Spencer Reid and the Vampire Coven 2 The Meeting of an Old Enemy

"So how does it feel to be back in Las Vegas?" Celeste asked Spencer.

"I'm not really sure yet," Spencer admitted looking around. "It's been over 60 years and yet..."

"I understand," Celeste said. "It's hard to be back in the same city you were born, where you were basically tortured."

"At the end yeah, but I was mostly just neglected," Spencer said mildly.

"That's just a different kind of torture," Celeste told him seriously with passion in her voice. "What those bullies did do you just finished the job of getting rid of whatever innocence you had left."

Spencer was nodding at this because it was very true.

"Let's not talk about it. I never would've agreed to come if my birth father wasn't dead."

William Reid had died more than 30 years ago and Spencer had quietly celebrated when it had happened. As far as he was concerned David Rossi was his real father, while William Reid had only donated his DNA. Sure, he and his Uncle Dave didn't share DNA but that didn't matter to him. He felt more kinship with a family of vampires, then he ever had with any humans, besides his mother. Perhaps, that would have changed if he had remained human, but Spencer somehow doubted it. His new family appreciated his intelligence, since they were all very intelligent themselves. They might not be as studious as he was, but then, a lot of people weren't. They had taught him many things without prejudice. They had never disparaged him, though they had forced him to join clubs and to socialize.

He had come to realize that it was the right thing for them to do. He had better social skills, because of them forcing him to meet people his own age, ones that were just as intelligent in different ways. He was certainly more socially apt then he imagined he would've been if he had remained with his mother until he went to college. The children of his high school hadn't been interested in getting to know him, no they had been interested in torturing him as much as possible. He was only lucky he had never gotten any broken bones or ended up in the hospital, because his mother was hardly capable of taking him to the emergency room and even if she had been able to other adults would've discovered his mother's schizophrenia, which meant he would've been removed from her while his mother was institutionalized. He would've ended up in a foster home and he had no doubt his intelligence never would've been realized if he had. He was lucky that JJ had happened be be passing by close enough to hear him yelling for help.

"He's been dead for over three decades so let's just forget about him. You're Spencer Rossi now and you look so different from who you were when you were human that nobody is likely to recognize you."

"It's just as well really," Spencer said. "I hardly had any friends when I left so long ago. I suppose I was so intelligent and socially awkward that I was picked on more because of it."

"It's also because you didn't have a functioning parent," Celeste said as she kissed Spencer's cheek. "There was no one to defend you to come to the school. Your mother was ill and your father was a useless ponce."

The two of them had been together ever since Spencer was 18 and she was only four technically, though she looked the same age.

"Yes, he was," Spencer said his lips twitching in amusement. "Let's not worry about it and just enjoy our first vacation away from the rest of the family."

"We could've taken one before now you know," Celeste said. "You've had good control of your bloodlust from the beginning."

"I know we could have, but I so enjoyed being around people who actually genuinely care about me," Spencer admitted. "I suppose we could've taken it a few short vacations for a week or so. It's not like I've been stuck in the house as we've explored whatever city we were in. Besides, I wasn't changed until I was 40 if you remember, even if I know I don't look it."

"There was a reason for that though," Celeste said.

"So we could have as many children as possible," Spencer repeated what his family had requested, since Celeste had seemed to get pregnant so much easier when he had been human. Spencer suspected that would be true for any vampire that had sex with a mortal, preferably a human man with a vampire female, so that the human female didn't have to worry about a half vampire child kicking their bladders or their lungs. A vampires pregnancy was only two months from start to finish, so that meant even half vampire fetuses grew at an incredible rate.

"Yeah, we had quite a few," Celeste smiled.

"I would say so," Spencer said. "I would say three dozen in close to 20 years is pretty good."

"For a vampire that is more than pretty good, since our fertility isn't half as good as most humans." Celeste said. "I didn't exactly enjoy being constantly pregnant, but I did understand why my parents and your guardians wanted me to be.

