" Well I believe thanks are in order for helping me avoid looking like a total fool out there." Said Astrid. The two were seated in the dining area of the rink while Alex and Elliot were off in the arcade. " Anytime my love, besides I'm sure there are things you excel at that I don't." It got her thinking for a moment at what her talents were. Skating obviously wasn't one of them and she loved to cook, but only to be disappointed when the food came right back up afterwards. She missed eating normal food to this day, with recipes and food always evolving ,she was kind of bummed she couldn't partake in it all. " I can't really think of any talents that I possess. Fake it till I make it I guess." Astrid seemed to be taken aback when he cupped her hands into his own. His hands were ice cold like her own and his skin was soft to the touch. It surprised her that she didn't retract her hands immediately. Nothing felt forced nor rushed this time around it was just simply them talking and for once getting to know one another.
" I highly doubt you have no talents. I for one know you are an excellent mother and I couldn't have asked for a better person to bare my children than you." Said Dracula " Ha! You are trying to score brownie points over there?" laughed Astrid " I have no clue what you mean by " brownie points" ,but I'll do what it takes to win your love." Astrid rolled her eyes at him as she leaned back against the bench of the booth. Astrid was really digging the eighties music for "Time after time" was playing now. It was funny how music always set the tone for things she thought. " I guess what I don't understand is after all these years why me? I'm mean surely you could find someone better than me who doesn't loathe you or drive you insane? It just felt it was all to do with me being a Valerious and that I had the ability to bare your children alive that you pursued me ." " I must admit at first yes , because I knew nothing of your personality or charm you possessed. However you grew on me and I like that you don't throw yourself at me. I've always been one to like a challenge." Said Dracula.
Astrid had to admit he always sometimes knew what to say at the right time. She caught herself almost smiling while looking upon his handsome face of his. He smirked back at her still holding onto her hands till the children came back from the arcade. " Mom! Alex cheated when we were playing air hockey. Can we have more money for a redo?" asked Elliot. Astrid tucked the boys long curly hair behind his ear so it wasn't in his face. " No I didn't you liar! You are just a sore loser." Said Alex as he ran up to where his brother was. " Alright you two maybe next time, but we best be off." Said Astrid. Alex pulled out of his beige short pockets his slime he won from the tickets he traded in. " Eww gross! you better not play with that in the car. Your father will have a fit!" Dracula walked with the children and Astrid out the door as they made their way to the car.
Astrid's hangover was finally gone and for once she had a nice day with Dracula and her children. She didn't think that could ever be possible, but yet she had been proven wrong before. The children insisted on playing video games in their room when they returned home. Astrid was appreciative of the break and wanted to venture off around the mansion. Dracula had followed her to her room which she found odd but treaded with caution as she closed the door behind them. " Is there something you wanted?" she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed. " Nothing really ,I just wanted to spend as much time as I could with you and the children before I must return to work. Are you ok with that?" " I just don't know if things can be fixed and I appreciate your effort, but it feels the damage is beyond repair." He looked saddened by her response his hand covered his mouth as he paced back in forth before Astrid. He loved her immensely along with the children, he feared of losing them and this seemed it was his only shot. He slowly walked up to her now and gently pushed her chest causing her to lay on her back on the bed. " Whoa whoa what are you doing?" asked Astrid. Her anxiety was kicking in and she was feeling she was going to lose control by freaking out. She feared he was going to force himself upon her like last time. However all he did was lay on his side and wrap his arm around her torso. He buried in nose in her hair taking in deep breaths of her scent. " I just wish to be close to you nothing more nothing less."
Astrid looked into the deep depths of his blue eyes the loose hairs around his face tickled her cheek. He immediately pushed them behind his ear while inching closer to her lips. He leaned in till his lips came in contact with hers. It was slow and passionate, something she never experienced with him. She was receptive to his kisses that she kissed him back as his thumb to his hand massaged her jawline. Blood leaked from Dracula's lip for Astrid nipped at it as her canines enlarged. She licked the blood hungrily wanting more as Dracula's whole bottom lip was in her mouth. She could hear him chuckling when she finally open her eyes. " My my ice queen ,how much I've missed you." Said Dracula after he freed his bottom lip. Astrid saw his one hand slowly unbutton her blouse and she immediately grabbed his hand. " No Vlad, I cannot at this time." He let off a soft growl under his breath before returning to kissing her while she remained underneath him. Such a tease he thought for he found himself thrusting against her and couldn't do anything about it. He knew the outcome of forcing sex would lead to, but he hoped the saying was true " slow and steady wins the race". It almost shocked him yet excited him when she rolled him over to where now he was on his back and she was now straddling him. She was now waiving her finger back n forth making a " tsking" sound as she did. " You have no idea how hard it is to contain myself and act like a gentleman when it comes to you." Said Dracula. She chuckled at him with a wicked grin plastered across her face. " I guess you'll have to try a little harder"
She removed herself from his waist and got off the bed slowly buttoning up her blouse as she did. " I'm hungry now how about you? " said Astrid. "Indeed!" laughed Dracula. Getting off the bed, he walked over to her and embraced her in a deep hug. She seemed to fit perfectly against him he thought. His hands slid down to her waist before his lips finding her soft ones this time kissing her fiercely. Astrid could hear something clicking and looked in the direction of the door. Dracula with two of his fingers turned her chin so she was facing him again. " We wouldn't want the children barging in on us would we?" he said slyly . She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling her closer into him. Astrid really didn't understand what was going on at that very moment. She didn't feel she was in a trance by Dracula in fact it was her own free will at work here. It been so long since she had been touched by another man she felt long over due and didn't fight his advances as they found themselves back on the bed.
