Juliet’s eyes fluttered open, revealing darkness except for the slight reddish glow from her alarm clock. It read 02:30AM. She wouldn't have to be up for at least three more hours and wondered what had woken her. She had an ear for Felicity's cries, but she hadn't heard the telltale wail of a hungry baby.

             A quick glance to the closet and the empty freezer and she realized that Shawn wasn’t in the room with her. Juliet started to worry before her rational mind broke through her sleepy one.

            He must be with Felicity.

She smiled and closed her eyes to go back to sleep. If he'd gotten up to take care of the baby, and didn't bother to wake her, she wasn't going to look that gift horse in the mouth. Months of full time work and part time sleeping had been taking it's toll and she was exhausted.

Before she could nod off, however, she heard a faint voice, and it sounded like it was singing.

"It's so hard to get old without a cause, I don't want to perish like a fleeing horse."

She realized it was what must have woken her up, and the detective’s curiosity started to override her need for sleep. With a sigh, Juliet sat up and got her slippers on.

"Youth's like diamonds in the sun, and diamonds are forever…"

As she crept closer, she recognized the tune and smiled sadly. Her fiancé, the 80’s music archive that he was, would of course pick the perfect tune for both lulling a baby to sleep and lamenting about the situation they were in.

"Forever young, I want to be forever young. Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever?"

Rounding the corner, Juliet saw Shawn pacing back and forth in one of their fluffy bathrobes, singing softly to the bundle in his arms that was their daughter. He usually had to wrap her up extra warm so his colder skin didn't give her a chill. It was incredibly touching and she really wished that people would be able to see this and understand that vampires weren’t monsters.

Most of them anyway.

"Do you really want to live foreverrrrr?" Shawn’s voice cracked a little on the whispered high note, and it made her smile despite the sour tone.

She slipped up behind him, knowing that he knew she was already there, and put her hands around his waist, holding him while he held Felicity. "I liked that song."

"Sorry I woke you. I could hear her fussing in the other room all the way through my freezer." He turned to her and gave her a kiss before leaning his head against hers. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm sure things will tide over for now. The reports will eventually sto−"

Shawn shook his head. "No, I mean about our little nugget. What are we gonna to do when she grows up and realizes what I am?"

Juliet gave an exasperated sigh. Not at Shawn, but because she'd mulled that question over in her mind every day since she'd found out she was pregnant, and that Shawn was a vampire. The realization that if she wanted to stay with Shawn she'd have to become a vampire had crossed her mind as well, but she still had a few years to wait and choose. Felicity however, would soon start to wonder why her daddy didn't eat, why he didn't sleep in the bed with her mommy, and why there were bags of blood in the fridge.

Try telling a young child the politics and biology of being a vampire, much less the secrecy required. It was almost going to be impossible. The detective started to realize why Shawn was so upset. If all of this was going through her mind, it was hard to fathom what was going through his.

Her silence must have given him more time to think, because he shut his eyes tightly and pursed his lips. "Take her. I don't want her to see me like this, not yet."

It was hard to notice in the dim light, but his complexion had paled. He had been very careful to never let their daughter see him when he was like this.

"What if she's like me, and every time she looks at me she remembers that face." He'd reasoned to her.

Juliet took a hesitant step forward, "Shawn..."

"Jules, please." He took Felicity out of the crook of his arm and held her out. Before Juliet could take her daughter though, Juliet noticed that she was smiling and reaching out towards Shawn like it was a game. "Jules, c'mon! She's getting all wiggly!" He still had his eyes closed, and could not see what the baby was doing.

 "Open your eyes, Shawn."

"No. I can't."

"Look at her."

Shawn groaned and peeked out one half open eye. Felicity's smile widened and her grasping small hands reached for her father's face. Shawn tentatively brought her closer, wondering what she was reaching for, no doubt remembering the eye poking incident a month earlier.

Once close enough, the baby smushed Shawn's lips downward and started poking at his extended fangs, fascinated. "Eees unna urt ersel." Shawn complained, his mouth still open so his daughter could inspect his teeth.

