Satin Bruises

It was well passed noon before Raleigh stumbled out of her penthouse and straight into Reilly. The older twin stared at her sister with a smile. Raleigh blinked at her before asking what she needed.

"Just coming to make sure you were still alive," Reilly answered, stifling a laugh. "It's like one-fifteen."

Raleigh grunted and shuffled passed her twin, wondering if she could talk Nathaniel into making her a mess of pancakes. Reilly followed her, inspecting the marks on Raleigh's neck.

"What did you do?" she asked curiously.

"Had the most amazing sex ever," Raleigh mumbled, scratching her head. "I think I accidentally made him my familiar."

"What?! How do you accidentally make someone your familiar?!"

"I was so turned on that I let my shields down, so did he. Reilly, you should try it."

"Yeah, no. Is that the weird backlash that everyone felt last night?"

"Backlash?"

"Oh yeah. It was quite a show."

"Probably," Raleigh yawned as she sat down at the island in the fourth floor kitchen, waiting. Reilly sat next to her, wondering what she was waiting for. Just then, Nathaniel walked in, chipper and smiling.

The twins turned at looked at him as he practically sashayed to the stove. He turned on a burner and began fishing for pancake stuffs. As the long haired were cracked two eggs into a large, glass bowl, he asked the girls what else they wanted.

"Bacon," Raleigh yawned.

"Eggs," Reilly answered politely.

"Coffee."

"No."

Raleigh's head jerked up, her eyes squinted. "Excuse me?"

"Micah told me not to let you have any caffeine," Nathaniel shot back coolly.

"Nathaniel honey," Raleigh said sweetly. "I'm the Nimir-Ra."

"Nice, try."

Raleigh groaned and laid her head on the island. Reilly smirked evilly as Nathaniel prepared a pot of coffee for her.

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A month or two passed, and Raleigh was happily contemplating her baby bump, and her gorgeous husband, when she noticed that her sister had become slightly even more reserved than usual. It wasn't a huge change, just a slightly distracted air that she carried with her for the last two days. Raleigh could see in the way that Jean-Claude and Asher's eyes followed her twin that they had noticed too, and all three of them had resolved to figure out what the hell was going on. On day three of Reilly's odd dippy behavior, Raleigh took her out to lunch.

Ever the subtle twin, Raleigh waited until the waiter had taken their drink orders before asking her sister, "What the fuck is up with you?" Reilly, startled from her contemplation of her plate looked up at her twin.

"Huh?" She asked intelligently. Raleigh leaned forward, placing both elbows on the table, and cupping her face prettily.

"You been a class-A weirdo for the last few days, walking into things, muttering to yourself, spacing the hell out for no reason. Jason was talking to you yesterday for at least twenty minutes, do you ever remember that? I don't think you looked at him once." Reilly blinked, and then her eyes seemed to refocus. With a shake of the head, and a small smile to herself, she sat forward, and took her twin's hands in her own.

"I was going to wait until I was really sure, but now is as good a time as any. Raleigh, I missed my period this month. I'm pregnant."

It was like an atom bomb being dropped. Raleigh stood up, screaming, and flung herself across the table to hug her sister. Both twins were joyfully gushing as the waiter reappeared, with a falsely excited smile on his face, to deliver their lunch. The two didn't calm down until they were both back in the Camaro.

Reilly turned to her sister, all giddiness washed away. "Raleigh, you have to promise to let me tell Jean-Claude and Asher. I don't know how they're going to take it, and I'd like to be there for damage control, if necessary, alright? I know how you keep secrets." Raleigh turned to her sister, all wounded dignity, to reply, but Reilly cut her off. "Raleigh, promise!" She slumped, deflated and nodded, with a little laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise. I can tell Micah though, right??" She nearly exclaimed, as they pulled into traffic. Reilly thought about that for a moment.

"I would prefer you wait until I've told the potential fathers...but if it happens to come out, no big deal," Reilly mused, heading to Conner's school to pick him up.

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"Are you almost ready, cherie?" Jean-Claude's voice called from outside of the bathroom. Reilly smiled to herself as she put on her lipstick, and examined the effect of straightening her hair.

"Getting antsy, love?" She asked as she opened the door. "We still have half an hour til our reservations." On the bed, Asher and Conner were rough housing, the little boy squealing in laughter. Jean-Claude regarded them with an indulgent smile, before slipping an arm around Reilly's waist. He nuzzled her hair, and they kissed briefly before she reluctantly pulled away. He looked a question at her, and she smiled back, but took a steadying breath.

