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dwobbitfromtheshire · 11 months

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The Vampire Bandit

Summary: Instead of a raccoon messing with her trashcans, Vickie finds a supposedly dead Eddie Munson hiding amongst them. She ends up hiding him in her house, and they bond over her cousin, Chrissy. Rovickie with a side of Steddie.

When Vickie heard about the members of Hellfire being hunted down, she had been furious even more so when she heard they were doing it in Chrissy's name. Her cousin wouldn't have wanted that, and she felt so much anger for Chrissy as well as Hellfire, as well as Eddie. Vickie wanted to do something, anything, but she didn't know what to do. It wasn't just for Chrissy, though. She knew that some of those guys were Robin's friends, too. She didn't know what Robin did, but during the manhunt something went down. The police had cleared Eddie of any wrongdoing, but there was still an ongoing investigation, then shortly after they announced Eddie's death.

"In the woods, I just - I felt so safe with him," Chrissy had said.

That's what she told Vickie, one of the last words she had said. Vickie cried as she hung up the phone. She wasn't upset that she had just ended her on/off relationship for good. It was the fact that she couldn't pick the phone back up to tell her cousin about it. She would never talk to Chrissy again. Vickie let out a sob and leaned against the wall, letting it hold her up. Suddenly, there came a loud crashing sound outside, and she straightened up. She glanced at the phone. Her dad had gotten called into work, and so, she was here all alone. She grabbed the baseball bat from the hall closet and stepped out the back door. Vickie did the stupid thing they all did in horror movies.

"Hello?" She called out.

There was a rustling sound from the trashcans. Vickie sighed. It was probably just a raccoon or opossum. She didn't drop the bat, though, as she moved closer. She moved the trashcans and found a bloody Eddie Munson laying behind them.

"Stay away from me!" Eddie whimpered.

She froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, and then knelt down next to the trashcans.

"Eddie," Vickie said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I never believed that you did any of those things."

"I-I'm different," Eddie said.

"Yeah, I heard those rumors, but I would be a hypocrite, Eddie," Vickie admitted, smiling as she thought about Robin.

"Y-you're a vampire too?" He sniffled.

"What?! Um. . .no. I, uh, was talking about something else," Vickie said, blushing.

Eddie moved forward, and Vickie could see his face as he moved out of the shadow. His face was glistening with tears, and his mouth was covered in blood. His skin was gray, his eyes red, and she could see fang peaking out of his mouth.

"I drank a raccoon," Eddie said sadly. "I like raccoons. They have little hands and built-in bandit masks. I was just so hungry."

He started crying, and she realized he was lying next to the dead raccoon. It was hard to be scared of this man.

"Okay. Well, how about we bury him, pay our respects, and then we get you cleaned up?" Vickie asked.

"Yeah, okay," Eddie sniffled and cradled the body into his arms.

After they buried the body, there was a moment of silence, and then Vickie brought him inside to let him use her shower. She left some of her dad's old clothes out for him and waited in the kitchen for him. He walked back, looking much better. His skin was less gray, his eyes were now brown, and his fangs had slid back into place.

"So, this must freak you out?" Eddie asked.

"Um, yeah, a little, but I want to help you," Vickie said. "Is there anyone that I should call for you?"

"They all think that I'm dead," Eddie replied.

"Then we should definitely call them," Vickie said with wide eyes.

"I don't know . . . I'm not sure if I'm ready to face them yet. Listen, I'll get out of your hair," Eddie said. "Thank you . . . "

"Vickie. Vickie Fisher," she replied.

"Thank you, Vickie," Eddie said. "I'll be going now."

"Eddie! I can't let you go out there! Look, you can stay here for a few days until you're ready," she said.

"Why?" Eddie asked suspiciously.

"Well, one, even though you've been cleared by the public, there are still people in town who are out to get you," Vickie said. "And two, you really shouldn't be alone right now."

"Uh, what about your parents?" Eddie asked.

"Well, since my mom died, my dad hasn't stepped foot in the crafting shed. He doesn't have to know," Vickie said. "Come on."

She smiled and led him out back to a blue wooden shed that looked more like a small house.

