A/N: For those who don't remember, we left off with Angela discovering something pretty freaky. Well here's what happens next! Enjoy! I was thinking about this in the carride home from school today which is why I'm updating! Hehe - Sam

Learning The Truth

There Lexi was, sitting on her bed, drinking blood out of the packet like juice from a capri sun pouch. She froze when she saw me and neither of us moved. As Erik came towards me on my left, I shut the door quickly. She...she was drinking blood...and he knew...

Then I brushed by Erik and back to the kitchen.

And I started baking cookies.

*Erik's POV*

I checked in Lexi's room first. "Are you alright? What happened exactly?"

Lexi was shaking. "S-She just c-came in! And and I was f-feeding..." I hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. She felt like it was her fault but truly it was mine. I should've tried to restrain her or something. I was just so much in shock that she had hit me and said those things...

Not that my shock is an excuse because it most certainly isn't. Now both Angela and Lexi are scarred. "Shh sweetheart it'll be alright. Finish feeding and stay here. I'll be back soon."

With a bit of prying I got her detached from me and when I got to the door I heard the soft question, "Do you think she hates me?"

Probably. We're monsters in the eyes of the humans that know what we are, of the damage we are truly capable of, why do you think there are hunters? Who is to say Angela wouldn't apply to that? Common sense you know her better than that... "No. She loves you very much, Lexi. She's just confused and most likely scared by what she saw. I have to tell her our secret now and explain it...so she won't be those things anymore."

"And things will go back to normal?"

Well doubt that'll ever happen. "No they'll be better." Well I hoped.

Lexi relaxed a little and I left her there, reminding her once more to stay put til I explained. I walked into the kitchen...and found Angela baking cookies like nothing was wrong. "Angela..." I said cautiously.

She was mixing the cookie dough. "Yes Erik?" Her voice sounded eerily calm.

"Are you okay?"

Angela looked up, "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Hm let's see because you saw your niece sucking blood from a packet in her room.

Something's not right... "With Lexi..." Should I just outright say it? Or will that push her off the edge?

"Ah, yes, she's sick. But she'll be better tomorrow, right?" She asked rhetorically, going back to her baking. I studied her. Her hands were moving steadily, if I hadn't talked to Lexi, I wouldn't even suspect that something was wrong. "You know a picture might last longer."

Yes something is wrong here. She's teasing me, like everything is alright. She's in shock... "Angela, we need to have a serious talk."

She took a spoon and started placing spoonfuls on the sheet. "About what?"

"Lexi."

"I already said she'd be-"

Time to be blunt. "She's a vampire."

Finally, I got a reaction! She stopped moving and refused to look up at me. When she did, she wore a strained smile and her eyes had a mix of emotions I couldn't decipher. "There are no such things as vampires." She said, before returning to her baking.

I blinked. Is she...is she kidding? "Then why was Lexi drinking blood?"

She paused but not for as long as the last time. "Children do weird things. I don't know, maybe a kid at school dared her to. I wouldn't be surprised with the vampire fad going on that it hit the younger kids."

Damn. While the fad protects us in some ways, it hinders us when we're trying to be real. "It's not a fad, she is a vampire, Angela." I said quietly.

Angry, she slammed the spoon down on the table and looked up at me. "What makes you say that, Erik? How the hell would you know?"

"Because I'm a vampire too."

*Angela's POV*

My mind was completely blown away. And while I couldn't completely wrap my mind around the concept, I knew it was true. It explained so much. The leaving in the middle of the night, the looking sick and suddenly looking better, Erik knowing what I didn't and him trying to stop me from seeing that...

But I was still incredibly shocked. Vampires belong in stories told in books or movies... "Vampires are an abomination."

He shrugged. "Yes but we've evolved. Our skin has adapted to light, the energy from that light giving us partial life, enough to procreate, eat human food and think of things besides blood. We can live normal lives, choose who we kill if to kill at all."

I backed up against the counter. Erik's killed. Lexi's killed. "You drink blood from others to survive."

