Chapter Twenty-Two

The large transport interchange pulsed with crowds, hundreds of mortals scurrying around and Dracula eyed the swarming masses surreptitiously. They poured in and out of the ground, on and off an assortment of vehicles, and formed ragged lines outside the adjacent shopping thoroughfare; the accompanying smells and sounds made for a potent mixture and he tried not to think about how easy it would be to pick one off from the crowd and drink his fill in a side alley, then repeat that process over and over again because he was a fervent believer that too much was just enough. And he tried really hard not to think about diving straight in to the heart of the mass; how the mortals would scatter loosely, the terrifying screams of the first to die intensifying the blood of those that would be served up as dessert. His mouth salivated at the tantalising thoughts and he gripped the hand that was secured in his own a little tighter as a reminder of what he'd lose if he gave in to the temptation of slaughter.

The smaller hand held within his own squeezed back in return and Dracula re-focussed his attention solely upon its owner, finding his wife's smile as reassuring as her grip. Travelling around Europe in daylight, temptation on every street corner and in each hotel lobby, had been a real test of his vow to abstain but reaching for Agatha's hand was always a good start. She had suggested the action was a little possessive, insisting that she would not abandon him at the first opportunity, but she had never refused his hand; she had not refused to marry him, either. They had stood before her God, made vows to each other that would last an eternity and a wedding ring now sat on the third finger of his left hand. The gold band was plain in comparison to its predecessor but was far more valuable to him because Agatha had placed it there. And his insignia had never looked better than it did resting at the bottom of his wife's throat.

Dracula was aware that, to a certain degree at least, he had simply swapped one addiction for another and Agatha Van Helsing was now his everything but, unlike his bloodlust, too much of her could never be enough. Alas, that meant she was also his Achilles Heel and if the Harker Foundation had not realised as much from their previous encounters they most certainly would the next time they met. Fortunately, not leaving a trail of bloodless corpses in his wake made it somewhat harder for the Foundation to track them across Europe. His enemies were unlikely to concede defeat and he would have to eliminate them at some point but until then he was content to wander around the continent with Agatha. After centuries of scrabbling around in the dark, by himself and with only the light of a candle or fire, it was exhilarating to share this adventure with both his beloved and the sun.

Agatha's gaze roamed over Dracula's features with increasing scrutiny, her hand still grasping his tightly. Slowing her pace, he automatically matched her step and realisation pulled at her smile as she asked, "Are you hungry, Husband?"

There weren't enough words, in all of the languages at his disposal, to describe just how deeply that moniker falling from her lips burrowed into his very being. It was love and possession and want all wrapped up in two syllables that would mean nothing to him coming from anybody else - and Agatha knew that. She also knew just how and when to wield the word and right now she was trying to distract him even though he was certain she must be having a similar reaction to all of the stimuli. It was nice to be understood; it was even better to no longer be alone.

It was working, too; any lingering thoughts he might have had about slicing open a jugular or two were swiftly extinguished as he came to an abrupt stop. His hand in hers prevented Agatha from proceeding much further and when she eventually stopped he tugged gently on her hand, encouraging her to take a step back towards him. When she was close enough, he reached for her waist with his free hand and, before he claimed her mouth with his own, said softly, "For you my love: always."

Agatha did not resist his advances, melting into their kiss even as the swathes of passersby began to divert around them. He might not have been able to convince her to transform into a wolf - she claimed the process was unnatural but he suspected she simply disliked the required nudity - but she was more than willing to indulge in public displays of affection with him.

However, and despite his penchant for putting on a show, there were some lines that he was not willing to cross and their kiss would go no further. Not in public, anyway. Easing his lips away from hers he whispered against her mouth, "Shall we retreat to the hotel where I can devour you in private?"

"We can't spend all of eternity in bed," Agatha protested, freshly kissed lips smiling up at him.

"Oh, we most certainly can."

