Ch 14: Spiders and Snowball Fights II
Fall had slowly given way to winter. A thick blanket of snow now covered the ground. The past few months had been typical months for the Hellsing organization. Random FREAKs were silenced and the investigation into the origin of the FREAK chip continued. Beyond that, there was training for both the new recruits and older members of the Hellsing army.
Constance had settled into her new position and now knew many of the members of Hellsing by name. After many more conversations with Ceras and Sir Integra, she now regarded them as close friends. She often chuckled to herself when she remembered a visit to Integra's office last month and how it had ended. She had gone to Integra for a visit and to give her a list of supplies that the infirmary needed for the next month. Enjoying a brandy, Integra offered one to Constance, which she gratefully accepted. While they were talking, Ceras, who had been sent to Integra with a report on the training that she was overseeing, interrupted them. Integra was in a generous mood and had offered Ceras a drink as well. Ceras had been shocked that her master's master would offer, and she had accepted with a shy smile. Over the next hour, and a few more rounds of drinks, the visit had turned into more of a party. When Alucard had dropped by later to see how much he could annoy his master, the most unusual sight he had ever seen greeted him. The CD player in the office was booming American rock music. This in itself was unusual enough, but then he spied his master along with the police girl and the doctor that he had spoken with several times since their first conversation. They had risen from their respective seats and were now dancing around the office in time with the music. He had even spied Integra playing air guitar. He choked back his laughter and disappeared back through the wall, not wanting to disturb Integra when she was enjoying herself so much. Through the long years he had known her, he had never seen her when she was having fun. She needs some fun in her life, he had thought. When he was out of earshot of the office, the laughter erupted from his chest. He was still chuckling hours later as he situated himself in his coffin-like bed and closed the lid against the light of the rising sun.
Constance was walking the grounds of the Hellsing house, her breath creating white plumes as it escaped her body and froze on contact with the cold air. Her shift was finished, and she was walking to wind down before going to bed as had become her habit. She was walking alongside the training grounds when the stillness of the night air was interrupted by the sound of snow-crunching footsteps. She looked behind her to see Ceras walking with a brisk pace, a look of utter irritation in her crimson eyes.
Damn him, Ceras was thinking as she marched back to the house. I would like to go at least one training session without being hassled. Ceras was so intent on her own thoughts she did know Constance was there until the doctor called after her.
"What's wrong Ceras? You look mad enough to spit nails." Constance observed.
Ceras stopped short and launched into a barrage of furious complaints about Captain Bernadotte. Again? Constance thought. Those two fight so much; you'd think they were married.
"Don't let him get to you, it doesn't do to get mad." Constance said in an attempt to calm the young vampire down.
"How about if I get even?" Ceras growled as she gripped the cannon she was carrying tighter.
"Well, maybe, but I don't think Sir Integra would appreciate it if you shot him." Constance said, growing a little worried at this point.
"What if I used a rubber bullet?" Ceras replied, grinning as she imagined shooting that egotistical jerk right between the eyes.
"Still a bit harsh" Constance said as she searched her mind for something that might make Ceras feel better. Constance looked at the ground as she thought. Then a grin crept across her face as she came up with an idea.
"How about a snowball?" Constance suggested with a tiny twinge of guilt. She really did like Pip, but this idea was too good to pass up. He could use taking down a peg anyways, he always was a bit too cocky for his own good, Constance thought. She looked at Ceras and saw an evil grin on her face as if she were thinking the same thing.
The agreement having been reached, Ceras and the doctor walked back toward the training range where Pip was just coming off duty. Ceras had put her cannon away to rid herself of its encumbrance. Positioning themselves on a small hill that overlooked the range, they could barely contain their snickers as Ceras gathered a handful of snow and their target came into range.
Pip was thinking about Ceras as he headed back to the house. It was fun to torment her, but he had another motive for giving her a hard time. He had learned that when she got angry, she also got motivated and learned the training lessons faster and better. It was just that part of her personality that would never back down from a real challenge, he thought as a smile appeared on his face. His contemplation was interrupted by someone shouting "Hey, Pip!" followed by the sound and feel of a cold, wet object impacting the side of his head, knocking his hat off. He looked up to see Ceras looking down at him with a look of triumph on her face. Next to her was Dr. Williams, who was covering a smirk with her hand.
