A/N: And this is the end! It's light and fluffy, and the picture it paints is of a very chaotic and delightful vampire household. I have finals starting in a few days and I'm studying now, so I needed something happy for a change. I'm really glad you guys stuck with the story so far, and I hope it's been fun for you!

Reve – Awesome plot bunny. I didn't even think of the awkwardness fangs must present at first… but now I can't get it out of my head. That is *so* getting written at some point. Also: I agree about it being interesting when vK makes himself responsible for all the nutty vampires in the castle. I think it gives him something to do besides sigh and wallow – he can sometimes be animated and exciting, but the minute he has time to himself, he turns morose.

"Well," Herbert sniffed as soon as they were seated in the study, around the fire. "Somebody is a bit touchy this evening."

"He's probably just hungry," Sarah suggested absently, watching the firelight play over the count's hair. "We should get something to feed him." She got up from her chair and went to stand behind von Krolock's, and when he showed no signs of stopping her she put her hand on his head and stroked.

"Oh," she whispered in amazement – it was even silkier than it looked. Or maybe all her senses were heightened now. Taste certainly was.

The count chuckled and tilted his head to look up at her. "Poor Sarah," he murmured. "It's your first real night, and nobody's taking any care of you at all."

"Hmph." Herbert's chair clumped around to face away from them. "She decided to change herself, she can damn well coddle herself through it too."

"What's the matter with him?" Sarah asked, still combing with her fingers.

"He is worried for Alfred, I'm sure. As we all are." Von Krolock sighed and relaxed deeper into his chair. "You're right, Sarah. He should be fed. Otherwise, the first time he scents fresh blood…"

"Mm." Her hand stilled a moment. "Is he… going to be angry at me? I mean, of course I'll apologize, but…"

"He understands that you did not hurt him willfully. I think he will forgive us all in time."

She pried herself away from him – there would be time for this later. There was forever, now. "We should at least get him something to eat. Er- drink."

"Yes." She could hear the count rising from his chair, but she didn't turn to look because she knew it would only distract her again. "And it should be in a bottle; I doubt he shares the same affinity for the hunt as you, Sarah."

"Oh-! Don't tease me about that. I'm not proud of myself for being a savage."

He laughed softly and kissed her on the head from behind. "I am."

The minute they were gone, Herbert poked his head out from behind his armchair. "Oh Papa? Papa dearest? Are you still here?" He waited. No answer.

Perfect! He was on his feet and out the door in half a second, and went hunting for Alfred.

Finally he tracked him to a locked bedroom. "Alfred? It's me."

"Go away."

"Please?"

"Go away."

"I won't bother you. Please?"

The door yanked open. "What?" Alfred snapped. He was gratified to see that when he showed teeth, Herbert took a step back.

But he recovered quickly. "Where on earth is your cloak? You must be freezing in that."

"I'm fine," Alfred protested, but then a shudder overcame him and he realized he was freezing.

"You'll get cold easily, now," Herbert explained, breezing past him and into his room. "You should do like Papa and wear your cloak in the house. Or like me. Stockings are warm and they show off your legs. As you already know. You have a darling little pair yourself that you wear sometimes."

"What are you doing here, Herbert? You're not allowed in here."

Herbert waved that off. "Psh. The count and Sarah have gone off to get you a snack, now. You'll probably be less crabby once you've eaten. But in the meantime we can at least help you not shiver. Here it is. Try this."

It was Alfred's lovely grey cloak, and it was draped over his shoulders before he could even protest. He closed it around himself, cocooning up, and nodded. "Thanks," he said stiffly. He stared hard, and waited for Herbert to go away.

But Herbert made no move to go away. "You would have died," he reminded. "Otherwise I wouldn't have. Cross my heart."

"I know. I know this isn't your fault," Alfred said, gesturing up and down at himself. "It's not that."

"Then what is it? You look angry at me, dear."

Alfred waited, but when Herbert still didn't figure it out he finally burst out: "Sarah! You bit Sarah. You changed Sarah."

"Oh!" He looked startled. "But that's not my fault either. Didn't you know? She cut her own wrist and jumped me while I was asleep."

Alfred blinked. "What?"

