Gabriel froze. Part of him wanted to tear away his daughter from the monster, but his mind told him that if he got to close, he would probably kill her. He looked towards Dracula. His enemy. The one thing he had feared, it was not fear for himself, but fear of the fact that Dracula was the one thing with the determination and the power to destroy his wife and daughter.

"Well, what do we have here?" He said in his thick Romanian drawl, heavy with the anger he felt. He looked down at Megan, who was whimpering in his grasp. "It looks like the Valerious and the Van Helsing's have been breeding, this will not do."

"Let me go you big bully!" Megan screamed.

"Megan! Stay still! I'm going to get you baby!" Gabriel shouted in response, their eyes met, and he could see the fear in his child's eyes. This was his worst nightmare.

"What now, Gabriel? What will you do now? Kill me again? I will return. I will keep returning until every Valerious is dead. That includes the girl now." Dracula teased.

Anna stood staring at her daughter. She was terrified. She had never been so scared, not even when she had been trapped in those nightmares. She had seen this scene before. This was what had disturbed her dreams the previous night. And she knew what had to be done.

"Now it is time for the abomination to be destroyed." Dracula said, tightening his grip a little so Megan was raised from the floor.

"What abomination? She's a kid from crying out loud!" Gabriel shouted, stepping closer, but freezing on the spot as, again, Dracula tightened his grip. Anna watched helplessly as her daughter struggled for breath. No one moved in fear of him hurting Megan more.

Anna looked from Gabriel in front of her to Megan and she stepped forward. "Wait!" She said loudly. Dracula smiled as Anna interrupted. "Take me instead. Just let Megan go."

"Anna! No!" Gabriel said, turning her to face him, "I'm not loosing you to him, not again." There was pain in his eyes, the scenario becoming more impossible for him to act upon.

"You have to. Just save Megan, she needs you." She said quietly, so Megan and Dracula would not hear.

"She needs you too." Gabriel said. Anna looked at him silently; there was pain in his eyes, a sense of helplessness that he couldn't fight. He knew that there was no other way, but he didn't want to admit it. It was his worst nightmare, he was having to choose between the two people he loved. And time was running out. "Please don't do this." He begged, putting a hand on her arm, wanting her to come up with a plan that would return both of them to him.

"I have to. Remember that no matter what happens, I love you and Megan with all my heart." A tear slipped from her eye as she remembered the song she had been dancing to barely five minutes ago.

"Tick tock." Dracula teased, Anna started to turn her body away but Gabriel held her still, as he had done once before, many years ago.

"I will find you. I will bring you home. I promise." He whispered. She nodded and walked away.

Dracula looked at Gabriel with a look of satisfaction on his face. For a moment, Gabriel wondered if the demon was actually going to set Megan free in return for Anna, or whether he would keep her as well, but sure enough, as Anna arrived at his side, she herself released Megan from the monster's arms. Anna crouched in front of her daughter.

"Megan. I have to go away for a while." She said sadly.

"Why?" The little girl asked. "Didn't you like my song?" Her tiny eyes brows knitted together in worry and fear, her throat ached as it began to welcome air once again.

Anna smiled and wiped one of her child's frightful tears away. "I loved your song baby, It was perfect. Now I want you to go with Daddy. Go home, and I want you to sing him some songs on the way home to make him happy." Anna said clearly, knowing full well that everyone was listening to her every word, including the demon at her side.

"Ok." Megan said, wanting to cry at the thought of her mother leaving her, but she was told to go with her father, and so that is what she would do. "I will miss you Momma." The mother and daughter embraced tightly. Anna kissed the top of Megan's head.

"Now go." She said, watching from her crouched position as Megan went to her father's side. She watched through teary eyes as Gabriel held his daughter as he wept silent tears at his wife being so close to the demon she despised. He wanted to save her, but one way or another; he was only going home with one of them.

Before Anna could stand up, Gabriel saw Dracula raise his arm, and strike her in the temple. She cried out in pain before landing unconscious on the marble ballroom floor. Rachel and Carl stood behind the panicking father and he ran to his wife, only to be unsuccessful in reclaiming her. Dracula lifted Anna off the floor as he quickly transformed into his bat form and they disappeared off of a window on the top floor.

It was like time had stood still. Gabriel stood with his eyes transfixed at the window where Anna had been carried off. He wasn't aware of how much time passed as he stood there. He would have stayed there all night in shock had he not felt a pain of small porcelain arms wrap around his waist, begging for comfort. He looked down at his daughter and crouched down to lift her off the ground, holding her in his arms as she silently buried her head in his shoulder.

Gabriel looked up towards the heavens, and called out in a silent prayer to the lord. Why? Why did you let him take her? Hasn't she been through enough? Why has he returned? He sighed, comforting his child, and then began to cry silent tears as he walked back to Rachel and Carl, who helped him to calm the little child on the carriage ride home. As Gabriel tucked the small girl in her bed, he looked at her peaceful sleeping face. It was lost in the land of dreams. He knew that when she awoke, he would have to explain about Dracula, about Anna's family, and about her heritage. It scared him that she was only seven years old, not a woman who would accept it easier. She would ask lots of questions, and understand little, but if he was going to keep her safe while he saved Anna, it was going to have to be said.