Chapter 6: Demimonde

Present day:

"Seras? What is this place? I really think we should go find Alucard and return…" Pip asked as the girl´s eyes once more drifted over the fields. But she was elsewhere in mind, her body was the only physical thing left behind. Everything was green, still in the shade of the blue moonlight. Straight fields that continued forever. In the far distance you could follow the now washed away trail of road to a forgotten place. That place. That land. The fresh wind that danced through the grass. Stirring the green lake and the once white summer residence.

"I need to see it. I need to know…" Seras said. "You can wait here, Pip. Find Alucard, and I shall return to you shortly." She told him as she continued into the forrest. Pip didn't know how to react, but he just let her go.

"Well, tis is just lovely. I started out with two deadly vampires and now, I got none left. Why am I not celebrating?" Pip asked himself as he stood alone at the gates of the forrest. He didn't want to follow Seras, he knew she wouldn't run off… right? He pictured Integra standing over him with a sword in her hands ready to follow execution. You just let the two just roam free did you? Well, how smart of you, Bernadotte. Two bloodsucking creatures, who told you they would come back shortly. You sure are naive solider.

Pip just hovered and let out a sigh. He then followed the trail that Seras had left off in into the forrest. Sorry Seras, just doing my job.

As Seras reached the end of the forrest line she had finally returned to the one place that was still intact. Still the same. "So it seems, it died with us." The green lake in front of the now grey stoned manor, was not the colour she had remembered. The widowed willows were not as green or full of life as they once were. The garden that once flowered with the wildest and clearest colours were now turned into grey stray grass that had overtook the residence. She took one glance at the drive way which was once filled with white sand.

She suddenly saw two ghost running around. Playing their favourite game of hide and seek. The laughter was still the very same. It was as if she stood before her today. One of the girls with the brown long hair, tied in a red silk ribbon, suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned around and looked at Seras. Her face was angry. She tried to smile to the young child, as the little girl just ran away. "No, wait!" Seras shouted and tried to follow her.

Something had stopped her from leaving. A gloved hand on her shoulder. "Don't chase the ghost´s of the past Seras, that´s not her." It was Alucards musky voice. Seras head dropped to the ground. "I know that." She said softly. She then suddenly turned around. He did not look at her, only into the ground. As his head was turned sideways. He had his hand on her shoulder, which was intentionally still there. She could not move away, but she could not move closer to him either.

Her hand moved upwards to the one hand on her shoulder. He stiffened when she touched him, and like always she knew she would have approximately about 5 seconds before he ended the entire conversation or walked away by himself. "Don´t go." She whispered. Her held his hand as she closed the space between them. Her arms trailed around his back for an long-awaited embrace. He did not move or shift in her arms as his just hang loose by his sides. She rested her chin on his chest, as she smelled the oh so familiar scent of musk and pepper. "They are not your demons to face, Seras." He said while she felt his body shifting as if he wanted to end the intimate embrace they shared. Or the embrace she shared with him. "You don't have to do everything alone. We can face them together." She said, and then she dared to put her hand on his face. "Don't you remember the promise?" She whispered to him. He then moved away with a force she could never protest to.

"The frenchman is apparently an eavesdropper as well as a peeping Tom." Alucards voice rang so load for the ever so nervous Pip to spring out from his hiding place, behind one of the trees. "You sure like trees, don´t you?" Alucard said as he moved closer in his direction. Seras followed right after.

Pip swallowed and tried to forget what he had just seen. So the worst possible was true then. They were definitely lovers. The way Seras had looked into his eyes. Being spoken so soft words to, Pip could only fantasise about. And for what gratitude. The monster had only rejected her. Maybe this was why Seras was so sad all the time. Oh, Idiot! It was unrequited , Why, When and what the bloody hell, he did not understand however. He only understood that that bastard Alucard was the last man on this planet that deserved that kind of emotion from Seras.

Alucards head shifted toward the frenchman who was about to boil over with thoughts. You have know idea, just how right you are Frenchman.

London, 1843:

Julia had taken the first carriage she saw in order to get the library. Seras must have totally forgotten their planned bordering lesson with Christine and Claire. Oh, how humiliating it would be to say that her sister wanted much rather to spend the afternoon in the library and not with her friends. It would be rather awkward for Julia to show up alone, since Seras was the only ticket she had into the upperclass social group of girls.

