The Christmas Invasion

The ambient humidity increased a bit more, as did the scent of their bodies. Alec knew she was sweating, then realized that he'd closed his eyes again like a fool. Refusing to avert his gaze and longer, he watched with a heavy breathed fascination as the tiny beads appeared on her body. Reaching up with his left hand, he trailed it over her moisture, collecting it between his middle and index fingers. Quickly, he licked the collected prize clean from his fingers before returning his hand to where it was - it was a selfish gesture to collect her taste - it could have compromised his timing.

It hadn't and she certainly hadn't seemed to mind in the least when suddenly her internal landscape was in upheaval - the contractions were simply exquisite. Her weight pushed forward, and she called for him. Throwing open his sense of touch to her next wave of pleasure pushed him close, then she gripped hard. Alec's brain reeled from the amplified pain just as it was assaulted with another urgent wave of pleasure from her orgasm. With the brain overloaded, the spine panicked, and contracted his muscles, seeking to accomplish something to cause one set of inputs or the other to break free.

Brain kicking in again, it reflexively shut off sensation to his upper torso, enervating the lower half of his body. As the pain waned, pleasure waxed, and with his member wrapped in a hot sheath of quaking joy, it was a simple equation and he joined in. Gasping with surprise, he winced forward hard with the intensity of the release - he had been unprepared for many sensations, back to back - this was the final expression of that overload. Trembling his pleasure up into her body, he tensed, tensed...and collapsed. Spent, the musculature of his entire body relaxed, retaining its focus on the sole rigid portion remaining, tightly contained within her body.

He stared up at her, unblinking, a slight up turn at the corner of his mouth, barely open.

With great care she loosened her grip on his shoulders. She gave a small whimper of concern when fresh ruby drops formed on his skin. She lowered her upper body to his left shoulder and began to lick gently at the wound she had caused. When that was cleaned she moved to his right shoulder, and by the time she had cleaned off every drop, the wounds had knitted themselves together and the only evidence of them was the blood under her fingernails and a memory.

She pushed back up and smiled down at her lover and friend. He had given her what she needed and she hoped she had done the same for him. Gently she disengaged their bodies with a soft moan, and curled herself around him. Before long his breathing became non-existent and his heart slowed to an almost stopped rhythm. That had disturbed her for a long time, but now it was just part of Alec's sleep rhythms. She was determined to get up and take care of the mess of her living room but sleep pulled at her and she was content to let it take her.

Ginnie woke several hours later, and gently extricated herself from the sleeping Alec. She wrapped herself in a robe and went into the living room. She finished putting out all the decorations she'd bought and put her everyday things into a larger plastic container and put it into the storage closet. A large trash bag was filled with tissue, boxes, and bags and placed in the kitchen by the regular trash. She pulled the Roomba out from under the couch and set it to vacuuming the living room. Satisfied with her completed tasks, she returned to the bed room and crawled back into bed with Alec, falling instantly back to sleep.


The soft chirrup chirrup of the proximity alarm woke her several hours after that. She groaned into the nearly silent air and spoke to the computer. She was informed that Shay and Dayle were at the door. With a soft sigh she instructed the computer to allow them entry and to play recorded welcome number three. She pushed her bedroom door closed with a shove of brain power and rolled out of bed as it closed with a quiet snick. From the other room she heard the front door open and her own cheerful voice 'Happy Christmas! Ginnie or Alec will be with you shortly, please make yourself at home.'

She headed to the dresser, but the stickiness between her legs had her reversing course to the shower. She tucked her hair into a shower cap and bathed quickly, the water barely warm. She dried, and pulled a brush through her moisture poofed locks. Disgusted with them, she forced them into a ponytail, then quickly braided the mass.

In the bedroom she threw on a pair of panties, a camisole, a pair of jeans and ruby red sweater. She crossed to the bed and planted kisses on Alec's lips and face until he opened his eyes.

"Shay and Dayle are here." She kissed his lips once more. "Join us soon."

She walked out into the living room and picked up the remote for the tree and other lights and turned them on. The computer had turned on the lamps, so there had been plenty light, but Ginnie just liked the way the tree looked lit.

"Hello,Shay. Happy Christmas, Dayle." She resisted the desperate urge to go and hug Shay close to her. She had no idea what to so with such protectiveness and so chose to suppress it and analyze it later.

"Can I get either of you anything?" She moved into the kitchen and started up the coffee pot, filled the kettle, put it on to boil and returned to the living room. "Coffee or tea will be ready shortly."

