A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

I will post regularly as I used to do but my typing is sluggish at the moment. There was one good thing about being ill however... my parents bought me my own Mr Cuddles the Second.

Chapter 3: Forgotten

How could he have forgotten?

Before they'd left for Garside Grange, Robin's family had barged into the room. They'd seen them for what they truly were, just before the mind wipes had kicked in. The mind wipes couldn't be undone without some form of emotional trauma and Vlad doubted that they'd gone through any.

He couldn't chance them leaving before he'd seen them after having their mind wipes kick in – it would be too dangerous.

In his mind however he could only picture them as slayers hunting him like in the dream he'd had years before.

He raced towards the throne room expecting to find the Branaghs, but there was no one there. He slapped his hand against the wall in frustration. He sniffed the air; the scent of breathers stank out his home. Vlad didn't mind the scent of breathers just so long as it didn't link back to his past.

The aroma still lingered strongly, which meant they hadn't left the manor yet. The only thing he was left to do was to follow the scent that filled his nostrils and hope it led him to them.

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Vlad sped as fast as he could towards the library. He threw open the door before stepping inside.

Elisabeth and Graham Branagh looked up at him from the books they were reading. Vlad felt angry with them taking the liberty of reading the books in his library, they weren't all normal breather reading material, a number were vampire law books. He hoped they hadn't seen them.

Graham Branagh's face clouded the moment he saw Vlad. He slammed the book down on the table, the sound echoing around the large room. Vlad didn't flinch at it; in fact he made no form of reaction what so ever. Graham looked at him surprised, that had always worked in the past on his other children.

"We came here for a reason Vlad, to find Robin and you ran off as fast as you could from the room. What were you doing?"

"There was a family emergency I had to deal with, with my wife and sister." Vlad answered firmly, there wasn't anything more to be said. It was the truth. Getting his throne back had been an emergency and it had been to do with his family.

Elisabeth Branagh shook her head at Vlad, "I expected more from you. A shot gun wedding, Chloe's told us all about it…"

Vlad's head immediately snapped around, trying to find Chloe, anger burning in his soul. "Erin isn't pregnant." Vlad answered vehemently. No one else had ever reached that conclusion, although they all knew the couple weren't exactly innocent. "I'm 'married' to her because I love her and if I ever hear you suggesting that again I swear you won't even have time to apologise before I do something you'll regret, do you understand?"

Elisabeth and Graham nodded frantically, they could see the truth in his eyes. Vlad had never threatened them before so he didn't take much pleasure in it but it needed to be done. He wasn't going to have Erin's honour ruined based on a lie told by Chloe.

Graham coughed, clearing his throat, "Back to Robin…" His voice was slightly strained as he spoke.

"If your son doesn't tell you where he's going then I'm not going to tell you."

"You know where he is." Graham wasn't going to beat around the bush.

Vlad didn't know exactly where Robin was but he knew who he was with – his father and Wolfie.

There was something in their eyes however that Vlad didn't understand. Something hidden, something that didn't quite ring true. He knew better than to ignore it but he wasn't going to bring it up just yet.

They knew something. Vlad didn't know what they knew but they knew something. Vlad was beginning to believe their appearance wasn't just in aid of finding Robin, this was about something else…

He made a decision in that moment, they wouldn't tell him willingly so there was one thing that he could do make them tell him the truth.

He clicked his fingers freezing the Branaghs in front of him; he strode purposefully towards them fully intending to find out what they knew.

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The door clicked shut behind him and it didn't take a second for Vlad to realise that he hadn't used his powers to close it. He spun on the spot to see Chloe leaning against the door. Her fingers nimbly locked the door; she took the key from it dropping it into her back pocket.

Vlad shook his head, that wouldn't stop him from leaving the room if he wanted to but at the moment he didn't want to get too close to her.

Chloe looked at him meekly, "I've calmed them down."

"They won't remember we're vampires." Vlad told her with certainty, although they would know there was something suspicious now.

