Vanessa and Veronica Ch. 01

"How can you love him after what he did to you?"

"Veronica, let's sit down." Katrina said holding out her hand.

Veronica reluctantly took it and allowed herself to be led to the table. When they were sitting, Katrina started to talk.

"Sweetheart, I know this is hard for you and Vanessa to understand and it was hard for me to understand too. It took five years before I was able to forgive and totally accept your father as my mate." Katrina paused. "Maybe I need to tell you what my life was like before the rape but let's wait for Vanessa."

********

Vanessa lay on her bed, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She was so confused and angry but at the same time, she loved Ethan and could never hate him. Like Veronica, something about Ethan not recognizing Katrina on sight didn't sound right. She knew that Ethan hadn't lied when he said that he didn't recognize Katrina, he knew that there was something about her but that was all. But why did the recognition kick in after the rape? Was there really something to the genetic theory after all? She didn't believe for a moment that rape was hereditary, it was a learned behavior but it was odd that none of her uncles recognized their mates until afterwards and one had even killed his mate during the rape. The only exception was Patrick who hadn't found his mate yet so who knew what was going to happen there.

She and Veronica would be starting college in the fall and both had been debating on what their majors would be, she had just decided. Genetics and psychology and if she knew her sister, she would major in the same. Vanessa got up, washed her face and went to the nursery where Victoria was just waking up and about to start howling for attention.

"Alright munchkin." Vanessa said affectionately as she picked her sister up and carried her to the changing table. "Phew!" Vanessa exclaimed as she changed the baby's diaper. "You could clear out a room!" The diaper changed, she carried Victoria downstairs to the kitchen where the atmosphere was tense.

"Ummm good evening?" Vanessa asked.

Ethan, Katrina and Veronica turned to look at her.

"What's happening?" she asked although she was pretty sure that she knew.

"Dad was trying to explain to me how he could hurt mom like that and mom was trying to explain to me how she could possibly love him after he hurt her. We were waiting for you so mom could explain some things." Veronica said tersely.

Vanessa recognized the tone in Veronica's voice and it bode well for no one unless she could calm her down before she said she'd regret later that's if she hadn't already. Vanessa handed Victoria to Ethan and smiled at him, she wanted him to know that even though she was angry, she was still in his corner.

""Ronnie, come with me for a minute." Vanessa said calling her sister by the childhood nickname that she only used when she really needed to talk to her.

"No, I want to hear...."

"Now Ronnie." Vanessa said using a tone rarely heard.

Reluctantly, Veronica followed Vanessa into the living room.

"Ok, you're mad, I get that and so am I but you need to calm down before you say something that you won't be able to take back." Vanessa said.

"You're defending him?" Veronica asked.

"No, but I'm willing to listen to what he has to say and here's something else, if mom can forgive and love him then so can I and I suggest that you think about that."

"But Nessa, he hurt her. We're only here because he raped her and she got pregnant!"

"That's true but Ronnie, they were mates, it would have happened anyway." Vanessa said. "But we're also here because mom decided to have us instead of having an abortion and giving us away. Do you realize how hard that must have been?"

Veronica was silent, Vanessa could see her calming down and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes I understand that but mom thinks that he's a victim too and I don't buy it, not entirely anyway."

"Fair enough but before we make up our minds, why don't we hear what he has to say?" Vanessa suggested.

*******

Ethan and Katrina sat at the table holding hands. Both of them were wondering how two girls who had come from the same egg could be so different in personality but so alike in other ways. Vanessa had always been able to calm Veronica down no matter how angry she was, several times saving her from being expelled from school. Veronica had inherited Ethan's sometimes volatile temper which was rarely seen and then only because Katrina or the girls were threatened in some way but it didn't take much to provoke Veronica and anyone who even looked at Vanessa wrong was in trouble. Vanessa on the other hand was like Katrina, the temper was there but rarely seen and only after being provoked to the point of no return.

The girls came back to the kitchen several minutes later with Veronica being much calmer and sheepish.

"I'm sorry that I cursed at you." she said quietly. "And dad? I love you but I just don't understand."

"I know baby." Ethan said. "There's a lot about what happened during that time that I don't understand myself. Maybe I never will but understand this, I love your mother and all of you, and I would gladly give my life to keep you safe."

"I know papa." Veronica said reaching for Ethan's hand.

The rest of the morning was spent with Katrina telling the girls about her life before the rape.

"I just didn't think too much of myself, I wanted to be what I wasn't." she said. "But I found some things out about myself including the fact that I had been selling myself short for a very long time. I also want to say this, I wish to god that that night never happened, I wish that your father would have just walked up to me and introduced himself and that your conception would have been the result of consent and love but it wasn't and no amount of wishing is going to make it so. It's something that happened and yes I still have my moments and I always will but I don't regret for one minute that you're here."

"Papa? Why didn't you get help sooner?" Veronica asked.

Ethan hesitated before answering.

"Pride and cowardice mostly. I thought that I could control it and for the most part I did and I didn't want to admit to anyone what I was. It took me hurting the one person that I was sworn to protect to wake me up." Ethan replied.

