Oleander - Gen 7 Ch 4

3 am feeding. I blinked sleepily as I watched my precious baby boy drain the last of his bottle. Suddenly my phone buzzed at me. Who in the world would be calling me at 3 am? The number wasn't showing up in caller id, so almost didn't answer, but at the last second something told me to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Andee? Is this Andee?"

 I almost didn't recognise the hurried, whispered voice at the other end of the line.

"Zhan!?"

"Yes, it's me. I can't talk long, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. What's going on?"

I could hear the relief in his voice then.

"I'm so glad. I was meditating the night before last, and it was revealed to me that something momentous had occurred, and you were at the center of it. Has anything happened to you recently?"

"I... I had a baby, Zhan. He looks like you. I named him Song."

"My father's name.. you named him for my father? A good strong name.. it means 'the pine tree'. I want to see you both... I will try..."

At this point his voice abruptly cut off, and I could hear the sounds of a struggle in the background, before the phone went dead.

"Zhan!? Zhan! What's going on? Are you okay?"

But there was only silence on the other end.

In the days that followed, Charles tried to help out with Song, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it. He was well aware by now that he was not the daddy. As for me, I felt like I was slowing growing more crazy by the day. Everyone chalked up that phone call to my "vivid imagination", so finally I just stopped talking about it, and just ate up my insides with worry.

Finally I guess Charles had had enough.

"I'm sorry, Andee I just can't do this anymore. I thought that with time you could learn to love me, but now it's obvious to me that isn't going to happen. I need to move on with my life, so I'll be moving out."

"I'm sorry too, Charles. I'm so worried about Zhan right now.."

"Stop, Andee.  For your baby's sake, you need to stop obsessing over someone you spent two days with, half way around the world."

"I can't.." I whispered to myself, as he was already out of the gate and headed down the street.

Worried or no, eventually I realized I did need to move on. Song needs me here and now, so I try to take him out with me as much as I can. I try to keep an eye out for trouble at all times, though. Like that woman standing in the market doorway - is she watching me? And that jogger - I swear she looked at me oddly right before she started that fake flexing.

They definitely look like they are in cahoots, if you ask me. And why is that creepy jogger staring at Song?

"Awww, what an adorable baby!"

So, going to act innocent, are you? Two can play that game.

"Why thank you,' I replied casually, all the while keeping my eye on the woman in purple, who seemed inordinately interested in the whole exchange.

As I moved on down the street, Song began to fuss a little, so I stopped to comfort him. What's this? A scrap of paper wedged in between his little blue blanket and the side of the stroller? I quickly glanced up and down the street as I pulled it out. The purple woman stood up and walked away as soon as I did so - I knew it! My fingers trembling, I hastily unfolded the note.

-------------------------------------------

2717 Mall St

Bridgeport

Midnight Sunday

Under the red streetlight

-Z

-------------------------------------------

I held Song close as my mind was spinning in circles. What did it mean? Was the Z for Zhan? Sunday was only two days from now. Was it trick? Or was it really from Zhan? How to tell?

I finally decided the only way to find out was to go to Bridgeport. I tried to explain it to Papa in a reasonable sort of way, but somehow, when the words poured out, it ended up sounding, well, not very reasonable.

"You want to leave your baby, and just waltz off to Bridgeport because of a note? At least let me see the note, sweetheart. Where is it?"

"Umm..," I motioned to the fireplace. "I .. uh.. burned it. I figured it was safer that way."

I know Papa is afraid I will just leave Song behind and never come back, like my Aunt Heather did with Cindy, but I would never, ever do that.

"I have to go, Papa. I just have to. I promise I will be back in two days. And Aunt Firebloom has already agreed to let me stay with her overnight."

He didn't like it one bit, but in the end he agreed to take care of Song for me until I get back.

Bridgeport is a lot bigger that I expected. I've never seen so much pavement before! It took me a long time to find Aunt Firebloom's apartment building, and then even longer to find a parking spot, but I made it at last. I double checked the address. Yes, this looks like the place.

I rang her apartment, and before long she appeared in the lobby to see me up the elevator. I noticed right away there was something off about her eyes, but thought it must be just the dim light in the lobby. I held my breath as we ascended in the elevator. I've never been in an elevator before - it made my stomach feel all weird.

Uh oh... What have I gotten myself into? I tried to act all casual as I waved at everyone in the room, but inside my stomach was doing flip-flops - and it wasn't from the elevator anymore.

