A/N: Based on conversation with dear Aytheria, I present my AU of S4

The Journals of a Trainee Alchemist
Chapter 1

Robin's arrival was without fanfare. Mostly. He wanted some fanfare, but Vlad said they couldn't have one. No, not even a really little one that could only be heard by them. Robin just figured Vlad was out to spoil his fun. It had been roughly coming up for four years since the two best friends had seen each other, and Robin was a little apprehensive about it all. It wasn't every day that you work up, had your memories restored, and realised that your best friend was now effectively the Vampire King did tend to make things a little more... awkward than they had been.

But that wasn't exactly why Robin was moving in - and no, the Count didn't know about that little bit. Bertrand did, Robin had spoken to him on the phone about it, and Renfield did. Yeah, Renfield knew because Renfield had to know. Robin hadn't entirely forgotten his aim to become an alchemist during the time of the mind wipe having instead gotten really good at science in general as a sort of outlet for this aim. Now that his memory was back, and he'd finished school, well his Mum and Dad had been only too pleased to hear about how he'd won a private scholarship to be personally tutored by a great chemist. They didn't need to pay any fees? Of course they were going to be overjoyed; Chloe's early entrance to uni was going to cost them a small fortune what with the fee increase, and they had been so worried about what Robin's future would hold.

Robin didn't worry. He was going to be an alchemist. One of the very best. Bertrand had come to their house in Stokley, posing as the great tutor's PA, giving over the 'details' of the arrangement, and how it would probably lead to a good job within political circles. Bertrand was really good at spinning the truth in a way that made breathers not question any of it. And yes, Robin did think of his parents as breathers occasionally; he wasn't entirely as vampire obsessed as he once was, but he still held a hope of his best friend turning him one day.

"The sun sets, and he arrives,・Vlad smirked over from his position at the door to Robin. "Ready for this?"

Robin grinned widely. "Always."

"So, you'd be the famous Robin I keep hearing about," Erin held out a hand, smiling at the Goth boy who entered the room with Vlad. He was taller than her boyfriend - not that being taller than him was a particular achievement around these parts - and almost as pale. He gave a wide grin of his own, taking her hand and she was shocked to find the hand that took hers was warm. She had been expecting it, just from looking at him, to be as ice cold as Vlad's.

"That's me," she hadn't expected the thick Welsh accent either. Robin's grin was cheerful, and friendly, and it wasn't really hard for Erin to tell why a younger Vlad might attach himself to such an open personality. "So, you're a Slayer," Robin said, turning round to look at Vlad. "Shouldn't have shown you Buffy, mate, if I knew you were gonna run out and get your own Slayer girl." … There were worse things in the world than being compared to Buffy, Erin reasoned, even if it did remind her of Ryan's teasing at the hair dye job.

"Robin," Vlad rolled his eyes, lightly punching his friend on the shoulder. The grin was unmistakable though, and Erin couldn't help but smile herself to see it. Ever since, well, things happened, and it felt like it had been a good long while since she had seen Vlad smiling so easily. It was a sight that she liked seeing though, and she couldn't help but be grateful to this newcomer who could bring it out of Vlad so easily. Even if there was a tiny pang of jealously that he could do it when she couldn't, but that was to be expected. Vlad turned, and nudged Robin with his shoulder."Come on," he said, "we'll get you set up in a coffin room."

"I get a coffin?" was Robin's immediate response. A grin that threatened to split his face in half appeared. "Cool!"

Laughing, Erin followed behind the two boys as they made their way up to the Dracula quarters. Okay, so he was a vampire geek. Erin could deal with that.

Setting up his few pre-bought alchemist items in Renfield's work space didn't take Robin all that long. Alchemists, Bertrand had informed him, didn't set much stock by new items until they'd survived a couple of explosions. Robin thought this made surprising amount of sense, as he remembered that one time in Chemistry when he'd managed to accidentally create TNT and blew the bottom out of test tube he was using. The school didn't believe it was an accident, and he'd had to pay for a new set. Test tubes, Robin noted, were kind of expensive for how crappily made they were.

"Alright, Renfield," he grinned at the drooling drudge who was now his tutor in the darkest chemical arts.

"Oh, it's you," Renfield said. "I thought you were dead." He moved about the work space with little regard for Robin actually being there. Robin's face fell, just for a moment, before the grin reappeared.

"Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," he said, with a mock look of seriousness. Renfield gave him a blank look in response, and Robin rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So, tutoring me to be a great alchemist," he tried, grinning once more. "I bet you were overjoyed to hear about it."

"Not particularly," said Renfield. He busied himself with meaningless busy work, or at least that's how it appeared to be from Robin's point of view. "Listen, Robert," Renfield seemed to be being deliberately forgetful and Robin promised himself he wouldn't rise to it. He'd just spike his coffee with sugar later on. "Would you mind pushing off," Renfield said, "only I've got to get the Master's dinner ready. It's a special treat tonight. Crunchy cockroach in cream," he gave that disgusting grin that Robin always tended to see in unpleasant dreams, "his favourite."

"Nice to see your cooking hasn't improved any," Robin muttered as he left the work space. It was reassuring, really, to see that Renfield would always be Renfield.

"Oh, great," Ingrid said on seeing the new arrival. "Who shifted the rock to find him again?" she eyed Robin with a distaste that only she could manage. "The whole stinkin' litter will show up soon," she added in an angry snap, storming off. "I've got to work on the blood bank tonight, he had better not interrupt me." She stormed off. Vlad and Robin exchanged glances.

"She's still mad about me then," Robin commented.

"Well," Vlad corrected, "you still drive her mad."

"Same difference," Robin looked down the corridor in the direction Ingrid had left. Then he frowned. "Blood bank?" Vlad gave a small smile, more of a grimace really, and a shrug.

"Did I mention the treaty?" Robin stared. "Well, it's in place now." Vlad continued, as Robin continued to stare at him. "No biting for vampires, and no slaying for, well, slayers," Vlad gave a shrug, as if only realising at that moment how redundant the sentence sounded when spoken aloud. "So we've set up blood banks to feed hungry vampires," he gave another small shrug. "They seem to be pretty popular so far." Robin continued to stare. "What?" said Vlad, feeling uncomfortable. Robin sighed.

"You really take the fun out of being a vampire."