Blueblood

Story: Blueblood

Chapter 24 A Family Reunited

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Adult Readers, Sexual Situations, Sex

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A Family Reunited

I watched as Wayne was absorbing what I'd told him. He knew he had a child coming, but now he was a grandfather; from a daughter, he didn't know about. "Grandchildren." He said quietly, still in shock.

I chuckled. "Yes, Wayne, grandchildren." I walked toward him. "This is what's called a Tablet. I'll explain the science, but...here are some pictures." I held the tablet's screen so he could see. "There are others. Just take your finger and slide like so." I ran it across the screen but brought the original back and handed him the tablet.

He never had seen something like it, but he was staring at the pictures I'd given him of the woman, a man, and three children.

"If you want a closer look." I used my thumb and forefinger that brought his daughter's picture closer, blowing the image up.

Wayne was just fascinated, not at the tablet, but the image. He looked almost afraid to touch it. "My god, she looks just..." he said softly, "like my mother."

I smiled as he did use his finger and move to another picture. "This is two years old, but..." I pointed to the image of a young woman, "this is your eldest granddaughter. Her name is Karen Wallace. She's now twenty and at a University in Edinburgh. The middle child is Wayne Scott Wallace, he's now seventeen and a senior in high school. His interest is Geology. Karen wants to be a doctor. The youngest is Kelly. She's now fourteen. Katie's husband's name is Sean. He's fifty-one now." I watched as he sorted through the pictures and stopped on one. "Do you recognize her?" I knew the picture was six years old. It was at a birthday party for Kelly. Her brother and sister was there as well as her mother, father, and friends. What was important was the older woman there.

His eyes grew. "No...," he said touching the image. "Rosalind?"

I gave a cautious smile. "I wasn't sure how you would feel about that," I said sitting on the couch beside his chair. "This is the last photo of Rosalind before she got sick."

His eyebrows came together as he looked more. "She's...so old."

I nodded. "She was in her early sixties." I reached out and touched his arm. "She was happy, Wayne. I know it hurts to see this, but..."

He nodded. "Her life went on." He smiled a little sadly.

"You would have wanted it to, wouldn't you?" I asked. "I went to a social media site, which I will explain later. Unfortunately, Rosalind wasn't a big fan of that, she didn't post much. However, Katie did." I explained. "There are other pictures about their vacations...or what you guys here in England say, holiday." I smiled. "The English love Spain." I showed him a little more about the website and how to get around with it. "I'll come back later," I said squeezing his shoulder and went back in the hall.

Colin came down the hall. "We should get him to eat tonight." He looked at my face. He saw my sadly happy expression. "What's going on?"

I smiled. "I just...hopefully, gave him something to live for," I said taking Colin's arm. "He's looking at some family photos now."

"He has a family?" Colin asked.

"He does." I smiled and we went back to the library. I told him about Wayne's grandchildren. We arrived at the library where we saw George and Burke laughing at something.

Burke smiled. "How is Jerry?" He asked and smiled. "Sorry, I mean Wayne."

I smiled. "Much better."

"Devon was showing pictures of his family that are still alive," Colin explained. "We're leaving him alone for now."

George grinned. "I'm glad. Hopefully, he can make a connection." He looked at us. "How does he look?"

I gave a nod. "Pretty good. Almost normal." I looked at George. "He told us about others. Vampires that I think are the ones we're looking for. He said they were naked and hairless and he's only seen two."

George frowned. "Naked and hairless?"

Colin smiled. "We'll find out later."

George smiled. "I'll still need a blood sample."

"If he has any left." Colin chuckled. He looked around. "Where's Dr. Hathaway?"

"She'll be back," George said. "She had some business with MI5 or something."

"We'll give Wayne a little more time," I said. "Then we should reintroduce food."

"I'll get Nigel to have the chicken ready," Colin said rising to do just that. About two more hours later I went back to Wayne's room with Colin and Wayne's first solid meal in nearly fifty years. Wayne had stopped looking at the pictures but was sitting there thinking in deep thought.

"How are you now?" I asked.

Wayne shook his head. "I'm so out of place now." He said. "The world went on and I didn't."

Colin sat near him. "It did." He nodded. "We're not just going to throw you out there. We'll try to catch you up with things."

"There are other vampires here that will also help you that have been in the same boat," I said.

Wayne frowned. "I looked at all the pictures." He shook his head. "How can I meet them? They won't know who I am. I'll be a freak."

"Think about this," I said sitting with Colin. "Katie never met you, but she named her son after you. Rosalind kept your memory alive for your daughter...enough that she named him Wayne. That tells me Rosalind loved you." I smiled. "It was five years later that she met Dennis Tyler. They married when Katie was seven. We will also help if you want to meet them. There are other vampires that still have ties to the past by family. It can be done."

Wayne got up and went to the window. He looked outside, but his mind was on something else. "Are you going after the others?" He asked bitterly. He turned to Colin and me, "the one that made me robbed me of a life."

Colin nodded. "We need to find them first."

"You gave yourself to Shelly and Willie?" I asked. "The vampires that caught you?"

Wayne smiled a little. "As I said, I knew about the one that made me and I saw another...years later. I knew about vampires that could talk and only came out at night to seek blood. I'd seen other vampires like me, that couldn't talk." He smiled. "Then I saw them...the ones that are like you." He chuckled. "I thought they were another kind of vampire." He shrugged. "Even as a vampire myself, I had the ability to sense what they were. I knew them to be vampires." He walked back. "And I sensed those others...that were human, but I didn't want their blood. I was curious. I was very scared, but curious." He chuckled. "Even when they pointed that gun at me...the one that burns like the sun? I was just so...I wanted to know why they were different; all of them. So, yes, I let them take me."

I smiled. "That was very brave of you."

"Even with the venom in you, you still retained enough of humanity to look for a way out." Colin marveled. "That says a lot about you." He went back to the desk he'd put the covered dish on. "But, for now..." Colin brought the dish over. Cautioning as always about being careful not to eat too much, too fast; he presented the chicken to Wayne. The aroma was enticing to Wayne. I saw his nose twitch. Colin also brought a cup of cool water to drink.

Wayne tried it and as with all the others, began consuming more eagerly.

I looked at Colin. "Why do we bother telling them to take it easy? They never do."

Colin nodded with a smile. "They can never say we didn't warn them."

George came and took more blood to test. He did a cursory exam looking pleased at Wayne's eyes and color. "You're color is practically normal." He held the sealed little container with Wayne's blood in it. "Now, to check the level of serum in your blood...I think you can see the sunrise in the morning."

Wayne nodded. "I saw it get brighter outside this morning." He smiled. "I tried to steal a peak, but I didn't dare open the curtains yet."

"We'll give another few doses," George said. "How long was the pain last night?"

