A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

I'd like to apologise, last week I lost my temper and needed a few days to recover. I've included a note to say what tipped me over the edge in the next chapter. I'm glad to say I found the strength to carry on although it was difficult to do so.

After all there aren't that many chapters left… and I hope to get this finished by Monday at the latest.

Chapter 57: Modification Request

"What do you need?" Bertrand repeated quietly. He wanted to be free of the device.

"We need the device…" Erin told him quietly. They needed the device to be modified slightly to be used on Bertrand's DNA. Actually the device was two things but she wasn't going to tell him that, she'd deal with that herself.

"You said two things." Bertrand told her, his eyes narrowing as Erin shuffled nervously in front of him like she used to all those years ago. His gaze was piercing; it almost made her want to press her hands to her throat to stop herself being bitten.

"We need a sample of your blood, to see how long it would take for you to convert to a gene fang."

"My blood hasn't been pumped around my veins in four hundred years."

Erin shook her head, "Its still in there. A small sample will still tell us what we need." She told him gently, in Bertrand's day a blood sample was unheard of. The only way to get blood was to deliberately cut yourself with a knife, needles weren't around then.

"What happens if my blood type doesn't fight it quickly?" Bertrand asked her quietly.

"Then we can't do this unless you're prepared to become a gene fang indefinitely."

The decision was a grave one, it was something that needed to be though about.

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Erin braced herself on the doorframe; she closed her eyes trying to calm her nerves. She knew there was nothing to be scared of but they'd never deliberately asked for her parents' help before. She needed to be strong when speaking to Vlad about this. It was her idea so it was her responsibility although she knew he supported her to the hilt.

She straightened up and took slow and deliberate steps into the room.

Vlad could feel and hear her hesitation by the door; he didn't like to remind her that his ears were more sensitive. Erin would tell him, she couldn't hide secrets from him anymore. He knew all her tells.

"He's gone." Erin told Vlad her fingertips kissing the scar on his neck as she walked behind him before circling him to sit next to him.

"I heard you shouting." He told her with a smile, although it wasn't a shout as in her growing angry – she'd had the tone of command. He saw her freeze slightly before turning to face him. "What is it?" He asked her, he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable so she might as well get the question out of the way although he had a feeling she wanted to put it off as long as possible.

Erin looked down and away before drawing her eyes back to him. Vlad waited patiently not pushing her. He didn't want her to clam up or for her hormones to get the better of her.

"I faced your dad," She spoke slowly and Vlad knew that she wasn't finished yet. "So," She whispered quietly.

"You want me to face your parents?"

"With me." She added quickly. "I need to ask them to help Bertrand, they know more about the device and can modify it to work on him." She told him quietly. "The last time I was alone with them they refused to let me come back to you."

"Erin it's different this time." He assured her kissing her forehead lightly.

"They can still say no to spite me. Look at me Vlad, you know I'm not the perfect daughter."

"They're not the perfect parents!" He protested immediately, "Erin I don't think of them as your parents. They may have given you life, life I took away…" Erin caught his jaw, shaking her head. He wasn't allowed to travel that dark path; he couldn't get away from it once he did. He blinked tipping his head, "I know I sound like a true vampire when I say this but as far as I'm concerned after everything *they* did to you I don't want to ever think of them unless I have to." Erin nodded, he was right after all. She felt the same as cold and heartless as it sounded. He stroked her cheek lightly with his thumb. "But I will support you in this. I want the old Bertrand back."

"Thank you."

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Erin looked over her shoulder to Vlad, he nodded to her giving her the courage to continue. He watched them closely unfortunately looking like a lion scouting his prey. He didn't want to be surprised at all by them.

Erin stepped more fully into the room, glad her parents were alone. If they weren't she knew they'd make more of a scene out of this than they already would. "I need you to help Bertrand."

Tom scoffed and Steph's eyes widened. "We've already helped him once, it didn't work." She knew it took courage for her daughter to ask them.

"Because the device was designed for me." She told them firmly. "And please don't start that argument up again," It wasn't a plea it was a command, she wasn't in the mood for her decisions to be questioned once again. Her parents looked at each other in surprise at her tone of authority.

"Why now?" Steph asked them curiously, "Why not wait until you've killed Olga."

"A bite has more effects than loyalty, especially if the biter is killed." Vlad answered sharply, Erin stepped back showing she was prepared to let him handle it. "We can't wait months for him to be able to kill Olga, each day he's here he's a risk to us all." Vlad told them, it was true Bertrand was a risk. "It needs to be sorted quickly. I want my children to be born in peace. Ignore the fact they're vampires, if Bertrand isn't sorted and Olga isn't' dealt with everyone will be slaughtered. Is that clear enough?"

Steph nodded convinced, but Thomas wasn't. "You brought this on yourself, taking Erin and making her Queen…"

"Bertrand came to me to train me, he knew nothing about Erin and the Council didn't want to lose power to anyone. They wanted to control me, if anyone's to blame for this situation its you. If you hadn't forced our hands to become engaged and mated quickly the Council wouldn't have pulled this stunt so soon." Vlad wasn't going to mince his words, he wanted them to understand the role they'd played in all of this.

