6. Itsy-Bitsy Spider

The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again.

🍼

It hadn’t been easy, taking care of two very fussy toddlers. Or maybe that wasn’t entirely right: Emil had always been easier to take care of. It had never taken much to entertain him. But Fenne… Fenne was a lot. And it just so happened that she had the amazing ability of dragging Emil into every tantrum she threw. So, yeah… definitely not easy.

What he hadn’t expected, was that taking care of two children may actually prove to be even harder. He had read some parenting books, before. Had always thought that once they had passed their toddler days, it would only get easier from there.

It didn’t.

If anything, Fenne had become more defiant than ever before. Tika could never do anything right, really. His very presence seemed to irk her. Tika had read about that, too; he’d read that was something that tended to go with something Earthlings called “adolescence.” But if Tika’s research were correct, then Fenne couldn’t have reached that life stage just yet. And yet here she was, defying him at every turn.

He’d tried everything, but it didn’t help. Nothing he did fazed her. Even when he grounded her, she would just continue to look at him with that feisty look in her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Yeah? And how are you gonna see to it that I am? We both know you can’t follow me everywhere, dad. Maybe I’ll just ditch some classes and choose to spend that time on…”

“What, you don’t think I’d find out?”

Fenne shrugged. “Sure you will. And then what will you do? Ground me again?”

Tika heaved an exasperated sigh. “I’ll… I’ll.”

Fenne’s grin grew. “Exactly, dad.”

***

But it wasn’t all bad. Feisty as she may be, Fenne somehow still felt more approachable for Tika than Emil, who spent most of his time locked in his room performing scientific experiments and playing chess. And he and Fenne, they had their moments…

Feisty as Fenne was, she wasn’t the one Tika was the most worried about. He saw how she fitted right in. Saw her make friends left and right –

Emil, on the other hand… Tika barely got to see him at all. Instead, he spent all his time holed up in his room. Not knowing a whole lot about (half-)human children himself, Tika just hoped that was alright… that he and Fenne were just two different but no less healthy versions of the human children they were amongst.

***

So it hadn’t been easy – that didn’t mean it had been all that hard, either. Tika was still happy… and Nancy constituted a big part of that happiness. He adored the ways in which she interacted with his children, the readiness with which she had accepted them.

The ways, also, in which she just got them – which Tika himself never came close to. She understood exactly what they liked and needed and even Feisty Fenne was sweet as a cherry when she was with her –

While she managed to bring Emil out of his shell with seemingly such ease.

He didn’t understand how she did it. Had even asked her about it, at some point. She’d just told him that he needed to “find out what they liked and cater to that,” whatever that meant.

Ultimately, Tika guessed that even though they were, by nature, aliens like him, they were still far more human than they were alien – and that humanness was growing an ever-increasing gap between whatever understandings they had between themselves and their father who, no matter how many decades he had spent on Earth, was still born and raised in Sixam.

***

Ironically, while he felt that gap with his children, he didn’t feel it with the very human Nancy – not in the same way, at least. Maybe that was because they didn’t need the same level of understanding as a father does with his children. There was no need to understand each other, so long as they liked each other. Enjoyed each other. And that they definitely still did.

Even if Nancy was also – understandably so – a little anxious about the child that was rapidly growing inside of her.

“It’s not gonna be too different, will it? Like… I can expect a normal birth?”

Tika scratched his chin before he answered. “I mean, I guess that depends… what’s a normal birth look like?”

Nancy let out a gulp.

***

So Tika’s life had been good. He seemed to be getting closer and closer to reach at least one of his three goals: to feel at home here on Earth.

But, as he had said back then, that goal could never be completed truly so long as he hadn’t reached goal number two: to get rid of those nasty bloodsuckers he had sworn his mortal enemy. And as much as it would seem that maybe, with how “good” life was right now, he hadn’t needed to complete goal number two to reach goal number one, it was still very much on his mind.

