"Do you think that since you screwed up and left, we have to start doing the five hundred times all over again?" Mary asked.

"Maybe," Liam replied and climbed in bed next to her, even though sundown was still several hours away. "And since it's my fault, that's a price I'm willing to pay."

"Well, good," Mary smiled and looked around Liam's bedroom. "You know, your place is pretty nice."

"Thanks," Liam replied. "I know it's really small, but it's good enough."

"No, I love it!" Mary replied. "But it just needs one more thing." She zapped a vase and sunflower on his dresser and then let out a relieved breath. "I'm so happy that worked!"

Liam kissed Mary's neck. "You know, you're getting good at that."

"Thank you," she replied. They then began kissing and undressing each other, and they were so into it that it was awhile before they broke apart and Mary noticed they were hovering over the bed. "Did you know that would happen?" She asked Liam.

"No," Liam shook his head. "You think you could get yourself back down again?"

"I don't know," Mary replied. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"Well, I never thought about it before, but it could be," Liam told her. He then shut his eyes and muttered a spell or two, and then thankfully they began to lower slowly back onto the mattress. When they were safely back on firm mattress, Liam paused for a moment and Mary was afraid he was done for the night.

"That didn't kill the mood, did it?" She asked worriedly. "Once I figure out why that happened, I'll be sure that it doesn't happen again."

"Oh, don't worry, you're fine," Liam assured her. "I just need to catch my breath. And we have hours before sundown anyway."

"That's true," Mary replied. "I should give you time to rest up before the big push tonight. You're not a machine. You're just a man who happens to be a warlock-vampire hybrid."

"Exactly," Liam nodded. "I wish I could go on for hours, but I can't." He paused. "Although, I've heard of some spells from the guys at work that could help with that."

"Are you seriously wanting to try them?" Mary asked, her eyes wide. "I know we both want my curse to disappear, but I don't want you to do anything dangerous."

"That is so sweet," Liam told her. "Don't worry. I'll leave all the experimental stuff for after this whole mess is taken care of."

"That's a good decision," Mary nodded with approval. "I think I want to eat something now. Do you?"

"Well, I haven't had my blood today," Liam admitted.

"If it would be easier for you, you can take it from me," Mary volunteered.

"I can't, but thanks," Liam told her. "You're not just some source of blood for me. You're someone I love."

"My parents take blood from each other," Mary pointed out. "And I'm sure your parents did too. It wouldn't make me feel used or unloved or anything like that."

"I still can't do it," Liam replied. "Not yet. Plus, since you're a witch only, if I took blood from you, you would need time to heal. You wouldn't just do it immediately like I would. And then we'd have to hold off sex cause you're injured and then you'd turn into a monster again, and that's not what we want." He leaned down and gave her a long kiss and then stroked her wrist in a circular motion with his thumb. "I know I have to turn you down now, but I promise that I'll take your blood one day. It's a very sweet offer."

"I wouldn't rush," Mary replied. "I lick it off my finger when I get a paper cut and it tastes absolutely disgusting. Like what a copper penny smells like." She made a face and shuddered, her curly red hair shaking like the rest of her. "I don't know how you can ingest even a little bit of that."

"Well, when you're a vampire, blood tastes different," Liam smiled. "It has to, since it's what we need to survive."

"All right," Mary sighed skeptically. "If you say so."

They got out of bed, put on bathrobes, ate, watched some TV, and then headed back to bed as the sun went down, holding each other closely as Liam buried himself inside her, their lips meeting again and again, some kisses soft and gently, some hard and wild. By the time the sun was up, they were both sweaty, tired, and (even though they still loved each other), eager to pull apart and claim their own spot on the bed some they could get a little bit of sleep.

"Is it normal for magic to just burst out of you when you least expect it?" Mary asked her mother.

"Did you and Liam run into trouble last night?" Savannah asked without looking up.

"I hovered," Mary replied. "Liam and I were together and then all of a sudden, I realized that we were hovering above the bed!"

"Well, you're a special case cause of your curse and the fact that your powers are new to you," Savannah told her. "But yeah, emotionally charged times such as when you're having sex are when your powers are most likely to show up without warning. Doesn't always happen, but it's very possible. One time, my aunt Margot blew the roof off of her and Uncle Kol's house."

"She did?" Mary asked, looking startled. "I'm not gonna blow up Liam's house, am I? I don't want to give him another reason to hate me."

"I think you'll be fine," Savannah replied, giving her a hug. "And Victoria is joining you for extra magic lessons this week, so they'll be here in an hour. Your father told Regina it would be okay. Although I think he only said it to be polite cause Victoria kind of drives him crazy."

"That's fine," Mary assured her. She liked her bold and intelligent cousin and it was fun watching her learn, especially when Victoria would go her own way instead of adhering to what she was being taught. "It doesn't bother me at all."

An hour later, Regina arrived with Victoria. Jonathan finally emerged from the teaching room where he'd been hiding all day (presumably to gather strength for Victoria's visit), and greeted Victoria and her mother. "Thank you so much for agreeing to teach Victoria today," Regina said. "I know she causes trouble for you sometimes."

"Oh, it's…it's no trouble at all," Jonathan managed to lie through his teeth.

Regina chuckled. "I know you're lying, but it's sweet of you to say anyway. I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick her up, but if you want her gone before that, just give me a call."

"Hey!" Victoria huffed and raised her mother into the air. "Whose side are you on, anyway, Mom?"

"Because of behavior like this from you, Jonathan's," Regina replied. "Victoria Juliet, you put me down this minute!"

"What if I don't?" Victoria asked. "Are you gonna whip me like you do with Daddy when the two of you think I'm not looking?"

"No, but a spanking's not too far away," Regina replied firmly. "I don't care if you're twelve."

"You wouldn't!" Victoria challenged.

"Oh, yes I would!" Regina countered. When Victoria finally let her down, she did give her three hits on the bottom and a stern warning that if Jonathan told her she'd misbehaved, it would be Declan who would be dealing with her that night.

When Regina was gone and Jonathan had gone to get lesson materials, Mary asked Victoria, "Will your Dad really hit you if he finds out you misbehaved?"

Victoria shrugged. "He lets Mom think he does, you know, for discipline purposes, but all he does is talk to me in a very firm voice. I like being with Dad better than Mom cause he's nicer to me. But don't worry. I can handle myself."

"Okay," Mary replied. "Good."

Despite Victoria's bravado, she behaved very well for Jonathan and did everything he asked in their lessons. She was even more successful than Mary at making things levitate, which was no surprise, given what she'd already done to her mother.

When Regina finally came to pick Victoria up, a relieved Jonathan let her go with nothing but compliments about her progress, and then when she was gone, Mary asked, "You need a drink?"

"A little something wouldn't hurt," Jonathan agreed. "And may I say that you did awfully well today, considering how difficult your curse makes it for you to do magic?"

"Thanks for noticing," Mary said with a blush. "I've been working on it."

"I could tell," Jonathan replied and gave her a hug. "Good for you."

"I'll get you your drink," Mary told him. "And maybe a little something for myself too."

"Just nothing that has alcohol in it," Jonathan told her firmly. "I know you're a teenager now and everything, but I'd prefer it if you waited a few years."

"All right," Mary promised as she brought him a glass of wine. "I'll get myself a soda, I promise."