Hey, hey, hey. Another one in about a day. yeah! Aren't you happy?

Eveline: WOW! I've never seen a review longer than yours, but it still only counts as ONE! I have so many ready to go because I like to to have a story done start to finish before even posting the first chappy. I don't like it when i read a story and midway it just stops because the a writer had a brain fart and left it unfinished. You have my word that any story I post WILL have an ending that WILL be posted in a timely manner. As for your 'deadline' I'm afraid it won't be all posted by then, even if i posted one a day. If it helps any, you are not the only one squirming for more. Yes i'm evil, but i'm fine with that.

Momo*: TAKE A DEEP BEATH. Just calm down. here is the next chappy. lol

Discaimer: Whatever, I don't care what you think. I own THIS story! (Just not the characters)

----------------------- Chapter 7 Kat Has got Curiosity by the Tail

Alucard had long since removed his red outer coat and soundlessly crept into his coffin with the sleeping girl none the wiser. He remained awake during her slumber so he would not miss any of her "surprise" when she decided to wake up. She had shifted a bit in her sleep. Her two legs had wrapped themselves snuggly around his left calf. He was prudent enough to remove her boots, for she seemed the type to "kick" in her sleep. Her green military standard socks remained covering the bandages still on her feet. 'I wonder if she remembers that?' She didn't seem to pay any mind to her feet, hurting or otherwise. She still wore the fatigues, though the vest was gone, taken off during the doctor's examination. Her right hand had curled down his side and tucked between his torso and arm. Her bandaged left hand was now over his right shoulder tangled and buried in his black inky locks. Her springy raven hair cascaded over his chest as her left cheek and nose made a home in the division of his ribcage. It disturbed him that her very feminine assets were pressing against his hard masculine chest. He was not going to admit even to himself that he liked it.

The girl was a mixture of aromas. The strongest and headiest was her own body's production of sweat, oils, and female hormones, made strong from her lack of showering the previous evening. Alucard could still draw out the hint of the strawberry shampoo in her hair though. Dried blood, antiseptic, and gunpowder also mingled rather pleasantly he might say with her scent. It was too pleasant, much to his uneasiness. He liked it too much. It is strange though, he could not tell if she is a virgin or not. She probably wasn't one, especially given her age in this day and age.

His arms did not hold her tightly as before. They were loose as his sides. His hands only lightly resting against her sides. He toyed with the idea of playing with her hair and entwining it with his fingers, but thought better as it might bring up once painful memories. She did continue to remind him of Elsbeth. He opened his heart to her, the first and only human he ever did so. Well, fully, anyways. He did hold compassion and respect for his master, Integra, but as a fellow comrade in arms. She did not ask for his heart, but his services and knowledge, and that was quite acceptable to him.

Elsbeth wanted to change him for the better, and tried to forcibly. Although out of love, she had still betrayed him. She was too blinded by her own greedy desires that she became duped by a filthy witch and her filthy son Muro, whom he had hunted down and killed most violently that faithful night. The witch he could not find. Dispatching Muro did not quell the acid pain in his chest. The loss and emptiness ate at him. Until he felt there was nothing left but a bitter scarred mass inside. He vowed never to allow a human to get near again. It was a great sorrow, for she was unique in that she was the only human who could hear the undead melody of his soul.

Kat stirred, jarring him to the present. In the onset of consciousness she squeezed him slightly and murmurs "warm teddy" at his ribcage.

'So, I am a child's cuddle thing now? How insulting.' He thinks. Her legs untwineand her hands pull away out of their respective hiding places. In all the scenarios he played out in his head, he had not expected this one. Her head and chest lift off him by her hands at his sides.

Eyes still dosed in sleepiness she asks. "Why do you have a heart beat?" The question catches him off guard, and he answers truthfully.

"It's not a heartbeat per say, but the pulsing of my vampiric essence that originates from the same organ."

"It's very nice." She said, looking around slightly at the open casket. 'Elsbeth thought so too.' he muses. "What time is it?" Hoping Alucard would just know, seeing as he doesn't carry a watch.

"A bit after noon." He did just know.

"Hmm, then why aren't you, like stark raving mad, right now? You hate being awake during the day." raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Not always." He stared intently at her, gauging any reaction. Her eyes narrow.

