Chapter 24: Intervention

When Shepard hears strange noises downstairs early in the morning, he expects to find ghosts, but not vampires. 

Oregon came home late last night, long after everyone had gone to bed, so Shepard assumes Beau is her guest. He doesn't much like the company his daughter has taken up with, but Shepard was a bit wild when he was her age, so he's prepared to cut her some slack. But there is one thing he wants to make clear, "You're a married man, Beau. It won't look good for you to be spending the night here."


"I left my wife, and I live here now, with Oregon."


Shepard doesn't like the sound of that at all, given the way Beau treated Marina, Lilly-Bo and Bianca as his personal harem and buffet. When he questions Oregon about it later, she confirms Beau's assertion, that she invited the vampire to live with them. When he suggested that the move was rather sudden and that she should consider, Oregon became distraught andtearful, insisting she was in love. Shepard backed off, but remained uneasy about the situation.

Shepard brought his fears to Anne, "She says she's in love with him, but just yesterday he was no more to her than one of her friend's fathers. And he's, well, creepy, to put it mildly. But when I tried to talk to her about it, she just got upset with me. I feel like I've failed her, and I don't know what to do."


"Merrick gives me the creeps, too," Anne agrees, "But Oregon is grown up now, you have to let her make her own mistakes. You can't tell her who she loves or doesn't love, she has to figure that out for herself."


"I'd like to kick him out of the house, but I'm afraid she'd follow him," Shepard sighs. He's the leader of the free world but he still can't order the world to do as he bids.


"That would be a bad idea," Anne says, "If you try to come between them, she'll be more determined to stay with him."


"I don't know how I'm going to live under the same roof with him without it getting ugly," Shepard says.


"Maybe it's time you moved out," Anne says, "You could move in here with me and Josiah."


The sudden turn in the conversation shocks Shepard into a brief silence. "I'm still the president, Anne, I'd still be bringing the same baggage with me that you've always said you didn't want."


"I've been selfish," Anne sighs, "I've taken the parts of your life that I wanted and left the rest for you to deal with alone. But you need me, now, and it's time for me to help you shoulder that burden."


With some regret for leaving his daughter in a bad situation, Shepard moves out of the family home and marries Anne in a private ceremony, moving in with her and their son.

Beau is pleased with his new situation, living in this fine house with all its expensive and rare treasures. They even have an ankh shaped incense burner. Vampires love ankhs.

He's taken up painting as a hobby. The hummingbird sucking the sweet sustenance from a flower is a metaphor for himself.

Oregon starts work in the salon. Her first customer is Noemi Goode-Peddler, who needs a new bathing suit.


"It's best when the top matches the bottom," Oregon explains.

Noemi is very pleased with her new matching bikini, and cool shades.


"My pleasure, Noemi," Oregon says, "Why don't you bring Jarret down to the salon sometime. Maybe he'd like a makeover?"  Noemi's husband Jarret is known around town as 'the weird mohawk dude in the hospital gown' and Oregon would like nothing more than to get him into a pair of pants.

Jeffrey Bayless-Castor loves his look, which he describes as 'totally Sgt. Peppers' but he'd like a new pair of shoes.


"Sure, shoes would be a good start," Oregon agrees.

Oregon gives his hair a trim, gets him a new outfit, and, yes, new shoes. "Wow, totally Let it Bleed," Jeffrey says. Oregon assumes that's a good thing.

Carter comes home from school and confronts the new man in his sister's life. "She already has a boyfriend," he informs the vampire. Carter is good friends with Oregon's erstwhile boyfriend Jeromy, and is very hurt by her betrayal.


"Your sister has me now," Beau says, "Stay out of my way, punk."


"At least put on a shirt," Carter grumbles as he backs off. Beau can be very intimidating.

When Oregon gets home from work, it's feeding time for Beau.

In the privacy of her bedroom, he feeds from her neck rather than her arm.

The feeding leaves her light-headed and weakened. But she loves him so much, she's happy to give him her blood.


