Sorry I know I was supposed to upload this ages ago, I've just been really busy.

Disclaimer: I do not own YD, this is purely for the entertainment of it's fans, made by a fan.

So here it is, A Bouqet Of Cracked Roses.

Chapter 1: Reticent Devotion

It had been two days since Vlad and Erin's conversation, if you could call it that. Most of it consisted of Erin telling him it was the only way they could justly be together and Vlad pleading with her to change her mind. Erin however, was perhaps the most stubborn person Vlad had ever met; her mind was made up. In the end neither one gave in and they took to avoiding each other whenever possible. Vlad would eat all of his meals in his room in which he spent most of the day in so as to avoid any awkward questions. Erin did the same except she ate her meals with the other constituents of the Dracula clan who would spend the entire meal in silence waiting for her to open up to them. They knew something had happened between the young couple as they didn't try very hard to hide their discomfort anytime they were forced to be in the same room. The Dracula's however respected Erin and Vlad's privacy and had though it would be best not to say anything.

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Erin had hardly touched her cereal, the rice-sized pieces fading into the milk as she twirled to spoon around. She kept hearing the same seven words circling her mind again and again, persistently dirtying her conscience. The selfsame words that had caused the last two days to pass without Vlad and Erin so much as talking to each other. Erin was raging war on herself for what she had said. What she hated the most, was there was a part of her, diminutive but extant nonetheless, that relished saying it and the reaction it got. A part of her that was so sinister so different to her usual thoughts. She could her minds taunts, some applauding her, others scolding her. She knew what she had said was wrong; she'd never meant to say it. It was one of things you'd never say unless deliberately trying to rile someone. She regretted as soon as the words had left her lips; even then she hadn't expected Vlad to retort the way he did., shutting her out of his unlife, again. All she wanted was the chance to say how forlorn she felt and how sorry she was, but she was afraid that their argument was would once again persist and thing would just get worse between them. An aura of empathy filled the room as Erin's sadness lined the room. She was glad she had school today; she believed it would be easier to avoid Vlad, believed being the word.

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Vlad sat upright in his coffin, the same words that had tortured Erin threatening to relight the already short fuse of Vlad's temper. The glistening paths of fallen tears became evident on his face as he clicked his fingers, lighting the candles in his room. He closed his eyes and entered his own world of deep thought. How could she do this to him? How could she say that to him? Is that what she really thought? The one person in the whole world he could truly rely on, the one person he had every had romantic feelings for. His one true love. Her words had hit him like a ton of bricks; although he was sure a ton of bricks would have been a lot less painful. The echoing sound of the clock chiming filled his room and Vlad remembered he had school. Unlike Erin, Vlad was dreading it, for he knew he couldn't avoid her ad finitum. Sooner or later they would have to talk. He sluggishly climbed out of his coffin and grabbed his bag. In a second he was gone, speeding to school in the hope to avoid bumping into Erin on the way there.

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The first lesson of the day was English. Miss McCauley's voice was beginning to give Vlad a headache. She was ranting on about William Blake or something. Neither Vlad nor Erin were paying any attention though as both were preoccupied with taking short glances at each other. Immediately looking away if their gazes met.

Next they had Home Economics and unfortunately Vlad and Erin had been paired together for the past few weeks and changing partners was apparently out of the question. To make it even worse, the dish they were preparing this week, was garlic bread. The required ingredients were on the counter infront of them along with the instructions. Erin and Vlad prepared five slices of bread each, still giving each other the cold shoulder. They had barely even looked away from the counter. Erin looked at Vlad, she had only intended it to for a brief moment but something in his face made her stop. She could see love and loss, rejection and hurt. She knew he was thinking about what she had said two days prior. She opened her mouth to speak, unsure of what she was going to say. Suddenly her gaze flicked from his thoughtful eyes to his hand. Her hand shot out grabbing his and yanking it back. Vlad immediately left his thoughts and reentered reality. Before he could ask why she had done that he saw her reach for the bulb of garlic that was perfectly in line with where his hand now rested on the edge of the counter. He gave her a grateful look along with a small smile. She returned the smile before turning back to face the task infront of her.

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Erin and Becky had been waiting in the lunch queue for over five minutes. Five minutes of listening to Becky's pointless rambling, most of it was her telling Erin what kind of product she used in her hair.

"So what do you use?" Becky asked.

When Erin didn't reply she fist thought that she hadn't hear her over the din of the canteen. She followed Erin's gaze until her eyes saw what had attracted Erin's attention. Vlad. Becky smiled at first before looking back at the regretful countenance of her friend. Her smile waned and a look of concern and understanding replaced it. Underneath it all, Becky was a good friend.

"You miss him don't you, Vlad I mean."

Erin, finally breaking her gaze from Vlad, turned to her and nodded slowly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Her voice was filled with a prominent despondency as she spoke.

"Yeah, yeah I do. I really do." She once again turned to face Vlad who was watching her from the other side of the canteen. Still their gazes never once met.

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School ended all to soon. Erin left Becky in the lobby and headed back to the place she had once dared to call home, but was now her solitary confinement. It still stupefied her that he hadn't kicked her out. Last time they argued he had banished her almost immediately. Awkwardly, it was Vlad's home too. In the days of their once quixotic and illicit relationship, they would walk home from school together, hand in hand. The phantom sound of their laughter filled the corridors. Erin had hoped that by taking the long way home, she would avoid him. However, Vlad had thought the same. They both arrived at the door to the Dracula's quarters at the same time, stopping in their tracks when they saw each other. They stood in complete silence for a few seconds before Erin took a step backwards signaling for him to go first.

