A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
Thank you again for all your support.
Answering a question:
SexyVamp: Thank you, yes I have another one planned after this (well six actually). The next one's plot is thanks to a comment that my mom made when we watched Young Dracula the other day. It set the cogs in my mind working and a plot was born – I can't wait to start writing it. It will be Vlad/Erin of course.
Chapter 21: NativeErin watched him in complete confusion; he was acting as if she should know exactly where he was on about.
Seconds ticked by as she waited for him to actually tell her. When he didn't she stepped closer towards him and narrowed her eyes. "Vlad…" She drew out slowly, making sure to inject enough warning into her tone.
"Erin you said you wanted to learn more about me didn't you? About my culture?" Erin nodded soundlessly, "There's one place where you can do that and practice your languages."
Her eyes lit up, she realised exactly what he meant. "Transylvania?" Vlad knew Erin was curious about his native country ever since she'd seen his reaction to the cleaner singing a traditional Transylvanian song. She'd seen the longing on his face to revisit the country. It had made her want to go there as well, see why he missed it. It wasn't full of bitterness like Stokely had been it had been something else.
Erin jumped into his arms and hugged him. Vlad laughed as he was forced to stumble back a few feet before he regained his balance lifting her off the ground as her legs swung behind her.
"All the clans that were slain were in Transylvania, we might as well start there." He whispered into her ear. "And you wanted to learn Transylvanian for a reason and it wasn't just to talk to me in was it?" Erin knew he'd seen right through her but she knew she had to be able to read it for political reasons.
There was only one thing that bothered her, "Where will we stay?" She didn't think any of the locals would put them up. If one of them recognised Vlad they'd be after him with a pitchfork.
Vlad gave a small shrug; there was only one place they could stay. "Our family home, Dad still owns it." Erin knew each clan had an ancestral home, Vlad had told her about it a long time ago but she didn't think the Count still owned it.
Vlad's eyes had dropped slightly as he spoke; Erin picked up on it as she always did. "You really miss it don't you?"
Vlad looked at her in complete confusion. "Miss what?"
"Your homeland, where you were born."
"Sometimes." Vlad conceded quietly, he missed the language more than anything. His native tongue was easier for him than English sometimes, learning all the breather phrases in English had made him feel more like an outsider than being a vampire always did when he'd first arrived in Britain.
Erin kissed his jaw lightly, "I'm looking forward to seeing where you were born, you saw my home I finally get to see yours." She was excited, she couldn't help it. It was something she'd always wanted to see.
Vlad smiled at her, "We need to start packing."
"You're packing your own suitcase." Vlad looked affronted that she could imply that he'd make her pack his. Erin leaned up and kissed him lightly, "And screwing up your clothes doesn't count as folding."
She pulled away leaving him staring dumbfounded after her.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Erin placed her last t-shirt into the suitcase, zipping it up firmly. She resisted the urge to sit on it to do it, the grudging part was that Vlad had finished packing a few minutes before. Erin grabbed the handle to hoist it from the table put Vlad gently clasped his hand over hers and pried her fingers from it, setting it down himself. He didn't want her lifting things that were too heavy.
Vlad reached into his pocket withdrawing a small pouch. It had their coat of arms embroidered lovingly on the front. "If we're going to Transylvania, you're going to need this."
Vlad handed her a small, black, velvet pouch, Erin looked at it confused for a moment before opening it, tugging on the strings that held it closed. The inside of the pouch was lined in the finest red silk. Erin slowly tipped the back upside down, freeing the contents to fall into her hands. Immediately two cold metal objects dropped into the palm of her hand. She held it up to the light watching as it sparkled and shined in the brightness of their room.
Vlad took it from her and slipped it onto her ring finger. It was a sight that Erin had never expected to see. She shuddered at first as memories of Andrew's ring being forced onto her finger shot to the forefront of her mind.
"The people of Transylvania are very superstitious." He told her quietly, "They're very committed to religion. They're old fashioned because of it, if they can't see any sign of marriage if they find out you're pregnant you will be punished for it." He warned her slowly.
Erin shook her head, she only expected a slap on the wrist so she teased, "Tied to a stake and burned alive?"
Erin's face fell as she saw the completely serious look on Vlad's. The joke had no impact on him clearly. "Maybe but pitchforks aren't just for vampires." He told her in all seriousness making her gulp. "They're only devout because we're evil…"
Erin shook her had, she hated it when Vlad referred to himself as evil, "You're not evil Vlad, just because you're a vampire it doesn't mean you have to be. You beat the evil, it's inside you but it doesn't control you Vlad. You are not evil." She repeated slowly, "If you were we wouldn't be having the vamptot."
He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at the moniker for their child, "Vamptot?" Erin's eyes widened at the same time with the realisation she'd said it at the same time. "Is that going to be its name when it's born? Vamptot Dracula?" He chuckled earning a thump on the shoulder.
"No." She told him huffily, "I just don't want to call it 'it' all the time, or 'the baby', I wanted something more personal."
"It's got a nice ring to it."
