“Dark Love”
Chapter 6


As they sat there, in silence looking at one another and trying to figure out what might be going on Little Charlie walks into the room with the phone to his ear. He sees Brad, Shelly, and Kevin sitting there not saying a word to one another.

“What are you guys doing?” Charlie asks them.

Startled by Charlie’s voice Shelly and the guys jump turning and looking his way as Shelly says, “Oh Charlie it is you!”

“Well of course it is who else would it be?” Charlie replies.

“We will not go there right now.” Brad says.

“What did you want brat?” Kevin asks him. Shelly reaches over hitting Kevin in the arm with the back of her hand she looks at him saying, “Do not call your brother a brat.”

Kevin rubs his arm as he replies, “But he is…”

“You’re a brat but do we call you one?” Shelly says.

“No you call me a perv, a horn dog, a hormone with legs…” Kevin pauses for a second as Shelly turns her attentions back to Charlie, Kevin then says, “Oh yeah and a Toad.”

Shelly looks back at Kevin smiling as she says, “And you are every one of those.”

“Thanks…” Kevin says falling back in his chair, “I love you too.”

Shelly laughs as she looks back at Charlie saying, “What did you need Charlie?”

“Well I was talking to Scott and he wants to know if I can go to the show with him and his parent’s tomorrow night.” Charlie replies.

“Well I am not sure Charlie with everything going on…” Shelly pauses looking at Brad.

Brad looks at Charlie as he says, “I don’t know Charlie it might be risky you being out like that without one of us.”

“Do you really think your Uncle would go after him in such a public place? I mean come on this is not the 18th century any more.” Kevin replies.

Brad looks at Kevin then back at Charlie saying, “I do not know Charlie. Will you let me think on it until tomorrow? I promise I will give you an answer in plenty of time before the show starts. If my Uncle’s present’s dissipates you can go.”

“Cool…” Charlie exclaims.

“Hey now I did not say you could yet!” Brad calls out to him as Charlie ran out of the room.

“I know but at least it was not a no.” Charlie calls back as he runs up the stairs.

Shelly laughs shaking her head as she says, “He is a great kid always has been.”

She turns herself back facing the table as she hears Kevin ask, “So what are you thinking about all this Shelly?” Kevin had the invoice in his hand looking at it.

“I am not sure what to make of it yet.” Shelly says.

“But you are thinking something I can feel it.” Brad replies.

Shelly looks over at Brad as she says, “I am just wondering how well your Uncle is at putting two and two together. As you said, he is 800 years old. I wonder how old school he is, will he bust in, and rip everything apart asking questions or will he lay low until he puts all the pieces together and knows where you are for sure.”

“My Uncle is not a flashy guy he likes to stay in the shadows and out of sight.” Brad replies.

“But he is the type to rip things apart and ask questions later.” Kevin says. Brad nods in agreement with Kevin as Shelly crosses her arms over her chest and sits back in her chair. “Do you really think it was Brad’s Uncle that called us?” Kevin asks.

“My gut feeling tells me yes, but for some reason it has an odd feel to it. I cannot put my finger on it right now, but I am sure it will come to me.” Shelly replies.

“So what do you want to do?” Brad asks her.

Shelly sets up looking at Brad as she says, “The only thing we can do. Lay low and wait until the Pinkerten’s come home. I will call them leaving a message on their machine. When they return they will give me a call back. That is about all we can do.”

“And what happens if we have a run in with Uncle before then?” Brad asks.

“Then my hunch was right and we better ready ourselves just in case.” Shelly tells him.

Brad chuckles as he looks at Shelly, “I swear sometime you are half vampire with the hunches and feelings you get.”

“The weird part is when she has them 90% of them end up happing or are right.” Kevin says.

“Yeah, I know.” Brad replies.

Kevin laughs as Shelly and Brad look over at him Kevin still laughing says, “Well if I remember right Brad didn’t one of your ancestors mate with a human and they had a child.”

“WHAT?!” Shelly replies, “What does that have to do with me I am English, not Transylvanian.”

“It was an English man and an Ancestor that had the child.” Brad says looking at Shelly.

“So you mean to tell me a vampire woman and a human man had a child back in the day?” Shelly asks them.

Kevin nods as Shelly looks at Brad saying, “So that does not mean I have vampire blood coursing my veins it could be any English man. That does not mean I am related to him.”

“He was a descendant of the Richardson Family, Royal blood even.” Brad says.

Shelly’s eyes grow wide as she falls back in her chair she hears Kevin saying, “That crest in the study… That is the seal of a royal family in England is it not Shelly?”

Shelly looks over at Kevin and nods and in a worried tone says, “It is my families crest… My Fathers family.”

“There was only one royal family with the name Richardson in England back in the day. So I am sure you are the descendent of that same family.” Kevin says smiling.

Shelly looks at Kevin and then Brad at he to is smiling Shelly starts to smile as well as she says, “You two shits… You are messing with me on this. Everything you just said was a bunch of BS.”

Brad starts shaking his head and says, “No we are not. It is a true fact about my family history and yours.”

“So you knew I had the blood of your ancestor and you never said anything to me about it?” Shelly says now growing angered by this news.

“Why are you getting mad Shelly?” Kevin asks her.

