Chapter 328) Hold Me In Your Arms

Windenburg Isle
The Hideaway (Connell & Emmy's home)

Connell rushed into the room, found her sitting on the floor, he pulled the pregnancy wand from Emmy’s hand, tossed it aside and joined her, where she burst into a sobbing fit.

“Negative – again! Why?! Whyyyy!?” she sobbed.

“Emmy, give it time.”

“How much more time?! We’ve been married for over 4 years, we said we wanted to be young parents. How long does this take?! I need to go to the doctor. Something is wrong with me!”

“Emmy! Nothing is wrong with you – you are perfect! And we are having fun trying, aren’t we? Sometimes it takes time to conceive. Just look at Chase and Hailey. It took them forever until they finally had Connor.”

“Yeah, and she almost died having him! Oh my God, I am malfunctioning!”

“Emmy – stop! You are perfectly healthy and beautiful. What about that restaurant you wanted to open? We can look for …”

“I don’t want a restaurant! I want a baby! Our baby! I am failing you!”

“You are NOT! Maybe it’s for the better!”

“What?”

“Maybe it’s better this way. We are happy. We don’t need a baby. You can have a restaurant … or maybe a dog … both.”

“I don’t want a dog or a restaurant! I want us to have a child! And what do you mean it’s for the better?! Do you not want to have a baby with me? I thought you love me?!” Emmy sounded whiney.

“I DO love you! That’s why I … well, I think maybe we are better off without.”

“You cannot be serious! It’s because I am mortal, isn’t it? I know you don’t like mortals! You are afraid the baby would be too?”

“No Emmy! I like some mortals. You. I like you, love you even. And some of your family … I … like them. Probably more than they like me. It’s because of what I am! I don’t want the baby to be like me!”

“So now you don’t like vampires? That’s rich!”

“That’s of course not what I meant. I prefer vampires, present company excluded, not gonna lie, and you know that. Emmy, I am not good. I know you can’t see it, because when I am with you I am different. But … I know what I am without you. The baby won’t have an Emmy automatically and I worry … what if the kid grows up to be … you know … bad. Evil and uncontrollable. I had my father and my grandfather there, just in case. But you would be alone with the child, if they were a vampire and what if I am away on a long assignment and … Emmy, I think this is for the better.”

“I can handle our baby! For God’s sakes, my mother raised five kids! FIVE of us, not that far apart in age, multiples each time! I can do a friggin’ vamp in my sleep! And vampire or mortal, good or bad, I would love it and it would feel that and just couldn’t help loving us back. And how could a love child be bad anyway?! That’s nonsense!”

“It’s a malfunction in our system, Em. DNA or whatever. We can’t help it. You know my mother; she was mortal when I was conceived. She is a very warm and kind person even after being turned. It’s my dad. I inherited it from him. And my great-aunt Lilith has it too. And Heath, you met Heath, remember? I stayed away from people because I knew what I was. I have a dark spark. That’s why I wanted so bad to stay away from you. You were so good, I was so afraid I’d hurt you. I mean, you know what I do for a living. I am a hunter of my own kind. I kill vampires who are like me, just uncontrolled.”

“There you have it. You were afraid, you worried, you are dedicated to make the world better – those are emotions, Connell. Meaning, it’s bullshit. You feel. You worry, you are NOT cold. You have emotions. Maybe not as intense as others, but you are not some cold walking, talking statue. I would have NEVER fallen for you if you were. Our baby would never be bad. Never. Impossible.”

She looked at him with an intensity and passion that made him sad, hang his head and exhaled. Vampires didn’t breathe, so this was always a sign of stress.

“It’s me, Emmy. I have been taking something to prevent pregnancy. I am sorry. I thought it would be better that way.”

“You let me chase my tail all this time, thinking something is wrong with me? I thought you wanted a child with me! Instead, you lie to me, sabotage our lives and you don’t have to balls to tell me why? Eeew, Connell! Now THAT is evil. You are not, but that was!”

“You are right, Em. Maybe I am wrong about all this. How could any baby an angel like you were to birth be bad? Impossible. I am a fool, Emmy. Forgive me.”

“I am no angel, and I don’t trust you now. I think you are just changing your tactic. I don’t think you’d roll over and give up and give in so easily. I know I am not as smart as Ewan and Ezzy, but I am not THAT gullible either!”

“Now I have lost your trust? I promise you; I am serious. Let’s make a baby. Right now. No preventive measures I took from my grandfather’s potion cabinet. You have my word.”

“Right now? If you think I would put out for you after that stunt, you have another one coming! You can hold your own tonight. For days. Until I feel like it again. Pah! Don’t even bother coming to bed. I know you don’t need sleep so you can stare at a wall in the living room all night long for all I care! And in case you are having a problem reading and identifying my current emotional state, it’s angry at you, Connell! On a scale from 1 to 10, I am around a 50!”

Emmy pushed him from her, jumped up and stomped out the door, only to nearly crash right into him in the hallway in front of the stairs.

“Oh, don’t you do those vampire tricks on me now! Not in the moo … hmph ….”

He sealed her complaint with a kiss, hard and longing. When he ended it, she looked up at him breathless, but shook her head.

“If you think for only one second that you can slime your way onto my good side like that, Mister, you are sorely mistaken! No cheap tricks get you off the penalty bench now!”

Connell smiled.

“Not working!” she walked around him, leaving him standing there, looking back at him as she ran down the stairs, only to find him in the kitchen again, at the coffee maker.

“Coffee? I would have made it already but was a little worried I’d end up wearing it.” he offered, smiling.

“Oh good grief, this is neither funny, nor cute! It’s borderline stalker-y! Stop it!”

“Stop what? Being a vampire? Just preparing you for what it would be like to have a vampire child. You think they are obedient once they discover their skills?”

“I already have a vampire toddler, apparently. YOU! You’re childish!”

“I thought I was charming. Irresistible. In a dark, mysterious way …”

“No, you are very resistible! Watch me resisting!”

“How very un-vampiric of me.” he smirked, slowly walking closer towards her.

“Oh Connell! I don’t want to argue ….” Emmy launched herself into his arms, he caught her, and held her.

“I really am sorry, Em. I won’t do this again. We’ll have a baby. A wonderful, beautiful, very emotional baby. An angel, like it’s mommy. Not like dad. Not like me at all.”

“I want the baby to have your eyes. They are beautiful. I want a purple-eyed baby, please. So unusual. Just like you, Connell. You are beautiful. I wish you could see yourself though my eyes. You’d see. And then you’d want to have a dozen mini-Connells.”

“I’d still prefer mini-Emmys. Make it two dozen then.”

“Hm, maybe Conemmys? Emells?” she giggled.

He chuckled too.

“I think we are going to leave the naming to me, though. This scares me.”

“Another emotion! Looky look.”

“You are a smartass, Emmy Vatore.”

“Joke’s on you, you married me.”

“And I’d marry you again and again and again. Hey, maybe I will turn you after all and then we can. Endless weddings.”

“You’re nuts.” she giggled.

“Drunk with love.”

“Are we dancing? Why are we dancing? There is no music?”

“Good point.” he snipped his finger and the radio started playing in the living room, while they were still dancing in the kitchen.

“That’s spooky. And far away.”

“Another valid point …” Connell agreed.

At the next blink they were both in the living room, still moving.

“We just had our first fight, I think.” Emmy said, followed by a sigh.

“That was a fight? I can handle that.”

“We can handle anything, Connell, as long as you hold me in your arms. Anything.”

He confirmed it with a long kiss.