A/N: Look out, everybody, another chapter's coming your way! I still don't really get a lot of reviews on this one, but at least I have musiclover209 and Dr. Lust and their kind reviews! Oh, and because no one could answer the question I had at the end of last chapter, I'll tell you the answer myself: The title "Memories Consumed" was inspired by, borrowed from, whatever you want to call it, Linkin Park's song "Breaking the Habit". That's a good song, actually, I'm quite fond of it...anyways, I'll shut up and let you guys read!

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Van Helsing...but I did get my DVD copy back from my friend! YAY!!!


Chapter Twelve: Angel Theory

As soon as those words left Catherine's lips, Carl began to murmur rapidly to himself under his breath. Van Helsing, on the other hand, sat on his bed and stared at Catherine-well, rather, he stared at the large wings protruding from her back. A moment passed, and, suddenly, drawn by an overwhelming urge, he stood up, approached Catherine, reached out his hand, and touched her wings. The feathers felt sleek and glossy under his fingers, like ravens' feathers…but they were real, there was no denying that.

Catherine had noticed her brother's approach, and she had felt him touch her wings, but, when she spoke, she was addressing Carl. "Now, I know what you're thinking, Carl…I tell you I'm a fallen angel, and you immediately think of the Devil, the most famous fallen angel of them all. But allow me to enlighten you…there's a difference between the kind of fallen angel Lucifer and his minions are and the kind of fallen angel I am…"

Carl looked over at her in interest. "Really? Fascinating…"

Catherine reached behind her, pulled the chair out from the table, and sat on it. "Yes, a difference as vast as night and day. You see, Lucifer and his minions became fallen angels because they were cast out of Heaven by God. Fallen angels such as that eventually become demons, as Lucifer and his minions became. Fallen angels such as myself are souls of those who have passed on. They were sent back to Earth, in their mortal bodies, but were given wings."

"But why do they return?" Van Helsing asked.

"They return because a deceased loved one pleaded for their soul's return to Earth. Usually, these pleas are made to God when the person whose soul is being pleaded for is dying. However, certain archangels, such as Michael, Raphael, and…" Catherine hesitated for the briefest moment. "…And Gabriel…have also been giving this power…the power to create fallen angels."

"How did you become a fallen angel?" Carl asked. His dark-blue eyes had a shine of excitement in them, like the eyes of a child who was about to hear their favorite bedtime story.

Catherine ran her fingers through her hair. "The hour is late, very late," she commented. "We should all think about calling it a night…"

"But…" Carl whined.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, Carl," she insisted, her voice carrying a tone of finality. Carl nodded, then, he curled up on his bed and was asleep within minutes. Van Helsing shrugged out of his coat, placing it at the foot of the bed, then laid down on his side of the bed. He suddenly realized how tired he was; fatigue took over and he let himself fall into a dream…

---

Gabriel raised his glass, beaming at Catherine. "So, on this day, I wish you, my dear sister, a wonderful birthday! To Catherine!"

Catherine blushed deeply as Gabriel, an older, dark-haired man who looked similar to Gabriel-Randolph Van Helsing, and an older, fair-haired woman with Catherine's brilliant azure eyes-Cordelia Van Helsing, raised their glasses. They lowered their glasses, then, the meal began. The family talked and laughed lightly, often congratulating Catherine on the occurrence of her twenty-sixth birthday.

There was a knock on the door, and Anicka, one of the maidservants, dismissed herself from the room to answer the door. A moment later, a blood-chilling scream disrupted the cheery atmosphere of Van Helsing Manor.

Gabriel, Catherine, Randolph, and Cordelia immediatelyleft the table, heading towards the front door. In the front hall, Anicka lay at the feet of two men. Her throat had been viciously slit, her lovely face frozen in shocked horror.

The two men wore hooded cloaks, though their hoods were down, revealing two faces that looked remorselessly at Anicka. One man held a bloodstained knife in one hand.

Randolph stepped forward, pushing his wife, adult son, and adult daughter behind him. "You demons!" he shouted. "What brings you into my home uninvited and brought you to slay an innocent girl?"

"You know damn well what brings us here, Van Helsings!" one man shouted. "You slew our brother!"

"Your brother was a vampire; a corrupt creature of darkness," Catherine explained calmly, stepping forward to stand beside her father.

"Our brother was a good man!"the other man shouted. "And now, you shall pay for his death!"

Both men charged towards the family, both brandishing knives and screaming for vengeance. Randolph and Gabriel drew daggers to hold off both men, while both women raced to the armory for more weapons.

One man came for Gabriel, trying to stab him with the knife. Gabriel expertly blocked the man's knife with his dagger, stopping it from plunging into his heart. However, Randolph was not so lucky…his attacker managed to deflect his blows and drove the knife straight into his heart. The man roughly yanked the knife out, causing more blood to stain Randolph's tunic. He groaned softly before collapsing face-down on the floor. Meanwhile, his murderer headed towards the armory; a heartbeat later, it seemed, there was a loud, shrill scream from the armory.

