A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Chapter 7: School

"Sorry Daddy."

Everyone's eyes snapped to Erin, watching as she tried to process this new information. They'd warned Vlad that she shouldn't find out by accident there was no telling how she'd react.

Vlad studied Erin closely; this was too much information for her to handle in just over twenty-four hours.

Vlad had told they they'd been married for seven years, the girl looked about four, that made Adria…she gasped…hers.

Erin felt dizzy, her whole world spun. She tried to stand but collapsed back down on the sofa. Ryan placed a hand on her shoulder checking she was okay. Erin didn't respond she stayed focused on a mark on the carpet. A thousand thoughts rushed through her head.

Her eyes remained fixed for a few moments longer before she looked upon Vlad and his – their – daughter fully for the first time.

Erin could see his concern for her written across his face.

Erin's eyes were wide as she stared at the child; she clearly had Vlad's eyes. The blue green orbs that glistened and sparkled as she looked at her father, they held a raw power that had yet to be touched. Her hair wasn't as dark as Vlad's, it was a slight auburn colour, but it could easily be mistaken for black in the dark light. The shape of Adria's face was definitely hers along with the nose, but she had Vlad's mouth.

She was beautiful. She hadn't thought she would ever create something so beautiful but she had and it was right in front of her regardless of whether she remembered it or not.

Erin looked between father and daughter, the look of pure tenderness on Vlad's face was hard to ignore. Erin felt her heart melt as she gazed at him, he didn't care she was a girl he loved her just the same as he would a son – usually a no-go area for vampires.

"It's okay." Vlad whispered to the little girl, accepting her apology. Vlad cupped her head gently as she rested it on his shoulder, he kissed her forehead tenderly. Adria sighed and wrapped her arms tighter around her father's neck; she played with his dark hair there, enjoying the silky feeling.

Not once did Vlad's eyes waver from Erin's face at Adria's natural moniker for him, the girl seemed blissfully unaware of the situation around her. Her instincts and senses for detecting things wouldn't develop yet, the naivety of childhood still reigned over her.

"We have a daughter." She asked him, Vlad nodded slowly.

Erin knew this was what he'd been keeping back from her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to scare you." He told her lamely. In truth he didn't know how to and he didn't want her being too overwhelmed.

"I had a right to know." She hissed at him, her fangs lowering dramatically at him. Erin hadn't acted that way towards him in years, the last time had been when her hormones were overloaded carrying Adria.

"I'm sorry." He told her quietly but Erin shook her head. An apology wasn't any good this time, this was too big to be hidden and he'd deliberately stopped her from finding out.

Erin glanced at the young girl, this wasn't a conversation to have in front of her but she would come back to it later – that she promised herself.

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The Count rushed into the room hoping to have beaten Adria to Vlad's side. He looked extremely guilty as he gazed at the young child in his son's arms.

Vlad directed a knowing glare at his father, "You told her about a vampire school again didn't you?"

"Why do you think…"

"I'm not going!" A tiny cry came from Vlad's arms and Vlad looked at his father with a triumphant smirk. At least there hadn't been tears this time, before it had taken an hour to calm her down – that had been six months ago.

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Vlad kissed Erin's cheek lightly, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. Erin leaned back into him.

"What did the Council say?" Erin asked him quietly, she placed a hand over her stomach – her now empty stomach.

Vlad's head dropped, he needed to tell her the truth. "They were upset." They'd been more than upset, they'd held her responsible at first blaming it on her being a half fang until they'd been made to see reason. They were the ones who wanted a 'spare heir' in their eyes Erin had failed in her most basic duty as his wife – they didn't care about heirs they cared about having children they would love. Vlad was glad he'd insisted Erin not attend the meeting. Erin nodded, her throat clenching. "But it wasn't your fault. It was never your fault." Vlad turned her to face him, he lifted her chin, "It happens…even to vampires. We'll always have Addy."

A few tears slipped down her cheeks, "I lost our child Vlad, I should have known something was wrong…"

Vlad kissed her lightly, "You couldn't have known. You heard Renfield, he couldn't have stopped the miscarriage, it happened too quickly. You did *not* lose our child, sometimes things just happen and its no one's fault." Erin had barely been three months when it had happened.

"I just wish…"

Vlad pulled her into his arms, clutching her to him as her arms wrapped around him and she buried her face in his chest. "I know."

He wanted their second child just as much as she did. It was unfair that the innocent life had been taken from them when they treasured it already.

"DAD! MUM!" Speaking of children. Erin stepped back wiping her eyes before their daughter saw them. They hadn't told Adria, they couldn't bring themselves to tell her about the brother or sister she'd never meet.Adria barrelled into the room grabbing Erin's leg, clutching it tightly to herself. "Adria?" Erin looked confused.The young girl looked up at them, horror in her eyes. "Don't send me there. I'll be good…evil I promise. Don't make me go." Vlad and Erin shared a confused look. Vlad bent down to his daughter's level, his formal leathers creaking as he moved."Send you where?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pounced onto her mother, gripping her neck tightly. Her response was slightly muffled. "A vampire school."

Vlad groaned, dropping his head down. Erin gave him a pointed look, only one person could have told her.

"He said I'd get the good beaten out of me there." Anger flared inside Vlad. "They'd tie me to the desks so I couldn't escape and you'd never visit me. You'd leave me there until I was a proper vampire when you'd be proud of me. I'd have to bite rabbits for practice and they'd push me out of windows to teach me how to fly."

