A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

I've been asked to write a future fic after this one is complete. Would anyone else like to see it?

If yes, would you like me to use Adria from Empty Whispers and do a sort of spin off/sequel from that?

Chapter 34: Centuries Apart

Vlad slipped on the bracken, his leg giving underneath him. He tried to find purchase on the ground but he couldn't grip it with the slippery mud. He landed hard on his stomach, groaning in pain as his shirt was coated in dirt.

Erin reached down to help him. He felt irritation at her actions, pride filling him as he wanted to get up on his own even though he knew he'd need her help regardless. It was childish but it wasn't easy to ignore. He felt useless without the full use of his leg or the extra balance and fast reflexes his vampire abilities had given him.

He hopped to stand up, trying his hardest not to place much weight on his leg. Vlad hobbled the short distance to a nearby tree and leaned all his weight against it, misjudging the distance so gravity increased the pressure with which he hit the tree with his back. He growled as he felt the sharp bark digging into his back.

Erin didn't say anything, she knew him to well to know comforting words wouldn't work on him. She stood opposite him and waited. Looking at him she tried to ignore the sheen of sweat that covered his face from the effort of walking as well as the rosy glow that covered her cheeks.

She hated the fact they'd been forced to move before he was ready but there was no way they were going to stay with Octa for a moment longer.

They felt sorry for her but it wasn't worth their child's life to remain with her. They regretted what happened and what she'd been put through but it was no excuse for even daring to think that she could use their child to get an audience with Olga so she'd drain her.

Vlad gently stroked her jaw, "There's untainted soy blood in the castle." He glanced with his eyes up the hill, as if he could see the castle through the trees.

Erin looked away from him and he had an idea of what she was about to suggest, "It would be faster if…"

Vlad grabbed her shoulders, "No." He lowered his head to look her firmly in the eyes. He wasn't going to accept that. He looked away for a split second as he thought about what he wanted to say, "We don't know how much the animal blood weakened you. You've drank too much it barely offers even half the nutrition, that's why Dad was so hungry when me and Ingrid were in Stokely."

Erin nodded slowly, he was right. She felt weak as it was. If she strained herself it would hurt them both. Erin decided to take their minds from the subject for the moment. "She said we'd be able to help Bertrand from what we'd learned in the 'palace'." Erin muttered quietly. "She told us, we didn't learn anything." Erin continued, she honestly couldn't see how their trip had done anything other than cost Vlad his reflection.

Vlad shrugged. "She told us how she beat the bite maybe Bertrand could do the same."

Erin nodded slowly, "With Ingrid's help he might." She wasn't sure though. Ingrid did have influence over him because they were in love but he still found it hard to break that hold. Even using the slayer device it hadn't lasted nearly long enough, he'd never survive it again or if he did then it wouldn't last long enough to confront Olga.

"I don't blame her though." Vlad whispered quietly, even though he hated the thought of a vampire being slain even evil ones, no one deserved to be a slave to someone else.

Erin let out a snort and a growl, "I can't believe that she thought an arranged marriage was fantastic." Erin couldn't see what Octa saw in it. She'd been there and it had been an invisible prison just the days leading up to it before she'd been rescued.

Vlad gave a small half smile. "Her era was different." Vlad told her firmly. "She expected it."

Erin paused looking at him, "I expected it Vlad, I wasn't looking forward to it!" She shouted at him. Erin had been prepared for it since birth. She still remembered with embarrassment trying to force herself on Vlad to apologise because that's what she was told.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that…"

"The how did you mean it? That I'd be happier than being a vampire. Even with a loyalty bite I would be free of the marriage. I know which I would have preferred." She would have done anything to get out of the marriage.

"Don't *ever* say that!" Vlad shouted at her angrily, it was a strange sensation waiting for his fangs to snap down and knowing they wouldn't at the same time. His index finger was pointed at her. "Being a vampire is never an alternative to anything other than death."

Erin folded her arms over her chest, glaring at him. They rested in a comfortable place just above her stomach.

