Hello again, my dear readers. I apologise for such a long waiting time, but was so overworked lately that I simply had no strength to put my ideas on a paper. I was planning a longer chapter, though the planned addition will mostly create a short chapter focusing mostly on our 2 adult vampires, meanwhile, this is dedicated more to our favourite vampire babies and a precious family time...

It's first Sunday of the month and as it became already a tradition, it's time for a movie night. Movie roulette and the little ones are waiting just for Dracula, who would never guess what the evening could bring ...

Enjoy the reading, my dear Dragathas!

Chapter 26: Cinema night

The 1st semester is over and the twins are finally rewarded by a short, 7 day-off midterm holidays that they are adequately spending with their parents to the fullest. Zoo visit. Dinosaurs' exhibition in London. Three days trip to Paris ... All well-deserved treats for the first 6 months attending the kindergarten. In Agatha's eyes, the time really flies faster than ever. At least, the last 5 and something years that brought Dracula back to her life. Crossing the milestone of 4 years of age, Agatha and Dracula decided that their kids are old enough to join a collective of their peers. Not surprisingly, the one with the most issues to get used to this new reality was Dracula himself, that simply got used to having them near and under the watch of his (or Agatha's) protective eyes anytime, the entire day. It took a month or two until he accepted that his children are not such little babies anymore and would definitely prosper emotionally and psychologically when playing with another kids. Now even the warlord sees the positives as he has more time for his work and Agatha, when they are both at home without the little ones and have time for each other. Well, kids love the new environment, however are happy as well, that these 5 days they don't have to wake up so soon and travel daily to London and back. Dracula even came with the proposition few months back to move to London temporarily, at least for the work days, but the little ones refused the at the first glance attractively looking plan, once they learned that Luna, Lesana and Ares would have to stay at their Manor. All of them or no one will move. That's what the little ones said. Now, the 4th day of their holidays nears its end and the twins want just one thing. Their father, without whom the Saturday movie cannot start. In their eyes, he should already be at home from his shopping. (Balaur Blood Bank is though not on their supermarket-home route). Alexander once again gets from the couch in the cinema room and walks toward the large windows, that are shadowed by heavy curtains. He as well as his sister who now helps their mother in the kitchen are eagerly waiting for their father. The little boy understands already that mom and dad have to work to provide them with all the toys and food ... as he was explained in the kindergarten, though today, at the first Saturday of the month, the entire Balaur family is supposed to have a movie night. Looking outside, the boy can see no approaching figure and that's not caused by the darkness outside. Little boyar could describe each and every detail of anything outside as he never had an issue to see in the dark. Now, he sighs and leaves the cinema room, heading to the kitchen.

- Still no trace of pappa. - he informs his sister and mother and joins them at the counter. Popcorn is already prepared. - Will he come today? Isn't he lost? Maybe we should go outside and look for him. -

- Pappa will never get lost, Alex. - Aurora voices her opinion and crawls down form the countertop. - What do you say, mommy? -

- Don't worry, sweethearts. - not even glancing outside through the kitchen windows, Agatha can feel that her husband is close to their home. - Pappa will come any minute now. - she can already smell his tempting fragrance in the distance. According to her judgment, he might be now driving through the gates. Aurora sighs in relief, though her brother´s impatience grows.

- How do you know, mommy? - Alexander asks again, though his little heart doesn't doubt Agatha's words. She is never wrong. Agatha simply shrugs her shoulders and smiling wide, repeats those words that the little ones heard already many times.

- Because I can feel your pappa no matter where he is. - and to widen the smile of her children, she adds: - My heart does. - a moment later, the brakes of Dracula's car can be heard and little Balaur twins jump from joy, hurrying to the entrance hall, greeting their father and hurrying him to the cinema room...movie night can start ...

-/-

The animated lottery wheel stops spinning and the little arrow points at the winning movie.

