From the outside looking in they seemed to have recovered from the article in Dirt, but Krisis knew their relationship had taken a blow. He could see it in Leigh’s eyes, the worry, the fear, was forever present, lurking just below the hazel brown depths.
He could never apologize enough for his past and he understood it wasn’t really herself she was worried about; she’d handled a lot of his scandals before. She was more concerned with their children’s wellbeing, she felt useless knowing there was nothing she could do to shelter them from all his scandals or protect them from malicious tabloids.
On days when the anger and worry burned hot in Leigh’s eyes, Krisis found himself hating Beau all over again. He knew it was him; he’d leaked the photos to the press. Krimsyn or J.D. would never even dream of doing something so vindictive, they had no reason to. What he didn’t understand was what Beau had hoped to achieve. If it was to hurt him by hurting Leigh, then he’d succeeded.
Krisis had wanted to retaliate, confront him. But Jessica had pointed out that he’d be violating his agreement with the Vampire Council if he did.
He’d also backed off on his plans to file a lawsuit against Dirt because Leigh wanted to get through the scandal as quickly as possible, without the drama of drawn out court appearances hanging over their heads.
More than once, Krisis found himself feeling grateful for Michaela. She’d practically moved in with them. He didn’t know why she left home, he’d asked, but she didn’t want to say and he didn’t want to push. He was just glad to have her around.
Whenever Leigh looked gloomy and down, Michaela was always quick to cheer her up with a trip to the spa, a tub of ice-cream in front of the TV, or just girl talk.
Another person he was grateful for was Eloise. Planning her friend’s wedding and performing her maid of honor duties carried Leigh through days when even Michaela couldn’t help.
While Leigh kept busy with the wedding, Krisis spent every free time he had with Thornton, sometimes at the VC headquarters, and other times at O+ Positive Records, discussing the Human Species Preservation Act (HPSA), the new law forbidding Vampires from turning humans.
The proposed bill gave him nightmares. He couldn’t turn Leigh yet because they were still waiting out Ariel’s predictions. But if he didn’t do it by January 1st he’d never be able to turn her willingly or otherwise since the act would be punishable by death.
He’d lost track of the number of nights he spent poring over the bill, trying to find loopholes, so far there were none. And he was getting frustrated and taking it out on everyone around him. Especially Thornton.
They were in his office at O+ Records now; their planning session wasn’t going well. Thornton didn’t have new information.
“Your only option right now is to marry Leigh. The bill doesn’t make provisions for existing married interracial couples. That’s still a grey area. If you marry her before January 1st what you and her decide to do in your marriage falls within the jurisdiction of the church,” Thornton suggested for the millionth time.
Krisis shook his head for the millionth time too. He wasn’t impervious to the idea of marrying Leigh. But he wanted to give her a fairytale wedding. Not a rushed shotgun wedding.
“Is Leigh so vain she’d risk your relationship, your life and the wellbeing of her kids? If you explained to her what’s at stake, I don’t think she’ll care so much about a dress!” Thornton argued. He’d read his thoughts and seen the look in his eyes.
“I know. I just want to give her what she wants. She wants the fairytale wedding and she should have it. She deserves it!”
“She does. But that kind of wedding can take months to plan. You don’t have the luxury!” Thornton continued.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Krisis shot back. He got up from his chair and went to stare outside the window.
Thornton joined him. “Look,” he placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. “Think about it. If Leigh loves you as much as I think she does, she’ll understand why it has to be done this way.”
Krisis recoiled at his father’s touch just a little. Unlike his sister, he was still wary of getting too close to him, preferring to take things slow. He only spent time with the man out of necessity.
Before he could say anything, his phone beeped on his desk. He went to answer it. It was Mark. They needed him down at the studio to listen in on Half & Half. They were recording their first studio album.
“I have to head to the studio,” he explained.
Thornton waved him off. “I’ll see myself out.”
He was just collecting his papers and stuffing them in his briefcase when the door burst open.
“Krisis, here’s a song I’ve been working on. I think your vocals would be perfect for this-” Katie bustled in; she stopped when she realized the man staring at her wasn’t Krisis.
“He’s gone to the studio,” Thornton murmured. Sure he was warming up to Leigh, but the rest of the humans, he didn’t have much patience for, and he certainly didn’t have any for Katie. He dismissed her with a brief look hinting at boredom and mild amusement.
“Okay. I’ll just leave this for him,” she replied as she dropped the notebook on the desk.
