Had a total burn out, but I'm clawing my way back. Here is some chapter.

-YD-

Tossing his pen down with a sigh of relief, Vlad dumped the papers down. He was done! The list compiled. Narrowed down from all the vampires in the world to under a dozen clan titles. He'd already surreptituously confirmed with his father that the parent was unlikely to be a half-fang, as they had a harder time impregnating anyone, let alone breathers. Something to do with genes... Vlad had stopped listening once he knew what he needed to, but pretended to hear his dad droning on to ensure he wasn't suspicious.

Stretching his arms above his head, Vlad felt the sting of fresher bites on his collarbone being pulled, but kept going until that satisfying crack! sound echoed from his back, sighing happily in relief again as stiffness abated. Flopping down on his covers with a groan, Vlad rubbed a hand over his face, ignoring that he needed to tidy up the mess of papers and pens and kitkat wrappers before he could actually go to sleep. On the positive side, he had good news to give to Ingrid the next day. Three names he had already crossed off the list of vampires who'd been in the country about the right time, based on the knowledge they'd literally take a daylight stroll in Australian summertime before touching a breather for something other than food, and certainly wouldn't leave one alive even then.

So the total was under ten. Frowning, Vlad reached across and scribbled Dracula off the list. Yes, his father had been in the country at that time, but he was all over the place back then, constantly splitting up from Magda and flapping off to another country for a few days so they could cool off and make up. Not that it was much different now, except his father stayed static in Stokely while Vlad's mother was the one to be back and forth, usually leaving destruction in her wake before she flew off somewhere there were designer clothing boutiques and plentiful breathers to bite. Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Vlad shuffled the papers together.

Yes, his father was in the right time frame, but given the questions he'd been asking and the fact Vlad knew his father was a horrible liar, even his fathers secret fascination for breathers was not cause for concern; if there was a chance his father had sired a Dimidius child, Vlad suspected he'd know something by now after all the investigating. So, Dracula scratched out, Vlad finished organising and finally settled down to sleep, midnight tolled before he stopped and he certainly wanted some rest before school the next morning.

"So this is it?"

"Yep."

Hidden against the side of the building with Vlad, Ingrid scanned the list; the names wouldn't mean much to her really, but her clan was amongst the list somewhere.

"I see you scratched your name off."

"Well, aside from anything else... would you really want to find out we were half-siblings?"

He could practically see the cogs in her mind turning; their kisses and half-dressed fumbles more than likely there at the forefront.

"True. Although it would make finding this Mirror thing easier. You can leave now. I'll come see you later."

Vlad took the dismissal in stride; Ingrid was growing antsy about it all, and he didn't take it personally that she needed time. He left the list with her, glanced around and left her with her thoughts. He'd be seeing her later anyway, it seemed. And he already had the info laid out for the names on the list, ready to show her.

Hopefully there wasn't going to be a need to fly somewhere really remote, having to deal with cross-territory lines from possessive, irate vampires.

They didn't immediately get to the list when Ingrid came over; instead, Vlad found himself in the surreal and incredible position of feeling her cool skin under his fingers, her shirt discarded and the dress beneath unbuttoned. He wasn't certain he wasn't dreaming, but Ingrid was making the most maddeningly erotic sounds against his mouth, nails scraping down over his back and shoulder as she kissed him, bit at his bare collarbones. Little that resembled coherent thought really occurred in those moments, his mind utterly blank when Ingrid's hand slid under his waistband, slender fingers curling around a painfully hard erection.

He had to regain some semblance of thought when Ingrid allowed him to touch her in return, clumsy fingers and wet sounds and fuck she was criminally sensual like that, somehow responsive and reserved at the same time, like Vlad was really only scratching the surface until her guard fell at the final hurdle, gasping out her orgasm muffled against his mouth.

They cleaned themselves up individually, and Vlad was used to it not really being commented on after the fact. He didn't care all that much, really; Ingrid kept coming back, and the ache on his neck was a lasting reminder all by itself.

"Tell me about your mother."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. Was she really asking about something not technically related to her own impending vampirism?

"Uh, what about her?"

"Just... what's she like? I've only met you and your father, what are the women like in this species?"

Vlad winced; vampires weren't known for their front-thinking on gender equality, and his mother Magda was not a glowing example for anyone to follow unless their aim was soulless, evil cheater with a fur fetish.

"Well, my mother isn't a good place to start. She left us for a werewolf. Which, by the way, is forbidden by just about every law there is."

Ingrid blinked for a second.

"Right..."

"And then there's the whole lying, cheating, multiple murder attempts. My parents never actually married, which makes me a dual heir and an illegitimate bastard at the same time. But mum turns up now and then, makes dad believe she's going to stay with him this time, gets whatever it is she came for in the first place and then off again."

Seeing that Ingrid was receptive to listening to him, Vlad continued to elaborate on the disastrous relationship his parents had, that he had with his mother.

"Really, I know I'm lucky. Dad might not approve of me wearing colours and liking sunshine, but even then he isn't plotting how to get rid of me as soon as possible. Magda was working on that from pregnancy."

After a little silence, Ingrid hummed to herself.

Then she started talking about her father. Not the vampire they were searching for. Her dad, the one who'd raised her for years, who she'd thought was her father until Vlad spotted her symptoms and threw a stake into her life. Unlife. Either or.

"You would have liked him. He loved camping and sunshine and all that... bright and happy stuff."

"But he supported you and your little gothic quirks?"

With a soft smile Vlad scarcely would have believed her capable of, Ingrid nodded her agreement.

"Yeah. He... he used to take me bat watching. And he built little coffin shaped boxes for me and George to paint together."

"Soon you'll be able to bat watch up close and personal. I wouldn't recommend woodworking."

They never got to the list at all that evening, Vlad realised. Even though that was what she'd come over for. Still feeling very much thrown for a loop as he saw Ingrid down the slope once night had fallen, Vlad watched the faint glow of pale skin until it vanished between houses as she wound her way home.

Bats only knew what they were to each other, but Vlad was happy to roll with it for the time being.

He was less happy when his dad caught him wide awake when the sky was dark, and insisted on alchemy practice. Even so, hands sorting rat tails and entrails, Vlad's mind was back in his room, on his bed, listening to Ingrid talk about when she used to go bat watching with her dad.

-YD-

Part of me really just wants to always write Vlad/Ingrid fluff stuff, but there's only so much of that you can do without it becoming hugely OOC. Hopefully I am striking the right balance.