NEW CHAP (4): "Real Illusions and Yummy Things"

Pip staggered down the hallway, rubbing one of his eyes with his sleeve. He was tired and dizzy, ready to go back to bed. He was a mere two steps from his bedroom when he suddenly realized something. Integra had somehow weaseled him out of his Tylenol PM! Great, now he would never get sleep!… Well, he could always just go back down to the kitchen..

The Captain stared down the lengthy hallway and down the stairs. Long way.. Too long.. No, he would survive without medication. He turned back around and trudged into his room.

It was really dark. Shadows stretched along the wall and ceiling. It seemed cold, damp….. something wasn't right.

Seras dragged her feet against the hallway carpet, taking as long asshe possibly could. She listened carefully for Integra's footsteps. Seras was waiting for Integra to get safely into her office before she tore back to the kitchen. SHE was going to deliver that soup, not Integra.

As she cruised slowly down the hall, she expected Integra to try and pull something, to be doing the same. But, apparently not, because not three seconds after she suspected her, Sir Helsing's office door slammed shut. Seras bolted back to the kitchen.

What going on? thought Pip.

He moved cautiously further into his room, barely making a noise. Then, his nose twitched. His hands flew to his face, knowing what was coming shortly.. He felt threatened by something foreign in his room, and he didn't want to gain more of it's attention. He tried to stifle it, but, his sneezes were just too stinkin' powerful.

"Heh… heh.. HEHAKITISSHH!!"

Walter jumped as the door ricocheted off the wall for the second time that day. Seras skipped into the kitchen.

"Hello, Walter!" she chirped, smug that Integra was unaware of her presence in the cooking area.

"Hello, Miss Victoria," Walter replied, less cheerful. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy her company, but he had had quite enough of loud, raucous greetings for one day.

"Since I'm here, can I help serve the soup?" she asked.

"Miss Victoria, I-"

"Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Ple-"

"All right! All right! You can take the soup to Captain Bernadette. Now will you kindly calm down?"

Seras beamed and sat contentedly in a wooden chair. She had gotten her way and was very happy about it. She had beaten Integra at something. That, was something new.. She liked it.. Very much.

Pip covered his nose with his wrist. Whatever was there had heard him because it had moved. Moved fluidly, creepily, toward him… Pip's brain wiped out all the other thoughts in his mind and honed in on one, simple command… Search, and destroy…

Seras walked carefully up the stairs with a tray of chicken noodle soup and a glass of water. She could barely contain her excitement of seeing Pip again. But, she didn't really know WHY she wanted to see him so badly.. Why?..

She shrugged it off as soon as she got to his closed bedroom door. She knocked.. No answer came.. She knocked again.. Nothing.. She went in.

Pip spun around, sweat dancing on his forehead. Somehow, he didn't think it was his fever. He quickly snuck over to his bed and pulled out a small, but very sharp knife out from under his pillow. It was all he had to defend himself.

Seras felt her heart melt when she saw Pip lying there, asleep. Her eyes fell to his face, where she saw something that made her take a sudden breath.

His eye patch was gone.

It was sitting peacefully on the table, alone. Seras had never seen Pip without an eye patch. She thought he looked like some dream, sleeping soundly in all his hotness! She sat the tray down and stepped closer to him, lighting a candle on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. She smiled.

"Oh, Pip," she sighed.

"Oh, Pip," a strange voice hissed in his ear.

Pip spun, getting dizzily off balance. His energy was sapping and he wasn't in any state to fight to begin with.

"Show yourself!" he yelled hoarsely, spinning 'round again. There was something familiar about that voice..

Seras was about to wake him, when she looked closer at his face. He was distressed. Worry lines and signs of discomfort flecked his forehead and cheeks, and sweat poured down his face as his right hand convulsed under his pillow. He was having a nightmare.

Pip's blood ran cold when his tormenter stepped out of the darkness. Seras… Just Seras…

"Zeras?…" Pip asked, lowering his knife.

Seras grinned an eerie smile that sent torrents of shudders down his spine. This wasn't right. It couldn't be..

Seras upholstered a tiny pistol from a sheath on her leg.

"Don't worry, Pip. No need to be afraid," she whispered. "Wake up."