"Okay, when you said shed, I was thinking more like, well, a shed and not a really tiny house," Eddie said, and Vickie laughed.

"My mom wanted a place to craft her jewelry," she said. "So, my dad built this for her."

"Aww, that's love, man," Eddie said.

She unlocked it and welcomed him inside, turning on the light. There was a small couch in the corner, and next to it was her mom's crafting station. Some of her toys were in here, and a sweater of Chrissy's that she had forgotten lay on a hook. Vickie smiled a sad but fond smile as she recalled all the times they played in here while her mom worked. Sometimes, they even helped her.

"Aww, is that you and your mom?" Eddie asked as he looked at a board filled with photos. "You look like her."

"Yeah," Vickie replied with a shrug. "I don't know. Most people say I look like my dad."

"I see it in the eyes and the smile," Eddie shrugged. "Wait. . .is that Chrissy?"

Vickie glanced at the picture of a young Chrissy and Vickie.

"Yeah," she paused, sucking in a painful breath. "She's my cousin."

"Fuck," Eddie said and looked at her. "I am so sorry."

"Why? You didn't kill her," she replied. "The last time we talked, she was telling me all about your meeting in the woods. The last thing she told me was how safe she felt with you, and if she said that, then it was probably true. "

"Shit," he said and rubbed his eyes.

He pulled her tightly into a hug. They stood like that for a while, holding each other tightly as they cried.

"Helping you out is the least that I could do, Eddie," Vickie said, as she pulled back from the hug.

Getting Eddie settled and hiding him from her father wasn't a problem. He was a doctor, so he worked a lot anyway. The next couple of days flew by, and Eddie was still with her. He would occasionally sneak out at night to feed on animals, having figured out how to do it without killing them. Besides that, Vickie was actually having a lot of fun spending time with him and getting to know him. They talked about Chrissy, and Vickie told him about what it was like growing up with her. She told him about the fallout between their parents. She told him about how Laura Cunningham hadn't even allowed her own brother and niece into the funeral.

"Oh!" Vickie exclaimed, putting her spoon back into the bowl.

They were currently talking at the kitchen table and eating ice cream when Vickie recalled the notebook that Chrissy had left in her room.

"Brain freeze?" Eddie asked, sympathetically. "Thank God, I don't get that anymore. . . OH! OW! I spoke too soon!"

"I'll be back," she said and ran out of the room.

She came back and threw a notebook down in front of him. It was covered in butterfly stickers.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's Chrissy's," Vickie replied. "It's filled with her drawings. She used to do it all the time before her mother sucked the life out of her."

"Uh, I don't know about this," Eddie said.

"She'd want you to look at them," she said softly.

Eddie carefully opened the journal, looking through drawings of flowers and butterflies that Chrissy always loved to draw. There were also a couple of drawings of Vickie and her mom. Matilda Fisher had been more of a mother to Chrissy than Laura ever had. She knew how hard it had hit Chrissy when she died and spent the next couple of weeks living in Vickie's room. When Laura forced her to stop coming over so much, Chrissy spent much of her time running away and disobeying Laura. Eddie had laughed at that and paused at a drawing in the notebook.

"This is me," Eddie said. "This is me at the talent show. She acted like she didn't remember me."

"It's because she had a crush on you for the longest time," Vickie said. "She was either trying to hide it, or she was making a move on you."

"You're saying that I had a shot with her?" Eddie asked, raising his eyebrows and blinking rapidly. "Fuck."

"Yeah. . . sorry," she said softly.

"Yeah, I can draw too, although nowhere near as beautiful as Chrissy," Eddie said.

"I can't draw for shit. I like to write though. Me and Chrissy used to talk about creating children's books together," Vickie said sadly. "It was always our plan after high school."

"Sorry," Eddie said softly and Vickie glanced at the phone on the wall. "I noticed you keep staring at the phone. Expecting a call?"

"I gave Robin my number the other day and I thought for sure that she would call but I don't think she's going to. Maybe she lost the number or maybe she doesn't . . . " Vickie started to ramble and quickly stopped.

