Ch 13: Spiders and Snowball Fights
Another night done, Constance thought as she finished her rounds. Some of the men had been injured during a mission the day before, but it had been successful. It was being said that the success of the recent mission had been due to Lt. Victoria, whose skills seemed to be improving by leaps and bounds. Constance had had several more conversations with Ceras, finding her to be kind but strong as well. Constance was pleased to hear that Ceras' shoulders were becoming strong enough to carry the burdens that had been placed on them.
Massaging her stiff neck, Constance decided to take a walk outside as she could feel that suffocating feeling come over her again. It was not as strong these days, she noticed, but was still always present. As she headed to the garden that was visible from one of the back doors, she saw Sir Integra's chief agent sitting on one of the benches staring at the moon that cast a bright silver glow over everything. She hesitated, unsure of whether she should approach. She had not seen or spoken to him since the incident in the library. Shaking her head as if to throw off her unease, she walked the rest of the way to the garden.
Alucard regarded the doctor as she approached. He was still grateful to her for helping his master and the police girl, but had not been willing to approach her.
"May I join you?" she asked, feeling a twinge of nervousness as she did so. After all, this was the same man who had tried to kill her.
"If you like." he said, his face bearing a bland expression.
Constance sat down on the bench, but made sure not to sit too close. Alucard sensed her hesitation and smirked. "Don't worry, I won't bite," he muttered. From the corner of his eye, Alucard saw the doctor relax some. She reached her arms above her head and her legs out in front of her in a cat-like stretch.
"Perfect night tonight, isn't it?" Alucard remarked after a long silence.
"Mm-hm" Constance murmured in agreement. After another moment of silence, Constance opened her mouth to speak.
"I.uh.I wanted to apologize to you for that night in the library. I.didn't know you worked for Sir Integra. Anyways.I'm sorry about stabbing you."
Alucard looked at the doctor as she stammered, her eyes downcast. "Don't be sorry, I haven't had that much fun in a long while." When Constance looked at him, she noticed that his previously expressionless face now bore an almost maniacal grin.
"Fun? You consider getting stabbed fun?" What, is this guy some kind of masochist or something? She didn't consider the possibility that vampires might consider fighting fun, especially after talking with Ceras before.
"Indeed" Alucard replied, smirking at her shocked expression. "Getting stabbed was not that pleasant, but it's been a long time since someone has been able to put up that kind of fight against me. You might have won if you had been fighting anyone else."
Constance felt a stab of anger as she remembered how he had won that battle. Looking him straight in those red eyes of his, she remarked in a stern voice "I might have won against even you if you wouldn't have taken that cheap shot."
"In battle, there's no such thing as a cheap shot." Alucard quipped back, enjoying the reaction that his baiting was getting. "Anything that allows you to win is fair game. But I will apologize for taking a cheap shot, as you call it." He grinned at the doctor, who could not resist smiling back.
"Anyhow, when you are as old as I am, you have to take your enjoyment where you can find it." Alucard continued, that grin still plastered on his face.
"Just how old are you?" Constance asked. The body he possessed didn't look to have aged beyond the age of thirty-five. Looking at him, she thought to herself that he was rather handsome too, but pushed the thought from her mind almost as immediately as it had come.
Alucard went on to explain that he had lived for over five hundred years. "I don't regret it, but living forever can get very boring at times. Humans have an advantage there. They know their time is limited so they attempt to cram as much living as they can into one lifetime. Filling seven lifetimes is quite another thing, though."
Having finished this last sentiment, Alucard turned to the doctor. "And you, how long have you been what you are?"
"I suppose all my life, but I had no idea until just recently. It's taken some getting used to. I try to live like an ordinary person, but I have abilities that ordinary people do not possess. However, I am bound by how much I can use those abilities."
Alucard nodded as he remarked "And one of the abilities seems to be the ability to heal others. However, when you heal someone, you must take the wound yourself, no?"
"How.how did you know?" Constance asked as her eyes widened in surprise. She had not told anyone about the wound that had appeared in her shoulder, opting to treat it herself.
"I could smell the blood that came from it as soon as it appeared on you. I must thank you for that as well, but it was not necessary." The grin disappeared from Alucard's face as he went on quietly "I also wanted to thank you for what you did for my master and the police-girl. They both seem to be better off for having spoken with you."
"You're welcome, Alucard"
"What did Sir Integra say to you when you went to see her?"
