The End and New Beginnings

Al was very angry about the fact that he couldn't be the DJ for the birthday party.

Like the raving parties the Hotel held in the past, music blasted through the entire Hotel. Colorful lights beamed everywhere. Monsters were dancing to the fast-paced music.

Everyone was there. Frank, Wayne, Murray, and Griffin were reunited, dancing together as a group while Wanda tried to manage her children and Eunice was looking for an arm she lost on the dance floor. Blobby was dancing by himself, but he managed to gather a small group around him to watch him.

Johnny, Mavis, and Dennis were dancing together as a family near their friends. They were too busy to notice Al's disappearance.

Al sat on the roof of the Hotel, listening to his own music to try and drown out the sounds of Taylor Swift from downstairs. He looked up at the moon, glad that he was able to see it at least one last time.

"Always the loner," said a female voice, loud enough so Al could hear.

He took off his headphones and turned his neck. Lucine was standing on the roof behind him. She walked down next to him, sitting herself down.

"What's this I hear about you dying?" She asked, concerned.

"I got stabbed through the chest with a silver sword," Al informed. "I got better, though."

"How many times do I have to tell you to be careful?"

"Keep doing it, Ma. Maybe one day I'll actually listen."

Lucine chuckled.

"What now, Ma?" Al asked. "What're we going to do?"

"Well, as much as I miss our little house in New York, I'm afraid it's rather uninhabitable at the moment," she said. She recalled it burning down. "I suppose I'll just have to stay at the Hotel."

"Around Drac?"

"I see no problem with that."

"I didn't say that there would be a problem. It's just that... it'll be weird, won't it?"

"Not unless you make it weird, Al. There's nothing wrong with being friends with your ex."

"You just made it weird."

She rubbed Al's head. "I've always liked Europe more than the United States, anyway. What'll you do, Al?"

"I... I don't know," he admitted. "I can finally go wherever I want to go; do whatever I want to do."

"Says who? You're grounded for the rest of your life for working for the Hunters."

"Darn. I suppose I'll never have desert for centuries."

"All joking aside, continue."

"I can do whatever I want to do and go wherever I want to go. But..."

"But?"

"My family is here. I've never had this, Ma. We've never had this. I want to live the life I've always wanted for as long as I can."

"That's admirable. But, there's still a lesson I haven't taught you, Al."

"What is that?"

"No one likes a clingy relative. Drac, Mavis, and the others. They're always going to be here for you. Don't worry about missing moments with them, because there are infinite to come. Worry about missing moments out there. They're immortal, but the modern world is not. You understand what I'm saying?"

Al smiled. "When I get tired of the world out there, I can come back here, and when I'm tired of here, I can always go back out."

"Don't forget to take me somewhere nice, one day," Lucine said. "Maybe Hawaii or Tokyo."

"I thought this place was the nicest there was."

"Drac wishes."

Al laughed. "Well, I can't hear Taylor Swift anymore, so I guess I'll be heading down."

"You go on ahead. I want to moon-bathe a little longer."

Al transformed into a bat and flew back down into the Hotel. When he was gone, Lucine heard Drac call out her name from behind. He stood behind her, cloaked. She offered him Al's old spot, and he gladly took it.

"Long time no see," Drac said, nervously.

"A very long time, indeed," Lucine said. "I should've wrote. I'm sorry."

"No, I should apologize," Drac insisted. "I need to apologize for any trouble I put you through."

"You have nothing to apologize for," she assured.

They sat there in an awkward silence for a minute before Drac finally spoke up.

"Before we catch up, I have to know something."

"Hm?"

"It's about Alucard. You're his mother, obviously. I know who he thinks I am, and I think I know who I am to him, given our past... encounter."

"Just ask me straight-out, Drac," she requested, gently.

"Only one person can know for sure, and that's you. Am I really Alucard's father?"

Lucine smiled. "Do you love him like a son?"

Drac was taken aback by the question, but he truthfully answered, "Yes."

"Say he wasn't your son. Say that you were wrong to assume this entire time. Would you still love him like he was one of your own?"

"Yes."

"Then, Count Dracula, to answer your question, I will ask you this: Does it really matter?"

"There's a party upstairs, Alucard, shouldn't you be a part of it?" Hyde asked.

The scientist sat on his cell bed in the dungeon of the Hotel. Al leaned his shoulder against one of the bars of the cell, looking at the prisoner.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were comfortable," Al sarcastically stated.

"You came to gloat, then," muttered Hyde.

