This is a lengthy chapter and I've read through it a few times, but each time I made different changes. So, after the most recent read-through that resulted in still more changes, I decided not to re-read the chapter again - which I would have done to make sure that there are no mistakes in what I added or changed. *This way the chapter will be uploaded today and not next week or later, depending on when I would find some free time.
If you come across any obvious errors that make understanding some part of the chapter difficult, then please point them out to me. *For any confusion, please tell me where in the text you became confused so I can fix the problem.
For anyone curious about the next update for Innocence is the Forgotten, Empty Rooms, or Eating My Wings To Make Me Tame - I am still working on the next chapters for these stories, so they are in the process of being updated. But I would suggest that you not hold your breath. It will take a while, at the very least another week, before I post a new chapter.
(Taking My Sanity, though it has not been updated for a few months, has not been dropped either)
Thank you. Have a nice day.
Vlad stared dimly at the ceiling, barely registering the sound of footsteps that stopped near his ear. His eyes scaled the sky-scraper like figure that loomed over him from where he was laying on the tiles. Vlad's expression was neutral while Hans' face was just as undecipherable. The man stuck out his hand, at first appearing to be offering his hand to assist Vlad in standing up, but the teen knew what the hand really wanted and handed the BlackBerry over to the oldest Anderson he had yet to meet. Hans accepted the phone, having to bend a little to reach it, and he stuffed the phone back into a clip he wore on his shorts, completing the work-out attire Vlad stared at without an obvious opinion while figuring out the purpose of the clothes.
The only thing out of place now…was the gun. Red eyes glanced over the weapon and then returned to it with a sharp jerk. Astonishment helped the red eyes become round when they traveled along the extended length of the barrel, blinking with fuzzy recognition. Damn. I think Jake's dad has one of those…or somebody. Shit, if I remember right, that thing's a monster. Shit…I had that thing pointed at my head?…fuck…I almost died today, didn't I?
Vlad closed his eyes, his face twitching before he erupted into a laughing fit that bordered hysteria. The maniacal laughter, however, failed to affect Hans and the green eyes bore down on the teen just as indifferently as they had before. But he refused to let this pale, red-eyed freak out of his sight. The kid, if Vladimir really was just a kid, was not someone he wanted under his roof or mingling with his children. No… the green eyes narrowed, observing the yawning cavern of the teen's jaws, locked in place as laughter poured out in an unceasing torrent… he didn't like the looks of this kid… at all.
I'm so glad I didn't fight back now. Vlad grinned for a moment, spirits rising as his mood stabilized and he stopped laughing. But wariness and forming resentment weighed down his lips when he looked up at Hans again, analyzing this man that was part of the Anderson family.
Somehow, distantly, in the back of his mind, Anderson's dad reminded Vlad of Walter. It must have been the scowl and the icy gaze…and probably that gun. Hans' punches were fast, very fast, but he wasn't as fast on his feet…if Vlad was just a bit faster, then Walter was a good deal faster. But their build was similar. Muscular but lean…nothing bulky unlike Anderson or Jake…but Walter had a body that possessed feline characteristics and stealth. While Hans was a quiet person, his body was not capable of the same stealth.
Hans had taken a different route to the front door, assuming the door was where Vlad was headed, so that he could swipe the gun from his room, still covering about the same distance that Vlad had, perhaps only a little less. So the boy was right. His speed was faster than a fifty-five year old man's, but that was nothing really to be proud of.
Two fingers snapped together, gaining Vlad's undivided attention, and the same fingers motioned back in the direction of the corridor that led to the kitchen. Vlad saw the sign, doing nothing for a moment so he could see the man scowl. He was already sore and achy, and his back cracked a few times when he stood, but Vlad managed to get to his feet and slowly toddle along after the man, stretching out his abused muscles with a few winces and a grimace for the stolid back he followed. But with time, Vlad straightened into a dignified posture and walked with longer strides into the kitchen where he parked himself by a counter while the blonde man fished around inside a drawer. Hans pulled out a large yellow notepad and a pen with a black cap that was soon removed. With another hard stare stabbing into the teen's face when Vlad slouched over part of the countertop with his elbows on the granite, green eyes flicked to the lined notepad to write in a print that was between cursive and regular characters.
How did you get in and why are you here? What relationship do you have with my son and daughter? What is your name and background? Have you stolen or otherwise taken advantage of my wife's hospitality?
Red eyes read the questions, squinting when they had a hard time making out a word or two. A pale hand reached for the notepad, taking hold of it, but Hans refused to let go. Their eyes met again, both sets narrowed and hostile. Impatiently, Hans jerked the notepad from Vlad's grasp and motioned to his own mouth with the un-capped pen, making a circular or emerging motion coming from his lips.
Speak.
Vlad blinked, taking in the message and he wetted his mouth, looking around for a way to make himself more comfortable. His legs were tired, so he moved towards one of the stools that were touched by the halo of a hanging light, where Alexander Anderson sometimes did his homework, having to hesitate and wait for Hans to reluctantly move out of the way and permit him to pass. The boy sat down, deflating a little when his body was allowed to rest, but he became more rigid again when Hans appeared on the other side of the countertop. The yellow notepad was placed at an angle that made the list of questions easier for the teen to reference.
Vlad was finally ready to speak so his eyes revisited the yellow paper and then looked up to meet the green stare.
How did you get in and why are you here?
"I used the wire you took…to take out the screen…I came in through the window next to the Christmas tree."
Hans would blink and his eyes might narrow as Vlad spoke, but his impassive expression never changed.
The teen licked his lips to get rid of any nervousness he was developing, and then continued. "I just came by to say 'hi' to Anderson….Alexander or whatever his first name is. I call him Anderson. I call his sister Female Anderson, because she's Anderson…just only female… And I call the Chief, Chief….cuz she's the chief of police and stuff in the city… Ummm-" Vlad took a breath and bit his lip, looking down at the pad again.
