My body was slowly starting to wake up for the day. For some reason, my bed felt more comfortable to me than it ever had before. This cozy feeling made me not want to fully wake up yet, so I buried my face further into my blankets and pillows.

I felt something wrap tighter around my waist.

That's strange…

My pillow felt a lot cooler than normal too.

Deciding to investigate this strange phenomenon, I groggily opened one of my eyes while rubbing the other. That's when I saw a familiar black clad chest with red feather trim beneath my head.

My shock brought me completely to my senses and finished waking up my sleepy form.

Why am I laying on top of Gregory?

I could feel my face heat up in embarrassment.

Sure, we've slept in the same bed before, but we've never slept on top of each other or cuddled like this.

As touchy feely as we are, we still had boundaries.

I further took in my surroundings and realized that we had fallen asleep on one of the couches in the library.

That's right, we flew around the castle a little bit and walked around the garden before deciding to hang out in the library. He had read some of his favorite short stories to me while I leaned into his side.

His voice was so deep and soothing…it's no wonder that I ended up falling asleep on him.

Still, it would be extremely awkward if he woke up to me using him as my personal body pillow.

Maybe if I carefully move his arm a little bit I could—

Both of Gregory's arms suddenly pulled me back into his chest with a vice-like grip.

Well that's just great…

Now what?

I tried wiggling a little bit to see if I could somehow ease the constricting hold he had on me.

"Lucy, quit squirming," Gregory growled out in annoyance.

He then turned on his side with me so that he was facing the back of the couch while I was tucked neatly under his chin.

My blush came back in full force.

"G-Gregory," I stammered out, "Are you awake?'

"Lucy…please, just five more minutes…" he groggily begged me and tightened his arms over my small frame. Almost hoping that he could lull me back into sleep with the sense of security his strong embrace provided.

Not going to lie…it almost worked.

"Gregory…you realize that you're holding me right?"

"I always hold you…" He reminded me with confusion in his voice.

"Yeah, but not while we are sleeping," I told him in a rushed whisper.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before looking down at me.

I craned my head upwards in response, trying to gauge his reaction.

"…What's the difference?" He simply asked me with a shrug of his shoulders.

I opened my mouth to respond but didn't have an answer to his question.

What was the difference?

"Well…when we are awake then…I—uh…uhm," I floundered trying to come up with a reason for my embarrassment.

"Tell you what," Gregory began while situating his body further into the cushions before tucking me back beneath his chin, "You think about the reason while I sleep for a little bit longer."

I could feel his smile on the top of my head.

Stupid sadist.

"We've never cuddled before," I finally huffed out.

"Hmmm…" Gregory smartly responded, clearly not caring about the conversation anymore.

He wasn't going to stop the cuddle session and truth be told…I didn't want him to.

Deciding to let the subject drop, I slid my left arm beneath his and reciprocated his embrace.

He hummed in delight before mumbling, "Good girl," and drifting off to sleep.

I was playing with the feathers on his jacket before I ended up following his lead into dream land.

I'm not sure how long we slept for, but I came back to my senses when I heard Gregory harshly whispering to someone.

His whole body was tense and rigid.

It felt as though he was preparing to attack the offending presence.

I quickly opened my eyes in alarm and tried to see what got him so riled up, but his arms held me in place.

"It seems as though your pet has woken up," a female voice sneered from behind the couch.

I craned my head to be met with the disdainful gaze of Ismey Genovese.

"I won't repeat myself again, Ismey," Gregory seethed at the noble woman, "Lucy is a friend, not a pet."

She scoffed at him before haughtily raising her chin.

"And I'll tell you this one last time, young man," She leveled a look at Gregory, "It's time to wake up from this dream of yours that humans and vampires can coexist with each other. Even if your friend doesn't betray you, we both know that her species will tear her to shreds once they find out about her treachery."

"Treachery?" I asked in confusion.

"Hunters don't take kindly to humans helping vampires," she curtly informed me.

"So what?" I asked her while Gregory and I sat up into a seated position, "I won't let them or anyone else hurt my family or my clan."

She bristled when I acknowledged the Sackville-Baggs as my clan.

"Gregory, you've witnessed the cruelty of humans to their own kind," Ismey reminded, "Or have you forgotten about Rudolph's late soul—"

"Is there anything else you needed, Ismey?" Gregory asked in a biting tone, "Because I won't continue this conversation with you any longer. Especially when this is Lucy's day of celebration."

Ismey and Gregory stared each other down before she broke eye contact with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't say that I didn't warn you, boy," she said haughtily before turning on her heel, "I just hope you don't end up like Von…or worst."

The door slammed after she made her exit.

"What was that about?" I asked Gregory while turning towards him.

He let out an exasperated sigh while rubbing his temples in aggravation.

