There was a shuffle nearby. Charlotte forced her eyes open again, and saw the youngest vampire hunter peering cheerfully down at her. At first she didn't remember anything, not even what had happened with Cornelius, and wondered what kind of crazy Steampunk costume her sister was stringing together for Halloween.
"You're awake!" Paul said. "You missed all the fun!"
Charlotte glanced out of the closest window. The sun had gone down not long ago. She grew awfully cold. She had missed it, and the vampire hunter called it fun.
She lunged off the couch she was sprawled on and tackled the young man with a predatory anger most unlike her. Paul was surprised to find himself pinned to a wall.
"What have you done to him?" she demanded.
"Gosh, you're strong for a girl," Paul commented.
Charlotte pulled him away from the wall and sent him crashing into the couch. It fell over as Paul hit it, and a part of her was terrified of what she just had done. She could have broken several of his bones, even killed him. But it didn't feel like this was her doing. She was merely a witness to her own actions. And he deserved it for the part he had in Cornelius' death.
Paul whimpered behind the couch. Charlotte walked over and kneeled down on one knee beside him, just in time for him to come to. Her headache had cleared.
"I'm not asking you again."
"We haven't done anything yet. We- we've been playing cards while we waited for the sun to go down. I won three times. It was..." He whimpered again, some part of him must have been injured, but Charlotte really didn't care, and he finished: "... fun."
Cornelius was alive. Charlotte sank down on both knees and didn't move for a short while. The vampire hunter stirred.
"Can I get up or are you going to throw me around some more?"
"Just stand up," Charlotte mumbled, and frowned as her conscience returned. "Are you alright?"
"I've had worse," Paul said. He straightened, cracked his back in a few places, and offered Charlotte a helping hand. She wasn't sure whether her feet would support her, so she took it.
"Where are the rest of the hunters?"
"They're down in the crypt," said Paul cheerily.
Charlotte tore down in the basement, furious for having let her guard down. While she had been close to crying just because Cornelius was alive, the hunters could have been staking him. Or cleaved his head from his shoulders. Or whatever horrible things steampunk vampire hunters did to vampires.
Down in the crypt the vampire hunters were already prying the heavy lid off Cornelius' coffin. Charlotte ran in just in time to see them heave it off, ready to kill the vampire inside, and opened her mouth to cry out for Cornelius to wake up.
Abe van Jaeger's shoulders sagged. "It's empty," he said. "How can it be empty?"
"Because I can't sleep when you come barging down the stairs like a herd of elephants," Cornelius complained, having appeared at Charlotte's side. He was wearing normal clothes, only looking a little tired. There was no trace of the bat pyjamas, but he hadn't had the time to comb his hair. It looked carelessly messy, a look that actually suited him.
She cleared her head and concentrated on the hunters, who spun around, ready to defend themselves against this unspeakable evil - only that the guy didn't look that evil to be frank. They looked a bit bewildered, until one of them produced a gold crucifix from one of his pockets. Cornelius hissed and retreated from the holy object. The vampire hunters lost their confusion. This was a vampire alright!
Charlotte stared at Cornelius, and couldn't help but ask. "Are you allergic to crosses? How does that work?"
"Oh." Cornelius straightened, still looking at the vampire hunter. "I thought he was going to throw that at me," he explained sheepishly. "Sorry," he said to the vampire hunter. "My bad!"
There was a beat, in which neither vampire, his pretend fiancé or the vampire hunters moved. Then the vampire hunters charged in unison at the tiny doorway Cornelius and Charlotte occupied. Charlotte fell into her fighting stance. Once again it was up to her to drag Cornelius' butt out of trouble.
But the vampire hunters didn't even reach the doorway. Charlotte registered something blur past her into the room, and then Cornelius wasn't standing beside her any longer. She stared in awe as he roundhoused van Jaeger, sent another hunter flying with a strong uppercut to the jaw and then simply tripped another right into the open coffin. The fight was over in less than a minute.
"Wow," said Charlotte.
"Ow," said the vampire hunters.
