A/N:Van Helsing/ Anna Valerious and Velkan Valerious/OC

A/N:All outfits, cars, and such are on my profile page

A/N:Italic's is implied Sarcasm or an Emphasis on a word or thought.

A/N:Bold Italic is Desdemona's Diary Entrances

Hurts Like Hell

Anna woke slowly, trying to piece together what had happened. She was in her bedroom, laid gently down atop her bed. "How did I get in here?" She murmured sleepily, a headache forming behind her eyes. She was still wearing her clothes, but her armor had all been removed. Every dagger, sword, pistol, and mace that she had strapped to her body was nowhere in sight. She felt very groggy. She sat bolted upright in bed. It all came back to her in a rush of clarity.

"Van Helsing! Ticălosule sângeroase. Prostule! Dobitocule!" Shouting out as many Romanian curses as she could think of, Anna clambered out of bed. She called Van Helsing every terrible name she had ever heard, and then she made up a few of her own. She stormed out of her room, ready to knock that self-important braggart on his overconfident butt." I'll show him he can't just-"

A creaking sound stopped her. She had just arrived at the door of the armory. She froze, then realized it was probably Van Helsing himself, inside arming himself to the death. To steal her revenge, her rightful kill. Dracula had taken her father and her brother from her and there was no way that Van Helsing was going to have the pleasure of finally ending him for good. Oh no, that pleasure was hers and hers alone. She allowed a vicious smile to form on her lips. Now she could curse him and all of his descendants in person, excluding Desdemona of course. She flung open the door to the armory, "Van Helsing?" Her stride falters briefly when he doesn't answer her.

Then there was another creak, this time from somewhere among the long rows of weapons. She moved farther into the room. The skin on the back of her neck prickled. I'm being watched, She realized. All of her senses went on high alert. Her eyes scanned the gloom, but she couldn't see anything. She grabbed a flickering lantern from one of the sconces and walked along the cases of weapons. Why doesn't Van Helsing reveal himself? She idly wondered, Is he spying of me? Or is he hiding so that I don't catch him in here? Another creak made her jump, and her cheeks flushed. She hoped Van Helsing hadn't noticed that! She came around a corner and discovered an open window. Its shutter creaked as it swayed in the wind and rain.

Anna let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't in danger, and, even better, that arrogant Van Helsing hadn't witnessed her little display of nerves. She crossed to close the window when the light of the full moon illuminated something strange on the floor. She knelt, and her forehead furrowed in confusion." Pawprints." She murmured, her heart pounding faster. She held up the lantern to try and see where the large prints led. They stopped mysteriously in the center of the armory. She stood back up and grabbed a mace from the wall. Moving slowly, she followed the paw prints, then stopped. She looked up and down the rows.

Empty

Then she heard a low menacing growl, and her breath caught. She froze, barely daring to breathe as the hairs on the back on her neck stood at attention. Where had that growl come from? And just like all the other time that shes encountered a werewolf, Anna's every instinct yelled at her to run but she didn't obey. With her head cocked slightly to the right, her eyes constantly scanned the room for any little hint of the beast. A drop of rainwater splashed down onto her cheek. Her head whipped straight up and she saw it. The werewolf, its fur dripping from the rain, clinging to the beam over her.

The werewolf let out a mighty ear-shattering roar and dropped to the ground. She swung at it with her mace but the werewolf swiped it out of her hand, barely managing to cut her with those razor-sharp teeth. Eyes wide and heart racing, Anna whirled around and ran as fast as she could. She raced back among the weapons cases, dashing through the maze of swords, spears, guns, and armor. She briefly considered stopping to grab something to arm herself with but the werewolf's hot, stinky breath on the back on her neck quickly chased those thoughts away.

The exit had never seemed as far away as it did now.

Careening around a case holding cannon ammunition Anna slammed into someone. She cocked her arm back, ready to throw her hardest right hook, but the person grabbed her wrist. It was her beloved brother Velkan, her heart gave a painful lurch and she dared not believe her eyes.

