Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:45:18 -0500
From: Jason Gordon <jaygordon_1981@hotmail.com>
Subject: Things that Go Bump 28 (Epilogue)

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction, which will include t/t, t/m
and m/m relationships, and probably some sex too.  If it is illegal in your
area to read this, or if you are not old enough to read this (you know who
you are), stop here.  Otherwise, please enjoy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is a companion story to "A Light in the
Darkness."  The story lines are related and the characters occasionally
interact, and the frequency of this will be increasing. My sincerest thanks
go out to Tarton and Darryl the Radio Rancher, who kindly edited this
chapter.  And thanks to everyone for writing such encouraging emails.

I am now posting my stories to a Yahoo!Group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jaygordon_1981/ as well.  I'm putting them up
there a little in advance so I can make final edits before submitting to
Nifty, so if you are interested, you can check it out.  Its membership
requires permission to avoid spam and flames, so just let me know!



			Things That Go Bump, Chapter 28
				"Into the Light of Day"



	Sebastian and James, Avery and Lieutenant Spencer, and, last but
not least, Sam and Peter, staggered through the portal with a few others.
Out of Eden, they could smell the taint of sulfur on the clothes of those
who had ventured into the pit.  But there wasn't time to shower and change
just yet.  Not with Peter back in the house.

	They ushered Peter into Sebastian's office and closed the door.
Sebastian looked at Peter and said, "Peter, I don't mean to push, but we
need to figure out the direction you want to take, right now....  Frankly,
I don't know how Richard is going to respond to you being back.  Hell, he
hasn't left his room for a few weeks....  Someone has to force him to take
blood...."

	"God," Peter said, putting his head in his hands.  "What have I
done?"

	"Pete, the question isn't what have you done!" James exclaimed.
"The question is, what are you going to do?  Do you even want to try to
repair things with Richard?"

	"YES!  YES!  But how could he ever...."

	"Peter," Sebastian said, "I'm going to be honest.  I really don't
get it, but Richard fell for you fast and hard ... and that's why I think
he'll take you back.  BUT ... he got really hurt, so it's not going to be
easy...."

	"I know, but I'll do whatever it takes," Pete said.

	"Then, I can't hide from him the fact that you're here," Sebastian
said with a sigh, standing.

	"Now?" Pete asked nervously.

	"Now, Peter," Sebastian said slowly.  "It's time to begin facing
the music."  He placed his hand over Pete's heart and said, "James asked
for you to be healed.  I know this is going to hurt, but it's time for you
to be a healer."  With that he motioned for everyone to leave except for
Peter.  "Go get cleaned up and relax, everybody....  You've earned it....
And tomorrow we begin again," he added heavily.

	Sebastian followed the men upstairs and made his way to Richard's
room.  Knocking, he heard no response.  He opened the door and found
Richard sitting at his desk in his robe staring off into space.  He looked
as if he hadn't moved in days.  "Richard, it's over....  Sammael's
defeated...."

	Richard barely registered, and Sebastian reiterated, "Richard!  Did
you hear me?"

	"I heard you," he mumbled.  "Is there anything else?"

	"Richard, take a shower and get dressed.  We have to talk...."  The
man didn't move.  "Richard, that was not a request.  I COMMAND YOU to take
a shower, freshen up and get dressed.  I want to see you looking like
yourself in thirty minutes."  Richard looked over, surprise registering in
his eyes, and his body immediately sprang into action.  In two hundred
years, Sebastian had never given him a directive command.

	Sebastian stepped into the room and stood waiting for the man to
return from the shower.  When he did, he was cleanly shaven, with a towel
draped across his hips.  "You look weak, Richard....  You'll need to
feed...."

	"Yes, master," the man replied a note of sarcastic bitterness in a
voice that once held only admiration.

	He dropped his towel and began to get dressed, totally unconcerned
with his audience.  "Richard....  We defeated Sammael and his forces...."

	"And?" the man asked, steely.

	"And ... aren't you going to ask?" Sebastian asked, nearly
pleading.

	"He's dead," Richard replied soullessly.

	"NO, YOU DAMN FOOL!  He's in my office....  His punishment was put
in James's hands, his soul was healed, but he still remembers all he's
done. "

	Richard looked over at Sebastian, tears rising in his eyes.  "I
don't know if I can forgive him, Sebastian," he whispered, a little of his
old self returning.

	"You say that," Sebastian smiled gently.  "But wait until you see
him...."  Sebastian took him by the elbow and led him downstairs.  At the
bottom, he merely nodded to the door to his office and walked back
upstairs.

	After a long hesitation, he stepped uneasily in the direction of
the door.  What would he say?  Would he be angry?  Would he demand penance?
He had no idea what he would do when he opened the door, but at last he
did.

	When he saw the boy, handsome and physically strong, sitting in the
big armchair, slumped over and looking defeated, childlike with tears in
his eyes, all he could do was close the door behind him and fall to his
knees at the boy's feet.

