AN: Initially this was a single page of smut. Angry smut. Then I fiddled around with a story and three days after, it has developed into what you shall read in a few moments: eight pages of drama, romance, Alexander Anderson, and sex.

The Monster In My Bed

Now, goodnight moon, I want the sun. If he's not here soon, I might be done. (Shivaree)

---

Alucard held the sleepy infant in his arms, mindful of his delicate head and held him close to his body, feeling the warmth of the child radiating from his soft, blue jumper.

'What will you tell your son when he's older?' he asked aloud in his master's bedroom.

The baby's mother emerged from the bathroom dressed in nothing but a white terrycloth robe and a towel around her head. Her eyes briefly widened in surprise before she recovered herself. She hadn't expected him to stay until morning.

'Alucard.'

'Good morning, Integra.'

'What are you doing here?'

'Waiting for you.'

Then he saw it in her eyes. Pity.

She thought she would wake up alone. He had no reason to remain with her; he had done his part by providing her comfort in the dark and now that it was daylight, their time as lovers was over. It struck her as a little sad that he would tolerate the light just to watch her wake up.

Alucard didn't have to read her mind to know what she was thinking.

Last night? He wanted to test the limitations between them. She was lonely and had to mind the child without Anderson. She had not asked for his help (that had hurt him) so he had come to her aid, seeking to dispel the gloom. He wanted her that night. They ended in her bed. And now she expected him to abandon her and the infant just because of some sun?

He thought his master knew him better than that.

'Put my son down, Alucard.'

'What will you tell him about me?' He asked again. She was another man's wife, but after a night of sex he wanted to know where he stood. He could not leave her alone; he was bound to her even if she didn't reciprocate the feeling.

'I have no answers for you, servant. Put him down.'

He glared at her with his red eyes, holding her son as if it were his own. He had as much right to be around the child, his future master, and have a part in his life apart from just 'the servant.'

'Will you tell him who built Hellsing? Am I just the bogeyman now?'

Does he know about the witches that fly under the shadow of the moon, the goblins waiting in the glen, and the monsters that really hide under the bed?

Will he know what he sacrificed for his mother's happiness?

He held on tighter to the infant, and lifted one small hand with a gloved finger. Reverently, the vampire kissed the baby's closed fist and watched as his mother started to seethe with anger. He didn't have the privilege to hold him like that. No one did. But seeing his fangs so close to her firstborn child, Integra resorted to gritting her teeth.

'What about the monster in my bed?' she remarked coldly. 'What did he want?'

'What about the mother?!' he snarled back. 'Or did she forget herself last night - when her servant loved her like only he could - and she kept imaging someone else?'

Baby Andrew stirred and both of them shut up immediately. Alucard prided himself that young Hellsing was safest in his arms. Adjusting his hold, he traced the family insignia on the child's forehead with a gloved hand, relishing the sudden hostility he aroused in his master. Yes, he wanted her to be mad because he was mad at her. Mad at what she could not give back and what he so desperately craved.

'Will you tell him about the vampire that loved his mother and gave up his freedom for her?' He inquired, his voice just above a menacing hiss, 'Or will he be locked away in his cell like her father did before her?'

---

She would be alone for three weeks.

It was the first time since their return to England that Integral would look after both the mansion and the newborn by herself. She was tired, cranky, and terribly lonely. Most of her men were on the field. Seras was on an assignment. Walter was gone, she hadn't seen him since their last meeting in Canada and he gave no hint where he would be going. But most of all, Anderson was in Rome.

She rarely had a full night's rest, choosing to take quick half-hour naps on a couch or at her desk. She used paperwork as an excuse to stay awake. She fumbled in the kitchen for food and breastfed the baby. Taking a shower proved difficult to do. She couldn't go down to the shooting gallery at all.

Her situation was very restricting and the empty despair of being alone in the house threatened to swallow her whole. It gnawed her stomach and crept through the sides of her glasses, blurring her view. Integral shoved her fingers through her scalp and wished she had a cigar.

Integra hadn't touched one in almost two years. In truth, she had given up smoking altogether. No nicotine patch, no group therapy. She went cold turkey and never touched a Henri Winterman since the doctors told her to either quit or die. She was diagnosed with cancer two months later.

Pushing away the letters she rose from the desk and smoothed out her cotton nightgown, her face feeling grimy and disgustingly flush. Her hands went around her middle and touched her now flattened stomach before looking in the direction of the baby crib behind her.

Motherhood scared Integra much more than she let on. She barely interacted with other women her age and therefore didn't consider her nine months of expectancy in the same rosy light that most women did. It terrified her, to be responsible for someone so important and yet so vulnerable.

She had no parent to guide her, and no friends to call for help. Integral felt so alone.

'How does the mother and her child fare?' Alucard voice resonated in the bedroom as he materialized from the shadows on the carpet. He wore his usual black suit, black boots and red overcoat. The hat and the glasses were missing.

