Catalina Tavington – Carl is having problems… Let us just leave it at that. Internet before school does rock, I love it.
Kaiya – I think we all like juicy bits when we can get them… they are la crème de la crème! Sorry I can't update every minute, my mother has decided to limit my fanfic time and stuff. (Glares evilly)
MusikVibe – I actually wrote an outline for this story (gasp shock) I think it will be around 30 chapters, give or take. I'm not sure though.
Silveni – I like Napoleon cuz he's a cute, short, rather amusing French men… and his hat, who can say no to the hat? I also find him very fascinating, who he is and what made him that way etc. I could go on forever but I wont. I am glad you like it, I will finish this (hopefully) then I will probably move on to Phantom of the Opera, or I might actually finish another fic I have going (gasp shock again)
MorganWolfe666 – (snirk) I think it was worth the wait.
Jane.Jumped – I am back and in a very spiffy outfit… (got a cape while in Florida, best not to ask) and yes, I will be here for another two weeks then I am off again to Canada for a week then back for a long period of time… I should get some writing done though.
Lady Assasin Moonbeam – you will hear more as long as you read more. (snort) that sounded so dorky.
Much More to Come
In blinded flight, in dark desire
My hunger, satisfied by your lonely lifes desire
My bride of blood, my bride of passion
Be near me
Consummation of our love to start rejuvenation
What was the end is now to beginning
-Love like Cinema
James Patterson
Rain poured won in sheets as Van and Dracula stared out the window. They had been stranded in the same inn for two days. The only condolence they had was that their pursuers where also bogged down somewhere.
"We should leave." A soft voice said. Van sighed and shook his head. He knew that they had to go but part of him wanted to wait it out. "Take advantage of the rain. If we leave now we leave undetected. Skip town, they won't be able to find us for days." Dracula urged him. His mind was screaming 'run' this was their only chance to gain an advantage. If there is a god he must be good… this rain is what we need, now if only Mr. Stubborn ass would get his act together. "Come now Gabriel – be reasonable, we need every advantage we can get." Van just shook his head, darkness hid many things.
A small creak cam from the other side of the room. Both men turned to see an old man in the corner. His white beard went down to his waist and his long hair was pulled back revealing skin dappled with age spots. Upon his face was a wide grin.
"I'm sorry did I interrupt something?" He asked in a cracked voice. Van was shocked but managed to shake his head.
"Good." The old man said the proceeded to draw up a chair from smack space and sit down on it. "Oh silly me." He said as he smacked his forehead. "I forgot to introduce myself – though it hasn't been that long, it's been what? A month… two? Two months…"He let the sentence run off as he looked at the two confused men. A light snapped inside Dracula's head as he connected a face to a name. "Odin." He said as he gave the man a curt bow. Van's eyes went wide with recognition and he to gave a small bow. Odin nodded with approval and said, "I am here to say my final good bye, clear up any remaining questions, and give you a hand." Van and Dracula exchanged glances; from past experiences Odin often left them a little more confused than they had started out.
"I believe I made a mistake that angered Loki." Van finally ventured, Odin looked at him passively so he continued, "I think I wounded… killed? Fenrir." He paused again, trying to replay the scene in his mind but most of the details where foggy, he's couldn't remember if he checked to make sure it was dead.
Odin shook his head with a grave smile on his face.
"No I don't believe that was Fenrir that attacked you, your other companion was wrong."
"But Loki was plenty mad." Odin chuckled and shook his head.
"Loki is mad at the world in general…" then as an after thought, "Would make an excellent punk rocker."
Dracula snorted and gave Odin a withering, "The god of tricks and foolery mad at the world, that's about as lunacrise as the Bible."
Odin sighed impatiently, as if that question had been asked many times before. "It's a long story."
"Does it have anything to do with being locked up and having snake venom dripped on you for all eternity?" Dracula asked with a sneer.
"…Anyway, to continue on with Fenrir, he has not escaped since 1050 so what you ran into was something else, perhaps just a large wolf." Odin said as he wove his fingers together.
