Title: Catalyst: Part Thirty-Eight Authors: Brenda & Jo Disclaimer: Never happened. Viggo's house still looked as majestic as ever, overlooking the wild untamed sea like a benevolent sentry, its lines as clean and beautiful as the day it had been completed. Dave wondered if tonight would be the last time he would be allowed this view, if this would be the last time he'd make the winding trek up to Viggo's. The mere thought that he could potentially lose one of his most valued friendships sent a harsh jolt of grief through him. He was interrupted from his musings when strong fingers reached over to grip Dave's hand as the car turned up the winding drive. "Relax," Lawrence said, voice a low rumble that normally would have calmed Dave's nerves, but now, it only served as a reminder of all he could stand to lose. It wasn't only his life at stake now, but also Lawrence's. The weight of his new responsibilities weighed heavy in his mind. "Easy for you to say," Dave retorted, free hand tugging at his tie. Then he froze as the driveway came into view. "Oh, fuck..." Lawrence let out a low whistle as he slowed the car to a stop. "Nice rides. Not what I expected from Lord Mortensen." "They're not his," Dave cut in, words strangled as he tried to breathe. Fuck, but he hadn't expected to have to face all of them. Not tonight. "They're, um..." "Sinclair and Urban?" "And Bean." "Quite a welcoming committee. Although it's better than the entire Council, I reckon." "Not by much." Fuck. Was it too late to head back to LAX and disappear? Not that Dave honestly could – not as long as he and Viggo had their connection – but the thought had definite appeal. //Calm down. No matter what, I'll be with you.// Dave leaned into Lawrence's warmth for just a moment, let the certainty and love seep through him. He could face this. He would face this. He owed Orlando nothing less. Lawrence grabbed hold of his hand as they stepped out of the car and walked up the drive to the house. Dave clung to it gladly. He half thought about waltzing in like he normally did, but decided against it and rang the bell instead. The thought that he might never again have the right to treat Viggo's home like his own was a sobering one. When Sean opened the door, Dave blinked at the sight of the other vampire in jeans and a t-shirt. Dave had expected a suit. And though the choice of clothing threw him, the somber expression on Sean's face was exactly as Dave had imagined. "Hello, Sean." "Dave," Sean nodded, eyes flicking to take in Lawrence. His lack of reaction was a sure sign that Harry and Karl had already filled him in on all the details. "Come in. Everyone's in Viggo's office." Dave steeled himself for the worst when he walked into the sparsely furnished room and saw Viggo's unsmiling countenance. "Viggo," he said, nodding his head respectfully in greeting. He noticed Karl and Harry were by one of the windows, both of them just as casually dressed as Sean. Merely observers, then. Viggo, on the other hand, was as impeccably dressed as always. "Dave, Lawrence, so glad you could make it." Viggo gestured to the bar. "Would either of you care for a drink?" "I would," Lawrence replied, before Dave could politely refuse. There was no way he'd be able to get anything down his throat. "I seem to remember your fondness for tequila," Harry said, going to the bar set up along one wall. "Good memory," Lawrence replied. He sounded far too relaxed for their current circumstances. Dave didn't know whether to admire him or hate him for it. A glass was pressed into his hand, and Dave looked up, startled. "I don't –" "Drink it," Harry quietly said. He was close enough for Dave to see lines of worry bracketing his eyes. It was such an odd sight that Dave just stared until Harry nudged his hand. Then Dave took a large gulp and choked as fire burned down his throat and exploded in his stomach. "Jesus!" "One day, he's going to be ready for you when you do that," Karl observed. "I hope not any time soon," Sean grinned, looking for all the world like this was just another get together and not a gathering to decide Dave's future. "You're a sadist," Viggo said, pouring himself a glass of something richly amber. Sean cupped a hand to his ear. "Hello, pot, what was that you were saying?" "I've forgotten already. Must be old age," Viggo said, mildly, and gave look a Sean that dared him to argue. Sean just snorted. "You don't forget anything," Karl said. "Rather like