Audra could not understand Theo's demands, how could a man of science who had been helping her find a cure want to become a vampire? It made no sense to her. She told him that she would need to think about it and left.
She stroked her ever growing stomach and thought about the baby inside. She did not know if she could prevent her baby being born infected with vampirism, all she knew for certain was if she didn't try to stop it then her child would grow up just as she had, different.
But could she change Theo into a vampire just to get what she wanted? Once over she would have stopped at nothing to get a cure, but since she lost Dr Parsons and Patrick due to her blind pursuit, she felt that too many peoples lives had been ruined because of it.
She could not make the decision alone so she turned to her father for help.
His brow furrowed when she told him of Theo's demands, "It makes no sense." He said, confirming her doubts. "We need to get to the bottom of this." Jonny resolved.
That night they returned to the lab and searched for any clues as to what was motivating Theo's request.
As they looked around it was clear that Theo had become more frantic as time went on, his lab was in total disarray with files and papers strewn all over.
Jonny began to look through the files as Audra spotted a familiar looking laptop which had been carelessly left out on the counter.
As she ran her fingers over the machine she noticed an inscription on the side reading "Property of Bridgeport PD" she flipped it open and recognised the login page immediately.
This was the laptop Patrick had used to unencrypt the files, how had it ended up here?
"Audra!" Jonny called, "Come see this."
Audra walked over to her father, he was staring at a strange red vial which was shut away in a glass case.
"Do you think this could be the anti virus?" Jonny asked.
"But it was destroyed by Jessica." Audra replied.
"What if everything this Theo told you was a lie?"
Audra thought it through, it had been Theo who had told them that the anti virus was destroyed, and it was Theo who had asked for Dr Parsons research. Now he had Patrick's laptop.
"What if Theo was somehow involved in Jessica's plan?" Audra asked her father.
"The police know nothing about Patricks disappearance, as far as they know he just left town." Jonny began, "But if they were to find his laptop here in the lab, along with Dr Parson's files."
"Then it puts Theo in the frame for Dr Parsons murder and Patricks disappearance." Audra finished.
Audra dialled the Bridgeport police department and spoke with Patricks partner, who agreed to come straight to the lab.
Before she arrived Jonny forced the glass case open and removed the vial containing the suspected anti virus.
"What are you doing?" Audra exclaimed, "That's evidence."
"No, this is yours Audra, if the police find it then it will be impounded for months, maybe years before Theo stands trial. Take it!" He demanded.
When officer Cliff arrived she confirmed that the laptop had indeed been missing from the CSI department for months now. She told Audra and Jonny to go home before she called it in, she would invent an anonymous call tipping her off to a break in at the lab to explain how she had found the evidence against Theo Singer.
"Don't worry, I'll see that he goes down for this." She promised Audra.
True to her word Officer Cliff had arrested Theo that night, he had resisted arrest claiming that he had nothing to do with Patricks death.
"No one mentioned anything about him being dead." Officer Cliff had replied stony faced.
"B-But Audra is the one who told me!" Theo exclaimed, "She knows all about it."
"Sure she does." Officer Cliff replied, this guy was clearly a whack job.
As Theo was lead away to the police car he kept on repeating the name Jessica over and over.
When they arrived back home Audra placed the vial on the kitchen table.
"Are you going to test it?" Jonny asked her.
She shook her head, "I can't do that, this is the only anti virus Dr Kaminski made, if it works then we need to be able to make more." she promptly burst into tears.
"Hey, come on now." Jonny soothed as he took her in his arms.
"We'll find someone who can reproduce it." He said as he stroked her hair, "There has to be some non crazy scientists down at the lab, right?"
Audra laughed through her tears at this, "I'm sure there is, but it may be too late by then."
Jonny regarded her with a puzzled expression.
"I'm pregnant." She declared, "and if i don't take the anti virus soon then my baby will be born infected just like i was, it will have a horrible life."
"Oh Audra, you can't really think that?" Jonny asked, "Look at your brothers, they have never been ashamed of how they were born. If your life was horrible then it was your mothers influence not the virus."