"Sorry, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Constance teased. She had promised Integra that she would not mention their conversation. She knew that strong people did not like witnesses to their weak moments.
The smirk was back on Alucard's face. "You wouldn't stand a chance."
The doctor was about to remind Alucard that she had given him a run for his money in the library, but the statement was immediately halted as she spotted a small object in front of her, slightly to her right. She was unaware that she was holding her breath as the small object began moving toward her rapidly. Her mind was cleared of all things except for hideous fear as she moved herself along the bench to get away from the object of her terror.
Alucard was staring out into space again when a strangled squeak caught his attention. He turned to see the doctor who was backing toward him looking as if she had just seen an army of ghouls. When he saw what the doctor was trying to get away from, he thought that he was imagining things. But no, the doctor was staring at the small, black, hairy creature as if it was carrying the plague.
A.spider? She's afraid of a spider? Alucard grinned from ear to ear and then burst into hysterical laughter.
The sound of the vampire laughing roused Constance's anger and embarrassment enough to momentarily cut through her fear. "What are you laughing at?" she asked as she scowled at him.
"Awww.is the brave doctor afraid of the little spider?" Alucard quipped, still smirking and chuckling. "Can this be the same woman who nearly took off my hand in the library and faced Sir Integra in the dungeon?"
"I've always hated spiders.so sue me." Constance said as she moved further away from the creature that seemed to be coming at her relentlessly.
After watching the doctor for another minute with sheer amusement, he decided that the doctor had had enough for one day. He reached around her and picked up the spider. When it was safely released into the garden, Constance's breath escaped her in a relieved whoosh.
"Thanks" she said.
"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business I must attend to tonight."
"Good night, then, Alucard" Constance said.
"Ahem.I'll need you to move if you don't want to get dumped onto the ground when I stand up."
"Huh?" Constance was unclear why Alucard would need her to move in order to leave. Taking a look around her, she blushed to her hairline when she discovered that in her attempt to escape the spider, she had inadvertently placed herself square in Alucard's lap.
She moved quickly to her former spot on the bench and stared dumbly at the ground as her face continued to glow crimson. Alucard placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her head until she was looking into his eyes.
"Good night, doctor," he said, smiling as he touched the brim of his hat in a salute of sorts. With that, he disappeared again, leaving Constance alone in the garden.
Another night done, Constance thought as she finished her rounds. Some of the men had been injured during a mission the day before, but it had been successful. It was being said that the success of the recent mission had been due to Lt. Victoria, whose skills seemed to be improving by leaps and bounds. Constance had had several more conversations with Ceras, finding her to be kind but strong as well. Constance was pleased to hear that Ceras' shoulders were becoming strong enough to carry the burdens that had been placed on them.
Massaging her stiff neck, Constance decided to take a walk outside as she could feel that suffocating feeling come over her again. It was not as strong these days, she noticed, but was still always present. As she headed to the garden that was visible from one of the back doors, she saw Sir Integra's chief agent sitting on one of the benches staring at the moon that cast a bright silver glow over everything. She hesitated, unsure of whether she should approach. She had not seen or spoken to him since the incident in the library. Shaking her head as if to throw off her unease, she walked the rest of the way to the garden.
Alucard regarded the doctor as she approached. He was still grateful to her for helping his master and the police girl, but had not been willing to approach her.
"May I join you?" she asked, feeling a twinge of nervousness as she did so. After all, this was the same man who had tried to kill her.
"If you like." he said, his face bearing a bland expression.
Constance sat down on the bench, but made sure not to sit too close. Alucard sensed her hesitation and smirked. "Don't worry, I won't bite," he muttered. From the corner of his eye, Alucard saw the doctor relax some. She reached her arms above her head and her legs out in front of her in a cat-like stretch.
"Perfect night tonight, isn't it?" Alucard remarked after a long silence.
"Mm-hm" Constance murmured in agreement. After another moment of silence, Constance opened her mouth to speak.
"I.uh.I wanted to apologize to you for that night in the library. I.didn't know you worked for Sir Integra. Anyways.I'm sorry about stabbing you."
Alucard looked at the doctor as she stammered, her eyes downcast. "Don't be sorry, I haven't had that much fun in a long while." When Constance looked at him, she noticed that his previously expressionless face now bore an almost maniacal grin.
"Fun? You consider getting stabbed fun?" What, is this guy some kind of masochist or something? She didn't consider the possibility that vampires might consider fighting fun, especially after talking with Ceras before.
