Kids These Days...

Rowan watched Jamie walk past the clinic. The adolescent turned as if he sensed Rowan's eyes on him, and his mouth broke into a wide grin. He waved, and pantomimed swinging a sword as he continued down the hallway. He tapped his wrist then pointed at Rowan, who laughed and waved at him.

"I honestly thought the pirate thing was going to be a phase," Becky said from behind him.

Rowan turned back around, one corner of his mouth lifting crookedly. "Well, you never really quit piracy," he said.

In the last few years Becky had gone back to school and become a nurse practitioner. She worked under Rowan at Liefde, handling the daytime shifts while Jamie was at school, and Rowan took the nights of course. Between them, they managed to work out weekends and vacations and time off. Liefde wasn't so overpopulated that they had a revolving door or anything.

"You have no idea how much he idolizes you. Ever since the hospital," Becky murmured. She stood next to him and they watched her fifteen-year-old son disappear down the hall, probably to do his homework before his fencing lesson with Rowan.

Rowan rubbed the back of his neck, a little uncomfortable. Unlike him, Jamie hadn't escaped their ordeal entirely. He'd lost part of his ear and had some scarring on his face from being burned. The scarring wasn't terribly noticeable, and he'd grown his hair out to cover his ear even though it no longer seemed to bother him. Rowan still felt bad that he'd gotten involved at all.

"Are you ever going to tell him?" He looked at Becky.

"That's not entirely up to me, is it?" She bit her lip gently and returned his gaze. They didn't often discuss Rowan's being a vampire openly. She knew, and he knew she knew, and he'd told her time and again he was open to any questions she had.

She'd never asked that many. He wondered idly if she had felt more comfortable going to Claire Tremaine to talk about it. He shook his head, stopping himself from woolgathering, and lifted one shoulder noncommittally.

"You know I won't mention it to him unless you want me to, but you do live in Evenhet Central. It's entirely possible he's already heard stories."

Probable, really. He just knew Becky hadn't discussed it with Jamie. He heard her sigh.

"I know. I'm not sure I'm ready for him to grow up and learn adult things."

"Vampires are for teenagers. Didn't you read Twilight?"

Becky mimed gagging and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Rue."

He chuckled and made spirit fingers at her, then waggled them up around his face. "I'm sparkly!" he pronounced breathlessly.

"You're a goofball. I can't even envision you..." she looked away, then back. "Biting anyone."

He didn't really know what to say to that. He bit a lot of people, and had done so for centuries. He cleared his throat. "Well, it is how we work."

She smiled up at him. "I know. And you are one of the good guys. Someday I'll have to tell him. I hope he can come to you. You know he will."

He smiled out the window. Jamie was like the nephew he'd never had. "Yeah. Of course he can."

Becky just nodded, and turned away thoughtfully to finish cleaning up the clinic. After a moment more, Rowan joined her.