This is it. The final chapter. I'll not say any more, except that it was a long time in coming.
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"Ana."
The voice was quiet and respectful, but shook the daughter of Integra and Alexander Hellsing out of her silent reverie.
"Alucard," she didn't look up from where her eyes were fixed as she spoke, "what are you doing here?"
"I came..." the vampire seemed momentarily at a loss for words, "...to pay my respects. It was something I never had a chance to do at the time."
"And it's taken you this long to get around to it?" Ana chuckled lightly, finally lifting her eyes to the red-garbed Nosferatu in front of her. Her hand sought out Alucard's, and she squeezed lightly. "Thank you."
"I have done nothing out of the ordinary, save survive, my dear. It became something I was astonishingly good at as my power developed."
Anastasia scowled at him, "I don't mean that. You came here."
"Despite what you may think, I didn't hate your father. In fact, aside from the Angel of Death, he was the only mortal I actually respected for his abilities and drive..."
Ana cocked her head at him as he continued, "But when you consider what Walter had done with his life... could he truly be called human? Everyone has a little darkness somewhere; the Angel of Death had a lot of darkness in his soul – he just refused to let it control him."
"While father..."
"While your father was human; completely human. Away from the effects of that Hell-portal the changes that he had undergone began to slowly reverse themselves. And while no one would ever recover from the amount of Earth-magic he had trapped inside of him, in many ways that made him more human. The earth gives life to those born to it. More than a man, but not super-human..."
"Is that why...?" Ana began, only for Alucard to look at her and answer her question as she trailed off.
"...he didn't age? I believe so. As much as I abhorred the man at times for being singly the most incredibly irritating individual whom I have ever met, I know he loved your mother deeply. After her death... he simply gave up. On Hellsing, giving power to you... on friendships that I think he had hoped, one day, to regain... and it seems on life itself."
"He would have been an incredible leader..."
Alucard smiled wryly, "You see through a child's eyes, Ana. He would have made a terrible leader for Hellsing."
Ana whirled on him, incensed, "How can you say that?"
"It is nothing more than truth, girl," Alucard grinned, "The heart never leads well – he was more than content with his role in Hellsing as it was. Thrust into the spotlight as he was with your mother's death he needed charisma and political skill to survive in the field. He had some of the first – he had little of the second: when the King turned control of Hellsing over to the government he was the prime target for those wishing to gain control of Hellsing themselves.
"He did not have time to mourn – as well you know – and without being born a Hellsing, or a British citizen, there were many with poisoned pens and venomous whisperings."
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Flashback
If there was one thing that Alexander Harris had learned during all his years of marriage to Integra Hellsing, it was diplomacy.
But even diplomacy came in many forms, and now was the time for more subtle forms of diplomacy than those he preferred to employ if given the option.
He stood in front of a panel of politicians.
Politicians.
No matter the country, no matter the time, they were always the same. Power-hungry, money-grubbing, back-stabbing imbeciles with just enough charisma to get them where they needed to be to cause maximum inconvenience for everyone else involved. And when one appeared with particular skill, it spelled even more trouble. There was a good reason why it was once said that only crooks and thieves went into politics.
With the death of the Queen, and the ascendance of her grandson – her son having pre-deceased her after a tragic aeroplane accident – Hellsing had become a political pawn. A piece to be given to the highest bidder to do with as they wished.
If Integra had been alive to see it, she would have been disgusted.
Fortunately, his beloved wife had died three years earlier – not a heroic death, as Xander was sure she would have wanted, but of a wasting illness that first took her strength, then her agility before finally her otherwise indomitable will ran out of courage to continue.
And so the consort of Sir Hellsing now stood in front of the Commons Select Committee on Supernatural Affairs. And he had no patience for it.
Xander already knew how this would pan out – he was there merely so they could say that they had done everything properly; his words or the words of any of his retainers would not change their opinions or their decision.
In all of their eyes was the knowledge that soon they would have not just a powerful agency that would answer to their beck and call, but one that wielded abilities and power that no other groups did.
