12.) A Party

~~~Gabriel

I wake up to the bright light, the morning light called me up. I let out an exhausted yawn. It's them that I realize I'm alive, I check for my sidearm and realized I didn't have it. I look around the room, and I realize I was no longer in Europe. Where was I? I smell steam in the air realizing somebody recently took a bath, I get up and look around to see if there are any more people around me.

It's then that I hear a soft knock on the door, I say nothing as I silently grab my M1. 'You don't need the gun you know that right?' I take a deep breath as I say "I don't know you and I don't know where I'm at show yourself and I promise not to shoot." As the door opens, I prepare to shoot but instead, I meet a young woman. She looked almost like Lilith but with black hair and Asian features what she a jap? Her eyes were dark gold looking like dark pools of gold. She smiled at me as she says, 'you do know that guns not going to work right?'

I realize that she meant me no harm and I lower my gun. The room was extravagant and clearly, I wasn't in a battle, my mind was still reeling from what happened only a few hours ago. "So who are you?" I asked her in a demanding tone. She lets out a small size as she says 'my name is Princess Fù-gaūn Morten.'

"Fuck I wish I would have just shot you." She chuckles as she says, 'do you really think you would live long enough to even get a shot out?' I realized the gravity of my situation, and I realized I am no real threat to them. If that Nazi kraut can shrug off a headshot, then I know it was a child's game for Lilith. "So why am I here?" I asked getting to the point.

'You're here because she wants to be with you.' I scoff as I say, "Why on God's green earth would I want to be here when I've done my damnedest to stay away from her." She looks annoyed at me as she says, 'you should be happy she's trying to connect with you. She's the queen of vampires, and she is trying to connect with her youngest child.'

"I told her like I'll tell you, I have no intentions on being a vampire nor do I have any intentions on having help to fight a war." I began to pack my stuff as I got up I said, "I'm going to go fight the rest of WWII." I walk to the door getting ready to unlock it, as she grabs my shoulder. 'Our mother has gone through a lot to get you here, the least you can do is hear her out.'

"Why does she care now? She's been gone for 23 fucking years and now she cares." My anger overflowing as I shrug her hand off of me. She looks insulted as she then says, 'if only you knew what was happening while she was gone.' I turn to her and say "I'm missing the part where that's my problem?" I then see her eyes darting back and forth she's having a mental debate.

'Mother wants you here because she wants to protect you, I know how confusing this can be but I need you to at least talk to her.' I gripped my M1 tighter, as I then say: "I have seen men rip clothes off of each other just to stay warm in this cold winter. I have seen women and children starved bodies all across this country. If your mother really wants to protect me, she can do me and you a favor and stay out of my way." I grabbed the door and there I see her Queen Lilith looking me in my face hurt at my response.

~~~Lilith

I took a nice hot bath and I was feeling great. Lucia and Lucian both knew how to make me feel welcome. I am glad that our estate is still standing, it is a breath of fresh air from all the chaos. As I enjoy the sunlight on my skin, I couldn't help but to enjoy the fact that I had my hair tied in a crown bun. It's then that I hear a telepathic message from Fù-gaūn, 'mother you need to talk to him.'

I hear the tone in her voice she was losing her patience. She tries to be diplomatic, and maybe she was trying to understand where he's coming from. The only problem is is that she hasn't been human in a long time, she doesn't even mingle with humans. The reason why she doesn't is because every man that she's fallen in love with grew old and died while she remained 16. "I'll be there soon, I'm sorry I did that to you Fù."

'It's not your fault mom, I don't know what he's going through.' My eyebrow raised she didn't read his mind? She must be trying to talk and understand instead of invading his mind. She has grown as a person, it makes me happy when I realize that. "I'll be there soon." As I return to the mansion I see Lucian freshening up. He has an expensive cologne that oozes off of him, his hair pulled back and his blue eyes showing joy.

