Good evening,
It'll be a while before I post anything again. Sorry.
Oxford Not Brogues
Chapter Eleven
1999
Instead of being spared missions with children as targets, Seras was forced to be looked after by Alucard and Sebastian. And here the fledgling was in another sticky situation. After leaving her mentors to deal with the small coven of vampires, Seras went around killing the few ghouls there were. Unfortunately, she found more than just ghouls. Hiding away in a small storage area was a child that was around the age of twelve. He was tucked away behind some large crates with his hands over his ears as he waited for the screaming to stop. And once again, Seras found that she couldn't go through with killing a child. Sighing, the girl stared at the scared boy as he whimpered under his breath. His eyes pleaded with her to spare him, and she wasn't able to ignore that. Putting a finger to her lips, the girl quietly shushed him.
"Stay here," She instructed him softly, hoping he would listen. There was a hint of uncertainty in the boy's eyes, unsure if he should fully trust this woman, but he gave a small nod of his head. Seras' heart jolted in her chest when she heard footsteps just outside the storage room. Turning quickly, she watched Alucard and Sebastian enter. Thankfully, since the boy was still tucked away and doing his best to be as quiet as possible, the males hadn't spotted him. Instinctively, her mentors scanned the room, making her heart beat wildly in her chest out of fear that they would find their next target. "All the ghouls have been eliminated." Seras quickly spoke to draw attention solely on herself. It worked. Her master and the demon instantly glanced over at her. The males didn't respond immediately. They stared hard at her with an unreadable expression on their faces. It bothered her some that they didn't even blink. Her flesh prickled with goosebumps and her throat tightened, but she attempted to not buckle under her fear. She stood tall and didn't break eye contact.
"Is that all?" Sebastian asked. Even his tone didn't give away how he truly felt at the moment.
"Yes," Seras responded with furrowed brows.
"You didn't find anyone, Police Girl?" Her master questioned her, causing the girl's face to pale. Did her mentors know? Still refusing to give away the boy's position, the fledgling lied to her mentors.
"No," She whispered and shook her head. Without even thinking, she dropped her gaze to stare at the floor, unable to hold eye contact with them. She felt such guilt for lying to them, but she knew it was the only way to keep the boy safe.
"What are you doing, Seras?" Alucard sighed and he finally expressed how he truly felt. Such disappointment swelled in her master's eyes. The Draculina gripped her rifle tighter as she lowered her head in shame. "Don't mistake us for fools. We detected him the second we entered the room."
"I'm sorry, Master." Seras apologized softly.
"You know what our job is." The elder vampire reminded her for the thousandth time this week. "We must eliminate all targets."
"He's a child," The fledgling muttered as she gestured at the boy hidden behind the crates.
"I know," Alucard replied with a nod. "But he's a target. He's our target. He must be eliminated."
"Why?" Seras asked once again, even though she already knew the answer.
"Because, as servants of the Hellsing Organization, it's our duty." Her master repeated. "We are bound to those orders."
"I just wanted to save him." The little vampire whispered. "I can't even save one."
"Why do you want to save them so badly?" Sebastian asked.
"They're children." Seras answered when she finally looked back up at her mentors. "They're young and innocent. They have nothing to do with what their parents did. Why can't we let him go?"
"You already know why, Police Girl." Alucard replied. "You keep making me answer the same question over and over again. I won't tell you again."
"Is it because of the runes?" The fledgling questioned with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Because of the runes you can't disobey Sir Integra?" Alucard glanced down at the red, ancient symbols that were imprinted on his white gloves. Those symbols have haunted him for a century. Will he ever be rid of them? Or will the Hellsing line live on? "What will the runes do to you, Master?" Seras asked, drawing his gaze away from those damn runes.
"The pain is indescribable." Sebastian answered when Alucard did not. The fledgling's pretty blue eyes flickered to meet the demon's gaze. "Even creatures such as ourselves who have experienced different agonies, suffered through torture, and have grown quite desentized to most things, are unable to withstand the pain it brings us." Such sadness swelled in the Draculina's eyes. "The intense pain immobilizes us in an instant, making us docile." The demon grimaced while his dark red eyes simmered with hatred.
"So…how do the runes work exactly? If you let the child go, both of you are instantly punished?" Seras questioned as she tried searching for a loophole of some sort. "Or are you only punished if Sir Integra finds out what happened?" The mentors frowned at the girl. Why couldn't she let this go? Why was she so hellbent to save this one child?
"Only if Sir Integra realizes we disobeyed her order." Sebastian answered, though he regretted it seconds later.
"Okay! Then what if Sir Integra never finds out?" Seras asked, desperate to get Alucard and Sebastian on her side. "She won't ever have to find out what we did! We can let one child escape. Please, Master. Just let this one child live." The No Life King sighed heavily while staring at his Childe.
"You're asking me to betray my master." The elder vampire responded after a short moment of silence. "Not only that, but you're also putting us at risk of being punished, even after telling you what the runes do to us." Feeling shameful, the Draculina lowered her gaze to the floor and frowned.
"I'm sorry," Seras whispered when realizing just what she was asking them.
"If someone asked you to, would you betray me?" Alucard questioned her. The frown deepened on her lips. Hesitantly, she glanced up at her Sire to see disappointment brewing in her master's eyes while he stared at her. "Would you?" He raised his voice, wanting an answer. Again, the girl lowered her gaze, too shameful to continue looking at him.
