Just Another Day

Brianna had still not heard from Bill as she had been expecting to have a phone call about sending Matthew away. She had called Matthew and given him the week off as she wanted him to have some normalcy before returning to the madhouse, never knowing when it would all start again. Assuming that Arabella and Cassia were off enjoying her gifts that she had given them as she could vaguely hear giggling coming from their bedroom. Like Matthew had promised he had collected the gifts that she had ordered for Quinn.

She hoped that he liked them, maybe it was even something that he could use in training.

Wrapping her arms around her knees as the boxes laid on the floor as she sat in the lounge flicking through the channel's trying to find something to watch. Brianna did not want to disturb Quinn while he was in his office working. So for now she would suffice watching old re-runs of 'Little House on The Prairie'

Quinn looked down at the packages on the desk. He looked up at Mathew and smiled.

"Go ahead, Mathew, I'll balance things out security wise and I'll even email Compton to smooth things over. Family is too important to ignore for the holidays. Come back after New Years. We will be fine till then."

He smiled again as the young man left. Who would have known he already had a family. He flipped open his email and loaded the email address Compton had given him.

~William,
~I am just checking in to wish you and yours season's greetings. We are all doing well here.
~Your Brianna is doing well in her training and we are preparing to lock things down for the
~remainder of the holidays. I agreed with Brianna's idea of sending her personal guard, Mathew
~to spend time with his family for the holiday and have added four extra guards to her care
~to balance things. I hope all is going well in your home for the holidays. Arabella and Brianna
~send their best wishes as well.
~I will keep you posted on anything eventful but do not foresee any issues occurring over the
~holidays. You should be receiving a small token of appreciation with the evening's time as
~I wanted to make sure you would be awake. I think you will appreciate this one. It was
~a bit hard to find but worth the trouble. I am going to close this now as I know even now
~you are a very busy person.
~In Respect,
~Jonathan Quinn

He hit send on the email and chuckled looking at the packages. He had often wondered if vampires celebrated the holidays and he apparently knew now. He had given Brianna the twins but that was not his gift to her. He wanted to give her something more personal and more useful so he had some thinking to do. What would be the best thing he could give her? This might be a challenge to figure out. He began browsing ideas online as he let his mind bounce from idea to idea...

Brianna did not know how much time had passed as it seemed to blur together as she got bored of watching things that reminded her of her past human life. It was a tradition at Christmas with her father to watch 'Little House on The Prairie' as it was her mother's favourite. But everything had changed since then, her father would not remember her because of Bill. She was erased from his mind in a blink of an eye.

Loosing her Christmas mood by going through things in her past she switched the large TV off as she placed the remote back into its rightful place knowing that Quinn liked things in the right order. Curious to see if Quinn would still be busy in his office peaked her interest as she made her way to his office.

Standing outside his door as she knocked.

"Can I come in?" she called through.

Quinn smiled and close the lid of the laptop as she walked in. He had placed the order just in time.

"Of course, Brianna. Just taking care of a few things. What's up?"

Brianna smiled as she opened the door to his office and stepped inside and closed the door behind her as she fidgeted with her hands nervously.

"It's just that....Arabella and Cassia are well busy....And I was wondering if you were still busy?" she asked him.

There was something that she did want to ask him, she knew Bill would never allow it but Quinn might allow her request.

Quinn was curious at her nervousness.

"I always make time for you, Brianna. You know that. What's on your mind?"

How did he know what she was thinking? 

Clearing her throat as she stepped further into his office and stood beside his desk and perched herself on the edge as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I want to see my father.....My human father. Bill would never agree to it, he already forbid me from talking about him again. But its Christmas and it will be the first one that he will have without me, my mother died when I was young and I want to make sure that he is alright....Not that he will remember who I am" she requested, finally raising her eyes to meet his unsure how to evaluate his expression.

Quinn was not surprised. Compton had prepared him for this request and he knew things that she might not.

"Brianna...are you sure that is wise? From what I understand, he did not take your becoming a vampire well. Seeing him and how he sees you might be more painful than you would expect. From what I understand, he considers you dead, and that also brings up a security risk. Given his feelings on the matter, he could attempt to harm you. Even if he does not try to harm you, the emotional pain you will feel could be avoided if you forgo this path. If you just want to see him, and are willing to pass on communicating with him, I can arrange that."

He looked at her, waiting for her to process what he was saying.

"But he is my father Quinn. He is all I had and I am all that he has...had. Bill took me away from him all because some God told him to. How else would you expect him to react? His own daughter a vampire because she did not listen to him? I don't want him to think that I don't love him, that I abandoned him" she sulked.

Knowing that maybe she was not going to get away with her wanting to see her dad, and maybe Quinn was right. If she saw him now she would want to see him again and if Bill found out what he had done he would take her away from Quinn and never be allowed to see him again.

