This story was originally written as a way to earn money for 
SafeSpace, a domestic violence and abuse shelter for women and
children. The fundraiser brought in nearly $450 to the shelter,
and we thank everyone who "bought" the story with their
contributions. We feel it is now time to make the story public.
I hope you enjoy it. -- Nancy


DISCLAIMER: 
The characters of Nick and Natalie are not mine. They were created by
James Parriott and Barney Cohen and are owned by Sony/TriStar. No
copyright infringement was intended. This alternate universe and the
characters of Laurene, Krissy, Kayla and Jeremy are my creations.

WARNING: 
This story contains ADULT situations. It deals with the aftermath of
child sexual abuse and is graphic in its descriptions. It also
contains sex scenes between consenting adults (m/f -- Nick/Natalie).

AUTHORS' NOTES:
My participation in this story came about one day through a discussion
with Nancy about her character Jeremy.  I have worked with severely
disturbed/abused children in the past and we talked about how things
would affect him and how he'd react.  Eventually, Nancy asked me if
I'd like to help write the next story in the series.  Loving her
"Laurene Series", I readily agreed.  Finally, during our discussions
on the story, I suggested that we could make this into a benefit for
SafeSpace, Inc., since it tied in so nicely with Nick running a
shelter, and this charity event was born.

I want to thank Nancy for allowing me to play in her universe.  I'm
truly honored!  And I wish to thank her for such a wonderful, fun
writing experience!  It was a true pleasure working with her.  I hope
we can do it again sometime. -- Jeri

~~~~~~~~~~

I would like to add a tremendous THANK YOU to Jeri for all her hard
work on this story. She put in more than her fair share, then insisted
I take the top billing because this was my universe. Without her
expertise with abused children and her excellent editing abilities, 
this story would not be the powerful piece that it is. -- Nancy

Comments are always welcome. Please contact us at:
Nancy A. Taylor <nat1228@home.com>
Jeri E. Friedman 



THE LADDER BY WHICH WE RISE
by Nancy A. Taylor and Jeri E. Friedman
(c) June, 1999
Posting September, 2001


     They were gaining on him. He ran as fast as his small legs would
carry him. He could see their glowing red eyes and fangs dripping
saliva. His little heart pounded in his chest. His lungs heaved, ready
to burst. Jeremy felt teeth sink into his leg and he screamed.
     Jolting awake with a loud gasp, he began to cry. The light in his
closet that was always left on at night wasn't enough to comfort him.
Clasping his love-worn teddy bear, he climbed out of bed. Barefooted,
he padded softly across the hallway to the closed bedroom door of his
parents. Without knocking, he entered. The little boy's mouth dropped
open and his eyes grew wide.
     On the bed, unaware of their small visitor, Nick and Natalie were
making love. Totally nude, the blanket shoved aside, he was on top,
thrusting hard into her. They were moaning, grunting, growling, and
panting. Suddenly, she cried out as orgasm overtook her. Jeremy began
to scream and ran toward the bed. "STOP HURTING MY MUMMY! LEAVE HER
ALONE! LEAVE HER ALONE!" He began flailing at Nick with his teddy
bear.
     Laurene, awakened by the commotion, ran down the hall and into
her parents' bedroom to find her brother pummeling her father on the
buttocks. Startled and already fully vamped, he pulled out of Natalie
and whirled around, snarling at his attacker -- until he saw who it
was. "Jeremy!" His voice was rough with lust.
     Stunned, Natalie sat up and covered herself with the blanket.
     Seeing the monster of his nightmare alive before him, Jeremy
froze and let out a blood-curdling scream. The bear slipped from his
small hand to drop into the puddle that had formed on the hardwood
floor at his feet.
     Nick reached for him. He screamed again, turned, and flew out of
the room.
     Jumping out of bed to follow, Nick froze when he saw his daughter
standing just inside the doorway, her mouth open in shock. Her eyes
were glued to his massive erection.
     "Laurene." He turned away, embarrassed that she'd seen him like
this.
     Grabbing his silk bathrobe, he hurriedly put it on. Natalie was
too shocked to move or utter a sound.
     Nick turned to face his stunned daughter. His eyes had returned
to their normal deep blue. His fangs had retracted and he was no
longer erect. "Pumpkin, we'll talk later, okay?" he reassured her. She
nodded.
     Just then Krissy and Kayla started to wail, awakened by all the
screaming. Natalie found her voice. "I'll get them."
     "I'll get Jeremy. He's going to need dry pajamas," Nick noted as
he looked sadly at the puddle surrounding the stuffed toy.
     "No, Daddy. Let me. You'll only scare him more."
     "All right, Sweetheart. I'll clean up here." He kissed her on the
top of her head.
     Laurene knew exactly where to find Jeremy. Getting down on her
belly, she looked under his bed to see him huddled in the corner up by
the headboard. He was trembling and smelled strongly of urine.
"Jeremy, it's me. Please come out."
     "No! No! The monster will get me! He hurt Mummy."
     "Jeremy, Daddy's not a monster and he didn't hurt Mum."
     "Yes, he is! I saw! I saw! And I heard Mummy cry." Big sobs shook
his small body.
     "Look, Jeremy, I want to talk to you, but you have to come out
from under there. And you need clean pajamas. Don't you feel all
yucky?"
     The sobbing stopped after a while and a soft voice answered, "Uh
huh."
     "I'm going to lock the door, and it will be safe to come out. I'm
the only one here. Okay?"
     "Okay."
     When he heard the click of the lock, Jeremy emerged from his
cramped hiding place. He stood watching as Laurene got out a pair of
clean pajamas.
     "I really need to wash you before we put these on. Will you go
with me into the bathroom if I make sure the coast is clear first and
then lock the door?"
     He nodded.
     Once in the bathroom, she stripped off the wet pajamas and dumped
them in the sink. She lifted Jeremy into the tub, proceeding to bathe
him as she talked. "Daddy wasn't hurting Mummy, even if it looked and
sounded like it. What they were doing is called sex. It's how mummies
and daddies show they love each other. They touch each other's bodies
in special ways. It doesn't hurt."
     "Yes, it does! Uncle Bobby did sex to me right there, and it hurt
real bad." He put his hand on his rear end. "I saw Nick put his big
thing in Mummy and she cried, too."
     Laurene noticed the use of "Nick" instead of "Daddy". She wasn't
sure what to say. When she and her mother had talked about sex, she'd
been told it didn't hurt; that it felt good. She couldn't understand
why her mother would have cried. Her father would never do anything to
hurt her. He loved her. Of that, she was sure.
     Jeremy's statement of what his Uncle Bobby had done to him
horrified her. After seeing her father's penis, she couldn't imagine
how something so large could fit into her brother's tiny rear end. No
wonder he was so afraid of monsters. 
     She looked down at the little boy whose trusting eyes gazed back.
"What your Uncle Bobby did to you was wrong, Jeremy. Grownups aren't
supposed to do that to kids." 
     He shuddered visibly as he remembered how frightened he'd been;
how much it had hurt. Now he lived with another monster but this one
really did have glowing eyes and big teeth. He shook uncontrollably.
     "Jeremy? What's wrong?" Laurene lifted him out of the tub and
wrapped him in a large towel, cuddling the terrified child.
     "I saw Nick's eyes shining red and he's got big, long teeth." His
eyes grew wide and filled with tears. "And he's got a big thing just
like Uncle Bobby. I don't want the monster to hurt me!"
     He threw his arms around his sister's neck. She hugged him
tightly.


     Nick had mopped up the puddle of urine and placed the bear in the
laundry room. With his vampiric hearing, he'd overheard Laurene and
Jeremy in the bathroom. It broke his heart. His beloved little son
called him a monster and was now terrified of him. He wouldn't even
call him "Daddy" anymore. Blood tears ran down his cheeks.
     Natalie returned from the nursery after getting the twins back to
sleep. "Nick? What's wrong?" She sat beside him.
     He looked up with mournful eyes. "Jeremy thinks I'm going to rape
him like his mother's boyfriend did. He saw the vampire and thinks I'm
a monster. My own son is terrified of me!" He broke down.
     Wrapping her husband in her arms, she held him as he wept. "It'll
be all right, Sweetheart. We'll get through this. Laur and I will make
him understand. It'll be all right." She tenderly stroked his golden
curls.


     Laurene dressed Jeremy in his clean pajamas and led him back into
his room, locking the door.
     While in the hallway, she'd heard her father crying and knew he'd
heard what Jeremy had said. She was determined to make her brother
understand that his new daddy was special. "Come sit next to me. I
want to talk to you."
     The little boy hopped up on the bed and cuddled up to his big
sister. She gave him a hug.
     "Tell me, Jeremy, the whole time you've been here, has Daddy ever
hurt you?"
     He sat quietly thinking, then shook his head.
     "Has he ever hurt me or the twins?"
     He thought again. "No."
     "Did he try to hurt you just now?"
     "He tried to grab me!" came the instant reply.
     "Daddy was only trying to stop you from running away so he could
talk to you. I was there, Jeremy. I saw."
     "No! No! He was going to hurt me. I saw his teeth and his eyes
and his thing!"
     "Then why hasn't he come to get you?"
     He stopped squirming, sat still, then softly replied, "I don't
know."
     "It's because Daddy loves you very much and would never hurt you.
You walked in while Mum and Daddy were loving each other. You didn't
understand what they were doing."  Jeremy listened intently to his big
sister. "You surprised Daddy when you yelled at him.  When he turned
around, you saw his secret."
     "That he's a monster with a big thing?" His eyes grew wide.
     She couldn't help but laugh at that. "No, silly!" She kissed the
blond curls that were so much like her father's. "He's a vampire --
and that's a secret."
     That got his attention. "You mean like Dracula on TV?"
     "Sort of. He doesn't turn into a bat when he flies."
     "But Dracula is mean. He hurts people!" The fear returned to his
eyes.
     "Daddy's different. He's a good vampire. He helps people. He
helped you, didn't he?"
     The little boy nodded slowly. "He was nice to me when my Mummy
ran away."
     "See?" Laurene smiled.
     "But ... I saw his big thing! It's real big!"
     "Well, that's because Daddy is big. And it's called a penis. You
have a little one because you're small. When you grow up, yours will
be big, too. Just like when I grow up, I'll have big breasts like
Mum." She put her hands on her chest.
     "He put it in Mummy. I saw. He hurt her like Uncle Bobby hurt
me."
     Laurene couldn't believe she was having to explain sex to a
four-year-old. She wasn't so sure she understood it all herself. "No,
Jeremy. Girls have a special place called a vagina. When they grow up,
it gets big. So when Daddy wants to love Mum, he puts his penis in her
vagina, not her rear end, and it makes them both feel good. It doesn't
hurt. Honest."
     "Why did Uncle Bobby put his penis in my rear end?"
     "Because he's a bad man who hurts kids. No one is supposed to
hurt children like that. That's why Daddy brought you home and adopted
you, so Uncle Bobby could never hurt you again. Daddy loves you and
will always protect you. Like he protects me and the twins."
     Jeremy stared intently. "Oh."
     "Daddy used to be a policeman before we moved here."
     The little boy perked up. "Really?"
     "Yup! Being a vampire helped him catch the bad guys. But it's a
secret that Daddy's a vampire. You can't tell anyone."
     "Why?" He relaxed a little.
     "Because it scares people just like it scared you. And if they
find out, they'll try to hurt Daddy. People don't understand that
Daddy's a good vampire, that he helps people. Besides, he's a lot of
fun at Halloween!"
     "Nick won't hurt me?"
     "No, and he's still your daddy. He loves you."
     Taking Laurene's hand, Jeremy led her to the door. He unlocked it
and slowly opened it just far enough to stick his head out. Looking
across the hall, he could see Nick and Natalie sitting on the bed in
each other's arms.
