"So," Vlad asked "Where to next?"

Vlad, Erin, Ingrid and Bertrand were standing outside Garside Grange. They were looking at Bertrand, who was staring into the darkness with a lost expression. He had been avoiding that question so far, but now the realisation hit that he had no idea where to start.

"I don't know" he said softly.

"Well, I do." Ingrid said. "Where was She found?"

Bertrand shook his head "A forest somewhere. Evans didn't say which; I don't think he knew."

"So, we'll search every forest in the UK." Vlad said, holding Erin tight in his arms before taking off into the night sky.

"Right." Bertrand said absently. He shook himself mentally. "Right." He said more firmly.

"After you." Ingrid said with a smirk.

They landed in the forest of Dean. The sun was about to rise, so Erin busied herself with putting up the tent. Vlad stayed behind to help her, but Bertrand wandered through the trees. It was a long time since he had been here. About 150 years.

"Who was Her mother?"

Bertrand started, having not realised Ingrid had followed him. He turned to face her. She was watching him with concern, of all things, in her eyes. Ingrid Dracula was a complicated person. She acted as though she was heartless, but she somehow seemed to know not to say Angela's name. Vlad used it constantly; without seeing the pain it caused his tutor, but Ingrid spared his feelings. Whether it was deliberate or not.

"Her name was Armeneta. Or is Armeneta." He said without thinking. He always seemed to let down his guard around her.

"Not the Armeneta? Armeneta Westenra? Mum's sister?"

"Yeah."

"So that makes your daughter my cousin!" she shook her head, dazed.

Again with not saying her name.

"I suppose it does, yeah."

She paused, before asking: "How did you meet her?"

He sighed, giving up. "We were both tracking the same coven of vampires. They knew a prophecy about the Chosen One that was useful to both our efforts; mine to find and assist, Armeneta's to destroy."

"Why did she want to destroy the Chosen One?"

"The same reason some other vampires did- they didn't want change. Some liked the way we lived in the shadows- it made life so much more fun."

"And the Chosen One turned out to be her nephew. Ha."

They started walking again.

"Anyway- carry on."

"The coven rested here for a while-"

"Here? In this forest?"

"Yes. I lay in the branches, waiting. I heard a rustling in the tree to my right, and all of a sudden Armeneta jumped out at me. She had me pinned to the forest floor, and was about to stake me, but I managed to convince her we should team up. For protection. She agreed.

"But after a century or so, it turned into more than a companionship." he looked away from Ingrid "I loved her, and I knew she loved me. It lasted 35 years, and then she left. I don't know why. I've never known."

"Mum said she was staked 150 years ago. But really she just ran off with you?"

"Obviously so. I don't know what happened to her. Either way, she turned up 8 months later and dumped a 2 hour old A-Angela in my arms. Haven't seen or heard from her since."

Ingrid was silent for a while.

"Just like her sister, then." She finally said bitterly. "Never wanted her kids."

"Most vampires don't care for their children unless they're the heir."

"You care for Her."

He didn't answer.

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Xx Ivy xX