Holding Dayle's hand, Shay somewhat reluctantly crossed the hall to where Ginnie and Alec lived. She wasn't afraid of what she would see there, but she was a little anxious. From all she had gathered, in eavesdropping on the phone conversation Dayle had with Ginnie, as well as the things Dayle had told her, she had every reason to think Ginnie wasn't terribly happy with Shay at the moment.

Shay really didn't know what to make of that though. She did have an honest affection for both Ginnie and Alec, if for no other reason than Ginnie had saved her life, and both she and Alec were doing everything they could to see that Shay was assimilated into her new lifestyle with as little difficulty as possible. But it was difficult for her to wrap her mind around why Ginnie would be unhappy with anything Shay did, as long as it didn't hurt anyone, or reflect back badly on anyone.

Yet her minor anxiety was only eased when she held onto Dayle, so hand in hand, the two women entered as the door opened. Shay couldn't resist a giggle at the sound of Ginnie's voice being piped into the room, with no body accompanying it. Not thinking Ginnie might have been alerted to who the guests at the door were, Shay was taken aback at the seemingly apparent lack of security. In the few times Shay had entered their home, either Ginnie or Alec had greeted her personally. That those visits had been expected did not register as why this visit was different.

"My but they are trusting, to just let us in like that."

The whole Domicile world was also not yet fully appreciated by Shay, since it was her only home, and she knew nothing different. As far as she really knew so far, it was just a large place that housed a lot of people, many of who were vampires, and many of who worked together. Further thoughts were halted when Ginnie did finally enter the room.

"Oh my! But isn't that pretty!" The lights, the tree, and all the decorations became Shay's new focus, as she stood almost mesmerized by the visual stimulation. She had seen some decorations in the mall, but again it was her first visit to the mall, so she just took it all in stride. But as she looked around the room now, she saw how it had been transformed from the everyday home, into something...magical?

Walking over to the tree, she gingerly touched several ornaments, as if to prove they were real.

"This is amazing! Ginnie! It's all so beautiful!"

Without thinking, Shay turned, and ran after Ginnie as she made her way to the kitchen. Hugging the woman from behind, with arms around Ginnie's neck, Shay placed a soft kiss on the back of the woman's neck, before releasing her hold.

"What a marvelous job you've done, changing your home into such a pretty reflection of the holidays."

Her attention again shifting from Ginnie, and back onto the decorations, Shay bounced over to the little scene on the table, where a tiny baby was tucked into what looked like a straw bed.

"Nothing for me, thank you." She managed, before moving onto check out the other decorations, spending several minutes studying each as she came to it.

Finding Shay's hand in her own was a little odd for Dayle, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

The comment about Ginnie and Alec being trusting almost made her snicker, though she knew the pair a mite better than Shay did, even only just.

But she did laugh softly when Shay oozed exclamations and then ran into hug and kiss Ginnie, then came back to the decorations.

"They definately are lovely, Ginnie," Dayle complimented, and then replied to the offer of a beverage, "Tea would be wonderful, thank you." She found the nearest cushion - attached to the sofa - and sat upon it, watching Shay intently, absorbing her youthful exuberance.

Waking up to a rather pleasant sensation, Alec rejoined the waking world. He'd been dreaming of the Star of Africa - consciousness was far more lovely than sleep. Moaning happily to himself, he started to reach up for her when she stated that Shay and Dayle were present. As the Brit would say, "Oh, bugger all!" Resigning himself for social interaction instead of further recreational activities, Alec paused. He seemed to have a blank in the night. He was aware of all of the lovely goodness that had exhausted him, but he couldn't seem to recollect the moment of disengagement from the waking to the sleeping. The feeling wasn't a bad one...it was just foreign. He could usually recall the moment of transit the following morning. He suspected that he remembered most of his dreams, as well, but there was no way to confirm it.

He must have been very tired. Grinning, he watched as she left the room, stretching as his eyes lingered. Beginning to sit up in the bed, he decided against it. Flopping back down, he sighed, pleased with his lot in life. Pulling the covers up over his head, he took a final large inhalation of their bed scent before rolling out of the bed and onto his feet. Stretching, arms above his head, up on his toes, he reached, reached, and flopped his arms down. Scratching his privates, he made his way to the washroom to clean up.

