Topic: Interview with a Dhampir

Willow Gregory

Date: 2014-03-26 11:53 EST
The first indication anyone in the Acton household had of their visitor arriving was the loud revving of an engine approaching at speed through the admittedly sleepy streets that surrounded them. As that engine drew closer, it became obvious that it belonged to a motorcycle, stopping with terrifying abruptness outside the Acton house. The rider jumped off, and headed straight for the porch, shaking her hair out as she removed the helmet from her head. She didn't even bother to knock, simply walking straight in through the door and jumping on Tobias in an embrace that would have thrown anyone else onto the floor. The vampire simply laughed and hugged her, seemingly oblivious to the audience they had for a long overdue reunion.

"Toby, you old reprobate, it has been far too long since you called me!" a warm voice declared out of the wild mane of hair that seemed to have enveloped both heads for the time being. "I'm only in New York, it's not like I'm a thousand miles away anymore!"

Tobias chuckled again, putting his friend down on her own feet and blowing her hair out of his mouth. "Lauren, you know perfectly well that I never call unless I need to," he reminded her fondly. "And that you are welcome to barge in here at any time. Always have been."

The proclaimed Lauren shook her long hair back out of her face and grinned. "Not when you've got company, poodle," she teased the vampire, and turned her attention onto Nick and Willow. The first thing that caught the attention was her eyes - pale, pale green and bright with liveliness, but old, too, in a way you wouldn't notice if you didn't know what you were looking at. She was still young and vibrant, tall, and possessed of clever fingers and wide lips that were ready to smile. It was hard to believe that she really was over one hundred and fifty years old. "You must be the Gregorys," she said cheerfully. "I'm Lauren."

Nick studied her with interest, noting the differences and similarities to both vampires and humans. If he didn't know better, he might have mistaken her for human, but there was something about her that told him otherwise, and it wasn't just the paleness of her green eyes. It was hard to believe she was as old as Tobias claimed, especially given her seemingly cheerful disposition. Nick couldn't help but notice that she was drop dead gorgeous, admiring her beauty like one might admire a work of art, but nothing more. He had eyes for one woman and one woman alone. "I'm Nick," he introduced himself from the perch he'd taken on the arm of Willow's chair, hovering beside her protectively. "This is Willow, my wife," he continued, introducing the woman at his side.

"Nick, and Willow," Lauren nodded, absorbing the names before her pale gaze flickered down to Willow's midriff. "And daughter, I see." She hesitated then, glancing at Tobias. "I assume that's why I'm here. They do know, yes?"

Tobias chuckled, nodding to her. "Yes, they know," he assured her. "Sit down, girl, stop bouncing around like a deranged billiard ball. Nick, Willow ....this is Laurentia Emmeline VanArkle, who currently goes by just Lauren, since she's become a somewhat notorious designer."

As Lauren laughed at her introduction and thumped down onto the couch, pulling Tobias down beside her, Willow couldn't help smiling. Strange though the situation was, it was also heartening to meet this apparently rare creature who was far more normal than she had been expecting.

Nick wasn't so easily swayed or convinced as his wife. As a cop, he'd been paid to be suspicious, especially when someone looked too good to be true. Trust was something that was earned with Nick, not given so easily, though he knew she was there to offer what help she could. "What do you mean, daughter?" he asked, backtracking to one of the first things she'd said to them before Tobias had gotten off track with his introduction. It would take more than a fancy name and profession to impress the former homicide detective.

Lauren took her eyes from Tobias to meet Nick's gaze head on, not intimidated by a new vampire in the slightest. It didn't seem there could be much at all that would frighten her. "Well, you're expecting a baby," she shrugged. "And she's like me, which means she's a girl. No male dhampir has ever been born - must be a genetic flaw, or maybe it's just human DNA protecting itself. A male dhampir could impregnate thousands of women over the course of his lifetime, and the world just isn't ready for that amount of power to be concentrated into a new hybrid race."

