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Van Helsing And The Witch Hunters
By : moviefan
Category: -Movies Misc > Crossovers
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Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
(A/N: We've got another one. Even longer than last chapter, that's unexpected. But hey, I've said it before, stories write themselves sometimes. So, last time, after ruining the wood witch's attempt to recruit Mrs. Hendricks and defeating the wendigo, our heroes got a little, ah, shall we say, time to relax. But the upcoming apocalypse waits for no one. It's time to get back to them mission, preferably before Blair makes a move. Unless she already has. Let's find out.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 12: Talks of Love
In hindsight, running from the safety of the town at night was not a good idea. But people tended to do irrational things when they were emotionally distraught. So was the case with Ben.
Later, he would realize how foolish he was being, but right now, he just needed to get away. To run from the pain, from the source of it, to put as much distance between himself and the sight of what he had seen. The irrational part of his brain was telling him that if he ran far enough and fast enough that he could get away from it, not even noticing the rain.
It had happened sometime after the hunters had returned to Renfield’s house. Van Helsing had returned to his room while Carl had set up his chemistry set in Hansel and Gretel’s room to keep watch over the latter. After removing some of her wet clothes, Gretel had said that there was a matter she wished to discuss with the monster hunter and had left the room.
For the next hour or so, Ben had been aiding the friar however he could with the cure meant for Hansel’s sugar sickness. When Carl announced that he thought he was on the verge of a breakthrough, Ben had gone to tell Gretel the good news.
He should have known better when he found the door to Van Helsing’s room closed. At the very least, he should have knocked, but he had been excited at the prospect of Hansel finally being cured that he had opened the door without knocking, and the sight that had greeted him was a very unwelcome one. Gretel and Van Helsing on the bed, both completely naked, passionately going at it like two rabbits in heat, their pleasured moans echoing throughout the room.
Ben had stood frozen in shock for several long moments, the sight of Gretel lost in ecstasy in the arms of another man shattering his heart to pieces. He hadn’t known how long he had stood there watching the two of them, but when he finally snapped out of his stupor, he realized that the two of them hadn’t noticed him yet with how lost in each other they were. He had then closed the door and left them alone after that. From there, he had fled from the house and kept going, needing to get as far away as possible.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately in this case, he wasn’t in the same physical condition as his comrades. And so, after running through the town, out the front gates, and across the field, he had to stop for a breather. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he attempted to catch his breath. It made it difficult since he felt like crying, and dry heaves began escaping him.
“Don’t be stupid,” he found himself saying. “Don’t be stupid. You should have seen this coming.”
He wasn’t exactly sure what he was saying, but some part of his brain registered his own words. Despite what he had been hoping for, he did know. He was a super nerd, witch hunting enthusiast. All brains and no brawn. He was no hero, regardless of what the witch hunting siblings taught him. How could a weakling like him ever hope to gain Gretel’s affections? Especially when there was someone else like Van Helsing around.
Oh sure, he knew she cared about him. They were friends, and he was the witch hunting siblings’ sort of apprentice and errand boy. They’d been through their share of adventures together this past year, but she had never looked at him the way he wanted her to, and there was no reason to think that she ever would. At most, he was like a brainy little brother in her eyes. And while he was happy to have that, it wasn’t what he wanted.
And she was only human. They all were. Humans sought out affection and intimacy from others; it was simply in their nature. And Gretel had found someone who she was attracted to, who also found her attractive as well. So it wasn’t surprising that they would end up in bed together. As a matter of fact, he should have expected it, but that didn’t make witnessing it any easier. Still, he should have known better.
As these thoughts swirled around in his head, his emotional state began to calm, and he started to process his surroundings. Looking around uneasily, he realized he was outside the town, after dark, alone. He didn’t even remember coming here, he just remembered running. He needed to get back, it wasn’t safe out here.
Almost as if someone or something had been waiting for him to realize the danger he was in, he heard it, a haunting voice calling his name. “Ben… Ben…”
Heart pounding, he looked around, but saw nothing. The ever-present clouds completely blocked out the stars and moon, making the night seem extra dark, providing additional cover for whatever might be hiding in the shadows.
Then he heard it, a loud swooping sound. It almost sounded like the flapping of wings. Bat wings. The sound caused him to spring to his feet and he looked around, trying to remain calm. And then he heard his name again. Louder this time, and closer.
“Ben!”
It was followed by another wing flapping sound, coming from behind him, and Ben whirled around. He thought he caught a glimpse of something before it disappeared into the darkness. Laughter followed, and Ben whirled around as he heard the flapping behind him again.
“Ben!”
He stumbled back in fright, and suddenly made a dash for the town. But then he heard the flapping again, this time in front of him, and in the air. He skidded to a halt and looked up, trying to see in the darkness.
“Ben,” came the voice again, this time as a whisper, but so loud that it sounded as if it had been yelled.
Then he saw it, a large humanoid bat swooping down at him from the darkness. Ben suddenly ran the other way as the figure came down at him, reaching for him with talon-like feet. He hadn’t gone more than a few feet before those talons grabbed his shoulders and lifted him into the air.
He cried out as the ground vanished beneath him, the darkness making it impossible to tell how high up he was. He screamed all the same as he was carried along, and suddenly trees were flying past him. At the very least that meant he was still close to the ground.
And then he was dropped, and he hit the wet ground. It knocked the wind out him as he skidded to a halt in the mud, but otherwise he wasn’t really harmed.
And then the flapping sound was right behind him, and he rolled over into his back. Blair landed a short distance away, changing back to her human form, hiding both her witch appearance and her pregnancy so she looked like a normal woman, and began stalking over to him. Ben crawled backwards as she approached, his eyes darting around for some kind of weapon he could use, even if it was just a rock to throw at her, otherwise he was going to end up as her midnight snack.
As if reading his mind, Blair spoke as she made her way over to him. “Quit your cowering. I’ve already fed recently, so your neck is safe. And I have no intention of killing you tonight.”
Hesitantly, Ben stopped backing away and looked up at her. “What do you want?”
Blair stopped and stared down at him. She cocked her head to the side as if she were studying him. Then she was suddenly directly on top of him, her face just inches from his own. Ben inhaled deeply at having her this close as she practically blanketed him with her body and shifting to her true form.
“I know what you saw,” she told him, and her ugly face broke out into a big mocking grin. “Poor boy. That was quite the scene to stumble across. But you must have seen it coming. Seen the way she looked at him. She never looked at you like that, did she?”
Ben could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and knew that with her vampire hearing that she must surely hear it as well. Yet he did his best to put on a brave front as he looked up at her. “Is that why you dragged me out here? To mock my pain?”
A cruel chuckle escaped her as she stared at him in amusement, her pitch-black eyes boring into his. “As appealing as that is, I have other intentions. You see, I think I know of a way we can help each other.”
Working up his courage, Ben curled his hand into a fist. “Why would I ever help you!?”
He threw a punch, but she easily caught his fist, forcing his arm back down. Her other hand came up, her long sharp nails grazing his cheek. “I admire your bravery, but now is not the time to be brave. Now is the time to listen, because I can give you what you want.”
He shook his head to rid himself of her nails on his face. “What do you know about what I want? You don’t know anything about me.”
She laughed mockingly. “I know far more than any of you think. And I know what you desire most. Gretel’s heart. I can give it to you.”
“Yeah, ripped straight from her chest no doubt!”
Her hand shot out again, covering his mouth and clasping his face. “As appealing as that sounds, it is not what I mean. When I say I can give you her heart, I mean it in the way you want it. Isn’t that what you desire? For her to love you? What if I could make it happen? In exchange for something, of course.”
“What, my soul?”
She scowled at him. “I have no use for your worthless soul, human. But there is something else you can get for me, and it won’t cost you anything.”
His natural instinct was for him to throw the offer in her face, but the subject of her offer gave him pause. He stared at her long and hard, knowing he shouldn’t even consider anything a witch, especially this witch, had to say, but he couldn’t help it, he had to hear her out, even if he was going to completely disregard it.
Pulling his face free, he demanded, “What reason would you have to help me?”
Her grin widened. “Help each other, my dear boy. We could help each other. As for the reason…” Her expression darkened. “I’ve faced an unseen complication in regards to your new friend, Van Helsing. That sunlight bomb he used to take out my hoard of vampires was very unexpected. It put a damper in my plans. I intended to have them ambush the hunter and his friend and retrieve something for me, but seeing as they’ve been reduced to dust, I need someone else to get it for me.” She taped his nose with her long nail. “That’s where you come in, my boy.”
