Disclaimer: I do not own Little Vampire or The Craft (the universe of my OC) and all depictions done are out of love for their respective franchises.

Author Note: I apologize for spelling errors and such, I'm beta-reader-less! I hope ya'll still like it anyway!

- O -

She awoke to the overpowering stench of mildew and quite possibly a cloud of asbestos. Running her tongue over the roof of her mouth, she swallowed dryly before collapsing into a coughing fit. She nearly felt her soul leave her when she felt a tiny hand beating her on the back, in an effort to help?

'On second thought, maybe I should stop coughing and let the dust choke me,' she thought tiredly, refusing to open her eyes.

"Here," she heard a small feminine voice say as she felt her body shift more upright and felt the chill of a cold hand trying to place what felt like a cup of some kind into her hand.

Warily, her bleary crusted eyes opened to reveal a well polished gold burnished chalice; filled to the rim with water. For a moment she just gazed blankly at it, but then it reached her brain. She sprung into action immediately, eagerly gulping down the tepid water. She could feel it diving down her throat in droplets.

Distantly, she thought she could hear the small voice giggling.

Upon downing the last bit of water, she slumped back against what she could feel to be the uneven surface of a cave wall. Blearily, she finally looked to find the owner of the small female voice. A petite flaxen blond child with bright curious eyes.

"Hello!" she suddenly chirped.

"Hel-lo," she croaked back. She cleared her throat. "Hello," she tried again, satisfied this time.

The child giggled again.

"..."

"I've been told you're a Witch!" the child gushed out. Hopping onto a large boulder so that she might get just a bit closer to the Witch.

Great.

"...Is that so?" she replied sleepily.

"You are a Witch, are you not?" the child bleated, fearing disappointment.

With a quick glance at the girl, she sighed before giving a reluctant nod.

Abruptly, the young girl gave a shrill squeal, before squirming so that she was very nearly upon the Witch's lap.

The Witch cringed before giving a tired smile.

The puny girl replied in kind with a large fanged smile.

Her eyes widened exponentially in remembrance. Fuck no! No more Vampires! The Witch's mind reeled as she tried to squish herself as close to the wall as she could get.

Giving a small cry, the alarmed Vampire child tried to calm her, "Please do not fright dear Witch! We shan't harm you!"

Her pressure against the wall decreased a bit. 'Not harm me?' The Witch grimaced before letting out a long breath. Questions swarmed her thoughts.

"...We?" she finally choked out.

"Oh yes!" the child replied immediately. "My family! You see, there's Father, Mother, dear brother Gregory and dearest brother Rudolf," she informed with a small smile.

The Witch nodded slowly, digesting that overwhelming plethora of information. Then cautiously looked to the young Vampire and managed to ask, "...and you?"

"Silly me!" she tweeted fretfully, tugging fitfully on her blond locks. "Where have my manners been! You may call me Anna, and may I ask your name dearest Witch?"

The Witch hesitated for a long moment.

Weighing that there was no harm she at last said,"...Nancy."

Nancy's eyes widened at the extremely high pitched sound Anna released at the mention of her name. "Lovely name that is! Nancy was the name of a dear friend who used to play with the doll house with me."

Nancy grimaced, secretly hoping that this namesake would not force her to take up other Nancy's duties to this child.

"Please, dearest Nancy, come," Anna hopped from one foot to the other. "I wish to show you around the manor," she began to tug at her hand.

- O -

Nancy looked around in disbelief and mild amusement. She certainly wouldn't call this catacomb of a home a manor. But as Anna progressed her through the household, she was impressed. For a dark decaying crypt it wasn't bad, especially when they reached what looked to be the main room. Decorated sparsely, but with intricately crafted bird baths and statuettes.

"Fascinating," she breathed, as she fingered the interlacing designs on one of the pillars in the room.

"I should hope so," A more seasoned voice, that definitely wasn't Anna, spoke.

Nancy froze and hastily removed her hand from the stone. "I'm sorry," she managed before carefully turning to the older woman.

The woman gave a tight lipped smile, before descending the stairs she had come from.

As Nancy gazed at the elaborately dressed woman, she wished more and more for the less intimidating stature of Anna to return. She had lost her on the tour, Nancy, unable to keep up with Anna's quick enthusiasm, was soon left behind. She wondered if the child even knew she had lost her.

"You are the Witch," the woman finally stated, interrupting Nancy's frantic thoughts.

Nancy lifted her hand to her forehead to try to stop the incoming headache. "Yes," she replied plainly.

The woman nodded, she looked pleased.

Nancy shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable.

"Forgive me," the woman soothed. "My name is Freda Sackville-Bagg," her ringed hand extended to Nancy.

She grimaced before accepting the cold appendage, "Nancy."

"No surname?" Freda asked coyly.

For whatever reason, Vampire charm or the intimidating great posture of the Vampiress; Nancy's tongue was freed. "Ulrich...Nancy Ulrich," she held her breath.

"What a strong name," Freda praised.

Nancy exhaled.

"There you are!" Anna exclaimed in a huff pointing an accusing finger at Nancy.

Nancy blinked.

"Oh! Mother!" But Anna was easily distracted and took a place proudly at her mother's thigh, her neck craned to view her pale curl framed face. "You're back!"

"Indeed my dearest," her mother doted with an affectionate hand.

Nancy turned away, to escape the awkward sight.

Only to nearly faint from the reappearance of her assailant from the graveyard. He was leisurely leaning against the pillar she had touched earlier. His face was calculating, as if he were sizing her up.

She felt her body try to retreat backwards but stopped when she felt the chilled hand of Freda at her back.

"Oh yes," Freda drawled. "Ms. Ulrich, that would be my eldest son Gregory."