They're gonna pay for that, Pip vowed to himself as he began to climb the hill toward the two women.
"Now what?" Ceras asked in a worried voice as she spied Pip coming at them with a look that was a cross between anger and amusement on his face.
Constance was already on her feet. "Uh.now we run," she said as she grabbed Ceras arm and ran in the opposite direction.
It seemed like they had been running for an hour, even thought it had only been a few minutes. Pip was gaining on them, despite their laughing pleas for forgiveness. There was a squeak from Ceras as Pip tackled her, pinning her to the ground with one hand. Using his free hand, he prepared to give Ceras a face full of snow, when she kicked up with her right leg. In one swift movement, she had reversed their positions and now had Pip pinned to the ground. Determined to complete his mission, Pip pushed the hand that had the snowball up and connected directly with Ceras' face. Ceras spluttered as Pip pushed her off of him and grabbed another handful of snow. During this altercation, the air had been thick with the sound of their squabbling and smack-talk. They were so intent on their miniature battle that they didn't notice Constance, who had come back when Ceras was tackled and was now leaning nonchalantly against a tree watching them fight.
"Maybe you two should just get it on and get it over with." Constance said, grinning at the two figures struggling on the ground. The struggle stopped immediately when the meaning of the doctor's words sunk in. They jumped away from each other, both of them stating heatedly that they didn't like each other like that
"Please, you sound like my grandparents. They've been married for 50 years and still have fantastic sex, according to my grandmother." This statement brought a new wave of protests as well as a flash of color to both Ceras' and Pip's faces.
"Shh.get back." Constance hissed, stopping the protests short. She had spotted someone down the other side of the hill and was debating whether to start a snowball fight of her own. A mischievous grin crossed her face as she watched her potential target. Alucard was unaware of her presence as he walked the grounds below.
Ceras, wondering what the fuss was about all of a sudden, had slipped to Constance's side to see what it was Constance had seen. Her heart stopped in her chest (figuratively, of course) as she saw Constance looking at her master with the same evil grin she had been wearing when they planned the attack on Pip.
"Not that, he'll really be mad if you do." Ceras whispered with terror in her voice.
"What's he going to do about it? Kill me? The worst he could do is to tattle on me to Integra. But I don't think his pride would let him." Constance replied as she stooped to gather some snow.
Pip and Ceras looked at each other. Nodding in agreement, they both slipped away from Constance's position and made their way back to the training range as quickly and as silently as they could.
Unable to resist the temptation any longer, but also taking Ceras' words into account, Constance stood and yelled down at the tall vampire, "Careful Alucard, a snowball might just pop that silly hat off your head before you know it." This statement was punctuated by said snowball whizzing past Alucard's ear, barely missing the back of his head.
Alucard looked up to see Constance laughing down at him. With a scowl, he phased and appeared in front of Constance as she started to trot back to the house.
"It's not wise to toy with a creature such as myself, doctor." Alucard growled.
"Oh, get over yourself. The big, bad vampire routine might work with other people, but I'm not impressed." Constance quipped with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
Alucard's face relaxed as he gave up trying to bully the doctor. Over the past several months and frequent conversations, he had learned that she was not afraid of him anymore. He knew he should have been insulted by that fact, but part of him enjoyed the company of someone who treated him as an equal rather than a master or a servant. The only other person he could say for that was Walter, and he knew that even Walter did not trust him completely. He had also found that Constance was kindhearted and wise, often giving him good advice for helping the police-girl come to grips with what she had become.
Alucard was about to respond to the doctor's statement when Constance's pager went off and Alucard heard his master calling to him in his head. Looking at the message on her pager, Constance knew that something dire had happened. She turned and started running toward the house. From the corner of her eye, she saw Alucard run up beside her and hold his hand out to her.
"I can get there faster," he called. "Come with me." Constance grasped his offered hand and hoisted herself onto his back. Reaching the house in less than a minute, she slid down from his back and ran to the infirmary while Alucard went immediately to his master's office.
