Chlloe was tightening the knots on the cover of the military truck in front of the wooden hut. A modest construction, made in the last century, probably by some crazy pioneer with a jovial disposition to search for gold in the Alps. Poor thing, a great enthusiast, and a great fool too. Squeezed in the rocks, the hut avoids snow and storms. It also had the walls three times thicker, preventing the freeze of two semi-detached rooms, one with a bathtub dug into the rock and underground water.

"Slowly, cupcake," said Carmilla, holding the journalist's waist next to hers. "Careful with the step," on all care and affection, the vampire led Laura's stunted steps. "All that time sleeping, weakened your body." what an unusual scene, so strong, and so worried on the human frailty.

Cheerful barks greeted them. Chlloe circled them with her tail wagging, heeling the short walk. Carmilla fastened the passenger seat belt on Laura, checking the crystal strapped around her neck.

"Don't bend your neck too much," asked the thread of voice of a worried girlfriend. It had been three or four weeks since Laura's awakening, and since then she's been mute, her vocal cords out of order. Carmilla wasn't sure if she would ever hear the chattering voice again, but so many times, she craved for silence, now dreamed of the journalist humming her name.

The vampire went behind the wheel, adjusted the mirrors, took aim at the blonde, and saw a dog with its tongue sticking out between them.

"What you doing?" The brunette received a warm tongue on the tip of her nose, along with the noises of a tail hitting the seat. "Cut it out, and move your ass back there," snarled, but the furry ignored her, and before more disagreements, the passenger's arms pulled the dog, laying her on her legs, exposing her fluffy belly. "Don't let her lick you, you don't know where she stuck her tongue."

Laura smiled without showing her teeth, accentuating the dimples in her cheeks.

Damn. Thought Carmilla, escaping nervous laughter at being hostage to the other's silly faces.

The trip started full of narrow passages, non-existent roads, millenary trees, ravines, lots of snow, which delayed the long journey at reduced speed. The biker wasn't willing to risk jumping off the bench by going harder on the accelerator, even more with the gigantic fear of hurting the curious journalist. Fear. In so long, she was reliving the fear. It was the first time since the day, that day with that one.

This someone leaning on the armrest of the window, with long golden hair running down her back, the ends lighter with age on the bench, almond-shaped eyes, bearing heavy dark circles, watching the snow fall, dressed in the smallest uniform found, and yet big for her tiny body; Laura.

"Take it off. I think there will be no problem and you seem to be exhausted," said the vampire, without taking her eyes off the wheel. Chlloe looked at her, then sat on the bench licking the blonde.

Laura smiled at the attention she received, fingered the leather cord around her neck, and finally untied it, leaving the pendant hanging in the rear-view mirror. It was amazing the effect of her smile. Carmilla never felt her chest warmer with so little, a smile, a tender look to her. Everything this woman gave her was a birthday present.

"What's it?" The vampire blushed when she realized how the journalist was looking at her. It was curiosity, but there was also something else under the silly look. "Sleep, I'll take some time till we reach Treffen, and some sleep will help those dark circles, not that you don't be cute looking like a panda," She laughed because she didn't know what to do next with the blonde's answer, a little shy, uncertain what to do with the muted laugh trapped between her teeth, making her bite her lower lip and throw her hair aside. She almost drove the bumper on a tree.

The brunette had to control herself, focus on the path, and the blonde did not take long to fall asleep with her back between the door and the bench, her eyes were heavy, they closed like the curtains at the end of the show, her body relaxing every muscle, her heart beating slowly, little by little, plunging the blonde into total silence. Carmilla followed each of these simple signals, allowing the same calm to invade her. The truck jumped for a distraction from the brunette.

"She's okay, she's okay," Chlloe held the passenger's head.

"She won't, she's exhausted," said, secretly charging herself for not having seen the hole.

"And you not? Come on, let me handle this part, it's a little worst." The furry one wore cargo pants and a jacket of the same military line.

"You go too fast. I don't want to risk it," she snarled.

"Oh, shut up. I learned from the truck drivers, besides, who brought you here in one piece, vampire?"

The vampire had nothing to complain about. No way she could, since the lake, and all that mess. It was Chlloe who had saved her, even from losing Laura.

"Fine," she sighed. "But don't go too fast," The truck stopped before they entered a road. Carmilla walked around the front of the vehicle, passing by the professional driver. "Aren't you cold, on this?" asked on the strip of skin showing on the canine's chest.