Ben thought back to when Van Helsing and Carl arrived. They’d come just in time to stop those vampires from attacking them. That been their purpose for being there, to ambush Van Helsing? Did he have something that Blair wanted? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
“He has something you want, doesn’t he?” he demanded.
“Indeed,” Blair replied with a sneer. “And I want you to get it for me. I could always cast as spell on you to force you to get it for me, but I’m afraid then hunter would be able to sense my magic on you, which would make it difficult for you to obtain it. But if you were willing and able to get it of your own accord…”
He scooted back some more, feeling defiant, and snapped at her. “And why would I do anything to help you? You’re trying to bring forth the Antichrist. Why would I do anything for you?”
Her smile faded, and the single speck of red light in her eyes seemed to briefly flash for a moment. “It will fall into my hands regardless of whether you help me or not. This will simply make things easier. And if you help me, then you’ll at least get something out of it. What you want most. If it’s inevitable, shouldn’t you at least take the path where you can get what you want? You can have her love.”
Under different circumstances, Ben would have laughed at the idea of a witch talking about love. But just like before, he felt compelled to at least hear what she had to say. “How could you, a witch, even know the slightest thing about love?”
She cocked her head to the side, almost as if she were curious about his question, and then grinned. “I know enough, and I know how you can get it.”
She reached into her robes and pulled out a small glass vial. She held it up in front of him, grinning broadly. Ben’s eyes went to it, and he immediately understood what it was and what she was offering.
“That’s a love potion,” he said, feeling drawn to it almost against his will. He looked away from the vial and up at her. “You want me to use a love potion on her?”
A mocking grin spread across Blair’s face. “Come now, don’t be foolish. You know it’s the only way to get her to love you. Right now, you’re like a geeky, attention-seeking younger brother to her, and you know that’s all she’ll ever see you as.” She gave the vial a small shake. “Unless you change her feelings.”
Ben felt his gaze return to the vial. He stared at it for a few moments before his eyes narrowed and he glared back at Bair, then scooted way from her. “That’s not what I want. Any love she feels coming from that would be fake. It’d just be the effects of the potion. It wouldn’t be real.”
At his objection, Blair threw her head back and laughed. “So young, so naïve, even for a witch hunter enthusiast. You don’t understand how love potions work. To actually call them a love potion would be a lie. What it does is stir up immense attraction and infatuation. But is that not how it works even without the aid of a potion? Two people meet, there’s an attraction between them, and they become infatuated with each other. From there, love begins to bloom. Even for those who have known each other since childhood. They begin to find the other attractive, suddenly seeing the other in a different light, and romantic love begins to manifest. So will it be with this, the potion merely stirs up attraction.”
Ben looked at the potion again as Blair’s words made sense to him. She was right after all. It was indeed attraction that initially drew two people together, or at least sparked their interest. And as they spend time with each other and get to know one another, they begin to fall in love. But in most cases, it actually was attraction that draws people together and stirs up an interest that eventually leads to love.
It may have sounded a little superficial, and it wasn’t an absolute truth that was the case for all love, but there was truth to it, and attraction did play a big part of it. Of course, there were many cases where attraction didn’t play a factor, or where two people who weren’t initially attracted to each other found love later, but it was true that attraction, in whatever form it came in, was usually what came first and acted as the founder of what would eventually lead to love.
Blair tauntingly waved the vial back and forth in front of his face. “Right now, Gretel has no attraction or romantic interest in you. This will provide her with it. It won’t affect her mind or put her under a spell or a trance. She’ll still be completely herself, she’ll simply be heavily attracted to you. That is where this potion comes from. It’ll make her attracted to you. All love starts with attraction; it’s what makes two people interested in each other in order for them to fall in love later. This potion is what will get your foot in the door. And once you have that stepping stone, then you can get her to fall in love with you.”
Her words rang through his head, and Ben wondered if she was perhaps using a compelling spell of some kind on him. He wanted to deny the truth of her words, but he couldn’t. If Gretel didn’t find him attractive now, she likely wasn’t going to. And if she hadn’t developed any feelings for him at this point after having spent all this time with him, she also likely wasn’t going to in the future either. Worse, she did seem to view him as the little brother type of character, which only lessened his chances of her ever seeing him in a romantic light all the more. This love potion could indeed be what he needed to actually have a chance with her, and he was greatly tempted.
