A/N: So… what do you think? I tried to make it longer by putting two parts in it. The next chapter is going to be the same way because I already started writing it, but if you liked it better the way before, just say so and I'll try to switch back… maybe. Anywho, the reason why I've been gone so long is a classical case of writers block, but it's gone now and I'm (hopefully) back on track! TOOTLES!
Disclaimer: For the sixth time I DON'T OWN HELLSING! (Do you really have to do this for every chapter?)
A/N: Okeedokes so I'm back! Not as long a wait as the last time eh? I'm seriously sorry about that, but ya know… life happens, and I had a chronic case of writers block. Anywho… for the first half of this chapter I had a cold/flu, so it made me feel slightly better to make Ria feel slightly worse… I'm so sadistic… just kiddin'! No I'm not! But I seriously did have a killer cold, and so does she, which is why the spelling is so terrible, cause she's all stuffed up. But now I'm rambling, so here's chapter—WAIT I JUST REMEMBERED SOMETHING ELSE I WAS GONNA WRITE! Heinkel and Anderson come in in this chapter and there's some things I gotta clear up! As you will soon find out, they're married, and since that's forbidden in the Catholic church, I kinda had to… change their religion. flinches in terror PLEASE don't be mad at me and send me hate mail or flames or stuff like that! I'm Catholic so I normally wouldn't be doing this, but I REALLY like this pairing, so I wanted to make it work! But… maybe I'm over-reacting… Anyways, read and say what you think…
Chapter 6
I hate colds I think bitterly as I blow my nose yet again. I fell ill about 3 days before Christmas, which was last week. I still would have gone to the dance with Alucard and tried to have good time, but I fell asleep at 5:30 in the afternoon and woke up the next morning feeling slightly better. Then I remembered about the dance, and suddenly felt nauseas with guilt.
Upon apologizing, I earned the nickname "Rip van Winkle", and Alucard's been calling me it ever since.
A few days ago I was just about over my cold, when I got hit by the second wave. That would be why I'm now sitting on my bed in my nightgown (it's around 2:00 in the afternoon) repeatedly blowing my nose. Lucky Alucard hasn't even got it yet, probably because he left to go back to the ranch where he works a few days ago. So, he probably still thinks I've just about recovered from this darned cold.
There's a knock at my door, so I try to drag myself off the bed, while blowing my nose. It's just about worn down to a raw, red nub I've been blowing it so often. I pull the door open, not caring who it is, or how awful and messy I must look right now.
"What's wrong with you?" Alucard's back.
"Vad do you tink?" I sniffle out. I feel worse then bad right now and really want to go back to bed.
"I thought you were almost over the cold." Thank you dear for restating the obvious.
"Vell, I obviously recod it. So vad do you vand?" I just want to go back to bed. Is that too much to ask?
I'm barely aware of what he's doing. What is he doing? He's rummaging through his pocket… pulling something out… AND OH MY GOODNESS IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS!
"Rip… Ria, I realize that this might not be the best time for this, but I just can't wait anymore." He pulls a velvet case out of his pocket. I know what's coming next, but my brain's moving too slow to comprehend any of this. Good grief I need sleep.
He drops down to one knee in front of me and opens the case, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. I knew it.
"Ria, will you marry me?" I'm excited and happy, I truly am, but I'm also sick and kind of cranky.
"If I say yes, vill you leb me go back to bed?" He smiles and gets up.
"If you say yes I'll personally carry you back to bed." Despite how miserable I feel, I can't help but smile.
"Ja, ob course I'll marry you." He smiles even wider and slips the ring on my finger.
"Well then, let's get you back to bed." He picks me up as easily as if I were a feather, carries me back to my bed, and lays me down on it. I'm already just about asleep at this point, so I don't even realize he's covered me up too. I just about drift off when I feel him shaking me awake. I grudgingly open my eyes.
"Rip, I know you're tired and not feeling well, but I have to tell you something." I respond by nodding my head, and he continues, "In two days, I'm going to be leaving, but don't worry, it'll only take a month or so. You see, I'm going to find some land where we can start a ranch out west. In the spring, we'll take a wagon train out to it, alright?" My tired, sick brain can't grasp all this right now, so I just nod again. "Alright, I'll see you later then," he says, and leans over and kisses me on the forehead.
"I love you."
"I lub you doo." Sure, it doesn't sound romantic, or even clear, but it's the best I can do right now. He walks to the door, gently closes it, and he's gone.
As I fall asleep, I can't help but smile and think about how lucky I truly am.
"Are you excited about going vest?"
"Ja, I can hardly vait," I reply. I've been wearing my ring for over a month now, and Alucard's still gone. I wish he would hurry, I miss him so. He went with a few other men, whose names I can't remember.
The baby I'm holding squawks as if to say, "Hey I'm still here, look at me!" I laugh and cuddle him closer to my chest. I wish I could have my own baby.
"He's so sveet." I smile and look at his mother. "He's going to be a handsome vone." She laughs.
"Oh I hope so. I'm just glad he ist healthy." I'm so glad she came here. Her name is Heinkel Anderson. Her husband is a preacher, and their baby boy's name is Jonathan, or affectionately, Jonny. She's Austrian, so I can finally have a sensible conversation with someone in German, though we're currently talking in English. Her husband is one of the men who went with Alucard, so in the spring we'll be in the wagon train together.
Jonny squawks again, so I hand him back to his mother, who immediately cuddles him and shushes him with soft words.
