City of the Damned

"I will not leave these people here like this." He told the commander. It might take a few trips with all the vehicles we can muster but they will all be coming back to the city with us. As for them eating mutated meat and disease, look at them. They have survived here for over fourty years. They have become imune to anything that the mutations had ever had. They are healthy and we can have our doctors examine them and see if there is any thing that might be spread. As for room, we have that, Gotham is not that crowded. Besides there is the new development being cleared, where the homes of the wealthy once was. They will help with the building of the wall around that, to protect them and others."

He picked the little girl up in his arms and looked at everything she was pointing at. Lukus was loving it all. He was scribbling down things in a log as he had since they arrived. Oh would the others be surprised when they learned of their find. There were no pure blood vampire women in Gotham. The Lords were with out one of their kind. Now here were several. Life it seemed was going to be very interesting in the near future.

Back at Gothem, the General came up to Whisper. "Word has come from Eastwood. They have found ten purebloods in the deep sleep. Eight women and two men, and hundreds of humans that have been watching and protecting them. They are requesting every vehicle we can muster to help bring the people and your brethern back."

The commander nodded to Nick and started making the preparations to have the entire population moved. The people started gathering up their belongings and soon enough, the girl's mother was back to claim her daughter and get their things packed up. The girl laughed and giggled with Nick and then kissed him on the cheek when her mother had run out of patience and taken the girl by a firm hand.

Back in Gotham, Whisper nodded to her general, "Thank you General." She said quietly as she traced her fingers over an engraved image of the most recent picture he had taken of her and his own wife. She could feel the growth and the rate of it and she smiled softly. "Have the detention centre cleared to receive them and such."
"Already working on it, Lady." The general told her and grinned at the picture before returning to the matters at hand. "I was thinking, Lady. We don't have enough of our military vehicles to send out, but some of the lower ranks have been restoring some old school buses, ready for the new semester."
"How many?" She asked.
"Nine in total." The general said, "We could send them with a contingent. It would be cramped, but we might be able to bring them back in one go instead of leaving some vulnerable."
Whisper nodded, "Then, indeed, send them with the rest of the trucks." She ordered. "The sooner they are all here and ours are home again, the happier I will be. I feel Blackthorn won't hang around for much longer. We will need our numbers again."
"I know." The general said, "I've been getting reports of his skirmishes attempting the forest on foot and by truck. None have made it without the serious support of before. What do you think his next move will be?"
Whisper shook her head, "I'm not sure." She said, "But it won't be as spectacular as before. It'll be subtle and subversive. He may even arrive again under a flag of truce to speak with us, speak with me. I can feel the questions burning inside him, as they burn in me."
"Lady?" The general asked.
"In fact, I think we should make the first move." She mused, "I'd like to speak with him proper, find out what he knows."
"Is that wise?" The Lycan asked, "And Lord Night will surely not be happy about it, especially after what happened before. You're vulnerable without him, Lady."
Whisper put the picture down and looked up towards her general. "But Blackthorn doesn't know that." She said, "After my ruse the last time, he won't want to underestimate me again. And I think his need for answers might just override his need for violence." She turned her head away again, "Send out an invite to him, just for him. Let him set the terms of the meeting within reason and tell him that I will be there personally."
"As you wish." The general said and left again quickly. He would do as she asked, but he also sent a message to Nick, informing him of the idea....

The little girl said, "Mommy look." she pointed to the painting of Nathanal. "You said he would return for us and he has." The child's mother looked where she was pointing and then she quickly looked at Nick. Again she fell to her knees and put her head down. Nick sighed and went to her and gently raised her to her feet. "It is alright. Old days of kneeling, no more. New way. Stand, be proud and help make good world."

She didn't quite understand but her god has just spoken to her and told her what to do so she would do it. She took her daughter and began walking away, with the little girl waving bye to him. Children were always the innocent and sweet ones.

It was not long before he got a report of what was being sent and about Blackthorn's attempts to move through the forests. Then he got the one about what Whisper wanted to do. He sent a message back saying, "Agreed, but only if I am there." He was not about to have that vampire close to her without him there.

The general received the message and immediately took it to Whisper. He knew that at this time of the day, she would be grooming Herra and Demon and so went into the day room. The sun had gone down now, but the air was still warm enough to keep all the windows open and as predicted, she was sat on the floor with her hounds. Herra had her head neatly on Whisper's lap as she was being brushed thoroughly and Demon laid peacefully at her side waiting his turn.

The general made his way across the room and then bowed his head in his usual respect. "A message from Lord Night." He said.
Whisper turned her head, but didn't stop brushing Herra, "What does it say?" She asked
"He says he agrees with the meeting, but only if he is there with you when it happens."
"I see." Whisper said, turning her head away again. "Any news from Blackthorn yet?"
The general shook his head, "Not yet, but I expect it will arrive shortly."
"Very well." Whisper replied softly and continued to brush Herra, "Have a contingent ready in case my husband doesn't return in time for Blackthorn's timetable. I don't want him thinking I've gone without protection."
"Yes Lady, right away." The general said and quickly left to do her bidding....

So many people and all of them thinking he was a god. Now thinking he was Nathanal as well. The woman had spread the word and when he came back from the one area they were getting ready to go to their knees when the woman began telling them not to. That it was his new rule. He had to chuckle a bit. They would soon enough learn that the vampires were not gods, but only a differnt race of humans. Those in Gotham would teach them and help them. The schools would have to be geared up for the new comers. Not only the children but the adults would have to be educated.

The busses and other vehicles that were ready to go left Gotham and headed to Eastwood. as soon as the word was given. Each had a couple extra troops aboard to help with any danger that might crop up. The going was easier now that the vehicles had been pushed out of the way. Later the road would have to be cleared so that others might return and begin slavaging anything useful from the city. Perhaps with time it could be cleared and saved. But only time would tell that.

Hours after the convoy left Gotham it arrived at Eastwood. People with their meager belongings boarded the buses and the trucks. Yes it was a bit crowded but they didn't mind. They had lived like that for some time. They marveled at the steel vehicles and how they moved without someone dragging them. The coffins with the vampires were put on a seperate truck. They would have to figure out how to revive those inside from the Deep Sleep.

When all was ready, he got onto the top of the lead vehicle and waved his arm, before climbing into the cab of the truck. The convoy began to move.

As the trucks rolled out of Eastwood, the message from Blackthorn came in and the general quickly took it to Whisper. As he entered, he saw that Demon had taken Herra's place and panted happily as the brush was dragged through his mass of fur. He moved quickly to Whisper and lowered his head again. "The message from Blackthorn." She said without asking. "Tell me."
The general unfolded the paper and carefully read it out to her, "He will meet with you." He said, "In Central City, his city."
Whisper lifted her head and stopped brushing Demon, "In his city?" She asked.
"Yes." The general said, "That is his only condition to the meeting. He will promise your safety, but only if you go alone."
Whisper turned her head away again and put the brush down. "Nicholas will never allow that." She said.

She hadn't left Gotham since her childhood and the outside world had changed so very much over the decades and centuries. She would be vulnerable out there in the unknown. "What else does it say?"
The general swallowed, "He will accept that you will have your guard and servants with you, but Lord Night will not be permitted beyond the boundary."
"When?" Whisper asked.
The general read further down the message, "By the new moon." He said. That was only a few days away. He swallowed hard. "Lady Night?" He asked, "What will you do?"
"I must keep my word." She replied softly, "I offered the meeting on his terms, General. If I back out now, he will not consider future conversations as worth the air it takes to speak them. Inform Nicholas of the conditions and ready my transport. I will leave at dusk."
"But Lady Night!" The general protested, "You are barely fit to travel in your condition. Please, my lady, let me send an alternative message to Blackthorn. Allow me to explain that you cannot travel."

Slowly, Whisper got to her feet and faced the general. Her bump stood prouder than ever and she rested her hands neatly on it. "General, I am pregnant, nothing more." She said with warning. "I am not incapable, nor am I so delicate as to warrant breaking a promise I had made. Now send the message I have dictated and ready my transport. Have Elena and Sophie ready my things and theirs to come with me and pick twenty of your best to travel as my contingent."
The general stepped back and lowered his head. "Very well, Lady." He said quietly, "But I am lodging a formal protest against this to Lord Night."
Whisper nodded slowly, "You must do as your conscience dictates." She told him and then turned away.
The general nodded again and left to do her bidding, but he made a stop by the communications room to send Nick a message of warning, telling him of the response from Blackthorn and his conditions and that Whisper was going. He knew he would be a while out of the job for it, for he knew Nick would undoubtedly beat him down for letting her go. It was something he was willing to accept.

Indeed, she knew that Nicholas would be utterly furious with her and do all he could to stop her going, but it would be several hours yet before he returned and by then, she would be well on her way to Central City. She knew it was a huge risk, but her word was her bond and Nick knew that.

A few hours later, as the sun was going down, everything was ready and Whisper left the tower under heavy guard to the armoured wagon that would be her home for the next day or so. Nothing had been spared in making the wagon as comfortable as possible and her two servants were accounted for also, with their own small space behind the driver should they need it. Also, above the driver, a space had been made for all Whisper's possible medical needs. Her and her baby's health were far too important not to have such equipment available. The twenty guard that the general had hand picked were placed evenly around in four large SUVs with five more actually in the wagon with Whisper and the girls, one of them doing the driving. Slowly, the caravan moved out of Gotham and onto the road.

Nick got the radio message and cursed under his breath. Oh he knew his wife's mind. She had given her word so to speak and if she didn't keep it, then anything else she said would be meaningless. He tried thinking of how he could get there in time to do something. But the travel to Gotham and then to Central city would take twice as long as it would take her to get there.

He pounded his fist on the dashboard and the glove compartment door opened and something fell out. he picked it up and stared at it. it was a folded up map, a road map. A smile came to his lips and he chuckled. He opened it and found Gotham and Eastwood. Running his finger over the line that denoted the road they were on he found what he was looking for. Another Road heading to Central City. It was a side road so to speak, not a highway like they were on. It should have less vehicles to push out of the way if they needed to.

He got on the radio and informed the commander of the soldiers what he planned to do. The back of his truck held a number of the people of Eastwood. Their arrival would have to wait a bit. When the exit came for the road he sought, he turned off and the rest of the convoy continued to Gotham. He opened the flap between the cab and the back and said, "We go to help my Wife, Lady Night. She goes to try and make peace with one called Blackthron."

"Evil God Blackthorn. No good, He evil and Distructive. We go too, we fight for you and Lady Night." The mother of the little girl cried out. Every one of them in the back raised their voices to agree. He smiled and closed the flap. "As fast as you can he told the driver." The driver smiled and nodded.

"Hang on then, it could be a bit rough." the driver said and accelerated. As expected the two lane road was not as used as the highway had been. they were able to move around the hulks of the vehicles that were on the road and made good time.

If he could not be apart of the contingent with his wife, then he would just have to sneak in and do it his old way. Blackthorn would not even know he was there.

The first few hours of travel were easy for Whisper and her contingent as Nick had ordered that the road be repaired, but after that, it started getting a little rough and the convoy had to slow down. Centuries of rot and potholes had taken their toll and it took some weaving to avoid the biggest of them. Whisper hoped that one day, this road would be smooth and easy again some day very soon. The two SUVs up front spotted and scouted while the two behind kept guard. Whisper's truck was kept in the middle for the best protection. Demon didn't like the rough ride much either and he whimpered as the truck jolted this way and that. As for Elena and Sophie, they were loving it all. For them, this was a huge adventure and they eagerly took pictures of everything that moved so they could show their friends when they got home.