Seeing that she was getting through to him, Blair grinned. “All you need to do is add a bit of yourself to the potion. A hair, a fingernail, a drop of blood, anything. Spit in it if you choose, as long as some of you gets into it. Then simply pour it in her drink or over her food. She’ll develop a deep attraction and infatuation for you, and you’ll be able to get her to fall in love with you. No one gets hurt, and the only thing that will change is your relationship with her, for the better.”
It sounded so simply and reasonable when she put it that way. And as he looked at the swirling liquid in the vial, he could almost see Gretel’s lovely face reflecting in it. But he knew better than to trust a witch. For all he knew, this was some elaborate way to trick him into killing Gretel for her.
“Or it’s a poison and you want me to kill her,” he snapped in accusation.
Blair grasped the vial in her hand and lunged forward, snarling in his face, her teeth extending into long sharp fangs. Ben let out a frightened cry and pulled back, but she didn’t do anything to hurt him and soon pulled back, her fangs retracting back to normal teeth.
“Don’t underestimate me to the point where you think that I would need to resort to such cowardly and underhanded tactics,” she hissed, sounding insulted. “I could kill any of you any time I wanted. I already told you that there’s something I need you to get for me in exchange for this potion. Killing the siblings, even the monster hunter, is something I can do on my own, but what I need to get could prove to be a little more complicated. That’s why I’m offering you this deal. And just to make sure we both get what we want…”
She grabbed his wrist, pulling it up. Then she pressed the vial into his palm and grasped his hand. With her other hand, she drew a circle over their clasped hand and muttered incoherently under her breath. A marking appeared over both their wrists, a ring just a slight shade darker than their skin.
Ben gasped and pulled his hand back, the vial falling to the ground between them. He looked at the marking around his wrist with wide eyes, then looked at the matching one on Blair. He knew what the mark was, and he knew what it meant.
“A magic oath,” Blair told him, holding up her hand. “Now you know my deal is what I said it was. A love potion in exchange for your cooperation. Meaning that if one of us does not fulfill our end of the deal, then we will die. If that potion turns out to be anything other than the love potion I said it is, then your friends will no longer need to worry about hunting me down. But if you use that potion and don’t get me what I want…” She let out a cruel chuckle. “Well, I’m sure you can figure it out.”
There was no need for her to say it; he knew how the magic oath worked. But before he was going to do anything, he needed to know what it was she wanted. “And what exactly am I supposed to get for you?”
Blair’s grin widened. “It shouldn’t be too hard. I just require two simple things, both of which are in the monster hunter’s possession. I’m sure you’ve seen at least one of them. A book, bound in human flesh, full of images and symbols that would make no sense to you.”
“The Necronomicon!” Ben gasped.
Blair’s eyes narrowed slightly, not in a menacing way, but more in cocky arrogance. “Yes, I thought you would know of it. The second one you may not have seen, but is something the monster hunter would have brought along with him. A rectangular box, about this big.” She held up her hands, giving him a size estimate. “Never you mind what’s inside it, do not even look. Get me the book and that box, and your end of the bargain will be fulfilled. I’ll get what I want, you’ll be able to win Gretel’s heart, and then we can go back to killing each other.”
Ben stared at her. That was what she wanted, the Necronomicon and some box that Van Helsing had brought with him. He didn’t know what box she was talking about, but it certainly couldn’t be anything good. As for the Necronomicon, if a witch got her hands on it, let alone Blair of all witches, it could be disastrous.
But if they managed to kill her, the even if he did give her these things, it wouldn’t matter. And he had all the confidence in the world that Hansel and Gretel would be able to take her down, and before she gave birth too. And with Van Helsing helping them…
No, what was he thinking!? He couldn’t possibly trust a witch, especially the grand high witch. But at the same time… He glanced at the mark on his wrist. Even if she was a witch, she too was bound to the magic oath. Not even she could go back on the deal without suffering the consequences.
Above him, Blair began coughing. She brought a hand up to her mouth and a large moth crawled out of it. She held it out, and the moth flew out of her hand and landed on Ben’s shoulder. He winced when it landed on him, looking at it uneasily.
“When you get the box and the book, tell this moth and it shall come and inform me,” she told him. “We’ll meet and make compete the deal. I’ll give you two days before the deal is off.” She suddenly changed into her bat form and pointed a clawed finger in his face. “This is your only chance to win her heart. Think on that, boy.”
