Chapter 5 - Meeting Mr. VideoMax

Lucinda and Athena were very pleased with themselves at how beautiful Lucy looked for her date. Lucy's red hair and beautiful emerald eyes made it very easy to get her put together. The girls chose white to dress their mother in with accents of gold. Lucky for them the night had cooled quite significantly that it was chilly. The girls chose for Lucy a beautiful silk, long sleeved white dress. The skirt was down to her knees. It was Lucinda's dress but she had to admit that it looked much better on her mother than it ever had on her. Lucinda even declared her Con Disco Goddess Rhinestone Draped Fishtail Cocktail Dress was now her mothers. Athena gave her mother her white rhinestone pumps to borrow for the night and her white tuxedo jacket just draped on her shoulders completed the ensembled. Just some light smoky eye shadow and a dainty gold chain, gold studs in her ears and Athena fluffed her mother's hair and Lucy was ready for the evening.

"You are so beautiful mom!" Athena gushed.

Lucy blushed furiously at the compliment. It had been so long since she had felt even the slightest bit pretty. To actually feel beautiful was almost alien to her. Carefully Lucy made her way downstairs with her girls behind her. Her boys sat with their mouths open, staring at her.

"Mom!" Sam gasped out, "Y.. You.. look s.. so so different."

"You're very beautiful mom." Michael said quietly.

"You think so?" She asked nervously.

Both boys nodded then a knock sounded at the door. Athena fluttered over to the door. She opened it. An older, slightly nerdy man greeted her with a broad smile.

"Hello, I am Max." he said, "Is Lucy in?"

"Hi! I am Athena. Good to meet you." she said with a smile and stuck her hand out to shake, "Mom's in the living room, come on in."

Max shook her hand. As soon as their hands touched both of their demeanors changed. They both came up guarded. They knew exactly what each other was with just that one touch. Vampire. Witch. Maybe enemies? Maybe not? Athena let Max in and she quickly went to Lucinda's side. Immediately Lucinda knew there was something wrong. Max's eyes lighted on Lucy. He was almost entranced with her look for the evening.

"Lucy, you look stunning." he remarked happily.

"My girls helped me get ready for the evening." she said quietly, pink staining her cheeks.

"We should get going." he said looking at his wrist watch, "Our reservation is at 7:15."

Lucy grabbed her clutch and linked arms with Max as they headed to the door. With a promise not to keep her out too late, Lucy and Max left for the evening. As soon as the door closed the boys rounded on the girls. The girls were already gone. They had immediately disappeared upstairs to get themselves ready for their evenings out. They heard Sam slam the door to his room. He had never done well with change and now that Mom was dating it seemed he was going to have a lot of negative feelings about it. But neither girl deemed his feelings important at the moment. Lucinda was more concerned about the suddenly clamming up of her sister.

"What is it?" she asked as soon as they closed their door.

"He's a vampire." she said suddenly.

Lucinda gave her twin a queer look, "What?"

Athena almost rolled her eyes but knew she should not since she was the only one in the family that really knew about the supernatural. Max was a sire. She could feel that much. He was a coven leader. He could shield his coven from a witch, it was an unconscious thing for them to do to protect their covens but they could not shield themselves from witches. But their was something that made her think of David when she felt the power in Max. Athena had a gut feeling now that they were vampires. They had never answered her that night.

(Flashback)

"What are you?"

David and Marko both froze when she asked that of them. How did she know there was something different about them? What had they done to give themselves away?

"You know what?" she said wistfully, "It does not matter right now. I will find out sooner or later."

A grin had come on to her features as she looped her arms with theirs and walked away with them to the boardwalk in search of a large icy coke.

(Flashback Over)

"I am a witch. Why would Vampires, Werewolves, and Ghosts not be real?" she asked with a raised brow.

Lucinda had nothing to say to that. Athena had a point and she would never just make something up. If she just did not like Max she would have just come out and said so. She never beat around the bush, she was very forward and honest. But that is what scared Lucinda. Her sister did not lie. The things that went bump in the night, the nightmares of humanity were real and practically knocking on their door. Well it did knock on their door and was currently taking mom to dinner.

"Well I am going out." Athena said and went towards her room.

"What?!" Lucinda asked.

"I am not going to sit here all night waiting for mom to come back. I am going to the boardwalk." she said and pulled a black outfit out of her closet, "You are going too. Wear your matching one."

"Just what makes you think I am going out?" Lucinda asked.

"Because I am and I am going to try and spy on mom and Max." Athena stated as she stripped out of her outfit.

"I'll be back." Lucinda said as she left to her own room.

Several minutes passed and Lucinda returned in a white version of Athena's outfit. They were big fans of Lita Ford and this was mimic outfits of hers. Tall leather knee high boots, leather pants that looked like they had been poured into them, thick studded belts, tight shirts tucked into their pants with biker jackets on, one fingerless glove on their right hands. Hair teased big and wild. Dark and thick eyeliner and mascara, light eyeshadow and barely there lipstick. They were ready. Sam pouted at them when they came down the stairs. Mike was waiting for them to hit the boardwalk. Grandpa would be back soon so they did not worry about Sam, telling him to read his comics. The three hit the boardwalk. Mike went his own way looking for the pretty gypsy girl while the girls went looking for their bikers.

(Mike)

It was like Mike had a radar on the little gypsy girl. He knew she would be near the beach watching the concerts with the little boy on her heels. When she saw him, he was elated to see her dark brown eyes light up and shine. She looked at him with adoration. Mike was so in love with this girl that he barely knew. He had always heard his mother say that love could take its time or it could strike you as sudden and as hard as lightning. He felt as if he had been struck hard for Star.