Fall had slowly given way to winter. A thick blanket of snow now covered the ground. The past few months had been typical months for the Hellsing organization. Random FREAKs were silenced and the investigation into the origin of the FREAK chip continued. Beyond that, there was training for both the new recruits and older members of the Hellsing army.
Constance had settled into her new position and now knew many of the members of Hellsing by name. After many more conversations with Ceras and Sir Integra, she now regarded them as close friends. She often chuckled to herself when she remembered a visit to Integra's office last month and how it had ended. She had gone to Integra for a visit and to give her a list of supplies that the infirmary needed for the next month. Enjoying a brandy, Integra offered one to Constance, which she gratefully accepted. While they were talking, Ceras, who had been sent to Integra with a report on the training that she was overseeing, interrupted them. Integra was in a generous mood and had offered Ceras a drink as well. Ceras had been shocked that her master's master would offer, and she had accepted with a shy smile. Over the next hour, and a few more rounds of drinks, the visit had turned into more of a party. When Alucard had dropped by later to see how much he could annoy his master, the most unusual sight he had ever seen greeted him. The CD player in the office was booming American rock music. This in itself was unusual enough, but then he spied his master along with the police girl and the doctor that he had spoken with several times since their first conversation. They had risen from their respective seats and were now dancing around the office in time with the music. He had even spied Integra playing air guitar. He choked back his laughter and disappeared back through the wall, not wanting to disturb Integra when she was enjoying herself so much. Through the long years he had known her, he had never seen her when she was having fun. She needs some fun in her life, he had thought. When he was out of earshot of the office, the laughter erupted from his chest. He was still chuckling hours later as he situated himself in his coffin-like bed and closed the lid against the light of the rising sun.
Constance was walking the grounds of the Hellsing house, her breath creating white plumes as it escaped her body and froze on contact with the cold air. Her shift was finished, and she was walking to wind down before going to bed as had become her habit. She was walking alongside the training grounds when the stillness of the night air was interrupted by the sound of snow-crunching footsteps. She looked behind her to see Ceras walking with a brisk pace, a look of utter irritation in her crimson eyes.
Damn him, Ceras was thinking as she marched back to the house. I would like to go at least one training session without being hassled. Ceras was so intent on her own thoughts she did know Constance was there until the doctor called after her.
"What's wrong Ceras? You look mad enough to spit nails." Constance observed.
Ceras stopped short and launched into a barrage of furious complaints about Captain Bernadotte. Again? Constance thought. Those two fight so much; you'd think they were married.
"Don't let him get to you, it doesn't do to get mad." Constance said in an attempt to calm the young vampire down.
"How about if I get even?" Ceras growled as she gripped the cannon she was carrying tighter.
"Well, maybe, but I don't think Sir Integra would appreciate it if you shot him." Constance said, growing a little worried at this point.
"What if I used a rubber bullet?" Ceras replied, grinning as she imagined shooting that egotistical jerk right between the eyes.
"Still a bit harsh" Constance said as she searched her mind for something that might make Ceras feel better. Constance looked at the ground as she thought. Then a grin crept across her face as she came up with an idea.
"How about a snowball?" Constance suggested with a tiny twinge of guilt. She really did like Pip, but this idea was too good to pass up. He could use taking down a peg anyways, he always was a bit too cocky for his own good, Constance thought. She looked at Ceras and saw an evil grin on her face as if she were thinking the same thing.
The agreement having been reached, Ceras and the doctor walked back toward the training range where Pip was just coming off duty. Ceras had put her cannon away to rid herself of its encumbrance. Positioning themselves on a small hill that overlooked the range, they could barely contain their snickers as Ceras gathered a handful of snow and their target came into range.
Pip was thinking about Ceras as he headed back to the house. It was fun to torment her, but he had another motive for giving her a hard time. He had learned that when she got angry, she also got motivated and learned the training lessons faster and better. It was just that part of her personality that would never back down from a real challenge, he thought as a smile appeared on his face. His contemplation was interrupted by someone shouting "Hey, Pip!" followed by the sound and feel of a cold, wet object impacting the side of his head, knocking his hat off. He looked up to see Ceras looking down at him with a look of triumph on her face. Next to her was Dr. Williams, who was covering a smirk with her hand.
