A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Chapter 11: Mirror

He definitely wasn't confident.

There was no way he could be with a question like this. Looking up at the clock he couldn't stop his mind wandering. Five more minutes left. That little box containing the number of marks the paper had received was painful enough but this question was just not fair.

What was the significance of the Battle of Trafalgar for Britain?

The temptation to write 'Britain won' had circled in his head for the first half an hour. This wasn't exactly the question he'd been hoping for. He'd spent the last few days memorising dates and timelines with Bertrand who had added his own interpretation of events more than once. Something that really hadn't helped him at all only confused him more.

Erin had been taking mixtures Renfield had created for her to help with the all times of day sickness that was driving her insane. Unfortunately it had taken a few days for her body to become accustomed to it as a large side effect was tiredness so she'd been sleeping and studying for her own exams over the last week at odd times meaning she couldn't help him with his studies.

He looked at the nearly two pages worth of writing on the paper in front of him. He just hoped it was enough and it was right. He knew not to waffle but also not to be too blunt he had to find that mix inbetween.

The clock said two minutes to go – just enough time to check it through (again). Vlad only corrected spelling mistakes this time, he was convinced if he tweaked it anymore he'd drive himself insane.

"Close your papers," All of the class did as instructed, Vlad threw a look across the room to Erin, the alphabetical seating had placed her two columns across from him. "Everyone remains silent until the last paper is collected in."

He'd tried his best that was the main thing.

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Tess waited with Erin for Vlad to emerge from the classroom. They were lucky being seated in the same column as they were dismissed together.

Erin opened her mouth to ask Vlad what he thought of the exam but he tipped his head raising his eyebrows in a 'how do you think?' manner.

"What did you think?" Tess asked instead. She felt Vlad's mental sigh.

"It was okay." He answered not daring to go further. Tess seemed to get the hint and dropped the subject. Vlad looped an arm around Erin's waist. His hand coming to rest protectively on her stomach, Erin rolled her eyes before removing his hand and linking their fingers together. All it would take was an over-eager observer and they'd be facing Laura Winchester again.

Tess' eyes lit up. "Are you meeting Robin and Chloe today?"

Tess wanted to meet their friends, they'd promised to let her meet them but they couldn't really manage to organise a meeting. Some of it was intentional on Vlad's part to stop her, from finding out too much about them. It was safer for Tess if she thought they were normal breathers.

"No," Erin told her, "They went back for their exams but they're back down this weekend though." Erin gave Vlad a glance; they couldn't keep putting her off forever. He gave her a look that told her that it was up to her, "You can meet them this Saturday if you want."

Tess threw her arms around Erin's neck hugging her, the force of her actions making Erin arch her back away from her. Tess let go of her.

"What time?" Tess was practically bouncing with excitement.

Vlad was the one who answered, seeing Erin struggle to find an answer. "We won't know until Friday."

Vlad slowly turned feeling eyes boring into his back, he noticed Bertrand standing at one end of the corridor. His eyes never blinking as he watched them. Bertrand raised an eyebrow tilting his head in a silent request. Vlad didn't think he'd still want to carry on with Erin's lessons when she was pregnant but clearly he was wrong.

Erin noticed Vlad's attention had been diverted and turned to see his silent conversation with Bertrand. Well tough, Bertrand would have to wait until she had finished talking to Tess.

At least that was the plan until less than a minute later Tess told her she had to get home.

The world had it in for her, she was sure of it.

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Erin wasn't convinced that this really was a good idea considering her condition, as she was marched towards the training room. "Is this a good idea?" She asked Vlad out loud knowing full well that he wasn't that impressed with Bertrand's insistence that Erin keep up her training.

Bertrand was the one who answered, "Light training is the same as light exercise." Erin stood near to where the stone pedestal rested in the centre of the room At least it presence gave comfort that she wouldn't be doing any form of combat with Bertrand.

"Are you sure it won't…"

Bertrand was quick to reassure her, "You'll both be fine. Vampires are more durable than breathers." Erin nodded, not fully convinced but she knew Bertrand wouldn't let anything happen to her. "Half fangs are no different."

He shouldn't have said that, but no one could have predicted the reaction it received from Erin.

Erin stood taller, glowering at Bertrand. Her fangs extended down. "Who are you calling a half fang?" Vlad moved closer to Erin, he sensed her sudden change in mood.

Bertrand was taken aback by her hostility; he hadn't meant to cause any offence, "I didn't mean anything by it." Erin stepped forward and Bertrand took a step back.

Vlad detected the tremors in the room before Bertrand.

"Bertrand…" Vlad called, alerting his mentor. "Duck!"

The punch bag behind them exploded showering them in straw. The bang that it let off sent a loud message around the school and immediately Ingrid and the Count appeared. Ingrid burst out laughing at the scarecrow impression that Vlad and Bertrand were making. Vlad ran a hand through his hair, trying to dislodge the straw that was in it.

The Count surveyed the straw-bomb hit room. "What for the love of garlic happened?"

"An accident Dad." Vlad pulled the straw from underneath his shirt, grimacing at its texture and smell. He'd need to get completely changed to make sure there was no more lodged anywhere. "Erin got a little emotional." He whispered out of the side of his mouth, unfortunately Erin heard every word.