As quickly as she'd come in she was gone, and Thornton was once again preoccupied with his papers and briefcase.
He scanned the office one last time, making sure he hadn’t left out any important files; he didn’t want them landing in the wrong hands. His gaze fell on the notebook. Without thinking much on it, he picked it up and scanned through it.
The words hit him with such force he found himself unable to hold on to his briefcase. It dropped to the floor with a loud thud but the sound didn’t register in his head. Nothing did. He found himself unable to breath and all he was aware of was the loud roar in his ears and his heart squeezing painfully in his chest, little by little....
Wandering around, looking for something
I see you there, lonely, like me...
Longing to love, you and I, the lonely people.
We act on the moment, a brief time together
to assuage the loneliness in the heart,
to satisfy our mind's need for distraction,
to meet the psychological desire of the body,
to lift the taste of loneliness from our tongues.
And after the moment, we depart....
still leaving us wanting...
nothing can satisfy, nothing can take away
the deep loneliness in my heart.
I swallow this feeling of dissatisfaction
I bury the shadows of pain.
How do I hold you with these blood stained hands
How can you see me and not see the damned
How will you forgive the lies I have told
How will I fathom the depths of your soul... just...
take my hand
hold me close to your heart
as we drift away
over the stars and the moon....
we will dream through the night,
through oblivion,
always together, you and I.
We've been watching so long, waiting for something
I saw you there, lonely, like me...
Just to love, and be loved, we, the lonely people.
Our brief time together, left me drained and uncertain...
one night, one new pain to stamp on my heart...
bereft of compassion and hardened like ice,
can't find another to fill up my mind...
because your scent is embedded in my soul
And after the moment, you're gone...
I am left wanting...
nothing can satisfy, nothing can take away
the deep loneliness in my heart.
I swallow this feeling of dissatisfaction
I bury the shadows of pain.
I cannot hold you with these blood stained hands
I truthfully tell you that with me you're damned
I can't be forgiven for the lies I have told
I cannot be trusted to protect your soul... please
take my hand
hold me close to your heart
as we drift away
over the stars and the moon....
we will dream through the night,
through oblivion,
always together, you and I…
Thornton couldn’t understand how she’d done it, but this girl, this human girl, had captured his feelings so clearly with her words scrawled across the page in a neat feminine handwriting.
She saw him. Plain and simple. For that briefest of moments, when he was completely vulnerable to her words, he hated her. Hated her and her words, hated her and her love song. A love song he was convinced she’d written with him in mind.
He wanted to squash up the notebook into a tiny ball and throw it in the bin and forget he ever laid eyes on it, but he knew it would be useless, the words were engraved in his heart, and he’d never be able to get them out of his head.
He was still clutching the book when Katie walked in again.
“I came to get the song, I need to make some adjustments,” she held out her hand.
“No!” Thornton shook his head.
“Excuse me?” He could see she was stunned by the harshness in his voice.
“I mean, don’t change a thing. It’s perfect as is,” he told her softly as he handed her the book. He grabbed his briefcase from the floor and left without a backward glance.
For a long time Katie stayed in Krisis’ office, wondering what had just happened; she’d never sensed so much sadness and heartache in anyone. And Thornton's anger left her confused. For some inexplicable reason she’d picked up it was directed at her and she had no idea what she’d done to piss of the Vampire Council’s Second In Command.
______
Credits: the lyrics to You and I are intellectual property of Fae/Zhippidy. She has a new serial, The Song of Ghaal, if you aren't already reading it, I humbly suggest you should. Her writing is as beautiful as all her lyrics and the pictures are just as breathtaking.
Thank you Fae for all your help with the band's albums. It's much appreciated.
I think Krisis loves Leigh the way she is and thats why he is holding back on changing her. In his eyes she is perfect the way she is.
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics are beautiful :)
Is Thornton starting to like Katie???
You know what, I think you are right about Krisis and why he's hesitating, in his eyes, she's perfect. But at this stage, knowing how much he's about to lose, he's not totally against the idea of turning her.
DeleteYes, I agree on the lyrics, Fae is an amazing song writer and it's been great working with Katie, her alter ego.
I think he's starting to. The song struck a chord in him.
Thanks so much for reading and I look forward to your update.
I feel for Leigh and Krisis. They are stuck in this crossroads with no clear direction on what path to take. Thornton is right if Krisis would tell Leigh what's going on I think she might forgo the big wedding for now. Have a small one then afterwards plan the big fairytale one. Lots of people do it that way especially if they didn't have the money for the big one right away. Since they don't have the luxury of time it needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteHowever that's another crossroads right? Krisis wants to get married but Leigh wants to be turned first right?
