"I could see that." He brushed her hair again. "But they won't have that problem, unless they do something to make Marcello immortal and unhobbed. And that doesn't exist." He added, then glanced at her. "Or does it?"

Judith went quiet for a long beat. "There is," she said at last. "But if I told him now, he'd take me up on it. You ever heard of a cure that was worse'n the disease, Davide?"

"Well, most cures are so." He replied. "What with all the bleeding." He said, nonchalantly, although his curiousity had piqued. "Do I get to know what it is?"

"The trouble is that you tallfolk live such damn short lives, and even then, half of 'em are those years most people don't want anyway. All those stoop-spined, flat-butted, forgettin'-shit, can't-get-it-up years. Immortality starts to look good." She frowned. "I've got a friend in the Wreath right now. Good enough bloke. But he's a vampire. He went into it willingly, just so he'd have a little extra time. He's about a hundred-fifty right now, and he's startin' to talk about how he's gettin' a little tired of it all. Hundred-fifty seems to be about the point where shit starts repeating itself."

"A vampire?" Davide asked, incredously. "That would dampen the sex, wouldn't it? I wouldn't want to fuck some old shrivled up creature."

Judith burst out laughing, clutching her sides and kicking her feet. "Oh hell no! Not that sort of vampire! And he doesn't like to fuck. I don't even know if he can fuck. He's never mentioned it and I've never asked." She settled back down again, still grinning. "Point is, there's ways around it. But all the ways I know last far, far longer than whatever love that poor sad boy has for me daughter."

Davide just looked confused, but he nodded. "I had no idea there were different sorts of vampires. Not surprising." He sighed. "Just let it run it's course, Judith. They'll figure themselves out." He tickled her sides. "These things tend to."

She laughed again and grabbed for his wrists to stop him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "And this is why you should not have children unless you are absolutely sure you want to spend some of the better years of your life watchin' while they do the same stupid shit you did and tell you that this time it will end different."

"I took that to be one of the joys of parenting." He replied, turning again to kiss her more deeply. After a moment he pulled away. "Who else is going to turn my hair completely gray?" He asked. "Not you, that's for sure." He said, planting kisses down the side of her neck.

"You'll still be a damn pretty man grey hair or not, and you know it." When he kissed her, she wrapped his ponytail around her fist and gave it a playful yank. "I think I may keep you, too."