Juliet laughed, "She'll be fine. I don't think her seeing you like this will be a problem after all."

A tear rolled down Shawn's cheek a second before he drew Felicity close and gave her a gentle hug. "How could I be lucky enough to have two amazing women in my life."

"She's just a baby girl, Shawn. Don't try and make her grow up too fast."

            As soon as Shawn pulled Felicity back from the hug, she went back to investigating his mouth. "I erd it oaf ays."

-----------------------------

            "Shawn, get in here!" Henry shouted to the kitchen, even though he knew he didn't have to talk in more than a whisper and his son would hear him. "Just because you don't eat doesn't mean the rest of us have to starve!"

            Said vampire appeared in the doorway with a large Jell-O dish, rolling his eyes as he set the jiggly food on the table. Henry, along with Coraline, Gus, Carlton, Marlowe, Juliet, Felicity, Madeline waited at the elder Spencer's dinner table for Shawn to sit down.

            The table was brimming full. Ham with pineapple, a large dish of mashed potatoes, green beans and some corn cobs filled the crowded table with enough to feed at least ten. However, considering only six were eating, it was technically food overkill.

            Mirroring his own thoughts, Shawn looked at the table and snorted in amusement. "Who you feeding? The Donner party?"

            "Very funny, Shawn." Henry deadpanned as he grabbed the toothpicks out of the ham. "Leave it to you to pick a group famous for eating people."

            "If the shoe fits..."

            Madeline gestured for their son to sit down. "Quit giving your father a hard time, he worked really hard on dinner tonight." Henry gave her a small smile of thanks and tried hard not to blush when she looked at him like that.

            He really had worked hard, though. It was the first time they'd been able to sit down together in over a month. Coraline was just back from France the day before, and with the baby and work, Henry had only seen Shawn when he wanted someone to babysit Felicity. Not that he was complaining, but it was nice to have some normalcy with everything going on as of late.

            On the other end of the table, Gus eyed the Jell-O warily, looking from Henry to Shawn and back again. "For Christ sake Guster it's strawberry!" Carlton almost shouted, "I can smell it from here."

            "I was just making sure." He said defensively.

            As if Henry would ever allow what he was thinking in the first place. "I'm not serving blood at the dinner table, Gus. I don't want my table cloth wrecked by your phobias."

            Shawn gave his friend a pained expression that Henry knew right away was fake. "Buddy, I'm hurt. I'd never spike your food."

            "Thank you." Gus went to take a bite.

            "If you were around to see it."

            "SHAWN!"

            Henry saw Juliet smile into her napkin and meet Madeline's gaze.

            "So Coraline, how was France?" Madeline asked, changing the subject. "I haven't been there in a couple of years."

            Taking a sip of her wine, Coraline nodded "It's great. Getting the lab packed up was a chore, but I missed the country side. It was nice to go home for a while." Being a 17th century French noblewoman vampire, Henry imagined Coraline had seen a lot more of France's country side than most.

            "Do you know where you're going to set up shop?" Marlowe asked. Henry listened intently, he was just as curious as to how the whole cure business was going.

            "Gus told me there was this empty warehouse downtown. It's actually just about a quarter mile from the police station, near State Street."

            The spoon Shawn was holding to feed Felicity clattered to the floor. Everyone's eyes turned to him as he bent over with a mumbled, "Sorry." and went to go wash the spoon. His action did not need explanation and Henry was more than surprised that Gus would recommend that warehouse of all places for Coraline to have her lab.

            "Well, it was empty, and the ownership would have gone back to the city if she hadn't bought it." Gus quickly explained, trying not to stare at Shawn's back as he stood at the sink.

            Of course it was empty. The damn bastard who owned it and made my son a vampire is dead. Henry was about to give Gus a piece of his mind when Shawn interrupted him.

            "No, it's okay." Shawn had turned around and was looking right at him. Henry pursed his lips tightly because he'd momentarily forgotten that Shawn didn't have to guess how he was feeling anymore, and probably picked up his anger all the way in the kitchen. "It's a good place, the obvious aside."

