Authors Note:

After much deliberation, I decided to upload this. I dunno quite why, I don't have any fans or anything. And I know some of these facts aren't right (Karl in the movie is Carl, The church where Van Helsing works is in Rome). Ah well. I write more my own amusement, not for the pleasure of others. To me, writing about one thing to make me happy means so much more than writing about a whole bunch of things just to make others happy.

Chapter One

Sanctuary

Running. That's what she remembered. Running. The tree branches, leaves, and twigs ripping at her face as she ran through the forest. Her shoes slipping on the scattered leaves that littered the wet pavement. She didn't want to look back over her shoulder, she was too afraid. Finally she saw a cathedral ahead, Notre Dam. For an instant there was actually a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

A figure tore past her, and instantly she felt a white hot pain on the side of her cheek. She tried to ignore it and keep going, swinging past the figure in order to get to the steps of the church. She didn't know what it was that was following her…the night sky seemed to help whatever it was by disguising its identity.

She stumbled and went down, looking up at the steps of the church once more. She was so close, she couldn't give up now. There was a whistling sound, and she rolled over, barely missing the claws that cracked the ground beside her. She pushed herself to all fours, crawling forward, then standing and running. Her legs were numb, and her breath came in short stabs…but when she was so close to safety, she didn't care.

A man had walked out onto the steps. From what the girl could see through her tear-blurred vision, it looked like it might've been a priest, or possibly a monk. He noticed her, and quickly ran down the steps as she staggered and fell one more time. The creature looked to the man and let out a low growl, running back into the trees from where it came. The girl tried to breath, but her vision was leaving her. With this man she knew she was safe, and she could sense that the creature had left her.

The last thing she remembered was being picked up and carried into the church, and feeling the warm air rush to her…

She awoke to voices, maybe three, around her. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision still blurred. She could feel something being pressed to her head, then it was removed and she heard the swishing of water before it was replaced. The soft mattress beneath her and the quilted covers that covered her told her she was in a bed, but she still didn't know who was talking.

"I'm worried about her."

"She's a young girl, Karl! What does it matter if she's so young? Being slashed by a werewolf, this will only lead to another were-wolf. But she's so young she could kill for years. I say let me shoot her." There was a click of a gun being cocked.

"Van Helsing! How dare you say such of a young girl! And in another matter, I'd expect you to know everything about werewolves! Only a bite will curse her, not merely a slash."

"What do we do?" The voice the girl registered to be Karl whispered.

"Take care of her." This one sounded Irish.

"Who, me?" Karl again.

"You found her, Karl. She'll be your responsibility should you wish to keep her." The Irish man told him.

"Well, why doesn't Van Helsing raise her? She could help him when she grows older. You never know what uses she could—she's awake!" Karl alerted the others.

Slowly her vision was beginning to clear, and the throbbing pain of her cheek was growing more and more prominent. She looked to a man in brown robes, the man that was on the steps when she'd collapsed. He was the one pressing a cloth to her head. There were two more men, one in white and red robes, and one in all black with a hat in his hand. It had grown very quiet, and everyone was watching her carefully.

Maybe two minutes passed before any of them realized the girl wouldn't be the first to talk. Karl was the first. He seemed to be the smartest of the bunch, but then again she couldn't tell if she was really awake.

"Can you tell us your name?" The man with short-blond hair asked her.

"L-Lena…" She whispered, much to the glee of the men around her.

"Great!" Karl seemed more than delighted. "I'm Karl, that over there is Van Helsing (he gave a bow), and this is Father Marcury (another bow). How old are you?" Karl asked as Father Marcury hustled off to go get her some food.

"Um…I'm only nine." Karl seemed taken aback. He knew she was young but….not that young. She noticed his look of minor shock, and blinked at him. He looked down at her and gave a meek smile.

"Its all right…you're safe now. We'll do everything we can to help you get better. I'm assuming you have no safe place to live, so we'll keep you here…you can one day work with Van Helsing."

Lena looked up at him and felt a certain type of trust. It was the kind all young children have, when they know who is safe and who is not…the kind where they feel just right with that person. And that was what Karl was. He was safe. She smiled at him and reached up, giving him a rather large hug before laying back and drifting off to sleep.