VinnieStokerLover, who owns Summer, asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy! :)

Vamps belongs to guestsurprise. Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. I only own Rachel and Vampiro.

Only Time And Loving Patience Can Ease Emotional Pain

Rachel held her daughter Summer as she rocked her to get the little girl to go to sleep, humming soft lullabies. The five year old clung to her mother, feeling her eyes closing. "Mommy?" She asked.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Rachel asked softly.

"Love you," said Summer before she yawned.

Rachel smiled. "I love you too, pumpkin," she said, hearing her daughter yawn and set her in the little girl's bed, tucking her in. "Good night, my little angel. Sleep tight."

"Good night, Mommy," Summer said just before her eyes closed.

Rachel watched her with a smile as Rook quietly entered and turned on the nightlight before Rachel turned off the main lights and the two quietly closed the door most of the way, but left it open a crack before walking very quietly away.

Rook held Rachel in his arms lovingly. "I'm so glad to have some time off to spend with you and our children," he said to her.

"Me too, hon," she said as she let him pull her into a deep, loving kiss.

Vampiro and Vamps were in the living room, unable to sleep. "Perhaps it's because of the full moon," Vamps said to his father. "Rachel said that sometimes she has trouble sleeping when it's a full moon."

"Perhaps," Vampiro agreed, drinking a cup of tea.

Vamps stood up to stretch and heard footsteps and turned to see a little girl walking downstairs, but her eyes were glassy and she was in her pajamas. "Are you alright, little one?" He asked.

The little girl didn't acknowledge his question as she opened the door and continued walking outside. Vampiro stood up. "Looks like she's sleepwalking," he said.

"Let's find out where she's going," said Vamps.

They followed Summer, who was navigating the grounds pretty well in her sleep and after a bit, they made it to the waterfall that wasn't too far away from the Grant Mansion. They watched as the little girl stopped at the water's edge and sat down. "Mommy?" She called out.

Vamps was a bit concerned. "Why would she be looking for her mother here?" He asked.

"Isn't her mother back at the Mansion?" Vampiro asked.

"Seeing that she came from the upstairs part, I'd say yes," said Vamps. "But I'm afraid I don't know who this little one is."

The elder Vladat nodded. "Let me see if I can bring her out of her sleepwalking trance," he said before looking regretful. "She's so young."

Vamps knew what his father meant. Children were more easily hypnotized than adults because their minds were more open. "I'm sure her mother will understand when we explain the reasoning, Father," he said gently.

Vampiro nodded and gently lifted the little girl into his arms, gently turning her face to look at him as his eyes then widened, beginning his hypnosis. The little girl was too far into her sleepwalking trance to resist and she soon had the telltale hypnosis spirals in her eyes.

"Child, what is your name?" Vampiro asked gently.

"Summer," she said in a quiet voice.

"What are you doing here, Summer?" He asked.

"Looking for Mommy," Summer answered.

"Why?" Vampiro asked curiously. "Why are you looking for her here at the waterfall?"

Summer was quiet for a moment before she suddenly stiffened. "Car accident," she said. "Mommy's hurt."

Vamps' eyes widened. "Father, I think she must have lost her parents in an accident and someone at the Mansion adopted her," he said, recalling how some of the other children had lost their parents and had come to the Mansion to escape abusive foster homes or the policeman, who was a dear friend of the family, would bring orphaned children to the Mansion. Rachel never turned away anyone who needed a home, and the aliens never did either, adopting the children as they own.

Vampiro nodded and snapped his fingers sharply in hopes of pulling the little girl from her flashback.

Summer jumped when she heard the sound and blinked, seeing the two aliens and she would have squirmed away, except she saw Vampiro's sharp claws and so didn't dare move. "Don't be afraid, Summer," said the Vladat holding her soothingly.

"Take a deep breath," Vamps instructed gently.

She swallowed and did as she was told. "That's better," said the one holding her.

Summer looked at them in confusion before looking at Vamps. "Uncle Whampire, why are your wings and mask black?" She asked.

Both Vladats chuckled in amusement. "I'm afraid you have me mixed up with my brother, little one," Vamps said gently.

The little girl cocked her head to the side. "So, you're Uncle Whampire's brother?" She asked.

"That's right," he said.

Summer then turned to the Vladat holding her, noting his clothing. "Are you related to Uncle Whampire too?" She asked.

