WARNING: Some portions of the following work of fiction contain explicit sex. 
If you are under 18 (or whatever age is appropriate for your location), HIT 
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don't offend yourself by reading further.

The full disclaimer for this work of Vampire Hunter D fanfiction is 
at the beginning of Chapter 1.

=============================================================================
Feathers on the Wind
Chapter 5 Loves Reunion

Ahead of them the road divided.  To the right, northward Ransylva.  To the 
left, southerly and inland, Edo.  "Vampires have been around since before the 
pharaohs, and werewolves are genetic experiments gone nuts.  And all other 
monsters are much the same or mutations from nuclear fall out.  D...that is 
quite the story."

"It's true." He looked over the signs. Edo to the left, Ransylva to the 
right.  A sudden warmth spread through him. A memory of a gentle touch, a 
sweet taste... "Which way?" he asked her.

"It doesn't matter to me.  I'll go where you go." She watched him agonizing 
over their directions.  "How long?"

"Nearly 11 years." He moved his horse to the signpost.  Why was this so hard? 
Why was he dreading to go back?

"In my time, D, very few people kept their promises, that's why I never made 
any.  I'd hate to think that's still true now."  He started to trot Nightmare 
down the road to Edo, then stopped.

'I have to go back.  I gave my word.'  He turned the horse across the grass 
patch between the roads and galloped his way to Ransylva.  Kale close behind.  
"We'll be crossing a small desert." He called to her.  "Then there are the 
moors.  We should reach the village by late morning."



The village had grown. It was nearly twice the size it had been when he'd 
last traveled its streets.  "What's her name?" Kale asked.  They had stood at 
the crest of this hill overlooking the town for close to two hours.  Kale 
hadn't said a word since the signpost.  She knew this feeling D was grappling 
with.  She'd been there.  But sooner or later someone was bound to notice 
them.

"Doris Lang." He said quietly.  "She's...she was a client...years ago."

"She was more than that, wasn't she?"

D could hear the understanding in her voice.  But it didn't seem to really 
help.  "It never should have happened." He said, moving onto a side road, 
when lead to some of the outer farms.  She followed him.
"His name was Moos.  Richard Moos." She said.  "I'd have married him in a 
heart beat if he'd only asked."

"Why didn't he?"

"He didn't want me that way.  And I guess I wasn't ready, and he knew it.  
But still.  If he'd asked, I still would have done it."

They rode in silence after that, Kale breathing deeply the smells of grass, 
barley and corn.  The fields were a patchwork of different crops and grains.  
There was some machinery, tractors and combines, but no cars.  Fuel must have 
been scarce.

Finally, D stopped at a small house surrounded by an elaborate electrical 
fence.  A buzzer unit had been put up since he'd been there.  Determined, he 
pushed the button.

Nothing.  The wind picked up and played with the edges of their cloaks, 
sending strands of their hair to dance in the air.  He pressed the button 
again.

"Maybe they went out," she offered.  He said nothing.  "Come on.  She'll be 
back.  We can wait under the tree over there."

They sat for quite a while.  Kale knew that something like this wasn't easy 
to do, or a love like hers was easy to get over.  "Did he find the one he 
sought?" he asked finally.

Kale looked to him.  His hat drawn over his eyes, cloak tight around him, his 
sword handle peering out from the opening of his cloak.  "I hope so." She 
said.  "He was in the military, so he was most likely on the front lines when 
all hell broke loose."

"If you had the chance, would you go back to him?"

"Yes," A wagon appeared from around the bend, D stood, still in the shade of 
the tree, watching it approach.  The wagon was pulled by the same yellowish 
gold cyborg she had 10 years prior.  Its condition was excellent, like 
Nightmare and Max.  Steady slender hands held the reins, the same hands that 
eased his sore muscles so long ago.  She had grown.  Her hair was longer, but 
she still tied it into two braided pigtails down behind each ear, the ears 
he'd kissed.  She wore pants now and a long T-shirt rather than the skimpy 
dress she'd worn when he first met her.

He stepped out from under the shade and into the middle of the road.  The 
wagon driver's eyes went wide and an ecstatic smile spread across her lips.  
"Dan!  Look!!" she called.

