I'm so sorry, guys! I really didn't want to leave such a long gap between updates again, but stupid real life got in the way as always. There is a post explaining things on my blog if you want to have a look. Thank you so much for being patient with me, and welcome to all of the new readers that I've picked up during the unofficial hiatus! Thank you for your kind words in comments and messages, and thank you for leaving kudos, bookmarking, favouriting, and all of that other stuff that helps inspire us writers to keep going!

Onto the next chapter at long last…

15: Isolated

The Pennines stretched out for miles around, completely consumed in darkness, with nothing but the moon and the stars of the night to guide the way. A small dark spec flew through the air, flailing with loud high-pitched screeches before crashing down into the endless ocean of purple heather. The little bat squeaked again, twitching in a panic as it rolled itself onto a rock jutting from the ground. Two smaller bats were attached to its chest, little claws gripping into the dark fur below the larger bat's wings.

Finally, the bats rolled to a stop, and their shapes began to blur and grow. Soon enough, a woman and two small girls appeared, laying face down side-by-side, each one looking more exhausted than the other.

Lily's head snapped up as a fox screeched nearby, her red eyes filled with worry and confusion. She looked to the left and then looked to the right, seeing nothing but moors stretched out for miles around them. The little girl shivered in fear, crawling backwards until she was curled up against her mother's side.

"Mamă…" she whispered shakily.

She then peered over her mother's golden hair to see her sister groaning while remaining face down on the rock.

"Luna!" Lily whispered as loud as she could before she crawled over her mother's still unconscious form and landed next to her twin. She shook Luna's shoulder while making sure her back was still pressed against her mother. "Luna!"

"Five more minutes…" Luna groaned, swatting her sister away.

Lily huffed before squeaking in fear again as she heard another cry of a distant fox. She curled even more against Seras, nuzzling her face into her mother's arm so that she wouldn't have to see the scary world around her. She pressed her lips to the skin of her arm before biting down. Not much warm blood came out, but it was enough to soothe Lily for just a moment. Her stomach was killing her, and she felt more exhausted than she ever had in her whole life. She just wanted to be back home with her mamă and tată, and for all of this to have just been a bad dream.

She never should have run out of the nest like she did. She should never have listened to Luna.

At that thought, she let out a small growl before kicking her sister in the side, not caring if she hurt her or not.

"Ow!" Luna finally woke up, sitting on her knees before glaring at her sister. "What was that for?!"

Lily just glared back before curling into her mother again, ignoring Luna. That was until she felt a smack on the back of her head.

"Hey!" Lily snapped her teeth after turning back to Luna again.

"You started it!" Luna growled.

"Mummy won't wake up…" Lily said as she pushed some of her mother's blonde hair out of her face.

Luna gasped before darting up to jump on Seras' back, pulling her hair. The adult vampire didn't react.

"What are you doing?!" Lily pushed Luna off, causing her to land on her bottom.

"Ooof! Watch it!" She rubbed her sore behind before looking a little worried herself. "It's a trick that usually works on daddy."

"Mummy's not daddy! Daddy's not here!" Lily snapped, tears beginning to pool in her red eyes.

"He was earlier."

"I know. I miss him."

"Me too."

"I don't want to play this game anymore," Lily began crying. "I'm scared and I want daddy!"

Luna tried shaking Seras again. "What if mummy's dead?!"

Lily squeaked in fear before she began sobbing even louder. "No! Mummy!" She latched onto her mother's back, shaking and crying, getting her bloody tears all over Seras' shirt.

However, the shedding of tears only served to make Lily feel weaker and weaker. She wanted her daddy. He always knew what to do! Where had he gone? Had he… had he left them? No! That was stupid! Maybe he was fighting bad people. She and Luna had both sensed his presence back in the city, but for some reason, he disappeared again. Was it the bad people? Had they gotten a hold of him? Was he hurt?

Were both her parents dead?!

"Wha… what's going on?" a small grumble came from the vampire that the two little ones had now practically piled themselves on top of. "What happened?"

"Mamă! You're okay!" Lily continued crying as she wrapped her arms around Seras' neck in a chokehold.

"I told you she'd be okay." Luna buried her now tear-stained face into her mother's hair.

Seras continued to blink in confusion as her blue eyes took in their surroundings. Both her hands unconsciously stroked the two girls clinging to her. Her brain felt like mush, and her entire body ached from scrapes and bruises. The chilly night air bit her skin as she shook some stray pieces of heather from her hair. The land around them was barren of everything but grass, heather, moss, and rocks. Stars twinkled behind thin wisps of cloud, and there was not a single sign of civilisation to be found. Seras wasn't too sure whether to be relieved or concerned by that fact.

