A/N: Sorry if I offended you guys by doing that to our favourite couple, but I swear, it's worth it! Just watch, it'll be clear!

Chapter Three: Talk

"Ingrid, let me go. I have to talk to him." Erin said, Ingrid let go of her and helped her up. Erin dusted herself off and went to talk to Vlad. "Wish me luck." She turned back to Ingrid and continued her way to meet Vlad.

"I thought I made it clear to you." Vlad said. He didn't have to turn around to see who was standing behind him, it was Erin. "But obviously your dyslexia is getting the best of you." He continued and chuckled lightly at his comment. Erin scoffed.

"No, no. I heard you loud and clear. This has nothing to do with my dyslexia. This is between you and me. What do I have to do to prove myself to you, Vlad?" She said. Vlad turned around and walked towards her. Erin flinched because she could sense what was coming. She slapped him, causing him to cradle his cheek. "Just listen to me. We need to talk." She said. Vlad shook his head.

"You know, it was was me begging to talk a year ago..." Vlad smiled looking down. "You didn't want to talk, you wanted to get rid of me, letting others do the dirty work while your nails were clean and filed. Now you want to talk? After all we've been through?" He said, looking straight into her eyes.

"I was stupid back then. I admit that but let's brush that aside and think about now." Erin tried to put her hand to stroke his cheek that she slapped but Vlad grabbed her wrist and squeezed it. "Vlad...Stop, let me go." Erin pleaded, but instead his fangs lowered and his eyes turned a horrible black colour. "Then you leave me with no choice." Erin grabbed his hand and pried his fingers off her wrist and when she succeeded she kicked him in his stomach making him crash into the wall. Erin prayed that Ingrid didn't hear this but it was no use, she could hear Ingrid's heels click on the marble floor but that didn't stop Erin from fighting Vlad. Her fangs lowered and she walked over to him, clutching his neck and yanking him up. He was taller than her but she didn't let him have that advantage.

"Get your hand off my neck, NOW." Vlad said. But it only made it worse, she tightened her grip. "Ok then. You think you can beat me? That's nice." Vlad pried her hand off his neck and he dropped to the ground and immediately kicked her leg sending her falling on her back. Erin clenched her teeth in pain, she knew he was going to win because he was stronger than her. Vlad stood up and looked down at her. "It's too late..." Was all he said, he put out a hand for her to take it. At first she hesitated but she took it and he pulled her up. "Sorry." He walked out.

"Sorry too?" Erin said confused as Ingrid came running in to see the hole in the wall.

"What happened?!" Ingrid asked.

"I do not know...I do not know..." Erin replied. "I need to get my back checked now." Erin walked out.

"Erin? Vlad?" Ingrid called after them but there was no reply so she decided to investigate what happened between them. She found Vlad first drinking soy blood and savouring it as if he was in pain. "Vladimir? What happened?" She asked her younger brother.

"I snapped." Vlad replied. "Then she snapped. Then we had a fight." Vlad finished his soy blood and poured himself more.

"Ok. You guys need to talk properly without fighting physically. Would it help if I was there holding both your hands?" Ingrid said, she walked over to her brother and stroked his face, he winced and he thought she was going to slap him. "Oh Vlad..." Ingrid hugged him.

"Both of you need to talk properly, so I'm here to make sure you do. You will have a civilised chat without it ending with both of you breaking bones, you hear?" Ingrid said. Erin and Vlad nodded. "Good. Now talk, don't take notice of me, pretend I'm not here but I'm here at the same time."

Vlad had the decency to talk first, "I broke my promise..." he said, staring out the window at the drizzling rain. "And I apologise for that."

"No. You didn't break your promise, you kept it. I know how you felt. I am sorry for slapping you and kicking you and strangling you. And for letting Malick kiss me. For trying to get rid of you and leaving with Malick." Erin said, she looked at the back of Vlad's head, urging him to look at her.

"I'm sorry for crunching your wrist and kicking you." Vlad said, he never stopped looking outside, he couldn't bring himself to see Erin's glassy eyes. "I guess we're just as bad as each other. I wish I could turn back time and stop Ramanga from kidnapping you. I wish I could turn back time and stop myself from biting you so I could continue to protect you, I should have respected your wishes. But I did it for my own benefit. When you said that you will never forgive me, my whole world crashed and burned and my head was not focused. All I thought about was you and the bite and the other million problems I had on my mind." Vlad sighed. He removed his gaze from the window and turned to face Erin who had stood up and appeared in front of him. She cradled his sore cheek and kissed it.

