Good evening,

This is a short prequel story to Darling Daughter. I have a couple of these short fics in mind that I'll update every so often.

I hope you guys enjoy.

Oxford Not Brogues

A Warm Welcome

2000

It had definitely been a strange six months for Alucard and Sebastian. It was surreal that the girl that was turned only six months ago was now at full term, for a vampire that is. Seras had stopped going on missions with them long ago. Instead of going on complete maternity leave, Sir Integra had her filing reports and reorganizing the entire filing system, which Seras didn't seem to mind. Sometimes both monsters had a difficult time looking or even speaking to the Police Girl, even though they wanted to. It was just hard to ignore the swollen stomach and knowing that one of them had impregnated her. Never, in their lives, did they think they would ever have to deal with something like this. Then again, Seras wasn't making them deal with anything. She had been very…willing to let them off scot free and raise the child alone.

They thought for sure that she was lying and was secretly angry at them for not stepping up. But it was quite the opposite. Ever since having that talk with Seras, she had been very bright and kind as normal. Alucard and Sebastian waited for her to blow up on them any minute and demand that one of them fathered the child. But that day never arrived. And a part of them felt disappointed that they were never given a second chance to discuss it. The closer Seras' due date got, the more the guilt ate at them. How were they supposed to standby and watch the child grow right in front of them without taking part in his or her life? Neither male thought it would bother them; they thought it would be easy to just ignore the child's existence. But how could they when they can barely ignore the fact that Seras was pregnant with a child that could be either of theirs?

And Seras? If this pregnancy hadn't snuck up on them, they for sure would still have her as a lover. God, did they miss her terribly. That night, the night that child was created, it was branded in their brains for the rest of eternity. They've had plenty of satisfying lovers, but…for some reason, sex with this one inexperienced girl had been satisfying on more than one level. The sex was…different. Far more heated, far more full of hunger and need, and with such powerful orgasms that left them wanting more. They craved to have Seras back under them. They yearned to be back in her bed with her warm, soft body pinned to the mattress as she took what they gave her. They normally don't keep lovers for long, but they would have made an exception for Seras. She was strictly theirs. No one ever will be allowed to touch or fuck her. They will make sure of that. That little slice of heaven was all for them. She may not be their lover right now, but most definitely in the future, they plan on taking her again. That they swore on their lives.

"Where have you two been?" Sir Integra asked. She stood behind her large mahogany desk. Her coat was currently missing and her sleeves had been rolled up to her elbows. Her hair, while still looking decent, was a little tousled. Feeling completely and utterly stressed, she took a long drag off of one of her cigars. It was clearly her third tonight since there were two stubbed ones lying in the bottom of an ashtray on her desk.

"You sent us on a mission." Sebastian reminded her with an irked look. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance while he glowered at her. But their master waved him off dismissively while blowing smoke out of her mouth.

"That was hours ago! Seras went into labor and the baby was delivered." Sir Integra told them. Immediately upon hearing this, Alucard and Sebastian froze. The baby was here? Seras had the baby…without them? They knew perfectly well she had no choice in the matter of when she will and won't have the baby. But…she hadn't even bothered trying to contact them. She could have used telepathy to tell them that she was going into labor. She could have told them that she needed them there and that she was scared. But…they received nothing. They weren't there for her and…they missed the birth of the child. "Well? What are you both doing just standing there and gawking? Go!" Without second thought, the males vanished from that room.

Alucard and Sebastian materialized in the medium sized hospital wing. There were eight beds total, but not a single one was being occupied. Having decided to give her some privacy, the doctor had left Seras all alone in the room with her baby. Much to the males displeasure, the little vampire was already up and fully dressed. She stood over the crib that rested at the foot of the bed. There was such a warm smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes that awed them. They had never seen her so happy before. Even when she was pregnant, she had never glowed like this.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Sebastian immediately lectured her. Startled by their presence, Seras jumped. The smile fell from her face as she shifted her head to look at them in bewilderment. "You just gave birth." The girl blinked at them for several long seconds before finally giving an answer.

"I'm fine." She murmured and then flashed them a smile. "I'm all healed." The little vampire then looked back at her baby and her smile grew.

"You should still be resting." The demon proceeded to lecture her. He walked right over to her and, without so much as looking at the baby, he grabbed Seras gently by the arm. "At least sit down." He maneuvered her with ease, managing to get her to sit on the edge of the bed. The Draculina laughed at him.

"Sebastian, really, I'm fine." She stated once more. Unable to take her eyes off of that baby, she once more looked over and proceeded to stare lovingly at her child.

