Fangs But No Fangs

EPILOGUE

For those of you who have read my blog religiously over the past year, I'm sorry that I've dropped the ball in the past few months. I've been busy, and some rather interesting things have happened during that time.

First of all, let me start by saying I've decided that my twelve-step program has worked. Well, sort of. Certain things like Step 1: Honesty, Step 5: Integrity, Step 7: Humility, and Step 9: Forgiveness—those are all huge parts of being a successful human. Actually all the steps (listed in full in my January 15, 2005 entry) are important to being human. And to being a vampire too.

Which, by the way, is what I've managed to become. A good vampire, a happy vampire, a very satisfied vampire. Good, happy, satisfied— not words that I expected to use in conjunction with the word vampire. And especially not in conjunction with myself.

Of course, I didn't do this alone. And this brings me to the most important step of the twelve. The one I dreaded the most, but needed the worst. Step 11: Making Contact. That was the one I really did not want to do. The one that I told myself I was doing through this blog. But it wasn't. Sorry. But it's true. I was still hiding. And I wasn't dealing with my past. Things didn't get better for me until I actually got out there and interacted with others being humans and vampires every day.

So, I'm sorry to say this, and again, I do appreciate those of you who read my ranting and whining every day. But this is my last blog entry. I'm simply going to be too busy to write these anymore.

Thanks for listening.

Now, I suggest you go out and make contact.

Sincerely,

Christian Young

Christian applauded with everyone else in the bar as Jolee finished her song. She thanked them, and then returned to the booth to call up the next singer. He watched her as, after she finished starting the music, she approached him. She strolled behind the bar to come to him, smiling. He would never get tired of that beautiful smile.

"Great song," he told her as he pulled her into his arms and stole a quick kiss.

"I know how much you like that one," she said, stealing a kiss of her own.

He liked all the songs she sang, but he did have a particular affinity to that one. Shania Twain, "Forever and Always," a song about keeping with the one she loved forever and always. He felt the same way. He was keeping her. Christian would never grow tired of sharing an eternity with this woman. His Jolee.

"Good lord," Jed muttered around his cigarette. "What does a man gotta do to get a drink around this place."

Christian grinned at the him, then reached for his empty mug. "It's just wrong when a regular can't get served."

"Don't I know it?" Jed winked at Jolee.

Christian placed the mug in front of the man he had come to think of as a father. "You really need to lay off the cigarettes."

Jed snorted at that. "Too late now."

"It's never too late." Christian looked over to Jolee, the woman who'd saved him. Who'd given him back his humanity. They both loved the old man, silently offering him immortality.

"In this old body," he snorted. "I don't think so. I've had a good life, and I'll be happy to go when my day comes."

Christian dreaded that day. He'd miss Jed, but he did understand the man's point. Jed had lived a full life. Christian planned to live a full eternity— finally.

"It's good to have you two back," Jed said, his blue eyes filled with emotions he'd never let his gruff demeanor show. "I like your brothers, but the place just didn't feel the same."

Sebastian, Rhys, and Jane had watched the bar for the past month while he and Jolee had gone on their honeymoon, a trip around Europe. He'd showed her all the things he'd never appreciated, finally seeing them through Jolee's excited eyes. Finally enjoying them.

"Well, we're glad to be back, too." Christian smiled at the old man.

Jolee leaned into him. "Are you really? Don't you miss the high life? The expensive hotels? And all the luxuries?"

"No," he said readily. "I don't need anything in my life but you."

She grinned. "Ditto." She kissed him, then rushed away to announce another singer.

Christian looked around the old bar with its Christmas lights on the rafters and scuffed wooden floors covered in peanut shells. He looked at its patrons in their dirty jeans and T-shirts. He listened to a woman belt out one flat note after another. He smelled smoke as Jed lit another cigarette.

Then he looked at Jolee. She smiled and mouthed, "I love you." He smiled contently as he filled a mug with beer.

There really was no place on earth he'd rather be than Leo's Brew Pub and Karaoke Saloon.

But he would have to work on Jolee about moving out of the trailer park. He wasn't a completely changed vampire.

He still hated those damned lawn ornaments.