"Can you go to him? Even if he does not remember me. Make sure that he is alright? I need to make sure that he is living, with my mom gone. I don't want him to be alone" she pleaded with him.

Quinn smiled. His new understanding of the value of family was tugging at his mind. He needed to set something up to fix this. Compton had really screwed things up...but how? An idea came to mind and he thought for a moment before responding.

"I can do better than that. Does your father shop at a certain store for food and such?"

"Um...Yeah. There is a store around the corner from my house that sells his favourite Bourbon. He always goes there on New Years Eve and buys two bottles. He doesn't like the whole big night out. He would rather spend it at home watching the game...Why?" she replied.

Finding his question odd about why he wanted to know where he liked to shop had her even more curious.

Quinn grinned and buzzed for Tolvin.

"Tolvin, do we still have the contacts for the alcohol supplier we used to use for the EEE parties?"

"Of course, Sir, Shall I ring them?"

"Yes, I need a favor from one of their bourbon reps. Brianna's father is a regular buyer and as he is such a good customer, he is going to be receiving a selection of fine bourbons as a thank you gift this year for New Years. Take care of it please."

Quinn grinned at Brianna.

"Oh...and make sure there is a photographer there for the gifting. It is expected and it will give Brianna some recent pictures of him without causing too much strife."

"Of course, Mr. Quinn. Will there be anything else?"

"No Tolvin, that will be all. Take the rest of the holidays for yourself. Isn't your flight attendant in town this week?"

"Um...yes, Sir...er....thank you Sir..."

Tolvin bolted from the room as Quinn laughed, then turned back to Brianna.

"Problem solved, Brianna. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Brianna could not contain her excitement as she waited until Quinn had given Tolvin his orders and he had left the room. As she launched herself from perching on the side of his desk into his lap as she threw her hands around his neck.

"Thank you....Thank you" she whispered sweetly in his ear.

He chuckled as she landed in his lap.

"You know I do what I can to make you happy, Brianna. We are not your family, but we do care about you."

He kissed her cheek and grinned.

"Now, There is a little something special arriving for you this evening, but no hints until it gets here."

"Something for me? You didn't have to get me anything. You have already given me everything that I have ever needed...Including yourself" as she stopped herself "Sorry I shouldn't have said that" she apologized.

Standing from his lap as she turned to him thanking that she could not blush.

"I should leave you to your work" she told him and herself.

Quinn chuckled as she shocked herself with her own bold comment.

"Actually I am about done for the night. I was going to see if you wanted to take a walk, or just spend some time together."

"Really? Your finished?" she looked on astounded.

Still fidgeting with her hands in front of her as she looked on a little unsure of what she had said before, but not wanting to dwell on it.

"Is there somewhere we could swim?" she asked.

"We could always pull the floor in the gym."

He chuckled, knowing she would not want that.

"Or we can go to the lake here on the property. It is a bit more secluded but still within protected lands."

"That sounds like heaven.....I didn't know you had a lake here" she looked on confused.

Knowing that she would probably not need a swim suit considering how they both were at the lake by Merlotte's.

"It's out in the woods. You can walk right past it if the light is not just right. I actually found it by accident once. I have always kept it as my quiet little retreat from the modern world. Let me know when you are ready."

Quinn headed down the hall to grab some towels.

Brianna followed Quinn down the hall where he picked out some towels and looked surprised to find her standing right there behind him as she could hear mass giggling coming from the Arabella's room.

"I am ready when you are" she grinned "Lead the way"

Quinn took her hand and led her through the woods until they made it to the lake. He covered her eyes as they got close and led her through the brush. He pulled his hands away as he whispered in her ear.

"I remembered how much you like the holidays, so I took steps."

She could feel the branches scratch against her skin as she shuffled her way through the leaves as Quinn covered her eyes as she used her feet to guide her through the shrubbery.

"I remembered how much you like the holidays, so I took steps"

Frowning as he removed his hands from her eyes as she gazed on in awe as the lights from the Christmas tree's centred in the lake cast illuminating reflections across the glass like surface.

"Oh Quinn.....It is beautiful" she whispered admiring the lake.

"I'm glad you like it. I was not sure what else to do. I do not approve of killing a tree to decorate for a week and then throw it out."

He began to strip down, grinning at her.

"Maybe one day I can help change your mind on that" she smirked as she pulled her hair tie from her hair and slipped off her shoes dropping the tie inside.

Slowing unbuttoning her shorts as she slid them down her legs to pool at her feet as she pulled her shirt over her head and left it on the pile next to the towels as she was left in her underwear as she caught a glance of him watching as she smirked and made her way to the lake's edge. Slowly she tip toed her way further into the lake as the water climbed higher up her thigh as she travelled in further so that the water was just below her shoulders.

"You coming?" she grinned cheerily.