And so, the hours began to roll along. Whisper spent most of her time reading her braille books and comforting Demon during the roughest parts of the journey by grooming him. Herra spent most of her time asleep. The convoy stopped several times for rest breaks and risk assessments. Elena and Sophie eventually became bored and settled down to sleep for a while. During the trip also, Whisper and the baby were checked and the record updated for the doctors when they returned. Beyond that, the trip so far seemed uneventful. But Whisper was getting nervous.

The convoy now was deep into unfamiliar territory and Whisper could the feel the change in the atmosphere. Her contingent were much more alert now and they began to report every half hour to her where they were and how far from Central City. Anything that moved was tracked carefully and it wasn't long before they started meeting Blackthorn's scouts and border guards. They were stopped several times until permissions were sent for them to move on. Eventually, the city came into sight.

It had taken a night and a day to reach the city and Whisper listened carefully as the gates were opened and they were led into the actual citadel compound. Blackthorn's guards were as on edge as her own were and she could feel the tension in them all. She listened as Blackthorn was informed she had arrived and she heard the guards give details of her numbers, placements around her truck and the fact she had brought her hounds with her. Every inch of every vehicle was checked and many questions were asked about the medical equipment with Whisper. She merely had to stand up to show them the reason and that information was passed on quickly also. After all that, the convoy was led under guard into the main square and stopped before a huge palace. Elena and Sophie were quick to take pictures and describe everything they saw to Whisper. It only took a moment or so, but she began to build a mental picture of everything. The scale was immense and it was clear Blackthorn liked to lord it over the rest of the city. Whisper heard the chains of slaves being led by the convoy and the rich accents of the lords under Blackthorn's thumb. Whisper compared this to Gotham fifty or so years ago and shook her head quietly. This unnerved her more than anything, but she wasn't surprised by any of it.

Once the convoy was stopped again outside the palace, her guards began setting up a perimeter for her safety. There was about half an hour or so before dusk, but she knew Blackthorn would keep her waiting for at least an hour. She used that hour well, taking on board every description her girls could provide and combining it all with what she could hear and smell. Around the perimeter set by her own guards, Blackthorn's also made a circle around them all. It was all very tense and Whisper could almost taste the desire to open fire on both sides. That was the last thing she wanted. This meeting was supposed to be peaceful and polite. She began to hear goading going back and forth and tapped on the driver's shoulder to have the commander come to her. He did so quickly. "My Lady." He said with a bow of his head.
"I hear goading and threats." She said, "This will cease immediately. This is supposed to be a peaceful interaction."
"Immediately, Lady Night." He said and quickly left again. Silence returned to her guards and all she heard then was Blackthorn's.
"Lady?" Sophie asked carefully, "Are we being made to wait?"
Whisper smiled and nodded, "Of course we are." She said, "Blackthorn thinks himself a God and we are in his home under his terms. He will make us wait as long as he wants."
"I don't like waiting." Elena offered up quietly, "It makes me nervous."
"Then busy yourself." Whisper said, "Groom yourselves and then find me a fitting image to present to Blackthorn."
"Yes Lady." Both girls said and went about doing as told.

Almost three hours later, Blackthorn finally emerged from the grand doors of his palace and descended the long stairs to greet Whisper. Word was given as he emerged and so Whisper carefully stepped out of the truck in all her finery. Her layered pink gown covered her modestly, yet showed her figure proudly and floated around her bare feet. Many of the guards turned to see her and they were all silenced, even those that had shouted and goaded the loudest among Blackthorn's ranks. Her commander stood at he door with his arm out for Whisper to take and she did. He lowered his head and carefully stepped backwards as she took a delicate step forward. A soft summer breeze kicked up some of her hair, giving off a delicate scent of lilies and many of the guards began to sigh as she moved past them. The commander led Whisper carefully to Blackthorn and then bowed his head again to both of them. "Presenting, Lady Angelina Night." He said with respect.
In response to that, Whisper made a graceful curtsy, "Please." She said in whisper to Blackthorn, "Call me Whisper, most do. A pleasure to meet you again, Lord Blackthorn."
Blackthorn lifted his chin in appraisal over what he saw, but he was suspicious. "Not so meek and mild now, are you." He said.
"A mistake on my part." Whisper offered.
"Speak up." Blackthorn said with demanding.
Whisper cleared her throat, "Lord Blackthorn." She said, but her voice was not any louder than before, "I apologise for disappointing you, but I cannot. Hence the name given me."
Blackthorn nodded as he looked her over again. "A blind vampire with no voice." He said with disappointment and shook his head, "How were you ever permitted to live and breed?" Oh yes, he couldn't not see the baby bump she showed so proudly.
Whisper took a slow deep breath and opened her eyes at Blackthorn. "I have my wiles." She said with a small smile, "Wiles that have led many to underestimate me over the years, my lord. And a passion for life given to me by my mother before she died."
Blackthorn firmed his jaw to stop himself sneering at her. "You will not speak of my daughter!" He snapped, "You have no right!"
Whisper blinked a few times, "But she was still my mother." She offered, "Deserving all the respect and devotion a mother should. My imperfections were not her doing, my lord, I can assure you. Had Damascus not beaten her while pregnant with me, I may have not have been born this way."
Blackthorn growled low in his throat, clearly angered by Whisper's words. "My daughter died the moment she ran off with that disgusting bastard." He said.
"She did not run away with him." Whisper said quickly, "He took her to spite you and made her suffer every night for the rest of her life. Were it within my power at the time, I would have brought her back to you and perhaps this war may never have happened."
"So you are here to make amends for your bastard father?" He asked.
"No." Whisper said carefully, "What Damascus did could never be forgiven, will never be forgiven, but perhaps you and I can create a new start? A clean slate in which we can live and work in peace. I am not my father's daughter, Lord Blackthorn, I am my mother's."
Blackthorn did sneer at her then, "And yet you laid with a Night. Nathanal Night no less. The very man that betrayed me when we came to this rock of a planet."
Whisper pursed her lips somewhat and shook her head carefully. "I know nothing of the betrayal between Nathanal Night and yourself, my lord." She said honestly, deciding not to lie about this. "And my husband is not Nathanal. His name is Nicholas Night, Nathanal's son. One does not choose the soul they connect with, my lord, only fate herself can do that. Nicholas is a good man, a fine leader and a good husband." She then put her hands tenderly on her bump, "And very soon, a devoted father. Not unlike yourself, my lord." Whisper's flattery seemed to quell Blackthorn's temper somewhat and after a moment, she was invited into the palace. Her commander, a sergeant and her girls were allowed to come with her, but the rest had to remain outside. Whisper conceded with grace and followed Blackthorn into the palace to talk further in more comfort.

He wanted to know more about his daughter and the torment she suffered and he wanted to know more about Whisper, her life and her achievements and most of all, about the baby still growing inside her. This was after all, his great grandchild. he also wanted to know everything Whisper knew about Nick and his life and she happily told him all he wanted to know. In return, Blackthorn told her all he knew as well. Whisper had kept her word and Blackthorn had no choice but to show the respect her promise deserved.....

When they reached the outskirts of the city, Nick could see that they had not walled anything. Instead they had guard posts with a number of men spaced about the perimater of the city. An area had been cleared of everything even old buildings. A kill zone. Anything moving in that area was killed. This was something that Nick had not thought of. It was the little girl that poked her head up into the cab of the truck.

She pointed over to some ruins and said, like back old city. Entrance to underground." she said smiling. Ah from the mouths of children. We hid the truck and everyone got out and followed along. Those from Eastwood would not leave him. With high beam flash lights we entered the underground tunnels of the subway system. It was dark and the sound of dripping water here and there could be heard.

We slowly moved forward and through the tunnels. Above us we knew the city proper was and that there would be people up there, going about their daily routine. The old signs were not hard to read, since nothing had disturbed them for so long. It was not hard to find a place to come up at along the main road through the city, that the convoy would have to travel.

It seemed that they had gotten there just as the convoy had and it was making its way through the city. Here I had to order everyone but the commander of my forces to stay. I took him along just in case I needed some support. It was not hard to move through the city. Most seemed to be watching Whisper's convoy and what was happening.

The commander and I continued on until we came to the center of the city and what looked to be a palace. But it was more then likely the old City municiple building revamped to make it Blackthorn's palace. Nick watched everything though he could not hear what went on, it was obious that Whisper had had the upper hand of the talk, as Blackthorn took her inside. To get inside was another matter for Nick and the commander. But again the underground system allowed him to move even under the old Municiple building and come up in it's bacement. From there going up was easy. The guards were meant to keep people out and were not stationed on the lower levels.

The talks continued for a number of hours, but then the warning came that dawn was approaching. Blackthorn, assuming that Whisper was like him and couldn't stand the light of day, offered her some rooms and she accepted with a small smile. "Thank you, my lord." She said with respect and slowly stood up. Several ideas had gone through her head during the talks and one of them came to the forefront quickly, "If I may, my lord?" She asked, "May I send one of my girls to my truck for some items I may need. My doctor has me taking iron supplements with my meals and has requested I have daily checks for my health and that of my child."
Blackthorn considered this carefully, but he saw no harm in it and nodded, "As you wish, Whisper." He said and nodded to one of his guards, "Take one of the Lady's girls to her truck and ensure she has everything she needs."
"Thank you, my lord." Whisper said and then put her hand out to Sophie. "Sophie, my pet?" She said as though searching for her.
Sophie, playing the ever obedient handmaiden, came right to Whisper and touched her hand tenderly. "I am here, my lady." She said with a smile.
"Ahh, good girl." She said, "Go with this guard and collect what I need, please?"
"Right away, my lady." Sophie said and quickly left with the guard.
"You say please to your slaves?" Blackthorn asked with some confusion.
Whisper turned back to him and smiled as her eyes stared over his shoulder, "I find being kind sometimes keeps my personal slaves loyal to me. If they do well, I reward them with my kindness." She then laughed quietly, "But do not mistake me for being weak, my lord. Should they fail in anything I ask of them, they suffer the consequences in quite a brutal way. Elena?"
The girl came to her immediately and touched Whisper's hand, "I am here, my lady." She said.
Whisper smiled, "Tell Lord Blackthorn what happened to my general when he failed me."
Elana had heard the stories, but it was long before her time with Whisper. Still, she had a part to play and she shuddered with fear and lowered her head, "You took his heart, my lady." She said with a whimper, "Snatched it right out of his chest while he still breathed."
This impressed Blackthorn very much and he nodded in approval. Whisper smiled, "And of Lord Lucius Dragon." I said, "What did I do to him when he crossed me?"
Elana swallowed hard, having been told that story too. "You dismembered him in his own bedroom." She said, forcing a tear to slide down her cheek. "And left his body in neat piles around the room for his guards to find. And you put his member on top of his head."
Whisper smiled again and waved Elena away. "I may be blind and quiet, my lord, but I am far from incapable." Of course, Blackthorn had no idea that all this had happened so long ago and the fear that Sophie and Elena had played so well made it look as though Whisper was a real force to be reckoned with.
"I can see that." Blackthorn said as he looked over the shivering Elena.
"How amusing." Whisper said with a small giggle of laughter, "I can't see a thing." And the pair laughed. Whisper had used her wiles yet again to draw in her enemy.

