"He certainly looks like a fitting Javier... Heather and Javier...", Eric smiled. "Oh, my little boy... I'm so glad you're here now...".
Javier cooed warmly before giving out a hungry whine, and Dusk smiled, shifting her tank top and bra, adjusting her hold on him as he came closer, and almost immediately latched on to her nipple, feeding and suckling.
"Well, he's certainly hungry... was worried for a moment if he was going to need some blood to go with that.", Eric said as Dusk nodded, "He'll probably need some sooner or later... he may be half... but that still means he'll probably need some.".
Eric replied, "How? He won't be teething for a long while.", and Dusk smiled, "Don't worry, I'll talk to Thorn if it comes to needing blood as Dante is also a dhampir.".
"Okay, understood...Oh, Abby, and to think that he came only a week before my graduation...What a wonderful early graduation gift...", Eric kissed her on the lips warmly before looking at Javier with adoration and fatherly love.
"Obviously not really the plan here, but, well, we can just say it is.", Dusk chuckled as Eric kissed her once more, "You're amazing, you know that?".
Dusk blushed softly and smiled before hearing Heather's hungry cry from the nursery, and Eric smiled, "I'll get her. Just keep feeding him.", getting up with a gentle brush on Javier's head, and left the bed to grab Heather.
"Be quick... I think our children want to meet each other very much.", Dusk chuckled. "Don't you want to meet your big sister? She's a fighter... she's been quite through a lot...".
Javier looked at her, blinking as he kept suckling, and Dusk chuckled warmly, "You just want to eat...Looks like you have another thing in common with Heather.".
Indeed, when Eric returned with Heather, she latched on Dusk's other nipple, and a while later after finishing, the siblings met officially, talking in baby language, and seemed to get along with each other.
And so, finally, it was all over, with the last arrival of the brood happily introduced to the family over the rest of the week, sharing and talking in baby language, and playing in the playroom with supervision from an adult or two.
Eric had to return to the college, finishing some things before graduating, including the final payments to the apartment off campus since he won't need it anymore as he knew he will be turned soon, which he hadn't told to his parents who unexpectedly came for his graduation.
The graduation happened on the next Saturday, and it was a cloudy yet sunny day, and Eric was sad that Dusk wouldn't be there to watch him graduate with honors and all, but when he was on stage to give his Valedictorian speech, he saw Dusk, with a double stroller, hidden in the shadows, giving him a proud smile, nodding with a gesture of her hand for him to focus.
Eric, with an overjoyed heart, went on to talk, his speech firmly passionate yet proudly wise, and all the graduating students, teachers, families listened to him, and everybody cheered at the end of it, with the president of the college announcing the year of graduation.
Naturally, Eric's parents expected to reunite with Eric once he saw them, but they grew curious and surprised when Eric left straight for the shadows and went to follow him through the crowd.
Eric came into the shadows, smiling widely as he saw Dusk looking at him warmly, "Hello, college graduate.", with a smile, and he immediately kissed Dusk, holding her, "Abby, oh, I thought you and our kids wouldn't be able to show up!".
Dusk chuckled, "I couldn't dare to miss such an important day, especially with Heather and Javier wanting to see their daddy graduate.", and Eric laughed happily, glancing at the double stroller that held Heather and Javier, letting go of Dusk, leaning down to pick up the little ones, "Is that right, you two?", teasing them.
Heather babbled, "I and Jav see Papu!", and Javier gurgled, cooing, as in agreement with his big sister, and Eric kissed them on the forehead, "And I am sure glad you did...I should have known; your momma is too stubborn to not let such a day go by like this.".
Dusk giggled, smiling at Eric as she walked a bit closer, "You know me too well...And there's something I want to ask you...", and Eric blinked, "What is it?".
"Well, as you know, I wore this promise ring for a long time after you gave it to me, and I decided to change that...I know this isn't traditional per sec, but I really wanted to, as you are going to live forever with me and our kids...What I am saying is, will you marry me to be my husband, Eric Staufer?", Dusk asked, holding up a bronze band with white gold designs, as she knelt.
Eric was surprised to hear this... part of him cursed it in a way of forcing Dusk to be the one to propose when he really should've done that quite some time ago. But the other part of him just froze up for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her and hugged tight as he kissed her lips. "Yes...", he whispered.
Dusk smiled so widely, kissing him back, hearing happy babbles from the two little ones, and they looked at Heather and Javier with beaming smiles, and Dusk whispered, "I love you, Eric.", brandishing his finger with the ring.
Eric smiled warmly, "I love you too, Abby.", hugging her tightly, and Heather babbled, "I and Jav wanna hug too!", slapping hands on the stroller bumper, magic flitting around her hands, and suddenly, she floated out of the stroller, along with Javier.
"Oh, my god!", Eric gasped, and Dusk quickly grabbed little Javier as Heather was caught by Eric, and she giggled, clapping her hands, "Papu, I do magic like muma!".
