So…I've got some people that are rather upset about what I've done with Seras's character. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. I think, under the circumstances, Seras is perfectly capable of the actions I've described.
Think about it. Every single thing she accused Alucard of is true…strictly speaking. She loved him and Integra both, deeply, although I think she probably loved Integra more. She knew Alucard for roughly a year before he disappeared for three decades. She's served Integra much, much longer than she's known Alucard…and Alucard let Integra die when he could have saved her. (After all, she and Alucard are vampires, so there's nothing really wrong with being a vampire to her mind.) Then, he cruelly drove Seras away from the only support system she'd had since becoming a vampire. Suddenly, she has to hunt for herself, which probably resulted in at least a few accidental deaths, and she no longer has access to her native Earth to sleep in. To her eyes, Alucard has betrayed her and nothing turns to hate faster than love betrayed.
In the manga, Seras proved she is fully capable of hatred and vengeance. Look at what she did to Zorin for killing Pip. It just so happens that in the current conflict, she is on the other side of the battlefield from her old master. From her perspective, her actions are righteous and just. From Alucard's perspective, his actions are righteous and just. Who is right and who is wrong? It really depends on the perspective. I just happen to be telling the story from Alucard's side of the lines.
At least Seras has good reason for what she's doing. I spent the last few chapters of Hellsing railing that Walter couldn't possibly betray Integra…but he did. The fact that I liked the character did not mean he couldn't turn on the good guys.
That being said, I don't expect anyone to keep reading if you don't like where I'm taking the story. I am sad to lose you as a reader if that's what happens, but each person is entitled to their own opinion and one opinion is not more correct than the next. It's all just a matter of perspective. :)
Now, back to your regularly scheduled story update. *grin*
Wow…long chapter for me. So, this is the one you've all been waiting for since the moment Alexis first got bitten. *grin* I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 24: Ambrosian
By the time they got down off the roof, unobserved at Alexis's insistence, police and an ambulance had arrived. Ellis was awake but in considerable pain. The EMTs packed him onto a stretcher as Alucard helped Alexis collect her crutches from the ground and hobble over to him.
"Call the agency," Ellis said, visibly fighting off pain. "They need to know I've been injured and they can send another car and driver around for you."
Alexis rolled her eyes at him.
"I think I can take a taxi," she said, "but I'll call and let them know what happened to you. You be sure to call me and keep me updated on where you are and how you're doing."
"Yes, madam."
The EMTs then politely pushed her aside and bundled Ellis up into the back of the ambulance. It pulled away, blaring its siren as it went.
"I think I need someone more than human for an estate manager, Alucard." Alexis watched the ambulance turn a corner, fully aware that Ellis was injured due to his association with her. "I seem to be a walking magnet for disaster these days."
Alucard didn't respond as police approached them with questions about the incident. Too tired to come up with a good cover story, Alexis just told them she had no idea what had happened or why, only that the car had blown up. With a little help from Alucard, they accepted the story and she was able to call a taxi while the police dealt with the wreckage of the car.
The drive home found her slumped against Alucard's shoulder, dozing and drooling on his duster. It was funny how leaning on him had become so comfortable. Perhaps more surprising…he allowed it. She hadn't missed his comment to Seras that if anything happened to Alexis, he would console himself with Seras's suffering for a hundred years. Seras might not believe Alucard could care about anyone, but Alexis was beginning to think he was fully capable of it. Even better, it was becoming more and more apparent that he cared about her.
The question was, would he ever admit to it?
Alexis sighed as Alucard shifted beside her, his arm coming down to curl protectively around her shoulders. No, maybe that question didn't matter. After all, words meant nothing compared to action. They were just pretty wrapping that could hide anything from gold to dung. She'd rather have the truth of action than the deceit of flowery words. Once upon a time, Jared and Joey had told her they loved her, simply because that was what she expected to hear. Just saying it didn't make it true.
The taxi delivered them to the front doorstep of the Hellsing mansion without incident. Alexis swung herself up the front steps and pulled the key out of her pocket to unlock the door.
