A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1

Downside of having YD recorded on the laptop – I keep wanting to watch it. Although it is handing to check facts.

Okay I admit it, I was the one who made my family jump this time, I screamed no at the first demonstration of Vlad's new power – what can I say? I love the character.

My mind is unfortunately plotting and calculating from tonight's ep one fic has already come from it 'Fraternising'.

Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 14: Longest Day

Erin had actually allowed him into her mind, at least partly. He could sense exactly where she was from that, which was probably her intention should he find Alex first.

He followed it like he was following an invisible thread, he was tempted to speed but he wasn't sure how Alex would respond. He could feel Alex's delight through their newfound bond, he enjoyed being carried – not that he was lazy, but because he saw everything from a different perspective up in someone's arms.

How he could control his anger when he saw her he didn't know, he reined it in. He was going to make her squirm first.

Vlad dropped Alex down onto the ground, Alex ran to Erin and hugged her tightly. He looked at Erin, a mask on his face. She couldn't lie – it unnerved her.

Erin bent down in front of her son, "Alexander Artur you don't run off from people, parts of this base are dangerous. You could have been hurt!" She grew louder as she scolded him. "You need to apologise to Vlad."

"But…"

"Now Alexander!" She told him sternly in a way that only mothers can master.

Alex looked up shyly at Vlad, "Sorry Vlad."

Vlad smiled at him and ruffled his hair, "It's okay." It truly was okay, if Alex hadn't have run off he wouldn't found out about his son. He gave Erin a half smile that unnerved her even more, she felt as if she was missing out on something. Vlad chose not to look at her deliberately, "Why haven't you ever finished Alex's name?" Vlad asked her curiously. Erin's gaze snapped up to his, she looked like a goldfish as she tried to assimilate and answer his question.

"I never need to."

Vlad nodded, before shrugging, "Alex told me he had three surnames."

Erin didn't understand why they were covering this again. "He meant two middle names then Noble."

Vlad folded his arms over his chest, "So finish his name for me."

"Alexander Artur Ryan… Noble." She hesitated as if she had to think it through herself, Vlad nodded solemnly.

He smiled tightly at her. "Thanks."

Erin grabbed Alexander's hand and cantered off as fast as she could down the corridor, he could see the way she was tensed up and he knew he should leave her alone but he couldn't.

He'd given her a chance to tell him and she hadn't taken it.

Now he was the one going to decide when it was coming out…

And that was now.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad said just three things, he didn't shout, his voice was just loud enough for her to hear, "21st June 2013."

Erin froze and turned very slowly to face him, he knew he was right when she did that, well he already knew but he had some pleasure in that action. "What?" She managed to squeak out.

Now he certainly had her attention, he repeated what he'd said. "21st June 2013."

He could hear her breathing hitch. "What's that?" She smiled softly trying to hide her fear. She'd forgotten to block her mind and he could sense her panic.

"Alex's birthday. That makes him four and nearly five months doesn't it?" He asked in an uncertain manner, it was patronising but he couldn't help himself.

Erin looked at Alex, "Go to Jonno,"

"But mum…"

"Now." She told him sternly. Alex whimpered sticking his bottom lip out before nodding and vanishing.

When Erin looked back up to Vlad, Vlad's fangs were glinting in the dim light, Erin knew she was in trouble when he did that. She gulped slowly. "Alexander Artur Ryan Noble, Count or Dracula?" He asked her firmly. "That makes three surnames. Which one is on his birth certificate?" He demanded.

"I don't have to answer that." She went to walk away but he grabbed her arm and yanked her back until she was pressed against him.

He shook his head, completely disagreeing with that, "Oh you do…"

Erin looked at him fearlessly, "Or what you'll bite me?"

"Don't tempt me Erin." He snapped at her. He didn't mean it but he was angry at the moment.

"You've done far worse Vlad." Erin growled, tears in her eyes now.

He was curious, "What's that supposed to mean?" Erin shook her head and looked in the opposite direction to him.

He could see he wasn't going to get an answer out of her yet so he left that for a few minutes.

"He's my son isn't he?" He wanted her to acknowledge it, he knew the truth.

"Alexander Artur Ryan Dracula." She conceded, with a nod. She knew there would be an explosion of emotion so she waited patiently to ride it through.

"You were pregnant when you left me, with my son!" He shouted down the empty corridor. Erin winced as his voice rebounded off the walls and hit her ears. The anger making her flinch even more. "I had a right to know about Alex." He had a parental right to know about his son.

"You lost that right when you became engaged to Adze." She told him just as angrily.

"You know *I* never made that promise." Their conversation was growing more heated. "How many people were in on this secret?!" He shouted. "Jonno and Ver lied to me about Alex and his age, although Ver did say he was half Transylvanian!"

"Three," She whispered answering him. "Five as of yesterday." She'd kept it closely guarded should anything happen to her or them if anyone else found out.

"FIVE!" He roared at her, he could guess four out of the five so he didn't really need to probe into it that much.

"You were two months pregnant." He told her firmly, "You had to have known…"

"I was one month gone." Erin corrected angrily, she hadn't known until it was too late. "He was born a month early, on the one day of the year where the day is the longest." There was irony in there somewhere. Her vampire son was born on the longest day of the year.

Concern flooded Vlad for his son, "Was he…"

"He was fine." She assured him, "He was just impatient, like you." She smiled at that, Vlad had never been one for patience.

"He's perfect." Erin nodded in agreement, Alex was perfect. He was his father's son, Alex was so much like the man in front of her sometimes she forgot they were apart other times she just longed for him to be back with them sharing their lives as a family.

"He has some of your powers I think." She whispered. Alex was telepathic, years before he was supposed to be and he was faster than the average vampire child. It worried her sometimes but perhaps there was another explanation for that, one she didn't really want to go into just yet with him.

Vlad shook his head, there was something else he wanted to discuss with her and that just reminded him, "I touched him Erin! I'm the one making him suffer nightmares!" The mood changed quickly.

Erin wasn't happy that had happened at all. "I never asked you to touch him did I?"

"He touched me first and I let him. I didn't know the harm I could do!" He snapped, he couldn't believe he'd been the one to harm his son. "Have you any idea what kinds of memories I have? The killing I've done to protect my family? To protect you? Us together? The nightmares I had? The disgusting things I've seen?"

He'd seen things he'd never want a child to witness, even Wolfie had been protected from certain things. These were things he hoped his son hadn't seen and never would see.

Vlad's voice softened, "Why didn't you tell me Erin?" She looked at him, "Or didn't you think I would be a good enough father to him?" That last thought seemed to spike his anger again.

"Vlad…" Erin went to grab him, it could never have been that. That thought had never crossed her mind once.

Vlad shot backwards before she could touch him, "Don't touch me!" He snarled at her. "My son is here! A son you've kept from me for *five* years. Were you ever going to tell me?"

"The Blood Mirror…" She didn't get a chance to finish.

"When he was sixteen?!" Vlad shouted understanding everything, Erin didn't want him to know until there was no other choice. "Erin my mum was never there for me that was her choice but you've taken the chance from me to be with Alex!" He was angry, he felt as if he was his mother thanks to Erin. "To be a father to my son!"

She tried again, "Vlad…" She'd never considered it that way.

He looked at Erin squarely, "I can never forgive you for that."

TBC

A/N: What do you think?

Nearly half way there.

Thanks for reading.