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Chapter Text

It was a truly dark and foggy winter's night. Possibly the reason the banks of the Thames were so empty even at this time of night. When Integra lit her cigar following the water flow with her healthy eye, her attention was caught by the luminous shape of Millennium Bridge. She was not able to suppress an irritated snort. What idiot had come up with that name?

After rebuilding the intercity, many of these old bridges had been lost due to the severe damage. Most where build from scratch altogether. Not all details of the horrid attacks thirty years ago had been made public. The name of the atrocious organization, that had caused it all in the first place was but a whisper in the mouths of few. She was not sure if this secrecy had been the best way to handle thinks.

Then again, it always went this way, didn't it?

Blowing smoke, the head of Hellsing leaned against cold metal. The black Daimler was waiting behind her, parked at the driveway. Few cars passed by. They had chosen a broken lantern to wait under. Her driver was standing on the other side of the car, next to his door, eying his boss nervously. Integra flicked away the ashes of her cigar. Meanwhile, the bells of the New Palace rang four times in the distance. It was time.

„Did you think I would make you wait, my Master?“ The reason for her irritation stepped out of the darkness, causing the driver to flinch. His theethy grin, red duster and intricately knotted cravat making him visible in the darkness. Bend down, hat in hand, his untameable hair waving in his Master's direction. Integra simply took another drag.

„Where is Seras?“, she asked and kept eying the water, not giving him the satisfaction of her full attention.

„Why, she is coming.“ Alucard drew closer, his shadows lurking behind him. „Should be here any minute.“ The vampire stepped towads his Master and leaned against the dark car next to her. „I don't know why you felt the need to send her in the first place. Or why you feel the need to come here yourself. Not that I wouldn't be pleased getting escorted by you, Integra.“

Finally she flinched.

His smile widened.

He did it again. Using her name to cause a reaction. Actually, she did not mind him using her first name, not since he had returned to her. It was certainly better than the need everyone seemed to adapt using her full name on any given occasion: Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. Somehow it never bothered her when she was younger. Nowadays it was just infuriating.

„You could have brought her with you.“ She eyed him displeased. „Being everywhere and nowhere and so on.“ It was something she was still getting used to.

„Maybe, gaining some minutes alone with my Master was the plan all along.“ He looked over his orange glasses, getting Integra to stare into these intense, red dots.

„Maybe,“ she started, adapting his seductive tone, „I sent Seras with you, so she could have an eye on you. Using your powers to get away from her does not seem to serve the cause, servant.“

Annoyance found its way into his expression. „I am perfectly able to execute my orders by myself. I don't need the police girl to tag along.“

This served him right. These days he only called Seras police girl when he was displeased by her actions. However, Integra knew this time it was not due to Seras' actions but her own words.

„You have only just returned.“ She reminded him probably for the thousandths time this month. Alucard hated it. He felt the scorn over his absence in every reminder. He was not even sure if she realized it herself. Even now Integra could not hide the little enjoyment his annoyance gave her. „All your familiars are gone. All the blood you drank over all these years. We don't know how powerful you are now, or how vulnerable without them. Until we do, Seras will keep going on missions with you.“

Alucard remained silent for a moment. His usually so amused features tainted with discontent. He slowly turned around and opened the car door for his master. „There is hardly any activity, these days. I am sure I can handle the little suckers without my disciple playing baby sitter.“

„Then she might as well kill them all by herself.“ Integra’s voice became cruel. „And you return to the crypt I found you in. Waiting until you are needed again.“

„So heartless.“ He sighed, suddenly almost gleeful.

She gave him a cold stare. He liked it too much when she raised her voice. Even more since he came back. Integra had always been sure it gave him some sort of kick. Maybe even to an extend where it turned him on. Most likely. The thought had always triggered mixed feelings within her, all which had been concealed since her teenage years.

A gust of wind came their way, guiding their attention away from each other’s intensive glare.

„Aren't you the one insisting on me no longer being your disciple, Master?“ Seras had landed near the darkened lantern. The shadows of her wings disappearing within her shape. The Halconnen-V was 'tugged' behind her back but of course in no way hideable. V naturally standing for Victoria. The latest model was customized to the draculina by Hellsings finest weaponry engineers. Integra had suggested the new name, making it the perfect present for the captain of her special forces.

„If you won't stop behaving like one, how can I take you seriously, police girl?“ Amused, he returned his attention to Integra, who was still standing between car entrance and door. Being separated from Alucard by the latter.

„Sometimes, I think, you say different thinks at different times, just to mess with me.“ The blond draculina crossed her arms. She was not sure who to focus on. Her Master or her Master's Master. She decided by bidding Sir Hellsing a „Good evening.“ in her usual joyful tone.

„Good evening, Seras.“ Integra took a last drag. With the hand holding the remainders of her cigar, she gave the servant in front of her a wink. Smiling he opened his balm, resting its sealed back on the car door. Integra put the ashes out on the white fabric, turning the remains into his twitching flesh. „Haven't you noticed yet, Captain Victoria?“ One last time, she rubbed the tobacco into his freshly made burn wound. „That's all he ever does.“

With a thankful smile, Alucard closed his hand, before slipping it behind the car door again.

Almost feeling awkward witnessing this scene, Seras stepped nervously from one foot to the next. „So—“, she began. „Should we—“

„Get in the car.“ Integra demanded and emphasized it with a twitch of her head in car direction.

Feeling pretty awkward witnessing this scene, the driver slipped into his seat almost immediately. Without hesitation Seras closed up to Integra.

The moment the draculina was reaching for the cold door, something changed. A strange and uneasy feeling sweeped over the three, making Integra dizzy for a second. She closed her eye. Taking a shaky breath.

A growl was heard from Alucard’s throat, while Sir Hellsing’s eye opened again and blinked perplexed. The Daimler lights had been burning since Alucard had opened the door. Now it was gone. Instead of the soft leather seats there was only darkness. Her hand had been fastened around the handle, while she was ducking to get into the car. It was gone as well. Her grip formed a fist instead.

„What happened?“ Seras was grabbing into the shadows. Finding Sir Hellsing’s shoulder, she hold on to her. The other women shifted towards her Captain.

„Alucard?“ Integra gnarled the instant she was able to form a thought. The next moment she felt his gloved hand grasping her other wrist, turning both women towards him.

„I can't see.“ It was but a whisper. Seras was so confused. This had never happened to her, not within the last thirty years. Not being able to see her surroundings like she usually would, took away all her usual certainty. She followed the movements of Integra’s shift and leaned towards Alucard.

„Neither do we.“, he replied irritated.

When Integra hit his body with hers she realized, that the car door was gone altogether.

There was a moment of unsure silence before a dim, red light aglowed their features from below. Seras and Integra were both leaning onto Alucard, who held both their wrists. Realizing this, Sir Hellsing took a step back and freed her arm straightway. Relived to have gained back her ability to see, Seras did the same.

„What happened? I thought this was supposed to be an easy mission.“ Integra looked from one servant to the next, her stern look eying one after the other dismissive. „What is this spell?“

„This is different.“ Alucard looked around almost - Integra could hardly think it - afraid? Like an uneasy beast inspecting its cage for the first time.

„There is nothing out there.“ Seras kept whispering. Turning around she tried to see anything beyond their shapes. But there was nothing there but darkness. No car, no driver, no road, no Thames.

Integra lowered her eye and studied the light source. A faint red glow was radiated by a circle surrounding the three of them, or rather surrounding her. The two vampires just happened to stand within it. Red symbols were glowing underneath their feed.

„This is most powerful magic.“ Alucard’s gaze returned to his servant and master. Excitement replacing his surprise. „Although I don't know what it is supposed to d—“

They were shaken by an unseen force. All three swept off their feet, drifting apart, leaving the red circle and pulled into the darkness. Integra reached out to her servants, unable to utter an order. When the red glow disappeared Alucard's troubled look was the last thing she could see.

Then there was only darkness.

Chapter Text

Integra slowly gained consciousness. She was standing, no, leaning. Her weak hands clenching the icy stone of a balustrade. Turning her head she could see the river. London Bridge opening its halves for the ship traffic. Dozens of steam boats going up and down the Thames, coloured by the sunset beyond the imposing bridge. A bridge that should not be there.

Her eye was still adjusting, her glasses tilted. She set them straight and took a better look at her surroundings. The smooth asphalt road was gone, as was the Daimler. Instead there was light cobblestone, giving the big wheels of the carriages and weird looking cars a hard time. Not far away one of these innovative vehicles had been parked on the pavement. The broad sidewalk was defined by rows of trees separating it from the road. Steam coming from the car's engine and two man with weird looking goggles around their necks were leaning over it, staring confused.

Groups of people were passing by, surveying Sir Hellsing shocked or interested, before quickening their steps and walking away, whispering often times. The ones showing a shocked expression were wearing elegant winter coats and hats. The bypassers revealing the ends of wide skirts underneath their winter gear seemed to be especially displeased. Somewhat uneasy Integra adjusted her own dark coat and scarf. The ones looking interested, sometimes even laughing curiously, were mostly wearing old and sometimes even tattered clothes. Some of the children greeted her in a surprisingly blunt but also charming manner. One of these young boys came to an abrupt halt, smile fading, eyes widening. He was not looking at Integra anymore but something behind her.

„Have we—“ Surprised Integra turned around only to find Seras nervously pressing the tips of her fingers against another. She gave her master an apologizing look while starting anew: „Have we been teleported into a movie set?“ Seras noticed the boy starring at the shortened pants and high stockings of her olive coloured uniform. The vampire put her hands in front of her thighs.

„Oi!“ The draculina shouted more surprised than actually angry. The boy ran away immediately.

Integra could not suppress a little smile. Seras now noticed the constant stares she received by other bypassers.

„I don't think so, Seras.“ The old lady finally uttered her thought. But Seras had already forgotten what was said before. Integra clarified: „I don't think we have been transported to a movie set, Seras. We are pretty much still where we were. There is the Thames, where Millennium Bridge should be. There is the road. Even the same lanterns are here.“ She waved her hand to the cast iron lanterns, accompanying the trees that separated the road. An old streetcar passed by on its rail roads. Except that it was not old. Its polished metal glistened in the evening sun. „This is the real deal. We have been set back in time.“ Now she set a finger on London Bridge, which she knew Seras would recognize as evidence. „If you don't believe me, how come the sun is already going down. Unless we have been drugged for the last fifteen hours, and brought into this ridiculously accurate depiction of the ending eighteenth century, which might still be a possibility at this point, there is no question, that we at least have lost time.“

„Oh, boy.“ Seras scratched her head before returning to covering up her legs. Some people were so shocked by her outfit they did not even notice the giant cannon resting on her back. She tried to follow the gaze of her master into the sunset, but even though she was not deadly affected by the sunlight, it still stung her eyes and weakened her powers.

Integra’s attention was caught by something behind her servant. This time the blond vampire followed only to spot a paper boy selling The Daily Telegraph, shouting the headline.

„Maybe we should get our hands on one of these.“ Integra pointed to the pile of newspapers lying next to the guy. „Go ahead.“ It was clearly an order for Seras.

The draculina looked somewhat bewildered from the boy to her master, saying: „But, I have no money with me.“

„Seras.“ Once again Sir Hellsing set her glasses back in place. „Of cause you don't. I was referring to your hypnotizing powers.“ Now she looked over the rim of her glasses, as if she wanted to use her own intense stare to hypnotize the draculina.

„I—“ Even after all these year Seras sometimes seemed off thrown by the casualty Integra referred to their powers. „I will try. But I still don't really get the hang of it...“ It was working just fine when talking to a weak or empty mind, but strong willed people always withstand her. She knew it was also due to her doubts about controlling other people at all. It might have been the only reason causing the infrequency of this power, now that she thought about it.

Integra was smiling. Of course she knew all that. It was Seras' good heart that made it hard for her to use hypnosis. Even after all these years the police girl had always stayed true to herself. Other than that other annoying vampire, who served her and was still missing for some reason. Or maybe he had stayed true to himself after all? He must have had been a terrible human being in his time. Thoughtful for a moment, she started searching her pockets for the silver cigar case.

Her masters warm smile made Seras blush, but when cunning found its way into her amusement the soldier girl grew uneasy. „Try it.“ Integra demanded. „I was also not necessarily just referring to your hypnotizing powers.“ Her finger pointed at Seras perfectly squeezed rag. „I am sure you will find a different way to convince him.“ Making an shocked noise Seras covered her boobs. Meanwhile, Integra's smile grew wider but her hand sank lower. „Just remember: The legs are the boobs of the eighteenth century.“

„Master?!“ One hand covering her legs and the other her chest, Seras was flushed red.

Integra waved her servant away: „You will figure it out somehow. But leave the cannon here.“

Quickly, Seras put the heavy weapon and her ammunition backpack down next to her master and trotted away without re-establishing eye contact. It made Integra laugh.

Leaning against the stone balustrade she played with the cigar case. Following the inscription with her thumb: For my Arthur. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. Ijaya. She had found it many years ago, among her father's belongings. Besides an old photograph of her parents, it was the only thing that was left of her mother. She took one of the cigars out and put away the case. With a cutter she deposed off the tip. A weary sigh slipped her. How could she get them out of this mess again? Putting the cutter back into her coat and the cigar between her lips, she searched her pockets for the lighter.

A small flame started dancing in front of her eye. It was produced by a lighter, hold in a hand, belonging to a dressed in white gentleman, who had come to an halt in front of her. „Excuse my intrusion, madam. But might you be some sort of entertainer?“ He was speaking with a typical South Walsh accent. A smile around his lips.

Integra looked up. Only after a short moment of hesitation, she used the flame to lighten her cigar. The stranger had almost white hair and moustache. A pair glasses resting on his nose. Light intelligent eyes gloaming in amusement. An elegant dark cravat bow making a harsh contrast to his light clothes.

Integra blew the smoke of her first puff away from him. „What gives you that idea, Sir?“

„Such a lovely dame, strolling the noble streets of our Empire's heart, in gentleman's clothes? I thought I would have seen everything in my life time. But surly this is a sight to be seen!“ He laughed in a pleasing manor.

„You’re so full of shit.“ Integra simply replied.

Taken aback he freed his wooden cane from the crook of his arm and took a step away from her: „Excuse me?“

„I was wondering when you'd finally show up. You're dressed like an English version of that chicken colonel. Colonel Sanders, was it?“ Keeping a straight face seemed to be almost impossible. He had taken the shape of a truly distinguished gentleman of her own age. Even though he looked older and his clothes reminded her of the said, he had chosen an almost infuriatingly attractive shape. Despite all that, and the fact that he had tried to trick her, Integra was too amused to be really angry right now.

“Just because the man knew how to fry chicken, does not mean he did not know how to dress.“, he replied suddenly in an American southern accent. In his actual voice, returning to the English speaking manner he had adapted over all these years, he continued: “Also, he surly only would have looked like me, if he was a, what's it called, hot mess.“ His last words were oozing with meaning. He drew closer again.

“So this really is the form you chose?” Integra ignored his flirtation. “This is how you want to wander these streets?”

Alucard raised a finger. Taking off his glasses, he looked at them for a second. They turned dark. He put them back on. “This is how.” He laughed. “I was thinking of changing my appearance anyways. Matching my Master's some more.” Again he lowered his voice and flashed Integra a meaningful look over his new sun glasses. The last light of sunset dancing on their mirroring surface.

“Well.” Integra uttered dry, still ignoring his shenanigans. The shades made his obscure look perfect. “So none of us is really looking like we belong.”

The vampire followed his master's attention, spotting Seras nervously talking to the paper boy. Meanwhile, the guy was so tense and flustered he did not know where to pin his eyes. He gave her one of the papers, being totally mesmerized by her appearance. A deep throaty laugh sprang from Alucard's wide smile. „How cruel of you, to send her instead of waiting for me, Master.“

Integra took a puff again before pointing the cigar in a different direction. „You can do your thing over there.“

The two men that had been standing in front of their smoking vehicle were joined by a third. Together they had managed to get the motor going again.

“What exactly is the plan?“ Integra could detect his red, glowy eyes even underneath his glasses.

“There is an ancestor of mine somewhere in this city.” Sir Hellsing looked around herself as if she could inspect all of London from where she was standing. “I am guessing you know exactly where he is and how to get there as well.”

“I see.” Alucard uttered another laugh. “I will get us a ride. I understand why you would trust me to master this task. After all, it should be no problem since I am a hot mess.” As if waiting for a reply he eyed her in anticipation.

"Fuck off." She snarled and sent him away with a thumb pointing in car direction.

“You know there is no shame in admitting it.” He stepped away from her and in car direction as ordered, but while still in hearing distance he murmured. “I did chose this form for you.”

She thought about ordering him to change back this instant, but he had already reached the car halfway, when Seras delivered the paper as ordered. Sir Hellsing sighed displeased. He should not change before all these people, anyways.

The elderly knight thanked Seras and opened the newspaper. At the top it said ‘4th of December 1900’ . The headline read ‘Mysterious disappearings continue – Scotland Yard at a loss.’

Well isn't that just perfect, she thought in annoyance. At least she was not in danger walking past a free range Count Dracula. It was only the bound one that gave her a headache.

“Master! Seras!” Alucard signalled them with a wink to come to the car.

“Is that Master?”, asked the draculina but followed his request, tilting her head in confusion.

“Just get in, dear.” Integra was in no mood to give Alucard the satisfaction of her irritation, not even on account of Seras.

The two owner of the vehicle were showing dump expressions and weird smiles. One of them opened the doors for the women. The second took the third place in the backseat, while Alucard sat down in the co-driver's spot.

„To old Hellsing manor then.“ He gave the two an amused smile when the car came to life and slid shaky onto the road.

Chapter Text

Old Hellsing manor was a Jacobean mansion from the beginning seventeenth century and located at the outta edge of town. Its gardens and paths were groomed, as was essential for a Victorian park. The large premises where surrounded by a stone wall crowned by a high steal fence. Old bushes denied peasants to see through it.

Integra knew it was the house her great-grandfather Abraham van Hellsing had bought after the events of the 1890s. The family fortune of the Van Hellsings had been made over many generations in trade, shipping goods from the Netherlands all over Europe. Only after his encounter with Alucard and his decision to give up Catholicism for Protestantism, the brilliant doctor had decided to make England and especially London his new home. Integra guessed his English wife took a role in that as well. Not until King George V made her grandfather Alistair van Hellsing a knight, changing his name to its shortened form, their family moved to the mansion Integra had grown up in.

„So, this is where all the stuff in the book took place?“ Seras eyed the closed steal gate, using her vampiric powers to see the house though the darkness.

When the car came to an abrupt halt, the still hypnotized man in the back got up and opened the door for Sir Hellsing and the draculina. Alucard moved a hand to get the driver’s full attention again, ordering him to continue his daily tasks and forget all about them. After getting out of the car and stepping next to Seras, he did the same to the other guy.

Meanwhile, Integra explained: „No.“ She took a look though the fence gate as well, but she could only guess its shape. The lights behind some of the many windows helped her. „Most of the events that took place in London, happened in the manor of Sir Arthur Holmwood. This house was bought only after the events of Stoker's book. The Lord's house should be nearby, though.“

They watched the car drive away, by now using its headlights to make the road visible. No other cars had passed them for a while and no other vehicles were in sight.

„Indeed, the Holmwood estate is only a short while away.“ Alucar's smile widened. He pointed along the street. His red eyes gleamed, filled with times long gone in memory but ironically only a few yeas away from their current perspective. „Since he lost his wanton fiancée there is not really anything interesting about him.“

A short silence fell over them before Seras asked: „Was it not you, who killed her?“

„I turned her.“ He defended himself with words, but there was no sorrow, only his hollow smile in the dark. „He killed her.“ His mask crumbled with a twitch, but only for a moment.

Seras thought about his words. She was sure her Master did not have the same motivations then, as when turning her. The draculina had never dared to ask him directly, but she had her own thoughts about it. After so many years of speculation, she ironically suspected the reason to be her strong will to live. Hearing him talk like that about Lucy Westenra made it obvious: He felt nothing of the fondness for that other woman, she sometimes sensed towards herself. Might have never felt any?

As if he had read her thoughts Seras’ master answered right away: „Unlike you she asked to be tuned and impaled. Literally and figuratively.“

„Don't be so smug about it.“ Integra warned Alucard raising her voice, while easily opening a smaller grid door within the great gates. „You stole her life and her youth. A fact you are well aware of.“

„I am. I did it because she wanted it so bad.“ Finally, there was more sincere feeling depicted in his aged facial features. His smile grew bitter. „Wanted me so bad.“

„She wanted you because of her youth.“ Sir Hellsing looked back and eyed the vampire with anger in her blue eye, hardly seeing his face in the dark. „Because she did not know better.“

„Oh, I warned her.“ He laughed toneless. „Plenty.“

Master and servant starred at each other thoughtful. Not angry, not judging but somewhat unsure.

Integra had never really demanded answers to open questions regarding the book and the events that had caused their dark union in the first place. Once in a while he would have slipped a statement here or a justification there, merely hinting at his mind-set at the time. Everything Integra knew aside the book, she had learned from her great-grandfather's diaries. Now she almost felt sorry never to have asked Alucard himself. The reason was mainly her wish to establish borders that separated them in their roles. Her respect for his own privacy, vampire or not, had been another important factor.

The tense moment caused Seras to feel uneasy. To disturb the pondering silence she burst out: „Isn't it strange the gate is open?“ There was a small house to their left, obviously a booth to check or control the visitors. It was empty. „Shouldn't there be security or something?“

A growling laugh was uttered by the other vampire, now freeing his eyes from his Master’s glare.

„You forget who is living inside the mansion's basement, Seras.“ Integra put her glasses back into place and tuned away. She stepped inside, followed by her servants.

„Right, of course.“ It was the moment she felt the other vampire's parted presence. Quiet, she followed her Masters in direction of the great house. It was a short walk of some minutes. Integra had taken forth her phone and lit their way, so she would not trip. To perceive his presence in more than one place so nearby, felt weird for the blond draculina. Parted, definitely, but she was almost sure it was not only divided into two.

„Master.“, she uttered doubtful when the three reached the roofed main door.

Sir Hellsing and the older vampire knew right away, she was talking to the latter. Integra did not even turn around, but rang the doorbell. Alucard flashed his servant a knowing smile, ordering her with a thought to be silent. Seras did as ordered.

The dark wood of the entrance door and its light frame were lit up by two convoluted lanterns. They must have been there for a long time but only recently upgraded to electric lights. While waiting, Integra eyed the old van Hellsing family crest depicted over the large door.

An elderly, half bold Butler opened in the perfect manner, only a truly distinguished English specimen would. As custom, he wore a tidy suit and greeted them with an elegant air around him.

„Good evening, Sir, Madame, Miss.“ He bowed a little. If their curious appearance had any impact on him, he did not show it in the least. „How may I be of assistance?“

Seras and Integra were immediately reminiscent of Walter's demeanour and therefor unable to say anything right away. Seras even lowered her eyes and had to swallow hard. Alucard did not react. He knew it was his masters wish to handle this situation by herself, so he stayed silent.

After Integra managed to clear her throat she began: „I am a relative of Doctor van Hellsing, Integra Hellsing.“ She had to stop herself from using the usual title of Sir. „The circumstances of our arrival are somewhat complicated. Could you be so kind and tell him I need to talk to him, right away?“

The butler eyed all three of them with knowing eyes. First Integra, then Seras, at last his attention rested on Alucard. The vampire removed the glasses from his eyes and let them possibly literally disappear inside his jacket pocket. Like that he returned the look smiling, eyes turning from grey to red.

„This way.“ He finally said and opened the door for them.

Integra watched the scene. Did he use hypnosis? But he did not even talk to the man.

The three stepped into a well-lit parlour. Great marble stairs lead to a second floor. The waxed wooden walls and floors reflected the electric light of a chandelier, hanging high above them. There where emerald draperies decorating walls and windows, freshly arranged flower bouquets and large oil paintings in old frames. Two great openings lead into the next areas of the house. Two grand living rooms, one mainly in red, the other in green.

Quickly the butler hastened them along but instead of directing them to one of the the living rooms, he navigated them past the staircase.

„Alfred?“ A female voice was calling from the red room. A pleasant English accent was easy to detect right away. „Who is it?“

Integra tried to see its owner but the butler ordered them to stay silent and stand where they were: Out of sight.

