The next day, I take Nightingale to town until 4:00. After an early dinner, we head back home and there, in the driveway, is Samual. I pull into the driveway and get out. He gets out as I get out Nightingale. He comes inside and helps me carry the cases out. He puts them in his car trunk and I grab Nightingale. I get in the front seat and set her on the floorboard. I put my seatbelt on and pick her up. I set her in my lap and watch as Samual gets in. He puts his seatbelt on and starts the car. He backs out of the driveway and pulls out onto the road. He drives about 5,000 feet and pulls onto a desolate road. I look out the window as I think, Dracula, I'm on my way.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1e1BVpZ1u
Two hours into the drive, Nightingale starts to get restless.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrW6GGCii7L
"Nightingale, what are you doing?" Samual asks.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9P89WJ7L09
"She can't stand being in a vehicle for more than an hour or she'll get really restless and start fidgeting with random things."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaBRZHZT8r
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprPowLhBh0
"Nightingale!" Samual and I both say at the same time.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4E9NUPZ3T
I groan. "How much longer?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGBIEvTuF6
"Yah! Ow mut wonger?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQem7sMEZDG
Samual chuckles. "So cute." He pats her head. "Um, about twelve more hours."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHyMF455wv
I groan again.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWDS4UDlWz
Nightingale mimics me.
I can't help but laugh.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVuhEi3xDS
"You know what?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFh3eTb3U6
"What, Samual?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaA72AWVP0t
"I've been studying the looks of Nightingale. She looks a lot—and I mean a lot—like her father. She's got his eyes, his hair, his looks. She basically looks like a female miniature version of her father, is what I'm trying to say."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVjKGvs3Oi
I look at her and she looks up at me. "Yeah, she does a little bit."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDatjBOHmc5
Twelve hours later, I feel someone shaking me.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryngpFEhQB
"Nikki. Nikki."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRymH8qPPz1
"Huh?" I rub my eyes and sit up. I find a lump underneath my shirt. I look up. "Oh. Hi, Samual. Where are we?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxLnyEz9nv
"We're here."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIgHHx67P3
"Here? Wha—Oh." I go to unbuckle my seatbelt and find it already unbuckled.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsidwH3BnaK
"Oh. I unbuckled that because Nightingale decided she wanted to sleep in your shirt. Um, Dracula's not here, so we're able to go inside, take the cases upstairs, and get you two settled."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQQ5Yjh2d9
"Okay." I yawn. I carefully tuck my shirt in, so she doesn't fall out and open my door. I stand up, making sure I have a firm hold on her. I shut the door and walk up the path towards the opening of the castle. I feel Nightingale move around. She peeps her head out the top of my shirt and yawns.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKra3fwVLQv
"Hello, sleepyhead. Is it nice and warm down there? You like sleeping under mommy's shirt."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iOXFE2uPf
"Mommy?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIg2rQT9xlH
"What, baby?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1XvOZtcsq
"I daddy."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDdTuR5lD9
"I know you want daddy, sweetie. You'll get to see him today."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmtAndI8Db
"Weawy?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZRQjlJdPj
"Yes, really."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVglTZWiyIf
"Yay!"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZf4T2G74U
I smile. "Oh, so cute."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7YtFF9GLe
Samual comes up and sets the cases down. He opens the doors, picks up the cases and we go inside. He sets the cases against the wall and shuts the doors. Then, he tells me to sit down at the table. I do and he leaves. Fifteen minutes later, he arrives with a plate of food and a glass of water.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPKzvnhG0h
He sets both in front of me. "Here you are. Breakfast."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgJQToI8Er
I smile. "Thanks."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgYPX3joIF
Nightingale smiles up at him. "Kanks."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCH0aHdUrb
I laugh.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqwuM86rj7
He chuckles. "You're welcome."