an elephant," Harry added, and Dave found himself choking for an entirely different reason. That could not be an innocent expression on Harry's face. "Remind me to send you to opposite ends of the planet the next time you both want to be in on a meeting." "You'd miss us too much," Karl pointed out, settling into an overstuffed chair as Harry sat on the arm. "Besides, that's hardly the threat it was a few centuries ago, Gramps." Harry's grin was wicked and unrepentant, and Dave realized just how much he'd missed all this. And just how much he was going to miss it. He must have made some noise, because Viggo turned those pale eyes on him. //Would you prefer we did this without them present?// The gesture surprised Dave, as did his reaction to it. His throat clogged as too many emotions to name threatened to overwhelm him, and he shook his head. //They deserve to be here.// //So be it.// Dave turned his attention back to his drink, sipping it slowly this time. He wasn't in any hurry. "Just so you know," Sean drawled, "Marcus was for...how'd he put it, Harry? Ah, right, exterminating you. We talked him out of it." Karl stretched out a leg to kick Sean's foot. "You mean Harry convinced him to change his mind." "Isn't that what I said?" Sean sprawled lower in his chair, aiming a kick back at Karl. //Are they always like this in a serious situation?// The question brought Dave's head around to Lawrence. //No, this is something new, even for them.// //Reckon they've finally gone nuts, then?// //Actually, it's their new, bloodless way of relieving stress.// Dave's eyes shot to Viggo, and he could tell Lawrence had done the same. New, bloodless way? The hell? //The vote was close. It was Marcus' final vote that allowed for the lesser punishment.// "Don't worry, we wouldn't have let Viggo go through with it, even if Marcus hadn't been properly cowed into submission," Harry said, giving Dave a small, reassuring smile. Dave returned it automatically, brain stuck on lesser punishment. "You're not going to unmake me, are you?" he blurted out, certain that was to be his punishment. He wondered if Lawrence would be allowed to claim him as a pet. "I toyed briefly with the idea," Viggo replied soberly, stance giving nothing away. "But I decided against it." Dave's knees buckled in relief, and he was steadied by Lawrence's hand on the small of his back. "I appreciate it." "Thank Harry." Dave turned to Harry, who looked back at him. "Thank you," Dave said simply. He knew he owed Harry another debt he could never repay. "It's the least I could do," Harry replied, eyes softening with a love Dave knew he didn't deserve. He stood there, looking at all three men, and he drew strength from what he saw. "So, um. I...um..." He had no idea what to say or even how to say it. "You said that," Karl said, and Sean quickly looked at the ceiling as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. "You're not helping," Dave grumbled. "Ignore the peanut gallery," Viggo told him. "They're just witnesses." "Vocal ones." Still, though, Viggo had a point. This was between him and Viggo. "I just wanted to reiterate how sorry I am and that I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit without complaint." Viggo acknowledged the apology with a regal nod. "I always knew you were smart. Effective immediately, you're permanently banned from all Council related activities. You are banned from creating a fledgling under penalty of death. You're also banished to England and will be confined to that island until such a time as I see fit to recall you. And you'll spend the next decade in Silence, two years for every one that you left your fledgling without benefit of your council." Each pronouncement brought a nod from Dave. It was no more than he'd expected. Then the last sentence crashed down on him, and Dave could feel the blood drain from his face. Silence. He was to spend the next ten years locked inside his head, his ability to mentally converse with other vampires and with mortals blocked. Which meant that the bond between he and Lawrence would be... Before Dave realized it, Lawrence was easing him down into a chair, and every eye in the room was focused on him. "Some of the Council wanted a century," Karl said, voice low and gentle as he glanced at Harry before focusing on Dave. Harry nodded. "The fact that you left Orlando untaught, but not unprotected, is what convinced them to go with the shorter sentence." Dave