Claire sat there watching the people walk back and forth, some hand in hand. She wondered if he'd show. If he wanted to know her despite her lies. On the off chance he did, was that even something she wanted for him? Claire wasn't sure if the need to keep him around was solely selfish. She'd tried to push him away, maybe it was a hair too late but she did try. Maybe it was half asssed at best but she still did try. Claire was sure about one thing. These next few minutes would confirm whether or not he'd be here.  And whether or not she'd stay.

"I'm not sure what you are. But if you really wanted to hurt me I think you'd have done it by now. So now all I have left are questions" Claire sighed at the sound of his voice. She wasn't going to get her hopes up though. She had answers to give, he may decide to walk away from her anyways.

"Ask away" Claire said simply.

"What are you" she sighed.

"I'm a vampire" he digested the information his expression never changing as he asked the next one.

"How old are you?" Interesting.

"178 I believe. Sometimes I lose count" Claire admitted honestly. Lucas chuckled a bit to himself. Dating an older woman seeing new heights.

"Ok. So that means you were born in 1845. When the town was founded... so you were there to see all this change" she shrugged, the marvel of time passing isn't so beautiful. Not when you long to be apart of it.

"Yes, I have" were the only words she could manage in response.

"What works against you? The lore for that is all over the place. I mean do you glow in the dark or do you disappear into a million bats. Clearly you're all immortal but can you be killed or are you like invincible?" Lucas couldn't help the word vomit he was experiencing. He wouldn't say it but he was more curious than scared.

"Wooden steaks work as do an assortment of herbs. Holy water, silver, and garlic are a myth. Crosses are pointless. Umm... no I don't do the bat thing or glow in the dark? We're extremely sensitive to UV rays and burn unless we have these. Rings that are spelled to protected us. As far as I know like I said we can be killed wooden steaks to the heart usually work. But make sure to be accurate if you do it because if not-" Lucas cut her off.

"You'll kill me?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Not me." Lucas paused again as he realized that she was probably the last vampire he had to worry about eating him. They were walking now, he wasn't afraid of her and he knew the best way to get the most information would be for him to leave with her.

"Do you know how many of you there are?" Claire shook her head.

"Not really. It's not like movies where they have a whole community and infrastructure. We spend a lot more time alone than you think" he frowned, that sounded lonely. Lucas could barely imagine living 30 years alone but 170 or more. He wondered who'd be in their right minds to choose a life like that.

"Well at least you have your sister" Claire looked away and shook her head.

"This is the first we've seen of each other in at least 30 or 40 years. And even then the last we saw each other it didn't end well" she said looking off remembering the last time she'd come to visit home.

"Why does she hate you?" He asked. Lucas figured since he was getting the truth. He might as well get all of it.

"When me and my sister were young, 19 I think I was... a man came to town. Julius. Julius Rios. Initially he had us both wrapped around his finger. Me and Val were OK with it because we saw it as a competition. The best woman would win. It began to turn quickly. The more we knew him the more possessed by him we became. We turned on each other most days. Regardless of how much love we shared we wanted to be the only one that Julius loved. That's when I found out, the night I told him I loved him. He told me the truth, told me he was a vampire and asked me to be with him forever. Asked me to allow him to turn me. Naturally I freaked out and I called him a monster and I swore I'd never touch him. That should've been the end of it... but Julius was a manipulator. A monster." Claire paused as she tried to get past her disgust.

"Vampires have a special ability. Compulsion. Essentially we can make you do whatever what we want to. All we have to do is look into your eyes and ask. This is what Julius did to keep me from leaving him. I don't know about Val she claimed he never did but the thing about compulsion is that if we ask you not to remember you won't. However when we died all the compulsion goes away. Vampires can't compel each other" Lucas listened and clenched his fists. This was the reason that Claire kept her distance at first. She wanted to know him but she was afraid. Afraid he'd be like him.

"Val made it seem like something that happened months ago. Not decades" Claire laughed and shook her head.

"The last night I saw Julius in 1864. The vampire hunting council led by our father had taken him. My father poisoned my blood with vervain one of the herbs I'd told you before that can hurt vampires. They dragged Julius off and chained him inside a church with at least 30-50 others. A church they burned to the ground" The story rang a bell in Lucas' mind as he recalled one of Milhouse's lectures.

"The church massacre was actually a vampire execution" Claire nodded as she recalled the screams and the begging for their lives.

"Me and my sister ran to protect Julius. And to cover up his greatest shame our own father shot and killed us. What he didn't know is that we were given Julius' blood for many nights before he'd shot us. When we woke that morning we were vampires and have been ever since. Val hates me because I made her complete the transition. And I got Julius killed" Claire said walking further away forcing Lucas to push to keep up.

"What do you mean complete it?" Claire sighed again.

"In order to complete the transition to vampire after dying with vampire blood in your system you have to drink human blood. Val wanted to die. She didn't want to be like Julius. I was weak. The first sign of blood I'd seen I took it. The hunger was too much for me to ignore. I couldn't bare to live like this alone so I tricked Val. And forced her transformation. She's hated me ever since" Lucas couldn't say he didn't understand Val anymore but he still didn't appreciate how he treated Claire. It was an obvious mistake that even she regrets. With so much time on their hands why spend so much time with so much anger?

