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Together

Cat looked up from her book when Chaska slid opened the compartment door and stepped inside with Huritt. They smelled like smoke, but Cat was surprised to find it was not cigarettes. It had an earthy smell like a camp fire and it was not unpleasant. The train had begun to decelerate and Cat suspected they would be pulling into the station any minute. She closed her book and put it back into her pack. Chaska and Huritt pulled down their backpacks from the luggage compartment and put them on. Cat could tell they were feeling anxious.

Finally she could see the station around the bend of the tracks. She lifted her backpack onto her back and stood up ready to finally stretch her legs.

Alucard was still sitting with his hat over his head and Cat wondered if he was really asleep. She tapped her toe against his big boot, but he did not move. She tapped it again slightly harder.

"You're going to fall when the train stops if you don't sit down," he lifted his head slightly to look at her.

"Nonsense, we're barley going two miles per…," the train made a screeching noise as it abruptly stopped. Alucard caught Cat's arm before she was hurled into Chaska and Huritt who had masterfully kept their balance.

"I told you to sit down," Alucard stood up keeping a hold of her arm and led them all off the train.

The station was incredibly busy for so early in the morning and Cat was hustled and bustled through the thick throngs of people.

"Where are we going Alucard?" she tried to stick close as he dragged her by the arm through the people. She noticed none of these people cowered out of his way. They must be used to stranger things so close to the mountains.

Alucard did not answer, but pointed to a car sitting in the station parking lot. The headlights were on and the trunk was opened and ready for their bags.

"We will see you tonight then," Chaska made a small bow along with Huritt and they went off in another direction.

"Why aren't they coming with us?" she wondered where they were going to spend the entire day.

"Get in the car quickly now," Alucard shut the trunk without bothering to put her little backpack in and nearly shoved her through the door. She reached for her seatbelt, but found herself being quickly pushed over to the other side so he could get in.

"Why don't you just go to the other door, jeeze," she pursed her lips at him, but he was not looking.

"Drive," he said rather loudly and the car began to move.

Cat looked up and saw there was a very dark window between them and the driver. She could only see his shadow through it when they were driving towards the sun.

"Why are we being so sneaky?" Cat buckled her seatbelt and surveyed the thick trees flying by.

"Werewolves look like people if you don't recall. They could be anywhere and we don't want them to have any warning we're coming," he leaned back in the seat and pulled his hat over his eyes again.

"What if the driver is a werewolf!" she knew that Alucard would know if the driver was not human, but the trip had bored her into being silly.

"He works for Hellsing, but maybe you are," he pointed his finger at her and shaped his hand into a black shadow gun.

"Oh yeah I'm a wolf, grrrrr," she giggled and then frowned when he did not laugh back. "Where are we going Alucard?"

"To a hotel. We will stay there until dark."

"Do I have my own room?"

"No."

"Why not! Well can I leave?"

"It is safer that way, and no."

"This is ridiculous!" she turned her back to him and leaned her head against the window. The forest they were passing was very pretty and almost glowed green. She watched the trees go by in a blur and tried to focus her eyes on each one. After a minute or two of this she began to fall asleep and finally nodded off.

Cat awoke abruptly to the sound of a car door slamming. She sat up quickly and surveyed her surroundings. Alucard was not in the car anymore and she could not tell if the driver was or was not. She looked around for a button to roll the window down, but there was not one. She looked out her window and saw they were in front of a very nice looking hotel. She relaxed a little and thought that Alucard must be checking them in. She reached for the car door, but the lock snapped down before she could open it. She hit the unlock button and nothing happened.

"You've got to be kidding me," she jigged the handle of the door and then gave up. Alucard was being too cautious. It was beginning to worry her. If they had to be so carful not to be seen did that mean the werewolves were stronger or in greater numbers than she had previously thought? If that was the reason then why did Integra not send more people to help with the problem? Surely she must have gotten all the information about how many and how powerful they were. None of it was adding up and Cat was looking forward to a day of silence in a hotel room with a coffin and no answers.

As she was considering kicking the window out, the door opened and Alucard grabbed her by the arm once again.

"You don't have to pull me around like that I can walk perfectly fine you know," she struggled to keep up with him as he walked into the hotel lobby and headed for the elevator.

"This is our cover," he jammed the elevator button and Cat watched as the floors on the screen changed unusually fast.

"Our cover is what? That you've kidnapped me?" Cat tried to pry his hand off her wrist, but it was like trying to get a lump of dried cement off the ground.

"No, that we are together," the elevator dinged and he dragged her inside.

Cat was glad no one was inside the elevator because she burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that she collapsed to her knees and dangled from Alucard's grasp. She gasped and wheezed for three whole floors before she was able to get a hold of herself.

"What is so funny?" Alucard looked down at her with disgust and a bit of confusion.

"Together? Together? Whose less than brilliant idea was that! Some disguise that is! Like it would matter at all how we enter a hotel! And just so you know, in most cases people who are together," she let each syllable drawl out, "don't drag their partners around by the arm."

"Well what would you have me do then?" his face was growing dark and his eyes narrowed.

"Nothing! Stop being stupid and tell me why we are being so cautious. If it wasn't an easy extermination why did Integra send only the two of us?" she saw his eyes widen and darken further at the word stupid, but she chose to ignore it.

"It is more dangerous than you know," he threw her arm down and she stumbled as the elevator began to go increasingly faster. It flew up to the last floor of the building and stopped short causing Cat to fall into the corner. She caught herself on the bar, avoiding the embarrassment of picking herself up off the floor.

Alucard stomped out of the elevator and down the hall without waiting for her. She jogged after him knowing that he was going to be like this for the rest of the day and not bothering to ask any more questions. They got to the end of the hall and he ignored the key card he was given, opening the door a little too hard for its liking. It made a sad shuttering sound and bounced back the other way after he had gone through. Cat had to catch it quickly before it hit her in the face.

She saw that Alucard's coffin was already in the middle of the floor. Other than for the big black coffin in the room, it was very beautiful. It was much bigger than all other hotel rooms Cat had seen before and had French doors opening out to a balcony. There were more French doors leading into a tea room and the bathroom was bigger than hers back at Hellsing. There was one large canopy bed in the middle of the room and it faced and very equipped entertainment system.

Cat watched as Alucard removed his hat and coat and hung them carefully in the closet. He then went over to his coffin and climbed inside, leaving his boots and guns on. After he was in, it lifted itself off the floor a few feet. Across the room the thick curtains slid shut and the room was plunged into almost complete darkness.

"So you're not going to speak with me now?" Cat went over to the four poster bed and climbed on top of its tall mattress. She peered over the end of the bed into Alucard's coffin. His eyes were already closed and he was as still as stone. She reached out to poke him and the coffin snapped shut barely giving her enough time to get her hand out of the way.

"Well I guess that's it then. Eleven hours to kill by myself in a hotel room," she looked over on the other side of the bed and spotted a mini fridge and the remote control to the television.

"I supposed I'll just have to do my best to entertain myself," she grinned widely as she picked up the remote and popped opened the fridge.

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