The doorbell to the Gregory mansion rang over and over and Francis took his sweet time to get it. He could smell who was at the door and was just not interested in seeing his face. Dylan did not give up and rang it all the more. "I know you are in there Francis. I can smell your cold scent!" He shouted through the door. "You know I won't stop ringing this doorbell. I even cleared my schedule for this purpose."
The ringing was giving Francis a headache and he got up from the study and rushed to open the door. With his arms blocking the remaining part of the entrance, he stood in his tux and rolled his eyes. "What?" He asked.
"We need to talk." Dylan said and tried to find his way through the body barricade before him. It did not flinch.
"No. We do not. You forget we have nothing in common to talk about."
"Really? I could have sworn Natalie and the twins were something. But, if you say so…" Dylan shrugged and turned to leave. Francis rolled his eyes again.
"What a waste of cleared schedule." Francis mocked and watched Dylan stop and turn around. He walked back to where Francis was and forced a smile. Francis looked at him coldly and opened the door wider to let him in. Dylan walked in with a grin. "Speak. I have a busy schedule ahead of me." Francis said as he shut the door and followed Dylan in. Dylan could only pick up on Francis' scent in the house, meaning he was alone in the mansion. It was the first time the two men were alone. And based on the topic he was about to bring up, he could only see one way this conversation would end. It was long overdue anyway.
"Nothing is offered to your guest?" Dylan mocked and took a seat on the couch. Francis could already feel his rage boiling as he watched Dylan seat on his best seat. But he calmed down for he thought that Dylan did not know this fact. But Dylan did. He had walked around looking for the seat which had Francis' scent the strongest and figured it was his best seat, and so he sat. Seeing the different emotions on Francis' face, he figured he had got it right. Francis did not move and they looked at each other for a moment.
"Okay. Call me when you are ready. I have things to do." Francis said impatiently and turned to leave. He had had enough with the guest in his living room.
"Nothing much. Oh hey, I was wondering if you could leave Natalie and the twins alone." Dylan half-whispered to himself. With his impeccable hearing sense, Francis caught his words when he was almost in his study. Within a flash, he stood before Dylan.
"What?!" He shouted.
"Oh, you heard that." Dylan commented calmly.
"I did because you said it intentionally for me to hear! And I urge you to say it to my face!" Francis' anger was slowly giving a red warning. Dylan looked at him, his face calm.
"This is the reason I have said so."
"What reason?!"
"Your anger. Can't you see? Your own children are afraid of you and your short temper! You are always shouting at something- mostly someone. Hitting someone- mostly something and making irrational decisions. The twins do not need to pick up on such negativity."
"You have no right to tell me what to do. Especially not with my own children!" Francis roared.
"You are right. That is why I shall advise Natalie to consider taking them away from you for a bit. At least you learn to keep your anger in check." Dylan suggested and calmly crossed his right leg over his left and leaned back at the couch.
"Don't you dare!" Francis warned.
"I am not afraid of you, Francis. I am not your children. You are just a spoilt man who needs to have his anger checked out before he hurts his child…" Before Dylan could finish the word, Francis lifted him from the couch by his collar and they now stood staring at each other eye to eye since their height was different by less than an inch. Dylan kept his hands freely down on his sides and just looked at Francis without any hint of expression. "Children." He finished his word and calmly looked at Francis' hands on his leather jacket's collar. "Do you mind? I need to feel air in my lungs." He said sarcastically but Francis only held him tighter. "You see what I am talking about. Now do you imagine if Anthony would have been the one to comment about your bad temper, he would be terribly hurt by his own father by now." Francis though about the last comment for a while and began to loosen his grip slowly on the collar.
"Maybe you are right." Francis said. "But, you are not him!" He added and rushed at Dylan and gave him a good blow to the chin making him hurl up in the air to his left side, landing on the small glass coffee table shattering it to pieces. Before he could get up, Francis had already rushed to him and kicked him in his abdomen, flying him across the room to the right hand side of the room, landing him roughly on the couch he had lifted him from and the couch broke into pieces. This infuriated Francis even more and he rushed and picked Dylan up with his left hand and prepared to take his heart out of his chest. "You should not have made me angry." He said calmly and reached for his heart and got ready to pull it out from his chest.
"Stop!" Natalie's voice roared from the door entrance. Behind her stood Flora and the twins.
"It is none of your business!" Francis shouted back and held Dylan's heart with his right hand and was pulling it out.
"You cannot hurt him without hurting the twins!" Natalie shouted even more dangerously and took a step forward.
