Spring Forward, Fall Back (Alucard x Chubby! Reader)

Chapter 83 - The Plan Realized

Dracula P.O.V.

It was difficult at first. We went from home to home and delivered the food to the starving people of Braila, and Lisa began the arduous process of giving medicines to the sick. Y/N mixed teas for Lisa to distribute to them; combining mint with elderberry juice in a tea to bring them back to health. Adrian went back out to hunt a few more times while Belmont went to the river by horse to fish. In a matter of days, this once lifeless town has sprung back to something of it's once former glory. And all because of the planning of one woman.

That still struck me as miraculous. One single human woman had foreseen possibilities that would have escaped my notice, or anyone else's notice for that matter, and planned ahead by several steps. She knew they would need food, medicine and other supplies to bring their families back out from their despair and anguish, and she did it all seemingly without batting an eyelash. She smiled at the people, spoke to them at length, helped gather the water for bathing and drinking, helped them prepare food and eat, gave them medicines that would make them healthy once again and played with the children while their parents or guardians worked back up to health and normalcy. One single woman thought of all of this.

"You seem dazed, love," Lisa said as she hugged into my side. Absentmindedly, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her closer to me.

"Its just that I never would have thought of even half of these things for these people. People I can't help but feel guilty for hurting to begin with," I said truthfully. "These people decided to trust me even after everything I've done."

"That has a lot to do with your nature, love," Lisa said as she shifted to stand before me. "Yes, you messed up. You messed up big time, but you've presented yourself before them and given them the chance they thought they'd never have to reprimand you for it and see that you're trying to make things right."

"You do realize," Y/N said as she approached, "that the way things were presented to them, and the reason I just stood back to make things from the shadows for the most part, is that you're giving them all of these things to make up for all that happened. I wanted them to see you and Mom together. I wanted them to see that you're trying to help them just as you did before."

"You also forgot how much she defended you," Adrian said with a smirk. "Don't you remember all those books Allen showed you? How he explained how Y/N cried after the movie?"

"I cried after the movie," I said with a smirk. Lisa chuckled while smacking my arm.

"She would do anything to bring the histories that she's heard from the people of Romania back toward the truth. Its bad enough that Carmilla's actions skewed those histories, but to leave them that way would be worse." Adrian remarked.

Reader P.O.V.

We've been here almost a week. It wouldn't be too much longer before Carmilla makes her way here, and I'm starting to feel the strain. The people are trusting Dracula, but I'm certain it has more to do with Lisa being by his side more than anything else. I watched as he sat down with all the adults of the town and explained everything that happened, listened as the people expressed their displeasure with the Church and anger, sympathy and grief at the news of the death of his lady wife, watched as they each told him what happened in their town after that first year. They told him how the Church sent many people who took their crops the moment they were brought to town, when the night creatures came and the aftermath of their attack, the continued invasion of the soldiers left behind, the mercenaries who came through and abused the people, raped the women and took their money every chance they got.

Vlad's anger at what he heard seemed to only spur him on in his efforts to win over the people of Braila even more. Communal meals became a staple of the town as everyone gathered in the now abandoned parish chapel at long tables to share meals together. Lisa, Sypha and I have been baking bread every day for the meals while Trevor and Adrian hunted and fished for whatever we needed. Cloves were used to spice the venison and mint was added to the tea. Vlad had his own food that was free of the spices, but still found that he couldn't be in the kitchens while food was prepared. It made me feel bad, but he did his level best to reassure me that it was fine and that it was to save the people of Braila.

"It shouldn't be much longer," Isaac mused. "Hector isn't as skilled as I am, but he isn't slow either. And Carmilla has an impatience about her that would force his hand even further."

"Yes," Sypha muttered. "She didn't seem the least bit concerned for anyone else's safety aside from her own." At that moment, a small boy wandered over toward her and shyly offered her a small loaf of bread. His blush was riding high over his little pudgy face, the restoration of the health of the people most evident in the children, and his big eyes flickered between her face and the ground. I watched as she smiled softly at the boy while taking the bread from his hand. Next thing we knew, the boy smiled brightly, hugged her legs and ran off giggling.

"He's so sweet and adorable," Sypha chuckled softly as she took a seat in the small room we'd all convened in while resting from our cooking duties.

"Almost makes you wonder what your own child will look like, doesn't it?" Lisa spoke softly, a small smile resting on her lips. Sypha's only response was a hum and a smile, but she gazed down and rubbed her slight bump lovingly.

I turned my head to look outside at the moon hanging low in the sky, the golden color reminding everyone that the sun has just barely left the sky to allow the stars their time to be seen. What crops were left had been harvested and stored for the winter in the buildings that Adrian and Trevor had helped repair earlier in the week. Pens full of chickens and pigs were given all the extra hay they could hold to keep them warm. Wells had been cleared and buckets repaired.

"I think we're ready," Lisa said as she joined me near the window. "We've gotten as much done as possible, fortified the people and distributed their defense. Not much else can be done now."

"I know," I sighed. "The only problem I have is that at some point, one or more of these people may lose their life while Carmilla attempts to find someone to drink from."

"There isn't anything you could do to drive them away," Sypha reminded, "and if you did, this whole thing would have been done for no reason." She gently pat my shoulder to attempt to comfort me, and I greatly appreciated the gesture, but there wasn't a single thing she could have said to ease my conscience. I knew someone may die no matter the protection the herbs provided, and that weighed heavily on my shoulders.