He woke, and as had become habit, stayed very still and listened; when he woke, Abraham would begin, and the opportunity to sometimes delay the man by serveral minutes was to be cherished. Two heartbeats beat nearby, and he felt a flare of panic, before waking fully and realizing who those heartbeats belonged to. Fear turned to a muted pleasure, and he relaxed. He was fed, well-fed. Comfortable. Safe. For the first time in weeks, he felt..intact. Himself. Not falling apart, not distanced, but a solidly functioning whole. Content, he engaged in a jaw-cracking yawn.
"Awake, Alucard?" Jason had heard him stir, and Alucard mmhmm'd an affirmative. They'd been in the pantry since the minister had come, two days ago. That day, he'd slept well, but woken fearing that Abraham would be there, not daring to hope nor believe that he was safe. And...he had been. No one had disturbed them the entire night. He'd spent most of it serving as a backrest to one man or the other as they learned the game of Dominoes. They'd had a rules sheet, but the strategy of the game was far more than could be learned in one night. Explaining and assisting was tempting, but...no. He was not focused well enough, not recovered enough, to be coherent. Instead, it had been a quiet night of rest and recovery.
Tonight, though...tonight he might be playing dominos himself. A silly thought, really, for an ancient undead monster, and his mouth quirked at the absurdity...but he wanted to play. And it was an incredible thought that he'd be able to do what he wanted, something that had not been possible for...too long. A shudder, as his mind went down a pathway he had been avoiding, and then he shook off the fatigue of evening and rose to join his new Master and his friend.
They were sitting at a table, someone must have fetched one during the day as he slept. Small and rickety but the perfect size for the puzzle spread before them. He'd heard of puzzles, but never seen one before. With a casual glance at the table, he wandered over and laid his head briefly on Sam's, getting a pat in return. It was so...nice...to have his presence appreciated, to have someone want him there, and he craved every bit of attention he could wrangle. It would ease in time, he was certain, but after so long a deprivation he intended to indulge himself. And to be able to do so and not worry about a footstep outside the door, or that he would be summoned...bliss.
He curled up on the floor by Sam's chair, eyes closed as fingers ran through his hair, only to be disturbed by Jason's voice. Gentle...but he forced open his eyes from their relaxed half-mast to see what was wanted.
"Alucard...you don't need to be on the floor. We got a chair for you, see?" Yes, he did see...but in a chair was not directly beside Sam, and that's what he did want.
"Thank you...but...I want to be here." Jason looked surprised, Sam simply shrugged and went back to playing with his hair.
"It's getting long again, vampire," he said, tugging gently at a few wayward strands. Alucard simply snorted and buried his face against Sam's side. Who cared if it was long? It was clean, and untangled, and that in itself was a wonderful change from how it had been for untold months. "Alucard, we were working on a list of important things, and we need to go over them with you, see if there is anything we've missed or that you think is important." Eyes cracked open, he looked up...yes, a scrap of paper in Sam's hand. He was probably intended to sit in the chair and read it with them. Damned if he was moving. His head turned back to Sam's side.
"Alucard..." Jason's voice, and Alucard cracked an eye open, a bit worried at the slight warning tone. He must have visibly tensed, for Jason was quick to continue. "It's alright, really, you can stay there, but we do need you to listen and contribute." A slight huff...yes, he could do that. He heard Jason take a deep breath.
-v-v-
It was still so odd seeing what he'd considered a near-mindless, dangerous beast curled up so contentedly. He'd been exposed to this for several weeks, it shouldn't be any surprise, but it was hard to shake off months of indoctrination by Helsing. Then again, what Helsing supposedly knew had nearly destroyed the vampire he'd come to consider a friend. He hoped it was able to listen to the problems they'd listed without becoming overly stressed. They had debated waiting a few more days, but then again, finalizing everything now might be a bigger help than a few days more to recover! And so...
