"He's eating!" Allie cried out.

"That's it, little man," Caleb murmured. "Drink."

A collective sigh of relief echoed around the upper floor as people released their tension in applause, laughter, or muted cheers.

Jane held back on her celebration. Starting to eat was a plus, but she needed Joseph to continue eating, and after he ate, to keep the food down.

"Don't let him take too much at first," she cautioned. "It's been a long time since he's truly eaten in terms of being able to digest his food and we don't want to overwhelm his system."

Allie rested her cheek against Caleb's hand and nodded, smiling up at her husband. Joseph showed no sign of stopping.

"Do you think he's going to need more protein?" Caleb asked.

Jane shrugged and held out her hands. "I don't-"

"I know," he said with a snap of energy. "You don't know."

"Back off, Caleb," Slade ordered with a snap of his own. "She's saving your son's life. If you want to get picky about the trial-and-error aspect, get someone else to do it."

"We want Jane," Allie cut in. "And, Caleb?"

"What?"

Allie eased the bottle from Joseph's mouth. "I love you, but please be quiet until you get your fear under control."

"s.h.i.t." He ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes on his son. "He's getting uncomfortable?"

"He's getting full," Allie corrected.

"Is that all it is?" Caleb asked Joseph in a soft murmur. "Is your tummy full?"

Slade reached out and rested the back of his fingers against Joseph's cheek, his love for his nephew evident. "Going to have to work on that. The Johnsons are known for their appet.i.te."

"I'm sure he'll be beating his father out of bear claws in no time," Allie interjected.

The hope was contagious. Jane smiled. "I didn't think vampires ate."

"He throws them up," Allie explained, "but he does love them."

"It keeps me human," Caleb quipped and with the cares of his world temporarily lifted, Jane saw the charm that would draw a woman like Allie.

"I think he looks better already," Allie said, kissing Joseph's forehead. The stair creaked as the hall cleared, giving the family their privacy.

Jane didn't see a difference yet. "We'll have to keep an eye on him. If he gets sick and has any other abnormal symptoms we'll need to come at the problem from a different angle."

Allie shook her head. "No, this is working." She paused and then asked, "It's because of how we got pregnant that he's having problems, isn't it? I was still human when he was conceived. That's why he didn't get what he needed."

"I don't know." Jane shrugged. "Maybe it's just one of those things. A birth defect."

"Can you keep making this protein?" Caleb asked.

"Yup. As long as Caleb's willing to give blood. Eventually I might be able to make it out of any vampire's blood, but-" She shrugged again.

"It's too soon and you don't know," Caleb finished, but this time without the sharpness.

"No, I don't know. We just have to wait it out."

Caleb stepped around the rocker and held out his hand. Slade lifted her up. When she took Caleb's hand, instead of shaking it, he pulled her in for a hug. It was a little stiff and a lot awkward. She got the impression the man didn't do this much. "Thank you."

Tears she didn't know she was suppressing gathered in her eyes. Caleb stepped back and looked at her. "h.e.l.l, Slade," he said, "I think your woman's sprung a leak."

Jane wiped at her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

"Exhausted would be a better description, I'm guessing."

Turning Jane with a gentle grip on her shoulders, Caleb gave her a little shove toward Slade. "Take your woman to bed."

"Don't mind if I do."

Before Jane could offer a comment one way or another on the brothers' high-handedness, Slade scooped her up in his arms. Once there, it seemed just easier to link her hands behind his neck and rest her cheek against his chest. She really was tired. Around her, the family continued to banter. She absorbed the happy energy, letting it flow through her. The celebration might be premature, but she didn't think so. After the days of fear and negativity, this moment of normal felt good. Very good.

Allie put Joseph to her chest and burped him. He belched loudly, but it was a dry burp. No vomit in sight. Everybody smiled.

"A true Johnson," Slade bragged.

Jane rolled her eyes. "That's the Johnson claim to fame? The ability to belch?"

"It's one of them," Caleb a.s.sured her.

"Good grief."

Allie shook her head and rubbed Joseph's back, a smile tugging her lips. "One we'll be discontinuing."

"Don't worry, Joseph," Slade said. "Your uncles will sneak you out from under the women's thumbs and teach you all the important skills of being a man."

"Oh my G.o.d. Go before you corrupt my sweet innocent boy."

Caleb laughed outright. "Allie girl, there's not a Johnson born whose been sweet and innocent."

"Now you tell me."

"I bet you're glad to be back in the lab?"

Jane looked up from the slide she was preparing to see Allie standing in the doorway of the lab. One night had made quite a difference in the woman. She looked young and carefree.

"Yes. It's a pretty scary world out there when you know what's lurking in the shadows."

Allie stepped into the room. "Especially with Sanctuary hunting you."

"You have no idea."

"Actually, I do. They held me prisoner for a while."

"I didn't know."

Allie's grimace nowhere near matched the stress flare of her energy. "It was an experience."

"It doesn't show."

"Should it?"

"I don't know, those monsters I saw ..." She shrugged. "I can't imagine it not leaving scars."

"Fortunately vampires heal."

"Yes." Shoving her chair back, Jane hazarded a guess. "You want to talk to me about something, don't you?"

"I want to talk to you about Slade."

"I haven't seen him since he put me to bed last night."

"I know. What I want to know is why."

"Maybe he just doesn't need me anymore?"

"What makes you think that?'

"His absence?"

Allie rolled her eyes. She had an expressive face. It was easy to see why Caleb loved her. She radiated life. "The Johnson men are stubborn."

Jane smoothed a crease in her jeans. "How is Slade doing anyway, physically, I mean?"

"It's taking him longer to fully heal than he wants to admit, but Tobias said he'll be at full strength in no time."

"Tobias. He's in the middle of everything."

"Yeah, he is. I think of him as a catalyst. Wherever Tobias lands, things change. Whether you want them to or not."

"And you still keep him around?"

"Change is part of life. You can fight it, but it's still going to happen."

Which was not a soothing comment to a control freak like Jane. Picking up a pen on the desk, she asked, "While you're here, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"What's it like to be vampire?"

"Honestly?"

"I don't think I can take a lie right now."

Allie laughed. "Then I'll save my creativity for later."

"Thank you."

"Being vampire is like being human on steroids. You can do everything bigger and better, even s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up."

"Great." She gave the pen a swirl.

Allie put her hand on the pen, stopping its spin. "It really is no different than being human. There are things you can do and things you can't do. You fall in love. You make sacrifices. You adjust to your environment. You don't get to enjoy the sun, but there's beauty in the night. Pain is more intense but so is pleasure."

"And you have wars."

Allie shrugged and sat back. "So do humans."

She had a point. Jane tapped the pen on the smooth metal. "What about the blood? And keep in mind you're talking to someone who doesn't even like her meat to be pink in the center."

"I was a vegetarian."

Jane gripped the pen hard, watching her knuckles turn white. "Didn't you vomit? The first time at least?"

"I wanted to."

"Why do I hear a 'but'?"

"Because there usually is one?"

"n.o.body likes a know-it-all."

"So I'm always telling Slade. Maybe if you stick around, you can convince him of it."

"I wouldn't hold my breath."

Allie c.o.c.ked her head to the side. "I can hold my breath for a very long time."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because I'm clearly a woman of many talents who was able to get past all the ick factors of vampirism?"

Jane tossed the pen on the table. "How did you do that?"

"I can take only Caleb's blood, and I find it very erotic." She smiled a gamine grin. "Bottom line, for me s.e.x was the great equalizer."

Jane couldn't imagine it.

Allie's grin faded. "So, joking aside, have you thought about what you're going to do?"