Fair Ground.

Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs people who are not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: Teen and up – due to depictions of violence and child death.

Authoress note: this is a very tenacious and an odd little idea. But it won't leave me be.

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{Seras}

The freak had decided to hunt children.

The call had come in and the men's faces had fallen. No one wanted to walk into a battlefield where the bodies littering the ground were children. They had suited up in silence and the ride over had been lacking the usual macho camaraderie of men about to face off against monsters. Seras stepped out of the van and sighed. They were at the fun fair.

"What's wrong?" Pip said from beside her.

"You mean other than what we're about to face?" Seras said. "I used to love the fair when I was …little." She had almost said human but stopped herself.

"Ah yes, the rides, the screams, your girl holding you tightly on the ghost train," Pip looked wistful for a moment, Seras rolled her eyes.

"Fair's hold a lot of happy memories for me, I don't want to lose them," Seras said.

"Why would you lose them, this won't change your good memories. Those good times still happened." Pip looked confused, Seras took a deep breath trying to ignore the reek of blood coming from the ghost train opposite them.

"Typical," she muttered.

"What?" Pip said.

"He's in the ghost train," Seras said, glad Pip was following her change of subject. "It's just so corny." Pip's radio buzzed, and he lifted it. Seras could hear Integra on the other line perfectly well despite being several feet away.

"Hold your men back," Integra said abruptly.

"But we just got here," Pip said. "We're already setting up a perimeter."

"Once the perimeter is set you are to hold back, mop up anything that tries to escape but do not engage the target. I'm on my way."

"You're the boss," Pip said putting his radio back into its holder on his hip.

"Odd," Seras said. "Something must have happened, maybe new information?" Pip shrugged and lit his cigarette.

"You know as much as I do," he said exhaling a plume of smoke.

Seras watched as Pip co-ordinated the perimeter set up and tried to busy herself with patrolling the grounds. She moved quietly through the silent fairground. The owners had set up the rides in the center of the small market town, fortunately, their caravans were located on the edge of town. At least that meant less collateral damage, hopefully. Seras stopped at the edge of the bumper cars and started remembering years ago when she used to go to the fair every year, she'd never had many friends but she had always come to the fair anyway. She had loved the bumper cars, a safe and agreeable way to take out her anger at the world.

She heard a gunshot and turned, she knew that gun. Her master was here. She headed back to where Pip was waiting, he looked pale and shaken.

"What's wrong?" she said.

"Nothing," Pip said, she could practically see him putting his mask back in place. From inside the ghost train, she heard a roar, pip flinched.

"It's just master," Seras said slowly, that roar had sounded furious. It wasn't like him, everything was a joke to him. There was another gunshot and a scream of pain, another shot, and the scream grew louder. "what is he doing?" Seras said.

"I'm glad I'm out here," Pip said. The doors to the ghost train slammed open and a ghoul lurched out, it was moving quickly by ghoul standards and its usual mindless expression looked afraid. There was a quieter shot from above them and the ghoul fell. Seras heard Integra's car pull up as more ghouls tried to escape the confines of the ghost train. Several being gunned down from inside. That was unusual, Alucard didn't normally bother with ghouls.

"He's inside?" Integra said approaching.

"I'd say so," Pip said. "He went in like a man possessed."

"Yes well," Integra pulled a cigar out of her pocket. "It was killing children."

"Seriously?" Pip said. "He's that angry because of children?"

"Aren't you?" Integra said softly. Pip looked affronted.

"Of course, I am, but he's … different." Pip said firmly. "I struggle to see him as the parental type." He glanced at Seras.

"He certainly isn't the coddling type," Seras agreed. "Maybe it's different for little children though."

"It is not the children that upset him, Seras," Integra said. "It's pride, it is the fact the freak hunts those so much weaker than himself." She smiled a little, "your master is angry because the freak has no self-respect."

There was another gunshot and the screaming finally stopped. The silence was almost oppressive afterward. Alucard stepped out of the ghost train, his hands covered in blood up to the elbow, he looked like he had torn the freak apart with his bare hands.

"Target silenced," he said calmer than Seras had expected.

"I'm sure it is," Integra took a long drag of her cigar and turned heading back to her car. "I'll expect a report in one hour … keep it short."

"Well," Pip said glancing at Alucard. "You left us with the easy job tonight." Alucard snorted and turned heading deeper into the park, frowning Seras followed him. They walked through the fairground until they reached the edge, Alucard stopped and looked out at the small town around them. Seras stopped next to him and stayed silent. She wasn't sure why she had followed him, and now standing in silence felt a little silly. But despite that, she didn't want to leave just yet.

"I used to love fairgrounds," she said when the silence got too much for her. "I loved the rides, the food, the smells."

"It smells dreadful." Alucard's tone was low.

"Maybe to you," Seras said. "But not to people, the onions frying, mixed with candy floss and hot dogs. It was amazing."

"Sound's fantastic," Alucard grunted.

"You're only saying that because you have no idea what it was like, I bet you've never been to a fair before." She grabbed his sleeve and tugged. "Come on I want to show you something." She watched for a moment as he stood still, she knew she couldn't move him unless he let her and was relieved when he rolled his eyes and let himself be pulled.

"What calamity are you trying to show me?" he said after Seras dragged him passed waltzers and a set of swings.

"The best ride ever," she said pulling with all her strength. She heard him chuckle as they continued to move at slow walking pace. She smiled, at least he was letting himself be distracted from his melancholy, she hated it when he sulked. She stopped them beside the bumper cars. "Tada!" she announced.

"Mobility scooters," Alucard said.

"No!" Seras snapped. "Bumper cars. I used to ride them all the time when I was younger, you go around the space and try to crash into everyone else."

"The sign says no bumping," Alucard pointed to the sign on the ticket booth.

"That's just so they don't get sued," Seras said. "The whole point is to crash into as many people as possible."

"And this is a point because?" Alucard raised an eyebrow.

"You can smash things," Seras said. "Come on you like smashing things."

"You sound like a primitive," Alucard said but she saw the side of his mouth twitch upwards.

"Well if fun is primitive then I guess I'm a cave man," Seras said with a huff. "We should have a go."

"I don't think so," Alucard said.

"Come on," Seras said heading to the ticket booth. "I bet we can get them going, it'll be fun."

"You're a hooligan," Alucard laughed. "A thug. Trying to break into a fair ride." He followed behind her and took her wrist when she went to force the door. "I did not raise a hooligan."

"You did though," Seras said. Alucard frowned at her. "What?"

"You're different," he said.

"Ok, different how?" Seras said when he refused to elaborate.

"The little police girl I brought to the manor would not be breaking into fair rides when the bodies of children were being destroyed less than thirty feet away." Seras felt her stomach turn to ice. He was right, she could smell the blood and the flames. They had to use fire when it was children, children could easily rise to become vampires, the majority would easily meet the criteria. Seras felt bile rise in her throat.

"Oh," she managed.

"Maybe another time?" Alucard smiled at her.

"Sure," Seras felt her legs shake. What was she becoming to be so flippant about what was happening around them?

"Come on, let's go back before you pass out," Alucard said.

"I'm fine," Seras said.

"You're lying," Alucard smirked. "Come," he pulled her, in the same manner, she had pulled him only moments ago. She followed without complaint, letting her hand fall into his.

End of chapter one

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