A young man with shoulder length dark hair looked up from staring at the 
floor of the wagon.  His mouth pulled to the broadest grin.  "D!!" he 
shouted.

Kale took the reins of the horses and stayed beneath the tree.  He needed 
this.  The wagon stopped about five feet from him and the woman leapt from 
the seat.  "D!! You're back!!" she shouted, throwing her arms around his 
broad chest.  "Oh God!  D!  Have you been waiting long?"

"D you look great," said Dan, taking the reins of the horse near the bit and 
shaking D's left hand.

D pulled his hand away from Dan's enthusiastic grasp, not wanting him to find 
the sym.  "Dan, you've grown up well."

"A clear six foot three now.  Looks good on me, don't it?"

"Doris..."

"I've missed you so much." She whispered, her tears of joy from seeing him 
again, staining his shirt.

"Hello.  D, who's that?" asked Dan, seeing Kale beneath the tree.

Doris, too, looked up; her heart sank as she saw a tall slim woman with long 
brown hair.  "Doris..." repeated D, finally separating her grasp of him.  
"...Doris, Dan.  This is Kale.  She's traveling with me."

"Oh...welcome.  D, you've been well, haven't you?"  Doris asked, stepping 
away but between D and Kale.  Dan switched off the barrier and led the way to 
the barn.  Doris taking D to the house, asking question after question, not 
really waiting for D to answer.

Dan unfastened the horse from the cart, and showed Kale where she could 
stable the horses.  "So what's this one's name?  I know D's is called 
Nightmare."

"Max.  Steel to the Max actually, but Max for short."

"Hello, Max."  The silver horse snorted and backed away, flattening its ears 
to its neck.

"He's done that to D a few times." She said.  "Max, don't be mean."

"No it's ok.  It's the first signs of a programming slip."

"A what?"

Dan pulled a box from the cupboard with buttons and wire jacks on it, on the 
other side was a tiny screen.  "A programming slip.  If a horse is stubborn 
enough, he can actually break the cyborg programming and return to that of 
the original horse, or what's left of it.  Become psychotic if it were.  It's 
very dangerous."

"Can you fix him?"

"Sure.  Just take me a minute."  Dan plugged a jack into one of the portals 
in Max's maintenance panel, he'd opened on the cheek.  Max became very still 
as the repair device examined the cyborg programming.  "So, where did you 
meet D?"

"The Western World," she said, remembering what D had told her.  "I was a bit 
messed up, and he's been helping me."

"Vampire?"

"No.  I was...severely sheltered, and I was very sick.  He stood by me, when 
no one else would.  He said he'd teach me and we came here.  I got the 
impression that D hated the Western World."

"I've heard that it's pretty wild." Dan turned his attention to the beeping 
device.  "Yeah.   He's got some corrupted files.  Is he a DL4 like 
Nightmare?" She nodded.  "Then we can fix this one right here."  Dan pushed a 
few buttons then hung the device by a strap around Max's head.  "There, 
that'll take an hour or so.  You ok?"

Kale had sat down, her stomach a bit upset.  "Yeah.  I haven't been riding in 
a long while, and I think I may have over did it.  I'll be fine."

Dan sat down next to her.  "Doris has really missed D.  Sometimes at night, 
she stares out the window.  I swear she'd will him back if she had that kind 
of power."

"There's been no one since D?"  Dan shook his head.  She understood.   Though 
she and her love, when parted, each sought the company of another. When they 
met again it was like they never parted, and she never could take another 
into her heart, not when he still held it in his hand.  But now he was dead, 
and she had to move on.

"I think this will be good for her.  So what about you?  Are you nuts for D 
too?  Even though he is a ..."

"Dan," D was in the doorway.  He'd never told Kale what he was, and he didn't 
want her to find out from anyone else, but himself.  "Doris wants your help."

"Sure.  Take care.  I'll show you to your room later." Dan patted D's 
shoulder as he ran by.

"You spoke up, as though you wanted to silence him.  Is everything all 
right." Kale hadn't moved.  Her stomach was still a bit sore.