Down the hall and heading for the main doors, Sophie spotted something moving in the shadows. In her years with Whisper, she had learned many of the tricks and she turned her head slightly as she walked. It was Nick! She smiled some at him, but kept walking with the guard as though he wasn't there and when they passed, she put her hands behind her back to signal him. Two fingers on her left hand meant two floors up and four fingers on her right hand meant four doors down the corridor to the right. As she did this, she distracted the guard by talking to him and smiling at him, trying to be polite and friendly. Clearly, the guard was a little confused by this, but the distraction worked anyway......

I spotted Sophie being escort back out side and I cold see that she had noticed me. The girl had some keen eyesight, or I was getting a bit sloppy. But she gave me a signal and I smiled. We moved down the corridor till we found a stairwell. We used it instead of an elevator. A lot less attention that way. It seemed that Blackthorn's internal security was not as it should have been. Probably the lack of knowledge about the subway system under the city was a result of that. He figured if no one could get in from the ground floor he would be safe.

I had Whisper and the others had thought the same but I proved them wrong by coming in by air and landing on the rooftops. I probably would be able to do the same here if I had a high enough point to launch myself from. But that I didn't have nor the hang glider. So it was up from the bottom to where I needed to go. Even the hallway where we came out at was empty of guards. A few people moved about, mostly what looked like slaves. These he doubted would say anything and keep their heads down when Freemen were about. They were all human. If they had been lycans they would have smelled a differnce in the commander hand Nick. Blackthorn had really screwed up on that one it seemed. He had found the lycans quite the perfect soldier. Loyal, fierce and cunning when they wanted to be. He made sure he let them know he admired them and felt that they were on equal footing with the vampires. This had made them even more loyal to him.

At the door indicated by Sophie, he stopped and listened. he could hear Blackthorn talking and barely could hear Whisper. It seemed they were getting along fairly well and he did not want to interup or screw anything up that Whisper had planned. So he went to the next door and opened it. It lead into an empty room with an adjoining door to the one that they were in. If he was needed he would be there for her.

Whisper and Blackthorne spoke a little more and then time really did run out. A slave rushed in and closed the curtains just as the sky lightened enough to be uncomfortable for Blackthorne. "Perhaps we should retire for the day, Whisper." He told her in a much more familiar and comfortable tone.
"Please." Whisper said with a warm smile.
"Would you like a meal brought to you before you sleep?" He asked.
Though Whisper despised drinking blood directly and refused point blank to take her blood that way for fear of her venom also, she didn't hesitate in nodding, "I would like that, my lord. Thank you." She replied smoothly.
"I shall send two slaves for you." He said, "You will need your strength for the coming weeks and months."
Whisper kept her smile perfectly, "Your kindness belies your devious nature, my lord." She told him, giving him the most intricate and ego boosting compliment she could think of.

In the next room, Nick's arrival hadn't gone unnoticed by Whisper. The slight click of the door and the almost undetectable scent of his leather jacket was all she needed to know he was there. Clearly, Backthorne missed a whole world he really shouldn't. This made Whisper laugh inside, but she simply smiled, showing no malice or agenda beyond friendship. Shortly after the curtains were closed, another guard arrived to take Whisper to her rooms and she reached out carefully, keeping the delicate deception going a little longer. The guard came to her reach and curled her hand lightly over his forearm before he led her out of the room and down the hall, passing the door Nick was hiding behind.

Knowing that Nick could judge distance just as well as she could, she made a point of having Elena close the door just loud enough for him to hear it. A few minutes after that, Sophie returned with the escorting guard with what was needed. Whisper was waiting and smiled when she smelled Sophie's distinctive moisturiser. Not long after that also, two slaves were escorted in and were placed in chains at the bottom of Whisper's bed. What to do with them was a difficult decision as they had to be dead soon and Whisper had long left that behind her. Nick would arrive soon no doubt, so she would wait until then.....

Nick listened and smiled. That was his Whisper. She was playing Blackthorn like a fiddle. She was playing to his ego and lapping it up like a dog and water. He was almost willing to do anything for her it seemed. It was to bad that he was the way he was. He had to be taken out so that those in the city could be free of him and join Whisper and him.

Nick figured that the city could be brought up to what theirs was and then fortified to keep out the animals. With two cities and the third being used as salvage along with the inhabitents of the third city, they would have enough manpower to begin exploring their new world.

Once Blackthorn had left and Whisper was being escorted to her rooms Nick and the commander waited till they were down the hall more before exiting and following quietly. If he had read Blackthorn right. he would have guards posted outside Whisper's door, those that were escorting her. He didn't want to kill them as they were just doing their job. But he could not let them go running and telling Blackthorn he was there. As they reached her door and Whisper and her two servents and two slaves went into the room beyond Nick and the commander struck. They used their pistols to hit the two guards on the back of the head. They went down and they drug the two unconscience men into the room and shut the door. "Miss me?" I smiled at Whisper.

Whisper was still considering what to do with the two terrified slaves when she heard slight noise beyond the door. Nick entered with two others that she recognised (by smell and sound). Had she missed him? The woman instantly got to her feet and went to his quiet voice. "Have I ever!" She sighed, opening her arms to him. Now Nick would see just how much she had grown for himself rather than pictures.....

Nick grinned and took her into his arm. She was growing a bit bigger. He was looking towards the day their child would be born. "Missed you fierce." he told her.

"Same here." She told him as she held him and hugged him, not daring to let him go. "I knew you would come though." She whispered, "The moment I told the General I was coming here, I knew he would inform you and you would come.".....

Nick didn't let her go. "Well it would have been hard to keep me from coming." he said. "So what is Blackthorn up to and what does he want?"

Whisper snuggled into him, "I've convinced him I want peace with him." She said, "But his plans have not changed. He still desires total domination, but I have him believing an alliance with me is beneficial to him. That and my family connection to him.".....

He might be convinced at the moment but I have a feeling he won't want it down the road, once he has access to our city." He looked at the slaves who knew what their fate was and were scared to death. He let her go for a moment and went to them and removed their bonds. He looked down at them "No one is going to hurt you. You just sit there and be quiet and we will get you out of here to safety."

Whisper nodded and then turned to follow his voice as he spoke to the slaves, "Oh, I agree most certainly." She told him, "But as his granddaughter, he will be expecting me to fall in line with him. The work I have laid down thus far has shown him that I am not to be trifled with, I can turn on someone with deadly force, but I am also loyal to my family and I will do what it takes to protect them. I've made a point to that fact to tell him what I did to the old general who failed me and to Lucius Dragon, and to the tenderness I've shown for our child. I made sure to constantly touch and caress the bump to convince him."....

I grinned and said. "I don't think he is ready to accept me as part of his family. My parents or grand parents and him evidently did not get along to well. So do you have a plan to take him down?"

Whisper nodded. Of course she had a plan and she was already bringing it to fruition. "So far, I have Blackthorne thinking you are as ruthless as me and that you are not Nathanal, but his grandson. You would have to be so in order to attempt pairing with me and with this.." She touched her bump lovingly, "You clearly suceeded in your task." She laughed. "By night's end tomorrow, I will have him convinced that he needs us. It is then I will strike." She said and went to him again, putting her arms tight around his back and cuddling in as far as their baby would allow. "How I have missed you!" She sighed again, "How we have missed you."

He kissed her gently as he again held her. "Well I guess that means I have to go back into hiding. We will take the guards and slaves with us. But not for a bit." He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before it came to that. The commander made sure the guards were well tied and gagged incase they came around. Them missing would cause a stir but since they were outside her door it would look as if they abandoned their post. He guided her over to the bed and then sat both of them down.

Whisper curled her arm around the back of his neck as he lifted her and she sighed softly, kissing him yet again. She had missed his lips, she had missed everything about him. "Girls?" She asked, knowing Elena and Sophie were still there, "Would you disappear for a few hours and let Nick and I catch up, please?" The girls laughed in response and vanished into the next room, taking everyone else with them. Once on the bed, Whisper sighed softly again, dragging Nick with her as she laid back on the bed. "We require your full attention." She told him.....

Nick was more then willing to oblige. He laid down next to her and held her again, running a hand up and down her back. He kissed her deeply and just enjoyed the feeling of her in his arms.

She kissed him back passionately and sighed at his touch up and down her back. Her own pulled his shirt free of his belt and ran up and down the skin just beneath. She moved as close as she could to him and deepened her kiss.....

"Now you know if you start something thre will be a chance of something being heard." he chuckled as he broke the kiss.

"Not from me." She told him, "His guards couldn't hear me at all and Blackthorne himself struggled, so providing you can keep your voice down, we'll be just fine." To prove it, she moved her hands back down his back and around to his front, where she began undoing his belt. "Best you warn our little one that you're invading for a while."....

He chuckled and began undoing her clothes and pulling them off. "I don't think he will mind." Once he has her clothes off, he moved a hand up to her tits and squeeze them.

"A he?" She asked with a smirk, "You're sure about that?" But then thoughts of that were forced right out and she gasped as she felt his hands take her swollen breasts. She pulled his jeans open and quickly pulled them down as far as her reach allowed. She then used her feet to push them down further as she leaned her head up and kissed him passionately again. Now, this position presented a problem for Whisper. She enjoyed their closeness, but with her now rather large bump, such a thing would be impossible....

Nick kicked his pants off and boots. He turned and laid down on the bed on his back and drew her up on his lap. He knew she was a bit uncomfortable in her present condition. This would help her out some.

But that wasn't what Whisper wanted. She wanted him close. She stayed in his lap a while though and began teasing his cock with her folds, but not letting him enter her. She so badly wanted to lean over and kiss him, but she couldn't. She couldn't even pull him up to her. In the end, she carefully moved off him and laid on her side with her back to him. She scooted her ass right into his crotch and reached back to pull him close to her. Turning her hips back, she began teasing him again at her folds as she pulled his hand over to play again at her breasts. "Now that's nice." She cooed at him....

He smiled and moved himself closer and into position where he could move his cock to her pussy and slip it up inside her. But before he did that he squeezed ehr tits some more and kissed her neck and shoulder. Her tits were bigger now that she was pregnant and more sensitive. Soon enough he guided his cock to her pussy and slipped it up inside her and began to slowly move it in and out of her.

Whisper arched her back deeply, pushing her ass right into him as he slipped up inside her. She cried out softly and gripped his teasing hand under her own at her breast. It was incredibly sensitive now. Her upside arm reached back to his hip and she took hold of him so to speak. "Oh my love!" She cried in her usual whispering voice, "Oh my love, more!".....

She wanted more and he gave it to her. He moves his hips a bit harder, ramming his cock up inside her as he squeezed her tits a bit harder.

Her cries became much more urgent as he quickened his pace and became more firm. She could feel her climax coming and she arched her back, pushing back to him as he thrust to her. He continued to squeze and carress her breasts, but she quickly pulled one hand away and guided it down to her clit....

He rubbed her clit as he continued to ram his hard cock up inside her. "How does that feel?" he asked her. He could feel her body building up. He again began ramming his cock up inside her, feeling himself building up to release his load.

That extra stimulation from his fingers brought Whisper to climax very quickly and very strongly. She screamed quietly with every thrust and pushed her hips back harder still as he thrust into her. Her nails dug in sharply at his hip and she kept his fingers moving on her clit as her climax fell into a second. He felt so good deep inside her that she didn't want this to end.....

She came and he thrust hard up inside her and held himself there. He felt her hot fluids flow over his cock as he himself released his up inside her. He continued squeezing one of her tits as he kissed her neck. He then held her and moved his hand from her clit to her other tit and squeezed it as his now sweaty body pressed against hers.