What relationship do you have with my son and daughter?
"Yeah… Anderson and I go to the same school…and I just met Female Anderson because she was with Anderson….and yeah, I guess Anderson is my friend…so….yeah. That's it for that one." Now the teen hummed in his throat, lowering his face more than he needed to so he could peer at the next question.
What is your name and background? Have you stolen or otherwise taken advantage of my wife's hospitality?
Vlad read this and frowned at both questions, a furrowed brow directed to the last question that made him pull away with a hint of a growl. A glower burned into Hans' unchanging face for a moment, and then the pale teen looked away with a snort of bare contempt. Hans didn't bother him that much, it wasn't contempt he bore for the man personally…Vlad resented the questions themselves. In a way taking after his uncle, Vladimir disliked giving away information about himself in too much detail, if he gave away any at all.
"I've never stolen anything or done anything to the Chief-"
The sharp sound of aggressive fingers snapping turned Vlad's head to Anderson's father again, and Vlad looked down at the pen that was moving over the pad.
Keep eye-contact when speaking to me. You will regret any lies you tell me, to be sure.
Irritated feet tapped at the floor and Vlad emitted a grumble when he read the sentences, one eye twitching when he frowned at the man that had written them.
"Fine. I can do that… I've never stolen anything or ever hurt or taken advantage of anything…I'm not using the Chief or Anderson or anyone else in your family, if that's what you're really asking." Vlad's eye twitched again, giving away the disdain he felt when something like doubt seemed to be present in Hans' face, though it hadn't changed. "My name…" The two pairs of eyes were fused together when the more personal subject was addressed, peripheral vision cut off in their tunneled focus. "…is Vlad…or Vladimir. Only the Chief really calls me that. Anderson and his sister call me Vlad. …What do you mean by background?"
Hans didn't show any impatience when he consented to make his question more specific. As for the name, he had figured that the boy's name was Vladimir (all credit going to his lovely wife who had informed him of the name in such a kindly tone - one that made his ears bleed). But now he didn't feel especially inclined to force the boy to tell him his full name. Those that strayed from the right side of the law might typically prefer to keep their full, legal name a mystery…Hans' frowned for a moment, then lost the expression with this thought.
Age. How you know my son - since you go to the same school - I want to know more about that. What illegal drugs, over the counter drugs, or prescription drugs you are on, if any. Do you regularly break into people's houses? Right now I can suspect you of attempting to burglarize my home. Your excuse for coming to see my son is weak. You only have a 5 dollar bill in your pocket and no wallet or identification. No driver's license. Have you ever been arrested? And etcetera.
Vlad sighed off the weight of the lengthy list and any aggravation it kindled, moving around on the stool like a pacing, caged animal. Interrogations, interrogations…interrogations are not fun. "I'm seventeen…and I guess it's a compliment that you're making a face like I'm lying. Cool. And….er….Anderson and I are in the same art class…he sat by me once or twice…a few times. I am not on any drugs…as for prescription drugs…I don't think I'm crazy enough for the crazy pill….and I'm not sick. I don't really break into people's houses to steal things because that's a felony that could throw me in prison…and I don't really ever want to go to prison or jail. Some guys think it's cool, but that's not my thing. I like being…not behind bars. I don't do well when I'm stuck with other people…so prison would be hell…and I'd probably get stuck in there forever and die. Ummmm….and...the next question is….oh. Yeah, no I wasn't coming to steal anything. I looked around for the Chief or Female Anderson to let me in quietly, but they weren't here, so I just used the window. I wanted to sneak up on Anderson and scare him…so…hm… Yeah, I'd like to have more than five bucks in my pocket, but, hell, that's life. Someone wants to make a million dollars a day, but they ain't gonna. Right? I don't have a wallet. A waste of money…don't need to pay for something to hold my money when I've got a pocket. I have a school I.D. back where I live…along with a driver's license. My friend is into cars and stuff, so he helped me out in getting one when I was sixteen. And…the etcetera is the etcetera… I don't have anything to tell you without a question. I can't think too much…I'm kinda stupid. So-"
Hans nodded at this, displeasing Vlad who managed to turn half of this feeling into amusement. The pen moved over the yellow pad again.
Have you ever been arrested? Was now underlined.
"Nope. I'm too fast for fat cops to catch. You had a hard time, right? And you're not out of shape or wearing the stupid uniform or anything."
Hans began to write something else, but his pen halted when Vlad suddenly asked him a question.
"Do you know when Anderson is getting back? Since he's not here, I'd still like to get a chance to scare the pants of him… It was supposed to be the highlight of my day and I spent five bucks and walked forever just to get here."
Hans was watching Vlad while the boy spoke, but he did nothing afterwards to answer the question or make any comments.
Have you ever hurt or exchanged any inappropriate comments with my children? - my daughter specifically.
Not making sense of this, the boy screwed up his eyes, wrinkling his brow. His demeanor and tongue were loosening over time, without his knowledge. "I'm not gonna hurt Female Anderson. Maybe, if she tried to kill me, but, I mean, even then that would all be by accident. If I hit a girl, I have a friend that would be ready to beat the tar out of me…and then, I don't want to hurt Anderson's sister. Female Anderson is his sister. I'm not going to hurt her-"
Vlad squinted at something Hans wrote.
You've never hit on my daughter or made any sexual suggestions to her.
In the right setting, Vlad's expression could have made people laugh when his mouth gaped and twisted to the side, his eyes becoming large and then narrowed and twitchy, an overall expression or horror that rose to display itself for Hans' eyes to view, managing, for the first time, to draw empty confusion from the man.
