A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
The next chapter is a thank you and a playlist for this story.
The final chapter…
Please let me know what you think of it.
Chapter 70: Survival
Vlad pinned Olga to the ground holding her neck down with his hands. The sword hovered directly over her heart, he brought it down rapidly.
"Vlad." A muffled warning came. Vlad's head snapped upwards to look directly at his wife. Ivan held her in place, an arm around her throat in a chokehold. Something small but sharp pressed into her side. Vlad's grip loosened around Olga's throat.
The sword dropped limply to the side of them.
"I lied." Olga laughed at him, she threw him off her, before reversing their positions and she hovered over him. "You have a choice Vlad, either you die or your precious Queen does. Not hard is it?"
Vlad glanced across to Erin; she seemed to struggle against her attacker. His eyes flickered down towards the stake being held to her side.
Vlad looked up at her. "You can't."
"I can't after I kill you but not before. It's up to you Vlad. Either way you die, you can't live without her. That's why real vampires don't do love." She cackled at him manically, she'd outfoxed Vladimir Dracula. The cousin who always had something up his sleeve. "Checkmate."
She held out the sword for him to take, she wanted him to fall on his own sword – literally.
Vlad's lips quirked upwards, it unsettled Olga and made her falter. He rested his head back against the floor, his grin growing wider. He shook his head lightly. To Olga it felt almost like he was relaxing in her grip, she couldn't understand what he found that was so funny.
Vlad looked up at her, giving Olga a piece of information that may or may not be useful to her. "As Erin told me, I never play chess properly. I move the pieces how I want to; I never play how people expect me to." He looked towards Erin and nodded. "I don't cheat I just use different rules." Erin suddenly understood everything. She knew exactly what Vlad was up to. She knew what he meant when he told her 'know me'. He wanted her to see through him, he wanted her to anticipate what he was doing. She wouldn't let him down.
Olga was suddenly confused, her face contorting in fear as she tried to understand what Vlad was saying. "What?"
Erin drew her elbow forwards and slammed it back into Ivan's stomach. His arm jerked back freeing her from Ivan's grasp. She sped across towards to Vlad just as he kicked his legs upwards, kicking Olga directly in the stomach. She was thrown upwards and to the side of him. "You should know I don't do anything on my own."
He snatched the sword from her and threw it towards the other one. It clanked against it, the metallic sound resonating through the air.
Olga didn't think he was capable of it. "You cheated."
"I didn't cheat, you made the first move. I'm reacting." Vlad immediately wrapped his arms around Erin, physically showing that they would always work together. "Why do you think I wanted her made Queen? She's my partner in every sense."
"She didn't know what you were planning." Olga pointed out.
"Erin can figure things out quickly. Not telling her protected her but you really think that she doesn't know me well enough to know I'd need her help?" Olga's face dropped as her eyes searched Vlad's for any sign that he was lying to her bit she couldn't find any trace of a lie. Vlad smiled tightly at her as he worked out what she was doing. "I knew this would come down to using my clan, but I didn't want anyone else involved unless I had to. I gave you a chance Olga and you wasted it." Olga's eyes widened as she understood exactly what Vlad had been planning, she'd behaved exactly as he'd expected her to. "By using your father to attack Erin I can use all of my clan." If Olga hadn't involved her father then Vlad couldn't use any of his relations. "You involved other people, which means I can too." He knew she would cheat, he knew she just couldn't resist trying to get the upper hand.
As if one entity, the entire Dracula clan stepped forward. Jonno, Mina, Bertrand and Robin moving with them everyone stared at Vlad's army. The latter group finally understood why Vlad had asked he hadn't wanted to expose his plans to them yet. He didn't want to chance anyone probing their minds, now everything was crystal clear. He always knew they would support him.
Olga gestured to the others, "They're not Draculas." He was breaking the rules there and then.
Vlad cast a brief glance behind him with a small grin. "Vampires don't have friends Olga, they have family and they're the godparents of my children which means their bound to protect them. They can fight on my side." That's why he'd asked them officially to be his children's godparents; he was binding them legally as his extended family.
Olga looked around frantically; technically she and Ivan were bound by the law to fight on Vlad's side as he'd summoned his clan to fight. She shared a look with Ivan they were in too deep now to back out of it. They could only go forwards.
Olga looked behind her towards the clans gathered around them. Vlad followed her gaze, he hadn't thought Olga had noticed and he was right. Not many of her supporters had taken up his invitation to join them.
