A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Chapter 21: Power Surge

Vlad's eyes were moving rapidly as he lay on the floor. The rest of the vampires didn't know what was wrong with him at all. Erin's blood should have been clean for him to bite. They couldn't understand why he'd been affected this way.

He didn't seem to be breathing or shaking – the immediate effects of the virus. He just seemed to be unconscious.

No one moved towards Vlad, they kept their distance from him for a few seconds – almost scared he'd lash out at them. Robin had seen what he'd been like when he was delirious before.

"Is he dead?" The Count asked, looking down at Vlad. Concern was written all over his face. He couldn't lose his heir.

"He's already dead." Robin answered patronisingly, besides Vlad would only be 'dead' if he crumbled to dust.

"His skin hasn't changed." Ingrid noted, when she was poisoned her skin colour changed immediately.

Robin reached down and grasped Vlad by his shirt. He snatched his hand back suddenly, blowing on it; it felt like it he was on fire. "AHH!" He shouted, blowing didn't seem to stop the pain so he shook it instead trying to get as much air on it as possible.

"It's a bit of static Robin." The Count told the breather angrily, before reaching down to pat his son's cheek. The same thing happened to him and he yanked his hand back rubbing it fiercely.

"Static is it?" Robin asked sarcastically, a patronising smile on his lips.

Renfield passed his master some Bat Vomit just in case it was needed to stop the 'static', but Vlad didn't seem to have the same affliction as Ingrid.

Looking at the young vampire closely electricity seemed to be dancing along his skin. A purple sheen coated him darting back and forth. It wasn't noticeable until they looked at him closely.

Vlad slowly shook his head, waking slowly. His head pounded, he clutched at it. It was the type of headache that light made worse and set teeth on edge. It hurt to even move his eyes. He'd felt this headache once before – four years ago.

He sat up, seeing the concerned gazes of his family and the spoon of bat vomit mere millimetres from his lips. Vlad jerked back rapidly, he wasn't going to try that. Regretting it instantly as his head pounded even more.

"Are you okay Vladdy?" The Count asked his son softly.

Vlad nodded, "Fine." He didn't feel sick so that was a plus but the taste of her blood refused to fade in his mouth.

"You were just…"

"I'm fine." He told them fiercely, this wasn't the time to discuss what had happened to him.

Vlad turned to face Erin, her eyes were still moving rapidly. He couldn't detect a heartbeat from her; he worried at first but then remembered what he'd done. It looked like her transformation had been immediate; her body was too weak to fight the bite. That had probably saved her.

Her bite mark had already scarred over; their healing made it possible. Looking down he realised what the sharp floorboard had been – the book.

He could see the blood that he'd wiped on their still being absorbed, almost like it was savouring it. It made him feel sick inside.

Vlad perched himself next to Erin, he didn't touch her as he waited for her to wake. Touching a transforming vampire would confuse them and make them react violently.

He wasn't waiting for more than a few seconds as Erin slowly opened her eyes, her hand automatically flying to her chest. The strange sensation of being without a heartbeat.

Her eyes blackened for a few seconds before 'dissolving' to their usual colour. Her teeth tingled as they extended and retracted a few times. Looking up everything was just that bit more defined and her hearing was that much sharper. She could smell Vlad beside her, smelling his scent properly for the first time, she hadn't realised how addictive it was. She turned her head to look at her boyfriend.

Vlad looked into her eyes, studying them. He'd know immediately if she was loyal to him, Erin gave him a confused look. He was serious as he searched in her eyes, Erin watched as the muscles in his face slowly relaxed.

Erin knew what meant as he gazed at her with a loving smile – she wasn't loyal. She didn't want to ask him why yet in front of his family.

Erin pushed herself upwards feeling healthier than she'd felt in a long time. Her movement was graceful and easy. She smiled at Vlad widely she didn't feel any different, with the exception of the burning sensation in her throat that clearly marked her thirst.

