Chapter 4: The Secret And Walter

For once, Seras Victoria happened to be up and about quite earlier than her master. She had silently made her way down to his own room and knocked on the door. But, since she was up before him, he did not answer. Puzzled, she walked inside, to find his bed closed in coffin-formation and lowered into the floor some.

She left his room then, afraid that he might wake and be angry at her and accuse her of snooping around. With boredom about her brow, Seras slipped around in the empty manor, exploring places that she had yet to go.

Down one hall she experienced some echoing moans. Through the walls of the hall she could faintly hear the groaning of someone, or something, in a closed room. She was frightened at first, naturally, but did not want to awaken her master for something that she could probably easily handle.

Cautiously, Seras sneaks to the door, in which the moaning grew louder behind.

"Hello?" she calls softly, only to be replied by sudden silence.

"Walter?" she calls again, hoping that it was indeed Walter and not something else. Still, she was answered with silence. The thing must be trying to lure her inside. She had no gun on her at the moment either.

With all of her muscles tensed, Seras slips her hand on the door knob and turns it, thrusting the door open quickly. Dust flutters upward in a cloud, before resettling.

Nothing.

No one was inside the room.

Seras' brows furrow deeply as she starts the take a step inside. But, using her vampiric eyes, she catches something moving hastily in the room. Seras jerks herself back outside, a look of shock on her face. A leathery flap is heard, making dust scatter, and a head, with a mouth full of fangs, leaps from the dusty corners of the room at the police girl.

Seras gives a shriek, arm flying up to shield her face. The bat-like creature latches onto her exposed arm, ripping a hunk of flesh from it. A sick scream escapes Seras' lips as she scrambles down the hall on all fours. Whatever was behind her was regaining composure and now attempting to follow her, full speed. Staggered up on two legs, Seras darts hastily for her master's bed chambers, the sound of flapping leather behind her. While running, she rips half of her shirt off, wrapping it instinctively around her half-eaten arm.

The bat-creature lunges for Seras', but she manages to duck, sending it flying ahead of her into the corner. She turns down the hallway, running full force and slamming against Alucard's door.

"Master!" she calls, panting heavily. "Master, open the door, please!"

The door opens quickly, and she falls in on top of Alucard's boots. He is ready, obviously already knowing what was going on. Aiming his gun, he takes two shots at the bat-creature, missing purposely, but sending it cowering back and retreating to another part of the manor. Alucard peers down at Seras.

"Police Girl.. Your wounds will heal on their own again, without the need of proper medical attention," he says, smirking at her bandage and holding out his hand to her.

She grasps his hand, pulling herself to her feet. After a moment she removes her shirt from her arm, blinking at its reformation. She then looks over her half-naked self and a beet-colored blush passes over her nose. "Eh.. I'm sorry, master," she says. "Excuse me while I go.. Uh, dress myself." And she exits quickly.

Alucard's devious cackle follows her to her room. Be careful, Police Girl, he warns, that creature is still out there. But, when you're done-- He ahems. --re-dressing, please come back to my room. There is some things we need to talk about.

Seras enters her room, shutting the door slowly. Some things?.. What was he trying to say? Contemplating, Seras dresses into a matching uniform shirt. She checks her arm again, running her hand over it. "Wow.." she says softly, before exiting and making her way back to her master's room.

She knocks, in which Alucard calls, "Come in." She enters, looking around while shutting the door.

Alucard had made himself comfortable in a wooden chair at the table in the center of the room. His feet were on the table top, pushing him onto the back two legs of the chair, his own legs crossed at the ankles. His hat was on, but his glasses were also on the table. His red trench-coat had gracefully spanned the bottom legs of the chair, exposing his shirt, guns, and chest to her. He grinned to Seras.

"Did you enjoy your blood packet tonight?"

She looked a bit confused. "But…" She pauses, thinking back to when she had awoken. "I didn't get a blood packet, master."

He cackled. "Yes, yes. Neither did I. Odd, don't you think, Police Girl?"

Seras looks around, then back to Alucard. "Yes.. Wait, where's Walter at?"

Alucard uses a hand to motion for Seras to sit in a chair opposite of himself. "That's exactly what I'm wondering.. I got an energy feeling from that ghoul.. It felt like a small presence of Walter.. But, it didn't look like Walter as you know."

"Do you think that someone changed Walter into that ugly thing?" Seras asks.

"I'm not sure, Police Girl.. I'm not sure at all," was Alucard's reply.

Seras looks down at her lap, thinking upon all of this for a moment. "How are we suppose to tell if it really is Walter or not, master?"

Alucard shakes his head. "I'm not sure, Seras."

