The Heat of the Moment

Disclaimer-I do not own any of the characters to Kyo Kara Maoh


Chapter 16

Greta sat on the bed in Yuuri's room thinking about what was said when she visited wolfram earlier that morning.

Flashback

"I know that you don’t mean that because I didn't raise you to hate your father."

"I do mean it. And I will never forgive him for what he did to you, for what he did to me." Yuu turned and ran out of the room crying.

Wolfram fell to his knees lowering his head. His hands rested on his lap clenched into fists. "Dammit!"

"Poppa," Greta said hesitantly. "Poppa, is it true what Yuu said?"

Wolfram said nothing.

"Speak to me poppa." She took a step toward Wolfram's kneeling form. "Did Yuuri take advantage of you?"

"No! No, he didn't. It wasn't like that. He was drunk . . ."

Greta could hear the tears and pain in his voice. She could also see tears trickling down his face.

"And I . . . could have easily gotten away from him but I . . . I was so lonely. All night I stood there watching as he smiled and danced with all those pretty girls." His tears flowed from his eyes wetting his robe. "I knew that this would probably be my only chance to be with him." Wolfram raised his head staring up at the ceiling as his tears fell back into his hair. "I wanted his love so badly that I lowered myself to let a drunken man take me. I needed his touch that much. One night of drunken passion was all he offered me and I took it with no regrets. Although it may not have meant anything to him, it meant the world to me. . . So, maybe in a way, I did take advantage of him."
Wolfram slowly got to his feet and kept his back turned to her. "I have to get dressed. I have some things to do. Excuse me. Anne will show you the way out." Then he left Greta alone.

'Oh poppa.' She sighed sadly and shook her head.

end of flashback

'What a mess.' Greta sighed staring at her hands resting in her lap. 'You have royally screwed up big time daddy.' She fell back onto the bed and turned her head to stare out the balcony doors at the blue sky outside.

Greta was worried about her parents and she really hadn't gotten much sleep that night. The lids to her eyes were slowly closing when she heard the door open. Snapping her eyes open, she sat up and glared at her father.

Upon walking into his room, Yuuri was happy to see his daughter but the smile fell from his face as he noticed the angry scowl marring her pretty face. He frowned and closed the door behind him. "What’s wrong Greta?"

"I just got back from Wolfram's house," she said still glaring at him.

"So, did you have a nice visit?"

"No, I didn't. Yuu still doesn't like you."

"I kind of figured that," said Yuuri sitting down next to her.

"I also learned of something that you neglected to tell us," she said.

"Oh and what was that?"

"That you were drunk when Yuu was conceived and that you accused wolfram of taking advantage of you the next day." Greta crossed her arms across her chest. Yuuri groaned as he could not bare to see the disappointed look in his little girl's eyes. "Honestly daddy, how could you say something so stupid. You know wolfram would never do something so sleazy. Even if he didn't love you, he would never do something so barbaric. His pride and honor would not allow him to stoop so low."

"I know," said Yuuri burying his face in his hands. "I know. When I remembered what really happened, well let's just say Wolfram was right. I was a wimp." He sighed removing his hands from his face to look up into the face of his daughter. "I should have apologized but I was too embarrassed to admit that I had been the one that had taken advantage of him."

Greta sighed and placed one arm around his shoulders pulling him close. "Well dad, you might still be able to win Wolfram over but it's Yuu I’m worried about."

"Oh, why do you say that?"

"Well, he and Wolfram got into an argument this morning and he said that if he could he would kill you," said Greta.

Yuuri moaned as he rested his head against her shoulder. "I feel so useless. Wolfram wants nothing to do with me and my own son hates me. Maybe I should just leave."

"No, you can't. If you leave now after finding them, they will think that everything they thought and said about you is true." Greta tightened her grip around his shoulders. "You should, no, you have to stay and see this through. You have to show them that you have no intentions of deserting them. And as for Yuu hating you, I think he is more or less angry because you were not there for him like you were for me."

"You have to remember Yuuri. Girls can generally cope without having a father figure in our life. But a boy is different, there is just something special about a boy bonding with his real father. I have no doubt that captain Ellis took care of Yuu and loved him but for a boy, it is through this father/son bond that they know who they are. I wish I knew how to explain this better to you."

Yuuri leaned over and kissed Greta on the cheek. "It's okay. I think I understand exactly what you are trying to say. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Greta said smiling. "So, what are you going to do now? You're not invited to the birthday party."

"And Eric just told me that he was going to postpone his meeting with Wolfram for another week."

"That's not good."

