That don't mean I like him. He's still an arrogant prick."

Baby laughed and pulled René down for a kiss. 'Yes, he is. But he's mine. Just like you are."

*

Jack looked down at the rings in his hand before closing his fist around them. He didn't unclench his fingers as he poured himself a drink at the wet bar. He could feel Baby's upset and he hated it. He silently downed the liquor. No one said anything. Even Monroe was quiet. Jack sighed as he realized he was going to have to adjust to a lot of things now that he was back home. He felt calm descend over his wife's mind and figured she'd made up with Beaumont. He downed a second shot of whiskey. 'It's going to be hard not being her husband anymore," he said to no one in particular.

'You planning on divorcing me, Jack?" Baby said from the doorway. 'That's a hell of a way to treat a woman after ten years."

Jack looked at her without really comprehending what she was saying. He'd always known that if they ever got back where they belonged, their marriage was over.

'Not unless you don't want me anymore, Jackie," Baby said in answer to his unspoken question. 'You vowed that you'd be mine forever. Well, I swore that same oath."

Jack looked at where René stood, not happy but not threatening to tear anyone limb from limb either. 'What about..."

'We'll adjust," Baby said. 'You've always known how I feel about René. Well, now René knows how I feel about you."

'I ain't gonna pretend I like it," René growled. ''Cause I don't like you. But I ain't ever been able to tell her what to do. Besides, she said you been taking care of her for a long time now. She said she probably wouldn't have made it without you. Ten years is a long time to be alone. I know that for a fact." He didn't complain when Johanna came and wrapped her arms around his waist. 'And it ain't like she didn't stay here half the time, anyway." He sniffed. 'I got my own place. She can come to me there any time she wants for however long she wants."

Jack nodded. He hadn't thought about how Baby would divide her time between her husbands.

René shrugged. 'Not that she's gonna live with me. I figure she'll settle here. I figure this is as much her house as yours."

'This is her house as much as mine," Jack agreed. He thought for a moment. It was true. This was her home for however long she chose to make it so. He thought of the rings still clenched in his hand and how hard it had to have been for Beaumont to bring them to him. 'I don't want you sleeping with her here because I don't think I could stand it, but you can come and go as you please. I'll see you have a key and a password for the security system."

'Fair enough," René answered.

'It doesn't mean I like you," Jack stated. 'I still think you're a punk."

'And I still think you're an arrogant Yankee bastard," René stated, ignoring the glare Johanna gave both of them.

'Good. Just so we understand each other." Jack slid an arm around Baby's waist. He opened his fist and looked down at his wife. 'So, you want this back then?"

Baby plucked the man's ring from his hand. 'Only if you want this one back."

Jack grinned. 'They'll have to cut it off to get it away from me again."

Baby looked down at the diamond band and the ruby band already on her left hand. Neither really looked like a wedding ring somehow, though she claimed the men who'd placed them there as husbands. She watched as Jack slid his simple band onto her finger. Each ring somehow seemed fitting for the men who'd given them to her. White diamonds from Spike, clear and sparkling and complex; pigeons blood rubies from René, rich and rare and extraordinary; and plain gold from Jack, pure and uncomplicated and precious. She leaned heavily on Jack. All the vampires in the room felt her exhaustion.

'Maybe you should put her to bed for a while, Jack, yeah?" René said. 'I think she's had enough for one day."

Jack agreed. 'Carole, I'm sorry. I know this is all confusing, but your questions will have to wait. René's right. Baby's exhausted and I have to admit that I am, too. So is Wes. We all need to rest. Paul will show you to a room. Please don't try to leave. I promise, we'll answer everything tonight. Just let us sleep until the sun goes down. I'll answer everything I can tonight." Jack smiled suddenly. 'The night... I can't wait to see the night again. God, I've missed it."

Remy smiled softly. 'It hasn't changed. It still glows. And I think maybe tonight, it'll glow a little brighter for all of us. I think maybe the night missed you a little bit, too, Jack."

Wesley nodded. 'Of course it did. Jack's part of the night now as are we all." He gripped his newly returned brother's shoulder. 'Without you, a part of us all was missing." He smiled at his sire. 'But tonight, tonight we are complete again. And Remy's right, tonight will glow just a bit brighter."

Chapter 2: "Aftershock"

(Van Halen)

Oh, yeah! All right.
I don't care about the way that you're treating me.
And I ain't crying about the love I been paying for.
No, I ain't bitching 'bout the things you been putting down,
Yeah, in my street.

Oh! I ain't going around saying things about you.
Lord, I can't repeat.

Hey, it ain't gonna change overnight, no.
And it ain't going away without a fight, no!

Now I ain't saying that I'm never gonna beg you,
Oh, baby come back.
Right now baby, I don't really wanna see your face.
Yeah, and that's a fact.

Oh, I know honey all I know is what I'm feeling inside.
Right now baby I'm alone and I'm swallowing,
Lord, a lot of pride

And it ain't gonna change overnight, no.
And it ain't going away without a fight. Yeah!

Living with the aftershock.
I said, "My, my, my."
Well I never thought she'd walk.
But now I'm living with the aftershock.
And it ain't gonna change.
It ain't going away, no.

Yeah, she opened up my eyes. (Seeing what I wanna see.)
She came and took me by surprise. (Showed me what I hadn't seen.)

Yeah, yeah, living with the aftershock.
Oh, yeah! All right. Watch it; watch it!

Yeah, yeah, living with the aftershock.
I said, "My, my, my."
Baby, I never thought you would,
Give in and learn it from the aftershock.

