ihadabadday | The Black Book - AU - Locked to seaweed

Sherlock smiled softly. "I think I would have liked to meet your father." He said. "He sounds like a good man. I am glad that you seemed to have gotten more from him than from your mother." Sherlock took his hand and squeezed.

"You and I against the world. Always." He held John's hand, ready for anything.

"Don't let go." John said as the portal started to appear around them. He let out a breath and then squeezed tightly. In a blink they were gone.

This form of travel always threw John for a loop. He stumbled a bit when they arrived, still clinging to Sherlock's hand. He steadied himself against the vampire and then smiled up at him.

"I won't. Sherlock said, and squeezed.

He had never gone through a portal before. He felt like he was going upside down and turning around and when they arrived a moment later, he was still holding John's hand, but he was a pale grayish color and he was holding his mouth shut, trying not to vomit.

"Ah, the great Sherlock Holmes." She purred, bowing low. "Not the best first impression, this. " She smiled at her son.

"Japhrimel, It's been too long." He turned back to Sherlock who was starting to look a little less nauseous. She bowed formally. "Sherlock, son of the First Blood M. My name is Malthyne, Old One Demon. It is good to finally meet you. I am sorry that it took almost half a year to do so." She looked over at her son, then got up from her bow. "I assume you are to wait here with me while Japhrimel goes to the Underworld. I.. wouldn't think that a Vampire would be welcome there."

"He's going with us Mum." John said stubbornly as he shifted from human to demon. With his free hand, he carefully pulled off his pendant and offered it to Sherlock to wear. "You should be relatively safe with that on."

He then looked to his mother, as if challenging her to say something. "Just think of what this will do to smooth out demon and vampire relations."

Sherlock was surprised by this. He thought that Martha and himself were both going to wait there for John. "John, are you sure?" He asked. "I don't want to cause you trouble. I wonder if it would better if I didn't? If you want me to, I will, though."

Martha thinned her eyes. "I cannot and will not keep him safe. If a Demon sees fit to attack him, I will not protect him. Know this, Japhrimel. If he stays here, I swear that he will come to no harm. If he goes to the Underworld, I can make no such promises."

John looked at her. He snarled at his mother. "That pendant was Dad's. The one that allowed him to have a demon appearance. Now Sherlock is going with us." He said coldly.

"Sherlock put the pendant on. Mother, summon us an entrance. Or should I do it myself?"

Sherlock put the pendant on. He didn't feel any any change or any different, but when he looked at his hands, they looked like demon hands, thicker and veinier with short, blunt, thick claws at the end of each finger.

Martha, for her part, just rolled her eyes. "On your head be it." She said, and with a flick of her hand, a blood red portal appeared. She walked through, and disappeared on the other side.

John glared at her and then looked at Sherlock. "You can stay here if you want." He said after a moment, "But I'd like if you came with."

He touched the vampire's shoulder, smiling at him. He then pulled back and went through the portal.

Sherlock looked down at the pendant. It was glowing slightly, a very soft white blue color. It had apparantly kept John's father safe, he had to assume that his death had nothing to do with other Demons. He could only hope that it would keep him safe as well. He rook a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stepped through.

When he opened his eyes, it looked like he was in a giagantic underground cave. The ceiling was hundreds of feet high, and it had to be several miles long in both directions. It was lit with torches that seemed to burn evenly and brightly. He had to assume they were magical and never went out. They were enough to light most places, though there were still shadows and dark areas, especially above the ground level.

They were on a large, flat hill, more of a plateau, and below them was a whole city. The buildings were made out of the same rocks as the caves. They were tall and short buildings, some reaching almost to the ceiling. And it was bustling with life. Demons sold wares, or were walking from place to place, or chatting with other Demons. It was like a very scaled down version of London. Still busy and bustling, but much, much smaller.