"Wait, Robin Buckley?" Eddie asked and then he grinned. "Your heart is racing awfully fast. Wait. . . is that the rumor thing you were talking about? Yeah, that one isn't true. I mean, it's alright if you are."

"Hmm, I would have figured with the way that you were talking about Steve Harrington the other day," Vickie said.

"Well, I mean, it's just a surprise how much of a good guy he because all that I've heard about him is that he's an asshole from other people. It's stupid now because I normally don't listen to rumors. It was just easier to think that he was a jerk like some of the jocks that bullied my friends, you know? Steve Harrington, not a jerk? No, nope, no way! So, not only is he pretty on the outside, but he's pretty on the inside, too. I mean, yeah, if I were a girl, I would totally date him," Eddie said, scoffing and bit into a scoopful of ice cream. "OW! Brain freeze."

"Wow, I don't think even I rambled that much before," she squinted her eyes at him. "Eddie, you know you don't have to be a girl to date him. Eddie, you do know about gay people right?"

"I know gay people exist," he laughed. "You're sitting right next to me."

"Eddie . . . ," she giggled. "I'm bisexual."

"Pardon?" he asked.

"I like guys and girls," Vickie said.

"Oh. . .oh . . . OH! I do NOT have a crush on Steve Harrington! Nope!" Eddie said, shaking his head and staring at his bowl of ice cream for the longest time. "Jesus H Christ! I have a crush on Steve."

"So, how many guys have you said, 'oh, if I were a girl, I would date him' about?" Vickie asked.

"Shut up, Fisher, it's not funny. I just accepted the fact that I'm a vampire and now I'm having a sexuality crisis," Eddie pouted. "Let me freak out in peace, please."

The phone rang, and Eddie grinned gratefully. Vickie answered the phone and held back a squeal when it was Robin who was on the other end. About halfway through with talking to her, Vickie realized that she was keeping a giant secret from her, and she felt her heart rate pick up in a bad way. Eddie must have picked up on it, too, because he cocked his head to the side and looked at her in concern. Vickie hung up the phone.

"Robin just invited me to hang out with her over at Steve's place tonight," Vickie said. "She said that it was a last-minute thing and I said I would go. They're having a little get together."

"Okay, why are you making it out to be a bad thing?" Eddie asked.

"You have to go! I can't keep something like this from her!" Vickie pleaded.

"We've had this conversation," he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and I told you it's stupid," Vickie sighed.

That had been a difficult conversation when he sat down and told her what happened, how they narrowly avoided the entire town being split open. He had told her about Vecna and how Chrissy died. That had been difficult, and Vickie was pretty sure that she would have nightmares for life. He had told her about dying himself and about how when he awoke Vecna tried to make him his minion. Eddie was no one's bitch and so, Eddie killed him which didn't take a lot of power because he pretty much had one foot in grave already. Eddie still felt guilty about not following the plan and was worried about how'd they would react to him being a monster.

"I'm a coward, Vick, I'm just not ready," he said, looking at her with big brown eyes. "Please."

"Fine, but you owe me," she replied and kissed him softly on the forehead. "Idiot."

"Good luck with Robin!" he said cheerfully.

Vickie cursed Eddie all the way to Steve's house. With her heart pounding out of her chest, she walked up to his door and knocked. Steve answered the door.

"Hey, Vickie," Steve said.

"I didn't realize that Steve Harrington knew my name," she said teasingly.

"Well, Robin did mention that she invited her friend, Vickie, over to my house," Steve shrug.

"I was going to say that you were a really good guesser or that you're psychic," Vickie laughed.

"Oh, yeah, totally psychic," Steve laughed awkwardly.

Oh, right. Eddie mentioned something about that they knew a girl with superpowers. Shit, she was already putting her foot in her mouth. Steve let Vickie in and showed her to living room where there were a bunch of kids as well as Robin. Vickie grinned when Robin's eyes lit up at the sight of her. She hopped over to Vickie and moved to hug her but then pulled back. She stuck her hand out and then yanked it back. Vickie laughed and hugged her.

"Thanks for inviting me," Vickie said.

"You're welcome," Robin said, blushing. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Thanks," Vickie smiled.

