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Grandma Bree had figured out how to measure someone’s innate magic, at least well enough to figure out if they were anywhere near the level needed for the Werewolf curse to take ahold of them rather than just leave them with a bite wound they would need to wash out and apply some antibiotics too.

It turns out that a normal human bite is pretty nasty and prone to becoming infected.

This time we had gathered up in the living room. It was a little crowded with everyone in there, but it was a much more friendly feeling room, a place for family rather than revealing the mysteries of the world.

My Great Uncle in Law, which I don't really have an abbreviation for, stood up first. He looked down at his wife Graunt Lois as she took his hand and stood up beside him. They exchanged a look before he looked at their children. “I am officially the least magical person in the room. And since I didn’t even know magic was real before yesterday, I can’t say I’m too upset about it.”

"I've lost nothing. Yesterday I had the love and respect of my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. I still have that today. I could ask for nothing more, other than for this stubborn woman to take the chance to have decades together with her family.”

He gave Graunt Lois a stern look that was spoiled as he fought back some tears. His wife looked up at him with much of the same expression. "I told you. I can stand outliving you by a few years. I won’t do decades without you.”

She looked out at her children and her brothers. "I could be one of them, even a strong one. But I choose a mortal life." Then she smiled. "Arwin's choice and I used to think she was an idiot."

Gruncle Drew closed his eyes and nodded, while Grandpa turned away and walked out of the room. “Got it. Your choice… I just need a minute.”

I gave my parent a look as I stood up, and got a nod from my dad. Ami hesitated, then jumped up to follow me.

We found him outside, standing out on the dock and looking out at the sun sitting up above the trees on the other side of the lake. This time I hesitated while Ami slipped past me to wrap herself around one of his arms. “It’s okay Grandpa. Don’t jump.”

He snorted and I grabbed a hold of his other arm. After a moment I demanded. “Talk to us.”

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After looking down at me, then my sister, he looked out again. “My Mother had Magic.”

“Not a lot, she told Sofia that she would be stronger than her when she came into her power, but she did have some. And she never told us."

“None of us were strong enough to learn the only sort of magic she knew of, but she could have shared it with us. It might have been different. My mother having Magic might have been enough for your Grandmother not to fear letting into her life as her… our son’s father. It might have been enough for her mother to let me be part of her family.”

“I could have held my son as a child, seen him grow up, and be there when my grandchildren came into this world.”

“Now I got Magic, and I’ve tried to share it. And my sister doesn't want it.”

“I going to live to see my older sister die, to watch as old age takes her bit by bit, and then go on for years knowing she didn’t have to. That things might have been different…”

He stiffened up. “But another woman I love is choosing to cut me out of their life… Crap, is that why it hit me so hard?”

I squeezed his arm tighter and tried to pull myself in close to him, Ami stepped back and kicked him.

“Stop it. It’s not everyone. You’re always going to be our Grandpa. She will always be your sister and your Mom is always going to be your Mom. What they chose wasn't about you." Then she stepped back again for another kick and almost fell off the dock before Grandpa snagged her by the shoulders.

I had to let go of him for him to get to her in time, I almost didn't. Seeing Ami go into the river in her nice clothes might have cheered the old guy up.

Grandpa pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay little girl. I… I just had this dream of all my brothers and sisters coming here when they got too old to pass for normal humans anymore. Of being a family, all together in the same house again.”

He laughed. “We’d kill each other within a month. But it still hit hard, not being able to share something with them. To finally be the one to help the rest of them, rather than be the little brother they all worried about.”

Turning around, he pushed at our backs to get us moving. “Time to find out what happened with everyone else.”

My dad met us at the door to the kitchen. “Arlo could turn, but his wife can’t, so they decided he would stay human. Macy can turn, but her husband is iffy, but he wants her to turn since she’s had some fertility issues. They went off to talk.”

He led us back to the living room while he talked. “Pete is thinking it over, mainly he wants to finish growing up before he slows down his aging, and the school he is planning on going to is in Boston, where Vampires might be an issue.”

Grandpa nodded at my Dad and then headed over to hug his sister. "Sorry Lois, just my abandonment issues kicked in. Go ahead and die like a measly human.”

She smacked him but did return his hug.

Erica was talking excitedly with my Grandmother, while her parents listened in. My Dad nodded over at her. “My Mom thinks she might get strong enough to make a decent Witch, and if Ami is willing to share some of the Ichiban Inheritance with her, a versatile one. But being a Werewolf as a backup plan if she peaks early seems to sound pretty good to her too."

I looked over at the happy little girl and was… not exactly jealous. I loved being able to do things, to jump, and run. To hit things really hard. To be a real life action hero. But it did sting a little that Magic had once again passed me by to make some other little girl a magical princess instead of a battle one.

I shrugged it off. “Pete’s going to be Doctor Werewolf, Ami and Ericka got the spells handled, and I’m the Damage Per Second build. We just need Aran to be the Meat Shield and my generation of the family is all set.”

My little brother turned around and peeped at me over the back of the couch before slowly shaking his head.

I grinned at him. He'd grow into it.