"Mr... Har..." the chairwoman began, then smiled disarmingly and altered what she was saying, "...Sir Hellsing. I believe you understand why we are here today."
Xander looked at her blankly. Her supposed slip was completely deliberate. It was a subtle reminder that they knew where he had come from – he certainly hadn't taken any pains to hide his past – and it was the beginning, Xander was equally sure, of a steady attempt at character assassination from the inside of his own head.
"You are remarkably well informed, Miss Brooks," Xander replied coolly.
One of the other committee members, a man who looked entirely too much like a negative-Walter for Xander's liking, smiled calmly. "We are paid to be, Mr... Hellsing. We are here to decide the fate of the Hellsing organisation; it's role and responsibilities in the modern political and supernatural climate and what other aid it can be to King and Country..."
'To you and your petty ambitions, you mean,' Xander sneered at the man in his head, but he kept his face carefully blank.
Miss Brooks coughed, drawing attention back to her, "The committee understands that you have certain... 'Irregular'... members of the Hellsing organisation that could, perhaps, be better utilised elsewhere. We would like a comprehensive report presented to us tomorrow on... 'Alucard' and 'Seras Victoria'."
Xander looked at her for far longer than any of the committee were comfortable with. When it was patently obvious that she was shifting nervously in her leather seat from the silent attention, Xander swept his gaze over the other ten members of the select committee.
"No."
Sir Neal Digby began to get out of his chair in anger, "What?!"
Xander looked at him again. The fat politician was reaching the age where middle-age spread would affect anyone else – his problem was that he was about ten stone overweight already.
"Do you have difficulty in hearing, or are you merely stupid?"
The porcine man went red with outrage, "You fail to understand your position, young man! Hellsing was once the realm of the monarch to command; now we have entered a new era and the government does not like the idea of clandestine agencies operating in our country without our knowledge! As of a month ago, we control Hellsing! We can disband you, we can fund you! But how can we expect an uncouth American to learn manners, even after living in England for so long!"
"Have you finished?" Xander asked in a bored tone, "Hellsing was secret because we fight a secret war. It's larger than your terrorists or your little wars. It is humanity – the whole of humanity against an enemy beyond your wildest dreams. The decision of the King to reveal our existence was foolish, but one that our battle will survive. It may mean a few more people die unnecessarily because they go looking for things that they were better off not knowing about, but nothing can be done about that now. Your brand of foolishness, however, will give us all slow deaths."
His voice had not moved from the 'I'm really bored, I've got better things to be doing right now' tone that it had started with.
One of the other committee members then asked, "Ah, yes, what was your supposed 'battle' again?"
This resulted in the most obvious expression Xander had used yet – he raised an eyebrow. "Do you not know? You have all read the reports, surely?"
"Many of us have not," Miss Brooks interjected, "they are classified at the highest level and can only be viewed by the Cabinet."
"And none of you are members of the Cabinet?" Xander rolled his eye, "Of course not. The monkey is leading the organ grinder."
He sighed.
"You will not cooperate?" Brooks asked, and several of the committee looked at him viciously.
Xander was blank again, "What do you think, now?"
"We will take this to the Prime Minister and the King."
Xander turned around and headed for the door, as he opened it, he called back to them, "Good luck!"
The door slammed shut behind him, and Alucard appeared out of the shadows in the corner of the secretary's room, scaring the poor woman speechless.
"Idiots," Xander spat angrily, "Let's go, Al."
Alucard grinned at the secretary, and she cowered back in fear, "Do you think they will learn their lesson?"
Xander snorted, "Of course not. These are politicians, Al. They can smell blood in the water, and can almost taste the power of Hellsing at their fingertips. There is no way they'll back off and leave us to it. No..."
Xander fell silent, and did not speak for another half an hour, until they were on their way back to the Hellsing manor.
"Alucard."
"Yes?"
"I'm going to draw up some contingency plans, just in case they push this further than they should. The problem with using Hellsing manor as our base was that it is now a sign to them. They will want it regardless of cost, now. I hope Ana won't be too mad at me..."