'Now it's time to dress Carter he says with a smile.' I nod and say, "Don't be too hard on him I don't think he's had too much help with proper etiquette." He smiles and says 'I won't but you should hurry I think Fù is at her breaking point.' I hurry up stairs and I wonder why she's at her breaking point.

~~~Gabriel

She stands up and she begins to leave,the way she was standing and how fast she was moving let me know she was in a hurry to leave. I go to the bathroom, I see the soap, I look at the mirror and I see the dry blood all over my face. I look around and I see the luxuries she's been living in. Now I find myself questioning even more so, why would she come back to me and Dad when she lives like this? Better yet, why even live below her standards? Was this for some form of entertainment?

'Entertainment? No Gabriel, it wasn't' "I didn't know you were still peering into my mind," I say, annoyed already, "And you didn't knock," I say to her, almsot accusatory, John was still fresh in my mind. How could she pretend to be someone like this? How could she lie for so long? I ask myself that. 'I know you have questions and I can answer them, but could you please stay?'

"Not really, Lilith. I'm ready to leave," 'You can leave but only after you've stayed and we can talk,' I remember I put a bullet in her head and I killed Carter, I doubt she'll let me do that again. 'If you feel that strongly, I can't stop you from leaving but the nearest city is not for 20 miles and it's going to be hard for you to blend in in that military uniform,' "That's not your concern, Lilith. I'm not your child nor am I your personal responbitliy," She looks at me and says, 'You're my son. You'll always be my responsbility whether you want to believe it or not. I'll always be your mother,'

"That's the problem, Lilith. I don't see you as a mother. What mother abandons her newborn infant? What mother watches her son grow up with a broken man?" My anger, consuming me even farther than it should. She takes a deep breath and says, 'Not a good mother but I'm still your mother. Listen, I just want to talk. I'm sorry but I want to talk to my son and I know you must have questions,' I shrug and say, "Not really. I don't have any questions for a woman who wasn't there,"

'You told me your answer in the beginning and I'll believe it first. Gabriel as your mother,' I take a deep sigh, I know she's not going to let me leave and she has a point, I have a right to be nervous in this uniform but I won't let her see that. It's then that she gets closer, I was a bit standoffish and I began to back up but I stop myself. 'I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to do anything to you, Gabriel. I love you,' I begin to grit my teeth but something in me just wanted to let go if only for a little bit. Was that my father's compassion in me? I tried my best to cover it up, I never felt like a good son to either one of my parents, if I was a good son, they would have stayed. My dad would have been there as a parent, he wouldn't have left me alone and when he was there, it was like he didn't want to be there, I remember so much.

'I'm sorry,' "You have nothing to be sorry about," I go into the bathroom as I start to wash my face. I look in the mirror and for a second, I thought my eyes got lighter but I finish watching the dry blood off my face. I walk out of the bathroom and see her still there. It's then that she sits on the bed, her legs folded neatly. 'Won't you join me?' she says with a smile. She was trying her best to be nice, but I still coudln't stand to look at her. I couldn't stand to look at her because of how my dad talked about her, how he told me how much he loved her but he could never remember her face. I asked him why and when he looked at me, it was like I spit on his dreams.

I sit down, looking at the woman my father dreamed of, the woman my father loved. 'I want to talk. I want you to know how much I love you. I want you to know how important you are to me and I would like to talk after the party. Even if your answer is still the same, I think it's a good thing to actually relax. You've seen more battle than most should,' I remember how I heard that love and compassion in her voice, the love of a mother and I then respond, "Yeah and you have, too," I say, pointing out the fact that she was under her alias, John. 'John did see a lot of battles, I'm sorry about that,' "Sorry about what?" She didn't say anything, "Sorry about the fact that you pretended to be my brother in arms or sorry about the fact that I realized a little too soon or are you sorry about the fact that I had to kill all three of the children?" 'Nothing I can say can make what I did right though I know any parent would do it if they had the power to,'

"It wasn't any parent though, was it, Lilith? It was you," 'I can only apologize so many times, my son,' "I don't think I want to hear you apologize," I say to her, I don't think I want to hear your excuses as much as I think the thought would satisify me, I think to myself and I keep thinking about what happened and then I think Yes, she had a point with everything and unfortunately as much as I hate to say it, I do understand. "Fine, I'll stay to hear what you have to say," I could feel myself regretting what I just said but I knew how important it would be to my father if I stayed. As much as I have mixed feelings, I would rather be able to tell him I gave her a chance if I meet him again when I die.

She smiles as she says, 'Thank you. I want you to know that I'm grateful you changed your mind,' I think to myself, the only reason she's grateful is because now I have changed my mind. Some time passes as we sit in silence, I then get up and start to stretch. I turn around and I see her stqnding with me, 'You missed a bit of blood. Do you mind if I get it?' I turn my head away with her as I was clearly blushing. It was then that I felt something warm and slimy slide across my face, she put some spit on her thumb and cleaned it. After she did that though, she licked her finger.