He chuckled in amusement. "Yes," he said. "Whampire is my youngest son."

"And if you're related to Whampire, that makes you my niece and his great-niece," said Vamps.

Summer's eyes lit up. "You guys are my uncles too?" She asked hopefully.

They nodded. "He is your uncle Vamps," said the elder Vladat. "I'm your great-uncle Vampiro."

The little girl smiled before seeing where they were. "Why are we outside?" She asked.

"You were sleepwalking and came here," Vamps said gently.

Summer then looked horrified. "Mommy! Daddy! Do they know I'm here?" She asked.

The Vladats shook their heads. "Don't worry, sweetheart," Vampiro said soothingly. "We'll take you back home."

She looked up at him. "Was I looking for Mommy here?" She asked.

"Your birth mother, yes," Vamps said.

Summer laid her head on Vampiro's shoulder. "She liked waterfalls," she said softly.

The elder Vladat rubbed the little girl's back soothingly. "Waterfalls are beautiful, aren't they?" He asked.

He felt the little girl nod into his shoulder. "That's why she liked them so much," she said before lifting her head up. "Does Mommy like waterfalls too?"

Realizing Summer was asking about her current mother, the two nodded. "I'm sure she does," Vamps said with a smile, although he and Vampiro didn't know who Summer's mother was.

They soon entered the Mansion again and were in the living room when Rook suddenly came running downstairs and stopped short at seeing them in the living room. "Summer!" He said in relief.

"Daddy!" She said, jumping out of Vampiro's lap and running up to the Revonnahgander, who scooped her up and held her in relief. "Daddy, what's wrong?" Summer asked him.

"Your mother and I felt something was wrong and went to check on you, but we didn't see you in your room," he said. "We've been searching the entire mansion trying not to wake up the others in trying to find you."

"Oh," said the little girl.

Vamps stood up. "Rook, she was sleepwalking earlier and headed for the waterfall," he explained.

"She was caught up in a flashback too about her birth mother," Vampiro said gently.

Rook now looked worried. "Summer, are you hurt?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Uncle Vamps and Uncle Vampiro kept me safe," she said. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

He smiled. "You didn't do anything wrong, Summer," he said reassuringly as he held her comfortingly.

Rachel came in. "Rook, I can't find her any…,"

She stopped short at seeing her daughter safe in Rook's arms. "Oh, Summer, there you are," she said, accepting the little girl from the Revonnahgander.

"Mommy," she said. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Rachel held her daughter comfortingly. "What happened, honey? Did you have a bad dream?"

Summer shook her head and looked over at Vamps. "She ended up sleepwalking to the waterfall," said the Vladat. "She remembered her birth mother loved waterfalls."

Rachel nodded in understanding, not offended. She knew her children wouldn't ever forget their birth parents and in all honestly, she didn't want them to ever forget them.

"Mommy? You like waterfalls too, right?" Summer asked, drawing Rachel out of her thoughts.

The older woman smiled. "Yes, I do," she said. "I go there every now and then. Some of your uncles have caves filled with crystals behind that waterfall."

"Really?" The little girl asked in amazement.

Rachel nodded and Summer suddenly hugged her. "Mommy, are you upset that I was looking for my birth mommy?" She asked.

"Oh, no, sweetie," the older woman said reassuringly, holding her daughter to her. "You and your brother are still grieving for them and that's okay."

Summer looked at her. "It is?" She asked.

Rook came up to them and began rubbing his daughter's back. "Summer, your mother taught me something some time ago," he said.

Seeing the little girl was curious, he smiled. "She taught me that only time and loving patience can ease emotional pain," he said. "You and your brother still need time to recuperate from both that accident and your birth parents dying and your mother and I understand that."

Glad that her parents weren't upset, Summer hugged her mother and then reached for her father, who held her as she placed her head on his shoulder and yawned, closing her eyes a moment later. Rook gently chuckled. "I'll get her back to bed," he said before heading upstairs.

Rachel hugged Vampiro and Vamps. "Thank you so much for keeping an eye on Summer," she said.

"You're welcome, my dear," said Vampiro in a fatherly tone of voice, making Rachel smile.

"Anytime, my sister," said Vamps.

Thanks to them, Summer was safe and would continue to recover with time and the loving patience of her family.

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GoldGuardian2418