Those of her supporters that were there were wrenched back by their wives as they tried to step forward but that initial movement was already noticed by Vlad and they knew they now had to continue with their actions. They had to win against him because there was only one punishment if they lost – execution. It would be more merciful if they were killed in a fight.
Vlad watched as a group of ten of her supporters stepped forwards.
"I'm ending it Olga, no one else is going to be involved. Just my clan against your supporters."
"Still no powers?" She asked him, Vlad began to chuckle. The action made her take a giant pace backwards.
"You tried to use a slayer weapon on my wife – a weapon not allowed in our fight. Any agreement was broken when you did that." Vlad looked towards the swords and threw a fireball at them. The vampires around the edge of the room jumped backwards, watching in amazement that as the fireball died out all that was left in their place was a lump of metal.
Vlad didn't want to risk anyone using them as spears or javelins, they were dangerous enough weapons if left unchecked.
"Vlad!" A call came telepathically. Instinctively he looked towards Erin, then he realised that it was a man's voice. He looked behind Olga at the source of the voice.
Something was thrown through the air towards him; he twisted around catching it in mid air. He twirled it in his fingers; they came to rest tightly clutching the stake. The end sharped to a fine point.
"It begins." Olga muttered a split second before the centre of the hall broke into chaos.
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Each member of Vlad's immediate and extended family found a target and began to fight. Bertrand was clearly releasing his anger at being made a puppet in the game Olga had played. Ingrid looked like she was enjoying herself. Mina and Jonno were fighting together like they always had. His heart jumped into his throat as he caught sight of Erin fighting. She was graceful and beautiful but it didn't stop him from panicking.
He drew his attention back to his cousin. The stake ready for use in his hand.
He charged at her, determined to end it. He overcompensated for his speed and shot past her slightly. Olga turned and jumped onto his back, her arms wrapping around his neck.
Olga clawed at Vlad's face as she tried to blind him to take the stake. Vlad threw himself down on the ground, making sure his back hit it. It had the desired effect as he crushed Olga, forcing her to relinquish her grip.
He rolled off her, cricking his neck as he did so.
She jumped up and rushed to land blows only meeting his forearms, he wasn't using much effort to defend himself. He decided to cut her routine short. Vlad responded by kicking his leg forward, she moved backwards crying out in pain.
He ducked down as she tried to copy his action and her foot went directly over his head. He grabbed it before she could draw it back and twisted it so she spun through the air and landed hard on the ground. Her arms came up and her eyes closed at the impact.
Vlad stood slowly and made his way towards her. The stake ready in his hand. Olga saw her chance and swung her legs out, kicking them out from underneath him and causing him to fall forwards.
The stake slammed down on the floor as he tried to brace himself. The stake snapped in half only leaving a blunt end in its wake, it wouldn't be of any use now. Vlad led out a growl of anger. "FOG!" He needed to find something else to use - quickly. Vlad only just managed to twist around as Olga pounced on him, his arm was pinned to the side of him so he did the only thing he could with the stake – push it into his pocket.
Olga tried to hold his shoulders down but Vlad grabbed her waist and threw her backwards over him. She looked as if she was simply performing a gambol.
Vlad was suddenly yanked away from her and found himself face to face with Ivan instead.
"Leave my daughter alone." Ivan told him firmly.
"Leave my brother alone." Another voice joined in, Vlad smirked as he recognised the voice. He didn't need to move to see her.
"Female." Ivan smirked as he looked at her. "Run along and let the boys play."
"You…" Vlad held out his hand stopping her from continuing and holding her back. Ivan laughed at his ability to rile Ingrid, but she had always been the easiest Dracula to upset.
Ingrid's face darkened and a fireball shot out. Everyone in the room ducked as it deflected off the piles of argentalium that were once swords. Vlad shot out his hand and the fireball sped on a trajectory towards the nearest opposition, who happened to be battling Bertrand. It was better it hit an enemy rather than an ally.
He wasn't impressed that she'd launched a fireball after he physically commanded her to stop but at least that meant one last person to face or execute later on.
"I'll deal with him Vlad." Ingrid told her brother, "Help Erin." Vlad looked at her, unsure whether she'd be okay. "I can handle him." With that she lowered her fangs and deliberately ran her teeth over them to intimidate him.
