This is set in the London Bridge is Falling Down AU. I tried to write a quick summary, but London Bridge was a very long fic, and it's hard to summarize. Most of the details clarify themselves somewhat as you read, but if you get confused, the best option is probably to go read the other bloody long fic. There's also a short fic set between London Bridge and this one, called Let's Try This Again, in which Integra and Alexander Anderson agree to set old grudges aside and to make an effort to be friends.
This is AU. I wrote what I thought in my twisted little head would be the end of the apocolyptic battle that is the beginning of the end of the beginning in Volume 7, therefore, there are spoilers in this fic, but they will be muddled with my take on what happens after Millennium, Iscariot and Hellsing clash in London.
Remember, please, I don't own these characters and have no monetary interest in them. They belong to Kohta Hirano and whatever corporate entities may have bought that portion of his soul.
Walter was sitting on the roof of the hospital staring at the stars.
"Good evening, Angel."
"Alucard," Walter inclined his head in greeting. "Is there something I can do for you?"
Alucard sat down, "You're not the butler anymore. You don't have to cater to me."
"Old habits die hard. You, of all people, should know that."
They sat companionably for a few minutes before Alucard spoke again, "I had resigned myself to attending your funeral. I find myself unaccountably offended that Millennium achieved what I could not." He seemed uncharacteristically melancholy.
"I was rather looking forward to my funeral," Walter smiled sidelong at the vampire. "Although I will admit that it is pleasant to have regained my youth and all its advantages."
"Which advantages do you mean, Angel? I remember some aspects of your youth and the 'advantages' you had then." the elder vampire straightened up and leered at the younger man.
"Not those - or at least - not yet. Perhaps I should be grateful that the Nazis found a way to bypass the virginity requirements." Walter's smile faded. "But what I meant by advantages was to have my command of the wires and my body back to the level of my prime. I was quite put out during the attack by the Valentines to realize just how my body had betrayed me to age. Jan Valentine would never have gotten anywhere near Sir Integra in my younger days."
Alucard's smile was predatory. "I look forward to working with you again. Our plane leaves for Rome in a few hours. I have many pleasant memories of the destruction that the Angel of Death can work with such flair. The Vatican brought this on themselves, but we're going to be the ones taking out the garbage, yet again."
"I see no reason to deny that our times fighting together have been among the most alive of my life. However, it is difficult to accept the cognitive dissonance of spending much of my long life killing vampires only to be one myself now." Walter's face was troubled as he spoke. "Then there are the circumstances of my becoming a vampire."
They were both silent, thinking of the circumstances and the things that had been lost - Walter, his humanity; Seras, her mercenary and an eye; Integra, her hand; and Alucard - Alucard had lost his tantalizing moments of freedom.
He tried to lighten the moment. "It's not all bad, is it? You've adjusted much better and more quickly than Seras."
"I'm older, more experienced, more mature, and sadly, more jaded than that lovely young woman. She has changed considerably since London fell, but she still retains that innocence that is uniquely Seras. I have never met anyone quite like her. You do realize that it takes considerable strength for her to do that, don't you Alucard? She's not as weak as you sometimes complain."
Alucard scowled. "Her strength is not the strength that is needed for what we do."
"Perhaps not, but you do her a disservice by thinking her weak."
"We were talking about you, Walter, not my stubborn child."
Walter looked pleased with himself, but changed the subject, "I do agree with one of your complaints."
"About Seras?"
"No, about the medical blood. It's nourishing, but it's lacking something. I don't know what, but it always leaves me with a feeling of..." Walter searched for the right words.
Alucard cut in, "Drinking cold medical blood from a bag leaves me with a feeling akin to coitus interruptus. You're almost to bliss and then it's just... over, leaving one aching for completion."
"An interesting analogy, Alucard. A not inaccurate one, but not a comparison I would have chosen myself."
"You've been an old man too long. I remember you when you were the age you now appear. That comparison would have been one you would have chosen. You were quite a rake. I remember that one time in Istanbul-"
"Yes, I know, and for all I know there are a number of Dornez by-blows out there even as we speak." Walter shook his head at the older vampire. "Regardless, I am an old man and that will always color my thoughts and actions. Too many years as the faithful retainer instead of the Angel of Death. Too many years spent in the weapon's shop or bowing to guests. I may look like the Angel you remember, but I am not he. Nor am I Walter the butler. It has only been a few days, don't expect me to have determined who this new person is yet."
"You'll know who you are when we're fighting together again. You will be death sweeping the field of battle. It is in your nature and you know better than to fight it."
Walter shook his head again, "You don't understand. You were young when you became a vampire. You entered the stasis of unlife with the emotional maturity of someone the age you appear. Time can't change that, despite Sir Integra's fervent wish that you'd grow up." Alucard snorted derisively.