"I know," Spencer said simply. "It's unlikely that both our families will ever again have the opportunity to have so many children at once, so I can't blame them for wanting us to make the most of it. We didn't have to accommodate them, but we both understood why that wanted to take the opportunity for us to have as many children as possible, before I was turned into a vampire."

They'd had several children since Spencer had been changed more than 30 years ago, but certainly not as many as they'd had while Spencer had still been human.

"Let's just enjoy ourselves," Spencer suggested calmly. "We came here for a Dr. Who convention, because I still love the show. I suppose I always will."

"I like it too, thanks mostly to you," Celeste said. "It was certainly very well done for its time."

"Yeah, it was, because back then, technology was so much more primitive. It was first created in the early 1960s and it was running for more than 100 years," Spencer said. "There were several incarnations of the show."

"And numerous TV movies," Celeste added.

"Well, since the convention doesn't start for a couple of days why don't we go explore some of the city and see how it has changed since I left when I was 12."

"Sounds good to me," Celeste said. "You can show me where you grew up if it still exists."

Spencer nodded and the two of them left the hotel room, the hotel employees would unpack their things while they were gone. Both Spencer and Celeste had plenty of money, Celeste thanks to her parents and Spencer thanks to the vampires that had taken him in, so there was no way they were going to stay in some fleabag motel. This was their first trip away from then coven and they were going to enjoy themselves to the hilt. Both Spencer and Celeste had invested well and taken the advice from people they trusted, namely the coven and Celeste parents. Because of it they were not going to have to worry about money for a long time.

~~~Spencer and Celeste~~~

Three days later

"This is really something else," Celeste said, as she and Spencer explored the Dr. Who convention. There were people walking around in costumes of the doctor's various incarnations and also ones dressed as his various companions, for each of his regenerations all the way up to the 13th Doctor, there were aliens and other characters who also wandered around.

"Yeah, this is the first time I've had a chance to go to one, since JJ and Aaron took me to one before I went to college. I was 14 and it happened around my birthday. It was a birthday present. They paid all the fees required, we stayed in the finest hotel and they let me buy anything I wanted. There was also a plane flight involved as it didn't take place where we were living. We flew in the coven's private plane of course. All in all, it was a very expensive, but definitely appreciated, birthday present. I came away with over $1000 worth of presents and I felt incredibly guilty for spending that much. Still, that wasn't so much really when it was a present from all four of them."

"I can tell you right now, that they didn't mind the expense. They love you," Celeste told Spencer gently kissing his cheek.

"I know," Spencer said. "Call it early childhood training. My father was always grumbling about paying bills, even though he made a boatload of money. He complained about how expensive children were to raise, even though really, he didn't even remember to feed me, after mom got so ill. He'd go out to eat and forget all about me so how could he complain about how expensive I was? I suppose he did leave me money to buy groceries, but how I did that among everything else is beyond me now. I don't think he realized that children outgrow their clothes on a regular basis and I had hardly reached my full height at 10."

"I don't know how you managed to survive," Celeste said shaking her head. "It's a good thing William Reid is dead or I'd kill him."

"I managed to survive," Spencer told Celeste gently.

"That's not the point and you know it Spence," Celeste told her mate indigently. "It is the parents job to care for their child without quibbling about how expensive they are. I mean he made a lot of money and only had one son. I mean, it's not like he had 10 children. Even if he had a mistress and had another child with her he had the money to support both of them. It's not like he was poor, that's what gets me so upset. A parent is supposed to go out of there way for their child, to help them succeed in life, but so many fail to do that. They are supposed to help them with the start of their career, perhaps help them start a business unless they can't afford to do so. They are supposed to love them and help them when they're having trouble whether that's with bullying or in some other way. They're supposed to help make sure that they don't fall in with the wrong crowd, as a lot of children are suspectable to bad influences. Your father failed to do any of these things."

