Chapter 175) Contretemps

The future has a way of arriving unannounced.

George F. Will

contretemps[ˈkäntrətäN] NOUN 
- a minor dispute or disagreement 
- an unexpected and unfortunate occurrence

Windenburg Isle
Everett & Maeve Cameron's Residence

Blaine and Scarlett exchanged telltale glances, with a light head movement and matching facial expressions Scarlett gestured her husband to start talking.

“Why me?!” he whispered.

“Because this is YOUR side of the family. I already had my ass chewed out and then handed to me by my own, while you just sat there like a stuffed animal! Your turn now to take some heat!” Scarlett whispered back.

Blaine sighed then turned to his parents.

“All right, mom, dad, we’re here for this surprise visit, because we wanted to tell you both right away about something unexpected that has come up ….” he said with a deep sigh.

“Oh boy, kid, what did you do THIS time?” Everett wondered.

“Well … I did nothing … Scarlett and I did a thing together … a bit iffy of a thing. Actually an iffy combination of things …”

“Did you seriously come all this way from Del Sol Valley for idiotic banter that could have happened over the phone, for which your mother wouldn’t have forced me to put pants on at least!? You and Scarlett have been doing iffy and stupid shit since you were teens and you never stopped! It’s a given, not newsworthy.” Everett scoffed.

“Rett, let our son get out what he has to say.”

“Thanks mom. Well, dad, I think this one might be pretty newsworthy. Scarlett and I had a little bit of an accident …”

“OH MY GOD! Are you guys pregnant?!” Maeve exclaimed wide-eyed.

“Oh, heaven help us now! Grandkid number five or four if you generously deduct Celeste from the tally since neither of you both actually made her. But still …” Everett sighed theatrically, referring to the two children Blaine and Scarlett shared, Vivien and Chase, then Blaine’s son Blake from a previous relationship and a foster daughter, Celeste.

“Not grandkid number four – or five, dad …” Blaine sighed.

“Oh fuck me sideways! Twins? TRIPLETS?! MORE?!” Rett snorted.

“No, I am not pregnant. At least I don’t think so. I haven’t really checked … and we have been kinda casual … and now I am afraid. Oh boy …” Scarlett’s voice changed from confident to worried.

“Scarlett … Letti, come on now! We’re not pregnant, chill woman! We seriously have bigger fish to fry and I need you focused now, not worry about nothing!” Blaine’s tone was intended to fulminate his wife’s worries, but did the opposite.

“Oh, you better not be pregnant again … you have quite the work cut out for you at home already with the crazy assortment of kids you already have! I love my grandchildren, but man, one can tell that they all bear your signatures! You need another baby like a hole in the head!” Maeve’s voice raised a few octaves into almost painful level.

“No worries, mom, absolutely positively no babies, I assure you we have been careful enough about that as we agree, we have plenty of kids to deal with – and hey, wifey, let’s stay on track here, all right?! Only one drama at a time, please, Scarlett. As I was trying to say, she and I had a bit of an accident where we seem to have discovered a new way to turn someone without the need for the usual ritual stuff. Kind of a freak thing, really, as Caleb confirmed … after he finished yelling at us, that is.” Blaine said as casual as he could, hoping that would lighten the response. He was mistaken. His father’s eyes threatened to come out of the sockets, while his mother unleashed her anger at Scarlett.

“EXCUSE ME?! You turned my son into a vampire?! After you swore to me you would never do that?!” Maeve glared at Scarlett.

“It was an accident, not intentional, I swear it! I didn’t even know it was possible, neither did my father, he had to consult his tomes to confirm, and he is a walking, talking vampire knowledge encyclopedia. Blaine isn’t a vampire just yet. There will be a transformation, so he and I will have to go and stay at Vatore Castle for a little while until he, well, sheds his mortality and then rises again, transformed. Then I will have to train him on the basics, before we go back home, just to make sure the kids don’t get exposed to it all. My father is livid, but to keep me from getting into VERY severe trouble with vampire laws, he is selling it as a deliberate turning, approved by him and Riordan is backing him up. It would make sense to other vampires, because of Chase, since he is a vampire and needs his father and all that stuff. Just in case you were to hear conflicting stories from what we are telling you now, it is just for our protection. Well, mine, mostly …” Scarlett said quietly, avoiding looking directly at Maeve.