     Pulling his head back in, he closed the door. Sad eyes looked up
at his sister. "Daddy's crying, Laur. Mummy's hugging him."
     She picked up the little boy and held him close. "That's because
Daddy's so upset that he scared you. He didn't mean to."
     "I didn't mean to make Daddy cry."
     "I know. It was all just a big mistake. That's why when a door is
closed, you're supposed to knock and wait for someone to tell you it's
okay to come in."
     Jeremy was yawning and his eyes kept fluttering shut.
     "Let's get you back to bed. You're safe here. No one will hurt
you."
     "Where's Bear?"
     "He got wet when you dropped him on the floor. Mum will have to
wash him in the morning. Would you like Sidney to sleep with you?"
     "Oh, yes!"
     "I'll go get him. Stay here."


     After tucking Jeremy and Sidney into bed, Laurene went across the
hall to talk to her parents.
     Nick had calmed down and Natalie was wiping the bloody streaks
from his face when she entered the room. "Daddy? Are you okay?"
     He held his arms out. "Yes. Come here, Pumpkin."
     She ran to him, and throwing her arms around his neck, sat on his
lap.
     "Is Jeremy okay?" Natalie stroked her daughter's hair.
     "Yeah, Mum. I bathed him and dressed him in clean pajamas, then
put him to bed with Sidney. He missed Bear."
     "Thanks, Honey. I'll wash him tomorrow."
     Nick kissed his daughter on the head. "I am so proud of you,
Pumpkin. I heard what you said to your brother." He saw her puzzled
look. "What is it?"
     "Well, Jeremy said you made Mum cry, but you," she turned to her
mother, "said sex doesn't hurt. You said it feels good ... that it
only hurts when someone does it by force. Like what was done to
Jeremy."
     The two adults exchanged glances. Kayla chose that moment to let
out a howl, followed by Krissy.
     Smiling, Natalie rose and patted Nick on the shoulder. "You're on
your own with this one."
     "Nat ... wait." He turned back to his expectant daughter,
grateful that vampires couldn't blush. "When did you come in the
room?"
     "When Jeremy was hitting you with Bear. Right after he screamed
that you were hurting Mum. Right before you turned around. I thought
he meant because you had your penis inside Mum...."  Nick swallowed
hard at her matter-of-fact statement then noticed her eyes turn sad.
"I thought he was thinking about what happened to him. But he said you
made Mum cry. I didn't see her crying, but you both were making a lot
of noise."
     Shifting nervously, he took a deep breath. "Ummm ... remember
what Mum told you about how babies are made?"
     "Yeah."
     "Well, ummm ... you saw me, uh, when I turned around?" Nick was
so flustered, he felt like he would pass out. How did Nat ever get
through this?
     Laurene sensed his extreme discomfort and said, "Daddy, don't be
embarrassed. It's only sex -- even if it is yucky."
     "Out of the mouths of babes," he said under his breath, smiling.
Then he told her, "Well, sex is a very private thing between mummies
and daddies. It's kind of a hard thing to talk to children about."
     "I know. It was hard to talk to Jeremy." She smiled back as they
hugged.
     "Anyway, you saw me when I was standing there, right?"
     "Yeah, your penis was sticking out straight."
     "Uh huh. That's called an erection. That happens when Mum and I
touch and kiss a lot. It's how my body -- any man's body -- gets ready
to put the sperm in Mum to make a baby."
     Laurene got excited. "We're going to have another baby?"
     Nick laughed. "No, no, Pumpkin. The twins are enough for now.
Parents make babies that way but it's also how grownups like your Mum
and me show our love for each other."
     "I know. Mum told me that when she was explaining about what
happened to Jeremy."
     "Okay. So, when I'm ready, and Mum is ready, I put my penis in
her vagina and move it in and out. That's what you and Jeremy saw us
doing."
     "It doesn't hurt, does it?"
     "Oh, no!" He shook his head for emphasis. "It feels very, very
good. The good feelings build up more and more. That's why Mum and I
were making so much noise."
     "Kind of like when I eat my favorite ice cream?" Laurene shifted
on his lap so she could look him directly in the eyes.
     Nick ruffled her hair. "Yeah, kind of like that." He paused.
"Pumpkin, you looked scared when you saw me standing there. Did I
scare you?"
     "No, Daddy. I was just really surprised by the way you looked.
Your eyes were glowing red, I could see your fangs, and your penis was
so big and purple-colored. I didn't know they got that big. I've only
seen Jeremy's."
     "Well, what you told him was right. It's big because I'm grown
up, although it does look bigger when it's erect. I'm just so glad I
didn't scare you." He was feeling more comfortable now and was amazed
at how mature his daughter could be for her age.
     "Is that what Jeremy meant by Mum crying ... all the noise you
were making?"
     "Not quite. When all the good feelings I told you about build up
really high, you suddenly feel like you explode inside. There's just a
rush of good feelings. It's called an orgasm. For a man, that's when
the semen comes out." He looked at her and seeing understanding,
continued. "A woman has an orgasm, too. Orgasms feel so good it makes
people cry out. That's what Jeremy heard. He didn't know what was
happening, so he thought Mum was crying ... that I was hurting her.
Having him see the vampire didn't help either, but it comes out when
Mum and I have sex." Nick hung his head. "God, how I wish we'd locked
the door."
     Hugging him tight, Laurene cooed, "It's all right, Daddy. It
wasn't your fault. Jeremy knows he's supposed to knock first. I told
him you're not bad like his Uncle Bobby."
     "Yes, I heard. Thank you. I love you, Pumpkin."
     "I love you, too, Daddy."
     They sat cuddled together, Laurene wrapped within his strong
arms. Lifting her head off his chest, she asked, "Daddy, Jeremy's so
small. How could a grownup man put his penis in him?"
     Nick stared at his little girl. He had never wanted her to lose
her innocence so young. No child should. "By sheer force, Sweetheart.
That's why he was hurt so badly. That's why he was so afraid when he
saw me and Mum. No one should ever hurt such a small child like that.
His Uncle Bobby has been punished. He's been put away in prison where
he can never do that to another child again."
     Laurene yawned just as Natalie walked in the door. "I think it's
time for you to get back to bed, Sweetheart."
     "Okay, Mum."
     "Good-night, Pumpkin. Thanks for all your help." Nick gave her a
big hug and kiss.
     "Good-night, Daddy." She crawled out of his lap and hugged
Natalie. "Good-night, Mum."
     "Good-night, Sweetheart. Tuck you in?"
     "I'm okay."
     When she left, Natalie locked the bedroom door and sat on Nick's
lap. "The twins are asleep. I checked on Jeremy and he's sound asleep,
too." She kissed him on the lips. "I'm really proud of you. You
handled that brilliantly!"
     "You mean you stood out there listening the whole time, letting
me die from embarrassment?"
     "Yup!" She giggled.
     "Why you little...." Throwing her down on the bed, he began
tickling her. She squealed and giggled.
     Eventually, her robe fell open and his mouth found a nipple. He
settled down to contented suckling as she stroked his hair. It had
been quite a night.
     A soft moan of pleasure escaped her lips as Nick continued his
attentions to her breast. Her hand slid down his side, parting his
robe so that she could cup his genitals in the palm of her hand.  
     He rolled onto his back, letting go of Natalie's nipple with a
groan of regret. Reaching down, he removed her hand from his flaccid
penis and placed it over his heart. "I don't think I can do this, Nat.
Not right now. Not after what just happened."
     "What happened was an accident," she reassured him. "It's not
going to be happening again ... at least not tonight."
     "I can't, Nat." His voice carried a suggestion of fear and
discomfort. "The look on Jeremy's face, on Laurene's...."
     She let out a small sigh of resignation. When he got into one of
his moods, Nick could hold onto his guilt with the tenacity of a pit
bull. She thought they had put this behind them, temporarily at least,
but the creases around his eyes told her of the pain he was still
feeling from the night's events. Wrapping an arm around him, she
pulled him close.
     "Shhh, Nick. It'll be all right in the morning. You'll see." She
comforted him with the gentle stroking of her fingers through his
hair. 
     He lay in her embrace for several minutes before gently
disentangling himself and sitting up. "I need to get out for a bit,
Nat. I think I'll go down to the shelter and check things out. I've
been running it in absentia for too long." He rose and headed to the
closet. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt, he headed into the
bathroom to dress. 
     Natalie lay in their bed and watched her husband with sadness.
Jeremy had been severely traumatized this evening, and as was usually
the case, Nick was blaming himself for everything. She hoped that a
visit to the shelter would help him regain some perspective. Settling
down into her warm blankets, she closed her eyes and tried to get back
to sleep.


     Jeremy bounced down the stairs.  Sidney trailed behind him, tiny
paws batting at the blanket he carried. He came to an abrupt halt in
the kitchen doorway when he saw Nick at the stove, preparing the
omelets.
     "It's okay, Jer. Come on in and get some breakfast." Laurene was
pouring cereal into her brother's bowl as she coaxed him gently.
Reluctantly, he took two steps into the kitchen, pausing to look at
his father once again.
     Nick smiled encouragingly. "Breakfast is almost ready." He knew
food was still a strong lure for the little boy.
     Natalie stepped in, wrapped an arm around his waist and swept
Jeremy the rest of the way into the kitchen. "Look what I've got for
you." 
     "Bear!" he shouted with glee as he grabbed his favorite toy.
     "I got him all cleaned up. He missed sleeping with you last
night." She smiled as the child hugged the tattered "lovey" tightly to
his chest.
     Forgetting his initial reluctance, he sat down at the table,
eagerly grabbed his glass of chocolate milk and drank with gusto. When
he finally came up for air, the brown mustache on his upper lip made
Nick chuckle.
     Suddenly aware of his father again, Jeremy set the glass down and
ran to Natalie, hiding behind her skirt.
     "It's okay, Jeremy." Laurene walked over to her brother and pried
his fingers from their death grip on the fabric. "Why don't we take
your cereal and milk and go eat in the den? We can watch cartoons."
     "He hurt Mummy with his big penis!" Wrenching himself from his
sister's grasp he ran over to Nick, flailing at his father once again
with his teddy.
     "Jeremy!" Laurene shouted in frustration. "We talked about that
last night! Daddy didn't hurt Mum, and he isn't going to hurt you,
either!" She pulled the angry child away from their father.
     Nick watched with a combination of pride and sorrow as his
daughter once again took charge and led her brother from the room. He
sat down at the table, not caring that the eggs were burning on the
stove.
     "He's still afraid of me, Nat." His eyes pleaded with her to
contradict him.
     "Jeremy's going to be all right," she assured him as she turned
off the stove. "It just takes time. I'll talk to him when he gets home
from his play date. Laur was telling me about her talk with him last
night. She's going to make a very fine mother someday."
     Smiling in agreement, Nick's pride in his daughter was apparent,
despite the pain of the current situation. "I could hypnotize him
again."
     "No. You shouldn't." Natalie was emphatic. "I think we might as
well deal with this head-on. We were going to have to sooner or later
anyway."
     "Why did it have to be sooner?"
     "Because it did." She sat in her husband's lap and wrapped
consoling arms around his shoulders. "You can do this." She planted a
moist kiss on his forehead. "And Jeremy will be better and stronger
for it."
     He looked up into her large blue eyes with wonder. "How did you
ever get to be so smart?" A small smile curved the corners of his
mouth.
     "Comes from raising four kids and a vampire," she teased. 
     Her jibe earned her a pinch on the rear end and a suggestive leer
from her husband. "You'll pay for that comment, Natalie Chevalier!"
     "Promises. Promises." She hopped up and jumped out of his
immediate reach. "Let me get Laurene off to school and drive Jeremy to
his play group, then we can see about giving you a little therapy of
your own."
     "I could use a little consoling."