Wayne shrugged. "Four...maybe five hours?"

"Can you draw?" I asked Wayne.

Wayne looked puzzled. "I can, but I'm not a Rembrandt."

I chuckled. "You don't have to be." I got up. "I'm going to get you a pencil and some paper, could you sketch out an image of the one that bit you?"

Wayne nodded. "Sure."

I came back with a sketch pad and some charcoal. Giving it to Wayne, he began drawing immediately. "You won't be a freak to your daughter, Wayne."

He looked up at me surprised. "Of course, I will."

"No." I shook my head. "You're family. You are the reason they even exist. I'm leaving the decision up to you, but we'll be there if you decide to reach out to them."

Wayne nodded and went back to sketching.

It took a few minutes before Wayne handed the picture he'd drawn to Colin and me.

"Okay," I said. "I know I've seen this movie." I looked at a pretty good drawing of his vampire. He was round-headed and no hair whatsoever. Not on his head or even eyebrows, but two eyes, a nose, and mouth that was open. What I did see were just fangs. No other teeth, but there were the two elongated teeth in the front, with two lesser fangs beside them and two below.

Wayne came over. "What I didn't draw...he was male for sure." He said. "He had a dick, but..." he frowned. "...he had no..." he pointed down to his own crotch. "...there were no balls." He shuddered. "No hair there either."

Colin and I both looked at this creature again.

"Whatever he was, he wasn't human," Wayne added.

"But you were in a mine." Colin clarified.

Wayne nodded. "That was my job." He said. "I was in a very old tunnel that had been abandoned long ago. I don't think a man had been down there for nearly a century." He shrugged. "Maybe more."

When George gave the serum again, the pain started again, but it only lasted a few hours. Not even five, but it did end. George came back smiling. "His level has sort of stabilized. He's beginning to hold it. I can make the disc for him in a day or two."

Colin showed him the picture of the vampire that Wayne drew. "This is the vampire that bit Wayne."

George looked at it and his eyes widened. "This is ugly!"

Colin told George what Wayne had told him.

Now George was taking a while to think about what we told him. He sat and you could see he was thinking when at last he nodded. "Okay...this is just some thoughts. I won't know until we get one." He began. "What I see is a creature that doesn't eat, therefore, no other teeth. I see a creature that doesn't reproduce as we do, therefore no need for the genitalia. His only means of reproduction is by venom."

I nodded. "That follows."

"It does?" Colin asked me as his eyes widened.

"Just a theory," George smiled. "We have been watered down from this creature." He said. "Remember what I said about the things in our venom that is human and that is what helped us retain that humanity. Wayne here retained a good bit of his humanity, even though he had a more primitive form of venom." He shook the picture. "I'm guessing this...thing...is very old."

"Is it natural?" I asked. "How could something like this evolve?"

George shrugged. "I can't say." He smiled. "Again, it's all theory."

"But plausible." I nodded. "But where did he come from?"

"Good question," George said.

I frowned. "We need to go to either that Vampire Capital in Africa or more important, Cairo. That is the oldest area where humans are said to come from."

Colin shrugged. "Maybe we should plan to do that very soon."

"We can send a team there," George said.

I looked at Wayne as he was still suffering. "I just don't see how this could have evolved."

George shook his head. "Who says it did?"

Colin looked at George. "You think it was made?"

George shrugged again. "Even Devon wondered about this venom. It only works in humans. It doesn't work in animals. It's a very specific venom. It creates a being that reproduces by biting and creates the perfect predator." He put the picture down. "It's too perfect."

Just before sunrise, we roused Wayne from his sleep.

"This will only take a few minutes," Colin said smiling. "You've had a rough time, but now, you get a reward."

We walked out to the east side and stood on the terrace. It was like those vampires before him. The sun was brightening the horizon and then that one sliver of light shown through. There was fear in Wayne's eyes as he saw the sun for the first time in fifty years. Tears which he now could produce were shed as he beheld that yellow orb rise. The tingling he got as he rubbed his arms.

Mom and Willie did take the trip to London. We now had five teams out patrolling the surrounding towns and more vampires were found and either was killed or brought in by us. We did plan to make a lab that could be worked with more equipment and a sun-blocking structure to keep the harmful sunlight away while they were being treated. I also noted a new friendship between Edwin and Matt. Sunday night, Gabriella met Wayne and frowned at him.

"You need a haircut." She said simply.

Wayne laughed. "Well, it's better than what it has been for several decades." He rubbed his hairy face. "Could I get a razor?" He asked me.

I looked surprised. "You look good with a beard."

He smiled. "Maybe so, but if I meet the grandkids, I should look more presentable."

Colin smiled. "You want to see them?"

Wayne smiled more sadly. "I would like to see them." He said. "If things go right, then I'll tell them who I am." He looked at Colin and me. "I need you to come with me."

I nodded. "Of course."

When Gabriella was finished and he had shaved...well...he was a very handsome man! The lack of a beard shaved not only the hair but a few years. He had been in his early thirties when he was turned. We got him some clothes.

When Mom and Willie came down for lunch that Monday, Mom was playing it cool. Nothing to tell anyone, but that didn't last long.

"Everyone..." Mom began smiling enough to split her face if not careful. "...Willie asked me to marry him." She held her left hand out. Then she let out her squeal just like I knew she would.

Me, being who I am, I frowned. "Aw, too bad you had to turn him down."

Mom shook her head smiling. "Are you kidding!? I plan to marry him here!!"

Edwin smiled. "And you just happen to be at a manor that is here good for that. How coincidental."

"We'll pull out all the stops!" Colin said happily. He looked at Gabriella and Alex. "What about you two? Do we make it a double?"

Gabriella shook her head. "Every bride deserves to be the focus." She smiled. "But no, I want to be married at Wentworth, given away by you, Daddy."

Colin smiled. "I think that would be great, Gabby."

Gabriella smiled. "Maybe this spring?"

Colin smiled and nodded. "That sounds like a date."

It was Tuesday when we heard the helicopter coming. Thornwood was now crowded with people so there were a few waiting outside when the helicopter landed not far away. Edwin was getting money now from Holms Laboratories, so he wasn't worried about expenses.

Colin and I watched as we saw Director Mattingly and Dr. Hathaway get out, doing the stooped approach everyone did, even though the blades were high above them. Edwin, Matt, and Wayne walked over to join Colin and me.

Dr. Hathaway smiled as she greeted us. Director Mattingly shook our hands. "You'll be covered." He said. "The PM has been briefed and knows pretty much all that we do. We'll need details often to keep up with things."

Colin nodded. "We can do that."

It was Dr. Hathaway that was looking at Wayne and her eyes grew.

Wayne walked up. "It's nice to see you again, Doctor." He shook her hand. He looked at Director Mattingly. "Director Mattingly."

