Title: The Living Years
Author: bnomiko
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Trevor + Sypha + Alucard, Dracula + Lisa
Spoilers: post S4
Disclaimer: "The Living Years" is performed and recorded by Mike + The Mechanics. Castlevania is the creation and property of Konami. Castlevania (animated series) is the creation and property of Netflix. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.
Summary: Vlad Tepes, formerly known as Dracula, utilizes a distance mirror in hopes of reconnecting and reconciling with his estranged son. But while a lot can change in four and a half years, like marital status and children... other things can stagnate, like the physical and emotional scars left behind by grief and a moment's rage. Post S4 animation canon based.
Archived at: http://www.phenixsol.com/Miko/FF/

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The Living Years

Ch. 11: Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear

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Vlad was in the middle of washing dishes when Trevor walked in, a tray of empty bowls in hand and Adrian in tow.

"Adrian, you're up!" Lisa greeted, already on her feet as she stepped around the kitchen table and reached out to hug her son. She'd been tipped off by Vlad of their approach, but still, she was relieved to see her son awake and well.

The half-vampire initially stiffened as her arms closed around him, though the familiar scent of lily-of-the-valley, the sensation of silken hair in a braid brushing by his cheek, and the press of her slender frame, suddenly reminded him of his adolescence, when life was simple. He relaxed enough to reciprocate and return her affection, deepening the embrace when it began sinking in that this was the first time he'd been able to hug her since he was eighteen and departing to carry out a simple supply run. He'd returned to the burnt out husk of a cottage, and endless guilt and regret.

"Mother..." he murmured, choking up a bit. They'd been so caught up in dealing with Sypha's medical emergency that only now was he able to appreciate the fact that Lisa was there.

She loosened her hold and backed up just enough to be able to look up at his face as she smiled, stroking his cheek. Her eyes were soft and misty. "Thank you. I've wanted to do that desperately for the past four years."

Adrian was torn on how to respond. Part of him wanted to point out that any delay was on her part; certainly he had no way of knowing she was alive until recently. But the more grateful side of him was so very thankful for the opportunity to hug her again... no matter what he thought about her reasoning, again, what mattered most was she was here now. She'd come to help when he'd needed it the most; she'd stayed to continue taking care of them, when Adrian had been unable to do so.

He shook his head, disappointed in himself.

In the meantime, Trevor slid past, carrying his tray to the sink to add to Vlad's pile, stopping to smirk in the periphery of the vampire's vision, though he managed to refrain from snarking, "Never thought I'd see the day where a vampire was washing my dishes." He wasn't good at withholding his opinion, but silence... silence was something he'd lived with for years, his only companion during long, lonely days, so it was not difficult for him to simply keep his mouth shut as he grabbed a clean bowl from the shelves, filled it with cabbage, then fetched a spoon from a drawer. He brought them over to the kitchen table and set them down, pointing at a chair so Adrian would stop hovering about awkwardly and sit.

Lisa ended up being the one to pull Adrian over, carefully asking if he felt all right and if he was hungry. Adrian could only nod at her questions, not wanting her to worry, but once he was seated at the table he had a hard time convincing himself to eat. His stomach felt like it was twisting itself into knots. He picked up the spoon and stared at his meal, then cast his gaze elsewhere, as if it might go away if he thought about it hard enough...

Much to his dismay, he realized she or Vlad had discovered the dolls. The pair used to sit in the center of the kitchen table but once Frediric had been old enough to start grabbing at them, Adrian had moved them back onto the high shelf that overlooked the dining area. They were sitting on the table now, just beyond arm's reach of his mother.

Did they think he was weird for having made mini copies of his spouses? What would he say if they asked him about it? The last thing he wanted to talk about was the months he'd spent alone, and the mistakes he'd made in desperation to remedy it.

A plate suddenly landed next to his bowl, startling him out of his glum musings, and a chair scraped along the floor as Trevor heaved himself into the seat beside him. Adrian frowned slightly, though Lisa made a sound of approval upon noticing that Trevor had brought over some bread and had gone as far as to slice it up into narrow planks so Adrian could eat it without having to tear it up.