When Erin and Vlad walked into the room one after the other, everyone thought they were back together. That was until Vlad and Erin walked away from each other, Vlad heading for his room and Erin for the long dining table to do her homework. Ingrid decided enough was enough and sped off in the direction Vlad had just left in. Erin felt uncomfortable with all of the remaining pairs of eyes on her. She put her homework back in her bag, got up from her chair and stormed out; the door slammed as she closed it. The Count and Wolfie winced at the sound.

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Ingrid burst into Vlad's room to see him stood by the window, peering out at the world.

She decided she was going to be as sisterly as she could; shouting at him would definitly not help especially with the frame of mind he was in. She quietly shut the door before turning to face her brother.

"Vlad, you can't shut her out forever." She said keeping her voice as calm as possible.

"Why would you care what I do with my life?" He turned to face her; she never cared about him before, why should she be any different now.

"Normally I wouldn't, but ever since you and Erin broke up the house feels like a morgue."

Vlad gave her a look that clearly said 'it always feels like a morgue'.

"You need to give her a chance; whatever she did I'm sure she's sorry. She cares about you Vlad and you care about her."

The kindness in his sisters voice calmed him. "That's not what she said." He turned to face the window once more, not wanting to look his sister in the eye. "She asked me to change her."

Ingrid was shcoked at first before she alook of understanding crossed her face. She knew why Erin would want to become a half-fang. To be with Vlad. Eventually Erin would die and Vlad would have to live with knowing he didn't do anything to save her, for the rest of time. "Is that why you broke up, 'cause she asked you to change her?"

Vlad shook his head slowly. "No. When I refused, she said I was selfish and that I don't care about her."

Ingrid understood now why Vlad reacted they way he had. Erin was the first person who loved him for him, who cared about him without an ulterior motive for her affections. To be told he didn't care about was bad enough, but for her to say must've broken his unbeating heart.

"It was probably a heat of the moment thing Vlad. Erin would never say something like that intentionally. She would never deliberatly hurt you Vlad; you know that. Just... talk to her."

With that Ingrid left the room leaving her brother to consider her words.

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Vlad had searched the entire house for Erin, he was scared that she'd left. Then he remembered there was one room he hadn't checked. One room that a romantic connection to both of them.

He leant against the frame of the door watching her as the ran her hand along the cold metals bars of the cage. He noticed the stuffed mokey in her other hand. He thought back to the day he gave it to her.

Erin slowly turned, hearing a noise from the other side of the room. When she saw Vlad she immediatly dropped her hand down and began to walk out of the room. She was almost at the door, the door at the other end of the room, when one word made her stop.

"Stay." Vlad called after her. It was the first time they had spoken to each other since the fight; or rather he'd spoken to her.

Erin didn't know what shocked her more, the fact that he wanted her to stay or the fact that he'd actually spoke to her. She turned around walking back towards the cage which Vlad now leant against. A slight smile crossed Vlad's face as she did. The last time they'd both been in this room, together, alone, was when they first kissed. It was the day Vlad realised his feeling were a two way thing.

"I'm sorry." Vlad told her once she had finsihed making her way over to him.

"I'm the one who should be sorry Vlad, not you." Erin told him shaking her head slightly.

Vlad took hold of her free hand, gently stroking the back of it with his thumb. Erin smiled at the contact.

"I overreacted. I should've known you didn't mean it." Vlad knew he had acted in a fit of pique; he just wanted her to know. He used his other hand to tenderly caress her cheek.

She shuddered slightly at his touch before leveling her eyes with his. Erin let out a small laugh. The confused look on Vlad's face made her answer the question before he could ask it.

"I thought you'd hate me forever." She said placing Mr Cuddles the Second on the edge of the cage, making sure wouldn't fall off.

Vlad's eyes widened at her dictum. "I could never hate you." He stated, stepping closer to her, never once letting go of her hand. "I hate fighting with you. Any way since 'he' became part of me it's dangerous to fight with me. I don't want to hurt you."

Erin smiled at his admission. She stepped even closer to him, the gap between them lessening greatly. "I know."

Vlad let go of her hand and pulled her into a hug. They held each other tightly as if they never wanted to let go.

"I've missed you." Vlad told her, slowly stepping out of the embrace. Technically neither of them had actually left Garside Grange, but they missed spending time together.

"I've missed you too." Erin told him, blushing slightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands rested on either side of her waist. They both leaned in closer, Erin tilted her head marginally. Their lips softly brushed together. He'd missed the warmth of her lips. The kiss grew increasingly passionate as the significance of the moment began to sink in. This was their way of getting back together. Their tongues gently brushed against each other ensued with a unobtrusive moan from Erin. Vlad leisurely pulled away, resting her forehead on hers.

"Love you." He told her with a relieved smile.

"Love you too."

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Ingrid ambled into the throne room to see her father sat on his throne reading the paper. Ingrid noticed a slight small on his face as he looked towards the sofa. Ingrid could only see the back of Vlad's head from where she was standing. She sped to her fathers side and a smile developed on her visage. Vlad lay transversly on the sofa, sound asleep. However it was not Vlad that made her smile. It was the peaceful blonde-haired figure sleeping in his arms. As she looked at the couple asleep in each others arms she was reminded of Will. The smile on Erin's face as she lay between the deep red sofa and Vlad's congenial chest, was the same smile she used when she saw Will.

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The rain pounded outside the citidel. Two men lay in the doorway either unconcious or dead. A dark hooded figure stepped past them and into the world outside. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled as the one confined recidivist was once again unbound.

TBC

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