„More family guests of the Doctor, my Lady.“, he clearly lied with a steady tone. „He ordered me to send them into his office right away, no time to wait.“

The steps of the lady had neared, now they came to a halt. „I see.“

„I don't wanna, mummy! There are so many guests! I wanna stay and meet them!“ An impatient child was shrieking.

Her steps moved away. „I hope you do not think me rude. I may join you later, after the children are in bed.“ Without a pause she continued. „You get right back here this instant, Alistair van Hellsing, or there will be consequences!“

Integra wondered why the women that had to be her great-grandmother Abigail, was not supposed to see them. The butler behaved truly strange and there was no way Alucard's hypnosis had caused this. The curious Sir tried to catch a glimpse of the lady but the butler urged them along into another part of the manor. Annoyed she complied his instructions and her servants followed.

While Seras and Integra gave each other questioning looks, only Alucard seemed to be totally relaxed. His smile diabolical as ever. For a moment Integra considered using their mental link to communicate with him. But she had closed off this connection a long time ago. Opening the channel always let him see more than he was supposed to. And he would invariably try to get everything he could. Read her thoughts, travel into her past, consume every feeling he came across, rejoice over her weakness.

As was so often the case, he seemed to know what she thought despite the walls she had build around her mind. I could tell you, he beckoned. For situations like this she had never forbidden him this kind of communication. You just have to ask, Master.

She turned away, causing him to laugh softly. The other two did not notice their silent conversation.

After passing a long and lesser lit hallway their guide came to an abrupt halt and knocked at the last wooden door.

A „Yes?“ was uttered and he opened.

„There are more arrivals, Doctor.“ Again he made a bow and gave way for the newcomers.

They stepped into a beautiful, old fashioned office. The walls where filled with old leather bound books. Their scent, mixed with cigar smoke and strong alcohol, hit Integra immediately. To their right was a massive study desk, filled with neatly organized papers. One chair behind it, two in front, a figure lurking in the one behind. To their right was another great table filled with books and paper. Maps where spread all over it together with tools to read and interpret them. Other objects and artefacts were placed in show cases.

In front of them, between the entrance area and a high window, was a collection of arm chairs and couches located around a low table. A group of people was standing or sitting here.

„Welcome.“ An old gentleman dressed in a suit greeted friendly, while stepping towards them. He had disposed himself off his jacked. It lay around his arm rest. His hair was almost fully grayed. Only the last bit of brown was left of its former colour. Intelligent blue eyes smiled at them through round glasses.

„Please, have a seat.“ His dutch accent was stronger than Integra would have imagined. Interested the old doctor eyed the three, just like his butler before him, one after the other. Despite his interest in all three, he only reached out and shook Integra's hand.

„I am Abraham van Hellsing.“ He seemed irritated by their appearances, and did not try to hide it in the least.

The butler left the room, excusing himself.

„Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing.“ Integra greeted him back. „A pleasure to meet you.“

By now she was sure that their host knew more about this whole situation, than they did. So without further delay she took a seat in one of the leather arm chairs, facing the sitting area. Alucard and Seras kept standing behind her, left and right.

„Sir?“ A woman had uttered the word. She was a pretty lady at the end of her twenties. Blond hair was draped around her head and legs perfectly crocked under a blue dress skirt. Intega knew this blond, and also her distrusting brown eyes. There had been a painting of her hanging inside the Hellsing manor since she could remember. But in the war it had burned down with most of her family belongings. It was her grandmother Elisabeth Hellsing. The one her father, uncle and herself had inherited their blond hair from. Dismissive she examined Integra's and Seras' clothes. „You surly mean, Dame.“

This was not right, was it? Elisabeth was the wife of Alistair, the son of Abraham, her grandfather. Alistair van Hellsing, the boy who was supposed to be in bed. Not more than twelve years old in the year 1900.

Integra took a closer look at the small party. There was a man Elisabeth's age sitting next to her, wearing a brown suit matching his hair. He seemed to be a younger version of Abraham van Hellsing, no glasses, but the same blue eyes. Alistair, Integra concluded. Does that mean...

Next to him on the same dark couch but keeping its distance, a lean but large black dog rose its head. It was watching the new arrivals through curious, red eyes. Alucard...

Looking straight ahead her great-grandfather had sat down in his own arm chair again, still eying her curious, obviously waiting for reactions. Behind him, sitting secluded in the chair of the desk, was a smiling Count, resembling so close the version of the Alucard she had known for so long. But he reminded her even more of the version she had met on that fateful day thirty years ago. No...

Closing the circle of all those present she took a look to her right. Two faces she knew all too well were eying her curiously, apparently expecting her to speak. Next to her a young version of her father Sir Arthur Hellsing frowned. He was in his twenties, blond hair, blue eyes, beige suit. Resembling so much more Elisabeth and herself, than the other two man.

To his right, was the young boy Integra knew from old photographs. But she did not need any help in recognizing those grey eyes. A young Walter was standing straight and waiting for orders. He was not waiting alone. The last member of this weird bunch, nearest to her, was a young, dark haired girl, in a white dress. She cast a lovely smile onto the Hellsing heiress. Lovely maybe for anyone else, but Integra knew better. Shit...

All this happened within few seconds and gave the old lady-knight not much time to think. She took a deep breath before reacting to Elisabeth's question: „No, Sir is quite right.“

The mood of the somewhat unfamiliar vampires in the room seemed to lighten up in reunion, as if agreed on doing so. The dog to the left suddenly preferred sitting up over lying down, wagging its tail. The Count, lurking in the shadows of the room, leaned onto his folded hands instead of the chair back. The young girl rested her head on her arms, supported by the chair of her master.

„Would you be so kind to tell us how we are related?“ Abraham demanded in a kind manner, still openly curious.

„I am the daughter of Sir Arthur.“ Integra waved her hand in her father’s direction. Somehow she was not able to look at him, so she missed his surprised glance.

It hurt too much. He was here, after all these years. All the questions she wanted to ask him, all the thinks she had buried so many years ago. They found their way back, as if no time had passed, gnawing at her heart. Suddenly the cigar case in her pocked seemed to weigh so very heavy. All that old pain. And not just Arthur, there was Walter, young Walter, starring at her with those unreadable grey eyes. Had it already happened? Had he already betrayed her? So many years before she was even born.

Instead of letting her facade crumble she avoided their sight. Integra knew she could not give in to any kind of weakness. Not in front of her predecessors. Especially not in this time and age. How could she ask all these questions, anyways? This man was not her father. He was the man who would become her father, as was Walter the boy who would become her Walter. They did not have the answers she so desperately wanted, not yet.

An intermission set in, when the butler returned to serve them tea.

„So—“ It was Alistair who began to talk anew, after all the Hellsings had received their own cups. The trusty and attentive butler retreated to a silent corner of the room. Walter watched him closely. „You are their master?“ Alistair pointed only at Alucard, who was by now leaning against Integra's arm rest. Apparently not only the unfamiliar vampires' mood had lit up. His amusement was almost touchable. Seras on the other hand seemed confused.

„Yes.“ Integra replied dryly, waiting for what would inevitably follow.

„But you are—“ Abraham began but stopped himself unsure how he should end the sentence.

Alistair and his wife did it for him, but not in the same way.

„A woman.“, Elisabeth concluded.

„Brown.“, Alistair uttered at the same moment.

Silence fell immediately onto the humans. The O-shape of Seras' mouth was in tune with her in shock wide opened eyes. She almost took a step back, but in the end only flinched in surprise. The other vampires illustrated a different reaction. A gust of laughter was uttered and even the dog made amused pant noises.

„Shhhht.“ Integra shushed them with a harsh noise of her own. They all complied, causing the bewildered Arthur to look from one to another. The one eyed lady put down her cup. She crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee. Her expression was more confused than actually angry. „Did he—“, she exhaled unnerved, „—just call me brown?“

„You bet he did.“ Her Alucard answered grinning, only with his greatest restrained following his master's order and keeping in his roaring laughter.

„That was a rhetorical question.“ Integra turned to him. „And you damn well know it.“

He nodded admitting. All this was just way too hilarious.

Restraining her own anger, Integra put the cup down on the low table. She intertwined her hands and started explaining: „As to the accusation of being a women, I am indeed. But I also am the last of our house. So, despite my gender, I am his master.“ Alucard nodded ecstatic. Elizabeth wanted to reply something, but Integra kept going. She did not want to address this fact more than necessary. It was her, who had killed her uncle Richard, making herself the last Hellsing in the first place. It was also nothing she wanted to report to his mother. „As to the accusation of being brown—“ The word caused her to flinch. „ I am. You may address your complaints to my father and his love for more exotic beauties.“ She leaned towards Arthur, but did not look at him. Her last words, she pronounced in the same way she did the word brown. There was not more to say about it. Any information or action in the past could lead to herself not being born at all. Even the solely fact that she was here, might be her own death sentence or rather eliminating her existence all together.

Her explanation had silenced Elizabeth who now directed her judging eyes in her son's direction.

„This is not right.“ Alistair finally uttered after another silence. „How can a female have possibly the mental endurance to command such a monster?“

Another rhetorical question, I guess? Alucard's voice echoed through her head. He was giddy with glee. The vampire enjoyed every second of this way too much. His tone seemed to ask: Yes, tell me Master how could you possibly possess the needed stamina to order such a beast? I am dying to hear your answer.

„Are you suggesting I am not able to command my servants?“ Integra ignored Alucard’s outburst and looked straight at her grandfather, as if her stare could cut through his flesh.

Alistair flinched but replied: „His mental powers combined with his seductive manner? Come to think of his perverted mind and ability to shape-shift? I am sure, we are all well aware, what it could mean, considering the weakness of the lesser sex. How is a woman to command him?“

It was too much. It was just simply too much. Alucard was not able to keep in his laughter anymore. His past selfs joined him. On one hand he was angry for such hideous accusations towards his beloved master. On the other, it was just too amusing how accurately Alistair had guessed the vampires own thoughts. Almost since the first meeting between servant and master he had been regularly hounded by whatifs and whatnots. What if his master just simply gave in to his adoration? What if she stopped being the iron lady he knew? The answer was simple. He would not worship her the way he did now.

While Alucard was still choosing between anger and joy, Seras was enraged! She stepped in front of her master and banged a fist onto the table's surface. The wood cracked and splintered. The cup shook but did not fall down. „How dare you!“ She screamed and stood tall. „How dare you to accuse Sir Integra of being anything else than a superb master and knight.“

„Seras.“ Integra disciplined the draculina. „Know your place.“

The blond vampire tuned around and eyed her master bleeding: „Lesser sex? Not able to command? Master! Forgive me, but none of these man had to endure your destiny. While they all lived the lives of rich pampered gentleman, vampire hunt or not, you lead this organization from such a young age, all by yourself! Defending England and Britain! Fighting a bloody war for crying out loud!“

„Seras!“ Her master shouted now. „We can't talk about what happened in our lives.“ Her focus shifted on Walter for a split second. Had it already happened? The boy returned the short look with surprise. „It will change the cause of this organization's history. We should not mess with time events or something even worse might follow. They don't need to know this. And you are out of line.“

Seras fell silent. She looked to the ground, realizing that she might had caused more damage than helped. Still filled with rage she stepped back behind Sir Hellsing's arm chair. However, she noticed Alucard's smile and cheered up a bit.

Before anything else could be said, Integra continued: „What I am, should not be the issue here. I am part of this family. In my time, I am the head of this family. It does not matter. What matters is the fact that we all are here. Where we should not be. And I want to know right away, what you know about it.“

„Well.“ Abraham replied once more cutting Alistair's word off. Apparently he agreed with Integra, at least in the point of urgency. „All we know is, that Alistair and Arthur appeared roughly around the same time, at different points in London. The exact points they had been in their own times. We agreed upon not giving an exact date or year, for the same reasons you just mentioned. We can't know what consequences could follow.“ The other humans nodded. „Lady Elizabeth, the boy and of course the vampires traveled with them.“

After a short pause emerged, Arthur continued the report: „A circle made of strange, red light appeared beneath us. Weird symbols within.“ Only reluctantly, Integra forced herself to return his look. He used her attention to finally examine his daughter closer. „Specifically around father and me. We disappeared and apparently took with us the ones around us.“

„Apparently, the vampires did not have to be within the circle.“ Alistair added, somewhat upset over the neglect. „He travelled with me despite daytime and not being near.“ The dog stared at his master with emotionless eyes.

„Since the Count is bound to our blood, in a way he seems to be an extension of our selves.“, van Hellsing gave his explanation. Integra could hear his fascination. From his diaries she knew, the doctor had studied the connection all his life, so he may finally understand its true nature.

„It is also what happened to me.“ The iron maiden leaned back. So this was a spell not just powerful enough to bring Seras, Alucard and herself into this time, but also these two groups as well. Alucard was right. This truly seemed to be most powerful magic. „How do we proceed from here, then?“

For a moment no one seemed to know the answer.

It was the older man who answered again. He sounded thoughtful. „Well for the time being you will stay here, of course. We don't know what or who brought you here. But if it is the doing of an unknown foe, it will show its face sooner or later. We better stay together and look after each other for protection.“ Integra nodded and so did Alistair and Arthur. „There is enough room for the six of you. We just have to think of a reasonable tale to introduce you to my family.“

„Your family does not know about this?“ Integra waved at the Count. He eyed her smiling. She knew he tried to read her thoughts and could feel him tug at her unconscious. The protection her own vampire provided would keep him away for now.

The attention of the shadow behind the desk shifted to Integra's side. His smile faded as he eyed his older version with an intense stare. Did they communicate with each other? A shiver ran down Integra's back. She knew of the self-destruction and self-hatred Alucard felt towards his own persona. Seeing himself not just once but at three different instances had to cause the weirdest hatred boner. Quickly, she discarded of the thought.

„Well, my dear Abigail knows what she must. But she ignores the Count's existence and my occult involvement, as far as possible. She tries to keep up a proper household despite her husband's dreadful leisure activities.“ The doctor admitted. Alistair snorted annoyed but stayed silent afterwards, not returning his father's harsh look. Addressing Integra again the doctor explained: „She has been planning this ridiculous ball for months now. She wanted to give one for years, ever since we moved to London. So, I finally allowed it.“ He sighed. „It will take place tomorrow evening. I told her you are family guests that I invited for the occasion.“ He cast a somewhat dismissive look at Integra and Seras. „I fear you will have to change into something more feminine.“ Still, he seemed amused as well.

The elderly Hellsing heiress had to stop herself from protesting loudly. Since she was a guest in this house it was the least she could do.

„Don't you think a mother would recognize her own son?“ Elizabeth asked her father-in-law bewildered. „Alistair is already twelve, isn't he?“

„She will not.“ Her husband shook his head, a tired smile on his face. „A vampire could rip of her child's face in front of her and she would not acknowledge the existence of anything paranormal.“

Anger returned to the doctor's eyes but he did not contradict his son.

„Walter and Alucard will be my younger siblings then.“ Arthur tried to keep the conversation going. The troublesome relationship between his father and grandfather made him feel kinda nervous. The reactions he got from his own daughter did not seem to be particularly good either. Bewildered, he thought about his words for a moment before he corrected: „Walter and Scarlett.“

Scarlett uttered a joyful giggle.

Walter did not seem to like the idea of being related to her. Only for the ones knowing his abilities visible, wires glistened between his fingers, while he eyed his new sister annoyed.

„A dog is a dog.“ Alistair did not even look down onto the dark figure next to him. „There is nothing more to say.“

Integra observed how the amused features of the young girl changed into restrained anger.

„Why, I am my master's husband, of course.“ Alucard explained almost in a singing tone.

All heads turned to master and servant.

„You will absolutely not.“ Integra replied as restrained and dominant as she was able to. She forced herself not to look at his dump smile and shout in anger. Her attention was caught by a hand that appeared within her sight, a wedding and an engagement ring lying on its palm. The golden metal was pulsing with dark energy. They could only be made off Alucard's body itself.

Think about it, master. He purred into her raging thoughts. This is the year 1900. You can either pretend to be an old maiden or a widow. Both lies will bring restrictions. Being my wife will allow you to do as you please, as long as you have my consent. And of course you will have it, since you are the one giving the orders to me. Plus I may stay near you without irritating anyone.

In disbelieve, Integra had to cover up her eye and eye-patch with an open hand. She knew he was right. Of course, he was right. But that did not make it better, worse if anything. For a moment she thought about forcing him to change his form, making him her child or grandchild. Still, it would mean oppression.

With her free hand she grabbed the rings and uttered angrily: „Seras, you will stay in the servant quarters. Being my house maid or whatever. It will give us inside to the house staff and rooms. Maybe you will notice something, we won't.“ She tried to make her acceptance a side note by giving different orders. Still, the several versions of her new husband gasped audible at this change of mind. Alucard watched with his utmost concentration, the way his master put on the golden rings. She glared at them miserable.

Bewildered by the strange blitz-wedding, Seras nodded, before realizing her master did not see her. „I will.“ She was not really keen of playing a servant girl, after all she was a soldier. But maybe all the seasons of Downton Abbey would finally pay off.

„So this is it? Now he will just be your husband.“ In disgust Alistair got up the couch. „This is exactly what I was talking about.“

Integra sighed tired. She had been awake until 4 a.m. before traveling back in time, to find the old manor of her family, while staying put another night. She got up herself. „Yes. It is nothing I will discuss at this time and place. I might never, actually.“

Alistair was about to shout at his granddaughter but Elisabeth took his hand, calming him down. „It is just a pretend, dear. It will be easier for her to act in her role as their master. She is from another time after all. He may help her to fit into society.“ She gave him a meaningful look. It was enough to make him swallow his anger.

Still he freed his hand and moved to a different part of the room. Passing by Seras and his granddaughter he looked away angrily. „This is outrageous.“

The iron lady dispatched him with ignorance. She turned around, heading to the office door. Almost surprised, she remembered how long she did not have had a smoke. Taking out her cigar case, she asked her great-grandfather: „What about the coffins? Seras will need one. She is a London girl. Getting a replacement for hers will not be hard.“ She cut of the tip of the cigar. Alfred helped her with an ashtray before he lit it. „But what about the Counts?“ She did not even want to raise the question about blood supply.

Said Count got up immediately. Looking daggers into the back of his own master, he went straight through the wooden desk until standing right behind Abraham.

„I suppose they will have to split their time sleeping in it.“, the doctor thought out loud.

„Master.“ Annoyance was colouring his dark voice.

Van Hellsing tuned around, facing his servant. „Don't be difficult now. They all are you. A few days less sleep won't be all that bad.“

More composed but not less irritated he asked: „What if it is for more than just a few days?“

„If that is the case, we will think of something else.“ The two man looked at each other for a grave moment. Finally the Count turned and floated back to his seat, observing Integra with an ominous expression while doing so.

„I guess it is late enough, isn't it?“ Integra suppressed a yawn. „I am sure all of us will be more agreeable and cooperative in the morning.“ She was not sure of that at all, not even regarding herself. She just wanted to get into a bed and rest for a bit.

„Yes, of course.“ Abraham looked at the long case clock, that had reminded them now and then of the late hour. „Alfred, please bring Sir Integra to one of the guest rooms. And please take care of—“ He looked at the draculina. „Miss Seras?“

„Miss Victoria.“, she answered shyly but smiling.

„Miss Victoria.“, Abraham repeated a bit surprised about her name. „She will stay in the servant quarters. Make sure she only works the night shifts.“

The old butler bowed obliging.

Apologizing, the doctor spoke to Integra again. „I am afraid, you will not be able to keep your title in the society of this time and age, Sir.“

„Lady Fairbrook will do.“ The old knight was not amused but it was a necessary precaution. She might have used the name van Hellsing, but if married she would have lost the name anyways. Besides, Integra did not feel as if appealing particularly Dutch.

Without any more words she followed the servant out of the room.

„Good night, Integra.“ Arthur was leaning over the back of his seat, smiling at his elderly daughter. Standing in the door, the old woman turned around slowly. After a short pause she replied unsure: „Good night, father.“ Although she tried to return his smile, she was not able to.

„Is it too late to make a batman joke about the whole Alfred-thing?“ Seras asked her Master musing. The two vampires were already standing in the hallway.

„Don't.“ Alucard simply replied but he was actually a bit amused by the thought.

His attention had been on the wondrous face of his beloved Master.

Chapter Text

„How cruel.“ As so often since Integra had gotten up this morning, the dark, velvet-like voice of her over agitated servant was echoing through her thoughts. „I would rather like to see you in flesh, Master.“

She did her best to ignore him and concentrate instead on breathing steadily. Not too long and he would be up for his time in the old coffin and Integra could finally enjoy some quiet hours of freedom. Usually, he used to get only that annoying when his Master cut herself or even worse, used to have her period.

„Mrs Elizabeth looks beautiful, doesn't she, Lady Fairbrook?“ Integra looked up only to see the questioning look her great-grandmother flashed her. „What a pity all of your luggage got lost during the journey here. The Ministry of Transport should be ashamed. I asked Abraham to write a letter to the good Lord Jackson, he might be able to do more for you.“

Waking up from her own thoughts, Sir Hellsing reminded herself of the house of lies they had come up with this morning. She drew in air only to realize once again that these clothes were making it impossible to produce a deep sigh. Her hand wandered over the corset laces on her back, painfully aware of the rings on her finger.

With the perfectly believable smile of an aged Victorian lady, Integra uttered: „She really does, doesn't she. Mrs Eliza is a real beauty. And you chose the dress perfectly, dear.“

Elisabeth was wearing one of Abigail's dresses, so was Integra. While the younger women was dressed in a warm brown, Integra's was a dark blue. Both outfits were of course a representation of the times they had been traveling to.

„How stunning, Master.“ That bastard was apparently still not finished with his monologue. Now it almost felt as if he was whispering into her ear. He knew she either had to talk out loud to shut him up, or worse, open her mind for him. „Even I would almost believe you to be a simple old granny.“ Laughter seemed to wander through her head. „If it wasn't for the fact that you look nothing like one.“

The murmur of his last words almost made her shiver. Integra's nostrils widened and she had to use all her control to keep up the smile and go on: „But this green suits you just as well, Abigail.“

Both her female ancestors were astonishing beauties. Her great-grandmother had her already graying, red hair braided around her head. The green dress matched her eyes. A Victorian lady would surely take notice of all this. The female knight, however, was not really interested in such things: Clothes, hair, compliments or even beauty. She had never had time to think about them very much, not even in her younger years.

Integra had to suppress another sigh. She was discussing dresses and ball decorations, not to mention the dinner plan. Meanwhile, her father, grandfather and great-grandfather were smoking in the study, discussing the crisis at hand. Even Elizabeth seemed to be annoyed by that fact, playing her part just as perfect, the occasional cringe only recognizable by the older knight.

Somewhat interesting was at least hearing Abigail's tale from the woman's perspective instead of her husband's. Although, most important was reading between the lines: She was a gentle and simple minded mother in her thirties. The rather intelligent woman had met the doctor when she had just turned twenty-two, while both attended a ball given by the British Society of Amsterdam. Her father had been the third son of a Scottish lord, the name giver of Alistair, and diplomat for the British crown in the Netherlands. As daughter of a proper English lady, she had grown up as such, despite her upbringing in Amsterdam. Now age thirty-five, she was mother of two sons and three daughters. The love she had been harbouring for her more than twenty years older husband was based on respect and good humour. But while latter got more and more involved with the occult over the years, Abigail's mind shut everything slightly paranormal out of her consciousness.

This was evident in the fact that she was still preoccupied with planning the ball that would take place in a few hours. Now and then servants would ask questions and move things into the green room or out of it. The ball room on the piano nobile was being prepared for dancing and the dining hall for the evening meal. All while Abigail was trying to have tea and a nice conversation with her newly arrived guests: The distant relatives of her husband.

„Oh, hush you!“ The lady of the house hid a laugh behind a delicate hand. Still smiling she replied: „This blue seems as if it was created for you. A shame the African sun turned your skin so dark. Still, it matches up lovely. When you told me your age, I could hardly believe it! You look no day over forty.“

Forty in nineteen-hundred, maybe. Integra had to add in her mind. It was not even bitter, just a fact.

„Age is of no consequence.“

„Thank you.“ Integra simply replied, not sure if she was talking to the vampire or the human.

She took a sip of the perfectly brewed earl grey. Alfred really was one hell of a butler. Hardly any task was brought to Mrs van Hellsing if he could prevent it. Meanwhile, he had managed to serve them tea and scones in time, again in his unblemished fashion.

