When Roxie and Adrian reached his car, he managed to pry her off him and place her firmly in front of the driver's side door. "What in hell is the matter with you?" He asked.
Roxie put her hands on her hips. "You can't like that girl. It's not allowed."
Adrian burst out laughing. "Why not?"
Roxie pursed her lips. "Because her brother is a stupidhead and if you marry her then I'll have to spend the rest of my life looking at his stupid, ugly face."
Adrian scoffed and opened the door for her. "Who says I'm going to marry her? We're just having a little bit of fun. That's all."
Before he shut the door, Roxie gave Adrian a look. "Does Helene know about this? I heard her, you know."
Adrian frowned. "You did?"
Roxie nodded solemnly. "Uh-huh. I don't think she's very happy."
Adrian sighed. "Well she's dead. I can't dwell on her. I have to go on living my life."
Roxie nodded. "Okay. I just thought I'd mention it."

"How come you like that guy?" Vince asked his sister.
Tessa gave him a look. "I don't like him. I only met him yesterday."
"Are you two going to get married?" Vince wanted to know. "I don't think you should. His sister is crazy. Not to mention mean and stupid and snotty..."
Tessa looked in the review mirror and smiled. "What I want to know is, if you hate her so much, how come you spend so much time with her? Uncle Pete told me about the fight you two had."
Vince's eyes narrowed. "She started it. And she's a vampire, so I hate her."
"Really?" Tessa asked. "Because I sensed something else, too. I mean, if her parents know Enid, and Uncle Pete told me they do, she must have some werewolf blood in her somewhere."
Vince cleared his throat. "I think I'll find out. It's a full moon tomorrow, you know."

At the next stoplight, Tessa turned to look at her brother. "You aren't actually thinking of going out tomorrow."

Vince shrugged. "Why not? Max said he'd take me. He thinks I need the experience."

Tessa narrowed her eyes. "Is Uncle Pete condoning this?"

Vince shook his head. "No. But I wanted to go, so I'm going."

Tessa put her foot on the gas as the light turned green. "I suppose nobody can stop you. But remember that you're only five and don't go after more than you can handle."

Vince nodded. "Okay, Tessa. I promise to be careful."

They arrived at the base and were greeted by Pete. "How was school?"

Vince grinned wickedly. "Great! I made a snotty girl cry!"

Pete looked at Tessa, who shook her head. "He didn't really. She punched him."

Vince glared. "Why'd you tell him that?"

Pete chose that moment to interrupt. "Just who is this girl that you keep complaining about day after day?"

"Her name is Roxie," Tessa volunteered before Vince could say anything.

"Roxie?" Pete said in surprise. "Roxie is in your class? Selina and Klaus' daughter Roxie?"

"You know her parents?" Vince asked Pete in amazement.

"Yes," Pete nodded. "I have for a long time. They spent a lot of time at Enid's bar when I worked there."

Vince's eyebrows knitted. "But that's a werewolf bar! No vampires allowed!"

"Oh, they're both," Pete assured him. "Werewolf and vampire."

"Oh," Vince nodded. "That's weird. Does that mean Roxie is too?"

"Oh, yes," Pete told him. "Roxie is too."

Vince looked back and forth from his sister to his uncle for a little while and then darted for the stairs. "I have to go to my room," he explained. "I have lots of...reading practice to do."

But when he reached his room, he didn't go for his bookshelf. Instead, he bounded out the open window, in search of Roxie.

Selina was sneaking into the kitchen to eat some chocolate frosting right out of the container, when she heard a bang that made her jump and hit her head on the door of the pantry closet. Rubbing her bump and squinting, she stepped away and walked to the dining room table and scooped out her first spoonful. She shut her eyes as she sucked the frosting off the spoon. It was so good. Then she heard a voice.

"I need some advice...or is now not a good time? Would you rather be alone with your frosting?"

Selina opened her eyes. She was sure she'd heard someone. But no one was around. She shrugged and took another spoonful. Then the windows rattled. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

Selina pulled the spoon out of her mouth and put it down on the kitchen table, getting chocolate frosting on the wood. "Helene? Is that you? What do you want?"

"I told you," the voice said again. "I need some advice and I think you're the only one who can give it to me."

Selina sat still for a minute and then decided to play along, even though she couldn't see Helene at all. "Of course. What's the problem?"