When Adrian continued to sit there like a statue, Trevor nudged him with an elbow, then flicked his gaze down to the bowl and back when the blond turned to glance at him. He was willing to spoon feed him if that's what it took; as a father of two... now three! - Trevor was totally used to it.

Adrian's frown deepened, as if he'd plucked that thought out of his husband's mind. Trevor almost wanted to reach out and pinch his cheek, or ruffle his hair, but that would only humiliate him. Instead he just bumped the bread an inch closer, and waited. He'd promised not to say a word; that didn't mean he couldn't find other ways to communicate.

With a sigh, the half-vampire picked up a piece of bread and spooned some cabbage onto it and began eating.

"Is it all right?" Lisa asked, watching as Adrian took another bite.

"It's good," Adrian answered in a soft voice.

Lisa sat back in her seat as her son continued to quietly and methodically eat, then looked over at Trevor, who still seemed a bit concerned about Adrian's condition, but remained silent as he began rubbing mindless circles into Adrian's upper back.

After a few minutes, Adrian paused and turned to regard Trevor as well. A mahogany eyebrow twitched as if to ask, "What?" but otherwise he was relaxed and loose-limbed. If Trevor could be so unperturbed by Vlad's presence, Adrian wondered why couldn't he be the same?

You've got this, Trevor thought, hoping that that confidence was clear on his face. He wasn't going to abandon his lover... if the blond truly needed him to stay, he would. But there wasn't much Trevor could add to a talk that needed to happen between parents and son... well, there was, but that in itself would be an issue. He didn't want Adrian looking to him for his opinion or approval. And besides, Trevor needed to see to their children first and foremost, and he knew Adrian would understand that.

"Thank you," Adrian said, releasing his husband from his side.

Trevor nodded, giving Adrian the gentle smile that only family seemed to pull from the otherwise gruff man, then pushed back and rose from the table, pausing to give Adrian a kiss atop his head. He bowed his head once more to Lisa and then exited the room.

"I've never seen him so quiet," Lisa couldn't help but comment a few minutes later once it was clear Trevor was gone and not returning.

That at least was easy to explain. "Sypha worried he'd do all the talking, so Trevor promised to keep his mouth shut," Adrian said, sopping up the last of his stew with some bread. "He's gone to get the children; a friend has been watching them for the day."

"I see." Lisa tried to not get her hopes up. Just because Trevor was fetching the kids, that didn't mean he'd be comfortable introducing them to their "grandparents" just yet. It already meant a lot that the hunter was going to allow the children to be in the same building as Vlad, or had Adrian decided against letting them stay overnight? "Did Trevor or Sypha mention that we'd like to stay for a few nights?"

Adrian finished eating and gently pushed away the bowl. "They did."

Lisa nodded and took his empty plates to the sink. Vlad had already finished up but remained waiting on standby for the last of the dishes; because Adrian was now starting to talk, he didn't want to do anything that might cause that to stall.

When Lisa returned to her seat, her son was looking up at her with a storm of emotions swirling in his eyes, so she sat back down and awaited the verdict.

"They were agreeable. But they said it was up to me. I... will agree to it, but we have conditions," Adrian began.

"Yes?"

"First: you cannot leave the castle. Though we often keep the gates open during the day the townspeople will not wander in, but there will be panic if someone sees you out and about and figures out who you are, or worse, if they see Father."

Lisa didn't even have to turn to Vlad to agree. They hadn't been planning on going out anyhow, especially not without specific reason.

"I know there was some talk about possibly hunting down demons or other creatures of the night, but for now, that's not... Well, we can revisit it later, I suppose." Adrian shook his head, trying not to get sidetracked. "Second: do not approach the children, not without one of us being present." Seeing a frown pulling at his mother's lips, he quickly added, "I'm not saying you can't talk to them. I don't doubt Frediric will have a few dozen questions for you, and I understand that. But don't go chasing him down to ask questions of him, not without us around."

