A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

The site has worked out the source of my problem of being blocked constantly. They did block the account of the person reporting me but they've introduced reports where you don't have to log in. Unfortunately they can't do anything about it so I just have to grin and bear it.

That wasn't what made me snap though:

I was offered an ultimatum in a PM, clearly this person has set up a new account (which has been shut down):

Give up on this fic and start a new one (although I'm not sure what they have against this fic)…

Or they'll keep going until I lose my account…

Chapter 58: Chest

Erin reached for a heavy… something. It was big and sturdy and she really didn't have a clue what it was for. It looked like an antique and that was enough to satisfy her. Vlad caught it and so did Robin, the pair of them darting over to her side and grabbing the what ever it was. Erin gave them exasperated looks as they took it from her.

She mumbled something in Vlad's language drawing a look from Robin and a smirk from her husband.

"Not one word." She spoke clearly and slowly to him. Vlad shook his head seriously before chuckling. "Remind me why we put all the cribs and things that were in the manor in the attic?" She asked seriously.

"Because." Vlad answered, not wanting to go into it.

Robin looked at Vlad, "Wasn't it something to do with him wanting modern stuff in the nursery."

"Thank you Robin." Vlad muttered sarcastically, he hated antique cots and other equipment.

Erin kissed Vlad lightly, making Robin 'eww' and turn away in disgust. He hated it when his best friends did that. "We can get modern things when everything's sorted."

"Why can't you just use the internet?"

"That's what I said!" Vlad muttered.

"Because creating a nursery is personal, picking a cot and everything else is important to me. It's not the same looking at a screen. My things were picked years before I was born, the day my parents married our things were picked. I never had my own things being a twin." She whispered, Vlad stepped forward wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He rubbed her right shoulder lightly. "Clothes and things were hand me downs because Ryan grew quicker, no point in wasting money on two sets of things or on someone who couldn't be a true slayer."

Vlad gave a sigh as she pointedly looked away and bit the bottom of her lip lightly. Her eyes closed and a sniffle escaped. She turned her around and pulled her close. "I'm sorry." Vlad rubbed his hands up and down her back, he knew how she felt but she was usually stronger than this. It seemed that she'd now developed the ability to cry at a click of the fingers.

Erin pulled away and Vlad looked into her eyes, silently asking if she was okay. She answered with a watery smile. She closed her eyes in contentment as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Why did you move it?" She asked referring back to the… whatever it was.

"Because you were going to." Vlad answered with a knowing smile.

"I was only going to see what it was." She told him pointedly, she looked towards the thing. Vlad's smile dropped and she smirked at him, moving across towards it. Erin reached the thing and knelt down in front of it.

The thing was completely caked in dust. She gently rubbed her hands across it exposing intricate design. Rose heads and leaves were entwined on the chest, she was sure it was a chest now, it was made of beech. There were no thorns on the stems of the roses. The engraving was half an inch deep in places and highly polished.

She was sure she'd recognise this box if she or Vlad had placed it in there and she doubted that anyone else would have.

She ran her fingers around the edge, pressing the wood lightly she felt a slight groove showing her exactly where the lid began. She felt the sharp, rounded edges of the hinge. With a creak she slowly lifted up the lid. Dust flew from inside the chest, dissolving in the air around her.

She gasped at the contents. Vlad looked at her curiously before coming to her side. He knelt down next to her.

She looked at Vlad, Vlad bent over and lifted up a small silk covering. Erin looked at it in amazement; it was all that was in there. She brushed her fingertips over it. Vlad lifted it up to reveal two silver goblets, two plates and jewellery. Each had the crest of the Grand High Vampire on them. Inside the chest, at the very bottom he reached for two objects. Two small silver rattles, both had the symbol of their position on there.

"Did you?" She asked, unable to finish her words. She shook her head, the box was in here for far too long from the amount of dust on it. Vlad shook his head, knowing what she was saying.

He unfolded the silk covering to reveal two blankets folded together. They were both silk like she'd thought, black silk with Vlad's clan crest and the symbol of his power. He looked at Erin in confusion who shrugged. He brushed his fingers across the smooth surface. They were the size of a crib.

"Where did they come from?"

"I don't know." Erin whispered, "They're beautiful." Someone had taken a lot of time to make these. Someone who knew that they would be expecting twins. "Have you told anyone?"

"No." He told her softly, he wanted more time to undo what their children would be put through. He had a plan but he didn't want to chance Augustus finding out too soon and stopping his plan in its tracks. He wouldn't see a single one of his children forced into marriage.