The song Katie wrote was lovely and sad and touched Thornton. She has herself a reluctant admirer. Considering how his last human relationship went, I see his resisting and in turn taking that out on poor Katie who has no idea what she's done.
Jaz,
DeleteThat's so true about the crossroads Leigh and Krisis are at. There's no clear solution. And if he can just tell Leigh, he'd realize that her idea of a fairy-tale wedding is completely different to what he thinks she wants. And I love your solution about having a smaller one now, and the extravagant one later, it's perfect.
Right now, with they both know what's at stake and they are running out of time, so it doesn't really matter any more what happens first, the wedding or Leigh being turned. If Krisis can ask her to marry him tomorrow, Leigh will be thrilled. I think all they need is to talk and Krisis should lay down all their options on the table.
Yes, the song touched him deeply. And I'm so excited for this story arc. But yeah, he has a lot of baggage from the past, and some of it he's slowly letting to lose just from watching Leigh and Krisis, so he might not be that hard on Katie. But right now, whatever feelings her song roused in him are not yet welcome, and he'll try to resist.
Thanks so much for reading, and all your support always.
~ I know Leigh said she would not marry Krisis until she was turned,but if he told her,just what is happening,& with the threat of Ariel's predictions hanging over their heads,this one thing,would go a long way to helping them when & if that prediction ever comes to pass,otherwise Krisis would turn her & die gladly as long as she lived,to look after their babies!
ReplyDelete~ Because if he does not marry her before the deadline date,that is what his choices will be if the worst happens!
~ Love that Mickey is helping out with keeping Leigh's mind of of things,& in a way helping herself at the same time,who could be sad around those cuties!
~ The Song is so sad,it is so beautiful!
~ Thanks for sharing I am loving this!(",)
Initially that was Leigh's plan, but I think they can both see that things have reached a critical point and Leigh msy just have to marry Krisis before he turns her. But you're right, he would die for her if it ever came to that.
DeleteLeigh and Krisis both love having her around. And she really did move in with them, not just for story purposes. It was one of her wants, and no, Joshua wasn't staying at the penthouse.
All Fae's songs are beautiful.
Thanks for reading.
Poor indecisive Krisis. Honestly I don't want him to turn Leigh, their human/vampire relationship is so...I love them the way they are.
ReplyDeleteWhen Thornton said no, for some reason I read it in Smeagol's voice and saw Thornton curled up around the notebook having a freak out. 'My pretty! You do not change my pretty!'
Lol, Pixx I feel you. I love their interracial relationship too, but somethings have to heppen. If she stays human there'll be more complications later on.
DeleteI'll have to google Smeagol. Don't laugh at me.
Thanks for reading.
That was quite intense. Maybe Krisis isn't so much worried about Leigh becoming like him, but that he thinks he might lose something special in her if she does. Is he holding on to his old look-alike love on a subconscious level? I hope he is upfront with Leigh soon about what is happening and then they can come to a decision together. He is withholding from her and he promised her he wouldn't. I bet the triplets pick up on that.
ReplyDeleteI'm angry that Michaela is again being left on her own to come to terms with the Joshua mess. J.D. needs a good kick in the pants falling all over Joshua. So much for his special forces observation skills, huh? Can't even see his daughter is distressed. I worry that her closing up will affect her relationship with Cameron. I am concerned she won't share anything. She is at Krisis and Leigh's to leave a situation and I think she knows that neither of them will pry they are so wrapped in their own troubles.
It always gives me chills from head to toe reading the songs in your story ^_^
Thornton is quite a complex guy. It will be interesting to see more of how he works. I feel bad for Katie being at the receiving end of his little tirade. She was just doing her job.
Great update, beginning to end. And I love the pictures :)
Fae,
DeleteI'm not sure if you've been following Krisis from Season 1, but his relationship with Laura was really born out of pity than anything else, he took her away from a bad situation with Vladimir and when he found out she had a nental illness he stayed with her until she committed suicide. He cared for her a lot yes, but in love with her not so much. He couldn't even form a blood bond with Laura because of her illness. When Leigh came along he was hesitant abt starting anything with her because of the fact that she looked like Laura and it would seem as though he's substituting her. He loves Leigh no questions there and he would never ever dream of using her to hold on to Laura. What he feels for Leigh iis completely different from what he feels for Laura, it's just unfortunate that both women were mirror images.
