The Past Does Haunt Us

It was 4:25 pm. It was a grey day, but still light outside. Walter and Seras were still asleep. Integra was upstairs and Mouse…Mouse was…

"Mouse." called Alucard.

No Answer.

Alucard had been enjoying a peaceful walk though the house. All was quiet and all were where they should be; all but Mouse. Suddenly, the light smell of excitement and desire caught his attention. He growled in annoyance and disappeared. He reappeared in the TV room. He rolled his eyes and snarled at them as he watched Mouse and James. James had Mouse's body pinned to the sofa as he caressed her sides and kissed her neck. He was about to unzip Mouse's pants when he was grabbed by his neck and hoisted into the air.

"Holy Shit!" he exclaimed, with great surprise.

Alucard growled angrily at him.

"Hands off my daughter!"

"But..."

Alucard turned James towards the clock.

"Not until 6pm. So go and guard the gates like your queen ordered you to." he said, throwing him across the room towards the door. "Make sure your men are in the house by sundown."

James hit the wall with a thud, before he fell to the floor, thud. He shook himself from the pain as he stood and huffed.

"Shirt, please." asked James, recomposing himself and zipping his pants.

Alucard used his power to call James' shirt to him. James took his shirt from the air and walked out as he buttoned it.

"Was that really necessary?" complained Mouse, as she put her shirt back on.

"Why aren't you guarding Integra?" asked Alucard, angrily.

"One, she's taking a bath and told me to leave her alone. Two, you're up. You protect her." retorted Mouse, as she stood up to Alucard.

Alucard back handed her. Mouse growled as blood seeped from her nose and lip.

"You shift ends at 6 pm." reminded Alucard. "Go and make Integra's tea."

Mouse growled as she obeyed.

"I can't wait for my little brother and sister to turn 2 years old. You are so gonna get paid back." she grumbled.

Alucard gave a toothy grin to her retreating back. He had forbidden Mouse to play her Rock music in the house while Integra was pregnant. And while she still played classical music for Integra, from time to time; it seemed that she and James had found another outlet for her pent up energy. Alucard disappeared, laughing.

He reappeared in Integra's bathroom. He studied her as she seemed to be sleeping. Suddenly, she spoke.

"Are you going to stand there staring at me or are you going to join me?" she asked, without opening her eyes.

Because of the link they shared, each knew when the other was present. Integra opened her eyes when she heard Alucard undressing. She watched with playful interest as he removed his black jacket, his white dress shirt…suddenly, Integra realized that he no longer wore his red suit. He had changed to an all black suit, her eyebrow rose with great interest as he slowly removed his pants. Integra smiled wickedly. Alucard never bothered to wear underwear.

"Enjoy the show?" he asked, climbing in the tub with her.

"Indeed." she said, allowing him to position himself behind her.

Alucard took Integra's loofa and proceeded to bathe her as she sat in his lap. He gently washed her right arm and then her left. He kissed her neck as he made gentle circles around her 9 month pregnant stomach.

"Oh, that feels so good." she sighed, with great contentment.

All of a sudden, there was movement in the water. Hearing it, Integra sat up more and looked down in the direction of the noise. She looked curiously at what looked like a black sea serpent rising up out of the water.

"Alucard." asked Integra, concern in her voice.

"I can't reach you legs from here so…" he confessed into her shoulder, as he gently kissed it.

Alucard's tendril grew arms. Alucard tossed the loofa to his tendril. It caught the loofa with its left "hand", raised Integra's left leg with its right "hand", and began to stoke her with the loofa.

"Alucard, you're poking me." Commented Integra.

"I'm hungry." he said, with a low animalistic growl.

"That may be, but I'm nine months pregnant and in no mood for ….aahhh."

Alucard raised an eyebrow as Integra seemed to be in delightful elation. She was being sexually stimulated, but not by him. He looked down at Integra's legs. The one tendril was still washing her leg; but another tendril had popped up and was now licking Integra's right leg. It was licking her leg very slowly, from knee to foot. It would gently kiss the bottom of her right foot and suck her toes. Alucard growled an angry growl at it. The tendril stopped, looked up at Alucard like a scolded child, and then sank back down beneath the water. Integra chuckled.

