Chapter 10

Alucard

A/N: Me again, it's the 22nd, I'm writing like mad and now I have half term, one more exam today and I'm done for nine days (which I will revise as well) and then all is done. Only...12 more exams left for me...sigh

(Sing song!) Emilie Simon (She's French- but these are english lyrics) The frozen World

The Frozen World lyrics

Won't you open for me
The door to your ice world
To your white desert

I just want to stare
Out over these snowfields
Until we are one again

We belong to the frozen world

When the ice begins to thaw
Becomes the sea
Oh, you will see
How beautiful we can be

Everything is calm
At the end of the planet
In our white desert

The sun kissed the ice
It glistens for me
And we are one again
We belong to the frozen world

When the ice begins to thaw
Becomes the sea
Oh, you will see
How beautiful we can be

When the ice begins to thaw
Becomes the sea

(Felt like it)

-&-

I watched her face soften from the mask of pain that she had worn for the last day and night. I had not slept, but neither had she, and it seemed that if I wasn't the one to hold her still and guard her that she may very well have killed someone in her agony—after all, isn't that what I saw in her dream a few nights before? But also I had an ulterior motive for my presence during her agony—her mind was at its most defenceless as you she lay with no control over her actions, I could clearly pick up how she thought, how she saw the world and it was fascinating.

An hour ago, the black had started to drain from her skin and she was left a pure white colour, with the hint of pink in her cheeks and the small spidery veins; the scars on her face were no longer the more prominent pink they had been but faint white lines that a human could only pick up in certain lights. Her body felt slimmer as if she had lost all her weight in only a couple evenings of prolonged agony and this made her look perhaps less feminine than before—no curves, no seduction, no sweetness.

The Doctors sat by the computer, talking via webcam to a lab technician at the labs paired with ours, Merris, sworn to secrecy by contract and a promise that all who spoke out to the public would be found and tortured until they wished they were dead, by me. The shorter, blond doctor, Izcarius, sat on the edge of the desk, throwing looks over to Molly and me every now and then while Peter, a tall and rather regal and trustworthy looking man with jet black hair and mismatched green eyes- one pale green and the other an obvious blue-green colour with dots of amber. "So, Rhys, could you maybe give a full analysis of her blood?" Izcarius asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Sure." Came his slightly comical welsh accent (Trying desperately to get the accent right here, sorry for any welsh people who are like"we doon't spake like thart") "I'm complately fascinayted, I'd like t' do a full analysess of her blud structer, if that's allrite, lads. Her blud may shed some lite on how t' battal the freak virus."

"Yeah, that would be fine—we'd do it here but Midori's just found out that most of our newer blood-testing kits are broken,"

"Brokun?"

"Mmm, I think it may have been that power cut a little while ago."

"Aah, yes, that mite do'heet, have y' tested the MRI scanner since theen?"

"Yeah, we had one of the mercenaries come in a little while ago—poor guy,"

"Only interested in the supernat'ral, mayt." The shaggy haired welshman raised his hands to the camera and peered at the screen, "s'at 'er?-- Hey! Alucard!" He gave a small grin and waved, I raised an eyebrow, "Is she unconscius?"

"Yes, by the looks of it, her body has finally slipped into sleep." I turned back to the frail thing below me, still leaning over the bed, her wrists loosely held in my hands, tightening as the muscles flexed and her body tensed. She was not dreaming; I was still partially in-tune to her mind, the blood from a couple evenings before still making the thoughts slip into my mind more easily and with more clarity than if I hadn't got a taste of it, and I could hear her thoughts, something like this: A clear layout of the infirmary was in her mind, her mind focusing on key points with little thoughts of: An attack through the window, the scalpels would make do, throw them at the attacker. Ceilings are quite high, but could jump from the...at this point her mind would reel around to show the bed and then zoom in on the vent above her ...bed and get into the vents. Her mind would then make a rough sketch of the layout of the ground floor, which way to go etc, etc. If the doctors come at me, Alucard is still here, still holding me...right? She shifted her wrists, feeling my grip tighten she concluded I was still holding her—How could I fight him? I cannot...his might is more than thrice my own—no, a hundred of my own. I could not fight him when he limited his strength, how would I fair against him when he wasn't holding back a thing? Those lethal fangs of his would be in my throat before I had time to act on a plan. Though he cannot hear me now...no-one can—solitude of my own thoughts. Ruined by pain.