"I think you were up to something. I can see it in your eyes. I think you wanted to see me freak out in your coffin, didn't you?" His entertainment blown and getting annoyed, he removed her further off his chest until she was crouching at his legs.

"I think you should find your own bed and let me sleep now. I don't want to start the bad habit of 'snacking in bed'." Alucard gives her a hungry look.

*Hmmph*

"Oh! Eddie! I gotta find out!" She nearly fell climbing out of his coffin. Her feet pad to the door. "Come on vampire! I haven't got all day!"

He got up and followed as ordered, telling her "You are going to be ruin of me woman." She does not hear and finds Walter in the next parallel hallway.

-----------------

"Thanks again, Walter, for putting up with me." With phone in hand, she sits down on a couch in Sir Integra's empty office. Alucardloiters at the other end of the room sneering at the filtering sunlight coming through the blinds.

"You are no bother Miss." He walks away giving her some privacy. Kat takes a few collective breaths and dials the number for Mom. The two men look casually her way from time to time. Alucard can hear her chant, "be all right, be okay…" as she waits for someone to pick up.

"I hope everything's going to be alright with the Miss." Walter comments.

"She bared the news surprisingly well last night." Alucard mentions. He can feel her tension from here.

"Yes, well, she does seem to be shaping up to be a strong woman, despite her rough beginning," said Walter. A woman's voice finally answered the phone, the mother, and she was jabbering up a storm.

"She does, does she?" He asks.

"I suppose most other civilians would be in shambles by now with what she's been through."

"Walter, she was almost in shambles, by me, and not by what she saw out there." Remorse actually hints in his speech and he surprises himself at the words. Kat falls flat on her side, a wave of relief crashes over her. She then rambles on about details, questions, and nonsense.

"It would appear that her brother is alright." Alucard voiced what he heard.

"Ah yes, her file mentions a brother, an Edward Leopold Farley, 17 and still living at home.

"Hmm, I was not aware humans still named their children that."

"Yes it is a little unusual. It appears the mother, a Margret Alisha Farley, is quite a Victorian enthusiast. Katherine's mother owns an antiquities and furniture shop specializing in the Victorian era." Walter elaborates as Alucard hears Kat tease her somewhat doped up bother.

"…Oh come on Elf, relax, I am just making sure there is still some kick in ya. Hey, I'm just glad you're alright…."

"Walter, what is her middle name?" Alucardasks out of curiosity.

"I'm afraid that's a well kept secret. Her records only show the middle initial E."

Alucard walks over to the horizontal Katherine. 'I wonder how hard it will be to pry that information? Will she fight it?' He inwardly smiles.

"Eddie, I gotta go. The people over here are getting antsy. Tell mom bye, okay?" *click* She sits up and gets off the couch.

"What is your middle name Katherine?" The vampire asks.

"What an odd question." She hands the cell phone back to Walter. "Here you are Walter. I really need to get my own. I really must be racking up the minutes on that."

"It's not a problem. I make international calls all the time-" Alucard interrupts.

"The middle name, Kitty Kat." She looks him in the eye.

"Why so curious all of a sudden, Alucard?"

"Answer me." He orders.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. I mean as the saying goes; since you're curious and I'm Kat, I don't think the outlook is that good for me."

"That does not sound very original, Kitty Kat." He remarks.

"It isn't. I just love using it." She smiles wide for the vampire. Alucard is definitely annoyed.

"What will it take for you to tell me?" he looks slightly devious. She smiles again.

"Now we're getting somewhere, but I will have to think about it and not on an empty stomach. Are you hungry?"

"Quite!"

"I'll have something ready in the kitchen in a moment." She and Alucard follow the retainer to the kitchen. "What would you like Miss?" Walter asks. Alucard pulls ahead.

"I don't know if you have it, but would really love a steak right now."

"A beef steak?" Alucard asks.

"No! A wooden steak! So I can pierce your ugly heart with it!" Sarcasm flowed out. It was ignored completely.

"I can easily cook you one Miss Farley, how would you like it?"

"Really, uh rare please. I have to do something nice for you now."

"It is not necessary Miss Farley."