            He grunted in reply as Shawn returned to the table and sat down, pointedly ignoring Carlton's eyeballing and the uncomfortable silence that followed.

            His son then brought the food filled spoon back to the grumpy and hungry baby who was already reaching for it and whining pitifully. That girl is definitely going to have Shawn's appetite.

            "This ham is delicious Henry." Madaline broke the silence, "Did you use your mother's recipe..?"

            Conversation was light after that. The vampires stuck to the table wine as the humans dug into what was probably one of the best meals he'd made in a long time, in Henry's opinion anyway. The general consensus of the night seemed to be not to talk about the elephant in the room; The increasing news reports, the paranoia and the high tension everyone was under, human and vampire alike.

            Even skeptics were at least mentioning it in casual conversation. Even yesterday while shopping for dinner ingredients, Henry overheard an argument between two friends in the middle of the grocery store. One arguing it was a prank that caught on, while the other swore she'd seen one two years before, but just never told anyone.

            The elder Spencer just ducked his head and moved on.

            Knowing what he did, Henry could also tell which news stations were backed by vampires just by their lack of curiosity that other, more independent news networks, had on the situation. The way that they either vehemently denied the existence of vampires, or ignored the story completely gave it away pretty quickly.

            Besides the news reports and what he'd heard from Shawn, Henry realized he didn't know much about how the vampire community was handling things. He knew there was an organization that policed the vampires, but what about a higher authority than that? He doubted Shawn even knew. Carlton might, he usually was more interested in that sort of thing, but it might have to be a question he asked Mick when the other vampire called to see how Shawn was doing.

            Twenty minutes, a few stuffed stomachs and a very messy baby later, Henry could tell dinner was nearing it's end. The vampires' glasses of wine had stayed half full for a while, and even Gus was slowing down on his portions.

            Henry stood to clear some things off the table. "Anyone else want any green beans before I−"

            A knock at the door startled them all.

            "Were you expecting anyone else, Henry?" Carlton asked as he and Shawn stood warily.

            Henry shook his head, watching the pair carefully for any sign that something wasn't right. "No, Karen had something else going on, she's the only other person I invited."

            "Shhhhh!" Coraline, who was closest to the door sniffed and put her hand out to hush them. "It's a vampire."

            The statement sent everyone into motion. Carlton drew his gun, while Shawn instantly put himself between the door and his family. Henry motioned for Madeline to grab Felicity and to have them get into the living room with Juliet and Marlowe taking point in case anyone got past them.

            Henry gave Madeline a concerned glance before he grabbed the shotgun and stood by Shawn. "Open the door Lassiter."

            His own Gun at the ready, the detective reached for the door and pulled it open. Henry couldn't see who it was from the angle he was at. He nor Shawn had any time to react before Carlton made a choked noise of surprise and sped outside before slamming the door behind him.

            After a beat, Henry dropped the shotgun to rest at his side as he and Shawn shared a look of confusion.

            "Dad, what the hell just happened?"

---------------------------

            As he sped out the door, making sure to close it tight behind him, Carlton grabbed the two vampires by the arms and pulled them out of view and earshot of the house. He ended up dragging them to almost the other side of the garage. He'd be damned if Shawn would catch sight or sound of the two unexpected, and in his opinion; unwelcome, guests.

            "What in God's name are you doing here Despereaux?!" Carlton demanded and he glared at the man beside him, "And what in the blue hell makes you think that bringing him here is a good idea?"

            "Well, so much for a warm welcome." Pierre Despereaux shrugged off Carlton's grip and sneered. "I thought we were on better terms than that, or has the last year made you forget your manners concerning guests?"

            Carlton snorted, "Don't give me that bull. If you didn't want a reaction out of us, you would have called ahead."

            Pierre could have stayed away literally forever as far as Carlton was concerned. Josef's younger blood brother always seemed to bring trouble, or showed up when trouble was brewing.

            Pierre dropped the offended facade and gave him a smirk, "Touché detective." He walked around and put his hand on his companion's shoulder. "I didn't let anyone know I was coming because I know how they'd react to who I brought with me."