	Pete tried to hide his face, but Richard took his hands and looked
up into his red eyes.  "Pete?" he whispered as if it might not be true.

	"Richard," the boy whispered, his face in agony.  Richard craned
his neck and kissed the boy on his head and smiled.

	"I missed you," Richard whispered, putting a hand on his cheek.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.  "You're alive?"

	"Of course I am," Pete said.  Then he realized what Richard meant.
"Yes, I'm human....  I was given a choice and I chose...."

	"I see," Richard said, his face falling.  He read the response as a
rejection.

	"Richard, I asked to be made human again because, when the time
comes, I want it to be you who changes me....  I want you to be with
me...."

	All the resistance Richard had left inside of him melted as he drew
the boy into his strong arms.  He couldn't stop his fangs from extending at
the smell of the warm blood coursing through Peter's veins, and the boy
laughed.  "You're hungry...."

	"I'm sorry," Richard said, backing away.

	"Please," Pete said, stepping into him and pulling his collar
aside.  "Please?"

	Richard nodded and gently kissed his neck, running his tongue along
the firm muscle.  "I missed you," he repeated in a faraway voice as he
gripped Pete tightly and sank his fangs deep into the boy's neck.



	Upstairs, Sebastian found James sitting at the window playing his
violin, having showered and changed.

	"You're doing well," Sebastian smiled.  "It's been a long time
since I heard you practice...."

	"It's been a long time since I practiced.  Maybe you can start
giving me some lessons again now that things are getting back to
normal...."

	"Normal," Sebastian said with a smile.  "Yes, perhaps in a few
days.  There is some business left to handle...."

	"How's Pete?" James asked.

	"He's with Richard just now...."

	James looked alarmed, but Sebastian waved his hand. "Richard was,
and remains, madly in love with him....  I have no doubt it will be bumpy,
but I'd be surprised if they weren't already hugging...."  Sebastian took a
quick shower and returned toweling himself off.

	James smiled and slipped up behind him, sliding his hand beneath
the towel.  Sebastian laid his head back on James's broad chest and sighed.
"Mmmm....  Sorry babe, but there are things to be done...."

	"I won't forget that you promised me a vacation after this," James
laughed.

	"Actually, I declared I was leaving the Council," Sebastian replied
with a smile.  "You made me promise to take a trial vacation first...."

	"So are you going through with it?" James asked.

	"With the vacation?  Yes!  With leaving the Council?  No,"
Sebastian answered, and James nodded.  "I'll need you and Lt. Spencer to
prepare for a special assignment early in the morning.  I'll be sending
Avery and Sarah out as well...."

	"And who will you be going with?" James asked, raising his
eyebrows.

	"I'll be traveling alone, as will Sam Roth, Christen, Americ, and
Musa...."

	"What's going on, Sebastian?" James asked.

	"We were this close," Sebastian said, holding his fingers a few
centimeters apart, "to seeing our world destroyed....  Not by Sammael, but
by madmen in positions of power.  Ages ago, I helped broker the withdrawal
of the shadows from the mortal realm.  We all took a position of
non-interference.  But ... well, this once, we're going to violate that
agreement.  We're going to clean the slates....  We have a unique
opportunity to improve the situation of billions of people...."

	"Sebastian...."

	"James, I'm sorry, but think of what almost happened!  The North
Koreans, the Chinese, Syria, Iran, Libya....  We can change things....  We
have an opening, people are ready, there's good will...."

	"We can't take these things into our hands, Sebastian...."

	"These people are mass-murderers!" Sebastian exclaimed.  "Remember
that man, the one who was abusing his son?  Remember what you said?  I made
the same arguments you're making now, but you were right....  We have these
powers for a reason."

	James sat down and thought for a moment, nodding.  "Alright, but we
do it my way," James said.  Sebastian looked at him with a bemused smile
and nodded.



	It took around three hours to arrange the global teleconference.
In addition to convening the Shadow Council, all UN member states were
requested to have a representative on the line.  By the appointed time,
leaders of over 145 countries were present, and the rest were represented.

	"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to formally announce and verify
what you all may have already surmised.  The threat is over.  Sammael, the
mastermind of the recent difficulties, has been vanquished...."  Cheers
could be heard from many of the stations.  "However, so much of the
devastation was our own fault....  We have allowed our divisions, our
corruptions, to penetrate too deeply.  The ambitions of nations, the
repressions of the common man, have degraded us all....  Things must
change...."  Sebastian looked at James and nodded.

	James was dressed in the navy suit Sebastian had tailored for him
and nodded into the camera.  "Good evening gentlemen, ladies.  My name is
James van der Meer, and it is my duty to inform you all of the end of the
Shadow Council's policy of non-interference in human affairs...."
Suddenly, there was a clamor among the human representatives and applause
from many of the non-humans.

	"You know we'd have no choice but to end our policy of toleration?"
the president of the United States said gravely.

