Parole (Hypernaturals 7)

Tommy T. Vampire

To ease him into his new situation, Helen picked Tommy up at the airport and brought him to the house. Normally one would not think of Helen as a way to ease anyone into anything. She sure as hell worked hard when I was a newbie Vampire to make me ill at ease, what with her offering Jessica to kill me free of charge. To Helen's point, she already knows him, already threatened him. Now, she is a familiar face in a new city. It is odd to think of my bad to the bone spouse as the gentle way into a new social situation.

When her little black four-door rolled up the drive, I met them outside. I heard them coming a mile off and I decided my way to gentle him into living here is to be the only next new thing he is dealing with.

Helen slid her arm around me in a sign of open affection. My brain hurts. "Tommy: This is your Parole officer, Adrian. As I have explained to you several times, the single most successful male Vampire in our known history. Shortest time on Parole. First-ever male Vampire to take on a new male Vampire. Siren Liaison. You are incredibly lucky to have him. Also: he is my husband."

Tommy is not what I expected, even though Helen described him perfectly. Tommy is the skinniest human I have ever laid eyes on. Maybe one hundred and twenty pounds as a human, and he has not a Vampire long enough to have added much weight. Muscles starting to turn into the Vampire standard-issue model, but not nearly the time to absorb sufficient metals to start building a stronger frame for them to act against. He has sandy blonde hair longer than mine (Helen trims mine to her preference), and a thin goatee and mustache that look like they were grown by an eighteen-year-old. His eyes are gray. He looks like and sounds like a beatnik from the 1960's.

"Hey, man! Heard all about your ass. Hell, they wouldn't shut up about you up there in Colorado, ya know? Nice to finally meetcha." Tommy greeted. We shook hands.

"Very nice to meet you as well." I told him. We studied each other as we shook. "I hope that Helen did not terrify you about this entire arrangement. New Vampire, living in a strange city, with your Parole officer and one of the members of your subcommittee. You are getting the royal treatment and probably also feel like you are under a microscope."

"It's all good, man. All good. Hard parts being a damn Vampire, ya know? Yeah. Helen said you had a rough time when you was on Parole too." Tommy replied.

"It was not fun." I agreed. "It has not exactly been a bed of roses since then either."

Helen was standing there looking unsure what to do next, so I let her off the hook.

"I want to show Tommy his temporary place. Be inside in a bit if you want to go hold Rachel" I said. Code for breastfeed her. It would not do for Tommy to see leakage or scent breastmilk. I thought that was incipient based on my higher gain senses.

Helen looked grateful and nodded once. "Sure. I'll let the family know you are here." Helen replied, her eyebrow up only slightly. She also understood I am going to have a private talk with my new problem child.

We watched her go in silence. Once she went in the front door, I waved over to the Fiver, all set up. Truck disconnected and docked in the garage, headlights pointing out. I wonder why people always back trucks into parking spaces. Especially THAT truck.

Tommy is not now nor will he ever be in on any of the family secrets. Not how the girls were conceived, not how the humans out in back came to know about Vamps. None of it. We underlined that for everyone. When Tommy is around, be cool. Danny and Lori and my parents are humans, but we hope he assumes they are Council approved since Helen lives there. If he asks, we'll lie. Easier to not bring it up at all.

"So, Tommy. I am sure Helen told you many things, so bear with me if I am repeating anything." I said as we walked over to the RV.

"Sure, man, sure. No worries." Tommy said.