Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 12:57:27 -0800 (PST) From: Author James Subject: Trials of a Real Dark Knight 50 Disclaimer: This story, though maybe not in this chapter but in subsequent chapters, will have celebrities in it. I have no knowledge of their sexuality and this is not intended to imply their sexuality. This is all from my own mind. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel and all related characters created by Joss Whedon. Copyright 20th Century Fox. Batman, and all related characters created by Bob Kane. Copyright DC Comics and Warner Bros. X-MEN, and all related characters created by Stan Lee. Copyright Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox. The Vampire Chronicles and all related characters created by Anne Rice. Copyright Anne O'Brien Rice. Star Wars and all related concepts created by or based on the universe created by George Lucas. Copyright 20th Century Fox, LucasFilms Ltd. and Lucas Books/Ballantine Books. I don't know for sure if I will use all the above elements, but just in case, I have myself covered. This story has taken on a life of its own. From its inception a year ago, I had only thought it would last ten chapters maximum. As you can see, it has grown tremendously. Mostly due to readers emailing me and telling me they've enjoyed it or have received help due to certain issues addressed. I've enjoyed writing this story but it would not have been written without men and women reading it and telling me they've enjoyed it. I do hope that you continue to enjoy each new chapter as our hero lives and grows. I have received many emails from people who have enjoyed it and some from those who do not. I would enjoy hearing from you. Any emails you send, please tell me what chapter and story you are commenting on. Thanks. authorjames2002@yahoo.com I also have several online messenger services, one of which is this yahoo email address. Some of you know them; however, in the recent weeks I've changed my screen name. If you want to chat with me in real time, email me and tell me the services you use and I will tell you my screen name. Chapter 50 Looking to the Future Lance and I awoke the next morning refreshed. The dream I had made me extremely stimulated. Waking up and finding Lance in the mood as well was nice. We were able to relieve each other of the pressures of erotic dreams. We slept really well after our climaxes and when we awoke, were ready for the day. Lance took me to the campus so I could get my books. Classes were starting soon and I needed to get my supplies. I felt weird walking down the hallways. I felt old in some regards. I was married, not that it bothered me, but most my age were finishing up their degree. I was only a sophomore. Thankfully my classes I had at UCLA transferred. But I had a long way to go. Plus I had to go to graduate school. Lance wanted to check in on a business degree. He wanted to help me manage the center and do the business side of it all. In some ways, my dream became his. Us working side by side would be fun. But we had to be careful. Most office romances never worked out. However, we didn't start in the office, so it may not be that bad. Lance headed to Student Services to speak with an Academic Advisor and I headed to the bookstore to get my books. As I walked I thought about what happened to me. Could I possibly go back and study what I needed to after experiencing so much this past year? I dealt with a madman who was centuries old and his daughter, a woman who loved plants more the humans, and a birdman assassin, not to mention an immortal demon and his cohorts, a crazy man out to control the minds of others and a mutant that wanted to rule England. I don't even want to back track over what I went through this past summer. Would I be able to walk into a classroom and pretend this world was ordinary like most other students would? Could I shrug my shoulders at what they would perceive as flights of fancy or religious symbolism when I knew demons and vampire existed in this world? The only thing I could think of in answer to that was "I have to try". I went into the store with schedule in hand and set out to find my books. As I went down one aisle, I saw a young woman, not much younger than me. He stomach stuck out fairly far with the baby that was growing inside. She was stretching trying to reach a book. "Can I help you?" I asked. "That would be great, thanks." "The name's Eric," I said reaching up and grabbing the book for her. "Eric McCoy." "My name is Christine." "'Intro to College Algebra'," I read the book I retrieved for her. As I handed it to her, I asked, "What's your major?" "Education, I think. I really like children and want to work with them." "I'll bet your family is proud." "I guess. I haven't seen them for a while. Being a poor undergraduate keeps me pretty much here." "Where are they from?" "To be honest, I don't know. I was put in a foster home when I was little. I don't know what happened to my family. I was shipped from home to home and never had a permanent place to stay. So, here I am, on my own trying to make it in this world." "You're not that alone," I replied. "You just met me." "I hope you're not trying to make a pass at me," she said as she rubbed her stomach. "Oh, no," I answered. "That was completely pass free. Besides, I'm gay and married so it wouldn't work out." Christine smiled at me, this strawberry blonde young lady. "Perhaps I'll see you on campus." She took her books up to the counter to purchase them. 