A/N: Yay, another update! I'm updating a little early today, because my brother's laptop is not accessible tonight...so yeah. It seems that the majority of you guys thought the events of the previous chapter were indeed rushed. But you all seemed to like it anyway, so I'm glad that it wasn't too bad. Anyway, I'll leave you to your reading!

Thanks to my new reviewer:

-Brok3nRagd0ll

And to my usual much loved reviewers. Enjoy the chapter!

Replay
A Hellsing Fanfiction
By Lady Hito
Chapter Seven

Seras slowly opened her eyes, the morning light nearly blinding her. She sat up and stretched. She had gotten home rather late last night, and didn't even bother to eat the bowl of stew that Antony had left on the table for her.

Yawning, Seras slowly and reluctantly removed the covers from her lap, sliding off the bed. She winced at the sudden pain in her lip, and remembered what had happened last night.

Alucard...

She brushed her fingers over her lips, every emotion she felt last night flooding through her again, though not as strong as the night before...

"Mommy!" Came a shriek from the hallway. Seconds later, Natalia burst into the room, fearfully clutching her rag doll, a trail of blankets dragging behind her.

Seras abandoned the burning the emotions and rushed to her daughter. "What is it, sweetie?"

"There's...there's a spider." Natalia whimpered, squeezing the life (or non-life) out of her doll.

"Oh? Can you show me where it is?"

"In my room."

"Show me, sweetie."

Natalia gave her mother a fearful look, but grabbed Seras' outstretched hand anyway and led her to the pink room. She refused to go any further.

"Is it on the ceiling?" Seras asked.

Her daughter shook her head.

"Next to your bed?"

Another shake of the head.

"Next to the door?"

More shaking of the head.

"Then tell me where it is, sweetie, and I'll get rid of it."

"It's on my bed." Natalia answered meekly.

Seras strode into the room, walking up to the canopy bed. After examining the surface for a couple minutes, she frowned and turned to the doorway, where her daughter still stood.

"I don't see a spider, sweetie."

"But there is one!"

"Well, it's probably gone now."

"I'm scared, mommy."

"No, no, don't be scared. It's just a spider, it's gone now." Seras assured, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "Now come on, let's get on over to your grandmother's house. She's invited us for breakfast, so get dressed quickly!"

Clarissa greeted them with arms wide open, wrapping both mother and daughter in a tight embrace. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here, having breakfast again!"

Seras laughed. "It hasn't been that long, now has it?"

"You haven't visited me since...the miscarriage, dear." Clarissa lowered her voice when mentioning the miscarriage. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Seras nodded. "Of course." She smiled weakly. "It's kind of...weird, but..."

"Grandma, why are the flowers gone?"

"Because it's almost winter, dearest." Clarissa smiled down at Natalia, who was pointing at the rose bushes.

"I don't like winter."

Seras and Clarissa laughed.

"It's a rather cold season, so I must agree with you. Winter is a terrible season." Clarissa sighed. "Everything wilts."

"The season of death." Seras whispered.

"Well, come on in!" Clarissa ushered them both into her home. "It's getting chilly." She shivered, pulling her sweater tighter around herself.

"I'm glad you don't need to use your wheelchair so much now." Seras led the way into the large dining room.

"Me too." Clarissa agreed.

"That means you're doing better, right?" Seras lifted Natalia into a chair, taking the seat next to it.

Clarissa sat across from them, letting forth a heavy sigh. "Alas, no. The doctor says that the strain on my bones isn't good for me. He wants me back in the wheelchair."

Seras frowned. "Then you should listen to him. After all, he should know what's best, right?"

Her mother-in-law shook her head stubbornly. "I will not be put into a wheelchair for the rest of my life! If I can still stand, I can still walk, and I certainly won't need a wheelchair in order to move around!"

Seras nodded. "I understand, Clarissa, but you should take into consideration his words. It's not helping with your osteoporosis."

Natalia, completely oblivious to the conversation, tugged on her mother's sleeve. "May I go wash my hands?"

