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. 5: So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past

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Adrian and Sypha only had to wait a handful of minutes before the mirror shards in the study began rising up off the ground. The Speaker was slightly excited since this was her first time getting to see what happened when someone activated a mirror remotely; she could sense a faint aura of magic centered around the glass, sending warm and effusive like a cloud of steam, but it was hard to pin down how exactly it worked.

At the last moment, Adrian reached up and pulled his hair down from the customary ponytail that he wore at home. Trevor would laugh at his need for a "security blanket," but he wanted the option of having something to hide behind if he started losing control of his emotions.

Once the pieces arranged themselves and merged into a smooth plane, the blurry silhouette of two people quickly sharpened into the familiar faces of Lisa and Vlad Tepes.

"Hello!" said Lisa. She seemed relieved to see them, though after looking around a moment, realized they were one person short. "Oh... is Trevor not attending?"

"He's outside, glowering at the door most likely," Adrian answered, turning to stare at said door. They'd left it ajar so Trevor could listen in; it had the side effect of letting Adrian hear and track the rest of the family's presence as well. He found reassurance in listening to the children rustling about.

"Trevor means well but he's a distraction, and someone has to watch the kids, so he was volunteered," Sypha clarified.

Lisa couldn't help but smile. Even though this was only the second time they'd spoken to one another, she liked Sypha. The young lady was kind, intelligent and decisive; she took no guff from her husbands. She would've been perfectly happy if Adrian had taken her has his only spouse, but for whatever reason, both Sypha and her son seemed smitten with Trevor. She had no doubt the hunter cared for his partners, but he was so coarse and impolite, the very opposite of well-mannered Adrian... every time Trevor spoke she cringed a little, worrying about what he might say next.

"So... how has your week been? Are you all doing well?" Lisa asked conversationally.

Well other than Adrian and his nightmares and the fact that he doesn't know how to lead into the discussion he desperately needs to have, we're great... Sypha thought as she tried to ignore the shifting of the sofa cushion next to her. But it was up to Adrian to speak up when he was ready, which was a primary reason for leaving Trevor outside the room. "I'm still very obviously pregnant. Thankfully I have a very good doctor," she ended up replying diplomatically.

"How fortunate, there's a doctor in your village?"

"No," said Adrian just as Sypha replied, "He's right here."

The half-vampire frowned.

"Stop it, Adrian," Sypha chided. "You've done an admirable job ever since the village was founded. I've seen you set broken bones, stitch up cuts, help numerous people suffering from fever and chills and dysentery. I mean, look at how well Trevor recovered from his injuries! And my pregnancies have gone smoothly as well. Our children are healthy as horses, too."

Lisa looked impressed, but Adrian quickly dismissed the Speaker's praise by saying, "I'm simply relying on information in my mother's journals and books. I'm not actually trained to do any of those things."

"But that's fine, isn't it? Taking accumulated knowledge and utilizing it... it's what you've always advocated for. And this is not something just anyone can do. You also need an eye for detail, a steady hand, a calm demeanor - and a strong stomach; those are all things you excel at, Adrian," Sypha reasoned.

"That's how your mother started as well, reading and researching and then putting her studies into practice," Vlad commented. "It certainly sounds to me like you've become an excellent doctor, Son."

Flushing slightly, Adrian ducked his head, unsure of how to respond. His fingers began crunching up the paper in his hand slightly. Taking pity on him, Sypha reached out to take his other hand and squeezed it in reassurance. "Regardless of what you call it, we've all benefited from your willingness to lend aid however you can, so I think you will agree, that's what matters."

Adrian relaxed a little, nodding.

The redhead looked down at the hand she was holding as she began stroking her thumb over his knuckles, then glanced back up to see him watching her from under his lashes, uncertainty clouding those citrine eyes. She smiled at him and gave his hand another squeeze, encouraging him forward, and when he gave her another tiny nod, she turned to the mirror and said, "There's a few things Adrian wants to talk about..."

"Of course," said Lisa, sitting up a bit straighter. Even Vlad leaned in a little closer, as if he'd been anticipating this.

Almost out of habit Adrian unfolded the paper, then refolded it with barely a glance at it. He took a breath, buying himself one last out. He'd never thought himself a coward, but... did he really want the answers to these questions? Ignorance was bliss... and in many ways, he'd been happier when he'd presumed his parents were deceased, what with the years softening and blurring very slightly the memory of loss. But now that he knew differently, now that they sat before him, waiting for him to speak, he couldn't pretend otherwise.

"I still don't understand... why did it take over four years for you to reach out to me? Did it really take you that long to find a viewing mirror?" Adrian began.

"It took nearly a year to get this mirror. There were... difficulties," Vlad responded. "As for the time before that..." and he trailed off, looking expectantly at his wife.

"We thought you needed closure, the chance to be able to move on with your life. You'd been through so much... I thought it best if we had some time apart," the doctor said softly.

"You thought I'd have an easier time moving on believing you were dead? Or was it that it was easier for you to move on, knowing that I did not know any better?" the blond snapped, despite all his efforts to keep his voice calm and even.

"Adrian, no... It's not like that, my sweet boy. We always intended to reconnect with you," Lisa responded.

Brow wrinkling, Adrian fought to hold back the sob that was bubbling up; he immediately scolded himself to knock it off. He could cry later if he had to, but it was out of the question to cave to his emotions this quickly when there was so much more he needed to say. Still, he couldn't stop himself from adding, "I missed you both so much..." in a near whisper. The hand Sypha was holding got an extended squeeze, and more thumb stroking.

"We missed you too! We were eagerly awaiting the day we could see you again," Lisa quickly reassured him, responding to his anguish. "But I thought... I'd hoped... a little time and space would help ease tensions between you and your father."

"... Tensions..." Adrian muttered, his hand going to the neckline of his shirt. This was going wrong already, and they'd barely begun. He remembered what Trevor had claimed and deliberately tugged down on his shirt, exposing more of his scar. "Do you know how this happened?" he asked, not wanting it to be true, but unable to discount Trevor's observations either.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then Lisa quietly admitted, "Yes."

"I am sorry for the pain I've caused you, Son," Vlad interjected, his voice a low and soft rumble. He held his hands open, as if Adrian were still a baby and he could simply soothe away his distress with a touch. "We were both grieving; you sought solace with me, but my grief and ensuing rage rendered me deaf to your pleas and blind to any sense or reason." He sighed, a mere whisper of breath. "It was not until you confronted me again that I finally had a brief moment of lucidity... one which came nearly too late for you, and certainly too late for me." There was another small pause, then a rueful shake of the head. "Lisa was heartbroken over our estrangement and absolutely furious with me for the suffering I caused you. She could barely stand to speak to me for what felt like weeks, perhaps months... It is hard to say, as time had no meaning in hell."

Adrian closed his eyes momentarily, absorbing all of that, before looking back at his parents and wryly observing, "Yet in the end she forgave you. It is your side she sits by, not mine."

Lisa frowned, but did her best to explain, as gently as she could. "I deplore the things your father did, but that does not change the fact that I still love him, just as I love you, Adrian. I have always accepted that loving Vlad would be a challenge; there are many things in his past, both distant and recent, that he is not proud of. Things that frankly, I find horrifying. He wanted to change; he tried his best - and is still trying - but he's far from infallible. The fact that he hurt you was almost too much even for me to forgive... If he had not paid for it by willingly laying down his life in the end, even my heart would have hardened to his pleas."

"Striking you and harming you was the worst thing I have ever done," the former vampire lord sighed. He tightened his right hand into a fist, then relaxed it again, looking down at the deadly claws that tipped each finger, the same claws that had torn through his own child's flesh and bone. "And I did it not once, but twice. My son... how can I possibly make it up to you?"

Adrian blinked, then glanced away. He was sorely tempted to mention that it was more like thirty times, not "twice," but given that he'd punched and kicked his father just as many times during their fight, and attempted to stake him as well before finally succeeding, he supposed that that part was a wash.

"I am not the only person to make amends to. You tried to kill Trevor and Sypha as well, for starters," the half-vampire listlessly pointed out. It was something of a deflection, but he simply didn't know what to say in response to Vlad's question. How could his father make things right at this point? Could Adrian ever trust him again, knowing what he was capable of? In many ways, the push and pull of those moments of fear and betrayal versus childhood memories of love and care hurt far worse than the sporadic aching of his scar.

Vlad tilted his head slightly, his sanguine eyes darting to the Speaker who continued to hold and massage Adrian's hand off and on. Sypha turned and matched his gaze fearlessly, just as she had the day the trio attacked the castle. The vampire couldn't help but be impressed by her steadfastness and gumption - she certainly was a worthy match for his son. He dipped his chin briefly. "Although I realize at the time we were adversaries, I apologize for any harm I caused you, young lady."

