Disclaimer: All of Hellsing and its characters are copyright to Kouta Hirano. Any original characters belong to the author of this fanfiction.

HELLSING

EREBUS

Here standeth the Bird of Hermes,

Eating my own wings to make me tame...

CHAPTER FIVE

Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever

Saturday Afternoon, November 1, 2031, Hotel...

Alex had been awake for at least an hour now. Sleep during the day didn't go so well for her, as she was used to a routine of doing her laundry and cleaning her apartment. It was quiet without the vampire, having assumed he was in that...box. Reluctantly, she sat up, staring at the peculiar thing. Curiosity killed the cat came to mind as she was tempted to take a better look. The sheets were thrown aside, the girl walking over and kneeling beside the damn thing. Swallowing, her good hand ran over the wood, involuntarily shivering. She flipped her hair one way as she pressed her ear to the lid, wondering if she would catch the sound of Alucard's breathing.

Instead of breaths, like she hoped, there was a heartbeat, and Alex's own heart nearly stopped at the sound. It wasn't scary or anything, but something seemed to catch in her throat as she listened. It was mesmerizing, and it nearly put her to sleep again due to its soothing rhythm. The girl closed her eyes, letting herself be taken in by the sound. Who knew vampire hearts still drummed after death? She didn't know why, but the music it made had her believing she heard it somewhere before. Her mind drifted off, thinking of a distant land where a castle stood, much different than the one she worked at. It almost sounded like a war drum, and so she had pictured a battlefield, lit by a red sunrise, and a figure in black armour. For some reason, she couldn't see the face, obscured by shadows and their wild hair.

Inside, Alucard had sensed during his slumber that someone was disturbing his coffin. Opening his eyes in the darkness, he sought out what it was, finding Alex lying her head upon the lid, surprising him. Puzzled, he monitored her thoughts, prodding only slightly so that she would not sense he was awake. Becoming aware that she was listening to his heart, he relaxed, forcing his organ to maintain the same beat that apparently soothed her. No one was permitted to touch his coffin without his express permission, but the usual anger that came when someone violated this rule didn't rise at all. In fact, he enjoyed catering to her need for comfort. The girl had been through much, and was even starting to accept her situation, despite her initial concerns.

Alucard became disappointed when Alex removed her head. Ah, well. He imagined that since she would be staying at his master's home, he would have all the time in the world to rediscover all the little things about her. The Count would never reveal that she had the same face as a woman he knew centuries ago. Anyone knowing might somehow gossip about it, and Alex would find out, and probably turn away from him completely. He couldn't allow that to happen, not when she was in front of him for the first time in less than six-hundred years. For now, he would watch her closely, including now. His third-eye opened, watching Alex, curious as to what she was up to.

The brunette stared at the box for a moment longer, wondering why the hell she had bothered to do that. If Alucard had found her snoozing on his box, he'd probably pull the vampire rage on her. Alex pulled away completely and examined the room, finally looking at it now that exhaustion no longer plagued her. The leftovers of her breakfast still sat on the table, same as Alucard's phone. She had lied about forgetting the numbers and really did want to call her friends and family, but didn't want Alucard listening in...even if he was right on the nail about her phone anxiety.

Feet carried her around the furniture, body bending over to pick up the device. After a moment's hesitation, she dialled, calling Tyler. The line was instantly picked up as her best friend answered, "Hello?"

"Hey," she said, and all hell broke lose.

"Jesus fucking H Christ, Alex! Where the hell are you?! I've been calling you all day! I saw the news! They were talking about gunfire being heard at that club you frequent! Are you okay?! Please don't tell me you're in the hospital! Please tell me you're alright! Alex? Alex!"

Ears ringing, she had to pull the phone away with a wince. Replacing it, she sat down with a sigh. "I'm fine, really. I didn't go," she lied. Integra didn't want her telling her where she was going, so it was only logical that she lie about last night's events.

"Thank fucking god," he breathed. "I seriously thought you got hurt when I couldn't reach you. I nearly called your parents to see if they had heard from you."

Alex tensed immediately. "No...don't ever do that! They'll flip if they find out!" Running fingers through her hair in frustration, she winced, having done it with her bad hand. "Listen, you and I need to get together. There's some things I need to talk to you about that you're not going to like."

"Um, okay... Why can't you tell me on the phone?"

Alex looked over the chair at the coffin. "It's complicated." She turned away from it. "Listen, it's really important if I see you in person as soon as possible."

