Authoress: So before I start, I'm going to spout my customary excuses – Life, no money, being young and having some free time… etc. Also, I'd also like to add that I started a new job and am still adjusting. It is not easy!

Alucard: So now that you are here, are you going to write something worthwhile?

Authoress: Possibly! ^^

Alucard: Sigh…..

Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing because if I did, I wouldn't be so poor. Le sob…

Chapter 5

Lock, Shock, and Funny Socks?!

Have you ever seen a zombie movie or a monster movie of any kind where the gore just seems a little overdone? You know the kind where the hero or heroine fires a heavy assault rifle or shot-gun and brain matter or guts just seem to fly everywhere over-dramatically? Those kinds of movies where the director just stared at the set and said, 'Yup, I just want it to rain gore!'

Well, those movies have nothing on the real thing. The sound of a bullet ripping through flesh or that same flesh exploding outward from pressure within is like nothing anyone has ever heard before because you know your own skull or intestinal tract would react the same way. It could have been you. And let us not even start upon the smell. You cannot even begin to describe the smell of death and decay that has been fermenting beyond recognition. The movies cannot cover those things well enough. Sight is one thing, smell and sound are much different. Simulating one does not stimulate the other senses. Let's just thank our lucky stars we do not even have to think about taste or feel because Lord knows no one is going to want to get close enough to experience either.

This was nothing like the movies. Rachel knew that the second she stepped inside the building. The blood on the walls and the smell in the air were enough to make her stomach flip and her dinner threaten to rebel and come back up. There was no amount of training or talks from Integra that could have prepared her. Everyone knew that. There were things that only experience could teach. Standing there in the metal doorway of the warehouse entrance was like standing at the gates of Hell. This was the new Hell that had become part of her life.

Every fiber of the teenager's being was telling her that the correct response to this sensory overload was to turn and run. Flight was at the top of the list and Fight was somewhere way at the bottom, somewhere past curling up in the fetal position and crying. Responding to that instinct, the girl took a step backward, her combat boot landing on the outside of the entryway.

"Rachel," a deep, smooth voice rumbled behind her. The girl tensed and for a moment the stench of death was decreased by the smell of gunpowder and oak wood used to make a spacious black coffin. Suddenly a white hot flash of bravery pressed itself upon her heart. Swallowing her fear, the teen gripped her gun and moved forward. They had a mission to complete and she wasn't alone.

The warehouse was one of the typical squatting territories for low-level vampires that were making pests of themselves. They barely had control over a certain number of ghouls and their knowledge of changing virgins was minimal. This small group, cluster of three, was weak but they had made enough noise to make themselves known on the Hellsing radar. They were a small enough threat that Integra believed that Rachel could go and be witness to her first steps as a Hellsing agent… well, junior agent. Alucard refused to be farther than ten feet away from her the entire time.

As soon as their presence was known on the premises, which was not long because the red-clad vampire didn't believe in being discrete, ghouls were sent their way. The three pests didn't have the funds to arm their zombie pets, so there were no guns to be concerned with. The vampire knew that about three exploding rounds from his own weapon would easily take care of these annoyances, but he had to hold back. This was Rachel's fight.

"Soulless," she whispered to herself. Rachel closed her eyes, repeating the word over and over. This is what she needed to tell herself in order to iron out the fact that these limping, grotesque monsters before her needed to be put down. They could not feel pain. They had no souls. They needed to be released from this earth. As the ghouls neared, the stench of death was nearly overwhelming. Gripping the weapon in her hand, the cold January air was shaken off from her fingers and her heart thudded in her chest.

Her eyes snapped open and suddenly the non-stop lessons for the last 6 months came rushing over her. She took out the monogrammed, modified weapon and took aim. Pip's voice rang in her head as she pointed the gleaming muzzle at the first and closest ghoul. The shot resounded through the warehouse with a sharp report and with that one resonating crack the world changed. It was like lightening had struck the portrait of her life and shook her very foundation. The canvas ripped and a new masterpiece was revealed below, for the better or worse was yet to be seen. This was just a small vampire pest problem, right?

