Dracula: Jonathan's Story

Happy Families

Jonathan sat on a bench at the side of the playground. It was a foggy day. The type of day he loved, because he could be outside with his wife, and son without fear. He could pretend for a little while that he was a normal husband, spending an afternoon with his family.

Edmund was born a month after their marriage; a sweet bundle with a head full of dark curls, and his mother's intelligent blue eyes. He wrapped his father around his little finger the moment he grabbed Jonathan's fist. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his son.

Jonathan delighted in watching them together. "Should we call papa to come play in the sand with us?" Mina asked. Edmund giggled: "Papa, papa," Jonathan made a show of ignoring them.

"Papa, Papa," Mina repeated with their son. Jonathan joined them, rolling up his sleeves, and kneeling down at the sandbox. They brought Edmund's favourite pail, and shovel; Mina was helping him build a sandcastle.

Jonathan filled another pail with dirt, packed it tight before flipping it over. "A castle needs turrets," he said. He pulled of Edmund's figures to guard it.

"No mun-ters. No mun-ters" Edmund began lining up the soldiers next to the first.

Jonathan smiled at his son. "No monsters. I'll always protect you," he kissed the boy on the top of his head.

"Were you able to fix the Abbey the way you wanted?" She asked. He hired contractors to build a couple of rooms in the basement where he could store a coffin, and entertain guests without being found by servants.

"Yes. They finish next week. I added some touches for you," he answered. They had a little time between the wedding and Edmund's birth to make a compromise where he would use the Manor for his needs, while in London he'd behave as the picture perfect husband.

They kissed over the top of their son's head, drawing his giggles. He felt a drop of rain on his neck, and looked skyward. Jonathan stood with Edmund in his arms, and settled him into the carriage. Mina joined him as he pushed the carriage homeward. They were soaked as they entered their flat near the law offices.

She reached into the carriage to pick Edmund up. "I'll put him to bed," he suggested. It was one of his favourite parts of the day. He got a night shirt ready, and slipped the little boy into it, then lay him down in the crib. He leaned against the rail watching his chest heave with life.

"My two favourite men, I couldn't be happier," Mina came behind him putting her arms around his waist put her head against his back. He was as smooth, and solid as a piece of rock. Jonathan took her hands and led her from the room, back to theirs.

He shut the door, and kissed her soundly. "I have longed for this every night since we made Edmund. Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes." He'd fed the night before from a homeless couple outside a pub. Another kiss, and the pins fell from her hair. He ran his hands through it loosening it. The blonde hair flowed down her back as he cupped his hand on the side of her face. "I always liked you like this," he said. He lifted her and set her down on the bed in a seated position.

She untucked his shirt from his breeches, and pushed the suspenders off his shoulders. "Are you sure? The exposure to sunlight... "

He tore her dress open down the front, and she gasped at the room's cool air on her skin. She laughed, taking his actions as agreement. She kissed him. "Feed from me if you need to," she suggested lifting her hair over one shoulder bearing her neck.

Her actions stopped Jonathan in his tracks, and he drew away from the bed. "You don't know what you're asking, what you're tempting" he said.

She padded across to him and slipped arms around his waist in a pose similar to the one in Edmund's room. "Explain it."

"I can control people's thoughts, you know that," he felt her chin nodding against his back, and continued. "The ability strengthens after I feed on someone. I don't want that between us. Our marriage is supposed to be a partnership. I want something normal between us," he said.

He let her turn his arms to face him, and they were silent long enough for her to sit back on the bed. "We're never going to be normal Jonathan. You're a vampire, you'll outlive me. You'll outlive Edmund, and Edmund's children. Likely his grandchildren too. You feed on people's blood," Mina looked away from him to keep him from seeing the tears. "None of that is normal," she looked back to gauge his reaction. She couldn't play at happy families anymore. There was always going to be a part of your life, I couldn't share, no matter how much I wanted to."

He was so focused on survival, returning to Mina, taking up the life he'd left before. Making it a better one for their son. He sat facing her, knees touching his brow creased with worry. "I haven't dealt what I've become. What he's turned me into. Not really. I need to face it all; what happened at the castle, the convent. Fragments come to me in dreams sometimes but I'm never sure they're my memories,"

Mina chose to ignore that part of it for now. "What do you remember?"

He looked away from her. "What does it feel like?" Dracula asked. It was a contradiction. He felt cold; the stone underneath him, the blood loss. But also warm; the sunlight, and seeping wounds. He crawled away from the shadow pulling himself up on the castle ramparts. They were high enough that it was as if they were the only two alive in this world.

"You'll be exactly like me,"

Jonathan blinked. "It was sunrise, on the top of the castle. I remember attacking him as came towards me. "I tried to fight him lifting my silver cross that caught the sunlight, and for a moment gained the upper hand.

"He came towards me, the very edge of the shadow and pulled me to him..." Jonathan stood up and paced their bedroom a few times, opening their bedroom door a crack. He stood in the doorway, a faraway look in his eyes, that always told Mina he was afraid. "It's an odd feeling to have your head separated from your body. It's rare anyone lives through that, but I managed to pull myself up on the ramparts." Jonathan knew he wasn't remembering in order, and took a step back in order to make her understand the import of his actions.

"He wanted me as his bride. I resisted. Every night I was there, he came into my room and took my blood. He fucked me." Jonathan didn't need to look to know his use of the word shocked her. He could still feel the man's chest under his hands, taste his lips.

"I promised myself that I would do anything to get back to you," Mina nodded. "I stood there that morning listening to him beg me not to jump, that I would be his one perfect companion. He would take me back inside and ease my transition. And I knew the only thing that I could do was deny him the one thing that could bring him pleasure, so I jumped."

"I thought I'd die. I hoped I would. Because at least then I'd be free. You could remember me as a beloved fiancé , instead of.." he took her dressing chair, and Mina joined him, a finger to his lips.

"You made the choice to survive, and I'm glad of it. Edmund will have a father, and I'll have a husband because of your actions. Marriages are not supposed to be easy."

"Our deal..." He asked.

"Will have to be reworked." Her tone brooked no argument from him.

"I don't deserve you," he said allowing himself to be drawn back towards the bed. They finished undressing and lay together, arms around each other, their foreheads touching.