A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
Before we start and I just want explain my logic for something I'm using in this chapter…
I know some people don't consider 'Slovodan Napoleon' to be Vlad's middle names and use 'Dominus Imperator Electus' instead. Translated those words speak of Vlad's role amongst his kind, in the series arc the Count didn't know until the end of the series of his son's status as the Chosen One, so I really can't see those being his middle names given to him by his parents.
If you think of the Queen she's called ER or Elizabeth Regina. Regina is her title in Latin not her middle name, her surname is dropped like Vlad's was in Insomnia. She isn't Elizabeth Regina Windsor. She is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.
Therefore Vladimir Dominus Imperator Electus = Vladimir, Lord Emperor Elect when translated directly is his name and title. His surname wasn't mentioned once*during* the chanting. I use 'Slovodan Napoleon' because the Count gave Wolfie Vlad's name and I personally think that he gave him *all* of Vlad's name.
That's my logic anyway. Thanks to my cousin for translating he knows a lot more Latin than me.
Please let me know what you think.
Chapter 26: Proof
The first thing that the slayers in the know did was duck and wince. Jonno wished the ground would open and swallow him up, but a glance towards Erin told him that Vlad was in for a tongue lashing that would surpass what the Guild was about to deliver. Jonno took a step further away from the pair; he knew the fireworks they could produce all too well.
Erin snapped her head around to Vlad in the deathly silence that was the calm before the storm and stared at him with the most viscous glare she could muster. She really wanted to avoid his parentage coming out if she could.
Erin hit him in the chest, hard. He let out a small 'oomph' at her gesture. He didn't rub his chest but the slayers watched momentarily stunned at Alex's mother's action. Her fists clenched at her side as she wheeled around to face him completely. "Vladimir Slovodan Napoleon Dracula…" Erin seethed into his mind, that really wasn't the way she wanted to tell the Council but revealing Alex's parentage hadn't gone to plan once yet why should this time be any different?
Vlad looked at her angrily. "I didn't have a choice," She deflated slightly as she considered his words but it didn't mean that she was happy with what he'd done.
Her attention was distracted as a stake spiralled through the air on a deadly, efficient course towards him or rather her as it was Vlad who had to push her out of the way. The stake snapped in half, producing little more than a jagged end as it impacted with the wall.
Vlad's mind clouded with fury at that action and launched a fireball at it, the oak burst into flames which drew a satisfied smirk from the vampire.
The slayers jumped back in fear, he wasn't going to hold his powers back. They drew their stakes holding them in shaky grip, perfectly aimed to pierce Vlad's unbeating heart should they let go and throw them through the air.
The young slayer looked at the senior members of the Guild in confusion. Why did they just try and kill her? Granted she wouldn't turn to dust but it would be the same result as being impaled on a sword.
Vlad pushed her behind him, glaring at the Guild. He knew why they'd attacked her; they thought she was a spy, a half fang spy.
Balbir leaned down and pressed the panic alarm on her desk, Vlad growled as he heard it. He knew within moments the room would be crawling with slayers. He clicked his fingers and it snapped off, he could now hear them when they spoke. Balbir looked at him in distain, pressing the button once more but he repeated his action.
She let out an angry shriek, throwing a ball of garlic at him. He swiped at it with his index and middle finger, pushing it out of the air and back towards the slayer, hitting her square in the face with some force. He hadn't intended that but obviously a subconscious part of him wanted to do that. A part of him he really didn't want to think about.
Balbir chose to ignore him with dignity, "Is she one of you?" They looked at Erin disapprovingly and with disgust. She was used to that.
"The sensors pick her up!" Jonno reminded them; the spray only fooled vampires not technology.
The looked at her neck in particular, Erin shuffled uncomfortably under their gaze. "Is she going to become one of you?"
Vlad's answer was immediate, "No." Vlad was angry at their assumption. "I never want her to be. I am Alex's father on his birth certificate, I'm his biological father. Erin was within her rights not to tell you who I was." He knew that even though it hurt. "Especially if you're being as narrow minded as you are now!"
That seemed to tip them further over the edge.
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Vlad was pushed backwards as something was thrown at him, knocking him flat into the wall. He slid down the wall before growling as he landed on his backside. He looked down at his feet, seeing a pulser there. He was furious with himself for letting his guard down; if he was focused the pulser wouldn't have been able to touch him. The device emitted a shockwave that could throw vampires back upon contact.
