Red Roses for Your Lover

“I’m a light sleeper, Seras. Don’t think you’re going anywhere.”

She had to try. Being alone with her only guard a sleeping Walter, she would have hated herself if she hadn’t tried to escape. She waited for what felt like forever, counting as high as she could in her head, trying to remember lyrics to songs she liked, trying to remember the names of classmates; anything to pass the time and keep her from the things that she’d seen and done in the past (eternity) three or four days. Eventually she felt that enough time had gone by and tried to slip out from under Walter’s arm.

It tightened around her before she could do more than shift her weight. His voice was a low growl in her ear, “I told you, I’m a light sleeper. I would never have lived through World War II otherwise.”

She settled back against him in resignation and tried to sleep. She could almost pretend that this was something normal and good. That she was in a railroad coach with her lover and they were on their way to a holiday at the beach. Almost.

She closed her eyes and drifted into a restless doze fraught with nightmares.

The feel of the sun nearing the horizon woke her. Seras couldn’t see the sun, but somehow she always knew when dusk and dawn were coming. These German vampires were mostly too weak to operate well during the day, so she could anticipate increased activity soon.

Walter’s arm was still draped across her. He hadn’t moved since her aborted escape attempt. She rolled over and met his alert gaze. “You’re a restless sleeper, Seras.”

“I wonder why, Walter?” she asked cynically. “You know what else I wonder? Why do you have me? I’m not a top dog with Hellsing or anything, but I’d think that, if I was important enough to take prisoner, that I’d be seeing some other members of your new club.”

He flashed his fangs at her. “I have you because I said I wanted you.” She closed her eyes as he ran a hand over her curves. “I wanted you before and didn’t, couldn’t say anything about it. I’m valuable and the fat man is trying to cement my loyalties beyond those the seals impose. You’re the coin with which he thinks to buy me.”

“But they can’t buy you this way, can they?” Less a question than a statement.

“No. Let the fools think what they want. I stay with them because I’m compelled to at this time. When that unfortunate problem is corrected, I will leave, sending as many of them to Hell on my way out the door as possible.”

“You remind me so much of Alucard talking like that.” Master, where are you?

“I have a better understanding of Alucard than ever before. What Millennium took from me with sorcery and surgery, your Master was simply born without.”

“Can you tell me anything about my Master? Since Integra released him in London, I haven’t been able to feel him the way I should.”

“Any information about Alucard is not for your ears.” He opened the cubby door and swung his legs out. “Your babysitter should be along soon. I understand that the fat man wants to meet you tonight.”

Seras chewed on his words. If Alucard were dead, Walter probably would have told her just to see the pain the news would bring. A frightening question came to her, “Will they do to me what they did to you? Will they kill my humanity for good?”

His scornful words floated to her as he dressed, “You’re not human. At least, I’ve never had a human woman suck my blood during sex before.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

He ducked in and laid a kiss on her forehead, “I know.” His smile promised that he knew more things than she could possibly imagine and that many of them would send her screaming.

Walter was almost perfectly turned out, merely putting the last touches on his appearance, when a knock sounded on the door. “Enter.”

Seras didn’t recognize the huge man who ducked through the door, but Walter obviously did. “Ah, Captain Günsche, I assume that your presence here means the Major is ready to see Miss Victoria?”

The tall man nodded.

“Am I to escort her?”

A silent headshake.

“Right. She’s quite weak. She won’t be able to put up any sort of resistance. I’ve been keeping her drained to just this side of unconsciousness. I’d warn you not to feed her, or to do so very cautiously because even she doesn’t know how strong she is yet.”

Without another word or look back, Walter left the room, leaving her alone with the man she had yet to see speak. Seras was inexplicably sorry to see him go. At least his was a familiar face, even if in unfamiliar circumstances. She thought she’d rather have that Schrödinger person here than this silent giant who was staring at her with an unreadable and unsettling expression.

Well, if he isn’t going to speak first, I guess I have to. “Captain Günsche, do you think I could have some clothes before meeting the Major? Please?”

The Captain looked her over. Seras did her best to look small and harmless, not difficult in most circumstances and even easier as weak and battered as she was. She really wished he’d say something.

No wishes granted in this hellish locale. He scooped her off the bed and left the room with her. I am really getting tired of being carried around like a baby.