"Mm-hmm. Quite a firecracker, that one. Papa's proud of her initiative, but to be honest, I feel a bit used." Alfred still couldn't find words, and eventually Herbert slipped an arm around his shoulders and tugged him towards the door. "Silly," he chided affectionately. "Why on earth would I want to bite a girl? Let's go back to the study now. The count will have my head if they come home and find me in here."

When they did come home, Alfred and Herbert were sitting on the floor by the fire – Herbert scooting closer and Alfred scooting away.

"Herbert!" von Krolock thundered. "Don't harass him!"

Alfred leaped up and stood between them. "Hey, don't yell at him!"

Sarah stepped in and shook him. "Alfred! Don't defend him!"

The count put a hand on her arm gently. "Don't shove him."

By now Herbert was on his feet, and he drew Alfred away murmuring "Don't defy him" just as Sarah faced the count and insisted: "Don't baby him."

Silence fell.

Herbert cleared his throat. "Why doesn't everybody just mind his or her own business," he suggested at last. "Did you bring Alfred a snack?"

"We did." Von Krolock showed them a bottle under his cloak. "Escort Sarah out of here while he eats, please. It seems she can't yet control herself in the presence of fresh blood."

"Count!" Her cheeks flamed. "I asked you not to tell anybody!"

Herbert begged with his eyebrows for the story.

"It was unbelievable – I turned my head for one moment and she was upon them. I barely managed to pry her off in time from these poor-"

"Count! I'm working on it!" She flounced out and Herbert followed.

When they were alone, Alfred reached at last for the bottle. "Thanks."

Von Krolock turned away while he drank. "It occurred to us that you might not yet wish to feed from a living person. If ever you do want to, I will be more than happy to accompany you, to make sure no harm comes to the person. Or to you."

His stomach twisted a little at the idea. "Thanks, but… I'm fine with a bottle for now." When he was finished he sat down on the floor again, by the fire, and was a little surprised when the count folded himself down gracefully beside him.

"How are you?"

Alfred shook his head. "Tragedy is right. I hate it that-…" He didn't finish it aloud – he was afraid he was going to cry, and anyway there was too much to say. He hated that he could never see the sun again. That he had to drink people's blood to stay alive. That he was never going to grow any taller. That he could never make friends again, that he belonged in a coffin, that he could never go to church again because even God Himself couldn't bear the sight of him.

He took a deep breath. "It's awful," he continued after a moment, "It is. But I don't blame you. And I don't blame anyone for Sarah, either – Herbert told me what happened." He almost laughed. "That's so like her."

"Yes." He laid an arm over Alfred's shoulders and pulled him in to rest his head. They stayed quiet for a while, thinking dark thoughts, until Alfred began to wonder if maybe he had inherited some of this melancholy directly from its source. Perhaps it would have been better to let Herbert bite him after all…

They didn't move until a loud knock disturbed them. "What's going on in there, children?" Herbert called. "Do we need to send in a chaperone?"

Von Krolock snorted softly. "Listen to that. They're jealous – both of them." He smirked, and the hint of mischief in it was infectious.

"Lie down," Alfred whispered. "Might as well give them something to be jealous of." Before the count could stop him Alfred climbed into his lap and pushed him down on his back. He tore his own shirt open and mussed up his hair.

Laughing, but silently, von Krolock reached up and pulled Alfred's face against his neck. Alfred hesitated a moment and then got up the nerve to try out his brand new teeth.

"We are busy," von Krolock growled loudly.

When the door flew open, Alfred released von Krolock's wrists and sat up, wiping his mouth. The count lifted him off and they stood in hurry.

"I said busy," von Krolock panted, wiping at his neck. "What do you want?"

"I… we…" Herbert and Sarah looked at each other, mouths still wide open.

Alfred tried not to laugh. "Weren't you the one saying we should all mind our own business, Herbert?"

"I meant for you to mind your business or maybe mine but certainly not his!" Herbert sputtered.

Sarah seconded him. "Exactly! And you, you never let me do that. Hmph!" She gave the sauciest hairtoss Alfred had ever seen. "You see if I ever offer you my neck again!" She turned up her nose and stalked out.

"She does love her dramatic exits." Von Krolock nudged Alfred, chuckling. "Go on after her."

Alfred closed the door behind him and chased. "Sarah! Wait. He was only playing."

"I know." When she turned to him her eyes were glittering and wicked. "Oh, Alfred, isn't it wonderful! Look at them tease us – and they are desperate for us too. Isn't it fun?"

