Title: The Executioner takes a holiday
Author: Wereleopard
Rating: PG
Summary: Anita is warn out so her and some of her friends and those she protects
goes on holiday with her.
Disclaimer: Anita Blake Vampire Hunter belongs to Laurell K Hamilton. No
infringement is intended, no profit is made I am just poor.
Distribution: FSB if anywhere else please just let me know!
Feedback: Yes please!
Chapter One
Anita was tired she had to get away from this all, a vacation was what she
needed but she didn’t want to go alone, her wereleopards had been a bad
influence on her. She couldn’t even sleep alone anymore the bed seemed
too big for her. No, she would go on vacation and they would come with
her. They would be together, as a family, Damian would have to come, and
they would need to find a place that had a basement of some kind so he would be
safe during the day. And Stephen would have to come, it wouldn’t be fair to
split him and Vivian up for a couple of weeks unless they didn’t want to go
because she needed to get away.
Her mind was made up and that was what she intended to do. Now the
decision was were to go and which of her pard would want to go she wouldn’t
force them but she hoped that they would want to and just be able to spend time
together. Anita also wanted to make sure that it was not near the full moon,
even though her pard had no problem controlling their shift it was not the
point, they were there to relax just like her.
Anita wandered down to a travel agency no idea of what she wanted to do, or
where she wanted to go. Passing the lines and lines of brochures picking
the odd one up and glancing through it, and with a big sigh she would put them
back on the rack. This was a lot harder than she thought. She had
never really thought about where she wanted to go her life had been to busy with
monsters, raising the dead and police work and with working nights not having a
television, computer, radio, hell she didn’t even read newspapers Anita
didn’t even know where to start. Anita was feeling lost and then a
television started turning around she looked up and stared at it. Spain,
private villas, swimming pool, in the mountains. A smile appeared on her
face, that sounded perfect, just perfect. She walked over to the counter
and smiled at the all too bubbly blonde behind it.
“Hi.” Anita said with a smile. “Can I have a brochure for that
please?” she asked and pointed to the screen which was still promoting the
same company. The woman nodded and handed a book with all the information
that told her about the villa, the area and would you could do for fun.
Now all she needed was to find out who was going on this trip with her.
She felt happy, and was looking forward to this trip even if she had to go by
herself, which of course was doubtful. Jean-Claude, Asher and Richard
would not be happy but she had to get away from them just for a little bit, she
loved them all she truly did but with the 3 of them she had no time for herself,
if it wasn’t one of them having a disaster it was another and with all the
vampire and pack politics she was emotionally exhausted.
At the moment the only times she had felt truly relaxed and happy was when she
was curled up with Micah and Nathaniel reading, or sleeping with Micah’s arms
wrapped around her and burying her face into Nathaniel’s hair and the smell of
vanilla surrounding her or when all of the pard were sleeping in the same bed.
She felt at home and loved when they were around. Anita could no longer
imagine her life not as a Nimir-ra, she would do anything and she meant anything
to protect them so a holiday with all of them together was exactly what she
needed or even with just one of them she would be happy.
Anita knew that she had to talk to Jean-Claude to make sure that they local
vampire were master was ok for Anita and her party to go and visit without their
being any problem and she was also have to see if Richard and see if he could
arrange it with the Ulfic of the local pack. For most people it was easy
for them to go on holiday but not for the executioner.
With the brochure in hand she walked into her house. She looked around and
saw that Nathaniel was in the kitchen making pastry for some kind of baking.
His long auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail and it bounced as he moved in
music that played on a small cd player. Anita stood there and watched him,
a smile on her face. He was dressed in just jeans; his upper body was bare
just like his feet. He moved so gracefully, it was easier for him because
a he was A) a wereleopard and B) his job was a stripper at Guilty Pleasures, it
was one of the business owned by Jean-Claude.