'He's fine,' She answered automatically, 'I just fed him and he should be good for another several hours.' Thank god for regular sleeping habits.

'Long night ahead, master?' He cocked his head towards her, his red eyes gleaming in the muted room, taking in her silhouette and noticed her feet were bare. Without consideration, he turned to the left and walked towards the wooden crib and to the infant sleeping peacefully inside it.

Integral's eyes started to droop as she watched the vampire glide across the room in meandering circles, touching the top of the new dresser (full of baby clothes) to the small nightlight beside the adjacent bathroom (in the shape of a smiling moon). His movement hypnotized her. At least Alucard was here to provide company, if not for a short while. He often took to the basements these days when he was not in the field shooting rogue ghouls. Her shoulders relaxed and she opened her mouth to yawn.

No! She had to stay alert. She had to do paperwork to stay awake, for once, than the other way around. Naps could come later; she was reluctant to close her eyes and confront the dark. She turned off the desk lamp, leaving her section of the bedroom considerably darker and her body panicked. In her frenzied state of mind, she didn't notice what Alucard was doing until he reached the crib.

Integral watched as he leant over the railing and stroked her son's blonde hair with a gloved hand. Her voice was sharp.

'Alucard. That's enough.' He chuckled and continued stroking the infant's head before he picked him up and cradled him in his arms.

'Afraid, Integra?'

I never took you for the defensive kind.

A fierce possessiveness overtook her body and Integral rudely beckoned for her servant to leave her child be and confront her instead. He felt clouds of grogginess and irritation swirl around her like the beginning of a deep, hazy fog. He tilted his head to one side, then to the other, before letting a slow smile appear on his face.

'You know I wouldn't harm your son.'

'You're ordered not to.'

He chuckled in good humour.

'I prefer to think of Andrew as my own.' He continued prodding her a bit more. The result was pleasing, he admitted, her attention was solely his. He turned his red eyes onto the child.

Goodnight, little master.

Integral caught the overtones of fondness in the vampire's voice and her son was put back down into his crib unharmed. Alucard turned towards her and shrugged nonchalantly.

She despised it when he did such things. She still raised her hackles when someone approached her child.

The vampire could have roared with laughter at her maternal instincts. How delicious! She had nothing to fear from him. The babe was safest in his presence. It was Integral who needed the most care.

'Don't flatter yourself, Alucard,' she remarked, 'He doesn't even have your hair.'

'No,' he mused and raised an inquiring eyebrow at her, 'the child resembles you more than him.'

'I'd prefer if you mentioned him by name,' she corrected her servant. 'His name is Alexander.'

Alucard laughed softly and walked towards her, his boots hardly making a sound on the plush carpet. After all, he didn't want to wake up the child. She was so beautiful right now, so determined to fight off the dark. He could have drowned happily in her stubborn resolve and her despair.

'Whom, Integra? Your lover? He isn't here in this room, and you and I are miles and miles away.' Her brows narrowed and her eyes glittered with condemnation.

'My husband is in Rome.'

Which ultimately meant for the vampire; Anderson wouldn't be home tonight.

Boldly, he stopped in front of her and let his eyes roam down his master's clothes. She still wore the white nightgowns she had donned during the last months of her pregnancy. The white cotton seemed to glow softly, making her a Madonna in his devilish eyes. Her short hair and her flushed cheeks reminded him of a rosy peach, soft and plump and ready to bite. He was so hungry.

And right now, he was in his master's bedroom. There was a sleeping infant behind him and his determined mother in front. There were heavy bags under her eyes and the fingers of her right hand twitched spastically. She was tired and hardheaded and used paperwork as an excuse for staying awake. Oh, but there was more to that, he knew. This was the whole purpose of his visit.

He knew she missed her lover. She would never admit it, but she grew accustomed to cuddling up with another body and now she hated the thought of sleeping alone. She was lonely. The child depressed her; it made her feel fragile and fearful. What did she have to fear? It was the dark, the thought of being abandoned, the emptiness of the night.

So he had come to her aid, drinking copious amounts of blood beforehand in preparation for tonight. After all, was he not bound to protect her?

He was sure Anderson would understand. If not, he could go back to hell.

Alucard licked his lips, his tongue running along his canines, waiting earnestly.

He bent his head lower and whispered into her neck, so close to touching her flushed skin with his lips. She was already shivering. She might be cold.

'Your other lover is here.' He took one small step to close the space between them and laid his hands on her waist, the blood he drank at dinner rushed down his body and Integral could very well feel his arousal through his clothes. Alucard presented an opportunity for release, and she wanted that escape.

You're not him.