"What's the matter Alucard? Can't control yourself?"

"There are only three things that drive me to lose control. The smell of blood, the smell of war, and you." he said, turning her head just enough to look her straight in her bright blue eyes.

With that Alucard claimed her lips. Integra eagerly retuned his kiss. Their movements splashed water onto the floor.

"Trust me." said Alucard.

Was all he said, before all went black. When she awoke, she found herself standing alone on an empty plane of black glass.

"Hello and welcome to the inside of your head." Greeted Alucard.

"We're inside my head?" questioned Integra.

"Yes."

"But there's nothing here."

"Well, I've always said you've had nothing in your head." Teased Alucard. "And this proves it."

Integra growled at him. With the speed of a viper, he was on her. He pushed her to the ground and pinned her there beneath him.

"What are you doing!" exclaimed Integra, afraid of his rough treatment of her pregnant body.

"Inside your head…" he said, leaning down and whispering into her ear. "Whatever I want."

He bared his fangs, and then he bit her.

"Alucard, you bastard!"

Integra rolled over and pushed Alucard away from her. She was going to attack him, but something was different. She looked down. She wasn't pregnant. She looked at him, seeking answers.

"We're inside your mind, remember?" said Alucard, materializing right behind her. "In here, you can be or NOT be anything you want."

He made a mirror materialize out of thin air. Integra stared at it as she stared at herself; her non- pregnant and vampiric self. Alucard smiled, greatly.

"You really should have chosen to become my queen." He said, inhaling her lushish, sweet, divine scent.

"Well, if we're in my mind, that means I make the rules." Grinned Integra, as she ribbed him in the stomach hard enough to back him off her.

She turned and smiled at him wickedly.

"Now, I'm going to teach you who the master is." She said, preparing for a fight.

Alucard's smile widened as he faced her.

"Now, I will show you how real nosferatu mate."

Mouse had brought up Integra's tea and dinner. She placed the tray of food on the bedroom table and was about to knock on the bathroom door when….

"Not you again." Complained Mouse.

A shadow warrior barred her way.

"May I enter?" she asked.

It said nothing, but shook its head no. Mouse listened closer and heard water splashing onto the floor.

"Sounds like they're having a good time." Though Mouse.

"Tell Integra her dinner is ready." Said Mouse, as she turned to leave.

The shadow nodded and disappeared. Mouse looked at the clock on the wall as she left.

"Time to go find James, I think." She smiled.

Mouse found James downstairs counting his men. Night was about to fall and they now knew to be in by dusk. James grew concerned, he was one man short.

"Where's Corporal Charlie?" he asked.

"He was talking to some lost kid outside." Said Private Tomas.

"He's what!" growled James.

James ran to the door and jerked it open. Outside, he saw Charlie outside the barrier and talking to some kid.

"Charlie! You get your ass in here now! It's almost sundown!" hollered James.

"Too late." Said Mouse, as she felt the sunset.

Suddenly, Charlie was hit by the boy. His punch sent Charlie to his knees. Then a hellish green light engulfed Charlie. James and his men watched helplessly as Charlie screamed and screamed as if his soul was being ripped from his body, as he became possessed by the demon.

"Holy Shit!" exclaimed Private Johnson.

"You mean Unholy Shit." Corrected Sgt. Bartley.

"Shut up! You idiots!" scolded James. "This is why you must be in before sundown! I don't care if the pope himself shows up!"

"First vampires, now demons; do I want to know what other skeletons Integra keeps in her closet." joked Private Tomas, trying to hide his fear.

"Damn it, they are gonna breach the barrier." Said Mouse.

"What! I thought you said nothing could breech your holy barrier!" complained Corporal Watson.

"Demons can't. Demon possessed humans can." Informed Mouse.

