Title: Family Matters
Author: DhampyrX2
Genre: X-over
Series: Impure Souls
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe
Summary: Xander has hidden family. Xander discovers them. Xander's life gets turned upside down in a way that will hopefully help everyone evolve a bit.
Timeframe: After Graduation, but before the College crap starts.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Don't sue me, I'm poor.
Xander tried to hide his trepidation at meeting Integra that afternoon. After all, all he truly knew of the woman was what he had been told, plus the contents of one conversation while he visited her in the Tower of London a few days ago. He really wasn't sure if this meeting was just her way of hiding the fact that she would try to tear him away from Seras in some fashion without upsetting the young vampiress. Integra didn't seem the type for such subterfuge, and his instincts told him to give her the benefit of the doubt, but he was still leery as he entered the tearoom.
"Ah, cousin, right on time I see." Integra commented from where she perused the reports Seras had filed on her and Xander's encounters in America. Integra looked up from the paper hard copy of the report and gave him a pleasant, if strained smile.
"Yeah." Xander said warily as he took a seat across from the Hellsing leader.
Integra let him sit there and stew for a moment before she sighed a bit in exasperation and commented, "I said it was your business, and I'm leaving it at that. Don't let Alucard's demented need for ways to satiate his boredom create undue tension between us. I would like the chance to get to know my only remaining family without him looking like I'm about to devour him at any moment."
"Ok, gotcha." Xander said with a nod. "It's not like it's the first time Gramps made his fun at my expense, anyway." the White Knight added with a small shrug.
"Oh?" Integra inquired mildly, as she set her papers aside for the time being.
"Yeah, seems he thinks it's a laugh to mix up mine and Vicky's food if we have dinner together...which we really have since the first day I arrived. He'll order gazpacho, or fruit punch, or anything that involves red liquid as a part of /my/ meal; then he'll 'accidentally' switch it with Seras." Xander explained with a roll of his eyes.
"That sounds like his sense of humor, alright." Integra confided with lidded eyes. "Although I'm surprised he would risk making you ill like that. He's usually more...gentle with family historically."
"Yeah well, that's what makes it funny for him. It turns out blood doesn't make me toss my cookies like a normal human. I guess I'm just vamp enough to stomach it." Xander elaborated. "So he tried to convince me to eat 'properly' with him and Seras, and then switches my meal when I try to avoid it. I mean, if it was just the ick factor of drinking blood, I might give in for the sake of not hurting Vicky's feelings. She feels horrible drinking blood as is. But, well, that blood was acquired specifically for Gramps and Seras to feed from. They can't get any nutrition from anything else in the house. I just don't feel like wasting their only viable food for the sake of his weird entertainment value."
Integra raised her brow at that. She had never considered the 'tactical' reasoning of why Xander would refuse. Walter was quite right in implying the young man could introduce fresh perspectives to certain situations. "Have you mentioned that to him in your protests?" she asked evenly.
Xander nodded tiredly as he replied, "He says you have plenty, we can afford it, and that he'd be happy to give me his share because I'm a growing boy, and there are plenty of human threats to Hellsing to feed him if things get tight. Then he went into a story about how when he was first captured they fed him condemned prisoners and complained about how vile their blood tasted from the diseases they picked up in prison, and the drugs they took. I kind of tried to tune him out at that point."
"You are not the first Hellsing to do so." Integra replied with a grin. "Still, I will speak to him about it this evening when he comes to pester me." she promised.
From there the cousins settled into a more pleasant form of chatter as Integra inquired about his studies and training, his experiences on the Hellmouth, and his plans for the future. After a half hour of conversation the tea arrived courtesy of the regular servants, as Walter was still trying to take it easy and mend, and they settled in with their tea and biscuits as they continued to discuss things.
"You know I have it on good authority that Alucard intends for you to train with swords at some point, Xander." Integra commented as she spread some clotted cream on a currant scone.
"Yeah, he's mentioned giving me one of great grandpa Adrian's' old swords once I'm ready to handle it." he replied as he tried to hold in the obvious Spaceballs joke at the tip of his tongue.
"If you like, I could train you in fencing as part of your regimen. I was quite skilled at the use of the blade, mostly due to Alucard's direction, and I could use the practice to get back my top form." she offered.
Xander gave Integra that half grin that made Seras melt (metaphorically, not like Alucard when he reforms his body) as he responded, "That sounds great."
Anything else he was about to say was cut off as Walter entered with a new set of papers in hand. "Sorry to interrupt, Sir Integra, Master Xander, but I have the reports for possible recruits to bolster our ranks compiled." he said by way of introduction, as he adjusted his monocle with his free hand, and gave Integra the files with the other.
"Not of the big, Wally. Important stuff comes first." Xander cheerfully replied.
"Wally?" Integra asked as she looked up from the papers she was now perusing.
