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I Can Relate

The pet store was incredibly loud with the squawking of birds and the barking of dogs. It smelled like old cedar chips and to be blunt, poop.

Cat went to the back of the store to where they kept the fish and started walking along the dark isle. On this side she noticed they only had salt water fish. They were all extremely beautiful with bright colors and fancy fins and tails. Further down the row the tanks turned into those for cheap fish, the kind you fed to other animals. They were cute as well but mostly very plain looking and some were floating in the tank dead. Around the corner were all the fresh water fish starting with the aggressive ones. There were oscars and angel fish and little puffer fish eating each others fins off.

Finally at the very end Cat found them. Slow fat goldfish floating around in a tank like little balloons. She looked into the tank that held the medium sized ones and tried to find one that was fat enough for her liking. She wanted him to be very cute and friendly looking.

In the back of the tank she noticed there was one of the types that had the brain looking blob of skin on the top of its head. He was black on the top half of his body and orange on the lower half. He had very big fish lips that turned down into a noticeable frown. He was floating in the corner away from all of the other fish and he looked very cynical and grouchy.

"Excuse me," Cat waved to one of the passing pet store employees.

"Can I help you?" the old woman walked over to the fish tank.

"Yes, do you see that very angry looking fish in the corner? I need him," Cat smiled at the fish. She was very excited to bring him home and name him.

"Alright let me get a bag. You can wait at the register," the woman handed her a piece of paper with some numbers on it so the girl at the register could ring her up right away.

Cat was not sure she wanted to leave before the woman put the fish in a bag. What if something happened to him while she was waiting? She pulled herself towards the register with remorse and quickly paid, not taking her eye off the fish tanks on the other side of the store.

The woman finally came over with her fish in a bag, "Here you go. Don't forget to float him in the water for five minutes so he doesn't die of shock." She plopped the bag into Cat's hand and walked away.

"Uh…thanks," Cat was a little disturbed at how blunt she was but she got over it quickly when she looked at her new fish. "Now I'll always have something to do," she smiled at him and he gave her a scowl.

Cat left the pet shop and headed back down the side walk towards the parking lot. She stopped on the corner and while she was dialing the phone for the driver she noticed a group of kids coming towards her. She tried to act very busy so they would not talk to her but they stopped in front of her and waited for her to get off the phone.

"Hello?" the driver answered.

"Hi, it's Cat I'm ready to be picked up," Cat kept her eyes to the ground while she talked.

"Oh Miss Cat, I didn't recognize you're voice. I didn't think you'd be calling so early. Well there has been a little emergency so I'll be sending someone else to pick you up."

"Oh no, it isn't serious is it?" Cat was glad to have more to talk about. She did not want to know what these kids wanted. She clutched her new fish close to her.

"No nothing too serious I just need to visit my sister in the hospital. She slipped and hurt her leg," Cat could tell the driver was on the road. She heard cars honking and the whoosh of air.

"Okay well I hope she fells better. I'll let you go," Cat acted like she was listening a little while after the driver hung up. "Okay…uh huh...alright bye."

"Hi I'm Colin," the boy barley gave her a chance to hang up the phone before he was sticking his hand out for her to shake.

"Uh hi…I'm Cat," she shifted her fish to her other arm and shook his hand.

"These are my mates Paul and Braden and their girls Marie and Shannon," he pointed to each person as he introduced them.

"Hi," Cat gave them all a weak smile.

"Well anyway, I'm having a party tomorrow and we've never seen you around here before and you look pretty cool so I was wondering if you wanted to come to it," Colin did not fidget at all when he spoke. He stood very straight and was about as tall as Lucian.

"Umm...," Cat did not really feel interested in going but she did not have an excuse either. "You're having a party on Sunday?

"Ha-ha yeah everyone keeps saying that. I would have had it tonight but so many people had other plans already and I wanted everyone to be there. Monday is a holiday though so it's sort of like a Saturday tomorrow," he smiled at her and waited.

"Oh," Cat was not aware of the school holidays. She was not sure if she wanted people knowing she did not go to school. That would bring up a lot of questions. If anyone asked she decided she would say she was home schooled.

"Well?" she realized Colin was still waiting.

"Oh. I don't know. I wouldn't know anyone," she looked over towards the parking lot wondering who would be picking her up and if they would be arriving soon.

"Do you want to walk out there to wait for your ride while you think?" Colin waved his hand in front of him towards the parking lot kind of like a butler waves you inside the door.

"Yeah thanks. I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be looking for," Cat used that as an excuse to not look at any of the people walking with her. She scanned the parking lot back and forth.

"You would know me."

Cat looked up, "What?"

"At the party," Colin smiled again, "you would know me."

"Oh not really. I've only just met you and you'll be busy with all your other guests," Cat tried not to look at him. He was starting to make her feel bad.