This wasn't an ordinary pulser, especially as it glowed before beams shot out of it. A sun cage.
He growled lightly.
Erin darted to kick it out from underneath him but he shook his head. She looked at him in confusion but he didn't elaborate. Jonno moved closer towards Erin, taking care to make it obvious that he was siding with her and Vlad although they probably already knew that.
Julian sauntered close to Vlad before drawing a stake and reaching through the bars to hold it underneath Vlad's chin, taking care not to disrupt any of the UV bars.
Vlad stood straight, looking down briefly at the stake underneath his chin. He actually looked at it dismissively which seemed to hackle the slayers more. The slayer pushed it into his skin, but took care not to pierce it. Vlad could feel the sharp point and knew a flick of the wrist would lodge it in his jaw. A stake didn't scare him; he'd learned to ignore them through his training with Bertrand. Erin on the other hand didn't like how powerless Vlad appeared to be, he was at their mercy and Julian was one of those who opposed the Truce from the start. He'd kill Vlad on a whim.
Mina spoke slowly, "You kill him and you know what will happen…" She knew the truth and wanted the others to see it.
"Alex will take his position with Erin as Regent," Julian told them with a smile, "If it he's telling the truth about his parentage." He had a patronising look on his face as he spoke and Erin ground down on her teeth.
"You think I'll bring my son up to work with the Guild when they slew his father?" Erin asked them sharply, of course Alex could make up his own mind but she'd ensure that they didn't forget what they'd done.
Julian's gaze snapped to her, he knew she would follow through on her threat from her tone. "You've already betrayed us by having a son with him!" He shouted but Erin didn't seem to be fazed by his attitude, quite the contrary she looked at him in pride. Julian screamed at her, "He's the reason we have the Truce." His hatred for the Truce coming out.
Vlad shook his head, "I haven't seen Erin in five years. The Truce has existed for almost six years. Alex was never a factor, if anything he only strengthens it more. He's part of both of our cultures." Balbir shook her head and looked at her in complete disgust.
Balbir just hoped they were bluffing this whole 'story' now. "They're just saying it. It's impossible." Balbir contrasted, "No human can carry a vampire's child."
Vlad chanced a glance at Erin out of the corner of his eye; she seemed offended at the brush off. "It's difficult not impossible." Vlad told them, he couldn't stop the small smirk that crossed his face. "Can I offer some advice though?" He asked softly.
Julian laughed, scoffing at him. "What advice could you give?"
He leaned closer towards Julian, "Never corner a vampire in a sun cage, not when he can get out."
With that his hand shot outwards and the sun cage vanished and the pulse exploded as he grabbed Julian by the stake and the wrist, twisting him and it around until his arm was pinned behind his back. Julian cried out in pain and Vlad knew he only had to add a small amount of pressure and his arm would snap like a twig. The taller slayer arched towards him.
Jonno and Erin stared at him with wide eyes looking at the fried pulser slash sun cage at his feet and Vlad. Vlad realised then he'd never actually told Erin he could escape a sun cage, come to think about it probably only Bertrand knew.
The door flew open as other slayers entered the room. They brandished UV weapons, trailing them on the vampire but unable to get a clear shot with his unintentional human shield.
"I can drain you here and now for what you've just done. I could declare war and I would win." The High Council would enjoy a war, he knew that well.
Julian gasped at the threat, his voice quavered as he voiced one certainty. "You don't drink human blood."
Vlad used that to his advantage, his voice deepening. "Consider yourself lucky I don't, any other vampire would have. Tell them to stand down and I'll let you go." He hissed.
"Stand down!" Julian choked out in pain as Vlad's grip increased, or at least in his mind it did. They looked at him in slight hesitation but he nodded firmly. They then slowly lowered their weapons, they jerked on their way down.
Vlad shoved him away harshly; he skidded across the floor and into Balbir. He'd never used his powers on a slayer before, not counting his Mind Wipe. What he'd just done was attack him but it was easily in self-defence.
Balbir had an idea, "Prove he's your son. If he is we'll bow to your wishes." There was no proof he could offer without a DNA test. Erin's face paled, she knew what they would demand.
Vlad smirked; he knew what they were up to. "I can do that."
"How?"
Vlad smiled unnervingly at them. "We need to see Alex."
Jonno leaned closer to Vlad, whispering out the side of his mouth: "Who did you leave Alex with anyway?"
