Author's notes: I would just like to take this time to thank everyone for their reviews, ideas, and support. You have all been awesome, since the very first day last summer when I started this fic up till now. Sadly, however, all fics must end, and so, with great sorrow, I will end this fic with this final chapter. Hopefully inspiration will strike soon so I can make a sequel or, more likely, another fic. As I sit in this hotel room, on my mother's laptop, I express my sincerest gratitude and deepest wish to hear from all of you again . Well, now that the dramatic sappy goodbye is over, I give you, THE FINAL CHAPTER OF SILENT NIGHT!
It was five weeks after the attack on Hellsing Manor. Five weeks after Seras Victoria discovered that the vampire in her was not as dark and evil as she had feared. And it was only a week after Malakai had announced with a great measure of sorrow that he had overstayed his welcome at Hellsing. He was leaving. Victoria had spent two hours in tears after that. Integra had allowed her to be mysteriously unavailable at every mission so she culd spend time with Malakai. Isaac was spending a great amountof time with him as well. Alucard did not seem at all worried or upset at this sudden distressing news.
"This is what vampires do, Police Girl. We cannot stay in one place for very long, or we are discovered. We will see him again, in a few years."
"But I don't want to wait a few years! It's not fair! He's your friend! How can you be so calm about this!"
"Remember that I have had hundreds of years to adjust to his comings and goings over the centuries. In time, you will as well."
"But I-"
Alucard had placed a finger gently over her lips, silencing her as effectively as if he had yelled. With a gentle kiss, he put the thoughts that upset her so from her mind.
Now, only two days from Malakai's planned departure, and Victoria had almost exhausted her supply of begging tactics in her desperate attempt to make him stay with them. She did not truly understand why she was so afraid to see him go. After all, as her master had said, he would be coming back. Why did she feel as though, if he left now, he would be gone forever? But the thing that really concerned her was Isaac. She had known about his and Malakai's relationship for some time, and wondered how he'd react to suddenly losing someone he cared about that much, Abandoned? Used? Though Victoria knew Malakai was leaving more out of habit than anything, she knew that, as a human, Isaac might not see it that way. With a shudder she wondered how old the Hellsing would be when the vampire decided to return. Fifty? Sixty? Dead, even? Sighing, she snapped out of her thoughts and proceeded to climb up the rose trellis to the roof as she had done during those brief weeks of humanity. The weeks of humanity she had spent with Malakai and her master. Only halfway up the wall, she blinked away tears before she could become so distracted that she fell, or something. She raised herself onto the flat surface of the roof.
"It is easier to jump up here than climb, Victoria. I should think you'd know that by now."
She turned at the sound of Alucard's voice, "Yes, I know."
"Well, as long as you know."
She sighed and turned her gaze to the darkened sky. Technically it wasn't night yet. But it didn't matter. It was safe as long as there was no sun.
"Why does he do this . . ." she murmured to no one, her thoughts turning to Malakai.
"It is his escape, Victoria. He will never stop doing this as long as he lives," Alucard replied simply.
"Even when he has someone who loves him waiting?"
"Even then. Don't dwell on it."
"Yes, Master."
Alucard smiled and, pulling her against him kissed her before flashing her a mischevious grin and phasing out, broadcasting his location to her teasingly. More and more lately, he had taken to luring her into his room. Only a few days ago had she become startlingly aware of the reason. She had known it would come to that eventually; she was a woman, and her master, no matter how twisted he had become, was a man. His attempts to seduce her were becoming increasingly more difficult to resist. She almost didn't mind. Almost. Sighing, she followed him as she knew she was expected to, knowing full well her master would not have any objections to seducing her right there on the roof. He had probably done it before, and besides, he had no sense of privacy or modesty, as he had shown in the past when he had allowed her to catch him spying. She really did prefer for her first time to be in a bed. In a bedroom that no one in their right mind would set foot in. There was only one room in the whole household that fit that profile. It just so happened to be the room in which her master waited for her now.
