Dear Bob,

I slept all day yesterday, only waking so Logan and Mum could force me to eat something. I don't know if it's the drugs or just my body trying to recover, but my energy is 0. There is so much I should tell you, document, if I want to get technical about it. But, you know me, I don't really do that kind of thing.

I woke at three and couldn't get back to sleep surprisingly. You see, I'm pretty fucked up. I died, for real. I got brought back and here I am, but it had some conditions attached to it. I have to heal like any other normal person. All the time I spent wishing to be normal, now I have an element of it and I don't want it. I can't use any form of magic to heal. No pixie influenced, weird injection shit from the doctor, no help form Alfie. Nothing but your stock standard pain killers and the odd hit of morphine if it gets too bad.

Yay me!

So I'm up at three, and manage to get out of bed, step over Alfie who takes up more space than should be possible in the bedroom and decide to take a slow (very slow) walk to the library. Instead, I took an ever slower walk to the kitchen to raid Vesna's chocolate stash she doesn't know I know about (still) and get sprung by Dad who had come to make himself coffee.

He made me one and unbothered by my shuffling as my legs feel like they were ripped off my body before being badly sewn back on, we went out the front of the building where barely a week ago a centaur had died, sat down on the stone park bench in the garden and watched the sunrise.

We talked about a lot of things. The battle, Dracula, my life since I left last year, V and Ailin. We talked about Logan and Jordan and Zane, as well as what I'm calling my near death experience where I got to see Alistair again, as well as Reece. Nothing was off limits and it reminded me of when I was so much younger, not bitter or spiteful or acting like I knew everything. Back when I didn't make him super stressed out or worry, or steal his brand new car. It was when my Dad was my hero and the only man that existed in my world.

But I'm not that kid, no matter what it may have felt like it. I'm nineteen now. Those chats with my Dad ended a long time ago, probably when I started at the Academy. Since then, I've never had such a, I dunno if intimate is the right word, meaningful maybe? conversation with him.

We didn't argue.

We didn't try and bait each other into one either.

There was no judgement and we both listened to each other.

It kind of felt like we were meeting each other all over again, and as I got comfortable, hugging his side as we sat there looking out over the gardens in quiet reflection, he was just my Dad. He wasn't the Hunter or the teacher or they guy I was positive only existed to make my life hell.

I love him and ever after all the crap I'd put him through over the years, especially these last couple, he still loves me.

Today I watched the sunrise with my Dad and it was perfect.

At two o'clock we have a funeral service for Ron. Yup, our President who in our first conversation ever, I told him I was feeding catnip to the Kasha demons and hung up on him and he was polite enough to write off as 'communication errors'. I thought he was a right dickhead who didn't earn the position of our President. I was wrong. He was firm, but fair, and like Dad, put up with a lot of my shit. (I'm trying to work on my issues with authority... trying.) I never felt judged by Ron, we had a mutual respect and that was enough. Julios told me at dinner his Dad always spoke highly of me and my family.

I'm honoured.

Ailin is his replacement until current events have settled and the Council replaces their fallen members. I hope she keeps the spot, and I haven't been able to talk to her since she fetched Zane from the hospital. Toyo did come by yesterday morning as representation of the Kasha, thanking me for trying to help Lily.

So many died, people I knew. People like me. People who didn't deserve it. Dad said it's what we do; put our lives on the line and hope for the best. I know that and most would be proud to have died , fighting for a cause they all believed in.

Dad said I need to learn not to take it so personally, that it will get easier in time. 

I've gone through two apocalyptic battles now, which is more than most have gone through in a lifetime. I don't think it will ever get easier. I don't know how he can be so passive about it, how they all just move on. Then again, the Network is full of missing Hunters, Trackers and Slayers and while it bothers me, I can detach myself from it. The world is a cruel place.

Dracula is dead.

For real.

I will tell you that, my efforts in doing the deed which also included the appearance and assistance of his maker, Tom Van Helsing made the deadly chop. Oh yes, you read right. Tom VH, killed Dracula, just like his dear old relative who fucked it up royally by taking the vamps fangs before dusting him.

Our diaries go into storage as we complete them. I mentioned that to you at the start future readers (sorry about the fuck you part) When we die, they are archived and added to the Network as a 'research' tool for future generations to read over.

Well know this.

Nigel and Drew Van Helsing are amazing people. I hope they don't mind that I'm writing this as it does impact their name, but Tom, well the eldest of the three is an asshole. Seriously. Dracula's maker was attacked and stopped from killing him, so that dickhead could keep the achievement to their family name.

I let him too.

I had Dracula in position and I let Tom do it.

Why? Because his ego wouldn't have been able to take the hit. His ancestors couldn't do it alone either. So there you have it. The truth.

It's nearly one o'clock and while I could keep going, I'm going to stop here. Mostly because everything takes me so long to do at the moment, and I have to go and get ready for the memorial for those who are worthy of such recognition.

It's not just our kind they're doing this for either; vampires, demons, the whole lot of them that fought to keep the Treaty in place will be remembered today. It hasn't happened before, not even last time did such award get given to the supernaturals who fought beside us. They were mentioned, but not actually noted down in the pages of our history book.

It's a time of change and it's moments like this, that make me proud to be a Hunter.

Until next time,

Elise Bunting
(Survivor)