The last thing Seras remembered was the car careening off the road…

The blonde vampire gasped before sitting up. The twins slid down her frame to sit in front of her, and her blue eyes immediately began scanning the two girls for any signs of injuries. They blinked up at her, and Seras nearly had a heart attack when she saw streams of blood trailing down their cheeks. Oh god… what had happened?!

"Wha―" Before Seras could even finish, the twins were squeezing her again, nuzzling their faces into her sides.

"We're so glad you're okay, mummy," Lily whispered, little fingers curling into her shirt to grip her mother tighter.

"You were so cool, launching us out like that," Luna added. "Where's father? Is he okay?

Images were slowly starting to piece themselves together in the blonde fledgling's mind. The fear. The panic. The lurch her stomach made as the car crashed past the metal barrier. The inhuman scream that had retched itself free from her mouth as she grabbed hold of her two babies, as the rocky ground below them grew closer and closer.

All she could think about at that moment was keeping them safe. Nothing else mattered. Just like in all of those other moments she felt herself grow feral. Primal instincts overtook her brain as she had grabbed hold of both of the girls, shielding their bodies with her own as she smashed her way out of the driver's side window. Glass shards had embedded themselves into her skin and tore at her clothes, but she didn't care.

Without thinking or realising, Seras body had begun to morph. Blurring and coalescing, shrinking and congeling the three figures until three small bats remained in their place. The little bat had squeaked as it flew them free from the car, zooming into the air as the car continued to tumble down below them. The little bat barely spared the car a glance as it finally smashed against the rocks on the valley floor, impaling and skewering the metal until it barely looked like a car anymore.

She had to get away.

Her master could heal himself at any moment and be after them again. And so Seras flew as fast as her new wings could carry her. Until her energy had failed her, and she could feel herself falling again.

The bruise on her stomach from where Seras had hit the ground ached in remembrance.

"Are you two hurt?" Seras finally managed to ask the twins once they were done squeezing the life out of her.

They both kept their arms wrapped around their mother as they shook their heads, both of them looking beyond relieved.

"What about daddy? Is he okay?" Lily asked, looking worried.

Seras cringed. Physically, he was probably fine. His ego… not so much…

Her master was going to kill her.

"He-he's fine," Seras stuttered her explanation as she wrapped her arms tighter around the little girls. "He's just… making sure the bad guys are off our tail."

Both girls seemed to accept this answer, though still looked melancholy as they looked down at the ground. The two of them were also looking pretty dirty from their tumble into the middle of nowhere, but at least there didn't seem to be a scratch on them. Seras was glad she had appeared to take the brunt of their fall from the sky.

Satisfied that they were both okay, Seras felt her shoulders finally sag with relief. She then turned her attention back to their environment again and looked around with confusion. The vampire didn't recognise anything around them. She wasn't familiar with the north of the country at all, nor the countryside, having spent most of her life in London. At least in Leeds, she had maps and other tools she could access to figure out where she was and what to do next. But now, they were completely alone and isolated. She had gotten them away from Alucard and Hellsing, sure, but now they were lost in completely unfamiliar territory.

This place was so different from what little countryside she had seen down south. Even Cheddar had some roads, signs and landmarks, but here, there was literally nothing. Everything looked the same from all directions. If someone was to go missing out here, Seras realised the possibility of them being found was near impossible.

From her very limited geography knowledge, she knew that they had to be somewhere in the Pennines or Yorkshire dales or something. When fleeing from Leeds, had they headed north, or east? Or west? Or south? Seras groaned before closing her eyes and attempting to use her third eye. Her entire body screamed at her, her powers strained, like a marathon runner who had been running for too long with no break or sustenance. Seras needed blood, and she knew it. Her stomach was screaming at her. No doubt the twins were incredibly hungry too.

Shaking her head, Seras tried to concentrate and push her third eye out as far as possible. It strained like a brittle elastic band before snapping back towards her. What Seras had managed to see was all the same. Moors upon endless moors. Prickly heather and jagged rocks. But there were a few caves in the area, and Seras figured that would be the best place to start. She should at least get the girls out of this bitter wind.

"Over there." Seras nodded towards the area she had sensed the largest cave. She wasn't sure if vampire children could feel the cold, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Plus, it might help her plan ahead a little bit better.

Seras began stepping over the heather and slippery moss down a hill. Lily followed suit while Luna trudged forward without a care in the world, getting even more dirt and grime all over her dress. Once they reached the bottom of the incline, Seras helped the girls climb over a few rocks before pointing towards a small cave entrance embedded in the side of a much steeper incline. The three of them ducked inside and practically collapsed onto the cave floor, surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites. A distant dripping and running stream could be heard further back, but otherwise, the cave was completely silent. The light of the moon was now hidden behind the moors, encasing the area in darkness.

As much as Seras wanted to just curl up and fall asleep, she knew that she couldn't. She had to keep pressing on. Her brain screamed at her to just go back, that she could trust Hellsing and that she was being ridiculous, but the more primal, instinctual part of her brain always won the battle. She couldn't go back. It wasn't safe for Lily and Luna.

