Chapter 3: Operation 'Princess and Pauper'

-At Castle Valerious-

Ana couldn't believe her luck as she looked around the room she was in. 'This room so beats the room in the Ramada hotel,' she thought as she settled her Celtic themed Mini back pack on the giant bed. She then walked to the giant writing desk that looked like it was polished a few days ago.

She couldn't believe that Anna allowed her to stay in this room. Dracula's old room! But then as Van Helsing told her that if she stayed in here, Dracula might be tempted to come. Carl had also told Anna that if she was worried for Ana's safety, then he would bless the room and cover the windows with garlic and spray holy water on them. So then Anna allowed Ana to stay in here.

Ana pulled out the writing desk seat and sat down, brushing her hands on the arm rests. When she and the others arrived here, Carl had been asking her so many questions about the future, and Van Helsing was curious as soon as she mentioned on monsters being now popular then being feared. 'Good thing I didn't tell him that I am one of those people,' she thought as she smirked at his shocked expression. Ana then smiled as she remembered another memory that happen moments ago that Ana proved to Anna as when they first walked into this castle. Her fighting Anna Valerious.

*Moments ago.*

"So in your time is Dracula dead?" Anna asked Ana. Ana shrugged her shoulders. "Hard to say cause in my time there are separately two different Dracula's," Ana replied. "Two Dracula's?" Carl and Van Helsing asked at the same time. Ana nodded her head. "Yes, there is one Dracula named Vlad Tepes that was once king of Romania, and because of his cruelness and horrifying punishments to his enemies, he earned the nickname Count Dracula or as people sometimes call him Vlad the impaler," Ana said telling them of one of her secret passions. "Some legends state that while some of his enemies were being impaled that he drank their blood while having a meal," she added. Carl covered his mouth to fight the urge to puke.

"May I dare ask as how did he impale them?" Van Helsing asked. Ana smirked at Van Helsing, slowly lifting her small log. "See this log here?" she asked him.

He looked at the log she was holding before nodding his head. Carl covered his ears, not wanting to hear this. "Imagine this as a pointed stake as a spear," she said to him slowly walking up to him. He raised a brow before nodding his head again. "Now how Vlad would impale you," Ana said as she pointed the edge of her log to Van Helsing's pelvis area.

"Would be shoving said long pointy stake right through here," Ana added gently pushing the log lightly against Van Helsing's pelvis. "And lift you up like so," she said slowly lifting her log upward, making it point up. "Leaving you slowly sliding downward IF being impaled didn't kill you first," she said with a dark and sweet tone with a smirk on her face.

"Is it clear for you?" Ana asked as she gave him a 'need I say more' look on her face. Van Helsing winced when Ana's log slightly touched him, now wishing that this Dracula wasn't like the one Ana was now describing. "Very clear," he replied before nodding to Carl. "You can remove your hands Carl," he said to the friar, who looked at him asking with his eyes if Ana was done. "And it was his bloody and dark reputation that inspired an Irishman named Abraham Stoker who was a novelist," Ana said going onto the other Dracula.

He then created the character Count Vlad Dracula, a vampire wanting to travel to London and expand his power," Ana went on. "So this one was made up?" Van Helsing asked looking at Ana surprised. Ana sighed before looking at Van Helsing. "There are some people back in my time that believe that they are one and the same," she answered. "But others have proved that he isn't, and until today I hadn't questioned if he was real or not," she added. "But it wasn't until I saw you Mr. Van Helsing that I now question what is true or not," Ana said looking up at him with an honest look. Van Helsing looked at her puzzled. "Why is that?" he asked.

"Because Stoker wrote another character in the same story, who was to be the one that fights against him," she answered. "One named Abraham Van Helsing," Ana added looking directly at Van Helsing's face. "And out of all the stories based off of Stoker's novel as well all of all those that have gone against him, Dracula's most known enemy was Van Helsing," she said hoping Van Helsing got the idea.