The police girl looks up at the sound of her name from Alucard's mouth. "Master?"

He smiles softly. "I really do like your name, Police Girl. Even if I do not use it often."

"Thank you.." She smiles and blushes a bit at the same time.

Alucard takes his feet down from the table, leaning forward and again placing his hat on Seras' head. She gives a soft, short giggle, making the hat slide down almost over her eyes. Alucard smiles gently at her, letting his hand drift down and caress her cheek quickly before falling onto the table.

Seras blinks, sitting quietly, staring into the eyes of Alucard. A soft feeling of joy and love sprung about in her chest. She had that feeling that you get when you run into a crush somewhere.. Like, everything was going just the way it would in a fairytale. She had no idea what her master was thinking, but, at the moment, she didn't care. Sure, she was a little confused as to why he was showing signs of liking her, but she didn't question them.

Alucard brings his hand back to himself, sadly for Seras. "Ah, I'm sorry, Police Girl. Your eyes just draw me in sometimes. They're like my eyes, you know."

"Really?" she asks.

Alucard nods and stands, walking over and kneeling beside her in the chair. He presses his cheek against hers, making them both look straight ahead. Morphing the shadows, Alucard produces a marrow reflection of them. He smirks.

"See?" he says softly.

Seras nods, giving a little smile.

"They are both red as the blood that we share," says Alucard.

Seras was concentrating more on the warmth coming from his cheek. Alucard leans back up, the reflection vanishing.

Stop playing with me like that, master! Seras screams inside her head. She wanted to fall into his strong embrace. For him to hold her tightly against his chest; protectively. But, she knew Alucard would never openly do that. And not anytime soon, anyway.

Seras is jolted from thought by Alucard's gloved hand squeezing her cheeks together. "Why the dazed look, Police Girl?" he asks, shaking her head a little from side to side.

"Ack!.. Master!" she groans, trying to escape his grasp.

Alucard holds her cheeks firmly. "Why do you fight, Police Girl? You know I'm stronger than you are. Why fight?"

She places her hands on his wrist and arm, attempting to pry them loose. "Because, master.." she grunts out. "It's better to fight and loose than to be a coward and never know."

Alucard cackles. "So, you're not as dumb as you seem, Police Girl. Maybe there is use for you after all." He releases her cheeks, letting her rub them with a disdainful look.

"So, is there something you wanted to tell me while we had the time?" he asks, smirking at her.

Seras seems confused at first, then a bit embarrassed and shocked at the same time. "You've been plundering in my head, haven't you, master?!" she asks, eyes wide.

A small cackle erupts from Alucard's throat. "I know quite a bit about you, Police Girl, that you would never know I knew, if I say nothing."

Seras purses her lips in a straight line. "What do you know?" she demands.

"Why don't you tell me, and I'll say whether or not I know." He smiles.

"Very funny, master," says Seras.

Alucard cackles softly, fangs flashing in an amused grin. He leans down close to her, again pressing his cheek against hers, his mouth against her ear. "I know your little secret, Seras," he whispers.

"What secret..?" she whispers back.

Alucard grins. "Your little secret about me."

Seras bites her bottom lip, eyes widening.

"It's quite amusing, actually," he says. "I never knew you thought of me this way."

"Maybe you've been dead too long," whispers Seras.

Alucard laughs softly. "I believe I have," he jokes. Slowly, he leans up again, eyes twinkling with unknown humor.

"I thought you loved Inte--"

"No," he interrupts. "I don't. She's my master, yes, but she's a human. She despises me almost as much as I despise her." He chuckles. "She just uses me to get her work done and running smoothly."

"So," says Seras, "you both have a love-hate relationship?"

"Basically."

Seras looks down some. "How do you know she doesn't love you?"

Alucard's lips peel back in a suppressed cackle. "Just because she told me not to probe her mind, doesn't mean I listen. Besides, she doesn't know if I ever do really."

Seras smiles softly, shaking her head. "I can't believe you disobeyed orders."

"Sometimes it feels good to be bad, Police Girl."

"That's something I'd expect to hear from you," she says.

Alucard smiles, giving her chin a quick tap with his finger, making her look up, their eyes interlocking.

"I'm sorry, master. I.. should have told you, I guess. I'm sort of a coward," she admits.

"Don't say that, Police Girl. I imagine you would have told me sooner or later."

"Right.." she says softly.

A light scratching is heard at the door. Alucard turns to the noise. Seras turns her head as well. "What's that?" she asks.

Alucard grunts, amused. "It seems that Walter has paid us a visit."

Seras stands up. "So, it is Walter?"

