A/N Me again! Hello everyone! First off, let me apologize for my terrible spelling and typing in the last chapter! And secondly- I made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro! It was sooooooo amazing! And plus I got to do some scuba on Zanzibar Island – paradise. But now my feet are back on the ground and I'm facing exams and athletics and one very huge History assignment. But, I'll worry about that tomorrow. Here's just a short chappie to get me back into writing and hopefully get the creativity stone rolling. Enjoy!

Chapter 8 : Crisis

Carl awoke to find himself lying on something soft. His mind felt fuzzy and scrambled. What had happened to him? He put off opening his eyes, half-afraid of what he would find if he did open them. Slowly, he fought off the cloud that lingered in his mind, struggling to remember what had happened. 'I went in to check on Anna' he thought to himself ' and there was someone else there. It looked like a...a...' Carl battled to recall the dark figure that had pounced on him. 'It was a...a...vampire!'

Carl's eyes shot open, darting around to taking in his surroundings. He was lying on Anna's bed. All around him, the blankets and sheets were tangled in bunches, vacant of the sleeping Princess.

He quickly sat up. A figure was sitting silently in one of the large armchairs in front of the fire.

"Van Helsing?" Carl asked timidly.

Van Helsing turned to look at Carl, and then rose quickly, rushing over to his friend.

"Carl. How do you feel?" he asked, concerned.

"Well, a little hazy, few bruises here and there," said Carl cockily, oblivious of the deep, yearning look that had formed on Gabriel's face.

"Good." Said Van Helsing flatly. Carl caught on immediately this time.

"What's wrong Gabriel? You look like you missed an opportunity kill something. What happened?" Carl looked around, "Where's Anna?" he asked.

"Gone," said Gabriel. His eyes moved off Carl to stare imploringly at the window, silently urging it to fly open and return Anna to him.

"What? Where?"

"Dracula has her." Gabriel swallowed and pulled his eyes from the window. He got up and went back to the chair by the fire. Anna's things still lay waiting for her. Gabriel ran his fingers over her coat, taking in the softness of the material.

He had failed her. God only knew what Dracula planned to do to her. If he had only stayed awake, stayed by her side. Then that damned vampire would never have been able to capture her. It was his fault, and his duty to fix it.

Lifting his chin, Gabriel turned to look at Carl, who returned a sympathetic look of comfort and understanding.

"We're going after him." Gabriel announced. "Get all the fire-power you have Carl. We leave at daybreak. That way, the vampires will be asleep."

Carl held his head high and nodded. He crossed to the door to leave but paused, his hand on the doorframe to look back at Van Helsing.

"Don't worry my friend," he said warmly, "She is strong. We will get her back."

"I hope so Carl, I hope so."

Dracula watched Anna's chest rise and fall as she lay on the bed. Jacob had wanted to throw her in the dungeons, but Dracula had reasoned with him, saying that she would live longer if she had a comfortable place to recover after what Jacob had planned for her. So instead, they had put her sleeping form in one of the rooms. It was basic, with a large bed, chair and mirror, more than Anna would be needing, thought Dracula.

"Anna Valerious," Dracula muttered to himself, "You're every bit as beautiful now as you were a week ago at my ball." He ran a long-nailed-finger along her cheek, loving the tingling feeling her skin caused on his. His eyes roamed her features, taking in everything from her chocolate hair to her blood-red lips and the way they parted slightly as she murmured in her sleep. Oh how he wished to get lost in her.

Suddenly, a voice from behind brought Dracula back to reality.

"Begging your pardon, my lord, but what are you doing?"

It was Marie.

Dracula turned to look at her and answered smoothly, "Wondering what my enemy finds so alluring and how to destroy it."

Satisfied with his answer, Marie approached him, sliding her hands along his shoulders and down his arms until she was draped over him from behind. She followed his line of sight to Anna.

"I cannot wait to spill her blood," she whispered in his ear. She moved out from behind him and approached the sleeping princess. Anna still wore her pants and shirt, but nothing else. Marie stood over her, holding a long knife. She used it to poke Anna's shirt up.

Marie gasped, her eyes roaming the bloodstained bandage around Anna's middle.

"Why princess, you are full of surprises," she said cruelly. She held the knife to Anna's ribs and was about to slash across her middle when Dracula grabbed her wrist. His grip was firm.

She frowned up at him, her eyes questioning his actions.

"Come now Marie," Dracula eased, "At least wait for her to wake."

Marie caught his meaning and withdrew the knife, a manic grin crossing her face. She nodded and got up to go tell Jacob of Anna's injury.

Once he was sure she was gone, Dracula turned back to Anna. His hand once again found its way to her skin, softly caressing her neck.

Anna frowned in her sleep, murmuring something, and pulled away, sensing his touch. Dracula withdrew his hand, his eyes still watching her closely. Suddenly, he noticed small goose bumps on a patch of her arm where her shirt had been torn; probably by Marie. Dracula silently pulled the duvet from the foot up the bed up over her.

Anna's frown smoothed and she sighed, murmuring one name in her sleep,

"Gabriel..."

A slight smile lingered on her lips.

Dracula rose, furious and completely unaware of the figure watching him from outside the door.

A/N OOOH! What's happening with Dracula? Going soft is he? You'll have to wait and see! I hope you enjoyed – any ideas would be much appreciated. If you want it to happen, just tell me and I will write it ;)