Inside the old abandoned barn, Nathaniel was falling asleep beside Detective Mark Jackson. They were both buried heavily beneath layers of old quilts on the second story. On some level, Nathaniel did not let go completely of his consciousness until all of Vincent’s death throes had been completed. Only afterward did the vampire lose himself in blessed sleep.
11:15 p.m.
The smell of eggs and bacon, cooking oil and coffee filled the house as Michael and Barbara Lopez went back to living their lives after the terrible ordeal that had disrupted and threatened to end that life over the past week. Husband and wife sat mostly in silence; not because anyone was upset or uncomfortable, but for the simple reason that they were all dog-tired. Even after over ten hours of sleep, everyone was still exhausted. At least the adults were. In the living room, Jerod was back at the video games, his baby brother and sister standing on either side of him, holding onto him unsteadily, but sure enough. They were watching his progress, dazzled by the sights and sounds of the action.
There was a dark cloud hanging over everything that would take some time to dissipate; however, for the most part, life was coming back to normal.
“Is Vanessa still asleep?” Michael asked after taking a large drink of his coffee and pulling his eyes from the still amazing sight of the twins standing.
Barbara nodded, but continued to be captivated by the sight as well. In fact, she had been quietly thinking about her friend, wondering how the Lopez family could have been so untouched while the Jackson family was laid to waste. Vanessa and Mark had spent the last two years attempting to have a baby. Now, she had no baby and no husband. Mark was still around, they assumed, though they had yet to see their friend since the events of the morning. Unfortunately, the unspoken thing between Barbara, Michael and Vanessa was what her husband was.
As the two became lost in thought once again, Barbara noticed as the toddlers began to slowly turn around and face her. Neither lost their balance. Incredibly, Jerod was not distracted in the least. She smiled at them, but as someone on the other side of the front door began to knock, she realized that they had not turned to look for their mother.
It was Nathaniel.
I’ll never get used to that! She thought.
Michael did not pick up on the trick. He was still oblivious. Some detective! Barbara thought.
Michael checked his watch. She knew it was late, but with all that had gone on, there was bound to be some oddities, such as all of them waking up to start a day when most of the state was heading off to bed. He flipped on the outside light and then took a peek through the peephole to see who it might be. She watched him flinch, pull back from the sight and immediately flip the light back off. He glanced toward Barbara who nodded with a grin.
She jumped up from her chair and turned off the main kitchen light, leaving on only the small light over the sink. Michael lowered the dimmer to the dining room chandelier and then opened the door.
“Hi,” Michael said, greeting Nathaniel.
“May we come in?” the vampire asked. He looked odd without his long coat, but that needed replacing. He held a towel in his hands. Two spiral leather grips protruded from one end of it. The chief’s Calvary Sabers were being returned. It had been nearly one-hundred and fifty years, but they had been put to good use once again. They were scarred now just like all of the occupants of the house.
“Of course.”
“Thank you,” he said, handing over the bundle.
A few feet behind the spot that Nathaniel had just vacated stood Mark Jackson. He held his ground and said nothing.
“Hey, Jacks.” Michael stood his ground as well.
“Michael.”
“Whoa,” Michael said, stepping out into the darkness of his front porch. “What’s this ‘Michael’ crap? It’s ‘Mikey’, remember?” Michael closed the distance between himself and his partner. “I don’t profess to understand everything that has happened. Not exactly. But I do know this: I still love you, you know!”
Witnessing the exchange, Barbara had never been prouder of her husband.
“Thanks, man,” Mark said and then embraced him, awkwardly at first, but then both relaxed.
Together they walked into the house and closed the door behind them.