"Are you sure?" He nods. The vampire growls lowly. Kat whispers in Walter's ear. "I think you should give him something extra, tasty today. I did get him out of bed rather early." She suggests friendly.

"I'm afraid Alucard's tastes are hard to find, around here." Walter says.

"Hmm, Alucard, What kind of blood do you like?"

"Fresh." He says with irritation.

"I know that part. I mean blood type, A, B,-"

"Virgin!" He cuts her off. She sighs and stays silent for a few minutes until they reach the kitchen.

She sits at the island counter, Walter starts up the stove, and Alucard moves his hand through the fridge and pulls out a blood pack. He sits across from her, slightly to the right, and digs his teeth into the bag.

"So I'm guessing there are not very many virgins working here." Directing the question at the vampire. However, Walter answers, still cooking.

"There is only one I am aware of, Sir Integra, and she rarely blood lets." Kat crosses her arms and leans on the table. Stares at the table in thought.

"I see. It is no wonder you are grouchy all the time, Alucard, being denied a favorite treat. I would be too, if I didn't have mine every now and then.

"And what would that be?" He asks pausing in his meal.

"I would think you'd know by now. The Archbishop kind of ruined it for me, though. Pompous ass." She says, the aroma from the stove making her stomach rumble.

"Hmm, I had wondered why the Section XIII leader had a swollen nose when he left yesterday." The retainer says.

"He's gone! Hallelujah! No more demeaning little skirts, no offense to Sir Integra."

"None taken, she doesn't like them either."

"Oh, then why does she have them?" She asks, salivating now.

"They are for public functions." Satisfied with the answer, she gazes over at the vampire. His blood pack is drained dry, and he is looking bored.

"Why do I get the feeling that wasn't satisfying?" His eyes dart to hers. She stares into his trying to decipher those red eyes. His head turns to face hers head on. His hands fold in front of his chin. The two stare intensely at each other for several minutes.

Kat thinks 'I wonder what he thinks in that head of his. Probably killing things and blood drinking. I wonder if vampires feel loneliness? He has certainly been on this earth long enough. I suppose he still can't read my mind. Is it selective who he reads or it a constant buzz? If someone sends a thought specifically to him, would he hear it? His eyes are so beautiful. Almost like a swirling pond covered in rose petals, and his face when he saved me, I can't get it out of my mind.' A strange sound enters her head. 'Some sort of sound I hear like wind in a cavern. Where is it coming from? It's getting louder.' Her eyes scrunch together.

Alucard thinks 'She's staring at me. Is she bored? No, she is studying me. Hmm, eyes flicker with questions. Does she expect me to answer that question? I see no fear in her eyes, just curiosity. Kat you were aptly named. Will you refuse my curiosity? Her eyes are so beautiful, much like Elsbeth's except, this woman's pupils are different somehow. They shine more light in I believe. She is still not worth my trouble. However why can't I look away right now?' He sees her eyes scrunch as if she's trying to see more.

Walter sets the plate of meat in front of her as well as utensils and a water glass. His intrusion breaks their eye contact.

Kat blinks at her steak, blood runs out from under it.

"Wow, that's a lot of steak." She smiled, and stood from the stool. "Thank you, Walter!" She leans upward and pecks his cheek. She sits back down from a slightly speechless Walter.

"You're welcome Miss." He says and leaves the kitchen. Kat picked up the knife and fork, and starts cutting little cubes. She forks at a particularly juicy piece and pops it in her mouth. She makes a low moan of pleasure. She savors the bite a moment before delicately attacking her plate. Alucard is mesmerized with each bite she chomps on. Halfway through her meal, blood leaks out the side of her mouth from her energetic bite. Alucardfeels a distinctive urge to lick away the dribbling red liquid from her chin and lips. His body leans noticeably forward before he catches himself.

"Alucard?" She wipes the leakage with a napkin. She waits a moment for him to respond. When nothing. She asked, "Would you like some? I can't really finish it all. You seem very intent on my meal or eating me. I can't be sure."

Alucard leans further over, grabs her fork, selects a bloody piece, and takes into his sharky mouth.

"I have no interest in drinking your blood, Katherine. It is probably as weak and bland as you are." He bites into another piece. She scoffs.

