A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
The third of the four chapters I'm posting tonight.
Please let me know what you think.
Chapter 51: Test
"I'm late." She whispered. Waiting for him to be angry or annoyed or something... Instead she just received confusion. She could have laughed at the way his face furrowed in complete confusion, he looked even more adorable and naïve.
"What do you mean late? Late for what?"
There just had to be a culture barrier in there somewhere didn't there?
"I mean I haven't had my…" She tried to find a word, ending up with two, but she wanted one he would understand. "Monthly cycle."
He leaned closer to her, he knew it was something private and instinctively came closer to stop others from overhearing. "Your period?" He asked, Erin nodded thankful he understood. "And you think it might mean that you're pregnant?" He didn't patronise her, he could never patronise her and for that Erin was grateful. She nodded, she would never have said she wouldn't come with him if she believed she wasn't.
"My last period was about two weeks before we…" She gestured between them, she never felt comfortable saying the word. It was just over two weeks before their first time give or take a couple of days. "We were together that week, then we didn't…" She gestured again making him smile at her modesty, "The four or five days before my accident." He nodded, "Then I was out of it for six days, I've only been awake for the last five or so days."
He was managing to keep track of it so far. "When should you have had it?" He asked her softly, brushing her hair back.
"When I was attacked. The first three days." She had a light period compared to other women, something she was thankful for when she came to live with them. "And I didn't bleed during that time did I?" She asked him outright. He shook his head, there wasn't the scent of her blood during any of the time she was unconscious. Erin knew she was right, in her drawers there had been the exact number of tampons and towels as there had been at the end of her last period and there was no evidence of blood on any piece of her underwear. "I've never missed one until now."
Vlad cupped her cheek, trying to stop her from panicking, "Erin you can't be pregnant."
"But what if I am?" Her voice was terrified as she tried to think it through. The numbers just didn't add up, every time she calculated it the numbers didn't match it was over five weeks since her last period.
"Erin it's impossible." He couldn't ignore the fear on her face, there was only one way to make her believe him. His face softened, he could see this was worrying her, especially if she was considering not going with him to spare him from the opinions of his kind. "It's probably because you were hurt." She didn't seem that convinced and there was one thing he could do to ease her fears. "Do you want to get it checked?"
She shook her head, there was no way she could get it checked. "We can't go to Renfield…" Renfield would let it slip if she was and she didn't want that.
"The breather way will work." They shared the same hormones as vampires that made the test indicate pregnancy or not.
"Will it?" She asked him, he nodded stepping closer to her. She closed her eyes and smiled in relief.
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Erin had never thought she could be doing this. Children were impossible unless Vlad turned her yet here she was desperate to get a test so she could find out for sure. She was thankful Vlad hadn't laughed it off but had decided to show her that it was impossible. He was probably right it was her accident that had changed things temporarily. This would ease her mind though seeing the negative reading on the pregnancy test.
There were tests on both sides of the aisle in this store; each one was different somehow although she was sure that every single one worked in exactly the same way. She lowered herself down gingerly, taking care not to lose her balance with the crutches. She reached out for one of the tests, intent on looking at the back of it.
"Erin, what are you doing here?" Erin jumped back, forgetting she was on crutches and crashing back into the unit behind knocking some of the things to the floor. Alex McCauley dove to help her, straightening the younger woman back up. Erin nodded to her in thanks. Erin looked upwards seeing Miss McCauley looking at her – she was the last person she'd thought to encounter especially past midnight. She looked at the tests Erin had knocked to the floor, "Are you in trouble?"
"No." Erin answered while doing her best to maintain the head teacher's gaze.
"Then why are you in this aisle?" She couldn't see any reason for Erin to be there. Her gaze lowered to Erin's stomach, the young woman was living with Vlad and his family so she expected there to be something going on between them. "You can talk to me you know, it won't go any further."
While Erin liked the headmistress Alex McCauley often took things for what they weren't. Erin remembered clearly the arguments between Vlad and the Count when she first arrived concerning Vlad 'being bullied'. She wouldn't accept that he wasn't and made assumptions, she didn't want the Count being involved early before it was necessary if she was pregnant.
Erin answered quickly, "Vlad left me here for a few minutes." Erin smiled at her. "He's getting me some painkillers." Vlad had felt uncomfortable with all the glances women were shooting him while he stood next to Erin. He didn't know much about this and eventually Erin had sent him off to fetch something and painkillers were the first things that came into her mind.
Alex McCauley looked at Erin, she looked tired and seemed to be holding as much weight as she could on her crutches. She seemed to understand that Erin possibly couldn't hobble any further and would need to sit down soon.