Walter sighed as he responded, "The young master has a tendency to give shortened nicknames to people once he feels comfortable around them. Such as calling Officer Victoria 'Vicky' or myself 'Wally'"
Integra smirked sarcastically as she said, "Why, cousin, I'm hurt. You don't feel comfortable enough with me to make a play on words at my expense?"
Xander shrugged affably as he responded, "It's kind of hard to shorten a name as unique as 'Integra' without coming off with something really insulting. And Grams was pretty insistent that /he/ had the monopoly on making you upset."
"He certainly does." Integra replied with a look that bordered on fondness, not that she'd ever admit it, "But remember I order /him/ around. He does not command /you/."
And yet you should remember to have respect for your elders, child. Alucard added telepathically in Xander's head with a laugh.
Xander wisely choose to ignore the vampire's intrusion as he nodded in reply to his cousin's counsel, and tried to peek a bit at the files she was handed.
Integra noticed his curiosity and handed him half of the files as she said, "If you don't mind, I'd like your opinion on these candidates. You are a Hellsing, after all, and you have shown quite an aptitude for structuring of strike force during your high school graduation."
Xander took the files with a dumbfounded expression as he replied, "Thanks. But I just did what had to be done in the situation. It was nothing special."
"Ah, but the fact you /did/ do what was needed is what /makes/ it special. You researched your needs, organized and deployed your forces, and set out and executed a timetable that accomplished your goals with minimal losses in a matter of days. That is not something to be taken lightly." Integra countered to his modesty.
Xander just nodded, still a bit unsure of himself, as he looked over the files in his hand. Soon the cousins found a need to move to the larger tables in the library as they sorted through the candidates and explained why they thought each should be recruited or left alone.
One thing about the files bothered Xander, though. "Why do you only have military personnel in the files?" he asked with a furrowed brow.
"What?" Integra asked in return, thinking the answer would be obvious. "They're already trained and combat ready. We just have to get them up to Hellsing standards."
"Yeah but, isn't that the reason so many wash out?" he countered.
"What do you mean?" Integra asked with interest sparking in her eyes.
"Well, I can see having some military personnel. If they can handle fighting demons and stuff, great. Most of the successes, from what the troops told me yesterday, are guys who ran up against demons before they came here and had a reason to fight with everything they had. But these files are /all/ military. It's like you're reducing your recruitment pool for no reason." he tried to explain.
"We tried supplementing our ranks with mercenaries after the Valentine brothers affair. They were more trouble then they were worth with one exception." Integra responded coolly.
Xander shook his head in reply to her answer as he said, "I don't mean mercs. They'll have similar problems. The real problem with training soldiers for this work, and forgive me for going all Yoda-y on you, is that they have to unlearn what they have learned. You have to retrain them to go only for head and heart shots, and to acclimate themselves to vampiric and ghoul speeds and reflexes. The thing is they're already trained to deal with human opponents, so that throws them off their game because they have muscle memories and ingrained responses that hinder them."
"Then what would you suggest?" Integra asked, seeing he already had something in mind.
"Recruit and train civilians. Offer the opportunity for survivors of vampire and ghoul attacks learn the skills they need to fight back. Offer to train and recruit the local hunting groups in areas where they have no support and are fighting blind like we were in Sunnydale. I mean, if someone had offered to train all of us so that we would have a better chance to survive, I would have joined up in a nanosecond. Buffy might have refused because of the combination of the 'me Slayer, me protect, you human, you hide' mentality the Council force fed her and her own fears about losing friends, but after the stunts they pulled this year starting with that trial crap and firing Giles, you or any group that treated up like actual people would have had the whole group in a clean sweep."
"You want us to recruit untrained children?" Integra asked archly.
"Not kids. Recruit the people who are already fighting /this/ war on their own, instead of solely retraining people meant to handle /other/ wars. If you get together even half of the small hunting groups that are running around the larger cities like London, or Glasgow, or hell even foreign countries, then you'll have a huge base of people that our existing troops can mold to deal with things properly from the start. After all, the troops here know what boot camp is for. If Hellsing makes it's own boot camp to train people already willing to die to fight demons, and you have to be willing to face death just to enter this fight, we'll be in a much better position overall, and our numbers would swell way faster then the amount of time it takes for up to weed out and harvest competent soldiers alone." he explained growing more animated as he detailed his thoughts.
Integra was silent for a long time after he finished speaking. He had brought up some valid points that she had never really considered before. "You may be on to something, Xander." she said after a time. "But it raises the question of how to locate these hunting groups."
"Simple. Head to areas with high concentrations of the lower bred revenant vamps, places like Sunnydale where the walking sewer rats like to congregate, and patrol the local hot spots. Five will get you ten you'll find the local hunters fighting them within the two weeks, tops, at any location." Xander replied confidently.