"Fun?"

"Isn't it?"

He blinked. "Well… yes. But I'm still… I'm still not used to it, Sarah. Give me time. It's different for me."

She nodded, sobering up immediately. "I'd forgotten – you didn't plan on this. Look… I'm sorry. I really am, Alfred, it was an accident."

"I know."

"And I wish…" She slipped her hand in his and tugged him away down the hallway, away from the study so they wouldn't be overheard. "Well, no, I can't say I wish it had gone differently; I like having you here. But I feel terrible that you're upset. When I… did it…"

He could feel her squeezing his hand, and he stopped and made her face him. "When you did it what?" he pressed, gently.

"I felt… I mean, I could feel that you were afraid," she admitted. "I knew I was hurting you, but I couldn't stop… I feel awful about that, I really do."

"It's all right – it's not your fault." She really did look sorry. She really did look like she cared. It's too bad it had cost him his life to make her feel that way.

"I do care, Alfred." It was like she was reading his mind. "And I really do want you to be happy. I hope you will be."

She stepped close and let him gather her into a hug, hold her tight. Eventually he said into her hair: "I'm in love with you."

"I know, I know. You've said." Now she sounded a little impatient. She did hug him back, though.

When she started getting restless he let go right away – he didn't want to be Herbert. He wondered if it would be all right to kiss her hand.

But that turned out to be a moot point – Sarah touched his face and said: "You've got blood on your mouth. Mind?" and pulled him down to kiss it.

Alfred squeaked and gasped against her lips and had hardly got together enough to kiss back when she drew away. "Mmm," she said, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

He licked his lips. "Sarah, you're terrible. That's cruel and you are terrible."

"Should I stop?"

When he couldn't answer, she laughed and took his hand. "Come – let's go claim the count's coffin. Then they'll both have to sleep in Herbert's."

He let her lead him to the crypt, and climbed in beside her. She was giggling about what the count would say when he found them, and Alfred thought again that she really was terrible. But then, as they settled down, she slipped her arms around him and said, "I'm glad to have you with me, Alfred," and then he wasn't sure.

A while later, the von Krolocks were trying to cram themselves into Herbert's coffin together. "Move over," the count growled.

"Since when do you sleep on your back?" Herbert complained. "You used to be much easier to share with."

"Perhaps you were slimmer back then."

"Now, that's low." Herbert tried to sound aggrieved. "It's not enough you've gone and stolen my lover, but now, here in my own coffin, you insult me too!"

"I haven't stolen him and he's not your lover." Von Krolock at last shifted to lie on his side. Herbert stuck out his tongue and turned away, so they were lying back-to-back. "I mean it. You, Herbert, have singlehandledly scared me away from men forever. I have no interest at all in Alfred. Truly."

"Hmph," said Herbert, but he turned back to spoon against the count from behind.

"Is that really necessary?"

"It's more comfortable," Herbert insisted. "The other way I was banging my face against the wall."

"No, I'm referring to th- yes, that." Von Krolock pried the hand out from under his shirt. "How many times must I remind you..."

"But Daddy…" he whined.

"...That that is obscene."

Herbert did his best to sound innocent. "Is that what you'll say about Sarah too? After all, you're her grandfather now."

"Herbert! Be still."

Herbert managed it for hardly two seconds. Then: "Your coffin really is bigger than mine, isn't it."

"Are you incapable of being quiet?"

"All this harassment is for your own good. If I'm quiet, you'll only use the silence to brood."

After a long moment with no answer, Herbert pressed: "See? You're turning sad already, I know it."

"Of course I'm sad! The poor boy."

Herbert heaved a sigh. "Try and see the bright side. That poor boy is going to live forever. And he is currently sleeping in a castle, in the master coffin no less, with the love of his life."

Von Krolock didn't answer.

"Alfred probably planned this whole thing from the start."

...

"HERBERT I CAN HEAR YOU OVER THERE. AND NO I DIDN'T!"

The End.

I will be putting up one more chapter – a scene that somehow never made it into the final story, even though it was the very first thing I wrote for this fic and I really like it. So, it'll go up as a Deleted Scene sometime soon. But otherwise, this is the end.

Thanks for reading, everybody! And I really, really appreciate the comments. You guys are great!