"Come with me to the kitchen. I need food and a pain pill while we talk about this Stratonice person."
"As you command."
Alucard sat at a table in the vast kitchen while Alexis hobbled about, preparing herself a meal from the supplies Ellis had bought. She took a moment to call the staffing agency and let them know what had happened to him and their car. They promised to keep her updated.
With a sigh of relief, Alexis sat down and pulled the pain pills out of her purse. It was technically too soon for another one, but she really didn't care. She wanted the sleep it would bring. Setting the bottle on the table next to her drink, she pulled her plate in front of her and bit into her sandwich, followed by a potato chip.
"So. Tell me about Stratonice," she said, swallowing the potato chip and reaching for the pill bottle to twist the lid off. "Obviously, she's the one you've suspected since I was bitten and…was it Seras?" Alucard nodded. Alexis popped a pill in her mouth and washed it down with a swallow of water. "Well, she pretty much confirmed that you're tight. So, enlighten me. What are we up against?"
Alucard leaned back in his chair, watching her close the pill bottle and take another bite of sandwich.
"She is a vampire I knew in my earliest years of undeath. She taught me how to survive as a vampire in a world full of humans that believed in the supernatural."
"So…she turned you into a vampire?"
Alucard laughed, an explosive, bitter sound.
"No. I was reborn in anger and hatred, the same as she. She simply taught me what I needed to know in order to live as the undead."
"So…like your mentor."
"Of a sort, yes."
Alexis took another bite, chewed and swallowed.
"So, what happened? So far, it doesn't sound like the makings of a bitter enemy."
The vampire laughed and grinned with that manic glint in his eyes.
"I have been accused of madness many times in my existence. Compared to Stratonice, I am the epitome of sanity. Were it left to her, vampires would rule the world and humans would be little more than cattle for the culling…or more likely, extinct. She places no value on human life, not even that of the sustenance every vampire requires. She is a rabid dog."
Alexis popped a potato chip in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
"So, if she's so interested in destroying humanity, why is she spending all her resources coming after you?"
Alucard grinned.
"I disagreed with her philosophical outlook. We…argued and when we could not come to an agreement, I buried her in a mountain in Romania. That was in 1609. So far as I knew, she was still there. Obviously, she found a way to escape."
"Ah. That certainly explains why she hates you so much."
Alucard chuckled as Alexis took the last bite of her sandwich.
"She is a thousand years older than me. In life, she was the mother of Alexander the Great and led his armies after his death. She doesn't take defeat well, and betrayal less so."
Alexis blinked at him.
"Alexander the Great's mom is a vampire?" Alucard grinned and she shook her head. There was something intrinsically wrong with that statement…and yet, why not? Alucard had been a Wallachian ruler once upon a time. "Nevermind. Back on track. What else do I need to know about her?"
"She has an affinity for snakes and can control them. It is one of her undead powers."
"And that would explain how a puff adder ended up in London."
"And a black mamba. That was the snake that struck at you, first. She has a particular fondness for African snakes."
"I guess everyone needs a hobby." Alexis finished off the last of her potato chips and sat back in her chair. "So, what do we do about it? I don't see her giving up anytime soon."
"For now, we wait. I've never seen her lift a finger to do anything she considered menial when she could send a minion to do it in her stead. Eventually, she will run out of minions. In the mean time, I will be staying close to you. I had not bartered on Seras's involvement."
"Why is that a big deal?"
Alucard quirked a smile at her.
"Seras lived in this house at one time and called it home. The vampiric restrictions from entering a stranger's abode will not hold her back."
"Fantastic," Alexis said with a sigh. Well, at least now she knew what was coming.
-ssSSss-
Alexis blinked, staring into the complete darkness of the basement room. Something had woken her, but she wasn't sure what. She shifted and groaned as pain radiated out from her hip. What time was it? It didn't feel like she had been asleep for long.
Blundering in the dark, she groped for the phone she had left on the table Alucard had brought down to place next to her bed. Her hand brushed over the top of the table and the phone clattered to the stone floor.
