CHAPTER 38

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"When are they coming back, Lina?" Amanda asked Alina for the hundredth time that day.

"I've already told you that I don't know, Amanda. By the way, stop calling me Lina," Alina said with a warm smile.

"I like Lina better. It sounds like a much better name for a vampire," Amanda said.

"I'm not a vampire anymore, and I'm glad. I'd rather not talk about that time," Alina said as the smile faded from her face.

"I'm sorry," Amanda said.

"It's okay. Cheer up. They'll be back soon. Don't worry about your mom so much. She's tough. I mean she's been around as long as I have so she has to be," Alina said as she gave the little girl a short affectionate hug.

"Thanks, Lina. I'm still worried though. If I'm not around to take care of her, she might get into trouble," Amanda said with a serious face.

Alina tried not to laugh as she saw that Amanda wasn't kidding. She was really growing to love this sweet child as if she were her own, and it was moments like this that cemented that relationship. She knew that if Katherine hadn't already adopted her that she would have.

"She's going to be okay. You can watch over her when she comes home, okay?" Alina said as she kissed her on the forehead.

Unknown to either of them, they were being watched by Elisabeta from the other room. Elisabeta was truly shocked by what she was seeing. She had known Alina as a cold, ruthless killer for over a hundred years, and now here she was comforting a child missing her mother and showing that child affection and love. She knew that the Wolves seemed to be like a reform school for ex-villains, but this was the most shocking transformation that she had ever seen.

She still wasn't sure whether to trust Alina alone with Amanda though so she had stayed behind to make sure that Alina didn't try to hurt her. It seemed that her fears were groundless however.

Still she wasn't trusting Amanda alone with her for a minute until she was sure. She loved Amanda too and didn't want to see anything happen to her.

To be honest, all of the Wolves loved Amanda. She was like a daughter to all of them, and they all loved her in their own way. Even Lilith had started taking an interest in Amanda lately. Elisabeta had actually seen her give Amanda a doll to play with the other day. She had to reassure everyone that it was not a voodoo doll first before they would let her keep it.

"Beta, you can stop watching us now. Lina's not going to kill me," Amanda called out to her.

Alina looked at Elisabeta in shock as she came to the door with an embarrassed look on her face. She must be slipping. There was a time that she would have known that Elisabeta was there from the moment that she started to watch. She hadn't even known that Elisabeta was there at all today. Then she had to remind herself that she was no longer a vampire and therefore couldn't be as perceptive as she once was.

"You still don't trust me, but I understand why. I've done a lot of terrible things, and I wouldn't trust me either if I were you. I just want you to know that I really am different now. I would never hurt her," Alina said to Elisabeta as she tried to reassure her.

"It's true. She's a good person now," Amanda added.

Elisabeta said nothing, but she still had a skeptical look on her face. She didn't want to argue with Amanda about this though so she left.

"Why can't they see that you're different now?" Amanda said sadly.

"They will someday. Don't worry. You really can't blame them. I wasn't Little Mary Sunshine after all. I was the wife of Dracula. You don't get much more evil than that," Alina admitted.

"You're not evil," Amanda said confidently as she cuddled up to her and put her arms around her.

"I still wonder about that sometimes. I'm trying to be better though. I promise," Alina said as she stroked Amanda's hair.

"You are. You are better now," Amanda said.

"You're trying to watch over me now too, aren't you?" Alina realized.

"I have to take care of my Wolves," Amanda admitted with a conspiratorial grin.

"Thank you for including me in that group," Alina said.

The Wolves suddenly reappeared now as they heard the sound of Donna's TARDIS materializing nearby. Elisabeta reappeared once again as the three of them met up with the others, and mother and daughter quickly reunited with a large hug.

"Why did you take so long?" Amanda demanded of Katherine.

"I was a little busy trying to save the world. I tried to tell the Silence that you wanted me to be back in time for dinner, but they just wouldn't go for it," Katherine joked.

"The bad guys are always so inconsiderate," Amanda said.

"Did everything go okay here?" Donna asked Elisabeta while she briefly glanced at Alina.

"Yeah, it's fine," Elisabeta said.