"Michael!" She said as he approached her.

She slid into his arms and close to his chest. She smelled so nice and felt so right in his embrace. He wished that he could always hold her. It felt wrong when they were apart. He felt wrong. He felt incomplete when they were apart.

"Want some dinner?" he asked her and patted little Laddie on the head.

"Sure!" Laddie chirped.

Star smiled meekly and nodded. He led them over to a small bistro at the edge of the boardwalk, it was a small hole in the wall place. The atmosphere was great and Mike was sure this was going to be a great little date for them.

(Mike End... Back To Lu and Athena)

Lucinda and Athena found their bikers quite fast. They only had to follow the noise of a fight. They came around to the edge of the walk near the beach to find their four engaged in a fight with a bunch of what they guessed was the rumored Surf Nazis. Athena walked over to David. He was engaged with a dude with two different colors in his hair and seemed to be trying to make himself seem really young but you could tell he was much older, probably in his late 30's, maybe early 40's. Some used up bottle blonde bimbo was there crudely cheering two tone hair on.

"Babe." Athena said to David.

David shoved two tone away and turned to her. Two tone came rushing back towards David. Athena stepped over into his path and planted her booted foot right into his nuts with a very noticeable crunch. A howl of agony came from the man as he dropped to his knees.

"Go away." Athena said, grabbing David's hand and pulled him along with her.

Bottle blonde bimbo was screeching obscenities and cooing over two tone. With another well placed booted kick Athena disengaged a Surf Nazi away from Marko, pulling him with her and David. All other Surf Nazis in her path moved before they were kicked like their other two buddies. They did not relish having busted balls. As such the entire tussle was over and Dwayne, Paul, and Lucinda followed along behind them. When they got to a more secluded spot Athena stopped and turned to them all as Lucinda came to her side.

"We need to talk." she said.

David and Marko were stiff and silent. Dwayne looked at her. He had an off feeling. While Paul cocked his head and said, "What about?"

"Well there is no reason to beat about the bush." she said, "I know what you are."

All four guys stiffened. David unfroze first and came up very close to her. He leaned down, his forehead touching hers, almost nose to nose. Staring into each other's eyes. He put his arm around her waist pulling her up to him, holding her there.

"What am I?" he asked.

"You are a vampire." Athena stated, "I am a witch."

If not for the crashing of the waves a pin could have dropped and been heard as loud as thunder.

(Back with Mike)

Dinner had went very well. They had light chatter and now they were strolling down the boardwalk, Laddie running ahead towards the carousel. When they got him on, they sat on a bench nearby to keep an eye on him. Star smiled at Laddie then turned back to Michael.

"Michael, w.. we need to talk." Star stated with all seriousness.

"Whoa, you ok?" he asked her worried.

"I.. I just h.. have a secret to tell y.. you" she stuttered almost afraid.

"Hey, whatever it is, it'll be ok." he said with a reassuring smile.

Star wanted to believe that. She was terrified that he was going to run when she told him. Hell if the position was switched she was sure that she would run as fast and as far as she could possibly go. With a deep breath she started.

"Michael, I really like you. I want us to have a very honest relationship. I have a secret and it is one that was thrust upon me by another individual. I had no choice in the matter. In fact none of us did. Not even Laddie. This is so hard to say. I can almost guarantee you won't believe me." she rambled.

"Hey, it is ok. Just tell me." he said.

"Ok. Michael I am not exactly human." Star dropped on him.

"What?" he asked.

"We are not human. We are vampires. Well I am a half vampire. Max did this to us." Laddie said, neither had noticed that he had come over to their bench.

The look on Michael's face was incredulous.

(Back with Lu and Athena)

"You are a vampire and I am a witch." Athena repeated.

"Are you sure?" Lucinda suddenly asked.

Athena had mentioned that Max was one but she had not even hinted to her that the boys could be vampires as well. Athena nodded at her sister.

"I noticed it earlier that there was something supernatural about them. But when Max came over I felt that he was a vampire and there was a spark of recognition that he was at least connected to David." Athena explained never looking away from David's gaze, "He sired you first didn't he?"

David looked at her with yellow eyes instead of his natural icy blue. Athena knew she was right. He was Max's first to be sired. She brought her ungloved hand up to his cheek and caressed it. Letting him feel her powers flow into him. She sent a friendly warmth into him. Athena leaned into him and kissed him softly. She accepted the monster within. Marko moved to behind her and sandwiched her between him and David. She accepted them as they were.

Paul and Dwayne looked at Lucinda hopefully. Lucinda looked back at them. She already had reservations about being with both of them. But now she had even more reservations since they were both vampires. She wanted to understand. How? Why? What? She was an openminded girl. She had her questions that she wanted answered before she made her final decision.

"Lu, don't turn them away until you at least ask your questions. Get yourself some clarity first." she heard Athena sagely advise her.

Lucinda closed her eyes and nodded. Paul and Dwayne stood near her, waiting. Their expressions were almost heartbreaking. She did not accept them as her sister did their brothers. It hurt.

"Can we talk?" she asked of them.

"Yeah, sure babe." Paul whispered, his voice clogged and Dwayne nodded.

The two vampires followed their human love down the beach. Hoping she would give them a chance. For the first time in their undead existence they regretted what they were. And it made them hate Max all the more.

AN: Meeting Mr. VideoMax is going to be at least three parts. These are mostly filler chapters but they are also builder chapters between all the characters as I decide how I want to deal with Max in the long run. I am debating on whether to kill him off or have Athena force the sire bond off the boys and star so they can seperate themselves from him while still giving Max his own happy ending. Any thoughts?