"I'm sure we'll be alright. I forgive you." Erin said looking into his grey eyes. Vlad had been longing to hear those three important words, 'I forgive you'. He brought her wrist up to his mouth and gently kissed it. They both forgot that Ingrid was there but it didn't matter because she'd left to give them privacy.

"I dunno... My Dad has arranged for me to get married in a couple of months. I have to choose from five women and he's practically forcing me to do this." He said, Erin's face darkened and there was hurt in her eyes. Vlad brought her chin up, "Hey, don't worry, I'll get out of it. I always do." Erin laughed.

"Like hovering up your tutor and throwing her into the garlic pit?" She said, teasing him. Vlad shook his head and smiled, he remembered that.

"And for your information, Dad pushed in there, not me!" Vlad said playfully. Erin giggled. "I love you." Vlad admitted again for the umpteenth time. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her gently so it could mean something.

"I love you too." Erin said as they broke the kiss off. She stroked his cheek and kissed it.

"So, Vladimir, have you made a decision yet? All young beautiful women, aged 16 to 19, willing to marry you." Count Dracula said. There were five women standing in front of Vlad and four out of five were trying to look beautiful and winking at him. The first girl looked like she was forced to do this, Vlad had pitied her.

The first girl was called Persephone, she was 16 and she wore a long light brown leather dress. Vlad could see that she was wearing VANS and resisted to chuckle. The second girl was Yvonne, she was 17 and she wore a lilac dress, she was one of the girls who kept flirting with him. The third girl was Iyona, Yvonne's older sister. She was 19 years old and she wore a black leather dress with a grey corset. The fourth girl was called Nicola and she was 18. She reminded Vlad of Erin, she was called Nicole. Nicola wore a very dark green mini dress with black boots and green mascara. To Vlad, she looked like a complete freak. And there was the fifth girl, Delilah. She was 19 years old and she wore a navy dress and her hair was tied up in a tight bun. Vlad thought these girls were pretty but they just wasn't his type, especially Nicola.

"Dad? None of these girls are good enough for me. Look at the first one, she's wearing trainers. The second girl is too desperate, the third one is a month older than me which can influence me. The fourth girl is a freak and the fifth one looks a bit too tight." Vlad whispered to his dad. The Count took this into consideration and agreed.

"You're right. Oh great, it will take me another year to bring more choices up." The Count said, he told everyone to leave and they did except Persephone who Vlad had called to talk to her.

"Yes, your Greatness?" Persephone curtseyed to Vlad. She didn't look at his eyes but she looked at his shoes, they were VANS as well, she smiled to herself.

"Please, don't call me that. Call me Vlad, like everyone does. You're Persephone?" Vlad said, he saw Erin behind Persephone and smiled and gestured that he would only be a minute.

"Yes. Vlad." Persephone smiled. Call me Penny. People call me Sephy if I annoy them but I definitely prefer Penny. It's more sophisticated." She said. "So why do you ask for my presence?" She asked, finally having the guts to look at his grey eyes.

"Well, I know you were forced to do this, and seeing as you're the youngest out of the selection I wanted to apologise for my father's actions. You were the only one who didn't flirt with me and I appreciate that. And you also don't care about what you wear, I love your shoes." Vlad said. Penny's eyes widened and she smiled.

"Thank you! They're the same as yours." Penny grinned, her eyes sparkled. "Do you want to know a secret?" She said. Vlad nodded and leaned against the wall. "I'm a black belt in karate and I've always wanted to join you and your gang stopping evil Vampires and I want to be included in the Truce security program..." Penny said. Vlad's eyes widened then he smiled. "It's a stupid idea isn't it? I'm only 16 and I want to put my life in danger."

"No. The minute I saw you, I knew you had determination. I accept your application. You can be on my team against evil Vampires who are out to destroy me. We could always use a younger brain." Vlad smiled. Persephone's eyes glistened in the moonlight. He leaned closer to her so that his mouth was inches close to her ear. "And we could always use a black belt karate ninja." Vlad said. Penny giggled and hugged him.

"Thank you! So...Sorry, a bit OTT." Penny said smoothing down the creases she had created. She looked behind her and saw a short woman with short blonde hair. "Who's that?" Penny whispered to Vlad.

"My girlfriend, who my Dad hates so much that's why he wants me to get married to anyone but her." Vlad replied, he shook Penny's hand and went to join Erin so they could wonder off in their fantasy.

TBC