It's almost the end. Damn, this chapter just about near killed me emotionally. I have to come to terms with the fact that this story is just about over. I hope that you all enjoyed this.

...

Vlad watched her as she laughed and played with Ben. They seemed so happy like the terrifying ordeal they had faced not too long ago was far from their minds. It almost made this part a little easier for him. Knowing that she would have Ben to look after and now her own sister, he knew that she wouldn't have enough time to worry about him. Vlad took notice of Ben slowing down, and waited as she lifted him up and sang him his special lullaby.

Shortly after he faded, she commented, "Why are you hiding all the way over there?" She turned his way with that loving smile of hers.

Vlad came out of the shadows, a bittersweet smile on his face. "Hello Desmoira."

"You're leaving," she replied, not even asking as a sadness crept into her voice.

"You are your grandmother's girl," he chuckled, "I can't pull anything past you, can I?"

"What's going on?" she asked, "Maybe I can help?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. This is something that I must deal with on my own."

"But why?" she insisted.

He pulled her into a hug. "There are some things that you won't be able to help with, Desmoira. Sometimes, sometimes we all just have to face our demons on our own, and I shall be facing mine whenever he decides to strike. If you still wish to help, then you may help by keeping me in your heart, but you won't have enough time to worry about me, not with Ben and your new sibling."

With a violent shake of her head, she gave him a heart-wrenching look. "I have plenty of time for you."

"Desmoira, I know that you want to help, but this is my responsibility and I must deal with it," he stated, "I might even come out of this the better for it."

"Doesn't mean I have to like the idea of you leaving us," she muttered. "I know this sounds cheesy as hell, but you're a part of our ohana now. Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. Family sticks together. Just because I don't see you, Hannah or Ben in the waking world doesn't make any of you less important than the family I have in the waking world."

"Then you know that I am doing this for your protection," he responded, "both yours and Hannah's."

"Still doesn't mean I have to like it. Nor does Hannah. Does she know you're abandoning us?" She gave him a steely-eyed glare that made her look even more her grandmother in miniature.

"Not yet," he confessed.

"She won't like this either. What is it that's so dangerous you have to leave us behind?"

"It's my son, Desmoira," he admitted. "One of my oldest subjects warned me that my son plans to take my command by force. I don't know when, I don't know how, all I know is that my subject saw me without my head and stakes in my heart."

She regarded him silently, a serious yet thoughtful expression on her face. "So, you're leaving us to fight the little snot and keep him away from us. I swear, if he ends up taking your head and staking you, I'm shoving a stake where the sun don't shine, even more so for him. Hannah will probably help."

"He'll learn that it will take more than that to keep me down," he chuckled. "I'm not afraid of my son or his plans."

"You'd better come back alive. Well, as alive as you can, considering that you're undead and all," she jested lightly, cracking a small smile.

"That's my girl," he reassured, pulling her into his arms.

She hugged him back tightly, unwilling to let him go just yet. "I mean it, come back in hopefully one piece. I'll introduce you to my sister and then you can have another little girl to watch over besides us. We can show her the Dream Realm; show her what you showed us. Without all the fighting and such."

"I would like that very much," he inhaled.

"Let's hope Ben doesn't get jealous," her voice sounded thick, like she was trying to hold back tears.

"I think he'd be more jealous of Luka and that other fellow that you've swooned over," he gave a breathy chuckle.

"Hey now, I haven't swooned over anyone!" She protested, no doubt pouting.

"Are you sure? No English gentleman?"

"Mean. He's cute, but I'll probably never see him again. Why pine over what you can't have? He'll forget me and think I was only a fever dream."

"He'll only forget for so long," Vlad informed her.

"I'll never see him again. It's best he forget and not drive himself mad looking for me."

"Be careful," Vlad warned, "Those words might come back to haunt you."

"Power of words, I know. I don't want you to go. Heh, Grandmama once asked if you had asked me to go with you; what would I have said? I told her no, because I didn't really have a reason to leave. But you're leaving us now, so my answer changed. I think Hannah and I would both go with you if you asked us again. But we can't, not this time."

"No, no you can't," he whispered, trying to be strong for her.

"I'll be sure to tell my sister lots of stories of you, so when you do come back, she'll go right for the cape and poke at your fangs like I did. Though I'll warn her that we don't play Ring around the Rosie with a vampire in the middle."

He chuckled.

"I don't want to let go. Because if I let go, you'll disappear."

"I'll always keep my eye on you," he promised, "It is one of the few things that I promised your grandmother."