He sped behind her and Ingrid cursed herself for forgetting how quickly her uncle could move. She hit him firmly in the stomach before he could hit her. He didn't even flinch. Panic gripped her. He back handed her across the face. Her cheek burned and he laughed as she lost her balance and stumbled.
She was angry now; she was trying to play nice, now it was time to implement what Bertrand had taught her.
She sped behind him and kicked his knees, he collapsed downwards. A she fell she hit him as hard as she could, she heard a crack coming from his jaw. Ivan looked at her in complete disbelief a hand pressing against his jaw.
He wasn't going to take it lying down and he jumped up in front of her.
He reached out and grasped her neck, he turned her around holding her in a chokehold as he had done with Erin but this time he intended to break her neck so she'd be defenceless when he turned her to dust.
Ivan suddenly arched backwards spinning around, releasing Ingrid in surprise. She staggered backwards away from him. Ingrid gasped at the sight of the stake lodged in his back.
Bertrand stood behind him he'd clearly forced the stake in. Ivan watched with wide eyes before disintegrating into a pile of dust.
Ingrid found herself being pulled into Bertrand's arms, she was glad she couldn't breathe otherwise she would have passed out from the strength he was crushing her to him with.
"Thanks." She muttered, her voice hoarse as she rubbed her throat. He nodded kissing her quickly, Ingrid smiled at how much Bertrand had changed over the last few years. He was no longer the stuffy tutor that had come to teach Vlad.
"Be careful." He warned.
Ingrid smiled tipping her head. "You too."
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Olga watched in horror as Bertrand slew her father, she knew then he'd definitely been cured by Vlad. Anger bubbled up inside of her. Olga spied Erin and she knew she had to destroy Vlad so she might as well have fun doing it. He could watch his wife die in front of him. At least if Vlad beat her he'd have to suffer without his precious wife.
Erin knew someone had taken an interest in her and turned slowly, making Olga lose the element of 'surprise'.
Olga and Erin circled each other. Erin was still wearing Vlad's jacket having not lost all of her baby weight. So she had plenty of room to manoeuvre inside it, she could stretch her arms without restriction. She wasn't sure Olga knew that.
Olga tipped her head condescendingly, "Your twins will be the first to go when I kill Vlad."
Erin felt her lips curl and her fangs drop. "You won't lay a finger on them."
"Have you recovered?" Olga grinned at her, "From giving birth?" She asked, if Erin didn't know better she'd think it was genuine concern.
Erin reached behind her withdrawing the stake she'd initially brought to kill the Draculas a lifetime ago. Vlad was right it had finally come in handy. She didn't trust Olga one bit; she knew she'd go back on her word if she won. She needed protection.
Olga caught it and charged at her deliberately aiming for her stomach. Somewhere she was sure the young vampire would hurt. She wasn't disappointed as Erin let out a cry of pain. The stake flew from her hands. Erin let out a curse in Transylvanian and tried to scramble for it. Suddenly hands clamped around her legs and pulled her backwards and further away from the stake, her shirt riding up around her waist.
Erin pushed herself up on her forearms only to be forced back down once more. She let out a groan as her chest was crushed against the floor.
Olga roughly grabbed her shoulders and twisted her around to look her prey in the eyes. She began to rain blow after blow down on Erin. Erin worked as quickly as she could blocking her blows one after another. It had been a while since she'd done any training like this, usually her and Vlad became… distracted when she ended up on the floor. She managed to deflect most of them, if any made contact they hit her ribs rather than her stomach which Olga was aiming for.
Olga's smug smile was suddenly wiped off her face as she noticed something on Erin's abdomen and she froze. Erin didn't lower her hands however she simply lowered her eyes to see what Olga was looking at.
Olga grew distracted by the sight Erin's raised shirt had brought her. Erin knew what she was looking at – her scar. "I'm not a stranger to a stake." She informed Olga, "Or didn't you wonder why Vlad transformed me three years early?" Olga seemed to realise then that Erin really was prepared to defend Vlad to the hilt.
Erin brought her knee up, catching Olga in the jaw. Unfortunately it wasn't hard enough to break her jaw but it made Olga falter giving her the chance to get up. Erin caught something out of the corner of her eye as she swung her head frantically around looking for her weapon; a small grin crossed her face as soon as she saw it. She lunged for it, her fingers catching the wood and pulling it towards her. Her fingers clenched around it tightly, her knuckles turning white with the force of her grip.
