Between shoveling mouthfuls of food into him, Bes explained that Amun had been banished to what they called a "great gulf' one that cannot be crossed or gotten out of. They had no more threat of him. Vicki was still not convinced but had to take him at his word. When he was finished, he bowed and did a little dance that made Tori laugh. That's what they ALL needed to hear, a child's laughter. The adults laughed with her and with that Bes was gone.

Samantha turned to Tori and knelt down in front of her, "Tori, can you do something for me?"

Tori smiled, "Anything for you."

Samantha told Tori that she wanted her to go upstairs, into her room and sit on her bed for one hour, and don't move until they came for her. Tori nodded and gave her grandmother hug.

"Mother, I'm not comfortable with her being alone right now." Maggie said defiantely to Samantha.

Samantha sighed, "Maggie, I knew that creature was in her when I first embraced her. I'm surprised you missed it. That's why I have put a little healing spell in her room. Once she enters, she will fall asleep and a cleansing will take place. You know that must happen, just to be certain she is all clear. You really need to brush up more often."

Vicki stood amazed listening to this conversation, not really following all of it and wondering how much of it related to her or affected her in any way.

Samantha turned to face Vicki, " YOU, my dear have a lot training ahead. I think that you should visit with me at least once month. Maggie will be busy with the baby and with you expecting also, you need some protection. Do you mind if I offer my help?''

Vicki shook her head no, "Uh, no, that would be great." Over Samantha's shoulder, she could see Maggie making a slashing mark across her neck, then pretending she had a noose hanging herself. Vicki shook her head at Maggie and frowned, not understanding.

"I know what you are doing behind my back, Margaret," Samantha said, scolding her as if she were a child.

'Sorry mom, " Maggie said sheepishly and giggling at the same time.

"Maggie thinks I'm a little bossy," Samanth explained to Vicki.

Vicki shrugged her shoulders, "Oh, you haven't met my mother yet, Samantha," but as those words exited Vicki's mouth, Samantha and Maggie exchanged a look of their own.

"Uh, well, why don't we all get something to eat and relax, I know I could use it," Will suddenly piped up.

Vicki was immediately suspicious, she saw how Samantha and Maggie looked at one another.

Vicki moved her hand back and forth between the two and said, "You two have met my mother..." she didn't asked but rather stated.

"Well, yes and no." Samantha said.

"Which is it, yes or no?'' Vicki asked becoming agitated.

Henry stepped up to Vicki, "Vicki, it doesn't matter, let's relax, you need to," he said putting a protective hand on her stomach.

Vicki shoved him off, "WHEN did you two meet my mother?"

Samantha sighed, "Vicki, when your father left us, I always kept tabs on him for Maggie's sake. I never contacted him, there was no point really. When he met and married your mother, I was worried for her but even happy for her when I found out you had come along. One day, while I was at a market, Maggie was about four and you were just about a year old, I ran into your mother. She was very sweet and you and Maggie looked so much alike even then, that she commented on it. We talked only momentarily, so it's not like we really met her, we just ran into her. You and Maggie had a connection even then."

"Then why did you act the way you did just now?" Vicki asked very confused at this point.

Maggie answered, "Because later, when you were older, I sought you out myself and I never told you who I was. I feel badly about that. Maybe if you had control over your ability, you wouldn't have those marks. My mother feels badly for your mother because she feels she should have told your mother the truth in the store, maybe saved her little pain."

Vicki shook her head, "My mother made that choice too. You couldn't have changed anything. Look whatever happened in the past, let it go. We have greater things to worry about, don't you think?" All three women smiled, Will and Henry looked relieved.

Henry whispered to Will, "You know, being a vampire with specialized skills is not making me feel any more powerful right now with these women, how about you?" Will shook his head in agreement and they laughed at themselves.

Samantha, Maggie and Will headed off to the living area together, Henry offered to cook but Henry held Vicki back for a moment.

"Hey, are you okay? That was lot in there," he asked looking deeply into her eyes.

Vicki smiled, though not convincingly, "Yeah, I'm fine. You know, we really don't even know if I'm really pregnant or not Henry, I haven't even been to a doctor yet. It's just all of their "feelings" and the whole blood thing, well that could be coincidence." Henry's jaw dropped.

"You're not serious are you? Come on Vicki, you can deny..." she cut him off.

"Look," she pointed her finger at him, "I am NOT going to get all worked up over something that may or may not have happened yet, okay? Just get a grip Henry, how do you even know I want children or even with you for that matter? Making a lot of assumptions aren't you?" With that she stomped off.

Henry was dumbfounded. He didn't know what to think or what to even begin to say. Okay, he thought to himself, I've been around enough pregnant women, hormones,just hormones, I hope...

The rest of their "vacation" was uneventful and Vicki told Henry not to speak of their "unknown" situation again. Henry was assuming that she was just afraid, but he didn't know. They enjoyed their visit with Samantha and the gang, and luckily the day before they left, Maggie gave birth to healthy baby boy they named William Henry (yes that was really Will's middle name) Jameson the III. They are calling him Trey. Vicki was glad she was there for the birth, but still, is refusing to discuss herself at all.

Vicki laid across Henry and slept the whole ride home. Henry listened intently, trying to see if he could hear more than her heart beating to maybe hear the baby/babies. He couldn't hear anything but Will had talked to him at length about what to expect and how to care for Vicki, if she was truly pregnant.

Henry saw Vicki into her apartment.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay or come over to my place." Henry asked one more time.

Vicki shook her head no, "Thanks again, I just need to sort some things out, okay?" He nodded as he took her in his arms and kissed her more passionately than he had ever done before, if that was even possible. He stepped away from her not wanting to leave her side.

"I'm okay, really, it's just been, well let's say, interesting shall we?" she caressed his cheek and laid her head on his chest. If he only knew how much she wanted him to stay.

She pulled away first, "Look I know I've been a real bitch and I'm sorry but I just have to figure out what is going on with me. I'll be honest Henry, I'm not sure how I'll really feel if I am pregnant. You do understand don't you?" She looked at him hoping she wouldn't see pain and hurting, and she didn't. She saw faithful Henry, understanding and patient Henry.

"Yes, I do. But I'll be at your office tomorrow morning," he though for a moment, "wow, morning, that sounds strange. I'm still trying to process that myself." He kissed her chastely and was out the door.

Had he not left so quickly, Vicki would have changed her mind. She really, really wanted him tonight, in the worst way. She sighed and decided that she would get the pregnancy test out of her purse that she had bought while still at Maggie's. She stayed at her apartment just for that reason, she wanted to be alone when she took it. She didn't want to Henry to see her look of disappointment.

After taking it, she laid it on the counter of her bathroom while she went to check her messages. The test said it would take 3 minutes and she didn't want to stand there, staring at a stick with her urine on it, waiting for one pink line, because she just knew it wouldn't be two.

A few were regular messages, one from her mother reprimanding her about not calling, again, then one from Coreen,

"Hey Vicki, it's me Coreen, as if you couldn't tell, anyway, got a case for ya, really, really cool. Some girl says that her boyfriend is turning into a cat or something weird, she doesn't know. Sounds great...call me!" Vicki shook her head and laughed at her assistant, that girl was so happy all the time! Happy-Goth are they supposed to be in the same sentence??

Vicki walked back into the bathroom and picked up the test...

TO BE CONTINUED...