D went to her and crouched in front of her, a position she couldn't help but 
find extremely sexy, for any man.  He took her hands in his as he spoke.  
"There are things about me that I haven't told you.  Things they know, that I 
don't want you to hear second hand."

"Alright.  So pull up a hay bail.  Lets talk."

He stayed where he was as he explained about himself.  He didn't tell her 
about his symbiot though.  Nothing would force him to tell her about that 
bloody thing.  Nor did he tell her how old he was.  One shock at a time was 
quite enough.  He told her about his occasional blood lust, and that she 
should stay away if it ever happened.  He also told her that like the 
Dhampires of old, he hunted Vampires to kill them.

"Even your own father?" she asked.

"No.  If there is one thing I can't ever do, that is to kill my father.  He's 
not like the others. He rules fairly over his domain, people actually do 
invite him to their table for supper.  I guess you could say, my father, the 
great Count Dracula, is loved by all. Regardless of what he is."

"I'd love to meet the real Dracula."

"Maybe one day you will."  He placed his right hand to her cheek, a gesture 
meant to say thank you for understanding, only when he felt her warmth, he 
tested her forehead. "You feeling all right? Your temperature is up a bit."

"I'm fine.  I think I over did it a little.  It was cold riding all night."

"You should have said something."

"No, besides, if I mentioned every little qualm I've had, I think you'd stake 
me, rather than your next target."
D huffed as he stood pulling her gently to her feet.  "Come on.  We'll help 
with dinner and you can tell me how you know my father."

"What about Doris & Dan?  Won't they hate me for being an Arker?"

"No.  I told Doris, and she understands.  She'll explain, or has already 
explained to Dan.  Since he hasn't tried to kill you, I assume he accepts 
that, and will keep the secret."



D and Kale spent the night talking with the Langs.  Dan had brought down his 
collection of old earth books and maps for her to translate only to learn 
that most of them were in a dialect she couldn't read.  Chinese or Japanese 
or Arabic.  "I've collected them since I was little," said Dan.  "It must 
have been great to live back then. What did you do for a living?  Where are 
you from originally?  What were the people like?"

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Kale begged putting her glass of juice on the 
table.  "One question at a time please.  First off.  It wasn't as great as 
you think.  Trades were far more complicated and you had to spend a lot of 
money on schooling and training just to be able to say you could do 
something.  I, for one, was taught how to fix computers and administer 
networks, but the only job I could get was working as a cashier at a grocery 
store.  I'd only been there a couple months when they grabbed me and threw me 
in the back of a truck."

"Why?" Dan asked.  "I mean why you?  Why not someone else."

"I don't know." She leaned back against the sofa, trying to ease the pain 
that was increasing in her stomach.

"Well, that's enough for tonight," said D.  "We've had a long ride, and I'm 
sure Kale is very tired.  Dan, would you show her to her room.  Doris, I hope 
you don't mind, the sofa was fine the last time, and will be most comfortable 
this time."

"Are you sure?"  She asked, her blue eyes pleading him to come to her room.
D nodded.  He watched as Dan led Kale up the stairs, followed reluctantly by 
Doris.  He turned the lights off and lay back on the cushions.  "Oh 
decisions, decisions," snickered the sym.  "One who's as old as you, who 
can't wait for you to slide into her bed, and the other stewing in her own 
juices from the memory of the last time you were here."

"Enough!"

"What ever shall you do D?" asked the sym., ignoring his command.  "Its not 
like this will ever happen again."

"No, and it won't happen now.  Now go to sleep."

"D, you're a bore.  The old monks had more fun than you." D drew one of his 
daggers and held it to his wrist.  "All right, all right.  I won't say 
another word while we are here."

"Good." He sheathed the blade and closed his eyes.



"Sir!  We're getting a distress beckon from the cell."

"Where is it?" asked the leader, looking over the man's shoulder.

"Sector 23 Delta sir.  ETA 72 hours, if we stay on course, and it doesn't 
move."

"Any indication that the body had died?"

"No Sir.  This is a general distress.  Most likely the body is rejecting the 
cell."

"How much time?"