"I understand. What brought you back here" the question made her smile a bit until she realized her answer may come off creepy. But her goal was to be as honest as possible.

"You did. Well technically, Alba brought me here. She's my niece. I come here every 10 or 20 years to see if they're OK. Check on the house" Claire said making Lucas stumble a bit. Having to remember that she was much older than him would take some getting used to.

"What do you mean I brought you here?" She sighed. This answer may make or break her but she knew what she would say before he even asked.

"You look like him. I don't know why. But you look exactly like him. Julius. When I saw you I thought you were him. All that hatred bubbled back up. I blame him for everything you have to understand that when I saw you I wanted nothing more than rip your head off your shoulders. Julius is much older than me and for vampires the older you are the stronger you are. He'd rip me in two without a plan. So I watched you. It didn't take me long to figure out that you weren't him. From there I don't know, call it fascination or curiosity. I wanted to know you. And then it spun away from me. I never wanted to be this involved. Vampires mingling in the lives of humans never went well. Typically you get us killed. Sometimes vice versa. But anyways the biggest reason I'm here is because I wanted to know you" Lucas walked away holding the old picture of Julius in hand. Claire had given it to him when she started talking.

He couldn't believe it. He looked exactly like him. They could be twins. Lucas didn't know how to feel.  A piece of him wanted to say that Claire had this weird obsession with Julius and wanted to date him twice but that was ridiculous. He basically violently abused her and her free will. Made her immortal without consent which has had God knows how many different effects on her. Nah. Claire definitely hated him, Lucas could tell by how she talked about him. After what she explained about compulsion how was Lucas supposed to know she was being honest. How could he trust a word she'd said?

"Have you ever used that compulsion thing on me?" Claire shook her head.

"It's not something I like doing. It makes me feel like him" she said looking away from him. That was dumb of him to ask and kind of insensitive looking back.

"I'm sorry I just... I'm trying to-" she cut him off.

"Decide if you can trust me? I understand. I'm kind of confused why you didn't ask me that earlier. As far as compulsion goes. I'll never do it unless you ask." He frowned. He couldn't imagine a scenario he asked to forget something. Not even this. Vampires exist, how dumb would he be to ask to forget. What if one was in front of him after she left? What would he do? He wouldn't know any better. Everything she'd said would be gone so he'd just die. How does that sound like a good idea?

"Thanks for the offer but no thanks" Claire smiled at that. Watching him digest this information was more entertaining than she expected it to be. Men are so slow "Was any of it real?" He asked suddenly throwing her off track. How could he ask her that?

"What do you mean?" Claire could only manage confusion in that moment. How could he truly think she lied about her feelings? Why would she? What did she have to gain? The question was insulting. Lucas could tell he'd upset her. Her lips pressed into a straight line and the amusement that was in her eyes fell away.

"Of course. I initially saw you and thought of Julius but the two of you couldn't be further apart. I don't even see him anymore when I see you. I can't. I can't hate him and love you at the same time if I saw you as the same person" Claire truly didn't see them as the same. How could she? Lucas was the man who cared enough to tell her that he was nothing like Julius regardless of what Val tried to make it seem. Someone who cared to know her and see her as she was. Nothing else. And Julius was a tyrant. He didn't care about her. She was a piece in his game that he could push around as he pleased. Claire would never be able to face that man without pulling his spine from his back. You couldn't feel that much for the two without being able to separate them.

Lucas could see that she telling the truth by the look she'd given him. She was really hurt by the question. Regardless of the lie she told about being a vampire Claire thought he wouldn't question her feelings. He couldn't be sure. How could he? She could manipulate every thought he had. Even before he knew Claire could compel him. Now that he knows how was he supposed to wrap his head around the fact that he still can't bring himself to walk away from her. After knowing everything. After hearing the secret he's known she was keeping from him. Lucas was looking at her now, the way her shoulders collapsed and her expression fell only made him want to kiss her and apologize. What was wrong with him? Claire could tear him in half but he still wanted to kiss her. To wrap her around him and never let go.

"I need time with all this. Thank you for truth finally. I'll let you know what I decide I guess" Lucas said finally pushing the dagger in deep. That hurt much worse than the question. Lucas walked away from her and all she could do was watch. A single tear falling down her cheek. She didn't feel betrayed. Claire felt rejected, like she bore her soul and was screamed at no in response. It was no less than she should've expected. Lucas was human and this was a lot. Claire could understand why he'd want no parts. She went into this knowing this would happen and yet. As she watched his retreating form disappear she could only cry.

Lucas was pushing himself to keep walking and not to turn around. Despite how he felt he needed to be smart. The woman admitted to being a monster and turning her sister into one. How could he stay? What kind of idiot would he be to stay with her knowing what she was? Claire was nothing but trouble, he should let her go and go back to something that he knew wouldn't steer him wrong. Opal was good and she was human. Like him. Why wouldn't he want something normal? Normal is the best thing for him. He lost his parents he didn't need to be thrown into this supernatural crap. Claire even said it herself vampires and humans always ended badly.

This was the right thing to do.