Adrian took in another breath as he tried to remember what he, Trevor and Sypha had talked about, and what they hadn't. Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Third: if you are asked to leave and return to your home, do so immediately and without fuss. My trust in my partners is absolute. If they say you've done something to warrant their asking you to go, I will believe them..." He trailed off, uncertain if that covered everything, or if there was something he'd forgotten. It wasn't like he'd had time to rehearse this. He found himself wishing for the scribbled on piece of paper that he'd brought with him to their previous conversation through the mirror. "They might have other requests, ones that I haven't thought of. We'll discuss it later if that happens."

"That... is reasonable. I will abide by all that," Lisa acquiesced. Some of the implications were a little painful, that Adrian trusted his spouses more than Vlad or even herself, but given all that had happened, it was within his right to ask for such a thing. She looked over at her husband, as he silently wiped up the counter. "Vlad, you agree as well, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good." Lisa looked back at Adrian, then reached out and took a gentle hold of his hand, squeezing it before asking, "Can your father come over to join the conversation, my sweet boy?"

Adrian closed his eyes a moment. He'd known this was coming. "... Okay," he breathed.

Vlad approached slowly, and decided to pull out the chair directly across from his son, the one that had once been Lisa's place at the dinner table, leaving Lisa seated at the head, the seat that had once been his. He sat down, slumping very slightly, resting his hands on his lap out of sight so as to be as non-threatening as possible. "Thank you, Son."

The blond made a soft sound of affirmation, though his breathing was a little shaky as he forced himself to push forward. "Trevor... He told me you carried me to bed, that you stayed by my side after that..."

"I did," Vlad confirmed. Knowing that Adrian valued his lover's opinion, he carefully added, "He came and checked on you a few times as well, albeit briefly. It is why I felt it was all right to leave your side for a little while, as your mother needed to eat."

Adrian nodded; Trevor had mentioned the same. He would've rather his spouse stayed glued to Sypha and Mary's sides but at the same time, Adrian knew... Trevor wouldn't have trusted Vlad to keep watch over him. He would've wanted to see for himself that Adrian was resting well, that there was nothing else amiss, that he only needed to rest and nothing else.

Adrian's slight frown faded quickly, as did his irritation. He couldn't deny that he felt loved and well cared for, knowing that Trevor had done his best to keep an eye on the whole family. "Do you still dislike him?"

Vlad's eyes shot towards Lisa a brief instant, but even without waiting for her responding look, he sighed, knowing only honesty would do. "I can tolerate him, for your sake. I would wager he would say the same of me. Will that suffice?"

Adrian silently rolled that around in his head for a moment, then nodded. He hadn't expected even that much... really it was almost a minor miracle that no blood had been shed, what with his father's temper and Trevor's constantly running mouth. They'd already taken a bigger step than he'd thought probable.

"Despite the fact that he's a Belmont, that man cares for you. I did not believe it was possible, yet after seeing his reactions firsthand, I know now that his affection is genuine," Vlad admitted.

The younger man hadn't realized his mouth had dropped open until he closed it with a snap. "You... approve, then?"

Vlad hummed, bringing up a hand to stroke his beard briefly. "I suppose I do."

"If he loves you and treats you right, that's all that matters," Lisa reminded her son, echoing what she'd said in their first conversation. "The same with Sypha, though I could see she was a good match for you from the very start."

Vlad nodded, silently agreeing. Then, carefully branching off that topic he added, "I am grateful that you had supportive companions by your side when we first contacted you. We did not want to reopen old wounds, but alas, I suppose it was unavoidable." His gaze drifted towards the center of Adrian's chest, to the soft ruffles that hid the buttoned placket underneath; he couldn't help but wonder if his son chose to cover up his scar for the purpose of having this conversation, or if this had just been the first shirt he'd grabbed.

