Forgiveness and Punishment

23

Although it's  not his house, Timothy has both the brothers sit down. Once they do and Melissa takes her own seat, that's when Timothy begins.

"You both know and understand that I and your sister are vampires. Yes, TJ, Melissa is your sister. What you were told was the absolute truth, there was just far more to the story than was told to you. 

"I offered your sister the chance to come live at my estate and remain human, but she would need to drink my blood daily to fight the cancer. I also offered her the chance to turn that would make her cancer free and restore her sight and remove the birthmark."

"She took the offer?" TJ is confused, the sister he remembers wouldn't have accepted the offer due to having to drink blood to survive. 

"No, she turned me down flat. Said that she was content and was ready to die. She didn't even want a funeral because she didn't think any one would come." Timothy looks hard at Melissa with those words.

Melissa shrugs, "You would think that too, if you had the upbringing I did."

"But you did have one, you said." Tad says anxiously, "You said that you recorded it. Can we see it? At least, can I see it? I would have liked to have been there."

"I would like to see it as well. I always knew that my sister was special, but I could never treat her that way, the way she should be."

Timothy hesitates and looks at Melissa who shrugs. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thumb drive. Tossing the drive to TJ he continues, "She died before I could argue with her to get her to change her mind. She honestly died that quickly after being told about the cancer. I didn't have time to think things through, I had to act and act quickly. I turned your sister, without her permission, which is a huge no, no in the vampire world.

"Because of that she was more than a little upset with me once she completed her turning. It took her longer than any one that I've ever heard about before. Perhaps because of all the healing that had to take place due to the cancer," Timothy shrugs. "Whatever the reason, once she woke up we fought, a lot. It was only two days ago that we came to a truce. She went to her lawyer in the city and had her name legally changed and all the legal documents changed over. She brought the ashes of Pimpernel Lancaster to be placed with her father and to see her lawyer here.

"We hadn't intended on seeing any of you while here."

"I had no intentions of speaking to any of you ever again. The last night I was here you made it very clear how you felt about me as you were taken out to go with CPS. I thought you hated me and never wanted to see me again. You were quite convincing to me, so I have no doubt that Marissa was satisfied by how you acted towards me." Melissa tells them, hiding most of the bitterness that she still feels. She might understand and even forgive it, but it's not so easy to get rid of the pain. She's working on it, but it will take some time to fully heal from that.

The boys just nod their heads and look down.

"Now that you both know what we are, we have a problem. Hell, we had a problem even before you knew.

"I have enemies, all vampires in power do, and there aren't many more powerful than me. Until now, I didn't have any real weaknesses. With the way I created your sister, well I created my own weakness. If she doesn't accept me and give her bond to me, then I will be killed and your sister will be taken and if not killed then used by other vampires against the vampire people in general."

Both boys look up at that and are more than a little confused. "Why? I mean, I get you will get into trouble for having turned her without permission, but how would she be used against the vampire people?"