Grudgingly, Selina woke up early the next morning. "Where are you going?" Klaus asked. "You're never up this early."

Selina stripped off her pajamas and put on her bathrobe to go into the shower.

"I could come in with you," he offered.

She shook her head. "No, I can't be distracted. I have to get in and get out so I can be to Uncle Jake's by nine."

Klaus got out of bed and came up behind her. "Why would you need to go there?" He asked her.

Selina rolled her eyes. "When I dropped Mama off yesterday, Uncle Jake expressed dismay about how we didn't get along and suggested we talk it out, like I did with Roxie. Although, also like with Roxie, it was really less of a suggestion and more of an order."

Klaus looked at her curiously. "Is this somehow my fault?"

She shrugged. "I don't think so. But you flirting with her yesterday really didn't help things."

"I honestly thought that was you," he said. "I wouldn't have done it otherwise."

Selina smirked. "Oh, stop looking so innocent and put some pants on." She turned and went into the bathroom, turning the shower on and screaming when the first blast of ice cold water hit her. She scrubbed off quickly, washed her hair and then scampered out of the shower to throw on some clothes, ignoring Klaus' salacious glances.

Roxie arrived in the kitchen as Selina was popping waffles in the toaster. "Are you ready to meet Grandma for your meeting at Uncle Jake's?"

Selina shook her head. "Never. I actually think that it would be best if Jake left us alone because she's never going to change, but since she's his baby sister, he has some sort of blinders on. I honestly think he believes that all our issues are my fault, but he wasn't around when I was growing up, so what the hell does he know?"

She picked her waffles up out of the toaster and brutally stabbed a fork in them.

"Wow," Roxie said, brushing her hair and pulling it back. "Glad to see you aren't repressing anything."

Selina scoffed. "What good would that do?" She finished her toast and gulped down coffee that scalded her mouth before rushing out to her car. "Have a productive day at work!" She called to Roxie.

"I will," Roxie called back.

When Selina arrived at Jake's apartment, it was Amelia who opened the door, frowning as she surveyed Selina in her messy ponytail and wrinkled sweats. "Selina, why did you leave the house like that? You could have cleaned yourself up a little. Made the teensiest effort to look presentable."

"Why?" Selina put her hands on her hips. "Because if I don't look 'presentable' no boys will marry me? Is that it, Mother? Well let me tell you something: none of the men that I've been with have really given a damn about what I looked like, so damn it, just back the hell off!" She shoved Amelia aside and went to plop heavily down on one of the living room sofas. Jake came in a few minutes later. "That was a pretty scene."

Selina sat up. "Why did you let her answer the door anyway? It's your apartment and she's a guest, so why didn't you answer the door?"

"Because," Jake said, "I wanted to see what I had to work with. Obviously I have my work cut out for me."

"If you saw the whole thing, then you saw that she started it, so whatever delusions are in your head about your precious little sister being the perfect one and all our problems being my fault, get them out of your head right now!"

Jake stepped back a little. "Wow," he said. "Let's all take a deep breath, relax, and try to have a civilized conversation, okay?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Okay, I guess." Amelia nodded but said nothing.

Jake looked at Selina first. "I feel like you've been holding a lot of stuff in over the years. Care to share with us?"

"Wait a minute," Amelia said. "How is it fair to let her go first? Whatever she complains about, I did it for her own good!"

Selina snorted. "Whatever! You did nothing for my own good, including hiding the werewolf thing, and who my dad was, and staying married to Robert Pierce even though he abused me and made you so miserable that you tried to kill yourself twice! What kind of a selfish woman abandons her child like that? You lied to me my whole life! You tried to mold me into your idea of the perfect woman even though it's not what I wanted. As a result, neither of us was happy. In fact, it was so unpleasant to be in a room with you, that's why I up and left and haven't called in almost forty years!"

Huffing angrily, she sat back down. The room lapsed into uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Jake looked back and forth between his sister and his niece who were glaring at one another and cleared his throat. "All right, Amelia. Now, what do you have to say? And Selina, no interrupting."

Selina, whose mouth had been open to say a stinging retort, shut it immediately.