She was about to say something else when a curly haired boy in a hat approached them.

"You must be Vickie, Robin's friend? You know, Steve is single - ," the boy started to say.

"NO!" Vickie exclaimed and blushed.

"Well, that was a little quick. I'll have you know that Steve is - ," he started to say.

"Dustin!" Steve exclaimed.

"It's not that there's anything wrong with Steve," Vickie said quickly. "It's just that I just broke up with my boyfriend and I like someone else."

"Damn, sorry, Steve," Dustin said.

"How about apologizing for interfering in my love life and Vickie's?" Steve asked and then softly. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, buddy, but it's not necessary."

"It's just that ever since Nancy - ," he said.

"It has nothing to do with Nancy!" Steve exclaimed. "Now, we're trying to have a good night here, I do not want to be thinking about my love life."

Vickie noticed that there was a sadness in his eyes like he was missing someone who was no longer here. She wondered if Eddie was the only one who felt the same. The guilt that was eating at her grew a thousand fold as she watched Dustin hug Steve and then pulled back.

"Sorry, Vickie, we went through a lot recently, and I just want Steve to be happy," Dustin said. "We lost Eddie."

Vickie felt like someone punched her in the stomach, and she gave a nervous grin.

"I get it. I just lost my cousin, Chrissy," Vickie said.

Everyone turned to look at her. Robin looked at with wide eyes.

"I didn't know Chrissy was your cousin," Robin said softly.

"Yeah, Chrissy's mother didn't want it to be public knowledge, completely embarrassed by the fact that she's related to me that she didn't even let me go to the funeral. It's okay, I have my dad and this new friend. Who's been really great, and even though he's been in my life for like three days, I couldn't even imagine my life without him," Vickie said. "You know, if someone doesn't stop me or I don't stop myself when I get like this, I just keep talking."

"Hey, Robin's the same way," Dustin grinned, and Robin hit him. "So, is this guy the one you like? Just kidding! No interfering."

"Because I like you, I'll tell you that no, definitely not. In fact, the idea makes me shudder. Not because of who he is as a person, but because the idea of romance is just. . . Icky," Vickie said, and she could feel Robin smiling at her.

"Would you say this guy is your platonic soulmate?" Robin asked, and Dustin groaned.

"Oh, I like that! Who's yours?" Vickie asked, and Steve nudged her, wiggling his eyebrows. "Oh, that's cute! Can I use that?"

"Absolutely!" Robin exclaimed.

"Can we watch the movie already?" A pale boy asked.

"Does he always scowl like that?" Vickie leaned in to whisper to Robin.

"Yeah, that's Mike. He has a very serious disease. He has Astickuphisbuttitis, a very serious condition that mostly affects teenagers," Robin said and Vickie giggled.

"Oh, I heard about that. I think you need surgery for that," Vickie said seriously. "And I should know. My dad's a doctor."

Robin giggled, and Vickie couldn't help but think about how beautiful she was when she did that. She watched her lips as she introduced the others: Will, El, Lucas, Max, Nancy she knew, Jonathan, and Argyle. Once the introductions were over, Vickie made sure to settle down next to Robin. Max grinned at Steve as she put in the tape. Everyone in the room laughed in Steve's direction when it was revealed to be Mr. Mom.

"Seriously?!" Steve exclaimed.

The kids all laughed and shared a look before looking back at him.

"We love you, Mr. Mom!" They said in unison.

"Yeah, love you too, assholes," Steve said, as he threw a pillow at them.

He was smiling fondly at them, zero heat behind his words.

"In case you didn't get it, there's a running joke that Steve acts like such a mom," Robin whispered to her.

"Yeah, I got it," Vickie giggled.

During the movie, Vickie inadvertently ended up leaning closer towards Robin and hearing Steve whisper something to her.

"I wish Eddie were here," he whispered, his voice thick.

"I know, Steve," Robin whispered back. "I know."

With a lump in her throat, Vickie struggled not to cry. She felt sick to her stomach. She leaned over to whisper to Steve.

"Hey, Steve, I just remembered that I need to call my dad. He's working the night shift, and if I don't call him, he'll get so busy that sometimes he'll forget to eat," Vickie whispered.

