A/N: This chapter is much lighter than the last, and contains depiction of Anderson acting OOC from what is normally perceived of him. The reason for this is I wanted to explore the much softer side of the character we only saw very little of in the anime/manga and OVAs.

Also I'd like to take a little time to thank Master of the Boot for reviewing and helping me with proofreading.

As always let me know what you think.

To say the drive was awkward was an understatement in Seras' opinion. True she had offered him the chance to accompany her, but now as the pair drove through the city she realized that; despite having technically worked together for more than a decade, they knew virtually nothing about one another outside of combat. She had read his file; and she was certain he had read hers, but they only covered their battle statistics and a short psychological profile, not all that much to go on. Taking a deep; though unnecessary, breath she decided to try and break the silence.

"Ssssoooo…Alexander…"

"Please, just Alex will do, ye sound a wee bit strange dragging my name out like that" he told her with a light chuckle.

"Right…so Alex, how have things been?" she asked lamely with half of a goofy grin plastered on her face.

"As well as can be expected I suppose, things are rather dull these days." He responded coolly turning the wheel of the truck smoothly as they rounded a corner.

"Yeah ever since Millennium… um Alex you just drove past the tree lot." Seras cut her own thoughts short as she took note that they had pasted by what she had thought was there destination and continued out of the city towards the country side.

"We aren't going to that bloody tree lot, we are going to cut ourselves a proper tree" he said with a small smirk.

"Oh…I've never been to cut down my own Christmas tree" she spoke more to herself than him as she recalled her childhood. As she pondered her past she heard the man to her right give a light chuckle.

"Never cut down a Christmas tree? Were yer parents daft?" he joked with her, but realized he had said something wrong when he noticed her lower her head and look at her feet. "I'm …I'm sorry if I said something upset ye lass." she looked up suddenly at his voice and gave him a small; albeit sad, smile.

"No, don't worry about it you didn't know. It's just I lost my parents when I was very young and I spent most of my child hood in an orphanage." it was at this it was Seras' turn to notice a change in Anderson's demeanor.

"Did they not celebrate our lord's birth at that orphanage?" he pressed the conversation, though now he sounded as though he were treading on eggshells.

"Oh we did, it was just the whole thing was a rather uninspired affair, and the tree was always a cheap synthetic one." she said with a halfhearted chuckle. With that the tension seemed to lighten, even if just slightly.

"Hehe, well we would not have abided by such nonsense at my orphanage, we cut down a real tree then while the little ones decorated it some of the sisters and myself would make hot cocoa for them, every year without fail." as he reminisced about the happiest times of his life he was jarred from his thoughts by a light jab from Seras' elbow.

"You big softy" she said with a small smirk spreading across her face "You really loved those kids didn't you?"

"You have no idea." he responded solemnly.

"Well at any rate it sounds nice, I wish things had been like that where I was"

"Well…now's your chance to have a proper holiday" Anderson said almost smugly as he parked the truck.

They had pulled into a tree farm without Seras' noticing. Swinging the doors open they were quickly met by a friendly elderly man, who seemed elated to have some customers.

"Finally some people who know the proper way to celebrate the holidays" he said happily as he shook Andersons hand vigorously.

"Not been a busy year?" Seras inquired politely.

"Afraid not miss, folks just don't seem to be interested in cutting down their own ferns anymore." He responded somewhat downcast, but he quickly reverted to his cheery disposition. "Alright if you'll follow me we'll get the pair of you all set up with a saw and sled." he said as he trudged through the snow towards a large barn.

"I feel a bit sorry for him, it must be rough this time of year to have business slow down so much." Seras said as she and Anderson followed after the man.

"It is unfortunate, soon people won't even be going to those daft lots and will just be setting up those plastic abominations." his response was half a joke, but Seras could sense a slight twinge of regret in his voice, she was going to respond when the voice of their host called out to them from the barn.

"It'll be just a moment, I was just getting ready to close up shop for the day, and I didn't think anyone was going to show up today." He finished with a chuckle followed by the sound of shifting equipment.

"Don't worry about it we're in no rush." Anderson responded back.