It would not be long before he would not be able to do anything with her. They tried to enjoy each other as much as possible, especially with both their busy schedules. Being the leaders of a city was quite the work. Quite differnt from what both of them were use to.

She felt his release deep in her and the pressure of it suddenly became quite painful for a second. She ignored the pain though as the pleasure far outweighed it and she had missed him so terribly. His hand returned to her breast and she felt him squeeze it. Her skin was slick with sweat as was his and she felt his skin glide over hers from it. The bed would have to be changed should anyone enter the next night and discover Nick's presence there. The morning was well under way now and having been up all night with Blackthorne, Whisper felt tired. "I wish you could stay with me." She said to him quietly as she adjusted her head and her body slightly. Her hips began to hurt from the position and her back was becoming sore. The movement caused him to slide from her folds and she felt their mixed juice flow from her. There was a lot of it, more than she thought there would be.

After a moment, she moved from him and turned to lay on her back. The bed was now quite wet from their love-making, but Whisper ignored it. She turned her head and opened her eyes as though to look at him and she smiled softly as she put her hand on the bump and then pulled his to join hers. As his palm touched, she felt movement and it sent a small ripple over the tight skin. "After tomorrow night, if all goes to plan, I'll be happy to be home again and in our bed with you. And I'm not letting you go again for a long time. Our child will be born soon and I want you there. I know that this type of thing is considered women's business, but I'd like for you to be there when he or she comes. I want you to be the first to see our baby and describe it to me.".....

Well if all went well in the next day or so He would not be going anywhere for awhile. He would have a couple of the Lords journey to the city and get things going. He figured they would love it since it would be a brand new city and they would have the power to do what ever. Well within Nick's guidelines. Then there were the sleeping vampires. They had to be awakened and brought into the community. It was not known how long they had been in their glass coffins but perhaps as long as it had been from the war. So he doubted that he would be going anywhere.

He laid there for a while more and then sighed as he knew he and the commander would have to leave. He kissed Whisper again and slid from the bed to get dressed. "We will be in the same room as before. Send one of your ladies to let us know when he is going to talk to you again."

Whisper turned as she felt Nick leave the bed. He and the general would be in the same room as before. She nodded and slowly sat up, "I'll send Sophie again." She told him. As if on cue, the girl arrived and bowed her head to Nick before she moved to the bed with a robe for Whisper....

Nick bent down and kissed Whisper once more. "Take no chances with Blackthron. I do not trust him." Caressing her face with a hand, he smiled, hating to leave but knowing he could not stay. He had the two slaves help him and the commander to drag the two guards out and down the hall to the room that Nick had been in. Here again he checked their gags and bonds.

Whisper rose from the bed and Sophie put the robe on her. Elana then led her into the bathroom while Sophie quickly changed the bed. It was just as Elana had finished dressing Whisper and Sophie had straightened the bed again, that a stiff knock came to the door. The day hadn't quite ended, but it was getting into late evening. The soldier knocking, a human, opened the door and entered. "Where are your guards?" He asked sternly.
Whisper turned, Elana still brushing her hair and regarded the human carefully. "How would I know?" She asked.
"What?" The guard asked, clearly not able to hear her whisperings.
"Milady does not know." Elana said quickly.
"She must know." The guard said, "They were assigned to watch her."
"How would she?" Sophie asked, "She cannot see them and there is much noise in this place, so how could she hear them coming and going? Now please leave, you are disturbing Milady."
The guard growled in his throat and left, but he was suspicious. Some time later and completely after dusk, another knock came to the door and the same guard re-entered. "The Master requires your presence in his study." He said sharply and left again.....

Blackthorn paced the floor of his study. Two guards missing and the two slaves he had given Whisper were no where in the rooms assigned to Whisper. That was indeed disturbing. But again there was no blood, no sign of a struggle in the hallway. He didn't like it. Something just was not right about the whole thing.
Nick heard the guard moving back and forth in the hall way beyond. He knew that Blackthron would be apprised of the missing guards. He hoped Whisper could convince him she had no idea of where they were,only that the slaves were taken when she was done with them.

Whisper entered the study with Elana at her shoulder and turned to the noise of Blackthorn's feet. She smiled some to her grandfather, but she could hear the tension in his step. This may not be good. "Good evening, My Lord." She said quietly to him and bowed her head somewhat. "Does something trouble you, Sir?".....

He stopped pacing and looked at her and Elana. "Yes indeed something bother's me." he said in a voice that held anger, suspicion, and annoyance. "Two of my guards are missing. Two that were outside your door. No one has seen them nor the bodies of the slaves that I gave you to feed on. What do you know of this?"

Whisper furrowed her brow in feigned confusion for a moment and then smiled once more, "The two slaves, I would imagine you would not see again." She said to him, "They were delightful and I thank you for them, but they were not enough. I asked that they be removed when I had finished with them and more brought to me. Beyond that, I do not know, my lord, for they never returned." She bowed her head again slightly and turned it to Elana. "Lead me to a seat, act as though you think me delicate." She whispered.
Elana turned her head to her mistress and quickly took her by the hands. "Milady, please, you must sit." She said, playing her part to perfection again as she quickly, but carefully led Whisper to a comfortable chair and eased her into it. "Sire?" She asked Blackthorn without looking, "Milady has not fed enough. May I send Sophie for her enriched blood?".....

Blackthron was not yet convinced that she did not know what had happened to his guards. Yes they were insignificant to him but in his own palace something had gone down and he was not aware of it. Now that made him angry and upset. "Yes, yes, have her go get it." he said with anoyance in his voice. "When did the guards remove the bodies?" he asked. Why had they not sent for others to remove the bodies. It did not add up at all.

Elana nodded and quickly left the room to get Sophie. Sophie then went to Nick quickly to inform him before running back to Whisper's rooms with that feigned urgency. Whisper remained seated and looked justas delicate as Elana had made her. "I do not know, my lord." She told him quietly, "I am required to take my time with my meals at the moment so I do not overload my system. Perhaps an hour or more, I cannot tell. I can only assume that they have not returned to their duties at all. That is upsetting." Elana and Sophie returned with the enriched blood quickly and Sophie knealt before her mistress with the bags while Elana knealt also and filled a glass from one.....

Blackthorn stared at her trying to see if she was lieing or not. But he could tell nothing from her facial expression. Again he began to pace back and forth before his desk. He rubbed his jaw trying to figure out if she had something to do with their disapearance. For no one had seen them leave the building to dispose of the bodies, and why would they leave their post to do so when others could have done it. He looked at Whisper and shook his head. Now she could not have pulled something like that off. He already had her rooms checked while she had been brought to his study. If there had been any bodies found then he would have been informed immediately. The lack of a report meant they had found nothing wrong. "Let us continue on with what we were discussing yesterday." he finally said.

Whisper took the blood as she listened to Blackthorn pacing. She already knew how astute he was and this pacing belied his confusion and suspicion over what had happened to his guards. After taking no less than four bags of her enriched blood, she began to appear more flushed with colour and healthier than before. "I do believe we were discussing our boundries." She told him quietly as she handed back her glass for yet more. Well, she hadn't fed the day before, so she was in need of it and her exersions with Nick had compounded that need. "If we are to form an alliance, my lord, it would be essential to forumlate those boundries to provide the staging of trade.".....

He stooped pacing again and nodded. "Yes the boundries." oh he was not intrested in boundries, he wanted the city period. He wanted to rule and if he found any other city intact from the war, he would conqure it as well. He just needed to fool his impaired granddaughter that he wanted peace and trade so he could move men into the city to blend in with the others and at the right time open the gates for him. She would convince her husband of the desire for peace and trade and that would be his undoing. Then he would have his revenge on the Night's family.

Whisper smiled softly as she finished yet another bag of the blood and then handed the glass to Elana. "Topographically, we should draw the line directly between our cities." She told him as she listened carefully to his heart rate and blood. He had no intention of peace or trade, but she knew that already. Just then, the door opened and a young slave entered the room. Elana quickly described the young man to her as he went to Blackthorn and dropped to his knees. He began whispering to his master, but Whisper could hear it all.
"Master." The boy said, "I have been through the lady's rooms as requested. The bed has been changed and I found the soiled sheets soaking in the bath tub. There is no blood in them, but I found other stains."....

Blackthorn raised a borw at the report. He looked at Whisper and narrowed his eyes. He dismissed the young slave and then leaned against his desk as he again looked at Whisper. Many things ran through his mind, one being perhaps she was not the faithful wife that she protrayed. That she enjoyed herself more then her husband knew. He knew of course that it was not possible for anyone to sneak into the city. His army surrounded it and none would get through at least without being noticed. Then another thought hit him, "Why did your husband let you come here alone?

Whisper quickly ran through a series of situations as she listened to the young slave giving his report. She also began tapping the glass lightly as though in consideration, but it was a code to Sophie and Elana about the report. Both girls swallowed hard, but made no outward sign of it. The boy then left and Blackthorn fell into silence. His heart rate and blood pressure had just shot up, so Whisper knew his paranoia was in full swing now. When he asked why Nick would let her come here alone, she gave a soft, sly grin. "He does not know yet that I am here." She said, "He has been off galavanting somewhere for quite a number of months." Nothing untrue there, he had been away for a while now. "Nicholas Night may be my husband, my lord, but he is not my keeper and Gotham was my city long before he became my husband. And it shall remain my city long after he has left my presence. I do not require permission, my lord, nor would I ask for it.".....

Blackthorn snorted and then laughed. He actually smiled at her explanation. Now that was more like what a Vampire Leader should be like. But the absence of his guards still bugged him. Evidently they had left their post and probably were afraid to return because of it. He would have the city searched for them and then have them executed in public for their actions.

Whisper kept her smile as she heard Blackthorn snort with laughter. His heart rate calmed somewhat and his blood pressure did the same. "Clearly, I amuse you, my lord." She said, "Perhaps you would care to share the joke?".....

He chuckled. "Because for the first time you have acted like a true vampire, and not some weakling. You may be blind my dear, but you are not so helpless as you would like others to believe.

Whisper lifted an eyebrow, "At what point, did I ever give you that impression?" She asked him, "And I have made it clear before, that I have never been entirely helpless, despite my blindness." Slowly, she began to rise from the chair, but unknown to him, she left him a small gift in the seat. Sophie bit her lips when she saw the small wet patch and Elana coughed into her hand. An incredibly poignant explaination for the soiled sheets. She had deliberately wet the chair.
"Milady." Sophie said quickly, playing her part to perfection again, "Milady, we need to get you into some clean attire."
Whisper turned her head and then felt the back of her dress. She made herself blush a little and she coughed into her hand. "Elana, clean this chair for Lord Blackthorn.".....

Blackthorn shook his head and said, "Yes go clean up and we can continue our discussion later." He then went behind his desk and looked at some papers there. He would continue to look for his guards and he would also have his grand daughter watched more closely.

Whisper left with Sophie while Elana quickly stripped the coverings from the chair seat. She bowed her head to Blackthorn with the cover in her hands, "Master, please forgive Milady?" She begged, "The imminent arrival of her child has left her somewhat incontinent as well as overly hungry. With your permission, Master, may I clean this cover with the sheets from her bed? I left them to soak in the bath tub. I promise you, all items will be intact by the time I have finished, Master.".....

He waved his hand at the two human women, dismissing them as he continued to go over other reports. When they had left he pressed a button on an intercom on his desk. "I want her watched at all times. But do not let her see anyone,or should say her two slaves. " Two men stayed close to the shadows as she left the study and kept an eye on her and her two slaves.