"Anderson's sister? Me? FEMALE ANDERSON? She's ANDERSON, only with boobs! But she's still Anderson! I'm not going to say- I- god, no… Okay." Vlad inhaled to compose himself and he set both of his arms on the counter, parallel to one another so as to make his back and shoulders as straight and serious as possible, his face resuming a more normal appearance. "What you don't get is that I…am natural girl-repellant." Hans continued to stare at Vlad and the boy's attempt at presenting him with concrete logic and fact. "Girls see me and they are pushed away by natural forces, you get it? Like the opposite of a magnet. Just-" Vlad put his hands together, green eyes following, and the pale hands were thrown apart as if the two had tossed each other way. "- pushed away, like that. That's me and girls, okay? Now, Anderson's sister is different. She isn't pushed-" Vlad repeated the example with his hands. "- away like normal. She's Anderson, just only female….you get it?"
Vlad, with both of his palms turned up, offering his explanation to Hans' judgment, waited expectantly for the man to nod with a distant look and agree with him. However, the father's face was still blank with the loss of communication between himself and the teen, unable to comprehend anything Vlad had described. He just stared at the boy, again reminded of the teen's confession to stupidity, and then he frowned down at the yellow notepad to continue with his questions, struggling to remember what they were.
Boobs are boobs, he thought with a small shake of his head and the memory of what teenage life had been like. It doesn't matter who they're related to, as long as it isn't you…. He had to shake his head once more and close his eyes in order to enable his hand to print the next question.
How did you know where this house is?
"Um. Anderson took me here one time." Vlad's eyes wandered away, forgetting the previous demand Hans had made to maintain eye-contact with him, but this time the man did not correct the boy…beginning to see him as such. The pale, red-eyed freak…intruder, was really just a kid…a 'space cadet', like his own son. Now it made some sense why Integra could tolerate this boy named Vladimir, despite his obvious background.
Vlad continued to speak with his eyes wandering while he checked on the archives of his memory. "And the Chief took me here a different time…and then another time…and another time. But this is actually the first time I've come here by myself…. Huh… That's kinda funny." Vlad smirked with a snort of humor, unknowingly pivoting on the stool he was sitting on, turning the seat one direction and then swinging his legs in the other so he would move. His eyes fell on Hans again and the smirk remained as a loose grin. "You know, you're not really so bad of a guy…not really. Lot's of people would do the same thing- Actually, no. They'd be so scared they'd shit themselves like freaken cowards, but you're actually pretty damn cool because you fought back. You didn't just run off to get a phone to call the cops to come save you. Really. It's awesome to have a guy who does things like protect himself, because I don't really think the average guy does that now adays. People are scared to do that cuz then they think 'oh nooo, if I punch someone I'll get huuurrrrt, or maybe I'll get in trooouble'." Vlad ended his impersonation that mocked the 'average coward', with a renewed smirk and a chuckle that complimented the expression. He looked directly at Hans again, taking note of his disposition and appearance. "You know what? I kinda like you now. You're like the Chief, and I like the Chief, and you're - you remind me of my uncle, a lot. I haven't seen you smile or anything yet, so it seems like you're the type of guy that does a lot of frowning and glaring, a guy that puts the cowards that are terrified of him, in line. And you've got that big-ass gun." Vlad gestured towards the gun that had been forgotten, making Hans look at the weapon. Vlad couldn't see the gun, but he assumed that Hans was keeping it in his lap since he hadn't seen him put it away or leave it somewhere on their way to the kitchen.
"And that's not just some rinky-dink gun you got there. That's some serious business. That thing can blow through walls that aren't brick or anything super hard, and maybe even cars. That thing spits out pretty big bullets- Pretty damn powerful, and the long barrel makes it scary accurate. Like a goddamn sniper rifle in your hands- but I mean that like how it's smaller, easier to carry around, and you can conceal it and hold it up with one hand-"
Vlad cut himself off to pay attention to what was being written on the yellow notepad.
Are you a gun enthusiast? You have seen this gun somewhere else before?
Vlad shrugged, not smiling anymore but not offended in any way. He had become more serious again.
"No. Not really. I don't look up guns or anything like that. I don't follow the latest models or 'weapons technology', whatever it's called. And no…I wouldn't have seen your gun somewhere before, but it's not completely uncommon to come across a gun collector, maybe, who has some interesting or uncommon guns. I know a gun enthusiast, or collector. And it's not some stupid young guy or punk who's gonna go around waving guns and shooting people like a worthless, stupid, scumbag. Okay? It's some adult. An older adult, too, older than you. He just has a collection and I've seen it. He has it protected so it's not dangerous. Everything's in cases and locked up so some dumbass can't come in and steal it to go on a shooting spree. Could've been him that had it, or maybe someone else…might've even been a movie. But…I don't know. …I do think I recognize it a little, a lot. Kinda do and kinda don't… maybe I'm making a mistake or..."
Vlad quieted, watching Hans cautiously now to see how much suspicion the man's face was capable of showing. The green eyes had hardened with hostility again.
Where did you see it? The pen demanded with a sharp jab into the notepad.
"I really don't know." Shoulders covered by a black jacket lifted and then pale hands left the counter to show in some way that he was telling the truth.
Hans' scowl darkened, but he let his eyes flick down to the counter. This 'Vladimir' is just a kid. Not a really bright kid either…
His hand swept over the notepad.
I don't want you to ever expose my kids to guns.
A few seconds went by while Vlad stared at the ink. He gradually moved his stare to Hans and the quiet lengthened. "And you say that while having one of those in your lap?"
It was quiet again, Hans frowning with an un-amused look. In the end, he decided to ignore the retort.
This gun is one of a kind. It can't be bought at a store or from any other distributor.
Hm… Anderson's dad really is an interesting guy. Red moved over the permanent scar that wrapped around the base of the man's neck, as if something had been looped around it…branding him forever so he could never forget its shape. Most likely the wound had something to do with his incapability to speak.
