It's been too long, but I am back! This chapter will be a bit shorter than the rest, but I felt I owed you at least a little bit! Stay tuned for more coming real soon and sorry about my spontaneous hiatus.

OOO

Alexander lay down next to his wife and never had he been so elated to do so. She looked so small and soft and he found she smelt absolutely ravishing from her bath. Her skin was smooth from the oil and still warm to his touch. He felt his hunger growing and his mind resting. God, he did not want to speak to them again. Idiots, fanatical idiots. Part of him wanted to keep Mina in this room and away from them but he knew his wife well enough to know she absolutely would not allow such a thing.

"How were they?" Mina asked quietly. She turned around, her eyes half open in sleep.

"As expected," he answered, kissing her brow. "They're very anxious to meet you."

"They're very anxious to meet the child, you mean."

"Mina-"

She turned to him, "Just teasing." She placed a soft kiss on his lips and she felt so soft and smelt so wonderful that he was immediately intoxicated. My Mina, he thought as he pressed his nose into her hair. She rested in his arms, her body next to his and he suddenly felt a lot less cross about everything. They had made it. They were safe. Despite the efforts of those that opposed them, they would continue to be safe. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not especially," he mumbled, placing his lips on the top of her head. God, she smelt phenomenal. How he wanted... It mattered not what he wanted. She needed to rest.

"I'm not tired." Mina had heard his thought, damn her, and wrapped her arm around him. "I've rested and I feel wonderful. So you can show me the castle now. Or we can stay in bed..."

"Stay in bed, definitely," he responded as she giggled slightly. God, how he loved her. This had been a good decision. They were safe and they would remain safe here and away from all harm.

It seemed real suddenly, all of this. Mina was his wife and they were together. They were going to have a child. Everything he'd wanted, everything he'd wanted since he was a boy was finally his. Those lost dreams he'd thought impossible were now his. A wife and a child here in his home. It seemed ill-omened to realize it, but he cared not. Mina was his and they were safe. Castle Dracula was theirs and they need not leave it. They'd have their child and their life here. It was the most miraculous thing in the world.

"I believe the child is happy here too." Mina confessed after they had made love. "I know that sounds absolutely mental. It's barely the size of a bean right now, but I think it's happy to be here. It just…feels that way." Her fingers brushed her own stomach, smiling a bit as she did so. He could not help but smile as well and then felt more dread fill him. His wife did not notice.

"Were you happy to see any of them?" She inquired dreamily. "The lot, I mean."

He breathed, "I care not much for any of them."

"Darling-"

"I care for you," he kissed her brow lightly. "And the child."

"Hmm." She breathed and he knew her to be dissatisfied with his answer. Perhaps it was dissatisfying, but it should not have been surprising. He'd told her as much last night. It was true: he didn't care for anything else. Mina was young and idealistic. He often forgot just how very young she was. Too young to know that one need not care for every single being. Just care for very singular beings.

"What am I meant to do?" She asked abruptly and he knew not what she meant. "Here in the castle, I mean. What am I meant to do? Do I run it? I never fathomed I'd be running a castle."

"You needn't do anything at all."

"Do you know me? I cannot just do nothing."

He laughed, "No, I suppose not. I suppose you could take up the castle should you wish to."

"Magda has been doing that," Mina said. "I don't think she likes me very much." He laughed again and of course Mina knew not why. She was so sincere in her confusion that he wanted to kiss her again. It was rare course that his Mina knew not an answer. "Whatever is so funny?"

"Magda has a proclivity towards women, my darling. I surmise she might like you too much."

"You're joking." Mina gasped immediately and he could not stop laughing. She pursed her lips. "You're trying to make me a fool."

He smiled, "Never. It is true of her, I swear it."

"Well," Mina huffed. "To each their own, I suppose. But in a more pertinent sense, I doubt she'll like me taking over her duties so suddenly."

"The castle is yours, not hers."

"Yes," Mina pressed, "but I don't want to make any of them cross if I don't need to. If I am to be a lady of a castle, I want to be a good one."

OOO

A good one she was. Days passed and then weeks and Mina found she was not half-bad at overseeing a household. Well, it was a rather peculiar household she supposed, but a household nonetheless. And things were a bit tricky with sleeping. See, regular business was to be conducted in the mornings, but 'other' business conducted at night. It she slept in the day, she missed human interactions, if she slept in the night, she missed the other part of her life. For now, Magda took care of most nighttime business ordeals. There were far more of them than Mina anticipated.