"Your son seems to have lost his mind," Helene said, moving a chair back from the kitchen table and pulling up one of the seat cushions before she sat down so it would cushion her back. "He broke up with me for some tarty blonde with an ugly dog. He says I need to go into the light. Do you believe that?"

"Well, you are dead," Selina said calmly. "Surely you didn't expect him to freeze his whole life just because yours is over."

Helene's voice was icy. "Excuse me?"

"Well, honestly," Selina said. "You're dead, remember? I admit what happened to you was an unfortunate accident and I wish it wouldn't have happened, not only for yours and Adrian's sakes, but for your parents' as well. No one's been doing well since you died. And the fact that you're still hanging around isn't helping anyone move on."

"Now see," Helene said bitingly, "That's where I think you're wrong. The reason why no one has been able to move on is because they're so lost without me. That's why I need Adrian back. He said he'd help me out. So, will you talk to him?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "He's moving on with his life, and I'm proud of him. It was just what I told him to do the second he told me you were going to die on prom night."

"You told Adrian to abandon me?" Helene's voice was full of poison. The room became cold. Selina began shivering. The windows rattled and the lights went out. As Selina got up to go to the living room, she stumbled, falling to the floor, just as a large chandelier broke from the ceiling and landed on her back. She gasped and then shut her eyes, Helene's laughter ringing in her ears.

Vince didn't exactly know where Roxie lived, so it took time for him to find her, but eventually he did. He looked up at the house her scent had led him to and rolled his eyes at the large, cream colored structure with green shutters and doors. It figured that she would live in a place like this. He was about to go up to the front door when he heard her voice. He walked around the other side of the house to the backyard and found her sitting at the head of a small, white, plastic table. Sitting in the other chairs around the table were various stuffed animals, including two teddy bears, a large smiling cat, and a bunny rabbit in a tutu wearing a crown. They had teacups in front of them and Roxie was pouring invisible tea from a pink teapot. She talked all the while, addressing the rabbit: "So, Miss Bunny, how was your rehearsal for the ballet today? I think the recital will be wonderful. I've always wanted to see Swan Lake."

The other animals murmered in agreement and Miss Bunny replied in Roxie's high, chirpy voice: "Thank you. I'm sure it will be great."

Vince stood on the other side of the bushes and rolled his eyes. Girls were so stupid. Just then, he moved his foot and a twig broke. Roxie looked up suspiciously. "Who's there?" She called. "If you're bad, I can hurt you."

Vince grinned and came out from behind the bushes. "No you won't."

Roxie gasped. "What are you doing interrupting my party? You weren't invited!" She strode over to him, an angry look on her face, and began shoving him toward the fence. "Out, out! Go away! We don't want your kind here!"

Just then, Miss Bunny spoke again: "Let's keep him. He's cute!"

Roxie gasped and turned. "Don't even say that, Miss Bunny! He is not!"

Vince grimaced. "I don't want to."

Roxie grinned. "But Miss Bunny invited you. It would be rude not to accept."

She pulled him toward the table and he went reluctantly. "Do I have to sit down?" Roxie kept a hand on his shoulder. "No. If you're going to stay, you have to be a waiter." She handed him a cloth to put over his arm. "There you go." She looked over his torn jeans and dirty t-shirt with disproval, her eyes narrowed. "And if you're going to be a waiter at my tea party, you have to dress nicer then that."

"No," Vince shook his head. "I don't want to be a waiter!"

She sat him down in a chair and got some rope from under the deck, tying him down and telling her stuffed animals to watch him like a hawk. Then she went up to the attic and grabbed a suit of Adrian's from when he was a boy. He'd hardly ever worn it so it was in nearly pristine condition. She brought it out to Vince and wrestled him into it. Then, she looked at him with approval. "There. You look almost handsome like that."

"I hate you," Vince grumbled.

Roxie ignored him, sitting back down at the table and folding her napkin in her lap. "We need more cookies. They're in the kitchen."

"Get them yourself," Vince said.

"No," Roxie shook her head. "You're the waiter. You're supposed to get them. And the lemonade too. And make it fast. We're all thirsty."

He was about to run away, but then an idea popped into his head. "Sure. I'll get your lemonade. Just a minute."

Roxie nodded with satisfaction and then Vince headed inside.