     "Yeah, I can see that!" She laughed as she eyed the prominent
bulge in his pants. It was a sure sign that Nick was finally beginning
to let go of some of the guilt. "Why don't you go take your shower and
I'll come up to tuck you in after I've seen the children off."
     "Sounds like a plan to me."  He rose and sidled past her as he
exited the kitchen.  "I think I'm going to need a lot of consoling,"
he added as he headed for their second-floor bedroom.


     "What took you so long?" Nick was sprawled suggestively on the
bed, covered only by a thin sheet, leaving little about his state of
arousal to the imagination.
     "Whatsa matter, Baby? Lonely?" Natalie teased as she sat on the
edge of the bed, patting his erection through the fabric. 
     Her gentle stroking caused a shiver of desire to shoot down his
spine. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pull her down toward
him. She fell across his chest. Wrapping strong arms around her, he
kissed her with pent up passion. As she wiggled about, trying to find
a more comfortable position, her thigh repeatedly rubbed against his
firm shaft. With a moan, Nick released her, allowing her to sit up.
     He undressed her quickly, throwing her clothes to the floor in a
heap. "Come here." The command was accompanied by his lifting her and
placing her astride his hips. He sat up and captured a nipple between
his lips. Suckling aggressively, he was rewarded with a spray of warm
milk.
     Natalie could feel the tips of his fangs as they grazed her
breast. His other hand kneaded the free one, rolling the taut nipple
between his thumb and fingers. She threw back her head in abandon,
letting Nick take her any way he pleased. Her buttocks bumped up
against his penis, wedging it in the crack between her cheeks. He
began thrusting urgently, trying to relieve some of the tension
building in his groin.
     Reaching behind herself, she applied pressure to his swollen
shaft as he thrust urgently. Sliding her hand lower, she cupped his
scrotum in her fingers and began to firmly knead his testicles.
     Nick threw back his head and let out an animalistic roar as his
need to climax hit its peak. Red eyes glowing, he lifted Natalie and
impaled her upon his erection. Rolling over, he carried her with him
until he was on top, thrusting frantically. When he could no longer
stand the aching in his groin, he reared back and struck. Sinking his
fangs deeply into the pulsing artery in her neck, he drank hungrily.
He reveled in the pure emotions and lust of the moment, letting the
vampire find release in the blood while the man found release in her
body.
     Exhausted from his exertions, he collapsed on top of her. Natalie
ran delicate fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. Nick opened his
eyes to see hers filled with love. "Better?" she asked.
     He grinned sheepishly and nodded. Rolling off her, he gathered
her in his arms and kissed her deeply. "What have I done to deserve
you?" The rhetorical question hung in the air between them for a few
moments, until she cupped his face in her hands and made him look at
her.
     "I couldn't have a sexually frustrated vampire running around the
house, could I?" She chuckled at the look of wounded pride on his
face. "Believe me, when you need it and don't get it, you are
impossible to live with!" This time she laughed openly as he colored
ever-so-slightly.
     There were a few moments of silence as the couple basked in the
afterglow of their lovemaking. Nick propped himself up on an elbow and
gazed lovingly at his wife. "You are very beautiful," he sighed.
     "I'm getting to be an old lady," she retorted. "I'm forty-five
and not getting a day younger."
     "That doesn't mean you aren't beautiful and desirable. In my
eyes, you are the most perfect thing in God's creation." Nick let a
hand glide gently from Natalie's shoulder, down her side, to the curve
of her hip. There he paused momentarily before allowing his touch to
continue down the length of her leg. His loving gaze followed the
motion of his hand. "Every inch is beautiful."
     He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her tenderly. His tongue
parted her lips and gently explored her mouth. Hands stroking her
back, he caressed each curve. "I was selfish just now. I let my own
needs eclipse yours. You didn't even have time to climax." 
     "Oh, Nick, haven't you learned by now? I don't need an orgasm to
enjoy sex with you."
     "Shhh...."  He put a finger to her lips. "I want to do this ...
for you." Pushing her down on the bed, he caressed the roundness of
her breasts, brushing his thumbs across taut nipples and sending a
shiver down her spine. "You deserve all I can give you -- and more." 
     Leaning down, he trailed cool kisses from her throat to the
warmth of the crevice between her breasts. Teasing one firm nipple
with his teeth, he finally settled into a gentle suckling. 
     Natalie let out a contented sigh. The sensations that wrapped
themselves around her when her husband suckled were indescribable.
When she nursed the twins, she felt love and contentment, but with
Nick there was an undercurrent of strong sexual stimulation as well.
She felt a warm glow begin in her abdomen and spread through her
entire body. A rush of wetness dampened the sheets between her legs
before his hand even found her clitoris. Probing fingers spread the
folds of her labia, penetrating deeply into her core.
     Arching her back, she thrust her hips, trying for an even deeper
penetration. A cool thumb rubbed her clitoris, eliciting a moan of
growing arousal from her lips. Suddenly the fingers were gone,
replaced by a tongue tasting her and lips which suckled her nub. She
squirmed under his attentions as she felt a growing warmth blossom in
the center of her being.
     Through their connection, Nick knew that he had brought Natalie
to the brink of orgasm. Withdrawing from the warmth of her mound, he
began to slowly lick his way up her body, pausing to probe her navel
before moving to her breasts. 
     She let out a frustrated cry as he withdrew -- the need to come
was agonizingly upon her. Just when she was sure she couldn't stand it
any longer, his lips touched hers and she felt the hardness of his
erection as he penetrated her once again. She thrust her hips up to
meet him, burying him deep within her. A few short, hard thrusts were
all that was needed to push her over the brink. As she felt the
sensations cascade through her body, she was aware of Nick's fangs as
they slid into the punctures of his previous bite. She felt him
explode within her once again as she was enveloped in his life, his
memories, and most of all, his love. Tears streaked her face as he
kissed her, carefully rolling over and bringing her with him. He
cuddled her and wiped the salty trails from her cheeks.
     "I love you."
     "I love you, too." She smiled and snuggled down into his embrace.
"I think I'll just stay here until you fall asleep."
     "I'd like that." He smiled tenderly and closed his eyes.
     Natalie ran her fingers through the golden waves of his hair and
marveled at her incredible fortune in finding such a lifemate. She
grinned as the first rumblings of his gentle snoring told her he was
asleep. Just then the telephone rang, breaking her reverie.


     "Gimme it!" Jeremy tugged at the truck that Andrea held. "It's
mine!"
     "No it isn't!"  She pulled hard on the toy in an effort to make
her playmate let go.
     "I want it!" Keeping one hand on the toy, he threw a hard right
hook into her shoulder, knocking her on her backside. Letting out a
wail of protest and pain, she let go of the truck.
     Roberta turned in time to see Andrea fall on the floor. The
little girl sat where she fell, tears staining her cheeks, while
Jeremy played calmly with his newly acquired prize. "Okay, what's
going on here?" She walked over to Andrea, putting her arms around the
weeping child and checking to see that she wasn't injured.
     "He took my truck," the little girl sobbed, "then he hit me!" 
     Roberta turned to Jeremy.
     "I wanted it!" he responded to his caretaker's frown.
     "That's not a good enough reason, Jeremy. You have to learn to
wait your turn. See?" she said, indicating the toy shelves. "There are
lots of other trucks for you to play with."
     "I wanted this one!"
     "I'm sorry, Sweetheart, but you have to learn that you can't hit
someone to get what you want." Although her voice was calm, Roberta's
words were stern. She advanced on the angry child, intending to put
him in time out.
     Jeremy scowled. Without warning, he threw the toy at Andrea,
barely missing her head. "Take your dumb truck!" He ran to hide behind
the art table, sweeping his arms across the surface, knocking paper
and supplies onto the floor in a messy heap. Reaching down, he picked
up a sealed container of paint and threw it at Roberta, hitting her on
the hip. Paper and crayons came next, flying across the room. "I hate
you!" Tears streamed down his bright red cheeks.
     Moving quickly, Roberta managed to corner him before he could
pick up any more ammunition. She held him tightly, pinning his arms to
his sides while he struggled and shouted. "Lemme go! I want my Mummy!"
He tried to bite Roberta's arm, but couldn't quite reach. She wrapped
her arms in a bear hug around him, effectively immobilizing him.
     Brandy, one of the daycare helpers, took Andrea by the hand. "How
about we go get some cookies and milk?" she asked the still weeping
child. Andrea nodded as they exited the room. 
     When Jeremy's struggles had finally begun to subside, Roberta let
him go. "You young man, are going to sit on the couch while I call
your mother." She looked him squarely in the eyes for any sign of
rebellion, then marched him into the living room. She called for
Brandy to sit with him as she dialed. The little boy scowled but
didn't move.


     Slipping out of bed, Natalie grabbed her robe and wrapped it
tightly around her before answering the phone. "Hello?" She took the
portable handset to the living room where she wouldn't disturb Nick's
sleep.
     "Natalie? This is Roberta. There's been a bit of a squabble here.
I think you'd better come pick Jeremy up."
     "What's the problem?" Fights among the children were not uncommon
and rarely a cause to pick anyone up early.
     "I'd rather talk to you in person, if you don't mind."
     "Okay, I'll be right there."
     When she arrived, she hesitated on the steps. What was she going
to find inside? Finally, taking a deep breath, she approached the
front door which opened to admit her. Roberta had been watching for
her.
     Jeremy was sitting with Brandy watching TV, while the rest of the
children were gobbling cookies and milk in the den.
     "What happened?" She eyed her son for any clues, but saw no
obvious signs of a fight.
     Roberta guided her into the kitchen. "Can I offer you a cup of
coffee?"
     "Yes, thank you."
     "Make yourself comfortable." She indicated the table next to a
sunny window. Natalie sat down as Roberta brought over two steaming
cups and slid onto the bench seat next to her guest.
     "I'm really sorry to bring you over here like this," she began a
little nervously, "but I think Jeremy needs to go home."
     "Why?"
     "Jeremy and Andrea had a fight over a toy. He hit her hard enough
to knock her down, then threw the truck at her."
     "Was she hurt?"
     "No, but Jeremy got angry and made a terrible mess with the art
supplies. He even threw some things at me." She rubbed the bruise on
her hip. "Fortunately, there was no real damage to anyone or
anything."
     "I am so sorry!" Natalie sighed. "Jeremy has been quite a
handful at home lately, too. He's been having his nightmares again."
     "It's okay, Nat. There's no harm done. I know Jeremy's had a
rough time of it and he needs extra understanding. I just think it
would be a good idea if you took him home and let him cool down."
     "I understand completely.  We'll have a good long talk." She
stood and set her cup next to the sink. "Thank you for the coffee. I
really needed that."
     "Any time. If there's anything I can do to help you or Jeremy,
let me know, okay? He's a really sweet kid."
     "Yeah, I know. He's really brightened our lives since he came to
live with us. I just wish we could get him past this abuse thing. It's
been a nightmare for all of us."
     "Hang in there, Nat. If anyone can do it, you and Nick can."
     "I hope you're right."  She grabbed her son's jacket and walked
over to the couch. "Come on, Honey. Time to go home."
     "I don't wanna go home!" He twisted and squirmed as she tried to
put his coat on. "I wanna stay and play!"
     "I know you do, Dear, but we have to go now." She struggled with
the reluctant child. "Mummy has some things we need to talk about at
home."
     Grudgingly, he allowed her to slip it on, then jumped off the
couch and followed his mother out the front door. "Bye!" he turned and
shouted as he walked down the steps.


     "Are you going to spank me?" Jeremy asked when they finally
arrived home. He looked at her with fear.
     "No, Dear, I'm not going to spank you, but I would like to talk."
Natalie hung up his jacket and escorted him to the kitchen. "How about
a glass of chocolate milk?"
     "Okay!" His eyes lit up with delight and relief. He settled
himself at the table and gulped the thick brown liquid.
