Chapter 26: The Morning After

Hellsing had had a hectic month, they had been sent on mission after mission. More covens were popping up around Europe. Hellsing were once a force which dealt primarily with threats to the United Kingdom, however these attacks by the covens warranted action.

Sir Thomas had done this best to break their resolve, mission after mission the team had been sent to fight. Some battles were pretty nasty; there had been some closer calls for the more junior members. Numerous human soldiers had been lost in the battles and Integra had had quite enough of it.

In the cellar of the Stigmata Mansion, the Hellsing matriarch sat interrogating a captive enemy. During their latest attack they had caught a werewolf – Hans had tried to interrogate him on a beast to beast level but to no avail.

After a few days Integra had grown tired of his silence, it was time for good old fashioned torture. With their previous torture specialist dead they called on the sadistic butler to take on the role of his lover much to his own pleasure.

As the human wolf man swung from the silver chains on the wall, his skin burned slowly – the silver branding scars into his wrist and ankles the scent of burning flesh filled the room. Walter stood in his white shirt, now covered in fluids and his suit trousers – full butler attire would have been impractical for a job like this.

The wolf let out a gasp as the butlers boot connected with his ribs, a loud crack pierced the air as yet another rib cracked. Sir Integra smiled as she sat in the chair in the corner of the room, smoking on her cigar and nursing a scotch.

"Now I will ask you one more time. Who are you working for?" She growled as she watched the torture. Alucard and Seras stood outside by the two ways glass window, Alucard smiled gleefully as he watched his friend beat any conviction out of their new werewolf friend. Seras was much hardened to violence now; she was no longer the little girl that joined Hellsing those two years ago. However, she still flinched at the torture – she was not a fan of torture like her Master.

"Fuck you bitch I ain't telling your ass shit!" The Werewolf spat up blood as his ribs broken ribs healed themselves with another crack. Werewolves had a great regeneration ability much like vampires, their bodies could take heavy beatings – there skin was like iron Walter knew this from previous experience.

"Walter, once more please." Integra sighed as she took another sip of scotch. Walter grinned darkly as his fangs became more prominent. He enjoyed torture, he always had, he was vicious by nature underneath his polite gentlemanly exterior he was as much a monster as any other member of Hellsing even as a human this was the case; his new demonic form only accentuated this trait.

"With pleasure Sir Integra."

The wolf screamed in pain as the butler sent his wires around the wolf's legs crushing them inside the skin, Walter chuckled as he made sure not to spill a drop of blood.

"You fucking asshole!" The wolf howled out to the blond woman who chuckled, with one quick movement Walter had taken a firm grasp of the wolves chin and slowly crushed his jaw in his hands.

"Do mind your manners around my master or I will rip that piece of meat from your mouth" He hissed as he shoved the wolf's head back into the wall.

"We can do this all day you scum, or you could tell us what we need to know." Integra sighed as she watched the torture unfold.

"I don't know anything that you don't already know!" The wolf tried to explain through broken gasps.

"I don't believe you. We found you at the latest coven site. You have to know something!" Integra slammed her glass on the table and stood up walking over to the pair.

"I don't I swear!" The wolf cried out between punches.

"Walter again" Walter laughed and pulled out his wires one more, causing the wolf to shriek.

"Stop please I can't tell you! They will kill me." The wolf cried out in panic.

"Young man, if you don't tell us I will kill you and I can guarantee it will hurt more." Walter growled as he played with his wires.

"What is the name of your leader? Who are you working for?" Integra growled as she kicked the wolfman causing him to growl and bark back at her.

"Walter, rip out his tongue if he won't talk he doesn't need it." Integra chuckled as she stepped back.

"No no please please just wait!" The wolf cried out in fear.

"Well…talk!" Integra barked.

"The people I work for, they are nothing like regular monsters, they are organized…there multiple different kinds of monster and demon involved it's not just vampires or wolves.." The wolf began to pant looking down at the floor in fear.

"Go on…"

"You won't be able to stop them…they control everything. Even you…" He sighed as his bones reconnected with loud snaps and cracks.

