Notes:

- Once again I must apologize for taking so long to update this fic. As I mentioned previously, I'm going through the hardest time of my life. 40 days after losing my grandmother, I also lost my grandfather in a very tragic manner. Thank you for being patient and sticking with me.

- Trigger Warning (angst, death, blood) / N**W Alert (FxF)


Lysimachus

"I came to you because I didn't know who else to talk to," Lysimachus threw himself on the couch at the lounge of Ahmanet Financial's rooftop. The same place where he and Kamilah were reunited only three years earlier, what made it feel somewhat safer than the rest of the city. "You're the only one I really trust, sister."

"I don't know what to say," Kamilah stared at the bottom of her glass of whiskey. "How's that even possible?"

That was the question everyone had been asking for the last few hours.

After receiving one last sample of the Tree's blood, Katherine's health was completely restored. One day later, she was already discharged from the hospital together with the twins. Between new challenges of changing dirty diapers and making both of the boys fall asleep at the same time, they found a single moment for themselves.

It started with a few kisses, that progressed to touches and ended with them making love. With the complications she had early in the pregnancy, they hadn't been intimate for months. After making sure she was ready and completely healed from childbirth, Lysimachus didn't even try to resist her attempts. He was glad he didn't, because after that every single minute of their lives became fully dedicated to their sons, Kaleb and Zayden.

They had just turned three months old when Katherine had an appointment with her doctor. Only a routine check-up to confirm her well-being after the pregnancy. Lysimachus was surprised when he got called to an emergency meeting at Raines Corporation' laboratories and his fiancée was there, in the company of doctors and scientists.

"This will sound completely crazy and absurd," her voice was crackling in anxiety. "In fact I don't even know how to tell you this... I'm pregnant again."

"But how? It's not even possible."

This was what every member of the research team said. There was no logical explanation for Katherine's pregnancy, unless Lysimachus was not the father this time. That statement, as well as the indiscreet questions she was made, caused the Nighthunter to burst in tears and leave the building.

Confused, Lysimachus went to sister for advice.

"Do you think she has cheated on you?" Kamilah asked.

"I'm sure she didn't," he answered without hesitations. "We're getting married next month, I trust her completely."

Kamilah didn't know what to say or even think. She decided to not assume anything, upon such a strange occurrence.

Everyone in his position would be questioning their partners' loyalty, but Lysimachus didn't. He knew Katherine was telling the truth, she'd never do that to him and especially to their kids. She was the most amazing mother to the boys. She hated leaving them under the care of a nanny, even if it was only for a couple of hours. She didn't want to absent and distant, as her own parents were.

When Lysimachus got home, she was in their bedroom playing with baby Kaleb.

"Zayden has finally gotten asleep," she said. "I didn't want Kaleb to wake him up."

"Oh, you're telling me our wild child has finally ran out of batteries after not sleeping for like three days in a row?" Lysimachus joked. His sons were completely different from each other, despite their identical looks. While Kaleb was quiet and well-behaved, his twin was the opposite.

"I don't expect you to believe me. If you want, I can find somewhere else to live. However, the boys are coming with me."

"What the hell are you saying? Of course I believe you. Katherine, I went back to the company and I saw the tests results. The conception date is the exact day we slept together."

"No one else does," tears started rolling from her eyes. "I never felt so exposed and humiliated before. Everyone thinks I've cheated on you and they keep pressuring me to admit it, so they can stop with all these tests."

"I'll fire whoever has done this to you," Lysimachus clenched his fists, enraged. "And I'll order the tests to be stopped myself. No one will be causing any more harm to my future wife and my daughter."

"What?"

"I thought you'd like to see this," he showed a paper with the results of one of the blood tests she was submitted to. "They found fragments of the baby's DNA in your blood. We're having a girl."

Katherine placed Kaleb on his stroller and hugged Lysimachus tightly. It was the first time in that terrible day he could see a smile on her face.

"I just want to make sure you're okay. You aren't feeling ill like the last time, are you?"

"No, I hadn't even had any symptoms yet."

Adrian went to the company in the next day to analyze the situation himself. He had only one possible explanation, the Tree's blood inside Katherine's body gave life to Lysimachus' biologically dead cells. After that event, every vampire-human couples had been temporarily excluded from the research. Not until they knew how the next few months would unfold.


Amy

"I'm not sure I can do this," Amy confessed with a tightness in her chest. "I feel like a monster."

Since the twins were born neither she or Kamilah had left them under somebody else's care. Whenever one of them had to go to work, or attend any other kind of obligation, the other would stay home watching over them. Multiple times they were told to hire a nanny, but none of them felt comfortable with the idea yet.

Lysimachus' wedding was the first time it'd actually happen. Both Amy and Kamilah had agreed they'd take the weekend for themselves, while her parents would baby-sit the twins.

"Amy, my heart aches as much as yours," Kamilah told. "But it's only for two days. It's not like we'll be far away, we'll be at the Hamptons' house."

"I don't trust my mom, okay? What if she has one of her meltdowns?"

"I'm pretty sure that at this point she's a little used being surrounded by vampires. And your father is here too."

