Chapter 22

Soft light shone on a mother hugging her child. The child was hugging a bunny plushy in turn and was snoring softly. They were covered in a pink comforter with little rosses on it. All was fine in the house until the doorbell rang and awoke the boy.

Nikola got up and tiptoed out of his mother’s room so as to not wake her. He continued to quietly get down the stairs and opened the door wanting to give a headache to whoever was evil enough to come at 5:00 am sharp.

He was just about to do this but a hand reached out and ruffled his bird’s nest hair. He knew this hand.

“Chibi pet, good morning! I came extra early so I can deliver breakfast before you go to kindergarten. Where is your lovely mother? Is she still asleep?”

Nikola slapped the offending hand and was given a package. Sadik walked into the house like he owned the place.

Nikola went to the kitchen and unpacked the food. It was some really weird boat like slices of bread with mincemeat and they all had two eggs on them each. To top it all off the sandwiches? Yes, lets call them sandwiches. Had fresh parsley leafs arranged in the shape of clouds on some of them, which he presumed meant they were for him, and in hearts, which were definitely for his mother. He hoped.

He took one of the cloud sandwiches and bit down on it. The mincemeat had peppers and onions in it that were cut into such small pieces he hadn’t noticed them by just looking at the sandwich at first. He chewed and found out he quite liked the taste. Maybe it won’t be so bad for Sadik to marry Elizabeta if he kept making more of this.

Sadik noticed him reaching for a second sandwich and smirked at him.

“You like yumurtah pide, chibi pet? It’s a traditional Turkish breakfast food and perfectly balanced for a growing boy like you and his sweet mother. Now leave your pide on a plate, take out the two other ones with the cloud shapes on them and place them on it too. Then hop fast and tell your mother that dad is home.”

Nikola stole one last bite much to Sadik’s amusement and then washed his hands and went up the stairs. He was on the third step when he heard Sadik clear his throat. He hoped on the fourth step and kept hopping until he was on the second floor. Sadik clapped for him all the while.

He entered the room quietly and went to Elizabeta’s side. His mother wasn’t a morning person but there was a trick to waking her up without getting his ear tugged for it. He began to sing.

Little Red was a vampire, small but strong

The big bad wolf had it coming, oh, oh, oh

And if little boys threaten little girls…

Elizabeta woke up slowly and finished the song for him with:

They have it coming too

So listen to your Mama, little boy

And when you find the girl of your dreams

Dream the world of her, oh, oh, oh

For if you be like the big bad wolf

Then she will be your Little Red too

Elizabeta cackled evilly at that. Ever since he had told her the true stories of all of the fairytales he had heard Dimitri tell Matthew she had begun to make him think up songs with the lessons she pointed out for him in them. She was always in a more agreeable mood when she was woken up by one of these songs.

“Niki, it’s still 5 am in the morning. You don’t have to get up by 6. Come back to bed.”

Nikola wrapped his fingers in his mother’s hair and played with a loose curl. His mother returned the gesture.

“Mother, we have a visitor. But let me explain before you speak. Give me the five minute privilege.”

Elizabeta pulled him in a hug and poked his nose which was their sign that the permission was granted.

“Thank you, mother. The visitor is Sadik. He brought us breakfast. I am not going to lie to you. He came back last night and threatened to kidnap or downright kill me if I don’t fix your relationship with him. But, Mama, I saw your memories of him and you were very happy with him. And he is still a bastard but when vampires are really in love they change…a tiny bit… for their loved ones. There is nowhere for us to run away anyway. He threatened to take away all our money with his hackers. So give him a chance maybe? As far as vampires go he is one of the least evil ones and he is strong and can protect us from other strong vampires. I await your verdict.”

The “five minute privilege” was enforced by Nikola when Elizabeta first started asking him questions about him when he had her transfer his old money to his new name. The rule was that no matter what he said he had five minutes to make his case and then Elizabeta would take five minutes too to think things over. He stared between the clock and his mother’s blank face. The five minutes were over and she poked his nose again. It was verdict time.

“Niki, you know better than I about how vampires are really like. But I can’t forgive him for saying he loves you romantically. You are my son and I love you. I will protect you. Your Mama can drive men away with kindness on her own. We will play a game with the big bad wolf and just like Little Red we will prevail. Pinky swear time now, sonny.”

Nikola reached out with his pinky and gave Elizabeta’s a good shake. They repeated the motion two more times and then nuzzled their noses together to seal the deal. Mother and son went down the stairs hand in hand and sat on the now set table beaming at each other. Sadik looked like he was about to start jumping with joy when Elizabeta didn’t chase him away. He reached into his jacket’s pocket and took out a tulip made out of paper from it. It was delicately painted with pink petals flecked with white and didn’t look crumbled at all. He put the flower next to Elizabeta’s plate.

