Author's note: Bit longer chapter this time. And just so you know, I have never been to London, nor do I know how much it costs to rent there. So if I've got that stuff horribly wrong, meh. :P In addition, Chapter 2 has 80-some hits, and I'm pretty sure the 3 who reviewed didn't cause all of them. Do your civic duty, people: review. Also, this chapter's lyrics are possibly the best ever. :D
Turtlerad17: Uh, thanks, I think. ;)
Lady Integra Hellsing: Thank you kindly. I'm glad we share a love of all things AxI. ;) And I can't help but think that while she probably wouldn't ever become a vampire, she'd make such an awesome one… :D
CornCob: Thank you very much. ;) And obviously, here's another chapter (just for you ;)
Gives all her reviewers roses and violets :D Thank you for leaving your comments, it really does mean a lot!
Disclaimer: I have no real artistic talent. As such, I've never made any anime, Hellsing for example, nor have I written any music, say, H.I.M.'s song "The Funeral of Hearts." I'm not even a good enough writer to make money off this stuff…
Solar Eclipse
Chapter 3
She was the wind carrying in
All the troubles and fears
You've for years tried to forget
He was the fire, restless and wild
And you were like a moth to that flame
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Integra awoke slowly, her mind passing through realizations of security, contentment, and warmth on its journey toward consciousness. Eventually she awoke, stretching—her eyes opened wide as she found her arms prevented from extending fully. That's right, she thought, I'm in Alucard's coffin. She turned her head to gaze at him.
He lay on his back, head thrown back slightly. He looked so innocent, so vulnerable in his sleep, with his lips slightly parted and all trace of grin or glare removed from his face. His black hair lay around his face and head like some fallen angel's halo.
She was curled up beside him, her arm over his stomach. He head, which had been pillowed on his shoulder, was now elevated as much as possible without opening the coffin lid so as to study him. She smiled tenderly and lifted her hand to brush his cheek gently.
Her eyes drifted lower. His body looked like a thing sculpted from marble, perfect, pale and so cool in comparison to human flesh. His body was tall and slender, with long, well-defined muscles. She studied his strong shoulders, noticing a puckered scar over his heart. He stirred slightly when she touched it, and she drew her hand back immediately. Her gaze traveled down his abdomen to his legs, which were crossed just enough to conceal his sex. They were long, slender yet still masculine, and she was suddenly flooded with memories of last night's passion.
She felt her breathing and pulse speed up at the memory of making love to him. The way he had dominated her had both excited her and driven her to no end of delightful frustration. Beneath the dominance game, however, she had clearly felt his deep love for her, and his tenderness afterwards had made her so very glad she had chosen to join him.
She smiled wickedly. Next time, I'm gonna be on top! The smile softened, and she lay her head back down on his shoulder and lost herself in thoughts and memories of him.
She did not know how long she lay there until he stirred and opened his eyes. He blinked and sat up, bringing the coffin's lid and her own body along with him. His arms encircled her and he held her naked form close to his. "Good evening, my love."
Evening? Oh, right. "Good evening," she murmured, her hand cupping the side of his face. "I hope you slept well."
He chuckled. "Quite. I haven't had such a workout since I fought Incognito. Or had so much fun," he added with a mischievous smile. He tipped her chin up and gave her a lingering kiss. Together they fell back down into the coffin, Integra on top.
The kissing slowly developed into foreplay, and abruptly she caught him by his wrists and pinned them above his head. She smiled sweetly at the look of surprise on his face. "My turn for some fun," she said in a sultry voice.
His expression changed to a smug smile. "You may be strong for a new-born vampire, but I am much stronger than you." He flexed his muscles casually, and his arms slowly pushed hers back.
She gave him a feral grin. "You're forgetting something."
"Oh? What's that?"
"Servant, submit to me. That is an order."
His mouth dropped open in surprise and outrage. "Integra—" He suddenly frowned, an odd expression on his face. "No," he murmured, almost making it a question. "I don't want to…"
She stared at him in confusion, her lustful thoughts forgotten. "Wh-what do you mean? Alucard?"
"Integra," he said, an intense, unreadable expression on his face, "I don't have to."
"You mean," she whispered, feeling the faintest tinge of fear, "the seal is gone?"
He frowned in concentration. "Yes. No, no it isn't gone; it's more like it has been counteracted, nullified somehow."
Integra's eyes widened. "Seras," she said, realizing the probable reason. "Before she…before they…" She broke off, unable to say it aloud. Seras, unable to dissolve into walls like Alucard, had been captured and imprisoned in the same facility as Integra. As part of her captors' efforts to break her, they had claimed before Integra to have repeatedly tortured and later destroyed the fledgling vampire. Alucard had dismissed the claim off-handedly, but she feared he was lying to her so she would remain strong.
