Christmas followed Christmas Eve.
Early the next morning.
Hawk and Gwen were preparing to return to New York City.
However… Hawk looked at his sister Anya, who said she planned to stay here for a few days, and frowned.
"Are you sure you want to stay here?"
"Mm."
Anya nodded, glancing at the house diagonally opposite, and said to Hawk, "I want to see my nephews and nieces."
Hawk chuckled at her words and nodded.
"Alright, then stay here for a while. Come back after the holidays."
"Thanks, bro."
"You're my sister."
Hawk smiled slightly, hugged Anya, kissed her forehead, then said no more, turned and opened the audi a8's car door.
Gwen also hugged Amy, then opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.
The next moment.
The audi a8's engine roared.
"Let's go to the 21st Precinct first."
After buckling her seatbelt in the passenger seat, Gwen said to Hawk, "Dad said he has something to discuss with us."
Hawk nodded, a little curious.
"Is George planning a surprise for Helen and wants to discuss gift ideas with us?"
"Dad didn't say."
Gwen shook her head, "But it's unlikely. Dad isn't the surprising type. Once, Mom tried to surprise Dad, but after the confetti cannons went off, Dad had already drawn his gun."
Hearing this, Hawk subconsciously looked at Gwen.
As if asking.
"Really or fake?"
"Real."
Gwen nodded, her expression serious, "Anyway, ever since I can remember, the word 'surprise' hasn't existed in our house."
Hawk became curious.
"Then why did George call us over?"
"I don't know."
Gwen shrugged.
"Anyway, it's unlikely to be a surprise."
"I'm going to inject the Vampire antidote."
"…"
In the 21st Precinct's captain's office.
After George Stacy, Gwen and his future son-in-law Hawk settled down, he sternly revealed why he had called them over.
Gwen's mouth dropped open.
Hawk was also slightly stunned, then seemed to think of something, looked at Gwen, whose expression was a little dazed, and smiled.
"This should count as a surprise, right?"
"Go away."
Gwen reacted, looked at Hawk with a smile on his face, gave him a glare, then looked at George, her expression very confused.
"Why, Dad?"
"Because there's an antidote. Dr. Vanessa Brooks said that with Whistler's blood sample, the Vampire antidote can turn me back into a human."
Dr. Vanessa Brooks was the African-American female Doctor that Blade rescued from the hospital back then.
Though referred to as a Doctor, Dr. Vanessa Brooks was actually a Dr. of medicine.
Ever since Deacon Frost was killed by Hawk, Dr. Vanessa Brooks also joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and had been researching the Vampire antidote.
The antidote used when Whistler was rescued by Blade last time was actually an experimental product.
But Whistler was very lucky and turned back into a human.
And with Whistler's successful blood sample as a precedent, Dr. Vanessa Brooks, after a period of research, finally managed to develop the Vampire antidote.
Originally, George didn't know about the Vampire antidote's existence.
But ever since Gwen took George to New York S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, George learned about the Vampire antidote's existence.
And so.
After careful consideration these past few days, George called Hawk and Gwen to discuss it.
However, rather than discussing, it was more like George had already made up his mind and called them over just to inform them.
But!
Gwen, facing George's determined expression, slammed her hand on the table and stood up.
"No, I don't agree!"
"Why?"
George looked at his opposing daughter.
Hawk sat by silently, watching.
Gwen said, "Dad, even if you don't inject the Vampire antidote now, it won't affect your life at all. The most important thing is, you're a Vampire. Mom and I will never worry that one day, police officers will knock on our door."
If George was just a captain sitting in an office like other captains, Gwen would be very happy and wouldn't care if her dad was a Vampire.
But George particularly liked being on the scene, which made Gwen very unhappy. Being a Vampire was enough to guarantee George's safety.
To be honest.
Ever since her dad, George, became a Vampire, Gwen had never worried about George's safety again.
After all, even if Vampires were the weakest among supernatural beings, they were still overwhelmingly superior when facing ordinary criminal activities.
And what did she hear?
George actually wanted to turn back into a normal person.
Gwen was very confused.
"Dad, do you want Mom and me to worry about you every time you go on a mission?"
"Your mom supports my decision."
"…What?"
Gwen was slightly stunned, her eyes wide, looking at George.
"Mom, she…"
"Yes, your mom and I have no secrets."