"Wow." Sherlock had no other words. It was like another world, but in a way, it wasn't. They went about their lives like the people on the surface did. Except that it was dark and dank and underground, and very hot and stuffy, as there was very little airflow here. Sherlock was already starting to sweat, and he had just arrived. He wondered if that would give him away and he looked back, but the portal was gone. He was stuck here until they left.

Or worse.

He nervously went over to John, in his Demon form, and held his hand. Now that he was seeing true Demons, he saw the difference, including with Martha. True demons were much larger than John was, closer to 10 feet tall. Their skin had a red hue and their wings and horns were larger and jet black. It was easy to tell that John was a half demon, one of them but not quite. And when Sherlock looked at his skin, he saw that he looked like a half demon as well. Maybe that was for the best, he thought, it might be easier to pull a half Demon disguise off. He hoped.

John squeezed his hand and walked after his mother. The demons were giving them a wide berth. He remained quiet as they walked, not wanting to draw more attention to them. He let out a breath.

It was odd being back. He hadn't come often with his mother, choosing to stay in the human world with his father.

Soon enough they were at the healer's.

The fact that they were walking with an Old One worked to their advantage No demon dared get near them, and so none of them were able to see through Sherlock's disguise. Still, he could feel himself sweating, and hoped that they couldn't see. He was tense, on eggshells, afraid that his disguise would fall any time and he would be found out.

But he was not.

They entered a shop that had a sign with writing that Sherlock didn't know- it must have been in a Demonic language. It looked like any other shop from the outside, but once they stepped in, it was like another world.

It was full of shelves of ingredients, little glass jars and tall jars and buckets everywhere labeled with Demonic script. There were rich carpets on the floor and some sort of sweet incense in the air that made Sherlock tingle with warmth, but not in a bad way.

A Demon was looking at them. Even as Demons went, he looked old, his hair was silvery white and his wings, folded back, were ragged.

"Welcome, Malthyne, daughter of Beelzebub." He said, bowing low to Martha. "And welcome, Japhrimel, son of Hamish Watson, of the Upper World." And he finally turned to Sherlock. "And welcome, Sherlock, son of Enoch, and Turned by Mycroft." He turned back to Martha, keeping his eyes averted down. "What brings you to my humble shop, oh Eldest of Elders?"

That shocked Sherlock. When he looked down, his disguise was gone. He looked like a vampire again. He panicked and looked at the door, but there was no door there now. It was just the three of them in this room.

Oh shit.. was this a setup? Was he about to die?

"Thank you, Cagnazzo The Wise." Martha bowed softly. "I am here concerning my son. He has become.. with child... " She spat out those two words. "With this vampire you see before you. I beseech you to assist my son in carrying and birthing this child safely to completion.

Cagnazzo's eyes went wide, and he looked at John. "Is.. this true?" He asked, astonished.

John stepped through the door, feeling a sense of relief. He looked down at his now human form. He looked up at the other demon. He bowed his head in greeting. It was a sign of the station given to him by his lineage.

"It is true Cagnazzo." He said after a moment, "Sherlock is my mate."

"As I live and breathe." He walked around Sherlock, taking in every part of him, like he was a specimen in a museum. "I've never actually seen a Vampire." He said. There was no malice or anger in his voice. He was not upset at there being a Vampire in his presence, like most Demons would be. He was... fascinated.
And then he turned to John, who because of changing into his Demon form before, had no shirt on. Martha, of course, had specialty clothing that fit both forms, so she still maintained her dignity, despite being a demon.

"Turn back into a demon this instant! I hate seeing that... human form of yours." She snapped in a low voice at John.

The healer took a few herbs and sprinkled them on John, causing a cooling almost numbing feeling. "That will help with pain and nausea that you have been feeling, at least for a few days until it wears off." It smelt of ginger and peppermint. "The ginger and peppermint are natural herbs to help nausea. I suggest you seek them out once this wears off."