	"Mr. President, human- and shadow-kind stand on a new horizon,
where peace and prosperity, and a new age of freedom are just at hand.  We
shall return to our policy of non-interference permanently, once the mortal
world negotiates a just and lasting order for itself, as we have for
ourselves," James replied.  "Mr. President, world leaders, members of the
Shadow Council, tomorrow morning, the leader of a repressive regime and his
top lieutenants will die....  Many of you will rejoice at the loss.  But
know this!  If you fail to act to remedy your own troubles, we will
continue to solve them for you.  And one day, perhaps one of you will be an
obstacle to human flourishing.  Please, for everyone's sake, act!"

	"This is a declaration of war," the premier of China declared
angrily.

	"Premier," Sebastian leaned in, "that is your sentiment, not ours.
But consider this: just this morning, the world was on the brink of
universal annihilation.  Missiles from your country, Mr. Premier, were the
scythe of the angel of death.  But a power greater than yours destroyed
your missiles....  Will you make us your enemies, we who fought off the end
of all things, or will you bow to the inevitable course of history?"

	"This is absurd," the man proclaimed angrily.  "The people of China
will not be threatened!"

	"You are the enemy of the people of China, sir," James replied
angrily.  "You are a criminal!  This morning you nearly perpetrated the
greatest mass murder in the history of humankind.  In a just world, you'd
be arrested, tried and executed.  You will accept our terms, or we WILL
make this a more just world," he ended with a none-too-subtle threat.

	"We will not be cowed into submission," the premier began again,
but he fell silent as a man appeared at his side.

	"Premier, for crimes against humanity, you are hereby sentenced to
death," Avery said, calmly, and put his hand on the man's shoulder.  It was
over as quick as that.  The premier's head bounced off the desktop as he
keeled over.

	"James, Sebastian?"

	"Thank you, Avery, please come home," Sebastian replied across the
net and he appeared moments later to James' right.

	"This is outrageous," the German chancellor complained.

	"Madame Chancellor," James said levelly, "this morning, that man
and his cronies nearly killed every man, woman and child on earth.  Clean
your houses....  You have a little time...."  Then the humans were put
offline.

	Sebastian announced, "In the morning, I'll be announcing
replacements for Consuls Chang and Salazar.  I need everyone to maintain
highest readiness in case the humans decide not to negotiate....  Please
reconvene at 10am EST.  Thank you all, and good evening...."

	Sebastian looked at James and said, "I hope this works...."

	"Humanity does its best work when it's between a rock and a hard
place," James responded with a smile.  "Besides, there's a lot of feel-good
energy left in the air...."



	The next morning, a huge explosion rocked a bunker in Pyongyang,
killing Kim Jong Il and the top military leadership of North Korea.
Simultaneously, two young, western-looking men walked into an upscale shop
in the Chinese gambling center, Macau.  Witnesses reported that the younger
of the two men electrocuted a man in a dressing room.  By evening,
international news agencies were reporting the murder of Kim's son and
successor.  Given the nation's long history of repression, little civil
unrest was reported, and council agents were in touch with surviving
members of the ruling elite.  The path to freedom in the North would be
long and slow, but it would come under its new leadership.  If they valued
their lives.

	When James and Lt. Spencer returned, they met Avery, and Sebastian,
and the other consuls soon arrived from their missions.  Sebastian smiled
and said, "The human's seem convinced, the free world at least....  The
remnants of the United Nations will begin meeting today, and every
indication is that the Chinese will come begging....  Good work, my love,"
he added, giving James a soft kiss on the cheek.

	"The dirty work isn't finished," James said gravely.

	"But your plan is much cleaner than mine was," Sebastian assured
him.  "Now let's go to our conference...."

	As he logged on, his loyal friends gathered around the camera.
"Good morning," he began.  "If you've watched the news, you know we've
begun our offensive in order to establish a new order....  The humans are
responding admirably, and I believe hostilities will soon end...."  There
was a measure of applause.  "Now I'm going to announce a few promotions....
I'm asking Avery Salazar to resume his responsibilities as consul and
oversee his late brother's provinces."  This time, surprisingly, there was
a more rousing applause.  "Second, I am asking Horatio Vickers, the young
vampire who first revealed to me Consul Chang's treachery and who has
remained in my household, to assume the duties of consul....  I know he's
young, but he's loyal and intelligent.  His second will be his partner, the
streghe, Roman Sylvano...."

	"High Consul!  The Streghe are not party to the council!" one
representative objected.

	"Just this morning, I negotiated with the Streghe court for their
admission to the council.  Their archon will receive the title of consul
without province, just as the queen of the witches does.  And Roman will be
vice consul of Asia...."

	While there was grumbling, there was also the recognition of the
achievement of bringing the last major group of practitioners under the
banner of the council.

	Ivan, the Russian consul, asked, "Now that Sammael has been
defeated, how long do you plan to remain in your present office?"  The
question silenced everyone.

	"Until we come to terms with the humans.  Then I will step
down...."