That thought brought Amy some relief. She trusted her dad as much as she trusted Kamilah. Most of her childhood, he raised her by himself, taking care of her and keeping her distracted during her mom's 'bad days'. The babies loved him too, he could make them laugh more than anybody else.

"I guess there's no excuse then," Amy sighed defeated. "Maybe one of us can come here and check out if they're okay, every once in a few hours."

"Amy," Kamilah placed her hands on the girl's shoulder, driving her to the elevator. "Let's not become one of those obsessive, controlling parents. It's not healthy, for us and for the babies."

She entered the car, letting out a frustrated moan while she opened the baby monitor app on her cell phone. The twins weren't in the nursery, they should be with her parents in the living room. Kamilah looked at her with a displeased look.

"Phone," she demanded, extending her hand. Amy handed her the cell phone, that she quickly turned off and placed along with hers inside the glove compartment.

Katherine had scheduled a SPA day in a luxurious hotel for the three of them, Ivy and Vera, another friend of hers from New Orleans. They'd stay there until next morning, when the wedding was supposed to take place at the beach.

"I couldn't wait for that," taking a glass of champagne was the first thing Amy did after placing her stuff in the room and wearing a robe. She drank it all in one sip.

"Don't make it look so pleasant," Katherine complained. "I'd kill for one of these."

All her plans for that day had been changed with the news of her second pregnancy. At first, she and Amy were planning a wild bachelorette party at the hottest dance club in New York.

"How is my future niece doing? And you?"

"She's doing great, moving a lot and making her mom hungry as a lion. You know, it's being a completely different experience from when I was pregnant with the boys. I can actually enjoy it. With them, it was like my body was rejecting their vampire nature and attempting to expel them."

They both rested on lounge chairs, while Kamilah relaxed in the swimming pool and the NOLA girls were in the sauna.

"Did you pick a name yet?" Amy asked curious. During Katherine's first pregnancy, they discussed and exchanged names all the time. For this one, she hadn't mentioned anything yet.

"Not really," she said. But Amy could sense there was something else in her voice. "Lysimachus suggested Isis or Nailah, but I guess I'll wait until she's born to decide."

"You don't seem excited about these names."

"Oh! No. I just... couldn't decide yet."

Amy's powers were speaking louder at the moment. Only looking at Katherine she knew exactly what her frustration was, and what she really wanted.

"She'd be happy," she assured. "Ava would love if you gave your daughter her name."

"I'm not sure. I already have so many moments where I get lost in these thoughts, I become distant and shut Lysimachus out. Is it fair to give him another reminder that my best friend's memory will always be between us somehow?"

"You should talk to him, but I'm sure he won't mind."

"Thank you for the advice, Amy."

"Anything for my niece."

When they finished talking, Kamilah was still at the swimming pool with her eyes closed. Amy had to take the chance, it was now or never. Sneaking out through the hotel emergency exit, she rushed to the garage as she was, wearing a bath robe and slippers. She entered the car and grabbed her cell phone inside the glove compartment.

"I don't have much time..." she dialed her mother's number. She didn't answer. A million of thoughts started running through Amy's mind. What if one of babies had gotten hurt somehow? What if any of their enemies kidnapped them? Aiko would never accept Kamilah had started a family with someone else. Her heart was already racing inside her chest, when her dad answered the phone. "Dad! I've been trying to call mom, but she didn't answer."

"Darling, she knew you'd obsess over the babies," her father said. "This is why she turned it off."

"I'm not obsessed, I'm worried. Did Malik feed? Oh, and Amaya, she has this purple monkey she won't sleep without. In case they start crying too much, we usually place them in the sane crib. It helps to calm them down."

Her dad hung up the phone and called her back, starting a video call. He was holding Amaya, while Malik was entertained with a new toy.

"Do we look like we're crying?" He spoke to Amy's baby daughter, who opened a smile and attempted to reach the phone with her tiny hand. "Tell her, Amaya. Tell mom she's a... Momzilla."

"Dad!" Amy protested. "I'm not, okay?! I just... I shouldn't have came."

"Yes, you should. This weekend should be dedicated to your wife, Amy. You have the babies now, but you two also deserve a moment to yourselves. You're still married and in love with each other. These two precious things wouldn't be here without this love."

"You're right. I'll try to freak out less, I promise. But if anything happens, call me and in the same moment..."

"Oh, what is that?!" Her father purposely handed Amaya his phone. "I'm sorry, honey. She just pressed the..."

Amy rolled her eyes when the video call ended. But he was right. Kamilah also deserved her attention, after all she was a caring and dedicated mom. But there was one thing that still bothered her. They hadn't had a single chance of getting intimate after the babies were born. Would it still be the same?

After pampering herself with everything the SPA package and the hotel restaurant had to offer, Kamilah took Amy to the outside area where they walked holding hands and observing the night sky.

"Ursa Major is one of the most ancient constellations in the sky," Kamilah explained while pointing to the stars. "it is most commonly taken to represent Callisto, a nymph Zeus fell in love with, whom his wife Hera turned into a bear."

"Badass! I'd have done the same. What about..." Amy tried to find another one of the constellations Kamilah had previously pointed, "that one?"

The female vampire was pensive for a moment, trying to remember the information she previously learned.

