Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the official Van Helsing stuff. I just can't beat Stephen Sommers at poker, dammit…at least I was able to convince him to bet the Copyright of Van Helsing, but the man's got a good poker hand…
Author's Notes: Thanks to everybody who reviewed, y'all don't know how much this means to me. Thanks bunches to Bikuki, my fairy goddaughter, and one of my favorite people in the world, who's been helping me with all my Friar Carl frenzy. Thanks also to Marina and Samantha over at Wenham Online and Wenham Online message boards-y'all are such great people, thanks for helping me feed my David Wenham obsession! Thanks to my good friend Macky (MacBryan ka pa rin sa akin, kahit na anong gawin mo! LOKO!) for helping me research for this fic.
Summary: Things are getting rather interesting now, I have to say. I like this chapter, coz it pretty much shows Carl and Van Helsing having a bit of fun before everything gets more complicated than it already is. Hope you guys like this too, this version 2.5 of Chapter 3. Let me know if you like it or hate it or whatever by leaving me a review! Reviews are always so much appreciated.
MOBILICORPUSA Friar Carl Fanfic
By Lady Tavington/Marciana
Rated PG-13
Chapter 3 (v 2.5)
The trip to Greece took 3 nights, and by the time they arrived in Thebes, Carl was deathly hungry. At least, he knew he was hungry. Usually, 2 days without food sent his stomach growling fiercely until it was fed, but Van Helsing's body apparently had no concept of humans needing food. Even worse, 3 nights on horseback also left Carl with only a vague memory of males having testicles. Carl had never particularly enjoyed horseback riding, and this only made him absolutely hate it.
They found themselves in a busy, busy city Everyone was bustling around, going about their own businesses, running here, carting there, shouting, swearing. Everywhere the two travelers looked, there wasn't an idle body in sight. Indeed, they all seemed as if they couldn't afford to even care that 2 strangely-dressed foreigners were now trudging down the streets amongst them, looking for a place to stay.
One inn had struck Van Helsing's fancy, though why Carl couldn't understand. He attributed it to the fact that there was a bar next door. Nevertheless, Carl followed the hunter, tired and craving for food.
The room they were given was cozy, with a window that opened out into the streets. The beds had silk linen, and thick blankets to counteract the cold Grecian nights. Carl just wasn't sure he felt secure about the fact that the only thing separating the room from the corridor was a thick purple curtain, but he tried telling himself no one would attack them there at night. He mentally made a list of why his theory was possible, but Van Helsing, knowing better, ruined all hope for Carl by saying, "We're going to need a huge boulder to keep anything unwanted coming through that hole," almost as if he knew what Carl had been thinking.
Carl was glad when Van Helsing said they should rest for the night, but he couldn't stop the bitingly sarcastic remark that escaped his throat in response. "Well, who would have thought," he said, "the great Gabriel Van Helsing actually gets tired." Carl thought he saw Van Helsing stiffen for a while, but Carl breathed a sigh of relief when he said in reply, "The great Gabriel Van Helsing is only human too, Carl." ("Not entirely," Carl muttered to himself.) "Besides, it's your body's fault, it's more tired than I am. Not to mention extremely hungry."
As if on cue, a woman came in with a platter of fruit and meat. "Finally," the 2 men said in unison as soon as the woman disappeared behind the silk curtain. Van Helsing watched with a snort as Carl took a couple of seedless grapes and popped them into his mouth. Carl closed his eyes in satisfaction as he let the taste of real food wash over his senses. "That's heavenly," he remarked, and took another two grapes into his mouth.
"Carl, for a friar, you have a huge appetite," Van Helsing observed as he helped himself to some meat. "That, and I'm starving," Carl answered, taking some meat for himself as well, just as the woman returned with wine and goblets. Politely, Carl offered his thanks with a smile, and the woman turned quickly away, but both men caught the tiny blush that had sprung onto her cheeks.
Carl shrugged smugly and smirked. "She likes me," he said simply, biting into an apple. "Oh, please," Van Helsing contradicted, "It's my face she saw, she likes me. You're in my body." "Exactly," Carl answered, "I'm in your body, so she likes me." "Possibly," Van Helsing replied, pouring himself some wine, "But you're a man of the cloth, you shouldn't even be considering possibilities like that." Carl snorted, and it was nothing as extraordinary as Van Helsing snorting in Carl's voice since Van Helsing snorted a lot. "That doesn't mean I can't express interest in women," Carl argued, "Besides, just because I shouldn't, doesn't mean I don't."
Van Helsing was rather taken aback at seeing that all too mischevious glint in Carl's blue eyes on his own face. Van Helsing just shook his head. Sleazy as it was, the friar's point was an excellent one. "Go to sleep, Carl," he said, preparing for sleep, "We'll start searching in the morning, when you've got your wits about you." Carl grimaced nastily at him, and Van Helsing just shrugged. He began to peel off the friar's priestly garb with some difficulty as Carl watched with smug amusement. "And quit smirking," was Van Helsing's last order of the night as he pulled on Carl's aging nightshirt. The last thing Carl saw him do before Van Helsing started snoring was turning onto his side so that his back was to Carl ad then scratching the area just below his nape where the hem of his shirt came in irritating contact with his skin. Something Carl did out of force of habit. Carl smiled to himself. Van Helsing was having a tough time being Carl too. He found strange satisfaction in that knowledge. He proceeded to pull a tatty second-hand, leather-covered journal from his personal belongings, scribbled a few notes in it then took off all his clothes save his trousers with much more ease than Van Helsing taking off the friar's clothes. He settled into bed, and was heavily asleep in seconds.
END CHAPTER
Author's Notes: Please, please, PLEASE review! I can't thank you enough for reading. Thank you, thank you, thank you. NOW REVIEW! IN THE NAME OF CARL, REVIEW!