The hazy morning light drifted through the windows. Illuminating the dark form in the bed. Anna was curled up, as tightly as her injuries would allow, sound asleep. Exhaustion had finally caught up with her, followed by a wave of grief. Carl had heard her sobbing from the armory and gone to get Van Helsing. Gabriel stood outside her door, his own heart breaking at the sound of her cries.

Hours later, he was back at her doorway, a blanket in hand. Thunder crashed overhead, he smiled amusedly as it started to rain, again. Shaking his head he approached her still form. Draping the worn comforter over the Princess he smiled again, a softer, loving smile. He smoothed her hair tenderly, brushing the dark curls out of her face.

Her hazel eyes opened slowly, staring up at him dazedly, she smiled sleepily and closed her eyes again. Yet still he stood, wondering how it was that he loved her and she loved him. Curious as to how all this had come about, in so short a time. He wanted to wake her and ask how they had come to this point.

She sighed softly, and snuggled deeper into her blankets, wincing as her ribs protested. Anger swelled in his heart, at Dracula for causing her so much pain. But the Vampire wasn't to blame for all of her pain, her worst injury was from him. She had spoken little of her fight with Aleera. Slipping in and out of consciousness the first couple of days, she'd barely said two words. But she'd said three words to him, that were all he needed to hear.

He'd found a link to his past in Transylvania, but more importantly he'd found his future.

Anna woke up a few hours later, twisting her head she found Van Helsing asleep in the chair by her bed. Stretching she fought back a moan at the sharp pain from her ribs. Gabriel's eyes shot open at her muffled cry, his worried glance falling immediately on her.

"You all right?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. She nodded and sat up stiffly, the blanket sliding off her shoulders. She looked at it quizzically then held it up, turning to him. He smiled sheepishly,

"I thought you'd get cold." He shrugged, she smiled and yawned,

"Thank you, that was very sweet." Suddenly feeling slightly awkward, they both looked off the other direction.

"Where is home, Mr. Van Helsing?" she asked suddenly, desperate to fill the silence. He smirked and shrugged,

"Rome, is the closest thing I have to home. I don't really think of it as home though, I'm not there long enough to think of it like that. Mostly I think home is, well, home is where the monsters are." He chuckled softly, shaking his dark head. Anna stared at her hands, she looked up at him, hazel eyes full of hope.

"Stay here then, Gabriel. This can be your home, yours and Carl's if he'd like. I'm all alone now, and I can't bear the thought of this house being so empty." She paused, then hesitantly stretched her fingers for him, grabbing his hand. Anna's eyes caught his, she smiled slightly,

"And I don't want you to go. I meant what I said, it wasn't something I mumbled because I was injured. You think you love me, Gabriel? I know that I love you... Please stay, stay here, with me" Gabriel looked down at their entwined fingers and smiled.

"I'd love too, Anna" a full grin lit up her face, she blushed then laughed, he squeezed her fingers.

"I still have to make a trip to Rome though, I can't just not go back. I'm sure Carl will want to stay as well, so he'll have to pack up his lab. Heaven help us, do you have a basement we can store all his inventions in? I'll inform the Cardinal of my plans, he can send my assignments here." Her eyes lit up,

"And we can hunt them together" she whispered. He smiled and nodded,

"Yes, together."