As if on cue Vlad appeared behind her, "I got you panadol," He looked at the offending breather medicine and Erin laughed it was as if it was garlic from the way he was looking at it. "I think you should be okay with it, vam…"
"Thanks!" Erin cut in quickly before Alex could pick up on Vlad's words. His head snapped up at her quick interruption. She took the box off him, she'd never taken breather medicine before but she didn't want to keep relying on Renfield's concoctions either.
Vlad looked at Miss McCauley, nodding to Erin thanking her for interrupting him before he said something he couldn't back down from. He wasn't sure about the painkillers in his hand, they didn't work for vampires and Erin didn't know what to take so he'd found paracetamol. They were mild strength, if she was okay with them he'd get her some stronger ones. Vlad came to her side smiling at the head teacher, Erin looked relieved he'd come at that point. "Are you sure everything's okay?" She asked looking between them.
Erin nodded feeling more comfortable as Vlad placed his hand on the small of her back. "I'm just sore." She answered.
"If you're sure." She didn't fully believe Erin but there was no reason for her not to doubt her. Pain made people act in different ways and this was probably just Erin's way with coping with it. Erin hadn't lied when she'd said Vlad was getting her painkillers so she supposed that Vlad must have left her there to rest. "I'll see you at school on Monday."
They both forced smiles and nodded. Alex nodded accepting their acknowledgement, she hesitated for a few moments debating whether to pry any more but she couldn't think of anything else to say.
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Erin breathed a sigh of relief as Miss McCauley left them alone. She followed the older woman with her eyes
She leaned over to the middle shelf, snatching one of the tests off it and twirling it in her fingers.
"Is that the one you want?" He asked looking down at the box she held in her hand. It was a plain box, it had hardly any pink on it what so ever unlike so many of the tests next to it. It had the typical picture of a pregnant woman on it and a picture of what the test looked like.
"I think so." She answered,
He gestured with his head towards the tills, "Do you want me to get it?" He was trying to save her any embarrassment buying it. It was a sensible thing to buy but he knew that she would feel embarrassed. She shook her head, "Maybe you should get two, just in case one's wrong." Erin nodded, it was a good idea and she pulled another one from the shelf.
"Will you come with me?" She asked sounding like a child. Vlad was surprised she had to even ask.
He kissed her neck lightly, "You know I will."
They slowly hobbled their way over to the counter, Vlad wished he could carry her but Erin wouldn't let him do that in public. Erin leaned on the counter as Vlad hovered behind her, the cashier – a woman in her early fifties – gave Vlad a harsh look as she looked at the two tests that she scanned. She deliberately took her time to see how much the couple would squirm.
"I hope you know your options." She muttered under her breath towards Erin, the young slayer's hands shook at what she'd said. Erin knew what choices there were for her out there.
As soon as she could she snatched the bag from the cashier as she paid for the items. She couldn't bear being in that shop a moment longer.
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Erin opened her eyes stepping away from Vlad as she fought to stop her head from spinning from the flight. It never used to affect her like that.
She looked down at the bag she held in her hands. "I don't want to do this near your family." She told him quietly. She didn't want to risk them finding out what she was up to. He nodded, hoisting her into his arms. She let out a squeal at the sudden motion. "Where are we going?" She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He looked down at her, beginning to walk through the corridors. It was easier for him to carry her like this; he knew her leg was hurting her. "The bathroom in the other wing." He knew it was kept clean, it was for any guests that might stay with them.
They seemed to get there quickly, Erin had never been through this part of the school before and she was surprised to see how heavily furnished it was as they rounded the corners. There were tapestries, paintings and a variety of furniture from different eras.
Suddenly they walked through a door to a large bathroom, the floor was marble, black and white. There was a beautiful, large stainless steel, white bath in the corner. It was big enough to hold at least two people. The toilet was ice white and the sink was just as Spartan.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" He asked her softly. Erin shook her head, making love was one thing but taking the test in front of him was something different. He kissed her forehead lightly. "I'll wait outside."
Erin nodded, as he carefully set her down on the floor. She grasped the sink with her left hand to steady herself.
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The waiting was beginning to make him nervous, he moved back and forth. He knew the answer but it didn't make the waiting any easier for him. He looked down at his watch, his keen eyes seeing the display in the dim light. He knocked on the door before pushing it open. He winced, ducking his head down as the change in light make his eyes burn.
Vlad cautiously entered the bathroom, he saw Erin sitting perched on the edge of the bath. She looked up at him, her eyes were unreadable.
He stopped directly in front of her, "So?" Vlad asked her, he needed her to see for herself that it wasn't possible. She reached with a shaky hand for his and laced their fingers.
Vlad followed her actions even more confused.
Everything became crystal clear in a matter of seconds.
As she placed his hand on her stomach.
TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading.
