Iron Bars

Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs people who are not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: PG

Set: Before the Manga.

Authoress note: When Integra took the reigns of the Hellsing organisation

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Chapter One

(Walter POV)

Walter entered the office slowly, unsure of what he would find. The office was dim, lit only by a single lamp on the desk. The child, Integra, sat dwarfed by the desk, her arms wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees. Relief flooded Walter, for a moment he had expected to see Richard in the chair, smug and self-satisfied.

"I should never have gone," Walter said softly. He had known Richard wanted to rule the organization, but he had made himself believe that Richard loved his niece more than he loved power. Walter bit his tongue, he could scold himself over his blindness later.

"Walter?" Integra had never sounded so young. She looked up at him, lifting her chin from her knees. "Walter you're back already?"

"You hit the alarm," Walter reminded her. "I came as quickly as I could. Forgive me Sir Hellsing."

"Forgive?" Integra was pale and shaking. She was in shock.

"I should never have left you with him," Walter said, "but I hoped..."

"Father hoped as well," Integra said flinching as Walter settled the throw from the battered old sofa in the corner around her shoulders.

"Can you stand?" Walter asked already pulling her gently from the chair. Integra nodded.

"I'm not hurt," she said.

"Your arm is bleeding and you're in shock," Walter said firmly and began walking her out of the office and down towards the kitchen. "Come on now, we'll get you warmed up. Then you can tell me what happened and we'll see if you need a doctor."

"I'm fine Walter, don't fuss." Her shoulders felt so small under his hands, fragile and so easily broken. Walter forced the image from his head. She had already proven that she was stronger than she looked. But she was still a child and children should not have to be so strong.

"I will fuss," he said, "and you will not correct me on this young Sir." Walter tightened his grip on her as they started down the stairs.

"I'm not a child, I can handle this." Integra tried to pull away and almost tripped, her hands gripping the banister hard enough to turn her knuckles pure white.

"You are a child and you can handle this, but you have much to 'handle'. You will let me do my job and assist." Integra gave him a firm look and he couldn't help but smile a little. Already her trembling was easing. At the bottom of the stairs, he turned her towards the kitchen, and with a hand now in the small of her back guided her to the over large table. "Now sit and I will make you some tea."

"Thank you, Walter." Integra sat and pulled the throw tighter around herself.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Walter said pulling cups down from the cupboard.

"It was Richard," Integra said. "He wanted ... he sent men after me. I used the air ducts to hide, but they would have found me." Her shaking was becoming more pronounced, but she continued on. "I went down to the basement. Father told me, once, that there was something down there to keep me safe."

Walter almost dropped the cup he was holding, his fingers suddenly numb. He took a slow breath and put the cup down and clicked the kettle to boil. Integra was silent while the kettle roared to life and the water boiled. Walter busied himself with making tea while he tried to squash the knot of anxiety and excitement in his stomach. He knew what, or rather who was in the basement.

"He was right," Integra said as Walter put the tea in front of her and sat opposite. "There was something down there that could keep me safe." Walter swallowed.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"I found a corpse," she said. "Then the men came, uncle Richard shot me." Walter stood up abruptly, how could he be so careless to forget she was hurt. He walked over to the small white cupboard by the door and pulled out the large first aid kit. Kneeling next to Integra he pulled her arm free gently and lifted her sleeve. The injury was not serious, she had been extremely lucky. But the graze was deep enough that it warranted covering.

"You were lucky," he said opening a bottle of disinfectant.

"Not if you're going to use that I'm not," Integra said and forced a smile. She winced as Walter dabbed at the wound. He was gentle and after a moment the stinging eased and the wound started to bleed fresh, red blood. "It was the blood that did it," Integra said. "It woke him up."

"Who," Walter had to ask.

"The vampire," Integra whispered.

"Alucard," Walter said, Integra nodded.

"You knew?" She said raising her eyebrows, Walter nodded. "No one ever said anything." Integra took a few slow deep breaths. "Is there more than one?" Walter shook his head. Integra tried to speak, but her words stuck in her throat. "Why?" she eventually managed.

"Why?" Walter repeated. "For the strength of course, to prove how strong we are. Your ancestor captured the strongest of their kind and instead of killing him he held him. It takes more strength to control something than it does to kill it."

"My father kept that monster to ... to prove that we could?" Integra spluttered. Walter shook his head.

"Not your father, your ancestor, Abraham Van Helsing."

"Abraham?" Integra said softly "Abraham captured the strongest of their kind." Walter nodded. "His name is Alucard. Really?"

