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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BF0ftwhiQ
Two hours into the drive, Nightingale starts to get restless.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9G1gjBhZoK
"Nightingale, what are you doing?" Samual asks.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYGZWmp3zL
"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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTARu1iWaD
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndHNTYe4p0
"Nightingale!" Samual and I both say at the same time.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfKpR6QPjv
I groan. "How much longer?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmcTZuxMHl
"Yah! Ow mut wonger?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbw30hNWyzj
Samual chuckles. "So cute." He pats her head. "Um, about twelve more hours."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVCTyFGXWP
I groan again.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqlhLCDcvl
Nightingale mimics me.
I can't help but laugh.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjULkZNXKm
"You know what?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWtN63wcO8
"What, Samual?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsQy8G1Awd
"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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xHARPPWwE
I look at her and she looks up at me. "Yeah, she does a little bit."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMIoJDUNof
Twelve hours later, I feel someone shaking me.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzzg5KSezW
"Nikki. Nikki."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3TnVoaMY5
"Huh?" I rub my eyes and sit up. I find a lump underneath my shirt. I look up. "Oh. Hi, Samual. Where are we?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHAUYaCEuM
"We're here."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxR0KCmZ37P
"Here? Wha—Oh." I go to unbuckle my seatbelt and find it already unbuckled.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTX4vhVDRY
"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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMntqA63ik
"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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEUzv5k0b9
"Hello, sleepyhead. Is it nice and warm down there? You like sleeping under mommy's shirt."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebWfo9HObb
"Mommy?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5c01ObRHZS
"What, baby?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRQOLOaHL5
"I daddy."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUH7AnO1JU
"I know you want daddy, sweetie. You'll get to see him today."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNgSXqQxZf
"Weawy?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SbJrjfnwF
"Yes, really."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgzBJ1aPBN
"Yay!"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitWgxWfQie
I smile. "Oh, so cute."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4sw7wUyXk
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXxIz6U42y
He sets both in front of me. "Here you are. Breakfast."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkaQ0dJn68
I smile. "Thanks."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZdq7tHvNo
Nightingale smiles up at him. "Kanks."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbywZpKpT6p
I laugh.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ndl0QGIfy
He chuckles. "You're welcome."
"She's just so cute, isn't she?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2yIczOJCR
"Yes. She's too cute."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2pc2xx0Gt
"Do you think he'll like her?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0EJeaU0nA
"Of course. She's his daughter." Samual sighs.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiIx6GTl1A
"But what if he doesn't want anything to do with either of us? What if he makes us leave?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uPOsFIxcm
"Just forget all of the what ifs. Try to contain yourself, that's all I can tell you."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdopScSLdiu
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiX9f5jJxyo
"Daddy?" she whispers.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoVzrAEArg
The doors open and she just stands there. Dracula steps inside and looks at her. "Who are you?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARtsRkgHN6
"Nightindale?" she asks, pointing at him.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKgpOfZiNw
"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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQT9W45u1Yl
Nightingale looks at the paper and gasps. She drops the paper and races towards Dracula. She hugs his legs and says, "DADDY!!"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53qZAxcAaI
He gasps and looks at Nightingale. He looks up at me. "Nikki?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4T8X2AAvVu
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJDvsq2LCE
"I'm not letting you leave. Not this time."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwkH0wNqkD
"But I have a job. And a child to raise. I can't stay here."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMko5gRjch
"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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJct1jYzcyJ
Nightingale looks up at him and shoots her hands in the air. "Daddy," she whines.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WfT8touBp
Dracula just looks at her.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxAnSqB4YH
She whines. "Daddy."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArU9kHCJVL
"Oh. She does that when she wants to be held."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuLxYnyQXD
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4v5ssZX4Qr
"Me daddy."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBKLO1G8qq
"Your daddy." He smiles. "She's so cute."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4IqvzfxsM
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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkLNcVd54J
"Who?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftxLt9Ff39
"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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgL9a0ikLa4
He looks at her. "Is someone being a naughty little girl?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8D9M94GHa
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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBNQ2actui
"Oh, you're so cute."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWt5ElmJXo
"Daddy punny. I wove oo daddy."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMIhEZZpRo
"I love you, too, Nightingale." He looks at me. "Are you sure she looks like me?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOESiZRZwuV
"Oh, yes. I can definitely see the resemblance. She looks like a female miniature version of yourself."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoWcGmIsKk
He laughs. "My DNA must have been more dominant than yours."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFh6fKe0Bj
"She's got your hair, your eyes, she's even basically got your eyebrows too."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3bd8RO1zc
"But she got your beauty."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJC3KXD8UY
"Oh, shut up."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hDAHXmhlF
He pulls me close and Nightingale shrieks. We both wince and say, "Nightingale!" We laugh. She giggles.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Da2FWTssU
"Not punny." She buries her face in his shirt.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqyiL9anLK
"Oh my Lord." He pulls me into a kiss as someone bursts through the doors.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1mWL5HxuU
"You step away from her!"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcByjc1lWrI
I turn around. "Agatha!"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLyMpjzs5v
"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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiiLqrnHmE
"Ow."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpH1T3lrIY
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBtMlWkl7h
"Let Nikki leave. You can keep your stupid child. Nikki doesn't need to be here. This is no place for her."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsstdaP0uNr
He squeezes her throat tighter. "She has the choice if she wants to stay here or not."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcr7RKSEBHj
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEag9B6Gwd
"D-daddy?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7ZjtoO6wJ
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJi86ea68R7
"Daddy uptet, mommy?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrqXYzOTCA
"Yes, daddy's upset."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTSrzltqVf
"Otay." 342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sh215FFoN
"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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdKaiFpayJ
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7DUXT3cml
Dracula's point of view342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAiTqv51H1
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoG2okfypVN
"Where's Nikki?"342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVZXlsBxXK
"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."342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehV0qyV3iv
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.342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbRmxz7hoG
