A/N-- Here's the first chapter with some shameless Gabriel/Anna fluffiness!! I know the genre says Mystery/Romance, but there will be action in this too. It's just that this time you aren't gonna know the enemy for a while, so it's a bit more mystery...
The Wishmasters- YES, I WAS CRYING WHILE I WAS WRITING THIS.... I hope you're happy... LOL. I'm glad you enjoyed the prologue, it was fun to write. You read Ripples in Time, right? I'm trying to remember...
jenni-nikole- Thanks for the review! Have fun with this chapter!
Chapter One:
Unusual Adventures
The two horses raced along through the woods of Transylvania at breakneck speed, speed for which they were known. No one, perhaps, knew how fast they could go better than their riders. They also knew how important such speed could be in dire situations.
Situations like this.
The riders drew to a stop abruptly; the one in front looked around carefully, then cursing looked up at the sky. The second soon drew up beside him.
"I think we might be late." He moaned.
"Are you sure of the time that was set?" She hissed back.
"Not exactly." He replied, shifting on his horse.
"This is what I get for leaving you in charge. Come on, I know a faster way!" She called to her horse, shooting off at a gallop.
All he could do was follow as closely as he could as they dove through the trees, his heart pounding in his chest. He swore again when a low hanging branch nearly decked him, and again when some pine needles scratched his cheek. Could he go a single day without getting bruised, scratched or cut while racing across Transylvania...?
Even something as mundane as going out to dinner becomes an adventure with two Vampire Hunters involved. Especially when those two Vampire Hunters are Gabriel Van Helsing and Anna Valerious.
The problem was that Van Helsing had gone to the nearest city the day prior to secure reservations at a restaurant for the next day. But they had just returned from a particularly nasty fight with a werewolf that had been terrorizing the countryside, and he was feeling tired. Of course, this was half the reason for going, to celebrate their victory and their year anniversary of fighting evil together in Transylvania, but he had been so tired that he had neglected to remember what time he had set for dinner. The fact that he and Anna had woken up late that day hadn't been helpful either. Now they were rushing to arrive at what they hoped was in time.
Van Helsing's thoughts slipped away from him as he rode, being careful to still follow Anna. He could hardly believe that he had been away from the Order a year. Not that they cared. They probably still wanted him dead. A year of freedom, roaming Transylvania with Anna in search of monsters to destroy. It was idyllic, even the near-death part of it. Because all of it was spent with Anna.
Carl, his best friend, had been dead for a year too. But you could hardly tell that he was dead. There was scarce a day when they hadn't seen his ghost, and he was just as annoying in death as he had been in life, if not more so, because now his favorite topic was the blossoming relationship between Gabriel and Anna. True, they were living together when they weren't out fighting. True, they'd gone out to dinner or to a play together before. True, there had been times when Carl had popped in on them kissing. But still. Carl was prattling on about marriage and children, (he'd already named them all) two topics that never failed to make the battle-hardened Hunters quail slightly.
But Van Helsing had begun to consider such things seriously. Well maybe not the children part, that made him blush, but the marriage part. He'd begun to consider that very seriously. He loved Anna, he was sure of it. And he was pretty sure that she loved him back. But their line of work was deadly and he was afraid that if they did get married they'd just lose each other...
"Van Helsing? Gabriel?" Anna's voice brought him zipping back to reality. They had arrived in town already, it appeared, and she had dismounted and waited beside him. "Were you thinking?" He nodded. "It's a miracle you didn't get lost." She grinned, shaking her head. He smiled back, dismounting and using to action to plant a swift kiss on her lips. The gypsy princess laughed softly and took his arm as they walked into town.
It was one of the nicer settlements in Transylvania, with cobblestone streets and well-built houses. It was here that they did most of their shopping, if any, and where they relaxed in-between hunts if they were too tired to go to Budapest, so they knew it well. Their favorite restaurant, the Trinity, was just across the way from the church. Passing it, Van Helsing could not help but eye the new gargoyles on the bell tower warily, a gesture Anna caught.