'I hope so,' I thought. 'You look like you could use a friend.' I found the rest of my books and headed to the counter. After paying for them, I walked out the door and met Lance. He had a folder full of papers he received from Student Services. "They said after I get back from my trip to space, I can schedule for classes." He reached over and grabbed one of the bags. "Let me help you with those. You have an awful lot of books." "I have an awful lot of classes," I answered. "What all are you taking this semester?" "American Politics, Major Modern Writers, Adolescent Psychology, and Art Survey." "Sounds like fun." "Oh, yeah," I said with a grin. "It should be interesting. I can't wait to study Adolescent Psychology." "And I'm sure you will do magnificently." As Lance and I headed home, I told him about Christine. I planned to make it a point to meet her and get close to her. She looked as if she needed a friend and I wanted to offer that friendship to her if possible. "Are you hungry?" I asked Lance as I put my school books on the kitchen table. "Not yet," he answered as he headed up the stairs. I was feeling a bit hungry so I took some ground meat out of the fridge and began to brown it for burritos. I threw in the seasonings and went over to the newspaper sitting unread on the kitchen table. The headlines read "Student Found Murdered". "What's this all about?" I read the front page story about how a student was found dead after being bit by an animal near the campus. The student, a twenty-year-old from Idaho, had puncture wounds on the neck. "Vampires," I whispered. "I'll have to check with Batgirl to see if she has heard anything." Lance came down the stairs. "Wasn't that weird about JC?" "What do you mean?" "He was afraid to come out to us." "He was afraid we would think he was a coward or weak. But everyone has their inner demons to wrestle. I know I did. We have to deal with whatever is inside us, whatever hurts we have from our past, whatever emotional scars dealt us. JC obviously came from a very homophobic family. Tyler is proof enough. How he deals with it depends on the support he gets. I just hope he calls me if he needs me. I think he will get a lot of support from Blake, though. Blake seems to truly care about him." "Yeah." Thinking of Blake reminded me of what happened in San Francisco with the vampires and the declaration of war on the Watchers' Council. Jessica hadn't heard anything from anyone. All she could do was be ready. And I hadn't heard anything from Batgirl as of yet. She and her Watcher may not have had much more to go on than what had happened. "What are you thinking about?" Lance said to me. I came out of my thoughts and stirred the meat. "Jessica and I got some bad news in San Francisco. There seems to be something brewing against the Watchers' Council. Batgirl is helping to get this side of the country organized." "Wow. Do you think the Watchers have it under control?" "If they don't, I'm sure they will let me know. They always have a way of getting in touch with me." "Do you think its going to be bad?" "I don't know. We've dealt with worse." "True," Lance said coming up behind me and putting his arms around my waist. He leaned in and kissed my neck. "I lost you. And that was hell." "Whatever it is, though, we will get through it. We always do." Lance kissed me on the cheek and I finished our lunch. That night I did a quick sweep of the city and ran into Batgirl. I asked her how things were and she said that everything was quiet so far. What happened, however, was just a first wave of vampiric attacks and that we should expect more to soon follow. I gave her my loyalties and said if she needed anything from me to simply ask. She thanked me for my offer and I was on my way. Since nothing else happened, I headed home to be with my husband. Lance sat on the couch looking through the newspaper while I went through my school books and supplies. "Oh wow," I said, "'Angels in America' by Tony Kuschner. It's a gay play." "Sounds interesting," Lance said. I flipped through the book and then grabbed my Adolescent Psychology. "Lance, what do you think of children?" "I think they are wonderful." "Have you ever wanted to have your own?" "Didn't we discuss this before?" "I think so. But I would like to talk about it again." "Okay. Um, yeah, I would love to have children. I've always thought of what it would be like to have kids running around that resembled me. I know my mom and dad have thought about it." "Mine, too. I remember one time, not too long after I came out, my mom