Trey was fine. He was fine and dandy dreaming up ways to murder Max in his sleep. He had promised Isabella he wouldn't try anything and it was driving him nuts. If it was one thing that Max ever taught him was to hold onto anger and to use it in your favor. And that was just what he was planning on doing.

Trey played along being the pleasant obedient guy he always was around Max. He looked at the vineyards in Napa where Max was hoping to expand the business. Their business.

Trey regretted it now. He regretted ever getting involved in anything where Max was concerned. But he had allowed it to happen as he always did.

Max had always had his eye on Trey's mother's vineyard. There was no hiding that. And Trey didn't ever mind as Trey always had intention of taking it from Tony as it was rightfully his. His grandfather had promised it to him when he was of age. His grandfather had even showed Trey where he wrote it down and told him in no uncertain terms that the vineyard would someday be his.

Trey knew it was a mistake allowing Isabella to go find the proof. But her entire life, since she found out about Antonio being her grandfather, had an obsession about wanting to meet Antonio and to get to know him. Trey had thought, when he allowed her to do it, that she would find out what kind of man Antonio really was and that would be the end of it.

Oh, Max had fought them on it. He didn't want Isabella anywhere near Antonio as he had never allowed Trey to be near him either. But he relented as Isabella and Trey told him their plan of getting the will and taking over his mother's vineyard.

Max had thrown in the quest for Isabella to find a knife that he'd given Antonio when they were friends. It wasn't the value of the thing, which was quite substantial these days, but it was the point of it. No pun intended.

Had Trey known what Max had done and what he was planning to do, he would never have allowed Isabella to be a part of it. Now, she was up to her neck in it and there was nothing he could do about it. For now. Until he could figure out what to do. Max was too powerful for Trey to take on his own. Max had him at his back and Trey wasn't stupid. He just needed a plan that they wouldn't see coming.

*******************************

"Emily, can I talk to you?" Sam asked her when she finally found her alone.

"Sure. What's up?"

"You're Aurora, aren't you?" Sam asked, studying her. Emily looked at Sam thoughtfully. "It's okay. I wouldn't tell my parents. They wouldn't understand. I'm not sure I would either, but I kind of had the feeling that you were."

"What would you gain if I said yes?" Emily asked suspiciously.

"I wouldn't gain anything! I just would like to know. To understand."

"What would you accomplish by understanding?"

"I don't know," Sam threw her hands up in frustration. "Maybe why my brother is the way he is."

"Your brother is the way he is because he was given a gift. It wasn't by my doing."

"Who's then?"

Emily smiled. "No one knows for sure. Some say God. Some say mother nature. Some say the devil. What do you think?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you knew."

"I don't have the answers for everything. Believe me, I wish I did."

"He looks happy now. It's nice that he has friends that understand him."

"I can't say I understand Jake all the time. But I know what he goes through. The fearful looks from people, always being treated differently."

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Visit Jake without us seeing you."

"Astral projection."

"What's that?"

"It's similar to what some people call an out of body experience. Your spirit can leave your body and travel elsewhere."

"Cool."

"It can be, but it's also very dangerous."

"How?"

"Well, when your spirit leaves your body it can allow for another spirit to enter."

"Wow. Like body snatchers or something."

Emily laughed. "Kind of. Yeah."

"Did that ever happen to you?" Sam asked.

"No. Thank goodness."

"Could it happen to Jake?"

"With Jake's mental skills, I'm sure astral projection is a skill he could easily master if he wanted to. If he ever tried astral projection, he'd need someone watching over him, protecting him. Otherwise, another spirit could take over."

"What about me? Could I do it?"

"Yes, over time if you practiced enough it could be possible."

"So, someone so called... normal could develop the gifts that you all have."

Emily's eyes narrowed. "Why are you so interested to know Sam?"

"I'd like to learn."

Emily shook her head. "You're not ready."

"How do I become ready?"

"I'll let you know when you are."

"So you'll teach me?!" Sam asked excitedly.

"When the time comes, I'll teach you what you were meant to know."

"And what is that?" Sam asked with a smile.

Emily smiled back. "If I told you that it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it?"

"Jake never told you I hate surprises?!"

