Anderson, Integra, Walter, and the library all belong to someone else. Out of the library! Out, out!

+++++

The plane touched down. The priest unfolded himself from the door. Of course, it was raining. When did it not in this mud puddle of a country?

Anderson walked down the tarmac to the airport. He recognised a senior Hellsing agent and walked over to him. Walter barely looked at him.

"I hope Sir Integra sent you to meet me."

"This way. I will drive. Your luggage is being sent ahead." Walter's voice carried a profound wish to see Father Alexander dead and bleeding. He began walking. Anderson followed and climbed into the back of the man's car. Walter drove stonily. Anderson wondered if Integra had sent a less imposing footman to pick him up and the man were still at the airport, while Walter was simply driving to a good place to hide his body.

They ended up inside the gates of Hellsing with no detours and no metal floss. Anderson followed the butler into the building. The man showed him into a small room and left them alone.

Anderson was surprised to find himself in a small sitting room. Probably, he reflected, it was because Integra didn't trust herself in her office, where her guns were kept.

"And how did you take the news?" Her voice filled the room. Anderson walked closer to the fire and found her seated in a tall-backed chair.

"Not very well." Anderson glanced from her to the room's other chair and tried it.

"Have you come to court me?" The look she gave him was both amused and icy.

"I've come to ask you to request someone you have a hope of finding happiness with," said Anderson. "As a priest, I have seen too many miserable marriages to support this."

"Hellsing needs an heir," said Integra practically. Her fingers twitched towards her cigar box, but she didn't open it. "Who do you recommend?"

"To marry? Well, I'm sure that there's many men in the Vatican who aren't as old as your butler and haven't fought with your men."

"You murdered them," Integra snapped, blue eyes fired with hate.

"See?" Anderson lifted a hand. "And in my mind, Sir Integra, I destroyed those who tried to keep me from killing a source of great evil."

"You failed to kill him anyway," said Integra, comfortably shifting in her chair. Anderson's eyes narrowed in recognition of a hit. "Paladin Anderson, out of all the priests in the Vatican, you are the one who I can best rely on to survive the days that Hellsing has ahead of it."

"I am completely out of the question as long as you have that Alucard creature working for you," Anderson retorted.

"Alucard and Seras' coffins have already been moved to a closed-off part of the building where you cannot reach them," Integra said. "Part of our personal alliance must be that you will not attack them during the night."

"And why-" Anderson stopped himself. "Sir Integra, together we can refuse to go through with this. You must understand that."

"This is what my country requests of me," she retorted. "This is what Hellsing demands of me, and this is what I will do. And for your part?"

"Maxwell has given me my orders," said Anderson, leaving out the Biblical support used to command him. "I have never prided myself on my exact obedience to him."

"You'll have to learn to control yourself," Integra responded sharply. "Will you marry me?"

Anderson stared at the fire. "You understand that part of my job is to carry on my line."

"The regener - oh. My children will be regenerators?" Her voice sharpened wickedly. Anderson turned his head.

"One in ten chance, I'm afraid," he said.

"It will have to be taken." Integra drummed her fingers on her chair's armrest. "I don't like it. I suppose the alternative is to marry Maxwell."

"You might like that better."

Integra stood. "Let me see one of your blades."

"I came unarmed."

"You did what? - no, you didn't." Integra held out her hand.

Anderson held both hands up. "I didn't want to be attacked by your loyal retinue for carrying weapons near you."

"You expect me to believe that you came completely weaponless to a foreign land-"

"I had a stash of blades sent ahead. I can pick them up at the post office on my way to the hotel." Anderson gave her his best shark's grin. "There's a pair of swords waiting at the hotel, too."

"The point that I was going to make," Integra sat again, "is that we are both vampire hunters. We both understand that we are a part of a war greater than ourselves. We are the only ones suited to each other's life. Catholic or Protestant, we need God's help to accomplish our mission. There is nobody else out there who is well suited to either of our lives."

"You've argued this with someone too, haven't you?" Anderson squinted at her.

"Of course." Integra leaned back in her chair. "You're not so fatuous as to think I liked the idea."

"I never did, and you're now aware of how I feel," Anderson replied.

"Father Anderson, my position makes it likely that I will make a loveless alliance. I fail to see how arguing with Rome about their selection will improve my chances of happiness. Frankly, it's better you than some hapless pen-pusher who will get shot supervising his first mission."

"And you'd actually mourn him," Anderson finished. There was an uncomfortable pause. "Your Captain Danvers-"

"How did you learn his name?" Integra reached for a cigar and lit it. "And why?"

"I must kill in the line of duty. That doesn't mean that I don't regret the deaths of humans."

Integra accepted the answer, although he sensed that she still wished to see him as a target on a firing range. "Now. We should get the terms cleared up so we both know what to expect as much as possible."

"Terms?"

"First," Integra leaned forward, "I'm not interested in sleeping with you."

"That causes difficulties if we're both expected to produce an heir," Anderson began, and then looked thoughtful. "Artificial insemination?"

"Right. Second off, I'm not going to be the mockery of London. Our marriage will appear conventional-"

"Except for the sperm bank bit, which will be public gossip-"

"You will live in this house," Integra overrode him.

Anderson blinked. "No. No. I will not dwell in a place occupied by vampires."

"And you'll take orders from me."

Anderson cracked his knuckles. "I'm a paladin. You're a knight."

"I own this organization. You do not. You will not, even if you think marriage might bring it to you."

"No, I don't, but marriage with you doesn't place me in the domain of foot soldier!"

"I envisioned you more as a bodyguard." Integra glanced at his hands as he switched to his other set of knuckles. "And stop that. I am used to commanding troops. Are you?"

"No."

"I want to use you effectively to work with my troops to free London of the undead. I don't want you loose-cannoning in and slaughtering my men!"

Anderson, flushing, stood and walked towards the door. Integra's voice stopped him cold. "My country has decided this match. So has your church. Are you going against the wishes of the Holy Mother? If you leave this room, I will not accept you."

He turned to look at her.

"Sit down."

Anderson sat, running his hands through his hair.

"I feel the same way," Integra admitting, granting him some of her ground so he could recover his footing. "But this is how it must be."

"So if I agree, I live here," Anderson tried the words, "I don't sleep with you, I don't kill your two vampires - and there can't be more than two!"

"There won't."

"Now, what if you meet a man you might fall in love with?" Anderson saw her slight flinch. "Obviously, our marriage won't be able to support you. Will you want a divorce?"

"Then I avoid him." Integra folded her arms. "I will be bound by this agreement."

"And I'm supposed to obey you." Anderson snorted. "Any other 'terms?'"

"We had better visit each other's churches for at least the appearance of unity." Integra sighed. "We'll go with each other once a month."

"Now. . ." Anderson folded his hands. "As for household matters-"

"Everyone will just have to get used to it."

Anderson accepted that his back was to the wall and decided to quit stalling. He mentally ran the example of Hosea through his mind. He stood, walked to Integra, and sank to one knee. She blinked.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

"God, help us," Anderson said fervently.