"That woman…" he growled out while trailing off.

"Why do they keep bringing up this Von character?" I asked him in curiosity.

Gregory froze his movements.

He looked at me with apprehension in his eyes.

"Gregory?" I hesitantly asked him.

"I…" he began telling me before letting out a defeated sigh, "They are the ones who keep bringing it up, so I suppose I have the right to tell you."

Gregory turned his body to directly face me on the couch.

He took a deep calming breath before telling me the story.

"Cornelius had a younger brother named Von," he began.

"Had?" I asked him for clarification.

"Yes, it was right around when Rudolph and Anna were born when Von found his soul bond," Gregory continued with his story.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not when the soul bond is a mortal woman," Gregory said with a sad look in his eyes, "This is especially the case when you are part of Clan Genovese."

"Did…did they…" I couldn't even finish my question, almost afraid of my answer.

"Oh, oh no," Gregory quickly reassured me, "Before Von's death, Genovese didn't kill humans outright, but they didn't accept them into their clan."

"What do you mean that they didn't accept them?" I curiously asked him.

"Basically, if the soul-bond was mortal then they would not bind themselves to their bonded," he divulged.

"But…wouldn't they stop aging once…" I trailed off looking at him.

"Yes," he simply stated, "That was the plan. To stop aging once the mortal passed on from this plane of existence and wait until their bonded came back as vampire-born."

"What…what happened if someone from the clan disobeyed this rule?" I hesitantly asked.

"They were banished from the clan," Gregory said, "They had their choice between their family or their bonded mortal, but they couldn't have both."

"Were members ever accepted back into the clan?"

"What do you mean?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"Well, I mean, eventually they turned their bonded into a vampire, right?" I began clarifying my question, "Did they get to become reinstated into the clan once they were both vampires?"

"I have heard tales about this happening, but…" he trailed off, "Once they are banished, most members are too prideful to go back to their clan. The others…well, it's hard to survive in the world without your family group watching your back."

He began rubbing the back of his neck, apprehensive of how to continue the story.

I patiently waited while he got his thoughts together.

"Von found his soul bond when the clan was traveling through Scotland and he was gravely injured by hunters," he finally spoke once gathering his thoughts, "A noble woman named Elizabeth McAshton found his injured body in a cave and ran to his aid, thinking he was a shipwrecked sailor."

Gregory leaned back into the couch's armrest.

"Von was so weak with hunger that he turned the poor woman after drinking her dry," he paused his story to gauge my reaction.

I simply stared back before asking, "So, he turned her into a vampire before he knew that she was his soul-bond?"

"…Yes," Gregory whispered.

"What happened next?" I grasped his hand to encourage him to finish his tale.

"Elizabeth still helped Von back to her home," he answered me, "Even though she was a noble woman, her family was embarrassed by her modern ideals. So, they set her up in a home outside the village. This worked to their advantage while Von trained her with her new vampiric gifts."

"Did he know or have a sense that she was his bonded?"

"I doubt it," Gregory remarked, "He was like me…he bumped into his initial soul bond years before this encounter, but never formally met them."

"Does formally knowing your bonded at least once, help you find them later on?" I inquired.

"A bit," he confirmed my suspicions, "Even if the body changes, the soul stays the same. For instance, if your bonded was compassionate in their past life then you know to look for a healer or a volunteer next time."

"I see…" I trailed off, fascinated by this new information, "So he had no idea?"

"Probably not, but…he more than likely felt a strong pull towards her," Gregory guessed, "It would explain why he chose to stay with her even after he was strong enough to leave."

"When did he know that she was—"

"After Samhain," Gregory told me, "According to the rumors, he was impressed by how well she was adjusting to vampire life and suspected that she was somebody's bonded. The thought that she belonged to another…it tore him apart. So, he performed the ritual and was blown away by his good fortune."

"I don't understand then…" I trailed off before looking into his conflicted eyes, "Why was there a problem with her joining the clan if she was turned into a vampire and was also his bonded."

"Because she was turned before he knew that she was his bonded," Gregory explained, "Remember when I said that not all humans respond well to a vampire's bite? Those unfortunate souls became blood-thirsty monsters that give vampires a terrible reputation. They become dangerous to the clans and end up being destroyed by either us or the hunters. These animalistic parasites are so detrimental to our existence that we have had to create laws to deter these situations from arising."

"But…she, she wasn't blood-thirsty…"

"No, but the clan rumored that Von made the story up of her being his bonded to avoid persecution," Gregory sadly informed me.

"They didn't see how rational she was once they met her?"

"The clan refused to accept her introduction to them and wouldn't let her appear in their den," he supplied.

