A.N. ok people so this story is a Van Helsing/ X-Men crossover, the only characters from Van Helsing will be Gabriel and Anna. There will be some Alleyra (think that's how you spell it) but only in the beginning. This story is sort of AU from the X-Men side, the events of Alkali Lake happened but Jean isn't dead or thought dead, she got on the plane and powered it from there, Logan isn't in love with her, the whole kissing "the good guy never leaves" thing didn't happen, she is still with Scott. Logan is still doing the partial lone wolf thing like in X1 but is helping out at the school and with missions as well. He is still searching for his past. He has one clue apart from his dog tags- which he no longer has, he found out about the experiment stuff remember- a silver crucifix which he never takes off. So this story is sort of after X2 but won't go into X3 because that storyline wouldn't fit in with this. That means no Phoenix angle, although the cure may possibly be included in this- not sure yet-finally, magneto will not have a large role in this piece if at all, the basic plot of this story is really just Gabriel/Logan and Anna and romance so don't go looking for any amazing works of J. from this story or anything because it's really just semi-serious fluff. SO! Without any further rambling from me please read and enjoy. And.... if you really like it you could even leave me a review

Thanks for reading people, it means a lot. Hope you enjoy

P.S Professor Xavier will not be dying in this story

1888- Romania- Dracula's castle-

Gabriel Van Helsing and Carl the friar.

"No, no don't kill me. Van Helsing, please don't kill me" Carl pleased to the terrifying werewolf towering over him, a needle sticking from his side. The werewolf reached down and grabbed the whimpering friar from the floor, rearing his head back and letting out a primal howl he prepared to strike. As his grip on his prey tightened and he bared his fangs for the kill his body began to convulse eventually he was forced to drop his meal and curl up on the floor while agonising spasms wracked his body. Images of his human life began to flash behind his clenches eyelids and slowly his body began to retake its natural form.

Sitting up from his position on the vampire grimy floor Gabriel Van Helsing glanced around him breathing deeply. He noted the large pile of smouldering ash nearby and the quivering form of Carl hiding in a corner

"Where's Anna?" he growled in Carl's direction having immediately noticed her absence.

The friar squeaked at the sound of Van Helsing's voice and jumped up quickly, glancing around nervously as he did so.

"Isn't, isn't she here?" he queried shakily, still somewhat unnerved by Van Helsing's attack while in werewolf form, "i thought she'd be here by now, she went after the remaining brides while i got the cure to you" he said motioning to the needle still embedded in the slayers side. "She said she'd find us, i couldn't stop her, she wanted to find Alleyra and took off towards the dungeons"

Van Helsing growled as he stalked past Carl, he silently prayed that Anna was still alive and had managed to escape the remaining vampire bride. As good a fighter as she was; Gabriel knew she couldn't handle a century old vampire on her own. Grabbing hold of Carl and storming off in the direction of the dungeons the infamous demon slayer, secret weapon of the Vatican and most wanted man in Europe found himself truly afraid for the first time in his memory.

Anna Valerious and Alleyra.

Anna raced around the corner of the darkened dungeon corridor, trying desperately to escape the furious vampire bride chasing her. Reaching blindly for the sliver crucifix around her neck Anna quickly ripped it off and wrapped the chain tightly around her hand. Coming to a stop as the passage was suddenly blocked off Anna turned wildly around looking for another route but was immediately faced with a demonic Alleyra.

"Hello Anna" she cooed in her unnaturally girly voice, a sickeningly false smile pasted on her face as she slowly advanced on the gypsy princess before her

"I will not let you kill me Alleyra. I would rather spend an eternity burning in Hells fire's than allow you to make me into something like you."

"Aaawww so brave. Such a brave little princess; even in death, because this is your death Anna, there's nowhere to run and no Valkin to save you, he's gone. And now.... you will be too" as she said this she brought her hand up in a move too fast to see and punched Anna hard on the temple. watching gleefully as the last of the Valerious line slumped to the floor barely conscious Alleyra let out a high pitched squeal of laughter while reaching down to grasp her preys neck. Pulling the lithe body upright and flinging the crucifix in its hand into a corner Alleyra allowed her fangs to emerge while reverently stroking Anna's neck as she plunged her head downwards and viciously bit into the soft skin at her enemy's pulse point; savouring the hot, rich blood that immediately filled her mouth.

Anna's heart started to beat rapidly and then began to slow as her life-force was drained from her neck, she was barely conscious when Alleyra suddenly pulled her mouth away and let out a blood chilling scream of pure agony as she turned to ash.