She looked to Willow, who looked a little surprised. The human woman, however, wasn't going to speak until she got an indication from her husband that he was okay with her talking to the newcomer, no matter how engaging Lauren could be.

Nick looked a little surprised by her answer, for more reasons than one. He had a strange feeling the child growing inside Willow was a girl, but he had no way of knowing for sure until now, and he wondered if it had just been a lucky guess or if he'd sensed it somehow. Then there was the fact that they'd had to hear this from the dhampir, rather than from Tobias, which left Nick wondering whether the vampire had withheld that little piece of information or whether he simply hadn't known. "What kind of power?" he asked curiously. It made sense that male dhampirs might be a bad thing, but every answer always seemed to lead to another question.

To his credit, Tobias was as surprised and interested as they were, expecting to learn a few things himself in the course of this interview. He kept himself quiet, though, more for Willow's sake, offering no interjection to keep her from feeling awkward about not speaking.

Lauren, on the other hand, was only too ready to answer any questions put to her. She'd done plenty of research on her own kind over the years, as close to an expert as they were ever likely to meet. "You know what kind of power, Nick, you have it," she pointed out. "Being a vampire doesn't just give you strength, and speed, and agility, and heightened senses. It makes you the perfect predator. But it balances out. You have weaknesses. I don't. Oh, I can still be killed by pretty much any means, but I have everything you have, and everything a human has. If I wanted it, I could put myself in the highest position of power in the country, and I'll bet you anything, the general population would think it was the best idea ever. It's all about seduction, all about appealing to what makes your prey comfortable, happy, secure. You can do that. I can do it. And if I was a man, spreading my seed, fathering a new race ....how long do you think it would be before a pure human became nothing more than a luxury food source?"

Willow Gregory

Date: 2014-03-26 11:53 EST
Nick narrowed his eyes. While he was ready to believe that, as a vampire, he now possessed certain abilities and heightened senses that he hadn't as a human, he was doubtful he had gained any powers of persuasion or seduction the way she seemed to be describing it. Then again, he hadn't really any opportunity or reason to use such powers, nor did he know how. "Okay, let's assume for a moment that's true. Why hasn't anyone tried that already? You can't sit there and tell me that everyone who gets turned is as altruistic as Tobias. Josef is proof of that. What happens when one of you goes bad, like him' What happens if someone like him tries to use that power for his own purposes" What then?"

Lauren stilled, glancing at Tobias. The elder vampire's expression had grown very sombre. "As a dhampir, that is one of the things Lauren is not supposed to know about," he explained quietly. "Should one of us go bad, as you put it, and is capable of fathering dhampir on human women ....You recall I told you there are systems in place to keep a check on those who are too out of control" They come into effect in such a case. The perpetrator is hunted down and killed."

Lauren nodded, her own expression just as serious. "My father was hunted down and killed," she added in a low tone. "I have two half-sisters. He fathered us, stayed until we were born, killed our mothers, and gave us to good families to raise. One of those families informed the Council, and steps were taken."

Nick wasn't quite sure what to say to all that. Should he express his condolences or point out what a bastard her father had been" He had never been very good at comforting, and it didn't sound like Lauren had been very close to her father. It did raise yet another question though. "So, what?s that mean exactly' You said it's rare for a vampire to be able to father a child, but I wasn't even trying."

"Maybe that's why," Lauren smiled faintly. It was obvious to see that he still adored his human wife, and she very much doubted that wife would remain human for too much longer. "No one really knows. There have been all kinds of theories - the phase of the moon, the depth of emotion on the woman's side, even the position in which conception is achieved - but it's all conjecture. No one knows how or why. It just happens. It makes you both very special, and very lucky. Having a dhampir in the family is like having your very own good luck charm."

"And she is, of course, incredibly modest about it," Tobias drawled, grunting as Lauren thumped him playfully in the chest.