And it ain't gonna change.
It ain't going away.
I said, "It ain't gonna change without a fight, no."

Living with the aftershock.
I'm living with the aftershock. Ow!
All right. Yeah, yeah, yeah! Never gonna change.

New Orleans, Louisiana, Friday, 7:25 pm, November 22, 2020

"Vampires. Right."

Jack sighed. He and Monroe were alone in his study. He thought it might be better to do this one-on-one. So far it wasn't going that well. Monroe simply refused to believe what Jack was telling him. "Hey, I know the feeling. When I found out, I didn't believe it either. I had to have a demonstration." He grinned at the memory of the first time Baby sank those gorgeous fangs of hers into his body. "I don't think you'll react the same way I did but..." He paused in his explanation as he felt his sire awaken. Jack smiled and waited. Maybe it would be better with her beside him. He could hear the soft sound of his wife sliding from their bed and the faint rustle as she slipped on her robe. He looked up at the gallery that ran the entire circumference of the room.

There were many reasons he loved this house she'd given him and this room was the primary one. She said she'd bought this house because she knew he'd like the study. She was wrong; he adored the study she'd chosen for him. It was beyond perfect. A beautifully constructed spiral staircase in one corner wound up to the matching wrought iron gallery that circled the room. Three sides of the gallery were covered with hardwood shelves where his books and objets d'art were displayed. The fourth side opened onto his bedroom. He could and practically did live in just these two rooms. As far as he was concerned, the rest of the house was just window dressing. He smiled. She'd promised to take care of him and she'd never failed him in that or any other regard.

He smiled at Monroe. "Baby... Abby's up. She'll join us." Monroe frowned at him and Jack's smile broadened before he explained, "It's a vampire thing. I can hear what she's thinking and feel what she's feeling." His grin turned electric. "Though, to be honest, I could do that even when I was human. We've always had a good, strong link. Hell, even when we were both human it still worked." He stood and moved to the center of the room just as Baby dropped from the room above to land only inches in front of him. He laughed. He liked to jump from the balcony, too. Just because he could. It was simply fun. "'Evening, sweetheart," he said as he lifted her off her feet to kiss her, ignoring Monroe's surprise that a woman Abby's age could leap a full story and land as easily as though it were only inches. That was another reason to do it. Jack might not look like a teenager but he felt better than one. And that simple leap reminded him that he would be strong forever. After living as a human again, he appreciated it even more and wasn't surprised Baby wanted to feel that strength and resiliency. Jack wanted to leap from rooftop to rooftop tonight just because he could.

Baby wrapped her arms around her husband sleepily. "Mmm Jack."

He chuckled and carried her to the couch. "How are you feeling?" he asked in tones that reminded Carole Monroe why he had been willing to give up his job to help Jack.

Baby snuggled against Jack's chest. "Hungry," she said with a yawn.

Jack thought for a moment. "Me, too. Starving actually," he said with a touch of surprise.

She laughed softly. "Why is it you never realize you're hungry until someone reminds you?"

"Lord Jack has the least active bloodlust of any vampire I've ever seen," Paul said as he entered carrying a silver tray with three carafes and numerous cups on it. "Your whole bloodline is like that, my lady."

Baby grinned. "Yeah, we're a tad freaky." She waited patiently as Paul poured warmed blood into delicate china. As he handed it to her, she tilted her head quizzically. "This mind-reading thing of yours is getting scary, Paul."

He harrumphed gently. "It's not mind-reading, Liege; it is simply good service. I have had well over a thousand years to perfect my skills as a servant."

"Paul is very old," Baby explained to a wide-eyed Monroe. "He may very well be the oldest living member of House Aurelius." Monroe, momentarily rendered a speechless automaton, accepted a cup of coffee from Paul as she continued, "Though I don't understand the whole servant thing. I've seen you fight, Paul. You could be master of any city you wanted."

Paul smiled enigmatically. Jack always felt that smile was one of Paul's more annoying traits. "I exist to serve, Lady. I was turned as a minion; I am not comfortable with the mantle of rule."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Suit yourself, Rasputin."

He laughed and served Jack a cup of blood with a slight bow before leaving the three alone. Baby watched Jack take his first sip and smiled as his eyes began to glow. She felt his pleasure blossom in her mind. "Oh my God. I'd forgotten how good that tastes," he said breathlessly and drained his cup.

Baby laughed and took it from him to refill it. She held the cup to his lips and he folded his hand over hers as he drank deeply. "That is just so good," he said as she set the empty cup on the tray. Lemon swirled and danced through the olive of his eyes. "It tastes almost as good as you do," he added as he leaned close and nuzzled her neck. The scent of his sire stirred something inside him and he felt his fangs grow and lengthen. That exquisite tingle as his face changed was only slightly less pleasant than his wife's moan as he rubbed his fangs up the delicate skin of her throat. "God, I missed this." He lifted his head preparatory to kissing her and heard Monroe gasp and leap from his chair to stumble back and away from Jack. He faced the other man, attracted to the scent of fear and shock that poured off the other agent. He breathed in the heady scent slowly, luxuriating for a moment before he let his face revert to its human aspect. "I'm sorry, Carole. I hadn't intended to spring it on you quite that way but it will work as good as any."

