A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Sorry its late, I've finally upgraded my laptop and I've always worked with the Stone Age Word 2000. I can't get my head around Office 2010. I've spent hours trying to save it so I could open it on another computer and I've managed to delete the file four times (not to mention encrypting it twice).

Technology runs away from me… screaming!

Chapter 9: Unless

No one wanted to talk to each other in the room, not because they didn't want to but because they didn't want to scare anyone else with any thoughts or comments.

The atmosphere was tense as the seconds ticked by. Every now and again they shuffled uncomfortably as they wanted to do something else.

"You know she'll dissolve the Truce?" Vlad told Jonno quietly, it would probably be one of the first things to go. It had never been popular with his kind but they'd grown accustomed to it when it became clear that it was allowing their kind to build in numbers and repair the damage that had been done.

Jonno nodded, he'd known that from the start. He'd put his slayers on alert, they weren't going to attack vampires without his authority but they could slay them in self-defence. He needed to set up a schedule of responsibilities for them. They were currently on amber alert.

"The Guild needs to be protected…"

"Already done Vlad." Jonno held up his phone. They'd long since found a way to connect to all the phones in the Guild and send messages. Vlad nodded, he knew Jonno could do that he just couldn't concentrate.

For the first time he didn't have a plan, they were all looking at him as if they expected him to pull one out of his cape. He felt small in those moments; he wanted to have the answer. They were all supposed to look up to him to solve their problems and he couldn't even solve his own.

Vlad felt a thump against his shoulder, making him jump high. He looked next to him. A small smile gracing his lips as he looked down.

Erin had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Erin must have been exhausted. He gently moved, holding her carefully in position as he stood. Once he was standing he hoisted her into his arms. Her head automatically fell on his chest. He kissed her forehead lightly.

Everyone seemed to realise that once he'd put Erin to bed then he wouldn't return. He wouldn't leave her while there was a chance they would be attacked.

Ingrid stifled a yawn, her head lolling forwards. It nearly dropped onto Bertrand's shoulder but she shook her head, her eyes widening as she fought to stay awake.

"Its safer if we sleep through the daylight." Bertrand told them all, that would be the only time they were protected. Nothing could get there under the intense burning of the sun.

"Olga can be transported here in a crate. She can still get here."

"They won't take the risk. They'll be too vulnerable and as soon as the crates were spotted there's a chance Vlad would destroy them."

"Bed it is." Robin rubbed his hands together; no one else seemed to agree with Bertrand they all stared at him waiting for someone else to speak in agreement. Eventually Robin had enough and took the initiative.

Vlad nodded agreeing with him as Jonno stood. "It might be the last chance we get to have a decent days sleep. Get the rest while we can."

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad, with Erin in his arms, Robin and the slayers all filed out of the room, leaving Ingrid, Bertrand and the Count seated around the table.

"I should have known Ivan was up to something." The Count muttered disgustedly. His brother had been too nice to Erin at the feast and at Vlad's coronation. Ivan wasn't polite to anyone.

"Olga will destroy everything Vlad's worked for. Our kind is finally strong for the first time in centuries. The chaos before killed over half our kind and it will happen again. Olga doesn't know anything about ruling a nation." Bertrand spoke harshly, he wasn't willing to let his hard work count for nothing. Vlad needed to get back his entitlement otherwise their kind would be decimated.

"Vlad is the Chosen One. He deserves respect." Ingrid shouted loudly before lowering her voice, they didn't need her brother knowing about this conversation.

"Your brother is the most powerful vampire they've ever come across, Vlad's more powerful than Sethius was now he's fully trained. They're terrified of him. They prefer to be able to control their leader, have them as an equal they could slay."

"Olga won't ignore it for long."

The Count was the one who answered, "There's nothing she can do about it."

Bertrand stiffened as a thought came to him. "Unless…" Ingrid grabbed his hand lacing their fingers together. He didn't respond which only worried her even more.

"Unless?" She prompted hoping he'd continue. She hated it when Bertrand had this look; he had more experience in their world than she did and usually it wasn't good experiences.

Bertrand stood sharply, yanking Ingrid's arm up violently as he did. Ingrid banged her hand on the table as he did so; tears came to her eyes as a reflex action. Bertrand heard her small gasp of pain and looked at her apologetically, he hadn't meant to hurt her. He pressed a small kiss to her hand in apology.

"What's wrong?" Ingrid tried another approach, Bertrand rarely acted like this. Usually he had all the answers this time there was something odd about his actions.

"I need to make sure of something." He told her curtly.

"I'll come with you."

"No." Bertrand spoke sharply before giving her an apologetic look once more, this time she hadn't done anything to deserve being shouted at. "It'll be quicker if I do it myself." He apologised his voice much more gentle than before.

Ingrid nodded before letting him go. The Count looked at her, he couldn't understand how Bertrand could make Ingrid back down without a fight.

"I'll make him tell me later." She shrugged, knowing exactly what the Count was thinking about. The way Bertrand had acted had frightened her, he was usually so composed. He was much softer when they were alone and she was used to that, she also knew how he acted around Vlad and Erin acting as an advisor to them and a sounding board every now and again. The worry in his eyes however had deepened with the thought he'd had and if he was that concerned then they should all be terrified.

The Count rolled his eyes, he knew Ingrid wouldn't let herself be brushed aside, he hoped Bertrand knew what he'd gotten himself in for with Ingrid.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTITL

Erin woke to patterns being traced on her back, she lifted her head up to meet Vlad's blue eyes. Vlad smiled at her softly and she pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

Vlad ran his fingers gently through her shoulder length blonde hair. "I'm sorry you're not Queen." He'd always wanted her as Queen, he should have known something would go wrong when he tried to do it for real.

"We still have ninety seven days." She teased him softly. She propped herself up on her elbows, "How do you feel about it?" She asked him, no one had actually asked how Vlad felt.

"I don't' know." He answered truthfully, part of him was enjoying how free he felt but the other part of him was disappointed in himself for letting Olga win. "I'm glad I don't have the responsibility but the other part of me is scared at what she'll do with the power." He sighed kissing her bare shoulder lightly, "I can't believe they were that desperate to stop you being crowned."

"Vlad you told me four years ago that your family were 'loving the whole Chosen One thing' because they were 'power hungry maniacs'." He remembered that conversation well, pouring his heart out to her about life before Garside Grange Independent Day School thinking she was just like him, glad that he had someone to talk to. "That works for all our kind."

"I just didn't think they'd be that desperate." He honestly believed they hadn't thought their actions through fully, they were so desperate to hold onto power they hadn't considered things in depth like what Olga would be like for example. Vlad was dreading it, he knew his cousin was worse than Ingrid and that was saying something. Ingrid's attack on Stokely would seem like a small headache compared to the chaos Olga could unleash.

A thought crossed Erin's mind, "When you get the throne back…"

"If."

"*When*," She insisted leaving no room for argument. Vlad would get his birthright back "Will you have to be crowned again?"

"I don't think so." He answered, Olga would never be crowned unofficially. The vampire kind would demand proof that the crown she was using was the real crown, even if it cost a vampire his or her life. Olga couldn't wear the crown, nor could any other vampire apart from Vlad. "You're thinking too far ahead anyway. It might be centuries before I become Grand High Vampire again, if ever."

Erin grasped his face, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs, "Vlad, you will be Grand High Vampire again." Erin promised him, Vlad was the only person who could do the job, no one else was even capable of doing it.

Vlad shook his head, the chances of that were slim. "How do you know that?"

"Because you never give up without a fight."

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.