She spread to wings and took to the air, disappearing into the night as her laughter slowly faded away, leaving him all alone. Now that she was gone and the danger had passed, he collapsed on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that he was going to die when she first came swooping down at him. Coming to him with a deal like this had been the last thing he had expected.
Raising his hand, he looked at the mark around his wrist. It was hardly noticeable, no thicker than a centimeter. It could pass for nothing more than a mark left behind from a bracelet that had been too tight, but it meant so much more than something so simple.
Sitting up, he looked down at the ground in front of him. The vial containing the love potion lay on the ground where he had dropped it. Regardless of how he felt about witches, of whether they were trustworthy or not, the magic oath that now bound him and Blair meant that it was indeed a love potion and that it could indeed do what she said it could do. That much was true, he knew that from his study of witches and what they were capable of.
Ben wasn’t sure how long he sat there staring at the vial before he glanced to his left at the moth on his shoulder. It seemed to be staring right back at him with beady red eyes, almost as if it were waiting for him to make a move. He could almost feel as if Blair were watching him through its eyes.
He looked back at the vial as it sat there harmlessly on the ground, feeling as if it were beckoning him. Heart pounding, he reached out and picked up it up. He stared at it in his hand for several long moments, feeling the moth’s eyes on him all the while.
Mouth set, he shut his eyes in determination and closed his hand around the vial.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
Awkwardness after sex was not an uncommon thing, especially for first time lovers. Gretel just hadn’t expected it when it came to Van Helsing. He always seemed so sure and confident, always knowing exactly what he was doing; it had been one of the things she had been attracted to when it came to him. So this uncomfortable awkwardness and feeling of uncertainty was throwing her for bit of a loop.
Maybe awkwardness wasn’t the right word for it. Perhaps distant was more suitable. Yes, he was being distant. As the light of morning penetrated the still pouring clouds covering the village as best as it could and somewhat illuminated the room, waking her from her sleep, she had decided to go for a repeat of what had taken place the night before, and so had slyly taken him into her mouth as a way to awaken both him and the passion they shared. Once he and his little friend had been good and awake, he had been kind enough to return the favor with his hands and mouth before taking her a second time in an equally as enjoyable session.
But their passionate moans had been the most sounds that had escaped their lips so far this morning. Afterwards, they barely said more than a few words to each other, and now sat with their backs to each other on opposite sides of the bed as they dressed in silence.
Gretel sighed. She couldn’t exactly blame him for any discomfort between them. After all, she had been the one to come onto and seduce him. So anything that came from this fell on her shoulders. She didn’t regret it though, Van Helsing was probably the best lover she ever had. His skills definitely weren’t exclusive to monster hunting. But still, she had been unprepared to be kept at a distance like this once their desires had been satisfied.
“This doesn’t have to be weird between us,” she told him as she laced her shoe, keeping her back to him. “It’s not like I expect some form of commitment. There doesn’t have to be anything between us, so you don’t have to feel strange about it.”
Van Helsing’s shoulders sank as he let out a sigh of his own. “No, it’s not that.”
She perked up a bit. He didn’t sound regretful, maybe a little… resigned, or something along those lines. By his tone, it seemed like he was bothered by something. But if not out of concern for her expecting some type of relationship between them, then what?
Shifting on the bed, she turned around to face him. “If you’re worried about something happening from this, you don’t have to be. I have special contraceptive herbs and stuff to prevent stuff like that.”
He let out a short chuckle. “That’s not it. I can tell you’re a very smart and responsible girl. It’s just…” He let out another small laugh. “I haven’t been with a woman for a few years now.”
Gretel’s mouth nearly dropped open. It had been years, years, since he had been with a woman? This most definitely came as a shock. She never would have guessed after his performance. His skills certainly hadn’t gotten rusty, and he’d lasted more than long enough to satisfy her, more than once. Even this morning when they had gone at it for a second time, there hadn’t been any indication that he had been celibate for so long.
But why had it been so long for him? True, he was branded as a murder by some, but also by a hero by others. Plus, he was a very attractive man. She would have thought that there’d be women throwing themselves at him. If not drawn by his good looks, then maybe by his reputation, or in gratitude after he defeated whatever monster was plaguing the area.
