Scarred

Chapter 21: Monday Morning 3 a.m.

Happy President's Day! Here's the next chapter to celebrate! lol

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Lucienne drifted in an empty void, processing all that she had experienced. She had just lived Michael's entire life as if she were him, and was still trying to sort through the immense amount of information, not to mention separating his memories from her own. She knew everything now, in detail and with no filters, no omissions.

Some of it had been wonderful. Michael's parents had truly loved him, a rare thing for that time period, and getting the chance to experience a happy relationship with them had been indescribable. Michael's own Maker, Gilbert, had been like a second father, especially after his own had passed. To experience the way Gilbert had nurtured her... No, Michael's, brilliant mind...

The way he had taken Michael under his wing, educated him, taught him, encouraged his creativity and finally sired him. The way Gilbert had calmly handled the surprise of how much power Michael now held. The man had never flinched, never panicked and never sought to use Michael for his own ends, even when they discovered Michael had the ability to kill with his mind. Instead the man had calmly taught Michael absolute control over his abilities, and carefully kept it all quiet in order to protect him.

She felt his complete and utter devastation when Gilbert had been assassinated. She'd been just as single minded as Michael in hunting down those responsible, and just as enraged when Louis had escaped. She'd fallen in love with Diana, turned her, been betrayed by her, and tortured her and Louis to death. Slowly. She felt the pain of killing one's own Made, especially the first, but even so, the memory of doing it didn't bother her the way she'd thought it would.

For that matter, those two hadn't been the only ones to receive that kind of treatment, though the actual number had been fewer than she'd expected if she were to be honest. Of course, that could be because Michael is very... creative when he wants to make a point. It's certainly keeps people from crossing him and keeps his own people safe, she thought to herself with a grim smile.

That actually is his major driving force. Every decision he makes is centered on his responsibilities to his people. The man cares more deeply than I think anyone realizes, except maybe Elijah. I think Elijah probably knows Michael better than anyone but me at this point, and that's only because I have the advantage of his memories in my head now.

Her thoughts drifted over each time Michael had sired a new vampire. She'd felt the care and protectiveness he held for each Made, and exactly what Diana, his first, had cost him. She'd also been surprised when she realized that Michael had turned more than most vampires did. Apparently the cost in terms of both resources and time was pretty massive, which is why, she'd learned, most vampires would only even consider it once every two or three centuries. He'd created six within a four hundred year span, with five still being alive and kicking, and he was planning to sire another two if she counted herself as well as the woman Sam.

Classic overachiever, she giggled to herself. I don't think he realizes it, but he's created a family. Like Gilbert did for him, he carefully nurtured each one of his Made, and he takes just as much pride in seeing them 'grow up' as any father would.

"Indeed, granddaughter. He is a man worthy of our bloodline, and more importantly, worthy of you," Eogan's mental voice broke into her thoughts, startling her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in confusion as he materialized in front of her. Then added, "For that matter, where are we?"

"You are in the Great Void, granddaughter," he replied with a slight smile. "We are inside the Mother. She that holds the unknown, she that holds the unseen, she that holds all possibilities and potentials. There is a certain comfort in the loss of self and the merging into her stillness. It can be restorative, but you must not lose yourself here."