All of the hallways were the same; same bare walls; same uniformed vampires making her skin crawl; same humiliating position of being unable to even walk to her own doom. When the Captain opened a door, it looked like Walter’s room. She wondered if they’d been walking in circles and she hadn’t noticed until she saw some minor differences – the bed was perfectly made and there was an open book on the desk. Someone else’s room, then. Whose? His? Seras’ chest tightened as she was hit with terror that this man was going to treat her the way Walter had.

The silent man set her on the chair at the desk and turned away to open the wall locker. She stole a quick look at the book on the desk, but Seras knew no German and it told her nothing. He held something out to her, a shirt. A shirt for someone his size was going to be a downright modest dress on the small woman. She smiled with gratitude and took it from him. With the sleeves rolled up and all the buttons closed, Seras was relieved to be dressed again.

The Captain helped her stand to pull the shirt down and then scooped her up again. A touch of kindness in this ugly place was enough to make her feel an irrational affection for the man…vampire.

More hallways, more Germans, more embarrassment at her weakness. She noticed, however, that none of the soldiers they passed in the corridors tried to talk to the man carrying her. In fact, as she watched, she saw that most of the people who saw the Captain coming seemed to duck into doorways or attempt to look very absorbed in something terribly important. It was enough to make Seras wonder quite a lot about him.

Another door and there was finally an end to corridors. This must be the bridge. It was enormous. It was filled with quietly bustling people, arrayed in a multi-level horseshoe of instruments that stretched out beneath the platform level they had entered on. The giant honeycomb-shaped windows looked out over the smoking ruins of London. The only light in the darkness of her city was the light of fires from wrecked buildings. Seras’ entire face tightened as she surveyed the evidence of her and Hellsing’s failure.

She had been so absorbed in the horror of her country’s loss that she had failed to notice the large chair at the front of the platform, which now swiveled toward her. Walter’s “fat man” beamed at her from his throne. His happy greeting pulled her away from her despairing fascination with the view, “Ah, Fräulein Victoria, what a pleasure to be able to speak with you at long last. Captain, put the young lady down.”

Captain Günsche lowered her feet to the floor. Seras tried to stand on her own, but her legs wouldn’t hold her and her tall escort had to support her to keep her upright.

Schrödinger popped into view behind the Major’s seat. “She was like that when I watched her yesterday, too. The Butler’s been keeping her hungry.” Were they speaking English for her benefit? She’d almost rather they didn’t bother.

The Nazi commander waved a hand negligently at his aide. Schrödinger winked at her behind the Major’s back and then settled himself at his commander’s feet, looking for all the world like a cat waiting to have its ears rubbed. The Major looked her over, eyes lingering on the various marks that weren’t covered by the long shirt. Seras found herself unspeakably grateful that the roses carved on her thighs and the designs on her stomach were hidden.

“So, our Butler has been taking care of you? That’s good. We don’t want you to feel neglected.” He was so casual about it. He obviously knew what kind of “care” Walter was taking of her. Seras hated him. Not just for what he’d done to London or Hellsing or Walter, but because he was an evil, despicable little pig and she wanted him dead.

“We do have other duties for you than merely keeping our Butler amused.” Seras scowled at the beaming monster, but kept her mouth shut because she was sure she would start screaming at him and never stop if she let herself speak. He seemed to be waiting for a response, but Seras was taking a page from Captain Günsche’s book and stood in silence. He raised an eyebrow at her that seemed to say, Alright, be that way. “You can keep Doc company while your Walter is out at night.”

“My” Walter? Keep Doc company? Seras’ anger flared hotter. It all sounds so sweet and civilized. Nothing here is sweet or civilized and you’re just a little pig that one day I will kill and eat. Seras tried to put her thoughts into her glare without coming out and saying it. He must have gotten part of the message because he pulled back, eyes narrowing for a moment, before leaning forward again and laughing delightedly.

“There’s the vampire who killed Zorin Blitz! Dear, impetuous, dead Jolene. I knew you were in there somewhere. Welcome!”

Seras noticed a few heads turn when he said that. She hadn’t realized so many people here knew or cared about that dead bitch. It made her feel strong. It made her feel hope again. That’s right, I killed her and I’m not done yet, just having a slight detour.