Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has anything to do with The Little Vampire.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Family

Rating: PG (because of the whole vampire thing)

Summary: Flying over the forests of Scotland, Rudolph hears someone crying. He goes to investigate and is surprised at who is weeping.

It was a shadowy and muggy night and the air smelled liked decay. But that did not bother Rudolph. He preferred the sinister dark and clammy air. Unfortunately. The trees looked menacing as he swooped in and out of their branches. He was not afraid of them. He was far more menacing. Unfortunately. Deep in the woods a bear growled. Birds flew from where the bear prowled. Rudolph did not flinch or fly a different way. He kept on his path. He knew in a contest of strength and power between himself and the bear, he would win. Unfortunately.

A squirrel chattered, a bird twittered, a far off rooster crowed. It was close to morning. Dawn's mist rose in circling tendrils. A rabbit scurried across the ground, searching for its breakfast. Rudolph shivered slightly as he flew lower and into the chilly fog. The vapor created droplets on his skin and he sighed slightly. There was no difference. He felt the same cold with or without the watery mist.

As he flew his highly sensitive ears caught a noise that did not belong in the dark night of the Scotland forest. It sounded like someone was crying. Rudolph pivoted in the air and dove down to meet the noise. He landed on the ground and changed into his humanoid form. He crept forward toward a cluster of trees. Fading into the gloom, he followed the sound of the tears.

Finally he came upon the originator of the noise. There was his sister Anna, sitting on a log, her face hidden in her skirt as she choked out ragged sobs. He hurried forward and knelt beside her, taking her hands in his own.

"Sister, dearest, why are you crying?" he asked, trying to catch her gaze.

Anna raised her tear stained face to look at him with dark red eyes. He hissed softly in sympathy.

"I cannot bear it any longer, Rudolph," she said softly. "When will we become human again? Gregory almost bit a little girl today. It was horrible! Horrible!"

She buried her face in her hands once more. Rudolph got up and sat next to her on the log, placing his arm around her shaking shoulders and just holding her. It had been almost four hundred years since they had become vampires, and every day was torture. Rudolph sighed and rubbed his forehead with a cadaverous hand. If Anna, who had seemed to accept their fate the easiest, if she was falling apart, did that mean this would happen to all of them?

Although he was only nine when he became a vampire, he was so old he was wiser than most mortals his human age. Every time he opened his eyes to a new day, he felt as though another weight had been placed upon his shoulders. He was an old man in a young body and it tolled on him. He did not have any boys to play with, in fact, he was afraid soon he would forget how to play. Gregory and Anna were there, but the entire family was so busy searching for the stone, they did not have much time for joviality.

Rudolph rubbed his sister's back gently. Gradually her tears slowed into sniffles. Rudolph reached into his pocket and drew out a four hundred year old handkerchief. He handed it to her. She took it gratefully and blew her nose delicately. She did not hand it back but instead began wringing it in her hands.

"I'm sorry for my outburst, brother," she said, glancing sidelong at him. "I simply loathe living like this! It is hard sometimes, to not bite. But I must. I refuse to become a monster."

"Our very existence makes us monsters," Rudolph muttered softly, and then wished he had not for the look Anna gave him. He sighed and rubbed her back once more. "We'll get through this Anna dearest, have hope. The comet is coming next week. We must not lose hope."

Anna gave him a small smile. "Yes, hope. Such a small thing we must depend on."

"Yet it makes all the difference," Rudolph pointed out. He suddenly stood and pulled Anna up beside him. Turning her, he took her hands and looked straight into her eyes.

"Anna," he said. "I'm going to make you a promise."

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What kind of promise?"

Rudolph took a deep breath. "I, Rudolph Frederick Sackville-Bagg, promise thee, Anna Freda Sackville-Bagg, that we shall be human again by this time next week. And if I should fail in keeping this promise, I give thee permission to disown me as thy brother."

Anna gave a small gasp and jerked her hands out of Rudolph's grip. Disown him? Why that was the most dreaded thing a family member could do to another. It meant that the member disowned would become as good as staked to the rest of the family. To promise such a large thing with such huge risk was almost unthinkable. And if the Sackville-Bagg family was close before the curse, they were even more so afterwords. They had to be. They were all that was left.

"You cannot promise such a thing!" Anna insisted.

Rudolph reached forward and grabbed her hands once more. "Yes, I can. And I will. And I do." As tears gathered once more in Anna's eyes, Rudolph was quick to add: "But don't cry! I only had the one handkerchief and now it's all muddy." He looked down at the piece of cloth which lay at the dirt beneath their feet.

Anna gave a tinkling laugh like small bell. "Thank you dear, sweet brother," she said.

Moving forward she wrapped her arms around his neck in a tender hug. He held her close, burying his nose in her long, blond hair. They stood there a moment longer before drawing apart. She picked up the handkerchief and placed it in the small bag she kept at her side. Then, taking her hand in his, Rudolph jumped into the air and began flying once more, this time with a companion.

Together they flew over the trees toward their temporary home. Rudolph turned to look at Anna. She seemed thoughtful.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"Oh! I was just wondering what it would be like to have to drive or walk to get to places, instead of just flying. It will be a large difference."

He grinned slightly, displaying his pointed canines. "I for one will miss flying. It is a much easier way of transportation."

She shot him a look and so he quickly remedied his declaration.

"Of course, to be human again will be worth it."

She smiled at him then and his heart felt lighter. They landed among the tombstones and looked about for their parents. An owl hooted somewhere in the damp fog and after a few moments more, their parents appeared, along with Gregory, who was looking solemn.

The two children greeted their parents and the retired to their beds for the sun was beginning to rise. A thin strand of pink lit the horizon as Rudolph and Anna joined their parents and elder brother beneath the graveyard. Before they went to sleep they glanced at each other, and shared a small, secret smile.

For the first time in a long time, the both fell asleep with hope for their future . . . as humans.