"You must come from a rich family. It isn't that kind of party I won't have to tend to any guests," he laughed and Cat could not help smiling. He was being so persistent and she was sure now that they did not just want to make fun of her. Why should they? She looked very nice today and no one here knew about where she really came from.

Cat was about to answer but was distracted by a black and very fast looking car speeding into the parking lot. It sharply turned down the row of cars her and Colin and his friends were standing in. The car skidded side ways and the tires squealed as the driver hit the gas again. The car was heading right for them and Colin stepped in front of Cat and guided her back between two cars. The windows were dark and Cat could not see who was inside but she had a feeling she knew.

The driver hit the breaks at the last minute and left two black trails from the tires.

"That isn't your ride is it?" Colin still had his arm in front of Cat like it would protect her from being hit by the car.

"I don't know I haven't ever seen that car, but I have a sick feeling it is," Cat peered over his arm and waited for the driver to get out.

The driver revved the engine but did not roll down the window.

Cat jumped a little at the noise and inched a little farther behind Colin. She was not going to go up to the car. Whoever was inside could get out and help her with her things. He should know by now that she did not respond to rudeness.

As she was thinking it the driver killed the engine and opened the door. One huge boot hit the pavement and then another came down. A hand reached up and grabbed the door and slowly a tuft of black hair came into view.

"Of course they would send him," Cat rolled her eyes and stepped around Colin's arm.

"That's you're ride?" Colin and his friends were all gawking at the car and the huge ominous man standing in front of it.

"Yeah," Cat walked forward and held her bags out for Alucard.

He looked down at them, "What do you want me to do with those?"

"Don't be a jerk. You've been avoiding me for a week. The least you could do is take my bag and put them in the trunk," Cat pushed the bags into his stomach.

He rolled his eyes while he took them and the trunk popped opened.

Cat turned around to tell Colin goodbye.

"So who is that guy?" he stepped a little closer like she still needed protection from the crazy driver.

"Uh," Cat froze. She did not ever expect anyone to ask about Alucard. "Well, I live with my cousin…and he's sort of…a body guard. Not really a body guard but he works for her. They're in the armed forces business…sort of." She took a deep breath and waited.

"Oh. Yeah he looks like he could kill someone just by looking at them," Colin looked warily at Alucard as he stuffed the computer in the trunk.

"Ha-ha! Yeah he sure does!" Cat felt on edge and wanted to leave badly.

"Are you done yet?" she jumped at the sound of Alucard standing inches from her.

"Yeah I guess so," she looked at Colin apologetically.

"So what's you're answer for the party?" he looked at her seriously. She could tell he did want her to go.

"You've been invited to a children's party. How interesting," he smiled maliciously.

"Come on now it isn't a children's party. My parents are away its going to be really great. Won't you please come Cat? You're invited too Cat's body guard," he smiled at Alucard and Cat wished he would stop.

"Yes do go Katherine. It could be so much fun," he leered down at her.

"Are you going to go with me?" she doubted he would, unless it was to do something terrible.

"I may stop by for a while if I am not too busy. Now let's leave before that thing you have dies," he turned around and got in the car.

"Oh I almost forgot about my fish," Cat gave the bag a poke to make sure he was still alright.

"So you're going to come then?" Colin smiled encouragingly.

"Yes I suppose I am," Cat gave up being anti-social. It was becoming harder than just being social.

"Great let me give you the address," he turned to one of the girls and asked for some paper and pen and wrote down the address.

"What time should I be there?" Cat reached to take the address but Colin held on to it for a moment.

"The party starts at eight but if you want to get there a little earlier you can and we can hang out or something," he let go of the paper when he was done.

"Yeah…okay. I'll see you then, bye," she turned around and rushed to the other side of the car. It was getting too awkward for her liking.

She had barley closed the door when Alucard slammed on the gas. She was thrown back into the seat and almost dropped her fish.

"You could at least wait until I have my seat belt on!" she struggled with the seat belt while he took another hair pin turn.

"You don't need a seat belt I'm an excellent driver," he blew through a stop sign and wove in and out of cars as he entered the high way.

"I didn't even know you could drive," Cat pulled the seatbelt tight and cradled her fish in both her arms.

"Of course I can. Do you think that after being alive for so long I would never get curious about cars. I was around when they invented them. I was skeptical at first about how humans would handle them and I was right to be. You are all horrible drivers," he sped across four lanes of traffic and went down a vacant road.

"Where in the world are you going," Cat had not paid attention to the way the driver had taken her but she knew they had not gone this way.

"It's a short cut," he chortled under his breath.

Cat shut her eyes as he sped around a turn. The road they were on was canopied in trees. She could see the sun flickering behind them. She sat up a little more in her seat. The ride was not as bad when they were only going straight. It felt kind of like flying.

"That boy likes you," she looked over at him but he was looking straight.

"How do you know that," she knew, but she wanted him to say it.

He only chuckled.

