Kate was feeling so much better than she had since waking at the hotel almost a month ago. Mavis and Johnny were a lovely couple and Dennis was a sweet young boy. She enjoyed spending time with them as she healed.
The one person she wished she had seen more of was Dracula.
He seemed to be avoiding her over this last month. Since he came to talk to her on the day she awoke, she had only seen him a handful of times and almost always from afar.
She understood. This was an exception, a kindness he extended her for saving Dennis' life. She still didn't understand why he had bothered to come after her. Dennis was safe, so he should have left her in the ditch he found her, he should have let her die.
But knowing that he came after her filled her with such happiness even if she knew it wouldn't last.
She was wandering the hotel today alone, trying to remember the way to that small library he had shown her during her last visit to the hotel. It was the place she had fallen in love with him after all and she wanted to see it again. She wandered the hallways, only running into dead ends a couple of times.
She never imagined that this hotel would be this large. Of course, she knew it was large, but it seemed so much bigger inside than the outside made it appear. One could get lost very easily here.
Then, after a couple of hours searching, she stopped in front of a door she recognized. She reached out and opened it, walking right into the small library she had been searching for. She smiled.
She walked into the room and sat in front of the fire, letting the colors flicker from the flames. She leaned back and let the warmth flow over her. Her eyes glanced over at the chess set, sitting ready for another match.
She smiled sadly, remembering the last time she and Dracula had played together, before all the drama and hatred had come, before either one knew who the other was. Before she realized her feelings for him.
Things had been simpler then.
Then, suddenly, she froze. Her body recognizing that she wasn't alone, that a monster was in the room with her.
She hadn't felt that feeling of dread, the Van Helsing warning system, since she came to the hotel. She knew it was due to the blood loss and torture she had endured. The fact that it had returned meant that she was mostly healed, if not completely.
She stood and turned to see Dracula walking into the room. He froze at the sight of her, his blue eyes wide. A sharp pain went through her at his shocked look. He hadn't expected to find her here. Perhaps she was intruding in a space she shouldn't be anymore.
"Count Dracula," she said firmly. "I'm sorry. Should I not be here?"
He blinked before relaxing. He gave her a small smile. "No, you are welcome here," he said before stepping forward and standing next to her. "If fact, I think that you owe me a game." He took a seat and gestured to the chess board between the two chairs. "Shall we?"
Kate smiled before retaking her seat, confusion filling her. "Of course Count," she replied, happy to once again play this game with him even if it didn't make any sense.
He smiled at her before they started their game, even though hearing her state his title made him feel terrible, as if they were not equals.
They played two games, Dracula winning both, before starting a third. They didn't talk much during the games, instead focusing on the game, but Dracula did look up at Kate as she worked through her moves.
Her emerald green eyes were focused on the board, working out her next move. Her red hair was flowing about her face, framing the heart-shaped face. Her lips were full, she bit the bottom one slightly in concentration. She was looking much better than when he had found her lying in that ditch a month ago.
She was a beautiful girl. For a moment, Dracula wondered if her skin was as soft as it looked, if her hair was as smooth as it appeared, if her lips would taste as sweet as he imagined. It was unnerving to have these thoughts.
The thoughts caused him to make a mistake in his next move, one he wouldn't have made otherwise. He was embarrassed that he could not control his thoughts to concentrate on the game.
Kate smiled and Dracula felt the urge to reach out and touch her, but he didn't. These feelings made no sense. As nice as the girl was, as kind and honest as she had been towards him and his family, she was still a Van Helsing.
She reached out and picked up a piece. Her hands were small with clean-cut fingernails. She didn't wear any of that polish on them. He liked that about her. She didn't wear any of that make-up that most women wore, no perfume, no polish, she was natural.
She moved and those sparkling green eyes looked up at him. Dracula felt the shock inside him at that look. He didn't know what it was that he was feeling, but it was something he had never felt before, not even with Martha.
"Checkmate," she said, her smile widening.
He looked down at the board. Checkmate. He had been distracted by looking at Kate.
He glanced back up at her. She had such a look of satisfaction, at defeating him in this game. He chuckled.
"You finally defeated me," he said with a smirk. "Maybe I made it too easy?"
She rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Don't play that way. I beat you fair and square."
"So you did," he said standing. "It's late, you should sleep." He reached a hand out to her.
She looked at the hand he offered in confusion before she reached out towards him. However, before she could place her hand in his she stopped and pulled it back. Dracula watched as she held her hand against her chest before standing on her own.