Erin nudged his shoulder with force, hoping to make him stagger but it failed. "Whatever." She stepped away from him, he made to follow her but was pushed back when she suddenly spun around and poked his chest hard with her index finger. "You dare tell Ingrid or anyone else then I will put garlic in your sugar puffs, understand?"
Normally Vlad would have known Erin wouldn't do such a thing even if she was provoked to the extreme but being nearly two months pregnant he honestly believed she would do it if she had to.
Erin slowly pulled out a neck scarf for Vlad; it was a black cotton one. He took it from her growling; he knew what he had to do. He stared at it, "If there's breathers where we're going it's the best thing to do." Erin told him firmly.
Vlad grudgingly slipped it around his neck, "I had covering it up." He muttered to her. "We're mated its something to be worn with pride." Ever since their ceremony he hated having his neck covered, he'd seen Robin flinch once or twice when he'd seen it and some of the other vampires, not to mention a few slayers but in his kind it was the ultimate commitment to another vampire.
"Me too." Erin slipped her own red one, tying it firmly around her throat. Taking care to cover the bite scars. "But if they see it you know what will happen." Erin brushed her fingers over the edges of the scarf, his marks were deeper than hers from where she'd bitten too hard but he loved it. It marked him as hers.
Vlad leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, "All we have to do now is tell them where we're going."
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Thunder and lightening rumbled, roared and flashed in the background while Vlad stood his ground in front of his father. He'd expected the temper tantrum just not on this level.
"You're going where?"
Vlad folded his arms over his chest, rolling his tongue in his cheek. "You heard."
The Count's jaw tightened further and Erin was trying to be as confident as Vlad was but her hormones were making her emotional. "You're not going there, I forbid it!"
"You can't tell either of us what to do anymore." Vlad stepped closer, shockwaves racing through the room with each step he took. "You lost that right when I turned eighteen, I'm now twenty one."
"We'll see about that." The Count protested angrily, before realising what he said.
"I've got an army of Olga's followers to deal with, I really don't think one more person against me will make a difference." He felt a hand gently squeeze his shoulder telling him to calm down. Vlad nodded, looking down and forcing his fists to unclench.
The Count clearly didn't know what to make of Vlad's threat which clearly said, 'either you're with me or against me'. He couldn't tell whether his son would truly turn against him or not.
"Fine, but I'm head of this house again. Renfield we need cobwebs…"
Vlad shook his head, it wasn't going to work like that. "Ingrid's in charge until we get back."
The Count's jaw dropped for a moment. "What? Why?" The Count really didn't seem amused.
Vlad had been expecting that reaction and rolled his eyes, pleading upwards that he had the strength to answer without killing something.
"Because she's the only one left who has any power. The Council are disbanded and I trust her to not ignore anything that's thrown her way… Dad." Vlad emphasised 'Dad' with a change in tone and a sudden increase in volume. "I have to track down the mirrors, Transylvania is the only place to do that. If we all go Olga can take this place as a stronghold, its better if me and Erin just go. Besides I can't leave Erin on her own." Not that Erin would stay there in the first place.
The Count muttered something that Vlad decided was best to ignore completely.
"Anyway Ingrid can control Bertrand and she knows how I run things. So until we get back, Ingrid is in charge. Are we clear?" The Count remained silent. "I can't hear you Dad."
"Yes Vladimir." The Count snapped at his son. Vlad smiled looking at Ingrid, telling her silently not to take any notice of him.
Vlad picked up their bags, and held them.
"Look after yourself Vlad." Ingrid told her younger brother seriously, before giving him an uncharacteristic hug. Vlad could never get used to that. She moved across to Erin, hugging her just as tightly, "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Erin snorted, nodding. She was the only one who could stop Vlad from doing something stupid.
Wolfie hugged Erin tightly around the waist, "Bring me back a present?" He asked with the most innocent eyes and smile. Erin kissed the boy's forehead.
"I'll try," She promised. Wolfie looked across to his brother silently telling him that Erin had better keep her promise.
Vlad rolled his eyes before ruffling Wolfie's hair. He bent down to Wolfie's level, "Look after Ingrid and Bertrand." Vlad didn't think that Bertrand would hurt Wolfie – if he couldn't hurt a pregnant Erin then he wouldn't be able to hurt a child. Vlad's face was serious as he gave Wolfie the 'task'. Wolfie took his request seriously.
"I will." Wolfie dove for Vlad, wrapping his arms around his neck.
Vlad hugged his brother back just as tightly. Wolfie pulled back, realising that his jacket had snagged Vlad's scarf and tugged on it to free it.
Vlad stood and laced his fingers with Erin, kissing her softly before stepping back and handing her the lighter of the two suitcases.
The pair smiled encouragingly at everyone in the room, "Good luck." Mina told them, "I'll keep on seeing what data we've got on Olga."
Erin spoke watching as Vlad checked his case was secure. "Thanks. We'll see you when we find the mirror."
She looked at her husband who nodded, he was ready.
The goodbyes over the two youngest vampires vanished into the sky in a flash.
TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading.