SOL - Generation 3.5 - chapter One
Hey all! I’m almost certain Gen 3.5 will have three parts. The second part will probably be up in a couple of weeks time and the last soon after; I’m away next week (again) so I don’t want to make over enthusiastic deadlines!
Anyway, enjoy!
Warning: SWEARING ahead! ALSO it’s rather text heavy; I apologise for that!
Last time...So many things happened, so to catch up on the last few chapters visit my archive! The main point? Lukas and Echo gave themselves up to the vampire council in the hope that it would erase his family crimes, but unfortunately Lukas had no idea that his brother was still alive and kicking - and making his way up to the top of the council’s most wanted list. Shanna was the first to see the note they left behind.
“How are you dealing with... with it?” Cara’s throat was tight as she spoke about it, about the terrible loss that she felt... A loss that Ayr would be feeling so much worse than she was. She was close to Echo and Lukas, because they were the parents she had always wanted and had always gone out of their way to make her happy.
But Ayr was infinitely closer to them. His parents, who were now resting near to Jessie in the graveyard. The funeral had already been done, the grandparents offering their houses and support and everything in between. Even for Cara. That was where Lukas had told her to go on that night...
She hadn’t known what they were going to do. If she had, she would have stopped it somehow.
Because it wasn’t worth the pain. It wasn’t worth the look on Ayr’s face that she caught whenever he thought no one was looking. It wasn’t worth how distant he now was, and she couldn’t put her finger on the look in his eyes he sometimes got. If she could, she’d call it calculating. But Ayr just... he just wasn’t like that. But maybe he is now. Maybe the loss of his parents had done this to him.
Ayr almost snapped at her; she could see it. The slight jerking motion as he fought the instinct to respond instantly gave it away. A remark that she wouldn’t blame him for. Somehow he kept it to himself, because he knew that she didn’t deserve that. “I don’t really know,” he confessed quietly. “I haven’t given myself time to think about it. I have to find Shanna.”
Cara’s heart plummeted, as it always did when she remembered. They had found the letter quickly, and it had no mention of Shanna. The conclusion they’d all jumped to was that the council had taken her - Cara had been let in on a few secrets to this family, including that one. No wonder vampires were such a part in Lukas’ bedtime stories.
She swallowed, somehow avoiding tears. “I guess they didn’t plan to live up to their word about not hurting you?”
Ayr let out a slow breath. “There’s something my dad didn’t know. Something that, if he did, he would have been killed anyway.” His voice broke, and he looked away before continuing in a softer voice. “We had more ‘family crimes’ to our name than just what he and his dad did. His brother... my uncle Quinn...”
“Quinn’s namesake?” Cara blurted.
Ayr nodded. “I don’t know if the vamps have a most wanted list, but if they do then he’s top. We have a price on our head, Cara. Both Quinn’s have a huge price on their heads, because they’re vampires. And from what I heard the council will do whatever they can to Turn us too, and then -“ he stopped himself, because he was working into a hysterical mess.
“The worst thing is that Uncle Q hasn’t told me anything about Shanna. I know he can See her but...” Ayr broke off again and held his head in his hands. “Either he’s not trustworthy or it’s so bad he doesn’t want me to know. That’s the only reasons I can come up with for him not telling me anything. Even Kian doesn’t know. Or he says he doesn’t.” Ayr had long suspected that Kian’s loyalties lay to Quinn rather than Isabelle, so he was hardly a reliable source of information.
“What are you going to do?” Cara said quietly.
That could be interpreted a whole load of ways, of course. But Ayr still did his best to answer, because he didn’t want Cara worrying. Not this far into her pregnancy. “About the whole thing? Find some way to protect ourselves and our future.” She didn’t miss it when he glanced down to her bulging stomach; happiness squeezed her heart for all of a second before she felt guilty for it. “About Shanna? I’m going to confront Q. Vampire or not, I’m going to make him tell me what’s going on.” That calculating look came into his eyes. “One way or another.”
