Hello again everybody! Thank you soooo much for all the reviews – it was
really great to get that kind of encouragement. Anyway, on with the next
chapter...
Chapter 2: Discovery
Gabriel stooped to catch Anna. Once he had her safe in his arms, he sat back on the chair, pulling her limp body onto his lap. He glanced at Carl who stood, rooted to the spot with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. Carl said nothing, skirting Van Helsing's chair with caution and settling in front of the fire to watch him intently.
Van Helsing ignored Carl, silently reflecting on what had happened. It had felt so real. Like Dracula was really standing there behind him, taunting him like he had done before. He hadn't even thought for a second that he was dreaming. And Anna had gotten hurt because of it. Sharp pangs of regret began to churn in Van Helsing's gut as he silently began to stroke his finger along Anna's cheek.
After a long silence, Carl spoke first.
"What happened?" he asked, avoiding Van Helsing's gaze in fear of the same thing that happened to Anna happening to him.
"Dracula."
"What?!" Carl reacted like a cat that had been hit with a bucket of icy water. "Van Helsing," he chuckled nervously, "I think you had too much brandy tonight – we killed Dracula, not two days ago."
Van Helsing looked up at his friend. "I know, but he was there, in my dream. He told me Anna was dead – how do you think I would have reacted to that?"
"Hmm, good point," muttered Carl , "Remind me to move to another room." He smiled, but Van Helsing didn't smile back. Instead, he looked dejectedly back down at Anna. He put a hand on her forehead.
"She's so cold. Just like on that night." Gabriel's eyes focused straight ahead, on nothing in particular.
Another uncomfortable silence followed, broken again by Carl.
"Come on Gabriel, we can't let one bad dream shatter everything, we'll discuss it later." Carl rose from his seat, "For now, lets get the princess back to bed before she catches her death in that thin thing."
Van Helsing nodded and got up. He carefully wrapped Anna up in his coat and started the walk back to her room.
The first thing Van Helsing became aware of when he stepped into the room was the cold. The fire had died down considerably, but he had expected the room to remain cosy for at least a few hours. He stepped cautiously into the dark room, sensing that something wasn't quite right.
Suddenly, a loud bang sounded from the other side of the room. Van Helsing jumped, almost dropping Anna, but catching her quickly. Van Helsing looked around the room suspiciously. His eye fell on something moving at the opposite wall. It was dark in the room, making it difficult for him to see so he quickly laid Anna down on her bed not bothering to cover her; what use would that be if she got killed by the thing that had caused the noise because he was too busy fussing with bedclothes?
Van Helsing moved cautiously towards the opposite wall. Waves of relief washed over him when he realised the movement had only been a curtain, blowing in the wind. He chuckled at his own nerves and casually walked towards it. Suddenly, the bang sounded again. Van Helsing pinpointed it this time. It was coming from behind the curtain.
He stepped forward boldly, ripping the curtain back. "Damn it!" Icy air gusted into his face. Van Helsing realised that the banging had been the wind blowing the open window against the wall.
"Who opened this?" Gabriel looked out at the sky. It was still dark, but it had begun snowing heavily. His eyes scanned the sky, lingering on the moon as he remembered his time as a werewolf. Such pain had ripped through him that night; it had made him want to tear himself apart just to make it stop. But he hadn't had to – Anna had saved him. An image of her pale face as she lay motionless in front of him flashed in his mind. Guilt began to rush through him and he quickly waved the image away.
Van Helsing was about to close the window, when an odd shape in the sky caught his eye. It looked just like the giant, pale creatures Dracula's brides had appeared as. He did a double take, squinting, but he could no longer see it. 'I must have been dreaming' he thought, ' but I could have sworn...' Van Helsing shook his head, silently reprimanding himself for even considering that Dracula may have returned.
A small moan from Anna's bed pulled his attention away from the window. He turned to look at her. It was clear she was waking up from the way she had begun moving. With one final glance at the sky, Van Helsing pulled the window shut and drew the curtains, before hurrying to his love's side.
