Vampire
Chapter 10
Epilogue
It's a year later
They lived in Amsterdam at the Amsterdam Marina and had been there for four months. Right now, Rick and Kate were off to a local hospital to get the blood they needed. They had three to choose from.
That left Alexis to watch Elle, but she didn't mind it one bit. "Come back here, you." Alexis ran her down and picked her up. All Elle did was chortle. "Where did you think you were going? You go over the side, and you could drown, little girl. You want something to eat?"
Elle nodded eagerly. "Eat."
"Come on, let's go down to the kitchen." Alexis carried her down to the kitchen and sat her on the counter. Alexis was eighteen years old now, and school was starting soon. She was actually going to go to school locally. Kate had talked her into it. Kate wanted her to make friends, have a life, and live it.
"What do you want to eat? We have bananas, apples, oranges." Alexis was on an eat-healthy kick.
"Bod."
"You want blood?" Alexis watched her nod. "We can do that." Alexis got out a blood bag and squirted some into a coffee cup. The coffee cup went into the microwave. "Now we need your sippy cup." Alexis looked through the cupboards to find one. After Alexis found her favorite sippy cup, she heard the microwave ding. She took out the coffee cup and poured the warmed blood into Elle's cup.
"One cup of blood." She handed it to Elle, who began sipping using both hands. "Is that good?" Alexis asked her and watched her nod.
Even though only being a year old, Elle knew what she needed, be it food or blood. She knew she was part vampire. Her mother had told her, even if she didn't know what that was. All she knew was that sometimes she ate food, and sometimes she needed blood like her mommy did.
Alexis took the top of the sippy cup off. "Use your finger to get every last drop." Alexis watched her do just that. "That's my girl." Alexis picked her up off the counter and put her down. "Let's go upstairs to the Main Deck and wait for Mommy and Daddy there." Alexis took her hand, helped her up the stairs, and sat her down on the Main Deck near the rear of the boat. "We'll wait here for Mommy and Daddy to come back."
Elle sat there for about fifteen minutes, but she got bored, so she got up and went back inside to play. She had things she could play with strewn all over the deck. Her toys had taken over the place – literally!
Sighing, Alexis followed her and sat down to watch her play. She watched until Kate and Rick showed up. Elle saw her mommy, got up, and ran as best she could to reach her. "Ma-ma!" She was happy to see her. She loved Alexis, but Kate was her mommy.
Kate bent down and picked her up. "How's my little angel?"
Elle babbled at her, telling her all she had done in baby speak, including drinking some blood.
Kate checked with Alexis to see how their day had been. "Has she been any trouble?"
"No, not really. I did catch Elle heading for the rear of the boat at a dead run, but after that, nothing."
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Kate scolded her daughter. Elle's chin quivered at the sound of Ma-ma's voice, but she soon recovered.
"How did it go for you, Kate?"
"I got six bags like usual. Come on, baby girl, you can help me put the blood bags in the refrigerator." Kate carried Elle downstairs to the kitchen along with her bag.
When Kate was out of earshot, Alexis turned and looked at her father. "Only six bags, Dad?"
"That's what she told me, too, Alexis. I have no reason to disbelieve her."
Alexis did believe her; Kate had never lied to her. "At the rate we use it now, she'll need more soon."
"We have another two hospitals to go to. There's something we need to discuss, though." Rick had something on his mind. They had been there only four months, and he wanted to know if they wanted to stay longer.
~oo0oo~
"I have something I want to talk about." Rick had Alexis, Kate, and Elle around him. "I'd like to know if you would consider staying in Amsterdam. We could buy a place and get off of the boat. We'll keep the Sara, of course, but do you want to stay longer?
"Alexis can go to school here, a real school. And she could make friends."
"I'm perfectly happy with staying on the boat, Dad. I can go to school from here. Though I don't know how yet."
"Elle can make friends with the neighbors," Rick added, "something she can't do here."
"I like the idea of it, Rick, but what about Hunters? If we buy a place to stay, I'll have to steal blood from the same hospitals over and over again. They're going to suspect something eventually."