'Vampire Blood, it's always been disgusting,' "Do you mind if I use your shower?" She says, 'Of course, I don't mind. In fact, I think you need one,' I had layers and layers of dirt compressed onto my skin, I don't think I've seen my real skin color in a few days now that I think about it. She looks at me and then she smiles. 'I'll get some clothes ready for you,' Some time after I finshed the shower, I noticed how dirty I left the tub. There was dirt all around it, I wash the dirt down the drain as much as I could and I saw a towel with her name on it. I also noticed it in my washcloths, I can't believe someone actually uses two washcloths.

I see some clothes folded up and put to the side for me, too. A white dress shirt, black slacks and some shoes my size. I wonder how she got all of this so quickly? I begin to get dressed, taking my time to put it all together. I leave the tie untied and I see my hair looking like it had a forest on top of it. Would I even have time to comb it out? I think to myself. It's then that I hear another knock on the door, I open the door and I see Lilith. 'I thought you drown in the bathroom?' "Yeah, I was washing until I got my skin color back," She chuckles and says, 'I think it's back. I don't think it was going anywhere either,'

I didn't want to admit that was kind of funny, at least I know she's my mom. Dad was never one for jokes, I think to myself. 'So, what are you going to do with the forest on top of your head?' I scratch my hair as I then say: "I have no idea," She then says, 'I can cut it for you,' I see the excited look on her face and I didn't want to shut it down. I said I'd listen to her talk so this would be a good time to start some of it, "Fine. Are you used to my grain of hair?"

She pulls some expensive clippers out of her drawer, scissors and a razor blade. 'I have a bit of experience. I used to cut your father's hair,' She then says, 'You should unbutton your shirt. I don't want to get it messed up,' She then puts a drape around my neck as she begins to comb my hair, I feel each pulling sensation as she does it as I then say, "You know that Dad said those were the best years of his life, right?" She takes a deep sigh and says, 'I know but the truth of the matter is that your dad never liked anyone else cutting his hair after how well I did it,' "Well that's true. He never went back to the barber, he cut my hair himself for a long time. He used an expensive sets of clippers for a while,"

'He still took care of them?' She says in a calm voice. As she finishes combing my hair, I say, "Yeah. When those things finally broke, it was because I did it," There was a hesistation in her clip as she finished, did I finally make her upset? She seemed like she was so patient before but this silence was obvious, 'I can only imagine why you broke them,' I remember hearing him say those words and I remember what I did. It was that moment that our relationship had changed or maybe our relationship had already been bad. She then turns the clippers on and says, 'One thing about your father that I know reflects on you is how stubborn he is but his stubbornness often hurt those around him. I can only imagine how much it hurt you,' "He tried but not the best," I see hair falling on the ground, she was quite fast with her cutting and how much she had gotten done.

As my hair has been cut, I see how I look, I look like a fresh-faced recruit from years ago. She keeps cutting and as she finishes, she then grabs the scissors as she begins to cut my beard, each cut shortening my already large beard. She cuts it all the way down until there's nothing and then runs a razor to give me a shape-up line. I look into her golden eyes every time and I'm still unsettled by it, it's what keeps me still while she's cutting my hair. As she finished, she smiles and says, 'I'm done,' She hands me a mirror and says, 'You look handsome,' and for a moment there, I see what I did to my father. I enjoyed breaking those clippers too much and I guess that's what hurt him the most.

"Thank you," she looks at her watch as she then says, 'The party's starting soon. I'll see you then,' As she leaves, I see how well she's dressed. I get up and I try tying the tie multiple times but the best I could do was a knot. I didn't want to just leave it there so I left out of the room, I put it in my back pocket and get comfortable with leaving. It's only going to be more vampires for here on out, I think to myself. It's then that I'm greeted by a tall man as he then smiles and says, 'You must be Gabriel,'

"Yeah, I am, sir. Nice to meet you," He looks at me and smiles, his suit was expensive, I could tell. His suit was probably my entire month's paycheck, maybe more. 'No tie?' he says to me, taking my thoughts off of how expesnive his clothes were. "I couldn't tie the damn thing," 'This is a formal event, Gabriel. Do you have the tie on you?' "Yes, I do. Here," I hand it to him, thinking that he was about to reprimand me. Instead, he puts it around my neck as he then says, 'I know it's going to be kind of difficult for you but this is a formal event and you want to look your best,' "For Lilith?" I say. His eyes turn competely cruel for a second before they go back to normal, 'No, for yourself. You want to look good for you,' As he tigthens it, he turns me around to a large mirror in the hallway as he says, 'Perfect. A full windsor knot. You seem like a confident man and it would be good to represent that confidence,'

I take a deep sigh as I look at his deep red shirt, it was almost like blood. 'I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with the bloodsuckers," He then chuckles and says, 'No, you're not. I'm going to protect you at least at the party so let's prepare to have some fun,' I see how many guests have shown, both human and non-human. I have a feeling I'm going to be spending a majority of my night, drinking, I think to myself. As I walk, I see a number of people, defintiely not a party someone would catch me at. I prefer the nightclubs, filled with good jazz music.

End of Chapter: A Party To Attend.