"No, Master." Seras whispered.
"Then why would you ask me to betray my own master?" He asked.
"I'm sorry," His fledgling apologized again. "I just really wanted to save one child. Doesn't it bother either of you that…we're forced to kill children?"
"No," Alucard and Sebastian answered simultaneously and without hesitance. Seras' eyes flew open wide before her head snapped up to gape at her mentors.
"What?" She whispered. "No?"
"No," Sebastian repeated once more with such a cold, hard look in his eyes. "It doesn't bother us." He clarified.
"Why?" Seras asked with tears in her eyes.
"After living centuries, it gets easier to kill." Alucard answered.
"As a demon, it doesn't matter to me who I'm killing." Sebastian said nonchalantly with an elegant wave of his hand. "Age and gender mean nothing to me. It's just another tearable body in my eyes." Her eyes flickered from one man to the other. She was unable to believe what they were telling her. It sickened her what they were admitting to. How…inhumane and monstrous they truly were.
"I seriously misjudged your characters." The little vampire whispered.
"Would it ease you at all knowing that if we did have a choice in the matter, we would leave this child alive because you asked us to?" Alucard asked. "We would let him leave here without a scratch on him."
"It doesn't bother you to kill children, but it does bother you hearing what I think of you?" Seras questioned with an arched brow. "Just because I want you to shouldn't be a reason for you to not kill a child. A normal person shouldn't have any need to kill a child."
"It's not a need of ours, Police Girl." Alucard raised his voice to his naive fledgling. "What you don't seem to understand is that we are mere puppets doing the Hellsing's work." All that patience he had was completely gone, and all that was left was aggravation. "There is absolutely no pleasing you, is there? No matter what we say or do, we will always just be monsters in your eyes, won't we? Even knowing that we would be punished, of the unbearable pain we would have to suffer through, you still want us to go against our master's wishes and spare this child?"
"I don't want either of you to suffer!" The Draculina corrected him. "I just can't believe that neither of you can feel remorse after killing a child!" Unexpectedly, someone snatched Seras' rifle right out of her hands.
"I'm sick of this!" A pubescent voice reached her ears. Turning, the fledgling's heart and stomach dropped when seeing her own rifle being aimed right at her. The scared boy she had tried protecting held it in his shaking hands. Tears were running down his pale face while he glared at the three of them. "Get the fuck back!" He demanded with his finger on the trigger.
"What the hell are you doing?" Seras asked. She would be a liar if she said she wasn't scared. The rifle was loaded with blessed silver rounds, and the child was feeling threatened, which would give him a good reason to pull the trigger. "I was trying to protect you." The little vampire reminded him.
"Protect me?!" The boy exclaimed angrily. "You kept apologizing to them; to those monsters! You were letting them smooth talk you into letting them kill me! You weren't protecting me!" Seeing the demon flinch the slightest bit, the child automatically raised the rifle a little higher to point it directly at Seras' head. "Stay back!" The boy ordered the males. "Stay back or I'll slaughter your stupid sex slave!" Seras' face twisted in a look of disgust from that little comment.
"Ew, you little pervert!" The Draculina raised her voice. "I'm a fledgling, not their sex slave!" Her fierce eyes flickered up and down the kid's body, the disgust only rising in her eyes. "You're really not helping your case. I was the only person on your side."
"If you were on my side, wouldn't you have tried to save my parents? Wouldn't you have started there instead of letting them kill everyone; my whole coven; my family? And I'm supposed to thank you for leaving me an orphan?" The boy scoffed. "Everyone I love is dead, you tart!"
"My fledgling is completely useless when it comes to killing vampires." Alucard interjected. "We're the ones who killed your coven. You're orphaned because of us. She had nothing to do with this, so you should be aiming that weapon at us."
"I'm not an idiot!" The boy snarled while he glared at the elder vampire. "I know who you are! I know who sent you! My coven has been trying to avoid you long before I was even born! I was warned that you are a monster among monsters! The boogeyman of our kind! So, I know that this rifle won't be able to stop you! I'm not stupid!"
"If you were smart, you wouldn't be aiming it at her." Alucard growled before grinding his sharpened teeth together.
"Why? What is she going to do?" The boy asked before he shoved the rifle more into her face.
"It's not what she's going to do to you. It's what I'm going to do to you." The monster threatened. "Lower the weapon and I'll show you mercy; your death will be swift."
"No!" The boy shouted on the top of his lungs. Such fear swelled in the child's eyes while his hands shook. "It's not fair! I don't want to die!"
"Master," Seras whispered with a frown on her lips.
"He has a gun aimed at your head." Sebastian reminded her. "Don't sympathize with him, Seras."
"Maybe now you'll learn to not disobey an order when given one, Police Girl." Alucard scolded her.
"And not to lie to us." The demon added.
"Bloody hell! I was only doing what I thought was right!" Seras growled. "And what about you?" The girl gestured at the sniveling boy. "What is your 'genius' plan? How are you going to escape?" Her eyes scanned the small storage area. "You're basically trapped; we've got you cornered. And like you said, you may be able to shoot me, but you won't be able to get by them. So I seriously doubt that you would be able to step foot outside of this room without my master and Sebastian tearing you to shreds. And by the sound of it, it will be a slow and painful death." The fledgling tried to talk the boy down. "Please, just think about what you're doing. I know it's scary. I know that you don't want it to end like this. But, unfortunately, we're not exactly in any position to…let you escape. I can, however, make sure that it happens quickly, so you won't feel a thing."