Nathaniel turned and smiled, he knew she had walked through the door he could
sense her. His lavender eyes sparkled, he loved cooking it was something
that he had never had growing up, just like them reading in bed together the
classics that most people had read as kids so her, Micah and Nathaniel would
take turns reading to each other curled up in bed late at night. It was
the one thing that Anita found relaxing she could turn off her mind and forget
about everything that had happened during the day.
“Hey Nathaniel?” Anita said with a smile she did truly love him and
could not imagine her life without him in it now. It took her along time
to admit that to herself, to admit how she felt about him but now she was
finally at peace with it. Nathaniel’s smile grew bigger. “I am
going to ask Jean-Claude if you can have a couple of weeks off. If you want to
come with me?”
Nathaniel’s lavender eyes blinked in confused. “Go where?” he asked.
Anita realised that she had not told him what her plans were and she knew that
Nathaniel would not say no. He was getting better at being more assertive
but anytime he could spend with her he would do it.
“I need to get away, a holiday and I want to go to Spain.” Anita said
as she passed the brochure to Nathaniel.
He wiped his hands on a towel that he had tucked into his jeans and took it from
her. He went over and sat on the sofa and flicked through the brochure.
Anita reached over and flipped through the pages until she came to the place
that she wanted to go. Nathaniel sat and read through it. He looked
up and grinned. “If Jean-Claude says I can I would love to go. I’ve
never been anywhere before not as a holiday.”
The darkness reached his eyes again as the past came to mind. Anita
reached over and gently touched him on the shoulder. She bent over and
kissed him on the lips. The smile appeared once again. You could see
the amazement on his face now that their relationship had changed and how open
she was too him now. She knew that even if it was just the two of them she
would be happy, spending time with Nathaniel whether he is talking or not was
relaxing for her.
He knew her better than most. Anita was comfortable to hold Sigmund when
Nathaniel was around, there were not many people she could say that about, most
times she was embarrassed the big vampire slayer, the executioner, the monster
queen would hold a stuffed penguin when she got afraid. That would so ruin
her image.
Anita walked over and picked up the phone. “Guilty Pleasures.”
Said a male sexy voice on the other end.
“It’s Anita Blake I want to speak to Jean-Claude.” She asked.
The male voice changed suddenly it was not so sexy. “I’ll just get him
for you.” He said.
It was funny being the master of the city’s girlfriend you got a lot more fear
from other vampires, not that she needed help in frightening them but it did a
help, just a little.
“Ma Petite what can I do for you?” Jean-Claude’s voice whispered
down the phone.
“I was wondering if you could get in touch with the local vampire near Nerja
in Spain.” She asked carefully.
“Why?” His voice had a slight edge to it.
“I’m going away on holiday and so far Nathaniel is coming with me.”
“Who else will join this party?” He asked coldly.
“Well Damian, any of the pard who wants to come and if the wolves they are
dating would like to as well. I was thinking maybe Jason could join us if
you would let him, but I do understand if not you are going to be short at
Guilty Pleasures as it is.”
“Why are you going?” His voice deep, sexy but full of suspicion
“Jean-Claude I just need to get away just for a little while between you,
Asher and Richard I am starting to feel like I am drowning. There has been
so much between us if you are not calling me one of the other two are. I
love you all but I need sometime to myself.”
“Will Micah be going with you?” he asked carefully.
“I don’t know at the moment I doubt it he has so much going on and that is
one of the other reasons I wanted Jason to come along in case I need him for the
ardeur.”
“I am sorry that you feel the need to escape from us ma petite but I do
understand and of course Jason can go with you and any of your pard or the pack
that wishes to go. I will find cover for them I have some vampires that
wish to partake in the dancing, as it will be for a short time we will make do.
I will miss you.”
Anita smiled at the phone. “I will miss you too.”
After she put the phone down she turned and grinned at her pomme de sang.
“Looks like we are going on holiday.” Anita grinned.
Nathaniel’ stunning eyes sparkled and his mouth was in a wide smile.
TBC