Cursing, Alexis scooted to the edge of the bed and reached down to grope along the floor until she came up with the device. Pressing the button to activate the screen, she frowned at the phone. It was just after two in the morning. Definitely time for another pain pill, but she really wished she hadn't woken up. Her eyes felt gritty and her mouth tasted like cotton. Well, at least taking a pain pill meant getting some water.
Gritting her teeth through the pain, she pushed herself into a sitting position and eased her legs off the bed.
"Alucard?" She fumbled for her crutches in the dark as she waited for him to respond. No answer.
Alexis frowned. At two o'clock in the morning, the vampire should be wide awake. She rarely failed to get a response from him during his normal waking hours. Her stomach churned a little as she tried to figure out why he might not answer. She could only conclude he'd left the house…but why, when he said he'd stay close by?
A sharp pain stabbed through her hip and she decided to worry about it after taking the pain pill and getting something to drink. And a bathroom. She needed a bathroom.
Easing herself out of bed, she carefully took herself out of the room and up the stairs. By now, she knew where the bathrooms were and made a beeline for the closest one.
After satisfying her bladder, she made for the kitchen. Water and a banana gave her enough volume in her stomach to warrant swallowing a pill. Alucard still hadn't shown up and that worried her. She closed the lid of her pill bottle and set it on the counter, biting her lip in thought. She could stay up and wait for him, but as soon as that pill kicked in, she was probably going to be sleepy and scattered. If she didn't get back downstairs before that happened, she might hurt herself trying to navigate the steps.
With a long-suffering sigh, Alexis left the kitchen. As the door shut behind her, she heard the creak of the great front door opening. She froze, frowning. The distant murmur of voices wafted down the corridor and Alexis scuttled back into the kitchen. She put her back to the door and glanced frantically around the room. Where the hell was Alucard? She couldn't remember if she had locked the door before going to sleep or not. Was it Seras out there? Had she brought friends?
Reaching behind her, she felt for a lock and cursed under her breath as she realized the kitchen door didn't have one. Why should it?
A weapon. She needed a weapon. There were plenty of pots and pans, but she couldn't figure out how to use them and her crutches at the same time. In point of fact, she couldn't think of any weapon she could use with her crutches except her cross. That would only work on vampires, and not all of those. What if Seras shared Alucard's resistance to holy objects?
Biting her lip, she spotted an old rolling pin hanging from a hook on the wall. Yes, it was horribly clichéd, but a rolling pin made a passable club and she could carry it under her chin.
Trying to stay as quiet as possible, she swung herself across the kitchen to fetch the implement. Tucking it against her collar bones, she headed for the corner. Wedging herself there, she braced her crutches so she wouldn't have to hold onto them and held the rolling pin clutched in both hands. It wasn't the most defensible position, but it would have to do. She waited in tense silence, adrenaline rushing through her veins.
She expected a door to open, to warn her that her adversary had found her. When a head sporting a red fedora and orange tinted sunglasses appeared through the wall next to her, she jumped with an undignified squeak and swung at it. A white-gloved hand caught the rolling pin in mid-swing.
"Such a violent greeting."
"Alucard!" Alexis tugged the rolling pin from his grasp, swaying as the movement jarred her braced crutches. She glared at him to cover up her embarrassment at almost clocking him upside the head. Not that it would have hurt him, but that wasn't the point. She almost wished she had hit him. He deserved it for frightening her, but he would probably just laugh at her if she managed it. "Get in here! There's someone in the house!"
She grabbed for his duster and he phased the rest of the way through the wall, that infuriating grin growing wider.
"I know. I brought them to meet you. I have hopes that they can help us unravel the mystery of your persistent humanity."
Alexis blinked at him, caught up in a maelstrom of relief that it wasn't the enemy invading followed by rage that he hadn't told her, letting her think they had enemies in the house. Baring her teeth, she threw the rolling pin at him. He caught it with ease.
"Warn me, next time!" she snarled, reaching down to grip the handles on her crutches. Getting her balance, she pushed herself forward, bumping him with her shoulder as she swung past him, headed for the door.