"Shut up!" The boy shouted. "What is wrong with you?! Seriously, lady! Does your IQ drop a couple hundred points lower each time your cup size increases? I'm the one with the gun, you moron! You're in no position…"
"To negotiate?" Seras scoffed. "Considering there's a gun right in my face, I think I have every right to try and negotiate."
"Yeah!" The boy exclaimed sarcastically. "You're just trying to sacrifice my life and save your own skin! It isn't much of a negotiation, sweetheart."
"You misogynistic, little…" The fledgling trailed off while she glowered at the infuriating child.
"You just need a noun. Come on. You can do it. Finish your insult." The smirking boy pushed her further.
"Bastard?" Alucard attempted to help her find the correct word.
"Twerp?" Sebastian suggested. Seras shifted her head to look at her mentors.
"Whose side are you guys on?! I didn't actually need help coming up with an insult! I'm just trying to control my temper and stay level headed!" The fledgling told them.
"Sure." The boy stated sarcastically. "If the hair color fits, might as well accept it, boobs for brains." Looking back at the young male vampire, Seras gave him such a dark, withering glare.
"You know what?" The Draculina spoke as she glanced over her shoulder at her master. "If and when you kill him, I will not hold it against you guys. He is really starting to deserve it." Her eyes flickered back to the boy then. "You keep insinuating that I'm stupid, but you're the one still trapped like a dirty, little rat. If you're so damn smart, then try and get yourself out of this." The smirk slipped from the boy's face when remembering the position he was in. He was basically backed right up against the back wall of the storage room. There was only one door out and that was directly behind the monsters. He had a gun to the girl's face, which was keeping him alive so far because her mentors appeared too nervous to move in case he got trigger happy. What was his next move? What should he do to get out of this mess? Take the annoying girl hostage? That could buy him some time, but he doubted he would get far. From what he had heard, those monsters always had a trick up their sleeves. So what now? Could he perhaps take the girl hostage and bargain with the monsters? Meeting Alucard's gaze, the boy made his first demand.
"L-let me go and I won't shoot you're little slave." The boy spoke in a shaking voice. As if to prove that he would do it, the boy pressed the muzzle against her forehead. Unbeknownst to him, the Draculina's eyes shifted to a dark red when he did this.
"Fuck this," The fledgling grumbled and acted while the boy's gaze was off of her. Using her newfound agility, Seras grabbed for the rifle. The boy gasped when the fledgling attempted to yank the rifle right out of his hands. Using all of her might, she pulled hard. But the boy was so desperate to hang on to it, he involuntarily came towards her with the rifle.
"Seras, what are you doing?!" Sebastian yelled at her for acting so recklessly. Without hesitance, Seras balled her hand into a tight fist and slammed it into the child's face as he came hurtling forward. Her fist connected with his nose, causing the child to fly back and hit the wall hard. Instinctively, the boy squeezed the trigger. "Seras!" There was a loud bang in the small storage room, instantly deafening her. Pain flooded the entire right side of her head. A sharp cry left the Draculina before she cupped the side of her head where blood seeped between her fingers.
"No!" Alucard roared before he acted. At lightning speed, the elder vampire lunged forward to grab the boy by his shirt. He lifted him off of his feet and slammed him back hard against the bricked wall. The rifle fell to the floor as the boy cried out and struggled in the monster's grasp. Such anger seared in the monster's eyes while a growl emitted from deep within his throat. His hair had a mind of its own as he moved about in waves, looking similar to thriving tendrils. His claws ripped the child's shirt and bit deep into the boy's chest as Alucard kept him pinned to that wall.
"Seras?" Sebastian whispered as he came to the girl's aid. There was a sharp ringing in the girl's left ear, but in her right ear…she couldn't hear anything. Everything was so silent on that side. Had he blown off her ear? Lowering to her knees, she moved her hand away to look at the blood smeared all over her palm. "Seras?" She could faintly hear the demon calling her over the ringing in her ear. Temporarily in shock from what happened, the small blonde pulled her head back to look at Sebastian. But that's when she noticed the writhing body just behind him. Lifting her gaze, Seras witnessed her master tearing the screaming boy to shreds. Her eyes widened in horror before the demon kneeled in front of her to block her view.
"Seras," He repeated while giving her a stern look, as if he was silently ordering her not to watch what Alucard was doing. Sebastian then gently pinched her chin and forced her to turn her head so he could see the damage. "She…alright…" Seras saw his mouth move but only caught some of the words he was speaking. "He…off…ear…" She figured that Sebastian wasn't speaking to her when he glanced over his shoulder at Alucard. The girl peeked around the demon to find her master standing there casually without a spec of blood on him. Fury and disappointment simmered in her master's eyes as he stared at her. But judging by that look, she couldn't help but wonder if he blamed himself for what happened. Where did the boy go? Her eyes scanned the room, but she didn't have to look far. The back wall was coated in blood. At Alucard's feet was a mangled looking corpse, but he did well to hide it from her by using his coat to block her view of it.
"It will grow back." She heard Alucard as the ringing finally died down. "Don't let something like this happen again, Police Girl." He scolded her.
