"What we need is to get inside without notice," Kuso said, nursing a nasty gash along his arm.

"That could be done, but you ruined the element of surprise," Van Helsing accused, dealing with his own wounds.

"How was I to know that wasn't a statue. You missed it. Irvan might have seen it if he had been there," Kuso blamed the other vampire as usual.

"Don't blame me for your failure. I told you it was an ill devised plan." Irvan walked into the room of the abandoned flat, they had turned into a fairly steady hideout.

"Then assist next time," Van Helsing took the bandages roughly from Irvan's offering hand. Irvan merely shrugged in comment. "How do you suggest getting in unnoticed without inside help?"

"Then get inside help."

"That's brilliant, Kuso. Remind me not to consult you when my life is endangered." Irvan paused to think. "You need a woman for that." Two heads with identical baffled expressions turned to the tall slender vampire. "What? It is obvious neither of you could enter without notice. Much less get out, it appears. And Dracula is not likely to readily accept a man into his midst when he is expecting you. It is likely a woman could succeed where you would fail."

"And just where do you suggest finding one we can trust?" Van Helsing's voice was harshly critical.

Kuso let his eyes roam Irvan's form without hiding his speculative and suggestive expression. "Oh, we wouldn't have to go that far." Irvan caught on fast and began a retreat.

"Get Esperanza. She'd be more than willing."

"But your closer. Show him. Go on. Or I might have to start telling stories and you know how detailed I can be."

"This is beyond humiliating," Irvan stated when he walked through the door for the second time.

"You're right, its degrading.... What? You look good in a dress," Kuso said in response to Irvan's killer glare. Irvan did look nice in his female form. And when he put on a dress he was quite a sight. Or would it be called a she? The dress was a long, formfitting red piece of fabric with a long slit running up the right leg. Remarkably, they had found it in a closet and in wonderful condition. Only after Irvan snatched the dress from Van Helsing's loose grip and stalked off muttering about the indecency of it all, did it become apparent that he agreed to the charade.

"Might have been better in black," Van Helsing took in the sight from the high heels to the partially up done black hair. With his eyes traveling back done he said, "Nice legs," he smirked. Turning to Kuso, the human remarked, "You actually believe he can get in."

"Oh he can get in, I'm not worried about that," Kuso answered grinning.

"So, how's he getting in?"

"The back door?"

Irvan choose that moment to stalk between them for the exit. "Idiots. As clueless as the next. The side door to the cathedral at four." He then disappeared through the door.

Van Helsing looked to Kuso. "What's he planning?"

"Why would I know."

Dracula paced with an uncertainty he had never felt before. Too many things were going against him in this fight. He had not gained the uncontested allegiance of those other weaklings of vampires because the idiotic embassy they sent would not follow his orders.

"You seem distressed." It was a female voice coming from the shadows. One of them. How had he let it get past his senses? Dracula did not turn to meet it. He was much faster and much stronger than those living vampires.

"Your heart seems familiar..... Someone I've met before, perhaps." He let the words drift pleasantly between them. The female would be watching his back as he ignored her and watched through other senses.

"We are all the same, our hearts," the female said calmly. "You have met us all when you meet just one." She was approaching him from behind. Not making an effort to hide what she must know he could sense. A hand on his shoulder told him how quickly she could move.

"Pity you weren't part of their contingent. Things might have gone much smoother." The hand had given way to a gentle head.

"I'm afraid, dear Count, that we are still much the followers of the old traditions." A soft kiss rested on his shoulder. This vampire was bold, but not suicidal.

"Where women do not take positions of leadership?"

"No, my dear Count." The lips moved to the other shoulder. "That was your era. We date back much further. Where leadership is determined by sheer physical strength."

Suddenly, Dracula was behind her, gripping her by the waist firmly as his other hand gently pulled her long black hair free from where it covered her neck. The vampire had not moved in response to his sudden attack. Nor had there been any indication that she even noticed. "And you think to use you charms and wit against me," he whispered to her neck

"I have presumed to do nothing, dear Count. Word spreads fast from those who flee. Of the three who came, one returned."

