Disclaimer: You know the drill.
"Frank!" Nancy said a little louder. She ran to him and fell down beside him. She moved the hair out if his face. "Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you the same thing." Frank said. "Did he hurt you?"
Nancy shook her head. "I'm okay." She said softly.
"I'm sorry, Nan." Frank whispered and stroked her face.
"Well, now that we've caught up, we can begin." Duncan appeared behind Nancy and grabbed her.
Nancy started to struggle. "No! You can't make me do this!" She cried.
Duncan laughed as he pushed her into Aiden's arms. "Of course I can." He walked over to Frank. "Because if you refuse to marry my son, then lover boy here dies." He grabbed Frank's hair and wrenched his head back.
Nancy and Frank locked eyes. Frank saw the pain and turmoil running through her blue eyes. He gave her a slight nod, saying that he understood.
Nancy collapsed in Adien's arms. "I'll do it." She whispered.
"I didn't hear you, Nancy." Duncan said.
"I'll do it." Nancy said louder.
Duncan let go of Frank's hair. "That's what I wanted to hear." Duncan motioned to the other side of the room and a man came out of the shadows. "I think we're ready, Nicholas."
Nicholas came over to stand in the middle of Nancy and Aiden. Nancy looked up at Aiden. "Trust me." He mouthed to her.
Nancy gave a slight nod.
Nicholas cleared his throat. "Let's begin. Dearly Departed, we are gathered here--"
"No!" Aiden cried.
Duncan looked over at his son in surprise, as did Nancy and Frank.
"What is the meaning of this, Aiden?" Duncan demanded.
"I can't do this, Father. I won't do this to Nancy." Aiden said.
"But this is what you need, Aiden. You need someone by your side for all eternity. Not someone who will die like your mother. Not someone who will abandon you." Duncan explained.
"I don't need anyone. I'm not like you, Father. I can't bring someone else into this life. I never thought of what you gave me as a gift. It has always been a curse to me. I will not allow myself to curse anyone." Aiden said. "Nancy, get over there by Frank."
"I don't think so." Duncan said and grabbed Nancy again. "I will not let you make a foolish decision like this, Aiden."
"I didn't think I ever got to make a decision for myself, Father. You always made them for me." Aiden said angrily. "Let Nancy go."
"I won't let you do this, son." He said clutching Nancy tighter until she cried out in pain. "I won't let you make a mistake like I did. You need her."
"I don't need her, Father!" Aiden yelled. "She was just an innocent bystander that you set your sights on. You're wanting this more than me. I was just fine until you demanded that I find someone."
"You're obviously confused by this, Aiden. I will help you." Duncan said. He pushed Nancy's hair back to reveal her neck.
"I don't think so, Duncan." Nancy said through clenched teeth. She stomped down on Duncan's right foot as hard as she could. He howled in pain and loosened his grip on her. She tore his arms away from her and turned around and kicked him in the stomach.
Duncan fell to the ground. "That was your fatal mistake, Nancy!"
"Nancy, run!" Aiden yelled. "Frank, get her out of here!"
Nancy watched as Aiden attacked his father with wide eyes. "Come on, Nancy. We have to get out of here." Frank said, taking her hand. They ran to the door on the left side of the room. Frank threw it open as Nancy heard Duncan yelling at her.
"Don't go to far, Nancy. We have some unfinished business!"
Frank pushed her into the room and closed the door. "Run, Nancy!" he said. They ran down a hall and entered a room at the very end.
"Do you hear that?" Nancy asked Frank after he had closed the door.
Frank listened for a moment. "Yeah. Music."
Nancy went to a door on the other side of the room and opened it. She poked her head out to see her party going in full swing.
"It's the party, Frank." Nancy said.
"Nancy, you have to get out there. Go find Joe and the girls and stay by them. I'll stay here in case Duncan shows up." Frank said.
"Too late." Said a voice behind Frank. Nancy screamed as Duncan hit Frank over the head with a statue. Frank sank to the ground.
Nancy started to sob. Duncan smiled as he walked towards her. Nancy opened the door and ran out into the party. She spied Joe's blond head and ran to him.
"Joe! Joe!" She cried. She ran into his arms. "You have to help me!"
"Nancy, what is it? What's wrong?" Joe asked, concern all over his face.
"Joe, you have to listen to me and believe me. There's a vampire after me. Duncan Thornhart. He just hit Frank over the head and now he's after me." Nancy explained in a rush.
"Oh, come on, Nancy." Joe said.