Alucard could see the change for he was viewing the girl's transformation as a creature with sight much more sensitive than any human's. There was a large pause between the first bullet and the second, but after that there was no hesitation. The third, then the fourth cut through the chilled air like streaks of promised death. Ghouls soon sustained a large amount of damage. Holes appeared where hearts would be and heads were rendered unidentifiable. The vampire had to keep his morbid delight in check, but the maniacal Cheshire grin bloomed fresh upon his pale features. This was where he felt actual glee. Pure violence and battle were his sires and it was this world that he was born into. It was also the world he had died in only to be brought back with blood and death. It was the world that he had brought Rachel into and at that moment he ignored the good part of his mind that told him that such a thing was not right. He had already brought one innocent into this nightmare, but now another? A human child no less.

These thoughts were fleeting and quick, disappearing as Rachel moved forward and reloaded. She had a semi-automatic at her side as well as her personalized pistol, but she really liked the gift from Alucard and she trusted it for some reason. It was her weapon. Her prize. With a growl, she moved forward and headed up the stairs, Alucard at her heels. Though he was her best friend, she barely registered that he was there with her and kept her mind on the idea that normally she would be alone. This was her fight and she was the soldier.

"Those were the only ghouls?" Rachel questioned skeptically as she looked toward the door, it's frame decrepit and falling apart. This was no longer a safe haven for vampires, but a final resting place. The teen recalled what Alucard had told her before the mission started. The weaker the vampire, the less power they have to control ghouls, so it was doubtful that there would be more to worry about. She kept her guard up however, not wanting to be caught off guard and disappoint Alucard.

Another deep breath was taken. Internally, the young woman was screaming and raging. Everything about this seemed so wrong. These were people. They all had had lives. They all had been important to someone. What was she doing? She was shooting at will, just mowing down anything in the way. Conflicted, but driven Rachel swallowed deeply and took another step forward. Her combat boots barely made any sound until one was slammed into the decaying door. It was the last barrier between the teenaged vampire hunter and three would-be no-life kings.

Guns resounded, the pistol's muzzle burst to life and flashed. The silence was broken. Her world had changed, but at least it still turned.

"Ow!" Rachel screamed out loudly as an alcohol pad was pressed to the gun-shot wound. The bleeding had stopped, but there was still the threat of infection was always very real, especially when one ran around in a death infested domiciles. That warehouse had been filthy and there was no telling what was on the bullet those three slimy vampiric runts handled. The wound was thoroughly disinfected, much to Rachel's dismay, and Walter began to stitch up the young girl's arm. Squirming and whimpering, the young woman understandably had tears slipping down her cheeks and was shaking. The physical and emotional strain had come crashing down upon her as soon as the adrenaline wore off.

In the dark, dank room of the warehouse guns had blazed to life as soon as Rachel was seen. She got a few rounds off before Alucard stepped in. Though weak, the vampires were still faster than the young human. The meager shots that Rachel managed to get out did pierce one vampire in the heart, the other two were still able to defend. The living shield that the ancient vampire made easily blocked Rachel from harm's way. Of course after Alucard shot and killed one of the two left standing, Rachel stepped out, wanting to help.

That's when the white hot pain sliced through her arm. A couple different things crossed her mind. First, she was almost sure was going to die. If one shot hit her, surely another would soon pierce a vital organ. Second, she was an idiot for thinking this was a good idea. Mortality, humanity, fragility, they were all prevalent and suddenly terribly obvious to her. Third, if she did survive it was going to be VERY hard to explain this to people at school when the winter holidays were over.

Of course, after she fell back from the shot she heard a deafening roar and the world was suddenly consumed by shadows that were littered with gleaming red eyes. She woke to the infirmary and Walter cutting away the sleeve of her shirt.

"There now, all stitched up," Walter informed the young teen as he slowly pressed a bandage over the stitched up area and retrieved a sling for her to use. Once he was sure nothing could get at the stitches he helped her move her arm and slid the sling over her shoulder. The teen felt like a wounded hound that whimpered as she stood and sported the unattractive medical arm support. Hanging her head, she looked to the ground in shame.

"Now, now, none of that. You are a young teenager and you can't expect to be perfect right out of the gate," Walter told her as he pat her head gently. He began to clean and sterilize the medical supplies he had used, but the young girl had not moved. The retainer looked over at her and sighed before turning and wiping his hands off with a paper towel. For a moment, he simply watched her and considered his options.