George smiled slightly, "Your mom knew a long time ago. It's just that I told her you didn't want me to tell her yet, so she wouldn't worry. So, these past few days, your mom pretended not to know about it."
Gwen opened her mouth.
Hawk, who had been sitting silently, pretending he didn't exist, twitched his mouth upon hearing George's words, "Hey, that has nothing to do with me. I don't care if you tell Helen or not."
George looked at Hawk, "Yes, I also told Helen that you listen to Gwen."
Hawk breathed a sigh of relief, looking at George with some gratitude.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Hey!"
Gwen, standing nearby, looked at her fiancé saying thank you and her dad saying you're welcome, and instantly became unhappy, "So, Mom thinks I'm the only one who kept it from her?"
George smiled at Gwen, "You did say that, to keep your mom from worrying, you wouldn't tell her yet."
Hawk, sitting nearby, also lowered his voice.
"You did say that."
"Oh, God, shut up."
Gwen extended her little pink fist and punched her fiancé, who had a gloating expression on his face, then looked at George with a somewhat nervous expression, "Dad, did Mom say anything?"
George shrugged.
"You'll find out when you go back tonight."
"Hawk!"
Gwen's expression turned serious, and she turned to look at Hawk, "We have a flight this afternoon, right?"
Hawk was stunned.
"Flight?"
"Huh?"
Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Right, flight."
Hawk, seeing Gwen's unfriendly gaze, immediately reacted, nodded, and looked at George, "We have a flight this afternoon."
But… where were they flying to this afternoon?
Nowhere.
The plane crashed before it even took off.
Because Helen came.
After all, George called them over not to discuss but to inform them.
The antidote injection was at ten in the morning, and as his true love, Helen would naturally be present.
And so.
Outside the New York S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters' medical room.
Hawk leaned close to his future mother-in-law, Helen, and whispered, "Helen, you know me, I listen to Gwen."
His future mother-in-law, Helen, gave Hawk a soft glance, then glared at Gwen, who was standing nearby.
"Your dad is right, a leaky cotton jacket."
"Mom…"
"Don't call me Mom."
Helen rolled her eyes, then looked at Gwen with some curiosity, "I'm very curious, if I really didn't know, when did my daughter, whom I've always considered the pride of my life, plan to tell me?"
Gwen's expression was serious, "I was planning to tell you tonight, Mom."
Helen chuckled.
"When I walked into the office, weren't you already looking at flight tickets for this afternoon?"
"Hawk was planning to go out and have fun, right, Hawk?"
"…Right."
Hawk nodded, looking at Helen, "Yes, Helen, I was planning to take Gwen out to have fun."
Helen looked at her daughter, who had her hands spread, then shook her head and looked at Hawk.
"Hawk."
"Yes?"
"You've worked hard."
"It's no hardship."
"Mom…"
"Shut up."
Helen rolled her eyes at Gwen again, and sighed towards Hawk, "George and I have discussed it. After the holidays, once City Hall opens, you can take Gwen home. We don't want this daughter anymore."
Hawk's eyebrows arched, he exchanged glances with Gwen, then was overjoyed.
"Thank you, Mom."
Just as proposing marriage requires the consent of George and Helen, marriage also requires the approval and blessing of both George and Helen.
Although registering at City Hall doesn't require things like household registration books.
But without the approval and blessing of the bride's parents, in Western society, it's still called elopement.
After all, the wedding money needs to be provided by George and Helen.
"Mom."
Gwen also reacted at this moment and hugged Helen.
The previous conversation was merely to dilute the sadness of truly giving her daughter away.
Helen looked at Gwen, who was hugging her tightly, and said softly with a smile, "Your dad and I have already booked Trinity Church, but you need to quickly organize the specific guest list."
New York City has countless churches.
But among these many wedding churches, Trinity Church, located on Manhattan Island, is undoubtedly the most famous.
While embracing Gwen, Helen's gaze met her husband George, who was lying on the hospital bed in the medical room receiving the antidote injection, then looked at Gwen.
"Because when the time comes, your dad will hold your hand and place it in Hawk's hand."
"So…"
"Your dad said he hopes to give you away as Gwen Stacy's father, George Stacy."
"And not as the Vampire, George Stacy."
"…"
Gwen's heart stirred, and she turned to look at George in the medical room, who was receiving the antidote, his lips pursed, but his brows tightly furrowed, as if enduring some pain.
"…Dad."
"…" (End of Chapter)
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