"Gabriel" was Anna's final thought before she finally succumbed to unconsciousness with a small smile on her lips and a look of relief gracing her face.

Van Helsing raced around the many winding corridors of the dungeons desperately searching for the missing princess. Rounding a final corner and being forced to stop by a sudden wall blocking his way the furious slayer let out an enraged snarl and turned around to go back the way he had come when he noticed a silver crucifix in a dark corner. Kneeling down he reverently picked up the necklace and cradled it to his chest, if her cross was here then it could only mean....

"Anna" he whispered, his voice sounding lost and broken. Anna Valerious, gypsy princess, last of the Valerious line was dead, and Gabriel felt his heart had died with her. He would be accused of her murder of course and they would be right, he was to blame. He had killed her. He knew he must leave, return to the Vatican and lay low for a while then begin it all again; the monster hunting, the never ending stream of killing he would do in God's name, he knew he would never be allowed to stop, it was his curse. His punishment for his past sins and now there was another to add to the never ending list. The murder of Anna Valerious. The woman he had loved.

1 month later- Holland

Anna Valerious

Waking up was a peculiar experience for Anna, it was as though her senses simply sprung alive, there was no slow leisurely drifting of her mind back to reality while she curled up beneath her warm blankets. This was an immediate wake up; she immediately knew she was not in her own home, she was aware of every scent around her, a combination of rosemary, a tiny bit of lavender and several foreign scents she did not know the name of. What had woken her up she realised was the fact that someone was very slowly pushing open the door of the room she currently occupied trying to make as little noise as possible yet Anna could hear every move the person took, she could hear every rustle of material, every tiptoed step and every slightly shaky breath the person inhaled. Some unknown instinct told her the visitor was female. - she knew not how but decided not to question the reasons- Lying back down in her relatively comfortable bed and pretending to be asleep Anna listened as the girl entered the room and padded across to where she lay. The girl stood over her prone body for a long moment before gently reaching out and brushing some hair off of her forehead.

Opening her eyes in shock from the unexpected contact Anna instinctively reacted and gripped the girls arm tightly; pulling her down roughly to the bed and rolling over so the helpless girl was pinned beneath her Anna questioned her in a harsh voice

"Where am i? Where's Gabriel and who are you?"

The young girl on the bed stared in shock at the woman holding her down. Two hours ago she had been as one dead, the way she had been for the past month yet now she was being forcibly held down by that same woman, the one her brother had feared would not live more than a few days but had held on for more than a month, surviving on the tiny amount of water and broth she- Maria- had managed to pour into her.

"Where am i? Where is Gabriel" Anna questioned again slightly softer as she noted the shock written plainly on the girl beneath hers face.

"I'm Maria" the girl whispered, slowly emerging from her shock of being suddenly attacked by the woman she had nursed for the past month

"I- I don't know any Gabriel- but the angel- and you are in Holland, in my brothers house, he is a minister, like a priest. You have been my patient for a full month now, this is the first time you have awoken in that time. I have tried to care for you as best i can although you have had very little to eat or drink in your time here, how you survived at all is a mystery."

Anna stared at Maria and silently listened to her talk while taking in her features at the same time. She guessed her to be about 15, she was slight with dark brown hair and wide chocolate coloured eyes, she wore a simple baggy beige dress with a pristine white apron tied around the middle and a small white cap on her head which held most of her hair but a few strands had escaped and were scattered about her face.

"Holland?" Anna questioned quietly as she jumped off of the bed and began pacing lightly around the room.

Maria nodded her head and Anna sank down onto the floor.

"How did i get to Holland?" she wondered aloud

Maria sat and watched the strange woman as she rambled around the room; she listened to her muttering to herself and wondered if her brain had perhaps been affected by her illness. The woman who had been her patient suddenly stopped her pacing's and turned towards her with a determined expression on her face.

"Van Helsing." She suddenly stated startling Maria out of her thoughts. Maria grimaced when she realised the name her mysterious patient had uttered, wondering again at the peculiarity of the woman.

"Has anything been heard of Van Helsing recently?"

"Yes of course" Maria stated as though it was obvious. "He is wanted more than ever, he recently committed another murder- Romania this time, a princess apparently. There are searchers all over the world looking for him now, he is the most wanted man in Europe, and the bounty upon his head has reached almost legendary proportions."

Anna was speechless. Gabriel was wanted for her death and she was not even dead. She was in Holland and had been for a month apparently. She appeared to have heightened senses for some reason. She had been unconscious for a full month with next to no food or water and yet was still alive.