*******************************

"Can I help you?" Brian asked the curly haired stranger on his front door. Something about him seemed eerily familiar.

"You're Brian Airheart?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Demetrio Delavino."

"You're a relation of Tony's?" Brian asked. Trey nodded. "Well..." Brian said about to invite him in.

"Don't. I'm not to be trusted."

"Why are you here then?"

"I need your help."

"Why should I help you if I can't trust you?"

"I hear that's the kind of guy you are."

"I am."

"Can I talk to you then?"

"Why me?"

"I need help getting rid of a nasty vampire."

"I'm not a vampire slayer."

"What if I told you he's the one that tried to kill you and your daughter and did kill your friends."

"You know who did that?"

"Unfortunately."

"Then let's talk," Brian answered, stepping outside.

******************************

"It's so good to be home!" Raven exclaimed, walking into the foyer of their house, turning on the lights.

"I want my bed. No offense, Jake, but that cot just didn't cut it," Ray said, climbing the stairs sleepily, following Raven's lead.

"None taken. My mom has made me sleep on that thing when we've had guests before."

"Thanks. Love you too, man," Ray said, patting his back.

"Emily, what is it?" Tony asked her as she stood in the doorway.

"Nothing. Just tired I guess," she answered, brushing the feeling off.

"You sure that's all?" Tony asked.

"Sure, goodnight," she said and climbed up the stairs.

"Night, guys," George said, following her.

"And then there were the vampires," Tony said to Isabella with a shrug.

"Aren't you used to it by now?" she asked, picking up her bag and going downstairs.

"Yeah, I guess."

"I'm going to put my stuff away," Isabella said, walking through his room.

"Sure thing. Want something to drink?" Tony called out to her.

"I could use something, yes, thank you," she yelled back, opening her door.

Trey looked up from the book he was reading with a smile. She closed the door firmly "What are you doing here?" she asked with a hiss.

"That's how you greet your father after being away for so long?"

"Why are you here?"

"Why not?"

"Um, I don't know, maybe because Tony's right outside the door?!" she said sarcastically pointing at the door frantically.

"You think I care?"

"Uh, yes, I thought you did since you've spent the last five hundred years hiding from him."

"I'm tired," Trey said, running a hand over his face. "It's over, Isabella. I'm done."

"What do you mean it's over?"

"I'm through with Max. I'm through with hiding from my father."

"Trey, we cannot not go through with this! You know what he'll do to us."

"That's a choice I'm willing to make. For myself. You can make your own decision."

"I don't want to die."

"We're already dead," he answered simply.

"No, we're not. We're still alive. Differently but we're alive."

"You like this life?"

"Got to take what I can get, right?"

There was a knock on the door. "You coming?" Tony's voice asked.

"In a minute," Isabella called out.

"You talking to someone?" Tony asked.

"I'm on the phone!"

"Nice," Trey said, bouncing on her bed into a lay down position.

The door opened. They looked up. "Want to tell me what's going on here?" Tony demanded, scowling at Trey.

"Trey was just leaving," Isabella said.

"Oh! So, you're Trey?" Tony asked studying him.

Trey had dark curly black hair and light brown eyes. He was so much like his son would have looked like if he had lived. He had inherited Eliana's unruly curly hair. Tony felt his heart clench as he looked at this man that looked so much as he had envisioned his son would have been.

"In the flesh, so to speak," Trey answered with a smile.

"Goodnight, Trey," Isabella told him.

Trey got up. "I know where I'm not wanted," He said pointedly to Tony.

Tony blinked understanding that was some sort of insult directed at him, "Do I know you?"

"That's the greater question, isn't it, Antonio?"

"Don't do this," Isabella whispered.

"Do what?" Tony asked.

"Never mind," Trey answered, stepping closer to the door.

"No, I think I want to know!"

"I think you don't!" Trey countered.

"Are you going to help me out here, Isabella?" Tony asked her, looking to her for some kind of explanation.

"She's been doing that her whole life," Trey answered angrily.

"You say you're tired of games, Trey. Why don't you just blurt it out so we can get this over with?" Isabella answered, fighting back tears.

"Get what over with? What are you talking about?" Tony asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"There are some items in your possession that don't belong to you. I'd like them back, please," Trey answered. "And do note that I said please."

