Alucard's Familiar: "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get this up yesterday, why? Read my livejournal (Grin) and the Pit kept making my formatting a snack. Hope you like the end of this, and thanks to all my reviewers. Happy New Year Justice (snicker) She's going to kill me…"
Seras: "Alucard's Familiar doesn't own Hellsing or any of its characters. Who's going to kill you? I want to watch."
Every other Hellsing member: "US TOO!"
Alucard's Familiar: (Sweat drop) "I've decided that this is just a manga AU, it was sort of indecisive during that last chapter, but now it's solid. Enjoy!"
Icicles and Snowflakes Part 2
The snow fell gently upon them as they walked down the sidewalk, talking idly about anything that came to mind, from events in their younger years to present day families. Integra mostly listened, since she herself had little to contribute to the conversation, but she enjoyed hearing about what it would have been like to have been born to a normal family, to have lived a normal life.
"You're somewhat silent," Enrico pointed out. "Something wrong?"
Her platinum locks bounced and swayed as she shook her head, "No, just halfway daydreaming. Wondering what it would be like to be normal."
"For you? Boring I would guess," he grinned, making her laugh.
"Most likely," she chuckled, "But it would be nice to relax for a change."
"I'll bet," the Catholic smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder cautiously. He was relieved when she didn't snap at him, and the smile reappeared on his face when she didn't pull away. Instead, he watched her face a gain a little color. "What? Have you never been doted on before?"
"Men have tried, I've usually shot them," Integra looked up at him with a smirk. "You're just lucky I'm in a good mood."
"Then I'll enjoy it," Enrico said as he turned his attention to the places in front of him. They were coming up to a small square with a small park off the to the side. It looked like a picture out of a story book, everything covered in a soft blanket of white and the snow was falling softly upon them. He looked up at the sky, but all he could see were the gray snow clouds, and how he wished for the clear sky and the glow of the brilliant stars.
He looked back down at Integra a noticed that she too had a beauty about her that night. He knew from back at the bar that she had been wearing a simple white sweater and a dark pair of blue jeans. Over that she had a long, form fitting, ice blue coat trimmed with, to his surprise, ivory-white fuzzy stuff. It was feminine, something he had never seen before on her.
"It was a gift from Seras," Integra said, breaking the silence. "It was better than any of the blazers I had, so I wore it. It's not something I would have picked out myself, but I like it."
"It looks nice on you," he commented, then froze, noticing what he had said. Integra had frozen to the spot as well and they both looked at one another, a small blush creeping up on each of their faces.
Integra was the first to move, walking over to lean against a light post that stood in the middle of the square. She looked away from him and down the street into the darkness.
"Maxwell, do you ever-" Integra started to say.
"Enrico," he interrupted her.
She turned and gave him a curious look, but it evolved into a small smile, "Enrico, do you ever regret joining the Vatican, to rid the earth of the darkness that has been put upon it?"
Enrico studied her for a moment, "At times I regret joining the Vatican, but I've never regretted to my commitment to God. Fighting the demons of the night can be trying, but my service to God never wavers, even on some of the toughest nights." He was silent for a moment, the turned the question on her, "Do you ever regret?"
"I was born into this," Integra said. "I can no more regret it than I can love it."
Enrico sighed and walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders, "Even though you and I will probably end up bickering with each other once this holiday is over, know that if you ever need a friendly chat outside your organization, my line is always free."
Integra smirked, "We'd probably end up shooting each other."
"True, but I didn't feel right unless I'd gotten out there," Enrico and looked up at the sky once more to calm himself. Even if the stars weren't up there to calm him, just looking up at the vastness of it was somehow, tranquil. This time though, his eyes settled on something else. "Miss Hellsing, you pick the bloody rottenest places to stop under."
"What are you talking abo…oh…" she had looked up as well and the sight had silenced her. "Oh dear, and I believe I have no way out of it."
"I don't think so," he smirked at her.
"If anyone sees me doing this, I'm blaming it on you," Integra chuckled as the Catholic leaned in close and claimed her lips.
No more than three meters away, a red eyed, black clad vampire had stopped and was busy trying to figure out how to get his jaw out of the gutter. He had seen his master along with the Catholic priest leave the bar and he had been easily trailing them the whole time. Alucard had only stopped once when a large group of children with a few parents had decided to start coming in his direction, and, in the flurry of small people, he had lost sight of her. Now that he had caught up to her, the vampire had seen the interaction under the mistletoe.
Integra knew he was there before she spotted him over Enrico's shoulder and smiled to herself.
Maxwell pulled away slightly and embraced her in a gentle hug, "What are you smiling about?"
"Oh nothing, aside from the fact that my pet has managed to follow me all the way out here and he looks like he's about to lose whatever he's eaten today," she chuckled slightly and slipped her hand into Maxwell's coat pocket. "Mind if borrow this for a second?"
"They are silver rounds," Enrico commented.
"That's all right, he'll survive," Integra said as she pulled the revolver out at lightning speed and shot the vampire square between the eyes. As quickly as the gun appeared, it disappeared back into Enrico's pocket, as though it had never left.
The priest peered over his shoulder and saw the legs of the vampire sticking out of a dumpster, what it had fallen into from the momentum of the shot, "Very nice."
"Three to four hours a day on the practice range should be good for something," Integra snickered, then realized she was still in the warm embrace of the man. She made no move to pull away, but Enrico was still aware of how unsure she was to the whole situation, something he thought she never revealed to a normal person. Instead of standing there though, he pulled one arm away and turned toward the direction of the Hellsing Manor.
"So, about me getting you home," he started as they walked down the white street.
"Yes, I believe you were walking me there," Integra said lowly, but a smile was on her face, along with a hint of humor.
He chuckled along with her, realizing then that Christmas had given him a gift. Something he would always remember, a moment in time where he and someone he cared for walked through the icicles and the snowflakes.
OOOO
Alucard's Familiar: Reworked the ending, am happy with it now. I hope you enjoyed this little gift, and I may have given myself an idea to get creative again." (Grin)
Seras: "Reviews are happily accepted, and constructive criticism is loved."
Alucard's Familiar: "But don't give me pet peeves, I know some people have pet peeves, but, keep them to yourselves. Please? And again, if anyone flames this, then, well, apparently you didn't read very well. Thanks again!"