I smirked, though stayed at a distance from her, mentally, enough to make her feel safe in her own thoughts and wander freely; sketching plans, dwelling on the night previously and why she could still remember everything, that was part of her purge, that she would forget and live in blissful ignorance of the past.

Her eyes opened, she looked up at me, Test them. "Whe...?" She cleared her throat, frowning at the hoarse whisper of her voice. "Where am I? Who..?" She croaked, she started to struggle beneath me, emaciated as she was she still had strength enough to make me tighten my grip a little more. I focused my eyes on her, glaring at her and her deception. The three doctors finished conversing and looked over to us, Izzy and Peter quickly returning to the bedside and Rhys mumbling an, "alrite then, I'll leeve yus to ayt."

"Get off," she snarled at me, I made no move to let her go.

"Alucard, let her go, I doubt she'll be any trouble now." Doctor Hayward wringed his wrists and brought out a stethoscope.

"You can't be sure, Hayward." Little Blue seemed intent on seeing what their agenda was, whether she could trust Hellsing on the whole when push came to shove. "Her pulse is the normal speed I have become accustomed to, Hayward," I added. She squirmed, whimpering as believably as she could- needless to say, the humans fell for it.

"Who?" She cried shrilly as Izcarius poured her a glass of waterand patted her arm sympathetically.

"You can't remember anything, Molly?"

"Molly? Molly who? Who are you?" She half-screamed. Now for the test, you foul male creatures, do you tell me the truth or lie and reap the consequences? I sighed inwardly, though quite a sensible characteristic, it became quite tedious after a while. I glanced at Hayward and Fauster, the latter of the pair caught in a tumult of thoughts, We could tell her anything, tell her we're her family, that she's always been with us...OR we could tell her the truth...Alucard knows more about her, but...would he go along with it? More importantly would everyone else go along with it? Someone is sure to slip...Best keep to the truth. "Molly, you've been working with us, the Hellsing organisation, to solve a series of disappearances in the country. We fight vampires and demons, anything supernatural that may be seen as ev-"

"That's quite alright, Fauster, I was testing you. Alucard, would you let me go?" I observed her a little longer, listening as her mind ran ahead of her, He thinks I'm dangerous? Perhaps he enjoyed watching my agony, well, at least my pain entertained someone—it certainly did not entertain me. Such pain was not meant to be felt by any living creature in the heart of reality. Perhaps in hell that pain would be reasonable, but, nonetheless, it should not ever exist. I slackened my grip, she immediately jerked away form me, anger flaring in her pale blue eyes, now so pale that the iris was speckled with pink and the blue was a shade away from white.

Her wrists were swollen, incredibly bruised and looked like it would irritate her, but she simply rotated them a few times, joints clicking and cracking, as the swelling receded and the bruising disappeared, her pupils turned to slits as she turned to look at Doctor Hayward, the luminescent light causing her to flinch away, put the bar down and swing her legs over the edge of the bed.

"How do you feel? Any head-aches? Nausea? Conflicting moods?"

"Would annoyance, anger, boredom and hunger count as conflicting emotions?" Molly as sourly, jaw set and eyes scaling the walls and table tops, the six other spare beds and the equipment. "Would you like...some...fruit?" Doctor Fauster offered and Molly snorted.

"I would like a bowl of fruit, a bowl of salad, hold the dressing, and four raw steaks." She chuckled to herself, stepping down onto the cold, tiled floor; she turned her shoulders so as not to brush me as she passed, stumbling and falling to the floor. I caught her arms and pulled her back to the bed, Molly was as light as a feather, possibly only a little less frail, but she still squirmed against me, swearing at me as I set her back down on the bed and stood in front of her.

"You're in a sour mood, Little Blue,"

"Of course I am!" Put through hell! Starving! And having to put up with three men! God has a funny way of rewarding those who strive for nothing but to destroy those that harm the innocent, ignorant or weak. "What am I wearing?" She croaked in disgust, pulling at the surgical gown.