"All right, tell me this. Is the rarest blood type generally the most sought after by vampires?"

"Yes." He stabs into another piece.

"Do you seek it out too?"

"Yes, what are you getting at?" In a bold move, she picks up the knife and slices her left pointer finger open. Holding down his fork-wielding wrist with her right, she lets drip several droplets of her blood onto the piece of meat.

Letting go of his wrist she says, "Try that vampire, and tell me what you think." He pops it into his mouth and sucks at the cube of meat.

His pupils dilate in pleasure. 'Her blood, I have not sampled the like in such a long time. She is the rarest, AB-, and a virgin, and she is so sweet.' "Sweeter than my master's. I have not tasted the like." He had not intended to voice that thought. It is her damned command that brought it out.

"Wow, that good?" She smiles briefly. "Maybe that's not such a good thing."

"May I lick your wound clean, Katherine?" He asks with soft hungry eyes.

He used her proper name for once. "Umm, I don't trust your teeth, but since you asked, maybe a second sampling?" Fear trickles off her. He nods in understanding, a little put out, but grateful for another taste.

After a second blood soaked morsel, he watches her suck on her finger and aches for his lips on that finger, sucking at her life pulsing liquid. 'Control. I have control. She is merely the circumstances of genetics and human nature. I have fed already. I am sated. She has not yet told me her middle name.'

"About that name?" Alucard reminds her. Her face contorts in thought as she leaves the kitchen. He follows.

"You're still on about that? I am certainly not going to just give it to you. Not after the little treat I just gave you. I don't think I'll even barter with it right now. Do you need sleep?"

"Not anymore, your blood has energized me." he smirks at her.

"That tiny bit?" He bares his teeth.

"Yes, the sweeter it is, the greater the effect on a vampire." She looks at her finger and shakes her head. It didn't take a mind reader to know she was thinking 'I shouldn't have.'

-------------------

Later, in his chambers, after a shower and change of clothes, she sits cross-legged with her handy pencil and pad in hand. Alucard sits as usual in his chair. 'He is so boring sometimes, and yet I can't help being so interested in him as well.' Kat draws his form sitting in that chair, his ebony hair loose about his shoulders and his gloved hands clasped together at his chest. Occasionally, Kat lifts several sheets and adds a bit of detail to a second sketch: the image she cannot get out of her mind. It is the image of his eyes so soft and smile so genuine: the face of her savior. She didn't dare show this one to him. It was too personal, and she had to be careful. The vampire was rather sneaky.

She finishes the top sketch of the inanimate vampire. It would have been an innocent drawing except she adds the caption, 'Heaven didn't want him, Hell couldn't stand him, so there he sits plaguing the earth with his mind numbing BOREDOM.' She sits back, tapping the eraser end on her mouth, inspecting her creation. Her head tilts this way and that. A hand mindlessly plays with her ear lobe. 'Yes, just right.' She tears the sheet off the pad, hops off the cot and walks over to Alucard.

"For you good sir." Her lip twitches as she hands him her low opinion of him. He looks at it a moment. 'Thinks I plague her with boredom, does she? She should be so lucky. I could plague her with so much worse.' He gives her one of his award winning grins before the vampire seems to melt into his chair and a black ink blankets the floor. She takes a few steps back. The floor seems to move before her eyes as a hundred little bulges form into black ash colored rodents with red beady eyes. Kat gasps astonished. The unearthly creatures clamber their little claws onto her jean pants and up onto her t-shirt. At least a dozen are zigzagging all over her shirt, the pitter-patter of tiny feet creeping her out only slightly. Kat elicits a squeak when one particularly ugly rat noses itself under her shirt collar. Her noise only incites the mass further. The little beast dances in-between her breasts when she smashes it with a fist and pulls it out through the collar. She squeezes it tightly in her right fist as her left tosses off another pest off her head.

"That's enough!" she said to the clinched rat, clearly agitated. The horde merges back into one slightly dissatisfied vampire. Her hand now clutches around long fingers of his left hand. Her white teeth are visible in her revulsion for his prying 'hands' and she squeezes ever tighter at his fingers.

"That's a grip you have, Kitty Kat. Do you not like rats?" His tone taunting.