"You are quite the troublesome girl." Sebastian snickered with a beautiful smile. "Honestly, what are we going to do with you?"
2029
"What happened to your arm, Police Girl?" Alucard snickered. After returning from his thirty year long absence, Seras managed to drag him out of the manor to have some fun in London. He had no idea what this little outing entailed, but he didn't care much. He reveled in that look his fledgling gave; that sparkle in her eyes and that pretty smile on her face. Seras was so entirely happy that he was back and she wanted to make up for the time lost between them. What was normally a mass of black, writhing shadows sprouting from his fledgling's shoulder was now in the shape of an average arm. To further conceal the abnormality of it, she wore a long sleeved shirt and gloves.
"Hmn?" Seras hummed as she shifted her head to look up at her master.
"Why haven't you fully recovered?" The elder vampire asked once more. "It's been thirty years since the war, but your arm still hasn't regenerated." The girl blinked stupidly at her sire for a long several seconds until utter confusion seeped into her gaze.
"I don't understand." Seras admitted, earning a chuckle from her mentors.
"You don't know how to regenerate?" Alucard questioned, sounding a little surprised by this fact. "How did you make it this far?"
"I know how to regenerate." The Draculina corrected him. "But…are you saying…that I can fully heal my left arm? It can go back to normal?"
"You didn't know?" The elder vampire asked with a raised brow. Alucard's gaze then flickered over her head to look at the snickering demon. "You didn't tell her?" Immediately, Seras swung her head around to gape at Sebastian.
"You knew?!" The little vampire exclaimed. The demon glanced over at her to show off his wide smirk of amusement.
"Of course," Sebastian purred.
"And you didn't tell me?!" Seras questioned him.
"Truthfully, I wanted to see how long it would take you to figure it out." The demon responded. "It's a shame Alucard spoiled it. How many more years would you have gone without that arm of yours? I guess we'll never know now." Alucard couldn't help but chuckle at the demon's cruelty.
"I'll show you later how to fully regenerate it." Her master promised. "Out of curiosity, what did you have planned for tonight, Police Girl?" He asked as his fledgling led him through the bustling streets of London late in the night.
"I'm not entirely sure." Seras replied with such a bright, cheery smile on her face. "We can go to the bookstore. We can catch a movie. Whatever you want to do, Master."
"What an obnoxious sound." Sebastian grumbled while he glared off to the side.
"What is?" The little vampire asked as she peeked up at the demon. He looked entirely displeased by whatever it was he was hearing.
"That horrible sound those children are making. It's grating against the ears." The demon added. Following his gaze, Seras found two young children, a boy and a girl, with their mother. Instead of screaming or crying, like she would assume, the children were laughing and seemingly having a great time.
"They're just laughing." Seras muttered with a shrug of her shoulders. She then glanced back up at the grumpy looking demon. "What's wrong with that?"
"It's annoying." Sebastian scoffed. "And what are they even doing out this late? Shouldn't they be in bed?" The fledgling ended up frowning at him.
"You don't like children, do you?" She asked hesitantly.
"No, not at all." The demon responded with a click of his tongue. Turning his hostile gaze away from the children, he happily walked away from the rowdy pair. "They're loud, unpleasant to be around, smell, and rely too much on others."
"It appears that you like them, however, Police Girl." Alucard noted.
"I'm not crazy about kids." Seras corrected him. "But I don't mind them." The girl then glanced back up at the demon. "Some children can be annoying. But I don't understand how you can hate all children."
"Quite easily. I want nothing to do with them." Sebastian added. "I've had my fill of raising little brats."
"When did you have to raise anyone?" The girl questioned with furrowed brows.
"During a contract before I was forced into serving the Hellsing Organization." The demon waved her off. "And we partially took care of Sir Integra in her young age, though she was quite independent and hardly needed looking after."
"And you?" Seras asked before she glanced up at her master.
"Are you asking if I like children or if I've raised any?" Alucard questioned her.
"If you like them." The little vampire answered.
"Not particularly." The elder vampire admitted. "I don't have a loathing for them, but I'm not fond of them either." Alucard then glanced down at his fledgling. "Have you failed to kill a single vampiric child while I was absent, Police Girl?"
"I told you. I'm not going to kill children." Seras reminded him.
"Then how do you get the job done? Or are you sparing all the children that have been targeted by the Hellsing Organization?" Alucard asked. His fledgling gestured her head at the demon.
"Sebastian does it for me." The girl told her master.
"Still?" The elder vampire scoffed. "By now shouldn't you have learned to set aside your humanity and morals, and get the job done?"
"I do," Seras responded with a shrug. "I stopped trying to save them all and instead let Sebastian finish the job. If that's not setting aside my humanity and morals, then I don't know what is." Unexpectedly, the fledgling changed the subject. "You're centuries old, Master. Assuming that you are sexually active, what if you have a love child running about somewhere?" Seras asked. Clear amusement glinted in her red orbs as she smirked up at him.
"A what?" Sebastian questioned as he looked at her in puzzlement.
"A love child," The girl repeated carefully. "You know. A child born out of wedlock."
"I highly doubt that, Police Girl." Alucard snickered.
"You sound confident about that, Master." Seras noted as she gave him a curious look.
"Considering that the only woman on this forsaken earth I can impregnate doesn't even exist, I seriously doubt that I have a 'love' child anywhere in this country or another." The elder vampire explained.
