Disclaimer: I don't own D2000, I just like playing with the characters
Note: This chapter was especially hard for me, because I don't know much about religion and whatnot, so I got help from internet websites, and from the movie itself. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm not sure when I will be updating, it may be awhile.

There in the cold vault, rested the antique silver coffin, untouched. "Mary, it's exactly the way we left it." , reported Simon. Mary walked over to the coffin, hands trembling. Hesitantly, she turned the frigid cross on the top. The lid burst open with a hiss, mist billowing out. Mary waved the mist away and peered down into the coffin. His ashes were supposed to be scattered about the coffin, but (not to Mary's surprise), they were not.

"I knew it. I don't know how, but he's been let loose." , said Mary.

Simon, staring down at the empty coffin, replied, "Then maybe your visions are real. And judging by your dream, your father is a part of it all, somehow. That's not to mention the woman with Dracula who looks like you."

Mary suddenly remembered something, "She called him Drake. The woman, Lauren, called him Drake."

"Great, another enigma we have to figure out." , Simon responded, sarcastically. Simon took Mary's hand in his, looked at her sympathetically, and said, "You know, Mary, maybe we should just leave this alone. Dracula's not after you. He's not our problem now."

Mary, both appalled and infuriated, jerked her hand away angrily. "My father kept us safe from this evil for over a century. I will not let all of his work be in vain all because 'he's not my problem now'. As long as I have visions and dreams about him, then he is my problem. It is my destiny to protect the world from Dracula." , snapped Mary, storming out of the vault. Simon was left standing beside the coffin, mouth agape.

Curtains drawn, Lauren lay in her bed, face down in her lime green cotton sheets. "Are you going to be all right?" , asked a concerned Shelby Mannington.

"No." , mumbled Lauren, voice muffled by a pillow. Lauren sat up, rubbing her eyes. They were puffy and red from crying. "It was a mistake, telling him I was falling in love with him. I knew the minute I said it. He got scared off and he's probably not coming back." , said Lauren, eyes filling up with tears. Shelby walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gave Lauren a hug.

"Look, I don't know what the deal was last night, but I know Drake is interested in you. Whenever I would mention your name to him before you met, he acted all curious. At the party, when you guys were dancing, I was even a little jealous of how well you two clicked. And besides, if he was freaked out or something, he wouldn't have said he felt the same way about you." , Shelby replied, flashing Lauren an encouraging smile.

Lauren returned the smile, dabbing her eyes with a tissue, "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just that I found this wonderful, handsome guy who treats me like I am the most important thing in the world, and I don't want to lose him."

"I know. Just don't worry about it. He found you once, he'll find you again. I'll bet he has a good explanation for his quick departure. Now, you had better get ready. You have class in like, ten minutes!" said Shelby, exiting Lauren's room.

After leaving Simon in the crypt with Dracula's coffin, Mary had went back to her apartment. The lake from her vision kept popping into her head. Even though it was dark when she saw it, the lake still came off as being quite familiar to her. A photo album lay on the coffee table, Mary's attention was suddenly drawn to. She picked it up. The first picture was one of her and her mother at their house in Canada. Oh, Mother, you tried to protect me from the evil when you found out, but you had no idea what was in store for me, thought Mary. Mary turned the page. Lucy Westerman's grinning face beamed up at her. Mary felt a pang of sadness...her and Lucy were best friends. But Dracula had to take that away.

On the next page were a variety of photos taken of Mary and Lucy on a trip to a lake. Mary smiled, looking at the pictures. She remembered how much fun they had on that trip. They had rented a canoe, and Lucy thought she saw a snake in the water, making her fall out of the boat. The lake! Mary had just realized that it looked like the exact same lake from her vision! "Now I know where I've seen that lake before." , said Mary aloud, trying to think of her next move. She took one of the pictures out of the album and flipped it over. It said: Lake Kiwana, Terry, Georgia, October, 1999

Mary shoved the picture in her purse that was sitting beside the couch. Then she ran to her room to begin packing.