Self-consciously, Adrian's free hand moved up towards his sternum, but he stopped short of doing anything when his fingertips brushed against the fabric. Unfortunately, his brain chose to shut down at the same time; he was left working his jaw soundlessly while straining for something to say.

"In retrospect we should have done it sooner," Lisa said, saving him from his struggle. She sighed, releasing her hold on his hand to lift up both of hers, cupping them like the bowls of a scale. "On one hand I knew you needed time to deal with the loss, the betrayal, the hurt. On the other... so did we. Not because you took action to stop your father," she hastily added, seeing the shadow of guilt darkening her son's eyes. "But we.... no, I also needed time. Time to fully come to terms with what Vlad had done, not just in striking you, but with the genocide he'd committed in my name. And the more I learned the more I feared you could not forgive him, no matter how long we waited. But it was unfair of me to make that decision for you, to rob you of the opportunity to forgive, if you could find it in your heart to do so..." She sighed, saddened, then paused another beat to swallow down the sensation of tears threatening to rise up. "We lost over four years in which we could have been part of your life."

Adrian hummed in thought, then added, "No, perhaps you had it right all along, Mother. I suppose I still need time... and maybe some distance... to sort through how I feel. It's not that I am unable to forgive, it's..." He ran his fingers through his hair roughly, trying again to find the words. "I know it's been a few weeks - on our end, I mean - but this was so unexpected. I'm still trying to process everything and I just haven't been able to."

"What is it that's bothering you the most? Or... what is currently foremost on your mind?" Lisa asked gently.

A dozen things surged to the forefront, clamoring for attention. The half-vampire shoved them back with a shake of his head, then plucked at the first one that swam back up. "You stayed. Why, when you didn't stay before?" Adrian asked his father as his fingers dug under the ruffles of his shirt. The scar was starting to throb again, itching maddeningly around the margins, but he couldn't do anything about it, lest he alarm his mother. "I still remember the sound of your boots on the library floor as you walked away; I remember struggling for air, trying to will my tongue and lips to form the words to beg you to come back, don't go, it hurts and I'm scared and... Is it because I wasn't there, when I should've been? You trusted me to stay by her side. I should have traded my life for hers..."

"I would have never wanted that, Adrian!" Lisa gasped.

"Nor would've I. As I've said before, I have never blamed you for what transpired, not even for a moment. It may be hard to believe right now but your life is just as precious to me, my son," Vlad murmured, head slowly tilting back in thought. "I... I was just so enraged at the injustice of it all. I felt so empty, like everything except my anger had died along with your mother. I didn't want to hear you tell me, 'No, I won't let you do it. I won't let you commit genocide.' I wanted the world to burn, and I did not care what burned along with it." He abruptly rocked forward to look down at his clenching hands resting atop his thighs in the shadows under the table, at the claws that had carelessly tore through his own child, then asked in a low voice, "Do you still fear me?"

Adrian didn't answer immediately, but the way his gaze dropped down to the tabletop and shifted away from them both told Vlad all he needed to know. When the younger man finally did speak, the words were slow and pained, as if they were being wrenched from his guts.

"I bear no grudge against you nor do I wish you any ill. Even when I returned to the castle with Trevor and Sypha to end your war... even when we traded blows, even as I drove in the stake and felt your blood pulsing out to soak my gloves, I still loved you. From the bottom of my heart I truly hoped that you and Mother would somehow reunite in whatever passes for an afterlife, that you would find peace, together. But yes... I'm still afraid. This still hurts." His nails began sinking in on their own accord, and Adrian had to struggle to not dig in further. He forced his hands down, laying them flat on the surface of the table. "It's been fi... no, six years now, hasn't it? But there are times when this wound feels raw and unsettled, like it could tear open once again; I can barely draw breath sometimes."