"And you eat meat or plants. And your entire race polutes this planet ten times worse than any vampire, unless we choose to live as you do. Look, Angela, I know. We're painted as villians in old tales, sparkly teenage dreams in current ones. But really we're just people. Most of us. There are exceptions, sure, but there's exceptions to everything."

All his words started to sink in. People around, everywhere, could be vampires and I wouldn't even know it. How was I suppose to? I lived in a delusional world where I was the strongest species there was. But all along, all around me, danger could've been even closer than I imagined. Other things clicked as well. "My sister...she was one too?"

Erik relaxed a little. "Yes. But she was human until she fell in love with my brother. He turned her and married her. She was kept away for awhile, I was the one who helped her gain control of herself. You wouldn't have recognized her, all she cared about at first was blood because she had to feed enough and properly to regain some sanity."

All this information was making my head hurt. I rubbed my temples, trying to make it all just go away. "And her death? Your brother's death? How the hell did that happen if you guys are vampires? A car accident shouldn't be able to kill a vampire."

"It can't."

The silence that followed was the longest, most terrifying silence I've endured in my life. It's the silence scary movies thrive with, the dramatic pause which is added for effect is actually because there is lack of words to say in response for my part and Erik is letting it sink in.

Lindsey was murdered.

*Erik's POV*

I explained everything to Angela. From hunters being humans that knew too much to Lexi and her needs that had to be met. She had to feed more often than I did and with much understandable hesitance on Angela's part, there would be scheduled times from now on for feeding. Being the clever girl she is, Angela figured out I purposely set my own house on fire to get close to Lexi and take care of her. Oddly enough...she was grateful.

"There's still one thing I can't figure out." She said, baking cookies again. Turns out, the baking was to reamin calm and think. She said she either bakes or cleans when she's upset or confused and she was both. I'm the one who suggested she finish what she started.

"Why I like cookies? Well see...I can still taste food it just doesn't do anything for me-"

Angela shoved a cookie in my mouth. "Not that, pinhead. I figured that. I can't figure out why Lindsey listed me as Lexi's guardian."

Funny. "I wondered the same thing. It seemed more reasonable for her to label me."

She nodded in thought for a moment. "Maybe she didn't think you were mature enough."

I cracked a smile. Her playful comment meant she was understanding and accepting all this. "You're probably right. Ralph was the mature one between us two."

Angela smiled back at me. "Funny, I was the mature one and Lindsey wasn't. But you know what they say,"

"Opposites attract." We finished together, sharing a look and a smile. Something about it felt so perfect and right. But remembering the other moments, where we got caught up in something unexplainable, along with the slap and harsh words from earlier, I ignored it.

I dipped my finger in the cookie dough batter and ate it. "Hey!" Angela exclaimed. "That's so bad for you!"

I rolled my eyes. "This is me totally scared, miss stickupmaarse."

"Don't remind me of that. It was uncalled for."

"I call it like I see it, sweetheart."

Lexi's little head poked through the doorway. Shit! I completely forgot I was making her stay upstairs! "Hey, Lexi. Come on in." I said warmly to let her know it was okay.

Angela tensed up a bit as she looked at Lexi which I guess is understandable. She saw Lexi drinking blood, not me. Sweet, innocent Lexi. That made her more of a vampire in Angela's eyes than me. "Hi." Angela said awkwardly.

Tears welled up in Lexi's eyes. "Do you still love me, Auntie Angela?" Her broken voice hurt to hear but I wasn't the only one effected. Angela put down the cooking stuff and took Lexi in her arms without a moments hesitation.

She's still the same child...

Angela recognizing this made this warm feeling spread inside. She could accept Lexi, her niece who was now like her child, even though she was a vampire, even though she saw her drinking blood. If she could do that...maybe someday she could accept someone like me.

A/N: Awh I felt that was a happy enough spot to end this chapter! It's a bit on the short side but the next chapter is going to be fun! Yaaaay! So I'll make it longer! Thanks for reading! Please review! - Sam