"When did you go into labor?" Alucard asked as he approached the bed. Still, neither male looked in the direction of the crib. It was like the baby didn't even exist to them.

"An hour after you guys left for your mission." Seras answered without taking her eyes off of the baby. That smile and look of absolute adoration remained. "Three hours of labor, one hour of pushing, and then this little one came." She then lightly shook her head. "I still can't believe it. I was aware that sex usually leads to pregnancy, but…still. I find it so hard to believe that such a small act can create life. I can't believe that the time is here; that after months, the baby is finally here. It's such a bizarre feeling."

"Why didn't you tell us that you were going into labor?" Alucard asked in a demanding tone. His gaze was hard and lips were curled in disappointment; purely dissatisfied with what his Draculina chose by not informing them. The smile fell once more from Seras' face. She finally looked away from the child to look up at them. There was a hint of sadness in the depths of her eyes that they could detect.

"I don't know." The Draculina admitted with a light shrug of her shoulders. "I didn't know if you guys would want…" She trailed off for a second before starting anew. "You guys were busy with a mission."

"We would have liked to have been here, Police Girl." The elder vampire tried to keep from growling.

"Why?" She asked him outright with her brows furrowed together. That question caught both men off guard. They froze up and their eyes widened. Why? It was a reasonable question. After the way they've acted, it was right of her to ask why they wanted to be there for the birth. They knew this, but it still upset them that she would ask such a question.

"We didn't want you to be alone." Sebastian whispered.

"I wasn't." Seras answered with a shake of her head. "Sir Integra was with me the entire time." A smile crossed over her face. "I was a little scared, but…I felt a little better with her there."

"It could have been us." Alucard retorted. "You could have told us and we would have come immediately." Again, that smile left her lips.

"I'm sorry, Master. I…didn't know that…you would be interested in being here. Neither of you…really said anything before about…wanting to be here when it happens." She muttered, feeling guilty for not telling them. "But you're here now and neither of you have even looked at the baby." Her brilliant eyes flickered back over to stare at the crib. "Why? Aren't you two curious at all? Don't you want to know the gender? Or who the father is?" Suddenly, both men tensed up while they stared at her in bewilderment.

"You know whose child it is?" Sebastian asked softly.

"Of course," Seras chuckled as she stood up and walked back over to the crib. For the first time since entering that room, Alucard and Sebastian finally looked at the crib. They could see a small bundle lying perfectly still, but they were unable to see the child's features. The new mother was extremely careful and showed hestiance as she scooped her fragile baby up into her arms. Holding the child close to her chest, she slowly turned to face her mentors. Their curious eyes drifted towards the baby's face. They weren't immediately able to tell the gender or who the father was, but they could admit to perfection when seeing it. The baby's skin was as white as the blanket it was being swaddled in. It had a full head of hair. It was as black as theirs and ever so soft and silky looking. The baby's face was round from chubbiness, but had soft rosey cheeks that made him or her look all the more precious. Alucard and Sebastian were speechless when seeing the child for the very first time. Like Seras, it was hard for them to believe that the child was here after so many months of waiting. It was most definitely love at first sight. While they may not take on the role as fathers, they were determined to watch over this little creature and make sure that nothing ever hurts this child for as long as they live.

"Isn't she perfect?" Seras whispered as she gingerly stroked over her daughter's cheek with her finger.

"She?" Sebastian whispered. He was unable to take his eyes off of that little, chubby face.

"I can't get over how much I love her; the feeling is completely overwhelming." The little vampire proceeded. "I never thought I could love someone so much." The girl then laughed sweetly and glanced up at the elder monsters. "I know it's ridiculous, but I keep wanting to thank you both for that night. If that night never happened…I wouldn't have her."

"I didn't know you were so keen on being a mother." The demon muttered absently.

"I wasn't…at least, not at this age." Seras answered. "But I don't regret a single thing." Gazing up at her mentors she watched them carefully as they stared in awe at the little creature she held in her arms. They looked so entirely entranced, like they were stunned by this little girl's existence. "Would either of you like to hold her?" She asked. Hearing that offer, their eyes instantly flickered up to meet her amused gaze. They were slightly concerned because they were so…large and strong and…the baby was so tiny and fragile. They had no desire to hurt that little, beautiful creature. "It's alright," Seras encouraged them with another sweet laugh. "Master, hold your arms against your body." Hesitantly, Alucard obeyed. He made a makeshift cradle and watched with unease as his fledgling moved in. She ever so carefully placed the baby within his arms. Confident that the baby was secure, the mother took a step or two back.

