Foster Fledgling
Chapter Twenty-two
Louis and Armand froze for the space of a heartbeat, then placed the toys carefully back onto the table. They then turned almost as one, and both smiled at their respective fledglings as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be playing with toys.
"François, are you settled into your new room?" Louis asked.
"Yeah," François replied, grinning. He joined Louis at the table, and began collecting the toys, and putting them into the various bags. "It's pretty cool, Louis. It's got a TV and VCR, and a stereo, and everything."
"I even threw in a few extras," Daniel said. "Found a nice old armoire upstairs, and put it in front of the little window. No light will get in now." He picked up one of the toys, and began poking his maker with it.
Armand turned his head, very slowly and deliberately, to glare at Daniel. "All the comforts of home," he said. Daniel quickly put down the toy, and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"That's very kind of you, Daniel, but not really necessary," Louis said, the corners of his mouth twitching as he watched this minute power struggle. "François will be spending his days in the cellars, with the rest of us."
"But, Louis," François protested, putting a hand on Louis's arm. "I don't want to sleep in a . . . box. Why can't I sleep in a bed? Like at home?"
"It is called a coffin," Armand said, without taking his gaze from his child. "It is our nature to sleep in coffins." He turned to François. "We are vampires, Francesco. It's what we do."
"Armand, please," Louis warned. "I am fully capable of dealing with my own child, thank you." He gave François a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, petit. I will be with you. You won't be alone."
"You did it before, Chairman," Daniel offered helpfully, happy to be released from that beautiful, too intense, glare. "I just thought, Lou, in case he wasn't paying real close attention to the time, he'd be safe there."
"You're very thoughtful, Daniel," Louis nodded. "But that will not be a problem, I assure you. François, I want you to promise me, while we're staying here, you'll be downstairs, in the cellar, a full two hours before dawn, at the very least. Will you promise me that?"
"Two hours?" François frowned. "That's kind of early, isn't it?"
"You're very young," Louis said, softly, pulling François around to face him. "You've been caught out before. I don't want it to happen again." He embraced him, and kissed the top of his head. "I'm not saying you must be inside it then, of course, you may do other things, but you must be downstairs, in the room. Will you promise me that much?"
"I don't have to get inside?"
Louis shook his head. "No. Not unless you wish to."
"And you'll be with me, when I do have to?"
"Of course," Louis spoke very softly into his ear. "I know, it's frightening at first. But you'll get used to it, and I promise you, I won't leave you there alone."
He did not meet Louis's eyes. He'd hoped that Louis would back him up in his desire to avoid the cellar and the half dozen intimidating coffins. What Daniel had said was true enough; he'd survived a day spent inside one, and had not really suffered much for it, aside from the first few claustrophobic moments before sleep had overtaken him. But it was the idea that bothered him, the very act of pulling the lid down, that had been the hardest part. He didn't like small, enclosed spaces, he never had. He would much have preferred to bed down on the bare floor, in the cellar, rather than have to feel that lid shutting out the world.
However, François knew, even as he thought this, that he'd do exactly what Louis asked. Even if Louis asked him to climb into that hideous thing, and lie there wide awake, with the lid closed, for hours, he'd do it. How could he not? Louis had taken care of him, and so far, everything he'd taught him, or told him, or shown him, had been for François's own good. But more than that, he knew that it was part and parcel of the unspoken agreement between the two of them. Louis was playing the role of the parent. Considering his age, and the fact that he'd survived for several weeks on his own, François found it a bit of overkill. Still, he understood the purpose of it; what's more, he could see the genuine affection that was at the root of it all. That was good enough for François. If Louis cared enough about him to teach him good habits, and to give him boundaries, François could return the affection in kind.
François nodded. "Okay, Louis. I promise."
"Good!" Louis kissed him again, and gathered up the now refilled bags from the table. "Let's take these things up to your room, and get you settled in there. You still have several hours yet tonight, you may as well enjoy yourself."