"I know, believe me, I know what a failure my father was as a parent or as a human being in general, but there's nothing we can do as he's been dead for over three decades now, so why bother to discuss it, since it upsets both of us? As you know, as far as I'm concerned, David Rossi is my father."

"Alright, you're correct," Celeste said calming down. There was no point of getting upset over something she couldn't change.

"Let's just enjoy ourselves on our first vacation, though I'm sure we'll have many more in the future."

"Yes, we will," Celeste promised. "I understood you wanted to stay close to people who actually loved you. Still, they are not going to grow old or die, so we can take vacation sometimes."

"We will," Spencer said. "You know it's too bad dad never knew I was alive, but especially that I was turned into a vampire. He would've been pissed if he had known. It might even have caused him to have a heart attack. While normally I don't like to think such miserable thoughts, if anybody deserves such a fate as having a heart attack so severe, that he dies I would say it's William Reid. It's too bad that didn't happen though."

"Now that's a thought I definitely approve of," Celeste said smiling. "That's the vampire in you coming out. Having such thoughts about people that you absolutely detest is quite common among our kind, even if they never act on it."

"Humans to, no matter how much they deny it," Spencer agreed. "Most humans will never act on such thoughts, though there's some that do depending on the personality and multiple other factors."

"Like if they have something seriously wrong with them," Celeste suggested with a smile.

"Or if they've been picked on and bullied until they just react without thinking," Spencer added. "Someone who has basically been prosecuted for months or years can finally snap when they've had enough. Some people just don't know when to quit and leave somebody alone. Even someone like me can finally snap, so it was just as well that I got out of that situation, as who knows what my limit was when it came to the excessive bullying I endured. I can see such a situation going at least two ways. One that person snaps and puts the bully in the hospital. They are then brought up on charges, and sent to juvenile detention if they are only 14 or 15 or two the police find out the real situation and the bullies get in serious trouble. If it was me, I would have no trouble telling the police about the excessive bullying. I probably knew the laws better than they do, even back then. It's not like I can forget any of them once learned."

"What do you think would've happened?" Celeste asked.

"Well, if I had actually been arrested and the police hadn't bothered to find out the real reason, and not just considered me a troublemaker, even though I have no history of being one and thrown the book at me, then I can't see William Reid bothering to defend his son, even though it would make him look bad for not doing so. He would never believe that I wasn't actually guilty of the crime I was accused of. Innocent people are thrown in prison all the time, because the cops don't bother to get to the bottom of the matter or because the evidence is so overwhelming, even if it's all circumstantial. More likely whatever detective was on the case would listen to my story and investigate. No cop worth their salt is just going to assume the victim is guilty, even if you know they are, especially not a teenager who has never caused any trouble. Cops just don't make detective without fine tuned skills in solving crimes. They have to pass a very comprehensive and difficult test, just to make third grade and another to make second grade. Now if it was a regular beat cop it's quite possible that they would just throw the book at me, especially if they're a rookie, or someone who doesn't care if an innocent man or teenager is thrown into prison or juvie hall."

"You're not usually to the kind to beat someone up, but I know that someone can also only take so much," Celeste said and Spencer nodded.

"Let's just forget it, since it never happened. Now there's no way some cop can throw me in prison, as I'm much stronger, faster and invulnerable to bullets now," Spencer said