"No, we can't," Agatha reiterated, her tone firm but her smile beginning to fade. Before Dracula could verbalise a response she disentangled herself from his grasp but kept hold of his hand and used that connection to tug him towards the underground entryway. He followed dumbly in her wake as she sliced a way through the crowds until they were both standing against the wall that surrounded the descending stairwell. Their new position offered a little more privacy and she used it to elaborate upon her previous statement, "I can't, Vlad. I do want to spend eternity with you but I also want to do more; I need to do more. I have always believed un-death to be a curse but perhaps it could be a blessing. There is so much I could do with my time to help this world and the people in it."

A frown settled on Dracula's brow as he considered her words but he managed to prevent it from falling further and carving out a pout on his lips. Whilst he had already resigned himself to such an eventuality some time ago it did not mean he was quite ready for their extended honeymoon to end this soon. "You are already helping people, Agatha. I have not spilt blood for more than six months; that's hundreds of lives that you have saved."

"It is a very good start," she replied, moving her free hand to his chest where she could make soothing motions both in appreciation of his restraint and anticipation of her next words. "But I want to do more."

The sun shone down on her, lighting up the clear blue of her eyes, the encouraging curve of her lips and the determined set of her chin. On the hand that rested upon his chest, though shaded from the sun by his stature, was the matching gold band to his own wedding ring; neither had been removed since they'd wed and for a few days after that they had been the only items each of them had worn.

A small sigh left his mouth, stopping at his lips to form a semblance of a smile; he had made her his wife knowing full well who she was and what that would entail, even going so far as to give her his word that he would follow her lead. He would not renege on his promise even now that she had promised to always be his. "What exactly do you have in mind, my love?"

Agatha grinned briefly in victory, her hand halting its movements as she launched into an explanation that suggested she had been considering this decision for some time. "I wish to continue my research into this affliction. There have been so many scientific advances over the last century that could make studying vampires more productive than simply luring one into a trap at the convent."

Releasing her hand, he reached for her waist with both of his own and tugged her closer to him - because he could never be quite close enough to her - and confided lowly, "I enjoyed being lured into your trap."

"I remember," Agatha replied, her weak smile tinged by the memory of the bloodshed that Count Dracula had caused that night and lingering guilt over her own part in the proceedings. Moving both of her hands to his chest, physically pulling away from him though not in revulsion but in an attempt to refocus his attention, she continued to share her intentions with Dracula, "But I had neither the means nor the knowledge to physically study a vampire and perhaps unlock the secrets of regeneration or immunity to disease or increased physical strength. The Jonathan Harker Foundation is the natural progression of my work but it has clearly lost its way. I would apply my findings to the benefit of humanity."

A frown had settled on her features at the mention of the Harker Foundation and Dracula knew that it had been a disappointment for Agatha to discover that her own work had been corrupted in such a way. Whilst he had been surprised by many of the things he had encountered in the twenty-first century that had not been one of them; he had lived long enough to know that evil would always endure. He had also, more recently, learnt that if anyone could make the world a little better then it would be his wife and he would not let her embark on such a venture alone. "I won't let you experiment on yourself," he warned her.

"Are you volunteering to be my test subject?"

"You do like to learn things about me," he agreed as his hands slid from her waist to her back. Dracula let them slowly wander lower down her body before adding on, "And I have always taken a keen interest in scientific research."

"I think I know what kind of research you have in mind," Agatha replied but her tone was not harsh and she did nothing to stop the explorations of his hands.

"The practical kind," Dracula grinned, his hands squeezing her backside.

"You're going to be a distraction, aren't you?"

"Some of the time, perhaps," he agreed, smoothing his hands back up her spine in support of his words. Agatha had stated quite clearly, from behind those convent gates, that she was well versed in vampire legend but it was only when he had drank from Johnny Blue Eyes for the last time that he had realised just how devoted to study she was. It had seemed wasteful, once he had gained permission to enter the convent, not to have one last taste of the Englishman's blood before he flayed him and there had been just enough in the other man's veins to supply Dracula with some inside information on the nun who had provoked him so boldly. Johnny had always been so willingly compliant in that respect.