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Alex's head jerked up as he heard the footfalls coming his way. He could hear them before the doors opened; he knew who it was the sound reverberated around in his head. His emotional development wasn't such to detect subtle changes in his parents' moods but he knew something was up from the intensity of their emotions.
"MUM!" Alex cried jumping out of the seat and barrelling towards her. He stopped at the shaking of her head, looking up at his parents in complete confusion. He looked back at his temporary guardian who seemed to be having a conversation of looks with his dad. He sensed the newest member of his extended family take a step back.
Vlad approached his son slowly; he could feel the burning gazes of the senior members of the Guild on his back and did his best to ignore them. Alex found it strange that his mother was standing back; usually they approached him together when he had something to show them.
Vlad crouched down before nearly falling backwards, steading himself with his hands before he crashed down on his backside as Alex narrowly missed his nose when he thrust his cast out to show his father what was on it.
"Uncle Berty…" Vlad stifled a snort at that, he couldn't imagine Bertrand ever warming to being called 'Berty', sure as anything Bertrand showed the expected amount of 'affection' at that name as the Dracula clan predicted. "Uncle Berty showed me how to write my name in Tran… Transy… vampire." Alex told Vlad proudly. It was actually Aramaic dialect not Transylvanian with the curls and flicks of the symbols. Vlad looked over at Bertrand who shrugged before seeing the ornate script on his cast, 'Alexandru'. Vlad smiled, "Do you like it?" Erin peered over Vlad's shoulder trying not to flinch at the thought of the last time she'd seen letters like that.
He could deny the happiness on his son's eyes at it, he traced over the ornate letters with his index finger. "Yeah, sure. You're still Alexander to me and your mum though." He told Alex firmly. Alex nodded looking at Erin who matched Vlad's no nonsense expression. He still didn't understand why she was standing that far away then he saw what was behind his mother.
The senior members of the Guild, Jonno, Ver and half a dozen slayers.
Alex shook slightly, he didn't like them. There was something about those people that made him scared. "Daddy…" He whispered reaching up to clasp Vlad's neck in fear at the way they were all staring at him.
"It's okay." Vlad told him pressing his forehead against the boy's. "They just want to know who I am to you." Vlad pulled back with a reassuring fatherly smile and turned to face the senior members of the Guild, Alex now in his arms, his son's cast was pressed against his chest. Mina smirked lightly at the gasp they issued collectively. It was impossible to deny the resemblance when they were next to each other, of course there was something of Erin in him but Vlad was predominant in his looks.
This was why Erin didn't want them next to each other originally.
Alex grinned, his chest puffing out proudly at their shocked faces. Erin shook her head slightly as cheekiness was in her son's grin. "Vlad," He was shy as he said Vlad's name, he'd never been shy about it before. It made Vlad smile and kiss his cheek. "Is my Dad. I'm going to be a vampire like him." The second part didn't help matters as Vlad, Jonno and Erin winced. To demonstrate his point he showed them the cuff Vlad had given him. "I'm a Dracular!" He held onto the last syllable drawing it out, unintentionally adding the phoneme 'r' to the end.
Erin chuckled at her son's excitement and accidental mispronunciation. "Dracula." Vlad corrected with a bright smile.
"I said that." Alex pouted, not understanding why he'd been corrected. He wriggled in Vlad's arms and the vampire took it as a signal that he wanted to be set down. "Why is Mum standing over there, Dad?" He asked, wanting Erin near him.
"Restrain her!" Julian ordered, he needed to save face somehow, his pride had been wounded. He'd have her on a charge of something or other.
Immediately Erin was grabbed, her arms twisted behind her painfully. She let out a small gasp of surprise but not pain. She was about to use her powers when one of the Draculas decided to intervene.
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"NO!" Alex screamed running towards Erin and hitting the slayer as hard as he could in the stomach with his bad arm. The slayer gasped as he was thrown back by Alex's strength, landing against the wall with a bang. His emotions had tapped into his powers.
Alex started to scream loudly and clutched at his arm again. The plaster had cracked as he'd hit the slayer and his arm had moved a fraction inside it, it hadn't moved the bones out of alignment but he would need a new plaster cast on it. It was more of the shock from the pain than anything else. Erin ducked herself down, holding Alex close to her. Alex clutched at her hair, pulling on clumps of it as he tried to make the pain go away.