Celeste dropped the subject and the two of them continue exploring the convention, stopping at each stand to look at all the Dr. Who memorabilia. They each bought several things not caring about cost. Spencer was quite pleased to get a Dr. Who watch and also a T-shirt. He also bought a Tardis keychain and several other things.

"Ready to head out or do you want to stay?" Spencer asked Celeste.

"We can always come back tomorrow," Celeste said. "We have tickets for the whole week."

"Alright," Spencer agreed without arguing, since it had been his idea in the first place.

The two of them headed towards the entrance of the convention center, having to weave through the very thick crowd. Most people never realized that they were being accidentally bumped by two vampires and that was just fine, as they didn't want to cause a mass panic.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance and headed out into the fresh air.

"I'm actually kind of glad to be out of there," Spencer admitted. "Being surrounded by all that humanity is still hard for me. I know I'm still young by vampires standards."

"You did very well," Celeste told him sincerely. "I'm only a little older but I have more experience as a vampire, mostly because you weren't changed until you were 40. If you had been close to losing your control I know you would've told me, so we could've gotten out of there."

"Of course, I would have," Spencer promised. "I wasn't that bad off really, but still, it is a relief, to not be surrounded by so many people."

"That's true for all vampires, even those that a very old like your Uncle Dave," Celeste said and Spencer nodded in total agreement. "Ones like your uncle might have excellent control, but it's always something of a relief, when we are not surrounded by hundreds of people. Most vampires can only stand crowds for short period of time, especially young ones like me and you."

"I know," Spencer said. "We make sure we hunted right before we went for that reason. It was a wise precaution."

"So do you really want to go back to the hotel or do something else for the rest of the day?" Celeste said.

"It doesn't really matter to me," Spencer said. "I just wanted to get out of there. As you said, we can always go back tomorrow. We could go somewhere to eat, or we could explore some of the sites. Ones that even I haven't seen since I grew up here. I've learned that people who grow up in the city don't usually go to see its attractions. It's like they never think about it because it's their home territory."

"Well, it's still relatively early, so we have time," Celeste considered. "We are adults, so it's not like we have a curfew."

"And there is plenty of nightlife in Las Vegas," Spencer said. "Some places stay open all night or at least until two or three in the morning. Most of he casinos never really close for instance."

"Of course not, they'd lose money if they did," Celeste snorted cynically. "It's not as if they don't make billions yearly."

"I would prefer to stay away from the strip, because it's not like either one of us needs the money and I don't see the point of gambling just for the fun of it. I know that Dave, Aaron and Emily enjoy it in particular while JJ just goes along, as she's not as much of a gambler like the other three."

"I think the others probably do it not just the win money, but for something to do. I won't say they don't win a bundle, just that it's a break in routine," Celeste said.

"Yeah, I can see that," Spencer said after pause. "I suppose when your life is basically endless you have to do something to stop from being too bored. Some humans cause nothing but trouble when they're bored and I'm sure vampires are the same in that regard."

"Yes, they are," Celeste agreed. "You were actually really lucky to end up in the hands of ones who were basically upstanding citizens, if there is such a thing for vampires. They're not likely to cause trouble for instance unless it's a unusual situation."

"I could see the only way that they would cause trouble, especially JJ, was that if someone tried to kidnap one of the females, which has happened a few times before. I know that some females are helpless, even ones who have vampires themselves. It hasn't happened while I've been with the coven, but I've been told of a couple of incidents several decades before I joined. Since the Rossi Coven is made up mainly of females it's a tempting target for any male vampire."

"And there're some that wouldn't be able to resist trying," Celeste added darkly.

"Luckily, such vampires are rare," Spencer said.