"I'm fine, better air the wound. Want to take Laura back? So you sleep with her."

"No, I don't want to wake her up, she's finally asleep. I'm just going to pull her to my side and hold her head, and keep an eye on you, speed demon," she closed her eyes in a playful tone.

"Oh, shut up milk vampire," Chlloe laughed.

They changed places and continued their journey. Laura snored against Carmilla's chest, hugging her. Finally, they came to a road thinner than the truck and every time a branch broke in the rearview mirror.

"Don't run," she sounded the thread of voice given to sleep.

"Seriously, sleep. I promise I won't put on the belt, so if we crash, I'll through the glass and die."

Carmilla kicked Chlloe's thigh.

"You better use the belt and live, you mongrel. Try to kill yourself, and I swear I'll hunt you in hell if I have to,"

"Worried about me, vampire?" she laughed.

"Don't die, I don't want it, Chlloe,"

It was the first time Carmilla's sarcastic voice disappeared towards the furry one. It was the first time there was affection in the brunette's voice towards her.

"Sleep tight, you need it," she smiled, and the trip continued with the shapeshifter at the wheel and the journalist in the vampire's arms, both sleeping.

***

Carmilla awoke with her body warm next to Laura's. It wasn't the most comfortable position. A bed would be infinitely better, but the discomfort reminded her to stay alert. The blonde shifted a little, snuggling her face into her chest, making the vampire tighten her arms tighter, all to increase support for her ailing body.

"Better turn her a little," said the driver, leaning on the seat, one hand on the steering wheel, while the other held a sloppy military ration bar.

"Stop at the next gas station you find. The tank is almost empty." The vampire rubbed her eyes.

"Right over there, but I think they abandoned it."

The pump sights were dusty. The door to the store next door was wide open, broken glass all over the floor, bullet holes in the plates, and some frozen bodies.

"Winds turning," Chlloe said, opening the tank lid, squeezing the trigger of the engaged hose.

"You bring the gallons?" asked Carmilla, laying Laura on the bench.

"On the back."

"Let's fill it with whatever gasoline is available. Don't want to stop at another one of these."

"Afraid of dark?" teased Chlloe, but withdrew the sinister laugh darkening her expression. "I know, there's more of them."

"I don't want to take too long at the stops, to face one of them." She left the containers next to the pump and opened the lids, but a dizziness took her to the side.

"Leave it," said Chlloe, holding her. "I'll do it. Go stay with Laura." The shapeshifter took her in her lap. On the canine's chest, she could see the scars and stubborn wounds yet to be healed. "It tickles," said of the vampire's fingertips on the nearly healed wound, a hideous bite of a growl.

"Chlloe."

"Don't even start, shut up and rest, I did nothing, I was just the dog that I am." The driver left the vampire in the front seat with the journalist and went to finish filling the gallons.

All sounds muffled from inside the cabin, the closed windows muffling the air with their body heat. Carmilla looked at the dark road, lit only by the moon, a bluish veil, streaked with autumn clouds. Tree shadows flickered in the wind's dance. The engine cover had obstructed the forest view. The furry one was checking the oil, pulling some hoses, playing the mechanics of little paws. Still a long way to the city, to the lake.

A sliver of air from the Alps entered the cabin, pulling a growl from the blonde and, a tremendous shiver from the brunette when her left flank burned with ice and pain, it made her squeeze Laura against herself, feeling her labored and weak breathing, the heartbeats slow remembering the day at the lake:

Her chest was heavy with frozen blood, back fused with ice, each breath squeezed a hundred blades into her lungs, her joints lay in pure cold. Carmilla held Laura's body on top of her, at all costs trying to suspend her from the ice, even if it cost her last of blood.

Unfortunately, almost everything was impossible, almost empty of blood, belly open with exposed guts, the flesh torn apart in countless ways, the bronze for violating her veins, and the journalist's neck by a thread, literally, all the strength she had was to her eyes, so they would stay open and, her hand pressing the crystal on the beloved's thin neck.

Winter was cruel and merciless, one day under his dominion, it was turning off the sun and all warmness the vampire had was for Laura on her. She hoped, yearned, wished, prayed for the day to be good, but clouds and cloudy weather and, if it was already cold, feared for the night.

