A few days later Julie is sitting in the back room staring at the dark television before her.

"You would see more colors if you turned it on." Alex says smirking as he sits next to Julie. When Julie makes no effort to comment or return the smirk he loses the smirk and frowns instead.

"What's wrong, Jules?" Alex pulls her into his side and just holds her. With his bitchy wife gone he's able to spend more time with both the kids and Julie. Something he's very grateful for. He finds that he's not even guilty at her being gone. Neither guilty nor sad. That's what gets him. Shouldn't he be one or the other? But he just shrugs off such thoughts and thinks about more pleasant things like Julie or his kids.

"I'm just thinking about how quickly the kids are growing. The older ones have already had their tenth birthday and in a few weeks the younger ones will be having their tenth birthday. Where has the time gone, Alex? I miss holding my little babies."

The younger children had caused a great deal of concern. It is unheard of for a human to have that many children. Hell it's unheard of for any of the supernaturals to have that many children in one go. Julie wasn't allowed to even get out of bed except to go to the bathroom. Even then one of the boys carried her to and from.

Because there were so many children they were born very early. Early even for vampires and there was more than a little concern that they wouldn't make it. One of Arthur's twins and two of Azlo's triplets almost died. If it hadn't of been for Adam and Aaron being there able and willing to do whatever they could to keep them alive...Julie doesn't even want to think about how close she came to losing her babies like Mary Ann lost her daughter.

"Hey, Alex, can't your father heal like Adam and Aaron?"

"Yeah, why?" Alex pulls Julie onto his lap so he could see her face better.

"Why didn't he heal your sister before she died?" Julie's question seems to echo around the room as all other sound seems to stop.

"He was too busy and wasn't there at her birth." Alex finally says. He doesn't remember much of that time, he was only in his first century and wasn't paying much attention to his family by that time. But after that he sure did.

"Too busy?" Julie bristles at this.

"Julie, calm down. It happened a long time ago. I know Adam has told you that our parents would never have won any awards for their parenting. They allowed other things that were less important come between them and what is truly important. I know it haunts my father to this day. Mom has long forgiven him, but he can't forgive himself.

"When Jessica was born I don't know who was more excited to welcome her to the family, mom or dad. Someone hadn't closed the door and we heard you tell Adam that something was wrong. Then we heard Adam's pained cry. 

"Jules, my heart stopped in that moment. I didn't even hear Aaron order Adam to turn you before it was too late. All I could hear was the cries of the babies crying because their mother died.

"Later, I found dad staring out at the night sky and saw him with tears running down his face. It's the first time I've ever seen him cry. He told me it was like hearing his little girl died all over again. The relief to hear your voice was almost too much. It was for my mother, she fainted and had to be taken to her room." Alex tells her in a voice soft from being lost in memories.

"The only other time I've seen my father cry was when he held Jessica for the first time. He was settling her down so she wouldn't wake you up. You were still recovering from your transition and giving birth.

"The look of love he had while he held her, I'll never forget it. 

"Then when he laid her down, he told me, the only thing he ever regrets in all the years he's lived is that he wasn't there for his family. That's why he was so angry when he found out we couldn't get a hold of him when we went against the rogues. He felt that he let us down again because you nearly died multiple times and he hadn't even met you yet. Adam could have lost his special one and he wouldn't even have had the chance to meet her.

"I've never seen anyone other than mom make a difference in dad. I've never seen anyone able to rein in mom, not even dad, not when she truly gets going." Alex stops with that not sure why he's even talking about some of that stuff. 

"Why has no one told me about this before?" Julie asks softly confused.

Alex leans down and kisses her, "It isn't something we like to talk about. If you haven't noticed, we don't like talking about the times in our life that caused us or we caused great pain to those we love.

"My sister's death caused great pain to my parents. Your human death caused all of us a great deal of pain. It isn't a subject we want to bring up and talk about." Alex tells her and holds her close just to reassure himself that she is still there and still living, well of a sort anyway.

Julie puts her hand on his cheek and holds it there. Alex closes his eyes and lets her love heal his old pain.

"You need to let the pain out if you want to heal Alex. I thought you all have learned that lesson by now." Julie's gentle words make Alex open his eyes.

"Is it wrong that I don't mourn Callie, Jules? I don't feel guilty about her death nor do I mourn her. I don't even miss her. Is that wrong of me?"

"You didn't love her, Alex. I think the first emotion I saw on your face after you got over your shock was relief. You didn't want her any more, but hadn't gotten to the point where you were willing to go through a divorce and all the pettiness that she likely would show.

"How is it wrong to feel what is honest and true?"

Alex pulls her closer to himself and gives her a real kiss. Julie pulls him even closer and deepens the kiss.

Alex takes her back upstairs and to his room.