~~~Spencer and Celeste~~~

They finally got to their car and Spencer beeped to open the locks. Both of them climbed in and Spencer started the engine.

"They really need another male to balance out, all the females," Celeste said. "I do understand however, that they have to fit in with the dynamics of the others."

"They also have to not cause trouble, like trying to take over the coven, or trying to force themselves on any of the women, as Dave or Aaron for that matter would never stand for it," Spencer said. "Neither would I, if I happened to be there at the time, but I'm sure most vampire males would see me as no challenge."

"And they would regret making such an assumption," Celeste said knowing her mate could be quite fierce when required. So could JJ for that matter, though she preferred not to be just you Spencer did.

"Yeah, they would," Spencer laughed.

Celeste changed the subject and the two of them chatted and laughed as they drove, with no definite destination in mind.

~~~Spencer and Celeste~~~

Los Angeles, California.

The Rossi Coven

Alex Blake who had joined the coven several decades ago, before Spencer had been changed into a vampire actually, finally came to a decision. She desperately wanted another child. The fact that she knew that no vampire child could come down with any sort of disease helped in that decision. She had been thinking about it for awhile, as she been part of this coven for several decades. She was as close to Dave now than she ever had been to James. Unfortunately, thanks to the death of Ethan, she and James had gone their separate ways, even though technically, they had still been married, they hadn't been as close as they once were. Now, that Spencer and his lady were off on their first vacation away from the coven she felt it was time to began.

"Dave," Alex said quietly, as the two of them paused before getting in the car, as they were going hunting together. It wasn't unusual for any coven to go hunting at the same time, even if they usually separated to look for their targets once they got to where they were going.

"Yes Alex," Dave inquired looking at one of the newest members of his coven. It was true that Alex had been a member since before Spencer had been turned into a vampire 30 years ago, but still she was relatively new to the vampire life.

"I'm finally ready for you to try to get me pregnant. Well, you or Aaron. I've been wanting a child for several years, not to replace Ethan of course... but since I know no vampire child is going to come down with even a cold much less anything more serious, I think this is the perfect time for one of the man to try to get me pregnant. I'm simply giving you the first opportunity, since we are so close."

"Well, I'm really happy to hear that," Dave grinned, racing around the car to swing Alex around happily.

Alex just laughed happily before Dave finally put her down.

"I knew you would be all for the idea," Alex said.
"Of course, I want to have a child with you, several children if possible," Dave said and Alex nodded as she understood that desire very well indeed. "But as you know I would never force you to have sex with me if it wasn't what you wanted."

"I know I've been part of the coven since before Spencer was turned into a vampire, but it takes awhile to really be part of any group, to learn to trust enough. While I trusted Penny's recommendation still..."

"Believe me I understand," Dave told Alex quietly. "It's hard enough to trust people much less a group of vampires. You and Kate needed time I know that. You could've left the coven at any time and none of us would have resented you for it, though you of course, would have been welcome to return."

"Well, let's go hunting and then come back and start on trying to get me pregnant," Alex grinned. "I know the others will love to have a child running around and it might encourage the other females to try to have some of their own."

That was entirely possible Dave knew, so he nodded.

"It won't be easy," Dave warned her, just in case Alex was expecting to get pregnant right away. "A vampire's fertility is not all that it should be."

"I know," Alex answered simply. "I'm not expecting miracles. I know it will take awhile. I'll certainly enjoy the experience, just like I always do when we make love."

"Alright then," Dave agreed, as he walked back to his side of the car. "I'm now looking forward to returning home."

"So am I," Alex agreed sincerely smiling, as she got into the passenger seat. "This is a good opportunity to get started while Spencer and Celeste are taking their first vacation away from the coven.

"Yeah it is," Dave agreed grinning, as he backed the car out of the garage.

~~~Spencer and Celeste~~~

Las Vegas

4 days later

"This has been really fun," Celeste said. She'd been enjoying herself immensely with Spencer for the last five days. "I've never been to a convention before, for anything."

"At 4 or 5 you probably wouldn't have been able to handle the crowds," Spencer said. "I know you would've looked like an adult, but you still would've been young for a vampire. If you had been human you would've been more than a child really and while vampires mature much faster, physically at least..."

"There is still their bloodlust to consider," Celeste finished. "Most vampires that age don't have good control, especially in large crowds like at a convention. We can handle college but then, classrooms aren't packed so closely together and we always make sure that we get a dorm room by ourselves or an apartment whichever one, just as a precaution."

"Exactly," Spencer agreed. "My family made sure they told me all about their species before I headed it off to college. I learned so very much from them, about geography, literature, algebra and advanced math. Really, I learned a lot more then that. I was much better prepared for college by the time I actually went as they crammed everything they could into my skull, during the nearly 4 years I was there. I sat my A.C.T. test and passed with a perfect score. Not more than one student in four thousand does that."
"They did everything they could to prepare you," Celeste said and Spencer nodded laying on the comfortable bed in the hotel suite.

