Good Evening,

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Oxford Not Brogues

Eternally Yours

Chapter Four

A week had passed since Seras found out that Mrs. Stevens had been tortured in her own home late in the night. The small blonde hadn't slept much since then, fearing that those men would return and do the same to her and her family. Unfortunately, the refusal of sleeping caused her to doze off in class and not only get in trouble, but fall behind on her studies. But looking on the bright side, she was able to spend more time with Alucard and Sebastian at night; although they even tried convincing her that she needed her sleep.

"I'm fine," She reassured them again when one of them had announced she looked weary and needed sleep. "I'm not tired," She continued to lie. Seras lowered her head and kept her eyes glued to the bedsheets to hide that she was lying. Her eyelids were heavy and every now and then started to drift close. But she would shake herself awake when either her head started to fall forward or one of the elder creatures started speaking again. The small blonde yawned and rubbed over her dark eyes with the back of her hand.

Alucard and Sebastian frowned at their stubborn mate. They knew the reason of her late nights, but didn't breathe a word to her that they were the cause of her fear. They didn't want Seras to ever have a reason to fear them. If she knew what they were capable of doing, if she knew that they had done that to a 'poor' elder lady, she would be repulsed. The child would cower away from them and want nothing more to do with them. She wouldn't even be able to look upon them without shivering or perhaps burst into tears. The elder creatures retreated from their thoughts when Seras looked up at them with a small bright smile.

"You guys don't have to stay so late with me if there's something you need to do or somewhere you need to be. I'll be perfectly fine. It'll actually give me some time to catch up on some of my studies." Seras spoke softly. Alucard and Sebastian's frowns deepened, but this time in disappointment.

"You've been falling behind on your studies?" The demon asked her before seating himself beside her on the bed. The small blonde sighed with a roll of her eyes and turned her head away from his. She had already got a long lecture from her mum followed by shouting from her dad. She was actually grounded until she was all caught up in school and back to good grades. Actually, she still had considerably excellent marks, but her parents wanted her back at the top of the class where she had been for the past few years.

It wasn't fair that they put all that stress on her when all she wanted was for them to be stress free and tried lessening their stress. Why couldn't they cut her some slack? And now Alucard and Sebastian were going to be just like her bloody parents! They were going to lecture her too about keeping up with her studies so she can get into an excellent college and find a good, long lasting career that she would be happy with doing for the rest of her life. Everybody was always asking her what she wanted to do with her life, but she didn't know! It was such a hard decision, there were so many jobs in the world!

Most of the time she felt like she was being pressured to choose right then and there on what she wanted to do for the rest of her life! But she would tell herself that she was only nine and had a long road ahead of her. She had plenty of time to decide and didn't have to make any rash decisions. Seras hadn't been aware that her mind was wandering and she was drifting off to sleep until she toppled forward and fell right out of bed. The small blonde landed sprawled out on the floor. She groaned in pain, but didn't bother trying to get up since her limbs were so heavy. Sebastian clucked his tongue and picked the girl up off the floor.

"That is it, Seras." He growled lowly. The demon pulled back her covers, laid her down, and tucked her in. "Go to sleep this instant! Tomorrow you best work on catching up in your studies and getting those grades up!"

"Stop acting like you're my dad!" Seras grumbled before she kicked the covers off of her. "I don't care how old you are! You are not my father and never will be!" Sebastian stood up straighter and gave her a dark look for comparing him to her father.

"No, I am not your father, nor am I trying to act like one." He argued with her in a low tone. "You are my responsibility. Since you have been brought into this world, you have been ours to take care of, love, and defend when necessary. We plan on stopping everything and anything that might be harmful towards you, even yourself. And what you're doing, depriving sleep, is very harmful towards your small, young body. You need your sleep, Seras."

"Now you just sound like an overbearing husband." Seras muttered before she climbed out of bed. Alucard and Sebastian couldn't help but snicker at that. She had no idea how close to the truth she was. "I'm nine! I don't need or want a husband, especially an overbearing one."

"Well, I'm not your husband either." Sebastian spoke. Yet. He thought with a purr. The demon watched her as she walked over to Alucard and leaned against his leg in a tired manner. She wrapped an arm around his leg and nuzzled his hand like a kitten wanting attention from its master. The elder vampire snickered and ruffled her soft locks of golden hair. "Am I not allowed to be concerned for your health?" Sebastian asked.

"I'm fine, Sebastian." Seras repeated for what felt like the twelfth time tonight. The small blonde stood up on her tip toes to lean more into Alucard's gentle caress. "Why can't you be more like Alucard? He's not concerned at all."

"See, that's where you're wrong, my dear." Alucard purred. "You are foolishly harming your body and staying up to prevent what, a killer that won't come and kill you and your caregivers?"

"And how do you know that?" Seras argued.

"Because anyone who dares hurt you is a dead-man walking." The elder vampire told her with a dark look in his eyes. "We have sworn to you, Seras, to protect you from harm and to fight away all your fears. Those men who had tortured and killed that old woman will not touch you."

"Those men? There was more than one? How do you know?" The little one asked and craned her head back to stare up into Alucard's crimson orbs. Before anymore could be said, Sebastian swept down onto his knees and took Seras' hands into his. The small blonde didn't linger on the thought or question as she set her gaze on the demon.

"Would you feel better if we stayed with you while you slept?" Sebastian asked her. Her eyes widened a little from the offer and she smiled bashfully.