"So because of this novel that is how you could tell he was Van Helsing?" Anna asked her. Ana nodded her head. "Yes, although Van Helsing is portrayed as an old man, him staring down at Marishka unafraid was what gave him away to me," Ana replied. Van Helsing raised a brow when Ana mentioned him supposing to be an old man. Carl looked surprised as well, but for a different reason. "Him staring at a vampire?" he asked her. "Van Helsing confronts Dracula in a similar manner," Ana explained. "Oh," Carl replied.

"And just how did you happen to know all this?" Anna asked. Ana shrugged her shoulders. "One, I was curious about it, and two since I was traveling to Transylvania I thought to look into some of its famous attractions and history, plus Bram Stoker's Dracula is a book that I chose to read at my school," Ana answered before she slipped off her carrying back pack and opened it. "I actually read it while I traveled to Transylvania," she added as she then pulled out her copy of the novel. Carl looked at the cover of it oddly.

Ana handed it out to Van Helsing. "If you want to know at least a bit of what is said of you in my time best read this," she said offering the book to him. Van Helsing shook his head.

"Thanks, but no thanks," he said pushing the book back to her. "I would prefer having you explain it, then read it myself," he explained. Ana shrugged her shoulders before putting the book back into her bag. "And speaking of 'using me'," Ana said as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Are we going to be using me as a decoy or fake Anna?" she asked with a smirk.

Anna laughed at that question. "Use you as a fake me? Forgive me if I find that funny," Ana said laughing. "She does have a point," Carl said. "You look like Anna, but you don't sound or act like her," he added. Ana laughed this time. "And what makes you think I am not up to the task Mr. Monk?" Ana said in Anna's accent and voice, with a raised brow. Anna, Van Helsing, and Carl looked at her surprised.

"Wow! That was exactly like Anna's voice!" Carl said in amazement. Ana smiled proudly. "Accents are my specialty," Ana said still in Anna's voice.

Van Helsing smirked at Ana's performance. "Appearance check, voice check, all we need if you acting like Anna and we got a double," Van Helsing said with a smile. "And she has to learn how to defend and fight with something else other then a log," Anna added with a half smirk. Ana rolled her eyes and walked to the nearest sword and picked it up pointing it at Anna. "Wanna try sweet heart?" she asked with a raised brow.

Anna raised a brow before she then took a sword, starting to fence with Ana. Carl looked really uncomfortable and worried. "Shouldn't we try to stop them?" he whimpered. Van Helsing smiled. "Nope," he answered honestly. "Gives us a chance to see what they are capable of," he added. "But aren't you worried they might hurt one another?" Carl asked. Van Helsing shook his head 'no'.

"I don't think they would do that to each other," Van Helsing said as he crossed his arms with a smile. "I think this is just a simple practice test," he added as Anna then got more forceful before Anna knocked Ana's sword out of her head. Anna smirked as she saw Ana was unarmed and started to point the tip of it to Ana. "Give up?" Anna asked Ana.

Ana smirked at Anna's question. "Never," she said with Anna's voice and accent before Ana did a spin trip kick at Anna's legs, making her fall to the ground making Anna drop her sword. Anna then jumped up and Ana had started using her hand-to-hand combat. Van Helsing raised his brow in surprise as Anna fought back dodging and blocking each blow. Ana smirked as she then quickly grasped Anna's wrist and twisted it to be behind Anna's back and had her in a good hold.

"Still think using me as a fake is still a bad idea princess?" Ana asked in her normal tone of voice. Anna panted heavily before shaking her head. "Not anymore," Anna breathed heavily before she giggled. Van Helsing smirked.

"Just leaves her learning how to shoot with a cross bow or gun," Carl said before glancing at Van Helsing. Van Helsing smirked, knowing what Carl was hinting at. "Leave that to me," he said with a knowing smirk as Ana released Anna from her hold. "But first lets get her into some new clothes," Anna said as she stretched out her arms. Ana looked at Anna with a raised brow.

