Adrian and Helene left the planetarium and were walking home when Adrian asked, "What happened back there? Did you plan that?"

Helene looked at him and laughed. "Of course I did. Well, not the driving lesson part, but the rest of it, yeah."

Adrian nodded. "Huh, I had no idea."

"Really?" Helene put her hair up again. "Remember I told you three years ago that if you gave me a couple of years, we could work things out?"

"Oh?" Adrian asked, sneaking an arm around her shoulders. "Is that what we're doing now?"

She nodded. "Well it's a start, anyway."

She pulled a chocolate out of her purse and handed it to him. "Want this? I have several in my purse that I should probably eat before they melt."

He took it from her and popped it in his mouth. "Thank you."

"You want to know a secret?" She asked. "Dad doesn't know I'm meeting you today."

Adrian's eyes widened. "Really? So let me get this straight: You told your father a fib?"

"I didn't fib," Helene said. "I just withheld information." She paused. "So what do you suggest we say when our parents show up at school and we're not there to be picked up?"

Adrian lifted an eyebrow. "Our parents still want to pick us up from school? But they don't have to do that! I have a car now!"

Helene burst out laughing and took his hand. "Honestly, Adrian. Do you think my father is going to allow you and me to be in a car together when we're supposed to be heading to school? Take today for example. It's what he's always feared."

"Hey," Adrian protested, "You were the one who suggested we sit next to each other in a dark room, not me."

"Oh," she grinned. "Complaining about that already?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Of course not. So, the excuse for our parents?"

"Well," Helene thought a moment. "Let's say that we didn't go to school because there's so much learning that can be done outside the classroom. That and it's a beautiful day."

"They aren't going to fall for that." Adrian shook his head.

"What's the worst they could do to us?" Helene asked.

"Well," Adrian thought a moment. "They could make us babysit Roxie."

Helene squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, god. Now I don't feel so good about this."

"I just don't get why she's so insane," Adrian said. "Compared to her, I'm a saint."

"And she's only three," Helene added. "She's probably only going to get worse."

"Oh, I don't know," Adrian said. "Mom would never let it get that bad."

"But Roxie doesn't like your mother," Helene reminded him. "Even after all these years."

"I don't know why," Adrian shook his head. "Mom's nice. Except for when she's pregnant of course, which she assured me wouldn't happen again for years and years and years anyway."

"That must've been reassuring," Helene grinned. "It probably ended the nightmares for you."

"Yes," Adrian swallowed. "Yes it did." They kept walking, not in the direction of school but a way Helene had never gone before. The area seemed kind of shifty. They stopped in front of a rundown-looking building. "Wait," Helene said. "I've been here before. For your birthday party. Isn't this a werewolf bar?"

"Yeah," Adrian put his hand on the door. "But if you're with me, they'll let you in without trouble. I was born here after all."

They entered the bar and Pete looked up at them. "Aren't the two of you supposed to be in school?"

"We took the day off," Adrian said, sitting on a barstool and motioning for Helene to sit beside him. "For my birthday, you know."

"Oh, yes," Pete nodded. "How did your parents agree to that?"

"Well actually," Adrian said, "they don't know. But we plan to tell them eventually."

"Besides," Helene added, "if you only do it once, is it really wrong?"

"Maybe in your head it's not," Pete said, rinsing out a beer glass and drying it before placing it on the counter. He looked up at Adrian. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"

"Ah, well," Adrian thought a moment. "Kinda, sorta, not entirely."

Pete scoffed. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"She could have done it," Adrian protested, pointing at Helene. "Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she doesn't have evil plots going through her head. I mean, just look at my sister if you want evidence."

"Oh, yes," Pete grinned. "Roxanne. How is she?"

"Psycho," Adrian said immediately. "Completely psycho."

Pete leaned forward on the bar, getting beer on his white polo. "Damn. And this is my only nice shirt."

Helene inspected it. "That's why if you're going for neutral colors, darker is always best. It hides stains while white attracts them."

"I'll make a note of that," Pete said.

"So," Adrian pressed, "Are you going to call our parents on us? Mom's too busy trying to connect with Roxie. She won't have time to come down. And Dad of course, well you know his stance on this type of thing."

"Oh, yes," Pete nodded. "You better believe I do. And about your sister: I'm sure you're exaggerating."

Adrian and Helene looked at one another. If only they were.


"I'm concerned," Selina said as she and Astrid drove to Roxie's preschool. "I've tried to bond with Roxie for years because, you know, Enid told me to so I wouldn't inadvertantly kill her, but it's just, it's so hard. She hates me."

"I'm sure 'hate' is a strong word," Astrid said. "I mean, do you like your mother?"

"Well, no, not really," Selina admitted. "But I did when I was three years old! Things didn't go downhill with Mama until I was at least a teenager."