Audra wasn't certain if she believed her father at that point but one thing she did know was that she couldn't keep Tate in the dark any longer.
She decided to tell him about the baby.
Tate's face said it all, he was overjoyed that Audra was carrying his baby.
She knew she should tell him the truth that she suspected the baby wasn't his.
But he was so excited at the prospect of becoming a father that she hadn't the heart to disappoint him.
She stopped worrying about the anti virus for a while and enjoyed her pregnancy.
She made sure she read all the books and took things as easy as possible. One thing she knew for certain this baby was going to be loved.
A few weeks before her due date Audra woke in the night with searing pain shooting through her stomach.
The baby was coming!
With Tate by her side the whole way Audra delivered a beautiful baby girl who she named Eliza.
Eliza was an excitable Sim who loved the outdoors.
As Audra cradled her baby, she knew her father had once again been right, there was no way that her daughter was ever going to be made to feel ashamed of who she was, and when she reached the young adult stage of her life Audra would make sure that the anti virus was available to her if she chose to take it.
With a renewed determination she decided to find someone who would certainly be able to reproduce the anti virus, it's creator Dr Kaminski!
She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it sooner, the Doctor had only left town because of Jessica but now she was gone he and his family could return to Bridgeport safely.
A little digging down at the lab and she found someone who had his new address in Riverview.
Within days the Doctor wrote back to tell Audra that he was relived that Jessica was dead but that his family was settled in their new home so he would not return.
However if she was willing to test the anti virus and could confirm that it worked he would happily make as much of it as she wanted.
Audra set the vial before her, she took a deep breath and set it to her lips.
"Wait!" Jonny cried, making Audra jump. "You don't even know if this is going to work. Audra you have a baby to take care of you can't take this risk." He lectured.
"Then what do you suggest?" She asked.
"Let me take it."
"Dad, no way! If you take take it and it actually works you're going to age rapidly."
"Audra, I have lived my live twice over. I should be an old man by now, like all my friends."
Before she could argue further Jonny grabbed the vial and downed it.
A familiar pain engulfed him and he saw the same red haze that had wrapped around him on the day he changed all those years before.
As the haze subsided he blinked and saw the world through his original eyes for the first time in over forty years. He knew instantly that the serum had worked.
Audra wasted no time in letting Dr Kaminski know that his cure was a success, he immediately produced more and posted them to her.
The next day when Jonny awoke, he felt different again. As he got out of bed his back made a clicking noise and a sharp pain flashed along his spine.
He made his way to the bathroom and caught sight of himself in the mirror.
He had grown into an old man overnight! As he ran his fingers over his lined face he realised how Leila must have felt the day she aged into an adult while he remained forever young.
Yet he did not hate his new appearance, it was fitting that he should look as old as he felt and since he was already a grandfather twice over it was about time his hair turned silver!
That weekend it was Delta and Eliza's birthday so Jonny threw a big party for the whole family.
Delta was up first, she aged into a child and developed the neurotic trait.
Next up Eliza who grew into a toddler.
She cerftainly hadn't inherited her mothers hair colour, but those glowing eyes were the same. She wondered if underneath they were as blue as Patrick's eyes had been.
After the children were put to bed the Traytor family sat around the kitchen table, Audra laid out the anti virus vials that Dr Kaminski had sent in the post. One for each member of her family.
The boys looked nervously at each other, they had been shocked to see their father's aged appearance but were safe in the knowledge that they would still be young adults once they had drank the potion.
Audra stepped up first as the eldest she felt it was fair that she led the way to the families transformation.
But before she drank Casper spoke up, "I'm gonna pass." He said.
Jonny reached over to his youngest child and asked if he was sure, "I'm not saying i want this forever but until Delta can change too I want to stay the same as her." He explained, he looked at Audra, "Just so you know I don't think any less of you for not wanting the same for Eliza, I know what this means to you sis."
Audra choked back her tears at her brothers confession, he was so kind and strong to be able to put this off, but she knew she couldn't wait a minute longer.
She had hated herself for too long.
