Walter carried Seras into her room in the basement. It was a bit of a struggle but he felt bad for the poor girl. The silver bullets had made her incredible weak. He didn't think she had the energy to walk more then a few steps. Walter sighed in relief as he set her down on the coffin-bed. He had to sit down to recover for a few moments.
"Walter? Alucard?" Seras called out and tried to get up before collapsing back on the bed.
"Don't get up yet, Miss Victoria. You are still very weak from the silver bullets. I'm going to get you some blood. Don't try to get up until you drink it."
Seras rolled over an moaned from the pain. "Thank you, Walter. I'll be a good girl, I promise. Where is my Master?"
"Oh Alucard? I'm not sure. Why do you ask?" Walter asked.
"No reason really. I just have the feeling I'm in serious trouble with him. He had to rescue me didn't he? All because I hesitated when the men shot at me. I feeling like a total idiot."
"We all mistakes, Miss Victoria. Even you vampires are human in that regard. I better go now to get your nourishment." Walter headed towards the door.
"Walter, thank you. It means a lot to me – just you being here. I wish Alucard could be half as understanding as you."
"I wish I could tell you it was possible, Miss Victoria but frankly I can't. It'll be okay though." Walter replied as he left. He had to wake Seras up when he returned so she could drink the blood. She needed it if her body was going to heal.
Walter stayed with Seras until she drank several packets of blood. The butler knew she would need to be strong to face Alucard tomorrow. Walter may have been too old to take Alucard on, but he intended on doing whatever he could to help Seras. The poor girl had been through so much and got no empathy from Alucard. Or even Integral. Not that either of those two could help it themselves. They just didn't have it in them to begin with. Walter stroked Seras' hair as she drifted off to sleep. He wanted to do so much to her – but it was not the right time. I can wait as long as it takes Miss Victoria. I have a feeling you are one thing that is worth waiting for.
Walter
finally left the young vampire's room. He didn't exactly want
Alucard to see him taking care of her. Walter was sure that Alucard
would accuse him of coddling her. His attitude had changed since he
caught the two of them kissing. Walter thought it strange that
Alucard would even care what Seras Victoria did but perhaps it was
whatever twisted fatherly instincts he had left over from his
humanity.
---------------------------------
"I don't
understand, Alucard. What do you mean Seras needs to be taught a
lesson?" Integral asked her servant who had just returned from the
mission. "Do you want me to imprison her? I don't think that is
appropriate."
"No Master, it is a lesson only I can teach her. I'll have to wait until she heals but she must learn that she can fail me like she did." Alucard answered.
"Alucard, how do you know she didn't learn by what happened tonight? Don't you think the poor girl has suffered enough? For God's sake, her body was filled with so much silver she couldn't' even walk to her own room." Integral shut her mouth when she realized what she had said. Walter told her not to let Alucard know.
"What did you say, Master?" Alucard inquired. This was news to him. "Then just how did the Police Girl get to her room?"
"Forget I said anything. Does it really matter?"
"Yes, Master, it does. How can she possibly get stronger if you and Walter coddle her so? She is my servant – I need to handle this. I was just letting you know my plans. Once Seras Victoria recovers I will need to discipline her." Alucard stated, his voice quiet.
"Very well, Alucard. She is your servant but I don't like it. Just don't' let it interfere with your missions – or hers. You may go now. I think I'm going to finish up this paperwork and head to bed. It is getting late."
"Good night, Master." Alucard left
through the door for a change. Every once in awhile he liked to
surprise Integral by doing things the way humans
did.
------------------------
The next week went by uneventful
for everyone at Hellsing. Seras trained with the troops and did not
go on any missions. Her body was so tired that she did not have the
energy to go on any moonlit walks with Walter either. She was
suprised by how much it disappointed her. The walks were the only
thing that Seras did for fun. The vampire was worried that Walter
would forget about her once she recovered. The butler still stopped
by and they would chat about books and movies when he dropped off her
daily ration of blood. But, something seemed different about him.
Seras wasn't sure what it was, but it almost seemed like Walter was
afraid to appear too close to her. She hoped it was just her weakened
physical state. Seras was really starting to care about Walter in a
different way. She didn't want the stupid mistake she made at the
mission to ruin whatever it was they had. Or could have.
It was the time of night that Seras and Walter usually went on their walks when she heard someone approach her door just as she was waking. Finally, Walter's come to ask me to help him with his garden. I'm so sick of this dreary room.
"No, Seras, it is not Walter but I." Alucard spoke as he walked towards her, his voice sounded deadly serious.
"Oh Master, I haven't been out to help Walter since before---"
"Since before you disappointed me on your mission." Alucard scolded his fledgling.
