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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kCTjirjkZ
Two hours into the drive, Nightingale starts to get restless.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Rg4sAV7sH
"Nightingale, what are you doing?" Samual asks.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFgqMyyCTu
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGDTEHlXtg
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA76wRGWLc
"Nightingale!" Samual and I both say at the same time.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RUVjM4VFR
I groan. "How much longer?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMORoHZOQS
"Yah! Ow mut wonger?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ98r5Q72O3
Samual chuckles. "So cute." He pats her head. "Um, about twelve more hours."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11mo5boiTW
I groan again.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3jJBquI3h
Nightingale mimics me.
I can't help but laugh.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsulAzJQhAt
"You know what?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04Po2jONoS
"What, Samual?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfaWha7PIC
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyg5caNKmmu
I look at her and she looks up at me. "Yeah, she does a little bit."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1pqK6VBYj
Twelve hours later, I feel someone shaking me.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLaQ20LsEo
"Nikki. Nikki."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKyQlTWeaj
"Huh?" I rub my eyes and sit up. I find a lump underneath my shirt. I look up. "Oh. Hi, Samual. Where are we?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgGGzsrSRd
"We're here."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4ouXkBnxK
"Here? Wha—Oh." I go to unbuckle my seatbelt and find it already unbuckled.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcCz8XzfDB
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjznycUSIWv
"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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cDns7B9IM
"Hello, sleepyhead. Is it nice and warm down there? You like sleeping under mommy's shirt."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFd7GHyMgej
"Mommy?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3hlSUj2wo
"What, baby?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVsK9wRfmB
"I daddy."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0z3NE4FlN
"I know you want daddy, sweetie. You'll get to see him today."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvm2UZbuWa
"Weawy?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Et75KDUZ0
"Yes, really."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnKbuZWKOI
"Yay!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2yzgKcuaE
I smile. "Oh, so cute."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqWbnRUvV2
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIKFdq1ADh
He sets both in front of me. "Here you are. Breakfast."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GcWg7NKQb
I smile. "Thanks."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1uH8Fdnky
Nightingale smiles up at him. "Kanks."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tFZFyz3QN
I laugh.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J3lFL2qpz
He chuckles. "You're welcome."
"She's just so cute, isn't she?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeCkAtKULd
"Yes. She's too cute."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BrtdAbA7E
"Do you think he'll like her?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZLw1bL5DM
"Of course. She's his daughter." Samual sighs.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9m8yfFXmO6
"But what if he doesn't want anything to do with either of us? What if he makes us leave?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eJx4cE0e8
"Just forget all of the what ifs. Try to contain yourself, that's all I can tell you."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2SlfBj1zz
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdRWDk8Z8p
"Daddy?" she whispers.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47LDUiwtsN
The doors open and she just stands there. Dracula steps inside and looks at her. "Who are you?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ASJYLCI49
"Nightindale?" she asks, pointing at him.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTX1Y7TkaP
"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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWpEQrMrBL
Nightingale looks at the paper and gasps. She drops the paper and races towards Dracula. She hugs his legs and says, "DADDY!!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSs8gR3y0yN
He gasps and looks at Nightingale. He looks up at me. "Nikki?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKX4LvS9SIo
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpKFAgqE6v
"I'm not letting you leave. Not this time."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0Cle7U29p
"But I have a job. And a child to raise. I can't stay here."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgvIOdr0jg
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXagjZQ9f7N
Nightingale looks up at him and shoots her hands in the air. "Daddy," she whines.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsnqAohp1Z
Dracula just looks at her.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RMGjrA953
She whines. "Daddy."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmdMNCutzS
"Oh. She does that when she wants to be held."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXcrsGa95d
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tNYPSzcQF
"Me daddy."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYv7hO6uwd
"Your daddy." He smiles. "She's so cute."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli8HFWDUzj
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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLX4zAbLSO
"Who?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHzbJzuUIU
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveyDF73LOx
He looks at her. "Is someone being a naughty little girl?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVc5FkVoVT
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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5BxXb8leX
"Oh, you're so cute."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWJOwu1Qst
"Daddy punny. I wove oo daddy."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmH7M2MC6e
"I love you, too, Nightingale." He looks at me. "Are you sure she looks like me?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7Qm9S8vZD
"Oh, yes. I can definitely see the resemblance. She looks like a female miniature version of yourself."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfzGYhQmBK
He laughs. "My DNA must have been more dominant than yours."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuMyNvHGrR
"She's got your hair, your eyes, she's even basically got your eyebrows too."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDm32JeOCLk
"But she got your beauty."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvIPLTDJAw
"Oh, shut up."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXSSulUNhF
He pulls me close and Nightingale shrieks. We both wince and say, "Nightingale!" We laugh. She giggles.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hwKEwlm5w
"Not punny." She buries her face in his shirt.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovtJ06s3GE
"Oh my Lord." He pulls me into a kiss as someone bursts through the doors.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lpkRelkWm
"You step away from her!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxzsCsCnwA
I turn around. "Agatha!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUraM5qt08
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyWakhqO1d
"Ow."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsAbyCtLWu
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJkjmDAS4o
"Let Nikki leave. You can keep your stupid child. Nikki doesn't need to be here. This is no place for her."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuUEX0ZdOY
He squeezes her throat tighter. "She has the choice if she wants to stay here or not."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBeC01mGSW
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaFLSnjZj2
"D-daddy?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOd09CqVyAy
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKA3RyAyotL
"Daddy uptet, mommy?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiNvGOCKiR
"Yes, daddy's upset."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFbPGX1g0l
"Otay." 326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMtjL7x0Ri
"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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh0R5qMEqy
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTji884DgOr
Dracula's point of view326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3mcEA4okH
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HhmNnA2j2
"Where's Nikki?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUHRWGEwD4
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETowFAQGfz
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm1UoJ3ZjH
