North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Rachel

Rachel came to the office. I was not expecting her. Denise and Anne are huddled over the desk, looking at Boot Camp stuff.

"Hi, Adrian. Can we talk?" Rachel asked.

"Sure. Why we have a conference room." I answered and stood up.

Denise looked up, interested, but was not invited to the meeting, so went back to her work.

I led us into the 'Olsen and Sagan' side of the suite, and the conference room we have there. I mentally added 'conference room for Council BS' to my construction buildout checklist. Also bigger shower. Also 'rainwater collection'. A lot of new buildings in Austin come with that, but this one is too old. To have a bigger shower, I need to have a rainwater collection system to lessen the guilt over water usage. I wish I could take the drain water out into plant areas, but that is not code.

Angel looked up from her desk as we walked by.

"Hi, Rachel. You are looking a bit pensive. Can I get you something? Tea?" Angel offered.

Rachel smiled at our housemate. "Thanks, Angel. Just some water maybe?" Rachel answered.

Rachel and I seated ourselves in the conference room's big comfy chairs. Morgan likes her clients to feel comfortable. Sort of the opposite of an interrogation room.

Mental note: Council is buying me nice chairs for the new conference room.

Angel popped in with chilled water for Rachel and a beer for me. We keep the kitchen stocked here.

"Thanks, Angel." I looked at the beer curiously.

"You'll want it." Angel answered the unasked question.

Angel bopped on out and closed the door, but it seems as if Angel already knows what the conference with my housemate and Council-mate is about. That made one of us. Two, counting Rachel.

"I came by to apologize." Rachel said. "I told Helen there were better ways to do what we did to you. I waited until now to talk to you because... Well... Many reasons. One is, you have been so angry. I hoped that would taper off. It hasn't, so I decided now is as good a time as any. I figured if you were angry, you would not hear me as well." Rachel said.

"Rachel. I understand. I know I have been a super pissed off person, and it's everything I can do to not let my daughters feel my rage. Not really helping with Nakoma. She can tell. Chip off the old Angel."

"She is indeed. She is the one that told me it was time to come up here." Rachel said. "Your daughter loves you. I have always known that blood is not the important thing about being a parent, but I have never really understood it the way I do now. In the house. The girls and being one of their mothers. Me. A mum. Nakoma and you. It's all a gift."

I could not help but agree with that. "It is, and that is part of why what Helen did to me is a curse. She has made it so very much harder to not have them be affected."

"Not to defend her actions, because I do not agree with her methods, however, Helen thinks she is thinking long term. Bigger picture kind of thing. About the future for all the kids and all our kind. Helen is convinced in her heart of hearts that in order to protect them and all of us that you need to be on Council. Helen can be a force of nature when she thinks she is right about something."

"That is one way to put it. All hurricanes and natural disasters should be named 'Helen' from now on." I agreed. "I worry about the future too. All the time. Humans finding out about us would be a disaster, but ... It's going to happen someday. For real. We have kept the HPA at bay so far, but eventually, we are going to get caught out and all our tricks won't be enough to save us. Part of the reason the hiding under a rock thing PacRim does won't work. It's not only about killing male Vampires, but that they want to keep everything like it is, and the world is changing."