Dusk chuckled, "Looks like Moonscar Island boosted her development on that part of being a vampiress.", holding Javier who was nonplused by the surprise of being floated, and Eric chuckled, "Looks like it...Are you going to be a beautiful vampiress like your mother?".
Heather nodded, "Huh-uh, I be like muma!", with a toothy grin, showing her small fangs as she's old enough to be teething now, and there was a gasp, and Eric looked over to see Dusk in protective mode, slightly defensive in her pose, holding Javier tight, staring at something past Eric's view, and he looked back, his eyes widening as he recognized the pair of people, gaping and staring.
He only said two words as he held Heather protectively, "Oh, crap.", as the pair of people are his parents. There were no words for what felt like almost an eternity.
Eric was praying that somehow, they just didn't see anything, as unlikely as that was with the reactions. Dusk was practically on the verge of trying to portal the whole family away in an instant; either to get away from his folks or take them someplace where at least they could talk without the alarm being raised, or the urge to do something to stop this somehow, prickling at the back of her head.
Eric's mother sobbed, "What have you done?! Come here and leave those vampires before you get bitten!", and Eric narrowed his eyes, "No, I am not. And it's my family you're referring to. I don't care if my children are different as long as they're perfect and healthy, and my wife-to-be, I ain't leaving her!", as Heather whimpered in fear and confusion, holding tight to her daddy.
Eric's father growled furiously, "Listen to your mother and me! You don't belong with them, you're a human, and they're monsters! Hell, that...that...freaky woman doesn't care for you! Drop that spawn of hers, or we'll say that you got ensnared by vampires! What will people think if they heard that the famous inventor of the Empathy Pregnancy Suit got affianced with...a monster?".
"She's not!", Eric tried to argue as things continued to build to a boiling point. "Enough!", Dusk cried as she snapped her fingers and Eric's parents went still, their eyes blank as they became almost lifeless. "Eric, I'm sorry... I just...".
"I know... they... they just wouldn't ever understand...", Eric sighed. "Planning on clearing their short-term memories then, just to keep them from raising a stink?".
Dusk sighed, "Actually, more than that...If I make them forget about you, they wouldn't have to look for you...I know you're still planning to be a scientist of sorts, along with some hobbies for different jobs once you get a handle on being a vampire, and you probably have to fake your death or pretend to move away in some years once your fellow scientists or coworkers realize that you're not aging...There's no brother ritual to make you different, otherwise you'd rush on faking your death which I know you don't want to, for your parents to only grieve, not forget you...It's a choice, Eric...And I will understand with whatever you choose...", with a sigh as she held Javier protectively, kissing Eric on the cheek, while caressing Heather's hair as she felt that things are a tad less stressful right now, but still clinging to Eric.
"I thought I would at least have some more time... just... just some more time...", Eric whispered as Dusk sighed and closed her eyes. She knew how hard a decision it was to basically say goodbye to your entire life.
Dusk whispered, "I can't hold them forever like this, Eric...", glancing at the blank, standing couple before them. She ain't a centuries-old vampiress like Vlad, and her control is barely strong enough to hold over things and people for several minutes.
Eric nodded somberly with a deep sigh, and glanced at Heather and Javier, "I ain't going to risk your lives like this...You are my new life...I'm a father, a husband-to-be, and a soon to be vampire...There's always things of my past that I will have, and I won't forget, but family sticks together, well, in most cases...", disappointed and devastated that his own parents are appalled and disgusted towards his own family, and they even made Heather cry which is not acceptable...
"I'm truly sorry, Eric...", Dusk sighed, and Eric caressed her cheek, "Hey, don't be...We'd do anything for those kids and the family back on Moonscar Island and Dreamcrest Sanctuary, yeah?".
Dusk caressed his hand, "Family sticks together...", with a small nod, and exhaled, looking at him, and he took a deep breath, "Make them forget me and this encounter, and send them out of campus, otherwise they would question why they were here.", holding his tears back for the sake of Heather and Javier, knowing that he will break down when he will be alone with Dusk at home, slightly relieved that Dusk asked him first without betraying his trust.
"Okay, I'll have Vlad and Grimwood take care of the rest to tie up any real loose ends.", Dusk kissed his cheek as Eric sighed and slowly started to leave, taking their two children with him into the shadows while Dusk took care of his parents.
Indeed, after checking double sure, Eric's parents are no longer his parents, having forgotten about Eric, indirectly keeping the supernatural world safe including all the family members of Moonscar Island and Dreamcrest Sanctuary, and with magic, powerful magic, Vlad and Miss Grimwood erased evidence of Eric from the household of the human couple, and changed the documents of Eric to an orphan, technically having his last name as a deterrent to people that he was adopted or took the last name of Staufer when he became of age.