Theo
Hi readers! This is not really a chapter of the legacy, so sorry there are no pictures! But i needed to fill in some details about Theo and the whole Jessica situation so this is just a little look at things from Theo's perspective. You never know you may even feel sorry for him at the end?
Life had not been kind to Theo Singer.
When he was younger he had been something of a prodigy, excelling in all his classes at school. But this, unfortunately left him the subject of ridicule from his class mates who shunned Theo, making his life a misery with their constant taunting.
He had turned his back on academics hoping that this would help him make friends, but the damage to his reputation had already been done. He grew up a loner and an outsider never really fitting anywhere.
It wasn't until he started working for Dr Kaminski that he discovered the world of vampires, sure he had read the stories in the papers like everyone else, he had heard all his colleagues gossiping about the glowing eyed monsters that had moved to Bridgeport, but he hadn't believed a word of it.
But that all changed one day.
He had been sent by Dr Kaminski to the hospital to collect some samples for a study he was undertaking. As he passed by the blood bank he heard a startling guttural sound coming from inside.
When he pushed open the door he saw a woman hunched over on the floor, it appeared that the noise was coming from her.
As Theo edged closer the woman looked up at him and snarled a low deep growl, her eyes were glowing bright red but she seemed too weak to move. He noticed that her skin was smoking as though she had been badly burned.
"You need blood." He stated.
He grabbed the nearest bag of blood and tore it open, he cautiously approached the creature and started to feed her.
The vampire drank quickly with a ravenous hunger he had never seen before, the rate at which she healed was remarkable.
When she had sated her thirst she sat up, "Thank you." She simply said then she ran from the room at such speed that Theo hardly had chance to shout out "Wait!"
But he was too late, the vampire had vanished.
After his chance encounter Theo started to research everything he could find about vampires. He wanted to know all he could about their powers, the speed, the healing.
If only he could possess such powers then no one would ever dare to make fun of him again, instead they would all cower in his presence as he took his revenge.
But all those years that he turned his back on his studies had left him unable to complete the research alone, he needed help. So when Dr Parsons had started contacting Dr Kaminski about Audra's case he had begged to assist.
However, Dr Kaminski had long since suspected that Theo's interest in vampirism was not entirely scientific. He began purposely hiding information from him regarding how the virus worked, and he kept all of the information from Dr Parsons encrypted.
On the day that Jessica broke into the lab, Theo saw everything. He had lied when he was later questioned telling the police that he was running errands at the time.
The vampire had been nothing like the one he saved at the hospital, she was brutal and so strong she had thrown Dr Kaminski around like a rag doll as she threatened him and his family. The Doctor had ran from the room and then she turned to Theo.
"You, destroy this anti virus." She commanded.
Theo hesitated and in a flash the vampire was at his side, she grabbed him roughly by the throat and raised him up in the air, "Do you want to die?" She asked.
"No!" Theo had managed to croak, she loosened her grip and he dropped to the floor. "I want to be one of you." He pleaded with her.
Jessica had laughed at his request, "I have no need of you." She had dismissed him.
"But you do." Theo had challenged, "I can help you." He promised.
"What help could you possibly give me?" Jessica sneered.
"I can make you invincible." He declared, his confidence gaining as he saw that he had her interest.
"Speak quickly, before I tire of you boy." She demanded.
"How would you like to walk around in the sun?" Theo asked.
He told Jessica all about the Doctors study into the cure and how he was confident that with access to both Dr Kaminski and Dr Parsons research he would be able to not only enhance her powers but remove all of her weaknesses. In return she would make him a vampire.
Jessica pondered the puny little humans offer, she had been set on destroying this cure and all those involved in it, after all a cure would soon lead to the destruction of her race and she could not allow that.
But what if this man spoke the truth, he could be of use.
She agreed that he could keep the research and the anti virus for use in his creation of this day walker serum, although she had no intention of turning him.
She would use him to create the potion and then dispose of him along with the anti virus.
But Jessica had not lived long enough to do either and when Theo had received the call from Audra telling him what happened he felt that all was lost.