"I don't have time for this, Joe." Nancy said impatiently.
"Well, we can't attract attention." Joe said.
"That's the last thing that we need." Nancy said.
"Follow me." Joe said as he made his way to the kitchen.
"I think there's been a change of plans." Duncan said. Joe turned around to see Duncan holding Nancy tightly in front of him.
"Let her go, Duncan." Joe said calmly.
"I don't think I can do that, Mr. Hardy. You see, I have plans for your beautiful friend here. Please join the other guests. I think it's time that they see the real Duncan Thornhart." Duncan said and disappeared with Nancy.
Joe ran back out to the party to see Duncan reappear with Nancy on the balcony above the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself. I am Duncan Thornart." His voice boomed throughout the room.
A collective gasp was heard.
"Nancy!" Joe turned to see Bess and George beside him.
"I welcome you to my home." Duncan smiled at the crowd. "And now, for the highlight of our evening."
Duncan moved the hair from Nancy's neck.
She could feel his hot breath on her. She never had time to react before he bit down on her, hard. She let out a painful gasp as he began to drain her blood.
"Nancy!" Joe screamed.
"No!" Joe heard from above. He looked up to see Aiden take a flying leap at Duncan and tackle him to the ground. Nancy fell from his arms and onto the floor painfully. Joe then saw Frank emerge from a room upstairs and make his way to Nancy.
"Nancy! Oh, God, Nancy!" Frank said and cradled her in his arms. He checked for a pulse and found a very light one.
"Frank." Nancy said weakly and slipped into unconciousness.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" Frank screamed to no one in particular.
He looked up to see Aiden standing above his weakened father. "You will never hurt anyone else again, Father." Aiden said. He grabbed a broken piece of wood and drove it into his father's chest. Duncan disappeared for the last time in a cloud of dust.
"The ambulance is on it's way." Frank heard George shout.
Joe ran up the stairs to his brother. "Check on Aiden." Frank said.
Joe glanced to see Aiden crying on the floor. "You okay, man?"
"I"ve never felt better." Aiden said. "I feel like I'm free now."
Frank turned his attention to Nancy. She was extremely pale and barely breathing. "Come on, Nan. Hang in there. Help is on its way."
And for the first time in a long time, he broke into tears as he heard the sirens in the distance.
"Frank!" Nancy said a little louder. She ran to him and fell down beside him. She moved the hair out if his face. "Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you the same thing." Frank said. "Did he hurt you?"
Nancy shook her head. "I'm okay." She said softly.
"I'm sorry, Nan." Frank whispered and stroked her face.
"Well, now that we've caught up, we can begin." Duncan appeared behind Nancy and grabbed her.
Nancy started to struggle. "No! You can't make me do this!" She cried.
Duncan laughed as he pushed her into Aiden's arms. "Of course I can." He walked over to Frank. "Because if you refuse to marry my son, then lover boy here dies." He grabbed Frank's hair and wrenched his head back.
Nancy and Frank locked eyes. Frank saw the pain and turmoil running through her blue eyes. He gave her a slight nod, saying that he understood.
Nancy collapsed in Adien's arms. "I'll do it." She whispered.
"I didn't hear you, Nancy." Duncan said.
"I'll do it." Nancy said louder.
Duncan let go of Frank's hair. "That's what I wanted to hear." Duncan motioned to the other side of the room and a man came out of the shadows. "I think we're ready, Nicholas."
Nicholas came over to stand in the middle of Nancy and Aiden. Nancy looked up at Aiden. "Trust me." He mouthed to her.
Nancy gave a slight nod.
Nicholas cleared his throat. "Let's begin. Dearly Departed, we are gathered here--"
"No!" Aiden cried.
Duncan looked over at his son in surprise, as did Nancy and Frank.
"What is the meaning of this, Aiden?" Duncan demanded.
"I can't do this, Father. I won't do this to Nancy." Aiden said.
"But this is what you need, Aiden. You need someone by your side for all eternity. Not someone who will die like your mother. Not someone who will abandon you." Duncan explained.
"I don't need anyone. I'm not like you, Father. I can't bring someone else into this life. I never thought of what you gave me as a gift. It has always been a curse to me. I will not allow myself to curse anyone." Aiden said. "Nancy, get over there by Frank."
"I don't think so." Duncan said and grabbed Nancy again. "I will not let you make a foolish decision like this, Aiden."
"I didn't think I ever got to make a decision for myself, Father. You always made them for me." Aiden said angrily. "Let Nancy go."