The college knew Eric as a motivated student with lots of grant money to graduate college, and Professor Kaufman is technically the only contact of his current life in case if there's people who wanted to develop the Empathy Pregnancy suit better than ever.
So, in short, it was a bittersweet day, and after Heather and Javier was put to sleep, Dusk comforted and hugged Eric, just being there, saying barely anything as Eric let it all out, breaking down and grieving.
"It's okay, Eric...", Dusk whispered to him. "It's just... it's just so weird... that the family I grew up with and loved... I'm no more to them.", Eric said as Dusk sighed.
She really wished that they had been the understanding types like how Vlad's son-in-law's family was about the situation. But that encounter made it fairly clear there was no way that would happen.
Dusk kissed him on the cheek tenderly, "It's not fair, I know, but everyone is not the same...If everyone is the same, it's like they're robots or something...But you kept us safe, Eric...Sacrificing a few for many...Heather and Javier deserve to grow up in safety and love without being hunted...", with a sigh, remembering the story of Sibella's capture.
"I know... it's just... I guess I always wanted to have it both ways, you know what I mean?", Eric closed his eyes and put his head down.
Dusk held him even more, but not too tight as she's a vampiress, rubbing his back gently, whispering, "I do...But what's done is done.", and Eric sighed, leaning his head against her shoulder, whispering, "Can we wait a bit longer for me to get turned? I...I want to marry you before that...", having been talking with Andy how he got married and got turned afterwards.
"Of course, take the time you need, and tell me when you're ready, my clever inventor.", Dusk nodded, kissing him on the lips tenderly and lovingly, and Eric smiled at her, "Thank you, my special goth, or should I say, goth vampiress?", cheering up slightly.
Dusk giggled, "Call me what you want, you will always be my mate and my first love of my life.", and Eric chuckled, "Heather and Javier are your second and third love of your life, huh?".
"That's right.", Dusk smirked, relieved to see him feeling a tad better now, and cheered him up with her cuddles and kisses before they fell asleep.
And so, with Eric finally free of college, and trying to move on after the whole fiasco, the whole family of Moonscar Island is going for a family reunion at Dreamcrest Sanctuary, with the new brood of children getting to know their older nephew and niece in Alyssa and Diego, along with Sibella's girlfriend monsters; Winnie, Phantasma, Elsa, and Tanis.
Not knowing what is to happen on the reunion, Winnie and Crystal are to be more involved in each other's lives than they thought, starting with an incident of cats teasing and annoying Amber.
"You could give us more of a heads up when you show up.", Sibella chuckled as she hugged her father the moment his group arrived.
"Well. you got plenty of warning beforehand, my dear.", Vlad gave a light laugh as much of the home was starting to be filled in. Thankfully there was plenty of supernatural magic to make sure there was enough room for everyone.
Sibella chuckled, "True...Been quite some months since last time you guys were here, and you got more people, and by the moon, more babies!", seeing the aliens, thankfully wearing a few clothes after the family helped tested out with fabric and sizes.
Vlad smiled, "That's Niko's parents and sister; Dokau, Pixanu, and Crystal aka Tocci. And that's their dog, Amber. She's currently like that since her regular size is a tad big.", with a gesture to Amber in her golden retriever form.
"Ah, I see. And the alien babies are theirs too?", Sibella noticed the twin baby boys in Dokau's arms, and Vlad nodded, "Yep. And of course, the pregnancies are over. So, in all, if you count the boys in Dokau's arms as well, we literally have eleven babies total, so, the mansion is definitely full of little kids' feet and all.", with a chuckle.
Sibella gave a whistle, "Whoa...Talk about chaos.", and Vlad chuckled, "Indeed, but it sure keeps us on our toes. Are we also expecting anyone else?".
"Yes, the girls are coming. They may be almost all grown up already, but I still see them as the girls in a way.", Sibella chuckled softly, and Vlad sighed in amazement, "12 years, isn't it? How amazing that time flies fast...".
Indeed, 12 years has passed, and the girls are almost practically grown up. Elsa is 28 years old, Winnie is 24, almost 25 years old, Phantasma is still 14 years old forever, and Tanis, she had reached up to 10 years old physically, prior to her 8-year-old appearance, something about having found a cursed Egyptian artifact of sorcerer magic, and breaking it sometime over the past few years, so Tanis is able then to age physically, but only to fit her mind mentality as it turns out, with research, she was diagnosed with some form of ADHD.
"Still almost feels like yesterday when we collapsed into each other.", Andy chuckled as he wrapped his arm around Sibella. "Amazing how quiet it's been for so many years now...".
Sibella chuckled warmly, "True...And of course, we are adapting to the fact that our kids are staying longer than normal.", glancing at Alyssa and Diego who is now in their first year of being 4 years old, since dhampirs age every three years and a quarter, and of course, vampires/vampiresses age every six years and a half.
So, it's gonna be really interesting for the Moonscar Island family in that aspect yet it ain't going to be boring either.