AN: It's my first time in this particular film world, so please be gentle. This story is set between the end of the first movie, and a couple of years before the start of the second. Jonathan and Mavis are still just dating at this point.

The hotel staff buzzed around, some of them literally, as they prepared for yet another birthday party. This time, though, it wasn't for the owner's daughter. It was for her boyfriend. Where was he, anyway? Mavis found him in his room, but he wasn't sleeping.

Gently pushing the door open, she said only, "Knock-knock."

Jonathan smiled when he noticed her.

"Hey, babe. What's up?"

"Nothing much", she replied as she took a spot beside him on the bed, "Just exhausted."

He chuffed and asked, "Your dad driving you crazy?"

"That's putting it mildly."

"I told him just having a cake would be fine."

"I think he's still trying to make up for a few months ago."

She was referring to her one-hundred-and-eighteenth birthday party, and the events surrounding it. Her father had grown a lot since then. Jonathan's playful attitude and calm acceptance had destroyed a lot of pre-conceived notions about humans.

Mavis went on to say, "I kind of wanted to give one of your presents early."

He froze, saying in a shaky voice, "Uh..."

Realizing what he thought, she burst into a giggle-fit.

"Not that. I meant this."

She handed him a square-shaped package, which he hadn't realized she'd been holding. He tore open the wrapping with the enthusiasm of a small child at Christmas. The gift turned out to be an antique-looking photo album: motled amber-and-black, with gold filigree caps on the corners of both covers.

"Wow, babe. This...this is gorgeous."

"It was my mom's."

Tears instantly prickled in the corners of Jonathan's eyes. He knew how sensitive both Drac and Mavis were, when talking about her late mother. He felt honored to have been given such a gift. And not for the first time, he wished he could've met Martha. He hoped she aproved of him.

He noted the sadness in his girlfriend's tone as she continued, "Dad says she had it made, right after I was born. He thinks she was planning to save it for my future wedding day. But now..."

Her voice cracked on that last word, which didn't go unnoticed. Jonathan turned her face to his and gave her a couple tender kisses.

As they pulled apart, he said in a soft tone, "It's okay. I get it."

Then, his attention shifted back to his gift. He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet, laying it on top of the album and opening it.

He said, "It'll be a great place for these."

"These?"

"Mm-hm."

He started taking out several photos, passing each one to Mavis and explaining the events they captured. She giggled at one taken of his brothers, making goofy faces at the camera during his sixteenth birthday party. She couldn't wait to learn to rollerblade, just like they were in another image from the same event. Maybe, she could convince her father to learn, too. She stifled a laugh over the idea. Suddenly, another picture got her attention. It was of Jonathan, who was wearing his graduation cap and gown, and a slightly-taller blond girl with hazel eyes. She asked him who the girl was.

He replied, "That's Chelsea. I've told you about her before."

Indeed, he had. Chelsea had been his chemistry tutor in his senior year of high-school, and he'd often described her as the big sister he'd never had. A smile bloomed across the vampiress's face, a plan forming in her mind.

"Do you two still keep in touch?"

"Totally. We e-mail every couple of weeks. It's been kind of rough for her, since her grandpa died. He was a World War Two vet."

Something inside Mavis pinched in sympathy. Now, she was absolutely certain that her big idea was the right thing to do.

"Do you think she might be able to come here for your birthday party?"

He was surprised by the question. He knew the hotel's residents were still iffy about humans, however nice they might be towards him. But who knows? This might be fun.

"Sure", he said, "Why not? It'd be nice to see her again."

Holy rabies, this was going to be awesome! Mavis couldn't wait to meet the person, who'd been such an incredible mentor to her boyfriend. Her enthusiasm showed, when she told her father about the coming guest.

Drac was cautious about the idea, saying, "Just make sure dis girl is only a sister to him. I'll not have my little honey-bat's heart, getting broken."

"Don't worry, Dad. My instincts are always right. I know it's going to be okay."

AN: It's definitely going to be okay, in more ways than anyone else knows.