Baby sipped her cup of gore and let Jack handle his colleague. It felt good to relax here in the quiet of Jack's study away from everyone. She let the sound of Jack's voice wash over her as he sought to soothe Monroe's fears. It was amazing how clearly she could feel Jack now. Her other sons were strong in her mind though her sense of them lacked the blazing intensity of Jack. Her other husbands were also there. She sent a burst of love to René and was rewarded by the feel of his smile in her mind. She could tell he was with Johanna. She was glad. Jo was a nice girl and she and René fed some need in each other. She basked in the ebb and flow of her family's emotions. It was very, very good to be home again, to be herself again. She'd felt crippled for a decade, all her senses muffled and constrained. It felt so good to be able to clearly hear Wilda's heartbeat from two rooms away, to smell arousal beneath Jack's clean soap and shampoo scent, to smell Carole Monroe's fear.

And Carole's fear smelled wonderful. She looked at Monroe's fingers digging into the leather of the chair he stood behind. She was tempted to add to his terror but restrained that particular impulse. 'Calm down, Carole. If one of us was going to eat you, we'd have done it by now." She took a deep breath. 'Though I have to say the thought of eating someone sounds really good right about now." Well, maybe she didn't completely restrain that impulse.

'Honey," Jack chastised mildly. 'You're not helping."

'I'm not gonna sugar-coat it, baby." She looked at Monroe and allowed her eyes to glow with demon fire. 'He might as well realize up front what we really are. We're vampires, Mr. Monroe. We eat people. We live on human blood. We try our damnedest to only kill those who deserve it but we still are demons. Take some time and get used to it." She slipped from Jack's arms and stood. 'Right now, it's been two weeks since this body had a meal that wasn't force-fed to it. I'm starving. If my bloodline wasn't weird as all get-out, I'd have eaten every human within a block. As is, I think it's a good idea for us to go hunting. Paul," she called. 'Wake up Prince Remy." She paused a moment and smiled at the impression that awakened deep in her mind. 'Prince Wesley is already on his way. It's time my family spent some quality time together."

Smiling, Jack rose to join her. 'Paul and Jerod will take care of you, Carole. It's probably better if we do go out for a while. It will give you some time; I know you have a lot to think about."

Monroe watched with mixed terror and envy as Jack gathered Abby into his arms and leaped up to the balcony above them as easily as Monroe would leap a street-side curb. He agreed with Jack's last statement. He did indeed have a lot to think about.

*

New Orleans, Louisiana, Saturday, 3:01 am, November 23, 2020

Monroe was still thinking when he heard voices and laughter outside his window. Stepping out onto the gallery he could see Jack, his two 'brothers," and his wife in the garden below. They moved almost faster than he could follow, leaping and spinning in ways Monroe had not thought humanly possible. But then they weren't human, were they? He was reminded of a pack of hunting wolves that he'd once seen on a trip to Alaska. Returning to their den exuberant from a successful hunt, they'd played, nipping and tumbling over each other in their animal joy at just being alive and well fed. The feeling he'd had watching those predators play was the same one he had now as he watched Remy McSwain tag Jack on the shoulder and spin away before Jack could reach him. Wesley Pryce joined the fray, tapping Jack's back and leaping just out of reach as Jack whirled to confront him. A shiver ran the length of Monroe's body as Abby took Wesley's place and danced lightly away after tickling Jack's ear. Their game ranged across the velvety lawn, bipedal wolves rejoicing in a triumphant kill.

And Monroe had no doubt that there had been a kill. He stared at the front of Abby Niemczyk's light-colored blouse, something dark there glistening in the moonlight. He'd seen enough blood in his life to know what it looked like soaking light cotton. Her laughing face belied the gore staining her clothes. None of them seemed to notice or care that she was blood-drenched, that the shoulder of Jack's shirt was ripped and suspiciously dark, that Remy's light T-shirt was mottled with gore, or that Wesley's sleeve was heavily streaked with liquid black from cuff to elbow. They laughed and called out to each other heedless of the evidence of murder on their clothes, unconcerned by anything but their game of tag. They pursued it with a single-mindedness that simultaneously chilled and awed Monroe. He knew that predators played to hone their hunting skills and he couldn't help but picture himself as the object of a much less innocent game of tag. He willed them to finish soon; he didn't think he could bear to watch much longer but he couldn't turn away either.

His wish was soon granted. It was Abby Jack managed to tackle, grabbing her about the waist from behind and tossing her into the air to spin her about. Laughter ringing on the night air, he caught her and carried her away to a pristine white gazebo, his brothers following in his wake. Monroe wasn't sure if he'd glimpsed a shaman's vision of a hidden world or ancient man's nightmare of what lurked in the darkness.

"Vampires," Monroe managed to say with little expression in his face or voice. 'God in Heaven. They really are vampires."

'Yes, sir, they are," Benjamin Jerod said, stepping up beside him. He kept a close eye on the other human. Just because Monroe was disarmed didn't mean he was harmless. Jerod knew how well-trained FBI agents were. He'd spent the last four years guarding Jack Niemczyk as much as he did the Master's Consort. He knew exactly what a special agent was capable of, armed or not. He wasn't going to let one of the few moments of peace that he'd seen his charges experience be disrupted by this man.

Monroe turned a hard glance on his guard. 'And you're Secret Service? Did the government send you here to keep an eye on them?"

'Used to be Secret Service. I was a free agent before I ever went to work for the Master," Jerod replied.

'You left Secret Service to work for monsters?"

'I guess you could say that, though I'm not sure they're any more monstrous than any of the rest of us." Jerod could have told him plenty of stories about just how monstrous humans could be. 'I was with the government for ten years; they treated me like shit." He decided it was none of Monroe's business why Jerod had left the Secret Service. "Been with the Master nearly twenty years now. The treatment and the pay have been a hell of a lot better." He glanced down into the garden where his two charges kissed in the dim light of a half moon before vanishing into the gazebo. He was glad to have them back. 'I'd be careful calling them monsters. She doesn't care but Jack gets real picky about what people call her. And I can tell you from experience that you don't want to make Jack mad."

