Sean heard a knock on the door and went to answer it, seeing a girl of about twelve who had long brown hair and dark brown eyes staring back at him. "Hello," she said after a few seconds. "My dad said that Eva is staying here and she's supposed to watch me."
"Yeah, Eva's here," Sean nodded. "Who are you?"
"I'm Victoria," the girl replied. "Do I get to come in, or what?"
"You didn't come here by yourself, did you? Where are your parents?" Sean wanted to know.
"My dad should be here in a minute," Victoria replied. "He's getting my stuff out of the car."
A few minutes later, Declan came to stand behind her, a bag of stuff slung over his shoulder. "Why haven't you gone in the house yet?" He asked.
"I must not know the password," Victoria told her father dryly. Then Eva finally appeared, a tiara perched on her head.
"Sorry about the wait, Victoria, Declan," she said with a smile. "How about you come in?"
"Thank you," Declan replied and let his daughter precede him into the house. When they were seated in the living room, Sean took Eva into the kitchen and said in a low voice, "Who is that girl? Why is she here?"
"She's my cousin," Eva replied. "I'm watching her. Sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't think you would mind."
"Is she…dangerous?" Sean wanted to know. "Will the house still be standing after she leaves?"
"Of course it will!" Eva replied. "She's magical just like us! She's not some sort of monster!"
"Well, all right," Sean nodded. "I don't know her, so you can't blame me for wondering."
"I need to introduce you to more of my family now that we're a couple," Eva said. "That might help put you more at ease."
"I'm not so sure it will," Sean replied. "But I guess we'll see. And why are you always wearing that ridiculous tiara?"
"I like it, okay?" Eva snapped. "It makes me feel pretty. Don't you judge me! I'm just trying to live up to the nickname you gave me."
They then went back to the living room and Declan rose gracefully to his feet to go meet Eva. "Thank you so much for watching her," he said and kissed Eva's hand. "It's nice to know that when Regina and I need time to ourselves, there's someone to watch our daughter."
"Dad, come on. I think we all know why you want me out of the way when you and Mom have time alone," Victoria said. "I've heard it at night. You've leveled with me in the morning. Mom says it's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Even so," Declan replied, "It's something your mother and I like to keep to ourselves if we can help it. Now, you behave yourself for Eva and her friend, all right?"
"This is Sean, Declan," Eva replied. "I'm staying with him while Mom and Dad work stuff out."
Declan looked at Sean and smirked before turning back to Eva. "So you finally wore him down, did you?"
"Why does everyone talk about it like that?" Sean wanted to know.
"Good luck," Declan replied and clapped Sean on the shoulder before heading out.
Once he was gone, Victoria said, "So, what are we gonna do now?"
It was then that Sean snatched the tiara off Eva's head and ran around with it while Eva chased him, curses flying from her lips until Sean finally said to Victoria, "You wanna wear Eva's tiara?"
"Wow, really?" Victoria shouted and ran to him. "Sure!"
"You never told me how you happened to get that," Sean told Eva, who glared at him sourly while Victoria admired herself in the mirror "You didn't steal it, did you?"
"No, it's a fake one I got from the toy store," Eva told him. "You're always calling me 'Princess' and I figure it was about time I owned the persona."
Sean smiled. "Well, your father is named King. Someone was gonna give you the nickname sometime."
"Oh, I know it," Eva replied and smiled. "And I suppose I'm glad it was you rather than someone else."
"I don't think you really mean that," Sean told her. "I think you'd hate the nickname no matter who gave it to you."
"Not if they didn't do it in a mocking tone," Eva replied. "You always do and that's why I say something."
"So if I said it in a more flattering and reverent tone, you wouldn't mind so much?" Sean wanted to know.
"Well, yeah," Eva nodded. "It's a very important distinction."
"Hey, can you dance?" Victoria asked Sean.
"Don't bother asking," Eva told her. "I've tried and he always says it embarrasses him. I don't think he can."
"I'm a very good dancer, thank you very much," Sean told her and put Victoria in hold. "Now you go turn on some music, Eva."
"What's the magic word?" Eva replied.
Sean sighed and rolled his eyes. "Would you go turn on some music please, Eva?"
"Of course I will," Eva replied and put the radio on. "Since you asked so nicely." She sat back and watched Sean waltz around with Victoria, and then when the song ended, she approached him and said, "You know now that you've done this with her, I'm gonna want you to do it with me too. No more pretending you can't."
"Well, I refused for your sake," Sean replied with a smile. "Can you dance?"
Eva scoffed. "Of course I can dance!" She replied. "And even if I couldn't, I'd be more than happy to let you teach me." She then got up right next to his ear, her lips against his earlobe. "Like you've taught me so many other things."
"What are you whispering about?" Victoria wanted to know. She looked unimaginably young with the tiara perched crookedly atop her long dark hair. "Are you talking about sexy stuff? Cause I know about that. Mom and Dad told me."
"Of course you know," Sean replied. "I don't know why I'm surprised about anything anymore with this family."
"Yeah, you know, I don't know why you are either," Eva replied.
A few minutes later, Victoria gave the tiara back to Eva and then, while Sean was watching, she defiantly put it back on again and stuck out her tongue at her frowning lover as Victoria watched both of them intently.
After a day of watching Victoria with Eva, once the girl was gone, Sean decided he needed to go out. He told Eva that he was leaving and then headed to a nearby bar. Because he didn't feel like drinking and had just come to be by himself, he ordered a soda and, while drinking it, wondered what he'd gotten into with Eva. He didn't notice the tables filling up around him until he heard a voice, which snapped him out of his thoughts. "Excuse me," it said. "Would you mind if I took a seat at your table? Everywhere else is full."
Sean then turned and saw Viktor standing next to the empty chair across from him. He looked around, saw there was no place else for Viktor to sit and let the man take the chair.
"Thanks," Viktor said gratefully.
"You're welcome," Sean replied. "I'm Sean. I came here because of a woman. What's your story?"
"Me too," Viktor nodded. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you. My name's Viktor, by the way."
"Yeah? You're story's really as bad as all that?" Sean nodded. "Try me. I'll see if I believe you. I'm Sean."
"I'm a teacher," Viktor got out. "The girl is one of my students, Amanda Mikaelson. She's not yet eighteen and I'm still married."
"Is she an overwhelming personality like my girl is?" Sean wanted to know. "You couldn't avoid Eva if you tried. She's like a blonde bloodhound, that girl."
"Eva?" Viktor asked. "Blonde Eva? I know her. She's one of my students too! You poor man!"
"Oh, it's nothing," Sean replied, waving away his pity. "When she's been latched on to you since she was a toddler, it gives you time to get used to it. And once you get to know her, she's really a very sweet girl in her own way."
"But she makes Amanda seem positively lady-like!" Viktor replied. "And that's something I honestly never thought I'd say about her. Can I get you a drink? It seems like you could use one."
"Oh, no thanks," Sean assured him. "I just came to have some time for myself. I don't need any drinks to come with that. Anything I can do for you?"
"I wish," Viktor replied. "But I think I'm really past being able to be helped."
"I bet it's not that bad," Sean replied.
"Now that my wife most likely suspects something between Amanda and me, you can better believe it is," Viktor confessed, running his fingers through his hair, his cheeks turning a vague shade of pink.
Sean put a hand on his back and then called for the waiter to bring him another drink. If anyone could use drinks, it was this man.