"And you, Louis?" Armand asked, one eyebrow raised delicately. "Are you going to join him? Or do you have other plans?"
"Yes, I'll be attending to Lestat now," Louis replied, ignoring the implied jibe. "I expect he's wondering where I am, I promised him I'd read to him." He followed François up the stairs.
"Good luck," Daniel called after them. "He's been in rare form tonight."
"What?" Louis stopped halfway up the steps, and came back down. "Is he distressed?"
"Nothing to worry about, Louis," Armand replied. "He has been weeping copiously, that's all. Really, it's hardly an unusual activity for him. It's one of his favorite pastimes, after all."
"Please be serious, Armand. What do you mean?" Louis asked.
"Okay, look, Lou," Daniel said, taking the parcels that Louis held. "You and Boss are opening up a whole can of worms here, and like you just said, Frankie doesn't have all night. I'll get him all set up, you go deal with Lestat." He dashed up the stairs, joining François who waited halfway up. With a none too gentle nudge from a shopping bag on the seat, François continued on up, followed by Daniel.
Louis watched them disappear, and sighed. "I just hope Daniel doesn't teach him any more bad habits."
"Daniel is very fond of him," Armand said softly, so that only Louis could hear. "They are of a century, I suppose that's it."
"Yes, I'm sure you're right," Louis replied, pointedly refraining from mentioning the fact that Daniel had a history of association with adolescents. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Lestat is waiting." He turned to go.
"He can wait a bit longer," Armand said, putting a hand to Louis's arm. "You won't do him any good, if you're distracted. Are you certain that you are up to dealing with Lestat?"
"Don't be ridiculous, of course I am. He's not that difficult to handle. He's chained up and lying on the floor, for God's sake!"
"Ah, but I'm not talking about that, Louis. I know you, and I know Lestat, too well, perhaps. I know how infuriating he can be. I know how thoughtless he is, how he takes you for granted." He leaned forward, and placed his hand on Louis's. "You're cold. Have you even hunted?" His tone was accusatory.
"Yes, I hunted," Louis retorted. "Don't patronize me, Armand! I can take care of myself quite well. And I think I'm far more qualified to care for Lestat than anyone else. God knows, I've had the most experience living with him."
"That's true enough, but there is such a thing as knowing someone too well." Armand took Louis's arm, and led him over to sit at the base of the stairs.
"Armand," Louis said, reluctantly sitting beside him. "Why are you stalling me? If something has happened to Lestat, I need to know."
"Relax, Louis," Armand replied, smiling with genuine warmth. "He's asleep right now, there's no point in rushing downstairs just to sit on the cold floor and talk to yourself."
"Well, you could have told me that right away, and saved me the worry," Louis complained.
"And spoil all my fun?" Armand laughed.
"Well, if you've quite finished with your little games, I have responsibilities elsewhere." Louis rose to his feet, only to be pulled back down. "Armand. Let go of my coat."
"Sit and talk to me, Louis, just for a few minutes. It's been so long since we had an opportunity to just spend some time together." Armand looked at him imploringly. "Surely, you can give me this little thing, can't you?"
Louis stared at him, and wracked his brain, trying to fathom what risks were involved here. He knew all too well Armand's penchant for playing mind games, especially where Lestat, and Louis's relationship with him, were concerned. It would be just like Armand to keep Louis from Lestat, if he thought that somehow, it could bring about their separation, and bring Louis closer to him. Still, as Louis gazed into those deep brown eyes, he could see none of the usual rancor there. True, Armand could effortlessly lie in the most convincing manner, and Louis, even more than any of the others, was prone to believing him.