“Liz, I made you this flower myself. To show you that I care for you. Did our son tell you to give me a chance?”

Elizabeta picked the flower and twirled it in her fingers. She had a soft smile on her face and Nikola entered her mind to see that she was daydreaming about a day at the park with both Sadik and Nikola where the two grownups were helping him build a sandcastle. He stole a glance at Sadik and forwarded him the mental images. Sadik looked positively dopey at them. So the two of them really were in love. Enough for his mother to forget her anger at the smallest gesture of good will.

Sadik didn’t deserve Elizabeta. She should have found someone that was like Roderich who played the piano for her for hours and…Then it hit Nikola! The piano! He entered Sadik’s mind again and spoke to him while his mother was admiring the flower.

“Geezer, can you play the piano? My father used to play it for Mama all the time while I haunted their house. You will make her happy. I will even accompany you to add some cuteness to it all.”

Sadik slapped his own forehead and Elizabeta gave him a weird look. He gave her his best winning smile and she stared in his eyes with adoration.

“Why didn’t I think of it, chibi pet? Come on and eat up so we can sweep your mother off of her feet with our joined effort. You are not going to kindergarten today. You are going to whine to your Mama until she agrees to me taking you both to the park. And you will have fun or so help me…Now get out of my brain, pishleme.”

Nikola didn’t know what “pishleme” meant but he was pretty sure it was an insult. He gave his dad a dirty look and began eating his sandwich in silence. He was soon ignored as Elizabeta began to speak.

“Sadik I…the things you said yesterday were very disturbing. Niki told me how you threatened him so I know there is no going away. But I will still protect my baby! You will promise me right now to start treating my Niki better from now on or I will go to church and get as much holy water as I can carry in a bottle and force you to drink it! Don’t think just because you are a vampire assassin that I fear you suddenly! You want a chance? Earn it! Now what do you have to say to Niki?”

Sadik looked like he wanted to sing. Then he looked down to Nikola who had cleaned his plate while Elizabeta had spoken and now he was cutely licking his fingers from the grease. Sadik placed his hand over his heart and gave out an “Aw” at the display.

“Niki, I’m sorry for scaring you into cooperating last night. And I am sorry for letting my little crush get the better of me. Let’s call a truce, son. Friends?”

Nikola shook the offered hand with his small one and then gave it a fist bump.  Sadik was pulling him out of the seat and throwing him into the air before Nikola had the chance to grumble. His mother was laughing and eating her sandwiches at the same time. Sadik didn’t return the boy to his chair but sat him on his lap and began to pet his hair. Nikola was too dizzy to grumble.

“Liz, I’ve been thinking. Chibi pet doesn’t really need the kindergarten and I know for a fact you have a day off today. Let’s go to the park so I can show you how good of a father I can be. Don’t call off the wedding, Liz. Give me until it to right my wrongs. Please.”

Elizabeta too has eaten her sandwiches now and was smiling from ear to ear. But she still pointed a finger in warning at Sadik.

“You have today to make your case! It better be magical and Niki better be in a giggling fit by the time the day is over or I am returning my dress to the shop tomorrow!”

Sadik picked up Nikola and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek. He then began to walk towards the living room and sat behind the piano. Nikola got the hint and placed his fingers over the keys too. He had played plenty of times together with Elizabeta so he knew how to do it.

They began playing Mozart and Elizabeta sat behind them on the same chair she used to sit on when Roderich had played for her. They finished and Sadik picked Nikola up and made the boy take a bow in his arms. Elizabeta was crying but Nikola hadn’t seen her this happy before.

Sadik jousted him gently in his arms and went in for a group hug. Elizabeta gladly embraced them both and began to mercilessly tickle Nikola. Sadik grinned and joined in and soon Nikola was begging for mercy while laughing. Sadik leaned into Elizabeta and pressed their foreheads together.

“Little chibi pet is already in a fit of giggles. Guess you won’t be returning your pretty dress, Canim.”

Elizabeta pulled Sadik into a kiss and Nikola ended up squashed between them as they made out. He was happy for them, really, he was. But he was also embarrassed seeing his mother like that. Still he forced himself to remain still in their arms. When they finally separated they each kissed his hair and Elizabeta helped Sadik place him on his shoulders.  She then hugged the Turk’s arm and let him lead them upstairs.

They spend up until 8 am in Elizabeta’s bed just holding each other and talking about nothing in particular. Nikola was suddenly reminded of his former parents and realized he had missed having a father. As the sun rouse Sadik took out a vial full of vitae and drank it in front of them. He noticed them staring but he shrugged.