The butler was about to suggest she go speak with Alucard or Integra. They would explain, rationalize, and lay it out for the young woman. Integra had had her father and himself to make sense of all this. Alucard was born and created in this atmosphere and Walter… well he was a mystery, but it was obvious he was cut out for this job. Then his conscious tugged him back a bit and he instead spoke to the girl softy, a new idea in mind.

"Rachel, why don't you go speak with Seras? I believe she will be of great help to you," the butler told her before gently shooing her from the small medical room. He took note of the way she gave him a questioning look before leaving.

Seras? Rachel thought it was a strange suggestion. She loved the young vampire woman, but she didn't know how the fledgling would be helping her with her current conflicting emotions. This was not something she was going to get over easily. This was going to take time and the terrifying thought was that there was no doubt going to be a few more missions before she was over this problem.

As she padded down the dungeon staircase, she wondered if Alucard was done with his report to Integra. Oh god, would Integra be mad at her? Would Alucard be disappointed? Would they both demand more training and studies? She was sure she had learned a great deal, but maybe she wasn't truly ready for all of this. Was there a chance she was already broken or something?

All these warring emotions and heart wrenching thoughts did little to dull the pain in her arm. She would have to find some pain-killers later. Oh crap, she wouldn't be able to sleep on her side for a while. Then that meant she would probably sleep on her back, which sometimes upset her stomach. They led to her getting up and wandering about her room for a-

"Ow," Rachel growled as she went nose first into Seras's door. She had been so engrossed in her tumultuous thinking that she had no idea she was mechanically walking into the young vampire's door. Groaning, she took a step back and rubbed her nose with her good hand. Luckily she had not been walking that fast.

The door opened to reveal the pale older woman, who obviously had great hearing. The buxom vampire looked to the young brunette and smiled softly before taking her hand and pulling her inside. Unlike normal, the vampire was not dressed in her usual Hellsing uniform. Instead the blond was wearing a long nightshirt and black pajama pants. Rachel just followed, blinking and taking it in.

Looking down, Rachel giggled softly. Seras was wearing one of the pairs of socks that she had gotten for her this Christmas. These were a dark blue with small yellow stars. On the stars were little grins and bright black eyes. They looked ridiculous on the no-life fledgling. If Alucard saw them he would no doubt scoff and poke fun at his fledgling for such things. Rachel on the other hand found them cute.

"Walter told me what happened and I got most of the story from Alucard before he was called away by Integra, but I want to know… what happened in there?" Seras asked gently as she sat the young injured woman down in one of her chairs and sat across from her. She pushed her bucket of ice and blood packet away, not wanting to make Rachel uncomfortable. The human was used to the blood. Alucard drank shamelessly in front of the girl and she stopped minding it a long time ago.

"I-I don't know," Rachel managed out with a hoarse voice. She hadn't realized she had not spoken a lot since getting back. "I was doing what I was taught. I was going through the warehouse and things were just... happening! I got shot and I screwed up. I don't know how I could have been so stupid!"

Seras reached out and gently took the teen's hand softly. With a very gently squeeze, she sought to calm the smaller female. Before Rachel, Seras was the youngest and newest in the manor. In the last few months it was like she had a little sister to care for. That was a job that she was taking seriously as she grabbed a blanket and slid it over Rachel's shoulder. Did the girl even know she was shaking?

'Am I shaking?!' Rachel thought to herself. Giving a groan, she bowed her head and held her head in her hands.

"Rachel, let me ask you: Are you mad because you got shot or because of… the ghouls?" Seras asked carefully, having to take a pause because she had had the same problem. This was not something that was easy to come to terms with.

The teen's hazel green eyes darted up to meet the blue of Seras's and the vampire knew. Rachel wasn't mad at herself because she got shot. Her body would heal and Alucard was no doubt just concerned for her safety.

"How do you do it, Seras?" Rachel begged for an answer, "I don't feel right doing it. It feels like I don't value their life and I… Seras, I don't even know how you… um… you know…"

"How I get by being a vampire? Possibly losing humanity little by little?" Seras finished for her bluntly. A small smirk lit her lips as Rachel blushed and gave a muttered apology.