"Hopefully there is some of my clothes or my ancestors clothes that can fit you," Anna said before Ana suggested about staying in Dracula's old room.

*Present*

Ana was smiling at the secret joy of being in the legendary Count's room when she then noticed something odd on the carved in decoration on the desk. Something that looked like a small forget-me-not that was tilted out of place. "I wonder..." Ana softly whispered before she moved the carved flower till it matched with the others. She pushed it into place and a soft 'click' came. Ana looked around the desk searching for where there could be a secret compartment or drawer.

As she looked at the drawers she noticed something sticking out from under the desk. "Bingo," she said as she moved her hands to it and felt inside the hidden compartment. Her hands felt something inside and she grasped it, before pulling it out what looked like a four hundred and sixty-six year old diary.

'Guess this must either belong to the Count himself or someone that might know where he might be," Ana thought as she looked at it with interest and slowly opened the little black leather book. As she slowly looked at the pages, she noticed that the words were all in Latin. Her eyes widen as she realized that she can read it! She could write it, read and pronounce it as it was one of her earlier courses in high school. "Guess I can be more then just a decoy after all," she thought as she read a page of Dracula talking about his day which involved him sword practice with his father. Suddenly Anna, Van Helsing and a maid came in the room making Ana jump with surprise. She looked at them and saw that they had an old chest with them. 'I'll tell them about the diary after I have my new set of clothes on," Ana thought as she closed the diary and sat it on the desk.

Anna shooed Van Helsing out of the room before the maid opened the chest of clothes. "Let's see if we can find anything that will not only fit you but also be your taste as well," Anna said as she started setting some of the clothes out on the bed. "I hope so else this 'princess and pauper' plan isn't going to work," Ana said before she and Ana went over the clothes.

A few minutes later Anna came out of the room and went to Van Helsing and Carl who were waiting for them in the armory room. "She is getting dressed," she told them as she walked past them. "So how did you get here?" she asked them. "We came by sea," Carl replied as he and Van Helsing started to follow her. "Really? The sea? The Adriatic sea?" Anna asked surprised but also interested, as she walked up to the sheathe belts and picked one up.

"Yes," Carl answered twice with a smile. "So, where do I find Dracula?" Van Helsing asked as he crossed his arms. "He used to live in this very house four centuries ago, if you couldn't guess from Ana's request," Anna answered as she started to slip and buckle the belt on.

"No one knows where he lives now," she added as she walked passed a giant map painting or Transylvania. "My father would stare at that painting for hours looking for Dracula's lair," she said as Carl looked at it as he walked to it. "So, that's why you've come?" Anna asked guessing at Van Helsing's reason for being here. "I can help you," Van Helsing said confirming Anna's guess. Anna scoffed at that.

"No one can help me," she said as she picked up a dagger and looked at it. "then why allow Ana to help then?" he asked. "Because she needs my help and also saved my neck," Anna replied. "Well then I can try helping you," Van Helsing said with a calm look, understanding Anna's reason. "You can die trying," Anna said as she sheathed the dagger. "All of my family has," she added as she looked at the swords that were by the daggers. "I can handle this myself," she said as she picked out a sword. "So I noticed," Van helsing said with a smirk. Anna glared at him and walked up to him. "The vampires attacked in daylight they never do that!" Anna said as she pressed the tip of her sword at him defending herself, as Van Helsing smirked at her reaction. "I was unprepared, it won't happen again," she said before sheathing her sword.

"So, why did they attack in daylight?" he asked curiously. "Clearly, they wanted to catch me off-guard," Anna replied looking up at him. "They seemed almost desperate to finish off my family," she added. "Why is that? Why now?" Van Helsing asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," Anna said annoyed with Van Helsing turning away and walked to the gun display. "Hmm," Van Helsing said noticing this now. "Usually I only ask two-What are we dealing with and how do I kill it?" he said as Anna looked at one small pistol, put it down and then picked up a bigger one, sheathing it in the gun holster that was attached with the belt. "My father spent most of his life looking for answers year after year," she said as she looked at another display of weapons. "Tearing through the tower, combing through the family archives," she added.

