Yes, at long last, I have updated this fic! I apolagize for the long wait, but I recently refound my muse. As I was reading over this fic, and it was my first ever fanfiction, I believe I truly have grown as a writer, not a whole lot mind you, but I am pleased with the progress I've made.

I'm dedicating this chapter to Random-Battlecry my first reviewer, and the most hilarious, left handed, Phan there ever was.

Without further ado, please enjoy the final installment of In the Shadows; and please keep a look out for the sequel'In Darkness we thrive"

Tension hung around Carl and Van Helsing as they entered the Valerious Mansion.

Van Helsing frustrated, wanting nothing more then to find Jade and kill Verona without either himself or Carl being murdered in the process.

Carl had been jealous, but now only felt sympathy for the man that had once been his friend.

Had been his friend.

He didn't know if that term could still be applied to the two of them. He had not trusted his friend to leave the one woman Carl ever loved alone, in fact, he had suspected that the two were secretly seeing each other.

But now as they walked in silence to the doorway to Dracula's Castle, he cursed himself for thinking such things, knowing that Anna's memory would be fresh in his mind now.

Van Helsing turned to Carl when the finally approached the mirror "Carl… There is a very strong chance that we will not find the cure in time, and when that happens…"

"If… If that happens" Carl put it sternly, catching Van Helsing off guard. But if he had learned anything on this trip, it was the Carl could be suprising.

"If anything happens, I will have to kill her."

Carl shook his head "No, Van Helsing, You will not kill her. I will"

They stared at each other for a moment, and a silent agreement was made, as Van Helsing remove the cool silver stake from his coat and handed to Carl. The friar slid it into his coat.

Then each taking a deep breath, plunged into the world that lay before them...

"Someone please help me! Anyone! Oh Carl… Please help me! Van Helsing!" Jade's voice was hoarse. She'd been shouting into the dark for hours.

The cell she was being held in was small, and dark, and smelled like rotten human flesh.

She could hear a faint dripping in the distance, and every word echoed off the cold stone walls.

She shook the bars with her small hands, and then let out a cry when she realized that her wrist had been broken.

She shuddered remembering how the Vampire had treated her. First by tossing her violently to the ground, instantly shattering the bone in ankle. Then with an anger and power only fitting the icy vampire queen, she had smashed the frightened girl against a wall, hissing curses at her.

Bruised and battered, She sat crouched against the caged wall, desperately calling out for a savior.

She knew that Carl wouldn't just leave her to die, but she wasn't so sure Van Helsing would convince him that she was already dead. He wanted her dead anyway… She was nothing but a werewolf.. An evil creature to be destroyed.

Yes she could maintain some control, and yes she desperately loathed the creature she became, nothing seemed to change the monster hunters mind.

Monster. That's what she was. She deserved to die.

Dark thoughts filling her head she screamed out a human cry of anguish. "Help me! Oh Carl please save me"

Carl looked up at the faint whisper. "Van Helsing" He muttered, looking in every direction for the source of the sound.

Van Helsing held up a hand "This way" The two men slipped through the halls, until they reached a small door. They paused, waiting for another sound.

"Help me! Please! Carl! Save me!"

Van Helsing nodded briskly, and kicked open the door, leading Carl inside.

It was pitch black, but there was someone else in the room.

"Jade?" Carl whispered, daring to hope they had found her.

"Carl?" A tired voice whispered back, followed by a thud.

Van Helsing found the lamps then, and taking a match from his coat lit the small lamp and brought it over to where Carl was kneeling. "Is she alive?" He asked, not a shred of feeling in his voice, although he was certainly feeling something.

Joy, happiness, sadness, anger. He couldn't really tell. He was glad for his friend, but knew that the time for saving her was running out.

He had a job to do, Verona was still alive, why she wanted Jade…. That needed to be figured out.

Carl reached in through the bars, while Van Helsing worked on the lock.

"Carl…. I have something to tell you."

The friar only nestled his head further into her neck "Tell me later" Came his muffled reply.

His hair was messed, and he had a mischievous look in his eyes, the one that caused Jade to melt.

She sighed. As much as she wanted to stay in her lovers embrace forever, she had important things to tell him.

"Carl… Carl I'm pregnant"

Carl was snapped out of his memories by the creaking of the cell door. Carl pushed his way in, pulling Jade into his arms, kissing her face. "Jade… Wake up" He mumbled softly.

Van Helsing noticed her swollen ankle and with a sigh knelt down to wrap it. He tore off the bottom of her skirt and wrapped it swiftly.

