Me: Well, it was hard to find the time to write it, but this chapter's finally done. Now that I think about it, how long has it been since I updated?

*Checks date of last upload*

Me: Well… shit.

"Oliver is your son."

Seras took in the words slowly, letting them stew in her mind, and when their full impact finally hit her, she blacked out.

She woke up staring at the roof with the familiar feeling of her couch under her back, vaguely aware of two men talking quietly. It took some effort, but she managed to turn her head to investigate.

Hans was in the chair across from her, hunched over and with his hands in his hair, Alucard was standing a few feet away and speaking to him in German.

Ignoring her still spinning head, she forced herself to sit up, both males stopped what they were doing at looked at her.

"I'm fine," she slurred.

"You fainted," Hans explained.

"I know," she snapped and tried to calm herself. "You… um… you said the Doctor used my genetic material."

Hans nodded.

She practical snarled at him, "how the hell did he get it?"

Even though he was two feet taller and probably a hundred pounds heavier than she was, this woman scared Hans.

"I don't know."

Apparently, that wasn't an acceptable answer to Seras, her eyes flashed red and she took a breath like she was about to start yelling.

"For certain," he added hastily, "but I know zhe sample vas small, blood and possibly hair."

"I don't remember anyone taking my blood and hair."

"We will determine how it happened later," Alucard said.

Seras turned on him, her eyes becoming blue again, "did you know?"

"I knew he was part vampire and that he was part of my lineage, but not through you."

Damnit, she couldn't yell at him for that, but she could still be mad at Hans.

"What do you want?"

The werewolf looked at Alucard, he in turn looked at his childe, silently asking if she wanted him to leave.

She nodded, but she was getting sick of their silent conversations.

Alucard left the room silently, an oddly pensive, almost confused, expression on his face.

Seras barely waited a second before speaking, "I don't know how to raise a child."

"Zhat's not vhat I'm asking; I need help protecting him."

"From Millennium? I'm already doing that."

"From anyvun who vould harm him."

For a moment, she just stared, something in his tone made her think, "do… do you mean Hellsing?"

"Possibly."

"No one here is going to hurt him, he's just a baby."

The look he gave her was familiar; he was disappointed at how naïve she was.

She tried to backtrack, "not without a good reason, I mean."

"Being anything other zhan human is a reason for Hellsing."

She disagreed that Sir Integra would do something so horrid, but she didn't have the energy to argue.

"And after Millennium are wiped out? What do I do then?"

"Nothing. Ve'll leave, and you'll never see us again."

Seras found herself oddly unhappy with that idea, maybe it was maternal instincts. She slumped back and held her head, still feeling dizzy, "this is too much, I didn't… I had nothing to do with this."

"Neither did I, but I still feel responsible for him."

She suspected that there was more to it than that, but she was dealing with her own issues, "I need time to think about this."

"Of course, take all you need." As he reached for the door, he paused and spoke without looking back at her, "ve can sense our pack, he might not understand how, but you're important to him."

Seras had no idea if this was sincere or an attempt to guilt her, the man was near impossible to read.

Hans found Alucard waiting for him in the hall, but he didn't speak until the werewolf was a few steps away.

"Since the moment I bit that girl, I have been keeping watch over her; I can count the number of people I've left her alone with on one hand. And if you accused any of those people of betraying Hellsing, I would call you a liar."

And shoot you in the head, was implied.

"But there is evidence of what you say sleeping a few rooms away, so I find myself in a difficult position." He paced a few steps, "Sir Integra will need irrefutable proof to even consider believing this."

"I don't have any, only my vorthless vord."

Alucard's upper lip twitched in frustration, the sight of his fangs put Hans on edge, "we could just kill him in a way that looks like natural causes."

Hans wasn't against that plan, but they needed to know what Walter and the Major had told each other, "plan B?"

The vampire frowned.

"Maybe ve can catch him in zhe act? You're good at sneaking around."

"He's too smart to do anything here for that reason, but I'll be keeping a closer eye on him," he frowned and shook his head. "I need to sleep on this."

Hans nodded, and the vampire left without another word between them.

With a heavy sigh he went back to Oliver, who was thankfully still asleep in his pillow bed.

