Dan and Bethany immediately leave the bed and open the door to see the worried kids in front of them.

“Girls, what happened?” asks Dan as he knelt to their height.

“It’s Molly!” starts Daisy.

“She’s gone!” finishes Danny.

The couple’s eyes widen, afraid of what could have happened to Molly while running through many worse case scenarios within seconds. They knew the little girl was acting out, not having adjusted well since Stan and Angie disappeared and been defensive and snappy towards Dan and Bethany. Molly needing time to adjust to the sudden change like all of them are.

“Wait, what?” Bethany then asking. “Girls, what happened?”

“We saw the blocks and… I think she opened the window and left,” frowns Daisy as she and Danny lead their caregivers to their room with the rest of the younger kids. “I think I know why…”

“To find your parents,” mutters Bethany, briefly looking to the unlocked window and the moonlight shining through the glass, her expression crestfallen thinking back to Molly’s outburst from earlier she screamed she hated her and Dan for not having looked hard enough. Bethany knew she was just upset for how long her parents have been gone, but it still stung her heart. Her and Dan have been doing the best they can for the kids.

The quadruplets were now awake and upset to having been woken late at night. Tate whimpering in his own bed. Dan immediately scoops up the boy and the toddlers in his big arms and sits with them on one of the small beds to console them.

“Shh, shh… All ya get back to sleep. Bethany is gonna find Molly and bring her home.” Dan speaks in a much softer voice than normal. “How ‘bout I tell you all a story?” This got the toddlers and Tate smiling, even a little. Dan gives a nod to his wife, able to handle the younger kids while Bethany, Danny and Daisy ran out the front door.

Bethany did not protest Danny and Daisy coming with her, figuring they want to help find their triplet sister before something or someone were to find Molly before they do. She does not blame them one bit.

Bethany shifts into her tall, dark red furred wolf form as she bounds into the forest, catching Molly’s scent as Danny and Daisy changed into their own brown wolf forms in following their caregiver, but with their short legs, they couldn’t keep up with the grown wolf. Seeing this, Bethany allows the two girls onto her back to ride.

Meanwhile, Molly was having no luck in sniffing out for her parents in the known places in the forest she remembers taking her and her sisters to. In her wolf form, she scratches at the ground, leaving deep marks within the grass and leaves in frustration and screams at the sky.

“HOW IS IT THIS HARD TO FIND THEM?!” Molly lets out an audible howl that makes the birds in the nearby trees fly off in fright. “MOM! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?! … Why did you leave us… why did you leave me?”  

Molly keeps digging at the ground for no reason but to vent the grief, inner pain, and anger at herself in believing she failed her parents and those around her failed them too. At this moment, despite having been taught not to make too much noise at night alone, she paid not heed as she wails and sheds streams of tears from her eyes and the mucus from her nose dripping. She gets dirt on her face while lying her head in the patch she made in the ground, choking up.

Molly hears the rustling of bushes nearby; she hiccups and becomes alert to the new presence and scent. She was not alone. From within the bushes she can see in the dark was a tall, rogue grey werewolf approaching her, showing his fangs and fur raised at the young pup before him. Molly’s eyes widened in fear, immediately changing into her wolf form, hoping it would make the rogue least likely to attack her now.

The grey werewolf pauses, seeing Molly was a werewolf, but it did not fully stop him from going after her, smelling she is one of the Mother Wolf’s pups he can tell. Him having been persistent for over a year in claiming the territory for himself and his own pack he aims to have. Starting with driving off the pup.

Molly mentally screams at herself to run away and does so while the older werewolf gives chase. The pup zigzagging, running through the woods and into a small hollow tree where the werewolf was biting and clawing away wood to reach her. When the rogue manages to stick his head through the trunk to snap at Molly, she musters up the courage and bites at his snout, causing him to yelp and back away, drawing blood.

Before the rogue could think about going after the pup, he was in for a world of hurt when he feels sharp teeth of a tall red wolf grip around his neck, not piercing through, but it still stung.

“GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BITCH!” Bethany’s inner thoughts roared in her head as she was about to make the rogue regret ever stepping foot into Angie’s territory.

Bethany hits the wolf hard against a nearby tree several times until the tree snapped in half and flung the hapless werewolf out into the deeper woods through the air. She lets out a victorious howl, letting all know who the new alpha of Angie’s territory is until her return one day. She sniffs the area to find Molly coming up to her and her sisters who ran up to them when it was safe again.

