A/N: Aw, you guys, I'm so sorry for the late update! I had this chapter typed up and ready to post on Friday, but ever since Thursday, has been quite screwy and would display the, "This page cannot be displayed." Message everytime I pressed the Log In link.
Anyway, that's the reason for my late update...and my now screwed up update schedule. Grr.
Thanks to my new reviewers:
-DaysOfTheNight
-LunaV-chan (She's my online auntie...:-))
-Kiya
And many thanks to my regular reviewers. :-) Love you guys! Enjoy chapter eight!
Replay
A Hellsing Fanfiction
By Lady Hito
Chapter Eight
Seras strode up to the entrance of the mall. Peering through, she could see Liz already waiting inside, examining the map.
Swinging open the glass doors, Seras stepped inside. The interior was very spacious, of course. The new, clean, polished marble flooring squeaked under Seras' sneakers as she made her way to where Liz stood.
Liz looked up and grinned when she spotted Seras. "Vicky!"
Seras returned the grin with one of her own. "So, what's for lunch?"
"Do you like Japanese?"
Seras shrugged. "It's alright."
"How's Italian?"
"That's really good, I love Italian."
"Great, Italian it is! You're not really hungry right now, are you?"
Seras shook her head. "No, no, no! I just came from breakfast."
"Okay, good. Why don't we go shopping around first?" Liz suggested.
"That sounds good." Seras agreed.
"Alright, which shop shall we hit first?"
Seras shrugged again. "Your choice."
Liz lapsed into a silence, thinking. "Ummm...Ralph Lauren?"
"Sure." Liz dragged Seras in the direction of the store, after consulting the mall map. They took two escalators up to the third floor before stepping off.Ralph Laurenwas a big store, taking up the space of at least three of the little shops they passed on the way up.
"Oooooh, end of the season sale!" Liz ran in, Seras slowly following after.
"This is cute!" Liz held a red slip dress up in front of her, twirling around.
"That is. A tad short, though." Seras commented, wrinkling her nose.
"Awww, but it's soooo cute! I'm going to get it!" Liz draped the dress over her left arm, continuing to go through the sale racks.
"How's...this one, for you?" She pulled out a magenta sweater. "Nice?"
"Not my color." Seras wrinkled her nose again.
"True. Too bad they don't have a blue one. Let's check the new winter fashions." Liz led the way toward the front of the store, where the newer clothes were located. She began to sort through the piles of blue clothing.
"Here's one!"
Seras examined the blue shirt Liz was holding up for her. It was a dark navy blue, almost black, with a V-neck and three quarters sleeves.
"It's alright."
Liz shoved the shirt into Seras' arms. "Great! It'll look super cute on you!"
"Ah - but - Liz - "
"You're buying something today, Vicky." Liz wagged a finger. "No excuses!"
"But - " Seras sighed, defeated. "Alright." She murmured. "I'll buy it."
After strolling around the store some more, they finally made their way to the cash registers. By then, it was fifteen minutes to noon, and Seras was now beginning to get hungry again.
"Okay, let's go get our food now!" Liz grabbed Seras' wrist and dragged her to the escalator, which they rode up until they reached the utmost top floor, being the seventh floor.
"Mmm, this floor smells goood...," Liz commented, sniffing in the scent of freshly baked bread emitted from the Italian restaurant nearby.
They took their seats at one of the tables in a corner of the restaurant and began to sift through the menus.
"Hmm...ooh, that looks good...," Liz murmured to herself, scanning the red menu.
Seras wasn't sure what to order, as there were so many choices. She took a sip of her water and continued scanning her own menu.
Finally deciding on the Fettuccine Alfredo dish, she leaned back in the chair, not staring at anything or anyone in particular. She was simply dazing off.
"Hey, Vicky, what are you daydreaming about? Spill!" Liz demanded, grinning.
"Hm...?"
"Are you seeing someone?" Liz casually asked, stirring the straw around in her cup of water.
This snapped Seras out of her thoughts almost immediately. "W-what!"
"You heard me."
"No! No! I would never even think of doing that!" Seras cried. "My God, Liz!"
Liz shrugged. "Hey, it's alright to admit things like that to me. Not like I'm going to tell."
Seras shook her head. "You know me. I'm not that kind of...person."
"Of course." Liz grinned. "I was just asking for fun, jeez."
Seras smiled weakly. "Y-yeah..."
Their food then arrived, and the two spent the next hour fully catching up on things. Liz seemed to want to share every detail of her life ever since they last saw each other at their graduation. Seras found herself merely nodding and not sharing much at all.
"Well, c'mon, let's go." Liz finally ceased her telling of an event that had happened recently, standing. "The smell of this place is starting to get annoying."
Seras grinned. "Alright."
They rode the escalator down to the first level, merely walking around aimlessly, not sure where to go next.
"This place is kind of boring." Liz wrinkled her nose.
"It is." Seras agreed. "Not much to do."
"Yeah, I know. I mean, seriously, they should like - " Liz's eyes widened as she stared past Seras' shoulder.
"What is it?" Seras went to turn around, but her arm was yanked rather hard in the other direction by Liz. "Ow, Liz, what - "
"Let's...go to this body shop here!" Liz worriedly glanced over her shoulder as she said this.
"Liz, what's going on?" Seras frowned.
"Ooooh, new fragrance!" Liz pointed at the large sign displayed in the window of the shop. "Let's go see what it smells like!"
"Liz!" Seras yanked her wrist out of Liz's rather tight grip. "We've already been there."
"O-oh?" The nervousness was eminent in Liz's reply.
"Yes. What is going on?" Seras stated the question slowly.
"Oh, nothing! I'm just...," Liz trailed off, her face losing whatever color it had left.
A tall shadow fell over them, and Seras whirled around to find a certain red-clad man. She hadn't seen Alucard since the night in the church, and this time, he had gone back to wearing his tinted glasses and his hat had once again reclaimed its spot upon his head. Seras wasn't sure if she was glad that his eyes were covered or if she was disappointed that she couldn't see those hynotic ruby orbs again.
"I was right in assuming that it would be you." He spoke, his voice a dangerous murmur.
"And?" Liz was trying her best to keep calm, but her voice betrayed her.
"What do you want with Police Girl?"
"What makes you think I'll tell you?"
"What?" Seras stepped back from both of them, glancing back and forth. "What's going on?"
She received an answer from neither of them, both too focused on glaring at each other to pay any heed to her.
"I suggest you leave her alone." Alucard continued in his dangerously low tone.
"I suggest you stay out of this."
"You Andersons have to be so damn persistent." Alucard growled.
Liz lifted her chin, fully returning the vampire's glare now.
"Excuse me!" Seras yelled. Two heads swiveled in her direction. "What is going on?" She demanded.
"Why don't you ask your...friend here?" Alucard glanced at Liz.
Liz shook her head. "I would be the wrong person to ask." With that, she spun on her heel and stalked out of the mall.
Seras watched her leave, then turned back to Alucard. "I want to know what's going on." She stated, for the umpteenth time it seemed.
Alucard didn't respond for a moment, and when he did open his mouth to speak, it hardly answered her demand.
"Stay away from her, that Liz Anderson."
"Why?"
Though his glasses covered his eyes, Seras could almost feel his intense gaze. "You don't need to know why. She's dangerous. Listen to me and stay away from her."
She didn't know what impulsed her to do it, but the next moment, Seras reached out a hand and slapped Alucard across the cheek, the noise resounding and echoing for a moment, above the noise of the crowd. Many paused to look, and then continued on their way.
"You don't order me around, you bastard." And then Seras herself spun on her own heel and exited the mall.
