A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

This storyline has been brewing since the Truth and Consequences saga, I just was never sure how to write it…until a flash of inspiration a week ago.

I hope I haven't disappointed anyone with the way I'm handling it.

Chapter 9: Truth

Vlad suddenly stiffened, his head snapping towards the door. He hadn't noticed it before, but he had been away most of the night. Erin pulled back, her eyes wet. She knew there was something wrong.

Ingrid looked at him the same concern and panic on her face. She knew it too.

"You should have told me." He hissed at his father. The Count looked at Bertrand in confusion.

The Count was confused. "Told you what?"

If the Count didn't know then it really was time to start panicking.

Vlad grabbed Erin's hand and pulled her from the room, Ingrid followed him close behind. As soon as they were through the door Vlad closed it as fast as he could.

"Vlad what…"

Vlad crossed his arms over his chest, his face full of thunder. He only just managed to restrain the side effect of thunder and lightening in the background. "You were supposed to be staying away from her." Vlad addressed the person in front of them, Ingrid nodded in full agreement. "I don't know when you got here but you need to go."

"I arrived in the night." He answered, before looking down at Erin. "They're my parents too."

"You can't stay." Vlad told him angrily, "Erin's in enough danger…"

Ryan was very casual about it, "She chose to betray the Guild." If he was still a slayer like he was supposed to be he'd have reacted the same way to her as they did.

Vlad grew angrier at Ryan's flippant comment, this time a rumble of thunder followed. "And two of the charges were for saving you if you remember."

"She didn't save me, I still became one of you."

"If they see you they'll slay you and take Erin." Ingrid told him firmly, she didn't want a battle. Besides she couldn't fight them in what she was wearing.

"I'm not afraid of them." Ryan looked down at his sister, a faint smile on his lips. "They can't stop me anymore."

"Think about your sister!" Vlad shook his head, his hands clenching in fury as he looked at him.

"They won't hurt her." Ryan grinned, "She's their destiny now." Erin shuddered at the way her brother spoke; she'd forgotten he'd been as keen about their destiny as slayers as their parents. Although towards the end he'd begun to see things her way.

Erin moved closer trying to touch him but Ryan jumped back out of her way. "Ryan please, they can't see you…"

Ryan shoved her to one side with slightly more force than he intended. She stumbled into Vlad, Vlad caught her easily as Ryan opened the door and walked inside.

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"What part of 'go' didn't you understand?" Vlad snarled at Ryan following him through the door.

"What is *he* doing here?" Thomas snapped angrily seeing his former son standing amongst the young Count siblings.

Ryan looked at his father, an ironic grin covering his lips, "Hey Dad." His eyes softened briefly, "Mum."

Steph nodded acknowledging him even if she couldn't speak. She had missed Ryan, she'd wanted to see him for so long.

"Ryan GO." Vlad ordered him firmly, gesturing with his arm towards the window.

"You're not my master yet Dracula." Ryan hissed at Vlad, Vlad's eyes narrowed blackening at Erin's brother's comment. Ryan stepped back away from Vlad. His attitude would need to change before his crowning; Ryan wouldn't get away with it afterwards.

Ingrid wasn't sure if she should intervene, if she did then the Nobles would know it was her who bit their son.

"Ryan please, you're making things worse." Erin begged him, their parents probably had already put two and two together with Vlad's clan name being mentioned.

Ryan's eyes softened significantly. "You're my sister." Then his face hardened, "I'm still your brother and it's about time they realised that.

"This is the last thing Erin needs." Vlad spat at Ryan. Ryan didn't seem to listen to Vlad he kept his eyes fixed on his parents. "Ingrid…" Vlad asked with a small sigh.

Ingrid searched Vlad's eyes trying to see if she'd interpreted his request correctly. He nodded to tell her it was what he wanted. She was the only one who could command him to leave. "RYAN…"

Before Ingrid could finish Vlad caught sight of something being thrown through the air aimed directly at Ryan but not before it clipped Ingrid.

With a furious wave of his hand the stake cracked and exploded in mid air sending splinters flying in all directions.

He'd had no choice.

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Everyone stared at Vlad after his necessary display of power. He'd have preferred not to use it but there had been no other way to save Ingrid and its target Ryan.

His hand was still raised in position from using his powers. His face was restrained and blank, slight concentration clear. Erin knew he didn't have to use much concentration with unmoving objects but moving ones were still a challenge.

"Dracula." Thomas ground out, looking between them all. "As in the Chosen One Dracula?" He stared at his daughter; he couldn't believe she would have gone to these lengths to defy him.

"Leave Vlad alone Dad." Erin stepped in front of Vlad, this time she was the one protecting him.

Ryan immediately looked sheepish, "He didn't know you were vampires?"

Erin punched her brother as hard as she could in the shoulder; Ryan winced at her force he'd forgotten Erin could throw a punch. Pain raced up her arm but it was worth it. "No he didn't."

Ryan stepped backwards trying to disappear completely.

The Nobles faces were frozen in a horrified expression, it was all true. Erin had been living with vampires. Every single rumour was true. He just didn't know for certain which vampires she'd been living with. He certainly hadn't expected it to be the most powerful clan in the vampire world. He felt sick looking at her.

She'd betrayed everything the slayers stood for, her disgrace was worse than Claude Noble's could ever be on their family.

Tom Noble turned a violet shade of puce, as he looked them up and down. This was why she'd been kicked out of the Guild, it all centred on this one family.

"My daughter is living with the Draculas?" Thomas asked again, looking between them. Vlad wrapped his arm around Erin's stomach holding her close to him. "The same ones that turned him?" He gestured to his son, although he didn't look at him once. "Get away from him Erin." Erin placed her hands on top of Vlad's; they both stepped backwards further away from her father.