Turning on the cold water, he stepped into the shower stream and felt his body start with the temperature change. He liked that a lot. Ginnie didn't, but he got to shower alone frequently enough after workouts, trainings and jobs that he never missed it when they had her warm showers. Those were nice too, but they made him tired, and made his senses feel softer rather than sharper. Scrubbing himself down unceremoniously, he worked around his wiry body, checking for changes. The habit was ingrained, but he didn't know its source. It had helped him find stray shards of glass or wood after some of the bar fights where he'd dulled his senses down, but aside from that it seemed a rather pointless gesture. It wasn't as if the scars would ever fade. But Ginnie didn't care about the scars...actually seemed rather fond of them. He'd grown more appreciative of them due to her attentions to them. Whatever drew her near had to be a good thing.

Grabbing his toothbrush, he cleaned his teeth in the shower. He suspected that Ginnie might find something fundamentally strange about it, but it seemed more efficient to him. Generally he only did it when in a rush. Today didn't qualify, but he knew that she wouldn't be in to be confused by the behavior. Besides, the toothpaste smelled good with the soap. Finishing his rinse-off, he stepped out of the shower, minty fresh and clean. Smirking at himself in the mirror, he realized that he felt content. Knowing that there were no tasks slated for the day, he didn't insert his ceramics. Leaving the bathroom, he stood, wet, in the middle of the room for a moment. He wasn't sure what to wear.

Then something strange crossed his mind. He could alter the inputs of his nerves...could he alter his body temperature? Shrugging, he figured he'd give it a shot. Focusing on the blood in his body, he tried pushing it to the surface and thought of it being warm. After a couple of moments, he chuckled. That was a definite no. Shrugging, he returned to the bathroom and toweled off.

Since it was a special day, Alec figured he'd dress in his whites for the time being. He started in the necessary order - white boxer shorts and tube socks. He suspected that people thought tube socks were silly, but they were so comfortable when they were new...and they almost always were. Rarely would he wear them more than a half dozen times - the bundles of fuzz and inconsistent weave of older socks could be distracting to him. Next, he slid on a white long sleeved crew neck shirt, then slipped a shimmery long sleeved button up over it. Stepping into his pleated slacks, he checked the lines - they were still good, but they would need to be pressed again soon. Tucking his shirt in, he slipped on the plain belt with the silver buckle - a little shine on the plain coloration. It helped bring out the shimmer on the shirt. Or...that's what Ginnie'd told him. Grabbing his white tie, he left it hanging loose around his opened collar, purely as an accessory. It'd be handy if they left, but otherwise would give his lover something to fiddle with while they were close. Any reason for added contact was a plus.

Foregoing shoes and gloves since he didn't think they would be leaving the house, he stepped out of the bedroom and silently looked in on the scene. Watching as Shay examined each ornament with the innocent curiosity of a child but the discerning taste of an adult was rather pleasant. He wasn't sure why the sensation felt familiar, but it made him smile. That was something. Skirting around the perimeter of the room, so as to not disturb anyone, Alec joined Ginnie in the kitchen. He wasn't especially thirsty, but felt like having the sensation of water inside him. Leaning against the counter, he quietly stared at her as she prepared the coffee and tea. Making a small sound to let her know she was there, he leaned forward and kissed her ear.

"Morning, love. I'm ok, thank you."

Reaching into the fridge, he withdrew a water bottle and headed to the living room. Watching Shay examine ornaments again, he smirked. Opening the bottle, he took a small sip and went to lean against the wall near where she was looking.

"Happy Christmas, Shay. Dayle."

Ginnie's bad mood evaporated at the hug and kiss from Shay. It was like any other mother's melting at the affection of her child, she guessed. It seemed a natural enough response. She'd have to ask someone with real children sometime.

"Thank you. I had fun doing it."

The tea kettle whistled signaling her back into the kitchen. She was placing loose leaf tea into the bottom of a single serving tea pot when a small noise alerted her to Alec's presence. She remained still for his small kiss, letting a smile curl her lips. "Good morning, love."

She placed hot water in the warmed tea pot and put the lid on, then settled it atop it's mug. She placed the whole thing on a saucer with a spoon and a small tea strainer. She pulled a wicker tray from the top of the fridge and placed the individual pot, creamer, lemon and sugar on the the tray. From the fridge she also grabbed a bag of blood, and poured its contents into a mug. She set the mug to warm as she poured and doctored her coffee.

The microwave beeped and the mugs of blood and coffee joined the tea and she carried the lot out into the living room. She set it in front of Dayle on the coffee table. "There you go. Not a proper English tea, but it's a nice blend of chamomile, white and green teas."

She retrieved the two mugs and took one to the curious vampire skittering around her living room. "Try this. I think you'll enjoy it."