"Merely one?" Dracula questioned softly. "I do not suppose it was a tall, womanly slender, black haired creature?" There was no change in the female in his grip. "It is a shame you were not reared for child bearing." Now the vampire tensed, betraying himself. "Oh, do not worry. It was merely a guess. You play your part well."

"Not well enough it appears," the voice still held the feminine, and the form did not change stances or posture, nor heartbeat.

"It is a pity you play the woman better than the man," Dracula mentioned. "No, don't change. I would hate to waste such an interesting talent on such a talented interest." Another pause in the conversation developed as the count decided on the next course of action. "I believe there is time for a dance." He moved to face the vampire for the first time that night. "Don't you agree, Irvan." Taking a lock of black hair, he added, "Such a pity."

Without giving Irvan time to respond the Count twirled them into a slow waltz, devoid of music. Irvan followed without hesitation, allowing Dracula to lead as he followed flawlessly through the steps. Even without music to guide them, the two knew the age old steps.

"You must have played this part countless times. A different age, a different dance. How far back do you know?" The dancing slowly transforms to the slight variations of the different decades, going back through the centuries.

"Dances don't change much, Count. And we would have to go back much further than the fourteen hundreds."

"But of course. You are much too accustomed to this life. For, for you this is life."

"And for you , it is a curse."

Dracula's eye's hardened. "Do not provoke me, Irvan. You tread on thin ground."

"I do not dare to presume, dear Count," Irvan answered, hematite eyes met his own and unlike Dracula's own creations, this vampire's eyes contained life.

"Words become you. Had you taken this guise before, the negotiations might not have soured. You left the failing for the other two. An unwise move." A smile reclaimed the Count's lips.

"That depends on the result."

Dracula's eyes widen slightly at the declaration. "You do not wish a union?"

"We do not all follow one." Irvan never lost eye contact as they continued the slow methodical twirling, with Dracula leading. "As I said, dear Count, we up hold the age old traditions. And I do not rank highly."

"Yet you come unannounced and unaccompanied." A short pause of realization. "Ah. Your words betray you. Then remain with me. With one, so comes the others. A new breed shall be born."

The turn to widen his eyes as understand came, and Irvan breathed, "The dead sire the living."

Dracula smiled gently. "I see now why you spoke little at our first meeting. You have little to worry about from my creatures. Your talents shall not go amiss." He leaned in close to Irvan's neck, and felt the other, living vampire willing expose the vulnerable vein. "It is an interesting prospect. What one vampire would do to the other."

Turning his gaze towards the Count, Irvan searched his dead eyes. "Are you hesitant?"

In the same manner, Dracula questioned, "Are you eager? It is a moment to be savored. The question comes to bear, what makes you eager?" Their eyes met, dead versus alive, no words are spoken but they reach a silent agreement. There, within the steps of the waltz, Dracula transformed. The suave sophisticated gentleman rippled into a pale bat like creature. His wing span over twenty feet, spreading out and around the couple. The change cause no break, no falter in the intricate dance.

Irvan's breath caught once as he said, "The true guise of Count Dracula." A brief pause was created as Dracula sank his fangs into Irvan's bared neck. The living vampire's eyes widened and his heartbeat changed rhythm. It could have been seconds later, it could have been minutes later, but later, Irvan repeated the gestured with the Count latched firmly to his neck. Dracula did nothing to hinder Irvan, almost made the process easier. The waltzing halted and they stood like at for long moments, until Irvan finally broke his hold.

His pained face watched distractedly as Dracula retained his hold. His breathing become more erratic and his heart increased its pace, the desperately slow rhythm gaining a slow and steady beat. The Count withdrew and Irvan could not hold back a gasp of pain. Dracula healed the puncture wounds on his neck, but Irvan's would not close completely, not heal fully.

"As I said, savored," Dracula whispered into Irvan's ear. The other vampire was in no condition to respond immediately. So he waited patiently. "You have friends waiting. Shall we go meet them?"

It took a moment but Irvan managed, breathlessly, "Side door of the cathedral. Don't suspect a thing."