"What items?" Tony asked in confusion, looking over to Isabella.

"A knife. Silver, with a black crest on the handle," Trey explained.

Tony scoffed,"So you work for Massi?" Tony spat out to Trey and looked over at Isabella. "And you as well?" he asked, feeling betrayed.

"We work for no one but ourselves," Isabella answered, lifting her chin a notch.

"What do you want with Massi's knife then?" Tony demanded.

"That's for us to know and you to stay the hell out of," Trey growled.

Tony scoffed again, "You don't know who you're messing with! Massi is..."

"I know what he is!" Trey yelled. "Nobody understands more than I do. Nobody!"

"Trey..." Isabella said, gently putting a hand on his arm.

"NO! I am done. I want what is mine and I'm going home," Trey told her. He turned to Tony. "It doesn't belong to you. You will give it to me. You owe me."

Tony frowned. He'd never met the guy so how could he owe him? He looked at the tears flowing down Isabella's face.

"Fine. You can have the knife. I don't want it," Tony answered, hoping that giving him what he wanted would make him leave. Once he did he was going to have a serious conversation with Isabella.

"Good. Hell, if I'd known it was this easy we could have resolved this years ago," Trey told Isabella with a chuckle.

"What else do you want from me?" Tony asked, glaring at Isabella. What had she been up to? Had she been lying to him the whole time?

"A book," Trey said with a shrug.

"Well, I got plenty. Take your pick," Tony said, gesturing to the room next to them.

"I want my grandfather's bible. It's mine," Trey said.

"Your grandfather's bible? Did I know your grandfather?" Tony asked even more confused.

"You knew him very well," Trey answered.

"I don't remember ever getting anyone's bible. You're sure I have your grandfathers?" Tony asked, trying to think what he could possibly be talking about.

"Oh, I'm positive."

"Well, who was your grandfather?" Tony asked. "Maybe that will jostle my memory. Though,I don't remember owning someone else's bible."

"Alberto Demarco," Trey answered.

Tony laughed in shock. "That's...that's impossible."

"You should know better than anyone that anything's possible."

"Alberto Demarco only had one grandchild! And that was my son!"

"Yes, it was. Is," Trey answered raising an eyebrow.

"My son is dead," Tony answered angrily.

"If you would just open your eyes you would realize that your son stands before you," Trey answered just as angrily.

Tony stared at him for a moment in disbelief. This guy was insane. "You are not my son! Demetrio is dead!" Tony yelled angrily.

"That's what Uncle Massi wanted you to believe!" Trey shouted back.

"So, you're saying that Massi took my son, took you, rather, and led me to believe that Demetrio was dead?" Tony said exasperated.

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Tony laughed.

"Tony, he speaks the truth." Isabella said, touching his arm.

Tony spun around, "And what the hell do you have to do with all this? You are obviously not who you say you are either, right? Why not tell me just who the hell you are?" Tony said.

"I am Isabella Eliana Delavino, daughter of Demetrio Antonio Delavino, son of Antonio Francesco Delavino, son of ..." Isabella said.

"Ok, that's quite enough," Tony said holding up his hand.

"I know it's a lot for you to take in, but I need the bible, and I need it now," Trey said.

"Why?" Tony asked frowning.

"To put it simply. I'm entitled to what's written there."

"And just what is written there?"

"You know what's written there."

"I know that I know what's written there. But I want to know if you know what's written there. Considering you come in here and claim to be my dead son and start demanding things which I soon forget."

"If they're so easily forgotten you shouldn't have any problem handing them over."

"The bible has more value than the knife."

"The vineyard's mine. I turned eighteen over five hundred years ago. It's about time you passed it to me as I'm entitled."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth? I wouldn't put it past Massi to hire someone to claim he's my son."

"I am your son."

"So you say."

"It's the truth, Tony," Isabella said gently.

"Truth? Truth? I wonder what you know about the truth, Isabella. Is this what you and Ray have been hiding from me?" Tony asked.

"Yes, Ray knows."

Tony shook his head not believing Ray would keep something like this from him. He wanted to hear it from his own lips. He headed out of the room and up the stairs. Trey and Isabella followed him. "Stay here," Tony ordered when they reached the living room.