            "I told you we shoulda' stayed away. They don't want me here! Shawn doesn't want me here." The other man stressed.

            Carlton looked the young man over. Adam Peterson used to be a member of a gang of thieves known as Las Arañas. The very Las Arañas that had almost robbed Shawn of his sanity and his life. A fluke of fate was the only thing that had saved the once twenty two year old man and made him Shawn's newest fledgling.

             In the last eight months, his curly, scraggly red hair had been cropped short and slicked back. It gave him a dashing sort of look that was most likely Pierre's doing. The stubbly beard and mustache had grown out some and it was trimmed into a nice van dyke. If the detective didn't know better, and he did, his blood brother could definitely pass for an upstanding citizen.

            Oddly, despite being taller than him by a few inches, Adam seemed to wither at his intense scrutiny. The young man quickly stepped back and turned his gaze away. Carlton hadn't expected that reaction. Sure he'd threatened him the last time they'd spoken, but he hadn't made any overt moves to follow through with said threat.

            "Quit eyeballing the boy. You're making him uncomfortable." Carlton was surprised at Pierre's stern request, but apparently he'd been projecting more than curiosity at Adam.

            What is wrong with him? Does he know what I'm feeling already?

            There wasn't even an emotional blip on his own radar from his younger 'sibling' yet. Maybe Pierre taught him something different. He'd have to ask later. However, if Pierre's earlier warnings were to be believed, their connection would deepen sooner or later the more time they spent together.

            Since Carlton preferred never rather than sooner, he figured he'd try to get them out of there as soon as he could, even if it meant hearing them out. "What do you want Despereaux?"

            "I have some news from the other side of the world, and you're not going to like it." Pierre stated, looking uncharacteristically solemn. "News that every vampire who wants to keep breathing ought to hear."

            That's it? Maybe I really can get rid of them quickly.

            "Look, we already know about the phones. I imagine England is having it's own problems too. Mick said that the cleaners and people they have in the media will get a handle on it eventually." Carlton wasn't so sure, but he hoped it was true. It sounded more convincing when Mick said it.

            Pierre nodded sympathetically, "I'm sure they've said a lot of things, but after we saw a couple of vampires' heads on pikes we decided it was time to go."

            Carlton felt his stomach drop. "You can't be serious. This is the twenty first century, not the middle ages!" Mick and Coraline had told them about the French Revolution being a human run, systematic extermination of vampires. It was why the temporary cure was developed in the first place, but to have that happen now seemed almost surreal.

            Adam swallowed hard and stepped forward, "We were in Belgium. People were raiding houses. Using those phones to flush us out and cut people down. Some weren't even vampires."

            Oh my god. The other's need to hear this. Carlton acknowledged to himself. They won't want to, but they need to. How the hell am I going to just bring them in the house?

            "Okay Despereaux, but you know as well as I do that Spencer won't let Peterson within fifty feet of his house, let alone O'Hara and the baby." Carlton pointed at the younger man. "He needs to stay outside."

            Pierre huffed. "He can't wait out here. Perhaps inside the door? Shawn wouldn't let his fledgling stand outside in the sun all day, would he?"

            "What am I going to do Despereaux?" Carlton hissed quietly, "Look at Spencer and say, 'Oh by the way, here's one of the men who kidnapped you and stole your blood, but don't kill him, because he has something important to tell you?'

            "I suppose we could just leave. I'm sure you'll do alright for yourselves..." Pierre turned to walk away.

            Carlton knew when he was being manipulated, and wasn't about to give in, but something urgent in Pierre's tone made him concede. "Fine. Damn it, I'll do my best to keep Spencer on a leash while he's here, but I make no guarantees about my partner." He led them back to the front door. "This isn't going to go well."

            Sure enough when he opened the door, things were fine until Pierre, and finally Adam came into view.

            Shock, confusion, horror, and fear blasted his senses from all sides and Shawn visibly blanched before darting into the kitchen and out of sight with Felicity. Henry and Madeline followed closely afterwards with worried shouts of, "Shawn!"

