Peaceful Night

        The discussion had threatened to become an argument by the time they were half way to Tony's flat. Passersby had grinned or avoided the couple according to taste, though Lisa had recognised one pair of eyes hoping that the argument would mean that the  exotically beautiful woman would soon be free to be comforted. Tony noticed and took her hand to warn him off. Who would have thought they could do something so domestic? Here they were, a university honours graduate and a shape-changing vampiric alien from another dimension.
      They had been thrown together to provide her home world with the powerful child of legend that would free her people. Duty done, Lisa had expected them to part as soon as they were returned to Earth. Instead, Tony had held her close and comforted her with his strong body, gentle hands and deep cultured voice. And to her surprise, she realised she had comforted him too.
      By the time they had unpacked the groceries and started dinner, Lisa's confusion had turned to curiosity. Seated at the small dining table as Tony bustled by the stove cooking a steak for himself and marinated chicken wings for her. His curly hair was tussled, darker than his olive skin and a perfect match for the soulful eyes. Lithe, graceful, well muscled and entirely comfortable. Her resolve weakened. He had done so much for her...maybe.
      Softly she ventured, "I do not understand, why should I wish to celebrate the birth of your Christ - especially in December. I can assure you, having sheep out in the fields in December just did not happen."
      Tony chuckled, "No I suppose not, but the details are not the important thing. The message is the important thing."
      "You sound like an advertisement - Christmas, it will help you lose weight."
      Shaking his head, Tony leant forward to kiss her lightly, "No seriously, I want to spend this time with you doing family things, useful things."
      A wicked grin grew across her face, "Well it is the season for eating. We could..."
      Tony cut her off before she could get more explicit, "Not what I meant, although I dare say we can work it in somewhere. No, I would like to take you around and show you some real Christmas cheer."
      Tilting her head to one side, Lisa looked across at him, "This is really important to you is it not?"
      Tony nodded, "Yes it is. We had to leave family behind when they exiled us back to Earth. I want to do something that makes us both feel like we belong here."
      For a moment Lisa felt her hearts stop. Punching her would have hurt less. Tony knew how much it had hurt to leave their child on Shayton, unable to take her with them when they were sent back Earth. Still, he was right, they needed to do something. For some reason, she had become very close to this human, closer than she thought she could in such a short time. And she trusted him. It was a strange feeling to trust but she liked it. After all, she could always change her mind if it turned out she hated the planned outing. "All right, I put myself in your hands, we will do whatever you wish on Christmas day."
      Relieved joy radiated from him. This must have been even more important to him than she thought. Promising herself to really try to make the day work for him, Lisa leant forward for another kiss. Slowly they pulled apart, warm and content with each other again. A thought crossed Tony's face, drawing down his brows in a frown. "Will I need to share you on the day?"
      Lisa had three lovers that she saw regularly. Forbidden to marry, she still needed the attachment to others to really feel fed and safe. Still, for one day, she could be completely his, "No, actually I will have the whole day for you. Louise is celebrating Solstice with her sisters from the coven so she knows I will not go near her for a day or two either side."
      Tony shook his head, amused. Lisa's fear of magic was almost legendary. Even for her people, she was more afraid than Tony thought strictly necessary. In the past, the Shaytonians had been slaves, chained to their Master's whim through magic and now it was forbidden. Tony had realised that saying it was forbidden meant that, for some of them, magic was a possibility. Not that he believed in magic, but he did believe that the amount of energy they manipulated could make it look very close to magic. He suspected Lisa was one of those that could wield this energy. He often wondered what she had done with it that had scared her so much.
      Lisa ignored his mirth and ticked off another finger, "Alastair is celebrating Kwanza with his family and this year they are all going to South Africa to really get back to their roots. So I am yours all day." Tony's ecstatic grin touched her hearts. This was why she had stayed with him. He took such pleasure from everything that it rubbed off. It was like a cat purring, you could not help but feel better.
      "Good, so meet me here at 4 o'clock in the morning and we will enjoy the whole day." Tony tucked into his meal with gusto. "Wear something warm and casual."
      4am, Lisa's eyebrow twitched up. Why so early? She had to come now, curiosity burned.

---

      True to her word, she arrived at his doorstep dressed warmly and plainly. She had not actually been home yet as she danced most nights at the cabaret. Tony met her at the door, similarly dressed in jeans and duffle coat. A quick kiss and he bustled them out of the door.
