Laurel, Blaze, and Yvette walked into Vlad's house after the fire at the Vatore mansion.
From what Laurel could tell, Vlad was quite impressed that she managed to get rid of those who wanted to take him down. Apparently, he had been wanting to get rid of the Vatores for years. He wanted to know how she did it.
Laurel told Vlad everything. How she had started by offing smaller, weaker victims before building up the power to get rid of the Vatores, how she had tricked Caleb into letting her into his home by pretending to love him, and how she had brought her two most powerful children with her as a gift. Gifts to do both of their biddings to rid the world of humans once and for all, and become the most powerful couple there was.
Vlad seemed incredibly impressed by her, finally, what Laurel wanted. She tried to hide the way her smile faltered when Vlad didn't even recognize her name. Maybe it was for the best he didn't remember her family that he dismissed so long ago for their weak bloodline. It would make revenge all the more sweet if he didn't see it coming.
Vlad was quite taken by her. With an ally like Laurel, along with her two children, on his side. Who knows what he could accomplish.
As Laurel had given birth to Caleb's child, a boy named Emmanuel, she was all to happy to help Vlad secure a Straud heir.
Though Vlad was happy that Laurel had a powerful spellcaster for a daughter, he didn't really see the need for her quite yet. He didn't trust other occults, and he tried to keep Yvette in a daze or create hallucinations to keep her occupied and out of his way.
Of course no one else seemed to mind. Though Laurel believed she had scared Yvette into submission, she really didn't want to take any chances.
Yvette, however, lived in a state of fear and confusion. She was terrified of Vlad and what he was doing to her. She was also still sick about what she had done. A part of her wished Vlad would just kill her already.
Though Blaze knew his mother was much more deserving to rule Forgotten Hollow, he still admired Vlad and his ruthlessness. He wanted to learn all he could from this ancient vampire before his mother inevitably disposed of him.
Soon the day of the wedding arrived, and Laurel felt a mix of joy and relief. Finally she was finished. She had reached her end goal. No more forced happiness at marriages she would just toss away.
During the wedding party, she and Vlad took the time to meet some of the newer arrivals in Forgotten Hollow. Now that the Vatores were gone, the Hollow was attracting all kinds that were glad that their home had gone back to lawlessness. They could live like real vampires here without being judged.
Shortly after the wedding, Laurel announced that she was expecting the next Straud heir. Vlad couldn't have been happier. He never thought he would get the chance to pass on his name. He had turned Laurel before the wedding, so there would be no chance this child would be human.
Blaze was loving being able to live the true vampire lifestyle. Training from Vlad, sleeping in coffins, being able to feed from whomever he wanted. He could get used to this kind of life.
Yvette continued to live in fear. She hated living in Vlad's house, but she supposed it was a fitting punishment for what she did.
She was the only one who looked after Emmanuel, as the others had no interest since Caleb was his father. Sometimes she felt that looking after her little brother was the only thing keeping her going.
She spent the rest of her time sleeping her days away, trying to avoid Vlad as much as possible, and wishing that she could just fade away. She felt worthless. What was the point of her even existing.
It was soon Emmanuel's birthday, and Laurel was pleased he seemed quite independent. The only thing that was keeping her from sending him away was the fact that he was a vampire, even though he was still Caleb's son.
Though Vlad hoped the boy wouldn't grow up to be anything like his father, he still had his doubts. He made Emmanuel a nursery located way at the top of his house. This way he wouldn't have to see the boy too much.
Emmanuel's very existence irked him. He understood that Laurel did what she needed to do, but he hated having any reminder of the Vatores around. Whenever Vlad got too fed up of the child, he'd take his anger out on the locals walking by.
Yvette tried her best to keep a smile on her face and make sure Emmanuel was doing well, locked away in the tower.
Blaze usually supervised these visits. He didn't want his sister getting any ideas. He didn't trust her and never would.
Blaze would also spend hours at a time staring down at Emmanuel hoping he wouldn't escape. It wouldn't do to upset Vlad and his mother by letting Emmanuel escape downstairs. He also got joy out of destroying his younger brother's toys. He couldn't yell and torment him yet, but he was still pleased he had a way to upset him.
The only time Laurel spent with Emmanuel was making sure he could use the potty. She wasn't dealing with diaper changing, and she knew it would fall on her when Yvette was in one of her moods.