Alexis spoke up again. "I can make friends in school, Dad. I'd rather live here."
"You've already found a place, haven't you?" Kate knew her husband. He wouldn't talk about this if he didn't already have somewhere in mind or had actually bought a place.
"I have." Rick raised a finger, and he went downstairs to their bedroom to retrieve his laptop computer.
Rick sat down between Alexis and Kate with his laptop and showed them a place he had found. "It's a two-bedroom, three-bathroom home, and it's on a canal. It even has a garage so we could get a car. The kitchen is a little small, but it has everything we need in it. Both bedrooms are upstairs, and it's affordable."
"Two bedrooms. Where does Elle sleep? In the same bedroom as Alexis, or with us?" Kate shook her head. She didn't want Alexis having to put up with Elle but having her in their bedroom with them would wreak havoc on their sex life.
Alexis shot it down as well. "I agree with Kate, Dad. We're fine right here. The place you want only has two bedrooms. The longer we stay here, the more Elle will want a room of her own as she grows up."
"If you're sure." Rick felt bummed that they didn't like his idea.
"I like that you're thinking about our family, but it's not what we need, babe." Kate kissed his cheek. "I think we'll stay right here since we can move if necessary. We can stay for as long as Alexis is in school."
"I agree, Dad. We stay right here."
Rick closed his laptop. The two of them shot him down. He was disheartened, but the majority ruled. "Fine, we'll stay." That earned Rick a kiss from his wife and older daughter.
~oo0oo~
Kate sat down next to Alexis. Alexis looked around. "Where's Elle?"
"She's taking a nap. How's your Dutch coming along?"
"Best goed denk ik," Alexis replied. "That's 'Pretty good, I think,' in English."
"If I remember correctly, school starts in about two weeks. Are you nervous at all?"
"Een beetje ja," Alexis told her. "That's, 'A little bit.'"
"You'll do fine." Kate patted her hand. "Your Dutch has improved a lot." Something went through Kate's mind, and she frowned as she thought about it. "Unless it's about you going to school. You've been on your own for over a year now."
"It's just that I don't want to stand out, Kate." Alexis closed her eyes for a minute, took a deep breath, and said, "I really want to fit in with the others."
"Learning Dutch should help with that. Do you think you're good enough at Dutch to get by?"
"I really hope so."
"How do you say 'I'm proud of you,' in Dutch?" Kate asked.
"Ik ben trots op je," Alexis answered.
Kate hugged her. "See, you're a natural, sweetheart!"
~oo0oo~
Alexis chose to attend Stichting Kolom, Stichting voor Speciaal Onderwijs (Kolom Foundation, Foundation for Special Education). It was the closest to the marina, but not close enough to walk it, although it was about thirty-five minutes walking distance. She took a taxi.
Kate watched Rick pace. "You look nervous, babe."
"Alexis should be back by now, Kate. It was her first day at school, and I wanted everything to work out for her."
"You're such a good father." Kate kissed him. "I'm sure everything is fine. She just has to wait for a taxi, is all." A heartbeat later, Kate saw her walking down the dock, heading for the boat. "See, there she is now."
Rick was all over her the instant she was back onboard. "How was school? Did you have any problems? What did you eat? Talk to me," he pleaded with her.
Alexis looked at Kate mischievously. "Should I put him out of his misery now or let him suffer some more?"
"YEXI!" Elle had spotted her and came running as best as her little legs could.
Alexis bent down, picked her up, and peppered her with kisses. "School was fine. I didn't make any friends just yet, but I'm hopeful. I need to practice my Dutch some more. Some of what they said escaped me."
"Alexis, why did it take so long for you to get home?" Rick had been chewing nails.
"I had to wait for a taxi, Dad. The drivers don't sit at the school waiting, you know."
Kate swatted Rick's arm. "See, I told you so."
"Fine, fine! Just so long as she's home safe."
"And you, were you a good girl while I was at school?" Alexis asked Elle, who nodded at whatever her Yexi said.
