Residents: Davina Derico, Rex Deric, Jenna Jeffress, Astra Derico
The day little Astra Derico was born was an awkward one. No one present could recall the birthing process, which was just as well, as babies coming out of places they shouldn’t isn’t exactly something one wishes to recall fondly.
Rex was quick to hand Astra off to Jenna, who was more family inclined. He wasn’t much for the bother of babies and was still reeling from the experience. Being a pregnant and of the male gender wasn’t exactly your everyday scenario. Jenna didn’t mind caring for little Astra and quickly grew quite attached to her. She thought of the small girl as her own.
Still, things were tense in the house long after the incident. Rex was distancing himself more and more. He rarely spoke to his aunt or his bride-to-be and could often be found sleeping the day away and roaming the nights. It was odd behavior that Jenna couldn’t help but notice. One of the rare times she happened to see him, she tried confronting him.
He didn’t even acknowledge her presence. Instead, he rose from his chair and left the room. Jenna was stunned to silence. Had she done something to upset him? She had pretty much taken over Astra’s care entirely… you’d think he would show some appreciation. She didn’t know whether to go into a rage or cry.
Rex’s mind was somewhere else entirely. He didn’t notice Jenna, his aunt Davina, or even little Astra. They didn’t exist at that moment. He’d spent the past few months trying desperately to finish what he’d started long before. Finally, that chance came in the form of an anonymous letter with; “Cemetary–midnight” scribbled on it in script writing.
Awaiting him was a familiar face. One he’d seen in the mirror since he’d been a young boy. It was Count Steven, his father.
“Ah… indeed you are the son of Sade.” Steven said as Rex approached him. “Your search for me was unnecessary. I have been awaiting you all along.”
“You know what I want.” Rex demanded, not letting his resolve falter. His father was a noble and intimidating individual, but he had spent far too long to be frightened off now.
At this, the Count grinned. “You need only look to find what you seek. It has been there all along.”
Rex turned around, his eyes scanning the headstone hurriedly. Sade Derico. His mother was beneath him, resting peacefully in the Valley’s own cemetary. Pink tulips, her favorite, decorated her marker. How did he miss this? Had he ever bothered to look?
“I did nothing but follow the instructions that she left with me…”
“My mother… she knew?” Rex spun around so fast he nearly lost his balance. “That’s ridiculous!”
Steven shook his head, “You will learn soon enough not to question that which cannot be questioned. Either way, I have fulfilled my part in this grand scheme. My time is done. There is only one thing left that I must do.”
The two exchanged glances. Rex knew what he spoke of… it was the second part of his quest. With the first task completed, he needed only to fulfill this before he could rest easily. He didn’t hesitate.
One night not long after the events that transpired in the graveyard, Rex called to Jenna. She was a little surprised, but entered the sitting room and nearly had a heart attack. Seated upon one of the arm chairs was Rex, pale as sheet paper. She knew almost instantly what had happened, even if her brain wouldn’t let her believe it.
“W-What have you done?!” She nearly shouted before shielding her own mouth. She didn’t want to wake Davina.
“I tried to tell you…”
Jenna shook her head, stepping back towards the doorway, “How could you do this?! Don’t you understand? I can’t believe you’d be so selfish…”
Rex rose from the chair, “I was prepped for this from birth. I was never meant to be normal, to live a normal life. As much as I tried to push you away, you would not budge. Now you must face the consequences I hoped to spare those around me of.”
Tears ran down her cheeks and she fled the room. Having an alien baby was one thing, but becoming a vampire? It was just too much. Why had she picked him out of all the men out there? Why was she so unlucky?
Davina wasn’t as surprised as Jenna. She had figured it out sometime earlier. There was nothing that could be done, his mind was made up. Now she had to do damage control. She had grown fond of Jenna and didn’t want to see her heartbroken for the rest of her life.
“You need to talk to Jenna.”
“She won’t speak with me,” Rex replied with a sigh. “She is not happy about what I’ve done.”
“Did you ever intend to marry her?”
He nodded. “Yes, but I can’t deny what was meant for me. She needs to understand that.”
“So make her understand. She’s gone through this much, it can’t be all that bad. You gotta enjoy the time you’ve got… regardless.” Davina closed her eyes. “I wish I had.”
Later that night, Rex left a note for Jenna when she got home. She waited until nightfall before approaching the small shed that had been erected to place Rex’s coffin in. She didn’t bother knocking on the door before entering. Rex was waiting for her.
He took her hand in his. She was tempted to pull it away, but felt something cold and metal sliding down her finger. She gasped, looking up at him.
“What… what do you think you’re doing?!”
“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
Jenna blinked, still unable to take her hand back, “Well… yes, I mean… but not like this! In a crypt, of all places!”
“I love you, Jenna. And if you feel the same, you will have to get used to me being a vampire… and especially crypts. Because they go hand in hand.”
She sighed, “Of course I love you, Rex. Who else would deal with the cold shoulder all the time and then alien babies and all the weird stuff that seems to follow you around?! But this is just ridiculous.”
“This is the one and only time I’ll say this… stop thinking. For just one moment, stop thinking logically and just let things be as they are.”
“…I’ll try.”
Jenna’s schedule soon changed to accomodate Rex’s. She stayed up nights and slept most of the day while still managing to care for little Astra. Davina was happy to finally see her nephew had something other than brooding to entertain himself with now. He was a very repressed lad.
Rex often teased Jenna about their first night together. She was prone to moments of sudden thought, and this was one such moment. She looked at him suddenly, her eyes wide in horror.
“This doesn’t mean you’re going to be hiding bodies under the house or anything like that, right?”
It took a moment for him to be able to respond. His first impulse was to laugh, the second to scold her for thinking he’d go out and murder random people. When he was finally able to speak, Jenna wasn’t happy. She saw he was on the verge of laughter and he did a horrible job of hiding it.
“No, Jenna. I’m a vampire, not a serial killer.”
She shot him a look. “Well, vampires need to eat people!”
“No… they drink blood. Zombies eat people… well, technically, they eat brains.”
“Fine… but where do you intend to get blood from then?”
He simply grinned.
Several months later, Jenna finally found herself pregnant. She was a little surprised. No one had told her that vampires were capable of giving/birthing children. Still, it was a pleasant surprise. She still cared for Astra, who was now toddling around. Rex took a much more active role in her now, finding her more interesting now that she could talk and learn. He enjoyed teaching her most of her skills.
Astra grew like a weed and was soon of age to enter the school system. Everyone was a little worried. It was obvious that she ‘wasn’t from around here’, what with her purple skin and pointed ears. But Astra was a lovely child, with a friendly disposition. She had no trouble making people forget how strange she looked with her charming jokes and witty banter. Now if only she’d stop telling her schoolmates that her dad was a vampire…
One morning, as Jenna was fixing breakfast, she felt her contractions start. It was a few days early. She found herself in a world of pain, cries of horror escaping her mouth. Little Astra ran in to see what was wrong and nearly screamed herself. After gathering her composure, she ran off to fetch Davina. They wasted no time speeding off to the hospital.
Jenna Derico fulfilled LTW (Captain Hero)
Rex Derico fulfilled LTW (Chief of Staff)