            He thanked God that Shawn had been holding the baby when they came into the house or, if the rage radiating off of him was any indication, he'd have sent Adam right through the wall with one hit.

            As it was, Carlton's partner was one step ahead of her fiancé.

            "Who the hell do you think you are? Huh!? You aren't welcome in this house! Get out!" Adam winced as his back was slammed against the wall from Juliet's rush. Carlton managed to grab her as she was reaching into her holster, trying to free her side arm.

            "Cool it O'Hara. They're here to tell us something important."

            Juliet pushed herself away from him with a glare. "You can't be serious Carlton! You know who that is!"

            "Detective, please calm down. He's agreed to stay in the foyer while we talk." Pierre placated, and Adam nodded in agreement.

            "Well, I don't care!" Gus chimed in, looking mortified to even see Adam again. "He shouldn't be showing his face around here at all after what he did."

            Adam's face contorted in a snarl. "Hey! He killed my friends too!" A commotion from the kitchen, and a spike of anger from his sire spurred Carlton into action and he rushed to block the door as Shawn rounded the corner fully changed.

            "Spencer stop!" Carlton's breath wooshed out of him from the blow to his chest and he felt himself flying backwards. Wiry arms seemed to snatch him out of mid air and were the only reason he'd missed the couch. The momentum still brought him and Coreline to the floor on their backs.

            "Shawn no!"

            "Put him down!"

            "Oh my God!"

            As Carlton's equilibrium balanced and he looked up in time to see the 6'3" man a foot off the ground and Shawn with his clawed hand wrapped around Adam's neck. Pierre was apparently caught off guard as well; he was getting to his feet while rubbing his head where it had made a dent in the hardwood wall.

            "How about it tough guy?" Shawn put his face an inch away from Adam's. "You really think you can take me in a fair fight, or do you need to shoot me in the back?" His grip went tighter and blood welled up where his claws penetrated the soft flesh.

            Undeterred and just as pissed, Adam choked out, "How about I just rip your throat out. Wouldn't that be fair, Shawn?"

            "THAT IS ENOUGH!" All attention was on the elder vampire as Pierre had obviously decided the fight needed to end.           

            The surprised silence was broken by Felicity's frightened wail and it seemed to snap Shawn out of whatever rage had taken hold of him. He let go and Adam dropped to the floor, gripping his slowly healing neck as Shawn glared and backed away.

            Carlton could see that Shawn's hand's were shaking. He couldn't tell if it was from the adrenaline or if the other man was as scared as he was. The detective had expected a reaction, but not that one.

            "Are you alright honey?" Marlowe reached down and helped him off Coraline.

            He nodded, still keeping a wary eye on Shawn. "Yeah, I'm fine pumkin."

            "Lassie I'm−" Shawn faltered and turned to Pierre, "Despereaux I didn't−" He balled his hands into fists and stood there, defeated.

            "Shawn..." Juliet reached for him but Shawn shrugged her off. "Give me a minute." He quickly stalked through the kitchen to the back door. Carlton did his best to hide his wince in sympathy when Madeline backed protectively up from her son as he came through as she was trying to comfort Felicity.

            If Shawn noticed didn't react, he just kept on walking out the door.

----------------------------------------

            Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

            Shawn paced back and forth on the covered porch, gripping his hair and clenching his teeth. His footsteps echoed loudly on the old, worn wood beneath his Pumas.

            Remember what Mick said, they're watching you. You can't tip over the edge. You can't!

            Mick, hell everybody made it clear to him that if he messed up, it was his head. He'd barely made it through the test when he'd been feral. They didn't need to give him the first chance, and he definitely wouldn't get a second one. If he went that far again, he didn't even know if he'd want a second chance. A flame thrower to the face and it'd be 'problem solved.'

            It wasn't just the cleaners he was worried about though, it was what everyone had thought of him. How could he have done that to Carlton and Pierre? He didn't even remember crossing the room, let alone taking both of them down in the span of two seconds.