Director Mattingly looked puzzled. "I'm sorry. Have we met?" He smiled.

Wayne nodded. "Oh, yes." He grinned. "But you probably remember this..." Wayne hissed again and looked like he was going to charge the Director.

Director Mattingly jumped a little as his eyes widened. "No." He said softly in shock. "You can't be."

"Unbelievable!" Dr. Hathaway said marveling at Wayne. "Wayne!?"

Wayne nodded. "That's me."

Dr. Hathaway still was staring at Wayne in awe. "The treatment worked!"

"I'll have the disc inserted tomorrow." Wayne nodded. "I'll be pain-free."

Dr. Hathaway frowned. "And I missed it!" She all but moaned. "This is remarkable!"

Colin nodded chuckling. "It is indeed."

Dr. Hathaway shook her head. "I've got to more involved with this. This just miraculous!"

"We can talk more in the house." Edwin invited them in the house.

It was a little later that Wayne came to us in the library where Colin worked online dealing with Holms Laboratories accounts and investments. I wasn't lazy, but I was reading a book.

"Hello, guys," Wayne said softly as he sat down in a chair near us.

"Hi, Wayne." I greeted.

"You said you'd go with me to see my daughter and grandchildren," Wayne said.

Colin nodded. "We will."

"When can we do that?" Wayne asked.

"We need to consider when the best day would be," I said. "My thoughts would be on a Sunday evening. They should be done with...whatever they had done. The children at home would be getting ready for school on Monday. Katie and Sean would be getting ready for a week at work."

Now Wayne was looking very nervous. "How about this Sunday?"

Colin nodded. "Certainly."

I smiled at Wayne's worried face. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I can see it's making you uneasy."

Wayne's eyebrows rose. "Uneasy!? I'm far beyond uneasy. I'm going to see a daughter three weeks ago I didn't know about! I'll hopefully meet grandchildren I hadn't even imagined I had and showing them a father and grandfather they thought was dead! I'm way, way beyond uneasy." He laughed nervously. "But, if I don't..."

I rose coming over to Wayne. "We'll be there if you need us." I smiled touching his shoulder. "You've got the disc in and now that nightmare is over. We'll help you with the rest of this journey. We'll be as active or passive as you want us to be."

Colin got up and came over. "You're not alone now."

Wayne smiled rising and hugged us both. "As far as I'm concerned, you two are angels." He began to shed a tear. "Thank you."

The trip to Edinburgh would only take three or four hours, so we left about two o'clock to drive there. Colin drove, not me. Wayne hadn't driven in fifty years and wasn't brave enough to start again just yet. Wayne was just starting to get used to some things but was amazed at the GPS that guided our way to the house where his daughter and grandchildren lived. They actually lived in a small part of town named Joppa. They lived in a nice neighborhood two blocks from a beach called Musselburgh Beach. Whatever Sean and Katie did, they did it well because the house didn't look cheap. They were not poor. We parked nearby and let Wayne tell us when he was ready.

Wayne looked at the house. "This is silly." He said suddenly and rubbed his hands on his pants. "I'm more nervous now than when I asked Rosalind to marry me."

I smiled at Wayne. "Take your time."

He took a deep breath and blew a breath out. "I'm the rip the band-aid off kind of man." He opened the door and got out. Then he stopped. "Come with me?" He said a little pitifully.

Colin chuckled. "No problem." He said getting out.

We walked up the sidewalk to the front door. The cars were there, so we weren't worried they wouldn't be home. Wayne was not a coward as he walked up and rang the doorbell. We heard the steps of someone coming to the door and a muffled conversation that we got a little of as the front door opened. This was Sean Wallace. A very distinguished man in his early fifties with dark hair that was grey at the temple and through his hair.

"Yes?" Sean said looking at us. He saw Colin and me, but his gaze came to Wayne. His face changed from mild curiosity to one puzzled and then just plain confused and then his eyes grew. You didn't have to read minds to know what was going on in his head. He turned his head slightly but didn't take his eyes off Wayne. "Oh, Katie!! You have got to see this!" He said with pronounced Scottish accent.

A voice came as someone approached the door. "What is it? You know I..." she was saying as she came to the door, saw Colin and me and then Wayne. She looked, the same thing, puzzled and then confused and then the eyes widened, but then we all saw her eyes go back into her head and she fainted.

I looked to see if Katie was hurt but bounced a little seeing she wasn't. "That could have been much worse," I said to Colin as I grinned. Colin grabbed Wayne's arm to keep him from going to Katie's side.

Sean looked back at his wife and ran to her. "Katie!" He said lifting her head. "Katie, darlin'." He cradled her head in his lap and slapped her lightly on the cheeks.

The woman was an attractive woman in her late forties and dressed in a nice pair of slacks and blouse like they had been somewhere nice. She had long dark hair like Wayne's color. Sean was dressed casually formal in nice pants and shirt. They had been somewhere. She moaned a little as she regained consciousness and then sat up. "What happened?"

"Ye fainted," Sean said simply and then looked at us. "I canna wait t' hear about this."

"Yep." I smiled. "He's Scottish."

Katie sat up more and rose with her husband's help. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"I'm Colin Wentworth," Colin said. "This is Devon Wentworth." He touched me. "And this..." he touched Wayne, "is Wayne Dawson Scott."

Katie got a little angry now. "I don't know what this is about, but Wayne Dawson Scott died before I was born!"

Wayne took a step a little closer. "I am your father."

"That's impossible!" Katie said angrier.

"But I am," Wayne said pleading.

Katie was going through possibilities in her mind quickly and was coming up with nothing. "What...did you fly into space, fall through a time warp or get frozen somehow?"

Wayne scratched the back of his head. "That would be easier to explain than what I have to tell you. I am your father." He said. "I can explain, though."

Sean opened the door wider. "Absolutely!" He was grinning knowing this was going to be good. Either it was a scam or the truth, either way, it would be interesting. "Come in!" He invited us with a sort of grand wave.

"You're just letting them in!?" Katie balked. "Just on that crazy story!?" She asked her husband.

Sean nodded. "And here I thought it was gonna t' be another borin' Sunday night." He took her hand. "This is not gonna t' be borin'."

We were escorted into a nice living room by Sean. Katie was still looking as if she didn't believe anything.

"My father died forty-nine years ago," Katie said.

Wayne gave a shrugging nod. "Sort of...I ran into a problem then. These two fine individuals rescued me." He looked at her. "This is going to be hard for you to accept, but...I was bitten by a vampire."

Now Katie's eyes were angry. "Are you kidding me!?" She waved at the curtains. "The sun's still out!" She folded her arms over her chest. "This is for money, isn't it?"

Wayne looked surprised. "They have more money than anyone I even know about!" He smiled at her. "When you do that, you look just like your mother. She would do that arm cross when she was upset."