But try as he might, Louis could sense no hidden agenda here, no possible ulterior motive. Could it be that Armand was truly seeking only a moment's companionship, as he said? He had to admit, tonight aside, it had been some months since they'd spent any length of time together. With a pang of guilt, Louis belatedly realized, too, that the past week had not been easy for Armand, either. Learning that one of your oldest friends believed you dead, and indeed, had in effect killed you in his own fevered imagination, could not be a pleasant revelation. Of course, as always, Armand presented a facade of total, detached unconcern, but Louis knew that more often than not, that was merely self defense. Perhaps he was only seeking the solace of a trusted friend. Besides immensely enjoying each other's company, there existed between them an unbreakable bond; even after everything, the love that they had shared a century before had never completely disappeared.
"Very well, just for a bit," he relented, allowing a small smile.
"Good," Armand nodded. "I knew you'd see reason eventually." He looked about to say more, but didn't. They sat in silence for the space of a few seconds.
"Is that all?" Louis asked, finally.
"No. I wanted to speak to you about Francesco."
"Oh, for God's sake!" Louis threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm not an idiot, he's free to grow up -"
"That's not what I mean," Armand spoke quietly, but firmly. Louis blushed slightly, and Armand went on. "I have complete faith in you to do the right thing, Louis." It was a lie, and Armand knew that Louis knew it, too, but he wasn't in the mood to argue the point, and anyway, it didn't matter at the moment.
"I beg your pardon," Louis apologized. "Please, go on."
Armand frowned. "Tell me, what do you know of his life as a mortal?"
"I know it was not very happy," Louis replied. "He hasn't said much about it, and I haven't pressed him."
"I thought as much." Armand pulled his knees up, and wrapped his arms around them. "What do you know about his family? Is there anyone who would miss him? Any chance someone will come looking for him?"
Louis shook his head, sadly. "I'm afraid not. I'm given to understand that it was only his mother and him." He laughed, a short, humorless bark. "If you can call her a mother."
"Hmm. Yes, I believe I understand." He didn't tell Louis what François had told him, or of what he'd seen in François's thoughts; nor would Louis understand Armand's plans for rectifying that situation. "So, you don't feel that anyone will miss him? Any mortals, I mean, of course."
"No," Louis sighed. "From what I've gathered, she was hardly the type to willingly go to the police for any reason. And, it's an unfortunate fact that in a city this size, one missing child is hardly going to bring much of an uproar."
"That's what I thought," Armand nodded. He lay his head on his knees, looking sideways at Louis, and smiling a strange, almost mischievous grin. "You've been saying, since you found Francesco, that he is your child, right?"
"Yes, of course." Louis almost laughed. Posed as he was, Armand resembled even more a renaissance angel; all he needed were tiny wings and a cloud for his perch. He kept his composure, however. "I have accepted responsibility for him, I will care for him until he's able, or wants to do so himself."
"Well, here it is. A thought just occurred to me, earlier, when we were talking about him." Armand sat up again, ruining the image. "He has no identification. No birth certificate, no social security number, at least, none that he can access."
"That's true," Louis shrugged, "but what difference does it make?"
Armand sighed. Sometimes, he wondered how Louis got along in the twentieth century. Lestat, for all his faults, at least understood the necessities of modern life; perhaps, Armand mused, Lestat was not entirely useless. He shook himself out of his reverie. "What I mean is, eventually he'll need papers."
"He will?" Louis seemed puzzled.
"Yes, Louis," Armand said patiently, thinking that perhaps, he should have consulted François about this, instead of Louis. "What if you want to travel? He'll need a passport if you intend to travel out of the country." Armand didn't feel it necessary to point out that Louis didn't possess the power to spell bind, and thus avoid such modern hassles. "And he'll soon be old enough to drive, too, he'll need a license, registration, all of those things."
"I hadn't thought of that," Louis admitted. "Can't we just get those things?"
"No," Armand shook his head. "You can't get any of those things without basic identification. And for that, he'll need an identity. Do you see the problem, now?"