"Sure," he said. "It's in the kitchen."

Vickie hurried to the kitchen and picked up the phone to dial her home phone, hoping that Eddie would hear it. With his vampire hearing, he should. A few rings later and Eddie picked up the phone.

"Heeelllllooo?" Eddie asked.

"Hey, it's Vickie," she said.

"Hey, Gingersnap, how's it going with Birdie?" Eddie asked.

"Is there someone around that you need to use codenames?" She asked with a giggle.

"Nah, just trying out nicknames," Eddie replied.

"I don't think I can keep this up," Vickie said. "I can't keep lying to them. They really miss you, and it's breaking my heart. I don't think they're going to care as long as they know you're alive."

"I miss them too, but what if they try . . . " Eddie trailed off.

"Then I'll stand in the way," Vickie said.

"I can't ask you to do that," Eddie said.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not asking me," she replied.

"Vickie," he said softly.

"Look, they've been through so much because of Vecna this might just be the thing that puts some of their broken pieces back together," Vickie said.

"Okay, okay, but can we do it tomorrow?" He asked.

"Fine," she sighed. "I've got to go. Stay out of trouble."

"You know me," Eddie said in amusement. "Bye!"

Vickie chuckled and hung up the phone. She turned around, and her heart leaped in her throat when she saw Robin standing there looking confused. There was also a little bit of distrust in her eyes and Vickie hated that.

"What did you hear?" She asked meekly.

"Something about Vecna and broken pieces," Robin said. "What the hell? Who told you about Vecna?"

"I can't tell you that," Vickie said wincing.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you won't believe me unless you see it for yourself and the proof is at my house," Vickie said. "I was asked by my friend not to say anything like a personal request because he meant a lot to Chrissy, and I trust this guy. And I really hope you trust me too because I really like you. Like, I don't mean any harm, and this guy doesn't mean any harm. I'm not like out to get you or anything. If you want to come to my house to see him. I'd have to call him and tell him a change of plans."

"This guy. . .is he your platonic soulmate?" Robin asked softly.

"Yeah, I think so," Vickie said, biting her lip.

"So. . .you like me, huh?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," she said.

"In what way? As a friend or. . . .?"

"Oh, definitely not a friend."

"Good."

Robin cupped her face and kissed her. Vickie squealed against her mouth, and Robin laughed as Vickie kissed her back eagerly. Robin gripped her hips, picked her up, and set her on the counter. She stepped in between her legs as she kissed Vickie with the same amount of enthusiasm, her lips soft and wet against hers. Vickie felt hot, her heart racing as she squeezed Robin's hips with her legs, and she thrusted her hips. Robin's tongue pressed against her lips, and Vickie moaned, opening her mouth as she allowed Robin entry. Robin's hand was pressed gently against her throat and slowly moved down until her fingers slid under her blouse. She paused on the first button, almost questioningly, and Vickie nodded. Robin popped the first couple of buttons and slid her hand into her shirt. Robin broke the kiss and moved her lips to her neck, her hand moving under her bra to cup her breast. Suddenly, Robin pulled away from her like she had been burned, her eyes wide.

"I forgot where we were for a moment," Robin said. "The kids could walk in at any moment."

Vickie giggled, her lips feeling very swollen. Part of her shoulder was exposed, and her bra strap was hanging off her shoulder as well. Her skirt had ridden up. Robin looked just as thoroughly kissed out as she did. Vickie squeezed her legs together. God, she wanted to wrap her legs around Robin's head, and she was ready to actually do so if Robin didn't stop looking at her like that.

"What?" Vickie asked.

"You're so sexy," Robin giggled.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Vickie squealed as she started fixing her clothes as Steve walked in. Robin hurried to stand in front of her.

"Woah!" Steve exclaimed and started to walk out.

"Wait, Steve, I need to talk to you," Robin said.

"Uh, okay, am I supposed to ignore the fact that Vickie's buttoning her shirt?" Steve asked and placed a hand over his eyes. "If you want me to talk you through anything, I'm not doing that. We have to have some boundaries, especially with the kids in the other room. God, Robin."