Monroe thought for a moment. 'I can take Jack. But I don't think I want to make his wife mad."

Jerod snorted slightly. 'No, you for damn sure don't want to make her mad. She'll take you apart a piece at a time. But I have news for you; you can't take Jack. I doubt if there are a handful of people who can take Jack and not damn one of them is breathing. Jack's as tough as any master vampire out there and smarter than any of them. If he ever decides to go conquering, René may have to give up the title of Warlord of the Clan."

Monroe frowned. Jack had explained the basics of being a vampire. Jerod and Paul had explained and re-explained the culture and dynamics of how they lived. Monroe hadn't believed a tenth of it. He only believed the vampire part because he'd seen Jack's face change. But now, now he got a shiver thinking of what he'd seen in Jack's garden.

Chapter 3: "Stay Gone"

(Jimmy Wayne Barber and Bill Kirsch)

I found piece of mind; I'm feeling good again.
I'm on the other side, Back among the living.
Ain't a cloud in the sky; All my tears have been cried,
And I can finally say:

Baby, baby stay,
Stay right where you are.
I like it this way,
It's good for my heart.
I haven't felt like this,
In God knows how long.
I know everything's gonna be okay,
If you just stay...
Gone.

I still love you, and I will forever.
We can't hide the truth. We know each other better.
When we try to make it work, We both end up hurt.
And it ain't supposed to be that way.

So baby, baby stay,
Stay right where you are.
I like it this way,
It's good for my heart.
I haven't felt like this,
In God knows how long.
I know everything's gonna be okay,
If you just stay...
Gone.

When you try to make it work,
We both end up hurt.
Love ain't supposed to be that way.

So baby, baby stay,
Stay right where you are.
I like it this way,
It's good for my heart.
I haven't felt like this,
No, in God knows how long.
I know everything's gonna be okay,
If you just stay...
Gone.

I know everything's gonna be okay,
If you just stay... gone.

New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunday, 10:30 pm, November 24, 2020

Spike stared at the relatively unchanged lines of the mural. After nearly twenty years he'd expected it to be faded and damaged but the colors were as crisp as when they'd been first painted. "It still looks good, dove," he said as he felt Baby enter the room. He'd heard her soft footsteps on the dusty floor when she'd first entered the old warehouse. He'd also heard the silence as she paused for several minutes before she climbed the stairs to their old makeshift bedroom.

"Amazingly so," she agreed.

"I remember watching you and Jean paint that," Spike continued without turning to look at her. "You both laughed the entire time. Claudia managed to get more paint on her and me 'helping' than you and Jean got on the wall. I think René thought we were all insane. And Philip..." He paused. "Well, who knows what Philip was really thinking." There were still dark smears on the painting, decades-old bloodstains from Claudia, Baby, Jean, and Philip. There was a stain on the concrete near the door from Spike's own veins. Only René hadn't shed blood in this room, though he'd left as much of his heart here as any of them. They'd all lost more than a touch of innocence in this room. But they'd gained so much more. Now, Spike felt as though they'd lost everything that they'd found here. "I don't want to talk about Philip tonight."

Baby tilted her head. "What did you want to see me about?"

Spike sniffed. "There was a time I didn't need a reason to see you. I didn't need to call and make an appointment. Just wanting to see you was reason enough." He didn't move any closer to her. Several feet and years of intimate relations separated them.

"It's been a while since that happened," she observed.

Spike started to contradict her and realized it wasn't the time for prevarication. "Yeah. I guess so." He turned his full attention back to the mural, contemplating the smiling faces of his once happy children: Philip, who'd turned against them all and paid with his life and now had somehow returned to wreak destruction amongst them yet again; Claudia, estranged from her mother, hurt and angered by her father's affairs with Shelley and Anne, who no longer visited New Orleans unless it was absolutely necessary, preferring the seat of her own empire in Vicksburg; Jean, who seldom really smiled anymore, whose love of life and all it had to offer had been replaced by a world-weary ennui that no one, not even René, seemed able to lighten; and René, who had caused so much heartache and joy, whose life had become a constant struggle and search for meaning and peace of heart and mind. Spike's own blue eyes laughed down at him from the wall. When had he last been that happy? He thought back and realized he hadn't felt that carefree since the night he'd sensed Baby was pregnant with Nina. The minutes passed as he looked at what had been. He'd never imagined all that had happened in the intervening years was even possible, much less probable. When Baby'd painted that portrait he was weeks away from becoming Master of New Orleans, years from losing her to René and Angelus, decades from losing her forever. Looking back, he supposed it was inevitable. At some point, he knew he'd either turn her or see her die. Either way, he'd lose her. He'd always known it.

With such thoughts plaguing him, he finally studied the painted image of his wife. Jean had done it and the love he'd felt for his new mother showed in the way he'd captured her softness, in the sparkle and life he'd managed to convey. The woman in Jean's painting and heart had been vital and alive and filled with love for her family, with love for her only husband. Spike wondered what had happened to that woman. He really missed her.

Spike finally turned to face the living version of the image on the wall. In jeans and a loose shirt she looked remarkably like the woman he remembered but none of that softness remained. Her face was closed and guarded, suspicion radiating in her posture. Her mind was mostly closed to him as his was to her. "What the hell happened to us, RoseRed?"

"We grew up," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We weren't exactly kids when we went into this, dove," he argued.

