First off, I just want to thank all my reviewers! I never thought I'd get over a 100 reviews on a Van Helsing fanfiction but yay! I always get so sappy when I'm finishing a story lol. This story has been updated a tad slow, yes, but I hope you all will find it worth the wait. By the way, I'm not bashing Anna in this chapter, just trying to fit her into the picture. Now without anymore rambling, here's the last chapter of Such an Odd Child.
Dracula jumped up from his seat on the bed, rushing over to his fallen girl. Van Helsing moved away from the window and copied his actions, both leaning over her. Anna was shaking with tears streaming down her face, holding a needle like vial. Moments ago, it had been full of a purple greenish liquid; the cure.
Van Helsing yelled something along the lines of, "She looks like she's dying!"
Dracula grabbed Akiko's wrist, watching her change from her werewolf cub like transformation back to her normal self. Her eyes, those eyes that were as bright as the dim sun, were fading as she closed them.
"She was only half a werewolf because of her mother! She didn't need the whole thing!" He snarled slightly at Anna. He wasn't trying to be mean and he did not hate her, he was just much stressed at the moment. Sure his snarl turned into a growl, making both hunters be wary, but it was understandable. Anna couldn't have known anyway.
With a fang or two showing, Dracula picked up Akiko and placed her on the bed she laid on merely hours ago. The same bed he had scared her off of by storming in, questioning her with a growl about the village. The very same bed she lay on when he watched over her at night. When he studied her as she lay in a drunken unconscious state, thinking about how much she had changed over the years.
Van Helsing watched the vampire lord pick up his daughter and place her on her bed. It would take a while to get used to calling her 'his daughter'. He took advantage of this moment to glance around the room. There were pictures and paintings of various things, like scenery and people…mostly Dracula and her. There was no fire place but instead a bay window covered with red silk blankets. It was before a window as tall as the ceiling.
Anna glanced at the shot in her hands, shaking slightly. "I-I thought…" She whispered softly. Finally she spoke up louder, although it wasn't necessary. After all, Van Helsing was a hunter who had sharp hearing and Dracula was…well, he already had good hearing.
"I thought she was a full werewolf. I didn't know. Will she be okay?" Although she felt betrayed by the fourteen year old, she liked her enough to be willing to call her a friend.
Dracula was still trying to calm himself down but had enough sense to answer the guilt-filled woman. "She should be…might be." He looked over the girl for signs of oncoming Death. "Her breathing is alright…her heartbeat is rapid though. She now has a fever…get some ice water."
As he went on checking signs of illness, Van Helsing voiced a thought no father liked to speak of. "What happens if we can help her? What happens if she dies?"
The vampire looked up, a strand of silk black hair covering his sparkling eyes. Although the last question sounded stupid, he understood what he meant. Although enemies now, they were not always cruel to one another in the past…even if he didn't remember.
"If she survives the night without any abnormal transformations, she should be okay. We'll just need to worry about the fever and her heartbeat."
Anna interrupted, stepping closer to the bed to look over the unconscious Akiko. "What kind of 'abnormal transformations'?"
Dracula continued without any knowledge of being interrupted, "You'll know when and if you see them. As I was saying…We just need to worry about her fever."
The hat wearing hunter took off his hat, throwing it to the chair near by and knelt besides the bed. "And if the fever gets worse? Surely you have something to cure the cure!" There was desperation in his voice. That was understandable, however. After all, he just realized he had an offspring, something that loved him and cared for his existence. Something that, hopefully, could help him remember his past.
The black haired man, standing on the other side of the bed, looked over the pale sweating Akiko for a long moment. There was no cure for the cure simply because he never saw the need to make one. If a werewolf turned on him, he'd inject the vile creature with the cure and kill him. If he had anticipated Akiko…Well, no one can anticipate love.
"If she grows near Death…" Dracula said softly, knowing the hunter wouldn't like it one bit of what his next words were. "To keep her living in a way…I could turn her into one of my kind."
Without warning he felt himself being shoved into a nearby stone wall. Dracula could hear the growl in Van Helsing's voice, could hear his heartbeat speed up with rage. "Never! She won't be turned into filth like you!" While he had to admit that the hunter surprised him, he found this amusing since he predicted such a reaction.
Deciding to taunt him a bit, the vampire smirked, "But she's lived with 'filth' all her life…Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you weren't around so you wouldn't know. She's in love with 'filth' as well."
Just as the hunter readied himself to shout something, Anna's voice interrupted them, "Will you two fools shut up for a moment?! Akiko's muttering something in her sleep, I think she's either dreaming or hallucinating or something." Both men walked over to her in merely seconds.
Akiko was not muttering anything; she just lay there breathing heavily.
Anna stood up on the other side of the bed, her hands on her corset covered hips. "I apologizing for having to lie and give you both a fright, but this just proved me right. Both of you care and love her so talk out, calmly, what your plans of actions are. When she awakens and when, not if, she gets better, she'll want to be with the man she loves but she'll want to have her family in her life too. Talk about it like gentlemen, if not for Akiko's sake then your own. You could very well lose her over a grudge and rage you felt against the other."
