Spikey had finished off the bottle of red liquid by the time Mom and Guest entered the room. He barely looked up, but pulled a second bottle of red liquid and opened it. Guest scowled "Really Nikola? To Zlouch in your zeat und drink zat vile liquid?"
Spikey pouted and poured out more red liquid.

"Hello Mother. What brings you here?" Spikey asked in a bored voice, surveying his glass.

"Николе Тесле!"Guest exclaimed angrily. "Iz zat anyvay to greet your muzzer? Two ladiez enter ze room und you don't evan stand upe!"

Spikey leapt to his feet and straightened his coat. "Sorry Mother. Welcome to the Sanctuary. Helen. Always wonderful to see your beautiful face." Spikey smirked.

Mom rolled her eyes. "Nice try Nikola. Ms Mandic, please sit down. Make yourself comfortable."

Spikey took his seat and eyed Guest carefully. "What brings you here mother?" he asked again. Guest scowled again.

"Nikola. I should be ze vone to ask you." Guest growled, "You run off to Oxford claim you finally know your heritage and ztart to babble about being a вампир..."

"Sanguine Vampuris" Spikey muttered and took another sip. Guest didn't seem to hear him.

"You go to Budapest und Paris. Den off to America. Zen you Fake ur death and not tell you poor mama your fine. Ahh ze heartbreak." Guest sighed dramatically. "Zen I learn you are not only alive but trying to make more monzterz like you!"

"We are not monsters. We are Vampires. Immortals. Mighty kings and Emperors. A superior race! That's why the humans dubbed us Monsters. Help me out here Helen?" Nikola asked, giving her a soft pouty look.

"We do prefer the term Abnormals Ms. Mandic." Mom smiled and offered Guest some tea.

"Ah ze timez zey do change, hmm." Guest replied and sipped her tea. "Vhen I was a child, Ve called zem monsterz und chazed uz out of town."

"Us?" Spikey asked, sitting up in surprise.

Guest looked at him questioningly. "Vhat vaz zat?"

"You said us, Mother. What do you mean 'us'?"

"Mere zlip ov ze tongue." Guest muttered, taking another sip of tea.

Spikey growled softly and pouted.

"Don't make zat face Nikola." Guest said without looking up.

Spikey looked at Mom in surprise and then at Guest. He opened his mouth but Guest answered his unasked question.

"I am yur Muzzer. I alvayz know." Guest finished her tea and stood up with a smile. "If you pardon me I need to unpack."

Spikey stood up and strode across the room. "Let me do it Mother. I don't mind." he looked like a trapped animal.

Guest settled back into her seat and nodded. "Zank you Nikola." Mom smiled and watched Spikey leave the room.

"He might not be vhat you vould call an engleeshman but I vaz carful to raize my children to be proper. I cannot zay I aprove ov all my zonz... 'experimentz' but I am vary proud to call heem my zon."

"Have you ever told him that?" Mom asked softly, touching Guests hand carefully. Guest shook her head softly. "Miluton vould nevar aprove ov zuch a ting. He vanted Nikola to be a gud boi. Vanted heem to stop playing viz ze cat. To stop hiz Abominable changes.. Diz vampirzimz. "

"He showed signs of being a vampire when he was a child?" Mom asked in surprise.

"Vhen he waz vary zmall." Guest nodded. "Zey all did. My daughterz. Und my bruzzerz und Zizterz. Muzzer zaid I did az vell." She shook her head. "But Nikola. He vaz not properly ashamed ov eet. I cannot tell you. Zo many exorcizmz."

Mom sighed. "There really isn't anything evil about the Sangiune Vampirus. Nikola is a good man." She smiled. "Even as a vampire. I know he can be arrogant and selfish, but under that he's very sweet and-"

"Und de zon ov a minizter. He waz to be a minizter vhen he grew too." Guest shook her head seriously. "Monzterz make bad minizterz. He zpoke much ov you, my Nikola. Rote to me conztantly about ze grand Helen Magnus, Zmartezt voman to evar live."

Mom smiled and finished her tea. "I must admit. My life has been greatly enriched by your sons' presence."

Guest nodded and smiled. "Zat zoundz like My Nikola. He tried to make me smile. Alvayz. Aftar my Dane... Nikola tried to be hiz replazment. tried to be ze perfect zon. But he could not. He vaz nevar Dane. But alvayz my Nikola."

"Mother please." Spikey sulked over and pulled Damien from his cage. "So what's the verdict on our little pet project?" He smiled, stroking Damien who purred softly.

"Wait and see I'm afraid." Mom sighed walking over. Damien wiggled his ears softly. "I don't know if we can put him back into the enclosure with the other Nubbins. Ever. I don't know what well do with him, Nikola." She sighed and looked helplessly up at Spikey. He sighed and took Damien from her, who wiggled his ears and smiled sweetly.

"What if we can equalize the vampire DNA?" He asked, looking closely at Damien. "Produce an antivenom and distibute it to the other Nubbins. Something so he wont try to feed on them?"

Mom nodded and smiled softly. "Inject them so it infuses into their immune system, It would take a small sample of his blood and some of the vampire blood he was injected with" she smiled up at Spikey and took his hand. "Nikola You're brilliant!"

"Of course." Spikey grinned then winced as Mom hit him. "Ow Helen. It was a joke."

Guest sighed and put down her tea. "Nikola. Landzakez, child. Behave yourself."

Spikey pouted and hunched his shoulders over. Damien felt the temperature drop and hummed nervously. All were obviously relived when Hairy returned to announce supper. Damien was set in his cage with more red liquid and some gouda.