Nick glanced to Willow for the first time since the dhampir had arrived, and though he withheld any obvious display of affection, it was obvious, at least to Willow, that some silent message was passed between them just with a look and a squeeze of her hand. It was obvious that he loved her, adored her even, as he looked to her, hovering protectively close, despite knowing that neither of their companions were a threat. "Whatever happens, she's our daughter."

The loving gaze he gained in return was more than enough to confirm any suspicions raised in the mind of their guest. Willow knew she wasn't exactly being the belle of the ball, but she trusted Nick to ask the right questions, for the information to come out in its own time. Her hand tightened in his for just a moment, acknowledging that silent message. "We just want her to be safe and healthy," she added, turning her eyes back toward Lauren.

The dhampir smiled gently, a little envious of the unborn child for her parents. "Then you can't stay here," she said quietly. "Small towns where everyone knows everyone's business ....you'll draw the worst kind to yourselves as soon as it gets out that you're expecting. While you're human, Willow, you're very vulnerable, and unfortunately you're gonna have to stay vulnerable until after she's born. It'd be too risky to turn you while you're pregnant."

An eyebrow ticked upwards as once again, the dhampir - Lauren - said something that not only got Nick's attention but irked him a little. It was as if she was assuming he was going to make Willow a vampire, and though he had promised to turn her, if that's what she wanted, it had been part of a private conversation between him and his wife. Then there was the suggestion of moving, something else they'd already discussed. "We're already ahead of you there. We've been talking about moving. It would be easier to hide in a big city, easier to blend."

"Well, there's no bigger city than New York," Lauren smiled, innocently dropping that into the conversation before seeming to change the subject. "But those are your plans and they're private to you. I'm sure you have other questions, about the baby. I'm here to answer them. Right, Toby?"

The elder vampire vaguely nodded his head in agreement, his eyes on Nick. He knew the younger man well enough to realize that Lauren's easy-going manner was beginning to annoy him.

He wasn't annoyed, exactly. It wasn't so much Lauren's easy-going manner as it was the seriousness of the conversation. Every question she answered seemed to raise more questions, but that was the point of this meeting, after all. Nick felt the elder vampire's eyes on him and glanced his way, offering a silent questioning look that seemed to ask what the problem was.

Feeling the silence fill up as Tobias and Nick held a silent conversation over her head, Willow took the plunge and attempted to join in. "How do we look after her?" she asked Lauren quietly. "Not just after she's born, but ....before?"

Lauren leaned toward Willow, her warm smile returning as they settled on the topic she was prepared to discuss. "Well, it's pretty close to a normal human pregnancy," she explained. "Apart from the blood. I'm sure Toby told you it was optional, but if your baby girl doesn't imbibe her daddy's blood at least a couple of times a week, preferably every day, while you're pregnant, she'll kill you when she's born. She won't mean to, but she won't know any other way. Vampires share a lot via the blood, and by taking Nick's blood, you'll be teaching her that she has a mommy as well as a daddy, and that she needs to be careful when she comes out, or she won't have that. It's like building a bond. Nick might get a little more out of it to begin with, but as soon as she's grown enough to have thoughts and dreams, you'll feel that, too."

Willow Gregory

Date: 2014-03-26 11:54 EST
"Kill her!" Nick echoed, jerking his head back to Lauren, unable to hide the horror from his face. "It's not really optional then, is it?" he pointed out, more statement than question. He obviously wasn't going to take a chance with Willow's life, so it seemed the decision of whether or not to give Willow a taste of his blood had been made for him - for them. "How will drinking Willow drinking my blood help our daughter to be careful when it's time for her to be born" I don't see the connection. And why would it be dangerous to turn Willow while she's pregnant' That seems to go against logic, too." He really wasn't trying to be unfriendly, but he needed some answers.

