Chapter One

*He's all mine now.* Herbert had thought, gleefully. Just before the professor had completed the cross. The holy pain was as nothing compared to what felt seeing Alfred disappear with the girl his father had rejected him for. When he looked for sympathy in his father's face, all he saw was a heart-broken man who couldn't care less about the adopted son he'd said he loved.

'No! Don't go!' he wailed after Alfred, taking a small, tottering step towards the cross, ignoring the pain as long as he could. 'Don't be such a bloody fool!' his armoured dance partner snarled, grabbing at his arm 'Get away from it!'

He shook him off, tried another step and collapsed to the floor. No, there was no way he could follow. He crawled to his feet and scrambled his way out of the hall, after everyone else. As he leant on the doorframe, he saw the sky beginning to lighten in the distance through the door the guests were disapppearing through. There were only a handful left.

He straightened up as he tried to sort out his head. He had been so close... Alfred had wanted him, he felt it. He needed comfort. The vampire in armour was still there, but for once he didn't want to just have a quick fuck and forget it. He looked towards his father, and gently put a hand on his arm.

'Leave me alone.' Von Krolock hissed 'Go away.'

With a trembling lip, Herbert turned towards the stairs. There was still a small crowd of men, looking as if they were perfectly willing to comfort him, if they could get sex out of it. They closed in around him, offering false comiserations and each hoping they'd get him to bed.

'Fuck off.' he whispered tightly, unable to speak. 'I know exactly what you want. Just fuck off and leave me alone!' His voice rose to a shriek as he tore through them and ran down the corridor.

Rather than running to the crypt he shared with his father, he escaped to the bedroom he'd had Koukol prepare for him and Alfred. He wanted to be alone with his misery.

He slammed the door behind him and slid to the floor, stifling tears. He'd even had a fire lit so Alfred wouldn't get cold. His eyes drifted around the warm, cozy room from the fire in the oversized grate to the ornate wardrobe, the painting of some English king, a beautiful Persian rug, and the bed. The covers were carefully, invitingly open, bringing back his fantasies of the shy young apprentice. Herbert suddenly found himself desperately wanting to hold something, anything, to keep the pain in. Slowly he dragged himself to his feet, kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed. Snuggling down under a sheet, a huge fold of the duvet hugged to his chest, he could almost feel Alfred's body next to his, like in the time they had been so rudely interrupted in the bathroom. Thinking of that feeling was the final trigger. He buried his face in the Edwardian duvet, as he sobbed fit for his still heart to break.

* * * * * * *

Transsylvanian forest, early morning. In the distance Sarah could still see the mountains hiding the castle from their view. She knew that in a few hours the sun would rise. Where'd they go then? They certainly couldn't go back to the village. Although.. thinking of it, they could. Sarah imagined her mother's reaction upon seeing her child as a recently died vampire and grinned. They probably missed her at home, and deep down inside she cared, but for now, they really need a place to stay for the ..day.

Sarah was having a hard time keeping Alfred from biting Professor Abronsius, who hadn't even caught on yet that they were both vampires now.. and very hungry ones at that. But something told Sarah they couldn't just go and bite the professor. They still needed him. Supposedly.

'Saraaa.. let me go?' Alfred whined like a little child, currently in a rather dazed state from the great loss of blood. 'I'm hungry!' He kept licking his fangs, getting used to the odd feeling of having them in his mouth. None of the two had gotten the hang of retracting them yet. 'Oh get a grip!' Sarah told him, then walked over to the professor, making sure Alfred wouldn't follow and try anything. 'Professor?' she purred. 'What do you suppose we do now?'

Abronsius had been lost in thought and stared at Sarah at first when she talked to him. Then he looked down.. to her fangs. He gasped and raised a hand to get a better look at them, but Sarah hissed and turned away from him as fast as she could in her long ballgown. Abronsius showed no sign of fear. He doubted Sarah would come and bite him, she was far too intelligent for that.

And Alfred.. well, after long years of having him tug along, the professor knew him well enough to tell that the sight of blood scared him to death.. literally. 'So.' Abronsius started, not at all reacting to Sara's hissing and baring of teeth. 'What does it feel like?'

