"Your dreams Samara. Tell me about them." Stoker urged once I reached him in the sitting room.

He was standing by the window, scanning the busy road below for whoever had been following us while I made our tea, but joined me on the sofa as soon as I sat down.

I opened my mouth... and couldn't talk about my visions. Not yet, not to him. They felt too personal, they were mine and Vlad's and nobody else's. Even the last one.

"Samara, it may be important." He insisted, trying to read my glum expression as I relived the previous night's dream.

Then, seeing my awkward hesitation, he shook his head and I knew he would let it slip for the moment, but not for long.

"Who is Viorel?" I asked, changing the subject quickly before he would change his mind.

Stoker took a deep breath then, resigned, explained patiently.

"Viorel is a very unstable vampire, that's the thing that should concern you the most about him. Once, a long time ago, he came to me like the others, seeking help. He was doing well for a while, but soon he just slipped back to his habits and... Well, they don't all have your husband's iron will." Stoker said, glancing away from me.

He seemed to be lost in thoughts or memories, and I waited for him to start talking again.

"He has never been lucky in his long life, and he's been around much longer than I." Stoker added, resuming his talk and looking at me again. "Viorel is related to your husband, like the family you met in that hotel in Bran, and he thinks he might find a better, nobler life inside your other world. But I'm sure that Lord Vlad will not welcome someone like him with open arms, his relative or not."

"So you didn't tell him that there's a passage in Bran Castle."

"Of course not. That's why he's going to try to get any information he can from you. Lucas told me about your meeting, how he disturbed you before Viorel could lead you who knows where... I know that he approached every red-haired girl visiting Bran, year after year... Finally he got the right one and I think he knows it. He will try to talk to you again."

"But, how can he be so sure it's me?" I asked, feeling guilty. I should have denied everything, but I had been desperate for the answers he promised...

"If nothing else, your ring would have given you away." Stoker said.

"My ring?" I asked, stroking the large tear-shaped diamond absentmindedly, then looking back at him.

"Of course. In our world it's as famous, as legendary as yourself." He smiled. "Every vampire knows about you, Samara. They might not believe you are real, but they know."

"That's... not good, is it?" I asked, shivering involuntarily.

"No, not for you, and not for your child. As I said, I don't think they would want to... harm you, or use you to try to get to your husband, not those I know, at least. But they'll all be curious. They'll try to approach you, and you, as very human as you still are... Let's just say that not all of them..."

"Fine, fine, I don't need to hear that again!" I called, reaching for my cup. He was freaking me out. I remembered my encounter with Radu too well.

I let my fingers trail along the scar on the side of my neck with my free hand, not realising I was doing so until Stoker's voice disturbed my silent reverie.

"Is that..."

"Yes," I muttered, "Radu."

"So you know what meeting a 'real' vampire means." He stated.

"You are right. I do know the dangers. So what do you suggest?!" I asked, getting impatient. "Scaring me out of my wits won't help, you know? What should I do?"

"I think you shouldn't attract their attention to yourself and your pregnancy. Viorel might suspect who you really are-- being related to your husband, he always believed in you, and has been waiting for this moment for a long time. Apart from him, only a few of my closest friends, those two you met yesterday for instance, know the truth. But for the rest, you and your other world are just a legend. Most of them would not believe that it's really you, even if you told them the truth to their faces."

"But you are not sure."

"Of course not." He shrugged. "I don't know every vampire living in this century personally."

"So what do you propose?" I asked, starting to feel hopeless.

This world, my world, suddenly seemed to be more dangerous for me than the other one. There, in the castle, you had Vlad to protect you. Here you are alone, and responsible not only for yourself, but, moreover, for the safety of your child. I thought, finally replacing the empty mug on the table and bringing my hand, still warm from having held the warm tea, over my belly.

"I suggest that," Stoker said, his voice suddenly so serious that it made me look up at him and observe him closely, feeling uneasy about what he might say next, "for the time being, you make everybody believe that... you, an ordinary human girl, belong to one of us, and so does your child and that ring of yours. I don't suppose you'd take it off even if I begged you to do so for your own safety. So... let's pretend it's just a replica of the legendary jewel, your engagement ring from... well, me or Lucas."

He can't be serious, can he?!

"What?!" I called, appalled. "I... I can't do this, I can't lie about... "

"You don't have to lie, Samara, not necessarily." He explained patiently. "You just need to be seen with one of us often enough and let everybody jump to their own conclusions, starting from your ex-boyfriend, your family and friends... apart from Lia of course who knows too much already. Then we let the story spread." He said, raising his hands in the air. "Just don't tell the truth until you see how your situation will end, if you manage to go back or not."