"But is it dead?" Van asked.
"No."
"Could you be more blunt?" Dracula asked dryly.
"No."
"It was a rhetorical question." Odin blinked then nodded quickly.
"Right, anything else?"
Van scowled as he tried to figure out how to word his question, it was something that had been nagging him for some time. "Why did you stop it when you did? Why not before?"
Odin looked over at Van like a father eyeing his favorite son; "Because I wanted to see how far human kind would go to save each other… apparently this new religion of yours hasn't completely brainwashed you." The last part earned a snort from Dracula and a crude look from Van.
"You're sick." He said with full disdain.
"No I am really feeling quite fine, anything else?" Dracula glanced at Van who just shook his head, still wearing the sickened look on his face.
"No… I don't believe so." Dracula said. Relief flooded onto his face as he saw the god stand and the chair disappear.
"Good…" Odin said as he turned to leave, "I would use this rain cover to your advantage." He then disappeared without a sound. Dracula smirked and turned to Van.
"Told you we had to use the rain." This earned a nice withering stare from Van who turned wordlessly away from his and began packing the few bags they had.
Two figures emerged from the door and made their way across the muddy yard. Once inside the stable they readied their horses and headed out.
"Gabriel slow down, you could hurt your horse by going so fast in the dark." Dracula growled as he slowed his horse down, Van followed suit.
"Sorry." He said quietly. Dracula shook his head and dismissed it with a wave of his hand; Gabriel had always been reckless. Always been… I live in the past… Dracula thought as he scowled to himself. That part of Gabriel is all but gone… it – he – died a long time ago. Well he never died but he changed… as we all do. He explained to himself as he set his eyes towards the horizon. Even with his heightened senses Dracula could only see rugged outlines of trees through the rain. Then whom do I love? He mused as he nudged his horse away from some foliage it found interesting. The old Gabriel or the one I see now? He waited for the answer to come but it didn't. He growled to himself in frustration, answers always came easily to him; why didn't this?
"Are you ok?" Dracula jerked himself back to reality as Van looked over at him with concern. The Vampire wasn't one to talk a lot but he normally has a snide and/or cynical comment to make about something. But tonight was different; he was quiet, pensive. His facial expressions changing from day to night. Happy… or at least content to angry, or was it frustration? Van couldn't tell in the darkness.
"I'm fine, just thinking." Came the reply. Van peered at him but said nothing. They rode on in silence. The weather was finally clearing, as was Dracula's mood. By the time the full moon was bearing milky white light down on them Dracula seemed rather chipper.
"Where shall we go Gabriel?" He asked as he wrung the water out of his hair. Wrapping the ebony locks around slender fingers. The spidery strands slid out of his hand, still slick with water despite the vigorous twisting they had endured.
"I don't know… south?" Van said while trying to think of a place that would be safe, at least for a while.
"But that'll take us to Italy – the heart of our problems, I say east."
"Back to Romania?" A bitter scowl crossed the Count's face at the mention of his former home.
"Never, I wasn't welcomed there when I was alive and I am certainly not welcome now that I am the un-dead." Van nodded. He had pretty much given up on Europe. He knew, though it saddened him, that they would have to leave Europe all together.
"How about south east?" Van suggested after a pause.
"Are you trying to get us killed?" Dracula spat while eyeing Van with suspicion.
"No… so are we going south east?"
"I guess so… are you happy with it?"
"No, are you?"
"No… deal?"
"Deal" With that they nodded and shook hands.
The rain started back up as they traveled southeast. Thunder rolled every few minutes and lighting cracked so low to the ground that it hit some shrubbery, splitting it in half. When it wasn't overly noisy Van could make out howls of wolves in the distance.
"We should stop at the next town." Dracula said as they trudged on. He had long ago given up on trying to stay dry.
"No, I want to get as far as we can tonight." Van said. Dracula shifted in his saddle, a few hours of hard ridding can be a pain in the arse.
