V. 1979

The Box

Anthony DiNozzo's import/export business was doing extraordinarily well, by any and every measure. The legit side was generating more than enough traffic to hide the less-honorable aspects, both physically and financially. So when a request came to him through unofficial channels to transport an item from Hungary without interference from US Customs, and the person delivering the request was possessed of that posh English accent and numerous titles he figured it was just more "Council Business" for his wife and did as asked, accepting the cash without asking questions. A few more opportunities like this and he might be able to leave the deal making behind, might be able to finally look the sneering Lord Paddington in the eye and say he could take care of Elizabeth just fine on his own, without generations of other people's money and labor behind him. He certainly didn't make any connections between this box and the arrival of Junior's new tutor - a distant "used to be royal" relative escaping from behind the Iron Curtain and needing something to do.

The Tutor

Eight year old Anthony DiNozzo was not exactly thrilled with his new tutor, but if he was going to be dressing in sailor suits he was just as happy not to have to leave the house to go to school. Father said he was too old for a nanny, so Mummy said that a live in tutor was the answer. In the language of American boys though, the dude was just weird. He always kept his window shades closed, and never went out in the sun, didn't play sports at all. The worst was when he greeted Tony in what he called "the European way" with a kiss to both cheeks – Tony swore that he was being sniffed. He began to suspect that something really wasn't right when he came back from altar boy training with a piece of communion wafer stuck in his back teeth. When Mr. Vladden went to kiss his cheek, he jumped back and hissed – and it looked like his lips were suddenly very chapped. Tony was going to ask his mum about it, but she had been so very tired lately. The doctor said it was something called anemia, but there was something bugging Tony that just wouldn't let go.

The Family Business

"I'm very mixed up mummy. I'm sad that you're sick, but I'm glad we get to watch movies together. Can we watch Angels With Dirty Faces again? I really like that one. Oh, and can we go see Dracula this weekend? Sir Laurence Olivier is in it so it must be good. Uncle Clive was telling me that I had to learn all about vampires so I can join the family business when I grow up. I thought the family business was shipping mum, isn't it? Vampire hunting sounds much more exciting than just making papers that say what's in a box. That's what I saw when Father took me to the office last week before he went to Spain, just lots of papers and stuff. But a vampire hunter gets to protect people and go scary places and be a hero, that's what I want to do. I want to rescue good people from bad things. Don't you think that would be a good thing to do?"

"Mummy's tired sweetheart. We'll see about a movie this weekend if I'm feeling better. Would you find Mr. Vladden and ask, if it's not too much trouble, if he could come by my room to talk about your lessons. There's a good boy."

The Sea Monkeys

Tony had asked Uncle Clive how to tell if someone was a vampire and after a few careful tests, he was pretty sure that Mr. Vladden was one. But Father already thought he watched too many movies and didn't like Grandpapa or Uncle Clive too much to begin with, so trying to tell him anything that involved a movie monster that was supposed to be make believe and Uncle Clive just wasn't a good idea. Plus, Father had been in Japan trying to get a contract to import something called MaxBetas or something for a week, and would be staying there for at least one more. His mom had been so sick Mr. Vladden hadn't even let him see her since Father had left, so Tony decided he'd have to act on his own. After church on Sunday he used his altar-boy privileges to fill up a thermos with holy water. He decided he'd tell the help at home it was for sea monkeys so they wouldn't think it was strange that he put a big glass of water by his bed. Since Mr. Vladden was away on Sundays he slipped into his mum's room and put one by her bed too, just in case. She was so still he thought she might be dead, so when he reached out to pat her hand, just to be sure, he certainly wasn't expecting her to wake up at just that moment, her green eyes golden, her smile fanged, and a clawed hand snatching the glass from his hand, and drinking it down.