One corner of her mouth twitched. "Weren't we? We certainly thought like children. You were the tragic hero, the wounded knight-errant looking for a quest worthy of him. I was the damsel in distress who needed you to rescue and protect her. You'd slay all the dragons that threatened me and I'd always be your lady-fair." Her lips twitched again. "That's pretty much the way kids see the world."

"Yeah? Well, being an adult sucks then," he observed. She silently agreed and they simply stood for a few moments, moving no closer and no farther from each other. "If I was the knight back then, what am I now?" he finally asked.

"You're the king. You're ruler of one of the largest vampire empires in history. You have all that responsibility and you handle it wonderfully, but you don't have time to take up quests. You found your redemption and your calling. You don't need to wander the countryside looking for damsels or dragons anymore."

He nodded at the reality of her statement but demurred at the basic underlying truth. "I'd still kill dragons for you."

Any vestige of a smile she might have had disappeared. "I know, but I can slay my own dragons now," she said sadly.

He turned back to the mural. "Yeah. I've noticed." Quiet descended over them again, lasting long minutes. Finally he sighed. There was only one more thing to be done. "So where do we go from here?"

Her shoulder twitched much as her lips had earlier. He didn't see so she added aloud, "I don't know."

"Do you want a divorce?" he asked as expressionlessly as he could. There. It was done. The long-avoided words were said.

She drew a deep breath and exhaled it shakily. "I suppose so. There's not much else left for us, is there?" The long-awaited answer was finally spoken. "Yes, we should divorce."

He drew himself up. He didn't need to go to her. He didn't need to sweep her hair to one side, baring her neck to his view. He knew it was free of his mark and had been since the Powers That Be had restored her to him in a new body. There was nothing there for him to disfigure, nothing to prove she had ever been his. He supposed he should have taken that as a sign. "There's nothing more for it, then. It's just a matter of announcing it. The legal bits the lawyers can handle." Avoiding looking at her, he turned and strode toward the door.

She made no sound but as he passed her, close enough that he'd only need to reach out his hand to touch her, the ocean scent of her tears hit him. He'd smelled the salt of them many times over twenty-two years of life together. Each time, they had ripped at his heart. He found to his surprise that this time was no different.

"No," he whispered. A sarcastic smile spread across his face as the rightness of it all suddenly struck him. "No," he repeated more forcefully. "Not gonna happen." He only had to half-turn and reach out to have her in his arms, his mouth hard against hers. He couldn't remember the last time he'd kissed her like that. They been tip-toeing around each other for so long he'd forgotten what it felt like to just let go. Well, it was time and past that he did just that. He kissed her with a violence he hadn't shown in years. "No. No divorce. Not now, not ever. You're mine! Sod ‘em all and confine 'em to Hell." He stared into shocked golden-green eyes. "So the damned storybook didn't end '...and they lived happily ever after.' Fuck that. You are still my wife. And God help us both, I do still love you." His hands gripped her upper arms so tightly she'd have bruises, but he didn't care and she didn't protest. "And you still love me. Deny it!"

She shook her head. "I never said I didn't love you." She pushed against his chest with fists that were already clenched. "Not ever."

"Alright then. So we aren't what we once were. So we'll never be that way again." He was strong enough to admit that. And he was strong enough because of her; she'd made him strong over the years. "We'll be something else." He kissed her again until, regardless of her lack of need for oxygen, she was breathless. "I don't know what that will be yet but we'll be something." He felt better than he had in longer than he could remember. "You're right; I am king. And as long as I'm king, you'll be queen. It won't matter who I'm with or who you're with; you will always be my wife and my consort." Blue eyes snapped with yellow fire. "That's not negotiable."

"Spike..."

"Mine! Forever. That's what I swore twenty years ago. I'm not going to let go of that oath." He ground his mouth against hers, claiming it the way he'd claimed her body in this room long ago. "I can't be everything for you anymore. I know that. And you can't be everything for me. But we can still be something for each other. Can't we?" He shook her when she didn't answer immediately. "Can't we?"

"I don't know." Tears still flowed freely down her face.

His grip tightened painfully. "We can try! Do you really want to divorce me? Do you?"

"No!" Had her response been louder, he would have called it a wail. "No, I don't." She was close to sobbing. "I'm so angry though! I can't live with you when I'm this angry."

"Then don't! Stay with Jack. Stay with René. You're not the only one who's angry. I need time, too. But I can't let you go forever. I can't cut the connection I have to you. I lived without that for two weeks. I can't even imagine living like that forever."

She bowed her head. "I can. I did for ten years."

His grip loosened slightly and he exhaled slowly. "It's true then. Everything René told me about you and Jack is true. Jack really was your husband for years and years." At her nod, he twisted his lips and said, "Then we need time to get to know each other again." He kissed her again, more softly but with no less hunger. "Can we do that? We can still be something to each other. I know we can."

"Yes. Yes, we can," she agreed, though with hesitation.

"Good then," he said with a boldness he wasn't sure he really felt. He let go of her arms and took her face in his hands. "We are still husband and wife." She closed her eyes and nodded. "We will work this out. We probably won't be what we were before, but we will work this out, dove." He kissed her forehead quickly and released her, striding from the room and from the old warehouse that had been their first home in New Orleans, their first settled home anywhere.

Jack was outside in the empty parking lot, leaning with arms and ankles crossed against his convertible. He straightened when he saw Spike. Jack covered it well, but Spike knew the young vampire was afraid. Spike smiled viciously; Jack had never been stupid. "Jack."

Jack inclined his head respectfully but his eyes never left Spike. "Master."

"I thought she came alone," Spike said tightly.

"She did," Jack said. "I followed her."

