Title: Catalyst: Part Nine Authors: Brenda & Jo Disclaimer: Never happened. The plane started its descent into Heathrow, and Josh twisted and turned in his seat, doing his best to see everything through the small window. Beside him, Karl laughed softly, charmed at his enthusiasm. "Never been to London?" "Never been out of the States," Josh said, still craning his neck for a better look. "Well, unless you count Tijuana, but everyone in SoCal does that." "TJ totally doesn't count as being out of the States," Orlando grumbled, stretching in his seat. Karl grinned. "He's somewhat of a grouch when he first wakes up." "I hear that," Josh said. He finally seemed to give up trying to see anything through the clouds and leaned back. "So, um, why am I here again?" Leaning closer, Karl closed his eyes, breathed in Josh's scent. He could already sense the changes his blood was working in Josh, and it thrilled him to think of the other changes that would come once they'd completed the pet bonding ceremony. "Because I asked." "Karl," Orlando said, through a yawn, dropping into a seat across from Josh, "usually gets what he wants." Josh looked up at Harry, who'd moved to sit beside Orlando. "I bet you tell him no." "More frequently than I'd like," Karl replied. //Relax, puppy, we'll get this sorted.// //He abandoned his duties, old man. Forget us for a minute, he abandoned Orlando. A fledgling under his care. I sincerely hope whoever it is he's fucking is worth this.// Reaching through their bond, Karl sought to soothe the ragged edges of Harry's anger. //He'll get his chance to defend his actions. And we'll go from there.// Orlando pulled his feet up and rested his chin on his knees. As Karl looked over, one hand lifted and the side of his thumb found its way between his teeth. He didn't even blink when Harry reached over and gently removed it. "What happens if he won't see us?" "He will." "But what if he doesn't?" "He will," Harry gently reiterated. "No matter what he's done, we still have a bond with him." "Seems like it was easy enough for him to ignore it," Josh pointed out. "We allowed it," Harry replied. "And that's for Karl and me to atone for." The plane taxied down the runway to their gate, and then slowed to a stop. //Are we really all just going to gang up on him?// Karl asked Harry, when they were gathering their carry-on luggage. //No.// Harry's gaze was steady, serious. //You and I are.// //Orlando won't like being left behind.// //He'll get his chance to talk to Dave. But we both know Dave'll use Orlando to distract us if he's there.// Karl couldn't exactly argue with that, as much as he might want to. Once they were on the tarmac, Orlando turned the collar of his coat up and hunched his shoulders. Karl watched with amusement while Orlando minced around until Harry and Josh were blocking the wind from him. "So, where to first?" "You and Josh are going to the hotel," Karl said. The driver came around and opened the door before collecting their bags. Karl met Orlando's shocked gaze without flinching. "You're not going without me." When Karl said nothing, Orlando turned to Harry, eyes wide. "Harry...please." "I'm sorry." Karl felt Harry's regret as keenly as if it was his own as Harry caressed Orlando's cheek. "You'll get to talk to him, I promise, but you have to let me talk to him first. He's still my responsibility." "Don't do this." He caught Harry's hand, curled his fingers around it. "He's my Sire." "Orli," Karl said, stepping in to rest his hands on Orlando's shoulders. The look in those dark eyes tore at him, but this was something that he and Harry had to do. "You have my vow that you'll get your chance. But right now, I need you to take care of Josh for me. He's never been to London before, and I –" Orlando stepped back and frowned. "Damn it, I'm not a baby sitter, and I'm not a child and neither is Josh." His eyes darted to Harry. "This is wrong. I should be there." "This isn't the time to be selfish." "Selfish?" Orlando's voice rose dangerously as he poked Harry in the chest. "Fuck you, he's my Sire, I have every right –" "It's not a matter of rights," Karl interrupted, deliberately placing himself between Harry and Orlando. The last thing he wanted was for this to get ugly. "But if we all show up and ambush him, it won't help matters. What's between you and Dave is for the two of you alone to work out, just as what Harry and I need to discuss with him is private." Orlando moved back out of reach and just looked at them. Every bit of hurt and anger was clear on his face before going carefully blank. He drew himself up, tugged on his jacket to smooth it over his chest, and lifted his chin. "If that's how it's going to be," he said, "then I guess it's no use arguing about it. I'll expect a full report when you're finished. C'mon, Josh." With that, Orlando turned and got into the car. Josh just stood there on the tarmac, blinking. Karl could feel his shock and confusion through the bond, and he couldn't blame him. "It'll be alright," Karl said. "He'll calm down eventually." "Great," Josh replied, dryly. "And in the meantime, you're leaving me to deal with a pissed off baby vampire." "Oh, I'm sure he'll waste no time in cursing our names and getting everything off his chest," Harry said. "Keep an eye