Standing up suddenly from where she was once again seated on the floor Anna looked at the young girl observing her with curiosity from the bed

"Thank you for your kindness but i must go" she stated to the girl

Looking around the room she was relieved to see all her belongings hanging neatly from a cupboard door and hurriedly dressed and gathered her few possessions. Reaching for the cross at her neck Anna was dismayed to find it was not there. Turning towards Maria who was sitting looking at her as though she were mad the slightly shaken Romanian princess asked

"When i was brought here, did i have a silver crucifix in my possession by any chance, it was a gift from my brother." Her favourite knife was also missing but she thought it better not to mention that.

"No, i am sorry, however you did have this, i thought it better not to show it to my brother lest he refused to let you stay here" Maria then pulled Anna's knife cautiously from a drawer beside the bed while Anna stared in surprise at the innocent looking girl who had apparently hidden a weapon for her for a whole month.

"Thank you Maria" she said to the girl with a small amount of unconcealed respect in her voice. Going to her money pouch and finding it untouched Anna pulled out several gold pieces and handed them to her young nursemaid "give these to your brother, thank him for his hospitality and any inconvenience i may have caused please apologise for. Thank you for taking care of me Maria, i would perhaps not be alive if not for you but now i must go. I have matters to attend to."

With that said Anna stalked purposefully towards the window and jumped out, gripping hold of trailing washing lines as she jumped the princess then swung up towards the roofs and landing silently continued her journey via rooftop. She was going home, she would return to Romania, set the record of her death straight and then...... who knows, perhaps she would travel, see the ocean. Find Gabriel maybe? - would he want to see her or would she simply be a burden to him?

Her family was safe in heaven, she knew that. Dracula was dead; Alleyra would not have turned to dust on her own otherwise. She was free, could do whatever she wanted with no responsibilities. Even her town wouldn't need her anymore; she was no longer needed to protect them from the vampires, they were all gone.

Thanks to Gabriel.

Anna felt a gaping hole in her heart as she thought of him, did he mourn her? she wondered, did he believe her truly dead? Had he even thought about her at all, after all she could simply have been part of the job description to him, a protect the princess part. Who knows?

Deciding firmly to leave all thoughts of Gabriel Van Helsing in the back of her head for the moment Anna concentrated on getting home. And waiting to see if Van Helsing would return after he learned she was not dead, that way she would have her answers be they the ones she wanted or not.

Present Day- Westchester

Logan/Wolverine

"Aah Logan, nice of you to finally join us" professor Xavier said, slight mirth in his voice as he watched the man slouch into the room, his perpetual half scowl as always present on his face when he glanced up to look around the room at the others then back to the professor

"You send me out on a tracking mission for six weeks where i get almost zero sleep and expect me to come back all bright eyed and wolf-y tailed. Come on chuck i deserve a little time to rest after that, not to mention the fact that the sucker attacked me."

"Oh yes Logan i quite agree" professor Xavier stated still smiling at the grouchy wolverine "but don't you think three days is a bit much?"

Logan whipped sharply towards the older man as he heard this and questioned

"I was out cold for three days?" while storm burst out laughing at the comical expression on his face as he stared in shock at the professor.

"Wow, i mean i knew i was tired but that's a lot of sleep, especially for me" Logan was frowning at the ground now, slightly worried although he didn't quite know why. "Are you sure i was out for the whole three days, i didn't wake up once?"

"No Logan, you were asleep for three days. You didn't wake up at all; i had a camera put in your room after the first day to keep an eye on you, i would know if you'd woken up at all"

Storm had stopped laughing by now, having sensed the sudden change of atmosphere and was now watching the exchange between Logan and the professor cautiously.

Nodding his head in acceptance of the professor's words and still frowning worriedly wolverine turned and prepared to leave the room while he unconsciously pulled on a chain around his neck when Xavier's voice in his head stopped him

What are you worried about Logan? Why does the knowledge of your time asleep worry you so?

Glancing over his shoulder at the man Logan shrugged his shoulders while still fiddling with the chain around his neck

"Its fine chuck, really. I'm just not used to sleeping a lot that's all; it's a bit strange to me to sleep so long so I'm just a bit shocked. That's it. Really!" he insisted at professor Xavier's disbelieving look. Flinging a small smile in Storm's direction and a leave it alone glance at the professor wolverine quickly exited the room and went in search of something to eat.

"What was Logan wearing around his neck?" was Storm's first question as soon as the volatile man in question was out of earshot, "i thought he got rid of his dog tags at the lake?"

"He did" replied the professor quietly; he's got something new to replace them by the looks of it and whatever it is he's obviously attached to, he automatically reached for that necklace when he began feeling stressed did you see?"