On the day Audra walked into his lab had been working for weeks trying to figure out a way of infecting himself with vampirism without Jessica, but all his attempts had failed, he simply could not get the virus to attach itself fully.
As he listened to her plea for help he realised he didn't need to recreate the virus he simply needed another vampire.
Chapter2.6
The weeks that followed Patrick's death passed by in slow motion for Audra. She could see, hear and taste things but she felt nothing other than emptiness.
Her father had guided her home that night to an anxious Tate.
"Audra!" He cried at the sight of her, "I was afraid something had happened to you."
Tate had pulled her close and stroked her hair, she remembered a time when this had been comforting but right then she could feel nothing.
Over those weeks Jonny had been reunited with his family and had met their newest member for the first time.
Much like she had the rest of the household, Delta enchanted Jonny who doted on his first grandchild although it had come as something of a surprise to find that she was Casper's and not Audra's daughter.
The youngest twins had been at first overjoyed to see their father , but having him back home had brought some resentment to the forefront.
Casper had retreated to Elena's room straight after greeting Jonny with a big bear hug. Overcome by his fathers sudden reappearance he tried to choke back his tears.
He had taught himself to hide his feelings and had become so used to being strong for those around him that the sudden tidal wave of emotion had knocked him sideways.
Jonny took him to one side to talk but Casper jumped straight in.
"I'm sorry dad, I know you must be disappointed in me." He said ashamedly.
"Nothing could be further from the truth." Jonny reassured him, "My leaving so soon after you're mother must of been hard on you, but look at you! You're a strong and caring man. Delta is lucky to have you for a father, I'm sure you'll be much better at it than i was."
Casper hugged the father who he loved so much and finally allowed his tears to flow.
Jonny had heard the music coming from Caleb's room and patted Casper on the back, "Why don't you get some rest, you look tired." He advised and Casper nodded.
Jonny pushed open Caleb's door and stood a while appreciating the music his son was playing before Caleb noticed him.
"Sorry, i get so caught up when I'm playing it's like nothing else exists sometimes." Caleb apologised.
"I understand." Jonny replied.
"Do you still play Dad?"
"Not for a long time." He admitted sadly.
"Maybe we could jam sometime?" Caleb asked shyly.
Jonny nodded, Caleb looked so much like Leila and had clearly inherited her talent it was almost like a part of her was still here.
His eyes filled with tears as he realised what a mistake he had made chasing Jessica for all those years, he should have been here, healing his grief with his family.
Jonny managed to quell his tears as he sensed that Caleb had something to get off his chest.
"Whatever it is you can tell me." He encouraged.
Caleb took a deep breath and said, "There's this boy, from school."
"Is he bullying you? Because i can speak to his parents." Jonny interrupted keen to try anything to make up for his absence.
"No Dad, Callum's not a bully. He's......" Caleb looked at floor, his face bright red with shame. "He's my boyfriend." He finally confessed.
Jonny reached for Caleb and touched his shoulder in support, he realised how difficult it must have been for his son to tell him this.
Caleb looked at his father expecting to see disappointment, maybe even shame in his face but his father was smiling at him.
"You're not ashamed of me?" He asked.
"Never!" Jonny exclaimed, "It took a lot of courage for you to tell me that, I'm very proud of you."
Having Jonny home had improved the twins greatly and both had started doing much better in school.
However Audra's mood seemed to have worsened, she rarely left her room and hadn't bothered to change from her nightgown in days.
"Talk to me Audra." Jonny asked, "Tell me about him."
Audra looked at her father, at the mention of Patrick she had snapped out of the trance she was in.
"His name was Patrick and he saved my life." She stated, "I have no idea how I'm supposed to live with that."
"Live." He answered, "That's all you're supposed to do is live, otherwise he died for nothing."
"I feel so foolish." Audra admitted as the tears ran freely down her cheeks, "I pursued the anti virus so selfishly, I stopped caring about anything else. I let my brothers down, I let Tate down and I exposed people I loved to Jessica's evil schemes."