„I wish we could do more to help.“ Elizabeth remarked, setting down her china and pointed to the busy house staff.

„Don't you worry!“ Abigail declined as firmly as etiquette would allow her. „Everything is under control.“

Following Eliza's hint Integra watched the servants as well. Without realizing it, her free hand adjusted her eye patch. At least she had been able to keep the dark leather accessory. In her mind the knight saw a knitted version with a pink flower on top, or even worse something embroidered on it.

„The dress also suits your eye, of course.“ Abigail added to the former topic, obviously made aware once more of Integra's old wound. „If you don't mind me asking, what happened with the other?“

„Snake bite.“ Integra answered like a shot from a pistol, before realizing, that this lie might sound to brutal for a lady. „The African wilderness is a terrible place for a unarmed women.“ In distress her hand wandered to her face. Involuntarily, she thought of the weapon hidden underneath her dress.

A life as the wife of an old British merchant with his main trade post in the British-African colonies seemed to be the lie they had come up with for the elderly knight. Of course, her poor husband was suffering from a sun allergy, that had turned him a night owl over the years. South Africa might not seem to be the best place for someone like him, but what was a man to do when inheriting fortune and businesses from his father?

„Good thing my lovely, little wife is clever and capable enough to assist me.“ Alucard laughed, an ironic undertone swinging in his voice. „For a woman, that is.“

„How dreadful!“ Abigail exclaimed. „Was it poisonous?“

„No.“, denied the older woman. She had enough of the vampire's bullshit for now. „Sadly, my husband was not around to fight it off.“

As expected he was taken aback and finally stayed silent. It was but a little triumph, Integra knew, with four Alucards wandering these halls, there would always be a smug pair of eyes watching her steps. Tonight she had felt them even in her sleep, lurking, whispering...

As if she had summoned him, a dark figure found its way into the green room. The black furred dog seemed tired and restless, not really knowing what to do with himself. Under Elisabeth's cold gaze he stepped into the green living room suit, the women had spent the afternoon in. While the younger two were standing, Integra was resting on one of the couches located in a darker area of the still lit room.

With a testing glimpse in the direction of his Master’s wife, the animal jumped onto the couch and rested his head next to Integra's thigh. Elizabeth flinched but instead of scolding him, she took sat down herself. Her attention wandered willingly or involuntarily to her mother in law. Abigail hardly took notice of the newcomer. One of the maids had absentmindedly dropped a huge stag of linen. Dumbfounded, the blond girl looked at the mess she had made, not moving an inch.

„Becky, what are you doing!“ Mrs van Hellsing uttered and ordered two other servants to help her.

Freed from Elisabeth's stern look the dark figure drew closer and lowered his head on Integra's resting leg. His dark red eyes were focused on the older lady, waiting for her reaction.

The knight hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should be annoyed or touched by the almost pathetically requesting snout. She put her hand on his head and started padding his odd fur. It felt a lot like Alucard's hair but shorter. As if it had a life of its own. The dog made an eased sound, pushing his head into her hand. Her eyebrows rose, but she did not stop.

„How utterly unfair.“ Integra felt as if she could hear him grind his teeth.

„He is you.“ His Master muttered while anyone else was distracted. „You want me to stop?“ The big clock in the hall gave noise. „Is it not time for you to go to sleep anyways?“

Of course he did not want her to stop. He would have just preferred to be the one being patted. The large dog opened one of his eyes knowingly. He was the only one hearing her. Somehow it made him enjoy his treatment even more.

Alucard did not answer. Integra's gaze wandered to the ceiling.

„Isn't that one going to stain the settee?“ A cheeky voice chimed from the hall, entering the green room. „Better send him out.“

The linen again in place and the servants running along, Elizabeth's and Abigail's attention returned to Integra and the newcomer. Elisa got up eminently, when she saw the treatment the dog was receiving. The strict woman pointed out of the room, flashing him an angry look. Her finger pointed into the hall and accidentally into the face of a smiling Scarlett. Her mischievous words and eyes were directed towards the dark creature.

So he is finally in his coffin, Integra realized relieved when she saw the girl standing in front of the grand opening. Certainly struggling to keep in a growl towards the dark haired child, the dog got up, slipped out of the room and up the stairs. Integra could feel the burning anger the animal was radiating towards his older self. Even in this basic form she could feel the difference between her vampire and this one. The dog's, well she could not think about any other word but unhappiness. It might have been the reason she had so willingly patted him before.

Scarlett on the other hand seemed to be a happy mess.

Of course, Integra figured. She just lived through war and destruction the world has never seen before. What had the dog version lived through then? The Count? Latter seemed to be an enigma all in himself.

„Brother wants to see you.“ The smile unfolding, Scarlett stepped towards the knight and leaned onto the armrest next to her. „He is waiting in the study. I'll come with.“

Integra finished her tea, before lowering her cup and looking up. „Aren't I lucky.“

She would comply. A proper conversation with her father seemed inevitable. She would rather discuss the findings the men had made so far, than staying in the house and discussing any more nineteenth century womanly topics.

There it was again Elisabeth's cringe. Integra could only see it out of the corner of her eye while getting up. The smile Scarlett now flashed the other woman probably did not help her annoyed mood one bit.

„Some movement will help my constitution, anyways.“ The knight added to sound once more like a lady. „And I won't keep you any longer from your house duties, dear Abigail. I am sure the ball will be, well, a ball. Besides, Allen is probably already looking for you, Elizabeth.“ Allen was the name they had come up with for Alistair. „Surly he wants to have tea with his lovely wife.“

Even if Integra would have been able to wink, she would have not done so. It was not necessary, since Elisabeth got the hint. With a thankful smile she got up as well and excused herself.

„He's upstairs.“ Scarlett informed the blonde beauty. She acknowledged it with a nod but did not turn around.

After Abigail had released them Integra followed Scarlett out the lobby.

„What did you do that for?“

„Do what?“ Scarlett slowed down her steps and walked next to the taller woman, while they passed by the stairs.

„Why did you cause your younger self to be send out of the room?“ Integra clarified annoyed by the need to do so. She looked around if anyone would hear them. There were many maids running around.

„I despise him, of course.“ The girl giggled amused before grabbing the hand of the older women. She let it happen. „More so, I don't deem him worthy of your affections.“ Her stare would have been frightening, if Integra didn't know it was Alucard's way of showing admiration. A notion that had always moved her, even if unwillingly. The girl squeezed the bigger hand. Only now Integra noticed the white gloves her own vampire was wearing constantly. His magic was pulsing through them. The same magic that was existing within the rings. The knight could feel the energies collide. „Besides, I knew Master would send him away anyways.“

Reluctantly, she let go of the hand and kept on leading the way.

„I was not.“ Integra paused for a moment in irritation. Again, her thoughts wandered back to the miserable creature, that had been so happy to receive some level of attention.

Scarlett looked up in surprise. Walking perfectly fine backwards through the long corridor she explained: „I was talking about Mistress Elizabeth.“ Her for the season way too thin white dress, waved while she was walking. The vampire was obviously affected by the sun, but it was more annoyance than anything else.

Now Integra came to a full stop. „What?“

„Yea, she was for a few years. During the great war actually. The first one, anyways.“ Scarlett shrugged. Integra could see, that the girl was concerned more by this fact than she lead on. Her smile was not fading, surely caused by the thought of war and conflict. „After Alistair's death, before Master was old enough to take over.“ She paused and giggled. „What do you think he would say to that? A WOMAN!? What could my Mistress do with all this raw, irresistible sexual potential.“ The girl waved her dress in a cute manner, causing a deep contrast between her words and her appearance. „I assure you, nothing her husband would not.“ Again she giggled but it was bitter.

Integra understood. The vampire was referring to Alistair's words from the evening before. For a moment she thought about asking her to clarify the just said, but instead she stayed silent. She knew what they meant.

„Elisabeth might even be my favourite.“ Scarlett kept on talking. „Or it might be you? I have not decided so far.“ The dark haired girl raised her eyebrows suggestive.

„The great war, huh?“ Integra intentionally only reacted to what she was actually interested in. The future master gathered from her words on that topic, that the second world war was not over, yet. Not from this servant's perspective, anyways. It made sense. After World War 2 her father had locked him away until that fateful day she had stumbled into his crypt.

„Yeah.“ Scarlett simply answered taken aback by Integra's little reaction. „You remind me of her, a lot actually. You will learn that you don't have to thank your fathers for that iron spine of yours.“

The knight stayed silent again. Alucard had suggested something like that for a long time, but never had he said it so bluntly into her face. This form might have affected his character?

„You should watch your mouth.“, the knight warned.

Happy she had finally caused a reaction, the girl laughed again. „Sure I will.“ There was not one ounce of truth enclosed within. The vampire opened the door to the study. „Although I am rather sure there are lots and lots of better things I could do with my mouth.“

„Be gone, insolent one.“, was Arthur's somewhat ironic answer to that statement. He was smiling. It would not have been Integra's reaction, but it was not her right to put this vampire into her place, not if her master was around.

Her father was waiting, seated behind the massive desk that was overflowing with books. He was already dressed in a tuxedo, ready for the evening. Not far behind him, Walter was overlooking his work observant.

„Thank you for getting me out of the green room.“ Integra greeted Arthur sincere.

„You are welcome. Though, it will be only temporary, I fear. Tonight is a ball after all.“ Arthur pointed at one of the chairs in front of the desk. He noticed his daughter was still struggling to keep up his gaze.

Scarlett passed Integra only to sit on the one small part of the desk that was not yet covered in papers and books. „I can't believe they want to actually give that ball.“ Her smile did not fade, when she turned around to face Walter. „You up for a little dancing?“

Integra sat down in the suggested chair and watched the two children. Scarlett was leaning on one hand and turned around, displaying a now seductive smile towards the boy. His cold features turned disturbed, then ashamed, before they decided on anger.

„I can't believe your lot is allowed.“ The soon to be butler answered sore.

„I can't believe you would choose to be a servant instead of a lords brother.“ Scarlett jumped from the table. „I can't believe it is me whom they call dog.“

Something like a growl was uttered by the boy but he was silenced by Arthur.

„Leave us.“ He waved the vampire away.

„I know, I know.“ Already expecting the order, the girl was on her way to exit the room. „See you tonight.” She winked in Walters direction, who cringed disapproving, but Integra somehow knew the words were meant for her.

„Walter decided on being part of the house staff instead.“ Her father explained the words of his vampiric servant. „He can have an open eye over the day time, while Miss Victoria keeps watch at night.“

Integra responded with a nod. She was not surprised Walter would choose this position over the other. She had noticed his interest in Alfred's work the day before. Apparently one does not turn a butler over night. Even now he moved to the giant globe that was a storage for alcohol and started serving them beverages. Integra's thoughts wandered to Seras' whereabouts and if the draculina would be comfortable serving as a maid. She would probably be getting up in a bit and working during the ball.

„The three of us made some decisions earlier.“ Arthur kept on talking when his daughter stayed silent. „We ordered our vampires to perform an alteration on our and their minds once we return to our times.“ She took a glass of scotch from Walter's hand, that was actually meant for her father. Irritated he filled a second one and gave it to his master, before taking his position behind him again.

Integra's attention was caught by some of the books in front of her. She took one and opened it.

„Alteration?“, she inquired but kept examining the book.

„Yes.“ Her father was clearly startled by Integra's inattention. Now she seemed to be eying a piece of paper lying next to him. It was written in a dirty reddish-brown, probably dried blood. He did not know what it was. It had been lying here before he had started his fruitless research. Since he did not want to remove any of the doctor's works he had not touched it. „That way we can make sure our timelines will not end up being altered.“

Finally Integra looked up. „What about Seras, Alucard and I?“

„We also talked about that.“ A little smile crept into his features when she finally dared to look him in the eye. A cold and distant face was the response. Arthur had to frown. What had happened between him and his daughter? „We think it is best you will be the only ones to keep your memory. That way we know what happened. The family, I mean.“

„So, that's what you think, huh?“ Integra got up far enough to grab the paper she had been looking at. She put away the book before sitting back again and studying it. When she spoke the knight seemed absentminded and cold. „Don't you think it is unfair? Leaving me out of this?“ The older woman did not raise her eye from the freshly dried blood. „That the three of you should not make these kind of decisions without me present.“

„I think so.“ The blond lord shifted in his chair. He tried to convey his trust towards her with a smile, yet again she avoided his gaze. „But as much as I would like you to be part of this, father is reluctant and grandfather seems to be indifferent to the topic.“

„And what about Elizabeth?“ Integra recognized the Sumerian cuneiform in the writing. As always, it was not easy to decipher without the time of origin. Absentminded she kept talking: „She is his wife. He seemed to have enough feelings for her to respect her wishes? Since she was— will be— his Master, has she no right to hear all this?“

„Mother was not really his Master, though.“ Arthur disagreed and proved his daughter that the vampire had told her at least some version of the truth. „I was his Master ever since father died. Mother only gave him his orders during that time. She—“ Sir Hellsing paused. „He likes to think of it in that kind of way, anyways. Calling her Mistress and other things. The young girl form he also chose during that time.“ When Arthur realized Integra was finally somewhat interested, looking up from the paper, he kept talking. „My mother always wanted a daughter, you see. The age was my own at the time. He even went so far and called her mother once in a while.“

Surprise swept for a moment over Integra's face before her attention returned to the paper.

„When I was a child I thought he did it to spite me.“, he explained further, trying to keep her focused on their conversation.

„And now?“, Integra inquired.

„I know he did it to spite me. But I understand that it was more than that.“ He paused and was clearly choosing his next words carefully. „You saw the dog, didn't you? Father— Alistair, he despised Alucard ever since he learned of his existence. And while I tend to avoid him, he was always trying to keep an eye on his servant. Making the vampire aware of his position and the hatred he felt for being bound to him and the obligations coming with it. Grandfather would have never chosen the dog form. Neither would I. But Alistair saw it fit. The Count was lonely in a way. As lonely as a monster can be. So he choose the shape of a sister and a daughter.“

„A stupid brat.“ Walter threw in, looking sorry for his intrusion immediately. Arthur looked towards the boy but did not scold him.

„Well, I am glad he chose another form when we first met.“ In her way she gave approval of Walters words. „I wouldn't have liked him as a sister.“

So much of the way she perceived the vampire's personality was bound to his bodily presence and shadowy appearance. Still, despite his height she made him feel her dominance. Being taller than the vampire after all these years felt like a way of cheating her own person into a more dominant position. She liked Alucard to be as close to his true form as his fragile mind dared to display. Only in his truth her own dominance was true as well.

„Your sister?“ Arthur flinched with concern.

„Yes.“ Once more her attention returned to the in blood written letters.

„Does that mean you became his master as a child yourself?“ Still concerned, her father folded his hands over the books and documents in front of him.

„I would say so“ His daughter responded.

It was even worse than Arthur had guessed before. „Who was your guardian?“

„Walter was.“ She waved one hand in the boys direction, who lost his form and backed away. She still could hardly look into his eyes, although Integra knew he had not yet fought Millennium. The war was still going on in their time. „But no worries. You did not die young. I was born late.“

Now that they had come up with the convenient way of protecting their lives by erasing their memories, Sir Integra saw no harm in telling him this. Especially not since him dying and Walter becoming her guardian seemed inevitable in time.

„Does that mean you lived alone with Walter and Alucard since a young age?“ Shock coloured his eyes.

„I guess so.“ The lady knight mumbled before switching topic without any warning. „This is not complete.“ She suddenly hit the paper with the back of her hand.

The two man in front of her eyed their future protégé irritated. The number of questions growing constantly.

„This is part of a spell. The transcript of one.“ She looked around the table.

„Integra.“ Arthur tried to get her attention again.

„Do you know where the original is?“ The older woman looked around the table, even inspected the floor.

„Integra.“ Arthur stood up. He bent over the table, forcing his daughter to lower the paper and direct her attention towards him. He could not stand the cold and hard-hearted demeanour his child was displaying for one more second. Finally, he understood where it might have originated.

„I know this is hard for you. I know this is not your time or your world, even more than for me and especially father, who always clung to these times. I know why I made you my predecessor. I look at you and I can see it. The others do not understand, because they don't want to. I do. The counts do. You are a better and stronger Master than any of us could have ever been. Than I could be. My decision caused you to sacrifice a lot and forced you very early into a life that might have been meant for somebody else. I see that as well.“

Integra did not react. She let the paper sink back onto the table and leaned back.

„I don't know what exactly I did to you. I probably don't even know your mother, yet.“ Arthur was pleading. „Whatever it was, be sure I am sorry for it. I want to know and get along with you, believe me.“

Silence fell over the office. The fire that had been burning since this morning, kept on crackling, defending the room against the winter cold. Walter stood tense, looking from father to daughter and back.

„I do.“, said Integra and caused Arthur to flinch in surprise. „I know all this.“ She paused. „No, that would be a lie. I assumed it. There is nothing you did or didn't do to me, father. There has just never been a chance to talk. To talk like adults. To ask you why you deemed me worthy of this position. To ask what I was supposed to do. To learn what I was meant to be. I figured it out by myself, after all. With some help, that is.“ Her attention was caught up by Walter for a moment. The young butler raised his eyebrows in wonder. His first shock was gone and the thought of being the guardian of such a strong minded and respectable woman, a Hellsing no less, seemed to appeal to him. „And all the questions that are left now, you can't answer me yet. I don't hate you. I just don't know you. I don't know how to react around you. How to talk to you.“

„Oh.“ Arthur fell back into his chair. „I see.“ Now unsure how to act himself, he stared at the ground. „I guess that I do understand.“ He gave her a weak smile, this time she returned it.

Once more silence fell over them. Arthur did not know what else to say, while Integra presumed there had to be more important topics at hand, than discussing the non-existing relationship she had with her father.

He was a man whom she knew to be a womanizer and scoundrel. A man who in truth did not see himself suited to command a beast like Alucard. Integra never knew if it really had been his intention to lock away the servant during a time period he himself had described as one 'with low vampiric activity' or if he had just tried to avoid his responsibilities. She only knew that of her three male ancestors involved with the occult, Arthur had spend most of his life more or less carefree. Of course, he had lived through the two most devastating wars the world had ever seen. But he did not serve himself. Instead he commented Alucard and Walter, young Walter, to fight Millennium. After that he had returned to a simpler life, ridded off the powerful vampire's presence. A presence Integra knew deep down, she would dearly miss if gone.

„Anything else I should know?“ She decided to change the topic once more and thus dispose of the awkward atmosphere. The one eyed knight garbed the newspaper that was lying on the chair next to her since this morning: '5th of December 1900 – Still no Findings on the Numerous Disappearances'.

She picked it up. „Did he say something about this?“

Arthur cleared his throat, happy for the change of topic. Now, his outburst seemed uncalled for. „He did indeed.“ Integra read the article, while her father explained: „There is at least one very powerful vampire in the area. He is abducting people and drinking their blood for some weeks now. There have been no sightings or hints of ghouls, so far. Yet, the missing are in most cases no virgins at all. No signs of other vampires either. The Count can't sense him. Somehow he is shielding himself. Once they fought but he got away.“

„Did he now?“ Integra lowered the newspaper. „How unusual.“ She remembered reading something alike in the family archives. She also remembered there had been no end written down to the occurrence. „I will tell Seras and Alucard to have a look around tonight.“

„After the ball, you mean?“ Her father was smiling now.

„I think there are more important thinks than the van Hellsing family's winter ball, don't you?“ Annoyance stung out of her words.

„It is a ball after all.“ Arthur gave back, with no conflict in mind. „When will we all get the opportunity again, to visit a Victorian ballroom?“

„Which is my cue.“ Integra got up. She did not want to fight about this, not after they seemed to have some kind of agreement. „Apparently, I have to change for later tonight. Again. I will lay down a bit before my servants get up.“ The three other Alucards had been ordered to stay away from anyone during the night time. So far they obeyed, but they still watched her. She knew.

Arthur got up as well. „In that case I see you tonight.“

„Tonight.“

With some level of uncertainty Integra stepped out of the office. Her last glare was focused on Walter, who looked after her in curiosity. He seemed to be in a good humor. A smile the old knight knew too well. She closed the door.

„Irritating, I have to say.“

Integra turned around. She sighed weakened. Did they pick numbers today?

The Count was standing in the hallway. Just like Arthur he was already dressed in a tuxedo for the later evening. His long hair, longer than Alucard's, was bound together. His beard just as on the day she had seen him pour the insides of his coffin into the streets of London. He was smiling, his teeth resembled nothing the vampiric kind she knew. He looked almost completely human. Polite and charming he was bowing to greed her.

„What is?“ She asked and turned her back on him, moving in direction of the entrance hall and the staircase.

„Listening to this. Knowing the future. My future.“ Integra could not see his face or she would have recognized him referring to her person with his last words.

When her Alucard talked, nothing of that Romanian accent remained. It was a trade she felt distinctly belonging to this version. His presence was different. More mysterious in a way but also more human. He was everything Integra did not know about her servant. Everything she did not know about his emotions. Her own life and their memories were missing, as if he had been reborn the moment he had tasted her blood for the first time. Reborn as hers.

„Well, you will forget about it anyways.“ Integra gave back without slowing down. „You have your orders.“

As expected he followed. Catching up, he walked next to her. „True. Still it feels odd. I never realized until yesterday what consequences the pact would have on your family. Changing your kind into hunters.“

„Did you realize the consequences for yourself?“ Integra's interest was pocked. Probably what he was hoping for.

„I am a monster, my lady.“ He laughed. „I am no constant, not without emotion or memory. Of course, I would change over time. With or without your family. Just different.“

Integra stopped, causing the Count to end up in front of her. He turned around with a questioning look.

„Why did you make the pact in the first place?“ Her voice and glare were intense. It was a question she has always been meaning to ask her servant. Somehow it was easier asking this one instead.

„I lost. He bound me.“ The question seemed to amuse him. „You know that.“

„There is no way you would have lost against him.“ She shook her head and emphasized: „No way.“

„Don't you know Integra? Only humans—“

„—kill monster.“ She ended his sentence. „I know.“

His smile grew wider.

„I still don't buy it.“ Again she shook her head but started walking again. „I don't believe he was able to defeat you. I saw what you can do. They only assume. I saw.“

Realization flamed within his dark eyes, turning them red. He understood. She had seen his coffin open. Seen his true form and powers. Still she was standing in front of him, unshaken, with a straight forward stare, cross-questioning him as if he was any other thug. The excitement found his dark voice: „What do you think happened then?“

They had reached the stairs. Integra was holding on to the balustrade, taking the first step. She was on his eye level. „You just gave up, didn't you? You gave in to his offer. You were afraid. Afraid to be alone, forgotten, without guidance, like so many years prior.“ He fell back looking up to Integra. His smile faltering. She kept on moving, leaving him behind, only stopping to talk in a low volume so the house servants would not hear them. It was funny, how she sometimes forgot he was a monster and treated them like humans. Trying to stay in hearing distance. A distance that might have been the next house altogether for him. „You preferred the thought of being a bound servant in company, over being free but alone.“

For a moment they just stood there. The Count on the bottom of the stairs, looking up to his future Master. The truthful stare of her remaining eye pierced trough his walls, making him seem vulnerable, if only for a second. In the surrounding rooms they could hear servants preparing for the evening. Above, the rumbling of stes indicated the rearrangement of the ball room furniture.

„Would you give me the honor and dance with me tonight.“

His response surprised her. Integra frowned and returned: „I don't dance.“

„Neither do I.“ His mask of self-confidence had returned. „Usually.“

The elderly knight stood still. Pondering she crossed her arms. „In that case— I might make an exception.“

Chapter Text

„I could kill for a smoke right now.“ Integra’s fingers moved over her dry lips. She inspected the arriving guests and sniffed the nicotine out of the air. All her cigars where gone. Due to the fact that smoking was extremely unfeminine these days, she hardly could ask around for a ciggy. Once in a while she would slip into the doctor’s office to steal one of his. Right now, that seemed impossible.

„I could go for some blood myself if it truly is a kill you want?“ Alucard bent down to talk into her ear. „Coincidentally, it would satisfy my own hunger.“

She backed away a little and eyed him scolding. Great. The knight was out of tobacco and her head-vampire was about to get cranky due to blood deprivation. This ship was set to go down more sooner than later.

„Lady Fairbrook, Lord Fairbrook.“ Abraham signalled them to join him at the entrance of the impressive ball room. Integra obliged and Alucard followed.