"Velkan..." she was unable to stop the gasp from escaping, "You're alive!" She threw herself into his arms, a sob ripped its way from deep in her chest, "Oh, Velkan"

"Quiet, Anna," Velkan barked sharply, a guttural sound she had never heard come from his throat before today, " I only have a moment."

"Velkan, we must get out of here." Anna gripped his hand, barely believing that she could and she tried to drag him towards the door. "There's a werewolf-

Velkan cut her off, his frantic, desperate nature starting to shine through. Anna barely had time to reflect on her drastic changes in her brother, let alone question how he was still alive before his voice, oh the voice she never thought she'd hear again filtered in her ear. "Never mind that. Listen to me. I know Dracula's secret! He has mumblich nowger lochen..."

Anna started at Velkan with a sinking, horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. His eyes were going round and he seemed to be having trouble controlling hos words, his mouth. " What is it?... What's wrong?" But he couldn't answer. She could only watch in horror as Velkan's body spasmed and jerked. He lurched and stumbled towards the window where Anna saw the clouds roll away to reveal the full moon. Velkan twisted his tormented body around to face Anna all the while sickening snaps and cracks filled the air.

"Run! Anna, run!"

But Anna was frozen in place, staring at her brother. Her deepest, darkest fear, the source of her worst night-terrors was coming true in front of her eyes. She so badly wanted to close her eyes and escape this nightmare but she could not close her eyes, something was compelling her to watch. He tore at his clothing, ripping it to shreds as his hands enlarged and curved into claws. Howling as if he were in great pain, Velkan shuddered and contorted, clawing at his flesh tearing it to ribbons under those sharp, gleaming black nails. Stunned and unable to move, she could only helplessly watch the sight of her brother transform into a werewolf-powerful, brutish, and clearly vicious. He threw back his head, opened his glistening fang-filled mouth, and bayed at the full moon.

Throwing himself backward against the wall, Velkan could only wither in agony as his claws gripped the wall and dragged himself up the wall. His face started to extend into a snout yet still retained his human features, which made it all the more terrifying for Anna to watch. Fur began to sprout all along his body as he continued to tear at himself as great stinky globs of skin rained down to the floor.

The door behind Anna burst open with a startling bang, but she could not find it in herself to move. "Anna!" Van Helsing exclaimed. Velkan (because she refused to call him it) whipped his head around to howl at Van Helsing before propelling himself through the balcony doors and into the night. Shattered glass rained down around Anna as she stared numbly into the rainy night. The twinkling chime of falling glass and quiet muffled sobs were the only noises left in the wake of Velkan's hasty departure. "Anna!... Anna are you alright?"He ran up to her and demanded yet all he was met with was a wide-eyed blank stare and a steady stream of silent tears.

Anna couldn't make herself respond. My brother didn't die, she realized. He has been turned into that loathsome creature. He has turned into one of the very creatures that they had been taught to despise and had trained to hunt. It took every ounce of control she had to not dissolve into tears. And for all of her training Anna couldn't force her tears to stop, if anything the tears only seemed to flow faster.

Racing to the balcony doors, he threw them open, aimed his gun without hesitation and peered down, his keen eyes scanning the ground below. "He got away," he grumbled, sure that nobody was listening to him.

Just as the overwhelming fog in her mind started to take over, a voice called out to Anna. The voice was like a hand in the dark guiding her back to herself. Suddenly she became aware of one of Desdemona's hands cupping her face as she almost frantically called out "Inima de foc, te rog să te întorci la mine. Nu și tu, te rog, nu mă părăsi." while the other stroked her hair.

"Mona," Anna choked out, trembling like a leaf in the wind. She doesn't know about Velkan. The horrible thought crossed her mind causing her to freeze. But before she could even open her mouth the door to the armour opened again, and Carl stumbled in.

"Why does it smell like wet dog in here?" He asked.

"Werewolf," Van Helsing replied, running towards the entrance only slowing briefly to squeeze Dessi arm in a silent show of support.

"Ah. Right. You'll be needing silver bullets then." Car scrounged around in his robe and pulled out a sack filled with gleaming silver bullets. He tossed it to Van Helsing, who caught it as he rushed by. Carl shrugged and followed close behind him.