Sarah stared at the professor. She'd expected every sort of reaction.. but that? And what was he doing.. getting out his notebook??

By now Alfred was staring as well, having forgotten about biting. He was only getting aware of what he now was. He stepped a bit closer and the professor looked up to him. 'Come here.' he said and Alfred did so, confused. He also kneeled down and patiently let Abronsius examine his teeth.

When the professor finally let go and started to unpack his bag right there, Sarah got annoyed. Alfred, innocent as ever, stared at her, unable to say anything as she started yelling at the professor. 'Look, the sun's gonna be up very soon, and I'd really prefer beeing somewhere dark and warm by then, so can we please??' Abronsius looked up once more, a bit annoyed but not at all impressed. 'Of course. Where do you want to go?' he said, like he'd never had anything else in mind. Sarah was surprised. 'Well..'

'Um.. can't we just go back to the castle and stay there?' Alfred suggested. Abronsius and Sarah looked at him. He had his arms wrapped around his body and was shivering, lips turning blue. Why Sarah wasn't cold in that dress he couldn't understand. As noone replied, Alfred got a bit desperate. 'Please?!' he begged.

'Alright!' said Abronsius and slammed his notebook shut, then put it in his bag. 'Let's go back.' He pulled the shivering Alfred with him and walked past Sarah, following their vaguely visible footsteps. They'd lost the horse sled along with the horse hours ago, leaving it stuck in the snow. The wolfes had probably taken care of the poor horse by now, so there'd been no other option for the small group than to walk. Where ever they had been going.

'Sarah?' Alfred called back when he noticed that she wasn't following. 'I'm coming, I'm coming..' she said, more to herself than to Alfred. They were now walking against the very strong and icy wind, through the fresh snow that was still falling, and Sarah was having trouble with her dress and high heeled boots. When she finally reached Professor Abronsius and Alfred, they took her in the middle and that way they walked back to the castle in silence, the only sounds the howling of the wind and that of the wolves.

'FUCK!' Sarah snarled as the heel of her right boot disengaged itself from the sole.

'What's wrong, darling?' Alfred inquired, very worried that she might be hurt.

'These boots are made for dancing, not trekking through sodding forests at dawn. And I'm not your darling.' She snarled back. 'Well, wait for me!' She whined, stopping to take off the damaged footwear. She hissed in surprise when she felt the snow, and it didn't seem cold.

'What are you standing around idly chatting for?' The professor asked, as he came scuttling back towards them. 'We haven't got all - night, you know, it's nearly dawn and you know what'll happen then if we don't.....' Alfred rolled his eyes and blocked him out. He was very good at that, had a lot of experience.

Then Sarah said what he had always dreamt of saying, but never had the guts to. 'Shut up, you boring old git.' The professor started back slightly as she explained 'My boot's broken.'

'Oh dear. We won't have to carry you, will we?'

'I can manage perfectly well on my own.' She lied icily.

They carried on their way in silence, the professor striding, Alfred nervously treading to escape any rogue undergrowth that might try to eat him, and Sarah stalking on one foot, hobbling on the other.

Just as they were getting used to the lack of noise, the trees to the left of their path burst to the sides in explosion of fallen snow, hailing Koukol's descent from the castle, riding a coffin. 'Uuurrrgh!' He grunted 'Uuurgh, oo!(translation - hey, hey you) Urrrv g't come ack urrrv mrrr!(you've got to come back with me)Ur uh masstr'll kll mrr(or the master will kill me)'

After several more frantic grunts and snorts, the trio eventually got the message that they were required back at the castle to ensure Koukol's job security, and as they were headed back there anyway, were happy to agree that he had 'caught' them and was returning them captive.

*After all,* the professor mused, *It wouldn't look very good if we came crawling back of our own accord, so soon after escaping. "Oh, hi, it's us again. I know we just tried to kill you and ran away from you like the plague, losing your best sled and killing your horse in the process, but no hard feelings, eh? Can you put us up for a few nights?".*

No, it was definitely a good thing Koukol had appeared.