A/N: Hehehe…I love this fanfiction so much! I now dedicate this story to all who read and review, or just read, or...just...yeah!
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will, despite how often I pray for it! I cry for myself…weep weep…I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG! Q.Q
CHAPTER 13:
One shot forced the bottom half of the cardboard target to collapse onto the floor. Seras grinned, lowering her huge weapon with a satisfied grunt, having just blown off the head of a target. She glanced behind her, Alucard releasing a few bored claps with a playful grin.
"How often do you practice, Police Girl?" He looked at her over the rim of his orange-red sunglasses; his hat resting upon Celia's head, who sat on the floor.
The vampyric family was located in the training compound. After Alucard had his fill of taunting Anderson for a while, he had declared that boredom would soon make chaos ensue in his mind if they did not do something remotely interesting to him. Finally, after many wanton and childish game choices by Celia, Seras suggested target practice. Hopes rose when he thought of moving targets; namely Anderson or some of the lethargic soldiers that Sir Integra grew tired of; perhaps they could be of use to them. However, the Police Girl reminded him that the Hellsing Organization needed all the soldiers they had, and Anderson's death would lead to an all out war between Iscariot and Hellsing. Alucard's jovial bubble of bloodlust and death popped after that, and Seras instead led them to the complex.
"Eh…every other day, I think," She shrugged, unsure. The girl watched her Master drink the entire contents of a medical blood bag in one, long sip before tossing it to the ground to join three other bags. A giggle of ecstasy erupted from the newest fledgling as the bag plopped onto the others, knocking them all down from the small pyramid she had made.
"I see," Alucard didn't seem too impressed, but he was nearly pleased with his fill of blood; only two more to drink up and he'd be full for the week—or as full as Integra permitted.
Celia looked up at them while sitting on the floor, stacking Alucard's blood bags into a small pile with a content beam of pride; as if she had never had so much fun. "…" She turned her head to Alucard, her ruby eyes blinking a few times. "What did Seras just do?" Her eyes were filled with a wide curiosity for the large roar she had heard just moments ago, as well as the clatter from the cardboard target.
"She shot a gun," He said simply. Seras frowned lightly, knowing better.
"Master, it's like a cannon more than it is a gun…"
"…What's a gun?" Despite what she heard from her father and brothers, she had never seen what they called a pistol or revolver or rifle—whatever all those words were.
Alucard couldn't help but chuckle, while Seras scratched the back of her head. "Uh—well…a gun—a gun is a…"
"There are three meanings for it, which would you like, My Little Fledgling?" The Nosferatu released a feral and distorted grin, sniggering at the foulest definition of it. Seras understood his meaning and turned to hit the back of his head in repugnance, yelling his frequently used title angrily.
"Master! She's only a child!" Her hand, however, missed his head and swiped through shadow instead, his quick reflexes enabling him to avoid it without even moving.
The five-year-old watched with bewilderment while her sister yelled and Alucard only laughed loudly, his bone-chilling laugh creating a loud echo throughout the halls, frightening some soldiers in other areas of the compound. How does he make the long hallways make lots of sounds?
Pouting slightly and forgetting her question, Celia climbed to her feet and tugged on her master's trench coat, making him quiet his laughing and slowly stop when he looked down at her. "Master…" Her baby voice just barely sounded out the "er", making it sound like "ah" instead. Seras almost gushed with the temptation to hug how adorable the child was now, her question not yet answered; her method of discovering it making her cuter than possible.
"Master…What's a gun?" There was more of her curious yanking against his coat. "I want to know!" She puffed up her cheeks during her pout, prepared to jump up and down in the process of tugging his clothes should it be necessary. "Sister knows what it is…I want to know too!"
"Do you really?" Alucard grinned, lifting her up from under her arms, resting her on top of the table, where a few other medical bags had been scattered. "A gun is an instrument,"
Celia blinked a few times, mixing her knowledge of an instrument together.
"The ones that can hurt you, like a bat or stick,"
"Flutes and French horns can hurt too, Master," The Police Girl mumbled.
The tiny child seemed to understand though, and nodded lightly.