Not wanting to be rude, the teen transferred his attention to the notepad, scanning Hans' clothes along the way. Then he looked in the direction of the man's lap, wondering for a moment if he was sitting on a stool or a chair, assuming the latter with a second thought of how tall the chair would have to be to accommodate someone at this counter.
A custom made gun, huh. Jake's dad had a few of those in his collection, his most prized ones actually being the few guns his uncle had made for him… Walter tended to make guns only once in a great, long while. He designed them, crafted them, sometimes patenting them. Vlad was pretty sure his uncle had done some business with the army. The US army…maybe sold some stuff in England and Russia… The drawn blue-prints suggested the source of shared genes that gave the uncle and nephew something in common. Skill with a pen or pencil and putting down ideas in the form of images.
Talk of custom guns made the teen homesick for a home that had evaporated over a year ago, and the product of this sickness solidified in the form of a forlorn look that came to occupy his face, an emptiness that Hans could not make sense of.
Did the boy dislike being wrong that much? Or did he want a gun like this for himself?
Both of these possibilities left a bad impression on Hans, but the impression soon filled out again, erasing itself, when the man was unable to label Vlad's expression as one of petty desire or shallow disappointment.
I think I'll get more information from Integra. She must know more about the kid. She's not the type to allow a stranger into her home…
Though Vladimir had been identified as a kid at this point, Hans was unable to forgive Vlad for the fact that he had chosen to sneak into his house without permission. He still had doubts, but his antipathy regarding Vlad had been diminished.
Exhaling, Hans let himself check his watch, taking his eyes from the teen's expression to revive reality. He was a busy man with responsibilities that needed the attention the boy had stolen.
The hour hand was just past the eleven, and the minute hand had passed the fifteen minute mark. 11:17 a.m.
Damn it. The kid had taken up a lot of his time. An annoyed frown that affected every aspect of Hans' face directed itself to the pale teen, and then the man stood up, dragging the notepad towards himself and spinning the pen between his fingers to get a good grip to write.
Come with me.
With that Hans left the counter, pausing at the edge of the kitchen to make sure Vlad was coming with him, and then he strode over tiles with a quick pace the boy did not enjoy mimicking. But Vlad forgot his discomfortwith the introduction of curiosity that animated his eyes, giving them energy to roam about the interior of the Andersons' master bedroom.
All of the dark wood furniture….the size….and it was so shiny.
Red gawked at the expensive luxury that radiated from a single leather reading chair in the corner with a bookcase that had a rail set up in a style similar to a whiteboard at the teen's school. One bookcase in front of a much longer bookcase, that could be pushed in one direction or the other to reveal a different half of the back bookcase… And it was filled with books, even magazines related to science that were in the order of the dates they had been published.
Hans stood in the middle of the room with another shiny object in his hand, pondering where he should place the teen that was currently fascinated with his bookcase and was sliding the movable section, pausing to look at the different books. He approached the boy when Vlad was still distracted and bent down to grab the rail that cut through part of the carpeted floor, checking to see if his fingers could slip around it. Vlad looked down to see what he was doing, blinking at the odd behavior and frowning when he heard a familiar metallic clicking sound, but he forgot about the sound for a moment when Hans, without warning, grabbed the teen's arm and pulled it down towards the rail. The metallic sound came again and in the next moment, Vlad was bent over and staring at the shining bracelet on his wrist…which was attached to another metal bracelet that was secured to the bookcase's rail.
Gaping at the police grade handcuffs and stupefied into silence, Vlad stared at the cuffs, pulling at them once, in disbelief, to see if he was truly stuck. A heavy hand clamped down on his thin shoulder, startling the boy that transferred his gape to the stern man beside him. Hans shook his head and pointed down at the cuffs, in this way telling Vlad to look at them. With another jolt upsetting his nerves, Vlad was pushed down to his knees and then released and presented with a book labeled Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, selected randomly by Hans.
When Vlad did nothing but stare at him, Hans lost his patience and resorted to stuffing the book in the teen's hood before striding from the bookcase to leave the room. Vlad's body twisted to watch him go, still gaping and numb with surprise.
Seconds before the door closed behind Hans, the boy managed to gasp out an outraged 'HEY!', but by then it was already too late. Hans had escaped and left Vlad handcuffed to a bookshelf, most likely for the purpose of encouraging the boy to educate himself and prevent him from getting into any mischief so Hans could resume his schedule for the day.
Without the heart to break the bookcase (it belonged to the Chief and it was too cool to break), the teen kneeled on the carpet, gazing blankly about the room, getting a handle on his new situation. He frowned and angrily sat back on his heels to glare at the books, guessing what Hans was trying to tell him about his intellect - that it was limited and needed two freaken bookcases worth of improvement. Feeling the hard shape of the book in his hood, Vlad snatched it out with a growl, then manipulated his body so that he was sitting on the floor with the book flattening the carpet, pushed down by his hand. But with time, Vlad's eyes drooped with boredom and he glanced at the book that was becoming more and more attractive.
Locked up without anything else to satiate his lust for entertainment, Vlad opened the cover of the book and frowned all the while his eyes scanned the tiny print, developing murderous hatred for the Beadle and the men that abused poor little Oliver Twist who was just a young boy who was hungry…and wanted just a little bit more than the pitiful amount of food he had to live off of.
There's nothing wrong with wanting just a little bit more in life.
No harm in asking a simple question.
Vlad sat with his back against the shelves of the bookcase, pulling his knees up to his chest with his cuffed hand encircling his ankle while his other hand supported the book his eyes devoured. And so, time flew by.