"Audra, you're being too harsh on yourself. I should never of left you the way I did, my place was here but I was selfish I pursued Jessica because I thought if I could get revenge then it would make me feel better. But the truth is even with Jessica gone the pain is still there."
"Do you think i should stop looking for an anti virus?" Audra questioned.
"No. I'm just saying that sometimes what you think you want isn't what's best for you and if you would just stop feeling sorry for yourself you would realise how much you have right here at home."
Audra heard what her father was saying, it reminded her of the weeks after Leila's death when all Jonny had done was stay in his room and mourn. Now she knew how he had felt.
She made a real effort to get on with her life, but it seemed to her that everything she did was that much harder now. Even drinking plasma juice, which she had always hated but had excepted as necessary, now seemed to taste that much more bitter.
But it got to the point where drinking it actually made her nauseous.
After a few weeks of vomiting day and night Audra started to feel that maybe there was something more seriously wrong with her.
And she wasn't the only one who had noticed.
"Audra are you alright?" Elena had asked after finding her face down in the toilet yet again.
"I'll be fine, it's probably just a stomach bug."
"That's what i thought the day i came to see you at the hospital, or at least it's what i hoped. I guess i knew deep down i was pregnant."
"Elena I'm not pregnant, I mean i can't be pregnant." Audra exclaimed.
But at that moment doubt crept into her mind and she thought back to the night that she spent with Patrick, the night before his death. The passion between them had taken hold and neither one of them had given thought to using protection. Could she be carrying his child?
That week the twins and Elena graduated school and aged into young adults. Elena was first she developed the handy trait and decided to pursue her dream of becoming a professional author.
Next up was Caleb.......
Who developed the easily impressed trait and transitioned into a full vampire. Caleb decided to start looking for work as a music composer.
And finally Casper.
He developed the childish trait and also became a fully fledged vamp. Inevitably he decided to try and become a superstar athlete.
The night of the twins birthday Jonny had invited the whole family over and finally was reunited with all of his children.
It had been awkward at first as this was the first time that Blake and Bobby had been in the same room since their fight. But Jonny was determined to put the whole of his family back together again.
"Bobby, i realise that it was difficult for you to accept that I left Audra in charge but what you said to her and the way you treat your brother was wrong." Jonny's straight talking seemed to strike a chord with Bobby who seemed to be genuinely ashamed of his actions.
"It just seemed like my whole world had fallen apart, I suppose I didn't handle it well." Bobby confessed.
"You need to make things right with your brother, family is the most important thing in life, it took a hard lesson for me to realise that." Jonny lectured.
"I'm willing to put it behind us, if you are?" Blake offered.
Bobby took his hand and shook it firmly, "I'm sorry bro!"
Jonny spent a while congratulating himself on his awesome parenting skills, he just wished that Leila could be there to see it.
Although Audra had started to interact more with her family she still remained quiet about one topic. Her once perfectly flat stomach had become rounded from the life that was growing inside it, soon she knew she would have to tell her family.
But before she could do that she needed to see Theo and find out if he had made any progress on the anti virus. She had not heard from him in weeks since she called him to let him know about Patrick and Jessica, he had seemed shocked to hear that Jessica was dead.
"Theo, please tell me you have some good news about the anti virus." Audra pleaded, Theo looked stressed out and tired, he must have been working non-stop.
"Audra, I wasn't expecting you." He replied, "I, I've been too busy to work on your cure."
He seemed frustrated to have been interrupted by her, but what other projects was he working on she wondered.
"Please Theo, I need the cure more urgently than ever." She begged.
Theo ran his hand through his hair and sighed in annoyance, why could she not just leave him alone? He had been working day and night trying to figure out how to replicate the virus itself, he had tried numerous times to infect himself, but all had failed. Then as he regarded Audra he realised that he didn't need Jessica to get what he wanted at all.
"What if I told you that I could get an anti virus to you by the weekend?" He asked, "What would that be worth to you?"
Audra frowned at his question, "You want money?" She asked.
"No, I want something more rewarding." Theo answered quizzically, "I want your gift. I want to be a vampire."
Chapter2.5