Alucard watched her go, his grin growing positively proprietary before he turned to phase back through the wall. Nothing amused him as much as infuriating his human.
-ssSSss-
Two people waited for them in the foyer, one a wizened old woman, hunched with age. The other was a stocky man standing off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest. With the exception of the sprightly twinkle in the old woman's eyes, nothing about the pair would have made them stand out on the street. The man wore black slacks and a charcoal gray button-down shirt. His dark hair was slicked back from his face and curled into ringlets just under his ears. He sported a mustache and goatee with a generous helping of silvery white hairs interspersed with the black. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, although the silver in his goatee made Alexis add a decade to that estimate.
The woman wore a black skirt that fell in ruffles to her ankles and a dark plum jumper. She had a gray and plum plaid shawl wrapped about her shoulders and neck. Her face crinkled with wrinkles born of a life full of sun and smiles. Her steely gray hair fell down her back in a thick French braid.
"Is this the one you spoke of, Lord blood drinker?" she asked, her eyes roaming over Alexis's form. She glanced in Alucard's direction, but wouldn't raise her gaze to the vicinity of his eyes. She didn't seem frightened, just cheerfully cautious.
"Indeed, old mother." Alucard dipped his head in a truncated bow and moved off to the side, politely putting the table that had held the dusty flower arrangement between himself and their guests. Alexis gaped at him for a moment. She'd never seen him act so…considerate toward anyone upon first meeting them. Was it because they were Romani, or was it because they might have knowledge he wanted? It didn't take a genius to figure out that he'd found the legend keepers he had been looking for.
The wizened little old woman smiled at Alexis with yellow, crooked teeth. She came around the table and circled the younger woman, looking her up and down. Her guard stood off to the side, watching everything with dark, hooded eyes.
The crone stepped close to Alexis and reached out to grasp her arm, squeezing the muscle beneath the shirt she wore. Alexis glanced up at Alucard, wondering if she should be concerned about the woman's proximity and apparent interest in the plumpness of her flesh. The vampire leaned against the banister of the grand front staircase, one foot braced against the wood, a knee sticking out of the folds of his duster. His arms were crossed over his chest and those infernal sunglasses hid his eyes from her.
"You dream of him, don't you?" Alexis jumped and brought her attention back to the old woman gripping her arm. She flushed as she realized that for just a moment, she'd forgotten there was anyone else in the room but her and Alucard.
"Not like that," she said and the blush flared brighter. She didn't want to admit that the vampire had starred in her dreams at all. His ego didn't need the boost, and it wasn't like they were those kinds of dreams. Why did she suddenly feel like everyone in the room had just caught her half naked? "Really…I mean, yes. I dream about him, but not like that. I dream that he attacks me, feeds on me."
The old woman's grin grew wider, a knowing twinkle shining in her eyes. Alexis scowled at her, not at all happy with the conclusion the woman seemed to be coming to.
"You crave it. You want him to feed on you, yes? In your dreams, you do not flee from him. You yearn for that feel of his fangs in your throat."
Alexis looked away, unable to meet that knowing, penetrating look. She braced herself with the crutches and wrapped her arms around herself. She did not like this line of questioning.
"Yes," she said in a soft voice, "and not just in my dreams."
She cut a glance at Alucard, expecting to find a self-satisfied smirk on his face, but the flat line of his lips gave nothing away. The old woman glanced between them and chuckled, continuing her examination.
"You've been bitten and become neither ghoul nor vampire, yes? Oh, this is a golden day. No one has seen one such as you since my granddam's age."
The old woman pressed her hands together, her eyes shining with excitement. Alexis felt her eyes grow wide. Until that moment, she hadn't really believed they could help. What could the Romani know that an actual vampire didn't? She looked over at Alucard where he still lounged against the banister. He hadn't moved, but he seemed to exude an anticipatory tension. Alexis turned back to the old woman.
