Hellsing - Blood Heritage

It was about a week later when Sir Integra called Syn to her office to go over her report for improving Hellsing's weaponry and defense systems. She seemed interested in the suggestions, but was hesitant to put some of them into action.

"I think recognizing that we have these weaknesses is an important step forward." she commented, lighting a cigar. "But I don't see the need to focus so much energy on defense when we have two vampires living in the house."

Syn frowned. "But Sir, Alucard and Seras usually go out on missions together. If something were to happen, we wouldn't have them to rely on..."

"Even so. Vampires are solitary creatures. They hunt alone or in small groups." Integra interrupted. She sat back in her chair and gave Syn a reassuring look. "I appreciate how much thought you've given to this. Your attention to detail is impeccable. However, I think your focus should be on my soldiers in the field. As for the rest of this..." she gestured to the papers they had been going through. "We may be able to phase it in over time. The Round Table conference wont approve funding for such a large project. They already believe I'm paranoid as it is."

Syn's eyes narrowed at the comment. "With all due respect Sir, I think it's better to be paranoid than dead. At least paranoia prepares for the worst."

Integra chuckled. "I agree whole-heartedly. But you'll find that the 'older' members of the Round Table do not have the same view." she shook her head. "Now, let us turn our attention to the matter at hand, shall we? I understand you don't like my soldiers' standard issue arms..."

Syn threw herself into the discussion, laying down her ideas for replacing the standard machine guns with more powerful rifles and side arms. Such a large task would take a considerable amount of time on her own, so they worked out a plan for putting the weapons into production. Syn would draw out the designs and build a prototype of the guns, then they would be sent off to the private factories that manufactured Hellsing's ammunition. Syn didn't like the idea of production being taken over by a factory, but there was no other way around it. There was only so much one person could do. It had taken 3 months to design and build the guns for Alucard and Seras. Building weapons for an entire army would take a lifetime. Integra also gave her leave to begin experimenting with armor designs. Syn had heard about new compounds worked into light fabrics that could rebound bullets with little damage to the wearer. Such a thing would be incredibly helpful, and cut down on loss of life in the field.

When they had gone through everything in Syn's report, Integra dismissed her. The knight had a meeting with the Round Table to prepare for, and Syn had given her everything she needed from her end. She had little to do for the rest of the day, unless she wanted to begin working on those gun designs. Considering how much work she had been doing on that lately, she was ready for a small break. She headed down the hallway, pulling a pack of clove cigarettes out of her pocket as she went. Syn never imagined she would take up such an awful habit as smoking - but living in this house practically required starting some sort of bad habit. It was either this, or start drinking. But working in a bar for the past three years of her life had erased all desire to take up drinking alcohol, so that was out. Her choice might also have been encouraged by Alucard's comments about how much he despised Integra's cigars.

When she got to her room, she dug out the keys for her motorcycle and strapped on the harness for her gun. Making a quick decision about what she would do to pass the time, she headed down to the kitchen to get a few things, then hunted down Walter to inform him that she was going out. He didn't look particularly surprised.

"Of course, Miss Newsom. I'll inform Sir Integra if she asks." he told her. He shot her an appraising look. "Do be careful. I don't suppose I have to remind you of how dangerous it can be for a woman alone in this city?"

"I'll be fine Walter. I'm taking my gun with me."

He seemed satisfied with that. Syn left him to do whatever it was he had been doing before she interrupted him, then headed down to the garage to get her bike.

----------------------------------------------------------


It was strange how a place that tended to make others feel uncomfortable always seemed to bring her peace. Syn walked through the ancient looking tombstones, searching for a particular one that she hadn't seen in some time. It had been well over a year since she had come here - far too long for her tastes. The old cemetery wasn't very well taken care of, she noticed. It looked even more run down than it had been the last time she had come. The memorial slabs of granite were grown over with moss, some so thickly the inscriptions were impossible to read. Headstones going more than a hundred years back lay completely forgotten. Some tilted dramatically from their original positions, while others had fallen over altogether and lay on the ground in pieces. Syn wondered where the families of these people were. Surely someone wouldn't want their grandmother's or great-grandfather's graves looking so awful. It was almost shameful.

