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"I will admit that dress is most becoming, its only a shame the figure it adorns is quite so disappointing." Baron de Rais did little to keep the mocking tone from his voice, even as he guided Agatha with expert precision around the dancefloor, there was something almost mechanical about his movements.

"Fortunately, Elder I am not trying to impress you." Agatha replied, it was the politest response she had been able to think of, when most of her wanted nothing more than to trip the rude bastard on his arse.

Knowing everything that had befallen them recently was down to this vampire, it was any wonder that Agatha could maintain anything like a polite exterior. First he had tricked Vlad into drinking from the poor drugged up young man, the ensuing rampage forcing Clan Dracula to all but go into voluntary exile to avoid any legal or political ramifications, but then if that wasn't bad enough, Giles conspired with Elder Pazi to have Agatha herself murdered.

"You know I never could work out what Dracula saw in you Cap…no its only Miss Van Helsing now isn't it." Baron de Rais gloated over her fall from grace. "I mean you appear to be quite the flavourless little thing, hardly a beauty or a wit, and yet you had him whipped from the get go."

"I thank you for the compliment Elder." Agatha hissed through gritted teeth, it was taking every ounce of control she possessed not to make a scene, to not give Giles the knowledge he was getting to her.

Laughing at her retort like it was particularly amusing, the Baron leant down to whisper in Agatha ear, appearing to the staring crowds that they were the closest of confidents, and savouring the way Dracula's gaze turned particularly venomous.

"Of course, that was before I learnt about your special talents…then it all began to make sense, I mean only a fool wouldn't secure for himself such a weapon, even better if he can breed the trait into his own offspring."

"I really do not understand…"

"Oh, come now my dear no need to play coy with me. I know it was you who killed that low-level hitman Pazi sent after you. Such a foolish thing to skimp on, but then the poor fellow was always such a miser. I wouldn't have made such a mistake. It was sloppy, and it led you straight back to poor Pazi who you subsequently dispatched." The Baron paused, his blue eyes glinting with glee, as if poking at a barely healing wound and watching it ooze with pus and blood. "If it wasn't such an inconvenience to my own plans, I would almost admire your ruthlessness."

"Elder de Rais…."

"Oh please, let's not play this silly game where you deny it, we both know you did it my dear. If I'd have known what a calculating little thing you were, I might have taken you under my wing years ago. From nobody orphan to the future spouse of a clan Elder was ambitious enough, now to add murderer of your clan enemies, well that takes balls."

Biting her lip Agatha counted the beat of the song the orchestra was playing, surely the song must nearly be over…if she could just get through this without giving anything away, then Baron de Rais might withdraw unsatisfied.

"It will almost be a shame when I sign the warrant for your execution, a talent like that in the right clan…well let's just say you could go far…"

Stumbling Agatha took far too long to right herself, if she didn't know it was impossible it almost sounded like an offer…an offer to join Clan de Rais, something she could only do via marriage, and something Agatha would never ever consent to. Suddenly the touch of the Baron's fingers on her back made her skin crawl, and it took everything she had not to physically recoil from the touch.

"I am perfectly content to remain in Clan Dracula for the rest of eternity." Agatha hissed.

"Yes, I rather thought that might be your response, still I won't cry too many tears over it. In fact, I really should be thanking you both…" Giles trailed off deliberately, knowing he had Agatha hooked when she stopped staring into the middle distance over his shoulder and actually met his gaze.

"I had not intended to take a new bride, I have my heirs after all, but well when an opportunity like this presents itself it would churlish to refuse. And to think without your actions none of it would be possible…"

"Elder you clearly think I am in possession of some knowledge I am not aware of."

"Oh, but I thought the two of you were such good friends, or at least that is what I had heard, I am surprised Isabella didn't rush to tell you her good news."

"Isabella?" Agatha asked, yet her mind was already whirling ahead, the pieces coming together…why the Baron had presented Isabella instead of Elder Conti like expected, why the other clan was entirely absent, it surely wasn't just because of the suspicions surrounding Elder Pazi's death at one of their properties…

"You're going to marry Isabella?"

"Yes." Giles beamed. "Her mother signed the contract only a few hours ago…In it I gain a beautiful submissive bride to do my bidding, and all the Pazi clan members and holdings joined to my own. And to think I owe my good fortune all to you and dear Count Dracula…ah and speak of the devil…"

Agatha hadn't even realised that the song had finally come to an end, her whole world had been turned upside down, and no Vlad was back, handing back a downcast Isabella to this monster, as he sought to rescue Agatha from Giles's grasp.