"Yes, they did," Spencer said with a fond smile his eyes distant. "I finally knew what having a real family was like. They might be vampires, but they are certainly more of a family then my father at least ever was."

"I'm glad you were taken in by them," Celeste said quietly. "You'll always remain close to them no matter how much we travel we will always return."

"Yeah, we will," Spencer said. "I know we'll create many happy memories with JJ and the others."

Celeste knew that it was always JJ that was first in Spencer's thoughts and not because he had any romantic interest in her, but because she was the sister he had never had. The two of them had just connected from the first moment they met when Spencer had only been a 12-year-old boy.

It happened that way sometimes, Celeste knew. Spencer was close to the others as well, but JJ and he just had a totally different relationship. Celeste doubted that JJ could ever think of Spencer as anything but a brother considering she had met him when he had only been a kid. He hadn't even been a teenager for several months after that, even if he had been very mature for his age. The Rossis had done everything they could to help Spencer truly mature and be prepared to take on the world.

They had done an excellent job, Celeste thought. She knew other women might be jealous of his close relationship with JJ who was a beautiful woman, but to most vampires that would just be ridiculous. Most vampires didn't get into any kind of permanent relationship, so in that way the Rossi Coven was unusual. It wasn't unusual of a vampire to be in a semipermanent relationship with another of their kind, it just wasn't very common.

To have a coven so large that had been together for centuries was definitely an unusual thing amongst their kind. Now while two more females had been added and had only been with the coven for a few decades, that didn't mean that they weren't going to stay with the Rossi Coven, though they did have the option to leave at anytime. However, they would always be welcome to return whenever they wished.

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Spencer asked finally opening his eyes.

"It doesn't really matter," Celeste decided. "We could go back to the convention, which is still going on for another couple of days, We could go out and explore more of the city, perhaps have dinner somewhere nice or we can stay here and make love. We can also head home if you are ready."

"We don't need to go home we can always go elsewhere," Spencer said. "There is the whole world to explore after all."

"That's an idea," Celeste mused. "All our children are grown for right now, so it's not like we need to get back home."

"Which is exactly why I suggested it," Spencer said. "I never would have suggested coming if we had any children, though the coven would've looked after them until we returned. That's one of the great things about having a family that truly loves and cares for you. Any of them would've been very happy to look after whatever a child we had for as long as we were gone."

"They would have spoiled them rotten," Celeste said with a smile.

"Yes, they would have," Spencer agreed. "They're all just crazy about kids, but I can understand why considering that vampires have them so rarely. I know how hard they worked to have their three way back when I was in college. I'm not saying they didn't enjoy having sex with each other, just that it took a lot of work to get it all three of the women pregnant."

"I understand what you mean," Celeste agreed. "I think Alex will be next, as she and Dave have gotten quite close over the last few decades."

"You're probably right," Spencer said. "Kate has gotten quite close to Aaron as well, so it might be them that has a child next."

"Maybe," Celeste conceded. "I know that Alex really wants a child though."

"I don't blame her considering what she told all of us about her past," Spencer said. "She and her husband had a child that turned out to have a very rare disease. So rare that it had no name and they only knew that it was neurological. They went their separate ways for years, even though technically, they were still married."

"Yeah, her husband James joined Doctors Without Borders and only returned to the states occasionally," Celeste agreed.

"More than one marriage has broken up because of the death of a child," Spencer mused. "In this case it was a disease so rare that it had barely been researched and had no name. I can't blame either Alex or her husband for being devastated at the death of Ethan."

"If that had ever happened to me, if I had been human..." Celeste said.

"Yeah, I know I would've been devastated if I have a made human and that had happened to my son or daughter," Spencer immediately agreed wholeheartedly. "It was bad enough that they could've gotten my mother's schizophrenia, but there was a good chance in that case, that they never would have developed it, since I never did. I was basically past the age I had the possibility of getting it when I was changed at 40."