"Yes, I do," Louis nodded. "I assume you have a solution in mind?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." He stretched out his legs, and leaned back on the steps, leaning on one elbow. "I can arrange for the proper documents to be made up. It may take some time, and a great deal of money, of course, but it is possible." He grinned broadly. It had been far too long since he'd done any serious hacking, and he was eager to get started. Finding a corrupt official would not be difficult, either, but finding one with enough clout might take some doing.
"Ah," Louis smiled again. "So, what do I need to do? Just tell me how much is needed."
"That's no problem," Armand waved a hand dismissively. "What I want to know is, what name? And what relationship do you want it to reflect?"
"Name?" Louis gave him a peculiar look. "Why, François, of course."
Armand sighed. "François what, Louis? Your name, Lestat's name, his own name, a completely different one - what?"
"Oh, of course, how stupid of me." Louis thought a moment. "Unless he has objections, I think it should be my name, of course. François de Pointe du Lac." He grinned suddenly. "That sounds splendid, don't you think?"
"Very nice, Louis," Armand replied. "I think he'll be pleased. Anything else?"
"Hmmm." Louis bit his lip thoughtfully. "François Gallier. That way, his own name is there. Of course, he'll need to devise some pseudonyms eventually, but that's not necessary right away."
"Good, we've got that much settled," Armand said, clapping Louis on the shoulder. "Now, the relationship. I suggest we make you his uncle -"
"No," Louis said, firmly. "Not uncle."
"Why not? Armand asked, sitting up again. "It's convenient enough, and generally doesn't raise any unnecessary questions."
"No," Louis repeated. "He's my child. I'm his father. If anyone questions it, we'll have the documents to prove it, right?"
"I suppose so," Armand admitted. "Still, though, you hardly look old enough to have a child his age."
"Mortals pay little attention to such things," Louis insisted. "They believe what they're told, especially if it's backed up with legal documents."
"Alright," Armand threw up his hands in surrender. "You win. I'll make the necessary arrangements, then."
"That is very kind of you, Armand," Louis said, leaning over to kiss him, and embrace him warmly. "François will be so pleased."
"Let's keep it a surprise for now, can we?" Armand asked. "It's going to take some time to get everything set in motion. Besides," he laughed, and kissed back, enjoying the closeness, even if it was only for a little while, "Francesco will be kept busy for some time to come, I think. Between the loot you've brought home tonight, and Marius's tutelage, he'll have more than enough to occupy him."
"That's actually a very good idea," Louis said, giving Armand another kiss, and rising to his feet. "Perhaps, we can plan a little celebration, when it's all finally done."
"A party?" Armand asked, quickly hiding his disappointment that the moment of intimacy was over so soon.
"Yes," Louis replied, surprised. "I hadn't thought of that, but that would be a very nice touch. And it would be a good way to get everyone to meet him, I suppose."
"I thought a party was supposed to be an enjoyable occasion," Armand said dryly.
"You may be right," Louis laughed. "Still, there will be time to plan for that, once you've got things arranged." He turned to go, then stopped. "Armand?"
"Yes, Louis?" Armand hoped that Louis wouldn't ask him to join him in the cellars. He and Daniel had already spent the early part of the evening in Lestat's company, listening to him ask himself, over and over and over, how he had believed Armand dead. Armand had little desire to repeat the experience any time soon.
"I want you to know, I appreciate your concern for François." He stepped back beside him, and embraced him once more, brushing the curls away from his face, and kissing him again. "I know, now, that you'll never do anything to bring him harm."
"Of course not, Louis," Armand murmured. "Never."
"Thank you," Louis said solemnly. "Now, I really must go to Lestat. I did promise him." He released Armand from the embrace, and moved off in the direction of the cellar steps. "Good night, Armand."
"Good night, Louis," Armand replied. He watched until Louis disappeared around the corner, and then turned and made his way up the stairs. Plenty of time tomorrow night to begin his masterpiece of hacking skill; tonight, he was in a mood for some simple, innocent fun.
Foster Fledgling - Chapter Twenty-three
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