The very second she passed back into the material plane, Alucard grabbed her. He gave her a few heated kisses before holding her at arm's length to study her carefully, as though he was considering something. Then he shrugged and, guiding her backwards, set her on the edge of the bed and returned to his favorite, engaging activity of making her head spin. Just then, one of the three others besides them who wuld dare set foot in Alucard's room popped their head in. Literally. Malakai's easy smile widened into a very male leer as he saw what he had interrupted.
"Ooooh. Hello. I see that you two are having fun, I beg your forgiveness for intruding. Goodbye," he said hurriedly and began retreating back up through the ceiling.
"Malakai," Alucard said with a tone that made him halt his escape, "What are you doing? Why would you deviate from your norm by merely peeking your head in instead of barging in and sitting yourself down?"
"I am, well, that is to say, I am rather occupied at the moment. I was merely stopping by to say hello."
"Then stop by," Alucard replied with an odd sound to his voice.
"I . . ." Malakai glanced at Victoria, "I do not wish to offend Miss Victoria's delicate sensibilities. I shall respectfully decline your offer."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Victoria arched an eyebrow, unknowingly adding a look to her features that made her resemble her master.
"It means that he is already occupied with the very thing that we were just about to get to, my dear," Alucard murmured in her ear.
"Eww," Victoria said without thinking.
Malakai burst out laughing, the sound reminding her of the innocence that he still held inside despite his many years of being a vampire. The innocence he had displayed on their first shopping trip, the innocence that was laced with wisdom and experience, the innocence that he had displayed in his delight when he and her master had first taken her hunting. Then she remembered why he was laughing and blushed. Innocent, maybe, in some ways. But still a man. And men were...well...they were...she did not have time to finish the thought before Malakai suddenly disappeared with a giggle as Alucard returned to whatever he had been doing that made her forget everything else but...well...whatever he had been doing.
(A/N Did you really think you'd get outright lemon from this fic? Ha! Use your imagination. I know that at least some of you are insane hormonal teenagers. It's what you do with your imagination anyway. Heh. Aaanywaaaay.)
Integral sighed.
With a small amount of sad amusement, she thought, Everyone is in love but me. Everyone has someone but me.
These thoughts resulted from the increased psychic connection she recieved from hr vampire when he was caught up in something that made him lose control. Bloodlust, rage, and sleep could cause this kind of telepathic link to grow. But from what she coud feel, he was experiencing a lust of a very different kind. She envied Victoria sometimes, she really did. She pinched the bridge of her nose, taking off her glasses and setting them on the desk. Three months ago sha had received a letter from the queen that was very diferent from most. Some of her letters requested brief reports on vampire activity, others were mandatory orders, some were annoying invitations to some social affair or another. But this was a letter concerning something she had avoided for twenty-three years. Marriage. The queen had not made any demands that she marry, or anything to that effect at all. Rather, it was a letter of almost friendly concern. For an insane moment Integral wondered if the queen was psychic. She smiled. Yeah, right. The queen had seemed almost personal in that letter. Interal wondered if, should she decide to write back, her reply would reach her. She knew that sometimes the letters were just handed off to some official or another. That would be an embarrassing event.
"Wooow. To think that a Hellsing would be so caught up in such trivial affairs."
Malakai's teasing voice in her ear made her smile. Somehow, the things that any other person would get smacke or shot for saying always seemed to lift her spirits.
"Yes. How odd," she muttered wearily, rubbing her eyes.
She was tired. It seemed that Malakai was the only one who she felt comfortable around enough to admit her human frailties. And now he was leaving. She sighed, closing her eyes. She felt hands on her shoulders. She tensed at first but after a moment, she relaxed and just decided to trust him. He nuzzled her cheek affectionately, and with a small smile, Integra noted that Alucard would have been shot by now.
"Tell me what troubles you, Brave Knight," Malakai murmured in an accent-rich voice.