"I won't let you do this, son." He said clutching Nancy tighter until she cried out in pain. "I won't let you make a mistake like I did. You need her."
"I don't need her, Father!" Aiden yelled. "She was just an innocent bystander that you set your sights on. You're wanting this more than me. I was just fine until you demanded that I find someone."
"You're obviously confused by this, Aiden. I will help you." Duncan said. He pushed Nancy's hair back to reveal her neck.
"I don't think so, Duncan." Nancy said through clenched teeth. She stomped down on Duncan's right foot as hard as she could. He howled in pain and loosened his grip on her. She tore his arms away from her and turned around and kicked him in the stomach.
Duncan fell to the ground. "That was your fatal mistake, Nancy!"
"Nancy, run!" Aiden yelled. "Frank, get her out of here!"
Nancy watched as Aiden attacked his father with wide eyes. "Come on, Nancy. We have to get out of here." Frank said, taking her hand. They ran to the door on the left side of the room. Frank threw it open as Nancy heard Duncan yelling at her.
"Don't go to far, Nancy. We have some unfinished business!"
Frank pushed her into the room and closed the door. "Run, Nancy!" he said. They ran down a hall and entered a room at the very end.
"Do you hear that?" Nancy asked Frank after he had closed the door.
Frank listened for a moment. "Yeah. Music."
Nancy went to a door on the other side of the room and opened it. She poked her head out to see her party going in full swing.
"It's the party, Frank." Nancy said.
"Nancy, you have to get out there. Go find Joe and the girls and stay by them. I'll stay here in case Duncan shows up." Frank said.
"Too late." Said a voice behind Frank. Nancy screamed as Duncan hit Frank over the head with a statue. Frank sank to the ground.
Nancy started to sob. Duncan smiled as he walked towards her. Nancy opened the door and ran out into the party. She spied Joe's blond head and ran to him.
"Joe! Joe!" She cried. She ran into his arms. "You have to help me!"
"Nancy, what is it? What's wrong?" Joe asked, concern all over his face.
"Joe, you have to listen to me and believe me. There's a vampire after me. Duncan Thornhart. He just hit Frank over the head and now he's after me." Nancy explained in a rush.
"Oh, come on, Nancy." Joe said.
"I don't have time for this, Joe." Nancy said impatiently.
"Well, we can't attract attention." Joe said.
"That's the last thing that we need." Nancy said.
"Follow me." Joe said as he made his way to the kitchen.
"I think there's been a change of plans." Duncan said. Joe turned around to see Duncan holding Nancy tightly in front of him.
"Let her go, Duncan." Joe said calmly.
"I don't think I can do that, Mr. Hardy. You see, I have plans for your beautiful friend here. Please join the other guests. I think it's time that they see the real Duncan Thornhart." Duncan said and disappeared with Nancy.
Joe ran back out to the party to see Duncan reappear with Nancy on the balcony above the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself. I am Duncan Thornart." His voice boomed throughout the room.
A collective gasp was heard.
"Nancy!" Joe turned to see Bess and George beside him.
"I welcome you to my home." Duncan smiled at the crowd. "And now, for the highlight of our evening."
Duncan moved the hair from Nancy's neck.
She could feel his hot breath on her. She never had time to react before he bit down on her, hard. She let out a painful gasp as he began to drain her blood.
"Nancy!" Joe screamed.
"No!" Joe heard from above. He looked up to see Aiden take a flying leap at Duncan and tackle him to the ground. Nancy fell from his arms and onto the floor painfully. Joe then saw Frank emerge from a room upstairs and make his way to Nancy.
"Nancy! Oh, God, Nancy!" Frank said and cradled her in his arms. He checked for a pulse and found a very light one.
"Frank." Nancy said weakly and slipped into unconciousness.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" Frank screamed to no one in particular.
He looked up to see Aiden standing above his weakened father. "You will never hurt anyone else again, Father." Aiden said. He grabbed a broken piece of wood and drove it into his father's chest. Duncan disappeared for the last time in a cloud of dust.
"The ambulance is on it's way." Frank heard George shout.
Joe ran up the stairs to his brother. "Check on Aiden." Frank said.
Joe glanced to see Aiden crying on the floor. "You okay, man?"
"I"ve never felt better." Aiden said. "I feel like I'm free now."
Frank turned his attention to Nancy. She was extremely pale and barely breathing. "Come on, Nan. Hang in there. Help is on its way."
And for the first time in a long time, he broke into tears as he heard the sirens in the distance.