Klaire told Carl basically everything in order, that she knew off, leaving out the stuff about her and Kyubi.

"...Lastly, you, Kyubi and I need to talk in private after this." Carl looked curious, but asked who was next.

Now that they all knew the boundary that Klaire had set, the others reported much more smoothly and Carl was astonished at how much they were telling him and complaining about their workloads.

"Guys, I'm sorry I was gone for so long and still have things to do. As soon as I'm done making a scene, I'll help you all out I promise. Can you everyone organise a rota and I'll rotate through you all so I can help you all."

The joy on his face was unmistakable, relieved at feeling needed for the first time in a while.

"Well, if we're all done, maybe we should go to Lunelia. You can give Majesty a bit more freedom to act as she sees fit to fulfill her duties. I think that might be the best place to talk as well."

Carl opened a portal and they stepped through, he gave the order for Majesty to do all in her power to contain The Carrion. He also spent some time going through her mutation and evolution options which included a way for her to mark non Carrion-Hunter organisms as hive-mind conduits and order telepathic commands to her offspring directly.

As a result of the mutations, she grew larger and noted that she had the ability to create new types of offspring, whilst also able to produce offspring at a much faster rate.

"Well, whilst Majesty is getting to work on that, why don't you tell me what you need to tell me?"

"First of all Carl, I'm sorry, I have already spoken to everyone about this stuff and Gillian rightfully pointed out that was disrespectful."

"Oooookay... I appreciate that and I'll thank him."

"Carl, let me just say this, okay? I'm should have said this sooner, but we don't have sex enough and I've been wondering if you aren't attracted to me in that way, or maybe that I'm just not good at it..."

Carl blushed and started trying to ask not to have this talk in front of Kyubi. "Carl, this is serious. You are a married man, stop acting like an embarrassed child."

The harsh tone Kyubi spoke in made him realise this was a chat that needed to happen, he also appreciated the fact that Kyubi was apparently there for her.

"Klaire, I'm sorry if I neglected you. I kept myself busy thinking there would be time to enjoy life with you after and I was wrong. I promise I will make more time to be your husband and our children's father..."

"Well, there's more as well..." Klaire interjected. "...Aside from power, I also got Dracula's hunger and thanks to that and the power, my desires have gotten kind of crazy. Before you woke up after the fight, I was watching your divinity pulse through you and having to restrain myself. Do you still love me?"

"What!? Of course I still love you, I'm sorry for running off and not staying and making sure you were okay. I promise I'll do my best to help with all of it."

"That will be great, thank you... Now I need you to know I fully approve." As she said it, Kyubi moved forward and kissed him, stunning him in place.

'Klaire said she approved, did she mean this? No, she couldn't have meant this...'

Carl, broke the kiss and backed up. "Kyubi, what are you doing? Klaire I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hesitated, I was surprised and after you said you approve I got distracted... I'm an idiot, for a second I thought you meant you approve of that..."

"I did."

"Carl, I love you. I have done since you rescued me from my sanctuary back on earth and gave me Ki-ko. I was sworn to secrecy under a contract with Lillim, but when Klaire consumed Dracula's soul, she became powerful enough for me to challenge for my right to confess. After she stole Faylorna's experience and knowledge, we had our duel in front of everyone and Klaire, threw the match to avoid killing me accidentally."

"Okay, this is a lot... Klaire, you knew?"

"Carl, everyone has known from day one, except you. I wasn't thrilled about it at first, but then I realised that was just because I was used to the shallow girls on SATS drooling over your body. Kyubi loves you for all the reasons I do, how can I possibly hate her for wanting to be there for you?"

"Well, you're a better person than me clearly. If another guy made a move on, I'd probably kill him."

"On that note... I think I'm attracted to her sexually myself."

Carl stood dumbfounded. "Is this a joke? How the hell am I supposed to respond to all this?"

"Carl, it's not a joke, I love you and I have truly been beating myself up over this since I realised after my desires went crazy."

"It's true, sh-"

"Sorry... I can't deal with this..."

"I'm so sorry Carl, I understand if you need to think about it all."

"Right... You two haven't... Done anything have you?"

"After our duel, I was so weak from the backlash of solar flare I passed out, I apparently fed on her divinity to restore myself and got gropey. Nothing else before or since, we tried to avoid each other as much as possible to avoid me giving in to my psycho-banshee hormones."

"Thank you, I-i think I'm going to go. I have no right to tell anyone what I can and can't do, but can you two not do anything else whilst I'm thinking please? Oh, if you need some of my divinity I have some blood vials."

"I appreciate it, but I don't drink blood, I pierce the skin, but only to get to the divinity channels. I'll control my appetite until you come back if I have to lock myself in Faylorn."

"Don't, if it gets that bad ask Sis to message me, you shouldn't have to act like an outcast just because of your needs."

Klaire started crying and Carl couldn't understand why.

"Sorry, I just kind of wish you yelled at me, called me names, anything. I honestly felt so bad I thought you would hate me forever admitting all this, having you act so lovingly even now, makes me realise how awful I am to even think about being with someone else."

In spite of himself and his own feelings, Carl went and hugged her. "I guess it's natural for people our age to be curious, have to admit that Alysse made me wonder if you would ever be tempted to by a girl. I also know that lots of races have multiple partners, but you're a banshee so you can only love me. I don't want to act rashly and waste your only chance at love."

Klaire cried harder and ranted inaudible gibberish as slapped his arm, her idea for how things would go completely wrong in the face of his almost universally accepting nature.

"Sorry to you too Kyubi, I can't answer right now..."

"That's actually better than I dared hope. Klaire isn't in the state to tell you, but Gillian said you're welcome at his home."

"No. I'm going to earth. I want to stay where I grew up whilst I deal with this, I also want to see if they have found any orphans and check in with Gaia and Rhea. Then I'm going to get Archyon finished, whatever I decide the I promised to help bring her race back and I've been pretty slack on that."

"You sure you aren't making somewhere to hide me away? I don't mind, I always knew confessing would have consequences, I'd just rather know."

Carl, tried to think of a way to show beyond doubt that he intended to sincerely think about it but failed miserably with his head in a mess. In the end he just gave them both a kiss on the cheek and left with the words "I promise I'll think."

He left and arrived at his childhood home, welcomed by the pet he left behind and a couple of the locals.

"Carl! How are you, Boy?" The man was about six and a half feet tall and a lump of solid muscle, his brown hair messy from cutting it himself with a knife in a mirror.

"Dave! Feels like forever. Sorry, not really in the mood to chat right now... Gaia, you don't mind if I stay a couple of days, do you?"

"Gaia!?" Dave looked around, not realising that Carl was talking to an absent entity, knowing that she would hear regardless.

"Relax, she isn't here, she would have just sent a sign if she refused my request. I'm going to stay in the old shack if that's okay."

"Yeah man, course, if you want to talk come find me. I imagine it's not easy being the big man in charge."

"I wish that was the problem, a man's power vanishes before his wife." He turned away and waved as he headed for the shack, the now empty space filling him with the same bittersweet feeling it had done the last time.

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