Vlad's hands came up and reached out reflexively, and Adrian twitched away as they entered his field of vision. Upon seeing that the older man froze, then withdrew. "What can I do? Tell me, and I will do it," Vlad insisted, a little desperate. "I have apologized to you and your partners. I have offered to hunt down the monsters plaguing this area; I have been in contact with my forgemasters, and they've agreed to aid in removing their creations from the countryside, if we can bring them here. Is there anything in the castle that requires my knowledge or expertise? I will do what I can to fix it. Or... would it be better if I was not here right now? Whatever it may be, whatever more you need me to do, Son, I will do it. I cannot undo the past, but I can try to make the future better."

Adrian blinked, then hesitantly looked back up, rolling his head in such a way as to let his hair curtain half his face as if such a flimsy barrier could serve as a shield. He didn't know what else to ask for. He wasn't looking to make this a series of labours for Vlad to atone for his sins.

"If I have to spend the next five, ten, or fifty years making amends a little at a time, I shall do so," the former vampire king swore.

"I don't want that," Adrian said, sighing heavily. "I... feel like a fraud. I have no issue talking about forgiveness, embracing it - in theory. I truly believed I forgave you the moment you stood there with your defenses down and allowed me to finally deliver to you the end you longed for. But if I forgave you, then why did I not drop the stake I was holding and embrace you instead? I... have I been lying to myself this whole time?"

The blond bit down on his lower lip, nicking it slightly with his fang. As a drop of blood beaded up, words began spilling forth. "My mind keeps going back to all the things that happened, all the what-ifs, all my self-doubts. And my body reinforces that; it won't let me forget. I need only look in a mirror or to run my hand over my chest in the bath... I could have saved Mother; I could've pulled you out of your descent into madness; I could've possibly saved thousands and thousands of lives, if I'd done things differently. Meanwhile Trevor constantly yells about how he won't forgive this or that and yet he was willing to ride to the aid of a village that may have been involved in the murder of his family. I asked him outright, 'What will you do if it turns out these people were involved?' And he replied he'd save them anyway, and then smile smugly in their faces when they had to swallow the fact that the very devil they feared had just saved them."

Adrian made an exasperated noise but continued on to admit in a low voice, "Maybe it would've been the right thing to do, but if those people begging for our aid had been among the ones who put you to the flames, Mother... I don't know if I could've looked past that. I don't know if I could do what Trevor would have, even if your spirit came to me and begged me to protect them instead." His breath hitched. "Doesn't that make me a bad person?"

"Not at all. I forced you into taking such a measure. That is not your fault, my son," Vlad quickly reminded him. "And I do believe most people, regardless if human or vampire, would find the prospect of rendering aid to those that had harmed them a truly vexing thing. You would hardly be the only one who'd struggle with such a scenario."

Adrian could only make a strained sound, not liking that answer. He would've liked to think he was better than that, knowing that his mother expected more from him, but then Lisa shook her head and said, "I think part of the reason you're struggling is because you can't forgive yourself. It goes both ways, Adrian."

He looked up at her. "... What do you mean?"

Lisa gave him a sympathetic smile, though there was a hint of pain in her gaze and a slight sniffle caught up in her voice. "You've mentioned more than once that you feel responsible for the Church taking me. And same goes for your regrets that you could have or should have done more to stop your father from enacting his plans. None of those things were your fault. Neither one of us holds you responsible. You did everything you could have done, given the circumstances. But you've always been a very serious child; you've always held yourself to a high standard, almost unreasonably so. No one's perfect; you're allowed to fail, Adrian. That doesn't mean you caused any of this to happen."

"But I feel responsible," the half-vampire insisted. "If even a single thing had gone differently..."

"If even a single thing had gone differently, something still could have happened to me. Maybe nothing as dramatic as an inquisition, but an accident, just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe in trying to protect me you would have lost your life instead, and Vlad would've still waged his war, for a slightly different cause." She sighed, not liking that example, but it had to be said. Vlad could only shake his head sadly. "Or maybe Vlad and I would not be here right now. Maybe we wouldn't have been given this second chance. Who's to say what could have happened instead? There's no point in living in fear of what could have been... Here we are here, now. This is the life we're living." Lisa hesitated, then asked, "The life you have here, with Trevor and Sypha and the children... it's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, of course! I'm grateful that I met them, despite the circumstances that brought us together... They've been good to me; even when they had no need for me they still returned and stayed by my side. They called me their friend, and then, their lover. And now, their husband." Without thinking about it, he began twisting his wedding band around his finger. "I never thought I could be so fortunate," Adrian finished, feeling his chest swell with an abundance of love and affection. He still wasn't sure he deserved this level of happiness in his life, but he was going to hold onto it and protect it with every ounce of strength he had.

