The clang of pots and pans filled the kitchen, accompanied by the tantalizing smell of chocolate something. Intrigued, Alucard investigated this. Phasing through the floor of the kitchen, his eyes were met by the sight of his fledgling, Seras.
"What are you doing?" he asked, moving to stand beside her.
"Something. Anything. I have to clear my head," she replied, stirring the thick chocolate substance in a bowl on the counter.
"Most people like taking walks to clear their head, or sleeping. What, may I ask, are you doing?" Alucard inquired.
"Baking. It's something my mom did when I was really little, and I used to help her. She always baked when she was frustrated. It seems to work for me too," Seras replied, pouring the chocolate into a baking pan.
She stuck the pan into the preheated oven and sighed, walking over to the counter where there lay a plate of finished products. They were recognizable as brownies, as these were baked.
"Shame I can't eat them," Seras said, eyeing the brownies," Ah, well, I'll give some to Walter. Or maybe Sir Integra. I'll bet she hasn't had any in ages."
Alucard chuckled, "No, she hasn't. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to the appearance of brownies in the midst of everything else that is going on."
Seras giggled at the thought. Hellsing and brownies. An interesting combination, yet somehow, they just didn't really mix. Walter conveniently walked into the room then, and smiled at Seras when she told him what she had in mind.
"Yes, this will brighten things up around her a bit. Thank you, Seras," Walter said, taking the large plate out of the kitchen and up to Sir Integral's office.
Alucard leaned against the counter and watched Seras rush around the kitchen, cleaning up her mess. Just then, Malakai phased into the room.
"There was so much buzz coming from this room, I had to investigate," he grinned at Seras.
"Oh, nothing going on in here really, just some baking. Nothing important that requires attention," Seras smiled.
Malakai returned her smile and shrugged, nodding a greeting at Alucard before kneeling down to open the mini fridge where the blood packs were stored.
"You drink this?" he asked incredulously, picking one up and waving it.
"Yep," Seras replied.
They could almost see him wrinkle his nose in disgust. He arched an eyebrow at Alucard, who shrugged.
"Where in hell do they get it from? Red Cross?"Malakai asked.
"I was never sure," Seras said, turning to open the oven to check the newest batch of brownies.
Malakai lifted it, studying it closely as though looking for something.
"Doesn't this ever bother you?" he asked as he stared at the red liquid inside, "It's cold!"
"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit," Seras recited, recalling a rather annoying quote told to her over and over as a child.
Malakai laughed.
"I suppose so, Seras," he said.
"Try it, Malakai, it's really not that bad. Well, usually," Seras told him.
Malakai shrugged and ripped the tab off with his teeth, phasing out of the kitchen as he sucked on it like a straw.
"Great, there'll be none left. Between you consuming ten or so a day, and him snacking whenever he pleases, I'll starve!" Seras said with mock irritability.
"Possibly," Alucard replied.
The timer on the oven dinged, and Seras removed the brownies from the oven. Slicing it into pieces, putting the pieces onto a plate and covering the plate with plastic wrap, she put the plate in the fridge and finished cleaning up.
"So . . . what shall I do now . . ." Seras muttered.
"Well," Alucard murmured in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist, "Where shall I begin?"
Seras reached around behind her head and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. Then she phased downstairs. He phased right after her, a small grin curving his lips.
"Ah, I love doing that," Seras teased.
"But you still have so much more to learn," Alucard replied, kissing her hard.
She curled her arms around his neck again as his arms twined around her waist. She lost track of time again as the kiss went on. And on. Seras broke the kiss, releasing him as she sat down in one of the chairs around her table. He sat down next to her.
"You know, that was about one of the truest statements yet. I do have a lot to learn," she said, cradling her head in her arms and peering at him with one eye as she remembered the events from the previous night.
Alucard agreed wholeheartedly. He reached out and lifted her chin, shaking his head at her as though forbidding her to fall into the depression that threatened to engulf her.
"You're coming along well enough," he told her.
Seras smiled. Kneeling down in front of his chair, she wrapped her arms around his legs and rested her head on his knees.
"I watched Malakai kill a girl last night, Master. She let him kill her. She asked him to. And he acts like he doesn't remember it," She murmured.
"He remembers, Police Girl. He remembers it more clearly than you do. But he has learned that he cannot linger over every mortal's death. There will be far too many to count over the years. He mourns her death, Seras, but he won't allow himself to feel guilty. It was not his fault she died. She chose her own death, and you said it yourself. Why should he put himself through mental agony believing he should have done more? When you see as much, know as much, feel as much, and do as much as he has over the course of his life, you cannot afford to have regrets. Otherwise, you'd go mad," Alucard explained patiently, knowing it would take time for her to adjust to the reality of being a vampire, even after the year she had already had.
"I think I understand what you are saying, Master, "Seras said, "But I still don't like it."
"Good. I will worry the day you stop disliking it, Seras Victoria, seeing as how you claim to hate it so," Alucard replied, "Just be sure you don't allow your feelings to cloud and control your perception of reality, your life."
"Yes, Master."
She let go and settled back on her heels. She crawled up onto his lap when he opened his arms for her, and nestled her head on his chest. A warm feeling of safety and comfort stole over her. She closed her eyes as Alucard phased the two of them into his room. Setting her down on his bed, he removed his coat and other articles of clothing until he was wearing only his loose white dress shirt and black pants. She studied him as he moved to sit beside her. The thought struck him that she had never seen him dressed so casually. She rested her head on his lap and he stroked her hair.
"Hey . . . ummm, Master?" she asked him sleepily.
"Yes?"
"Do you think we'll have another mission tomorrow night?"
"More than likely," he replied.
"Then we'd better get some sleep 'r' else I might-,"She yawned, breaking the flow of her sentence, "Might fall asleep on the battlefield. Heh. That'd be . . . awfully . . . embarrassing."
Alucard chuckled at the thought of her curled up asleep surrounded by a bunch of ghouls.
"Yes, let's sleep," he replied softly, laying down beside her and pushing the switch to close the lid of his coffin-bed.
She snuggled closer to him and sighed, asleep. He closed his eyes and rested his hand on her hip as sleep stole over him and he knew no more.