Syn was more than slightly superstitious about graveyards. Perhaps it was something that came from living with an Uncle who insisted that she respect everything, whether it was alive or not. Being polite to sofas and armchairs was one thing, but she had always felt that a cemetery was the final resting place of the dead, so one should always be on their best manners while inside. After all, you wouldn't barge into someone's house and do whatever you pleased, would you? She was careful to avoid walking over anyone's grave. It was difficult with the way some of the markers had fallen over. Whenever she caught herself stepping on a place where a body was buried, she always asked forgiveness for the intrusion. It might sound silly to anyone else, but she didn't like the idea of strangers trampling over her dead body - so she wouldn't subject anyone else to it. She pushed aside a low hanging limb from one of the still-living oak trees and found what she was looking for.

Syn stepped over and settled herself down on the plot of the only grave she didn't feel wary of sitting on top of. The headstone of this grave was much better looking than the others. Carved out of black marble, an inscription on it's face read:


'Kris Newsom.
When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.'


Syn couldn't help but smile at the words. It was an old Edward Teller quote. Quite fitting considering the nature of their family, she thought to herself. She gingerly reached out and brushed her fingers across the name on the stone. "Hi momma. I'm sorry I haven't come to see you in so long. So much has happened..."

It was a ritual she had gone through a thousand times before - and would continue to go through for years to come. Kris Newsom had been what others would call 'eccentric' when she was alive; but she had been a wonderful mother. The most vivid memory Syn had of her was a conversation they had had only a few days before the vampire attack on their home. Syn had been at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal when Kris sat down in front of her and went off on one of her weird trains of thought.

'You know, I don't like the idea of someone putting flowers on my grave. When I die, I want you to promise me you wont do that. Just come have tea and biscuits with me every now and then. Tell me how your life is going and such. Wouldn't that be so much nicer than leaving a bunch of flowers behind to rot?'

Syn shrugged off the bag she had been wearing across her shoulder and pulled out the thermos of tea and the biscuits she had put together at the manor.

"I made your favorite this time." she reported to the gravestone. "Earl Grey with lemon and honey. I know how much you like your honey."

She poured some tea into the thermos lid and set it on top of the headstone, along with a couple of the biscuits. When she moved to pour herself a cup, she noticed a large black dog watching her curiously from a patch of bushes nearby. Syn had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.

"Do you really have nothing better to do with your time than follow me around?" she asked him. "Cause if not, that's very sad."

The dog trotted over, then plopped down a few feet away. 'You should not be out alone.' Alucard's voice proclaimed into her head.

Syn sniffed. "Dogs shouldn't be talking either." she shot back.

She looked away from him long enough to pour her tea. When she finished, Alucard had transformed back into his usual, annoying self. He tilted his head to the side in a motion that made his hair fall into his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm having tea and biscuits with my mother." she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Alucard's eyes flicked to the headstone. "She's dead Syn."

"I'm perfectly aware of that, thank you." she quipped. She popped one of the biscuits in her mouth.

The vampire looked like he wasn't quite sure what to think about the situation. The expression of utter befuddlement on his face almost made her bust out laughing. Almost. She allowed herself a small giggle and laid down with her hands behind her head. She peered up at the sun still shining overhead.

"Aren't all good little vampires supposed to be in bed at this hour?" she teased. "I thought sunlight was harmful to you guys?"

"Usually." he admitted. "But I am not like other vampires. The sun is nothing more than an annoyance to me."

"Oh, of course." she drawled. "You're just a regular Superman aren't you?"

He arched a brow at her. "Superman?"

"It's an American comic book character." she explained. "He ran around in a red cape and tights saving the world from bad guys. He was faster than a speeding bullet, and could leap over buildings in a single bound...." When his expression didn't change, Syn sighed. "Nevermind."

Alucard chuckled. "That reminds me. What were you going to ask me the other night?"