"We're fucked." Whined Private Johnson.

"Is it still too late to transfer out of this unit and back to the real world?" teased Sgt. Bartley.

"Lock and load gentleman." Instructed Mouse. "Cause if they kill Integra, the whole world will look like our front door."

James' men took another look outside and saw Charlie's burned and broken body advancing on the house. He walked right through the gate.

"Aw, shit. What now Colour Wellington?"

"You heard her! Lock and Load! Every exit, window and door! Go! Defend this house at all costs! Do not let them enter here!" ordered James. "And where do you think your going?"

Mouse just smiled as she loaded her guns.

"Outside to play."

James closed and barred the front door as Mouse stepped outside and into the yard. She scanned the yard with her third eye. Tonight, was not a good night. It seems the citizens of England had not heeded Integra's warning to stay indoors. No less than twenty-four humans, all ages and races, advanced towards the house. She growled with pity as Charlie faced her first.

"I'm sorry Charlie. Time to die." Said Mouse.

Mouse raised her gun and started firing. Possessed humans ran in every direction.

"You're not making it harder." Laughed Mouse, as she continued to put them down one by one. "You're just making it more fun."

Suddenly, Walter joined her.

"I've got the front." She informed Walter. "You take the back."

BANG, BANG.

"What happened to your barrier?" he asked.

"The closer Integra's deliver date gets, the stronger they become."

"And your "beloved" priest's charm at the gate?"

"Long gone or they wouldn't be here now."

BANG, BANG, BANG.

"Well, I was getting bored anyway." smiled Walter.

"Walter, the time for twenty questions is over. Go see to the back gate!"

"O.k. "Captain"." Complied Walter, saluting her in mock military fashion.

"And where is Seras?"

CRACK. CRACK. Mouse ducked as a sniper's bullet took out the demon in front of her.

"On the roof." Said Walter, as he vanished into nothingness.

Mouse smiled, as she looked up to see Seras covering both the front and back gates with biggest sniper rifle that she had ever seen.

"Ah, the Iris. One of the best weapons my little Ricos have ever built." Chuckled Mouse, with delight.

Suddenly, Mouse heard more gunfire coming from the house. Seeing through the house, she could see James' unit taking up defensive positions around the house; each one firing at anything that approached the house.

"Round the wagons, boys. Thank God, the queen had enough good sense to station James' men here." thought Mouse.

Mouse chuckled as she shot another demon. She finally realized that the queen didn't really assign James and his unit to keep Integra under house arrest; she assigned them there to help keep the demons out, to help keep Integra alive until the sacrifice to be made.

Seras couldn't help be feel that it was wrong to shoot these poor people. It wasn't their fault that they were trapped in the middle of an unending war between good and evil. But she also knew, from countless lectures that Integra had given her, that they couldn't allow evil to win; no matter what the cost. She only had to imagine to the entire world like this. The whole world steeped in darkness and despair. This image gave her strength to pull the trigger.

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.

Walter was in the backyard. His wires shot out and diced everything in his path. Anything that dodged his wires got cut down by his razor sharp claws. Possessed humans were easy; they were strong, but slow. The Demon dogs were something else, they were faster. Walter had to dodge these as he sent his wires out to leash them. Then there were…the pigeons. Walter growled in rage as one soiled his clothes. His wires shot out and created a giant net, trapping everything in the yard. One swift pull and 'fillet of dead' filled the yard.

"I wonder, is it white wine or red with fillet of demon pigeon?" Grinned Walter, preparing for the next wave of undead creatures.

Integra gave a great cry of pain as she jolted awake. She held her stomach and breathed heavily as her children squirmed with in her.

"Damn it, not again." She complained, while trying to get out of the tub. "And I was winning this time."

"No you weren't." corrected Alucard, with a chuckle. "I like being on the bottom."

Integra quickly dressed, tired on her robe, and left the bathroom. She looked out of her bedroom window and saw a war going on outside.

"Shit, they are growing in numbers." She thought. "That's more than last night."