      "All right, may I ask where we are going?" Lisa tried to guess from their brisk pace down the pavement but this was New York. There were dozens of places on every corner.
      "To the homeless shelter. They have an early breakfast. Gives people somewhere warm to be when it's so cold." Lisa stopped walking for a moment and stared at his back. He grinned back at her, "Come on it's tradition. You have to feed the poor on Christmas."
      Lisa shook her head, "Either you feed them all the time, or you concentrate on feeding your own. Feeding them on just one day smacks of self-indulgence."
      "And since when are you against self-indulgence?" Tony teased gently.
      Laughing, Lisa conceded his point. The cold was just beginning to bite through her coat when they finally arrived at the shelter. Tony led her into a large hall filled with stackable chairs and trestle tables. And people - the great unwashed. Edward Bulwer-Lytton had been an annoying rake, driving his poor wife Rosina to tears on more than one occasion when Lisa had the misfortune to meet the couple. Still, the phrase he made famous pressed itself on her almost too forcefully. It had been a long time since the 1830's, but some things still remained the same. Those without homes carried the stink of it no matter how much they tried to remove it. Some here did not even seem to make an effort to try. Trying not to wrinkle her sensitive nose, she must have shown some sign as Tony poked her gently in the ribs. She shrugged an apology but muttered under her breath, "It is all right for you human, your nose barely works. At least I am not in wolf form. Could you imagine the fleas?"
      Caught between laughing and exasperation, Tony led her to the counter. Behind it stood a stout woman, flaming red hair caught underneath her hair net and a face and body that offered warmth, comfort and acceptance. "But no nonsense" Lisa thought as the woman brought her serving spoon sharply down on the fingers of someone trying to steal another roll. "No, you will be waiting until everyone has had one. Then you can be coming back. Until then, I'm watching you Edward Peebles, so I am." Humour and sternness melded without distraction in her brogue and Lisa found herself drawn to the woman. "I wonder if she is married?" Lisa thought to herself.
      Almost as if she heard the thought, the woman looked up and spotted Tony and Lisa. "Ah, and there is my handsome Italian lover. Come and give me a kiss my lad, quick before the priest notices."
      Laughing, Tony gave her a peck on the cheek, and introduced her to Lisa, "Rosie, this is my special friend, Lisa. Lisa - Sister Rose." He slightly stressed the Sister and Lisa grinned at him. He knew her taste in woman, and was obviously warning her off.
      Rosie glanced between the two, "A special friend is it then? Well, I am glad to meet you Lisa."
      Lisa nodded, "And I, you. Apparently, my present this year is to help you feed the poor."
      Rosie laughed, "Oh, and I am sure he has something sparkly set aside too. But the best gifts are the ones you give. So, here," she picked up a clean serving spoon and gave it to Lisa, "enjoy."
      Soon Lisa was helping ladle out seemingly endless rounds of porridge. Some thanked her, some seemed too cold to do anything but cling to the warm bowl, and others just shuffled past. "Oh, oh, here's trouble" Tony muttered.
      Lisa looked across at belligerent gentleman pushing his way through the queue. Plunking his bowl down in front of Lisa he barked, "Fill it up."
      Looking up at him, he had to be at least a half a foot taller than her own 5'10" and wider again by half. Lisa nodded, "When it is your turn, until then, the line starts over there." Lisa pointed back down the way he came.
      He shook his head, "Typical socialite. Coming in to help the poor at Christmas. You'll be wanting me to tug my forelock next." He made a gesture that wasn't anywhere near his forelock.
      Tony, leant forward, and Lisa shook her head. Shrugging, Tony returned to serving his next customer. After all, he had once seen her lift a car out of the way when he was parked in. She could handle this guy. "I would not want you tugging anything in the presence of these nice people. I do not expect anything of you but common courtesy."
      "I will not grovel at your feet thanking you for this workhouse gruel."
      "Trust me, this is no workhouse gruel." Lisa pointed again at the line, "Behave and you will be fed. Be loud, rude and push in, and you will be leaving."
      Abrupt laughter bellowed from the man, and some of those closest started moving away. Lisa looked up into his eyes and continued in a flat voice, "Oh yes, you will be a gentleman, or I will whip you like a cur."