“Sheds his mortality?! Are you telling us our ONLY son, my rainbow baby, will die before his parents?! But I am glad your father has you covered, well in that case, all is fine and dandy with Rett and I having a dead son, who will soon be a vampire son! As long as you and your family have it all sorted out for yourselves! That was sarcasm, in case you missed it!” Maeve’s voice was rising in pitch and volume.

“No worries, I didn’t. And vampires are not technically dead, that’s a common misconception …” Scarlett said quietly but stopped when she caught Maeve’s glare.

“Well, Scarlett, I really don’t care about semantics right now! You just have to stop it before my son … transforms. Or your father has to! Or Riordan, somebody, anybody! No way, this! NO! That is just not okay!” Maeve shook her head repeatedly.

“Sorry Maeve, there is really nothing that can be done now. It can’t be stopped one set into motion. This is going to happen. And I really am very sorry. Please do believe me.” Scarlett pleaded.

“Believe you?! Ha, the last time I believed you, your father, Riordan, your mother, all of you assured me that it was IMPOSSIBLE to accidentally turn anyone and that you never would do it intentionally. So much for believing any of you!” Maeve nearly yelled across the table.

“Technically that is correct. Nobody lied to you, Maeve. As Blaine and I keep saying, it’s not something anyone in my family, least of all me, were aware of. Blaine, you wanna take over? Since I already had to explain everything in great detail to my father, which literally scarred me for life, I really don’t think it’s fair that I have to carry the conversation again.” Scarlett aimed the rest at her husband.

“Well, I can, but you’re the expert …” Blaine mumbled, not really thrilled to become the target for his mother’s apparent anger.

“BLAINE!” Scarlett snarled.

“All right, all right. Well, the short version of this, to spare you all the nasty and naughty details, since you won’t be needing them like Caleb did to do his in-depth analysis, which like Scarlett said, scarred both of us for life. Hey, Letti, can I even say that now .. for life since .. ya know … I am going to sort of die soon, before I come back?”

“Do I look dead to you?” Scarlett retorted angrily.

“Nope. You look pissed. Just like my mom. I guess there is a reason they say men marry women who remind them of their mothers. OUCH!” Blaine received hits from Scarlett and kicks under the table from his parents.

“TALK son! I am getting older by the minute! Land the fucking plane kid!” Everett demanded, unnerved.

“Oh, right, I was explaining something. Well, I am gonna give you both the very censored version of what happened, since like Scarlett said, we already had to go into serious details about it with Caleb, and I am not prude, but talking about that kinda intimate shit with my creepy father-in-law wasn’t something I would have EVER signed up for. What happened was that basically Scarlett and I were getting it on, as we do a lot, I am sure you knew that, this time we both got a bit rougher, and like many times before when we felt a bit extra-kinky I asked her to drink from me when … while .. well … you know while I was at the height of the occasion, just this time she got to her heights at the same time, we both got carried away, I ended up biting her too, just a love bite gone a bit out of control, I drew blood without realizing it and guess I ingested it. Once we were done I felt odd, nauseous, got up to go to the bathroom in case I had to puke, so I wouldn’t do that on our bed and have the wife yell at me, I got real dizzy, my world turned black and I keeled over. Scarlett could tell right away what happened. Once I came to she dragged me to the shower, got us dressed and we went straight to Vatore Castle to see if it could be undone. Well, it can’t, all we got was our asses reamed at the volume level of a landing plane by Caleb for hours. That was one mad vamp, not for the faint of heart. For the record, getting turned while screwing your hot wife is really not bad at all, I can recommend. OW, Scarlett, will you quit hitting me?! That was a compliment! Anyway, ever since I was in my teens I thought I wouldn’t mind being turned, so to me this is really not such a big deal. I honestly don’t mind it. Maybe that makes a difference to you, mom?” Blaine said, looking hopeful at his mother.

“A difference? A DIFFERENCE?! NO, that makes ZERO difference. My poor, sweet rainbow baby. You probably don’t even realize how she ruined your life with this now. All our lives! This is a complete disaster! Now you know why I had inhibitions about you guys dating all those many years ago. I knew it. I knew this would eventually happen. And here we are!” Maeve ranted, her glare laser-focused on her daughter-in-law.