"Well, can we at least stop for a break in the next town?" Van looked over at the vampire with a confused face.
"Why?" He asked.
"… I'm hungry and I don't think you want to be my appetizer." Van paled and nodded, suddenly very keen to find some form of human inhabitance. After a half an hour of searching they came upon a small farming town not to far out of the way of their course. Dracula was off and gone before Van had a chance to dismount.
Van walked around for a bit before he found a small pub. Letting himself in he found it rather full of men. Some lined the walls while others occupied tables. He slid into a chair and closed his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for a drink; he wasn't in the mood for much except rest. At some point he must have dozed off because he was in for a rude awakening.
"Oi, Gabriel, wake up." His eyes flew open and a knife was at Dracula's throat. "Oh I mean so little to you?" He mocked as he danced away.
"You idiot." Growled Van as he glared. "I could have hurt you." Dracula just raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"Riiiight, like you did with the stake in my chest thing back in Romania." Dracula chuckled and shook his head. "You are truly amusing Gabriel… But come, we better be going." Van sighed and nodded in agreement and followed Dracula outside. They left the town just as un-noticed as they came.
Small rays of sunlight broke through the heavy clouds as day dawned. The two weary travelers stumbled along a small path, hopping it was heading in the right direction. Though at the moment they could care less. Hours stretched on and Van began to finally feel the ebb of hunger.
"We need to stop at the next town." He said. Dracula scowled.
"Why?"
"Because I'm hungry."
"Why didn't you get something at the last town?" Van glared at Dracula.
"I didn't think of it." Dracula sighed irritably but remained quiet.
Does he expect me to be perfect? Because lord knows he's not. Van though darkly. I was tired last night, I wasn't thinking of food. By the time they arrived at the town Van was just a tad pissed. How does he expect me to know when I am going to be hungry? I'm NOT clairvoyant. I went out of the way when he was… and I didn't even grumble! Van glowered at Dracula as he disappeared into a café.
Dracula sat on his horse slightly miffed. What's eating him? He thought as he tied his horse up and followed Van inside.
"Gabriel?" Dracula asked softly as he located the man. He was seated moodily over a mug of coffee and a bowl of soup. "Are you ok?" Van shot Dracula a glare.
"Oh I am just dandy." Dracula blinked and flicked his eyes down to the polished oak table then back up to Van.
"What is it?" He asked. Van scowled and sat in silence for a bit. "Gabriel, please…" Dracula whispered.
"You expect me to be perfect." Van stated. Dracula blinked and held a surprised look on his face.
"I do not. Where did you get that idea?" A wry smile twisted onto Van's face. "You act all huffy when I need something but when you need to stop for food you expect me to go along without complaint. I am not your servent." Van fought to keep his voice down and anger built up – where it was from he didn't know.
"What? I do not! You are blowing things out of proportion. I do not expect you to be perfect and I know you are not my servent and I don't want you to be one either." Dracula said earnestly, still racking his brain for ideas on where Van got the crazy notion.
"You say that now but sometimes I think you forget that. That I am only human." He spat the last part out.
Dracula sat in silence. Looking carefully at the man before him. He finally had an answer to his earlier question; the answer was right before him sitting moodily with a pout on his face.
"Look, I'm sorry." He said quietly. "Whatever I did or said that made you angry, I'm sorry." Van looked up at the Count's face. It was earnest, almost worried.
"It's ok." Van said dismissivly. Almost feeling ashamed for getting so mad over something so little.
"No it's not ok. If I don't have your forgiveness tell me what I have to do to earn it. "
"No, no. It's ok. I forgive you, and I am also sorry." Van scowled internally, he had never been good with words, often expressing things through actions. This apologizing to the face thing was harder than it looked. Dracula nodded, leaned forward and stood. Van felt lips brush against his.
"I'll go get us a room, you need sleep." Dracula said as he left a slightly dazed Van behind.