"Your family is strong, not witty, Sir Integra," Walter smirked. Integra did not smile.

"I think I need to speak to this vampire again," Integra said as she put her tea down, Walter nodded. "I hold no illusions of what he is or of what I am. I know Hellsing is weak and will be weak until I am of age. What we need now is a show of strength and control." She was right. Walter smiled widely for a moment only stopping when Integra looked at him oddly

"You will make a good leader, Integra. Hellsing will be strong under you." To Walter's surprise, Integra blushed before coughing and standing. She walked briskly towards the door, all trace of her earlier trembles gone, her cheeks were flush with colour and she was breathing slowly, Walter felt himself relax. She wasn't she paused and looked at him, Walter nodded and followed.

The corridors were dark and cold, he could smell the mildew in the walls. Walter wrinkled his nose and made a mental note to come down her with bleach. He followed behind the diminutive Integra looking at the walls around him, it had been years since he had come down this far.

"I used to come down here a lot," he said, Integra glanced at him. "When I first joined the organisation in my early years."

"Why?" Integra said.

"He was my friend," Walter smiled. "I think he was lonely, and I hid my fear of him better than most." Integra looked away. She looked worried, her mouth down-turned and her eyebrows down in a hard frown. They approached a door at the end of the hallway, it was large, heavy and marked with the sigil. Integra stopped outside the door and stared at it.

"He likes cartoons," Walter said suddenly, "and cats." Integra snorted, the tension broke. She pushed the already open door a little and took a deep breath

"Thank you for what you said, Walter. I hope it will be true." She began her decent into the room.

Walter swallowed and let out a long breath the moment she was out of sight. His heart was hammering in his chest and his hands were shaking. It had been years since he had last seen the monster. Alucard would be weak and hungry. It suddenly struck Walter that he hadn't seen Richard's body, Walter smirked he couldn't think of a better way to dispose of such a creature.

He could hear Integra speaking softly, but he could hear no replies, he guessed Alucard was speaking directly into her mind. He tried to mentally envision the vampire, what would he look like after twenty years of starvation? Why wasn't he speaking? Walter jumped as he heard footsteps on the hard stone steps. Quickly he stood straighter, tidying his appearance to one less dishevelled. Integra appeared first, she looked calm and unafraid. She turned and looked at Walter and dipped her head before turning.

"Come on then," she said to the darkness.

It was both better and worse than Walter had dared to think.

Alucard had always been thin, but Walter winced to see how the rags, of what was once clothing, hung on him now. He walked like a half shut knife, bent over at the waist, his arms wrapped around his middle as if trying to hold himself together. His hair had grown out, it was longer than Walter had ever seen it before, and it had become ashen. It hung like tangled wool completely covering the vampires face, some ends dragging on the scummy floor. Although Walter could easily see the pain movement caused, the vampire had not lost his grace.

"Hello, Walter." The arrogance and humor had not left his voice.

Walter followed behind them, ready to dash forward if the vampire lost his footing. It was painful to watch him walk, Walter could hear the creaking and wondered if it was the aged leather or the vampires bones.

"We need to feed you up," Walter muttered. Alucard chuckled, Walter expected dust to come out his nose. "I will call the supplier and see what they can spare."

"I doubt the old agreement stands," Alucard said, his voice breaking at the end of the comment. He started coughing and Walter suspected he would fall and rushed forward, putting a hand on the old monsters back. He flinched when he felt the vampire's spine through the leather.

"Walter?" Integra said.

"He just needs feeding," Walter reassured and hoped he was right, that no irreversible damage had been done by the long starvation.

"He just ate four people," Integra said.

"Snack," Alucard said quietly as the coughing eased and stopped.

"Well then, get him fed," Integra said, Walter heard her voice tremble. It must be difficult to have spent you life learning how to kill vampires now to have to consider how to keep one. Walter resolved to get Alucard on the mend then speak to her.

"I will Sir Hellsing," he said and like he had guided her earlier now he steered Alucard towards the kitchen. "I will send men out to the local hospitals."

"That sounds wonderful," Alucard said, his face hidden by his hair. "If you have no objection, my master, I would travel to the kitchen in my own fashion."

"I have no objection," Integra said and Alucard disappeared in a flurry of shadows. Walter was impressed by Integra's non-reaction to one of Alucard's more disconcerting tricks.

"I am going to retire now. The knights are coming in the morning." Integra said when he was gone. Integra sounded tired and Walter nodded, a good night's sleep would do her the world of good. While sleep may not fix all the problems she was facing, it may make her feel more capable of handling them.

