A.N: Wow, a ton of people decided to tell me what they wanted last chapter. The unofficial vote tends to be leaning towards A/S surprisingly, followed shortly by H/Y.
Lots of suggestions for mistletoe kiss as well. But like I said, this story will be full of classic fan fiction plot devices, so worry you not. Alcohol mistletoe and possible blizzards will all be in attendance. I will also do my best not to abuse the blanket scenario, but I promise nothing.
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Pip sighed as he looked out of the side window of the car. The kitchen has seemed a good place to hide at the time, as the Police girl didn't eat. But somehow she had found and cajoled him into coming along on this little shopping excursion. With a simple batting of her lashes she had assured him that she simply wanted his input. As much as he wanted to believe she just desired his company, he was sure she just wanted help carrying stuff; or possibly to get him back for all those jokes he constantly made about her "assets".
Either way, here they were speeding downtown towards God knew where, Pip hadn't really asked. He turned away from the window and half listened to what Seras and Walter were saying, but all he could really think of was that she looked so cute all bundled up in her winter gear, with the dark sunglasses and a dab of sunscreen on her nose.
"..Shall we go first?" he picked out and instantly started to pay attention. He knew
Christmas shopping could be brutal, and the last thing he liked to do was going into a combat zone unprepared.
"I hear there is a charming open air Christmas market set up downtown. They should have all kinds of crafts and imported decorations and gifts... Not to mention specialty foods, mulled wine and beer." Walter said, aiming last bit at Pip.
"Thank God..." The mercenary sighed gratefully, he really needed a drink.
"What was that?" the older man asked in a teasing tone that said he found the whole situation quite amusing.
"I said it sounds like fun," Pip said with a surreptitious glare at Walter. He was the one who had suggested this whole outing. But then again who knew, maybe with a bit of alcohol in him this could turn out all right.
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"So what do you think?" Seras asked, holding up a wreath covered in red and white poinsettias and jingle bells.
Walter managed to keep his expression neutral, but the younger man was not quite so skilled.
"It's... Not quite what we're looking for." Walter said in what he hoped was a placating tone. Quite frankly the Police girl's taste in decorations tended more towards the juvenile. He was surprised she hadn't suggested aerosol cans of fake snow and tinfoil icicles.
Seras frowned a little and went back to looking at the rows of fresh wreaths. Her eyes lit on a very classic green wreath covered in red ribbons and bits of holly.
'Your taste is terrible Police girl.' Her Master's always so smug voice echoed in her head.
Seras scowled at seemingly nothing and shot back, 'Well if you had come you could help me pick something out.'
There was a slight pause before he replied, 'I like that one over there, with the burgundy and gold.'
She walked over to it and stared for a moment. It was a massive wreath made of dark green dried pine boughs. A large velvety ribbon sat in its center in a deep wine color edged with gold, lovely clusters of both deep red grapes, and delicate gold brushed bunches and their ivy like leaves decorated it. Even she had to admit it was classy looking.
She picked it up and turned about with it. "This one?" she said in a small hopeful voice.
"Hmm...Very nice actually." Walter said as he scrutinized it. Sir Integra would most likely agree with him on this one.
"Perfect!" Pip said with a firm nod. He actually liked it, but he frankly also wanted to sneak off for a nip of that wine.
Seras suppressed a frown. She was almost disappointed they so easily agreed with her Master on his first try. His laughter echoed in her ears before his presence faded. With a tiny scowl she turned around to tell the wreath maker they wanted a few in this style. Master would be lucky if he got anything for Christmas from her.
-Sometime later-
Seras breathed a sigh of relief as she checked another item off her list. White lights and plenty of replacement bulbs.
"Ok guys, what do you say we split up for awhile?" Even with a day this overcast, all of this daytime movement was starting to get tiring. That and she still needed to shop for presents for everyone.
"That sounds great!" Pip said looking wistfully towards the food stands.
"Yes I think a bite to eat sounds rather nice right about now," Walter concurred.
"Right then! We'll meet back here in an hour or two." Seras said, and without waiting for a response hurried off towards the clothing and jewelry stands.
"So..." Walter said, distracted for a moment watching the Police girl's quickly retreating backside.
"Beer?" Pip asked, starting to inch unconsciously towards said place of beer getting.
"Yes...Beer."
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Arms once again laden with bags, Seras made her way through the myriad of stands she had yet to visit. She had gotten a good deal of her gift shopping done this far: Warm Holiday sweaters for Pip and the Geese, a nice pocket watch for Walter, a gun cleaning kit for Master, fruit cakes for the Iscariot... The only person she had yet to find a gift for was Integra.
The idea for a present for the usually severe woman had thus far escaped her. Her first instinct when shopping for a woman was either clothing or bath salts. As for clothing being someone who enjoyed wearing lots of bright colors and jeans or short skirts, Integra's austere dress style was usually lost on Seras.