     "Jeremy ... can you tell me why you hit Andrea today?" She
watched his eyes as he looked up, milk dribbling down his chin.
     "I dunno."
     "Roberta told me that you wanted the truck Andrea had, but she
wouldn't give it to you."
     "She made me real mad. I hit her and she let go."
     "You can't just hit people to get what you want."
     "Why not?" His body language and tone of voice hinted of an
arrogance he was much too young to possess.
     "Because it's not nice."
     "Uncle Bobby hit Mummy and me when he wanted to."
     "Your Uncle Bobby was wrong, Jeremy. You don't want to grow up to
be like him, do you?" 
     The little boy made a face and shook his head vigorously.
"Nuh-uh."
     "Then how about we call Andrea and you can apologize?"
     "Do I have to?"
     "It would be the right thing to do. You want Andrea to like you,
don't you?"
     He nodded. "Can we call right now?"
     "Sure, I don't see why not." She dialed and spoke briefly to
Roberta. Soon, Jeremy and Andrea were involved in a short, but
spirited conversation. Natalie smiled.
     "Hey, Mum, I'm home!" Laurene shouted as she slammed the front
door and ran into the kitchen. "Oh, hi, Jer!" She gave her younger
brother a smile and a hug.
     "Shhh, you'll wake your father," Natalie scolded.
     "Too late." A crooked grin shown from beneath sleep-ruffled hair.
"What's going on?" Nick entered the kitchen and poured himself some
breakfast. Sipping the thick red liquid, he looked curiously at his
family.
     "Jeremy had a little run-in at his play group today, but we've
got it all worked out for now." She reached over and ruffled Jeremy's
golden curls. 
     He grinned impishly before grabbing Laurene by the hand. "Let's
go play." She looked to her parents, questioningly. With a smile,
Natalie shooed them on their way. Once they were gone, she turned to
her husband.
     "You're up early."
     "I couldn't sleep. Something seems to be nagging at the back of
my mind. I just decided to get up." He settled in the chair next to
his wife.
     "That's probably my fault." At her husband's confused look, she
explained, "It was that fight Jeremy had at his play group today. I
guess I'm still a little upset. Sorry."
     "What happened?" He listened intently as she related the events
of the afternoon. "I think it's time to call Dr. Hart again," he
suggested. "With everything that's happened in the last couple days,
Jeremy is going to need some intensive therapy."
     "I agree. I'll call her in the morning and set up an appointment.
Jeremy hasn't seen her for almost three weeks. I think he's overdue." 
     Nick nodded. 
     "Daddy?" 
     He turned to Laurene as she trotted back into the room. "Yeah,
Pumpkin, what's up? Where's Jeremy?"
     "I left him in the den watching TV."
     "I'll go check up on him." Natalie exited the room, leaving
father and daughter some privacy.
     Taking a seat opposite him, Laurene began seriously, "I was
thinking.... Jeremy's been having all kinds of trouble since he saw
you and Mum having sex and saw you were a vampire." Nick's face
clouded, but he continued to listen without interrupting. "He's been
having nightmares and wetting his bed, and now this fight today.... I
was thinking that maybe I could get him something that would help."
     "What did you have in mind?" He was curious as to what solution
his daughter had reached.
     "I've got some money saved up from my allowance. Would you take
me to the mall so I could buy him a Dracula doll?"
     "A Dracula doll?" Her father's face lit up with astonishment.
"Why a Dracula doll?"
     "I want to talk with him again about you being a vampire. I want
him to understand that not all vampires are bad. You're a real hero,
Daddy." She beamed with pride while a slight flush of color tinted her
father's cheeks. "I think if I got him the doll, it would help him get
over being afraid of you."
     "You think? It could scare him, too."
     "No, Daddy, I don't think so. The doll would be safe. He'd like
it. I know he would."
     "You're sure you want to spend your allowance? I know you were
saving up for that new computer game."
     "Yeah, I'm sure. Can we go tonight? Can we go now?"
     Nick looked out the blinds at the setting sun. "How about after
dinner?" His daughter nodded vigorously and smiled.


     "Jeremy! Look what I got!" Laurene burst into the little boy's
room. In her hand was a plastic bag from the mall's toy store. "It's a
present. For you."
     He eagerly grabbed the bag and pulled out a box. Turning it over,
he frowned slightly at the sight of Dracula with fangs extended. 
     "Do you like it?" She was bouncing up and down. "I bought it for
you with my own allowance!" 
     Her brother smiled tentatively, handing it to her. She tore into
the box, extracted the doll and handed it back to him. "It's okay,"
she comforted the quiet child. "Pretend the doll is Daddy. Look, I
even bought some clothes for it." She pulled a package containing an
outfit of casual slacks and a sweater from the sack as well. Removing
the black cape and tuxedo from the doll, she dressed it in the new
clothes. Except for the black hair, it looked remarkably like their
father now.
     "Daddy is a good vampire." She handed the doll back to her
brother. "He used to be a police officer, a homicide detective, before
we moved here. He caught lots of bad guys because he could fly so
fast. He could hypnotize the bad guys and get them to confess." She
smiled broadly at Jeremy's astonishment.
     "He saved my life, too, when my school bus was kidnapped. He
was almost killed, but because he was a vampire, he healed real fast
and was able to save us all." She conveniently left out the fact that
it was she who had saved him by giving him her blood. "And he saved
you, too. He rescued you from the shelter when your Mum left you
there to protect you from your Uncle Bobby. If Daddy hadn't tried so
hard to adopt you, you might be back with your Uncle Bobby now."
     Jeremy hugged the doll to his chest, looking distressed. "I don't
want to go back to Uncle Bobby!"
     "You don't have to ... ever," Laurene hastened to reassure him,
"because Daddy brought you home and we adopted you. We're your
family now!"
     He threw his tiny body into his sister's arms. "I love you,
Laur!"
     "I love you, too."  She hugged him tightly.


     The next morning, after getting the kids out the door, the twins
fed, and Nick tucked in, Natalie sat down to call Dr. Hart.
     "Hello, Natalie. What can I do for you?"
     "We're having problems with Jeremy. I think you should see him
again." She proceeded to explain, leaving out the bit about the
vampire.
     "I think you're right. What Jeremy witnessed has been quite
traumatic for him. He's expressing his anger and fear in the only way
a four-year-old knows how ... by acting out. Why don't you and Nick
bring him by tonight at seven-thirty."
     Natalie sighed in relief. "Thank you very much, Dr. Hart. We'll
be there."
     That evening the family sat down to dinner. It had been an
uneventful day. Jeremy had been happy and well-behaved. He looked
forward to seeing Dr. Hart again.
     "How was your day, Sport?" Nick smiled.
     "Good. Everybody likes my Dracula." The little boy squirmed with
excitement. "Guess what, Daddy?"
     "What?"
     "Sammy drank his juice when he was laughing and it came out his
nose!" He burst into laughter and Laurene giggled.
     "I'll just bet Roberta was thrilled." Nick and Natalie chuckled.
"And was your day as exciting, Pumpkin?"
     "No, but I did get an 'A' on my arithmetic test."
     He grinned. "That's wonderful, Sweetheart!"
     "Well, I think this calls for ice cream cones after dinner,"
Natalie said.
     "Yay!" cried the children.


     When the babysitter for Krissy and Kayla arrived, the family got
ready to leave. Jeremy insisted on taking his Dracula doll. They
stopped for ice cream and when finished, drove on to their
appointment.
     Nick, Natalie and Laurene went down to the coffee shop while Dr.
Hart walked the little boy into the play therapy room. She sat down in
her chair near the door.
     Jeremy wandered around slowly, touching the jars of paint, the
books, trucks and cars with one hand, while still clasping his Dracula
doll with the other. He hesitated in front of a basket containing
cloth dolls, then moved on.
     Dr. Hart knew he wanted to use the dolls to act out his anger and
fear, but she remained silent. The child had to decide in his own time
when he was ready for that.
     It took another ten minutes before he approached the basket
again. Running his hand over the dolls, he chose a man and a boy, then
took them to the play mat in the center of the room and sat down.
     Laying his Dracula doll aside, he picked up the cloth dolls and
began acting out an incident, using a deep voice for the man and his
normal voice for the boy.
     "Jeremy, you're a bad boy. I have to punish you."
     "No, Uncle Bobby, no! I'll be good. I promise."
     "Don't talk back!" He used the bigger doll to hit the smaller
one. "You do what I say."
     "Yes, Uncle Bobby. I'm sorry."
     "Take off your pants. Bad boys have to be punished."
     "I don't want to. I'll be good. I promise. I didn't mean to make
any noise. I'm sorry." He hit the boy doll again, then removed its
pants.
     Holding the doll up, he grinned. "Look, Margie! It has a little
penis just like mine."
     "Yes it does." She smiled at his lack of embarrassment. A good
sign.
     Jeremy removed the clothes from the adult doll. His eyes grew
wide as he spoke softly. "His penis is big like Uncle Bobby's."
     Dr. Hart only nodded.
     Holding the adult doll's crotch in the boy doll's face he said,
"Suck on it, Jeremy."
     "No! No! I don't want to." He shoved the large penis into the
smaller doll's mouth.
     "Suck hard, Boy."
     "Don't do it! Please don't do it!"
     "I said suck it hard."
     Dr. Hart watched as Jeremy imitated the sounds of a man achieving
orgasm. Trembling, he suddenly jumped up and vomited his dinner. She
saw the terror in his eyes as he looked at what he'd done.
     Crying, the little boy screamed, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't
spank me!" He ran to the table in the corner. Scrambling under it, he
huddled in fear.
     She rose and approached him. "Jeremy, no one is going to spank
you. You didn't do anything wrong. You're not to blame for what your
Uncle Bobby did to you."
     He peered out cautiously. "I want my Dracula."
     "Okay. I'll get him for you." Dr. Hart sat on the floor close to
him. "Why don't you come out here with me?"
     "You won't spank me?"
     "No, but we will have to call the janitor to clean up. Okay?"
     The tears stopped and the small face brightened. "Okay."
     After he left, Jeremy climbed up on Dr. Hart's lap. "I'm sorry I
made a mess." His eyes were woeful.
     "I know. I'm not angry at you." She rubbed his back. "You must
have been really scared." The little boy nodded.
     "No one can hurt you here. You're safe. Uncle Bobby is in prison.
He can never hurt you again. No one will ever do that to you again.
Your Mummy and Daddy will make sure of that."
     He crawled down off her lap and returned to the dolls.  Picking
them up, he spoke in the two voices again.
     "Jeremy, touch me." He put the hand of the boy doll on the adult
doll's penis and made rubbing motions. "Oh, that feels good, Jeremy."
He then had the adult doll rub the boy doll's penis. "I like to touch
you, Jeremy. Now, bend over."
     "No Uncle Bobby! That hurts!"
     "Do what I say!" He hit the boy doll with the adult doll, then
bent the boy doll over.
     Shoving the large penis into the small rectal opening he
screamed, "It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" and burst into tears.
     Ripping the two dolls apart he yelled, "Bad Uncle Bobby! No
hurting Jeremy!" He hit the adult doll with the boy doll.
     Dr. Hart watched as he became more agitated. He beat on the doll
that represented his Uncle Bobby.
     Screaming on the top of his lungs, he jumped up and stomped on
the doll. Picking it up, he tore off the penis and threw it across the
room. He ran to the table and beat the doll against the edge until
stuffing was flying everywhere.
     Finally exhausted, he stopped. Running over to Dr. Hart with a
big grin, he threw his little arms around her. She returned the hug.
"I spanked Uncle Bobby real good. He was bad!"
     "You sure did! That's right. He was bad." She hugged him again.
"Well, our time is up for now. You did such good work. Would you like
to come back?"
     "Oh yes! I like it here. You don't get mad and spank me."