It had occurred to her that she'd not taught Shay how to warm bagged blood. Ginnie rarely drank it cold and had wanted to smack herself for not sharing that with Shay. Well she couldn't think of everything all of the time. With a mental shrug she joined Dayle on the couch. "So tell me about your first night out. I like your hair by the way."

There was just so much to see, Shay had a difficult time tearing her attentions away from the decorations long enough to want to sit down with the group. But once Ginnie brought the drinks in, she reluctantly did sit down. She stopped by Alec on her way, gave him a peck on the cheek, and returned his greeting.

"And a merry, happy to you too!"

Sipping the blood was nice, even if she wasn't really hungry. In fact she had almost refused the mug, but thought better. Ginnie had gone to some trouble to prepare it, and it appeared she had done so just for Shay, so to refuse it might have not only been rude, but Shay guessed it might have also hurt her...mother.

It was becoming easier to think of Ginnie as a mother, because Ginnie was constantly acting as Shay imagined them to be. She always seemed concerned for Shay's welfare, and honestly seemed to feel a connection to Shay. With time Shay was finding she also seemed to be developing feelings for Ginnie, and Alec, as well. She grinned though, when she pictured Alec in the role she had often seen portrayed on the television, and wasn't sure he would be as receptive in it, as Ginnie apparently was.

"This is really good...did you cook it?" And only because she had just eaten at home, Shay was able to continue to sip the liquid, and really enjoy it.

Sitting down next to Dayle, without thinking Shay leaned against her friend, and snuggled into her and the sofa.

"This is nice. I know Christmas is supposed to be a tradition, where people celebrate love, and family...and I know there are religious connotations as well. But for some reason I seemed to think it was more solemn...and this is just so...festive!"

Her eyes still wandering, Shay finally made a conscious effort to pay attention to the people around her.

"Thank you." She responded to Ginnie's compliment about her hair. "I convinced Dayle to take me out to a salon...or rather to let me drag her along." Shay giggled, feeling still somewhat like a teenager who had gotten away with something.

"But I just HAD to get out, and I just HAD to cut off all that hair...it was much too bothersome to deal with on a daily basis. When we got to the salon, Dayle told me the women there often offer themselves to people like us...and one thing led to another..."

Kicking her shoes off, Shay stretched her legs and slipped her toes under Ginnie's thigh. Looking back on the evening, Shay was more impressed with getting to know Dayle, than the whole feeding process. However, that had been quite an experience as well.

"One thing I learned, well...besides how to feed...was to pay attention to people before just sticking my fangs into their necks. The woman I fed from had evidently taken some kind of medication, and therefore I wound up with more than just a full stomach."

Shay giggled and winked at Dayle. Though she remembered the event, she had no previous occurrence to compare to, and therefore still didn't know how much of her reaction had been medication based.

But that all seemed like eons ago, with what all had transpired after.

"So...when is Christmas? I've no real concept of time yet. I can manage the daytime sleeping, but aside from that I couldn't tell you what the date was to save my life."

Christmas was a time of giving, and with that thought Shay would need to buy presents for the three people in her life now. It was part of the tradition, and expected, she assumed.

Ginnie sipped at her coffee doing her best to assimilate Shay's deluge of information. Her first instinct was to become very very angry. However, Dayle had been charged with Shay's keep when Ginnie and Alec were not available, or when requested by Shay. She had done what any good teacher would do. Jealous, plain and simple. Ginnie was jealous. It was not a huge deal, it really really wasn't. A vampire's first feeding was a personal thing and being with a friend was a good way to start.

Shay was an odd mixture of child-like innocence and adult conduct, so Ginnie could not fault her in the least for wanting what she'd done the night before. She wanted to chuckle at Shay slipping her toes beneath her thigh. She decided to start at the end and work her way back.

"December 25the that's fourteen days from now. Alec and I attend midnight mass, and then celebrate here at home. We hope that you will join us, or you may celebrate with Dayle and her sister. We can go shopping later, if you wish."

She sipped from her mug again, and took a deep breath, determined to go about this with sensibility and logic.

"Learning the smell of drugs, even prescription ones takes a lot of practice. I am still learning them all, since they were not a problem when I was young. You will get the hang of it after time and you will also find regulars if you wish that or you can hunt for a new donor each time. Each vampire has his or her own style and you will come up with your own, once you know the basics. I think today we will start weapons training for you. I would feel better if you went out armed."

She sipped again, curling her hands around the mug when she returned it to her knee. "You will notice that I never leave the house unarmed, even when just going to work. It is important that you are able to defend yourself. After you've trained a bit I will take you out hunting, and show you how I work. Alec will do the same and if Dayle is willing she will do the same, then you can decide what of our methods you like, what you don't and what works best for you."