"Well…Yeah…I guess." Seras muttered with a faint blush on her cheeks. But after several seconds that small smile vanished and she huffed. "But what happened to Mrs. Stevens isn't the only thing bothering me."

"Then do tell us all about it." The demon purred before he lifted the small blonde and carried her to her bed. He set her down in the center before he started pulling back her covers and fixing her pillows.

"I heard my parents talking the other day. Dad took up a case that has really got him on the edge." Seras whispered while she fingered a loose string on her comforter. "I've never seen him like this before…He looks…scared." Her blue orbs then flickered to the elder creatures that towered over her. "Why is that? Why would he…What is he scared of?" She then sighed and looked back at the lonely string before playing with it again. "My dad is never scared…But if he's scared, then…should I be scared too?"

"Scared of what?" Alucard asked in a low growl. He narrowed his eyes on the small blonde and frowned deeply. "Just because one person is sniveling like a coward does not mean you have to. There's nothing in the world to be scared of, Seras. If you go around life being scared of everything you will accomplish nothing. If you show your enemies an ounce of fear then they see a chance to overpower you and you will fail. Don't be the one who is afraid; be the one who makes others afraid." Seras stared up at the elder vampire in wonder and bewilderment, but admiration shone the brightest in her eyes.

"So…if I choose not to be scared of it, I can overcome whatever I fear?" She asked. Alucard grinned down at his precious mate and crossed his arms before nodding his head in agreement.

"Yes," He purred with pride. Seras then lowered her head and thought very carefully about what he said.

"But what if…the thing I fear…or my enemy is too strong? What if I can't defeat it?" She asked in a whisper. Alucard snickered and lightly shook his head.

"Then you keep trying. If you give up because he's too strong then that only gives him power; this gives him power to trample over and defeat you. Only the weak are trampled upon. Are you weak, my Seras Victoria?" The No Life King spoke while he stepped closer towards his dear mate. Seras refused to meet his gaze and instead frowned in disappointment at her Bitter Rabbit. The elder vampire grasped her chin gently and made her look up at him. His grin was wide and gave him the impression that he was quite the mad King. "Are you weak, Seras Victoria?" He asked again.

"But…I'm not strong either, Alucard!" Seras exclaimed. "What chance do I have against anyone or anything that I fear? It will be most likely that they will be stronger than me. And if I do continue to fight I will still fail in the end."

"That is very disappointing to hear, especially coming from you." Alucard growled lowly before he released her chin and stood up straighter. His grin had vanished and he was now glowering at her with fiery crimson eyes.

"I'm sorry, Alucard, but it's the truth. I'm only nine. I don't have the physical strength or even the brains to outsmart my enemies." The girl whispered. Sebastian shook his head at her with a small smirk on his face.

"Do you recall your first day of preschool when you broke that boy's nose?" The demon asked her. Seras' brows drew together in confusion while she glanced back up at the dark haired males. This reminder caused Alucard to grin madly again with a deep cackle that sent shivers down her spine.

"Yeah," She drawled.

"You weren't afraid of him, were you?" Sebastian asked. The girl shook her head.

"No," She answered. "I was mad."

"You didn't think about your how strong you were, if you could outsmart him, or the possibility that you could lose, did you?" He responded. Before she could answer he continued on. "Out of that anger, you acted and put him in his place. You weren't scared of him, and because of that you didn't give him the power to trample on you and continue harassing you. You fought him and he hasn't bothered you since, has he?" Seras perked up with a sparkle in her eyes.

"No!" She exclaimed in surprise. "He stayed away from me because he was scared of me!" Sebastian nodded his head.

"You are a strong one, Seras, and could become stronger if don't keep doubting that strength inside of you." The demon told her carefully. "If you don't let your fear take possession of you, you can overcome anything no matter how strong. And if you continue to fight, as Alucard had said, it will be your time to trample instead of being trampled on. Fight on and never give up." Seras smiled up at the dark haired males.

"Then I'll try not to be scared anymore!" The small blonde purred. "I'll be strong and overcome my fears!"

"Excellent, my little Queen." Alucard purred with a mad look brewing in his amused crimson orbs. He scooped Seras up into his arms, laid himself out on her bed, and hugged her to his chest. The small blonde pulled back her head to give the elder vampire a strange look.

"Little Queen?" She repeated. She's never heard that nickname before. What made Alucard call her that? His grin only widened further and his chest rumbled from his maniacal cackles. Sebastian only sighed before lying down beside her in bed.

"By now you should know he's a mad one." The demon muttered causing the little one to giggle. She then buried her face in Alucard's chest and wrapped her arms around his torso the best she could. "Don't mind what he had said." Sebastian combed his fingers through her spikey locks

"Why hide it?" Alucard purred while he stared down at his little mate. He stroked his thumb over her rosy cheek. "She should know what lies ahead in her future. Don't you agree, my little Queen?" There was no answer from her. "Seras?" He leaned back a little to see that the small blonde was completely unconscious from the lack of recent sleep. "Hmn," Alucard hummed with a soft smile and a snicker. "Goodnight, my little white wolf." He purred to his dear mate.

"This pup has a long way before she becomes queen." Sebastian snickered. "You must be careful of what you say in front of her. Before she knows that we're her mates, of what she'll become, and of the royal blood that will flow through her veins, she must fall in love with us first. And we won't truly be in her hearts until she is older and realizes what we mean to her."