Tyler didn't say anything for a moment but seemed to sense her urgency. "Alright, I'll be off soon. Did you want to meet somewhere, or should I come over to your apartment?"

"Let's meet somewhere," she said. She made the arrangements and clicked off. She moved over to the coffin, standing over it. How did one wake up a vampire without risk of getting their head loped off? "U-uh...Alucard?" she stammered out. No response. Huffing, she lightly tapped the lid after crouching next to it. "Alucard." Still no response. "If you're not going to wake up, I'm going to leave without you."

Alucard emitted a chuckle, done with pretending to ignore her as he pushed open the lid. "What can I do for you, Miss Rows?" he asked silkily.

The tone threw her off balance a little but she determinedly said, "I'm meeting with a friend. I have nothing to wear."

His brow cocked upwards. "And?"

"You did that weird teleporting thing and I need clothes to wear before I can meet him."

"And?" he asked again.

She scowled at him. "I need to go to my apartment. Can you or can you not take me there, so I can change into something more appropriate for the public eye?"

"I do not even know the extent of this new found power of mine, and the word you are looking for is Omnipresence."

"Huh?" she asked, befuddled.

"I've only recently acquired this ability. By definition, it means I am everywhere and nowhere." Her expression showed further confusion. "In other words, yes...I can teleport wherever I like. However, I haven't explored this power in full, so I don't know if I can take along a passenger. Thus, it's too much of a risk to try with you until I've tested it some other way," he explained.

"Oh," she said, looking defeated. How was she going to get some clothes then?

He sat up, staring at her expression, then said, "I will go fetch something for you to wear. What is it that you need?"

Miraculously, her face brightened. "I need a shirt, a pair of pants, socks, my sneakers, and an extra bra and pair of underwear would be nice."

"Very well," he said, and in a flash, he was gone, leaving her staring at the empty space.

Alucard now stood in her apartment bedroom, staring at her clothes. He didn't want to take forever trying to figure out what she would have preferred, so he grabbed the first shirt he saw, then grabbed capri pants. He pulled out her drawers and took extra time looking through her collection of bras and underwear. Being typical a typical pervert, Alucard considered taking a souvenir. He tapped the drawer in silent debate, thinking, to hell with it! He looked for the most alluring matching set he could find, pocketing the articles. He found something she probably would have thought more comfortable. Grabbing a pair of socks, he looked around for said sneakers.

The damned shoes proved to be quite elusive, as all he found were many sandals, a couple pairs of dress shoes, and much to his delight, combat boots. What interesting tastes she had. He pictured her wearing said boots, thinking they matched what he saw of her personality so far. He almost grabbed them as replacement til he spotted what looked like the target in question. Gloved hands grasped the black and white Chuck Taylor's, mission complete before teleporting back to the hotel room, where he found her waiting, cross-legged on the bed.

"You find everything?" she asked hopefully. He raised a small plastic bag he had found, filled with the articles. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said excitedly, leaping off the bed and running to snatch the clothes. He grinned, and her uneasiness returned when he held it out of reach. "Hey!"

"What do I get in return?" he purred.

Her eyes widened, then her face hardened, though it only half worked. Attempts were made to jump for it, but he was too damn tall, his arms freakishly long. "You get nothing for being an ass! Now gimme!"

Alex gasped when he suddenly caught her good wrist, leaning in close til their noses were almost touching, a playful expression on his face. "That's not very nice. After all the trouble I went through for you..." he teased. "Though, I must admit, your demanding side does add an enticing flavour to you."

The brunette blushed, feeling his cold breath on her face. Haughtily, she threw up her nose. "You probably already awarded yourself by going through my underwear. This isn't a give-an-inch-take-a-mile thing!"

He grinned. Oh, you have no idea. "As you wish."

Alucard finally relent, releasing her and her items to her, which she hastily ran to the bathroom with. The vampire chuckled after her just as the door closed. He turned to the window. The sun would be up for a few more hours, but they wouldn't be able to stay out long. Just as his master had ordered, he would carry out with Alex's protection without question. He would have anyway. Alucard took his place by the main door as he waited for her, taking on his civilian appearance again.

Saturday Afternoon, November 1, 2031, Somewhere in Toronto...