Alina knew that they would probably get together alone later to talk about her some more in depth. She felt so discouraged by this. She truly did want to change, but they just wouldn't let her. She understood why, but that didn't make their rejection hurt any less.

"Hey. Don't let it get to you. They'll come around," Michelle said as she realized what Alina was thinking.

"Thanks," Alina said as she smiled at her friend.

Amanda looked at Alina sadly, and she just wanted to scream at the others to leave her alone. She knew that it wouldn't do any good though. She had found out a long time ago that adults were slow to embrace change if they ever did at all. It usually took something big to change their minds once they had set them about something or someone.

"What are you pondering about now, little miss?" Katherine asked as she saw the wheels turning in her daughter's mind.

"Nothing," Amanda said.

"Alina, right?" Katherine asked perceptively.

"Why can't they just leave her alone and let her change? She really wants to, and they're just holding her back and discouraging her. She has to fit into a certain mold for them just because that's who she used to be. Just because she made a lot of mistakes before doesn't mean that she has to be defined by her past the rest of her life, does it?" Amanda complained.

Katherine smiled with pride at her as she said, "No. It doesn't. Just keep believing in her and let her know that. I think that she'll need that in the months to come. Are you sure that you're not an adult?"

"Yep. I hope that I never will be either," Amanda said.

"I can understand that. Sometimes I can really understand that," Katherine said as she kissed the top of Amanda's head.

Later that night, Alina felt a presence nearby that woke her from a sound sleep. A very familiar presence.

She looked towards her bedroom's doorway to see a shadowy figure standing there. The figure was darker than the darkness itself, and she knew instantly who it was.

"Hello, Vlad," Alina said.

Dracula was by the side of her bed in an instant as he moved as fast as the wind. He instantly realized that something was different about her.

"You've changed," Dracula finally said after being quiet for so long.

Alina burst out laughing as she said, "Finally. Someone finally realizes it. Of course it would have to be you instead of them."

"Perhaps that's because no one knows you better than I do," Dracula said as he gave her a short kiss on the lips.

"Don't do that. I'm not yours anymore," Alina said while secretly enjoying it.

She no longer wanted to be involved in his world, but she couldn't deny that she still felt a strong attraction to him. She was starting to become afraid that he might talk her back into joining him if she didn't remain strong.

"You're lying to me and to yourself, Alina. You do still love me. Admit it," Dracula said as he kissed her again.

"I do but I don't love who you are. I don't want to be who I was anymore. I won't let you turn me back. That's what you're here for, isn't it?" Alina guessed.

"Carmilla and Nicoleta are dead, and I am alone now. I need you. I need you back by my side," Dracula said as he tried to kiss her again. This time she turned her head and refused to let him reach her mouth.

"No. I won't be that person ever again. I won't," Alina said firmly.

"Why do you struggle? They don't believe you anyway. I've been watching you, Alina. They reject you and scorn you. Come back to me. I love you no matter what," Dracula said.

"You don't love anyone. You can't love and neither could I as a vampire. We're not capable of it in that form. I don't want to be that person again. I want to be human," Alina said.

"You'll change your mind as soon as you return to me. I need you, Alina. Return to me," Dracula said as he started to look at her with his penetrating hypnotic eyes.

"No. If you have any feelings for me at all, don't do this to me," Alina said as she felt her will weakening before his mental onslaught.

"It's for your own good. You'll see that when you're back by my side once more," Dracula said as he kissed her again.

"Will you hurt Amanda? I won't hurt Amanda any more. I promised myself that I would protect her," Alina said as she felt her resistance to him breaking.

"Take the child as your own if you wish. You could even turn her if you want. I no longer care about her," Dracula said in a nonchalant way as he kissed her on the cheek now.

Alina was no fool. She knew that he was slowly heading for her throat. She had to act now, or he would try to turn her. The question was did she have the strength of will to resist him? His mind was so much more powerful than her normal human one was now.

"I can't. I won't let you do this," Alina said as she tried to move off of the bed.

"You have no choice. Soon you will thank me," Dracula said as he used his hypnotic powers to keep her from leaving.

She tried unsuccessfully to resist him, but his will was too strong for her. She started to silently cry as he sank his fangs into her throat. She didn't want to go back. She kept hoping that someone would wake up and come to help her, but they never did.