"Would you like anything before you sleep?" Walter asked, for a moment Integra looked awkward.

"Walk with me a moment," she said and moved down the hall towards the stairs. After a few moments, she asked, "you were acquainted with Alucard."

"Yes I knew him, probably better than most," Walter agreed.

"He speaks fondly of you," she smiled lightly, "at least I think he does, he was a little difficult to understand at points."

"He can be that, yes," Walter confirmed.

"I would like for you to sort him out, with clothes, a room and such, you understand?" Integra stopped walking at the foot of the stairs. "I think I will have him take up his old role in the organization."

"Yes, Sir Integra."

"He makes quite an adequate show of force, of which I have witnessed first hand," Integra nodded to herself. "I am aware the knights think me unworthy of my father's title, no amount of clever argument on my behalf will rectify that but . . ." Integra's smile widened, "I believe this might change their minds about challenging my authority so quickly."

"Indeed," Walter nodded, "Alucard can have that effect on people."

"Thank you, Walter." Integra started up the stairs. "I see why my father trusted you." With that comment, she turned and walked up the stairs.

Walter turned and walked back to the kitchens, his mind clicking over his tasks, to sort Alucard out as it were, make him presentable. He entered the kitchen and saw it was empty. He was not surprised. He lifted the phone off the wall and dialled the number for the barracks.

"Walter here, I have orders from Sir Hellsing. You are to send men to every hospital in London and buy blood, as much as you can."

He hung up before receiving confirmation. He knew the orders would be carried out. He had asked for stranger things when Arthur had been at the helm. That dealt with, he went on a mission to find the vampire. Walter searched the top half of the basement thinking perhaps the vampire had returned to his old room, but no, the room was dust covered and empty. Only an empty set of draws and an equally empty dusty coffin. Next place on his mental list was the library, he had often collided with the undead agent there, Alucard had liked the library, it was quiet and often empty, however once again Walter came up with nothing.

"If I was an undead vampire, who'd just woken in a basement where would I be?" Walter muttered to himself.

"You would be in the place denied you for so long." Alucard's mental voice filtered through Walter's thoughts.

"And where would that be?" Walter asked.

"Think about it," Alucard replied. Walter could hear the self-satisfied smirk on the vampires tone. But Walter did as he was told, he thought about it, what had Alucard been denied for so long. He remembered the dungeon tunnels, dark, but Alucard liked the dark. It had been damp, Alucard had no love of the damp. So the vampire was somewhere dry. But the air had been stale and stagnant. So the vampire was outside.

Walter mentally kicked himself and made his way up the stairs. Walter reached the door that lead to the roof after a few minutes and stepped out into the wind. Looking around he spotted his quarry on the other side, perched on a ledge, like a sinister animated gargoyle.

"I do believe I missed this most of all," Alucard whispered as Walter drew nearer. "I always miss the sky when I have slept."

"I thought I would find you lurking in the kitchen's waiting to be fed," Walter half smiled sitting next to his old friend.

"I am not your dog Walter, I can feed myself." Alucard snapped.

"But you won't," Walter gently nudged the vampire wincing at the sharpness of the vampires bones, how close to the surface they were, his old friend appeared as a walking skeleton.

"I doubt my new master would be pleased if I went on an untimely rampage." Alucard turned to look at Walter taking in what the years had done to his once youthful companion.

"You smell like furniture polish my friend."

"Yes? Well, you don't smell like a basket of roses yourself." Walter smiled.

"Good," the vampire smiled, "I detest the smell of roses." Walter shivered at the vampire's smile. The blood he had drunk had not been nearly enough, his smile caused his skin to move and hang on him. He appeared the way a starving human would, to small for their skin.

"You look terrible," Walter said.

"I've been condemned in a dirty misshapen hole for twenty years, I'm hardly surprised that I look less than stellar," Alucard replied easily.

"Well," Walter huffed, "I have been charged with making you appear alive and comfortable." He stood expecting the vampire to rise with him

"Walter the illusionist," Alucard smirked.

End of Chapter One

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My first Novel, Grey Wings has now been released!

GREY WINGS

Jason is stranded in a dark city, and is in desperate need of help when he has no idea how he will get home.

So, when he collides with Aurelius, an Angel only in the mildest sense of the word – who has committed a crime worthy of great punishment, but has been handed a rare chance at redemption – Jason can see a way home.

However, their journey will be hampered by Fallen Angels, Earth Spirits, and Griffons – and none can say if everyone will make it home.