Andromeda Tepes awoke from a good night's sleep in her bedroom at her uncle Duke and aunt Sasha's house. She looked outside to see the beautiful white snow on the ground and smiled. It looked like it was going to be a perfect day for her. She dressed comfortably, yet elegantly as she always did before going down to join Duke, Sasha, and young Frankie for breakfast.
"Good morning 'Dromy, did you manage to sleep all through the night this time?" Sasha asked her niece remembering back before she had gone to meet the Moreland family and had stayed up all night.
"Yep, I did. It was certainly quite the trip going up to Canada and then coming back down. I'm glad I could help get Mister Hannibal to go to S.P.E.A.R. so that old problem might finally be resolved." Andromeda said as she ate breakfast.
"Yeah, I'm sure your father will be proud to hear how you calmed a powerhouse like Hannibal down." Duke complimented. "My interactions with him were troublesome."
"Well, I knew him when I was barely a toddler, I only knew him for so long before my father banished him after the Moreland incident." Andromeda said as she ate more of her breakfast.
Duke and Sasha now looked at each other as Sasha halted from feeding Frankie anymore breakfast as Sasha motioned for her husband to tell their niece something.
"Something wrong?" Andromeda asked.
" 'Dromy, uh, I know you didn't have the best introduction to him, but....Caleb Moreland is being released from the hospital today. He and Gloria will be coming over to see you today." Sasha said to her niece as she swallowed her breakfast.
"Oh....that's.....that will be.....nice. I can't wait to meet him." Andromeda said with a slight grin on her face.
"Andromeda are you sure you're okay with meeting him again?" Duke asked his niece with a concerned tone.
"Of course Uncle Duke, why wouldn't I be?" Andromeda replied with a large grin on her face.
"Because your old blood eyes are showing." Duke replied as Andromeda gasped and ran to the bathroom.
Andromeda looked into the mirror to see that her old blood eyes were indeed showing and she took a few deep breaths as she closed her eyes before opening them. She looked normal again.
"Don't let him see you like that," Andromeda said to herself. "Don't let him think you're a monster. Do this for Chase. Be strong for him." Andromeda said to her reflection.
Not too long afterwards, Andromeda called Chase and asked him to pick her up from her uncle's house. Chase arrived in no time and they drove over to his house. It was only Connor's family over there, as well as Nina. Everyone else was still waiting on Caleb to arrive.
"Hey, are you sure you want to meet him today? You can always just meet him another day if you'd like." Chase suggested as he saw the slight nervousness on his girlfriend's face.
"No, no. I've made up my mind, I'm going to meet him today. I think it'll be best if I...." Andromeda began to say before little Cali excitedly ran up to her.
" 'Princess Dromy! Princess 'Dromy! Can I play princess with you? I wanna pretend to be your....sub...ject." Cali excitedly asked.
"Well, I don't know....I was going to wait on your uncle...." Andromeda began to say before she saw Cali begin to look sad.
"Alright, I'll play with you." Andromeda sighed not wanting to make the young girl cry.
"Yeah!" Cali cheered as she followed into the playroom where she saw Kaida sitting down reading a book.
"Hello again Kaida, how're you doing?" Andromeda asked the young preteen girl.
"I'm fine, I heard Aaron was back, did he and...your sister make up?" Kaida asked trying to not sound like she hated Andromeda's sister.
"Yes from what she told me, she and Aaron made up and she said they shared a wonderful kiss." Andromeda said as Kaida sighed shook her head.
Andromeda thought it kind of sweet that Kaida had a crush on Aaron and she could see why, but she knew Kaida definitely needed to find a boy her own age. As Andromeda pondered Kaida's love life, Connor's son, Jay came into the room looking a little shy. Andromeda had noticed he had been shy the last time she had been there too.
"Hi Jay, how've you been? Well?" Andromeda asked as Jay gave a polite smile and nod without saying a word.
"Jay, come on, let's pretend we're Princess 'Dromy's subjects." Cali said grabbing her older brother's arm, following behind Andromeda amd placing a plastic crown for her head.
"All hail Princess 'Dromy, the most....bea...utiful princess in all the land!" Cali said as she and Jay gave a little bow with Andromeda sitting in a child size chair with a blanket over it.
"Oh, well, thank you very much. Now...uh...what can I do for my most loyal subjects?" Andromeda asked holding a baton Cali had also given her.
"Can you make me a beautiful fairy like my mommy?" Cali asked with glee.