"What are you talking about?" Integra snapped as she walked closer to the wolf who was slowy crumbling under pressure.

"You won't be able to stop them, not even your pet vampire…" He sobbed.

"Explain…" Walter hissed kicking the wolf once more causing him to yelp in pain.

"I can't they are coming…"

3POV

Anderson sat watching Avery sleep; she seemed as peaceful as she could be given the circumstances. She had been tossing and turning all night, the drugs had kicked in making it a lot worse for her. Anderson had ripped the bar owner apart, he couldn't allow someone like him to violate Avery – as much as he was meant to hate her something inside him caught light when he saw what that asshole had tried to do to her. His quick death was too good for him; he should have spent longer on it. He should have made him suffer.

Anderson had cradled Avery and calmed her down as she fell asleep on his chest, he made a swift exit with the redhead in his arms, placing a his coat over her to keep her warm he had carried her back to the orphanage. Sister Mary Joan was relieved to see the pair and shocked to hear the news of what had happened, they had agreed to make arrangements for the woman to have the next three days off to recover.

As inappropriate as it may have seemed, Anderson did not want to leave Avery in her room alone, not with everything that had happened today. He pulled up a chair from the living area and settled at the end of her bed for the night, keeping watch over Avery. He was concerned that she may choke on her own vomit or have another nightmare.

He was right to be worried, during the night Avery had been screaming again. More nightmares plagued her mind, Anderson had tried to calm her as much as he could but he could not wake her up. He just held her hand until she calmed down, pulling out his Bible to pray over her as much as he could. She would not thank him for that but if he brought some peace he didn't care – there was peace in the word of God, Anderson really believed that.

Anderson woke up early as usual the morning light breaking through the bedroom window; he looked down at the sleeping woman. He was still holding her hand; he sighed sadly and placed her hand back on her lap.

With a sigh he took hold of his rosary in his pocket and began is morning prayer, making the sign of the cross he sighed and spoke his prayer as quietly as he could as to not wake the sleeping woman.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

The priest sat for a few moments and thought over the events of the past few weeks, how things had changed. He was still confused about God's plan but he was at some peace that it was all out of his control – it was all the will of the Lord.

Looking over at the sleeping woman he sighed and ran his hands through his head. How had this happened? How had the same woman that mere months ago, had been willing to rip him apart now filled him with such concern. He hated her, he tried to convince himself every day that the former demon was still an abomination but the longer he spent with her the less malice he felt towards her.

He felt protective of the former demon, he did not know why. Maybe it was because she had saved him, but his debt was paid he had saved her a number of times since she arrived at the orphanage. Maybe it was a new mission of his, was he curious to see if a demon could be saved? Was that the reason he always came to her when she was in need. She had no one else after all, much like him – they were both surrounded by people but they were alone.

He saw himself in her, the same fire the same will to fight against everything. He had been much like her before he joined the church all those years ago. It was only with the help of Bishop Thomas that he was able to put his talents to good use to serve the Lord. In his forties he had undergone the long painful process of becoming a regenerator – he was the Vatican's monster. Avery was the same as him, a monster but a monster will a heart; he could see she was struggling with her humanity; it must have been hard for the girl. She had lived as a source for fear and destruction for longer than Anderson could even contemplate, what horrors must have torn her soul into pieces to reduce her to such a state in the first place was beyond him.

The priest felt the tension building in his chest; Avery would have only become a demon if she had truly been broken to the point where she relinquished her own humanity. What could have caused the woman he knew now to give everything up and go against the Lord? She told him before that she was a Catholic in her human life, why then had she abandoned God? What horror broke her resolve?

He looked over her sleeping form; she seemed at peace for now. She snored lightly causing the priest to smile. She had some strangely human habits, not what he would call ladylike or elegant by any means. In all honesty unless she really tried she was a bit of a frazzled mess. Demons were blessed with the innate ability to be elegant and graceful it was part of their lure. Now human, Avery had trouble with that. She would often be caught rushing around late for something or another, carrying children places – hair up in a frizzy ponytail or face covered in paint. He had caught her walking into the odd wall or table when she was no paying attention – she was no longer the most elegant creature in the room and even if the Priest would never admit it to himself or to anyone else – he like it; how she cared for the children more than herself, how she seemed to always be a little bit more confused than everyone else. He found it endearing.