nodded weakly, but all of his attention was still focused on Viggo, and the way Viggo was looking at him. "That's not all, is it?" he asked, in a soft voice. Viggo shook his head once. "No, it's not." His reply was equally soft, but Dave could hear the steel in it. "Because you're mine, and knew all of the attendant responsibilities that come along with it, I've added one more thing. Lawrence, and only Lawrence, will be able to speak with you mentally. But it will be one-sided." Oh, Jesus... He would be able to hear Lawrence, but Lawrence wouldn't be able to hear him. As far as twists went, it was ingenious. Harry shot Karl a look, then Viggo. "Gramps, that's..." "Cruel, I know." Viggo's gaze didn't flicker. "But fitting." "Well, that's not...so bad," Lawrence said, with a grimace. Dave gave him a look. "It could be worse." Dave shuddered, eyes closed as he tried to imagine the next ten years. Tried to imagine living in almost complete silence, his bond with Lawrence severely compromised and limited. Tried and failed. He dropped his head into his hands as Lawrence rubbed his back. //Relax, love. Ten years is just a blink of an eye in our lives, you know that.// "You will be allowed to say your farewells to everyone first," Viggo said, and Dave observed the way Viggo's eyes flicked towards Harry and Karl. "Orlando has asked that your punishment and exile be postponed until he's out of danger. He wants you here for his unmaking." "I..." Dave stopped. What could he say? What was there to say? "Has he decided on a date yet?" Lawrence asked, giving voice to Dave's next thought. "Has he selected his mortal donors?" "Yes and yes," Harry answered. "Josh, Dom, and Elijah have agreed to be donors." "And he wants to do it in two weeks," Karl continued, then his voice dropped. "He wanted to give you a little time." Time to say goodbye. Dave closed his eyes against the sting of tears. "Is it...would it be alright if I...?" Thankfully, Viggo seemed to know what he was going to ask. "You may take him away for a few days, if he's agreeable." Dave let out a long breath. "Thank you." Another kindness he didn't deserve. Karl nodded, a sly grin curling his mouth for a split second. "He's become rather fond of vacations." Dave must have looked as confused as he felt, because Harry snorted and shook his head. "That's Karl's influence." Dave had a feeling there was a lot he was missing. "Clearly, the child and I have a lot to catch up on," he remarked. "Clearly." "So, is he, um...?" Dave said, then trailed off as he struggled to find the right words. "He's fine," Harry said. "He's out with Jake right now, but he'll be home later if you'd like to talk to him." Dave nodded, fighting the sting of tears once more. "I would." Harry nodded briefly, then turned to Lawrence. "Lawrence, there's an excellent tequila bar in Hollywood if you're up for a few rounds." "Always," Lawrence replied, and squeezed Dave's shoulder gently, easing some of the tension. "Excellent, we'll get a chance to get to know each other," Sean grinned, saluting Lawrence with his glass. "I should be afraid to let you loose, shouldn't I?" Viggo asked. "Probably," Karl replied. "I'm the one who should be afraid," Dave muttered, shaking his head after eyeing the small group. "Sean knows where all my skeletons are hidden." "You know," Sean said, "I'd forgotten all about that." He attempted to look innocent and failed miserably. "Bullshit," Dave said. He resigned himself to the fact that Sean could – and would – tell Lawrence every sordid (and highly embarrassing) detail about Dave's past. He leaned into the hand still resting on his shoulder and gave Lawrence a quick smile. "Just remember anything he says is a lie." Lawrence's smile was a little like watching the sun rise. "I think I'm going to like Sean." "Always happy to help," Sean replied, then looked around the room. "Ready to head out?" "Sounds good," Lawrence said, and tilted Dave's face up for a soft kiss. "I'd ask you to behave tonight, but I'd only be lying." "You know me well," Dave said. //Love you.// He tried to imagine ten years without this connection, and couldn't. //Always. Tell Orlando I look forward to seeing him.