"But, how could they pass judgement when…"

"Lucy, you must understand, in their eyes she was guilty. She had so many strikes against her to begin with. She was mortal born, disgraced by her own family, and an illegally turned vampire," he solemnly murmured while pulling me into his arms.

He could tell how much this story was upsetting me.

"By all rights, Von's reacceptance back into the clan shouldn't have even been entertained," Gregory honestly said, "But because he was the much loved younger brother of Cornelius, the clan was willing to overlook his mistakes and chalk it up to his misguided youth. If he renounced his attachment to Elizabeth and abandoned her in Scotland."

My head shot up at this information.

I don't know why the thought of Von selfishly betraying Elizabeth shook me to my core, but I couldn't stop the trembling wracking my body.

"…Please, don't tell me that he—"

"He didn't," Gregory said with a small, reassuring smile, "He told his brother that he would face down a fleet of hunters before letting go of his beloved."

A sigh of relief escaped my chest.

Oh, thank heavens.

Wait…

Didn't Cornelius say that—

"I see that you remember Cornelius' earlier statement…about his brother ending up with a stake through his heart…" Gregory reminded me in a somber tone of voice.

"H-How did they find out?" I questioned in disbelief, "Didn't you say that she lived alone and that her family—"

"Her family set her up in a home outside of the village, but it doesn't mean they didn't notice her strange behavior. Especially since she brought a strange man into her home. A man that she was not wedded to in the mortal sense."

"They—they killed their own daughter?"

"Yes, they gathered a mob from the village before storming her home. They dragged them out into the night before staking them through the hearts and watching them turn to ash in the morning sunlight." Gregory finished the morbid tale, gripping my hands in his own.

"They died together…" I mumbled, "Then they can't come back, can they?"

"No…once the bonded leave this mortal plane together, the completed soul has no reason to return to earth," he answered.

I was still wrapped up in my thoughts when I felt his thumbs gently caress the backs of my hands in a soothing, circular motion.

"It's why most vampires will send their bonded away while they fight the threat," Gregory continued to tell me when I remained silent, "It gives them a chance to return to their loved ones if they…well…"

"I understand," I quickly told him, not wanting to think about the grisly meaning behind his words.

"Cornelius hasn't been the same since his brother's demise…He told the clan to strike all mortals down where they stood," Gregory hoarsely whispered, "The clan was easy to persuade since they didn't want to lose another member to a potential soul-bond with a mortal. They all agreed that such a situation would only end in death and tragedy."

I opened my mouth to dispute the ridiculous plan that they had come up with, but Gregory held up his hand to continue his story.

"It was after this declaration that my father and Cornelius had their falling out," he continued to tell me, "Cornelius hated the thought of my father living amongst humans and allowing his youngest son to be engaged to a mortal. He believed that even though she was Rudolph's soul bond, that it would only end in heartache…He was partially right…"

"Gregory…" I called out, heartbroken by the grief etched on his face.

"It's alright, Lucy…" he reassured me with a small smile.

I curled myself back into his side.

Needing to feel close to my best friend after hearing such a sad tale.

"So, they are afraid that our friendship will lead to your death?" I asked him for clarification, "But…my family is also part of the clan, so it won't be like it was before."

"I know that, my parents know that, and our entire clan knows that…But trying to get a bunch of hard-headed vampires to realize this—that's another story," Gregory mumbled while wrapping his arm around my shoulder to pull me in closer to his strong frame.

"I'm sorry Gregory…" I whispered to him, "I wish that I could go back in time and somehow prevent all of this."

Taking his right hand in mine, I began gently tracing random patterns onto his skin.

My gentle ministrations seemed to bring him some form of comfort and he hummed in delight.

"A wise woman once told me that you can't change the past," he reminded me with a lopsided smile on his face. Gregory made eye contact with me before resting his forehead on mine.

"But I thank you for your sweet intentions…my friend," he whispered to me in a soothing voice.

I closed my eyes and relished this moment with him.

Once we pulled apart I cleared my throat and said, "Alright, no more focusing on the past. We'll focus on tonight and the many more wonderful nights to come."

"Yes, we will…Thank you, Lucy," Gregory sighed out in gratitude, "Shall we start getting ready for the evening?"

"Yes! I'll go jump in the shower while you go talk to Anna," I told him while eagerly hopping up from my spot.

"Why do I need to talk to my sister?" Gregory asked me while lithely getting to his feet.

"Because she is going to pick out your outfit for the evening," I simply told him while linking my arm with his.

"I can pick out my own disguise," He muttered beneath his breath.

"First off, your sister has a better fashion sense than you," I told him with a smirk, "Second off, let her pick your outfit—she's showing a great interest in fashion and her talent should be nurtured and supported. Not squashed by a mean-spirited older brother."

He laughed at my description of him.

"Alright, alright…Is she picking out your outfit as well?" He asked with a grin.