Spike raised his scarred eyebrow. He wondered why Jack had bothered. Was he here to offer comfort to his sire when Spike left her? Or was he here to protect her from Spike? Spike wondered exactly what Jack would have done had Spike decided to punish his wife for her infidelities. He was almost tempted to find out. "She's inside. You'd best go to her."

How brave was the FBI agent where his wife was concerned? As Jack walked past him, Spike grabbed the other man's arm. He felt Jack's unease skyrocket and knew Baby felt it and was already on her way down the stairs. "As long as you take good care of her, you're safe from me. So you'd better take good care of her."

Anger completely dampened the fear Spike had sensed in the agent. "I don't need threats from you to do that, sir," Jack said tightly.

"All the better then," Spike said and removed his hand from Jack's forearm. "Go to her. Let her know you're alright; she's worried."

"I know," Jack said and turned smoldering eyes on his grandsire. "And that kind of worry is really the last thing she needs right now." His disapproval was more than readily apparent. It radiated around him in a corona of anger.

Spike tilted his head at the taller man as Baby reached the door of the warehouse and paused there. "Is it? Are you saying you know her better than I do, Jack?"

Jack started to say something and changed his mind. Whatever fear he'd felt of Spike was completely submerged in anger and a newfound hostility. "Yes, sir, I am. I don't think you know her at all anymore. Not like I do."

Spike studied the anxious face of his estranged wife as she looked from him to her newest husband. All her concern was for Jack. There was none left for her first husband. Her hand reached out, her fingers lacing with Jack's in a motion as smooth and effortless as flower petals unfurling in the morning sun. Spike wondered if maybe he should have let his first decision stand. Maybe it was finally over. As he turned and walked off into the darkness, Spike shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, Jack, I'm beginning to think that maybe you're right."

Chapter 4: 'The Long Goodbye"

"The Long Goodbye"

[Brooks and Dunn.
Written by Paul Brady and Ronan Keating.
(© Almo Music Corp.)
From "Steers and Stripes", © 2001, Arista Nashville]

 I know they say if you love somebody,
You should set them free.
But it sure is hard to do.
It sure is hard to do.
I know they say if you don't come back again,
Then it's meant to be.
Those words don't pull me through,
'Cos I'm still in love with you.
I spend each day here waiting for a miracle.
But it's just you and me goin' through the mill.
climbin' up a hill.

 This is the long goodbye.
Somebody tell me why,
Two lovers in love can't make it,
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?
No matter how hard I try,
I always make you cry.
Come on, baby, it's over, let's face it.
All that's happening here is a long goodbye.

 Sometimes I ask my heart did we really,
Give our love a chance? (Just one more chance.)
But I know without a doubt,
We turned it inside out.
And if we walked away,
It would make more sense?
But it tears me up inside,
Just to think we could still try.
How long must we keep running on a carousel?
Goin' round and round and never getting anywhere,
On a wing and prayer.

 This is the long goodbye.
Somebody tell me why,
Two lovers in love can't make it,
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?
No matter how hard I try,
I always make you cry.
Come on, baby, it's over, let's face it.
All that's happening here is a long goodbye.

New Orleans, Louisiana, Tuesday, 2:10 a.m., November 24, 2020

"No," Jack said firmly. "No, I killed Philip. I promise you he was dead. I spent years on the run because I killed him. I was sentenced to twenty-five to life in prison because I killed him."

Wesley nodded. "I have no doubt of that, Jack. You killed the body Philip was using, but obviously he had his own way to restore his consciousness to the body he uses in this reality."

"Jack, honey," Baby said softly. "I saw him. He's disgustingly alive."

Jack growled and crossed to the wet bar. He poured a large whiskey and downed it. The twitching of his clenched jaw was visible across the room. He set the empty glass on the bar, his hand still clasped around it. Two seconds later it shattered as his fingers unconsciously tightened in wrath.

Jack brushed the glass from his hand and poured a fresh drink before sitting down beside Baby and lacing his fingers through hers. His rage was a throbbing redness in the back of her mind. She squeezed his fingers. "He's picked up another wizard type," she said. "The mage tossed some sort of spell at me. It fizzled. I guess Philip doesn't know magic only works about fifty percent of the time on me." She shrugged. "I'm more concerned that he does have a magic user on his side. He's got backing from someone. Philip isn't good enough to pull this all off on his own."

René growled, sounding remarkably like Jack. "He's got heavy-duty help. While you were... gone I got Wes to try and find him. Philip went and got some sort of cloaking spell on himself. Even Wes can't get through it."

"We'll find him," Spike said finally, carefully not looking at his wife. There was a thin patch of blood across her right breast that made his insides feel tight. She'd been hunting when she and Remy had run into Philip. Bloodstain aside, he wasn't comfortable in Jack's house but the call from Wesley about Philip had pulled him from Anne's arms easily. Philip was a threat to them all that had to be dealt with swiftly. "We'll find him and I'll deliver my judgement on him."

Jack tossed off the rest of his drink. "Not if I get to him first," he said seriously. "I don't care where he is when I find him; he's dead." He faced Spike squarely. "I don't care if he's in the middle of the RiverWalk. When I find him, I'm going to shoot him in the head and stake him in the heart."

No one offered Jack any argument.

*

New Orleans, Louisiana, Wednesday, 1:21 a.m., November 25, 2020

Jack let the exhilarating peace of feeding flow through him. Life and death merged in his mind, filling the emptiness and quenching the burn of bloodlust. Fangs buried deep in his prey's throat, he felt the child-killer's heartbeat falter, slow, falter again, and finally still. He let the body fall to the damp earth of the alleyway and rolled so he could lean his back against the wall. Eyes closed, he gave himself over to the rush of the kill. A small noise caused his eyes to fly open and he smiled ecstatically. "Sweetheart!" He bounded across the narrow space and swept his red-haired lover up and off her feet. He chuckled a tad lewdly. "You look good enough to eat." His fangs flashed in a broad grin. "And I think I will."