"What do you mean?" His fledgling asked with furrowed brows. Alucard glanced at his Childe from the corner of his eye. Seeing the confused look on her face, the man sighed.
"What don't you understand?" He asked, wondering where he went wrong as a master. It was his job to teach Police Girl everything it was to be a vampire. Yet, she couldn't fully regenerate her arm and now she seemed confused about vampire biology.
"You said that the only woman you can get pregnant doesn't exist." Seras reminded him, earning a nod from him. "Female vampires tend to go through heat, and during this period they are capable of getting pregnant…"
"But only if they're with the right male." Alucard finished for her. "Only mates can reproduce."
"How in the hell does that work?" Seras muttered under her breath.
"Mates' genes complement each other." Sebastian answered, despite her question having been rhetorical. "While copulating with someone who isn't your mate, your body will react negatively to his…deposit." The demon put it lightly so as to not offend the lady. But, unlike Michaelis, Alucard was quite blunt and didn't care if he offended anyone.
"The vagina naturally has acidic properties that kill sperm. In a female vampire's case, when having sex with someone who's not her mate, those acidic properties will produce rapidly to kill all sperm, preventing her from getting pregnant by this male vampire. However, when she couples with her mate, those acidic properties diminish greatly, allowing the opportunity for her to become pregnant." Her master explained. "So, as I said before, the only woman I can impregnate does not exist."
"Oh," Seras drawled when finally understanding. "So because you don't have a mate, it's impossible for you to have a love child running about somewhere."
"You really didn't know any of this?" Alucard asked as he looked back down at his fledgling. The girl shook her head.
"I don't get it." Seras sighed heavily, sounding and looking a little annoyed. "If I can only be knocked up by my mate, then why do I have annual heating cycles? Those things are frustrating all to hell."
"It's one way to help you find a mate." Her master further explained.
"By making me extremely horny and drawing in men who aren't my mates and people I don't want to have sex with?! How does that help?!" The little vampire grumbled. The demon snickered into his hand from that reaction.
"It does draw in males, which is unfortunate for the female, but your mate would react…differently." Alucard responded.
"Differently?" Seras repeated. "How so?" Her master seemed hesitant answering, however. If she didn't know any better she would have sworn she saw discomfort in his eyes.
"He would lose himself to his animalistic urges." Alucard did eventually answer. "And have his way with you."
"Are you saying that my mate will rape me, Master?" The fledgling asked with a look of concern gleaming in her eyes.
"No," Sebastian snickered.
"You will also lose yourself to those urges. You'll let him take you without hesitation." The elder vampire replied.
"That sounds great." Seras muttered sarcastically under her breath.
"Why did you bring up me having a love child?" Alucard asked out of curiosity.
"Well, we were talking about murdering children on missions." The little vampire reminded him.
"And what does that have to do with me having sexual relations with a woman?" Her master questioned.
"For argument's sake, let's say that you do have a love child out there somewhere, despite you not having a mate. How would you feel if you ever learned of that child's existence? Or how would you feel if the child was to be killed by hunters? Wouldn't you feel remorse at all?" Seras asked.
"This again, Seras?" Alucard sighed. His fledgling had a habit of trying to guilt them into not feeling remorse for killing children. It irked him that she kept bringing it up, even after thirty long years.
"Just think about it, Master." Seras begged him in hope that he would see her side this time. "How would you feel if someone else was threatening your child?"
"You mean the hypothetical, bastard child that I didn't even know existed?" Alucard snickered. "I would feel nothing."
"How could you say that?" The fledgling asked, looking slightly disturbed to be hearing this.
"I am not interested in having children, Seras." The elder vampire informed her. "Even if I did magically have a love child that I recently learned about, I would want nothing to do with it."
"Why?" Seras asked. "Are you saying that even if you have a mate and she wants kids, you would keep that from her? Or…have a child with her but…never love that child?" The elder vampire sighed when his Draculina pulled that card on him.
"I don't know." Alucard admitted softly. "It's not something I've considered, nor is it something I want to discuss. I don't see that life ever happening, Police Girl, so why should I concern myself with it?"
2091
"I hope I'm not pressuring you when I ask this, but when are we going to mate, Seras?" Sebastian asked as he watched his mate get dressed.
"Soon," She promised. "I want a little more time like this."
"More time?" Alucard snickered. "We've known you for almost a hundred years. I think we know one another pretty well at this point."
"Yes, but we've never had a physically intimate relationship before, Alucard." Seras reminded him as she pulled a blouse over her head. Afterwards, she turned to look at her mates to give them a smile. "Let's just enjoy this new relationship, alright? We have plenty of time. I promise we'll mate soon."
"Very well," Sebastian replied with a soft smile.
"Later, do you guys want to do something?" The Draculina asked before Alucard could leave the room. He peeked at her from over his shoulder and gifted her with one of his spine tingling grins.
"Besides wanting to bend you over?" The No Life King questioned, earning a blush and a nod from his bride. "Whatever your heart desires, my dear." He whispered as a tender look appeared in his old, red eyes.
"We can visit the Cismigiu Park." Sebastian suggested, knowing how much his bride loved the flowers and lake.
"That sounds brilliant." Seras agreed with a sparkle in her eyes. "And then maybe after we can go to Carturesti Carusel?"
