The procedure seemed to take forever.
Being that he was a vampire and immortal, that certainly was saying much. Dracula sat, raptly observant of every move the doctor was making. The gremlin-like man attached a bag of the blood he'd brought, using the needled end to insert into Martha's limp arm. He grimaced as it penetrated her skin, and the doctor slowly began to pump the rich liquid into her veins at regular intervals.
It was a meticulous process, and the doctor repeated the steps over again for the other two bags of the blood that had been retrieved from the hospital, day coming and going, night falling and then dawn rising as the substance worked its way into her system.
It was when night fell again on that third day that his beloved began to stir back to life. It was hardly noticeable at first, but Drac did not miss the light twitch of an eyelid or the subtle shift in her breathing. His heart soared even more as the fingers he'd interlaced with his began to curl slightly, a soft moan of reawakening escaping the woman's lips.
He wanted to scream out loud his joy, but he didn't, keeping silent for the sake of not startling her. She opened one bleary eye first and then the other, blinking them slowly for a moment before turning to him in a sleepy sort of confusion.
"D-D-Draaac?" she managed, the speech a little slurred but coherent.
At the sound of her voice, Dracula couldn't help himself. He surged forward, wrapping both arms around the woman's waist and burying his face into the nape of her slender neck.
"Martha," he breathed, voice trembling with emotion as he buried his face further into her. His love's own hands found their place on his shoulders, stroking gently along his back. For just a moment everything felt the way it had always been, the two of them together in their home, safe, protected. Though her next words brought the reality of the situation back to the forefront of his mind.
"Where am I? Honeybat, what happened?" she asked, sounding almost frightened. She pushed away from him gently, the wide-eyed look on her face betraying the panic she was trying hard to subdue in her tone.
Dracula could feel a lump forming in his throat at the sight of her so anxious, and he rubbed a thumb soothingly along one of her cheeks. "Don't worry, my love," he whispered. "We're safe, high up and away from the humans..." He bit his lip, debating whether or not to add in the little detail he knew she would be unnerved about, but ultimately deciding to as she was bound to find out eventually. "... in my dad's cave."
As he anticipated, Martha's eyes widened in disbelief. "Vlad?!"
"The one and only," the elder vampire responded, making his presence known as he stepped out of the shadows. Martha gave a brief yelp and tried backing up further against the rockbed, but the small strain sent a painful pang through her chest and she grimaced.
"Martha!" Drac exclaimed with concern as he soothingly rubbed at her shoulders. "Easy my devil chops, I promise you everything is alright."
Vlad shrugged. "The kid talked me into it. You two have had a couple of rough days, so I let you crash here. No big deal."
"Days?" Martha echoed, looking back to her husband. "Drac, how long have I been out?"
Dracula sighed. "It went on to three, my love."
Nearby, Dr. Jekyll nodded. "It could have been more if it weren't for what your husband did for you, ma'am."
Martha looked to Drac for explanation. He gazed softly into her eyes, and then peered over to the doctor and his father. "Would you, eh, mind giving us just a little time alone?"
Both Dr. Jekyll and Vlad nodded understandingly, and moved from that section of the cave to give the couple their privacy. Martha visibly relaxed at the departure of his father and a sigh of relief passed her lips. Her eyes met Drac's, the look in them forlorn with grim knowing as she assessed her surroundings for the first time, noting the bandages on her chest and emptied blood bags.
A few more moments of silence passed, until finally Martha spoke again.
"Drac..." Her voice was hesitant. "Please tell me what happened. All I can remember is the fire, and the mob and... then being attacked..."
Drac swallowed thickly as tears filled his eyes. A shaky hand came up to cup her cheek, stroking tenderly as he spoke.
"I'm so sorry, my darling. I should have never left your side. The humans... they destroyed the whole castle. They tried to kill you... they... " He choked on a sob, unable to continue the sentence, and squeezed his eyes shut.
One of her hands came up and cupped the side of his face, her expression softening. "Oh, Dracula..."
After taking a deep breath, he shook his head and looked up at her once more, the grief evident in his features. "They staked you," he whispered, barely audible.
His body tensed with anxiety as he watched her pale complexion go suddenly ashen. Her brow creased, lips pursing, and it took all of Dracula's willpower to keep his voice steady.
"I... I don't remember," Martha admitted. Then her eyes widened as she recalled something else. "Oh my devil..." she started, panic growing, "Mavis!" Her face twisted in anguish at the thought of losing her and Drac's precious baby girl.
Thankfully, the Count could ease that hurt a bit. He took her hands, clasping them tight against his own. "It's okay, love droppings. Mavy is okay. After we escaped, I flew us up into the mountains. I found this cave and... I had no idea it was my father's... but it was." He shrugged, and couldn't help chuckling just a little at the bewildered expression on his wife's face.
"I'm guessing he didn't roll out the welcome wagon," she mumbled.
Dracula shook his head. "No. But we had a talk, and... well... he eventually came around."
Martha raised her eyebrow, not quite able to believe what she was hearing. "He... came around?" she echoed, as though perhaps Drac were going to say otherwise. But he didn't.
"It's true," he said. "He even went out to look for the doctor himself."