"Indeed" Alucard replied, smirking at her shocked expression. "Getting stabbed was not that pleasant, but it's been a long time since someone has been able to put up that kind of fight against me. You might have won if you had been fighting anyone else."
Constance felt a stab of anger as she remembered how he had won that battle. Looking him straight in those red eyes of his, she remarked in a stern voice "I might have won against even you if you wouldn't have taken that cheap shot."
"In battle, there's no such thing as a cheap shot." Alucard quipped back, enjoying the reaction that his baiting was getting. "Anything that allows you to win is fair game. But I will apologize for taking a cheap shot, as you call it." He grinned at the doctor, who could not resist smiling back.
"Anyhow, when you are as old as I am, you have to take your enjoyment where you can find it." Alucard continued, that grin still plastered on his face.
"Just how old are you?" Constance asked. The body he possessed didn't look to have aged beyond the age of thirty-five. Looking at him, she thought to herself that he was rather handsome too, but pushed the thought from her mind almost as immediately as it had come.
Alucard went on to explain that he had lived for over five hundred years. "I don't regret it, but living forever can get very boring at times. Humans have an advantage there. They know their time is limited so they attempt to cram as much living as they can into one lifetime. Filling seven lifetimes is quite another thing, though."
Having finished this last sentiment, Alucard turned to the doctor. "And you, how long have you been what you are?"
"I suppose all my life, but I had no idea until just recently. It's taken some getting used to. I try to live like an ordinary person, but I have abilities that ordinary people do not possess. However, I am bound by how much I can use those abilities."
Alucard nodded as he remarked "And one of the abilities seems to be the ability to heal others. However, when you heal someone, you must take the wound yourself, no?"
"How.how did you know?" Constance asked as her eyes widened in surprise. She had not told anyone about the wound that had appeared in her shoulder, opting to treat it herself.
"I could smell the blood that came from it as soon as it appeared on you. I must thank you for that as well, but it was not necessary." The grin disappeared from Alucard's face as he went on quietly "I also wanted to thank you for what you did for my master and the police-girl. They both seem to be better off for having spoken with you."
"You're welcome, Alucard"
"What did Sir Integra say to you when you went to see her?"
"Sorry, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Constance teased. She had promised Integra that she would not mention their conversation. She knew that strong people did not like witnesses to their weak moments.
The smirk was back on Alucard's face. "You wouldn't stand a chance."
The doctor was about to remind Alucard that she had given him a run for his money in the library, but the statement was immediately halted as she spotted a small object in front of her, slightly to her right. She was unaware that she was holding her breath as the small object began moving toward her rapidly. Her mind was cleared of all things except for hideous fear as she moved herself along the bench to get away from the object of her terror.
Alucard was staring out into space again when a strangled squeak caught his attention. He turned to see the doctor who was backing toward him looking as if she had just seen an army of ghouls. When he saw what the doctor was trying to get away from, he thought that he was imagining things. But no, the doctor was staring at the small, black, hairy creature as if it was carrying the plague.
A.spider? She's afraid of a spider? Alucard grinned from ear to ear and then burst into hysterical laughter.
The sound of the vampire laughing roused Constance's anger and embarrassment enough to momentarily cut through her fear. "What are you laughing at?" she asked as she scowled at him.
"Awww.is the brave doctor afraid of the little spider?" Alucard quipped, still smirking and chuckling. "Can this be the same woman who nearly took off my hand in the library and faced Sir Integra in the dungeon?"
"I've always hated spiders.so sue me." Constance said as she moved further away from the creature that seemed to be coming at her relentlessly.
After watching the doctor for another minute with sheer amusement, he decided that the doctor had had enough for one day. He reached around her and picked up the spider. When it was safely released into the garden, Constance's breath escaped her in a relieved whoosh.
"Thanks" she said.
"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business I must attend to tonight."
"Good night, then, Alucard" Constance said.
"Ahem.I'll need you to move if you don't want to get dumped onto the ground when I stand up."
"Huh?" Constance was unclear why Alucard would need her to move in order to leave. Taking a look around her, she blushed to her hairline when she discovered that in her attempt to escape the spider, she had inadvertently placed herself square in Alucard's lap.
She moved quickly to her former spot on the bench and stared dumbly at the ground as her face continued to glow crimson. Alucard placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her head until she was looking into his eyes.
"Good night, doctor," he said, smiling as he touched the brim of his hat in a salute of sorts. With that, he disappeared again, leaving Constance alone in the garden.