With every vampire he saw at night, the way they were creeping and stalking around town…

Tika still very much held to the same volition; in fact, now that he had children to protect, he felt even more determined in his cause.

So when, for the second time since he had moved to Oasis Springs, he found the same scrawny, blonde vampire on his doorstep one night, he decided to take action.

He wouldn’t take action in the way he had that first time, although he had to admit: it had been fun. You see, Tika did have quite the advantage on his side; and although it hadn’t proven quite as strong as he had hoped, it had still benefited him excellently. Even on Sixam, his pheromone (apart from, of course, the fathomable perfection of his appearance) had made him almost irresistible. And although here on Earth it didn’t seem to affect everyone to the same extent, the effect was still very much there.

Sometimes.

But, as he’d said, he wouldn’t use that same trick again. Now, things were serious.

***

And so he decided, one morning, to pay said scrawny vamp a nice little visit and, using the same charm he had used on him the first time, managed to convince him to invite him inside.

Things were going well enough – Tika had him right where he wanted him and he was almost ready to strike, when suddenly, Calo gave up his pleasant persona to laugh at Tika, who looked at him, perplexed.

“You really are stupid, aren’t you?” Calo uttered.

“I’m stupid?” Tika started, but Calo wouldn’t let him finish.

“You just walk into my trap…” snapped his fingers. “Just like that. Like some housefly flying into the spider’s web.”

Tika laughed back at him. “You’re the spider? If anything, you’re the housefly, vampire. You have no idea about the things I know about you… the things I’ve made you do before. I could turn you into my pet with just the blink of an eye. If you’re the spider, then I’m the mantis.”

Calo’s laugh turned louder. “The mantis? Do you even have a shiver of knowledge in biology? Ah, but all’s good. All’s forgiven. You can’t really help it, can you, *alien.*”

Tika was taken back, but only for a moment. He didn’t know that Calo was aware of his classification – but it didn’t matter.

“Finally remembered our first encounter, now did we?” He applauded sarcastically. “How smart of you.”

When he saw Calo’s blank look, he realized to his delight that Calo *didn’t* know about said encounter yet. A cocky grin formed on his face. This was going to be good.

“Finally remembered how you came to my door to creep on me, and I, being the good guy I am, invited you in… let me remind you, now, vamp. The moment you set foot in my house, you were all over me. Wasn’t much of a surprise.” Tika shrugged. “I get that a lot. But boy, were you eager to–”

Calo cut in, horrified. “Shut up. That didn’t happen, none of it! If I did, I would have remembered–”

Tika’s grin widened. Used his index finger to tap his head. “Oh, but here’s the thing, vamp. You didn’t. Just like how you won’t remember this little pop-in today. You’re not the only one with special powers, you know?”

But through his arrogance, there was one thing Tika had not anticipated… even if he should have. It was like Tika had said himself; he was not the only one with powers. As he closed his eyes and held his fingers to his temples to use his, an infuriated Calo readied himself to use his own instead.

And even though he should have seen it coming, Tika, temporarily distracted as he had concentrated on using his own powers, was unable to fend off Calo’s as he compelled him, then leaned in for a good bite.

Although the blood tasted bitter and different, Calo had never had a better drink than this one – cliché as it was, there was only one thing better than to see the blood of your enemies; and that was to drink it yourself. He’d treat this blood as the most divine of drinks and in this moment, with all the rage he felt towards Tika fading to this victory, it really, really was.

When Calo had finally had enough and withdrew his fangs, letting go of Tika, the latter slumped to the ground lifelessly. Calo knew he wasn’t dead. He wasn’t stupid; knew it’d take more than that to kill an alien. He wasn’t going to make the mistake of underestimating his opponent as Tika had. No, he was smarter than that. Besides, he didn’t mean to just kill him. Where was the fun in that?

Casting Tika one last look Calo decided that he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon and walked out, conceited smirk forming on his lips. Made sure to lock the door behind him as he went.