- What are we going to watch, pappa? - 4-years old Alexander asks his father to read him the name of the winning cartoon movie that appears on the big screen. Definitely he spots an enormous castle and several strangely looking people. And a wolf dressed in a shirt. Dracula's face basically freezes in a shocked grimace.

- Ehm. - he tilts his head to the left, once again scanning the picture in front of him. Honestly, he watched hundreds (at least in his opinion) animated fairy tales with his kids, some of them quite absurd and unrealistic, though never did he saw something so alarming as the result on the screen. His mind immediately browses in his memories the list of Dracula's movies he knows about. - Hotel Transylvania. - Dracula rather reads and looks back at his son. Alexander's eyes widen, he opens his mouth.

- Transylvania? - he repeats and rejoices. - I am a prince od Transylvania! - and not wanting for confirmation or reassurance that this title really belongs to him and thus he is right, he jumps from the comfy couch and runs to the kitchen to help his mother and sister to bring the large popcorn bowl.

- We are going to watch Hotel Transylvania tonight! - all the walls of the Balaur Manor seem to repeat his words.

- Transylvania?! - Aurora's reaction is almost identical. Sparkles of joy are lit in her eyes as well, she starts jumping at the spot, looking at her mom.

- I am a princess there, mommy. - and she wraps her arms around Agatha's tight, just like Alexander a moment later.

- What a strange name for a fairy-tale. - Agatha's reaction is not as joyful. - Are you sure, pappa looked in the correct section? - according to her modest opinion, such a name would suit a horror movie. After all, Transylvania was always linked to the legends of Count Dracula, vampires and other creatures of the night. Nevertheless, Alexander nods and releases his mother. Immediately he changes his posture, looking like a little aristocrat, the grimace of importance and intelligence on his face.

- Yes mommy, it will be a fairy-tale about my kingdom. -

- And mine too, Alex! - Aurora protests immediately and joins him, pretending to be the noble princess as well.

- Our kingdom. - the boy corrects himself and taking the hand of his younger sister hurries back to the cinema room.

- Mommy, hurry too! - Agatha just furrows though takes the large bowl of popcorn that only her kids will eat and follows them with a slower pace to their favourite family room. There she finds Dracula with the same perplexed look as he stares directly on the screen, meanwhile the twins impatiently wiggle on the couch and speculate together what the story might be about, already seeing that majestic castle, that both adults immediately recognize, although it does not represent the one, they own.

- See, mommy?! - Alexander immediately points his index finger on the large, majestic, stone colossus. - There is a castle and funny looking people. - he giggles at the appearance of Frank, just like Aurora whose attention was caught by another character.

- And a wolfie in a shirt! Funny. - she starts to laugh. It's amusing. Immediately, Aurora tries to picture her Lesana or Alexander's Ares in human clothes. - Play it, pappa. - the youngest members of the family cannot wait to discover all the details of the movie. Dracula, however, hesitates. Well, it's a fairy-tale, so no horror like scenes should be there, definitely he can omit the probability of murders or any horror details from the movies the world made about him, though he still isn't prepared to see himself in a supposed ridiculed version. And not only that ...

- What do you think, Agatha? - he rather asks, quite curious if she shares this opinion too. Her facial expression is too neutral and at this moment frustratingly unreadable.

- Well. - she read the short description ... it's another story of Count Dracula, this time children friendly and Agatha as well as their children is very curious how anyone could depict her husband as a fairy-tale character. - I don't see a reason to skip this movie. Play it, darling. - and she sits next to her surprised husband, immediately being climbed by the twins who cannot wait for the popcorn and the movie alike. Once seated, the movie is turned on and Dracula's anxiety grows...

-/-

Twins, sitting between their parents are sharing the large half-empty bowl and giggling, they simply love the movie playing on the big screen. The animation is captivating and the characters are so well written, that according to the thrilled reaction and outbursts of laugh, the main characters of this movie are surely becoming their favourites. Little ones are every now and then pointing at the screen, clamouring and laughing even though only 30 minutes have passed. Then, out of nothing, Alexander unsuspiciously leans towards his sister and starts whispering. Aurora listens with an unpretended interest, and eventually, eyes of the little princess wide and her lips emit a silent, yet not unnoticed, gasp.