"Enough with the lecture." The elder vampire grumbled with a scowl. "I know how she'll react if she ever finds out that we're her mates. She is young and beautiful, but foolish like all of the other mortals. Our ways are different from theirs." Alucard stared intently at his small mate with a deep frown on his pale face.

"She'll push us away if we tell her that we're her intended husbands. And you saw how she reacted when you told her that you are planning to turn her into a vampire." Sebastian spoke softly and he stroked over her jaw. Alucard snickered at his response and a small grin returned to his face.

"That wasn't so bad of a reaction. Her only concern of becoming a vampire was the fangs she would inherit after the transformation." The elder vampire replied. Sebastian also snickered at this.

"Such a peculiar child," He muttered.

The next morning Seras woke up alone in her bed. She was quite used to this. Usually when Alucard and Sebastian stayed the entire night with her, which was maybe once or twice a month, they would be gone the next morning. She understood Alucard most likely wanted to find refuge in his coffin during the day, but also so her parents wouldn't find out that they really did exist. The small blonde rubbed at her eyes while sliding out of bed. She was still a little tired, but felt a whole lot better than she did yesterday.

As usual, she dragged herself to her dresser and pulled out her clothes for the day. She slowly discarded her pajamas and pulled on a turquoise turtle neck with dark green shorts. Seras groaned before grabbing her socks and dragging herself back to her bed. She hopped up onto the mattress and started to pull her socks on. She really wasn't looking forward to school today. She wished that she was all caught up in her class and her parents wouldn't keep giving her those disappointed, angry looks.

The small blonde jumped down off of her bed, grabbed her pajamas that were on the floor, and exited her room. Seras walked across the hall to the bathroom and threw her pajamas into the hamper before heading over to the sink to brush her teeth. She stood up on her tip toes and grabbed her pink toothbrush. While she applied the toothpaste she heard a sturdy knock from the front door. She furrowed her brows in curiosity, wondering who could be here so early in the morning, but brushed it off. It was probably a neighbor to either complain or have a friendly chat with her mum. Mrs. Ansel was always coming over to have some tea and biscuits with her mum. She had been dropping by a lot more lately since her mum ended up pregnant.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a loud banging came again from the front door. Seras jumped with a loud gasp. She could hear talking, what sounded to be male voices, but it was muffled by the door. What was going on? She heard her parents running about in the living room. Father was ordering her mother around in a hush tone so whoever was outside their apartment couldn't hear them. The small blonde rushed to the bathroom door just in time to see her father run into his room.

"Get Seras! Hide her and make sure she stays quiet!" He ordered Morgan while he got his gun from the dresser drawer. Seras sprinted to her parents' room.

"Daddy!" Seras cried out. Her heart was racing and her stomach was in knots. Why were her parents panicking?! Why did he want her mum to hide her?! Who was at the door?! Jonathan gritted his teeth in frustration before looking over at his daughter who stood cowered in the doorway. All he could think in that moment was that it was his entire fault if anything should happen to his dear Seras. He brought her into this mess.

She shouldn't be here! She shouldn't have to witness this! But it was too late. Those punks were outside trying to be discreet so neighbors won't start calling the cops, but they were growing impatient. The banging only got louder. He knew it would be any minute until they were done being 'nice' and just kick the door in. Damn it!

"Seras, go with your mum!" He shouted at her. Tears welled up in the small blonde's eyes. It brought pain to his heart so he quickly turned his head and checked to see if the gun was loaded.

"But, Dad!" Seras cried. "What's going on?!" The little one jumped what felt like ten feet when her mum came up behind her and grabbed her arm. More banging came from the front door before someone tried jiggling the handle to see if it was unlocked. Morgan rushed her daughter out into the living room while frantically searching for a place to hide her daughter. Jonathan ran back out into the living room with his gun at the ready.

"Mummy, why does Daddy have his gun?!" Seras asked frightened. Both parents clucked their tongues at their daughter, hoping that the men outside hadn't heard her. "Mum! You're hurting my arm!" Seras cried out when Morgan's grasp on her tightened. She could see the tears and fear present in her mother's eyes, but couldn't do anything to help her. Morgan dragged her daughter to the only place that was closest and seemed safe for her daughter. She pulled open the doors to the closet and quickly pushed her daughter inside. Her mum then knelt down in front of her and grasped her daughter's arms tightly again.

"Listen to your mum. Stay in the closet." Her mother told her in a stern, but shaken voice. Seras' eyes widened when her mum stood up and started leaving her. "Please, don't come out of here no matter what." Morgan then lowered her head and looked away from her daughter at that thought. She knew exactly what was going to happen and wished that Seras was far from here to she didn't have to see any of it. She wanted to swoop down and hug her daughter one last time, but knew there was no time for that. So, instead she shut her daughter in the closet and prayed to God, or whoever was listening, that Seras would do as she was told just this once.

"Mummy!" Seras cried out and clenched her fists tightly. Warm tears streamed down her face and her knees shook. What was happening?! She closed her eyes tightly and tried to calm herself, but the noises outside of the closet raised her stress levels. She heard the front door be kicked in and then heavy footfalls. Seras jumped when she heard a cock of a gun and wondered who was cocking it.

"Not another move! You are breaking and entering!" Her father raised his voice. She could just imagine now her father raising his gun at these bad men. She hoped they were about ready to piss themselves and leave with their tails between their legs.

