-Finale-

Claus stood in the graveyard, he'd been coming there for nearly two weeks now. Jaylee's side of the bed was untouched, he kept expecting her to climb into bed and snuggle up against him. He couldn't come to grips with her death, it had happened too suddenly.

When was the last time he'd slept? Claus sighed, he'd asked Jamie to explain to him a million times how Jaylee died. Jamie had told him that it was a blow to the head, it caused her brain to hemorrhage. That part Claus could understand, what he couldn't understand why Jaylee didn't heal.

Claus flopped onto the sofa, suddenly he had a headache. Claus pretty much demanded of his mother-in-law to tell him why his wife hadn't healed up. Jamie had explained that the gift of the male vampire in Vita's employ possessed suppressed vampire abilities, such as mind reading, speed and healing. A rather simple explanation, but Claus just couldn't bring himself to understand.

He and Jaylee had a plan, he would grow old and die, and she would cry and be depressed for a few years and then she would get over it. By then their children would be grown so she would be able to grieve.

Cupid, like his sisters, had taken to sleeping in the tree house. He had dug up his father's tent and pitched it in the backyard, and for a while that had been his place when he wanted alone time. Cupid soon got tired of being outside though and moved into his grandmother's room. It was comforting to Agnes to have her grandson next to her, she wasn't comfortable in the bed since Jack died. 

As depressed as Claus was, he did not fall apart, he had three children to be strong for. They had just lost their mother, the last thing they needed was to see him moping around the house. 

He was especially proud of Egypt, she had been a wonderful big sister. She picked up the slack and took on a lot of Jaylee's responsibilities. Egypt helped to get her sister and brother ready for school, she made sure that they ate, and bathed and got their homework done before they went to bed. 

That was the reason Claus challenged her to a game of chess. The pair really bonded over chess, so while they played Claus let his daughter know that he was proud of her but at the same time she was a teenager and should be enjoying her teen years.

"But I want to help Daddy."

"I understand, but you're sixteen and if you take on the responsibility of raising two children now, you're gonna go crazy in your adulthood." He told her. "What I want you to do is sit back, go to a couple parties, find yourself a boyfriend and let me worry about Mama and Cupid."

Egypt gave her father an amused look, "Are you sure about that boyfriend part?"

"Shut up when I'm being supportive."

Egypt busted up laughing, she loved her father so much. While her friends complained about their parents embarrassing them and ruining their lives, she could honestly say that she never had that problem. Both of her parents supported her, and she could talk to them about anything. 

"Daddy, I love you." Egypt said, she'd seen the pain in his eyes although he tried to hide it. "We'll get through this. Me and you, Sahara and Cupid...and maybe Grandma, we'll all get through this together."

Claus squeezed his daughter's hand.

"The world has been rocked today as various celebrities and popular public figures have come out of the closet as Vampires. Who would have guessed that there has been a secret subgroup among us for...centuries?"

"Vampires, the creatures of nightmares, they are among us. Many are questioning what the vampires making their presence known means for us humans and our future. Will we coexist peacefully with these creatures?"

Agnes looked at the TV screen and had a million different thoughts at the same time. She felt everything from horror to disgust to fascination and there was even amusement mixed in. Vampires? Surely this had to be a joke!

Lately, it was the only thing in the news. She was shocked after the fire that killed mayor Vita and two unidentified persons, nearly immediately after that local celebrities, political figures and even regular citizens came out of the...coffin. Some even said that Vita and the other two persons who died alongside her were vampires, and that their bodies had been burnt to stop them from healing. But to Agnes, that was just too bizarre. She was old now and set in her ways, she could not bring herself to believe in the existence of vampires.