*~*~::..+..::~*~*
When Anderson and his sister opened the garage and found their father's glistening, black Rolls Royce inside, beaming grins instantly brightened their faces. Anderson parked quickly, and safely, and threw open his door when his sister was already closing the passenger door, and both rushed into the house, aiming for their mother's office where their father occasionally set up a home office. But they found it depressingly empty. Swinging their blonde heads to scan the area, Seras' blue eyes widened and then sparkled with excitement when they landed on the glass door that opened to the back yard.
The morning gloom had burned off hours ago and a sunny blue sky, accented by a few fluffy clouds, allowed anyone who lay outside in the sun long enough to feel like it was already Spring. Hans was absorbing as much sunlight as he could with a shirt folded next to the green mat he had covered with a white and blue striped beach towel, and was using the cushioned mat to relax with a thick grant sitting under his nose. When a screen door slid open behind him, the father moved to look back at the house, peaceful happiness softening his eyes and mouth when his daughter ran towards him playfully, pretending to be a little girl again. Seras collapsed beside her father, forcing him to scoot over before hanging onto his neck with an ecstatic, giggling grin. A small, disproportional smile, almost too faint to be detected, lifted a corner of Hans' lips when he listened to his daughter, who he knew would outgrow this behavior eventually as she matured further into woman-hood, chatter about how happy she was to see him and about how he had been gone for too long. Green moved back to the house when Alexander emerged from the open screen with a cheerful smile. A tan hand lifted to welcome his father, and, with shared humor for Seras' demanding behavior, Hans mirrored the show of acknowledgement, unable to do much more with his daughter clinging to him like she was.
"Hey Dad." Anderson continued to grin, his lips unable to shake off his joy, though his tone was cool and casual. "When did you get back?"
Hans, still locked in a daddy's-little-girl-vice, could not move his hands to respond, so Anderson frowned a little and told his sister to stop trying to strangle their father so he could answer the question. Seras shot a frown at her baby brother, but then was too happy to complain. The girl sat back on her calves, smiling happily at her father and chuckling mischievously when he moved about to sit up in a comfortable position.
She calmed with a more manageable smile for the man she was kneeling in front of. "I'm glad to have you home. I was afraid that you wouldn't get back until next week, and then I wouldn't get a chance to greet you… Living in dorms is a pain…I really miss you guys sometimes…even Andy-Alex here." She smirked back at the boy who grumbled, but then the two siblings brightened, focusing on their father's hands when they moved in familiar gestures.
My plane landed this morning. I was home by ten o'clock, thereabouts. Where were you two all morning?
Anderson responded. "Yumie had a club activity, and Heinkel was there too. Seras wanted to come along, so I took her. We baked some cookies and brownies at Yumie's house and then met up with some other people, kids from our school, and sold whatever we baked in the park."
Did you make enough money?
Not to be outdone, Seras chirped her own contribution to gain her father's attention, nodding enthusiastically. "In total we made over three-hundred dollars. Luckily, there was some other community project going on today, and there were plenty of hungry people planting trees and flowers around the park. Plus the little kids came over from the playground with their moms or dads, or their grandparents, and they bought up most of the chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies. I brought a few so that you and mom could try them. …Do you want one? They're really good."
Pausing to consider the girl's offer, Hans glanced at his papers but then recalled the limited amount of time he had unfortunately been left with lately to spend with his kids, so he nodded and got up, pulling on his shirt before following his almost fully grown and independent children inside.
Hans spent almost an hour, during which he ate one oatmeal raisin cookie, listening to Seras and Anderson as they prattled on about school or things they had found amusing before he returned to his work outside. Seras soon joined him with her own towel, dyed with vibrant tropical colors and decorated with flowers, setting a book on the ground when she brushed the folds out of her towel and lay down to read in the sunlight. Anderson took longer to make an appearance, but he eventually came out to enjoy the sun with a towel and his laptop, checking emails after buying four tickets for a movie showing tomorrow night that he had already planned on attending with his sister, Yumie, and Heinkel.
Heinkel and Yumie weren't very 'girly' girls, and he hung out with them more often than he hung out with his guy friends. They'd known each other since Pre-School, and though they had spent Elementary and Middle School apart, they had kept in touch through organizing plenty of play dates when they were kids.
It was quiet while the day progressed in the way it desired, a breeze guiding clouds further inland, intermittently clearing and darkening the sky. When clouds rolled in and refused to burn off, the trio of Andersons folded up their towels and transplanted their work to a new location.
Anderson went up to his room, Seras plopped down on the couch in her mother's home office, and Hans claimed his wife's desk to get some more work done. The three were still occupying these locations when Integra came home at 5:15 p.m., when the lights had been turned on and all evidence of the sun's existence had almost completely disappeared from the horizon.
Seras sat up when she heard her mother close the garage door, and immediately the girl closed her book then took it with her when she ventured into the significantly darkerened halls, flipping light switches along the way. Eventually she met her mother, turning on another light switch that revealed her presence to Integra.
"Hi Mom. You know that Dad's home, right?"
"Thank you." The exhausted working-woman sighed, still casting off the stress that had collected as a dense weight on her shoulders through her work hours, adamant about not allowing her job to affect her family life, and she nodded, walking past her daughter. A side bag was hanging from her shoulder, containing her laptop and paperwork, with an additional purple file tucked under her arm; her outward appearance betraying the level of responsibility she possessed. "And 'hi' Seras." She threw a tired sigh to the side when an ache knotted itself in a muscle holding up her bag. She wanted to unload quickly but decided to carry her burden for a few extended seconds in order to pay attention to her daughter. "If your father hasn't already told you (assuming he's forgotten again)…we're all going out to dinner. Your father made reservations for 6 p.m. tonight."
"Oh." Seras blinked and followed her mother, catching up to walk by her side. "No. He forgot, I guess. But that sounds great." She added quickly to obscure her father's mistake when Integra grimaced. "I'll tell Alex to get ready...When do we leave?"
