Needless to say, Anderson was wary of the bushes now a days. Often he'd walk closer to the house, keeping his eye subtly trained on them as he made his way to the door. Not that Seras could blame him. In fact, just this morning she'd caught Mrs. Binby peeking through the windows with a handkerchief tied to her head and some sort of binoculars. She'd mentioned it to Alex who promptly shut the curtains much to the cursing outside.

The other incident Seras was made aware of was the fact that Mrs Bindy also seemed to have a habit of hiding in the bushes near the house. Clad in green, she'd lay low until he was nearly on top of her before bursting out with a crackling 'kekek', hands zoning in on Anderson's nether regions. Luckily his battle instincts had taken charge and he dodged the grope by mere inches. He had scolded Binby of course for such bad behavior and lectured her on the path of god but nothing seemed to deter the older woman. In fact, she seemed to get more determined as she stalked after the noble priest.

It was nearly two weeks later before Alex finally started to complain, his arms crossed as he grumbled irritably while staring out the window. Sitting nearby with a book in her hand, Seras glanced up at the frowning priest curiously. She'd seen him mad, shocked and even laughing (not crazy anyway) but this new look of weary irritation caught her eye. Noticing he'd caught her attention, Alex glanced over at her and bared his tooth a bit before returning to glare out the window.

"Bloo'y w'man t'aint given oop yet." Alex sighed gruffly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Dis 's noots."

"Well, women do tend to go a bit overboard if they set their minds to it." Seras offered with a sheepish smile. "Like buying a certain color paint, or having dinner just right. We just... get a bit thorough on our jobs sometimes."

"Jus' a beet? Dat woman 'as a damn camera waitin'!"

"Oh, you're exaggerating." Seras huffed with a roll of her eyes, she turned her eyes back to the book only to yelp as she was picked up by the scruff. Alarmed she growled, twisting and glaring at his blank face. He held her up, walking her to the window and gently placed her back down again. Before she could open her mouth to complain or snap, he pointed out the window at a certainly ordinary tree. What wasn't ordinary however was the old woman who sat perched on the branches, a professional's camera held ready in boney hands. Seras blinked, the older woman remained motionless. "Oh. She really does have a camera."

"Aye, 'n she 'asn't moved a damn inch 'n ages." Anders grumbled irritably before closing the curtains with a dull sigh. "Dis 's ridiculous."

"You're right.." Seras agreed glancing way up at the man. "I'm surprised the Queen or Pope didn't actually know about the book though. If they hadn't set up an investigation I'd of thought they bluffed but they seem pretty mad. Who do you think did it?"

"Dunnoh, bu' when dey c'm fr'm 'idin' Imma goona 'ill 'em." Anders growled fiercely. "Dey poot meh 'n a smoot book, 'n coose o' dat deres 'n old woman tryin' ta bloody well grope me. I'll rip dere noggin' 'eads off."

"For a priest, you're quite violent." she observed with a slight frown.

"Nay, 'm jus' oon'appy dat I 'ave to 'ide 'n ma own 'ouse." Alex grumbled irritably as he turned around and walked back to the couch, flopping on his deemed side and rubbing the bridge of his nose. Seras blinked as she came and sat beside him, picking up her book from where it fell and trying to find her page again. Alex sat quietly for a moment before glancing over at it, noticing the front page with a frown. "Wot? Dat ain't a smoot book?"

"No, its not." Seras answered flatly. "It's one of my favorites thank you."

"Wot 's tit 'bout?" Alex asked curiously. " 'Sandwriter'?"

"It's a fantasy book. Actually, there's a desert princess whose parents died a while ago, so she lives with an Uncle and Auntie." Seras said with a growing grin. "See, the aunt is actually pretty nasty and she's trying to take over another kingdom so she..." On and on she told him the whole plot, the twists, of the main character and her struggles. He watched her move hands, the excitement light her eyes as she seemed to travel with the character through the adventure she was telling. What was more amusing however was the nasty look she got whenever she mentioned the 'nasty auntie'. If he was honest, she'd lost him ages ago but if she seemed content to yammer about some foreign princess on some sort of desert journey then he'd humor her. Not like he could go outside anyway.

"Yer quite da bookworm Dra'ulina." Alex mused when she'd apparently come to the finish of her tale. "If ya read da bible wit sooch excitement, da 'ole island wood listen ta da church ev'ry soonday."

