Nikki's point of view425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcb44r76yw
Three weeks go by and he still doesn't talk to me. Today, though, I'm going to make sure I get him to talk. Today he turns 600 years old. Today is November 14, 2031. Count Dracula's 600th birthday. I can't wait to tell him happy birthday. I head downstairs and find him sitting at the table looking at some papers.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡku4j4Ne3s0
"Good morning," I say.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFWIechIJF
He looks up and glares at me. "Yeah, sure," he mutters and goes back to looking at his papers.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMemng6Ij5l
I smile nervously and sit down. "Um, uh … Happy birthday?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oTvHzMVuF
He looks up and slowly stands up. He puts the tips of his fingers on the table and glares at me. "I better not hear that again." He turns around and walks away.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XfDdFWGom
I look down at my plate and sigh. "He's not gonna change," I mutter. I get up and walk towards the stairs. I go to my room and grab my things. I grab a cloak and go back down the stairs. I wrap the cloak around me and head out the doors. "Dang, it's cold," I whisper and shiver. I look behind me one more time. I sigh and continue.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkQSEJDA17
**********425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1YEjDVdZj
Several hours later, late at night, I'm lost. I set my case on the ground and sit down beside it. I pull my cloak close to me and shiver.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6jI6SkR0H
I sigh. "I wish I knew how to make a fire," I say shakily. I shiver again. Suddenly, I see something white coming down from the sky. "Oh, shoot. It's snowing." I groan. I rub in a circle on my belly. "It's okay, baby. At least you're warm and cozy. I feel like I'll die any minute. Which means you will if I do." I sigh.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mu8OgmYci
Five hours later, I wake up, shivering violently. I look around. There's at least six inches of snow on the ground and it's still snowing. Suddenly, I hear wolves howling. I look around and see a wolf come over and sniff my face. He sits down and starts howling. Dang, that's loud. I cover my ears. I'm still shivering. I cough. Then, I take my hands down and wrap my cloak close to me. I can't see my case at all. It's not like it's going to matter. There's nothing important in it.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ibb9PHBKQ
"There you are." Someone leans down and puts their hand on my cheek. "Oh, you're awfully cold. I've got to get you back to the castle."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT5w7kz2Zz
I moan. That's all I can do. I go unconscious.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43v0yamRNL
An hour later, I wake up in a bathtub. I moan.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUTsSxRKPD
"Shh. It's alright."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr53hb1t8YG
I feel someone's hands gently scrubbing my body with a sponge. Suddenly, I realize who it is. I grab the hand, take the sponge, set it beside, and set the hand on my belly. My bulging belly.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0mpzg5TvH
I smile and look up at him. He looks away.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebxqeyL8s1
"Dracula," I whisper. "Dracula, look at me."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHT3HjmkGZ
He sighs shakily and looks at me.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclikzFlooA
"Why are you so emotional?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxZqvmVACs
"I don't know," he whispers. "Why did you run off? If you would have stayed out any longer, you'd probably be dead or have hypothermia."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgenGEr7bt
"I thought you didn't care. You just kept glaring at me and you walked away. So I left. I thought you didn't want me around." I look away as a tear streams down my cheek. I let go of his hand and let mine fall into the water.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJjH9l094y
"Of course I care. If I didn't, I would have just left you out there." He lifts his hand up off my belly and turns my face to look at him. "Nikki, you remind me of Elisabeta. Sometimes I think you're Elisabeta back from the dead."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEoJRYSuuR
He stands up and pulls the plug out of the water. He sets the plug on the edge of the tub and helps me out of the tub. He grabs the biggest towel he can find and wraps it around me. He picks me up like a bride and takes me into the next room. He lays me on the bed and looks through the wardrobe. He pulls out a night gown and helps me put it on. Then, he throws the towel to the side and picks me up. He sets me on a chair and grabs a hairbrush. He comes over, sets the brush down and takes the cover off of a mirror. He sets it aside and picks up the brush. Then, he starts brushing my hair gently.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpHPDf7vdV
"Ah, so beautiful. I swear you're Elisabeta back from the dead." He chuckles.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG12us4zrX2
I sigh. "What time is it?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgINnvX8jB
"It's 11:28."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRz2wFlsKuW
"Hm. In two minutes, it'll be exactly nine months after we made little Nightingale."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zXRqdWCsw
"Nightingale?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RUVBiTpXO
"Mmhm. Nightingale Starr Dracula."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WIE9Kv5Lg
"What? No. That child deserves your last name more than mine."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzaovUjBY7
"No. She belongs to both of us. And plus, a child usually gets the father's last name anyway."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡss89dyhQ7T
"Not if the mother and father aren't married."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFg5Td0jV5
"Oh, shut up."
"Make me."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUXt0q9y2M
"I will—" I gasp and look down. "Oh, ship."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydCuNTFMY2
"Ship? I don't—" He gasps. "Oh, no. The baby. And it's 11:30."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8QfBNjpax
"No way."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmhnYABjwL
"Yes. It is."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjhmLem2Op
"You—" I wince. "Oh, God."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUL8zU7xHR
He sets the brush down and picks me up. He lays me down on the bed and covers me up. Then, he grabs the drape that was over the mirror and pulls the blanket up. He lays the drape on the bed and folds the blanket over my legs. He rolls his sleeves up.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJj1SoA214
"Okay. Let's hope I can do this."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9yJvI803X
Twenty-five minutes later, I hear a muffled wail. Then, he's holding something in his arms. Wails fill the room. I gasp and lay back. I moan. He walks over to a table and cuts off the umbilical cord. Then, he comes over and hands the baby to me. He smiles and strokes her little feet.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraXu0LIziG
"She's so beautiful," I say.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhCH9yqb9t
"Just like you," he whispers. He smiles gently and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9J55lAzbiz
