A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Concerning Bertrand: I have everything planned out, I wanted him to be more involved than in my other fics. I know what I did was cruel but it's all in aid of the plot…

I wonder if anyone's worked out where I'm taking 'Survival'…

Chapter 27: Stun

The disk hit Erin square in the chest before dropping to the floor with a CLANK.

The item on the floor had been developed and modernised significantly since the last time Vlad saw it – when the Hartleighs had tried to use it.

Vlad watched as the disk began to flash, it was on its third pulse. He wouldn't get there in time.

He covered his eyes as they disk let out a blinding flash of light. Erin froze in place, unable to see or move. Her expression fixed in anger.

Vlad raised his head as soon as he could, it was no use in both of them being sitting ducks although he wished it had been him caught but the disk. Once he saw the state his wife was in, fury shot through him. He waved his arm back frantically and her attackers flew back against the wall. Albeit not as powerfully as he hoped.

He let out a short, sharp burst of lightening at the device. Nothing happened. He'd expected sparks like last time but the lightening was dispersed onto the floor, clearly it had an earth in it. He did the next best thing, he lifted up his leg and brought his foot down on top of it with all his strength. He felt the casing bend and twist under the weight. It buckled and cracked exposing them to the wires. Small pieced of glass were ground into the floor.

"Come." He whispered and the device flew into his hand. He turned it over it looked like argentalium and iron – iron was added to strengthen it. On the one side looked like a small solar panel, obviously the means to which it was charged. It also meant that it was useless at night but knowing the slayers – because this weapon had undoubtedly come from them – there would be an internal battery inside.

The use of these powers had taxed him

Vlad sniffed the air, he could smell argentalium gas tainting the air. It wasn't as strong as the one that had knocked him out when he'd embraced his reflection; this one was more spread out. The molecules of the spray had mingled with the air diluting it. He couldn't speed but he could draw on his other powers.

He closed the final distance between them and turned her fully to face him very carefully, he didn't want to turn his back on her attackers in case they tried again.

Vlad cupped her cheek and looked at her. Vlad could feel the panic she was sending in waves towards him telepathically. He sent calm soothing ones back to her trying to stop her from panicking at her situation.

'I can't see anything.' The voice was filled with fear.'You're safe.' He answered brushing her hair from her eyes. He glanced back at her attackers they were still spread eagle against the wall.

"Ingrid!" He yelled immediately his sister was there standing in front of him with a confused expression on her face. She looked tired from being woken up so early, none of them had really gotten much sleep before going on Erin's noise hunt.

"What?" She stifled a yawn and failed, her mouth opening widely.

"The Council have just attacked Erin." He answered, glaring at the two members pinned there. He wasn't in the mood to see them.

Ingrid turned to see them within an instant a fireball formed in her had, Vlad knocked it out the way before she could slay either of them, it careened harmlessly into the wood just above Mikhail's head leaving a big, black, circular char mark in the wood. Clearly yet another panel Vlad would have to have repaired before he could hold feasts again, although if he never had to throw another one again he wasn't going to complain.

"What did you do that for?" She roared at Vlad her fangs locked down, as her anger at her brother's sparing of their lives too over.

Her brother's answer was simple. "We need them alive."

"They took Bertrand!" She shouted at them, gesturing to them with her arm – this time without a fireball.

"And we'll never know why if you slay them, will we?" He asked pointedly. It took a moment for his words to sink in but once they did Ingrid nodded. She understood his logic completely. Vlad gave a sigh of relief as he watched her face reluctantly change. He didn't blame her though he wanted to do exactly the same.

Ingrid looked like a petulant child as she answered him verbally, exactly what Vlad was waiting for. "Fine."

"Can you take Erin and put her in our room?" He asked softly, looking at his wife.

Ingrid noticed for the first time Erin's frozen posture. "What have they done?"

"Stun grenade." He answered, "A modern one. Fetch Jonno and Mina I want to talk to them as well." He was going to talk to them about this little device. He could hardly wait for an explanation for this improved version.

"What are you going to do?"

"Take the Council to the basement."

He'd deal with curing Erin first then the Council later.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Ingrid helped manoeuvre Erin into a sitting position, receiving a grateful telepathic message. Vlad entered the room as Ingrid finished leaning Erin against the back of the sofa. Vlad had never seen Erin like this and instinctively felt angry about it. He wasn't going to stand for this.

Vlad turned around to face Jonno, his arms flailing widely. He shoved the small stun grenade into Jonno's chest. Although it had never been officially given a name, a 'stun grenade' sounded appropriate. Jonno staggered back with the force Vlad slammed it into his chest.