"Think about this," Astrid said. "If Enid encouraged you to bond with Roxanne than it can be done, even if it's difficult. Hold on to that."

Selina nodded. "You're right. I will." They reached Roxie's preschool and Selina stopped the car and took a deep breath. "Here we go again." She got out of the car as Roxie's preschool teacher came out with all the kids. They each ran eagerly to their respective parents, except for Roxie, who when she saw it was Selina, narrowed her eyes, ignored Selina's attempted at a hug and stomped to the car. When she saw the door was closed, she turned to her mother. "Open the door," she ordered sharply.

Now I know why so many werewolf mothers kill their daughters, Selina thought. She relaxed her face into a smile and opened the door. "All right, dear," she said. "But next time it would be nicer if you said 'please' first."

Roxie's lip twitched and she climbed into the car without a word. They rode in silence and dropped a worried-looking Astrid off at her house and then arrived at their own house. Roxie ran inside without speaking and headed straight for the living room, where Klaus was watching television.

"Yeah," Selina called after her. "You're welcome for the ride. You just go and do whatever it is you do. Manipulative little bitch." She muttered this last part under her breath. She really needed a drink. She grabbed a bottle of bourbon and began chugging it directly without bothering to put it in a glass. She looked up and saw Roxie staring at her. When Roxie noticed she was looking, Roxie turned back to Klaus. "Mother's drinking again. That's bad, isn't it, Daddy?"

"Not necessarily," Klaus said. "But I'll go and ask."

Klaus strode into the kitchen and took the bourbon bottle away from her. "Can I have some?"

"Sure," Selina snatched the bottle back. "If you get your own bottle." She took another swig. "This one's mine."

Klaus looked at Roxie, who was sitting on the sofa with her feet dangling above the floor. "I need to take your mother upstairs. Will you be all right in here?"

"Of course," Roxie said sweetly. As Klaus led Selina to their bedroom, Roxie smiled sweetly and said, "feel better soon, Mother."


Klaus took Selina into the bedroom and shut the door. "Are you all right?"

Selina burst into tears and began hitting the mattress with her fist. "I don't understand! I've tried, really I have. Enid said I should do my damnedest to bond with Roxie and it hasn't amounted to anything. She's as bad as your mother. What the hell do I have to do to get a little appreciation around here?" She grabbed Klaus by his collar. "You messed her up. You tell me!"

Klaus growled, detached her, and pushed her roughly back on the bed. "Do you know what I do to people who talk to me like that?"

She burst out giggling. "Do you rip off their clothes and cuff them to the bed to make wildly inappropriate love to them?"

Klaus' expression was icy. "Not this time."

"What so mad for?" Selina asked, attempting to sit up and failing. "All I wanna know is how to get along with Roxie. You can help me."

"What's happened to you?" He asked. "I don't know who you are anymore!"

She tried to sit up. "Are you sayin' that I'm too good?"

"Yeah," Klaus nodded. "What's happened?"

"I've always been good," she snuck a couple of fingers under his shirt. "That's why you like me."

He moved her hand. "Let's play a game," he said.

"Oh," she nodded. "I like games. What kind of game? A sexy game?"

He sat down next to her. "Possibly. And it might help you get along with Roxie."

"Wow," Selina lay her head on his shoulder. "That'll be some game! What do I have to do?"

"Remember what things were like when we first met?" He asked.

"Oh," Selina nodded and took off her shirt. "You mean when you forced me to have your hybrid babies?"

"That's a strong way of putting it." Klaus ran his fingers through her hair. "You wanted me."

"No," Selina smiled, unbuttoned his shirt and ran a finger down his chest. "You wanted me."

He kissed her. "Well I think that's obvious." He was just about to pull her shirt over her head when there was a sharp knock on the door. They fixed Selina's clothes and then Klaus instructed the person on the other side to come in. Roxie strode into the room. "There's somebody at the door, Daddy. Can I take care of them?"

"Of course, dear," Klaus said. "Go ahead."

Roxie smiled. "All right!" And then she scampered away. A few minutes later, they heard screams and sucking. Selina sighed and leaned her head against Klaus' chest.

"Are you going to take her to Enid's?" Klaus asked. "Have her do a spell to delay transformation like you did with Adrian?"

Selina shook her head. "No. If it's what she wants, then I'll just let it be. Maybe I've been trying too hard and I should just...lighten up a little."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "You have been trying too hard. It's kind of pathetic, really."

Selina nodded. "I suppose it is, but I just...I thought it would be easier than this."

Klaus got out of bed and grabbed the knife, putting it close to his chest. "So, how much do you think you're going to take this time?"

Selina shook her head. "No, I'm not taking your blood. We've discussed why several times."