For once, his Draculina was feeling far more confident than her master. Alucard was so very tense as he held the newborn, purely afraid that he could drop her or harm her in some way. He couldn't believe that Seras actually trusted him not to fuck this up. How could she let a fierce monster hold her fragile baby? The feeling was unfamiliar and strange to him. He couldn't recall ever holding a child before. And he never thought he would. But here he was, holding a newborn that was only a half an hour old. He remained stiff and didn't move a muscle while he kept his wary eyes on the child. The little girl stayed fast asleep in his arms; unaware that she was even in a person's arms. She didn't seem to mind or care, which should give him a reason to relax a little, but he didn't.

"Master, it's alright." Seras assured him. "You can relax a little. I trust you with her." But her words didn't ease him in the slightest. He wasn't able to relax at all…until the child finally opened her eyes. Unbelievably beautiful, dark red eyes stared up at him. They were darker than his or Michaelis' and were quite hypnotic. One little look from that baby and all that tension in his muscles melted away. The baby didn't make a sound or wiggle. She just stared up at him in what appeared to be disinterest. But he was quite the opposite; he was completely marveled by her beauty and existence. "She doesn't even have her fangs yet." Seras told them. "I thought that was interesting."

"They'll probably come in in a few weeks." Alucard murmured while his eyes trailed over that perfect round face.

"May I?" Sebastian asked as he held out his arms, ready to receive the baby.

"If Master is willing to give her up, sure." Seras giggled. Giving the fledgling a side glance and a subtle grin, he carefully handed the infant off to the demon. Unlike him, Sebastian wasn't as stiff. He cradled the baby with ease and even rocked her gently while he admired her. The tiny vampire shifted slightly when she was rocked for the very first time. Something sparked in her eyes, perhaps a look of enjoyment, and she opened her mouth to make her first sound in front of them. It was a soft whine. She made different shapes with her mouth, as if she was trying very hard to smile, but was unable to. She whined some more while she reflected that positive emotion through her stunning eyes.

"Oh, she's so cute!" Seras exclaimed when hearing all the small noises her child made just from being rocked. Tears were starting to well in her eyes from all the new feelings her baby was making her feel.

"That she is." The demon breathed while he smiled so warmly at that tiny creature. "Do you have a name for her yet?"

"I was thinking Allison." The Draculina answered.

"Little Alice?" Sebastian muttered and the smile on his face grew. "The name rather suits her."

"What?" Seras questioned while she blinked stupidly at him. "Alice?" He lifted his head to look back at the confused looking mother.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Little Alice?" Seras repeated. "Alice isn't typically short for Allison." The demon snickered when hearing this.

"You would be right, but Allison itself means little Alice." Sebastian told her.

"It does?" The little vampire whispered as she glanced back at her baby.

"I think little Alice does suit her." Alucard agreed softly.

"Then…should I just name her Alice?" Seras asked with a look of curiosity. She could agree that it was a pretty name, and she was pleased that her mentors wanted to help name her.

"Why can't she possess both?" The demon questioned with a slight frown.

"Alice is a good nickname for her." The elder vampire added. A smile pulled at the Draculina's lips.

"Alright then," She whispered. "Allison, but she's our little Alice." Alucard and Sebastian glanced over at the small blonde when she used the word 'our' so casually. They smiled softly at her while she gazed warmly at the baby.

"How do you know who the father is?" Sebastian asked a moment later. Her eyes flickered back up to look at them. Seemingly amused, she laughed.

"You guys are completely oblivious to your surroundings, aren't you?" She asked through giggles.

"What do you mean?" The demon asked with an arched brow.

"The last three weeks, the entire manor has been so entirely chaotic. People have been making bets about the gender of the baby and even who the father is." Seras told them. The demon slightly cocked his head to the side.

"Really?" He questioned. "Why? Humans are such unusual creatures. What is so interesting about that?"

"It's just for fun and a way to get some extra cash." The little vampire answered with a shrug, not seeming to be bothered at all that people have been placing bets on her baby. "Integra even got in on it." Though, she refused to admit that she was in on the bet as well since her mentors didn't really seem too pleased by those strange human acts.

"I'm curious," Alucard interrupted while a grin graced his lips. "What did she bet on?"

"She bet that the baby would be a boy and that you would be the father, Master." Seras answered with a snicker. "She was not happy when she found out the baby was a girl. When the doctor announced it, she actually said 'son of a bitch'." Seras, on the other hand, had bet that the baby was a girl and that Sebastian was the father.

"And did she win the other half of the bet?" Sebastian asked anxiously. Her eyes flickered over to the demon to give him an amused look.