"I know but I will think of something," he said smiling to her. "Now that I have found Wolfram and my son. I have no intentions of leaving here without them."



xxxxx

Wolfram had the backyard decorated with colorful banners and streamers for Dominique's birthday party. The servants had brought out the tables and chairs and placed them beneath the shimmering Rain Tree near the pond. It was only a couple hours until the guests arrived. Dominique was filled with excitement as she put on her prettiest party dress. Esmeralda had returned and was combing out the girl's long hair.

"Oh Esmeralda, I am so glad you made it back in time for my party," said the girl sitting in the chair while swinging her feet back and forth.

"I am also," said the older woman. "Besides, I heard on the wind that there was trouble in Americus."

Dominique sighed as the smile dropped from her face. "Yeah, it seems that brother Yuu and I have different fathers." The girl stared at her reflection in the mirror. "I don't know the whole story but when Yuu met the man he attacked him."

Esmeralda grimaced as she stopped combing the girl's hair. "I bet that wasn't a pretty sight."

"No, it wasn't. Yuu was so angry that I was really scared of him. He had this scary look in his eyes." Tears started to run down her face. "Every since then, Yuu and poppa have been different."

"Different, how?"

"Well, they have become so quiet. Before we use to always talk and laugh now they hardly say anything to each other." She buried her tear stained face into her little hands and sob helplessly. "Yuu hates him so much. I think he would have killed that man if I hadn't stopped him."

Esmeralda pulled Dominique out of the chair and held the weeping child in her arms. Her hands moved in gentle circles as she tried to sooth the upset child. "It's okay sweetheart. Everything will be all right."

"No, it won't. Nothing will ever be the same again and it's all that man's fault. I wished he had never came here."

"There there, you'll see. Everything will work out in the end," said Esmeralda stroking the girl's silky purple colored hair. “I know everything may look bleak now but it will get better. I promise."

"I hope so," said Dominique wiping the tears from her eyes. "Because I don't like seeing my family so torn."

"So will I meet this mystery man at the party tonight?"

"No, daddy said he didn't invite him. He only invited my uncles and their families, my adopted sister and grandmother," she said.

"Too bad." said Esmeralda. 'I wanted to see this man that has all of Wolfram's heart.'

Dominique pursed her lips as she spoke again. "And he also invited someone called the great stage or the great slade . . .

"You mean the Great Sage," said Esmeralda arching a delicate brow.

"Yeah, that's it. Do you know him?"

"No, but I have heard of him." She smiled as she sat Dominique on her feet and straightened the wrinkles out of her dress. "There, you're all ready. Don't you look pretty."

Dominique wore a pretty pink gown made of silk with ruffles and lace. She wore a pair of matching silk pink slippers on her feet. Then Esmeralda placed a thin golden serpent ban on her head. Dangling from its mouth was a small diamond that rested against the center of her forehead. Esmeralda wore the same style except that instead of a diamond, the serpent in her ban was an emerald.

"This ban is to signify to all that you are an apprentice and a member of the Coven."

Dominique smiled at her teacher and hugged her.

xxxxx

Suddenly there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Enter," said Esmeralda. Wolfram opened the door and smiled as he gazed upon his daughter. "Dominique, you look beautiful." He walked into the room and lifted her into his arms.

"Thank you daddy." The child giggled and squirmed as her father nipped her on the neck. "Look daddy," she said pointing at the golden headban. "Esmeralda said that I'm her . . . prentice and that I am also a member of the Coven."

Wolfram arched a brow at the witch.

"Well, she always was my apprentice. This makes it official."

Wolfram smiled and then turned back to his little girl. "Congradulations, my little witch angel." He tickled her on the side. She giggled and squirmed in his embrace.

"Are you ready?" He kissed her cheek and placed her on her feet. "The guests will be arriving soon go tell your brother. I believe I last saw him in his room."

"Okay daddy." Dominique said happily and skipped out of her room.

"So Wolfram, how have you been?" Esmeralda asked.

Wolfram sighed as he sat on the foot of the bed. "I take it you heard about what happened?"

"It was hard to miss. The wind kept whispering to me about a fight between your son and the demon king of Shin Makoku."

Wolfram lowered his head shaking it slowly. "I should have listened to Ellis. He wanted me to take Yuu to meet Yuuri when he was younger." Then he laid back against the bed. "He warned me that the longer I kept Yuu away from his real father the deeper his anger toward Yuuri would become. It seems his warning has come to pass."

"So, why didn't you?" asked Esmeralda sitting beside him.

"I was afraid that he would take Yuu away from me."

