Anna's breath caught in her chest as the werewolf turned to face her. For a moment, they just stared at each other, a second feeling like an hour. Please, she thought desperately as it took a step towards her, please remember me, remember who you are. Her nervous hand, clasped around the cure, tightened, but not enough to damage the needle. Everything depending on her, and that needle.
The werewolf that was deep down Gabriel Van Helsing snarled angrily and she suddenly realised that this was not Gabriel anymore, this was not that man that she had fallen in love with over the past few days, this was a monster. His job was to rid the world of evil by taking the monsters alive to be cured and then, and only if they caused problems, they were destroyed. If I don't cure him, she realised, then he's going to be killed by Carl. After saving her family from the ancient curse and giving them a safe passage from purgatory to the safety of heaven that they had always deserved, she was not about to let his own soul be taken because of the extremities he had gone to reach both of their goals.
What fear was left in her disappeared, as both she and the werewolf moved forwards at the same time. Her movement was a tiny step nearer to the creature that encaged the man she wanted back, but his was a monstrous leap at her. She did what she could and that was to thrust out the arm holding the cure and jab it into his stomach. Then came the pain. She felt her back pound against something hard and break underneath the weight of her, and the werewolf that held her down. She could feel its disgusting hot breath against her face. Then there was pain, so much pain.
Her head span with all the pain and spots danced in front of her eyes. Then she realised that this was it, she was going to die. As she realised this, she thought of her family. They were safe behind St. Peter's gates now. She had saved them. Visions of her mother, father and brother filled her head and she tried with all her strength to hold on to them as the darkness in her mind grew steadily. The fact that her family were watching, waiting for her to join them, made it easier for her to pass over. She looked up at the werewolf, which was slowly transforming back into a man. Already it was Gabriel's soft eyes that were looking down on her. She whispered his name as the darkness took control and her mind emptied, taking the pain away with it.
"Anna? Anna, wake up!" Gabriel shouted. Oh my God he thought, I've killed her, the only woman I've ever loved and she's dead. He bent down, lifted her upper body towards him and burying his face in her hair as tears he had held inside for many years fell freely. "Please God, please don't take her. I didn't mean to, Anna, I never meant to hurt you."
Had all his hard work been for nothing? He had been sent to protect the last members of the Valerious bloodline from Dracula. The werewolf had taken Velkan before he had arrived in Transylvania and so it was then his mission to keep Anna safe. In his eyes now, all he had done was killed Dracula, what had made this different to any other mission? He had killed the monster and as usual, an innocent life had been taken. But this life was more important than the others; he had cared deeply for Anna, Princess of the Gypsies. And now her body was lying in his arms, dead to the world. Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. She was dead, and it was his entire fault. He had killed her, he was a murderer.
"Van Helsing, wait!"
Carl's voice drifted to him but he wanted to pretend he wasn't there. He wanted to pretend that everything was OK again, that Anna was alive again, but he couldn't. She wasn't coming back. Her body was still in his arms. Something was moving in his arms, but that was impossible. The only thing in his arms was Anna and she was ...
"Gabriel..." Her sweet voice drifted to his ears like a song. He looked down at her in disbelief, silently thanking God. Her eyes opened and he could see a slit of brown through them. She groaned and spoke again. "My head feels like it was thrown through a wall."
He gathered her in his arms and held her tightly. "Oh, Anna, you're alive!" he said over and over again. She was alive. Injured, but alive.
"I'm sorry to break up this little love-fest but I think we should go back now." Carl's voice interrupted and Gabriel pulled away.
"I think your right Carl." He stood up and offered a hand to Anna, who took it lightly and pulled up her weight. Her whole body ached and there was still and still a dull pain in her head. She felt slightly dizzy, but ignored the feeling and embraced Gabriel once more, thankful that they were both alive and well.
As they started to walk out of Dracula's castle, Anna's headache worsened, she felt a wave of nausea hit her in the doorway and reacted quickly. One hand flew to the doorway to steady herself and the other touching her forehead in attempt to gain control of the pain. Gabriel felt her absence and turned around to see her slouched against the wall, eyes half closed and slowly shaking her head.
"Anna!" he ran to her side, and upon hearing Gabriel's call, Carl the friar followed him. Gabriel moved her arm from the wall and steadied her himself. He saw she was in pain, her hands found his jacket that covered his bare chest and she grasped furiously for reassurance. "Anna, what is it? What's wrong? Carl! What is wrong with her?" Both Gabriel and Anna were now helpless in this situation. Gabriel was angered by the fact that it was him that had caused her pain, and Anna was trying desperately to remain conscious.
Carl observed Anna, thankful that his training in medicine would finally pay off. "She must have a slight head injury, we should get her back to her room, she needs rest." He walked towards the exit that would lead them back to Vaseria.