"Give it a chance," he urged as ran the blade along his collarbone, causing blood to well up. He watched her as he climbed into bed and waited, unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it off, and throwing it on the floor. Then he climbed onto the bed, lay on his back and waited, watching her with a smirk on his face. "Come on," he said. "You know you want to."

Hesitantly, she reached a hand out, got some of his blood on her fingers, and then gingerly licked it off. Her eyes widened. She leaned forward and began licking in earnest while he ran his fingers through her hair and over her back. When she pulled back for the first time, her eyes had changed.

"Good?" Klaus asked her.

She nodded. "Oh, yes." She got off the bed, grabbed the cuffs and cuffed him to the bed. Once his chest was clean, she went for his throat. After awhile, he attempted to flip her over so that she would be underneath him, but wasn't quite successful. Instead, she pushed him off the bed and he landed on the floor. He groaned and got up, pushing her against the wall, his hand on her throat. "Do you know what I do to people who do that to me?" He asked angrily.

She looked at him boldly. "Do your worst."

They began to tussle. Suddenly, there was another sharp knock on the bedroom door. It opened a moment later. "Would you two shut up?" Roxie said. "I'm trying to concentrate on my show out here and you're making that very difficult!" Selina looked up at her. Blood was still dripping from her chin. She stood up and advanced toward her daughter. "Don't you think," she asked smoothly, "it's about time you were in bed?"

Roxie put her hands on her hips and pouted. "I don't like going to bed."

Selina grabbed her arm and began dragging her toward her room, ignoring Roxie's squeals of pain. "Well you know what?" she said sharply, "I really don't give a damn."


A month later, Adrian met Helene at her locker. "Remember," he said, "full moon tomorrow. Will you come and stay with me?"

"Of course," Helene nodded. "Don't I always?"

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "But I just thought I'd check."


The next day after lunch, Helene found a flyer taped to her locker. It was for a protest rally that was being held at the local park because they were chopping down a two-hundred and fifty year old tree that had been a staple of the town for years. "I don't believe this," she said, taking it down. "How can they do that?"

"It's cruel, isn't it?" Said Anthony. "I know how fond you are of that tree and I didn't want you to miss the chance to say goodbye."

Helene crumpled the flyer in her hand. "This isn't goodbye," she said. "Anthony, I am not just going to stand idly by while a big corporation cuts down something beautiful that's been a landmark in this town since forever."

"Oh," Anthony looked away. "It's a good thing you don't have anything else to do tonight, then."

"Even if I did, this is much more important. Will you come with me?"

"Of course," Anthony said.


They left for the park just after school let out. Helene forgot to tell Adrian that she was going and he waited for her for awhile before giving up and going home. He arrived and realized that no one else was at the house either. He was all alone. He flipped on the television to the news, where the anchor was talking about a protest to save the old tree in the park. She interviewed one of the protestors. It was Helene. When Adrian saw her, standing next to Anthony who had his arm around her shoulder, he spit out his drink.

"I don't believe this," he whispered. She'd abandoned him to go to some stupid tree protest in the park. He looked at the clock, then out the window. The moon would be coming up any minute. He'd thought of chaining himself up, but now he didn't want to. Now, he wanted to pay a visit to that protest.

Turning was painful as usual, but once he had completed the transformation, he jumped out the window and made his way toward the park. When he got there, he found the protestors immediately. Some were chained to trees, but most, including Helene and Anthony, were marching around the tree holding signs and doing some stupid chant.

He sprang into the crowd, scattering everyone in different directions. He caught several of them and finished them off quickly. Then he saw Helene. He ran toward her. When she saw him, she gasped. "Adrian, oh, my god. I completely forgot, I'm sorry, I..."

He sprang, biting her three times, nowhere fatal though. When she was down on the ground, eyes closed, he ran away and once he turned back, locked himself in his room for the rest of the night.


The next day, Astrid called Selina to tell her about Helene being in the hospital. "She slept most of the night, but she's awake now. She wants to see Adrian."

Selina nodded. "All right." She found him in his room staring morosely at the wall. "Helene's in the hospital," she began cautiously. "She wants to see you."

Adrian looked up. "I can't. It's my fault."

Selina sighed. "I know. But things happen. It's part of being a werewolf. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Understand that I tried to kill her?" Adrian asked skeptically. "I don't think so, Mom."

Selina pulled him up. "Just go," she snapped. "And buy her some flowers on the way. That's always a good way to apologize." She handed him a wad of bills. "Here's some money."

Adrian left the house and went and got a dozen roses before heading to the hospital. When he found Helene's room, she was asleep. He was relieved. He put the roses on her bedside table and watched her for a moment. She was covered in bandages and her breathing was labored. He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean it, I swear. I love you."