"It's a date," Alucard purred before he left the room.
"Let's meet back up at eight." Sebastian raised his voice, though he didn't necessarily care if Alucard heard it or not. If the elder vampire missed out on a date with their mate, then fine. The demon would show her an amazing time without him.
"It's going to be so much fun!" The Draculina exclaimed with such excitement gleaming in her eyes. With a bounce in her step she headed to the bathroom to brush her hair.
"I'll be outside," The demon informed her and then she heard their bedroom door shut. Grabbing her hairbrush, she started running it through her hair several times. At this point, she was interrupted by an unexpected guest.
"I guess congratulations are in order." A familiar French accent greeted her ears.
"Pip?" Seras muttered as she focused on her familiar's reflection in the mirror. The Frenchman was standing behind her, leaning back against the wall with a lit cigarette in his mouth. His arms were crossed over his chest, a foot was propped up flat against the wall, and he kept his head lowered so his hat hid his expression from her. All around his body were little black and red tendrils that lightly writhed. After taking a second to process what he said, she responded. "What do you mean?" Snickering, the Frenchman lifted his head to give her one of his goofy grins.
"You're going to be a maman." He announced, sounding happy for her. "Though, I don't particularly like the pères; they don't deserve you." He mumbled under his breath. "But, I'm happy for you nonetheless." The girl finally turned to face her old Captain.
"What are you talking about?" Seras chuckled at the foolish man. "Maman? Pères? What does that mean?"
"Oh, mon cher! You break my heart!" Bernadotte joked as he placed both hands over his 'wounded' heart. "I thought you were learning French for little, old me."
"I gave up on it." The Draculina admitted with a shrug. "I was terrible at it."
"Then I'll put it in simpler terms for you, mon cher." The Frenchman responded in that thick accent. "You're going to be a mum." The smile instantly fell from Seras' face and her eyes widened to the size of plates. "Congratulations!" Bernadotte exclaimed, completely oblivious to the look he was being given.
"Are you…messing with me?" Seras asked with furrowed brows. Was this some sort of joke? Confused by that question, the Frenchman frowned at her.
"Are you not happy?" He asked.
"Pip, are you being completely serious?" The small blonde asked as she took several steps towards her familiar. Bernadotte pushed off the wall to stand up straight.
"Why would that be something to joke about?" He asked. The familiar then held up two of his fingers. "I could feel it. You have two lives growing inside of you. How did you not know?" Seras' eyes widened a little more.
"T-two? Two?!" Seras exclaimed. Such a large smile crossed over the girl's face. Before the Frenchman knew it, the Draculina had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Oh, my God, Pip! I'm pregnant with twins! This is so exciting!" She hugged him tightly. If he were human, he was sure she would be breaking just about every bone in his neck right about then.
"I'm happy for you, mon cher." Bernadotte struggled to get those words out while he was being choked. Finally, she pulled away, allowing the familiar to breathe the precious air in, despite him not needing it.
"I have to go tell Sebastian and Alucard!" She squealed before running off.
"Good luck," The familiar coughed as he rubbed his throat.
The small blonde ran right out of her bedroom and down the hall. She knew that Sebastian was somewhere outside, but she had no idea where her other mate was. Did he say? She couldn't recall. She was filled with such excitement that she couldn't focus or remember if he had told her. She was pregnant! They were going to start a family! They needed to celebrate together! Maybe they'll celebrate by finally mating! She knew that she told them differently barely ten minutes ago, but now knowing what the future held, she wanted to take the next step and become theirs forever. Spotting two young women walking down the hall away from her, Seras called out to them.
"Hey!" Seras exclaimed, stopping the girls in their tracks. The two girls' quickly glanced over their shoulders to see who was calling them. "Do either of you know where Alucard is?" Their faces paled from hearing his name. For a brief moment, both girls looked at each other, as if they were silently communicating about the male's whereabouts. Eventually, they both looked back at Seras as she neared them. One shook her head while the other verbally answered the Draculina's question.
"Sorry, no." The taller girl said.
"I think Lord Alucard is in the larger library." Someone else answered. The three girls turned to find Mihai approaching them. He was a tall male with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Most of the girls in the manor found him attractive, and he was currently available, which only made him all the more attractive. "The demon is outside feeding some feral cats." He sneered, looking disgusted by what Sebastian was doing. Mihai then clicked his tongue. "Doesn't Selena know that if he feeds one, more will come? Soon this entire manor will be swarming with those filthy, diseased felines."
"If you don't like it, then leave." Seras replied while giving the male a dark look. Mihai didn't take offense, however, to that little comment. He stared at her for a moment more before a smirk spread across his face. He then snickered and continued on his way.
"Sorry for offending you." He muttered, though she was unsure if that was a genuine apology or not.
"And stop calling him Selena! It's not funny and it will never be funny!" The Draculina added. The male didn't bother looking back. He simply held up a hand, as if he was waving her off.
"Yes, my queen." Mihai said in a sarcastic tone. Seras gritted her teeth while her nails bit deep into the palm of her hands.
"Bastard," She hissed under her breath while she glowered at him.
"You go on ahead." The tall girl muttered to her short friend.
"Alright," The shorter friend responded before she headed off in the same direction Mihai was going.
"Excuse me," The tall girl spoke as she placed a hand on Seras' arm. The Draculina glanced at her from the corner of her eye.