At first, there was a party of sorts for Dracula's return. Of course he was feigning to be the son-of-a-son-of-a-son-of-a of the man he truly was, but the village seemed interested in him regardless. There was so much business to attend to. Her husband saw to most but there were affairs of state and of taxes and tariffs and things Mina had not even considered. One does not think much of taxes when they think of elopement.

But it was wonderful, yes wonderful. And maybe the others in the castle were a bit…bizarre, but Mina did not care. She was happy. She had not been happy in such a long time. The Protectors were nowhere to be seen and nothing had been heard of them. Mina's baby was wonderful and healthy. She was three months pregnant now and sporting the slightest little bump upon her stomach. Lucy and she had gone down to the village to meet a midwife and all was in order and all was well. Mina had not been so relieved in such a long time.

Alexander was wonderful. Whatever darkness had briefly overtaken him seemed to be gone as soon as they reached his home. He was still aloof and not always as empathetic as she wished him to be, but he was good and good to her and had done nothing else that might set her stomach off. He had done nothing else that was dark or that was evil. He'd been only kind and good and unfailingly wonderful to her, even when the child hurt her or she was cross for no reason. He was so very, very good to her.

The others were…they were fine. Many of them still did not speak to her, but she imagined her husband spooked them rather well when she arrived. So she made a habit to be exceedingly kind to them in the hopes they would not be frightened of her. They were frightened of her husband, that she knew, and he made no effort for them to feel opposingly. Mina supposed that was not a thing to be changed, though their down turned eyes and proclaiming him as 'Master' always made her feel a bit peculiar. They called her 'Mistress' which was also strange, but the regard they had for her seemed one less of fear and more of wonder. Mina couldn't blame them, she supposed. To have a human living among them must be rather novel. A human in her state, well…

But she did not want them to be frightened of her for she did find them so fascinating. Mina spent many hours journaling her findings in the castle. She'd journal about the creatures inside of it and the building itself for it truly was a remarkable structure. A remarkable building that was hers. Living in a castle: it was like a child's fantasy. And the creatures inside were the most remarkable case studies. She'd catch bits and pieces of their stories and write them all down. A true history of vampirism. Mina was certain she'd be the first to pen it all. The strange idiosyncrasies of them, their strange little customs. Mina found them enthralling.

"Are you chronicling all of it?" Alexander asked one day when he came upon her writing. There was ink all over her hands and no doubt all over the rest of her as well. She spent many an hour writing in the library, for the library was beautiful and her favorite room of them all. She'd spend all her days here at times and not even realized how the time had passed.

She shrugged, "I was raised by a scientist: you must always take note of everything."

She reached for the notebook he had taken and set it with the rest. There were at least ten she had filled up now. Father's books were lost to her now so Mina was setting about writing all other things he'd told her from memory. Things Alexander had told her too. And her own personal journal about the child. Her very peculiar child. There were no other records of anything like it, she had looked. Alexander had every book imaginable and there was nothing about it. I shall be the first then, she decided.

"Don't tire yourself," he advised.

"It's just writing," Mina said. Her eyes moved to the crack in the shutters and saw it was night. Time for her to sleep. Time for her to sleep and the dealings of the night be made. Mina wished she could be a part of those. Sleeping was rather futile if it made her miss half of everything. Alexander would tell her what they discussed and what they had done but she still wished she were a part of it. It was one of Mina's many curses, to always feel like she must be doing more.

She blinked, "And the hours have escaped me, I see."

"I'll take you to bed." He offered her his hand and she took it, no doubt staining him with the ink as well.

Another thing Mina missed was him lying with her. He did stay with her often, but she missed having him there all the time. Which was selfish, surely, but she felt it nonetheless. It was not as though he neglected her; no, not at all. He was so wonderful to her, so attentive. If Mina wished for him to stay, wished for him to touch her, he would do so. And they'd steal moments in the daytime, quietly in places no one else was in. She liked those the best, those sudden and interesting moments. But she still wished he'd always be there with her. Which was stupid and extremely selfish.

He helped her undress and helped her wash her arms and face and kissed her so sweetly she wanted him to stay. But tonight, he could not, for tonight there were things to attend to. Duties and all sorts of things that must be done to keep a castle in order. Mina wished to damn the order of it at times. Wished to damn it all straight to hell.

"I would much, much rather be here with you. You must believe me." He said as he kissed her lips deeply.

Mina smiled, "I know."

