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"Woah!" Jaylee shouted suddenly. An intense pain like she couldn't even imagine shot through her abdomen. "Honey!" She shrieked when another, stronger pain moved through her.

"Jaylee," Claus ran after his wife, he had just stopped the car when she hopped out and waddled quickly to the hospital. "Wait for the orderly to bring you a wheel chair."

"Are you crazy? That's going to take way too long and there's a little human trying to rip its way out of my body through my..."

"Fine, you run inside. I'll park. Oh and Jay, please try not to murder any of the staff, I love them like family."

Twenty-four hours later Jaylee walked out, ahead of Claus again, this time she carried a squirming bundle in her arms. Claus was still dazed after the delivery. He had seen babies being born before, as a part of his training he had even delivered a few, but the birth of his own daughter was filled with a roller-coaster of emotions.

He went from dismay of seeing Jaylee in pain, to utter joy at seeing his daughter's face for the first time. The feeling that overwhelmed Claus when he held his child for the first time, and she gripped his forefinger rocked him. The love and devotion he felt for his child was what he felt for his wife, the love of his life, except multiplied by a million and accompanied by a protectiveness that nobody could even imagine.

Jaylee, Claus and their new baby Egypt had just arrived home when Jack handed her the phone. "Hello?" Jaylee had expected to hear Erika's voice on the other line but as it turns out it was Erik. 

"Hello Jay, how are you?"

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, look Jay, we need to talk. Can I come over?"

Jaylee was taken aback. She had planned on visiting both her parents, but on her own time. She heard herself telling Erik to come over if he promised to behave himself and just hoped that she wouldn't open up a can of worms by inviting Erik into Jack and Agnes' space.

"Do I get to meet my grandchild?" Erik said when he arrived.

"No, not this time." Jaylee told him. "I'm not ready yet. Come on in."

"What did you want to talk about?" Jaylee asked her father.

"About you and me. I'm sorry if I did the wrong thing by agreeing with your mother. I love you very much, but Jaylee, you know there are some things that I do not understand about your culture. I thought I was helping you."

"Culture?" Jaylee snorted. "We do now have a culture Daddy. We are a people hidden in the shadows, misunderstood because of folklore." She sighed and stretched her legs. 

"You're okay?"

"I'm fine. Now that I think about it, everything was for my own good. My powers could have caused more trouble than you could even imagine if I did not learn how to control it."

"What powers do you have?"

Jaylee looked up at the ceiling and took a long while before she answered. "I am a conjurer. I can pull things out of the air, bring life back to a breathless body. Mother never told you?"

Erik tapped his lips with his thick fingers. "No, she said that your powers are top secret."

"My curse. I guess I see her reasoning. I mean, if somebody is to read your mind and find out this secret, then they will try to control it, to control me."

Jaylee sighed again. "I'm worried about Egypt. She could have inherited this power, just as well as she would have none at all or gifts that are unique to her. But Daddy, we just can't keep sending our children away. We can't keep lying about what we are, I think it's time that humans and vampires coexist...knowingly."

"That would be good. But how does one go about changing something that was in place for centuries?"

"By taking a stand."

"You do know that there is a chance this could backfire, that the humans will wipe you out."

Jaylee laughed. "With stakes and garlic? You should know better, we are the stronger race. You're right, a war will wipe out one species. It could take another century or so to bring about this change, but slow and steady is better than hasty and deadly. Thanks for stopping by Daddy, it was so nice talking to you."

"Anytime you need me you know where to find me Jaylee." 

Jaylee allowed Erik to squeeze her hand and she found herself blinking back tears, she missed her father.

Claus had to go to work later that day, but as soon as he got home he went to the nursery and picked up his new daughter. The baby cooed against his neck, her little hands gripped the fabric of his scrubs. "Hey baby." Claus murmured, as if speaking above a whisper would hurt the baby's delicate ears. Since her birth the day before, he lost the will to do anything. He just wanted to be home, holding his child, being a warm bubble of love and peacefulness with her.

"Claus?" Jaylee said from the doorway. "Erika and I are going out."

"Are you sure? You're not going to rest or anything? You just had a baby."

Jaylee smiled. "Claus, I'm already healed up. One benefit of being a vampire." She grinned wider allowing him to see her fangs. "Don't hold her too long or she won't ever want to put her down."

"I'll be okay with that."

"But I won't when you're at work."

"Fair enough."

Jaylee and Erika went to a new karaoke club. "I talked to Daddy today. We had a pretty nice conversation, I never even realized how much I missed him and Mother."

Erika shuddered at the mention of Jamie, she had never gotten used to her step-mother, never took the time out to get to know the woman.  "That's nice, he really missed you Jay. So, how is my niece?"

"She's her Daddy's favorite thing in the world." Jaylee chuckled. 

Erika grabbed her sister's arm. "I'm not allowing you to run back home to your husband and baby, I'm going to be selfish with you today. Let's go inside and sing a few songs, drink some smoothies and then you can go  home and stay there for the next year or how ever long it's going to take to pry you away from Egypt."

Erik's daughters sang five songs, getting cheers from the crowd and demands for encores. The women decided to have a bit of fun, even allowing a couple of the male patrons to buy them drinks. It was dark out when Claus called Erika demanding that his sister let his wife come home.

"Whatever, she's my sister and I can borrow her whenever I want. The only reason I'm letting her go is because Freddy is at home alone with Maranda and I don't want him to spoil her." Erika flipped her cell phone close roughly as if it would affect Claus.