"Cool," the toddler repeated.
"I missed you, sweetie." Alexis hugged Elle and kissed her. She put her down. "What's for dinner? I'm starving."
"Dinner, right, coming right up." Rick stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her. "Didn't they feed you?"
"They did, but I didn't know what it was." Alexis made a face. "Their food is weird."
Somewhat placated, Rick headed for the kitchen. "Define weird," Kate asked Alexis.
"It was a kind of bread with some sort of cheese. They called it bruine boterham met kaas.(brown sandwich with cheese) " Alexis shook her head. "I ate it,but it wasn't very filling."
"Don't worry. I'm sure your father will fix that."
~oo0oo~
It was late the next day, and Alexis was almost home from school when she was spotted. "YEXI!" Elle came running as fast as her chubby little legs would carry her.
"Hey, munchkin!" Alexis lifted her and covered her face with kisses.
Kate watched them, her heart happy. "She missed you. I couldn't do a thing with her all day. It's clear that she loves you, Alexis."
"Awww, did you miss me?" Alexis watched Elle nod. "Well, I'm home now. Just as soon as I finish my homework, I'll play with you. Does that work for you?" It was so hard for her not to laugh when she watched Elle nod her head and then shake it. "I'm sorry, peanut, but I have homework to do. I'll let you help me with it, how's that?" Alexis watched as she nodded again.
Alexis carried her downstairs to her bedroom, where she worked on her homework.
Rick looked around, but he didn't see Alexis or Elle. "Did Alexis make it home?"
"Yes, and I'm so relieved. Elle really missed her. She kept asking for 'Yexi,' Rick."
"It's obvious that our baby girl loves her."Rick checked his watch. "I better start on dinner. If today's lunch was anything like yesterday's, she'll be starving." Rick leaned down, kissed Kate, and strode off, heading downstairs toward the kitchen.
That left Kate there all alone. "Great, what do I do now?"
~oo0oo~
They were eating dinner. Rick took a bite, swallowed, and asked Alexis, "So, what was lunch like today?"
"It was a stew of some kind. They called it Hachée. I still don't know what it was exactly, but it tasted pretty good," Alexis said. "Way, way better than yesterday's lunch."
"I guess you'll get to know the local foods faster than we will," Kate said and shrugged. "Not that I eat anything as it is."
"Elle seems to be eating well," Alexis noted.
"It's the first thing she's eaten all day. I think she was hungry, but she refused to eat. She misses you, Alexis, really."
"So I gathered, Kate. It took me twice as long to do my homework than it should have. Elle babbled at me, 'telling' me everything that happened today."
"I'm sorry, Alexis." Kate exhaleddeeply. "I'm hoping she'll adjust to you being at school soon. It's not like she has a choice."
~oo0oo~
"Ma-ma?"
"Alexis will be here soon. Never worry," Kate told her daughter. Except Elle did worry. She missed having Alexis there with her all day.
Alexis surprised her. "Hi, munchkin."
"YEXI!" Elle was finally happy. She ran for Alexis but fell flat on her face. She managed to bounce up like nothing happened and was scooped up by Alexis.
Alexis covered her face with kisses. "Did you miss me?" Alexis watched her nod her head. "I'm here now, but I have homework. You want to help me with my homework?" The toddler nodded. So she carried her downstairs to her bedroom, where Elle chattered about everything she did today. She really didn't help her with her homework, but Alexis didn't mind.
~oo0oo~
"What was for lunch today?" Rick inquired.
"It was something called Hete Bliksem," Alexis said. "It contained apples and pototoes. It wasn't that bad, and it was served hot."
"You're becoming more Dutch every day," Rick observed.
Alexis frowned. "I really hope not. I like the way I am."
~oo0oo~
It was a month later.
Alexis came home with someone this time. "Yexi!" Elle came up short when she saw the stranger with her.
Alexis introduced everyone in English. "This is my mother, Kate, my dad, Rick, and Elle, my baby sister. Everyone, meet Britt, she's a friend."
