-8-

Claus was at work the day their new baby was released from the hospital. When Jaylee stepped out of the hospital with her new daughter Sahara, she wished she could turn around and go right back in. She saw the cold look in Vita's eyes but the woman made no move to address her or harass her in any way.

"Wow, look at her." Snowie mused holding her new niece. The baby squirmed and wiggled in her arms and grasped at her clothes. "You'd never even know she was premature."

"Sahara is a Winter, she's stubborn." Jack said proudly. "Can I hold her now?"

"No! I'm holding her Dad."

"Are you serious? She's smaller than Egypt was."

"I know, she's easier to hold."

Jaylee had taken the time Claus was at work to go perform at one of the local hangouts. They never got to the discussion of what she was doing, much to her delight, but she did take a break while she was pregnant. 

She wowed the crowd with the magic box trick. Word of her amazing magic skills had started to travel around town. People had begun to cal her Eternity the Illusionist, speculating that she wielded real magic rather than just a couple cheap tricks. 

After Jaylee changed her clothes she had a moment of terror when Frederick and Denver came out of the Diner. "Oh my gosh! Please don't tell Claus."

"Jay..."

"Please Freddy, he's going to be so mad if he knew I was performing again."

"Why don't you just tell him what you're doing?"

"Because he'll try to talk me out of it and this is something I have to do for him, myself and our children."

Fredreick sighed, "I've gotta run back inside, I forgot Erika's chicken wings." He handed Denver to Snowie.

"Hey honey." She said and bounced Denver around roughly. The toddler squealed with laughter.

"Again!" He insisted when she stopped.

"One more time then." She caved. Jaylee sighed, she loved her nephew to death, she had wanted a boy but she was glad enough to be blessed with Sahara and happy that her baby was healthy.

A week later a trophy from Sim-Fest came in the mail, it just so happens that Claus was the one who collected the mail. "Congratulations on first place." He said and shoved the trophy into Jaylee's hands.

"Claus." She said but he walked away, not hiding the fact that he was upset.

"Bedtime Little Girl." Claus scooped Egypt up and came face to face with the picture of his wife and sister. He blinked, Jaylee had just had Egypt and Maranda was a few months old, things were a lot less complicated back then. He hoped that whatever it was Jaylee was relentlessly seeking fame to accomplish didn't destroy their family. He got angry again just thinking that Jaylee was hiding something from him. He was sure that his wife wasn't cheating, but he was worried about just what it was she was up to.

Claus but Egypt in the crib and read her her favorite story. She clapped and pointed to the pictures and asked him questions, but it wasn't long before she began yawning and then settled down in the crib. Soon Egypt's breathing evened out. Claus rubbed his daughter's bald head then went upstairs where he changed into a comfortable pair of pants and sat down to study. He had exams in a few weeks, if he passed he would become a resident doctor and finally get the respect he didn't as an intern.

"Claus, talk to me." Jaylee begged. 

"About what? You're not telling me anything so we have nothing to talk about."

"Oh come on, you're just being petty now."

"Am I?"

"Claus!"

Claus got into the shower.

"Fine." Jaylee said and pulled off her own clothes and climbed into the shower with him. "I'm trying to bring about some change in the vampire community. We're trying to figure out how best to make ourselves known to the humans. We've decided upon letting the celebrities break the news. That's all it is."

"Jay, why do I think you're not telling me the whole story?"

"Claus, our children are hybrids and I'm not sending them away when they go into bloodlust, I'm sure you're not prepared to explain why the blood banks are empty. When a vampire is going through bloodlust, the only thing that can quench that thirst is pure human blood, not plasma fruit or juice."

"Jay, I'm not stupid. If that's all to it why the big secret?"

Jaylee was not about to tell Claus the whole truth, she was already standing butt naked pressed up against him and he was not budging. "Not now." She said putting on her most seductive voice and then tip-toed to nibble at his neck and left ear, that got him all the time.

The shower had gone cold, but Claus stood under it while Jaylee climbed out and dressed. "This is not over Jaylee Winter, one of these days sex isn't going to work."

"Get out of the shower before you catch a cold."