"As well as my makeup and my hairstyle," I informed him, excited for what the little vampire girl had planned for me.

"I hope she puts you in a dress," Gregory remarked while I swatted his arm.

"She knows that we are flying there and wouldn't let me freeze to death," I told him matter-of-factly while reminding him that the weather forecast called for a chilly evening.

"Do you have a jacket that is warm enough for tonight?" Gregory asked me with his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"Yep, Anna picked one out for me online," I answered, "It's ideal for Fall weather and fits perfectly with tonight's theme."

The small girl truly had impeccable taste.

I was so impressed with her eye for detail, that I let her buy a few more 'human' outfits for the rest of the clan about a month ago. It was just in case someone wanted to pop into the village on an evening excursion.

I even let her order some custom-made costumes for her and the other children to dress up in. They had a lot of fun with those outfits and Tony sketched them in a lot of them. He said it was good material for future comic and artwork ideas.

At the end of it all, Anna had ordered quite the collection for both our families and had different outfits accessible for almost every occasion. Her enthusiasm was so great that she had prepared for every situation that we might find ourselves in.

It wasn't surprising that she had clothing already available and prepared for our night out at a rock concert.

"Well that's hardly fair," Gregory commented, "You already know what you're wearing, while I don't have a clue of what I'll be forced into."

"Life's not fair," I joked before pushing him towards her room, "Now go on and get dressed in what she's picked for you so that Tony can do your makeup."

"Pushy, little thing, aren't you?" He teased me with a laugh.

"Very, now go!" I chuckled with him before dashing off to my own room.

I could not wait for this evening!

When I had gotten to my bedroom, I ran into my mother holding a wooden tray with food and water.

She gave me a curious look when she saw me walking towards my room rather than from it.

I slightly blushed before telling her the reason for my appearance, "Gregory and I were reading books in the library when we both fell asleep on the couch."

She smiled at that before a look of concern passed over her face.

"That's really not good for either of your backs," mom said while following me into the bedroom to set the tray of food on top of my desk.

"Mom, don't worry… I'm fine and Gregory sleeps in a coffin," I reassured her with a laugh, "I'm pretty sure his back is more than okay."

"I'm a mom, it's my job to worry," she said while brushing my hair out of my face.

"I know and I love you for it," I told her while wrapping my arms around my mother in a hug.

Mom held me in a loving embrace with a contented silence permeating the air.

She slightly let out a chuckle before slightly pulling away to look at me in astonishment.

"I remember a time when I had to kneel down to give you these hugs. When did you grow up so much?" Mom asked me, still marveling at my development.

"Mom…" I halfheartedly groaned before chuckling at her over exaggeration.

"Alright, alright," she surrendered before stepping away, "I'll let you eat and get ready for your date."

"Mom!" I cried out in alarm, a blush staining my cheeks, "It's not a date! Besides, if dad heard you say that he would ship me off to a convent."

She laughed at my embarrassment before shuffling out the door.

I turned to the desk and quickly ate my meal before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

It's not a date.

It's just an outing with my best friend.

…So why is my heart racing?

Anna was currently sitting on the edge of my bed and gushing at how well my outfit turned out.

She had dressed me in partially ripped, denim, skinny jeans with burgundy, lace-up, ankle boots. My top was a simple, black, off-the-shoulder t-shirt that had a skull made of flowers on its front. Anna then topped it off with a denim jacket with red sweatshirt sleeves and a hood.

Normally, I'm hesitant about dressing in the color red, mainly because if I pick the wrong shade then it makes me look weird and pink with my skin tone.

But Anna truly outdid herself with her selections.

I looked more mature in her chosen outfit and it really brought out the gold flecks in my eyes.

The part that I loved most about the outfit was that she kept the color scheme a shade of red that matched my anima resonare necklace.

For some reason, seeing Gregory's hand-made necklace out on full display brought a warm feeling to my chest.

I will definitely need to make Anna the clan's fashion coordinator.

"So, here's a couple of ideas that I was thinking that we should do for your makeup," Anna told me while flipping her phone's screen in my direction.

"Okay, this one looks doable for me," I told her while pointing to the picture of a girl with smoky eyes, "I honestly will be here all night if I try to do the cat-eye look."

"Oh, Tony could do that for you if you want!" Anna told me excitedly.

"I think I know which look that you wanted me to choose," I said with a small laugh.

"I just think that you would look so cute with cat eyes," Anna told me, "It would give you a retro 50's façade that would complement the outfit you're in and also soften your overall look."

"You've really put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" I asked her with a smile.

She was so adorable with her newfound passion.

"I just want everything to be perfect for tonight," Anna admitted.

"And it will be, Anna," I reassured her, "You've already done so much for me already and I can't wait to see the outfit you put Gregory in."

