Nikki's point of view421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrI1v8pJNG
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSRiOQ9w7F
"Good morning," I say.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqY1QTnnlob
He looks up and glares at me. "Yeah, sure," he mutters and goes back to looking at his papers.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSRjbwe8ro
I smile nervously and sit down. "Um, uh … Happy birthday?"421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEpnofYQNp
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS5P2f2Fmz
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9RiaHDoJ4
**********421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYUsEWGVrO
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedwGT7Idnz
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD7OjYd9ZL
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhSaghGrlk
"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."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHL1yzVZsk
I moan. That's all I can do. I go unconscious.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqErl8evuAW
An hour later, I wake up in a bathtub. I moan.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZUE7GU1Aw
"Shh. It's alright."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GBCGo252D
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQOZAtV9jq
I smile and look up at him. He looks away.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjMYhtw7rg
"Dracula," I whisper. "Dracula, look at me."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiN2OnHkql
He sighs shakily and looks at me.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuW2dE9k0s
"Why are you so emotional?"421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRzF1sJM26
"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."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8x0BGVEeFO
"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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTAo55iYq2
"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."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6VJCueXDy
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7m5iAFtks
"Ah, so beautiful. I swear you're Elisabeta back from the dead." He chuckles.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMF1D3eG3rQ
I sigh. "What time is it?"421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYd6u0QnHZ
"It's 11:28."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pTP37WiUB
"Hm. In two minutes, it'll be exactly nine months after we made little Nightingale."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV4w7Qn2eQ
"Nightingale?"421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCL1qi3lVp
"Mmhm. Nightingale Starr Dracula."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyO0MPjWp5d
"What? No. That child deserves your last name more than mine."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtOAyaXdZe
"No. She belongs to both of us. And plus, a child usually gets the father's last name anyway."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDWhg1Yti5
"Not if the mother and father aren't married."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatqpWAetXo
"Oh, shut up."
"Make me."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVxs3aKFTb
"I will—" I gasp and look down. "Oh, ship."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SY7sD3Hss
"Ship? I don't—" He gasps. "Oh, no. The baby. And it's 11:30."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEqTQ8v334
"No way."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dS0yf2KJX
"Yes. It is."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT6t6xHtIa
"You—" I wince. "Oh, God."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFXFKCyv4Z
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnCPDLDIoz
"Okay. Let's hope I can do this."421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdT1AAPYNF
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.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPHLx7iq2k
"She's so beautiful," I say.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XyR8w3fJh
"Just like you," he whispers. He smiles gently and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh.421Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSfzH4ibi8