It was not that Julia was unpopular with other girls, its just that in the shade of her perfect sister, no would take notice of her. People as highly regarded as Christine Ferell and Claire Grabor, would only acquire the company of someone they considered to be the right acquaintance. Seras most likely fitted their taste. Of course being seen with Seras, one would only fade into grey in comparison, but since Seras held no interest to anything but poetry and literature, the girls could only hope to capture all the attention from conversation. That was the only fault with Seras, if it was one at all.

Julia loved her sister more than anything, but over that emotion of love and admiration stood one more intensely. Jealousy. All her life Julia had been compared to her elder sister. She was not as beautiful, as intelligent or kind as Seras, and she was reminded of that every day.

She clearly saw that her fathers favourite was Seras, since she resembled him in any way possible, she had hoped over the years that her mother would grow more affectionate towards herself. She was only proven wrong after the years of her mothers constant fussing over how truly hopeless the eldest daughter was, Julia could tell in the way her mother looked at her. She was the secret pride of Charlotte Victoria, her heart´s stone, even though she would never admit it.

Julia walked further into the library but could not spot her sister. She´s probably further in.

And there she sat. In the opposite chair sat a lean man, with handsome features from what little she could tell. He looked a bit familiar, with his red glasses and crimson cape. The walking stick, that was bejewelled all the way with rubies. If was the Prince that Seras had danced with at the ball. The strange foreign guest, of eastern nobility.

And here they sat flirting in a public library for all to see. What disgrace. Julia went into the room, behind the glass doors and was noticed by Seras only. "Julia? What are you doing here?" Seras asked confused with a sweet smile on her face, happy to see her sister.

Julia looked over to the Prince which never took his eyes of the elder sister. "What do you mean, sister? Why is it your private library, only for you?" Julia said in a stinging voice. The grin on the Princes face faltered and the curves of his mouth bent downwards. Seras only looked confused but then slipped a relaxed laugh. "Of course not, it´s just…" Seras started, but could not finish. Oh… She thought to herself. It was clear how Julia kept her head held high and now bowed in front of The Count. "As my sister will not, I am happy to introduce myself- Juli-" She started, but was interrupted from the Count himself.

"Well Miss Victoria, it seems our conversation once again have been interrupted. I´m afraid I must take my leave." He said while Julia´s mouth hung wide open. Seras stood up from her seat, as the Count now walked up to her. "Will we meet again soon?" She spoke softly but still clear enough for him to hear it. "If you´re not here, than I will find you at elsewhere. I believe after the information you have given me, Miss Victoria, that you will not be so hard to find?" He grinned while bowing down and taking her hand in his. Once more he stroke his thumb over her bare skin.

"You are a rare creature indeed, Miss Victoria. Since my arrival to London, you are yet the only woman not to wear gloves." Seras mind went blank as he once more turned her hand, like he had done earlier at the ball. He kissed her writs, and then it seemed… Like he lingered to inhale her scent. Both Seras and Julias eyes widened at the inappropriate manner the Count had said his goodbyes. He then leant upward once more to face her. "It is as if you enjoy torturing me." Seras stood dumbfounded.

What in the heavens? What are their relationship anyway? Julia thought as her mouth went dry. What in the world had her sister involved herself with?

"Until we meet again then." He grinned before taking off, never once acknowledging Julias existence at all. Seras only smiled as she felt her knees go numb. Redness spread in her cheeks, as all she could do was to stare after his disappearing figure. Until then, Count.

Well, Well, well :) Here is chapter 6! Hope you don't think they are too short.. Its just that I need to gather my thoughts before they spill all out. I mean it has to make some kind of sense *cough* right? well yeah, I´d like to thank the 2 people from 400 readers that took the time to review. (no hard feelings) ;(

It´s just I wished you shared with me how you feel about the story? If anything is good, bad? something you´d like to change? I don't know. Well, I´ll see you tomorrow since I´m off to the study hall now. I have an exam in, oh right.. it´s tomorrow. Well, thats going to be an A++++++… NOT.

Anyway shout out to my fellow Norwegians reading the story! Hyggleg at du tok deg tid til å lese, helt serr, setter EN DEL pris på det! :) Y igual a los chilenos que están liendo esa wea, muchas gracias! Oye, si hay alguien aqui del sur de Chile, come cerca de Puerto Montt, háblame po! :)

thanks again, and for the record… I wouldn't mind reviews, its ok if you´re not norwegian or chilean, really… just if you didn't figure… ;)

tudeluuuu