This was written for Thess, based in my London Bridge AU. Coincidentally, (ha!) I'm working on the follow-up to London Bridge now, so expect to see still more verbosity from the keyboard of DreadNot in the near future. This scene comes just after London Bridge and just before the follow-up, Fiddle While it Burns. Have no idea what I'm prattling about? Click my profile and you'll see it.
Alexander Anderson was not comfortable in hospitals. He had considered not coming when the Hellsing woman's vampire girl had found him and relayed her leader's request. In the end, he had felt that he owed her something. As the newly appointed head of Iscariot, he would be the one cleaning up the mess Enrico Maxwell had left. Starting with Sir Integra Hellsing was as good a place as any.
The vampire hunter needed no help finding Integra's room. He just followed the scent of undead until he found the door with Alucard lounging against it. The last time he'd seen Hellsing's ace vampire, Alucard had been pinned by the Morrigan's tendrils. He let that memory rise to the fore of his mind as he stood face-to-face with his enemy.
"My Master has informed me that I am to let you pass unmolested, apostate." Alucard's opinion of Integra's order was clear.
"Then I guess ye should be getting out of my way, shouldn't ye?"
The two man-monsters stared unblinking at each other until Alucard finally swept a mocking bow and opened the door for the man in priest's robes. Don't think I won't be watching you, Judas Priest.
Anderson ignored the vampire and entered the dim room.
Integra Hellsing closed the screen on her laptop as the priest entered, ducking through the door with the ease of long practice. "I wasn't sure you'd come, Father Anderson."
"I wasn't sure I would either, to be honest, Sir Hellsing." He pulled the visitor's chair out of the corner and sat at her bedside. With his height, they were at eye-level. "I assume ye wanted to talk about reparations from Iscariot and our assistance with the clean-up of the remaining Millennium troops?"
The woman leaned her head back for a moment and closed her eyes. She was pale under the natural tan of her skin. She should be resting after losing a hand and large amount of blood, but she clearly was pushing herself as hard as she pushed those around her. It pained Anderson in a way he couldn't pinpoint to see this woman of steel weakened. It was as though her maiming mirrored the amputation England had endured with the loss of London.
Integra opened her eyes and her moment of weakness had passed. "The Crown will negotiate reparations with the Vatican. I'll save that for the people who are better at talk than action. If you would use your Iscariots in the next few days to help with clean-up, it would be welcome."
"It would give my people something to do. Many of them feel the need to redeem themselves. It is generous of ye to give them the chance." Anderson thought back to negotiating disagreements with the children of the orphanage; it went more easily if both sides had something to offer. Integra had offered redemption of a sort; he had offered a sword arm to her while she rebuilt her organization. It didn't make up for everything Maxwell had done, but it gave them an opening.
The two leaders sat in silence for several minutes. There was much unsaid that hung between them – thanks and recriminations, anger and compassion.
Finally Integra spoke, "I'm not very good at this. I wanted to thank you. I know you disobeyed your orders when you helped me and it couldn't have been easy. Without your help –" she paused and her face creased with pain.
"Sir Integra, you don't need to thank me. You don't owe me anything. I'd prefer not to –"
"You'd prefer not to owe me. I understand. Let me propose that we reach an understanding. On a personal level, all debts are paid. What differences there may be between Iscariot and Hellsing are separate from the two of us." She ventured a smile, "It is said that friendship can grow from a shared tragedy." Her smile became less tentative when she heard Alucard's mental shout of denial and anger. That's what you get for eavesdropping.
The paladin sat in shock. Integra Hellsing was bending enough to offer friendship to him? He thought back over the circumstances of their acquaintance and realized that, outside of her unfortunate religious affiliation, he quite respected her. With his own apostasy, her Protestantism seemed like much less of hurdle than it once had.
He enfolded her left hand in his two huge hands, "It would be my honor, Sir Integra."
"The honor is mine, Alexander."