Love and Monsters

Andersen's eyes grew dark and he stared off into the orchard.

Isabael placed her hand on his shoulder and felt his body go ridged beneath it. She pressed harder and he turned his body to face her, "When."

"About two days ago, it was some rogue vampires," her eyes shifted slightly.

"Yer lying," he grabbed her wrist and held on firmly as if he expected her to run away.

"It's not as simple as all that," her eyes got teary from the accusation, something she was not used to.

"Well then make it simple!" he squeezed her wrist harder and she flinched.

She realized, then, that Andersen had loved her mother. Not in the way humans love, but in the way only a monster could love. A love that made them forget who their allies were, who their friends were, who they served, and who they trusted. The kind of love that brought out the true monster inside of them.

Isabael had not begun to feel scared yet, but something must have shown in her eyes because Andersen loosened his grip and his face soften just enough, "Yer mother loved you very much, honor her memory and tell me what happened."

"I think you know what happened Alexander, she planned the whole thing herself. I didn't even know until it was too late and she was locking the door to my room," she kept her eyes fixed on his, determined not to back down.

"Why would she sacrifice herself like that, what gain could become of it," he moved his grip from her wrist to her hand and went back to staring at the koi pond.

Isabael wasn't sure what to say next. She stared out into the koi pond as well. She thought it would be easier to make him understand what was going on. It was true she had not seen him since she was a small child, but he had spoken to her mother so frequently it seemed that he should be more aware of what was happening.

"Why did ye come here today, it wasn't just to tell me yer mother had passed. If that were the case ye would have showed up here that very night, wanting revenge," he looked at her suspiciously.

"Help me kill her," she was now passed playing coy.

"Kill Integra Hellsing? What could ye gain from that?" his eyes were still dark, but there was a twinkle in them.

"Someone's freedom," she did not smile.

"Ye mean something," he frowned at her.

"Call him what you want, will you help me or not? Once she's dead I'll be the one he's bound to and I'll have the power to set him free. After that, Andersen, you'll be free to do whatever you want. No more Whore of Babylon in your way," she smirked.

He smiled and then nudged her leg with his knee, "Why'd ye bring a gun? Thought I might try and kill ye?"

"That's exactly why," she pulled her hand away from his.

"I did consider it, but yer offer to kill that whore changed my mind," he patted her on the head.

"You wouldn't have been able to kill me, anyway, I look too much like my mother," she didn't have time to smirk at him, he had her on the ground with his fingers around her throat before she had time to take another breath. She blinked up at him, shocked he had so brutally thrown her to the ground just to prove a point, but then she smiled. It was something Alucard would do. He would prove that no matter how immune you thought you were, no matter how loved or beautiful, how smart or sly, it didn't matter to a monster. If they decided to kill you there was little you could do to change their mind.

"But, you're not going to kill me, Andersen, you just want to prove your point. Well, point taken. I know I'm playing with fire and it's a lot more dangerous than you, priest," she poked the barrel of her gun into his throat.

"Very good, I didn't even feel ye move," he loosened his grip on her throat, but didn't let go.

"Because I didn't move, I had it palmed before we hit the ground. You've underestimated me, just like everyone else," she pulled back the hammer and let it click.

"Ye wouldn't shoot me would ye?" he looked at her unsure and released her throat.

"Why not? It wouldn't kill you. Probably just sting for a minute," she smiled and slowly lowered the hammer back into place and clicked on the safety, "would you mind getting off now? You're terribly heavy."