"What?! No, dingus!" Robin exclaimed, and Vickie giggled.

"I'm decent now," Vickie exclaimed as she straightened her skirt, and Steve removed his hand.

"I have completely forgotten what I needed to say. My head's all foggy," Robin giggled, and Vickie leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Oh, right! Vecna!"

"Robin!" Steve screamed.

"Oh, she already knows because her platonic soulmate told her, and now we need to go to her house to see for ourselves," she said and paused. "I trust her."

"You do?" Vickie asked.

"I wouldn't have stuck my tongue in your mouth if I did," Robin replied. "You said this will put some of our broken pieces back together, right?"

"Yeah," Vickie said softly.

"Then let's go to your house," Robin said. "Call him first, though."

Vickie squealed and kissed her before hopping off the counter. She grinned when she heard Robin whispering and giggling with Steve as the phone rang.

"Change of plans," Vickie said when Eddie picked up.

"Ookay?" Eddie asked.

"Uh, Robin overheard me so we're all coming over," Vickie said.

"Well, it is your house," Eddie sighed. "I guess I have to face the music eventually."

"So, you'll be there?" She asked.

"Yeah."

They walked back into the living room, and Vickie watched as Steve turned off the TV. Immediately, everyone started complaining.

"What the hell, Steve?" Max asked.

"Change of plans. We're all going over to Vickie's," Steve said.

"Why?" Nancy asked.

"I have a surprise for you all," Vickie said. "And it's a good one!"

"And it can't wait until the movie is over?" Lucas asked.

"Nope!" Steve exclaimed. "She promised to explain when we get there."

"Why can't she tell us now?" Mike asked.

"Because it's something you won't believe until you see it for yourself," Vickie said.

"If Vickie says she has a good surprise for all of us, then she does. I trust her," Steve said. "Let's go!"

Vickie drove to her house with Robin in the passenger's seat. She was relieved that everything was going to be revealed, but she was still a little nervous. Suddenly, Robin took her hand and laced their fingers together. Vickie grinned. She felt a little less nervous. She pulled into her driveway and walked with Robin to her front door. She paused and waited for everyone to crowd around her.

"I just want to say that my friend is probably more scared of you and himself than you are of him," Vickie said.

"Okay," Mike scoffed. "Can we go in now?"

Vickie bit her tongue, but she so wanted to say that her dad was a doctor and she could get him to remove that stick for free. She decided not to say anything. She opened the door and went in with everyone following behind her.

"Hello?" Vickie called out softly. "We're all here. It's okay."

She heard the shuffling of feet, and then Eddie walked into the room. He was wearing a blanket over his head, completely covering his face and part of his body.

"What the hell?" Steve asked.

"Seriously?" Vickie asked with an amused sigh and Eddie shrugged.

"Uh, there's no reason to be scared of us. We're not going to hurt you. Mike might scowl you to death, but he doesn't mean anything by it," Robin said, and the blanket snorted. "That's just his face. He's really a teddy bear."

Vickie sighed and moved under the blanket to join Eddie.

"Okay, we're going to do some breathing exercises, okay, and then we're going to come out from under the blanket together. Okay?" Vickie asked, and he nodded.

Vickie and Eddie breathed in together and then breathed out together, holding each other's hands tightly. She gave him an encouraging look and moved out from under the blanket, expecting him to follow her. He was still under the blanket. She rolled her eyes and started to tug at it, but he was holding onto it. With a sigh, he let go of it, and Vickie took it off.

"Eddie!" Dustin shrieked.

He rushed towards him, and Eddie quickly backed away. Dustin looked hurt, and Vickie rushed forward to explain while Steve put an arm around him. She told them everything about the day she met him. How he was a vampire, how he killed Vecna, and the raccoon he had felt guilty about.

"Eddie," she said softly. "You aren't going to hurt them. We spent days together, and you didn't hurt me not once. You have your hunger under control, Eddie. You don't even have to kill animals to feed off them."

Eddie sighed and opened his arms for Dustin, who ran immediately into them. They hugged for a long time and cried just as long.

"I'm so sorry, man. You shouldn't have had to watch me die," Eddie said.