"So how long you two been together. Is this your first Christmas together?" he called out trying to make small talk as he worked. If he could have seen the looks on their faces he would have known he had made a grievous mistake.

Seras' face paled, then turned scarlet from one ear to the other. A hitched breath to her side told her Anderson had responded in a similar manner.

"We're not…we're just, that is to say…" Seras' stammered trying to explain the misunderstanding.

"We're not a couple; we're simply coworkers here to obtain a tree for employer for the holidays." Anderson called out as Seras buried her face in her gloved hands from embarrassment.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry about that, we'll it's nice of you to come out here for your boss." He apologized as he walked from the barn with a saw in hand pulling a black sled for the tree behind him. "Well here's your saw and sled, the prices are list by the gate to the grove, and you can cut down a thing without a red tag. Okay your all set and happy hunting." he said joyfully his mistake from seconds ago forgotten to him.

"Thank you sir." Anderson said taking the saw and handing it to Seras without looking at her and taking the sled and pulling along behind him as he and his companion entered the grove.

"We will have some nice hot cider ready when you get back" the elderly man called after them, Anderson turned and waved to him before their view was obstructed by pine branches.

The duo walked in silence for quite some time looking everywhere but at one another.

"Sssooo, that was pretty weird back there eh?" Seras finally said breaking the awkward silence.

"I would use the phrasing 'profoundly uncomfortable', but yes it was a tad strange."

"I mean we don't give off that vibe…do we?"

"I'd imagine not lass. We've hardly spent any time with one another, on top of that I've lead a pious life these past seventy-five years; I can't imagine I come off as a love struck fool. Perhaps he was just making small talk." Anderson offered the best explanation he could.

"I guess your right…wait seventy-five years! Just how old are you? If you don't mind me asking."

"Let's see…I'll be ninety-eight this spring." He spoke as though he were talking about the weather. Seras looked over at the large man in a state of shock, she knew he was older than he appeared but she would never have guessed he was almost a century old. "But that's enough small talk; we have a job to do." He said with a smile.

"Right" she said determined.

With this their search began in earnest. Seras found a few she thought were nice but Anderson just shot them all down with quips of "too short" or "not enough branches". With a huff she kicked the snow sending up a small flurry. What made him the expert? She thought to herself before remembering he was the one of them that had actually done this before.

"What about this one?" she asked starting to sound exasperated.

"Hmmm, no it has a bare patch on one side."

"But we can just have that face the wall" she responded trying to defend yet another of her choices from the former priests discerning eyes.

"Now lass, patience is a virtue, we will find the right one we just need to take our time." He said in an almost sagely voice. Although Seras was beginning to get irritated, she found her herself taking a moment to recognize the oddness of this situation. No odd wasn't the word, this was downright bizarre.

She was here picking out a Christmas tree with a man who had almost butchered her on their first encounter. How things had changed so drastically she supposed she would never know for certain. Losing Yumie and the children at the orphanage had been a big part of it no doubt, and the fact he had been dead for three days may have been a factor. She had never had the nerve to ask him what it was he saw; if he saw anything, once he had passed but whatever it was had left him changed. She wondered for a moment what her master would think about this.

"He'd probably call the whole thing foolish." she muttered to herself with a small smile. But this line of thought ended as Anderson had clearly made a find.

"Ah, there it is." he said happily gesturing to a massive pine tree before him.

Sears looked up at the wooden giant; she thought now was her chance to get even with him for shooting down all her suggestions. But try as she might she could not find any reasonable fault.

"It's a tad big…don't you think?" she asked in vain, just hoping to poke a few holes in his suggestion, but she knew that for the manor it was like a perfect size.

"No, it'll be a fine tree for the manor" he responded nonchalantly as he circled his choice.

"I guess you're right, it is a lovely tree" she conceited as she stepped closer, as she stared up towards the top branches she never noticed Anderson reach between the limbs and grip a sturdy one. Had he known she was standing there he may not have given the tree a shake to test the needles, and while no needles fell a rather large amount of snow did come crashing down on Seras. While cold didn't really bother much ever since she was turned, the sensation of snow running down the back of her jacket made her jump and squirm. In her stake of distress she could make out a light chuckle.

