Chapter 8 – Price of Betrayal
Seras handed the box to Pip. It contained a precious blessed stone that had the power to keep unwanted visitors out of the castle. Fiona had asked Seras to give the box to Pip. Fiona no longer wanted to keep Alucard away. He was certainly still unwanted in her home but she wanted to finish it once and for all. Fiona had to fight him. Seras sighed. The police girl wanted to go with her Captain more then anything in the world. But, she couldn't, duty was more important then what the vampire wanted. She had to stay behind and protect Fiona – and face her Master.
"Well, I think I have everything. I should be going now." Pip looked at Seras; his eyes portrayed the intensity of his emotions. He did not want to leave her behind anymore then she did not want to stay.
"Yes, Captain. Be careful. I want to see you before I leave Ireland." Crimson tears started to fall from the vampire's eyes.
"How does that Hollywood actor say it? - 'I'll be back'?" Pip said in a thick Austrian accent.
Seras couldn't help but smile at his silly voice. "Yeah I think you've got it. Bye George he's got it!" Seras spoke in a silly British accent.
"I'm just delivering a message Seras. You-you may have to fight Alucard. Please be careful. I don't want to come back and…well you know. I didn't save you to have you get killed by him."
"Yes I know Pip. I'll do my best."
"Well Seras this is it."
Seras nodded. Pip took her into his arms. He wondered why it felt like it would be the last time. Their heads bent down together in a sweet kiss that promised so much more. Both of them fought the urge to let it go any further knowing where it would lead – they did not have much time. They hugged each other's bodies as hard as they possibly could. Seras felt a flood of tears fall down her face as she watched Pip walk away. She hoped that she would see him again when this was all over. But, now it was time to prepare for war.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiona and Seras sat in a room near the front entry way – waiting. They were ready for him. Fiona had majical objects that she would use in her spells. Hopefully, she could at least immobilize Alucard with a spell and perhaps Seras could knock him out or restrain him. Well that would be hoping for too much. All of the other doors had spells on them. Even with his power, Alucard should not be able to enter any way but the front door. Both women prayed that the spells worked. W One problem they would have is that Alucard had a mind link with Seras because she was still his fledgling. Fiona performed a spell on Seras while they were waiting for Alucard that would allow her to block Alucard if he tried to probe her mind. hen dealing with Alucard, one could never be too careful.
They both nearly jumped when they heard a loud bang at the door. Seras felt him try to enter her mind. She let him just a little bit – wanting to hear his thoughts.
Seras Victoria – what have you done? The box is gone – I can sense that but something is amiss. Have you betrayed me? Do you want to know what I do to traitors?
Seras gulped. I don't know what you are talking about Master. Why don't you come in?
The two women stood in a defense stance when Alucard suddenly appeared dressed in his usual ridiculous Victoria garb: red coat, hat, and pants. He had removed his sunglasses. Alucard looked at the two women, his eyes moving slowly up and down their bodies. A smirk formed on the vampire's face. He was the picture of smug confidence.
"Well don't you two look cute together? Police Girl, do you like your new girlfriend?"
Seras was fed up. What was the git up to now? "Master stop being such a prat. It's not like that and you know it. What have you come here to do?"
"No Seras you don't ask me questions. I give you orders! Or have you forgotten who your Master is?"
Seras looked at her Master defiantly. "No I could never forget who you are, Master."
Alucard smirked, "Good, glad to see you remember – and know your place." The vampire walked over to Fiona. She was even more beautiful then when he had first laid eyes on her. She had aged well and now he would make her – his again. "Seras you can run along and play. I have some business with Fiona."
Fiona had told Seras when Alucard asked for privacy to trick him into thinking he had it. She was supposed to hide somewhere in the room and watch – just on the off chance that Alucard wasn't going to play dirty. Seras walked out of the room and then turned herself to mist so she could re-enter it without Alucard knowing. One good thing about Alucard ignoring her was that he had no idea she knew how to turn to mist. She had been practicing since Pip's death. Seras may not be a Master vampire like him, but she had more power then he gave her credit for. And she had learned how to use it without his help.
Alucard approached Fiona. "I've missed you, Fiona."
"Sorry – can't say I feel the same, arsehole."
Alucard feigned a look of intense hurt. "Fiona, how can you speak so harshly? I thought I meant something to you." He stroked her cheek with his gloved hand. "You act as if my intentions are not honorable."
