Disclaimer: II don't own the series or the characters. I wish I did, but I don't. You'll give whatever companies that are involved the credit. Instead, I own a word processer, the DVDs, and an overactive imagination which will just have to do.
Summary: Dealing with the Lost and Found.
by Barbara C.
TWO
Sir Integra stood behind Alucard. "We need to leave," she turned to depart. "I have a meeting to attend in fourteen hours." The vampires knew what she truly meant however, if they left soon enough they could still offload under the cover of night rather than having to offload caskets in daylight hours. Mostly however, she didn't want to stay in the godforsaken country any longer than necessary. At nearly ninety years of age her will and reserve had been tempered finer than the steel swords forged for her forefathers centuries ago, but she still had little tolerance for stupidity and America was riddled with it.
In the meantime, the waitress stood at the next table silently assessing the situation. "Um, sir?" she spoke to Alucard since he was the only one standing near, "Your table..."
"We didn't ask for a table," Integra stated over her shoulder in her most commanding tone of authority. The waitress, not used to being spoken too in such a tone, shrank back, clutching the menus closer to her chest.
Alucard, whom had been watching his charge intently during the exchange between his master and the waitress, suddenly shot a hand out toward the blond. Stretching across the table, he gripped Ceres's chin and forced her to look up at him. "What have you done?" His tone was ugly.
Frightened, she didn't respond. Her cup clattered to rest on the table. Liquid sloshed, but the puddles on the table were ignored. She tried to pull away, to avert her eyes but he was so...
"Are you ashamed of your heritage?" He raised his voice louder. "Answer me!" He squeezed.
His voice drew the attention from most of the other occupants of the diner. The truck driver was beginning to stand, obviously intent on stopping whatever abuse might be occurring, while the waitress who had attempted to seat them had ducked away. The second waitress seemed to be going for the phone.
Integra saw it all. "Alucard, that is enough! We don't need any trouble."
"Are you ashamed of your heritage?" he hissed again.
Coming to her senses, Ceres carefully tried again to pull out of her Master's grip. In response, it tightened again. "They...I...I wanted to fit in better. Less questions."
"Fit in better?" Alucard scoffed. "Our kind was never meant to...fit in." He seemed disgusted almost spitting the last two words.
She tried again. "They're only contacts. See?" This time, Alucard's grip lessened as Ceres pulled away. "See?" she asked more frantic, reaching up a free hand to her eye. When she pulled her hand back, a speck of blue covered her index finger and she looked up again at Alucard. One blue eye and one red eye stared hopefully at him.
Pulling his hand back sharply, he turned toward the door. "Let us go."
"My sentiments exactly," Integra voiced. Cynicism laced her words.
Ceres bobbed her head in agreement, then placed the contact back in her eye. As she blinked to position it correctly, she pulled a wadded bill from her pocket and plunked it down on the table beside the puddled coffee.
She scooted around the darkened table to get out of the booth. Standing in the fluorescent light, she called out to the waitress, who hadn't started dialing yet. "I apologize for the mess. I...I'll be fine." She paused and began to smile. "I didn't think they'd care enough to find me."
Confused, the waitress nodded and the other patrons looked on as the blond haired, blue-eyed sprite followed the pair of intimidating foreigners out the door.
Yes, this second part is extremely short. But I felt this was the end of the story. It could have been added on to the first part, but I felt a strong break was needed between the two pieces. Feel free to comment or critique on this work or any of my others.