Alucard was after them, and there was no telling what he would do to them…

And now… Seras had gone and made him even more mad…

The blonde vampire cringed as she remembered sending her master flying towards the wind turbine that smashed him to pieces in mere seconds. Seras gulped. Her master was so going to murder her for that one. Maybe even tear her apart himself.

And again, as much as Seras wanted to rest, she knew that her master would soon heal and that he would be after them again. She couldn't afford to stay still for long. Her surprising transformation into a bat ensured her scent would be more difficult to follow, but there was no telling what tricks her master might have up his sleeve. She had been so sure she had lost Hellsing by catching a train like she did, but she guessed the organisation was able to access CCTV pretty easily.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Seras scolded herself.

Maybe she was best sticking to the countryside. She knew from her time with the metropolitan police that CCTV cameras were everywhere in Britain, and that there was no escaping them. It certainly helped her catch criminals while working as an officer, but it wasn't much help to her now that she was technically the criminal on the run…

"Mummy, I'm hungry," Luna suddenly complained, snapping Seras out of her thoughts.

"Me too," Lily added.

Seras sighed as she looked down at the two girls sitting in front of her. She really was the world's worst mother. How could she even contemplate having kids in the future, when she could barely look after herself right now? So far, she had brought the twins nothing but trouble. She had effectively kidnapped them, and put them through so much hardship, trying, and failing, to protect them from the world of Hellsing and what they might do to them. Even in the future, she couldn't look after them properly enough to stop them from being kidnapped by a witch.

"I know, I'm sorry girls." Seras offered her wrists to them. "Take a little bit from me. But not too much," she added in a warning tone. The last thing she needed was to pass out from further blood loss, leaving the girls to fend for themselves. But she had to give them at least something…

Seras winced as two pairs of fangs were sunk into her arms. She instantly began to feel lightheaded from her own lack of blood, and she had to pull her wrists away after the girls had had a few mouthfuls. The twins groaned in loss, and Seras quickly cuddled them tightly against her. She so wished that she could give them all of her blood, and maybe eventually, she would have to. But right now, she needed to remain conscious to try and protect them. She couldn't leave them in the middle of nowhere on their own.

"I'm sorry," Seras whimpered, fighting back tears. However, instead of tears, her eyes burned dryly. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I promise that I'm going to try and get us out of this."

"It's not your fault," Lily mumbled against her mother's chest.

"It's mine…" Luna also murmured.

"I was the one who left the nest…" Lily also began to whimper.

"No… actually yeah, it is all Lily's fault."

"Ugh!"

"But… I shouldn't have dared her… I'm sorry, Lily."

"What was that?" Lily teased.

"Oh shut up! You heard me!"

Seras sighed in annoyance before that sigh then turned into a giggle. Pulling back from the embrace, the fledgling vampire ruffled the girls' hair. Luna smacked Seras' hand away in annoyance, clutching her ebony locks protectively, while Lily let out a slight pur as she leaned into her mother's touch. Seras stared down at them, unable to keep herself from smiling at their antics. As annoying as their petty squabbles could be, Seras couldn't deny that in that moment, it really made her feel like a part of a family for the first time in her life. Throughout her childhood, she had yearned for those silly little arguments with parents and potential siblings.

Lily and Luna then giggled as well before cuddling up against each other with sleepy smiles. They were happy to see a smile on their mother's face again after so long.

"I will find a way to get you two back home." Seras continued to promise. She stroked locks of hair out of their cherubic faces as their eyelids fluttered. Seras frowned at the bags under their eyes and how pasty their skin still looked.

But first, she needed to get some blood.

There didn't seem to be a single human around for miles.

No… what was she thinking…?!

It has to be done. There is no other way.

She was so hungry…

The twins were so hungry…

That thought was like flipping a switch inside Seras' brain.

"On the day that you were born,

The angels got together

And decided to create a dream come true," Seras sang gently.

"So they sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold

And starlight in your eyes of blue."

She had to do it. She had no choice. No doubt hospitals and blood banks were being monitored. Her inner monster was screaming at her, clawing to get out. She was so hungry. She had to feed her babies. Her instincts were completely taking over her body again. The yearning for blood too irresistible to ignore.

"That is why, all the boys in town,

Follow you.

All the while,

Just like me,

They long to be,

Close to you."

The twins' soft snores began to fill the cave. Seras' eyes opened to reveal a glowing red. Her children were hungry and she needed to provide. Her entire body seemed to hum to life with the promise of blood. All of the memories of the time she had smelt the delicious life nectar filled her mind at once. What she wouldn't give for just one drop right now. One drop, and she would be able to protect her babies better. It was as if Seras had become a completely different creature as she began purring to herself.