"You've developed the stun grenade." He accused, Jonno gave him a sheepish look. It had been developed three years ago after the Hartleighs had created it, just in case they ever needed to use it.

"It was just a safety measure. In case they were needed for emergencies. They are not standard gear."

"Then how did the Council end up with them?" Vlad shouted.

Jonno couldn't answer that one, he didn't know how they'd fallen into the hands of the Council. The last he'd checked was that they were under lock and key for future use.

"How have they been modified?" Vlad wanted to know how long until they wore off.

Jonno twirled the device around in his hands, the now broken components rattling inside the casing. He could see the smashed solar panel.

"Their portable and solar charged, their eco friendly." He pointed out, they'd been created like this when the Slayers Guild had gone through a phase of worrying about their carbon footprint. Vlad tipped his head and rolled his tongue, he'd worked that out himself. "The effects last longer, maybe an hour or two. No longer than that though."

"Will it harm her?" Vlad was terrified there'd be lasting effects.

"No." Jonno answered, "It just freezes the nerve endings, stops them receiving messages from the brain. She'll be fine." He paused, a pensive look overcoming his face, "Maybe a little sluggish for the next few days."

That was all they needed with a cell in the basement with two council members inside it.

Erin managed to moved her eyes towards Vlad at Jonno's comment. Vlad smiled wider as it meant the paralysis was beginning to wear off. Vlad sat down next to her, lacing their fingers together he squeezed them lightly. Feeling no response he instinctively looked down at her hand. It felt strange not to have hers curl back around his own. He tried not to let it get to him.

Vlad flicked his eyes towards Jonno, he wasn't going to let this slide. "When this is over, we're going to have a long talk about what weapons do and do not exist at that headquarters of yours. Also I think you'd better start looking at who 'gave' that weapon to the slayers."

Jonno nodded at Vlad's serious tone. He only hoped Vlad forgot about it after all they weren't' to be used to attack the vampires they were to be used to defend themselves.

Then he gulped as he remembered Vlad had the memory of an elephant not a goldfish.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Over the next hour Erin felt her body slowly beginning to awaken. Her face was the first thing she had feeling back in. She found that her face was no longer locked in an angry expression she could move it.

She'd grown tired of talking telepathically to Vlad. There was only so much time before she'd grown angry at not being able to move her lips.

Her arms had begun to twitch and spasm not long after that. All she was waiting for now was for feeling to return to her legs. She'd felt something like pains shooting down them, even though it hurt it had to be a good thing because it meant she could feel it.

With effort Erin turned her head towards her husband. "Drink." She managed to force out, her words slightly slurred as she tried to tell him. That was another thing, she hated that she sounded drunk although she was glad she could speak. Vlad went to move but Ingrid held him back, she'd get this.

Ingrid could smell the disgusting aroma of the soy blood, quickly she filled a goblet and took it back towards Erin. Vlad took it from her and held it to Erin's lips. He helped her tip it back as her hands came to cup it and hold it, even though her grip was shaky she was recovering.

Vlad had watched with increasing joy as she grew more and more alert and able. When she'd squeezed his fingers he'd nearly let out a shout of pure joy. Jonno was right, the effect only lasted a short while and Erin was fighting them off quickly. It was strange a half fang should have taken longer to defeat the symptoms but Erin had taken just over an hour.

Erin greedily drank down the soy blood, it seemed to give her extra strength. She leaned back towards Vlad. "Thanks." She whispered and he pressed a kiss to her temple.

While Vlad was glad the effects of the grenade had worn off he was nervous about leaving her to deal with the Council. He couldn't leave her while she couldn't move. He kissed her lightly again, this time on the lips showing how glad he was she was okay. It wasn't a proper kiss as he knew she still felt tingly from the grenade.

"I've got to deal with them, find out why they're here." He muttered standing up.

Erin gripped his wrist, pulling him back to her forcefully. Vlad didn't have to deal with this alone, she wouldn't let him. "I'm coming with you."

"You're not at your best…"

"I'm coming with you." Vlad knew better than to argue with his wife. He nodded to her, he'd let her have her way. At least it would show Baylor and Mikhail that she was a fighter.

Vlad gently wrapped his arm around Erin's waist, steadying her as he pulled her up. She wobbled a bit as her knees buckled but he looped his arms around her waist encouraging her to lean on him until she could feel her legs again. Only when he felt some of Erin's weight remove itself from him did he step backwards.

He looked her in the eyes. "Lets see what the Council has to say."

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.