Mr Patrick sighed and shook his head. 'I'll inform the Council. They'll need to hear about this right away,' he said. 'Come on, Ryan.' He turned and marched away without a backward glance, clearly expecting Ryan to follow which Ryan did, with an apologetic look over his shoulder at Dani.

'Why don't we all get out of here?' Adam asked. 'I feel we may be spoiling the vibe for the actual honeymooners.'

'I just want to be home,' Dani answered miserably.

Jason pulled her into a quick hug. 'You'll be there in a few minutes,' he promised. Sienna wrapped her arm around Dani's shoulders, and they all walked toward the car.

'She only told me how great it would be,' Dani said, her voice so soft it was almost as if she were talking to herself. 'She kept saying it would be her legacy to me. That I'd live a really long time, and that I'd be really rich because I'd inherit everything from her, and that everyone would be OK with Ryan and me being together.'

'Bianca's ill, Dani,' Sienna reminded her. 'I know she wasn't trying to hurt you.'

Jason looked at Sienna across the top of Dani's head. 'Speaking of Bianca,' he said grimly. 'We have to find a way to help her before she goes completely insane.'

Twenty-One.

'OK, SHOW TIME,' Jason said as he pulled the Bug into his driveway after taking Sienna back to her car and dropping Adam off at his house. 'Are you ready to go in there and show our parents what happy, normal, non-acquainted-with-vampire teens we are?'

Dani nodded, her eyes gla.s.sy with shock.

'Hey, Dani . . .' Jason hesitated, not knowing exactly what to say. 'It'll be all right. You're all right. You had a close call tonight, but you're OK.'

She nodded again, then forced a smile. 'Thanks for riding to my rescue.'

'Yeah, you looked real happy to see me when I showed up,' Jason teased gently.

His sister smiled again. A little more convincingly this time. 'Look at me. I'm a happy normal teen! And I don't believe in vampires!' she exclaimed. 'How was that?'

'Oscar-worthy,' Jason told her.

Dani opened the car door. 'Let's do it.'

Jason followed her up to the house, and they walked inside together. They found their parents in the living room. The TV was on, but neither of them was watching it. Mr Freeman sat on the couch, frowning, and Mrs Freeman paced up and down the length of the room.

'Hey, we're home,' Jason told them. 'What's up?' Because something definitely was.

'Did either of you talk to your Aunt Bianca tonight, by any chance?' Mr Freeman asked.

'Nuh-uh,' Jason answered for both of them. He'd tried to talk to Bianca, but she hadn't answered her cell.

'She just packed up and left,' Mrs Freeman burst out. 'No note, no goodbye, nothing! I just don't understand what's going on with her.'

Could she be feeling guilty about what almost happened to Dani tonight? Jason wondered. But when he thought about it, it seemed more likely that his aunt's disappearance was just another sign of her mental deterioration.

'She'll probably call you in a few days to say she's jetted off to Italy to buy shoes or something,' Mr Freeman said rea.s.suringly.

'Yeah, that sounds like Aunt Bianca,' Dani agreed, her voice shaking just the tiniest bit. Enough that Jason knew she was thinking about what was happening to Bianca's mind. And what had almost happened to Dani herself.

But then Dani sat down next to her mother and took her hand. 'Really. Don't worry, Mom,' she said, her voice strong now. 'Aunt Bianca will be fine. I know it.'

And Jason believed her.

She's OK, he thought, relieved. We got to her in time. Dani is truly OK.

'How's Dani doing?' Sienna asked the next day at lunch with Belle and Adam.

'She's still a little shaken up,' Jason admitted.

'Poor baby,' Belle said sympathetically.

'She's going to be fine, though. Dani always has a fast recovery time. She's a bounce-backer,' Jason added.

'I found out from my parents that Ryan's dad called an emergency session of the Council last night,' Sienna informed them. 'I thought my parents would freak when they heard about us breaking into the Center. But instead the whole Council is thanking their lucky stars that we figured out what would happen if Ryan transformed Dani. If she underwent the transformation and got sick, it would've been a huge tragedy. They're all thrilled that we prevented it.' She smiled at Jason. 'We actually sort of ended up looking like heroes.'

'I am extremely heroic,' Adam commented. 'It's the chin. I have a strong chin the chin of a hero.' He put his hands on his hips, mock superhero style. 'Do not fear. My chin and I will always be here to protect you. We are available for any mission. And we will fearlessly continue to search the web for news of vampire hunters and other dangers to our special friends.' He winked at Sienna and Belle.

'I feel very safe now,' Jason told Adam as Belle and Sienna laughed. 'What'd the Council say about my aunt?' he asked Sienna.

'That the Center is trying to find a cure for transformation sickness,' Sienna explained. 'Until they do, the Council will keep tabs on Bianca if she ever shows up again. They've got people out looking for her, but it seems as if she's just vanished. I hope she's all right.'

I hope so too, Jason thought, his mother's worried face flashing into his mind. 'I wonder if she knew she was getting sick. Maybe that's why she was so worried about her "legacy". It might explain why she was in such a rush to get Dani and me to transform.'

'I think she must have known deep down, on a subconscious level,' Sienna answered. 'The mood swings she got from the transformation sickness definitely upped her intensity too.'

'I hope we'll hear from her again soon,' Jason said. 'n.o.body can help her while we don't know where she is.' He, Sienna, Belle, and Adam considered this in silence for a long moment.

'My parents gave me some other interesting news,' Sienna said finally, an unexpected smile tugging at her lips.

'Well, lay it on us,' Adam demanded.

Sienna leaned across the table, took Jason's face in her hands, looked him in the eye for a long moment, then kissed him. And kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him.

'Woohoo!' Jason heard Adam whoop.

'So is the news that it's OK with your parents if you're with Jason? Or is it something else?' Belle asked, deadpan.

Sienna grinned, breaking the kiss. 'They said that as long as I promise faithfully not to transform Jason, they give us their permission to get back together. And the Council are cool with that too.'

'I wasn't expecting that,' Jason said. 'Not that I'm complaining.'

'Like I said, we ended up looking like heroes for the way we handled the Dani and Ryan sitch. That's a big reason my parents and the Council are willing for us to be together. You've given them a big reason to trust you another big reason, that is. Also . . .' Sienna hesitated.

'Also?' Jason prompted.

'I think that everybody's a little afraid that if they don't give us permission to be together, I'll just transform you right now whether they approve or not. They know that we know it's safe for you,' Sienna explained.

'C'est bon!' Adam exclaimed. 'And . . . I'm out of French.'

'I'm so happy for you guys,' Belle told them.

'Me too,' Sienna said, her eyes on Jason. 'And if we're still together, say, after college, then my parents agreed they'd feel differently about you becoming one of us if that's what you want since we know for sure that the transformation sickness won't affect you.'

'We'll still be together,' Jason promised her. 'I know it.'

Jason bounded into the house after swim practice on Wednesday. Life was good. He had Sienna. He'd just beaten his best time in the medley. And, oh, yeah . . . he had Sienna!

'You look happy,' his mom commented.

'I am. How about you?' he asked, realizing that his mother actually looked happier than she had lately.

'I'm a lot better now that I've heard from your aunt. Bianca called this afternoon from the office. All la-di-da, like I had no reason to be worried. She'd just had to fly back to New York to see a hot new up-and-comer in a play.' Mrs Freeman shook her head. 'I figured my little sister would have got a bit more mature by now, but I guess not. I'm just relieved that she's OK.'

'Me too,' Jason said. And he hoped she stayed OK for a long time.

'What do you say we make some of Dani's favorite jam thumbprint cookies?' his mom asked. 'She seems blue-ish to me these past few days. I expect it's boy trouble not that she talks to me. I'm only her mother.'

'Sure. Why not?' Jason answered. He hadn't helped his mother make cookies since he was a little kid. But it could be fun. And his mom was right: Dani definitely did seem like she needed cheering up. She hadn't said anything to him about what was going on with her and Ryan, but he had the feeling she was having a hard time.

'Great. Go wash your hands and we'll get started,' Mrs Freeman said.

'Why do I have to wash my hands?' Jason mock whined. 'I was just at swim practice. My hands were submerged in water for hours.'

