Chapter xxi

Van Helsing stared after Aluka disbelievingly. She had taken his horse. He had to walk back to the bloody manor. It definitely wasn't his morning, nor apparently was it hers.

'I can't believe that she did that,' he thought. A boy in the crowd was laughing. An elderly looking woman was glaring at him. A man in the crowd was smiling. A lot of the younger girls were huddling around a grandmother looking figure, all giving him a reproachful look.

He started walking up the hill. He kicked as many rocks as possible on his way up the hill. It wasn't his fault. He hadn't done it on purpose. People get way too defensive about stuff like that, Van Helsing thought bitterly. This is stupid, he kept saying to himself. It isn't fair. Stupid prat, she couldn't just make a fool out of him.

Then he realized that she probably hates him now. 'Not cool,' he thought. 'Now she doesn't trust me. Not like she did. She has to trust me.' He frowned at the ground. Then added to his thoughts, 'She had to trust me for our partnership. It isn't like I really care or anything.'

A nagging voice in the back of his head contradicted his last thought, much to his dismay. Realization kicked in, and he walked a little quicker, because if she wasn't going to listen to him when he said he didn't do it on purpose, he would just have to apologize. Which wasn't exactly something he was looking forward too.

Van Helsing walked half way back to the manor before he encountered a most unusual being. It was hunched over, with white hair and it was grumbling. It heard Van Helsing approaching and turned. Gabriel stared in astonishment.

"I thought you were dead," he said to Igor.

"No, I am not that lucky," he said, trying to speed away from Van Helsing.

"If you want me to finish the job, I shall of course," he said, grabbing Igor's cloak.

"What do you want? I am not helping Dracula, because he is obviously dead. Just leave me alone," he said in a low growl.

"Be that as it may, I can still do the world a favor and rid it of this abominable being that dare stand before me."

"Still sulking about your little girlfriend I see." He shouldn't have said that, especially with Van Helsing's mood. Gabriel quickly whipped out a dagger and put it to Igor's throat.

"You will take that back and never say anything like that about Anna again. Do you hear me?"

"I shouldn't have said that," said a disgruntled Igor.

"Where are you going?" asked Van Helsing suspiciously as Igor walked on.

"To my house."

"You have a house?" said Van Helsing, eyebrow raised in question. Igor just glared at him.

"I'll follow you-to make sure you get home safely," Van Helsing lied. He really wanted to see if Igor was working with Dracula again. Plus, he had thought Igor was dead. He had been almost certain. But things happen, and Dracula had come back, so his servant came back too.

Igor looked apprehensive about letting Van Helsing follow him, but he was unarmed and didn't exactly have a choice.

"Fine." He followed Igor a short distance before arriving at a slightly broken down apartment.

"My temporary house," he said, pointing at the apartment. Van Helsing nodded and walked away. Igor had to be up to something. It was just his personality. It was who he was. It was what he did. Van Helsing completely forgot about the morning as he walked on, thinking about his odd encounter.

'I could have sworn he was dead!' thought Van Helsing, puzzled. His feet carried him to the Valerious Manor, where he found the doors to be locked. He rapped his hand hard on the door. No one came.

"Damn it," he said, frustrated, "Carl!! Open the bloody door!!" he yelled. Still, no answer.

"Why is he being like this? I didn't do anything to him!" said Van Helsing to him self about why Carl had not yet answered the door.

Then, much to his liking, the large front doors creaked open. Carl was there.

"Hello," said Van Helsing, walking in. Carl just nodded.

"She'd really upset, you know," said Carl, changing the subject.

"I would never know, by the way she acted," said Gabriel, his voice simply dripping in sarcasm. Carl gave him an this-isn't-the-time sort of look. Van Helsing looked down.

"You should apologize," said Carl.

"I didn't-you know I didn't!"

"Yes I know you didn't, but she doesn't, so I think that an explanation would be nice."

"Yeah, I guess. But I didn't do anything. So she has to apologize for making me walk back." Carl didn't say anything.

"Carl, she stole my horse."

"I know," he said timidly, clearly trying very hard not to take sides.

"Good, because I'm sure that you agree she should apologize if I do-"Carl remained silent once more.

"You do agree with me, don't you Carl?" and again Carl stayed quiet.

"I-suppose she should too," said Carl, in a hushed voice, as if wanting no one to hear him.

"I am glad that you feel that way."

"Yes-well, why don't you make your apology sooner rather than later?"

"Okay, come on. You can go back up to the library," said Van Helsing, walking with Carl up the stairs and thinking about how he would apologize.

Thank you, for the reviews everyone! Please review! I love reviews btw, in case you didn't quite get that! Sorry that this chappie was a tad short, but i shall update quickly this time!

-the evil platypus of doom