By Alsace, for an LJSanta deadbeat.
San Francisco, 1985
Bracken Redfern held the rabbit in one hand, the other resting steadily on his niece's shoulder. The girl was five, and gazing up at him with a slight tilt to her head. With the mop of red curls framing her face, she looked every inch her mother's daughter.
"Uncle Bracken?"
"I want to show you something, Jez," he said, trying to make his voice sound calm. This was a stupid idea, he thought to himself, for what had to be the hundredth time. Stupid, and careless. He didn't even know if it would work. And if something went wrong...
Well, it was too late now. The rabbit was squirming in his hand, trying to wriggle free. He could feel its heart pounding in its chest--pumping blood through the tiny, delicate veins. His teeth were tingling in anticipation of that first bite.
And a part of him just had to know.
His niece's eyes widened as he let his canines descend. They lengthened in front of her, curving into sharp points. Bracken knew his eyes were changing too, becoming the silver color that everyone in the family shared. He kept his hand on Jez's shoulder as he brought the rabbit up to his mouth. This was the first time he'd shown her what he was. What she was.
Forgive me, brother, he thought, and bit down.
The blood bubbled up from the wound immediately, spilling onto the white fur. Holding his breath, Bracken pulled away and offered the twitching, dying animal to his niece, awaiting her reaction. The fact that she wasn't screaming was probably a good sign.
But Jez's eyes were very wide, and her mouth was open in a tiny 'o'. Bracken stared at the blue ring around her pupils, waiting for any sign of change. Any sign.
Minutes passed, and the blue stayed blue. A normal blue. A human blue. Slowly, Bracken lowered his arm, not knowing if he should feel disappointed or relieved.
This was a mistake. She was scared--he had scared her. And she knew his secret now. He couldn't take her to the witches--they'd be able to tell what she was in a heartbeat. But he didn't want to erase her mind, either. Which left what? The truth?
And then Jez startled him by snatching the rabbit right out of his hand. The look on her face was one of awe, and hunger. Her little teeth sharpened into fangs as she gripped it, and without hesitation she sank them into the spot he had opened up.
Bracken watched her feed. Jezebel Redfern, he thought. Jezebel Redfern. He felt an inordinate amount of pride.
When she was done, his niece licked her lips at him and smiled. With her silvery eyes, she looked every inch her father's daughter.
"More, please," she said.
San Francisco, 1990
The taste of ice cream dancing on her tongue.
Jez laughed at the expression on Morgead's face, suspicion mixed with curiosity. She took another lick, savoring the flavor. It was her favorite, strawberry and vanilla swirl, the red whirls looking like tiny lines of blood. And it was so sweet. She held the cone out to Morgead for him to try.
"Vermin food?" He made a face at her, looking disgusted. "That's sick, Jez."
Jez rolled her eyes. Morgead was so stupid sometimes. Trying to act tough, even though he was only eleven. And it wasn't like she couldn't tell he was intrigued.
"Fine," she said, making a show of licking the ice cream again. "Guess you can't have any." It wasn't just the sweetness, she decided, that made it so appealing. It was the smooth coldness that swept across her tongue. In a way, it was almost better than blood.
Almost.
Morgead glared at her as they walked back from the ice cream stand. Jez waved the cone in front of his face and smiled her most infuriating smile at him, fully aware that he hated when she did that. A few more minutes, she predicted, and he would demand that she let him try some.
"Gimme that," Morgead said finally, five minutes later, when they reached Jez's street. The ice cream was nearly gone by now, but he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and held out his hand.
Bingo. "Sorry, Morgy. Lost your chance." Jez added extra emphasis to the hated nickname, then laughed and dodged away as he made a swipe at her arm. Dancing out of range, she taunted him by tossing the last of the cone in her mouth.
Morgead scowled, and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. His cheeks were flushed red. Jez could feel the anger coming off him, and the edge of power that always formed in the air when he was mad. "Whatever," he muttered, and started walking in the opposite direction.
Jez stopped chewing and swallowed, the smile dropping from her face. Great. Now Morgead was being a little shit. And Uncle Bracken wasn't home yet, so the house would be empty when she got back.
"Hey," she yelled, running after Morgead. "You idiot! Wait!"
"Get lost," Morgead called back, not turning around. But he slowed down enough to let her catch up.
Jez fell silently into step. She wasn't going to apologize. She was ten now, and a Redfern. And it was all his fault. If he hadn't been such a jerk...
"Let's go back," she said, finally. "I feel like getting more."
Circle Daybreak Sanctuary, 1997
"Hello, Jez."
Jez gripped the door as she stared at her uncle, unable to believe it was really him. She knew Circle Daybreak had sent people to get everyone out of San Francisco safely after the events of the last few months. But she hadn't expected to see him so soon. Or for him to just show up at the door.
"Uncle Bracken," she said. She wavered, uncertainly, before the spell broke and she stumbled outside and into his arms.
"Hey, kid. I missed you," her uncle said, giving her a hug.
"Missed you too." Jez blinked the tears out of her eyes. She wasn't surprised at how happy she felt. After all, Uncle Bracken had been the one who had raised her, who had taken her in, knowing full well what the consequences would be if he were discovered.
She stepped back, to get a good look at him. The lines on his face were deeper now, and he still seemed a little sad, a little wistful, like he'd been since the day she discovered the truth.
But then he smiled at her, fondly, and she felt herself smiling back. It would be okay. Everything would be okay. Their family had grown, to include Uncle Jim and Aunt Nan, and Claire and Ricky. And, of course, Morgead. Her soulmate.
"So..." Her uncle looked around, at the woods that surrounded the sanctuary. "I hear the rabbits are good this time of year."
You don't have to be alone anymore. You don't have to hide. You belong to both worlds now.
"Yeah," Jez said, with a laugh. "And we can get ice cream for dessert."
Fin.
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