“I know … I know … and I am sorry.” Scarlett said.

“You’re sorry. What good does that do now?! I can’t believe this! This just cannot be happening. A nightmare.” Maeve said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Mom … we really are sorry and it really wasn’t Letti’s fault. If anything, it was mine for getting carried away, for asking her to do all that stuff. It took many years for her to even agree to my begging, trust me, this wasn’t her being reckless. Just another Blaine-thing gone differently than anticipated. Caleb thinks the simultaneous exchange of blood was what did it, since that is a deliberate part of the ritual. Had your old hornball of a son not nibbled on his hot wife so roughly, it wouldn’t have happened.” Blaine told his mother.

“That’s simply disgusting!” Maeve gnarred.

“Well, if you kids don’t mind me asking, how is everything going to go on now? What’s the plan?” Everett interjected.

“Once I changed and learned how to sustain myself, hopefully same as before, at least for the foreseeable future. We’ll have to tell the kids fairly soon, obviously, especially since I probably won’t be around for Christmas day this year for obvious reasons. Scarlett and I still have two minor children to raise, now with Celeste returned to us, she’s 14, Chase is 10, so until they graduate high school and/or college, we’ll just carry on as we have been with slight modifications to my schedule as needed. Whenever it becomes too obvious that neither of us are aging, I’ll bow out of the spotlight, call it retirement, and we’ll probably move away, somewhere quiet, kinda like you and mom have done. One of the kids will get the mansion and carry on our family traditions, like we have before them. Just like any regular old parents.” Blaine explained.

“Oh see. Well, sounds like you have some sort of a plan at least. Look son, it was good seeing you both, but let me ask, did you come by plane or … via … the vampire poofy cloud thing?” Everett asked quietly.

“The latter.”

“Okay, I don’t mean to be rude, but your mother and I need some time to digest these news, so maybe we can talk again some other time. Soon, but I think for today we had enough. We’re in our 70s, son, flinging a life-altering shock like this on us takes time to process. Hope you understand.” Everett said, visibly still chewing on the recent developments himself.

“Yeah, sure, no problem, Rett, Blaine and I totally understand, we’re both in shock ourselves. I’d like to get home myself to take a pregnancy test. Juuuuust in case. That would just be the icing on this cake …” Scarlett answered in Blaine’s stead.

“Hey, wife, quit that! We are NOT pregnant! We can’t be pregnant, okay? I am gonna be the baby you’ll have to take care of here soon! Your baby vampire, needing his vampire mommy!” Blaine grinned as they both stood up to leave.

“It’s called master, not mommy! Jeeze!” Scarlett snapped back as she folded her arms around her husband.

Blaine’s answer disappeared into the black cloud with both of them.

Del Sol Valley
Cameron Mansion
10 days before Christmas

Exchanging meaningful glances, Blaine and Scarlett, both sighed almost simultaneously, after looking at the faces of their immediate family.
At first glance, this was a sweet, cozy family occasion at a luxurious mansion in front of a Christmas tree with the Del Sol Valley skyline in the background.

Blaine’s parents Everett (75) and Maeve (72) were here, Blaine (48) and Scarlett’s mutual children Vivien (24) and Chase (10), Blaine’s son Blake (19) from his marriage to Bristol, and foster daughter Celeste (14), as well as Scarlett’s parents Caleb and Breana Vatore and her brother Caelan, cousin Riordan with his wife Layla and their son Colton (10).

“All right guys. We are so happy to have all of you here together for Christmas, just like every year. However, this year is going to be different. As you obviously already noticed have we requested to celebrate the dinner and gift exchange with all of you a bit early this year, because daddy probably won’t be here for the actual day …” Scarlett opened the conversation.

“A Christmas tour? This last minute?!” wondered Vivien.

“No, angel. Not work related. Here’s the thing. Daddy and I had a bit of an unplanned and unexpected change of plans. Actually several changes of plans. For one, daddy will soon be more like me.” Scarlett carefully explained.

“Dad – you’re getting a sex change?! The transgender thing?!” Blake burst out, shocked.

