Chapter 4: Friends not far from Foes

"She's wounded sir…" Carl noted to Gabriel.

"That was evident…let's get her to town."

Taking hold of her, Van Helsing slung her unconscious body over his shoulder.

The villagers had gathered to see the two forms walking out of the forest alive.

"You did it!" Richard shouted hoping his assumption was correct.

"She did it…but needs care immediately."

He led the way to their doctor and placed her in a bed under his care. "You look like you've got some injuries yourself."

Gabriel shrugged off the suggestion, "not till she is taken care of."

Carl looked at him confused, "I thought you hated her for what she had done to your heart?"

Van Helsing sat down, "That still doesn't mean I'd want her dead Carl…What kind of man do you take me for?"

The friar blushed feeling out of place in their friendship, "I apologize…"

Gabriel took off his hat and coat and hanged them up, "no need…could you write the Order and tell what happened?"

Carl nodded silently and left the room.

Gabriel watched as the doctor dressed her wounds and then left to change the water. That was when she started to wake.

Brooke opened her eyes and looked at Gabriel, "they sent you….I knew they'd send for you."

He nodded, and then remembered something. Getting up he retrieved the necklace from his jacket and sat back before placing it in her hand, "I believe this belongs to you."

She smiled, "I knew you'd find it and I hoped you'd look for me."

"I didn't get to say thanks for having my back in the cave."

Brooke put the necklace back on, "you didn't think I'd let you become his next meal did you?"

He laughed; "I had a handle on it…" he winked just as the doctor came back.

"Ah…I see you're awake. Besides the open wound how do you feel?"

Brooke looked around, "I can't stop shivering doc...do you have more blankets?"

The doctor frowned, "you should want less blankets. You are sweating profusely…" he felt her damp forehead, "a fever I believe. You must rest a bit now and stay covered. We need to see if we can break that fever. In a few hours I'll bring you some tea if that doesn't work."

Brooke grumbled unhappily when the doctor left the room, "The last thing I want to do is stay in bed. Rather I'd wish to go home, you know?"

Gabe gave a slight nod; he had been home for a while now and was feeling just the opposite. He was glad to be away from the walls that seemed like a cell.

She turned away from him as he went silent and awkwardness filled the room, "you don't have to stay…" Brooke reminded.

"You're right..." Without saying anything else he left her alone.

Richard told him of a place they could rest for the night. He was planning to stay in town until he heard word from the Vatican of their next mission. Carl told him that the message was on its way while he was getting his own wounds taken care of at the doctor's insistence.

Brooke really didn't think he'd leave…and never wanted him to. For a moment the small house was so quiet she could hear Carl and Gabriel talking. He seemed to have treated her fairly nice when the doctor was there and she wondered if Gabriel had finally gotten over their last quarrel. But now it sounded like the two men were arguing. Closing her eyes she hoped she would feel better when she woke, that was if she'd be able to get some sleep.

Gabriel was arguing with Carl who had in his hand a telegraph from the Vatican.

"I will not work with her again!" he growled in the no win battle against his partner.

"It says you must…and as soon as possible to a city just a few miles from here."

The monster hunter slammed his fist against a table, breaking it into two pieces. Carl handed him the note and just left him to deal with his emotions. He knew better than to get in the way of his anger. Gabriel got up from his chair and kicked it across the room.

"Are you alright?"

He turned to see Brooke standing in the doorway with the blanket she had wrapped around her.

"You should be in bed…." He said in a low voice, refusing to look at her again.

"No, I want to know what's going on. What happened to the table? And the chair?" Brooke leaned against the wall.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. Carl got a telegraph from the Vatican. Once you are recovered we're going on a mission together."

Brooke nodded, she understood now why he was so angry, "so that's why you're mad. You don't wish to work with me do you? I don't blame you….if you want the job then you can take it alone. I won't tell anyone," she promised.

"If they want us working on it then we will. Just keep your flirtations to yourself." Brooke frowned, "I apologized for that a long time ago, and can't you just move on from that? I made a mistake…"

Van Helsing laughed, "Sure you did."

The woman rolled her eyes, "And you still have some growing up to do Mr. Van Helsing." Turning around she went back to bed.

Gabriel sighed heavily realizing how much of an ass he had acted and thought about apologizing for it later. He had been doing a good job treating her fairly till now, when his emotions just got the better of him.

Reading through the note again, he casted it aside…there was a demon that needed to be destroyed; it would be a tough challenge for the both of them.