"Gabriel, give it up." She groaned. "The people here are proud of them, they're rumored to have come from the Notre Dame itself!"
"Exactly! They come from Notre Dame." He retorted, still looking over his shoulder at the church.
"Yes, yes, I know. Those are the nastiest sort and you should know because you've fought them before. But they've been there for half a year already and nothing has happened, I think it's time you stop worrying about them." Anna lectured.
"Anna," Gabriel began, catching her elbow and turning her around. At the same time, he pulled a rose from seemingly thin air, although when she wasn't looking he had picked it off a rosebush by the church. "Stop being so grouchy. Dinner will be no fun without your smile." She smiled again, accepting the rose and then running it lightly over her lips as though in thought.
"What did I do to deserve you?" She asked with a growing smile and with genuine tenderness. How could she give him anything less? He had crossed time and dared fate for her sake.
"I myself have yet to figure that out." Van Helsing laughed, offering her his arm as they made their way across the street to the Trinity.
"Is there anyone here by the name of Valerious? Anyone?" The man standing at the restaurant's door sighed dismally. He hated it when patrons were late. "Going once, going twice-" He bent over the book on the stand in front of him with his pen, about to scratch off the words 'Valerious, 2, 6:30.' His head jerked up at the sound of a shout.
"WAIT!"
Anna and Van Helsing rushed up to the desk where the man was calling off names, hair askew, eyes wide.
"We're here." They both said breathlessly. The dour man raised an eyebrow.
"Ah yes, the infamous Monster Hunters. Follow me, if you will." He said dryly, picking up two menus and starting off. Van Helsing and Anna sighed with relief and followed. They always left reservations of any kind under 'Valerious,' since Van Helsing was still uncomfortable with his name being out in the world.
They got their favorite table, which was a stroke of luck, since it could rarely be gotten. It was situated in a sort of nook made by a bay window facing the church. There was always a fresh vase of flowers both on the table and on the shelf edging the bay window, so the air around it smelled sweetly no matter when they went. This time, the flowers were Anna's favorite, and filled her with a scent that made her feel especially playful, so she made Van Helsing sit with his back to the window. This always made him feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, and especially so tonight when they had been talking about the stone gargoyles they church had purchased from an antiques seller who claimed they were from Notre Dame. After they had ordered, Gabriel was still shifting in his seat and looking constantly over his shoulder.
"Anna-"
"Aren't these seats comfortable, Gabriel?" She purred, leaning back on her chair slightly and flashing him an almost seductive grin.
"Well, yes, but-"
"I'm enjoying the view of the church tonight. The moonlight outlines the gargoyles so well..." She trailed off, still smiling.
"You know, it's really not funny. Someone could get hurt by those things." Van Helsing warned. Anna chuckled softly and leaned across the table, moving the vase of flowers aside with one hand and reaching up to stroke Van Helsing's cheek with the other.
"I'm really enjoying tonight." She said with a more gentle smile. He caught her hand and kissed the knuckles, smiling back at the shiver that ran through her. No matter how long she knew him, he'd always be able to make her tingle with a single look or touch.
"How can you say that so soon? It's only just begun." Gabriel laughed back.
The fireworks were a bit early, however, and so was Anna's statement. Glass shattered all around them as the two gargoyles that had so far stood obediently on the church's roof came crashing through, roaring as they did. Patrons all around them screamed and began to panic, while Anna leapt back in alarm and reached for her sword- only to remember that she had taken it off before they left. She had no time to reach for the knife in her boot; Van Helsing knocked the table over on purpose and she had to duck to prevent getting conked on the head.
"Watch where you're throwing tables Gabriel!" She shouted.
"Consider it payback for the warlock's tower!" He shouted back as he quickly dove in behind her. The gargoyles were about five feet tall with wings barely large enough to carry them. Their claws and teeth were sharp, but they moved too slowly to catch most of their intended victims.
