What Price Pleasure
Will the Father of my Child Please Stand Up.

BY: Cassy

Disclaimer: What? You still don't know what's going on? *throws hands up in air in disgust*

Tamara returned to the computer room, aching to comfort her friend, even as she longed or comfort herself...she prayed that events hadn't gotten so out of hand as to be unsalvageable.

Asher reached towards his servant as she returned to the room, but hesitated at the sorrowful _expression she wore. "Tamara?" he said questioningly.

"I'll be all right," she replied, not meeting his eyes, knowing he'd read the lie to that statement there. "Gigs just needs some time and space to adjust. Shit, Asher...I can't blame her for getting upset. The triplets are barely a month old, the Council delegation is due any day, apparently bent on destroying us...if Luce is to be believed...and now this...."

Jean-Claude was puzzled by this bit of news. "The Council seeks your destruction?" he questioned. "But I thought our Dark Queen was more concerned with Mademoiselle Gigs and the procurement of the blood of the white tiger. Why would they seek to destroy you? That would defeat her purpose, would it not?"

Asher explained, "Monsieur Luce informed us that their arrival had been delayed by Padma's, Belle's and Draco's efforts to persuade Mort d'Amour to join his vote with theirs to destroy us. Apparently the Dragon has gone mad in his obsession that Kimberly is host to the Absorber. He's convinced that she would survive my destruction, be freed of my influence, and rejoin him as his bride."

Jean-Claude moved to stand next to Tamara, placing his hands on her shoulders in a protective gesture. "Mon Dieu!" he exclaimed. "He IS mad!"

Asher noticed Jean's uncharacteristic behavior. He concentrated through the marks, but amazingly still found himself unable to "touch" the child his servant now carried. It troubled him that he was only able to sense the "glow" of a new life and the fact that it was sired by a vampire, but nothing more.

Tamara was befuddled by Jean-Claude's behavior as well. She was used to him being flirty and seductive...not tender and protective. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her to his side, and toyed with a lock of her hair with his other hand. He gazed at her with a small smile of wonder on his lips, even as he spoke to his old friend. "I will think on how best to lend my support, Chardonerret. A direct presence could easily be taken as either a sign of the solidarity of our alliance, or a sign of weakness on your part, depending on the Council's mood. But I refuse to lose you or your children to their petty jealousies and madness...and that includes the daughter that ma fleur now bears."

Asher grasped Jean-Claude's wrist with a fierce intensity. His eyes frosted over an icy blue-white, and his English fled him in his agitation. "How do you know she carries a girl-child, Jean?" he demanded in French.

Jean blinked, answering in the same language, "I just do. Can you not sense her presence?"

"No! I can barely 'touch' the child," Asher fairly growled in frustration. (Tamara realized the marks must've been allowing her to follow their French.) "I had to concentrate to even detect it. When Kimberly conceived, I knew immediately...I thought perhaps it was because of our bond, but now I think it was more because I was the sire...Jean, you are not bound to Tamara, yet you feel her child so easily...."

Jean-Claude actually looked stunned. "Then...it would appear that I AM the father...ma petite will not take THIS well...," he stated.

Asher gave his friend a look of pity. "I should warn you, she already knows of the possibility," he told the master of St. Louis. "Ma rose was speaking with Lyza, who informed her that Damien had encountered Anita seeking you at the Circus, angry that you were blocking her. Ma rose had la chaton de sang tell Damien to pass the word on. She thought it would be better to warn Anita now than to be thought to have hidden things later."

Jean winced visibly. "Merde!" he said with feeling.