The figure in front of Erin and Malik sat idly in a chair, his back arched, his head bowed. Behind him, a huge mirror stood, smashed in the middle, thousands of tiny cracks stretched from one side to the other. Erin cautiously took a step back, Pulling Malik with her, or at least, trying to pull him with her. He stood rigid, his eyes burning through the frail figure. "Who are you?" He demanded, looking him square in the eye, "Tell me who yo are and what you want!" Malik advanced towards him, but the figure was quick. Quicker than Malik, anyway. He shot a force from his shaking left hand, sending Malik sailing through the air. He landed, with a bump on the floor.

"What did you do that for?" Erin asked, running over to where Malik was laid, unmoving.

"Because it's fun!" The figure looked straight at Erin, and stood up shakily. "I haven't had much fun lately."

Erin, despite herself, found herself feeling a little sorry for him. "If you've hurt him I swear to Buffy I will destroy you!" She snarled, all traces of earlier sympathy vanished in an instant.

"Wouldn't be the first time, would it?" He laughed, a shallow, sad laugh. "It wouldn't be the first time you destroyed me."

Erin avoided his eye contact, she could feel his eyes burning into the very pit of her darkened soul. "That was different." She sighed, clutching Malik's hand. "I had to. You know I did."

"No! You didn't. You chose to, but you didn't have to. You didn't have to." He shook his head, a stray tear running down his cheek. "You did it because you're selfish and you only think of what is best for you."

Erin snorted, "Isn't that the definition of 'vampire'?" She laughed again, "Selfish, self centred, arrogant and cruel." She stroked Malik's hair, "I merely did as I thought was right."

"EXACTLY!" A small laugh escaped his lips, "You did it to save your own skin. You did it to spite me."

Erin stopped fiddling with Malik's hair, her hand dropped to her side. She sat in an upright position, hugging her knees. "I never meant to hurt you."

This time, a gigantic laugh escaped from his lips. "Oh, well, great job. Perfect. Fantastic. Have you any idea what you did to me?" More tears were falling down his cheeks.

"I know. I'm- I'm sorry." She mumbled, crying.

"Don't you dare apologise to me! I don't want your sympathy, or your pity. I want you to feel the pain I felt. I want you to burn. I want you to hurt. I want you to loose everything. I want you to feel as destroyed as I was!" He roared, making her jump.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, lost for words.

"STOP! I don't want your apologies!" He seethed, shooting a fireball in her direction.

"You know why I did what I did. I had no choice! I had no choice!" Her voice was barely a whisper through her tears now, she cradled Malik in her arms, he was still unresponsive. "Bring him back to me, please." She sobbed, rocking back and forth. "Please. Please!"

"He's not dead, unfortunately." His tone was bitter, his eyes glazed over with anger.

"What did you do to him!" Erin seethed, anger now cursing through her own body like fireworks, "What the hell have you done to him then!?"

"Merely silenced him." His voice gave Erin chills.

"What? What is that supposed to mean! You'd better hope for your sake he wakes up!" Erin was beyond mad with him now, she could feel her anger bubbling, soon to overflow.

"I'm here." Erin spun around, delighted to hear a familiar voice.

"Malik! I thought I'd lost you!" She threw his arms around his neck, restraining him against the floor, laughing and kissing him. "I thought I'd lost you!" She repeated, still hugging him.

"Well, this is all very touching, but please stop with the public displays of affection, it's annoying." The figure laughed, walking towards them, crouching down. "Do you remember who I am?" He asked Malik, who looked at him in confusion. "Do you remember?"

Malik shook his head, looking towards Erin in confusion. "Who is this, Erin?" He asked her, wonder dancing in his eyes.

"No one." Erin replied. "Or at least no one important, anyway." She looked towards the frail figure, "He's just a nobody."

"Oh, well that's really nice, that!" The figure gasped, mocking exasperation in his words.

"Well, you aren't important. Not anymore. Not to me, anyway." Erin and Malik stood on their feet, holding hands protectively.

"I gathered that."

"Who the hell are you!?" Malik growled, low in his throat, "Tell me! Now!"

"I'm rather hurt that you don't recognise me, brother."

Malik dropped Erin's hand in surprise. "Vlad?" His eyes blackened, "Is that you?!"

'Vlad' clapped sarcastically, "Bravo, brother."

Erin tensed, aware of Malik's eyes on her. "You knew all along and you didn't tell me. Even now you choose to protect him!" His eyes were black with fury, his gaze fixed firmly upon his wife. "Why, Erin? WHY!"

"You didn't need to know. He isn't important anymore. You're the one that's important to me, not him."

"He was once, though." Malik retorted, the bitterness clear on his tongue.

"Yes! Exactly! He was. You are. You always will be to me." Erin reached up to hug him, he let her, although he didn't hug her back, which hurt.

"Promise?" He asked, the uncertainty on his tongue like a venomous snake.

"Yes!" She hugged him again, this time, he hugged her back, "Yes, yes, a million times yes! You mean everything to me. You are my everything."

"Whilst this is all very touching," Vlad retorted, "I'm beginning to feel like a spare part."

Malik strode towards him, his hands clenched once again. "What happened? What happened to you?"

Vlad laughed the sad laugh again, "Everything happened. And then nothing happened. Nothing has happened for a long, long while now. There's just me now. No one else." His eyes were vacant.

"What?" Malik suddenly clicked on, "What do you mean there's 'just you'? Where's Dad? Where's Ingrid? Where's, well, anyone?"

"I mean," Vlad continued to stare vacantly, "They're all gone." Tears fell once again down his frail cheeks, "They're dead, Malik. We're the only ones left."