ALYSSA POV

"How lovely, Gregory brought us a snack." One of the vampire women hissed, advancing slightly.

"Um, how about no?" I asked, stepping back.

Gregory slipped the ring back around his neck, positioned himself between me and the other vampires, and glared at them. "Back off. She's with me."

The vampires hissed but they backed away, milling about as more and more bats flew in and turned into vampires. It was like a huge reunion. It was very uncomfortable to be there, but at least Gregory was there.

We had sat down a little ways away from the crowd of vampires and we had just been talking. He had taken my hand in his and was rubbing his thumb against the back of my hand.

"You know, you're not half as bad as I thought you were." I said.

Gregory rolled his eyes. "Well, thanks."

"You know what I mean."

"Okay."

"And when you're human again, you guys can actually hang out with us, like, not in a cellar or anything."

Gregory's face took on an expression of sadness. "Alyssa, about that…"

My heart sank. Here it comes…

"When my family and I are human again, there's a great possibility that we will have no memory of our lives as vampires."

I was not expecting that one.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Is that all you've got?" I asked, still attempting to process his words.

He was about to speak when I blacked out.

I saw two vampires running from hunters, a man and a woman. The woman made it away and ran into a building that looked suspiciously like our house. She ran into a room and hid a stone, the stone, in the floorboards seconds before the hunters burst into the room.

"Alyssa, Alyssa! Wake up! Don't do this again!" Gregory said desperately.

"Don't worry, Gregory. I'm not the one who's leaving." I said, sitting up. As soon as I said it, I regretted it. It wasn't his fault; I had no right to take anything out on him.

He looked away. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit shaky. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

After a moment's silence, he said, "It hurts me too, you know."

"What?"

"The thought of leaving you and never seeing you again. The fact that you'll move on and find someone else and forget all about me."

"I can assure you that I'll never forget you, Gregory."

"But you will find someone else."

More silence.

He looked at me with sad eyes. "What happened in your vision?" he asked.

I was about to answer when I heard… my parents?

"Alyssa Anne, Kayla Rose, and Anthony James, you better get over here right now!" my mom yelled.

Anna, who I hadn't noticed was there, ran towards her parents.

"Mother! Father! We found Uncle Von's grave! Well, Tony and Kayla did. And they saw the stone in a vision. They're off to find it now."

"May their quest be fruitful."

"Alyssa, I can see you! Don't pretend like you can't hear me!" my mom yelled.

I put my head in my hands.

"Oh my god, Mom. Don't draw attention to yourself" I muttered. But it was too late.

As soon as the vampires noticed my parents, they began swarming over them, but Fredrick, Freda and Anna were doing a pretty good job of warding them off. They eventually got them to back off and Fredrick called out to Gregory.

"Yes, Father?"

"Thank you, Gregory." Fredrick said with a smile.

Gregory returned the smile, a wide one.

I looked to Gregory. "Where are Tony and the others? They should be here by now." I asked just as a mass began to move over the moon. The comet.

"You're right. They should be here." Gregory said somewhat anxiously.

"After all of our wandering, all of our waiting, we've left our fate in the hands of two mortals and my youngest son. It's all my fault. I won't even ask your forgiveness. I don't deserve it." Fredrick said. I was about to go off on him for doubting my siblings but…

"Tony's near!" Anna cried.

"Where?" my mom asked.

Anna pointed up. "There!"

Overlapping cries came from the crowd as a strange figure crossed the moon. It wasn't the comet. Though I couldn't see it very well, I saw the glint of something in its upraised hand. I cringed as I heard it yell "TONY POWEEEEEER!"

"That would be my brother." I said, shaking my head. "Dork." As he neared the cliff, I saw that Rudolph was holding onto both Tony and Kayla.

Tony ran up to Fredrick.

"I think you've been looking for this." He handed the amulet over.

More murmurs erupted form the crowd.

"The stone!" Fredrick exclaimed. "Thank you, my friend." He turned to face me and looked at Kayla. "Thank all of you."

He turned to the vampire crown.

"The stone of Attamon is ours!" He cried.

Every vampire had an ecstatic look on its face except for Rudolph and Gregory. I saw Rudolph turn to Kayla and pull her against him, murmuring urgently in here ear.

Gregory turned to me as Fredrick held up the amulet against the moon and began chanting in Latin.

"Alyssa, I don't want to forget you." He said in a small voice.

"Me neither, but some things you can't change, right? I'll remember you, and that's good enough for me."

"I-"

I hugged him tightly.

"I'm going to miss you so much."

"Me too."

A light shot down form the comet and hit the amulet. The cliff glowed red but suddenly something covered the moon. Gregory and I let go of each other and stared in shock.

"Hey, that's my blimp!" Dad cried.

Rookery rose up carrying yet another neon crucifix. Seriously, did that guy buy in bulk? I wondered if they had Costco in Scotland. He swung from the blimp and kicked the amulet out of Fredrick's hands.

"NO!" Kayla screamed, trying to rush forward, but Rudolph held her back.

Rookery landed and swept up the amulet, shining the crucifix in all directions.

"MOM, DAD!" Tony screamed.

"And you will all burn in hell!" Rookery cackled.

Tony gasped. "He said the hell word!"

"You did, too." Kayla pointed out.

"Alright, that's it." Dad stormed over to Rookery. He tried to throw a punch and missed.

I groaned. "Typical."

My mom stood behind Rookery and tapped him on the shoulder. He whipped around, shoving the crucifix in her face.

"I don't think so." She said right before she punched him hard in the stomach.

The amulet flew up in the air.

"Catch it Tony!" I shouted as he dove for it and caught it. I looked back at my parents just in time to see them watch Rookery scramble backwards away from them and over the cliff.

Time was running out.

"Tony, you know what we want! Wish it!" Anna called.

Tony held the stone in his hands and scrunched his eyes shut. The red light returned and a mist surrounded the vampires. They began to fade into the smokiness. Gregory lunged at me once again.

"Alyssa, I-"

He never got to finish his sentence. The mist engulfed him and he disappeared.

And just like that, they were gone.