Alucard joined her at the window and smiled.

"James' soldiers are a nice addition to our little "family", aren't they?" he commented. "Nice of your queen to give them too us."

"Arrrghhh!" growled Integra, in pain as she rubbed her stomach over and over. "Shhh. Calm down, everything will be alright."

Alucard watched in curiousness as Integra tried to calm the children.

"They are of my blood. They really have no reason to fear." Said Alucard.

"Shouldn't you be out there?" scolded Integra.

"No, Seras is. So who will protect you?"

"I can look after myself. Just give me a gun and point me east."

Suddenly, Alucard sensed another presence in the room. So this is what caused his children pain.

"Actually, you can't." he said firmly.

He waved his hand over Integra's eyes as he stood behind her.

"Sleep." He commanded.

Immediately, Integra slumped into his arms. Alucard lifted her up, took her robe from her, placed her into bed, and wrapped her well inside her warm cotton blankets. He stroked her hair as he vowed to her that they would never touch her. He was still tracking the presence as he stood by the window and watched the battle below. This would end only when the sun came up. Suddenly, the smell of something so foul, that even he couldn't stand it, caught his attention. So finally, you show yourself.

"What are you doing here!" growled Alucard, as he turned to face the intruder.

"I'll tell you." He said, leaning back in a chair. "But put some pants on first, will you."

Alucard never once took his eyes off the intruder as his commanded his pants to reform on his lower body.

"Well?" demanded Alucard.

"I came to kill Integra, of course." The intruder smiled as he stood to face Alucard.

"Who let you out Radu?" growled Alucard, with great displeasure.

Alucard's eyes burned with great hatred as he looked upon the visage of his younger brother.

"You did, big brother. When you bedded Integra and made her your woman." He chuckled, with sinister delight as he stood up. "I guess I should congratulate you on taking your enemies heir and making her yours."

"If I let you out, then I WILL put you back." Swore Alucard.

Both men stood their ground as they stared violently at each other. Radu just stared at his brother, and then he smiled with wicked glee as he looked to Integra.

"Maybe I won't kill her. Maybe I'll screw her brains out and replace your children with my own." Taunted Radu.

Alucard roared in anger and charged at his brother.

"Whoa now, brother." Warned Radu. "Take another step and I'll kill her right now."

Radu gave Alucard summon to look in Integra's direction. Alucard looked over at Integra and saw a great demon python ready to strike and hovering around Integra's bed. Alucard growled with such anger that the entire room shook with fear. How dare his treacherous backstabbing brother enter his house and threaten his woman. This he would take full vengeance for.

"Touch her and I will not only kill you again. I will personally see to it that you at butt screwed by every hound in Hell!" raged Alucard

"Temper, Temper dear Brother." Chuckled Radu, thinking he had Alucard right where he wanted him. "Bow down before me and I might let her live."

HISS. HISS.

The python moved closer to Integra and lowered its great head down to hover just above Integra's face. Suddenly, the python hissed violently and swung backwards away from Integra. Radu watched in confusion and shock as it looked like his python was having a fit. It looked like his python was wrestling with some great unseen force and it was losing. Suddenly, Alucard spoke.

"Never underestimate me little brother. I am no mere man. I never was and I never will be."

Alucard then wrung his hands like he was wringing out an invisible old rag. Radu looked at his brother and fear crushed him. He didn't know just how much Alucard's powers had grown. He thought Alucard was still bound to Integra and that only Integra could order him to fight. Things had changed. Radu watched as giant glowing red hands not only crushed his python, but wrung its head and broke its neck. Once dead, the giant python caught hellish fire and burned into nothingness. Then the entire room started glowing red. Radu looked around in a panic as Alucard's glowing red sigils filled the room. Now Radu was trapped. He could feel it, Alucard's power…Alucard's anger. Radu growled in anger as he drew his sword. Not this time. He would …not …lose …this… time.

"You won't stop me!" Radu shouted. "I will kill her. I will be free again."