The Priest cast a glance over to the bedside clock it was still early; he lifted himself off of the chair and stretched silently cracking his neck from one side to the other. He thought it best to go and freshen himself up and maybe get something to eat. Anderson made his way towards the bedroom door, opening it gently he turned to look at the sleeping redhead once more before leaving the room.

Avery POV

My fucking head! My fucking body…damn! Everything ached; I opened my eyes slowly grimacing at the light that hit my face. Who the bloody hell opened the curtains? Where was I? This doesn't look like heaven? I blinked a few times before my eyes flew open and I bolted upright in my bed.

Where was he? Where was that fucking wanker? I would kill him, trying to do that to me! I couldn't compute where I was maybe the effects of the drugs or the fact I was still half asleep. Was he still hre? Had he not finished with me yet? I couldn't remember much of last night, I remember being pinned down and not being able to move, that pervert leering over me touching me…then I blacked out…was I still there? I panicked and tried to get out of my bed but was held in place by a strong hand. I swallowed hard and looked up at the person in front of me and let out a long sigh of relief when I realized it was Anderson.

"Calm down Love, you're alright. You are back in your room." He spoke softly as I blinked a few more times shaking my head and looking round, the fuzzy outline of the room became clearer the more I strained. I remembered a little bit more from last night; he had saved me the Angel's Dust, Alexander Anderson had saved me from that asshole. I tried to remember the happenings of the night but it was mostly fuzz. I could recall some screaming, and crashing sounds and then… he held me…I felt myself growing red in the face as I remembered how I snuggled into him I remembered how good he smelled and how much peace I felt as I lay in his arms – was it peace or was it the drugs? I had been so happy to see him last night – today not so much I would rather be anywhere else than in front of him in this state. Oh God I am such a fucking embarrassment I had snuggled Alexander fucking Anderson…oh Jesus fucking Lord why?!

I swallowed slowly as I looked away from the paladin, I couldn't tell if he noticed the growing colour of my face. I slowly lowered myself back into my bed and pulled the bedcovers up over my face making the priest chuckle at me.

"I feel like a cat shat in my mouth…" I groaned from under the blanket, probably not the most eloquent choice of words to say to the man who saved my life but I really did not care at this point. My head felt like it had been kicked repeatedly, my mouth felt dry and tasted like smoke and metal.

"Well that's a lovely image." Anderson chuckled as he shook his head in disgust. Why has he here? This was my room, why was he staring at me…had he watched me sleep? Oh Jesus…

"Anderson why are you in my bedroom?" I groaned from under the blanket. The room was far too bright for me this morning; I covered my head entirely with the quilt and heard the priest sigh.

"Someone had to make sure you didn't choke on your own vomit…Also I have a key." He said. I poked my head out of the covers and gave him a disapproving look; he had a key to my bedroom? That is not weird at all.

"You have a key?" I asked disapprovingly.

"Aye. I do for safety." Anderson replied plainly swinging the key on his finger. I blinked a few more times and then pulled the cover back over my head with a moan of pain.

"That's not completely terrifying to think about…." I groan as I pulled the covered off my face.

"Can you turn a light off or something I can't deal with it." I groaned as I propped myself up a little as Anderson shut the curtains once more.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he returned to his chair next to my bed.

"Like I fought a bear, lost badly and then got hit by a train." I grumbled as I run my hands over my face, my head was throbbing I was so dizzy still. Was this a hangover? No wonder Lord Hellsing spent three days in bed after a session!

"Aye that would be about right lass." He chuckled slightly as he handed me a tray from the table next to me.

"I brought you some breakfast. You will need to line your stomach or the effects of the drug will feel worse." He said as I took the tray from him.