"Your clothes were soaked in blood and ripped, it was more convenient for you to wear one of the-"

"Haha, liar. You just wanted to see me naked! Sick bastards!" She shouted over her shoulder as Fauster came around the bedside holding a glass of water, Molly snatched it from his fingers, downing the glass in one. Her voice now restored to its usual cold, smooth tones she looked up to see me looking at her, "See something interesting, do you?" She sneered at me.

"Irritable you may be, Blue, but I will not condone impoliteness. I feel rather tetchy already, don't piss me off further." Molly frowned at me. Me? Irritable? I have perfect reason to be, imbecile. I was fascinated by her thoughts, but, at the same time, they were now irritating me to snapping point. Molly's eyes were glowing with defiance as she growled, "Out of my way." she stood up and pushed at my chest to get out of the room as quickly as possible. Have to just eat and wash and sleep...God knows I need sleep, so tired, eating…I could not take a salad, the idea of eating it makes me feel positively ill, but...raw steak, I could kill for it. Blood? Blood? The blood would be good. Not that I'll enjoy it, but the blood would give the meat a bit more of kick and may make me feel more vivacious and less nauseous.

Blood? Blue was thinking about blood, "Molly.," I growled sternly, taking her wrists in my hands again pinning them to her side as she squirmed again, "open your mouth," I commanded. Molly frowned at me, He looks very attractive when he's being firm...maybe he's not so bad. I heard her mentally giggle, He makes me feel...oh, he makes me feel...hot? Turned on? I laughed, Molly raised an eyebrow. "Thought so." She whispered. You can hear me, can't you Red?

Oh, yes, I can hear you.

Then would you kindly let me get something to eat.

Blood, per chance? And I thought you liked this...I countered teasingly.

A test, Red. I don't think I could ever get sexually aroused when looking at men—they are too disgusting and untrustworthy.

Technically I was a man. And you didn't answer my question.

I've lost a lot of my blood. I'm hungry, raw steak, possibly dripping in blood, will make me feel better.

If you wouldn't mind showing me your teeth, Blue-

Blue rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, baring her teeth to show me that no fangs protruded from her gums. Though tips of a second pair of eye-teeth pushed through her gums a little too high up, "Have you always had a second pair of eye-teeth?" I asked. Molly rolled her eyes again.

"Yes, Alucard. I don't feel a need to eat any humans, before you ask, nor are my sense particularly keen this evening."

"Are there any differences at all?" I asked again, turning her head this way and that to take in her appearance, tell-tale signs of a more profound pallor and less visible veins nowhere to be seen; I could see the faint blue of her veins beneath her fair skin and Molly's heart still beat at that painfully slow pace.

"No, my friend, but if you would like to escort me and watch me eat and sleep then be my guest." I let go of her wrists, the two doctors peering at our strange little conversation with curiosity. "Could I have some clothes please?"

"Certainly, Blue," Izzy disappeared into his office and returned holding a pile of folded clothes, "Walter was kind enough to fetch these from your room."

I must remember to get him a present for all this hard-work he does, maybe a bottle of champagne or wine?

Molly took the pile of clothes and disappeared behind a screen, I chuckled at hearing her muttering about how "despicable" men would be the death of her. That we were not to be trusted. No doubt she voiced these aloud so the doctors and I would know exactly where we stood with her.

She stumbled out from behind the screen and, without even acknowledging any of us, disappeared out of the infirmary, no doubt to find herself something to eat. I followed her, listening as her thoughts slowly became quieter until they were nothing but white noise again. I sighed, the couple of evenings were enough for me to know the way she thought, but not enough for any entertainment and I knew that not being able to hear her thoughts would soon annoy me again.

I found her in the kitchen, Walter set down a plate of raw steaks before her, She seems alright, a little thin and irritable but completely normal. Walter looked up and saw me leaning against the doorway, he gave me a quizzical look, is she alright, Alucard?

She seems it, though she's a little tetchier than usual.

Molly drained the plate of the blood, that still dripped off the meat, into a glass and then ripped into one of the steaks, Walter's mouth fell open, "If you need me...I'll...be in the library," Are you sure she's alright?

Well, she usually ate extra rare steaks she just seems to want them a little rarer.

Too rare if you ask me. "Thank you, Walter. Oh." she swallowed a mouthful of steak and turned on the stool to face the aged gentleman, "Out of curiosity, what is your favourite wine?"