      Growling, he reached across to grab her throat. He never made it. Pinching the delicate skin between his thumb and fingers, Lisa put her nails to work. Soon, tears shone in his eyes. "Let go" he whined.
      "When you are polite to these nice people." She gestured at those in line behind him.
      "Them, they're just homeless scum."
      Some flinched at the epitaph. Lisa shook her head, "Now, while they have pride, they are gentlemen and women. They are showing that pride by respecting others. You will do so too."
      For a moment, the place was silent, "All right. Lot of bother for a bloody bowl of porridge." The brute shuffled away, cradling his hand and bowl, taking his place in line.
      "And keep the language proper too Wellings" Rosie sounded from behind Lisa.
      Lisa twisted quickly. She had been so intent on Wellings, she had not heard the nun approaching behind her until she spoke.
      Rosie patted her arm, "Sorry to startle, but I've had to speak to that man before. I am grateful you had the way of talking to him."
      Lisa shrugged, "I have seen his type too often before."
      Dark eyes scanned Lisa's face for a moment, "Aye, you have. And I am sorry for your pain. Still, today's work has stopped some pain for others and I never found a better way yet to lighten your own troubles. Except praying of course."
      Of course", Lisa agreed with the woman, both knowing full well Lisa had never prayed a day in her life. Still, Rosie was right about one thing. The eyes of those she served next held a certain fire they had not before. She had called them gentlefolk and meant it and that had warmed almost as much as the porridge.
      Finally their shift was over, and Lisa found herself out on the street once more with Rosie's blessings and a warm roll. Tony gathered her into a hug, "You are really wonderful, you know that?"
      Hugging back in pleased surprise, Lisa noted, "Of course, but what part of my wondrousness are you delighting in?"
      "I thought you were going to gut that guy. And instead you gave the others pride back."
      Lisa eased out of his grip until she could see his face, "You know I do not kill humans unnecessarily. It is wasteful."
      Tony simply shook his head, "Just when I think I know you." He hugged her again and then started briskly down the sidewalk towards their next event of the day.
      "I suppose a hint is out of the question?"
      Tony grinned and hailed a bus. They chatted and finished their rolls until Tony finally stood. Ushering Lisa out of the bus, he lead her up the steps to a brownstone house, knocking once with the reindeer shaped knocker and hitting a doorbell that seemed to play Jingle Bells.
      "You have to be kidding me" Lisa muttered, silencing as the door swung open.
      "It's Uncle Tony and some woman." The young boy's voice seemed larger than him as he bellowed back down the corridor and then leapt into Tony's arms.
      "Ooof, Gerald, we will have to stop feeding you soon, you will get too big."
      Unconcerned by the non threat, Gerald slithered back down and grabbing Tony's hand, started dragging him towards the sounds of merriment coming from behind a door. The door opened to show a woman, so like Tony, she could have only been his sister. "Tony, at last, we have been waiting to open the presents."
      "I was with Sister Rose at the shelter."
      The woman nodded, "We did the dinner shift last night before mass. Have you been yet?"
      Tony nodded, "Went last night. We are going to the carols later" Tony gestured to Lisa.
      Interested that she now knew at least one thing she was going to do today, Lisa examined Tony's sister and found the other woman's frank eyes on her as well, "So you are the famous Lisa we have heard so much about." She had the same cultured English voice as Tony. Startled, Lisa looked at Tony. Surely he had not told humans about her.  Seeing her expression, the other woman explained, "Only nice things, how you met dancing, that sort of thing. We are sort of hoping you will be the one to make an honest man of him."
      Tony flinched, knowing that Lisa had realised he had made up some of the things he had told his family to fill in the obvious gaps caused by not being able to talk about  the Shaytonians, but Lisa laughed, "I am afraid he doomed to wickedness with me."
      "Oh we can but try."
      "Maria", Tony muttered under his breath.
      Maria grinned, "Come on in, the others are waiting."
      "Others?" Stunned, Lisa followed them into the room and was astounded to see how many people were gathered around the decorated tree. They ranged from an elderly grandmother figure enthroned near the fire, to small babes in arms and every age in between. They dived into the joyous noise and Lisa was swept away by the flurry of introductions and present opening. It was a bit of a blur, only two moments standing out. One aunt giving a sniff at Lisa's unadorned hand, had been gently rebuked and steered away to help serve food.
