DISCLAMER: I do not claim ownership of any copyrighted material in this entire story.
WARNING: This has absolutely NO relation to the plot of the actual show of which I've only seen the first 6 episodes. So, excuse me if I know absolutely shit about the details in later episodes.
ON TO THE STORY!!! (forgive me fairygurl)
Episode 1: End of Innocence (continued)Laura's arms were still around Alex when he woke up. Something was burning his face, as if he had a sunburn. He realized that the sun was shining through the window. He had heard that vampires were hurt by the sunlight, but he wasn't sure because it was left out of the window. Alex pulled the covers up over himself and his lover and kissed her.
"Honey, wake up."
"Oh, Alex." She said, "I was dreaming."
"Could you please close the blinds for me?"
"Why?"
"The sun is shining into the room. I'm getting sunburned."
"Oh, that's right!" she said, "I forgot you were…" She got out of bed and let down the blinds. "It must be hard not to see the sun, it's such a beautiful thing."
"I'm going to miss it." Alex said, the covers muffling his speech. He pulled them off and got up.
"It's Saturday, and we can't go outside. What are we going to do?" she said, disappointed.
"I really don't want to sound like a jerk, but I have to leave for England as soon as possible." He rubbed his forehead. "I wish we could get to know each other better, but every hour I stay here my enemies are one step closer to me."
"It must be a bummer to have all of those people after you." She said turning toward Alex.
Alex put his arms around Laura. "That's why I have to leave, so they don't show up at your doorstep with pitchforks and rakes and torches and stuff"
She giggled. "Okay," she said, "Put your clothes on, and we'll get a cab. I'll take you to the airport."
"I have to get a ticket."
"The phone is in the kitchen." She said, walking to the bathroom, "I'll be taking a shower."
Alex walked through the apartment. It was very small, and wasn't super decorated. The kitchen was bland, with black and white tiles, and all the signs of a young single woman. The bottle of champagne they had had last was still out. How had that champagne gotten there? Neither of them was old enough to drink. The phone sat on the wall near the doorframe. It was a clear cordless phone. Alex dialed 411 to get the number for the nearest airport to him, which was Newark airport. He dialed that number and got the normal "press 1 for…press 2 for…" routine. He was transferred to the ticket sales department.
"Hello, this is ticket sales, how can I help you?" said a feminine voice on the other end.
"Uhm, I'd like to reserve a ticket for a flight to London." Alex said.
"What day, sir?"
"Today, if it's possible, or tomorrow. I can go late at night, if necessary."
"Well, sir, you are in a little bit of a bad position because no flights are available for 56 hours."
"Ok, thanks."
"Wait! Wait! Something just came up… someone cancelled for a flight at 3:30, today."
"That's incredible! Thanks!"
"Sir, you must have god on your side or something… I'm sorry, would you like a round trip?"
"No, one way please, I don't know when I'll be coming back."
"Cash, check, or credit card?"
"Cash."
"What's your name, sir?"
Alex paused… Would he be an Elbereth anymore, or a Cherriworth?
"Sir?"
"Alex Elbereth-Cherriworth." He spelled it.
"Okay come by and pick up your ticket. Don't be late!"
"Thanks, bye."
He put down the phone. "YES!" he screamed. Then he noticed Laura standing in the doorway, with a sullen expression on her face. She was dripping wet, in a pink bathrobe.
"A one way ticket?" she asked, obviously disappointed.
"Honey, I really have no idea if or even when I will be back."
Laura hugged Alex and held him tightly. "When does your flight leave?"
"3:30."
"Well, it's 12:00 now, we'd better get over there."
"Alright get dressed and dry off, and we'll leave."
At 1:00 Alex and Laura were out on the street, hailing a cab. Alex wore a baseball cap to shade his face from the sun, and kept his hands in his sleeves. It wasn't long until one came, the sun glinting off its sleek yellow exterior. Laura and Alex got in the cab.
"Where to?"
"Newark Airport, please." Said Laura.
"25 bucks on the spot, lady."
"Ok," said Alex, "I got it." He reached for his wallet.