"Look, I can only tell you what I've learned in the last hundred and fifty years about this," Lauren pointed out, not really appreciating the rather hostile way Nick spoke but careful not to rise to it. "I've been researching this for most of my life, and I learn new things all the time. This is what I know ....a woman who doesn't drink the blood of the father of her baby in this circumstance always dies at the birth, no exceptions. If she does drink that blood during her pregnancy, a bond is formed between the father and the child, which includes her. I was aware before I was born. I knew who my father was, I knew who my mother was. And I also knew that if I wanted to keep my mother, who loved me so much, I would have to resist the instinct to tear my way out of her womb when I was ready to be born. And I did that, for the sake of my mother. That my father killed her afterward doesn't change that fact. And other dhampir I have spoken to all say exactly the same thing. Are we clear on this?"

Nick ignored the clipped attitude of her explanation. He wasn't used to beating around the bush or coddling someone to get the answers he wanted. He was direct with his questions, and he appreciated honest, direct answers. He hardly realized he was being hostile; it was just his way, what he was accustomed to from years spent questioning suspects. What he wanted and needed was to understand. "Okay, so, I assume drinking my blood somehow forms a bond between the three of us. I'll be able to communicate with her before she's born then?" The tragedy of her mother's death didn't escape him, but he didn't have time to dwell on that now. His first concern was for his wife and daughter.

"In a way," Lauren nodded. "Nothing overtly coherent, but you'll be able to share feelings with her. And that'll stay, after she's born. Both of you will be able to do that, although I don't know for certain that you, Willow, will keep that ability after she's born. I don't have direct knowledge of that."

Willow nodded, trying to take all this in without letting it overwhelm her. It did cross her mind that she was probably going to have to do something very nice indeed for Tobias to thank him for bringing an expert to them when they needed her, however.

Nick absorbed Lauren's answers, like he always did, before moving on to the next question, or rather, backtracking to a previous one. "Why can't Willow be turned while she's pregnant?" he asked, not really understanding the logic behind that, thought he sensed it might have something to do with having to die before being turned and the bloodlust that followed upon awakening.

For the first time, Lauren looked confused, genuinely surprised that he needed this one explained to him. "Because the turning changes you at the very deepest level," she said, glancing at Willow only to find the woman hanging on her every word with rapt attention. Tobias got a disapproving look for not having explained this before she went on. "Essentially, when you are turned, you die and are reborn. You still have a heartbeat, and all that, but for a few minutes, you're dead. And in those few minutes, so is your baby. And she doesn't get reborn."

Her explanation confirmed his suspicions. Though he'd already experienced it for himself when he'd been turned, most of it was a blur, like a nightmare he didn't want to remember. "That's what I thought," he replied, having asked more for Willow's sake than his. They needed to have the same information, to know the same things. "There's a lot we need to know, but we don't need to know it all right away," Nick said, not wanting to overload or overwhelm Willow with too much information all at once. He wasn't ending the conversation, but rather, opening the door to invite further visits in the future.

"Well, I'm always around," Lauren assured them both with a smile. "And, of course, if you decide you need to move to New York, I can set you up with a place that makes Toby's big ol' matchstick house look like a dungeon. There's all kinds of advances that make it easier for you to have sunlight in your home without burning you to a crisp these days."

She flicked a teasing look at Tobias, who rolled his eyes. "I refuse to allow you to desecrate my family home with your newfangled widgets and doo-dads, Lauren, and you know it."

"You're a fossil, Toby," she informed him with a grin and kiss to his cheek. "Just a very loveable one."

Apparently, Tobias and Lauren were not only old friends but close friends, though Nick had no idea what history they shared between them, nor did he think it was any of his business. This meeting was about Willow, mostly, and the baby, but even Nick knew it would be stupid not to welcome all the help they could get, despite his manly pride. "We were thinking about New York, actually," he said, deciding if Tobias trusted Lauren, there was no reason why they shouldn't trust her, as well.

Raising her eyes from Tobias' disapproving smirk, Lauren grinned as she rejoined conversation with Nick and his wife. "It's easy to lose yourself in New York," she agreed. "And there's a small, but thriving community of people you'd be able to integrate into easily enough. Josef Christopherson doesn't know it exists - even if he did, he wouldn't be welcome. But as far a move goes ....I can help you there. You'll want a place that's big enough to hold three adults comfortably, since I doubt you're gonna be happy for the kid to spread her wings until she's at least a hundred, so that means a house. And I happen to know of a few that, with a little designing, could be made perfect for a family who don't like the sun much."