Amelia nodded and spoke quietly. "I know I did a lot of things wrong. I witheld things from you and I let you grow up in an environment that wasn't healthy for you. But you have to understand that it wasn't easy being me. I know it might seem like that's a lie. I could have stayed single after your father died and kept the two of us living with Grandma and Grandpa, but I just couldn't do that. All they did was talk about your father. It made me sad. I had to get away from those memories, so when Robert Pierce proposed, even though part of me knew it was a bad idea, I said yes. And afterward, even though I saw what was happening to you, I felt powerless to stop it. I'm sorry it took me fourteen years to do anything."

"And...?" Selina finished.

"And what?" Amelia asked.

"When are you going to apologize for keeping the werewolf thing from me?" Selina asked.

Amelia shook her head. "I'm not going to apologize for that. And if you had any sense at all, you'd be thanking me on bended knee that I saved you from a life of horror by not telling you."

"Why didn't you just tell me after I almost killed the overseer? I could tell that Michael wanted to."

Amelia's eyes widened. "You were five years old! You wouldn't have understood anyway!"

"Weren't you five when you almost killed that girl and Granny and Granddaddy locked you up until they were sure the girl wasn't dead?"

Amelia looked at her in shock. "Selina, how do you know about that?"

"I told her," Jake said. "Because I knew you never would. Amelia, I understand your reasons for wanting to keep her in the dark when she was younger. They're admirable. But at the very least, you should have told her once she became a teenager. Lycanthropy is part of our family history whether you like it or not. There's no point trying to hide it."

"Oh," Amelia stood up and went right against her brother. "So you're saying that we should all accept our natures, kill people and then terrorize the countryside during the full moon. Is that what you're saying?"

Jake shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying. Acknowleding your heritage doesn't mean you have to do anything about it. I'm not telling you to go out and kill people. I'm just saying that it would have been best for everyone if you would have been open with Selina about the fact that we have the capability to become werewolves, and then given her the choice of what to do about it."

Amelia was nodding again, a fake smile plastered on her face. "So if she decided to become a werewolf, a lean, mean killing machine, I shouldn't object. I should just smile, wave goodbye and tell her 'have a nice life'?"

Jake nodded. "Because her life is her life. You can give her guidance, but in the end, she's going to have to make her own decisions. Do you understand that, Rosie?"

Amelia was silent for a moment, and then she finally nodded. "All right. I'll try harder to back off from now on. And to understand that accepting who we are doesn't automatically mean you have to start killing people."

"Of course not," Selina said. "It just seems that way since female werewolves are so rare. How about I take you somewhere special to celebrate this new revelation of yours?"

Amelia looked up. "And where would that be? Somewhere fun?"

Selina nodded. "I think it is." She looked at her uncle. "Do you think Mom is ready for Enid's?"

Jake nodded. "I don't think it would hurt. How about I meet the two of you there tonight?"

Amelia looked apprehensive. "What is Enid's?"

Selina leaned forward and patted her mother on the shoulder. "It's a hangout. And I promise not to drink too much. It'll be great."

Jake dismissed them after that and Selina went out to her car, but just as she was about to start it, her cell phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?"

"Selina, honey. How are you? I'm sorry your mother showed up and I couldn't be with her. You haven't killed each other, have you?"

"Daddy!" Selina said happily. "I'm so glad to hear from you! But Mom told me why you couldn't come. I'm sorry about Uncle Andrew."

"Don't worry about it," her father said warmly. "It's just a fact of life. Now, how are you and your mother getting on?"

Selina sighed. "We had a talk with Uncle Jake this morning, because he lives around here, and I think things have smoothed over for good. At least for awhile, anyway."

"That's good," Matthew Warren said. "Thank you for keeping your mother in one piece. Tell her I said hi, and I'll call again tomorrow."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Bye, Daddy." She hung up the phone and then drove back home.

Klaus found her in the kitchen doing dishes a little while later. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Can I do anything for you?"

She gave a pot a very hard scrub and shook her head. "There's nothing to fix, actually. Uncle Jake did a very good job. I think Mother and I have reached an understanding. A fragile one that will probably not count for anything in a month or two, but at least it's good for now." She paused. "What?"

