finally something long.
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Enjoy.

Anderson

Cat held onto Alucard's sleeve as he walked swiftly through the trees. She assumed they met up with the wolves about ten feet in because she heard other foot falls around them. It was pitch black all around now and Cat held her eyes open as wide as she could, trying to catch any small bit of light that might creep through the tree tops. After around five minutes of hasty walking Alucard and all of the foot steps stopped. Cat listened carefully, but she could only hear the breeze in the trees. The air was becoming colder and she shivered as a strong gust broke through the tree tops and made its way to the forest floor.

"Get on my back," Cat looked towards Alucard's voice but only saw blackness.

"Why? I can walk fine I haven't run into anything," Cat realized that her initial fear had subsided and was replaced with a strange anticipation.

"We must move faster now. The wind had betrayed us," Cat felt him kneel in front of her and she leaned over him, locking her arms around his neck. He stood up quickly before she had gotten a good grip and she nearly fell off. She tightened her grip remembering he did not need to breath and locked her legs around him.

Then they were off. Cat could feel the wind rushing past her impossibly fast. It was cold and bit at her cheeks and eyes. She buried her face into Alucard's collar and shut her eyes tight. With them closed it only felt like she was flying down the highway with the window opened. She relaxed a little and slid barely a millimeter downwards.

Alucard twisted his arms behind him and locked them around her back. "I said hold on!" he nearly shouted.

"I am! I've barely moved!" Cat knew he would hear her though she could hardly hear herself over the gush of wind and trees passing by.

She wondered how long it would be before they arrived to where ever they were going.

"Pick up your head," she could hear Alucard clearly and she wondered if he was talking into her mind.

She lifted her face slightly and peeked over her arm. She could see the forest better now. The trees had thinned out considerably and moon light was drifting down and touching the forest floor in some places. With any luck she would be able to see perfectly fine by the time they reached the battle. She lifted her head completely now and watched the path ahead. There were a few wolves running in front of them. Cat looked to both sides and saw there were wolves around and behind them as well. Some of them had transformed into animals and some were still their human selves. She wondered in which form they would choose to fight. Surely it would be easier to stay human and use a gun, but maybe they liked to fight beast to beast.

She looked to the front again and could see lights behind the trees, "Isn't that town up ahead?"

"You're eyes are good for a small human," Alucard said amused.

Chaska began to slow down, "We should have reached them by now." He lifted his head into the air and sniffed.

"Something is amiss," Alucard began to slow as well and sniffed the air. "I smell only ink and smelling salts. We have been beguiled," he turned to look at Chaska who looked concerned.

Cat looked ahead and saw it, only at the last second, "Alucard look out!"

Alucard did not bother to look forward or slow down. There was no time for it. He took a hold of Cat's leg and yanked her down his back. She slid down about half way and then latched on again, afraid to tumble onto the rubble.

Alucard felt the sting of the small silver piece of wire that had been set up to his height and grinned widely before it finished cutting through his neck. The speed he had been going allowed it to cut through easily and cleanly. His head popped into the air as the wire rebounded and then rolled onto the ground in a tangled heap of hair and blood. His body took a few more steps before it also fell forward with a loud thump.

Cat felt the spray of hot blood as the wire cut through, but she did not know where it came from. She held on to Alucard's body and did not look up until she felt him leaning forward and falling to the ground. She then felt the hot spill of blood that was running down his back from his neck. She gasped as she saw the bloody stump and then landed with a cushioned thump on top of him. For a moment she did not move. She could not think of what to do. She knew Alucard could fix himself, but was getting his head cut off too much? Could he fix that? She regained her scattered mind when she heard the snarls begin.

Her first thought was that the wolves were angry that they had been tricked. The werewolves were probably not even here. They had just set this trap thinking it would get rid of their biggest problem. As she turned around though she saw the battle was already going on full force. Humans fighting werewolves, wolves fighting werewolves, some humans fighting wolves. She had no idea who she should shoot first. Should she wait until she was attacked or should she go and help the wolves who looked as though they were doing poorly? Should she try to find Alucard's head? Would the werewolves even notice her? Her last question was answered when one of the werewolves ripped off a wolf's head and immediately turned and headed for her.

He ran towards her at first on two legs and then on all fours in a full gallop. She still sat on top of Alucard, stunned and not sure what to do.

"Shoot of course."

She pulled out her twin guns and aimed them at the werewolf. He showed no signs of slowing so she pulled the trigger to Rai. The kick was more powerful than any gun she had ever held. If her arm had not been bent at the elbow it would have been quickly broken. It flew in the air and she tumbled backwards into the pool of blood that had been forming around Alucard's neck. She braced herself to be tackled by a mess of fur and teeth, but it did not come. She peeked over Alucard's body and saw a man lying dead on the ground. The top half of his head was completely blown away.

