Sorry that this chapter is so much shorter than the first one but there was stuff I wanted to do in the next chapter so it should be longer. Whatever, enjoy and don't forget to review.
The French is: "I love it when you talk to me like that." Roughly.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Within days of the men's arrival Walter had put them to work. Mostly it had been to keep Rick and Pip from chatting up the girls, but also it was because Christmas was coming and they had three extra mouths to feed. Most days were quiet and spent even quieter. It seemed that men from the German side were inching closer to the free zone and they were soon wondering if their free zone would be free much longer.
Walter and Seras served everyone tea on the veranda. Pip sat knee to knee with Integra, attempting to relate a story between he and Rick while in the upper part of France. She seemed uninterested.
"Come on, the least you could do is listen!" Pip pleaded with the woman.
Integra sipped her tea and smiled at Pip like a snake might smile at a rat. "Monsieur, your story is rather boring."
"Monsieur," he purred to Integra. "Je l'aime quand vous me parlez comme ça." He moved in toward her and in one swift motion Integra stood and left the Frenchman where he was. Rick cackled at his friend.
"Seras," Integra said and the girl approached her.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Alucard hasn't been out of his room all day. I suppose he won't be joining us. Will you take his tea to his room?" Integra asked as Walter prepared the tray for Alucard.
"Okay," Seras said. She bounced on the balls of her feet from excitement. Alucard was some unknown secret to Seras. He was a mystery. Something to investigate and explore. She took up the tray and made her way to the basement room Alucard was staying in. She knocked carefully, balancing the tray on her hip.
The door swung open and Alucard stood before her. He looked the girl up and down before standing aside to allow her to come in. Seras entered and smiled politely.
"Integra asked that I bring you the afternoon tea as you had not joined us on the veranda. I brought milk and sugar and…" she turned around and found Alucard standing over her looking her over again. He stood before her. Seras squeaked when she turned around and found him there so suddenly. He rose an eyebrow at her.
"What are you doing?" he asked her and she frowned.
"I just explained that to you."
"No, I mean why are you so nervous all the time?" he rubbed his chin, where a short stubble was growing.
"I'm not nervous!" she insisted with her hands on her hips. She frowned at him, sticking out her lower lip. He smirked at her.
"What are you doing in here anyway?" she looked past him and saw his gun laying on the bed along with some wadded up bandages. She looked up at Alucard's face. He frowned at her for a moment, turning to follow where her gaze had gone.
"None of your business," he told her.
"You can come out and talk to us all if you'd like."
"Bugger off, girlie," he smirked and shoved his thumb out toward his door. Seras frowned again and walked out. She turned around to say something but he slammed the door in her face.
"So, why is he so introverted?" Integra asked and set her teacup down on their table.
Rick and Pip looked at each other. Pip exhaled a breath.
"When we found him he was…" Pip paused looking for the word. "…Fiche blanche."
"White ticket?" Integra said and looked at Pip carefully.
"Non- movable casualty," Walter supplied helpfully as he took up empty cups and saucers. "He was dead?"
Pip and Rick looked at each other.
"It not our story to tell," Rick said and left it at that.