"I have something to tell you all," she started. Conner slid off of the bed to her, and threw his arms around her waist. He pulled back from her with shock written all across his handsome little face.

"Mama!" He exclaimed, "There's someone in there!" He backed away from her, pointing, and looking shaken. Reilly couldn't help but smile. Asher was off the bed in an instant, standing behind Conner. At her side Jean-Claude was ramrod straight, and unnaturally still. Asher scooped up the boy and moved toward Reilly slowly.

"Is this true, mon amour?" Jean-Claude asked, turning her face to him. Reilly nodded, cheeks suddenly burning.

"I took the test this afternoon while you were sleeping," she answered. "I'm pregnant." Asher and Jean-Claude both embraced her at the same time, arms tight around each other, and the squirming form of Conner.

"This is such a magnificent surprise, Reilly," Asher whispered, turning his scarred face to hers. He pressed his lips against her forehead, as Jean-Claude kissed her cheek, and the love pouring out of both of them nearly made her stagger. With a laugh, Reilly embraced her family.

"Raleigh will have told everyone else by now, so you have to act like you've both known for weeks," Reilly teased, divesting Asher of her son. Jean-Claude and Asher shared a laugh.

"Mom! I don't want a brother!" Conner whined, as she straightened his dinner jacket.

"It could be a girl," Reilly said, eyebrows raised. Conner winced, and wiggled away from his mother, his bow tie flopping against his collar.

"It could be a podperson," he pouted, dashing out of the room to find Jason. His parents all laughed indulgently,.

"There is still the question of the father," Asher said, brow furrowed as Reilly refolded his pocket handkerchief, and slipped it into his coat.

"It doesn't matter, mon ami," Jean-Claude said, taking a moment to rake his eyes over every inch of his lovers. Reilly's lip quirked.

"Yes, after going through this with Anita, when any number of her lovers could have been the father, it must be quite a relief to know that there are only two suspects," Reilly said breezily, tying Asher's bow tie for him. Both of her vampires turned to her in shock.

"That was incredibly...what is the word, Jean-Claude?" Asher asked, looking to the dark haired man reclining on the bed.

"Catty," Jean-Claude supplied, grinning wickedly. "Also true."

"And a bit of a turn on," Asher added, and the men laughed. Reilly colored slightly, shaking her head.

"That aside," she continued, "I have a theory about the conception. Do you two remember the fertility rite I preformed for Sylvie? I think it affected quite a few people."

The vampires considered this for a moment, before Jason, and a petulant Conner poked their heads in to the room.

"Hey boss, you guys ready to go? The limo is here, and Raleigh is chomping at the bit to be gone," Jason asked, winking at Reilly. The two laughed, and the party trailed out of the room.

"You three go on ahead," Reilly said, catching her son's eye. "Conner and I will meet you upstairs." The men left, Jean-Claude and Asher pausing for a moment to kiss her and ruffle the boy's hair.

"I don't want to go," Conner pouted, kicking at the doorjamb. Reilly crouched down to face her offspring, face stern.

"A few hours ago, you were very excited to be going to a grown-up party. I know it's a surprise to have a little baby brother or sister on the way, but I need you to be my big boy. You know that Jean-Claude, Asher, and I adore you, and that will never change, I promise. Besides, I'm surprised you didn't notice how mature you're getting already," Reilly said slyly, peaking her son's interest.

"What?" He asked, stopping his pouting and kicking to look up at her.

"You just used magic baby," Reilly said, cupping his chubby face between her hands. His eyes, the exact copy of hers, widened, and he gasped in excitement.

"I did!" He shrieked, all previous angst gone. Reilly hugged her first-born, and together they left for the cocktail party that would be the talk of the St. Louis social scene for months. As the twins slid out the limo with their men, and a few choice wererat body guards, they entered a literal storm of reporters and publicity that would last even longer.

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The limo arrived at the hotel. Raleigh rolled down the window an inch, she and her nephew peeked through it at the reporters and the flashing cameras. Conner shrieked in glee.

"This is awesome! First, I did magic and now I'm gonna be famous!" he said, jumping on the seats. As the limo pulled to a stop, Jean-Claude pulled his heir into his lap and straightened his jacket for the trillionth time, grinning from ear to perfect, preternatural ear.