"You couldn't be a vampire!" Katie said. "You said these men rescued you. They took it away?"

Wayne looked at Colin and me. "No, they're vampires, too."

Sean was sitting in a chair and smiling at this conversation between his wife and the man who claimed to be her father. He was enjoying it.

"Can you turn into a bat?" She asked.

"No," Wayne said. "Neither can any other vampire."

"Show your fangs."

"I'm being treated with a serum," Wayne said. "The fangs are gone."

I walked forward having planned for this. "Excuse me," I said quietly. I brought a Tablet out. "George...he's a friend of ours. He's a vampire, too. He recorded the sessions with Wayne." I scrolled through some videos having gleaned through the extensive footage for the revealing shots. "I can show you. I have scenes from times with Wayne from when he first arrived." I pulled one of the scenes when Wayne first arrived.

Wayne looked puzzled. "I don't remember him doing that." He whispered to me.

I shrugged. "He's a scientist. He documents everything." I whispered back.

"Wait," Colin said. "You both reacted to Wayne before I even told you his name. You both knew who he was."

Sean nodded. "Sure, w' did." He got up and waved to a grand piano and there was a group of pictures on top of the piano that the top was down on.

I grinned at what had to be a half a dozen pictures...of Wayne! The father, not the son. He and Rosalind getting married, Wayne graduating from college, one of him and Rosalind posing in a picture where they were goofing off and others. It was Wayne in hair from the 1960s and 1970s.

Sean was grinning more as he returned in his chair. "I've always known about Daddy Wayne. I met Katie when she was sixteen and on the second date, I was shown his picture."

Katie was looking and a very violent, hairy, bearded man in tattered rags as he was hissing at us and reacting wildly. He could have been any man as he had the long hair and beard. The clothes were in tatters.

"This was the Sunday before last," I explained. "He was really quite wild then..." I looked at Wayne. "...but not really." I moved on. "Here he is just after the first haircut I gave him." I grinned at Katie. "I'm not a stylist," I explained but he looked more like he did now. "Here he is right before his first injection of serum." I moved on. "The second night." I moved on. "The third." Each filmed he was calmer and quieter. Until we got to the last one right after the disc was inserted. He looked as he does now. I looked at her. "He didn't leave you or your mother. He was taken." I went on to explain about George and his findings and work he'd done to come up with the serum. "Now, he's not in pain now. He has a disc of serum that delivers the needed serum to stop the venom from working fully." I rolled up my sleeve and showed my disc. "Your father has one now, too." Wayne rolled up his sleeve and showed his. "As soon as he was stabilized, he wanted to come to see you." I chuckled. "He was so nervous about this meeting." I became serious. "He's not a full vampire now. He is still a vampire, as I am and Colin are. His first thought was to come back to see you."

Katie was no longer angry, but she wasn't accepting it yet. "This is such a...wild story." She said. "You don't have any proof."

Colin came up next to Wayne. "You're forgetting one thing." He said logically. "Here is your father. Isn't that proof?"

Katie looked at Colin and then back at Wayne. The anger was gone and now there were tears coming from her. "When I was a little girl...my mother told me about you." She laughed wiping a tear away. "I have dozens of other photos of you. She kept all of them and even got some from friends that had them."

Sean shook his head marveling. "This is so great!!" His Scottish burr becoming more pronounced the more excited he became. "The only thing I reasoned was he was the son of Wayne; Katie had a half-brother from a father who had run off with someone else!" He looked at me. "I was right! This is not borin'." He looked around. "I wish I had some popcorn!"

I grinned at Sean. "I'm going to like you!" He was a character!

Colin walked closer to Katie. "I know this is hard to take. Call the..." he thought, "...MI5 office in London. I'd give you the number, but if you get it yourself, you'll know we're telling the truth. Just look it up in the phone book..."

I turned to Colin. "Phone book? No one uses a phone book now!"

Colin rolled his eyes at me. "Infant." He groused. He looked at Katie. "Look up Eric Mattingly. He's a Unit Director there. He knows about us. I'd advise you to call your Prime Minister, but that would be nearly impossible to get through. He knows about us, too. Give my name, the Director will confirm what we've said."

"Or!" I said happily. "You could see us at Thornwood."

Katie's eyes grew. "Thornwood? That's where you're staying!?"

I grinned nodding. "And have been staying quite a few weeks."

Sean's eyes widened. "Well, aren't we fancy?" His smile broadened.

I laughed. "And vampire owned and run."

Sean looked more surprised. "Is it?"

Colin chuckled. "Yes. You can stay there a while. See us and what we do."

Katie looked at Colin puzzled. "What do you mean? There are other vampires?"

I nodded. "Quite a few."

Colin nodded and raised a hand. "Yes, but...please keep this to yourselves. It wouldn't be common knowledge."

Sean shook his head. "Or commonly believed." He was having a wonderful time hearing this.

Katie looked very lost but was trying to make it become some sense. "This is just...so..."

"Odd?" Wayne asked smiling. He shook his head. "I never left your mother. I didn't leave you. I loved Rosalind. I never wanted to leave." Now, he was tearing up again. "Even when I was...that horrible thing...unable to speak or even think straight, I never forgot her. We had just found out you were coming. She was beginning her second trimester. I didn't even know what gender you were or if you and your mother were dead or alive."

Katie was also crying as her anger was now gone completely as she couldn't argue with the obvious evidence. "I used to dream you'd come back." She said as tears came. "Just as you are now. Mom gave me pictures of you and told me stories about you and I would dream that...somehow...you'd come back." She laughed. "And here you are." Then she shook her head. "You should be in your eighties. Not this...young man. I'm older than you!"

I nodded to Colin with a smile. "And I thought I had it tough with Gabriella."

Colin chuckled. "She's my daughter."

"Which according to your face, Colin and apparent age and hers, you would have fathered her when you were six!" I said. "But somehow, Wayne fathered Katie before he was even born!"

Katie let out a moan of frustration. "This will be difficult to explain to the children."

Wayne smiled. "Whatever you tell them will be fine." He shrugged. "I could be a distant relative."

Katie shook her head. "Looking exactly like their grandfather? I mean exactly like him because you are him. That will be harder to explain how it happened rather than you being a vampire. We'll tell the truth and show the evidence or there will be a mystery they will solve." She smiled. "They're pretty sharp children." She shook her head. "Karen wouldn't let me by with Santa past four years of age!"

Sean got up and touched Katie and kissing her cheek quickly. "I'll get them." He ran off into the depths of the house.

Wayne looked again at his daughter. "With you back in my life, I have a part of Rosalind here, too. You're half of her. I know she passed away. I do so regret not seeing her."

Katie nodded. "I do, too."