And bath salts, perfume and the like... Seras would never really admit it, but she already loved the way Sir Integra smelled. A mixture of sandalwood and cigar smoke mixed with the delicate scent of the noble blood that flowed right beneath her skin just shouldn't be covered with flowery scents in her opinion. But still the question remained what to get her? She glanced around, weaving her way through hand holding couples and excited children pulling at their parent's sleeves. What indeed?
A small jewelry stand caught her eye and she wandered over to it to take a look. An older woman was sitting behind the black velvet covered table, proudly displaying her wares. There were lovely rings, bracelets and necklaces, all made out of sparking sterling silver.
Her first instinct was to jump back and possibly hiss. Seras really, really didn't like the way silver felt when it touched her delicate vampiric skin. No, white hot fire was not something she usually liked to wear. But the question was did Integra like silver? Being a vampire hunter, she likely did.
She scanned the neat rows of jewelry before her eyes fell on a lovely piece. It was a cross pin, about two inches tall and made from the most exquisite shining silver she had ever seen. The delicate filigree seemed to swirl around the center piece, a single pure blue stone. The color of it was somewhere between sky and the morning fog in London. It was the exact color of Sir Integra's eyes.
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Seras smiled, clutching the small jewelry box gleefully as she made her way back to the food stands. This tiny piece of jewelry had set her back a little more than she would usually spend on any single gift, but it was so perfect she couldn't resist. Besides, she hardly ever spent any of the money she made at Hellsing anyway.
The sound of familiar laughter brought her back to the present. Walter and Pip were sitting across from each other on one of the long wooden tables set up near the various food stands. Walter was drinking what appeared to be wine or cider, and Pip seemed to have just finished off his presumably first pitcher of beer. They were now laughing quite heartily at some joke one of them had just made.
"Ah there's our girl now!" Pip said rather loudly as Seras neared them. "We were JUST talking about you!" the rakish mercenary said with a friendly pat on the spot next to him.
"Perish the thought..." she mumbled before setting down her bags.
"What was that?" Walter asked with a crooked grin.
"I said I can't wait to see what you've bought." she quickly supplied, glancing at the decidedly new bag sitting at Pip's side.
"Ah well you'll just have to wait and see now won't you?"
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Integra sighed and put down her pen. For some reason she couldn't really seem to concentrate. The little bursts of laughter coming from down below were finally beginning to get to her.
With a huff she sat up and re-buttoned her jacket. Honestly, it was like having a house full of children.
Silently she crept down the steps and peeked through the banister to see what all the noise was about.
Walter, Seras, Pip and the Geese were all busy decorating the massive Christmas tree and giggling like school children.
"Why don't you go join them Master?" a deep familiar voice purred next to her ear.
"Why don't you?" she asked him without even turning around. She was quite used to not having any privacy.
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you wanted to go help them. It is the Hellsing Christmas tree after all."
"I'm a very busy woman, I don't have time for decorating trees, hanging stockings, or baking cookies." she trailed off with a wistful sigh. Sometimes she did wish she had time to do such frivolous things.
"But you have time to spy on them in the middle of the night, hmm?" he asked in his normal teasing tone. "Does little Tegra miss Christmas time?"
Integra just glared at him for a moment before walking down the steps.
"Sir Integra! Good I wanted to ask you something." Seras said cheerily as the older woman walked into the room. The warm firelight flickering off the ornaments and everyone's jovial expressions were terribly infectious.
"What did you need Seras?" Integra asked smoothing down her jacket and trying not to look so foreboding.
"I think I need a woman's opinion," the young vampire said, casting a slight glare at the male populous of the room. "Do you think we should put candy canes on the tree?" she asked, holding up an extra large box of the red and white treats.
"On the tree?" Integra asked, casual inspecting said conifer. "As long as it's sanitary I don't see why not."
"Oh it is! We used to do it every year when I was a kid...And I would always sneak a few off the tree while no one was looking..." Seras chattered on about her childhood as she passed out the boxes.
"Would you like to help Sir Integra?" Seras asked hopefully, she so rarely saw the Hellsing heir out of her office. It would do her some good to relax at least for the holidays.
"Well, I suppose I can spare a few moments." The platinum blonde said taking a box. As she took one of the candy canes out and found a nice place for it on the tree, she couldn't help but think it wasn't so bad to let her hair down every once in awhile, figuratively speaking.
"Don't put them so close together Sir Integra," Seras said, reaching over and moving the one she had just put down a few inches up, "It's a big tree."
And so it was that Integra the leader of Hellsing ended up helping decorate the tree that fine snowy night.
Keep up those suggestions! Small scenario ideas are especially helpful, as it's very hard to think up so many different situations for different characters to get in! I have a bit of the next chapter already done, and let me just say that the Iscariot shall finally be arriving.