A/N: Hereis is so you CAN'T complain about the suspence (Sticks toung out at readers)Just kidding!
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They all stared in shock... the girl on the floor had turned over and was moaning in a way that suggested she was in pain and very badly hurt.
"Jenica? Why are you back so soon?" cried the bishop, but Jenica didn't answer.
"Poor child" muttered Verona, her motherly instincts and reflexes cutting in, for, after all, the girl was only a child.
Verona walked quickly to the girl, took her hand and started to talk to her; calming her.
"Where's Giordano?" asked the bishop, then he turned to a servant. "Get the Pope, this could be important"
"Giordano, still...on...mission, have...to tell...you...something" groaned Jenica, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
The pope arrived in time to hear the last part.
"What Jenica, what?" the pope asked urgently, worry all over his face at the sight of the wounded, bloodied and hurting Jenica.
"Skull...got...new...ally, very...powerful" said Jenica, it sounded as though every word was causing her pain.
"Who?" asked the bishop, trying to keep her conscious long enough to tell them. "In the name of god girl, who?"
"V-Viktor Vesorion, he is going to try and throw down the Vatican from within" whispered Jenica, then she passed out.
"So" said Marishka, letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "That explains his showing up at the ball!"
"Yeah" said Misha. "One problem solved!"
"But that means the Skull wants us dead" said Misha, more to herself than the people around her.
"Is she going to be all right?" asked Van Helsing, bringing them back to the seriousness of the situation.
"I don't know" said the pope as two men came with a stretcher to take her away. "She looks as if she was held captive or tortured, maybe she's blown her cover"
"She looks pretty bad" stated Verona from her place on the floor. "I can feel that she is very weak and her heart rate is low, it we don't get her heart rate up, we'll loose her"
"Right" said the bishop matter-o-factly. "Get the doctors in and do what you can, pray to the Lord that we don't loose her. Are you ladies trained healers? If you can help us, please do, please try and keep Jenica alive, she is of the most invaluable to our organization"
"Lets go" said Verona. "We will be able to sense what is wrong and what is the most dangerous of her injuries, but we must hurry or it will be to late, I can feel her slipping"
They hurried out and left Van Helsing and Carl alone in the dining hall.
"Well" said Carl. "Why don't we do something, they're obviously gonna be busy for a while?"
"Yeah" said Van Helsing. "Do you know if there is a place to go and have fun around here"
"Certainly there is" said Carl. "I'll take you there later, shall we go and see if I can find some information out about The Skull for you?"
"Yeah, okay" said Van Helsing.
Three hours later the were ensconced in the library reading vastly more promising books and some fun stuff on Viktor Vesorion, apparently he was quite the little rule breaker.
"Really!" cried Van Helsing after reading a particularly long and incriminating story about Viktor. "It is a wonder that he hasn't got more wives than Roberto is 'supposed' to have. There are intrigues about him and famous women in France, Germany, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy and even America! I just can't believe that he is such sex obsessed creep!"
"I know" said Carl. "Shocking, isn't it?"
"I can't wait never to have to see another book again" said Van Helsing with an exaggerated sigh.
"Van Helsing, how come you hate books? They can be fun" said Carl, pretending to be offended.
Van Helsing snorted. "Yeah right! A little light reading maybe, but never one of those!" he gestured to the books all around them. "They're murder and the print is so small you have to use a magnifying glass!"
"You are a Professor, not a layman, you should love books!" stated Carl.
"In your dreams Carl!" cried Van Helsing. "Today I have seen enough books to last me a life time and they...are...as...BORING...as...ever!"
"Oh, I...Why you book hating bastard!" roared Carl then he turned to the book shelves. "Don't listen to the nasty man, Little Books, he doesn't mean it"
"Yes I do Carl!" exclaimed Van Helsing. "Anyway, are we going out tonight or not?"
"Yes" said Carl. "I though we could just go to a tavern or something, see what the girls are like and stuff"
"Naughty boy" said Van Helsing waving a finger. "Your a monk!"
"I'm a PRIEST, you...know...that...very...WELL!" said Carl innocently, giving Van Helsing the evils.
"Tut tut, no need to get angry" said Van Helsing in admonishing tones.
"You still treat me like a kid, you bloody bastard" muttered Carl.
"But you are" cried Van Helsing. "What are you? Twenty-six?"
"Twenty-eight!" said Carl menacingly. "And what are you, daddy or maybe Grandpa?"
"About four hundred and...something" said Van Helsing
"Oh" said Carl. "Definitely Grandpa" he added mockingly.
"Oh, I'm Grandpa now, you impudent little bastard" said Van Helsing.
Carl sighed and said: "I wonder how the girls are getting along, I hope Jenica' alright"
Verona sat patiently holding Jenica Marattina's hand and whispering soothing words to her, the girl was very badly hurt, but had still managed to get to them, and was still alive! She had a broken arm and several broken ribs, a deep gash along her abdomen, severe internal bleeding and was covered in cuts and bruises from head to toe. Verona had come to the logical conclusion that the girl was some sought of miracle worker when, with thrill of horror, she realized that the girl was no longer breathing!
"She's not breathing and I can't feel a pulse!" cried Verona
"Oh " said Aleera, getting ready to apply artificial resuscitation.
After what seemed like ages, but was, in reality only forty seconds, Verona began to feel a pulse, even with hers beating like a drum. Wait a minute, I don't have a heart beat! Well obviously I do.
"Oh, thank God" whispered the Bishop as Jenica's breathing came back and her heart rate came up. "I thought we were going to loose her"
"Me too" said Aleera, she had gone very pale.
"Right" said the pope. "Lets get her cleaned up and finish straightening those ribs, we still might loose her"
"Right-o" said Misha, using her strength and power to move the broken ribs back under the skin where they had penetrated, as soon as she had done this the girls breathing eased and became deeper
and stronger. They cleaned and bandaged the worst cuts and set her arm, the break wasn't bad fortunately, but it seemed that she had either been dropped or had fallen from a hight. The bruises seemed to compound that theory and it was highly likely, but they would have to wait till she awoke to have the truth and it seemed it would be a long time.
"I think she'll see out the night" said the healer. "Her wounds aren't that bad, it was mostly the internal bleeding"
"Good" said Verona. "I was very worried"
"Can we find Gabriel and Carl now?" asked Olivia and Corinthia.
"Sure" said Verona. "Aleera, Marishka, Misha, you can go too if you want"
"Nah, we'll stay here" said Aleera. "Why don't you go and sit down Verona, you look very pale"
"No, I'm fine" assured Verona.
"Carl, where are we going to go?" asked Van Helsing.
"There's tavern round the corner, we'll go there" said Carl.
"Oh good" said Van Helsing. "I though you were gonna take me to a fancy restaurant"
"Never" said Carl. "But if that's what you want...?"
"No!" said Van Helsing in a horrified tone.
"I was just kidding" said Carl.
"Well good, and don't joke about that sought of thing" said Van Helsing, looking offended.
"Van Helsing, that is so childish" said Carl.
They went out.
Three hours latter, they were back and quite drunk, this was what he had missed, Van Helsing and Carl going to the pub and getting drunk with the bar maids, fortunately Van Helsing had only kissed, he had remembered Misha and thought it would be dishonest. However...Misha was his finance...so, why not...
"Misha?" called Van Helsing.
"There is such a thing as knocking and..." said Misha.
But she didn't get any further because Van Helsing came up to her and kissed her.
"I'm home honey" he whispered.
"I can effing well see" said Misha, kissing him back
They fell onto the bed, laughing and kissing.
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A/N: Dah dada da, there it is so don't expenct updates too soon. PLEAE REVEIW.