     "Nope. In here you can do whatever you want so long as you don't
hurt yourself or me."
     "Thank you." Jeremy gave her a kiss on the cheek.
     "Come on. Let's go find your family."
     They walked into the waiting room. "Hi Sweetie." Natalie called.
He ran into her outstretched arms.
     "Hey Sport!" Nick ruffled his son's curly mop.
     Dr. Hart reached into her pocket and pulled out two red coupons.
"Hey kids, take these down to the coffee shop and they'll give you
some treats. We'll be there in a bit."
     Jeremy grabbed them. He and Laurene said thank you and ran down
the hall.
     Sitting down Dr. Hart said, "I wanted to speak to you both.
Jeremy was quite open this session. I'm afraid things were worse than
you realized."
     Natalie gripped Nick's hand. "How so?"
     "Using anatomically correct dolls, he acted out things that went
on between him and his mother's boyfriend." She took a deep breath.
"Not only was he sodomized, but he was forced to participate in mutual
masturbation. Jeremy was also forced to perform fellatio. The
boyfriend would ejaculate in his mouth. If Jeremy wouldn't cooperate,
he'd beat him."
     Nick nearly vamped out in anger. "That lousy bastard," he
growled. Natalie squeezed his hand hard.
     "As he was acting that out, he became so upset, he vomited. He'll
probably be hungry when you get home."
     "Oh God. Is he all right?" Tears welled up in Natalie's eyes and
flowed down her cheeks. Nick could barely contain himself.
     "Yes. He worked out a lot of anger and fear. I think you'll see
some improvement in his behavior. He still has a long way to go but
he's definitely making progress. Just give him a lot of love and
understanding, but don't be lax on the discipline. Make him feel
secure and safe."
     "Okay," they replied in unison.
     "I'd like to see him again next week, same time and day."
     When the grownups walked into the coffee shop Jeremy squealed,
"Daddy!" and jumped into Nick's arms, stunning him. "I love you,
Daddy." His little arms wrapped tightly around his father's neck and
squeezed.
     "I love you, too, Sport ... more than you can imagine." He kissed
his son's head and cuddled him close. "I love you, too."
     Dr. Hart smiled and patted Nick on the back. "I'll see you all
next week."
     "Bye, Margie," Jeremy chirped.
     Nick pulled back and kissed the little boy on the nose. "Ready to
go home, Sport?"
     "Yup! I'm hungry."
     "How about some soup?" Natalie asked.
     "Chicken soup?"
     "Chicken it is." Jeremy's face lit up.


     At the sound of a honking horn, Laurene jumped up, grabbing her
overnight bag. "Bye, Mum! Bye, Dad!" She threw herself at each parent
in turn, giving them hugs and kisses.
     "Have a good time, Pumpkin, and remember your manners!" Nick
called after her as she shot out of the house. Turning to Natalie, he
smiled. "I think I'll never get used to the idea that our daughter is
growing up."
     "That's a universal complaint of all fathers of pre-teen
daughters. Sleep-overs are fun, and it'll be good for Laurene to get
out for a while." She turned and patted him on the shoulder before
heading toward the den. "You'll get over it." A groan of acceptance
escaped her husband's lips as he settled onto the couch, trying to
forget the sudden quietness of the house by burying his nose in the
evening paper.
     Natalie poked her head into the den. "Time for your bath,
Jeremy."
     The youngster reluctantly turned from his cartoons. "Do I have
to? Now? Can I finish watching my show first?" His eyes were full of
hope, though knowing full well that she wouldn't give in.
     "I'll go draw the bath water, but when it's ready, you'll have to
come. Okay?"
     "Okay!" He grinned widely at the small reprieve.
     Five minutes later, he marched into the bathroom, ready to do
battle with his toys in the tub. As he played with them, Natalie began
scrubbing his back. "Did you have a good time at the park today?"
Jeremy nodded, too engrossed in his play to bother with words. She
placed a sailboat in the water and pushed it over to where he was
piloting a speed boat and a submarine.
     "Boom!" he cried, as the sub rammed the sailboat, swamping it. "I
sank your boat, Mummy."
     "That you did." Natalie chuckled, picking up the washcloth to
resume her scrubbing. A wail got her attention. The cry was soon
echoed by the other twin. 
     The door cracked open, and Nick looked in. "Krissy and Kayla woke
up." 
     The unnecessary announcement made her laugh. "I noticed. I
suspect they're hungry. Would you please finish bathing Jeremy for
me?" She handed him the washcloth.
     "Sure, no problem -- is it, Sport?" 
     With a mischievous grin, he offered the sailboat to his daddy.
"Wanna play?"
     Natalie turned as she walked through the door. "Just don't forget
to wash."
     "I don't think she trusts us," Nick whispered conspiratorially in
Jeremy's ear. The child giggled, then splashed about with the boats.
Father and son played until the front of his shirt had grown quite
wet.
     "Time to finish up." Nick picked up the washcloth and began to
scrub. As he worked his way across the boy's chest and down his arms,
Jeremy continued to play with his boats.
     Soaping the cloth one last time, he began to gently wash his
son's genitals. Jeremy froze, then erupted in a flurry of arms and
legs. "STOP IT!" He beat against his father's chest with small fists.
"You can't touch me like that! You're BAD!! STOP! STOP!"
     Stunned, Nick stopped immediately. Instinct made him hold on to
the flailing child in order to keep him from hurting himself. That
seemed to enrage Jeremy even more.
     "Lemme go! Lemme go! You're bad! Lemme go!" As Nick pulled him
out of the tub, he began kicking as well as hitting. Once the little
boy was safely on the floor, he let go. Jeremy ran for the bathroom
door screaming, "Mummy! Mummy!"
     The commotion had been loud enough for Natalie to hear in the
twins' bedroom. Settling them back into their cribs, she hurried to
the scene. Jeremy threw open the door and flung his tiny, naked body
into her arms crying, "Daddy's bad! He tried to hurt me!"
     She saw Nick, still dazed, sitting in a puddle on the floor.
"What happened?"
     "I don't know, Nat," he said, shock evident in his voice. "We
played with the boats, then I started washing him. That's all." He
shook his head.
     "He touched me!" Jeremy cried. "He's BAD -- just like Uncle
Bobby!"
     What little color remained in Nick's cheeks drained completely.
She had never seen him quite so pale. "I didn't," he whispered. "I
didn't. I was just washing.... Oh God." The memories of the last few
minutes finally sank in. "I was washing his genitals."
     Natalie tossed him a towel. "Get yourself out of here. I'll talk
to you later."
     Like a whipped puppy, he wrapped the towel around his dripping
shoulders and left.
     Wrapping the child in a fluffy warm towel, she held him close.
"It's going to be all right, Jeremy. Daddy didn't mean any harm."
     "Yes, he did!" The statement was as damning as it was direct. "He
touched me there." He pointed to his penis. "Nobody's supposed to
touch me there!"
     "He was bathing you, Jeremy. There's a difference. Daddy wasn't
touching you the way Uncle Bobby did. He was just making sure you were
clean."
     "But he touched me!" He began shaking uncontrollably. Tears
flowed freely down his cheeks.
     Natalie gathered him up in her arms and carried him into his
room. Setting him on the bed, she finished drying him off, then
dressed him in warm pajamas. She held him until he finally stopped
crying. 
     Sidney chose that moment to poke his head through the bedroom
door. "Mer-owww?" He padded across the floor and jumped onto the bed.
Jeremy began petting the kitten.
     "Would you like it if Sidney slept with you tonight?" She reached
over to scratch the kitten's chin. He rubbed her hand with his head
and purred loudly. Jeremy nodded.
     "Well, let's get you tucked in then." Natalie pulled the blankets
back, allowing him to climb in, then tucked them under his chin. She
placed the kitten on his chest. "How's that? Better?" Leaning down,
she  kissed him on the forehead.
     "Mummy?"
     "What is it, Sweetheart?"
     "Can you turn on the light in my closet?" 
     Her heart sank. This was a definite setback. He hadn't needed it
since shortly after the lovemaking incident.
     After doing as he requested, she sat next to him. "Better?"
     "Yes ... Mummy?"
     "Yes, Jeremy?"
     "Will Daddy hurt me?"
     "Oh, no, Sweetheart! Daddy would never hurt you!" She brushed
an errant lock of hair from her son's forehead.
     "But he scared me!"
     "I know he did, Honey. He didn't mean to. I asked Daddy to finish
your bath when Krissy and Kayla cried. He was just trying to help. He
didn't want to hurt or scare you. It was an accident."
     "Would you stay until I go to sleep?" The little boy had a hint
of fear remaining in his voice.
     "Of course I will, Sweetie. Just close those eyes. You're safe
here."
     With small hands clutching a purring ball of fluff, Jeremy
snuggled down into his bed. 
     When she was certain he was asleep, she left to find her husband.
     She found him sitting on the porch in the cool night air, his wet
shirt still plastered to his chest. 
     "Come inside, Nick," she urged. "It's cold out here."
     "I didn't notice."  He stared into the darkness beyond the street
lamps.
     "You'll catch your death out here!" she scolded. He didn't
respond. "All right, I'll catch my death out here if you don't come
inside." Reaching down, she clasped a cold hand and pulled him to his
feet. Reluctantly, he followed her inside.
     "Upstairs." She shooed him, finally shoving gently against his
back. When Nick got into one of his moods, he had to be treated like a
young child. "Here." She put dry clothes on the bed. "Get changed and
then we'll talk."
     She watched as he grudgingly shed his wet garments. "How could
that happen, Nat? How could I forget?" Sitting on the bed wearing
nothing but his boxers, dry clothes ignored, he wrapped himself in his
misery.
     "You didn't do anything wrong." Natalie sat down, picked up his
shirt, and began dressing him.
     "I should have realized!" Gesturing dramatically, he made it
difficult for her to button his shirt. "I didn't have to wash him
there. He would have been fine!"
     "Nick.... Nick!" She grabbed his arms and held him still. Peering
into his tortured eyes she spoke slowly, soothingly. "What happened
was an accident. It wasn't your fault, Nick. You've got to believe me.
The culprit here isn't you ... it's Uncle Bobby." She wrapped her arms
around her husband. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.
     He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. She felt
the dampness of his blood tears and cradled him in her arms until he
stopped crying. 
     He looked up with red-rimmed, golden eyes. "I'm sorry, Nat. I'm
really sorry. I love you, too."
     She could see the glint of his fangs and hear the slight lisp
they caused when they were descended. "You have nothing to be sorry
for. Everything will work out. You'll see." She ran a thumb across his
trembling lips and wiped a stray tear from his cheek.
     "I didn't mean to scare him."
     "I know." Natalie pressed her lips against his, feeling the hard
outline of his fangs beneath the tender flesh. When he didn't respond,
she pulled back. "Dr. Hart will help Jeremy understand the difference
between abusive and normal touching.  We'll get him through this,
Nick. He needs you more than you realize. He needs a strong
father-figure in his life. He loves you. I love you." Once again, she
pressed her lips to his. This time he responded, pulling her into his
strong embrace, kissing her with a passion born of hurt, fear, and
hope.


     The family arrived for Jeremy's appointment. Clutching his
Dracula doll, he and Dr. Hart entered the play room. Making a bee-line
for the shelf containing art supplies, he gathered up crayons and some
paper, then sat at the table and began drawing.
     She sat next to him. "What are you drawing, Jeremy?"
     "Sidney."
     "And who is Sidney?"
     "He's Mummy's kitty. He sleeps with me sometimes. See?" He held
up his paper which contained a red rectangle with a gray stick figure
of a cat standing on it. "This is my bed and this is Sidney!"
     "That's a very nice drawing. Would you like to hang it up when
you're finished?"
     "No. I'm going to give it to Mummy." He went back to coloring.