When night claimed the world Van found himself oddly awake. After a few minutes of tossing he sat up. Dracula occupied the small round table. His dark form was bent over a small book and he was busy writing away. The one-lit candle was burning low. In fact it was almost out. As the light dwindled the Count wrote faster.
"What are you writing?" Van asked. Dracula looked up and scowled.
"You're supposed to be asleep." Van shrugged and scooted his body around so he could see Dracula.
"I can't, and you didn't answer my question."
"It's a journal of sorts." Dracula said as he closed the book. "But that doesn't matter, why can't you sleep?" Another shrug came from the man.
"Restless I guess… I get like this anytime something big is going to happen." His lips curled up slightly. "I think I remember… it could have been a dream… anyway, I think I remember staying up Christmas eve awaiting for day break… not shutting an eye." Dracula chuckled and crossed the room, seating himself near Van.
"That is indeed a memory, as you kept me up as well with your pacing and random comments about what we where going to do the next day. But tomorrow is not Christmas and you need your rest." Van shook his head; a sad humor suddenly came upon him.
"What do you think will happen to us?" He asked as he watched the candle snuff out.
"Either we run forever or we get caught and are either burned, staked, run through with a knife, or just simply maimed and tortured beyond recognition… or we are caught, interrogated, then killed in some dramatic and painful way or we are caught, interrogated then escape." Dracula said all of this with a rather cheerful disposition.
"Doesn't that sounds charming… Tell me Dracula, what do you think of the church?" Dracula blinked, startled then shrugged and answered.
"The church is like a young woman who thinks to highly of herself and is bound to get into trouble." Van nodded at the assessment, it wasn't the first time he had heard predictions of trouble for the church and he knew it wouldn't be the last.
A smile of contentment flittered onto his face as he felt Dracula's arms wrap around his waist. He pressed his body against Van's, warming himself.
"Me thinks you need to sleep." Murmured Dracula. A shiver ran down Van's back as Dracula glided his fingers under Van's shirt.
"You're not helping my quest for sleep." Said Van as he let his body arch as the Vampire slid his other hand in between his legs and began stroking his thigh.
"Well I think you need to be lying down in order to sleep." With that Dracula twisted his body around and slipped into Van's lap, facing him. A smirk appeared on his lips as he tousled Van's already messy hair.
"So soft…" He murmured as his finger ran through the hair. Suddenly he pulled his hand out and pushed Van onto the bed so Van was lying face up with Dracula straddling his hips.
"You're being a hypocrite." Van said while giving Dracula a mock glare.
"No I'm not Gabriel, you will be asleep…. When I'm done."
"Pervert." Dracula smirked and looked down at Van who scowled and pushed his hips up. "Hurry up if you're going to do something." He growled.
Dracula glared but leaned down and kissed Van, sliding his tongue into Van's mouth. Van closed his eyes and let Dracula explore his mouth. He could feel the vampire's tongue glide across the roof of his mouth before licking and teasing his own tongue. After a minute Dracula pulled away with a satisfied smirk. During the little snog fest he had been undoing Van's shirt. It slid off as the monster hunter hoisted himself up and pulled Dracula's head towards him, kissing him deeply.
Van started undressing Dracula, shirt then pants. It didn't take long before both where naked and entangled in each other and the sheets. Dracula slid two fingers into Van's mouth while his other hand snaked down his body and wrapped around Van's erection. Van groaned as Dracula rubbed his fingers up and down. The friction drove Van crazy, he wanted more, his body was going insane with desire.
Dracula removed his fingers from Van's mouth and pulled Van's hips up while pushing one finger inside him. Van's eyes opened wide as he moaned the closed again. He pushed his hips up further letting Dracula slide his finger in further. He soon added another, then a third.
"Relax Gabriel." Dracula whispered as he felt Van loosed around him.
"That's it relax." He murmured low into Van's ear. Once he was satisfied he slipped his fingers out accompanied with moans of protest from the man underneath him. He replaced them with his erection; Van gripped his hips as Dracula pushed himself in then back out.