"Cassiopeia, wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda in Greek mythology. In contrast to other figures being placed in the sky in honor, Cassiopeia was forced to the heavenly realms as punishment. The story tells she boasted that her beauty was greater than any of the sea nymphs. This was considered quite an offense, and she was banned to the sky for all to gawk at."

"You really know your stuff, huh?!" Amy playfully elbowed her wife. "Was it another Kamilah infallible trick to seduce women back in the past?"

"Well, I admit they were quite impressed upon my knowledge, yes. And... right now there's one I'm trying to seduce."

Kamilah gazed deeply into her eyes, as her fingertips softly caressed Amy's cheeks and rested on her lips. Even after being married for two years, that look was still capable of leaving Amy breathless.

"Is it working?" Kamilah asked.

Amy didn't answer, instead she closed the distance between their mouths, sharing a long and passionate kiss. Kamilah's mouth traveled down to her neck, where she placed kisses and small bites.

"I want you so badly," Amy moaned, placing her hands on her wife's hips and pulling her closer to her body.

When Kamilah looked at her again, her eyes were maliciously red. In one impulse, she pressed Amy against the nearest wall, where she started devouring her mouth. As her hands moved under her dress, the girl already started feeling her knees becoming weaker.

"Kamilah... we're in a public area!"

She ignored the warning, moving her hands up to Amy's tights. Her touch finally reached Amy's center, stroking her through the fabric of her underwear.

"You're such a show off!" Amy laughed, trying to muffle her sounds.

"I enjoy letting people know you're mine," Kamilah nibbled on her lower lip while her fingers continued to work between Amy's legs. "And I love when you say that too."

"I'm yours. Only yours. Forever."

She knew those words were a major turn-on to the female vampire. Kamilah paused for a second, thinking of her next actions.

"Let's go to our room. I have a feeling you'll become quite noisy with the things I'm about to do to you. I'd hate having to deal with the hotel management right before my brother's wedding."

Amy agreed, she rushed to the elevator while Kamilah went to the car to pick up something. The girl grinned in excitement. She really had planned an eventful night for them.

"I need to make it even more special," she grabbed a new underwear inside her suitcase and changed. Then, she lied on the bed, waiting for Kamilah. "Come on... why is it taking so long?"

She decided to rest her head on the pillow and close her eyes until she arrived.

"Only for five minutes."


Kamilah

'Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds'. From the moment they brought the twins home from the hospital, Kamilah knew her marriage would never be the same. They were no longer just a couple, they were now a family. Every plan to be made, every decision to be considered, every step to be taken, now included Amaya and Malik too.

Their routine changed drastically. Most part of their days was dedicated to caring for the twins. Changing diapers, feeding the babies, making them to fall asleep and attempt to figure out why they could be crying. Kamilah had to hire someone to help her to tend for her garden. Her visits to Ahmanet Financial also became even more rare, she worked mostly from her home office.

She and Amy barely had moments dedicated exclusively for themselves. For the last five months they didn't have the chance of having a single date night, or an intimate moment. Even the kisses and the love words decreased. Their whole affection belonged almost fully to their children now.

And that was the reason why Amy was so pissed off that morning.

When Kamilah woke up, she felt completely restored. Even being a vampire, she was tired from the sleepless nights taking care of the babies. She extended her arm, attempting to embrace Amy but she was no longer in bed.

"Amy?" Kamilah entered the bathroom, as she heard the shower was on. For her surprise, her wife was sobbing under the water stream. "What happened?"

"I can't believe I fell asleep!" She angered. "We were supposed to have one night for ourselves. One special night and I ruined it."

"I don't blame you, I was very tired myself."

"You should've waken me up! I wanted it, I really did"

"This is okay, Amy," the female vampire gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll have another opportunity."

"When?!"

The girl left the shower and wrapped the towel around her damp body, marching back to the bedroom in a very irritated manner.

"Everybody told us it wouldn't be the same," she rasped, pulling out her dress from the baggage and throwing it on the bed. "I understand you have your needs, I really do. If it's about sex I hope you know you're free to seek for company, as I'm unable to satisfy you anymore."

"Amy..." Kamilah approached her wife, pressing her body against hers from behind, "I don't..."

"I mean it. For real."

When she was in such a mood, it was useless to try to calm her. Kamilah learned from some very hard experiences that Amy should be given space whenever she was too angry or frustrated. An outburst was the last thing they needed at the moment. It hadn't happened since Japan, but considering how frustrated the young vampire was, Kamilah could tell it was very close from happening again. She took a deep breath and went to Katherine's room to check out if her sister in law needed any help.

If it was simply about physical attraction and the pleasures of casual sex, the opportunity had presented itself right in front of Kamilah. Being responsible for checking out if the preparations for the wedding ceremony were running as expected, she and Amy were the first guests to arrive at the Hamptons' house. After making sure the buffet and the decoration were ready for the wedding, Kamilah decided to grab a drink at the bar to relieve the stress. That was when an anthropologist, friends with Lysimachus, decided to approach her. Holly also worked as a photographer, the reason why she was attending the party.

"Lysimachus has told me some fascinating stories about your past in Egypt," the young woman told. "I've always wished I had the honor of meeting you."

"Oh," Kamilah noticed the aura surrounding her. She was also a vampire. "Is that it?"