Anna snapped out of her shock and ran after Van Helsing. "No, wait!" She cried. Van Helsing just slammed the door in her face. Anna tried to open it and was surprised when it swung open, she thought for sure that he would have tried to jam it shut from the outside. "Van Helsing!" She called after him angrily but his steps never faltered as he rushed away. Anna turned around and pounded her fist on the door, furious, I can't believe this, she thought. Angered by Van Helsing's behavior and drained by what she'd seen, Anna slid down the door and slumped on the floor.

"Anna! Inima de foc!" Giving her a weird look, worry sharpening her features Desdemona nudges at Anna's side with her boot.

Anna takes several deep breaths as she gets her breathing back under control. Now is not the time for a breakdown Anna. Get yourself together! Your grief didn't drown you when you thought he was dead so it's damn sure not going to break you just because he's a werewolf. Get it together! With one more deep breath for good measure, Anna slowly gets to her feet with a look of pure Valerious determination/stubbornness. "Let me out while I find where your poltroon of a brother put my weapons and then we go stop him." Desdemona notices that while the insult has some heat behind it but not the usual amount she projects when she really hates someone. But she decides that now is not the time to confront her best friend/little sister about her crush on her older brother.

"Gabriel!" With a nod to Anna Desdemona rushes out of the armory and chases after her brother's retreating form. He's rushing through the halls so fast that if Desdemona had not come to know the castle like the back of her hand she would have lost him. "Gabe!" By now Desdemona knows where Gabe is heading, having recognized the route he was taking. "Gabriel Van Helsing, you answer me right now!" Skidding around the corner and racing down the hall she finally catches up to him, a glare and scowl foxed on her face.

"What?" He barks out, barely paying her any attention. His mind running in a million different directions. Directions he would rather not explore farther. Because in his heart he knew if he admitted his suspicions and they were confirmed that he might not have the strength to do what was necessary. And he needs that strength because if it came down to it he would rather do what had to be done

"What the hell is happening? " Desdemona tugs his shoulder sleeve just hard enough that he allows himself to be swung around. He can't help but notice the black circles and bags under Desdemona's dull almost lifeless blue eyes.

"There's a werewolf. It tried to kill Anna. I'm going after it. Catch up if you can." Gabe says curtly, practically spitting the words through clenched teeth. With that, he yanked his sleeve out of her hand and rushed away.

"La naiba prostule! Incapatanat nenorocit! La naiba!" Shaking her head angrily at her Gabe's stupidity Desdemona spins around and heads in the opposite direction. "Carl! Unde esti? CARL!" Desdemona calls out impatiently as she storms to her room. Flinging her door open she beelines for the wooden chest at the end of her bed, throwing it open she just starts throwing random pieces of clothes on her bed. Just as she's about to call for him again Carl appears in her doorway, huffing, and puffing.

"Right then, here you go. Silver bullets, werewolf as I assume your brother told you. Had to go back up to the tower where I had left all our bags." Stopping he throws her the bag of bullets as he stops to take in some air. "I'm assuming your brother has already left and you're going after him?... Right stupid question, of course, you're going after him! Because you just love making my life difficult by giving me several heart attacks. Ms. Valerious is probably going as well cause why not?"

"Carl! " Desdemona interrupts his rant, genuine amusement shining from her face, transforming it into a thing of beauty again. "Yes, I'm going after him. And yes Anna is coming with. But...I promise to act like the mature rational one and make sure we come back here if we don't find the werewolf right away. So we can gather supplies and such, now I need you to leave." Waving the random pair of pants she had grabbed at Carl, indicating she wanted to change. With a blush, Carl quickly backs out and closes the door behind him.

Scowling at the memory of Gabe rushing in and waking her up, Desdemona threw off Velkans' sleeping shirt and tugged on some plain black pants that seemed to take way to long to lace up, a black and dark green corset that she didn't even bother to tighten all the way and threw on one of her black tough leather knee-length jackets. Her feet quickly got shoved into a random set of black and pure silver-studded boots; she loved those boots cause even is she was weaponless she was never defenseless.