Immediately she jumped to her own defence, "He called me a half fang." Erin squinted slightly and immediately Vlad stepped in front of Bertrand before Erin could do anything else by accident.

Bertrand slowly straightened, looking across the devastation in the room, "First lesson, relaxation techniques." Erin narrowed her eyes at him, folding her arms over her chest.

"I. Am. Relaxed." To stress her point Erin stamped her foot and the floorboard shot up in the air, the nails still attached. The other vampires dodged as it landed where Vlad had been standing. "It was loose." She told them with a matter of fact. This time she didn't tap into his powers she'd used her normal vampire powers.

Vlad gingerly approached his wife; Erin relaxed her posture looking up at him. "You're a little…emotional at the moment." He winched at the hard look in her eye. "It's not your fault," He quickly told her, "But you don't want to accidentally turn one of us into dust because the baby's messing with your emotions."

Erin couldn't deny her powers had been all over the place lately but it didn't occur to her that her overactive hormones were affecting them.

The other vampires cowered back slightly as they expected her to explode once again. Instead she nodded. Vlad stroked her cheek gently, a smile on his face.

He cast a look back towards Bertrand nodding for him to step forward along to begin teaching her, but his mentor stayed put. "I'll learn them too if it helps." Only then did Bertrand move forward to begin his lesson.

Unlife was going to be interesting with a hormonal vampire in their midst.

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Vlad picked up the phone receiver; he'd forgotten they had one installed in their living quarters so he'd forgotten what it sounded like.

"Hello?" He asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Where?" The reception on the end of the line was scratchy at best, his super hearing not doing much to help him understand the caller. "Yeah, sure. See you in an hour." There was a pop as the caller disconnected on the other end.

He hung up the receiver, leaning back against the wall. Now all he had to do was get everyone together in the throne room. Something that sounded easier than it was.

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Erin yawned as she sat down next to Ingrid; at least she wasn't feeling any signs of nausea – yet. Ingrid nervously edged away from Erin, not that she believed she'd ever hurt her intentionally but she didn't want to take a chance.

Wolfie jumped up into the gap Ingrid had created between her and Erin. He rested his head on his hands and waited. His eyes glowed with excitement; he was wide-awake unlike a few of the older vampires in the room.

Ingrid lifted a hand to point at Wolfie, "What's he doing here?"

"Because." Wolfie said making Erin laugh. The matter of fact tone told her he'd learned it off the Count. She cast a glance to the Count who seemed to realise what Wolfie had said. Erin reached across the arm of the sofa, picking up the discarded bottle of soy blood Vlad had left for her earlier. Lifting it to her lips she greedily drank from it, finishing it quickly. She was still thirsty but it would do for now.

Vlad paced back and forth. The clicking of his shoes on the floor slowly grating on their nerves, Ingrid winced as the clicking began to develop a pattern in her head.

It was the Count who finally cracked though. "Will you stand flapping still?" Vlad jumped not expecting his father to react in such a way. Vlad immediately obeyed much to the relief of everyone in the room.

"Did he say why he was coming?" Bertrand was the one who asked the question that had been bugging everyone. It was short notice that Jonno was coming. For him to be arriving alone he knew two things: one – he trusted them not to bite him and two – it was something that couldn't be shared with other slayers.

"No. Just that it was important." He shared a look with Erin, he hoped it wasn't anything to do with her parents.

Vlad suddenly felt hungry before realising he as responding to her hunger. He reached into his rucsac and pulled out an opaque sports bottle. He always carried around some soy blood just in case he ever needed some during the exams this week. He checked the lid was sealed before throwing it to her. She caught it with ease as he made a mental note to refill it before tomorrow's exam. With the rate she was going through the soy blood over the last week he'd need to order some more.

It was better to have more than enough soy blood than risk her hurting a breather if the urge to feed grew too out of control. It was an instinct in vampire women that stretched back to the very first pregnant vampire, it was a way to make sure the woman drank enough blood to ensure the baby survived. Unfortunately it meant that if Vlad wanted to drink his blood he had to hide it from her.

His attention was drawn away from Erin as his nose twitched, the stench of breather and slayer wafted through the walls. Instinct had taught him to be on guard even if there was a treaty in place.

Renfield opened the door, preparing to announce the arrival but Jonno didn't bother with polite greetings, "We've got a problem."

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The frosted glass and wooden door creaked open slowly, before a small periscope peered around the edge of the door.

The blood mirror was unguarded. The typical arrogance of the Draculas.

The door opened fully; there was no need for caution now. No one knew they were down here, no one would ever know now. The footfalls were light on the rotten floorboards should one accidentally give and sent them plummeting down.

Dust and cobwebs clung to the gold wooden frame, draping off the leaves and gargoyles on either side.

The figure raised their arm, the light filtering in from the windows causing a sharp glint of light to reflect off the rusted metal of the mallet.

The reflection smirked back at the vandal, as they tried to decide where to aim to create the most damage.

They stepped back from the mirror slightly, lifting their left to shield their eyes from the shards of glass when the mirror shattered.

The mallet drew back fully before charging forward into the glass of the mirror.

TBC

A/N: Please let me know what you think so far?

Thanks for reading.