As Alina lay there dying and waiting to be reborn, Dracula smiled. He left the room as he eagerly thought about his wife's return. He laughed to himself as he thought of her tearing the Wolves apart when she came back. It was his welcome back gift to her.

Many hours later, Amanda came into Alina's room and said without turning on the lights, "Lina, I can't sleep, and Mum's gone off on some new mission again. Can I stay with you and just talk until I feel sleepy?"

Alina didn't answer, and Amanda wondered if she was even there. She couldn't tell in the darkness. She started to turn on the lights, but before she did she heard Alina say, "You should go, Amanda."

"Why?" Amanda asked in puzzlement.

"Just leave. Go stay with Elisabeta," Alina said.

"I can't find her. I'm not sure where she is," Amanda said.

"I'm afraid that something may have happened to Elisabeta then," Alina said.

"What? Why would you say that?" Amanda asked in confusion.

"Because of me, my dear. Welcome back, my wife. What should we do with the child, hm? Do you still want her as your own?" Dracula asked as he blocked the doorway now.

Amanda started to shake as she realized that she was trapped and that Alina was now a vampire again. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Alina was her friend.

"Amanda, come to me," Alina said.

"Please don't hurt me. Remember who you were. You were trying to be better. You still can. Please remember," Amanda said.

"The Alina that you knew is gone. All that's left is my wife. I'm afraid that your life as you knew it is now over. However, depending on how much you affected her, Alina may let you live in the role of her new daughter. If she's feeling merciful that is," Dracula said with an evil laugh.

Amanda felt Alina's arms wrap themselves around her, and she instantly began to struggle. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her!

"Amanda, it's going to be alright," Alina said.

"Please don't do this. Please," Amanda begged her.

"I tried to get you to go before it was too late but you wouldn't," Alina said as she grabbed ahold of Amanda tightly now and wouldn't let her go.

Suddenly Dracula was thrown through the doorway by a blast of energy as Michelle stood there with an angry look on her face. She was already afraid that she had lost both Alina and Amanda today, and she still couldn't find Elisabeta.

"Michelle, help me!" Amanda screamed as she struggled to get away from Alina.

"It's a good thing that I decided to come back from our latest mission a little early. Someone told me that I needed to be here, but they wouldn't tell me why. Now I know. What happened to Elisabeta?" Michelle asked Alina.

"You'll find out eventually once you join her," Dracula said as he punched Michelle in the jaw.

Michelle started to fight for her life with Dracula as she said, "Don't let him win, Alina. Fight him. I know that you're still in there somewhere. Fight him!"

"You're too late. Alina is mine once more," Dracula said as he started to laugh.

Amanda started to cry now as she said, "No. I don't believe you."

"Always my biggest fan," Alina gently whispered to her as she started to stroke her hair.

Amanda's eyes went wide at this. Could it be?

Suddenly Dracula screamed as a crossbow bolt came through his chest. Michelle looked in surprise as a new figure that she had never seen before appeared behind her.

"Where is Elisabeta, monster? Tell me now before I decide to put more than a crossbow bolt into you," a female voice threatened.

"Who are you?" Michelle asked as Dracula hissed at the new arrival. He seemed to know her very well.

"I'm Adriana and I've been tracking Dracula down for days now. I should have known that he would come back here to get Alina. I just hope that I haven't found him too late to save Elisabeta," Adriana said.

"Oh, I'm afraid that you are just a bit too late this time," Dracula said as he looked behind Adriana with a smile.

Elisabeta hit Adriana on the back of the head and knocked her out cold as she stood there with a glazed look in her eyes. Dracula had hypnotized her into becoming his slave.

Michelle now knew that she and Amanda were trapped in the Bad Wolves' Headquarters alone against Dracula with no one to help them. Or so she thought. Amanda was sure that she knew better after all.

Which one was right?

Next: Is Alina back on the side of Dracula or still on the side of the angels? If she is still good, how? Exactly who is Adriana anyway and what connection does she have to Elisabeta? Oh, and how in the world is Dracula back? We'll find out all of this next time as a special guest star appears to help even up the odds against Dracula. It may not be who you think.