Grabbing her sword she ran out of her room and just narrowly missed slamming into Anna. With twin determined nods they rushed from for the main doors and after her idiot brother. Taking in Gabe's footprints and the trail he left behind Desdemona and Anna quickly realize if they take one of their shortcuts they may come out the other side of the village but be minutes behind Gabe despite his head-start. Without looking back Anna takes off instinctively knowing that Desdemona would fall in line and protect her back.

When they made it down to the village Anna gestured towards the town-square questioningly and Desdemona nods. Flipping around and moving back to back Desdemona holds her sword at the ready. Moving cautiously making barely a sound on the snow-covered ground, they had almost made it to the square when gunshots rang out. Snapping her head up, eyes glowing yellow, her nostrils flaring and her head tilted as she sucked in air, she was able to pinpoint the shots to the graveyard near the edge of the town and forest with her enhanced senses. Cursing lowly under her breath Desdemona takes off worry for her brother causing her to tap into her supernatural speed, uncaring of the consequences, leaving Anna far behind.

She made it to the graveyard in what seemed like seconds and just in time to see Gabriel taking shelter in the nearest threshold. With a bit of that same recklessness, she's always cursing her brother for Desdemona lets out a piercing whistle catching the werewolf's attention. With a wolfish snarl she sinks into her fighting stance, sword held loosely yet confidently and eyes still glowing yellow. The werewolf unable back down from a challenge and curious about the woman's glowing werewolf eyes took a running leap, flew over her head and crashed down behind her. With an almost elegance about her, Desdemona twirled around, loosening a dagger at the wolf at the same time. Her aim held and the dagger found a home in the werewolf's side.

A yelp burst from the beast's throat followed by a loud hateful growl that echoed around the street. The wolf stood up tall on its hind legs, rising to its full height in an attempt to intimate Desdemona. She only raised an eyebrow unimpressed all while her eyes seemed to flash an even brighter shade of yellow. The wolf's ears straightened, it's lip curled up to reveal its gleaming canines and emitted a long, low rumbling sound. Giving in to the bloodlust thrumming through her veins at the scent of fresh blood Desdemona loosened a rumbling growl of her own that seemed to ooze dominance and demanded submission. The beast's eyes narrowed, it dropped on all fours, dug its back claws into the ground and used its back legs to lunge at her. She dropped her sword and dove to the side, tucking her head to her chest and rolling on her shoulder. Popping up in a flash and scooping her sword up Desdemona swung, intending to impale the beast to the ground enabling Gabe to put the beast out of its misery.

"Nooo!" Anna's panicked scream broke through the deafening silence that had seemed to surround the three of them during the fight. The pain and sheer terror broke through Desdemona's bloodlust and caused her to falter allowing the werewolf to slip past her blade and leap up upon the roof of the house Gabe was sheltering in. Unable to stop her momentum Desdemona's sword slammed into the ground, burying itself halfway up with a dull thud. Leaving it there Desdemona sprints over to Anna only to have Anna pass her as she races towards Gabe.

The beast had used the confusion to drop down from the roof of the threshold Gabe was hiding in and take off. Bounding from threshold to threshold in a zig-zag pattern, get closer and closer to the forest and its freedom. Taking a breath and centering himself Gabe had stepped out and raised his gun aiming. Waiting for that perfect moment where the werewolf accidentally opens itself up to a kill-shot and allows him to pump it full of silver bullets.

Anna slammed full force into Gabe, knocking his arm holding the gun to the side, sending the shot wild and blasting out the gas streetlight. The werewolf took advantage of the momentary confusion to dash out of its hiding place and vanish around a corner. Furious, Gabe pushes Anna aside and charges after it, just in time to see the werewolf leap off a roof and dart into the dark forest.

Fury and grief darkened Gabe's face, Anna's actions had only proven his gut instincts right. And even though she meant well, was only trying to protect her family, something he admired her greatly for, he could not help being beyond furious with her. He whirled around, grabbing Anna because of course she had followed him and shoving her up against the wall.

"Why did you interfere?!" He demand, headless to Desdemona's protest and her attempts to pull him off of Anna, " I had to werewolf in my sights!"

"I- You're choking me." Anna gasped, her hands gripped his fingers that were wrapped around her throat.