"Not wise at all." An unfamiliar voice spoke.

"Now, why don't you be a good lad and drop that gun, or the missus here will have one of many lovely bullets imbedded in her fucking skull." Another man spoke. Seras heard a cry from her mother.

"Jonathan!" Morgan cried out in fear. There was a long pause before she heard something hard and metallic hear the wooden floor.

"That's a good ole' chap!" The first man said. There were again heavy footfalls before Seras heard a loud hard 'thwack' and a grunt from her father. A body hit the floor that she could only guess was her fathers.

"Oh, God! Jonathan!" Morgan screamed, but she cried out before being able to say or do anything.

"Now, where do you think you're going?" The second man asked her. "Calm your old, saggy tits and stay put or you'll end up like your pig of a husband." It then sounded like something was being kicked hard followed by more grunts from her father.

"Daddy," Seras sniffled and covered her ears, but she couldn't block out any of it.

"See! This is what pigs get when they put their snouts into other peoples' business!" The first man raised his voice and beat her father harder. "You try and bust us, you sow, and expect to get off Scott free?! Oh, no, piggy, piggy! You just got yourself a friendly visit from your butcher, pig!"

Seras jumped again when six gunfire shots sounded through the apartment just outside the closet doors. Her eyes widened and her tears completely stopped coming. Her mouth fell open in complete shock and she was afraid to move until the closet door creaked open a few inches. The small blonde slowly stepped closer and peered out into the bright living room to see what was going on. She hoped to God that her father had reached for his gun and blew those bad men away. But instead she found a much worse sight.

"Hey, what's the matter?" The first man spoke and then laughed like an ass while he kicked her dad's dead corpse. "Come on, mate, squeal like a pig why don't you?!" There were the men, standing over her father's body with giant grins on their face. The first man was tall, pale, and had short blond hair. He wore a maroon winter coat and blue jeans. His friend was about his height, but with dark brown hair, was a pasty kind of pale, and with a five o'clock shadow. He wore a white button up shirt, a brown jacket, and beige jeans.

"Come on, piggy, squeal!" The first man continued to joke causing his friend to snicker.

"Should have just had him squeal before you shot." His friend retorted.

"Nah, this one's special. He's so fucking good at it!" The first man replied in a low tone that sent shivers down the girl's spine. She was quite positive that she would never forget their voices or faces again. They would forever haunt her dreams and every waking moment…That is…if she lived through this. A rage was growing inside of her that she was unaware of. She thought she was shaking in fear, but her fists were clenched and her teeth gritted in pure anger.

"It's squealing like a pig that earned him this. He stuck that badge and snout of his where it didn't belong." The first man continued on before he got bored of kicking the corpse. Both of the men then wandered over across the room where Seras then noticed her mother's corpse was. The second man grunted loudly as he slammed his foot down onto her mother's body. The first man kneeled beside her with a sick grin on his face and shoved his gun into her bloody throat. "You were just for fun." Something inside of Seras completely snapped. All she could hear now was Alucard and Sebastian's voice from when they lectured her last night.

"If you show your enemies an ounce of fear then they see a chance to overpower you and you will fail. Don't be the one who is afraid; be the one who makes others afraid." Alucard snarled in her mind.

"Only the weak are trampled upon. Are you weak, my Seras Victoria?"

"You are a strong one, Seras, and could become stronger if don't keep doubting that strength inside of you."

"Are you weak, Seras Victoria?"

"And if you continue to fight it will be your time to trample instead of being trampled on."

"Are you weak, Seras Victoria?"

"Fight on and never give up."

"Are you weak?"

Seras then came charging out of the closet and grabbed the closest weapon she could find. She swept down, grasped a fork, and lunged for the closest man. Both men turned to stare at the crazed nine year old with wide eyes. With a cry of fury, she plunged the fork deeply into the first man's eye. The blond cried out in pain while blood sprayed from his punctured eye. His friend scowled down at the mad child and raised his gun.

"Big mistake!" He shouted and then blew her away. Seras yipped like a dog when the bullet drilled through her stomach and the force of it knocked her completely off of her feet. She flew backwards and hit the closet doors hard before falling face down on the floor in a warm pool of her own blood.

On the outskirts of town was a large, but dark manor where nobody dared wonder. While the exterior scared most away, the interior was quite nice and well furnished with the finest and richest of things. Something Alucard and Sebastian had been working on for the last nine years so their bride was pleased once she came to live with them on her twentieth birthday.

The elder creatures were in different parts of the manor doing their separate things. Sebastian was currently in his bedroom feeding his cat. He was planning to go out soon and hunt for a soul since it's been a few weeks since he last ate. Alucard was in his bedroom sitting on top of his coffin. He was enjoying a nice glass of warm blood he had recently stolen from a virgin. In his other hand he held open a book that he read from quietly and swiftly. All was quiet at the manor until both Alucard and Sebastian were hit with the same pain simultaneously.

An almost hot like pain shot through their stomachs and they heard a familiar horrified, pitched scream resonate through their heads. Their eyes widened, stopped what they were doing, and acted immediately. Alucard and Sebastian both materialized to the Victoria apartment. As soon as they appeared they could smell blood thick in the air and hear cries of pain from what sounded like a male. But they paid no mind to that when they found Seras' trembling form lying in a pool of her own blood at their feet.

