What Price Pleasure
In the Nursery

BY: Cassy

Disclaimer: Author's note: For Chessire because I KNOW how much she ENJOYS reading this.

Asher picked himself up from the floor after Gigs stormed from the room. Straightening his clothes, he turned to Tamara. "I am sorry that I hurt you, ma rose," he apologized again. "I honestly did not intend for it to be taken as abuse, or think of it as such at the time. I can see how Kimberly would view it as such, though. Merde, what have I done?" He walked from the room in a miasma of sorrow and regret before she could respond.

"I know you didn't mean it, Asher," Tam whispered to an empty room. Frustration flooded through her. 'Dammit this is tearing the three of us apart!' she thought. 'We can't afford to be weakened like this, not now...not EVER. There HAS to be some way to fix this...some way that doesn't cost me the life of my child. THAT will NEVER be an option...even if it appears to be a quick and easy fix...I KNOW better. Given all the people involved, the murder of an innocent would only make the problem worse...especially for me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did something like that.'

She glanced up to find herself outside the door to the nursery. She didn't even remember leaving the living room. On a whim, she went in...perhaps some snuggle time with Anton would calm her nerves...or she might find Gigs inside, and they could talk.

Gigs wasn't in the nursery, though. Nathaniel was changing Anna Sabine's diaper...and Jean-Claude sat cooing over Katrine Rose. As Tamara stood there, Jean lowered his face to the infant's tiny form. 'Oh God, he's going to FEED on her!' Tam's panicked mind thought for just a second, knowing there was no way she could reach them in time to prevent it. In horror, she watched, paralyzed, as he placed his lips to the baby's stomach. Then his cheeks puffed out, and he blew, making a filbert sound. Katie squealed and laughed in delight, tiny arms and legs flailing.

Tamara's heart started beating again...then she started giggling. Jean looked up, his _expression unguarded for just a moment...then his careful mask slipped back into place. He waited patiently for her laughter to die down. Tamara smiled, blushing a little, as she walked into the nursery proper. "You're going to think I'm horrible, but for just a split second I was sure you were going to feed on her," she told him truthfully. "I apologize...I guess I'm still a bit skittish about you since that nightmare."

Even without voice tricks, Jean-Claude's voice had a lovely tone. "I understand your fear of me, cherie," he replied. "Your first instinct is to protect your child, and given WHAT I am, you cannot help but see me as a possible threat. I am glad that you respond that way. You will be a good mother. So many women seem to lack that urge to protect their children above all things else these days."

Tamara walked over to the only occupied bassinet (Nathaniel was playing with Anna and making himself as unobtrusive as possible) and scooped Anton Phillippe up out of it. The little blond cherub yawned and bubbled at her, then proceeded to tug on a strand of her hair and make his "feed me" cry. Sitting down after fetching a bottle for him, Tam asked, "Do you really think I'll be a good mother, Jean-Claude? I've never done this before."

"Oui," was his only response. She thought it felt strange to be sitting right next to him, comfortable...and not having to deal with his ardeur.

Anton clamped his mouth shut and made a face at the bottle, whining a little. Tam figured out that he wanted to feed on her power, not his mother's milk, at that moment. (The ability to feed off power was something all three babe's possessed, even though Anton and Katrine were both fully human.) She shifted her hold on the boy, cradling him to her shoulder.

"Asher tells me you've decided to refuse his bed," Jean said softly, as Katie gnawed on his knuckle, feeding on HIS power.

"Yes," Tamara answered. "He loves Gigs more than anything...even more than his memories of Julianna, I think. This pregnancy made her realize that she still has a major issue with jealousy where Asher's concerned. I'm trying to give them the opportunity to be together...without outside distraction. They've both suffered so much...they DESERVE a chance at happiness." She absently stroked Anton's curls as he gummed her collarbone, slobbering all over it.

"Is that fair to you ma fleur?" Jean-Claude asked.

"I still have Derik...he refuses to abandon me," she smiled. Anton ceased slobbering and began "nursing." "Hey! What are you trying to do, Punkin?" she exclaimed. "Give me a hickey?" He bopped her chin with a tiny fist, the message clear..."shut up, I'm busy!" She chuckled softly at the greedy little thing.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Tamara spoke again. "They are so beautiful," she whispered in awe of Gigs' and Asher's children.

"Oui," Jean agreed. "Ma petite bijou shall be tres belle, aussi."

Tam looked at him sideways. "Your 'little jewel,' huh?" she commented, then thought about it. "Jewel would be a lovely name, don't you think?"

Jean-Claude smiled softly, a genuine smile instead of his usual facade. "Oui, ma fleur."

A soft sensation in the back of Tam's mind made her look up. She was just in time to see Gigs softly close the nursery door. Tamara smiled at her third as she walked in. The tiger's shields were still up, but for once, she didn't seem to be in an agitated frame of mind.

She returned Tam's smile with a soft one of her own. "Yes, I think Jewel would be a very lovely name," Gigs said. "But Jean-Claude...you realize that Katie will be very jealous if you all of a sudden replace her in your affections."

Jean looked at her in mock offense, one elegant hand pressing fingertips to his lace enshrouded chest dramatically. "Madam! As if I could do such a thing! I assure you that la petite ma'mselle shall not lack for affection from moi." A ghost of his wicked smile flitted across his face. "There is more than enough of me to go around."

Gigs just rolled her eyes and snorted.

'There you go snorting again,' Tam teased mentally, knowing that Gigs could hear her. Out loud, she said, "Ohana."

Jean-Claude blinked at her, "What ma fleur?"

Tamara grinned. "Sorry, went to see Disney's Lilo and Stitch earlier this week with Kimmy," she said by way of explanation. "Ohana means family...and family means nobody gets left behind...or forgotten."

Gigs laughed, wondering in the back of her mind when it was that Tam first noticed that she snorted. "Well then, aloha ohana," she smiled. "For better or worse, I believe we shall be stuck to one another for a long time." She rubbed the babies' heads snuggled against her friends.