Remember Me

Chapter Nine

It's a frozen night, he could hear his father's voice echoing in his mind fading away into nothingness while watching the snowy scene before him. It almost feels like his father was standing next to him both waiting the ticking clock for Christmas to come with Mr. Hellsing and Integra there as well. Derrick stood on the ledge; his hands dug into his pockets in an ease trance. There were trees in the distance of the manor with the still silence to come with it. No breeze, no animals scurrying around. It was a rather calming night, but he couldn't be a fool no more than a man drinking whiskey thinking its water. There was a reason as to why it was deadly quite here. Darkness swarming in the area like a cloud. The protector of this mansion. Hairs stood on his arms with anticipation with that thing lurking nearby.

Derrick took in a deep breath, green eyes scanning each corner, every little space, every shadow that surrounded this place, just waiting for him to come out. What was he waiting for? An invitation? It was just wearing on his patience as he stood there. Deep in his thoughts he didn't hear the tiny steps approaching behind him. Small and dainty figure creeping up with a smug grin on her face. A big coat clashing colors with the dress she chose to wear that day. The woman pounced onto his back, arms wrapping around his torso. Derrick yelp out, jerking violently before hearing the melodic giggles.

"Gotcha." Lillianna had squealed out with joy of winning the little game that they play all the time. Derrick sighed with relief at this heaving out a laugh from this. Derrick had lift her up, spinning around to make her squeal more. He held her close to him when he stopped, littering kisses all over.

"It seems you have." He spoke jestingly. Derrick leaned his head down slightly towards her. "What do I owe my captive?" Lillie hummed in thought to the question. There was a tale sign that she knew what she wanted, but chose to stall it to make him anxious for it. And like any love sick man, he was anxious for anything she gives to him.

"I believe you owe me another kiss." No hesitation, leaning down to collide his lips onto hers into a loving kiss. Lillie had given a tiny sound of desire holding onto his shirt as a life line to reality. Deep, slow, magical. Derrick was never a man to fall this far before. He prays to God that he could feel like this for the rest of his life. Nothing else in this world could ever make him want more like this and be content at the same time. They pulled away after a moment, gazing into each other's eyes. "How are you feeling?"

There was worry. It made him draw back remembering the other pair of eyes that could very well be watching them. "As good as I can be with what's been happening." He responded to her. "Though it was odd not being the one behind the desk." Lillie had sighed with the relating situation she found herself in within the past few days.

"Yes. I felt useless not having any errands to do. Or having a garden to tend to." Derrick moved a strand of hair escaping to her face. Her brown eyes growing sad. "Will we ever go back?" Lillianna questioned in a sad tone.

The hardest question he faced yet. He couldn't hold his gaze with her, breaking it away to find a neatly cut bush over to the side rather interesting. Squared off, even on all edges that was really impressive to whoever did it. The many hours it must have took to bring the art to life. The small distraction being enough for him to stall on his answer. But with her persisting eyes, he knew he needed to say something to her. What could he say? Truly? To make her feel at ease. Nothing came to mind as the small time passed. He swallowed tightly. He didn't know if they were ever going home again. Even if they could, who knows how long it was going to handle this situation. Not to mention if he was going to survive this by the end of it all.

"I don't know." Derrick told honestly. Lillie's expression dropped from being slight hopeful, to disappointment. It was clear that it wasn't something she wanted to hear. It made his heart break when seeing this. As much as he hated making her feel like this, he was never one to lie to her. Derrick wasn't going to start now.

Lillie had buried her head into his chest, feeling his warmth radiating there against this cruel air. "I miss home."

"I know. Me too." They were silent after that. Both swaying to the non-existing music. The subject now put to rest for the time being. She looked up to the sky, seeing mostly a blanket of darkness with the crest-en moon hanging.

"She frightening." She admitted to him. Derrick chuckled at this as the mention of Integra.

"You get used to it after a while. Or just a little bit of it." Lillie pulled away from him. Eyeing him with mild suspicion towards his relation to the English woman.

"You know her very well it seems." Lillianna had stated out.

"Our fathers were close friends back in the day. Naturally, we saw each other a lot because of it." Memories of the past brought his heart to constrict. Seeing his father chatting up a storm with Sir Hellsing while he was being chased by young Integra for not using his manners once again. A careless time that he misses a lot. Nothing about hunting monsters, or keeping all the innocent lives in his hands while he's out hunting. Lillie knew he was lost in the distance remembering everything.

"What happened?" What happened? Why hadn't they kept in touch? Derrick remembered that day. Sir Hellsing passing away in a tragic way. Poisoned, his father had explained to him. That day, Integra had grown stricter, more closed off, more mature than she needed to be at the age she was in. Taking on the responsibility of the Hellsing family, serving the Queen in her holy quest to eradicating all vampires that lurked in every shadow here. He remembered him and his father coming over a few times after his passing to check in on Integra. It wasn't for every long, too busy learning everything. Eventually, just stopped going. Had they forgotten to go again? Or did his father realize that it was pointless trying to give a shoulder to a young girl like sir Integra? He couldn't be sure. Then not long after his own father passed away. Forcing him to take on the leading role of his family business.

"Life happened." He finally said to her. Lillie didn't say anything after that. They stayed there more. Till finally the young woman felt sleep calling her name. They parted with hesitation, but he managed to convince to head back to her room. He faced the scene once again. Green eyes hardening as he knew that thing was still waiting. "How much longer will you stalk me?" Derrick had questioned the man in the shadows.

Those shadows moved up beside him, forming a man in a red coat and a hat to match it. There was a grin plastered on his face while gazing at the young man in fascination of the product of the Harker family. The green eyes that had matched his ancestors. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" Alucard had asked him with a laugh. Turning away to look up to the moon, the old lover going into hiding for the moment. The words of his father rang through his ears about the old secret of the Hellsing family. 'When catching a ghost, you fight fire with fire. Never with anything else.' The crackling voice spoke sternly. "Too soon to sleep for you, human?" There was a pause, the knowing eyes arousing to glee. "Though, you're not entirely human."

"Any reason you want to speak with me, vampire?"

Alucard's laugh settle down into silence. He wished for the whispering wind to comfort him in moments like these nights. Those eyes reminding him of those men hunting him down. Granting him to come into this life. "I wanted to see for myself. You have that man's eyes." Alucard spoke, not bothering to explain what he meant or why he would say it when he saw Derrick's brow cocked up.

"That man?" Derrick repeated. He thought on whoever it could be and found no one in mind that they would know of that was mutual. He buried his hands into his pockets sighing at how odd this conversation was going so far. "Any other reason?"

"You must be in a hurry." The vampire pointed out to the young man.

"Not really." Alucard had grinned again at the answer. The short, distant replies. Not wanting to get familiar with a vampire as a hunter that he is.

"I hear you got into battle with the mysterious attacker." What was he wanting to know? Derrick kept still as the vampire went to continuing talking to him like they knew each other well. "This attacker, did she ever spoke to you?"

Derrick had felt more confused. "No. She wasn't going to stop and chat about the day." The grin falter at this. It was clear that was not the answer he was wanting to hear. Derrick eyed him before turning to him. Those red eyes didn't stray from the moon with a longing expression that he didn't would exist. Night growing old, and there was an itch to be out running now through the chilling air. "Why do you need to know?" Alucard didn't say anything to him.

"Tonight's a beautiful night." Were the last words heard before the vampire vanished into the night air leaving a stun Derrick to stand there.