"DON'T!" Four voices cried together but it was too late Erin had already touched him.

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Erin laced her fingers with Vlad's looking at them all in confusion. She couldn't understand what they were talking about. She looked at them with confusion in her eyes. Their gazes were all fixed on their joined hands.

Robin went to touch Erin but he had the same reaction that he had to Vlad. This time it was fiercer though. His arm began to tingle as it felt like electricity was flowing through it. Bertrand touched Erin but the moment his fingers touched her they began to smoke.

Ingrid and Bertrand shared a worried look; Vlad and Erin were untouchable – literally.

Vlad and Erin shared a confused look. "What's wrong?" They asked together, not understanding why everyone was clutching their fingers in pain.

"We can't touch you." Robin told them quietly, "Every time we do we get shocked." Vlad reached out to touch Robin but Robin jumped backwards out of his grasp – he wasn't going to get shocked again. "But you can touch Erin." That was what was confusing them all.

"Why?" Why was Vlad immune to Erin and Erin immune to Vlad? It didn't make sense

Erin had the same purple electricity dancing delicately over her skin. There was only one place they'd seen energy like that before.

"Power." Bertrand muttered looking at Erin with jealousy and greed. "You've both got the power of the book."

"What power?" Ingrid asked looking between her and Vlad.

Vlad knew he couldn't hide it any longer. "The book gave Erin something when she was ill." He wasn't going to tell them it was after it had taken some of her blood. "I didn't know what it had given her." He just hoped it was energy, he'd been wrong. For some reason the book had recognised her as it had recognised him and that worried him more and more.

"For some reason the book gave some of its power to her. When Vlad bit her it 'overloaded' him acting as a power surge. It short circuited him for a few minutes." Vlad's power was already great, that extra bit of power had tipped him over the edge. It wasn't meant for him. The power was unique, like DNA, it was destined for specific people. It was like giving a person A- blood when they B+. The power Erin held was obviously destined for her – they didn't know why though and that worried him.

"I could have killed you." Erin muttered, cupping his jaw.

Vlad shook his head, "You didn't know." It was worth it if Erin was still alive. He looked at Bertrand, "Will it hurt her?"

Bertrand shook his head mutely; if it meant any harm Erin would be dead already. Vlad had received some power at the proof that he was the Chosen One destined to open the book. He couldn't understand why Erin had been rewarded considering she had nothing to do with the book at all.

Vlad leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers sighing in relief. He kissed her softly, hearing the groans from everyone else in the room.

The Count went to touch his son's shoulder but changed his mind, instead he offered a warning. He couldn't toss Erin out now that Vlad had invoked the ancient law of claim. "If I ever find out she's slain another vampire, she'll be executed for vampicide." He still had the power as Regent.

Vlad pulled back and turned to his father. "Erin has never slain anyone."

He extended his finger, Erin did a remarkable job not to tremble. "It had better stay that way."

Ingrid let out a tut and Bertrand gave them a disgusted look.

This wasn't supposed to be how things played out.

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Ingrid stalked from the room; if Vlad and Erin now had power then she needed to do something. She'd already began to put her plans in motion but if they were more powerful than her she'd need more than just one vampire and an unintentional half fang to beat them.

She sped towards the cellar where she'd imprisoned Ryan. She saw her prize in the centre of the room, she wasn't going to beat around the bush. He was too loyal to appreciate anything else.

"Are you loyal to me?" She asked Ryan with an air of innocence.

Ryan couldn't believe that she would ask. "Always."

"So you'll do anything for me?"

"Anything." He repeated with conviction.

Ingrid smiled widely; she could shift the blame onto him. She'd just gained herself a scapegoat. "Good." She slowly unlocked the cage in the centre of the room. "I need something to bite."

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Erin hid her fangs in her mouth; she fought against them as soon as she smelled the soy blood. Vlad cupped her cheek, tenderly stroking her top lip that protruded slightly from hiding her new fangs.