Vlad didn't look at the slayer he just did what came naturally to him, "Pui." Vlad whispered, crouching down next to Erin and Alex. "Pui, look at me." He told Alex quietly. Erin knew his word must be Transylvanian. She relished his accent as he said it; rarely did she ever hear him speak in his native tongue. It was clearly an endearment from the softness in his voice, if it wasn't the words would've been harsh. Erin could only remember how to say one phrase in Transylvanian. Alex used all of his strength to look at Vlad. "That's it, pic vampir." Vlad kissed his forehead.
"You're speaking funny." Alex whimpered making Vlad chuckle so much he had to pull back. He looked down at Alex with affection in his eyes.
Erin could see Vlad was trying to distract him from the pain so she played along, "He does speak funny." Erin grinned as she wiped Alex's cheeks, earning a playful glare from Vlad. "Your Dad used to live somewhere where he had to speak like that, then he learned to speak like us."
"You can speak lots of different words?!" Alex asked excitedly. Erin knew what he meant, he was wondering if Vlad spoke lots of different languages.
"I can also speak Latin, French," Erin snorted at that one, he struggled with French grammar. Vlad ignored her. "Malagasy," The language of Madagascar for knowing exactly what the Ramangas were getting up to, he'd learned that one in a hurry. "And I can read Aramaic."
"Uncle Jonno speaks Welsh." Alex smirked and Jonno suddenly felt inferior to Vlad.
Erin felt the pang that memory brought for Vlad and chose to speak to Alex, "So does your Dad." Erin whispered into his mind, "He just doesn't like to talk about it much." Vlad didn't like being reminded of his time in Stokely, at what he'd missed. He'd learned Welsh as it was part of his studies in a Welsh school. "Your Dad and Uncle Jonno went to school together." Granted it had only been for two years.
Alex's eyes widened, "Slayer school?" Erin couldn't help the laugh that erupted from her chest at Vlad's slightly perturbed face. She couldn't answer that one and neither could Vlad.
They could tell the three were conversing mentally, there facial expressions showed it. There was no denying that they were the parents of the boy.
Julian let out a squeak, "We need a DNA test to confirm…" They really were trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel.
Vlad's eyes flashed, as he looked over Alex's head. "Alex's power display proves he's my son, he will face my Blood Mirror when he turns sixteen or do you want him to face it now to prove even more who he is?" Vlad asked them sternly, "Only vampires who are from my clan can face my Blood Mirror." The gargoyles protected it for a reason. "Or are you satisfied with the family resemblance and power inheritance?"
They backed down as Vlad lowered his fangs, he rarely showed them to the slayers. Jonno and Mina were the only ones who stood their ground. Vlad made sure Alex couldn't see them. "I'm of higher rank than you, I make the decisions for my kind *alone*, there is no equal until I marry. You have to be democratic and voted in. You dare to put Alex's DNA or blood on the system and I will consider it an act of war. You know the conditions of the Truce – 'no vampire DNA or blood must be placed on a system that can be used for scientific or medical needs', I think we both know the reason why that was included in the Truce don't we?"
Julian smirked, "He's only *half* vampire."
"I don't remember there being anything in the Truce that says it applies only to *full* vampires do you?" Vlad smiled sweetly as he spoke. "Erin's DNA or blood won't be put on there either as the mother of my son she's under my diplomatic immunity. You touch her again and you will have more to worry about than your neck. Are we clear?" He didn't say it in an aggressive manner, he said it in a firm tone that left no room for discussion.
He needed to make sure Erin was going to be safe; there were only unspoken rules that said she wasn't supposed to be with him. The strength of the Truce allowed him to be an ally making it perfectly acceptable and they hadn't actually done anything other than the odd kiss until the Truce was set up anyway.
"Are we clear?" Vlad repeated slowly and deliberately, the lights beginning to flicker. Julian and Balbir nodded frantically. "Now get out of my way so I can take my son to have his arm recast." That was an order, not a request but they moved aside regardless.
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The atmosphere in the room was gloomy. There was a sense of misery in the room as Vlad and Erin said either side of Alex on his bed. Vlad had helped him change into his nightclothes carefully while Erin had made Alex some warm milk, disguising his pain medicine in it otherwise there was no way he would take it.
She held the glass out to him and Alex took it with a dirty look to her. He knew what was in it. Alex sipped at the milk, it hid the taste. It wouldn't send him to sleep like Renfield's medicine but it would make sleeping easier for him even if it was the middle of the day.
