A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

I rewrote this chapter three times, I wasn't entirely happy with it.

Did anyone else feel lost without Young Dracula not being on today? After seven weeks of it being on it was weird.

Chapter 4: Freedom of Speech

Erin slumped against the wall, how on earth could vampires stand to wear all this leather? Ingrid had enjoyed painting her up, convincing her that she needed to look fearsome. She was sure she looked ridiculous.

Vlad was taking great care to remove anything from the room that could give a silent message to the journalists. Eagle eyes, he'd called them, they could spot anything and turn it into a story. He was in a calculating mood and that worried her.

Vlad wasn't looking forward to this, he knew that if he handled this poorly his reputation would be shot to pieces and his people's trust would be snatched from him.

He glanced at the clock one minute to 3am. He threw himself into the throne. Erin glanced at him, doing a double take as he looked odd.

In an instant she was in front of him, she reached down his torso. "ERIN! What…?" His words were cut of as she yanked his jacket zipper up, nearly pulling off his head when it came to a stop. He'd forgotten about fastening his jacket. "Thanks." Erin nodded before zooming into her seat next to him.

Vlad nodded towards Renfield who threw open the windows when the clock began to chime, before the final chime three bats had flown into the room. The bats took their time in morphing into their forms, they obviously liked to show off.

There were two men, one was small and stocky while the other was tall and thin, a pencil behind his ear and a notepad sticking out of the top of his pocket. The small one was clearly a photographer judging by his exaggerated withdrawing of a small digital camera from his inside jacket pocket. The final journalist was an older woman, she gazed on Erin with an air of superiority, her hair slightly greying at the temples and permed tightly to her head. She clearly was the working partner of the male writer.

"I read your article," Vlad spoke softly. "Its…interesting." He threw it onto the floor in front of the journalists open to the page in question, they looked at it nervously and that told Vlad all he needed to know. "You took a risk to print it."

The female writer spoke, "We have the freedom of speech." The smug grin on their faces, they should have known better than to debate vampire law with their leader.

"Actually that's a breather law. Vampire Law forbids any form of gossip about the Grand High Vampire and his family. That's all your article is – gossip." Vlad snarled, "I don't have anything against journalists and their freedom of press but when its lies that's something else. Where did you find out all these 'facts'?"

The woman flapped through her notebook, trying to find something. She found it by the sudden lack of 'flap' sounds, "We saw her doctor."

"Really?" Vlad leaned back, into his throne. His relaxed action forcing them to exchange nervous glances with each other. "Who would that be? Considering my wife's doctor lives with us." 'Doctor' was a very loose term. There were very few vampire doctors in the world, alchemists were more sought after.

There was still no name, "He showed us her medical file." Vlad shot a look towards Erin who shook her head; Erin hadn't been to see anyone. Renfield dealt with all of their illnesses and problems.

Vlad tried a different tactic, "Who was this close family friend?"

"I can't remember." The head journalist whispered, Vlad knew there hadn't been a close family friend.

"You just made it up." Vlad blinked rapidly trying to calm himself down.

The photographer was the one who finally caused Vlad's control to slip. "Everyone knows it's the truth."

With a roar Vlad flung his arm out causing a shockwave to rip through the room knocking the three journalists to the floor. The photographer lifted up his camera and snapped Vlad using his powers on them.

Erin lifted her arm and the camera flew against the wall, smashing on impact. The stocky built photographer rushed towards it but Erin managed to make the camera burst into flames completely destroying the memory card before he could get anywhere near it.

"Just because my wife isn't pregnant yet doesn't mean she can't have kids. It is none of your business when we plan to start a family." Vlad cast a look towards Erin, who was doing a remarkable job at remaining calm. He touched her mind and realised she'd locked everything into a box while this meeting was talking place.

"Do you have any idea when?" They just couldn't help themselves; they were always after a scoop.

Vlad clenched his fist slightly making them all feel as if they were being squeezed in a vice. "If I even see a bad word about my wife in your magazine again I will personally stake you all. Do I make myself clear?" No one answered, all staring at him trying to work out if he was bluffing. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sire." Vlad released his fist. The journalists slumped to the floor.

"I want a retraction – on the front cover and in the Vampire Times – tomorrow." They didn't admit it but the two papers were closely linked. "If not…" He warned, he made a deliberate effort to lift his hand and began to squeeze.

"It'll be there your Grandness."

"GO!" He roared making the entire room shake. The vampires didn't hesitate they flew off immediately.

Erin stepped down from her throne, stopping just short of him, "I think you scared them."

Vlad snorted, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. He'd have to remember that for the future when dealing with them. Journalists responded to fear.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Ingrid sat gracefully down to the dinner table, "I'd never have thought my baby brother could scare anyone." She picked up her spoon, inspecting the shine of it. "But the way those journalists flew off, if I was breather I might be proud." It was close enough to a compliment.