Elana nodded and quickly left the study, but she lingered at the door just long enough to hear him give the order. She then returned quickly to Whisper and Sophie and reported what she'd heard. Whisper smiled and nodded, "Of course he has." She told her girls, "His paranoia knows few bounds." An idea began forming in her mind and she began to laugh quietly about it. "Elana, Sophie, make yourselves appear to have been beaten." She told them, "He thinks me to be weak, so we will show him otherwise. Any embarrassment, the slaves should suffer according to him. Use what make-up you need and rough yourselves up. Hurry, we don't have much time." She then took the soiled cover and cleaned it up quickly while Sophie and Elana used their skills to make it appear they had been beaten. It didn't take long, but both girls painted on black eyes and bruises everywhere that could be seen and inspected. Once they were done, they began to cry and shout in pain and fear and whip the bed with the belt from Whisper's dress to let the lurking guards hear Whisper taking out her embarrassment on them. She knew it would be reported to Blackthorn very quickly.....

Oh and indeed the report went back to him, and he laughed and nodded. He was begining to like his grand daughter more and more. Perhaps he would have her oversea Gothem when he was done taking it and killing her husband and any others that stood in his way. But being how he was and how he was begining to look at her, he was becoming even more wary of her.

After another hour or so, Whisper emerged from her rooms again with Sophie and Elana before her. Both girls looked beaten to hell and Elana even managed to feign a very good limp. With the newly cleaned seat cover in hand, both girls hobbled and whimpered their way back to the study with Whisper behind them looking a little flustered as though the beating had taken some effort on her part. They entered and the girls quickly put the chair back in order while Whisper navigated her way to the desk. "My apologies." She said to Blackthorn....

He looked up from the papers and saw the way her slaves looked and smiled. "Well now I like how you keep your slaves in line. They will now make sure to be more obedient."

Whisper half turned her head, but kept her smile, "Oh that?" She said, "That is a light punishment. They hadn't really done anything wrong, though Elana was late in returning to me, so she got the worst of it. she told me she had lingered to apologise on my behalf."...

"Now as we were discussing. Boundries. Yes I think we should have it midway as well. Perhaps build a trading post there and of course I would like to open up a consulet in your city and you can have one here. More for keeping abreast of things and building good relationships."

Whisper turned her head fully back to Blackthorn as he began speaking and carefully moved along the desk until she felt a chair there. She sat in it easily and nodded as she listened. "A consulate?" She said, "That sounds fair enough." She knew what he really wanted it for. It would give him unlimited access to Gotham so he could move his people in to take over, but she didn't let on to that fact. "I'm sure my council would enjoy comig and going between the cities."....

"I will have formal documents drawn up so that you can take them back to Gotham and have them look at them." he told her. "I can see that we will have a nice long relationship." he smiled and behind that smile he was thinking of how those in his consulet would be able to spy and later open the gates to the city for him.

Whisper smiled and nodded, "I shall look forward to having them read to me." She told him as she sat back and crossed her legs at her ankles. she let her hands rest on her bump and seemed to regard Blackthorn closely and began to smile once more. "My lord." She said suddenly as she heard Sophie and Elana finish with the chair and come to her side. "If you would. I'd like to know more about your true plans for my city. We both know that you have no intention at all of sharing the power and to be honest, you know also that I have no such intention. In fact, the only reason I have let this continue is because you are my grandfather. So please, let us discuss things in real terms." Her smile never faltered, but it was clear now she had seen through his façade....

Blackthorn raised a brow as she made her statement. Then he chuckled. She was after all his blood and from what she had shown already he could understand that she could see through his ruse. "Well now just what do you think I have planned?"

Whisper never faltered, cocking her head slightly to one side, "Oh, I think you plan to be rid of Nicholas and myself as soon as you can and take over my city." She said flatly, "At the very least remove Nicholas and leave me reliant on you for support.".....

"You don't seem very upset by that. Have are married to him." Blackthron stated.

"I don't upset that all easily." She told him quietly and then nodded, "After a fashion, yes, I have married him. He has been recognised by myself and the council as my husband.".....

He leaned back in his chair and regarded her. "So it would not upset you if he died?"

Whisper smiled quite darkly then, "You still haven't answered my question." She said to him, "What is it exactly that you would have done to gain my city?".....

"I will use its population to increase my army and then we will send out teams to find other cities and conqure them. Would you not like to see an empire ruled by our kind?"

"And what would happen to me and my husband?"

"You my dear can be a part of my empire. Your husband well now that is a noher matter. He is a Night and I will have that blood line exterminated." he told her.

Whisper lifted her brow somewhat, "But I am now one." She said, "And my child is one."....

"He is a Blackthorn as you are." he told her. "Our Bloodline is the only one that matters."

"And why is that?" She asked...

"We were meant to rule. The Nights made that impossible by taking the throne so long ago. If not for them it would have been our blood line that ruled. We would have ruled our world and not have been exiled."

Whisper didn't believe it for a second, she'd felt it all for herself in his memories and her dreams. "And yet, on our first meeting, you were more than happy to see me die because of my father. Would you have still murdered me if I hadn't said my mother's name?"....

"It is because of her that I did not. You are of my blood. You have shown that you are more of my blood line then your father

He was weak and one that could not lead a dumb animal. He betrayed me and I hear you have eliminated him. Again you have shown your true Bloodline."

Whisper smiled and uncrossed her ankles as she leaned forward slightly, "I have, have I?" She asked with both caution and danger, "So it may escape you then that if I can kill my own father with little more than annoyance, what pray tell would you think I could do to you?"....

He smiled, "Not a thing." he told her. "Because we are of the same blood line. Besides if you did try to do anything, my men would kill you in a heartbeat. They are totally loyal to me."

Whisper nodded, "As mine are to me." She told him, "And I keep them closer than you think. If you so much as fart in my direction, I won't hesitate to use every means at my disposal to destroy you and everything connected with you."....

"You see the same ruthlessness." he smiled again. "We are much a like my dear. I see that now and I like that."

"Then you should know I would never hand over my city to you." She told him, "But what you may not know, I will not betray my loyalty either. An aspect that you are far from familiar with, I expect."....

He raised a brow again. "You think to kill me then." He smiled and laughed. "You would not be able to. I am stronger then you and I have the advantage of sight. Besides that I am not your pathetic father."

"You think sight is so important in battle." She said with a laugh and shook her head lightly, "And you are no stronger than I, my lord, nor any that I keep company with." Slowly, she got to her feet and stood before Blackthorn.....

Blackthorn eyed her and laughed again. She surely was not even considering attacking him. He pressed a button on his desk which went to his security force in the building. They began running towards the study.


Whisper heard the click of a button on his desk and to blink one would miss it as she slammed her fist down on his hand, driving the button deep into the wood and his hand with it. With the guards on their way, Whisper nodded to Sophie and Elana and both girls suddenly shouted for their true master, Nicholas Night.....

Blackthorn cried out as she hit his hand with her fist, first in pain and then in surpise. As Sophie and Elana began calling out for Nick, he heard them and the Commander and him exited the room and made for the study. It was not hard to follow the voices of Whisper's servents. He had guns out and ready to use and not a moment to soon. The guards were running down the hallway as he approached the door. Both him and the commander opened up cutting them down. But the gunfire would only bring more and he hopped to be gone long before they got there. He kicked the door in.

Whisper kept Blackthorn's hand buried in the wood of his desk and then half turned her head as she heard gunfire out in the hall and more shouts for reinforcements. "Now we don't have much longer." She said to her grandfather quietly, "So I will be brief. You have but one chance here to renounce your intentions to my city and surrender to me before my loyal soldiers arrive with my loyal husband. Choose your words very carefully, for the wrong answer will cost you your life and your city will be mine.".....

Blackthorn cursed and snarled at her. "Surrender to you? I don't think so." with his other hand, he smacked her up side the side of the head with a balled fist. "I will show you who is the master here."

Whisper felt the pressure wave of the fist coming at her and moved her head both disturbing easy, but with grace too. In response, her other came around and grabbed Blackthorn by the throat, "Now that wasn't very nice." She said to him, "Did your father never teach you not to strike a woman?"....

He grabed her wrist and began pulling her hand from his throat. He also forced his hand up from the desk and grabed her wrist on that hand and pulled her across the desk where her body was on it and but her head was just over the edge of the destk. When the door came crashing opened he snarled and drug her fully over the desk and used his elbow to hit a portion of the wall behind him. The wall opened revealing a small hidden chamber."

Whisper yelped as she was grabbed, but Elana and Sophie were right there and they both pounced on the vampire. "You let my lady go!" Yelled Sophie as Elana started biting and clawing at Blackthorn. Whisper grabbed at what she could as he hit the wall with his elbow and for the first time in more than a century, she used her fangs. She bit down on his arm around her and dug her elbow into Blackthorn somewhere just under his ribs. The blow and bite together were devastating, but it was Sophie and Elana doing most of the damage....

Nick took in the situation in an instant and raised his rifle turning on the laser sight. It made a small red dot on the wall by Blackthorn's head and he moved it till it rested on his forehead. Blackthorn was cursing and trying to shake off Sophie ane Elana and keep hold of Whisper as she bit him and rammed her elbows into him. He was no weakling. He threw both servents off of him and then stared at Nick. "Let her go Blakthorn, or your brains will be splattered all over that elevator." he slowly moved forward never taking the laser off his head. Blackthorn snarled and began backing into the elevator.

An elevator, that meant a doorway. Whisper instantly threw out both her arms and grabbed the frame with both hands tightly. With her fangs still buried in Blackthorn's arm, she began drawing as much blood as she could. The taste was much more bitter than she could tolerate, but the more she drew, the slower he got and the weaker too.....

Blackthorn did not like what was happening. How the hell did Night get into the city and into his palace. He then realized he had beens set up and curesed again. He pulled his arm from her fangs, the blood flowing from the wound. As Nick fired Blackthorn moved his head and he fell back into the elevator as the bullet grazed his head. He hit the close door button

Whisper turned on her heel and slammed her fingers into the door jam. Before he could press any buttons, she prized it open and shot in there with Blackthorn. In such a confined space, she could feel and hear everything, giving her an incredible advantage on Blackthorn and being much smaller, she had more room to manouvre than he did. "Not so quick." She told him, "I'm not done with you yet!"....

Blackthorn tried to push her out of the elevator and get the door fully closed. He grabbed her by the thoat and lifted her off the floor. "Time for you to get off, bitch." he said to her.

Whisper began to choke a little as Blackthorn grabbed her and lifted her up. Suddenly tensing up her fingers, she rammed both hands into his chest. Now this brought back memories, she thought as she clasped both hands around his beating heart. She tightened her grip and suddenly yanked her hands back out again, taking the organ with it.....

His eyes went wide as the strength left him and he fell to the floor of the elevator a gaping hole in his chest and his heart in her hands. Nicke moved up to the elevator and shook his head. Well another Vampire Lord had bit the dust. The guards finally arrived and began filling the room. Nick grabbed the body of Blackthorn and threw it infront of them. "Your master is dead and I claim this city for the Gotham alliance. The guards hesitated not knowing what to do now that their master was dead.