"But I shall see you when you wake, darling." He kissed her again. "And perhaps when you awake we shall…"

She flushed, "Go to your business, you beast." He smirked and she pushed him away playfully. Soon he was gone and she was alone. Mina was alone and she set her head upon the pillow and touched the small child in her chest. She'd taken up a very silly habit of talking to it as it lay in her. Just little things she'd think to it and wonder if it could hear her. It did not have a name and it did not have a gender, but Mina loved it like she'd loved nothing before. Her wonderful little peculiarity. Her beautiful child.

Mina's life had gone very strangely, she supposed, but it was oh, so wonderful.

OOO

"And where are they now?" Alexander asked the woman with the dark black hair. Magda flicked her eyes to him before pacing to the other side of the table. Her errand boys stood by eagerly, no doubt anticipating some sort of reward for their endeavors. If they were to receive one, it would not be through him. Yet they kept gazing at him, kept staring, like all the unfamiliar young ones did. There were not many inhabitants of Castle Dracula now, and the young ones were the most trying.

Magda spoke, "The two that escaped went to the trees." She pointed to the small map upon the table. A large thicket many miles away she referenced. "The other four were killed."

"None of them must survive." He pressed, like he pressed every night. The two boys shook with their fear of him, while the dark haired woman seemed unmoved.

"The mother is still nowhere to be found." Magda changed the subject matter easily.

"The woman is a witch," Alexander responded dryly. "She'd very good at hiding. She'd here, and she's dangerous. She would not be waiting so long if she did not have a plan."

"We are working at it, Master." Magda stepped back, her two boys gazing at her hungrily. "We've killed more than half their numbers already."

Yes, that he knew. That he would not tell Mina. She was not a fan of killing, but there was little other way to keep her safe. Little other way to guarantee her safety here.

Alexander nodded, "I want the other half dead. I want the whole of them dealt with."

"Of course, Master." Magda spoke with that slight hint of sarcasm that seemed to always permeate her voice. "Soon they will be." She turned to her boys who looked upon her with wide eyes. "Anton and Viago, come with me. Let's leave the Master to his work."

No doubt she'd promised them some sort of reward for they followed her eagerly from the room. She had not been dismissed, but Magda had always been insubordinate in her own right. Too smart for him to be rid of her and too knowledgeable of the land as well. Transylvania had changed much in a century and Magda was important to keep things flowing. Magda knew that as well.

It didn't matter, he'd endure her moods if the need be so and the need was so. He needed her insight to keep the castle afloat. Most importantly, he needed her to keep Mina safe. He'd taken great pains to keep Mina safe. There were always guards upon her. She'd acted strangely about it but relented to humor him. One guard outside her room and several all around the grounds. Every day, groups would go out to hunt The Protectors. Most nights, they were successfully, but the mother still evaded them. He'd imagined as much, that she'd keep evading them. The devil of a woman; Alexander wanted to take care of her himself.

He did not know what to do with her. He knew what he wanted to do with her, but knew not what he would do actually.

Alexander's eyes turned to Mina's journals upon her desk. He leafed through them before during the night, and found them to be just as concise and thorough as he had anticipated. The one about himself did not shy any from any facet of his being. It was rather horrifying, he supposed, the whole history of himself. It did not even turn remotely good until he met her. Even so, Mina laid out every bit of him without the slightest bit of feeling. There were positives, of course, but it was all so very analytical. It was written like the scientist she was.

He picked up another. One written about the other creatures in the castle. These were mostly notes in outlines, but he was surprised by how much she knew of all of them. Their pasts, their histories, their familiars… Their feelings upon himself. They revered him, feared him, and the younger ones thought him something of myth. He wondered when she had come to learn all of these things. In her times along in the castle perhaps she had taken stories from the others. The strangest bit of melancholy hit him for he had not known about any of this. In these past few weeks, everything had been different. Not all of their moments had been spent together. There were things now about her that he did not know. It was peculiar, but not in an awful way.

Alexander heard the door open once again. He sensed her presence without even turning.

"Why are you awake, darling?" He said, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could muster. Mina walked nearer, placing her hand lightly upon his shoulder. He wondered how she knew he'd needed her, but did not care the reason.

Mina spoke, "I could not sleep. I had a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" He asked, turning to see her. Mina stood gazing at him in her long white nightdress and bright red gown. She nodded slowly.

