Disclaimer: I don't own Van Helsing nor anything associated with it, it is the property of Universal and the brain child of Steven Summers

Christine Marquez: Only cuz you begged ;)

Chapter 29

Sarah had returned to her human form and was now carrying Bob effortlessly towards one of the upper bedrooms, much to the rest of the group's amusement.

Bob glared at her. "I could have made it," he said angrily.

Sarah grinned at him as Tony and Chris once again dissolved into hysterical laughter.

Amie walked besides her, trying desperately not to laugh at her boyfriend's less than dignified position as she opened the door to the room they shared.

Sarah dropped him unceremoniously on to the bed.

"No one is to ever mention this again!" he hissed as the rest of the group followed them through the door.

Renewed laughter followed this statement and even Bob him self cracked a smile.

"Come on Sarah, we'll get you some clothes that are more…. actual covering." Amie said grinning leading the girl from the room.

Van Helsing, Anna and Carl had asked the group to go upstairs so they could discuss the new situation. Sarah could hear them now filling Carl in and recounting the recent battle.

Deciding not to eaves drop she shut down her vampire hearing momentarily as she followed Amie to her own room within the manor.

Amie hesitated before opening the door.

"When we thought you weren't coming back, I went through your bag so the beds a bit of a mess" she said apologetically pushing the door open.

Sarah smiled as she looked around the dark room, she hadn't even spent a full night in it yet but it felt familiar. Amie crossed to a pile of clothes in a corner and began to sift through them. Sarah crossed to the bed and touched her empty denim hip bag.

She smiled as her eyes found the pile of photos on the bed lifting the topmost one she saw Tony smiling with his arm around her, Jory laughing in the background.

A few minutes later she re-entered the other room dressed more comfortably in a pair of black riding trousers and a red short-sleeved gypsy top.

"I preferred the other outfit," said Tony grinning as he caught sight of her.

She blushed "Pervert" she said teasingly.

"Be right back, need to pee" Jory reported abruptly hurrying out of the room.

"Thanks for that Jory, but your gonna have to wait Amie's in there" she called after him.

Smiling at how mundane this all seemed after the last four days.

Turning back she met Marston's curious stare, "So do you still have to go to the loo?" he asked.

Sarah grinned "well not been for the last four days so I'm thinking not." She replied.

Glancing around her, she noticed that all of the available seating had been taken up.

Chris made to get up and make room "That's ok I can sit here" she said not being able to resist the opportunity to show off.

She walked to the nearest wall and began to walk vertically up it.

Chris whistled impressed and Marston gasped as she continued until she settled herself upside down and crossed legged on the ceiling perfectly comfortable.

"I'm not impressed," muttered Tony.

Sarah laughed, "You've just got a bruised ego because I saved your life." She said.

Tony snorted, "I believe the fight was a joint effort." He pointed out.

Sarah laughed, "Ok yeah I guess we'd both be dead if one of us hadn't been there," she admitted.

Tony grinned at her an idea suddenly hitting him.

"So when Verona said, "Dracula's brides share everything" did she mean literally everything?"

Chris raised an eyebrow at the implication and Bob and Marston sported identical goofy grins.

From her place on the ceiling Sarah was innocently confused, "huh? What like books and clothes or something?" she asked. The boys laughed.

"Like various experiences." Tony elaborated.

Sarah went bright red realising what they were getting at. "Ewww NO!" she said disgusted allowing herself to fall and turning neatly midair to land on her feet in front of them.

"Well according to this little beauty our boy Dracula is into a bit of girl on girl action" Tony said smirking holding her Van Helsing book up.

Marston's eyes grew wide and he made a grab for the book but Sarah beat him too it.

"Hey I want to read that!" he said indignantly.

"I'll bet" Sarah muttered leaping once again to the ceiling and placing the book on one of the highest beams out of reach.

Falling once again to the floor she settled herself on the edge of the bed and was uncomfortably aware of the boys watching her expectantly.

Sighing she relented "Ok if you must know the sordid details," they eagerly nodded "The brides and Dracula do … kinda…do that stuff in a group."

As expected the grins around her grew wolfish and she began to feel very uncomfortable. Quickly she added "but never with me!"

Tony smirked at her a far away look in his eye. "Oh my god! Stop imagining it!" she yelled disgusted.

Amie and Jory entered the room then. "What's up?" Jory asked sitting next to Sarah.

Chris grinned "Sarah in a foursome with Dracula and his brides" he said immediately.