"Give me a reason not to," He snarled although he did loosen his grip the tiniest bit allowing her an easier time to breathe. It was at this point that he became aware of Desdemona's almost frantic calls to let Anna go.

"I-I can't," Anna said, her eyes were wide with terror and about a million other emotions, "If people knew..." Gabe stared down at her for a moment, then released her with an aggravated growl. Her hands flew to her throat, rubbing her neck, sore from Gabriel's rough grip. Desdemona allowed her sword to fall to the ground and she buried her face in Gabe's side. He hated that these next words were going to break her all over again, desperately wished he didn't have to utter them.

"He's not your brother anymore," He felt the exact moment he words registered with her. She froze ramrod straight, barely breathing and his shirt balled up in her tightly clenched fists.

"You knew?" Anna stared at him in shock, her voice held so much pain, hope, and betrayal.

"Yes, I guessed." He nodded, unable to meet her eyes. Desdemona pulled away from his quickly as if he had burnt her and went to stand next to Anna.

"You guessed before or after I stopped you from shooting him?" Anna's jaw tightened as did her fists. Any other time it might have made him smile, how alike the two of them were.

"Before," He admitted. Gabe knew that there was going to be hell to pay for the words he had just uttered. A little flicker of fear ignited in the pit of his stomach. He felt like either he was going to lose Desdemona or she was going to attack him and neither option sounded pleasant to him.

"And still you tried to kill him?!" Anna demanded. The force of the twin glares coming his way had Gabe wanting to fidget, to get the hell out of there.

"He's a werewolf," He replied evenly, not a hint of his true feelings were revealed, "He's going to kill people."

"He can't help it!" Anna got right up into Gabe's face, "It's not his fault!" She slammed her palms into his chest causing him to take a step back.

"I know. But he'll do it anyway. He has to be stopped."

"Do you understand forgiveness?" She questions, staring at him hard.

"Yes, I ask for it often." He responds almost automatically and without thinking, utter honest coating his words.

Anna stared down at the ground, "They say Dracula has a cure," She lifted her gaze to meet his. He saw pleading and fury there, it seemed to consume yet also make up every part of her being. "If there's a chance I can save my brother, I'm going after it."

She turned to leave, but Gabe caught her upper arm in his hand. He saw Desdemona step towards Anna, the glare to focused solely on him. "No, I'm here to find Dracula," He reminded her, making sure to keep his grip loose, "And that's all"

She ripped her arm away from her, fire burning in her eyes. He got why his sister had nicknamed her Fireheart now. "And I need to find my brother! He gave his life for me...for us! He's the only family I have left! " All of the fiery defiance drained out of her, and she slumped against the wall. "I despise Dracula more than you can ever imagine. He has taken everything from me! He has left me all alone in the world."

Gabriel didn't miss the wince or the guilt that flashed through Desdemona's eyes before she trained her glare back on him. He gazed down at Anna sympathetically. He walked away before coming back over to Anna. He was beginning to understand what drove this intense and gorgeous woman. He got what drew Desdemona to her, their ideals were eerily alike, and she had a warriors spirit inside her. He stroked her cheek lightly and lifted her chin with his finger, gazing deep into her eyes.

"To have memories of those you have loved and lost...is perhaps harder to bear than to have no memories at all." Anna turned her head away, blinking back tears. It was clear to Gabe that any further kindness for him might make this fiercely strong woman lose the very shaky control she had over her emotions. He knew from experience that she needed to be allowed to have that control and stay strong. He sighed, pulled his hat off and ran one of his hands through his sweaty long dark hair. He made a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret. But really, what choice did he have?

"Okay," He concedes and hope, filled Anna's face, "Let's go find your brother.

A/N: Roughly translates into You bloody jerk. You fool! You asshole! & "Fireheart, please come back to me. Not you too, please don't leave me" & "Damn fool! Stubborn bastard! Damn it!" & "Where are you?" Blame google translate for any mistakes

A/N: Poltroon: (1: noun): a wretched coward; craven. ( 2: adjective):marked by utter cowardice.

A/N: Some parts of the chapters are taken from the Van Helsing: The Junior Novel by Carla Jablonski