It didn't take too long before Sean came back with three young people each protesting for different reasons as they followed Sean down the elegant stairs.

"...and I have that huge Anatomy test tomorrow. I have to study." Karen said, which had been several times she told him from the tone of her voice.

"I haven't gotten my clothes out for tomorrow. I need to call Darleen..." Kelly said her part of the protest.

"I was almost at the next level! Can't this wait?" The only boy, Wayne said.

Sean stopped as he turned and smiled at each of them. He said to directly to Karen. "You'll do fine, you always do." He said directly to his son Wayne. "The game will pause." To Kelly he said. "Darleen can wait." Then he said gruffly. "Or better yet, don't call at all!" But he had a pleasant tone when he said that.

Katie walked closer to her children. "There's someone you need to meet." She motioned to her father, Wayne. "This...is your grandfather; my father."

Three dark heads of hair I saw they got from both Sean and Katie, looked at Wayne, their grandfather and then to the pictures on the piano and back at Wayne, their grandfather.

"That's impossible!" Karen stated quietly in awe.

"No way!!" Wayne, the grandson said with wide eyes.

"That is so...cool!!" Kelly said smiling.

I looked at Colin. "And here we go again." Colin chuckled.

Studies were forgotten as was the game being played and forget Darleen...whoever she was.

For the next three hours or so, Wayne their grandfather, Colin and I explained again the whole thing...again.

While the family was getting acquainted Colin and I talked with Sean.

"What do you do?" Colin asked.

"I'm an Architect," Sean said.

"Really?" Colin grinned. He looked around the house. "A pretty good one seeing where you live."

Sean nodded. "I am good." He boasted happily.

I could see why Colin said that. "We'd pay you, of course. You have contact with construction crews and suppliers?"

Sean nodded. "I do."

Colin smiled even bigger. "How about a building project at Thornwood?"

"If needed." Sean nodded. "I'll need contact with the owner."

"You're looking at some," I said pointing at Colin. "It's still locally owned, but we just bought into the estate."

Now Sean was smiling bigger. "Ye did!?" His Scot's burr back in full swing and his eyes got brighter.

Another hour and the grandchildren had to go to bed. We found out the grandson went by his middle name Scott. Now we didn't have to worry about calling Wayne and getting two replies. They were sworn to secrecy about their grandfather, but it was getting late so, Colin and I went to Wayne.

"Stay and visit," Colin said looking at Katie. "I assume he can stay here for the night?"

Katie smiled and nodded. "Certainly, but we can find room for you two."

I shook my head. "That's okay. You two have nearly fifty years of catching up to do." I smiled. "Get to know each other. I know there's a hotel in Edinburgh. We'll be back." I looked at Katie. "What time do you need to go to work tomorrow?"

Katie shook her head. "I think I'll call in for a personal day tomorrow." She smiled at Wayne.

Colin smiled and handed Wayne a phone. "This is my phone. When you're ready to go, call Devon." He showed Wayne where the number was in contacts and what to push to call.

Wayne smiled shaking his head. "All this new technology. I've got some serious catching up to do."

Katie chuckled. "Your youngest granddaughter will teach you. She lives with one attached to her face."

Wayne grinned. "It's a telephone and she's a teenage girl." He shrugged at that explanation which explained it all.

Colin and I said goodnight and went downtown to Edinburgh. We checked into the Caledonain. No suites tonight, but it was nice. This was just overnight.

Colin came from the bathroom as we got ready for bed. "That went well."

I nodded with a grin. "They are family."

Colin smiled as he stretched out on the bed. "They seem nice."

"I think they are nice," I said crawling to that king sized bed with Colin. "I'm happy for Wayne," I said with less enthusiasm as I meant to use.

"Devon," Colin said in the tone that said he knew something was wrong.

I gave him the shrugging nod. "I feel a loss."

"Loss?" Colin asked. "Why?"

"He doesn't need us anymore," I said sadly. "It's stupid, but that's what I feel."

Colin smiled. "Isn't that the whole reason we're here? Find these lost souls and get them back to living again?"

I nodded. "Yes," I said reluctantly.

Colin smiled. "I was going to see if he wants a job." He sighed. "With his daughter now in his life, he will want to stay in England, but he's not gone," Colin said. "I have a feeling Wayne will be around working with VUNGB for some time."

"Vampire United Nations: Great Britain." I nodded. "But it's not the same."

"Our little boy is growing up, Devon," Colin said softly. "We need to let it happen." He smiled at me. "Now, how about giving some love to someone else?"

I grinned. "And who would that be?"

"Who do you think? Me!"

I chuckled as we kissed. "I remember when all I worried about was people finding out I was gay. Now with this whole vampire thing, the gay part sort of takes a back seat."

"It does, doesn't it?" His voice muffled as he kissed me deeper.

We got up and went for breakfast and waited to hear from Wayne. We even walked around town and the various shops and at things that wouldn't take a lot of time. It was ten thirty in the morning when my phone rang.

"It's good here," Wayne said. "We can go back to Thornwood any time."

"We'll be there shortly," I said.

We checked out of the hotel and got back to Katie's and Sean's house. Once back in the house, Katie, dressed in a nice bathrobe and hair done, but Wayne and she had talked most of the night; she hugged me and Colin.

"Thank you for bringing my father back to me." She said smiling. "Daddy was right, you two are angels." She looked at her father.

Colin chuckled. "So, now we're gay, vampire angels?"

She nodded. "I guess so, and that's fine by me." She said kissing us on the cheeks. "If it would be okay, Sean and I would like to come down to Thornwood on Friday morning. We would like to stay until Sunday if that's okay?"

I nodded. "We've got the rooms."

"We'll hold off on some of the vampires were getting on the serum." Colin nodded also. "It will be fine."

On the way back, Wayne told us about the grandchildren and Sean. How easily they seemed to accept what had happened. Though he thought Kelly was a little more excited than the other two grandchildren. The idea of having a secret vampire grandfather sat well with her. It was cool! Sean had said he could use the trip as a business trip so no time was lost at work. I was pleased to see Wayne smiling, but this time the smile was in his eyes now, too.

When we got back...I guess being there all the time, I hadn't noticed the changes that had slowly started to happen. Thornwood was a place that people got married and had parties. There were the occasional guests that stayed at night and Edward Addams and Nigel hired staff when necessary to take care of housekeeping for guests and people who just wanted to party. Now walking through the house, I was seeing faces I knew. A few were in domestic uniforms complete with name badges.

"The house is staffed by vampires!?" Wayne asked looking at faces he knew as well.

I was as surprised as he was. I saw Lilly! She was in a uniform. I stopped her.

"Lilly," I said. "You're working here?"

