Hoping I get this out on time, I've been all over the place and barely got Chosen Two out on time this week.
-YD-
Sitting outside Ingrid's old room had a powerful sense of dejavu, remembering how everything had begun with him getting angry at Ingrid. Now, now he loved her more than he could ever begin to explain. Will was in there now, tossing and turning in the coffin and there was a sense of anger and betrayal pouring out of there. Vlad felt bad that Will had woken up to so much change, but he wouldn't feel guilty for loving Ingrid, for their brilliant and beautiful family.
He heard the telltale creaks of Will climbing out of the coffin, pacing around the floor for another few minutes and then non-too-surprisingly, the door opened. "How could you do it? I mean, she's your sister." Rising to his feet, Vlad shrugged. "I love her. I always did. It was agonising, knowing I couldn't want her the way I did, but I do. And she loves me. Even if she had left us for you, you could never change that she's had my children, that I've been as intimate with her as it's possible to be. More so, because the bonds between us are unique in their intensity. We feel each others pain, each others joy, even fear. That's why me and Robin knew to come here before - she was scared."
Hoping Will would realise that was because of him, that he had been the one to make Ingrid feel fear, Vlad held the other boys gaze. "And you're certain that's what it was?" "After over a hundred years? I know what my wife is feeling, and it definitely wasn't good." Will cringed again at the word 'wife', watching Vlad twist the band on his finger that rested beneath his Dracula ring. "And the other two? Robin and Ber... Bertros?" "Bertrand."
Will scowled a little, but stepped back to let Vlad walk into the room. He sat at the old desk, tracing the warps in the wood with a fond smile as Will sat on the lid of the now-closed coffin. "Bertrand turned up when I was seventeen, wanting to tutor the chosen one. He almost killed me once or twice, tried to kill my girlfriend Erin a couple of times too. But then he sort of got his head straight, and when I asked him to go check on the Branaghs, he went. And then... It's complicated, but suffice to say Bertrand was there when I needed him, and he never had a problem with me and Ingrid."
"You had a girlfriend?" Will looked surprised, as though he expected Vlad had lived in a cupboard lusting for his sister until he tricked her into bed. "Yeah. Vampire slayer. Human. She almost died, Bertrand turned her because I wouldn't, and then she left me for my brother. Who turned out not to be my brother later on. They are both dust now though." He didn't go into more details, like Ingrid and Malik, or the whole Adze debacle. "And what, Bertrand brought Robin back?"
"No. He came back and told me Robin was very ill, my mindwipe had done a real number on his head. Ingrid turned him, brought him here and yeah, from there it sort of escalated. Ingrid got pregnant, and at the time she had only been with me. We got bloodbound just a couple of weeks before Alex was born. Found out dad had died the day Alex was born. I chose William for his middle name, because I knew there was a huge chance none of this would have happened if you hadn't been there trying to save Ingrid. She loved you Will, don't doubt that. Hell, if the ceasefire had already been in place when you got slain, Ingrid would have cost us the peace treaty. She almost died then too, caught a blood infection and would have got slain if I hadn't gone to find her."
With each revelation, Will's eyes grew a little wider until Vlad half expected them to pop right out of his face. "Can I see the rest of your tattoos? I'm curious." Wary of turning his back to Will, but infinitely proud of having his family scattered across his skin, Vlad stood and slipped off his shirt. Will recoiled a little when Vlad reached for his zipper, then relaxed when he saw Vlad had more names inked on his legs. "Mostly it's just our kids names. Then there's this one, for my bondmates. My first tattoo actually, the day before we got married." He traced a finger across his waistband. "Then the Dracula crests, my wings" he turned shortly - they were huge, Will couldn't miss them "and the Giles trio on the back of my neck."
Pulling his jeans back up, Vlad hesitated when Will asked to see that one too, but turned and tipped his head forwards anyway. He felt before he consciously knew, turning around to grab Will's wrist as it raised the piece of broken wood. "Really? You think you would survive more than a few seconds? They would feel it, and tear you limb from limb. Then bring me back again, just like we did you." Twisting his hand slightly, the wood fell to the floor and Will grimaced, the pressure close to breaking his wrist into splinters.
