(A/N): We learn a LOT more about Grey. Some very, very slight (blink and you'll miss it) foreshadowing.

January 16th, 1966

Evie

I blinked. "To- to read?" He nodded, then quickly followed it up with a shrug.

"And write, but the reading part was far more important, in my eyes." And clearly it was very important to him, if he'd made it a condition of him being turned. "I always wanted to learn, but with the way I grew up- my family were... well, we didn't have much. We didn't need much. We grew our own food plus usually a little on the side that we could trade to our neighbors, or whoever might pass through- which is how I ended up meeting Sidonie. Other than that, we just... lived." He shook his head, and a sad smile spread across his lips. "It was enough for my parents, and for my siblings- my brothers, anyway- but not for me. I wanted more, and Sidonie offered me that." For the low, low price of sexual favors, apparently.

Then again, other than the mandatory quarantine period, I'd yet to be leveled any 'price' for my own offer to join these vampires, so maybe it was a bit rich of me to think something like that. What was it they said about people in glass houses? "So I'm assuming, based on what you just said, that you left your family behind in order to become a vampire. If you don't mind me asking-"

He cut me off, shrugging again. "Yes, I left my family behind. I accepted the quarantine period as a necessary inconvenience, and as soon as it ended, I went back to see them." Oh? "My sister wasn't there. She'd left- married one of my friends, actually, and moved to a larger town in search of better opportunities. My brothers... they were mad at me for leaving. Well, Gautier was; Gaspard barely remembered me." His smile fell into something much sadder. "He'd only been fourteen when I left, and when I returned... he was a man. They both were. Gautier hadn't been much older, and even Genevie-" He cut himself off, this time.

I hesitated, wanting to give him the space required for this obviously rather poignant moment, but in the end I had to ask. "I'm sorry, but... did your parents really name their kids Greygorry, Gautier, Gaspard, and Genevie?" Thankfully, the corner of his lips twitched upward, albeit a bit sadly.

"They had a theme and they stuck to it," He stated simply, though not without a degree of humor. "It was my mother's fault, really- she picked the names, Papa just nodded along like he always did, when it came to her. She was very careful to choose names she'd be able to yell clearly across fields, after mine and- well." His face screwed up slightly, but he didn't look so sad anymore, instead almost... wistful. "She never had to yell for Genevie. Me and my brothers, all the time, but Genevie? Genevie liked to stay close to home." His eyebrows furrowed. "I guess that's part of the reason why it was such a shock when I came back and she was gone- not just out of the house, but out of town completely. That was about as 'far from home' as a person like Genevie could get in those days, and it just didn't..." He shook his head like he was mystified.

"You... you said they were mad at you for leaving?" He winced, but still tried to offer me a reassuring smile that didn't come anywhere close. He knew I was thinking about my own situation- my own sibling that might be angry, if I left.

"Gautier was. He told me I was selfish for leaving, and even more selfish for coming back. He called me greedy, and a whore, and just about every name under the sun- Maman was quite cross with him about that. Speaking of my parents, they were... happy for me. They didn't care that I was a vampire, or that I'd 'sold myself' to Sidonie to learn a skill most people nowadays learn as children- they saw I wasn't happy the way I'd been, and when I returned..." He shrugged.

I felt my eyebrows furrow. "Your brother sounds like a-" I looked for Jerremyah to take the reins for me, but since he was still hidden away with Lisbet, I was forced to take matters into my own hands. "-real git." I told him, and Grey snorted. "What about your other brother? And your sister?" He sobered again, looking about as happy as a cat in a bathtub- which is to say, downright miserable.

"I don't know," He said quietly. "Gautier and I got into a fight. We screamed at each for far too long, and by the end of it- I gave up. I told him if he wanted me gone, I'd go- and I wouldn't come back, as long as he was alive. He said that was what he wanted, so I apologised to my parents and Gaspard, and I left. I never went looking for Genevie, but I'm sure if she'd wanted to find me, she could've. She didn't. I never went back, and I never saw any of them again. As far as I know, I'm the last of my family." His expression softened slightly, even if it still looked incredibly pained. "Something tells me you won't have that problem," He said. "Especially if your sister is even a fraction as kind and empathetic as you are."

Immediately, I felt my cheeks flush. Following that, I jumped up from the couch, and practically threw myself at Grey- not in the way he probably would've joked about wanting me to, just a few minutes earlier, but so I could wrap my arms around him and push my face into his chest. He was quicker to respond than Nicholai had been; quicker than Jerremyah had been, too, but there was still a second where I really thought he might never respond, or could possibly even push me away. In the end though, he did wrap his arms around me as well, and the pat on the back was just as awkward as I would've assumed.