Olga looked at Erin a laugh crossing her face as she saw what Erin held in her hand.
"You haven't got the guts." Olga sneered at her. Her cousin in law wouldn't do it, she couldn't do it. She'd had the opportunity in the past and she'd failed. "You can't kill in cold blood." Erin knew she had to do this for Vlad's sake. She could kill in the midst of a fight but Olga was deliberately offering herself to her. "That's why you're weak. You can't do what's necessary."
"That's why I love her." A voice made Olga spin around. Vlad stood in front of her. He stood tall and regally, every inch the Grand High Vampire he was and would continue to be. "She brings out the humanity in me."
Erin threw her stake to her husband who caught it without looking at it. He gripped it in his fingers and twisted it around so the point was facing him.
Olga scoffed, humanity was a myth, even if they did used to be human a few millennia ago. "We're vampires, we don't have humanity."
"That's why you don't think things through." He smiled at her. He moved towards Olga, the stake in his hand. Olga's eyes flickered to it and she gulped, there was no signs of affection in his eyes, nothing that would show that he would hesitate. He knew what he had to do and he would do it.
"She's a disappointment to you." Olga taunted trying to get her cousin riled, people made mistakes when they were angry.
"Erin is many things to me, but she could never be a disappointment."
Olga saw that her only chance was to get the stake from him and turn it on him. Looking around there was no one left to help her.
She launched herself at Vlad.
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Olga was fast but Vlad was faster. He stepped out of the way sending her sprawling along the floor. Olga jumped to her feet and tried to grab Vlad's right hand. It was a useless action as he stepped backwards and she instead caught his leg as she tried to stop herself from falling. Then she took her chance and twisted his ankle – trying to break it.
Vlad felt his ankle being twisted as Olga caught it. Instinctively he shifted his weight and fell backwards as he yanked it from her grip. He wasn't going to chance her incapacitating it.
He left out a cry as the delayed pain of it being twisted flared through him but he knew what to expect. He quickly recovered and jumped to his feet, he knew to shift his centre of balance to put the least pressure on his ankle. He could continue to fight through the pain.
Olga tried to land a punch to his jaw but Vlad caught her wrist in his left hand and hit her instead. It landed in her ribs forcing her off the ground. He didn't let go of her wrist though. Olga struggled to regain her footing as she landed, her left foot landing on the side. She collapsed downwards but Vlad's grip on her wrist stopped her from falling completely.
She reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling it down and exposing his scars further. Vlad stooped slightly but straightened again, pulling her to her height again.
Olga struggled against him, finally managing to rip her hand from his left. She lost her balance as he'd loosened his grip a fraction, which was obviously his intention. She went to hit him again but then something caught her eye.
She reached for his right hand seeing the stake there. Her gaze didn't linger on it for long as she didn't want to draw his attention to what she was about to do.
She reached out and grabbed his hand, trying her best to wrestle the stake from his grip. He twisted around throwing her to the floor, she landed hard on her back letting out a gasp as her spine hit it slightly arched. Vlad moved back and brushed his fringe away from where it fell into his eyes. He needed that distraction to ensure he could see properly.
Olga sped into a standing position a few feet from Vlad. She looked far worse for wear, her hair dropping all over her face. It had long since fallen out of her pony tail.
Vlad looked behind her and saw that Erin clearly wanted to intervene but he shook his head. He would handle this himself, it was safer and he knew what he was doing.
Olga pressed herself flush against Vlad; she reached down in between them and grabbed the stake – taking care to avoid the point. Vlad fought against her but she managed to slid his hand further towards the hilt, she jerked it upwards quickly forcing his hand to twist at an odd angle. She spun it around in her hands and pressed it forwards into him.
Vlad's eyes widened a fraction at the contact.
Erin felt her whole world freeze in those few seconds.
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Olga grinned at him before growing confused as his eyes returned to their normal state. Erin let out a gasp of relief. Vlad looked down a smirk on his face. Olga followed him and noticed that it wasn't the stake she'd forced into him; it was the blunt stake he'd stashed in his pocket from earlier. She'd seen what her eyes wanted to see. If she'd only looked closer at what he'd been holding it might have been avoided.
She let go and the former stake dropped harmlessly to the ground. Where was the real one?
Seeing she was distracted he moved his left hand forward at a speed that couldn't be stopped; Olga hadn't been watching his left hand. Vlad was right handed. That had been her mistake – to think he would only use his right hand to wield a stake. Vlad had been taught to use both hands just in case once became incapacitated in a fight.