"Your war strategies were ahead of your time. You're an amazing character, Kamilah. Your strength is like no other, as well as your beauty."

Holly gazed deeply into her eyes, making Kamilah feel slightly uncomfortable. It was obviously her feelings extended admiration. She was being flirtatious.

"It was a pleasure to meet you," Kamilah stood up from the stool she was sitting. "But I should go."

"Wait," the anthropologist placed her hand over hers. "Would you mind taking a picture for my records?"

Before she could answer, the woman had already slipped a hand around her waist and pulled the camera, pressing her face against Kamilah's cheek to snap the picture.

When she left, Kamilah noticed Amy was watching everything from a distance. Her expression was a mix of jealousy and disappointment.

"Amy... I was..."

The girl simply shook her head in response, walking away to the outside. The wedding was about to begin.

Lysimachus' wedding was a beautiful ceremony. He and Katherine professed their vows and said 'I do' at the beach, right in front of the ocean. Thanks to Adrian's new serum, all of their vampire friends were able to attend the daytime event. Many of them took the opportunity to enjoy the sunlight and the ocean for the first time, after spending so long having to hide.

The party started right after and one of Kamilah's duties as her brother's best woman was giving the main toast of the afternoon.

"We're here today to celebrate Lysimachus and Katherine's union. Like me, my brother went through challenges that tested his abilities to feel. For a long time, we both thought we were no longer capable of love. When Lysimachus moved to New Orleans, he was in a search for himself. But he found a lot more. He found a business partner, a friend, a lover.

I'd like to quote William Shakespeare words I found appropriate for this occasion: 'Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken. Love alters not with time's brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom'.

My brother and his wife saved each other from the darkness both of them were submerged for years. Their love went through many proof and remained strong. Their love was capable of beating even death. Shall it remain intact and strong for the rest of their years together. Even in the darkest moments. To Lysimachus and Katherine!"

When she finished, there were tears in some of the guests' eyes. Lysimachus thanked her for the speech. Adrian was the next one to speak. Kamilah sat down on the table, where Amy was drinking multiple glasses of champagne in a row.

"Amy, can we talk?" She touched her wife's shoulder.

"Not right now, okay?" Amy stood up and disappeared inside the house.

Kamilah sighed, wondering if she was the one to blame. She knew she wasn't the best of the parents. While Amy knew exactly how to connect with the babies, she found difficult to display the same level of affection, to play with them as her wife did, doing faces and changing her voice tone. She wasn't even sure they liked her company. She was sure they preferred their other mom. All those feelings could make her become introspective and distant. From all the roles she ever played during her life, she was failing the most important. She didn't know how to be a good mother.

On the other side of the party, Holly took pictures of the guests, focusing especially on Kamilah. She watched her with malicious eyes, like a cat ready to capture its prey.

"Is everything okay?" Adrian asked when he returned to the table.

"It will be," Kamilah told. "I need to get out of here for a moment."

As she went to one of the bedrooms to search for her keys, the photographer joined her, proposing an affair and handing her a piece of paper with her hotel room address.

"It's not about love, Kamilah. But about the insatiable desire all of us vampires have. You, better than anyone, knows that sometimes one partner isn't enough. You need a lot more to tame the lust inside you."

Holly promised her a night filled with the most exquisite pleasures. Nobody needed to know. The secret would be safely kept among them.

Most of the vampires would agree, and even succumb to desire, but not Kamilah. Inside her car, she shook her head in denial. All she wanted was a manner to rescue her marriage. To reignite the flame that always existed between she and Amy from the moment they met. A lot was going through her mind at that moment, and she knew exactly where she was supposed to go to clear her mind.

She only returned a couple of hours later. The party continued, despite Katherine and Lysimachus having gone home already. Amy was nowhere to be seen among the guests, she was locked inside the main bedroom.

"Amy," Kamilah locked the door as she entered to guarantee them some privacy for that conversation.

"Kamilah," the blurred make-up suggested the girl had been crying. "Where have you been?"

The female vampire sat down by her wife's side on the bed, gathering courage for what she was about to speak.

"I must confess I've done things I'm not proud of."

"Did you... did you go see that girl? I didn't really mean what I said earlier. I... I can't stand the idea of sharing you with somebody else."

"Not that girl," Kamilah sighed. "But I went to see a girl, yes."

There was a long pause. Amy looked at her in disbelief, shocked to hear that confession. She seemed to be about to cry again, when Kamilah finished her sentence.

"I went to see our daughter, and our son too. I became what I feared the most I guess, one of those obsessive and controlling parents."

"No!" Amy yelled, before throwing herself on bed, unable to stop laughing. "Kamilah Sayeed is a Momzilla?"

"Don't act superior," Kamilah argued. "Your father told me you called about forty times and requested to see the babies on video to prove he wasn't lying."

"Okay, maybe we're obsessive and controlling parents then."

"We are."

"It's time to hire a nanny," Amy sighed defeated.

"I agree. It'll be the best for all of us."

Kamilah went to one of the drawers in the dresser, from where she pulled a secret bottle of champagne. She had to keep one secured, just in case they ended before her return. She and Amy started sharing.