Alucard looked surprised, "What crazy schemes are you plotting now, one-eye?"
Xander grinned at him, and it was a carbon-copy of Alucard's own insane grin.
"You, Alucard. I'm plotting you."
Alucard looked confused, "You've cracked."
"I'm going to have you destroy Hellsing manor."
Alucard remained silent, very nearly shocked. Then it clicked.
If Hellsing remained visible, it could not fight. Indeed, it would become the lapdog of politicians, barking for scraps and sent against those who irritated its masters. Not it's Holy mission. If it vanished into the shadows, it could continue to fight the fight it was created for.
"Hellsing will die... and like the phoenix will rise from its own ashes."
Xander turned away, looking out of the window of the Rolls Royce, "Make sure Officer Victoria is able to operate on her own as a No Life Queen. Her duty will then be to watch over Anastasia while we finish the play. I'll send the Regulars to one of the Scottish training zones; Ana owns them now that Integra has passed away."
He turned back to Alucard.
"You watch my daughter once your part in this is over, Alucard. If she is harmed, I'll drag you to the Devil himself kicking and screaming all the way."
Alucard, for some reason, believed him. He did not say it, though.
"And yourself?"
"I'll pray that Integra will forgive me."
End Flashback
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"He never told me..." Ana sounded miserable.
"He did not want you to know, Ana. Your father married for love, but he took up the same sword that his lover did. That fight killed both of them, no matter how indirectly..."
He looked up at the moon, "Do you now see why I tried to keep you safe from it?"
Ana nodded, smiling softly.
"Yes, I can and I do. But Alucard, you cannot keep someone away from a fight that they wish to involve themselves in with all their mind and body and soul."
"I know."
"Then you know why I love you."
Alucard laughed, "Yes, I believe I might just, at that."
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Flashback
"Ana?"
Xander lay on his deathbed, still not looking many years older than he had when he had married Integra Hellsing. The years might have been kind in physical form, but in mental anguish they far exceeded anything that any sane man would wish for.
That anguish had finally caught up with him.
Xander smiled at his daughter, but it was a hard smile.
"I cannot say that I approve of your choices in some regards, Anastasia... and I am equally sure that your mother would be turning in her grave now... but if you are happy, I can live with that..."
He laughed, but it ended in a choked cough.
"Or maybe I can't. I know I don't have much longer left for this world, but I just needed to see you one last time – it will be a long, long time before we see each other again... if we ever do. You've chosen your path, so make the best of it you can."
Ana nodded, refusing to cry despite the waterworks that were trying to build up.
"Alucard, get your stupid grin over here you bastard!"
Alucard leaned over the consort of the last Hellsing. "You wanted my 'stupid grin' for something?"
Xander nodded, "Yes."
A fist raised from the cover, opened slowly and them closed tightly around the Nosferatu's neck.
"I once said that I would drag you to the Devil himself if you let my daughter be harmed. You made sure I didn't need to do that, so I'm just making one last promise to myself – and to you. Whether I have to claw my way out of Hell, or fight my way out of Heaven... you hurt Ana, and I will kill you."
There was silence at this declaration.
"Ana, don't ever forget that both your mother and I love you. No matter where we are, we will always watch over you."
A long bout of coughing took his next words, and it took long minutes before he had the breath back to talk again.
"Forgive an old man his pride... but I can be proud of you. I am proud of you. Continue that."
"Integra, forgive me. Love..."
Ana turned away, and Alucard followed her out of the room as the death rattle sounded.
End Flashback
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End.
That's it. A bit of a downer of an end, yes - particularly because this fic started out as a fluff fic in an attempt to get me out of a serious downer I had myself at the time.
Anyway.
That's it.
There ain't no more.
Fini.
I hope, however, that you enjoyed it. I don't think Hellsing could ever have a happy ending, but this one at least isn't the complete wasteland that the manga is, or the horror that was the anime.
Thanks all for reading.
And far more thanks for those of you who give me a review for this.