She refused to touch him. For some reason, that really bothered him. Instead, he didn't dwell on it and put his hand back by his side, his fingers itching for any contact from her.
They walked the hallways back to her room, his cape flowing out from behind him. There was silence between them, but the air was charged in a way it never had been before with them.
Something was different, they both knew it. What it was, they didn't know.
Kate glanced at Dracula from the corner of her eye. He was handsome and regal, of course he is a count. When he had offered her his hand to help her up, she really wanted to take it. However, she knew that if she touched him, her already awkward feelings would become stronger. It was already hard enough keeping her cool when around him now.
She knew that there was no way the two of them would ever end up together, but she couldn't help wishing for it. With him so close and being so kind, it only made it worse. She half wished that he would kill her just so she wouldn't have to feel this anymore.
"I have been meaning to ask you," he said when they reached her door causing her to look up at him, "why did you take the time to return this to me?"
He pulled something out from his pocket and showed it to her.
She looked down and gasped. Martha's ring. Dennis had done as she asked and returned it to Dracula. She looked back up at him with wide eyes before taking a breath.
"The ring was your wife's, meaning that it should be with you. It belongs to you, not the Van Helsings. I had a feeling that you were missing it."
"Won't they realize you took it?"
Kate nodded. "I'm sure that they made that connection immediately. Of course, by taking the ring they have to know that I actually found you and was keeping it from them."
He wrapped his hand around the small ring that had caused Kate's life to twist around. "You mean that you can never go back to the Van Helsings?"
She looked away from him towards the door. "Aunt Caroline took me in when my parents died in a car accident. I owe her my life, but after what happened...I could never return there."
"You could stay here."
She whipped back to him with wide eyes. "What?"
Dracula's eyes were wide, as if he hadn't realized what he had said. "Um...I said...I said that you could...stay here...?" Dracula found that he liked the idea of Kate remaining in the hotel, even if the reasoning behind that happiness confused him.
Kate blinked. That sounded wonderful, staying in the hotel that her beloved ran. She wanted so badly to say yes, to stay in this fantastic hotel with him, forever.
But, she glanced at his clenched fist, the ring she knew was housed inside. Even if she stayed her feelings would never be returned. She would live her entire life in love with a man she would never be able to be with. He would always love his wife.
She smiled. "I appreciate the office," she said before turning back to her door. "I'll think about it. Good-night."
She opened the door and stepped inside, glancing back at him once before she finished shutting the door. She didn't allow the tears to fall until the door was completely shut.
How could she remain her, in love with a vampire, knowing that she would never have his love returned to her? She couldn't. It would destroy her from the inside out.
Dracula didn't know, he was just trying to be nice. Another hand-out to the woman who rescued his grandson she was sure.
She turned to the room and looked out the window at the rising sun. The warmth washed over her and she knew what she had to do.
Dracula awoke the next night well rested. He hadn't slept like that in what felt like forever.
He stood and dressed before heading out into his hotel. Monsters and humans were walking about this evening, checking out everything and anything. The breakfast buffet was in full swing and everything was going smoothly.
Right up until Dennis ran up to him, panic and tears in his eyes.
"Papa Drac! It's Kate. She's gone!"
Dracula looked at his grandson with shock. "Gone? What do you mean gone?" His own body filled with panic at those words. He had just spoken to Kate last night. She had nowhere to go so why would she leave?
Without waiting for Dennis to explain, Dracula turned and practically flew to Kate's room, not bothering to knock.
The bed was made and hadn't been slept in, the drawers were empty and there was a note on the side table. He picked it up and opened it.
The letter was addressed to Mavis, as she must have expected Dennis to go to his mother instead of him. He didn't care and read it anyways, pain filling him with each word.
'Mavis, please forgive me for leaving so suddenly, but I do not belong here. As a Van Helsing, I would never truly be welcome in a world of monsters. The longer I stayed, the more monsters would refuse to return to the hotel. The Van Helsings were monster hunters, not just vampire ones, and are hated by most monsters because of what we have done in the past.
'I will keep the hotel a secret until I die, this I can promise both you and your father of. I am ashamed that my family caused so much suffering to you both and I cannot make it right.
'Take care of each other. Kate.'
Dracula lowered the note before letting it fall to his feet. He wanted to believe it wasn't true, that it was all a dream, but he knew that it wasn't.
Kate had left the hotel for the second time. This time, he was sure she would not return.