This is a rather complicated subject to explain to a mere child…Alucard thought to himself, smirking a bit, pulling out his precious Jackal, resting it next to his youngest fledgling on the table. "This…is a gun. When you pull this small lever," He tapped his finger near the trigger, Celia's head hovering over the piece of metal, nodding a bit. "A small rock shoots out of the barrel." The Nosferatu wiggled his extremity near the hole at the end of the barrel, which was facing Celia; fortunately he had the pistol on a safety-lock. "Now, this rock is called a bullet, and is very painful…It's made of pure, blessed silver. When it's shot out of that hole," Again, he gestured to the opening nearest her. "The bullet travels fast enough to end up stuck midway through these walls, and blow through some of it as well."
The interest that the little fledgling had grew in astonishment, glancing around at the cold stone walls, pointing to them. "Those?" When she saw him nod, she released an excited, long declaration of "wow!"
Police Girl smiled a bit, but it disappeared at the thought of Celia actually shooting the thing. Would Integra make her use one later on? She hoped not…The child could barely understand the point of it; let alone try to shoot it.
Her thoughts seemed to be read by Alucard when he lifted the Jackal up, holding it to Celia. "Would you like to try?"
"Master!" Seras screamed, standing straight, tempted to take his gun out of his hand; though he would most likely become enraged if she touched something so precious.
"Nguh…Try?" Lifting her head, Celia stared at the gun, poking its black case curiously, the instinctive nosiness of her childish mind nodding lightly.
"No! Celia, you can't…you're too young to try something like that!" Once again, she watched Celia's cheeks puff up in her baby pout, but the child didn't dare to argue; past experiences telling her that it was not wise to do so. Troubled and annoyed, Seras looked angrily up at her sire. "Master, you can't let her shoot a gun! Even as a vampire, she probably can't even lift it properly! You'll scare her!"
Alucard studied Celia's features for a moment then looked up at Police Girl. "She will be asked to try someday…why not now, so she can refuse then?"
"I'd rather her try later when she's accustomed to everything else that happens here, Master." Seras crossed her arms angrily, crimson eyes to blood red. "Need I remind you that she has only been conscious within the manor for two or three days?" Her inquiry was stern, demanding; not the voice of a slave or loyal fledgling.
Tracing a slight amount of rage in his eyes, she wished she had made the question less demanding of an answer, her eyebrows curving to a look of worry for what consequences would possibly occur.
"Master Alucard…" Celia had been staring up at him, startled by an emotion she was dully used to from her brothers before. "I don't want Seras to get mad at me…" She smiled sweetly, pulling his hat's rim out of her eyes. "It's not good for sisters to fight! That's what my mummy told me a lot, and, uh…" Her head lowered a bit, her eyes looking up at him almost in an expression of shame. "I don't like getting scared…my brothers did that all the time,"
Seras sighed lightly, while the eldest of the three stared down at Celia with his ember eyes. "…Yes, I suppose it's important for a child to…listen to her mother,"
The girl nodded and smiled proudly, clutching her small fingers together. "Uh-huh! My mum was the best!"
"I suppose she was, little one…" Alucard grinned, deciding to change the odd, rather bore-inducing subject, standing up, hiding the Jackal within his cloak again. "What do you say we pester Walter to give us more blood?"
"Aw…I don't want Mr. Walter to get mad…" Celia whined. Seras smiled, sighing with immense relief as the subject concerning weapons was over. However, now she had to be bothered by her Master's nagging of drinking blood, though she had plenty of it earlier.
"Well, then we'll just have to beg, won't we?" The child couldn't help but giggle when Alucard emphasized the word "beg". An odd image entered the mind of Seras, and she struggled to brush it off. "Begging" wasn't the right word to use for Alucard, she could only see huge bubbly eyes on his face, and that would make her laugh hysterically should he try that.
When the three of them exited the chamber, Alucard instantly halted, staring down the dark corridor. One eye seemed to bulge out of its socket as he grinned, his wild vampire instincts kicking back into place. "Look who's here, girls."
Oh, God. Seras rolled her eyes a bit. He sounded like a pimp just then…
It's so nice to hear you say something humorous for a change, Police Girl.
Celia blinked then gasped a bit in excitement, though it was quiet. "Mr. Anderson!"
The Paladin growled slightly, hatred always filling his head to the brim with ways to kill Alucard, distracting him and clouding his mind from common sense. He had to be calm; show compassion to the child that the old vampire could not; humanistic empathy that she still had to experience. Even if the damned blood-sucker who turned her plagued him for it, he had to show the child that he did not want to be her enemy.
"Eh—Evenin'," He grunted, struggling with all of his power to unclench his shaking fists.
