Glass Hearts

27

"Jeremy, you need to concentrate more. Your focus is all over the place," Lance says having far more patience than Jeremy thinks he should.

"I'm trying Lance, but I keep losing my focus. I don't know what to do to keep it in one place." Jeremy says frustrated, he doesn't want to sound like a whiny baby but he's afraid that's just what he's doing.

"Sit down and tell me what's going on Jeremy." Lance says taking his own advice and sitting on the chairs in the backyard where they'd been practicing.

"My slave, Lena is pregnant. I told her it was up to her whether or not she keeps it."

"Is it yours?" Lance asks hesitantly.

"No, it's completely human. But she was terrified about telling me." Jeremy sounds like a petulant child about that.

"Of course she is, there was every chance it was your child. Humans don't want to tell a demon, oh by the way I'm having your child'. In cases like Lena, they generally don't like telling anyone that they are with child. You said it yourself, Lena was a world class whore. The humans aren't likely to believe her if she tells them it's their's. But if you are allowing her to keep it, are you sending her away?" This is the part that confuses Lance.

"No, I gave her a room in the house to make into a nursery."Jeremy kicks at the grass at his feet.

"Jeremy, you do know that babies make a lot of noise and don't always do what you tell them to do. Not even my son and he understands things better than a human child will. If you are planning on having a human child in your household you need to make sure your self control is iron clad and adamant." Lance warns, he is both repelled and fascinated by the path Jeremy is taking.

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asks once more like the innocent demon before Rosa entered the picture.

"I mean they cry. Especially when they are sick and the sound is grating on the ears. Even to humans. It's easy to lose control especially if the child has been doing a lot of crying and you haven't had any sleep. I'd make sure that the child has one of the sound proof rooms and make sure that Lena has a monitor so she can wake without the whole house waking up to deal with the child.

"Is that the only thing bothering you though?" Lance asks thoughtfully.

Jeremy shakes his head, "I have an uneasy feeling about this, Lance. Zee still freaks out every time it's mentioned and it's not getting better. I know you haven't gone yet, because you're waiting for me to get it together, but I really don't think you should go. Or at least not to that level."

This last bit makes Lance look at him more sharply, "What do you mean?" Lance demands.

"They'll be waiting for our entrance on the level we're aiming for, expecting you and anyone you bring to come from that direction. Wouldn't it be better then to come from a different level? Can Leann send out her fire from one level so it takes out another level?"

Lance smiles wickedly, "Oh, very good Jeremy. But we've taken it one step further. We won't be using fire to kill the traitors. We still haven't decided where we'll be making our entry point, but it's unlikely to be from a portal to that level. Like you said it will make it too easy for our enemies to kill us. Believe me, I have no desire to die anytime soon."

Jeremy immediately relaxes. "Too bad you can't start at the top and just send out death to all betraying our King. The sex demons probably aren't the traitors that the others are, but I'm almost positive my family would have joined the rebellion if there is one."

Lance smiles nastily, "Oh, I like that idea. I'll have to talk to his Mightiness and see what he thinks. Your family, you could take them all now  you know, your parents should be proud. You are a good demon Jeremy in spite of them. I'd rather have you at my side than any other demon other than Jim."

Jeremy smiles shyly, "You really think so. That I'm worthwhile I mean. For over a century I was told I was nothing more than a mistake that they tried to fix."

"Jim thinks so too, otherwise he wouldn't have helped with your lessons," Lance retorts slyly.

"He told you about that?" Jeremy looks down blushing.

"Demons have voracious appetites, don't worry about it. He said he enjoyed it, that you are actually pretty good. He said that I should try," Lance laughs at Jeremy's look. "Don't worry, I won't, Leann would kill me if I did. Besides you know how I feel about certain things."

"But getting back to the baby idea, did you fill out the paperwork to become a foster parent?" Lance asks.

"Yes, but since I'm single and living with four other people, they probably won't accept me. They're sending out someone to interview me tomorrow," Jeremy says morosely again.

"Talk to me Jeremy, there's something going on here," Lance thinks this might be what is bothering Jeremy the most.

"Ever since I first heard that baby, I felt drawn to it. I need to have that baby in my house Lance, but if I don't get okayed by the state to take in children then there's no way they'll let me have her." Jeremy says getting up and pacing.

"How do you know the child is a her? She was pretty well wrapped up when you held her and the clothes and blankets were all gender neutral."

"I knew from the moment I heard her, I don't know how. But I've also visited her in the hospital, and I've had Zee ask to be switched over to that section to watch over her." Jeremy is getting seriously agitated and this alarms Lance.

"Jeremy, if you don't get yourself under control it will be better for you to not be a foster parent. You'll hurt her accidentally and then you'll feel worse and possibly lose complete control. Instead of focusing on powers today, I think we'll be focusing on self control. That will help with controlling your powers as well." Lance says thoughtfully watching the agitated demon in front of him. In all his years he's never heard of a demon so forcefully drawn to a human, especially a human so young as the baby.