Cornelius sauntered over to Charlotte. "That was easy," he said, stepping nonchalantly over one of the fallen hunters. "It was almost too easy," he added.
As in response there was an awful war cry behind them. Vampire and teenager looked behind them to see Paul come charging down the stone steps with a ridiculously large knife in hand. When he reached the very last step, he stumbled and fell forwards. Charlotte realised, too late, that the knife was headed in her direction.
Cornelius snatched her out of the way just in time, and the large blade passed mere inches away from her.
Paul met the stone floor with an ouch-sounding smack. Cornelius reached down and lifted him up by the collar of his steamy tea-coloured shirt. "Young man, what were you thinking? Your mother might not have told you never to run with knives, but I am sure she told you never to run with scissors, and I assure you, that rule extends to anything with a sharp blade. You almost cut poor Charlotte in two, and I appreciate not having her in a two piece set. Put that away immediately."
Paul was still dazed, but managed to comply.
Charlotte exhaled, a little shaken, and stepped further into the room, not paying attention to the rest of the vampire hunters who were on the floor, still in pain. Cornelius continued to rant at poor Paul, who nodded in fearful agreement to everything he said.
Until then, Charlotte had thought herself relatively safe from the hunting party. Thusly, the lead vampire hunter's sudden attack caught her off guard.
Cornelius paused midway in his rant when Charlotte whimpered most cowardly, and turned to see Abe van Jaeger hold a blade against his would-have-been-bride's throat. The sight was most unwelcome.
"Let my comrade go," van Jaeger ordered.
Paul immediately scooted away when Cornelius obeyed.
"Of course you would protect her, I've figured it out now" van Jaeger said, obviously feeling a lot more at ease now that he had the upper hand. By now Charlotte could recognise the start of a monologue and would have rolled her eyes if she hadn't been in mortal danger yet again.
Van Jaeger continued: "She's loyal to you despite not being a bloodsucking fiend of the night, she protects you, she's obviously in love with you - no normal woman would do that! Of course she's a reincarnated former wife of you! Just like in that movie!"
All of the vampire hunters, except Paul who still hurt after being introduced to the floor, said "Oh," and nodded as if van Jaeger's theory was logical.
"Former wife?" Cornelius repeated, with distaste, for the first time looking at Charlotte with suspicion. "I would hope not."
Charlotte was thrown aside as Van Jaeger pulled out a mean-looking gun. "Lord Nightstalker!" he proclaimed with the greatest drama he could muster. "Prepare to meet your doom!"
"I'm not Lord Nightstalker," Cornelius protested.
"I think he's right," one of the hunters interjected. "Sure doesn't look like him!"
Abe van Jaeger rummaged through some of his pockets until he found a tattered picture. He held it up to compare it with Cornelius. He looked from the photo to Cornelius and back again. Then he clenched his eyes almost shut and compared it again.
"Well, this is awkward," he said at last. "We were paid to find Lord Nightstalker and rescue Jane Smith, one of his latest abductees." He found yet another photo and showed it to his recent enemies. "I don't suppose you've seen this girl?"
Charlotte craned her neck to see, and grinned wide. Shadow's real name was Jane Smith.
She got up and dusted off herself. "We've seen her. And if you hadn't charged at poor, innocent Cornelius here, then maybe he would have told you that the awful Lord Nightstalker is dead.
"You killed him?" asked Van Jaeger, trying to pierce Cornelius with his gaze. It didn't work.
Charlotte was about to open her mouth, but thought otherwise and let Cornelius answer.
"Yes," Cornelius said. "Because he was a horrible man, and I couldn't possibly stand for his misdeeds. He made my kind look bad."
"Hear, hear!" van Jaeger exclaimed, turning to the rest of the hunters and praising the noble vampire in front of them. Cornelius just looked embarrassed.
Charlotte let Van Jaeger go on for a few minutes till she decided he had talked enough, and cut in: "We even know where Jane Smith is. And you can even take her with you right now."
It was very easy to convince Shadow to go with the vampire hunters.