“I only knew this for the last 2 years.” Brad says. “It is not like I planed all this.”

“Right that is what you say.” Shelly says slightly angered still. Brad touches her arm as she looks at him.

“Shelly why are you mad? What we found out is great news for you and us.” Kevin says.

Shelly looks over at Kevin as they hear her say, “When were you going to tell me this and are you sure I am the right descendent?” Shelly looks back over at Brad.

“Yes and no…” Brad replies.

“Yes and no… That is a very big gray area Brad. How would you know for sure?” Shelly asks him.

“Well there are three ways to find out.” Kevin replies.

Shelly looks back at Kevin as she asks, “Well?”

“All three of the ways are really simple. One will take a day or two to find out. One will take 9 months and the other a week.” Kevin says.

Shelly looks at Brad, “I am not ready for a child… and what makes you think it would be a vampire child on top of it?”

“If you have the blood of a True Ancestor the child you and Brad would have would be a vampire.” Kevin tells her. “If not then your child would be human and your blood line would for sure have the blood of a True Ancestor in it.”

“Great I could only imagine what it would be like raising a small vampire baby they do not know any better trying to tell them not to bit when that is what they are supposed to do. Remind me if you do have kids I am not breast feeding…” Brad and Kevin start to laugh as Shelly looks quickly at both of them exclaiming, “WHAT?!”

“The child is a normal child you cannot tell the difference between them. Their vampire abilities do not start until their tenth year of life.” Brad tells Shelly.

“Then how would you know if it is a human baby or a vampire baby?” Shelly asks.

Brad removes his shirt as he turns showing Shelly a small half crest moon birthmark on his right shoulder he says,”They will be born under this crest moon birthmark.”

Shelly looks at Kevin saying, “You all have that mark. I thought it was a brand you got showing you all are from the same clan.”

“No, a True Ancestor is born under this mark.” Kevin replies.

“So what is the other two ways to find this out about me?” Shelly asks them.

“A blood test and the other way I will not do. There is not enough gold in this world to pay me to get me to take that chance with your life.” Brad tells her.

“I guess that is to turn me?” Shelly questions. Brad nods as Shelly looks at Kevin saying, “I guess that is what takes a matter of days to do?”

“No it will take about a week for that to happen.” Kevin replies. Shelly looks at Kevin and then quickly at Brad then back at Kevin as he says, “If you truly have the blood of an Ancestor from Brad’s family he or Doug would have to bit you and drain your blood. You then in turn would have to drink of Brad or Doug’s blood. Once you have done that you would die.”

“I WHAT?!” Shelly exclaims, “WHY WOULD I DIE?!”

“To be reborn as a True Ancestor.” Brad tells her.

Shelly looks at Brad as she says, “I… I would be reborn… and if I was not?”

“You would be a creature of the night dwelling in darkness.” Brad tells her. “Now you know why I will not do it. I am not sure if I want to do it knowing for positive you were a decedent of the family we are talking about.”

“But if you don’t Brad…”

Brad interrupted Kevin as he says, “It does not matter either way to me Kevin. I am happy with the way my life is now. I have my family and that is all that matters.”

“But if and when Shelly dies so does the day of rebuilding our clan.” Kevin replies.

“Wait…” Shelly says looking at both the guys. Brad and Kevin look over to her as she says, “Are you saying I could help rebuild your clan Brad?”

“With every child we have the clan we once had could be rebuild to what it was once. Without you, once Doug and I die our clan dies with us.” Brad tells her.

“No pressure here Shelly” Doug says walking into the room, “Jeez… Brad it is not as if you are going to die tomorrow. You still have a few more hundred centuries to go.”

Everyone turns seeing Doug walking in, “It is not that Doug… It is the fear of if she is what we think she is how long before Uncle knows as well. He will not hastate to turn her and find out.”

“Then the sooner we find out the better off we will be and so will Shelly.” Kevin replies.

“But we really do not know if and when Uncle with show. Do we really have the time to find out?” Brad asks.

“If we go into the city…” Brad, Doug, and Kevin look at Shelly as she continues, “I know a doctor there. I can tell him it is a rush to get our blood work back ASAP and we can find out before the day ends tomorrow.”

“What are you going to tell him for why you need it back so quickly?” Doug asks.

Shelly looks at Doug saying, “I do not know, but I will think of something to tell him.”

“Maybe you could tell him you and Brad found out you might be related and that you are dating and want to make sure the blood line is not the same.” Kevin tells them.

“But it is the vampire DNA we need to know not just the blood similarities.” Brad says.

Kevin sighs as he sits back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest he says, “There has to be something.” The room fell silent after a few minutes Doug snaps his fingers.

“Darryl knows what to look for.” Doug exclaims.

“What do you mean Doug?” Brad questions.

“Darryl was telling me one year in Biology class he took a drop of his blood and stuck it under a microscope after looking at human blood. He said he was curious to know the differences between our blood and theirs. He would know if they are the same or not and what to look for in the differences or the similarities. I am sure he could tell us what we need to know.” Doug exclaims running from the room.

Shelly, Brad, and Kevin look at one another as Doug runs out to do what ever he was planning to do.



Dark Love Chapter 7