Slowly the fog began to clear in Anna's mind, as she became aware of her surroundings. She was back in her room, she knew it from the softness beneath her, but she was cold. Anna quickly realised that there was nothing covering her and the cold was beginning to sting her skin. She moved, trying to find warmth, but the sharp pain returned to her torso and she winced as she waited for it to fade. Suddenly, she felt someone sit on her bed. She knew exactly who it was. "Gabriel?" she murmured softly, not opening her eyes.
A tender hand touched her arm. "Anna? How are you feeling?" he asked, concerned. Anna's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Gabriel. Concerned eyes locked with hers and they just stared lovingly at each other for a few moments. It was Van Helsing who looked away first.
"Anna, I'm so sorry – I didn't mean to hurt you. I was dreaming. I-I didn't know what I was doing. I would never intentionally harm you. I-"
"Shh!" Anna put a finger to his lips. "It's okay, I'm fine."
He grasped her hand in his "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Her eyes met his once again, radiating love and warmth. She moved her hand to his neck, slowing pulling him down to her. He paused, his lips only an inch from hers, to look into her eyes once more. What he saw there incited him to continue, knowing she wanted it to.
Her soft lips brushed against his, gently at first and a shot sped through his entire body. Slowly, the kiss deepened. Van Helsing began lowering his body down to her, desiring to be nearer to her, to touch and feel her soft skin. Suddenly, Anna winced, clutching her ribs and Van Helsing realised what he was doing. He quickly moved off her looking down and remembering the bandage he had so carefully fixed around her.
"Oh God – Anna I'm so sorry! I just got so-that I didn't remember your-"
"Shh." Again she put her finger to his lips. "You give me more pleasure than you take." Her rich accent rolled off her lips, enthralling Gabriel and pulling him to her. She smiled and bit her lip. For the first time in a while, Van Helsing smiled back and leaned down to kiss her again. It was deeper this time, more passionate and demanding, but still full of intense, heartfelt adoration. Anna's hands ran through Van Helsing's hair, pulling him still closer to her as his own hands explored her soft skin, sending delightful shivers shooting through her. Slowly, they parted and he sat back, not taking his eyes off her. "Well, that clear up any doubts I had about where our relationship would go from here," he smiled warmly and she grinned mischievously back at him.
Gabriel was amazed. He had never seen Anna like this. She had always been so formal, except for their final night at Castle Dracula of course. He soon realised that he liked it. Now he was seeing a side of her that he had never known before. He gazed lovingly at her, realising for the first time just how she felt about him. Her loving gaze made it obvious. His eyes moved from hers, down to her lips and then to thin material covering her body.
"God! Anna – you must be freezing!" He hurriedly pulled the blanket up around her. "Thank you." She looked into his eyes once more and his face began to drift towards hers.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by loud thuds just outside the door. They got such a fright that Van Helsing slipped completely off the bed, onto the floor.
"Bugger!" Carl's voice cursed. Both Anna and Van Helsing breathed out sighs of relief to hear it was only him. Van Helsing looked up at Anna, who rolled her eyes and giggled softly.
"Van Helsing?" Carl sounded annoyed, "A little help here!"
Van Helsing sighed in frustration and got up. He turned around and gave Anna a quick kiss on the forehead before going to help his friend.
Moments later, he came back carrying an armful of logs with Carl not far behind him carrying a basin which he set down on Anna's dressing table. Anna gritted her teeth against the pain and sat up to watch Gabriel. He set the logs down at the fireplace and threw a few in, stoking the fire up to a good blaze.
Carl walked up to Anna. "How are you feeling? Better I hope?" He wondered if he should mention what had happened earlier, and decided not to. "Much, thank you. What happened outside?" Anna asked. "Those damned logs they're so heavy and Van Helsing-" "I'm afraid it's my fault he didn't help you Carl, I had his hands full," Anna laughed silently to herself over the though of just how full she wanted to make his hands, thankful that the friar had not caught on.