Bethany reverts to her human self as she knelt to hug Molly in a tight embrace as did Danny and Daisy to their sister, having been scared for her safety.

“Molly!” cheer Daisy and Danny.

Molly breaks down into tears again, choking up. “I’m… I’m sorry! I’m sorry I ran off and almost got hurt… I wanted to find Mom and Dad and… I can’t find them. I didn’t mean it when I said I hated you and Dan… Are you mad at me?”

“I’m only glad you’re not hurt. I was so scared you’d end up harmed or worse by that rogue, Molly.” Bethany’s tone was soft, not angry for what Molly did. She knows she is hurting like everyone else has been since Stan and Angie have been gone. “We know you’re just upset, kiddo. Me and Dan are sorry we can’t find them.”

“It was still pretty mean to say,” acknowledges Danny about what Molly said from earlier, shuffling her feet in place. “I miss our parents too, but if we can’t find them here, then they must be somewhere else.” “Maybe they’re lost, too,” adds in Daisy.

Bethany lets out a short breath, taking a brief pause to look towards the sky before focusing back on the girls. “Me and Dan may or may not have an idea of where they could be.” The triplet girls face Bethany with their full attention. “There’s something me and Dan will tell you in the morning, and about what we’re going to do for all you kids, but you girls need your sleep.”

The triplets let out a collected “Ah, man…” before they comply with Bethany, returning home with hours to spare before the sunrise. On the way, Molly eyes up the starry night sky, wondering if her parents are looking at the same stars like in a song she heard recently.

“They’re amphibians sure, but you can’t-someone’s at the door.” Angie cut herself off. Her head turned to stare down the front door. She gave a small snarl, a habit she had yet to grow out of after settling back into society.

 “Anyone we know?” Stanley felt light, a goofy grin had spread itself across his lips as Molly ran a toy car into his foot repeatedly.

 “He don’t smell familiar. Almost.” Angie said. “He kinda smells like you if’n I’m being honest.” She added after a beat.

 “Well, Ford and Fidds’ aren’t gonna be back until nightfall. Might as well-” Stanley slowly pushed himself off the couch. Angie gave a soft squeak as she fell to the floor. “Darn, sorry Ang.”

 “It’s fine.” Angie picked herself up.

 “Like I was saying; might as well tell them to come around later if they want them.” Stanley said. He made his way to the front door.

 “And what if he wants you?” Angie asked.

 “Ha, unlikely,” Stanley said smugly.

 “Is it really that hard to believe?” said the man at the door.

 Stanley’s stomach fell.

 “Who’s there?” Angie asked, baring her teeth as though they were her werewolf fangs.

 “Stanley should know who I am. After all we were pretty close weren’t we?” the man teased. Stanley could see the smug smile on the man's face despite the door between them. “Or am I too embarrassing to discuss with your ‘werewife’?”

 “How do you-Stanley do you know who’s outside?” Angie asked. Her head tilted to the side while her face twisted with confusion.

Stanley wanted some answers himself. He’d only come up with his pet name for Angie the previous night. The man outside knew more than he should, and Stan needed to know how much.

 “What do you want Jimmy?” Stanley demanded. He balled up his fists.

 “Jimmy?”

 “Oh come on kitten, is that any way to treat an old friend?” Jimmy teased. He leaned against one of the awning supports. “And I came all this way from Cali too.”

 “Who’s Jimmy?” Angie asked.

 “My ex.” Stanley said, he stared at Jimmy’s shadow through the door’s fencing. “Don’t avoid the question Snakes. If you’re here to hurt me or my family, you’ve got another thing coming.”

 “Hey now, no need to be so confrontational Stan; I’m here because of you after all.” Jimmy said.

 “We’ve got pitcher of holy water if’n that’ll convince you to talk,” Angie offered.

 “Feisty. I can see why you tied the knot with her Kitten.” Jimmy smiled. “But I’d advise against the holy water. Wouldn’t end too well for Little ol’ Lee you see.”

 “What are you talking about,” Angie stepped forward with a growl.

 “Come on out first. It’s a lovely day and it’s been years since I’ve seen you. Plus I’d love to see the lovely lady that stole your heart.” Jimmy added cheekily.

 “How can we be sure that you won’t try any funny business?” Angie asked.

 “If I let you bring your pitcher of holy water, would that put you at ease?” Jimmy asked.

  “You know I was joking right?” Jimmy asked.