The stake slammed into her right side, piercing her skin before coming to a halt in between her bottom two ribs breaking them on impact. She gasped at the searing pain that erupted from the action, arching into him, almost reaching his height. He relinquished his hold on it and stepped backwards away from him.
He'd switched the stakes, used the blunt one to distract her and stashed the sharp one away until he needed it. He'd probably stashed it in the back of his trousers when he'd hit her in the ribs. She'd fallen for it.
Her hands came down to rest at her side, gripping the stake that was lodged there. She pulled tried to pull it out but her hands were shaking far too much.
Everyone's eyes in the room seemed to be on them. Vlad's hand was still suspended in the air from where he'd held the stake.
His face didn't have the faintest smile on it as he spoke; instead he just stared at her. He looked repulsed by what he'd been forced to do. It spoke volumes to all watching him. "Checkmate Olga."
She looked down at the stake then back up at him with wide eyes before exploding in a shower of shimmering dust.
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Olga's followers knew that they were defeated there and then, not that there were many left standing. A handful at most. They immediately knelt down before the true Grand High Vampire conceding defeat.
Vlad slumped forward, the strain of what had just happened finally hitting him as he stood still. He shared a glance with Erin. It didn't take her long as she rushed towards him, jumping on him. She stopped just short of wrapping her legs around his waist. He stumbled backwards and wrapped his arms tightly around her, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling her scent.
He finally allowed himself to relax for what felt the first time in months.
Erin let out a small sigh, breathing in the scent that was uniquely Vlad. "I'm going to be hurting tomorrow." She muttered making him chuckle. Vlad gripped her tighter, pulling her closer to him. He'd missed not being able to pull her flush against his body. "It's worth it." He kissed her quickly, reaffirming that they were both still alive before hugging her tightly once again.
"I love you." He told her clearly, not caring that there were vampires staring at them.
"Love you too." She answered just as loudly. No one dared to tut as they heard those words being spoken.
Vlad pressed his forehead against hers, she closed her eyes and relished the contact. Erin gripped his arms tightly as he held her waist. He'd won, they'd won.
The moment was ruined as his head shot forward, forcing hers backward a few inches. He closed his eyes and bit back a pained cry.
"You really had us worried." Ingrid scolded as she hit her brother sharply around his head before wrenching him from Erin's grasp and hugging him tightly. Vlad hugged his sister back in relief. She pulled back and looked at Erin, "You knew what he was up to?" She questioned Erin.
Erin looked at Vlad, she knew what he meant when he said 'know me'. He wanted her to see through him. "I knew he was up to something but I didn't know what. It's the first time Vlad hasn't told me what he was planning."
"I needed Olga to believe that you didn't know what was going to happen." Vlad told his wife as he pulled back from Ingrid, taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together. "The slightest tell would make Olga change her plans, I couldn't let that happen. I needed to force her to make the moves I wanted her to, the ones I'd planned against." He squeezed Erin's hand, "Erin has always been able to see right through me, she realised what I was up to. That's why I said watch Erin. The moment she interfered you knew you could too."
Ingrid felt like strangling her younger brother but she had a feeling Erin would beat her to it and Erin had more right to do it than she did.
Jonno shook his head scoffing. "You still couldn't tell us? Even after you set the duel?"
"I wanted to." Vlad answered, there was a precaution he had to follow though. "But after the stunt Augustus pulled," He looked directly at the former councilman in question, who flinched. "Trying to read Erin's mind I couldn't risk anyone else doing the same, that's why I couldn't tell you." Erin stroked his arm to let him know she understood his reasons.
Ingrid laughed at his plan; it made sense now she had time to actually think about it. "So you're Grand High Vampire unchallenged now."
Vlad shook his head as Erin looked up at him, "There will always be challenges." Olga was the first but he knew there would be others who wanted the power for themselves.
"I'm glad he has you." Ingrid told Erin seriously. Looking at her brother, seeing how content he was now everything was over and now he could focus on his role as a father.
Erin looked at Ingrid confused, shouldn't Ingrid have said this years ago. "Because I look out for him?"
Ingrid shook her head before shooting a teasing glint towards her brother, "Because it's nice to know that someone can tell what he's up to."
"Ingrid…" Bertrand muttered, pressing a kiss to her hair. Erin smiled at Bertrand, it was a relief to know she wasn't the only one who could keep track of what the Dracula siblings were up to.