Storm nodded he head although the professor wasn't actually asking for an answer; he was merely bouncing his thoughts out. Recognising one of the professor's deep thinking phases coming on storm decided to leave him to and go see if any of the youngsters needed help but was stopped in the doorway by Xavier's voice

"oh and Ororo my dear, try and find out what that necklace is would you?, it may be some connection to Logan's past seeing as he's so attached to it"

Nodding her head once more Storm quietly exited the room; leaving Professor Xavier alone with his thoughts concerning the enigma that was wolverine/Logan and who knew who else.

"LOGAN!" Rogue squealed as she ran down the stairs and threw herself into the arms of the elusive wolverine, he had been back four days and this was the first time she had caught even a glimpse of him.

"Hey kid!" he replied with a reluctant smile creeping onto his face as he returned her hug "long time no see huh?"

"Ya think!" She returned ignoring the nickname he had given her "you've been back like FOUR days now and you didn't even come say hello?"

Logan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and fingered the chain about his neck at the same time "yeah, sorry about that kid, I've been asleep."

"Sure you have!" Rogue laughed "Logan, come on give me a better one than that. You don't sleep. not ever. Or if you do it's only a tiny amount. There's no way i believe you've been asleep for three days straight"

"Well i was!" he growled out, taking a hurt Rogue by surprise, Logan never snapped at her, not properly anyway, she was one of the few people he genuinely seemed to like.

Rogue's eyes widened and the hurt was clearly visible in them, it was obvious she was fighting tears and that immediately made Logan feel guilty, he hadn't meant to snap at her, he was just stressed about the whole sleep thing for a reason he couldn't understand.

Pulling Rogue towards him he embraced her in a half hug with one arm around her as the other played with his chain.

"I'm sorry Marie" he muttered to the upset girl

"I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm just stressed from the tracking trip, it took a bit of a sideways twist and i ended up in a fight as usual"

"It's ok" Rogue responded still slightly hurt

"i really mean it though Marie, i am sorry" wolverine insisted sincerely to the girl he thought of as a little sister"

"Ok, I'll forgive you" rogue stated solemnly "one one condition" she added with an evil grin.

"What?" Logan asked smiling while still playing with the chain subconsciously

"You stop calling me kid" Rogue laughed

"No deal!" Logan said laughed as well, "you'll always be kid to me- kid! But how about i take you with me on my next trip to the city and let you loose on the stores with a school card?" he asked

Rogue pretended to scowl for a moment before bursting out laughing and hugging Logan tightly. Noticing the chain he was wearing Rogue was immediately curious, she thought Logan had gotten rid of his dog tags and she had never known him to wear any other form of jewellery.

"What's that Logan?" she asked pointing to the chain in his fingers

Logan glanced down to where Rogue was pointing and seemed surprised to see the chain in his fingers, frowning slightly he shrugged and pulled the rest of the chain from his shirt to allow Rogue to see it better. It was a medium sized crucifix, about an inch and a half in height and an inch in diameter, it was very intricately designed, the cross was made up of an intricately looped piece of silver, coiling up and through itself in an ivy like fashion with small tendrils flicking out here and there. The end result was a beautifully crafted cross which appeared to have no beginning or end. It was obviously very old and Rogue wondered why Logan had something so religious and feminine when he was neither. Looking up from her study of the necklace with her silent questions evident on her face rogue found Logan smirking at her slightly, obviously waiting for her questions.

Rogue grinned and crossed her arms while looking at him with an expectant expression on her face; two could play at that wolfs game she thought with a smirk. The childish battle of wills lasted only a few amusing seconds before wolverine gave up and with a pretend growl of annoyance began to talk while he dragged Rogue towards the kitchen- as that had been his original goal before he was trapped by the very persistent Marie. Aka. Rogue-

"When we were at the lake" he noticed her wince slightly and draped his arm around her shoulder as they walked "and i took off to find striker i also found a file room. There was a box with my name on it and this was inside" he indicated the crucifix at his neck. "That's about all there was, there was a ring as well but i don't really like it. This" he reached once more for the chain "i just felt connected to somehow. I put it on when we got back and now i just haven't taken it off since i guess."

Rogue nodded as she studied Logan's face while he talked "well that's good i guess. I mean if it's from your past and you feel connected to it then it might help you remember. Right?"

Logan nodded a thoughtful frown on his face. Shaking his head lightly as though to clear it he suddenly smiled down at the girl under his arm

"But for the moment" he grinned "all i want to remember is the taste of mud pie, hot fudge sauce, banana slices and almond nuts all mixed together, maybe with a bit of peanut butter on top. Then i want to remember a big rare juicy steak and after that who knows what else I'll want to remember."

