Here we go. Let's see how Megan's going to react to what Walter told her.

Chapter 21

Cry, Little Sister

Walter finished recounting the events to Megan. He couldn't bring himself to look at her face as he did. The struggle wasn't logical to him. He would get so many more answers about her thoughts if he did, but for some reason the thought made him uncomfortable. Afraid.

He had heard her heartbeat and breathing speed up the more his story progressed. He concluded she either was worried about his sanity or afraid of him. He couldn't yet tell which.

She said nothing for a few minutes.

Her first words caused him to jump slightly. She spoke very slowly and deliberately. "You said you would have a way to prove to me everything you just told me. I don't want to think my little brother has gone insane, so please, Walter. Show me."

Walter hoped it wouldn't come to this, but he was willing to comply with her request. If she was horrified by him, or never want to see him again, he would honor her wishes.

He nodded, resigned to what he had to do, and looked up to meet her gaze.

After a moment there was a familiar change in his vision and itch in his mouth.

Megan now saw what had become of him. He had come to terms with it. His team had come to terms with it, but he wouldn't blame his sister if she could not.

Megan's eyes become the size of saucers. Her heartbeat sped up even more, as did her breathing. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. He could smell her fear.

I have my answer then, he thought, closing his eyes and lowering his head. He felt his body almost pull in on itself. She was afraid of him. His sister was afraid of him. He had accounted for this possibility. It was logical. At least now she knew the truth. He would leave now, forever even, if that's what she wished.

Suddenly he felt a hand under his chin, lifting his head.

He opened his eyes, despite their still inhuman appearance. What was she doing?

The tears were still there, slowly falling down her face. "What you said, it's all true," she said softly.

Walter couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement, but he answered anyway. "I only state facts." He still waited for her to ask him to leave.

Suddenly her expression softened to one of sadness. "Oh, Walter. You went through all of that?"

Walter didn't know what to say. He wasn't understanding her reaction. He couldn't comprehend her question. They weren't part of any of the scenarios he had anticipated. So he only nodded.

A tear fell down her cheek. "You really died?"

Again, he nodded.

"And now, are you…okay?"

This scenario was still unexpected. He did his best to adapt. "It's…complex. There are challenges, but I'm adjusting." He allowed his features to return to normal.

To Walter's surprise, Megan then grabbed him and pulled him forward into a hug.

"This, uh, was not what I anticipated," Walter stated, initially too off guard to return her embrace. He still did after a brief second.

Megan let him go and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "And what were you expecting, exactly? Me to scream in terror? Me to say I never wanted to see you again? Did it ever cross your mind that I would still love you and want to still be there for you as your sister?"

"Um, well, I did account for the former scenarios. The later ones, although preferable, I found less likely, especially without a longer period of adjustment. Are you sure you are okay after what I just revealed?" Walter asked, still not quite believing where this conversation was going.

"Oh, I'm freaking out, don't get me wrong!" Megan admitted. "And when you showed me your proof, you most certainly scared the crap out of me. I'm still not sure how I'm going to process everything. I have so many questions. Remember how many supernatural YA novels I read in my teenage years? You're going to have to set the record straight on what's real here."

Megan's apparent dichotomy of feelings confused Walter. "You're still ok with me being here even though you are 'freaking out'?" He looked at her dumbfounded. It didn't make sense to him.

Megan then gave him a good slap upside the head. "Yes, dummy! You're my brother! You could kill someone and I would still love you!"

Walter narrowed his eyes at her analogy. Megan grimaced, realizing what she just said. Walter had explained the details about the night with the Serbians.

"Sorry, I meant that as a figure of speech, but you know what I mean."

Surprisingly, Walter thought he did.

He grabbed her hand again and gave it a squeeze. "You are so…so…" he started.

"What? Amazing, awesome, utterly spectacular?" she jokingly guessed.

"Human," he said, smiling softly. "You are just so perfectly human."

She gave him a sidelong look. "Okay…I'm not quite sure what that means, but I'll take it as a compliment."

"Oh, it is," Walter clarified.

Megan looked at him closely for a minute. "Walter, there's something else, what is it?

Walter sighed. "Yes. There's one more I need to tell you." Walter went on to tell her all the details about his blood and the effects on MS, and the conditions under which it would and wouldn't cure it.