Lilly nodded with a smile. "And earning a paycheck!" She shrugged. "A girl's got to earn her keep. Who else would hire me without references? I have a gap in my employment for two years other than school. Now, I'll have something to refer to future employers." She said logically. "Edwin said he'd backdate any inquiries to cover." She giggled. "I even have a work permit. An American working in a place like this gives me merit!" She gave a soft squeal and hurried off to do...whatever.

"This place is sure changing," Colin said as he saw someone running a vacuum on a hallway carpet. "I hate to say it, but when we got here, this place was dead." He looked at another man was carrying clean towels. "I thought it was just due to the off season."

Wayne smiled. "Well, these former vampires need jobs, and who better to give them one, but a former vampire?"

I grinned. "This IS the VUN! In Great Britain! We're helping them get their lives back!"

Colin frowned. "The problem with this is...we're paying them to work for our own as guests. The vampire guests aren't paying. We are."

"Yes, but when we've gotten these vampires on the serum, they will go home. They're mostly local. They can staff this place when there is an event." I said. "The gardens and grounds need tending and the cattle portion. We have your son-in-law coming this Friday. We'll talk to him about building another part to house the vampires we bring from other parts of England to help them there. We need a lab added, and a place to house more than one vampire in the day."

"You need to talk to Edwin where to build it." Wayne said. "We don't want the wandering guest stumbling across a vampire in transition." Then he practically bounced. "This is great!! I want in. Can I get a job with the VUN?"

I grinned at Wayne's happiness. "Would you work for Edwin? Or do you want to work with George, Colin and me?"

Wayne looked a little disappointed. "Don't you want me to work with you?"

Colin smiled and played coy. "Well, you are a college graduate. You are good at math, so you say. We'll need a team that functions internationally. You can travel now. But you just found a daughter and grandchildren!"

"You know vampires and you've seen some we haven't," I said and then I smiled. "I'd hate to lose you when we go to the next city."

"I want to work with you two! Having Katie back is great, but I will be around to walk Kelly's great-granddaughter down the aisle." Wayne smiled a little shyly. "I don't want to lose you." He chuckled. "I've sort of gotten very attached to you two." He brightened. "I don't consider you members of my family. Having Katie is wonderful, but you are my family."

Colin smiled. "We are?"

Wayne nodded. "Sure. You've seen me at my worst but didn't run. You stuck by me the whole time. You helped me find a daughter and grandchildren and helped get them back in my life! I owe you my life!" Then he looked very serious. "I was lost until you came. Naturally, I feel attached to you two. I appreciate and love George, but you two were right there. Who does that except for family. I love you two."

Okay, break out the fireworks! I hugged Wayne and then we were both engulfed in Colin's hug of both of us.

"We love you!" I said. "No other vampire, except for Willie, Alex and Gabriella, has reached in me like this. I was telling Colin last night I thought we were losing you."

Colin nodded. "He did, really. Does that mean you'll join our team?"

Wayne grinned and nodded. "Not just yes, but HELL YES!!" He laughed and thought. "I had a passport, but I know it's expired."

Colin wrapped an arm around Wayne's shoulder. "Well, that could be a problem. Too bad we don't know anybody...say that works for...MI5?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"But please, stop scaring poor Director Mattingly," I said smiling as we walked down the hall. "You really scared the shit out of him when he first met you and you scared him almost as much when he came back."

Wayne smiled. "Well, the first meeting, I sensed more than a target." Wayne chuckled as he confessed. "I got...this feeling...he was going to be hard to reach." He smiled. "I heard your conversations when I was that...thing, I knew what you wanted me to do and what had to be done. So, I did it!" He grinned. "And when he came back, I just drove the fact that it worked home to him."

"We're international!!" I said happily. "We have an Englishman on our team!" I grabbed Colin's arm excited. "We need a new name! VI?"

"VI?" Colin asked.

"Vampires International!"

Colin nodded and looked at Wayne. "He has a thing for names."

Wayne chuckled. "I see that. I am an Englishman. I guess it would multi-national."

"Wait until you meet the others." Colin grinned. "We have one in New York that will surprise you. Stan. I don't think there's anything he can't do with that computer."

"Vampire?" Wayne asked.

"FBI," Colin answered.

"Human." I smiled.

"Oh." He frowned. "The other humans here have something that gives off a scent."

I groaned. "Yes, unfortunately, George named it Disflavor. Not a very good name. But they have to take it every day."

Wayne frowned. "He can't make a disc?"

My eyes widened as I looked at Colin who shrugged. "We need to ask him that."

Wayne nodded. "With Katie back and Sean and the grandchildren, I don't want them even possibly becoming vampires."

Colin nodded. "George is very smart." He snickered. "Too smart. Sometimes he only sees the forest, sometimes just the trees. We need to tell him about the forest and the trees."

I grinned. "We have a lot of planning to do."

We went on to try to find someone from OUR group. With the increase in personnel, we had to look! We wandered through the house looking for Chuck, Shelly, Mom, or anybody.

"We're still looking for vampires here, right?" Wayne asked as we walked in our search.

Colin nodded. "Of course, but we need to increase our ability to hold vampires."

We spotted Nigel. I smiled at Nigel. "Where is everyone?"

Nigel looked puzzled. "By everyone, you mean those you've seen aren't anyone?"

I grinned. "Nigel!" I smiled at his almost cross words. He was human after all. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that was a little snide!"

Nigel sighed. "Forgive me, Sir. Things are a bit hectic. We have a wedding this weekend."

Wayne looked cautious. "This coming weekend?"

Nigel nodded. "In the Banquet Hall." He bowed slightly to me. "Forgive me, I'm dealing with some new people, but..." he saw something and his eyes grew at what he saw beyond us. "No! Don't put that there. This is the entrance hall!" He went to deal with whoever put whatever in the wrong spot. Nigel stopped and suggested. "Try the Banquet Hall."

We wandered toward what we guessed was the Banquet Hall. There were so many rooms...this one room was near the kitchen, but not as big as the Ballroom. I thought it was a gallery because of all the paintings. As we neared this room we heard more conversations and the sound of people moving things. Coming in this room, people were arranging large round tables about the vast floor. There were others draping large white satiny like material along the walls draping the material decoratively and large stands that would hold candles. Edwin was talking with Edward Addams as they looked at a clipboard.

Colin, Wayne, and I approached them both.

"The wedding isn't until this weekend, is it?" Colin asked startling Edwin.

"Oh," Edwin smiled. "You're back!" He looked at Wayne and me. "Yes, the wedding is Saturday. We have a rehearsal dinner Friday night."

"There will be overnight guests then," Wayne said.

Edwin nodded. "Well, there will be a few Friday night. The bride and groom, their parents and three bride's maids and three groomsmen. Not a lot. There will be about two hundred guests Saturday, but those guests won't be staying."

"Wayne's daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren were coming this weekend," I said.