Anna made no move to return to her home, so Gabriel put his arms underneath her and lifted her into his arms. In her weakened state, she made no protest to his help, her stubbornness deserting her. She moaned a little and put her head to his chest, allowing him to feel her warm breath against his bare skin. He kissed her forehead. "Hold on Anna"
As they re-entered Anna's home, she was now calming down a little. But she still clutched at Gabriel. They laid her in her bed, and Carl went and sat in front of her on the bed. "Anna" he said quietly. "Anna, can you hear me?"
"Carl?" she whispered. Gabriel stood behind Carl. He didn't know what to do. He had helped out in these situations in previous missions, but now it was Anna that was hurt, he had forgotten everything. This wasn't a mission anymore.
"Anna, listen to me." Carl was speaking clearly and waving a hand before her face. "Anna, you've hit your head. So you're going to have to stay in bed for a few days. You will be fine then, but you might have some difficulty recollecting some memories from the past few days. Do you understand?"
Gabriel froze. Did that mean she wouldn't remember him? What if she didn't love him? She wouldn't remember the kiss they had shared. He had seen in her eyes as they parted that it had meant something. He wanted her to remember, he needed her to, for his sake as well as hers. If she didn't love him back, his heart would be broken. He would return to the Vatican and continue his journey to reclaim his memory from God. But if she remembered, he would give up his job. He wouldn't place her life in danger again. He would forget his lost memories and make new ones, a new life, with Anna.
"Anna do you understand me?" Carl asked again. Anna's face crumpled into a small frown as she glared up at Carl.
"Carl, I'm fine, I can remember everything. I just have a headache and I want to go to sleep." She said irritably. Carl looked at her in shock, maybe she wasn't as ill as he first thought. "Where's Gabriel? I want Gabriel." She asked before Carl could say anything else to distract her.
Gabriel felt his heart skip a beat. She remembered. He sighed happily as she yawned. "Tired. Want Gabriel." She said as she lay on her side a curled into a ball beneath the blankets, her tone sounded like a child that was being refused their favourite toy and trying to prove how much they wanted it.
"Van Helsing...?" Carl said uncertainly, unsure of how the monster hunter would react to Anna's request. Gabriel only smiled, clapping a hand on the friar's shoulder.
"It's OK, Carl. You can go now." Carl stood up and left, watching Gabriel take his lace beside Anna before he closed the door on the two lovers. As he made his way to his own room, he thought about the future for Anna and Van Helsing. He imagined a wonderful wedding; beautiful children and a long lived rewarding life. He hoped that the pair, who had been living in sorrow for so long, could find happiness in each other and support one another through all that was to come.
Back in Anna's room, Gabriel was holing onto her hand as she gazed up at him lovingly, but also worriedly. "Gabriel, that kiss," she said slowly, he could hear fear stutter in her voice, "Did it mean anything to you?"
He smiled and kissed her forehead reassuringly. "Anna, it meant everything to me. I have never felt anything like the love I feel for you. I feel like I have known you all my life." He rubbed her hand with his thumb carelessly, and she smiled back at him.
"I love you too. More than I can tell you." She yawned again and covered her mouth with her free hand.
"You should rest now. You've been through a lot recently, sleep with be a nice retreat for you." He told her softly but sternly. Then there was a change so rapid in her that he couldn't believe it had really happened.
Her eyes changed from love and happiness to a sharp fear and paranoia. The light within her shining dark orbs disappeared as if someone had just extinguished candlelight. "You're not going to leave are you? Please don't leave me alone." Her eyes alone were enough to make him stay with her. They pleaded, even begged him to stay with her, and not to let her sleep unprotected.
"I wouldn't dream of it." And with that he took off his boots and jacket and slid beside her on the bed. He curled close to her and wrapped his arms around her slim form. She felt so light in his arms, and after a few seconds of fidgeting around to get comfortable, she finally relaxed into his embrace as sleep carried her off to another world, free from pain and suffering.
Gabriel watched her for a while as she slept. So much had happened in the past week. She had lost her brother, who had sacrificed himself for her, she had been attacked by Dracula's brides many times and after finally seeing Dracula defeated, been forced to come to terms with the fact that all of her family were truly in heaven, never to return except in dreams and memories. Yet none of these tragedies were portrayed in her sleeping face. She looked so peaceful, and also comfortable in his arms. It seemed his arms were made for her to lie in them for all eternity.
She sighed in her sleep and a tiny smile played on her lips. He knew that for now at least, she would sleep well, and tomorrow was when they would decide the next move. All he knew for sure, is that he would fight heaven and hell to be with her and make her happy, as this thought ran through his mind, he fell into his own peaceful sleep, full of dreams that all showed Anna's face, smiling at him as they danced, embraced and kissed again and again.