"In about a half-hour. Pick out something nice, but it doesn't need to be too nice. He didn't tell me where we're going yet."
Seras nodded and broke away to inform her brother of the plans for that night, but she stopped when her mother turned back to her and wanted her to wait.
"Is Vladimir here?" The woman asked, her face becoming more stern and serious than Seras was accustomed to when speaking to her mother.
The girl's brow crinkled, blue eyes blinking at the woman, giving Integra her answer before she spoke. "Vlad? Um…no…I haven't heard from him. Why? Did you speak to him?"
With a disappointed sigh, Integra shrugged with her weighted shoulders, looking away to find a place to store the irritating feeling. "Yes. Apparently he was here earlier." She glanced at her daughter as Seras' face showed surprise, widened blue blinking again. "Your father didn't mention it, I suppose." The flat voice received the answer it expected when the girl shook her head, still pondering the elusive teen's visit.
"No. He didn't say anything at all. -But he's been busy."
"Uhuh." Integra nodded, biting her lip when it twitched; the lip having hoped to create a scowl when the white teeth stopped it. "And so have I, dear, but I still remembered." She turned on her heel with the scowl escaping her teeth when she spoke, beginning to walk again while calling back to her daughter. "Seras. We're going to have to work on your father's memory. We wouldn't want him becoming senile now, would we?"
Seras, intimidated by the menacing voice scampered off to find her brother so she could tell him that he needed to get ready to leave and then warn him about their mother's poor mood, as well as the curious reason for it.
Integra continued down the hall with her bag and purple file, dismissing her anger when she thought of how hard her husband worked and how tonight was supposed to dedicated to their family. She would forgive the man, she supposed, closing her eyes when she stood in front of her bedroom door. The calmed blue orbs opened with the door and Integra took a few steps inside before her head turned instinctively towards the alien presence sitting in front of her bookcase.
Vlad perked up like a neglected puppy, displaying a wide grin that welcomed the woman's presence, eager to be freed so that he could run off to the bathroom, stretch his legs, and maybe get a drink of water. He asked for these things with his excited smile while Integra stared at him with empty features and a dimming gaze, focusing on his discolored cheek before letting her eyes drop down to the handcuffs attached to the bookcase's railing. Another moment passed with Vlad waited for her, expecting to be liberated, but to his dismay, the woman marched to the door, grasped the wood frame to swing most of her body out into the hallway and then….
"HANS! IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TWO CHILDREN, I WOULD NOT HESITATE TO THROW YOU IN A PRISON CELL TO ROT!"
*~*~::..+..::~*~*
With that, Integra released the doorframe with an additional curse asking God to damn the man she had married, marching down the hall after leaving her bag in the bedroom and throwing the purple folder onto her already cluttered bed. Seconds later, she marched back down the hall with her guilty husband in tow. The unfortunate and forgetful Hams was frowning and shaking his head, attempting to explain to her that he had simply forgotten.
Merciless, Integra growled at him, ordering the man into the bedroom so he could retrieve the key that would unlock the handcuffs, growing angrier when Hans couldn't find it. "Hans, one of these days I might forget that you're my husband, and that I'm a law enforcement officer…AND THEN because I FORGOT I might accidentally kill you! Forgettingisn't enough to make a good excuse! You hurt this boy and then handcuffed him for who knows how many hours! That is inexcusable, Hans! In-ex-cusable!" She spat out her words with a venomous tongue, a glare following the silent man as he dissected a drawer in an attempt to find the missing key. "Don't tell me you forgot where you put the damn key!"
With a heavy sigh and ruffled hair that showed Hans had indeed made an effort, the man sat back on his haunches in front of his ravaged drawers, unfolded socks and clothes sticking out in every which direction. His eyes met hers when he lifted his hands.
I'm sorry.
Fury scorched her face, adding color to it, and Integra bit her trembling lips, staring death into her almost prostrate husband before she threw a finger towards Vlad, who until this time had been curled up next to the bookcase, watching with intimidated and pitying eyes. Guilt weighed on his face now, when he saw that Integra's rampage had yet to run out of fuel
She spoke in a raised voice that grated Hans and Vlad's consciences. "Apologize to him, Hans! Not to me! You didn't attack me and then handcuff me to a bookcase!"
No. A fully grown man did not need to apologize to a stupid kid. This guy didn't deserve this. This- this was the Chief's husband, the Andersons' family- They shouldn't be fighting. Vlad looked down at his lap, cringing at the woman's unpleasant tone while feeling his stomach acids churn with anxiety when she continued to yell. His hands clenched into fists to fight off the guilt-induced nausea.
"Chief!"
Integra became distracted when she heard Vlad's voice compete with her own, quieting when she listened to him for the sake of not punishing the boy with her anger unintentionally.
"Chief." Wary red eyes watched Integra, searching for signs of another outburst. Vlad hesitated, but proceeded after swallowing and wetting his lips awkwardly. "It's okay. It's not such a-"
"It is not okay Vladimir!"
Vlad cut her off again, raising his voice and waving his hand to snatch at her attention; loathe to endure being the cause of a fight between Anderson's parents for another agonizing second. "You did the same thing too when you found me in your house, right? You got me and cuffed my wrists, right? It's kind of like the natural response for this kind of thing, Chief. It's okay. It really is…just okay." Please, don't yell anymore. Please…
The storm was subdued by a sudden gust of recollection that fought and tamed the gale of Integra's fury, taming the woman who said nothing and shielded her eyes from the boy's view by turning her head.
Her husband, who had not known of this, was surprised by the news, feeling a weak flush of indignation for the unjust treatment he had suffered, but he put off the feeling with a shake of his head, hiding the uneasiness this news inspired, and he diverted his attention back the his drawers to think of any other location the key might be found. Apparently, his wife shared the same thoughts, for she began to search for the key just as Hans got to his feet to look through a different part of the room.