"Oh…thanks …it's not fucking toast is it?" I chuckle as I look down at the food.

"No, no toast" Anderson smiled back at me.

"Thank you…have you been sat there all night?" I asked as I took a sip of the water. As the water ran down my throat I let out a long sigh of relief, it was so nice to feel the cooling water against my sore throat.

"You were in a delicate state last night; I wanted to be sure you were alright. Also, your snoring kept me awake" he said with a smirk making me cough slightly on my drink.

"I will tell you for the last time Priest I do not snore!" I gasped as I wiped the spilled water from my face. He was mocking me, I could tell he smiled back at me.

"Yes, you really do." He chuckled with a smile. I shot him a glance and shook my head in mock shock.

"Well I am mortified…" I mutter as I took another sip of water. My head was full of thoughts, I couldn't keep my brain focussed, I kept thinking about the Grimoire in the draw. I used dark magick on that man in the alley last night. Was the attack my comeuppance? I knew that using that kind of magick drew things into the person, maybe it was my fault. I couldn't stop though, I had nowhere else to go at the moment, I had to stay and practise even if I didn't want to.

Anderson POV

Avery had gone quiet all of a sudden, one minute she was laughing with me and now I could swear she was about to cry. Was everything coming back to her? Last night would have been hard on her she would need to take it all in on a human level.

"Anderson, can I ask you a question?" Avery asked as she looked up from her food, she was serious now the smile that just graced her face long gone. I nodded and leaned in to listen.

"If someone asked you to do something but you knew it would harm you if you did it, would you do it?" Avery asked as she played with her hands nervously. Why was she asking me this? I was confused.

"No." I answered calmly causing her to take another deep breath.

"What if you didn't have another choice? Would you still do it?" She asked once more, as she looked away from me. What was she trying to tell me? Everyone has a choice, there is never not a choice.

"No I wouldn't do it." I replied confidently. Why are you asking me this Avery?" I asked as I placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to pull back slightly, I removed my hand quickly maybe I was out of line touching her like that.

"Look it's just my mind being all over the joint today. Sorry, it's too early." She chuckled as she blinked a few times and plastered a fake smile across her face. I was no fool, I could tell she was hurting – I could tell there was something more there that she would not talk about. I had taken enough confessions in my time to know when someone was plagued with guilt and Avery, she was plagued with demons. I sighed and looked down at my hands for a few seconds, as we sat in silence.

3POV

The two sat in silence for a moment both in their own thoughts, Anderson would occasionally glance over at the redhead. She was deep in thought, her mind plagued with the inner turmoil of her recent choices. How had she got into this position? Did she lust for power this much? Was she doing this for power or was she doing it for something else?

"You know, you are free from that past of yours, you think you aren't but you are – nothing can hurt you whilst you are under our protection." The priest spoke suddenly making Avery look up at him in shock. Why was he being so gentle with her? She was so confused, he hated her. Six months ago he would have happily sprayed her insides across the walls without batting an eyelid. She would have happily sat and tortured him slowly in the most intimate and painful way possible – now however, now it felt different. He saved her life again, she was in his debt. The tables had turned on her and it scared her to death.

"I'm not sure that is true Anderson but thank you." Avery spoke breaking the silence as she looked down at her hands sadly. She knew she wasn't under their protection she was being used like a weapon again, the same as she always had been. He may not know about the Bishop's plan yet but once he did he would kill her. The same as all the other monsters, it was just a matter of time.

"You're human, you are under my protection. Even if sometimes you don't seem to need it, I will protect you as much as it pains me sometimes to admit it. You are not one of the bad ones anymore." Anderson said softly, he felt a pain inside him as he watched the redhead sigh sadly and shake her head. Why would she not accept that she was human now, she was no longer a monster. She had a second chance and she was wasting it.

"My soul is just on temporary loan from God. Nothing else." Avery said coldy as she tightened her hands into fists. Anderson didn't understand why she had said that, he looked at her and tried to read her expression, she was in pain but she wouldn't tell him why. Something must have happened that he did not know about – had that asshole done something else before he got into the room. Was he too late to protect her? All the thoughts ran through his mind as he replayed the situation in his head.