The vampire took her good hand and pulled her over to her modest dresser. With a big grin, she pulled open the drawer. Rachel looked in, curious and nervous at the same time. What was Seras going to show her? Did she really want to know? Looking in, her eyes widened slightly. It took her a moment to work out what she was looking at.

Inside the dresser drawer was a pool of a bunch of different colors. There were a plethora of multicolored pairs of socks. They filled up almost three-fourths of the drawer and took over in the color department. Rachel let her eyes rove over cartoon cats and dogs, stars, moons, suns, flowers, stripes, dots, and so much more. There were a bunch of different socks and Rachel was sure she didn't even own this many pairs.

"Remember when I told you that I usually asked for silly socks as gifts or presents?" Seras asked as she picked up a pair and looked it over, "Well, it is something that I started doing soon after my first few missions. I knew that I was becoming something else. Alucard would not let me forget that I was no longer human and that humanity would do nothing for me. But it was so hard to fire upon the ghouls even though I knew they were past saving."

The young teen could only nod in agreement as she listened to Seras. She had had the same feelings while dredging down the hallway and taking out ghouls left and right. She watched as the vampire sifted through the socks and drew out one of the pairs that Rachel had given her at Christmas. Smiling, Seras moved back to the table and sat down.

"I've come to terms with my immortality. My duty in this world at this moment in my unlife is to make sure that the lost souls created by a vampire do not harm the living and move on to the next life. I have to detach myself while on a mission, but when I return I shower and wash the mission away. To reconnect with my humanity and to put just a small wall between myself and the monster, I put on the socks," Seras explained with a small smile. Rachel watched her with wonder and a small bit of child-like adoration. This young vampire was still a mystery in so many ways.

As the vampire slid off one pair and slid on the new socks she wiggled her toes with a glint in her eyes. Rachel moved back to the table and sat down, watching the midian as she pulled the curiously decorated garments onto her thin ankles. Mindlessly, she viewed the ritual before letting her mind mull over this new aspect. This brought a new, lighter dimension to this strange thing they called their career.

"So I get the socks on, drink my blood, and at that moment in time my monster and my humanity are at a truce," the no-life princess explained before reaching for the bag of blood. She glanced at Rachel and the teen just nodded with a small chuckle. It never bothered her when Alucard or Seras drank in front of her. It was what they were and the blood was given freely.

This made more sense than Rachel's own fractured self reassurances. She needed to find a way to come to terms with all this. What she was going to be doing was not fun and would hurt, but she needed to find a way to cleanse herself afterward. Socks were Seras's thing and Rachel didn't think it would work in the same way. Not to mention she was not fighting for her humanity, but rationalizing firing the gun at beings that were once human.

The teen stood, her black boots squeaking as she straightened and nodded. She set her fist in her hand and seemed to make a discovery within herself. Whether it was a true eureka moment or a small lapse of judgment, that was to be decided by the other members of the Hellsing household. Turning, she headed for the door. Before she slipped out Rachel looked back and smiled.

"Thank you Seras. Thank you so much," she told the midian before heading out of the room and down the hall. The brunette wasn't completely over what she had done, but she had an idea of what she could do to improve her outlook. Now she just had to confront Alucard with the idea.

Her door came into view and she looked home free, but then she noted the tall figure leaning against the wall near her entrance. Without the hat and red coat, the vampire patiently let the wall support him as he waited for Rachel to reach her destination. With a slow, hesitant gait she made her way toward the vampire. It wasn't like she was walking to the executioner, but she still felt a deep slash of guilt and shame cutting through her like the bullet had. She had let him down and endangered herself. What if they had shot Alucard as well while he was protecting her? Well, he could easily bounce back from such a thing, but it still didn't make her feel better. When Alucard's large boots came into view, she stopped and timidly looked up at him.

The young woman was within reach and as soon as he knew that, Alucard reached out and gently touched the sling with a gloved hand. He knelt down to her level and looked it over with calculating eyes. The sunglasses still perched upon the bridge of his nose, Rachel couldn't read his expression. He didn't seem angry or ashamed. The young woman was not an experienced vampire hunter like himself or Integra. She didn't have hidden skills like Seras or Walter. She was just… Rachel.

But there was nothing wrong with Rachel.

"How does your arm feel?" Alucard asked, ever the gentleman (not really) and breaking the silence first. The young woman looked up at the vampire and smiled softly. She then used her good arm and hugged him gently. He wrapped his long arms around her as well and held her against his chest with a strange amount of care that seemed strange from the gun-slinging vampire.