"Okay....I shall wave my wand and you are now....a beautiful fairy." Andromeda said as Cali pretended to fly around the room.
"Now....Jay, what can I do for you to make you happy?" Andromeda asked as Jay looked to be a little shy still.
"Well Jay, what do you want?" Andromeda asked as Jay gathered enough courage to finally speak.
"Can your vampire powers help my daddy walk like other daddies do?" Jay finally asked as the question definitely took Andromeda by surprise. Kaida was even surprised by her little brother's request.
"I'm....I'm sorry Jay, I'm afraid I can't do that. That's not how my vampire powers work." Andromeda explained.
"Oh, okay. Then can you make me....a knight?" Jay asked as he got excited now.
"Sure, I wave my magic wand and now....you are a knight." Andromeda said as Jay went to go play with his little sister as she was still pretending she was a fairy.
Andromeda got up from her pretend throne and took off her plastic crown as she went into the living room and saw the Moreland family sitting in the living room speaking with each other. Connor was sitting on the couch holding up his son Colton and was making funny faces at him. Andromeda looked at Connor's crutch and her face falling as she held her left arm.
"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Chase asked seeing the look on his girlfriend's face.
"Y-Yeah, I'm just....I guess I'll be fine. Thanks for...." Andromeda began to say before Spark's voice suddenly interrupted her.
"Hey, I see Caleb and Gloria just drove up in their car! Their kids are here too. Kaida, Jay, Cali, your cousins are here!" Spark shouted to her children.
Andromeda now began to take in a few heavy breaths as she thought back to Tepes manor and Chase saw that she was taking in a few deep breaths.
"Andromeda, it's going to be...." Chase began to say.
"NO, IT WON'T BE! YOUR BROTHER HATES ME, I KNOW IT!!!" Andromeda shouted through tears as she now ran off to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
Chase was about to go after her, when Nina put her hand on her son's shoulder.
"Go meet up with your brother, I'll go talk to her." Nina said to her youngest.
"But mom she needs...." Chase began to say.
"Chase, let me speak to your girlfriend. She needs to know I care just as much as you do." Nina said as Chase nodded and went to go meet with Caleb.
Nina went to the bathroom door and knocked lightly on the door.
"Go away Chase." Andromeda cried.
"It's me Andromeda, it's Nina, may I come in? I want to talk." Nina said as she didn't hear a 'no' from the girl, Nina could hear the young girl from the other side of the bathroom door crying.
"You probably know I heard you out there. Now tell me, why do you think my oldest hates you?" Nina asked sitting down on the other side of the door where Andromeda could hear her.
"The....the...the last time I saw him, he shot my father in the head....and...and...pointed a gun at my sister. Then he....he said a relationship between.....between me and Chase wouldn't work....because.....I'm spoiled and he said that Chase is embarrassment to his father. I made your son an embarrassment to your family.....I'm sorry....." Andromeda explained through her tears.
Nina sighed, thinking back to her family's history with the Tepes family.
For over 20 years the families had been at each others throats for obvious reasons. The Morelands hunted vampires and the Tepes family were the quintessential vampire family. Over the years, many blows had been struck against both families. Jacob being maimed and murdered, Caleb scarred by Miro Tepes, Connor's injuries. It was natural that animosity would exist, especially when the Moreland's struck back.
Miro Tepes was slain, Dracula's castle reduced to rubble, the deaths of Duncan and Hannibal, and most recently Caleb lodging a bullet into Wyatt Tepes forehead. This was a feud that could last generations, eventually leaving all involved destroyed. Nina, though, realized something. Andromeda and Chase had a chance to finally end this feud.
"Andromeda," Nina said softly. "Look..I..I understand the fear. I honestly feel it myself. Our families have been engaged in a blood feud longer than both you and Chase have been alive."
Andromeda remained quiet, Nina hearing the dhamphir girl sniff behind the door. "I can't say this is going to be easy," Nina continued. "I wish I could. Wounds this deep and personal take time. It's partly my fault. My Jacob...well I've missed him since he was taken from me. I blamed your family for that for a long time. I realize though, I was wrong. You, Chase, neither of you have the old prejudice and that's a beautiful thing. You two...I believe in my heart of hearts that you can finally help both families heal."
"You think so?" Andromeda sniffed, the door cracking slightly.