"Yes, well, one-track mind, this one," Carl pointed at Van Helsing with a wink. They continued to speak idly for a few minutes until he got up and went to the door. "Good Night Princess – Van Helsing. I do not believe the Lord intends me to be awake at this hour, so I'm off to bed." With that said, he swept out of the room.
Van Helsing got up and walked back to Anna and went to get the basin.
"What's that?" Anna asked inquisitively.
"Just some warm water, to clean that cut, I see it's been bleeding again." Van Helsing indicated the cut on her forehead. He sat down on the bed beside her and began to clean it.
"Tell me, Gabriel. What happened – how did I get here? What became of Dracula?"
"I killed him, you managed to save me, I almost killed you... but we were thankfully able to save you," he explained.
"What happened to me?"
Gabriel cringed at the question for he knew he had to be honest. "I broke three of your ribs, one came right out through your skin. When we got back here, Carl helped sort everything out and stitch the wound. You should be okay, but it will take time to heal." Anna nodded silently.
Soon, Gabriel finished and went to put the basin down. He turned to the door.
"Gabriel?"
"Yes?"
"Don't go, please stay with me."
Gabriel didn't argue, he had been secretly hoping she would ask. He went and lay on the bed next to Anna and she curled up in his arms with her head on his chest. They lay in silence for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of being together.
"Thank you Gabriel... for what you did for me...I love you" Anna said softly.
"I love you too Anna, sleep tight," Gabriel whispered back. He looked down at her soft chocolate curls and porcelain skin, knowing that she was his, his princess.
A/N So? Am I going to get flamed to death? I don't mind if I am, criticism as always welcome – along with any ideas or suggestions.
The next chapter might take a little longer because my granddad is in ICU and they're saying he might die soon so I have to spend time at the hospital. That, and I have exams this week.
Aside from that – watch out for the next chapter – coming soon!
Chapter 2: Discovery
Gabriel stooped to catch Anna. Once he had her safe in his arms, he sat back on the chair, pulling her limp body onto his lap. He glanced at Carl who stood, rooted to the spot with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. Carl said nothing, skirting Van Helsing's chair with caution and settling in front of the fire to watch him intently.
Van Helsing ignored Carl, silently reflecting on what had happened. It had felt so real. Like Dracula was really standing there behind him, taunting him like he had done before. He hadn't even thought for a second that he was dreaming. And Anna had gotten hurt because of it. Sharp pangs of regret began to churn in Van Helsing's gut as he silently began to stroke his finger along Anna's cheek.
After a long silence, Carl spoke first.
"What happened?" he asked, avoiding Van Helsing's gaze in fear of the same thing that happened to Anna happening to him.
"Dracula."
"What?!" Carl reacted like a cat that had been hit with a bucket of icy water. "Van Helsing," he chuckled nervously, "I think you had too much brandy tonight – we killed Dracula, not two days ago."
Van Helsing looked up at his friend. "I know, but he was there, in my dream. He told me Anna was dead – how do you think I would have reacted to that?"
"Hmm, good point," muttered Carl , "Remind me to move to another room." He smiled, but Van Helsing didn't smile back. Instead, he looked dejectedly back down at Anna. He put a hand on her forehead.
"She's so cold. Just like on that night." Gabriel's eyes focused straight ahead, on nothing in particular.
Another uncomfortable silence followed, broken again by Carl.
"Come on Gabriel, we can't let one bad dream shatter everything, we'll discuss it later." Carl rose from his seat, "For now, lets get the princess back to bed before she catches her death in that thin thing."
Van Helsing nodded and got up. He carefully wrapped Anna up in his coat and started the walk back to her room.