"Many things, Sir Vampire. I have been troubled every day and night since I was a little girl. No need to concern yourself. Really, I am fine," Integra replied.
"You, my dear, are lying. And might I add that you are not very convincing when you are tired?"
He nosed her neck. A spark of alarm flared up. He was a vampire. He was a vamire, he was a vampire. She was allowing a vampire to touch her. He was a vampire! She forced the words to be imprinted upon her soul. And when they were, fully and completely, she discovered with sudden clarity a surprising fact. She really just did not care. It felt too damn good to finally be able to trust someone to let petty matters of species ruin it all. Her soul let out a cry of joy at that and outwardly she sighed in a wave of joyous calm. The Hellsing in her, much to the woman in her's surprise, offered no objections to having her neck teased by a vampire.
"Now, my dear knight. Are you going to tell me what terrible thoughts plague you at this time of the night?"
Integra hesitated for a moment before replying, "Honestly, Malakai? Everything. But the latest and by far the most disturbing is the fact that a vampire under my supervision has been allowed to roam free and unrestricted for almost a third of a year. And that I have payed it no mind whatsoever. And the worst of it is, I am allowing him to simply walk out the door. My ancestors must be screaming at me from the grave by now."
"Really? How fascinating!" She felt him smile.
"Isn't it?"
"A most troubling tale, my dear knight. Are you sure you are not merely looking at it from a Hellsing's point of view? After all, not everyone in the world hates vampires as much as a Hellsing would."
"I do not hate vampires, Vampire. I merely can't stand the Freaks that recklessly threaten my country with no regard or human life. I admit that I also have great difficulty dealing with a certain vampire in my employ."
"Oh, come now. Victoria is not that bad," he teased, pretending not to understand the meaning of her words.
"Oh, but you see, her master is. That old friend of yours is far too mad for his own good. And nerve-wracking, to add to the insanity of it all. Has he always been this bad?"
"Oh, no. He was much worse when he was younger. His behavior has only improved with age."
"I dread to think what horrors he inflicted upon the world in the days before his service to my family."
"It was glorious."
"He has rubbed off on you, in your time together. How repulsive."
"You must admit it is intensely amusing at times."
"That, I am afraid, I cannot deny."
"Hmmm. Well . . . forgive me, Sir Hellsing. Day is coming, and I must rest. I thank you for tolerating my company."
"I am glad of your company in this hellhouse, Vampire. Good day."
"Good day."
And then he was gone. Rather than the common feeling of a terrible weight being lifted when a certain person leaves a room, Integral felt a terrible weight returning to her person. Opening her eyes to the blurry scene before her, she picked up hr glasses, pushed the wire frames up her nose, and, with a heavy sigh, returned to the loathsome waste of lumber that hid the lovely surface of her desk from her vision.
It was that time. The night that Victoria had been dreading since the terrible announcement a week before. He was leaving tonight. Tears threatened to slide from her crimson orbs whenever she thought about it. But, for Isaac, who had become more than attached to the tall male vampire, it was probably worse. Alucard was the only one who didn't seem fazed by the departure of his friend. Victoria envied him. Malakai stood there in nothing but the clothes he had worn when he arrived, standing in front of the house with all his new friends before him secretly dreading the moment he would leave.
He kissed Victoria on the cheek.
"I am very proud of you. You have come very far. I pray that when we meet again, you will be much stronger in your powers," he said softly, smiling.
Next he turned to Alucard.
"Until another time, old friend," he said as his gentle smile widened into a crooked grin.
"Until that time. Farewell. Don't you dare get killed while you're gone. I wuld like to be present when that event occurs."
"Of course."
He turned his attention to Integral and Walter, saying, "It was a pleasure to meet you both. I hope to return before your demise, Sir Hellsing."
"Lovely sentiment."
"Thank you."
"How long did you spend thinking it up?"
"Longer than I care to admit."