Just as Sypha was about to wave off the severity of the damage she'd sustained (she considered her scars a badge of honor), Trevor peeked in from the hallway.

"Do I get the same consideration?" he asked. He'd been looking for an excuse to make an entrance and this was as good as any. He pushed himself off the floor where he'd been sitting with the kids, dusted himself off, and sauntered in, acting as cocky as possible. He honestly didn't give a shit about any apology and certainly wasn't going to make one in turn - he was a Belmont, killing vampires and monsters was what he did. But he was rather tickled by the thought of Vlad Dracula Tepes, former lord of vampires, king of the night, having to bow his head to his sworn enemy. And if he could draw the man's scrutiny onto him instead of the others, all the better.

Sypha had been unperturbed by Vlad's attention on her. She wasn't so calm at seeing the hunter walk into the room. "Trevor... the kids?"

"... Are fine and sitting in the hallway like Daddy told them to," Trevor answered, glancing back and exchanging a quick thumbs up with Frediric before seating himself on the arm of the settee like before, his hand automatically going to Adrian's shoulder as he pressed his leg against his husband, shoring him up if he needed it.

Trevor thought Vlad would balk at responding, but to his surprise, the vampire dropped his head again and without hesitation, said, "I apologize to you as well, Belmont, for any injuries you incurred."

Trevor rolled his eyes. "I don't need it. You did a number on Sypha's arm, so you owed her that much, at least," he began, ignoring her exasperated sigh. "Adrian at least didn't earn any new scars, but he was black and blue all over and could barely stand on his own; we had to help him to bed, where he slept for two days straight. But I guess that's what happens when you get punched in the head two dozen times and thrown through solid stone walls and the fucking ceiling." He looked between the two faces in the mirror; Vlad's jaw was taut and his face grim, while Lisa was clearly upset to the point of tearing up, but he didn't care. If he'd had to hear the grisly details about how Vlad nearly cleaved Adrian in two before the younger man dragged and dropped his bleeding body into a coffin, then she could visualize Adrian getting slammed through walls twenty or thirty times.

"Trevor..." Sypha warned. The hand in her grasp had tensed and tightened up; Trevor clearly wanted to hurt Vlad, but it was hurting Adrian too, having the pain of the past dredged up.

The brunet glanced at her, then sighed, unclenching his jaw. He supposed... he'd gone in a little too hard in his zeal to score a point on his old enemy. He turned on his perch so he was more comfortably facing Adrian, with one leg tucked on top of the taller man's thigh and the other hooked over the first, then leaned over to kiss his husband atop the head, murmuring, "I'm sorry," into his hair. "I did not mean to reopen old wounds."

"Perhaps we did wait longer than we should have," Lisa admitted quietly, subtly dabbing at her eyes with the back of her hand as she watched her son curl up loosely against Trevor, with Sypha inching over a bit to more easily rub Adrian's wrist and arm. "But that's on me, not Vlad. I just... as much as I wanted to see him, I knew it would be hard for Adrian to forgive Vlad after all that's happened. Even now, I'm not sure..." she trailed off, uncertain if she was hoping for the impossible.

"Well I don't know. Has 'Vlad' forgiven humanity? Or is this a temporary truce?" Trevor snarkily asked the doctor. Sypha glared at him again, but at least Adrian didn't seem to take as much offense to this new line of questioning.

It was Vlad who answered. "I have no desire to reengage in meaningless conflict. As before, I simply wish to be left alone. If humanity leaves me be, then I will reciprocate in kind."

The hunter rolled his eyes again and groaned. Vlad made it sound like all he'd ever wanted was to live a peaceful life, as if he'd risen to his exalted position by shyly isolating himself within his castle, away from war and ambition and the political wranglings of men and vampires alike. While it was true he'd gone quiet the last half-century or so before Lisa's execution, it wasn't like he hadn't been a threat, a scourge, a bloodthirsty killer, for a great many years before that. The Belmonts wouldn't have pursued him for generations otherwise. "And what if, God forbid, something happens to your wife once again?"

"That will not happen. I have made it clear to my wife that from now on, I will go where she goes, to ensure her safety," Vlad hissed between gritted teeth, making it quite clear that retaliation was and would always be an option.