on him, alright?" "Yeah, alright." Then Josh stepped forward and brushed a kiss across Karl's lips. "Good luck." "Thank you." Karl trailed his fingers along Josh's jaw in a brief caress. Then he stepped back enough so Josh could slide into the car with Orlando. He stood there and watched the car drive away. Only then did he turn to face Harry. "Alright, this is your show. Where to now?" "Well, he has a flat. Provided he's ever spent a night in it when we haven't been visiting," Harry added, with a sigh. "I say we go to Dave's and let him know we're in town." "No warning that this isn't a pleasure visit?" "No. I don't want to give him time to formulate another lie." Karl stepped close, cupped Harry's cheek. "You can't take full responsibility for this." Harry met his gaze, his own eyes haunted. "Can't I?" "No, you can't. This is as much my fault as yours. And ultimately, we both know Dave is the one accountable. He had obligations, bonds, and a responsibility to Orlando, and he chose to throw those all aside and lie to us for whatever reason." He tightened his grip on Harry's chin and leaned in until their noses were practically touching. "You are not bearing this burden alone, Harry Robert Sinclair, so accept that now." "I suppose I'll have to." "Yes, you will." He could only hope, for Dave's sake, that his presence would be enough to keep Harry from doing something they'd all regret. *** They let themselves into Dave's modest flat, and once again, Karl was struck by how simply Dave chose to live in London. It was a far cry from any of their shared homes. He walked through the rooms as Harry let Dave know they were in the city, dark eyes taking in everything. "He hasn't been here in a long time," Harry said, from behind Karl, and Karl turned. The look on Harry's face, betrayal mixed with guilt, tugged at him. "No, he hasn't." The flat had an empty feel to it, and the usual signs of Dave's presence were missing. There were no articles of clothing left scattered around, no papers or books in sight, not so much as an empty coffee mug in the kitchen sink. "I guess we wait now." "I'd thought he'd taken a lover, but this..." Harry shook his head. "This is more than a casual fling because he's here and we're not." "But why lie about it? He has to know we'd never begrudge him companionship or affection. You and Monica have had an arrangement for centuries, and I've never doubted what we share." Harry sank onto the austere sofa. He looked so out of place in these surroundings that Karl's heart ached for him all over again. "And if it's not simple companionship that Dave's found?" he asked, amber eyes solemn as they met Karl's. "That's impossible." Surely, there had to be a bar here, Karl thought. He definitely needed a drink. "He has bonds. They can't be willed away on his say so." "We both know a true bond could never be supplanted." Harry murmured his thanks when Karl pressed a glass of scotch into his hands and sat beside him. "But what if what we have with him isn't a true bond? There has to be a reason why we let him leave, why we've seen him sporadically at best over the last five years. Think about it. Even in the old days, if I went a few days without hearing from you in my head, I started to go a little mad. I don't think we ever physically spent more than a year or two apart at the most." "Our bond is different. I accepted a long time ago that I couldn't survive without you." It wasn't easy finding the right words. Karl felt as if he was navigating a minefield, especially with Harry's temper on such fragile ground. "What worries me is how easily he's let the bond he has with Orlando slip. That one at least should have compelled him to stay close." "I think you already know why it happened." "I know, love." Karl reached deep into their bond, put all of his love and trust in Harry into it. "With any luck, we'll be able to correct a lot of wrongs in short order." Harry nodded, then exhaled. He still looked far too angry, but Karl could sense him relaxing. He placed his hand over Karl's, and took another breath. "I love you." "For eternity," Karl assured him. They were still on the sofa when the key turned in the lock and Dave stepped through the door. The second Dave saw them, Karl felt every muscle in Harry's body tense. //Easy, Harry.// "This is an unexpected surprise," Dave said. He shrugged out of his coat and draped over the nearest chair. "If I'd known you both were coming in, I would've arranged my meetings better so I could have met your plane." "You weren't in meetings." Harry's words were a low snarl. Karl could see Dave's spine stiffen as he turned, offered the both of them a brittle smile. "No, I guess I wasn't." "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" At that, Harry stood, looming over Dave, fury radiating from every pore. "What do you want me to say?" "When's the last time you spoke with Orlando?" Karl couldn't remember the last time he'd heard Harry's voice sound that flat. "A couple of months ago." Dave shook his head, looking confused. "I...don't... Is that what this visit is about? Orlando?" Dave turned his attention from Harry to Karl, perhaps sensing Karl wasn't nearly as emotional. "Is he alright?" "He's fine," Karl answered, before Harry could. "Just a little confused. Harry