Willow Gregory

Date: 2014-03-26 11:55 EST
Through all this discussion, Willow had been mostly quiet, letting Nick do the talking, but this wasn't all up to him, and he didn't want to be solely responsible for making the decisions that would dictate their future and their child's future. "What do you think?" he asked, turning his gaze to Willow to see what she thought of all that.

Willow flushed as all three sets of eyes turned to her, glancing down at her hands, wrapped securely in Nick's grasp, before looking up at him. "I think we need to talk about it, just the two of us," she said quietly. "We need to know where we stand now, before we start making plans to change that." Her eyes flickered toward Tobias and Lauren. "You've given us a lot of information today, and I think there's a lot more to come, but I can't really cope with too much at once. So, if you don't mind, I think I need to talk to Nick before we go any further with this."

That was it, then. Willow had spoken. Though Nick was eager to learn more, he knew Willow could only absorb so much information at a time before she experienced information overload. He offered her a reassuring smile and leaned over to brush a kiss against her cheek. For now, they were safe here with Tobias, and there was plenty of time to figure out where to go from there. There was one thing he was curious to know, however. "Just one last question," he started as he turned back to Lauren. "You said something about not letting her spread her wings until she's at least a hundred. Do dhampir children age at the same rate as human children or not?"

Lauren smiled as Willow's eyes returned to her, hopeful for the answer to this question. "Yes, we do," she assured them. "I stopped physically aging at around twenty-four, but until then I grew up just like any other kid. You're going get a full childhood with her, you'll get to see her grow up properly. And I don't doubt that she'll stick around a lot longer than human children do, because you'll have something unique to your family. A bond that goes three ways is not to sniffed at."

"So, it's that rare, then," Nick remarked. He was still getting used to the idea of having a child at all; never mind the fact that said child was going to be a dhampir. They hadn't had much time to absorb the news much less react to it, and somehow Nick knew that if Josef were to find out, it wouldn't just be Willow whose life would be in danger, but their daughter's as well. It only made Nick more determined than ever to find the vampire and kill him. But none of this was said; it all sort of went without saying anyway.

"A dhampir with both parents still living," Lauren said carefully, "a dhampir raised by the people who bore her, much less the people who love her, is the rarest thing in the world. And believe me when I say that I will do everything in my power to help you make that dream a reality. And if you ask me to, I'll teach her how to be what she is in a world that doesn't even know she exists."

"We'd appreciate that, but for now, I think my wife needs to rest. How can we reach you, if we have any more questions?" Nick asked, trying not to sound too much like a cop and more like a concerned husband and father, but old habits were hard to break.

"Toby's got my number," Lauren assured him with a faint smirk, seeing all the marks of a professional on a man trying hard to act at a personal level when things were just a little too much to handle just now. "And I'll leave my address with him, too. You can call me at any time, day or night."

Willow smiled, relieved that the intense meeting was beginning to break up, wanting nothing more than to curl up in Nick's arms and just absorb some silence while her brain made sense of everything they had just learned. "Thank you for coming, Lauren," she said quietly. "We do appreciate it, really."

Nick still had plenty of questions, but the most pressing ones had been answered for now, and so long as Willow was satisfied with the answers, so was he. The thing that worried him most right now was the whole blood thing. He wasn't convinced that it was a good idea for a pregnant woman with a touchy stomach to ingest blood, even if it she was carrying a half-vampire child. It was a little too much Rosemary's Baby for him, but he had to trust what Tobias and Lauren were telling them. It wasn't his decision to make anyway; he thought it was mostly up to Willow. "Thanks for your help. I'm sure we'll see you again soon." Nick leaned forward to offer a hand to the dhampir in a show of, if not friendship, at least trust and gratitude.