            Sure they'd understand why he'd gone after Adam. He was one of the guys that turned him into a wild animal in the first place, but what about the next time? It very well could have been his dad, or his mom... or Juliet. They wouldn't have just shaked it off like the vampires did.

            He could have killed someone.

            What about his mom's reaction with Felicity? Did they think he was a danger to his daughter? Was he a danger to his daughter?

            Shawn groaned at the thoughts racing through his mind. Just when things start to feel normal, the rug seems to slip out from under me. He didn't know why he was even surprised by it anymore.

            Hinges creaked and the back door opened. Shawn stopped his pacing to see Pierre step out onto the deck. Shawn immediately started in on him, "What the hell did you bring the sasquatch for Pierre?"

            He was still livid. Didn't the elder vampire realize how he'd react? Pierre's motivations had always been shady at best, but he'd usually seemed to have Shawn's interests in mind.

            Maybe that had changed...

            "Name calling? Really Shawn, you're reaching." Pierre raised his eyebrows.

            "Don’t even start with that!" He pointed his finger at the gentleman thief's nose. "He put me through a lot worse things than name calling and you just show up at my father's doorstep? Did you want that to happen? C'mon man!"

            Pierre pursed his lips, "Shawn, I realize there are some hard feelings between you and your progeny, but I imagine you realize he's going to be around a long time. You're going to have to talk civilly eventually."

            "I don't need you to remind me how long he's going to be living." Shawn leaned against the deck's fence. "You aren't the one who's got him in your head 24/7. I could tell something was wrong this afternoon, but I didn't know what it was until I saw him."

            "Surely you can control that by now, or you would have some very awkward evenings with Marlowe out of jail."

            Ew... not something I want to think about ever, again.

            Shawn hid his disgust with a scoff and turned to go down the porch steps and into the back yard. He needed to get away from the house, from everyone, including Pierre. It hadn't been helping that he was starting to hear voices from inside the house, and he didn't want to hear how concerned everyone was for him, again.

            "Is he going to be okay?"

            "Should we go out and see?"

            "You think Despereaux will even help?"

            "Hello, Adam right? My name is Coraline. I'm an old friend of Pierre's..."

            "There's been some problems in Europe." Pierre stated out of the blue, stopping him in his tracks and bringing his attention back outside the house. "Some very large problems."

            "We have problems here too Pierre." Shawn turned to face his friend. "99 problems, and my fledgling wasn't one... until you brought him here!"

            Pierre shook his head and approached him, despite the sunlight streaming above them. "I wish you could understand that I couldn't leave him behind. He wouldn't be safe there. None of us are. Not anymore."

            Shawn hadn't really thought what had been happening all the way across the ocean. It was all he could do to process what was happening with himself. He supposed he should have though, those phones were everywhere. It somehow made the situation much more spine chilling.

            Something in the back of his mind started to prickle. He felt like there was something he was missing. An important piece he'd completely glossed over while throwing the world's most well deserved Pity Party.

            With a huff of exasperation, Shawn paused and finally took the time to really look at Pierre.

            He saw the usually relaxed man was stiff and tense. He cocked his head and noticed other things as well; The seemingly always deliberate and poised thief was tapping his hand against his leg nervously and his gaze wasn't giving things the usual calm assessments that Shawn was used to. Pierre's eyes were darting and suspicious, as if actively looking for threats in all directions.

            He knew it wasn't because of the sunlight. It had been less than a minute since they'd been standing there. It certainly wasn't what he'd done to Adam, Pierre just admitted that he'd been expecting that kind of reaction. Something had the elder vampire, not just nervous, but scared.

            Pierre Despereaux was terrified. That in and of itself was terrifying too.

            His anger melted for the time being and concern took it's place. "What's going on, man? Tell me the truth."

            After a beat, Pierre asked, "Can you handle the truth?"

            Shawn couldn't help it. Despite his worry and stress, all it took was Pierre's sly smirk and 'A Few Good Men' quote to get him to break a small smile. "As long as I'm Tom Cruise and you're Jack Nicholson, yeah I can handle it."