Syn closed her eyes. 'Damn it.' She would say something to remind him of that... "Nothing."

She didn't have to see him to know he was looking at her in disapproval. She could hear it in his voice. She hated it when he talked to her like he was now. It made her feel like she was less than human, or a child being reprimanded.

"Don't lie to me Syn." he said, a hint of warning in his tone.

Syn suddenly sat up and glared at him. What gave him the right to berate her for lying? "I'll do whatever I damn well please, thank you very much."

Alucard's eyes lit up in fury, and before she knew it, he had his hand gripped tightly around her throat. "You seem to have forgotten that I OWN you girl." he snarled. "Do not presume to tell me what you will or will not do. I decide that for you."

He didn't have to raise his voice an inch to make it sound deadly. If anything, it lowered to such a dangerous level that Syn was sure that if she made one false movement, he wouldn't hesitate to snap her neck. The pressure on her throat was just tight enough to make it difficult to breathe - every bit of air she sucked in a reminder that he was in complete control, and she only breathed because he allowed it. She didn't bother to struggle or pull at his hand. She knew she was no match for him, and it would be a waste of energy. He leaned in so that their faces were inches apart, speaking slowly to accentuate every word.

"I have been extremely lenient with you. I have allowed you your freedom. And though it is well within my rights to chain you up in the dungeons and make you my slave, I have been kind enough to allow you choices."

Syn's eyes flicked to his hand. "Kind? This is your idea of kindness?"

"I think I have been more than kind." he growled. "I have watched over you and seen to your safety. I have plucked you from the jaws of death not once, but two times now. I placed enough trust in you to oversee the design of weaponry for myself 'and' my police girl. Even without the ties that bind us, you owe me a great deal. And I am growing tired of chasing after you."

Syn stared at him. The way he spoke, he made it sound like his every action had been an act of generosity, and she was the heartless and cold one. "So what, are you going to kill me now?" she asked quietly.

His grip tightened, making black spots shoot in front of her eyes. Syn gasped at the loss of oxygen.

"I could." he told her in that same dangerous voice. "I could squeeze the life out of you right here. No one would stop me, and no one would come to save you. Your life belongs to me, and I will do with it as I see fit."

His fingers were crushing her windpipe, and her lungs burned from lack of air. But Syn knew that he wanted her to struggle, to fight against him knowing that she would lose. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Instead of doing what she knew he wanted, she set her jaw and glared at him until the edges of the world began to fade. Just as she began to lose consciousness, he released her from his grip. Air flooded into her aching lungs, making her cough violently. If she hadn't already been on the ground she would have collapsed. As it was, she simply doubled over where she was, fighting to recover control over her breathing. When she dared to look up again, Alucard was staring at her. He still looked upset with her, but there was something else in his expression as well. Something that looked vaguely like approval.

"Of course." he said softly, like he was talking more to himself than to her. "Of course there would be no fear in you. There never has been, has there?"

Syn remained silent - not quite sure what to think about this mood swing of his. He examined her quietly a moment, then reached out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I'm going home." he told her. "Do not stay out too late. If you have not returned by sundown, I will come looking for you."

That said, he transformed back into his hellhound form and trotted off. Syn stared after him until he disappeared into the brush from which he had come. When he was gone, she stared at the ground in confusion. Her hands balled up into fists, and she let out a scream in-between her clenched teeth.

"Why can't my life be simple!" she demanded to the emptiness around her. "I didn't ask for this goddamn it!"

'In the darkest night, there is always a small ray of hope to be found. The greatest among us are always tested more harshly than the rest. Do not see it as ill-fate, or the punishment of a God for something done wrong - but as an opportunity to bolster your strength, and provide that strength to others.'

'...he has not borne witness to the horrid nightmares and visions that plague the beast as he slumbers. It is not uncommon for the vampire to wake suddenly, his face wet with bloody tears, or to give out terrible shouts, crying out for his slaughtered wife and son from so many centuries ago....It is in this most vulnerable state that he reaches out, as if seeking a comforting hand to soothe him. He falls into melancholy so deep that only reminders of my promises to him will bring him back to a more normal state....Surely no man - even one as ruthless and dangerous as this - deserves such constant torment.'

