The Past

It took Tucker a couple of days to get used to vampires walking around the house but Veronica was never without Trevor. Cash and Emma were close a lot but Emma tried not to be around Tucker. She knew he didn't like her, not as a person but he didn't like the vampire and she couldn't blame him.

Tucker would kill her. He made her nervous a couple of times when they were alone in the kitchen. She would try to hurry or skip heating her meal up altogether. She didn't see much of Veronica because she was trying to stay away.

Tucker was torn. They were trained to kill vampires, not live with them. He understood that not all of them were bad but he only met bad ones.

It was tough to not judge them. He watched both vampires closely and never saw anything odd. Well, they never seemed to want to kill a person but he was still waiting.

Emma was cooking dinner when Trevor walked in the kitchen. He heard her humming. She sounded happy. He wasn't sure how that was going to work with them and it made him very nervous. He was glad he came but he was very worried. He called his wife and let her know what was going on. She just laughed.

"Good evening, Tucker. I'm making dinner for everyone and I hope that's okay. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't have eaten a meal cooked by a vampire."

"I was a hunter once, like you. I don't want to stop hunting. I'm sorry about the vampire thing but that isn't going to change anytime soon." She took a breath. She was nervous.

Tucker just nodded. Cash bounced down the stairs. "Need some help?"

"Sure. You want to cut up the lettuce for the salad. I got the veggies cut up." She loved to cook.

Trevor walked in with Veronica and sat at the table. "She's a great cook, even though she doesn't eat it." He was hungry. "I know this is weird and back in the day, I would have killed her but we are making it work. It's gotten weird lately." He looked at Veronica and she giggled in agreement.

Tucker stared at Trevor. "So you don't feel like you are betraying your family?"

Trevor smiled. "Nope. Veronica didn't kill my family and neither did Emma.." He stopped talking. Emma did kill their father and sister, Eve. "Sorry, Emma."

Emma stopped humming. She always carried guilt for killing their sister and their dad. She missed them a ton. They were a close family and she never quite recovered when her dreams were on repeat. She cleared her throat. "It's fine, Trevor." She wiped a tear. "I did kill my family." She whispered it.

"Emma, you don't have to. You don't owe us anything." Cash was wrapped around her. "Really, it's okay. We are all trained the same way." He had never had to do it though. They were lucky so far. Emma nodded and kept stirring. She made dinner in silence and set it on the table.

"Emma, this is wonderful. It smells delicious." Tucker couldn't help but compliment the meal. It was the best home cooked meal he has had in a long time. His wife didn't cook very well.

Emma nodded. "It still has about thirty minutes." It did smell good though.

She was still thinking about her family and Trevor knew it. They had thirty minutes for a story. Trevor was getting it out right now.

"So, we were on the field. Fighting. The usual afternoon for us. Our sister, Eve and our Dad were teamed up and Emma and I were flanking them. We were trying to keep the vampires off their back so they could set the bomb. It was a great bomb that my dad built. The radius was fantastic."

"Trevor!" Emma didn't want to talk about it.

"We need to talk about it, Emma. I don't blame you for anything. None of it was your fault. It was protocol." Trevor tried to ease her guilt.

"What happened?" Tucker had to know. He kinda had an idea. He watched Emma as he sat in a chair at the table. Cash was chopping veggies.

Emma sighed. "I hate this!" She glared at Trevor. "We were too late. My dad was about to push the button and they were supposed to have thirty seconds to get clear. More than enough time, really. This wasn't our first time out." She took a breath.

"I came around my dad's side as a vampire grabbed his foot and sunk his teeth into his leg. I watched him scream. Another poured blood into his mouth and I watched him turn as I killed the two attackers. It was a suicide attack, really. They had to know they were going to die but they didn't care. It was done. I was too late."

"He screamed and changed. He begged me to kill him but I had a few vampires attacking me. Eve was closer so she was going to kill him." Emma had tears.

Trevor picked up where Emma stopped. "I got there to see our dad attack Eve. He almost killed her. I helped clear Emma and she jumped on Dad and took his head." Trevor filled that in to give Emma a minute.

"I turned to watch Eve trying to breathe. She grabbed my hand and stabbed herself with my sword. I had to finish the job. I killed her too. I watched her die and I hit the button on the bomb and ran. More vampires were coming but the bomb took care of them. I thought that the bomb took care of them. It missed one. These guys were out to turn us all. It was their plan. It was the first for us. We had no idea when we arrived."

Trevor took over. "I met Emma in the woods. I knew that our family was dead. We were all that was left and I wasn't sure we could recover. I was so scared for Emma. She was quiet as we hiked back so I went to scout ahead."

Emma nodded. "Right. I was walking past a grove of pines. Tall pines. Something jumped on me from behind and was biting my neck before I could fight him off. His hand covered my mouth." She stopped.

"If you don't remember anymore it's okay, Emma." Trevor never talked to her about this part.

Emma wiped a tear. "No, it's not that. I remember. I just hate myself. I was a coward, Trevor."

"How were you a coward?" Trevor was lost.

"I knew that if I didn't drink his blood, I would die. I don't know how I knew but I did. I turned on him and sunk my teeth into him. I drank his blood and he laughed. I remember hearing him laugh. This was the plan. Turn us all. I knew he expected to turn me and then I would turn you, or kill you."

She cleared her throat. "I should have just died or killed myself. I didn't. I finished the vampire off and killed him. The change began ...it burned. I was burning. I ran to the house. It took everything I had to see where I was going. I never felt pain like that. I hid in my room and tried not to scream or breathe too loud."