// Dave laughed at that. "He'll be impatient to see you. Especially with that box waiting for him." "Box?" Harry asked, with a wary look. Lawrence just grinned. "New system we've just finished," he said as he stood and stretched. "Along with a few new games that we haven't released yet." "It's a big box," Dave added, helpfully, and grinned at Harry's and Karl's pained expressions. "Lawrence thought he'd appreciate it while he was recovering." "Sounds like just what he'll need," Viggo said, looking at Harry and Karl with something like glee on his face. "Far be it from me to keep Orlando from anything that'll make the time go by easier." "Exactly the right response," Lawrence said, and with another kiss for Dave, followed Karl and Harry and Sean out of the house. Leaving Dave alone with Viggo. The silence that followed was the worst sort of awkward. "So," Dave said, too brightly, and clapped his hands to his knees as he stood. "I should, um..." "I wasn't lying earlier," Viggo interrupted. "I did consider unmaking you." Dave nodded. He couldn't say he was entirely surprised. "What made you change your mind?" "Several things." Viggo looked down at the glass in his hand and was quiet for so long that Dave wondered if he should speak. Then Viggo looked up once more, and the emotion in his eyes rocked Dave to the core. "You have more defenders than you know, child." "I, um...I do?" "I'm sure it's no surprise that Harry and Karl were very outspoken against your unmaking," Viggo said, and Dave nodded. "Lawrence also had something to say about it as well. As did Gerard." "Gerard?" Dave stared at Viggo in shock, unable to believe he had heard correctly. "He pointed out that you were little more than a fledgling yourself. He actually raised his voice in Council." Dave continued to stare. "Wish I'd been there to see it," he finally managed in a faint voice. Viggo just smiled. "Orlando also had his say. He begged for leniency on your part and pointed out that you might have never abandoned him if I hadn't sent you to London for an indeterminate amount of time." "He blamed you?" "Not in so many words," Viggo smiled. "But his meaning was clear enough." "I never...it wasn't your fault." Dave stared at his empty glass. It held no answers, not that he was expecting anything different. "I knew I was leaving L.A. for a long period of time. I knew I should have turned Orlando's training over to Harry or Karl. But I didn't." "And that was, as Gerard so aptly pointed out, a youthful mistake," Viggo replied. "Your circumstances weren't what anyone would call normal, and your second thoughts as to your bond with Harry and Karl were factored into my punishment." Viggo favored Dave with a brief smile. "I never expressed my sympathies to you that things worked out the way they did." "It wasn't meant to be." But Dave knew he'd always carry the dull edge of grief with him, and wonder what might have been. "But you...it means a lot to hear you say that. I was so sure you were going to kill me if Harry and Karl didn't beat you to it." "I only ever wanted you to be happy," Viggo said, softly. "At the end of the day, you're still mine. That's ultimately what kept me from unmaking you. It would have been the worst sort of cruelty after you and Lawrence have just found each other." "Thank you," Dave replied, just as softly, voice thick with emotion. "I just...I'm sorry, Viggo. If there's ever anything –" "I know." Once again, Viggo's smile was brief, but Dave was happy to see it was a little lighter. "And now I believe a certain fledgling is wondering where you are and why you're not with him." Dave managed a watery chuckle. "He can be rather insistent." "Part of his charm, so I'm told." "You're the one willing to take him on." Dave set his glass on the table and stood. "But I should get going before he decides to come here." Viggo's shudder was pointedly exaggerated. "Perish the thought." Dave held out his hand, and waited for Viggo to take it before stepping forward to pull Viggo into a tight, heartfelt embrace. Viggo froze for just a moment before relaxing, and it gave Dave the courage to continue. He pulled back just enough to watch Viggo's face. "It's been an honor to serve under you, Sir." "The honor was mine." Cool lips brushed Dave's forehead before Viggo stepped back and smoothed the front of his jacket. "Take care of him while you have him." "I will," Dave promised. He watched as Viggo stepped through the glass doors and onto the deck. As he let himself out of the house, his last sight was of Viggo standing at the deck railing, wind tugging at his hair as he watched the waves roll in. Onto Part Thirty-Nine main Catalyst page If you enjoyed this fic, please leave feedback here. Thanks!