Christmas With Dracula, Chapter 8
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WARNING: Some portions of the following work of fiction contain explicit sex. If you are under 18 (or whatever age is appropriate for your location), HIT YOUR BACK BROWSER BUTTON NOW. If you find explicit sex offensive, please don't offend yourself by reading further. . The Song "I don't want to miss a thing" comes from the Armageddon Sound track, but I don't remember the name of the artist, sorry. The song is copy written by the artist and their respective production companies. The song "Where are You Christmas" comes from The Grinch sound track, and is performed by Faith Hill. The song is copy written by 2000 Interscope Records. Please everyone don't be mad, or whatever, but Kale's outfit for the ball was modeled after the outfit worn by a Doll. Holiday Ecitement Barbie to be precice from Mattel. The desighn and coloring are theirs, I just borrowed it for the story cause it looked fantastic.
The full disclaimer for this work of Vampire Hunter D fanfiction is at the beginning of Chapter 1.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: For those who saw VHD Bloodlust, did you ever wonder why D would change is look, clothing and sword wise that is. Seems to me that a guy like D wouldn't go for personal fashion, no matter how functional. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter; I got a little silly, and a lot sentimental. This is how I figure D got his new look. It seems a lot sweeter somehow. Enjoy.
Author: Charlotte MacFarlane
Email: duckey@ns.sympatico.ca
Feedback: Please, yes, lots.
Forward to others: would be flattered if you did.
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Chapter 8 We Danced
No one saw D or Kale before Christmas Eve Day. It was probably for the best anyway. Linda had placed a tray of food outside their room at meal times, returning each time to find the last tray empty. The days before Christmas Eve, Linda had been given permission to gather her family at Dracula's home for their own year-end Christmas. Though it was true, people had heard the word Christmas, but no one remembered what it meant. The only way Dracula could explain how he remembered Christmas was by referring to journals kept by his family over the centuries. Which was true. He himself kept a journal and each one spanned a term of 65 years. The only lie, was that the author of the journal kept them from Age 10 to the time they died.
No one questioned. Though Dracula didn't use his mind warping on them, they knew that many well to do families had records like this, and for each one to be passed on from generation to generation, was not uncommon. For someone to read the ancient languages they were written in, proved a families devotion to remembering the past.
Linda's family was quite nice, her grand parents from both sides of the family where in attendance. Her parents, her five older brothers; their wives and children, and her two younger sisters; their husbands and children, certainly filled the house.
The ballroom, with its special retractable walls, was offered as the gathering room, and no fuss was made as long as they stayed away from the tree and gifts, and no one was to venture upstairs or to the basement. Though there were many children, nearly 20, of varying ages, everyone got along fine. The older children would hide in the library, looking through books they'd never seen, collected by the Tepes family over the years.
Dracula pulled out toys for the younger children, and even managed to come up with a doll for one sad little girl. The adults all talked and laughed, ate, drank, and caught up on what everyone was doing. All the while a lone woman watched from the upper level.
A pair of sad green eyes, peered down from behind the banister rails, following some of the smaller children around as they played. Suddenly, a pair of small arms encircled her neck. "You need a hug," said the tiny voice. She turned to see a little boy, one she was sure she knew. The little boy smiled widely when he saw her, remembering her too. "Are we gona roll around in the mud again?"
She laughed. "You better get back downstairs, before your mom thinks I'm going to toss you off the second floor."
"Yeah, but I can't."
"Why not?"
"'Cause you're still not happy. Where's that tall man you was wif?"
"He's in another room."
"Come on!" Before she could grab him, the little boy ran off down the hall, heading straight for the first door, which just happen to be hers and D's.
"Come here!" she called as the boy threw the door open.
"There you are!" he said, seeing D clad in only a towel, laying his dress clothes out over the bed. D just looked at him as Kale picked him up and tucked him under her arm. "She
needs a hug!" he laughed.
"Sorry D, he snuck up here. I'll send him back."
"I can go!" he laughed again, as she mussed his hair. "Really Mister, she needs a hug!"
"Will you return downstairs?" he asked the child.
"Yes!" he giggled as Kale moved him to her other arm.
"Then I will give her a hug. Put him down love."
"Aw, Come on D. I was just having fun!" she said playfully, tickling the boy and eliciting a laugh.
"Please Kale?" seeming reluctant, she put the boy down, and stepped into the room, where D eagerly pulled her to him.
Behind her, he watched a pair of small hands pull the door closed. "He is young," he said, "but even he sees the obvious."
"Just hold me. You smell so good."
"You were very happy holding him. I had not seen your eyes shine like that in some time."
She jus sighed and moved away. "I don't want to talk about it D."
"I do. Is that so wrong?"
"No. It's just..." she held his arms as he came to her. "I can't...give you what you really want."
He kissed her hair as he whispered. "What is it that you think I want?"
"D...you know what. And I can't..."
"Tell me love. I can take it. I'm here for you."
"I can't..." she felt his arms around her, his left across her shoulders, his right across her stomach. "No D. I can't...how can I..."