"Yes, I guess that would been a sight wouldn't it?" Seras glanced over at him with a slight smile. "Of course, I'd need to have somebody hold the bible in order for that to happen. I sort of wish I could still hold it to be honest, it'd be nice to read some of the stories again."

"Din' peg ya fer a religious vampire." a frown took his face as he peered down at her through flashing glasses. She blushed beneath his gaze, averting her eyes to stare almost politely at her book again. "Ya read it?"

"Daddy used to read me stories from it once and a while. Told me that if he didn't come home some night, then he'd be beside me whenever I read, listening to me if I read it out loud or just reading over my shoulder. He'd be with me again." Seras felt her heart sink a little but she kept her eyes locked on words. "I miss him, and I know he's dead but sometimes I feel like maybe he is still here."

"Mm." Anders eyed the suddenly depressed vampire with a frown. She didn't even look at him, her body turned in as she stared distantly at the book in her hands. Normally, he'd take pleasure in her misery but... dammit he swore on the bible he wouldn't take pleasure in her bloody suffering. In fact, he was suppose to make her feel better, wasn't he? He growled a bit in irritation. As much as he didn't like the idea, he needed to comfort her as a husband would. So sighing he glanced over at her.

"Yer Pap cooms w'n ya read a stury, aye?" Seras blinked and looked at him startled, much like a child caught being unhappy in the corner. Slowly she nodded, and not te first time he noted she'd looked like a bloody puppy. A sad, rejected and rather kicked puppy. So he stood from the couch and turned his back completely to her. He crouched down and read the backs of the books. "...Hm. I tink dese books need ah dustin'...Oi, I- Nah, too damned long. Den, deres yer bloody smoot books. Honestly, why 'n da open? T's like lookin' at 'nother fellas poorn movahs."

"They aren't smut!"

"Tomata, tomater." Alex snorted as he continued to skim over the titles. "Weh got yer cheesa romances, yer classics, da Treasure Island, 'n o' carse da ever looved Romeo 'n Juliet."

"I didn't really like that one to be honest." Seras admitted, her body relaxing more as she became more curious at his actions. "What other books?"

"Ah... S'm Roobert Moonch books fer da kids, Gone wit da wind... 'n 'm gonna guess ya broot dis oon." He snorted irritated. "'h called Lill' Preencess.'"

"What? I thought I lost it!" Seras was up and beside him, taking the book gently from his hands as she held it up for inspection. Her eyes lit up like a child at Christmas, a wide smile baring witness on her face as he remained in a stunned crouch below her. "Daddy bought me this for my birthday when I was just a little girl! I'd thought it got lost! Oh, have you ever read it Alex?"

Oh, so they were on a first name basis now.

"Nay, di'n find ah reason ta." Anderson said with a snort. "Goona guess dats yer favorite?"

"By far! See, it's about a little girl who-"

"Oi!" Seras flinched as his barking growl, looking down at him with a heavy blush as she met his glinting eye. She glanced down at her boots like a scolded dog, making him sigh as he stood with a groan. Glancing down at her he made his way to the couch and sat down on it, throwing an arm over the back as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Ders no point in ya readin' dat book ta me 'f yer gonna tell me wot 'appens now."

Seras blinked, gaping at him dumbfounded while he leaned back completely at ease. "You mean it? You actually want me to read to you?"

"W'y noot? Dat charmin' wooman outdars 'n movin' 'n da ne'r footure." Alex answered with a sour look to the window. "Behseeds, nider o' oos 'r gonna die 'nyteem soon so weh ma' well get 'long, aye?"

"I guess so." Seras paused to think about before a smile crossed her face and she practically skipped to the other end of the couch and opened the book. Alex rolled his eyes and edged closer, leaning over slightly to read over her shoulder while she almost immediately lost herself within the story. The words left her lips in a low but soothing whisper, one that nearly lulled him into relaxing had he not kept in mind what exactly was sitting beside him. Still, he couldn't stop the small smirk that rolled onto his face as she retold a story he knew quite well.

"Once on a dark winter's day, when the yellow fog hung so thick and heavy in the streets of London..." [1]

Sorry for the late update. I will take a while before posting new chapter because as of now I start my third job. :) I'll be tired but I'll keep working on this bit by bit. Sorry if you get irritated with me but I can't do much about it. Sorry!

PS

[1] I've read A Little Princess many a times but recently lost the book. By the looks so far however, you can read the entire story where I got this bit here on this site.

Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/A_Little_Princess/Sara_

:D

Hope you like and continue to read.

REVIEW PLEASE and guard your cookies :P

Doggy D. Cookiethief