"First and foremost...our visitor told you that Sam would be responsible for you now, and that Abraham was relinquishing all control," red eyes snapped up to him, the vampire tensing instantly, clearly afraid this had changed, and Jason hurried on "but he hasn't yet told you that directly, and we need him to do so. Otherwise, you'll still have to follow the directions he gave you previously, correct?" The shaggy black headed nodded. "Can we bring him down tonight and have him release you to Sam? He doesn't even need to come in the room, but you'll need to hear him say this himself." Alucard visibly shivered slightly, but pushed a bit harder against Sam, visibly gaining confidence from the contact and then nodding.
"Yes...but please...not in here. This is a...sanctuary, of sorts. If his smell is in here, it will not feel as safe." Smell...vampires were not human. He should have known that Alucard could pick up such traces, they'd been taught well enough about a vampire's superior animal senses.
"Understandable, and we'll wait until you are ready to do so tonight. Next...the other soldiers. I talked about this with Sam, and we think it would be best to allow you to defend yourself from them. Not kill them, not permanently or severely injure them...but physically, if allowed, you could stop them?"
The eyes had widened. Allowed to defend himself? The vampire was clearly shocked at this, and it took a moment for him to answer. "Oh, yes...I can...but if they have weapons I might not be able to, not as limited as I am. But...a few examples...your company...yes. Yes. And thank you, oh, thank you!" Alucard was nearly crying with relief, and both men felt a stab of guilt that, while they'd hidden him away, they hadn't done anything to reduce the animosity of the other men towards him.
"Well, we'll tell them that you are off limits. Van Helsing will back us up, I hope. And if they don't listen, don't kill them. But I won't begrudge you some bruises and scratches." Jason grinned at Alucard, who smiled back up at him with a slightly stunned expression still lingering.
"Next up...where do you want to stay? The upstairs rooms are bright and well-lit. I am not entirely fond of the idea of the pantry being a permenent home. It's noisy by the kitchen and very easily accessible. Did you want to go back to your room downstairs?" The vampire was shaking his head, immediately and vehemently.
"No, no no!" No elaboration, simply a clear dread and a denial of his willingness.
"Any suggestions? Where would you be comfortable and feel safe?" This had stumped them. There just weren't a lot of options.
But the vampire had an immediate answer. "There was a chapel here, all old estates seem to have them. If we can find it or find the rooms that used to be the chapel, I may be very comfortable there. But...not the basement. And the sunny bright rooms...no. This is acceptable for now. I like it here. It is very different from where I was, and it feels...safe. I do not need to move immediately. But...a lock, maybe, for the door? Or a bar?"
"Wise move," was Sam's somewhat surprised response; neither of them had considered a lock! "Yes, we can get one of those installed somehow, I'm sure, or at least find a way for you to wedge the door closed and keep it from being opened. A lock would be best, so that we could leave and return without waiting for you to wake! And we can't really move you until we're more mobile. Jason's stitches need at least another week, that was a pretty nasty cut he got; the vampire sliced him as it fell, we think. And my leg is fine for hobbling about short distances, but not for any weight bearing. Going up and down stairs is simply out of the question unless you want to carry me everywhere!" He grinned at the vampire and was pleased to see a slight smile curving up the sides of his mouth, too.
"Food. You've been getting a bottle a night and that wasn't anywhere near enough. How much do you need to be satisfied?"
A shrug. "All vampires are always hungry, we're never exactly full even after gorging. But two bottles is all I need, really, unless I've very tired or injured or something unusual has happened. It doesn't even have to be bottled; I'm perfectly capable of, or at least I was, of finding a willing dinner and leaving her no worse off than a bit light-headed." Alucard grumbled the first part, but was looking wistful by the end.
"Sorry, Alucard," Sam looked slightly contrite at this, but determined. "I'm not releasing you off the grounds simply so that you can seduce a woman any time you feel a bit peckish." At the vampire's grumbling, he became a bit firmer. "No, Alucard. Married or maiden, no. And I really don't want it noised about that there is a vampire here; the Church may well start insisting you be destroyed, and while I would never let that happen, it would be a political firestorm." More grumbling, but the vmapire clearly accepted the limitations. Sam got the feeling the vampire hadn't expected him to approve of Alucard's predations, but had thought it was worth asking!