"Why? Why should I do this?" I asked, perfectly unconvinced. I just couldn't see the logic in this crazy plan.

"Because, should you decide to leave your child here in London while you attempt to get back in your other world the following Halloween, it will be safer if everyone thinks it's just a regular half-vampire. We don't know enough about the loop, its safety. We don't even know if you'll manage to walk through the time passage again. We can only guess, and try... Or have you already resolved to risk it, and take your child through the portal?" He asked, voicing my silent questions and doubts.

I had been thinking about this for a while, coming to no conclusions.

"What if you can't cross over again?" He continued, cruel and relentless. "Let's suppose you can, but can't take the child in... Let's think you can't stay in for longer than another year... "

Thanks so much Mr. Stoker, I thought, scowling at him unhappily.

"No... I haven't planned anything yet," I admitted. "I must know she will be safe before I take any decision."

"She?" He asked, looking puzzled.

"Aurora. My daughter." I sighed, blushing. "Never mind, I know it's a girl, that's it."

"One of the visions of yours?"

"Not exactly. It's... more of a feeling."

"But it still takes us back to your dreams and premonitions, my lady." He grinned.

Right.

"Do you dream about him every night?" He asked while searching for something in the pockets of his coat, and coming up with a small notebook, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter.

Luckily, before I could reply we were disturbed by the sound of a key turning in a lock. The door opened and giggling Lia and laughing Lucas entered the flat together.

Only now did I realise that it had gotten completely dark outside and until Lia switched on the light in the corridor, the two of us had been sitting in the darkness brightened only by the weak light of the street lamps reaching the third floor flat with difficulty. I stood up and switched on the tall lamp standing by the sofa, blinding us both momentarily. Then I walked to the window and drew the curtains.

When I turned around I gasped. "What have you done with your hair!" I called, observing my best friend standing in the doorway. Her flawless, straight sheets of blonde hair were replaced by perfect blonde locks and curls. She looks like Jusztyna, I realised, shivering.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed. Stoker nearly choked on his tea, while he tried to hide his cigarettes and devour Lia with his gaze, all at the same time.

I gave him an enquiring look, but he shook his head, mouthing 'I'll tell you another time' at me.

Lucas, who had been standing silently behind Lia till now, pushed past her and came to stand next to me by the window.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Why? Nothing." I lied.

My mind was still teeming with all the things Stoker had said and now Lia's look as well... My confusion must have been obvious, at least to such a perceptive half-vampire like Lucas.

"Samara, what did he tell you?" He asked, looking towards his uncle reproachingly.

Stoker grinned and replied before I could open my mouth again, "I have a great idea. You'll hear soon enough."

Lucas looked at me again, then sighed and went to sit down, while Lia asked, running her hand through her curls and finally entering the room too, "Don't you like it? I thought I needed a change."

I brought my hands to my face, covering my eyes, willing myself to disappear. This moment, my life now, everything... was so absurd.

"No. I mean yes." I mumbled. "You look good. I just... It's nothing."

"Have you eaten?" She asked, changing the subject.

"No, we only had a cup of tea." I admitted.

"Good. We got pizza for everyone, Lucas insisted." Lia announced, looking at Lucas then back at me. "You got yourself another babysitter, it seems." I rolled my eyes at her and she giggled, already heading towards the kitchen. "I'll get the dinner, you stay with our guests."

I sat down on a chair next to Lucas, leaving the place on the sofa next to Abraham for Lia.

While we ate, Stoker summed up all that we had talked about for hours in a few well chosen sentences, finishing with my daughter.

"Daughter?" Lucas asked, making me blush again.

Why is it so strange that I know...

"Aurora." Lia told him, placing her empty wine glass back on the table. Stoker made to refill it for her again, but I shook my head at him-- he wasn't the one who would have to carry her to bed later, if he got her drunk.

"She knows!" Lia continued, "Don't ask me how, Lucas, but she does. She's always been strange like that."

"Really? Stoker asked, taking out his notebook again.

Lia looked at him, gasping at the sight of the notebook in his hands.

The stunned look on her face made me break into giggles.

"Lia has a similar one." I explained as the men looked at me questioningly.

Lia nodded, a fast-spreading blush flooding her cheeks. There, at least I'm not the only one who blushes.

Stoker looked away from her, still smiling, and scribbled down a few lines. Should I be proud of becoming an entry in two very importantly looking notebooks? I mused, smiling to myself.