said that she had wanted to see what my biological children would look like. I told her I could have a child by surrogacy and she said it wouldn't be the same. I think because she wanted me to be married to the woman who carried my child." "Does it bother you to not be married to the woman carrying your child?" "I don't think it would. I mean, you and I would supply her with all the medical care she needed. And it wouldn't be like I'd have sex with her." "You better not." "Don't worry about that. I respect women but I would never have sex with one. I think its gross the idea of me getting down there and doing the deed to a woman. It's unnatural." Lance laughed. "What about you?" I asked climbing up on the couch next to him. "What do you think about surrogacy?" "I don't know. The idea of someone carrying my child, physically bonding with my child that isn't the person I'm committed to for the rest of my life...that bothers me. I wish there would be some way for a guy to carry a baby." "And have something that large come out of a hole that small?" My mind went to the dream I had the previous night and what the dream version of Justin did to me. "There ain't no way a baby is going to come out of that hole." "We could always do cesarean section." "I don't think I could handle the physical discomfort. Women deserve commended for the physical labors they go through before the physical labor." Lance agreed with me whole heartedly on that statement. "What do you think of adoption?" "That would be cool. There are many children who don't have parents to take care of them." "What age would you want?" "That's a good question. With the way we work, or will be working, an infant wouldn't be the best choice." "Besides," I added, "most couples want the infants." "What were you thinking more along the lines of?" "Children under ten up through teenager. There are many who don't have anyone simply because of their age. It's unfair that they should go without a home because of that." "Very true. But they come with a lot of emotional scars. You were just talking about that. Would both of us be willing to work through the emotional baggage someone like that would bring in? Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with them. But those children need extra special care that we might not be able to give." I nodded in understanding. He was right. It would be unfair to everyone to take in a child that he and I wouldn't be able to help. "What brought this line of questioning on?" he asked. "I was thinking about Christine. I think she's alone." "Did you want to adopt her children?" "No," I answered. "I can just imagine what she is going through. The father is nowhere to be found. She herself has no family since she was placed in a foster home. She's doing her best, but once they baby comes, who will she have to help her? I can just imagine what I would go through in that situation." "You have me," Lance said taking my hand in his. "You will always have me." "Then I will always be loved and taken care of." I leaned in and kissed my husband full on the lips. Across the globe on a distant island two mutants moved about, both shades of blue and grey. The larger one was pacing out of anxiety while the other was preparing something, a formula of sorts. "How is this batch?" the pacing mutant asked. "I'm not sure. I want to be exact with this. If we are not exact, there could be lots of negative results." "I want the formula ready to test by September." "But you still have three more to obtain. This one, this shapeshifter, is she what you need?" "She will do nicely. Her attitude and determination, as well as her opinions of Homo sapiens will work to my advantage." "When will you retrieve the others?" "In a few short days, I will go to the place called Columbus, Ohio to retrieve a horseman. There are two I'm considering, but I want to be sure." "Very well, my liege." The mutant went back to his work while the other mutant went to a television monitor. The image was that of a newscaster speaking of the Friends of Humanity and how some states fully supported their efforts. Other states, such as Ohio, had persons fighting against legislation that would allow the Friends of Humanity to take over. These states had politicians fighting against the Friends of Humanity, as well as citizens ready to back up a government that was tolerant of differences. "The world is getting more and more hostile. I will tame it and be its ruler." "Of course, my lord." The large mutant turned. "Carry on, Mr. Sinister." And he marched down the corridor to his room where he contemplated ridding the earth of the plague of Homo sapiens. He switched the television on and heard the end of a news report on a group of unknown mutants assisting with trouble in New York. It described the mutants as peace-loving persons in full support of mutual habitation. Many Homo sapiens regarded them as heroes. "If they stand in my way," the mutant said, "they will feel the fury of Apocalypse." The End Coming soon: "Judgments of a Real Dark Knight"