Lisa swallowed a sigh, both at her husband's fervor and the wide-eyed looks on the faces of the humans sitting in Vlad's old study, as if they needed reminder of just what the man at her side was capable of when provoked. She had not wanted a bodyguard, but she'd had to acquiesce, as Vlad had insisted on it as a non-negotiable condition if she intended to continue her medical work.

"You're not making a very good argument as to having 'changed,'" Trevor finally ground out. He dearly didn't want to have to suggest that they kill the world's most powerful vampire again, but if that's what it took he would, and then worry about trying to hold Adrian together as he fell apart afterwards.

"We did have this discussion," said Lisa, poking her husband somewhere out of view. "It is one thing to protect me; it's quite a different matter to be the one on the attack. You will no longer harm or kill innocents. Wholesale genocide is right out. You were in the wrong so admit it; look at how things turned out!"

Trevor rolled his eyes yet again. He'd been ready to snap at Lisa about why she didn't have anything to say about all of this, but did she really think that lecturing Vlad would make any difference?

Meanwhile Vlad grunted at the scolding, having heard it enough times the past few years to know it was best to just lower his head and accept it, letting the message pound against his brain. He wished he had done just that when Adrian had first come to him, knee deep in shock and grief, then things would not have gone so very wrong. Still, he needed the trio on the other side of the mirror to understand... "Maybe you are above seeking revenge, Belmont, but I do not think it's unreasonable to punish those individuals who would do my wife harm. Would you not do the same if someone attacked your wife because she is a heretic, a Speaker? Or my son because he is not fully human?"

"Oh, I'm not above revenge at all, don't get me wrong. Hell, we don't even allow refugees to settle in the village if they speak poorly of Adrian. But I also don't consider it just to blame an entire family, an entire country, or an entire species, for the actions of a handful of individuals. Pay back those directly responsible in kind, and I have no issue with it, regardless of who you are." Seeing Vlad nod agreeably, Trevor figured he should take advantage of the fact that the vampire was listening and keep going.

"Or let's say that it wasn't even deliberate at all - something happened by pure accident. A driver loses control of a spooked horse and runs into your wife... can you really blame him if he did everything he could to prevent it from happening? Could you blame the horse, or even the wagon, even though neither could've done it intentionally?"

Vlad considered all of that. If he were to be honest with himself, he probably would find some blame with the driver, but it was reasonable that the man's entire family shouldn't be held responsible as well, nor the horse's breeder or the wagon maker. That would be just as bad as if Trevor had held Adrian at fault for not having successfully stopped Vlad's campaign before it began, for nothing more than being his son. "I believe I see your point..."

"Or if... I dunno, a tree fell on her, and you went around and burned down all the forests. I doubt the tree would've wanted to fall in the first place," Trevor scoffed, waving a hand around.

Vlad's eyebrow slowly arched up more sharply than usual. Even Sypha turned and gave the brunet a "what the hell?" look.

Okay, so maybe that was a stretch. But Trevor was on a roll, so he couldn't help but open his mouth to next ask Vlad if he'd go as far as turning Lisa out of fear of losing her to her own mortality. But before the words came out he wisely changed his mind. Since the vampire hadn't done so by this point it seemed unlikely. But that also meant that Lisa, just like he and Sypha, would continue to age, growing old as humans do, until one day she slipped away from his side. Could Vlad accept saying goodbye to her when the time came? Or was he planning on fighting nature itself once that happened? But there was no way Trevor could bring any of that up without Adrian making the connection to the eventual fate of his own marital relationship, so he decided it best to not to mention it at all.

The conversation fell into an awkward lull for several seconds, before the sound of paper rustling broke the painful stalemate.

Adrian started folding his sheet back up and pulled away from Trevor slightly, swallowing down the lump in his throat before turning to address his father. "Although you asked for my forgiveness, the reality is, I do not believe you've forgiven me either."

"Wait, what are you on about now?!" Trevor snapped sharply, yanking the paper out of Adrian's hand and frowning at it, as if he could somehow magically pull the words right off the page and into his brain. It was one of the few times he wished he could read properly, because he bet that there was more than one line on there that was self-flagellating bullshit of this nature, and if so, he wanted to set the whole thing on fire before Adrian had a chance to look at it again. Since that wasn't an option, he simply threw it aside and glared at it.