"You're back now though," Dustin said, sniffling. "I love you."

"I love you too, shrimp," Eddie said.

Once they broke the hug, the other kids rushed forward to hug him. Well, Will, Jonathan, and El simply patted him on the back. Argyle, of course, completely embraced him.

"Hmm, a guy with long hair and stinks of weed," Eddie said with amusement. "You guys trying to replace me?"

"Nah, brochacho, they love you too much to replace you. Besides, I may respect all music, but metal is not my music. It's yours, man," Argyle said. "You're also much cuter than I am, man."

"Hey, you're a handsome motherfucker and I would totally date you," Eddie said, winking at him.

"I am available, dude," Argyle grinned.

Steve coughed loudly. To Vickie's amusement, he was crossing his arms and scowling at them. It was a clear sign of jealousy.

"Glad you're back, Eddie," Nancy laughed.

"So, were you really afraid that you'd hurt us?" Mike asked.

"He cried over a raccoon, man," Lucas scoffed.

"That's true. I mean, it was just a raccoon," Mike said.

Eddie let out a sob and collapsed into the nearest person's arms, which happened to be Steve’s.

"They don't understand how cute raccoons are, Stevie! With their little hands and masks. All they want to do is steal other people's trash. It's not like people are using them. Why can't they just have them, you know?! They're just just little trash bandits," he said, sniffling. "That raccoon was just minding his own business until I came along."

"That's a little bit of an emotional reaction," Max said and scoffed. "I don't know how anyone ever thought you were a killer."

"Uh, yes, I think as a vampire, his emotions might be hightened," Vickie said with a grin.

Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and buried his face into his neck. Steve smiled and squeezed him tightly, pressing his cheek against his hair.

"I missed you, big boy," Eddie whispered.

"Missed you too," Steve whispered back.

Eddie moved his head back, and clearly, he was not thinking. He pressed his lips against Steve’s. Nearly everyone gasped. Steve was surprised too, but he responded to the kiss eagerly and cupped the back of Eddie's head.

"Aw, man, the cute ones are always taken," Argyle said.

Eddie and Steve broke the kiss, their faces red.

"Sorry," Eddie said meekly.

"Really? I'm not," Steve grinned.

"Me neither," Eddie said. "If the kids have a problem with it, we can just put them up for adoption."

"We don't!" They exclaimed quickly, and Vickie laughed.

"I think this is so cool!" Duatin exclaimed.

"Really? Because I thought you'd be sad that you'd only get two Christmases instead of three now that your two dads are together?" Max quipped.

"Shut up, Max!" Dustin exclaimed as the other kids laughed.

"I like her," Vickie whispered.

"Hey, if Dustin is Steve and Eddie's kid, does that mean Max is ours?" Robin whispered.

"She does have my red hair," Vickie giggled and Eddie laughed.

"Can he hear us?" Robin asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, vampire hearing," she whispered.

Robin grinned and put her arm through Vickie's.

A FEW MONTHS LATER. . .

Things were settling down now that Eddie was reunited with everyone, including his uncle. Wayne didn't even care that he was a vampire now. He was just glad that he had his boy back, which Vickie thought was so sweet. Robin was a hit with her dad, who got really excited for Vickie when he found out that she had other friends like her too. He had really taken a shine to Steve and Eddie. So much so that Matthew invited them over for breakfast, which is what they were doing now. They sat around the breakfast table, chatting comfortably when Matthew smiled at his daughter.

"Hey, Vickie, dear?" Matthew asked.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"How come you didn't tell me you hid Eddie in your mother's crafting shed?" Matthew asked, and everyone froze. "I'm not mad."

"You know?" Vickie asked with wide eyes.

"I thought he knew," Eddie said when Vickie glanced at him.

"Just let me know the next time you decide to hide a metalhead in the shed," Matthew said gently. "You know that I'd help you with anything."

"Okay," Vickie said softly. "Sorry, Daddy."

Eddie leaned over to Vickie to whisper.

"So, you're dad's basically the kind of guy who would help you bury a body, isn't he?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah!" Vickie grinned.

"Damn."

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