"And...your coffin." Sam continued, and was surprised when the vampire's head snapped up to stare at him, suspicion and fear flaring from the eyes. "Sssh...relax. It's looking worn-out and needs to be restored. What do you need to do this?" The vampire sagged against him, once again affirming to Sam just how important the coffin was to him. Even metioning it had caused an unexpectedly strong reaction, and the relief...what had Alucard thought he'd do? Make him get rid of it? Or just a general fear when it came to any mention of it?
"Soap...wood polish. Some sort of glue or filler for the scratches. Lacquer? No, not lacquer. It smells. Wax. Beeswax. Oil, too." Jason's pen scratched busily across the paper, making a short list. "Needle, thread. Maybe a bit of cloth, silk would be best, to patch the holes and damage." Alucard twisted about, looking guiltily at his coffin, clearly saddened and upset by the cumulative damage it had acquired. "It won't ever be the same...but I can restore much of it." Sam ran a sympathetic hand down his head.
"Do you want us to contact a professional to help with the restoration?"
"NO!" Alucard's growling snap startled both of them with the ferocity and the immediacy of the response. Blinking, the vampire appeared embarassed by his outburst. "No, no. I appreciate the thought, but...no. I don't like anyone touching it, it is...unnerving." Apologetic, now, the vampire turned pleading eyes to them.
"It's alright, we won't, then. And we'll keep away from it as welo." Another thought occurred to Sam. "While we're looking for a new place for you to stay, if there's no lock, do you want one of us to stay here with it?" A vehement series of nods, and he smiled down at the vampire. "Alright. We'll guard it as much as we'll guard you. Now...food, shelter, your coffin, Abraham, your safety...what have we missed?"
Hesitant, but hopeful, Alucard's response suprised them both. "My powers?" At their confused looks, he elaborated. "I am much stronger than other vampires, in many ways. I haven't been allowed to use any of my abilities for...not since the start. At all. I know Abraham would never release all of them, "sad with a sad yet angry, growling undertone, "but I would sgtill like to see if he will allow me some of them. I can pass through walls, which would be invaluable in avoiding the other soldiers and Abraham, too. I can also influence mimnds, a bit; once again, I could convnce them to just...leave me alone. That I'm not interesting, or that I'm too dangerous to bother. There are other abilities, but I doubt he'd want me to change to a wolf, or call a storm. but to defend myself, escape, keep them away from me...even a slight access to abilities would allow this."
"I have never...none of the vampires we've been after have done anything like that!" Jason's surprise was obvious and Alucard simply shrugged.
"They are much younger. And most were not true vampires. Stupid, foolish, wasteful, greedy, arrogant...cockroaches of vampires. True vampires destroy them when we can. There has been...one." Alucard looked quite sad, but did continue. "He could have used his abilities, I've no doubt he was old enough to change to a mist and escape, but...he had a child and her offspring. He stayed, trying to save them, to allow at least the youngest to live. His daughter waited, too, just delaying me."
Jason and Sam were shocked to say the least. Vampires would sacrifice themselves for their families? True vampires? Cockroach vampires? All vampires were evil and cruel and entirely selfish, Abraham had been quite firm on this, it was a basic tenet of their beliefs. But Alucard himself had taken care of Sam, rushed to protect Jason at the cost of severe injury to himself. Vampires hunted other vampires-cockroach vampires? They were shaken, quiet, and Alucard stared on, vaguely, finally speaking, though sorrow filled his voice.
"I have no question as to how Abraham found the worthless wastes of a vampire. They leave a trail of corpses and ghouls behind them; it's how true vampires find them ourselves! But...he's found true vampires, too. They rarely kill, they live...invisibly. Foolish to do otherwise, for they are vulnerable during the day and their offspring, until they grow into their own powers. even more so. They hide, and you could speak with a dozen and never realize they were anything but human. Abraham...he finds them." Alucard didn't speak any more, but Sam could feel him trembling, shaking...and it was Jason who pointed out that he was...crying?
"Alucard?" Hesitant...what had upset him so.