"Sorry about that, lass."

"Stop laughing! That went down my shirt you jerk!" she shouted back at the laughing man. Once she had gotten the last of the snow from her down jacket she looked up and saw something she had never seen before. Anderson was laughing, a true laugh and not borderline psychotic cackle that echoed across the battle field whenever he had fought her master.

"So, you think that's funny?" she whispered to herself as she scooped up a hand full of snow and packed it into a sphere. She launched the snowball at her target. It struck him squarely in the face and knocked his glasses a skew, his laughing stopped immediately.

He seemed stunned for a moment and Seras briefly wondered if she had made the right choice. He slowly raised his hand and removed his glasses and brushed the snow off before replacing them on his face. His silence began to worry her before she heard a deep gruff laugh starting deep in his throat.

"So? That's how you want to play eh?" he said with a grin as he scooped up to handfuls of snow and it was only then Seras realized her mistake. Anderson's whole combat style was based off close range and thrown projectiles.

"Now Alex…" she cautioned him, hoping to discourage him but it did her little good as a storm of snowballs flew in her direction and she dove behind a nearby tree.

"Come on lass, you wanted a fight and now you got one!" he taunted her as she cowered behind her cover.

'Alright you want a war, you'll get a war' she thought to herself as she scooped up another handful of snow and packed it tight.

She did a quick three count and let from her cover and fired her projectile at her target. She soon found herself pelted by a barrage snowballs and quickly fled behind cover once more laughing lightly as she did.

"Yer gonna have to do better than that lass!" exclaimed and continued his assault.

"I plan to!" she shouted in return as she burst from behind a tree to Andersons left; having flanked him without his noticing, and speared her much larger opponent around the waist and took him to the ground.

She now had him pinned to the ground as she straddled his waist. Moving quickly she took up a massive amount of snow and held it high over her head.

"Game over" she said with a smirk and slammed it down the stunned face of the Scotsman. Having claimed victory she leapt off her defeated opponent and started to whoop and holler.

"Okay, okay you beat me." Anderson replied with a small smile as he dusted the snow from his hair. "That's enough dawdling, let's get this tree cut and back to the manor before it's completely dark."

The saw made quick work of the pine trunk and the duo swiftly load it on the almost comically small sled as they made their way back to the barn. The weight of the massive pine would have called for an ATV to cart its enormous weight for normal people. But for Seras she may as well have been pulling an empty sled, Anderson noted how easy it was to forget this girl was some supernatural beast and not simply the innocent girl she displayed to the world.

But he pushed this thought aside; he knew very well after working with the girl for so long that she was kinder and gentler than her master, and indeed many of his former Iscariot associates. Her exterior was not some façade she put up; as he had originally thought, she was a monster that had retained her humanity.

The pair made small talk as they made their way back to the home of the farm's proprietor. While there was still a slight undertone of awkwardness much of it had been dispelled by their brief exchange with snow, and before they knew it they were greeted by the friendly face of the owner.

However when he got a good look at what they had brought back a look of shock briefly washed over his face.

"Oh my, you are quite strong aren't you little lady?" he said in awe watching her effortlessly bring the tree up beside the barn.

"Oh, well I've been you know…working out." She said awkwardly while pantomimed a military press, earning her a small laugh from her traveling companion.

"Well, just bring it over to the barn and we'll it bounded up and ready for transport." they followed him as he kept glancing over his shoulder at them still profoundly perplexed at how such a small lady could be so strong.

The whole process took less than a minute and the tree's branches were bound down and their quarry was ready to be loaded. Before the owner could offer his help loading it into the bed of the truck Anderson effortlessly hefted the pine on his shoulder before placing it gingerly in truck bed before tying it down.

"Are the pair of you a couple of bodybuilders or something? I've never seen anyone move anything like you two do?" he asked in awe, Anderson and Seras a quick glance at one another wondering what would be the best answer.

"We just take care of ourselves." Anderson answered simply, hoping the man would not pry any farther.

"Well whatever it is its working." He laughed happy to accept what had been told to him. "Well, you must be cold and I promised you some hot cider." He said a smile as he retrieved a thermos and pouring a mug for each of them.