"Did nobody teach you vampires how to hug?" I asked, clearly joking, but I both heard and felt him huff dramatically, before his entire attitude to this whole thing seemed to change. It seemed a lot more natural now, as he pulled me in closer rather than just 'allowing' me to hug him, and it felt like he actually enjoyed my presence, as he hooked his chin over the top of my head.

It was Nicholai who replied- quite seriously, which seemed to be the only way he ever did things. "No," It was completely flat, like he thought he really needed to correct my preconceived notions on the subject. "They didn't teach us how to hug. Hugging a vampire is pretty much a death sentence, since it puts you in range of their claws and crushing strength- not to mention the fangs." I rolled my eyes, and Grey laughed- at me, or at Nicholai?

"And yet here I am, having hugged three vampires, and so far come out none the worse for wear. Seems to me like your statistics might be a little off." Grey chuckled darkly, and removed his chin from the top of my head. "Maybe you need to upda-" I cut myself off with a involuntary gasp, as he leaned down and dragged his fangs up the length of my throat. Unfortunately, I was faced with the mortifying knowledge that everyone in the room could tell exactly how much I was enjoying what he was doing, even if they didn't currently have their nose pressed against my pulse point.

"Don't worry," Grey practically purred into my skin, which- very much wasn't helping. "I don't bite. Much."

I rolled my eyes again, but I fear the effect was severely impacted by the eagerness with which I bared my throat to him. "Why do you vampires all have the same stupid jokes?" I asked snappishly, mostly to feel like I had some form of control over what was happening, but either way, I still shivered as I felt Grey's toothy grin against my most vulnerable flesh. Well... top three, for sure.

"Because," He said, and I noticed the slight lisp in his voice the extended canines must have added. "They do teach us that- in fact, I'd say it's Vampire 101."

(A/N): Grey: "(...) Sidonie offered me more than that."

Evie: 'For the low, low price of sexual favors, apparently.'

Grey: "Ah yes, free.69, my favorite."

also

Evie: "I'm sorry, but... did your parents really name their kids Greygorry, Gautier, Gaspard, and Genevie?"

Greygorry's Mother: "Real G's move in silence, like lasagna."

also

Evie: "Your brother sounds like a-"

Evie: 'I looked for Jerremyah to take the reins for me, but since he was still hidden away with Lisbet, I was forced to take matters into my own hands.'

Jerremyah: "My ears are burning."

Lisbet: "Well, put them back between my thighs, maybe that'll soothe them."

also

Evie: '(...) I jumped up from the couch, and practically threw myself at Grey- not in the way he probably would've joked about wanting me to, just a few minutes earlier, but so I could wrap my arms around him and push my face into his chest.'

Grey: "Joked? JOKED?! Get over here and let me show you how much I'm NOT joking!"

also

Evie: "Did nobody teach you vampires how to hug?"

Nicholai: "No, they didn't teach us how to hug. Hugging a vampire is pretty much a death sentence, since it puts you in range of their claws and crushing strength- not to mention the fangs."

Nicholai: "Of course, they didn't teach me how to hug as a human, either, since showing weakness like that was seen as just as dangerous."

also

Evie: 'I still shivered as I felt Grey's toothy grin against my most vulnerable flesh. Well... top three, for sure.'

Grey: "What are the other two?'

Evie: "Pretty much everything covered by a standard bikini."

Pronunciation Guide:

Gautier = Got-yeh/Got-je. (Gautier is a French variation of the name Walter.) [Greygorry's younger brother, the middle child of his three siblings, but the older of his two brothers.] Meaning: Commander of the army.

Gaspard = Gas-par. (Silent D. Gaspard is a French variation of the name Jasper. Another variation of the name Jasper is Caspar, which is even more similar to Gaspard.) [Greygorry's youngest brother, the youngest of all of the siblings.] Meaning: Bringer of treasure.

Genevie = Zhe-neh-vee (French soft G, like the g in massage, not the g in message. Same as the French J, like Je). [Greygorry's younger sister, the eldest of his three siblings.] Meaning: Tribe; Woman. Of the race of women.

I joked to my sister that it really felt like their parents went, 'Alright, first kid, the oldest. We're going to name him (a Greek name I put some French stank on) Greygorry, which means watchful, or vigilant. Second kid- oh shit, it's a girl! Uhhhhh... Woman! Yeah, she's a woman, we'll call her Genevie! Good to go. Next kid... oh, he looks like a strong boy, let's name him... Gautier. Yes. Perfect. Oh, another kid? The youngest, a sweet baby boy, the light of our lives... Bringer of treasure. Yep, that's our Gaspard.' Like, way to stereotype your kids, Chant parents (aka me).