A thought suddenly occurred to her. Van Helsing was a holy man who worked for the Vatican. What if his job required him to take a vow of celibacy the ways priests, monks, and other holy men did? Had she just seduced him into breaking his vow? While she didn’t exactly see or agree with the idea of a life of celibacy, she respected the decisions other people made, and she didn’t want to be responsible for someone breaking their oaths.
“Are you, like… not allowed to do stuff like this?” she asked awkwardly.
He laughed again, though this time it sounded more genuine, and shook his head. “No, I face no such restrictions. I just… haven’t been able to bring myself to… be with anyone.” He hesitated for a few moments. “Not since…”
Her eyebrows rose as her eyes widened in realization. An understanding smile crossed her face as she gave a small nod. “Ah, I see. There’s someone else. Or there was, right?”
When he didn’t answer, she knew she had guessed right. It was easy enough for her to piece together. He probably met someone on one of his missions, but his job had prevented them from being together and they had been forced to part ways. She could understand that. Most hunters, no matter what kind, found it incredibly difficult to do what they did and have a relationship; their job just didn’t allow it. Unless their partner was also a hunter, it very rarely worked out unless they quit what they were doing, and most couldn’t bring themselves to do that, not knowing that there was evil out there that they could put an end to but chose not to out of their own selfishness.
“So, what’s her name?” she asked curiously, wondering what kind of person had managed to capture the famous Van Helsing’s heart.
A few seconds passed before he answered. “Anna. Anna Valerious.”
She gave a small nod, unable to help the twinge of jealousy she felt. She didn’t know why though, what she told him was true; she didn’t expect any kind of commitment or relationship from him. Their lifestyles just didn’t allow it. Once this mission was over, they’d go their separate ways. He’d return to Rome for his next mission, and she and her team would go in search of another witch to exterminate.
“Anna Valerious,” she repeated with interest. “And where’s this Anna Valerious now?”
More silence. And then, “She’s dead.”
The smile fell from her face and she cursed herself for her stupidity. It should have occurred to her that this Anna was dead. Monster hunting was a very dangerous and difficult job, and you didn’t always manage to save everyone. Had that been the case with Anna?
“I’m sorry,” she said, regretting having asked. “I didn’t mean to–”
“It’s fine,” he interrupted. “It happened a long time ago.”
She hesitated before asking. “How long?”
He hung his head. “Three years ago.”
She reached out, gently taking hold of the back of his jacket. “That’s not so long ago.”
He didn’t respond, and she wondered if she should just let the matter drop. He was clearly still haunted by her death, and she wanted to comfort him. Maybe he had never gotten to talk about it. Maybe doing so would help.
“How did she…?” she began, not wanting to sound insensitive. “What happened?”
Again, no response. Several seconds of silence passed, and she tightened her grip on his jacket. Slowly though, he turned around to face her. “It’s my fault. I failed to protect her. She died because of me.”
Gretel sighed. She had heard this before. People often blamed themselves when a friend or loved one was killed by some monster. And Van Helsing had to have seen this himself as well, many times. Surely he was smart enough to realize that the only one responsible for Anna’s death was whatever evil creature killed her.
“It’s not your fault,” she insisted. “You can’t save everyone. There are some people you just can’t–”
“No,” he said firmly. “It wasn’t like that. It was me. I was the one who killed her.”
Her hand fell away. And she stared at him in shock. He was the one who killed her? No, it couldn’t be the way it sounded. She had heard this before too. People believed that they “killed” the person they loved by failing to protect them.
Or maybe it was worse than that. What if Anna had been a victim? There were some dark creatures out there who were capable of spreading their evil to others. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, and more, all different manner of creatures were capable of infecting others with their evil, turning them into creatures of darkness. Like the couple whose son had been turned into a vampire from before. Had Anna been converted into some kind of monster, leaving Van Helsing with no choice but to kill her? Or maybe something happened that forced him to give her a more merciful death than what was waiting for her.
“How?” she asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know all the grisly details, but she wouldn’t be able to help him if she didn’t.
He let out a sigh, diverting his eyes for a few moments before looking at her again. “Werewolf attack.”
She gave an internal nod. So she had been the victim of a monster attack. “If she turned into a werewolf, you had no choice. It’s like when dealing with a rabid animal. She would have gone on killing indiscriminately until she was put down. She wouldn’t have wanted…”
She trailed off as he shook his head. “No, she wasn’t the werewolf. I was.”