Sir Integra had sent one of her staff out to gather everything a baby needed, which was a great relief for the new father since he didn't have any money and it gave his son a proper place to sleep.

He intended to pay her back if possible, maybe he could use that to talk his way into a job at Hellsing, as much as he disliked the idea. Perhaps as a groundskeeper of some sort.

Hans took the opportunity that this quiet moment presented to get a good, good look at the boy. Now that he was more familiar with how Seras looked he could see her in Oliver, they had the same facial shape and softness, the same eye color.

But he was a Günsche, as sure as the moon would rise, and Hans had loved him the instant he found out about him. How could Seras not feel the same way?

Was it because she was a vampire? From what he'd heard she was clinging to her humanity, so she should have been overjoyed from this news.

Could she not sense the boy's relation to her at all? Was she as weak as Walter claimed?

Seras spent the next six hours or so on her couch, staring at the ceiling and trying to comprehend her new situation.

She wanted to hit Hans for being so calm and making her look crazy, she really wanted to hit the Doctor behind all this; she wanted to hit someone, but she'd be told off if she did.

This wasn't fair to anyone, most of all Oliver. If she did let them go, how was Hans going to explain her absence?

'Sorry, kid, you were made in a lab and mum didn't want anything to do with you.'

She'd seen children abandoned at the orphanage, it was something that they carried with them for life, regardless of the parents' intentions and reasons.

And as brief as it had been, she did know how precious a mother's love was.

She cared about Oliver, she could say that confidently, she could love him very easily. And surely most people didn't know how to be a parent in the beginning, she could learn.

Unfortunately, there was another big factor; the boy's father.

She shouldn't trust Hans, he seemed nice, but he had to be in his situation. A few days ago he had been fine with Millennium and what they were planning, it wasn't until they did something that affected him that he left.

After a while she heard Oliver crying in the other room, the sound caused a pain deep in her chest and she hated herself for being so soft. It would be so much easier if didn't care.

Hans rocked his son against his chest and hummed a lullaby from his youth. After only a few nights with the boy and he was starting to realize that it was going to be years before he got a proper night's sleep again.

Meanwhile, Oliver was screeching, pulling on his shirt and smacking him on the chin. Gee, how could Seras be hesitant about a parenthood?

As if he had summoned her, Seras knocked on his door.

"Come in."

The second Oliver saw her, he stopped screaming and started whimpering, reaching out for his mother. Hans started to wonder if his son just didn't like him.

"Hello, Oliver," Seras took him and he immediately calmed down. "Why's he so grouchy?"

"He doesn't like being locked up."

She looked around the room, "doesn't he have any toys?"

"Not yet," Hans had no money and wasn't allowed to leave the manor.

"Maybe he's bored."

The werewolf made a sound of agreement, but there was little he could do about it for now.

Seras entertained the baby, who was pleased to see somebody else. She happened to glance at Hans and found him looking at her expectantly.

"I feel you vant to ask me something?"

It was unsettling how well he could read her, it made her feel naked.

"You were with Millennium for more than fifty years, you knew the horrible things that they were planning to do and how many innocent people were going to suffer because of them, but it wasn't until they did something to you that you took action."

Hans stared at her, his face unreadable, "yes."

"You don't think that makes you incredibly selfish?"

"No, it does."

Seras hadn't expected that, "well, at least you admit it."

"Zhe benefit of living for so long, I know myself very vell," all the good and the bad.

"How do you justify that? What are you going to tell Oliver when he's older?"

"Zhat I knew exactly how awful zhey and zhere plans vere, it's vhy I stayed vith zhem."

Seras didn't speak, she just waited for a follow up.

"My goal, for over a century, has been death."

"Why?" She asked without really thinking.

He paused, "my reasons are my own."

She could think of a hundred and understood why he wouldn't want to tell her. "Personally, I would have attacked Millennium and hope they'd kill me."

"I did."

He'd heard of an army of vampires and seen a way out, unfortunately the Freaks were still in early development and were much weaker back then, killing them had been easier than tearing through paper.