The Nobles looked at each other. Thomas looked at her, "Why would we help someone who tried to kill Erin?"

"He tried to kill you Erin, use your blood for that vampire book." Steph reminded her. Erin needed to think, all of her decisions since Ryan had been bitten were questionable in their eyes. Although Vlad should be flattered that he wasn't solely to blame for these questionable decisions.

Erin shrugged, "I know. He's not that vampire anymore." Although at times Erin knew he could be when he felt caged in. Ingrid had changed him.

Vlad decided it was better if he took the blame for that. "He only did it because of me."

"Vlad." Erin shook her head telling him to stop before her parents hated him even further, it was bad enough but this could make things even worse for them.

Vlad gave her a look, not a controlling one but one that meant he was determined to do this. "No Erin, if that's what they hold over Bertrand then its time they knew why he did it."

"What do you mean because of you?" Tom asked, stepping forward to wards Vlad, Vlad didn't move he just stared him down.

"I refused to lead an army on the slayers so Bertrand wanted to do it himself. He took Erin because Erin cut her hand on the book. He thought her blood was the key to power." Vlad's gaze didn't waver he just looked at his father-in-law.

"You…" Tom stepped forward, Vlad didn't move his lips curled but that was all. Erin got in between them quickly, stopping before one of them was injured.

"We're putting the past in the past." She told them both firmly, Vlad looked at her before nodding seeing the fierce determination in her eyes.

Vlad spoke softly, "Things have changed in four years and we need to find a way that's best for all our kinds. To do that I need Bertrand back."

Tom looked away, he didn't want to consider the vampire's request. "Dad, please." Erin pleaded with him, "Forget about the license, the mating and the babies. Think about everything else for once. Olga can't be left in power, we need Bertrand back before we can act."

"You wouldn't be involved in any of this if it wasn't for his family."

Vlad rolled his eyes, "Erin wouldn't have anything to do with vampires if it hadn't been for you either. Yes I killed Erin,"

"Vlad…" Erin began softly trying to stop him.

"I've accepted that but as selfish as it sounds she's mine forever. She can't be mortally wounded, bitten or age. She can have my children. I've given her a life that makes her happy, I'm asking that by helping Bertrand that you let me keep on making her happy. If he's not cured and Olga gets too much power then she'll never be happy again, she won't even survive. Just think of Erin as your daughter nothing more, nothing less."

Steph looked at Erin as her eyes began to glisten. Her young child was all grown up and about to have children of her own, with a husband of her own. They couldn't make choices for her anymore no matter how much they tried because she had her own life now. That made her mind up for her.

Steph decided to answer, "It'll take some modification to make it compatible for him." She warned Erin, "It won't be easy."

It wasn't an easy 'yes' but Erin would accept it. "Thank you." She whispered sincerely before smiling at Vlad.

Things were starting to improve.

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Ingrid had overheard the conversation in Vlad's training room. Vlad really should have a door installed in that room. He'd never learned after she'd caught him and Erin being 'distracted' during their training a year before.

A door would've stopped her hearing something that made her angry, although in truth she doubted she would have been able to keep away and would have probably pressed her ear against it.

Erin would never have asked unless Bertrand had agreed and that made her angrier that he could risk his life in such a way.

Ingrid eventually caught up with Bertrand in the library. "How could you be so stupid?" Ingrid shouted at Bertrand. She couldn't believe he was willing to chance his reflection being taken.

"Its my choice."

"You could kill her instead!"

Bertrand's jaw clenched, he'd love to kill her but as much as he hated to admit it he doubted that he'd be able to kill Olga he was only half loyal but he didn't think he could do it. "Ingrid…" He began but gave up. He decided to change tactic, "I can't marry you until I'm free…"

"I don't want to be married!" She shouted at him furiously. "I want to be mated!" Why couldn't he see how much she loved him?

"Is this about being mated or wanting to match your brother?" He snapped at her, Ingrid's eyes narrowed. He'd aimed and missed knowing her insecurities concerning her brother always being the 'true' Dracula, it would have worked for not the fact that Ingrid knew what he was up to – he was trying to push her away.

"You haven't brought that up in…" She mentally counted, "Three years, is that really the best you can do?" Bertrand growled angrily, their temper spans matched although at the moment as she'd realised the stunt he'd tried to pull her anger vanished. "I want to be mated not to match Vlad but because I love you."

"We won't be mated!" He told her firmly, "I'm not wearing two sets of marks!"

"I don't care about them," She protested vehemently, "I love you, the marks show every vampire that you wouldn't betray us."

"I let myself be taken! I let it happen!" He shouted at her, he pushed her away gently. "I'm tired of this conversation, it was over two days ago!"

"This is about our future, its not over until you see sense!" Ingrid snapped at him. "We will be mated Bertrand and we will have children!"