As for him holding out on Leigh he's not. She understands why he can't turn her now, they are still waiting out Ariel's predictions. He has one chance at turning her. And if he turns her now and Ariel's predictions come true days disn the line he would have used up his only chance, and he can't bring her back. I think he mentioned this when he met JD at the rooftop of Aquarius. Abt the new law, he sees no point in worrying her when she's already panicky over their daughter's predictions.
I explained the JD/Michaela/Joshua situation in my response to Jaz in chapter 165. But I'm going to reiterate what
I said then, both JD and Krimsyn know that something isn't right about Joshua, but they can't act on hunches. Michaela knows the truth but she's keeping it to herself.
Before she left they did ask her what was wrong because they could see she was troubled, but she wouldn't open up because of her perceptions about JD's relationship with Joshua, a relationship that wouldn't exist if Michaela spent more time at home and was taking her responsibility as Joshua's sire seriously. Turning someone comes with the resoonsibility of looking after their wellbeing and Michaela hasn't been lloking after het fledgling, so the responsibility falls on her parents. But this doesn't mean she's not their priority.
Also Michaela pursued a relationship with Cameron as soon as she became an adult despite her parents' disapproval. She felt she was old enough to make up her mind and make her own decisions and she wanted her parents to treat her like an adult and they did. My point is she can't be an adult when it's convenient for her, and she can't blame everything on JD. She has to be an an adult all the time, and that means addressing whatever issues she has instead of running away.
JD and Krimsyn would love to spend time with her and be there for her but she's hardly at home.
She also has a history of bottling things up, it's a character flaw on her part and perhaps in later chapters she'll learn to confide more in those around her.
I love all your songs, so I know the feeling.
Thornton is complicated and with Katie's fragile past, I'm not sure if he's a complication she'd want to handle.
Thank you, I'm so thrilled you love the pics.
I am from the beginning :)
DeleteI did forget that his relationship with Laura was more on her need than his love. And yes, it makes sense to wait. That's part of the torture, not knowing, therefore, not acting.
I may have over thought the J.D./Michaela/Joshua issue. J.D. seemed concerned but quickly changed when Joshua came over. If I was Michaela, I know I would be upset, but yes, Michaela does hold too much in. She does seem to want to be the little girl one moment and the lady the next. (Just my perception of her.) I guess they should have sent her to vampire academy rather than pubic high school ^_^ (Give her a month with Thornton, he'll teach her; maybe she will open up more and he will stop grumping... kidding ^_^)
Love the story and its twists and turns. :)
As usual, great update. I feel like a kid in a candy store lately, because you've put out so many lately, and I don't have to wait!
ReplyDeleteI do have one question: Why don't Krysis and Leigh get a quickie marriage and then after everything settles down with the new law and Ariel's prediction, thay can have the big, lavish wedding?
Either way, I LOVE your updates; keep 'em coming!
Rebecca,
DeleteIt's always such a pleasure to hear from you. I'm glad you're enjoying the frequent updates, and I'll be posring as often as I can, but please don't feel pressured to read as soon as the chapters are released.
I love your question and your suggestion, very practical in light of their situation.
Thanks for stopping by.
Whether Krisis decides to turn Leigh or marry her first is "in the air," there's no telling which he would choose. Still, he can't sit idle and do neither, choices must be made! The clock is ticking, and I look forward to seeing what steps they take, and how Carmen plans on acting upon them. Nice chapter Valpre, looking forward to reading the next.
ReplyDeleteQK, that's so true, as things stand it can go either way, the wedding or the transformation. And you're right, his indecisiveness doesn't really help his predicament.
DeleteThanks so much for your feedback, it's really appreciated.
The song was beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI feel so badly for Krisis and for Leigh! I bet that Eloise wouldn't mind having a double wedding with Leigh and Krisis! Then she could have a fairy tale wedding too!
I don't think that Katie had Thornton in mind when she wrote that song, at least not consciously. Maybe I'm wrong, but there seems like there might be a connection between the two of them!
Loved it like always, Val!
Daisies, aint that the truth!
DeleteElle wouldn't mind at all, in fact she'd love it. If only Krisis can act quickly.
No, Katie didn't have him in mind, the song was what one eould call coincidence, but I love "fate" better. True, their loneliness is a common ground and who knows where that might lead.
Thanks so much for your continued support, I really appreciate your feedback.