"I was an old man. I may look young now, but my mind will always be that of a man who had lived a full life and resigned himself to the inevitability of death. I think it may mitigate some of the thoughtless pleasure in killing I had when younger."
"I disagree. If even Seras can sometimes enjoy battle, you will revel in it once more. And if not, I'll enjoy it enough for both of us."
"I don't mean to be rude, Alucard, but I did come up here to be alone. Quiet introspection is usually quite calming for me. I'm afraid our conversation has achieved the exact opposite of my intent."
Alucard rose. He nodded to Walter and turned away, "I will see you on the airfield, Angel."
Walter sighed and returned to his stargazing. Alucard had meant well, but empathy was definitely not the vampire's strong suit. He knew that Alucard was still out of sorts himself, but he hadn't revealed what had happened the day in London. They all knew that Alucard had something to do with the black tide that had covered the city, leaving nothing living in its wake. But there was more to the it than he was telling. Seras made cryptic comments, but had told both Walter and Integra that it wasn't her place to tell her Master's story.
•••
Seras slumped against the wall outside of Integra's hospital room. She was getting very frustrated with her boss. Integra was not listening to anyone. The doctors and her servants all had her best interests at heart and she was being very difficult. Yes, it was good that she was up and moving, despite her injury. The doctors were pleased about that, but they were all much less pleased that Integra was not following her physical therapy regimen.
She stalked down the halls talking on a cell phone at all hours; she was rude to the nurses who brought her medications; she refused any pain relief, which made her even more difficult to tolerate; and what sleep she would take was broken by nightmares she refused to admit to having.
The boss is a strong woman, chère. She has to keep moving or she'll think she's weak.
But she is weak. She needs to rest and take care of herself.
She also needs to take care of England. You know that. She'll let herself rest when the job is done.
Dammit, she's not going to stop until she can take care of the world and that's just not going to happen.
"Am I interrupting something, Police Girl?"
Seras opened her eye to find herself face-to-chest with Alucard. "No, Master, I'm just worried about Sir Integra. She's not doing what she should to heal and start her rehab."
"You'll have to take care of her when Walter and I leave for Rome. I expect you to protect her from any lingering dangers from Millennium's trash."
"How do I protect her from herself?"
He looked expressionlessly down at his child. "You can never protect anyone from themselves. I'd think the two of you would know that."
It was the first time anyone had acknowledged her dual nature for what it was. Seras didn't know how to reply. Ask him about your freedom.
"Master, since you're leaving again so soon and I don't know when I'll see you again, I wanted to ask…" her voice trailed off and Alucard waited for her to finish the question he knew was coming. He'd offered once, she had to do it herself this time.
"I wanted to ask if you'd allow me to drink your blood and be free," she finished in a rush.
Alucard looked around the hospital hallway. People bustled by, sparing the occasional curious glance for the odd pair. "Is this where you had in mind? I think the humans might be bothered by a bit of bloodsucking in the halls."
How did you put up with him for so long?
Hush. "Master, there are a number of private lounges in this building we could use. Walter probably wouldn't be too bothered if we went to the roof. I'd even go outside and drink from you in the car park, just please, stop being so difficult."
"Lead on, Seras Victoria. Show me where you would take your freedom."
"Fine." To Alucard's surprise, she grabbed his hand and began pulling him down the hallway to one of the meditation rooms the hospital kept. "In here." She pulled him through the door, closed, and locked it. "There isn't anything special we have to do first, is there?"
"If you want my blood, just come here and take it."
"Before I do, can I just ask you one more question as my Master?" She continued at his nod, "How do you control the souls you take? Pip's one thing. I don't want or need to control him, but I have Doc locked in a cell deep inside me and I wanted to know if you had a better way to do it?"
"I wouldn't say I have a better way. I have a different way, and I doubt it would work for you. You're better off using your little prison analogy if it keeps your slaves under control."
Fine, be that way. What would a conversation with my Master be if he weren't deliberately difficult or condescending?
She drew a deep breath and walked across the room to Alucard. "Your neck is out of my reach unless I'm going to stand on a chair."
Her Master smiled and wordlessly removed his coat and rolled up his sleeve. He held his bare arm extended within her reach. As the blonde vampire bit into the pale skin of his forearm, she was inundated with a swell of power that made her feel as though she were drinking electricity from a socket. The force of it dropped her to her knees, but she didn't let go and Alucard was forced to bend over to keep her from tearing his arm. She drank until he said, "Enough, Seras. Let go." He gently pushed on her forehead and she let go reluctantly.
"What was that?" except her question was colored with a French accent, sounding more like, "What was zat?"
"That, Captain Bernadette, was the rest of Seras' soul. You could say that I've been holding it for her until she was ready for it. Take care of my daughter, mercenary." Before either Seras or Pip could react, Alucard swept up his coat and left the room.