Nikki's point of view257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqrXgy1QR8
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogP8gRUwN0
"Good morning," I say.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qdMeujl9n
He looks up and glares at me. "Yeah, sure," he mutters and goes back to looking at his papers.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ewlXJAt6A
I smile nervously and sit down. "Um, uh … Happy birthday?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9j6Ojwx6C
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TZrpv4hkD
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKo3tQ2G6sA
**********257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtk4c1FA9qZ
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmbkGCxwmY
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡid6C46ENzr
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriYKy2REC7
"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."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7O0cZ0Utz0
I moan. That's all I can do. I go unconscious.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK87soMXpQq
An hour later, I wake up in a bathtub. I moan.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaVdGTdQh7
"Shh. It's alright."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqFjep7Mqz
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOXIHpwGBk
I smile and look up at him. He looks away.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtgDnfUb92
"Dracula," I whisper. "Dracula, look at me."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOD7J7zm8r
He sighs shakily and looks at me.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY3pYsw4jp
"Why are you so emotional?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFr73DWtry2
"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."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAmP5foWIA
"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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnlKs6Ye6X
"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."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lFd3BBnmx
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk98v4qPhm
"Ah, so beautiful. I swear you're Elisabeta back from the dead." He chuckles.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfadsIUoj3
I sigh. "What time is it?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1v95pTgg8
"It's 11:28."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOnKd6YwXI
"Hm. In two minutes, it'll be exactly nine months after we made little Nightingale."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3mZfrBv4Q
"Nightingale?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwlOv95shV
"Mmhm. Nightingale Starr Dracula."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiq68S3XjQW
"What? No. That child deserves your last name more than mine."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hudIwHUNi
"No. She belongs to both of us. And plus, a child usually gets the father's last name anyway."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsDgmjasjv
"Not if the mother and father aren't married."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMQ9crdsDp
"Oh, shut up."
"Make me."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphk5KO7O6b
"I will—" I gasp and look down. "Oh, ship."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddkTsX263M
"Ship? I don't—" He gasps. "Oh, no. The baby. And it's 11:30."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOcAgbkBE6
"No way."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrQ6IJSfpW
"Yes. It is."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAtG4u7hm6
"You—" I wince. "Oh, God."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1VfX0PMOi
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyD4an7M2OS
"Okay. Let's hope I can do this."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJFsTvjtWw
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJk2i16weu1
"She's so beautiful," I say.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4NTuquyul
"Just like you," he whispers. He smiles gently and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCkAyYAS6C
