She had only slept a few hours and was wishing that she could have stayed that way for much longer. Her head was pounding and her damaged shoulder was on fire, but she got up anyway and poured the hot water for her much-needed bath. She let down her dark hair from its confines and shook it out, running her fingers through it. She brushed it out as best she could before stripping down and stepping gently into her bath. She hissed when the hot water came in contact with her shoulder but started the task of washing anyway, it would do no good to get an infection because her shoulder stung a little bit.

She stepped into her room, a towel wrapped tightly around her, fresh from her wash. She grabbed her worn black pants, her favorite dark blue button up, and the only pair of boots that she had. She slipped them on and pulled her hair back, still wet. She put on her leather coat, her wide-brimmed black hat, her tinted glasses and grabbed her bag of weapons, strapping on her pistol, a dagger, and sliding a silver stake into her boots. She quickly made the bed and then stalked out the door, shutting it gently behind her and starting down the stairs towards Michael's room, they would need to leave very soon if they were to make it to another village before nightfall.

'Michael?' she asked as she opened the door to her watcher's room. There was no answer and she walked further into the room to try and find him.

'Michael?' she called again, but there was still no answer and she had searched everywhere, he wasn't in his room.

'Where is he?' she asked under her breath as she went down the rest of the stairs, her bag slung over her shoulder and her hat pushed down to cover her face. She entered the pub that occupied the bottom floor of the hotel and saw her fair-haired watcher sitting at the bar, talking to two men, one of them the man that she had passed on the stairs.

'Michael?' she asked as she came up to the three men and her watcher turned and stared at her with wide eyes like a kid whose mother caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.

'Oh hello.'

She merely raised an eyebrow in question and Michael looked away uncomfortably, knowing that once they were alone, he was in for a good tongue-lashing. His charge loved anonymity, she didn't like to talk to anyone, and she didn't like him to talk to anyone either.

'Hello.' She was ever polite and turned her head towards the two men that were watching the exchange.

'Oh, this is Gabriel Van Helsing and his companion Carl.' She held her hand out and shook both of their hands.

'And what do we call you?' asked Gabriel.

'Phoenix.' She replied softly as she looked him up and down, she had heard of the infamous Gabriel Van Helsing and his last adventure where he had killed Dracula.

'The phoenix?' asked Carl and she quirked an eyebrow.

'It's just…everyone says you are a man.' He stuttered at her look and she gave him a soft smile.

'Well, what everyone says is wrong. It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Van Helsing, your reputation precedes you.'

'And your reputation precedes you.' He acknowledged good-naturedly.

'And my reputation precedes your reputation, but I doubt that is relevant right now.' Her answer was quick and sharp and he favored her with a disbelieving look but said nothing.

'Michael, I believe we should go. If you'll excuse us, there's a vampire problem a few villages over.'

Michael got up and followed her out of the hotel. Van Helsing and Carl stood there for a moment in slight shock before Gabriel ran after them.

'Which village?' he asked.

'One that is just a few miles over, we should get there before nightfall.' She replied softly and he smirked at her.

'Well, in that case, we'll accompany you.'

'No!' her answer was sharp.

'Why?'

'I hunt alone.'

'So do I usually, but I've hunted vampires before and you'll need a back up.'

'I do not need anything Mr. Van Helsing. Least of all your help, now if you'll excuse me.' She turned on her heel and she and Michael started down the streets.

'You're walking?' called Gabriel.

'Yes.' She called over her shoulder, wishing she hadn't gotten out of bed this morning.

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'Why didn't you accept his help?' asked Michael once they were at least a mile down the road, well out of hearing range.

'Because, I do not need to be worrying about someone else when I am trying to fight a vampire.' She replied sharply.

'Phoenix…' he shook his head, she was far too worried about losing someone to realize that she couldn't fight alone anymore.

'I don't want to hear it Michael, until it becomes apparent that I need help, I will fight alone.'

'But you do need help.'

'No, I don't I do not need to worry about someone else's life when I am out there fighting for my own.'

'Phoenix…' she didn't respond, 'Adalia.' He used her real name and she stopped dead in her tracks, tears springing to her eyes. She hadn't heard that name in nearly eleven years.

'You need help.'

'I have you don't I?' she asked him, and even though her emotion was evident in her eyes it didn't translate to her voice.

'Yes, you will always have me, but I'm starting to worry that it won't be enough anymore.'

'Michael, you worry too much.' She told him as she turned to face him and he smiled at her.

'Yes, well, when you love someone, you worry.' He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and she sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder for a moment before they kept walking forward to their newest destination.