Sipping again, she sighed softly. This was the part of her new status that had been bothering her from the get go, showing Shay the seedier side of vampirism. "Since I fed recently I will not need to hunt for several more days, I will take you then, in the mean time I will train with you. I plan to go in tomorrow and close the lab for the rest of the month. I have some other things I must take care of, but every other day I will spend with you getting you ready to hunt, and to begin a life outside of your four walls. Is that alright with you?"

Alec could feel Ginnie's tension mount, so he cycled around behind her and laid a supporting hand on her shoulder, twining fingers through her hair slowly. He wasn't clear on what the issue was, but showing support was a good thing. Smiling at Shay's question, he was reminded of a lot of discussions he'd had about the holidays. They were tougher than some of the other things. Calendars he'd figured out early. He'd have to share one with her so that chronology was a bit more meaningful. At first he'd had trouble with the longer concepts since he'd been a creature of the moment.

Ah - it looked like Ginnie'd broached the subject of arming Shay. He'd been irritated that she'd left without weapons. He was pleased that his love was handling the matter so evenly.

"I'm pretty good with tagging drug users...I've a good nose and can help you spot the signs. I can go over that with you if you'd like. We do a good deal of the early training here. If you like you can either train in with a group or on your own. Some things are better solo, some better in a group. Either way I would much rather have you armed and refreshed on your skills before you next leave the Domicile. Someone killed you recently. I'd like for you to be able to return the favor should it become necessary."

As Ginnie asked Shay to agree to training before her next outing, Alec smiled. He felt like things had gone well. Running a hand through her hair, he popped his neck. Looking to Shay, he hoped she'd make things easy. He'd like the opportunity to train her. It would also take a load off of his lover's mind.

Feeling content snuggled on the couch, Shay liked the way Ginnie and Alec were together, and watching them. She wasn't sure she understood love, but she understood how being with someone could give you a good feeling, and the way they touched each other told her they seemed happy with the way they made each other feel. Knowing she felt good when Dayle touched her, Shay again squirmed a little against the woman, and pulled her arm around, holding her hand again. In her other hand, Shay kept the mug and continued taking sips.

"Okay, so that makes today December eleventh...check. I'd like to celebrate with you, but..." And now she seemed to be faced with a dilemma she had no way of addressing. Well, other than just voicing it out loud.

"But couldn't Dayle come here too, and celebrate with us?" Of course Shay wasn't so naive to think that one little fling in the shower would make she and Dayle a couple like Ginnie and Alec, but she was very fond of Dayle, and wanted to buy her something, and then share it with her on Christmas. She had no traditions or memories of past holidays, and it was important to her to start making them.

She hoped Dayle would rather celebrate with her than her sister, at least for part of the evening.

"I think I'll leave the mass thing to you guys though. Maybe some time I'll look into religion, but for now..." Shay shrugged and let that topic drop.

The subject of hunting was still quite interesting, so Shay gave Ginnie and Alec her full attention as they both spoke of ways to assist her, until she learned well enough to be on her own. Having the basic biting technique down was one thing, but she was grateful for anything they could tell her about how to find suitable donors, again, until she figured it out herself.

The whole being 'armed' part was what she seemed to be having some issues with. So Ginnie and Alec both felt safer with protection...did Dayle too? She twisted back so she could see her friend, and asked.

"You too? You stick weapons all over yourself when you go out?" Shay didn't recall seeing any on Dayle, but then she guessed there were ways of disarming one's self without drawing attention to the act. However, Shay didn't let the question just lie there, but elaborated. "I don't recall seeing any guns, or knives...and I'm pretty sure I would have." Winking and giggling almost imperceptibly, Shay turned back to Ginnie and Alec.

"But I don't suppose I have any reason not to learn how to handle a weapon or two, so yes, that would be fine. And going out with you on a schedule like that is fine too. I hope, if she wants, Dayle can also keep taking me out too?"

Alec was the mood killjoy, bringing up the recent murder, and the fact that whoever had killed Shay was still on the large...or as far as she was concerned anyway.

"And yes Alec, what you say is true too, and a good reason to go along with the whole weapons training. But I've a question...is there anyway to find out if what happened to me was random, as opposed to planned? I guess what I'm trying to find out is, would there have been any reason for anyone to have sought me out and killed me?"

She was a little amazed that she could talk about her own death that way...so detatched...but it was how she felt.

Something was nagging at the back of Alec's mind, but he couldn't quite put it together. If it was important, he'd figure it out later. Right now there were some rather serious things on the table.