A week had gone by and it seemed everything was at peace. Astrid's relationship was getting on better terms with Dracula and the children enjoyed spending time with their father. They only had five more days left till Astrid had to make up her mind if she was coming or going, and for once she felt torn. She no longer slept in her own bed ,but in his now since the day at the roller rink. The idea of getting to know him more didn't repulse her like it did before and the children actually liked Romania. Astrid found herself outside in the garden for Dracula had to return back to work and it was just her and the kids now. They decided to play a game of tag in the maze and Astrid was it. She could hear the children giggling behind her as they threatened they were gonna catch her. The sharp twists and turns of the maze were making it hard to lose the twins even with her inhuman speed. However she had been feeling weird all day dizzy and was having trouble keeping her dinner down the night before. She didn't think much of it and charged on forward till she got to the center. The center of the maze there was a stone bench that they considered base was at. In a matter of seconds after she rounded the last turn the bench was in site she quickly teleported to the bench for she felt she was about to pass out. "Mom you cheated! No teleporting allowed!" yelled Alex as they reached the bench just after Astrid. "Mommy isn't feeling well I need to rest for a moment."
Dracula returned hours later from work and greeted warmly by the kids as he walked in the door. Later that night he made love to Astrid after the children were fast asleep, but she wasn't herself. He held her close as the two were covered underneath the comforter. " What's wrong my love? Is something troubling you?" asked Dracula. Her stomach felt in knots and the room seemed to spin as she sat herself up on the bed. " I think I'm going to be sick." She said immediately. She had no time to rush to the bathroom and leaned over the side of the bed. Blood came pouring out her mouth the more that came out the better she felt. Dracula rushed immediately to the bathroom to retrieve a bucket. " I'm sooo sorry ….I don't know what is wrong." She said before more blood came out but this time in the bucket he sat next to the bed. He got back on the bed and began rubbing her back. She began to dry heave now making horrible hacking noises as she did. When she felt she was done being sick she wiped the remaining blood off her mouth. She felt light headed from the blood loss ,but the thought of feeding made her sickness worse. " Astrid my dear, I think your pregnant again." Said Dracula as he continued to rub her back. The blood loss and now the shock of being pregnant made her paler than ever as all the color washed away from her cheeks. " No ! Not again!" she whispered to herself. Dracula looked at her with concern pulling her closer to him so that way he was embracing her. " Shhhh it is alright, this is a good thing. I'm here for you, you won't go through this alone." Said Dracula into her ear. She weakly pushed him away from her. Stupid was what she felt, she allowed her emotions to get the best of her and now she was carrying another one of his children. She didn't know if she even wanted to be with him just yet. It has only really been a week and now this. " I must get rid of it, I'm not ready and I don't know if even want to be with you." She said.
Astrid wanted to cry this wasn't how she imagined things. " Astrid I need you to look at me and honestly say you don't have love me, that you rather live a life without me in it." She looked at him for brief second before looking back down at her pillow across her lap. At first she despised him ,but in this short amount of time her perspective had changed when it came to him. She enjoyed his company now and the time they spent together. It was getting to know someone all over again that you had known before. However was it love? She didn't know. " it's too soon to tell if my feelings for you are of love or infatuation. I simply can't give you that answer right now, but now that I'm expecting I feel an urgency to make a decision here." Said Astrid. "Well Astrid then I insist you stay here and allow the children to go to school here. Let me love you and help you through this. Im sure you know me by now to know I will go leaps and bounds for the people I care for most." She felt comforted by his words even though she wasn't sure she wanted to stay, she couldn't deny her feelings growing for him. Maybe this baby would be the one to draw them closer together. She rested her head on his chest as she layed there till exhaustion kicked in and she fell asleep.