Alucard had made a terrible mistake, or so Alex had claimed. Alucard wasn't one to be expected to scrutinize every problematic detail, but he had to admit, that he may have misjudged one little thing, but in the best possible way. Every now and then, Alex would glower at him from the corner of her eye. He resisted each and every little opportunity to laugh or smile. Otherwise, she'd get mad. Not that he was afraid, which it was quite the opposite, but he was in such a good mood, he was willing to not incite her wrath and keep her somewhat in a decent mood. It was difficult for him to keep a straight face, since her white blouse was thin enough to reveal the black bra underneath, and her flustered appearance while trying to look subtle in covering her front just begged to be laughed at.

The place where Alex intended to meet with her friend was some kind of cafe, salad bar, and ice cream parlour all in one. Alex turned to Alucard. "I don't suppose you can, you know, stay out of sight? I don't know, go find some shade or something. Tyler might be put off by you."

Alucard gave a melodramatic sigh. "I see when I'm not wanted. Very well." She gave him a look. He chuckled. "Relax, Miss Rows. Lurking in the shadows is what I do best." He walked away, and when she blinked, he was gone.

"And watch women while they sleep, apparently," she muttered, heading inside. She spotted Tyler at one of the fancy little tables, immediately joining him. "Hey."

He looked up. "Hey, yourself." She sat down. "So, what exactly happened to you? Why didn't you pick up your phone?"

"I was..." she began, trailing off. What could she say? It wasn't going to be the truth, and it would hurt her to lie to him. She looked at her bandaged wrist, an idea striking. "I fell on my hand and sprained my wrist."

Tyler glanced at the injury, reaching over to take it into his hands as he examined it, which she allowed. He'd know better than to remove the bandage. "No kidding? Jesus, no break?"

"No, just sprained. It hurt like a bitch though, and the doctor gave me some painkillers that had me pretty knocked out all day. Sorry I worried you, Tyler."

He sighed, putting down her wrist gently. "It's alright." They both looked up as a waitress came over with a couple glasses of ice water, then walk away. "What was so important that you needed to talk to me so badly for?"

A shaky inhale took place as Alex prepared to face all the questions that might break her down into telling the truth. "I'm going away."

There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Tyler just stared at her. Alex never looked so haunted before, he realized. He knew that her wrist wasn't sprained. He'd seen enough injuries to tell the difference. If she had been telling the truth, she would have worn a brace instead. He shifted his lower jaw some, trying to figure out how to approach this. Alex was hiding something, which was unusual, as she was always pretty truthful with him.

"When?"

"Soon."

"For how long?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

Then, "Where?"

"I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?"

"God, Tyler, you know I would tell you if I could!" she exclaimed in distress.

He sighed, indicating to her wrist. "Did you cut yourself?"

He knew. Oh god, he bloody knew. Tyler had seen through her lie in seconds. This was what she was afraid of. He'd find a way to pry the answers right out of her, and Alex didn't think she could stop it. What was worse, was that he suspected that she tried to kill herself. It was the last thing she wanted him to think! Her best friend waited patiently for her to answer as she tried to come up with a valid excuse for her injury.

"No," she said firmly. "No, I didn't. You know I never would."

Green eyes observed her own brown orbs, then sighed, seemingly satisfied and relieved. "Alright. I won't ask what happened, but I demand to know why you're leaving."

"I can't tell you that either. All I can say is that it's important that I go. It's...it's a calling of sorts." Her shoulders relaxed as she spoke, finding it easier to be vague than lying to him. "I'll try to keep in touch."

He forked at his dinner, potato-egg salad. "How long do you have?"

"A week."

"So soon?"

She nodded, not looking at him. "It's necessary. I have to pack up everything."

"What about your job?"

She hesitated. "I... Well, I've been told that it's being taken care of." That was at least true.

"I see," he whispered. "If I don't hear from you for a week, I'm hunting you down and dragging you back here," he declared suddenly, a warning smirk on his features.

For the first time since the conversation started, she began to feel at ease as she scoffed at him, "As if. It's not like I'm being kidnapped, you dumbass."

"Still," he began, "Come visit and hang out before you take off, okay?"

She smiled. "Definitely."

When they parted, Alex had left him to his disgusting salad, walking down the street in a slight daze. Though it wasn't going to be the last time she saw him, it certainly felt that way. Prior to the meeting, she inwardly vowed that she wouldn't cry, and the further she was from that little shop, the harder it was to hold them back. It didn't even phase her when Alucard appeared out of the shadows, regarding her with no expression. The woman could at least be grateful for his tact, though she was sure he thought her weak. God, why was this so hard?!

The vampire turned his gaze towards where Alexandra's friend would still be. "Quite perceptive of him. Your little story might have worked if you had a brace instead."

