Author's Note: Sorry for making you wait.
Part XII: Two Conversations
The ride back with Waverly and Nicole could've gone better, or at least that's what Wynonna thought. First of all, the woman who was on her evening walk, the same one Wynonna cat-called before, was again at the same intersection. She was not amused. "Um, Wynonna? Is that,–"
"Green light! No need to dawdle," Was Wynonna's instantaneous response. Waverly rolled her eyes as Nicole snickered. The car pulled forward before either the woman or Wynonna would start anything.
"Shut up, you two!" Wynonna growled. "It was one time, and I was sloshed, ok?" Nicole was full-blown laughing now; it was a sound Waverly was enchanted with. After much grumbling on Wynonna's part, the ride became silent once more. "So, what do you two think about Seras?"
Waverly was quiet in contemplation while Nicole was much the same. "Well, she just saved our lives, didn't she?" Nicole said measuredly. Waverly nodded, then she made a gesture at an errant driver who sped through the school zone. She softened though, when Nicole put a comforting hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. Waverly was first to answer the question with more than a little mirth in her eyes. "If I didn't have Nicole, I'd be paying a lot more attention to her, that's for sure." Nicole's warm pat turned into a soft punch. The older sister in the car let out a snort as her baby sister got served. But she didn't miss the dig in her sister's response either.
"Waverly," Wynonna started exasperatedly, but she needn't have worried since Waverly was fully intending on giving Wynonna a non-overly cheeky answer.
Waverly turned onto the long road that lead out of town and towards the Earp homestead. "Ok, I think we can trust her, she's shown that she's unafraid of toil, and can strew the floor with revenant dead. On top of that, she clearly cares about us," Waverly paused before continuing in a slightly more serious tone. "I don't know if either of you caught it, but each time she took a hit for us her jaw would tighten. She may be immortal, but she's not unfeeling. I'd be willing to wager that she feels every bullet as keenly as a human, if not more so since she's got vampire senses and stuff." Wynonna was in contemplation as the words of her surprisingly wise little sister fully registered.
"But she shot herself in the face when we met." Nicole pointed out dutifully.
"That would've been relatively painless since she was out of it until she healed." Wynonna answered in a subdued tone. "Brain's got no nerve endings, it's just mush; and she would've been knocked out immediately, rather than taking that awful shot to the chest like at Shorty's. I think we are incredibly lucky to have her here with us. If she wasn't there today, or any day we decided to go to Shorty's, we would probably be riddled with holes, and not to mention what they would've done to our bodies before murdering us." Wynonna looked up to see both of her companions looking at her rather worriedly. "Did I just go to a really dark place you weren't expecting?" she asked sheepishly, returning to her normal tone, though the next sentence revealed why she started fidgeting. "Guys, I what do you think Dolls is discussing with her?"
Nicole rolled her eyes while Waverly blinked back a few tears. Waverly had slowed the car to a crawl during Wynonna's horrifying hypothetical. The truth was that Wynonna knew how she felt about Seras, but she wasn't willing to face Waverly's smug grin about it yet, no matter how well meaning her sister was.
In Dolls' Car
The ride had been oddly quite, as Seras had tamed her usual motor mouth, and Dolls was actually being more silent than usual. They had actually cleared the city line on the way to the Earp homestead before Dolls started the conversation. "What is your purpose here. I know your presence isn't demanded by the class of villain we deal with here." He wasn't angry or even that aggressive, he was honestly curious.
Seras rolled her head from her far shoulder to the one nearest her driver, so he could see the eye roll that followed. "Honestly Agent Dolls, to start, I was bored, and the 'Empire' has been pretty safe since the Battle of London at the turn of the century. The Vatican won't touch us, since I'd act genocide upon their forces if they dared. Thankfully, random vampires have been keeping their heads below the radar as well, probably stealing from hospitals or procuring a willing source." Dolls cringed in distaste at that, but Seras shrugged. "Hey, if a vampire can keep their fangs to themselves and not ruin lives, they deserve a shot. I'm not out to commit genocide on my own kind, I just kill the ones who truly deserve to die. Much like the humans I encounter."
"That's not your choice to make," Dolls replied automatically, instantly regretting it when Seras burst into laughter.
"Oh? Name a higher power than myself that shows a modicum of mercy. God? It may be in the name of the organization I serve, but I haven't believed in that rubbish since my parents were murdered, then violated in front of me as a child.
My master, Lady Hellsing? She's as ruthless as they come. So yes, I do make that kind of choice, because at the end of the day, I'm the only person who should have to carry that burden. I've noticed that I'm similar to Wynonna in that regard. You as well. " Dolls didn't look satisfied. And to be fair, he didn't get the answer he wanted.
"Why Purgatory? I'm sure there are other supernatural crises abroad." Seras nodded.
"Truthfully Dolls, I came here because Lady Hellsing has been interested in the descendants of other shall we say, notable monster hunters. The Earp line is just one." Seras had looked away, though she sensed Dolls' growing glare. "Don't get me wrong though, I think Wynonna is every inch the hero. And I've taken a shine to her as well, I'm actually going to ask to be assigned here at some point in the near future. I'm sensing something…good, between us I mean," Seras' cheeks flushed at the last bit. And since Dolls isn't a monster, his glare deflated.
Obviously he thought I meant to use Wynonna as a whore. And that is not the case. Well, in bed yes, but with all the strings attached; and those strings will be as dexterous and strong as Spidey's web. Though Seras frowned at the comparison when remembering the romantic woes of the web-shooting do-gooder. Well, I'd never cheat on Wynonna. Parker and Black Cat was always sacrilege. Long live– Sera's internal monologue was interrupted by Bernadotte's consciousness rubbing against hers, leaving her with an encouraging word, NERD!