"Zhe Freaks weren't a challenge, but zhe Major and I spoke for aftervards and he offered me a deal; I protect him until Millennium battled Hellsing, zhen I vould fight Alucard."

Seras sputtered.

"I had no chance of vinning," Hans said, misunderstanding her alarm as concern for her master, "I just vanted a good death."

"Nothing about the way he kills people is good, it's a horrible way to go."

The werewolf nodded, but if the Major's plan had succeeded, he would have deserved the pain for his part in it.

"Well, that's all a little better," Seras said, "but still not good."

Hans sighed to himself, he was going to have to expose himself emotionally.

"I vas numb to everything around me for a long time, vhen I found out about Oliver, it was like being voken up by cold vater. I'm disgusted vith myself, but I can't change it, and I vill tell my son about it so zhat he doesn't make zhe same mistakes."

He'd said it best; it didn't undo what he'd done, but she felt that she understood him a little better now. Time would tell if he was genuinely remorseful and if Oliver had changed him.

"If you don't mind me asking, do you still want to die?"

"No, for his sake," he didn't want Oliver to be alone like he had been, hopefully Seras could help with that if something happened to him.

"What if something happens to him?" Her stomach twisted at the thought.

"Pray for zhe vun responsible," Hans growled.

There was a shift in the air and Seras' eyes turned red, "I'll do no such thing."

Hans let out a pleased chuckle, there was some bear in this one after all, "would you like to speak more?"

"No, I suppose I should get some sleep, who knows what craziness is going to happen next?"

She stood up, still holding Oliver, and not sure how to say goodbye to him now that she knew what he was to her.

"Be good, I'll see you a little later."

The baby cooed happily while she stroked his hair. Seras, still a little uncertain, gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

Oliver laughed and kicked his little legs, she had to admit it was adorable.

As she gave him to Hans, her fingers brushed over his and the chill up her spin almost froze her.

"Good night," he said, his voice softer than she was used to.

"Good night," she replied, practically running out of the room.

As soon as she was out of sight, Oliver started sulking.

This was starting to hurt Hans' feelings. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be better."

Oliver just continued frowning and Hans chuckled, it was like looking in a tiny mirror.

"You're right, it's not enough to just try. So vise before you can even talk."

He used his fingers to try and fix the boy's unruly hair.

"Do you feel like talking today? Feel like saying papa?"

Oliver grabbed at his hand playfully.

"If you don't like zhat you can call me, vater, vati, father, dada…"

The boy was more interested in Hans' hand rather than anything he was saying.

Seras was summoned upstairs as soon as the sun set, she met Hans less than three steps out her door.

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

"She knows, doesn't she?" The werewolf said.

Seras nodded.

Hans growled, annoyed that Alucard went behind his back.

"Where's Oliver?"

"Sleeping, best to leave him."

They made their way to Integra's office and were greeted by her stern face, Walter and Alucard stood on either side. Seras immediately felt a tickling inside of her nose, a lingering trace of blood, likely a small cut on one of the humans.

"Sit," Integra ordered, pointing at the two chairs in front of her desk.

As they obeyed, Seras found herself wondering if she was somehow in trouble for this.

Luckily, Integra turned on Hans, "how did they get her blood?"

"I don't know," despite his calm tone, Seras was sure she detected annoyance on his face but couldn't figure out why.

Integra wasn't happy with the answer either, but she didn't hide it.

"I vas a bodyguard at best, zhey trusted me vith very little, and zhey vere right to do so because I've told it all to you."

"What do they want with a hybrid?" Integra already suspected but wanted to hear his answer.

"Soldiers, like zhe Freaks."

"Are there others?"

Seras hadn't considered this, suddenly she felt sick again, the room started spinning.

"No," he said with absolute confidence, though he said it to Seras.

The vampire nodded, she believed him.

Integra pondered for a moment, hands folded in front of her face, "your supplies have arrived."

"That was quick," Seras said.

"Money," Hans said so low that only she heard it.

"Everything's waiting at the entrance."

Hans nodded, "if zhere's nothing else, I'd like to get started on it."

Integra dismissed him with a hand wave, and he stood up.

"I'd like to help if you don't need me, Sir," Seras said to the surprise of most of the room.