"That she's ready to try again and knows that they can't come down with any disease, rare or otherwise..." Celeste said.

"Says a lot about how being turned into a vampire has changed her. Of course, I know that Dave never would have agreed if the husband was still in the picture. He never would've changed her into a vampire in the first place if her husband was still alive," Spencer said.

"No, unfortunately James Blake was killed while in a foreign country, while working with Doctors Without Borders. There are elements in some of those countries that don't like what they're doing by healing people," Celeste said with a snort of derision. "I'll never understand why some people object to the healing of others, no matter their position in life, whether they're rich, poor, black, white, yellow or any other color."

"I think it had more to do that with the fact that they were foreigners," Spencer said. "Some people object to having foreigners on their soil, much less them using their witchly ways to heal the sick and injured."

"I suppose to a primitive people in a third world country, our technology would seem like magic instead of what it is," Celeste sighed.

"Yes, it would, particularly to those who live their whole lives out in the desert instead of in the city," Spencer said.

The conversation drifted off into silence, but the silence was not uncomfortable.

"I think we should head home first, for at least a week or two," Celeste finally said after a lengthy silence. "After that, we can head out again, but I think, it would be good for us to go see the family. Let them know that we both did well while we were attending the Dr. Who convention. You know how much they worry about both of us since we're still so young."

"Yeah, I know it shows they care," Spencer said with a small smile. "Dad never worried about me, since he never even remembered to feed me after mom got so sick. It's kind of nice to be worried about, even though both of us would probably be nearly dead by now if we were human or at least I would be as I'd be in my 70s. I would have been dead in another 20 years tops."

This was true, Celeste reflected though she said nothing.

"Alright, we'll head home for awhile and then we'll take another trip, perhaps in a few weeks," Spencer said by way of agreement to Celeste suggestion. "I certainly won't mind seeing the family, even though we've only been gone a few days."

"Neither will I, as I really like your family, just as much as I like my own," Celeste agreed smiling.

"I'm glad, because I will never be separated from them on a permanent basis. Sure, we'll take trips in the future, but we'll always return to the coven eventually," Spencer said smiling.

"We could form our own coven you know," Celeste suggested only halfway joking.

"That's an idea for the future, but probably not for five or six hundred years at least," said Spencer shaking his head. "For one thing there is only you and me right now and nobody else that we're close enough to even consider the idea. You can't have a coven with just two vampires, as you need at least three and preferably four or five. I've learned that some covens have more than a dozen members but they are rare, rarer than forming a coven in the first place."

"I've never heard of a coven that large though I'm sure they do exist," Celeste said.

"They do, as Uncle Dave has met one or two covens that big," Spencer said. "Just because it's rare for vampires to get along so well that they form a coven for mutual protection and companionship it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Sometimes they do it for protection from out of control vampires, the ones that don't mind taking what doesn't belong to them, including other vampires, mostly females and even humans.

"They don't follow the code," Celeste said disapprovingly.

"No, they don't and they can be very dangerous as Dave and Aaron in particular warned me about that type. Even letting them know that you're part of a very protective coven might not be enough to protect us. Of course, if those idiot vampires do anything and actually kill you and me or at least do us damage that doesn't mean that our coven wouldn't be on there trail nearly immediately once they learn of it. That's why we call in every week, to let them know that we're okay. While no human is going to damage us unless they can catch us in a fire or something a wild vampire with no ethics and one that doesn't follow the code is an entirely different matter."

"JJ, in particular, worries I know," Celeste said.

"I know she does, even though she doesn't need to," Spencer said.

"She loves you Spence, so of course she worries," Celeste chided him gently. "That was an unworthy comment. You might not be technically related, but I'm sure your mother would've worried about you, even after you are out of the house and an adult."