"What happens now?" Jonno asked him.
Vlad looked around the room seeing the faces of the people staring at him, of Mina and his father. He nodded to his father, he knew they had a road to travel before they could fully make up but he knew it would be worth it. "We move on and become stronger for it." He couldn't erase what Olga had done, nor did he want to. It was a warning that there were others out there that would try to take over.
Bertrand nodded gesturing to the crowd with his head. Vlad nodded slowly beckoning Renfield towards him with the crowns. He replaced his and gently lowered the circlet onto Erin's head. "Kneel before the victor, Grand High Vampire Vladimir Slovodan Napoleon Dracula and his Queen Erin Elizabeth Dracula."
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Vlad wrapped his arms around Erin from behind making her jump. She rested her head against his chest. "Wolfie was asleep in here when I came to check on them." She chuckled; he'd missed out on all the excitement that had happened downstairs. Erin gently placed Alex next to Erika in the incubator. "Renfield says that they should be free from the incubators within a week." She told Vlad quietly. "They've definitely inherited your healing ability." She grinned. Vlad looked down silently, Erin turned towards him. "You saved our kind, you saved me and you saved the twins."
"I hate killing." He whispered, it had been necessary but it still wasn't something that he'd wanted. "And I have executions to perform now." That was the fate that rested with all of Olga's followers, it was Ancient Vampire Law and the one thing he couldn't change. He had Mikhail and Baylor to add to that as well, they were still sitting in his cells.
"Vladimir Dracula, I'm glad you're alive. You know that one of you had to die and I'm glad it wasn't you." For that she would be forever grateful. She turned around in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. She toyed with the collar of his shirt, he still hadn't changed, "Your shirt's ripped."
He reached round and grasped her fingers, kissing them lightly. "We're alive." He repeated what she'd said. "We fought for survival and we won." Her fingers dropped from his mouth, trailing along his neck.
Vlad looked down at it, seeing her fingers playing with the fraying hem. "They want to crown me again." He muttered, he didn't like the idea one bit.
"You did have your power ripped from you," She could see where they were coming from. "They want to make sure that you're legally Grand High Vampire I suppose."
"You do realise you'll have to be crowned again as well." Erin let out a frustrated groan and dropped her head onto his chest.
"Once was bad enough." She buried her nose into his chest.
He gestured to the twins. "And they'll have to be crowned as heirs." He gestured to the children, Alex and Erika looked so peaceful. "I love you, and thank you for giving them to me."
"I love you too." She responded automatically, "And you gave them to me as well." He reached down and traced their small faces with his fingers. The leaned into his touch making him smile, Erin grinned at the sight before her of the doting father she knew Vlad would always be. They already had him wrapped around their fingers.
Erin knew then and there that they would always be fine. No matter how many other Olgas, Nobles and Chloes were in the world, the Draculas would always survive. She was glad she had her husband back unscathed, she knew they could continue on if they worked together just as they always had before.
The only challenge facing them now was decorating the twins' nursery.
A knock on the door drew them apart, they turned as one to look at Jonno. "We're all turning in." He informed them with a smile. He didn't want Vlad and Erin to try and find them when they'll all gone to bed. Things could begin to be sorted after a good night's sleep for them all. They had a lot of sorting to do to work out where they we headed.
"Thank you Jonno, for everything." Vlad told his friend seriously. He honestly didn't know how he would have made it through the last four years without the support of the slayers.
"Vlad we might not have seen eye to eye years ago, but I'm glad we got past that." Jonno told him seriously. "I said we'd look after Erin but we always look after each other and that's the only way we'll survive." Vlad nodded, Jonno was right. It was what he'd wanted all along and he finally knew he'd pulled it off after tonight. Jonno stepped through the threshold of the room. "There's only one thing I don't get." Jonno muttered at Vlad, he'd heard the end of the conversation.
"Just one?" Vlad grinned, looking at Erin. Erin moved closer to Vlad and he kissed her temple lightly. Erin lowered her gaze to try and look at Jonno. He really did look confused.
Erin's eyes sparkled with laughter; Vlad bit his lip and looked down, they knew what he was going to ask. Their gazes locked with each other's before moving towards their children, sleeping peacefully without any knowledge of what they'd nearly lost and what had nearly been denied them.
"Which one is the oldest?"
THE END
A/N: Thanks for reading.