"No, you're dismissed."

"Yes," Walter added, "go play family."

The way he said it was so venomous Seras wasn't sure that it was him who said it, she stared at him in shock. Integra did the same, before quickly recomposing herself.

Hans touched her shoulder blade, gently urging her to leave with him.

Once the door was shut, Integra turned to her remaining associates.

"Do you believe him?"

Alucard said yes at the same time Walter said no.

Integra sighed and turned to her butler, "is this going to be a problem?"

"No, Sir," he said, though begrudgingly, "I'm a professional, as long as he behaves."
"Alucard is watching him."

"He won't try anything as long as the pup is cared for," said vampire could feel the fear coming from Walter.

"The pup is more dangerous than he is, at least-"

"I've heard your council, hearing it again won't change my mind," Integra interrupted, ending the conversation.

"Yes, Sir. Is there anything else?"

"No, you're dismissed."

"Thank you, Sir."

Perfectly innocent words, but with his tone, Walter might as well have spat at her.

"Why is this bothering him so much?" Integra asked when they were alone.

"Perhaps it's pride, the werewolf was one of the few monsters to best him in his prime, now he's an old man, serving him."

Since he knew the truth, Alucard had invented his theory on the fly, but he wondered if he had stumbled onto something. "Or he could just be scared, he knows very well how dangerous the werewolf is."

Hans stared at the crib assembly instructions like it was written in in a language Oliver had made up.

"Do you want some help?" Seras asked cautiously, knowing how prideful men could be, while trying not to laugh at his adorable look of confusion.

"Please," he handed the paper to her, he could speak English well enough but apparently still had trouble reading it.

"Oh, lord," she muttered, making the same face he had.

"Zhis used to be so easy," Hans growled, holding up the box.

"How?"

"You hired someone to make it, and if you had another child you used it again."

"Isn't it more meaningful that we're making it?"

Hans nodded a little reluctantly, conceding the point.

"I think we start with these two," she was only about eighty percent sure.

After a few moments of silent assembling, Seras spoke.

"You said it used to be easier, when was that?"

"Is zhat your vay of asking how old I am?"

She smiled sheepishly.

"Between 150 and 200, my family lived as volves, avay from civilization."

"Oh," she didn't know how to respond to that, "do you have any experience with human children?"

"No, only pups. Much easier."

"Were they… Your pups?"

"No, I never mated."

That could have meant a couple of things, but a proper English girl would never ask which it was.

Finally, the pieces connected and to their surprise, it looked like the leg of a crib. Now they had to do it three more times.

Just as they started making progress, Oliver started crying from the pile of pillows that was his temporary bed.

Both Hans and Seras moved to stand up simultaneously, pausing when they saw the other.

"You had him all night," Seras said, "it's only fair."

Nothing about this was fair, Hans though, but nodded.

"Hey, you," she cooed, cuddling him to her chest.

Oliver calmed a little when his mother picked him up, but he was still unhappy about something. She couldn't help noticing how much he looked like Hans when he frowned, it was cute.

"Is he hungry?"

"He's alvays hungry."

Oliver perked up, trying to look behind him to where his father's voice came from.

"I think he wants you."

Hans put down the crib parts and watched his son search for him with a small smile. When Seras moved closer he ruffled the boy's hair gently, Oliver's head looking positively tiny compared to his father's hand.

"Aww," Seras cuddled the now giggling baby.

"He knows I have food."

"Don't be such a sourpuss," or was he a sourpooch? "He missed his dad, didn't you?"

Oliver tilted his head at her.

"Did you miss Dada?"

"Dada," Oliver repeated.

Hans stared with wide eyes, his chest felt so full and tight, like it was about to burst.

Seras had a similar expression but recovered first.

"That's right," she praised, "what a smart boy."

When she looked at Hans again there were thin trails of tears trickling from both eyes.

"Hans?"

He flinched like he was snapped out of a trance, then his eyes softened, and his lips parted.

The sound of he made startled Seras until she realized that he was laughing. The tears didn't stop, quite the opposite, he cried harder, but it was clear that he was happy.

After a moment he calmed down, chuckling and wiping his eyes.