"Hard to say sir.  It could be the body still doesn't know the cell is 
there."

"Helmsman!"

"Sir."

"I want more speed!  I won't loose this cell.  Not after so long a search."

"Aye, aye Sir."



"D?" Kale called softly from the stairs.

"Over here." He returned, sitting at the table looking through some of Dan's 
books.

Kale sat down on the stairs.  "I think I picked up a bug.  I'm not feeling 
the best."

D went to her and felt her forehead. "You've got a high fever.  Do you still 
have that pain?"

"Yes.  But I assure you it's not what you think."  D understood.  If she had 
been pregnant she would have started to show by now, but sense that wasn't 
the case, this was something else.

"D, what's wrong?" asked Dan, kneeling on the landing.

"Help me get her to the sofa."  The two settled Kale, and D went to the 
kitchen for a bowl of cold water and a cloth.  Returning to her he pulled the 
small coffee table closer, and repeated his care of her when he'd first found 
her.  "Where does your doctor live?"

"We don't have one who lives here anymore," Dan told him.  "There's one that 
comes from Edo every few weeks, but we haven't been able to get one to stay 
for long since Doctor Fearing."

"Its two days straight ride to Edo." D mused.  "Dan take over, I need to 
ready the horses."

"D?  What is it? What's wrong?" asked Doris, descending the stairs in her pjs 
and housecoat.

"Kale's sick," said Dan, as D quickly left.  "D has to take her to Edo." 
Doris quickly ran after D, finally catching up to him in the barn.

"You were just going to leave again?  Without even saying goodbye, again?"

"Doris, this isn't the time for this.  Kale's in trouble."

"I know, but please, don't just leave."

"Doris...Please...We can't be...we never should have been in the first 
place."

"I know.  But blood calls out to blood.  You said that yourself.  And ours 
calls with the same voice.  Please...just hold me even for a moment."  She 
threw her arms around his waist, crying, needing him to hold her one last 
time.  She knew that if he left, she'd never see him again.

"Doris!  It took me years to get over what I did to you.  Please.  Don't ask 
me to repeat what happened."  He pushed her away and began saddling Max.  
"You're jealous of someone you've no reason to be jealous about."

"Yes, I am jealous.  Because she gets to go with you and you welcome her 
company.  I'm angry, because you're leaving.  And you haven't even spoken to 
me about your last visit."

"What do you want me to say?  That I enjoyed taking your blood!  That I was 
honored to be your first?   Doris.  Please these things will always be with 
me, even if you won't be.  I will live long after you're gone, never aging, 
never growing old as humans are supposed to.  Do you think it's easy for me 
to watch my friends..." He slapped the stirrups into place and looked at her, 
her blue eyes calling to him.  "...to watch my friends grow old and die?"  He 
wiped a tear from her cheek with his right hand.  "I will come back.  One 
day.  But don't wait for me.  Find someone who will make you happy.  Have a 
family.  Do these things for me.  Because I can't. Be happy for me, Doris.  
If not for yourself."

"D!  She's getting worse." Called Dan.

"I'll go to her, D.  Dan, help with the horses."



D mounted his horse, Max tied to Nightmare's tail.  Dan held Kale as D 
readied himself, then he reached down and took her.  "She should sleep for a 
while," said Doris.  "If she wakes and is still in pain, give her two of 
these."  She handed him a bottle of pills, meant to help women with cramps, 
when it was their time.  "They're the only pain killers I've got, and there 
aren't many left, so go easy."

"Thank you, Doris."

"No, thank you.  I was being selfish.  I'm sorry.  Take care D.  You'll 
always be welcome in any Lang home.  Dan and I will see to that."  She held 
up a picture frame, in it was a hand painting of D.  "One of these will be 
the house of all our children.  And they'll know all about you."

"Safe journey, D.  And I hope this is nothing they can't fix."

"Thank you both.  I have to go."  As he galloped the horses to the gate, Dan 
pressed a button on a remote.  The barrier switched off and the gate opened, 
just in time for D to not slow down and ran the horses back down the road.

Doris clutched the portrait, the only thing she had, accept her memories.

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