Summary: This story takes place right after the movie, only Anna was not hurt by Van Helsing and furthermore is not dead lol. The basic idea is that we'll get to learn something about who he really is, and explore his relationship with her a bit more deeply.

Warning: The story contains explicit sex scenes, so please don't read through if you are under legal age or otherwise feel uncomfortable with such stuff. To everyone else, enjoy yourselves! ;-p

Disclaimer: Yes, bla bla bla I don't own Van Helsing or anything related to the movie, I only own my own characters and plot bla bla bla etc…

A Journey Home, And A Journey Of Sentiments

Chapter 2

"Now… where were we? I think you were about to do something, Mr. Van Helsing!", Anna told Gabriel while a seducing grin formed on her lips. Gabriel seemed a tad more serious, though.

"Anna, are you sure this is the right thing to do? After all, this is your home, and I would never risk your life while hunting evil creatures."

"Yes it was my home, as long as there was something to keep me here. But there is nothing anymore. My home now belongs to no specific place, but to traveling and searching, to facing danger. You are my home, Gabriel, and you are all I want. You are all I truly ever wanted and hoped for deep inside me, but it was not until I met you that my eyes opened to the truth of my soul… and my heart. You are my home, Gabriel, do you understand?"

"Oh Anna, I could give up everything to just be with you! For once in my life I feel really content… and happy, things I've never felt before. Really, I could do anything for you… but I also want you to be safe and live a life rid of trouble and danger. You have had quite enough of these so far."

"My love, I would never ask you to give up your life, for you still have a purpose, unlike me… You need to search for answers, to search for your lost memories, and I am going to help you. You don't have to worry about endangering my life as you said, because I have been facing danger all my life. Danger is a part of me, Gabriel, as it is of you. We are made of the same material… And do you think I could ever be peaceful, staying inside, while knowing that you would be out there risking your life alone? No, I could never allow that! And, after all, it is my decision to come with you! Whatever it is to come, we will face it together. I will stand by your side… and be with you as one".

Gabriel felt very touched by Anna's words. That woman kept amazing him all the time, for there was no one like her in the whole world, and he was falling deeper and deeper in love with her. Still, the entire situation was completely new to him and he felt that his life had changed radically.

"Anna, you have brought light to my life. How can I refuse this light? I admire you and love you so deeply that I feel my heart won't be able to contain all my love and it will explode! I love you… I need you… Oh God please tell me that we are choosing the right thing to do, because I don't want my life if it is without Anna!", he exclaimed and turned his gaze upwards, like he was expecting an answer from God.

"God gave us the free will to make our own choices, and this is what we do. And if you ask me, yes, I think this is the right thing to do, because it's what we both want more than anything else."

After saying these words to him, she placed her hands on his cheeks and caressed him tenderly. She loved the feeling of his unshaved skin under her touch. Then she ran her hands through his hair, leaned in and kissed him passionately. Gabriel quickly gave in to her kiss, and as he began devouring her all his thoughts melted away, and it would seem that he was free of his concerns for a while. Anna expressed her passion for the hunter more feverishly now than she had done the previous time they kissed, and let her hands slide downwards, from his face to his chest. Oh his chest… so strong-build and beautiful, perfectly matching his broad shoulders, long legs and handsome face. To her, Gabriel seemed as pure male perfection, and she wondered if his body was really as perfect as she could guess it was… She imagined it to have been sculpted by angels… and she longed to see and feel that body, to feel his skin shiver under her touch. With these thoughts in her head she moved her hands up and down his back, tracing his muscles through the layer of the material of his shirt. Anna's touch turned Gabriel on; how much he longed to touch her! How many times had he dreamed of touching her delicate, porcelain skin… Only now did he realize that he wanted her from the very first moment he saw her, standing there in the square, tall and proud, looking at him in disbelief. The remembrance of her figure of the near past made him press his body harder against hers, while his hands slowly traveled on her back, finally coming to rest on the curves of her hips; he wanted her to feel him, to feel how much he longed for her.

Anna broke their kiss, and while his hands were still on her hips she looked at him straight in the eye. Gabriel looked back at her and for a moment he thought that he might have got it too far, so he removed his hands from their resting place and began to speak.

"Anna, I, I'm-"

"Shhh… you don't need to speak. I know", she said and smiled to him. "I don't want to be alone tonight, Gabriel", she told him.

Gabriel looked at her for a moment, and when he saw that her expression was reassuring and inviting him, a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"Then maybe the princess should show me to her private quarters", he teased her and lifted her up in his arms. Moments later, they were in Anna's bed chamber.

