Disclaimer: wish I owned Hellsing& it's characters but I don't… so there… anyway a TREAT! *grin* thought Nostalgia – Return Part2 was the last? NO… one more last one to go (I know I contradict myself.. sorry hee..) …. Okok some stuff needs to be said. One: I (though female hehe) have no idea how long is too long for contractions to be considered bad… but I do know breached babies have either to be turned, or birthed by caesarean … ok that's one. Two: hmm… Integra in the first bit feels ok to me.. but might be a biitt OCC in the later bits… so if she's a little off character, don't say I didn't warn you *grin* … And finally: this was inspired by Teleute's Duty series… Integra getting married *gasp* --- and then my imagination took over and thought: hmm… what about Integra being pregnant??!!… and then this fic wrote itself… (though can anyone imagine Integra as a mother??? No I can't so that's why the OCC warning =) …. Right and finally finally, like before thanks for all the reviews (that have come before and are to come! Hopefully ^^) … enjoy yourselves k? @-`--- passionsmuse
Sacrifice"You've been having contractions for over 6 hours now, but still the baby hasn't moved. I'm afraid it might be bad news."
"Tell!" she growled at the doctor.
"The baby may be breached. If we do not get you to the hospital soon …"
"What?" growled Alucard.
"We may lose both the mother and baby."
"But we are snowed in," said Walter.
"But.. but you do not have the necessary equipment here for me to do the cesarian."
"You must…" she gasped as another contraction washed over her. "You must… I must have this baby."
"But…"
"Do it…" The doctor stepped back in alarm at the menance in Alucard's voice. This was a very strange man…
"I cannot. The mother will definitely die."
"Alucard…"
"Yes.. master…"
"Hellsing must have an heir."
"No…"
"Yes! he can't do it, you must….Walter is old. He will not live to see my…"
"son…"
"my son grow up. You must see to it. I place Hellsing in your care."
"No…." he growled softly. "I won't do it."
"You must ! Alucard! I order you to."
He stood. Black hair covering his eyes so that she could only see the red glow, his expression unreadable. This was a moment she was relieved he was supposed to be on her side. Darkness and shadow seemed to gather round him when he was in such moods. The doctor was cringing away in fear; Walter, standing impassive at the foot of the bed.
"Integra…" he whispered so softly she almost missed it. He never called her by her name. He passed a hand over her eyes and everything went black. The doctor screamed in horror as he watched Alucard literally rip her open and pull out the infant.
"Alucard…" warned Walter.
The vampire was staring with open hatred at the crying baby in his hands.
"Alucard… hand the baby over."
He glanced up sharply, no sense of recognition in his eyes. In all their years together, Walter had never ever seen him so furious, so wild, so savage as tonight. This was the furthest from human and closest to monster he had ever looked before.
"The baby… Alucard."
Slowly, slowly in a haze, the vampire handed the baby over to Walter who watched as Alucard sank slowly to knees by her bed, head bowed.
Grief… grief would come later for me, the old steward thought as he turned away to clean the baby… later will I mourn…
Suddenly the rustle of sheets.
Walter turned round sharply. "NO! Alucard!"
The vampire was standing, hair covering his face, Integra wrapped in bloody sheets in his arms. Red eyes glinted ferally before they vanished.
"ALUCARD!" yelled Walter, but the baby…
"Take care of the baby! Do you understand? Do you understand?" he shook the dazed doctor. "Take care of him."
"Damned vampire…" Walter cursed as he ran as fast as he could towards the basement. "Curse the house for being so huge."
The door slamed open with the force of his push… "Alucard… no…"
But he was too late. Alucard lifted his head from her neck, mouth bloody, fangs glinting redly. The pallor of death had left her, to be replaced by the fairness of the undead life. Her wounds were healing already. Both men watched as her eyes fluttered and opened.
Walter's heart sank… no longer icy blue, but ruby red…
Am I dead? Alucard?… on the other side? No.. I am in his arms…! Why? His mouth… bloody!
She sat up abruptly, pushing away from him.
"What?" she cried, "what have you done?"
She scrambled to her feet, stumbling over the bloodied sheets. In a flash the vampire was up, catching her as she fell.
'NO! don't touch me." She shoved him away before turning towards Walter.
"Walter…"
The old servant held her by the shoulders saying softly, but firmly, "Hush… child. You are a mother now, don't forget."
She lifted her face to his.
"Yes," Hellsing's most loyal servant nodded. "Upstairs."
She rushed out of the basement.
"Why couldn't you let her die."
Alucard was strangely silent.
"Haven't you tortured her enough?"
… …
She was rocking her baby late, late into the night when he appeared.
"Go! I do not want to see you."
"You hold your infant in your arms now because of me."
Trembling with rage, she put the sleeping infant down first before turning to face him. "Because of you, I will be able to watch him grow. But he will never know me by daylight! And each time he wishes I were there, I will hate you. Each time he falls and I'm not there to pick him up, I will hate you. And the day I have to watch him die… I will hate you."
He walked up slowly to her. "I couldn't let you die."
"Why! WHY NOT!" She trembled with rage … "An immortal life, watching all you love die…"
"You will learn not to love."
"Till the ends of time I will still be so much more human than you ever were."