"He was just being nice," she could see where the trees ended but beyond that it was too bright. They were coming up to the opening fast and Cat wondered if Alucard could see anything. A normal person would slow down just in case a car was coming or maybe a turn, but Alucard was not worried about car crashes. It would probably not hurt him that much.

When they reached the opening Cat was blinded by the sun. She shut her eyes tight against it and listened for screeching tires and screams.

"It's fine," Alucard shifted the gears and drove faster.

Cat opened her eyes and gasped. The sun was setting on the horizon and the clouds around it were all brilliantly colored. They went from bright yellow and deep orange into dark red and pink and purple on the edges.

"It's so beautiful!" she sat all the way up now, the fear of getting into a crash leaving her for good.

"It always looks like that," Alucard lightly turned the wheel and followed the gentle curve of the road.

"Come on, you never see it like that in the city. There's too much smog. I wish I had a camera," she decided she would go shopping again very soon and get a good one. She had always loved taking pictures but never had anything more than a disposable.

Cat stared at the sunset for as long as the road would allow. She was sad when they took another hair pin turned and drove away from it.

After about five more minutes of driving on the deserted road Alucard took another sharp turn and Cat found herself looking out at the street in front of Hellsing mansion.

"How did we even get to here…," she looked back towards where they had come from but she could barley see the little road.

Alucard pulled up the drive way and Cat could see Walter waiting at the front door. He parked the car next to the front steps and they got out.

"Good evening Miss Cat, I hope you had a lovely afternoon out," Walter said as he opened her door.

"I did have a nice afternoon thank you Walter. I got this fish for the fish tank down the hall from the soldier's hallway," she held up the fish for him to see.

"Oh that old tank, it's going to need quite a bit of cleaning up," Walter walked to the other side of the car to get in and put it away.

"What…but I," she thought better of telling him what she had seen.

"Can you manage these?" Alucard pushed her computer and CDs into her arms without waiting for an answer and slammed the truck. Walter drove off quite a bit slower than Alucard had.

"Yeah sure," she stared after the car and wondered if Walter was tricking her.

"Walter does not play tricks," she turned around to ask him if he knew about the fish tank but he was already gone.

"No! But you do!" she yelled into the air hoping he would hear her and feeling quite sure he would.

Cat walked up the steps and went into the mansion. She made her way up to her room and set her bags down then proceeded down the hall towards the fish tank. She hoped very hard that it would still be in the same condition she had last seen it in. She thought to herself that it might have been a trick Alucard played on her so she would only think it was clean when in fact it was only a dried out shell. The thought of not having any place for her fish caused her to start running.

"You need a name don't you fish?" she held him up in front of her as she jogged and watched him bob gently up and down. "You're very fat and very grumpy looking. You remind me of a character from one of my favorite movies. He is a big fat cat who talks and he is always eating and always being grouchy. His name is Muta. I think I'll call you that."

She turned down the hall that led to the fish tank and ran faster. Once she got about thirty feet away she was relieved to find it still intact.

She opened the top of the tank and stuck her hand in to be sure it was not a mirage and then she plunked Muta into the water and sat down to wait for him to adjust. The woman had told her to wait five minutes so Cat waited ten just to be careful. While she was waiting she noticed there was a bottle of fish food next to the tank. She picked it up and was relieved to find it was full of flakes. This was very lucky because she had neglected to get any in the pet store. After ten minutes she tore a hole opened in the bag and dumped Muta into the water. He sunk down to the bottom then floated up towards the middle. At first Cat thought he would only float there and be as morose as he was in the pet store but soon he started swimming all around the tank almost happily.

"That's all you needed Muta isn't it? You just wanted your own place. You don't like other fish getting in your way. You're like someone else I know," Cat sprinkled in a little bit of fish food and watched as Muta gobbled it up. After he was finished she went back down the hall to her room.

It was only around eight o'clock but Cat felt tired. She knew if she went to bed now she would wake up too early and have to wait all day until the party. Then by the time that came around she would be tired again so she forced herself to stay awake. She set to work putting her laptop up on her desk and reading all about the different features. She installed the drivers for the internet and surfed around for a while. She found a site where she could download music and she downloaded a couple new CDs she had been curious about. She also found she could download movies so she set to work downloading one. She had nothing better to do than sit and watch the numbers of the rate it was downloading change so she did that until she felt too tired to hold open her eyes.

Before she crawled into bed she realized she had not eaten dinner but she felt too tired to bother getting anything.

"I'll just eat a lot of breakfast," she yawned and collapsed on the pillows.

Down the hall and back to where Muta was swimming around in his tank Alucard phased through a wall to look at him. He watched the fish for a while as it swam back and forth. He tapped the glass a couple of times and watched as Muta fearlessly swam into the glass to get at his finger.

"Humans will never get over their power to cage things and greedily keep them for themselves. I know how you feel fish," he gave the glass one last small tap and phased down through the floor.

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