Anderson took his gratefully and sipped the liquid and sighed as the warmth spread through his body. He glanced over at Seras who politely refused the mug she was offered with a slight look of regret on her face.

Again he was reminded how easy it was to forget this young lady was indeed a vampire. 'All but blood is but ash in their mouths' he thought as she thanked him for the kind gesture anyway. Anderson felt a pang of pity for the girl and wondered if she ever missed not being able to only consume blood.

"Well, you been very kind but we must be one out way." Anderson said finishing his drink and returning the mug to its owner and paying him for their tree before they turned to leave. As he climbed into the driver's side, the old man called after them and moved briskly towards the truck.

"Excuse me sir but you've made a bit of mistake, you don't owe me anywhere near this much." He said with smile as he tried to hand a substantial amount of money back to Anderson, who simply smiled at the man's honesty and held his hand up.

"There's no mistake, I've gave you exactly as much as I meant to."

"…oh, but I can't accept this it's far too much." He responded slightly shocked at the man's generosity.

"Don't you worry about it, I don't want it or need it and besides tis the season." Anderson said with smile.

"Well…thank you sir, this will really help me out." He said happily shaking Anderson hand.

"Like I said don't worry about it and have a happy Christmas."

"You too." His response was happy and sincere.

With a wave goodbye they were off and on their way back to Hellsing manor.

"That's was awfully nice of you." Seras said a short while into their drive.

"Acts of charity and good will are staples of the Christian faith, even the Christians who got it wrong." He said with smirk looking over at her, this little joke earned him a quick swat to the arm from Seras.

"Very funny." She responded dryly.

The drive back was much more comfortable than their there and seemed to pass much more quickly, and before they knew it they were passing through the gates of the Hellsing estate once more.

They left the tree outside while they got ready to prepare its place. They swiftly crossed the yard to the front door which Anderson opened and held for his young traveling companion who thanked him with a smile.

"It's about time the pair of you got back, we just received a report of vampiric activity." Integra said sternly walking into the room. The years had been mostly kind to her but there were lines starting to show around her mouth and eyes, the stresses of her duty were beginning to catch up to her. But despite the signs of her age beginning to show through, she had not slowed down one bit. "I'm going to need the pair of you to prepare for immediate deployment."

This caught their attention, they had not once in their years of working for Hellsing been sent out simultaneously. Once in a great while one was called in to help the other with clean up, but that was the extent of their direct experience in the field with one another.

"What's the situation Sir?" Seras asked her rather cheery disposition from moments ago had evaporated and it was all business.

"Three vampires and a village full of ghouls, the local authorities tried to contain the outbreak but failed, and since they did not report the infestation immediately the ghouls threaten to overrun nearby villages and spread. So we need to hit hard and hit fast, there is no time for us to use a more measured response." Integra replied lighting one of her cigars and handing them each a file containing what little information they had obtained.

"Are these standard vampire or some left over Freaks from Millennium?" Anderson inquired, earning him a look of slight surprise from Integra. He had spoken with a tone of enthusiasm she had not heard since his fight with Alucard fifteen years prior.

"Unclear at this point, any intelligence that was gather by the locals was lost once they were overrun." She answered evenly.

"How many troops will we have to secure the perimeter?" Seras asked.

"None, this has already gotten to a point it never should have, response time is paramount and you two can get there faster without troop transport."

"Yes sir." Seras responded militaristically and shed her outer clothing to reveal her Hellsing uniform underneath. Her once relatively normal looking arm began to morph into its black ethereal form as she turned to leave the manor.

Anderson nodded at his employer solemnly and pulled his Bible from his jacket as he made to follow Seras.

Outside the doors of the manor Seras' arm flowed and twitch as though it were excited by the prospect of a hunt.

"Think you'll be able to put a barrier around the whole village once we reach it?" Seras asked with slight challenging edge to her voice and a small smirk on her face.

"Oh ye of little faith, just try not to get in my way once we arrive." Anderson replied with his own smirk which; Seras noted, seemed to be twisting into the familiar feral grin he had whenever he had faced her master.

There was a flash of red and black and flurry of spinning holy text and in an instant both of them were gone.