"Attention, everyone, I'd like you to meet my niece, Oleander. She's my brother Brook's daughter. Andee, that is my daughter Nina on the couch, along with my Aunt El, and Uncle Mel. And that's my cousin Talia at the piano. Doesn't she play well?"

I stepped over to the piano to watch Talia - and get away from all those glowy eyes....Why had no one ever told me that all my Bridgeport relatives were vampires?

"So, what brings you to Bridgeport, Andee? I'd be happy to take you out and show you around, if you want." He smiled at me in what seemed like quite a friendly manner, but I couldn't take my eyes off his fangs.

"Uh, ...that's okay... I'm only here for tonight, I'm meeting someone. I need to return to Riverview tomorrow morning, my baby needs me."

"Ah, too bad."

I gradually calmed down a bit as we talked some more, and he didn't appear to be at all unfriendly. 

"So anyway," I concluded after a while, "can you give me directions to 2717 Mall Street?" 

"Oh, no no no, dear heart," my aunt broke into our conversation. "That is a dangerous part of town; you shouldn't go there alone. Isn't that right, Mel?"

I glanced back to Mel. He was nodding in agreement.

"Mel, you should go with her, don't you think?"

I thought about that for about two seconds. Go out alone with a vampire, even though he is my great-uncle or something? Let's see, how about no.

"That's alright, I'm sure I'll be fine. I really think I need to go alone."

Okay, this must be it. Midnight, Check. Red streetlight, check. I kept peeking behind me as I slowly approached. My aunt had been right, this was a scary place.  I was beginning to regret not taking Mel up on his offer to accompany me. All of a sudden, I heard the rattle of loose stones, coming from the foot of a rocky stairway. I must have jumped two feet in the air.

"Eep!" I squeaked as I caught sight of a strange man standing at the bottom of the stairs. He appeared to be checking his watch, but glanced up quickly at the sound of my strangled squeak.

"Andee! You made it! Quick, down here!" the immaculately dressed stranger called out in a low voice. His voice sounded familiar, yet not. I couldn't quite place it. I cautiously made my way down the rough stone steps. He turned away as I reached the bottom, and led me into what appeared to be a storage room. 

When he finally turned around to face me, I gasped in astonishment. No wonder his voice sounded so familiar. It was Zhan's, but with no hint of a Chinese accent.

"Zhan!? Is that really you? What happened to your hair, and your accent? What's going on? I'm so confused!"

"Yes, it's really me, Andee. The real me. Who I was, when we met in China, that was a.. persona.. I sometimes am required to use... for my job."

My eyes widened.

"You mean like a spy?"

"I guess you could call it that."

I could hardly contain my curiosity. "Who were you spying on?"

"Before I tell you, I need to tell you this. I love you Andee. I haven't stopped thinking of you since the day I had to leave Shang Simla. I've wanted to contact you so many times, but couldn't take the risk of putting you in danger. Now my current job is winding down, things are falling into place. I still have enemies out there - this is why I had to meet you in secret like this - but there's not the danger there was in the past year."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Believe me, Andee, when I say that everything that everything that happened between us while we were in China, happened because of my feelings for you, and not for any other reason. But the truth is, I was sent to Shang Simla to keep an eye on you."

 

I was shocked. "You were spying on me? Why?"

He shrugged and smiled. "The Sim Intelligence Agency had set me up to work undercover for them, working for the Chinese government. I was assigned to watch foreign visitors, especially ones who were interested in ancient ruins.  Who knew I would meet a beautiful woman that would sweep me off my feet?"

"I have to go soon," he murmured softly as he pulled me in for a kiss. "I want to come to Riverview soon to see you and Song. Is there an out of the way place we can meet?"

"Lost Willow Park," I whispered back.

"Perfect. Lost Willow Park, Tuesday, 10 pm. Will you be there?"

I nodded as he led me back up the stairs, and watched me until I made it to my car.

When I arrived back at my aunt's, all was quiet. Mel, El and Talia had gone home, and Nina was sound asleep. I could hear Firebloom moving about in her bedroom but I decided not to disturb whatever she was doing in there. Nina snuggled down into her bed as I tucked her blanket in around her. 

Then I carefully climbed the ladder to my assigned bed.  I tried to sleep, knowing that I had to start the long drive back to Riverview in just a few hours, but I lay awake for a long time, mulling over everything that Zhan had said. What would it all mean for Song and me?