There she was. The girl he had been searching for, standing behind an elm. She was oblivious to his gaze, and he intended to keep it that way until he was about to strike. He slinked along the woods quietly, careful not to make a sound. The girl did not sense his presence, looking the other way. He walked closer, closer, almost there, a few more steps... he stepped on a dry twig. The girl jumped around, saw him, grinned and ran.

"Come on, Bahlal!" The girl yelled at the boy, "you can run faster than that!"
Bahlal just grinned and picked up the pace, following Deianira. Up ahead, Malak already had a hand on the large oak tree, but Bahlal was catching up.
. Deianira put an extra spurt of speed on just before she reached the tree, hand only an inch away... when Bahlal tagged her.

"Your it!" The Muslim boy exclaimed happily. ((I have no idea if they played tag back then, but lets just say they did, makes life easier))

"Dammit!" Deianira said, but she didn't really mind, she was better predator then prey. "1, 2, 3..." The twins ran off to hide amongst the trees in the forest they were playing in, about a mile from the Vatican. Deianira kept counting, "37, 38, 39, 40! Here I come!" Deianira yelled. She was the silent stalker of the trio, a trait bred by 3 years of helping Van Helsing kill the monsters.

"Come out come out wherever you are..." Deianira whispered. She walked quietly along the trees, moving slowly, so as not to disturb a single leaf. She looked up ahead, there. Under the weeping willow's canopy, Bahlal crouched silently. Deianira slowly got to his left, and made her way to him. It was painful to have to move so slow, but... Just a few inches away, Bahlal was busy looking behind his right to notice her. Deianira jumped on top of him,

"Gotcha!" She yelled triumphantly. Bahlal got up and cursed under his breath. They were about to go find Malak, who was the best hider, when they heard horse hooves a few yards away. Van Helsing rode up to the two friends on a black stallion, a brown horse followed. The hunter said,

"Deianira, Cardinal Jinette wants us at the confessional, and Amul Hakim wants Malak and Bahlal to come back." Gabriel said, referring to the twins' father.

"All right, let me get my sister." Bahlal said. "MALAK! MALAK HAKIM! WE HAVE TO GO TO THE VATICAN!"

"You don't have to yell, I'm right here." Malak said, climbing out of a hole in a nearby elm. Malak was a contortionist; she could twist herself into incredibly small places.

"Well, children, let's go." Van Helsing said, turning around on his steed as the three teens squeezed on the brown stallion, then they galloped towards the direction of Rome.

"Jinette? You wanted to see Deianira and me?" Van Helsing said, walking into Jinette's office as he and the girl sat down.

"Yes, I have news for you." Jinette said, sitting opposite them.

"And that news would be...?" Deianira asked.

"Van Helsing, 18 years ago you defeated one many call the son of the devil." Jinette said. Van Helsing and Deianira waited for him to continue, "15 years ago, we received word a satanic boy called Jacob received a vision, telling him and others to worship and resurrect Dracula, and by the reports from Transylvania, they have succeeded.

"He's back?" Van Helsing said, a bit disbelieving.

"He's back." Jinette confirmed, "and we need you to stop him again."

"But how? The only way to kill him is a werewolf-"

"The devil is not one for forgiveness, we believe that something else may also kill him now." Jinette said.

"Where in Transylvania do we go?" Deianira asked.
Jinette looked at Van Helsing, "same place as last time."
Van Helsing nodded, not letting emotion show.

"We want you to bring Carl again, same reason, and also, this time we want a weapon maker to help you repair weapons and such." Jinette said.

"Malak and Bahlal!" Deianira said quickly.

"You mean Amul Hakim's children? Yes, they are talented, you'll have to ask them and their father first, however... go on, Carl will get you ready." Jinette said. Deianira ran out to tell her friends the news, but Gabriel stayed behind.

"Yes, Van Helsing?" Jinette said impatiently.

"Jinette, you have never liked Deianira, not since the day I first brought her here to live." Van Helsing hissed.

"No, I haven't." Jinette said casually.

"You are trying to get rid of her this way! That's why you are sending her!" Van Helsing said.

"Van Helsing, I am sending her to help defeat Dracula-

"- I did that last time, WITH ONLY CARL!" Gabriel said viciously.

"AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! The girl you loved died ,and DRACULA ROSE AGAIN!"

"Oh, SO THAT'S IT!" Van Helsing roared, grabbing the Cardinal by the robes and slamming him against the wall, "YOU WANT ME TO SO SOMETHING LIKE I DID WITH ANNA! KILL HER UNINTENTIONALLY SO NO ONE IS BLAMED!"

"GABRIEL VAN HELSING, YOU ARE BEING RIDICULOUS! I WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! I WANT TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL PEOPLE, I BELIEVE DEIANIRA IS READY FOR THIS CHALLENGE, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT!" Jinette yelled.

"She better live." Van Helsing hissed, letting go. "She better live, with no permanent damage, if she dies, goes in a coma, loses a finger, you better watch your back." Gabriel walked out to get his weapons with the waiting children and Carl, leaving Jinette stunned in his chambers.

A/N just had to give Van Helsing one of those protective scenes, anyways, action ahead in the next chappie! Review!!!