     "She's going to love it." She ruffled the little boy's hair. He
looked up and smiled.
     Several minutes later, he announced, "I'm done!"
     "Let's put it on the counter by the door so you don't forget to
take it with you."
     "Okay," he answered brightly.
     Next, Jeremy went to the basket of dolls. He stood looking at
them, tension straining his face. Hesitantly, he chose a boy doll,
then an adult female doll and sat down on the play mat.
     Dr. Hart noticed he had again brought his Dracula doll and had
been clutching it tightly most of the time.
     Picking up the female doll, Jeremy removed its clothes and laid
it on its back. He then removed Dracula's and laid it face down on the
other doll.
     With one hand, he held the boy doll facing the other two, while
moving the Dracula doll up and down with the other. The little boy
made growls, snarls, grunts and moans in imitation of what he'd
witnessed.
     Dr. Hart was puzzled by the animal sounds but remained silent,
watching.
     Suddenly, he started hitting the Dracula doll with the boy doll
and screaming, "STOP HURTING MY MUMMY! LEAVE HER ALONE!"
     He pulled the Dracula doll up and turned it toward the boy doll.
In a deep voice he said, "Jeremy. Come here." Pulling the boy doll
away he shouted in his own voice, "No! No!" then threw the Dracula
doll to the floor. "Stay away from me!"
     The little boy trembled. "He's a monster," he said in a barely
audible voice.
     "What did you say, Jeremy?" Dr. Hart sat near him on the floor.
     "He's a monster. I'm scared."
     "Who's a monster?"
     "My daddy." His eyes remained downcast.
     "Why do you say that?" Her voice was soft and soothing.
     "Cause he's a vampire. He made Mummy cry."
     "Why do you think he's a vampire?"
     "I saw his red eyes and big fangs. I saw him drink blood. He's
just like the monster in my dream."
     "Jeremy, you were very upset by what you saw in Mummy and Daddy's
bedroom. You didn't understand what they were doing. You thought Daddy
was hurting her, but he wasn't. You woke up from a bad dream so that
made you think you saw Daddy as a monster."
     His head shot up, eyes glaring. "He IS a vampire! You don't
believe me. I don't lie! Laur even told me he is." Jumping up, he ran
about the room throwing whatever he could get his hands on.
     "Jeremy, I'm sorry. I wasn't calling you a liar. I was only
saying that you made a mistake. We all sometimes think we see things
that just aren't so."
     "I SAW IT! I SAW IT!" The blond whirlwind screamed and cried,
throwing himself on the play mat in a tantrum.
     Dr. Hart waited until he exhausted himself. She heard him
whisper, "He touched me. I'm scared."
     "Who touched you, Jeremy?"
     "Daddy."
     "Can you show me where he touched you?"
     "Uh huh." Jeremy sat up and put his hand on his crotch. Her
expression hardened. She couldn't believe that Nick would have abused
the boy, but she had to be open to every possibility.
     "Where were you when this happened?"
     "In the bathtub."
     She smiled. "Your daddy was giving you a bath?"
     "Yes."
     "Jeremy, that kind of touching is okay. Your parents have to help
you wash. You're too little to do it yourself. It's different than the
kind of touch Uncle Bobby did to you. Daddy wasn't trying to hurt you.
He loves you. Do you understand?"
     "Yes."
     She wasn't completely certain he did, but that would take work.
"Well, our time is up for now." She rose. "I'll see you next week.
Let's go find your family."
     Jeremy picked up his Dracula doll and its clothes. "Okay." He
started to walk out the door.
     "Don't forget your drawing." She held it out to him.
     The little boy's face lit up as he took it. "Thank you!" He ran
out hollering, "Mummy, Mummy! Look what I made you!"
     "Hey there, Sport!" Nick crouched down in the hallway and held
out his arms to embrace his son. Jeremy stopped just short of his
father, looking up at his mother expectantly. "Whatcha got there?"
Nick continued, trying to ignore the fact that his son was avoiding
him. He reached for the picture the child held.
     "It's for Mummy!" Jeremy shouted, clutching the paper tightly in
his fist. Turning to Natalie, he held out his arms. She swept him up
and cuddled him before looking at the picture.
     "It's beautiful, Jeremy! Is this Sidney standing on your bed?" He
nodded vigorously, a smile softening his serious facade. "We're going
to have to take it home and put it on the refrigerator!"
     "Can I see?" Laurene walked up behind her mother and peered at
the picture. "Hey, Jer, that's really neat! You did a good job
coloring Sidney."
     "Thanks." He squirmed in his mother's arms until she put him
down.
     Dr. Hart walked out of her office with two red coupons in her
hand. "Here you go." The children grabbed the tickets and headed to
the coffee shop on the run.
     "Thanks, Dr. Hart," Laurene called over her shoulder as she raced
her brother.
     "We'll meet you in the coffee shop in a little while," Natalie
called to their retreating backs.
     Ushering the couple into her office, the therapist invited them
to sit on the couch. She sat in the chair opposite. "We had a very
interesting session this evening. Jeremy used the dolls to tell me
what he witnessed that night in your bedroom."
     Nick stirred uncomfortably as he studied the doctor's face for
any clues as to what she might say next.
     "What was really interesting, was that while he picked one of the
anatomically correct female dolls to represent you, Natalie, he used
his Dracula doll to represent you, Nick." What little color he had,
drained from his cheeks. "And he called you a 'monster'. When I asked
him why, he told me you were a vampire and that you had hurt his
mummy."
     "We tried to explain to him about our lovemaking," Natalie said,
"but he was so frightened by what he'd seen. Laurene took him into his
bedroom and explained things to him. He trusts her implicitly."
     "That was good," Dr. Hart commented, "but did she address his
fear of you being a monster? I know that Jeremy is prone to nightmares
of being chased by a monster, but what would convince him that you are
a vampire? He said he saw it, and wouldn't be convinced otherwise. I'm
afraid that until we can get past this new barrier, it's going to be
difficult to make much progress."
     "Dr. Hart, may we have a minute alone, please?" Natalie asked.
     "Certainly. I'll go pour us some coffee."
     Once the therapist had left the room, she turned to her pale and
shaken husband. "Should we tell her the truth?"
     "I don't know, Nat. It's dangerous -- for her, for us...."
     "How so? I know about the vampire community. So do Tracy and
Schank. Nothing has happened to us all these years. If the Enforcers
wanted to crack down, they would have before now. As long as the
people who know are discreet, I don't see a problem." She squeezed his
hand. "Dr. Hart needs to know the truth, so she can help Jeremy over
this last hurdle. We're so close, Nick. If we don't tell her, Jeremy
may never fully recover."
     "Yeah ... I suppose you're right. Anything to help Jeremy get
better."
     "Right." Patting her husband's hand, Natalie got up and poked her
head out the door. 
     "Dr. Hart?"
     Marjorie rounded the corner carrying a tray. "Ready?"
     "Yes. There's something we really need to tell you." Natalie
settled back on the couch as Dr. Hart set the refreshments on the
table in front of them. The two women each picked up a mug.
     "Coffee, Nick?" Dr. Hart offered.
     "No. No, thank you."  He rubbed his hands nervously, belying his
calm expression.
     "Now ... what was it you wanted to tell me?" The doctor looked
from one parent to the other.
     "It's what Jeremy said about me being a vampire...."
     "He said he saw you," Dr. Hart prompted. "I couldn't convince him
otherwise. He said he saw your red eyes and fangs."
     "Do you believe in vampires, Dr. Hart?" he asked.
     "No, of course not."
     "Well, there are things in this world that many people don't
believe in, but they exist nonetheless. Jeremy's just a little boy. He
was too frightened by what he saw to make up a story like that." Nick
closed his eyes and pursed his lips for a few seconds. When he opened
them again, they were a feral gold color and fangs pressed against his
lips. "I am a vampire. When I'm especially angry, or aroused, my
eyes turn from gold to red.
     "Oh ... my ... God...." Dr. Hart stared at the creature before
her. The handsome blue-eyed father of her patient had just transformed
into the child's worst nightmare. 
     "But he's not a monster," Natalie chimed in. "Nick gave up
killing over a century ago. He's trying to atone for the deaths he's
caused, spending nearly six years as a homicide detective in Toronto.
Now he runs a shelter for battered women and children. And he's been a
wonderful father to the kids."
     "A century?" Dr. Hart's eyes grew wide. "Just ... how old ...
are you?"
     "Over 800, if you count my mortal years. I was brought across --
made a vampire -- in 1228."
     "Eight hundred...." She sank back in her chair. The haunting
apparition eyed her with concern. "How can this be? Vampires are
legends ... myths...."
     "That was my belief, before Nick woke up on my autopsy table,
Natalie said. "Since then, I've come to believe that almost anything
is possible."
     "W-what?
     "I was a coroner in Toronto at the time, working the graveyard
shift. A  pipe bomb victim was brought in on the night of my 28th
birthday. I had started my examination when the phone rang. While I
was talking, the body sat up and stared at me with golden eyes. He had
fangs." Nick glanced sadly at Natalie. "He jumped off the table and
guzzled blood from an IV bag. From that day, my world has never been
the same."
     "She saved me," Nick whispered.
     "What do you mean ... saved you?" Dr. Hart leaned forward.
     "She volunteered to take up my cause ... to help me become mortal
again. I don't want to be a vampire anymore. I want a normal life,
with a normal family.... And now, what I am has hurt Jeremy."
     "We'll help him past this, don't worry," Dr. Hart said, returning
to the issue at hand. "He's a strong little boy. Now, tell me, all
those years ... you killed people?"
     "I'm not proud of my history. When I was newly made, I wanted to
go back. The idea of what I'd become sickened me. I was told by my
master that there was no turning back, so for a time I embraced my new
nature. Eventually, I began to regret my decision again and started
killing only criminals and the guilty. I finally realized what a
hypocrite I was. Who was I to judge who was guilty or innocent? So
about one hundred years ago, I stopped killing altogether."
     "And this bothers you?"
     "Yes. I don't think I fully understood what I was embracing when
I allowed myself to be brought across. I've been trying desperately to
make up for my past, but it seems like it's never enough. Never."
Nick's voice dropped an octave as he choked out the last few words.
     Natalie wrapped an arm around her husband and hugged him tightly.
"It's enough, Nick. You just don't know it yet."
     "Do you have any of the vampire's purported powers?" The doctor's
curiosity was getting the better of her. She leaned forward to study
the fascinating creature before her. "Can you fly?"
     "Yes, I can fly. I also have superhuman strength." The change of
subject helped draw the brooding vampire out of his self-pity. "My
night vision is excellent and my hearing more acute. Oh, and I can
hypnotize most people -- a useful trait for rendering prey helpless."
His voice took on a note of sarcastic irony and self-hatred.
     "I see." Dr. Hart tried to absorb all the information.
     "This has to remain between us," Nick insisted. "You can't tell
anyone outside this family about me. If you do, you risk all our
lives."
     "Why?"
     "The most obvious reason is a witch hunt. If news of our
existence became widely known, people would panic. Our community would
be forced to flee or be slaughtered."
     "There are more?" Dr. Hart's jaw dropped.
     "Yes, but most of us are no threat to mortals. It's too dangerous
to kill in the city. The majority live off bottled supplies. I,
myself, drank steer blood for years, but I had to make the change back
to donated human blood. It gives me the strength to control myself
around Natalie and the kids."
     "But you're implying that I'm also at risk."
     "There is a group among us, our 'police force'. We call them 'The
Enforcers'. They make sure that no one learns our secret. They'll kill
any vampire who breaks the code and any mortal who knows of our
existence."
     "But Natalie...."
     "She has been the exception. The Enforcers know about her, but
she has aided the community, so they've granted her immunity -- as
long as she tells no one. We thought it was important for you to know,
so you could help Jeremy heal, but it's vital that none of this leaves
this office."