Fiona laughed. "Alucard stop playing with me. I'm not some mouse who will allow the cat to play with me before he rips apart my body and drinks my blood."
The vampire pulled Fiona close to him as he whispered in her ear, "Well then, let's gets down to business. I've come back to finish what was so rudely interrupted 30 years ago."
Fiona tried to push Alucard away. "You disgust me – please keep your claws to yourself, demon."
"That is not how you acted back then. I remember how you begged me to touch you with these claws." Alucard backed Fiona into a wall trapping her in a corner.
"That was a different girl. I'm a woman now and I know better." Fiona stared back at Alucard with fierce determination in her eyes – so much like Integral.
"Fiona don't you want to drink my blood? Come with me and ---"
"No I don't. Please leave my home, Alucard." Fiona shouted at Alucard, her voice filled with contempt.
Alucard walked a few feet away at Fiona, contemplating his next action. He was not leaving without her with him or inside of him. "No. Not until we finish."
Fiona had enough. She started chanting a spell under her breath until a hot orb of light formed in her palm. Fiona threw the orb with all her strength at the vampire. It hit him in the chest but merely went through. Alucard started laughing hysterically.
"So that is what you want? You want to fight me? Splendid! It's been too long since I had a fought with a beautiful woman. I will battle you and devour every part of you." Alucard drew his gun.
That was the Police Girl's cue. She moved as mist to the center of the room behind Alucard. Seras reformed and punched her Master square in the jaw. He reeled in response. She had gotten him! The fledgling moved back knowing Alucard would want his revenge. She drew her gun and shot him in the arm which immediately regenerated. Damn he's quick.
Alucard focused all of his attention on Seras now. "Do you really want to do this Seras Victoria? Think carefully. Are you going to betray the one who created you? I can crush you without twice."
"I have to Master. I don't want to - but my humanity comes first. Doing what is right is more important to me then anything. I'm sorry but I have to protect t her."
"Very well then," Alucard took out his Jackal and aimed at Seras. He laughed maniacally as he fired the first three shots. Seras was able to avert them, but just barely.
Fiona tried performing some other spells but was having problems. Nearly every spell she tried had minimal effect on Alucard. It was as if his black majic was acting as some sort of shield. As she watched Seras dodge his bullets, Fiona knew she had to make a choice. She could of course go with him, become one of his brides - Ughh, no, not ever. Or she could fight him to the death, at which point he would devour her blood, flesh, bones. No - that's not good either. She swore that he would never ever have any part of her. But wait – there is one other way. Fiona started chanting like mad, praying her spell would work.
Seras was getting tired. So far she had been lucky but now even that was running out. Alucard decided to call his hells hounds out. Let's see what you can do against a true Nosferatu, Seras Victoria. The fledgling panicked when she saw the demons. What in the hell am I supposed to do against them? Seras was trying to plan a strategy when she felt it. It felt like a small burst of energy and then the room got incredibly hot. Even the hell hounds paused. They looked in the energy of the blast – it was Fiona.
Fiona had a ball of energy the size of a basketball in her arms. Seras smiled – Fiona was going to throw the fireball at Alucard. She could not wait to see him suffer for once. Alucard was grinning too – he loved a good fight. But, Fiona didn't throw it. She did something else. The fireball grew in size and then it changed somehow. The fireball morphed into a blanket of hot light and wrapped itself around Fiona's entire being. Seras was not sure what Fiona was trying to do until she saw the look on Alucard's face. His face was filled with disappointment, anger, and confusion. Seras watched in horror as the flame appeared to get hotter and Fiona smiled as her body caught on fire. The light around her extinguished and all that was left of Fiona were bones – all of her flesh had burned off. Seras became enraged. This was Alucard's fault.
"Why, Alucard, why – why did you have to come here and screw up her life again?" Seras screamed as crimson tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
"She was mine, Seras. You wouldn't understand."
"But, she was never yours Alucard. I don't care if you two were lovers. She didn't belong to you. Don't you see? People don't belong to others."
"Yes they do, Seras. And I will show you what happens when a fledgling betrays her Master."
Alucard grabbed Seras by the shoulders and sunk his teeth into her flesh. Her needed and wanted blood. He would take his fledglings and then he would destroy her. Alucard loved the way she writhed in his arms as he consumed her blood. He would destroy her the way he did Rip. What a glorious day that was. He spotted her Harconnen in the corner of the room. Perfect. He walked over to it, leaving Seras half passed out on the floor. How fitting that Seras would die at the hands of the same weapon that she had killed so many vampires with.