"You…you know what I am? Why I'm like…this?" She couldn't help the breathy excitement that flavored her voice. The puzzle had simmered in the back of her subconscious for weeks, making her wonder what was wrong with her.
"Of course, my dear. You're an Ambrosian."
A…what?
Alexis frowned, still as confused as ever. She cast a puzzled look in Alucard's direction and saw him shift, his head tilting to the side as though the word stuck some chord in his memory.
"Tell us the story, old mother. Assume we are children with no knowledge of this 'Ambrosian'," he said, his deep voice ringing with command.
The woman gave Alucard a respectful bow of obeisance, still carefully avoiding eye contact. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.
"Human, but not. There are many stories to explain where the Ambrosians came from, but none of them can agree. Ambrosians are born of humans and will breed humans of their own loins. Some think they are simply special humans and some think they are not human at all. They remain human in nature so long as they never know the touch of a vampire's fangs. It is that first bite that awakens the Ambrosian in their blood."
Alucard shifted again, frowning in thought, as though the story stirred his memories further, touching something buried deep in his past. Alexis still didn't understand what it meant to be one of these 'Ambrosians' and she struggled with what the woman was telling them.
"Some stories describe the Ambrosian nature as a gift from God, a blessing on the vampires to compensate for the loss of their humanity. Others say it is a curse laid by the first vampire in an attempt to make the humans bow to the dark race. There are so many stories, but is it truly stories that you seek? I think not. Theories shrouded in mystery will not help you. Facts are what you need."
The woman reached out to take Alexis's hand and gave her a solemn look.
"You're cursed, dear…and blessed. Your blood is like the food of the gods for a vampire…ambrosia. Its taste is the sweetest nectar. It satisfies the blood craving like a feast set before a king. It strengthens, opens pathways for newer and greater powers. The blood drinkers covet one such as you."
"Really?" Alexis smiled tremulously. She rather liked the sound of that. After everything Alucard had given her, she had something of value to give back to him.
"Yes, but beware," the old woman warned her. "Bloody battles have been fought over the right to possess an Ambrosian. Helen of Troy was one such, and the kings that fought over her were ancient vampires. The legends forget that part, eh?"
Alexis's smile faded with that tidbit. What would it be like to be the rope in a tug of war between two incredibly powerful, ageless beings? She shivered at the sudden visual of a rope, shattered and unraveling.
The old crone smiled and patted her hand as though she found the whole predicament highly amusing. Alucard pushed away from the banister he'd been leaning against and reached up to pull the orange tinted glasses off his nose. He gave Alexis a penetrating, speculative look and her stomach flip flopped. What did he think of this revelation?
"What's important to you, dear, is that you need the vampires, now. Well…you need a vampire. More than one often ends in ruin. They're rather possessive, aren't they?" The crone smiled over her shoulder at Alucard. Alexis frowned, trying to wrap her mind around what the woman's words implied.
"What does it mean, exactly, that I need them?"
The old woman turned back to her, and while she still smiled, it looked sad.
"Once bitten, you must be bitten. You are their food, now. If you don't bare your throat for them, you will die. Pay attention to your dreams. They will tell you when you need your vampire."
Alexis opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What could she say? It explained so much…the dreams, her immunity to ghouling, the gut-deep, wrenching need to have Alucard sink fangs into her throat. It all made sense, now…in a shiver-inducing, world-flipping sort of way. Having the answer came as a vast relief, but to know that her very existence depended on the whims of a vampire…
She turned to look at the vampire in question and the intensity in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. Then again, maybe she wouldn't have to depend on a whim at all. If the old woman spoke the truth, her blood was very valuable to the vampires. Alucard had already saved her life many times over. He'd killed for her, guarded her and granted her access to a house and funds that guaranteed she would never have to work again if she didn't want to. He'd done all of that before he know how valuable she could be to him.
Somehow, it seemed perfectly fitting that he should be the one to get her blood. Smiling at her vampire, she turned back to the two Romani.
"Thank you…err…I didn't get your name."