Cara shivered and looked away from Ayr, towards the two new graves.
Three weeks.
And it still felt like yesterday.
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“Tell me what’s going on.”
Q didn’t jump or startle like Ayr was hoping; he should have known the vampire had Seen him come here. Or at least heard him with his superhuman senses. He turned away from the bowl of still water and leaned on the counter, folding his arms and giving Ayr one of those looks.
“I hoped moving to this disgustingly decorated house would give me a moments peace, too,” he sighed. Then, “What’s going on? Be more specific, because I don’t think you want to know what’s going on in, say, my terribly eventful love life.”
Ayr snapped and thudded his palm onto the kitchen counter. “Do you EVER take a break from your incessant sarcasm and bother to care?”
Q grinned a feral grin that showed fangs. “Stupid question. I’m a vampire with a fucked up life of my own. Caring gets you dead. Literally,” he snapped, moving to pour the bowl of water down the sink with way too much aggression. “Or gives you more work,” he muttered.
“Suck it up. You’re the one who decided to be the family protector or something. So protect us, or at least explain how we can do it ourselves, and explain where my sister is.”
Q huffed and folded his arms once more. His stance wasn’t even forced or tense, and he looked like he could strike at any moment. But then, so could Ayr.
His hand tightened around the silver cross in his pocket, and Q’s eyes were drawn down by the action. He snorted once, but still went on to answer. “I’ve been working on an incredibly complex idea. It’s taken time which is why the information I have been able to give you has been sketchy at best.” He chewed on his bottom lip, the only mannerism still left over from his human years. “I don’t think I can easily explain it, but I can show you it.”
“Is this a cliché moment where I look into the Seeing bowl with you?” Ayr muttered, and Q flashed a grin.
“Oh, you have been spending way too much time with me. Either that or sarcasm is genetic and you’re a late bloomer.” Q refilled the bowl and brought him over. “Now, I haven’t actually tried this before, but the theory goes that I should be able to share my visions with anyone related to me. So thank your genetics, boy, it didn’t just give you good looks.”
Ayr rolled his eyes and thinned his lips, but stayed silent as he stared down into the bowl with Q. Q gripped his arm, slightly too tight to be comfortable, and Ayr gasped as images began to break the surface of the water and show him a story of the future.
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“The kid is gonna hate us for this,” Ayr muttered later, sitting back on a stool and mulling over the possibilities.
“Kids,” Q corrected, emphasising the ‘s’. “Protecting them this way is better than any of the alternatives. You don’t want to watch those futures,” he added quietly, and for the first time Ayr wondered what kind of affect Seeing all these things had on his uncle.
He didn’t get the chance to ask, though, because he had to discuss this with his siblings and, more importantly, Quinn.
Because his kid was going to be the test subject for this particular dodgy experiment. Ayr was becoming more and more convinced not to have his own children.
Who would want to subject them to either future?
It took Ayr a few hours to realise that Q had avoided the question about Shanna.
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Quinn really really didn’t know what to say to her. He didn’t know how to explain his aversion to her, to sunlight, to humans to... god, he didn’t want to explain anything.
But he had to, because she was carrying his child. His son.
So he eventually knocked on the door.
He could hear her feet padding to the door. Slightly heavier footsteps than most, because she was carrying extra. He could hear her breaths, her heartbeat, and he could feel her in a way he never had before. Smell her in a way he never had before. He didn’t have an urge to bite her, no to protect her. A human instinct that had only been intensified with the Change. He let out a breath, and then he realised something amazing.
He could feel his child.
And that was why, when Mia opened the door, Quinn could only stare. Mia could only stare because... because he’d been gone. For three weeks. He’d abandoned her just like any other guy. And he was here, the moment after she had decided to be a single mum and do the best for her child, the moment after she had decided that she was better off without someone who just... disappeared. How did he even find her new address?