"Did you guys truly want to know the answer to that?" The little vampire asked them carefully. Stepping away from them, she walked over to a small bedside table and grabbed a folded piece of paper.

"How did you manage to get the results?" The demon asked. "I thought it normally takes a day or two to process."

"I took this a week ago." Seras corrected him. "Like I said, things have been crazy around here for a couple of weeks. People, especially Integra, were dying to know who the father was. Our master had me take a prenatal paternity test." The smile on the girl's face widened and her brows furrowed. "Why do you guys think she made the doctor swab the inside of your cheeks? She was getting DNA." The Draculina snickered.

"That's what it was for?" Sebastian muttered in surprise and his back straightened. "I normally don't bother asking questions anymore. I thought it was unusual, but I didn't necessarily care. I believed it was just another experiment."

"Experiment?" Seras repeated.

"We were experimented on a lot before Sir Integra's time." The demon answered.

"Tortured, more like it." Alucard corrected him.

"Anyway, we figured Sir Integra was running some little experiment to find something new about us." Sebastian proceeded before he glanced back down at the baby in his arms. The little girl was fast asleep once more. He smiled and went back to lightly rocking her, managing to keep her asleep. "I guess she was running a little experiment, but not the type we thought." The Draculina then frowned as her eyes flickered downwards to avoid their gazes.

"We don't need to do this, you know?" Seras assured them. Both of her mentors looked back at her when hearing this.

"What are you talking about, Police Girl?" Alucard asked her when she didn't say anything more. Hesitant, the fledgling looked back up at her master.

"If you don't want to learn who the father is, it's alright. I won't be angry or anything. And I'm sure knowing won't exactly make things any easier." She whispered. "I can…just throw this away…or burn it if you guys don't want to know the answer."

"Do you not want us to know, Miss. Victoria?" Sebastian asked with a frown.

"I don't mind if you want to. I just…I didn't know if you guys would be…happy knowing the truth." She muttered while she went back to staring at the floor.

"I think learning the truth is inevitable." Alucard responded. "It seems everyone else knows, so eventually we'll know as well."

"It might as well come from you." Sebastian added with a light shrug of his shoulder. She met their gazes once more. There was a look in her eyes that deeply unsettled them. A look of such sadness and discomfort.

"Maybe it would be best if you guys read the results in private." Seras suggested softly. Before they could say anything, she lightly shook her head. "I'm sorry, I just…don't feel very comfortable giving you the answer. It's not like we're going to celebrate after or anything. It'll just be…awkward, especially since…" She trailed off there, even though they knew what she was going to say. Especially since neither of them was going to father the child. Both men frowned in unison. Having made her decision, Seras handed the folded paper off to Alucard. Afterwards, she gently took the baby from Sebastian's arms. Cradling her child close, Seras took several steps back. She kept those sorrowful blue eyes on her baby, refusing to look at either of them. "I think…I'll just go on a little walk with Allison. Show her the grounds and the garden." She murmured. Without another word, she started to leave them. There was an unusual feeling of pain stirring in their chests. They felt like something had just shattered inside of them. Seras was pushing them away. Because they didn't want to raise the child, she felt like she couldn't depend on them. Knowing this only hurt the males even worse.

"We'll always be there for you, Seras, whenever you need us." Sebastian announced before she could leave the room. The girl paused in the doorway as she allowed his words to sink in. Glancing over his shoulder, he stared at her with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I apologize that neither of us are keen on being fathers, but…we'll always be there for you and little Alice, whenever either of you two need us. We'll never be far." Hesitantly, Seras turned to look at him, but there was still a look of unease in her eyes.

"Even if she isn't yours, would you still feel that way?" The little vampire asked him softly. A knot appeared in Sebastian's stomach. Despite Seras having not said who the father was, he knew the answer now. His fingers curled into his hand to create a tight fist. He felt nothing but anguish and he didn't even know why. Shouldn't he feel relief?

"I can understand your concern. Alucard and I weren't very…accepting towards the pregnancy, and we aren't taking the responsibility that should have befallen us. But if anything ever happens to little Alice, you can count on us to be there, no matter what." The demon whispered, bringing a warm smile to the small blonde's face. "Also, we are still your mentors and we don't want to lose you…as a student." Sebastian added softly. Seras snickered under her breath.

"Just because I had a baby doesn't mean that you're losing me." Seras assured them. "It'll just be a little more difficult to manage our training sessions."

"We can be patient." Sebastian responded with a small smirk. He felt a little better now knowing that Seras wasn't abandoning them completely. The girl's eyes then flickered towards the elder vampire that had been silent for a majority of the time.