"I didn't mean it that way," Spencer said chastised. "I just meant she didn't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I know she does and I know the others do too, even though they know I'm capable of looking after myself."

"She worries, because she thinks of you as a brother Spence. As far as I know she doesn't have one of those, though it is possible."

Spencer said nothing else knowing he wasn't going to win the argument and secretly he really liked her being worried about him, because that meant that JJ and the others really cared about his well-being. Sometimes he just doubted that they did or worried that it was all a dream that he was going to eventually wake up from.

It was just that he had been so happy with the Rossi Coven that he still had trouble believing that he was. His life had been so bad for so long that it was still hard to believe he was so happy now and that he and Celeste had three dozen children before he had been turned.

Still, both Aaron and Dave in particular had made sure he could defend himself and taught him every dirty trick they had known in case he was ever attacked by a rogue vampire. They had made sure he was aware that he would have to kill that vampire afterwards, because it would just come seeking revenge if he did not and while he didn't like it he still understood the mentality that drove someone to seek revenge for being beaten, even if they were the ones that had attacked first. Some people whether vampires or humans didn't like to be beaten at anything and so sought revenge. While that was extreme it did happen. It was just better to take care of the problem as vampires were not going to forgive and forget. They would seek the target that they needed revenge on until that target was dead or they were.

It was just the way that vampires thought, especially those that were born and not made.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Celeste said after a rather lengthy uncomfortable silence. "I know you didn't mean it the way it came out."

"No, I didn't," Spencer said, finally. "I'm still not used to anyone worrying about me. I raised myself as you know and while I understand that they do there is really no need to. I know I can't stop him from worrying though, particularly JJ. I suppose I was basically on my own for so long..."

"That you don't understand that people truly care about and love you," Celeste finished. "You have accepted it, but you don't believe it deep down. You don't believe anybody can love you, a skinny, geeky, weird person."

Spencer sighed nearly inaudibly and that was answer enough. "I know they do, as they never would've taken me in otherwise. I know it, but I can't seem to shake my father often repeated statement that nobody would ever truly love me, because I was too weird and geeky and intelligent. You got me to accept that you cared about me and so we've been together ever since. I was all prepared to reject happiness, all because of a man who never truly cared for me, even when he should have since I was his child."

"Still, it's not easy to shake the words of the man who was your father," Celeste said in understanding. "You have to realize though that without intelligent people society would not have advanced like it has. We wouldn't have so much medical technology that save thousands of lives all over the world yearly. We wouldn't have things like electricity or hot water or even decent sanitation, without really intelligent people figuring out how to do these things. We wouldn't have vaccinations for many diseases that used to kill people by the thousands. Hell! We likely wouldn't even have decent clothes and would probably still be dressed in loincloths like the cavemen. We would still die by the thousands because we perished from the cold, as we would have no idea how to heat our homes and those homes would likely be caves. Your father told you those things because he didn't appreciate you. Really, you need to think about it this way, we're all weird in some way or another and it is our intelligence that has taken us so far. Unfortunately, William Reid, is not that uncommon in the way he thinks and that is one thing you need to remember. The human race is very flawed."

"You know you're right," Spencer said finally after thinking about Celeste's words seriously. "There are plenty of intelligent people in the world, even if they don't have quite my high IQ. Who knows some people might have and they just have better social skills then I did when I was a kid and likely had a more outgoing personality."

"Or they had parents that actually supported them instead of rejecting them like your father did," Celeste said and Spencer nodded.

"That's more than possible actually," Spencer agreed.

"Yes, it is," Celeste said. "You need to start thinking more positively and forget or at least don't think about what your father said to you. It should have occurred to you that his words have no truth whatsoever to them and though I know it's hard to shake what happens in childhood you need to try to stop thinking to yourself so negatively. And yes, I know your memory doesn't help."

Spencer silently agreed with Celeste, that childhood habits were not very easy to overcome but he would try, for her sake as well as his family's. Really, that was all he could do.

~~~Spencer and Celeste~~~