"Carl!"

The other friar's voice cut through Carl's distressed thoughts. He turned, wiping his eyes, trying to look normal.

"What is it?" Carl asked, his voice shaking. Please stop trembling. I can't give myself away.

"Carl, you gave Van Helsing the wrong bullets!"

This information seemed to take a long time to soak into Carl's brain. "What?!"

"The cocoa beans, Carl, his pistol is armed with cocoa beans!"

Carl stared at the bag of ammunition on his desk. The other friar opened the flap a small way, and Carl gasped as the contents were revealed.

Bullets.

"Oh, bugger," he muttered.

I need to do something, I need to save Gabriel. He'll be killed out there if he goes to use his pistol, and it'll be my fault for acting all stupid because I'm infatuated with him. Damn me!

"Carl?" asked the other friar, but he didn't recieve any reply because Carl had grabbed the bullets, armed himself with a smaller version of the automatic crossbow, and ran from the room.

Carl ran in a blind panic through the building and out of the main doors, sprinting to the horses. The stable master stared at him as he leapt onto the fastest horse in the stable and rode out quickly, but Carl's mind was focused on one thing.

Gabriel.

Carl rode through the thick trees of the forest which seperated the church and the village. The branches were scratching his face, but he was determined to get to Van Helsing in time. He was panting, trembling, sweating. His mind was whirring.

&&&&

Gabriel grinned up at the female vampire, a very pale one with long flowing red hair, who was currently spinning around the clouds above the village square, cackling.

"Van Helsing's out to play!" she laughed. "My master will be so pleased."

Gabriel wondered what she meant. She landed on top of one of the shops and turned into her human form, a sexy, slim, pale beauty dressed in a tiny, silky white dress. Her green eyes were dark with passion and bloodlust as she stared hungrily at him, an evil smile playing at the corners of her red lips.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his hand closing tightly around the pistol in his pocket.

"Master was ever so worried that his old friend Gabriel would have given up after the... accident."

"Accident?" asked Gabriel tensely.

"Anna Valerious," the vampire smiled wickedly, cocking her head.

A powerful, passionate image filled Gabriel's head, an image of a beautiful, dark Transylvanian woman. It faded as quickly as it had come to be replaced by the image of a fair friar with dazzling blue eyes...

"Who is your master?" hissed Gabriel, completely unnerved.

"Vladislaus Dragulia, of course, who else?" she giggled.

He raised the pistol and shot. Her eyes widened, she had not seen it coming. The bullet slammed into her chest...

"Chocolate..." she muttered, touching the stain.

"Bugger. Bugger!" Gabriel cursed, opening his gun to stare at the cocoa beans inside.

The vampire grinned coyly at him, eyes amused. He saw what was coming, and his hand moved to the crossbow, but it was too late. The vampire dived off the shop, transforming into the big bat shape and lunging towards him, teeth bared.

Time seemed to slow down as she neared him. His mind was a whirred mess, but one phrase was clear.

I hope I get out of this... so that I can see Carl's face again. So that I can touch his cheek with my fingertips, rest my face in his hair, brush my lips against his...

Then, suddenly, she veered away from him, streaking back up to the rooftop in a stream of black blood pouring from the crossbow wounds which had peppered her shoulders. Gabriel's eyes moved to the person standing by the trees, clutching a small automatic crossbow and glaring at the vampire.

"Carl?" Gabriel asked.

Carl was staring open-mouthed at the vampire as she landed and turned back into her human form. His eyes widened in recognition.

"Jemmy?" he breathed.

Gabriel stared at him. The vampire was clutching her shoulders in pain, and glaring at Carl.

"Jemmy, it's me, Carl," Carl said. "Remember? The night we spent in Paris?"

Her face softened. "Carl."

Gabriel was glaring at Carl, who smiled apologetically. It was a deadly mistake, because at that moment Jemmy lunged at him in bat form, lifting him into the air by his shoulders. The small crossbow fell to the floor.

"Carl!" Gabriel shouted, grabbing his own crossbow and opening fire.

One of his bolts hit Jemmy in the chest, inches from the spot which would mean the end of her undead life. She screamed bitterly, dropping Carl to the floor and swooping off, disappearing into the horizon. Gabriel ran forward as Carl landed on his back.

"Carl, you stupid little friar," he muttered, salty tears rolling down his cheeks as he knelt beside him.

Carl smiled painfully. "Don't be bitter. It's because of my night with Jemmy, right?"

His voice was a small croak, and Gabriel knew he was fading into unconsciousness.

"You spent a night with a vampire?" he asked.

Carl shook his head. "No. She was an innocent French lady then."

"Not once you'd finished with her," Gabriel grinned.

Carl chuckled weakly. Gabriel traced his fingers down Carl's cheek and kissed him gently.

"I love you," he whispered.

Carl's blue eyes widened. "I love you too."

Then he fainted.