"Its okay." He spoke quietly. Erin shook her head, she didn't want him to feel any guilt at transforming her. She glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the vampires who seemed to be watching her suspiciously. Only Robin seemed to be on her side, he gave her a small nod and Erin very slowly opened her mouth.

Vlad smiled at her, reminding himself that he wouldn't see her fangs very often. Just like she rarely saw his own.

"You look awesome." Robin commented, it seemed to suit Erin – having fangs. Erin slowly drank, it seemed strange to drink it now that it benefited her. The taste seemed to change as well making it a lot more appetising to her now.

"I'm sorry." Vlad spoke quietly, stroking her scar lightly. Erin leaned into his touch, it was slightly tender but his touch seemed to soothe the pain. "You didn't mean straight away…" Erin placed a finger to his lips. He needed time to adjust to the thought himself, he never dreamed it would be as soon as it was.

"You saved me," She kissed the flesh between his shirt and his jaw. "I'm sorry I forced you to do it." She knew it would haunt him (biting her) for a while. He'd gone against his beliefs and bitten her, drank human blood for the first time. She knew what she'd asked of him and she swore she'd never ask anything of him again.

"It wasn't your fault. I told you I couldn't lose you." He answered, if he had any other choice he would have taken it but he didn't have a choice. He never wanted her to become one of them but Erin had thought it through and decided it was what she wanted. The thing that made him feel guilty was that the selfish part of him wanted it too. He only hoped she'd never regret it. The one thing that had helped persuade him, besides saving her, was that they could be together properly now – no more hiding. "You'd said it was what you wanted, do you regret it?" He asked her quietly.

Erin shook her head, "No." This way she could be with him properly, for the rest of their unlives without worrying about leaving him alone in fifty years. She didn't fit into her world anymore – if she ever did – Vlad's was the closest she'd ever felt to home. She wasn't giving up her life and the things she loved, she was giving up the fact she was a breather. Vlad had been her life since she'd met him – whether she knew it at first or not. She kissed him again. "I love you."

"Love you too." He smiled at her, saying it in front of his family ignoring their shudders and winces.

They'd talk about this later, when they were alone. He didn't want either of them to be considered weak as they discussed it.

He whispered into her ear, "You're beautiful." He never thought she could be as a vampire but she seemed to be more beautiful than before. Erin looked down as she felt the phantom burning of her cheeks.

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Erin sipped at the soy blood; she needed to keep her strength up and keep herself sated in the first month of her new unlife. She was sure she'd hate the taste at the end of it.

Erin looked at the book; she gently traced the writing on the inside with her finger. There was more writing inside it now since Vlad had inadvertently wiped his hand on it.

Vlad timidly picked the pencil up in his hand. Erin watched as he slowly gripped it between his fingers.

Slowly he lowered it to the paper, as soon as the tip barely touched the paper it snapped in half. He let out a frustrated groan, he was copying out the symbols in the book to translate in private once he'd worked out the language he didn't want to carry the book around all the time and have vampires over his shoulder who might be able to read it understanding it before him.

That was the third pencil in the last ten minutes. He let out a groan and gripped his clipboard lightly but ended cracking it.

He threw it against the wall and Erin covered her eyes as the clipboard shattered as it hit the wall.

"I can't control my strength." He told her worriedly. Erin gave him a concerned look, if he couldn't control his strength there was no saying what else Vlad couldn't control. The 'power surge' had affected him more than they thought possible.

"What are you doing with that?" A voice asked making her jump. Erin spun quickly coming face to face with an irate looking Bertrand.

"I gave her permission." Vlad interrupted, and Bertrand noticed him for the first time.

"That book isn't to be touched by half fangs and former slayer ones at that."

"This is my home." Vlad told him slowly, "And I said Erin could look at the book."

"I don't want her in near that book on her own." Bertrand suddenly looked distracted as he realised what exactly Erin had been doing. The red 'ink' on the page attracted his eyes first. "The books got writing in it."

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.