Pip's eyes widened as the young vampire clicked off the safety and held the gun up, leaving him staring down the barrel.

"Zeras.. You wouldn't.."

"Wake up."

Seras smirked as she pulled the trigger.

Pip gave a yell at the top of his lungs, flying bolt upright. Seras gave a similar scream as Pip's forehead collided with hers. She bounced backward.

"Ow!"

Pip's eye snapped toward her and he gave a yell of fury, putting the knife to her neck. Seras gave a gasp of surprise.

"You traitor.. Going againzt your own organization.."

"P-Pip… I don't know what you're talking about," Seras answered truthfully. As she stared into his one eye, (the other remaining tightly shut), she found it to be glassed over. He wasn't truly awake yet.. His mind was still in his nightmare.

"Don't lie to me, Zeras… You tried to have me killed!" he growled, shoving the knife further against her neck. Seras flinched and whimpered a bit. She stared at his face and upper torso, drenched in sweat. His fever was obviously a bit too high for disregard.

Seras gently reached up and put her hand on his forehead. He jerked back, accidentally slicing her neck a little. Pip stared at the blood. Seras cried out in slight pain softly, pulling her hand back. It was then that Pip seemed to wake up. The knife hit the floor.

Alucard trudged through the main corridor of the mansion. He was bored. Police Girl was most likely with Frenchy.. And Integra was in her office, he was sure of that. There was no one to mess with. Nothing to do.

He looked up when he heard a man yell, sounding like Pip. Alucard chuckled.

Police Girl must have given him a fright… he thought gleefully.

Pip put his hands over his face and ran them back through his hair. Seras cupped one hand over his cheek and felt his fever. She winced.

"Pip," she said gently. "Are you all right?"

The Captain of the Wild Geese rubbed his face again, noticing something very important to his ensemble.. His eye patch. He made a sudden move for it. Big mistake..

"Ohhhh," he groaned, his head swimming. Seras automatically became concerned. She laid her hand over his forehead again, truly not knowing what else to do. Pip sighed comfortably as Seras's cold skin pressed against his burning forehead. It felt nice.

"Pip, we need to get you to a doctor," Seras said.

Pip didn't respond at first. He took her hand, and as Seras blushed, turned it over and pushed the fresh coolness against his cheek. His voice was very hoarse as he spoke. "Doe… I'll be find.. I just-.. Just deed do go back do sleeb.."

Seras did not back down.. She doubted Pip's honesty and more importantly, his health. He was refusing help when he needed it most, and it would only get him into a big mess.. She took her other palm and pressed it to his cheek, blue eyes large and glassy as Pip coughed feebly, out of energy, and moaned slightly.. Seras sighed a bit, stroking his cheek..

"Oh, Captain.."

He smiled a bit, eyes still closed, just too tired to do much else. It was then that Seras held up her bowl of soup.

"Come on now, Captain. Let's eat something."

Seras helped sit Pip up against the headboard and began to spoon-feed him. It was a bit difficult, seeing as Pip didn't want to eat, let alone be SPOON-FED. But Seras persisted and managed to force feed him half the bowl before he sort of slumped back, falling silent.

Seras blinked, then giggled. "Now, Captain! The WHOLE bowl!"

Pip he didn't stay anything. He just continued to lay there. Seras paused for a moment and pressed her hands to his forehead. Somehow his fever seemed even higher than before. She felt a pang of anxiety hit her and she shook him lightly.

"Captain?.. Pip?"

Still nothing..

"Pip!! Captain, ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!!"

She continued to shake, but it was no good. He was out like a rock. And Seras, deep in her heart, knew it wasn't a good thing. She stood up, stripping his many quiets and covers off the bed. She was aware that she was taking unneeded breaths. She was scared, scared for Pip. She stared at Pip for a moment longer, letting fear take her, not knowing what to do. Then she dashed from the room.

The first thing Walter realized, was that Seras was screaming his name in a VERY shrill tone. He was still a bit exasperated from her earlier fits, and was just too fed up with her to take this into much consideration. He sighed as she stumbled in, trying to dismiss her before she could begin.

"Now, Miss Victoria, if you could PLEASE just leave me in peace, I-"

"WALTER!! Pip is HURT!! Pip is DYING!! Pip is-"

"Miss Victoria, WHAT are you RAMBLING ABOUT!?"