Eventually, Integra spoke again; her voice almost gentle after the storm had subdued. "Vladimir, none of this should happen. You're as welcome to come to our house as any of Alexander's other friends. …I'm sorry for treating you the way I did in the past, and I'm sorry for how my husband has treated you."
Vlad was quiet, observing the strong and willful woman while she apologized to him, something no one could ever take lightly. His eyes darkened when he looked down at his lap as if to see the squirming nausea he felt, warp the appearance of his stomach. Black bangs crept into his face. A proud, respectful, and dignified woman such as Integra should never have cause for feeling shame. The fact that he had done this to her, darkened the boy's features as his loathing for himself grew.
"Chief, it's okay…before, you had a reason to not trust me. You still have reasons to hate me right now, but you're nice to me…anyway." Integra listened while she rummaged around in her furniture, her husband also listening in with a furrowing brow, grim sternness marking it.
Vlad continued. "…And today, I came by because I wanted to surprise Anderson - to just walk in on him and scare him - kind of surprise. Be like 'Whoa, what are you doing here?' and stuff. So I climbed in through the window. …I didn't see anyone to let me in, but I wanted to scare Anderson, so I didn't knock or ring the doorbell or anything… He-" Vlad put emphasis on the pronoun to refer to Hans. "-thought I was breaking in. None of it is his fault, or your fault. …It's my fault, here. I did it, so…I'm sorry. And-" He cleared his throat and sat up straighter with a 'cheerful' thought that might hold the solution to the whole situation. "And, you know, I can take care of the handcuffs if he gives me back my wire."
Both of the adults stopped to look at the boy, Hans being expressionless while Integra watched Vlad, stunned, doubtful, and wary of what he had said…or perhaps…confessed. She looked at Hans when he attracted her attention to tell her about the wire and the paperclip the man suspected had helped Vlad sneak into their house. More caution and disturbance entered the woman, but these things were forgotten when a timid knock sounded at the door.
Integra opened the door to see who it was and her husband quickly slipped out of the room, passing his sheepish daughter. He paused long enough to spare a comforting pat for her worried, blonde head. Seras, already flustered, became more confused by the relaxed atmosphere that seemed to hang to the departure, and she stared at her mother, twisting her hands in an anxious way.
Her parents never, or very rarely, fought. It perturbed her when they did, always conscious of how common divorces are these days. But when she saw how quiet her mother was, her worst fears faded away, and she sighed with relief. No, her parents loved each other and they were happy together. They would never file for divorce. Never….though, the 'impossibility' might become more possible when Alex moved out… No. It was just a stupid fear. She was sure of that now.
When Seras seemed to be busy with her own thoughts, Integra let her face soften and she told the girl that she had nothing to worry about. She had just been a little angry, but it was over now. "Your father just forgot about something important again."
"Oh." Seras' thoughts flew automatically to her mental calendar, checking to make sure there were no birthdays or anniversaries that she might have overlooked, finishing in time to have nothing to distract her when Integra swung the door back and pointed to a bruised, restrained Vlad who was staring at her with an awkward, chronic twitch in his mouth, like he was trying to give her a lighthearted smile but was unable to do so in his current predicament.
The girl's eyes became perfectly round and she stared, stunned beyond being able to function. In the background of her stupor, her father's footsteps approached. The man slipped past the blonde females that watched him go, blue eyes following Hans when he went to Vlad and handed the boy a thin, flexible wire and stepped back so he would have enough light to work.
When, in a time that did not exceed thirty seconds, Integra's nerves received an unpleasant shock of mixed feelings, none of them positive, and Vlad unlocked the first cuff, Seras finally regained control of her motor skills. The girl's mouth was the first thing to move.
"You hurt Vlad? ..Dad?"
Interested in seeing his daughter's reaction to perceive how she felt about the pale delinquent, Hans looked at the girl's face. She showed him astonishment, disbelief, and hurt confusion that lowered his eyes, removing the natural rigidity in his features that was inherent to his nature. He did not acknowledge that he had been responsible but he did not deny the blame either, remaining still and silent when Vlad finished with the other cuff.
The boy folded the handcuffs to collect them in his palm before rubbing at his sore wrists with a thankful smile. He got to his feet, rolling his ankles to dislodge the discomfort that lingered in them, while he glanced at each of the different Andersons in the room. They were all watching him, and none of them were speaking.
"That's it then." With this murmur, the teen approached Hans and offered him the handcuffs while contorting his wire into a ball and stuffing it deep into his pocket for safe-keeping. "Here's your handcuffs back. And-" He rotated to face the door where Integra and Seras were standing. "Can I use your bathroom and then go scare Anderson real quick? I've gotta go, since it's dark and everything. I looked through your books, but I put them back where I found them, so that's about everything…"
Vladimir... Integra closed her eyes and took a breath, adopting the indomitable front that would complete her character when, in a normal tone, she gave Vlad permission to use the bathroom as well as permission to scare her son. Vlad smiled, a mask with a few thin cracks the woman was able to detect, though she didn't show it, and the boy thanked her and then asked 'Female Anderson' not to betray his plans, before running off to the upstairs bathroom near the guest room he had slept in before.
Integra, after a time, asked her confused daughter to finish getting ready, if she had not already finished, in order to give Hans and herself time to prepare to go out. Time that might be spent in silence.
*~*~::..+..::~*~*
The characteristically blonde Alexander Anderson, a creature well suited for life in his natural habitat, the rather comfortable and peaceful setting of his bedroom, was currently visiting the local wireless signal to refresh his teenage body's demand for internet exposure, when, unknown to him, his natural predator sat crouched behind his computer chair, like a lion hidden in the grass on the Serengeti plains. With a toothy, hungry grin filling his face, paralyzing his other features that were molded into a display of excitement, the predatory Vlad licked his lips, steadying his aim as he crept into a ready tackle position. Then, with all the savagery of a wild animal and a vicious roar that would serve to strike terror into his prey, the Vlad pounced on the unsuspecting Anderson; long, thin fingers grabbing the muscular shoulders of the Anderson while the Vlad's open grin brought his roar next to a tan ear.