"You are mine," he says.


"I am yours."

After the feeding comes sex. For Beau, the two acts are intrinsically intertwined. 

Allyson thinks she might succeed in reasoning with her granddaughter where Shepard failed, and sits down to have a serious talk with Oregon. But before she can say a word, she feels and odd tingle.

Sensing despair, Beau comes in to gloat at the misery of others.

She's had a long life and has no regrets about leaving it to join her husband in the next, but could she just have fifteen minutes to talk to her granddaughter?


The reaper says no.

Allyson is laid to rest beside Ewan. Oregon places an award on her grave. Allyson had won many awards as an actress, but this isn't one of them. Oregon wouldn't leave an actual award out where it could get stolen.

Oregon went into work the next day, but they told her to take a bereavement day. Walking in the park, she runs into her mother, Lilly-Bo, who expresses concern about her daughter's relationship with Beau.


"I was wrapped around his finger once, just like you. I thought I would die when Bianca threw me out, but after I was free from him for awhile, I finally saw how pathetic I was. He's a user, Oregon, he's not human, and he's not capable of love."


Her words are wasted, Oregon insists that Beau does love her, and she loves him.


Not long after Lilly-Bo gives up and leaves, Oregon gets a call from Bree asking her to meet her at the Red Rendezvous for lunch.

Oregon shows up to the bar a little early; Bree isn't there yet. But there is a man at the bar who looks familiar. After taxing her brain, Oregon finally comes up with his name, Jeromy, and remembers they used to date back in high school. So she goes over to greet him like an old friend.


There is pain in his eyes when he looks at her, and that makes Oregon feel guilty, though she can't imagine why. "I'm sorry about your grandmother, Oregon," he says.

The mention of her grandmother brings the tears up again, and Oregon falls into his arms to cry, like reflex, because in that moment it seemed like the most natural thing do, like she'd find no better comfort in this world than in his embrace. As soon as he face touches his chest and she breathes his familiar scent, feels his hands on her back, she remembers clearly everything he meant to her once, not in some distant blurry past, but only days ago.

"What happened to us, Jeromy?" she asks him, confused by the gap in her memory between her graduation and her date with Beau in the cemetery. 


"I was wondering that myself," Jeromy answers, "One day we were planning on getting married right after graduation, and the next you're living with Beau Merrick, without even calling me to break up."


"I'm sorry," Oregon says, "Everything has just been happening so suddenly. When Beau moved in, I thought I was single. I guess I...just forgot about you. You must be pretty angry with me."


Jeromy takes her hands, "I'm not angry with you," he answers, "Merrick has done something to you, you aren't in control of yourself."


"That's silly," Oregon protests, but there is something to what he says. How could she have forgotten about Jeromy, when she loved him so much?


"I love you, Oregon, and I know that, somewhere in there, you still love me. Let me help you. Let Bree help you."


"Bree?" Oregon turns and sees that Bree has come into the bar, and is hanging back, watching her and Jeromy.


"Bree can help you, you have to trust her," Jeromy says, "I have to get to work. You call me if you need anything, and I will be there for you," Jeromy says, squeezing her hands before he hands her over to their mutual friend.

"I'm surprised you don't hate me for stealing your father away from your mother," Oregon opens the conversation frankly once she's alone with Bree.


"You didn't steal anyone," Bree answers, "My father is a predator, and he's been stalking you since we were kids. I meant to warn you that night after graduation, but he got into you before I did. I'm angry at myself for not acting fast enough. I should have known he wouldn't wait even a day before pouncing on you."

Oregon hugs her friend. "Bree, I'm so confused. One minute I was on my way here to meet you, the next I was in the cemetery with your father. I feel like there's a whole chunk of my life that's just gone missing. Everyone is giving me dire warnings about Beau, but we seem to be so perfect together."