They surged together in time with one another. It seemed to drag on for days yet it ended all to quickly. Both spent all they could do was collapse against one another.
Van smiled and stretched, wrapping arms around Dracula he pulled him close, enjoying the feeling of the Count snuggling up against him. Soft kisses placed on his neck and shoulder.
Outside the stars twinkled and the rain pulled away, leaving everything fresh and green. Inside two men slept in each other's arms, quite content to not wake again.
An incessant chirping was what woke Van from his pleasant sleep. Two birds where flapping, pecking, chirping, and being a general nuisance outside his window. The red bird seemed to get the upper hand over the dapple brown one. After a valiant struggle the brown birds lost and flew away, still chirping.
Van blinked and roused himself from his dazed state. Dracula was lying sprawled out on top of him. They had three blankets as Van had gotten cold during the night and had stubbornly insisted that Dracula should get up, get dresses and go on a reconasense mission for them. The Count had complied though only after much whining and several threats of impalement.
"Gabriel?" A drowsy voice asked. Van glanced down and found Dracula's face buried in the blankets.
"Yes?" Van said, hopping that Dracula would move as his arm was falling asleep under the Count's weight.
"What un-holy hour is it?"
"6:00, why?"
"Just wondering." No movement yet.
"Ah…" A pause, "Can you move?"
"Why?"
"Because my arm is falling asleep."
"………Falling asleep or already asleep?"
"Already asleep." Now Van was starting to get slightly peeved.
"…Ok." With that the Count rolled over (taking the blankets with him) and sat up.
"Took you long enough." Grumbled Van as he slowly messaged his hand.
"Hmmm? Oh I had to figure out if I had time to procrastinate. See if your arm was falling asleep then I could have laid there, in a rather comfortable position, a bit longer. But since your arm was already asleep I figured I better move before I became chopped suey."
Van just raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Right…"
Dracula smiled a little and stretched while trying to avoid the lines of light that streamed through the gaps in the window shade.
"We should probably leave as soon as we can." Murmured Dracula as he wrapped his arms around Van. "And tomorrow night will best be spent outside." Van nodded and leaned into the embrace. It had been so long since he had had peace.
The last time was before…before Romania…before Paris, before London. Yes, right before London. A smile curved onto his lips at the memory of peace lasting for more than one day strutted across his mind. All I ever wanted was a quiet life… through Dracula wouldn't last five minutes with quiet. He suppressed a chuckle as the image of Dracula doing something outrageous, like dumping molasses on a priest's head during mass, flashed through his mind.
"I would never do something as childish as that." Pouted Dracula.
"Was it that prominent in my mind?" Dracula nodded and Gave Van a toothy grin.
"A good deal is of your thoughts are… I just don't comment on them." Van scowled, not quite liking the thought of Dracula knowing what he was thinking.
"Don't worry Gabriel, I only know the foremost thoughts of your mind, and that's only if you are pushing them out and I am paying attention and not off in my own little world… which is rare." Dracula said while petting Van's head. And as an afterthought he added, "And just so you know, you have a very expressive face… well in private you do."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"Take it as you will. I read most people like a book, it's amazing how much a simple facial expression can tell you."
"Ah, Elizabeth Bennet in the flesh." Dracula gave Van a quizzical look.
"I think not, how about Mr. Darcy?"
Van looked at Dracula with a slightly withering stare. "Anyway, as you where saying about heading out?"
"Ah, ah Gabriel, no changing the subject. Why don't you think I would make a good Mr. Darcy?"
"You don't have enough Pride and Prejudice."
"Oh ha, ha, very good Gabriel, you're a natural." His voice was all sarcasm.
"Are we leaving?"
"Yes, I guess we are."
The two where up, dressed, fed, packed, and on the road (by foot) in under two hours. It was pretty god timing as Dracula actually had to move ("But I'm tired!" "I don't care, move!"), Van got in an argument with the bar tender ("You gypped me!" "I did not you filthy sod." "Come now Gabriel, we best pay the man the money…") and both the vampire and the human had to ogle the scenery. All in all both where pretty happy.