"She's just so cute, isn't she?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBM2IdDbla
"Yes. She's too cute."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ856aeqx122
"Do you think he'll like her?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYaKT8lsZD
"Of course. She's his daughter." Samual sighs.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwU0LXzarsr
"But what if he doesn't want anything to do with either of us? What if he makes us leave?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqsTTJjJw9
"Just forget all of the what ifs. Try to contain yourself, that's all I can tell you."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PSnm4NKw2
Suddenly, we hear a noise at the door. Nightingale peeks her head out and crawls out of my shirt and onto the table. She does a backflip to the floor and runs to the door. She stops two feet in front of the doors and tilts her head.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Azq7yzwy8
"Daddy?" she whispers.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5oB1SZkGP
The doors open and she just stands there. Dracula steps inside and looks at her. "Who are you?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRewcHQgFG
"Nightindale?" she asks, pointing at him.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxkEOGHFp5
"Nightingale? What?" He looks up, straight at me. "Nikki? What are you—" He looks down at Nightingale again and I see that she's holding the picture of her father that I gave her. Dracula just shuts the doors and walks towards the stairs.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtPQOMUuOq
Nightingale looks at the paper and gasps. She drops the paper and races towards Dracula. She hugs his legs and says, "DADDY!!"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSM6YPPLLm
He gasps and looks at Nightingale. He looks up at me. "Nikki?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWcFSMAoqF
I get up and walk to him. "What? If you want me to leave, that's fine. Just don't ask me to ever see her. This is the only chance I'm giving you. Today's her first birthday and ever since you left, she's been crying for you. Her first word was dad and that's all she's been crying for. But I will gladly leave if you need or want me to. Like I said, this is your only chance." I turn to walk away, but he grabs my arm and pulls me close.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUGacKMTRm
"I'm not letting you leave. Not this time."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHao5tuKLH
"But I have a job. And a child to raise. I can't stay here."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdN0LruUXG
"I have more than plenty of money. You'll survive without a job, I promise. Like I told you, I could buy fifty cars of that same brand that I have outside and I'd still have enough money to last me a lifetime. And a lifetime for me is quite a while. About 150 years."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsUyKNr1Iq
Nightingale looks up at him and shoots her hands in the air. "Daddy," she whines.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVkxSQVvXo
Dracula just looks at her.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb91Mq3e2Ox
She whines. "Daddy."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgbNRyijiD
"Oh. She does that when she wants to be held."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLM6mysbUOZ
He sighs. He bends down and picks her up. She snuggles close to him and wraps her arms around his neck the best she can.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uyHLJxzzx
"Me daddy."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvenHHNsZj
"Your daddy." He smiles. "She's so cute."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJZSbtCtz7
I smile. "The first day you left, she didn't stop crying for hours on end. It's almost like she knew. She loves to go to town. Like the other day, whenever I ask her if she wants to go, she'll first throw a temper tantrum. Then, when she sees me grab her shoes and socks, she calms down and immediately sits down so I can put her shoes on. And if you look closely enough, you can see who she looks so much like."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUl79Y5mUY
"Who?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9DzYxLWQa
"Yourself." I sigh. "She was also born an undead, too. I noticed it when I first started breastfeeding her. They weren't very big, but she had little stubs of fangs. At two months I had to start giving her a formula because her teeth were getting sharper and it hurt really badly. Once she actually bit me and it left a scar. Not much of one though. It's so small, you can barely see it. She hates baths. Absolutely hates them. She was a really fast crawler too. Once I had to chase her halfway through the house in order to give her a bath."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJN8SuTdci6
He looks at her. "Is someone being a naughty little girl?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFXjVaPiZ4
She looks up at him. "No. I not bad dirl. I dood dirl. Pwomise, daddy." She leans in and kisses his cheek. "Baby woves daddy. Bewwy much."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyGWe1hdbR
"Oh, you're so cute."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPG8c1GNxjJ
"Daddy punny. I wove oo daddy."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczDGJUwRI6