This is my first attempt at a fic, so please be nice. Send me reviews about what you like and what you don't etc etc etc. I'll update as soon as possible as its summer now and I have loads of time on my hands ready for writing. I don't want to reveal too much of the rest of the plot, but any suggestions for boys and girls names would be much appreciated.
The werewolf that was deep down Gabriel Van Helsing snarled angrily and she suddenly realised that this was not Gabriel anymore, this was not that man that she had fallen in love with over the past few days, this was a monster. His job was to rid the world of evil by taking the monsters alive to be cured and then, and only if they caused problems, they were destroyed. If I don't cure him, she realised, then he's going to be killed by Carl. After saving her family from the ancient curse and giving them a safe passage from purgatory to the safety of heaven that they had always deserved, she was not about to let his own soul be taken because of the extremities he had gone to reach both of their goals.
What fear was left in her disappeared, as both she and the werewolf moved forwards at the same time. Her movement was a tiny step nearer to the creature that encaged the man she wanted back, but his was a monstrous leap at her. She did what she could and that was to thrust out the arm holding the cure and jab it into his stomach. Then came the pain. She felt her back pound against something hard and break underneath the weight of her, and the werewolf that held her down. She could feel its disgusting hot breath against her face. Then there was pain, so much pain.
Her head span with all the pain and spots danced in front of her eyes. Then she realised that this was it, she was going to die. As she realised this, she thought of her family. They were safe behind St. Peter's gates now. She had saved them. Visions of her mother, father and brother filled her head and she tried with all her strength to hold on to them as the darkness in her mind grew steadily. The fact that her family were watching, waiting for her to join them, made it easier for her to pass over. She looked up at the werewolf, which was slowly transforming back into a man. Already it was Gabriel's soft eyes that were looking down on her. She whispered his name as the darkness took control and her mind emptied, taking the pain away with it.
"Anna? Anna, wake up!" Gabriel shouted. Oh my God he thought, I've killed her, the only woman I've ever loved and she's dead. He bent down, lifted her upper body towards him and burying his face in her hair as tears he had held inside for many years fell freely. "Please God, please don't take her. I didn't mean to, Anna, I never meant to hurt you."
Had all his hard work been for nothing? He had been sent to protect the last members of the Valerious bloodline from Dracula. The werewolf had taken Velkan before he had arrived in Transylvania and so it was then his mission to keep Anna safe. In his eyes now, all he had done was killed Dracula, what had made this different to any other mission? He had killed the monster and as usual, an innocent life had been taken. But this life was more important than the others; he had cared deeply for Anna, Princess of the Gypsies. And now her body was lying in his arms, dead to the world. Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. She was dead, and it was his entire fault. He had killed her, he was a murderer.
"Van Helsing, wait!"
Carl's voice drifted to him but he wanted to pretend he wasn't there. He wanted to pretend that everything was OK again, that Anna was alive again, but he couldn't. She wasn't coming back. Her body was still in his arms. Something was moving in his arms, but that was impossible. The only thing in his arms was Anna and she was ...
"Gabriel..." Her sweet voice drifted to his ears like a song. He looked down at her in disbelief, silently thanking God. Her eyes opened and he could see a slit of brown through them. She groaned and spoke again. "My head feels like it was thrown through a wall."
He gathered her in his arms and held her tightly. "Oh, Anna, you're alive!" he said over and over again. She was alive. Injured, but alive.
"I'm sorry to break up this little love-fest but I think we should go back now." Carl's voice interrupted and Gabriel pulled away.
"I think your right Carl." He stood up and offered a hand to Anna, who took it lightly and pulled up her weight. Her whole body ached and there was still and still a dull pain in her head. She felt slightly dizzy, but ignored the feeling and embraced Gabriel once more, thankful that they were both alive and well.
As they started to walk out of Dracula's castle, Anna's headache worsened, she felt a wave of nausea hit her in the doorway and reacted quickly. One hand flew to the doorway to steady herself and the other touching her forehead in attempt to gain control of the pain. Gabriel felt her absence and turned around to see her slouched against the wall, eyes half closed and slowly shaking her head.
"Anna!" he ran to her side, and upon hearing Gabriel's call, Carl the friar followed him. Gabriel moved her arm from the wall and steadied her himself. He saw she was in pain, her hands found his jacket that covered his bare chest and she grasped furiously for reassurance. "Anna, what is it? What's wrong? Carl! What is wrong with her?" Both Gabriel and Anna were now helpless in this situation. Gabriel was angered by the fact that it was him that had caused her pain, and Anna was trying desperately to remain conscious.
Carl observed Anna, thankful that his training in medicine would finally pay off. "She must have a slight head injury, we should get her back to her room, she needs rest." He walked towards the exit that would lead them back to Vaseria.
