A loud knocking came from my front door. "I swear to Luna, this is bullshit!" I started stumbling down the stairs. "It's fucking ten AM, too early for your shit!" I charged over to the door and flung it open. "What!?"

I was immediately slapped. "Ben!"

I took a moment and realized just who was knocking. "Mom!? The fu--" I was slapped once again.

"Mind yourself!" My mother pushed past me, my father and my sister trailing behind her.

"Ben, good to see you." My dad gave me a pat on the shoulder and a smile.

"Ben! You're a dad!" My sister threw her arms around me, clutching me like a fool. "Oh-my-god, can I see him!?"

"Jen...." I grabbed my sister by the shoulder. "Why the- fuck -are mom and dad here!?"

Jen gave me an incredulous look. "We got a letter, that you adopted a foal! They wanted to see him."

"Who told you!?"

"The letter was from the government! The return address was a freaking castle!" Jen pulled away and headed inside. "Now move, it's freaking hot out here!"

I stood, back resting on my door, as my family invaded my life. "God...damn.... Couldn't stay in Vermont...." I grumbled angrily as I walked into my house, slamming the door behind me. I found my family walking around my living room, staring at the paintings I had bought and the other knickknacks I had collected.

"Ben, honey, where did you get this?" My mother pointed to a painting by a bat pony. "It's...amazing."

I looked at the dark and vibrant swirls, the clashing lines tearing the canvas in half. Bright reds cut the white canvas into ribbons, bright shades of tan, blue and purples nestled into the spaces between. "Yep...mom...it's like...three am for me...can I go back to sleep?"

She cocked her head and gave me an unsure look. "Honey...it's ten."

I held my hands up in a stopping motion. "I know...but...changes.... I sleep in the day now, and...Jen, explain being nocturnal...."

Jen turned away from a small statuette. "Oh...he's basically a vampire now."

"Ben...why did you turn into a vampire?"

I slapped myself across the forehead. "Mother...it was part of my job...and I'm not a vampire--"

"Your sister said you're a vampire." My mother stated dryly, putting her hands on her hips. "And you've got fangs."

I deadpanned completely. I rolled my tongue out and opened my eyes fully. Something I hadn't realized but my eyes were extremely reflective, nearly glowing when someone shone a light in them. "Ben! What happened to you!?"

My dad stepped between me and my mother. "Leave him alone Nancy.... He's a grown man, it was his choice."

"But look at my baby! He's so pale, have you been--"

I ignored them and turned to Jen. "Here." I dug into my pocket and jammed a load of bits into her hand. "Take this...go have fun in town, and come back around...six pm, I'll wake everyone up. Okay?"

Jen shrugged and pocketed the stuff. "I get ya. Freakin stay up all night myself."

"Yeah, but you're in like what, tenth grade?"

"Eleventh, jerk." Jen turned away and walked over to our parents.

I took my chance and walked up the stairs. I made sure to lock Wayne's door, barring intrusion on my young son. With him secure I hurried back into my own room and threw myself, still clothed, into bed. "Hhmmm, Ben who was it?" Foxglove moaned, confused as I got under the covers and pulled her against me.

"Don't ask...we'll take about it later...." I nuzzled against Foxglove's mane and closed my eyes. "I love you...you feel nice...."

"Bed...go to bed."

I took her advice and tried to go to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of Wayne screaming. "Awwww--fuuuuuck." I rolled onto my back and jammed my hands against my eyes. "Fucking day dwellers." I got upright and swung my body out of bed. "Why!?"

Foxglove pulled her head out of the covers, her mane was frayed and amazingly disheveled. "Ben...I'm gonna go shower...are you gonna be okay?"

I let out a deep sigh as Wayne started crying. "Yeah...you go ahead."

I grumbled and blustered as I pushed out of my room. Jen was banging on the door up and down the hall. "Jenny, stop!"

She jumped, turning to face me. "Ben, someone's crying!"

"Yeah...it's my kid." I grabbed the key from the top framing of the doorway and started unlocking it. "He's two...you start slamming the walls you're gonna make him cry."

I pushed into the room letting out a strange garbled yawn. "Ishowannabed." My voice was horribly scratchy and Wayne's cries and huffs only added to the early night bullshit. "Wayne, little buddy, you okay?"

