Mina heard the slam of the front door and echoed it with the shutting of her novel. Her father was home, come to relieve her of her horrifically boring day. Granted, most of it was gone by now. Outside the window, she saw the orange rim of the setting sun behind the navy topped trees. It seemed this twilight hour was the only time she got to see her father. He finished teaching at the university at four, returned to her at five, only to leave once more at eight to visit a long term patient of his. The three hours she spent with him were always brief, but they were her favorite of the day.

"Father!" Mina rushed toward him, meeting him in their green walled foyer. His wrinkled face lit to see her as they met in an embrace. The hard covers of his textbooks pushed into her back as they hugged. Mina pulled away, smiling at him broadly. "How were your classes today?" Her father sighed, setting his books onto the shelf next to them.

"Spring time always make them less inclined to work," he said of his students. Her father, Dr. Van Helsing, taught Medical Sciences at the University. A strong believer that women were just as capable as men, he taught Mina all he taught his students and more. The University only permitted boys to actually go to classes.

They moved to his library, a small room stuffed to the ceiling with books, oddities, and a peculiar smell of dust. He sat in his chair, a fading blue thing of cloth, and Mina sat on her usual wooden seat.

"We'll barely cover two chapters of the book before break at the rate we're going." He sighed.

Mina laughed, "And how are John and Arthur?" Old school mates of Mina and her dearest friend Lucy, John and Arthur were going on to be scholars of their own. A fact of which Mina was bitterly jealous.

Her father edged forward, "They're probably the worst of it." He smiled, leaning back with a tired sigh. Mina couldn't see how he was able to keep so busy and not collapse from the stress of it. Though classes were only three days a week, he spent the rest of the time grading papers or visiting patients. One, in particular, he visited every night without any fail. A Count Dracula who lived three miles away at Carfax manor. A distance her father insisted was easily walkable and refused to take the carriage.

"Are you feeling all right, father?" Mina asked. He always looked tired after teaching, but seemed particularly fatigued at the moment. He probably caught something from walking in the rain a few nights back. Stupid, stubborn-

He sat up, "I'm right as rain, dear."

Mina studied him, "Perhaps the Count could do without you for a night-"

"No, no." Van Helsing dismissed it immediately, standing up as if in protest. "I'm just a bit tired is all."

Mina pursed her lips, "I'm sure he could do without you for one night."

Her father sighed, "He's one of my…special patients, Mina."

Her eyes widened at the words. Her father hadn't taken a special patient since Mina was no more than a child. Van Helsing was…more forward thinking in his practice. Though sceptics called his work occult, Mina new it to be no more than a study of the supernatural. She'd spent her whole life knowing this science to be true, and was shocked when her father had explained that not many men shared this ideal. It quickly became a secret between her and her father, this study of the unexplained. In fact, half of his dilapidated library was devoted to books on the topic, many of which Mina had helped him to write.

She crossed her hands, "What is his species?" An excited light came to her father's eyes. It was rare for him to get a special patient. Supernatural species were few and far between in the civilized world, and few knew to seek him out. Van Helsing kept this part of his doctorial practice very quiet.

"A Nosferatu," he breathed in anticipation. "A very old, very powerful vampire. 418 years old to be exact about it."

Mina nodded, "Is he…civilized?"

The light in Van Helsing's eyes grew, "Yes, very. In fact, he moved here to be closer to people. He spent many years alone, but wants to come back into public. Understandable, it's very common with his kind. They cannot stay in one place for too long for fear of being recognized for what they are."

"How does he feed?" Mina remembered from her father's teaching that there were many ways a vampire could feed. Killing was an obvious choice and the one used most commonly. The next was the taking of a familiar, a sort of human companion who serves as the blood for the vampire. That one in particular always made Mina feel very uncomfortable. She was not immediately disgusted by the idea but something about it made her feel very odd. Another was stored blood, such as from a blood bank. The final was animals, which was only resulted to if no other options were available or practical.

Her father turned away, "Blood bags, from the hospital-"

"Father!" Mina gasped.

"I only take twice a week. It's unnoticeable!"

"It's unethical!" Mina pressed. Her father had stood once more, grasping a book shelf as he did. He isn't well at all. As if to prove her thought, he coughed heartily into his elbow. Mina reached his shoulder.

"Father, you shouldn't go out tonight. It's going to rain."

"I have to," he said hoarsely. "I'm bringing him the blood tonight."

Mina groaned, "Fine, but I am coming with you."

"No," he dismissed her, fighting to stand on his own. He'd grown a shade paler, and was baring all the signs of a cold. Mina crossed her arms, raising a brow in defiance. "The Count is a fine man, Mina, but unaccustomed to others…"

"I'm sure he's seen a woman before," Mina pressed. A smirk grew upon her elfish face. "And I am not afraid."

"It's not you I-"

There was a knock upon the library door. Her father beckoned them in. It was their housekeeper, announcing dinner. She was dismissed, and Van Helsing seemed to think Mina had nothing more to say. He was wrong.

"I want to go with you father. I sit aimlessly in this house most days, and I've read nearly every book in this library." Her father didn't respond. "I am coming with you. I'll learn your trade. Maybe I can't be a doctor, but this is something I can do. I'll be a-"

"Yes, yes, all right," he gruffed, and Mina giggled with joy. In a rush of emotion, she swooped down and kissed her father on the cheek. He couldn't hide the smallest of smiles growing under his facial hair. Mina knew he couldn't say no to her for long.

"So I want to hear everything about this Count Dracula," Mina said as they walked to dinner. "Oh, and we're taking the carriage tonight. You'll probably faint if you try to walk and I am not carrying you."

"You're a rather difficult girl, do you know that?"

Mina smirked, "I wonder who I got that from?"