There was just enough time for Willow to see Tobias wince and laugh before Lauren grasped hold of Nick's hand and pulled, dragging him up onto his feet for a whirlwind of a hug that included a big kiss to his cheek. "Welcome, Nicky," the dhampir chuckled, patting his cheek before letting him go, and bending to deliver a much more gentle kiss to Willow's cheek. "I'll get going," she said, "but remember, anytime, okay?"

How could you dislike someone who was so bubbly and gave off such effervescent charm' Nick thought that, if the circumstances of their meeting weren't so gravely important, they might become good friends. There was no reason to think they wouldn't still become good friends in the future, but he wasn't one to count his chickens before they were hatched. "We'll remember," Nick assured her, more than a little surprised by the hug and kiss. If he wasn't a vampire, he might have even blushed.

"Good, 'cos if I don't hear from one of you by the end of the week, I'm coming back," she threatened merrily, reaching down to pull Tobias to his feet. "C'mon, old man, show me out." It was hardly the most subtle of exits, but it got Tobias out of having to make excuses to leave himself.

Willow laughed quietly, leaning into Nick's side. "I like her," she murmured softly.

Normally, Nick might have grumbled at such a threat, but even he couldn't help but smile a little at Lauren's promise to return. "She's hard not to like," Nick replied, as he reclaimed his seat by her side. "What do you say, Mrs. Gregory?" he asked, wondering if she wanted to talk there or retreat to their suite of rooms.

"I say ..." Willow sighed softly. "I think if I try and make sense of all that right now, my brain might explode." She rubbed her hand over his thigh, nuzzling into his chest. "Can we go upstairs for a while" Just you and me and no issues, just for a little bit' I promise, I'll talk about it later. Just not now."

Willow Gregory

Date: 2014-03-26 11:56 EST
"Whatever you want, Willowbean," he said, leaning over to brush a tender kiss against her forehead, loving and protective and surprisingly gentle, now that they'd been left alone. He moved to his feet, taking her hand to help her up from the chair, though she was not even showing yet.

Willow hadn't even noticed that she was being helped out of chairs, and up from the ground, since yesterday's breaking news had broken. And to be honest, even if she had, she wouldn't have thought much of it. Nick had always been considerate toward her, sometimes more than necessary, and he never did anything without a reason. Hand in hand, she let him draw her up onto her feet, tucking close once again. "Are you okay, about the blood thing?"

"Not really," he replied, wanting to be honest with her. He'd never lied to her before, and he wasn't about to start now. "But if what they say is true, I'll get used to it," he added. He would agree to whatever was best for the health and well-being of his wife and child, no matter what his personal feelings might be.

"It isn't ideal," she agreed quietly, not so sickened by the thought of it as he seemed to be, but prepared for his dislike of something she felt they needed to do. "But I would rather that than ....well, having what Lauren described when it's time for her to be born." Her hand brushed her waist as they moved toward the stairs, and a soft smile touched her face. "We'll have to think of a name."

He wasn't sure why the thought of her drinking his blood bothered him so much; there was a part of him that found it arousing, but maybe that was what scared him about it - the fact that he might actually enjoy it, the way he'd enjoyed drinking her blood. He was only too glad when she changed the subject. It occurred to him that they'd never have a son; that it was an impossibility for them now. There was a good chance that this might be their only child, but it didn't matter. What was important was that she was healthy and happy, and the same went for Willow. "Have any in mind?"

She shook her head, laughing a little. "I have none, and tons, all at the same time," she admitted ruefully. "But none that I really like. What about you? Any ideas what we're going to call our daughter?"

"I haven't given it much thought, but I think it should be something special." A special name for a special child. His daughter, their daughter. The reality of it was only just starting to sink in. Were they really going to be a family' It was something he'd been wanting for a long time.

"We're not calling her Renesme," Willow informed him with a snort of laughter. And just in case those books did have something right in them, she added, "Nor does she get to hang out with werewolves until she's at least two hundred." Cover all bases, just in case.