Wayne was pissed, flying out of his crib and across the room. He hid under the usual table and just glared at me. "Hssssssss!"

"Oh-my-god!" Jen walked past and stood before me. "Can I hold him!?"

I rubbed my face, lamenting my early wake up. "Ya, go ahead and stick your hand in there."

I watched with bated breath as she hurried over and tried to coax Wayne out from under the table. "Come here...come on...I just- fuck!" She pulled her hand back, dragging Wayne out by his mouth. "Why!?"

I walked over and pried Wayne off her hand. "Yeah...he does that." I tapped his fangs until he let go, and just as quickly whisked him up into my arms. "Wayne, hungry?"

He just pouted and tried to flap his wings. I kept him cradled and started carrying him towards the kitchen. Jen trailed behind, holding the tiny puncture wounds on her hand. "Ben...you're a dick."

I rubbed my eyes with my free hand. "Yeah well maybe next time don't go waking up my toddler...he's gonna be pissy all day now!" I put my hands under Wayne's forelegs and held him for Jen. "Look at this sour ass face, wake him up early and he stays like this for hours!"

Wayne kicked his back legs, swinging his body and trying to get free. "Down!"

"No." I tucked him under my arm. "I let him go he's gonna go hide in a cupboard somewhere."

Jen walked over and joined me in the kitchen. "But...you know the paper said you had more than one--"

"Kch! My mare doesn't know!" I cut her down, sitting Wayne in his seat and prying open a can of beans. "I have to sort that out later, but she doesn't know yet." I went to work heating up the thick mean paste. "Wayne...you want a burrito?"

"...Yess...."

"Cheese?"

"Yess!"

"Good lad." I pulled a pack of ground beef from the fridge and added it to the mix.

Jen leaned in and looked at the mess. "Um...can you feed him that stuff? Aren't they...you know, herbivores?"

"Ha, Wayne, you like greens?"

"Nooooo!!" Wayne tried to pull out of his seat. "No no no!"

I went back to my cooking. "Bat ponies can eat meat, it goes through their system fine." I grabbed a lime from my counter and chopped it in half. "Hey, watch this." I cut the lime again, quartering it. "Wayne, open."

Wayne spotted the green fruit and popped his mouth open. I popped the slice of fruit in and watched as he clamped down on it. His face contorted into an expression of pure horror and amazement as he suckled at the lime. His face bound up like mad, eyes squinting, mouth puckering, everything about him seemed to tighten up.

Jen let out a girlish squeal as she ran over. "Ben, look at him!" She leaned down face to face with him and giggled.

I let Wayne soak up the sour liquid in a mix of adoration and disgust. I hit the walls with my fist and looked up. "Foxglove, you want a lime!?"

"-an't- ere- o!"

I shook my head and went back to cooking. "Jen, you want a burrito?"

Jen looked back to me. "Throw some potatoes in there you got a deal!"

"You gonna boil potatoes!?"

"You got any!?"

I grabbed a bag of potatoes off the top of my fridge and tossed it to her. "Do it! Peeler's in the cupboard, pot's in the cabinet."

Jen got to work, helping me cook. Little by little my parents filtered in, immediatly smitten by Wayne. "Ben...this your kid?" My dad asked, his gruff tone faltering. "Who the hell gave him a lime?!"

"Oh look at him, he loves it! Look at his fat little face!" My mother cooed, plucking him from his seat and carrying him. "Little guy...I'm taking this home with me."

Little by little the burritos came together, beans, meat, potatoes and tortilla, all combined to make amazing food. Foxglove peeked into the room and started looking around. "Ben...Ben...who the fuck are these people!?" She whispered, peeking her head inside.

I put a burrito on a plate and brought it over to her. "Family...meet your in-laws...and a burrito."

Foxglove put the plate on her back and looked around. "Wait...so...they're--"

"Oh! Ben, who's this?" Jen ran over, half stuffing her mouth with a load of beans. "This your girlfriend?"

"Jen...shut up." I pushed her back a step. "Foxglove, my sister, my father, my mother." I pointed to each in order. "Day dwelling nutcases from Vermont."

"Hello." My dad charged over and offered his hand. "Came to see the new additions."

Foxglove slowly put her hoof into his hand, having it shaken violently. "Whoa- hello!" She pulled away, nearly dropping the burrito off her back. "Dear Luna...do you wrestle bears!? Ben, how are you so skinny!?"