Jade woke up looking into the eyes of Carl, which went from worried and anxious to relieved "Oh god, you're alright" She hugged him, crying out in pain and drawing her wrist back.

"It's broken" Carl said dejectedly, moving to tear away some of her skirt to wrap it. He saw that her ankle had been wrapped and he looked to Van Helsing a strange glint in his eyes.

"Broken" Van Helsing muttered, straining his neck when he heard a sound from the stair case.

Jade brought her frozen lips to Carl's kissing him furiously.

"You can't leave the order Carl. I'll be fine, send some money every now and then and we'll be fine" She moved, beginning to chop up some vegetables

Carl shook his head "Jade… Please don't make this difficult" he moved over to her, placing his hands atop hers and forcing her to stop her task "I never liked the order… too stuffy" He said with a cheeky grin.

Jade sighed "Carl… I can't ask you to do this for us"

Carl kissed her "I can"

"But you love the Vatican! You love your work"

"I know"

Van Helsing peered back into the cell "Hurry, We've got to move. Verona will return any moment now" Carl nodded, scooping Jade up into his arms.

The three made their way into a large throne room, where Van Helsing told them to stop. Carl set Jade down for a moment, turning to Van Helsing "What did she want with Jade anyway?"

Van Helsing looked at the girl upon the floor, as if trying to figure something out.

It clicked. "Of course! She's a werewolf! What was the one thing that could kill Dracula"

"A werewolf" Carl said, confused.

"Exactly… A Werewolf. If she were planning to bring him back; She would want to ensure that nothing would be able to kill him."

"But why keep her for this long. Why kidnap her? Why not kill her on sight?"

An eerie voice echoed throughout the halls, striking fear into their very souls.

"Kill three birds with one stone"

Atop the stairs stood a Victorious Verona, a very demented grin on her deadly face.

"This darling little girl holds the hearts of the two remaining monsters whom took my Lord away from me… you would make some daring attempt to rescue your darling. And for that mistake, you will all die"

Carl was stunned, and ignoring the fact that a very real threat stood only meters away from him he turned to his old friend "You love her? You love her!"

Van Helsing glared, raising his cross bow "Don't be ridiculous Carl, she's playing with your mind" He fired a few shots in rapid succession.

Carl dived for Jade, lifting her up and taking her to safety behind an overturned lounge.

"Then why did it work. You did come to rescue her"

Verona cackled, and stayed where she was, hovering in the air. Perhaps the two would kill each other, making her job so much easier.

"Carl… I do not love her now" Van Helsing shouted, firing a shot at Verona frustrated.

"Now? But You did?" He pointed an accusing finger.

" I thought…. I thought that perhaps I did. But even if I had… I would never take her from you Carl."

Jade who had remained silent through all of this called out "Van Helsing behind you!"

He turned, but not before the Cross bow was torn out of his hands.

Verona took it and pulled the trigger….. Nothing happened.

She howled with rage, and Carl was happy for the first time in his life that one of his inventions had failed.

Verona shook the Crossbow, and in those precious seconds Jade found an abandoned blade and threw it at Van Helsing.

Van Helsing raised the metal in his arms and started to move towards her.

Jade screamed out as he was thrown to the side, and landed roughly against the wall. She forced her self to her feet, ignoring the horrifying pain in her ankle and pushed herself into plain view, taking Verona's attention off the young friar and once again onto her.

Van Helsing opened his eyes with a groan, he heard Carl shout in pain.

One Cold silver entered Jade's back, piercing through her middle, two, a second drove through her right shoulder…three…. This one into her left thigh "missed" Jade sputtered, struggling forward.

Verona hit the canister again, and pressed the trigger once more.

Van Helsing caught the look of absolute horror on the friars face, no doubt matching his own.

Time stood still.

Three arrows shot from the cross bow, twisting and gliding through the air, each one hitting it's target.

Jade who had not cried out after all the previous arrows, screamed at these, causing Carl to cry out himself. Things sped up.

He dove for her side, holding her close. Van Helsing in a flash of movement had his own stake out and thrown it in a matter of seconds. As Verona's screams died out, Jade's did also.

Carl shook her gently "There, Don't you even think it" He said forcing a smile onto his face. His vision blurred by oncoming tears. Jade was gasping, her eyes searching. She brought her hand up and felt for Carl's hand.