"Well... Yeah," admitted Al. "You've caused more pain to your own kind than you have to the humans, and there's not even a hint of remorse from you."

"I would do it all again," asserted Hyde. "You of all people know that you have to hurt people in order to protect them. You know I'm right about humans, Alucard. We can never live together in perfect harmony. You think you live in peace with them? There can never be true peace."

"Maybe not," said Al. "But that doesn't mean we have to be at war. Besides, monsters should take comfort in the fact that the humans don't even like each other."

"They will show their true nature if they learn about the Stone," Hyde predicted.

"What do you mean?"

"The Philosopher's Stone. Jonathan has it, yes? It healed him of his injuries and made him immortal. He can live forever with you all. Of course, he'll age like you do, but that's besides the point. He'll enjoy power he's not used to and not made for him."

"Johnny is a good man. He won't abuse it."

"I'm sure you're right. Others, however... They'll want that power. Especially mortals. The Stone brought you back to life, Alucard. It is the cure for death. Think about how many people die every day. Think about how many people will fight for that power. Think about how far these people will go to get it. Jonathan may live forever, but he's less safe now than he's ever been before. You can party and celebrate your victory, but you know it's not a victory. You just delayed your defeat."

"Say whatever you want," Al said. "Johnny may be in danger, but at least he won't have to worry about you anymore. No one will have to worry about you ever again."

Al leaned in to whisper.

"The way I see it, you have two options. You can spend the rest of your immortal life locked in this cell..."

"Or?"

"Jekyll is mortal. Say you turn back. You can live for as long as you want or can that way, and however long that may be is still shorter than eternity."

Al turned away and began to walk out of the dungeons.

Hyde jumped from his bed and ran to his cell bars, calling out after Al.

"The Stone will be a curse on you! You do not deserve its power! Something will come one day, and you'll regret that you ever touched it!"

Al ignored every word.

After Al was out of sight, Hyde took a deep breath. He transformed into Jekyll for the last time in his life.

Living easy / Living free

Al nodded his head along to the song on the dance floor. He turned to Mavis who was dancing next to him.

"You actually took some of my suggestions," Al said, incredulous.

"Don't flatter yourself," she said. "I had to give everyone a say. Next is Nicki Minaj."

Season ticket on a one-way ride

Dennis was copying Johnny's dance moves. As Johnny moved about, so did the Philosopher's Stone which was in a necklace that rested over his chest.

Asking nothing / Leave me be

Drac and his friends were dancing in a circle created by the Hotel guests. Many of those who left flocked back to check in again given that the Hotel was now completely safe.

Taking everything in my stride

"I should tell you Mavis," said Al, holding her shoulder. "I'm-"

"Leaving? I know."

Don't need reason / Don't need rhyme

"How?"

Ain't nothing I would rather do

"You don't give me enough credit, Al. I've only known you for about a week, but that's plenty of time for me to know everything you are. You're an action-junkie, Al. You can't stay in one place all of the time like us."

"You're not mad?"

Going down / Party time

"Why would I be mad? You're in your one-hundreds. You can make your own life choices. If anything, I'm happy. I won't have to deal with your dumb face every day."

"Now you're just giving me reasons to stay."

My friends are gonna be there too

"Where do you think you'll go?"

"Back to New York for starters. After that, I haven't decided. Maybe someplace warm and tropical. Hawaii, maybe. Hell, I don't see why you guys can't leave for a while too. It's time you guys get a vacation, after all."

"What do you suggest?"

"Anything five-stars. A cruise, maybe?"

"I don't know. Knowing us, something will go horribly wrong."

"No, I'm sure you guys will be just fine. Just fine."

I'm on the highway to -

The DJ booth abruptly stopped playing the music as Tinkles the Giant Puppy trampled it with Dennis and Winnie on his back. Chaos and mayhem broke out in the room as Tinkles went on a rampage for skeleton bones.

"Tinkles, stop!" Drac demanded as he flew behind the dog. Johnny was running not far behind Drac.

"Oh yeah," Mavis said, "we definitely need a vacation."

Weeks later

Al stood on the viewing deck of the Empire State Building in New York City, looking down at the nightly traffic. He kept his eyes and ears vigilant as he scoured below for possible crimes to stop.

However, Al felt a presence appear out of nowhere behind him. He turned on his heel, ready to face whatever was meeting him.

Al asked, "Who the fuck are you?"

The End

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this story and sticking with me. I'm not necessarily planning on writing a sequel, but the ending to this story is meant to show that there's always a possibility for a sequel and that Al's story isn't over.