The whole house was dark and when Vince reached what seemed to be the kitchen, he grabbed the lemonade and the cookies, and on his way out, nearly tripped over something cause the room was pitch dark. He heard a soft groan. He started and backed up a little. Then, the lights came back on again and he saw a woman on the floor, barely conscious, blood spilling from her forehead. He took the lemonade and dumped it all over her. That seemed to bring her back. She managed to push the chandelier off herself with Vince's help.

"Who are you?" She asked him.

"Oh," he said uncertainly, "I'm Vince. I'm a...friend of Roxie's."

"You were the boy at the werewolf hideout," she said, recognition dawning. "We took your parents."

Vince nodded. "Since I saved you, can I have them back?"

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "But they're gone. My husband got rid of them once they were no longer useful."

"So they're dead?" Vince asked.

Selina nodded sadly and then winced. "I'm sorry."

Just then, Roxie came stomping into the kitchen. "What's taking you so long, waiter? Miss Bunny wants her lemonade!" But when she saw her mother on the floor, she gasped. "Mommy, what happened to you?"

"Helene," Selina said. "She's upset about Adrian. She did this!"

Vince looked at Roxie. "You call your dad. I'll stay here."

Roxie nodded. "Okay!" She grabbed the phone and called Klaus, who was home in a shot.

"What happened?" He asked, looking Selina over.

"Helene did it," Roxie said. "She's upset about Adrian and his new girlfriend."

Klaus looked at her strangely. "Since when did Adrian have a new girlfriend?"

"Since a week ago," Vince said. "She's my sister."

"Oh," Klaus nodded. "Good to know." He picked Selina up gently and carried her to their bed. "I want you to stay here," he told her. "You aren't going anywhere until you heal up."

"Can I get you anything, Mommy?" Roxie asked.

Selina shook her head and closed her eyes. Klaus looked at Roxie and Vince. "You two go out and play. I'm going to call your brother."

Vince followed Roxie outside, but not before filling the teapot with cranberry juice, which he promptly dumped on her head once they were back at the tea table. She sputtered. "What did you do that for?"

He shrugged. "Felt like it. Why can't you be nice like your mommy?"

Roxie stuck her tongue out at him. "I am nice! It's you who's a jerk! Why don't you just go home!"

"Fine, I will!" He said.

"And take the suit with you!" She cried as he stomped away. "It's probably nicer than anything else you own!"

She sat back down at the table. Her hair was soaked, but she realized she'd have to get him back for her next tea party tomorrow night. He was the only person she knew that she could make be a waiter. And in addition, she'd never want to disappoint Miss Bunny.

Adrian had just finished dinner with Tessa and was preparing to take her for a walk when his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Adrian, your mother is hurt."

Adrian frowned. "Why is that, Dad?"

"I don't know. Roxie says Helene did it. Something about her being upset because you have a new girlfriend?"

Adrian looked fondly at Tessa, who was wearing a knee-length light blue dress. "That's right," he said. "I have a new girlfriend."

Klaus cleared his throat impatiently. "Well that's all well and good. But you have to come home. Helene's already hurt your mother. You have to talk to her. Do what you have to do to get her to go away."

"I don't want to, Dad," Adrian said shortly. "I'm busy. Can't you handle things? I'm on a date!"

"But I thought that wasn't until tomorrow!"

"Well we made it be tonight instead. We couldn't wait. Now, goodbye!"

Before Klaus could say anything else, Adrian snapped his phone shut and held out his arm for Tessa to take. "Why did you hang up?" She asked. "That sounded like an important call."

"Not really," Adrian shook his head. "Just something my Dad wanted me to do with an ex-girlfriend of mine. The family was really attached to her, but I've moved on." He grinned and kissed her. "Obviously."

When he pulled away, Tessa was looking uncertain. "What's the matter?" Adrian asked her. "Is it too early for labels? I completely understand if it is."

"No," Tessa shook her head. "It's just that there's one thing I have to tell you about me. It's kind of important and not necessarily good."

"I don't need to hear it now," Adrian said. "Let's just focus on pleasant things now and we can talk about bad things when we go out again tomorrow."

"I..." Tessa trailed off. "Are you sure? It's going to be a full moon and we might run into some crazies or something."

He shrugged. "That's okay. There's nowhere I'd rather be during a full moon than with you."