She was starting to think she intimidated her daughter a little too much. Yvette seemed completely lifeless and useless. She was going to have to cut the cord soon. Probably after the child she was currently carrying could fend for themselves.
One of Yvette's other sources of joy was speaking to her siblings. It was probably morbid, but when she felt she had the energy, she would go visit their graves and talk to them. She wished she could have saved them from Blaze. Things would be a lot different if they were still around.
To her surprise, Constance decided to show herself one night. Yvette burst into tears. She apologized to her sister for letting this happen. For being so naïve that she didn't realize what their mother and Blaze were planning. She had been stupid and had no excuse for being as blind to their plans as she was.
To Yvette's surprise, Constance wanted to comfort her. She didn't understand why Constance wasn't more angry at her. If she would've only just opened her eyes to the horrible person their mother was, Constance would still be alive. She also admitted to Constance that she had started the fire that lead to Caleb and Lilith's deaths. She was a murder. Yvette wished she would have refused and sacrificed herself. At least then she could've maintained her morals.
Constance reassured Yvette that her death, along with Nicholas and Emmett's wasn't her fault. That it was Blaze's. Blaze or Laurel would've come after them anyway, and there would have been little Yvette could've done to stop it. Constance also gave her some tough love. What happened with Lilith and Caleb was done. Yvette wouldn't have accomplished anything by dying herself, and if she wanted to avenge all the people Laurel and Blaze had killed, either directly or indirectly, she needed to gather her strength and fight.
Suddenly the rest of her siblings appeared around her. They also encouraged Laurel to keep on fighting. If she would just lead them back to the house, they had an idea on how to distract their mother and buy more time for Yvette to train and to come up with a plan.
Yvette lead her siblings back to the house and prepared herself to train both magically and physically. She was a little hesitant using magic again, after all last time she killed someone, even if it was directly her fault was up for debate.
Soon, she began to become more confident. Whatever plan she and her siblings could come up with, she wanted to be ready to help in anyway she could. She owed them that much, and she owed the Vatores too.
As Laurel sat down for dinner one night, she was startled when her plate was yanked away from her. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Constance.
Sighing, she pulled the plate back towards her. That couldn't be Constance. Her eldest daughter had died far away from Forgotten Hollow. She was just tired from the pregnancy, that was all, and her mind was playing tricks on her.
Laurel tried to shake off the uneasy feeling she got when she looked at the plate and saw some of the food missing. When she turned to look at the chair where "Constance" had been sitting, it was empty.
Soon it was time for what she hoped would be her final child to be born. Vlad panicked a bit. He hadn't seen a birth in hundreds of years, and it set him on edge.
Laurel gave birth to a healthy little vampire named Nathaniel. She hoped that now that she wasn't pregnant, and was back to full strength, the ghosts of her older children would cease appearing. They had to be figments of her imagination.
They definitely weren't following her around to torment her.
Now that Laurel had given birth, Blaze was eager to help his mother to get rid of Vlad. He was surprised when she was less than willing to talk about it.
Laurel wanted to wait a few days to lull Vlad into a false sense of security. Blaze, thought that they had wasted enough time. It was time for Laurel to become the true ruler of Forgotten Hollow.
He was surprised that Laurel snapped at him. She never snapped at him. He was her favorite. She wanted to wait, and her word was final.
Laurel sat with Vlad one night discussing their son's future. What training he would receive, the type environment he would grow up in, and how he would hopefully usher Forgotten Hollow into a new era. One where humans were afraid to step foot in there again, and if they did they were prey.He also suggested getting rid of Yvette, which Laurel was more than fine with since it seemed that Vlad would be taking a more hands on approach with their child. He wanted to keep Emmanuel around to see if something could be salvaged, and he liked Blaze's potential.
Vlad noticed the nervous look on Laurel's face when he mentioned Blaze. Laurel asked Vlad if he could give Blaze some more training. The boy was getting a little too headstrong and impulsive for his own good. She didn't want them ruining their plans, or her plans she thought to herself, before they could even get started.
Blaze had been eavesdropping in the other room, and burst in. He had heard enough. It was time to take the Hollow back into the Strong family name once and for all, and he wasn't above going over his own mother to get it.