"They're common in pregnancy, don't be concerned." She smiled slightly and brushed past him before he could stop her. Mina glanced at the map upon the table. Of course she knew they were searching for the protectors, and no doubt she knew what they were doing when they found them, but that was not something they ever spoke upon. Mina was one for morality and life, but in strategy such things must be set aside. Mina knew that, he knew, but she did not much like to discuss it.

She turned, "Are you reading my journals?" Mina pulled the book from his fingers. "These are mine; do not read them. I have not finished them."

"They're very good," he said and she smirked at him. "When have you taken note of all their stories?" He said in reference to the book she held.

Mina shrugged, "From themselves of from Lucy, usually. Most do not usually wish to talk to me, but I can be persuasive." She gave a light smile and he wondered why she had truly come down from her bed. "So is this what you do as I sleep?" Mina teased as she sauntered about the room. "You come down here and read my journals?"

"I have not read most," he countered as he moved nearer. Mina raised a quizzical brow. "Though I did too read the one about myself."

She scoffed, "Of course you did." And she paced back away from him again. "And what did you think?"

"It's concise."

"I try to be," Mina agreed. She turned to face him and had not realized he'd come so close. Mina laugh, leaning back upon a desk. "Histories can be so dull. I find it best to reach the point."

Reach the point, he thought as he touched her arm softly. Her history of him was not one exceptionally pleasant or forgiving. She'd wrote down every gross detail he'd given, every bit of everything.

"What?" She inquired as he moved closer to her.

"It's very...factual," he responded.

Mina pursed her lips, "It's a history, not a record of my feelings towards you." She relented with a smile and a soft touch of his cheek. "That would not be of much interest to historians."

He rested a hand upon her thigh but still thoughts were running in his mind. A concise book of her feelings towards him would be very nice, but Alexander knew that to be a pipe dream. He had perhaps hoped that's what he would find in the book, but no such look. Mina was always so very reserved about any sort of feeling, though he did feel fiendishly prideful that she confided most of them in him. In seeing her with others, he saw it more so. Most affections and intimacies were reserved solely for him. She'd flush if others saw them. Yes, there was no way she'd pen any sort of feeling into a book.

She kissed him, "You're exhausted, Alexander. Come to bed with me."

He always very much liked when she said that, but his mind reeled regardless. He was very certain he would not rest well until the mother was found and was dealt with. He wasn't entirely sure how he planned to deal with her, but several morbid options came into his mind... She is Mina's mother. You must not do anything rash. She is Mina's mother.

He spoke, "I'm all right, darling. I don't need sleep."

"Yes," Mina agreed, "but you need rest." And as she spoke, her lithe fingers stroked his face and her soft lips pressed upon his. "Come to bed. The work can wait." She kissed him again, her legs lightly intertwining with his own. "And I miss you."

She knew exactly what she was doing, the teasing woman, and she knew precisely that he could not deny her. Yes, she knew very well he was completely wrapped around her finger and was now using that against him. He kissed her regardless, for she was his wife and he adored her, and the kisses grew heavier as they moved to her neck and his hands pressed down against her legs. His fangs were protruding from his gums and her blood seemed to sing to him like a loud pounding in his ears. How he needed her. Alexander kissed up her jaw and upon her ear and moved his mouth down upon her neck-

Mina rebuked him, "Come to bed." She gave the command while pushing him away from her pale and pulsing skin. She gave a smirk of a smile before sliding from the desk and away from him.

"You little coquette." He called her and she laughed beneath her breath. Her hand he caught before she could venture too far away and he pulled her near and kissed her again. He could still feel her prideful smirk against him as he embraced her. As he moved his hand along her, he felt that slight raised section of her chest. The child. Their child. It was insane, but it was true. Their child. He kissed deeper against her skin and wanted to have her right now. But she was teasing and ran her fingers through his hair and then broke apart from him.

Mina grinned, "Come to bed." Her hands wrapped in his. "I miss having you there."

"I know, darling," he said. He missed it too. He missed their little room in Paris and not having work or the others or anything to be concerned with but her. He smiled, "Fine. You win, my dearest."

She smiled and kissed him once more and realized he was quite happy with his decision. Mina was right, of course, he did need rest. He'd been spending every hour of every day attending to business and it was growing tedious. His moments with his wife had grown to be far too few: he missed her. He missed her though he was with her every day. He wanted to steal her away: far, far away and no one would ever find them again.

The door opened, "Master?" Mina broke from her husband abruptly, her cheeks shining a bright red. Magda quickly realized her presence and bowed her head. "Mistress. Forgive me, I did not know you were here."