Vivien and Caelan burst into laughter, until glares from Maeve, Caleb and Breana quickly silenced them.

“What the fuck, son?! NO! I am turning into a fucking vampire not a woman, you little asshole! Wasn’t on purpose, but it happened and now we are rolling with it. Same rules as for your mother apply. It’s a secret, same excuses as for her now will soon apply to me. The end. Everyone copy that? Sex change … first thing he thinks of … I raised that brat … tssk. Thinking he’ll be my first snack after transformation. Sex change! He complains how often he walks in on his mother and me making out and shit, and his first thought is ‘sex change’! Unbelievable!” Blaine grumbled at his second eldest child, glaring first at him, then Caelan who couldn’t suppress another chuckle.

Astounded roaring, voices talking. Obviously both sets of parents and Riordan already knew about it.

“There is more … yet …” Scarlett spoke up again, quieting the commotion. she giggled nervously.

“Oh crap … Whom else did you turn now?!” Caelan said, receiving an icy stare from his sister.

“Nobody, Caelan. Anyway .. in other unexpected news … Blaine and I are pregnant. Also not planned. We’re only a few weeks along, so this is very premature news, but we figured no use waiting till three months or so. Might as well get it all out at the same time. Sorry again, Maeve.” Scarlett said.

“OH. MY. GOD! The disaster is perfect now!” exclaimed Maeve in a painfully high pitch, being the only one able to get any words out, the rest just stared on, frozen for surprise.

“Yeah … we are as surprised as you all are. Finding time to do certain stress-relieving adult activities with all the kids in such different stages of their lives, all the stress with Blaine’s travel for performances and tours, Vivien’s music career and media drama, then Blake’s constant auditions and acting engagements in different locations all over, the legal battle about Celeste, … half the time over the past couple months we didn’t know which way was up, and whenever we had a chance to be lovers and not just parents, we kinda may have gotten a bit careless regarding birth control, in part since I thought Blaine’s in his late 40s so the chances are lower anyway … We’ll know better in future and to you kids present – life lesson here. Do as we tell you, not as we did. These were very special circumstances.”

“Yup, my 48 year old swimmers could still make first place in the Olympics.” Blaine smirked.

“Enjoy it while you can, son! We may all pitch in and get you snipped, you lil accident! Four kids now. You need to know when to stop, kid!” Everett growled.

Groaning Blaine attempted to finish his drink, which Scarlett snatched from him and downed in one gulp.

“HEY! You’re pregnant! No alcohol!” he protested.

“I am at the very beginning of knocked up, and I NEEDED this!” Scarlett defended herself.

“I think we all do!” said Blake.

“YOU are barely 19, you little shit! You get milk, if you’re lucky! Especially after that nugget you landed. Sex change. ME!” told him Blaine, still fuming.

Celeste said nothing, just sat there looking confused and surprised, next to her older half-brother. They shared the same mother, late Bristol Collins, but had different fathers, even though Celeste called Blaine and Scarlett mom and dad.

“Soooo … the new baby will be a boy, right? I need backup. And a friend, unless Colton can stay with us!” Chase chimed in.

“Chase, mommy and daddy just found out themselves, and I am maybe four or so weeks along. Too early to tell just yet, kiddo. And Colton wants to go home with his mommy and daddy or he’d be sad, right?” Scarlett carefully attempted, but only got shrugs from both children.

“Well, if it’s a boy, I am happy. If it’s a girl, maybe we can give her to grandpa to live at the castle and be happy from here instead …?” Chase started, but quit talking when he saw his father’s facial expression darken, so he looked away.

The mood was friendly and positive, but not as vibrant as usual for this occasion, as the family began the gift exchange before the Forgotten Hollow crowd left, so the rest could enjoy their holiday dinner.

Vivien was in a corner, texting Liam.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Since I know there will be questions why I chose to turn Blaine ... I didn't ... As for the baby, also not my doing, ya know, the Cameron curse struck. My chance rate is at 3% for risky vampirism and for pregnancies, but I guess Blaine and Scarlett just really hit the double jackpot. 😉 For what it's worth, they are filthy rich and have a gigantic mansion, so if any of my households can handle it, it would be them.