She laughed. And Jason was struck by the thought of just how hard it would be if he did let Sienna transform him someday. He'd never be able to tell his mom or his dad the truth. There'd always be this thing between them. This huge secret.

Jason headed into the kitchen with his mother. It isn't even something Dani and I could both do, even though she knows the truth about the vampires, he thought as he started to wash his hands. His sister had no choice but to remain human. And maybe he should too. It's what he was. It's what his family was.

But now that Sienna knew Jason could safely undergo the transformation, how would she feel if he decided not to? Would she think that meant he didn't love her? Or didn't love her enough to want to be with her for her whole life?

'I think you're probably clean enough,' Mrs Freeman commented, pulling him away from his thoughts. 'We're baking, not performing surgery.'

Sienna and I will work it out together when it's time, Jason decided as he dried his hands on a paper towel. We always do.

'Don't eat the last of the cookies,' Dani warned him on Friday night. 'Those are mine. They were made for me.'

'They were made by me,' Jason countered. 'I should get a couple more.'

'Nope. All mine!' Dani told him. She looked down at her skirt. 'I don't know if I should go with the Diesel. Maybe I should change. What do you think?'

'When you start talking about clothes and I a.s.sume you are since you were looking at your skirt when you asked the question it's like Adam talking about movies. I pretty much have no idea what you're saying,' Jason confessed.

Dani ran her hands down her short way too short, Jason thought brown skirt. 'Just do you think it looks good?'

Looks good for Ryan? Jason wondered. 'Well, it's longer in the back than the front,' he told her. 'Is it supposed to do that?'

'Yes,' Dani said, all duh. 'It's called a fishtail.'

'And are those straps doing anything?' There were these two thin strips of webbed material that ran from the waist of the skirt to the hem. They were like luggage straps or something. 'Are they supposed to show?'

'I really shouldn't have asked you,' Dani commented.

'You really shouldn't have,' Jason agreed.

'Maybe I'll go try on my new-' The doorbell interrupted her.

'That's for me!' she exclaimed.

Jason followed her to the hall. He had to admit that he was a little curious to see if it was Ryan picking her up. Although it was hard to imagine Ryan's dad being OK with that after the hotel fiasco.

Dani pulled open the door and Jason saw Kristy and Maria standing on the porch. But, more importantly, he also saw Sienna pulling her car into the driveway behind them. Jason smiled. He couldn't help himself. When he saw Sienna, he smiled.

'Love the Diesel,' Sienna told Dani as she came in.

'Thank you!' Dani replied. 'I was trying to get an opinion from my brother and it was hopeless.'

'He's fashion illiterate,' Sienna agreed.

'No more mocking of the guy,' Jason ordered. 'Where are you three off to?'

'We're going to Thai town,' Maria told him. 'Dani needs to see Kevin, the Thai Elvis, do his thing. And also, we need coconut rice.'

'Have fun,' Sienna called as they hurried out.

'We will, don't worry,' Kristy called back. 'We're going to make sure Miss Dani has lots and lots and lots of fun.'

'Why do I have the feeling that they're trying to take Dani's mind off something like when the guys took me to Venice Beach after our sort of break-up?' Jason asked as he closed the door behind them.

'Because you're right. I was talking to Belle before I came over, and she told me Dani broke up with Ryan,' Sienna answered.

'Weird that I have to figure out what's going on with my sister through the best friend of my girlfriend,' Jason told her.

'Belle and Dani have gotten really close. She's been like a big sister to Dani through the Ryan romance. It's been good for Belle, having something to think about other than all the bad stuff. She's starting to get over Dominic's death, I think.'

'It's been good for Dani too. It's not like she could talk to Kristy or my mom about the difficulties of dating a vampire!' Jason pointed out. 'Did Belle say anything else?'

'Just that Ryan's hurting right now,' Sienna told him.

'Dani too,' Jason said.

'She'll recover. They both will,' Sienna promised. 'In fact, word on the grapevine is that there's a very cute boy who is going head over heels for Dani. A human cute boy,' Sienna added before Jason could ask.

Jason grinned. 'Now that that's settled,' he said happily, 'what should we do tonight? What are you in the mood for? Anything you want . . .'