"I changed in my room and must have passed out as some point. It was a couple of days later when I opened my eyes. I only know that because I looked at my phone. I sent a text to Eve before we left to fight and it was two days later when I checked it again. Everything was intense and loud. Everything in my body hurt. I dove out the window and ran from the house, to keep from killing my brother." She smiled.

"I could hear you, feel you down in the kitchen. I was going to kill you if I stayed. I got directions to a hospital from a man that I almost killed and I stole some bags of blood. It wasn't enough. A vampire named Rick found me before I killed anyone. I was starving and there wasn't a lot of thinking. He was great. He helped me a lot. Got me some safe blood and now it's been ten years." Emma was proud that she never killed anyone.

"I was pissed when I found out. She didn't tell me. I walked in her room to put something away and found empty blood bags in her trash. Sloppy!" Trevor glared at Emma. "She came home from work like nothing was wrong. She had hidden it from me for a month."

"Right. I kept having dreams that you were killing me in different ways. I was terrified." Emma cleared that up.

"Sure. You were living with a vampire hunter and you were a vampire. Probably scared shitless!" Cash added. He would have been.

"Basically. Trevor was furious because I kept the secret but didn't kill me. I was surprised." Emma looked at Trevor.

Trevor smiled. "I figured you had a month of opportunities to kill me and hadn't yet. I was taking the chance that you wouldn't. So far, so good."

Emma laughed.

"So, you knew what you were when you woke up?" Tucker asked.

Emma smiled. "Yes. I knew. I was so scare for a while. Trevor didn't know anything. I went to work. Worked my shift without a word. I got what I needed from Rick and I called when I was weak. Kind of like AA. He was very helpful. Still is when I need him." She saw a look from Cash. "He is an older vampire with an older vampire wife that would kill me, Cash! I never...there was never anything between us. I was just trying to survive with Rick's help."

"What? I didn't say anything!" Cash was surprised that Emma knew he was jealous.

Emma smiled. "I knew what you were thinking."

Malcolm smiled. "It was written on your face, Cash. You looked like you were ready to castrate Rick!" He chuckled.

"Shut up!" Cash glared.

"It's true!" Trevor teased. "Sorry."

Tucker smiled. "We all saw it." He thought it was sweet. He couldn't help himself. Did they put something in the water? Maybe it was the good food?

Cash glared. "Sorry, Emma. I guess I'm jealous."

Emma smiled. "Good. I promise that there was nothing. There is still nothing with Rick. I am all yours." She looked at the floor and covered her face. She heard Trevor chuckle.

"You're a disgrace!" He smiled at his sister. "Falling for a hunter, worst vampire ever!" Trevor laughed and held his vampire's hand. Veronica leaned closer to him.

"I'm sorry about your dad and sister." Tucker whispered. He couldn't imagine losing his dad.

"Thanks, Tucker." Emma looked at Tucker. "I am sorry about this, with Cash. I promise not to hurt him or turn him. I don't ever want to hurt him and I appreciate your patience. I know this isn't easy for you."

"No. But these two are always a pain in the ass!" Tucker smiled. "Well, mostly Malcolm."

Malcolm smiled. "True."

Trevor thought he would mess with Emma. "So? What are your intentions with my sister, Cash?"

Emma glared at her brother. Cash looked nervous and Trevor was happy. He was going for that look.

Cash cleared his throat. "I...this is pretty new still. I was hoping to date Emma a little longer before we talked about taking this to any other level. I'm not Malcolm!"

Malcolm scoffed. "Don't even look at me. I will never get married or think about it! Marriage is all you guys!" He had too many girls to sleep with.

Emma looked at him. "You don't believe in marriage, Malcolm? I know that Cash does." She looked at Trevor. "We only talked about getting married. Eventually."

"Oh, I believe in marriage, Emma. Wholeheartedly. That's why I never want to get married or date anyone seriously." Malcolm was nauseated just thinking about getting married.

Emma looked confused. "What? I don't understand?" Trevor, Tucker and Cash were all staring at Malcolm too. No one understood him. He was very alone most of the time.

He just wished for once he had someone understand him. He wondered why he was so weird. He was different from the rest of them and he knew it and wondered if Byron would understand him. He didn't know where that thought came from.

Malcolm took a breath. "Uh, Okay. What if I find the perfect woman and marry her?" He looked at everyone. "A year goes by and a woman asks me if I want to do a threeway with her and a hot girlfriend. I have to say no, I'm married." Malcolm looked appalled.

Tucker sighed at his brother, Trevor and Veronica did some staring of their own while Cash laughed until he had tears and Emma just stared at Malcolm. Emma finally spoke. "That would never happen?!"

Malcolm held up three fingers. "Three times and they were awesome. The first one was a date. Her hot friend tagged along. One thing led to another and we were all three naked in a hotel room. It was a hot night!"

"The second one was a group of drunk girls. I guess that wasn't a three-way, it was more like..." Malcolm was counting. "A seven-way. It was hotter than the three-way! The third one.."

"Malcolm!" Tucker interrupted him and everyone was happy. "We get it. You're a whore! No marriage for you and we are good without the details!"

Malcolm looked at everyone. "What? The third one was different. The details are the best part. There was a hot tub involved!"

"Malcolm. I will kill you!" Cash glared at his whore of a brother. Malcolm just smiled.

Emma smiled at Malcolm. "I get it. I'm sorry that I asked!" She laughed with Malcolm. She was beginning to see what Cash meant but she found Malcolm charming in a weird way. How did a serious conversation end with laughter? Malcolm had a gift.

He had no idea that no one wanted to hear about his exploits. She giggled for a few minutes. She was going to enjoy conversations with him.

Emma checked the food. "Dinner is done!" She pulled out a pan out of the oven and Cash put the salad on the table. Emma added a couple of dishes to the table and sat down. She was still laughing.