13: The Odd Couple

Warning: adult language

Nathaniel came home in good spirits. He'd been right. Gabriella did want a relationship as long as the damn vision wasn't central in her thoughts. Hopefully, she'd remain of the opinion that they're starting this without feeling like they have to, but that they want to.

Feeling for himself through her how he'd made her feel did much to placate his ego. She wasn't as ambivalent as he'd worried she was. She was just very good at hiding how she felt, even from herself. It was that fucking vision getting in the way again! If he could just keep her from worrying about it...

He sat down on one of the mostly-decorative-and-never-really-used chairs in his front yard and watched as a fish jumped in the pond in front of him. He pondered Gabriella and how her mind worked. Right now she was taking a very hot shower, trying to gather her wits. Nathaniel slowly grinned to himself, happy at last about the connection between the two of them because it gave him a further insight into her feelings than he'd ever had for anyone. She likes me.

'Go easy on you'? What was I thinking? Where the hell did that come from? Nathaniel sat and mentally debated what had made him say that to her. I guess because I worried and sensed she wasn't ready for that level of intensity. Holy crap! How innocent can a girl be?

Helen. 

He thought about his first love for the second time tonight, which was odd because he tried not to think of her at all if he could. Thoughts of her just brought too much pain. If I fall in love with Gabby does that mean I've dishonored your memory? You certainly didn't keep from falling in love again when you thought me dead. The expected and familiar pain returned as he thought of her with her husband. In a small way, he felt happy she found happiness again, but on the other hand, the jealousy of the man buried next to her ate at him.

Nathaniel had had enough of sitting still, and he got up to saddle Reggie. They both needed a good, long run. He didn't feel up to dealing with Desi's attitude tonight.

Reggie was thrilled to be out, and the pair of them flew across the landscape. If it weren't for the white of Nate's tux shirt, the pair would be invisible in the dark night. Nate focused on the pounding of Reggie's hooves as they sped along. It felt nice to just ride and leave the stress behind him.

After a short space of time, he began to realize the direction he'd mindlessly drove Reg. He found himself up behind Gabriella's house.

She had fallen asleep.

He suddenly felt anxious at the thought of her living alone. He knew that her living alone was nothing new or uncommon, but now it bothered him.

'Used to be you didn't have to lock your front door, things were so safe.' Gabriella's words ran through Nate's mind. Good lord, Gabriella, please lock your front door!

It wasn't locked the other day when I just ran in he thought somberly.

Reggie fidgeted underneath him, and Nathaniel turned him back in the direction of home, the thrill of a stress-free ride gone.

No sooner had he dismounted when Gus unfortunately reappeared.

"Hello, Gus. I thought you'd left." he said with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"I do hate to dash your hopes, Nathaniel, but I was merely on an extended hunting trip." Augustus looked Nathaniel up and down and said, "My, my! Aren't we spiffy tonight!"

Nate rolled his eyes and gestured to what Gus was wearing, "I never thought I'd see you in plaid, Gus."

"Do not start calling me that." Gus's voice rang with authority. "I only tolerate it from the girl to make her more comfortable." 

"You've failed miserably at that, by the way. She's terrified of you."

"No thanks to you! Why didn't you try to help me convince her to work on her gift? It is for her own benefit as well."

"Cut the crap, August! You don't give a damn about whether or not anything is for anyone's benefit but your own!" Nate snapped.

"She's astounding, Nate! Think of the marvelous ways she could use her gift to improve her life! My mistake was in asking her to think of an obviously terrifying moment. I should have asked her to merely predict the weather!"

"She doesn't like to use her gift! She's never had a good vision. Never! She doesn't think of it as a gift but a curse."

Nate stood his ground as a fury built in his maker's eyes. When Gus spoke his voice was laced with rage, "Like I explained to her, I believe only the ones that have been forced upon her are bad. If she focused on something more mundane she could get a different result. But we may never know that, will we, Nathaniel? Because you will not try and help me convince her!"

"She wants you to leave her alone." Nate said, purposefully keeping the vision of Gus that Gabby had had out of his mind.