Nancy's throat burned and her eyes began to water. "Please," she rasped. "Just Nancy, call me Nancy," she spoke quickly. Risking a small glance at Freda to notice a small frozen smile.

"Very well," she spoke, then redirected her attention to her son's intimidating form. "Gregory," she gestured discreetly in an attempt to bring him closer.

Nancy watched with bated breath as her attacker kicked his buckled boot forward before striding closer. She had to grip her hands together to try to stop them from trembling.

Once he was a good foot in front of her he halted. There was a tense moment before she heard the sound of Freda clearing her throat. Which apparently was a signal for Gregory.

Nancy's eyes rose from the floor just in time to see the boy cross his arms to his chest and look to the side.

"...Sorry," he grumbled out, barely audible. When he heard no response he quirked his head to see the blank look on the Witch's face. "...For trying to kill you," he finally elaborated.

Nancy let out a breath. "Why?" she couldn't stop herself from asking. She could feel the stale air of the crypt shift as a charged atmosphere settled in. She also felt the hand at her back finally retreat as she watched the Vampire boy's face contort into a sneer.

"A good question, that is," he breathed. "Why not? I am a Vampire, am I not?" his face broke into a cruel smile. "Let's just say, had you been an ordinary mortal, you wouldn't have been so fortunate."

Nancy took deep pithy breaths to try and calm her hysteria. The reality of her situation, and just what she had fallen into, finally starting to actually manifest. "...What do you want from me?" her hands nearly drew blood, they were in such tight fists.

"Brother! How brutish you are!" the honeyed voice of Anna admonished, making herself known as she clutched herself, now at Nancy's side. "Don't mind Gregory Nancy," she looked up brightly into Nancy's face. "Brother is like a feline, he will try to fluff himself up to intimidate you, but just don't give him any mind," she winked playfully. "He's just trying to show himself off."

Nancy looked to the fluffy feline just in time to catch the scathing glare that he was trying to boil into Anna. She also couldn't ignore the light laughter of Freda as she tried to conceal her smile behind her hand.

Nancy didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Cry, she decided when she heard the deep rumbling of what could only be the Vampire boy growling.

"Now, now Gregory," his mother began. "That was no way to speak to our guest, so that teasing was well deserved my son," Freda stated sincerely and powerfully with her tight lipped smile.

Gregory huffed in response to his scolding and turned sharply on his boot so that he could stalk his way out of the room.

Just as Nancy observed the tail of the boy's plaited dreaded hair disappearing around a corner, she let out a long relieved breath.

"Forgive my son," Freda breathed. "Our curse has not been kind to him."

Nancy nodded numbly, still trying to let her brain process what had happened to her.

"Anna dearest, why don't you go see if Rudolf has returned," Freda gently patted Anna on her matted golden head, but looked only at Nancy as she spoke.

Nancy bristled as the merry Anna skipped away, disappearing into the catacomb home. She nervously began twisting the nose ring in her left nostril before turning around to face whatever the Vampiress had to say.

"You must be filled to bursting with questions?" Freda goaded gently.

Nancy blinked back in a daze before nodding. She hesitated a moment before asking the question that plagued her the most, "...Why am I...here?" She gestured vaguely around her to the Vampire's dusty home.

Freda's eyes shone with laughter. "That was to be my question, my dear. What has brought you to us this eve?" she implored curiously.

Nancy shifted nervously. "You first," she said lamely. "...Why does my being a Witch stop you from...eating me...?" she winced as she said it.

Freda blinked at her words before smiling her small smile. "Vampires favor Witch folk," she paused. "It twas a great Magician who introduced a cure to our curse," she said gently.

More questions flooded Nancy's mind but she stopped herself from asking any of them. "I don't understand," she said finally.

Freda gave a tired sigh before continuing. "We've lost the amulet, the one the Warlock enchanted for us, our means of returning to the living. My family searches for it always," she turned her head to look Nancy in the eye. "It was our hope upon Gregory's discovery of you, that you might be able to aid us," she said softly.

Nancy shuddered, overwhelmed. Before wrapping her arms around herself and looking down to her dirty mud crusted sneakers.

Disheartened by Nancy's countenance, Freda's gaze dropped as well. "It was forward of us to assume such a hope, I know and apologize for any inconvenience my family may have caused you. You are absolutely free to continue on your wa-"

"I'll help you!" Nancy sputtered suddenly.

Freda straightened to her full height in pleasant surprise.

Nancy chided herself for acting so rashly, but her thoughts drifted easily to the selfish thought of her safety if she were to team up with with this Vampire family. She had no doubts as what an advantage this ally would be. "I may not be able to help you," she confessed. "But I'll do what I can," she gave Freda an uncomfortably large smile.

Delighted, Freda gave a nod before excusing herself stating, "This is most proper news, I must inform my husband."

With those parting words, Nancy was alone. She shivered and cringed as she re-evaluated, with new perspective, her new living arrangement. The impenetrable layer of dust and mold was going to take some getting used to. Immediately, she felt herself regretting her snap decision immensely. 'Suck it up you big baby!' her mind punished. 'This is the perfect place to practice magic,' and with that gratifying thought, she could dispel her silly worries of uncleanliness. Nodding to herself, Nancy found an alcove in the spacious room with a large rock to sit down on. She gazed around nervously as she awaited the graceful return of Freda. Upon sitting on the cold stone, her body was alerted to the trauma it was experiencing. She was littered with cuts, a busted lip, and aching bones far too weak to perform even the lowest level of spell. In exhaustion she cradled her face in her hands as warm tears finally started to fall from her face. Just as she felt her body about to whimper, she heard the rustling of something falling near her leg. She bolted upright, startled to find the fluffy feline figure of Gregory crossing his arms at her.