Anna made no move to return to her home, so Gabriel put his arms underneath her and lifted her into his arms. In her weakened state, she made no protest to his help, her stubbornness deserting her. She moaned a little and put her head to his chest, allowing him to feel her warm breath against his bare skin. He kissed her forehead. "Hold on Anna"
As they re-entered Anna's home, she was now calming down a little. But she still clutched at Gabriel. They laid her in her bed, and Carl went and sat in front of her on the bed. "Anna" he said quietly. "Anna, can you hear me?"
"Carl?" she whispered. Gabriel stood behind Carl. He didn't know what to do. He had helped out in these situations in previous missions, but now it was Anna that was hurt, he had forgotten everything. This wasn't a mission anymore.
"Anna, listen to me." Carl was speaking clearly and waving a hand before her face. "Anna, you've hit your head. So you're going to have to stay in bed for a few days. You will be fine then, but you might have some difficulty recollecting some memories from the past few days. Do you understand?"
Gabriel froze. Did that mean she wouldn't remember him? What if she didn't love him? She wouldn't remember the kiss they had shared. He had seen in her eyes as they parted that it had meant something. He wanted her to remember, he needed her to, for his sake as well as hers. If she didn't love him back, his heart would be broken. He would return to the Vatican and continue his journey to reclaim his memory from God. But if she remembered, he would give up his job. He wouldn't place her life in danger again. He would forget his lost memories and make new ones, a new life, with Anna.
"Anna do you understand me?" Carl asked again. Anna's face crumpled into a small frown as she glared up at Carl.
"Carl, I'm fine, I can remember everything. I just have a headache and I want to go to sleep." She said irritably. Carl looked at her in shock, maybe she wasn't as ill as he first thought. "Where's Gabriel? I want Gabriel." She asked before Carl could say anything else to distract her.
Gabriel felt his heart skip a beat. She remembered. He sighed happily as she yawned. "Tired. Want Gabriel." She said as she lay on her side a curled into a ball beneath the blankets, her tone sounded like a child that was being refused their favourite toy and trying to prove how much they wanted it.
"Van Helsing...?" Carl said uncertainly, unsure of how the monster hunter would react to Anna's request. Gabriel only smiled, clapping a hand on the friar's shoulder.
"It's OK, Carl. You can go now." Carl stood up and left, watching Gabriel take his lace beside Anna before he closed the door on the two lovers. As he made his way to his own room, he thought about the future for Anna and Van Helsing. He imagined a wonderful wedding; beautiful children and a long lived rewarding life. He hoped that the pair, who had been living in sorrow for so long, could find happiness in each other and support one another through all that was to come.
Back in Anna's room, Gabriel was holing onto her hand as she gazed up at him lovingly, but also worriedly. "Gabriel, that kiss," she said slowly, he could hear fear stutter in her voice, "Did it mean anything to you?"
He smiled and kissed her forehead reassuringly. "Anna, it meant everything to me. I have never felt anything like the love I feel for you. I feel like I have known you all my life." He rubbed her hand with his thumb carelessly, and she smiled back at him.
"I love you too. More than I can tell you." She yawned again and covered her mouth with her free hand.
"You should rest now. You've been through a lot recently, sleep with be a nice retreat for you." He told her softly but sternly. Then there was a change so rapid in her that he couldn't believe it had really happened.
Her eyes changed from love and happiness to a sharp fear and paranoia. The light within her shining dark orbs disappeared as if someone had just extinguished candlelight. "You're not going to leave are you? Please don't leave me alone." Her eyes alone were enough to make him stay with her. They pleaded, even begged him to stay with her, and not to let her sleep unprotected.
"I wouldn't dream of it." And with that he took off his boots and jacket and slid beside her on the bed. He curled close to her and wrapped his arms around her slim form. She felt so light in his arms, and after a few seconds of fidgeting around to get comfortable, she finally relaxed into his embrace as sleep carried her off to another world, free from pain and suffering.
Gabriel watched her for a while as she slept. So much had happened in the past week. She had lost her brother, who had sacrificed himself for her, she had been attacked by Dracula's brides many times and after finally seeing Dracula defeated, been forced to come to terms with the fact that all of her family were truly in heaven, never to return except in dreams and memories. Yet none of these tragedies were portrayed in her sleeping face. She looked so peaceful, and also comfortable in his arms. It seemed his arms were made for her to lie in them for all eternity.
She sighed in her sleep and a tiny smile played on her lips. He knew that for now at least, she would sleep well, and tomorrow was when they would decide the next move. All he knew for sure, is that he would fight heaven and hell to be with her and make her happy, as this thought ran through his mind, he fell into his own peaceful sleep, full of dreams that all showed Anna's face, smiling at him as they danced, embraced and kissed again and again.
This is my first attempt at a fic, so please be nice. Send me reviews about what you like and what you don't etc etc etc. I'll update as soon as possible as its summer now and I have loads of time on my hands ready for writing. I don't want to reveal too much of the rest of the plot, but any suggestions for boys and girls names would be much appreciated.