Foster Fledgling
Chapter Nineteen
With a quick mental probe to assure himself that Lestat was indeed slumbering peacefully, Marius rose, and made his way upstairs again. He had just begun to stoke up the fire in the hearth when he heard noises in the outer hall. Presently, Louis and Khayman appeared, Louis looking worlds better for having fed; no doubt Khayman had extended his persuasive skills over him, to induce him to feed well.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the Egyptian excused himself, and left Marius and Louis alone.
"He wants to speak with Gabrielle," Louis explained. "He said he wants to understand why she prefers the wilds to civilization."
"I think it's more likely that he wants to understand why she doesn't crave the constant company of others, as he does," Marius laughed. "He cannot comprehend such a thing. He has to surround himself with people, our kind or mortals, it doesn't matter."
"He doesn't care for solitude," Louis said, as he took a seat by the fire. He would never admit it, but he regretted not wearing a heavier coat; New Orleans was experiencing one of its rare snow falls. He held his hands out toward the blaze, enjoying the warmth. "Neither does Lestat. Might I ask, who is with him now?"
"He's asleep," Marius replied.
"Who is with him?" Louis repeated.
"No one, just now." Marius picked up the poker, and began jabbing at the embers. "He's fine, Louis. Don't worry, he's sleeping very well, resting. I can hear him if he wakes." When the fire was to his liking, he sat down opposite Louis.
"I should go to him," Louis said, rising. Marius shot him a stern look, and reluctantly, he sat again. "He needs me," he insisted, in his quiet way.
"Lestat has more than enough nursemaids," Marius said. "Besides, I was able to reason with him tonight, I think he will be calmer now."
Louis looked at the older vampire suspiciously. "Did you meddle with his mind?"
"I read his thoughts, if that's what you mean, yes," Marius admitted. "His mind is a jumble right now. He is beginning to come out of these delusions, and it is confusing him."
"He needs someone to stay with him," Louis insisted. "Isn't it bad enough he's chained like some animal, but he has to be kept in solitude? That's how the very worst criminals are punished." His tone was as mild as ever, but his passion was evident in the fire that burned emerald in his eyes.
Marius considered exerting a little "meddling" on him as well, but decided against it; Louis was ever one to listen to reason. "Lestat will be fine, at least until tomorrow night. He will sleep, I did make a slight suggestion to that end." He leaned forward, placing a hand on Louis's knee. "You must know, I would never allow any harm to come to him."
"Yes, I do not doubt your affection for him," Louis agreed. "You do know, of course, that he feels much the same toward you." Now it was his turn to dole out the stern looks. "That is why it hurt him so, that you helped her do this to him." He did not add that it had pierced him to his very soul as well to see it done to Lestat.
"It pained me to have to do it," Marius admitted. "He is like one of my own children." He sat back in his chair. "That brings us to what I wanted to discuss with you."
"What is that?" Louis asked, politely. He realized that regardless of his opinion on the matter, Marius was not about to allow him to leave, at least until he'd had his say on whatever it was. Better to save his strength, in case Lestat needed him later.
"Children. More specifically, yours."
"François?" Louis asked, alarmed. "What is it? Has he been harmed? Where is he?" He leaned forward, ready to jump to his feet.
"No, no," Marius waved his fears away. "He's perfectly fine, he's at a film with Amadeo and Daniel." Louis sank back in his chair, relieved. "I merely wished to discuss how you intended to care for him, if you're going to be sitting with Lestat every night."
"I asked Daniel to see to his hunting tonight," Louis replied. "I shall not leave him to fend for himself, and at any rate, he is fully capable of hunting on his own." He gave a small, sad smile. "He learned very quickly, even Armand commented upon it."
"Yes, I'm certain he's fully able to survive," Marius smiled back. Even after two centuries, Louis still was not comfortable in his role as a killer, despite the fact that he was perhaps the most ruthless of them all. "He seems an exceptionally bright boy. But I wasn't speaking of merely survival skills, I meant, how are you going to care for him? Teach him what he needs to know to get along in the world, spend time with him, show him affection" He spread his hands expansively. "How do you intend to raise him?"
"I see," Louis nodded. "I don't intend to shirk my responsibilities, if that's what you mean." He rose, and stood next to the fire, resting one arm on the mantel and holding the other hand to the heat. "I want to give him the mortal lifetime he should have, if you understand what I mean."
"I believe I do, Amadeo related to me something of what you told him, but I'm not entirely clear," Marius replied. "Please, explain."
"He never had a childhood," Louis said, staring into the flames. "His mother was a . . ." he took a deep breath, paused, and went on. "She was unfit. Leave it at that. He was never cared for properly. He was forced to take on responsibilities that were not his, forced to grow up long before he was prepared for it." He lifted his eyes, and looked at Marius. "He never had the opportunity to simply be a child. I intend to give him that chance. For as long as he desires it, he must be allowed to be a child."