"Where are you… I can't see"

Carl choked on his own words "I'm here, I'm here"

Jade moaned "I… I… I don't think she … she missed… Carl… I think" She sputtered, the metallic taste of blood in mouth, Carl bit his bottom lip and he squeezed her hand.

"Remember you promised 'Death will not part us' remember"

Jade smiled a faint smile, and from where he was standing in shock Van Helsing knew that Jade had never been braver in her entire life then she was at this moment.

"I do. I love you, You crazy monk"

Carl tried to laugh, but found it impossible "Don't .. You know I'm a friar"

Jade pulled his face forward and kissed him with a passion.

Van Helsing turned his head away, the whole situation was reminding him of Anna.

Carl kissed her back, scared to let her go, afraid that as soon as he did, she would be lost to him forever.

"Take care of him" She motioned to Van Helsing, who smiled, tears in his own eyes.

The tears spilled over, Carl could no longer contain the raw sorrow inside him anymore.

"I love you, don't you forget me for some other barmaid"

Carl touched her cheek "You're my only barmaid, and You are going anywhere so I won't forget you"

Jade frowned "Carl…."

Carl nodded "I love you, my only.."

She sighed falling back and her eyes half closing.

"No!" Carl shouted, "No You can't die.. not with these" he tore the arrows from her skin, she was barley conscious.

When they were all removed he looked in her eyes one last time, the tears staining his cheeks. "Be happy Carl" She whispered with her dying breath.

He felt her life slip from him, and he kissed her cheeks, feeling the warmth fade away. The light left her eyes and her skin was ice cold to the touch.

Carl didn't move, he held her closer to him still.

Van Helsng couldn't believe it. She had died. She was supposed to make it. He pounded the wall furiously, rage seeping from his body.

Yes, He had lied. He had loved her. For reasons he hadn't known, he loved her, the weak, scared little girl that Carl had fallen so desperately in love with himself.

And now she was dead.

Carl took the small bundle from the nursemaid "A boy… What will you name him"

Carl looked to Jade who lay exhausted, her damp hair sticking to the back of her neck.

She took the child from his arms, and kissed the infants head "Carl... a name?"

Carl was surprised, and he smiled warmly "Me?"

"Yes you are his father…" She whispered.

"Erik… Call him Erik"

It was an hour before the friar said a word, and the second he spoke, he started to ramble on, revealing anything and everything that he had.

"I loved her, I love her… She loved me. We had a son, I named him Erik, I don't know why it seemed a nice name at the time, she gave him my last name Erik Hampton, but we sent him to live with an aunt until I cured Jade. But now there is no Jade"

Carl broke down then, sobbing and hugging the lifeless body to his chest.

Van Helsing never being more confused in his life, helped the friar to his feet, holding him awkwardly to his shoulder, allowing the younger man to grieve,

He knew what it felt like. Oh god, did he know. Anna lying his arms, cold and dead, the thought made his walls come crashing down and he sobbed for her.

Life was a cruel thing, and it had played many games on Van Helsing, and he dreaded having Carl go through the same pain.

But the past was set, pain written into the young friar's heart.

And he knew, that it would remain there.

3 days later

Carl had remained in a daze since, never eating, sleeping nor moving unless necessary.

Van Helsing knew the pain, but there were questions that desperately needed answers.

He didn't know how he'd over looked, or not heard the friars outburst.

"Carl… Why didn't you tell me you had a son?"

Carl looked up, surprised, heartache etched in his features "I did"

Van Helsing sighed "Carl, tomorrow we return to Vatican."

The statement woke Carl from his slumber "What?"

"We cannot stay here, she would have wanted you to move on"

"She told me to never forget!"

"Moving on is not forgetting!"

Carl rose to his feet "How can I move on but three days after…. After what happened. I cannot return to the Vatican Van Helsing."

"Yes, Yes you can and you will. Erik will be joining us."

Carl almost laughed, this was riduclous "The Cardinal will never allow it"

"If I tell him the child may be the clue to some great evil, and needs to be protected…"

"You would lie to the Cardinal?"

The statement hung in the air.

"It's easier then it sounds"

Both men smiled faintly at the last comment, an understanding passing between them.

"Hurry, we'll go and get this infant genius then"

Van Helsing grinned, and Carl took a final glance at the burnt down cottage where they had been staying.

"Let's go home"

It's all over:'( It's been a fun ride, and I want to thank each and every reviewer, for taking the time to read and I love you all! I didn't kill Carl, aren't you all proud of me.

I'm asking for the final time in this fic (oh god this making me sad :P) for you all to review.

and now for those two final words...

THE END