She laughed and tilted her head, offering her throat to him. She sighed in pleasure as his teeth sank into her and he drank deeply. He lifted his head, sliced his arm, and offered it to her. As she drank, he rained kisses on her hair.

Spike watched from the roof opposite and frowned. Even from here, he could tell that she smelled of no one but Jack. He'd followed them for three nights now and they were always together. Jack left for work at FBI New Orleans while Baby stayed in his big house safe from any attackers. When she left the security of the big classical mansion, Jack was always with her. Regardless of who else might tag along, Jack was always there.

As she lifted bloody lips to Jack's, Spike melted back into the night. All those years he had worried about René when it seemed he should have been far more concerned about Baby's pet.

*

Spike watched as Thanksgiving passed in polite and distant conversation. Dinner for the family looked much as it ever had but there was a new reserve to the proceedings. Even Nina and Kevin's overflowing happiness couldn't lighten the tension that hung over the day. Only Devereau seemed unaware of the overtones as he played happily in his new father's lap.

For the first time in memory, Baby didn't share Spike's chair. She sat at the foot of the table in Angel's usual seat. Her sire's absence might make a convenient excuse for the change in seating arrangements but that didn't disguise the faint chill that overhung the table. Jack sat on Baby's right and her hand remained in his for most of the meal. René sat on his father's left as he'd ever done but his discomfort was evident, though Jean was in his accustomed place on Spike's right offering quiet support to his brother. Wes had moved to Baby's left with Drusilla beside him and Remy occupied a new place at the table next to Jack. The vassals, minions, and lesser ranking members of the family recognized that a new hierarchy was being set.

Spike knew that well out of the hearing of the lords and ladies of the Pride, speculation was rampant about Jack's new place in the family and the FBI agent's chances for continued existence if he had truly usurped René's title as Baby's favorite. To many it seemed that he had indeed managed that and more. Baby had never left Spike to live with René nor had she openly sat hand-in-hand with René while virtually ignoring Spike. Odds on Jack's longevity were not in his favor.

*

New Orleans, Louisiana, Friday, 11:41 p.m., November 27, 2020

Jack wasn't sure what had caused Spike to say it. They had been discussing Philip and how to end his threat. A lot of past history that Jack cared nothing at all about was being discussed and emotions were running higher than they normally did, but to Jack's mind that didn't excuse Spike's statement one little bit.

"I should never have turned you. That was the biggest mistake I ever made. I should have let you die."

Jean gasped, shocked that his father would say that aloud to his mother. René's face was blank with disbelief. Baby's face was just as blank but Jack felt the bone-deep wound Spike's words caused. Jack knew they all suspected Spike felt that way, but Spike didn't have to say it aloud in front of a room full of people. His sire's hurt cut at Jack's soul and without any cognitive thought, Jack lashed out.

Spike stared up at his grandson and rubbed the pained spot on his jaw where Jack's fist had cracked the bone. Baby's wedding ring thumped on Spike's sternum as Jack flung it down.

"It's done. It's over." Yellow glowed amid the green of Jack's eyes and fury tightened his mouth.

"Is that a challenge, Jack? Do you want New Orleans?" Spike asked coldly as he climbed to his feet, the diamond band clenched in his hand.

Jack glared at his grandsire. "I don't give a shit about New Orleans. I don't want your town. But I won't let you talk to my wife that way. You've hurt her enough." Jack's mouth twisted in disgust. "Jean loves you too much to hurt your feelings and Beaumont's too much of a pussy to stand up to you but it's time someone did. If you don't want Baby - and it's been clear to all of us for a long time that you don't - then you need to be man enough to let her go."

Spike growled and gold glowed in his eyes. "And what if I don't want to let her go?"

Jack raised his chin. "Then, by God, I'll take her from you."

"Jack!" Baby said fearfully, spreading her hand across his chest.

Jack closed his hand around hers and moved her gently into Remy's arms. "No. I swore that I'd protect you from any hurt that I could. I've kept that oath since I married you. I'm not going to stop now." He could feel her terror for him and took a moment to smile at her. "Don't worry."

Spike narrowed his eyes. There was no hint of apprehension in Jack now. Whatever fear the younger man had once felt for Spike was gone.

"Papa, please don't," Jean said softly. "Don't kill him."

Spike moved his jaw experimentally. Yes, the bone was definitely cracked. And he was pretty sure Jack had been holding back. "I think you underestimate Jack, son." Wesley's solemn blue eyes showed his agreement with his grandsire. "There's a good chance I could kill Jack but there's an equally good chance Jack could kill me."

René's soft cry of denial wasn't echoed by anyone else. Baby closed her eyes and her misery flooded through everyone in the room. "Please don't do this," she said in a barely audible voice. Remy held her trembling form tightly.

Spike pretended he didn't hear her. "Besides, he's right." Baby lifted eyes full of anguish. Ignoring Jack's glowering form, Spike ran a finger along her jaw. "I have hurt you enough. That's all we do anymore." She nodded slightly. "It's time to stop," he whispered.

Spike carefully removed her from Remy's grasp and placed her against Jack's solid chest. "Maybe it's best you take care of her for a while." He drew a deep breath. "She'll hold the title of my consort and Queen of New Orleans for as long as I rule here."

