I'll Protect You in the Dark

Epilogue

Twenty Years Later...

I was sitting in a rocking chair holding our newborn son.  There was a small group of visitors waiting to see the new baby.  He was, after all, another heir to our vast legacy and fortune.  

After we had moved out of the apartment, we moved into a neighborhood that was exclusively vampires.  Word got out fast that we were the heirs that had disappeared decades earlier.  I had been pregnant when I arrived, and Mason and I were ecstatic to be new parents.  Soon after we moved in, I gave birth to Abigail, our firstborn, a daughter.  Vampire children age quickly, but once they hit puberty, they see a great slowing down in age.  They will age 10 years for every 100 human years once they hit thirty.  

When Abby turned four (two years after she was born) I found out I was pregnant again.  We had Noelle, another girl.  

It was beatiful, being able to have children with Mason.  I was still human, and could give birth.  I could see Mason in them, in their eyes, in their actions and mannerisms.  The way Abby laughed.  The way Noelle smiled at me.  Mason said they both Noelle was the spitting image of me, but all I could see when I looked at her was Mason.  

I was snapped out of my reverie by Zach and his family walking in.  Since werewolves aged slowly, (1 year for every 10 human years after they hit puberty) Zach and his wife only loooked like average people in their twenties.  He and his wife had three kids already, three boys, and his wife was pregnant with a baby girl.  

"How are you doing, mama?" he asked, peeking at my new son.  

"I'm still sore, but holding up."

Abby and Noelle were sitting on either side of my rocking chair, and Mason behind it.  Abby was now eight, and Noelle four.  

Zach looked at both of them, "Are you two excited to be big sisters?"  When they shook their heads, we all laughed.  "Well, we'll go and let you see your other visitors, boys say bye to Aunty Zoe and Uncle Mason."

His oldest son, (Jared, I remember his name was) waved at me.  He looked like his mother, her delicate features in his face, although he was a man now, at the age of fifteen.  The other two were still ten and eight.  I waved goodbye and they left.  

"Mama, what are you going to name him?" Abby asked.

"His name is Liam Mason Marchand-Kayen."  (Marchand was Mason's last name.  We had gotten married last spring and I had gotten my name hyphenated, at the bequest from my grandfather that I keep my last name)

Noelle smiled, "That's a pretty name, Mama."

Mason ruffled her hair, "It's not supposed to be pretty, it's supposed to be strong!  He's a boy, not a girl!"

"Well he can still be pretty, right Mama?" Noelle asked, hating to be wrong. (A trait Mason swears up and down came from me)

I smiled at her, "Of course he can, dear."

Timaeus came in next, with Herleva and Eustachius.  The three had been going back and forth between the council and the house, they had gotten attached to our small family when Abby was first born.  Eustachius usually stayed unless he was absolutely needed, so he had gotten to see the birth.  Timaeus and Herleva were just coming in from Italy, because of their council work.  

"Liam?  A rather fitting name.  In Irish, the name means determined guardian," Timaeus said, rubbing Liam's head fondly.  

Eustachius was standing a little detached from the group, looking at us almost in awe.  I smiled at him warmly.  "Would you like to hold him, Eustachius?"  

Eustachius nodded.  He held Liam tenderly, smoothing down his hair.  Liam awoke quietly, and began to coo at Eustachius.  Eustachius smiled, the joy reaching his eyes.  He poked Liam's nose, "Hello little guardian," He muttered.  He kissed him gently and gave him back to me.  

The little group departed, leaving our family alone.  Abby and Noelle seemed in awe of their new little brother, and were reluctant to go leave him alone when I put him in his crib.  

"How would you like it if he poked and prodded you in your sleep?"  Mason asked, shooing them out of the nursery.  We stayed behind, looking at little Liam sleep quietly.  

"He's going to be the guardian of our legacy, he will protect Abby and Noelle even if we can't," Mason said.  

"I don't want to think of that right now," I said, nuzzling my head into Mason's shoulder.  He turned and hugged me, and I let myself fall into his familiar shape.  

"We're going to be okay, right?  Everything will be alright?" 

"Yes," he answered, resting his chin on my head. "Everything will be alright."