	Ivan nodded and smiled.  "Thank you for all you have done for us,
Sebastian...."  This received a roaring applause, to which Sebastian nodded
humbly.

	"Thank you," Sebastian said.  "Good day...."

	With that, he bade his friends farewell and they began to return to
their posts.  Then he went to find Horatio and Roman, who were upstairs
with Chris, Steve and James, continuing their lessons.  Horatio was nothing
if not devoted to his duty.  Sebastian smiled at James and called, "Consul
Vickers, Vice Consul Sylvano, may I have a word...."

	The men looked at him confused, then shocked.  "I'm honored, High
Consul," the mild Englishman said softly, "but I couldn't accept....  There
are many more qualified, and aged, than I who...."

	"I chose you, Roman," Sebastian said, cutting him off.  "You know
China, plus you are wise beyond your years and loyal to the council...."

	The man nodded humbly and said, "And to you...."

	"There is that," Sebastian smiled.  "Roman, the Streghe are joining
the Council, so you have no concerns there.  Go with your partner and rule
at his side...."

	"Thank you, Sebastian," the young Italian smiled.  "My king is very
fond of you.  I'm not sure anyone else could have convinced him...."

	"Now for you gentlemen," Sebastian smiled, turning to Chris and
Steve.  "The war is over for all intents and purposes....  You can return
to your lives, your school without fear....  I'm not telling you you have
to leave, but your families...."

	Both boys were silent for a long time, but at last Chris said,
"Okay, and thanks....  But Sebastian ... I was wondering....  All this talk
about magick....  Now that I know that world exists....  I'd like to study
it.  Could you arrange that for me?"

	Steve looked at him strangely, and then Sebastian said, "Yes....
Understand, anyone can learn magick and practice it to a relative degree of
success, but one must have certain inborn abilities to truly harness the
powers of the universe...."

	Chris nodded.  "I understand...."

	Steve spoke at last, slowly, sadly.  "I just want out....  I would
love to stay friends but I don't want any other part of this world in my
life," he said.

	He and Chris looked at each other for a long time and Chris hugged
him tight and kissed him softly on the neck.  He whispered, "I told you a
while back we might not be looking for the same thing....  I love you and
you'll always be my first."  He felt Steve squeeze him tightly and he felt
the tall boy's tears on his shoulder.

	"I love you, too....  See you at school?"

	"See you at school," Chris said, smiling despite his red eyes.

	Steve looked at Sebastian and Sebastian said, "I'll call a car to
take you home.  When you see your family, say 'Kaboom' and the spell on
them will be broken...."

	Steve laughed and wiped his eyes, hugging Sebastian and James.
"See you around, guys...."

	"Don't be a stranger," James said, patting him on the shoulder as
he headed for the stairs.

	When he was gone, Chris's tears multiplied.  But when he calmed
down, Sebastian gave him a look, and Chris shook his head.  "Can I stay
here a while?  Get my head straight?"

	"Of course....  I figured you'd want to in any case, since Peter is
here," Sebastian said with an enigmatic smile.

	"Pete's ... here?" Chris said, a real sob swelling up from his
surprise.

	"Pete's healed," James nodded with a smile.  "He and Richard have
been getting reacquainted, but I think he'd love to see you, now...."

	Chris hopped up and ran downstairs, leaving James and Sebastian
alone with Horatio and Roman.  Chris knocked softly on Richard's door and
got no answer, so he went out to the garage and found the two men polishing
the Ferrari, laughing and talking.  Peter looked up and saw Chris, and they
both fell silent.  "I was wondering if you were ever going to see me...."
Peter said softly.

	Chris frowned, and said, "I just found out you were back,
asshole...."  Then he laughed and said, "I missed you!" and ran over to his
friend, who gave him such a big hug he lifted him well off the ground.

	Richard smiled and said, "Let me give you guys a few minutes...."

	"What happened?" Chris whispered into his shoulder, and Peter sat
him down.

	"James and Sebastian, and those other two guys, they saved me....
It's like ... my heart ... healed....  But I still remember everything, it
still hurts....  I'm so ashamed...."

	"Shut up," Chris said with a smile and laid his head on the big
boy's chest.  Then he looked up at him in surprise.

	"I've been getting that a lot lately," Pete smiled down at him.

	"How?" Chris asked in awe.

	"God, I think....  You'll have to ask the little blond one...."
Pete grinned.

	"Chase....  But why?" Chris asked.  "Wait....  For Richard...."

	Pete nodded.  "I knew you'd understand....  Where's Steve?"

	Chris sighed.  "He left....  He wants out of all of this, and I
want in," Chris said.  "I've know for a while we were on different tracks,
I just ... I wanted it so bad I wasn't willing to admit it to myself.  He's
not ready for the kind of relationship I'm looking for, and though he'd
never admit it, he's just to vanilla for me...."

	"TMI," Pete laughed, squeezing him tight.

