A/N: I'd just like to say, I used to think Malik and Ingrid were made for each other. Maybe it's because they were both power crazy and emotionally damaged. But then I thought, would Malik really be right for Ingrid at all? I mean, sure they looked great together, even better than Ingrid and Piers do, but would they last? Since they were on the same level of insanity, I think they would've destroyed each other faster before Ramanga even got to try.
I think Ingrid needs someone she can trust, someone who can keep her calm and happy. That someone is Piers. If she spent eternity with Malik, she would've constantly been watching her back to make sure he didn't betray her. And what did he do in the show? He betrayed her. He didn't even regret joining the Ramangas. He even tried to save his unlife by getting Ramanga to put Ingrid in his place instead. TBH, I think he liked her but he didn't love/cherish her. Thus, I don't think they were meant to be at all. They would've been better off as siblings.
Anyway, since that's out of the way, on with this weird story.
IMPORTANT NOTICE. THERE'S A POLL ON MY PROFILE ABOUT WHICH STORY I SHOULD CONTINUE AFTER I'VE FINISHED DINO THUNDER: A NEW BEGINNING. IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE THIS, VOTE. BEARING IN MIND, I WILL FINISH ALL OF MY IN PROGRESS STORIES EVENTUALLY BUT THE POLL WILL HELP ME PRIORITISE.
In the end, Ingrid decided that she didn't trust Piers enough to go to the GP on his own. Why? She thought he would go and kill time somewhere else (maybe with some breather woman) and then come home, ready to lie to her.
"Are you sure you want to come with me?" he asked in concern, leaning against his car. Ingrid was standing at the castle entrance, adjusting her cloak. "I think you should stay at home... It might get sunny later."
"Be quiet!" she snapped, finally stepping outside. "I'll do as I please. I checked the weather forecast; it's going to be cloudy for the rest of the day and it might even rain. Even though the UV rays are still present, they're weak like they are at night. Overall, the weather today is perfect for me to go outside during the day." Piers watched in awe as she walked past him to get to the passenger seat, relatively unharmed. He watched her get inside the car before getting in himself.
"Aren't you going to wear your seatbelt?" he questioned.
"No." Piers didn't bother arguing with her about her safety - he'd lose. Badly.
Ingrid had never been to a walk in centre or a medical clinic before. She'd only been to hospital once when Vlad was having insomnia. Due to this, going to the doctors with Piers was just plain weird.
She followed him into the queue to the reception. As Piers kept coughing every five seconds, Ingrid looked around. Of course there were breathers everywhere: left, right and centre. As expected, most of the breathers happened to be gawking at her. The few that weren't staring were talking about her instead.
"Wow, she's pretty mum," she heard one of the snotty little breather kids say. Of course.
"Why is she dressed like that? This isn't a freak show," one of the nosy old women complained. Look at yourself.
"She looks like a princess!" one of the little girls exclaimed. Ingrid agreed with that one. After all, she practically was royalty in the vampire world because she was a Dracula, related to the Chosen One as well as daughter of the Prince of Darkness.
"So outlandish. She should be looking after her poor husband instead of wasting her time, dressing up like she's ready to party," an old man grumbled. How archaic. She should be able to wear what she wants. And husband? Really? She just hoped Piers hadn't heard that.
Finally, the pair reached the front of the queue. The receptionist glanced at Piers, then looked Ingrid up and down before looking at Piers again. Ingrid shot her a dirty look in return.
"Which one of you has an appointment?" the receptionist asked.
"I do," Piers answered. "Piers Davis, 11:20." The receptionist checked something on a computer before telling them to sit down.
Ingrid sat down like a Queen and smirked at the people who stared at her. Piers took a seat next to her, amused at both her and the others.
"Everyone's staring," he stated the obvious.
"Of course they are," she replied smugly. "But why are the seats so close together? Eugh, these breathers are too close to me..."
"Hey, that includes me!" Piers pointed out.
Ingrid gave him a once over before responding. "I know."
"Take a seat please Mr Davis and...?" the GP trailed off, not knowing who Ingrid was.
"Why do you need to know?" Ingrid asked rudely, staring the GP down as she and Piers took a seat. The GP was stunned by her reply.
"You really need to work on your people skills, my little blood orange," Piers mumbled.
"Um, I was just curious. I've never seen you before - it's always Miss McAllister who drags him here," the GP explained. Ingrid instantly shifted her gaze to Piers. Who was Miss McAllister meant to be? The Scottish man sensed his house-mate's questioning eyes on him and smirked. She was jealous.
"Doctor, this is my friend Ingrid Count," he introduced her. Ingrid just waved at the GP, her eyes still on Piers.
"I see," the GP replied. "Onto the problem. Are you having trouble with your tonsillitis again?"