What would she do?

The blonde's spark of life threatened to leave this world, and the vampire's so injured and battered wouldn't stand the twilight. They imagine the other one, almost lifeless.

The biker cursed everything, trying to get up and get the journalist out of this white hell, but the urgency spilled more blood from Laura's open throat, and knocked down the brunette who was sure her guts had jumped out even further.

"I can't pass out," she cursed, almost voiceless. The day passed swiftly, and the sun hid behind the mountains, bringing the veil of darkness. The temperature drops, at the same time that the fear of the vampire increased. "I promise, I'll get you out of here, stay with me I'll..." They were false promises, the night knew, but Carmilla didn't, she wanted to and her will kept her awake, persisting against death. "Laura..."

An evil roar jumped from the trees, horrible growls crawled into the lake, and the vampire wrinkled her brows. It couldn't be, no! Anything but that! A growler sniffed the blood of the red fall. He was half-blind, his nose bent up like a bat, pointy ears, almost sharp, the teeth of a shark, and his face towards the two women near the fall.

He sniffed the air, grunted with his tongue hanging out, tossed his head from side to side, trying to figure out the direction without his eyes. Carmilla tried again to get up. A jet of blood lay her down, and the sound of her back on the ground brought the creature right over them. The bastard's weight squeezed them tighter, the puffs of smoke pouring from both fangs charged with hatred and savagery. The stress convulsed inside the brunette. She wanted but couldn't do anything with her body so weakened. Something roared inside her, a beast, but another sound filled the air. Enraged barks echoed, and the creature threw into the fall, nearly taking the vampire with it.

Her arm dangled over the red fall, leaving part of Laura's body on the ice. Carmilla tried to protect her, but only poured redder with the movement, heard yips, grunts, a despicable presence weakening, gasped almost without strength. The last breaths kept her palm pressed against the crystal. The sounds of fighting ended when a woman emerged from the slope. Chlloe with a crimson band from mouth to belly and missing teeth .

"The crystal, she has to have it, she has..." she screamed. That was why her throat was raw with ice.

"I heard, vampire,"

How was it? The vampire didn't see. She was already lying in the truckload, lying with Laura inert, pressing the crystal into the wound.

"Please, please, please stay..." pleaded, with the rest of blood rolling from her eyes. "Laura..."

Once they arrived, the vampire was stubborn, ordering Laura to be treated first, refusing any help. So it was, but once the blonde was on the bed with her neck bandaged. After that were the shapeshifter's commands advancing on Carmilla, tearing all clothing there. Rage flow over Chlloe, because of the owner's conditions, guts out, a bullet point puckering her hip.

"Damn it Carmilla!" She snarled. The brunette barely cared on what was done to her body. Her vision was always for the journalist on the bed.

***

"Vampire," Called Chlloe on the wheel. Carmilla felt a warm tongue on her face.

"Fuck! I told you not to do that," she scolded, wiping her face.

"Okay, okay sleeping beauty, wake up soon, we getting stuck in traffic." They slowed down behind a double cart well loaded with logs.

Out of nowhere, other trucks funneled into rows on the one-way road.

"What's going on? Which road did you take?"

"One with clear of traffic. I don't know where these people came from. Must be a Nazi's survey." The furry turn on the signal to change lane. She looked in the rearview mirror and inhaled the air. "There's a fire somewhere."

"Not only that," Carmilla hugged the blonde to her chest.

"I got it too, hold on," the canine turned the entire wheel, leaving the road.

"Fuck, Chlloe, watch out the holes in the path!"

The vampire could scold as much as she wanted that would not change the fact that one of those things was around.

"I'll go," Carmilla was crawling on Chlloe.

"Don't you dare to, drive and don't stop." The instruction driver went out the window, leaving the direction with the brunette. The descent ended on an abandoned road, with no movement.

"Did you find him?" Asked the vampire without taking her foot off the accelerator.

Chlloe was watching intently in all directions over the cabin. Then a growl came from the same path, along with a spider-legged growl. One of his paws went through the ceiling, almost catching Laura, but Carmilla would have to trust the canine.

"Brake now!" shouted the shapeshifter.

The truck stopped at once, throwing the growler ten meters ahead, the furry hanging over the glass in front of the driver. The wheels whistled, spewing smoke, taking off over the staggering monster, running over the passenger window, staining the entire front and part of the side of the vehicle. Laura's eyes opened, and Chlloe reverted to her dog form, licking the blonde's face, desperate to distract her while Carmilla turned on the windshields, wiping away the blood.