The gathering was located on the piano nobile of the mansion. At daylight the large windows at the long side of the house lit it generously. Now, at night, the heavy red curtains were closed. Candlelight from golden holders only assisted the electric chandeliers to let the polished floors sparkle. At least seventy people were spread around and twirling on the dance floor. A quintet placed in one corner of the room provided the music.

„This is my good friend Jonathan Haker.“ Abraham introduced the white haired gentleman the same moment Integra and her servant arrived at the entrance doors. „Lord and Lady Fairbeook, my dear cousin and her husband. They arrived recently from Africa. You see, Lord Fairbrook owns a very profitable trading post in South-Africa.“

„My pleasure.“ The elderly knight greeted accordingly. She knew the lawyer from old photographs. Truly, the man seemed way too white haired for his age. Out of the corner of her eye, she observed how Alucard nodded with his usual wide smile. However, her guardian seemed suddenly way too good humoured.

Mister Haker recognized the vampire immediately. His eyes widened and he backed away, bumping into another gentleman standing right behind him. He looked irritated from Alucard to the Count who was situated in another part of the room, clearly observing them. Integra noticed him for the first time this evening. She had been wondering, when he would show up.

„And this is Lord Arthur Holmwood.“, van Hellsing introduced the man standing behind Haker. He deliberately ignored the reaction of the latter. The Fairbrooks greeted him as well. The middle-aged Lord bowed expressionless. His dark blond hair and moustache were greying also. His blue eyes filled with sadness. Integra remembered the remarks Alucard had made, when they first stepped foot onto the mansions perimeters. Lucy Westenra had been the love of his life. Alucard had snitched her away even before their wedding day. He looked like a broken man. Not even able to utter anger against Alucard, who he clearly recognized as such.

„Father!“ A brown haired young boy run up to Mister Haker and grabbed his suit jacket. „Can I go play with Alistair and the others?“

Thrown of balance even more Jonathan needed a moment to show a reaction. „Do not be so turbulent, Quincey. Yes, of course. But you may stay inside the house. And have the maid around, you hear? Alistair is older than you. You cannot just do everything he does.“ The boy smiled and run off to an already waiting young Alistair. The oldest Hellsing son was some years older than Jonathan's boy still he did not seem to mind playing with him.

Integra looked around. No sign of Mina Haker. She had never taken the ending of the book as the truth, yet there was not much about her in the notes of her great-grandfather, either. Integra had just assumed the woman had survived the incidents depicted in the book.

„Dear.“ Abigail stepped next to her husband. „Doctor Seward has arrived. I guess you want to welcome him personally?“ She wore a stunning white dress with many ruffles. Integra's on the other hand was made from a simple but elegant mustard yellow. Their hair were of course put up, in Integra's case only a few rebellious strands running loose.

„Well, of course!“ Despite the recent happenings, Doctor van Hellsing seemed to be good humoured tonight. Integra blamed the bandy. „Come along! I am sure the old chap will be happy to see you too!“ He was talking directly to the two emotionally battered gentleman he had just introduced to his great-granddaughter. They followed him without objections or enjoyment. Meanwhile, their attention stayed with Alucard until they left the room.

For a moment master and servant were standing still, then Integra grabbed his gloved hand and lead him to the dance floor.

„What an honour?“ Alucard followed amused. Smiling, he watched how she adjusted his bow tie in time with the last notes of the ending song. Her hand lingered. Then she positioned herself to begin. Like every man tonight he was wearing a tuxedo but of course his was all white with a red tie, suiting his knew persona.

„What exactly happened to Mina Haker?“ Integra demanded to know right away.

„Ah“, her vampire uttered. „And here I thought you just wanted to dance, Master.”

„Don't be ridiculous.“ They started moving. “You know I avoid it whenever possible.”

“I do know. Assuming a woman’s role always seems to irritate you.” The thought amused him. “We could always switch, you know.”

Integra huffed dismissive. “If I wanted to draw attention to myself I would be smoking three cigars at once and right now.”

“Maybe you should. It would most certainly lighten your mood.” It had to be bad if Alucard was the one to point it out. Usually, he enjoyed her occasional bad tempered times. Although his smile did not falter he seemed to be disappointed, that she did not enter the husband-wife charade as well as she could.

“Answer the question.” Saying she did not care about his mood in return would have been a lie. In fact, if she would have been the one coming up with the marriage idea, this might have even been a fun time for the knight. But now it felt like she was pressured into doing it. The hand with the rings twitched on Alucards shoulder. She was well aware of his on her waist. They swirled around.

The vampire sighed before he explained: “I did not turn Mina. Mina Murray was an exceptional boring human being. She was the shining and proper example for Victorian values. She was however a very interesting and far more amusing vampire, probably for the same reasons. Lucy turned Mina after I turned her. But when I found Mina to be the more interesting toy, Lucy killed Mina. Your great-grandfather and his men killed Lucy and I was bound.”

Integra laughed dryly.  Alucard shot her a surprised look. He had not expected this of all stories to lighten her mood.

“No wonder the Count is so full of himself.”, Integra explained her ironic amusement. She had lost sight of him when they stepped onto the dance floor.

“What about the kid?” Alucard’s head turned around. The question had not been coming from his dance partner, but his servant standing on the other end of the room. Seras was watching her two Masters. Meanwhile a gentleman took a glass of champagne from the tray she was balancing. Apparently, Integra was not the only one being curious about the past. An apologizing smile was on Seras lips. The vampiress was looking glorious in that undersized maid costume of hers, drawing attention to her wherever she went.

“The boy was named after the late Quincey Morris and is the son of the late Mrs Haker. The woman he married after Mina’s death.” Alucard looked at the younger vampire, while giving his explanation, so Integra understood that he was no longer talking to his Master. It was a question Integra herself wanted to ask anyways.

“So the ending of the book was changed?” The man who had just been taking a glas from Seras’ tray looked up from observing her magnificent physique. He was confused since she was clearly talking to herself. The draculina did not notice him, or if she did, she chose to ignore him.

“The book is just a simple monstrosity. Some accounts are true. But most of them are just mere interpretations or sprung from imagination all together.” Alucard twirled around a bit too fast this time and Integra had troubles keeping up. There was no anger in his face, just annoyance. His Master almost stumbled and he quickly had to grab around her back to steady her. His smug smile came back immediately and instead of loosening his grip again he kept going like that.

Integra raised an eyebrow but did not scold him for it. She found it strangely pleasant being near her servant. She always had. Physical just as emotional contact was a rare thing in her life and always had been. Only when she was exposed to them, she felt their loss. It was one reason why she avoided it, but another why she could not resist, at times like these. Alucard, not being able to read her mind, seemed content in these rare moments. To Integra’s annoyance, he could however read her body language just as well.

His smile got bigger. His Master almost felt three pairs of eyes, identical to the ones of her dance partner, stare either content or jealous from different parts of the room.

“Maybe I was wrong.” Integra whispered it into his ear, while he held her close. “Surely, you still are way too full of yourself.”

Seras observed how her Master uttered laughter loud enough to gain some confused looks, before continuing the dance. The two of them looked content, happy even. Like an actual married couple. For Seras this was how it should be.

Finally, she shifted her attention back to her work for this evening. Most of the time she was bringing food or drinks, sometimes she had to run errands. Like her Masters wanted she kept her eyes open for anything unusual. It was just hard for her to pinpoint anything unusual since this was a world so strange to her.

“Where is this girl again?” Seras’ superior was passing by, tying not to draw any attention to herself. Usually the Butlers served on occasions like these, but since the guests were plenty the maids helped out. “New one. Have you seen Becky? The young blond one? Clumsy? Staring holes in the air lately, while others are working? She was supposed to be up here…”

Seras shook her head. The vampire had seen the girl before on this floor giving drinks to some of the guests. But then she had dropped a bottle of wine before leaving to get a towel. Since then Seras had not seen her anymore. Using her senses to search the house for any sign of the maid, she found her downstairs near the office, hiding. Maybe she should look after the girl?

“This is outrageous.” When Seras looked up she noticed the adult Alistair Hellsing standing next to his son Arthur. “Look at them. Dancing. Flirting.” Seras followed his gestures and realized he was talking about her Masters.

“They keep up the illusion. They are supposed to appear married, are they not?” Arthur took a glass from Seras and shut her a little smile, when he recognized her as his daughters servant. With a nod of his head he signalized her to leave, before Alistair would notice her.

The vampiress did as suggested, but kept listening to the conversation.

“Elizabeth and I are married and we are having no trouble proving it. We are not required to exchange affections in public and same goes for them.” The brown haired knight turned to his son. “They look like honeymooners, not like a couple married for thirty or more years.” Elisabeth was standing next to him. She put a hand on his forearm signalling him, that he was talking too loud.

“They look all right to me.” Arthur emptied his glass in one go. When he put it on the tray of another servant girl, he looked after her. His face was already reddish. “Why don’t you just try to enjoy yourself?”

“Like you did?” Alistair pointed to another spot on the dance floor. “When you gave your servant boy orders to dance with the monster?”

A cunning grin was immediately on Arthurs lips when he followed the gesture. Scarlett and Walter were dancing enigmatic in between many taller dancers. Only one of them seemed to enjoy herself though. “It is a punishment for Walter. He spoke up earlier."

The young looking couple twirled around more fierce and with more energy than any other, drawing some of the attention away from the eccentric looking Lord and Lady Fairbrook's intimate dance. In reality Walter just wanted to lean as far away from the vampire girl as possible, while she crept closer and closer.

"They look innocent enough, though. Besides, dancing on a Victorian ball? The opportunity of a lifetime.”, was Arthur's excuse even though they all knew it was a decision made for his own personal amusement.

Whatever his motives might have been, Walter enjoyed himself better than his Master had seen him in a long time.

Chapter Text

Integra spotted the Doctor coming back up from downstairs on his own. She freed herself from Alucard's arms and left the dance floor to accompany her great-grandfather. The knight wanted to ask about the mysterious spell written in blood she had examined during her conversation with Arthur.

“Keep an eye out.” She signalled Alucard to roam the room. “And behave.”

After their dance the vampire was smiling gleefuly. “Of course I will.”

“As always, I bet.”, Integra mumbled when she left for the Doctor.

But she was not even halfway with Abraham, before she was stopped.

“You promised me a dance.” The Count bowed a little when he stepped in her way.

“I did not promise anything.” Integra refused but she smiled slyly. “But if I had, I just did.”

“How unfair.” He uttered in his still so thick accent. “But I guess I can’t deny the truth in that.” He bowed once more, his gaze rested on Integra. “Then I shall look forward to it.”

Integra uttered another dry lough. “Of course, you will.”

“So you do think me full of myself?” The Count picked up her statement from before. He raised one eyebrow, while offering Integra an arm to walk.

She took it and answered: “I should not be surprised you were listening in. But you are right it was unfair to phrase it like that. Let’s say instead, I don’t think there is any version of you that is not full of himself.” She led them in direction of his master, who now joined son and grandson. Alistair was looking dismissively in Integra's direction.

“I guess, I can’t deny that either.” An ambiguous smile filled his dark eyes. She did only answer with a cryptic look of her own.

They walked for a moment in silence, before he declared: “I was wondering, why I am so fascinated by you.” The Count stopped and so did Integra, turning towards him. “If I am only fascinated because my older selves are, or if I am by your own character.”

Integra could hardly suppress another smile. She looked up: “And did you come to any conclusion?”

“I guess it is you after all.” His dark voice sounded unsure but his eyes were not.

They had reached Integra’s predecessors. Like a drop of blood being washed away by the rain, the Count let go of her arm and left for another part of the room.

His own Master looked after him puzzled. “What was this about?”

“Nothing important.” Integra assured but the gaze of her eye followed the tall figure for a moment. “I wanted to talk to you.” She turned to Abraham shaking this last encounter off with a little twitch of her shoulders. “There was a transcript in Sumerian cuneiform that was lying on your study. What is it about?”

The doctor was caught up in his thoughts. It was visible that he was no longer all that clear minded. Still, he looked around if somebody was listening. After he spotted his wife out of hearing distance, he explained: “I fear I don’t really know. It is a book a colleague of mine, a professor from Cambridge, lent to me. They are marvelling over the final translation. It is a 13th century transcription of a much older source. The original was drawn in blood so I did the same. It seemed to contain some form of magic, so I wanted to preserve it, hoping a later generation might be able to use it. Why do you ask, Dear?”

Integra fell silent. It seemed plausible that this old and complicated language had not been fully translated at this point in history. She had not been thinking about that fact. Still, it seemed foolish of her great-grandfather to simply write something down in his own blood, clearly containing magic, when he was not fully aware of the consequences. But then again he had not received her education in using the occult and all the needed precautions regarding dark magic. “When did you write it down?”

“When?” Integra’s calm demeanour surprised him. “Well it was only yesterday, in the afternoon I’d say.” He stopped in his movement.

Integra spoke out his thoughts: “Just before Alistair arrived at your house?”

“Yes.” He nodded.  Arthur and Alistair looked up surprised. Elizabeth had been standing apart but now she joined them once again. “You think this might be the answer to our… well… problem?”

“I think it is quite possible.” Integra gave back but was not holding eye contact with any of her family members. Instead she tried to remember what little she had been able to translate yesterday.

“It might just be a coincidence.” Alistair added sceptical.

“That might be.” Abraham nodded. “But still, first thing in the morning I will send a letter to my acquaintance at Cambridge and ask him to join us here as fast as he can.”

“It seems to be the only lead we have so far.” Arthur pointed out entangled in his own thoughts.

All five of them jumped up a little when a loud, shattering noise went through the room. Their heads turned around and they could see the silver tray that was lying on the ground. Ten crystal glasses shattered, the champagne flooded the floor. Some woman screamed in surprise and jumped away. But there was no sign of the servant, who had dropped it.

An intruder. Alucard’s voice went through Integra’s head like the shot of a pistol. She understood it was Seras who had let go of the tray in pursuit of an appearing enemy. The knight noticed the other masters reacted similar and concluded they got the same message.

“Get him then.” Integra muttered.

He might have gotten away already. Integra felt his annoyance.

“Search the parameters of the mention and the surroundings. They can’t just disappear without a trace.” The old knight clenched her fists. She had the same notion as her servant: Finally an enemy to hunt down, instead of agonizing cluelessness. “That’s an order.”

Only now she realized that her relatives were looking at her. The three men had received similar messages no doubt, but none of them reacted as fast as their daughter.

“Everything is fine.” Abigail van Hellsing’s calm voice was filled with laughter. “A good scare, but it was just some broken glass and some spilled champagne. No need to worry.” The music had stopped. With a wink of her hand she ordered the musicians to keep going. Soon the room was as noisy and busy as before.

“How could they have even entered the gardens without the vampires noticing?” Arthur looked around the room. “Impossible.”

“But they obviously did. Isn't that why they all reacted?” Elizabeth objected. She tapped the arm of her husband. “We should scatter and not look as suspicious, don’t you think? Let’s dance, Darling.”

Alistair followed her reluctantly. “I don’t like this.”

“Then, I will join my wife as well.” Abraham flashed Integra a worried look.

The moment he left Walter reached his Master. “What is going on?”

“The vampires spotted something.” Arthur said still looking through the room. “Keep put. This could mean anything.” Young Walter nodded and moved in direction of the red curtains. He eyed the guests even more closely than he did before. His determined walk made Integra almost smile for a moment.

“I will get another drink then.” Arthur declared looking at his daughter. “Care to join me?”

Meet me in the office. Alone.

Integra shook her head. “Thanks but I prefer staying sober for now.”

Arthur smiled. “Understandable.”

The old lady eyed her father for a moment. He was right. The two of them were made from different material. She would stay the master she had to be and only drink when the threat was eliminated. Integra backed away and moved in direction of the exit. Only when she was sure none of her family members were watching she slipped out the door and down the broad stairs. By the time she reached the office, anger had built up within her.

“You have your orders, don’t you? Why command me here?” She looked to the side, the room was dark, but she could see his shadows move behind the great study. His eyes were glowing red. The fact that she could not see him clearly annoyed her even more. With a click the electric light came on. It was newly installed and too weak to reach every corner of the room, yet. Alucard was still lurking in the shadows of the book shelves. His old gentlemanly form was gone, the outlines of his body seemed unclear and fluent.

“The thread is gone.” He explained with a slight bow. Oddly enough he was not smiling. Something about him was unsettling, but then again so many things were unsettling about him permanently, especially when he choose a lax form like that.

“Why are you the only one down here then, while the others are out there?” Integra gestured outside.

Alucard came forth and stepped towards her. He stopped in front of his Master, ordering his shadows to close the door. The heavy dark wood flung shut with a muffled bang.

“Don’t you think three of me plus Walter and Seras are already a little bit overkill?” His usual smile returned over his joke but the expression of his eyes stayed weirdly uneasy. “Besides, I bet you are far more interested in smoking down here in peace?”

Integra watched as his shadows closed the door, before she looked at him for a moment, observing and thoughtful. He was wearing his red duster. The one he most certainly wore to remember Abraham’s fashion style. The one Integra knew so well since childhood. Glasses and hat were missing. His shorter hair fell into his eyes.

“I guess you are right.” She moved past him towards the study and stopped at the bookshelf. “I much prefer to do some research regarding this spell the doctor might accidentally pulled. Much better than pretending to be an old Victorian lady. And if three of you don’t find this intruder, Walter and Seras or not, four will most likely not be able to succeed either.”

It took her a moment but she found the book she had been thinking about since the door closed shut. It had been a much read and treasured one of her own collection ever since she had found it in her father’s library. Integra had always been wondering when it would come in handy. It was a thick red coloured issue with golden and black writing on it. She had long speculated the leather was made from human skin. A very powerful book containing spells and magic. When it came into her possession however, most of them were already burned out, out used or unrecognizable. But there had been one…

Meanwhile, she felt Alucard draw ever nearer. Before he could reach her though, Integra took the heavy book from the shelf and moved to the desk. She sat down behind it and started turning the old pages. Pleased to see, that the in blood written paper was lying on the table right next to her, she moved it over to her left side. “Tell me then. What was it you felt out there? The intruder?”

“Most definitely a vampire.” Her servant explained. “Very quick. As soon as he was there, he was gone again. No trace.”

Integra found what she had been looking for. She started reading the strange signs while asking: “Might be related to the case the doctor was talking about? The one in the papers?”

“Possible.” The vampire came to a halt in front of the study. He seemed to be floating. Clearly, he wanted her attention, but his Master was preoccupied. “What are you doing?”

“I think that this,” she pointed at the paper nest to her, “is the reason we are all here in this time.”

Integra looked up at him. Alucard was smiling approvingly. “Is that so?”

“Most certainly.” Integra left the book she had taken out of the shelf lying open on the table. Another was still positioned next to it. “This one must be the source.” Abraham had left a bookmark. She almost immediately opened it on the page of the original. Reading what she could, she tried to realize the nature of the spell.

“It has always fascinated me, you know?” Alucard sat down in one of the seats in front of the desk. He crossed his legs and intertwined his gloved hands.

“What?” Integra was still studying the writings, apparently not noticing him.

“Your mind, Love.” Integra flinched but did not look up. “It has always been and will ever be the most precious to me. It seems unfair, that you would go through so much trouble, only to keep me out of it.”

“Ordering my servant to do so, is not what I would call trouble.” Integra declared, totally dismissing the given compliment. She tossed the book onto the desk and got up slowly. Her hand rested on a paper knife. “But then again, you are not my servant, are you?”

The vampire sitting in front of her leaned forward. “Like I said, fascinating.”

„And also none of the others.“ Integra declared. One hand wandered upward to fix her glasses, the other grabbed the knife.

“Correct.” He observed amused how the old lady grabbed the letter opener like a life ring on stormy seas, when they both already knew she had no chance of escape.

The knight observed the room. She had noticed them before, white crystals spread across the floor and furniture, but now she noticed a pattern. There was no doubt the circle closed when the door went shut. A spell to keep out the vampires, roaming around the house. By know they must have noticed it. He must have had help from a human servant of the mansion. Making them do his bidding was easy enough for him.

Her attention returned to her captor: “You brought us here. You are another. A fifth.”

“Correct, again.” He got up, proud in his voice, and opened his arms in amusement. His dark shadows and unclear form seemed to spread, pushing away the light.

“Why?” There was no fear in her voice. She was calm but demanding.

“It’s a powerful spell as you, of course, would have figured out soon enough.” He leaned forward and put his hands on the desk. He drew nearer but Integra did not move. “Actually, I only wanted you.” The last word was lingering between them. “But there seem to be some restrictions to it. It is bound to the time it was written.” He pointed at the sheet of paper, then around them. “So we were brought here. I also asked for my Master. As you realize, I should have put my wish clearer. Instead of you, whom I regard my true Master, the spell brought along all of them, and bound with them my older selves.“ He laughed in this typical way her Alucard would, a laugh only Integra could enjoy. Now it was agonizing. “But I guess if you are able to use magic that powerful, you should not complain.”

In a smooth movement Integra sunk the knife into the piece of paper putting a whole into the table as well. He let it happen. The knight kept eying the vampire in front of her, while the room got ever darker.

“That’s not how time works, my Love. The past I came from is already gone.” His eyes flashed red as he walked through the wood, until he was standing right in front of Integra. It seemed as if all light had fled the room. “But of course, you figured that out, and naturally you had to try, didn’t you?”

Integra removed the knife from the table, holding its handle in one hand and its blade within the other. “I did not ask how you came here." She made a small head movement towards the in blood written transcript. “I know how.”

The elderly knight swallowed hard.

“Why?”, she repeated her question but this time there was uncertainty in her voice.

“I already told you.” He raised a hand and put a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “You.”

Integra shook her head. She did not know why. Was it rejection? Disbelieve? Confusion?

“From my point of view, you and I have not seen each other in over three hundred years.” He lifted his hands to grab the arms of his former Master. Instead he just held them in mid-air, not touching her, as if frightened she could disappear otherwise. “Ever since you have been gone, I have regretted our decision to just… let you die. Not to turn you instead.”

Now, finally, Integra backed away, only so much since she could feel his shadows behind her. “It is not our decision. It is mine.” Her anger and refusal reached her face. “Mine alone! And what about ‘Only humans slay Monsters’? Did you not say it to me over and over again? Staying human? Saving my soul? Doing the right thing?”

His mimic changed. Integra could not believe the compassion she saw in his eyes. In all of their yeas together she had never seen him remotely like this. This conflicted, this torn, but also so desperate. “That’s what I have thought at the time. Back then I could not have turned you. I cared too deeply for you, your peace, your soul. Just how much I only understood after you were gone. After it was too late to undo my foolishness.”

Integra shook her head: “No! Listen to yourself! This is my decision. You and I always knew that. And I made it a long time ago.”

“For many years after you were gone, I have tried to tell myself, that I could keep on with this damned existence of mine. Even without you.” He withdrew his hands and looked at them, willingly ignoring her words. “But the more time went by, the harder it was to deny, that there could be no me, without you.” The dangerous and maniac laughter she knew so well returned to him. Integra understood there was nothing she could say or do, that might change his mind. “I lived for your orders. Do you understand what I say, Master? Lived! Something I had not done in sixhundred years. I have not done in threehundred more. Back then I thought it was too cruel to destroy you through immortality, through becoming like me. Now, I know it could not be as cruel as being without you after finally seeing light again. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?” Now finally he grabbed her shoulders looking into her knowing eye. “I long for you more than life or death.”

“I refuse.” Integra replied as calm as she was able to. She could feel a tear forming in her eye. Her throat hurt. To hear these words gave her as much pain as it gave her bliss. She had always known of her affection for the vampire, she just had never chosen to act upon it. Or rather, she had ignored it. The decision to stay human had always been a challenge for her, now, her refusal seemed near impossible. Yet, she knew it was the right thing to do. She prayed to the Lord, so that He may give her the straight to do so. “I will not be your lover or your master.”

“I told you.” This Alucard shook his head smiling. Her words did not seem to matter. “It is not your decision anymore, nor are you able to keep me out of your mind. If your words match what I find in your thoughts I might reconsider. But I truly doubt that.”

When she was feeling him invading her mind, she knew there was no more time. Before he could realize her plan, Integra cut her hand open with the knife she was still holding. She pressed her palm onto one of the books lying on the heavy desk in front of her.