Seras merely nodded and looked down. She knew this time would come. That she would have to face her failure as a vampire and Hellsing soldier.
"Come Seras Victoria. Tonight you are going for a walk with me." Alucard ordered.
"Yes, Master."
Seras replied. As she walked out of the mansion with her Master,
Seras hoped that a lecture about how she had to leave her humanity
behind was all that Alucard had planned. Somehow she suspected it was
much worst then that. The only question in her mind was by how
much.
----------------------
Walter watched as Seras and
Alucard leave. He fought the urge to follow them. The butler wanted
to protect her but knew it was not his place to interfere, at least
not yet. It pained his heart to watch her leave – knowing Alucard
had something cruel planned. Walter accepted the fact that he would
have to wait until they returned to help her.
Seras and Alucard walked deep into the woods behind the mansion. The area they were in was pitch black. If they had been humans, neither would have been able to see a thing but the darkness. For once, Seras was grateful for her vampiric powers. But, she would have given anything to be back in her room alone – away from Alucard.
Alucard grabbed his fledgling roughly by the shoulders. He glared at her with all the hatred he felt for humanity. "Tell me why, Seras. Why did you put the human's life ahead of your own."
"I-I-I don't know, Master. I wasn't really. I just didn't know if it was okay. I've never taken a human life before." Seras prayed she did not cry – Alucard would think tears were weak.
"Police Girl – if you were a cop wouldn't you defend yourself? Isn't that what they teach you at, what is it called – Police Academy?" Alucard asked.
"Yes – Master but that's different! If I was a cop, I'd be human the same as them. I wouldn't be more powerful then them. It just doesn't seem fair." Seras screamed at her Master.
"Don't lie to me. If you were a cop, you would have guns and armor that the common thug doesn't have. You would have to kill to defend yourself. It is no different. You make a pathetic vampire and a worst cop. If you worked for me, Police Girl, I'd fire you." Alucard lectured her.
Seras hung her head. Perhaps Alucard was right about her. Maybe she was a pathetic failure. There was no arguing with Alucard even if he was wrong. In his mind there was correct answer but his own.
"Look at me, Police Girl!" Alucard yelled at her. "It's time you learned how real vampires defend their lives. Shoot me, Seras Victoria."
"Wha-what did you say, Master?" Seras asked, trying to hid the fear in her voice. She wondered if Alucard had lost his sanity. Maybe he never was sane, even when he was alive.
"You heard me – shoot me. I'm ordering you to. I want to show you how you should have handled things."
Seras hands were shaking as she aimed the gun at Alucard. It took several shots for Seras to hit him and cause any real damage. She watched as Alucard regenerated the injuries she had caused with her bullets. Seras decided she wasn't just going to take whatever her Master had planned. She would go down fighting. Seras continued to shoot as Alucard approached her. He paused a few times to heal his wounds. A sense of panic went through her as Seras realized she had just used her last bullet.
Alucard reached her and hit Seras threw Seras' body hard against the tree. She struggled to get up. Alucard put his hands around her neck and held her against the tree in mid-air. "This is what you can do without any weapons." Alucard punched Seras several times hard in the jaw and stomach. Seras tried to fight back but Alucard was too strong for her. Her Master grew tired of hitting her. Seras' face was covered in blood. He slammed her head up against the tree and watched her slide down.
"Do you know now, Seras Victoria? Just how strong you are – if only you would use your power. I only used a fraction of my power against you. I would have killed you if I used any more. I did it for you, Seras Victoria. You must get stronger or you will end up dead. If I hadn't been there to rescue you last week – those humans would have put a silver bullet in your chest." Alucard screamed at her.
Seras couldn't stop the tears nor did she try. Alucard already thought she was weak. What difference could tears make? She did not reply to his words but tried to get up instead. Her whole body was aching and Seras could feel herself losing blood.
"Get up, Police Girl. Your knight in shining armor won't be coming to carry you home tonight."
They walked back in silence – Seras stayed about 100 feet behind Alucard. She could barely walk as she limped down the path. Seras wanted to collapse but Alucard had taken her so far out in the woods that she did not know how to find her way back. As much as she hated it, she needed him right now. They finally arrived and Seras walked as fast as she could to her room. The young vampire collapsed on her bed and cried herself to sleep. The injuries she received tonight hurt almost as much as she did inside.
Outside her door, the butler stood. Watching. Waiting. And listening to her pain. Walter knew she needed the time alone. That was fine. It was better if Walter did not see her right now as angry as he was at Alucard. The vampire would pay for causing her so much pain but he just had to figure out how