With that shocking speech and scorning, she turned on her heels and left to get more ice water.
"What a lady…" Van Helsing muttered, watching in shock as she left.
Dracula couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, slightly amused at how the hunter acted. "Well then…I guess we should talk." He spoke softly, sitting on the other side of the bed.
Van Helsing nodded, sitting on the bed as well. "…You said I killed you…Why?"
The black haired man looked up with a soft, sorrowful smile. "I don't know. You did kill me though, Gabriel. For Akiko only, I'm willing to forgive and forget…although it appears you did the last part of the both of us."
Van Helsing sneered, restraining himself. "I want to be in my daughter's life, Dracula."
"I couldn't agree more. She needs some family in her life, after all the betrayal I've given her. Giving her so much grief and loneliness."
It was silent once more.
Both understood what he meant; how he failed to tell her he was a creature of the night…how he failed to tell her about her mother. She would easily forgive him, but that didn't mean he forgave himself so easily and quick.
"However, I wish to be in her life as well." He finished his late thought.
"So how are we going to do this?" Van Helsing mumbled mostly to himself.
Several moments passed until the vampire answered, "Share the castle, call truce…Anna would make a great mother figure to Akiko." Van Helsing was just ready to agree when his face went red. Inwardly, Dracula chuckled. This would be an interesting night.
She could hear her name being whispered. Her body felt light as a feather as she floated through out the darkness but her heart felt as heavy as a stone. Even when unconscious, she was debating something mentally and emotionally.
The voice she heard whisper her name sounded female. Looking around, she saw nothing but darkness. It was hot though, extremely hot. The temperature was so high that she had a difficult time breathing.
Where was she?
Finally she felt a familiar presence behind her…and yet, this presence was one she never felt before. Turning around, she couldn't help but stare. Her eyes widened and she felt her breath get stuck in her throat.
Before her stood an angel like woman. Her hair was as yellow as gold, her skin pale yet glowing. Her eyes were a dark blue, like the ocean. Her nose was sharp and slightly big, but it only added to her beauty. Her smile distracted anyone's view from her nose anyway, for it was brightening and light and full of joy.
It was Akiko's smile.
"Who…are you?" She questioned softly, wondering if she was dead. Was she in Hell? That would explain the high temperature.
The woman chuckled softly, placing a cool palm on Akiko's cheek. "I'm Rose…I'm your mother."
"Mother?" She whispered, distracted by the cold hand.
"You've grown into such a beautiful young woman, Akiko. I only wish I could see your father…Speaking of…how is he? Still forgetful of his past? Well, no matter, it'll come back to him soon. Akiko…My baby…I'm so sorry for getting you into all this. And yet, I'm not. If I hadn't begged that demon vampire to take you, you would have never found love. Or Van Helsing, for that matter. I had just gotten so restless, locked away in that hut. I loved it, yes, but even the most beautiful palace can seem like a prison…you'd know, wouldn't you?
"I've been watching over you ever since those Brides took you in. The cure Anna gave you was a bit overdosed…it will kill you. However…" She stopped to hear her daughter gasp. "However…I will help you. I will heal you, my child, just like any other mother would. Tell your father…" She whispered softly in her ear, making the red hair teen smile.
The glowing around Rose became brighter, her smile sad. She cupped her daughter's face in her hands and looked into her red eyes. "…Such an odd child…" She smiled weakly.
It was morning, the sun was just showing. It was impossible to tell, however, thanks to the shades over the window. Dracula watched Van Helsing fight to stay awake. Earlier he found it funny, but now he himself grew tired.
"Vlad? Father?" A weak voice whispered in between them.
Their eyes widened as they stared at each other, quickly looking down at the well awake Akiko. It was a blur of hugs, kisses, words of comfort, and affection. Several hours passed as they spoke of their agreement, of their future plans.
"Gabriel and his soon-to-be-wife Anna may stay here with us." Dracula announced, smirking as both hunter's glanced away. Akiko snickered as well, clinging onto her master.
"Come, we'll talk more about that. Dracula…I leave her in your care for a while…at least until I'm finished with the um…future plans with Anna." Van Helsing smiled at both of them. Yes he was still uncomfortable about leaving a dangerous creature with his daughter, but she was a hunter. And hunters, he learned, had a sixth sense for danger ahead.
Just before he walked out of the door, Akiko pulled away from her master and ran over to him. "Father!" She exclaimed, "Wait! When I was near Death…I saw…I saw mother."
"What?" He spun around, staring at the smiling teen.
"I saw her. She looked beautiful, Father, simply beautiful! She told me to tell you…Your past is your past, you can't change it. Your future is to far ahead, so don't worry about it. Your present is current, so make do with what you can."
As Van Helsing hugged his daughter tight, he glanced over at the vampire.
Such an odd child, with such an odd love, with such an odd family.
In the castle now lived a creature of the night, an autumn angel, a hunter of evil, and the hunter's wife.
The end!
I'm thinking for a sequel, I could show the problems going on there as Akiko grows up. And her kids! Gasp! If I do, however, it won't be for a month or so. Or maybe sooner, who knows! Lol. Reviews would be appreciated!