"Yes I am." Lily said with a smile.
"But... but how?" Alexander asked with wide eyes.
Wesley was working his way closer to Alexander and William.
"Actually, I was born this way." Lily said gesturing for the others to follow her.
They entered a large room filled with furniture. Alexander, Willie and Wesley sat close together on a couch while Lily sat herself on an elegant chair.
"It was my understanding that vampires couldn't reproduce because their bodies are dead." Wesley said, relieved that he didn't stammer at all.
"I believe that's true of most vampires, but vampires descended from Dracula are not dead." She said with a pleasant smile.
"Are you speaking of the childer of Dracula or the children?" Wesley asked cautiously.
"The children, of course." Lily said.
Wesley and Alexander exchanged looks as Willie decided what needed to be done next. "Poppa, can I show Aunt Lily? Can I?" Willie asked in typical five-year-old fashion.
Alexander thought about it for just a second then said, "Go ahead, show your Aunt Lily."
Willie gave a little push and let his demon form come to the fore.
Lily clapped her hands and smiled at her nephew's achievement. Willie made a few growls and snarls, much to Lily's delight as Alexander asked, "Does mom and dad know about this?"
"They know. Your father is such a speciesist bigot that we don't even talk about it in front of him." Lily said with disgust.
"And here all this time I thought he was just a regular bigot... William, you need to change back to your human form in case your grandparents come home." Alexander said, barely remembering to call his son William.
"Okay Poppa." Willie said sadly and changed back into his human form.
"So why isn't mom a vampire?" Alexander asked curiously.
"No one knows. Every now and again, one of our children comes out fully human. Personally I think that somewhere there is a deity with a sense of humor." Lily said conspiratorially.
Willie was wandering around the room, looking at everything.
"So what is he, I mean he doesn't look like a typical vampire." Lily commented.
"He got seamonster from me, it's a long story. We think that's what made me able to reproduce... lay an egg." He finished timidly.
"He got vampire from his father, Spike. You might know of him as William the Bloody, one of the Scourge of Europe." Alexander said with pride in his child's father.
"Oh yes, I met him once back in the old country, he was traveling with Angelus back then." Lily said in fond remembrance.
"Well we're staying with Angel, that's Angelus' name now that he has a soul. Anyway we're staying at his place since he's like William's great-grandfather." Alexander said, happy to have this connection with his aunt.
"It's nice to know that Angelus is still around. I must stop by to see him." Lily said happily.
"I think he'd like that." Alexander said with a smile, then considered something. "You said that you were descended from Dracula, but I've met Dracula and he looked like he was about twenty-five." Alexander said, confused.
"My father, your great-grandfather is Dracula, and he hasn't gone out hunting in nearly a hundred years. Whoever you met was just a vampire who knew some gypsy magic." Lily said exasperated. "There are a lot of wannabe's and posers trying to trade on the family name."
Alexander turned his head suddenly and Willie came running back into the room screaming, "The wankers are here! The wankers are here!"
Instead of scolding his child he just said sadly, "I know."
* * * * *
There was a sound of rustling bags in another room and the sound of a beer being opened before the grungey figures of Marilyn and Henry Harris made their way into the living room.
"Oh fuck! You here to mooch off us boy?" Alexander's father said as he flung his bulk into a chair and took a deep drink of his beer.
Alexander's mother came in and paused for a moment when she saw her son, then went to sit on a love seat near her husband.
"Nice to see you too Dad, Mom. I'd like you to meet Wesley, and my son William." Alexander said in a neutral tone.
"Your son? I thought you was a fag." Henry said as he took out a cigarette.
"I'm a grandmother?" Marilyn said, astonished.
"Yeah mom, you are." Alexander said, ignoring his father's words.
"So why'd you bring the little shit here? You're not dumping him on us, are you?" Henry asked as he took a deep drag off his cigarette.
"No, I just came for a visit to let you know that I'm okay and that you have a grandson." Alexander said, resigned. This was pretty much what he had expected.
"I'm going to go start lunch, would you care to help me?" Lily asked Alexander.
"Sure Aunt Lily."
As Alexander got up to follow Lily, Wesley and Willie automatically got up to leave.
"Come and let me see you." Marilyn said to Willie.
Willie cautiously made his way toward his grandma. Wesley and Alexander shared a glance and it was silently decided that Wesley would stay to watch over Willie.
* * * * *
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know you just wanted your parents to know their grandchild." Lily said sadly.
"Actually, I wanted Willie to know his grandparents. They're reacting just about the way that I expected." Alexander said sadly.
"I didn't realize that things were this bad, if I had only known I would have found a way to get you out of there." Lily said, nearly in tears.
"Don't worry Aunt Lily. I'm in a place now where I have friends who like and respect me, I have a wonderful son that is the greatest thing in my life. And if I have my way, this will be the last time I ever lay eyes on those two." Alexander said serenely.