"That's all right, Magda," Mina responded. She stepped away from him, leaving what he assumed she felt was the polite distance, and gave a small smile. The woman straightened herself, giving a concise look to the two of them.

She spoke, "I need to speak with you, Master. It's a matter or some urgency."

It seemed like Mina meant to inquire if these words were for her ears as well but Alexander spoke before she could herself.

"Say it then," Alexander said.

"We found two men nearing the grounds. Two of The Protectors."

Alexander could feel his wife tensing in anticipation next to him.

"A man under strong compulsion," Magda explained. Her eyes looked at Alexander in a knowing way. Renfield. The madman must be Renfield. Alexander had cut all ties from the beast but it seemed her retained his dedication. "And a boy."

"What boy?" Mina pressed immediately. Jonathan Harker, Alexander thought darkly. His wife looked to Magda with great concern and Alexander's heart was filled with vitriol. His last memory of that man was of him holding to Mina and keeping her away from Alexander. Then the boy found a way to permeate Mina's mind and warn him of Alexander. Jonathan Harker was not a character Alexander very much liked at all.

Magda continued, "We did not take their names, Mistress." A slight smirk was in her voice as she said it. "We have taken them to the cells, Master, for your word." Her eyes traveled back to his wife. "He is a young boy, Mistress. Not much older than yourself. Light hair and a gangly build."

"Might we see them?" Mina asked quickly, for it must be John. Alexander knew it must be him. Magda looked to him for a word, but he dismissed her with a slight head nod. His wife immediately turned to him, and whatever melancholy she had felt early seemed to have faded. "Alexander, it must be him. He and Renfield."

"Yes," he agreed. Her bright blue eyes kept looking to him and he knew what she was wishing. "But I don't trust it, Mina. I do not want you near them."

"But you will be with me," Mina countered. Her hands rested on his arms as she drew nearer to him. "And in that vision I had, John was trying to warn me about everything. I do not think they mean us ill."

"I don't trust it," he pressed again. "I don't trust Renfield either."

She was formulating an argument for Mina did not ever wish to speak without a clear, concise point. But he could not allow this no matter what she said. Not even for matters of jealousy, though there were matters of jealously, but for her safety. This could easily be some kind of ruse, some kind of a trap. Some convoluted way to plant them in their midst while the others come for Mina. He could not… He would not allow anything to happen to her.

He breathed, "Give me the night. Give me the night alone with them to figure out why they have come here and then you can go to them."

"Alexander-"

"I mean this not as any sort of attack or commentary upon yourself. I trust you to be safe, Mina. I do not trust them. Give me the night with them and in the morning you shall speak to them."

She paused for a long moment, leaving him feeling rather rotten thought he was not sure why. Eventually, she nodded and he placed a kiss upon her brow before engulfing her in his arms. And I'm sorry about our night, he thought to her and felt her smile upon his chest. Tomorrow, I shall spend the entire night with you. I swear it. Mina smiled again, pulling back from his arms and kissing him.

She sighed, "Who is to nanny me tonight, then?"

He raised a brow.

"I know you will not leave me alone while strange men are in the castle. Who shall you leave in charge me while you are with them?" Teasingly, she moved to her toes and kissed him again.

He answered, "I was considering Lucy to stay with you."

"See," she began. "I knew you'd fix one of them to stay with me."

He sensed the slight displeasure in her voice but the feeling same to fade when her friend appeared and walked her back to her bedroom. He knew Mina was unhappy. Not horrendously unhappy, but unhappy nonetheless. She was unhappy to be kept under lock and key and supervision while here in the castle. He'd promised her freedom in Transylvania, and freedom is not what he had given her. She was a prisoner. Not a morbid one, but a prisoner regardless. He despised himself for it, but there was no way around it. No way if he wanted her safe and he so desperately wanted her safe.

But he could not think of these things now. He joined Magda in the hall and went on to the lower levels on the castle. Alexander went down in the dungeons and catacombs that had once been his kingdom. Down into the pitch darkness that once he had thrived in. It felt far too comfortable an environment. He wished he'd gone with his wife. Gone with his wife to bed when she had asked him. Why had he not gone immediately? Any man would've gone without hesitation: why did he hesitate?

She is noble and beautiful and good and I belong down here with the mold and the rats.

"They are here, Master." Magda said and Alexander could see them. Renfield and Jonathan Harker.

The boy spoke first, "Where is Mina?"

Alexander said nothing.

"I wish only to see Mina."