Whisper dropped with Blackthorn, his heart still in her hands and she hit the floor heavily. As Nick finally made it to her and threw his body out at his guards, Whisper turned her head away and began to vomit up the blood she had taken. In the study still, the guards regarded Blackthorn's body, many of them unsure what to do until one stepped forward and dropped to his knees. He knew Vampire law and he lowered his head. "You keep what you kill." He said, reciting the ancient law, but he wasn't saying it to Nick, he was saying it to Whisper. It ahd been she that killed Blackthorn, not Nick. Still on the floor, Whisper continue to expell Blackthorn's blood, but the heaving had a nasty kick to it. A deep pain washed over her and she cried out in it, not hearing the guard....

Nick knelt by her side and put his hands on her shoulders. He then picked her up and carried her over to a chair and sat her into it. He looked over at the guards. "Leave us." he told them and they slowly moved out of the room. Sophie and Elana moved to their misteress and began cleaning the blood from her.

Whisper heaved again and cried out once more before she felt Nick's arms around her and she was lifted elsewhere. Once sat in a chair and with Sophie and Elana quickly at her side, cleaning her up, Whisper whimpered and put both hands to the bump as she brought her legs up and curled up in the chair. She suddenly looked incredibly pale and sickly. Blackthorn's blood had been as toxic to her as vampire's venom was to humans and she had taken a lot of it. "She needs clean blood Sire." Sophie said to Nick....

"One of you go get some now!" he commanded and then knelt by the chair. The guards left and were spreading the word about the new vampire in charge. The word began to spread throughout the city and soon the humans were sourrounding the palace to have a look at their new leader.

Sophie quickly got to her feet and ran out of the room, but Whisper had already taken all her blood stocks, there was nothing left. In panic, Sophie began to look at the human guards and slaves. Did she dare? Absolutely. Shouting to get everyone's attention, she then swallowed hard. "I need donors!" She yelled, "Every human possible! Your leader needs you!" Well, that did it for many and people suddenly started flocking to the study, following Sophie and she shrugged as she rushed back into the room. She knew Whisper would not bite. "Mu Lord." She said to Nick, "May I take a blade?" She would cut

Nick handed her a knife and watched as she began cutting the donar's arms. Whisper would feed and and she would feel better soon. They now, well Whisper now had the city under her control. Now he had to figure on what to do with it. He had no idea of what resources it had, if they had farms or for that mater what source of food they had. "Send me those that know what this city has. Your new leader will want to know all about it."

The donors began to line up and soon enough, Whisper had worked her way through no less than ten of them. As each backed up again with help from the bloodloss, they began to nod at Nick and left to do hsi bidding. It didn't take long for one person from pretty much every industry to arrive and they looked on in shock at the scene before them. "What is the meaning of this?" said one vampire, a stout man that was clearly in charge of the treasury....

"Blackthon is dead, and this is your new leader." Nick said with a smile. "I am her husband Nick Night. We will want a report on everything this city has. "

The Treasurer looked around in shock and fear and he quickly dropped to his knees. "My deepest apologies!" He begged, "I meant no offense to the Mistress!" He watched as more and more of the guards and slaves gave up their blood for Whisper, but it wasn't doing much beyond filling her up and it wasn't long before she started heaving again and writhing in agony from it....

"Enough." he told Sophie. Evidently something else was wrong. "Send for your best doctor. I think something else is happening." Nick told the assembled group. He caressed her face. "Is it the child?" he asked.

Sophie nodded quickly and looked to the Treasurer, "Well?" She asked, "You heard the Master, where is your best doctor?" The vampire instantly got to his feet and disappeared. Still doubled up with pain, Whisper nodded to Nick's question and curled up tighter in the chair. "I want to go home!" She begged in whisper, "I want to go home, Nicholas!".....

"We will my love, we will when we find out if you are able to travel." He was not going to endanger her if she was not able to tavel. Even if it was only a short drive now. He had to find out if shomething had happened to her from tasting Blackthorn's blood.


Whisper shook her head, "I want to go home now!" It would have been ear shattering if she had the voice for it, but as it was, the demand sounded little more than a quiet plea. In seconds, a doctor arrived and stared at the scene in horror. His master was dead, his killer, a pregnant woman no less, covered in his blood and now writhing in agony in a chair! Bowing his head, he came forward, wondering just what the hell was going on....

"She is feeling ill after she tasted Blackthorn's blood. She has had fresh blood but it seems not to have helped."

The doctor lifted his brow, "Well, it won't have." He said quite boldly, "Blackthorn has been concentrating his venom for decades in case of such an attack."....

"Do you have a cure for it?" he asked. His eyes narrowed at the doctor a look that said the mans life depended on what he said.

The doctor could only shake his head, "There is none." He said, "None that I have ever been allowed to create. The former master was adamant about it." He moved to Whisper, but stopped shy of actually touching her. He shook his head nervously, hesitating about touching the new leader without permission...

"Go ahead and check her." NicK said. "Tell me how can a vampire's venom affect another vampire."


The doctor reached out and carefully touched Whisper's forehead. She was burning up. he shook his head again. "The only way I know of to counteract venom like this is to burn it out. It's the sunlight, you see, the UV rays that destroy the venom in the blood. It's why it's so fatal to them."....



Nick nodded. It would not be daylight for a long time. "There must be another way. Another means to bring the light of the sun?"

The doctor shook hsi head again, "Perhaps a day light?" He asked....

"Before the war there was lights that produced UV light. Is there any here in the city?" he asked.

The doctor shook his head, but another nodded, "Master." said the man, a slave, "There is one down in the basement. The former master used it to concentrate his venom." The doctor nodded and told him quickly to fetch it. "This is dangerous, Master." The doctor said, "It could surely kill her just as quickly."....

Nick smiled. "You don't know her as well as I do." He knew she could stand the light of day. It would surprise these people here. Make her even more awed and impressive.

The doctor nodded and quickly brought the light forward, "I'd be prepared, Master." He said, "Though she may survive, your child may not."....

Again the doctor had no idea of what he and Whisper was and there fore what their child would be. "Go ahead. " he told the doctor.

The doctor nodded and turned on the light. Gasps reached around the room as not only did Whisper not instantly burn up, but neither did Nick. "How?" The doctor asked as he stared at them both. He knew they were vampires, for only a vampire could kill Blackthorn and they had both appeared as aged to him in their ways, especially Whisper. The light began to burn away Blackthorn's venom, but it did little to ease Whisper's pain. As the tainted blood seeped through her skin and burned away, she began to look paler and paler still and she began to scream in her agony as te pain of his blood was replaced by the pains of her child....

"Enough." he said and moved the lamp from her. "Check her. I have a feeling that with all that has happened the child may be coming early."

Well there had not been much of a record kept on the births of Vampire children. It was really not known how long their pregnancy lasted.

The doctor began checking what he could, but it was difficult with Whisper curled up in the chair. "I need her laid out flat." He said, "She needs to be in her bed."
"I want to go home!" Whisper demanded again and everyone stared in confusion and shock. Surely, she would have screamed this and hurt their ears, right? "I want to go home!"
"I'm afraid you can't go anywhere just yet, Mistress." The doctor said to her as he turned her slightly in the chair to help her stand. Whisper screamed her agony at being moved and it was then he noticed fluid and blood in the chair where she had been. "Oh dear." He said, "Mistress, you are in labour, you're going nowhere." He looked to Nick and lifted his brow, "Master, she can't go home. There is blood in the fluid, she's well on her way."....

When the doctor moved her and he saw the water and blood he knew even before the doctor said anything. "Prepare her room." he told Sophie and Elana. They hurried off and Nick picked her up. "Come on doc, we have the place for this." He took her back to her room and laid her on the bed. "It is going to be alright. The little one is anxious to come into the world."

Whisper howled on agony as Nick scooped her up and carried her back to the guest rooms. She didn't want this, she wanted to be home and she turned very vocal about it. "I'm not staying here!" She yelled in her quiet way, "I want to go home!" Once in her rooms and put firmly to bed, the doctor began checking her over, but furrowed his brow in confusion. "I'm going home!" Whisper yelled as she started fighting against the doctor and his invasive touching. "Get away from me!" She demanded, "Get your dirty fucking hands off me!" Both Sophie and Elana stood wide eyed and mouths agape at their mistress and friend. Whisper never swore, never acted and shouted like this. Even as quiet as those shouts were, they could both hear the fury and intent behind them....

"We can't go home yet. Not till our child is born. There is no way we can get back to Gotham in time for the little one to be born there." That is when one of the newly aquired followers spoke up from the door. "Sire, that might not be true. There is a way but no one knows how to operate it. Lord Blackthron was the only one that seemed to know how it worked."
Nick turned to the man. "What are you talking about?"
"A flying machine that has blades on the top and on an extention in the back. I think he called it a Helicopter. He found it some years ago and has been fixing it up. He mentioned that it was ready for a test flight."
Now that was something that got Nick's attention. "Take me to it." Nick demanded and left with the man. If it was indeed a helicopter, and working, he could fly it, and indeed they would be back in Gotham in no time.

Whisper continued to fight and protest as Nick left with the man. The doctor, with Sophie and Elana's help, tried to calm Whisper enough for him to examine again, but the vampire was having none of it. Only a few minutes after Nick had left, Whisper temper reached a new height as she lashed out at the doctor yet again. This time, she managed to grab him and she threw him clear across the room. At this point, Sophie and Elana backed off entirely and could only watch as Whisper hauled herself out of the bed and began crawling on her hands and knees to the door. The guards tried to stop her and put her back to bed, but they failed just as spectacularly if not more so than the doctor had done. One ended up thrown across the room too while the second and third both suffered broken noses and a fourth ended up with his arm and shoulder broken. Nobody could stop Whisper from leaving and as she finally managed to get to her feet, she began staggering against the wall away from the room and towards the stairs. She left a trail of blood and fluid behind her.....

The Helicopter was not far from the palace. It had been brought to a building that was low and it had taken alot of manpower and inguinity to get it up on the roof. But there it sat, an old Huey type heilicopter. He got in and started the flipping switches as the humm of the engine began to fill the air. Soon the roater was moving and then faster and faster. Oh yes it was working like a dream. It would indeed fly and he smiled. Whisper would be going home as she wished. He shut it down and raced back to the place where he found Whisper trying to walk down the hallway. He shook his head and went to her. "We will be going home. But first you have to let the doctor examine you to see how much time we have." he caressed her face. "We want our child to be healthy now don't we?"

Whisper stopped when she felt Nick come to her and speak to her, but she still didn't want the doctor touching her. "I don't want his dirty hands on me!" She snapped as she clung to Nick, "I don't care who he is or what he's done, I want my doctor, the one I trust and the one I know is clean. I won't let that quack touch me!" Just then, the doctor came out of the room and staggered towards Whisper, rubbing the back of his neck and working his shoulder. She'd clearly done some damage. He didn't go near Whisper, but he did regard Nick with caution. "Master." He said, "I can assure you, I am kosher in all ways. I've been a qualified doctor for more than twenty years and I've delivered many human babies in my time. I promise you, I know what I'm doing."....

"I believe you doc, but Whisper has her ways." he turned to Whisper, "Then let Sophie do the examination witht he doc's instructions. We must know how long we have before our child arrives. I have the means to get us to Gotham fast but I need to know how much time I have." He saw the commander down the hall and called to him, "Radio Gotham and have the Doctor standing by." The commander nodded and went running. He would have to get to the city's communication's center and use the radio there."

Whisper cried and trembled, but nodded in agreement and she turned herself about. Sophie stood in the doorway with fear in her eyes and she backed up quickly as Whisper started coming towards her. She eyed the doctor carefully, "What do you need me to do?" She asked, hoping that she wouldn't get hurt like he had. Whisper slowly inched her way along the hall, refusing to be picked up again. That hurt too much....