"I do," Nina replied with a warm smile. "And more importantly, Chase does. I know my son Andromeda, he's a bit of a knucklehead but he has a good heart. If he believes in you, then I do as well." Andromeda opened up the door and Nina couldn't help but open her arms toward the girl and embraced her in a hug.
They both felt like they wanted to say something, but instead, Nina wiped the tears from Andromeda's eyes as Andromeda smiled up at her. It was a moment that didn't need words.
Outside, Gloria now put the car in park. The pair quiet as they stated at Nina Moreland's house. Chase and Charlotte came out to the car and opened the back door to get their nephews out of the car.
"You three little rascals come on in with me and your uncle Chase. Y'all get to meet a real genuine princess today." Charlotte said to the trio of boys as she picked up Hank from his carseat and Chase went to the other side to get David and Marcus out of the backseat.
"Are you guys coming?" Chase asked his brother and sister in-law.
"We will be Chase, just....just give me and your brother a minute." Gloria said as they watched Chase and Charlotte bring their boys inside the house with Chase managing to hold both David and Marcus up while Charlotte held Hank in her hands and put her hat on the young boy's head making him smile.
Gloria now looked back over to her husband in the passenger seat and still wearing the bandages from the hospital that he'd have to wear a while longer.
"So are you ready?" Gloria asked.
"Not sure," Caleb said softly. "Last thing I ever expected was for my baby brother to start dating a member of the Tepes family."
"Is that why you have the gun on you?"
Caleb glanced down at his jacket. Hidden in amongst the bandages, Caleb had concealed a small revolver, equipped with silver bullets.
"Can't be too careful," Caleb smirked. "It's the hunter's way."
"Not today," Gloria said softly. Slowly the wizard reached over, gently taking Caleb's firearm and storing it in the glove box. "Glo what happens if...?"
"Nothing's going to happen," Gloria reassured. "I'll be here. You know I can handle myself and besides...you can barely walk right now Caleb. How are going to fight a vampire?"
"Technically she's a dhamphir and I've been in worse shape."
Gloria chuckled, leaning over to place a gentle peck on her husband's cheek. "You're a stubborn ass sometimes Caleb Moreland but I still love you."
Exiting the car, Gloria now walked to the passenger side, slowly assisting Caleb to his feet. As the hunter now leaned on Gloria, they gazed at the front porch, spotting Nina Moreland standing next to Andromeda. The dhamphir girl looked nervous, wringing her hands as she shyly averted eye contact.
With a grunt, Caleb let Gloria assist him, the pair walking towards Andromeda slowly. As the hunter now stood in front of the nervous dhamphir girl, he oddly found himself thinking of when his own wife met his parents for the first time. Hopefully, he could put Andromeda at ease the way his parents had done for Gloria.
"Caleb Moreland," he grinned, slowly extending his hand. "Very nice to meet you Andromeda. Let's head inside to talk." Andromeda gave a polite smile and then looked towards Gloria.
"Hello, I'm Gloria Moreland, it really is lovely to meet you." Gloria said shaking Andromeda's hand.
Inside the Moreland home, Jay and Cali were excited to see their cousins, David and Marcus, while Charlotte put Hank down next to Colton on the floor and they played with their own baby toys the two shared together with. Charlotte then went into the kitchen and brought out a tray with hot chocolate cups out for everyone.
"I thought that it might be a little chilly today, so I made hot chocolate drinks for you all." Charlotte said as she set the tray down on the coffee table and everyone took a cup in their hands and drank theirs. Andromeda got a little giggle as she looked at Chase who enthusiastically drank his and got a little mustache from it.
Gloria watched as Chase now shared some of his marshmallows with Andromeda which she accepted finding it an adorable sight between the two.
"So....tell us Andromeda, how did you and Chase meet?" Gloria asked now intrigued to know how the young lovestruck couple found each other.
"Well, since this house isn't that far from my uncle Duke's, I was actually riding one of their horses out in the field and a wolf came out of nowhere and practically startled the horse as it was barking at it. I almost got reared off, that was...until....." Andromeda felt a little embarrassed to finish.
"Until my twin brother became your knight in shining armor and rescued your pretty self and you two fell madly in love, that about cover it?" Charlotte summed up as Chase now looked a little embarrassed.
"Wait, Chase, did you tell your sister about me before anyone else?" Andromeda asked surprised.
"Well....yes, I mean....kind of." Chase said blushing and rubbing his neck.
"Glad to know you trust Charlotte more than me." Caleb said sarcastically.