Charlotte went looking for her, and found her, violently going through the black gothic wardrobe in the bedroom Charlotte now considered as her own. Charlotte didn't mind the clothes, they weren't hers, but she frowned at the mess since she would have to clean it up later.
"Hey, Shadow," she said, leaning on the door frame, "there are some people here to save you from Nightstalker's black claws!"
"But I don't wanna be saved!" whined Shadow.
"The lead vampire hunter is really hot!" Charlotte simply retorted.
"See? Problem all solved," Charlotte sighed as she and Cornelius closed the giant brown doors of the black gothic castle on the vampire hunters and a very happy Shadow, who indeed thought the lead vampire hunter was hot, judging by her squeals when seeing him.
"Sure they can't come in again?" she asked, checking the locks in case the hunters would try to return Shadow when they found her to be a pest.
"I don't think so," Cornelius said. "These doors have withstood entire armies, or so the saleswoman told me."
Charlotte gave a relieved phew and unrolled the bandages on her arm. "Hey, how come you couldn't have helped me defeat Nightstalker? Those were some pretty awesome moves in the crypt."
"I had three hundred and seventy-nine seeds to count, and I got out of it twice. And it wasn't like you couldn't handle him yourself."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Charlotte grinned.
She rolled off the last bandage and checked the bite-wound. It ached, and when she uncovered the skin, it looked like it was infected.
"This can't be good," she muttered, prodding it carefully. The moment she got home, she'd have to have someone have a look. Wonder what a doctor would make of a vampire bite?
"Oh dear," Cornelius said, looking down at the infected wound.
An explanation later, Charlotte could do nothing but stare at him.
"So I'm turning into a vampire?" she blurted. "Just because you bit me?"
"I bit you? I bit you?!" Cornelius sputtered, and took the time to remind her, in detail, exactly what had taken place when Charlotte had forced her arm into his mouth, and how he had projectile vomited in allergic response to her blood.
"I know, I know!" Charlotte stopped him, not wanting to relive the vomiting.
They sat in silence a while. Cornelius had never sired anyone and didn't know what to say to a freshly turned member of the un-dead. There were pamphlets and conventions for those who thought about turning a loved one, but he had never really bothered with them, because before Charlotte, he had never considered embracing anyone. And he had assumed that she would accept it outright, like in the stories. By now he was cursing the stories and planning on deleting his account on ff.net.
He patted her shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "Everything is going to be fine."
Charlotte spoke up at last: "You know, this explains why I've had a craving for raw steak."
Cornelius stared. "You sure don't mope around."
"Why should I? Aren't there enough emo vampires around already?"
"Hmm," Cornelius said, thinking of the vampires he knew. "You have a point."
"But I don't want to kill people," Charlotte said.
"You won't have to. We live in civilised times - I buy donor bags, mostly. And animal blood can suffice if you're in a pinch."
"So I don't have to be a cannibal?
"On occasion, but you'll get used to it."
Charlotte grumbled. But drinking out of a plastic bag was more inviting than ripping out people's throats in dark alleys. Maybe eternity wasn't going to be so bad.
Cornelius looked at the giant clock in the hall. "I think it's time we got you home."
Charlotte's hopes fell, shot down by a large calibre gun. She stared at Cornelius in horror. "Are you serious?" she asked, in a tiny voice she hated. "Now that I'm dead, you're dumping me off at my parents', expecting me to figure out everything on my own?"
Panic crept forth in Cornelius as he saw tears do the same in Charlotte's eyes. She hated the warm liquid springing forth, but couldn't help it.
"Of course not!" he protested sincerely. "What kind of heartless creature do you think I am?"
Charlotte mumbled something about being a vampire.
"I'm not leaving you."
"What are you calling this then?"
Cornelius gestured at the clock. "Your parents are bound to be worried if you don't come home this afternoon. And I'll pop by from time to time. I'll even give you my cell phone number, when I get one, so you can contact me whenever you want to."
There weren't words for the relief Charlotte felt. It was silly to think Cornelius would leave her like that, but he was very erratic.
"Thank you."
"I have some clothes you can borrow. I don't think your parents should see you in that, or any of the clothes I bought for you."
