A/N: It's been almost a month, and I must apologise. However, I have lost interest in this fic and so will be be grouping up the chapters I have left to type so as to give one slightly longer chapter and to get this done more quickly.

The manor doors burst open with a loud bang as Gabriel Van Helsing plunged his fist into them. Carl, who was shaking with fear and anger, glanced at him. Van Helsing pulled out his pistols.

"Find Alex," he ordered. "I'm going to find Dracula."

Carl nodded and whimpered as they walked into the hall. He stopped, looking about as Gabriel climbed the stairs and disappeared upstairs. Carl was alone now.

His heart was pounding, his blood boiling.

"Carl."

The small squeak was hardly audible, but Carl heard it clearly, and turned to where it had come from. The lounge. He walked quickly towards the closed door, conscious of how much noise his shoes made on the floor.

He could easily hear the sobbing coming from inside the room now, and knew it was Alex crying. He pushed open the door.

There she was, lying on the couch, face twisted in grief, eyes tightly closed, arms wrapped around her slight frame.

This wasn't his Alex.

The thought resounded in Carl's head; he thought of the woman he had fallen for. He did not think she would be lying here crying.

"My knight in shining armour!" she wailed, and he froze. "I knew you'd come for me, Carl!"

He lowered his eyebrows. Of course it was Alex. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

She did not open her eyes, but whimpered. "A little."

"Did he... bite you?"

Her eyes snapped open; wide, and red, and poisonous. "Interesting question," she hissed.

&&&

Dracula was standing by the window in Anna's bedroom, looking out with an almost thoughtful expression on his face. Gabriel raised the pistols and fired both. Dracula gave a low moan as they hit his back; not enough to kill him, but enough to cause him pain.

"Turn around and face me!" Gabriel ordered.

Dracula did not move. "Temper, temper," he tutted.

"You bloody undead monster!" Gabriel shouted. "Why the hell are you back?"

Dracula turned then, a small smirk on his lips. "Don't flatter yourself, Gabriel; it really has nothing to do with you."

"If it has something to do with Alex, it has something to do with me!"

Dracula chuckled. "Always had to be part of the action, eh, Gabriel? Not that that ever really helped anyone; think of poor old Anna Valerious..."

Gabriel raised the pistols, shaking in anger. "I may not be able to kill you, but I can hurt you. Shut up right now!"

"Hmm. Strange that you should have left little Friar Carl to deal with Alexandria by himself. A wise man would have known the danger Carl was likely to be in."

"What do you mean?" Gabriel whispered.

"Alexandria is a vampire now, Gabriel."

A million thoughts blasted into Gabriel's head, but the first and foremost was to get down to Carl. He turned towards the door, only to find Dracula standing there, blocking his way.

&&&

"Alex..." Carl stepped back, terrified. He'd been right, this wasn't his Alex.

She smiled widely at him, and he noticed the fangs.

"He turned you," Carl said slowly, hatred filling him as he thought of Dracula. "He stole you!"

"Carl, Carl, Carl... so trusting," Alex muttered, swinging her legs over the couch onto the floor and standing up. She might have been small, but she seemed to fill the whole room with her sickening grin.

Carl pulled out his stake and held it tightly. He could not kill her, he knew this, but it somehow made him feel safer to know he was armed. "Alex. Alex, listen to me. You are not a monster, you are not a vampire. You have a good heart."

She cackled.

&&&

"Get off me!" Gabriel roared.

He and Dracula were out on the landing now, fighting. Dracula had hold on Gabriel's shoulders and was snapping at his neck as Gabriel pushed him back. The fangs were out, and Gabriel was determined to avoid them.

"GET OFF ME!" he repeated, giving the vampire a hard shove. Dracula fell back against the banister, his eyes wide. A small grin lifted the corners of his mouth. He reached out and grabbed Gabriel's neck.

Time seemed to slow down as they toppled over the banister. Gabriel was aware that his hat fell off. Somewhere on the way down, Dracula released him, and Gabriel landed roughly a few feet away from him. He leapt to his feet at the same moment as the vampire, but their attention was drawn towards the lounge door.

Carl backed out of it, holding a stake in a shaky hand. "Please. Please, Alex, no."

Alex walked out of it after him. Her eyes were glowing red, fangs hanging over her lip. "Fool of a mortal," she laughed.

Dracula chortled. Carl looked like he was about to cry. He stopped walking and dropped the stake.

"Not going to kill me then?" Alex asked, cocking her head.

"No. I can't.... because I love you."

Alex stopped suddenly, mere inches from him. Her expression had softened, the glow in her eyes had gone. Tears fell from them now, as her fangs shrank back into her mouth. "Carl..." she whispered.

She fell to her knees. Dracula walked forward, panic in his eyes, but Gabriel grabbed him and tossed him back. They began wrestling again. Carl looked around, looking for something to kill Dracula with.

And then he saw it.

The sword from Alex's dreams. The one with the gold handle and silver blade. It couldn't be any other sword.

It was hanging on the wall. Carl ran forward, lifting it easily from the bracket which held it up. He tossed it to Alex, who caught it grimly. She ran to Dracula, and grabbed his shoulder. He turned to her, opened his mouth... and screamed as she plunged the sword into him.

"Goodbye, Dracula," she whispered.

&&&

Gabriel returned to the Vatican afterwards, but he decided he wanted to travel the world of his own accord, then settle down. He left the Order and eventually wound up in Transylvania, married to the daughter of a farmer. He was very happy with her, and despite the fact he still longed for Anna, he loved his wife very much and they had three children.

Carl decided he didn't want to be a Friar anymore, and a year later he married Alex. They still lived in the Vatican, and Carl still worked for the Order. They took yearly trips out to Transylvania to see Gabriel, and had one daughter, who later had her own encounter with Dracula.

But that is another story.

Fin.