"You can call me Gran, dear. Everyone does. I want to give you one last warning. If all of the stories are true, you must guard your blood very closely. It is bad enough for another vampire to know what you are and understand what it means. If they happen to taste your blood…well…let us hope that your vampire, here, has the power to defeat them."
Alexis arched an eyebrow at Alucard and he grinned, his eyes sparkling. If she had learned anything from Van Helsing's journals, it was that Alucard loved a good fight. Still, it could be possible that there were vampires out that that could best the mighty Dracula. Once again, the image of the broken and frayed tug o' war rope flashed through her mind.
"I won't forget," she said with a solemn nod. "Uh…I think some of the rooms have been cleaned and prepared for guests if you need a place to stay for the rest of the night."
"That won't be necessary, dear. We came at your Lord's request and it is time we were leaving." The old woman turned toward Alucard, and though she looked in his direction, she still wouldn't meet his eyes. "Lord blood drinker, I would offer you this final piece of news. We have heard rumors out of Romania of a great evil that has awakened. If she is whom the legends speak of, I believe she will be seeking you out."
Alucard's face twisted into a sadistic grin, fangs bared.
"I know of whom you speak and I await her challenge eagerly. If she learns you have tried to warn me, she will kill you." Alexis frowned, realizing they must be talking about Stratonice. She thought about how Alucard had compared her to a rabid dog and she shuddered.
"Ah, you are perhaps correct. I have lived a long, rich life and would not weep to see it end. As for Mihai, he has already sworn his life to pay for the wrongs he had committed. If death seeks us, we will invite him to tea."
"Please stay," Alexis said, "at least until dawn. I don't like the idea of you going to your death if that's what waits for you."
The old woman smiled and reached out to take Alexis's hands in her own. She pulled the younger woman down to plant a kiss on each cheek.
"Your concern is appreciated, but if death does wait for us, the dawn will not stay his hand. Besides, it's bad luck for a Romani to sleep under the same roof as a vampire, don't you know?"
Alexis didn't like it, but she couldn't force them to stay. Well, she could have Alucard imprison them, but that would be beyond ungrateful for the help they had provided.
"Do not fret, child. This is a golden day! I have seen a living, breathing legend with my own eyes. If I must die, it will be with a full heart."
Alexis had no idea what to say to that, except to wish the pair of them God speed and a safe journey back to where they had come from. Gran turned and said something in a language Alexis didn't recognize. Her guard nodded and opened the front door for her. With nothing more to say, they left, headed for a worn van sitting in the front drive.
Alexis closed the door behind the Romani and turned to lean against it. Alucard watched her from his position beside the stairs, his eyes glowing with that same fierce light she'd seen when he fed on her, before.
"So, I guess we know, now," she said, giving him a weak smile.
"Indeed, we do."
He pushed away from the stairs, striding around the table between them. He stopped in front of her, those glowing eyes boring into her. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, have him pick her up and tell her that he would protect her from all comers, but that wasn't how things worked between them. She took a deep breath, staring up into his eyes, her heart aching with all the things she wanted from him and wasn't sure he was willing to give.
"Oh, to hell with it," she muttered. Letting her crutches fall to the ground, she leaned into him, sliding her hands up under his duster and squeezing him tight, her face pressed to his chest.
Alucard stiffened, shocked at the feel of her arms wrapped around him. He didn't do gentle or tender. Violent, yes. Conniving, most certainly. Mocking, every chance he got, but he didn't do…this. And yet…well…
Gradually, the vampire's shoulders relaxed and he looked down at the human that had apparently claimed him as much as he had claimed her. His arms came up, curling about her shoulders and he thought that maybe, just maybe, he had finally found a woman to touch his heart that was meant to be his.
A/N: D'aww. Sweet moment between Alucard and Alexis. Not likely to last long, but there you go. *grin* Hope everyone enjoyed it and if I actually finish this fanfic this week like I'm hoping, I'll probably speed up my posting to twice a week until everything is up. (Let's just say I'm working on Chapter 32 and barring any wild plot bunnies, it will be a total of 33 chapters.) Thank you for reading.