“What? We agreed on no more lies. I need this to walk in the day. If I metabolize it slowly it will be enough for the whole day. Now as adorable as you both are in your pajamas it’s time to dress up and head to the park. I have the whole day planned out.”

It had indeed started off at the park and Sadik had helped Nikola make an Aladdin style sandcastle which was the envy of the entire playground. Mothers brought their children to see it. Fathers were speaking to Sadik and asking him how he had done it. Elizabeta was soaking up the attention like a sponge and she took out her phone and made a couple of pictures of all of the people crowding the castle.

Then the Turk had picked up Nikola and taken them to the outskirts of town. Elizabeta was slightly worried, because it looked like a kidnap attempt from where she was standing, but Sadik placed a reassuring hand on her and gave her Nikola back.

“Liz, I’m not really an archeologist. And I know you know this already but I want to be truthful with you. I am an assassin and a hunter. Let me show you what I enjoy.”

Sadik began tracking game after that. He was soon on the trail of a heard of deer. He stalked the animals silently as Elizabeta walked slightly behind with Nikola so as to not foil his efforts. Nikola had never seen Sadik in action before. Oh sure, Sadik had been serious when he was killing him but that didn’t count. He hadn’t had fun then but he was having fun now.

Instead of throwing a knife at the deer he ran up to one of them so silently it didn’t notice him. He then wrestled the doe to the ground as it’s brethren ran off in a panic. The animal was soon dead on the ground. Sadik had a carefree grin on his face and looked back to Elizabeta and Nikola for confirmation. They both looked gaping at him. Then Elizabeta pointed an accusing finger at Sadik and began scolding him.

“You strangled Bambi’s mom! How could you? Does it make you feel more like a man? Stop grinning at me and look bashful!”

Nikola got out of his mother’s arms and went to the doe. He picked it’s leg and let it go down. He repeated the motion a couple of times and then inspected the animal’s neck for any marks. There were none. He looked up and spoke to Sadik.

“Geezer, you have to teach me how to do this.”

He was staring down at the corpse as Sadik picked him up and twirled them around.

“I have to, do I, chibi pet? What do you need the skill for? You don’t want to become a vampire again now, do you?”

“Of course I do! Sooner or later I will find someone out there that can take the pain I can dish out from a headache and then there will be no one to protect Mama! You were teaching me how to fight once. What’s the problem with picking up where you left off? I’ll even start calling you dad if you do…”

Nikola gave Sadik his best puppy dog eyes as the Turk was smirking down on him. Elizabeta gave a frustrated yell from where she stood.

“Nikola Edelstein! You are not becoming a vampire again! You are going to have a happy long life, find a nice girl or boy, give me lots of grandchildren and grow old! That’s an order!”

“But Mama!”

“No buts! I have spoken!”

Nikola then turned towards Sadik for help and hugged the man’s neck out of his own free will.

“Dad, tell Mama that when I turn 18 I will find Malkav, Dimitri and Vasilisa and let Malkav embrace me again. Being mortal sucks. They are weak, get tired easily and grow old too soon.”

Nikola was about to continue his whining when Sadik gave his little arm a pinch.

“And what am I, son? Chopped liver? I will be the one to embrace you so you can be a part of a proper manly clan. You are enough of a nerd thanks to Malkav’s blood already. Your YouTube is full with documentary recommendations!”

Elizabeta went to take back Nikola and after putting him down she began tugging him by the ear and telling him all the good things about being human. He remained unconvinced. Sadik put the doe on his shoulders and followed them. People stopped and stared at them as they passed but no one stopped them.

Sadik tried to convince Elizabeta to butcher the doe in her front yard but she said no as this was Nikola’s playground. Sadik had taken a good look at the strange obstacle course that had left only a small corridor from the fence’s door to the front door. Nikola made to explain.

“Geezer, I’ve been training. Mother is very pretty, as you well know, and vampires stalk her all the time. So I stalk them back. I run laps so that I will be fast enough that none of their blood gets on me while I kill them with knives and headaches. So far I have left no survivals.”

Sadik looked positively proud at that. He extended his hand towards Nikola and the child placed his in the man’s.

“I’ll make a proper assassin of you before I embrace you, son. You were passable before but you simply didn’t have the early years of training required. Liz can I take chibi pet to the football field to play tag with him? I’ll bring him before its dark out.”

Elizabeta looked like she was about to say no but Nikola’s expression was so full of excitement that she caved in.

“Fine, I’ll trust you. But my son better not return with fangs or you will be sleeping back at your place tonight!”