Erin shook her head, "No." He wasn't going to order her around this way.

"You're disgusting!" He barked at her, "Dating something so evil! They took your brother from us."

"Vlad's not evil and Ryan's right here."

Tom shook his head, Steph nodding fiercely. "All vampires are evil." He glanced between them all, "You betrayed the Guild for these bloodsuckers!" He couldn't believe it. "They're just using you."

"I will do it again if it's what has to be done to save Vlad and his family." Erin told them, "Vlad's the reason the truce exists, he's the future Grand High Vampire."

"And you think his kind will accept a slayer as his mistress, because that's all you'll be when he marries one of his own." Her father liked to be blunt with the truth, he liked to try and shock people into submission. He hadn't counted on Vlad's reactions being quicker.

Vlad let out a hiss, "Erin will never be my mistress." He paused briefly, "If we ever get that far she'd become my equal." He didn't know how Ingrid felt about that but he was prepared to weather the storm either way. He was surprised that Ingrid hadn't protested immediately.

Tom bit back a knowing smirk; it chilled them all to the bone. "Don't worry, it won't." He knew something they didn't; Vlad felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up for the second time since meeting her parents.

Erin caught her mother's gaze and saw the immediate green that her mother's face was turning. Erin supposed it was from Vlad's admission.

Tom prepared to step forward to grab Erin from the vampire's grasp.

"Don't touch her." Vlad's voice boomed across the room, one of the light bulbs exploded as the air was charged with electricity.

Steph jumped, she'd heard stories of the power of the Chosen One but she'd never thought he'd be so powerful. He hadn't even shattered the bulb deliberately.

"You're letting a slayer live with you, even though she's trained to kill you?" No one missed how she didn't imply that Erin wanted to kill them.

Vlad shrugged, "I trust her." He trusted her more than he'd trusted anyone in his life.

The Count moved forward, "We all trust her." Erin wouldn't harm them; she could never kill a slayer intentionally, besides her feelings for Vlad were too strong.

Erin looked them in the eye, it would be painful for them to hear but they were going to hear it. "I will never harm a vampire, especially not Vlad's clan."

Tom let out a roar at her words.

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Thomas charged at Vlad but Vlad ducked out of the way the other members of his family dodging them as quickly as possible. Ingrid grabbed Erin's arm and pulled her out of the direct line of fire.

He aimed towards Vlad again, throwing out his arm trying to grab the future Grand High Vampire. He managed to grasp Vlad's shirt making it hike up, exposing his stomach.

Vlad grabbed his wrist and twisted his hand away from his shirt, pushing him back. Tom stumbled at the easy way that Vlad had made him relinquish his hold on him.

He took a large step towards Vlad, he moved slightly back and to the side and within movement they were circling each other liked lions in a cage.

Tom reached for his stake, forgetting that he'd already thrown it and that it was little more than splinters they were walking over.

He didn't know how he'd slay him but he would.

He aimed at Vlad again, trying to land a blow but Vlad jumped backwards. Vlad didn't want to risk attacking him physically in case he told the Guild he'd attacked him deliberately.

"Fight." Thomas demanded, he needed an excuse to slay him. He needed a defence for the Slayers Guild when they asked why he'd slain the future Grand High Vampire. He was breaking the honour of the slayers attacking him in the first place.

"No." Vlad snapped back at him.

He remembered he did have a weapon; it was standard issue for slayers. The needed it to sharpen their stakes in the field – a penknife.

Thomas whipped it out as fast as he could, flicking the blade attachment around as quickly as he could.

Vlad paused and Erin gasped, Thomas Noble really was desperate, Vlad had forgotten that all slayers carried penknives with them. He knew it wouldn't slay him but it would leave a mark if he were caught by it.

Thomas hurtled towards him again, knocking Vlad to the ground this time. He tried to pin Vlad to the ground, grabbing his arms but Vlad was stronger than him without even tapping into his powers. The training with Bertrand had made him more muscular than before.

Vlad kicked his legs upwards, throwing Thomas into the air. The older man let out a startled cry his hands instinctively being thrown out preparing for his landing, the knife pointing downwards.

Vlad managed to role before gravity helped Thomas return to the ground, but not before he caught the blade of the knife.

Vlad felt the knife cut through his t-shirt leaving a gash. It hadn't broken his skin not that he would have bled. It wouldn't have done any damage to him at all; it would if he wasn't fully transformed.

Thomas gasped in pain rolling away from Vlad; he was winded from the vampire's defence. It was clear Vlad wouldn't harm him, he would only defend himself. The vampire was smarter than he gave him credit for.

Thomas saw his chance and launched himself towards Ingrid, he grabbed the older vampire and pulled her with him, he pressed the blade to her side. He didn't pierce her skin he just held it there.

"This won't turn her to dust but do you want to see your sister hurt?" He quizzed Vlad.

Vlad reacted instinctively, he'd threatened Ingrid.

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Thomas' eyes widened a fraction of a second before he came into contact with the panelling in the room.

The pen knife buried itself up to the handle in the wood, it as wedged firmly that it wouldn't be able to be pulled out by a mere mortal man.

Normal vampires couldn't do that. He'd forgotten what Vlad was in the midst of the fight. He felt as if his chest was being crushed as he tried to breathe, he couldn't get his chest to rise to intake the oxygen his body needed.

Seeing the fierce growl on Vlad's face he knew the vampire wasn't holding back.

Vlad's fangs snapped down, his eyes turning red before becoming the most violent shade of black.

"Stop please!" Steph yelled at Vlad as he let his evil side take over. Vlad ignored her, his lip curling upwards. "Erin do something!"

Vlad's grip tightened around Thomas, until he was fighting to breathe.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.