Maybe then her mate would find her… Find her and her babies and take them all away together, back to their nest. Keep them all safe…

Seras licked her lips, eyes still glowing red as she morphed both her's and the twins' bodies again. The girls remained sound asleep as the little bats were scooped up by the much larger bat. With a small squeak, the family of bats were leaving the cave and flying over the moors once again.

Little fangs poked from between the bat's lips as it appeared to smirk with a ravenous hunger.

Her babies needed food.

And Seras was going to provide it, no matter what.

Meanwhile, several miles, far away…

Sir Integra was fuming. Never had she ever wanted to shoot her vampire servants in the head more than she did right now. The loud whirling of the helicopter blades pounded her already sore head, and the cigar she was currently smoking had already been dragged to the very bottom. Walter was already there with a new one for her, lighter in hand as the fuming knight took another long drag. It did little to steady her nerves this time, though.

The cold night air of the Yorkshire moors was biting against her skin, like sharp knives were being carried by the wind. She barely shivered. Her muscles were too tight with anger to move even slightly. Her soldiers were everywhere, securing the area, tracking down her delinquent servants who had long since disappeared into the night.

Alucard had been found… well… a part of him anyway.

Integra stomped her heel down on the still twitching hand that lay on the ground in a small pool of blood that stained the frosty grass. Walter sighed at the antics, but otherwise said nothing. All the while, words were stuck behind a dam of anger in Integra's throat.

So many witnesses… so much destruction…

The round table was going to have a field day with this!

The paperwork, the explaining, the excuses, the costs, the cover stories… It all swirled around in Integra's mind with all the violence and destruction of a tornado. Another long drag of smoke still refused to calm her nerves. All eyes would be on her organisation right now. She should have known better than to blindly send Alucard after Seras. But then again, it's not like they had any other ideas at this point. She wasn't banking on the fact that Seras might actually be able to stand up to her master, no less match him in battle.

Integra had never felt so stupid. For all of the little blonde vampire's faults, she still technically was a powerful vampire, sired by a powerful master. She had severely underestimated Seras. And this was a mistake she needed to rectify… quickly.

"Pull yourself together, Alucard!" Integra snapped before taking yet another long drag of her cigar. "NOW!"

The hand beneath her foot melted into a pile of blood and flesh. Other lines of blood appeared to march towards her like a battalion before joining together. It molded itself like clay, rising and growing until the blood became skin and shadows became clothes. Alucard fully appeared on his knees before the protestant knight, head bowed low to ground as his master seethed above him. His long black hair and red coat were blown back by the howling wind of the moors.

"What. Happened?" Integra growled out through clenched teeth.

"Master, I must go―"

"What. Happened?!"

Alucard kept his face to the grass and heather covered ground. "Her instincts overpowered her, and she was able to take me by surprise." The elder vampire sounded both annoyed and impressed at the same time, but there was still an insane and urgent edge to his voice. "Mast―"

"I do not look favourably on these failures, servant." Smoke blew from Integra's mouth and into the cold air, looking very much like a dragon. "Nor do I look favourably upon them after having been threatened the way I was. These actions will not go unpunished!"

"Threatened?" Walter blinked from his spot a few paces to Integra's left. "Sir Alucard, what did you do?"

"Spoke above his station," Integra replied, still glaring at the vampire beneath her.

"Master, I must go. Release my restrictions."

"You're in no position to be giving orders right now, Alucard."

Alucard growled. "If you keep me here any longer I swear I will drag hell up here to earth to find Seras and my daughters, and no amount of ancient rune magic will be able to stop me! They need me!"

Integra's frown deepened. "You will do nothing of the sort. But you said something similar earlier. What do you mean? Before I even consider agreeing to release your restrictions, is there more information about vampire children we should know about?"

Alucard finally looked up at his master with glowing red eyes that were filled with nothing but the promise of the fires of hell. "For their growth and development, vampire offspring must consume the blood of their parents."

Both Integra and Walter gasped.

"You mean―"

"Without the regular consumption of the blood of both parents… the offspring will die…"

Dun dun duuun! I really was hoping to have finished this story by now. It's my new year's resolution for this year to try and update A LOT more frequently than I have been doing. So I'm definitely hoping to have this story completed this year, especially since I do have other ideas in the works. Speaking of which, there are some sneak peaks at some of those stories on my blog, including the latest sneak peak of my upcoming one-shot 'When Sir Integra's Not Home'. There are more sexual themes in that one, so bear that in mind if you want to have a read.

The Pennines sure are fun to explore. I stumbled across an abandoned medieval village once that I had no idea was there. I used to climb some cliffs there too… without any safety equipment because I'm stupid. Yeeaaah, maybe don't do that. Yes, I did fall once and landed in a bush of nettles. That was a pretty bad day lol. Anyway, please feel free to let me know your thoughts! Until next time, take care of yourselves!