A/N: Another addition, and as a treat to those who read this prattle, the final two chapters are already upon my site.

Another Intruder

Seras sighed as she dropped down upon the couch in her living room. The day of work had been slow, but she still felt the stress of the near-wreck which had taken place on the drive to the station. There had also been a slight uneasiness about the office, particularly around the homicide division, but she had been unable to overhear any of their closed conversations from across the large room.

"I need a shower" Seras suddenly announced as she slowly climbed to her feet. "Maybe that will make me feel better" she hoped as she passed over the book without a glance and stumbled her way to the bathroom.

An hour later Seras exited the room, her hair damp but her body refreshed as she sighed deeply in contentment. The hot water had helped to soothe her frayed nerves, and she had nearly forgotten all her troubles as she slowly seated herself upon the couch. However, her moment of relaxation was meant to be only brief as she noted the book lying innocently upon her table. With a quick glance of suspicion at the possible cause of her woes, the young woman turned her nose up at the item and rose to her feet.

Seras walked to her room and dressed herself in her nightshirt, her mind focused not on her task but on the book which lay beyond her bedroom. She had not bothered to look at the pages since the woman, Narcissa, had intruded upon her home, and still she felt little desire to see if more of the pages had been filled. Perhaps the mystery deserved to be unsolved, or perhaps she merely wished to forget the strange episodes of the past, but the answers were not forthcoming as she climbed into the sheets.

Seras happily nuzzled her face into the soft pillow as she smiled in comfort, her troubles forgotten for a moment as she drifted off into sleep.

Unfortunately, she was destined not to long enjoy her peaceful slumber as she suddenly had the impression she now lay in an enclosed space. Opening her eyes to tell herself she was only imagining the feeling, the young woman found herself staring into unfamiliar darkness.

The room she knew so well was gone, and Seras was now staring at stone walls wet with mold and mud. The air was cold as she, in confusion, stood to her feet and blinked in surprise. She knew she was again having a dream, but her senses were even more aware of her surroundings than in the previous instances. Her skin itched from the hard ground, her feet were growing cold from the damp floor, and she could see her breath as she breathed outward in fear.

There was also the eerie quiet of the cell she found herself in, for such was the room as she could see no light and but a single exit through a wooden door. The solitude of the area disturbed her and she desired to cry out, but she did not dare break the oppressive silence. Somehow she felt to do so would have caused great trouble, but how she could not guess.

Then with a slow movement within one of the corners did something appear, and with a start Seras realized she was not alone in the darkness. A shape resembling a man slowly stood from what had just been a mere pile of rags, and she realized his clothes lay in tatters about his thin form. His skin was pale from lack of sun, but she could tell he had once been athletic and youthful. Time and the cell, however, had taken their toll upon his body and he stepped uneasily toward where she stood.

Seras, in fright at the person's appearance and not knowing if they were hostile, moved backward and found herself against the grimy walls of the dank area. She quivered against the disgusting mold, but dared not move as the thing, for no longer could he be called a man, shuffled toward in her with steps growing in confidence. When they had come within a few feet of where she stood trapped, the being suddenly stopped and stared upon her person.

Their heavy, ragged breathing echoed in the dark chamber as Seras' breath seemed to have stopped. As the moments passed her stiff muscles began to ache and she could no longer unconsciously hold her breathing, but still the figure did not move. The only visible sign of their being alive was their own breathing, an action which seemed to shake their very being with the effort.

Then Seras, through cracked nerves and with the assistance of adrenaline, opened her mouth to speak to the creature.

"W-who are y-you?" she questioned as the echo of her voice caused her to flinch in nervousness.

The figure paused for a moment in their breathing, contemplating her inquiry, and then a slow, deep sound began to resonate from their body. Seras slowly realized the person was chuckling to himself, but for what reason she could not ascertain. Her impatience did not waste time in finding the answer to the creature's amusement.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked in an angered tone as she drew away from the wall.

"I laugh with the fates" the figure replied as his laughter stopped with his words. "Surely only they could have brought you to me once again, in this miserable existence which is neither death nor life."

"What?" Seras wondered aloud as she gave him a quizzical expression.

"Ah, but perhaps you do not recognize me, my divine spirit" the person surmised as he lifted his arm and pulled back a black cloth which had covered most of his head.

Seras gasped as the thin and frail features of the boy and warrior she had seen in past dreams was revealed to her once again. Now, however, his eyes seemed not to be kindled with the flame of youth nor the thirst for fight as they watched her expression. They were hollowed and empty, as though looking into a bottomless pool of water. His face had grown older with the passing of age but his jet black hair stood out in stark contrast to his white skin.

"What...How?" she questioned aloud in confusion as she took a step toward the boy she had rescued what seemed like ages ago.

Suddenly Seras cried out as he quickly strode toward her and slammed his arms down upon the wall on either side of her head. He leaned in close to her face, his eyes piercing the darkness of the keep as she gasped for air away from his smothering presence so close to her own.

"Why do you haunt me?" he whispered into her ear as his body was mere inches from her own. "You come with my fortunes and my failures. Years pass and you do not age."

"I-I..." Seras tried to explain, but even within her thoughts her reasoning was confused.

Seras was unable to explain why she was having such vivid dreams about the strange man, to herself or to her companion. But he seemed to care little for her lack of answer as his eyes seemed to penetrate her being with their mere glance, his withered features looking upon her untouched face with intense confusion. Then for a moment his bright orbs seemed to flicker with realization as he leaned in and touched his mouth upon her ear.

"What are you keeping for me?"

"Keeping?" Seras repeated in bewilderment as she suddenly gasped in surprise.

The man was nuzzling her hair with the care of one handling a fragile object, his ragged breathing loud and resonating her body. The young woman struggled to control herself as she tried to push him away, but though his frame was frail he did not move.