He was grinning. "You know, there is a way I could make her understand permanently. It would be no trouble at all."

Selina sighed. "While a really bad part of me would relish Mama becoming a werewolf, I just don't think it's a good idea. She's spent so long being afraid that the actual reality would kill her. She doesn't have a strong enough constitution."

Klaus burst out laughing. "If she kept you terrified for years, she must have a superb constitution!"

Selina flushed. "I wasn't scared of her. I was just respecting my elders."

Klaus rolled his eyes and grinned. "So, what are you going to do tonight?" He put his arms around her. "Can I be part of your plans?"

Selina pulled away. "Sorry, honey, but Jake, Mama and I are going to Enid's to have drinks."

"Well can I come?" He asked. "Surely I can come?"

She nodded. "Whatever. It's a free country. Do whatever you want."

"That should be fun for Roxie," Klaus said. "She's working tonight."

When they arrived at Enid's, Amelia teetered just outside the door after Selina and Jake had gone in. "Are you coming, Mama?" Selina asked.

Amelia bit her lip and shook her head. "No...I think I'll go wait in the car." She made to turn away, but Jake took her gently by the shoulder. "Come on, Rosie. It's not even a full moon. It'll be okay."

Amelia looked doubtful but stepped over the threshold anyway. "All right," she whispered to Selina. "What do we do now?"

Selina shrugged. "Anything you want! You can dance, have a drink, shoot some pool..."

"It would probably be too much to ask for there to be a reading corner, wouldn't it?" Amelia asked.

Selina shook her head. "This is a club! Of course there's no reading corner." She looked over at the bar. "Look, Enid's tending bar tonight. I think you'll like her."

Selina took Amelia over to the bar. She ordered a white wine and the same for Amelia. "Is this your mother?" Enid asked with interest. "Jake talks so much about her, I just can't believe we've never met." She stuck out her hand and Amelia took it gingerly. "Nice to meet you."

"Enid's the one who created werewolves," Selina said. Amelia narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so this is your fault?"

Enid shook her head. "I suppose you could say that, but people adjust to their circumstances so it's not so bad for them."

Amelia continuted to glare.

"What's the matter with her?" Enid whispered to Jake.

"Other than myself, I come from a family of repressors," Jake explained. "After I was killed, Father fed Amelia and our brother Charlie the lie that being a werewolf was a bad thing and all we did was kill."

"Oh, but you don't have to," Enid said. "You can lock yourself away to make sure you don't hurt anyone. How were you turned? It was an accident I take it?"

Amelia sniffed disdainfully. "I haven't been turned at all, and I never intend to be."

"Wait," Enid said. "Let me get this straight: You haven't turned at all, yet you have all these really judgy opinons of us? Maybe you should go."

Amelia turned up her nose. "Maybe I will." She stormed out. The other werewolves shouted "good riddance" after her and threw their napkins and scraps in her direction. Once she was clear of the door, everyone lapsed into silence for a moment. Then, they heard a growl, followed by piercing shriek after piercing shriek.

Roxie picked up her tip and hurried over to her mother. "I think that's Grandma," she said. "I'll go and check."

"I'll come with you," Vince said. "I don't want you going out there alone."

Roxie scoffed. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I can handle myself, thank you."

Vince scoffed and let her go. "Fine, but if you get hurt, don't come crying to me."

"Well, I won't," Roxie shot back. "I'm not that stupid!"

"Oh, well that's debatable!" Vince called after her.

A few minutes later, Roxie came in and nodded slowly. "It's Grandma. And she's hurt. Really hurt. Mom, you and Uncle Jake might want to get out here."

Selina and Jake hurried out behind her and found Amelia's prostrate body in the alley beside the bar. She was covered with blood and her eyes were half open. She was moaning.

Selina got down on her knees. "Mama, can you hear me?"

Amelia just looked straight ahead and didn't say anything. Selina looked up at Jake. "Go bring the car around," she said. Then, help me get her in the back so we can take her home."

"Shouldn't we keep her here?" Roxie asked. "I mean, Enid knows pretty much everything about werewolf medicine."