Seras watched in horror as her Master picked up her Harkonnen. No, she thought, it is not going to end this way. Seras summoned every bit of strength she had and stopped her bleeding. She slowly stood up, her hands morphed into razor sharp claws. The fledgling ran towards her Master and started tearing into his skin. She may die today but it would not be without a fight.
Alucard did nothing when Seras first started attacking him. He loved how it felt as her claws made tears in his skin. The pain felt exquisite as blood dripped from his wounds. And Seras looked absolutely beautiful. The sheer power his fledgling exhibited as she became the monster he knew she could, aroused him greatly. The Nosferatu laughed maniacally before he started attacking her with his own claws. He pinned her to the ground and grinded his body into hers. Perhaps Fiona dying wasn't an entirely bad thing. It seemed to have made his fledgling stronger somehow.
Seras pushed up with all of her strength on her Master's chest. He was not going to do this do her. But, it was no use. Alucard was so much stronger then she. He pulled her closer to him as he fondled her chest. Seras was repulsed at her body's reaction. After everything, it was reacting to him. She hated him…how could she be aroused. Seras continued to fight against Alucard even as his hands tore at her clothes. She pushed him away, clawing at his chest. Somehow the whole experience was strangely erotic for her too. Seras was fighting him, yet wanting him inside of her. What kind of monster have I become?
Alucard answered his fledgling inside of her mind. You have become more like me, Seras. With those words his shadows surrounded them. He entered her as tendrils attacked her body and consumed more of her blood. The intensity of the sensations Seras felt confused her. Feelings of pain and pleasure overwhelmed her body. She could not sense where each ended and the other began. But, Seras knew she would die soon if he did not stop consuming her blood. But it was so hard to fight against him when her body did not want to. As her body was at last satisfied from the combination of pain and pleasure from her Master, Seras had the strength to resume pushing him away. Alucard pressed his chest down harder breaking his fledgling's arms. He smirked at her as her bones snapped. Seras cursed at her weakness and her Master's cruelty. This was not how she wanted things to turn out. Alucard finally stopped, having satisfied himself. He had enough now and wanted to end everything for good. He grabbed the Harconnen holding it in his hands. Alucard could not wait to impale his fledgling with the weapon she had used to defend her human comrades. He came within inches of her chest when he heard a familiar laughter.
The maniacal laughter filled the room. Seras grinned when she realized who it was. Maybe if she asked him nicely he would say a prayer for her soul.
"What have ye done with her, ye demon?!?" Father Anderson walked into the room, his footsteps echoing through the castle.
"Done with whom – Vatican whipping boy?" Alucard threw the Harconnen down. He would deal with his fledgling later.
"Stop playing games with me, Alucard. I'm not in the mood. What have ye done with Fiona?"
"Oh so she is why you're here. I should have guessed. Well I did nothing to her. It seems she couldn't go on with her pitiful life. She set herself on fire. Fiona is dead."
Anderson looked on the floor and saw his old friend's charred remains. They had played together as children – before they both realized that Protestants and Catholic didn't do that. They had remained friends of some sort through the years, keeping in contact by phone and letters. And now she was dead. Anderson knew that Fiona had a good reason for ending her life. Perhaps it was to keep Alucard from drinking her blood.
"Why couldn't ye leave her alone, demon? She didn't want anything to do with the likes of ye." Anderson pulled out his daggers. He was aching to slice up the vampire.
"You think so? Well that's not what she said before – when she shared my bed."
"Ye demon used yer black majic on her then. She hated ye Alucard. Believe that."
Alucard laughed as he pulled out his gun. "Let's dance, Anderson."
Anderson smiled. He had been wishing for a match such as this. He had been most pleased when Pip showed up, although surprised. The priest knew Pip had died and thought he was a demon from hell. But, he was pleasantly surprised to hear the Hellsing Captain had been helping his dear childhood friend. The Priest glanced at Seras. The Captain had been most concerned about her. Her clothes were badly torn revealing much of her beautiful body. He couldn't help but stare for a brief moment. Alex took off his coat and covered the vampire. Pip had made him promise before telling him about Fiona and Alucard, that he would protect her from Alucard and would not harm her himself. Seras smiled sweetly at the Paladin for his kindness.