	"Not like that....  I'm definitely too vanilla for him beneath the
sheets....  I mean in life....  I want in to your world, I want to stay
here, learn magick, get into it!" Chris said.  "He just wants to play ball
and fuck boys until he settles down and gets a day job...."

	"You guys were the worst match ever," Pete laughed.  "But you were
good together...."

	"For a while," Chris admitted.

	"Anybody you've noticed that has your interest?" Pete asked with a
grin.

	"I'm not ready to move on just yet," Chris said with an impish
grin, "but there is one guy I know is interested in me...."

	"Who?" Pete asked.

	"One of those wizard warriors, his name is Marcus....  When we all
went shopping for Chase's birthday gifts, Steve was flirting with him
shamelessly, but he liked me better...."

	"Good taste," Pete replied and patted him on the back.  "You might
not want to wait too long on that, though....  With things finished, he
might be headed back to Fort Doom, or wherever they keep those dudes locked
up for battle...."

	"Good point," Chris said, a look of mild panic on his face as he
moved to hurry off.

	Pete grabbed his wrist and said, "Sit with me a while, first....
Tell me what I missed?"

	Chris smiled and sat on the steps next to him, as Pete wrapped an
arm around his shoulder, and Chris filled him in on everything that had
happened since they had stopped really talking, since Pete had been so
cruelly abused.



	That evening, Chris slipped out to the tent which was the temporary
barracks for the battle wizards.  The smallest of the men loomed over him,
and he approached one of the younger looking ones.  "Excuse me, sir....
I'm looking for Marcus?"

	"Kid, my daddy's sir.  Call me Joe!" the young wizard, clearly a
southerner, responded with a friendly smile.  "Hey, you're HIS friend,
aren't you?" the young soldier asked in awe.

	"Sebastian?  Yeah, and James....  My name's Chris....  So Marcus?"

	"Oh, yeah!  Well, Marcus was injured in Budapest....  He's in the
infirmary...."

	"Oh," Chris said, his face falling, and he started to walk away.

	"Where you going?" Joe called.  "Infirmary's through here," he
said, opening the flap into the barracks tent.  Inside it seemed about
fifty times bigger than it could possibly have been, a charm that stunned
the boy and excited him with possibilities.

	He followed the young man to a small ward of more comfortable beds,
and nurses were flitting about.  At the other end of the room, Chris saw
the young man lying on top of his sheets, wearing formfitting boxers, his
abdomen wrapped tightly and his left leg in a cast.  But his smooth skin
and firm body still looked delicious to Chris, who shuddered at the sight
of him.

	"Marcus, you got a visitor....  High Consul's little buddy here to
see you...."

	Marcus looked up confused, but smiled brightly when he saw Chris.
"Hey!  Didn't think I'd see you again!"

	Chris thanked Joe and walked up to the edge of the bed and stood
uncomfortably.  "I didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye....  I
didn't realize you'd been injured...."

	"Yeah, I took a small fireball to the stomach," he said with a
shrug to say, it comes with the territory.  "I'll be here for a couple of
more weeks at least...."

	Chris put a soft hand on the wizard's bare, muscular shoulder and
said.  "I'm glad you're going to be okay, and that you'll be around for a
while...."

	"Oh, yeah?" the young man asked with a smile.

	"Steve and I ... well, we're after different things," Chris
shrugged.  "And I thought ... well, you seemed nice, and interested, and I
didn't want you to get away without ... checking it out...."

	"What makes you think I'm any different than him?" Marcus asked.

	"I don't know....  You just seemed...."  Chris got flustered and
turned like we has leaving, but Marcus grabbed his wrist softly before it
could leave his skin and tugged lightly.

	"Sit ... please?" the young man asked, suddenly looking soft and
vulnerable.  "So, I'm twenty-one," Marcus began when Chris sat by him, and
did not let go of Chris's hand, "I'm about to go to college....  I just
finished my first, maybe my only duty in the corps...."  Chris sat, first
stiffly, the sort of reclined by the young man, sharing his bed, while
Marcus told him about himself, his hopes and his dreams, something that
despite their physical intimacy, Steve had rarely done.

	Chris found it easy to open up to the young man and they talked
deep into the night.  In fact, the night nurse had to wake Chris up at
midnight and ask him to return in the morning.  Chris resisted the urge to
invoke his relationship to Sebastian to get an exception, and returned to
the room he had formerly shared with Steve to spend the night.



	Sebastian was still at his desk when a ruckus in the basement drew
his attention.  He followed the noise and opened the door to William's
training area.  He found the boy in his underwear holding an infant child.
"We need help!" William shouted.  "Chase is in the house....  He came for
the baby....  He was behind everything...."

	"JAMES!" Sebastian shouted, and the young man emerged from
Sebastian's office at a run.  "Chase is in trouble."  They crossed the
portal and Sebastian told William.  "Stay here with the baby...."

	They ran up to the house and upstairs as quickly as they could.
They found Chase yelling, "Why have you betrayed God?"

