The movie ended with too many questions for me. What happens to Mary after the movie ends???

The film shows Simon and Mary at Carfax Abbey, leaving it open for Drac 2000 part 2.

Author's Note this fiction is based on the film Dracula 2000, I would just like to say I do not own anything or anyone involved with Dracula 2000. Although I'd like to meet up with Mr Butler for a bite ;)

It's been five years since that night. The night my life changed forever.

The night HE came to find me. My father and my best friend were lost to Dracula's desire to find a soul not bitten but born. He claimed all I was belonged to him, and all he had belonged to me.

He found me, took me to that mission's rooftop. I asked him who he was. He told me how he had borne the very wrath of God. Chosen to suffer like no man before.

My blood was his; the essence of Dracula ran in my veins. He showed me truly who he was and what he was. Showed me how the betrayer became the betrayed.

He came to despise all the things led to making him into what he now was. The silver, the cross, holy water, the bible.

He changed me, offered up my father's friend, Simon as a feast. When he whispered in my ear

"Blood has always been the coin of our realm" I knew he had chosen me as his mate and bride, not just as a subject. But he under estimated me. I was my father's daughter. Strong willed and determined. I would not become what Dracula wished. When I ended Lucy's unnatural life, Dracula knew I had betrayed him. What enraged him more, the fact I killed Lucy or that I tried to kill him, I do not know.

He tossed me away in anger but I sensed his hurt.

Stalking across the rooftop towards me I could see my end in his eyes. I fought for whatever life I had. Simon tried to help me by tossing a set of garden shears at Dracula's back and for a moment distracted him from throttling the life from me. Wrapping the cable around his neck and jumping off the roof seemed to be my only salvation.

"This is how you die!" I said to him.

My momentum carried us both over the side of the building. As we fell the cross came crashing down on the edge of the building, suspending him in mid-air. I lost my grip on the cable, and began to fall. Dracula reached out and grabbed my hand, holding on with a tight grip. I was amazed that he had caught me, after what I had just done.

He hung there. Caught with a cable, not rope that could break. He looked up at the figure of the Christ on the cross, as if asking for some thing maybe it was forgiveness. I know not what, even now. He knew the dawn was coming and with it, both our ends. I held on to his hand not willing to let go and fall to what I thought would be certain death. Dracula looked down at me, something came across his face , I did not recognize what it was. His grip loosened and I fell to the sidewalk below.

Gasping and struggling to speak, Dracula held out his hand in supplication and said the words that freed me from his gift. "I. Release. You."

The sun's rays peaked over the buildings to the east. With a cry of agony, Dracula's body burst into flames.

Held in Simon's arms, I watched as the light of dawn burned his body as it hang there.

I am now the keeper of what remains.

I should tell you who I am, I am Mary Van Helsing. I am my father's daughter, Abram Van Helsing.

He kept the world safe from the being, Dracula. Now I follow in his footsteps, with the help of Simon, my loyal and dear friend to do the same.

Pushing back from the desk I was seated at, I stood up and went to stand at the huge windows in the office of the antiquities business I took over after my father's death. I rubbed my temples in attempt to ease the headache that was threatening to erupt into a migraine. All my life I had dreams of being trapped in the dark with a man. When I saw his face, it was with horror and halfway infatuation. Dracula was not an ugly man. He was very easy on the eyes. His female victims were half way attracted to him before he entrapped their minds to summon them to him. As Lucy said, I had him for years in my dreams and never shared. Somehow I knew no one would believe me that a handsome man in my dreams could be so deadly.

I watched the sun sink lower on the horizon over the city as I reflected on that night five years past.

Rubbing my temple again I walked over to the desk and clicked on the lamp there. I never cared for the darkness prior to that fateful night; I cared for it even less now.

Why was I rehashing all this again? The dreams have started again. Intruding in my sleep. It's not like before. Dracula, Judas whatever he is called just watches me. Comes to my room and sits at the end of my bed and silently watches me. His eyes contemplative with thoughts only he knows. Sometimes he leans over and seems to inhale my scent, almost touching me but not quite. I know it's just a dream that threatens to border on a nightmare.

The coffin in the basement vault of Carfax abbey is impenetrable but still it worries me. I promised Simon I would not go down there, to that place. I would not touch that coffin what contained the remains of Dracula. But. Still.

Sighing deeply I sat once more in the desk chair. I picked up the cup and saucer in front of me. It rattled betraying how unsettled I really was. I set it down carefully. The phone rang on the desk, startling me.

"Hello?" I asked quickly recovering from my start.

