I dedicate this fanfiction to my girlfriend and all my followers, reviewers and beta reader wallaceb.

Another thanks to wallaceb for inspiring me to write this chapter.

CHAPTER 20 - The mother I never had - Part 2

"I'm sorry I cannot introduce my husband and my other three children, all of them would have been excited to meet you, but they went out together just before I called you."

"What a pity, but I think we will have other opportunities to get to know each other, maybe in person."

"Are you serious? That would be great! Oh, I cannot wait! Have you decided when to go?" Zoe exclaimed excitedly.

"No, not right now, but we will soon. But where do you live?"

"Ah ah ah! Where we live is not you mean! Since my husband has been degraded from representative researcher of new military technologies twenty years ago we moved to I do not know how many dozens of places around the world. You know, I don't want to be separated from my husband, so I follow him in all his business trips." Zoé said with a smile, but it was the fake smile of someone who wants to convince themselves to feel good.

Mavis noticed it, so she tried to ask:

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, yes, don't worry... It's just that it was not easy for Jonathan."

"In what way?" The vampire asked confused.

"I think you've noticed that Jonathan is an exuberant and expansive guy."

"Sure, this is what I love most about him." Mavis said, sighing lovingly.

"It's just that for him it was always traumatic leaving friends, school and the city in which he had just moved two or three times in a single year. I know he felt sad and unfortunately I could never do anything. His worst time was adolescence, during which he let himself go. He was always making trouble, doing poorly in school and stopped looking for new friends because he knew that after a few months he would have to leave them. He fell into a depression, but fortunately his brothers have always been close to him.

I do not know if in Romania you have large families, but in America and in Europe a couple of parents rarely give birth to more than two children. We have seven children for a reason, they are a real group of friends who support each other and can better withstand the stress of continuous removals." The woman's words were full of sadness, she was truly sorry for the stress that their lives gave to their sons.

"Jonny never told me any of this. But then, why does he like to travel around the world if he already can do so with you?"

"Jonathan never speaks about his problems even with us, I think he is ashamed. Anyway, he travels around the world alone because he doesn't want to become attached to anyone, but his extrovert character prevents him from being alone, so he spends his nights in hostels or camping with the people he meets along his way, but he couldn't become attached because he knows after a few days he won't see them again.

Jonny is a good boy, always joking and smiling, but beneath his carefree spirit there's a guy alone and homeless. He is looking for something that we cannot give him, a place to call HOME.

I tried to explain to him that home is the place where you can take refuge when you need it, so wherever we are is his home, but it was not enough for him. Jonathan wants a place where he feels safe and at ease even when he is alone, a place that he misses when he goes away even if only for a week, a place that contains all of the best memories of his life.

This is what he told me when at nineteen he left on vacation alone for the first time to go coast"to"coast in the United States by hitchhiking.

But this year he has finally found you. I hope you are the light that will illuminate the darkest part of his heart, the one which had forgotten what it means to love someone outside of the family."

Then the woman looked down and continued:

"Damn, the three little devils are asleep. I'm sorry to have been so boring."

"No, Zeze. This story was not boring at all, but ... I didn't think Jonny had all this melancholy inside himself. But it is true, he knows everything about me, but I'm afraid I know almost nothing about him."

"I'm afraid you are right, but I am his mother and I can understand what goes through his mind; Even if it always pretends that everything is fine. Okay, I think I've said enough, now tell me something about you. I must admit I liked you from the first moment I saw you, but you do not believe I will leave my little mouse in the hands of the first girl he finds!" Zoé said chuckling.

"I'll try to be someone special for him and for all of you." Mavis smiled thinking about Zoé who could not even imagine how this innocent looking girl could be"special."

"Don't worry little Mavis, I was joking, to be to our liking you just have to be yourself!"

Mavis darkened her face, these words made her think:

"Being myself... everything would be much simpler, but I'm a monster and I know they would never, never accept me, especially if they knew I killed and turned Jonny into a vampire... Yeah, sooner or later they will need to know it, but I don't know how to tell them... If only the world was different..."

"Mavis? Everything ok? You look thoughtful." Said the woman interrupting the girl's thoughts.

"Yes, it's okay. It's just that... No, nothing."

Then she tried to smile.

And you, where do you live? Jonathan met you in Transylvania, or not? If he has not changed his plans he should be in Romania this week."

"Yes, we met here in Transylvania."

"But you're a tourist, right?"

"No, I have lived here since I was born."

The woman looked at her in amazement, so that Mavis believed to have said something that she should have kept hidden.

"You really live in Transylvania? Maybe in a haunted castle?"

"In a way, yes. My father has a castle converted into a hotel and we are living there."

The woman's face became even more amazed, while the concern of the vampire continued to grow.

"It must be so cool to live in a castle! But are you not afraid that some night a vampire will come to bite you? You know, they say they have a penchant for young pretty girls like you! Ha ha ha!"

Mavis gave a sigh of relief, Jonathan's mother just joking.

"Honestly, my dad taught me to have more afraid to humans than monsters."

"Your dad is absolutely right, the news is always talking about violent people, but I've never seen evil monsters, so the statistic speaks for itself... Ah ha ha!"

The joke of Zoé was rendered more real than she had ever imagined, and this made it even more fun for Mavis.

"To tell you the truth I never had an interesting life like yours. I lived with my dad until now and I've never gone beyond the woods around the castle."

"Do you have a too apprehensive of a father?"

"Yes, he loves me, but he is always afraid something bad will happen to me. So he always wants to be by my side to protect me."

"And I bet your biggest dream is to travel."

Jonathan's mother said with so much confidence that Mavis was surprised and replied:

"How do you know?"

"The more you try to keep a bird in a cage the more it will try to break free and fly away, little-throstle right? Or do you prefer to be called little-bat?"

Mavis chuckled.

Shortly after Zoé spoke again.

"Mavis, you've often talked about your father, but you still have not said anything about your mother. What can you tell me about her?"

The girl's smile vanished and after a short silence she replied:

"Unfortunately I cannot tell you anything, my mother died when I was less than a year."

Suddenly even the smiling face of Zoe became anguished.

"Oh, but it's... terrible... I-I'm so sorry. I should have kept my mouth shut, rather than force you to talk about it."

"Do not worry Zezé. It is not your fault." Mavis tried to comfort the woman who cared too much about what she had said.

"Now I understand why your father is so overprotective. He has poured all the love for his wife on you and now he's terrified to lose you. I can only imagine how much he loves you."

"Yeah, we support each other."

"Come on Mavis; now tell me something happier. I want to know how you met my Jonny. Tell me, I do not want to miss even one detail!"

"But it's a long story..." Mavis tried to avoid the speech in fear of saying something that would reveal her nature, but the woman's curiosity was too much.

"Do not worry; I have all the time I want. So tell me everything!" The woman continued euphorically.

Mavis could not refuse to answer, but she had to be careful not to say anything that might cause her to discover her true nature even though it was not easy because the girl knew humans only by what his father had said.

"Okay, I'll tell you everything..."

Hello to all! I know you want to read the fight between Dracula and Simon and I can assure you I have already written that chapter some time ago and I was very satisfied about it. I think it's epic.

Unfortunately these chapters of chatter are lasting longer than expected; it will be a total of four.
He he, it amuses me to keep you in suspense :-P

See you soon!

And remember to review, please!