-14-

Jaylee did not understand her tears, she guessed when it came down to it they had some pretty good moments when she was younger. Erik had been a decent father in the beginning. She would hold her and rock her to sleep, he would lift her onto his shoulders at the baseball games, he taught her to ride a bike. Erik did all the things that fathers do, and in the end he was man enough to admit his mistake and ask her for forgiveness. 

The thought that she would never see him again was killing her. Jaylee felt as if somebody had reached into her chest and ripped out her heart. Jaylee could not be consoled, she refused to leave the graveyard she just wanted to stand over her father's grave and cry. Jack and Claus had tried to get her to budge, but after two hours, two screaming babies and a bored little girl forced them to leave. Erika remained for another couple of hours. It was Jamie who told her step-daughter to leave Jaylee alone, the girl needed to mourn and she would not feel better until she made her peace with her father.

Erik's grave was marked by some nontraditional markers.  Jamie had left some white flowers celebrating their life together. Erik had loved her unconditionally, he was not just fascinated by her being a vampire and the fantasy of living forever. Jaylee and Claus left trinkets from Egypt which was where their lives came together. Erik had also visited Egypt and he had loved the place. 

It was dark when Jaylee finally dragged home, her blood curdling scream brought Agnes out of the bedroom. "Jaylee what on Earth..." Her voice trailed off, Jaylee was beside herself, screaming and sobbing. Agnes looked around from anybody else, but it was just her and Jaylee, the kids were asleep and Claus had gone over to Erika's place to figure out a way to get his wife out of the graveyard.

"Please! No!" Jaylee managed through her sobs when the familiar cloaked figure entered the room. "Please don't, I need him!" She hiccuped. 

"Jack has been given extra time already thanks to you. I must claim his soul now."

For a while all Jaylee would do is cry. She would lay in bed and cry until somebody came and dragged her out of the house, then she would cry on their shoulders.

"Jaylee, please, you have to snap out of it." Erika frowned at her little sister. "Your husband and children need you. What is wrong with you girl?"

Jaylee was so beside herself with grief that she was unable to even talk, she only managed to cough. Erika sighed and folded her arms. "You've never had any experience with death have you? And then you lose two people that you loved unconditionally in only a week? Wow, that's tough."

Jaylee hiccup-coughed. "Okay, okay." Erika tried. "Ummm, I lost my aunt and uncle...but then again I was never close to them. Jaylee honey, I know it hurts but life goes on. You have to pull yourself together. If you fall apart who will raise your three wonderful children? And Claus is a rather eligible bachelor, women will begin jumping all over him immediately and how long have you waited for him?"

"I c-c-can't..." Jaylee couldn't finish her sentence. It was her fault that Erik and Jack were dead and if it hurt her this much to lose them, she couldn't even fathom losing Claus and she knew how he felt about immortality. Life and all it's lessons were fun, but he didn't want it to go on forever. Eventually she would lose Erika and Claus too and then she would be alone...