"I got him!" she jumped up and sloshed out of the puddle of mud and blood. Alucard's head was lying close by next to a tree stump so she ran over to collect it. She picked it up and brushed the hair and leaves out of his face. She looked down at the white vacant face sadly. Blood continued to stream out of the corner of his mouth and his eyes were opened half way. They still looked alive and sad, "Can you be fixed Alucard? I can't do it by myself."

"Of course you can little orphan. You already have," the head melted out of her hands into a pile of bugs and chunks of jelly like blood. Cat turned around and saw that his body was doing the same thing.

It was good enough for her. She had been silly to think that something so menial could destroy her no life king.

She was ready now. She stood up straight and marched into the battle. At first many of the werewolves did not even notice her. They were busy fighting with the shape shifters or gloating to one another about what they had done to them. They bragged about how many limbs they could tear off at once or how big a chunk they could take out with their teeth. They fought and snarled and bit at everything in range. But this was all it was, fighting. Nothing was being taken care of and Cat was all about business.

She fired Iad and hit a werewolf who was attacking one of her men. She fired Rai twice in another direction and took down two who were not paying attention. She fell easily into the pattern of firing one gun and then the other while she waited for her arm to recoil from the shot. Her arms flew back and forth as she fired shot after shot. She turned slowly in a circle hitting every werewolf she could see. She shot any men who ran at her assuming they were either a werewolf or with the werewolves. After what seemed like only seconds Rai and Iad clicked emptily. Cat ducked down behind a tree to quickly reload them. She touched the muzzle of a twin and found it to be scalding hot. She shoved another clip into each of them and then ducked back out into the battle.

She counted quickly and found there to be about fifteen werewolves left. There were at least twenty bodies lying on the ground and she prayed that most of them were werewolves. She knew that at least twelve were enemies because she had shot them herself. She began again to shoot the werewolves that were transformed. She paid no mind to the shape shifters fighting them. She shot werewolves right out from underneath them or on top of them. It did not matter to her if she took away someone's glory. They were dragging this out far too long.

That was when she saw him, the massive werewolf that had nearly attacked her that day at Colin's party. He was sprinting towards Chaska who was winning a fight with a much smaller werewolf. Cat aimed without thinking and hit him in the side. She wanted to see him suffer, even if it was only a small amount. He stumbled, but kept charging so she shot him again in the arm. This time he plowed into the ground and slid into Chaska and the smaller monster. Cat saw the small werewolf look with devastation at the giant monster and then she started to change. She shrank down to an even smaller size and her facial features became delicate and pretty. The hair on her head lengthened and began to turn a light blond color. Cat ran forward knowing who the werewolf would eventually become. She aimed Iad at the giant monster's head and pulled the trigger.

Even at fifteen feet away the power of Iad caused the werewolf's head to explode leaving only a stub of neck. The smaller werewolf who had now completed its transformation back into Krissy screamed out in pain for the death of her short time lover and creator. She threw herself over his body as it changed back into a man and sobbed in loud shrill bursts. Chaska abandoned her to find a real fight and Cat was left to watch her old friend sob.

She stepped forward wanting to comfort Krissy. She was sure that after the shock of losing the man that turned her into a monster she would come to her senses and maybe she could work for Hellsing. They had a vampire so why not a werewolf? She stepped on a branch as she approached and it made a loud pop.

Krissy looked up from the body and snarled like an animal, "You get away from us!"

"Krissy it's me, do you remember? It's Cat, I was there when…when you were taken away that night," Cat re-holstered her guns and held her arms out palms up.

"I wasn't taken away! I wanted to go!" she barred her teeth and pushed herself up into a crouch.

"Krissy he only made you think that. This isn't you it's the poison in your blood talking. Let me help you, please," she continued to step forward with her arms outstretched like a negotiator in a bank robbery. She was negotiating in a way. For both Krissy's and her own life.

"I said get away from us! You've taken everything from me! You took my brother you took Colin! And now you've killed my love! I'll make you pay!" Krissy jumped away from the body and lunged towards Cat. She did not bother morphing into a werewolf. She reached out to grab Cat around the neck, but Cat ducked down and tried to tackle her from the side.

As soon as she collided with Krissy she knew she had made a mistake. Krissy was smaller than her yet she was as solid as a rock. Cat merely bounced off of her and fell to the ground. She stood up as quickly as she could and grabbed for Rai, but she was seconds too late. Krissy plowed into her and Cat flew backwards and hit a tree. The back of her head hit the hard trunk and she slid down onto the ground in a lump. She tried to keep her eyes opened to watch Krissy come towards her, but she felt too dizzy and sick.

She had made such a stupid small mistake and now she was going to die. Where in the world had Alucard gone after he put himself back together? She had told him that this kind of thing was bound to happen.

