Disclaimer: I do not own Van Helsing or any of the characters. Sorry!

Crimson Sorrow

Anna and Abby came back to the library carrying sandwiches and glasses full of ale. Beatrice and Trudy followed closely behind with a tray of assorted vegetables and desserts.

"Abby go tell Carl that lunch is served." Gabriel said.

"Certainly." Abby stated handing the tray of food she was carrying to Beatrice. She hurried out of the library.

"Did you and Gabriel have a pleasant talk?" Anna asked Michael. He looked up at Gabriel who was starying at him with that look.

"Of course we did. It's been a while since Gabriel and I have seen each other, so naturally it was nice to catch up with each other." Michael explained taking the plate of food from Trudy. They started to eat their lunch and still Abby and Carl had not joined them.

"I wonder where Abby and Carl are. Shouldn't they have been here by now?" Anna asked Gabriel.

"They'll be here. You know how fascinated Abby is with Carl's inventions. He's probably showing her what he has been working on all morning. They'll be along. Don't worry. " Gabriel stated.

Meanwhile, Abby made her way down the basement corridor that would lead to Carl's lab. She could only imagine the newest invention considering he was up at dawn working on it. Carl invented the coolest things Abby thought. She was fascinated by the monk's inventions since she was a child. There were times that she would sit down in Carl's lab and watch him invent new weapons for her parents when they would have to go on their "missions." Abby came to the door that led into Carl's lab and found that it twisted, barely able to cling to the hinges on the door frame. What in God's name was that little monk up to?

"Carl." Abby called. There was no answer.

"Carl, is everything alright?" Abby asked as she shoved the broken door aside and walked into the lab. The room was dimly lighted and the smell of mixed chemicals blanketed the air. Abby entered the semi-darkened room.

"Carl, you're not being funny. You know that you can't scare me." Abby said.

"Oh but I can." A voice called. Abby spun around and met Vincent's cold, lifeless eyes. Abby gasped and backed away from him.

"Why so scared my angel? We spent some really great times in my liar just a few days ago." Vincent sneered.

"Where's Carl?" Abby asked.

"I don't know any Carl." Vincent said scratching his head.

"You damn well know who he Carl is you treacherous snake." Abby hissed.

"Oh you must be referring to that pathetic little monk." Vincent replied.

"Carl is not pathetic! Abby exclaimed doing her best to defend Carl's honor.

"Well, you wouldn't be saying that if you saw the way he begged me to let him live." Vincent snickered. Abby's heart sank and the anger welled up inside her. He wouldn't dare hurt Carl.

"What do you mean by that?"

"He begged me not to kill him, but I simply could not refuse the chance to hurt your father where it hurts the most yet again." Vincent replied drawing the hand he tucked behind him into plain view. Vincent's hand and arm was covered with blood. The tears welled up in Abby's eyes.

"Please tell me you didn't..." Abby said chocking back a sob.

"Oh I did. Your precious Carl looked like a giant shish kabob that would have tempted the hungriest of demons." Vincent said lapping some of the blood from his hand. Abby could only imagine how much Carl had suffered in his final moments. The very thought of it brought Abby to her knees.

"If you hurry, you may be able to see him one last time. Just follow the trail of blood and you'll find the dying fool." Vincent laughed as he disappeared. Abby looked up only to find that her tormenter had gone again. Carl needs you now her mind screamed. Remembering how Vincent said she could find Carl, she began looking around for a sign of Carl's blood. Looking down, she found herself standing in a small pool of crimson. Abby followed the trail of blood with her eyes. Abby followed the trail up another staircase that led to Carl's lab. She climbed the stairs until she reached a closed door. It too was stained with blood. Reaching for the handle, Abby cautiously opened the door and walked through the doorway to be greeted by the chill of the evening air. This way led out to the garden chapel as well as the Valerious family mausoleum. She spotted the trail leading out into the gardens. Abby ran down the path following the trail of blood knowing that she had to reach Carl. Maybe there was a way to help him and that Vincent simply lied about badly he was hurt. Coming to the chapel, she noticed that the door was wide open and the light from what seemed to be a thousand torches greeted her eyes. She saw that the trail of blood led into the chapel. Abby walked up the couple of steps leading up to the chapel door and walked inside. There she saw Carl lying in a large pool of his own blood before the altar and the large crucifix that adored the wall behind it. Vincent had brought him here so that Carl could be the proof to God Almighty that her father couldn't protect the ones he loved. Abby walked over to Carl; the clacking heels of her boots disrupting the eerie silence that shrouded the inside of the chapel. As she came closer to Carl's body, she noticed the large hole in his chest. Vincent must have done this in his demon form Abby thought as she continued to stare at the blood soaked figure.

"A...Abby." Carl whispered barely audible.

"Carl!" Abby exclaimed as she quickly closed the gap between them. Mindless of the blood, Abby knelt down beside Carl. She could feel her pants becoming saturated with the crimson liquid, but that was the furthest thing from her mind.

"I...I...didn't think....think that you ...you would find me...me in enough time." Carl gasped. Abby pressed her hand into Carl's wound. His blood was becoming cool. Abby knew that no matter what she did, she could do nothing to save Carl's life.

"Abby...you've...got to listen...listen to me. Vin....Vincent wanted me...to...deliver...deliver a message...a message to your father... and to Michael...as...well." Carl said struggling to speak.

"Carl, try not talk. You'll use up your strength." Abby said trying not to give any indication that she knew his fate.

"He said...I was... I was but the first to fall." Carl weakly stated. As he spoke, a tiny trickle of blood oozed from his mouth. Abby took the edge of her sleeve and wiped the blood away.

"What do you mean the first to fall?" Abby asked.

"Take...care of...your...your father for me. Promise...promise me." Carl whispered as his closed his eyes and took his final ragged breath.

"Carl, you can't die, you can't!" Abby cried as she buried her face in his blood soaked robe. As she cried, she glanced up at the crucified Christ hanging form the cross. How could God be so cruel and take the life of one so innocent? As she continued to weep on Carl's chest, she was curious what as to what Carl meant when he said he was the first to fall. He never got the chance to tell her what he meant by that, but chances were if those words were from Vincent, she knew that they only meant more trouble. What else was God going to do to the family before He left them alone to live out the rest of their lives in peace?

A sickening feeling suddenly gripped at Michael's heart. Something was telling him that something awful had just happened. He knew that Abby had gone to summon Carl for lunch, but that had been a half hour ago. He looked at Gabriel and Anna who were chatting about the wonderful things they had done in Rome. After all, Gabriel had said everything was alright. However, there was a part of him that told him otherwise.

"Gabriel, where's Carl's lab?" Michael asked interrupting Gabriel and Anna's conversation.

"It's downstairs in the basement. Why do you ask?" Anna questioned. Setting down the plate of unfinished food, Michael stood abruptly and walked to the door.

"Michael." Gabriel inquired.

"Something's happened to Abby and Carl, I can feel it." Michael replied as he hurried out of the library in search of Carl's lab. Gabriel and Anna both saw the look in Michael's eyes and decided to follow him.

Author's Note: Sorry I killed Carl, but it was a vital part of the story. Please don't hate me too much.