"How charming." Gus said and smiled.

Nate worked on adjusting to his maker's mood swing. He guessed the rage was still there, and he remained cautious.

Gus continued, "She thinks she can stay away from me, does she? I don't see how that's possible." He flicked at one of the lapels of Nate's jacket. "Obviously, the romance has started! It is only a matter of time and I will have a new granddaughter!" Gus happily pictured the three of them making a happy little "family". He was certain that eventually he'd be able to convince either Nate or Gabby to agree with his idea of what they could do with Gabby's gift.

"If that's what you have planned for her then I'd sooner let her die!" Nate backed up a step.

"Lie."

"Well, I should! Leave her alone, Augustus, please! She's not going to be some little future-predicting slave!" Nate begged his maker, worrying over what he saw of Gus's plans in his mind. I should stay away from her.. for her own good.

"You will not be able to." Gus answered Nate's thought. Gus had never had a problem hearing other vampires, except for when it came to Gabriella's thoughts coming through Nate. "It will happen and you know it. There is no chaos, Nathaniel. I am sure she knows this by now." His voice sounded cold.

"She's said something along those lines, yes."

"What did she see in that vision that made the two of you look at me like that?" Gus asked the question that had been burning in his mind for days.

"No." Nathaniel said, stubbornly refusing even to think it.

"Tell me, Nathaniel. What did she see that was obviously about me? Do I wind up doing something? Obviously I do from the fear in her eyes. What is it? Why can't I know my part to play ahead of time as well?"

Nate couldn't help but think it when he'd said 'part to play', and he was furious about being tricked.

"Why haven't you even thought about it yet?" Gus asked much to Nate's surprise.

Nate breathed a sigh of relief. "You can't even see her visions when I think about them?" he asked incredulously, his sense of relief compiling upon itself by leaps and bounds.

Gus, however, was anything but thrilled. "So it would seem. I wonder why that is? This same block she has on me? Or, is it all vampires period, except you of course.. for some reason." He paused for a moment to consider how he might work around the problem. "Well, we will just have to see what we can do about this."

Upon entering the house, Gus made himself at home in one of the armchairs.

"I want you to leave." Nathaniel asked as politely as he could manage.

"Absolutely not." Gus's answer came quickly.

"You released me, August!" Nate said, referring to the fact that makers have the option of maintaining a high level of control over their progeny until they are released from that bond. "Why can't you just go away and leave me be!" Nate left his calm pose and paced the room in agitation.

"Yes, and it is a real pity I did that too. If I would have only known... But no, I am staying." Gus sat back and grinned at Nate wickedly, knowing full well he couldn't order him away.

Nathaniel groaned and flopped down on the couch. "Augh! Must you torture me the rest of my existence?"

"Yes, Nathaniel," August said sarcastically. "that is my sole purpose in life - to make yours miserable."

"She will never be what you want her to be. And I'll never make her. That is if any of this happens." Nate said when he'd popped his head back up.

"I wish you would make up your mind on whether or not you believe it. It is irritating."

"Oh, good." Nate spat back at him. "Whatever I can do to make myself more irritating, be sure to pass it along."

"I am not leaving, Nathaniel. I have a part to play and I am going to be sure to stick around and play it. It is only a matter of time. I am patient."

"It's of no consequence. She'll never be what you want her to be. You're wasting your time." Nate practically pleaded.

"We shall see then, shall we?" Gus responded, oozing optimism. 

Nate had never wanted to kill anyone more than he did now. Gus merely laughed in response to his anger.

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I finally got to get some good use out of Nate's almost-level-ten riding ability that I had him work on the entire time after I had Gus change him. Also, I'm happy I got Reggie in that 'yes-a-horse's-hooves-all-leave-the-ground-at-the-same-time-in-a-gallop' shot. :)

I'm not as pleased as I'd hoped I'd be with the increased graphics settings. It's only very moderately better. However, my birthday is in a few weeks, and I'm getting (supposedly) a new graphics-monster computer that hubby is going to build for me. Then the stress will be transferring everybody and everything to the new puter.