He pulled her into an embrace, burying his face into her neck and felt the strong urge to lick it – to lick her until her knees wobbled and she forgot about paperwork and came with him to bed. Then, as she fell asleep in his arms, he could pretend that he was her husband and the child sleeping in the crib was his.

Don't deny me, Master. Let me love you, Let me do things that he won't do – The things he doesn't know how to -

She narrowed her eyes and scoffed at his lack of knowledge. What she and Anderson did behind her bedroom doors was none of his business, and it was legitimate. They had a good marriage, productive work schedules, and very very satisfying sex. Mind-fucking, really.

And to her dismay, Integral felt her temperature rise just a little bit higher at the thought of the Paladin's hands on her body. She closed her eyes slowly; it would be another three weeks until he came home. Her chest hitched with longing and she felt like crying – if only she could. She missed his rough hands and the way they trembled as they curled up together in afterglow, his scarred body draped over hers and his satisfied groans when he moved inside her.

'Integra,' he moaned, her fingers grasping his tightly as he pushed harder and she threw her head back, inhaling sharply, 'Integra…'

God, she missed him so much. She couldn't go to bed like this, not without him. It was lonely in the mansion; just looking at her son made her heart ache a little more.

'Three weeks is a long time to wait,' Alucard stated thoughtfully, completely unashamed that he had peered into her thoughts. He saw her making love to Anderson. He saw their naked bodies burning for each other. There was pleasure written all over her body. He could do the same for her; he wanted to.

Integral could have rolled her eyes at his inability to maintain some mental privacy between them. Her hand rose to unbutton the top of her nightdress; she was getting exceedingly hot in her clothes. She needed to cool down but she didn't want to close her eyes.

Suddenly, his gloved hands were cradling her face and he brought their foreheads together. He parted his lips and licked her skin in a languorous manner. Her face burned under his touch. He was so cool. She moved closer.

'Why Integra, I think you're getting a fever.' He leaned in, ready for a taste of her lips next. No.

'You're horny, Alucard. You've drunk too much blood.' Turning away from him, she hastened to check her son before heading towards the vanity table, sat down on the wooden chair, and grabbed a hairbrush. Air, she needed to open a window or something to distract her. Anything.

Alucard offer tempted her. He could provide her comfort in bed and she could stave off the emptiness. The brush tore through her hair painfully and she winced at the force. Damnit, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Anderson wasn't here. She wanted intimacy. Three weeks. Nothing but the mansion and the baby. Integral was drowning; she craved for human touch. And Alucard?

He was just waiting for her to say the word. She raised an eyebrow and released a long, slow breath. He waited patiently, waited until they were alone before he came up from his solitude in the dungeons. This time Integra laughed softly at his foolish hope. It wouldn't be the first time either. They were both screwed over.

The vampire appeared behind her and watched her brush her hair in the mirror. Naturally, he had no reflection. Opening the window would risk giving a chill to the infant. Well, his hands were cold. Would she prefer him instead?

Pushing their boundaries, his gloved hands were on her shoulders and slowly he began massaging the muscles of her neck and shoulders. Her hair no longer posed a problem and from where he stood, it barely reached her shoulders, he could see a generous amount of her neck just waiting to be kissed.

He was rewarded with a sigh and took the brush from her fingers. He attended to her hair carefully; it was one way to pleasure her. He could do so much more.

Do you remember your wedding night?

I do.

Did you memorize the bruises I made?

No. She answered truthfully. I only remember his.

He didn't speak for some time after that.

He handed her the brush and she placed it on the desk. Alucard followed her eyes to the mirror. There was only a young woman staring back at them. There was no one else.

'Thank you,' she said. 'Thank you for staying with me.'

'You're welcome.'

And with mutual understanding, she reached for one of his hands and he helped her out of the chair. She touched his cheek and kissed his lips. She wanted him.

So the vampire led the way to the bed, his hands around her waist, bunching the cotton between his fingers in the process. He suckled gently on the skin of her neck, which made her arch her back and moan gently.

'Alucard.' She put a hand to his chest, holding them apart. 'You know I–' She thought of Alucard's devotion for her, and her love for Anderson, and how she cared for her vampire but couldn't return his affection like before. Once upon a time, she did, she loved him for the monster he was, but that years ago.

If his master's face was illuminated by the light, the vampire's was darkened by it. He didn't want her thinking she was doing this for him.

'The situation hasn't changed, Integral. You are still my master and I serve you. We will not wake up your son-'

His speech was suddenly interrupted when she pushed her body forward and grabbed him around the waist. He could feel her heat against his arousal.

So that's it then.

If Alucard had a living heart, it would have beaten loudly in his chest when he laid her down on the sheets. Prepared to take his time, he was pulled down towards her. One of her hands tugged at the cravat while the other touched his face. Her legs moved achingly slow and pushed the blankets away from her like gathering ripples on a pond. As they kissed each other, the nightgown inched up higher and higher of its own accord.