John looked at her, frowning. "I didn't change myself." He hissed, "It happened the moment I walked through the door. Much like my magic not working with Sherlock." John was so much like his father. He refused to back down from anything or anyone. Daniel Hamish Watson was a force in his own right.

He looked back to the healer and then coughed. "Thank you. Luckily those are easy to find in the Upper World."

She looked at him, confused. You are a demon. You use magic to look like a human. If your magic was nullified here, then you should look like your true form, your Demon form.

The healer didn't want to get in the middle of the argument, but neither did he want it to continue, so he chimed in, hoping that he could change the subject. "This is a very rare occurrence, and there is little written on the spawn of Demons and Vampires, and even less for half Demons, so some of the information that I have read may not be as relevant for you, Japhrimel." said Cagnazzo.

"I have some herbs here that I want you to take every day. They should help your body not reject this child. Since this is a.. rather short notice, I hope that you will not mind that it will take me a few short minutes to mix and grind up the powder." He bowed in apology.

"A warning. The herbs taste terrible, they are very bitter. You can add some natural unprocessed sugar, I think the humans call it Turbanado, to it. But do not add anything else. And do not eat anything within an hour before or after taking it. It is a very specific formula, and adding something to it could lessen it's effect. I suggest taking it right before sleeping, as it can sometimes cause dizziness or nausea, but usually if its taken right before bed, those symptoms are lessened or not felt at all."

While he was speaking all this, he went back to start gathering materials. "Also, since this offspring is half vampire, you will have to drink the blood of the one whose seed took." He looked over to Sherlock, who blushed and looked away. "It will not have to be a large amount, but I would suggest drinking every 2-3 days. You will have to be careful not to drain too much too often, but you want enough that between the blood and the powder, your offspring will grow safely inside of you. "

He started to pour things into a very large mortar and pestle. "I have had to guess slightly at this formula, as the original was for full Demons, so I cannot guarantee that even with my help this offspring, or yourself, will survive. And I do not know what will be of your progeny, whether it will even be able to survive the gestation and birth, and if if it be viable outside the womb. This is simply a never before seen event."

Cagnazzo was hard at work mixing ingredients. "I will suggest that when it is time to birth, that you return here, and we will assist, my assistants and myself. We will have the best knowledge of how to bring this... new type of creature into the world. "

John's head spun with the influx of new information, but he nodded, taking it all in. He didn't look at his mother, instead focusing on Cagnazzo and knowing that his mate was close at hand. If his sire didn't already know, they would have to tell him soon.

Great.

He took the mixture from the healer and nodded. "Thank you. I am hoping this child will be able to survive and grow to be strong." John was scared that something would happen and that he could potentially lose his life. But, it was a risk he was willing to take.

For Sherlock and their future family.

"I do hope so as well, as I really want to be able to study the child." He quickly put up his large, taloned hands. "Nothing to hurt it of course, just to study how it looks and acts, what abilities it has or doesn't, what kind of traits that it had from both it's sire and dam, and other various information like that. I would like to think that for the price of me helping you with the medicine, that you will indulge me that, at least. I will even come to the surface for you, if you don't wish to bring it down here. " said Cagnazzo.

John nodded. "Of course, as long as it doesn't harm the babe and my mate doesn't go feral." He said, "I am more than happy to help move science forward."

He resisted the urge to put a hand on his belly. No doubt his mother would find it distasteful.

"Anything you think I should stay away from?"

Sherlock noticed the twitch as John went to move his hand protectively to his belly but stopped. He had no such compunctions about stopping, so he walked over to John, gave him a kiss, and put his hand on his mate's stomach, which of course drew a sound of surprise and disgust from his mother.

"This is so unprecedented." Cagnazzo replied, adding more of some sort of leaf to the powder and grinding it down. "It is honestly hard to say. I would suggest that you not work, and that you limit your stress and physical activity as much as you can. Light activity is fine, I mean mean no heavy lifting, or running marathons or moving furniture." He was quiet as he added up some numbers and then added something else.