Gretel stared at him, her brows furrowing as she tried to make sense of his words. “You were the… But you… What?”
“I was the werewolf,” he repeated. “I had been bitten by one the previous night, the night before the full moon. I turned and I killed her.”
Gretel tried to comprehend what he was telling her, but it didn’t make sense. She may specialize in hunting witches, but she knew about werewolves. After being bitten, a victim would turn into a werewolf night after night whenever the moon was out, and would continue to do so until the night of a full moon, during which the curse would completely consume them and they would permanently turn until death freed them. So how was it possible that Van Helsing was here now, as a human, after having been bitten years ago like he claimed?
“But then…” she looked him up and down, “how are you… still you?”
Van Helsing glanced down at himself, a sad smile on his face. “I actually have Dracula to thank for that. Turns out that the only thing that could kill him was a werewolf, so he had a cure for the Lycanthrope Curse developed.”
Her face scrunched up in confusion. “But there is no cure.”
“No known cure. But Dracula managed to make one in case one ever managed to retain enough of its will to resist his compulsion and turn against him. If the cure was administered before the final strike of midnight on the night of a full moon, then the curse would be broken and the victim would become human again.”
Gretel shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Why make a cure? Why not just use silver to kill them?”
A small humorless smile crept up Van Helsing’s face. “Vampires have an aversion to silver. Not to the extent as werewolves, but they can’t stand it either.”
Gretel’s lips thinned in frustration. Yes, now that he mentioned it, she did remember hearing something about vampires not liking silver, so it made sense that Dracula would have to find an alternate way to stop a rogue werewolf rather than fighting one. Turning them human again would be far easier, and less risky than trying to take it down any other way. Administering such a cure before it was too late would be difficult, but it was better than having a permanent rogue werewolf on the loose.
She gave him a small nod. “Ok, so he had a cure. So what happened?”
Looking distraught, Van Helsing ran a hand through his long hair. “I turned, we fought, I killed him. Then Anna tried to give me the cure before the curse consumed me and it was too late.” He looked away from her. “She did, but she died in doing so. At my hands.”
Gretel winced. That was a pretty heavy cross to bear, and it was not the story she had been expecting when she had started this conversation. But there was no turning back now. “That’s not your fault. You weren’t in control of yourself. It’s a miracle you managed to retain enough of your own willpower to resist Dracula’s compulsion.”
He looked back at her. His eyes were sad, but they were hard. “It’s ok, you don’t have to try and make me feel better. I’ve made peace with it.”
She wasn’t entirely sure she believed that. “You don’t seem like it.”
He sighed. “I won’t lie and say that the memory doesn’t still haunt me, but I’ve moved passed it. At least as much as I’m able to. I know that’s what she would have wanted. And besides,” he gave her a small smile, though it didn’t quite meet his eyes, “I will see her again. That’s the philosophy she said her family followed. It may still be far off from now, but we’ll be reunited again.”
His smile looked somewhat forced, but she managed to return it with one of her own. “That’s a good philosophy. I try and remember that myself whenever I think of my parents.”
He nodded in agreement. “Even so, I still haven’t managed to bring myself to be with a woman after losing her. That is, until now.” He let out a small chuckle. “This probably sounds silly. The legendary Van Helsing, still pining after a woman who’s been dead for three years now. Especially since I only knew her for less than a week. How could I possibly fall in love and stay in love with someone I’ve known for such a short time?”
He shook his head and turned away from her. Gretel just stared at him for a few moments, her face completely serious. “I don’t think that’s strange at all.”
He let out a humorous snort. “You don’t have to humor me.”
“I’m not,” she insisted seriously. When he looked back at her, she gave him a nod. “If you think about it, many people fall in love after just a short time. Then they start courting each other. Yes, many of those feelings don’t last and they break up soon after once they get to know the person better, but there are those that stay together indefinitely. They meet, they fall in love, they court for a few months or years, then they wed.”
She gave a nonchalant shrug. “But just because those couples were together for a long time before they tied the knot doesn’t change the fact that they still fell for each other after a short period of time. After getting to know each other more, sometimes they find they’re not right for each other, other times they find themselves falling even more in love with the person. But that’s how many relationships work. The length of time you know each other has nothing to do with your feelings, it’s just recommended that you spend more time with each other to get to know them better to make sure they’re the right person for you.”