"Because I failed to protect my mother, when I'd promised to do so."

"You told us you were running an errand for her, when the Church came," Sypha recalled.

"Yes, and in doing so, I was not present when she was taken away," Adrian explained.

"And how the fuck was that your fault? Were you supposed to chain yourself to her side?" Trevor growled, hands flapping in the air. "The blame lies with that crazy ass bishop!"

Somber amber eyes flicked up towards the hunter a moment, then away, as golden hair curtained down, obscuring Adrian from scrutiny and reassurance alike. "If I alone had suffered the consequences of my father's anger and grief... if my life alone was enough to keep everyone else safe... I could have accepted that."

"Well, I couldn't!" Trevor yelled, wanting to shake some sense into him as frustration boiled over. But then Vlad's voice cut like a knife through the palpable tension in the room.

"There is nothing to forgive. My son, I never blamed you for what happened; I'm sorry if you thought I did," Vlad said, his voice thick with sorrow. "I struck out at you, I took out my pain on you, yes... but the fault never lay with you. I wanted vengeance; my blood cried for blood to be spilled in kind. You were unfortunately... an easy and available target. If I had paused for even a moment, calmed the pounding in my ears, and listened to reason..." He trailed off with a low hiss, his lip curling in disgust before he spat out, "Some father, some husband I turned out to be. Disregarding my son's wisdom even amidst his grief, striking him down simply for speaking up, as if he were the enemy... dishonoring my wife's compassion and dying wishes... The only one who failed was me."

Adrian cautiously peeked back at his father, as he turned the words over in his head.

"... And that goddamn bishop," Trevor grumbled in disgust.

"I only regret that I never had the opportunity to meet him in person," the vampire snarled in agreement. "Although I notice you seem to have a personal vendetta against him as well, Belmont."

"Oh, after he bragged about how he arranged for your wife to be burned at the stake - thereby starting this whole fucking mess - he tried to bribe me to turn a blind eye to the planned lynching of the Speakers by a frenzied mob. Too bad for him, I don't care about my eternal soul or what have you, so fuck that guy." The hunter paused in his ranting to marvel at the fact that he was having an actual conversation with Vlad Dracula Tepes, then shook it off - if he was any other hunter, or this was any other vampire, they'd have no reason to exchange words at all, but for the sake of the man at his side, Trevor was willing to make an exception. Plus if he thought about it, Adrian had turned out to be a pretty fantastic guy, so maybe Vlad had done something right somewhere along the way... one very tiny point in his favor. "But I haven't heard a peep from the Church in Gresit since the day the bishop uh, 'requested' my appearance before him, so hopefully he's roasting nicely in the lowest levels of hell right now."

"Even that seems too merciful. No matter what fate befell him, he deserved far worse," Vlad angrily declared, a faint glow making his eyes look like rubies in firelight. But after Lisa touched his arm he reluctantly let the matter drop, knowing he would get too worked up if he continued thinking about it. He closed his eyes a moment and reminded himself that he had to try harder to not let his anger get the best of him, or else he'd never earn his son's forgiveness. At least when he looked back up none of the three seemed too upset by his declaration, possibly because they were in agreement to some degree.

Finally breaking eye contact, Adrian sighed. He too hoped Trevor was right, but that was something they'd probably never get to the bottom of. It wasn't as satisfying, but as long as that bishop - or anyone else who replaced him - wasn't giving them trouble, they'd probably have to live with that. But now that he was thinking about the matter of blame and forgiveness and redemption, he remembered another point he'd written down that he needed to talk to his father about.

"You asked what you could do to make up with me," the half-vampire said slowly, tiredly, drawing his parents' attention back to him. "But now that you know I'm not the only one affected by your actions, I ask you this, what will you do to make amends? I warned you, didn't I - if you loosed an army of the night on Wallachia, you could not undo it. The two of you may feel like you're in exile, living in self-imposed isolation in a tiny village far from all you've known, but as far as I can tell you live in safety and relative comfort. Meanwhile, monsters and demons and vampires still roam the land. Our village is better suited than most to deal with it but we still suffer occasional losses and injuries from attacks."

It was disheartening for Lisa to hear, but she was proud of her son's continued compassion and concern for humans. Even though it was likely that many people would continue to reject him simply because of what he was, the fact that Adrian now had a human family and a human settlement close by meant that he had done enough to win over the hearts of some people. He'd finally been rewarded for his kindness and his efforts.

