Nikki's point of view403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOGF0sS3LR
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GdK262Vrs
"Good morning," I say.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKdaexBL9U
He looks up and glares at me. "Yeah, sure," he mutters and goes back to looking at his papers.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMoCtFPouo
I smile nervously and sit down. "Um, uh … Happy birthday?"403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosu4FByOXt
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYiLVSSnpl
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy749e7SImM
**********403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKoGxafSrJ
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkpyUAyKKi
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLZrjZmOW9
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtGxV3ooju
"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."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyhDfoWpeN
I moan. That's all I can do. I go unconscious.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaAEGGEBP9
An hour later, I wake up in a bathtub. I moan.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcd61UUZhb
"Shh. It's alright."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EE5OO4g01
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYII0ZSIsAc
I smile and look up at him. He looks away.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sdaEW2oJE
"Dracula," I whisper. "Dracula, look at me."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpIRkPG1tW
He sighs shakily and looks at me.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuzu11aFAT
"Why are you so emotional?"403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEia2tJRiF
"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."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxzjzeyjkK
"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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1Q1RGZx6t
"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."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKvymVVY9a
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gmIgfaMUF
"Ah, so beautiful. I swear you're Elisabeta back from the dead." He chuckles.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDXrlPwysy
I sigh. "What time is it?"403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQukaRRnPoE
"It's 11:28."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEeyj782Oe
"Hm. In two minutes, it'll be exactly nine months after we made little Nightingale."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNRYUSSFh5
"Nightingale?"403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEh3ImpjPl
"Mmhm. Nightingale Starr Dracula."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP93N8guJwz
"What? No. That child deserves your last name more than mine."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs07l5eIkWl
"No. She belongs to both of us. And plus, a child usually gets the father's last name anyway."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlNjlPDtU4
"Not if the mother and father aren't married."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQLLim8TB0
"Oh, shut up."
"Make me."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcrLKHgvIe
"I will—" I gasp and look down. "Oh, ship."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKUL61Nrhm
"Ship? I don't—" He gasps. "Oh, no. The baby. And it's 11:30."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZayWHLH67
"No way."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokOU6dIVPf
"Yes. It is."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSAVchom42
"You—" I wince. "Oh, God."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwRqJHBU5L
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡln1cqLYIE8
"Okay. Let's hope I can do this."403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkGZpAxrEC
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.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvVcXSEtcp
"She's so beautiful," I say.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbBMULfS6C
"Just like you," he whispers. He smiles gently and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh.403Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpQepnBM7s