Looking at Erin he knew she hadn't told anyone otherwise she wouldn't have asked that question.

"Before we accept it we have to find out who sent it." Vlad whispered quietly to her. Erin nodded, they couldn't accept any gifts just in case they could be considered a bribe.

For now it needed to be put somewhere safe.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad handed Robin the cup of cola, who accepted it off him and drank greedily. Vlad didn't drink fizzy pop anymore; something about his transformation had stopped him from wanting to do so. He found it harder to stomach – it was far too sweet for him.

Robin watched as Erin pulled her t-shirt (or rather Vlad's t-shirt) more comfortably over her stomach. He still found it hard to accept that his best friend was going to be a father and he was most likely going to be an uncle – especially considering how Vlad had reacted to the last baby being born.

"Has Vlad told you about when Wolfie was born?" Robin asked bouncing up and down on his feet.

Erin looked across to her husband. They saw Vlad sweeping him with a dismissive gaze; it only made Robin chuckle more. This had to be good, she only knew fragments but for Vlad to react like that she really did want the whole story.

"Have you spoken to your parents?" Vlad counteracted watching with undisguised pleasure as Robin blanched before lowering his gaze to the floor. Vlad might have said it in jest but he was clearly wanting an answer. Vlad was getting more effective at 'joking' about something so serious.

All thoughts of humour vanished from Robin, "They're still fighting for Chloe."

Vlad had tried to forget but he couldn't what Chloe had done to Jonno and Mina, it wasn't something that could be forgotten easily. He hoped she never found out about Erin's condition for at least another century.

Erin decided to speak to Robin softly, "You know the slayers won't drop what she's done. Jonno and Mina are the heads of the Guild, she did it on purpose."

"I know but she's my sister." Robin muttered, Vlad knew those words he'd often used them himself to describe Ingrid. While Ingrid had set out to destroy him more than once she'd never forced him into something he would hate, she'd defended him when it counted and even regretted her actions. He wasn't angry with her over the Carpathian Feast manipulation anymore but he'd managed to find a way out of it and Ingrid knew that he would deep down. Chloe however tried to bind herself to him with the purpose of knowing he could never escape it. "Can't you do something…"

"I can't."

"I'm not asking you to tell them to let her go, I'm asking for you to get the sentence reduced or the punishment easier."

"Robin it has nothing to do with me." Vlad told him, "It's a Guild matter."

"You know she only did it…"

"Robin she made her choice, she needs help. The Guild will help her get it. If it helps I'll speak to Jonno and see where they're planning to do but I'm not interfering. I have to think about my kind not just one person."

"Erin?" Robin questioned, pointing to the young half fang in question. He knew Vlad would protect her above everything else and he knew what Vlad had done in the past to protect her.

"Erin wasn't a slayer and I wasn't Grand High Vampire back then." Vlad told him firmly, "Things have changed Robin, I have to think about the consequences on my kind. Chloe deliberately hurt Jonno and Mina, if I even give the slightest hint that I'm accepting her actions and seemingly making them forgiven then my kind and the slayers will be at war. This could go further and affect the werewolves. I can't look like I'm condoning her actions on anyone, especially our allies."

"But they know that you know her…"

"That makes it worse." Vlad told him gently, if he wasn't careful it could be 'suggested' that he was conspiring with her. "I'm sorry Robin." He glanced towards Erin.

"Vlad has to lead by example now, no matter how painful it is." Erin ran a hand up and down her husband's arm. "Robin, Chloe has to be punished for what she did."

Robin nodded, his heart heavy with their words. "You're right."

The atmosphere became thick and although Vlad knew he was doing the right thing he felt guilty. It didn't show on his face as it once might have, nor in his eyes but Erin could sense it loud and clear. She twisted to look at him, her knees brushing against his thighs as she did so. He didn't look up from his goblet of blood.

Robin remained blissfully ignorant of what his friend was going through. Erin was glad of that, Robin's usual attempts to make Vlad feel better nearly always backfired.

Vlad suddenly stood tall and held out his hand for her, he knew she had trouble getting out of that seat at times – pregnant or not. Erin slipped her fingers into his as he pulled her up, their palms brushed as he repositioned their fingers more comfortably.

"Come with me." Vlad told her softly. Robin didn't move clearly he knew that this was between the two of them.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

He gently pushed Erin into the room, taking care to guide her, his hands on her waist as he guided her. Erin laughed as he struggled to move with her, his feet hitting the back of hers. He forgot he had longer legs than her.