"Ray!" Tony called up to him.

"Yeah?" Ray called back.

"Get down here! Now!" Tony yelled. Ray came down followed by the others who were concerned by the tone in Tony's voice.

"Hey, Trey," Raven said with a smile happy to see him. He put up his hand to stop her. "What's going on?" she asked, looking from Tony's angry face to Isabella's tears back to Trey's imploring one. Butt out, it said. She frowned but stepped back.

"Why don't you tell everyone who you claim to be?" Tony asked.

"It doesn't involve them!"

"Oh, really? Isabella just told me Ray knows. Who else knows?" Tony asked, throwing his hands open and circled around to looking at his so called friends.

"I do," Emily answered softly. Tony looked at her in shock. "He tells the truth, Tony, he's Demetrio."

"What?!" he shook his head in disbelief, "Why? Why would you keep this from me, Em?"

"Because Massi wants to kill you. To kill all of us," Ray answered for her. Emily looked like she'd been punched in the gut. He knew that it must have been the worst thing in the world for her as she'd always told Tony everything. And this would be a betrayal of epic proportions to him.

Tony laughed and sat down on the couch. "Massi is a fool."

"He's done a lot of growing up since the last time you saw him, Antonio. He's very powerful," Trey answered.

"Massi took Trey, Tony," Isabella explained. "He told him that you didn't want anything to do with him."

"What?" Tony turned to her in shock. He turned back to his son. "How could you ever believe that I didn't want you?" Tony asked, looking at him. His son. He saw it now. Eliana's curly hair. His eyes. His father's stance.

Trey shrugged. "I was a kid. I believed anything Massi told me. Why wouldn't I?"

Tony nodded, wiping his eyes. "Jesus," he said, he stepped up to his son and pulled him into a hug.

"Okay, Em and Ray know what's going on. Mind cluing the rest of us in?" Raven spoke up looking at Trey.

"Antonio's my father," Trey said to her, stepping back from Tony.

"What?" Raven asked.

"He's Demetrio," Ray told her.

"Are you serious?" Raven asked looking at him. Trey nodded. "And Isabella she's..."

"My daughter," Trey answered.

"Oh- my god," Raven said sitting down.

The back door crashed open and fell to the floor, glass scattered across the room. A figure stepped through. "What? I wasn't invited to the intervention?" Max asked coming in.

"Get out," Tony told him standing up to face his former friend.

"And miss this? Not likely," Max said crunching across the broken glass.

"Nice protections. But not quite good enough, young one," Max said to Emily, looking her up and down. He patted her on the head like a little child.

"You're not welcome here," Emily told him.

"Oh, that's pretty obvious. But you see, I don't care," he said, touching her face lightly.

"Get your hands off her!" Jake said approaching him.

"Ah, the dreamer. So naïve you are son," He said with a chuckle. His face grew serious. "Grow up."

"Massi, what do you want?" Tony demanded.

"What I've always wanted from you, old friend," Max said running his hand down Raven's arm. She slapped his arm. Max only chuckled.

"Mind cluing me in so we can be rid of you?" Tony asked.

"First, I would like my son to let me know what he's doing here after I've strictly forbidden it," Max said looking at Trey.

"You're not my father, Max," Trey told him.

"Aren't I? Five hundred years of guiding you, teaching you? And you say I'm not your father?" he asked.

"Antonio is my father," Trey told him.

"Maybe biologically. But he, what raised you merely six years of your life. I made you, Trey," Max told him.

"You took him from me," Tony said.

"You didn't deserve him!" Max yelled angrily.

"He is my son!"

Max chuckled. "Is that all you have in you? How much you defend yourself? Oh, he's my son! Go away, Massi! Oh, I have chills," he laughed.

"What do I have to defend myself for? You should be defending yourself! I am going to kill you for what you've done to my son!"

Massi ignored him, "Secondly, I wonder why my granddaughter would defy me as well? You think I don't know that you've been through my personal items?" he asked, taking Isabella by the chin.

"You disgust me," She answered glaring at him.

Max laughed. "When haven't I, darling?" he asked laughing.

"What do you want, Massi? Rumor has it that you want me dead, so why don't you go ahead and do it then?" Tony asked. "At least, you can try."

