As I woke, I heard the faint creaking of a door. I opened my eyes wider and tried to make out whom or what had entered the room where I lay. At first I wasn't sure whether to grab something to defend myself with or wait to see if it was friend or foe.

"Angel!"

I heard a very familiar and comforting voice call out.

"Two?" I answered, getting to my feet and staggering forward a little bit with sleepiness.

Before I knew it, I was being embraced by a warmth I knew well. I placed my arms around the figure of Two and squeezed hard, not ever wanting to let go again.

"Are you ok?" Two said, holding me back a little and looking me over. "Vlad didn't hurt you did he?"

"I'm just fine, Two, but I'm so glad you found me. There's no telling what Vlad had planned for me." I was shaking all over by now, either by the excitement of knowing that I was finally safe or from the fear and thoughts of what Vlad would have done to me if the Twins hadn't found me. One walked up to me and hugged me as well.

"We've got to find a way to get her out of here." One told Two.

Vampueslome walked up beside all of us, took my hand and softly kissed it. I didn't know whether to cringe or smile.

"What's he doing here?" I asked Two, when Vampueslome had walked back a few feet.

"He helped us find you." Two replied softly.

"Him?!" I dared not say anymore.

"C'mon, we've got to get out of here before Vlad returns!" Vampueslome whispered in his hissy impish voice. "Vlad catches us here, we're all dead! Come, come!" He motioned for us to follow.

As we made our way away from the attic and down many stairs, halls, and corridors, I clung tightly to Two's arm. At times he placed his arm over my shoulders and pulled me close to him. I looked up where his face was, but it being so dark I could barely make out the details of his face half of the time. I smiled to myself anyway. I was never happier in my life. Vampueslome stopped occasionally to listen for any sounds of someone approaching, then not hearing anything, continued leading us on through what seemed like endless passages. I wondered if he actually knew where he was going or if he had gotten himself and us lost and wouldn't admit it.

Finally we came out into the Great Hall. I was a little shocked at first. All of that walking ended up taking us back to where everything had begun.

"You must get out of here before someone sees you! I cannot help anymore. I've done enough as it is." Vampueslome started off toward another door.

"We can't go just yet!" One said. "The Master has locks on the computer in the outside world. We need the codes to unlock them so Angel can get out of here!"

"Can't help! Can't help!" Vampueslome shook his head frantically while backing up. "The Master only knows codes."

"We know that already. Do you know where he is?" Two asked.

"No."

Vampueslome scampered off and out the door he was headed toward and disappeared.

"Great!" Two sighed.

"Well he's got to be around here somewhere. Maybe he's in the restaurant." One started for one of the doors.

"Wait!" I said, grabbing One by the coat. "Listen. Someone's coming!"

"Maybe we won't have to go looking after all." One whispered.

Soon enough, the Merovingian entered and following close behind him were Persephone, Vlad, Cain, Abel, and several other vamps. Everyone piled into the Great Hall and stopped around me and the Twins.

"They're stealing her away from me!" Vlad shouted, pointing in my direction. "They have no right to do that! I had her first and I'm not through with her!"

"Silence!" the Mero said sternly.

Vlad immediately shut up and backed up slowly.

"Now, that ees better." The Mero sighed.

The Twins and I remained silent and watched to see what the Mero's next move would be.

"Would someone tell me what the meaning of all of zis is?"

"We're taking Angel and we're leaving." One said, smugly.

"But we need you to give us the codes to unlock the computer in the other world before we can get Angel out." Two finished.

"So hand them over." One frowned.

The Mero stood silent then a faint amused smile formed on his lips.

"I don't have to give you two anything!" His eyes narrowed. "I am master around here and you work under me! You two should know that by now!"

"We don't work for you anymore, remember?" Two smiled.

"Give us the codes!" One gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry, but the codes remain with me. That's just the way it goes. And I'm afraid that your little friend stays with me as well." The Mero motioned towards me as he spoke. "As for you two, you can come back and be my bodyguards, or you can be sent back to the Source."