     "I understand," Dr. Hart said. "I have a question for you -- did
you ever try hypnotizing Jeremy?"
     "I did once -- to make Jeremy forget what he saw. After this
latest incident, Natalie thought it would be better to try to work it
through instead. I agreed."
     "Does Laurene know?"
     "Oh, yes, she knew as soon as she was old enough to comprehend,"
Natalie answered. "She thinks it's great. She knows she has to keep it
secret, but it makes her father extra-special to her."
     "Well, maybe actually being a vampire explains the rest of it,
too," Dr. Hart mused.
     "The rest?" Concern creased Nick's face.
     "When Jeremy was using the dolls to demonstrate what he saw, he
was making animal sounds -- snarls and growls. I thought it was a
little unusual...."
     His eyes closed in embarrassment. When he opened them again, they
were blue. "Yeah, well...." He cleared his throat and tried again.
"That's a part of it, yes. The vampire always comes out when I make
love. We never meant for Jeremy to find out like that. We intended to
tell him eventually, but we didn't think he was ready yet."
     "I think you were wise. I also find it commendable that you cared
enough to bring Jeremy in, even though in doing so you risked your
secret. That tells me a lot about the kind of father you are. Your son
is very lucky to have you, Nick." She paused to let the compliment
sink in. "I suppose that while we're being frank, I should also bring
up the fact that Jeremy said you touched him."
     "But I --"
     "I asked Nick to finish giving Jeremy his bath," Natalie cut in,
because the twins had begun crying to be nursed. He was just bathing
him."
     "I realize that. I asked Jeremy about the circumstances. After
all, such a claim is something I have to take seriously. When he told
me about the bath, I knew you were simply washing him. I tried to
explain. He said he understood, but I'm not convinced that he really
does. Time will tell, I suppose."
     "Is he going to be all right?" Nick was wringing his hands again
in a human gesture of nervousness.
     "Now that I know he was telling the truth, I believe we can work
this out. He's a strong little boy, and I think he's going to make it
through just fine. He has a loving and supportive family. What more
could anyone ask?" She smiled encouragingly. "Should we go find those
munchkins of yours now, before they drive the cafeteria staff crazy?"
She chuckled as she rose from her seat.
     "That might not be a bad idea," Natalie said, joining the
laughter. She took Nick's hand and the couple followed Dr. Hart to the
coffee shop.


     Later that night, Natalie was tucking Jeremy in.
     "Mummy?"
     "Yes, Sweetie?"
     "Did Daddy hurt you when he did sex to you?"
     "No, Honey, it doesn't hurt. It feels very good. Daddy and I do
it a lot. It's how grownups show each other how much they love each
other." She brushed the unruly curls off his forehead. "Just like when
Daddy and I hug and kiss you to show you how much we love you. You
like how that feels. It feels good."
     "But Daddy put his penis in you and it's real big. Uncle Bobby
put his penis in me and it hurt real bad." Jeremy's eyes were wide.
     "I'm a grownup woman and I have a special place called a vagina
where Daddy puts his penis. That's what it's for. It's big enough for
Daddy's penis, so it feels good. It doesn't hurt." She stroked his
hair. "Little boys and grown men don't have vaginas. Uncle Bobby put
his penis in your rear end. Rear ends aren't meant to have penises put
in them, so it hurts. And it especially hurts when a grownup does that
to a small child."
     "What about Laur? Can Daddy put his penis in her vagina?"
     "First of all, Daddy would never do that. It's wrong. Just like
Daddy would never do to you what Uncle Bobby did. And no, Laurene is
too little for sex. It would hurt her, just like it hurt you."
     "Why does Daddy get red eyes and fangs when he does sex to you?"
     Natalie took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy to
explain in a way her four-year-old son could understand, however, she
had to answer his questions honestly so he'd learn his father was not
to be feared. "Well, when Daddy wants to have sex and love me, he gets
special grownup good feelings. Those feelings make the vampire
appear."
     "But when Dracula is a vampire, he bites people and drinks their
blood. Does Daddy do that to you?" Jeremy looked worried.
     "Yes, Sweetie. Daddy bites me and takes just a little bit of
blood. It doesn't hurt." She rubbed the little boy's arm.
     "Why does Daddy do that?"
     This conversation was going places Natalie never dreamed. "When a
daddy has sex with a mummy, he puts tiny seed in her to make a baby.
The seed comes out of his penis. That's one reason grownups have sex
-- to make a baby. Sometimes they have sex just to love each other.
The seed doesn't always grow into a baby." Jeremy seemed to
understand, so she continued. "Because Daddy is a vampire, things work
a little differently for him. He needs a tiny bit of my blood to make
the seed come out."
     He sat quietly, lost in thought for a moment then said, "Uncle
Bobby put his penis in my mouth and made the seed come out. It was
really icky. If I didn't do it, he'd spank me."
     "That was a very bad thing Uncle Bobby did to you." Natalie
couldn't begin to imagine the horrors Jeremy had endured in his
mother's house.
     "Uncle Bobby would rub my penis. It felt good but no seed ever
came out like when he made me rub his penis." He seemed puzzled.
     "That's because you're too young, Sweetie. It'll be a long time
yet before your body can make seed." She decided not to confuse him
with the terms "semen" and "sperm". This conversation had already gone
way beyond what any four-year-old should have to deal with.
     "Mummy, does Daddy ever make you rub his penis so the seed comes
out?"
     "Yes, I rub it sometimes, but Daddy doesn't make me do it. I do
it because I love Daddy and it makes him feel good. When you love
someone you don't force them to do things."
     "Uncle Bobby didn't love me. He always made me do things I didn't
want to do. He always hurt me." A tear ran down Jeremy's cheek. She
brushed it away with her thumb and cuddled him close.
     "He's never going to hurt you again, Sweetheart. Daddy and I will
always protect you."
     "Does Daddy really love me?" Wide, innocent eyes gazed into hers.
     "Oh Honey, of course Daddy loves you!" She kissed him on the
forehead. "That's why he brought you home to us. He didn't want you to
ever be hurt again. He adopted you because he loved you so much, he
wanted you to be his son. Daddy can't imagine you not being his son."
     "I like it here, Mummy. I love you and Daddy and Laur and Krissy
and Kayla and Sidney." Jeremy yawned.
     We love you, too, Sweetie. Now -- time for bed."


     Followed by Dr. Hart, Jeremy entered the play therapy room
clutching his Dracula doll. He went directly to the art supplies,
gathering up crayons and paper, then seated himself at the table. She
sat across from him. He laid the Dracula doll between them.
     She watched the little boy as he worked. A brown, fuzzy stick
figure with big ears began to take shape. "Who is that, Jeremy?"
     "Bear. He's my teddy. I sleep with him all the time."
     "I see. You never bring him here."
     "No. I bring Dracula. Laur got me him. She said it's so I won't
be afraid of Daddy." He kept drawing as he talked, never looking up.
     "Why would you be afraid of your daddy?"
     "'Cause he's a vampire. I saw. He scared me."
     "Yes, he is a vampire, but he loves you very much.  He would
never hurt you, Jeremy. He's not like your Uncle Bobby."
     The little boy's head jerked up. "You believe me?" His eyes grew
wide.
     "Yes, I believe you. Your daddy showed me. He really is a
vampire."
     "You didn't get scared of him?"
     "No. I knew he wouldn't hurt me. Just like he won't hurt you.
Your daddy is a good man."
     Jeremy started to draw again.
     "He adopted you as his son so he could protect you from Uncle
Bobby ... so Uncle bobby can never hurt you again."
     "I know. Mummy told me." He finished his drawing, put it aside
and started a new one.
     Dr. Hart watched as a stick figure with yellow hair took shape.
She had no trouble recognizing who it was.
     Finished, Jeremy held the picture up. "This is Daddy."
     "What a nice drawing! Tell me more about it."
     Jeremy pointed as he spoke. "This is his red eyes. And this is
his fangs. And this is his penis." He indicated a thick line running
perpendicular to the figure's body -- an obvious erection.
     "I see." Dr. Hart remained carefully neutral so as to allow
Jeremy the freedom to express his feelings without fear.
     "It's big and sticks out like Uncle Bobby's. He put it in Mummy.
Mummy says it feels good and doesn't hurt."
     "You believe your mum, don't you?"
     "Yes. Mummy doesn't lie." His expression was serious.
     "That's right. Mummy told you the truth. Daddy was loving her,
not hurting her."
     Jeremy smiled. "Mummy told me Daddy really loves me. She said if
you love somebody, you don't make them do stuff they don't wanna do.
Uncle Bobby didn't love me. He made me do icky stuff. Daddy never
makes me do anything icky."
     "And he never will. I've talked to your daddy. He really does
love you very much. He was so upset and sad that he had scared you so
badly."
     The little boy's face dropped. "I saw Daddy cry. Mummy was
hugging him. Laur said he was crying because he scared me. I didn't
mean to make Daddy cry."
     "Daddy knows that, Jeremy. It wasn't your fault he cried. You
didn't do anything wrong. Nobody did anything wrong. You just happened
to walk in and see Mummy and Daddy having sex ... see them loving each
other the way adults do. You were confused and scared by what you saw.
Daddy and Mummy were startled because they didn't realize you were in
the room." She reached out and stroked his hair. "Sometimes things
happen by accident and people get hurt, scared, and upset, but it can
be fixed by everyone talking about what happened."
     "Mummy and me talked about doing sex and Daddy drinking Mummy's
blood to make the seed come out." The little boy smiled, proud that he
knew about grownup matters.
     Dr. Hart didn't react outwardly but was shocked by his statement.
It had never occurred to her that Nick would have to bite Natalie to
achieve orgasm. It was difficult enough for her to remember that Nick
wasn't human. "That's good that you and Mummy talk about those things.
You need to know that sex isn't bad. Sometimes bad people use sex to
hurt other people -- like Uncle Bobby did to you. Do you ever talk to
Daddy about what happened?"
     With downcast eyes, he softly replied, "No. I was scared."
     "Are you still scared now?"
     "No."
     "Why don't you talk to him then? I know he'd love to talk to you,
Jeremy. He's been kind of afraid because he doesn't want to scare
you."
     "Okay. Can I draw a picture for Daddy?"
     "Sure you can. We still have some time."
     Happily, he began working on a new picture, finishing five
minutes later.
     "Okay, Jeremy, time's up. Daddy is going to love that drawing,"
she said when he showed it to her.
     "Can you throw this one away?" He handed her the one that showed
a vamped, erect Nick. "I don't want Daddy to see it. It could make him
sad."
     "Sure." She smiled at the little boy's sensitivity.
     Jeremy bolted out the door. "Laur! I drew Bear for you." He gave
his sister the picture.
     "Thanks, Jer. It's really good. Mum, can we hang it on the
refrigerator?"
     "We sure can." Natalie smiled.
     Nick had been sitting quietly on the couch, feeling a bit
insecure about his relationship with his son.
     The little boy turned. "Daddy! I made this for you." A big grin
spread across his face as he ran to the couch and hopped up to sit
next to his father, drawing in hand.
     Taking the paper, he saw a tall, yellow-haired stick figure
holding hands with a short, yellow-haired stick figure. Both had blue
eyes and big smiles and were enclosed in a red heart.
     Jeremy pointed. "That's you and that's me."
     Nick was deeply moved. "It's beautiful, Sport. This is the very
best gift anyone has ever given me." He wrapped his son in his arms
and gave him a big kiss.
     Quietly, Dr. Hart led Laurene and Natalie to the coffee shop to
give father and son some privacy.
     "Daddy, don't cry." The little boy wiped the blood tear from
Nick's cheek.
     It's okay, Sport. I'm not sad." He smiled broadly.
     "I'm sorry I made you cry before. You looked so scary."