"I can't wait for Gregory to see the outfit I put you in," she cheekily replied, "You look absolutely stunning and we haven't even finished your look yet!"

"Then I think we should go with the smoky eyes," I honestly told her.

She opened her mouth to protest, but I held up my hand to halt her words.

"Tony is still putting makeup on Gregory and really needs to focus on him right now," I quickly explained my reasoning, "These clothes that you've chosen are gorgeous by themselves and will look just as cute with a smoky eye effect. Trust me when I say that you did a phenomenal job, Anna."

She let out a sigh, but reluctantly agreed.

"…Fine…But I'm not giving you a choice on your hairstyle now," she warned me.

I let out a bark of laughter before agreeing to her terms.

"Oh, here, I already picked out the colors for your eyeshadow," Anna told me while pulling out a gorgeous palette of colors, "You should use these three colors here for the look."

Anna told me while pointing to a sparkling copper color for the inside of the eye, a beige color for the base and blending, and a dark brown for the outside smoky effect.

"Looks good to me," I told her with a nod of approval before setting to work. First, I cleaned up my eyebrows before adding the beige to both eyes for the base color.

"Oh, I just got a good idea of how to soften your overall look!" Anna said excitedly while flying out of my bedroom.

I giggled at the eager girl and had just finished adding the copper to both my eyes before she reappeared in the doorway with something clutched in her hand.

"Sparkling white accent eyeshadow!" She squealed out, laying the container on my desk in front of me and my stand-up mirror, "Put a nice glob of it in the corners of your eyes and blend it in. It'll soften the harsh dark colors from the eyeshadow and your outfit. Plus, it'll give your eyes a more wakeful appearance!"

"Not a bad idea," I told her with a smile before following her instructions.

Once I had completely finished my eyeshadow and brushed mascara on my eyelashes, I turned to Anna for her seal of approval.

"Well, what do you think?" I asked her with a smile.

"Very nice!" She told me excitedly, "Oh, you know what would help your eyes pop more? Let's add a bit of eyeliner to the look, but only do it part way. We don't want to black it out and make your eyes look smaller."

"Okay, let's give it a try," I happily agreed while grabbing the small black tube of eyeliner. I did the eyeliner only a quarter of the way and turned to Anna. She had me look at her straight on to make sure both sides were even before nodding her head in approval once more.

"Alright, just need to add some concealer—"

"Only under your eyes!" Anna urgently shouted at me, "You can't cover your cute freckles!"

I snorted at her assessment.

"Anna, they are just freckles—"

"They are not just freckles," she huffed at me, "They are like little constellations that twinkle brightly on the milky expanse of your soft skin. Such beauty should be admired and mapped out like the glorious night sky."

I paused my movements in complete shock as I stared at the eloquent poetry that the small girl had just recited to me.

"Anna…that was beautiful," I managed to breathe out in amazement.

"Wasn't it?" She beamed at me with pride, "I should write that verse down in my journal."

"You have a poetry journal?" I asked her incredulously.

"Oh yes," she told me with a nod of her head, "Father used to let me submit my works to publishers and newspapers before we were forced into hiding."

"…Maybe you can submit your work again?" I inquired, wanting her to be able to branch out once again.

"That…would be lovely," she admitted with a dreamy sigh, "To be able to share my thoughts and feelings with the world again…Yes, that would be wonderful…"

"Once I get back home we'll talk to your parents about you submitting your works online," I told her with a plan already forming in my mind.

"Oh, Lucy…you are such an amazing friend!" She gushed at me while twirling in the air.

"I feel the same way about you," I told her with a fond smile.

Anna flew down and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck.

"It's so wonderful having a big sister," I heard her whisper next to my ear.

I reciprocated her hug.

She's right…it was wonderful having a little sister.

Anna pulled away from me and said, "Right, enough of that. Let's finish getting you ready! I want the boys' jaws to drop to the floor when they see you."

I giggled at her determination before watching her pull out some bronzer and highlighter. She showed me a picture on her phone of how she wanted me to contour my face to help highlight its oval shape.

Following the steps on the diagram, I quickly finished the contouring process and showed her the finished look.

"Could you add some highlighter at the tip of your nose and the indentation of your upper lip?" Anna requested after studying the end result.

I complied with her request and turned back around to face her.

"Perfect!" She squealed in delight, "Now we just have to pick out a nice lipstick…Oh, use this matte peach color to complement your copper eyeshadow. Wonderful! Alright, let's get to work on your 'rocker' hairstyle!"

Anna had me pin the middle section of my hair back to give the front a little poof and add volume to the look. She then had me braid the rest of it to a certain point on the back of my head. Next, she had me French braid both the sides to curve upwards to the initial braid in the middle. Anna had me comb the rest of my hair into a high ponytail and wrap a strand of hair around the base to hide the band.