"Reneswhat?" Nick asked, furrowing his brows in confusion, obviously having no idea what she was talking about. "Werewolves!" he echoed. "Please, don't tell me those are real, too!"

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "Like I'd know," she smiled, refusing to engage with a fresh wave of paranoia. "You know those books and films you really don't like to admit are a part of our collection, just because I happen to enjoy them' Renesme is from those."

He rolled his eyes as they reached the stairs and took her hand to lead her up the stairs. "Oh, good grief, Willow! Not those! Sparkly vampires. Ridiculous. I don't know how anyone with half a brain in their head can take those books seriously."

"What, I'm not allowed to have one teeny tiny flaw?" The protest was offered with a wide grin and a loud laugh - she knew he couldn't stand that particular area of her interest, but she also knew that her enjoyment of a book or a film didn't change the way he felt about her. "C'mon, you know you watched the last one just because you wanted to know how it ended."

And now he felt like he was living it. The similarities between their own lives and the plot of Twilight hadn't been lost on him, though Willow wasn't a teenage girl, and he wasn't a hundred-something-year-old vampire with a penchant for stalking teenagers. "I did not want to know how it ended," he replied defensively. Okay, so he told a little white lie every now and then. "I was watching it for you."

"And laughing when I got really into it, yes, I know." She smiled, hugging his arm as they reached the next floor. "I love you, baby. And I love your baby. We'll be just fine."

He smiled at her little pun, pulling her aside as they reached the second floor and wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're damned straight we're gonna be fine. Because I love you more than anything, and I'm gonna take care of you and Baby Willow."

"Yeah, that's just a small step away from p*ssy willow, and we're not calling her that," she laughed, leaning into his embrace with a low sigh, closing her eyes. "I feel like we're taking back a little bit of control, you know" Maybe not much, and we need all the help we can get right now, but these are our decisions, and we're going to make them. And that's pretty big for us right now."

He chuckled at her remark and would have teased her further had she not turned serious on him. He wrapped his arms around her to hold her close, burying his face in her hair and breathing her in. "We're gonna be okay, Willow. We just need to figure some things out and make some decisions, but we're gonna be okay," he agreed, reassuring her gently, and maybe reassuring himself, along with her.

"I know," she murmured against his ear. "But right now, all I want is to snuggle with you and ignore the rest of the world for a while." She drew back with an inviting little smile. "Think you can handle that, Kringle?"

"I know I can," he replied with a smile back at her. He drew a finger against her face to trace her cheek. "I love you, you know, Beanie," he told her quietly. "I know things have been a little bit crazy lately, but nothing is ever gonna change how I feel about you."

"I know," she whispered back to him, certain of it deep inside in a way she wasn't certain of anything else in her life. "I really do know, Nick. I promise, I'm never going to doubt the way you feel."

"Let's go snuggle before Tobias decides he wants some company," he suggested, taking her hand and leading her down the hall to their rooms. He didn't really need her promise to know she loved him and trusted him, but he'd needed to say it anyway, especially since he knew he'd been a little more grumpy than usual lately, even if he did feel he had good reason for it.

Drawn along the hallway, Willow couldn't resist teasing him just a little bit. "Baby' Do you think Lauren knows how to adjust windows so you'll sparkle in the right light?"

He gave her a sidelong glance that showed he was not really seeing the humor in her question, even though he knew she was teasing him. "No, and if you call me Edward, I'm going to have to punish you."

Her laughter echoed along the hallway behind them and down the stairs to reach the ears of the vampire who had taken them in not so very long ago. As the bedroom door closed, shutting the couple in, Tobias smiled to himself. This baby was the best thing he could possibly have wished for them, bringing laughter back into a marriage that had fallen into tense words and upset over the past weeks. Things could only get better for the Gregorys, he was sure. And he would be twice-damned before he allowed them to get any worse.

((Sorry about the title - I couldn't resist! And many thanks to Nick's player for being awesome!))