- What are you two up to? - Agatha asks averting her eyes from the cartoon persona of her husband, giving the duo a suspicious yet amused gaze. Being caught by the crime, two little faces start to blush and promptly look at their mother and father alike.

- Well, - Alexander shrinks his shoulders and gives a quick look to his sister, that copies his facial expression. - Aurora and I think that...- none of the twins had issue voicing their thoughts or opinion before, never hesitating or keeping any secrets, yet now ...

- That what, my little boyar? - Dracula joins the discussion as well, so Alexander just breathes out all the unnecessary air he was holding and presents his observation aloud.

- Pappa, it's you, isn't it? - and to be more specific (because he interprets the startled look of his father as misunderstanding), Alexander adds: - Count Dracula. - the moment of truth ... this time, the adults look at each other uneasily, smiles slowly fading away from their faces ... what's more, Count's tanned skin almost loses all its colour.

- Mommy called you like that once or twice. - even Aurora joins the explanation and sensing the tense atmosphere, stands up to reassuringly embrace her father around the neck at least with one arm. Dracula pauses the movie. - Right, mommy? - Agatha sighs empty and ... there's no sense to lie, after all. Many times, have the Balaurs been persuaded about the intelligence of their offspring and persistence when they want to get answers.

- Yes, love. I call pappa like that. - Agatha answers instead of her silent (unusually and unexpectedly) husband. Honestly, she thought he would gladly reveal his true identity as soon as possible.

- So? - the prince of Transylvania raises questioningly his eyebrows and curiously checks the resemblance of appearances one more time. - Are you the real Count Dracula, pappa? - Alexander finally gets to the most important point and secretly wishes that the answer will be "yes".

- Since you ask so kindly. - as it seems, he has no other option than just admitting it. Looking at Agatha, who in fact already confirmed it, he confirms Alexander's and Aurora's observation. - Yes, my little ones, I am Count Dracula. - the Transylvanian warlord couldn't guess what kind of a reaction to await, but definitely he would not expect such an outburst of joy and true happiness. Both children jump on straight legs and happily start dancing around the table. Amused Agatha must laugh, though Dracula ... well he is a bit lost.

- And pappa, are you a vampire too? - Aurora suddenly asks and quickly climbs the knees of her father, embracing him around the neck again, quickly and easily finding the two little scars.

- What would you say, honey? - Count Dracula finally smiles, relief finding its way again to his dead, nevertheless no longer cold, heart.

- Hm. - Aurora looks at him thoroughly, eventually nodding with a wide smile, eyes full of hope. - Yes. - and again, she looks at the paused picture, where the fairy-tale personification of her father suffers just at the dawn. - But you like the sun. - the summer they have spent at the South of France is an enough proof. Constantly sunbathing, enjoying the games in sand or learning to swim are adequate evidences ... not to mention the daily walks outside...

- You can be a vampire, pappa. - almost immediately, Alexander joins his sister and the knees of Count are fully occupied. - A special one that likes the sun. -

- Really? - the older vampire smiles and caresses his little angels, who nod in unison.

- That would be great. - Alexander adds, hoping that since his father would be a vampire, he might be one too.

- Do you think so? - finally, the playfulness of the legendary vampire is back ...

- Yes, because that would mean, we have a castle. - and a castle would make them a real-life prince and a real-life princess. And Molly Anderson couldn't say in the future, that I am just a pretend princess!

- And can you turn into bats? - this seems to be an advantage and useful trait mostly in Alexander's eyes. - Like Mavis? - Aurora immediately found the young vampiress a lovable character, even if not identifying herself with the cartoon character.

- So pappa, are you a vampire? - looking at each other, the little Balaur finally ask in one voice.

