Entropy

Chapter 1: Secrets

Author's Note: Just to clear things up, Anna, Van Helsing, and Carl are staying in the Valerious Manor. As far as I could understand, there were three manor/castle-y places in the movie: Frankenstein's Castle, Dracula's Castle, and the Valerious Manor (where Anna, Carl, and Gabriel went after the 3 brides first attacked them in the village.) Correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Later that night, Anna sat curled up by the fire. The two men had previously introduced themselves as Gabriel Van Helsing, the tall and dark one, and Carl, the friar. They had mentioned nothing else of her elusive past, leaving it up to Anna to imagine what her life had been like up till now.

They had said nothing either of the strange dream she had had just before she had woken up...the one where Gabriel had killed her. Something about this Van Helsing made Anna deeply uneasy and at time same time deeply intrigued. He looked at her differently than he would look at Carl, a friend. It seemed his gaze held an extra level of protectiveness...but perhaps that was simply because she had lost her memory?

These questions with no answers would lead her nowhere. She stared into the effulgent flames for one more moment before arising on stiff joints to seek out the two men.

Just as she was about to exit the room, Carl and Gabriel entered, both looking quite grave.

"Is something wrong?" Anna asked as politely as she could while still trying to seem demanding. She wanted answers, now.

"Nothing," Gabriel replied swiftly, but Carl had seemed about to say something else before Van Helsing had cut him off.

"I see." Anna walked to the window where she could look down on the small Transylvanian village that lay buried in soft white snow. This was her home, apparently. "Then if nothing is wrong, perhaps you wouldn't mind answering some questions about my past."

"Anna, maybe it's best if we don't-"Gabriel began, but Carl cut him off.

"Why shouldn't we tell her, Van Helsing?" Carl asked suddenly, eyes wide with unfeigned innocence. "There are things she deserves to remember, like her family. Like Velkan."

Velkan...the name seemed foreign, but when she spoke it to herself the word tasted strangely familiar on her tongue. "Who was Velkan?"

"Your brother." It was Gabriel who answered her this time, his dark eyes betraying such utter tragedy that it was painful for her to watch. "Anna...are you sure you want to know—"

Once again he was cut off. "This is my life, and I make my own choices, Gabriel. And to help me make my choices, I must have a past to look back on."

He stared at her for a long moment, her defiant eyes meeting his without a tremor. "Please." She added, and he smiled.

"You were always the stubborn one. All right, sit down." She obeyed in silence, curling back up by the fire, but her eyes never left his.

"Velkan Valerious was your brother. He was also the man that died to save you, or else you would have borne the curse of the werewolf forever." Van Helsing began. He talked long into the night, telling her the story of her Valerious ancestors, their ancient quest to defeat Dracula, and how she, him, and Carl had finally defeated the Count only a week ago.

When he had finished, Anna was quiet for a lengthy period, her gaze piercing the fire intently, as if probing the flames to give up their secrets of combustion. Then she looked up. "You have told me many things of my family and their quest, but you have told me nothing of how I met you, nor why or how I was injured in our battle against Dracula," At this she gestured to the bandages spanning her body, covering her numerous cuts and scrapes, and her broken ribs.

"What was I to you, Gabriel?"

The question was meant to be innocent, but it came out in a way she had not intended it to. There was a moment so electrically charged she couldn't bear it, and was forced to look his way. "Forgive me. I did not mean to divulge into personal matters. Clearly...we were partners but nothing more."

She managed to look up into his eyes for a moment but what glimmered in the depths of those dark optics was carefully guarded. He offered her a thin smile, so unlike the one he had given to her before their discussion of her past that she was convinced that she had offended him in some way.

Then he spoke, but it was not in an antagonistic or angry tone. "Anna, there are other things, things that you deserve to know before you make any judgments about me. That's why I am so desperate to return your memory. Please...it's better if you don't question me about myself until you remember everything."

A flash of her dream came back to Anna then, but it slipped away so promptly that she was only able to hold on to one single image.

She was lying on a soft red couch, the moonlight glimmering in through high, ornate windows. The air was cold and she was gasping for breath, gasping so that she could see the air leave her in puffs of vaporous smoke. There was a moment when she choked for breath as tentacles of agony pulled around her sides-the broken ribs. She glanced upwards and saw Gabriel's horrorstricken face at her side, his eyes reflecting her own pain.

"I understand." She managed to answer his statement, but her eyes were gazing intensely at him. What did he know about her that she did not?

He nodded at her, obviously relieved. Then they both turned as the door of the room swung open with a crash. Carl entered—Anna and Van Helsing had been so absorbed in their previous conversation that they had failed to notice that the friar had exited.

"I've found it." Carl declared, holding up a decrepit looking book and beaming at them. "I knew I'd read about it somewhere, and I finally found it."

"What is that?" Gabriel asked him rather suspiciously.

"The key to restoring Anna's memories." Carl intoned triumphantly, smiling at her, but she could only answer him with a look of complete confusion.

Van Helsing seemed about to speak, but Anna silenced him with a soft look and spoke first. "What is this...cure you speak of, Carl?" Her eyes were wide with hope. Why did she wish so reverently for the return of her past? For although she longed to be able to cling to memories of her honorable family once again, there was a duel reason for her memory to be retrieved. There would be a chance for her to possibly break through Gabriel's icy exterior, and to know his true character and why he acted so strangely towards her, though she still did not know why he intrigued her so.

Carl paused for a second, looking suddenly uncomfortable before he was able to answer her inquiry.

"You must be turned into a vampire."

Author's Note: I know this is probably more than a little confusing, but I promise it'll all be explained in the next chapter...which I need to write. I've got a load of schoolwork right now, but I'll put it up as soon as I can, and I promise it'll be longer.

Thanks so much to all my reviewers! You all made my day, so thank you all: Lord Harven, LornaluvsHP, Silverwhy, Lady Sirinial, Accipitridae, Rachel, Hand.Behind.This.Pen, and Aislinn-Nicole. Any comment or suggestions, feel free to email/AIM me.

One more thing...I really recommend the story Ripples in Time by Verona Dracula. I just read it and it's one of the best Van Helsing fics around, in my opinion. Really really original and all that.