	"Good God," Sebastian exclaimed.  "What are you doing, Chase?
That's Raziel!"

	"And he was just about to explain to us why he betrayed everything
he holds dear, or I'm going to annihilate him!"

	"Chase," James began, but the boy rounded on him with a fierce
expression.

	"HE CAME HERE FOR THE BABY!" Chase exclaimed.

	Sebastian turned to look at the angel and he saw it.  He saw that
demonic glint in the angel's eyes.  "Go ahead, Chase....  Do it.  He's
guilty as sin!"

	Chase went back to work on the matrix until he'd nearly finished
six layers.  Then Raziel cried out, and admitted everything, his role in
the whole plot.

	At this, Gabriel appeared, and roared, "You've fallen, Raziel!"
Gabriel's voice resonated through the room making Chase jump.  Raziel
declared his love to the angel who had come to punish him, but Gabriel
looked at him with disgust and summoned his compatriots, shouting "Michael!
Rafael!  Uriel!  Metatron!"

	Soon the little room was filled with archangels.  And Chase felt
small.  But he unweaved his spell and released the demon into the care of
the archangels.  Following Metatron's advice, Sebastian helped Chase out to
the training room, while James fetched Matt and his family.  Matt's parents
would resist, but he would 'persuade' them.  All the way down to William's
building, they could hear the angel's screams and his maddened yelling.

	They found Sarah cradling the baby, while Matt and William were
pacing.  Matt stood by as William threw his arms around the boy before
taking his own turn.  And then he explained to everyone, what was going on.

	"I didn't know how dangerous it would be, so that's why James came
for your family," Chase explained to Matt.

	"Don't worry," James laughed, nodded at the dazed couple sitting
against the wall.  "When I take you guys home, they'll be fine and won't
remember any of this."

	They all jumped as two dark figures appeared a few feet away.  "It
is finished," Metatron said easily.  "Had you not uncovered our traitor....
Well, thank you, Chase....  Again...."

	"Metatron!"  Gabriel said insistently.  "We can't do this!  We owe
him everything!"

	"We owe him nothing," Metatron said without a hint of anger.  "He
acts by the grace of our Master....  You have served Him well, little one,
but you have received your gift!"

	As Metatron turned to walk away, Gabriel said, "I WON'T DO THIS!"
With that, he knelt before Chase and grasped his shoulders.

	Chase only then grasped the angel's intention and said, "No, Gideon
... Gabriel ... don't!"  But the angel leaned in and kissed first his left
eye, then his right, and as Chased collapsed, the angel eased him to the
ground.

	Metatron's eyes flashed with fire as Gabriel began to scream, orbs
of white light flying from his body and circling him in a growing vortex.
"What have you done?" Metatron asked sadly in his own voice before the
sweet feminine Presence spoke through him, raising his hand and smiling.
Gabriel suffered great pain, but the Presence forced those orbs back inside
him.

	"You have disobeyed," the Presence said with a smile that was
hypnotic to all present.

	Gabriel bowed to the ground and asked, "Why have I not fallen?"

	"Disobedience was never the sin of the fallen, Gabriel....  Pride
was their sin.  Your sin was nothing but love, just as this vampire," she
said, pointing to James, "was born in blood by love alone....  There has
been enough of destruction for my tastes," she added, "and too many angels
lost, to give you up....  In any case, didn't you think it was all a little
unfair of us?"

	"Well ... to be honest...."  Gabriel cut himself off.  Then he
added, "The boy was being tested...."

	"Indeed," the Presence smiled.  "And so was his guardian...."
Gabriel's eyes widened.  "That's right!  You've sat on the edge for too
long, Gabriel....  You didn't hate humanity, but you didn't love them
either.  So I gave you to Chase and William....  I tested the limits of
your love for them....  And just as Chase should have been willing to stand
for William even against Us, so should you have been willing to stand up
for Chase....  Your love for him has redeemed you, my friend...."  In the
form of Metatron, the Presence reached out to him and said, "Rise!  If you
wish, you may return with me to the Highest Heaven and sit at our left
hand, as you once did...."

	Gabriel looked at William, and at Chase lying at his feet, and Alex
in Sarah's arms and said, "If I might ... stay until my duty is fulfilled,
Master?"

	Metatron smiled and in a flash he was gone.  Then Gabriel said,
"Let the little one sleep...."  And then he too was gone.  If William
didn't know better, he would have sworn Gabriel had tears in his eyes.

	James helped Matt and his family back to their house, which had
suffered minor damage to upstairs windows.  Sebastian and Steve determined
that the structural integrity of Steve's house had been disrupted, so
Sebastian invited them all to stay at his place until morning.  But Steve
and Sarah agreed they should stay in town, so they called Xavier and Aiden
up and took the boys and the baby to his place.  Chase never woke that
night, but before James and Sebastian left, they spoke privately with
William.

	"The baby?" Sebastian asked.  "Who's is it?"