"It's been so long since I was with a woman" he murmured into her ear as his tongue gently began to message her neck.

Seras felt her eyelids grow heavy with desire as his hands slowly slid from the wall to clasp her thighs within his trembling hands. He pressed her against his body as his teeth playfully nipped at her skin and his hips pressed against her own. She felt they would meld into one if only...

"Kiss me" she begged as she squirmed impatiently against the wall, her need aching within her to connect their lips.

The man pulled back and grinned widely at his conquered prey as he tortured her with the prolonging inaction. Then he swooped down and their lips were mere inches from each other...

Seras' eyes snapped open as she suddenly sat up in her bed, her body sweating upon her sheets as she looked wildly around for the man. She screamed when she realized a figure stood at the foot of her bed.

The frame of a man was visible in the darkness of the room, one motionless even in the presence of her cry of panic. The young woman scrambled against the headboard of her bed as she pulled the covers toward herself, a futile attempt to protect herself from the intruder.

The figure did nothing but stare upon her form, and Seras slowly began to realize the silhouette was familiar. Her fear was rising as she recalled the night's near accident and the boy who had stood in the road waiting for death. The young woman's eyes widened as her body began to tremble with fright as she realized the suicidal youth now stood within her bedroom.

A weird grin was upon his face as his eyes were bright an unblinking in her direction. Seras could not hope for escape, as the only window in the room was to his right and the door was behind him.

"You again" she whispered as she felt the wood of the bed dig into her shoulder blades. "W-what do you want?" she asked with a quivering air to her voice.

The man said nothing in response to her question as he merely continued to stare, unblinkingly, at his prey. His unnerving grin and cool manner as he stood in her room angered Seras, and she threw caution to the wind in favor of action.

"Get out and leave me alone!" she cried out as she reached behind herself and grabbed one of her pillows.

With as much force as she could manage with the soft object, Seras threw the pillow across the bed with a sure aim. However, to her shock and amazement the projectile stopped within inches of the intruder's face and just floated in the air for a moment, as if filled with helium. Then the pillow dropped to the bed as swiftly as it had halted.

"Anger becomes you, Seras" the man suddenly spoke, his voice filled with a maniacal air of amusement at her predicament. "The flash of yours eyes, the tone of your voice, the trembling of your body" he spoke in a soft hiss as he set one hand down upon the foot of the bed. "Perhaps that was why you were chosen" the youth assumed as he continued to grin down upon the woman.

"If you're going to be as mysterious as Narcissa, then just go!" Seras replied in vexation, though her words appeared to have an effect on her intruder.

"So she was here already?" he mused as his grin slipped for a moment only to slide back on his face. "But she will make this ever so much fun!" he exclaimed as he gestured wide with his arms. "Don't you agree?" he asked of his trapped audience.

Seras only stared upon him as if he were quite insane, the signs of which he vigorously showed without care. Her silent look and lack of response seemed to dampen his cheery disposition, and he crossed his arms over his chest in dismay.

"If that's the way you want, then I'm going" he announced as darkness suddenly swallowed him whole.

Seras was left alone in her room now, with only the memory of the youth and his twisted words. She shivered as she recalled he had never once during their conversation taken his eyes off her, nor had his grin fallen from his face.

The next evening Seras climbed into her vehicle with some effort. After the most recent encounter with mystery she had decided against sleep and had eaten breakfast early. The food, however, and any sort of relaxation during the day, had failed to revive her strength. She felt languid as she shuffled into the police station and dropped into her chair. Her entrance had not gone unnoticed.

"You don't look so good, Seras" Captain Roy casually mentioned with light concern as he walked up to her desk. "Been sleeping well?" he asked as he seated himself upon a corner of her work furniture.

"It's nothing" she spoke as she waved off his concern. "Just bad dreams and such" she spoke as the image of the latest intruder remained firmly on her mind.

"Oh?" he questioned now with more interest. "I hope it's not about that caller you had."

"That's the least of my worries now" Seras blurted out before she could stop herself.

She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror as a low groan emerged from her throat. The captain was no longer amused with their idle chit-chat and his expression upon his face was one of accusation.

"What do you mean?" he asked as he placed his hands palm down sternly upon her desk. "What's been going on with you?"

Caught in her secret, Seras could do nothing but tell him about the episode the previous night and the near-accident with the strange She had enough sense not to inform her superior of the intruder in her bedroom, and was glad when he pounded his fist upon her desk in anger. The action made her jump with surprise, but then she glared at the small dent his hand had made on the otherwise perfect wood.

"Damn it, Seras, you were supposed to report to Officer Roy if something were to occur!" William scolded with anger in his tone as he drew firm with his subordinate. "What were you thinking?"

"I was told to tell if another phone call happened" Seras answered defiantly, which surprised both herself and her superior officer. She turned her face away in shame, mumbling an apology as she closed her eyes in regret. "May I leave, sir?" she quietly asked as every fiber in her soul called out to escape this situation.

A long pause existed between the two comrades as the commanding officer pondered Seras' request. Then he gave a long, drawn out sigh and shook his head as he lifted a hand to cradle his forehead in vexation.

"You're excused for the night, Lieutenant Seras" he softly ordered as he shook his head in concern. "But I'm going to have to tell the chief about this harassment. He may want to talk to you early tomorrow."

"All right" she agreed as she picked up her keys and wallet form her desk, all the while avoiding eye contact with the captain.

"And one last question" he spoke up as she finally turned to face him. "Have you seen him again?"

Seras blinked at his sudden inquiry as her mind tried to find the right words to say. Finally she could only decide on one course of action, and stared in straight in the eyes.

"No, sir."