"Carl," Van Helsing called looking at Carl, who was still looking at the painting. Carl turned looking at Van Helsing as he heard his name. "The tower, start there," Van Helsing said knowing Carl could research faster then he could. "Oh, right," Carl said nodding his head before heading to the tower. "The only way to save your family is to stay alive until Dracula is killed," Van Helsing sad as he looked back at Anna, who had just slipped a pocket knife into her boot straps. "And who will kill him if not me?" she asked as she turned to look at Van Helsing with her hands on her hips. "Who will show courage if not me?" she added. "If you go out there alone, you'll be out manned and out positioned," he said trying to convince her to stay.

"And you can't see in the dark," he added as she turned to pick up a mace that had a hand holding a stake on the tip of it. "In the morning we will hunt him," he said as he walked up behind her. As she turned around with the mace in hand, he grasped her hand.

"But we'll do it together," he said looking at her. Anna looked at their hands before looking back at him and moving her hand out of his, leaving Van Helsing to holding the mace. "Some say you're a murderer, Mr. Van Helsing," she said as she looked at him curiously. "Others say you're a holy man," she added. "Which is it?" she asked. Van Helsing sighed as he decided how to answer that. "It's a bit of both, I think," he answered honestly. Anna then took a step closer to him, satisfied with his answer. "I promised you a drink," she said.

"Yes, you did," he said with a smirk. "The bar is down the hall," she said surprising him since he believed she had decided to wait till morning. "Help yourself," she added as she took the mace out of his hand, walking away from him. "As for me, I'm going to finish this once and for all," she said as she walked to the doorway that headed to the front hall door way. 'So much for cooperating," he thought before he started to follow her.

"I'm sorry you have to carry this burden alone," he said as he started to catch up with her. "On the contrary, I would wish for it no other way," she said as she got closer to the doorway. "And I am sorry about your father and brother," he added as he caught up with her, remembering her mentioning Velkan's death. "I will see them again," she said as she got to the door way. "We Transylvanians always look on the brighter side of death," she added. "There's a brighter side of death?" Van Helsing asked confused about that. "Yes," Anna replied turning to look back at him. "It's just harder to see," she said before she started to leave.

But before she could leave the room, Van Helsing touched her shoulder making her look at him. Van Helsing pulled out a spraying gadget and sprays some gas of sorts into Anna's face making her fall unconscious. Van Helsing catches her as she falls. "I'm sorry about that too," he said with a sigh, knowing she was going to be pissed at him when she woke up later. "Um, do I need to leave you two alone?" asked a female voice.

Van Helsing turned to see Ana, dressed in her new clothes looking at him and Anna with a raised brow.

Author's note:

Here is my third chapter of my fan fiction inspired by the Van Helsing movie and also a little written piece by Seduction of time!

This was a bit easier to write out then I thought would be, and I all of you Roxcula fan girls like the fact I have Ana in Dracula's actual bed room he used while he was still human. And thought it would be a good idea if Ana happen to find his diary. I orignally thought Carl should find it in the tower, but as I tried to figure out how to start this chapter and give Ana something to do as she waits for anna to get her new clothes, I changed my mind and put it in here. And also those of you that get confused with the latin business. Ana has taken latin as part of her studying accents so she can read latin and knows what is written in the diary. So accent specialist strikes again! ^_^

Hope you enjoy this chapter, and wonder how van helsng is going to explain to Ana what is going on. ^_-
(Ana's back pack will be shown later I promise.)

Here is what the desk looks like only bigger.
[link]

Here is the sound track for this chapter to help you with some of the bits in here:

8.) teahouse from the Matrix reloaded sound track (fight music for Anna vs Ana) [link]

Anastasia Ircus belongs to

Van Helsing belongs to Stephen Sommers and universal pictures/Studios

And all of the songs I place here for the sound track all belong to their movies, bands and composers that composed them.