"You never had to go through it Vlad. Even Ingrid didn't have to. I was taught how to cook, clean, sew, raise slayer children," She broke off as it came flooding back to her, she swiped at her eyes trying to remove the treacherous tears she felt building. She looked at her hand seeing they hadn't yet fallen. "Look after my husband, how to treat him, to let him do what ever he wanted to me, how not to behave and what to do if I crossed my husband. You remember me trying to 'please' you after I upset you." Her eyes ducked low as she spoke.

Vlad nodded slowly, he'd been so angry after that. For her to be treated far worse than any vampire woman ever had. Their culture gave her more freedom and for that Vlad was grateful. He'd been angry when her mother had tried to put her in her place and treat him as if he was a slayer husband. It was insulting enough to be told that he should be treated like a *slayer* husband but worse was the fact Stephanie Noble still tried to confine her to that role regardless of her being Queen of their kind.

He took a cautious step forward, lifting his hand to cup her cheek tilting it up so he could look into her eyes. Erin tipped her head to the side leaning into his touch. Vlad stroked the soft skin with the pad of his thumb.

"I'm sorry Erin. I just meant that there was never another choice for her, the entire world was the same – arranged marriages for almost everyone but you knew there were other choices she didn't. You're centuries apart."

Being centuries apart didn't necessarily mean that things had changed.

"I only had a choice when I met you, Vlad. Even then we didn't really have a choice." They had the odds stacked up against them from the day they'd met, they had thought back then they only had a matter of time until they were torn apart.

"We both ended up dead." He teased referring to Romeo and Juliet. "But we beat them, we stayed together." He smiled at her.

"The slayer and the vampire." Erin whispered.

"The half fang and the gene fang." He continued with a smile on his face. Erin snorted.

Erin nodded slowly, "I'm just scared about what'll happen for her or him." She gestured with her eyes to her stomach. "We've still got to get them out of it."

"Erin it'll be us planning the match not the Council or anyone else." She pulled sharply away. How could he even be considering this? "We were arranged to be mated through our own choice," He'd omitted that the contract was to save her from the slayer marriage but they had entered it willingly, "We can do the same for them. Let them choose then draw up a contract that way."

Erin shook her head, it would never work. People would see straight through it. "It won't work Vlad."

Vlad dropped his head down in defeat, he knew that but he was trying to convince her just as much as him. He nodded slowly.

Even if it did the pressure on them to announce a match would be great from the day their child was born. Despite Vlad's changed to the laws the pressure on a daughter would be greater than on a son. Neither of them were sure they could go through anyone trying to 'buy' their child from them.

Erin laced her fingers with his, "No one will try to buy them from us, I won't let it happen."

A noise caught Erin's ears and she spun around, placing herself in between Vlad and whoever it was. Her fangs snapping down but she fought to keep her mouth closed no matter how uncomfortable it was.

She didn't want to reveal her nature too soon to the person approaching them.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad heard the bracken snapping and followed Erin's gaze into the darkness. He couldn't see who it was but from her hiss he knew it wasn't good.

Slowly a figure came into view – the one person they hadn't wanted to see. Vlad hissed just as loudly as Erin.

Octa looked at them, Vlad moved away a fraction from Erin prepared to defend her even though he knew she was the powerful one at the moment.

Octa looked at her, "You can't let him become a gene fang." Her voice was full of panic and desperation as she fought for them to listen to them.

Erin didn't want to hear it, she didn't trust her at all not after what she'd tried to do. "I'm *not* losing my husband because you've got a grudge…" Erin turned away grabbing Vlad's hand and preparing to drag him from the room.

Octa shook her head, Erin needed to listen. She hadn't cared before when she thought she was going to die but now it mattered.

It mattered so much.

"You don't understand, if he becomes a gene fang your kind will be destroyed…"

TBC

A/N: What do you think?

Would anyone else like a future fic after this? If so would you like me to use Adria from Empty Whispers?

Thanks for reading.