"I'm ok, Alucard," Rachel said softly. "I was careless, but I'm ok. So right now the only thing that hurts still is my pride. That will actually take more time to heal."

The vampire smirked before ruffling her hair and opening her door for her. The two of them went inside and she set herself on her bed. Normally she would toss herself upon the pillow-top, but glancing at her sling she re-thought that habit. Instead, she looked from her sling to the midian, considering him and her random request. Alucard considered her for a moment before sitting at the desk chair and steepling his fingers. He was obviously thinking of ways to improve her hunting skills.

Aside from making her a vampire, which was to come much later, she would need more practice in tense situations. Perhaps some simulations with the Wild geese or an obstacle course was in order; something that would keep her on her toes and train her mind to stay alert. He knew that bullet-proof vests only went so far and he was the best bullet-proof object she could take with her, but if he didn't pay attention for one moment, just one moment. If she didn't keep her wits and he didn't make it to her in time…

"Rachel, I think more training is in order before you go out into the field again, at least until the summer when you will not have frivolous school to worry about," Alucard began, cutting off Rachel's protest before she could start, "When you are free from school we can take you out again."

This struck her deeper than she would have liked to admit. Was he actually disappointed in her performance? The girl tried not to look hurt as she looked away from him and held her injured arm. More training meant she wasn't ready, didn't it? He didn't trust her in the field? Her heart gave a tight clench at the thought of making him less proud of her.

"Hey, stop that," Alucard told her, interrupting her thoughts with a stern snap. He couldn't read her mind as well as some others, but a teen's expressions were very easy to read. Rachel jumped at the sudden snap and looked up at him, confused for a moment.

"When you got shot, I lost control. I lost control for a couple of pathetic rats," the vampire told her as gauged her reaction. She looked to him and blinked in questioning. He continued, "You are important to me, Rachel. Do not press me to explain such a thing because I do not normally seek to make such connections with humans, but the feeling of responsibility is the most prevalent."

Laying back on the girl's, the dark haired immortal stared up at the ceiling while he considered what he was confessing. He could feel the teens eyes boring into his skull, expecting and to a certain extent silently demanding that he continue. The nosferatu did not like emotions. They were a human weakness and often he admonished Seras for holding so tightly to the hindrances. Yet here he was, telling the small human female that he had lost control of his rage in order to kill worthless trash for hurting what he considered his.

'Mine?' Alucard questioned himself silently. 'How is she mine? She is not my daughter, my master, or my fledgling. I met her in the backwoods of Missouri, United States and have no attachments to her. What is she? She is my-'

"Alucard, I want to go to church," Rachel suddenly interrupted his thoughts as the request slipped from her lips, unbidden and unexpected. They both seemed stunned by her admission. They looked at each other before she stumbled to catch herself in a foolish attempt to rescue what was left of her pride. "I-I don't mean to a s-service or anything. Just a church with the candles and a private place to pray or something."

The vampire briefly probed her mind curiously. When he caught a few slips about wanting to come to terms with killing ghouls and something about strange colored socks, he sighed. This seemed to be at the top of her list. A church, eh?

"I guess I can take you to a church," Alucard mentioned after a moment of deep thought. The question of course was: what church could he take her to? Rachel watched him, tilting her head to the side in child-like curiosity. She wanted to mention he didn't have to come. The girl could ask Walter or one of the drivers to take her later when it was daylight again. Then she saw the grin; that infamous grin that only Alucard could pull off. Oh goodness….

"You can't go anywhere without my accomplice," Alucard pointed out. The teenager blinked and rose a brow, her eyes taking on the same glint that sparked within the immortal's crimson orbs.

"I wasn't asking for an accomplice."

Authoress: OOH! LOOK! THE TITLE! I know I promised a bonus chapter, but I am still working on that one. I thought you guys might want the actual story chapter before that. You'll possibly get the holiday one later. I'm really sorry guys, but if any of you have lives, you know things happen!

As always, please read and review!

PS- Listen to Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" and think about Alucard's life and past life. Doesn't that TOTALLY describe him? Then also listen to the whole album. It totally is The Hellsing ALBUM!