"It's ok." He could feel her body tense under his touch. 'This is probably what she threw Delron away from.' he thought.
"I can't..." she whimpered, tears streaming from her eyes. "...I can't...give you a baby."
He eased her to the floor, as her body gave out to her grief. She'd said that she was barren many times, but until now, she never really, really, accepted it. This was what she couldn't face before, perhaps she still couldn't, but she did. For him.
"Oh GOD!" she cried. "How can you look at me?! How can you touch me?! Knowing that I'm poison inside."
"All I want is you. Nothing more. Just you. Come back to me, please."
"But I can't...I saw you...how you looked at KD. How you held her. You want a family."
"Some day, yes. But I can't either. Maybe not by injury, but by choice."
"What...?" she turned to him, his arms still around her, her tears still staining her face.
"What do you mean?"
"Its me baby. Even if you could have children, I wouldn't sire them. My vampire traits would be passed on to our young, and I refuse to father a child to grow up like I did. Trapped between worlds they could never have, or fully be a part of. Less than Vampire, less than human. Shunned from both sides, with a never ending thirst for blood that is not their own just to survive. I will NOT let a child of mine know that kind of horror."
"D...I had no idea."
"I never mentioned it. I'm sorry. If you could have children though, we could have always gone to a clinic and..."
"NO! No D. It's either you, or no one. I won't have a child by anyone else but the one I love. And Like it or not big guy, that's you."
"Then we both have the curse. You cannot, and I will not. Where does that leave us?"
"I guess...right where we are. Do you think...some day...we could adopt a baby? One that we know is alone?"
"Yes. I promise. One day, we will make our own family. That I swear." He kissed her, relief of all being in the open now was all they felt. Great weights were gone off their shoulders now, and though it was sad to speak of, they were glad of it.
They turned at a knock on their door. "Yes?" she called, wiping her face.
"Linda's family have all gone," called Adrian, "and father's guests have started to arrive. He's wondering when you two will be down?"
"Give me a few minutes." She called, and Adrian's footfalls were heard leaving. "D, there's one more thing."
"Oh?"
"I tried on those dresses your father left, and none of them fit. Whoever wore them before, was skinnier than me."
"Oh. Oh dear."
"I guess we'll find something."
"I'll get dressed and tell father. Maybe Linda had..."
"Hers are too small too. I'll see what I can muster together."
"All right. You gona be ok?"
"Yeah. Just don't leave me alone down there. Politicians are worse than Vampires."
She threw the last of her clothing aside. She didn't have anything suitable for this dance. How could she attend without something half decent to wear? Not only that, how could she sing in front of people, looking like she either had just come from, or was heading out to kill something? Somehow that didn't sound very Christmassy. Angrily she turned as someone knocked on the door. "I'm not going!" she screamed.
"May I come in?" called Dracula.
"Yes, come in," he ducked as another pair of pants sailed through the air. "I'm sorry Dracula, I can't attend tonight. Nothing fits! Which, ironically, is the story of my life."
"Perhaps this...may help." He a large box on the bed next to her. "I hope you don't mind, I borrowed some of your clothes to get the fit right. After you arrived, I saw this while shopping. I could not think of anyone else wearing it, where it would seem more fitting. It is my Christmas present to you. I hope you like it. I'll see you downstairs."
After he left, she pulled off the ribbon and opened the box. It was beautiful, and D would just die when he saw her in it.
The party downstairs was in full swing, people mingled and talked, soft Christmas carols of old played in the background. When Dracula had found the stereo set up behind some of the curtains, he decided to make full use of it, and added more speakers around the room. The ceiling was lined with Sheer material, and lights of all colors, the outer walls were lined with evergreen garland with silver and gold ornaments and ribbons, lights strewn within them. Every so often there was a 3 foot decorated tree occupying a space between the tables. Waiters were hired to give the regular house staff the night off, and were easily discerned from the guests, in their white suites and red comber buns. D stood near his father and brother, greeting the straggling guests as they entered. All three where dressed in black suites, white shirts, and red comber buns. Adrian wore a simple black ribbon around his neck for a tie, Dracula opted for a frill white scarf, and D had to suffer with a bow tie. Thankfully though, because even this long after their invention, he still couldn't tie one, his father made one that just strapped around his neck, already tied.
Again he pulled at the constricting collar, not being one for crowds and people, he just wanted to do his duty as the oldest son, make his appearance, greet the guests, then retire to his room with Kale. This night was going to be long. Not just because of the length of darkness at night, but because he hated this kind of thing, the monkey suites, the false pompousness of the guests, the greeting of people as though they were friends, but that would just as soon stab you in the back when you weren't looking. He just wanted this night to be over with. Then Dracula told him Kale would be down in a few minutes, his gift presented to her. D could hardly wait. His father had said that he saw a lovely dress for Kale, and had asked for some of her clothes to get the size just right, but did not let D see the dress after it's purchase, nor before. "Are you sure she's alright?" D asked again of his father. "Maybe I should..."
