Sorry for the delay. At last, an update! Bit of an emotional one as everyone takes a moment to realise what's happened. Enjoy...

Disclaimer: Not mine.

"-priceless bottle of Conquistador, completely irreplaceable, and that's to say nothing of the damage to the door, or the lesser blood-" The Count dropped into his throne mid-rant, lowering his face into his hands. "...How did he come back?"
"Oh, you know Vlad," Ingrid managed, trying to sound as if she didn't care, "always has to be special." Her father shook his head, as if he didn't quite dare to believe it.
"I thought I'd lost him... how could he scare me like that?"
"What's with Bertrand, anyway?" Ingrid frowned. "I mean, I get why we're glad he's back, but he tried to kill Bertrand, and now he's all... touchy-feely?" The Count just shrugged, and she continued. "And speaking of touchy-feely..." She nodded in the general direction of the door; Malik and Erin had just sidled out, talking quietly between themselves. "What's going on there?"


"You went a bit pale in there. Paler, I mean. Are you alright?" Erin nodded.
"Yeah. No. I mean... I saw them die, and now they're alright and I don't know what's going on. It's like it just hit me, you know?" Malik wrapped an arm awkwardly around her shoulder, surprised when she turned to collapse against his chest, shaking.
"Blood. You're in shock, or something. C'mon, you should lie down." She managed a weak smile at that.
"If you're trying to get in my coffin-"
"Actually, I was going to suggest mine..." He trailed off, stroking her hair nervously as if he was afraid she'd bite his hand off for daring to do it. "So I can keep an eye on you. You know. Because I've got some furniture in there." She hesitated, then placed her hand in his.
"I really shouldn't trust you... but I do. And I just want to curl up and be held, Malik. Can you do that?" He frowned.
"You want a hug?" After a moment's consideration, he shrugged. "I suppose I can try that. Come on."


"No!" Vlad threw himself upright, sitting up in his coffin with a horrified look on his face. Bertrand, startled, jolted awake and pulled himself upright too, hand still clutched tightly in the Chosen One's.
"Vlad, you're alright, it's alright. You're safe." The way Vlad threw himself against his chest, head buried in the crook of Bertrand's neck, caught him off guard, but he wrapped his arms around him all the same, ignoring the awkward way the side of the coffin dug into his ribs.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Vlad asked after a while, still clinging, and Bertrand could only shrug. It wasn't as if he could tell him how he felt, after all.
"Would you rather I was nasty?" To his surprise, Vlad pulled away from him with a nod, leaving him bereft.
"You should be. I said such horrible things, and then... I tried to-"
"And I did. And now we're both OK." The Chosen One threw out a hand and the door swung shut as he allowed Bertrand to shift closer and pull him into his arms again. Bertrand noticed his muffled sobbing, but he didn't say anything. If Vlad was aware of tears dropping into his hair, well, he didn't mention that either.