Sadik gaped in amazement and Nikola was in the air again. The two went first to Sadik’s hut outside of town to butcher the animal and Nikola helped eagerly. They made fast work of cutting up the meat and putting it in the freezer for Sadik to cook later.

Then Sadik took them back to the car and without knowing why Nikola began speaking to the Turk about everything that had happened since his own death. Sadik listened attentively and asked him questions every so often. But one thing bugged him.

“Chibi pet, how come you haven’t gotten back to Malkav’s harem yet? If they had known you are alive again they wouldn’t have kept it a secret. Malkav and his angel brother hunted me like an animal for months until I went off the radar, you know? It was the most exciting time of my life! Do you need me to get you their phone numbers? Video call them for you maybe?”

Nikola’s face lit up and he nodded his head enthusiastically.

“You’d do that? You are the best person ever! Even though you killed me! When are you calling them? You’ll invite them to the wedding, right? Vasilisa would want to be a bride’s maid. And Malkav and Dimitri can stand by your side! Oh and don’t forget Ivan and Matthew! They need to come too! And Freddie and Roger and Anna and her lowlife boyfriend and Satan and Baba Yaga and Lucifer and…”

Sadik stopped the car and pulled over. He then turned to the backseat and pointed a finger at Nikola’s nose.

“I am having a proper wedding, chibi pet! I will invite vampires, even the one you mentioned, but I am drawing the line at the denizens of Hell! I am a true Muslim and I don’t want Allah to smite me because you wanted to dance the hokey-pokey with the bloody Devil! It’s my wedding and your mother’s special day and not your get together! Have a tea party with whoever you want when you grow up and leave the house! But fine I will make an exception for Vasilisa so stop pouting. He/she is a demon now, but you are right that…he…would make a lovely bride’s maid.”

Nikola pouted but agreed without a fuss. Sadik drove them to the football field and put a compulsion on the guard so he let them in pretty easily and gave them a soccer ball.

Sadik smiled softly as he gave the ball a couple of kicks. He then stopped as he watched how Nikola was kicking the air in imitation of him and concentrating.

“Don’t you know how to play soccer, chibi pet?”

Nikola shook his head no.

“You know what we call football in the USA and Roderich didn’t live long enough to teach me. For someone who liked art as much as him he was pretty good at sports. Our town kept beating the neighboring one in the amateur league with him in the lead.”

Sensing that the mood had become a sad one Sadik gently kicked the ball towards Nikola and it stopped at the boy’s feet.

“Soccer would be a good training for you. Kicking the ball while running will teach you not to stumble on your own two feet. Now kick the ball towards me slowly.”

Nikola gave the ball a kick but it went off course and didn’t even reach half way at that. Sadik went to it and kicked it back towards him. They repeated this until Nikola was happily playing pass the ball with Sadik. Nikola realized he was having fun suddenly. He was behaving like a child should. The guard had sat down on one of the benches and was filming a video of them on his phone. Nikola would find the video on YouTube months later under the tag “Father and son’s first game” and wonder at how happy he looked and marvel at the fatherly expression on Sadik’s face. Maybe he would never find an already good vampire but for some reason they changed around him. And that was enough.

Just as it was getting dark Sadik took him home. The Turk helped Elizabeta in the kitchen. He had even made them tulumbas which had pushed the dinner a bit later but it was worth it. Nikola talked Elizabeta’s ear off about all the types of kicks he had done on the football field and she had told him she will give them Roderich’s favorite ball for the next day. Sadik stopped drinking his glass of blood after hearing that and slapped himself a couple of times. Elizabeta giggled at his antics.

“Liz, am I hearing right? You are entrusting chibi pet to me for tomorrow?”

“Well not for the whole day. He still needs to go to kindergarten. And I know that he is technically too old for it but he likes it there and the kids help ground him and they teach him how to behave like the child he is. Sadik, have you finished with the guest list for the wedding yet? I want to look through it and you must tell me who is a vampire on your side.”

Sadik kept repeating “wedding list” and doing a victory dance. Then he snapped his fingers and took out his phone and went outside saying he will invite some last minute ones. Nikola bounced in his seat excitedly and told his mother it was his friends and family. She was glad to finally meet them after she had heard from them so much. But she too drew the line at Satan, Baba Yaga and Lucifer saying that Nikola could invite them to whatever he wished if it concerned him but there was no way they were crashing her wedding.

Then Nikola got a cheeky expression and asked if his next birthday was included. Elizabeta imagined Satan singing “happy birthday” with a cackling hag behind him and a beautiful angel at his arm and gave a shudder.