Disclaimer: Hellsing and its characters belong to none other than Kouta Hirano.
Author's Note: Thanks to those who reviewed! For those who don't know, this story is in the process of editing after two years hiatus (I'm so sorry). I will (hopefully) post more once I'm done tweaking all chapters. Thank you for your patience.
Edited: 15/09/18
Chapter 2: Escape At Bedtime
The Hellsing manor was quiet. The maids had gone to bed and there were no rogue vampires to tend to. Thus, Arthur decided it was time to do some long overdue paperwork. Or he would be if Integra would just sleep.
The child was fussy and restless. She'd been at it for two hours and Arthur had tried everything. She'd coo and gurgle when he was in the room, then went back to wailing like a banshee when he went out. He tried holding her until she nodded off, but she'd be back quivering those lips the moment he put her down. He tried bribing her with toys, but she ended up throwing them away and crying anew.
Not finding any other options, Arthur decided to bring Integra back into his office, placing the comfy playing mat in the middle of the room and a few of her toys before barricading her with cushion pillows. Satisfied with his work, Arthur went back to his desk.
Walter went in not long after that to deliver the tea tray, even staying a while to play with the little Hellsing before his duty called again, leaving just the two of them in the quiet office. Only the sound of Arthur's pen scribbling across paper and, occasionally, Integra's baby noises could be heard.
Suddenly he felt a chill settling into the room and a figure slipped through from the ceilings, red coat blazing and dense shadowy tendrils reaching out like wisps, and Arthur looked up just in time to see Alucard's ten thousand teeth as the vampire yawned widely.
"Alucard," he half-greeted, half-warned.
"Master," the vampire purred. Last week incident of him slipping into Integra's nursery room didn't go unnoticed. Arthur had scolded him greatly but understood that Alucard wouldn't intentionally harm Integra, not with the seal still in place, and knowing that he better put up precautions than letting Alucard see Integra on his own term because he forbade it, Arthur finally came with a solution: Alucard could visit and play with her but only if Arthur was in the room with them.
He opened his mouth to speak but stopped short at the excited sounds from the play mat. He peeked over Alucard's shoulder to find Integra's adoring blue eyes directed at the vampire's back. It worried him how the child could be so fearless of the damned nosferatu. Didn't she have any self-preservation?
Alucard turned to look over his shoulder and then back at his master, raising an eyebrow. Arthur shrugged. "She couldn't sleep and I had paperwork to do. I decided she could keep me company."
The vampire grinned widely. "Already a nocturnal at such a young age."
Arthur glared at Alucard in warning but the vampire merely smirked wider. Deciding that he'd wasted enough time with the old bat, Arthur went back to his paperwork, dismissing him.
Alucard, instead of going back to his chambers or go prowling through the lawn, approached Integra and sat down with his long legs around the play mat, effectively trapping the baby in the middle. Arthur watched in curiosity and suspicion as the vampire started playing with her, creating dancing shadows and little floating bats from his hands. Integra giggled when a bat landed on her nose and Arthur had to blink really hard when he heard Alucard's rich baritone laughter following suit.
No bloodshed, no killing, and the vampire was having fun? The world surely had come to an end.
But it was a nice change of scenery from the crazed nosferatu who didn't know when to stop bothering people. Besides, Arthur thought as he went back to his papers, he had seen a lot of strange things. What's one more?
End Note: It's short but longer than the last. Reviews are highly appreciated!