"Amadeo is concerned about that. He fears you'll try to -"
"I am well aware of what Armand thinks," Louis interjected. "I assure you, he is wrong. I know that François will mature, despite what appearances may indicate. I am not quite the idiot as some might think." He smiled ruefully, and returned to his chair. "There is no Peter Pan, Marius, even a fool such as I knows that."
"No one thinks you a fool, Louis," Marius said firmly. "But it is very difficult, I know, when your eyes see a child's form, to make your intellect recognize the adult inside." He laughed lightly. "Then again, when one looks at Lestat, it is difficult to see past the brat inside to recognize the adult's form."
Louis laughed, and nodded. "I cannot disagree with you on that point." He leaned back in the chair, and relaxed visibly. "I don't think there will be any problem with François. In many ways, he is so very mature already," Louis said, sadly. "I don't know that I can give him back what he has lost, not entirely. But I will try. There are things that he needs to learn, things he should experience, that he has missed. I want to give him the chance to do all those things."
"How do you propose to do this?" Marius inquired, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.
"I want to give him the chance to have fun, to be carefree," Louis replied. "Just the chance to be a boy, free from a man's responsibilities. I don't think there's ever been much of that for him, that kind of freedom."
"You think you can give him all this?"
"Yes, I do," Louis said evenly.
"Pray, how?" Marius inquired gently. "You have the noblest of intentions, my young friend, but it is a tall order. François is what, fifteen years of age?"
"Yes, so he's said."
"Fifteen years is a long time. Do you honestly think that you can make up for that?" His expression grew distant. "Take it from one who knows all to well, Louis, that some wounds can never be completely healed, no matter how hard you try to help."
"I understand." It required no mind-reading skills to know what memories haunted Marius. "But, I do believe I can make a difference for François. I have seen the results already."
"If anyone of us can accomplish such miracles, it would be you," Marius smiled, and reached over to pat Louis's knee. "But, please, tell me, what do you plan to do? How will you give him back his stolen childhood?"
"I have given it a lot of thought," Louis replied, happy to see that Marius did not dwell on any supposed mistakes of his past. "I think a stable, safe home life, to begin with. And kindness for one thing, he has never known much kindness. And discipline. He's a good boy at heart, I know that, but still a child needs discipline, tempered with gentleness and fairness, of course. And education. He is such an intelligent boy, so bright. Do you know, he figured out, all on his own, what had happened to him. He did research until he found the answers." Louis beamed with pride. "He has a desire to learn, to study, I can see it in him."
"A scholar, like you." Marius commented.
"More like David, or yourself," Louis replied modestly. "He must have the best education possible. Whatever opportunities I can provide for him, whatever our nature will permit, of course. The very best money can provide." He smiled again. "Might as well put these fortunes to some good use for a change."
"You seem to have thought of everything. But I do think you've forgotten something rather important."
"Oh?" Louis leaned forward eagerly. "Please, tell me. I value your insights."
"What about love?" Marius asked gently. "A child needs love. Especially a child like François, who's had none."
"You have to ask?" Louis stared at the elder vampire. "Love? Of course, love. That above all else. He is my child, Marius, mine." He pounded his chest with his fist. "You listen to me. I may not have fathered him, I may not have given him this life, but he is mine, all the same." His eyes gleamed with the intensity of his words. "Love him? Of course I love him, how could I not? How could anyone not? What a question, and for you of all people to ask." Louis looked genuinely hurt.
"I thought as much," Marius said calmly, smiling and sinking back into his chair. "I only wanted you to be sure yourself."
Louis continued to stare at him for a moment, then smiled, and fell back against the buttery soft leather. "I cannot imagine how one could spend any time with him and not love him," he said softly. "I think I did from the moment I first saw him." He shut his eyes, picturing the ragamuffin in the garden, with his notes and that damned book. "From the very first moment, yes."
"So, apparently, did Lestat," Marius commented.
Louis snapped his eyes open. "We don't know that for a fact."
"Don't we?" Marius raised one eyebrow. "François has said it was Lestat. The child should know."
"But he doesn't know, that's just it," Louis protested. "He cannot remember, he has said as much."
"Obviously, his memory returned."
"He was very frightened, it was very confusing for him. He doesn't know it, not for a fact."
"Louis," Marius said gently. "He does know it, and you do, too. You know it, your human heart tells you he speaks the truth. You cannot deny it forever, you know."
"I just can't believe it," Louis shook his head. "I can't believe Lestat could do such a thing. Not even he could be so cruel, not after - " he swallowed hard. "Lestat couldn't do such a thing, not a second time. Not to one so young."
"He didn't knowingly do it," Marius offered. "He was mad, out of his mind."
"Even so . . . "
"Louis." Marius's voice was gentle, and his manner kind. "You know it is so. To deny it is to make François out to be a liar. You don't want that, do you?"
"No." Louis hung his head. He knew that was exactly what he'd done, last night when he'd insisted that François was wrong. The boy had immediately changed his story, and Louis had allowed himself to believe that all was well. But it wasn't right, not at all. He had made François lie, and worse, had made it clear that he preferred the lie to the truth. His face flushed with shame. "No, I don't want that. He's a good boy, I don't want -" He took a deep breath, and raised his head to look at Marius.