"Do you drink milk?"
"Bat milk and normal milk." Vlad answered, he'd been brought up with bat milk. "I drink anything apart from human blood." Alex nodded before finishing the warm milk and handing the beaker back to Erin. She took it from him and set it aside on his bedside table.
Alex sat with his perfectly new cast, he looked at it with disgust. Ver had told him he had to have a colour which had only turned out to be black, as black casts were better for camouflage amongst the Guild. Now Erin and Vlad had to deal with a sulking child.
Erin saw how upset her son really was at the thought of losing what Bertrand had written. "I'm sure Uncle Berty will write it there again." She couldn't help the quirk at calling Bertrand 'Berty'. Vlad laughed looking down.
He gave his mother a glare that asked her if she was an idiot. "It won't show. It was in black." Alex muttered sounding wiser than he appeared.
"I'll have him write it to put on your wall instead." Vlad promised him rubbing his shoulder lightly. Bertrand would enjoy that, he took pleasure in traditional writings. It seemed to cheer Alex up a little but not much. "You'll feel better after more sleep."
"They're not taking mum are they?" Alex asked him softly, looking in fear towards him mum, terrified he'd lose her while he was asleep.
Vlad brushed the stray locks of dark hair from Alex's blue eyes. "I'd never let anyone take your mum from us." Alex seemed to relax, the tension seeped from his body.
Erin pulled back the quilt as Vlad lifted Alex up, hooking his right arm under his legs and left around his shoulders before gently straightening him out as he lay him down on the soft mattress. "When do I get a coffin?" He asked with a hopeful look.
"When you turn sixteen." Erin and Vlad told him at exactly the same time before chuckling together at their timing.
Erin pulled the sheets up over Alex more comfortably before grasping the cup from the bedside table. "Me and your Dad aren't going anywhere, we're going to be here." Alex reshuffled his arm on top of the covers before nodding gently. She brushed his cheek lightly, "Just sleep." Vlad mimicked her actions smiling at him softly.
The pair slowly crossed the room before gently flicking out the light. Vlad made an effort to close the door, "Leave the door! Please!" Alex cried, he didn't want to be closed in on his own. The adults nodded with a smile leaving the door ajar a fraction.
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The sound of running water filled the silence as Erin gently swilled out the cup, they had a canteen on base but she had a private kitchen area as did Jonno Ver and Vlad (when he chose to reside overday on base). She needed to make sure the cup was clean from any traces of the medicine.
Vlad turned towards her with a sigh, "I know I shouldn't have said it but they needed to know sometime and what they were saying about you and Alex…"
"Vlad you should have let me handle them." Erin told him softly, turning to face him with wet hands. "I've dealt with them for five years."
"You're not on your own anymore." Vlad reminded her, "You've got me, we're mated. Your life span matches mine."
She smiled nodding, it took some getting used to not being on her own anymore. "I think you'd better stick to the English when we're around people, you don't want to scare them with the talk of mating." She was worried they'd see him as primitive although she knew the word held more meaning for him than 'partner' did in her language. She cupped his neck letting him return the gesture. It was strange how she hated anyone touching her neck since she'd been with Vlad, even getting her hair cut was a torture. It was a primal thing with this bond between them, it rebelled at anyone touching her that wasn't her partner. "You switched languages with him." Erin told him gently, she didn't mind but she was curious. "Why?"
Vlad gave a small shrug, "I needed to get his attention." It had worked; the new words had caught his son's imagination. "Then it felt natural."
Erin didn't know what they meant but coming from Vlad she knew they were affectionate. "Did the Count ever use them with you?" He looked at her as if she'd gone mad and knew his answer was no. "What do they mean?"
Vlad let out a sigh, he'd have to tell her some time. "Pui means 'little one' and 'pic vampir' means 'little vampire'." He ducked his head down in embarrassment but Erin caught his jaw, they may have sounded corny but from Vlad they were beautiful.
"There's something I want to know."
"Something else?" He teased.
She nodded. There was something that had begun to annoy her and she really wanted to know what he was trying to tell her the last two times they were interrupted. She looped her arms around his neck before reconsidering in case it was something she didn't want to hear.
"There are no interruptions, no distractions, so..." With that she double checked turning her head around the room checking Alex was still in bed. "What have you been trying to tell me?"
TBC
A/N: What do you think?
Thanks for reading.