"Dayle would be of course welcome to join us, but I suspect that she will be indisposed with her own family on Christmas Night. Perhaps on Christmas Eve you two could have your celebration while we are at Mass?"

Shay really didn't know what she was missing. Church for Alec was kind of like a shopping spree. He got to see all kinds of people interact in strange ways, a guy in an outfit told stories to everyone, it was always nice and cold, it made Ginnie happy...and there were so many good marks for so many things. Whether targeting for theft or feeding or surveillance, it was a one stop shop. He suspected that he might not want to share that sentiment, but it put a smile on his face.

When Shay turned to Dayle and said

"You too? You stick weapons all over yourself when you go out?"

he laughed.

"Generally it is best to not advertise one's weapons. The humans don't seem to appreciate it much. Learned that the hard way. And of course you can keep going out...with Dayle."

Then it clicked. The two were sitting awfully chummy. One could almost say cuddly. 'Damn...my girl didn't waste ANY time.' Grinning like an inappropriately proud father, Alec chuckled. He was probably misinterpreting things, but it was an amusing thought.

At her query about her death, Alec pondered. Cocking his head slightly, he frowned slightly, then spoke.

"It seems unlikely that we will find out for sure. The primary focus was on preservation of your animation rather than the apprehension of the fugitive in those crucial first moments. I didn't ever find my changer either, though I have developed a fairly sound theory as to how I came about. In your case, things are more clear cut, but the trail is similarly difficult in that you were the chief witness. It is similarly unlikely that you were specifically targeted, as you were declared protected. But, in case you were, I'd like you to be able to give them a rather unpleasant surprise the next time around."

Ginnie's demeanor changed from 'happy decorator' to something darker and more emotionally turbulent... Or at least, that's how Dayle took it as she felt the wave of sudden tension come from the Scot's end of the sofa. Then she connected what Shay had said; she told Ginnie that she'd fed from a willing source, and then Ginnie got all tense.

Dayle immediately felt bad; she knew Ginnie had said she wanted to take Shay hunting, but Dayle hadn't thought helping her feed would have caused such a reaction. Sipping her tea in silent rebuke she simply listened as Alec and Ginnie commented about Shay's upcoming weapons training and hunting tutelage. She nodded silently that she'd assist when Ginnie suggested it, then nodded more vehemently when Alec mentioned being able to return the favor.

The question about arming herself though made her actually try to think of what she'd done with the small gun Alec had suggested she carry, and remembered it being in her purse. "Not all over myself, just where it's accessible."

Shay's commenting question about whether or not Dayle wanted to take her back out brought her eyebrows together and she glanced at Ginnie. Remembering just a few moments ago when the other woman reacted to Shay's account of her night, she allowed gently, "If Ginnie and Alec don't mind, I'd love to."

After Alec's subsequent comment - replete with suspicious pause - she simply nodded her head regally but kept her eyes on Ginnie. Shay's cuddling hadn't gone unnoticed... she just wanted to know where she stood in the realm of the 'family.'

Ginnie finished her coffee to the soothing touches of Alec's hand, then placed the mug on the coffee table, well away from the manger seen.

"You will not find a member of Tacharan that goes out unarmed, including our fearless leader. We are...targets for a lot of different factions. Part of my job with in the Clan and Duibne Industries is to supply weaponry. I can not condone any member of our clan going out unarmed. I can not let you go out unarmed again."

Ginnie sighed again and watched Shay for a moment. She seemed to have bonded with Dayle more intimately than expected. 'Well we all have needs. I just didn't think either of them would swing that way. Well I guess physical need can overcome a lot of things.' The idea of seeking pleasure from and with another woman was abhorrent to Ginnie, but she could not fault Shay or Dayle for finding solace in one another, Shay needed that as much as she needed to learn to hunt and protect herself.

"It seems to me that spending time with Dayle is rather high on your list and I am more than happy for you two to go out together. However, Dayle, I ask that you wait until she is properly prepared for the outside world before you take her out again."

She reached behind her and placed a hand on Alec's hip. She needed his contact as much to reassure her as to simply feel him. The need to touch him when he was near was always strong and stronger when she was distressed.

"Dayle is more than welcome to spend Christmas with us, barring any familial engagements. I think Alec's suggestion of Christmas Eve is a good one, but that is between the two of you."

She let her eyes meet Dayle's and gave the woman a genuine smile. "I make a mean turkey with all the trimmings, including figgy pudding, on Christmas Day. You are more than welcome to join us."