Integra mulled his words over again before she replied, "I'll need permission from Her Majesty to expand our policy like this. I'll see to asking her for it. I'd like you to work with Walter on the logistics of attempting this within Britain's borders alone for now, just to see how feasible it truly is."
Xander beamed like a proud ten year old as he replied, "You got it."
Any further planning was put on hold as Alucard walked through the wall to Integra's right. "What is it, Alucard?" she asked in icy tones, still upset at his foolish prank at her expense.
"Night has fallen Master, and the Police Girl has finished her lessons. I await you orders." Alucard replied with a small formal bow.
"I want you to check the area where you and Adrian encountered the FREAK chip vampires last night and see of you can find any reason for their insertion there." Integra ordered.
"You encountered FREAKS last night? And saw Adrian?" Xander asked, feeling a bit lost.
"Indeed I did, boy. We took out the trash in a small dance club in the city." the No Life King replied with a wide smile of satisfaction.
"Huh. Seras and I have come up dry all week in patrols. You just have all the luck, I guess." Xander commented.
"More skill than, luck, child. Adrian and I can sense FREAKS far more easily than the Police Girl. Or perhaps I should call her Police Woman, now?" the vampire responded with a leering grin as Xander blushed and looked at his feet.
"Alucard! You will not harass them like that!" Integra snapped at her 'pet' in agitation.
"Of course not, Master." the vampire replied with false innocence. "Did I not already say I prefer their choice of paramour over their previous desired entanglements?"
"Uh, I think I'll get gone and see how Vicky is. Do you have any particular mission for us; um...I'm not sure what to call you for official things." Xander admitted to Integra as he made his way for the door.
"You will still be having supper before I leave, won't you, Xander. I've grown fond of spending family time with you and the Police Girl." Alucard commented in a voice that said he was not escaping the house without a meal in his and Seras' stomachs.
"Yeah, if it's cool with Integra, I guess." Xander replied nervously.
"It is fine with me, Xander. In fact, you, Alucard, and Officer Victoria can join me for supper as well. That way I can make certain Alucard does not harass you further. As for a title, in private like this, you may call me Integra. In front of the men, you can refer to me as 'Sir Integra' or 'Commander'. Both are appropriate enough in their eyes." she replied to his queries.
Xander just nodded gratefully, before leaving the room and heading off to find Seras.
Once he was gone, Integra looked sharply at her vampire and asked, "Why are you training my cousin to drink blood?"
Alucard shrugged as he answered, "The fact he can do so suggests that he's got enough mideon traits to gain some power from it. If nothing else it will keep his reserves of eldritch energies high enough give him full access to Alucard and Trevor's relics. I want him at his peak when trains with them."
"Then explain that to him, instead of acting like an overgrown child." she replied in a monotone.
"As you wish, Master." Alucard replied with a bow.
Integra nodded once, sharply, before she returned her attentions to the files before her.
"He really is remarkable, isn't he?" Alucard asked from beside her.
"Yes. He is." Integra agreed. "Less then a month into knowing his heritage, and he's already arranged to create the circumstances for my release, and quite possibly opened an avenue to return us to strength even greater than before the FREAKS were introduced."
"It will be a pity to see him return to America." Alucard commented rhetorically after a moment.
"You believe he will?" She asked evenly, never looking up from her papers.
"Of course. His sense of loyalty is too strong to leave them for good. Even if he does not return at the end of the summer, they will eventually get themselves into a situation he will feel requires his aid." Alucard answered.
"I know. What do you recommend we do?" Integra asked, finally looking up at the vampire.
"Send him with our blessings and, if his plans pan out as I think they will, send the Police Girl along with him. The ranks will be full enough to spare her, she'll give him a reminder of his family here, and she can support him in ways the Slayer and Watcher could never dream of." Alucard replied.
"You sound as if you think his leave will not be permanent." Integra pointed out to the vampire.
"It won't be. The Slayer is spoiled, and will resent the Police Girl. So will the witch. Both of them will also be put off by the boy's power. I intend to train him with the Vorpal Blade and the Sword of Dawn, as well as several spells. All of that will serve him well, and will intimidate and upset them. Eventually, they will force him away with their pettiness, and he will return to us. There he is a sidebar, a troop that is expected to follow their commands as law. Here, he is a leader in training, and heir to us all. He will know where he is best needed. And most wanted." Alucard explained with surety.
Integra just nodded her head. Alucard's predictions, though pessimistic, did fit with the psychological profiles of Xander's Sunnydale allies. She knew she could trust her 'weapon' to give wise council on this matter. "I imagine Seras and Xander are nearly dressed and ready for supper. Shall we head off, then?" she asked regally.
"At you command, Sir Hellsing." Alucard replied with a bow and a smile. It was good to have her back.
END PART 15