Britt waved at everyone. "Hi."
"Welcome, welcome!" Kate was so pleased to see her. It meant Alexis had a friend.
"It's nice to meet you, Britt. Dinner will be ready in about half an hour." Rick smiled at them and went downstairs to the kitchen.
"We have homework to do," Alexis told them and took Britt downstairs to her bedroom.
"Je hebt niet gelogen. Je woont op een boot," Britt told her, still surprised at it all. (You didn't lie. You live on a boat.)
"Dat doe ik al sinds mijn veertiende," Alexis confirmed. "En ik lieg niet, Britt." (I have since I was fourteen. And I don't lie, Britt.")
They were on Alexis's bed working on their homework when Britt suddenly kissed Alexis right on the lips. Alexis was taken aback and didn't have time to kiss her back, but Britt only did it once.
~oo0oo~
Kate had invited the blonde to stay for dinner. Britt took a bite and was amazed at the flavor. "What is this?"
"Chicken Quesadillas," Rick replied. "It's Mexican."
"It's strange, but it's good," Britt told them. She looked at Kate. "You're not eating?"
Kate was ready for her. "No, I'm afraid it would upset my stomach. It's been bothering me today." Britt seemed to believe her, thankfully.
~oo0oo~
Kate smiled at Britt. "Thank you for coming."
"Your boat is wonderful," Britt gushed, still amazed at what this one was like and how big it was.
"Thank you, we like it very much." Kate watched her and Alexis leave. Alexis was escorting her out and making sure she got a taxi.
Britt smiled at Alexis. "Bedankt voor de uitnodiging. Ik had plezier." (Thanks for the invitation. I had fun.)
"Ik ben er blij mee. Je bent welkom om nog eens te komen," Alexis told her. (I'm happy about it. You're welcome to come again.) Once more, Britt caught Alexis by surprise and kissed her lips, this time just before she left. And again, Alexis didn't get a chance to kiss her back.
Alexis watched her taxi leave and touched her lips. She suddenly had a lot to think about now.
~oo0oo~
It wasn't long before Alexis went to Britt's house and met her parents. Then, the two went into her bedroom to work on their homework. The blonde kissed her again. "That's twice you've kissed me, Britt. Well, three times counting this one."
The slender girl looked like her heart was about to break. "You don't want me to kiss you? I'll stop."
"No, it's not that. You just took me by surprise. I didn't get to kiss you back." Alexis leaned in and kissed her. She could tell Britt enjoyed it. "Nice."
Britt smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, it is."
Britt's mom asked Alexis to stay for dinner, and Lexi was glad she did. "Wat is dit? Het smaakt zo goed." (What is this? It tastes so good.)
Mrs. Gillen beamed. "Het heet Erwtensoep/snert. Ik ben zo blij dat je het leuk vindt." (It's called Pea Soup/Chowder. I'm so glad you like it.)
~oo0oo~
"Bedankt voor uw komst," Mrs. Gillen said and smiled. "We zijn blij dat Britt een vriendin heeft." (Thank you for coming. We're glad Britt has a girlfriend.)
"Bedankt dat ik hier mag zijn. Het diner was geweldig en ik had plezier." (Thanks for letting me be here. Dinner was wonderful, and I had fun.) Alexis waved goodbye and went outside with Britt. She had to wait for a taxi.
"Bedankt voor uw komst." (Thank you for coming.) Then Britt kissed her. Alexis anticipated getting kissed this time and kissed her back.
Just then the taxi pulled up and the driver watched the girls kissing. He didn't have time to wait and laid on the horn. Whoever he was supposed to pick up had better get in right now or he was leaving.
Alexis hurried over, got in, and told him where to take her. She waved as the taxi took off and saw Britt wave back.
~oo0oo~
"I'm glad you're home." Rick hugged her. "I missed you, Lexi. Where have you been?"
"I went to Britt's house and had dinner with them. It was good, different but good."