Damn it she loved him, but she was so confused that she could only step back with silent tears falling down her cheeks. “I don’t want this conversation. I don’t want to hear it.”
He’d expected the words but had still prayed for a miracle. They hurt him more than anything. “Haven’t you heard anything?”
“What, about your parents? About your sister? Of course I have, but not even a simple text? A message from your brother or sister who are avoiding me?! What was I supposed to think?!” she cried. “I’m so, so so sorry about your parents and Shanna. I am. I understand your decisions. But not even a text? Not even a simple goodbye?”
Quinn hadn’t realised how this would have looked. “Mia, no,” he groaned, moving forward to pull her into a hug. She shook her head, tears sparkling in the light, and stepped back once more.
“Don’t come in.”
Kian had warned him about this. The myth that vampires couldn’t cross the boundary into a human house. It wasn’t exactly true, and it only seemed to apply to him. And now to Quinn. Great. So he had to try and have a heart to heart conversation like this, while all he can focus on is how he can feel the life force of his child, while all he can think is that he wants to pull her into a hug and kiss her and make it all better and protect her from the things that went bump in the night.
“Mia I can explain everything. And I will. But you’re probably going to run away and scream after and never, ever want to see me again.” The thought of it made his throat tighten and he swallowed back tears. “And you have no idea how much that would hurt me, Mia.”
Something had happened in the past three weeks to both of them. They had both changed, in one way or another. Mia?
She’d gained a backbone.
She jutted her chin out. “Explain,” she ordered, without even a slight waver in her voice.
“Don’t laugh,” Quinn said softly. “Because it’s going to sound crazy at first.” He tongued his fangs absently, a mannerism that he seemed to catch himself doing a lot recently. He stopped and tried to focus. Where to start? He hadn’t planned this... “Three weeks ago, as you know...” He trailed off. This was too difficult.
“They were murdered. Not by humans. By... By someone who believed my family had committed crimes against them and must now pay for it. They were vampires. From a corrupt council.” Quinn paused to gauge Mia’s reaction; her mouth was open slightly, shaking her head from side to side as if to deny it. “Unfortunately, I was Turned.” And he opened his mouth so that the porch light would shine on his fangs. Her gasp was sharp.
“The council still want us four to pay for our supposed crimes. We think they took Shanna.” It came out strangled, as if he couldn’t quite admit it because saying it out loud made it scarily real. “And their rules say that they can only hurt a vampire. So we believe they’ll target me next. I want to keep you safe.” He thought of what Ayr had told him, not too long ago. “There is a way to protect our son, Mia. And after that I promise I’ll leave you alone.”
He could hear her heartbeat speed up, but he remained silent. There was nothing more he could say, nothing more he could think of saying, so he just had to stand and look up to her until she either accepted the truth or slammed the door in his face.
“You have some nerve,” she whispered, “going this far to mock me!” She gestured to his fangs, and he didn’t even have time to object that they were real before the door shut, and he was left looking at the old wooden panelling that he so badly wanted to rip away.
“Mia please I can prove this!”
No answer, but she hadn’t walked away; he could feel her by the door still. He took his chance and continued on. “I can hear your heartbeat speeding up, I can feel your life force and our child’s. Please believe me. Everything I said was true!”
On the other side of the door, Mia swore. The sound made Quinn startle, because he had never heard her swear before. Or, at the very least, not so harshly. The door jerked open once more. Relief flooded through him. “I won’t hurt you. I’m in control. Promise.”
Mia didn’t look very convinced, but whether that was because the whole thing sounded sketchy or because she thought he was going to jump her, he couldn’t tell. How could he convince her? “Watch me,” he said gently.
She did. And she saw nothing but a blur as he ran around her house three times, vampire speed, coming to a stop by her door only a second later. She squeaked. “Look at my eyes. These eyes? Not human.”