She nodded her head at him. “It’s the same for you. You met and you fell for her. Had she survived, you could have courted for a time before settling down together, remaining in love the whole time. You just never got the chance to do any of that because of her death. It doesn’t make your feelings for her any less real or any different from two people who fell in love and have been together for years. So it really doesn’t surprise me that you still feel the way you do.”
Van Helsing stared at her for a long time. Somehow, she had managed to put what he had been feeling into sentences that easily explained his own heart after he had failed to do so for years. She made it sound so simple, but that didn’t make her words any less true.
Another small chuckle escaped him, but it was mixed with a sigh of relief that she somehow understood him so well. “You’re a very smart woman, you know that?”
She smirked at that. “I may not be an expert on romance, but I know enough.”
He shifted his body so he was facing her again. “Has there ever been someone special in your life?”
Her eyebrows rose. “Mine? No. I’ve taken an interest in men before,” her eyes ran up and down his body, “present company especially, but not anyone I can say I’ve really fallen for. And I don’t see that happening. A relationship just isn’t compatible with my lifestyle. I’m sure you can relate.”
Van Helsing gave a small, reluctant nod. What had developed between him and Anna had been cut short before he even had the opportunity to think about what it would mean for his job. They had both been so focused on taking down Dracula that there hadn’t been any time to really consider it. And once the Vampire King had been taken down, a future between them had been taken out of the picture entirely.
“What about your apprentice friend?” he asked curiously. He was good at reading people, and had picked up that the young man had a special interest in Gretel, though she didn’t seem to return his affection, or even notice them.
Gretel let out a laugh. “Ben? Please. He’s like a little brother who always tags along. Though I admit that he has proven to be useful, I could never look at him in that way.” She smiled in amusement. “Honestly, if Edward were human, I’d be more likely to go for him than Ben.”
Van Helsing raised an eyebrow, his earlier sadness being replaced by mild amusement. “Have a taste for the wild type then?”
She looked amused as well by his teasing. “Maybe. You are a little wild yourself. In fact,” her smiled became more mischievous, “based on the way you took me from behind this morning, you might still have some wolf in you.”
She had meant it as a flirtatious joke, but when she saw his smile falter slightly, she realized that what she had said may have come across as insensitive based on what he had told her happened when he had been a werewolf. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time she had said something without thinking. She really didn’t have any tact.
Actually, now that she thought about it, it seemed that both she and her brother didn’t have filters when it came to speaking their minds; it certainly wouldn’t be the first time one of them had said something that got them in trouble.
Much to her relief though, she saw him push away any morbid thoughts he may have been harboring. “If I do, it’s definitely a lone wolf.”
Gretel sighed, sensing that the playful moment had passed. “I guess we’re both loners then.”
He nodded to the door. “Well, you’ve got your brother and friends.”
Yes, she had to admit that that was true. “And you’ve got Carl.”
For some reason, that made him laugh. “Well, not necessarily. Trust me, Carl would much prefer to be back at Rome in his lab working on his experiments. This assignment was a special occasion.” His eyes narrowed in thought. “Speaking of your brother, am I going to have to worry that he’s going to try to kill me during the night for sleeping with his sister?”
This time it was Gretel’s turn to laugh. “You don’t have to worry about that. We may be twins, but there are some parts of our lives that we stay out of. Our sexual encounters are one of them.”
He gave her a smile. “That’s good to know. I wouldn’t want something like an overprotective brother to get in the way of our mission. We can’t afford to have any distractions.”
She returned his smile, only hers was more flirtatious and playful. “Oh, I don’t know about that. Some distractions can be pretty good.” She leaned in kissed him. “But you’re right. Fun time is over for now. It’s time to get back to the mission.”

(A/N: Another chapter done. One that also ended up being much longer than I thought it would be. But now you see the whole point of the chemistry I built up between Gretel and Van Helsing. Not only was it meant to help him move on from Anna's death, but it was also meant to be the catalyst for this deal that's happening between Ben and Blair. Where are things going to go from here? You'll have to stay tuned to find out.)
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Van Helsing And The Witch Hunters	By : moviefan Category: -Movies Misc > Crossovers Views: 350 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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Van Helsing And The Witch Hunters