     "I'm sorry I frightened you. Mummy and I were going to tell you
I'm a vampire, but we wanted to wait until you had adjusted to being
with us and were a little older." He ran his fingers through his son's
golden curls that were so much like his own. "I never wanted you to
find out the way you did. And I'm sorry I didn't lock the bedroom
door. I know it looked like I was hurting Mum because it looked like
the things Uncle Bobby did to you, but I wasn't. I would never hurt
her or you or the girls."
     "I know. Mummy told me she does sex with you because she loves
you and it makes you feel good." Jeremy smiled.
     "That's right, Sport. It does feel good for me ... and for Mum,
too. And yes, we do it because we love each other. Neither of us would
make the other do something they didn't want to do."
     He crawled onto Nick's lap. "Uncle Bobby didn't love me because
he made me do icky stuff I didn't want to do."
     "No, Sport, he didn't love you. That's why he hurt you, but none
of that was your fault. It was Uncle Bobby's fault. He's a very bad
man." He cuddled his son close. "I do love you ... very much ... and I
promise you I will never hurt you."
     "I love you, Daddy."
     "I love you, too, Sport."
     "Daddy?"
     "Yeah, Sport?"
     "Do you ever put your penis in Mummy's mouth?"
     Unashamed blue eyes looked at their father's for an answer. Nick
was somewhat stunned by the question, even though Natalie had told him
Jeremy asked her if she ever masturbated him to orgasm. In spite of
embarrassment, honesty was what his son needed most. "Yes, but only
when Mum wants me to. I never do anything she doesn't want me to do."
     "Mummy told me you drink her blood."
     "Only a little bit. It doesn't hurt her when I do that."
     "Do you do that a lot?"
     "No. Only when Mum and I have sex." Nick was feeling
uncomfortable but wanted his son to recover from the abuse and fear he
had endured. He would do whatever it took to get Jeremy well and
feeling safe.
     "Mummy said you need her blood to make the seed come out."
     "That's right."
     Jeremy felt comfortable sitting in his father's lap. His daddy
was telling him the truth and answering all his questions. He wasn't
at all like Uncle Bobby. Maybe he could really trust him.
     "Daddy, can we go find Mummy and Laur?"
     "You bet! Let's go get them and go home." He kissed the top of
his son's head, picked him up as he rose and carried him down the hall
to the coffee shop.



A month later ...

     Nick entered the den to find the kids watching TV. "Come on,
Sport. Pumpkin. Time for bed." He herded them upstairs.
     "I'll be back to tuck you in," he told Laurene, then took his son
in the bathroom to help him brush his teeth. Finished, they went to
his room.
     "Which pajamas do you want tonight, Sport?"
     Jeremy looked in his drawer. "Dudley!" He grabbed the ones with
the smiling green dragons.
     "Let me help you." Nick lifted him up, set him on the edge of the
bed and took off his shoes and socks. "Hold your arms up."
     The little boy raised his hands above his head and closed his
eyes. He felt his shirt being pulled off and then fingers tickling his
ribs. He squealed in delight.
     "Gotcha!" Nick grinned, wrapped his giggling son in his arms,
lifted him up and kissed him on the forehead.
     Setting him on the floor, he knelt before him. "Now let's get
your pants off."
     "Okay." Being quite ticklish, Jeremy laughed as Nick removed his
pants.
     As he was pulling his underwear down, his hand brushed against
his son's penis when the little boy squirmed. Both froze. They stared
at each other, wide-eyed.
     "It's okay, Sport. It's okay." He swallowed hard. "It was an
accident. I'm not going to hurt you."
     Jeremy saw the frightened expression on his father's face and
remembered what Dr. Hart had said. Slowly, the look of fear melted
into a shy smile. "I know, Daddy."
     Relieved, Nick grinned. "I love you, Sport." He held out his arms
and his son threw his arms around his neck. He hugged the little boy.
"Always remember how very much I love you. I'll always protect you."
     "I love you, too, Daddy."
     Holding Jeremy at arm's length he said, "Now let's get your pjs
on."
     After tucking him in and kissing him good-night, Nick turned to
leave.
     "Daddy?"
     "What is it, Sport?"
     "Can I see your fangs?"
     Nick sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you sure you want to see
them? They won't scare you?" He was surprised by his son's sudden
request.
     "Yes, and your eyes, too."
     "All right. Don't be afraid." He closed his eyes a moment and
re-opened them. They glowed green-gold in the dim light. Slowly, he
opened his mouth to bare his fangs, being careful not to look mean or
frightening.
     Jeremy was fascinated. "Your eyes are pretty, Daddy."
     "You think so?"
     "Yeah. How come they aren't red like when I saw them before?"
     "Well, Sport ... ummm ... when I have sex with Mum I get special
feelings that make them turn red. It also happens when I get very
angry ... but that's a different feeling."
     "You mean sex feelings like Laur and Mummy told me about?"
     "Yup. They're good feelings. I want you to know that. They don't
hurt you, and they don't scare you like what happened with Uncle
Bobby. Do you understand?"
     He nodded. "Will I have them?"
     "When you grow up and love someone like I love Mummy, yes."
     "Can I touch your fangs?"
     "Sure." Having them touched was always sexually stimulating for
Nick. He was concerned about his son touching them, but he had to show
him that the vampire wasn't something to fear. As he leaned in, a
little finger reached up and rubbed his left canine. He was relieved
to find that while the contact was pleasant, it wasn't at all
arousing.
     "They feel sharp." Jeremy removed his finger.
     "Yes, they are. Okay if I change back now?"
     "Yeah. You don't look scary. Dracula is scary." He patted his
daddy's arm.
     "That's because Dracula wants to hurt and scare people. I don't."
Nick smiled.
     "You help people ... like me."
     "That's right, Sport."
     The little boy held out his Dracula doll. "I don't want him
anymore. He's not a good vampire like you."
     Taking the doll, he ruffled his son's blond curls. "Thanks,
Sport. I'll always be here for you."
     "I like the secret that you're a vampire. I won't tell nobody."
He grinned.
     Nick kissed him. "You're such a good boy. Now ... time for bed."
     "Okay. G'night Daddy."
     "Good-night, Sport."


     After tucking in Laurene, Nick entered his bedroom to find his
wife propped against the headboard. Nude beneath her open bathrobe,
she was breastfeeding Kayla. He could think of a no more beautiful
sight than her.
     Lying down next to his baby, he kissed her on the head and
grinned broadly, his eyes sparkling.
     "I know that look ... what's going on?" Natalie smirked.
     "When I was changing Jeremy, I accidentally brushed my hand
against his penis. You know how he squirms...."
     She listened as he related what happened. "Nat, he accepts me
now. He isn't afraid of the vampire. Our son really loves me!"
     "That's wonderful, Sweetheart! I knew he'd come round
eventually." She leaned over and kissed him. "I know it was taking a
real chance telling Dr. Hart the truth, but it's obviously paid off."
     "Yes it has, and I couldn't be happier."  He stroked his
daughter's head.  "I have four wonderful children and the most
beautiful wife in the world."
     "Flattery will get you everywhere." She winked.
     Krissy let out a wail. Letting go of Natalie's nipple, Kayla gave
an answering cry. "Time to change partners."
     "Let me take her. I'll check on Jeremy, too, and be right back."
Getting up, he lifted the baby and looked her in the eye. "Got a big
smile for your daddy?"
     She gurgled and blew a milky raspberry at him, spattering his
face. "Why thank you, Sweetie. I really needed that." The baby cooed
happily while Natalie laughed.
     Nick returned with Krissy after diapering Kayla, washing his face
and checking on Jeremy, who was sleeping peacefully. He then put on
his pajama bottoms.
     Natalie put the baby to her breast. The infant latched on and
suckled happily as he watched.
     Lying down beside his wife, he nuzzled her free breast with his
nose, took the nipple into his mouth and sucked vigorously. The
instant the milk hit his tongue, he became erect.
     A wave of erotic sensations flowed from Natalie's nipple to her
clitoris. She smacked her husband lightly on the shoulder. "Nick! Not
while I'm feeding the baby."
     He grinned with a self-satisfied look. "I just wanted to see if
Kayla left anything for me."
     "Uh huh." She tried to maintain her stern look but failed.
     "Fine. I'll just lie here till Krissy's finished." He rolled onto
his back, hands behind his head.
     Natalie couldn't help but notice his erection slip out through
his fly as he moved. She shook her head.
     When the baby finished, he volunteered to put her to bed.
     "Ummm ... Nick." She pointed to his groin, snickering.
     "Oops." He pushed his penis back into his pants.
     About ten minutes later, he re-entered the bedroom and locked the
door. Turning toward the bed, he growled at the sight of his wife
lying on her side, nude, on top of the blanket. Nick's eyes drifted to
gold, his fangs dropped and he became erect.
     Quickly shedding his pajama bottoms, he climbed onto the bed and
crawled  up to Natalie. He lay beside her on his back.
     Leaning over him, she rubbed her breast on his face. He licked
it, nuzzled her, then latched on to her nipple and suckled. He was
rewarded with warm milk and his wife tenderly caressing his belly. The
sensations washed over him causing his penis to twitch.
     She became extremely aroused by her husband's suckling and the
sight of his turgid penis -- the visible part of the glans already a
deep red.
     Her hand drifted lower to stroke his pubic hair and caress his
scrotum. She loved the feel of him. Wrapping her fingers lightly
around his shaft, she gently ran her hand up and down.
     Nick growled and moaned loudly, squirming with pleasure. He could
smell her desire and knew she was ready. "Do you want me?" he teased
in a voice rough with lust.
     "Oh yes! I want you." Leaning in, Natalie kissed his parted lips,
slipping her tongue between them and caressing his fangs.
     Hugging her, he ravished her mouth. He loved this woman. She
completed his soul, gave him hope and brought joy to his life. Their
physical relationship warmed his cold heart and flesh. He found
comfort and an acceptance he'd never had in 800 years. Anything she
wanted was hers.
     Pulling back, she squeezed his penis and smiled. "I think someone
wants me."
     He grinned broadly. "And what, pray tell, ever gave you that
idea?" Reaching up, he tenderly caressed her cheek with his
fingertips. "I love you, Natalie. More than you'll ever know."
     "I love you, too." She brushed the hair from his forehead and
kissed it. "And I want you now." Rising to her knees, she straddled
his hips, grasped his penis just below the head and rubbed it on her
labia.
     Nick shuddered at the contact. Her soft, warm wet flesh slicked
him. He growled, baring his fangs.
     "You like that, do you?"  She grinned lewdly.
     His only answer was a nod. His penis was swollen and aching to be
inside her, but he wanted Natalie to enjoy herself.
     She retracted his foreskin and lightly stroked her clitoris with
his silky-soft glans. Moaning loudly, she shivered.
     His eyes were now glowing red, his fangs bared as he gasped for
air. Knowing he couldn't take much more, she lowered herself onto him,
her cry echoing his at the moment of penetration. Leaning forward over
him, she supported her weight on her forearms and began thrusting.
     Her full breasts bouncing in front of him were too great a
temptation. Capturing a nipple in his mouth, he sucked on it,
eliciting a warm stream of milk just as a loud, long moan escaped from
Natalie signaling her orgasm.
     Nick released her nipple, pulled her down on him and sunk his
fangs into her shoulder. With a rumbling growl, he thrust fast and
hard, pumping his bloody seed deep within his beloved wife. She came
again.
     Rolling her swiftly onto her back without uncoupling, he
smothered her with kisses and tenderly lapped at the puncture wounds
until they sealed.
     When his soft penis finally slipped out, he wrapped himself
protectively around her and fell asleep -- secure in the knowledge
that his son was now healing and he was in large part responsible.


"Heaven is not reached by a single bound
 But we build the ladder by which we rise."
         - J.G. Holland, GRADATIM


The End