The first thing Van Helsing became aware of when he stepped into the room was the cold. The fire had died down considerably, but he had expected the room to remain cosy for at least a few hours. He stepped cautiously into the dark room, sensing that something wasn't quite right.
Suddenly, a loud bang sounded from the other side of the room. Van Helsing jumped, almost dropping Anna, but catching her quickly. Van Helsing looked around the room suspiciously. His eye fell on something moving at the opposite wall. It was dark in the room, making it difficult for him to see so he quickly laid Anna down on her bed not bothering to cover her; what use would that be if she got killed by the thing that had caused the noise because he was too busy fussing with bedclothes?
Van Helsing moved cautiously towards the opposite wall. Waves of relief washed over him when he realised the movement had only been a curtain, blowing in the wind. He chuckled at his own nerves and casually walked towards it. Suddenly, the bang sounded again. Van Helsing pinpointed it this time. It was coming from behind the curtain.
He stepped forward boldly, ripping the curtain back. "Damn it!" Icy air gusted into his face. Van Helsing realised that the banging had been the wind blowing the open window against the wall.
"Who opened this?" Gabriel looked out at the sky. It was still dark, but it had begun snowing heavily. His eyes scanned the sky, lingering on the moon as he remembered his time as a werewolf. Such pain had ripped through him that night; it had made him want to tear himself apart just to make it stop. But he hadn't had to – Anna had saved him. An image of her pale face as she lay motionless in front of him flashed in his mind. Guilt began to rush through him and he quickly waved the image away.
Van Helsing was about to close the window, when an odd shape in the sky caught his eye. It looked just like the giant, pale creatures Dracula's brides had appeared as. He did a double take, squinting, but he could no longer see it. 'I must have been dreaming' he thought, ' but I could have sworn...' Van Helsing shook his head, silently reprimanding himself for even considering that Dracula may have returned.
A small moan from Anna's bed pulled his attention away from the window. He turned to look at her. It was clear she was waking up from the way she had begun moving. With one final glance at the sky, Van Helsing pulled the window shut and drew the curtains, before hurrying to his love's side.
Slowly the fog began to clear in Anna's mind, as she became aware of her surroundings. She was back in her room, she knew it from the softness beneath her, but she was cold. Anna quickly realised that there was nothing covering her and the cold was beginning to sting her skin. She moved, trying to find warmth, but the sharp pain returned to her torso and she winced as she waited for it to fade. Suddenly, she felt someone sit on her bed. She knew exactly who it was. "Gabriel?" she murmured softly, not opening her eyes.
A tender hand touched her arm. "Anna? How are you feeling?" he asked, concerned. Anna's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Gabriel. Concerned eyes locked with hers and they just stared lovingly at each other for a few moments. It was Van Helsing who looked away first.
"Anna, I'm so sorry – I didn't mean to hurt you. I was dreaming. I-I didn't know what I was doing. I would never intentionally harm you. I-"
"Shh!" Anna put a finger to his lips. "It's okay, I'm fine."
He grasped her hand in his "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Her eyes met his once again, radiating love and warmth. She moved her hand to his neck, slowing pulling him down to her. He paused, his lips only an inch from hers, to look into her eyes once more. What he saw there incited him to continue, knowing she wanted it to.
Her soft lips brushed against his, gently at first and a shot sped through his entire body. Slowly, the kiss deepened. Van Helsing began lowering his body down to her, desiring to be nearer to her, to touch and feel her soft skin. Suddenly, Anna winced, clutching her ribs and Van Helsing realised what he was doing. He quickly moved off her looking down and remembering the bandage he had so carefully fixed around her.
"Oh God – Anna I'm so sorry! I just got so-that I didn't remember your-"
"Shh." Again she put her finger to his lips. "You give me more pleasure than you take." Her rich accent rolled off her lips, enthralling Gabriel and pulling him to her. She smiled and bit her lip. For the first time in a while, Van Helsing smiled back and leaned down to kiss her again. It was deeper this time, more passionate and demanding, but still full of intense, heartfelt adoration. Anna's hands ran through Van Helsing's hair, pulling him still closer to her as his own hands explored her soft skin, sending delightful shivers shooting through her. Slowly, they parted and he sat back, not taking his eyes off her. "Well, that clear up any doubts I had about where our relationship would go from here," he smiled warmly and she grinned mischievously back at him.