"There's another thing I've done," Kamilah admitted. "Something criminal."

"Oh," Amy raised her eyebrows intrigued. "Now I'm curious."

"I went to check on the gifts my brother and his wife received. I... I borrowed a little something."

She showed Amy a fancy box she stole. It had a card, with a familiar handwriting and the words 'what's a party without a scandal?'. It could only come from one person, Priya Lacroix.

"Sex toys," Amy grinned in anticipation. "It has to be!"

"I know," Kamilah carefully unwrapped it, "this is why I stole."

Inside the box, they found a pair of cuffs carved with some diamonds, along with a few other devices to improve the sexual experience. Amy held one of them in hands, examining its length and features.

"Hmmm," she said. "I was such a bitch this morning, wasn't I? Don't you think I deserve some punishment?"

Kamilah rolled on top of her wife, pressing her lips on hers. Their tongues moved together in complete synch, sending electric impulses all over their bodies.

"You've told me to pursue another woman," in one move, the female vampire flipped over Amy's body, cuffing her wrists behind her back. "You doubted my full commitment to our marriage..." she nibbled on the girl's earlobe. "I don't like it."

"Then you should definitely do something about it," Amy spoke in a suggestive tone.

Kamilah smirked, placing Amy lying on her lap and lifting up her dress enough to expose her lower back. After carefully removing her underwear, she responded to her comment with a slap. Hard enough to hurt a bit, and also give pleasure.

"Ah!"

"Still think I should pursue another woman?"

"No," Amy said. "Actually, you should take me all for yourself. As hard as you can."

"As you wish," Kamilah started by teasing her, slowly and tenderly caressing her center. Her fingers sensing how much Amy desired her. The girl moaned in ecstasy as her fingers started working in and out.

For her wife's frustration, she stopped.

"What are you doing?" Amy complained.

"Only getting started."

The female vampire started stripping off her own dress and underwear. On her naked body, she adjusted the harness, as well as the toy she retrieved from the box.

"Get on your arms and legs," she ordered. "Now!"

Amy followed her command, closing her eyes and biting her lower lip in anticipation. Kamilah positioned herself at her entrance, where she began to thrust gently but firm.

"Kamilah..." the manner her wife started to moan her name drove her wild. "Give me more... give me all you've got..."

"What does the good girls say?"

"Please."

The female vampire intensified the rhythm, thrusting harder and deeper. The sounds coming from Amy's mouth were like a drug, stimulating her to go even further and send them both to the most wild experience of their lives. Taking advantage of the view in front of her, Kamilah brushed off Amy's hair from the back of her neck, applying a bite as she continued her movements. The girl cried out loud, coming off completely.

Kamilah released her from the cuffs, taking her in her arms on the bed. She could hear her quickened breath, as well as her thundering heart.

"Do you still have any doubts I want you, my love?" She placed a kiss on Amy's sweaty forehead.

The girl smiled, shaking her head in denial.

"There's just one problem though..." she said. "I'm not satisfied yet."

Grinning, she straddled Kamilah and gazed deeply inside her eyes, promising long hours of a blissful journey.


Lysimachus

Not long after the wedding ceremony, Lysimachus and Katherine were already back home. He insisted they should stay and enjoy more of the party at the Hamptons' house, but she didn't want to be away from their boys any longer.

But nothing meant they couldn't take the party home. While his wife took a shower and changed from her wedding dress, Lysimachus ordered someone to deliver some food and cake from the party. He also set the sound system to play the songs they had picked for the dance.

"Looks like I made the right choice marrying you," Katherine joked while they enjoyed some cake together. "That was the sweetest thing you've ever done for me."

"Yeah," he stole some of the cake from her plate. "I can be surprising sometimes."

"Speaking of surprises, I need to tell you something. It's about the baby's name, I... I didn't want any of those names we picked."

Lysimachus knew. He always knew. From the moment they discovered they were expecting a girl, there was only one name Katherine could choose for their daughter.

"You want to name her Ava."

"How did you know?"

"I was only waiting for you to tell me. I was going to suggest, but I feared it'd make you uncomfortable or something."

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. That night was one of the rare few moments Lysimachus saw Katherine's deceased best friend again. As the time passed, her presence among the living started to fade, suggesting she was getting ready to move on. In this last encounter she looked even more in peace. He knew it was the right thing to do, to honor the young woman that was so special to his wife.

"This song is a downer," Katherine complained while she and Lysimachus moved together, according to the music playing. "Why didn't you choose another?"

"Instinct," Lysimachus paused for a second before answering. He closed his eyes, feeling his wife's head against his chest. "And this is how I feel. How I was feeling when I was going through the songs to pick."

"This is okay, babe. I guess this depressing dark part of you is what attracted me anyways."

"God, you're so ridiculous! Do you know that?"

"And you love it."

"I do."

They both broke into laughs.

"At least it made Zayden fall asleep," Lysimachus looked at one of his babies, who had fallen asleep in Katherine's arms while they swayed to the music. "Kaleb is sleeping as a rock for a while now. Yes! Bonus hours for us! Best wedding gift ever."

"Don't celebrate this much yet," he didn't want to ruin her joy, but sleeping for hours straight had became a miracle in the last four months. "We don't know if it'll last."