Once that was taken care of, she grabbed the hairspray and comb before helping me tease the ponytail to give it extra volume.

Thus, completing the 'rocker' look.

"Anna…this looks amazing!" I told her, really impressed with her vision.

I would never have been able to come up with such a cute and flattering look the way that she did.

She was such an amazingly talented, little girl.

I made sure to tell her this and asked her if she wanted to take a picture for her portfolio.

Anna had looked thoughtful for a moment before eagerly agreeing to a mini photoshoot of my finished appearance. She seemed to like the idea of starting a small side business in fashion and designing.

It was around 6:30pm once she had enough photos of her finished product that she deemed adequate. Anna told me to wait here while she flew over to see if Gregory was done getting ready for the evening.

I asked her why I couldn't come with her and she told me that I needed to make a grand entrance down the staircase.

Chuckling at her dramatic behavior, I agreed to her terms while I finished getting my things together.

Since we were going to be window shopping and dancing at the concert, I didn't want to take a purse with me. The thought of constantly having to fret and worry about a bag of belongings did not sound like a fun night to me.

So, I quickly switched out my floral and striped phone case for a bland blue case with a secret compartment for my debit card and id. Once that was settled, I shoved my fully charged phone in my back pocket before grabbing the small case that held my wireless headphones. I decided that Gregory and I can listen to our own music while walking around the festival. With this thought in mind I shoved the case into the small, red pocket on the outside of my jacket before zipping it closed.

I had just finished my mental checklist of my necessary items when Anna stormed back into the bedroom.

She looked completely aggravated by something.

"Boys are so stupid," she told me with a tone of finality.

"Oh dear…what did they do?" I asked her with a grin.

"They were playing video games in the den this entire time!" She shrieked with irritation, "I told Gregory to tell me once he was ready since I might need Tony's help later on and he didn't say anything! You could have had cute cat eyes right now."

With her final statement she crossed her arms over her chest in a pout.

I snickered at her childish behavior before pulling her into a hug.

"Anna, everything looks wonderful," I reassured her with a smile, trying to stifle another giggle at her still pouting face, "I told you before you did a phenomenal job and I mean it. I wish I had half your vision or an ounce of your creativity because the look you came up with for me is simply jaw dropping."

"…You really think so?" She asked me for validation.

"I know so," I affirmed with a nod of approval, "Now come on, let's go downstairs and show everyone your completed work."

"Ugh…that's another thing!" She suddenly exclaimed, "They refused to go to the staircase so that you could make your grand entrance!"

I couldn't hold it in anymore and busted out laughing.

"It's not funny, Lucy! They're such, such—"

"Boys?" I supplied her with a knowing smirk.

"Seriously, why can't they just do what we say?" She angrily questioned, fuming at the lack of obedience from the opposite sex.

"Because then their lives would be easier and men never like doing things the easy way," I sagely informed her while walking out the door.

"They're idiots is what they are."

"That too."

She cracked a smile at this and seemed to be in a better humor.

Once we made it to the den, I saw that majority of all three families were gathered in the room.

Frederick and Cornelius were gathered in the far corner of the room. They were sitting in two chairs with documents and maps laid out on the coffee table that they had pulled over to their area. It looked like they were having a serious discussion of some kind.

Ismey was close by with what looked to be needlepoint in her delicate hands while Maria played with her doll on the floor.

Marcus was sitting in an armchair on the opposite end of the room from his father. He looked to be reading, but the way his body was tensed showed that he was on alert for any possible threat to this family.

My mom, dad, and Freda were all sitting on the couch in the middle of the den.

It looked like my mom and Freda were having a fun conversation while mom sipped from her tea. Dad seemed preoccupied with something on his laptop. He's probably working on some emails and correspondence from the company.

And finally, the three boys were sitting in front of the TV playing Super Smash Bros. together. They were all engrossed in the game and were too busy to notice our appearance. It gave me time to get a sneak peek of Gregory's appearance.

From what I could see from my spot in the doorway, Anna had let him wear his black jeans and black, knee-high, combat boots, but changed the rest of his outfit. She had put him in a silver-grey t-shirt with a red and black, long-sleeved flannel shirt tied around his waist. It looked like she had also rolled up the t-shirt sleeves in a 50's greaser style. He also had a red beanie perched on the top of his head to finish the look.

Not bad, Anna…

However, said girl, did not look impressed at the moment.

"Gregory, what did you do with your jacket?" She angrily seethed from beside me, "And you're supposed to wear the flannel shirt, not tie it around your waist like some belt!"

"Anna…" Gregory groaned out, not even glancing away from the TV's screen, "The jacket and shirt are too hot together indoors. I'll put both on before we leave—Speaking of which, is Lucy done yet?"