"Huh?" The little vampire hummed before giving the strange girl her full attention.
"I don't know if you know me, but…" Before the girl could finish, Seras spoke.
"It's…Alana? Right?" The Draculina asked. A bit of guilt seeped into her expression, looking shameful that she might have completely given the wrong name. However, a wide smile appeared on the tall girl's face and she nodded her head in excitement.
"Yes!" She giggled, looking purely happy that Seras had indeed remembered it. "I'm Alana. I'm roughly a century older than you but, unfortunately, not as strong." She snickered as she nervously swept a bit of loose hair behind her ear. Bashfully, Alana lowered her gaze to try and hide her red face from the intimidatingly beautiful Draculina. Seras arched a brow to that subtle action. Did Alana fancy her? The No Life Queen couldn't help but wonder. Or perhaps Alana simply admired and respected her? Before Seras could wonder anymore about it, the tall girl was speaking again.
"I understand why you haven't mated with Lord Alucard or that demon." Alana whispered as she lifted her gaze to meet with Seras'. "I know you have a past with them and I know that you can…handle them, but it doesn't mean that they don't scare or intimidate you."
"What are you talking about?" Seras asked with furrowed brows. "I love Alucard and Sebastian. They don't intimidate me." Displeased by that answer, Alana frowned in what appeared to be disappointment. "And, I'm sorry, but when I mate with them isn't your concern."
"I'm not allowed to be concerned for the wellbeing of my queen?" The tall girl questioned as she looked Seras up and down. "The only reason why I stayed after those monsters returned is because of you…my lady. I'm concerned for you. I understand that you love them, but do they truly love you in return?"
"Stop it!" Seras raised her voice. "Of course they love me! Romantic feelings don't come easily to them. It took years for us to reach this point; to discover our feelings and finally come together. Why are you trying to sabotage my…."
"I'm not trying to sabotage anything." Alana corrected her. "I'm only worried. I've been around longer than you. I've seen them break so many hearts. I know how they treat women, especially Alucard."
"What do you mean by that?" Seras questioned her in a whisper.
"Can you really trust them if they haven't told you all about their past?" The tall girl asked her.
"Alana, what did you mean before? What do you mean, especially Alucard?" The Draculina asked once more.
"He's killed one of his lovers before." Alana answered with a sorrowful look. "All because she was pregnant with his child." Suddenly, Seras' chest went tight.
"What?" She whispered, but was barely able to get the word out. Her breathing started to accelerate as her brain fought hard to understand what she had just been told. Alucard killed a woman who was pregnant with his child? When was this? How long before he met her? Wait, this old lover was pregnant? With his child? Vampires could only impregnate their mate. Was this woman his mate? He had another mate before her and he never told her? And he killed her, his mate; the one being that was supposed to be loved and basically worshiped by their other half?
Seras couldn't wrap her head around it. Was Alana right? Did she not know Alucard and Sebastian at all? Suddenly, old memories resurfaced; memories of her mentors repeatedly telling her how much they disliked children. Seras had even asked Alucard at one point that if he had a hypothetical child, could he love it. He never gave her a proper answer. He only kept referring to the child as a bastard.
Would Alucard, her master and oldest friend, actually kill her if he found out she was pregnant? What about Sebastian? Would he protect her or…let Alucard…Seras couldn't even finish that thought. Closing her eyes tightly, a shiver went down her entire body. She felt sick to her stomach. Tears burned her eyes. What now? What was she supposed to do? Trust Alucard and Sebastian wholeheartedly and tell them the…good news? Or…Or what? What else was she supposed to do? What else could she do? Abort her unborn children? Not on her life. But what then?
"What am I supposed to do?" Seras spoke without thinking.
"Pardon?" Alana responded, nearly startling Seras. Forgetting that she was there entirely, the Draculina gasped before she opened her eyes to look back at the other woman. The tall girl blinked at her; staring at her in utter curiosity.
"What am I supposed to do?" Seras asked her directly, desperately seeking guidance. She was at an absolute loss. Her head was whirling, and no matter how badly she wanted to come up with a solution, she was terrified to think of her future. The No Life Queen placed her hands on her flat stomach before she glanced down at herself. "If what you say is true, then my life and the lives of my children are in danger." Alana's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Hesitantly, she glanced down at the other vampire's stomach before her face paled drastically.
"You're pregnant?" The tall girl asked carefully. Seras took a moment before answering.
"Yes," She whispered in a broken voice. "I found out mere minutes ago." Unexpectedly, Alana grabbed Seras by her wrist. "Hey!" Seras exclaimed. Her fierce eyes flickered up to stare at the fearful looking girl. "What the hell are you doing?!" But as she was saying these words, Alana started to speak.
"Please tell me that they don't know!" The tall girl hastily demanded.
"What?" Seras asked as she subconsciously tried jerking her arm free. But the other girl had a firm grasp, refusing to let her go so easily.
"Did you tell them that you're pregnant?!" Alana questioned while such panic filled her eyes.
"N-no!" The Draculina stumbled answering. "No! They don't know! I was about to tell them!" She quickly explained.
"Don't!" The tall girl begged. Her fingers tightened further around Seras' arm. "Please, don't tell them! They will destroy you and your children!"
"I-I don't know!" Seras blurted. "I'm…I'm confused! I love them so much! But if what you say is true…I just can't believe it! Not my mates! Not my Alucard and Sebastian!"