The weeks she had spent studying Jonathan Harker, however, had paled in comparison to the years she had devoted to studying him. When he'd finally sunk his fangs into her neck he had been amused to learn that the feisty nun had expended more time and energy on himself, locked away in a makeshift workshop in the cellar of the convent, than she had in service to her God. He would not allow her to endure such drudgery again. "But it's wise to take regular breaks, my love. There'll be no more sequestering yourself away for weeks at a time. Not when we have eternity ahead of us to complete our task."

"That does sound reasonable," she agreed.

"As I've been telling people for centuries, my love: I am not unreasonable," he replied, basking in the warmth of her smile which was now brighter than the sunshine, drawn out by his assertion that he would be right there beside her. He had little interest in helping mankind but perhaps it was wise to ensure that their food supply both continued to exist and remained untainted. And he was certain that he would do pretty much anything for Agatha.

Leaning in, Agatha kissed Dracula sweetly but briefly, remaining close to him as she spoke, "But will you be content doing good works?"

"Yes," he replied without missing a beat. He'd always had a thirst for knowledge and now he had recently acquired a hunger for Agatha; combining both needs would sate his appetites and perhaps now was the time to finally do something about the Harker Foundation. They would need to establish a base, somewhere with the space to set up a laboratory but doing so would make it easier for their enemy to find them. However, he had a location in mind that would be perfect.

"I do recall you having made plans for world domination," Agatha pursued, not quite convinced by his response.

"I had many plans, Agatha, before you tore them all to shreds," he admitted with a fond smile that, combined with his words, elicited a similar reaction from Agatha. Abandoning his plans for world domination had not been a hardship; they'd barely made it past the ideas stage before he'd been distracted by a smorgasbord of food that was available at the swipe of a thumb, a kamikaze girl who had been at his complete beck and call, and the gnawing sense that he had lost more than just Agatha when the Demeter had exploded. If Frank had not reminded him every so often he might have forgotten the plans had ever existed.

He'd not sought to re-establish a harem of brides once he'd arrived in London, either, though that decision had been made for entirely different reasons; before he'd even set foot on board the Demeter he'd finally accepted that reproduction was impossible for vampires. It had not perturbed him too greatly at the time as Johnny had just proven that it was possible to sire a vampire that was capable of more than just hunger but now that he had Agatha he had begun to feel the loss of fertility more keenly; images of her belly swelling with their child had crept into his thoughts on more than one occasion.

However, he still had plenty of good food, thanks to a chain of willing donors, and even better company in Agatha. They had always been the necessities; everything else had been, for the most part, ways to fill in some time during the long centuries he'd spent alone. And now he had a more pressing task with which to attend; to protect Agatha and the life they shared together. "But I do have one proposition, my love: we establish ourselves at Carfax Abbey."

Agatha frowned slightly in response, "You want to return to England?"

"The estate is secure and making our presence known in the wider community should deter the Harker Foundation from launching any further overt attacks," he assured her. He had tasked his lawyer with revamping the property when they had fled England, preferring to retain the large estate - and his vague notions of one day becoming 'Lord of the Manor' - and sell the London apartment. The latter had been found with some ease by Zoe and Jack so was likely also on the Harker Foundations radar, too.

The outer boundary at Carfax Abbey had since been secured and renovation of the main house was currently ongoing; it wouldn't take much to add a laboratory and some internal security to those plans. From there Agatha could research to her heart's content and he could keep them both safe whilst he worked out a plan of attack with regards to the Harker Foundation.

However, it appeared that it wasn't their safety that concerned Agatha. "Very well but may I remind you that you agreed there would be no more bloodshed," she warned, her tone firm.

"Very well," Dracula agreed, echoing Agatha's words. Her bright smile faded only slightly when he added on, "There are other ways to destroy them."