"Why do girls take so long to get ready?" Tony asked.

"Why do boys disregard our simple requests?" Anna spat out in return, narrowing her eyes at my little brother.

Oh, Tony, you better watch out before you have an angry, female vampire on your hands…

I tried to stay quiet during this interaction, but the vengeful and plotting look on Anna's face broke me.

I snickered at her glowering face while I patted her back reassuringly.

Gregory, recognizing my laugh, slightly tilted his head towards my direction while asking, "Are you ready t—"

It was quite comical to watch him do a double take from his game back to me. Even funnier when he cut himself off and just stared at me. It became practically hysterical when his videogame character was sent hurtling to his death during Gregory's distraction.

"Come on, Gregory, you have to at least—" Rudolph started scolding his brother before noticing what took Gregory's attention away.

Tony finally looked up when he was declared the winner of the match.

Anna got her wish and all three boys' jaws dropped to the floor.

"Lulu?!" Tony cried out in shock.

"I take it that Anna did a fantastic job, huh?" I slightly teased the gob-smacked group with a smug smile on my face.

My smugness quickly wore off when the rest of the den's inhabitants started gushing at my appearance and caused my embarrassment to rise.

"Oh, you look so adorable!" My mom gushed out, "Do a little turn!"

"You look simply marvelous, my dear," Frederick agreed, "Absolutely stunning."

"You're not going out anymore," my dad declared with a firm shake of his head.

"Oh, Bob, cut it out," my mom said while swatting my dad's arm.

"Dottie, she looks way too pretty now!" My dad tried to argue, "She could pass off as 18! I am not ready for 18…Hell I'm not even ready for 15!"

He had placed his head in his hands as he tried to soothe the impending migraine from his temples. My mom laughed at him and started whispering words of encouragement in his ear.

Freda covered up her chuckle with a slight cough before redirecting everyone's attention back to us.

"My dear, you do look so beautiful and so grown up!" Freda cooed, "Oh, Anna, you always did have such impeccable tastes and a keen eye for detail."

"Doesn't she though?" I asked in complete agreement, happy that the attention could be moved to the small girl next to me, "She should start her own fashion consultation business."

No time like the present to start planting the seeds of my future plans.

Anna beamed with pride at her future prospects while her mother continued to heap compliments onto the small girl in regard to her many talents.

I let out a small sigh of relief for the reprieve and tried to turn my attention back to the silent group of boys when my mother grabbed my attention.

"Lucy, come here, I want to take some more photos of you in the rose garden," my mom informed me while standing up.

"Mom…" I started to whine, giving her pleading eyes to have mercy on me.

"Oh, hush, it'll just be a couple of quick pictures," she silenced me while latching onto my arm and dragging me out of the den.

I tried to tell her that Anna already took pictures of the finished look and would be more than happy to text them to her, but my reasoning fell on deaf ears.

Oh well, the faster I get this done and over with, the faster Gregory and I can leave.

3rd Person POV

"Well, Gregory, what do you think?" Anna asked her stunned older brother once Lucy had left the room.

Said boy was still silently staring at the doorway that Lucy had been rushed through by her mother.

He, however, managed to snap out of his trance when he heard Rudolph taunt him.

"I think that he's happy that vampires can't blush," Rudolph teased, "Or else he'd be impersonating a giant tomato right now."

Gregory quickly elbowed his younger brother in the side while shooting a glance at Mr. Thompson. Hoping that the older man hadn't heard how much his daughter's appearance had affected him.

Thankfully, Bob seemed to still be stuck with his own internal struggle. On the one hand the older man wanted his little girl to have fun and enjoy herself. But on the other hand, that was his little girl that just dazzled an entire room with one look.

Bob felt as though he was going to have a stroke from the situation.

"Anna, sweetie," Bob began, gaining the small vampire girl's attention, "Did you have to do that good of a job?"

The poor man looked absolutely horror-stricken at the prospect of his daughter growing up.

The rest of them wondered what look Bob would make if he had only noticed the reverent stare Gregory had cast upon his only daughter.

If his parents hadn't known any better, they would say that Gregory looked practically starved when he spotted Lucy in the doorway.

They've seen their eldest have hunger in his eyes, but they've never seen him look so primal before.

Freda and Frederick both cast each other a knowing glance before allowing a small smile to grace their features.

"Gregory…" Bob called out to the older vampire who stiffened at the sound of his name.

Had Bob noticed after all?

Would he forbid him from seeing his daughter ever again?

"Yes, sir?" Gregory hesitantly called out, trying to sound as meek and submissive as possible.

The thought of Lucy being taken or withheld from him sent an unfamiliar pain to his undead heart.

The young vampire didn't think that he could live without his best friend by his side.