She did. And she saw the cat-like pupils, the strange glowing colour in them. She made a small noise, but Quinn couldn’t interpret it. “Let me tell you the whole story.” And how we can protect our son went unsaid, but they both could hear it as loudly as if the words had been spoken.
Mia looked at him for a long time. She stepped back, and Quinn’s heart sunk. But then the strangest thing happened.
She gave him a small smile. “Come in,” she whispered.
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“I have to admit, it’s not every day a human can walk in my house and take me by surprise. Actually, you must be the first. Kudos on that one.”
Law glanced over to the voice, knowing instantly that it was Quinn - or Q, as Ayr had taken to calling him. The vampire leaned against the doorframe, smiling in a way that was meant to be seen as a warning. Law ignored it. “I suppose when you train in martial arts for the majority of your life you pick up a few other handy tips,” he shrugged. “I’m surprised you haven’t asked me over sooner. To talk about the vampire cure, I mean. I know you’ve done your research. You must have known.”
Law wouldn’t trust Q unless he really had to, and even then it would be with a pinch of salt. This man may be family, but there was something about him that Law had learnt to associate with people who put themselves first. Or people who had an ulterior motive. He continually told the triplets not to trust Q, no matter how much Kian insisted otherwise. Law didn’t trust the hybrid, either. Especially not after biting his nephew - and he couldn’t help but wonder if that was planned, or something.
But maybe he was just getting paranoid.
“Yeah, I did. Unless you’re going to try and force feed me it, I don’t see the usefulness of it. Genius was bitten by Kian. Kian’s a hybrid. The genetic make-up or whatever you want to term it? It’ll be different. And Kian’s abilities switch from human to vampire all the time. I’m betting Quinn’ll do the same. So the cure is useless.” Before Law could object, Q held up a finger to silence him. “You did well, I have to admit. But it was always a temporary thing. Lukas was changing back; I could smell it on him. That’s probably why they went for him when he offered his life for his crimes.”
The thought that his cure hadn’t been perfect was a blow, true, but Law recovered well. “I was young. I know a lot more than I did then,” he pointed out. “Besides, the cure can be altered. It can be adapted to Kian and Quinn, but I need to take samples from Ki-“
“No.”
One single word, said so firmly that Law froze. Q’s eyes were narrowed, his body tense. “If that’s what you need, forget the cure. You aren’t going near him for samples.”
“Why?” Law asked, indignant. Maybe he was wrong about one thing; Q did have some loyalty. But only to the hybrid. “Don’t you care-“
“I’m kind of tired of that question,” Q interrupted. “Always the same with you Williams. You’re all so stunningly, irritatingly human.” He stalked towards Law, somewhat pleased when he didn’t back up. His heartbeat didn’t so much as stutter or rise.
“You will not go near Kian for samples. You will not even bring it up in conversation with him. You have no idea what he’s been through because of the council, and you have no idea how much taking ‘samples’ will take him back to that time. You will not put him through that, or so help me no matter how long you’ve been studying martial arts I will out manoeuvre you, and I will kill you.”
Law jutted his chin out. “You understand the need to protect your own, right?”
Quinn paused, only inches away from the human. “You have no idea,” he said softly.
“Then you understand why I can’t just leave the possibility of a cure.”
“You think changing him back will help him right now? It won’t, genius. The council will Turn them if that’s what they want, and right now Quinn has the advantage of vampire abilities without some of the disadvantages. He has the upper hand and we need to use that.”
“You think of him as nothing more than a pawn on your bloody chessboard. I won’t have it,” he snapped. “And you’re too smart in the battlefield to ignore the consequences of killing me.”
“You’re being an idiot.”
“I’m protecting my family the way I see fit.”
“Yeah, idiotically,” Q fumed, watching him leave. When the door slammed shut, he threw his arms up in exasperation and stalked to one of the most mundane appliances; the phone.