A new understanding filled Dracula with this admission. "You would have come regardless. You are a most interesting creature."

"And you, my dear Count, leave most intriguing questions."

Reaching the side door at four in the morning, Kuso walked into the cathedral. He may not like Irvan all that much but he did want the younger vampire to be safe. Who else would he have the verbal spars with.

"I thought you said he could he could get in." That would be Van Helsing.

"I said he could, and that was not what I was worried about." Kuso was worried more about Dracula than Irvan. Irvan would get in, but how would he stand up against the Count? Irvan was a great actor, but even he lost the act in the heat of the moment.

"And what is?"

"Him getting out," Kuso stated firmly.

"You failed to mention this before."

Kuso shrugged, being in the lead, he couldn't see Van Helsing, just hear his voice. "Didn't see cause."

"Where is he?"

"Quiet." Kuso thought he heard something. From the sound of things Van Helsing heard it too.

"There," the human said silently beside him.

"Not him."

"Meaning?"

"Not him."

"You really are quite foolish, Gabriel," a mocking voice above them said. Kuso looked but could see nothing "There was a time when you would never combine your lot with vampires."

Kuso turned to Van Helsing and whispered furiously, "I thought you said this guy was different. How does he know you?"

Van Helsing graced him with a sour look. "You said he was different. I said I killed him."

"No need to quarrel among yourselves," Dracula said pleasantly, stepping into view. "I assure you that there will be more time for quarrels later."

Van Helsing leaned toward Kuso as they noticed a second shape appear lower in the cathedral. "Is that who I think it is?" Irvan was now completely noticeable though he blended in with the shadows well in the now black dress.

"That's what he looked like when he left." Kuso paused a moment to study Irvan, a frown developing on his face. "Guess you were right. It does look better in black." The dress was the same style, though this time black, trimmed in dark satin blood red.

Van Helsing's mouth quirked into something resembling a smirk. "Does he always have such bad taste?"

"Usually."

Now the smirk was hard pressed to remain hidden as Van Helsing commented, "Looking like that, he could have done better."

"Unlikely. He's had two millennia to learn," Kuso joked to the human. Calling up to Irvan and completely ignoring the imposing Count, "We didn't expect you to bring a friend. Change of heart?"

Irvan said nothing, appearing as a statue of marble. Dracula answered the taunt. "There was a heart to change," he said with a strange look on his face. "And thus we are here to greet you. I would join you, however, the interior is not to my liking."

Van Helsing turned to Kuso and said disappointingly, "He sold us out."

Kuso answered, "I'm not to sure about that."

Van Helsing, not caring overly much about the vampires' tedious friendship, took out his crossbow, aimed and fired.

Kuso, shocked, watched the silver bolt fly, and yelled at Van Helsing, "Idiot, just what do you think you are doing?!"

Irvan has the time to step away casually while Dracula explained, "He is not thinking. That is what he is famous for."

Irvan's voice wafted down, a hollow version of what it use to be, "You missed."

The human didn't say a word and aimed his single shot crossbow at the female figure of the vampire. Kuso's shouts were almost frantic, he didn't like the idea of Van Helsing murdering the younger Born vampire. In fact Yaus and H'norngu would not be pleased either. "Don't shoot damn it. Don't shoot!" He grabbed the crossbow and tried to pull it from Van Helsing's grip, but the arrow as already on its way. Irvan only had time to step back to avoid the bolt. He was looking murderous. Finally taking the weapon from the human, Kuso added angrily, "We are definitely talking about your aim later."

As if time did not exist the vampire in the black dress descended on Van Helsing knocking him savagely to the floor with little effort. Irvan then turned gracefully to face Kuso, ignoring the human threat. Dracula's remarks punctuated the event. "And to think you were once friends. A shame really."

Kuso was frowning at Irvan, even as Van Helsing was slowly pulling himself off the floor. The older vampire could see that the human was planning to attack Irvan for no other reason than anger. "Talking to the wrong guy. We were just forced to work together." Van Helsing rushed Irvan from behind. The pale womanly vampire took no mind and sent the human a nasty uppercut that made Kuso wince. It sent Van Helsing flying closer to Dracula. And Kuso realized that if this was going to stop, he was going to have to stop Irvan. The idiotic vampire was not at all in his right mind. "Irvan!" he called. "I think you're taking the legs comment too far. Ease up."