"They'll get over it. There shall be another dog to care for them. Maybe this time, a real one." Francis said and squeezed the heart in his hand. Dylan began choking on his blood.
"Yes, true. But not their father or sire." Natalie said calmly and everyone looked at her astonished. Francis hesitated and shot a glance at Natalie. His grip loosened tightly.
"But I am their father! You would really say anything to save his life? Even concoct such a transparent lie?" Francis said and let out a hysterical laugh.
"Yes, you are their father. But, Francis, think about it. Why would I make such a transparent lie?" Natalie asked and she took another step closer. Francis looked at Dylan and felt his anger getting lost in different emotions. "Why do you think the bond between him and the twins is so strong?" Natalie added, making him loosen the grip farther on Dylan hearts. While Francis was struggling to make sense of the words, Natalie rushed and took out Francis' hand from Dylan and broke it. He then hit Francis on the chest making him fly across the room and hit the wall next to the entrance door. She then immediately held Dylan before he could fall on the floor. And rushed him to the couch opposite the broken one. "Are you okay? Dylan? Dylan!" She called out. Dylan looked at her and weekly nodded then he passed out.
It was late in the night when Dylan came to. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was not in his bungalow. Then he caught site of her. Seated calmly at the edge of the bed, looking at him. "Welcome back sleeping beauty." She mocked and smiled. "How are you feeling now?" She asked. Dylan tried to get up from the bed but he felt week and after a struggle, he gave up. "You passed out on me and have been out for hours. You are doing alright. Alice checked up on you and she confirmed it. Your speed healing kicked in immediately Francis let go of you. I almost lost you. We almost lost you. I don't know…" Natalie struggled to contain her emotions. Dylan pushed himself up and reached out for her. She got lost in his hug. It lasted a while.
"Francis…" He managed to whisper after a while still hugging her. She let go and looked at him solemnly. He understood. "They are waiting for us to explain, aren't they?" He asked. She nodded.
"I have been here in watching after you for a while, since you passed out. I have not found the courage to go out and explain. And I was worried that if you…. then the twins would…and I could not…" She was breaking down again as her voice became hoarse with the energy it took to contain such emotions. Dylan embraced her again and smelt her hair and her scent. They were his best scents. He gave her a kiss on her cheek and hugged her again.
"I am here. Francis did not succeed…"
"But if he did…"
"He did not. That is why I am here. And besides, it is better we go and tell the truth right now. Maybe then, Francis can chill out."
"I doubt that. He will be furious." Natalie said and chuckled. Dylan looked at her beautiful face and smiled. He was delighted to see how much she cared for him.
"We don't have to do it today. You can rest and we can do it tomorrow morning. I can tell them you are still asleep." Natalie suggested.
"Natalie, we are in a house full of vampires and you just let out a bombshell. I am sure as we speak, they are eagerly listening to this conversation and they already know that I am up." Dylan said and they chuckled again. It was true. On the floor below in the dining area the Gregory family were eagerly waiting and had been attentive to the conversation going on upstairs. As soon as they heard Dylan's comment, they all smiled in embarrassment. All except Francis, who sat angrily quiet at the end of the long table. He sneered. How could the twins not be his children? He could feel the he shared connection with them. No one could tell him they were not his!
"By the way, Talia, thank you. Thank you for standing up for me and for saving my life. It was not for you; I would have been dead by now." Dylan said genuinely.
"Come on. You are my family. What were you doing here anyway?" Natalie asked as he reached out a black t-shirt to give to Dylan to put on. He hesitated in replying. She knew it meant something which would upset her.
"I was asking Francis to let the kids be away from him for a couple of days." Dylan said and saw Natalie's face change. "Please don't get me wrong. I understand and respect that he is their father." The people down stairs were even more confused and they looked at Francis, who was smiling. This meant that Natalie had lied to protect Dylan. "But his temper is unbearable and I feared for the twins. If I could have been Anthony, or Kyla…and I made him angry…"
"Francis would not hurt his own children." Natalie defended, and watched Dylan, who now stood up to put on his t-shirt.
"Natalie, can you put your hand on your chest and swear on them that their father would not hurt them? Ever?" Dylan asked. Natalie hesitated. Francis frowned and wondered whether he was really that bad. "They are a part of me, just as I am a part of them. And I have the right to care about them." Dylan added. The family below looked at each other, confused even more.
"I know. I know." Natalie agreed. "But before we discuss this much farther, it is time we go downstairs and cool down the burning ears before they come get us. It is time we tell them the truth. You ready?" She looked back at Dylan, who nodded. She then stretched out her hand and he slid his into hers. They then walked slowly downstairs to the family eagerly waiting for them.