"Why did your family teach that rape was alright?" Veronica asked.

"It had been going on for centuries long before I or my brothers came into being." Ethan replied. "No one even knows who started it but the fact of the matter is that once I realized that it was wrong, I should have done something but I didn't. That's a decision that I will always regret along with so many other things that happened because of it. One of my biggest regrets was that I wasn't there when you were born, that I didn't get to welcome you into the world."

It was almost midnight before the discussion ended. The girls hugged and kissed their parents and Victoria before going to Vanessa's room.

"What do you think?" Vanessa asked when they were behind closed doors.

"I think that I'm glad that you talked to me before hand, I would have said something really awful to him." Veronica replied.

"Do you believe him?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, I do and before you ask, yes I'm going to forgive him but you already knew that didn't you?"

Vanessa grinned at her, "of course I did, we're twins!" she replied and then she turned serious. "I've been thinking about a major for college and I want to know what you're thinking."

"Well, I've always been curious about us, I mean we're physically identical except for the eyes and our personalities and now this whole thing of dad and his brothers not recognizing their mates have got me thinking..... What about genetics and psychology or something like that?"

Ten Years later

Drs. Vanessa and Veronica Sinclaire smiled and posed as they held the letters saying that they passed their boards in front of them. They were now both PhD's in genetics and psychology with doctorates in psychiatry. Everyone was amazed that they had accomplished so much given their young ages. Ethan, Katrina and ten year old Victoria were ecstatic that the girls passed although no one was surprised.

"We're so proud of you!" Katrina said as she hugged both girls after the pictures had been taken.

"Thanks mom!" the girls said as one.

"Sweetheart, I want a picture of you with all of our girls." Ethan said.

"Dad, you already have a hundred already!" Vanessa said laughing but moving into position.

"Yes well you can never have too many." Ethan replied.

"Well hurry up, I still have to mix the punch for the party." Katrina said as she stood between Veronica and Vanessa.

"Victoria stand in front of mom." Ethan directed and waited as Victoria who was built more like her mother than the other two girls moved into position, she also had one blue eye and one brown one which fascinated the twins to no end. The real question was why, she wasn't born that way, the color change came on Victoria's fifth birthday, she went to bed a four year old with brown eyes and woke up a five year old with one blue and one brown eye. Victoria didn't mind being the topic of discussion, she adored her sisters and as far as she was concerned, they could do no wrong.

The first guest to arrive was their uncle Patrick who still hadn't found his mate. It was a source of frustration for him but he tried not to let it dominate his thoughts. In some ways he was glad that he hadn't found her yet, he wasn't looking forward to telling her about his past.

"Uncle Patrick!" Victoria squealed as soon as she saw him.

Patrick smiled at her as she ran toward him for their usual hello. Victoria would run to him and jump up into his arms having faith that he would catch her. This had been their greeting ever since Victoria was walking and it showed no signs of stopping.

Patrick caught Victoria and pretended to almost drop her which elicited a startled scream and then laughter.

"Hi pumpkin." Patrick said as he kissed Victoria's cheek.

Of all of his nieces and nephews, Victoria was the one that he was closest to. Maybe it was because he held her soon after she was born whereas the twins had been older and Martin's boys were teenagers or close to it but whatever the reason, Victoria made him feel calm.

Martin, Rachel and their boys arrived next except that they couldn't be called boys anymore Patrick realized as they walked in. There was no doubt that they were Sinclaires- they were as tall as their father and had the good looks of the Sinclaire men. Both boys were college graduates with various business degrees and were running their father's company so that he could dedicate his time to working with him and Ethan on trying to educate vampire males who for whatever reason raped.

"Hi Uncle Patrick." Vanessa said as she pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi yourself Dr. Sinclaire." Patrick replied returning the kiss.

"Only because you got me through physics." Vanessa replied as she linked her arm through his.

"You were doing fine." Patrick assured her.

"Ummm no I wasn't but anyway, thank you for helping us." Vanessa said.

"You're welcome, where's the other Dr. Sinclaire?" Patrick asked looking around the room.

"She's talking to grandma about something." Vanessa replied.

The party lasted until early morning. Victoria although exhausted insisted on helping with the clean up, she wanted to spend as much time as she could with her sisters, they were moving out in a week.

"I don't want you to move." Victoria cried when they told her.

"Awww munchkin, we won't be far and you can even come to stay with us sometime." Veronica said hugging her.

"Really? I can come visit you?"

"Yes really, now help me pack." Veronica replied.

That had been two weeks ago. The twins found a four bedroom house near the ocean about an hour from their parent's home. Both Ethan and Katrina were proud but weren't quite ready for the girls to move out even though they knew that it was coming.

Ethan insisted on checking the security of the house himself and made improvements even though the system was more than adequate. Both girls were full vampire and could handle themselves but Katrina admonished them to stick together.

"Don't go anywhere alone and ....."

"Mom, dad just gave us the same spiel, we get it." Vanessa said kissing her cheek. "And we promise to call at least once a day alright?"