At that, Integra smiled a rare, genunie smile. Lastly, he turned to Isaac.
But before he could say anyting, Isaac cut him off sharply.
"All that you may need to say now has already been said. I will miss you, you know that. I can only ask that you come back some day. Sooner rather than later."
"Perhaps by that time, you will have forgotten me. And perhaps you shall have a lovely wife and a child of your own. It is quite possible that my return would have far less meaning by that time."
"Don't you count on it."
Malakai flashed him his very own smile, and, kissing the Hellsing's forehead, took a deep and dramatic bow.
"And now, I shall say goodbye. Take care."
And without any further obnoxious grins or even a sarcastic comment, he disappeared into nothing, wispy shadow swirling around the spot he had previously occupied.
And then, the crying started. Clinging to Alucard's shirt, she soaked it with hot, salty tears that made Alucard mildly uncomfortable. He did the only thing he could think to do. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair, not offering any words of comfort or otherwise. When his poor fledgling had recovered, she apologized for embarrassing him, and for crying, and for everything else she could think of. He shushed her gently, and the two of them went inside. Sighing, Intgra cast hr gaze to the dark, star-studded sky.
"He is realy gone."
"I fear it is so, my lady."
"I really do hope he returns. He was the only true solace I had from Alucard's insanity."
Walter smiled.
After a moment, he broke the growing silence with a, "Tea, Sir?"
"Yes, Walter, thank you."
Laying on the bed they now shared, Victoria sighed and impulsively slammed her fist down on her pillow. She didn't really know why she'd done it, it just seemed like a good idea at the time. Alucard smiled.
He was sitting in his chair, feet proppd up on the wooden table as usual, looking completely bored and not at all upset by the absence of his best and only friend.
"Does something so innocent as a pillow deserve such abuse?"
"This pillow is hardly innocent. Besides, it was laughing at me."
"Oh? My dear, sweet Police Girl, I fear that you are going mad," Alucard replied, arching an eyebrow.
"Only because you are making me."
"Hmmm. I was not aware that I had quite that much control over you."
"Liar."
"Yes, I suppose I am."
He lowered the front legs of his chair to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. She sat up and rested her chin in her hands. Alucard studied her intenltly, thinking hard about something as he did so.
"Victoria . . ."
"Master?"
He leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers.
"Are you really so miserable without him?"
"Well, Master . . . I don't suppose I am miserable . . . it's just that when he was here, I felt free. Free to be who I am, say what I wanted, do what I wanted. Now that he's gone, I feel very trapped."
"There is another way to be truly free, my little fledgling."
Apparently confused by his words, Victoria only looked at him quizically. Then the true meaning of his words hit and her eyes widened.
"Master, you know that I-"
"I understand your fears, but rest assured Victoria, your servitude is, at this point, entirely in your hands. I will not force you to remain and I will not force my blood on you. When you are ready to be free, then you are ready."
Stunned by what her master had just said, Victoria did not reply. He was truly going to leave it up to her this time? No guilt trips? No hours of torment and taunting over her incompetence as a vampire? It sounded too good to be true.
"You have come so far, Seras Victoria, that I can hardly call you incompetent," he replied, answering her thoughts.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
He wondered why she seemed so grateful over something so insignificant. She had given him what he wanted, and now he was merely allowing her to delay the inevitable in return. He really didn't realize that this was the moment that would influence the most long awaited event since her arrival at Hellsing Manor.
She had spent only a few days in a state of depression over the loss of her friend. It was not permanent, after all, and besides, she had work to do. She would not allow her personal feelings to get her men killed. But tonight, death was inevitable.
They had been sent on a mission to a village two hours from London consisting of over a hundred ghus and an unknown number of head vampires. Alomost half er unit was dead at this point.
Shoot for the head or the heart. Head or the heart.