Alucard sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Yes, before they killed the Police Girl, you were saying…"
She closed her eyes, feeling a tightness in her chest. "Before, she was bound somewhat to your will. I know she disobeyed you when you told her to feed, but other than that, she did what you told her to do."
"Of course," Alucard said, looking pained. "Only when a fledgling drinks its master's blood des it become a full vampire and gain release from its master's will. Technically, by that, you should be under my control. Most probably that is why it didn't work." He sat a moment in thoughtful silence.
"You haven't shown any inclination to call me Master, so I doubt you are under my control." He pursed his lips. "Stick out your tongue. That is an order."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Nope, it doesn't work. I guess they just cancel each other out."
He grinned. "I can see already that this will be interesting."
She gave him a wry smile in return. "It will be an adjustment, that's for sure."
He drew her in for a brief kiss, then murmured, "Get up."
She got off him, standing, and he stood beside her. He clothed himself with a thought, and she followed suit.
"You," he said solemnly, "need to choose a new name."
"What?" she said, looking at him as though he were crazy.
He sighed. "Yes, for the same reasons I have changed mine on several occasions over the years. Your name is too well known, not only among human circles, but also, and more importantly, among vampires. You've killed enough of them, not to mention your ancestors before you, to earn a great deal of enmity. And while you are," here he seemed to swell with pride, "very strong for such a young vampire, you are hardly invulnerable.
"What's more, choosing your name has an effect on your powers; that is, it allows you to intentionally hold your powers back, and release them to a desired level at any time. Your ancestors took this and bound it to their bloodline and will." He grimaced at the memory. "This is, however, useful in not wasting excess energy on weak opponents and hiding your true strength from strong ones."
"A name, huh?" she said thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you have any suggestions?"
"I meant it when I said you have to decide," he said, his expression serious. "It should be something meaningful, though, perhaps related to the circumstances of your turning."
She considered that. Anger, bitterness toward the humans who betrayed my bloodline. She studied Alucard's face for a moment, forcing herself to admit the real reason, the greatest factor in her choice. Love, and the hope of a loving relationship with the one being who has always stood for me. She smiled at the irony, that humans had deserted her but the one they considered a vicious, uncontrollable monster had been more kind and faithful than they.
Love it is, then. She smiled as it came to her, the name that suited her best, the name she wanted to hear from his lips the next time they made love. "Venus," she said simply.
His eyes seemed to dance like candle flames, and he grinned. She felt what seemed like wind circling her, and some light lit Alucard's face, though she wasn't sure of the source. She felt her hair begin to float upward so it was pointing out away from the sides of her head. She looked at her arm and realized two things: first, that she seemed to be glowing, and second, that her gloves now had a design on them.
After a moment, the wind stopped, and she studied her gloves more closely. They now had a pentacle on them, much like Alucard's, but hers had different letters and runes, along with what she thought were some ancient astronomical symbols.
He stepped in close and drew her into his arms. "Venus," he murmured, trying the name on her. "It's beautiful," he said with conviction and kissed her. He held her for a long moment, then sighed and released her. "We have to relocate, love. This is the first place they will come looking for you."
"Of course," she murmured, saddened at the idea of leaving her ancestral home, though she knew he was right. "We should probably go to some large city," she mused, "as that will assure us a supply of food and allow us to lose ourselves in the crowd."
"Well," he said with a grin, "we have already cleared London of vampires, or at least troublesome ones, so it will be easy to stake out territory there for ourselves."
She nodded her assent. "I suppose we'll be needing some money, then." At his nod, she slipped through the walls up to her office. Opening a hidden safe in the wall, she withdrew her emergency stash: £500 and a false ID for herself. She wished for a moment that she had one for Alucard, or rather one that hadn't been used and documented in the organization's files. Of course, I didn't exactly plan on running away with him.
After some consideration, she grabbed the ID in the file, shredding the accompanying papers. That will at least slow down any investigation if he does have to use it. She returned to the basement, where Alucard was packing his few belongings into his coffin—a few bottles of wine and his chalice, several ancient-looking books, and an old but well-preserved broadsword.
He looked up at her. "Have you anything you wish to bring?" After some consideration, she added three irreplaceable books on dark creatures from her library and a small assortment of weapons and munitions.
He replaced the coffin's lid and bound it with three leather straps. Having done this, he again turned to her. "The night is still young. Let us find ourselves a home."
She gave him a warm smile. "Sounds like an excellent plan, my love."
They set off toward London's lights at a great pace, the sort of speed that only vampires can achieve and maintain. Within minutes, they had reached the city's outskirts. They adapted a more normal human pace now that there were humans about.
