Nikki's point of view234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOuRsP5X26
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAVtm7m9r2
"Good morning," I say.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlfSQcub6O
He looks up and glares at me. "Yeah, sure," he mutters and goes back to looking at his papers.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUWet0y3Gv
I smile nervously and sit down. "Um, uh … Happy birthday?"234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFoZiOQaos
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TBr8NHMu3
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZTmet3oRl
**********234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvjeu2MkdQ
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lyjs6OKjQ
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJCoYSHTKi
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5daaiAXd80
"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."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8e84qhHCl
I moan. That's all I can do. I go unconscious.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HIJuVjlh6
An hour later, I wake up in a bathtub. I moan.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfAOBxDWIp
"Shh. It's alright."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRnwzipwtE
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEK9OeEGzpY
I smile and look up at him. He looks away.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlYajc8emX
"Dracula," I whisper. "Dracula, look at me."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooJ9C9QCqt
He sighs shakily and looks at me.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GcfD2ZdK8
"Why are you so emotional?"234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM90JIuJ3CC
"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."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2VVBGLFeR
"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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzraQ8rZxB
"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."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7udOntnR1W
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoT10sVZc4f
"Ah, so beautiful. I swear you're Elisabeta back from the dead." He chuckles.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqlq8V9tBG
I sigh. "What time is it?"234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgutDZi6lq
"It's 11:28."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaG0WU8TSJ1
"Hm. In two minutes, it'll be exactly nine months after we made little Nightingale."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqtu0RNjFE
"Nightingale?"234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABo7P4HvMz
"Mmhm. Nightingale Starr Dracula."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uxW0k8wAK
"What? No. That child deserves your last name more than mine."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3zwBb0ckR
"No. She belongs to both of us. And plus, a child usually gets the father's last name anyway."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IjMz2jjIR
"Not if the mother and father aren't married."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHa9SHyfcL
"Oh, shut up."
"Make me."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3hKG4O0Np
"I will—" I gasp and look down. "Oh, ship."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3BieqvT8O
"Ship? I don't—" He gasps. "Oh, no. The baby. And it's 11:30."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMVij2WbUM
"No way."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bfoxmwpe7
"Yes. It is."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTReD7CF4O
"You—" I wince. "Oh, God."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzI6vRdisww
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJMzGDhyYm
"Okay. Let's hope I can do this."234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qH6Td8FjL
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMOv6BytyD
"She's so beautiful," I say.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsgsmSvNye
"Just like you," he whispers. He smiles gently and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtq0cKsIyi