"Ah, don't let it get to you bro, it's not as bad as the time I snuck into an 'R' rated movie at thirteen and there was this guy who....oh, wait, uh....you know what? Forget I was saying anything about that. So....Andromeda, the last time my brothers were in the vampire realm? I reckon that wasn't Chase's first time there?" Charlotte asked trying to change the subject.
"Okay, no, it wasn't. The first time I went over there, Aaron and I actually went over there when her family was having a ball." Chase explained.
"Aaron was there too?!" Kaida said almost seeming to pop out of nowhere when Aaron's name was mentioned.
"Yeah, he was kind of there, both looking out for me, and making sure I didn't do something stupid." Chase explained to them all.
"Well, you gotta admit your idea did sound a little stupid. You went over there, hoping to see your girlfriend and have a dance with her and hope her father didn't meet you right away." Caleb surmised as everyone shared a little laugh making Andromeda smile knowing things were progressing well.
"So you guys didn't get caught did you?" Gloria asked as Andromeda took a sip of her hot chocolate and nearly gagged on the drink from a little laugh.
"Uh....almost immediately and it was pretty much Aaron's fault." Chase explained.
"I doubt Aaron would've done something dumb and get caught." Kaida said expressing her doubt.
"Well Kaida, get this: Aaron ran into, of all the people we could've met there," Chase explained.
"My Aunt Hanako." Andromeda continued as Caleb and Gloria and all the other adults now got a few interested looks from the two.
"Yes, and Aaron's best lie he could come up with was that we were the potato peelers." Chase said as the adults laughed but Kaida still found her uncle's story a little hard to believe.
"So, I'm guessing your girlfriend bailed you out then?" Gloria guessed.
"She did. I can still remember how she looked. She wore an off the shoulder backless sparkling ruby dress, her hair was done up high in a ponytail with her locks ending in ringlets. She was absolutely the most amazing vision in that moment to me." Chase recalled as he looked at Andromeda and she gave him a kiss.
"So I take it you two danced the night away after getting out of there." Nina said raising her eyebrow at the two.
"We did, before my sister and Aaron caused a bit of a commotion, but that's a story you'd have to ask them about." Andromeda said.
"So, I heard from my brother that you have....a good singing voice?" Caleb now asked sounding a bit confused.
"Oh, yeah, it's sort of something I discovered all on my own. I do a little harmonics and animals come up to me like in a fairy tale." Andromeda explained.
"I believe it, anything else you can do that's special?" Gloria asked as Andromeda gave a thought and then looked at her glass of hot chocolate she had finished.
"You know I am still a little thirsty, maybe I could have a glass of milk. Kaida, do you think you could get me a glass of milk?" Andromeda asked.
"Why? You can just get it yourself?" Kaida said rolling her eyes as she then looked at Andromeda to see her making cutesy, baby bunny eyes at her as Kaida tried to look away but had a hard time doing it.
"Please Kaida? I'd really appreciate it." Andromeda asked sweetly as Kaida gave in and went to the kitchen and poured Andromeda a glass of milk then came back and handed it to her.
Spark now leaned forward from where she was sitting and looked towards Andromeda.
"Please, for the love of god, teach me how to do that." Spark begged as Andromeda chuckled as did a few of the other women almost considering to ask her as well.
"Say Chase, do you mind helping me into the kitchen I want a little private talk." Caleb asked as he looked at Andromeda and nodded that it would be okay.
Chase now helped his brother get up into the kitchen and leaned him on the counter as Caleb didn't say anything for a moment and watched as the women spoke.
"Chase, I owe you an apology. For what I said back at the manor, you're not an embarrassment and I know dad wouldn't be embarrassed about this. Hell, I think he might actually be god damned proud of you, because....I'm proud of you. You've done a great thing for our family and for hers. I love you baby brother, merry Christmas." Caleb said smiling as Chase listened and smiled back.
"Thanks Caleb, merry Christmas." Chase thanked as the two got ready to head back into the living room, Caleb thought he saw something out the window but shook it off. Everyone inside the Moreland home was having a good time and enjoying their holiday merriment.
What none of them knew or noticed, except for Caleb, was that someone was watching them from out the window, the figure looked around at all the men and women and young children in the household and he paid special attention to Chase and Andromeda as they shared a kiss together. He gave a smile and nod, and though no one would have noticed him, the spirit of Jacob Moreland was watching his family from beyond with love, and then he was gone again.