I shrugged. "Dad?"

My dad let out a small sigh and pointed to my mother. "Made him eat, healthy, made him take soccer instead of football."

"Ha..ha...ha....urgh.... I had forgotten about that...." I groaned softly, leading everyone to the table. "Soccer...terrible sport...."

My mother took a seat next to Wayne while me and my Dad too the head and tail. Foxglove took the seat to my right, my sister sitting next to her. Things got quiet as burritos hit the table. Foxglove seemed uneased by the small crowd, finally being outnumbered by humans. "So...you two are dating?" My mother asked, toying with Wayne and slowly feeding him bits from a dilapidated burrito.

Foxglove let out a rough cough. "Sort of.... We're promised to each other...so...it's a little more serious." Foxglove pushed her hoof onto my lap. I wrapped my hand around it hand felt her calm down. "So...yeah."

"Interesting." My mother jabbed a spoonful of burrito into my son's mouth and pet his head. Wayne nearly melted under her touch. "So...Ben...I'm really going to take this little guy home...."

I let out a rough cough. "No...no--" I stopped dead at a sudden realization. "Umm...mom...dad...you...how would you feel about giving some foals a home?"

My dad jumped, hitting his knee on my table. "No!"

My mother nodded, scratching Wayne's chin and making him coo gently. "Your father's right, we can't." I watched her as Wayne bit her hand. "Hey!" My mother pulled away and bopped him on the nose. "Bad."

"Mraau--"

"Stop it."

Wayne stared at my mother, not enjoying her challenge. "Ba--"

"Excuse me!?" My mother leaned over Wayne, staring him down. "Go ahead...go ahead...complain."

Wayne shrunk down under her steely gaze. "...Mmmuah." Wayne mumbled, lowering his head in defeat.

"Good...." she got another spoonful of mashed burrito mix and pushed it into his mouth. "Feisty little shit, he...is he yours?" She asked Foxglove, petting Wayne and making him perk up sightly.

Foxglove shrunk back a little. "No...he's not--"

"I'll explain it later, but no he's not hers." I cut in, sensing my partners nervousness. "Anyways...I'd love to show you around, but we have work after this."

"That's fine honey." My mother finished up with Wayne and picked him up. "We'll just spend the night here."

"Ach-...you wanna watch Wayne for the night?"

My mother smiled. "Of course, we'll stay the night, then head out for our tour in the morning."

I scratched my head. "Tour?"

Jen waved her arms in front of me. "I thought I told you. We came to visit you, yeah, but some people named Luna offered us a tour of the city."

I shook my head. "Not named-- From Luna, she must have offered something.... Anyways, yeah you can stay for the night." I ran my hand over Foxglove's hoof. "You sure you'll be alright taking--"

"Hmm?" My mom was bouncing Wayne in her arms, my dad was already in the other room watching TV, and Jen was watching my mom greedily. "Ben, I raised you, John, Jenny and Tanner. I can handle a baby."

"Uh...yep...." I stood up, pulling Foxglove over my shoulder. "I'll...be back around two am." I walked to the front door and threw myself out the door.

Foxglove immediately jumped out of my grasps. "Dear Luna, Ben...warn me next time! I was sitting there, surrounded by freaking humans!"

I looked at her with a bitter look. "What does that mean!?"

Foxglove took a deep breath. "Ben...groups of humans are freaking scary...."

"Groups of bat ponies are scary!"

Foxglove pranced around a little. "It's different...your dad looks like a bear...and your sister...I...you're all too tall!"

I picked her up and put her over my shoulder, her breasts pressing against my upper arm. "Nerves are understandable...but don't say it's because they're human."

Foxglove tightened around my arm. "I guess.... Your dad...how is he so big? He's like a giant or something!"

I shook my head, patting her back. "My dad ate nothing but steak and used to work construction...he's a big dude, but if you're in the family...he'd die for you."

"Well that's good...I guess."

I took a deep breath. "You know...with them watching Wayne, we can go out for dinner."

Foxglove adjusted in my arms. "...Alright...I like them.... But...something yummy, but something that won't get caught in my braces."

"Fair enough. Maybe a little, dessert, after."

Foxglove let out a quick chuckle. "We'll see...."