Time became slow in that moment. Everything they took in they immediately processed and they could think clearly, but their actions would say otherwise. Alucard and Sebastian saw that Seras had been shot in the stomach, the bullet had exited the back, and she was losing blood. She was also going through shock so she would be unable to process the extreme pain she would be feeling. They had ten minutes at the most to help her before she completely bled out or the wound become infected. All they needed was a minute or two of her time.

"Hey! Where did these fucking wankers come from?! Who the fuck are you?!" The man who was injured (yet) yelled. Seras trembled more as she struggled to lift her head.

"Al-u-card," Seras whimpered when she caught sight of the elder creatures. Their backs were to her, but she didn't need to see their faces to know that they were furious. Alucard wasn't wearing his usual red attire. Instead he wore a black leather strait jacket with the arms undone. His hair had grown out and ended at his hip. The elder vampire's form glimmered and burned with a black and red flame. Tendrils extended from his back and expanded behind him to intimidate the mortals before him. Sebastian looked entirely different, and at first, Seras didn't even realize it was him. He was cladded in black latex and wore what looked to be stiletto boots with a sharp tip. His entire form burned with a visible black aura. His shadow and dark aura grew, twisted, and turned all around him. His nails were long, sharp, and black and his fangs had elongated in his mouth.

"Se-" She started, but trailed off hen Alucard's tendrils shot out and impaled one of the males in different angles. Her eyes widened in horror when the man screamed in pain and blood poured out of his wounds at a rapid pace. Sebastian drove his talon into the other man's one good eye, completely blinding him, before pulling the ball out of its socket. Seras' stomach churned as she watched the dreadful sight play out in front of her.

What in God's name were they doing?! Why torture them instead of just killing them?! And then it hit Seras like a pile of bricks. They were the ones who had tortured Mrs. Stevens! Tears welled up in her eyes and she shook in fear. They had touched her with those hands they had killed so many with! How many innocent people have they killed in their lifetime?! How many times had they tortured a human with their bare hands and then come back to hold her?! Have they ever thought about killing her?!

She watched on as Alucard purposely pulled his tendrils through the body so it was completely torn apart and mutilated. Sebastian grasped the blind man by his head and slowly started to twist his head to the side. The blond grasped the demon's wrists desperately in attempt to stop what he was doing. But he was unable to. The creature before him was way too strong. So, all he could do was just stand there as his bones started to painfully crack in his neck as it slowly breaks. His soft cries and whimpers of pain bothered Seras. She wanted to cry out to them to stop, but her voice was completely gone. So she continued to watch with tear filled eyes.

Seras jumped when there was a loud wet snap and the man fell limp in Sebastian's arms. But the demon didn't stop there. He continued to twist and pull as if he was uncorking a bottle. And like the cork popping out of the bottle, the head eventually gave. Seras whimpered when a headless body fell to the ground. Soon followed was the severed head that landed hard on the wooden floor. The head still had a fork sticking out of one eye while his other eye was completely missing; there was nothing but a dark abyss she saw while staring into the face of the man who killed her family and was tortured in return. She could only stare at the bloody scene speechless and immobile.

"Seras," Sebastian whispered her name. It took her several seconds, but her blue orbs ended up flickering to his dark face. The demon showed nothing, but a soft caring look. Both elder creatures looked concerned, but all she could see were the skins of monsters. "Don't move," Sebastian was speaking again while he moved closer towards her. When seeing that dark creature near her the girl became absolutely petrified with fear. And from the fear and shock of this morning's occurrences, Seras fell unconscious.

Late that evening, Seras stirred in a strange king size bed that was unfamiliar to her. She cracked open her heavy eyelids and took in her surroundings. She lied in the center of the huge bed with silk black sheets covering her small form. The room was dark, but she was able to make out the other furniture in the room. On either side of the bed were small square nightstands with oil lanterns. On the right side of the room there was an antique wooden wardrobe, a bookcase packed with books, and a wooden stand that held a bottle filled with a strange red liquid and several crystal glasses surrounding it.

On the left side of the room looked as if it was set up for a woman. There was another antique wooden wardrobe, but it was being blocked by a mannequin that displayed a beautiful black halter dress. The bodice was made of silk and the skirt was laced fabric. Seras' eyes drifted from the gothic dress to a white vanity that contained all kinds of makeup, perfumes, and hairbrushes. Next to the vanity was a beautiful wooden writing desk with carvings of vines and roses. Her eyes wandered about the room while her brows drew together in utter confusion.

Where was she? Seras attempted to sit up, but got was greeted by a shooting pain through her stomach. The girl whimpered and automatically clenched her stomach. Her eyes flew open wide and she gasped when she remembered all that had happened. Her parents were dead! Seras' mouth fell open in disbelief and she leaned back against the pillow. She recalled her father putting up a struggle and her mother crying out for her husband before the gunfire. And then…she had…saw their bodies…and saw those…men kick and step all over them.

Warm tears trailed down the girl's face and her lower lip trembled. Her parents were gone! Her little brother or sister was dead!...She had no family. It wasn't fair! Why hadn't the police done anything?! Why hadn't they moved her family to a safer place if they had known those men would be going after her dad?! And why wasn't her little brother or sister allowed the chance to live life?! To be able to walk in the sun, breathe the fresh air, and be loved by her and her family?! Why did he/she have to die too?! Seras was now completely blinded by tears. She tried to wipe her face with the palms of her hands, but it was useless, more tears came and replaced the old.