He had never had vampire blood before. After his mother collapsed on the ground, he felt a rush of power surging through him.
Vlad confronted him angrily. Just what did he think he was doing harming his wife, Blaze's own mother! He tried to use his powers on Blaze, but Blaze was too strong with the vampire blood in his system.
Both men agreed that the only way to solve this was a duel.
Though Vlad was older and more experienced, the extra energy that Laurel's vampire blood had given Blaze was enough to defeat him. Blaze planned to finish him off once and for all.
At this point, Yvette could practically feel the Grim Reapers presence. She was only slightly surprised to see Vlad laying outside charred by the sunlight. She had known her mother would get rid of him eventually, and for once she didn't feel upset. Maybe she was cold blooded, but Vlad had terrorized her, and she wouldn't be sorry to see him go.
The triumphant smile fall from his face as the Grim Reaper turned towards him. He felt a chill run down his spine.
Grim spoke in a cold, impassive voice. Blaze's time was up. He had borrowed too much time on this planet already.
Blaze too collapsed, lifelessly onto the ground.
Laurel, who had now come out of her stupor after being drank from gasped in horror. What had happened? What had Blaze done? Though she was furious at him, she didn't want him dead. This wasn't how things were supposed to go at all.
She also didn't expect for Grim to turn to her and utter two simple words, you're next.
Yvette stood there frozen over her mother's body. She didn't know how to feel or what to think. She was in shock. Laurel was a horrible person, but she was her mother. She never thought something like this would happen to her. Laurel seemed invincible. With Vlad, Laurel, and Blaze all gone, was she finally free?
She soon realized that the reaper hadn't left yet. Yvette was sure she was next. She had killed the Vatores. Everyone that had just died before her were taken for their misdeeds, so it was only logical to assume she was next.
As Grim turned to her, Yvette made herself as small as possible. It was one thing to wish you were dead, to punish yourself in your mind, and it was another thing entirely for it to actually happen.
Weeping she looked into the blank, hooded face. She promised she would go, just as long as he made sure her younger siblings were taken care of. They had no one now. There was no way to get word to Serenity and the others, wherever they chose to hide. She didn't want them ending up in the system, though maybe for them it was for the best. That way they would never know the terrible people in their family.
To her surprise, the reaper ushered for her to stand upright. He had taken Vlad, Blaze, and Laurel's souls to provide space for Nicolas, Emmett, and Constance to return to the living. He was aware of what Yvette had done, but he also knew that she had done it under great duress. He offered her a deal. If she was willing to bring one of his children into the world for each soul that had left before their time due to her mother, he would be willing to let her live.
Numbly, Yvette nodded, agreeing to the terms. She felt like it was the only way to atone for what she did. Though she was terrified to be pregnant and raise these children on her own, she would do it. She tried to cast her fears aside. Her older siblings were coming back to life, the others were free to leave their hiding spot, and the youngest would have someone to look after them.
Several Years Later
Yvette clutched her abdomen as she felt the pangs of labor that had become all too familiar to her. She had no idea how her mother had gone through this, just for appearances sake, eleven times. At least Yvette was doing this somewhat willingly.
Over the years, she had become accustomed to randomly falling pregnant, giving birth to one of the Grim Reaper's children, and doing it all over again. It wasn't the worst life. She loved her children.
She currently lived in Glimmerbrook to be closer to other spellcasters. She also stayed in contact with her siblings and they visited from time to time. It was much easier that way than bringing all her children with her.
Her siblings that had been in hiding had been tracked down, and all of the younger ones were currently living with Nicolas. Emmett had stayed behind in Strangerville where they found the bunker, while Nicolas had moved to Brindleton Bay, and Constance was attending college at Foxburry.
Right on cue, Grim appeared to watch Yvette give birth to another one of "their" children. He was always there making sure she was keeping up with her end of the deal. Honestly, she wouldn't have backed out. Not at this point. Sure the first few were rough, but she was used to it now.
Despite part of her fate being in someone else's hands, yet again, she didn't feel as hopeless or threatened. She had gained confidence in herself, and oddly had found becoming a mother healing. She was brining in life to this world instead of taking it away. She would never forget what she did, but she was learning to live with it, one step at a time.
Her life was chaotic and messy, but honestly, she wouldn't trade it for anything.