How many times had she told them that since their first day of training? Why, in the time when it mattered most, would they go against her most important lesson and shoot for other areas of the body, knowing full well it would do nothing to stop the creaures they fought against? It didn't matter. What did matter was that she had to get them out. And that she was not strong enough to do it. Damn. Tears she barely managed to stop came to her eyes. Damn. Damn. Damn. She was never strong enough. Never. And her men would suffer and die all because she-
In that moment, she was enveoped in darkness. She could fainty hear the muffled sounds of battle going on outside it. She was not shocked to see Alucard standing before her. She was shocked to see, howevr, the lack of dark amusement on his face.
"They don't have to die, Victoria."
She knew that. Though she would not admit it, he was right.
"You can be strong for them."
She knew that too. But her fear and that feeling that told her that if she took what he offered, something would end, stopped her. Something she considered precious. But if it would save their lives . . . No! a voice inside her head screamed as she rolled the idea over in her head a few times. That voice had been getting on her nerves lately. Recently she had learned that that voice was not the manifestation of her lingering humanity, as she had thought. It was just a voice. A voice that would rather see her men die than accept what had to be done. Her humanity accepted what she had become, what she had to do. And now, standing there in that timeless darkness, she knew that there was only one choice if the ones that depended on her were to survive.
"Master . . ."
He understood immediately. He held out his hand, which she took, and pulled her close. She curled her arms arund him as he held her and, taking a deep breath, she rose on tiptoe and did the one thing she could never take back. Sinking her fangs into the curve of his neck, she shuddered as his blood poured into her mouth. His hand slid up her back to her head, stroking her hair. The taste of his blood was failiar to her now, but the overpowering feeling that came with it was not. Her head spun wildly. She felt herself growing weak. But he hl her head againt his chest and supported her with his arm arund her and so she kept drinking. After a moment, he allowed her to pull away just a bit, and se rested her head against his chest, marveling at the peculiar feeling that was taking over her body and mind. Physically, nothing changed. But she could feel her power intensifying, growing, and she could feel her lifeforce moving under her control. But somehow the link she had always felt with him remained. She looked up at him and saw the pride and satisfaction that shone in his eyes. He was pleased with her decision. That was good. Within moments, Victoria could stand on her own. She was filled with a strength coming from her new power and from the realization that it had not been the end of something at all. IT had been the beginning of something better. Suddenly, the web of darkness was removed and she became aware of her surroundings only a single instant after it had been placed around her. Rage coursed through her. How dare they kill her men? How dare they attack her country? And how dare they think that they would live to see another night after all they'd done!
Unleashing her familiar and a wave of new servants she had only just acquired, Victoria killed off over half the attacking force of ghouls.
Her men cheered and instantly their spirit was revived. Now they had a chance. The bloody fight that occurred after that was the most glorious and vicious they had fought since Victoria had joined the Hellsing organization. And they all loved it, though none would admit it.
Hours after the battle, covered in blood, staring up at the night sky after having just answered her master's questions as to why she was not already with him at the manor. She wuld be along in a moment, she had said. But just then . . . she took all the pleasure she could in the air that still smelled clean despite the slughter at the foot of the hill she stood on and in the darkness that gave her comfort. And in the deep satisfaction of knowing that, at last, she could truly enjoy a silent night.
Author's notes: The end! I am sorry if this sucked, but I guess you wouldn't be reading it if it did, would you? Anyway, I just wanted to say a couple things. I wanted to know what you guys thought of my OC writing talents; and as for this fic, would you like to see a sequel? With Malakai, of course. Well, anyway, If I get oh . . . over ten votes saying yes then I will do it, k? One per person tho you damn cheaters! . lol. I jst don't wanna write something no one will want to read. Just letting ou know I will be starting another story soon, with another set of OCs in it, and once again it will be AxS. I would never ever do AxOC or SxOC. That would be too cruel. Anyway, I'll talk to you later, bye! Oh, and to everyone who threatened to send Alucard after me . . . WHAT NOW HUH? HUH?