Before Piers could answer, Ingrid beat him to it. "He's been ill for over a week now and keeps insisting it's nothing. I had to force him to come here."
"Yes, Mr Davis tends to do that. Miss McAllister often had to do the same; she usually dragged him over here by the ear," the GP told Ingrid. Then he turned to the patient himself. "My advice is still the same as before; get the tonsillectomy surgery done."
Ingrid smiled with satisfaction and at the same time, Piers frowned. "You're not going to examine me again?"
"Mr Davis, the last time I examined you, your tonsils were heavily inflated. I doubt the situation has changed," the GP said. "How many times have you had tonsillitis this past year?"
"I didn't count. Around eight times?" Piers estimated. "Don't I have to get a quinsy to get them removed?" Ingrid was confused. What the hell was a quinsy?
"Do you really want to wait until you develop one? Best to remove your tonsils before that happens," the GP replied. "I'll refer you to an ENT surgeon who will discuss the procedure with you as well as the cost and answer any other questions you may have."
"Okay..." Piers responded reluctantly.
"What is the deal with you and surgery?" Ingrid questioned as she and Piers got into the car. "Are you scared?"
"No," Piers lied, putting his seatbelt on and starting the engine.
"You are, aren't you?" Ingrid repeated.
"Fine, maybe... just a bit," Piers admitted. "But that's not the reason I refused before. Believe it or not, I couldn't really afford it without using up my living expenses."
"Really? You shouldn't have wasted your money on games then..." Ingrid commented. "And you're a technician. Assuming you lived on your own, you should've had loads of money to spare." Unless he had been living with and financially supporting Miss McAllister... That did make more sense.
"Well... family issues got in the way," Piers informed her. "You're familiar with those, aren't you?"
"Unfortunately," Ingrid muttered.
"I don't even know if I have enough money now... speaking of which... When are you going to let me go back to work?" he asked.
"Are you that desperate?" she queried.
"Not really," Piers confessed. "But work is a necessity. And my job is what led me to meet you." The vampire found herself smiling at that and for once, she didn't hide it.
"Yes, it did. Okay, I wont try to kill you when you walk out of the door next time," Ingrid said decisively. "I got what I wanted anyway. You have to get the surgery done."
"You told me I should go and see my GP. You never said I have to go through with the operation," Piers chirped, grinning blatantly. Ingrid bared her fangs and hissed, making him jump. As a result, the car swerved a bit. "Okay, okay, let me drive home safely. I was just joking. I'll get my tonsils removed, I promise."
After the pair had returned to the castle, both of them went to their respective rooms. Ingrid was changing to go to coffin when her stomach growled. Too lazy to walk, she used her vampire speed to get to the blood cellar.
Funnily enough, the Count had left a lot of blood bottles behind by accident when he moved to Australia. Ingrid knew it was really one of his rare gestures of love towards her. She was ever grateful for that.
Speaking of love, her mind involuntarily wandered over to her breather house-mate. He just loved making her worry about him. What was the point of acting like he wouldn't get the surgery when he had already decided that he would? More importantly, why did she even worry about him in the first place? He was just a breather. Maybe it was because he saved her life (probably) when he got her out of those horrible catacombs.. Or maybe it was something else. Something she refused to acknowledge.
Will had been a breather too and she had foolishly turned him into a half fang. He would've been alive right now if she didn't get involved with him. Just because Will had made her feel special, she took his life away from him and indirectly caused his demise. Will wasn't the same after she bit him. He had developed a dark side to him which Ingrid liked but didn't love. The part of him that she loved was his innocence and overall breatherness. Although the serial slayer destroyed Will's body, she had already destroyed his soul. All because of a moment of weakness. She killed her first love.
And then there was Malik. Oh how she thought he was the one. Ingrid thought that they would rule the Dracula dynasty together as partners... as mates. How wrong she had been. He had no intention of spending the rest of his unlife with her. Instead, he teamed up with the Ramangas and got himself dusted. She hadn't forgotten how he tried to get Ramanga to use her as his sunblock instead. He would've happily watched her - and Vlad - turn to dust, leaving him as the only heir and 'child' of Count Dracula. Despite his declaration of hate towards her and everyone else, she still felt sorry for him. After all, they were both so similar. They had both wanted the throne by any means necessary. Even dusting family members in the process if required. And in the end, she got it.
Did she really want to go through it a third time? Ingrid didn't think she could take three heartbreaks. Piers deserved to live a human life with a beginning, middle and an end. Ugh, she was beginning to sound like Vlad. But she was right. She didn't have it in her to let him go so she would just remain as his friend for the time being.
A/N: I guess this chapter was a lot shorter than the other one. Sorry! BTW, I plan to make Wolfie appear in this fanfic. I miss him! And what the hell happened to Zoltan? He vanished after Erin and Vlad's failed first date. Why?