She swallowed, not looking at the Count. "He isn't stupid." And she walked off.

"No...he isn't," he agreed, following after the girl. He had to give her credit for holding back the tears as long as she could, but he smelled the salt as they finally escaped, saying nothing.

Saturday Evening, November 1, 2031, Hotel...

Though nothing much really happened that day, Alex felt completely worn out, having retreated into the bathroom to soak in a shower. The rain of water frustrated her somewhat, as it didn't have a setting for a firmer spray. Blankly, she stared at the healing wound on her wrist, flexing the fingers somewhat. With a sigh, she leaned her forehead against the tiles, pondering what would become of her life. Didn't she want this? Was this the excitement she had been longing for? If it was? Why was she so damn miserable? Maybe she had become accustomed to the dreariness of her weekly routine.

Thinking back on her life before yesterday, it suddenly felt so far away. Now that her life had become unpredictable, would she be able to fall into it, or die? Dying wasn't an option. She didn't want to die. Vampires can suck it—figuratively speaking. All that was left was for her was to tell her parents and pack. Talking to her parents was easier said than done. She dreaded the moment she'd have to face them. Maybe not face-to-face, but even on the phone, they had a way of making her feel guilty, or annoying her to the point that she began picking a fight with them—specifically her mother.

The shower was turned off and she dried off, putting the robe on again before entering the room. She found Alucard sitting where he usually sat, in that same position as before. Now a little more comfortable with his presence, she carelessly dropped into the other chair. He didn't open his eyes, allowing her the chance to really observe his features. All around, he was actually very attractive...in a freakishly tall, long-armed, and long-legged way. At times, he proved to be quite...charming—if you could call his random compliments, while grinning like a psycho, such. He was the epitome of tall (very tall), dark (vampire), and handsome (with a face like the devil).

The girl shifted somewhat in her seat as she watched him, jumping a little when he spoke sensually, "What's on your mind?" Ha, if he had wanted to, he'd be able to sense what she was thinking, but thought it rude to invade one such as hers. Crimson pools turned upon her.

His grin unnerved her. "I was just wondering...if I could..."

"Yes?" he urged.

Nervousness seemed to make her throat dry, so she veered away entirely, asking, "Could I borrow your phone?"

For a moment, Alex thought she saw a flicker of disappointment. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the device, handing it over. She muttered a thanks before walking away to sit on the bed. Sensing her desire for privacy, he stood up and left the room. In the back of his mind, a realization stirred that she hadn't eaten since breakfast, so he would indulge her a little, though he had no idea of what she liked. The only thing that seemed to stick out in her mind this morning was meat. She seemed quite satisfied with the sausages, that and she had a habit of getting a croissant each morning.

He returned nearly an hour later, closing the door quietly behind him, removing his indigo shades and placing a paper parcel on the table as well as a small paper bag. The vampire did not see her immediately, looking to the bathroom, but the door was open. There was a small breeze, and so he turned towards the balcony, seeing her looking out at the busy city. The Count joined her outside, gloved hands buried in his pockets as he stood beside her, watching her at the corner of his eye. She looked annoyed. Oddly enough, it wasn't being directed at him, so he was not the cause for once.

"I take it that it did not go well," he enquired. She shook her head. "Most parents will try to keep their little bird in their nest. However, by doing this, you're proving to them that you can fly. Just something to think about."

Silence stretched between them as Alex seemed to visibly relax. Finally, she said, "Where'd you run off to?"

"To the kitchens. You haven't eaten yet." Curious, Alex followed him to the living area, closing the glass doors behind her. He indicated to the packages on the table. "Afterwards, you should get some more sleep and then I will take you to your apartment tomorrow to help you pack."

Alex sat in the chair, taking the bag and pulling out a black container with a clear cover, revealing a pint-size pie that looked like lemon meringue. Also inside the bag was a couple plastic bottles of water. Next came the square parcel, pulling the white flat box from the bag and flipping it open. A black plastic plate carried a nice juicy steak, some steamed broccoli, and fettuccine with alfredo with mushrooms sauce. Alucard angled his head curiously at her stunned reaction and wondered briefly if he'd done wrong in her tastes.

"You brought me steak," she stated, still staring.

"Yes?"

"And pie." He grinned, sensing that her mood shifted entirely. "Oh my god...you brought steak and pie," she repeated, almost with a moan of pleasure. Brown eyes turned to his own pleased face. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I could just as well fall in love with you."

His glee was more prominent. "Is that so? Then I'll be sure to bring you steak and pie every night."