"You really want to risk it?! Are you so confident that you're willing to bet the lives of yours and your children's lives that Alucard and Sebastian will be accepting of this pregnancy?" Alana asked. In that moment, all Seras could think about was how much Alucard and Sebastian loathed children; all the children they killed on missions. Was she so confident that her children won't end up like those other children?
"What…what do I do?" Seras asked with tears in her eyes. "What should I do?" Those large, hot tears rolled down her pale cheeks. Alana gave her a sympathetic look before sighing. Slowly, her fingers loosened around Seras' arm until she let go completely.
"The only thing that will assure your children's safety." The tall girl whispered with a light shrug of her shoulders. "Get as much distance as you can between you and them. Raise your children far away, in a safe environment where those monsters can't find you "
"Leave?" Seras whispered. "I…I don't think that I can."
"If you want your children to live, to be happy and thrive, then you need to leave. There is no other way. There is no 'happy ever after' if you stay. It will only end in misery, pain, and death." Alana warned her.
An Hour Later
Seras stood out on the balcony that overlooked the gardens. She leaned over the metal guard with her arms crossed on top of it. She planted her chin on top of her arms while she watched a small family of vampires play in the gardens. The mother and father laughed as their two year old daughter tried her best to outrun them. She would playfully bare her fangs and hiss before trying to run again.
Seras wanted that more than anything with Alucard and Sebastian. She wanted to start a family with them. Maybe not here. Maybe somewhere else? A nice house or manor in Romania or even somewhere in England. All she wanted was to raise her children with her mates and create so many great memories that will be with them for centuries. But that will only ever be a fantasy, won't it? Anyhow, Seras was still determined to try and persuade Alucard and Sebastian that kids aren't as bad as they think they were.
"Are you ready to leave?" A voice interrupted her train of thought. Immediately her eyes widened. Leave? Leave them forever? No, she wasn't ready! She didn't think that she would ever be ready. It was pathetic she knew it, but how was she supposed to go on without them? From the moment she opened her eyes as a vampire, Alucard and Sebastian have always been there. They've been together for so very long; she honestly couldn't imagine living a life without them. Completely miserable, the Draculina buried her fingers in her hair and closed her eyes in defeat. If they don't change their ways, she will just have to learn to live without them. "Seras, are you ready?" Sebastian repeated before placing a hand on her back.
"No," Seras murmured. She wasn't even sure of what he was talking about. Her head was swarming with such horrible thoughts and plans of leaving them forever. She was filled with such worry and anxiety that she couldn't focus properly. Opening her eyes, she looked back down at the happy little family. The father had his arms wrapped tightly around his two year old as he playfully swung her around.
"Don't you still want to go?" Alucard asked.
"I don't know." The Draculina whispered in anguish.
"Is something bothering you? You seem terribly distracted, Seras." Sebastian noted out loud. But he didn't get an answer. He just stared at her while she watched the parents play with their child down below. Instead of pushing her, Alucard and Sebastian simply stood with her and hoped she would speak her mind eventually.
"Toddlers," Sebastian scoffed as he watched the parents and child. "Loud, sticky little creatures." He shook his head in disapproval while he listened to that horrible high pitched laugh the child made.
"Why do you both hate children so much?!" Seras was unable to keep silent. She unknowingly started to glare at the small, happy family and deeply envy them. Shocked by that small outburst, Alucard and Sebastian looked at their fuming bride.
"Why should we like them?" The demon questioned. "It's not mandatory for everyone to like children."
"Why is this an argument we always circle back to?" The elder vampire growled in frustration, purely sick and tired of the same argument for almost a century. "Drop it, Police Girl!" Tears welled up in Seras' eyes while she glared up at her old master. She opened her mouth wanting to argue, wanting to ask when they will be ready to have children with her, but she ended up closing her mouth. She already knew the answer. They will never be ready. The sound of fatherhood was so unappealing to them, they would rather kill their own pregnant mate. This caused the tears to flow down her cheeks. When did she ever fall in love with such monsters?
"Seras," Alucard breathed when seeing his bride's tears. "I'm sorry for raising my voice…and for calling you Police Girl. Sometimes I forget that…you're no longer that little fledgling that struggled to drink the blood and accept the path she had chosen." His eyes then flickered down her being. No. That fledgling she once was is long gone. Hesitantly, Alucard reached out to take Seras' hand. She flinched, but allowed him to hold it. His bride still looked so very angry and heartbroken. She proceeded to give him that withering glare that made everything in the air feel so chilly to him. "I don't want to fight with you about this anymore. What the Hellsing made us do is all in the past. Let's just move on."
"I would love to move on." Seras murmured after dropping her gaze to glare at his boots. She no longer had the courage to look him in the eye. "I suppose there is no point in arguing either. For decades I tried getting you both to change your perspectives on kids. If I couldn't do it then, then what hope do I have of changing it now?" It was dawning on Seras more and more that she would never get Alucard and Sebastian on board. They'll never want to be fathers. Their loathing for children ran far too deep. She was a fool for thinking that they would ever come around. Her best and only solution in keeping her children alive was to run. Seras slipped her hand out of Alucard's as she turned to head back inside. "I won't ever bring it up again." Their bride promised them.
End of Chapter Eleven
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Oxford Not Brogues