"Yeah, imagine when there's three of them. We're so screwed."

The day they'd have three babies around, instead of two, was approaching quickly. Though this time there were no side effects, every appointment would leave Lysimachus scared and insecure. That one couldn't be any different, after all Katherine was already in the last trimester of her pregnancy.

"Hey," he jumped out of the couch when she got home later than expected. "You took so long, I was worried. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she told. "I just went for a walk, brought some gifts to the boys."

Lysimachus placed a kiss on Katherine's lips and stroked her swollen belly.

"Know what I was thinking? They'll turn seven months old in a couple of days, we should do something together, as a family. I've been working too much, rarely spending anytime with them."

"Like what?"

"A picnic at the Central Park? We could even invite Kamilah and Amy too."

Lysimachus didn't want his wife to do any efforts, so he took care of everything. It was time he talked to Adrian and passed his current job to someone else. As much as he liked it, he already had missed multiple milestones of his sons growing up. With his daughter, he wanted it to be different. He wanted to be present at every moment.

"What do you think?" Katherine exhibited a new dress as they prepared to leave. "It's becoming hard to find something that fits."

"You look amazing," Lysimachus kissed her forehead.

"Can you finish getting the boys dressed by yourself? I gotta pee, again."

"Sure."

Dressing the boys was a terrifying task, not only because they wouldn't stop moving but because they'd start crying to the top of their lungs too. By the time Lysimachus finished, they were already running late.

"Katherine?" He called from the living room. "Are you ready, baby?"

There was no answer. She should be probably crying over the dress again. In this second pregnancy, she was very emotional and insecure over her body. Lysimachus placed the babies in the playpen and went to find her in the bedroom.

"Katy?" She wasn't there either. He knocked the bathroom's door, she didn't answer either. "Where are..."

Opening the door, the male vampire found his wife lying unconscious on a puddle of her own blood.

"Oh my god..." Lysimachus kneeled down by her side. Katherine's skin was so cold as it was pale. She was losing too much blood. He checked her pulse, it was becoming dangerously weak. "No... no..."

He could've called an ambulance, but they'd take too long to arrive and take her to the hospital. Without thinking twice, he placed her inside the car and started driving as fast as he could, passing every red light and screaming to the honking, impatient drivers on the streets.

"You will be okay," Lysimachus touched Katherine's knee as she slowly opened her eyes. "I promise."

She responded by forcing a weak, faint smile.

"I need a doctor!"

He entered the hospital carrying his wife in his arms. Seeing her state, a doctor requested her to be taken immediately to the emergency room. Katherine's vitals were extremely unstable, as well as the baby's. She'd have to go through an emergency c-section.

"Listen..." she spoke to Lysimachus, between ragged breaths, "if you have to choose between one of us... I want you... to pick Ava."

"Katherine, both of you are going to be alright, okay?" Lysimachus squeezed her pale and cold hand. Tears started rolling down his face. He had never been so scared before. "I won't have to make this choice."

"In case anything happens to me... promise me you'll always protect our kids... and tell how much I loved them."

"Stop... just stop! You're not dying. I won't let that happen."

The doctors started the procedure. It was different from when the twins were born. There was no excitement this time, only fear. Lysimachus' eyes were glued to the machines, displaying Katherine's oscillating vitals. After a few centuries, death had stopped having so much impact. Losing friends and lovers was something common for a vampire. Something they'd eventually accept and get numb to. But none of the people he lost before were the mother of his children and the woman he grew to love more than anything in the world.

"She's fine," the doctor's voice, followed by a loud and strong cry, announced the arrival of Ava Sayeed to the world. He handed her for Lysimachus to hold. She had dark hair and her mother's eyes and mouth.

"She's gorgeous," he opened a huge smile, showing Katherine their daughter. "Just like you, Katy."

The Nighthunter fought to keep her eyes open and turn her head to the side to take a look at the baby. She smiled briefly.

"Ava..." her voice was suddenly cut, giving place to the sound of machines beeping.

Time seemed to stop. The medical team took Ava from Lysimachus' arms and started to drag him away from the scene. He refused to move. He stood paralyzed in the same place. The doctors were attempting to bring Katherine back to life and failing. She wasn't reacting to any of the procedures they tried. Lysimachus remember the vision he had during his encounter with Demetrius. It was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life, but it had been completely taken by a tragedy.

He looked at the monitor again. There was still a very slow activity on her life lines, a few beats of her heart that still connected her to the living world. He knew exactly what he had to do.

"Get away!" Lysimachus yelled, biting his own wrist and rushing to his wife side. The medical team screamed in panic as they noticed his vampire features. He opened Katherine's mouth, letting the blood flow down her throat. "Swallow it. Just swallow it."

For a few minutes, her heart stopped completely. But then, something changed. Her vitals slowly started to grow stronger again. The color began to return to her skin.

"I promised you," Lysimachus smiled and kissed her forehead, before falling on his knees from exhaustion and stress.


Kamilah

"What's wrong?" Amy asked while they had breakfast in that early morning of Fall.