Alucard nodded his head in reply, though he still carried his psychotic grin. "Did you get bored sitting in your chamber, priest?"
"Ah did, actually. Ah dinna want to read vampire books." Anderson was tempted to spit in contempt at such writing. Half the time the entire book was only based on opinion, not fact—and other times, the vampires died far too easily with information that was incomplete or incorrect.
"I see." The nosferatu glanced down at Celia in his arms when she tugged on the collar of his coat. "…What is it, my little fledgling?"
Seras gained an expression of dread for some reason, as if she could tell exactly what Celia wanted to do.
"…um…" Nervousness and her shy nature took over and she started playing with the blood red tie Alucard wore. "I—,"
Seras and Anderson both waited and stared, while Alucard smiled comfortingly—or as close to the emotion as a vampire could get—and slowly rested his gloved hand on top of her head. "You want to play with the priest, don't you?"
The Paladin's eyes widened with shock, his hands finally releasing the fists they held. Seras gaped in astonishment, blinking constantly as if she had gone blind. The five-year-old lifted her head in surprise, but nodded with a smile, holding her hands close to her face, hoping it wouldn't cause trouble. "Mm-hmm!"
"What do you think, Police Girl?" Alucard once again looked up at the Iscariot pawn, grinning darkly. "Should we let Celia play with Father Anderson?"
"Uh—well…" Seras glanced cautiously at the only human in the area, almost as if she were afraid that he would attack her at any given moment; and looked up at her Master. "Only if you think it's safe, Master…"
"Heh, she'll be fine. Unless they leave the manor, then I'll just have to fetch her and decide that right then will be… 'nap time.'" Celia's excitement made her bounce lightly up and down in Alucard's long arms, her gaze towards Anderson, her childish mind somehow sensing his compatibility with children.
He was simply staring at her, the emerald green of his eyes nearly hidden by his dilated pupils. This was his chance—his chance to change the abhorrence he held for the vampyric freak and his advocate in Hellsing into tolerance for the newest addition of their group—Celia Pares.
Anderson was snapped out of his reverie when he saw her wine-hued hair appear just above his lowered gaze. Alucard had put her down; she was nearly standing in front of him already, his vision still noting the slight rosy pink in her cheeks—proving she was still satisfied with her blood intake for whatever amount of time it required for her—maybe a day or two.
That was good; hopefully she wouldn't try to drink blood or anything when Alucard and Seras were gone.
"We'll see you later, my little fledgling, Anderson," Alucard bowed his head a bit, Seras nodded as well. Celia grinned brightly and waved to them as they walked down the hall, leaving Anderson and her alone.
There was a long silence. The child turned her head up to the priest, cocking it to one side in curiosity as she watched his eyes fade from utter hatred or anger to patient and honest. He glanced down at her, half-dreading and half-anticipating the discussion they would have concerning each other.
"Weel, I spose we should find ae different place tae sit, eh, lassie?" Anderson gazed at the ruby hue of Celia's eyes softly, holding a light smile on his lips. With a small exhale of what sounded like relief, Celia nodded with a smile, her eyes closed.
This could be his chance…
This would be the only real chance to become an ally to Celia. Would Maxwell approve? What about the rest of the Hellsing lot? Should he find it wise or foolhardy to become a friend of such an organization? Combined, Iscariot and Hellsing could prove to be an unstoppable force, purging the world of demons, freaks and heathens. However, with Alucard, Seras, and the vampyric child before him included in the association of Hellsing, it would be a rather hypocritical purpose indeed.
While he stared down at her, considering so many different things, Celia watched him; wondering why Sir Integra called him an enemy. What exactly was an enemy, anyway? Why was Anderson one? Would she be one if he was her friend? A serious expression grew across her face, determined, amazingly mature for her age.
As she had heard her mum and dad once say, "If God so desires, it will happen, no matter what the circumstance."
It'll happen. Celia's smile returned to her face and she followed him as they walked down the hallway, her small hand holding a handful of cloth from his coat. God loves Father's, right? He'll let us be friends…
…But will Master Alucard?
Her gaze lowered to the floor at the thought, and the gesture caught Anderson's eyes.
"…" His emerald eyes stared down at her for a long moment before turning back to the corridor.
Ya cursed monster…If ye allow thon child tae suffer withoot humanity, ah swear upon ye precious organization tha' ah weel destroy ye.
Enemies, allies; friends, foes; which would the outcome be?