Choices
Inside her prision, Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing sighed, her eyes could barely control the flowing of tears. She had been betrayed for those she served and respeted, everything she had was destroyed. Hellsing's good name taimed, Ferguson and all the mortal unit dead, she even wasn't sure if Walter, her father-figure and loyal butler was alive... She lowered her head and stared lifeless to her food...
I won't cry, I'm Hellsing, I wont gave them that satisfaction, she paused Damn, I'll kill for a cigarette now
"No need, 'Gra", said a kind and feminine voice, "Here, I brought you some"
Integra turned to see who was calling her so..., informatly and she saw in the other side of the room a young girl... She was paler than any vampire she had seen (even Incognito), dressed in black top and jeans, her eyes had too many make up and she had a huge silver ankh... She seemed a goth girl but her attitude was odd... The girl was smiling warmly to her, a smile that could melt everything even Integra's own icy heart, the look in her eyes reflected tragedy and yet hapiness.
The goth girl handed Integra a couple of cuban cigars and fire, she accepted and ligthed one before asked her:
"Who the hell are you?"
"Your Welcome, 'Gra", she replied with her perky voice.
"Oh, thanks for the cigars, but I would want to know who are you and who sent you here? The Knights? The Queen? Iscariote? Are you a vampire?", she eyed her carefully
The girl just smiled at her, not one of Alucard's smirks or Walter's polite grins, but a true smile from the heart.
"I don't work for children, 'Gra, I'm kinda free-lance", she pased, "And I am not a vampire, thank you very much. But I'm not mortal either..."
Integra arched an eyebrow, "And what are then... An angel?", she inquired disbeliefully.
"Nop, I'm an Endless, Death to be exact"
Death? What the hell!!?
" Suuuure, Death", she rolled her eyes,"Are you drunk or something?"
She laughted softly...
"I'm assure you I'm telling you the true, I don't need to lie... And no, I'm not drunk", she replied humored...
"Uhmmp", Integra stared at Death with unease... But then she remembered, before she was taking into the hospital after the Bubbancy's accident, she heard and saw someone, a girl dressed in black... And when her father, Arthur Hellsing, died, and she cried her loss, someone put a conforming hand in her shoulder, someone whispered reasurance words, and for seconds she could assured that she had been loss in the eternal and kind eyes that were now looking at her. Staring right at her soul... And then, Integra Hellsing realised, that the goth girl was indeed Death..., the Grim Reaper...
"And I always thought that you had a scyche", Integra said mockily...
"You're kidding of course, don't you now how difficult to carry are those things!! Besides I would seem like psycho. What's next I should become suddely a tunnel of light? Please, give me a break, I have enough with Destiny's remarks about my traits..."
Integra laughted a little of her stamment, she could feel her shield, the one she had created to get apart from others, breaking in Death's presence. Like it would no use, because she knows you, she's your best friend.
Then a thought assualt her...
"Why are you here?", she asked with a hint of fear, "Have you come to collect me?"
"No, no yet. Don't worry, I'm only here to talk"
"Talk? About?"
"You, of course, you, Hellsing and Alucard...", she replied giving her a mischievous look.
"What with him?", said Integra putting her shields up again.
"Please, don't act dumb"
"I don't know what are you talking about", her eyes looked away... Suddely for Integra, the wall at her left had become the most interesting thing in the world.
"Suuuure, still in denial, right?"
"...", Integra could felt her cheeks gaining temperature...
Damn, I can't be blushing, can I? Not now. I will put Death in her place, she doesn't understand being a Hellsing
"Look, before you give me your Hellsing's speech of responsability and honor, I would like to tell you a story, in fact this is the sinopsis of the life of the Prince of Stories himself, my little brother, Morpheus", Death's eyes turned sad for a moment... and then she continued:
"He was the King of Dreaming, Dream himself, but he spent all his existence tieded with his rules and duties and in mean time he became aloof and miserable, his love life was a disaster because he often foresaken his lovers and even his son to fullfile his role. He became world-weary, and made a lot of enemies... He followed every rule to the end, even the most important of them..."
"Which is...?"
"Sometimes you have to change or die... My brother reached the limit of what he allowed himself to change..."
"..."
"So, are you willing to change, Integra Hellsing. For the greater good, listen to me. Your life doesn't belong to the Queen or your precius organization, your life is yours and yours only... Sometimes you have to choose your destinations, open your heart, don't become another Morpheus, please", she paused, "The future hold a lot of surprises for you, but there're not mine to tell or my older brother will be pissed of with me...", she paused again and added, "Don't fool yourself, you know as well I know that you love him"
"I...", Integra's started
"Hush 'Gra, he'll be here soon. Remember tell him or you may loose him... Open your heart to him, trust him and enjoy the time you two share, that is all that matters, believe me, I know."
Yes, of course she knows, thought Integra sadly
Death looked at her watch...
"Uh oh, time to leave... Lot of work to do, you know"
"Will I see you again?"
"What do you think?"
"That my question was stupid, of course I will meet you again, eventually", Integra replied grinning...
God, I feel like a teenager sharing some useless and shameful secret with her best friend. This is not me, but then again, not all days you meet Death and stay alive to tell the story
"He he, clever girl. Everything will turned peachy keen, you'll see. Bye 'Gra! Been seeing you!", Death waved her hand at her and them she dissapeared in a blink of an eye...
She's gone, Integra beheld sadly the place where she was...
She's right...my life is mine and mine only, Hellsing's heiress repeated herself while she was smoking her cigar, just seconds later she heard the noise of footsteps.
Alucard was there, holding a coup full of red wine.
"Integra, my master", he greeted.
Integra stared at him with a neutral face, she was still loss in her internal turnoil.
He broke the glass and the wine mixed with his crimson blood started to drop into the floor of the cell.
"The choice is yours", he said with his trademark smirks of his, offering clearly his bloody hand to her.
Yes, the destination is mine to choose
And then Integra Wingates Hellsing smiled at him, a tired smile but a welcome no less...
End (or is it?)
Disclamer: Hellsing and The Sandman don't belong to me! Neil Gaiman owns Death and the rest of the Sandman's characters and Studio Gonzo and a japanese mangaka (whose name I don't remember) own Hellsing, not me... Vade retro lawyers! *show my ankh to them and they back away. Ha ha ha* Uhmm sorry about bad grammar and crappy spelling, I'm spanish-speaking and not good enough at english as I wish to be :( I will publish the spanish (and improved) version of this fic later... I may write a sequel (in spanish, 'cause writting in english is a real pain in the ass to me), an semi-AU introducing Integra's *real* mother..., he he of the Sandman universe of course... Please review (flames are welcome).