	"Mine," William responded, "and Chase's...."

	"The blood," Sebastian nodded, suddenly understanding.  Then his
eyes widened.  "SAM..."

	But William cut him off.  "Alexander Abernathy Jennings...."

	Sebastian smiled and nodded.  "A fitting name...."  Sebastian
leaned in and kissed William on the jaw and squeezed his shoulder.  "We'll
see you soon...."

	James gave him a big hug, and the two slipped out together.  They'd
find their own way home.



	The next morning, Chris waited as long as he could before making
his way back out to the barracks infirmary.  "Hey, Chris," Marcus smiled
brightly when he showed up.  "I wondered when I'd see you again...."

	Chris got pink in the cheeks and averted his eyes.  "I didn't want
to seem too eager, so I was hanging around inside...."

	Marcus smiled and added, "It's only nine, Chris...."

	"I waited as long as I could," Chris replied as he turned redder.

	"Chris," Marcus said, patting the bed next to him.

	Chris sat down and said, "I don't like the sound of that...."

	"Hush," Marcus laughed.  "It's just, I know you just broke up....
I don't want to be the rebound guy....  I...."

	"You what?" Chris asked.

	"I want to be the guy," Marcus said with a laugh.  "I know it
sounds silly, and I know you're young, but...."

	"Take it easy, Marcus," Chris smiled and put his head on the man's
chest.  "I know what I want....  I'm not looking to play the field.  I'm
looking for something real, something to last...."

	"You're so young," Marcus said, running a hand through Chris's
hair.

	"I spent most of my life all alone, except for Pete.  To this day,
I don't know why he, of all people, stuck with me....  But I always felt so
alone....  It makes you feel old, Marcus, I can tell you that....  And I
can tell you that I have a good feeling about you."

	"Chris, they're going to send me away when I get better, then I'll
go off to college...."

	"If you want to give it a try, Marcus, that doesn't have to
happen," a voice said from the door.  A pink-cheeked Sebastian winked and
added.  "Sorry to pry, but our dear Chris seems to have taken a liking to
you....  He asked if I'd help him train in magick, and I thought perhaps
you'd like to stay around and take on that project....  You can go to
college here...."

	"High Consul," Marcus began.

	"Call me Sebastian...."

	"Sebastian, I ... thank you.  I'd like that very much," Marcus
smiled down at the young man in his arms.

	"Very good," Sebastian smiled and retreated.  "As you were,
gentlemen...."

	When they were alone, Marcus whispered, "Let's see where this
goes," and squeezed Chris tightly.



	A few days later, James was lying back on the bed in a pair of
powder blue silk pajama bottoms, reading a book from Sebastian's library.
When Sebastian came in, James said, "Remember, no meetings on Sunday...."

	"Hmmm?" Sebastian asked absentmindedly as he began to undress for a
shower.

	"Alex's bris in Richmond," James replied with a smile.

	"Of course!  No meetings!  Shouldn't be necessary, in any case....
The humans are hammering out some basic concords now....  No world peace,
no universal liberation, but it puts them on the right path...."

	"So you can stop putting hits out on people now?" James teased.

	"Not til they're finished," Sebastian frowned and shook his head.
"But the local consuls can take care of that from here on out...."

	"Well then, come to bed with me tonight!" James responded cheekily.

	"I had every intention of doing just that," Sebastian grinned, "but
perhaps I'll just go down to the barracks and sleep tonight...."

	"Fine....  I bet Spencer would be glad to have some company, and
this bed is so comfortable," James teased.

	Sebastian winked, and said, "Be right back!"

	When he returned, he was patting himself dry and crawled into be
naked, straddling James's waist.  As he leaned in to kiss his hunky young
man, Sebastian could feel James's cock hardening beneath the silk pants.
They made love fast and rough, satiating their immediate need, before
repeating the performance with more attention to detail.  When they had at
last exhausted themselves, Sebastian lay on top of James, his head on the
soft skin of the boy's chest.

	"James?" Sebastian asked suddenly, after a long silence.

	"Sebastian?" James teased.

	"Can I ask you a question?  I've been wanting to ask you for a long
time, but what with everything else that's been going on ... it slipped my
mind...."

	"Sure," James said, confused.

	"That night when I brought the man here for you to feed and you
... drained him...."  He stopped, feeling James tense beneath him, but
continued.  "I think most everyone has a distaste for child-rapists,
particularly one who could do that to his own child, but ... you lost
control completely...."

	James shuddered.  "I don't want to talk about it....  Right now,
anyway...."

	"Okay, sweetheart," Sebastian said, stroking his chest.  "But you
can talk to me ... when you're ready....  Or if not me, maybe Sam?"

	James nodded and kissed his head.  "It wasn't my father," he
whispered, his last word on the matter for the moment, and Sebastian
nodded.