"You will never touch her." Vowed Alucard. "And your place is in Hell."

Alucard's hand swept over the floor, and a great broad sword with a dragon on the hilt rose up from out of the floor. Radu's face went white with terror as he recognized the blade.

"I see you remember this sword." Smiled Alucard, as he wielded the sword. "This is the very same sword that claimed your head the first time."

"Not this time, my brother. This time I will take YOUR head." Swore Radu.

"Any man that would betray his kin, is not family. I have no brother." said Alucard, as indifferently as if he were talking to a dog.

"To Hell with you!" Shouted Radu, as he charged at Alucard.

Lighting flashed, as their swords clashed. Radu swung his sword at Alucard with all his hatred.

"You were always better than me, stronger than me, and smarter than me. But no more, now I have the power. Now I will be the strongest. Today, I will send you to Hell!" claimed Radu.

"Ha ha ha ha." Laughed Alucard, dodging another blow.

"Stop laughing at me! What is so funny!" demanded Radu.

"I was just remembering how you begged and pleaded with me not to kill you."

"AAARRRGGGHHH! SHUT UP!"

Radu swung at Alucard's head. But Alucard easily blocked the blow and pushed him away. Blow after blow, their swords clanged in anger and flashed in rage. Alucard, after fighting Anderson for so long, found Radu to be slow and weak.

"You're slow Radu. Haven't you been practicing? Oh, that's right; you've spent most of your time in hell bent over the arm rest of Satan's couch." Taunted Alucard.

"Damn you, you bastard!" shouted Radu. "I will not be mocked by you! I was father's true heir! You were just some boy found in the woods. An adopted son! But father loved you best. I hated you! You were so strong while you were awake, but you were so weak while you slept. You used to talk in your sleep about repenting for your sins and once again gaining God's trust! But look at you! Now you're the adopted PET of your worst enemy! I may have died on my knees, but at least I didn't live to kiss ass!"

That did it. Now Alucard was truly pissed. He caught Radu's next blow in his bare hands as he grabbed Radu's sword by the blade. Alucard's hand bled profusely as he growled in rage right in Radu's face. With one swift blow, Alucard thrust his broad sword straight through Radu's heart.

"Back to hell where you belong!" declared Alucard, with utter hatred.

He withdrew his sword from Radu's body, and let Radu's body fall to the floor. Alucard looked at his bleeding left hand, and then he licked the blood away. Then his upper torso and arms began to change into his shadow dogs. They inched their way towards Radu's body, eager for the taste of his blood. But then Alucard stopped. He looked at his dead brother's body. His dogs stayed still at his command.

"No. Not even fit for dog food." Declared Alucard, as his body became solid and whole once again.

Then he grabbed Radu's dead body and tossed it out of Integra's bedroom window to the grounds below.

"God damn garbage." Growled Alucard.

Then he called for Mouse.

"Mouse!"

Mouse turned and she saw Radu's body fall from the third story. It landed with a slight bounce at her feet. She said nothing; she just put a holy blessed "light" bullet into Radu's head and one into his heart. Radu's body burst into white hot flames and was consumed. Alucard stood at Integra's balcony window, lord and master of the house. He looked around, and seeing the battle still raging below, called his unholy demon dogs to him.

"HOOOWWWLLL!"

Bone chilling howls from each six eyed dog signaled its arrival. Over twenty dogs in all, each as big as a cement truck; each growling, snapping, and howling at their enemies. The howling of his hounds, incited all the dogs of England to bark and howl. The sounds of battle were drowned out by the howling of the dogs.

"Go!" ordered Alucard.

All at once, his six eyed demon dogs attacked. They ripped, tore through, and devoured every demon that attacked the house. Soon the grounds were clear; the night silent and still. The dogs howled their triumph and Alucard smiled. Mouse looked up at her father, as Walter and Seras joined her in the yard. They all watched as Alucard's dogs took up the night watch. Mouse's barrier kept them in, but it also kept the demons out. It was a stand off that lasted until dawn.