Realization gleamed in his red eyes, but it was too late to stop her. “Of course. This would have been too easy otherwise.” He smiled.

The spell worked right away. It banished the vampire from her sight, giving way for the weak and flickering light of the electric lamp. The knife fell on the ground as Integra ran to the crystal in front of the door and kicked it out of place. She stumbled backwards and sat down on one of the armchairs. The next second the room was filled with vampires, and the door was smashed open by her ancestors and a confused Walter.

Integra held the bleeding hand to her face.

“What happened?” Abraham looked around.

Seras and her Alucard were standing next to their knight right away.

“Are you alright, Master?” he asked demanding. Integra moved away from the two, back to the study. She did not want to be near him right now. Her servants were irritated but did not follow.

She grabbed the two books she had been looking into before.

“It was the spell you wrote.” Her hand was still bleeding as she grabbed the paper that was responsible for this time travel nonsense. “He will use it in one future to return us here.” She pointed it at her Alucard, whose eyes flashed in understanding. Integra spared herself an explanation over the true reason of Dracula's return. Her ancestors were the last people she wanted to discuss this topic with. What topic? Romantic involvement? Was it? For her?  

“How did you get rid of him?” Arthur looked worried. He stepped in her direction but when she backed away, so did he.

With her non bleeding hand Integra held up the book with the red leather binder. The spell she had been using, she had been planning to use the moment she realized this Alucard was not hers, was one she had thought of as her last resort for a long time. It would only work once. When used correctly it could banish and hurt everything evil from ones side at will. The only thing required where the writings on this page and…

“I know this book, and the spell. It requires virgin blood.” Alistair exclaimed. When he realized what he just said his hand found his mouth. “But…” He exhaled, regarding Integra’s age and what it meant.

The old knight closed the red binder before looking at each of her fathers dismissively. “This could have been avoided! The writings in this book,” she lifted up the second one, the one Abraham had copied the powerful spell from, “say clearly what this magic is capable of. There was no need to write it in blood. You could have transcripted it without any problems when not using your damn blood!” She took both books and the paper in one hand before heading to the office door. “And now, because each and every one of my vampire commanding ancestors is incompetent or an imbecile, I am literally living my worst nightmare!”

She opened the door with her free hand. Alucard and Seras began to follow but she shut the door noisily in front of their faces.

An awkward silence followed.

Chapter Text

Finally the last guests were gone. The music had stopped and the house had turned quiet. Integra was rolling around in her bed. Her hand hurt, as did her head. The yellow dress and the corset were laying on an armchair, her glasses and eye patch on the nightstand. Before laying down, she had deciphered anything she could in that old book. Still, she did not manage to find any sleep.

The old knight tried not to think about it, but was of course not able to banish the thought out of her head. He was out there. He had read her mind and he knew. Had made her realize. There was no way that bastard would give up now. A setback like this would only encourage him more. She knew him. Alucard… No… Dracula. She could not think of them as the same. There was no way she would allow herself to transfer this anger onto her servant. And still… she did. She could not stop it.

“I suppose some kind of discussion is at dire.”

Integra jumped up and backed away, the gun she was keeping under her pillow in hand.

“My apologies. I did not mean to frighten you.” Alucard was staring down the barrel. He was standing next to the other end of her bed. The intruding moonlight illuminated his tall figure. Now he sat down and watched her put the weapon back under her blankets. His new form was gone. Red jacket, red hat and glasses were back. The vampire was looking at her over the orange cycles. He noticed the blouse and pants she had worn on the day of their arrival.

“Wasn’t it?” His master did not hold his gaze. She knew it was her servant.

“You are angry with me.” Alucard looked away, in door direction.

Integra had to laugh. “I am angry with you all the time.”

“This is different.” He shook his head almost unnoticeably.

“I guess it is. I try not to.” Integra sat up and leaned against her pillows. “It is not an easy task.” She let go of her gun and put her eye patch and glasses back on.

He nodded. “I was thinking what might have happened in there. The room was sealed, no sound came through. But from your reaction and the happenings of the evening I can guess what might have happened.” He leaned his head onto his fist. The black hair fell into his face and made it impossible to read any reaction. “He is older than me, he has to be if he owns my power to appear and disappear. But he is without you.” Integra could only see his mouth. It was twitching. He was not smiling.

“I guess he must have had help from one of the servants.” The old knight knew where this conversation was leading. She did not want to talk about it, not to her Alucard or any other. Once she would cross that line, the one he was currently wandering, there would be no going back.

She almost sighed in relive when her vampire did not go on but instead responded: “Yes, we found her. A maid was hypnotized earlier today. The girl put the crystals into the office as commanded by his minion.”

“So we are not only up against him but also another.” Now it was Integra who buried her face in her hand, once she realized it was the one with a closing wound under a piece of cloth, she stopped the movement.

“I need to know what he said.” The vampire got up again and moved closer. He only stopped when standing next to her.

“You don’t.” Integra raised her uninjured hand to her forehead and looked out the window, away from him. 

“I do.” Alucard shook his head once more and sat down, this time right next to her. “I need to know who I am up against. What he is willing to do. To you. If he wants to kill you, or…”

“Turn me.” It was not the end of his sentence but the answer to his question.

He nodded. “Of course.”

A grave silence fell over them. The vampire was sitting close to her, but was looking at the injured hand lying in Integra’s lab. His master kept watching the cold moonlight illuminate the furniture of the room. Both set completely still for a moment. The presence of her old friend was southing but flustering as well.

“You can stop pretending.” Integra broke the silence with an annoyed voice. Looking at his concerned face only made her angry. The vampire’s dark eyes lit up.

“Whatever do you mean?” Given his growing smile, he knew exactly what she meant.

 “You don’t need to hide the excitement you must be feeling over all this.” His master leaned in and lowered her voice. Her eye was narrowed. “That this whole dilemma I am currently in, is not the greatest thing you experienced in a very long time. After all, you get to hunt and kill yourself. No one as filled with self-loathing as you can be sad over something like this. Plus, it promises to be a difficult opponent.”

While she spoke his smile grew bigger until he had to laugh out loud, in this hysteric manner he loved to scare his enemy’s with. Or was it just how he showed pure joy? Integra had never really known. “My master understands me too well. Yes, I am ecstatic! The stakes are actually high. I cannot let him get to you, of course. But just imagine. A fight I might actually loose. I might even die!”

Integra smiled when he showed the expected reaction. She had leaned away again, resting against the pillows. The smile faded. “Well, he will surely die.”

Alucard looked at her with curiosity but not less excited. “How are you so sure I will win?”

“That’s not what I said.” She remembered the translation of the old book. “The spell is not usually bound to time. It is meant do give the one working it their greatest desire. The stronger the feeling, the more powerful it gets. It was made so that the user would work its magic in the moment it is drawn. This time nonsense only happens, if it is activated later on. Or as in this case, several hundred years in the future. Anyways, if this happens still, the paradox that arises from it, creates two certainties. One, while the spell is working, there will be no consequences in the death of an ancestor or a younger version of oneself. These consequences will only show once the spell is broken. Two, the user who created the time paradox must surly die. Because the paradox and the spell will only be resolved once the original user is dead. He cannot change what lies ahead of him. He can only change our destinies. I guess he did not understand that, when he activated it.”

“Or he did not care, and did it anyways to get you back.” Alucard interrupted with a rumble in his voice. He put one of his hands right next to hers.

She ignored it and backed away: “So, he has to die. The question is when and how. Once he is dead, we will return. Until then none of my ancestors can die or the future will play out a totally different way.”

“Or…” Alucard kept suggesting, somewhat annoyed that his master ignored him. “He did not care because he just can’t die.” He glared at her with certainty. “He can’t die. I can’t ever die. And he came here to get you back, not caring for the consequences of the spell, since he does not care when or where he will be with y—”

“Stop!” She almost screamed the word, interrupting him and forcing him to be quiet. Her hands were fists, and he could smell the now open wound bleed again. “Can’t you see? I don’t want to discuss this with you. If I wanted to have this discussion, we would have had it thirty years ago!”

All emotion was gone from Alucard’s face. He stared at her with red eyes. “I am not him.”

“I know you are not him.” Integra covered her chin with her uninjured hand and looked away. “I know.” The knight repeated as if she wanted to convince herself.

“Whatever he said, or did, or is going to do, is not how I…”, he had do finish the sentence through clenched teeth, “feel.”

“I understand that.”

“No you don’t.” The vampire shook his head. “If you would, you would let me speak. Let me explain. My words are making you angry? Good. You are angry with me anyways. Why not have this conversation now and justify it?”

He looked at her demanding but the knight stayed silent.

Alucard almost growled. “If you won’t let me, tell me then what you think instead.”

“I…” Integra began but where to start? She lowered the hand from her face and put the injured one under the blankets, well aware of its effect on her vampire. “It is like I said. I really try not to be angry with you. How can I blame you for something you have not done, yet? Something you might never do now.” She looked up. There was sadness in her eye, blame, anger, but also remorse. Alucard’s emotionless stare did not change. He mostly sat with his back to her, looking over his shoulder. Once again his mouth twitched. When she realised that it was her who pointed their conversation in a direction it should never take, she looked away embarrassed.

“Is that all?” His voice was calm.

Integra forced herself to concentrate on smoothing her sheets.

“All?” she asked noticing how he turned towards her.

“Anger. It that everything you feel right now?” She could almost detect some frustration in his words.

“You asked me what I think. That is what I think.” The blankets rustled when she moved her feet. “Usually you enjoy my anger quite a lot, don’t you?” Integra knew exactly what he was hoping for, what he actually wanted to hear. Not the reason why she was angry, but everything else this evening had stirred up inside her heart. This was her last attempt to keep things form falling apart. So he could leave it be, get up and things could just go their way. In that moment, she almost prayed for it.

But she knew it better. He was determent. This conversation had to happen.

“I know what he said. I know what he must have done.” The vampire sighed deeply. The frustration was now clearly audible. “Yet, all you feel is anger?”

Integra threw away her blankets and almost jumped away from the vampire's side. In the next second the bed was between the two. “What do you want me do say? That I am flattered? That I am honoured to receive this kind of treatment?” The vampire got up himself, listening to her words with his back tuned to her. “You want to hear what I feel? Above anything I feel confused. I always knew you had a soft spot for me. So have I for you. Ever since we first met. This is how it has always been. But not like that?!” The last shout out was not meant to sound like a question. But once it was spoken Integra knew it was the truth. They had never established what exactly was between them.

Alucard turned around, looking at her through his curly, dark hair. His eyes glowing hauntingly in the dark.

“I…” The Hellsing heiress could not look into those red dots, so she buried her face in her hands. It hurt her wound but she did not care. She spoke despite them. “I just always assumed you like being ordered around, getting orders, having a master. That you enjoy it in general, not just getting them from me.”

His eyes narrowed and his voice was cold: “You just assumed I like being ordered around.” Alucard repeated slowly.

Integra looked over her fingers, surprised by his stupor. “I don’t know. I figured you are as much a masochist at times, as you are a sadist. Or maybe that one was the cause of the other. After all, you were the one who became Abraham’s servant. I always knew it must have been your decision. I did… ignore the possibility… that you might enjoy getting orders from me, more than from any of my ancestors.”

“Well, I do.” Alucard confirmed outright. He was speaking calmly but he could not hold back some annoyance. “Of course, I did not choose to become the doctor’s servant in the knowledge I would be yours someday. But now I am. I also did not know that it were your orders I needed to receive.” He stepped forth and moved through the bed in Integra’s direction. She was backing away a little but stopped when she reached the windowsill and leaned against it. Her hands fell down and supported her body by holding onto it. “It should be clear by now, after meeting my other selves, that I enjoy your company over your ancestor’s. The reasons for my decision should be obvious to you as well. Getting these orders, binding myself to a master, to a human being, it gives this meaningless existence some sort of structure. Connecting my existence to one of a mortal raises the illusion of time, meaning and order. Their struggles become mine, even if just for a little while. Even if they are actually not of my concern at all.”

He stopped right in front of her and looked down. Integra was avoiding his gaze by turning her head to the side. The knight was well aware of his nearness. When Alucard spoke, she could feel his breath on her cheeks. Breath he only required to talk to her. Air he did not need, she told herself, since he was a monster. 

“The reason however, why I want you over the others' is another one.” He paused and placed his own gloved hands on the windowsills next to his master’s. She let it happen. What was the use of putting space between them? There had never really been any, and there would not be any now. “You were never corrupted. Not by my powers. Not by your own. Not by anything. Ever since I first met you, you stood by your ideals. One of which has always been, not becoming a vampire. I respect that. I would never try and turn you, since you are truly everything I was supposed to be, I wanted to be, I might even thought me to be, when I was still alive. But instead—” He laughed bitterly. “I became this monster.”

Integra was mesmerized. Her thoughts were running. She wanted to return something, say anything, but she did not know what. One part of her even wanted to shove him away and order him to never speak of all of this again.

“That’s why I want you over everyone else.” He continued with a softer voice and spoke directly into her ear. “That is why I feel towards you, the closest thing that I could ever feel resembling love.”

Integra’s thoughts stopped altogether and she turned her head abruptly. When she realized how close their lips were, she leaned away. The knight swallowed before she replied hoarse: “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“That’s why,” he kept whispering but looked into in her eye, “I would never turn you. And I will fight for your freedom until either I die or he does.”

The vampire drew ever nearer, Integra’s breathing became heavy. His body was leaning against hers. If he had a heartbeat she would probably feel it right now. The knight was sure hers was ringing in his ears. She closed her eye. It would be so easy, wouldn’t it? Just giving in. A tingle went through her body, while she entertained the thought.

But before their lips would touch, she opened her eye again and with a quick movement she shoved her injured hand between their faces. “I would rather have the other one die.”

Only for the fraction of a second his face showed disappointment. But then he understood and moved away before kneeling down in front of her.

With her heartbeat still running Integra removed the cloth she had treated her cut with and let it fall down. He caught it. The white fabric of his glove turned red for a moment, before all the blood was gone form the bandage, absorbed into his body.

“You must be tired.”

“And starving.” Alucard declared almost with a moan. The red in his eyes was showing his hunger.

“I can’t give you your coffin but I can at least help with the latter.” His master clenched her hand into a fist, pressing into the wound with her fingertips. Alucard was looking up. His teethy smile grew wider. Her vampire opened his mouth and stuck out his devilish tongue, so he could catch every last drop of his master’s delicious blood. When it hit his lips he licked it away suggestively, never breaking eye contact. It was an irritating sight. In these moments his monstrous nature reviled itself to her. Still, usually she found it arousing. In this instance, however, she was simply glad it had provided some room between them.

After a while she stopped and held up her hand. Blood pooling in her balm. Alucard got up and grabbed her fingers. He licked the remaining blood away and knotted the clean piece of cloth around it, as was before. But he did not let go. Instead he held on to her hand for a moment and just stood there, trying to recreate the nearness he had lost due to his hunger.

“What is it?” Integra inquired but did not remove her hand from his.

He looked up smiling, no blood left on his lips or teeth. “If you offer me some help sleeping, I would not mind resting in your bed, Master.” The moonlight was painting his skin even whiter than it had been since the day of his death. Dark shadows underlined his distinct features.

“I bet you would.” There was no annoyance in her voice. Did she consider it? “Feel free to lie down. I will not catch any sleep tonight.”

“I’d rather have you in bed with me.” He purred in best humour after feeding on this decadent banquet.

Integra did not react. She was staring down to the wooden floor, not moving. He could smell her arousal still. But he also knew that the body of his master was not its ruler. Her mind was dismissive of his advances. Or rather, she wanted her mind to be. Alucard did not have to read her thoughts to know that much. He never had. So he moved away slowly.

His body was starting to dissolve into the room’s shadows when she spoke softly: “How do you know?”

The vampire looked up puzzled, some of his humanoid form remanifesting. “Hm?”

“How do you know, you would never do the same? Make the same decisions? End up in the same position as him?” She shook her head mournful. “You can’t.”

“I admire you for staying strong.” His dark, cloudy body floated next to her before finishing his manifestation. He leaned against the windowsill. “Even now. I always have. If I said ‘I don’t want to lose you’ it would be a lie. I am far more selfish than that. ‘I don’t want to be without you again’ would be more honest.” The knight turned her head away from him. “So, I was always wondering if I would end up like him over this urge. Now that I know what I know, I can change things.”

Integra laughed sarcastically. “Change what exactly?”

Her dismissive posture made him reconsider his words for a moment. “You said he has to die?”

“That’s what was written in the book.” Her hand started fiddling with the heavy curtains involuntarily.

“Then we will find out how to kill him. And that is how you may kill me, before your time has come.” He said it with a triumphant smile.

Her head snapped back and scorn was in her eye. “Kill you?”

“Would that not be the most satisfying decision for everyone involved?” His eyebrows rose, posing a question but his smile was amused by her reaction. “How all of this could be stopped?”

“Kill you!?” She repeated now shouting. “You expect me to kill you? When I am barely able to shove you away whenever you—” She shook her head vehemently and moved away from him. “I can’t kill you.”

He looked at her with the same amusement but even more confused: “You would kill him, would you not?”

“That’s different!” Integra was still screaming. “You just explained to me why you are not him, and he is not you!”

The vampire’s smile faded. “I would like you to.”

“I know you would!” Integra grabbed on to the bet post, not looking at him.

“I would beg you to.” Alucard’s voice hardened. It forced her to turn around and notice the anger in his features. He pushed himself away from the window and moved towards her.

The knight searched the room for something she could concentrate on, other than the vampire. But she did not succeed. In the end she sat down on the edge of the bed and once again buried her face in her hands. “Have you ever considered…”, her voice broke away, “…just for a moment… that I don’t want to be without you again? That in asking so… you put me through the same… pain?”

Integra noticed how he stopped abruptly right next to her. She looked to the ground, shame in her stomach and sore throat. Tears announced their arrival but she swore she would not cry. She never did, and she sure as hell would not now.

He went down on his knees in front of her, so she would notice him. Integra’s face was above his when he wrapped one arm around her waist. His torso was caught between her knees. He grabbed her head with the other hand and gently forced her to lower her lips on his. This time she did not flinch or turn away.

Her greying hair fell into his face. She buried her hands in his curls and compelled him to lean in closer. The black mass wrapped around her bleeding hand, drinking it all in. She could feel his teeth start sharpening in blood lust, neither of them cared. After so many years of restraint, none of them was able to. They devoured every token of affection greedily.

Almost in pain, Integra had to turn her head to breathe in forcefully. But Alucard did not let go of her. “What ever shall we do then?” He mused against her cheek, but his words did not even remotely hint at any concern. With one hand he removed the single tear that was running down his master’s cheek, while kissing her throat rigorously.

“This is bad.” She mumbled into his hair. “This is crazy.” It required every ounce of her self-restraint not to order him just to take her there and then. She was not even sure if she could utter the command, or if she should simply throw him onto the bed and strip off every piece of clothing that stood in their way, instead.

The curls responded with a soothing movement, before Alucard was working his way back up to her jawbone. He savored her scent. “It is what you want.”

“No you don’t understand.” Integra stopped both his hands with hers, one on her hip, the other on her neck.

He looked at her in disbelief. “Are you saying it is not what you want?” He leaned back in and whispered against the skin next to her ear. “Because I am not sure who you trying to convince here.”

A delicious shiver run through her body. “That’s not it.” The knight shook her head. “I have not really trusted anyone who was not bound to me by magic for so long. How could I start now? With you of all—” She was looking for a word. Alucard stayed close but gave her some time to order her thoughts. He was not sure if he wanted her to, but the vampire would not risk being sent away.

Integra gave up on finding the right word. “How could I ever be sure of the feelings you claim to harbor? How be certain that what was said in that office some hours ago, is not what’s going to happen, anyways? Or going to happen all the more now? You would have been using this spell despite the fact that you know my wish not to be turned. How can I ever know, you did not gain this notion of… ownership, companionship, love… call it whatever you want… from this relationship, but instead hundreds of years of loneliness and obsession? And even if I could ignore the fact, that I am in this mess because of actions you would have been willing to take despite all my wishes, how do I ever know you not just keep up this lie to influence me? To make me do your bidding, instead of the other way around.” She ended her nervous monologue by sighing frustrated.

Alucard had let go of her. His hands were resting next to her on the bed, while she was holding him, hers on his shoulders. He was quiet for a moment and listened to her words. Finally, he chuckled gloomy.

“You can’t.” He simply answered.

Integra withdrew her hands and backed away. “What?”

He chuckled again and leaned back as well. “Obviously you thought this through very thoroughly, Love. And you already know the answer. As long as I am bound to you, you may never know my true feelings.”

Integra was speechless. It was the truth, she knew it was. Of course he would say it so bluntly, he was Alucard after all. Still, hearing it like that felt like a bucket of cold water thrown in her face.

“I—” She began once more but did not know what else to say.

Alucard’s amusement was written all over his face. He waited for a reaction from his master. Something that would show him in what direction her thoughts were running. The vampire was so caught up in her reactions, that he did not notice it right away. 

“Oh.” He uttered involuntarily.

“Oh?” Integra showed an even greater display of confusion.

“I was wrong.” Alucard laughed while he slowly raised his hands. The symbols on his white gloves started glowing red as was so often the case, when he used his powers. But this was not his will, or his masters. The glow caught fire and burned away rapidly before only leaving a symbol drawn in ashes. The black powder faded away, before the gloves fell from his hands, sailing to the ground. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you will be.”

Integra watched this happen in disbelieve, while the strong mental bound that was connecting her to the vampire faded from the grasps of her mind. To get away she had to move backwards onto the bed. She tried to get as much space between them as she could without falling down on the other site. “That’s impossible.”

Alucard started laughing hysterically. He put one foot on the bed and leaned forward, trapping her between his free hands. “Are you afraid, Master?”

All lust was gone and replaced by adrenaline. The knight looked to the gun that was shoved under the blankets on the other side of the bed and cursed herself for it. But there was no way of escaping anyways. He had trapped her between his arms, resting on her body. How could she have been so foolish!

“You want to shoot me?” The freed monster laughed, before he leaned in and buried his face in her neck. “By all means I don’t mind.”

Shame, anger and self-hatred were washing though Integra’s mind. He did not even lie to her. He had told her she could never really know the truth and still she would have been fallen for him. The Hellsing hair shut her eye reflexively and waited for the pain.

But there was none.

The vampire pressed a cool kiss onto her artery.

“Are you afraid?” He asked again almost tenderly, now looking through his lashes up to her face. “I’d rather have you feel wanton.”

Integra starred at him doubtfully and uttered a raggedy breath. With all the force she had, the knight slapped him across his face. “You bastard.”

He took it with a smile. “So you want to smack me instead? Whatever works for you.”

Integra shoved him off and got up as quickly as she could manage. “What are you doing?”

“Staying.” He gave back as if it was all the explanation needed. The vampire laughed when he saw Integra shaking her head in confusion. “You asked me, how you could ever be sure of my feelings and loyalty. Here I am proving it to you.” He raised his naked hands. “I am no longer bound.”

“But how?” The knight started moving up and down the room. She snatched the weapon from under her blankets, and put on her holster. This could not mean anything good. And if her Alucard was free, what about the others? “How?... Who?... I mean…” She kept mumbling, meanwhile avoiding him.

He watched her closely.

After moving about for a minute, she sat down in an armchair and put on shoes.

Finally, she looked to the bed; to the vampire she had known ever since she was twelve years old. The vampire who had served and protected her. A monster she had learned to control, respect and, now that she had to confront herself about it, even love. “You will stay?”

“Where would I go?” He got up and moved until he stood before her.

“Because you get off on commands?” Integra almost smiled.

“I never tell.” The monster put his hands on the arm rests and leaned down.

The knight looked at him in silence. He waited for her to react, for her permission to lean in closer. In that moment Integra made the decision. When she spoke, her eye was filled with pain: “For that, I will kill you before my time comes. Given that we find out how to do so.”

Alucard wanted to smile in amusement, but instead his eyes gleamed with gratefulness and affection. He bent down. Their lips were almost touching before he suddenly stopped the movement.

“How unfortunate.” Her servant uttered with an unsatisfied sigh. The master looked at him puzzled.

A knock came from the door.

“Yes?” Integra asked but did not move. Her eye narrowed.