Cat closed her eyes and let the darkness take her. She thought she heard a gun shot, but it was only wishful thinking, she was sure of it. She was going to be eaten by a werewolf. At least the shape shifters had won the battle. She was sure Krissy had been one of the last werewolves standing. The others would pick the last of them off soon enough.

Cat felt cold and wet. Her eyes fluttered behind their lids and she tried to open them. They felt like they weighed a ton. She could hear voices. Was it the wolves? Were they looking for her? She wiggled her fingers and toes and found them in working condition. Next she tried moving her arms, which were stiff but otherwise fine. Her legs felt very sore as well but they moved easily enough. It was her head and neck that were the problem. She had slumped over in the oddest position under the tree and her neck felt like it was made of stone. Maybe she would just stay here until Alucard came by and carried her home. She thought she deserved a good rest after all of the shooting she had done.

She listened closely to the voices. She did not recognize one, but the other sounded sarcastic and boastful. It was Alucard, but who was he talking to? It was a deep voice and Cat thought she could hear an accent on it, but she could not be sure from so far away. She laid there for a while trying to think of who it could be. Perhaps someone from Hellsing had come to retrieve them already. Then out of no where shots were fired.

Cat sprang off the ground ignoring the pain in her neck and head. She knew that sound better than anything. Alucard's gun was the only thing that could be that loud. She ran towards the yelling and laughing and gun shots. Laughing? Why would he be laughing, and the other voice was as well. There was another sound she could not recognize. It sounded like a high pitched swishing as if something big was cutting through the air very fast. She pushed her legs harder, anxious to see what was going on.

Not far up ahead she could see a clearing full of moonlight. Two figures were running back and forth at blurring speeds. Cat could see the red from Alucard's coat, but she still did not recognize the other man. He was as large as Alucard and nearly just as fast. Then as she got closer she heard Alucard taunting him.

"I'll send you to hell Judas priest!" he laughed manically and pumped shot after shot into the man who barley seemed to notice.

"Judas priest?" Cat slowed down to a walk. She did not think Alucard was in danger of being killed by a man. Now that she was closer she could see he was throwing knives. Did he think knives could bring down a master vampire?

"Judas?" she thought about it again, "Judas…Iscariot?! Anderson! Alucard stop!" she started to run again. Just as she broke into the clearing Anderson threw a barrage of the swords at Alucard, pinning him to a tree. Cat lurched forward before Anderson noticed her and grabbed the Jackal off the ground. She stood up in front of Alucard and faced the man everyone seemed to hate so much.

"Ahh, what do we have here Alucard? A wee draculina?" he moved towards Cat slowly and she held Jackal up as well as she could. It was God awfully heavy.

"I'm not a vampire," Cat thought this was important to make clear. This guy already looked crazy enough; she did not want to give him any more excuse.

"Hm, so you are not lass, but what are you doing out here with this monster?" he kept moving forward slowly.

"I work for Hellsing as well. Half the reason I came here was to make sure you stayed away from Alucard," she looked at him then added, "and vice versa."

"Ha-ha, Hellsing using children to do their dirty work aye Alucard! It's pathetic. Come now child give me that gun and I will take you to safety," he reached out to her with his palms up just as she had done to Krissy. She knew this game well.

"Alright," she dropped her arms and let the Jackal fall behind her. It was a great relief, actually, to not be holding it anymore. She kept a close eye on Anderson's steps as he moved steadily forward. When he was close enough she snatched one of the blades out of Alucard's hand behind her. Se threw it as hard as she could and the priest fell back as it hit him in the forehead. As soon as she was down she turned around and pulled the other sword out of Alucard's hand and helped him remove the rest.

"Why couldn't you just get down they're only swords!" Cat was frantic. She knew Anderson would not be down long.

"They are blessed blades. A problem even for my kind," he slid off the tree when most of them had been pulled out. Cat saw that they melted away once they were lying useless on the ground.

"Bravo wee child," Cat turned around as Anderson stood up and laughed, "tricking a priest to save a vampire. What has Hellsing promised you for your services? Eternal life? Riches and glory? Come now you can tell old Anderson." He grinned and Cat found it to be more disturbing than Alucard's.

"There's no such thing as eternal life. And I'm not interested in riches or glory. I'm interested in exterminating monsters like you," Cat reached for her gun, but Alucard stayed her hand.

"Ah, but my child that is why I am here, to exterminate monsters. That man you keep so close to is no man, but a bloody vampire. He will sink his heathen fangs into your supple young throat as soon as he gets the chance. Then they will throw you out with the trash like they do with all the other humans they manipulate," he was standing with his arms to his sides and his fists clenched, but he had put away his swords.

"You're wrong about them Father Anderson," when in doubt, be sweet Cat thought, "we're doing the same job as you. It seems a shame we can not set aside our differences and work together for the good of humanity."