"I believe you are going to steal the spotlight little one," he purred as the door opened. Asher was out first, holding his hand out to help Reilly. Then, Jean-Claude, with Conner still in his arms, exited gracefully. Then it was Jason's turn, followed by Micah and Raleigh. People were calling their names, reporters screaming for their attention. Raleigh and Micah caught up with Reilly and Asher. The younger twin wrapped her arm around her sister's waist, smiling at some cameras.

"Can I start telling people now?" she asked through her smile. Reilly pulled her sister closer to her, copying her smile.

"Yes, you can," she answered. "They all took it very well."

"Finally!" Raleigh exclaimed, tossing her hands in the air. "Micah, baby, guess what!"

Everyone finally made it into the ballroom of the hotel, the air was electric with excitement. The most excited, with the exception of Conner, were the twins. They grabbed the hands of their men and dragged them to a table up front where an elderly couple was seated. Raleigh tapped the man on the shoulder, smiling madly. The man looked at her and stood up with his arms out.

"Raleigh, Reilly!" he said cheerily. "My girls! You both look wonderful."

The twins embraced the old man while the were and vampires looked at each other, confused. The elderly woman eyed them, a shine in her sea foam eyes.

"Are these the boys?" she asked in a thick, "Gone With the Wind" Southern accent.

"Yes," Raleigh answered, pulling Micah to her. "Nanny, this is Micah Callahan, the trophy fiance."

"And this is Jean-Claude and Asher. Boys, these are our grandparents Isabelle and Johann von Isenberg." Reilly said, leading the men in to shake hands.

"Or James, depends who's asking," the old man joked.

"Forgive me, but are you THE Johann von Isenberg?" Jean-Claude asked, stunned.

"Yes sir, the von Isenberg."

Jean-Claude's eyes went wide as he started talking about a book Johann had written during World War Two. The girls sat with their grandmother, chatting about wedding plans and baby names. The men talked politics and women, mostly women though. Finally, the time came for Jean-Claude to make his speech.

He floated to the podium, perfect and immaculate in the florescent lights. Women fell over themselves when he smiled and he knocked them down with a seductive wink. Isabelle leaned over to Reilly, nudging her shoulder.

"You know how to pick 'em girlie," she teased. Reilly whispered back to her grandmother.

"You think he's handsome now, imagine him without his shirt."

Isabelle winked at her granddaughter and fell silent as Jean-Claude began his speech, every woman listening with bated breath.

"I am honored that you all found the time to grace us with your presence, thank you," he began eloquently. "Now, there have been rumors floating around about a boarding school. I am proud to admit that these rumors are true. I would like to present to you, L'ecole du Sangreal."

The crowd applauded, Jean-Claude merely held up his elegant hands. "No, no. I really do not deserve credit for this, I only picked the name. This brain child belongs to the women you all have come to know...and love. Let's see if we can them up here. Ladies?" he asked softly. Raleigh and Reilly stood up and made their way to the stage, smiling and waving.

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The party hadn't ended, but Conner began rubbing his eyes sleepily as Asher held him to his chest. Jean-Claude, Reilly, and Asher loaded Conner into a limo and head back home. Reilly tucked him into bed, then head downstairs to their bedroom. She found Jean-Claude alone in bed, his shirt untucked and unbuttoned. Even in disarray, he was beautiful. Reilly hiked her dress up over her knees and climbed onto the bed with her lover. She laid down next to him and rubbed her cheek against his bare chest. He laced his arms around her shoulder, kissing the top of her head.

"Darling," she said quietly. "You really aren't bothered by the fact that Asher could be..."

Jean-Claude interrupted her. "No, chere, I'm not bothered in the slightest. It does not change the fact that I still love the two of you. You, of all people, know that this child will still be loved and spoiled."

Reilly grinned secretly, knowing this was true. The vampire pulled her onto his lap, laying a whispering kiss on her lips, he was practically glowing. The witch watched him as the grin on her face expanded all the way to her ears.

"What are you smiling at?" Jean-Claude asked.

"You. You're glowing and it's...sweet."

For the first time ever, Reilly saw a vampire blush. She laughed, throwing her arms around Jean-Claude's neck. Jean-Claude wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck and inhaling her fragrant perfume. He felt her soft lips against the bend of his neck and his undead heart skipped a beat.

"I love you," he whispered against her, pulling her closer to him. Reilly melted into him and felt herself drifting to sleep, still in her Dolce evening gown. Eventually, Asher climbed into bed with them, the only one who wasn't still in his night clothes...or any clothes at all.