Van Helsing reached for the pistol he always kept with him and fired at the nearest one, hitting it on its leathery shoulder. It howled with wordless rage and lunged at the table they hid behind; they each seized a leg and dragged it out of the way in time. But the movement backed them up against a wall and they realized that they were trapped. Then the second gargoyle leapt at the table, and they couldn't escape. Its heavy body smashed into the wood, cracking it in half and cutting both Hunters.
Van Helsing dove out to the right of their hiding place, hitting his head on a nearby table that had yet to be destroyed, and was forced to roll away again when the injured gargoyle swiped at him with one clawed hand. Mid-roll, he cocked and fired again, hitting it this time in one leg. It fell to the ground, blood spewing onto the fine carpet.
Anna had dove out to the left... and landed smack on the shattered window. She cried out as sharp pieces of glass cut her palms and knees, but didn't have time to worry about it. The gargoyle that had smashed the table was charging her, one of the table's broken legs held in one hand like a spear. Almost without thought, she pulled out the knife concealed in her boot and side-stepped the lunge, striking down quickly with the knife and slicing a clean cut down the arm holding the table leg. The piece of wood clattered to the ground as the wounded gargoyle almost flew out the window, howling. But when he turned back to the gypsy princess, he looked on her with renewed fury.
Van Helsing's opponent didn't look too thrilled either. The Monster Hunter was quickly on his feet and preparing to fire again, only to realize that he had used his last bullet. There was no time to whine about it; the gargoyle was airborne now, soaring straight toward him with claws extended. He leapt out of the way and kicked a table so that it skidded into the monster's flight path. It had the desired effect, knocking the gargoyle over onto its side and splintering the table. What happened next was quite unexpected; the gargoyle threw a sort of temper tantrum. It started with breaking the table it had just crashed into, and then flinging the pieces at random people and objects around the room. The piece Gabriel was dealt was one of the table legs. It flew towards him before he could do anything, one of its sharp ends catching the side of his arm and drawing blood. He ignored the injury and picked up the table leg. It had some weight to it, it could conceivably be used as a weapon... He snuck up behind the raging gargoyle and leapt onto its back, legs wrapped firmly around its waist, and attempted repeatedly to stab it with the table leg. Naturally, it didn't want Van Helsing there, and began to rampage all through the fine restaurant like a bucking horse.
Anna saw what Van Helsing was doing and spared a moment of her time to pray he'd be okay, but fast learned that the gargoyle she fought was an attention hog. He gave her no time to think of anything but him and his slashing claws as he struck down at her again and again, driving her backwards and spraying her with blood from his wounded arm. He had her backed all the way up against the far wall and was about to deal the killing blow when she ducked and stabbed him in the stomach with her knife. She didn't even have time to pull it out; Van Helsing and his improvisational mount tore through then, slamming into the other gargoyle and driving it into the corner.
Van Helsing thanked God when the gargoyle he was 'riding' ran head first into the wall, pinning its dying companion under him. When he drove home the sharp table leg into its back and felt it spasm and die too, he also thanked God for the fact that they were made of flesh for that brief night and not stone, although they crumbled into tiny pieces of rocks once they died. He sighed and wiped off his forehead, retrieving Anna's knife and handing it to her when she approached him.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"I'll live. But I'm afraid I've lost my appetite." He sighed.
"I'll drink to that statement." Anna replied fervently. The other patrons who had not yet run away and the cooks who had just come from the kitchen began to shout then.
"They killed those creatures!"
"Were those the gargoyles from the church?"
"What would we do without them?"
"What will we do with them! Look at what's happened to the Trinity because of them!"
"We might've died otherwise!"
"Who will pay for the repairs?"
"WHAT ABOUT OUR FOOD?"
Soon the cries melted into one another, becoming indistinguishable in their shared rage.
"I guess it can never be a normal night out with us." Van Helsing sighed, taking both Anna's hands and looking at her apologetically.
"What are you talking about? Violence, chaos, blood, near-death..." She laughed. "Love, this IS a normal night out for us."
"I just wish, sometimes, that it could be different." He continued sorrowfully as, arm in arm, they walked calmly out of the ruined restaurant and left those remaining to straighten it out themselves.