Lauren had just gotten out of class when she started walking down the dark alleyway that led to her dorm. She felt better about everything that had happened with Drake after talking with Shelby. I hate this alley, it's so creepy, Lauren thought. Suddenly, she was pushed up against the brick wall of the alleyway. It was clearly a man, the arms being too powerful to be a woman. Lauren started to scream, opening her mouth, but before she could, his mouth was on hers, kissing her. His tongue slipped into her mouth, lustfully devouring her kiss. The odor of sweet spice wafted through the air. Lauren immediately knew it was Drake.

He stepped back, the streetlamp illuminating his face. "Lauren, come with me. We have much to discuss." , Drake said, holding out his hand.

"Let me go put my stuff in my dorm, then we can talk," Lauren said, sensing what he had to say was important. They walked, hand in hand, back to her dorm. Lauren had put her books and folders in her room, when she came out, Drake was standing in front of the vintage mirror hanging above her couch. He had no reflection.

Lauren's eyes became wide, her mouth open in horror, as she raised her hand to cover it. Drake turned around and looked at the mirror, noticing Lauren had saw (or rather didn't see) his absent reflection. Lauren was slowly backing towards the wall, not being able to believe what she had witnessed. Drake advanced towards her, "Lauren, I hope you will understand what I am about to tell you. Please don't judge me. We need to go somewhere more private, perhaps by the lake." , his eyes full of sadness. Even though Lauren's common sense was telling her to run away, she wanted to know what was going on.

"Peanuts?" , asked the burly red-haired stewardess.

"What? Oh, uh no, no thanks." , replied Mary, dazed. Her mind was set on finding Lauren and warning her, and also discovering what connection Mary had to Lauren.

"Folks, we are about to arrive in New Orleans, Louisiana, the home of Mardi Gras. Please fasten your seatbelts, and we thank you for using British Airways. Have a safe, and wonderful time." , said the voice on the PA system.

It's not far to Terry from here, about 5 hours, thought Mary. As soon as the plane landed, Mary hurriedly got up, and left the plane. She didn't even notice that Simon was following her the entire time, just as he did with Abraham Van Helsing five years ago.

When they reached the lake, Lauren and Drake sat down on some large stones on the shore. "You're wondering what's happening, if you've lost your mind. I assure you, you have not. Just remember as I am talking, I am not the evil person the world believes me to be." , said Drake, softly.

Lauren nodded her head in agreement. Drake began, "I was led to this damnation thousands of years ago. My brother, I loved Him so. Yet, He needed me. If not for I, He would not have died for the sins of men to come. I died for Him, He who was always so forgiving. I was made into what I am today because of Him."

Lauren wasn't understanding any of it, "Drake, I don't know what you're saying, you're talking crazy."

Drake looked into Lauren's eyes and said "Let me show you", he placed his hands on Lauren's head. Lauren cried out, as she was seeing The Last Supper, and Jesus Christ himself. But there was Drake also, bending down to kiss Jesus. Suddenly, there was the cross, Jesus nailed to it, Drake at the base, crying. Lauren saw Drake walking up the hill to a tree with a rope. Drake hanged himself. The vision seemed so real to Lauren now, she wanted to help Drake.

A woman in a red dress was slowing climbing the hill. Lauren was surprised to see that the woman resembled Lauren, herself. Then, Drake's eyes flashed open, the rope broke. He grabbed hold of the woman's arm, saying "Mary, Mary."

The woman was screaming "Get away from me!" and thrashing around wildly.

He kept saying, "My Mary."

Drake's hands let go of Lauren's head. Lauren opened her eyes, whispering, "You're Judas Iscariot."

Drake said, taking Lauren's hand, "Now I am known as Dracula. Lauren, I love you. We could be together forever. I have never felt this way before, not even about Mary."

"Could have fooled me. Get away from her.", entered Mary Van Helsing, holding a large sword.