The former vampire lord took a minute to consider things carefully, then said, "Yes, you were right... I cannot fully undo it. Even now that I see the error of my actions, I cannot take them back. The night hordes I originally summoned have already been sent back to whence they came, or at least instructed to move away from human habitation and do no further harm. But that accounts for only a fraction of the forces I once commanded. Beyond that... The night creatures brought forth by my forgemasters will no longer answer to me without their forgers being present. Other demons that have been unleashed are simply beyond anyone's control. And the vampires that remain... I am no longer their leader. And I cannot risk them finding out that I have returned, for the leaderless masses will either try to gather beneath me once again, renewing their campaigns, or the more ambitious ones will start making plans to kill me off for good so they can claim leadership in my stead."

"Any effort is better than none," Trevor commented, not accepting excuses.

Vlad tilted his head slightly. "What would you have me do? I doubt I would be welcome on your lands to take up the hunt myself."

The trio exchanged looks. "Would you do it if asked?" Sypha inquired, curious.

"If that is what my son wishes, yes."

Adrian frowned and made an uneasy sound, so Trevor answered for him. "We'll talk it over."

Vlad nodded. At least the olive branch had been offered.

"Along the same topic, I suppose it's too soon to ask if there's a possibility of us coming to visit someday?" Lisa asked hopefully, taking a shot in the dark.

"We'll talk it over," Trevor repeated as Adrian leaned into him once again, a slight shudder rippling through his body. It was obvious the half-vampire wanted to say yes just as much as he wanted to say no. Trevor understood that Adrian missed his parents terribly, especially his mother, but it was very clear Vlad would insist on coming along, and it was too soon to think about forgiving and forgetting when Adrian still had so many conflicting emotions clashing against one another. At the very least, he needed to see proof that his father had truly changed, not just for a day or for a year, before he'd consider letting him anywhere near the town or their family.

Lisa looked a bit disappointed, but accepted Trevor's answer without complaint, knowing the relationship between them was still a work-in-progress. "Then, would it be all right if we continued to contact you each week, around this time? Even if there isn't anything specific to talk about, I'd be happy just seeing you, Adrian."

"I think... that should be all right," said Sypha, peering at the blond. He gave her a slight nod, and she stroked his arm in reassurance.

Trevor landed another kiss on the golden hair beside him. "Poor guy's got a lot to think over, so mind if we call it a night here?" he asked.

"Yes. I suppose we have much to consider as well," Vlad mused. "I hope to have a more solid plan to offer you the next time we talk."

"If I may, one last request?" Lisa quickly piped up. She wasn't sure if they'd agree, but even if the answer was no, she wanted Adrian and his partners to at least begin considering it... "Trevor, you'd mentioned the children are just outside. I would really love to meet them, even if for a minute."

Adrian furrowed his brow and looked at Trevor, Trevor looked at Sypha, and the redhead shrugged. "Well, I'm okay with that," she said.

Trevor sighed. He wanted to carelessly snap that he saw no reason to agree, they weren't her grandchildren, but that would mean dismissing Adrian as their papa, and that simply wasn't acceptable. "I suppose..." He waited a beat, but seeing no objection from their husband, the brunet leaned back a bit and yelled, "Frediric, want to come in?"

A brown mop popped into the doorway, and then a moment later, the little boy walked in, holding his sister by her hand as his head swiveled about in puzzlement.

"Our son Frediric and our daughter, Ann," said Sypha, before gesturing at the mirror. "Frediric, say hello to Lisa and Vlad. They're Adrian's mom and dad."

Frediric turned and politely chirped, "Hello," before leaning forward slightly to study their faces, his head tilting as his eyes took in Vlad's pale skin and crimson gaze, Lisa's bright sunshine locks and kind smile. "Mama, they're just like the painting!" he declared, before turning and running to his mother, leaving Ann alone to stare open mouthed at the pair in the mirror.

"Buu? Pa. Ya bababa..." she babbled, suddenly very excited, as she began toddling towards the glass, one hand stretching towards Lisa's golden curls.

Trevor leapt off his perch before Sypha could even draw breath to yell for one of the men to grab her, but the scarlet flash that cut through the air between the sofa and the mirror beat him to the punch. The toddler was suddenly aloft, securely cradled in her papa's arms. Ann tilted her head back to look up at Adrian as he gazed worriedly down at her, then she looked down at the ever-present doll that had fallen from her grasp when he'd scooped her up. Her face began scrunching up as she tried - and failed - to figure out why there were two people with such similar long, wavy blond hair; almost everyone she'd ever met had darker hair, or wore it shorter.