"I didn't think I could still feel like zhis."

He took Oliver from her and cradled him close, kissing the boy's head.

Looking at him now, it was hard to believe this was the same stone-faced man she'd met a few days ago.

That damn smile was infectious, and this was a happy moment, so she didn't try to stop herself from enjoying it.

She put her hand of Oliver's head, stroking his soft hair and beaming proudly.

Oliver didn't know what was happening, but he was loving the attention.

While Hans continued working on the crib, Seras introduced Oliver to some of his new toys, it didn't take long for him to become enthralled (particularly by a white teddy bear).

Seras couldn't remember the last time she was so relaxed, even before becoming a vampire. There was no worrying about missions or blood, just the sounds of Oliver's laugh and baby babble while the and the occasional chat with a werewolf.

At one-point Hans used the bottom of his shirt to wipe sweat off his forehead, inadvertently flashing his flat, muscular stomach at her, Seras found herself unable to stop staring until it was covered again.

Finally, the crib was assembled and just in time for Oliver to take a nap, though he insisted on bringing all his new friends with him.

"Is zhat enough toys?" Hans asked.

"That's plenty," she vaguely remembered having a similar when she was little.

He frowned, "is it too many?"

"Not quite yet, but please don't rely on me too much, I don't know any more than you about babies."

"I trust your judgement."

Seras had no idea why that made her blush.

The next few days were uneventful but surprisingly pleasant, Seras spent all the time she could with Hans and Oliver, or sometimes just Oliver and sometimes just Hans. It didn't take long for her to realise that she wasn't doing it out of some sense of obligation, it was because she wanted to.

One-night Oliver refused to sleep, squirming and letting out little whimpers until dawn when he finally fell wore himself out.

His parents stayed up with him, unable to sleep even if they wanted to. When he finally drifted off, they still needed time to unwind.

"What do you miss about being a wolf?" Seras asked.

"Simplicity," Hans replied, "none of zhe complications of being human."

Emotions, decisions… relationships. He never really had to worry about those things before.

"Vhat do you miss about being human?"

"Food," she winced after she said it. "That probably sounds silly."

"No."

If anyone else had given her that answer would have accused them of lying, but from Hans… it felt sincere.

"Vhat food?"

"Strawberries. With ice cream, with chocolate, with yogurt, or just on their own."

There was a quick series of raps on her door, "Mignonette?"

"Yes?"

Pip took this as permission to come in and did so, "have you-"

The question was forgotten when he saw Hans sitting in the room, he stared in confusion at the werewolf who stared back, though more intensely.

"Yes, Pip?" Seras said loudly.

"Have either of you seen Valter?"

"Not since last night."

"Zhen Sir Integra vants him found," he looked at Hans again and grinned, "vhat luck, ve have a dog to track him."

There wasn't anything malicious in Pip's voice, he clearly meant it as a joke, but Hans didn't find it funny. In a blink he was right in the mercenary's face, a low growl coming from his throat.

"Hans," Seras scolded.

The werewolf stopped growling and took a step away but didn't relax.

"Where was he last seen?" Seras asked, the policewoman in her re-emerging.

"Here's vhere zee maid saw him," Pip said, gesturing to the garden around them.

Hans tilted his head and started sniffing the air, trying to pick up a scent. Right away he knew something was off.

He held Oliver out to Pip, "hold him." Until he knew where Walter was, Oliver had to be close by.

"Really?" He seemed touched, "vhy me?"

"I vant Seras as back up and you to run if zhere's danger."

Not quite what he was hoping for, but Pip let himself be proud that he was trusted to protect the kid… who was currently glaring at him.

He was about to ask if he should be glaring back to establish dominance or something, but Hans had transformed and was tracking on the scent.

After a moment of sniffing around the area he caught a trail and headed into the more secluded part of the garden with Seras a few steps behind.

As she followed a few feet behind, Seras noticed a scent overpowering the flowers, when she recognized it she covered her nose and pulled out her handgun.

Hans looked back at her, even without human feature she could see he was shaken.

Spattered all over the grass and flowers from one side of the clearing to the other, was a human's worth of blood.

Happy New Year!