Laura smiled, releasing her belt, changing places with the dog and moving closer to the vampire.

"Sleep, I'll wake you up when we get there."

***

Chlloe slept in the back, Carmilla tensed her muscles with the strange air in Treffen, something different permeated the cooler atmosphere, it was taking away her calm, like a distant shrill whir of chalk on a slate, beeping from the back of her mind. What was so wrong? Perhaps the most deserted city, the humidity giving a more morbid atmosphere.

It was just more uphill from the foot of the mountain. The familiar road jumps woke the blonde.

"We arrived, cupcake," they left the truck near the barn. Carmilla helped with Laura's costly movements. The door opened, the wood creaked and, exactly three seconds, three brief steps from the journalist, an ax scraped by the brunette's ear. Four seconds later, the vampire fell to the side with a silver net, weighing a ton. The door knocked Chlloe out once they violently kicked it.

A man grabbed the vampire, making a bone snap as he bent her arm. Laura tried to stop it, but Danny took her and dragged her to the staircase. Carmilla went wild, breaking free and advancing on the lumberjack, but a thick rope pulled her throat back, fell onto the table, and the man stepped on her chest, aiming a stake through her ribs.

"Freeze, vampire!" said the man. He wore a black cape, hat, dark knee-length boots, pocket-length waistcoat and a belt of stakes across his chest, the silver pendant with the emblem of the crossbow arrow. Of course she recognized that Transylvanian garment, the vampire hunter's coat of arms.

"Vordenberg," she growled.

"I wish," He tore the hammock and threw it on a chair, tied her arms behind her in handcuffs, wrapped in 30 feet of rope + 10 cloves of garlic + 1 mouth-sized strip of duct tape. "Vampire captured," laugh.

Laura struggled to reach the brunette, opened her mouth in vain trying to speak, a strangled whistle was all that came out of her throat, Carmilla was furious at the contact of the woodcutter, worse she smelled the blood of her throat, bruised from the effort. She would have screamed, but her mouth was closed. Fury reddened her eyes. What a bad luck for the blonde to target them, passing her out. Her fall had tamed the red fury.

"Poor thing, she must be exhausted of the vampire's control. Take her to the bedroom so she can sleep, and you vampire. Let's talk." he aimed at her, despising every nocturnal line.

Carmilla couldn't take her eyes off the stairs that had taken Laura in the redhead's arms. She controlled her anger and soothed the colors. She had to understand the situation. First, who was this man talking like a Mussolini? Second; to HELL O SECOND! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! JUST ARRIVED AND WAS TIED BY AN IDIOT. AND JUST WANTED TO TAKE CARE OF LAURA, THAT'S ALL, FUCK!

She concentrated her strength on breaking the cuffs, snapping the ropes and bleeding some arteries, but her wrists burned, the smell of garlic penetrated her nostrils. She lolled her head forward like her eyes watering.

"Yes, yes vampire, breathe all the air, it's full of holy garlic," He said taking off his hat. With difficulty, the brunette faced him with one of her eyes closed in a cold sweat. Blond hair with the darkest roots before the shoulders, blue eyes, milky skin, firm chin on a thin face, with a bit of beard, broad shoulders and the repulsive arrogant look. "It won't kill you, just hold you until he arrives."

He?

Who was this guy?

It wasn't Vordenberg, but it smelled like a hunter. Hellsing? It could be, there were seven families of hunters, three lived in Europe. She had a lot of problems with them.

Father. Remembered the first suitor, yes; it was a Vordenberg. It was a splendid marriage, as his father said; although; as she well knew, it was a rather stupid boy two years older, much like the one in front of her.

"Raphael," called Danny, and the man answered by name.

Raphael; Carmilla didn't remember anyone with that name. Taking advantage of the time, she noticed how the inn's lobby bar had changed. Windows lined with sandbags, weapons crates, Hollis written in yellow paint, has to be it. Sherman, you smart bastard.

"Stay here and don't let her get away. I'll go after him," Raphael left the inn, leaving the woodcutter on guard.

"Okay, now you're going to tell me." Danny pulled the tape at once. "What you did to Laura?" said face to face with the vampire.