Edwin nodded with a smile. "Let them come. The wedding party will be in the east wing. You are housed in the west wing. There will be enough rooms. There are more in the main house I seldom rent."

"Why?" I asked.

"That was where Basil's bedroom was when he was human." Edwin said quietly. "It's silly, but I consider it sacred territory."

I smiled at Edwin and put a hand on his shoulder and said quietly. "That's not silly."

"We have enough room in the west rooms for Wayne's family." Edwin smiled.

Colin looked doubtful. "You're sure?"

Edwin nodded again. "No problem." He looked at all the activity. "I hadn't anticipated all this." He leaned closer a little. "This is the first event I've handled. Usually, Edward and Nigel handle most of the arrangements. Now that I can move around in the day time, I can!"

Edward looked a little impatient. "He's a slow learner." He grumbled. "Normally, I wait a few more days to begin this..." he waved at the people assembling the tables.

Edwin looked at Edward and smiled. "I hate waiting until the last minute." He gave a shrug. "I want it done right. All the nonperishable items are being prepared and will be ready ahead of time."

I grinned watching the activity. "How many bedrooms do you have here?"

Edwin smiled. "Ten in the west wing, ten in the east wing and eight in the main house."

My eyes widened. "So many!?"

Edwin nodded. "Well, the east and west wings were added early in the twentieth century for just this purpose. Basil wanted to make it a hotel."

"Wow," I said. I looked at Colin. "What about renting the other rooms more often now?" I looked at Edwin. "Make it a resort?"

Edwin nodded. "Basil thought the same way. The problem was getting the house staffed." He waved at the workers. "We were in the country, workers were few. The surrounding towns had people in them, but young people move on and leave for bigger cities..." he shrugged. "Now, I don't think we have that problem." He chuckled.

Colin nodded with a smile. "No, I see it's not a problem now."

I nodded as well. "But you don't have a pool."

Edwin frowned. "Basil didn't want to put too much into additions. We had the main house renovated, added the power and telephone lines. Heating ducts and the additions...there was a limited amount of money he could use..."

Colin smiled. "Not now?"

"Tennis courts need to be added." I grinned. "There are cows, what about horses? You Brits love horses and horseback riding. More stables?"

Edwin's eyes grew. "We're talking millions of pounds sterling!!"

Colin nodded. "Which I consider that an investment." He grinned. "We'll make money in the long run. You need to not think like a human about the short term when it comes to business. Slow and steady profits is the way to go. We'll see the payoff."

Edwin nodded, still unsure. "You're the investors, so..."

Colin walked up and touched Edwin on the arm. "This is still Thornwood. It's your house. You're in control. What improvements and expansion that needs to be done. We'll do." He said carefully, "...with your okay."

Edwin smiled and nodded. "I just...having access to this money!?"

Colin nodded with a smile. "Well, you have that. I don't consider it frivolous spending. It's an investment like I said. Thornwood can be not only the place for weddings and company parties. It can be the place for vacations."

Edwin shrugged but grinned. "Okay." He looked at Wayne. "I take it, since you stayed overnight, the visit with your daughter went well."

Wayne grinned. "She was understandably resistant at first, but yes...it went very well."

"Which is part of the reason we sought you out," Colin said. "They're coming here. Sean...Wayne's son-in-law...is an Architect. We can pay him to help create a place..." he waved at the house, "...separate from the main house to house vampires in treatment. A separate place to house new vampires not ready for the sun and a medical portion."

Edwin thought a few seconds. "Okay, we need that." He nodded. "Sure." He bowed slightly. "I'm just not used to operating with this sort of...money."

Colin chuckled. "I'll gladly show you the investments and other options that will help what you have grow. Working together, using all our ideas...it will become a very high-class resort. I promise."

"At least five star." I nodded.

"Five what?" Edwin asked.

I waved him to forget it for now. "It's a rating system for hotels and resorts. We can go over it later. What about the vampires here now?" I asked.

"The vampire that newly received the serum will be finished by Wednesday. We won't have another until Sunday night...after the wedding party has gone."

Colin smiled. "It sounds like you have it under control." He thumbed toward the outside. "I guess George is in the lab?"

Edwin chuckled. "Where else?"

Colin grinned. "Where else, indeed. There isn't a petri dish he doesn't like."

We went to the barn and to the lab. There was both George and Burke there. George was kissing Burke, or Burke was kissing George...they were kissing, okay? George wasn't as comfortable showing affection with others around and broke it off seeing us. He already had red hair, but his face got redder.

I chuckled. "Aw, George, don't be embarrassed by showing affection for someone you love." I grinned. "We know you do more." That comment made Burke grin.

"I'm not," Burke said kissing George again quickly and stepped away from George.

We brought the subject of making his Disflavor in disc form to George. It was as Colin said there were simple things that George never considered.

"I suppose I could make a disc for that." He said deep in thought. "The chemicals aren't as complicated as the serum. It must be in the bloodstream to work. Not ingested." He thought more. "I think I can." As before, his mind was working as he started to smile. "Yes. I can." Then he looked a little more triumphant. "I know I can."

Colin grinned. "I never doubted you could."

"We'll need a list of features we will need for a lab and medical needs for future vampires going on the serum," I said. "Wayne's son-in-law is an Architect. He'll be the one coming up with the design and making sure the structural needs are done."

George smiled. "It's finally coming together. We've already got teams made of local vampires patrolling and now the medical needs will be met."

Colin nodded. "That's why we came." He patted Burke's arm and then pushed Burke back toward George, making him bump against George. "Keep up the good work."

I nodded. "It's good to take his eyes off the monitors and away from the microscope every now and then." I winked at Burke as we turned to leave. "Carry on."

Burke grinned again as George's red color increased. "I do my best."

Wayne chuckled. "You two are so cute!" He shook his head and followed us out of the lab.

I knew it was coming and Wayne looked back at the lab as we approached the manor house. "Not that I care, but..."

Colin took my hand as we walked. He knew this question was coming, as well. "But?"

Wayne's eyebrows came together. "It seems there are a lot of...homosexuals with vampires." He thought. "I never had a problem with it, Rosalind had a brother that was homosexual. Does being a vampire make us...more?"

Colin chuckled. "No. Alex isn't or Willie. I say it makes us less...inhibited. Our numbers are few..." he waved at the many vampires that were working, "...though not as few as we thought. Sex is basic to being humans..." he grinned more, "...or vampires. Companionship is part of who we are. We find someone willing to be that companion and go with it." He smiled. "That's George."

Wayne nodded as he considered what Colin had said. "I suppose." He grinned. "Well, unless you think about it. I have never done it before, but...if you really wanted it, I would, but I don't plan to bottom for either of you." He said lightly.