"I know you won't like it, but I would very strongly suggest bed rest for as much as you can. I know it will get boring, so find a hobby like reading or drawing or knitting or something you can do in bed. Normal human gestation is about 36 weeks, but it is very unlikely that this offspring will gestate for that amount of time. It is going to be a struggle to keep it alive, so the longer it can stay inside and grow, the better. I would prepare that it will be born early, and we will have to have be cared for by the healers for a time until it is strong enough to be viable in the human world."

"Of course." He nodded. Thirty six weeks of bedrest. He was going to get bored fast, but it would be worth it. John let out a breath and relaxed back against Sherlock.

"I want this child to be healthy and grow up with love." He said. He knew that Sherlock and he had plenty of that to give. It was just ensuring that their child got to meet them.

John didn't glance at his mother, he would probably yell at her. He took a breath and then stepped forward towards the counter. "What would be the best way to contact you if I had questions or needed you Cagnazzo?"

Cagnazzo's face lit up. "Oh! I have just the thing!" He put down his mortal and pestle and came back with what looked like a little black rock, a smooth pebble you would find in a river. But when he put it in John's hand, it pulsed with magic.

"Just rub it for a few second, until it is warm, and then whisper the word E'oelo. It means 'speak' in Demon. That will summon me, or well you still be able to speak to me. I won't come to you automatically." He patted John's hand once, like a grandmother bestowing a gift on a grandchild, and then went back to the mortal and pestle.

"Almost done." He said. "Any other questions?"

John took the stone and closed his fist around it. "No. That is everything that I can think of. Sherlock, do you have any questions?" He asked.

Alright. So his mother was against this. What would Sherlock's sire say? Well, he couldn't worry about that now. They had to first get out of the Underworld and back home.

He put his free hand over Sherlock's and rubbed the spot where a ring would be if they were married.

Sherlock did have a question, but it was one that he was a bit loathe to ask, especially with John's mother right there. So he decided to go a bit roundabout with it.

"You said no strenuous activity." Sherlock said. He hated that he could feel his cheeks heating up as he blushed.

Cagnazzo laughed. It was apparent that he got the idea of what Sherlock was asking. "Yes, you can do that. Try to keep it fairly simple and not to strenuous, but it sometimes can help with hormonal changes."

A few moments later, he took the powder that he had mixed and put it in a small fabric bag, and then tied up the top with a small ribbon. He handed it to John.

"It doesn't look like much, but this should be enough for 30 weeks. There is a spoon inside. Take one spoonful and put it into a glass of water and stir it up until you can't see it any more. Add the natural sugar if you wish, then drink it as fast as possible. I honestly don't think you will even make it to 30 weeks, but if you do, I can make more. That should be everything."

He flushed and looked down, shuffling his feet a bit. That was good to know. Sherlock might go stir crazy if he couldn't have sex for thirty six weeks. John knew he would.

The half demon looked up and took the bag. He smiled gratefully at Cagnazzo. "Thank you. I will do everything that I can to keep this child in for as long as I can."

He then looked up at Sherlock and then over to his mother. "Shall we go?"

"I wish you the best of luck." He smiled and bowed again to Martha.

She gave Sherlock a bit of a glare, then opened a portal and walked through, John and Sherlock following behind.

When it closed, Martha turned to her son. "I have held my end of the bargain. I have put you in touch with a healer who should help you through this journey." Her voice was harsh at first, then she sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Japhrimel." She said, sounding almost.... defeated. "You know that I do love you. You are my son, and I want the best for you. I am worried about you. I do not want you to die because you decided to do something that no one has ever done before." She looked over to Sherlock, then back to John.

"This is dangerous, what you have decided to do. And you... are my last link to Hamish. I truly did love him. I knew that I would lose him, but when you were born, you have the Old Blood running through your veins. I... don't want to lose you too."

The Black Book - AU - Locked to seaweed_writes

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