And then she had to find out that her best friends were the real monsters that she should have feared this entire time! Alucard and Sebastian were dark and gruesome, and it sickened her to the core to have seen what they had done! She was absolutely repulsed that they can torture people so freely and not feel a thing while doing it! Where were the people she had thought she had known?! The Alucard and Sebastian she knew were kind and warmhearted. They loved spending time with her and holding her in their arms. They gave her goodnight kisses, told her stories or sung to her, and so forth! Where were those men?!

Seras buried her face into her hands as she cried harder. Instead she saw their real forms and they revealed their true personalities to her. They were monsters who loved to kill. The small blonde shuddered when remembering their true forms. She never wanted to see that again! She never wanted to see them again! They would hurt her just like those men and Mrs. Stevens! They were foul creatures and it was their faults her family was dead! She hated them! And she needed to defend herself if and when those monsters come back!

Her blue irises flickered around the room for any weapons, but saw none. In fact, how did you even kill a vampire or demon? Killing a demon seemed impossible, but there were a number of ways to kill a vampire. Let's see sunlight for sure, but unfortunately, the sun was just starting to set. There's also holy water, but she doubt there would be any here in a vampire's sanctuary. What else? Well, there was the stake to the heart. Seras' eyes lit up and she quickly looked around for any wood she could use to kill that damned vampire.

There was plenty of wood in the room from all the tables and things, but none she could really get to in her position. The small blonde then glanced at the nightstand to her right. Perhaps if she was lucky there would be something in there she could use to defend herself. Seras easily shifted to her good side, but struggled to reach out and pull open the nightstand. Once the drawer was open she peered inside to see what it all contained. There was an old black book, a quill, matches for the lanterns and candles, a sheet or two of parchment, and…a silver cross necklace?

Seras' eyes widened and she quickly snatched up the cross. Vampires and demons hated the sight of a cross! This will definitely help her ward away those evil monsters! The small blonde then glanced over at the other nightstand on her left. She sighed before painfully shifting her body to her bad side. She gritted her teeth and whimpered as she lied on her gunshot wound. But she put up with the pain and quickly got to work. She pulled open the drawer and dug around the contents inside.

In this drawer there was some lotion, an old unused journal, sharpened pencils, a quill, some ink, and a hand mirror. She didn't think twice and quickly grabbed the pencils, deciding to use these as stakes. Seras then quickly shifted onto her back and hid all her weapons beneath the sheet. She whimpered again in pain from her small panic attack. She tried lying still, but she was so angry and hurt, and the pain just made her entire body throb.

Her heart was racing in her chest and she felt sick to her stomach. Her face was fresh with sweat and it was hard for her to catch her breath. It was absolutely blazing in the room! She tried kicking off the covers, but ended up wincing in pain. Seras gritted her teeth and clenched the sheets beneath her, hoping the pain will vanish if she lied as still as a statue.

Her attention was drawn to the door when someone entered. The girl immediately stiffened and held her breath while she watched Sebastian and Alucard walk into the room. Once the demon saw that she was up he tried charming her with a soft smile and tender brown eyes. Alucard on the other hand wasn't so blind. He stared at her with a frown on his face when he saw how tense and fearful Seras looked. Her face was pale and sweaty, her eyes were wide, her skin was prickled and the hairs stood up, and she looked like she was about ready to bolt. She was scared of them.

"Of course, of all the hours you could have woken, you chose the time when we left your side for only a moment." Sebastian snickered. He stopped halfway when he saw Seras cower closer towards her pillow. His smile fell and he stared at her with astonished, but confused eyes. No, he must have been mistaken. Seras would never be afraid of them. He brushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and continued his way to her side. But as soon as he reached out to check her, Seras whimpered and drew further away from him. Sebastian watched injured when tears welled up in her eyes and started to trail down her pale cheeks.

"Seras," He whispered her name with furrowed brows. The demon then stood up straighter with a deep frown and lowered his head. "You must still be going through shock is all and that's completely understandable. You could be in shock for the next few days." Sebastian noted to himself, but only to deny that fear present in his mate's eyes when she looked at him. Alucard came to her other side in hope to calm his frantic mate. Hopefully Michaelis was right and she was just going through shock still.

"Now, let me check your bandages." He again tried to reach for her, but this time Seras went as far as fighting out of his reach and jumping out of bed no matter how painful the process was. Both elder creatures were bewildered when Seras ever so boldly and bravely pulled pencils out from under the sheet and actually used these items against them. She cried out as she drove a pencil straight into Sebastian's eye, puncturing it just like she did with that horrible man earlier that day. She then turned on Alucard and lunged forward to drive the last pencil into his chest. Seras then tucked passed the elder vampire and huffed out of breath a few feet from him.

"Don't touch me!" The small blonde shouted while she stood cowered like a frightened, injured puppy by the nightstand away from them. "Don't either of you touch me!" She panted before falling back into a corner of the room and curling in on herself. Alucard and Sebastian weren't injured from the attack. They calmly removed the pencil that was imbedded in their bodies before looking back at their mate. The small blonde stared up at them in bewilderment. Not because they had recovered so fast from her attack, but because that she had actually attacked and tried to cause fatal harm to her two best friends.