"Alexander, don't give up on your family... okay, you can give up on those two, but the rest of your family will love and accept you just as you are." Lily said seriously.
"Thank you Aunt Lily, you know I haven't seen any of the family since I was about four years old. I don't think I can be part of your family. I don't know any of them. My family is with Angel, Wesley and William. But I would be happy if you could be part of my family." Alexander asked hopefully.
"When you least expect it, I'll be showing up for a visit. Like I said, I have some catching up to do with Angelus." Lily said happily.
* * * * *
Marilyn Harris held her grandson close and looked at him. There was no denying that this was her grandson, he had the Harris nose. "So tell me about your mother." Marilyn said softly.
Willie pulled back and said, "Name's Cordelia. Used to be a cheerleader. Now she's a receptnist." Willie said quickly.
Marilyn gave a little chuckle and said, "Is your momma beautiful?"
"Yeah, a naughty bit of fluff, my mum." Willie said, trying to work his way off his Grandmother's lap.
"Daddy, can we go with Poppa?" Willie asked with pleading in his voice.
"Why does the little shit call you daddy?" Henry asked gruffly.
"I was there when he was born and have watched after him since. When he began to speak, he called me his dad, and so I have been ever since." Wesley said shortly, wanting to be away from these repulsive people.
"So that's where he gets that limy accent." Henry said loudly.
"Excuse me, we're going to find Alexander." Wesley said, hurriedly leaving the room hand in hand with Willie.
"Bring me back a beer!" Henry called from his chair.
* * * * *
"Alexander, I must say I have a whole new respect for my father after meeting yours." Wesley said in an uncharacteristic show of emotion.
"Yeah, dad's something else. What say we get the hell out of here?" Alexander asked.
"Aren't you going to stay for lunch?" Lily asked plaintively.
"For you I will, Aunt Lily, but we will be leaving as soon as lunch is over. It's a long drive back to L.A." Alexander said calmly.
"Not as long as lunch is going to be with those two." Wesley said, then realized that he had said it out loud.
Willie put his hands up for his Poppa to pick him up.
"How you doing?" Alexander asked with concern.
"Grandma's breath is like tha ashtray in a west-end pub." Willie said with his nose crinkled.
"I'll have to take your word for it. Are you going to be able to eat lunch?" Alexander asked concerned.
"Is he having trouble eating?" Lily asked with her own concern.
"We're trying to wean him off blood, this will be his second day eating human food. And I've been giving him blood with his food, to make it easier." Alexander said while running his fingers through Willie's hair.
"Then why don't I just fix him some blood?" Lily asked him as she went to the refrigerator.
"But what will my parents think?" Alexander asked with worry.
"Do you really care what they think?" Lily asked in return.
Alexander looked down into his son's face and said, "Not at all, go ahead."
* * * * *
Lunch was served in the dining room to the sound of Henry Harris' bitching about having to leave the television in the middle of 'his show' and because no one thought to bring him a beer.
Lily had been determined to make the meal special, so she put out the good china and crystal.
When everyone was seated, she walked over to Willie's place-setting and filled his crystal glass with blood. Then she went to her place and filled her own.
Henry started to bluster and huff but Lily shut him down quickly by saying, "Henry, you are a guest in my house. If you have some objection as to how I entertain, you may keep it to yourself or leave." Then she turned her attention to the entire table. "I propose a toast to the newest member of the family, William Jesse Harris." Lily said and extended her glass.
Wesley and Alexander touched glasses with Lily, then Alexander lifted Willie so he could touch Lily's glass too.
Henry just sat sourly watching as Marilyn kept silently glancing at Henry to see his reactions.
"Can I Poppa?" Willie asked quietly.
Alexander just smiled and nodded his head.
Willie let his demon form come into being and began to drink his blood hungrily. Henry watched in disgust as Marilyn watched with tearful eyes.
The meal continued in near silence. Wesley's prediction about the seeming length of the meal had been spot on. The drive there had seemed like nothing compared to the stony silence and the air of tension.
"Thank you for the lovely meal Aunt Lily. We really have to go. I just came to introduce William to the family." Alexander said quickly after the last of the food was gone.
"Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I do hope that I get to see you if you come to Los Angeles to visit." Wesley said with genuine admiration.
"Thank you for coming, I hope to be able to visit you soon. I just came here to open the house for Henry and Marilyn and see that they were set up before I returned home." Lily said as she walked with them to the door.
"I guess you wouldn't know of a good place to go swimming around here, would you?" Alexander asked timidly.
"Actually, I do. There is a place about a mile down the road called 'Hippies Rock', the people there are very accepting of non-human people." Lily said sweetly.
"Here's Angel's address, don't let mom or dad get hold of it." Alexander said with a whisper.
"Go on you three, but remember to wait an hour after eating before you swim." Lily said with a smile.
"Bye Aunt Lily, I hope to see you soon." Alexander said honestly.
"Good-bye Alexander, Wesley, Wil." Lily said from the darkened doorway.