"Master," Seras whispered. Automatically, Alucard peeked at his Draculina from the corner of his eye. "I know that Sebastian was speaking for the both of you, but…I truly hope that you feel the same way."

"I do," Alucard whispered as his eyes fell onto the child. No emotion passed through his eyes, but he did look deep in thought. All he could think about was how vulnerable Allison truly was. Right now, she was such a fragile little thing. But in a few years, when she starts to grow physically and mentally, and when her powers really start to develop, she will be a force to be reckoned with. Until then, he wasn't going to let anything or anyone harm a single hair on her head. Perhaps it was paternal instincts, he wasn't sure, but that's the way he felt. "That frail, little princess has her fierce knights to watch over her, now and forever." Alucard murmured to himself.

"Knights or monsters?" Sebastian chuckled in his hand.

"Either way," The elder vampire proceeded while a sick grin stretched across his lips. "We'll slaughter anyone who dares harm her."

"I suppose we are wrapped around her little finger." The demon purred with an elegant wave. Seras giggled before she smiled down at her baby.

"I suppose she has that effect on all of us." The little vampire murmured. "Even though things are…complicated between us, I'm glad that you both feel that way." She glanced at them once more. "And I hope those feelings never change." With those final words, Seras left with Allison to go on a walk through the gardens. The second she left, the smile slipped from Sebastian's face. There was no hesitation whatsoever as he snatched the folded paper from Alucard's hands. Opening it, the truth was revealed. The No Life King didn't bother reading the results over the demon's shoulder; he already knew the answer.

"I'm sorry," Alucard spoke, the apology actually sounding genuine. Flinching because of those words, Sebastian balled the paper up and carelessly threw it to the side. Such anguish and anger simmered in his hellish gaze. His body trembled and he was finding it hard to restrain himself. A black aura kept flickering in and out of existence around his entire body. He tried hard to contain those emotions; emotions that he shouldn't even be feeling. But it was practically impossible.

"Why should you be?" The demon hissed as he clenched his hands into tight fists. "That child isn't our responsibility either way and she never will be." The elder vampire peeked at him from the corner of his eye.

"You don't want to father the child and, yet, you seem greatly upset that she isn't yours." Alucard noted. "Why?"

"The moment Seras told us she was pregnant, I was partially in denial and partially livid. As the pregnancy progressed, a curiosity grew inside of me. And then…the moment I saw little Alice's face…a part of me…hoped she was mine." Sebastian answered softly. All that anger drained from his eyes and was instead replaced with nothing but grief. "I've never wanted children ever. I've never had a desire to mate with anyone and have offspring. And normally, demons find humans to seduce and then leave them to raise the offspring. But I've never had an urge to do that either. So why does it bother me so, that little Alice isn't mine?"

"It seems your mind has changed at some point. Perhaps you are ready to take those first couple of steps into fatherhood." Alucard suggested.

"Seras…" The demon had started but was interrupted.

"We had already agreed that Seras would raise Allison alone." The elder vampire reminded him. "If you are unsure of becoming a father, I don't think you should use Allison as your guinea pig. I don't want you hurting her or Seras when you end up changing your mind." Something fierce appeared in the No Life King's eyes while he frowned at the demon for even suggesting a thing. "Find someone else, seduce them, and try for a child." With that said, Alucard started to walk away.

"That's the issue." Sebastian announced. "I don't want to have a child with anyone else, but Seras." The elder vampire paused in the doorway of the hospital wing. His eyes widened in shock when hearing this from the Prince of Hell. "I can think of no one else more worthy than her to have my children. I have a problem, Alucard, I can't get Seras out of my head no matter how hard I try."

"It's just the lust speaking." Alucard answered swiftly, though he understood exactly what the demon was talking about. He too felt something overwhelming just being in Seras' presence. Late in the mornings, he would find himself thinking about her. Then again, he can hardly think of anything else but her anymore. It was a serious problem for both of them.

"It's been months since we've touched her. I hardly think it's lust anymore." Sebastian responded. The No Life King turned to look at him in consideration, but the demon's eyes were focused on the floor.

"What are you saying, Michaelis?" The elder vampire asked. "That you're in lo-"

"I don't know what I'm saying." The demon interjected before that "L" word could meet his ears. He then shook his head. "It must be lust."

"That's all it is." Alucard agreed. "Now forget all this nonsense of deeper feelings and wanting offspring. These last few months have gotten to our heads. Those desires will pass overtime." Turning back towards the door, the elder vampire left the demon with those words.

End of A Warm Welcome

I hope you guys enjoyed.

Oxford Not Brogues