"That would be too simple, my friend," he said studying him. "and not so satisfying. You see I need you to suffer."

"I know Trey is my son. I know he loves you. Yes, it hurt me. Is that what you wanted? You got it," Tony said angrily.

"Antonio, Antonio. How simple your mind works!"

"Stop the games, Massi, just tell me what you want."

"First, I would like an apology," Massi said, helping himself to the wine, pouring himself a glass.

"An apology? What the hell for?" Tony demanded.

"Hmm...where to begin?" Max asked taking a sip.

"Max is mad because he loved my mother and you married her instead," Trey spoke up.

"A good place to start as any." Max said pointing to Trey with his wine glass. "Thank you for that, son, I wouldn't even know where to begin," he said with a sigh.

"I didn't know you had feelings for Eliana," Tony said looking surprised.

"Didn't you?" Max asked disbelievingly as he took a drink.

"No. I did not," Trey answered.

"And she never told you that she did as well?" Max asked.

"She never had feelings for you," Tony answered disgusted.

"Hmm... so she kept that from you, did she? Never knew Eliana had it in her."

"Mother never loved you," Trey said his lip curling into a snarl. "How could she?"

Max hurled the wine glass at him and it splattered across the dining room wall. "What do you know? You weren't there!" Max yelled.

"Massi," Tony said gently to try calm him down, "I understand now that you loved, Eliana. I'm sorry that I didn't know. And if she did have feelings for you as well, I wish she had told me."

"But nothing would have been different, would it? You would have still married her?" Max asked.

"Yes, of course. I loved her. And she loved me. Nothing would have changed that."

"After you filled her head with lies about me," Max answered.

"I did no such thing. You were my friend," Trey answered.

"You were never my friend. You always had to have what I had. You were never satisfied with playing second best," Max answered.

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Tony answered.

"No, you wouldn't," Max answered.

"Anyone else following this?" George asked.

"Young George, front and center," Max said gesturing to him.

"Me?" he asked, putting a hand to his chest in shock that he was being brought into the conversation.

"Come. Come, step forward now," Max said. George stepped forward. "You're in love with Isabella, are you not?" Max asked.

"Uh..." George said.

"Come, come don't be shy," Max said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Well, yeah," George answered.

"And Isabella, correct me if I'm wrong, you had feelings for Georgie boy, here didn't you?" he asked.

"Max," Isabella said.

"Now, now, we're telling the truth here. Admit to your boyfriend you had feelings for George," Max said.

"I know she had feelings for George." Ray said.

"Oh, you did?! Oh gee, I didn't realize. Now, why is it then that you went after Isabella knowing full well that your friend, your very best friend, might I add, had fallen for her?"

"Because I had feelings for her too," Ray said simply.

"Hmmm...how little regard people give to their so-called friends," Max said shaking his head.

"I didn't mean to hurt George. I didn't know how much he liked her. What happened between me and Isabella, it just happened. Same as it did for Tony. If you'd just look past your huge ego you would realize that!" Ray explained.

George looked at Ray. Was it just his ego that was getting in the way?

"My ego, isn't the issue here. The issues here are trust, loyalty, friendship and the lack of them," Max answered.

"You speak of trust of loyalty? Friendship? Yet you steal my son?!" Tony demanded.

"He would have been my son if you had kept your promises and not gone through with the betrothal. You said you didn't want anything to do with her," Max yelled at him. "As soon as I wanted her, you took her from me."

"Oh, for the love of God!" Tony yelled.

"And you speak of God?" Max asked with a laugh.

"We're getting no where in this discussion. Just tell us what you want!"

"I don't want anything!" Max yelled. "What I wanted died a long time ago. Nothing you can say or do will you ever bring her back."

"Then why do all those things you have done to us? To Tony? To Trey and Isabella?" Emily demanded.

"I have done nothing to you. Nor to them," he responded.

"Oh come off it, Max, I read your journal. I know what you did to mother. To Emily's parents, Jake and Raven's parents," Isabella said.

"As for your mother. I did nothing to save her and that was my fault, I know. I cannot be forgiven for not helping her. It was poor and cruel judgment on my part, I know. I do take full responsibility for her death. Maybe I could have saved her if I had tried. I don't know." Max said lowering his voice.