Whatever feelings had echoed through their bonds, Vlad wasn't sure but Ingrid, Robin and Bertrand were at the door seconds later anyway. "We're fine. Will just thought he would try to stake me with a broken floorboard." The half fang gulped under three angry stares, particularly Ingrid's. "That was your one chance. You leave as soon as darkness falls, and if you ever try to hurt our clan again I will disintegrate you one atom at a time." If it weren't for Alex, and Vlad not wanting his son to feel trapped by the name he had been given in memory of this vampire, Vlad would just dust him now but Adam had bled for this, he wouldn't dishonour that because of a sixteen year old vampires impetuous decision ruled by jealousy.
Bertrand audibly sighed, vengeful desire surging through all of them at Vlad's disregard for his own safety. Sharing his reasoning appeased them a little, but it took a lot of work convincing Robin and Ingrid to go be ready for when the others started waking up. Bertrand adamantly refused to leave, naturally. "I did tell you they would feel it, our bonds are probably the most powerful accident. Bloodbindings aren't usually so... close. Ironic, considering it's a lifelong bond." Will was backed into a corner, but Vlad kept up the casual chatter to pass the time if nothing else.
The innate feeling for sundown washed over him, and before Vlad had even thought of moving Roqueloire was at the door. He gave Vlad's bare torso a confused glance, then Bertrand's glare in Will's direction had him in full 'security' mode. "Will tried to stake me, I'm fine. Let's get him out of here." Roque nodded, locking fangcuffs around Will's wrists and dragging him off. Vlad and Bertrand followed out to the courtyard, heading in the opposite direction of Alex, Wolfie and Rose's home. "You can't get back in without an invitation, so don't try it. This is your one chance Will. Don't waste it." "There's a sheep farm about a mile that way if you're hungry. Bite a human and you'll be dusted by the VHC. Go."
The cuffs unlocked, and Will took a few shaky steps, clearly wary of the three vampires behind him. "We don't stake in the back, you're safe." When he disappeared into the nearby forest, they all headed back to Garside. "Where's the other one?" "Gone. He couldn't handle me and your mother together, but that is his prerogative I guess." Alex nodded, following the others to where their family would congregate. Ingrid looked outwardly fine, but Vlad wasn't fooled.
Tugging her wrist to pull her aside, Vlad brushed their mouths together, letting Ingrid push for firmer kisses as their lips sealed over each others. "I shouldn't have..." "No." Vlad cut her off, cupping her cheek so she couldn't avoid his eyes. "You loved him, and you deserve to be free of the guilt for his death. I would do it again, knowing he would try this, so don't you dare think otherwise. Ok?" She nodded tightly, melting under his mouth when he kissed her again. This was why it was worth any reaction, anyone who couldn't see how perfectly they belonged together, because when Ingrid's mouth was on his and her arms were wrapped tight around his neck, Vlad knew they really were right for each other.
"I love you." Caressing her cheek with his thumb, Vlad felt his dead heart skip at her soft smile. Letting his fingers drop down the smooth expanse of her gorgeous neck, he enjoyed the way her eyes fluttered closed, head tilting and mouth falling open slightly when he traced the scars on her neck. "Dad, stop feeling up mama and come get some food!" Sticking his tongue out petulantly at Evanna, Vlad kissed Ingrid again before pulling her along to the main room. He took the time to kiss Robin and Bertrand properly too, making sure they didn't feel left out - and making most of the rooms occupants groan in complaint.
"We've caught at least half of you doing far worse, and not one of you has ever walked in on us doing more than kiss. So be quiet." Suddenly his offspring were far more interested in breakfast, solid focus on their shredded leech smoothies and barely cooked bacon. "Is the games room set up? Can we play vampires and slayers?" "After breakfast and everyones got cleaned up." Several of the younger children had jam and cereal all over their hands, faces and pyjamas.