As Seras watched the two battle, she surprised herself. Quietly she was routing for the Priest. Seras was so pissed at her Master – for what he had done. The two were canceling each other out – Alucard being injured by the silver blades and Anderson having trouble regenerating time and time again. The door opened again and Seras was never so happy to see two people as she was the two of them.
Integra walked in fuming mad. She was still in a state of shock. First Pip, her dead Captain calls her on the phone and tells her to meet him outside of Hellsing. She had thought it was a practical joke. And now this – Fiona's bones were at her feet and Seras looked half dead. Of course Alucard was in the middle of it all fighting Father Anderson. And Father Anderson had covered Seras' half naked body with his coat?!? What the bloody hell was going on? She forgot all of that when she saw how badly Seras was injured. What had Alucard done? She rushed to her side.
"Seras are you okay?" She brushed back her hair.
"Yes Sir. I think I'll be okay. I just lost a bit of blood."
Pip was on her other side and holding her hand. "You did good Seras."
"Good but Fiona killed herself. How is that good?"
"I know why she did it Seras – if it weren't for you her worst nightmare would've come true. You should be happy for her." Sir Integra spoke, her voice shaking. She had to fight back her tears. Fiona had been her friend when they were young.
"But why Sir, why would she do it?"
"She didn't want Alucard to have her blood – she was afraid that then she would be part of him and the acts he committed would be a mark on her soul. She burned herself so he could never have any part of her. If you weren't here – he probably would've killed her by drinking her blood or he would've turned her. You saved her soul, Seras."
Seras grinned. "Well at least someone's soul is saved. What're you going to do about the two of them?"
"I suppose I should stop them. It is tempting to let them go on. Maybe they'll kill each other."
Pip spoke softly, "Well the Paladin saved our Police Girl here. I'm sure Alucard would've killed her." He kissed Seras gently on the lips bringing a smile to her face.
"I'll forgive the Vatican then." Integra pulled out her sword and walked over to the two men who stopped fighting and stared at her. Alucard looked as if he had gotten caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
"Master, what are you doing here?" Alucard asked – feigning an innocent look.
"I do believe Servant, that is my question."
"I was visiting an old friend. Then I had to teach my fledgling a lesson."
"And just what are you doing with Father Anderson?" Integra berated her Servant.
"Oh just having a little fun."
"Alucard – I will deal with your crimes later. Go back to Hellsing NOW." Integra glared at Alucard with a look that would scare any mortal man. "Anderson, I'm told you helped Seras Victoria. Thank you. But, Hellsing owes the Vatican nothing. And things between our organizations remain the same, understood? I will keep this meeting secret. I suggest you do the same."
Anderson grinned. He had to admit he admired Sir Hellsing. "Tis best for all us. I was glad to help ye vampire. I want the pleasure of a fight with her one day. Vampire, ye can keep me coat. But now ye do owe me."
Anderson walked out the door. He smiled at Seras on the way out. If Integra didn't know better, she'd say the priest was flirting with her vampire. Integra and Pip helped Seras up and to her room. Integra left Pip and Seras alone. She wanted to have another word with Alucard.
"Alucard – this is an order. I don't tell you how to treat Seras. She is your fledgling. But, if you have lay a hand on her again, I will lock you down in the dungeon like my father. This is an order, so do not break it, Servant."
Alucard bowed. "As you wish Master – I will be departing then."
Integra smirked. It amazed her how obedient Alucard could be to her while he nearly killed Seras. She walked over to Fiona's remains and said a prayer. The knight guessed she would be attending another funeral.
Pip kissed Seras softly upstairs and then watched her as she dressed. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was even when she was so badly injured.
"So Pip will I get to see you again?"
"Yup – you can't get rid of me so easily. Sir Integra said she'd get someone to figure a way for me to get around those seals. That way I can come and visit you. Maybe I'll surprise you by slipping in your coffin." Pip winked at the vampire.
Seras blushed. She didn't know how because Alucard had consumed so much of her blood – damn bastard. The vampire gave the ghost a huge hug. It was crazy she knew, but Seras loved him with her entire heart and soul. The two of them laid in her coffin with the lid open enjoying the last moments before it was time for Seras to go. Seras couldn't help but smile. This was the best vacation she ever had. Even with all the bad things that happened, she would do it all over again just for a chance to be with Pip.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Well that is the end. Thanks to all that reviewed and gave input. Special thanks to Thess for her suggestions and constructive criticism. Now to my darker then dark AxS fic. (on AFF)