"And our parents? You take responsibility for sending the black fog after us?" Emily asked.

"I again say, to no avail, I had nothing to do with that."

"You expect us to believe that?" Raven asked.

"Believe what you will," he answered with a shrug.

"I read it in your journal, Max!" Isabella yelled.

"And I tell you I didn't write it!" he yelled back. "Maybe you wrote it to try turn Trey against me!"

"I wouldn't do that. I'm not like you."

Max laughed quietly.

"What makes you think you're going to leave this house as easily as you came in?" Jake asked.

Max laughed. "Are you to stop me, little one? No, I had nothing to do with the black fog, as you call it. But I watched it. And I watched all of you. And I did nothing to save you or your parents," he shrugged, "You may have had succeeded in defeating him, but he wasn't me nor anything I could send upon you," Max said, backing Jake into a wall.

"You know who sent it though, don't you?" Isabella asked.

"You see, I'm not the only one who has a bone to pick with Antonio," Max said with a smile.

"I suppose you want something for the information," Tony said, crossing his arms over his chest..

"Well, I hadn't thought about it!" Max said innocently, "But....well, if you insist..."

"What do you want?" Tony asked.

"My knife for one, since our vow of friendship no longer exists."

"No problem," Tony said. "I don't want it anyway."

"And Trey is to have Eliana's vineyard. To do with as he wishes," Max responded.

"It's already his. He doesn't need the bible for that," Tony said looking over at his son.

Max nodded. "You know I did enjoy that little dream of yours, Jakey boy," Max said suddenly, turning to Jake, who was still pressed against the wall.

"Which one?" Jake asked swallowing.

"You know with me demanding the bible and killing Ray, and oh, what else? Threatening Isabella with a stake, that was a nice touch, by the way."

"Glad you enjoyed it. I didn't know I had an audience," Jake said swallowing.

"Oh, but you see you do. All of you do. All of the time. They watch even now. They wait patiently for me to reveal who's been hunting you. Attacking you. Torturing you. The thrill of it all excites them as much as it disgusts them. You feel their presence don't you, Emily?" Max asked her.

"Yes."

"And what would they have you do to me as punishment for wishing Antonio harm? Could I help it? He stole the only woman I ever loved. I stole his son in payment. And maybe I haven't made the best decisions throughout my life. Yes, I did take Trey and Isabella from their mortal lives. But I believe that was for the greater good, don't you? Would they be standing here today, if I had not?" he asked as if he'd done them a favor by turning them into vampires.

"And we are to forgive you for that?" Isabella asked.

"Had I not changed you would you have ever known your Ray?" Max demanded. Isabella looked at Ray. "Nor you Raven?" he asked Trey.

"It's still something that's going to take some time for us to forgive you for," Trey answered. He knew in time he would. And for his wife. Because for some sick reason he did still love the man.

"All we have is time, dear boy," Max said, sitting down entirely too comfortable on the couch.

"So, who watches us?" George asked.

"Who watches is not what you should be concerned of. For most would do you no harm." Max answered, waving a hand nonchalantly. "Amateurs."

"Who should we be concerned of?" Tony asked.

"I don't think you're ready to know," Max said looking at him.

"Let me kill him," Ray said, stepping forward. Jake and George held him back.

"He's definitely not ready," Max answered, pointing a finger at Ray.

"Massi, if you're not going to tell us, I suggest that I just give you your knife and you be on your way," Tony said getting up.

Max got up as well. "Ah, keep it. Who knows, one day you may need it more than I," Max said with a shake of the head. "It's Max now, old friend. Massimiliano is so hard for these young ones to say. Of course, you always liked to shorten it even then. How modern of you," he put his hand to the door frame, "send me the bill for the door," Max said looking over his shoulder to Emily, and then crunched over the broken glass, and through the opening.

"Do you believe him?" Tony asked, picking up the door as Max left.

"No," Emily replied.

"Me either," everyone else said.

"I'll get a broom," George said, heading towards the kitchen.

"So what now?" Isabella asked, looking from her father to her grandfather.

"Now, we find out who Massi was talking about," Tony said. He looked at his son and wondered if he knew. And if Trey would ever tell him if he did.