"I'm glad," she whispered softly. Slowly and with great reluctance, she let him go and stepped away. The meaning in her actions was clear. She was accepting that he was going to leave and was letting him go. She was going to be strong.

He gave her a sad smile. "I will miss you, Desmoira."

She returned the smile, brushing some locks of her hair behind her ear. "I'm going to miss you too, Vlad."

"When you do see me again, remember the good times?" he asked. He didn't know why he asked this, but he felt it pertinent.

"Always. Bad memories aren't worth remembering. They're like a storm that never leaves."

"Then until we meet again." He turned away.

"See you later..." her voice echoed softly like the sound of a gentle breeze before it faded away. She watched the spot from where he had banished, the tears she had held back were now falling freely down her cheeks. She sensed it would be a long time before she ever saw him again.

Vlad appeared in front of the fountain that Gwen enjoyed spending time near. Gwen was nowhere to be seen, but he knew that she would be along shortly. He wasn't sure he could tell her goodbye so soon after telling Desmoira.

Vlad started pacing, he didn't want to do this, not yet. However, after what he had almost done, he couldn't hold it off any longer. He would have needed to do it anyway with his deadline coming up with his son, but he had wanted to put it off a little while longer before then. He knew that he couldn't though, or else he'd do something that he would regret.

He just prayed that he would be able to get through this before word got to Mab. He knew that she would have his very fangs for what he almost committed, and if he was being honest with himself, he'd almost pull them himself to save her the effort.

He growled when trying to think back on the good times. All they did were remind him of what he had almost done in thanks to those good memories. "Typical Dracula, typical vampire, only good for biting and not much else." Those words were sour on his tongue, but they played over and over again in his head in the voices of those who hunted him, those who despised him, and now his own voice joined the ranks. It made him stumble into a seat holding his head in his hands.

"I'm nothing more than a monster," he muttered, "I am despicable."

"Hey now, that might be a bit harsh," Gwen commented, placing a gentle hand on the crown of his head. "You're no more despicable than the next man."

"But I'm not a man, Hannah," he groaned, "not anymore."

"Shh," she shushed him, sitting next to him and pulling him into her arms.

She laid his head against her shoulder and he didn't fight her. He didn't think he had the strength to fight all that much anymore. He wondered if age finally managed to catch up to him, if at least mentally. For the first time in a long while, he just felt mentally and physically exhausted. He found himself listening to her steady heartbeat as she stroked his hair. It started to draw him in just like before. He forced himself to pull away from her.

"Hannah, we need to talk," he choked out.

"What's wrong?" She looked up at him.

He took in a deep breath that he found he needed with a small sense of irony. It shouldn't be this hard. It had never been before. Why was this time so different?

"Hannah, I'm afraid that I won't be around for a while," he managed to get out.

"What?" He could hear the confusion creeping in.

"Some things are happening in my world, and I'm afraid that they will affect my being able to see either you or Des." Well, it was at least half true, but he couldn't tell her that he almost betrayed her just like Nightmare had.

"Oh… I suppose if it can't be helped." He could see her start to pull away into herself. He figured it to be a defense mechanism any foster child would have, but he had hoped that he would never be the cause for her to use it.

He gripped her chin and made her look him in the eye. "I will always be there when you need me most, angel-mine. Until then, I need you to be strong for me because I'll need that strength of yours to get me through the trials I have ahead." He gave her a sad smile, trying to keep a brave face for her.

She wrapped her arms around him and sniffled, "I'm going to miss you, Vlad."

Hesitant at first, he wrapped his arms around her as well. "I'll miss you too, Hannah."

"Will you hold me until I fade?" she asked, tightening her grip just a bit.

"I would love to, but…" He had to steel himself for a moment to avoid from breaking in front of her. Normally, he didn't mind showing her weakness, she never held it against him, but if he showed any weakness now, he end them both right that very moment. "If I don't let you go now, Hannah… I might never let you go, and I can't be selfish like Nightmare, I can't keep you."

He forced himself to pull away. He couldn't bear the tears streaming down her face, but the smile surprised him. He let her place her hands on his cheeks and pull him down as she placed a gentle kiss on his brow.

"Remember this place," she said, "This is where I'll be waiting. This is where I'll always love you."

"I promise," Vlad breathed.

...

MsN sulking in corner.

Alucard: Don't.

Chase: But our...

Snape: Don't prod the author when she's mopey. *whispers* She might kill you or worse.

Chase: Worse?

Alucard & Snape: *whisper* Tentacles.

Chase: O_o'