"Well, let's make it different." She proposed. "We've never tried a night in, have we?"
"Not that I recall." Van Helsing replied, a slow grin stealing over his face.
"Then back to the Valerious manor it is!" Anna beamed back.
Not quite what I had in mind... He thought to himself as they mounted up once more, fingering something in his pocket. Images of a crackling fire, fuzzy blanket and some hot, spiced ale popped into his head and his grin widened. But it'll work....
The crackling fire, fuzzy blanket, and hot, spiced ale were just as he had wanted them, and even more perfect than he imagined with Anna curled up against his chest. They had long since finished their ale and their idle talk, and after a few soft touches and warm kisses had settled for just reveling in each other's company. Anna's head lay on his chest, her soft curls and the guttering firelight obscuring much of her beautiful face. Van Helsing moved some of her hair back from her face and bent to kiss her cheek and then the top of her head; she mumbled and shifted into a more comfortable position, lying on her stomach atop Van Helsing, looking up into his eyes.
"Something the matter Gabriel? I was on the brink of a lovely dream." She whispered, one hand combing through his hair.
"I think that dream is what's the matter." He chuckled, repeating the action on her. "I need to get you to bed, young lady."
"No one will know, we're all alone in the house." She said with a small wriggle of playfulness.
"I'll have no such naughtiness from you, Anna Valerious!" He said with mock sternness. "I did promise your father I'd have you home by a certain time..."
"Ah, ever the gentlemen." Anna smiled, kissing him on the lips tenderly.
"And as a gentlemen, I'll tell you to stop and get the hell off me." He laughed, tickling her in the ribs and then playfully shoving her to the floor, where he pounced on her squealing form once more. But the princess of the gypsies wasn't so easily swayed; she flipped them over so that she was straddling him and attacked his ribs as well, until through his laughs he begged for mercy.
"You forget, I had an older brother." She reminded him, tapping him lightly on the nose.
"And what would he say of our current position?" Van Helsing asked with a husky edge, his hands running lightly up and down Anna's waist.
For a moment they lingered there, just enjoying each other's warmth... but then a sudden thought about an angry Velkan Valerious- in werewolf form- had them both scrambling to regain their feet and looking around nervously at the shadows. Like the naughty children they were, they snuck out of the room, arm in arm.
True to his word, Van Helsing had Anna on the threshold of her bedroom just as the clock tolled midnight.
"I suppose that this is goodnight." She sighed. "I hope my parents don't see me sneaking into bed."
"I have a feeling they won't." He bent and kissed her just once more, and then regarded her thoughtfully. Her eyes were shining out from her flushed face, framed by the hair he was so fond of running his fingers through. He did that now, a serious look on his face. "Did you enjoy tonight, Anna?"
"Of course I did. Gargoyle interruptions and all." She wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped back slightly, pulling him into her room inch by inch. She stopped when they stood next to her oaken armoire where she kept her clothes.
"Aren't you afraid we'll be caught?" He asked in a hushed voice, his eyes twinkling.
"Like you said, I have a feeling we won't be." She whispered back with a similar light in her eyes.
"So if you liked tonight... you wouldn't mind doing this more often?" Van Helsing asked slowly.
"Not at all. We can do this anytime we're not out playing at being heroes." Anna replied.
"How would you like to do this for the rest of our lives, however short they might be?" He asked quietly. Both their hearts were ready to leap out of their chests as Gabriel Van Helsing slowly sank to one knee and simultaneously pulled a small box out of his coat pocket. He opened it, revealing a stunning white gold ring with a cross etched into it and filled with tiny diamonds. "Anna Valerious, will you marry me?"
That was the last thing either remembered. Something hard and wooden slammed into both of their heads and sent them sprawling. They tried to reach for each other, but something cold fell on top of them and swept them apart when they had been so close to being together forever.
A/N-...dare I say that that chapter actually came out... good? LOL. I'm not sure if they had 'reservations,' per se, in 1800's restaurants, but oh well!! I had fun writing this, okay?! And I'll have more fun if yall review!