So many things to think about, Shay was glad she had the three of them around to help, and glad they all seemed happy to do so.

Shopping for Christmas, training, learning to hunt, not to mention getting a handle on all the other things that occupied Shay's mind at the moment. Questions about people, and feelings, and how they all went together...confusion seemed to be a huge part of what Shay also needed to focus on eliminating. Having Dayle, and Ginnie, and Alec there for her, she guessed might explain why none of it scared or intimidated her. However, the sooner she could make sense out of it all, the happier she would be. Finding her killer wasn't anything she'd give up on, but for now it was low on her list of priorities. If Alec didn't think it would be an easy, if possible task, Shay wouldn't concentrate on it yet. There would be time after she learned to survive first.

The issue of Christmas versus Christmas eve was slightly worrisome. Shay's opinion of the holiday was it began on December twenty-fifth, and what happened on December twenty-fourth was just a prelude. It was much more important that Dayle spend the twenty-fifth with Shay, and it slightly irritated her that Alec and Ginnie felt the twenty-fourth more appropriate.

As she looked at her 'parents', Shay decided to talk to Dayle about it in private, fearing anything she might now say would possibly appear ungrateful. Besides, Dayle did have her own life, and it might well be that she would rather spend the eve with Shay, rather than Christmas itself.

Sipping the final drops from her mug, Shay belched softly, and jumped off the couch.

"Alright! There seems to be an agenda for me...when do we start? If I can't leave the compound unarmed, personally I think that's where we need to begin...what do I do? You guys have an arsenal around here somewhere? Do I need to be tested with different weapons, to find what suits me best? Can I have one of those neat little guns that strap to your arm, and flip out into your hand with a flick of the wrist, ready to shoot? Or knives...something wicked that I can whip out and fling at the baddies?"

More than excited, and ready to get things rolling, Shay saw no reason to put it off any longer. Besides that, she could now easily see herself as the next James Bond, and the thrill was palpable.

"The night's not getting any younger!" Shay was sated, fully of energy, and raring to go...therefore everyone else should be as well, to her way of thinking.

Licking his lips, Alec nodded slightly and quickly at Dayle.

"Mmm. Pudding!"

Laughing at the enthusiasm of their 'daughter', Alec nodded.

"An eager student is a successful student. Formerly, you preferred the .38, but I think that you might find it a bit tame with your growing strength. Still, since it is most familiar to your hand, perhaps you should start there and work your way up. Ginnie is a far better shot than I am, so you should prod at her. All those other 'wicked' things, I can chat with you about. The fastest way to get back outside will be with hand to hand training with me and firearms training with your mother. I'd also like it if you learned a bit about mêlée weapons before leaving again, but those two would be the bare minimum, I think?"

Looking down questioningly at his lover, Alec hoped he'd not pushed the bill to hard. He did agree with Shay's sentiment, though - the sooner the better. He'd watched too many daytime talk shows to know that kids frequently sneaked out. Granted, it would be nigh impossible in the Domicile, but best to have her hand in before she got stir crazy again.

Ginnie chuckled at Shay's enthusiasm. She smiled up at Alec and uncurled from the sofa.

"Alright, alright. Let me get some shoes on and we can go down to the training area. I have a small store room there, and you can choose from it, and later we will go over to my lab and specialize a few weapons and holsters for you. Okay?"

Ginnie returned to the bedroom and pulled out thick socks and a pair of boots, then returned to the living room to put them on. "I love you in that outfit, but if you're coming with us, you might want to change."

She gave Alec a wink and pulled her socks on her feet.

Feigning shocked exasperation, Alec gestured to his clothing.

"Are you implying that I am messy when shooting? Well...okay, guilty as charged, but I was thinking it would be a good mother / daughter outing. I thought I might stay behind and get some reading done, juggle some activities and open my schedule a bit more as we'd discussed."

...and pick Dayle's brain to see if she'd noticed Shay manifesting any skills. He had to admit, he was extremely impatient in that regard, and more than any weapons training or social engineering, he wanted to get Shay developing quickly on her vampiric abilities. Finding out how the hunt had gone and what her tendency was naturally by her first bite would be useful as well. Dropping his smile while Shay and Ginnie were busying themselves to go shooting, Alec fixed his gaze on Dayle, unblinking, to let her know that there might be matters that they would discuss while the other two were getting down with some family bonding.

Hearing Ginnie recommend Alec change his clothes, Shay gave them both a look of interest.