"Alright." Katrina sighed but she was worried.

********

"I love this house!" Veronica exclaimed as she unpacked her bedroom.

"Me too, I'm glad that you spotted it." Vanessa said as she plopped down on Veronica's bed.

"Are you unpacked already?" Veronica asked.

"Yep and if you ask nicely I'll help you."

Veronica stuck her tongue out at her sister and then put her hands together dropping to her knees at the same time.

"Oh good and kind Vanessa, will you please help your poor twin unpack so that she can find her underwear in the morning? Pretty please?"

"Is that all you got?" Vanessa asked laughing.

"That's all you're going to get." Veronica retorted laughing with her.

Two hours later, Veronica's room was unpacked and for the moment neat. By the end of the week it would look as if a cyclone had gone through it.

"Maybe we should take a before picture." Vanessa teased.

The neatness was another difference between the girls, Vanessa hated a mess. Everything had its place and because when she packed she labeled everything, it took her half the time to get her bedroom ready. Veronica could have cared less what her room looked like but she was neat where it mattered-in the lab where she and Vanessa had already started working on the mystery of why their father and his brothers didn't recognize their mates. It was a study that Ethan fully supported and provided the money that was needed to carry the study out.

They were only at the information gathering stage, going through the files of all of the rapists who had raped their mates. Each vampire signed a waiver giving the girls access to their records with the understanding that they would be kept informed of any developments.

Vanessa found a building not far from their house and bought it after showing it to Veronica; it was two stories and had plenty of space. They had part of the bottom floor converted into a two bedroom apartment in case they couldn't make it home, the rest of the building was made into a lab, a work area, a library and each girl had their own office complete with top of the line computer programs and anything else that they thought that they might need.

Victoria had already talked with Patrick about helping them figure out the puzzle and he had readily accepted so there was an office and a place for him to sleep as well. Both girls were excited about the possibility of finding out why some males recognized their mates while others didn't as well as solving the mystery of their personality differences and Victoria's eyes. The latter studies were low on the totem pole and would be worked on when they needed a break from their primary study. . *******

Ethan and Katrina looked at each other; the house seemed empty with the girls gone. Katrina was thinking that maybe they needed a smaller house but this house was filled with so many happy memories.

"What are you thinking about sweetheart?" Ethan asked.

"I was thinking that maybe we needed a smaller house but so many happy things have happened here. We got married here, Victoria was born here and the girls grew up here, I don't think that I'm ready to leave yet."

Ethan put his arms around her, "Then we don't go. I love this house mainly because you and the girls were and are here and I'm in no hurry to leave."

Katrina relaxed against him; they would stay until they both felt it was time to move.

*********

"Luc! Depechez-vous! - hurry up! Nous serons en retard-we are going to be late!" Rik called out impatiently.

"Yes, Yes" Luc replied calmly. "We must practice our English so please use it from now on and we have plenty of time before we have to be at the airport."

Rik rolled his eyes, he understood that they needed to use English but they hadn't even left home yet and if Luc continued to act as if they had all night, they wouldn't be leaving until the next evening.

"Fine, I'll speak English but get your ass in gear, the plane leaves in an hour!" Rik called back.

Luc chuckled, he was ready to go but he liked pulling his brother Rik's chain. Rik, he thought was too serious and needed to learn how to relax. Granted pretending that he wasn't ready to go wasn't the way to go about promoting relaxation but it was very amusing to watch as Rik fidgeted and watched the clock.

Luc was the older of the two by nine months, at first glance most people thought that they were twins because they were almost the same height with Rik being a half inch taller placing him at six-five but Luc was the more muscular of the two although not by much. Both men had dark hair that fell just to their collars and dark brown eyes. Of the two of them Luc was the flirt while Rik tended to sit back and watch. The brothers were both accomplished physicians holding degrees in Sociology, biology and mathematics.

They were headed to the United States for a year's vacation and were more than ready for the break. Luc planned to spend the year partying up and down the California coast while Rik planned to spend his time quietly by reading and listening to music.

Finally Luc came out of his room carrying his luggage.

"See plenty of time." he said in his accented English.

"Just barely." Rik muttered as he stood up and grabbed his luggage. They really didn't need much they could buy whatever they needed but it would have looked suspicious if they had walked through the airport and gotten on their jet without any luggage.

Thirty minutes later, they were boarded and seated. Each brother held a goblet of warmed blood in their hand and had their eyes closed.

"I am looking forward to this." Luc said as the jet began its taxi down the runway.

"Yes and I know why, you want to see how many American women you can charm with your accent." Rik said dryly.

"True and a good fuck wouldn't hurt you either, you are much too tense." Luc replied.

Rik ignored the comment and let his mind drift to wherever it wanted to go. Luc could do whatever he wanted, all he wanted to do was relax and hopefully find the woman that he was meant to spend his life with. Rik allowed the drone of the jet's engines lull him to rest, he didn't feel the half empty goblet being removed from his hand nor did he hear the sounds of Luc's cock being sucked. While he rested, he was searching for someone. "Where are you?" he asked silently.