"Rats don't bother me, just wondering hands. Pervert!" She glares heatedly at Alucard. The odd sound of the wind whispers in her ear again, or is it in her head. Her face softens and Kat loosens her grip. Alucard pulls away, curious at her sudden deflation of anger.

"Tell me what you fear Katherine. I can assure you I that I won't be boring to you any longer." Kat mentally shakes the weirdness out. She punctuates her next words.

"What makes you think that I would divulge such information to you, especially after your little rat party?"

"I'll find out what it is, sooner or later." She rolls her eyes and responds with sarcasm.

"Oh I can't wait." She heads for the door. "I think I want to go visit Seras. Her company is so much friendlier and you are going to lead the way." She opens the door.

He walks into the doorway and turns his head with a glint in his red eyes. "Afraid I'll sneak up on you?"

"No, I'm afraid I'll have to smack you again. Now move." She chides and puts a little distance between her and the agitating vamp.

----------------

The troublesome, beguiling woman conversed adamantly with Police Girl. He could tell his fledgling is enjoying the company, finally with another girl, who didn't mind chatting about whatever. Most of Katherine's inquires steered toward the world of vampires. 'Bad choice of people to ask such questions from, Seras is still an infant in the world of darkness.'

They also chatted about their lives, specific events, and about the highlights of England. Alucard took out Jackal and started his usual maintenance on his trusty gun.

He kept stealing glances at the midnight-haired mystery. She was becoming increasingly more interesting since that night, and it really was just 24 hours ago. He wanted more and more to delveinto her mind and to peak into her darkest desires and fears. He wanted to know how her mind works. He wanted to know what it was that caused the sudden 'burst' of life that she is emanating even now. She is more surefooted verbally, and lack for a better word, spunkier. His mind conflicted. He did not want anything to do with this woman as she was somewhat unpredictable and yet he was still drawn to her. Despite the curse thrusting them together, he was not going to entertain any thoughts of making her his. Humans are flawed. They played upon their selfish needs and no woman will understand what his heart craved; true devotion of heart, body, and soul. Only another vampire with as much tenacity and power as him may be considered. Yet none with such a vibe has ever crossed his path and doubted she existed with his five centuries of un-living.

However, he did concede to one thing, though. She is a challenging mystery, and Alucard, The No Life King could not resist a challenge.

Some time later, Alucard interrupts the two for his fledgling's training. Tonight he is going to attempt to teach her to summon small objects from across the room. Police Girl had improved somewhat at phasing through walls and that any further practice she could do on her own. She would progress quicker though if she would ingest her blood at normal intervals.

At one end of the room, a dagger, a watch, and a cup full of liquid are laid out on a table. Seras, Alucard, and Kat stand at the other end. Kat is facing the two with her arms crossed as Alucard demonstrates retrieving the full glass, effortlessly.

"Show off." Kat says. He is unfazed as he puts the glass back to same way. Kat notices his eyes brighten ever so slightly as he does so. 'I wonder if that happens every time he taps into his power? He certainly doesn't need to 'see' with them. He shot that squad of ghouls with his back turned. Vampires must havesome sort of inner eye that they perceive the world with, a third eye, Seras mentioned. He can probably see through walls and floors, and see others milling about with any the wiser. He can probably see- oh!'

"Have you seen me naked?" She blurts suddenly. Seras goes wide-eyed. Alucard just looks puzzled.

"And what prey tell brought up that question?" He asks.

"Hmm, avoiding the question usually means a guilty conscious."

"I would have to have a conscious for that statement to be valid, but no, I have not seen your nudity, nor do I have any reason to see it. I doubt yours is any different from every other human female on this earth. Now why the sudden inquiry?" Alucard is definitely irked.

"I was thinking about the vampire's third eye and how you can be such an ass sometimes and maybe… look." Her face turns away slightly flushed. Her fingers come up to twist and knead her right earlobe for a moment. Alucard turns back to his fledgling. It was her turn, now that he had explained what she had to do.

At first Seras did not have any luck. Her face scrunches up in concentration at trying to move the dagger off the table. 'She is thinking too hard it seems. I know what I would do; I'd move that dagger into his right kneecap. Hmm, I am getting a bit sadistic aren't I?' Her face lights up in mirth as she looks at Seras. Seras breaks her concentration and looks at Kat.