 He wore a spiked leather jacket and dark jeans. His blonde hair was tied in a ponytail that sat on his shoulder. He wore a pair of sunglasses that sat down his nose. His skin was sickly pale, very much like Stan. A pair of fangs poked out from under his moustache.

 “Well I wasn’t,” Angie said flatly.

 “I can see that,” Jimmy shot back.

 “So um, what was that about killing you not being good for me?”Stanley asked. He was parked between his wife and ex on the couch on the porch and was not enjoying this situation in the slightest.

 “Right that,” Jimmy leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. “So remember when we were dating and we somehow thought it was the best idea for me to turn you into a vampire?”

 “Yeah?” Stanley’s stomach tied itself into a tight knot.

 “And how you ran away the next night because you realised that you weren’t comfortable with the idea and I kinda forced the decision on you?” Jimmy sighed. “Turns out that when a human gets turned by a vampire, a bond is formed.”

 “What kind of bond?” Stanley asked. “I kinda have a good thing going on here.”

 “To cut an essay on vampire powers, that I’m sure your brother would probably leap at a chance to read, short. You're basically one of my lesser vampires.” Jimmy sighed.

 “I beg your pardon?” Angie glared.

 “I can read Stan’s mind, and command his actions. But don’t get me wrong, I didn’t do anything to him.” Jimmy raised his arms in surrender. Angie raised the pitcher, there was a fire in her eye that Jimmy did not want to get caught in. “I just checked in on him from time to time to see how he was doing.”

 “Command my actions?” Stanley asked in disbelief. “Listen Jimmy, I know you’re a vampire and a biker but you can't make me do wh-” Stanley smacked himself in the face. “-nevermind.”

 “So what now?” Angie asked. “Stan follows you around at night hunting down poor souls to make an immortal army?”

 “God no.” Jimmy shook his head. “Too much of a hassle.”

 “Then what do you want?” She asked.

 “I found a way to break the bond, and I’m here to deliver.” Jimmy grinned. He reached into his jacket.

 “And how do we do that?” Stanley asked. “A fight to the death or something?”

 “‘Or something’” Jimmy said. “All you need to do is drink my blood and you’ll be your own independent vampire.”

 “Okay but why.” Stanley asked.

 “Why what?”

 “Why bring this up now, why even try to fix this? I’ve been living like this for years and nothing's gone wrong for me.” Stanley said standing up.

 “That’s just it Stan. If I let this go on something will go wrong.” Jimmy said. “Last year I got in a really bad crash while on my bike. I lost so much blood that the paramedics used up all their blood packs trying to keep me from passing on.”

 “Right.”

 “While I was being wheeled off to the hospital my mind left my body, probably looking for a Lesser to take over their body so that I don’t die. But when I got to your body. I saw you with your kids, finally making up with your brother. A loving partner by your side. I couldn't’ take that from you.” Jimmy pulled a small vial of dark red liquid from his jacket. “Think of this as a way to bury the hatchet between us. And a late wedding gift,” Jimmy added with a smirk.

 Stanley stared at the vial. “Is it really that simple?” he asked.

 “Normally a Lesser would plan some elaborate betrayal in order to prove their independence from their master before finally earning their freedom in the final coup of their master. But I’d rather cut that middleman and get back to riding on my bike.” Jimmy smiled.

 “So this is goodbye?” Stanley asked.

 “For now,” Jimmy said. He picked up the motorcycle helmet off the porch. “If you’ll excuse me I’ve got some roads to drive along recklessly.” he winked.

 “You’re a good sort Jimmy.” Angie said. She put down the pitcher of holy water and offered Jimmy a hand.

 “I’m glad to hear it,” Jimmy said. He shook her hand. “Take good care of this ol’ kitten for me now.”

 “I always planned to,” Angie grinned.

 “Well. I’ll be off now.”Jimmy said. He gave an eager wave before slipping on his helmet and walking off into the afternoon sun.

 Stanley and Angie watched Jimmy ride off towards town. The dust his bike kicked up got into Stan’s nose, making him sneeze his accursed adorable sneeze.

 “I still hate that nickname,” Stanley lied. He scratched his nose.

 “I don’t know, I think it suits you perfectly.” Angie grinned.

fun fact: when I originally thought up this fic, I had the image of Jimmy getting a ‘goodbye’ kiss from Stan, and then cutting his tongue on STan’s fangs to give him his blood. but that didn’t really fit the story or tone of the scene so it got cut.