"Ellis wouldn't have let that happen."

"What could he do about it? After all, Yuu is Yuuri's child. He had every right to take him. Then I became terrified when I thought of something else. What if Yuu wanted to stay with his father because . . . well, Yuuri just has this aura about him. Anyone he comes into contact with, he just has this way of getting them to side with him." Wolfram smiled. "I don't know if that's because of Julia or because it's his nature but I knew that if Yuu met him he would not want to come back with me."

Esmeralda turned her head. "You don't give your son much credit, do you?" she stared up at the ceiling. "Do you really think any child would leave the parent that birth him and took care of him for someone that didn't even know he was alive?"

"I don't know anymore," sighed Wolfram. "Right now, I am so tired of this entire situation."

"Well then, if you are tired, don't you think it's about time you did something about it. Wolfram," said Esmeralda sitting up and staring down at him, "I have known you since you arrived on my doorstep wanting to do something wonderful for your husband. From what I've seen and what you have told me, you have always done things to please other people whether its letting your true love marry someone else or giving Ellis a beautiful daughter, it's time you did something for yourself." She raked her fingers through the golden bang that rested across his forehead. "What is it that you want?"

"I want . . . I want . . . What I want is to be with Yuuri. I want Yuuri to love me as deeply as I love him. I thought that being separated from him would make the pain and the need for him go away but it doesn't. It just makes it worse as the years go by."

"Yes, I know the feeling. I felt as you do now. When my husband died, I moved into the forest to get far away from all those painful memories." Esmeralda leaned against one of the thick post of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "But no matter how far I went I could not outrun those memories of all the good times we shared."

"So what did you do?"

"I'm sure the answer to my situation probably won't help you. I mean our situations are different. Whereas my husband is dead, the person you love is still alive."

"You maybe right but I would like to know what you did."

"Well," she smiled. "I realized that I could either drown in the misery and the memories of my past. Or I could move forward. And although I live by myself in the forest, I have moved on with my life. I know that Renaud would not want me to mourn."

"So what do you think I should do?"

"I repeat. You should do what you want to do." She looked into Wolfram’s face and the blonde turned to face her. "My friend, this is your life no one else can live it for you not me, Yuu, Dominique or your demon king only you can decide what makes you happy." She stood up and smooth out the wrinkles in her dress. "Now, we should go and make sure the birthday girl is still clean. She has a knack for getting dirty and looking so innocent about it."

Wolfram took her outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet. "Thank you for your advice, Esmeralda."

"Anytime." She linked her arm around his and they walked out of the room.

xxxxx

It was finally time as the guests all arrived together. It was just a small affair for family and friends. As wolfram had taught her, Dominique stood beside her father to welcome her guests. Eric was first to enter the backyard with Derrick and Corwyn in tow. Each man held a brightly colored wrapped gift. Wolfram asked them to place their gift on the table that was next to the dinner table. Following behind them was Gwendal, the elder demon grunted as way of greeting his brother. Then he knelt down before his niece.

"So little one, how old are you today?" asked Gwendal.

"I am six uncle Gwenal," she said smiling up at him.

"I thought she was already six." The elder demon looked up at his brother frowning.

"No, she's six now," said Wolfram.

"Yeah. I am this many years old uncle Gwenal." She held up three fingers on each hand.

The adorable way she called him uncle Gwenal made the elder man want to scoop her up into his arms and hug her to death. 'She's so cute.' Gwendal’s one weakness. Things that are cute and no one was as cute as both of his little nieces. As a small smile touched the corner of his lips, he cupped her chin with one of his hands. "I hope you like Gunter and my gift. We made it for you with our own two hands." He held the bright red gift up for her to see.

"Ooohhhh," Dominique said with wide-eyed awe as she reached for the present.

"Not until later." Gwendal held the gift out of her reach. She pouted at him and she was just too adorable for her own good. The elder demon was almost tempted to let her open her present.

"If it's what I think it is I'm sure she will love the gift, brother," said Wolfram smiling at his eldest brother. "So where is Gunter?"

"He sends his apologies. He wanted to come but he wasn't feeling well," said Gwendal.

"And you didn't stay with him?" The blonde looked apalled at his brother.

"I wanted to stay but he ran me out of the room saying something about getting me out from under his feet. Then he told me to enjoy my day with my family."

Then Conrad along with his family walked around the back. Dominique squealed in excitement when she saw her cousins. The twins gathered around Dominique talking a mile a minute.

"Welcome to my home, brother Conrad," said Wolfram embracing his brother.