Then he spoke again, bringing me back to reality, and my smile disappeared in an instant. "So if you decide to play this out with me, I'd like you to move to my house in Pimlico."

"No." I said, my decision as instant as it was unshakeable. There was not a chance that I was going to live with him.

"But why, Samara? I have plenty of rooms and I can keep you so much safer there..."

Lucas came to my aid. "That's nonsense, Uncle. Let me do this, Samara."

"But I can't ask you, any one of you, to pretend... You have your own lives."

"And how will you pull this off, Lucas," Stoker asked him, ignoring my protests. "They are not stupid. She is pregnant, you should live together..."

"He can move over here." Lia interrupted.

Thanks so much, Lia! I knew that they all meant well, and that she probably wanted me to live with Stoker as little as I wanted it myself but...

"That's true. They have a room-- their other friend is moving over to Mark's this weekend." Lucas added.

Goodness gracious me. This was really happening. They managed to make this absurdity look real.

"Samara?" Lia and Lucas spoke to me at the same time.

I raised my eyes to Stoker's, looking for some other solution there, finding none. "Yes, fine, whatever you all want." I resigned finally.

"I must admit this is the best solution, Samara. Nothing changes for you. And for Lucas... He'll be better here, he's been complaining about having to share a flat with Mark and his new girl ever since he got back from that trip." Stoker said.

Lia's phone rang somewhere in the kitchen while he finished his sentence and she dashed off, leaving me alone with the two men.

"Uncle, don't..." Lucas pleaded.

"But it's true!" Stoker insisted. "It will be the best for both of you."

He stood up and collected our used plates and glasses. I raised a questioning eyebrow at Lucas, his uncle didn't strike me like someone who would do these things often, let alone voluntarily. Lucas shook his head, grinning, then laughing out loud as Stoker caught our silent exchange and said, "I'm just going to say goodbye. Behave."

As Stoker disappeared into the kitchen Lucas stood up and put his jacket on. Then he picked up his uncle's coat and the very interesting notebook.

"Thanks for dinner." He said, making me roll my eyes at him.

"You bought it, why would you thank me?" I asked, standing up too and following him out of the room, then down the corridor.

"Samara," he said once we stopped by the front door, waiting for Stoker to join us. "I believe this is the right thing to do to keep you and... Aurora safe. But if you are not convinced... "

I shook my head firmly. He was doing so much for me, I didn't want him to feel guilty about it.

"I'm good, Lucas. I want you to know that I'll always owe you for this."

"Don't be silly." He said, reaching out for me and I knew, as I looked in his warm brown eyes asking for my permission, that he was about to pull me into an embrace. And I would let him, like I always let Junior to console me, when Vlad couldn't.

I miss them both too much. I realised, my breath hitching as the immense wave of grief rolled over me, leaving my eyes filled with tears when it ebbed away.

"The next time we meet you must tell me about your dreams, Samara." Stoker spoke from somewhere close behind me, making me jump.

I dabbed at my tears quickly with my sleeves and tried to smile as I crossed my arms over my chest, missing the anticipated, and unreceived embrace.

"Only if you tell me about you and Jusztyna first." I said teasingly, and noticed that I came upon an interesting story as I caught his suddenly nervous gaze strolling to Lia, who was just coming to us from the kitchen, looking... flustered.

He put his finger to his lips before she could see him, then said, apparently calm, "Fine. It's part of what I need to tell you anyway. I might not see you before the weekend though, I'm leaving London for a few days. Lucas will take care of you, you two keep in touch and make yourselves be seen together as much..."

"You have already said that, Uncle. Come on, it's late for them." Lucas said, opening the front door.

Lia waved to them then disappeared into her bedroom, leaving us alone again.

"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Samara." Lucas told me. "Until I move over, it will be better if Lia walks with you to work as she did before and..."

"Please don't neglect Anaïs and the rest of your family because of me."

"Don't worry, they won't mind."

"You mustn't worry Samara, however difficult and unpleasant this might look, it will only last a year. Then you'll know where you stand." Stoker laughed, then stopped suddenly as he noticed mine and Lucas' scowl.

I hated his sense of humour. He was talking, as if it didn't mean anything, about one whole year of my life. A year when my child would be born. When I would find out where and with whom I would spend the rest of my life.  And not just mine. It would be a year of Lucas' life too.

Feeling suddenly fed up with him and utterly exhausted by everything, I couldn't wait for them to leave. I wanted to be in my bed.

"Good night," I said simply, forcing my lips into a smile.

They both smiled back and without saying anything more disappeared in a blur down the unlit stairwell.