“Master?” Seras spoke from the other side. “I think the two of you really should come down. We have something of a situation here”

Chapter Text

When Integra reached the end of the broad staircase leading into the hall on the ground floor, followed by Alucard and Seras, the camps were already clear. On the right side of the hall Abraham, Alistair and Arthur were standing behind Walter and the Count. The three man where petrified by the situation that lay in front of them. The young Walter was trembling with excitement, while preparing his deadly wires between his gloved hands. The Count was watching Integra, so did Scarlett and Alucard’s dog form. The letter two were standing to Integra’s left. They were waiting in no hurry until the knight came to a halt. 

In front of her, blocking the outside door stood the fifth vampire. The oldest version of the Count had taken on a new form. He showed many similarities to his youngest self, with his beard and long hair, that was opened and greying. His clothes resembled Alucard’s red coat and bow tie, copies or maybe even remnants of Abraham’s. Apart from the red bow tie cravat, he wore only black. Sun glasses and hat were gone.

As soon as Integra reached the giant green carpet that covered the center of the salon’s floor, Alucard and Seras stepped in front of her. However, they stayed out of their master’s line of sight. She eyed the vampire standing straight ahead. The situation was so tense, she was afraid one word would bring the inevitable escalation.

“Great. Now that we are all here. Out of our free will,” Dracula started talking, making everyone look right at him, “you might want to choose your teams?” Surprisingly, he was not looking at Integra but at Alucard. She resisted the urge to search her servant’s expressions for his reaction. He had proven his loyalty. She would not question him again.

“So you freed them all.” Integra realized and looked in vain for the binding symbols on the other vampires. Meanwhile, she passed the two standing in front of her and walked to her right, joining her fathers. Seras and Alucard followed. They took position next to the Count and Walter.

“Of course, I did!” He laughed and crossed his arms. The situation seemed to humor him immensely. He stood relaxed. Unlike his counterparts he wore black gloves. “I was thinking about this whole situation. And I figured, to get what I want,” his eyes coughed Integra’s gaze, “I have to get rid of them.” With a movement of his hand he pointed to the servants waiting for orders, and the girl and dog ready for a fight. “But why should I fight them, if I can just have them fight each other? The magic I used to break the bond only requires the blood of one of the parties. Mine. They are free now. That is, until the spell that brought you here is broken? Who knows?”

“This is ridiculous.” Alistair spat out. His attention lay on the black dog. “You will stop this nonsense this moment and renew the binding.” The black creature did only react with a smile. His red eyes multiplied until four pair of red stared at their former master.

“There is no use.” Arthur hold on to his father’s arm. “If it were not these two, it would be the other ones. No difference which one of us they hate or like or love.” A side glance to his daughter and her servant’s, finally reviled his concern regarding their relationships. Draculas interest had not gone past him. It was obvious what he was here for. “They want this fight too bad.”

Abraham stood back. This was his fault. This whole mess was his doing. Not just the fact that they were here. Bought to him by the spell, that he should have never created. He saw now what tall the vampire’s binding took on his family, what legacy it forced onto them. Did he regret it? No. He had bound the beast in one of its weak moments and used its immense powers to help people and destroy evil. But this was his decision. His son, grandson and great-granddaughter had not chosen these lives. His foolishness might cost all of them theirs. He looked upstairs. Not just them, but his whole family. “So the unsatisfied servants would fight the loyal ones.” He concluded in a low and calm voice. It reviled nothing of his inner struggles.

“Master is right.” Scarlett replied giggling but she eyed Walter like pray. “I just want to have this fight. Who knows I might even die?”

Walter’s wires sang with calamity promising noise. “If I can help it.”

Scarlett’s laugh chimed with pure joy. “Come then young one. I will have much fun finally draining you.”

“Your ass is mine, bitch.” Walter was already on the jump for an attack, when Dracula slid between them. The young butler flinched more out of surprise than fear. The anger and insanity dancing in his eyes was far too great to let even the thought of fear come through.

“There will be enough work for you, Walter.” He raised his hands to keep them in place. “Everyone is accounted for, my dear old friend. But you should stay with your Masters, boy. Letting them face their own foes without you, should proof most dire.”

Walter stepped back in surprise and looked at Arthur, who was standing right next to Integra. His anger was not gone, but the old lady could see the train of thought going through the young butler’s brain. The knight thought the same. With four Alucard’s fighting each other two versus two, there would be another foe to take on the humans. His gaze lingered on Seras.

“The rest of you would just simply die on the side-lines of their consumption.” The oldest vampire smiled at the Count. His grin was mirroring as much amusement as expectation. All of them showed a similar cocktail of emotions. “What a fight this will be.” Dracula laughed jolly. In his case it only sent shudders down the humans’ spines. “A fight none of my selves would pass up. The motivations are clear as well.” He knew Alucard and the Count would stay loyal, while Scarlett and the wolf showed signs of frustration with their masters. “It’s just a little present… from me… to me… to me… to me… to me… to you.” One after another he pointed at his former versions, in the end his attention rested on Integra again. He also did not miss the puzzled look Walter shot Seras. “Like I said everyone is accounted for.”

The heads of all six vampires shot around looking to the outside walls of the building, before going in different directions altogether.

“Ghouls.” Alucard informed the living. He reached into his jacket. Seemingly out of its pockets, but most likely just out of his own self, he freed the Casull and a restored Jackal. “Everywhere.”

Abraham and Alistair backed away in fear, while Arthur walked closer to Walter. The young butler took some steps back and accompanied his Master, standing back to back with him. Integra draw her own weapon.

“Of course.” She uttered though clenched teeth. “The vampire, that was already terrorizing London before our arrival.”

The tall, dark figure standing in the middle of the room, nodded in approval. “I had my lovely associate taken care of him. The army he was building in secret is bound to my will now. Speaking of which…” He smiled and turned around, “Thanks for coming by.”

Stepping through the door was another vampire: A woman dressed all in black. Her long, blond hair was falling in waves over her back. The dark pants where almost too short, to be called such and paired with high stockings. Contradictory, her blouse was a high-cut that contained a rag, Integra would have recognized anywhere.

“Seras?” The knight could only hush the word.

The sight shocked the draculina so much, she only reacted when Integra had already spoken, as if she would have not recognized her older self otherwise, or would not trust her own eyes. “Me?”

Smiling, the smaller figure all dressed in black stepped to her vampiric Master. “Everybody is coming fast. You might want to get ready.” With her last words she addressed the humans, before her attention was caught by the unbelieving face of herself. “I hope you had a decent snack lately, or this will be over very soon, Love.”

Dracula greeted her with a nod, before eying the younger Seras as well: “I think I already mentioned everyone is taken care of.

“You are in no way like me!” Seras shouted out, probably more out of spite than anything else. She could not stand these pricing red eyes! This perverted, monstrous version of herself! One second was enough to realize, this being had lost every bit of humanity, Seras was struggling to keep for so long. She could hear Pips thoughts rumble through her subconscious. He was worried. This woman was literally the embodiment of Seras nightmares.

“Great dress, little maid.” The older draculina did not seem offended in the least, when she remarked with a smile: “Has to suck, looking like everybody’s favorite jerk off fantasy. But then again, when don’t I?” She nudged her master in the side, causing him to flash her a smile.

Seras huffed when she took a step in enemy direction. “You are dead.”

“Indeed I am.” Her smile faded and she accepted the aggressive invitation for a fight.

The humans could hear the screams and moans of the undead now. The men were still frozen by their fear, even more so when they started hearing this nearing army. Walter understood, he would have to stay with them, to make sure the ghouls would not kill them.

“Shit.” he uttered annoyed.

“Well then, Master.” Alucard turned around halfway and looked down at Integra. “What are my orders?” He was trebling in anticipation. She knew it must have been almost painful to hold back for so long. “How would you like to proceed? I need your orders.” He turned again to face his enemies. Still talking to Integra but concentrating on his oldest self, with a daring expression, that was clearly meant to fill both black figures with jealousy. For the first time Dracula’s smile faded. “For I am bound to you by more than just magic.”

The greying vampire almost growled. He wanted to give an answer to this provocation, but Integra did not let him. “There is no question about this!” She shouted out angrily, stepping behind Alucard and eying her foe. “You will fight and destroy! I will not have him or anyone else turn me tonight or any other! All THREE of you will fight and destroy. Free all the seals if necessary”

The Count had been eying her from the moment Alucard had addressed the knight, now he ravaged every word, taking the orders without any second thought. Integra did not care if he was not actually her servant at this point, since he was currently no ones. He would obey. She knew he would. “You will destroy the two of them.” She pointed at Sarlett and her animalistic partner. Both listened to every word, as if it was a symphony. “And then you will destroy him.” She pointed at Dracula. “Seras.” She looked to the site. The blond vampire nodded, not taking her gaze from her enemy. “Kill her.”

“Yes, Master.” They answered like one.

“You will lose.” Draculas smile had returned. He started floating; his feet left the emerald carpet. “And I will see it happen. And you will come to me, before sun rise.”

“Only to end you.” She gave back in an angry whisper.

His loud and amused laughter echoed through the whole mansion. “Enjoy your night, my Love.” He disappeared in the shadows of the darkened ceiling. It was clear that he was not planning to anticipate in this fight. She clenched her fists.

“Perfect timing.” Older Seras said in a sing song. “Here they come.”

Some of the windows on the front side of the house broke. The ghouls had reached them. The noise finally seemed to knock the Masters out of their renewed confusion and fear.

“ELIZABETH!” Alistair shouted up the stairs.

The scream seemed to be the starting signal for the vampires.

In a hazy flush of blond, black and white the two draculinas jumped at each other. With a loud crush the two of them breached through the wall that was separating the green salon and the red living room.

The remaining four vampires did not wait any longer. Three of them opened their seals immediately. Deforming and reforming into their shapeless, fluent forms. Eyes, limbs, hair and teeth grew out of them like demonic tumors.

“Quick, to the back of the house!” Arthur exclaimed, cursing inside because he was not wearing his weapon like Integra did. He also could still feel the alcohol from the evening clouding his system.

“We can’t!” Abraham disagreed and run to the stairs. “Abigail and the children!”

Alistair was already running up. “Elizabeth!” He repeated. “Ghoul attack!”

“No point anyways.” Integra was firing a bullet into a zombies head, which had already reached them. “Didn’t you hear him? We are surrounded! Go up the stairs and pray we can fight them off!”

Alucard did not open his seals just yet. He used his guns to fire at the ever growing mass of evil that was pouring more and more into the room, now starting to fight itself. In the hale of his bullets, it exploded in multiple places. While Integra rushed up the stairs he stayed behind her. “The house will be flooded with our essence in no time. You will have to retreat and find another way outside.” His smile was still on his lips. He put away his guns now, since he could not distinguish the Count from the other two anymore.

Meanwhile, one of the Seras’ was rocked through the front windows, unfortunately creating a broader entrance for the ghouls. This one returned the blow by smashing her foe past the marble stairs into the ground. A crater was created in the wooden floor. The older draculina was struggling to get up. The younger version ripped off the arms of her maid dress, reviling a gaping wound in her shoulder blade to Integra. It healed almost instantly.

“It seems I underestimated you.” The one on the ground noted with a smile.

“Most people do.” Seras replied. “But you should know.” The next moment they crashed into the nearest wall once more.

Alucard watched his protégé for a second. For now she seemed to be able to keep up. He hoped it would stay that way. If not he would have to take care of it himself. Somehow, he did not like the thought of destroying any version of Seras. No wonder he had kept her.

 “Don’t let it consume you.” He stepped backwards after Integra, watching as his younger selves tore each other apart, creating the sea of blood, black and red eyes that was waiting to break out from within himself.

She was already turning to run after the others, when a realization hit the old lady like a slap in the face. This fight would be devastating enough without it but, “What about the level 0 release?”

Alucard thought for a second, mentally grasping his whole being and that of the other three. “Only the Count can open it at this point. Once he does, we will all be able to release.”

“But you are empty.” Integra remembered. Fear crept into her voice. “You destroyed them all just mere month ago.”

Alucard pushed his master further up the stairs, to keep her away from the nearing masses. The bloody shadows were searching for fresh blood, it seems. When he was sure she would be out of its reach, he raised his arms to form a square with his fingers, to open up his own seals. “My orders are clear. I will fight and destroy.”

Integra stopped in her movement. Abraham, Alistair and Arthur had already reached the top floor, followed by Walter, who watched the bizarre fight of the overpowered vampires in angry terror. The knight turned around and held on to Alucard’s shoulder, before he could dissolve himself into this grotesque form.

“Come back to me.” Suddenly fear washed over her. Not because of the ghouls, not because of the vampires, not because of the possibility of inevitable death or turning. The past thirty years rushed past her inner eye. Dracula’s words rang in her ears. “That’s an order.”

Alucard looked over his shoulder; a red eye glowed in mischief. “I will.”

“Integra!” Arthur shouted. Some ghouls had already reached the staircase.

She gave her servant a meaningful look before she left his side and run after her father.

Alucard opened his seals spreading over the lower steps, consuming the ghouls already drawing nearer. But soon he was so entangled into the ever-growing mass of his younger selves, biting, ripping, that none of them cared for anything around them anymore, no ghouls, no humans, no walls or furniture were spared. All and everything was consumed. The ghouls however, already dead, did not care and passed right through them, even after losing bits and pieces.

“What is happening!?” Abigail ran into her husband when he reached their bedroom. While the men still wore the clothes from the ball last night, she was wearing a white night gown and cap.

“Wake the children!” Abraham screamed and kept walking to their rooms. “We are being attacked!”

“Attacked?” She screamed in confusion. “Love what is happening? Who would attack—“ She walked past Integra who was not able to stop her great-grandmother. When she saw the Zombies and dark mass filled with eyes and other terrors flood the stairs she backed away. Her first reaction was to almost faint. Then she screamed out her lungs and run down the corridor in terror.

“At least she is out of the way.” Walter concluded, while using his deadly weapons to behead one of the miserable creatures.

“Abigail!” Abraham shouted after her and wanted to follow.

“I will go.” Integra exhaled in annoyance. “Rather get the children!”

The doctor nodded and turned around. He was still in shock but at least he knew what to do.

“Walter, guard the staircase as long as you can.” Integra ordered the boy. “But don’t let the shadows touch you.”

The boy nodded and kept working.

“Father, help the Doctor to get everyone up and out of the house if possible. We need to find a save way to climb down. I fear we will have to fight for one.”

After making sure her father would act accordingly, she run after Abigail, shouting her name to get the woman’s attention. When she finally found the younger Hellsing dame, she was in the room of her youngest daughter. Rocking the baby girl in her arms, whispering prayers. Tears run down her cheeks.

“Abigail, we need to leave!” She touched her arms and tried to lead her out of the room. They needed to stay together if they wanted to survive. “Come.”

“No. No. No” The dark haired beauty shook Integra’s hands from her shoulders and moved to one of the rooms corners. “This is just a nightmare. Nothing more. Just that. A nightmare.”

“If it is easy for you to believe in that, I won’t hinder you.” Integra grabbed her hand now with more force. “But if you don’t keep it together now, you and your children might all die tonight.”

“A NIGHTMARE!” Abigail shouted out of her lungs as loud as she could.

The next moment glass shattered and one of the windows broke. Integra pushed the mother behind herself, drawing her weapon once more. A group of ghouls had managed to climb the house walls. The knight fired three shots. Each one hit a head. Blood splattered the walls. The baby started crying.

Once again screaming, Abigail run out of the room, clutching her child to her chest. More glass broke in the hallway. Integra wanted to stop her great-grandmother but another ghoul approached her. The war approved general was forced to fire another shot before she could run out of the nursery. She had dealt with many obstacles in her live, a hysteric relative had never been one before.

More zombies wandered the corridor now, climbing in from the outside. When Integra reached Abigail it was already too late. One of the undead was grabbing her arm and tried to bite off her throat. The mother turned to stop the creature from reaching her child.

Once more the wallpaper was painted red. A shot had gone past Abigail and through the zombie’s mouth. The woman fell backwards barely holding on to her crying girl. Integra raised her weapon and shot the second ghoul, eager to take his fallen brothers place. When she turned around, she saw Elisabeth welding a hunting rifle. The woman reloaded and fired another perfect head shot, hitting an undead that had just entered. His body tumbled out the window and took some more with him to the ground.

“Suckers.” Integra’s grandmother uttered, before reaching for Abigail and forced her to get up. To Integra’s surprise the blond woman was wearing riding trousers and leather jacket. Only now she spotted the young Alistair who was caring one of the decorative swords from the walls. He helped his future wife to get Abigail from the ground.

It only took a moment for Integra to snap out of her confusion. “We need to get back to the others!”

“A dream.” Abigail uttered totally lost in her hysteria.

“Take your sister.” Elizabeth ordered Alistair, who did as told. “Come.” She finally said to Integra, who grabbed Abigail’s other side and forced her back in direction of the stairs.

“I am happy to see that at least you keep your continence.” She addressed Integra without looking at her.

“I could say the same.” The older woman gave back with more sass than intended.

They smiled at each other for a moment.

“Elizabeth!” When they walked round the corridor corner, the men spotted them immediately.

“Alistair!” Abraham shouted in relieve. His second son and two daughters were already at his side. When he realized his wives condition, barely hanging between Integra and Elizabeth, he gave the daughter he was caring to Arthur. Integra’s father took the child and moved all the children, including the young Alistair and his sister, away from the staircase. Abraham took his wife from the two women, who lost consciousness when she eyed the dark and moving shadows once more. A pile of decapitated ghouls had been forming in front of Walter.

The first floor was already fully flooded. No ghouls came through anymore.

“We need to move before—“, Walter began speaking, but it was too late. The mass underneath the boy started vibrating and twirling around. A loud inhuman growl reached them from downstairs. The house began to shake.

“They opened level 0.” Integra could feel it. The same overwhelming and frightening pressure on her chest, just like thirty years ago.

“Move!” Walter screamed and freed his wires.

The dark shadows exploded into the hallway, hitting the wall and spreading like dark mud into the corridor, right and left. They all had to jump and run to get away. But they got separated. Integra fled the attacking, multi-eyed wolf beings next to Alistair and Elisabeth, while Abraham, Abigail, Arthur and the children run in the different direction.

“Make sure they get out!” Integra shouted at Walter. They shared a short look, before the groups were fully cut from each other.

“We need to get out of the window!” Integra screamed through the roar of the attacking wolfs. When they run around the corner, they spotted the already broken window from before. This was the second floor. It would not be a nice landing, but they could make it.

“There might be ghouls down there!” Elizabeth gave back, holding on to her gun, even though she knew it would not help against the thread behind them.

“Doesn’t matter!” It was their only chance.

“What!?” Shocked, Alistair realized the women’s plan but he also understood, they were out of options here.

“Go!” Integra ordered them.

The two used the momentum from their run and jumped out together.

Integra risked one last look behind, before she wanted to leap as well. The attacking wolfs and limbs were holding back, fighting against itself once more. The Count or Alucard must have become aware of Integra’s position.

She turned her head to take the jump.

With a crash something rocketed past her, smashing into the floor right in front of the knight. She came to an abrupt halt. A puddle of blood started to form out of the misshapen body of the being in front of her.

“Seras!” Her clothes were ripped and bloody. A leg and an arm where broken so bad, Integra could see the bones. Her face was mashed. Her Master wanted to go down on her knees, to look after the slowly healing vampire. But the counterpart was already standing in front of Integra, grabbing her younger self by the head and holding her body up. The wounds were still closing; blood was dripping from her feet down to the floor.

“Disgrace.” The dark clothes of the older Seras were bloody and ripped, as well. She looked up at herself. “I hate your weakness.”

Integra took her gun and shot multiple times into the head of the older draculina. She did not move. Integra watched in terror how her wounds closed, just like Alucards would. The monster looked over her shoulder. “Are you afraid, Master?” She turned around, a joyful smile was on her lips. “Are you in fear for your Seras? For your family?”

Integra clutched her gun. Seras had been right. This woman was nothing like her friend and protégé. She was a monster. The worst was seeing her like this, seeing what might become of this lovely, caring and wonderful girl.

“You don’t have to.” The vampiress’ wounds were all healed already, while Seras was struggling to do so. Letter grabbed the hand that was still holding her body in the air. “I have orders to spare them. The ones that survive, anyways. To bring them to my Master.” She shook her hand, forcing Seras’ whole body to move. “Her and your family.”

“You will leave them alone.” Integra shouted, finally realizing that this must have been the plan all along. Let the monsters destroy each other, take her family and force her to come to him in the end.

Seras nodded. “Ever since we first met, Master, I admired your intelligence. Of course you understand.”

The knight backed away. This Seras had read her thoughts.

“Indeed.” She confirmed. “And I enjoy it immensely.”

“You call me Master. Then listen to me when I order you, to leave my loved ones alone.” Integra tried to stay calm, to reason. She knew her chances were slim. They would be no lying. She would be totally honest with this Seras. Then again, what else was to do when the opponent could read your thoughts?

The vampiress laughed. “I feel flattered.” She genuinely seemed pleased, that Integra counted her younger self to that group of people. “But you call them loved ones? Yet, you don’t know any of them. They are just your ancestors. You only share genes. You owe them nothing. We are your family. We came here to get you back.”

Integra did not know what to answer for she could see truth in these words.

“You know I am right.”

The old knight would have given an honest answer to that, if it was not for the attack her Seras managed in that moment. The worst of her wounds had healed enough. What she heard gave her strength. Integra’s loyal friend bit deep into her opponent’s hand, forcing her to let go.

“Run!” She screamed with a broken and tired voice.

Only now Integra realized the moving shadows had almost reached them. They crashed into the window with momentum and flowed through. Parts of the mass entered the next corridor. Her servant grabbed the superior vampiress by the leg and jumped together with her into the giant mouth of a monster hound, emerging from the darkness.

“Seras!” Integra screamed once more. But she had no time to look back. If she wanted to get away from the shadows, she had to keep running.

This time the mass did not get any slower, but hunted her down mercilessly. The skilled gun women raised her weapon and shot into another window some meters in front of her, before jumping through it.

Chapter Text

Integra looked back into the darkness. It replied with a fiery shine. The mansion was burning to the ground rapidly. The knight could not see, but smell the ashes in the air. Great trees made it impossible to see the house. Now, she was standing on the outer borders of the perimeters, resting against the massive surrounding wall. It was chilly. The cold helped the Hellsing heiress to keep a clear head, but the drying sweat made her shiver.

Only thanks to her gun she had managed to fight her way through the ghouls waiting outside, after a hard landing. Her shoulder was dislocated and she had cuts from the window glass after landing on the lawn. Her glasses were broken, but it did not matter, since it was just the side from her missing eye.

She checked her gun. There was only one bullet left in the barrel.

No sound was nearby. But she could hear the moans of more ghouls from afar, getting nearer and nearer. They would find her sooner or later. The knight hoped her family was save. She had not met any of them while making her way through the gardens.

Seras… The last scream of her dear friend echoed through Integra’s head. She would be okay? Wouldn’t she? She had learned a lot in these last thirty years. The vampiress would heal; she could make it out of Alucard’s—

Alucard. Level 0 had been opened. Everything might have happened…

She had to clear her head. No point in wondering. There were more pressing matters. With the determination of a woman who had learned to put her own feelings second, Integra put away the gun and pressed her arm socket back into place. Only by clenching her teeth she could stay silent. The pain was nauseating. After she waited a short moment for the pain to dim down, the knight decided to follow the walls until she could either find a way out of the gardens, or one of her allies.

Only after she had walked for a few minutes she realized a building lying ahead, seemingly built into the walls and made out of the same stone. A chapel, she realised, when she saw the cross on top of the bell tower, hovering in front of the moon. How ironic.

She made a cross with her free hand. The cut still hurt.

When the knight passed the dark entrance, she decided to enter it. Since it was on the outa walls, there might be another exit leading out. Somewhere inside her heart she knew she entered for more than one reason. Comfort might have been one, exhaustion another.

She closed the heavy wooden doors behind her and locked them with the old key that stuck in the lock. Everything was dark but the moonlight illuminated enough to find ones way around. It was a small chapel with windows mostly to shine onto the altar. A statue of The Holy Mary caring a dead Christ was looking down at Integra from behind it.

“Ave Maria, gratia plena”, Integra began, looking at the sculpture, making her way to the other side of the building. She looked at the high windows. There was no other exit, but she could possibly climb one of them? The walls were massive and high, there was no way she could reach them without any kind of ladder. “Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.” Her sight got blurry and her fingers found the silver cross that had always been hanging around her neck since childhood.