"I think a Cabernet Sauvignon is quite delicious, but is best left to age." Molly gave a genuine smile, her nose wrinkling a little.

"A wine connoisseur?"

"Not particularly, but it is best to know what you are drinking and which meals it goes with best."

"Cabernet sauvignon? I think I've tried that one, generally fruity?"

"Yes, they are generally fruity, but quite expensive," Molly nodded, "Enjoy your steak, Miss." Walter gave a faltering smile, I moved out of the way for him, Is there a reason she wants to know my favourite wine?

It's a surprise.

Molly finished off the first generous steak and moved on to the second as I sat down opposite her and watched her devour it with a ravishing hunger. "Do you feel better?" I asked; an inkling of a smile in my voice. Molly swallowed and drained the glass of blood, I frowned, perhaps she wasn't as human as I'd first thought. She swiftly moved onto the next steak, blood dripping down her chin from the corner of her mouth, moans rippling in her throat, her pupils had dilated and were now slits the rim of colour around them a rose-petal pink. "Blue?" Her head snapped up to look at me, pulled out from her trance, her pupils dilated and shrank to their normal proportion. "Are you sure you feel alright?"

"I feel fine, Red, I could be better but I could be worse," She noticed my skeptical gaze and ate the final steak with less vigour, though I knew she wanted to rip into it hungrily. I sighed again and stepped down, through the floor into one of the store rooms, found the refrigerator that held our blood supply and picked out two bags. I was intrigued, maybe she was now a vampire but she refused to believe that. I made a detour to her sleeping quarters, found her silver pendant on the table and glared at it for a moment. It would annoy me, it wouldn't be too painful, pain is a bearable burden, but it was necessary.

I returned to kitchen swiftly, setting the two bags of blood on the counter, the pendant still burning a hole in my palm, and stood behind Molly, "What are you—?" I slipped the pendant over her head and lifted her hair from underneath it. She shivered and I returned to the opposite side of the counter to observe whether her skin became burnt or if she removed it. Neither occurrences happened. "Oh, thank you, Alucard,"

"Not a problem." the flesh along my hands knitted itself back together, a tingle ran up and down my arm.

"Sorry about my irritability, I don't mean to be offensive, I think manners are very important in society, though seem to have be forgotten of late, but, nonetheless, that gives me no reason to be so impolite and rude." I smiled.

"Apology accepted," I collected a glass from a cupboard, ripped open the bag and poured the dazzling contents into the glass, the clarity of the glass now smeared and stained with blood. Molly watched me drink from the glass slowly, eyes wide with hunger. "Blood?" I offered. She nodded vigorously, I made no argument as I poured a second glass for her.

Seras bounced into the room, leaping up behind Molly and hugging her around the shoulders, "You're back! How do you fee-" she stopped as she noticed Molly draining the glass of blood and recoiled. "Wait. Mol- is she-? Are you-?" Seras seemed completely baffled by mine and Molly's calm and by the fact that Molly was even still here if she was now a freak.

"No, I'm not a freak or a vampire," Molly drained the glass of blood and jumped off of the stool and collected the three empty glasses and the plate, depositing them in the sink where she set about washing them. Seras gave me a look that screamed: "How can she not be a freak? I don't understand!"

Police girl, have you noticed the silver pendant around her neck?

Yes...

If she were a vampire or a freak she would be screaming in agony by now, wouldn't she?

Yes, master, Seras blushed and sat down in the recently vacated seat, But she just drank human blood, master, "Do you feel better now, Molly?" She asked. Your point being?

"Good enough to stand, eat and think about getting back out on the field to tear some freak-bastards apart," Molly answered neutrally, placing the dripping glasses and plate on the side to dry and sat down next to me with an apple in her hand. "I've been apathetic, slothful and idle for far too long,"

"It's been a week," Seras interjected, "A week off must feel brilliant, a rest..."

"Don't dwell on that idea, Seras." I glared at her coldly, as Molly bit into her apple. Where was Seras' vampiric lust for blood and battle?

