A/N: And another new chapter of this fic. I'll be honest with you all, I'm never quite sure where this one is going, but luckily, apparently it does. There'll be another note at the end to explain something within the story, so I hope you enjoy it and review please. Seriously, feedback is a wonderful thing and I do enjoy it.
They meet at the coffee bar a few times a week; Vlad won't let him up to the castle anymore. Robin isn't particularly bothered by this; at least he still has his friend. The coffee is always lukewarm by the time they get it, and never really to either of their tastes, but the bar offers a reprieve from both of their disappointing lives, so they make out as though they're drinking the best coffee in the word. Somehow the pretend slowly becomes real, as their taste buds become used to the taste. At least, Robin's did. Vlad still wore the same brief expression of distaste every time he took a mouthful. Robin often wondered if it was a side effect from drinking blood, that nothing else tasted right. Then again, it could just be something that was uniquely Vlad; Robin had no real way of working out which was the correct answer.
His mind had a morbid habit of turning back to the stories Vlad told him of his time away, of the battles he had been in, the fights he had won and lost, the slayers who he had dined on.
To try to combat the images that came with the thoughts, images of Vlad drenched in blood, looking more monster than human, Robin spoke loudly, regaling his friend with tales of his family, of his brothers and his sister. Chloe had joined them a couple of times for coffee, a slight blush on her cheeks when re-meeting Vlad. She always had had a crush on him, and judging by the lustful glances he seemed to attract, it was apparent that Vlad had inherited those good looks that were always connected with his family line. Robin highly doubted it was all down to vampire pheromones.
When he voiced this thought to Vlad, mentioning Chloe's crush at the same time, the vampire just smirked over his coffee cup. It didn't stop the dark, hypnotic, glances that he seemed to be sending Chloe on the few times she met up with them, nor the light teasing touches. Robin didn't know whether to laugh, or to punch Vlad right in his smirking mouth. Chloe didn't seem to care, enjoying the small flirtations Vlad shared with her. They even went on 'proper' dates, from which Chloe always came back with a dreamy expression, floating back to her bedroom. Mrs Branagh seemed delighted, Mr Branagh muttered about 'bad influences', and Ian and Paul seemed indifferent - Vlad may be a freak, but he was a freak who was also a decent rugby player with an attractive older sister. Robin threatened Vlad with a stake if he dared to hurt, feed, or even thinking of feeding off of his little sister. Vlad just smirked, so Robin punched him in the mouth.
There didn't seem to be as many dates after that
On the odd occasion, Vlad would tell Robin stories of his own family as well, Ingrid in particular, as Robin always had had a soft spot for her. Her fury at Will's death had been someone mourning for their mate, the breaking of a deep bond that many vampires feared taking, but that Will and Ingrid had. There was also the small complication of her being the in early stages of pregnancy when Will was slain, so there was the horrified thought that her child would grow up without knowing its wonderful father - because Vlad did agree that Will was far more decent than the vampire boy their grandparents wanted Ingrid to marry.
Robin wondered why Vlad kept speaking in the present tense about someone who was seven years dead, before he remembered Vlad's particular skill in dark alchemy - necromancy really - the raising of the dead.
As it transpired, Ingrid, Will, their daughter Erika, and their son Rica were all living in the Dracula's old castle just outside of Bistritz, with Ingrid being happier than Vlad could ever remember her being. He remarked that finding a mate could do that to a vampire, especially if it resulted in children. It was part of vampire biology trying to make sure that they didn't become extinct by their own destructive natures. Despite his long lasting crush on Ingrid, Robin couldn't help but feel incredibly pleased for the couple. When it really got down to it, Robin was just glad Ingrid hadn't chosen one of his idiotic brothers as her mate. Vlad visited them often enough, his niece and nephew being a good mix of both Ingrid and Will's temperaments, with none of their grandfather's old fashioned out look on the vampire life. Speaking of the Count, he was oddly delighted at being at grandfather, though Vlad confided in Robin that he suspected it was only because it meant their mother, Magda, was now a grandmother, something which they had long known she would detest.
Between the pair of them, they made sure that their conversation never entered a territory that neither were ready to be in. It would appear, however, that the annoying destiny that followed Vlad no matter where he tried to hide was not for being ignored.
Jonno Van Helsing went to the same local university as Robin, though Robin wasn't quite sure what course he was on - it seemed to be something along the lines of technology. Not long after Vlad had taken his crown, Mr and Mrs Van Helsing reaffirmed their vows, getting back together and even buying a proper house just down the road from Robin. It appeared as though Mr Van Helsing never would remember being a slayer, or the existence of vampires, but he seemed happier for not knowing, and Robin would never wish his happiness gone.
Jonno Van Helsing was a different case altogether. If Vlad was the Chosen One of the vampires, it was highly suspected that Jonno was the Chosen One of the Slayers, containing a natural instinct greater than the ones belonging to the tactical division of the Slayer's Guild. He had only one target, and trained to take that one target down, though he had quickly beaten his father's, and even the infamous Kurt's record for slayings.
He walked into the coffee bar, his arm slung round some pretty redhead who wore a low cut top and a high hemmed skirt. Robin had stared for a second; the girl had been attractive, before shaking his head and looking away quickly. Jonno's instinct had reappeared back when they were still at school, and Robin had been a perfect practise punching bag because, even though he wasn't a vampire, he was close enough as they would come to one now that the Dracula's seemed to have gone into hiding. (The Count would loudly protest against that which is why Robin never thought of mentioning it.)
Vlad had stopped, his cup half way to his mouth, before turning slightly, his head titling slightly to the side, as he studied Jonno with an emotionless stare. Jonno, in turn, had glared back, frowning deeply over at Vlad, his fingers flexing into a fist, with his knuckles becoming lighter due to the pressure of his grip. The redhead he was with took no notice, smiling coyly at Vlad, who didn't return the smile, turning back to his coffee.
Jonno and his date left soon after that.
Robin had question Vlad with a glance, wondering what the semi confrontation had been about, wondering if it could even be considered a confrontation if no fist were thrown. Vlad had smirked once more - he seemed to have gotten into the habit of smirking instead of answering the questions put to him - but did answer Robin. He knew about Jonno's status within the Guild, of course he did, he was the Grand High Vampire after all, it was his job to know. It was also part of the reason he had chosen to return to Stokley, something which made Robin glare sourly before Vlad added that his return was largely due to simply wanting to come home.
"So what," he asked, "it'll be a fight to the death? Chosen Slayer versus Chosen vampire, to see which side is truly victorious?" Robin waited for an answer from Vlad, who looked to considering the question very carefully indeed.
"Perhaps," he said finally. "Or maybe I'll just snap his neck."
A/N: the names chosen for Ingrid and Will's children are Romanian names, which I carefully researched before choosing. Rica is masculine, meaning 'dominant ruler' and Erika is feminine, meaning 'ruler forever'.