Kamilah didn't know how to answer her question. Something was definitely wrong but she couldn't tell what. Gaius and Rheya were gone. Amy was immortal. Her children's vampirism was not active yet but they were immune to most of human diseases. They couldn't get hurt either, their supernatural DNA would instantly heal any wounds. Nothing bad could possibly happen. There wasn't any tragic scenario her mind could picture. Still, that familiar sensation of impending doom was crushing her chest.

"Kamilah?"

"I don't feel okay, Amy," she was finally able to speak. "I sense something terrible is about to happen."

"Come on," her wife softly stroke her arm, "we're going to the park to have a family day with Lysimachus and Katherine. Cheer up!"

"I'll try."

While Amy was finishing packing their stuff and place them in the car, Kamilah was holding Malik, who wouldn't stop playing with her hair while mumbling a few syllables.

"M-M... Ma..."

"Almost there, my love."

She glanced at Amaya, who was crawling around the living room too. Like Amy said, there was nothing to worry about. They had two healthy and smart eight months old twins and a wonderful marriage. Her phone started to ring inside her pocket.

"Hello?" She answered the call. There was a strange silence on the other side of the line.

"Kamilah..." it was her brother's voice. Except that he sounded desperate. "It's Katherine. She... she is losing our baby. I need help. I'll take her to the hospital, can you call a nanny for the boys?"

"O-Of course, brother. I'll meet you at the hospital."

After making sure Amy would be okay with their children, as well as her nephews with a nanny, Kamilah drove to the hospital as quick as she could. No one at the reception could inform her of Katherine's state. At the waiting room, the minutes seemed to last an eternity.

There was a huge commotion at one of the corridors. People were screaming and getting into a heated argument. Suddenly, her brother emerged through the doors. His clothes were soaked in blood. His eyes were deadly red and his fangs exposed. Doctors and nurses were frightened as he hissed at them in a threatening manner. It was the first time she saw him that way.

"Brother!" Kamilah yelled, trying to get him back to his usual self. "What happened? Why are you..."

Lysimachus relaxed at her touch. His features softened a little and he slowly regained his human form. His eyes filled with tears.

"She died, Kamilah," he cried. "Right in front of me. I couldn't let her die... I couldn't lose her..."

"Katherine? Did she..."

"I Turned her."

Kamilah knew what that meant. They'd be facing a huge trouble ahead. She immediately called Adrian and requested his presence at the hospital. As senator, he was the only one with enough power, and voice, to solve that issue.

"Don't look at me like that," Lysimachus angered upon her silence. "You'd have done the same for Amy."

"I'm not judging you, brother," Kamilah sighed, recomposing herself. "But I'm worried for you."

After the revelation about the existence of vampires to the world, some very severe laws were applied in order to maintain balance and control over their population, especially in New York City. No Turnings were authorized. The vampire who violated the law would be punished with death, as well as the newly-Turned.

"Kamilah, I need you to help me. It's not safe for her to stay here. Take her to a sarcophagus, I'll handle the situation."

"Brother... I can't leave you alone."

"Please. And take Ava too, or they'll take her from us."

Kamilah couldn't say no. Besides Amy and her children, her brother was the only person she'd burn the world to the ground for. Pulling her best Reaper Of Pompeii impression, she streaked through the corridors of the hospital, scaring away everyone who could prevent her from rescuing Katherine and Ava.

When she arrived at the emergency room, a nurse held a stake in hands, ready to pull it through the Nighthunter's heart.

"Don't you dare," Kamilah snarled. The mortal dropped the stake as her hands began to shake. When she fled through the doors, she took Katherine's unconscious body and placed her in the trunk of her car. She had been already too exposed to light. At this point, her life was already in danger.

"Amy, can you get a nanny too and go to Raines Corporation's basement right now? We have an emergency."

"Kamilah, what happened?"

"You'll be informed when you get there. We don't have much time."

Amy would be staying with Katherine for when she woke up. Kamilah returned to the hospital, where she retrieved her niece from a hidden space where she was being kept, as if she was some kind of abomination. They probably had intentions of getting rid of her too.

"Shhhh, aunt Kamilah is here now," her finger caressed Ava's cheek, while she rocked her in her arms, trying go get her to stop crying. "I'll protect you. I'll always protect you, little one."

"I'm sorry," Adrian joined her in her office at Ahmanet Financial, interrupting the moment with a small laugh. "Even after all these months I still haven't gotten used to this side of yours."

Kamilah rolled her eyes at him. Adrian's expression changed. He became serious and somber. Only by the look in his eyes, she knew something happened to her brother.

"I got bad news. They took him, and now they're also searching for Katherine and the baby too."

"What?!"

"Lysimachus was taken to a highly secured cell in prison. I'm doing my best to show the government his motives and get them to open an exception for the case."

Kamilah's intuition had never failed her. In that morning she knew something terrible was about to happen but she had no idea of the dimension. In only one day, she could lose not only her brother, but his entire family too."


Amy

The secret basement at Raines Corporation. That could only mean one thing. Something had gone terribly wrong to the point someone had to be Turned. That was what the place became familiar for. Lily, Amy and now...

"Katherine," Amy assumed. Lysimachus had called Kamilah desperate because she was losing their baby. "Oh god."