"No, cannot say I enjoy being idle, perhaps you would Seras, but I prefer to keep busy. And, though I may complain about my work, I quite enjoy the exercise and the rule breaking." her eyes flashed, "Watching their faces as they realised they are thoroughly fuc-"

"Molly!" Pip entered the kitchen, surprise and relief shining in his eyes as he stepped over to the counter, mentally battling between a handshake, a hug or no contact whatsoever. Molly paused, her apple a few centimetres from her lips, she gave a small half-smile, "Hello, Captain." I surveyed her body-language, this now being the only way to figure her out. She was tense, questioning, she bit into her apple again.

"You look..." Pip frowned slightly. Still ill and too thin...

"Well enough to fight, Captain, don't worry. How are you this evening?"

"I am... alright." Pip put his hands into his pockets nonchalantly, Molly nodded.

"How's Graham?" She asked. Pip blinked, forgetting that she knew.

"Old Hammy is alright, he is leaving us in a month and a half—retiring early to enjoy 'is life." Molly shook her head. Or what's left of eet.

"You might want to insist he leaves no later than a month." Pip paused at the fridge, the cold from the fridge brushing the back of our necks. Molly bit into her apple again, face unfathomable.

"You think so, uh?"

"I know so." Molly answered quietly. Pip poured himself a glass of filtered, cold water and sat down next to Seras, sitting directly opposite Molly.

"How?"

"A feeling." Molly finished her apple and looked around the kitchen until her eyes fell on the bin by the door, she threw it over Pip's shoulder and gave a fleeting smile as the core disappeared into the bin. "A feeling?" Molly raised an eyebrow, maneuvered her hat to the side of her head and hopped down from the stool.

"Your need to repeat everything I say is rather boring, Captain." Molly disappeared out onto the terrace, the doors slowly closing behind her. Pip looked at the door with a frown on his face.

"She is in a pissy mood." He grumbled. A man is at his most pathetic when having qualms about the women he may feel inclined towards. Over the last week or so I had noticed that he had become slightly intrigued with Molly, but his thoughts of them ever making it as a couple were incredibly stupid as Molly herself had said "Men were disgusting" and "she could never see herself settling down with one". What made her rants about how disgusting the male population all the more comic was her own phrasing; as if men were in actual fact little pathetic creatures with half a brain cell. Bernadette had not a hope in hell of ever catching Molly's eyes, and he knew it.

"What's up, Pip?" Seras asked, swiveling around on the stool to face the exasperated Captain, oblivious to the Captain's mental battles and, having never been attuned to the going on around her, I doubted that she would ever understand the Captain's worries.

"Nothing much. Just a few annoyances getting to me, is all." Pip drained his glass of water and locked gazes with me, eyes at first questioning and then, seeing my own knowing look, annoyed. So the big guy knows, he thought, seeing my smirk.

Amused, I replied, Yes, I do, and I have a feeling so does Little Blue.

How could she know? I haven't told anyone.

Molly seems to have quite a keen understanding of the males' brain. Call it a speculation, if you want, but she seems to already know, and has she made any move to reciprocate your feelings?

The Captain sighed, Non, non she hasn't. The Captain stood up from his chair, stretching before depositing his glass in the sink and exited the kitchen onto the terrace where Molly had been a few moments before. Seras watched him curiously, "What were you two talking about?" Bet I have something on my face, yep, probably do. I'm beginning to see why Molly hates guys so much...bloody men.

"Police Girl, kindly keep your self-consciousness to a minimum, too much and you become very annoying," Seras blushed.

"Sorry, Master," "Keep your self-consciousness to a minimum" Pfft, I'm not self-conscious...am I? She noticed by raised eyebrow, You're still listening aren't you? I smirked.

Now, why would I want to pollute my own mind with your drivel? Seras' cheeks flushed as her eyes narrowed with anger. "Fine, be that way!" She hopped down from her stool, mentally grumbling to herself: Bet he was listening, he shouldn't even bother listening if he thinks my mental chatter is mind-numbingly boring! I can think what I like, he should just learn not to eavesdrop! And, she added as she heard me laugh, he's probably still listening!

I chuckled dryly; making my way to the library, the faint glow of the fireplace throwing an eerie glow underneath the door, the orange blush dancing across the floor, stretching as much as it could to the opposite wall, I sought out my old friend and any news he may have on our new enemy.

A/N: I actually carried this bit on for quite a while, but I decided to shorten it for your own sanity. I've made a promise to myself that I'll update practically everything together though, so you don't get really annoyed :P see you soon.

XPoisonX