and I had to explain to him who The Elder was, and we were wondering why you hadn't." "Fuck." Karl could sense Dave struggling for his own control as the full import of what Karl said hit him. "I never meant..." "To desert him? Because that's what it looks like." Dave shook his head at Harry's biting words, opened his eyes. It was like looking into a raw wound. "I never meant for any of this to happen. Not Orlando, not you, not Lawrence..." "Who's Lawrence?" Both Karl and Harry asked the question as one. Dave pinched his thumb and forefinger over the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what you want me to say." "How about the truth?" Harry asked quietly, anger tamped down for the moment. Instead, he sounded weary, defeated. "Are we such monsters that you would feel the need to lie to us, to betray everything we've ever meant to each other? Did we mistreat you so badly that you can't look us in the eye and tell us what is truly going on?" "God... No. No, of course not." Dave sank into a chair and leaned his head against the back of it. With a faint smile, he opened his eyes and looked at Harry. "You're not monsters. And you didn't mistreat me. You...simply weren't what I needed." Blue eyes looked at Harry, then at Karl, silently pleading. "I never meant to abandon him. He...I knew he'd be safe with you and you could teach him things I couldn't." "Neither of us are his Sire," Harry replied. "If you felt overwhelmed or that you couldn't perform your duties to him, you know the protocols. You knew you had to formally petition us so we could assume his training. But you said nothing." "I know." Dave reached for Harry's hand. "But telling you I couldn't perform my duties also meant telling you that..." "...you wanted out," Harry finished, dropping to his knees before Dave. "Cariad, I..." "Please, don't. I don't deserve that endearment from your lips." "I'm sorry," Harry said. Karl moved behind him to put a steadying hand on Harry's shoulder. "I should have never claimed you. I did a disservice to your feelings for me." "Maybe you did." Dave closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Karl could feel calmness settle over him like a cloak. "But I did just as big a disservice to you by not being honest. With you or with myself." "Factors brought about by my –" "No, stop right there. Five years away from your side has allowed me to realize a few things. I let myself be dragged into a situation I wasn't truly prepared for, no matter what I told myself." "And now?" Harry turned Dave's hand over, studied the faint map of veins under pale skin. "Does the vampire whose scent you now carry give you that completion?" Dave nodded, and in that moment, Karl knew everything in their lives was getting ready to change yet again. "Yes. I have never known anything like what I have with Lawrence." //Told you he found someone else.// There wasn't any smugness about Harry's statement, just tired acceptance. //So you did.// Karl slid to his knees beside Harry, dropped his hand to run soothing circles along Harry's back. He had a feeling they could both use the comfort. "My only wish has ever been for your happiness. Why didn't you come to me with your feelings for this Lawrence?" "Because I thought it wouldn't last," Dave said, then stopped and shook his head. "No, that's not true. That's what I told myself. That it was a simple fling. But weeks turned into months, and then they turned into years until I couldn't find a way to tell you. I knew..." With a small smile, Dave cupped Harry's cheek in his palm. "Being with Lawrence all this time made me see that I was in love with the idea of you. The reality was, well..." "A disappointment?" "No, not at all," Dave replied, sounding surprised. "The reality of you was everything I wanted. It was...everything else I couldn't quite accept. If I'm being honest, I was never happy sharing you with Karl. And I won't even go into the mess of my feelings concerning Orlando where you two are concerned." "You know you're going to have to. He's here with us, and he deserves his own answers." Dave sighed. Nodded. "I know." With a small sound, he slid off the chair, and into Harry's arms, reaching with one hand for Karl's. "I am so sorry," he murmured, breathing the words across Harry's neck. "I know." Harry's arms automatically curled around him. Karl held tightly onto his hand, tried to convey the love that he knew they both still felt for Dave, no matter what the future held. "I'm sorry, too." "You know Karl and I can't offer to break this," Harry said, looking deep into Dave's eyes. "You may be a vampire, but you're still a pet, and that right is solely yours. If this is what you want..." Dave smiled, eyes suspiciously bright, "I'm not what you want or need. You'll always be Karl's. And Orlando's. I won't stand in the way of that any longer." He paused then, eyes moving over Harry's face as if to memorize it. "I set you both free," he whispered, hand clenched tight on Karl's, "and I ask that you release me from my bonds. And I...I will accept whatever punishment the Council sees fit to impose for my actions towards my abandonment of Orlando." Harry's voice was gruff with emotion when he spoke. "I accept your decision with a heavy heart and ask your sincere forgiveness in