When it came to pick nannies, Amy found out Kamilah could be even more rigid than she was picking her employees. None of them usually passed the test, or they'd usually quit after a month. She was repeatedly trying to call each one of the women who worked for them in the last months, however none of them accepted to watch the twins even only for a few hours, while she handled Katherine's situation.

"So that's it, kids," Amy finished telling the babies while she found a place to park her car in Adrian's company parking lot. "Your moms are both vampires and so are you, even if you don't have fangs or need blood yet. That will happen someday. Now we must help aunt Katherine, who just joined our big vampire family."

When she looked at them in the backseat, they were giggling and smiling, having no idea of anything she had just said. After placing them both in a stroller, she ran to the main lobby.

"Mrs. Amy," Nikhil came to meet her, "I was waiting for you. Kamilah returned to the hospital, but Mrs. Katherine is in the sarcophagus. She died during childbirth and her husband had to Turn her."

"I'll handle it," Amy told him. "Thank god you're here, Nikhil. Would you mind watching Amaya and Malik for a moment? Thank you."

She didn't even wait for his answer, she rushed directly to the basement. Kamilah had already taken care of the procedures. There was still some long hours before Katherine was ready. Until then, Amy decided to prepare a surprise for when her friend for when she woke up. Her Turning didn't have to be so dramatic, after all now she'd have the eternity to spend with Lysimachus and their kids. That was something to be celebrated, not lamented.

"Please, don't become a Feral..." Amy spoke softly, placing a hand over the sarcophagus lid. "I can't lose you too."

Kamilah called with more bad news. Lysimachus was taken to prison and would likely to be punished with death. The state also demanded Katherine's execution and Ava's future was unknown. Adrian was trying to solve the situation, while the hospital tried to muffle the incident.

"What about the baby? She was born prematurely."

"She's okay. Adrian sent a private doctor to check her. I'm taking care of her now."

The watch started beeping. It was the moment Amy would be opening the sarcophagus and find out if the Turning had been successful.

"Are you sure you can do this by yourself?" Kamilah asked on the other side of the line. "If she's gone Feral..."

"I know," Amy tightened the grip against the ceremonial stake. "I'm Rheya's spawn, remember? I can handle it, in either cases."

Speaking the First Vampire's name brought a chill to Amy's spine, as if her presence was still lingering in the air.

Back to the basement, she gently pushed the lid, the Nighthunter slowly opened her eyes, instantly closing them again due to the hypersensitivity to the light. She sat down and looked around, trying to recognize her surroundings.

"Amy..." she spoke. "Where am I? What happened to me? I feel strange. I'm hearing sounds I never heard before. My vision is different too and... I feel extremely thirsty."

"You're a vampire now. You died while giving birth to your daughter, Lysimachus Turned you."

"That idiot! He'll be getting in so much trouble for me."

While Katherine had her first goblet of blood, Amy told her about the repercussions. They were unsure of what would be coming next. For now, her safest option would be stay hidden in Raines Corporation.

"Where are my children?" She wanted to know. "If someone has taken my babies, I won't hesitate going full Rheya mode on them."

"Don't worry, they're safe. Kamilah's bringing them."

After guiding Katherine to the suite, Amy went to the kitchen and returned with a cake she baked for the Nighthunter while she was unconscious.

"Congratulations, you're a vampire," she read, followed by a small laugh. "How considerate of you, darling."

"I wanted to lighten the mood," Amy smiled. "We already had a terrible day. I didn't want this moment to be any more difficult."

"It's not, trust me. While you were gone, I was testing some of my abilities. If I was such an amazing Nighthunter as mortal, now Ryder won't stand a chance."

"Well, I'm glad to know you're adjusting so well."

A moment later, Kamilah arrived bringing Katherine's children. They decided to give her some space for the first moment with her daughter.

"You're so tense," Amy embraced her wife. "Everything will be okay."

"What if they don't accept Adrian's appeal?" The female vampire vented, burying her face on Amy's neck. "They'll kill them both and... who knows what they'll do to the kids. It's starting to feel like the old times again!"

"Calm down, we'll find a way. We always do."

Kamilah gave her a small and tired smile, before pulling her to a kiss. When they finished, Amy could tell her wife had relaxed a bit.

"I don't know what I'd be without you. You're the calm in the middle of the storm."

"I can be either," the girl joked, nibbling on her lower lip. "The calm in the middle of the storm or the thunder that destroys everything. Surprisingly, I feel I managed to balance both of them."

"Yeah," Kamilah kissed her forehead. "You're a force of nature, Amy Sayeed."

The main doors opened and Adrian entered, followed by Lysimachus. Kamilah ran to her brother's arms, hugging him tightly. Amy called Katherine and she quickly joined them, bringing their daughter in her arms.

"I promised I'd save you both," the male vampire spoke to his wife, becoming very emotional.

"Except you almost got yourself killed in the process."

Lysimachus wiped off the tears from his face and rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm glad being a vampire didn't change you, Katherine."

"I consider it an improvement."

"She's a natural," Amy told, while watching their reunion.

"So Adrian," Kamilah interrupted. "I do not wish to ruin this moment but... how did you manage to free my brother?"

Adrian sighed and he gave them a concerned look.

"They agreed to let Lysimachus go on one condition," he announced. "They'll have to leave New York. At least for a while, until the incident is forgotten."