Disclaimer: VH is not mine. Hey look, I cut it down to 4 words! But how boring…lol

A/N: Hope this keeps you occupied for a while, cuz I can't post as often right now. I've got nothing else to say and no PR's, so let's get this show on the road! Rollin' rollin' rollin…lol

Chapter 13

I awoke sometime later to muted voices and dim lights. Van Helsing, Carl, Sylvia, Lydia, and Fiona were all sitting in a corner talking. They had turned the lights down when the saw I had fallen asleep. I rubbed my eyes and finally woke up enough to realize where they were sitting. "Don't sit in that corner." I mumbled, pointing my good arm vaguely. They all turned to me.

"Andrea, you're awake!" Lydia said, smiling and getting up. They all followed and crowded around my bed. Fiona looked lost and rather scared, and moved so she stood farther away from Carl and Van Helsing, but everyone else seemed relatively calm.

"Don't sit in that corner." I said again, glancing warily at it, as if any moment Dracula was sure to spring out.

"Don't worry, Andrea. Dracula's gone for now." Van Helsing said, frowning darkly when he thought of the vampire.

I smiled weakly, and gestured at Fiona. "How much have you told her?"

"Mostly everything. She's still very much a non-believer though," Sylvia replied with a wry grin. I rolled my eyes.

"Trust me," I said, "I know more than anyone. This really is Van Helsing and Carl, I really did go to the past, and 'Vlad' really is Dracula." Fiona stared at me like she was seeing me for the first time and was very afraid of me. "Look, what will make you believe us and see the truth?" I asked, getting slightly exasperated. I really was in no condition or mood to worry about this.

Fiona looked around at us. "I...I don't know. This is all way too much for me. Well, if you really are telling the truth, then where's the ring?"

"Your 'dearest Vlad' took it and then dropped me 8 stories! How else do you think I got like this? What, you think I jumped or something! Do I look suicidal to you!" Fiona looked even more frightened than before and backed hurriedly away from the bed.

"Andrea, calm down! Anyone in her position would feel the way she does. Just relax, before you hurt yourself even more." Van Helsing said, both soothing and stern.

"I didn't hurt myself in the first place! It was her 'boyfriend's' fault!" I shouted pointing at Fiona, but I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. "Look," I said more calmly, "I'm tired. Why don't you all take Fiona back to the lab and our dorm and show her everything. Van Helsing and Carl's weapons and clothes, what you've discovered in the lab, everything. If that doesn't at least convince her a little bit nothing will." I yawned. "Now, if you don't mind, good-night!" I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the pillow. I could hear the soft rustles as they all slowly left the hospital room, one by one. I sighed, but I felt that someone was still in the room. Praying to God and whoever was listening that it wasn't Dracula, I reluctantly opened my eyes.

Van Helsing stood near the door, looking back at me with worry in his eyes. I smiled tiredly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just go and I'll see you all later, okay?" I smiled again reassuringly and closed my eyes, not waiting for an answer. After a few moments I heard the door open and close, then I slowly sank into darkness.

I awoke from my fitful sleep with a start some hours later. My dreams had been filled with frightening images of Dracula all around me, leering and smiling evilly, and I had the lingering sensation of being trapped, of never getting free. And I could still see an image of Van Helsing, but he was being pulled farther and farther away. Or maybe I was the one being pulled away. No matter what I did, I could never reach him. I was forced to turn back to Dracula and the darkness surrounding him. He enveloped me in shadows, and then I woke up.

Hoping against hope that it was just stress that had caused my dream, and not Dracula actually in my head, again, I closed my eyes once more and forced myself to breathe normally. Eventually my heart stopped racing, but the haunting visions of my dream remained.

For a few moments I just lay there, enjoying the quiet, but my mind couldn't idle for long. Rather against my permission it wandered around, making sure to stop for a good five to ten minutes on every problem in my life right now. Like how Dracula was in the future trying to kill me. Hell, who am I kidding, he'd almost succeeded. That made me think of all my injuries. God, my body's quite a mess. And Fiona was now as lost as a person could get and still be cognizant. Well, hopefully Van Helsing and the others would get that all cleared up soon. Van Helsing. I had such confused feelings about him. I liked him, sure. A lot. Did he like me back? I thought so. But, could we make it work? I grimaced. Doubt it. And I thought about how my job at the lab and my normal life just went Pfft, down the toilet. That happened a long time ago. I sighed. Sometimes, life sucked.

"Such pessimistic thoughts, so many problems. You shouldn't burden yourself so much. I could help you with some of those problems of yours, you know." Dracula's cold, accented voice pierced the blissful quiet of my hospital room. He sounded quite close, but when my eyes flared open, I couldn't see him. Then I looked up. He was standing on the wall at the head of my bed, hanging sideways over me.