Seras again couldn't control the tears that came. She shook her head and cried her eyes out for many minutes. "You killed them!...You killed them! They're dead!" She looked up at them through walls of salty tears. "They're all dead! Those horrible men, my…parents, my baby brother or sister, Mrs. Stevens, and…and…that little girl. That little girl that wanted nothing, but a friend to play with! But you two killed her because you're monsters! You're the monsters I should've been hiding from all along! The things you had turned into! The creatures I had seen tonight were like something from my nightmares! You guys are the reasons of why I'm scared of everything!" Seras cried. The elder creatures kept their distance from the fragile child. They stared at her with hurtful eyes and breaking hearts.

"I apologize that you had to see our true forms, Seras, but…we were only trying to protect you." Sebastian spoke softly to her, hoping she would come to her senses and run into their arms. "We will never hurt you, and you know that already." The demon boldly walked around the bed and stepped closer towards his cowering mate. Seras quickly pulled out her last resort and held out the silver cross in front of her. Alucard gasped lowly when he saw that she had found his old cross. Sebastian only stopped to stare at her. Did she honestly think that the cross would stop them? He shook his head at her before proceeding on his way.

When Seras realized that the cross had no effect on either of them, she wrapped her arms tightly around her legs and tried pressing herself in even closer to the wall as if she would be able to hide herself from him. Sebastian knelt down in front of her with a soft smile and offered her his hand which he already knew she wouldn't take. "You had said so many times that you loved us and that we are your best friends. Best friends don't betray or hurt each other, isn't that right, Seras?" He whispered to her. "Do you no longer love us?" Sebastian asked when the girl had stayed silent for so very long. He frowned at her and slowly drew his hand away.

Seras gasped lowly when he asked her that. Her eyes stared up into his soft face while she frowned up at him. Her tears dried, but she was still ever so tense in his presence. The elder creatures became hopeful once more when Seras didn't reply to his question. If she truly hated them and no longer felt an ounce of love for them, then she would have answered.

"You do not fear or hate us, child." Alucard spoke to the small blonde. "If you were truly afraid of us, you wouldn't have been brave enough to have attacked us like that. If you had truly hated us, you would be wishing us dead. Yes, we are monsters and you know this, and you may be repulsed by our actions, but we are still in your hearts, and you know it. You're only going through shock and pinning all your fear and anger on us, Seras."

The elder vampire then knelt before his mate and took the silver cross she so desperately grasped in her hands. Seras gasped when her only protection against them was taken from her. But she watched as Alucard smiled softly at her before slipping the necklace over her head and around her neck. "This is five hundred years old. I will trust this relic with you, Seras. But only if you have faith in it will it work." The elder vampire told her.

Seras glanced down at the silver cross necklace uncomfortably and wondered why Alucard was telling her how to use it against them. She reached up and grasped the cross tightly in her hand, deciding to put all her faith in it. Sebastian glanced down at her stomach to see blood seeping through her shirt. He clucked his tongue and his eyes flickered back to hers.

"I think you had undone your stitches while trying to escape. Come back to bed and I'll fix them, then we'll leave you alone." The demon tried to bargain with her. Seras' frown deepened and she stared up at him with furrowed brows. He again held his hand out to her, but she only stared at it as if she didn't know what to do with it. "Please, Seras, we don't want it to become infected or have you lose any more of your precious blood. Besides, you should be resting. All this excitement you're stirring up will take it longer for it to heal."

Seras opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out so she closed it. The little one stared up at the dark haired males for several long seconds. She felt so much guilt for the way she had acted, but she didn't apologize because that fear…or disgust…or whatever that feeling was towards them was still present inside of her. She still wanted to hide and cower away from them. Was it honestly because she was in shock and was looking for someone to blame for the death of her parents and her pain? Or was it truly because of what they were?

Finally Seras gave in and slipped her hand into Sebastian's. The demon smiled again at her and scooped the child up into his arms so she would be less likely to cause any more harm to herself. He set her down on the bed and then sat down beside her so he could inspect the damage done. Michaelis lifted her shirt up and found bloody bandages beneath. He sighed and shook his head.

"You need to be more careful, Seras." Sebastian gently lectured her while he unravels her bandages carefully. "The bullet had shot clean through you, so you have stitches on your stomach and back. If you're not careful you can shift a certain way and undo your stitches and then you'll start bleeding again." He set the bandages off to the side and was immediately handed clean bandages by Alucard. The demon set the clean bandages in his lap before he checked her stitches. Sebastian once more shook his head at her. "You had undone your stitches." He confirmed and then checked the stitches on her back to see that they were just fine.

"We'll need lidocaine for her stitching." The demon spoke while glancing up at Alucard. Sebastian then looked back at his small mate to see her face chalk white and layered with sweat. He cupped her cheek and stroked over the pale flesh with his thumb. Her blue irises flickered to his and she stayed ever so still and silent. "The lidocaine will make it numb so I can fix the stitches. It should also take away the pain for several hours." A small jar of lidocaine and a syringe still in plastic appeared in Alucard's hands. He handed them off to the demon.

"Where did you get this stuff?" Seras finally spoke to them while she watched Sebastian remove the syringe from the plastic. The demon smiled and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Speaking to us finally, are you?" He asked more than pleased. The girl frowned and looked away from him.

"I'm sorry about your eye." She muttered softly. Sebastian chuckled softly and brushed his fingertips beneath his eye.

"No worries, it's completely healed. You just took us by surprise was all." He replied. No more was said between the two. Seras fell silent and watched on as the demon punctured the top of the jar with the syringe and extracted the lidocaine. She shifted uncomfortably and grimaced while she looked away. She wasn't very fond of needles. "This would be easier if were lying on your back." Seras didn't argue or fight. She carefully rested back until she was lying flat on the bed and her stitches were easier to get to.