When she discovered a smaller statue of Saint George in a dark corner, she stopped for a moment. He was killing the dragon, a hideous beast, just like in so many depictions. Few candles were burning on a holder in front of him. The flickering light illuminated his features. The saint was looking at her with an angry brow, as if he wanted to say: “What now? Are you giving up?”

The knight kept going, while thinking about this demanding question. “Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.” She sat down on the wooden bench in the first row, put away the gun and folded her hands.

Give up?

Never.

But what options did she have left. Her family was lost, her servants gone, her foe waiting for her. The day would dawn soon enough. Her time run out and she had nothing. Nothing but self-doubts and a sinner’s heart. Was losing the worst thing that could happen? Was Seres—the other Seres—was she right? Was staying with her closest friends what she wanted? And becoming a vampire the price she had to pay for it?

She shook her head reluctantly.

No.

“Amen.” Once more Integra made a cross with her injured hand.

She could and would not lose. This. Right here. It might be the one reason she had been born. Her one purpose in life. To put that monster back into its place, once and for all.

But what if she failed?

The gun, right next to her heart, this last bulled, was pressing down onto her soul. This bullet might become her last option. Would she rather end her life and burn in hell for it, than living an immortal life as a cursed monster? Integra grabbed the gun. She knew it would be the right decision in the end. If he got his way, she would lose everything she had fought for her entire life. The old lady only just started to question the way she had handled the relationship with Alucard before. The restrictions and restraint she had put both of them through. And after all the longing and waiting, he had proven himself, shown her, that he would respect her wishes. The monster now seeking her was not the servant she knew.

But did it matter in the end which version she was up against, if she had nothing to fight him with? If she was weak and be turned by force? Did she even have a choice left?

The horrible consequence of this thought was about to hit her, when Integra jumped up in surprise. She heard the moan of a ghoul right outside chapels door. The knight turned around and fixated the old, rusty frame. Other moans joined. How long would the chapel door be able to keep them outside?

She checked her weapon again. As if anything would have changed within these last seconds. Upon realizing once again, that she had only two options of shooting one ghoul or herself, she decided to do neither. Instead, she started moving one of the wooden benches, in direction of the high windows. The plan was to use it and clime out the opening, away from the Hellsing property.

Integra had only managed to move the wood towards the thick stone wall, when she heard the first cracking of wood and falling metal. She dared not to look back, but instead hoisted the wood up the wall. It hid the glassless opening perfectly, building a steep ramp to climb. In her younger days, she might have done this in an instant, but the bench was made of glossy material and so the construction was hard to grab on.

“Come on now”, Integra uttered in frustration while trying to get to the window.

Another metal sound and a sinister crack echoed through the old building, before the doors flew open. With one foot on the bench, desperate clenching to the temporary ramp, Integra could not make herself look away any longer. The Hellsing heiress watched as about twenty rotting corpses fought each other over reaching her first. Not an unfamiliar look, but one that had never been so threatening.  She knew she had to be quick. If they would reach her before she could grab on to the opening, they would kick down the bench and she would fall with it.

Just when she held on to the ledge with one hand, the bench was hit and slit away, leaving her hanging. Her bloody grip was loosening as her injured hand and shoulder caused her to scream in agony. The knight managed to hold on with her other hand. She had to kick away fingers about to reach her.

There was no use.

She could feel her straight leaving. Integra knew she was not able to pull her body up the ledge and through the window. There was nothing else to hold on there. Every time she tried, her hands returned to the ledge.

So this is how it ends. She clenched her teeth. With a determined look over her shoulder she managed to focus on Saint George. I suppose I should not be surprised.

The second she was ready to let go, her hair suddenly flew around her. A strong gust of wind went through the church, causing the remaining wood of the doors to break away and fly inside. The candles in front of the stature were blown out. The last thing Integra saw were the closing eyes of the dying dragon. She realized it was not just wind. It was darkness. The moans of the ghouls beneath her sounded suddenly muffled and distant, until they disappeared altogether. The wind stopped and the dark silence returned.

Her eye adjusted. The darkness left. When Integra looked beneath her, there was nothing but the wooden bench. She led go of the ledge, there was no strength in her arms anymore, anyways. After a hard landing, the knight was right back on her feet, weapon in hand.

“Who is there?” She shouted as restrained as possible, but her voice broke.

“Who do you think?” The low and familiar voice, she had known since childhood echoed through the cold building.

“Friend or foe?” Integra swallowed. She knew there was no point in holding up her gun; still it gave her some comfort.

A clatter sounded from her left. An old, metal candle stand fell to the floor. A bulk of darkness floated along the altar and went down in front of it, only few steps away from Integra. It shaped and moved, while the knight slowly stepped closer. Since she recognized it the moment she came to a halt in front of it, Integra went down to her knees immediately. “Alucard?”

The only answer she received was a throaty laugh that changed to a hurtful cough.

He wore his red jacked, it was torn and so were his other clothes. His whole body seemed to grumble, to dissolve as if it was slowly turning into dead ashes. His face was blurry, as if it was problematic for him to stay in one shape. Integra had never seen him so tired. He could barely keep his eyes open. His attention lay on his master’s face.

“Alucard…” Integra repeated. There was panic in her voice. She grabbed his hand and could feel it disappear bit by bit. She felt how her wound slowed the process down. The two rings, she still wore on her left hand pulsated. “What happened?”

“They are defeated. All three of them.” Even though he looked exhausted, there was a smug smile on his lips. “Just as you ordered.”

Integra shook her head in confusion. “How?”

Alucard sighed. It was a mixture of content and pain, as if he was happy with his current state. Integra knew what this meant. “When they released their Level 0 I did to them what Schrödinger did to me then.” In three different places of the old villa's ruins lay seemingly drawn in blood the symbol that bound and trapped the Count, the hound and Scarlett within themselves. “I’m sorry it took me so long to find back to myself. This fight cost all of my powers. I have so little blood within be since my return. And I can hardly keep my mind together. I am torn between them.” He sighed again; a ripple went through his whole body. Ash flew from his skin and into the air as if another gust of wind just hid him. “I am sorry, Master. But it seems I am dying.”

“No!” Integra screamed out. All confusion was gone, only panic stayed behind. “No, no, no, no, no. I order you not to!” She held on to his hand as if it was the only thing keeping her from falling down a bottomless pit. “Even if you die!? You can just wish yourself back into existence? You can do that, right? You want to be, so you’ll be!”

Regret crept into Alucard’s face when he realized how hurt his Master was and would be over his so long awaited demise. “I can’t. You forget about my future-self. He has the same power. I cannot wish to be, since I already am. He is me and I am him. If I die, I will still exist, so I cannot wish myself back to existence.”

“No, no, no,…” Integra muttered again and again. “There has to be something. There has to be something I can do.” She looked up and down the disappearing and long dead corps of the love of her life. There was no time. Always so much time when she did not wish for it, so little, when she wished for it to stop. Just stop.

“The blood you have given me was more than enough.” He held on to her hand but used his last energy to raise his free arm and force Integra to look at him. “I would already be gone without it.”

“I—“ Integra could no longer hold back her tears. There was too much compassion in his eyes. And she knew why, she knew he would die. She knew he wanted to die. But how could he do this to her?

“Have more then! LIVE!” The Hellsing heiress tried to free her hand and open up her wound some more but Alucard did not let go. The golden rings cut into her flesh. She felt the wound closing and the blood flow stop.

“Don’t.” There was so much freedom in his features. Integra did not dare to contradict his wish. She stopped moving, turned to stone. “This is how it should be. I have not been alive in so long. This is not life. This is nothing than decay and evil.”

The knight only wiped away the tears from underneath her glasses. She did not response right away. He was going to die in front of her, and made her watch. And he was right. He was so right. But how would she go on from here on out? Not just the immediate threat, but going on, again? Losing him, again? After she just got him back. So many years wasted. Gone forever. The man she loved. There was another, he was right, but he was not him. “Don’t do this. I order you not to.”

“This is no order I can follow.” A last time he looked at her closely, looked at her familiar features, now covered in tears. Alucard closed his eyes and had to lay back his head. Even this seemed too difficult now. It felt strangely pleasant, dissolving like this. If it was not for the one thing that caused him pain. The one thing he could not leave with a good conscious. Strange, now that he finally got his peace, he found a reason to stay. “I am sorry.”

A quiet whimper escaped her throat. The grip on her hand was the only thing that kept her from falling. “I need you.”

“Integra, my beloved Master.” He sighed a last time. “I used to think it is your strength and restrain that makes me love you. Now that you are here, giving in to me, I know it is so much more than just that. Has always been.” He raised his hand almost unnoticeable, as if he wanted to grasp her whole being, her essence. “So much more.”

He felt her warm lips on his. He smiled. What a pity. He could not even kiss her back. Not touch her silver-golden hair.

Hot tears fell on his face, then her cheek rested on his. He smelled the salt, her skin, agony.

“Take my guns.” His whisper was hardly audible.

Another whimper. Integra wanted to response. But the moment she opened her eye, the body in front of her fell apart. Burst into ashes. Leaving only his clothes, lying in front of the altar. The knight sat back and looked into her empty hands. Falling tears washing away the ashes from her palms. Her wound had closed.

“Take your guns?” She whispered, falling, falling, falling without anything to hold on. “Your guns.” She clenched her hands into fists and slammed them both on clothes and ashes in front of her. The dark powder swirled up. “What am I to do with you STUPID GUNS!” She cried out with a broken voice and heart. “I CAN’T EVEN—” She had to inhale. Her breath went in and out ragged. The old lady could not even scream anymore. She was hyperventilating. “I can’t even…” She kept repeating between breaths. When she finally managed to calm down she finished: “…fire one shot without breaking an arm.” She shook her head, closing her eye, not wanting to believe. This could not be.

There was nothing but silence. The cold moonlight was only showing the truth, nothing more.

“Come back to me.” Integra whispered, but she knew it was hopeless. He was gone. Her love was dead; died because of her orders.

“I did.”

The knight turned around. The voice came from everywhere. She did not realize right away it was echoing though her own head.

“I traveled though time. I even brought Seras. I came back to you.” Integra got up slowly. “Still you are reluctant to come to me. I see you heart, I see your thoughts. I know this is how it should be. And deep down, so do you.”

“You killed my family.” The proud lady had wiped away her last tear. There was no way she would show weakness in front of an enemy. “You killed Seras. Even he died because of you.” Her hand waved at what was left of Alucard. She did not dare to look down.

“They are all save with me. Your Seras included.” He paused for a moment. “And you will realize soon enough, that I am him.”

Integra ground her teeth in anger and pain. “I will fight to my last breath.”

“Your last mortal breath, my Love.” His laughter went through her head. “They are waiting for you in their family crypt. It is where they will all die and rest, if you don’t show up before the first light of day.”

As a child Integra had often times mourned first her mother’s and then father’s graves within these old grey walls, later on Walter, from this day on Alucard. It was located on a graveyard nearby.

“I will be there.” The knight’s whole body was tense, struck by anger, loss and rage.

“I know.” She felt his smile draw back and leaving her conscious.

Integra sunk back on her knees and started crying once more.

Chapter Text

“This is insane!” Alistair struggled.

Seras fastened the rope on the last one of them. While this was enough to keep the Hellsings at bay, her younger self was secured by massive anchor chains around her wrists and body, fastened by nails, hammered into the massive marble of the tomb around them. She was still so injured from their fight, that the younger version could hardly move an inch. Once in a while, when she managed to heal some more, a painful moan was audible.

“Spare me your opinion, Alice.” Dracula looked over his shoulder. His gaze had been set on the crypt’s opened iron grade doors. He had been waiting with a smile, now it faded. “This will be over very soon.”

“You have no right to do all this.” Abraham sat up and the older Seras stepped away. He took position in front of his wife and children. Abigail was leaning against Elizabeth, half passed out. “I have done nothing but shown you mercy, since the day you agreed to bind yourself to me.”

Dracula laughed and finally turned around. None of the other humans had been worth his attention so far. “Many more days have passed since then, old friend.”

“There is no outcome to this that possibly could satisfy you.” Abraham knew deep down how slim his chances were to reason with the vampire. Still, he had to try. “You kill us, she will never be born. You turn her, she will suffer your destiny.”

“In case you have not noticed, Abraham, this is the reason I am here.” The argument of his former master amused him. “To make my destiny hers. To make her my destiny.”

“There was a time, when the thought of making anybody carry your burden, repelled you.” Abraham managed to get up, he was pleading now. “As I understand it, she is the last of us. The end of the line. The last Hellsing. She gave her life to hunt and destroy evil. And for that you respect her. Because she made it her purpose in life to destroy monsters like yourself. This is how you repay her? All of us? I took you in because I saw more than just a tireless, destructive beast. I took you in because I saw the hurt and pain and suffering inside you. Because I had hope, you would change over time and be able to gain back Gods favour.”

The Count showed no emotion until Abraham mentioned God. Anger crept into his features. “Oh, I have changed. Countless times. I have fought for your family. I might have even tried to repay my sins. But there is no God. There is no favour to be gained, except the one of my Master. And she will soon be like me.”

“Damned?”, gave Abraham back.

“Evil?”, Elizabeth said in the same moment. Her cold eyes were fixed on the two vampires in front of her.

“Cruel?”, remarked Arthur as well. They had gaged young Walter. He was lying beaten and bleeding in front of him. Before he had not stopped screaming and bickering. Master and servant looked at their captor now.

 “With no regard for our poor Master’s will and wishes?” His Seras could not keep a straight face. She had to laugh.

Her Master might have given an annoyed answer, but the older Seras made him grin again. She put in perspective the conversation he was having. “I am a beast, after all. I have no regard for anyone’s wishes but mine. I take until there is nothing left to take.”

“She is not yours to take!” Arthur shouted out.

“Is she not?” The Count stepped towards him. His dark voice was dead serious. “It was you, after all, who send her to me. Send her to my dungeon to waken me, so that I might safe her from your greedy brother. If it was not for me, she would have died the same day as you did.”

Arthur backed away again. Realisation found his eyes. He looked down. “Of course”, he mumbled.

Elizabeth shut her eyes. She understood the meaning of these words.

The following silence lasted only a few seconds. The three vampire’s heads turned in alertness.

“It seems we are under attack.” Forgotten was the conversation he just had with his former Masters. Dracula’s mood lightened like a bonfire. “Seras? Will you escort Master here? We don’t want her to get overrun by the remaining ghouls, do we?”

While his Seras nodded delighted and started to move light-footed towards the exit of the newly build crypt, the young version grind her teeth in anger. The chains rattled. She tried once more to free herself, making desperate use of all her remaining powers. If she could only break some of the metal links open. Maybe even just weaken the nails? No use. There was just not enough blood left within her. In her subconscious Pip tried to sooth her disturbed thoughts. She avoided him. Useless. Bloody tears had tried on her cheeks. She had lost her vampiric Master already and now she was not even able to protect the human one. Utterly useless.

*

One head after the other exploded. Soon enough the whole graveyard was covered in fresh and rotten corpses. Truly nothing new here, just none of them lay ten feet under, as was custom. It was the first time in her life Integra truly understood Alucard’s love for the Jackal and the Casull. Walter was a genius after all.

It was like switching a shooter to ‘easy’, after taking years and years to perfect ‘difficult’. Usually no human being would be able to fire them as her servant did, since the recoil was simply too great for a one handed weapon. Now, the Hellsing knight used them to shoot one lurking zombie after another.

Integra had soon enough realized that, despite his body disappearing, the golden rings he had given to her still stayed on her finger. Some of his essence remained. She had changed one to her right and indeed taken his weapons. Dark energy was oozing from the gold, wrapped around Integra’s hands and the two weapons’ handles. The shadows seemed to obey Integra and absorbed the enormous backlash, allowing the knight to use the massive weapons as she would usual handguns.

Even now he protected her.

Still, the dark matter weakened over time and Integra could feel the rings almost unnoticeably disappear from her hands.

Not much time.

While shooting the last remaining ghouls she made her way over the graveyard, carefully making sure there was no undead left. The knight was on the last magazines, so every shot counted.

“There now, Master. No need to get violent.” Seras landed in the lab of a life size stone angel, watching over a grave. Integra could see how dark wings disappeared within her body. “You know you just have to shout and I send them on their way.”

After making sure truly every ghoul was shot down and had stopped moving, Integra turned towards the new enemy. “This is not about me, or you. This is about them finding their peace.” She lifted one of the weapons and fired. Seras jumped away, landing on the ground. The chest of the angel exploded. Stone flew through the air.

“And this is about me finding peace?” She laughed, apparently not in the least surprised or angry over Integra’s attack. “Come then, Master. He awaits you. Soon you won’t worry about anyone’s peace, but your own.”

“They were people.” Integra shouted in disbelieve. She could not bear seeing her friend’s face on this strange monster. “Real, living people. With lives, families, hopes and dreams. They are dead now. Robbed of their right into heaven or hell.”

Seras smile only faded slightly. “Once you join us, there will be no need for any of them. Nor heaven or hell.” She lifted her arms as if wanting to embrace the elderly lady. “Once you join, we can life again.”

Integra tuned and shot once more. No use. The vampiress was too fast. She had already changed position. When Integra faced her again, she uttered “What happened to you!? I will not join you. I will never join you. And the fact, that you even consider that possibility shows me how far you have strayed from the girl that I used to know and love.”

The vampire giggled and shook her head. “You mortals are so funny. Just like your family. There is no point in reasoning. Your reasoning is worth nothing to us.” She had to laugh again, now it was dark and sarcastic. “But fine by me. If you are convinced, I should be more like that weak twerp, show me. Show me again how to be like her.” The draculina lifted a hand, inviting Integra to grab it. “Help me. Help us.” The smile did not fade, but there was darkness in her eyes, old and grave sadness. “After all, that is why we are here.”

Integra backed away and almost fell over a corps. It was as if her Seras was trapped somewhere within that monster. Reaching out, asking for help. “Did he do this to you?”

“Master did nothing to me.” Her hand lowered. Integra’s body language was clear enough. Seras had never doubted Integra would join them sooner or later, whichever way. The thought of turning her against her will, however, left a stale taste in her mouth. But if it had to be done, she would even do it herself. There was no going back now.

“What happened?!” Integra asked more demanding.

The blond vampire looked away, leaning against a gravestone and examining the hole previously shot into the angel’s chest and stomach. Before she spoke, she licked her lips, sinking deeper and deeper into memories long buried. “When you died we separated. He did not want me around. He did not want anyone around. So I was on my own. Fighting here, fighting there. Always looking for ways to drink blood without killing.” She sighed. “Time passes. Years go by. And you start to forget why you even bother not killing. Then you tell yourself, I will only kill criminals. People with dark hearts and evil intent. So you go on like this for a while. But then at some point…” She paused, looking back at Integra with a sad smile. “…you turn out to be wrong. You killed somebody who was innocent. You take him in, you see his thoughts…”

“Seras…” Integra stepped towards her friend. The girl she knew would indeed break over this revelation. Her Seras cherished life. Every human being was special to her. She fought every day to keep her humanity. Never to cross the line that separated monster from human. A line Integra herself had to walk whenever wielding her vampires as weapons. Seras had already killed humans in missions, if they were on the enemy site or in cases of casualties. Every single time had devastated her.

The strange monster in front of her shook its head. “You know what else you see?” She laughed gravely. “The pointlessness of it all. There is not difference in the blood of a good man or the blood of one evil. Just no difference. So you keep on going. Drinking on…” When she lifted her hands this time, it was, as to say: “So you turn into this sooner or later, however hard you try, whatever way you go.”

There she was.

Integra caught a glimpse of her close friend.

It faded as fast as it had appeared. “In the end it was Master who found me again. He said he got a way to bring you back. And for the first time in so long, I saw a path right in front of me.” She lifted two fingers and pointed along an invisible line leading from the vampire to Integra. “A reason to live on. The prospect of some meaning. It was you who was missing. You would give us back a purpose. Help us to be again. To be whatever you want us to.”

Integra shook her head slowly. She raised the guns once more. “The only thing I want you to be right now, Seras, is dead.”

The vampire jumped, her wings blew away decaying autumn leaves.

The knight gave up blow after blow, but could never miss. Gravestones and corpses exploded around them. Seras was dodging every bullet with ease. Meanwhile, she was talking with the shooter, “Come now, Master”, making Integra angrier with every bullet. “This gets ridiculous.” The vampiress was just simply too fast. Seras sighed. “Fine, if you wanna play, we can play. But once you run out of bullets we will go to the others.”

“I will not stop until either one of us is dead.” Integra screamed more towards herself than her enemy. She felt, she owed it to her Seras.

“Don’t make me laugh, Master. You cannot kill me.” Integra gave the vampire a long enough break to perform a gesture towards gun and golden ring. “Besides, the little energy you got there won’t make it much longer.”

Integra came to a halt. She had counted the bullets. The skilled markswoman was about halfway through both of the magazines. She felt the dark energy fading, causing each shot to hurt more. Seras was right. The last remainder of Alucard’s essence would disappear soon. Integra would not even be able to shoot the weapons without it. Even now, she did not sink one bullet into Seras. Yet, she had to. She had to kill this version and give her peace. She had to return to her time and somehow make sure this thing would never come to existence. This embodiment of everything her lovely Seras feared to become.

Integra dropped the guns.

“Ah, have you finally realized? No shame in that.” Her opponent turned around to lead the way towards the crypt. “Come.”

But Integra did not follow.

Seras watched in surprise as the knight, pulled a pocket knife from her jacket.

“I will not let you go on like this.” Integra freed the blade. “I cannot stand this existence of yours and neither can you” In two fluent movements, she used the knife to cut open her wrists. It dropped to the ground.

“Master?!” Seras exclaimed, almost in the worried tone, Integra knew so well.

When the Hellsing heiress let down her hands, the blood dripped out her wounds and towards the dark grave on which Integra was currently standing. When the thick red touched the golden rings, the already fading dark energy turned scarlet and started pulsating. The shadows manifested clearer, moved, shaped, crept out of the ring, licking each drop in greed. Integra found that she could control the matter that now became part of her. It extended and leaped to the floor to pick up the weapons of their new wielder. Its arms slithered up their masters’ shoulders. Upon reaching the knights eye, its edges crawled into it, extending and improving her senses. She could feel it guide her.

She lifted the guns once more.

Seras had been petrified by the sight in front of her.

Now, she growled and moved, only just managing to dodge the attack.

The knight was overwhelmed by the sensations shooting though her head and at a rate she had never experienced before. It allowed her to track the vampiress movements, enabling her to hit the enemy with a second shot.

Seras’ hand exploded, leaving the vampire to bleed for a moment, before she used her regenerative powers to manifest a perfectly new hand. “It will take more than that.” She assured with a grin. There was no fear in her voice, but she could not hide concern. This Seras knew she was up against the imprint of her vampiric Masters’ powers, controlled by Integra’s magnificent mind. The old lady looked truly terrifying, even for the vampire’s eyes.

Integra did not engage into trash talk. She used the moment to start another attack right away. Not every bullet hit but Seras was grazed by three shots in leg, shoulder and stomach, causing the vampire to bleed anew. Guided by her red shadows, Integra started running. She had to jump over two rows of gravestones, and make sure not to tumble over any body parts. The knight used another two shots to force Seras nearer towards herself. Latter only laughed, when she realized Integra was trying to engage in a melee attack.

“Don’t make me laugh!” She uttered in amusement. Her beloved Master was human after all. What could she do to her?

So Seras engaged.

The draculina realized too late, that Integra was not attacking with her fists, but with the dark matter. It wrapped around her enemy and crawled into the still open wounds. It sucked out Seras blood but did not absorb it since Integra made sure no vampire blood would enter her own blood stream. Instead, the vampire’s blood purred to the floor and oozed away.

Seras tried to get rid of the matter by using her fists. She managed to cut off some parts still connected to its Master. But instead of just falling apart, the leftovers crawled deeper into her wounds. Freed from Integra’s will, they started absorbing her blood. The effect on the vampiress, was like a fast working poison. She felt hot and dizzy. Her powers dwindled.

To ensure Seras would not simply absorb the lost blood once more, Integra immediately tried to shoot the other woman’s head. Now standing right in front of her opponent, the knight saw the perfect opening. Integra knew Seras would not dodge with a counterattack. To turn her, they needed her alive. She was at an advantage.