"I'm pretty sure.." Alucard pauses. "Its aura gives the impression of Walter. See if you can feel it. Concentrate on a thought of Walter, then look through the door. Tell me what you see."

Seras furrows her brows, staring intently at the door. She gets a clear image of Walter in her mind, then looks again toward the door. She can actually see through it, and, there, behind the door, she could see Walter.

"I see.. Walter," she says softly.

"Exactly," replies Alucard. "That's what worries me, Police Girl.. This man, at the library.. He was able to take my master down. It frightens me. And Walter.. Was able to be transformed into.. a lycanthrope."

Seras blinks up at her master. "You're.. scared?"

Alucard looks over and down to Seras. "Yes.. I've only been scared twice before.. I was scared that you would say no when I offered you to join me, and I'm scared now."

Seras smiles a little. "Oh," she says.

"I think we can tame Walter," he says, changing the subject.

"How will we do that?"

"Let him in, of course," Alucard says.

"But, master!" protests Seras. "He might kill us."

"Hardly, Police Girl. Hardly." He looks to her. "You have nothing to worry about while I'm here." Seras nods slowly.

Alucard moves swiftly to the door, standing with his back against it. "I'm going to open the door, Police Girl," he tells her. "Walter will probably react confused at first, but he might see me more of a threat that you. Just talk to him. Call him by his name."

Gulping, Seras nods. "Okay.."

Alucard reaches with a gloved hand to the knob. Slowly he turns it, then hastily throws open the door, standing on the opposite side of it.

Walter-- the lycanthrope, really, turns its head quickly as the door opens. It stares with yellow beady eyes at Seras. Its nostrils flare, letting it take in a scent of Seras. She stands very still.

"Walter," she says softly. "Walter.. It's me, Seras Victoria."

The lycanthrope's eyes move around quickly. It takes a cautious step right beneath the door frame. Alucard peers through the crack of the door at the lycanthrope.

Don't worry, Police Girl, Alucard says. I won't let him hurt you, if he tries.

Thanks.. replies Seras.

"Walter.." says Seras aloud again. "Walter, can you hear me? It's me, Seras.. Walter, it's me. Police Girl."

The lycanthrope slides into the room, but stops suddenly, sniffing around; looking.

Master.. What if he smells you? Seras thinks.

He might, but try not to startle him.

"Walter.." says Seras ever so softly. "C'mon, Walter. It's me, Seras."

The lycanthrope turns its head, looking slowly back to where Seras stands. A low, almost un-hearable whimpering sound is admitted from its throat.

He's falling for it, Police Girl. Coax him in a little farther.. Seras could feel the grin on her master's lips.

She holds out two hands, showing she was unarmed. "C'mon, Walter. I won't hurt you. I promise."

With a leisurely slide of its foot, the lycanthrope approaches Seras. Its muzzle reaches out, nostrils flaring, as if to receive a small pet from Seras. She reaches up a hand very carefully, giving the thing a quick, soft pat on the nose.

Alucard uses this time wisely, springing from behind the door and slamming it closed. He gives a cackling growl and leaps for the lycanthrope, latching onto its back. The creature gives a feral scream of surprise, rearing back and bellowing aloud.

Seras jerks her hand back to herself as the lycanthrope's maws almost snap it in-half. Her eyes widen in surprise herself as she sees Alucard clamped to the back of the creature.

"Master!" she calls, mouth agape.

Alucard cackles, gripping the thing around the neck. "Help me, Police Girl! Get something to knock him out with."

Seras looks around hastily, then picks up a chair and swings it at the lycanthrope's head with awesome power, making sure to dodge her master. The chair cracks, shattering over the thing's head, shards flying onto the floor.

Sadly, the chair had no effect; only ticking the lycanthrope off more. It jerks its head from left to right, shaking Alucard roughly while giving ear-piercing yelps. One of Alucard's guns slide from their holsters and clatters onto the floor. Seras reaches for it and picks it up, making sure not to get stepped on.

"No, Police Girl! Don't shoot hi--"

Seras swings the gun as hard as she can, using the handle to crack against the side of the creature's head. The lycanthrope gives a painful groan and staggers, finally falling over, face first, onto the floor.

Alucard stands, clapping his hands to dust them off. "Well, well. Kudos to you, Police Girl." He grins over to her.

Seras smiles sheepishly, shrugging. "Instinct?"

Alucard nods softly, looking over the softly panting lycanthrope. He sighs.

"Is that really Walter?" asks Seras, appearing beside Alucard.

"I'm not all that sure myself, Police Girl. But, we will find out soon enough.."

Seras looks up to her master, who's grinning back to her.

"..Master?"