Gabriel drew his dagger across his attacker's arm, leaving a deep gash in the man's arm. Then, he, too, sprinted to the armory, only to be met by the sight of Cordelia with a knife buried deep in her heart. She slumped to the ground, dead, while her attacker grabbed a sword and turned to face Catherine, bringing the sword down for a final blow. Catherine, however, halted the sword's movements by bringing two crossed draggers up to meet it. While he was distracted by the daggers, Catherine brought her foot up and kicked him squarely in the stomach.

Suddenly, Gabriel felt a searing pain across his back. He turned and found the other attacker behind him…he had snuck up on him and struck him from behind.

Gabriel stifled a yell and kept fighting. The sounds of steel clashing with steel filled the room as both brother and sister fought for their lives…and as vengeance for their slaughtered parents.After several minutes of tense fighting, Gabriel rendered his attacker unconscious and turned around to help Catherine…just in time to watch her attacker dodge her blow, then ram his stolen sword straight into her stomach, driving it all the way up to the hilt.

Catherine screamed in pain as the sword pierced her body. The man smirked at her, then roughly withdrew the sword. She clutched at her stomach, blood seeping from between her fingers then, she sank to her knees, doubled over in agony, on the verge of collapsing completely.

"CATHERINE!!!" he screamed. First, his father…then, his mother…now, his only sister…it was too much. Something inside of him snapped, and, roaring like a savage beast, he lunged at Catherine's attacker and slaughtered him before he could even try to block the attack. Just for good measure, he then slaughtered the other man. After that was done, he dropped his dagger, letting it land harmlessly point-down on the floor, and hurried to Catherine's side, his anger replaced by worry. He dropped to his knees, gently pulling Catherine into his arms and cradling her like an infant.

"Catherine? Catherine! Oh, God, no…" he whispered. Tears stung in his eyes and spilled over onto his cheeks. He gently moved Catherine's hands away to get a good look at her injury…but all he could see was blood, it was so bad.

"Gabriel…" she whispered. "I…I know I'm…n-not supposed t-to fear d-death…" She took a shaky breath. "B-But I do…p-please…du…don't let me d-die l-l-like this…"

Suddenly, she broke into a coughing fit, spraying blood on herself, on the floor, and on her brother. After a few moments, her coughs subsided, and her eyes began to close…

"Catherine! Catherine! Come on, please, don't die!" Gabriel pleaded, gently smacking her face. "Catherine, please…"

---

"Gabriel…Gabriel! Gabriel!!!"

"VAN HELSING!!!"

Van Helsing sat straight up, roughly shaken from that nightmare, soaked with a cold sweat. Catherine and Carl were both standing at the end of the bed, staring at him in worry. For a moment, his heart continued to beat franticly, but, after a moment, it slowed slightly.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You were having a nightmare," Catherine explained.

"One hell of a nightmare, from the looks of it," Carl added. "You were yelling and thrashing about in your sleep…of course, not like you having nightmares is anything new…"

Catherine punched Carl in the arm for that little comment, and Carl grimaced and rubbed his arm where he'd been punched. Van Helsing, meanwhile, shook his head. "No…this dream was different than the others. It was so vivid…so real…I could almost smell the blood and death…"

He quickly described the entire dream to Carl and Catherine, making sure not to leave out a single detail. Carl's eyes were as wide as platters by the end, and his usually ruddy complexion was unusually ashen. Catherine, however, had turned her head away, as though she was avoiding his gaze. A single tear trickled down her cheek.

"Catherine, what's wrong?" Carl asked.

"Nothing, just…painful memories…" she explained. "Gabriel…that was no dream…it really happened…to our family…God, I didn't realize you remembered it…"

"I didn't," he said. "This was the first time I've ever seen…that…what was that, anyways? When-and where-was it?"

"That was the night our parents died…and the hands of two men wanting vengeance," she explained softly. "The night of All Hallows' Eve 1531…and the night I became what I am…"


Holy crap, Catherine! 1531?? Are you SERIOUS???

Catherine: Yes, as a matter of fact, I am quite serious, Aurora.

Van Helsing: That's a little out there, though...if you were 26 in 1531, that would mean you were born in 1505, which, at the time would have made you...let's see, add three, carry the one...384 years old, give or take a year.

(pulls out calculator) Wow...you're right, Van Helsing. I didn't know you were so good at math...

Van Helsing: Actually, I didn't even know I was that good at math.

Catherine: Naw, you've always been that good at math, Gabriel...

Well, I learned one very imporant thing from this chapter...

Van Helsing: What?

I've learned to never piss you off unless I have a death wish!

Catherine: Oh, most definitely. Not only is he good at math, but he's always been very protective of the family...particularly me and Mother...

Well, I'm gonna leave...seeing as how Van Helsing is apparently good in math, I think I'm going to go introduce him to a little Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus!

Van Helsing: Oh, like hell you will, Aurora! (vaults over the back of the couch and sprints up the stairs)

(sighs) He seriously needs to learn how to take a joke...anyways, I've gotta go convince my muse that I was kidding! Thanks for reading! I hope you liked! If you do, send me a review! Reviews absolutely make my day!