Jack nodded. "You'll rule forever if I have anything to say about it."

"As long as that doesn't interfere with what's best for her." Spike amended and smiled ruefully. "You are and always have been completely hers."

Jack tightened his embrace. "I have. I've never claimed any different."

Spike's fingers tightened around the ring in his hand. "Maybe that's where I went wrong." He caressed Baby's cheek and left the room before she began to silently weep against Jack's chest.

*

New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunday, 9:11 p.m., November 29, 2020

Spike motioned at the mostly empty bar. "I thought neutral ground might be best for this meeting," he said before he turned back to his drink. "Where's Jack?"

"Outside," Baby said softly.

Spike nodded. He wasn't surprised. "We gave it a good try, didn't we, dove?"

She smiled wanly. "The best one we could."

He swirled the liquor in his glass acutely aware of the bar around them. Every colored light seemed too bright in the darkness and the jukebox in the back seemed too loud to his overly tender senses. "I'm sorry, rose, for everything."

"So am I," she answered. "I screw up a lot."

Spike stared at his whiskey to avoid looking at her. He wasn't sure he could bear to see the pain in her voice echoed on her face. "So did I." He finally turned to look at her. His eyes were as bright with unshed tears as hers. "I wasn't lying the other day when I said we could still be something to each other. I suppose we just need to find out what that something is."

"I suppose so," she agreed softly.

"And I suppose first I need to find out what I actually want," Spike continued. "Maybe I'll take that trip to California you keep saying I need to make." He smiled softly. "You're usually right about things like that." He took a sip of his drink when she didn't say anything. He'd noticed that she was much quieter since she'd wakened from her drugged sleep. She seemed calmer, too. Maybe those lost years with Jack had been good for her. "I think you already know what you want." He sighed. He didn't want to talk about Jack. "You know what I remember most fondly?

She shook her head.

"I remember when you were my best friend. I'd like to think that's still the case."

She smiled and touched him for the first time since she'd sat down beside him. Just a fleeing brush of her fingers across his but it was enough. "It is. I'll always be your best friend."

He grinned. "That's a good place to start. I think we were better as friends and lovers than we ever were as husband and wife." He took another sip of liquor. "Maybe Jack will make a better husband." When she still remained silent, he sat the glass on the counter. "He's a good man. A bit of a prick, but overall a good man."

She laughed for just a second. "Yes, he is. The best."

Silence dragged for long minutes. A thousand memories played through Spike's mind as the jukebox played too loudly and her drink sat untouched on the bar. "Yeah, I think I'll take your advice and visit California for a bit." He finished off his whiskey with a flourish. "You'll look after things here while I'm gone?"

"Of course," she said. "Everything will be fine until you get back."

He nodded and stood. "I think I'll take the bike. I haven't done cross country on a Harley in a good long while."

She smiled. "You'll like that. You've been pretty cooped up lately."

He smiled back. "Yeah, a bloke needs to break out once in a while. Can't get too domesticated, can I?" He grinned. "I mean, when's the last time I had a good rumble? Everyone here knows me. No one wants to fight just for the fun of it anymore." He chucked her under the chin. "I haven't had a good bar fight in fifteen years or more. I'll lose my edge if this keeps up."

She laughed. "I doubt if you could ever lose your edge."

He trailed his fingers across her cheek. "You always did believe in me."

Her face was solemn as she took his hand in hers. "I always will." She drew a deep breath. "And right now, I believe you can find a way to be happy. That's all I ever really wanted, you know. That's why I left with you. I just wanted you to be happy."

He helped her off the barstool and led her toward the door. "I know, dove. I forget every once in a while but I know that you never meant for things to turn out this way." He pushed the door open and cool, damp air flowed across them. He looked to where Jack waited, leaning against his Bentley. "Maybe it's all for the best." He pulled his keys from his pocket and tossed them into the air, catching them easily. "I'll be back soon, dove. This is my home and always will be." He straddled his motorcycle. "I have you to thank for that." He smiled up at her. "And a lot more." He nodded as Jack stepped up beside Baby. "I know I don't have to tell you to take care of her, Jack, but keep an eye on Jean, won't you?"

Jack nodded once. "Yes, sir."

The Harley roared and rumbled to life and Spike rode off into the foggy night without a backward look.

Jack's arms wrapped around Baby. "Hey, we'll get through this together," he whispered. "It'll be alright. It may take a while, but I promise you, it'll be alright."

"Jackie," she said gently and cradled his face with one hand. "My Jackie."

He bent close. "Yours. Forever." His lips touched hers as Spike's taillight faded in the mist and music flowed from the still-open door of the bar.

 I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons,
Finally content with a past I regret.
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness,
For once I'm at peace with myself.
I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long,
I'm movin' on.

 I've lived in this place and I know all the faces,
Each one is different but they're always the same,
They mean me no harm, but it's time that I face it,
They'll never allow me to change.
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong.
I'm movin' on.

 I'm movin' on; at last I can see,
Life has been patiently waiting for me.
And I know, there's no guarantees,
But I'm not alone.
There comes a time in everyone's life,
When all you can see are the years passing by.
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone.

 I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't,
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town.
I've loved like I should, but lived like I shouldn't.
I had to lose everything to find out.
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road.
I'm movin' on.

I'm movin' on

("I'm Movin' On" Written by Phillip White and David Vincent Williams.
(© Murrah Music Corporation/W.B. Music Corp./Richard From "Rascal Flatts", © 2000, Lyrics
Street/Hollywood Records.
From "Rascal Flatts", © 2000, Lyrics Street/Hollywood Records.)