Two cowered and slunk behind One and me at the mentioning of the Source.

"Don't you dare send them back!" I shouted at the Mero. "You harm one of these twins and I can tell you that I won't rest until I hunt you down!"

"Easy, Angel." One whispered to me.

"Send them back, Master!" Vlad sneered. "Then the girl will be mine."

"I'm not sending them until they choose."

"Mero, please, just leave them all alone." Persephone said, running up to her husband's side. "The girl has done nothing to you. Why not just let them have the codes and let them go? Then this whole mess will be over and we can go back to the way we were."

"My dear wife! Can you not remember? This girl, this female, she ruined my plans for world domination the last time I made it into her worthless world! With her out of the way, I can start over with new plans."

"If my world is so worthless, then why do you want so much to be in control of it?" I said, stepping forward.

"Power!"

"Ah! I should have known."

The Mero continued to stare at me. I knew that I would have to think of some way to get us out of this mess. And a plan was forming. I glanced over at Vlad, who was looking intently at me. I could almost feel his stare even if I wasn't looking towards him.

"Funny you should call yourself the Merovingian." I continued talking to the Mero. "Do you know what happened to the Merovingians?"

The Mero, by now, was starting to move uneasy.

"They became weak and were pushed aside, just like what's going to happen to you right now!" I quickly swung my backpack and hit the Mero in the face, causing him to fall backwards into his vampires.

"RUN!" One shouted before we all went scrambling in all directions.

"Come on, Angel, follow me!" Two quickly grabbed my hand and took off down one of the chateau's passages.

"Follow them! Don't let them get away! Comb every inch of this place and don't return until you have them all! And I want them alive!"

I could hear the angry shouts, orders, and curses of the Merovingian as Two and I ran farther and farther down the darkened passageway that was lit only by the light of small candles hung on the walls. We had somehow gotten separated from One in the mass confusion I had started. It was at this time that I wished I had not have done what I did. Wonder if they catch One before they caught us and sent him back to the Source?

As I ran behind Two, I looked back and saw Cain, Abel, and Vlad in close pursuit of us. At first I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me, but they weren't. I kept my eyes fixed on Abel, then before my eyes his human form slowly melted away and in place of it a running wolf's form appeared. It snarled and howled as it kept chase.

"Two! Behind us! Abel..."

Two's head turned around at my words.

"Oh great, now he can run faster! Come on, Angel, keep running as fast as you can." Two speeded up a bit and I tried speeding up too, to catch up to him, but it was no use. I was about worn out and on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. I had to stop, so I did. Two skidded to a stop and ran up to me.

"Are you ok?" He asked, putting his hand on my back.

"I..." I gasped for air. "I think so."

"I think we might have lost them." Said Two, looking past me and down the corridor. "I don't see or hear them."

"Where are we anyway?" I gasped.

"No idea. I don't think I've ever been down this way before." Two looked around. When I got my breath back, I looked around as well. It was dark with only candlelight to guide us. The walls were lined with candles, mirrors, shields and other decorative armor pieces and things. The place looked old and unused. Cobwebs and dust clung to everything, which was odd, considering the lit candles.

"If this place looks like it hasn't been used in years, then why are these candles lit?" I asked out loud.

Two made a soft sound that he didn't know.

"These floorboards don't look safe." Two said, looking down. I looked down as well. Two was right, most of the floorboards in this area were rotted and parts of them were torn up in places. I jumped over a couple to avoid falling through a gaping hole.

"Watch your step there." Two pointed to another hole.

"This place needs fixing up, big time." I mumbled while ducking to avoid a spider web.

"Got that right." Two replied.

"Do you think we're safe here?"

"I don't hear Cain and Abel and Vlad anymore, so we might be for now." Two walked around another small hole.