"Mary? It's Simon," said the voice on the line. " I managed to acquire some amazing pieces from this estate. "

" Oh Simon! That's wonderful" I picked up on his enthusiasm.

"I will be on the morning flight home. Can't wait to show you!" I heard a loud speaker relating flight arrivals and departures in the background. Static filled the line. Simon's voice faded out to be replaced by static.
" Mary? Mary? The line is bad. I will call you when the plane lands, all right? "

I said good-bye and softly set the handset back into the cradle.

I decided that I would turn in early and call it a night. Like my father, I keep rooms in the abbey. Where better to protect and guard the most valuable and dangerous thing in the vault of Carfax Abbey.

I made my way to my suite of rooms, turning off the lights as I went.

For some reason I keep thinking of Dracula tonight. Mentally shaking myself, I showered and got ready for bed. I sat on my bed and began brushing my hair. I had grown it long in the past half decade. Braiding into a single braid down my back was the best way to deal with it when sleeping.

I thought I heard a noise down towards the offices. Pulling on the wrap that was at the foot of my bed, I made my way towards the offices, the revolver Simon insisted I learn to use to protect myself, in hand. What Simon didn't know, is when Dracula released me; he didn't take all his gifts back. I was pre naturally strong, could see well in the dark, scent things that others didn't seem to be able to and I was very fast.

I searched the offices and show room for any intruders and found none. I heard the noise again, this time from behind the vault door. Like a whisper. I stopped a few feet from the door. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible. It was not possible. There was no life in the body in the silver coffin. Simon and I had determined that through various tests.

The whisper came again. A soft breathy but masculine whisper that said my name " Mary"

Instead of being afraid and running as fast as I could, as I should have, I went towards the door. Keying in the code, offering the DNA sample and voice print, I opened the vault door. Making my way to the middle of the vault where the silver coffin sat, I keep asking myself " What are you doing?? Mary you are crazy! What are you doing" but still I went.

Soon I was standing beside the coffin that held the remains of Dracula. I HAD promised Simon I would not do this. As my hand reached out to touch it I heard Simon's voice " Mary, promise me you won't go near the coffin while I'm gone. Promise me you won't touch it!!"

My hand touched the cold silver box and Simon's voice faded away. I trailed my hand across the top, as if smoothing a tablecloth. A sharp edge on the one cross cut deeply into my index finger. Blood dripped onto the cross and onto the lid. I grabbed the edge of my wrap and tried to soak it all up before it leaked into the casket. Suddenly I didn't want to be there anymore. I turned made my way through the twisting corridors and back into the main lobby of the Abbey. I reset the locks on the vault and quickly went back to my suite of rooms.

Shaken, I poured myself a snifter of the fine brandy that my father had kept for himself. I downed it in almost one swallow.
"Good job Mary, you've made a fine mess now" I muttered to myself.

Fate wasn't something to mess with, and I may well have done just that.

I curled up on one of the huge armchairs in the lounge area. It was almost dawn before I dozed off.

I dreamed of him, the man who haunted my dreams. This time he was leaning over me in the chair.

He looked so beautiful so handsome with that always-deadly quality I knew he had. He leaned in toward me and inhaled as if sniffing a fine perfume or wine. He was so real; I could almost feel his breath on my skin.
The ethereal quality of his voice had always enchanted me. Now, even in my dream, knowing what and who he was, it still did.

"Mary" he smiled slightly " So beautiful"

"What do you want?" I asked, not sure I really wanted him to answer.

"Ah Mary, so defensive. Thank you for the gift earlier. It has been so long since I had a taste." He indicted the cut on my finger.

"That was not intentional" I retorted

He nodded slightly " Never the less, thank you"

"You know I will never let you free from your prison" I stated simply. " I fought you once before and will again."

Chuckling softly " Sweet Mary, I expect no less from you."

He rose but still stood in front of the chair, keeping me imprisoned in it.
"Come now Mary. I mean you no harm. You are blood of my blood. Flesh of my flesh"

"You released me" I replied softly.
"Mary, there is no need to fear. I did free you" he leaned in again. His lips almost touching mine. "Your father passed on life stolen from my blood to you. You can never really be free of me"

His lips moved across mine and my heart gave a jolt. Although I said nothing, my eyes showed him how it affected me.

I pushed at him, tumbling to the floor. Hands grabbed me about the waist and I began to fight.
"Mary! Mary!" Simon voice broke through to me. It was his arms about my waist as I fought and kicked.
"What's wrong??" He asked me, worry on his face.
Shaken but not ready to share with him what had happened I lied to him by saying nothing had happened. And it hadn't. Yet.

End of Chapter 1