Saying goodbye the next evening was one of the hardest things Gabriel and Anna had ever had to do. Scott and Kate understood what was happening. They realised that their parents were risking their lives to rid the world of the evil that threatened them, and they hated every second of it. They hated the way that Serena's eyes filled with tears when she hugged her father and refused to let go, her tiny fingers clutching at his leather jacket.

"Don't leave us, Daddy" She wept quietly, so only her parents, brothers and sister could hear her. "I don't want you and Momma to go."

Anna, who was holding Alex, watched as Gabriel stroked his daughter's hair as she cried. She wanted this to be over. She didn't want to leave her children, but they had to be safe. The thought of Dracula having her children scared her to death, and she hated feeling so vulnerable.

"Serena, baby, we have to go. We'll be back in a few days." We hope, he thought to himself. "You'll have fun here with Jinette. You'll have Katie and Scott and Alex. You won't even notice how quickly the time goes." He wanted to cry himself. He didn't want to let Serena go, or the others, he wanted to hold them all in his arms and keep them there forever. Serena let go a bit and looked up at her father. "Promise me you're going to have fun." She nodded tearfully and he smiled, wiping her tears away with his finger.

"Bye Momma." Katie said quietly, hugging her mother.

"Bye Angel." She pulled away resentfully and looked at both Katie and Scott. "Take care of the twins, won't you?" They nodded obediently. "I love you so much, I'm so proud of you, whatever happens, remember that."

Katie didn't like this little speech, it sounded too much like what the soldiers in all the old stories said to their wives the last time they saw them. The thought made her shudder and she chanced a sideways glance at her brother, who only smiled, reassuring her slightly, but the image of her parents being killed stayed with her.

Cardinal Jinette stood with them on the steps of the Vatican as they watched their father help their mother onto her horse then mounting his own. They waved and smiled as they rode off, and all five of them watched silently as the pair turned a corner and out of their sight until they returned.

It was then that Serena started to cry again, screaming for her father, over and over again until Alex also started to cry. The older two picked up the twins and carried them inside to their rooms. There they told stories with beautiful princesses, handsome princes, and happy endings to cry their tears, and it wasn't long before they were laughing and having fun, like they promised their father.

"So, Scott, do you still enjoy sword work?" Jinette asked cheerfully the next day. They were all outside with the monks playing and laughing. Serena and Alex were being entertained by Carl's younger brother David, which left the elder two to catch up with their godfather.

"Not as much, I'm more into studying now believe it or not." Scott answered proudly. Jinette looked taken aback.

"I cannot believe what I am hearing." He exclaimed. "One of the children of the most reckless people in all history and you are calm. At least that's one of you." He joked, nudging Katie in the ribs gently, causing her to giggle at the memories of her getting into trouble at the Vatican on previous visits, including blowing up half of a certain lab in the basement.

"Momma and Dad aren't reckless anymore. They've really settled down now the twins are around." Scott said defensively.

"In their day they were, trust me. You've heard the story of how they met."

"Too many times" Joked Katie.

"Your mother was swinging from buildings on a piece of rope and your father was already fighting all sorts before that. Obviously that's where young Katie gets it from, her mother." Jinette laughed heartily, so did the children.

"I'm going to ready lunch." He announced, standing up between Scott and Katie, "Bring the twins in for some food in a while and I'll make you something nice up."

He disappeared into the church and downstairs to the kitchen. He began making a salad, thinking of the old days, especially when Gabriel had turned up with Anna after they defeated Dracula.

"Van Helsing I told you to protect her! Not fall in love with her!" He cried. He had turned red in the face when they had told him about Velkan's death, but when they had announced they were engaged and in love, he was now a sort of deep purple colour, nearing a summer sky blue.

"You can't help who you fall in love with." Gabriel had screamed back, "Anyway, we would be honoured if you could be the one to marry us."

The sudden remark had caused him to nearly lose balance and he instantly forgot why he was angry with them. They had had enough trouble in their lives; maybe all they needed to make it right again was each other.

"Cardinal, come quickly!"

The young monk, whose name was Michael, ran into the kitchen and disturbed Jinette's thoughts, e was red in the face, and he had been running.

"Vampires! In the courtyard"

That sentence made his heart thud with fear as he followed Michael as fast as he could. The children, they were in the courtyard. Were they safe?

The sight that greeted him when he got there was one that any other man would have run away from.

Two female vampires, no doubt the remaining of the three brides, and a smaller, male vampire were swooping low and attacking at the monks. He called out the children's names in a panic and he heard Alex's cry of help. Following the scream, he was the four of them huddled together in a corner, trapped by a larger bat, twice the size of a normal man. It was black and he could see the white of its bared fangs from across the courtyard. His heart stopped.

Dracula himself.

Scott pushed the other three away and into a run towards the church. They would be safe there, Momma had told him so. He watched as the twins ran faster, ahead of Katie, only to be swooped down on by the younger male and the smaller of the females. Katie screamed for them and the twins struggled effortlessly as they were suspended in mid air by the legs of the flying demons.

Jinette ran out and towards the bat that was Dracula. The hell beast turned and struck him across the side of the head, his body collapsing in a heap at its feet. The hell beast then moved away from Scott, who sighed with relief, then he realised where it was going.

"Katie, run!"

By the time she heard Scott's shout it was too late to move. She heard a growl above her and she looked up to see the face of the demon that she was warned about her whole life. She was so terrified she was unable to move. Scared that any sudden movement could get her killed by this beast.

"Hello, Angel."

He grabbed her and flew up to the other two, closely followed by the female now carrying a struggling Scott. With that, they flew off into the approaching storm clouds, carrying with them the children they had hunted.

Jinette awoke a few moments later, just in time to see the silhouettes disappear in a flash of lightening on the horizon. "Oh No." He sighed. "God Help Us"