When he was done, he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Oh." It was all she said initially.

She followed with an "I see," about thirty seconds later.

She finally took a deep breath. "I'll be honest Walter. I'm going to have to think about this. A lot."

Walter nodded, he thought as much.

"What do you think?" she suddenly asked him.

"I don't think I should influence your thoughts on it, Megan."

"I still want to know what you think," she persisted.

Walter gave in. "I've worked my whole life trying to find a way to save you, and I'm still working on many of them, just so you know, many of I'm quite confid-."

"Walter," she interrupted the avoidance of his answer.

Walter paused for a moment before fully answering Megan's question. "Megan, I believe I'm adjusting as well as can be expected, so I don't want you to worry about me. But what I am now, I don't think it would suit you."

Megan nodded. "I'm too human?" It seemed she now understood what he meant by that.

"You're too human," Walter agreed.

"Well, I'll definitely take that into advisement. I'm not sure it would suit me, either."

After that they made some small talk, and Megan made Walter promise to start his weekly visits again. She told him she wanted to hear about everything- his experiments, his missions, his experiences and struggles as both a genius and a vampire. She said she wanted to be there for him since she had not been able to be there when everything first happened.

"I promise," he said to her. "I also promise not to keep anything from you again."

"You'd better not," she agreed, and reached out and ruffled his hair.

****SVD****

Sylvester finished watching the exchange between Walter and Megan. He was relieved, to say the least. Walter and Megan spoke a few more minutes before Walter gave her hand one final squeeze and they shared one more hug. Walter stood up and made his way towards the door, towards Sylvester.

Walter stepped out into the hallway, next to Sylvester. He didn't say anything for a moment.

"You ok?" Sylvester asked his friend.

Walter let out a deep, relieved breath and nodded. "I assume you witnessed our conversation?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I wanted to be here in case either of you needed anything." Sylvester started to feel anxiety, like maybe he had done something wrong.

"It's ok, buddy. I'm glad you were here."

Walter turned and looked through the door window again. Megan was sitting with her back to them, looking out the window. She likely was trying organize and contemplate everything she had just learned.

"She truly is amazing," Walter stated.

Sylvester looked at her as well, at the woman he'd grown to love.

"She truly is," he answered, smiling at the thought of her.

Walter then gave him a sidelong glance, studying him.

"Sylvester?"

"Hmm?" Sylvester was still looking at Megan with a whimsical grin on his face.

"Are you in love with my sister?"

Sylvester's smile abruptly disappeared, and he felt himself go colder and paler than Walter. He gulped. He turned to Walter, who had a cold stare aimed at him. The vampire was as still as a statue, awaiting Sylvester's answer.

"I, uh, we, um well…" Sylvester couldn't seem to find any reasonable words. He felt himself sweating, then start hyperventilating. His anxiety at Walter's accusation was getting exponentially higher by the second.

Suddenly he pictured Megan's face in his mind. Within his being he felt her courage, strength, and support. She was still in the next room, but he felt her right there with him. He suddenly stopped sweating, his breathing became even, and he stood up straighter. His head lifted in a gesture of confidence and he looked at Walter straight in the eye.

"Yes, I am. And she's in love with me."

Walter turned to completely face him once he answered, but still Sylvester held his ground. Walter already knew he and Megan were dating, and he had expressed concerns at the time. Sylvester imagined that seeing it progress might be a whole different concept to process. He honestly didn't know if Walter was pleased, or if he was about to break his neck.

Walter finally moved. He turned to look at Megan one more time.

"Again, Sylvester, I advise caution, but when I saw Megan talking with you, well, it's the happiest I've seen her in a long while."

Walter turned back to Sylvester. "It may seem counterintuitive, but my new immortality has made me acutely aware how short life is, so I wish the both of you all the happiness in the world."

Sylvester could only nod in relief and agreement. As Walter walked away, Sylvester was deeply happy for his friend. He had reconnected with his sister. Sylvester had no doubt that Megan's acceptance of him was the weight of many worlds off of Walter's shoulders.

Regarding the chapter title, I know that Megan is actually Walter's big sister, but I couldn't resist using the Lost Boys reference (in case you haven't seen it, Cry Little Sister is the theme song for the vampire themed film).