"I want to take this slowly… I want it to be most pleasurable… I want to know every inch of your body…", she whispered to his ear as he carefully laid her on the mattress.

Gabriel simply smiled to her and nodded in agreement. But Anna was not going to simply lie down and wait for him; she wanted to take some initiatives herself. So while Gabriel was still standing next to the bed, ready to lower his body on hers, she rose and kneeled on the bed so that they were in eye-level contact. Gabriel was pleasantly surprised by her move, but after all he expected no passivity from this woman; his woman. They kissed again, tongues exploring, and then Gabriel started trailing his kisses downwards, on the corner of her mouth, on her chin, and then down her neck. Anna threw her head back, her wonderful hair creating a waterfall of curls, so that she could give him better access to her skin. Gabriel kissed his way down her neck to the valley between her breasts. When he reached that spot Anna moaned slightly, and then she lifted her head so that she could look at him. The hunter's eyes were burning with passion and lust, begging her to let him go on, and at the same time showing some hesitation.

"Come on my love, touch me", Anna said and took Gabriel's hands in hers. Then she placed them on her sides and slowly guided them upwards until they met the curves of her breasts. Then she let go of them. Gabriel was too aroused to stop; he teased the soft flesh through the thin material. Then he carefully but passionately placed his hands on her breasts and cupped them, squeezing them gently as his thumbs were teasing her nipples.

"Anna", he gasped, experiencing feelings he had long forgotten. "Anna I want you, I want you so much", he continued.

"Help me out of this corset!"

He obeyed and helped her untie the corset. Now her blouse was hanging very loosely on her shoulders. Gabriel, unable to hold back, placed his hands on her sides and caressed her from under the blouse, slowly moving upwards until he reached her breasts. Her soft skin and full breasts felt wonderfully in his hands and he closed his eyes, letting out a growl from the deep of his throat. Then he lifted Anna's blouse over her head and lowered his face to her breasts, where he began kissing, licking and sucking. Anna was letting out small moans of pleasure, herself experiencing feelings she had never tasted before.

Then Gabriel moved forward, slightly pushing Anna backwards, so he too knelt on the bed. Anna took advantage of that moment of pause to make her own moves. Her delicate hands roamed from Gabriel's rugged face to his strong neck, from his broad shoulders to his arms from his chest to his abdomen and sides. Then she embraced him and let her hands explore her lover's back, as he tilted his head forward and buried it in the space between her shoulder and neck. Soon she lifted his shirt and pulled it over his head, her hands now free to enjoy his firm and toned torso. Anna thought that he truly seemed to have been sculpted by angels and she was happy to see her assumption coming true.

"You do so well, my love…", he approved of her actions and encouraged her to go on.

Anna's hands continued their task and soon found themselves sliding downward and cupping Gabriel's butt. It felt so firm to her and she gave it a small squeeze of approval. Gabriel moaned and lifted his head so that he could make eye contact with her. He smiled and she smiled back. Then he trapped her lips in another feverish kiss, his hands savoring her flesh. At that moment Gabriel decided to take a step forward.

Carefully and slowly, wishing by no means to frighten her, he moved his hands lower on her abdomen and then on her upper thighs. He received no negative reaction from her side, so he went on and placed his hand on the tender spot between her legs. Anna shivered and moaned in pleasure. Gabriel kissed her again and started to caress her tenderly. Anna moaned again and arched her body towards him.

"Anna, is it alright? Are you feeling comfortable?", he worried, though he could clearly see that Anna was totally responding to his passion.

"Oh yes, Gabriel, I am fine, and it feels great. It's just that… I haven't done this before…"

"Oh my love, you don't have to worry. I would never do anything that might hurt you. At any moment, if you are not feeling you are enjoying this, just tell me and I will stop, alright?"

"But I don't want you to stop, Gabriel…", she assured him, her voice soft, passionate and seductive. "I need to touch you…", she continued, her eyes locked on his, "I need to give you the pleasure you are giving me now…"

Gabriel said nothing; he only smiled to her, removed his hand from the hot spot it was working on and leaned backwards a bit, waiting eagerly for her move, while his heart was beating like a drum. Anna hesitated for a brief moment and searched his eyes again. His gaze was more than inviting, exactly like his body. The princess moved her hands on her lover's hips and then caressed her way downwards, on his strong thighs, avoiding the tempting bulge on purpose. Gabriel was holding his breath. After a few more strokes, she placed her hand on his hardness and cupped it gently. Gabriel closed his eyes and let out a deep growl. Then he spontaneously rocked his hips forward so that he filled her palm wholly. Anna on her side was very excited and holding her breath, too. She could clearly sense how much Gabriel was enjoying her touch, and the more her hand worked on him, even with the barrier of his pants between them, the harder he was getting, and this made her feel more aroused.