They're gonna pay for that, Pip vowed to himself as he began to climb the hill toward the two women.
"Now what?" Ceras asked in a worried voice as she spied Pip coming at them with a look that was a cross between anger and amusement on his face.
Constance was already on her feet. "Uh.now we run," she said as she grabbed Ceras arm and ran in the opposite direction.
It seemed like they had been running for an hour, even thought it had only been a few minutes. Pip was gaining on them, despite their laughing pleas for forgiveness. There was a squeak from Ceras as Pip tackled her, pinning her to the ground with one hand. Using his free hand, he prepared to give Ceras a face full of snow, when she kicked up with her right leg. In one swift movement, she had reversed their positions and now had Pip pinned to the ground. Determined to complete his mission, Pip pushed the hand that had the snowball up and connected directly with Ceras' face. Ceras spluttered as Pip pushed her off of him and grabbed another handful of snow. During this altercation, the air had been thick with the sound of their squabbling and smack-talk. They were so intent on their miniature battle that they didn't notice Constance, who had come back when Ceras was tackled and was now leaning nonchalantly against a tree watching them fight.
"Maybe you two should just get it on and get it over with." Constance said, grinning at the two figures struggling on the ground. The struggle stopped immediately when the meaning of the doctor's words sunk in. They jumped away from each other, both of them stating heatedly that they didn't like each other like that
"Please, you sound like my grandparents. They've been married for 50 years and still have fantastic sex, according to my grandmother." This statement brought a new wave of protests as well as a flash of color to both Ceras' and Pip's faces.
"Shh.get back." Constance hissed, stopping the protests short. She had spotted someone down the other side of the hill and was debating whether to start a snowball fight of her own. A mischievous grin crossed her face as she watched her potential target. Alucard was unaware of her presence as he walked the grounds below.
Ceras, wondering what the fuss was about all of a sudden, had slipped to Constance's side to see what it was Constance had seen. Her heart stopped in her chest (figuratively, of course) as she saw Constance looking at her master with the same evil grin she had been wearing when they planned the attack on Pip.
"Not that, he'll really be mad if you do." Ceras whispered with terror in her voice.
"What's he going to do about it? Kill me? The worst he could do is to tattle on me to Integra. But I don't think his pride would let him." Constance replied as she stooped to gather some snow.
Pip and Ceras looked at each other. Nodding in agreement, they both slipped away from Constance's position and made their way back to the training range as quickly and as silently as they could.
Unable to resist the temptation any longer, but also taking Ceras' words into account, Constance stood and yelled down at the tall vampire, "Careful Alucard, a snowball might just pop that silly hat off your head before you know it." This statement was punctuated by said snowball whizzing past Alucard's ear, barely missing the back of his head.
Alucard looked up to see Constance laughing down at him. With a scowl, he phased and appeared in front of Constance as she started to trot back to the house.
"It's not wise to toy with a creature such as myself, doctor." Alucard growled.
"Oh, get over yourself. The big, bad vampire routine might work with other people, but I'm not impressed." Constance quipped with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
Alucard's face relaxed as he gave up trying to bully the doctor. Over the past several months and frequent conversations, he had learned that she was not afraid of him anymore. He knew he should have been insulted by that fact, but part of him enjoyed the company of someone who treated him as an equal rather than a master or a servant. The only other person he could say for that was Walter, and he knew that even Walter did not trust him completely. He had also found that Constance was kindhearted and wise, often giving him good advice for helping the police-girl come to grips with what she had become.
Alucard was about to respond to the doctor's statement when Constance's pager went off and Alucard heard his master calling to him in his head. Looking at the message on her pager, Constance knew that something dire had happened. She turned and started running toward the house. From the corner of her eye, she saw Alucard run up beside her and hold his hand out to her.
"I can get there faster," he called. "Come with me." Constance grasped his offered hand and hoisted herself onto his back. Reaching the house in less than a minute, she slid down from his back and ran to the infirmary while Alucard went immediately to his master's office.