"I love you, too, Nightingale." He looks at me. "Are you sure she looks like me?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfj9MekWHh
"Oh, yes. I can definitely see the resemblance. She looks like a female miniature version of yourself."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv5i7dYbcB
He laughs. "My DNA must have been more dominant than yours."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbAinYqvpH
"She's got your hair, your eyes, she's even basically got your eyebrows too."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2UvZWBby2
"But she got your beauty."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2BP9twAjY
"Oh, shut up."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWD6jDs61DS
He pulls me close and Nightingale shrieks. We both wince and say, "Nightingale!" We laugh. She giggles.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgU9AxiDecK
"Not punny." She buries her face in his shirt.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxE6q1Ji8Y
"Oh my Lord." He pulls me into a kiss as someone bursts through the doors.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbL7ghMNhN
"You step away from her!"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdI3mAZTDIx
I turn around. "Agatha!"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBLwocpFeL
"Agatha?" Dracula sets Nightingale down and she flops to the floor and kicks the air. He walks over to Agatha and grabs her jaw. "You shouldn't be here."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10wQ8x8sjj
"Ow."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsgiNj8XDF
He chuckles. "Is that all you can say?" He reaches his arm behind her back and grabs her hand. "I'm not stupid. I know you have a wooden stake in your hand. I will also gladly kill you again. Not the way I did before though." He smiles wickedly. He moves his hand and wraps it around her throat.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLD6i121GGx
"Let Nikki leave. You can keep your stupid child. Nikki doesn't need to be here. This is no place for her."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwyohHkdfJ
He squeezes her throat tighter. "She has the choice if she wants to stay here or not."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dNVx4KTaS
Agatha coughs weakly. "Let go," she says weakly.
He lets go and throws her to the floor, grabbing the stake in the process. He kneels down and places the stake over her heart. Agatha just smiles at him. Dracula pushes the stake in and kills Agatha. I turn away and kneel down. I grab Nightingale and pull her close. She buries her head in my chest and screams. I cover my ears. Five minutes later, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I uncover my ears and look up to see Dracula walk past me and go up the stairs.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadvCb27BSx
"D-daddy?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7i5n5fzcdl
He stops and I see Nightingale looking up the stairs at him. He sighs and continues walking. I watch as he goes up the stairs and down a hallway. I hear a door slam shut in the distance. I sigh.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR248Lp42BY
"Daddy uptet, mommy?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVPblg00Wt
"Yes, daddy's upset."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4z4l0C15B
"Otay." 374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1Y9EVPREx
"Oh, come here." I pull her close. I kiss her head and pick her up. I stand up and walk over to the cases. I pick them up and drop one.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg12EsEp9dc
I smack his hand and push him away. "I can do it myself." I pick up the second case and open the doors. I walk outside and take the keys from Agatha's body. I walk to my car and set the cases in the back. I put Nightingale in her car seat and shut the door. I get in the driver's seat and shut the door. I start the engine and buckle up. Then, I buckle up and back out of the driveway. I turn around and drive away from the castle.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mEtmncvrT
Dracula's point of view374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoK4j3LxIl
I sigh and stare at the bedroom door. I reach for the doorknob and open the door. I walk out and shut the door behind me. I go downstairs and immediately notice something's different. Sitting at the table is Samual. For some awkward reason, he's poking the food on a plate. He looks up and sees me. He pushes the plate away and smiles innocently.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJUqZffSYq
"Where's Nikki?"374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQddq2IMhA
"She left. With Nightingale. I don't know where she's going or where she went. She just picked up Nightingale, grabbed her cases and left after taking her keys from Agatha."374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06FcArnL9F
I look at the closed doors. "No," I whisper. "She was my only chance." I back up and turn around. I run up the stairs and slam my bedroom door. I lean against the door and slide to the floor. I stare at the bed as a single tear streams down my face. I absentmindedly wipe it away. I sigh. I have never felt more like a child in my undead life than in this moment.374Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlveLiBI4RP