"God Logan, you're disgusting" Rogue laughed as they reached the kitchen, she would never understand Logan's food habits, thank god he didn't try to make her eat it with him, he'd learned not to do that the hard way she remembered with another small laugh; the food ending up all over his shirt and in his lap when he'd tried to get her to eat it was a big enough clue to make him not try it again.

They talked for a few hours in the kitchen and rec room, laughing and catching up before curfew was called and rogue headed upstairs to her room. She gave Logan one last hug and received an

"I missed you kid, I'll see you in the morning"

Before she went upstairs pondering on what had changed in Logan. Because something definitely had, she just wasn't sure what but there was something in his eyes and in his voice that was just slightly off from the Logan she was used to. She knew undoubtedly that he was still himself- not mystique or another shape changer- and yet something was different. Especially when he talked about the pendant he now wore.

For the next few weeks Logan stayed at the mansion, helping out with training, minor missions and helped the professor attempt to gather more information on his past. The last had proved pretty much dead ended and they were no further forward than they had been the last time he was there.

One morning nearly a month after he had returned wolverine was summoned to Professor Xavier's office. There was a rogue mutant on the loose in the city, it had been causing mass hysteria among the citizens and seemed to have no intention of stopping its rampage. It had already seriously injured 12 people and killed 4 in the last two weeks. Wolverine was being sent down to contain it, give it the choice of stopping and if it refused then he was to stop it. The professor had made it plain that he held no sympathy for this mutant- this had surprised even Logan-and if needs be as a last resort wolverine was authorised to put it down- this had really surprised Logan, chuck was normally almost totally against the termination of a mutants life no matter how bad they were- Xavier claimed that the mutants rampage was extremely bad for the alliance which had recently been forged with the president and considering he was attacking people right on their doorstep the attacks could possibly be seen as the schools doing. Logan had nodded as he was given his instruction and thought to himself bitterly as an image of a monk gesturing to him and yelling flashed before his eyes just like the Vatican. As soon as the thought and picture entered his head he immediately wondered where it came from and decided to try and puzzle it out while he was packing in his room, he had been getting quite a few of those flashes recently. Unfortunately professor Xavier had hear the thought as well and before Logan could escape to think about it on his own the professor has wheeled his chair towards him and gripped his hand tightly.

"what does that mean Logan, what do the Vatican have to do with you tracking down a mutant?, are you talking about the holy Vatican or is it a code name perhaps from when you were with striker? Logan! Why were you thinking about the Vatican?"

The questions flowed one after the other from the older man's mouth and swirled around Logan's head suffocating him, making him unable to breathe as another image appeared in his mind, a picture of a woman, she was looking imperiously towards him, a mass of long dark ringlets which felt like silk pouring over one shoulder and touching the edge of her well fitted bodice, she had dark, mysterious eyes framed by thick sooty lashes which could look straight into your soul as she asked a question. Her cheekbones arched high in her face, accentuating the rest of features while her soft mouth which could ignite passions with a single kiss was set in a determined pose as though to assure you she always got what she wanted through her determination although didn't give the impression of being spoiled. Her eyes told of knowledge, love and kindness but like her mouth spoke of her determination, steel and a willingness and ability to fight with the best of them even against the scariest of foes while still staying collected. Hanging around her graceful swan like neck which to touch felt like velvet and suspended on a delicate chain; was a cross made of silver, its design looping and weaving into itself, flicking out occasionally like ivy.

The image faded in Logan's mind almost as soon as it had appeared but he was left with an overwhelmingly aching chasm in his chest where he knew his heart should have been. His hand gripped the cross around his neck in a vice like grip even as he panted desperately on the floor of the professor's study and tried to force back the urge to howl piteously as he was engulfed in a tidal wave of heartache. After several minutes sitting on the floor of the study Logan finally managed to look up and realised to his horror that Xavier had kept a tight grip on his hand throughout the whole thing. He had seen everything, felt the emotions her portrait had awoken, - the irritation, intrigue, love, heartbreak-heard the thoughts concerning her and noticed the identical cross hanging from both of their necks. He had felt Logan's agonising pain and the power of his overwhelming love.

"Who was she?" he asked quietly to the man sitting broken on the floor

"Anna" was the only response as Logan pulled himself to his feet while wrenching his hand from Xavier's and heading for the door "I'm going to pack" he growled before disappearing leaving the professor with a heavy heart and mind.