"My master's kneecap? I can't do that." Seras says incredulous. Kat's hand flies to her mouth in shock. 'She read my mind! She said couldn't read minds yet!'

Annoyed but intrigued nonetheless, Alucard asks his fledgling if she entered Katherine's mind.

"No master! She said the words into my head! Like you talkto me master." He moves his gaze from his fledging to Katherine.

"I didn't do it on purpose! I swear!" she cries.

"It would appear your mind is very open, Police Girl, not a good thing when dealing with the enemy." He says. "Send a thought to her as you would me," ordering Seras. Kat frowns, annoyed at suddenly being a guinea pig.

Kat flinches at a slight push inside her head like hand grazing the side of a balloon.

"I can't master. She keeps me out."

"That felt a little weird, Seras." She says gaining an intense stare from Alucard. He closes in on her.

"You are not supposed to notice the intrusion." His hand clutches at the base of her skull, and under her jaw. His thumb juts her chin upward to look up at him.

"What do you mean?" She asks. He only bores into her brown orbs in search of something.

'Oh great. He is trying to get into my mind too. Does he not know privacy?' She begins to hear the melodious wind in her head again. 'What is this? Is this how it sounds, him getting into my head. A song in the wind? It's so weird and so unlike him.' Her eyes loose focus for a moment as she dwells on the mysterious tune.

Alucard breaks away frustrated and the melody ceases in her head.

"You were trying to get into my head, weren't you? Well did you glimpse anything, pervert? I certainly didn't feel you."

"Not a single thing, as if you don't exist." He rakes a hand at his black hair.

"Humph. Tell me what you meant about not feeling the 'intrusion'."

"Humans by nature cannot feel the encroaching presence of a vampire entering their mind; unless the vampire makes it known they are doing so. The more disciplined mind may realize something is up after a while, but rarely has a human able to feel it instantly. It is likely only the curse that circumvents a vampire's prying mind." He explains.

"You said rarely. Have you encountered someone else like that?" He takes a moment to respond.

"Once," turning back to the training exercise.

------------------------

After a frustrated session with Police Girl, Alucard practically stormed out of the room, closing the door in front of Kat. Her chest smacked into the door before she could turn the knob.

"Damn vampire!" she mutters before the invisible chain slackens letting her open the door. She runs to catch up to him. He was heading outside. "What was that all about? Tell me!"

'Damn prying woman!' rolling his eyes. "Police Girl should not be so stubbornly inept with her vampire abilities. She is of my blood. She should not still be this weak." They were now outside and the moon shown full just over the tops of the surrounding trees. "And you are a nuisance to be meddling in things you do not understand nor are any of your business." His face never wavered from the moon.

"It's not like I asked to be here. I do not know about the meddling part, but I'm sorry that I've been nosey. I can't help it. I just found out that there are creatures that go bump in the night and I want to know all I can so I can be prepared in the future." Her vision darts between the moon and his face.

"Do you intend on hunting down us night creatures now?" He asks, finally looking at her.

"No. I just wonder if I should be carrying holy water and wolf bane along with pepper spray when I'm walking home at night." She responds tersely. "I have had the occasional shady character follow me. Fortunately I was able to subdue the first one easily and the second was harmless, in a physical sense." Disbelief etched in his face.

"You subdued an attacker? He must have been weak fool indeed." She frowns at his belittlement.

"No, he was about average. There are some fairly sensitive areas of the human body and I pinched the hell out of his. Would you like me to demonstrate, on you?" Little angry waves pelt his senses.

He smirks. "I doubt you can do any serious harm to me." He is rather enjoying her spurt of anger.

"You wanna bet, Alucard? I think even you feel pain." Alucard comes nose to nose with her an evil grin plastered his face.

"By all means Katherine, do your worse and I will do mine."

REVIEW! YOU KNOW YOU WANNA. COME ON ITS JUST A LITTLE CLICK AWAY. DO YOU THINK I COULD GET AT LEAST TEN THIS TIME, MAYBE?

OKAY, I KNOW I'M PUSHING IT A LITTLE. DOESN'T HURT TO ASK, THOUGH.

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