"D, for heaven's sake, let her be. She'll come down on her own," said his father, turning to Adrian as he approached with a cup of ordinary tea for all.
"Adrian, when you were last upstairs, did you happen to hear anything from my room?"
"What, was she supposed to be writhing in ecstasy again?" he laughed quietly, then cleared his throat as D glared at him. "No D, I didn't hear a thi..." D looked to him as he stopped talking. Unless a girl kissed him, he never shut up. Adrian's face was frozen in shock, his eyes wide with what he saw.
D turned, and dropped his teacup. The chattering china calling everyone's attention to what...or rather, who they saw.
The walls around the Den, great room, living room and dinning room were designed to lower into the floor, allowing the whole bottom floor, save the kitchen, lavs, and library, to open up to one huge room. Great support beams and posts, hidden in the remodeled architecture of the house, supported the upper structure. The grand staircase made a fitting centerpiece, with its rich mahogany finish, and Persian designed stair runner carpet. But all that wasn't what captured everyone so.
On the stairs, about six steps up, was a young woman. Long gold brown hair hung loosely about her shoulders, silver framed glasses adorned her face, brining out the green of her eyes, she was slender, and her white satin dress, with silver sequins all over, hung to her every curve. The sleeves were sheer material with splashes of sparkle, around the cuffs was a ring of fur with shinny fluffy strands to match her dress.
The dress went to her ankles and stayed close to her long slender legs. To complete the look, she wore a hat, made with the same material as her dress, with the same fur edging. Around her waist, just for decoration, she wore a simple string of rhinestones, that when one end was fastened, the other end hung down to her knees. On her feet she wore silver and white low-heeled shoes.
D had never seen her this way. Course she never needed to, till now. "D, close your mouth," whispered the symbiote. "You're starting to drool!" Quickly he closed his mouth, looking sideways at those around him, dabbing a napkin to his chin & lips.
"D. I believe she is waiting for you," said his father quietly. "Better get to her first, before anyone else gets any ideas." Hastily he thrust his teacup's saucer into his brother's hands and sprinted up three of the steps.
He stopped, her perfume surrounded him, soft and gentle, like the summer rain on a meadow. Her light rose lips smiled gently to him. "Kale..." he said breathlessly, extending his right hand to her. "May I have this dance?" gently she took his hand and he led her to the center of the floor. Nodding to his brother to play the song for their first real dance.
She recognized it at once. 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing'. She loved that song, and had often fantasized about being the only one on the dance floor in D's arms as it played. And now, it was so.
I could stay awake
Just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
I could spend my life
In this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment for ever
Where every moment spent with you
Is a moment I'll treasure
I don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby,
And I don't want to miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing.
"You look stunning," he said as he guided her expertly around the floor.
"Thank you. Your father gave it to me. As a present."
"He has good taste. But it is you that truly shines in it."
"I love you D."
"I love you. Never forget that."
"D?"
"Yes?"
"Merry Christmas."
Lying close to you
Feeling your heart beating
And I wonder what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes,
And thank god we're together
I just want to stay with you
In this moment forever
Forever and ever
I don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby,
And I don't want to miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing.
And I don't want to miss one smile
I don't want to miss one kiss
I just want to be with you, right here with you
Just like this.
I just want to hold you close
I'll feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
I don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby,
And I don't want to miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing.
I don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby,
And I don't want to miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing.
I don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
I don't want to miss a thing.
It was now nearing Midnight, people danced, talked, and laughed. Although it was on many of the gentlemen's minds, none dared to ask the lovely white and silver dressed woman to dance, nor would she venture far from her well dressed escort, who took her to the dance floor many times. Then she did leave him, to stand alone in the middle of the floor. "Ladies and gentlemen," she called sweetly. They all quickly fell quiet, and listened. "You've been invited here tonight for the year's end celebration, you heard as Christmas. Through my own family I know what Christmas is. But the question I would like to ask you is this. What is Christmas to you? Many of you don't know, because that knowledge has been lost a long time ago. Well I have something that may help you find Christmas, inside. If you're willing to listen.
"The last time D and I were in the western world, D found some rather oddly shaped disks, and a machine they fit into. On these disks was music, and this is one of the songs. This is my gift to you, Dracula, and Adrian. Happy Christmas." The music played, and the greater lights were turned down low, so that only Kale was seen clearly, in the middle of the floor. Then the first time, in a long time, D heard her voice ring out through the crowd.
Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you?
Why have you gone away?
Where is the laughter?
You use to bring me,
Why can't I hear music play?
My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too?
Where are you Christmas?
Do you remember?
The one you use to know
I'm not the same one
See what the times done
Is that why you have let me go?
Christmas is here everywhere
Christmas is here if you care
If there is love
In your heart and your mind
You will feel like Christmas all the time
I feel you Christmas
I know I found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart
With love
Where are you Christmas?
Fill your heart with love
As everyone applauded, D went to Kale, his hand behind he back. As he held her to him, he raised his hand, and she laughed. He held a large sprig of mistletoe. "You don't need that," she laughed, and kissed him, taking the plant form his fingers.