This is nearing its close, which is probably why I've started a new story that will end up full of ssibling touching. I have a problem!
Also, I had a change in my meds a few days ago and my brain is about 60% soup. So there's that.
-YD-
It had been perhaps two months since Adam had switched on, as it were, and Vlad was still reeling from the fact his father was alive. Well, undead, but not dusted and that was basically alive. And it was all confirmed that his mother was pregnant, and anticipated excitement strummed happily with he and George - after so long being a little sister and brother, they were both to become older siblings. And a new baby was always exciting to them.
Perhaps the funniest thing was his father having to choose a new name, as he refused to even admit what his previous name was before 'Count Dracula' but could no longer go by it now Vlad was officially Count Dracula, and his father had technically 'abdicated' as far as the VHC were concerned. "I must say, you aging a century when I haven't aged a day is rather a good turn of events." Chuckling to himself as his father flicked through some of the dozen or s. 'baby name books' they had lying around the place, his stomach twisted with guilt.
"I... I owe you an apology dad. You would never have died in the first place if not for me." This had played on his mind for a hundred years now, but he owed his father the truth, resurrection or not. "Whatever do you mean Vladdy?" Taking a deep, steadying breath, Vlad couldn't look at his father as he spoke. "I hypnotised you into moving to Transylvania, so you couldn't find out about... about me and Ingrid." That was a moot point now, bloodbound and parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents together by now, but still.
His father sighed, placing his head on steepled fingers. "I had my suspicions. But you know, there is something about one coming back from the great beyond that lends a degree of humility and understanding to ones situation. The past is past Vladimir" hands laid on his shoulders, forcing Vlad to look up and meet his fathers eyes "and I am immensely proud of everything you have achieved in this century." Feeling very much a little boy caught misbehaving even though he was no longer that much shorter than his father, Vlad smiled tentatively.
"That being said, hypnotise me again and I will personally fang cuff you to a sunbed." "That's fair. I won't though, I learnt my lesson." His father sort of waved him off, and Vlad figured he owed the man time to process the information. "You alright Vlad?" Robin quizzed, knowing that Vlad was very much not alright but they had never stopped encouraging him to talk about how he felt.
"I told dad about how he ended up getting dusted in the first place." Robin hugged him close, long arms around his back and waist. How did that conversation go?" "Surprisingly well. Still doesn't change the fact I got my father killed so I could get my sister pregnant." He tried to wriggle free of Robin's arms, but his bondmate held tight. "It was so much more than that, and you didn't send him here with the intention of him being attacked by a peasant mob. It was an accident, and one you were able to put right. You literally bled to get him back Vlad, it doesn't get much deeper than that."
The Welsh accent Robin had never lost in all their time in Transylvania whispered against his ear, soothing and Vlad knew he was right to an extent, but he still felt guilty. "Vlaaaaad! Where you got to?" George's voice sounded in the hallway, doors being opened and closed as she zoomed around looking for Vlad. "In here George!" He wiped at his eyes, finding himself on the receiving end of an automatic hug from his little sister, her philosophy being hugs fixed all even before she knew what was wrong.
"Whats up bro?" "Nothing pressing, we were just talking about my dad. Everythings fine now." He returned the squeeze-hug, smiling indulgently down at the energetic bundle of curls that was his little sister. "Why were you looking for me anyway?" George looked confused, then brightened. "Oh! Dinner. Duh. It's your favourite, apparently." Following George back, Robin's fingers laced through his own, he couldn't help laughing at the state of the kitchen - a full familys worth of homemade pizza. "This is brilliant." "And to think, they all thought I was mad when I first insisted you and your kids try pizza."
George may be a fullgrown adult half fang, but she still ate like the twelve year old girl he had first met, pizza sauce smeared across her face and Beckett picked a piece of jalapeno out of her hair, ducking shyly when George thanked him. Observing the two closely, he caught Ingrid and Bertrand sharing a knowing smile behind their goblets from the corner of his eye. Raising an eyebrow in question, they both merely nodded.
Beckett was quiet and shy, utterly unvampiric considering Bertrand and Ingrid had the highest body counts to their fangs out of the four of them. George was loud and exuberant, and technically he was her nephew, but that didn't really matter when he looked around the Dracula nest. Hell, Olga was sort of Assan's aunt too (he thought, it was hard to keep track) but they had gotten married and had kids together. And that didn't include Vlad and Ingrid, or Ella and Maddie. Alex and Wolfie. Hmm... Vlad wondered what the baby brother his mother was incubating would make of the bizarre family he was to be born in to. Though, like Vlad's own children, he wouldn't really know any different.
Picking up the gooey mass of tomato, cheese and meat, Vlad couldn't deny in spite of the mess George did make excellent pizza. She grinned up at him, mouth full of her own and beamed all the wider when Vlad complimented the food. "I'm awesome, what did you expect?" She bounded off, dragging a slightly dazed looking Beckett behind her and Vlad could only laugh bemusedly at them. "I'm surprised it took them this long, he's been doe-eyed for George for what, at least twenty years now?" "At least. Possibly longer. Chloe would know better, but she's off studying computers with Piers again."
"She does work for the VHC, in the computer department. What do you expect?" Cleaning up with Evanna and Sally while his mates argued, Vlad shrugged. "If they are happy, what difference does it make? Garlic knows George has been scared to introduce any boy to... this." He gestured widely at Garside as a whole, taking the hot mug of type O his mother handed him now the dishwasher (a necessity in a nest this size) was full. "True. Plus nobody wants to risk irritating His Blandness over there" his mouth twisted into a smirk at Ingrid's slight, shaking his head "by dating his baby sister and risking breaking her heart. Though George would be more likely to break them."
In his work on Dimidius laws and treatment, Vlad's own heritage had eventually slipped out - he suspected Magda but had yet to see her again - and he had introduced Sally and George to the VHC as turned vampires, meaning under the new laws the council could do nothing. Not that it stopped them complaining, but vampires tended to complain. He was used to that. So ever since then, most of the boy vampires George had dated had been nervous about that fact - and that was before they found out the truth hidden in Garside. Which, while on file at the VHC in the birth certificates, had somehow yet to come out.
-YD-
Short and near pointless, BUT I promise the next one will be more interesting, I just really can't focus right now but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging.