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"Yes I am." Lily said with a smile.
"But... but how?" Alexander asked with wide eyes.
Wesley was working his way closer to Alexander and
William.
"Actually, I was born this way." Lily said gesturing for
the others to follow her.
They entered a large room filled with furniture. Alexander,
Willie and Wesley sat close together on a couch while Lily
sat herself on an elegant chair.
"It was my understanding that vampires couldn't reproduce
because their bodies are dead." Wesley said, relieved that
he didn't stammer at all.
"I believe that's true of most vampires, but vampires
descended from Dracula are not dead." She said with a
pleasant smile.
"Are you speaking of the childer of Dracula or the
children?" Wesley asked cautiously.
"The children, of course." Lily said.
Wesley and Alexander exchanged looks as Willie decided what
needed to be done next. "Poppa, can I show Aunt Lily? Can
I?" Willie asked in typical five-year-old fashion.
Alexander thought about it for just a second then said, "Go
ahead, show your Aunt Lily."
Willie gave a little push and let his demon form come to
the fore.
Lily clapped her hands and smiled at her nephew's
achievement. Willie made a few growls and snarls, much to
Lily's delight as Alexander asked, "Does mom and dad know
about this?"
"They know. Your father is such a speciesist bigot that we
don't even talk about it in front of him." Lily said with
disgust.
"And here all this time I thought he was just a regular
bigot... William, you need to change back to your human
form in case your grandparents come home." Alexander said,
barely remembering to call his son William.
"Okay Poppa." Willie said sadly and changed back into his
human form.
"So why isn't mom a vampire?" Alexander asked
curiously.
"No one knows. Every now and again, one of our children
comes out fully human. Personally I think that somewhere
there is a deity with a sense of humor." Lily said
conspiratorially.
Willie was wandering around the room, looking at
everything.
"So what is he, I mean he doesn't look like a typical
vampire." Lily commented.
"He got seamonster from me, it's a long story. We think
that's what made me able to reproduce... lay an egg." He
finished timidly.
"He got vampire from his father, Spike. You might know of
him as William the Bloody, one of the Scourge of Europe."
Alexander said with pride in his child's father.
"Oh yes, I met him once back in the old country, he was
traveling with Angelus back then." Lily said in fond
remembrance.
"Well we're staying with Angel, that's Angelus' name now
that he has a soul. Anyway we're staying at his place since
he's like William's great-grandfather." Alexander said,
happy to have this connection with his aunt.
"It's nice to know that Angelus is still around. I must
stop by to see him." Lily said happily.
"I think he'd like that." Alexander said with a smile, then
considered something. "You said that you were descended
from Dracula, but I've met Dracula and he looked like he
was about twenty-five." Alexander said, confused.
"My father, your great-grandfather is Dracula, and he
hasn't gone out hunting in nearly a hundred years. Whoever
you met was just a vampire who knew some gypsy magic." Lily
said exasperated. "There are a lot of wannabe's and posers
trying to trade on the family name."
Alexander turned his head suddenly and Willie came running
back into the room screaming, "The wankers are here! The
wankers are here!"
Instead of scolding his child he just said sadly, "I
know."
There was a sound of rustling bags in another room and the
sound of a beer being opened before the grungey figures of
Marilyn and Henry Harris made their way into the living
room.
"Oh fuck! You here to mooch off us boy?" Alexander's father
said as he flung his bulk into a chair and took a deep
drink of his beer.
Alexander's mother came in and paused for a moment when she
saw her son, then went to sit on a love seat near her
husband.
"Nice to see you too Dad, Mom. I'd like you to meet Wesley,
and my son William." Alexander said in a neutral tone.
"Your son? I thought you was a fag." Henry said as he took
out a cigarette.
"I'm a grandmother?" Marilyn said, astonished.
"Yeah mom, you are." Alexander said, ignoring his father's
words.
"So why'd you bring the little shit here? You're not
dumping him on us, are you?" Henry asked as he took a deep
drag off his cigarette.
"No, I just came for a visit to let you know that I'm okay
and that you have a grandson." Alexander said, resigned.
This was pretty much what he had expected.
"I'm going to go start lunch, would you care to help me?"
Lily asked Alexander.
"Sure Aunt Lily."
As Alexander got up to follow Lily, Wesley and Willie
automatically got up to leave.
"Come and let me see you." Marilyn said to Willie.
Willie cautiously made his way toward his grandma. Wesley
and Alexander shared a glance and it was silently decided
that Wesley would stay to watch over Willie.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know you just
wanted your parents to know their grandchild." Lily said
sadly.
"Actually, I wanted Willie to know his grandparents.
They're reacting just about the way that I expected."
Alexander said sadly.
"I didn't realize that things were this bad, if I had only
known I would have found a way to get you out of there."
Lily said, nearly in tears.
"Don't worry Aunt Lily. I'm in a place now where I have
friends who like and respect me, I have a wonderful son
that is the greatest thing in my life. And if I have my
way, this will be the last time I ever lay eyes on those
two." Alexander said serenely.