"Sure, sweetie."

After the little four year-old had rushed off, Seras turned worriedly back to her mother-in-law. "Clarissa - "

"No." Clarissa fixed Seras with a cold look. "I refuse to be stuck in a pathetic little wheelchair for the rest of my life."

"But don't you understand? You - "

"No more, Victoria. No more."

"Clarissa..."

"I said, no more!" Clarissa shouted. She slunk heavily back against the chair.

"Clarissa! Are you - " Seras hastily stood.

"I'm...fine." Clarissa waved her off. "Where's Gretta? She should be bringing the food out by now."

Seras' cell phone rang near the end of the nearly silent breakfast. Checking the caller ID, she saw Liz's name flashing in bright letters.

"Excuse me." Seras left the dining room to answer the call. "Liz?"

"Hey, Vicky! You free today?"

"Actually, I'm at my mother-in-law's house. We're having breakfast."

"Aww, isn't that cute? Bonding with the in-laws. Well, when can you leave?"

"Liz, I have a daughter that I need to take care of."

"Leave her with grandma and grandpa."

"My father-in-law passed on a few years ago."

"Well, then, leave her with grandma!"

"But..." Seras could see there was no use arguing. "Alright." She sighed, giving in. "I'll see what I can do."

"Great! Call me back when you can leave, 'kay?"

Alucard, at last, returned to the Hellsing manor, where he was greeted by Walter.

"Ah, Alucard, finally back?"

"Hmph." Alucard grunted, brushing past the old butler to the basement. "Get me two packets of blood this time, Angel of Death."

She just left. Is her life now more important than her undead life?

After the events taking place in the church and after Seras had left, Alucard had stayed just a moment longer, trying to piece together what just happened. Had he come on too strong? Perhaps that was what scared her away.

He phased through the cement walls of his basement room, clomping over to the chair and sitting, placing his feet on the table as always.

Walter came in soon after with the familiar bucket containing the vampire's medical blood packets. Placing it on the table, he fixed the No Life King with a grim look.

"What?" Alucard growled, in no mood for any small talk. He snatched one of the blood packets from the ice bucket and tore it open with his teeth.

"I assume you saw Miss Victoria?"

So what if I did? Alucard, occupied with the blood, started up a mind conversation with the Angel of Death.

"Is she doing well?"

Very. The answer came as a growl.

"What happened, Alucard?"

Nothing. Now get out, Angel of Death. The thought came out more hostile than he had intended, but again, Alucard was in no mood for talking.

Walter lingered for just a moment longer before turning to leave. "I'll inform Sir Integra that you're back."

Seras stepped out into the crisp autumn air, pulling her jacket around herself a little tighter. Although it was sunny, there was the chilly wind of fall.

Clarissa had agreed to let Natalia stay with her for the day while Seras went out to meet Liz.

Fishing her cell phone out of her pocket, she dialed Liz's number.

"Vicky? Can you do lunch?"

"Yeah, sure. Where do you want to meet?" Seras slid behind the wheel of one of the black sedans.

"Hmm…I was thinking that new mall. You know, that place across the street from that recreation center?"

Seras sat for a moment, trying to think of where it was she might've seen the mall Liz was talking about. "Oh! Yeah, I know where that is. Sounds good to me."

"Awesome, see you there!"

Alucard, who happened to be listening for his former fledging's thoughts, heard that she was going to be meeting a friend at the new mall. She had referred to the friend as Liz. Alucard knew only one certain Liz, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions just yet. Instead, he got up and phased through the walls of his room, proceeding up to the main level of the manor.

He quickly slipped into the shadows when he sensed Integra coming – he didn't need to talk to her just yet. A confrontation with his master was the last thing Alucard wanted to face at this moment in time.

The ash blonde woman stopped mere feet from where Alucard was hiding, as if she could somehow sense that he was around. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she continued on down the hallway.

After his master had left, the No Life King slipped away to where his fledging was headed.

He would find out who this Liz character really was.