Nick got her back onto the bed and the doctor began explaining what Sophie had to do. As he explained she began doing it. All Nick could do now was wait for the doctor to tell him. That seemed to be taking forever, even though it was not really that long. The nervousness began to creep over him as he began to pace the floor, like most expectent fathers.

Whisper cried and shouted in pain as Sophie went about prodding and poking both inside and out. The vampire could only grip the sheets in her fingers and try not to move, but it was hard. That confused look returned to the doctor's face and after some time, he moved aside slightly and went to Nick. "Master." He said quietly, "It would appear her waters broke some time ago. Several hours even. The Mistress will have what is called a dry birth. It takes quite a while longer and it's a lot more painful and exhausting for the mother."....

Nick nodded. "Get clean clothing for her and get her ready for transport. Doc you will be coming with us." As Sophie and Elana got Whisper clean clothes and cleaned her up and ready, the commander came back and informed Nick that all was ready back in Gotham. Nick then told him to go find those they had left in the Subway system and get them back on the road to Gotham. Then He was to come back and take charge of the city until he figured out who was going to be put in charge of it. Then he turned his attention back to the Doctor. "She can't walk the distance we need to go. We need a wheelchair or something of the like so that she can be taken to the Helicopter." The Doc nodded and went to get what was needed. He then turned to Whisper, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking one of her hands in his and squeezing it. "We will be home soon." he told her.

Whisper cried and nodded as she gripped Nick's hand in her own. Seconds later, another pain washed over her and she cried out, gripping his hand tighter. She'd never felt pain like it and it frightened her. The doctor returned, but not with a wheelchair. All he could get was a gurney from his office. The recovering guards still in the room backed up so as not to impede or get hit again, they wanted nothing to do with this dangerous vampire. Sophie and Elana padded the gurney out with blankets before they helped Whisper onto it. "Sir." Sophie said quietly, "This flying thing. Are we going in it too?"....

Nick smiled. "Oh yes. I will be flying it. I have experince in flying such machines. I hope you don't get air sick doc. Flying is quite differnt from riding in a ground vehilce." Once all was ready and Whisper was on the gurnney, He lead a small procession of people down and out of the palace and over to where the Helicopter was. He helped get the gurnney up into the helicopter and then made sure it was securely strapped down. He kissed Whisper and said, "We are on our way home love. Hang in there." He then climbed into the pilots seat and told everyone to buckle up and shut the doors. Once the doors were slid shut on the sides of the Huey, he got the engine started and the roaters moving. It was the Doc, Sophie, Elana, Whisper and him in the Huey. Everyone on the roof backed up as the blades began moving and the air began to blow. Soon he was lifting the Huey off the ground and up into the air before moving it forward and turning towards Gotham. "We are on our way." he called back from his seat and pushed it to its top speed as he flew over the road going towards Gotham.

The noise from the rotars and the engine was immense and it wasn't long before Whisper was ina new kind of pain. It had been more than a century since she had last heard such a thing and she screamed anew in pain, covering her ears with her hands, but it wasn't working. Sophie did the only thing she could think to do. She wet her index fingers and without warning, shoved them tight into Whisper's ears. That cut out the sound and Whisper began to relax again. "Well, that's a first!" Elana yelled with a giggle as she tried to cover her own ears against the noise. Soon enough, the helicopter was in the air and Sophie and Elana, the doctor as well, were staring out of the windows in awe at the ground whizzing past below. With Whisper so distracted by all the noise and movement, the doctor took his chance and exmained Whisper again. She was progressing, but slowly and without all the water, he could feel the definition of the baby against her flesh. It wasn't a large baby, but understanding how small Whisper was, it was about right for her, though he now understood it was early. He kept checking her during the flight....

Nick flew the helicopter and was enjoying it. It had been a long time since he had flown, and he always loved it. Now he had a functioning helicopter, he was going to be able to get around a lot more and a lot faster. Though he was going to have to train a few people how to fly it. He was not ready to go off on another long expidition, not with his child being born and even after so he could help take care of the child. But now he had the means to explore further out. They could make the fuel for it.
Below them they could see the forest and some of its inhabitents. The fierce new creatures that roamed it. He could see for miles from their altitude and in the distance to west of where Gotham lay, he saw smoke rising in the distance. A sign of human habitation. Perhaps another city or town that had survived. He would have to send out an expidition soon to have a look.

After some time, the doctor carefully moved forward towards Nick. "Master." He said over the noise, "How much further? The Mistress is not fairing too well. She needs medical attention."....

The Huey was alot faster then the ground vehiles. They could only travel a slow speed on the road that was not in the greatest of shape. "Maybe a half hour more." he told the doctor. The next problem would be finding a landing side for the helicopter. He had not really looked before so he had no idea if some of the buildings might have had heli pads. He hoped there was one close to the towers. He adjusted the radio frequency to that of Gotham and called ahead. "Half hour out." he told them, "Will be looking for a suitable rooftop to land on. Have the doc and team prepared to move to where ever I sit down."

Son Gotham came into view. It looked quite differnt from the air and again he had to love the view from the sky. The sound of the incoming Huey caught the attention of everyone and they looked on in awe as it flew overhead. It was something that had not been seen or heard of for a very long time and it was amazing to those humans of the present day. He found what he was wanting. The big H symple on a roof top. He banked to the right and cirlced the building once before coming in and setting down. With in minutes the Doc and his team was there waiting for the blades to stop moving so they could get to the helicopter. When they had stopped they rushed in to the Huey and had Whisper and the gurney out and rolling to the elevator.

With the engine noise fading, Sophie removed her fingers from Whisper's ears and then helped unload the gurney before she rushed off to make sure all the doors were open so they could get to the apartment quicker. The doctor looked around with wide eyes, but was soon back to the matter at hand as Whisper screamed again and turned on her side on the gurney. Everyone below flocked to the building to see what was happening and when Nick emerged with Whisper, they quickly backed away to leave a clear path. It looked like Whisper was in trouble and that message was quickly taken to Mathius and Whisper's brothers. They arrived at the tower the same time as Nick did and they were full of questions.....

"Later." Nick told them. "Right now Whisper is in labor and her safety and comfort is my first priority." They were soon at their own quarters and Whisper was in her own bed. "We are now home my love." again he took her hand and held it tightly as Sophie wiped the sweat from her face with a cool towel.

The two doctors confered. The one from the new city informed Whisper's doctor of everything and he nodded. He rolled up the sleves of his shirt and looked down at Whisper. "You are very close Mistress. It seems your child wishes to come out and meet you and Nick." he smiled. He opened his bag and brought out a bottle of liquid. He poured a small amount in what looked to be a shot glass and put it to her lips. "Drink, this will ease some of the pain. It is quite alright, it is made from natural plants and herbs."

Whisper knew she was home the moment she could smell Herra and the hound was quick to her side, but also wondering where demon was. He had to take the long way back with the rest of Whisper's entourage. She recognised her doctor's voice instantly and she nodded without question or hesitation when he put something to her lips. She drank the laudenum and then coughed at the bitter taste of it. She was already calming down. Blackthorn's doctor looked around the apartment as things were made ready for the arrival. This was much more impressive than Central City and it seemed the people in Gotham actually cared about their rulers. On looking out of the window, he could see the people flocking below for news. Mathius and Dravin with his brothers, paced outside. "Ok Whisper." Harris said, "I need to strip you down and have a good look." Whisper nodded and obeyed without question. He felt around good and proper both inside and out. He then looked to Nick, "This doctor is right." he said, "She's having a dry birth. How long ago did her waters break?"....

"Not sure, but a few hours ago I assume." The doctor from Central city said. "I thought she would take some time to give birth but the looks of things I would say that it might be soon."

Harris shook his head, "No." He said back, "She's bone dry inside. This happened long before." He looked back at Nick and lifted an eyebrow, "Can you tell me when it happened?" He asked. Just then, Elana stepped forward. She was bringing some clean sheets and a baby blanket. "Sir?" She asked Nick before looking at Whisper, "Sir, I think I know when it happened."....

The doctor looked at her, "Well tell me." he said. Nick had a feeling it was when she had attacked blackthorn and had drawn his blood. Perhaps the venom in the blood had sped things up. The venom was not toxic to other vampires, but his had been concentrated it seemed. Perhaps to make the one taking his blood sick, perhaps enough to kill them.

Elana blushed and bit her lips a little. "Lord Night." She said quietly, "The sheets from her bed. There was far too much wetness. Sir, I've been washing your sheets for nearly ten years, they've never been that wet before. I think it was you that broke her waters, Sir." In response to this, Whisper reached out in her drugged haze and snatched Nick's hand. "Is that true?" She asked, though somewhere deep down, she knew Elana was right. She had literally flodded the bed after their passion, but hadn't thought about it....

"It could be." Nick said. He had not thought anything of it. "What can be done doc?" he asked. He wondered if there was a way of reintroducing liquid back up iniside her to help.

Harris shook his head quickly, "We can't stop the labour." He said, "I can perhaps introduce some lubricant, but there could still be some deep tearing and the baby could become stuck in the birth canal. I'll do what I can, but you'd best prepare for the worst." He reached into his bag and pulled out a large tub of lubricating jelly and he began to apply liberal amounts inside Whisper. He could see this caused her great pain, but he had to get it as deep as he could. "I know it hurts." He cooed at her, "I know. I'll be as quick as I can." In response, Whisper screamed at him and he had to duck to avoid being hit with her foot. While he applied the jelly, he had another good feel around. She was progressing, but it would still take some time and he didn't dare give her anymore pain relief as the doping effects of it could affect the baby. Finally, he was done and Whisper turned again in the bed, pushing everyone away some. Well, everyone but Nick. She kept a tight hold of his hand and pulled on him to get in the bed with her. "we just have to wait her out now, Sir." Harris said, "There's nothing more I can do until she's ready.".....

This was something that made Nick even more nervous. The wait. He had the patience to lie in wait for a target but for this, he was not trained or uise to. "How much longer do you think?" He asked Harris.

Harris shook his head calmly, "It's entirely up to the baby." He said, then smiled and patted Nick's shoulder, "You'll be fine." He promised, "Just make sure she knows you're there, that's all that matters."....

He still had her hand as he half sat half laid by her on the bed. Sophie kept wiping her face of the sweat and standing by for what ever was needed. Outside the crowd had gathered and all looked up at the towere waiting on word. Whisper and Nick had brought the city together, vampire and human and lycan. They had worked hard to ensure equality and rid the people of their fear and hatred of the non humans. They were loved and respected. Mathius came into the room and looked at what was going on. He had been their most stanch's supporter since Nick and Whisper took control. "Mathius, I want you to take a couple of the others and one of Whisper's brothers the Central City and take control there." He raised a brow at this, "Yes my friend you are going to be governing the city and have the others to help you get things together there."

Mathius nodded with pride and then looked on at Whisper with just as much pride. "This will be the first vampire birth for nearly three hundred years." He said, "Everyone is looking forward to it." Well, everyone but Whisper it seemed. As Sophie continued to mop her brow, the vampire began batting her hand away and shaking her head. She didn't want or need that. What she did need was to get out of her clothing, but at the same time, she didn't want to let go of Nick's hand. "Nicholas?" She asked as one pain subsided, "Help me get out of these clothes?"....

