Brother Remembered - Black Dagger Brotherhood FanFic - Sumter Colony 2

Chapter 11*

Night felt the sun set as he sat in the kitchen, staring into a cold cup of coffee. The angel-installed shutters unlatched and began to rise for the night. Lassiter and Tarra had left almost as abruptly as they'd come once he agreed to return to whatever might be there for him after all these years. Civilization, maybe? Memory? He didn't know what to hope for.

He'd spent some time talking to Ace about Rhet's rough transition. It was sobering to talk about, and now he was immobilized as much by his fear as by the sheer amount of shit that needed to be done to tear up roots and move. Ace had been the practical one and had gone into town to pick up the supplies they'd discussed; his business for the next week wasn't going to go away. He would have to have Cathy cancel the rest and refund a buttload of money.

Cathy... he was brought out of his reverie when the front door chimed as she entered the cabin. He didn't quite know what he was going to say, but he was sure it'd be hard, at least for him.

"I'm in the kitchen," he called as he heard her slide out of her coat and hang it on a peg.

"Hey! What are you doing awake?" She called as she pulled off her boots and let them clomp on the floor. She was the familiar bubbly person he found refreshing simply because it was such an honest reflection of who she was as a person.

"It's been a long day," was all he could muster to explain.

He could see her concern as she came into view. He must have looked a sight because her brows arched even more when she spied him. She came to his side quickly and kissed him in greeting, an action he returned more by habit than desire.

She squatted next to him to catch his eye. "What's going on, Night? Are you okay?"

He sighed and sat back. "Not really, no."

"Yeah, okay, let me grab some coffee, and we'll talk."

He waited as she took his mug and poured them some fresh from the pot, sweetening hers and adding lots of cream to both. When she sat across from him, he nodded in thanks for the refill, sipped, and wondered where to begin.

"You're at a loss for words," she observed.

"I—I have no idea where to start."

She gave him a half-grin. "I recommend the beginning."

He couldn't help but return her smile, if half-heartedly. He cleared his throat, sipped, and began. "Ace and I were visited today by... some unusual friends."

"Friends like you?"

"One of them, yes." He glanced at her. "The other is an angel."

She chuckled as she drank but quickly swallowed when he didn't react. "Wait. You're serious. An angel?"

"Yeah."

Her pause lasted only a moment. "Well, had you asked me two years ago if vampires existed, I'd have laughed. So, there's that."

He nodded. "Lassiter, the angel, says that Ace has less than a year to go before he transitions and that it will be a rough one."

She reached across the table and wrapped a hand around his. "Oh, Night. What are you going to do? Can they help?"

He squeezed her hand. "Yeah, but there's a catch."

"Let me guess," she said with a soft voice. "You have to send him away."

He blinked and nodded. "Sort of. There's a colony in South Carolina with the resources he'll need."

"But, it's not just him going away is it?"