I grinned at Wayne hearing he wasn't really serious. "I'm sorry, Wayne. You're a nice-looking man. I'd never push you out of bed, but you don't have what I want."

Colin nodded and chuckled. "Nor what I can give him."

Wayne looked surprised. "What!?" He looked now a little irritated. "I've got a dick and ass! What else do you need?"

I chuckled. "A dick and ass are not enough," I said touching Colin's shirt covered chest. "He's got the most beautiful hair covered chest I just adore."

Wayne looked shocked. "I've got chest hair! What's wrong with my chest? You've seen everything I have!"

Colin laughed more. "Why is it all straights worry about attracting us?"

I nodded. "And become offended when we're not."

Wayne was still thinking. "Well, why not?"

Colin reached back and brought Wayne between himself and me. Each of us put an arm around his shoulder we walked on.

"Don't waste time thinking about it," Colin said.

"Your statement said you wouldn't bottom," I observed. "Does that mean you'd be willing to top?" I grinned as Wayne's eyes grew.

The lighthearted banter was nice. We watched Edwin bloom as the real owner of Thornwood. He wanted everything to be perfect for this bride. He listened to Edward who was watching everything Edwin did. Edward had a reputation to uphold. He wanted it right.

We got Wayne a laptop and a phone and showed him how to use it. He was a pretty fast study. We had Katie's number and email address and programmed it in both the phone and laptop. He smiled as he got his first email from Katie acknowledging they were coming on Friday. She said her children were very excited to come, even Karen had agreed to come. She was now attending St. Andrews but was willing to sacrifice time to get acquainted with her grandfather and his friends. Kelly was just excited by a vampire in the family. Scott was wanting to get to know the legend he was named after.

Wayne was smiling but looking a little apprehensive. "I'm glad they want to know me." He said to me. "I'm worried about this person they were raised with. Katie put me on this pedestal and has this idealistic expectation of this...heroic father. Sean was too thrilled to believe I had cheated on Rosalind and fathered another family, even if I hadn't, with someone else. Karen I know would love to dissect me. Not because she doesn't like me, but to figure out how I work. I don't know what Scott thinks, but I know he had a problem being named after me. He didn't want to live up to the expectations my name put on him. Kelly is in love with the vampire I am." He looked helpless. "I can't be those things!" He said lowering his head in his hands.

I felt sorry for him. So, I thought about what to say. "I can't advise about that too much. I've never been there." I sighed as I sat in the chair next to him. "What I advise to everyone...you need to be forthcoming and honest." I smiled. "I really like the Wayne I know. They will, too." I sighed. "What you're feeling...tell them. What you fear...tell them." I smiled. "Whatever is going through your mind..."

Wayne smiled and finished with me. "...tell them." He chuckled with a nod. "Good advice."

I grinned. "I try." I patted his shoulder. "It will be fine."

Wayne nodded. "Be there when they arrive?"

I nodded. "Sure."

If nothing else, the house smelled wonderful by Friday! All the baking and cooking had aromas flooding the house near the kitchen. I think it would tempt vampires that were only consuming blood. The wedding cake was even baked here. I found out one of the local vampires had been a chef and was making a lot of the food and even decorating the cake. The bride had hoped for a wedding in the garden but in October? The weather was beyond our control, so they went with Plan B. Edwin was having the wedding in their grand Entrance Hall. It was palatial enough and had the room for the many chairs and places for guests when they arrived. The wedding party arrived for the rehearsal dinner in the Dining Room. We wouldn't even notice they were here later.

It was about noon when Katie, Sean and Wayne's grandchildren arrived. I stood with Wayne in the Entrance Hall. They were all Wayne's grandchildren, but different enough with Sean's features added. Karen's dark straight hair was short. Practical for her upcoming work in medicine. Scott's was short and styled more for a teenage boy with that little flip in the front. He was an athlete in high school. You could tell from his frame. Kelly's dark hair was long and had natural curls. Her eyes were usually holding amazement at all she saw.

They entered the manor and Katie smiled at Wayne and rushed into his arms. I watched as the grandchildren were looking around wide-eyed at the house and grounds. Sean came in last and smiled at me.

"Wow," Scott said quietly.

"You live here!?" Kelly asked amazed.

Karen looked as people were putting things together for the wedding. "Where are the others? You know..." she didn't say the word.

Wayne let Katie go a little and looked at Karen. "All around you."

Karen renewed her gaze at the many people trying to tell what about them said, vampire.

Sean came over to me and shook my hand. "It's good to see you, Devon." He nodded looking at the house. "I've been here for two weddings. This is really an impressive place."

I grinned. "And I hope, with your input, we're going to make it even better."

Colin came in from another part of the house and heard what I said. "I'm sure it will be," Colin said. "I'm afraid, we'll be wanting more than just a medical and housing unit. We'll be hoping to do more renovations and upgrades."

Sean's eyes grew. "Whatever you need t' be done."

I think I even heard a cash register chink. I chuckled at Sean's excitement. He'd be speaking with the brogue again.

Wayne smiled. "Are you ready for lunch?"

Katie smiled. "We'd love it."

"We'll be in the Dining Room now," Colin said. "Later, we have another room to eat dinner."

We gathered in the Dining Room as others in our team from the United States came in. I introduced my mother and others to Wayne's family. We talked and ate comfortably. I noticed Karen was frowning as she looked around.

Wayne looked up and smiled. "Is there a problem, Karen?"

Karen shook her head, but then... "I can't tell. They don't look any different. Are they all vampires, all human or what?"

Colin grinned. "That is the goal. You won't be able to tell."

Scott grinned. "This place is great!" He said. "Is it okay if I look around?"

Wayne looked at Colin and me.

"Sure." Colin waved. "Knock yourself out."

Katie held her hand up. "Remember, they're having a wedding here. Don't get in anyone's way." She said in that motherly tone.

Scott nodded. "I won't." He said in a tone that said he had said it before many times.

I grinned as he walked out to explore the house. His sister Kelly rushed off to join him.

Colin leaned from his chair next to me. "I think this is going well."

I nodded. "He's still worried," I said. "He doesn't want to crush their perceptions of him."

Colin looked at Sean. "He's very happy." He grinned.

"He'll make money from this," I said simply. "He knows that."

Colin pushed back. "You're on vacation, Sean. We have some things to discuss, but when you're ready..."

Sean smiled. "Let's do it!" He pushed away from the table. He was ready now.

Katie and Wayne were deep in a conversation, so we just left. Edwin joined us as we discussed what we would like done. Sean took notes and made suggestions. We went over the area by map and found a suitable location for the housing unit and medical. We also went over renovations for the manor house. Both Colin and I wanted fiber optic cables and Wi-Fi installed. We also made plans for a computer center to be added. We watched as Sean did a preliminary sketch of what we wanted and needed.

The VUNGB was now going to be under construction!