"Bloody flies." Grumbled Van as he swatted away the annoying pests. They had been on the road for an hour and a half. The day was warm and windless. A few puffy clouds hung in the sky; all mist of the morning had burned off leaving it humid.
"Here come the
flies
bloody menace
here come the flies
ba bom ba bom
It's been a long hard steep hike
here come the flies
bloody menace…"
Dracula sang while twirling around in a circle.
"You are a very strange – fuck – man." He glared at the now dead horse fly.
"Nasty buggers aren't they?" Van just scowled and nodded. They walked on in silence, the heat making the walking with packs almost unbearable.
"Gabriel come here." Van looked up from his staring contest with the ground.
"What is it?" But he needn't have asked for he also saw the tracks in the dirt. Admits horse tracks and footprints where wolf tracks, large wolf tracks going the opposite direction of them.
"New." Murmured Van as he touched one lightly. "Must have missed him by about an hour, maybe two." Dracula nodded in agreement then cast his eyes towards the village. He could no longer see it; they had past out of its range half an hour ago. They walked on, both eyeing the ground in front of them. Eventually they came to a fork in the road. There was a sign in the middle of the two roads, it read, "No need to choose, all roads lead to Rome."
"Well that's useless." Van said as he walked over to one of the choices and looked around. Something on the ground caught his eye. It was an etching in the sand, what looked like a sideways cursive L, or a fish.
"Umm, lets take the other road." He said as he turned away with an uneasy look on his face. Dracula looked from the place where he was sitting. Quite a few flies had landed on his but he ignored them.
"Don't' they get annoying?" Van asked as he hoisted Dracula up.
"Yes… I used to have a servent, years ago, who followed me around when I examined a post battle field and swatted away the flies."
"How pleasant of a job… what was his name?"
"Renfield… later on I hired a man named Harker." Van looked up with an odd expression on his face but said nothing.
The day went on and eventually duck started to fall (thankfully the flies disappeared as it got cooler).
"We should look for a place to spend the evening." Van said as he stumbled over a rock.
"Nice trip, see you next fall… How about over there." Dracula pointed to a very small clearing. Around it where densely packed trees. The two had set up camp before total darkness hit. A small fire illuminated their faces.
"Tell me, what did people think of us… back then?" Van asked.
"They didn't know, or else I am sure you would have died as well."
A scowl formed on Van's lips as he considered the idea. "What was Renfield like?" he asked after a spell.
"…Creepy…"
"More so than dipping bread in your enemies blood?" Color rose on Dracula's cheeks as he glowered at Van.
"That was a one time thing I assure you, and yes he was creepier… seemed to think he could gain immortality by eating flies, birds and other small creatures." Van raised an eyebrow. "Yes I am aware of the irony of it."
"Ah… what about Harker?"
"Wouldn't shut up about his wife. Spent more time talking than doing his job." Van snorted as an image cropped up in his mind of Dracula threatening to impale the man if he wouldn't shut his trap.
"It's late, you should sleep." Dracula said as he watched Van cover a yawn. After a few complaints of not being tired the man was asleep with his head in the Vampire's lap. (And the Fangirls go awwwwww)
Rome
"Are you sure of this?" A voice asked out of the darkness. The brown haired man nodded. In doing so caused the light of the candles to illuminate a scar on his chest. His shirt was worn and clung loosely to his form.
"They are heading towards Rome, should be within… attacking distance in a few days."
"Good, good… Catch them before they realize that they are to close and swing north again. I want the man alive as for the filius de diabolus it doesn't matter, if he fights kill, if he surrenders keep him alive… that's it for now Michael… you may go."
"Of course your holiness, I will fulfill your wishes and the wishes of our Lord. May God bless my journey."
"Indeed." The sign of the cross was made and the man left.
"May God bless your journey indeed you fiend."
TBC
Ok that's it for now. Wow, it was one of my longer chapters. (snorts) Anyway please review and tell me what you think.