As Irvan approached, taking his attention off the human, Dracula began to speak to Van Helsing. Kuso had a mind to pay attention. "You have something of mine, Gabriel. And I have been meaning to take it back for over two centuries." The hellish vampire raised his right hand, revealing his missing ring finger. "Do tell me you still have it, Gadjo. And that you haven't lost it over the years. Or worse, forgotten about it."

"It's still here, Vlad." Van Helsing dug out a chain with a ring on it. One of a winged dragon that Kuso had not seen before. "Just a reminder of who you once were. You don't have any business demanding it back. You lost that when you lost life."

Dracula scowled deeply. "Then I shall just have to take it as you took it from me." Van Helsing stuffed the ring and chain back into its hiding place out of deviance. Kuso put two and two together and came up with a bloody equation. Could Van Helsing really have hated Dracula enough to cut of the finger to get at a mere ring? And just what was the same way? Dracula cutting off Van Helsing's head? These two were more involved than Kuso wanted to think about.

For the moment, Kuso was glad Irvan was a terrible fighter. It meant he could focus on the other conversation. Even as he punched Irvan in the gut and sent him crashing through the outer wall. Through the hole Kuso could see three familiar women standing there, watching everything curiously. He called out to them, "Come on in ladies, I believe we didn't finish last time." The scars marring his face creased as he grinned at them. The inability to enter holy ground really had to be annoying.

Further in the background, Kuso could make out the runt, bending to assist the black clad figure he knew to be Irvan. He could even hear the boy say, "I don't believe we have been introduced," all the while smirking as though he knew more then he was letting on. The look of shock and indignation from Irvan was priceless, a moment Kuso would remember for a long time to come. And the look on the runt's face as Irvan's left hook hit was perfect.

Irvan then did something incredibly stupid and suicidal. He attacked Dracula. One moment the slender vampire was punching the lights out of Rene, the next he was standing next to Dracula with a look of fury stretched over his visage. Dracula smiled benignly, "Now really, did you think I was just going to let you walk away? After you came to me so willingly?"

Kuso didn't see either vampire move, but the next second, Irvan was back outside, struggling to raise. "Come on, Van Helsing. The battle's been moved outside to their ground." When the human's attention did not falter from Dracula, Kuso grabbed him by the shoulders, saying, "Come on, it will be fun." After a second of dragging the human, Kuso realized what the problem was. "He's not coming down, you know."

"You want to fight them?" Van Helsing asked incredulously.

"Why not?" Kuso shrugged. "I didn't like the way the last one finished. Thought you would want to get Blondie back for what she did to you." That got him moving. Drawing what had to be a silver sword, he charged the three Brides.

Kuso paused and took stock of the situation. Aleera had fallen back wounded. Rene had taken the sword and thrown it into a tree. Van Helsing seemed to be holding his own despite getting roughed up. Irvan however was still playing dead in the early dawn. Even though the sun was not above the horizon, Kuso could see Dracula perched on a neutral part of the gables. "Come down and join the fun!"

"Whatever for? You don't need the odds to be against you even further?" came Dracula's reply. "All I'm interested in is the ring."

"Suit yourself." Turning his back to the other vampire probably wasn't the smartest move, but Kuso trusted Dracula enough to not attack from behind. At least not until after he attacked where you could see him first. As he surveyed the battlefield again, Irvan had his hands full with Rene, but Kuso thought the Born Vampire could last. Van Helsing however was having difficulties holding his own against two of the Brides. The black haired bimbo and blondie. The Red Head was swooping down on the human from behind.

"Aleera, darling, you never answered my question! How do the dead do it?" That got her attention. The pale female hellbeast turned sharply on him. "I guarantee it's more fun with a live bloke." Aleera did not allow him to continue. She swooped down, pulling him off his feet. "That's the idea," he commented as he fought her in the air, dragging her off course into the trees.