"No, baby, no." said Laura, "You have a long flight, and you're going to need some money when you get there. I don't want you drained. British money is expensive." She dug into her pocketbook and withdrew 25 dollars.
"Going to England kid?" the driver said to Alex.
"Yup."
"I always wanted to go there. Ride around in those red buses, see that wax museum, the palace, the guys with them furry hats."
"I'm not going to be doing so much sightseeing, I'm afraid."
"You're a bit young to be there on buisiness."
"No, I have some… family buisiness to take care of."
"Relatives…" the cabbie said reflectively, "Yeah, once I went to sicily to see my distant relations. I think I had more fun than if I had gone to Venice or Rome."
Alex was leaving all of his relatives behind to embark on a journey into a different world, alien and cold. He knew little about british culture, or about the secret race of which he was now a part. Alex stared out into the city that he would never know, glinting golden in the sunlight that had once bathed him in warmth and now would turn him to dust. For a second he felt alone, uneasy, unsafe, and misunderstood. Then came a whisper in his ear. "Honey, it'll all work out just fine." Laura lay her head on Alex's shoulder. Alex felt safe by her side, but for how long? An hour? Then he would lose her forever, and she would forget him.
Alex put his arm around Laura. He would cherish her while he could.
* * * * *
Alex and Laura walked up to the British Airways desk, where a dark haired young girl with black eyes and freckles.
"You have tickets reserved, sir?" the voice was familiar.
"Yes I do. Alex Elber…"
"Oh! I remember you! The last minute man!" she says.
"Yeah! So nice to meet you!"
"So, down to buisiness. You owe us $150 plus a $50 fee for a last-minute flight. You are paying in cash, correct?"
Alex gave the girl $200. He had $400 left, or £257.8.
"You're set to go to England, Alex." She said, giving him his tickets.
"Thank you."
"Alex, I think God is with you." Said the clerk, an admiring look in her eyes, "Take this cross, it's been in my drawer, and I want you to have it to remind you that He is watching."
It had white edges, and was mostly black with a white cross inlaid on it. Alex's vampire senses tingled. This was familiar to the Cherriworth family. Alex knew he was on the right track, doing the right thing.
"I am eternally grateful." Alex said.
He walked over to where Laura was waiting.
"What was that all about with the cross?" she said.
"I think God's telling me I'm on the right track."
"I didn't know you were spiritual, Alex!"
"I wasn't, but I might be now."
As the two lovers walked to the gate, they talked and talked, as if to make up for the fact that they only had another quarter hour left in each other's lives until a very long time, maybe forever.
At the gate, Alex and Laura stopped.
"I guess this is goodbye." Alex said.
"You're just a man, deep inside," she said softly, "A man who sucks blood and won't die. Remember that." She kissed him.
"Goodbye honey."
"Goodbye darling."
Alex turned to walk away, but Laura grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.
"ALEX!" she screamed, "Wait, please."
"What, Laura?" Alex said, not even frustrated.
"Let me confess something to you."
"Okay."
"When you saved me from that sicko, and I saw you suck his blood, I was so freaked out, but I thought I'd just fuck you anyway. Just another fuck…but this morning, when I heard that you might not be coming back, I realized that I saw something else in you. I have this attachment to you… I need to be with you. I…I am in love with you, I think. I don't know, I don't know anything about love. Nobody's ever loved me, I don't think so at least, but you are so passionate, you are so caring… I need you. Please come back." Laura began to cry. "Please come back…"
"I will come back," he said, "That's a promise." He kissed her passionately.
They said goodbye again, and Laura watched Alex walk through the metal detector and out of sight. She would never forget him, and she knew she had to see him again somehow. She stood there, dazed, for half an hour, and then took a cab ride back to her home.
Alex walked to the gate, and onto the plane. All he could think of was what Laura said to him. As Alex began to fall asleep, the plane took flight into the ominous, unknown clouds, glaring silver under a forbidding sun.
NEXT EPISODE: Alex's arrival in England begins the search for the Hellsing family. Will a fellow Vampire help or hinder him?