The burdens of family

32

The rest of the school day went quickly. Of course he'd missed half of it but it still felt like a blink. He drove back home, hoping Alexis and Xavier would be a little easier to handle than they were that morning.

"Lex!" Arkyn called, knocking on her bedroom door. "Come on out, Lex. You, me and Xave need to talk."
"I don't want to talk about Ruby."
"Lex, come on."
"Why do I have to like someone who wants you dead?"
"She's hardly the first person to hate me, and she's not gong to be the last."
"Doesn't mean I have to like her."
"She's not a bad person, Lex."
"You always say that."
"Because it's true. She's the type of woman who will fight for what's right. The kind of woman who helps anyone who asks her for it. She's the kind of woman who always gives, and never takes."
"She hates you. How can that be right?"
"How about this? You come down, and I'll tell you the full story of why she hates me. Deal?" He sighed. Her door opened and she glared at him.
"What do you mean the full story? She hates you because you're a vampire and a vampire supposedly killed our ancestors."
"Not until you come down." He said. She rolled her eyes and stormed past him. He walked over to Xavier's room next and started knocking. "Xavier, come on down."
"No thanks."
"Xave-"
"Look, if you're gonna spout out some other bullshit story about how you deserve her hatred because you did something awful, then I'd rather skip it."
"It's not bull. Besides, you should know this story."
"If mom wanted us to know, then we would've found out years ago."
"Not necessarily. I was the one who didn't want to tell you."
"Fine." Xavier opened his own door and walked out. "But I won't promise to hate you. Mom loved you and that's all I need to know."
"Alright." Arkyn followed.

"Okay, you say there's more to the story as to why Ruby hates you."
"She's grandma to you." Arkyn chided.
"I'm not calling her grandma." Alexis frowned.
"Okay, you guys know her father watched as his own parents were killed? And you know how Klaus murdered my friends and everyone else in the town?"
"What are you saying?" Xavier asked.
"I'm saying your ancestors were my friends. Klaus left the kids alive but he murdered everyone else. Your great great grandfather George died because he was my friend. Little Mikey survived, developed a hatred of vampires."
"But it wasn't your fault."
"He didn't blame me. He had every reason to, but he was as loyal as his father. So I made sure he was okay, and left. I figured, if I stayed, Klaus'd come back and kill them all. The day I met your mom was pretty much the first time in decades I set foot back in that town."
"So that's why Ruby hates you? Because your brother killed the people you loved?"
"She doesn't want you to have the same fate as her grandfather. Xave, Lex- George was my best friend, and I couldn't protect him. And here I am less than a century later, with his descendants."
"Look, his death was not your fault. If he cared about you, the way we do, he would not want you to blame yourself. If Klaus comes to town, we can protect ourselves. We're prepared to fight him."
"Your grandmother's just wary. Because I'm the reason her grandfather died. She doesn't need me being the reason her grandchildren die too. Try to see things from her point of view."
"I get it." Xavier said. "I definitely don't agree, but I get it. What you need to understand though, Ark, is that she wants to push her beliefs on us. She wants us to hate the man who helped raise us. Who taught us how to ride a bike, healed us whenever we got hurt. The guy who always looks out for us, no matter the cost to himself. That's why we don't get along. I'd be open to the weekends with her, I wouldn't mind her if she didn't constantly pressurise us to hate you."
"I talked to her today. And I'll remind her again next time before you go over to her. I just don't want you to hate her for me. Because beneath the whole anti-vampire stuff, she's actually a pretty great woman."
"Can we just agree that her reasonings are slightly reasonable but completely invalid. Because we care about you, Ark. And nothing will ever change that." Xavier glared.
"Alright, fine." He replied. "Agreed."
"Agreed." Alexis said reluctantly.
"This means you guys'll stop acting like brats and locking yourselves in your rooms, right?"
"We weren't acting like brats." Alexis defended.
"Yes, you were."
"Don't you have a girlfriend to suck face with?"
"Alexis doesn't ever not act like a brat, Ark. You should know that by now."
"I hate the two of you." Alexis glared.
"Hey, maybe you've got more in common with Ruby than you think." Xavier said and Alexis pulled a face. Arkyn chuckled as he scolded Xavier for not addressing her as 'grandma'.
"Alright. I'm ordering you guys some dinner. Pizza?"
"Sure." Xavier replied, and Alexis nodded. Arkyn walked away, phone in hand.
"He's such a dad." Alexis rolled her eyes.
"Ironic." Xavier said.
"But, I'm still glad we got him in our lives. We can't let Klaus hurt him again. So when he comes to town, we're fighting, and we'll help the scooby gang."
"Even if it means Klaus dies?"
"Even if."
"I can live with that." Xavier said, and smiled over at his sister as Arkyn walked back in.
"Half an hour till the pizza arrives." He said and they nodded. Arkyn sat next to Alexis, and she laid down on the couch, her head on Xavier's lap, and her legs on Arkyn's.