"Don't cry, Ann. It's okay. I'm sorry," Adrian whispered, kissing her chestnut curls, thinking that his quick movement had frightened her. He knelt down and picked up the doll, handing it to her in hopes that it would help soothe her, as she turned and buried herself in his mane, making frustrated hiccups and squeaks.

"That was close," Sypha breathed. She wasn't completely sure if Ann had been at risk of passing through the mirror, but even if she hadn't, all those glass shards were still a danger.

"Frediric, when you're with her, you can't just let go like that," Trevor softly scolded, though he knew he was partially responsible too, for simply letting the kids walk themselves in like that. He waited until the boy nodded, his eyes a bit downcast, then knelt down to hug him and reassure him that he wasn't angry.

Lisa had been startled too, though it had skipped her mind that the little girl could have fallen through until Adrian had dashed in and grabbed her. But now that she was safe and everyone was breathing a bit easier, she couldn't help but coo at how gentle her son was with the child, and how carefully they clung to one another as he carried her back to the settee. Adrian managed to work Ann's fists free from his hair before sitting her down between himself and Sypha, as Frediric climbed up onto his lap so he could squeeze between his fathers. Really, for as non-traditional as their relationship was, the three of them and their kids made for a beautiful family. Even Vlad's expression softened as he focused on his son anchoring the tableau.

The doctor took hold of her husband's hand and squeezed, needing to share just how touched she was, then held the other one over her heart as she gushed, "Thank you so much; the children are absolutely darling!"

Trevor simply nodded as Sypha returned the gratitude, while Adrian put his arms around the kids flanking him, hugging them. He'd been slightly hesitant to add the children to the equation, but he felt a little safer now that he could see that his parents - especially his father - seemed to be identifying the children as theirs rather than Trevor and Sypha's. Being a Belmont was always a detriment where vampires were concerned; being a Belnades-Belmont-Tepes was a more complicated matter, but at least it afforded them some protection that they otherwise would not have had.

Trevor nudged his son. "Say good night, Little Man," he instructed, glad to at least end the conversation on a slightly more positive note after all the earlier turmoil.

"Good night!" Frediric yelled.

"Guu. Nahh," Ann said, mimicking her brother as she thrust her doll towards Adrian's face before attempting to climb under his hair again.

Lisa couldn't help but smile, feeling a little more hopeful. Perhaps their next conversation would be less strained, and they could get to know the children better. Maybe they could even see about sending them some gifts? Maybe some clothing or books or sweets? Or toys, though it had been a while since they'd last crafted any...

"Yes. Good night, and we'll see you next week," she said, as Vlad slowly raised and then lowered his hand, closing the connection.

"I suppose I have some work to do," the vampire mused, sitting back in his seat as the shards of their mirror neatly floated down to begin swirling in a lazy circle above into the open box.

"Yes you do. We all do. And I will help you any way I can, so that Adrian will eventually see: you're doing your best to become a better person than you were, and you'll keep working at it, so he can be proud of you once again," Lisa stated decisively.

Vlad gave her a faint smile; it was the best he could manage at the moment. He once would've said that that mattered, but at this point, he'd accept Adrian tolerating being in the same room with him. Or even his son being able to look him in the eye, without fear and accusation misting over the shimmering golden irises that were the closest thing to the sun's brilliance that he'd been able to set his gaze on in hundreds of years.

But Lisa was an optimist... and there was nothing wrong with having an end goal. Vlad bowed his head, sealing the deal, as the mirror flew back up before him. Since he had no other tasks of importance slated for the evening, there was no reason to wait. Although he had not planned on it, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to see if he could get in contact with either of his former forgemasters. Perhaps something could be done about the night creatures they'd left behind in Wallachia...

* * *

Author's Notes:

- Just to be up front about it, the forgemasters won't be a major part of the story (which is why I'm glossing over them and minimizing details). I couldn't not bring them up since they did contribute to Dracula's forces, but as far as I'm concerned they're a completely separate storyline (nevermind the fact that I can't get over that that's supposed to be Hector and Isaac) and don't need to be included here beyond a mention or two.

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

February 15, 2024