"I can't face children asking me why their father has two sets of marks…"

"So no children?" Ingrid asked him, Bertrand looked away. In effect that was what he was saying. Ingrid's jaw clenched, his pride was going to destroy them. She grabbed his jaw and yanked his head towards Erin who was pretending to ignore their argument and focus on grabbing her laptop. "I want what Erin has, we don't have to have children now. They weren't planning them now." Erin bristled involuntarily, she knew what was expected of her and she knew there were probably whisperings already in their world. "Look how happy they are." She whispered.

Bertrand's face was raw with pain and grief before a mask slid over it, it was out of his hands. "I don't have a choice Ingrid." He looked at her.

Ingrid's fists clenched at her side before opening rapidly. Erin noticed what she was doing and decided to step in, no longer hiding the fact she had been privy to their conversation. A fireball shot from them nearly hitting the wall near Erin. Erin saw the fireball out of the corner of her eyes and shot out her hand, another fireball countered it, making it fizzle out into nothing. She'd seen Vlad do it more than once before and she wasn't going to let any of her home be damaged.

"If either of you burn my house down I swear you won't know the meaning of slaying." Erin told them both firmly. Both of them looked at her, before nodding briskly. "Fireballs won't solve anything." And screaming won't either, she added mentally. She definitely had experience in that area.

Ingrid nodded quietly, Erin was right, before she lifted her hands to her neck; she reached for the de Fortunessa crest she wore.

"Ingrid a word." Erin snapped at her. She shot a glance towards Bertrand who nodded, bowing slightly before one of his monarchs. Bertrand would show her more respect than Vlad because she was with child, something his bite couldn't harm.

Erin smiled softly at Bertrand, watching as he left the room. Closing the door behind him softly.

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As soon as Erin knew they were alone, Erin turned to face Ingrid. "You were going to throw everything away?" Erin couldn't believe Ingrid would deliberately throw away the one person who made her the happiest.

Ingrid looked indignant, moving away from her smaller sister in law. She could feel all of Erin's gaze on her. Erin wasn't going to give up so easily. "I'm not mating with Bertrand, it's not worth being with him." Her voice was bitter.

"So just because you can't get your own way your going to throw everything away?" Erin asked her, anger was clear in her soft tones. Vlad could rile her sometimes but the woman in front of her exceeded him, she was just as stubborn as Vlad but for all the wrong reasons. Erin needed sense knocking into her and Erin was fully prepared to do it literally.

Ingrid scoffed, Erin was being hypocritical. "You always get your way with Vlad!"

Erin laughed at that, "I don't, Vlad and I compromise. I never get my own way with Vlad." Unless it was concerning something he needed a stern talking over for example sending her away. "He makes his own choices. You remember what happened with that stupid book. I didn't get my own way then and look how that turned out because I wanted to do something he wouldn't let me. I nearly lost him then." Erin looked at Ingrid, trying to remove all the thoughts of that book.

Ingrid wouldn't accept it, "I can't mate with Bertrand. He won't let me."

Erin did a Vlad like gesture and ran a hand over her face before settling her hand on her stomach and rubbing small circles subconsciously. "You might not be able to be mated to Bertrand but you can be married to him. You can be mated to him later when he's gotten over the scar."

"You don't know what its like to be forced to accept something like that, a choice between being with him…"

"I know *exactly* what its like Ingrid!" Erin snapped angrily, "I had two choices, marry Vlad or marry Andrew. There was no grey area inbetween. You can still be with Bertrand either way. I didn't have that choice. Unless you're in my position when there's no way you can trick your way out of it don't you dare claim that I know nothing."

Ingrid knew she should have thought before she spoke. "I'm sorry."

Erin's jaw was tight as she spoke, "I love Vlad you know I do but sometimes I wish we had more choice in it. I know he could do better than me and I know I'm not worthy of being Queen but I love him and he loves me just as much. I'm lucky Ingrid, I found my soul mate. Do you know there's another Bertrand out there?"

"I got over Will."

"Will wasn't your soul mate was he? You've considered mating Ingrid, that shows how much you love him. You don't want to part with him." Erin's voice became softer as she spoke, she knew Ingrid was listening. "Bertrand had that book for four hundred years and you know what his past is like more than any of us. His home is with us – the most powerful clan in vampire history. He's only got his pride and he's trying to protect both of you, can't you see that? Scars get people talking, rumours begin and no matter how untrue people believe them."

Ingrid looked away before slowly drawing her eyes back towards Erin. "They don't say anything about you."

"Not anymore, but I'm Queen they won't. I know what its like, Vlad's gone through it recently. Losing his loyalty will give him back some of the honour he thinks he's lost. Think before you act." Erin looked at Ingrid. "My parents will try it. At least let Bertrand be free, no matter how long you're with him or what you will be to him he deserves that."

Ingrid nodded slowly, "How long?"

The machine needed to be modified not to mention his blood being tested.

"A few weeks." Erin muttered. "Then we'll be ready to use it on him."

"Will it work this time?"

Erin couldn't answer that.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.