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Van Helsing kicked open the door to the tavern angrily. He'd been watching her for weeks; finally he was ready to make his move. But every time he tried to approach her, she seemed to disappear. It was cold and raining outside, he was wet, and he had finally caught her in a place she couldn't avoid him. He would get the elusive wench, even if he had to drag her by her hair, which he had noticed was a pretty copper color. Oh god, why was he even thinking like that? He sounded like a sissy, pretty? He hadn't even seen her face close up, just quick rushed glances. And that hadn't provided him with much.

Katrina sat at a table negotiating with a Mr. Stuart, previously the husband to Elisabeth Stuart. He wanted to go cheap on her, changing the original price offered to one much lower. She was becoming frustrated, and tired.

But her head bolted up as she heard the swinging doors of the tavern kicked open. A man stepped in, dressed in dark leather, his brown wavy hair matted to his head and face.

She lowered her hat, but still stared at him beneath the rim. She searched him, she recognized the clothes, the man had been following her for quite a while, but his face had been hidden from her.

But now as she watched him, she realized why his face was so familiar. Her lips parted in surprise. It couldn't be…

Van Helsing scanned the room for her, and he spotted the figure at a table in the back.

And he finally saw his preys face. Freckled cheeks, a nose slightly crooked from an old break, and… A silvery white scar running along the left cheek, and brilliantly green and gold flecked eyes. He watched, as her lips parted in a whispered "Gabriel?"

It couldn't be, THIS WOMAN COULDN'T BE REAL…

After a while of staring blankly at each other, Gabriel sunk into a chair and he watched as she shook her head continuing her argument with her companion. He watched as the man finally caved in and gave her a full, silk purse.

This was the man Katrina had seen in her dreams, countless nights. She pondered this sipping a mug of hot tea at her table; the Mr. Stuart had left after giving her the money reluctantly. "Gabriel," she whispered again. "What are you doing here?"

As she studied his clothes and figure she saw a similarity between him and someone she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Gabriel turned his head from the group of card players he'd been observing, in time to catch the quickly turned face Katrina. He half smiled, so she was admiring. 'Just like a woman…'he thought. But he quickly became sober again. He needed to get to her.

She was watching a couple in the back with a smirk on her face. He took advantage of her obliviousness. 

When Katrina had finally gotten disgusted of the two persons in the back, she turned to face the opposite seat, and jumped from her seat in surprise. "Settle down," ordered Gabriel in a gruff voice, he was trying not to laugh. When she had stopped gasping for air, she settled into her chair, hopelessly wiping the spilled tea from her blue suede vest.

It was one of her favorite pieces of clothing, with silver buttons and little coin pockets; she wore it as a shirt usually. Giving up and throwing the cloth to the tabletop, she faced Gabriel with a scowl. He was holding out her hat. She grabbed it angrily, slapping it on her head. It was backwards.

It was all Gabriel could do to keep from laughing. She looked so comic, getting frustrated, then slamming the hat onto the table in front of her. He watched as she sighed and ran a hand through her copper hair, probably trying to calm herself down. "Would you like another cup of tea Miss …?" She glared at him. He knew her name; he just didn't want her to know he did…yet. "Decova. And no I'm fine thank you." She said after a few moments.

She was disturbed at the audacity of this man. But she was intrigued at the thought that perhaps the dreams she had were not dreams but memories? No how could they be, she had probably just seen his face and dreamt of it. But still such odd things happened in this world. This world, she was an alien to this world as it seemed. No place felt like home.

She sat and glared at Gabriel. Gabriel didn't seem offended he simply sat, and watched. He could feel tension from the other side of the room, where a game of poker was playing out. A fight was going to break out, and he wanted to take advantage of this. "So Miss Decova, where do come from?" he asked to keep her busy.

This man was stalling, oh and it irritated her. "I know not from where I came …" she growled, "I have no memory of the place…" She saw his face change he was interested.

"You mean you don't remember anything?" his voice held an almost urgency, that frightened her.  

"Yes that's exactly what I mean! Why?"

Gabriel opened his mouth, but that's when it happened. Three things at once, a messenger threw himself through the doors, the fight broke out, and lightning struck outside. Katrina's head spun around to the fight, away from Gabriel, which was a definite

mistake.  He reached out, grabbing her by the blue suede vest and ripping her out of her seat.

She shrieked as she was pulled out of the tavern, and into a dark alley. She felt something move over her airways, she was breathing in a sickeningly sweet substance. Darkness washed over her.