"I think he looks spiffy! Why should he change clothes? Will there be blood letting involved in the training?" Dressed all in white, Shay guessed maybe Ginnie was afraid Alec would ruin the clothes with an aspect of the training. His answer cleared up the question, but she was disappointed to hear he wasn't going to come along. Shay understood the meaning of the parts each of them played in their little family, but had yet to develop feelings relevant to those parts. Sure she cared for Ginnie, and Alec, and Dayle now too, but her ties to them were tenous. Time would undoubtedly change that, but right now she had reservations about getting too close to any one of them in particular.

Her feelings were sidetracked as she again began thinking about what lay ahead. It occurred to her that this might be what Christmas would feel like, and again Shay became very excited. The idea of having guns and knives was serious business, but she couldn't help but feel slightly clandestine at the thought that soon she would have weapons at her disposal. Protection was the reason Ginnie and Alec were so adamant, but still in the back of her mind Shay harbored a desire to see whoever 'did her in', pay. And a little bit of her assumed somewhere there were dreams of playing cops and robbers, that went along with carrying weapons, and this only increased her excitement.

"You going to come too?" She inquired to Dayle, not hiding the hope in her voice. And as she waited for an answer, Shay couldn't help but bounce on the balls of her feet a little. The newness of everything not only kept her on her toes, literally, but kept her filled with wonder, and exuberance. All of which was totally lost on her, being she reacted without guile, and from her gut. That no one else in the room seemed hopped up on crack seemed completely natural. She was new at this, therefore she acted as she did. Everyone else was experienced, and somewhat staid, and seemed natural to Shay in their actions as well.

"Maybe there is something Ginnie doesn't know about, that you can show me too." Shay grinned at Dayle, flirting unabashedly, but unaware that she might be crossing a line of propriety.

Before she gave Dayle time to answer, Shay grabbed her friend's hand and tugged playfully. "Come on...you know you want to."

(( Since there's six posts between my last one and this one, most of these responses are for prior posts and do not need and probably shouldn't be responded to. ))

Dayle simply nodded at Ginnie's comment about not allowing Shay to go out unarmed. While she herself had never thought of it, as it was never broached to her in such a way when she arrived in America, she still felt guilty and responsible for not doing so.

She did notice, though, Ginnie's gaze and subsequent comment about being high on Shay's 'list' and she tried to hide the fact that she was slightly embarassed. Hoping her ability to disguise her emotions would prevent a flush from coming to her face, she nodded at Ginnie's request to make sure Shay was prepared for the outside world before taking her out again.

The invitation to Christmas dinner was a bit of a surprise, and Dayle returned Ginnie's smile with one of her own.

Shay's enthusiasm about learning how to fight was a bit off-putting to Dayle. Even in her role as a protector she had never needed to do so... But the training Alec had provided her allowed her some leeway in that lacking. Basic throws, punches, some pressure points, and a lot of marksmanship training had become the bulk of her 'merc tutelage.'

(( Can reply after this though. ))

After Ginnie and Alec disappeared into the bedroom to dress, and wondering about the strong gaze the 'father' had given her, she grinned at Shay's continued exuberance. So when her arm was tugged forcefully and playfully, she shook her head with a moue of sadness. "While my immediate desires may or may not," she said vaguely, nodding with a soft smile, "include that specific eventuality, I need to get some work done, dear. You should spend this time with Ginnie, there's no one else in the Clan nearly as qualified to show you what she will, as she is. Besides, no sense getting on her back with my presence especially when I'm fresh to the 'family,' so to speak."

Shay didn't understand much of the logic being used around her, but then too, she didn't spend a great deal of time trying to. She guessed everyone had their own reasons, and for now she would continue to just go along. Until something like having Dayle share Christmas with her came up, and then she would pursue her own agenda.

Though it did bug her that Dayle wouldn't be able to spend the day with her, she clearly understood the woman had other responsibilities. She could also deal with the fact that between her three teachers, each would have their own specialties, and that there wouldn't be much point in being trained in things, if she wasn't going to receive the best training available. Yet she still couldn't hold back the sigh that precluded her next statement.

"I suppose you must...but..." Shay let her concern drop there. Even though she wanted to spend more time with Dayle, and wanted to know the next time she'd see her friend, Shay didn't want to become a burden. She would let Dayle make the next move, and hopefully when she had time, she'd make arrangements to see Shay. Shay didn't like just sitting idly by waiting, but she also knew Dayle had been assigned to watch over her, and that if that was all the woman wanted as far as involvement with Shay, then Shay would accept that.

Deciding she didn't want to analyze anything more for the time being, Shay allowed herself to be caught back up in the wonder of the pretty things around her.