Suddenly Gabriel could hold back no more.

"Anna, I want you, I want you now!", he said, his voice the ultimate expression of male lust.

Anna said nothing. She grasped his shoulders and leaned backwards on the bed, pulling him down with her. Then she spread her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Gabriel pushed against her and Anna thought that it felt extremely good. He lowered his head, and his mouth asked for Anna's lips to invite them into a kiss, but Anna needed to speak.

"We need to take these off", she said and pulled on his waistband.

"Now you are becoming aggressive! I thought that you wanted to take it slowly, princess!", he teased her a bit. "But I like this change in rules", he said and quickly pulled her pants down and off of her, so that she was totally exposed to him now. Anna, wasting no time, undid his belt and pulled his pants down. Gabriel kicked them away. They were both naked now, entwined in each other's hug and loving gaze.

Gabriel moved his hand between them and touched her hot and wet entrance. Anna moaned and arched her body again towards him. He tenderly caressed her sensitive folds and then carefully and slowly inserted a finger in her. Anna cried out in pleasure. To him, she seemed more than ready; still, he needed her reassurance.

"Anna, are you ready…?"

"Oh Gabriel yes! I need you inside me now! Please!"

"I'll go slowly, I don't want to hurt you…", he told her and then placed the tip of his penis in her entrance. Anna moaned again and rocked her hips towards him, begging him to enter her fully. Gabriel slowly pushed inside her a bit, allowing her some time to adjust. When she was ready, Gabriel gave one more thrust, somewhat more powerful this time and buried the whole of his size in her. Anna gasped at the feeling of Gabriel entering her and she felt a small pain, but it soon subsided and was replaced by pleasure. Gabriel waited again, knowing it was Anna's first time. Soon, she arched her body again, inviting him to start thrusting in and out of her. And so he did, steadily increasing the pace of his thrusts. Soon Anna was about to reach her orgasm.

"Oh Gabriel, I'm, I'm-", she gasped, and then her orgasm took over her, sending jolts of ultimate pleasure all over her body. Gabriel, feeling her muscles clasping around him, reached his orgasm too, and after a couple of more shallow thrusts he shot his hot seed inside her, while calling her name. Then, as the waves of his orgasm subsided and waves of exhaustion started taking over him, he lowered his weight next to his lover. Anna's breathing had returned to normal now, and she held Gabriel's head, who was now lying next to her, his body partially covering hers.

"I love you", she told him.

"And I love you", he responded and smiled to her.

After some time during which they remained silent, apparently lost in their own thoughts, Anna decided to speak.

"You know", she started, trying to sound serious, "I had never thought that this tough and distant man I first set eyes on in the town's square would make such a passionate and tender lover…", she teased him.

"But you had thought of him as a lover", he shot back with a mischievous expression on his face, and before she had had any time to come up with an answer he leaned over her and kissed her passionately. "He has had similar thoughts about you, too", he told her after their kiss and with the back of his hand caressed her cheek. Anna took his hand and brought it to her lips. Then she placed a sweet kiss on it.

"I think we both need to rest now", she said, and after thinking for a while, she continued, "I want to leave this place as soon as possible", she told him and let her hand rest on his chest.

"But why?", he wondered.

"Because it brings sad memories to me."

"But pleasant ones as well, right?"

"Yes… I will happily keep my good memories with me, and I don't need a place to be reminded of my family, and of our meeting. Still, if leaving this place can help even a little to forget all the sadness and tragedy of my family, I want to take that chance."

"Anna, don't expect that Rome is like heaven, or that our life together, under the given circumstances, can ever be like heaven either…"

"Gabriel, I told you before. All I want is your love. And I need a change. You can give me both", she said and placed a kiss on his chest. Gabriel shivered under her touch, and she smiled to him warmly. "You don't need to worry about me. Let's look at the bright side of life, this time. Our life", she stated and then pulled the heavy covers over them. Feeling protected and safe in his hug, she rested her head on his chest and soon fell asleep. Gabriel let his fingers play with the curls of her dark hair, and thought of what had happened between them and what could possibly follow. But soon, weariness took over him and he too gave in to a sleep free of nightmares, for the first time in all his days he could remember.