Conrad was taken aback at the behavior of his little brother. It was weird having his beloved little brother back. They had been apart for so long until the elder man thought they would never be able to seal up the rift in their relationship. But here was Wolfram welcoming him to his home and hugging him. This truly has turned out to be a wonderful day for him.

"Thank you for inviting us," said Conrad smiling.

"Hey brat, don't I get a hug," said Josak smirking at the blonde. "I am your brother-in-law." And not waiting, he pounced on the blonde hugging him tight. Conrad chuckled as he watched his little brother fight off the playful affection of his orange hair husband.

"Wolfe," came his mother sultry voice. She grabbed Wolfram and held him tightly in the crevice of her bosom. "Wolfe dear, I wished you had sent me a letter telling me about all the handsome men this side of the world had."

"Oh mother," the blonde rolled his eyes but it had no effect since his face was still planted between her bosom. He just sighed and let her hold him. He heard the Great Sage say something. Wolfram just raised a hand acknowledging him as his mother began to rock him from side to side in her arms. "I really missed you," she whispered in his ear.

Wolfram smiled and looked up into her wet jade colored eyes smiling. "I missed you too but if yoU tell anyone, I’ll have to deny it."

They heard Gwendal clearing his throat and the two reluctantly separated.

"Where did my pretty little granddaughter sneak off to," said Celi happily.

"Well Wolfram, it seems that Dominique would rather play than greet us old folks," said Conrad chuckling.

Wolfram turned to see his little girl playing with Rachel, Roland and Shadow. The big cat playfully pounced on the children as they laughed and wrestled with the panther.

Wolfram sighed as he watched the children roll around on the ground. "Well, it is her party and she can do what she wants." He shrugged his shoulders.

Just then the maid, Anne, walked out to the backyard and informed them that dinner would be served shortly. Wolfram told her to wait until everyone was seated before serving dinner.

As Anne walked back into the house, Yuu and Esmeralda walked out of the house. It was awkward at first considering the last time Yuu saw his uncles. He was trying to annihilate his own father, their king. But the boy just pushed it out of his mind as he nodded in greeting to his uncles.

"Well, and who is this lovely young woman," said Murata smiling as he took Esmeralda's hand kissing the back of it.

Wolfram rolled his eyes shaking his head at the antics of the so called wise man, Ken Murata. "Esmeralda Dupre, this lecher is the great Sage, Ken Murata."

"So you're the legendary wise man of Shin Makoku," she said smiling.

"Yes I am and if there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

Wolfram walked up to the man and slapped his hand forcing him to release Esmeralda's hand. "If she wants to be groped, she can just walk down a dark alley." Then wolfram steered her toward his family and friends. "This is my elder brother Conrad Weller and his husband, Josak Gurierre. And those two little ones playing with Dominique are their children, Roland and Rachel."

"Yuu was right," said Esmeralda holding out a hand to Conrad. "You are the spitting image of Corwyn except for the hair." She looked from Conrad to Corwyn back to Conrad. "I guess that must be a family trait."

"What is?" asked Conrad.

"The kindness and gentleness in your eyes."

"Yes yes and it all belongs to me," said Josak taking her hand away from his husband and shaking it. "Nice to meet you, lady Esmeralda. I hope our little Wolfie poo hasn't been too much of a headache."

"Josak!" shrieked Wolfram as he quickly turned the giggling Esmeralda to meet the rest of his family. "This is my eldest brother Gwendal von Voltaire and this is his stepdaughter Gisela von Christ. Gunter is my brother's husband and Gisela's father. He could not make it as he was not feeling well."

"It is a pleasure to meet you lord von Voltaire," She held out her hand and the stoic man took it kissing the back. "Lady Gisela." She nodded her head in greetings to the healer. "I hope the illness isn't serious."

"Thank you for your concern but it's nothing serious. He's just pregnant," said Gisela smiling.

"And this lovely young woman here is my mother, Cecilie von Spitzweg," said Wolfram.

"Oh Wolfie, you're so sweet calling your mother young and lovely," Cecilie threw her arms around him and pulled him into a smothering hug. Once again, he did not fight her overzealous embrace. Although he would never admit it aloud, he really missed her hugs. "So tell me lady Dupre, how is it you come to know my little Wolfie?"

"Well, I'm the one who helped him to conceive Dominique," said Esmeralda.

"I thought there was something familiar about the spirit energy coming from you," said Murata smiling. Everyone looked at him puzzled. His smile widened as his eyes locked with those of Esmeralda. "It seems that lady Esmeralda is a member of the Coven."