The vampiress sat back, stunned. "Huh," she muttered. She wasn't sure what to think. "I guess I just didn't expect something like that from him. Not with all you've told me about him."
Martha was no stranger to the history between her husband and his father. Not once had he been painted in a positive light, and she knew he wouldn't be quite fond of her weaker vampiric bloodline in comparison to the Draculas. Drac couldn't blame her for her reaction. He would be on the same boat if he was in her position.
"I know," Drac agreed. "But we cleared things up from the past." He left it at that for now. He could let her know of the details another time. Right now, his wife was exhausted and still trying to process everything around her. What she needed was not any more stress. What she needed was her husband.
Dracula moved in, leaning down to place a tender kiss on her forehead. As soon as his lips touched her skin, she felt a wave of calm wash over her, the tension leaving her body almost instantly, the fatigue and pain that had plagued her evaporating. She tilted her head up, finding enough strength in her arms to pull him in closer and lock her lips with his. The kiss was sweet, loving, all of the pent up feelings from the last couple days coming out through their connection. Dracula reciprocated the affection readily, allowing her to peck, smooch, and nip away as many times as she needed without objection, moving his own mouth over hers. How he missed the sensation, nearly fearing that he would never get to taste her sweet lips again or feel her soft curves beneath his fingertips. They conveyed so much more than what words could in that moment. Martha was alive and would continue to live so along with their daughter - their family.
The brief flame of passion cooled as the couple pulled apart, lips lingering over each other's for just a moment longer before separating completely. She grinned at him, a tired smile stretching across her face as she leaned her head against his chest, Dracula resting his chin atop her forehead and holding her in a protective embrace.
"Drac?"
The Count hummed in acknowledgement, waiting for her to continue.
"Our home... it's gone..."
Dracula tensed momentarily, nodding. "Yes, sweetfangs."
"Right..." Martha trailed off, a sob suddenly choking at her throat. "Oh, Drac... where do we go from here? What now?" She pulled slightly away, enough for him to see the tears shimmering in her eyes. He wiped them away gently before they could fall, his thumb brushing over the delicate line of her cheekbone and over her trembling lip.
"Don't cry, my sweet blood orange. We'll figure something out."
"But what?" she whispered desperately. "I mean, we aren't staying in this cave, are we?"
"Eh, I wasn't going to force you kids to," a new voice answered.
Martha and Drac whipped their heads around to find Vlad entering. He gazed somewhat apologetically. "Sorry for the interruption, but despite how well we get along, I think this little one wanted to see her mother again." He cooed at Mavis in his arms and the girl babbled happily. She turned her little head over to where her parents were, her eyes lighting up when she spotted her mother and pudgy hands reaching out.
A new wave of emotion swept through Martha at the sight of her daughter, well and unharmed, not a scratch or welt anywhere on her tiny body. Dracula grabbed the child from his father's arms and brought her to his wife's. She took the baby carefully into her arms, holding her as if she was made of glass, as if she would shatter at any moment, and then cradling her close. Mavis smiled brilliantly, little baby fangs peeking out from the inside of her mouth as she happily snuggled against her mother's warm bosom.
Vlad kept his place to the other end of the space, giving them the space they needed for the heartfelt reunion. He cleared his throat after a moment, reeling the attention back in to what he had intended to say.
"On the flight to get the medic," he began, "I happened to come across an old castle. Didn't actually go exploring it, given the situation..." Vlad gestured to Martha and the emptied blood bags near the rockbed. "... but it didn't look occupied. Not saying it's the best of the bestplaces to settle in, but it's a start for now."
Dracula stood up, intrigued. "Where is it?"
"Somewhere deep within the haunted forest of Slobozia," Vlad explained. "A little ways beyond the Land of Undead. There's at least 400 acres of it surrounding the place."
The Count tapped his chin thoughtfully. Then, he nodded. "Very well. It sounds promising enough." He turned to glance at Martha for confirmation, and she returned the nod as well.
With that settled, Vlad turned and quietly stalked out. Dracula rejoined his wife and daughter on the rockbed, his magic summoning one of the extra sheets that the doctor had left behind for their use. Martha sighed contentedly, snuggling up to her husband sleepily as he crawled up to lay beside her.
"I love you, Drac," she mumbled tiredly.
"And I you, my zing," he replied fondly. "I love you... Mavy..." He paused, grinning wider. "... and our other little vampire, too."
Martha glanced up at him, surprised. "Y-you knew?" she stammered.
"At first, no," he chuckled. "But while the doctor was doing your examination, he figured it out, and told me."
His fingers went to trace her belly, still flat but soon to have another bump of life growing underneath. Martha blushed. "I was going to tell you," she said quietly.
"I know, my love."
He pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss, shifting so that he could rub her arm soothingly as they lay.
Martha drifted off as he spoke soft and reassuringly to her.
"Tomorrow, my darling, I will begin to arrange our new home. In a few days we should all be able to occupy it. In the meantime, please rest. You will need your strength, and I will use all of mine to keep you and our children safe."
She smiled faintly, and he kissed her forehead, finishing off with a Dracula's solid word.
"I promise."