Seras concluded what would follow. Realizing her grave mistake, the draculina was only able to manage a movement that caused the bullet to hit her neck instead of her head. A big chuck of throat flew away, spattering over a Holy Mary statue.

They both went down on an unnamed grave, entangled.

Seras was not able to shout out in pain, since her focal chords were missing.

Usually, Integra would have stopped, would have needed a moment to orientate and decide what to do next. The matter however, made her thought and her action the same. There was no startled second. Integra knew what she had to do.

She positioned the Jackal over Seras heart and gave up one shot after another, emptying the magazine. Only after no more shots were heard, Integra realized, that she had been screaming her lungs out.

Her ears were ringing.

Seras’ chest was a gaping hole of red sludge. Gurgling and chocking gasps escaped her throat for a moment. Blood was everywhere. Her whole undead body tried to close the burning wounds, not even giving her the energy to fight of the weaker woman. Her self-healing powers were weakened by the dark energy still within her body.

Integra was kneeling over the twitching body, weeping. “I am sorry.”

She lifted the Casull and targeted Seras face.

When the vampire looked into her Master’s eye, the wheezing stopped. Clearly still in pain, Seras lifted a hand. Integra let it happen. Tears fell from her face and into the suddenly clear blue eyes of her beloved Seras. Those doorways of innocence, now only pain and regret. While the damaged palm of the, so many years turned police girl, caressed the cheekbone of her Master, as if to say “There now. This is all right. This is how it’s supposed to be.”, Integra pulled the trigger.

She looked away and shot until her red shadows could feel no undead life anymore. When Integra rose, there was no blood left, only cold ashes and ragged clothes. She sat back and screamed. Her broken voice echoed through the cold night.

Beloved Seras. Dead.

Not only that, but corrupted by the dark nature of what she had become. Destroyed by the hands of her precious Master.

The vampire might even been able to stop her, but she did not want to.

Only now Integra saw the difference.

The difference Alucard had been trying to make. He had not killed Lucy Westenra, her fiancé had. Alucard had not killed Seras. If anything, in his own way, he had given her a second chance, a choice, even if it had been a damned one. It was Integra, who had killed her.

“HOW?” She screamed out.

How could she ever stop him?

There was no stopping him.

Her imminent future was clear.

How would she ever be able to keep her humanity, even as a monster, if not even Seras—her beloved Seras, the best of all of them—had been able to keep alive what made her human?

If Seras got corrupted, how was Integra supposed to cope?

Chapter Text

“Well, well.”

She slowly descended down the crypt’s marble steps. When she finally entered the tomb, lit by torchlight, bloody and tired, the attention of the entire room shifted towards her.

“So, you came.” He awaited her. Dracula had stepped towards his chosen Master. The Hellsings, Walter and her Seras were all positioned on one of the tomb’s walls.

With a clatter two emptied magazines fell to the floor. The knight watched as the ring with the diamond dissolved from her right hand. The red matter that had originated here disappeared. With another clatter the Jackal fell to the floor. The blood from Integra’s left wrist started dripping on the marble ground, leaving a trail behind her. The Jackal was out of bullets. It was no longer of use.

“Only to kill you.” she finally uttered, coming to a halt after only few steps into the crypt. Her tired eye was observing the fresh, red spots on the white stone. The dark matter of the second ring was still crawling into her eye.

“No, Integra!” Her father tried to move. His legs and arms were still secured. The rope cut into his limbs. The sight of his daughter all broken and bloody, wrapped in Alucard’s shadows, startled him for a moment. “Leave!”

She ignored him, so did the vampire.

“Was it worth it? Killing her?” Draculas smile did not falter. “After she came so far, gave so much, only to find you?” He bent down to get her attention but stayed where he was. She was not looking up. “Was it worth it?”

Integra would always remember the gratitude in the eyes of the monster she had just ended. If the knight would forget all about her lovely friend, if everything would be stripped from her mind regarding Seras, this last expression, one of ease and thankfulness, would always remain in her mind.

Finally, Integra looked up. Emotionless. “You could have stopped me.”

She found the face of Seras in the waiting crowed. Relief washed over her features, when she recognized how her Seras lightened up despite the still healing wounds and massive chains. There she was. No monster at all. Of course, the draculina knew what had happened. All of it. Her master saw the tried and bloody tears. Only after Seras nodded reassuring, Integra checked, for all her relatives. He had kept his word. They were all here. But there was no time for great emotions.

There had never really been.

Her opponent stepped aside and let his master check her family for any injuries or loss. “If her death was your wish, I might have killed her myself.”

Integra could not supress an angry snort. “So, you would do that. But when I tell you not to turn me, you won’t obey.”

He shook his head, stepping closer. “It’s not what you truly wish for.”

Anger rose in the knight’s chest. “It is! I will not be turned!” Her grip tightened around the Casull. Her knuckles lost their colour. The shadows were swirling in anger. Once more Integra felt their powers fade. The ring around her left ring finger started to disappear too. “Presuming you know what is best for me? It makes me sick. Desire and conscious thought, are not the same thing. And I will not have you do this to me.”

“And how will you manage to stop me, my Love?” His voice was dark honey, soft and engaging. No anger, nor annoyance. “You are bleeding to death. Soon you won’t even have the strength to stand.”

As if her traitor of a body obeyed his words, one knee gave way. She had to kneel down. Her breath was heavy, her body started to feel numb. The Count made another step and lifted her blood smeared chin. “Love…”

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Abraham screamed out.

Dracula was not letting go, but gave the doctor a side look, as did Integra.

They all moved in excitement, even Abigail and the children huddled together.

Seras’ chains chimed, while she bent over forcing her arms against the singing metal. “Master…” she whispered in pain.

“Leave it be.” The vampire still holding Integra’s face warned them, still with a patience filled voice. “Or I will have to shut you up.”

 “I am not going to sit here and watch how my daughter sacrifices her eternal soul for me.” Arthur screamed out. Walter tried to sit up and reassure his Master. The boy was still pretty beat up. “I rather choose death than see that happen.”

“Don’t be a fool, son.” Elisabeth held him back with her shoulder. “If you die here, she will never even be born.” Her brow was lowered in anger.

“Would that not be better than eternal damnation?” Alistair remarked. He was leaning against the cold wall, almost motionless.

Hysteric laughter echoed from said walls. “It is indeed, why you are alive and secured.” The vampire let go of Integra. “You provided me some amusement while waiting.” He waved his hand in their direction. His eyes glowed red. “No need for that anymore.” They all felt how he invaded their minds, disabling them to speak out loud.

“So.” He uttered satisfied. “You are here to kill me then, Master?” His unparted attention was concentrated on Integra. He entered her thoughts and could feel her weakened mind protections go up. Years and years had given her a low level of defence against his intrusions. Not enough. “There is only one bullet left in the barrel.” He waved at the Casull. “You used all the others to kill beloved Seras.”

Integra had to hold back a tear.

“Of course you think about using the bullet to kill yourself.” He went down on his knee, to look into her enraged eye. “Did you think you could hide that thought from me? Even without reading your mind, I would have known. There is no way I would ever let you pull the trigger.”

“I will not—” Integra began but she did not get any further.

“Soon the last bits of him are gone.” Dracula reached for her hand, the one with the remaining ring and weapon. Integra moved back, almost fell back in surprise. She raised the gun to his face with both her hands. A dark and sinister laugh was his answer. “He can’t protect you anymore. Not in your state.”

The knight did not understand right away, what he was talking about. Then she felt how the mass still flowing around her wrists and arm, pulled back, left her eye, crawled back to the ring where it originated. The last waves of scarlet red closed the wound on her wrists, leaving only scares.

“You are too hurt. His essence feels how you bleed to death, Love. So it leaves. It would never let that happen. Neither would I.” He lifted his hand another time, reaching for her, wanting to hold her. This time Integra crawled backwards, putting a palm on the ground behind her.

Why couldn’t she just get up? Why couldn’t she do more? There was just. Nothing. Left.

Hurt found its way into his red eyes. “Give in, Love. Just give in. Don’t make this harder for the two of us, as it already is.”

“You are not listening.” She shook her head. The hand she was holding the gun in was hurt and shivering. The shot would probably break it, causing nothing but a little inconvenience to him.

“No. It is you who denies her own feelings.” He did not move anymore. She understood he wanted her to give him permission, maybe even wish for it. But he would not wait forever. “You always have. All these years. Before the war and after I returned. Hunger, want, hope, desire, love. Call it whatever you want. All these years you denied feeling anything. So long, that you have forgotten how to listen to your feeling. Instead you do what anyone else tells you is right.”

“You are not listening!” She screamed it. “Neither are you thinking! Once you turn me, the spell will be broken.” She might have been wrong. Her translation was flawed. Apparently it was not the one causing the spell who had to die, but his other instances. This did not change one important fact, however. “Once you turn me, your desire is fulfilled. The spell breaks anyways. We all go back to our times. But he died. Alucard died tonight. So you will be dead once I return to my time.”

“You forget about my powers, Love.” He smiled. “I am anywhere and nowhere. He will either in your time want to be, so he will be, or I will in mine and so will I. There is no difference. I either will be there when you awake to your new life, or join you later on. Time is meaningless. The only thing that matters is you will be like me.”

“An evil shadow of myself.” Integra’s voice was broken, her sight blurred.

“No.” He laughed. “Perfection. Ridded of any human flaws that hold you back. Disease, age, time, your family crest, even God. All of that will have no meaning anymore. We will be free to go where we want to and do as we please. Noting will ever be able to stop us. We will wander the earth and feast on everything and anything we deem worthy enough. Even Seras will join us. You killed her, yes, but she is right here.” He raised an arm towards the vampire in chains. “If you want me to, I could even turn this Walter. Despite of what he did. Or rather, is going to do.” The boy looked up in confusion when Dracula flashed him a look. “After all, he was a superb butler.”

“Leave them.” The gun shook I her weekend hand. Her gaze followed his. For a moment, just for a small moment she saw his vision in front of her inner eye. Being eternal and reunited with the people she loved. The three people in her life she had cared for, the three beings, who had stood next to her when making life changing decisions. The only ones who had ever truly understood her.

Integra closed her eye for a second. Her face hurt. Her whole body hurt. All her life she had forced distance between herself and anyone who had ever cared for her. Walter was her butler, Seras her servant, Alucard her monster. For once in her existence, she would be able to embrace them as equals, love them as friends and family, would be like them. Nothing would interfere, no age, no death, no society.

“Now you see it.” When Integra opened up her eye, she saw the warmest and most affectionate smile she had ever cared for. It made her heart quiver. “We will be together.” He nodded. “Not even for the price of your family. They will return and live their lives as planned. The masters gave their vampires order to erase their minds. None of them will be able to change that order. They won’t even remember any of this.”

She looked over to them. They unsuccessfully tried to communicate their thoughts.

“None of it.” Integra whispered.

She almost jumped when Seras scream echoed through the crypt. The draculina was able to break free from her mental prison. The chains started to come loose. “Don’t do this Master!”

Now angry, Dracula got up and stepped towards the noisy vampire. “You stay out of this!”

“If it truly is what you wish for, then go ahead!” Seras was still screaming, since she used all remaining powers she had, trying to break free from her physical prison. “But it is not! You have fought for so long. You are here for one reason! To destroy evil! If I knew anyone who could withstand the desires and dangers of our existence, it would be you. But it is not the way you are supposed to go, nor is it the way you want to take! Once you are turnd and corrupted nothing will hold him back. You will destroy and consume everything!”

Dracula waved his hand once more, forcing a more powerful control over the mind of his protégé. He had underestimated her after all.

When he turned around, the uncertainty in Integra’s eyes was gone. This little glow of wistfulness had been his chance. It was gone now.

“I see.” He shook his head in annoyance. “Well, I do not need your consent. Once you are finally turned, you will see your errors.”

“I will not be turned.” Integra uttered one final time. Her mind was made up. There was just one way to go. She lifted up the Casull to her head.

“Try then.” He smiled. “I will not let it happen.”

“Lucky enough,” In one swift move, she grabbed her own gun from the back of her pants and hold it to her head, while switching the Casull in his direction. “There is plenty of blood to go around.”

The Count realized too late that Integra had managed to trick his mental intrusion, by merging the thought of two weapons holding a last bullet, to one.

“No!” he screamed out in terror and jumped. But the Casull hit his shoulder. The short moment of delay was enough for Integra to press the second trigger.

He screamed out once more!

If she had had some time for last words,

she might have said something like,

“May God forgive me.”

“I am sorry.”

Maybe even

“I love you.”

But there was hardly time for a last breath, she knew.

Time slowed down in her mind. As had happened so many times in the knight’s danger filled life.

Her past flashed before her inner eye.

The things she did.

The things she might have done.

The things she would now never be able to do.

All the while one thought lingered.

She would never reunite with any form of her beloved, ever again. Hell, haven, purgatory, afterlife. Wherever they went, it would hardly be the same place.

It lingered until there was no time left. Until her last breath left her, taking with it her conscious, her unconscious, her love, her hate, her sorrows, her happiness, ending her life with a deadly blow.

The last thing Integra was aware of, were the agonized screams of both her servants.

The chains broke.

The links got tossed around as dangerous projectiles.

The Hellsings had to turn away in fear to protect their faces. When they lifted their heads, Seras was free and holding the lifeless body of their descendant. The vampire was whimpering, while rocking back and forth. New bloody tears run down her cheeks. She was blocking the human’s sight on Integra’s destroyed head.

“Master…” Seras uttered with a choked voice.

The other vampire had stopped his movements. His scream had faded. Once again he sunk to his knees. His red eyes opened wide, he watched in disbelieve as the blood of his beloved stretched over the white stone. The flickering fire of the tomb torches reflected on its surface.

The marriage ring twitched. Integra’s arm was bent away from her body. The Casull had fallen to the ground. Her blood was oozing out her damaged scull, until it reached the gold. Suddenly, the dark energy that had disappeared just minutes ago was spreading in a rumbling explosion. The growing mass wrapped around Integra and Seras, absorbing all of the blood around them at once.

Dracula only felt this happen but did not look up. He lowered his palms to the floor and bent over. Another scream of despair escaped his throat. His master was dead. Against all her wishes and desires, she had chosen to die, instead of joining him. The rumble from the scarlet masses merged and changed to a growl. His ear-shattering scream still echoing though the dark crypt, found its equal in the shadows that grew and shaped, forming a humanoid body, a monster, screaming in agony.

When Dracula looked up, he starred into the rows and rows of red glowing eyes of his younger self. He fell silent and watched in surrender as the monstrous shape exploded once more, consuming him in the process. Teeth and claws ripped his flesh apart. He did not even move. He did not even fight. While his own eyes closed, all he could see was Integra’s limb body. His essence was slowly eaten away. The monster was consumed by itself, like a snake eating its own tale. But he only died away slowly. The beast was hard to kill, nearly impossible.

Alucard's rage did not know any restrictions. His body pulsated, reshaped, grew, ready to kill anything and everything that would enter its way. His master was gone, his cage broken, while he desperately tried to hold on to the lock.

There was only rage and anger and sadness.

Only by using all of her remaining strength, Seras managed to let go off her Master and exit the bodies of the shapeless monsters. When she reached the Hellsings, her Masters precious blood was still all over her clothes. Seras freed the humans one after the other.

“You need to leave!”

She did not have to say it twice. As soon as they were free, they all run towards the crypts exit.

But once they reached the doors, the heavy metal bars swung shut.

Seras looked back at her Masters. He would not let them leave. In his rage Alucard wanted to consume them all. This would be over very soon. Dracula’s essence was fading already, almost destroyed. Seras tossed the men out of her way. Using her powers she started bending the metal. As soon as possible Elizabeth sent the children through.

Seras knew she had to do this.

She had to safe them.

It was what Integra would have wanted.

It was what her Master wanted, even if he could not see it in his rage.

.

*

.

*

.

*

Like the flap of a bird’s wing the sound pulsated through the room.

Unnoticeable by any dull and weakfish mortal sense. 

The raging beast lifted its head.

An illusion. Nothing more. A trick of his own weakened mind.

But there it was again.

This sound of hope and life and love.

“Impossible.” A voice echoed from the tomb walls. Alistair had fallen back and, blinded by the first sunlight, turned around.

The monster shifted, shaped, reformed once more, until all the shadows crawled back, leaving behind three bodies, Alucard holding his barely moving equal, and the remains of their Master.

Through the bars of the crypt doors, sunlight was flowing passed the humans and down the stairs. It hit Integra, illuminating her face.

This was not the right face. It was neither shattered, nor smutched. Not wrinkled or frail. Alucard knew this face. He had known it for long. It was the face of his Master, but in her twenties. Covered in light.

Alistair fell to his knees, folding his hands. “A miracle!”

She opened her eye.

After hearing Alistair’s words the remaining adults turned around.

Integra sat up.

They got on their knees and made a cross.

“A saint?” Abraham muttered and his shocked look met Arthur’s.

“Integra?” Her father stepped closer.

She turned around, searching for the voices. But the light blinded her and made it impossible for her to see her family. She recognized a dark shadow as Seras silhouette. Something about it was odd. When she looked past her servant she saw the sunlight. But this was more than just sunlight. It was divine. Calling her.

“Master?” The voice was chocked and in disbelieve, resembling more the noise of a desperate animal, than anything with the ability to utter a sentient thought.

Integra’s head turned.

Two sets of red eyes were fixed on her, one glowing, one fading, but all in relived surprise. Two shadows barely resembling anything more than that. One holding the other.

Integra’s hand wandered to the back of her head. She slowly touched her silver-blond hair in a moment of disbelieve, before her hand moved to her forehead, freeing her face from the eye patch, she had worn for so many years. Her second eye was back. Blurring her vision for a moment, as her brain needed to adjust to it.

“Master…” The dying shadow was mumbling, hardly able to even do that.

Integra’s astonishment left her features. Anger replaced it.

“You have your orders.” She uttered, in a voice that startled herself. Had she sounded like that once? She touched her face. A long time ago.

The shadows twitched in surprise.

“I gave you orders to kill him.” She got up. All blood was gone. No sign of what had happened just now. “So finish it.”

Alucard only hesitated another second. The glow of his Master and her voice captivated him. “Yes, Master.”

She nodded.

Finally, he gave up his humanoid form once more, absorbing what was left of the broken being he was still holding in his hands. As before its sight was set on the silhouette of his love, now glowing and hurting his eyes. Despite her return, he did not fight his end. She had made her choice and so had he.

“Goodbye then.” It was hardly audible.

Integra wanted to look away, but as so often she forced herself to witness the outcome of her orders. The thought of eternal love, friendship and servitude crossed her tired mind. It was nothing more than that. A thought. A wish. One that could never come true. “Goodbye.”

“Integra!” Arthur screamed with a relieved smile.

He was about to run towards his daughter, directly followed by Seras, but the moment Alucard began gaining back his humanoid form, darkness spread all around them.

“I guess this truly is goodbye.” Integra turned towards her family. “The spell is broken.”

The familiar red signs appeared underneath the Masters.

“There are many questions I would have liked to ask.” The saint shook her head. “But I guess I will never be able now.”

All Hellsings had moved towards their descendant. They stopped in surprise.

“We return home.” Alistair grabbed Elizabeth waist and gave her a relived hug. She smiled.

Arthur tried to stay positive but sadness was in his eyes. He wanted to go to her. Say something. But they both just nodded at each other. He would not remember any of this. But she would.

“Be good.” He said.

She nodded again, missing words herself.

Her attention was caught by Abraham who was holding a whimpering Abigail.

“And fair.” He added.

She smiled, a glow of light around her head.

Alucard stepped next to her, shadows still trying to creep into his humanoid form.

“Or be none of it.” Elizabeth uttered, hugging Alistair another moment, before letting go of him. “You don’t owe us anything.”

Integra bowed to all of them. “Thank you.”

She grabbed Alucard’s hand. His form merged with the darkness, and made it impossible for her to see him. For now it was not necessary. For now she was content to simply hold on to him.

When Seras reached her Masters, Integra grabbed hers as well.

“Home.” Integra said content, before they were once again hit by an unseen force, flung out of the red marks and into the darkness.

This time they held on to each other.

Chapter Text

“And there is still the meeting of the round table next week.” He stepped closer. “I was hoping I could delay it, but the other knights want to discuss how to handle your… divine state from now on. They feel like they should make use of it”

Integra sighed. Of course they would. “Thank you, Shelby.”

Young Lord Penwood was looking at Integra expectantly. She had been watching the sun go down. The sunset painted many shades of red and blue. “Anything else?”

“The possible attack near Winchester?” He waved a folder. “The one I was just talking about?”

Integra blinked in surprise. “Oh, I must have been lost in my thoughts.” She was actually a little embarrassed. “Will you do me the favour and just leave it there.” Integra pointed to a corner of her desk. “I will read it later on. When I am more concentrated.”

He nodded with a smile and put the folder down, before excusing himself.

Moments like these almost gave him a little relive. They reminded him that Integra was actually a human being like himself. The amount of work and duties she had managed ever since he had known her, made her sometimes appear more than human. Well, technically, now she was more than human. But it had always been like that. These days she was just simply… It was confusing for him to see a woman, whom he had always regarded as a mentor, suddenly return from an unbelievable time travel, looking like the most beautiful cross dressing heiress, he had ever seen in his life. Even her missing eye had returned and she had no use for her glasses anymore. The grey was only slowly growing out of her hair, but she looked beautiful, regardless.

Still, something else had changed. Sometimes she looked very melancholic, especially when she thought no one saw her. Shelby would have liked to know what exactly it was, but he felt it was not his place to ask. Still, he hoped one day she might open up to him.

*

Finally the sun was setting.

Darkness crept over the Hellsing estate.

Integra had dug into the archives to find out what changes their trip had caused. It was surprisingly little. The old villa burned down, but not all of it. Some of her old heirlooms were gone, but that was all right. The Masters had not remembered anything. Seras’ weapon had burned down with the fire, leaving only a puzzle, not to be solved until Integra’s return. Some unexplainable holes were visible in the family crypt and the case of London’s missing people never solved. That was about it. Nothing more. They had been lucky.

She was registered as her own long lost daughter now. It eliminated any unwanted questions about her new age. In the end there was another generation of Hellsings after all. Shelby had been trained to take over after her death, now she might even outlive him. Integra was still not really sure how the whole saint situation would play out. It gave her headaches on a regular basis.

The knight sighed deeply.

A dark smudge manifested on her office floor. “Master, I could almost smell your despair.”  It was shaping into a body. “Any way I could help with that?”

Integra was sure there was a smug smile on his lips. But she could not see it. For her new eyes, her servant was nothing more than a shadow. She could touch and even kiss him. But she was not able to make out more than general features. It was the same with Seras. For the vampires Integra was hardly more than a figure of light.

It was like a wall, a border drawn between her and her closest friends. A warning from God, telling her to stay away. They pretended it did not bother them, but she knew it did, especially Alucard.

She smiled, even though she knew he could not see it. At least his other senses helped him to get a grip on her form and features. “What makes you thing that?”

Integra turned away. Swivelling her chair towards the window. The last light was disappearing behind the horizon. Alucard understood the unspoken words and moved closer. With eyes shut, he hugged her lean shoulders from behind and rested his head on the chair beck. His hair was tickling her collarbone. Integra closed her eyes in relive. A sigh escaped her.

When he held her like this, she could pretend everything was fine. She could pretend there was no divine intervention separating them. Still, she had to be thankful. The knight had been spared to go to hell for her eternal sin. She had been granted another lifetime, another chance to live with her two closest friends, buying time to figure out what should happen to them after her death. Figuring out what was her destiny as a saint.

It was a question that was constant on her mind.

Why did God choose her?

The knight in love with her beast.

Sometimes when she looked at the shadow Alucard represented now, she saw him, Dracula. It was a picture that would never leave her, and one she would never let come true. He knew. She let him read her thoughts once in a while. It was one way to feel close to him. She had loved him, regardless. Dracula, Alucard, they were the same men after all, the same monster forced into different corners. Pretending anything else was just lying to herself. It was something Alucard kept up, but she would not.

With closed eyes Integra turned towards him. “I am sure you have work to do.”

She brushed a kiss to his forehead.

He raised his head and kissed her lips more fierce.

“I hope it is worth my while.” he mumbled into her breath.

Integra grabbed his face. “Why would I care?” She asked with a smile in her voice. “You do as you’re told, Servant.”

Alucard uttered a little laugh, before kissing her hand. “Yes, Master.”