"Thanks for the offer," I said sarcastically, "but you're the cause of most of my problems already. And how many times have I told you to get out of my head! Don't you have anywhere better to be? Always popping in here whenever you're bored or something. You know what? Go to Hell," I growled, forgetting who I was talking to and glaring up at him. He was really wearing on my nerves a bit.

Dracula just smirked. "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt." He began walking around the walls of my room as he talked. "Besides, why would I want to go home, when I'm having so much fun here?" By now he was directly opposite me on the far wall. Before I could say something in response he launched himself off the wall in my direction, stopping just short of the other wall and hovering about a foot above me. His sudden movement took me completely by surprise; no matter what he always seemed to catch me off-guard. This was upsetting.

Summing up my courage (His sudden closeness was slightly unnerving) I spat back, "Oh, so trying to kill me is fun! Wow, maybe we should have fun more often!" Dracula didn't respond, just watched me, a small smile playing on his lips.

Ignoring my last comment he said, almost to himself, "You are so amusing, Andrea. I think this is fun." I couldn't help but look up at him, a bit puzzled at first. But why was I afraid? He was...after all...so...handsome. And his eyes...so...nice to look at. I could look into...his eyes...all day... I caught myself just in time and shook my head out of his trance. He frowned just slightly and disappeared, only to be suddenly on the ceiling. I turned away from him, too tired to deal with him anymore.

"Go away." I mumbled. "I get enough of you in my dreams."

"What's that?" Dracula asked, and I could hear his smile in his voice. "Did you dream about me?"

"No." I answered sullenly, clearly betraying that I had.

"Ah, my dear Andrea, I'm flattered." He flipped over and landed softly in front of me. I made to roll over quickly to avoid him, but froze gasping slightly at the pain in my ribs. Closing my eyes wearily, I just gave in and stayed where I was, facing him. I kept my eyes closed, though I could still sense him standing there beside me.

"Didn't I tell you to go away? You are so aggravating! It's your fault I'm stuck here in this hospital; why do you have to make it worse by never leaving me alone? Besides, the only reason you're here in the future at all is to make sure I'm dead, right? So, either get it over with, or leave me alone."

"Not necessarily." Dracula said.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You don't have to be dead, just out of the way. Death is only one option." He leaned closer to me and whispered, "I'd rather not see you dead if I can help it. I can think of something that would still accomplish my task, but it would be so much better, so much more fun than death." I opened my eyes and glared at him, fully comprehending what he was hinting at.

"I think I'd have to disagree. Now, just leave me alone already. Aren't you through mocking me yet?"

Dracula straightened and frowned slightly. "Mock you? I do nothing of the kind. I quite enjoy our conversations, Andrea. But, if you want me to leave so much..." His voice drifted off as he stared down at me.

I looked back up at him, and against my will the attraction I felt towards him overcame my fear and repulsion. "Vladislaus..." I whispered. His eyes slowly changed, darkened and burned with an intensity I had never seen in them before. My gaze was arrested by his, and before I could think, Dracula moved in one swift motion down upon my mouth, kissing me with bruising intensity. My eyes widened but I reciprocated with as much force, despite my aching ribs. He buried his hands in my curls, then one moved one to my neck, searching for my now racing pulse, and as I closed my eyes I could feel his fangs against my lips. I brought my good, unbroken arm up around his back and across his shoulders. While still kissing me, Dracula gently bit a corner of my lip, and I could taste the blood in my mouth. His tongue snaked out and caught a drop of it before it ran down my chin. Whether he bit my lip on purpose or not I don't know, but when he realized what he'd done, he suddenly broke our kiss and moved quickly away from me.

I lay there, breathing heavily, watching him. He turned around, trying to regain his composure. After a moment he turned back around to face me, his outward appearance as calm and emotionless as ever. "But you wanted me to leave. So, I shall. You'll see me again soon, Andrea. You can be sure of that." He vanished into the darkened corner once again, and I was left alone. I felt tears start to stream down my face and closed my eyes, but all I could see was Dracula and his enveloping darkness.

How could I do that, I thought, What's wrong with me? I love Gabriel, not that monster. But I knew that at that moment I had wanted to kiss him, wanted him to kiss me, of my own free will. I tried to think of Van Helsing, tried to call his face to mind to blot out the frightening darkness around me, but I couldn't. The more I tried, the more I felt him slipping farther and farther away, just like in my dream. The pain and confusion I now held inside was too much. I cried quietly, my shuddering sobs jarring my ribs making me cry more, feeling completely lost, and I slowly drifted back to sleep.

Oh, what have I done? What has Andrea done? Can you believe it? Were you surprised? Will I ever stop asking questions? lol I know, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I wrote this. I didn't have a plan, but it just seemed right at the time. This is probably one of my fav chaps to date, and I hope you liked it too! Review and tell me what you think! Later much and much love! Lol

Gem