"He forced me to hunt them, kill them. It's like...for a human...murdering family. True vampires are very rare, I doubt there is more than a score in all of Britain. Fewer now." Tearful red eyes looked up at Sam. "I have no objection to hunting the scum, but...please, no more? I...I can't."
"He finds them by paying people to tell him where a vampire is." Jason's voice was cold and flat. "With enough pounds as a prize, many people would sell their own grandmothers out. And, sometimes, that prize money pulls forth a tip for a vampire he would never have found otherwise. I'd always thought they were murdering monsters, just very clever about it."
"NO!" Alucard's shocked red eyes started at him. "Betrayed, they were betrayed. They...it is normal for a vampire to attach itself to a family, a large one, or a large group of some kind, such as my Romani. They trust the humans with what they are, and usually...usually, they help protect, guard, guide, even lead them. The humans...support the vampires. While it's usually necessary to hunt elsewhere for food on occasion, they are a willing supply. And we can't be alone, vampires...we are terribly social. Some sort of company is always needed, to talk with, to interact, to be a part of. If there are no offspring, a vampire is normally part of at least a small circle of human friends." A deep breath. "A vampire would never betray another, it is...it cannot even be comprehended. There are simply too few of us, and instinct keeps us from endangering each other. We'll fight over territory, but to betray one in such a way? I doubt the vampires even considered that their human families, or at least one of their people, would accept cash to turn the vampire over to death or, worse, torture. But humans do that. And it is a painful lesson for a vampire when such happens." Alucard fidgeted, pressing hard agaisnt Sam again, seeking reassurance.
"He paid people to hand their friends over to him to be destroyed, at best. Friends that had probably protected them or been even a part of their family." Quieter. "I don't understand how humans could do that, but I see them abandon their children, beat them to death, kill those they should love. I always chose wisely and even so, the villagers about me betrayed me to Abraham." A cold smirk. "The fools. Without me, the wolves have likely decimated their flocks and drug away anyone by themselves away from the villages. Winter is a hungry time, and a severe winter will lead them to prey on even humans. I held them off the villages, sent them after deer and elk and rabbits. And severe winters are what has happened. I can call a storm but can turn one away as easily. The valleys I ruled had mild winters, the blizzards that filled and froze their neighbors have not been in their own villages for centuries. The snow has likely collapsed roofs, no longer made to byze money Abraham could have offered them!"
Alucard's grin was vicious and somewhat deranged, but Sam thought it understandable. Alucard might be lying to him...but...he didn't think so. The hurt and the anger seemed genuine, and he wondered what Abraham had bribed them with? Then again, from what he had been told, they'd truned him over willingly once their priests had told them just how evil the beast was, that a vampire was the Devil's representative on Earth, and that they would be sentenced to Hell for their support of such a monster. Abraham had to search through many villages near where he suspected Alucard to live before finding any confirmation that such a vampire existed, and even ore to find out WHERE. Had Alucard not gone brought Harker to him, Abraham would likely never have returned to the Romanian mountains, never found the ancient vampire he'd been hunting.
They'd all heard the stories of how long and hard their leader had hunted for their vampire, about the stroke of luck that led him to Alucard. He'd read of the crazed Renfield in a newspaper sidestory, had visited the solicitor's office and found they'd sent another representative, had heard the and recognized the name Dracula, and simply waited for his prey to return! At the time, they'd thought him a clever, intelligent, persistent, and wise man. Now...they weren't so certain!
"I will contest it if Abraham attempts to send you after one of the true vampires." Sam's voice was calm, clear, but firm. "But...I do want to meet them, verifiy for myself that they aren't these crazed, violent monsters we've seen so often. I've only your word, and I've been taught so different. I do believe what you are telling me, but I need to see it myself." Alucard shrugged, but Sam could sense his capitulation.
"As for the rest of it...I'm going to find Abraham. Stay here with Jason. I'll ask him about releasing some of your powers, confirming that your are now my responsibility, and then bring him here to tell you this himself." A few final pats, and Sam rose, grabbing his crutches and heading determinedly out the door.