having failed in my sacred duty to you," he intoned, following the ritual to the letter. "And I will personally see to it that you do not suffer for my failure." "I also accept your decision," Karl said, and brushed a light kiss to Dave's lips. No matter what, he knew he would miss what had, for so short a time, been his. "And I echo what Harry said. I will defend you to the Council and accept what punishment may come in your place." "No. It's my –" Harry's lips on Dave's cut off his argument. "Let us do this for you. Please." "I accept your offer of defense," Dave said as he pulled back, hand flat on Harry's chest. His eyes found Karl's. "But I cannot allow you to take my punishment. Either of you. Orlando will need you more than ever now, and I can't ask him to share my fate." "And if we could ensure that he wouldn't?" "I don't understand." "We both know he should have been Harry's fledgling," Karl said, quietly, and waited. "Well, yes," Dave admitted, "but what does that have to do with...?" He stopped, then, as the full import of what Karl said hit him. "But Harry's not...you would... Karl, it's never been done before! The unmaking alone could kill him." "And that is why you and Orlando need to have a serious conversation before any final steps are taken," Karl replied. "He's aware of the possibility, so be honest with him," Harry added. "You won't do either of you any favors if you sugarcoat what might happen." "I understand." "He still loves you. And if you both choose to keep that bond, Karl and I would be honored to still have you as his Sire," Harry said. "I'll keep the bond if that's what he wishes," Dave said, still clearly shaken. He looked at Harry. "But his training will be yours. I've done enough damage and neglected him too long, and I would have him learn from the best man that I know." "Then I accept, gladly and humbly." Once again, Harry wrapped his arms around Dave. Karl joined him, holding tight to them both. He allowed the tears to fall, silently. //Love you, Dave.// //And I you. You'll take good care of him?// They both knew he meant Harry. //Always.// It was a promise freely given. God only knew what Harry would be like once the dust settled and the bonds were truly broken. Long moments passed before Dave gently pulled away. He touched Harry's cheek, then Karl's. "I need to talk to Orlando, I know, but I want you both to meet Lawrence before you leave. He's a good man." "If you've fallen in love with him, I have no doubt of that," Karl said. "We would be honored to meet him." Harry nodded his agreement, but still didn't speak. Karl nuzzled a kiss along his jaw, then touched on the bond he shared with Orlando. Instantly, another flood of emotions – hurt, anger, confusion – slammed into him. "Suffice to say, I think you should talk to Orlando first." "Pissed off, is he?" "You have no idea," Karl said, dryly, and was relieved at Harry's weak chuckle. He could tell that he wasn't the only one receiving the brunt of Orlando's whiplash of emotions. "Although I can safely say he's far angrier at us than at you." "Tantrum because you wouldn't bring him along?" When Karl glanced at him, Dave just grinned. "Don't act so shocked. I can't imagine he's changed all that much. And I think he'll always think that if you or Harry are involved, it's his business to stick his nose in it." "Much as I wish I could argue with your assessment..." "You can't," Dave finished brightly, and gave Harry a wink that reminded Karl strongly of the cheeky fledgling who'd given them both a run for their money for over a century. "I can see I'm still going to have to stick around to make sure you two don't get too far above yourselves." "You know you will always be welcome," Karl said, and he didn't need to look at Harry to know he felt the same. "That means a lot to me." Dave squeezed their hands as he stood. "Perhaps you should let your pet know that he's welcome to join us now." "To join you," Karl corrected, as Harry rose and went to the bar. "This is a matter between the two of you, not us." "I suppose it's for the best," Dave said, quietly, after a moment. "I owe it to him." "Yes, you do." Karl smothered a smile when Harry pressed a glass into Dave's hands and he gulped it without thinking, then sputtered. "Jesus." "No, single malt," Harry replied with a grin. "You and Lawrence are going to get along fine," Dave grumbled. "Both of you heathens with no appreciation for a proper wine." "Maybe one night we'll leave them to their bottle and you and I will go out for something a little more civilized," Karl assured him, and got to his feet. "I may take you up on that," Dave said, and leaned close to Karl, dropping his voice to a stage whisper. "Lawrence drinks tequila. Straight." "Horrifying." "And on that note..." Harry leaned in, pressed a hard, heartfelt kiss to Dave's lips. "Good luck." Dave nodded, looking stunned. "Yeah, um. Thanks." Karl could only shake his head. Some things, it seemed, would truly never change, and Dave's physical reaction to Harry looked to be one of them. "We won't be far," he assured Dave, and gave him his own soft kiss for luck before walking with Harry out the door and to the pub down the street. Onto Part Ten main Catalyst page If you enjoyed this fic, please leave feedback here. Thanks!