"Easy now, Seras, try not to move. Alright?" From the corner of her eye she saw Sebastian move in with the syringe. Seras automatically reached out and grasped Sebastian's shoulder in a tight grasp before he injected her with the needle. "It's not that bad." He tried assuring her. He moved the needle about the skin, injecting the lidocaine so the wound became numb. Alucard came forward and pried her fingers from the demon's shoulder. He then wrapped his longer fingers around her hand to help calm her. She barely noticed the change and grasped Alucard's hand in a tight hold.

After a long minute, Sebastian pulled the syringe away with a satisfied smile. He handed the needle to Alucard who in returned handed him a plunger syringe filled with water. Seras watched in slight fascination and curiosity as Sebastian cleaned and fixed her up. He used the water to wash away the blood that had welled up and anything that could have gotten into the wound. Afterwards he gently dabbed at the wound with a soft towel until the area was completely dry.

"How are you feeling, Seras?" Michaelis asked while a pair of strange looking scissors and a needle holder appeared in his hands. Seras made a funny face before shrugging her shoulders. How was she supposed to be feeling? She was not okay that her entire family was dead. And she wasn't okay that she was about to be sewn up like she was a broken doll. "Is the pain gone?" She thought about it before answering.

"It's only in my back. I feel nothing around my stomach." She muttered.

"I'll give you some lidocaine for your back soon. Let me fix this stitch first." Sebastian replied as he started to work on her.

"Isn't too much lidocaine harmful though?" She asked worriedly.

"You had only received a little so far. So a bit more for your back shouldn't harm you." He told her as he made several knots so the stitching wouldn't come undone again. He then snipped the ends off of the stitch and sat up straighter. "That should hold if you behave yourself this time." Seras sighed through her nose before Sebastian helped her sit up. He gave her some lidocaine for her back and then bandaged her up so she would be less likely to hurt or undo the stitching. "There you are," The demon purred and pulled down her shirt.

"Thank you," She whispered with her eyes glued to the bedsheets.

"You should rest now, Seras. Make sure to lie on your right side so you don't bother the stitching." Sebastian informed her before standing up. The elder creatures had kept their word and started to exit the room to leave her alone, but she stopped them.

"Alucard, Sebastian." Seras whispered. The dark haired males stopped just before they exited and looked back at the small blonde who still refused to look at them. "Because my parents…are dead…do guys plan on…keeping me?" Smirks graced the elder creatures' lips and Sebastian nodded his head.

"Yes," Michaelis purred. "You can finally live with us, Seras. We can homeschool you and protect you far better than those mortals ever did. We will love you and make you happy." He trailed off when the girl started to shake her head. Tears welled up in her eyes before she hid her face from them behind her hands.

"I can't…I don't want to." She admitted to them. Alucard and Sebastian's smirks disappeared and they stared at their small mate with wide eyes.

"Why not?" Alucard kept himself from shouting at her.

"I just can't!" Seras cried out. "After everything that happened today, after everything I saw, I can't live with you guys!" Pure fury brewed in their eyes and they glowered at the small blonde.

"Has it not occurred to you that we're all that you've got left in this world?! Without us, you have no one!" Sebastian snarled at her. "If you choose not to live with us, you will be sent away to an orphanage, is that honestly what you want?!" Seras finally pulled back her head to stare at them with tear filled eyes.

"I'm not choosing this to hurt you guys." She whispered. "But I think living at an orphanage would be the best. I know what you guys are now. I've seen your true forms and your dark sides. I can't process so much in one day. I've lost everything and had to find out what you two really are today." The elder creatures slowly calmed down while they listened to her. "I can't live with you guys and I don't think I can see you guys either for a while; at least not until I have all of my thoughts together." Sebastian sighed and lowered his head.

"We understand, Seras." He muttered. "You need time to accept what we are and how you feel towards us." Seras furrowed her brows at that. Why did it matter how she felt? She supposed her feelings were a jumbled mess and also needed to be sorted out. "In the morning, we'll take you to the hospital. Several investigators will want to talk to you, go over the story, and wish to know where you've been for the last twenty-four hours. I'm sure you know that you can't mention any of this to them. So, you'll have to lie. Will you do that much for us?"

"Of course, Sebastian." Seras answered softly.

"They'll most likely believe you if you say you can't remember anything since you had went through shock." Alucard chimed in.

"Child services would then get involved and in no time you'll be sent off to an orphanage. But considering your age, you most likely won't be adopted. Are you aware of that?" Sebastian asked her.

"Yes," She answered. "But I wasn't looking to be adopted." The demon frowned at her for being so stubborn and deciding to go live at an orphanage.

"And when you're ready for us, we'll be there. This is your home whenever you decide you wish to return to it." Michaelis spoke softly.

"Thank you," Seras whispered. "And…I'm sorry for doing this to you guys. I know you've both been waiting for me to live here for so very long, but I just can't. I'm sorry." Alucard and Sebastian didn't say a word to her. They were absolutely furious and hurt by what their mate had chosen and how she had acted towards them today. The elder creatures turned their back on the small blonde and exited the room.

End of Chapter Four

I hope you liked the chapter. Please review. I don't mind if you give your opinion, but I do not appreciate swearing or insults. Thank you!

Oxford Not Brogues