- Yes. -

- Hooray! - again, they climb down from their father´s knees and rejoice with a funny dance.

- And you mommy? Are you a vampire like Mavis and pappa? - the evening is full of interesting revelations...

- Yes. -

- So we are vampires as well! - no matter what the adults would say, Aurora and Alexander are already persuaded about the truthfulness of this conclusion.

- But it is not entirely true, is it? - Agatha knew (suspected) that some complications might occur. Already, she expects some troubling questions regarding the feeding.

- What do you mean, Alexander? -

- That story. - he looks at the paused screen. - You are pappa's wife, and there is no real Mavis, just the two of us. Aurora and I. -

- Of course, it's not. - Agatha breathes out in relief ... no questions about blood consumption ... so far. Alexander even comes with a supporting argument and a simple explanation.

- They couldn't just make movie about us, could they? -

- Why not? - Aurora would certainly like to be a fairy-tale star. And Molly could no longer say that we are no royals! It's Dracula's time to enlighten them a bit.

- Because it's secret. There's no need to reveal our true identity. - both kids furrow for a while, the room goes suddenly silent. They need to think and focus, though don't need an eternity for that. Alexander again, presents his version:

- We are like superheroes? - he likes this thought. A superhero vampire ... saving the entire world ... like a true boyar!

- Something like that, yes. - this seems to satisfy their curiosity regarding this particular subject, at least for now. - So, can we continue watching? -

- Yes. - even though they both (all four basically) want to continue watching, it's impossible to focus anymore. The revelations of this afternoon are so thrilling.

- But we have the castle, right? - their favourite good-night story after all talks about their father´s legendary castle, where he took their mother once he saved her from the evil captors.

- We do. - Dracula nods proudly.

- And I am real-life princess. -

- Of course, you are. - Agatha confirms, amused from the priorities of her babies ... Just like their father ... result of his upbringing ...

- And I will be a knight one day, correct? - Alexander looks at his father, who gifted him already with a fine wooden sword (and a real one as well, that is so far a big no-no for playing).

- Definitely, my courageous boyar. - Alexander clasps victoriously and again, leans comfortably to the backseat of the large couch.

- Alright, pappa, you can play it. - Alexander decides, satisfied ...

- Yes, I want to see little Lesana one more time. - the little werewolf Winnie captured her more than Mavis. - That dress suits her. - she giggles and with the next question, gets the same reaction from the rest of the family too. - Do you think, mommy, that we can dress our Lesana into a skirt? - sooner than Agatha can answer, the adults are buried under an avalanche of questions anew.

- What about the magic cape, pappa? -

- Will you teach us climbing the walls? -

- I want to fly, pappa. - although the adults thought that by playing the movie anew, the flood of all the curious questions will stop, they seem to be under interrogation again.

- Please. - both exclaim at the same time again. - Teach us, pappa! -

- No. No. No. - Agatha stops the hyperactive response at once and raise her eyebrows. Such ideas terrify her. Climbing on walls. Trying to fly. No way. Her babies are not real vampires. Yet. They could hurt themselves. - No teaching, darlings. - the answer is directed to Dracula as well, who receives a directive look. - Such activities are not for little children. No way. - the joy subsides, but just for a moment because Dracula pushes the play button one more time and the movie continues. Once Agatha stands up to bring one last bowl of popcorn, the proud father leans closer to his thrilled angel vampires and whispers: - One day, I will teach you everything... -

-TBC-

I know it's a bit shorter chapter and definitely could contain more details from the ongoing watching, but this can be left to your imagination little ones are overly excited and definitely will dream about all the possible adventures of the vampiric life that seemed to be so thrilling ...

Now, I want to hear your opinion as well ... what reaction would you expect from them to the revelation of their parent´s secret identity? I decided to introduce them to the topic sooner than they could learn about vampires from the books or other movies and I hope that you liked it at least a bit let me know and share your opinion. It´s always appreciated and welcome.

Up until next time...