June 30th, 2006
Birchenough Private Hospital
He was woken from his sleep by the nurse, who said excitedly, "Lord, it's a boy!"
Adrian Graystone shrugged off his drowsiness and leapt to his feet, finding himself inside the ward where the sound of a baby's crying filled his ears.
The nurse, on the other hand, stood frozen in the waiting room, trying to wrap her head around how Lord Graystone had suddenly vanished from sight.
Adrian tentatively approached the bed, where his wife, Alyssa, cradled a baby in her arms.
"He looks..." Adrian choked on tears, surprising the midwife, who knew of his reputation.
"There is a God after all. He's beautiful," Alyssa said.
"I see the devil in his eyes,"Adrian said. "That's all me, I'm certain." He smiled.
Alyssa asked, "What do we name him? Arthur? Benjamin? Trevor?"
Adrian shuddered, and the baby started crying again. "Looks like he doesn't like it either," Adrian laughed. "Aether. Aether Mikael Graystone."
The baby quietened and looked at his father for the first time. Adrian smiled.
Adrian sat beside Alyssa and gave his finger to the baby, who gripped it.
"He likes me, and from the look of it, I'm the favorite parent," he said with a smirk.
The boy's mother stared at her husband with an incredulous expression on her face.
Two hours passed, with the new parents discussing the future of the child.
"We have to keep him safe, from everything," Adrian said.
Alyssa replied, "But for how long do you think we can? That thing will happen again, it's only a matter of time, dear."
"Then I'll ensure there's nothing capable of threatening him till he can take care of himself."
Just then, the door burst open, and a beautiful lady dashed in, along with four nurses trying to restrain her.
"Adrian! Tell them to leave me alone!"
Adrian complied, "You can let her through. She's family."
The woman gave them a smirk and sat at the foot of the bed.
She was Erica, Adrian's twin sister, with a hell of a temper and a terror of a woman...who beamed with joy at the sight of the boy.
"Tell me you haven't named him yet, brother."
Adrian simply said, "Aether Mikael Graystone."
"Well, at least your naming sense improved. I was expecting you to say Benjamin or something like that."
Adrian gave a meaningful glance to Alyssa, who gave him the death stare.
Erica asked, "So, when will you take him to meet the rest of the family? I'm sure they're dying to meet your son."
Adrian scratched his head, then played with the baby's finger as it suckled, before responding.
"I don't think they'll be seeing Aether any time soon, if at all."
Before his sister could flip and rant about the importance of family, Alyssa said, "Erica, you know the troubles we already face, not to mention the other ones we've inherited from people we barely know. If we take Aether to the Family we're bringing him into that mess. Do you really want your nephew to be part of it?"
Erica replied, "I understand. But you must also get the fact that one way or another, he will become part of our mess. He's a Graystone."
"Not if nobody knows of his existence outside the three of us. I'm trusting you to keep him secret, sister," Adrian said.
"Are you asking me to hide your son's existence from my own family? Our family? What makes you think they don't deserve to know? If anything, they can help you protect...."
"They can't protect him, Erica!" Adrian snapped. "After all that happened they can't even properly defend themselves, what makes you think they can protect another addition!?"
His sister quietened, and the baby wailed in response to his anger.
Alyssa tried to calm him, and said to her husband, "Now look at what your temper has done to the baby."
Adrian calmed down and said, "Look, sister. It's not the Graystones I'm worried about. It's everyone else. If nobody knows he exists, nobody will come for him. By the time 'that' happens, they won't be able to touch him."
Adrian looked deep into Aether's eyes, and his son's brown eyes seemed to flash a bright blue for a brief moment.
"The boy is special," he muttered, his own eyes appearing in the boy's vision as having flashed a deep red.
"Boy, now I want a child of my own, all this softness seems nice," Erica commented.
Alyssa smiled. "Nobody told you to scare every suitor who tries their luck on you."
"Lady Alyssa, I suggest you zip it."
Aether seemed to laugh, and they followed suit.
"Welcome, lordling. Let your beautiful, kind, and absolutely gentle Auntie Erica take you."
As she cradled the baby in her arms, Adrian suddenly asked, "Diana, what happened with the rather obnoxious fellow you fussed about and gave him the undeserved title of boyfriend?"
Erica glared at him and said, "We're still together," then smiled sweetly before adding, "as a matter of fact, apart from seeing my darling nephew, I'd come to tell you two that I'm engaged."
She flashed the ring, a rather petty piece of jewelry in Adrian's eyes.
"Give me my son, before I decide you've overstayed your visit."
"What's up with him ?" Erica asked Alyssa as she gave Aether to his father.
"Rage, fear, paranoia, pride, obstinate stick up the arse, etcetera, etcetera?" Alyssa suggested.
"Same old, same old," Erica agreed, and the two ladies burst out laughing.
Adrian sat on the chair in the far left corner, then turned it to face the wall, Aether in his strong yet overly gentle grip.
The laughter kept ringing in his ears, and a vein seemed ready to burst.
"Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop...." he sang softly, rocking his son in his hands.
Aether seemed quite amused....or was Adrian just imagining it?
'That's it!' Adrian turned his head and glared at the women, who inexplicably shut up.
Aether giggled, and Adrian chuckled .
'That's more like it.'