Sarah made an incoherent gagging noise as Jory choked and Amie walked into the bedpost in shock.

"Oh my God no way!" Jory yelled looking at her.

"Never happened!" She said defensively. Bob laughed.

"Well they are gorgeous woman Sarah, we wouldn't blame you," Amie said grinning earning herself a bemused stare from her boyfriend.

Sarah looked helplessly at her "Amie stop them they're imagining it!" she whined.

Tony grinned at her "You would so kill me if you knew what you were doing in my head right now." He said cheekily.

The pillow hit him squarely in the face; he dusted himself off and glared at her. She smiled sweetly.

"Marston definitely had fun with the brides tonight." said Chris grinning broadly. "He was canooddling with them while we were all on our asses."

Tony raised an eyebrow "Both brides?" he asked sounding impressed.

Marston grinned, "What can I say they wanted me."

Sarah snorted "More like they wanted to turn you into a lustful puppy before draining you dry."

The boy shrugged "It's all good."

Tony lent forward and grasped Sarah's hand sighing dramatically.

"Sarah as your friend, I have to ask." Sarah frowned confused as he seemed so serious suddenly.

"Have you given birth to any slimy vampire baby egg sacs?" he asked grinning wickedly.

Pulling a face she pulled her hand out of his "Eww, really wish you had never read that book!"

Everyone laughed picking up the new topic eagerly.

Amie tilted her head dramatically making a show of looking over her friend "If you have you got your figure back quick, I hear it takes a while."

"Vampire-baby-sacs?" Jory asked wide eyed. "They breed?"

"How would that even work?" Asked Bob "Drac's dead so biologically how is that possible?"

Six pairs of curious eyes turned to Sarah who reacted with complete disgust and disbelief.

"What makes you think I know? Like I let him get that far!" she exclaimed loudly.

Marston gave her a cheeky grin "So how far did he get?"

Sarah raised her hands in surrender "Ok not going to have this conversation."

Amie grinned "Yeah leave her alone, no one needs the sordid details."

While the lads grumbled she lent towards her friend and whispered "You're going to tell me later right?" Sarah just laughed.

"So, no egg sacs?" Bob asked seriously.

Sarah shook her head "nope, not from me and not from the other brides I went every where in that castle and didn't see one."

Bob frowned "but the whole movie was based on that." Amie regarded her boyfriend with shock.

"You paid attention?"

He shrugged "Some, not a lot"

Sarah laughed returning to her perch on the rafters and shifting to lie more comfortably along one of the wooden beams looking down on them.

"No offence, but you're a little bit creepy when you do that." said Chris.

Jory looked thoughtful "So gravities not an issue?" he asked.

Amie rolled her eyes patting his shoulder "What do you think?" she said patiently, he grinned sheepishly in response.

"I'm just trying to figure out what her powers are."

"Indeed" Marston said grinning as Sarah rolled her eyes.

"I can confirm that she is freakishly strong," Tony muttered massaging his bruised ribs.

Sarah listened as the group speculated on her various abilities outwardly she enjoyed the attention. But the more excited they got the more she realised that none of them could grasp the reality of what had happened to her.

Jory looked at her now like she was a super hero, an X-man or something to that effect.

The last hour or two sitting with them she had allowed herself to forget, hiding her fears with her sarcasm and humour.

She glanced down and caught Amie watching her concerned "You ok?" she mouthed. Sarah smiled reassuringly and nodded.

"So what else can you do?" Asked Bob drawing the group's attention to her.

Sarah grinned wickedly "Super speed" she said smugly.

Chris snorted and then blinked; she seemed to disappear, he yelped as she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Wow." Said Marston, Jory laughed and even Tony seemed mildly impressed.

"Also there's an increased sense of hearing," she stated.

"So what can you hear right now?" Bob asked intrigued.

Sarah cocked her head to the side blocking out the sound of her friends and honing in on the sound of raised voices. "Van Helsing and Anna are arguing downstairs," she reported frowning.

"Maybe you shouldn't listen to that," said Amie immediately concerned.

"What are they saying?" asked Tony eagerly ignoring her.

Sarah laughed suddenly "Oh my God it's just like from the film!" she said leaping up to the ceiling and crossing to the beam where she hid the book.

Grabbing it she turned and fell gracefully to land beside Marston flicking through the pages.

"Here." She said handing him the book "it's exactly that word for word except a different location."

Marston began to read the scene out loud for the rest of the group.

Anna cornered Van Helsing in the armoury and pushed him violently; he struggled to keep his footing and turned to face the fuming Princess.