Alucard chuckled lightly, "You see Judas priest? Not everyone from Hellsing wants to rip off your dirty experimental head."

Cat looked up at him and frowned. Had he not known she was joking? The last thing she wanted to do was join forces with a man hell bent on killing everyone from Hellsing.

"Well, it would seem our battle has been interrupted once again, Vampire. Until next time then Miss…?" he came forward with his hand outstretched to shake Katherine's.

She took it politely and even managed a curtsy with an invisible skirt, "Katherine Deschain. I'm sure I will see you again Father Anderson."

"Aye lass, that you will and you as well Alucard. The next time I see you I don't want to see this child's blood spilt on your hands," he glared up Alucard and gave Cat's hand a friendly squeeze.

Maybe Anderson was not as bad as they had made him out to be. Sure he hated Alucard, but that did not mean he was a terrible person. There were a lot of people who hated Alucard. Cat had hated him when she first met him. He made it easy for people to hate him.

"Don't worry Anderson, I wouldn't dream of killing my personal soldier," Alucard smirked at him and dropped a heavy hand and Cat's shoulder. She cringed as it jostled her sore neck.

"Well I'll be off then. It was good to meet you Katherine," he nodded at her and headed off in the direction they had been running when this whole thing started.

She smiled back at him and then let out the huge breath she had been holding, "What were you thinking Alucard!? You know you weren't supposed to start anything with him! I can't believe you left me lying limp under a tree to go off and fight a priest."

"Anderson is the one who initiated things. He had been waiting here all along for us to come. He knew the wolves were listening that day when he let slip information about Hellsing. Come now, I am tired," he kneeled once again for her to crawl onto his back and she did with no complaint. She was tired as well and could not wait to fall back into the soft hotel bed.

"Where did all the wolves go?" she asked as they sped through the forest.

"They took their wounded back to their village as soon as the last werewolf fell. They faired well," Alucard zigged and zagged through the trees. Cat noticed he was going slower than before.

"That's good, I was worried. Are you alright?" she sat up higher so she could lean over and look at his face. It was set like it usually was, but in a different way.

"The wounds from those blades are not as easy to heal," he turned his head and grinned, "I need a bite to drink."

She quickly pulled herself back as far as she could go without falling off, "Well don't look at me!"

"Don't be so jumpy Katherine, you'll fall. I'll make a quick stop by town before we head back," he started to lean in the direction she assumed town was.

"No! Drop me off first I don't want to wait outside someone's house while you eat them! I can't believe you sometimes," she pursed her lips and scowled.

"Very well then, I will drop you off at the edge of the road. You can manage to make it across the road yourself can't you?" he changed his direction again heading back for the hotel.

"Yes I can manage to get across the road. You're even more sarcastic when you're hungry," she relaxed again but stayed sitting back from his head, better safe than sorry. "If that's even possible," she added.

After five minutes of swift running they made it to the road. Alucard plopped her down and handed her the key card for the room, "Do not speak to anyone on your way up."

"Why not? All the werewolves are dead aren't they?" Cat took the card but was now feeling nervous. Maybe it would be a better idea to just go to town with Alucard. She had seen him eat before, it was not so bad.

"You never know who you can trust when you are so far from home little orphan," he popped her in the side of the head twice which she thought was his form of patting and then sped off towards town in a blur.

She hopped quickly across the road and then trudged through the hotel lobby to the elevator. Luckily no one was around in the middle of the night so she did not have to awkwardly keep her mouth shut. When she got to the room she peaked inside first and waved Rai around. Alucard had made her wary of strangers now and she wanted to be sure none had crept into the room while she was gone. No one was there of course so she closed the door and put the chain on it. Alucard did not need to use the door anyway.

She quickly stripped out of her mud and blood covered uniform, pulled on an oversized shirt, and pulled her hair up in a bun. She was too tired for a shower so she fell into the cushy bed. She wondered if they would be leaving first thing in the morning or if Alucard would be sleeping all day. She hoped he would come home soon and go to bed so they could leave. She was tired of being away from Hellsing and her own room and all her things. It was the first time in her life that she had an actual home to go back to.

Before she fell asleep she wondered about what Anderson and Alucard had said. She had been sure that she did not need to fear Alucard anymore. Sure that he would not be draining her blood or killing her ever, but after Anderson had warned her he had called her his personal soldier. He said he would not dream of killing his personal soldier.

Cat wondered if it had any hidden meaning. Did he mean kill as in gone forever? Did he mean personal soldier as in future vampire? Her head was still spinning from being slapped against a tree and she could not think straight. She was being ridiculous and she was sure Alucard would know what she was thinking of when he got back.

She burrowed underneath the covers and fell asleep seconds later with her head at the foot of the bed and her feet propped up on the pillows.

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