They walked briskly through the city, making their way toward the shadier part of town. She had donned a long black overcoat shortly after entering the city because of the openly desirous stares she had received. She had been surprised by the attention, as she was quite unaccustomed to being seen as beautiful, but Alucard had assured her that the only difference was how flattering her clothing was.
They found their way to a neighborhood of tall buildings and narrow alleys, the sort of neighborhood where they would be able to get an apartment, no questions asked, as long as they had cash for it.
"Ideally," Alucard said conversationally, "I'd like to live only briefly in an apartment, just until we get the necessary money and connections to buy a large old house. You will find," he added with a smile, pausing before a tall house, "old houses to be more comfortable, now that you are a midian." He gestured at a sign on the tiny lawn that read "Basement for Rent."
She followed him down the sidewalk and stood by as he rang the doorbell. After perhaps a minute and a half, a dumpy older woman answered the door.
"What do you want?" She looked distinctly irritated.
Alucard gave her a charming smile, careful not to display his fangs. "We wish to inquire about your space for rent."
She scoffed. "Are you bloody crazy? It's after 9 already. Come back tomorrow."
Integra—Venus—heard Alucard's voice in her head. Pull out your wallet. She stifled a smile as she realized what he was up to. She took her wallet out of her pocket and opened it up to thumb through the bills.
The woman stopped glaring at Alucard.
"A pity," he said, modulating his voice into disappointment. "Very well," he said, turning to Venus, "Let us move on to the next on our list."
"Hold on," the woman said, obviously trying not to sound too eager. "Maybe my husband can work something out with you. Mind you, it's somewhat of a nuisance, but we do try."
"How kind of you," Alucard said, his thoughts dripping with sarcasm.
She invited them in and sat them in the parlor. A minute later, they were joined by her husband, a short man who appeared to be of the same age as his wife; in his youth he had no doubt been powerfully built, judging by his frame.
He insisted that they call him Earl, though he reminded them more than once that his wife preferred to be called Mrs. Vincent. He got right down to business, offering them the entire use of the basement, as well as the bathroom at the top of the stairs, plus utilities for £200 a month.
They proceeded down the stairs to have a look around. The basement was comprised of three rooms, with one large room and two small rooms which together equaled the size of the large one. The walls and floor were of cement, damp but clean. They were lit by bare incandescent bulbs overhead and a few small windows at ground level. The second small room had storm doors which led directly outside.
They proceeded back upstairs and began to discuss in earnest. Together, they managed to talk him down to £175. He stressed to them that high levels of noise would not be tolerated, and Alucard reassured the man that since he and his wife—here Venus smiled to herself—both worked third shift, they would be sleeping much of the day and would not be a bother.
The deal settled, Venus handed over money for the first month's rent and Alucard left to retrieve their "things."
Earl excused himself to go to bed, and Venus went back to the basement to have another look. She studied the large room, deciding at length that it would make a good sitting room, once it was furnished.
She went into the first small room, the one without an outside door. It had a basic wooden door separating it from the rest of the basement. It will make an excellent bedroom.
She then proceeded to the last room. It was identical to the other small room, save for the set of steps that let to the storm doors. She thought for some time, pondering how best to use this room. Storage, perhaps? Though she didn't feel satisfied with that decision, she accepted it for the moment.
She was becoming restless by the time she heard Alucard's voice in her mind. Open the storm doors. She did so, and he glided in carrying his coffin. He followed her into the other small room, laid it down, and undid the straps holding it shut.
He opened it up, and she noticed a heavy tapestry had been added to the items within, taken from the entrance hall to the Hellsing mansion. "For the window," he explained, and secured it over the high window in the room, blocking out the faint moonlight.
"Very nice," she murmured, and he flashed her a fanged smile. They quickly unpacked their meager belongings, arranging them within the bedroom for the present. After they finished, Alucard turned to her.
"Ordinarily, I would at this point help you procure a coffin of your own. However, as you are my mate, I think we'll be fine sharing mine."
His mate. She felt a small shiver go up her spine. I like that. He smiled, caressing her cheek and seeming almost to purr with contentment.
"We won't be hungry for a couple of nights yet, so let us go out and seek fortune. This place will be cozy, but I prefer to be able to move around more."
"I had noticed that," she said, smiling and taking his arm. They slipped quietly out of the house and walked for a time in silence.
"So," she said, "how do you intend to make money enough to buy a large house?"
He frowned at her. "Think about it, my Countess."
She fixed him with an irritated glare. "I would remind you that I've spent most of my life learning how to destroy vampires. I know little of anything else."
He chuckled. "Venus, you are yet so young…you will learn much over the course of your long life." His smile became more predatory. "I had been thinking that we would make excellent hit men, to use the term loosely. After all, the profession is lucrative because of the short average lifespan inherent to the work. We, however, needn't worry much about that."