Hell, Gregory didn't even want to try to go a day without hearing Lucy's voice and doubted that he would be able to survive not seeing her.

Dramatic?

Yes.

But, that's how he felt and there was no changing those emotions.

"Gregory, I know I'm asking a lot of you now, but please don't let Lucy out of your sight," Bob finally sighed out in a pleading voice, "There is going to be a large crowd at both these venues and who knows how many perverts will be there."

Gregory felt a sudden shame blossom in his stomach.

The poor man had no idea that he was sending the lamb with the wolf.

"I swore on my honor sir," Gregory reminded the older man, "I won't let anything happen to her—"

"Or you!" Bob quickly reminded him with a stern, fatherly gaze.

"Or myself," Gregory amended in agreement.

"Good, good…just stay together and do not let her drink from an unattended glass," Bob added on, "I've already had this speech with her so many times, but that's how unsuspecting girls get kidnapped. They turn away from their drink for one second and somebody slips a drug in their glass."

Gregory had to stamp down the urge to growl at the thought of any worthless scumbag attempting to hurt his Lucy.

He would tear them to shreds if they tried to lay a finger on her.

"That will not happen," Gregory finally managed to snarl out, trying his best to reel in his anger and rage.

Bob seemed satisfied with his answer, "Thank you, Gregory. It really puts me at ease to know that Lucy will be safe with you."

Rudolph snorted in the back of his hand while trying to cover up the peals of laughter bubbling in his chest.

Gregory growled at his little brother.

"Shut up," he vehemently hissed at him.

This just caused Rudolph to wheeze between chuckles while Tony looked at Gregory with a knowing look in his eyes.

The boy was too smart for his own good.

Gregory thought to himself before sending another scathing look at his cackling younger brother.

He was about to jump onto the tittering fool and teach him a lesson when his younger sister's voice cut through the air.

"Gregory, you will not ruin those new clothes by getting into a fight. Especially when I took such a long time deciding on them and getting you ready!" Anna scolded her older brother once she noticed his tense shoulders.

Gregory opened his mouth to protest and remind her that it was her precious Tony that did the hard part with his special effects makeup but was interrupted by Lucy rushing back into the den.

"Alright, time to go!" She hastily shouted to Gregory while offering her hand to pull him to his feet.

Gregory looked taken aback for a moment before putting his hand into hers. He didn't use any of her strength to pull himself up. If he did then they both might have toppled to the floor.

"Lucy, wait there are some rules—" Bob began saying, trying to stop his daughter from dashing out into the night.

"I know dad," Lucy began while gratefully nodding towards Anna for handing her Gregory's grey military style jacket with a knitted hood in the back, "No talking to strangers, no accepting drinks from strangers, if I turn away from my drink then I am to leave it alone, don't leave Gregory's side, and be home at 12am."

Lucy had listed all the rules off while helping Gregory into his flannel shirt.

She paused her movements when she saw his favorite band's picture printed on the front of it in a black and white photograph.

A puzzle piece finally connected in her brain.

"That's why you wanted a list of his favorite bands," Lucy commented while turning towards Anna, "Very clever."

"I was wondering how she knew," Gregory laughed after hearing how well his best friend knew him.

"Lucy…" Her father interrupted their conversation.

"What?" She asked him while turning towards him in confusion. Lucy didn't think she forgot any of the rules and started mentally ticking them off in her head.

"…Just…be safe," the older man finally conceded, realizing that his wife was right, and he couldn't stop their daughter from growing up.

"I will, dad," Lucy told him before giving him a hug goodbye.

"Hey…where's your mother?" Bob asked while looking up at his daughter.

Realization flooded her eyes and she quickly went back to hurrying Gregory out the door.

"Why are we rushing?" He asked her as she shoved the grey jacket on him.

"Trust me, we need to leave right no—"

"There you are!" Dottie shrieked at her daughter; eyes narrowed at her little escape artist, "Come on, I want some more pictures of you in the other garden."

"Love to, mom, but oh would you look at the time?" Lucy hastily called out while pulling Gregory in the opposite direction towards the back door, "We got to dash off if we want to make it to the uh-thing at the festival."

"Lucy, there is no thing, now get back over here—"

"Sorry, mom can't hear you. Love you, bye!" She shouted over her shoulder as she and the young vampire ran out of the room.

"Lucretia Eleanora Thompson! You get back here this instant!" Dottie cried out at the pair while hurrying after them.

Bob still sat on the couch, looking so defeated, before he leveled a look at Tony.

Said boy felt eyes on him and innocently looked at his father's face.

"What?" He asked him in confusion.

"Never grow up," Bob demanded of his son.

Laughter erupted from the remaining Sackville-Baggs and the young boy.

Tonight, would definitely be an eventful evening.