	On Sunday, James and Sebastian slipped into the back of the
synagogue quietly just before the service began.  They stayed long enough
afterwards to greet those of Chase's and William's friends they knew,
including Seth Stein, whom Sebastian had 'introduced' to his new boyfriend.
William and Chase were very busy, but Sebastian caught them long enough to
whisper, "James and I are going on vacation next week....  We're going for
two weeks to a private island in the South Pacific, and we'd like you guys
to come with us...."

	Chase smiled at William and nodded.  "We'll talk to mom and dad,
but I don't think we're returning to school this year, so it should be
fine....  Thank you...."  With that, he gave them both kisses and added,
"You look even more beautiful together than I imagined...."



	The private island was owned entirely by the Shadow Council, and it
had a number of bungalows on the beach, a full-time staff of housekeepers,
cooks, masseurs and trainers, as well as a modern exercise and
entertainment facility.  Sebastian had reserved a number of bungalows off
by themselves together.

	Chase woke before dawn on their second morning there to give Alex
his bottle, and the baby showed no signs of sleeping, so he put on a pair
of light pants and grabbed something for them to sit on and carried the
baby out onto the beach.  Dawn was still half an hour away, but the horizon
was beginning to lighten.  Chase stood at the water's edge, the rush of the
tide petering out against his feet.

	He felt the presence at his shoulder before he heard or saw it.
"Gabriel," he said with a smile, and the angel put a hand on his bare
shoulder.

	"Chase," Gabriel replied with a smile of his own.  Chase turned to
him and noticed instantly that Gabriel's appearance had changed.  He looked
exactly the same, but he'd always been a `dark' figure, cloaked in shadows
and clad in a black armor.  Now he was clothed in white, with accents of
silver.  And there was an aura of light around him.

	He could see the question in the boy's eyes, so he added, "From
time immemorial, I have been far from the light of the divine...  Not
banished, mind you, but ... on the outs, as people say.  Because I was
loyal to Him, but did not love your kind...  It seems I'm restored."

	Chase nodded, "Would you like to hold him?"  Gabriel nodded and
took the boy from Chase's arm.  "Could seeing you trigger his memory?"

	Gabriel stared in adoration at the giggling boy.  "No...  His
memory isn't repressed.  He has no memory..."

	"How do you feel about that?" Chase asked gently.

	"We were in love for an eternity, but he was so twisted by his
betrayal, his inability to ... well its long past now...  I'll get to see
what he might have been like had he not been dealt so terrible a lot..."

	"You love him," Chase whispered.

	"When you look at him, you see a baby, your flesh and blood...  I
look and I see spirit, the spirit that first awed me at the dawn of the
world, but writ small, in an innocent soul... Yes, I love him still...  God
help me."  Chase stood by him while he held the baby, putting a small, soft
hand in the small of Gabriel's back.  Just before the sun broke the
horizon, Gabriel looked up at the still-dark sky at the brightest of its
predawn lights.  "We called him the morning star," Gabriel said.  "So
bright and beautiful..."

	"You come to him whenever you like, Gabriel," Chase whispered, and
walked a few yards down the shore to sit with his feet in the water and
give Gabriel a moment.

       Shortly after sunrise, Gabriel knelt at his side and handed Alex
back to him.  "Thank you," he whispered without further clarification, and
in blink he was gone.  For the first time, Chase could smell the
identifying myrrh and roses in his wake.

	William woke up alone.  Chase was gone and the crib was empty, so
he pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms and stepped out onto the sand and
glanced up and down the beach.  In the distance, he saw a sheet spread out
near the water, a golden skinned blond in his white cotton pants and an
open shirt billowing in the wind, baby in his arms, staring out into the
distant ocean.  William closed the door and began walking.  A few minutes
later, Chase looked his way with a squinty smile and waved.

	"Morning, sweetie," William called with a bright, carefree smile.

	"Morning, William," Chase grinned.  "Say good morning, daddy," he
whispered to the baby and waved his little hand for him.

	"God you're gorgeous," William said as he settled in next to him
and wrapped an arm around him.  In the distance, Chris and Marcus were
returning from a morning walk, and Chris grabbed his camera, making a
candid family photo of the boys by the ocean with their baby.  When they
got close, Chris knelt on the blanket and showed it to them.

	"That's so beautiful," Chase exclaimed.

	"You're a beautiful family," Marcus responded, wrapping his arm
around Chris.  When Sebastian and James emerged, a study in opposites,
Sebastian diminutive, milky-white and accented in black, James tall and
muscular, brown and in pastels, they joined their friends on the beach.

	Chase passed the baby to Sebastian and said, "Visit with your Uncle
Sebastian and Uncle James," with a sweet laugh.  Pete and Richard would not
be seen until lunchtime, if the pattern held.

	Matt and Amy would join them in the second week, their parents
having received a very 'convincing' phone call from Sebastian, but that was
a surprise for Chase.

	"It's so good to be out in the sun and not have to worry about how
much it weakens me," Sebastian mused as they all sat by the sea.  "It's
been so long...."