Arichos: oh, oops, Gabe came home. thank you for still reading this! and for reviewing! happy

WaningMoon: wow, 2 people! thank you so much!

ok, out of all i can see into the future, this is the most difficult chapter, to read and to write. so please, if you stick it out throught his one, then i am almost certain it will get better! don't give up on me! on her knees

and bleh, sorry it took so long.....

"So...it's all three of you....?

Gabriel and Slade were sitting at the bar, drinking coffee and talking. As you can imagine, they had a lot of talking to do....

"Yes. Lea, Cain, and I are all what are called The Tainted."

Gabe stared.

"Huh? What? I thought you were Vampires...."

As he spoke, it occured to him how completely beyond the norm it was for a 17-year-old to be saying to his mother.

'Just when I thought I was getting it....This is crazy....'

Slade smiled at his expression.

"Well, not exactly Vampires....."

She paused, Gabe kept staring.

"We're mixed. Half Vampire, half human. We are, anyway. The Tainted are just mixes of Vampires and every other race. One of our parents, we never learned which, was full Vampire, the other human. Most of the Vampiric blood was passed on to us."

Gabriel continued staring, waiting for her to go on.

"Well, for example, we all drink blood. It's something we crave."

She paused slightly.

Gabriel didn't flinch.

Slade smiled inwardly.

'Adaptation...that's my boy...'

"But we don't actually need it to survive the way full Vampires do. It's an urge, a thirst. Instinct. We can and do control it, though it's hard to resist temptaion at times...."

"Immortality?"

Gabriel blurted out, flushing slightly afterwards.

'God, this is all so wierd....'

"Yes, we're immortal. And we have the heightened senses and strengths of a full Vampire."

"But wait, what about sunlight?"

Gabriel suddenly recalled countless times when she'd gone shopping and other normal things during the day.

"Have we ever gone to the beach?"

"Huh, uh...no..."

Now that he thought about it, they hadn't. And he realized that whenever she'd taken him to the park or to soccer games when he was younger, she'd always stayed in the shade.

"Sunlight won't kill me, but it makes me weak. And only if it's direct sunlight, so it's not reall ythat bad, as long as I don't spend too much time in it."

"So...ok...."

He was silent, thinking. So many questions, he honestly didn't know where to start.

"Any other questions?"

Slade asked cheerfully.

"Yes...gimme a minute...."

He replied, still thinking hard.

"Well, keep thinking about it. Lea is on her way, she can help answer and explain things a little better."

"Yeah, ok, that works..."

Gabriel answered faintly.

'Jesus, I just found out about my mom a few hours ago, and not Anut Lea's gonna be here too? Really, this is all just insane....'

Slade cuaght his tone immediately.

"I'm sorry honey, I know this is all just overwhelming right now, but now that you know, it's imporant to get you used to all of it fairly quickly. Lea can help with that. If I could get Cain here to that would be great, but he's so far away....."

"No wait, back up. Why on earth quickly??? It makes more sense to get used to it gradually, doesn't it????"

Slade sighed and poured herself more coffee.

"You're right, that would be better. I would love more than anything to let you into this slowly. But sadly, that isn't an option."

She paused, taking a sip of her coffee, trying to figure out in her head how to explain.

"Gabriel....you're a part of this now. By learning of the flip side of things, you've stepped into and old and unsafe game, and you can't back out. Now, I'd meant for you to be older than this but......"

Tears were forming.

Seeing she was close to breaking, Gabe quickly put his hand on her shoulder.

"Mom, it's ok. I'm 17, I'm sure I'll be alright."

As he said them, he realized his words held no truth at all. He was terrified. Really now, who wouldn't be? But he was also excited. Thrilled beyond anything he'd ever felt before. Danger does that to you. Well, it did to him.

Slade took a deep breath.

"k....I'm ok. But you understand, it's extremly important that you adapt quickly, and well, to this. As a beginer, you stand out. And you are an extraordinary(sp?) being, certain to be sought after. When you get older, you can choose a side, but until then, I think it best to keep you relatively close."

"Huh? Side? I'm on your, and Lea's, and Cain's side, what are you talking about?"

His mother smiled softly.

"I'll remember those words. But it isn't going to be as simple as that. I'm going to say this now, so you understand;

Out of all of us, there is not one People or Clan or Group or Family who is 100 good, or pure. And each will use the other's shortcomings to poison it's members against eachother."

Gabriel nodded that he understood.

"I also want you to know this from me, and not one of my enemies;

I have been alive for many, many years. I've done my share of wrong, as have Lea and Cain. You must understand this. We are not saints, and we aren't trying to be. We aren't evil, or cruel, or working for a foul end, but there is a line to cross, and I must admit, my kin and I are on the darker side."

"I-....understand."

It took him a minute, but he really did. And he understood how hard it had been for his mother to say that to him.

Slade smiled faintly.

They heard a car pull into the driveway.

It was only a few seconds before, but Slade's face darkened as soon as she headr her sister's footsteps on the gravel. She was running.....

The halfblood mother was already standing when Lea burst in.

"We have to leave, now!"

if you read it, please review! and any questions, you should totaly ask, i dunno if i'll get around to explaining everything soon, so yes, go ahead and ask. yep!

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