He leaned back against the panelled wall, surveying the sparse room. The floor was carpeted with the richest, darkest red carpet. The walls were sparse although there were nails in the wood where portraits and other things had hung. In the corner of the room was a table and a cupboard that matched the panelling. Apart from the large red drapes there was nothing else in the room.

"Do you think the nursery is big enough?" Vlad asked her softly. His lips ghosting across her hair as she leaned her head back on his chest.

"Big enough?" Erin was confused; she had no idea what he meant. The room was large.

"For twins." He answered, his eyes showing that it should have been obvious.

Erin laughed lightly, "Vlad, we share a room the same size as this I think its big enough for the twins. When they get older we can worry about the rooms but your manor is full of them, I'm sure we'll have more than enough room."

"Our manor." He corrected, kissing her neck making her sigh in pleasure before pulling away from him. She was getting more sensitive at the moment.

She moved across to the panelled wall, brushing it with her fingers. They hadn't done anything to this room at all. It mainly needed a good clean then some decorating and then placing all the things they would need for the twins into it.

"It's a bit late for it all." Vlad whispered behind her.

"Vlad we've got just under four months left. We'll get it done. We have plenty of time, even with your duties as Grand High Vampire." She assured him, she looked out of the window watching the daylight fade into blackness, she hadn't realised how long they'd been in the attic. "We can shop for all the things we need."

"I just don't want to leave it until the last minute." He told her softly.

"We won't." She smiled before turning to look out of the window. "Vlad?" She asked watching as he inspected the cupboards in the room. "Have you forgotten to tell me anything?" Her voice was curious. Vlad was curious himself to what she could mean.

"No why?"

"Nothing about your Gran and Augustus?"

Vlad thought about it carefully, he was sure she knew everything. "No, why?" He repeated.

"Because they're walking up the drive."

She'd never seen Vlad dart as fast as he could to the window. "What?"

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Erin waited patiently in the foyer while Vlad paced up and down. He was the nervous one for a change. Erin caught his hand in hers and pulled him to her side just as the doors opened and the two older vampires strolled in. They both straightened, looking more regal than they had done slouching down waiting for them to arrive.

"Your highness." Atilla and Augustus muttered, bending down to her height. Erin resisted rolling her eyes – barely.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Erin asked them firmly, her voice not wavering once. She knew they had to recognise Vlad now.

Augustus swept the room, deliberately ignoring Vlad. Vlad folded his arms over his chest and growled angrily looking upward trying to calm himself. "I don't think so." Atilla let out a gasp at Augustus blatantly ignoring her grandson.

Vlad's tongue rolled in his mouth as he decided on his next actions. "Well I suggest you start to recognise your Grand High Vampire." Vlad snarled at them, his fangs revealing four sharp points. If he were a gene fang he would only have two like Erin did as a half fang. He looked above them pointedly, he waited until they all looked upwards before concentrating and the light bulb above them exploded. Erin shook her head, she was the only one not to fall for Vlad's trick. She didn't blame him though.

As soon as his words and actions sank in they dropped to their knees before him. "Your highness I was just joking…"

"Shut up Augustus." Vlad snapped at him, he didn't want to hear hollow apologies. He knew what he meant and how it had been said. He'd deal with it later. "I just want you out of my home but to do that I need to know why you're here. You've outstayed your welcome so…" He left his phase to hang.

Augustus looked as if he was about to turn to ash. He'd insulted Vlad and he wasn't going to take it lying down. He opened and closed his mouth, unsure how to speak to Vlad now he knew he had to be polite. Erin was a different case, he was used to being 'diplomatic' with her, it hadn't occurred to him fully that Vlad would regain his status but now it was obvious.

Atilla looked across at Augustus, who seemed incapable of speaking. She looked into her grandson's eyes who seemed to glance back towards Erin who lowered her head as a warning to him. Atilla began slowly, "The clan chiefs have heard of the new plan." She didn't look at Erin throughout her statement, that was enough to get the young vampires worrying.

"What new plan?" Erin asked looking between Atilla and Augustus.

"The one to remove Bertrand's loyalty." Augustus told her, enjoying the fact he had more information than Erin. "It's causing uproar amongst those with half fang brides and husbands!" It was causing a stir, a half fang was supposed to be a permanent loyal servant, if it could be undone…

"How?" Erin hadn't told anyone other than the vampires in front of them. They all looked between them they were unsure, the slayers – not even her parents – would tell another vampire.

A figure was pushed into the room, sliding along the floor.

A slight trail of blood following them as they came to a halt in front of Erin.

Vlad pulled her back quickly.

Looking down, he could only think of one thing.

He had been right after all.

TBC

A/N: What do you think?

Thanks for reading.