A terrified, high pitched scream filled the Anderson house, broadcasting hunter-Vlad's triumph to all of the other Andersons in the vicinity. Then the scream was followed by the victorious cackles of the beast that feasted upon his victims fear with sadistic glee and little grace.
Vlad stepped back, still laughing while Anderson gasped for his dignity, grasping the collar on his shirt and twisting around to gawk at the pale teen, the blonde sputtering nonsense for a moment. Then he finally stammered Vlad's name, sending Vlad off on another bout of laughter until the delinquent doubled over and fell to the ground, gasping for breath so that he could laugh harder when Anderson's expression didn't change.
"I got you! I got you! Oh god! That was freaking perfect!" Vlad howled his mirth and gasped some more, peeking up to see Anderson's face compose and develop a scowl that amused Vlad to no end.
Anderson allowed Vlad to have a generous amount of time to enjoy himself, spinning his chair to face the other teen while crossing his arms patiently. When the delinquent had stopped laughing and lay limply on the ground, emitting airy outbursts of hilarity from time to time, Anderson lost some of his scowl to rising curiosity, and then worry, when he finally spoke. "When did you get here?" Did he hear my parent's fighting? Mom was yelling earlier…don't need him seeing that and getting the wrong impression…
Vlad's lips curled, his eyes flashing at Anderson when he identified a new game. Then the pale teen rolled over and took his time getting up, dusting himself off to prolong the interlude. "What are you talking about? I've been here all day."
Anderson's eyebrows fell flat and he stared at Vlad, not entertained. "No. Really…when did you get here? …Did you hear anything earlier?"
Vlad ignored the last question, keeping his smile when he looked about the room, wandering a little. "No…really, I'm telling the God-honest truth. I've been here alllll day, practically, Fat Ass."
"Don't call me that." Anderson snapped back, having forgotten the name in Vlad's prolonged absence. He was unused to the name now, and less tolerant.
Vlad continued with a smirk. "I've been here since this morning."
"Right."
"Really."
"…Just tell me. I'm not up for this right now."
"…Anderson…you're boring today."
"…"
With Anderson's reluctance to join in the immature conflict Vlad was endeavoring to start, Vlad's hyper-ness toned down, leaving two pale hands laying in the teen's lap when he sat calmly on the carpeted floor. He chose to change his seating arrangement, standing to fetch the extra chair he had used once before to explore Youtube with Anderson. This time he placed the chair in the corner, a little ways off from the desk, but comfortably in his own zone of isolating space. Anderson watched without commenting as these changes took place.
Vlad pivoted on his rolly-chair, leaving his gaze on the floor, too nervous or uncomfortable with looking the other teen in the eye when he spoke.
"Hey, Anderson-"
"Now you actually have a real greeting." Anderson huffed, displaying more humor in his tone this time. The interruption that Anderson appeared to be ignorant of, startled Vlad, bringing his eyes to stare at the tan jock before the delinquent gave a quirky smile and swiveled his chair, taking his eyes to the floor and keeping them there.
"Yeah, hey Fat Ass. I forgot to say that."
The 'Fat Ass' muttered something, but didn't pronounce his displeasure to a further extent.
Coaxing his features into a casual expression, Vlad swallowed, gradually stilling the chair. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "No but…hey, what kind of guy is your dad? Like, do you get along with him? Does he seem nice? He's- just what type of person would you say he is?"
Unprepared to answer this, and not sure if he was willing to come up with a description of his father, Anderson averted his eyes, humming when quiet seemed to last too long after Vlad had asked his questions. "Um…I don't know. You just need to know him yourself…I mean-" The green eyes gained the confidence necessary to look at Vlad, meeting the red eyes that were turned to him. "I could introduce you to him. He's here right now."
Vlad's lips tipped upward ironically and the red eyes flicked away from Anderson's face, though the rest of him remained stationary. "Na. You don't need to do that, Anderson. I already met him, earlier, when I was downstairs." There was a pause which Vlad tried to fill with a swivel of his chair. He swallowed again, feeling the thirst that had accumulated through the day. "You like your dad? You get along with him? -I just never got along with my dad very well…so I was wondering."
"Hm? Yeah. Oh yeah, sure we get along." Anderson's voice seemed a bit forced, weakened for some reason, so he cleared his throat and gave a fake grin, fighting off the odd discomfort he was experiencing. As his nerves settled down, the grin became more natural, the transformation being noted by Vlad who looked up again to watch it. "No, he's gone sometimes and he's not home as often as some people's parents, but that hasn't affected our relationship or how we are as a family, at all. He knows what's going on in our lives when he's not there. Today we spent most of the day together."
Vlad looked away again, turning on his chair slowly, resuming his previous swivel motion. "You came back at 2-something though, and it's only about 5:30 p.m."
A little surprised by the knowledge, but assuming his mother or Seras had informed Vlad, Anderson shrugged off the detail. "I was busy earlier. That's all."
A quiet that didn't sit well with either teen, filled the room. Eventually, Anderson's hands itched to find something to occupy them, and he glanced at his laptop. Green went to Vlad again, causing him to look up and view Anderson's lopsided smile.
"Wanna watch something, or listen to some music? This site called Pandora is like an internet radio station, you put in a song you like and the site will play different songs that are similar to it."
Vlad saw the laptop that was now showing a screen-saver. He glanced at the window and decided that it was already dark, so it didn't matter if he stayed for a couple of extra minutes. Vlad shrugged and scooted his chair to the desk. "Sure."