Comet watched Mama, of course she didn't eat Shawn, she loved people. He sighed, he had created a monster, but was he actually the monster? He survived off human blood, he had indirectly taken a life. Suddenly, he didn't know himself anymore.
News of Shawn's death got around in no time, nobody was even angry at the Winters for what they'd done, in fact everyone was relieved. Parties were happening all over world, rival clans were willing to form an alliance and the Winters had begun a campaigne to make vampire-kind known to the humans. This was met with more animosity and hatred than killing Shawn.
Comet sighed, Angel and his parents were going on a world tour to form alliances with various clans and present their case of outing the vampires. The democracy in Sunset Valley had begun, there was to be an election to choose the new clan leader, the candidates were Hayley, Angel and Cameron.
When his parents and older sister left, Comet got to reading, he was reviewing the things he needed for ambrosia. Comet wasn't even sure if the ingredients even existed but it was worth a try to find them, if not he was sure he could make them.
Comet was distracted by a noise outside.
"Oh no!" He hollered when he couldn't find the consciousness of the only other person in the house.
"Mama! Did you eat Delvin?" '
"You're lying, look at your udders."
"Look, I know we told you it was okay before, but as of this moment it is not okay to eat people. Do we have an understanding?" Mama lowered her head. "Good girl."
Comet had been curious about cowplant milk, he did not design the creature to actually make milk, but Mama had. He pondered taking a drink all day, then he finally gave in." The milk was divine, he could not feel any effect though so Comet shrugged it off.
That same night he started fishing, he needed to be the best angler around if he was going to catch the illusive deathfish.
After trying cowplant milk, Comet had gotten curious about new drinks. With his parents' campaign, he was finally able to tell Demetria what he was, to his surprise she did not run screaming and actually let him drink from her. Comet was careful to be gentle.
As it turns out, Demetria was ready for some new experiences as well. "Take your clothes off." She ordered as she turned on the shower and pulled her shirt over her head.
"I uh..."
"The great scientist is afraid of a new experiment?" Demetria teased as she dropped her pants, "My hypothesis is that you will have a good time." She winked.
Afterwards, she was sure that she certainly had a good time.
Comet went fishing every night because he learnt faster and his sensitive skin was safe from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Somewhere in the yard somebody observed the young man.
After observing the Winters, Jagger had come to the conclusion that vampires were just as strange as humans were.
Comet got a call from his father a few days later. "How's the campaign going?" He wondered.
"So far I can't say, we've been turned away as many times as we've been accepted, but the fact that some clan leaders have heard us out is motivation enough. What about you? What have you been up to?"
"I'm uh...I'm gonna bring a man back from the dead."
"You're gonna do what?"
"I've been reading and apparently there's this dish called ambrosia, when eaten by a ghost it has life-giving properties."
"Well, good luck with that. What about your relationship with Demetria, don't forget as my heir you're required to get married and make little Winters."
Comet paused, unsure of how much to tell his father, he'd always been a private person who enjoyed disrespecting other people's privacy by being inside their heads.
"You are still together right?" Cupid asked after he didn't get a reply.
"Uh...yeah, we're still together."
"Then what was the...ooohhhh!!! Biology lesson huh?"
"Umm, yeah, biology."
"Well, have fun with that, I've got to rush off to a meeting so I will check up on you later."
After he hung up from his father Comet went to fish. Jagger watched as the vampire stood motionless over the pond, the sun was coming up and the young vampire had stood still as a statue for hours, only moving to bring in a fish which he unhooked and released.
Comet had stopped fishing long enough to take a shower then he went back out to feel Mama.
When he came back in he went to bed, then woke up some hours later to do some reading.
That night he went to the beach to catch some alley catfish, which he would use to catch angel fish which was a deathfish's favorite meal.
After two months of fishing, Comet finally had everything he needed to catch deathfish. He didn't think it even existed until he hooked one, he stared at it fascinated as it wriggled a the end of his line. If vampires existed why couldn't this fish?
He released his catch into the pond out back, his plan was to fill it with the fish so that it would be easier and more convenient to catch.
Comet's next step was to find life fruit. He had grown a lot of vegetables but so far had no luck.
Demetria invited herself over a few weeks later. "Comet Winter, how dare you give me mind-blowing sex and never call."
Comet blushed deep red, "I've been busy, you know with..."
"Your experiments, good luck trying to sleep with those." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and sauntered away, being sure to put more sway in her hips so that Comet would know what he was missing.
Comet had tried to call Demetria at least once a day since their last meeting, but when he went into the back yard and found a limp, withering Mama, he did some thinking.
Mortality, he had forgotten all about it, after all, being a vampire he had all the time in the world, but Demetria didn't. He stood up and did some calculations, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Had it been twenty years already? Yes, Demetria had celebrated her thirty-eighth birthday a few days ago. For Comet, it had felt like only a matter of weeks.