Gabriel was amazed. He had never seen Anna like this. She had always been so formal, except for their final night at Castle Dracula of course. He soon realised that he liked it. Now he was seeing a side of her that he had never known before. He gazed lovingly at her, realising for the first time just how she felt about him. Her loving gaze made it obvious. His eyes moved from hers, down to her lips and then to thin material covering her body.
"God! Anna – you must be freezing!" He hurriedly pulled the blanket up around her. "Thank you." She looked into his eyes once more and his face began to drift towards hers.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by loud thuds just outside the door. They got such a fright that Van Helsing slipped completely off the bed, onto the floor.
"Bugger!" Carl's voice cursed. Both Anna and Van Helsing breathed out sighs of relief to hear it was only him. Van Helsing looked up at Anna, who rolled her eyes and giggled softly.
"Van Helsing?" Carl sounded annoyed, "A little help here!"
Van Helsing sighed in frustration and got up. He turned around and gave Anna a quick kiss on the forehead before going to help his friend.
Moments later, he came back carrying an armful of logs with Carl not far behind him carrying a basin which he set down on Anna's dressing table. Anna gritted her teeth against the pain and sat up to watch Gabriel. He set the logs down at the fireplace and threw a few in, stoking the fire up to a good blaze.
Carl walked up to Anna. "How are you feeling? Better I hope?" He wondered if he should mention what had happened earlier, and decided not to. "Much, thank you. What happened outside?" Anna asked. "Those damned logs they're so heavy and Van Helsing-" "I'm afraid it's my fault he didn't help you Carl, I had his hands full," Anna laughed silently to herself over the though of just how full she wanted to make his hands, thankful that the friar had not caught on.
"Yes, well, one-track mind, this one," Carl pointed at Van Helsing with a wink. They continued to speak idly for a few minutes until he got up and went to the door. "Good Night Princess – Van Helsing. I do not believe the Lord intends me to be awake at this hour, so I'm off to bed." With that said, he swept out of the room.
Van Helsing got up and walked back to Anna and went to get the basin.
"What's that?" Anna asked inquisitively.
"Just some warm water, to clean that cut, I see it's been bleeding again." Van Helsing indicated the cut on her forehead. He sat down on the bed beside her and began to clean it.
"Tell me, Gabriel. What happened – how did I get here? What became of Dracula?"
"I killed him, you managed to save me, I almost killed you... but we were thankfully able to save you," he explained.
"What happened to me?"
Gabriel cringed at the question for he knew he had to be honest. "I broke three of your ribs, one came right out through your skin. When we got back here, Carl helped sort everything out and stitch the wound. You should be okay, but it will take time to heal." Anna nodded silently.
Soon, Gabriel finished and went to put the basin down. He turned to the door.
"Gabriel?"
"Yes?"
"Don't go, please stay with me."
Gabriel didn't argue, he had been secretly hoping she would ask. He went and lay on the bed next to Anna and she curled up in his arms with her head on his chest. They lay in silence for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of being together.
"Thank you Gabriel... for what you did for me...I love you" Anna said softly.
"I love you too Anna, sleep tight," Gabriel whispered back. He looked down at her soft chocolate curls and porcelain skin, knowing that she was his, his princess.
A/N So? Am I going to get flamed to death? I don't mind if I am, criticism as always welcome – along with any ideas or suggestions.
The next chapter might take a little longer because my granddad is in ICU and they're saying he might die soon so I have to spend time at the hospital. That, and I have exams this week.
Aside from that – watch out for the next chapter – coming soon!