Carefully, she removed his overcoat dropped it over the side of the bed. Pulling the red cravat loose, she looped it around his neck to draw him closer and they crawled along the mattress until her back touched the wooden headboard. Alucard unbuttoned his shirt while Integral tugged at his pants.

'We'll have to be quiet. Andrew is sleeping.'

'Of course.'

'I order you not to tell anyone about this,' she told him, 'especially my husband.'

He acknowledged her words. 'Yes, master.'

The Paladin knew anyways, knew how he felt about her and the personal defeat he suffered when Integral chose him over the vampire. Anderson would kill him – if he could. But he wasn't here, was he? He couldn't stop this now. He was the one in her bed tonight.

Alucard wanted to be the one to guide her hands in the dark.

But most of all, he wanted Integral to want him. He wanted the feeling to be reciprocated and was elated when she rose from the bed and straddled him in a sitting position. He needed to hear it, just like she desperately wanted to banish the fear of loneliness racing within her arms, her legs, and her mind. Emotionally and physically, he wanted to save her.

'Close your eyes,' her hands grabbed the bottom of her nightdress and she pulled it over her head, leaving only her knickers remaining. She shut her eyes and Alucard pushed her backwards, down onto the sheets with his body.

Did he ever do this? He asked her, his hand, now ungloved, traced a line down her body, swirling and drawing on her heated skin. But where his nail touched, he cut her, and soon her stomach was pattern of small blood drops.

'Alucard!' she exclaimed, her eyes opening immediately, a little alarmed that he attempted such a dare. It was a bold move, and it stung a little, making her writhe uncomfortably. She felt his fangs against her skin.

It was something he had not done in a long time.

Closing his eyes in deep meditation, the vampire lowered his head and pressed his lips to the area above her right hip, where some of her blood started to pool and threatened to drip on the sheets. He lapped up the droplets and ceased her bleeding as soon as he kissed them. The sensation of his chilled lips on her body shot electricity from her throat and straight down between her thighs.

I bet he doesn't do this with his blessed knives.

His mouth gave way to his long, red tongue and soon Integra found it very odd that she was being massaged in a most macabre way, with her own blood. She grabbed the edges of the pillow she lay on and dug her nails into it. It felt exquisite.

Alucard's voice curved its way into her hazy, pleasure-induced mind. His rough tongue lapped at her flesh, reminding her briefly of the whiskers on Anderson's chin and how they occasionally tickled her face when he kissed her. Alucard's hands were smooth and cool, and helped to stabilize her center while making her more aroused. His hands were different from Anderson's, which were larger and calloused but always held her close – so confident and secure – as if she was the only thing that mattered.

There was a change in her pulse, she started to pant in need and Alucard finished his massage to kiss her mouth again. She kept her lips closed this time, tilted her head back and sighed at the memory.

No, Alexander never did this. His touch was different from this.

'I want you, master,' he confessed, rocking his hips against hers and his bare hands kneading her breasts. It came to no surprise that he was naked now.

'I want you just like the days before you became another man's wife.' Integra opened her eyes to look at him, her expression blank, before she arched her back and ground into him hard. The vampire moaned aloud.

'I'm married, Alucard,' was all she said before stripping off her knickers. She said nothing more the rest of the evening. She fought off the emptiness inside her and showed it when she grabbed his hair and brought their mouths crashing together. She panted heavily with lust and wrapped one hand around him to indicate she was ready.

Alucard groaned loudly when he entered her and she bit his tongue to keep him quiet. She was so wet, so slick and hot that he became feverish himself. His mind overflowed with her desire to be complete.

Keep me warm, she said. Hold me.

'Integra,' he moaned, starting to move within her. She wrapped her long legs around his body and he had to restrain himself from pushing too fast and too hard before he reached his climax. He wanted to savour this moment – the monster in his master's bed.

He whispered sweet nothings into her ear, kissed her until she became liquid in his hands. They were a tangle of hands and legs in the muted dark.

I am yours, he called to her as she reached her orgasm, her blue eyes unfocused as she stared at the ceiling, clutched at his shoulders for support only to scratch him with her nails instead - and failed to draw blood.

And I love your son as if he were my own.

He laid her down gently on the pillows, raised one hand over her face and induced a little magic to make her sleep a little longer. She needed the rest and taking naps on wooden chair was unacceptable for him. Bending over her body, he kissed her collarbone and felt an urge to scrape her skin with one of his fangs - so lovely. The fading scent of cigars lingered. It was dying away, but for now, it was still there.

Indulging himself a little more, he drew back the covers of her dreaming mind and looked inside, hoping to see himself there.

But he quickly shut the curtains after one glance. He had seen enough.

The vampire kept one hand around his master's nude body and tousled his hair with the other, some of his previous elation gone. The earliest rays of dawn crept around the window shades.

Three more weeks.