A/N: To clear a few things up, Dracula can feel things, because he isn't a normal vampire. Being spat out of hell mus have screwed him a bit. Oh, and I didn't need the German translation, I speak enough German to know what that means. :P Thanks anyways. Oh, yeah, and Rebekkah changing into Anna- I'm not revealing how she did that. Maybe it was dark magic, a trick of the light, or merely Vlad's wishful thinking. Thanks for the reviews, you guys rock my socks (even when pointing out where I screwed up) :D
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Anna sat comfortably on the end of her bed. She had a large chest on the bed beside her, and was unlocking it with the large golden key. The lock clicked, and she lifted the heavy lid with both hands, revealing the contents. On top was a silky, frilly, lace-trimmed white dress. She lifted it out gently, and held it thoughtfully on her lap. This was her mother's wedding dress.
"Beautiful dress."
She looked up to see Gabriel leaning on the doorframe watching her. She quickly packed the dress into the chest again.
"I... was tidying up the mess Rebekkah made last night," she shrugged.
"Looks tidy," Gabriel said. He crossed over to Anna and sat down beside her. "I trust you don't want to talk about the dress."
She locked the chest, then leaned against him. "It was my mother's," she said.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around her, held her close. "Are you ready to go and address Transylvania?"
"I hardly have a choice."
"There is always a choice, Anna," he whispered.
She shook her curly head. "No. Fate, is, well, fate. Your destiny is already mapped out for you. You can only but live it, ride it out."
He sighed. "I love you, Anna Valerious."
"And I love you, Gabriel Van Helsing. I love you so much."
He kissed her forehead. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just worried about how the people will react to my news. Rebekkah must have fed last night- they'll know a vampire is on the prowl. But they might blame me."
"When did you care what people thought of you, Anna?"
"Not caring what anyone thinks and acting like you don't care what anyone thinks are two very different things," she said softly.
He smiled. "Shall we go?"
"No time like the present," she replied, sitting up pulling her boots from under the bed.
"Can you get them on with your sore feet?" he asked, watching her struggle into them.
"Of course," she replied, getting them on successfully.
He watched tenderly as she pulled out her red velvet jacket and slipped into it. As she stood up, he saw the true fighting spirit side of Anna shining through.
Gabriel followed her down to the kitchen and out into the yard, where Carl was saddling two horses.
"You and Gabriel riding together?" she asked him. "Sweet."
"I meant for you and him to ride together actually," Carl said.
"No," Anna smiled. "We're both so heavily armed we wouldn't fit together on a horse."
With that she heaved herself up onto one of the sleek black horses, dug her heels into it, and rode off. Gabriel and Carl exchanged glances, then climbed together on the other horse and rode after her.
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Anna sat comfortably on the end of her bed. She had a large chest on the bed beside her, and was unlocking it with the large golden key. The lock clicked, and she lifted the heavy lid with both hands, revealing the contents. On top was a silky, frilly, lace-trimmed white dress. She lifted it out gently, and held it thoughtfully on her lap. This was her mother's wedding dress.
"Beautiful dress."
She looked up to see Gabriel leaning on the doorframe watching her. She quickly packed the dress into the chest again.
"I... was tidying up the mess Rebekkah made last night," she shrugged.
"Looks tidy," Gabriel said. He crossed over to Anna and sat down beside her. "I trust you don't want to talk about the dress."
She locked the chest, then leaned against him. "It was my mother's," she said.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around her, held her close. "Are you ready to go and address Transylvania?"
"I hardly have a choice."
"There is always a choice, Anna," he whispered.
She shook her curly head. "No. Fate, is, well, fate. Your destiny is already mapped out for you. You can only but live it, ride it out."
He sighed. "I love you, Anna Valerious."
"And I love you, Gabriel Van Helsing. I love you so much."
He kissed her forehead. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just worried about how the people will react to my news. Rebekkah must have fed last night- they'll know a vampire is on the prowl. But they might blame me."
"When did you care what people thought of you, Anna?"
"Not caring what anyone thinks and acting like you don't care what anyone thinks are two very different things," she said softly.
He smiled. "Shall we go?"
"No time like the present," she replied, sitting up pulling her boots from under the bed.
"Can you get them on with your sore feet?" he asked, watching her struggle into them.
"Of course," she replied, getting them on successfully.
He watched tenderly as she pulled out her red velvet jacket and slipped into it. As she stood up, he saw the true fighting spirit side of Anna shining through.
Gabriel followed her down to the kitchen and out into the yard, where Carl was saddling two horses.
"You and Gabriel riding together?" she asked him. "Sweet."
"I meant for you and him to ride together actually," Carl said.
"No," Anna smiled. "We're both so heavily armed we wouldn't fit together on a horse."
With that she heaved herself up onto one of the sleek black horses, dug her heels into it, and rode off. Gabriel and Carl exchanged glances, then climbed together on the other horse and rode after her.