"Thanks, I think." Vlad mumbled, he traced the grain of the table with his finger. "Do I want to know what's for breakfast?"

Neither Vlad nor Erin had managed to get off to sleep after their guests had left both were slightly too worked up to force themselves to sleep.

Renfield looked at them slightly sheepish, "I'm afraid we're out of cockroaches and rat, all I could find were these."

Vlad looked blankly at the box in front of him, he shared a glance with Erin and Ingrid. Neither of them could believe it either – Rice Crispies.

Ingrid was the first to grab the box, hitting her brother's fingers out of the way with her spoon. It came as a sharp shock to Vlad as he pulled his hand back instinctively. She passed the box to Erin who served herself before giving some to Wolfie than passing it back to Vlad.

Bertrand looked disgusted at the four of them happily tucking into the breather food. The Count seemed used to it, choosing to drink blood instead.

"Are you scared to try them?" Ingrid asked with a sneer, everyone dropped their spoons back into the bowl watching the challenge between the two.

Bertrand shook his head leaning forward to rise to Ingrid's challenge. "I'm not scared of anything."

"Prove it." Ingrid picked up the box and passed it to him, her eyebrow rising in joy when he didn't immediately take the box from her. Bertrand snatched the box from her, filling the bowl with the cereal.

With a restrained gag, Bertrand lifted a cereal filled spoon to his lips and forced it into his mouth. He slowly chewed on it, it wasn't actually that bad, but it was a bit bland.

"Could do with some blood." He told her, Ingrid smiled at his suggestion, it had never occurred to her before. She lifted the bottle of French Aristocrat and passed it to him, before taking it back and pouring it on her cereal first – she knew how greedy he was when it came to blood. Bertrand took it from her pouring a generous amount onto his own cereal before happily tucking into it once more. This time savouring the taste.

Vlad and Erin shared a disgusted glance before focussing their eyes on the cereal in front of them.

There was no such thing as a normal meal in their home.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Erin spread out her homework on the table, trying to decide which was the least painful to finish first. Writing out a recipe for home economics or a play script for English Lit. Most of the script had been finished but she wanted to check it through before she was entirely happy with it.

Vlad tutted at the maths homework, he missed the days of a mind-wiped Renfield being able to complete it for him. He always saved the maths for last because he knew he'd be spending forever on it. He didn't want to disturb Erin, she'd already finished hers and he didn't want her to have to talk him through it – again.

Somehow over the last month their homework had always been left until the last minute on a Sunday evening.

"Master, Miss McCauley's here to see you." The Count jumped up and tried to quickly find a way out of the room that didn't include smashing the new bay windows and death by sunlight.

Unfortunately Miss McCauley had burst in before he could make his getaway. "Mr Count," Vlad shot Erin a cheeky grin, tilting his head jerking it a few times.

Erin nodded, slowly the pair sidled across the table preparing to escape the room without being detected.

"You do remember what tomorrow is?" As Vlad went to stand, a hand clamped the back of his neck holding him in place forcing him to stoop slightly. "You forgot." The resignation was in her voice. Vlad shot a helpless look towards Erin who grinned and made her escape.

"Of course I didn't forget." He clicked his fingers trying to freeze Alex. Nothing happened. He tried again. "It's…" He clicked again louder this time, he didn't want to switch hands as the one was currently holding his traitorous son in the room. "It's…"

"Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine." Vlad sniggered, before lifting his hand up to freeze the room. Vlad looked up giving him an incredulous look, "My powers are acting up." Vlad nodded humouring him completely.

Cautiously the Count let go of his son, "What's tomorrow? And why were you trying to run away? You haven't been 'nice' again?" He grimaced at the vile word that was nice, it was an insult to vampires everywhere.

The Count had been told this more than once over the last few weeks, "Tomorrow is Open Evening for those who might be studying their A-Levels here. Miss McCauley wanted you to make a appearance and talk about the school as you're the chairman of the board and its owner."

"Why were you trying to run away?"

Vlad's nose wrinkled in disgust, "Because we know you've got a thing for her and neither of us wanted to watch." He explained.

"I do not have a thing for Miss McCauley." They both spoke together, the Count's eyes narrowed and Vlad looked sheepishly towards the door.

Before he could scold him Vlad clicked his fingers, unfreezing Miss McCauley.

"Mr Count, tomorrow is…"

"Open Evening." He interrupted smoothly.

Alex blinked, taken aback at his 'remembering', "Yes." She shook her head smiling slightly.

"I would be happy to speak to the breath…" Vlad kicked him hard, "Parents." He corrected with a slight wince, Vlad hadn't held back when he'd kicked him. He wasn't going to let Vlad get away with this, this punishment would be one of Vlad's own choosing after all he loved breathers enough. "I'm sure Vladimir will be glad to help."

"Really?" Alex seemed very pleased.

However Vlad wasn't, "What?"

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.