Whatever Law did, it wouldn’t affect his overall plan. No matter how much he wanted to go and stop Law from hurting Kian with the memories of the council, he had to get this in motion.
So he made a call that would put that plan into action.
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“Kian,” Isabelle murmured, “you still haven’t explained to me what happened to you years ago. When you stopped coming to the park. Do you remember?”
It took a little while for the hybrid to come out of his thoughts, but when he did he winced. “I suppose it does not hurt to tell you about it now. The council had targeted me. Quinn saved me as usual, and then kept me in hiding in his many safe houses for years. He can be a bit overprotective sometimes,” he laughed lightly.
Isabelle bent down to peck his shoulder. “Not always a bad thing. Nice to know he cares about someone.” Q hadn’t turned up at the funeral, even though it had been held when the sun was down. Q hadn’t been at their graves at any time the triplets had been, and he certainly hadn’t given Ayr any information about Shanna. The only thing keeping them with Q was that Isabelle trusted Kian with her life, and Kian trusted Q with his. She was becoming more and more wary of their uncle, though, especially because she knew Kian could be so naive. Besides, without either of them they’d be lost in this mess with the council, but it felt like they were lost anyway
Kian sighed quietly. “I know you think my loyalty is misplaced, but it’s not. Quinn... he can seem like he’s not trustworthy. He can certainly seem rude and unemotional. But he has seen firsthand what the council can do. From what he’s told me...” the hybrid trailed off and sighed. “He’s gone out of his way to stop the council. He’s gone out of his way to protect his family out of misguided loyalty. He will do everything in his power - and more - to keep you all safe. Just sometimes it seems like he is going the wrong way about it, but he’s Seen the way it has to be. He’s cagey with information for a reason.”
“I don’t trust him,” Isabelle said simply as she moved to sit up. “I don’t see why he’d protect us when he doesn’t care about us. About his brother.”
“He cares,” Kian said softly. “He cares so much that it terrifies him, and he pretends he doesn’t for both of your sakes. For him, caring is a weakness. The council have a personal vendetta against him; anyone he cares about is in danger, and it only hurts him more in the long run. But he still gets close in order to protect us. You don’t realise how difficult it is for him.”
Isabelle sighed. These conversations never got anywhere. But there was another one she had been thinking of for a while... “Would you ever get married?”
“If you wanted to.” His answer was instantaneous, as if this was something he’d already thought about. He smiled at her, a pure smile that was so Kian that her heart melted. “Though I don’t know how weddings work, or rings, so I’m afraid it would probably be a disaster.”
“It would be something to tell the kids, right?” she said cheekily, casually dropping in the K bomb that she’d been wondering about for a while. “Can vampires...?”
“It’s complicated,” Kian said after a while. “Hybrids can have children, as far as we know. And sometimes some vampires can anyway. Probably something to do with special abilities they may receive when they Turn. But the majority can’t.” He glanced to her and smiled gently. “What would you name them, if we got passed this council mess and started a family?”
“I like Risa, for a girl. I haven’t thought about a boy,” she admitted. “They seem hard work.”
“Little rascals,” Kian agreed, clearly thinking of someone he knew. “But adorable.”
Next to him, Iz grinned. “Of course. It will have our genes.”
Kian laughed. “That is true. And a very Quinn thing to say,” he teased, laughing more when Iz scowled.
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But not everything was fun and games.
Well, actually, it kind of was.
“Who’s in charge of this little shindig?” Shanna asked, voice cold and detached. She’d been practising that, and she’d been practising fighting, fighting with guns, fighting with vampires - oh, everything.
The council member squealed. There was something great about being able to make a vampire squeal. And she was a human, too.
Okay, so the council member might not know that, given how much she had been practising her strange abilities and awesome illusion magic recently, but it still gave her a buzz.
There was a sigh nearby to her. She hadn’t even heard this one come up, but she knew who he was simply by the exasperation in his tone.
“This isn’t quite what I meant when I said ‘work together’.”
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