Those words weren't Adria's, Vlad would recognise them anywhere. They hadn't talked about sending her to school yet but she was due to start the following September, he was angry his father had interfered.

"Adria you are already a proper vampire." Erin whispered, she was a proper vampire in the sense of being born one. "And we're proud of you."

"Promise?" She didn't seem too sure.

"Promise."

"But Granddad said that you would say that then send me without telling me." Erin's eyes flashed black this time.

"Adria, I didn't go to a vampire school, I went to a breather school," Granted the Count hadn't been impressed at first, "Your mum and me we'll send you to a school we chose not what Dad wants. You'll still be living with us."

"What's a breather school like?" She was curious now, pulling back to look at her parents.

"Nothing like a vampire school."

"Will you and mum stay at school with me?"

"We're a little old now." They were twenty-seven, nine years too old despite the fact they still looked young enough to still be at school. "You'll meet friends and enjoy it." Erin told her, stroking her cheek.

"It's nothing like a vampire school?" She asked again.

"Its nothing like a vampire school." Erin swore, she hoisted Adria into her arms.

Vlad stood stiffly, the Count had overstepped his boundaries this time. He was interfering in their lives and Vlad wasn't going to let Adria lose her childhood and the simple things that had made him happy. "I'm going to have a word with Dad,"

"Vlad…" Erin drew out quietly, she didn't want him letting go of his tight control.

"He's not telling my daughter she's going to a vampire school, he'd not the one in charge in our home. We have the final say."

Erin knew she couldn't stop him, she'd go too if it wasn't for the fact she wasn't sure that she wouldn't stake him for upsetting his grandchild.

"Just make sure he doesn't go near her on his own again." Erin asked, she couldn't deny him seeing their daughter but she'd prefer him to be accompanied.

Vlad nodded slowly, either way his father wasn't going to baby-sit ever again.

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Vlad looked down and whispered in his daughter's ear like it was a secret but loud enough for them all to hear. "You're not going to a vampire school." Vlad told Adria firmly. An adorable smile blossomed on Adria's face in relief at her father's comment.

"Vladdy…"

"I didn't go to a vampire school and it didn't harm me…" Vlad stopped suddenly as he realised what he'd said, his head snapping around to face Ingrid. "Not one word Ingrid!" He warned his sister carefully seeing a comment about to cross her lips.

Ingrid shook her head as the flames in the fire burned higher and hotter before making her think twice about speaking.

"When it comes to Adria's education, it will be decided by me and Erin…" He trailed off realising he'd spoken automatically, forgetting about the current 'situation'. Vlad didn't look at his wife. "Ree," He used his pet name for their daughter, only he and Erin could get away with using it, to everyone else she was 'Addy' or 'Adria'. "Will be going to a normal breather school, I won't have her anywhere near a vampire school and nothing you can say will change that fact."

A breather school wouldn't know her importance to their kind as his heir but a vampire school would. Ree would be the source of jokes and be treated differently because of who she was.

"But…"

"I know you want her to be big on vampire tradition but this is my home. You have no say in how we raise our daughter." Vlad paused to let his words sink in. "Are we clear?"

"Yes Sire." There was sarcasm in the Count's tone but Vlad took the answer for what it was.

Adria turned towards her mother, she reached for her but Erin didn't move toward her like she usually did.

"Mum?" She asked Erin quietly, unsure what to make of Erin's hesitance. Adria's eyes flickered up to Vlad, hurt in them.

"Your mum's not very well, Ree." Vlad told her quietly, then he remembered that Addy had never seen Erin ill. The last time that she'd been ill was when she'd lost…he didn't let his mind dwell there.

Addy nodded slowly, accepting what he said although she didn't understand it,

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As the conversation had drawn on Ryan had watched Erin shake more and more. She seemed paler than before as well, something that could have been impossible.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked his sister quietly.

"I need some air." Not that it would be any use. In the blink of an eye she was out of the room and away from everything that was crowding in on her.

"At least she can still speed." The Count noted quietly, Erin wasn't defenceless at least.

Vlad went to speed after Erin but Ingrid grabbed his arm. "Let her go." Ingrid told her brother quietly, Erin needed time to thing this through. Vlad nodded slowly before handing Adria to Ingrid who immediately clutched her safely in her arms.

He needed to get away as well.

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Vlad sped around the 'palace' trying to think clearly but his thoughts wouldn't clear at all. He eventually stopped in the library. Vlad hit the wall as hard as he could, his hand going straight through the panelling before sliding down it.

He pressed his palms into his eyes trying to think things through. He was an idiot for keeping Adria a secret from Erin as long as he had. Erin was right she had deserved to know straight away; he didn't know whether she'd trust him after this.

"Daddy?" Vlad looked up at the sight of his daughter watching him curiously. Adria was definitely a master of escape. Vlad swiped at his eyes plastering a fake smile over his face, he had to be strong for her. "Is mum angry with you?"

"No." He told her kissing her temple slowly. "Remember I said your mum wasn't well?" He asked her quietly. Adria nodded, she'd never known her mum to be ill before. "It's making her act different, it's just hard for her at the moment but it doesn't mean that she doesn't love you." He told her quietly. He didn't know how else to phrase it.

Adria looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Do you still love me?"

Vlad's throat clenched as he saw the fear in his daughter's eyes, he couldn't believe she'd think such a thing. Vlad cupped her chin bringing her eyes to meet his. "Always. Don't ever think otherwise."

Addy nodded before stepping into Vlad's embrace.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.