"I'm glad. You have grown into a good man, Adrian, and you deserve for good things to happen," Vlad assured him.

Adrian's head tilted downward, a few shorter curls sliding down to partially obscure his face. "I wish I could convince myself of that. When I was younger I would have believed it, simply because you said it. But now..." He shook his head, unable to finish, before making a soft exclamation at the realization that he was now toying with Vlad's old wedding band, rotating it mindlessly around the base of his thumb.

"Son..." Vlad said, before carefully placing his right arm on the table, palm up. Adrian glanced at it in confusion for a moment before it occurred to him that his father wanted his ring back. He pulled it off, sliding it across the table rather than dropping it into Vlad's palm, but to his surprise his father didn't put it back on after reclaiming it.

Instead, the vampire loosely closed his hand around it and said in a low murmur, "This ring once symbolized my love for your mother, Lisa. But I will swear another oath upon it now: I will remember the events that brought us to this point, and I will do everything in my power to ensure nothing like this happens again. If we ever have another disagreement, we will talk things out like civilized beings. I cannot promise that I will not lose my way again, that I will always be the father you deserve. But I will always love you, my boy, no matter how far apart we are, no matter how many years may pass." He looked pointedly at Adrian, his expression kind like the proud yet indulgent father that Adrian remembered from his childhood, and said, "Your hand, if you would?"

The younger man had been somewhat reluctant to make contact, but after hearing the oath that had been bound to the ring, he finally reached out, willingly, and lay his own hand on the table, allowing Vlad to gently place the platinum band back in his possession. The tips of long claws barely missed grazing over Adrian's skin as the half-vampire held his breath without thinking; this was the closest he'd come to voluntarily letting Vlad touch him since everything had fallen apart. His father was being so considerate right now that Adrian felt like he was in the wrong for being so wary of him; he wasn't sure what was the right thing to say or do in response.

Trust and hope were such fragile, yet powerful, things. Strong enough to move mountains and yet easily shattered in the wake of errant thoughtless words or actions.

His fingers curled over the band loosely as a couple of tears welled up and spilled over. If he put the ring on, that meant he accepted his father's terms. It was tempting to let emotions hold sway and drive his answer, but the practical side of him refused to release anchor. He wasn't an island; his decisions no longer impacted him alone. He had to note what was being offered and more importantly, what was not. Vlad had not promised there would be no future conflict. He had not promised there would not be another war. But he had promised to stop and listen. He'd promised to remember Adrian was his son first and foremost, not his enemy.

Adrian's hand tightened into a fist. "Swear to me that you will never raise a hand against Trevor and Sypha again, or our children. And give them no cause to do the same to you."

Vlad's head tilted slightly. He considered all the implications of what was being asked of him, and found nothing disagreeable about it. This protected him too from the Belmonts, since he did not doubt that at least one of the children, if not all three, would follow in their father's footsteps. "I agree; I will not initiate conflict against your spouses or your children and I will expect the same from them in turn."

Adrian nodded, his hand and expression finally loosening up as he regarded the band one more time. He was willing to accept the oath without tying it to a physical reminder, but he'd be lying if he said that it didn't provide him with an extra level of reassurance, like a weight that tethered words to memory. "Are you sure? This was your wedding ring..."

"Lisa and I already obtained new ones," Vlad informed him, holding up his left hand briefly to show off the satin gold band that encircled his ring finger. "But more than that, you are the true proof of our love. As you are now a husband and a father, I know you understand that..."