He stopped and turned, facing her fully. "We already have the requisite weapons and abilities. We can even use our targets as food when we are hungry. Really, it works out perfectly. What's more, we need not do it forever. Once we can assure ourselves a comfortable life, we quit and find something else to do with our time."
Venus nodded slowly. While she wasn't keen on becoming an assassin, the obvious merits completely overrode any moral objections. "We just have to find someone with a need for such…services."
Alucard grinned and resumed walking. "Exactly. Unfortunately, neither of us have ties to such unsavory characters, so we will have to forge them."
The remainder of the night was spent in reconnaissance. They wandered London's more dangerous streets, watching for signs of crime lords, their best bet for a job. They returned that morning with a couple of vague clues of where to start but nothing concrete.
As she lay curled next to Alucard's sleeping form, Venus found herself thinking back to her teen years. More specifically, thinking of the first time she had met him. She had been a frightened thirteen-year-old, abandoned and hunted by her own blood. He had torn through the men hunting her like so many wet paper bags, and she had been caught firmly between fascination and horror. But when he took that bullet for her, she was immediately filled with peace and calm.
Since their meeting, she had never been able to take her eyes, her thoughts, completely off him. He was always in the background, waiting in the shadows for her summons. Even as she grew ice-cold under her rigid self-control, she wondered at his passions and humors, marveled at the fire that burned within his undead soul
She smiled to herself, wondering in hindsight if there was ever any question of her accepting his offer. From a young age, she had been warned of the ferocity, violence, and deceptiveness of vampires, had been warned never to trust them. She had grown to understand that they had no human heart and were incapable of love and caring.
But from the moment she met Alucard, he had been honest and faithful to her. He was dangerous and violent, it was true, but she was the one who controlled and channeled that violence; she never had to fear any harm from him.
And so she had been fascinated, drawn to the paradox that was him: at once violent and gentle, caring yet callous, creature of the dark in the service of the light. Even while she destroyed vampires so vile, so cruel they made her stomach turn, she could look at her dark knight and say to herself, "Not all of them are like that."
And there were times, as she lay awake at night, when she had wondered what it would be like to be a vampire, to have that strength and immortality. It enticed and repulsed her simultaneously, the desire for strength balancing her fear of becoming a monster.
The equilibrium of that scale had been further strained in the time after Seras became a vampire. The undead woman was obviously anything but a monster. So clearly to become a vampire was not to automatically become a monster.
Looking back, her betrayal had been the final straw, but she couldn't help but think that sooner or later she would have joined him. Everything that happened in her life drove them closer together, drove her closer to the inevitable. Rather like a moth to a candle's flame. Her contented smile dimmed, and she hoped fervently that she would not be consumed by his flame.
She raised her head to look at his sleeping face. No, he will protect me from harm. Even, she realized with a bittersweet smile, even from himself. Clinging to the knowledge of his love, she drifted off into sleep.
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Alucard held his Venus, his Integra, close in his arms, and was content. But even though he could feel her body against his, he knew something wasn't right. He looked down at her. Her face had changed from its calm, sleepy expression to surprise and fear.
Suddenly Abraham had her by the hair and was pulling her away from him, driving a stake through his heart to prevent her from ever having it again. He bellowed in rage, he keened in anguish, and even begged, weeping, Please don't take her away! Not her too, not like Mina…
Alucard snapped awake abruptly, his normally sluggish heart pounding fast by vampire standards.
Just a dream…
Slowly he calmed down, gazing at Venus's sleeping face. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. After losing Mina, he had lived his life in sullen and bitter resentment, and much of his 20-year sleep before being woken by Integra had been filled with thoughts of revenge and hatred. But when he had seen the new heir of Hellsing, or more precisely, seen her courage and determination, his thoughts of revenge had been replaced with admiration for his new master. She had essentially usurped Mina's niche in his heart—he had been fascinated by her from the day they met.
Unfortunately, while at times he delighted in her, at other times she brought back the painful memories he wanted to escape, and this time he couldn't even muster hatred as a shield from the pain.
As she grew into a woman, he couldn't help but admire and secretly worship her. She had, all unknowingly, healed the pain left in his heart by her ancestor. He reached the point where the thought of her growing old and dying was something he couldn't accept, couldn't live with.
And when she'd given herself to him and joined him in immortality, he'd felt complete, for the first time since before Mina had been snatched from him. Of course, he still feared her destruction, but she was strong and immortal now; he didn't need fear nearly so much as he had when she had been human.
He closed his eyes, swearing again to himself to protect and love her forever. Forever. That thought brought a smile to his lips. We have forever to love one another. As cruel as life had been to Integra, he was infinitely glad it had driven her into his arms. He smiled and let himself relax into sleep's arms once more.
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