Alucard smiled eerily to himself as he stood outside the Captain's door, listening to the screaming done by Seras and Walter in the kitchen downstairs. Ah, yes. Everything was coming along perfectly…. Pip, in bed and alone. His master, ensconced in paper work above. His fledgling and the old man downstairs arguing. Good… VERY good.. He scowled, though. It WOULD have been good if Pip hadn't begun to become the chick magnet around the manor. Alucard had rejoiced when Pip had gotten sick. With him always all over Seras, Alucard never got a chance with her all to himself. But now, oh yes.. She WOULD be his.

The No Life King chuckled as he took the vial of sleeping draught from his pocket. It was empty.

"Stupid Police Girl," he said. "Never pays close enough attention.."

And with that, he slipped inside Pip's room.

Walter stood, barely convinced, as Seras continued to babble incoherently on about Pip and apparent fever issues. He didn't have this kind of time, nor patience! Pip was a grown man and wouldn't have let himself go so far as to put his own life in danger… right?.. Yes, right.

"Miss Victoria, please calm down. I'm sure the Captain just got tired and fell asleep, is all.. All right?"

Seras shook her blonde head viciously. It just didn't feel right.

"No! No! Something's not right!"

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Alucard loomed over Pip's bed, finding it nice and comfortable in the dark shadows. He grinned quite unkindly at Pip, who had been unknowingly drugged by his sleeping draught. Ah, he loved to be in control.

But in control of WHAT?.. What should he do now that he could manipulate anything he felt worthy enough to be tampered with? He began to scan his options:

1) He could, of course, kill Bernadette.. This was his favorite.

2) He could have a sip of Bernadette's blood, just for the heck of it… see what happens..

3) He could give Bernadette terrible, gory nightmares about scary things.. Oh yes.. That one was good too..

Or 4) He could just stand here and stare at his prey until Police Girl came back and called him a stalker or something.. He wasn't much fond of that one..

Hm.. Well… All of the options seemed equally appealing, except for number 4, that is. And number 2 was on the fence, as many things could take place in that concept.. 1, was just plain out of the question, or risk losing his dignity because Integra would skin him alive if Bernadette's blood was on his hands. Nevertheless, 3 sounded okay, and maybe 2 wasn't all that bad. Yes! Who said he couldn't have both? Get a snack and have some fun torturing Pip!.. He couldn't LOSE!!

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Seras jumped about in a frustrated way, upset and worried about Pip, and angry that Walter was refusing to acknowledge that Pip was in trouble.

"WALTER!! I'M SERIOUS!!"

"And I am too, Miss Victoria! Enough of this!"

"But WALTER," Seras whined insistently. "I'm SERIOUS!"

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Alucard wasn't really all that appeased by the thought of drinking Pip's blood, really. But it was free, and fresh, and certainly warm because of the man's fever. It would be fairly worth it. Pip wasn't all that bad. Any human blood wasn't THAT bad, actually. He seized Pip by the front of his shirt, pulling him up. Alucard was REFUSING to stoop down to drink, he was the dominant one here, not Pip.

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Seras grabbed a hold of Walter's front, shaking him. "Walter, I have no clue WHAT to do, and you are the only one who DOES!!! HELP!!"

Walter calmly wrenched Seras from his suit and smiled a bit, though his hair was a tad out of place and a look of irritation flashed in his eyes.

"MISS VICTORIA, I am growing rather weary of this.. Performance you have been demonstrating for the last 10 minutes. I will not ask you again. SUBDUE YOURSELF AND RETURN TO WORK.."

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Alucard sensed Seras's air of no placidness and hurriedly pulled down one side of Pip's t-shirt from his neck. He could feel his pulse, smell the blood roiling beneath the surface of Pip's skin. It maybe Pip's blood, but it was blood..

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Seras was frantic by now, feeling put off by her motherly intuition.

"You don't understand!! SOMETHING-"

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Alucard brought Pip's neck up closer to his mouth.

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"-JUST-"

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Alucard opened his mouth, fangs gleaming in the dim light.

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"-ISN'T-"

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Alucard lowered his head slightly, quickly, in a flinching gesture.

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"-RIGHT!!"

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Alucard pierced skin, and delightedly, began to drink.