Chapter 1: Halloween
"Rose, it's Halloween on Earth isn't it," asked the Doctor.
"Yeah, why?"
The Doctor shrugged. "Oh I dunno. I just thought of some place we could go that's all. Some place with plenty of the monsters you lot love to masquerade as."
Instantly Rose was all ears. "Where? When?"
The Doctor threw his head back and laughed. "Earth, mid to late nineteenth century in a nice little country known as Romania. But specifically, we're going to Transylvania."
Rose was puzzled. What did Transylvania and Halloween have in common? "I don't see the connection."
"I've introduced you to ghosts and werewolves, I thought it was about time to throw in a vampire," the Doctor said as he flipped switches. "Rose, I'm going to introduce you to Dracula."
"Dracula's not real," Rose shouted over the noise of the TARDIS's engines.
"Neither are werewolves."
He had Rose there. Werewolves were unarguably real. Rose clung to the consol and mentally shrugged. If the Doctor said she was going to meet Dracula, she was going to meet Dracula. I hope we aren't asked to stay for tea, she thought. She didn't fancy becoming a snack.
Chapter 2
The TARDIS lurched to a stop. The Doctor grabbed his coat as he ran down the ramp, pausing before the doors and turning dramatically.
"Rose Tyler, I give you….Castle Dracula," he exclaimed throwing open the doors.
Rose looked behind him and burst out laughing. "Some castle! It looks like a storage closet t'me."
The Doctor turned and found himself face to face with a bucket, mop and scrub brushes. He squeezed out of the TARDIS and tried to go around. The lack of success that was met with was announced in the form of "Rose, I think I'm stuck."
"You're kiddin', yeah?"
"Um, no, no I'm not. Pull the blue yo-yo on the console and it should, theoretically, move the TARDIS to the left."
Rose pulled the yo-yo and the TARDIS moved just enough to the left to allow the Doctor to be able to get to the door of the closet.
"Well? Are you coming or not?"
"Don' get your knickers in a bunch. I'm comin'," Rose replied.
The Doctor and Rose wandered about the castle looking for the infamous count. Presently they came to a corridor that ended in a locked door. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver to unlock the door. Once opened, the door revealed a room with a blazing fire, a table heavily laden with china and food, and a very surprised Englishman.
"What? Who are you," he asked leaping from his seat.
"Um, 'ello. I'm Rose and this is the Doctor," Rose said.
"Harker, Jonathan Harker," replied the man extending his hand. "Are you two guests of the Count? He didn't mention having other British guests."
The Doctor spoke up saying, "We only just arrived. We thought we'd pay an old friend a visit. So sorry to disturb you."
The Doctor took Rose's arm and steered her back out to the corridor.
"Are you really an old mate of Dracula's?"
"Nope, never met him before. But I had to say something to throw off that thickheaded bloke back there. I'd hate for us to throw him off Dracula's scent."
Rose threw him a puzzled look. He explained further. "Harker is one of the ones who discovers what Dracula is and kills him. Honestly, haven't you ever read the novel?"
During the Doctor's explanation, the pair had continued to wander through the castle. Now they found themselves facing a massive wooden door. They slid back the bolt and pulled it open. Outside was a lovely view of the drive that lead to the main road, an orange sunset and a-
"WOLF," screamed Rose.
A large black wolf was racing towards them with teeth bared. They slammed the door shut just in the nick of time. The whole door shuddered with the impact of the wolf's body.
"Well, that certainly gets the blood pumping," remarked the Doctor.
"Indeed it does mein Herr." An aristocratic looking gentleman had entered the foyer unnoticed. "I vas under the impression that only one Herr vas being sent to help me in my move to England."
"Move to England? Oh, well then, you must be Count Dracula," said the Doctor.
"That is correct. You are?"
"Smith, John and Rose Smith," the Doctor answered. He made a slight bow as he presented Dracula with the psychic paper.
Rose was startled to hear him give them the same last name and so almost forgot to curtsy to the count. Dracula seemed satisfied with what he saw on the psychic paper and showed them to a spare room. After telling them that he would speak with them the next night, and to sleep well, Dracula left them.
"This certainly has been an interesting start," commented the Doctor.
"Hey Doctor, why'd you give us the same last name," Rose asked.
The Doctor frowned, thinking. "Did I? Huh, I guess I did, didn't I? That's all right for now isn't it?"
Rose nodded. "Yeah it's fine. I wish you'd do it a little more often." The last part was said more to herself than the Doctor.
The night passed with few disturbances save for the howling of wolves outside the castle. The following morning, Jonathan Harker joined the Doctor and Rose for a late breakfast. There was a fresh cut upon his face and he had an interesting tale to relate.
According to Jonathan, he had hung his shaving glass up so he could see the whole of the room behind him. The night before, Count Dracula had surprised him while shaving which resulted in the cut. Jonathan said he could see the whole room but there was no reflection of the count in the glass.
"You say, you could see the entire room," questioned the Doctor.
"Yes Dr. Smith, every bit of it. And the Count was just behind my left shoulder. He should have been reflected but he was not."
Shortly afterwards, Jonathan excused himself to attend to some business.
"Sounds like he's catchin' on," Rose commented.
"Yeah but to the wrong thing. Contrary to popular belief, vampires can be seen in mirrors. No, we're dealing with something much bigger here. C'mon," the Doctor said hopping up from the table.
"Where are we goin'," Rose asked grabbing a piece of toast and following.
"To Dracula's room of course."
As was expected, the door proved to be locked once they located it and the sonic screwdriver was called for.