"A wooden stake? What do you think, we haven't tried everything before?" she turned away from him and picking up a small knife threw it accurately into the centre of a large Dragon tapestry, making herself feel a little bit better.

Van Helsing had the grace to wince at the impact. Anna turned and continued her tirade.

"We've been hunting this creature for more than four hundred years. We've shot him, stabbed him, clubbed him, sprayed him with holy water, and still he lives!"

Van Helsing looked at her with amusement and interest, this only served to make her angrier, and she brought her face close to his.

"Don't you understand?" she seethed. "Nobody knows how to kill Dracula!"

With their faces just inches apart, an ironic smile appeared on the hunters face.

"I could have used that information a little earlier."

The Princess scowled, breathing hard. Van Helsing's dark eyes stared at her. He liked being this close to her she realised.

"Don't give me that look. I don't need your wolf's eyes undressing me…" she turned away and muttered to herself "Not right now anyway."

Sarah giggled hearing the argument finish before Marston stopped reading.

"Wolf's eyes? She actually said that!" Amie asked incredulously

Sarah nodded grinning. Marston and Chris swapped worried glances.

"What's wrong with you two?" asked Bob.

"Just finding it a bit disturbing that no one knows how to kill Dracula." Said Marston flicking to the back of the book.

Faster than anyone saw the book was gone and Sarah had replaced it on the wooden beam in the ceiling.

"Why the hell did you do that?" asked Marston jumping to his feet.

"We just want to know how to kill Dracula." Chris said joining him.

They both turned to Tony "What?"

"You read the book how do they kill Dracula?" Chris asked expectantly.

Tony shrugged "I got to the part at the ball and got distracted."

"Girl on girl action" Sarah said knowingly.

Bob sat up "I know how they kill him." He said eagerly.

Amie elbowed him in the ribs as a not so subtle hint to shut up. Jory, Chris, Tony and Marston frowned.

"What the fu? Why don't you want us to know?" Tony asked getting annoyed.

"Well honestly the book might not be accurate, like we said the movie was only based on what happened here, the writers could have altered the end of it and if they have…well it's just not worth the risk." Sarah said cautiously.

"And you don't want us to know the ending because?" Tony asked still confused. Sarah looked at Amie for help.

"If Anna and Van Helsing even think we have an idea about how to kill him don't you think they'd want to know it?" She said.

"I get it. So whatever it was no matter how dangerous they'd want to try it…" said Chris in understanding.

"And probably get themselves killed in the process." finished Marston.

Sarah nodded relieved that they understood.

Tony sniggered and Sarah braced herself for a sarcastic argument.

"You sure it's not just because Sarah wants to stay a vampire? It's gotta be a dream come true for her!" he grinned and waited for her mocking response.

It didn't come.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group, Tony looked over at Sarah and found her staring at him.

Amie was immediately by her friends side "Sarah? He didn't mean it." Turning to Tony she hissed, "You are such an idiot."

Tony watched Sarah worriedly as she slowly approached him eyes glinting.

"You think I'm enjoying this?" she asked her voice trembling with suppressed anger. "Do you have any idea what I went through? Do you even realise that I'm not even alive right now! That all the time we've been in here I have been deafened by all of your heart beats, reminding me that I don't have one anymore!"

Tony began to stammer an apology but she cut him off.

"I was terrified, alone and I knew that I was going to die! Do you know what that feels like!! Dracula played with my mind! Ripped away my control over my own body and made me helpless while he bit through my skin and drank my blood!" angry tears rolled down her face.

Amie walked up to her and placed her hand gently on her friends arm. But Sarah didn't feel it she was staring at Tony who would no longer meet her gaze.

"You wouldn't believe how much it hurts to be bitten by a vampire, and he enjoyed listening to me cry as he did it. The last thing I heard was my own heart beat slowing down and stopping and then I woke up like this! I died in the arms of a monster and he was laughing at me…" she whispered.

Abruptly she allowed her fangs to grow and her skin to stretch turning a deathly grey.

Amie removed her hand hurriedly stumbling away from her. The others did the same and Tony was left facing the monster that his friend had become.

"Yeah 'a dream come true'." She spat.

Tony blinked and she was gone, the door wide open.

Without hesitating Amie ran after her friend. The five remaining boys sat in silence for a moment. Tony practically ran from the room slamming the door to his own across the hall. Bob heard him take out his pain on one of the chairs, and sighed none of them had realised or been willing to realise what Sarah had been through.