Jagger had finally met his end as well. He had gone into the Winter's garden to face his mortality, the years had stretched on and on, the gnome had been tortured waiting on the Grim Reaper to finally claim him. When the time finally came, he skipped away behind the skinny black clad specter.
On his way back into the house, Comet happened upon a statue, no, a grave marker for an uninvited guest he hadn't even known existed.
After a few days to mourn the passing of his pet, Comet had two graves brought to his backyard. He was no closer to completing his mission, but he figured that in the mean time he should at least get to know the ghosts.
Erik he discovered was a loving, family-oriented man. Erik told him a story about newly weds deeply in love, how with one crashing wave, everything was over.
Four new plants had joined Comet's garden, they grew very slowly. Comet spoke to Erik every night but his great-great-grandmother refused to make an appearance.
"Kid!" Cupid shouted from the porch.
"What are you doing here?" Comet couldn't help but smile when his father strolled toward him.
"Your sister graduated a few years ago and immediately joined us on tour. Sorry change of plans, but you didn't notice did you? I've sat around waiting for you to call and you haven't, your mother sent me to make sure that you were still alive. It's got to see that you are but I'm a bit peeved that you've put your life on hold for an experiment. Comet, Demetria isn't going to live forever, she's already married and divorced while you stood around out here. Take a break, have a life and then you can get back to this...obsessing."
Cupid cranked up the hot tub, Comet joined him. Comet got quite a few surprises as his father told him about what had been going on in the neighborhood, courtesy of Cameron. Hayley was the new clan leader, Cameron was her assistant, since he had some experience he was teaching Hayley everything she needed to know about leading a group of vampires.
"We've got a Vampire Council set up in Sunset Valley, since Hayley is always traveling, Cameron pretty much runs Sunset Valley. We're hoping that our plan catches on to other clans, so far Riverview had joined with us, Angel spends a lot of time there. It's those damned city vampires who refuse us though, they're a hardheaded lot. I really hate to ask seeing as how I know the answer is nothing, but what have you been up to?"
"I caught some deathfish, I'm just having some trouble finding Life Fruit though."
"Uh huh? By the time you make this dish you'll be having to bring Demetria back from the dead as well."
"Don't say that Dad."
"It's the truth."
Comet was about to protest when Cupid held up his hand, "I should be heading to the airport now, I've got to go meet with your mother in Bridgeport. Star is too busy playing around with the city humans to be bothered with helping her mother with negotiations." Cupid got out of the hot tub, "All I'm saying is, take a break from your work, take the time to live before it's too late."
Comet took his father's advice, of course he had to do a bit of searching around town. She was not at all happy to see him, especially when she saw that he did not look a day over twenty-one.
"Look Demetria, I know I'm an idiot and I get too wrapped up in my work but I love you, I've always loved you and I don't want to miss my chance with you. Please forgive me for the time I've wasted." He got down on one knee and opened a black leather box to her, "I'm not going to waste another second, do me the honor of being my wife, I need to be happy and you make me happy."
"Comet..." Her eyes filled with tears and suddenly Demetria was crying so much she could only nod her answer. She loved him, she always loved him which is why she could never love her husband. The pair went to City Hall immediately and Demetria became Mrs. Comet Winter, which is what she wanted to be since they were fifteen years old.
As if the Life Fruit was waiting for the start of a new life journey, it plopped out on the vine, glowing as bright as the sun and pulsing with life energy.
Comet, when he saw the fruit nearly fell into his old routine, then he remembered that he now had a wife, a woman who had waited her entire life for him, as he did for her and he knew that now that they finally had their chance to be together Demertia would wring his neck if he neglected her for his work.
Instead of running out to the tree like he really wanted, Comet went to the chemistry table and mixed up a special drink for his bride. He left it where he was sure she would see it and only then did he run outside to inspect his plants.
Demetria read the note that rested beneath the flask, for a second she considered not drinking the foggy pink liquid that bubbled as if it were still over the Bunsen burner, she even thought about running outside and giving her husband a piece of her mind for using her as a guinea pig, then she remembered that she was married to a super genius vampire who brought his imaginary friend to life. She downed the liquid and felt its effect immediately.
Her entire body tingles, there was a pulling sensation as her skin tightened, her hair and eyes regained their youthful luster. Demetria gazed at her reflection in the glass of the fish tank, she couldn't believe it. Why didn't Comet market his inventions? He would make a fortune off of them, then again he was already a billionaire.
Comet went back to tending to his plants like a father would his children. He didn't even have to worry about not spending time with his wife, when she wanted his attention--which was often--she would just pull him away from whatever he was doing, and he knew better than to deny her.
Comet was happy to finally get the opportunity to try his dish. His hands shook with anticipation as he cut up the fish that required no scaling and gutting.