"Alexander, don't give up on your family... okay, you can
give up on those two, but the rest of your family will love
and accept you just as you are." Lily said seriously.
"Thank you Aunt Lily, you know I haven't seen any of the
family since I was about four years old. I don't think I
can be part of your family. I don't know any of them. My
family is with Angel, Wesley and William. But I would be
happy if you could be part of my family." Alexander asked
hopefully.
"When you least expect it, I'll be showing up for a visit.
Like I said, I have some catching up to do with Angelus."
Lily said happily.
Marilyn Harris held her grandson close and looked at him.
There was no denying that this was her grandson, he had the
Harris nose. "So tell me about your mother." Marilyn said
softly.
Willie pulled back and said, "Name's Cordelia. Used to be a
cheerleader. Now she's a receptnist." Willie said
quickly.
Marilyn gave a little chuckle and said, "Is your momma
beautiful?"
"Yeah, a naughty bit of fluff, my mum." Willie said, trying
to work his way off his Grandmother's lap.
"Daddy, can we go with Poppa?" Willie asked with pleading
in his voice.
"Why does the little shit call you daddy?" Henry asked
gruffly.
"I was there when he was born and have watched after him
since. When he began to speak, he called me his dad, and so
I have been ever since." Wesley said shortly, wanting to be
away from these repulsive people.
"So that's where he gets that limy accent." Henry said
loudly.
"Excuse me, we're going to find Alexander." Wesley said,
hurriedly leaving the room hand in hand with Willie.
"Bring me back a beer!" Henry called from his chair.
"Alexander, I must say I have a whole new respect for my
father after meeting yours." Wesley said in an
uncharacteristic show of emotion.
"Yeah, dad's something else. What say we get the hell out
of here?" Alexander asked.
"Aren't you going to stay for lunch?" Lily asked
plaintively.
"For you I will, Aunt Lily, but we will be leaving as soon
as lunch is over. It's a long drive back to L.A." Alexander
said calmly.
"Not as long as lunch is going to be with those two."
Wesley said, then realized that he had said it out
loud.
Willie put his hands up for his Poppa to pick him up.
"How you doing?" Alexander asked with concern.
"Grandma's breath is like tha ashtray in a west-end pub."
Willie said with his nose crinkled.
"I'll have to take your word for it. Are you going to be
able to eat lunch?" Alexander asked concerned.
"Is he having trouble eating?" Lily asked with her own
concern.
"We're trying to wean him off blood, this will be his
second day eating human food. And I've been giving him
blood with his food, to make it easier." Alexander said
while running his fingers through Willie's hair.
"Then why don't I just fix him some blood?" Lily asked him
as she went to the refrigerator.
"But what will my parents think?" Alexander asked with
worry.
"Do you really care what they think?" Lily asked in
return.
Alexander looked down into his son's face and said, "Not at
all, go ahead."
Lunch was served in the dining room to the sound of Henry
Harris' bitching about having to leave the television in
the middle of 'his show' and because no one thought to
bring him a beer.
Lily had been determined to make the meal special, so she
put out the good china and crystal.
When everyone was seated, she walked over to Willie's
place-setting and filled his crystal glass with blood. Then
she went to her place and filled her own.
Henry started to bluster and huff but Lily shut him down
quickly by saying, "Henry, you are a guest in my house. If
you have some objection as to how I entertain, you may keep
it to yourself or leave." Then she turned her attention to
the entire table. "I propose a toast to the newest member
of the family, William Jesse Harris." Lily said and
extended her glass.
Wesley and Alexander touched glasses with Lily, then
Alexander lifted Willie so he could touch Lily's glass
too.
Henry just sat sourly watching as Marilyn kept silently
glancing at Henry to see his reactions.
"Can I Poppa?" Willie asked quietly.
Alexander just smiled and nodded his head.
Willie let his demon form come into being and began to
drink his blood hungrily. Henry watched in disgust as
Marilyn watched with tearful eyes.
The meal continued in near silence. Wesley's prediction
about the seeming length of the meal had been spot on. The
drive there had seemed like nothing compared to the stony
silence and the air of tension.
"Thank you for the lovely meal Aunt Lily. We really have to
go. I just came to introduce William to the family."
Alexander said quickly after the last of the food was
gone.
"Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I do hope that I
get to see you if you come to Los Angeles to visit." Wesley
said with genuine admiration.
"Thank you for coming, I hope to be able to visit you soon.
I just came here to open the house for Henry and Marilyn
and see that they were set up before I returned home." Lily
said as she walked with them to the door.
"I guess you wouldn't know of a good place to go swimming
around here, would you?" Alexander asked timidly.
"Actually, I do. There is a place about a mile down the
road called 'Hippies Rock', the people there are very
accepting of non-human people." Lily said sweetly.
"Here's Angel's address, don't let mom or dad get hold of
it." Alexander said with a whisper.
"Go on you three, but remember to wait an hour after eating
before you swim." Lily said with a smile.
"Bye Aunt Lily, I hope to see you soon." Alexander said
honestly.
"Good-bye Alexander, Wesley, Wil." Lily said from the
darkened doorway.