Adrian nodded again. "Yes. Thank you," he whispered before slipping the ring back onto its usual place of honor on his thumb, acknowledging the pact. The metal felt... warmer than usual, somehow. Tired of tears, he rubbed at his eyes ineffectively as more dampness wet his lashes. No, things weren't "fixed," but an important, significant step forward had been taken...

Satisfied that the olive branch had been accepted, Vlad sat back with a pleased tilt to his lips. "Now, back to an earlier question. What can I do for you, to prove that I'm earnest? Presuming that you'll allow me to stay, I'll have time to help out around the castle, if you should wish it. Or as I've previously stated, I can see about making the surrounding lands a little safer for your villagers."

"You and Mother are both welcome to stay for a few days. As for the other things," and the blond stopped to mentally switch gears, "we'll talk it over and see what can be done. Trevor and Sypha did some fixes around the house, as I've mostly been doing installation and maintenance of various systems for the town, but, well... let's just say neither one is particularly proficient at repairs."

"I've noticed," Vlad commented, unable to keep a hint of sourness out of his words. He'd spotted more than one window that was simply boarded over, and he was fairly certain a random tapestry had been moved to one of the walls to hide some other unsightly damage there.

"And as far as the so-called hunts... I don't suppose you'd object to me to accompanying you?"

"Not at all. I understand you're concerned about your human populace..."

"No, it's not that. If you've sworn that you won't attack the people here, I will believe you. But I can't let anyone spot you, nor any evidence that you've been active in the area. It would be easier if they thought it was my doing," Adrian explained.

Vlad rubbed at his chin. "Ahh, I see. You'll let them see you, instead."

Adrian relaxed a little more now that he had confirmation that his father was on the same page as him. It was suddenly far easier to breathe, to think. This was the father he'd remembered, the one that was thoughtful and clever and caring. His fingers grazed over the ring on his thumb again. "We have sentries on duty at all hours. They will see me heading out and put two and two together."

"But not tonight, right?" Lisa objected. "You collapsed; you still need rest, my sweet boy."

"No, not tonight. I have a wife and baby to look after, and a husband and two older children to welcome home as well," Adrian answered. He drummed his fingers on the tabletop briefly, then said, "Would you like to meet them? The children, I mean."

Lisa's eyes lit up. "Yes, please!"

It was a given that his mother would be excited at the prospect. Adrian was far more curious as to what Vlad thought of it. "Father?"

Vlad gave him a slight, closed lip smile, the one he used when he tried to appear less threatening. "Only if you feel comfortable with it."

Adrian nodded; of course he wouldn't have asked if he'd had doubts about it. "Trevor should be back shortly; let's greet them at the door, then." He stood up, and his parents were quick to follow, pushing away from the table to fall in at his heels, Lisa practically sparkling with anticipation and Vlad a little more sedate in both mood and pace. Most children (and many animals) were naturally fearful of Vlad, some sort of sixth sense telling them that there was a predator afoot; how would the four-year-old heir of the most famous clan of hunters receive him?

* * *

Author's Notes:

- I know it's strongly implied in the game, but I never liked the idea that Alucard was present at Lisa's execution and did nothing at all to try and save her. The choices weren't simply 1) murder everyone or 2) do nothing. Given his abilities and intelligence, I would think he would've come up with some way of making a distraction in order to save her, if he'd been there.

- Once I decided I wanted Vlad to make a promise on his wedding band (originally he was going to just keep it) I had to figure out what he could swear to abide by that would possibly still hold up (mostly) against game canon. Because obviously in the games this isn't the end of the conflict between father and son, and the Belmonts would continue to hunt Dracula for a great many sequels. Hence why I specifically worded Alucard's request to protect Trevor, Sypha and the children, but not grandchildren and great-grandchildren, etc. If Alucard were older he might've thought further ahead, about future generations, but regardless if he's immortal or near immortal, he's still very young here with the mindset of someone who hasn't fully grasped the weight of eternity.

- Thanks to Nenya85 for beta work. Reviews are appreciated!

August 19, 2024