"I know, but they were suspicious about why they'd fainted." Chloe paused, waiting for him to ask what she'd told them but he didn't bite the bait so she continued as if he had asked her. "I said you had a family emergency." She gave a small shrug just like she used to when they were teenagers and she covered for him. "It was better than let them know what you really are and have them faint again."

"What do you get out of this?" Vlad knew Chloe would want something, she always did.

"Nothing." Her answer was too quick and Vlad knew better than to believe it.

He scoffed, looking away from her, he knew if he looked at her directly he wouldn't be responsible for the blood draining that he was sure was to come. "I don't believe that."

"I want you to realise you made a mistake picking Erin over me. I'm the one who would have stood by you…"

Vlad cut her off with a wave of his hand, sealing her lips firmly shut. "You told your parents that we had a shot gun wedding. Our mating ceremony had been planned for three years Chloe. We waited because I wanted her to be sure that she did want me. No matter what you say or do Chloe this mating can't be undone. I won't undo it. This mark," He gestured to the bite on his neck, the bite Erin had given him at their mating ceremony. "Binds me to Erin in a way you don't understand. I love her Chloe and she loves me. I'm not losing any of that because you're jealous of what I have with her."

Chloe steadily turned red before turning purple at Vlad's admission. He'd said it many times to her but clearly she hadn't listened.

"I told you you'd regret this Vlad, the regret starts now."

Vlad clicked his fingers before she could say anymore and the Branaghs burst back into life. Chloe smirked at Vlad's avoidance of the topic.

"I'm sure Robin will tell you where he is soon," Vlad smiled at them forcefully, "But for now I want you out of my home."

Elisabeth and Graham's eyes flickered for a moment before they nodded and looked at their daughter.

"Come on Chloe, we're not staying anywhere we're not welcome." Graham told his daughter, grasping her shoulder firmly and pulling her from the room.

Chloe looked at Vlad over her shoulder, a smirk crossing her lips, "I'm sure you'll find what kept Jonno and Mina soon enough."

Vlad felt a chill race through him at her words.

She'd done it then knowing Vlad wouldn't confront her in front of her parents.

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Vlad tried not to let Chloe's comment get to him. Chloe had probably been listening in on their conversation; he wouldn't put it past her.

Vlad pushed open his study door once more and Erin looked up at him beaming widely. Erin played with the hem of the light covering Vlad had laid across her as she watched him walked across towards her. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before Vlad seated himself opposite Erin; he grasped her hands in his and stroked the back of them with his thumb.

"Say it." Erin whispered softly, she knew he had something to say to her from his actions. He only ever took her hands like that when he wanted to ask her something.

"Ingrid mentioned something to me." He began quietly. He didn't look her in the eyes. "About making you Queen as quickly as possible to disband the Council."

Erin had forgotten that with Vlad resuming his former title he received a Council once more. A deadly, untrustworthy Council at that. Erin shook slightly, "Vlad…"

He didn't meet her eyes, "I told her that you're not well enough to be crowned Queen publicly and we have to go through the Council concerning the ceremony." It was a stupid clause that Vlad would have to explain to her later.

Erin lifted a hand and pressed a finger to his lips. "Vlad you can't trust the Council. Look what they did to you, to our family and to Bertrand." Erin held them responsible for Bertrand being bitten by Olga. He nodded agreeing with her, as she didn't remove her fingers. "If it's the only way…"

Vlad's eyes widened, he knew Erin didn't want the power. It was clear she was doing this for him, to protect him from them. "You don't have to… when you're well enough…"

Erin knew they didn't have that much time, "The Council won't wait until then, they'll attack before that. I still think you're offering me too much Vlad, I always will but if it helps to protect you then yes, I'll let you crown me quickly."

Her first coronation had taken Vlad months to talk her into, this time it was different. There was a need for her to be Queen quickly.

He pressed his forehead against hers; he didn't know what he'd done to deserve someone who loved him so much to want to protect him.

Vlad closed his eyes and sent a telepathic message to Ingrid, 'Get the Council here.'

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.