"Think again!" a sudden voice rang out as a dark figure fell from the ceiling in front of us. I screamed and grabbed hold of Two's arm as Vlad swung his body around and landed on the floor, dust coming up all around us. Before I knew it, Two and I were both falling downwards. Two fell first and grabbed onto my leg. The floor had collapsed under us and we were falling through the rotted boards into who knows where! I screamed and caught hold of the edge of the floor before we could go any farther, but it was no use. Two's weight dragged me down and the boards creaked, popped, and gave way under my hands and we both fell into the darkness below.

"TWO!" I shouted while falling through the floors.

There was no answer. If there was I couldn't hear it for the loud crashing the rotted boards were making as we fell through them. I knew he was there because I could feel his tight grip on my legs as we fell. Why he didn't phase and save himself, I didn't know.

It seemed like an eternity, but we finally hit bottom, or at least Two did. I landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of me and stunning me for a few minutes. I quickly rolled into a ball and covered my head while all the wood and debris rained down around us. When everything had stopped falling and after I got my sense back, I raised myself up a little, wincing at the pain I felt as I did so. Nothing was broken, thank goodness. I had only received minor cuts and bruises. I rolled off the hump I lay on and found that it was still Two. I laughed as I stood up and steadied myself, brushing off the dust.

"Some ride, huh?" I laughed. "They should put that one in theme parks." I joked.

I stopped and looked at Two.

He wasn't laughing.

He wasn't even moving.

My smile slowly dropped and I walked over to Two's lifeless body and knelt beside him. He was lying in an odd position; blood ran out of the side of his half opened mouth and down his face, his eyes were closed.

"Two?" I whispered in a low tone.

I nudged him.

He didn't move.

Getting scared, I grabbed his arm and started to shake it.

"C'mon, Two, you've gotta get up. We've gotta get out of here and go home!" Tears started to form in my eyes. I leaned over and touched my nose to his.

Nothing.

"Somebody help!!" I shouted around me, half in tears and half in fear. A bunch of boards fell in one part of the room, causing a dust storm to form. I jumped, but only for a few seconds before turning my attention back to Two.

"C'mon, get up." I pushed Two.

His head lifelessly rolled to the other side, causing the blood to drip down onto his luscious silver locks and coat.

"Please, Two, not now. Please don't give up on me. I didn't come this far to lose you. You mean more to me than anything else in the world. You know why? Because I love you! You hear that? I love you!" I pushed on Two again, trying to wake him, but it didn't work. I started to cry as I did so.

I stopped pushing on Two and looked at him through my tears. Was he even breathing? I slowly put my hand on his chest where his heart was and tried to remain quiet and felt. At first I didn't feel anything, but then out of nowhere, I suddenly felt a beating. It was faint and weak, but yes I felt it! If I could just get him to wake he could phase and heal himself.

"Two?" I whispered. "TWO!" I whispered, or rather shouted, louder. "Get up!" I punched him in the side to try and snap him back to reality. "C'mon, notice me." I gritted my teeth. Suddenly, his eyes began to flutter, and a soft moan came from within his throat, then he coughed up a great deal of blood.

"Come on, lazy, get up." I whispered while patting his cheek firmly. He slowly and weakly turned his head and looked at me through half closed eyes. A weak smile formed on his face when his eyes met mine. I sat there and gazed into his eyes, the best I could with what little light was in the room. It reminded me of when we first met that night...

"Are we at the bottom yet?" he weakly asked. I was so excited to see him talking that I burst out crying and laughing at the same time while throwing myself on him and hugging him.

"Ow! Easy!" He gasped.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again." I pulled myself back and looked at him, brushing back one of his dreadlocks that was clinging to his face. "Now, phase! Phase before something else happens."

Two raised a little, dust and dirt falling off him. He phased into his green ghostly form and hovered a few minutes before becoming solid again. Once he materialized, he stood up and adjusted his sunglasses, then helped me to my feet.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"No idea. We must have fallen through at least three rooms." Two looked up through the gaping hole us falling through made.

"Actually, it was four."

Both of us spun around and looked in the direction the voice had come from.

It was Vlad!

The dark creature came walking out from one corner of the room, his eerie figure visible in the dim light that came through the ceiling.