"No. I don't want that. You're right. I can't deny it." He rose to his feet again, and returned to his post at the mantel. "Very well. Yes. Lestat made François, gave him the Dark Gift, while he was off on this . . . bender. Fine." He turned to face the Roman.
"But I want something understood. I don't want anyone questioning Lestat about this, not until he's well again. No questions, no mentioning it to him, no mind meddling, none of it."
"I think that can be arranged," Marius said, somberly. "May I ask, though, why?"
"It would upset him, Lestat I mean," Louis replied. "François, I can explain it to him, make him understand the whys and hows. I'll be there for him, he won't be alone." He permitted himself a small smile of parental pride, the corners of his mouth curling upwards just the slightest bit. "He'll be fine, he will adapt as he's adapted to everything else. But Lestat is not ready to be confronted with such a shock."
"When do you think he will be?" Marius asked, thinking: François is not the only one who can adapt. "He'll have to know sometime. It's inevitable he'll find out, the coven is not large."
"That must be my decision," Louis insisted. "François is my son, Lestat is his maker as well as mine. I believe that should give me some rights."
Marius looked with pleased wonderment at the young man standing before him. "Louis, I can't believe I'm hearing this from you."
"I won't back down on this, Marius. Nothing to Lestat. Is it agreed?"
"Yes, of course. It's just that, well, it's so unlike you." He nodded in approval. "I think fatherhood suits you."
Louis exhaled slowly, and waved away the comment. "Oh, well, it was bound to happen." He smiled gently. "Can't always be the spineless wonder, you know."
"I've never thought you were, Louis," Marius said seriously. "As a matter of fact, I've always admired your strength."
"I believe you must be the only one in the entire coven who feels that way."
"Not at all. Your strength is not so obvious, but it is there for those who take the time to look."
"I don't try to leap tall buildings with a single bound, you mean," Louis chuckled. "I doubt that I could do that even if I tried, anyway.
"It has little to do with what you are, but who you are," Marius replied. "It is something you've always possessed, I suspect. Probably, it's why the Brat was attracted to you."
"Oh, no," Louis shook his head emphatically. "Lestat wanted my plantation. Didn't you read my book?" He laughed again.
Marius chuckled as well. "No one ever truly believed that, not even you, Louis."
"Well, perhaps not," Louis allowed, taking a seat once more. "But things were very different then. He was a very different man. As were we all."
"Yes, that's true enough," Marius agreed.
They fell into a companionable silence then, enjoying the warmth of the now blazing fire. After some time, they heard noises from the back of the house.
"Unless I'm much mistaken, that will be Amadeo and the children," Marius said.
Marius was proved correct in a matter of moments, when Armand, Daniel, and François raced into the room, skidding to a stop when they saw the elder vampires sitting by the fire.
"Louis!" François immediately ran to Louis's side. "I missed you tonight." He knelt beside the chair, and threw his arms around Louis.
"I missed you as well, François," Louis replied, returning the embrace, and kissing the boy on both cheeks. "I'm sorry I was detained, it took longer than I expected."
"That's okay," François replied. "I got to ride in Daniel's car, and we went to Marius's house, and then we went to a movie."
"You've had a busy night," Louis smiled. He rose to his feet, taking François's hands and pulling him up as well. "These aren't your clothes, what happened to your suit? Oh well, never mind. You can tell me all about it later. It's been a long night for you. I think we should return home now."
"Yeah, okay," François replied, sounding not terribly disappointed.
"Marius, thank you for your advice," Louis said, taking his hand Roman style, wrist to wrist. "I will take it much into consideration."
"My pleasure, Louis," Marius said, also rising. "François, you may visit my home anytime you like." He extended his hand to the boy, who hesitated a moment, then shook his hand warmly.
"Armand," Louis drew him into an embrace, and kissed him. "Thank you, my friend. For everything."
"Louis." Armand's eyes met his for a long moment, and he nodded. He looked to François, and his face warmed with genuine affection. "Ragazzo, you look after him. He tends to forget things."
"Okay, Armand," François grinned.
"I can look after myself," Louis replied, kissing Armand again before turning to Daniel. "Daniel, I hope he wasn't any trouble?"
"Nah," Daniel shook his head. "We had a blast. Even got you a present. We left it at the house, when we stopped to let the dog out."
"Hmm…" Louis looked apprehensive, but Daniel's face was utterly innocent. "I expect I'll regret that later. In the meantime, may I borrow one of your vehicles? I don't think it would be good for François to walk home in this weather."
"Sure, Lou," Daniel grinned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring of keys. "Just remember, you have to drive on the right side of the street." He tossed the keys to Louis, who caught them deftly with his left hand. "By the way, you owe me. Rams lost."
"Thank you, I was aware of that," Louis smiled. "I'll add it to your tab."
François quickly embraced Armand and Daniel, and then they made their way to the rear courtyard again, and climbed into the still warm car.
Foster Fledgling - Chapter Twenty
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