-9-

Claus bounced Sahara up and down and she showed him her toothless smile. Claus inspected his daughter's pale skin. He checked on Sahara all the time because premature babies got sick very easily. Sahara's skin was pail and her skin was cool to the touch. When both Sahara and Egypt were born, they were a healthy pink color and warm, but over a few months they became pale. 

"You're gonna be fine." Claus told his daughter who cooed back at him and gave him another gummy smile. Claus chuckled and kissed her chubby cheek.

Jaylee had taken Egypt for an early morning walk, she had taken to avoiding Claus. She cursed him for being so observant and stubborn. Why couldn't he just take her word that everything was going to be fine?

"Hey Jaylee." Claus greeted her when she entered the nursery.

"Why are you still here?" She demanded.

"I had my exams yesterday, I get today off, I find out my results later in the evening. You seem surprised to see me."

Erika stood between her brother and sister. "Do I detect a bit of venom?"

"A bit? There's a lot of anger because your damn brother wouldn't mind his own business!"

"Anything that concerns my wife and children is my business. I swear to God Jaylee, whatever this shit is that you're doing had better not put my kids and my family in harm's way."

"Shut up!" Jack roared, an instant silence fell around the room. "Can't you see that you're upsetting the children? Get out."

Agnes and Showie came into the nursery as Erika was leading Claus and Jaylee out. Snowie immediately picked up Sahara who had become her baby. The infant whimpered and squirmed but didn't cry, Snowie patted her back and murmured to her until she calmed down.

"What the hell is going on Jack?" Agnes had rescued Egypt who had been looking up at her parents worriedly. 

"I have no idea."

"They had better not get a divorce because Jaylee is not taking my granddaughters out of this house."

Jack frowned. "Why did you have to jump to divorce?  Claus and Jaylee never argue, and I'm sure that whatever is going on they'll be able to work it out. Agnes, don't you dare get involved, they are adults and their business is their business."

"Claus is my son."

"He's my son too, but he's nearly thirty, the last thing he needs is his mommy to run to his rescue. Stay out of it, I mean it."

"Fine."

Egypt listened to the exchange between her grandparents, nothing they said made any sense to her. She had never heard her parents shout before, especially at each other. She wanted to be with her mommy and daddy, she wanted to make sure that they were okay.

It had been weeks, and the tension at home only increased, Claus never asked Jaylee what she was up to again and Jaylee never brought it up. She was getting the attention she wanted, and she could see her plan coming together but she couldn't enjoy it.

Claus and Jaylee had not said more than two words to each other, but they had to speak eventually, especially with her being in the state that she was.

"Claus I'm pregnant and I'm not bringing another baby into this world with us not being on speaking terms."

"Okay." Claus said and started to walk away.

Jaylee grabbed his arm. "You're right, you deserve to know what's going on. Fine, you've heard of Vita Alto."

"Our mayor?"

"Yes. The thing is, she disapproves of what I'm doing, she says it's too risky and she will stop and nothing to prevent me from accomplishing what I wish to.  So far she hasn't been a threat at all, I guess it's because she doesn't see me getting much further ahead. I didn't tell you because I knew you would disapprove Claus."

"I do, you do not want to mess with Vita Alto. Politicians play dirty."

"Like I said, I'm doing this for my children and it will all be worth it in the end."

"How do you know? You said your mother had a sense that something bad is going to happen. I think you should stop." Claus frowned. "Jay?"

Claus had never seen his wife act anything but human, he only knew she was a vampire because of her glowing eyes and cold skin. He wasn't even sure that she'd moved, but she was on him, holding onto his head so tightly that he couldn't even move. Jaylee brushed her fangs along his neck, nibbling not gently at all against his vein.

"Are you scared Claus?"

He couldn't deny it, he knew that she could hear his heart hammering inside his chest. "Ow!" He squeaked when Jaylee sank her teeth inside the soft flesh at his neck, he shuddered when she slurped greedily. 

Jaylee let him go and stood back, Claus was shaking uncontrollably, Jaylee couldn't help but feel smug. "Imagine if you were in an alley and somebody jumped out and did that to you. Imagine them sucking your dry Claus. Imagine the hurt and the pain your family would feel when they bury you and a few months later, the police say that they're listing your case in their cold case files. No closure for Agnes and Jack. Now, if there were vampires who could be able to investigate your case, then there would be closure. If there were rules set in place, and penalties lined up, your would not have died in that alley at all. We aren't going to be the only ones to benefit Claus."

Claus was disgusted when Jaylee licked his blood away from her lips, he was disturbed to find that despite his stick stomach, he was more than a little turned on. 

"Don't worry," Jaylee said, she had promised that she wouldn't read his thoughts anymore, but she just had to know what he was thinking. "You're not a freak or anything, it's because you're my soul mate and we have a bond that is more than just emotional.". 

Jack was in the nursery with his granddaughters, he usually spent all of his time with the tiny humans marveling over them, having children was one thing, but his children having children was something completely different. 

In his youth, he never though he would live to see his grandchildren, he never even thought about having children until Agnes broke the news that she was pregnant with his child. That day was the day things changed, after that day he wanted desperately to be a part of Claus' life, more than he had let on.  That was the day that really got him thinking about his past and considering a future. 

If things had worked out with Agnes and Erik, he had decided to leave Sunset Valley, he couldn't sit on the sideline and receive pictures and emails telling him how his son was doing, it would hurt too much. When Agnes and Erik divorced he knew that he had to make that woman his wife. He had never met a woman like her before. The women he associated himself with were mere whores, those he worked for had sticks so far up their asses that their noses stayed up in the air.

Jack gave a contented sigh. He had two granddaughters, if Erika's kids were added to the count then he would have three granddaughters and a grandson.

"So, this is what life had in store for me then." He said to Sahara as he bounced her around. 

Snowie came in and scooped Egypt up. "No Aunty!" Egypt squealed.

"What's going on?" Jack asked when the girl burst into tears.

"I don't know, I just picked her up. I didn't do anything I swear!"

"Egypt, what are you crying for?"

"I'm a big girl, tell Aunty to put me down." 

Jack laughed, Snowie gave her niece an annoyed look, she thought that she had hurt the girl with all the wailing and screaming the tot was doing. "Fine, I won't lift you anymore then."

Snowie put Egypt down and went upstairs, she was about to tell Claus and Jaylee what a crazy daughter they had and how she was so happy to find some sane people inside her house but when she sat down beside Claus she felt uneasy. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but her brother and sister-in-law were being...weird. They just stared at each other smiling, it didn't make any sense.

"You are all psychos!" Snowie shrieked and slammed her bedroom door.