She scoffed with amusement as she took the provided utensils and began forking at her pasta. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm not ready to trust you yet. Besides, I might just end up breaking your undead heart," she said truthfully.

His grin softened into a casual smile, finally taking up his seat as he watched her eat. "You...puzzle me," he said.

Mouth full, she blinked at him, mumbling, "Why?"

"Most humans would ask me questions on the subject of vampires. They usually feel the need to investigate the differences between fact and fiction."

"I can observe for myself, and I figured you were tired of being asked such questions," she replied after swallowing. After all, she had already asked about ghouls and virgins.

Funnily enough, nobody really asked him since most, if not all, people were too scared to approach. Exceptions to this was Integra and Seras. "And what have you learned so far?" he asked.

As if putting her observations into a neat pile in her head, she took her time by eating a couple more forkfuls of pasta. "Well, silver apparently hurts vampires, as is the typical tradition in vampire lore. I noticed you can walk in sunlight, but the other vampires attacked me at night, so I'm going to assume that only the strongest vampires can walk during the day." She looked to him for confirmation, to which he nodded. "It seemed obvious since you practically ass-handed those guys, and I did see you earlier that day."

"Anything else?" he asked, impressed that she had been paying attention. Most humans would have blocked out the experience entirely, just so they couldn't face the shock.

"You're pretty old school," she said bluntly.

His brows shot up, amused at the term. "Excuse me?"

"Or you're old, like, older than dirt." She did not pull her punches.

He feigned a look of offence. "You wound me, young maiden. Do I really look that old?"

"No," she said thoughtfully. "You look like a dark Fabio, only actually good-looking."

Now he was surprised. The fact that she made a reference to Fabio, who's prime had been before she was born, astounded him. Her comment actually flattered him, and he showed his glee, baring his perfect human-like teeth in a grin. "Dark Fabio," he almost purred. "What makes me more appealing than the real deal?"

"You don't look like a pampered porn star." Why the hell was she telling him all this? Alucard was apparently getting a kick out of it, though, so she didn't mind boosting his ego a little. After all, everything she said was true.

Alucard laughed loudly. Alexandra was definitely a delight. Her straightforwardness on the subject was indeed boosting his ego, not that he needed it, amusing him greatly. He thought of his master, Integra, jumping into the conversation right now, demanding that Alex stopped stroking said ego. He was laughing so hard, much like this morning, where his sides were beginning to hurt. Casually, Alex resisted the laughter this time, focusing on her food.

"I could start," he suggested abruptly, nearly making her spit out her food in shock. "Would you like a preview?"

"NO!" she cried out, blushing in embarrassment. Okay, she walked into that.

He grinned. "So tell me, what brought you to the conclusion that I'm old?"

Easing back into conversation, she said, "The coffin, for one thing." He raised a brow. "Well, those guys last night didn't look like the coffin types."

"No, I doubt they did," he agreed quietly. "What else?"

"It's the way you speak, especially when you addressed those vampires. You made it seem like you were above them, not even worth the dirt on your boot. You exuded as much, too." He listened more intently as Alex rolled around another thought in her head. "The most obvious thing was your eyes."

He felt an unpleasant jolt, the fist in his lap clenching some. "My eyes?" he almost breathed inaudibly.

Alucard's change of tone went unnoticed as she explained, "They looked like they've seen battle. I don't mean in general, either. Battle-worn—that's the word I'm thinking of. It's like you've seen ages of war. Is that stupid?"

He stared into her concerned eyes and smiled wryly. "No, you'd be right," he said quietly. "I've seen plenty in my lifetime." For the first time, Alex sympathized him.

A/N: And here's the last of the already written chapters. The chapter didn't exactly call for a memory flash this time, unless you count Alex's imagination. I usually only make them occur while Alucard is sleeping, because they are more vivid that way. He's already aware that these memories are surfacing because of his close proximity to Alex. As for the one he had on the plane, it was an instinctive dream, almost like a foretelling of his meeting with the girl who looks like Katarina. I may write up the next few chapters really soon, and I've got to double check these chapters as I'm posting them because this site really screws with my formatting. I just use standard .doc format. I don't know if turning my files into .docx would make a difference and lessen the annoyance.

I don't know how many chapters there are going to be in this story. Probably a lot. We'll see. Eventually I will have to work on my other stories and finish those up. I'm a terrible author, leaving all my fans hanging. But please leave a review/question. Thanks in advance. I'm gonna go watch Bubble Boy now.