"I'm sorry don't pay me any mind Anderson. It doesn't matter…" Avery sighed as she shook her head.

"When you are feeling better I want you to come and train with us." Anderson said changing the topic of conversation. He had thought it over, his team wouldn't be happy about it but to it would be impractical to have Avery here and not train her in some form of self defence.

" Are you saying that I don't know how to fight?" Avery scoffed offended that Anderson thought she was weak all of a sudden. Just because she did not have fire coming from her palms or the ability to jump off of roofs it didn't mean she was totally defenceless – she and Walter had instructed Integra in combat. How dare this Papist think she was a weakling!

"No I am saying your human body doesn't know how to fight. You may know the moves but if you body has never trained you will hurt yourself. So you will be training with me and a few other members of Iscariot in the gym of the mornings before the children wake up." Anderson explained crossing his arms and sitting back in his chair.

"You do realise I trained Integra Hellsing in combat." Avery stated coldly, raising his eyebrow Anderson opened his mouth slightly to answer but then closed it again. If this was true, then she shouldn't need much refreshing in her human body. If she was lying then she would need training - either way she was going to be going to the gym.

"You know this freedom thing, feels less and less like actual freedom the more I stay here." Avery grumbled to herself.

"Freedom comes at a price Lass." Anderson chuckled at the pouting redhead. She was doing it again, acting childish – it was cute. Shaking his head slightly he bit down on the inside of his mouth, he swallowed down a small amount of metallic blood, he had bitten down a little too hard, his skin quickly regenerating to its fully healed state.

"So I have been told." Avery muttered under her breath, she thought about her current freedom it wasn't freedom it was a cage. The worst thing, no one but the two of them knew it.

"Go on try to pastry. Let me know if you hate it as much as the toast." Anderson said quickly changing the topic, Avery looked down at her plate she had a small pastry on the plate. She picked it up and smelled it making the priest's eyes roll as he watched.

"You are not letting the toast thing go are you?" Avery chuckled as she tried a bite of the pastry. It was nice, a bit messy for her liking there were crumbs everywhere. Avery brushed off her chin with a tissue and took another sip of water.

"No, who doesn't like toast?" Anderson chuckled shaking his head, breaking his hardened character for a moment.

"Me! It's horrible, dry and tastes like cardboard." Avery laughed as she flayed her hands around in protest.

"Do demons eat cardboard? I will have to remember that." Anderson laughed.

"You are mocking me Anderson." Avery laughed as she took another bite of her pastry.

"Only a little Love." He smiled leaning back in his chair.

"I didn't know you had a sense of humor." Avery scoffed at him making him open his mouth in mock shock.

"Of course I have a sense of humor, I'm Scottish." He chuckled.

"Oh, I thought that was a prerequisite for you being a miserable bastard."Avery smiled back at him, it was her first real smile she had ever given him and it made the Scottish priests' heart leap, he coughed a little as he took in a breath covering his mouth composing himself; he mentally slapped himself for reacting like such a child – what was he four?

He shook his head and regained his composure slightly, he was shocked that she had actually smiled at him, she looked beautiful when she smiled; he watched her smile at the children and at the Sisters but she never smiled at him she was always so cold with him until now.

"Aye, that too I guess" Anderson said as he tried to compose himself after his coughing fit. Avery chuckled to herself and placed her tray on the bedside table.

"I'm going back to sleep Anderson. I'm exhausted." Avery sighed as she scooted back down into the bed and covered herself with the quilt.

"Aye, I need to get to helping with the children; you are taking the weekend off." Anderson said gruffly as he stood up from his chair and moved it across the room.

"Yes, Sir" Avery mumbled from under her quilt. Anderson shook his head as he watched the redhead snuggle onto her side to face the wall, turning on his heel he opened the bedroom door but was stopped by a voice coming from the covers.

"Alex…." Avery called quietly from under the covers.

"Thank you for saving me…"