Sophie shooed all but the doctors and Nick out and shut the door. He then helped her out of her clothing and covered her with a sheet. "Is that better?" he asked. Mathius selected tow of the Vampire Lords and Darius to go with him with a contengent of lycans. Once the convoy returned from the third city, they would refuel a couple vehicles and set off. But not right away. He wanted to see those that was going to be needing awakening. There were a number of female vampires and he knew the others were itching to be the first one that they saw. Only female vampire was Whisper and she was taken. This gave them the opportunity to find some one like them.

Whisper nodded and then clenched her jaw again as more pain came and went. The contractions were getting closer and it wasn't long before she gripped Nick's hand so tightly, it turned her entire hand white with strain. "Oh Nicholas, it hurts!" She cried. The laudenum was wearing off. "Talk to me." She begged, "Distract me from this!".....

Nick began talking to her of what he had found in the other city and what was being brought back. "I think your brothers are drooling over the prospects before they even get here." he told her. "The same with the other lords and I think Mathuis as well."

Whisper clenched her jaw again and nodded, "Good." She said, trying to keep her mind on business, "Any ideas on when they can be brought around?".....

"I am no expert on what put them to sleep in the first place. I think though that Your brother might be able to find something in his history about it." They were in sealed glass coffins so it could be a gas or perhaps even self induced.

Whisper nodded as she took deep breaths like Harris had instructed her to do. It was helping, but only slightly. "Tell me everything about their city." She asked, "Every detail you can think of.".....

He began by telling here where the people were found to be living. "The upper city is overgrown with vegetation and the wild animals run free there. Because of the vegetation most of the buildings are starting to crumble. There will be plenty of metal that can be salvaged and perhaps othere things if we can find them before they are destroyed by the vines and such. There should be fuel tanks under the old service stations that can be pumped out and brought back." He then told her of the drawings on the walls where they found the glass coffins, and what the little girl had said.

The distraction was just what she needed and when he mentioned the drawings on the wall, she furrowed her brow, "You found one of me?" She asked, going only on the discription he had given....

"How they got it I don't know but it was there." he told her. Perhaps her father had been there at one time or even her mother.

Whisper nodded, but then doubled up yet again. The contractions were getting to be only a few minutes apart at the most now. "Describe them to me." She asked, "Every detail of them."....

He discribed them the best he could. That of his father or grandfather, mother or grandmother and the others. "Even Blackthorn was there as the evil god." he chuckled.

Whisper couldn't help but smile then, "How fitting." She said, "But I wonder what they will say to his granddaughter." Another pain and then another only seconds later. At this second one, she screamed and started kicking the sheets back, "Gods, it hurts!" She cried, "How much longer? I can't bear this!"....

Nick turned to Harris and the other doc who he found out was called McNair. McNair pulled the sheets back to let Harris do his examination.

Harris came back in and once the sheets were pulled back fully, he had Whisper lay right back and he examined her fully. "You're nearly there, Whisper." he said with promise, "You're nearly there, it won't be long now."
"It's been long enough!" She yelled in her usual quiet way and then shook her head as another pain rocked her....

Nick kept holding her hand but sat up more now that she was getting closer to delivering the baby. "Just breath." she had been shown by Harris some time ago what to do. He hoped she had been practicing and remembered.

Whisper nodded and steadied her breathing again, working her way through everything. It took another hour, but finally, she was ready. Harris examined her a final time and then nodded to Nick, "She's ready." He said and then looked at Whisper. "Find a place that's comfortable." he said. The response was hardly like Whisper and the sarcasm was thick with it. Harris laughed and looked to Nick again, "Perhaps a squat would work best for her." He said, "Help her up and get behind her. Let her use you.".....

Nick did as he was told and helped her to a sqating position on the bed and he helped steady her. Sophie had water brought already and towels and a clean baby blanket. Elana was there also ready to assist in any capacity she colld. Both looked excited and the anticipation was killing them. They wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl and if the child was going to be alright.

Whisper growled and swore as she was pretty much manhandled into a good position. However, she had to admit, the very second she was placed, the pain was less and she could feel gravity taking over. Gripped Nick's knees and putting her chin to her chest like she had been told, she took deep breaths and instinctively began to bear down and push. Harris got in there as best he could. It put him nose to nose literally with Whisper, but he knew she wouldn't mind. Her thoughts and feelings were elsewhere. He patted her legs to let her know when to push and when to stop and Whisper did as she was told. "You so owe me for this!" She yelped during a quick breather....

Nick grinned when she said he owed her for it. Well she was wanting it just as much as he was. Only trouble was the woman always took the brunt of it when delivery time came. "Keep going." he told her. "Your doing fine."

"I'll give you, I'm doing fine!" She yelled as she pushed again. She then felt a slight pop at her opening and Harris tapped her leg quickly. He made some checks and removed the chord from around the baby's neck. "Ok, one last big one." He said. Whisper sucked in a breath and gave it all she had, gripped Nick's knees ever tighter. And then, just like that, it was all over. Whisper collapsed back into Nick as he legs finally gave out, pushing back on him. Harris checked the baby over quickly and then reached for the blanket from Sophie. A quick tap on the backside and the baby gave out a tiny cry. "And we
Sophie Took the baby girl and began cleaning her. Then wrapped her in a fresh blanket. She then brought Whisper's daughter to her as Nick got her laid down again, on a clean side of the bed. She placed the baby into her arms, where Nick looked down a big smile on his face. "Now we have not even decided on a name. What do you wish to name her." he asked Whisper.

Whisper couldn't wait to get her hands on the baby and once in her arms, the smile and the relief made it all worth it. Though she felt around the baby's face to try and fathom her features, her fingers were a little numb. "What does she look like?"
Nick chuckled and began discribing their daughter. To him she was the most beautiful baby in the world. She had all ten toes and fingers and her eyes were, blue and normal. Her eyes looked up at Whisper as Nick talked.

Hearing that her baby's eyes had colour brought tears to her own. Her daughter could see! Whisper nodded as she cried and pulled Nick to her to hold him. Any idea of a name escaped her, she was exhausted and overwhelmed with relief. After a moment, the baby began to cry. Although it was sharp and high pitched as expected, it was very quiet despite the effort she seemed to put into it. Some of Whisper's curse had survived after all....

Yes it seemed that their daughter would have a low voice, but that did not really matter. Other wise she was perfectly healthy and all there. Elana went to the door and then out to inform all that were in the other room. Soon word was spread down to the citizens of Gotham. The celebration began. "Why not name her your mother's name." Nick said.

Whisper opened her eyes after taking a deep breath of the baby's newborn smell. "Would she suit it?" She asked....

Nick smiled, "I think so." It was fitting that she be named after her mother.

Whisper nodded, "Seraphin." She said quietly and the infant seemed to respond to it. She stopped crying and looked directly at her mother. "What's she doing?" Whisper asked, "She's gone quiet."....

"She is looking at you. I think she likes the name." he chuckled, and took one of the little hands in his. Seraphin
"She has strength. She is gripping my finger and a lot tighter then I think a normal child would."

Whisper smiled and nodded and began to feel around with her free hand. The numbness had gone and she was able to feel Seraphin's features and the grip around Nick's finger. "A regular little monkey." She said with a giggle. After a moment or so, Seraphin began crying again and Whisper felt wet at her breast. "Ok, I think I understand." She cooed and carefully moved herself into a better position. "Let me know when I have her right." She said to Nicholas as she manouvred Seraphin around on her....

Seraphin latched on to one of her beasts and began feeding. "I don't think that will be necssary." Nick laughed. Harris and McNair left quietly and Sophie seeing all was well left also so that they could be alone with their daughter.

When the convoy arrived the city was in full swing of celebration and those with it were informed. Those from the other city were all excited now about being there. The coffins were unloaded and brought to the central tower where the lords, Whisper's brothers and Mathuis looked them over.

Feeling Seraphin latch on so easily gave Whisper some relief. She had been worried that all this would be hard for her to manage on her own, but it seemed the little Seraphin knew what to do so that took a great weight off her mind. Her body relaxed and even the deep ache from the birth began to fade ito little more than a slight irritation. Minutes later, even that had gone and she stopped bleeding. "The bed stinks." She said after a while, "I've got to get out of it." Keeping Seraphin where she was, Whisper carefully slid off the bed and moved towards an open window for some air. Seraphin was wrapped in a blanket, so she was fine, but Whisper was still without a stitch on, but she was fine with that. The cool air refreshed her skin and she began to feel a little like her old self again....

Nick moved with her, an arm about her and looked out. Down below they could hear the the celebration going on. "Be right back." he told her and then moved to the door and opened it. He motioned for Sophie and Elana to return and pointed to the bed. They immediately stripped it and put new bedding on it. Then Nick got a bathrobe and brought it over to Whisper and put it about her shoulders.

Sophie and Elana made quick work of the bed and Whisper smiled as she felt soft cotton around her shoulders. Seraphin seemed to take it all in her stride, despite the noise from below as the crowds caught a glimpse of them. She snuffled once, but that was all. It seemed Whisper's sensitive hearing had been passed on also. "I can hear the cheers from below." She said to her husband, "They sound really happy."....

"Oh I think they are quite happy. We have made this city into a place that everyone can be happy. Oh there are those that have done things that are against the laws we have put in place. But those have been caught and tried and sentenced. There will always be those like that. But for the most part they are happy and feel it is us that have done it."


Whisper nodded and smiled. Raising her arm carefully, she began to wave and the cheers got louder. "Oh my!" She breathed, "They really are happy for us." After a moment, she moved away from the window and made her way back to her clean bed. She could smell that Elana was close by and smiled to the woman. "Fetch me some clean clothes please and something for Seraphin." Elana beamed and quickly went to select something fitting, but comfortable for both mother and new baby. "I can hear them all waiting outside." Whisper said, "I can hear their whispers and heartrates. They're all excited about being invited in."....

"Well they will have to wait for now. You and Seraphin have had a very rough day today. The two of you need to rest and regain your strength." Tommorow will be time enough to introduce our daughter to the people of Gotham." He helped the two into the bed and laid down on the bed on his side to enjoy seeing the two of them together.

Whisper nodded in agreement. It had been a very long, very hard day for them all. As he made himself comfortable in the bed with them, Whisper turned on her side to face him and carefully laid Seraphin in the middle so she could still feed, but also be able to burp and go to sleep. "Is this what you expected?" She asked him quietly....

"I didn't know what to expect. I have never had anything like this happen to me before." he told her. "She is beautiful and ours. How does it feel to be a mother?"

Whisper laughed and nodded as she began to yawn, "I'm actually thinking it all wasn't so bad." She chortled, "But I still think you owe me for this, big time, Nicholas Night." She reached across and touched his cheek lightly....

"Ahhhhhhhhh I owe you ey." he chuckled. "Well maybe you are right." he leaned over and kissed her. "But I would say it is worth it. She is worth it all."

Whisper kissed him back and nodded, "Absolutely." She whispered....

Soon it seemed Serphran had enough and let go of Whisper. "Looks like the young lady is done dinning. Time to burp Her and get some rest."

Whisper felt her daughter let go and shuffled down the bed a little to get a better hold on her. Turning the infant more on her side, Whisper rubbed her back gently until she heard the sound and then smiled as she heard Seraphin snuffle and settle down. In return, Whisper did the same and it wasn't long before both of them were sleeping soundly....

Kissing her forehead gently so not to wake her, Nick got out of bed and went out side the bedroom. There were plenty of back slaps and hand shakes everywhere. He left Sophie and Elana there in living area of their quarters and took everyone else out and down to the ground level. He was wanting to welcome the people of the third city to Gotham and make sure they were being taken care of. Plus he was wanting to find out how to revive those that were in the deep sleep.