Even before the ingredients were cooked, once they were combined the odor was heavenly, it was all Comet could do not to dip his finger into the mix and suck the uncooked food off like a child would cake batter.
Erik had not made his appearance yet, so Comet left the food out hoping that the ghost would find it. As soon as Erik emerged in the early morning hours, he was drawn to the kitchen, ghosts didn't have a sense of smell, but Erik did smell the ambrosia.
He sat down at the table to eat and couldn't help but moan at the amazing taste.
In a flash of rainbow lights, the glowing body became covered in skin and hair, filled out with flesh and bones. Erik in his shock was able to cheer, until his breath caught and he started choking. His organs were as new as a baby's, his lungs had to become accustomed to expanding and relaxing in order for the man to breathe.
"So that's it then?" Demetria asked her husband the next morning. "Your experiment is done." She picked up the game control and sat down to play Modern Warfare 3.
Comet watched as her wife shot at pixelated players while trying not to be shot herself. "Actually it's just beginning."
"What do you mean?"
How was he going to tell her that when his experiment was finally finished, none of them would exist. "Agnes Crumplebottom-Winter." Comet began. "She was a woman who knew nothing about the good things in life. She lost her husband Erik Darling before she could even change her last name..."
"Erik? You mean the guy who lives in our basement? The guy you brought back from the dead. Okay, you're going to bring Agnes back and let them live happily ever after. It's probably going to be weird having the two of them in this house, I mean, it's your great-great-grandmother and her husband."
"Demetria, they're not going to live in this house. I'm going to reverse time so that Agnes never loses her husband and meets Jack Winter. I'm going to give her her chance at happiness, as my grandfather was supposed to do before his untimely end. It was what my great-grandfather and his sister Snowie wanted..."
"Just tell me what you're getting at Comet."
"We're not going to exist Demetria."
"So what you're telling me is I should just get an abortion then? After all there's a chance I probably won't carry this baby to term, and even if I do I'll never get to watch my child grow up because it's father is a mad scientist who's more hell bent on making some woman he never even knew happy."
Since that day Demetria took little jabs at Comet, he never gave in to her taunting, he was not one to argue. Demetria was angry constantly, she was pissed off at the back pain, pissed off at the baby that moved and kicked all the time, fed up with her husband who refused to see the light. This was supposed to be her second chance with the love of her life and he didn't even care, now that he had her he was going to change the course of time. There was a chance that neither of them would ever exist, never meet, fall in love and be happy.
Demetria was close to Erik though, he doted on her unborn child, even though she told him not to. She was not trying to get attached to it, what was the point? Everything was pointless.
"Do you love him?" Erik asked one day as he rubbed her stomach, the baby pranced around wildly.
"Of course I love him, why do you think I'm so angry? I waited forever for him, and now..." She sighed. "You're a nice person, and its sad that you and Agnes never got your chance, but why do I have to suffer because of it? You are not Jack Winter, without Jack there will be no Claus, without Claus there will be no Rudolph, no Rudolph means no Cupid and no Cupid means no Comet."
"But you will never remember the pain of loss, you will never live everyday wondering 'what if'. Heartbreak will never make your marry a man who will mistreat you and someday in some alternate reality, you will be happy in your obliviousness. I don't mean to sound selfish, but I want my chance."
"Well, you do sound selfish and nothing you or Comet says will justify what you're doing to me." She stormed off.
Two days later, the contractions started. Demetria doubled over in pain and she got angry all over again. She had put her body through nine months of changes, for hours of pain that will result in her vagina being ruined and all of it was for nothing!
Gloria was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and although she didn't want to, she fell in love with her baby instantly. "Your Daddy's an idiot." She told the baby, "You do not deserve to be wiped away from time for other people to be happy."
Comet had done what his wife had failed to do. He completely disconnected himself from his unborn child and worked vigorously so that he would never have to meet the baby. In truth, he had questioned his motives time and time again, what was he doing? Why should he allow someone else to be happy? He did not have to admit that Demetria was right, she was, there wasn't even any denying that. But Comet had set out to do somebody else's mission, he had long accepted what the end result would be.
Comet had promised himself that before he went and made other people happy, he would make himself happy and he did. He had been in love with Demetria before she had been in love with him, even when he neglected her for his work he still loved her because to him she was happiness and their baby, their daughter Gloria was the most perfect thing he had ever created. She was created through true love
As he set things in motion to rewind the clock and calender, Comet admitted to himself that the reason he wanted to badly to do this was because he was afraid. Sure he was happy now, but what would happen when Demetria finally died, when he realized that he would be alone for eternity when absolute power corrupted him absolutely. He was untouchable, as he was so connected to everything around him.
The favor he was doing Erik and Agnes would in fact save the world.