Amelia groaned and Selina shook her head. "No, Mama doesn't trust Enid. It would be best to let her die at home, where she's among people who love her."

Jake nodded and Roxie patted Selina on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, Mom."

Selina nodded, handing Roxie her phone. "Call 457-478-2956. It's my father's number. Could you tell him what happened tonight, please?"

Roxie nodded. "Sure," she said mutely. She went inside and did as Selina asked, then snatched a beer from behind the counter and downed it.

"What's the matter with you?" Vince asked.

"My grandmother is dying," she said. "And I have to deal with it somehow."

Selina sat alone in the alley, cradling her mother's body. "It's going to be okay, Mama," she whispered. A moment later, she saw a shadow and looked up, a scream catching in her throat. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Did it work?" The shadow whispered back. "Did I get her?"

Selina gasped. "Klaus? You did this? How could you do this?"

He got down on his knees beside her and stroked Amelia's hair. "Easily," he said. "Aren't you proud of me? Now, all I have to do is get her to kill someone and she'll be just like us."

"How can she kill anyone if she's dying herself?"

"Ah," Klaus said, "But she won't stay dead forever. Or have you forgotten?"

Selina just narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "I remember. But we still have to bury her. And dig her up again."

Amelia moaned again. Then, blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth. Her body gave a horrible shudder. Then, she was still."

Klaus grinned. "Well, step one is complete. See you at home, love." He grinned at Selina again, gave her a quick kiss, and then melted into the darkness, just as Roxie came running out of the bar again with Vince following her. "I called Grandpa like you said," she panted. "And I called Adrian to drive you home in case you didn't feel like being in the car with Grandma's body."

Selina nodded. "Thank you."

Vince took Roxie's hand and led her back inside, and when Jake came back with the car, she surrendered her mother's body and sat on the curb in front of the bar, sobbing until Adrian and Helene came to pick her up. Adrian led his mother to the car and helped her into the backseat. "I don't understand," Adrian said. "It's not even a full moon. How could Grandma have been killed by a werewolf?"

"It was your father," Selina said. "He's under the impression that making your grandmother into a werewolf will make things easier for me, but he's wrong and now I have to deal with the consequences of his stupidity."

"Stay at the house with us tonight," Helene said. "I think it might be easier for you."

Selina nodded. "Thank you. I think I will."

They took Selina into the house and Helene went back to get her pajamas and toothbrush. Then, she sat next to Selina, who was huddled on the living room sofa. "Do you want to watch television, or just go to bed?" She asked.

Selina was shaking. "I think I'll just go to bed."

"I could send Rusty in with you," Adrian offered. "If you don't want to be alone."

Selina didn't even have to respond before Rusty trotted after her and dutifully lay down in front of the bed. Adrian tucked Selina in and shut off the lights. "Uncle Jake and I will take care of Grandma tomorrow, Mom," he assured her. "You won't have to do a thing."

When it was time to close up, Vince found Roxie surrounded by beer bottles, her eyes red, her skin pale. "Are you all right?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Hold me," she said.

"Okay," gingerly, he put his arms around her. She cuddled up against him, looked up, and kissed him hard. Then, she reached up under his shirt. He shook his head and pulled her hand out. "No, no you're drunk. I don't want to do it this way."

Roxie frowned and stood up, kicking him. "So you're just going to let me be miserable?"

Vince nodded. "There are other ways to deal with your problems."

Roxie grabbed her coat. But they take too long." She put her coat on and left the bar. He heard her bike roar to life and she drove off. He didn't try to follow her. There was no point.

Roxie was driving along when she got too close to an oncoming car. The crash was instantaneous. When paramedics arrived, they loaded her on a stretcher, prepared to annouce her DOA once she reached the hospital, but strangely enough, she opened her eyes when they were very nearly there. Roxie looked into the eyes of the handsome, blonde, green-eyed paramedic, stripped off her clothes, and jumped him. By the time they reached the hospital, she was done. She put on her clothes, and left out the back of the ambulance, leaving the stunned paramedic and the bled out bodies of his friends in her wake.