"At least you had fun." Rick kissed her on the cheek and went to his bedroom to outline his next book.
Alexis went up to the Fly Deck, and Kate followed her. "Britt kissed me, Kate."
"And did you kiss her back?" Kate asked.
"I did, and I don't know how I feel about that." Alexis blushed bright crimson. "I mean, I kissed a girl."
Kate shrugged. "So you kissed a girl."
Alexis tilted her head and studied Kate. "You don't sound unhappy about that."
"I'm not unhappy about it at all, Lexi. Just make sure it's something you want to do. And don't tell your dad. He would freak out."
Alexis nodded. "Yeah, he would, wouldn't he. So, do I keep kissing her?"
"Only you can answer that, sweetheart. Just be ready for what comes next." Kate saw the blank look on her face. "Touching, more kissing, perhaps doing it naked, and then eventually, sex."
Alexis blushed again. "I'm not ready for that – sex, I mean."
"Not yet, but if you keep kissing her, eventually you will, and you need to be ready for that. So either you keep kissing her, or you end it now." Kate waited while she thought about that.
"I'm not ready to end it, Kate. She's the only friend I have!"
"At least she's pretty," Kate commented.
Alexis didn't say anything for a while. "You think so? I guess she is."
"And you've filled out. Don't think I didn't notice, young lady."
Alexis smiled at that. "I've changed a bra size at last." She leaned over and hugged Kate, who hugged her back.
"I'm happy for you, Lexi. You may have just met someone special. If you keep going."
"Maybe." Alexis got up and started to pace. "But what if we move? We live on a boat. You need blood."
"Maybe she comes with us. Maybe we won't move. I have three hospitals to choose from to get the blood I need. If I'm careful enough, maybe they don't notice." Kate waited for more "what ifs" from her.
"But Elle needs blood now too."
"She does, but not nearly as much as me. I think we can stay for a while, Lexi. But eventually, we may need to move. The hospitals are going to notice at some point. Perhaps she can come with us."
"Maybe." Alexis thought about that, though it was a long way off.
"I am happy for you, Alexis." Kate hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"Thanks, MOM!" Alexis just had to get that in.
~oo0oo~
It was a year and a half later.
They lived in Copenhagen now and had been there only a month. They were in the Langelinie Marina.
Kate came over and smiled at the blond. "How are you doing, Britt?"
Britt kept her eye on her. "You're a vampire? Really?"
"Yes, really. Don't worry, I won't bite you. I haven't bitten anyone in years." Kate sat down next to her on the Main Deck. "You're okay with that?"
"I don't know. I think so. You only drink blood? Promise?" Britt asked.
"Yes, I only drink blood," Kate replied patiently. "That helps explain why I don't eat, doesn't it?"
"I... I guess it does," Britt agreed haltingly.
"How did you find out I was a vampire?" Kate thought she hid it pretty well. Her fangs retracted, so they didn't show unless she meant them to.
"Alexis told me during our lovemaking one night. You're married to a human, and Elle is half human and half vampire, right?"
"That's right. Rick is a human, and I love him. Elle is our daughter, and I love her even more. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for her, even if it meant my own life.
"So, we're good now?" Kate waited.
"Yeah, I think so. It's just strange, you being a vampire, I mean," Britt blurted.
"Don't worry, sweetie. I won't bite you." Kate smiled at her and saw someone else was nearby. "Hi, Alexis. I'll leave you ladies alone." Kate got up and left in search of her daughter.
Alexis sat next to Britt. "What were you two talking about?"
"Her being a vampire."
"Yep, Mom's a vampire. I love her so much. I can tell her almost everything, things I don't dare tell my dad. I told her we were lovers that first night, Britt, so she's known all along."
Britt kissed her, and Alexis kissed her back. "I'm glad we're lovers, Lexi."
"Me, too. Are you ready for school in Copenhagen?"
"I am." Britt was ready. So long as she had Alexis, she could face just about anything. "I love you, Lexi."
"I love you too, Britt." And Alexis kissed her, her heart filled with joy.