Charlotte still wore the Victorian nightgown she had on when letting the vampire hunters in. And while the second bustle dress she had was very nice and well tailored, and the corset didn't pinch her any longer, she didn't want to explain where she had gotten it.
Despite fearing for Cornelius presenting her with a Victorian suit with a matching cloak, she still followed him. The result of him searching his wardrobes surprised her. She chose a brightly coloured T-shirt Cornelius said he had bought in the eighties, thereby the eye-scorching colour, and some jeans. They hang loose on her frame, but she didn't think her mom would look closely at her when she barged in the door and ran upstairs to change.
They borrowed Lord Nightstalker's black, gothic car and tore down the mountain roads. Charlotte would have been utterly terrified to sit in the same car as Cornelius drove when she first got to know him, but he was a natural. It had to be some vampire-stuff involved, sharper senses or reaction. Charlotte was excited to notice the changes in her system. Her sight was better than before and she imagined her ears to be sharper too.
But when they finally reached her town her cheery behaviour died. She looked at people, humans going on about their daily business as they drove through the main street, and sighed.
"I won't harm anyone, will I?" she asked.
Cornelius turned a corner with ease. "Not as long as you feed regularly. And even if you get hungry, you probably won't kill anyone. But you should be careful. Once, I suddenly realised I had pounced upon a random stranger, ready to tear her jugular out, and she was upset about it, but I said I stumbled and she believed me."
Charlotte told herself she could come up with better excused and decided to brush off the problem.
They pulled up a few houses away from Charlotte's house, as her mom was home, and Charlotte got out. As she did, Cornelius stopped her and reached into the back seat.
"You should have this," he said, handing her a black bag she had noticed him bringing along. When she looked quizzically at it, he explained. "It's food. Or what food is for you now. I recommend you don't eat anything - it'll mess you up. But you can drink stuff - just stay clear of alcohol."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No, but you might end up doing embarrassing things."
"I'll remember that," Charlotte said. "And thanks."
"It's the least I could do."
Charlotte didn't know what to say and started walking away. It felt horrible to say goodbye to Cornelius, even for a short time, so she didn't. She had expected to hear the car roar to life behind her, but instead there was the sound of the car door slamming shut. Cornelius came up beside her, hands in his pockets.
"I suppose I could follow you."
"You should," Charlotte said. "These streets are incredibly dangerous, especially for a vampire that trains karate two times a week."
"You better take it easy when you spar," Cornelius warned. "Or they won't know what hit them."
"I hadn't thought of that," Charlotte admitted, and looked up at Cornelius - to see he wasn't even paying attention to her. She followed his line of sight and saw him gaze at a house across the street, a few houses down the road. His eyes were fixed on the sign on the lawn, that said 'for sale'. Charlotte smiled, knowing things would work out.
They stopped outside her house.
"Are you sure you don't wanna come in?" Charlotte offered.
"No thanks," Cornelius blurted. "I'm - it... you see, um -"
"You don't want to meet my parents."
"Yeah, that's it," he admitted.
"That's okay. You will tell me if you buy that house, right?"
"I will."
Fearing her mother was watching them, Charlotte still risked a fast hug. "You know, you're not that bad," she said.
Cornelius hugged back in surprise and didn't know what to say. He started walking back to the car already as Charlotte tore up the drive-way to her house, having the distinct feeling that he had gained something - something quite different than what he had hoped to gain, but something better. A fledgling - he was a mentor. He had responsibility. It felt good.
A week later, he had sold his castle to some newbie vampire who wanted to move in with his blood slave harem. He liked the new house better. It was quiet, but not too quiet. And his internet connection was a million times faster.
Charlotte popped by whenever she had the chance and her parents didn't notice where she went. The first thing she did in the new house was tackle Cornelius to the ground in order to rip the comic book he was reading, away from him. No way was he going to be influenced by the bloodsuckers from 30 Days of Night.
Other than such incidents, life went on. They certainly didn't live perfectly happy ever after, but they got along just fine, thank you very much.
FIN.
The adventure continues in
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