"That's because my father has your mind under his control, he's made you forget everyone else and think only about him. You believe you love him, but that's a lie he's planted in your consciousness. And he acts like he loves you, but to him you are just prey. He'll stay with you, feeding off you, using you, until you get old, and then he'll find another young victim to prey on."


Oregon struggles with Bree's words. She's always trusted her friend, and wants to believe what she says, but she can't believe her Beau is the monster Bree makes him out to be, despite all the evidence.  "Did you ask Jeromy to come here today?" Oregon asks, putting aside the main issue for the moment. "He seemed to be expecting you."


"Yes," Bree admits, "I counted on some of your memories and will coming back when you saw him. My father has strong mind control, but you and Jeromy were too tight for him to sever the bond completely. I could try to fight my father, I even threatened to do that if he touched you, but the only one who can free you from his control is you. You have to realize what he is and want to get away from him."


A strong compulsion urges Oregon to walk out of this bar and go back to Beau, but if what Bree says it's true, that compulsion is coming from Beau, not from her own desires. So Oregon fights it, trying to discover what she does actually want, to remember the things she's forgotten in these past few days. With some effort, Oregon finds her missing pieces, the promises and plans she'd shared with Jeromy, her real love. "How do I do it, Bree?" Oregon asks, "How do I get him out of my life?"


Bree smiles, "Getting a vampire out of your house is the easiest thing in the world. Rescind your invitation, and he will be compelled to leave. But do it quickly, before he can get your mind under control again. Do not let him feed from you, that weakens your will and brings you further under his compulsion. Don't even let him talk to you, just go home and tell him to leave. And then, if you see him in public, avoid him, don't speak to him, or look into his eyes. Knowing him, he'll look for another victim rather than persist in pursuing you once you've thrown him out. I'll keep my eyes on him, as well, to keep him away from you."

Before she goes home, Oregon goes to visit her father. "Daddy, I'm so sorry," she cries, "I've made such a huge mistake, and I nearly lost all my friends and family for it."

Shepard comforts her and assures her that everything will be all right once she gets rid of Beau. Oregon's stomach churns as she thinks about having to tell Beau to get out of her life. What if she fails, falls back under his spell? Her father tells her she's strong, that she can do it, so Oregon steels herself and drives back home, ready to take control of her life back from the leech who stole it.

Oregon heeded her friend's advice, and made the break up quick, giving Beau no time to respond. "I rescind my invitation. Leave this house and never come back."

Vampires are quick and deadly predators with great powers of the mind, but no human intruder could be compelled to leave by just a word. When the invitation is rescinded, Beau has no choice but to leave the house, and there is no way he'll be able to renter without a new invitation.

Jeromy come as soon as she calls. She tries to apologize for what she put him through, but he insists it's not her fault.
"I'm just happy you're you again," he sighs.


"Will you stay with me?" she asks, "I don't want to be alone."


"I'll stay," he promises, "As long as you want me."

Oregon can't sleep in the bed she shared with the vampire, so she brings Jeromy into her father's vacant room, and the reunited couple quickly pick up where they left off before they were divided.




Challenge Notes:
I had a hard time with deciding to let Shepard go. I prefer to keep my heirs in the family house until death, but Shepard continually rolled wishes to propose to Anne and get married, and once his obligations to the legacy were fulfilled, I couldn't hold him hostage any longer. When he dies I will get his gravestone and bring it back home, so I will at least have his ghost later.


I forgot to mention last time that Allyson did finally get her 5 stars of fame. On the day Ewan died. Small consolation, there.
Now that Allyson is passed, I've removed the stars from Oregon and Carter, because I'm tired of paparazzi and celebrity.


My original intention was to have Oregon marry Beau and have an affair with Jeromy for the half-sibling requirement. But I ended up feeling bad for Oregon and Jeromy, and feeling not much for Beau, so I went with plan B.


Jeromy's traits are Absent Minded, Friendly, Athletic, Neat, and one more I've forgotten, but they add up to Nice Guy in contrast to creepy Beau.