She fell easily into her beloved's arm, literally leaning on them for strength.

"Agatha…Agatha are you alright…Did he threaten you?"

Shaking her head, Agatha allowed Dracula to guide her from the floor, his arm protectively around her as he guided her through the crowd on the edge of the ballroom. Their sudden about face drawing the attention of Mycroft, who had been keeping his distance, but suddenly returned to usher the pair onto the terrace and began to speak loudly about this being the perfect time to view the gardens, whilst the thong of guests crowded into the ballroom.

Grateful for the cover Dracula nodded to his brother, relieved to have Mycroft's steady mind to fall back on when Agatha seemed unable to gather herself.

"Beloved speak to me…whatever is wrong…whatever that villain said we can fix it…did he threaten you…what did he say…"

"He…He thanked me." The truth was bitter on Agatha's tongue, as she gazed up into Dracula's perplexed expression. "He's going to marry Isabella, going to take over Clan Pazi."

Whistling in surprise Dracula had to admit he was grudgingly impressed. It was a brilliant move, something he should have expected from an expert tactician like de Rais. Of course, he would find the way to turn a loss into an advantage. Yet Dracula could understand why Agatha might not see it in in the same way. In the few hours they had spent together, Agatha had allowed herself to get more attached to Isabella than Dracula had done himself. She had allowed herself to imagine taking the more naïve young woman under her wing and guiding her, much like she had done with the junior members of their clan. They were such opposites, Agatha opening her heart to so many, and Dracula so few, it made them the perfect leadership balance, and yet it would never be an easy balance to maintain.

"…I've destroyed her life…" Agatha could barely grasp the depths of her culpability.

First she steals for herself the vampire Isabella was all but promised to, then she all but murders her father and protector, the poor girl losing any chance to marry her other suitor…one that Dracula had himself confessed he thought she had a preference for. Was she now supposed to stand by as the poor child was forced into marriage with a monster? How was Agatha meant to live with that on her already heavy conscience, weren't the murders of her sisters enough?

Agatha pushed it down the best she could. She couldn't help loving him. There were sometimes she almost thought their meeting divined; it was such chance and yet not. Still there was no hiding the guilt she had; her own hubris caused the death of so many innocents that night. Agatha had tried her best to atone for her sins other the years. Yet there was no excusing falling in love with their murderer. There were nights when the sound of Mother Superior's voice still haunted her dreams. Was she now to add Isabella to their number?

"Vlad, we have to do something, we can't let him force her into marrying him like this…"

Dracula should have known that request was coming yet knowing something and preparing for it were very different things, and there was no possible way to prepare a defence against Agatha's tearful gaze turned up at him. Her expression so pained and yet so hopeful, her belief that he could fix this situation tore at him.

"Beloved there is nothing we can do…"

"I don't accept that!" Agatha snapped, stepping out of his embrace, her gloved hands wrung in agitating as she began to pace back and forth in front of the majestic fountains, their beauty lost on her in this moment.

"Agatha I am sorry, but Count Dracula is correct, this is a matter for Clan Pazi and Clan de Rais, if a betrothal contract has been signed then there is nothing we can do, there is no legal basis for Clan Dracula to interfere." Mycroft interjected, trying to be the voice of reason in the situation, when clearly Agatha was overwrought and Dracula more focused on soothing her than being the bad guy.

"Well short of marrying her myself." Dracula snorted, before hastily adding. "Which we all know is not an option!" The last thing either of them needed was for Agatha to fall back on those self-sacrificing tendencies of hers.

"But its our fault, you know it is…I can't just walk away and do nothing. I can't just live with the knowledge of what he will put that poor girl through and go on with my own happiness regardless…It will haunt me, it will colour every good thing that happens in my life." Agatha pleaded with them both, her own mind whirling at a devilish pace to think of something, anything they could do.

Isabella was presented now; she was no longer a child but not yet an adult. She had more say over her life but not the sort of control that she would need to refuse a betrothal, and it was not she was old enough to rush through a marriage to anyone else…it would just be annulled on the grounds of her age. That was even providing they could find someone willing to marry her, and willing to ally with Clan Dracula to go against Baron de Rais…Mycroft wouldn't work, despite not being of age himself he wasn't even fully adopted into the clad yet…No they needed something stronger, older, irreversible…

"That's it!" Agatha suddenly exclaimed, turning back to the stunned pair.

Dracula looked relieved to see her calm slightly, all this stress could not be good for any child she might be carrying, only Mycroft grew more worried when Agatha began to smile.

"We can adopt her."

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