      "Sorry about that, she equates success with jewellery." Tony's voice was oddly empty.
      Fingering the collar at her throat, Lisa bit her lip. This collar would have told one of her own that she was claimed by the throne and was unable to marry without their permission. It also held a small crystal that told of their daughter. Looking into Tony's anxious face, she caressed his cheek, "Then I win. We already have each other to hold, I am willing to enjoy that."
      A moment's sadness and longing crossed Tony's face and he drew her closer, "Holding you definitely makes me happy."
      "Then it works well."
      Tony grinned, "Yes, I suppose so."
      A small hand reached up to his arm, "Are you going to do disgusting lovey dovey stuff or are we going to get more presents?"
      Laughing Tony, drew Lisa down into a kiss worthy of Valentino. Setting her back onto her feet amongst the cheers from adults and cries of disgust from the younger children, Tony clapped his hands, "OK, presents."
      Maria brought in a large sack, and the gift giving began anew. Tony had dropped off the presents earlier, and put both their names on their gifts to the others. To Lisa's surprise, there were return presents, both for herself alone and for them as a couple. Obviously, Tony's family had not been surprised by her attendance today. She wondered what he would have said if she hadn't agreed to come.
      Lisa's next memorable moment crystallised in the form of a small girl. "Thank you for the dolly Aunty Lisa" she had lisped and climbed into Lisa's lap. Small arms had hugged her and slipped away, leaving the clean smell of soap and a slightly sticky sensation from the lolly pressed into her hand. Lisa had just stared after her and touched the place were small lips had pressed on her cheek. Now she knew what humans meant by bittersweet. She would not have forgone the moment of innocent affection, even as it stabbed into the wall holding back thoughts of her own daughter so far away. Maria must have noticed the moment and squeezed Lisa's shoulder before diving into a melee that was threatening to topple the tree. Lisa wondered just how much Tony had told his sister - and decided she really could not care less. The Council had sent her away from her family, Lisa could not bring herself to want any barriers between Tony and his. They could...what was the phase... oh yes, get stuffed if they objected. She trusted Tony not to give away any real secrets.
      They had finally escaped the tumult by promising to come to dinner on another night. Slipping into step, Tony's arm was a welcome warmth across her shoulders, even as she hugged his waist. "So, now the carols?" Lisa queried.
      "No, now we go home and make love until dusk. Then carols."
      Lisa looked at him, stepping in front to slow him, "Really?"
      Tony nodded, "Really. Look, I'm sorry I didn't warn you about the hordes" he gestured back at the house, " but they really wanted to meet you and I thought you might not have gone if I told you."
      Lisa laughed, "You know, I am not sure either, but I am glad I did go."
      "Really?"
      "Really. But I will be even gladder to have you to myself for a while. All that emotion...I am starving."
      Relieved humour flowing across his face, Tony laughed, "Well we better go then. After all, it's Christmas. You can't go hungry at Christmas."

---

      The lovemaking was everything Lisa had hoped. Soft and loving building to a hunger to match her own. Then she had fed, feeling the warmth of his blood in her mouth and the warmth of his life in her mind. The blood filled one hunger, his passion another. Her feeding clasped all that was him, and kept it inside to keep her safe from the tears.
      It had been hard to leave the bed when dusk came, but he had insisted it would still be there when they returned. A knock at the door decided the issue and they were soon dressed and out with a group of carollers Tony had met through university. Wandering from door to door, they sang so beautifully that Lisa was reminded of the stories of angels. Spiritual, fun, old and new music flowed. Finally they all ended up in someone's loft, cupping hot chocolate drinks. The carols had then morphed into filk. Old songs and tunes were sung with new words, some that would shock their former authors. Some of the associations had Lisa giggling, something she rarely did but s was feeling lightheaded from the happiness in the room. She was almost sorry to leave, though not for long. The evening ended in Tony's bed, wrapped in feather doonas and each other. A strange feeling filled her. She felt... peaceful.
      A low rumble flowed through Tony's chest. Looking up, Lisa quirked an eyebrow. Tony gave a lazy smile, "I said, I have never felt so peaceful. Merry Christmas Lisa Mara."
      "Yes it was Tony Quintos. Yes it was."

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