I suppress a sigh, and debate whether or not to get up and get back to work sweeping the hallway, or to continue sitting here on the window seat talking. Unfortunately Mrs. Kutcher comes up the stairs before I can decide.
"Good afternoon girls." She still calls us girls, probably because we're both only around 19. "So Ria, ya done sweepin' yet?" I open my mouth to reply and say that I was just taking a break, but Heinkel beats me to it.
"I asked her if she vanted to hold Jonny, so it's my fault that she stopped vorking. I'm sorry." I look at Mrs. Kutcher. She doesn't look mad; actually she looks kind of strange, looking at the baby. "Vould you like to hold him?"
I'm glad Heinkel asked, Mrs. Kutcher looked almost… sad for a moment there. I vonder vat she vas thinking about?
"Well, if yer offering'." She takes the tiny boy out of his mother's arms and holds him. I don't think I've ever seen Mrs. Kutcher so happy as she looks right now, cradling the baby in her arms. I wonder if she used to have a son?
"If you vant to… take him for a vhile you can. I have some shopping to do this afternoon so… umm… but only if you vant to…" Heinkel makes the offer. Wow… she's so generous, but there's no telling what Mrs. Kutcher will say.
"Well, why not? Goodness knows how hard it is to shop proper-like when ye're fussin' with a babe."
"Vell then, if you'll both excuse me, it looks like I have some shopping to do." Heinkel gets up, leans over and kisses her baby goodbye, and disappears down the stairs.
I stand up, pick up the broom, and continue with what I was doing before. Mrs. Kutcher goes back to the kitchen, still cuddling Jonny.
Since this is such a busy boardinghouse, it's not long until I'm interrupted again. There are shouts coming from downstairs, and it sounds like the twins, Yumie and Yumiko.
"Why don't you ever do nothing fun!" comes Yumie's accusing shout. Oh great, they're fighting again.
"Just because you don't think something's fun, doesn't make it so!" shrieks Yumiko.
A door to my left opens, and a small, almost frail looking woman emerges. But her big voice makes up by far for her small body. She has her long, dark hair pulled back into a loose bun, and pretty, yet sensible looking dress. Though she was pretty and very ladylike, she had a temper to be reckoned with, and right now she didn't look overly pleased with her daughters. Yes, this is the girl's mother, and if I were them, right now I would be bolting in the opposite direction, not heading up the stairs, towards their fuming mother. But then, I guess they haven't seen her yet. Oh well, in a moment we'll all hear her.
"Well I'm older, so that means I have more say then you!" Yumie screeches. She inherited her mother's voice.
"It does not and you know it!" Yumiko screams back. She inherited her mother's temper. I wonder how their father fairs when they all get into a big fight?
"GIRLS!' Oh, there's Mrs. Takagi's entrance into the brawl. It'll all be over soon now. They seem to take no notice of me, which isn't a bad thing. A few weeks ago when they caught me in the middle, I wondered if I shouldn't have feared for my life. Not wanting to get involved I ducked out, saying that Mrs. Kutcher needed me.
"Uh-oh." comes the twin chorus from the stairs. They're in for it now, and boy do they know it.
"What do you girls think you're doing, fighting like that! Not only is it appalling, but you're disturbing others!" I continue to sweep in silence hoping, praying that I won't be pulled into this.
"But mum, Yumiko's –"
"I don't want to hear excuses Yumie, fighting is unacceptable. I thought you two knew better then this!"
"But mother, Yumie's being –"
"Yumiko, I don't care what Yumie was doing! Couldn't the two of you have settled it QUIETLY?" She says 'quietly' so loud I have to stifle a giggle at the irony.
"But…" They're talking at the same time now, so it sounds like they say mumther, and then go into jabbering about who did what and who deserves to be punished for what.
Mrs. Takagi silences them with a look. Oh how I'd hate to be them right now.
"You girls are being ridiculous! Get into your room right NOW, and stay there until I say so! And if I hear anymore fighting is there ever going to be trouble!" The girls scurry away from the wrath of their mother. Her english accent really comes out when she's mad. Her husband's of Japanese descent, but they all come from… London I think.
She sighs, and sinks down onto the window seat. I continue to sweep.
"I apologize that you had to see that Ria." I appreciate the sentiment, but it's not the seeing that's left my ears ringing.
"It's no problem."
"No, it is. I lost my temper again and you had to see it. I'm sorry." I stop sweeping, look at her and smile.
"Don't vorry about it. Those two are quite a handful and need a tight rein sometimes." A tight rein! Oh my goodness I'm adapting hick terms! I have to work on getting my proper grammar back! Oh well…
Mrs. Takagi smiles at me. She really is beautiful, and both the twins look like her.
"Well, I had best go make sure that those two aren't silently biting each other's heads off. Toodleoo." And she gets up and follows the girls to their room.
I finish sweeping, and head downstairs to put the broom back where it belongs, and to see if Mrs. Kutcher needs any help.
I'm halfway down the stairs when I run into something… or is it someone? I look up and drop the broom in shock. Could it really be?
"I'm back."
A/N: So how was it? Good? Bad? In between? Pleases tell me, please? Anywho, I keep forgetting to say that if you review, I will always reply and say thanx! If you take the time to say how much you like, or hate (haven't gotten any of these yet) my story, the least I can do is thank you for your time. So if you're reviewing, please log in, or at least leave an email address so that I can tell you how much I appreciate your review, but I'll thank everybody here who hasn't, or wasn't planning to… THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY STORY!