"I beg your pardon?" His father watched as the kids charged off to clean up and dress, a few offering to stay and help clean up so Vlad beckoned his father to follow him. "Virtual reality games. All the fun of hunting - you can be a vampire or a slayer - but nobody dies and nobody gets dusted. The kids love it, and the slayers guild uses it for training purposes. Want a quick go?" His dad looked perplexed, but nodded as Vlad switched it on and handed him the VR cap for his fangs. "Bite as many as you can, try not to get slain."
In hindsight, he should have warned the older vampire not to jump facefirst into the wall, but he learned quickly how to bite, but failed to dodge a slayer and his game-vamp-self flashed up as 'dusted'. Having played this for what probably equated to years now, Vlad made it through the entire timer but didn't beat Beckett or Chloe's high scores. Raven and Renee - married to slayers - had the highest score for vampires slain.
"Our go our go!" Changing it to children's settings, Vlad handed out their little virtual reality goggles and stepped back to let them play, watching with the others on the master screen. "Frankie would make a terrifying night hunter, he's like lightning on this game." Vlad nodded in agreement, keeping a wary eye on his father still but Sally seemed to be keeping him at complete ease. Or near enough.
By the time most of the non-habitants had left a week later, Garside felt empty again now they were a couple dozen vampires down. Stretching out along a sofa, Vlad felt something dig into his back, hunting around and pulling a toy hearse from between two cushions. "Children are so messy!" It got floated over to the piles of toys they were lazily cleaning up with telekinesis, and Ingrid deposited herself on his lap with a smirk, going agreeably when Vlad encouraged her to lie across him, head resting on his chest so he could play with her hair.
"Dracula Christmas a success again I see?" "The whole house is a bombsite, there's three new burn holes from teen flamings in the walls, my parents were caught in flagrante by Katie and I am utterly exhausted. Absolute success, of course." Shifting Ingrid to lie in front of him and spooning tight against her back, Vlad hummed happily. "Its almost too quiet now. Since Evanna turned eighteen we've kind of become grandparents more than parents." Vlad had a sneaking suspicion he knew where Robin was going with this, but found himself surprised.
"We're about to get a new brother in law though." Turning to Robin in confusion, or as best he could from his current position, Vlad quirked an eyebrow. "Alex said your mum's pregnant." "Already? What is it with you Dracula men?" Ingrid chuckled to herself as Vlad pretended to huff, rolling her on her back and ducking down to kiss her. "Right, because you're not just as guilty as us for wanting all of our kids?" Smirking up at him, Ingrid nipped his lower lip teasingly. "Not the point, I'm not a Dracula man. So Alex said she's having a boy?" Robin nodded, chewing a leftover bat biscuit.
"You can't marry this one either Vlad." "Hilarious." That joke was always aimed at him - while she loved them all now, it was a generally accepted fact that if Vlad hadn't initiated it, this thing between them never would have started. Smiling good-naturedly, Vlad resumed kissing Ingrid because she looked so appealing right now, he couldn't help it. Unsurprisingly to their bondmates, Vlad fell lost into the kiss, because bats could Ingrid kiss all rational sense from his mind with ease.
Panting slightly as they seperated, he felt his chest glow again that they were here at all, together and in love and it still boggled his mind. "He's off again." Ingrid's own eyes were faintly lit, a sure sign their entire bonds were full of the same deep-rooted joy and love. "Are you two done defiling the sofa, or can we go to bed?" Robin grinned as they looked over at him, a short nod before all four were back safely in their room, stripping and kissing and touching as they fell to the bed together. Hands held him down, fangs pushing into his neck and mouths mapping his skin - Vlad was in vampire heaven.
-YD-
*makes disgruntled sound* there is still stuff to come, I promise its not all family fluff but I couldn't work it into this chapter, so apologies for the short and somewhat uneventful chapter.