The memories of things she had read plagued her mind against her will. Why did 'she' have to be the one to do this? Why couldn't this have happened to someone else? She hated her family, hated herself, and most of all, she hated 'him'. But despite the anger at the situation, something made her pause. Alucard might be a monster, but he hadn't forced her to do anything. As a matter of fact, he had very deliberately 'not' demanded anything of her. It was as if he knew that she understood the consequences of refusal, and was consciously keeping her out of a situation that would take away her free will. Even in this recent show of anger, he hadn't demanded anything. It would be all too easy for him to put her in a situation where she couldn't refuse him....and yet he didn't.

Maybe years of servitude had given him an understanding of what it felt like to have your will taken away. Seras was, for all intents and purposes, his slave until she chose to drink blood - and he didn't mistreat her. As a matter of fact, he was protective of her in an almost fatherly manner. Everything he did for Seras was in an attempt to make her stronger, rather than tearing her down for his own amusement. Even his interactions with Integra were that way. He taunted and teased, pushing every limit and button he could find - but never overstepping his bounds so much that it became disrespectful.

Syn fisted her hands into her hair and glanced up from the ground. "You were always good at giving advice momma." she said, looking at the tombstone. "What do you think I should do?"

Of course, there was no mysterious voice from the great beyond to give her words of advice - nor did a marvelous sign appear from the heavens to direct her way. What 'did' happen though, was her eyes were drawn to the inscription, as if it had been placed there for her to read at this very moment. '...either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.'

She ran those words through her head later as she made her way down into the basement of the manor. She had gotten back just before sundown, and immediately decided to confront the situation head on, rather than waiting and let it get her upset again. She didn't even know where Alucard's room was. From Seras she knew it was in the lowest level of the dungeons, but nothing else. Despite that, she found it with little difficulty. She just headed to the door that radiated an air of death and destruction. She stood at the door a moment, collecting her thoughts, then raised her hand to knock.

The door swung open just before her fist connected with it. She could see little of the room except for the large, high-backed chair facing the door. Alucard was sitting in it, rather like a king on a throne. He swirled a wine glass of red liquid - which was surely blood - and took a sip without looking at her. Syn took a step forward.

"I suggest you stay where you are." he said dryly. "Take one step into this room, and I will not be held accountable for what happens to you."

She quirked a brow, but halted all the same. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

Alucard glanced up. Even from here, his eyes glowed through the shadows like an animal's would. It was eerie, but strangely fascinating.

"No... not scare you. I'm simply giving you fair warning." he replied.

Syn let that bit of information sink in before she opened her mouth to say what she had to say. "I came down here to talk to you."

The vampire studied her with an unreadable expression. "About?"

"This.... thing we've got going on here." Syn put her hands on her hips. "You say you're tired of chasing me, and I'm starting to get tired of running from you. But we're going to have to lay down some ground rules if either one of us wants to make it out of this alive. First off, I am a human being, and no matter what you think of me, I would like to be treated with respect. You do that for me, and I'll do the same for you. Second; I have a tendency to get possessive, so if you cheat on me, I'll flay the bitch alive, then castrate you with a wooden spoon dipped in silver. Third; I seriously hope you have a bed, because I am not losing my virginity in a coffin." The corner of his lip twitched in amusement. "And I'm NOT calling you 'Master' or any other such nonsense, so you can throw that right out the window."

"Is there anything else your highness?" he asked, looking like he was struggling not to smile.

"If you happen to get mad at me again, I would prefer it if you didn't choke the life out of me. I can handle just about anything else - but choking is off limits." she replied. "If you can't accept those terms, then I'll continue making you chase me."

Alucard rose regally from his 'throne' and stepped over to the door. "Then I have no choice but to accept." He stopped on his side of the threshold. "Have you put together a contract for me to sign in blood?"

Syn frowned at him. "That won't be necessary. I'm going to step out on a limb and trust you."

One of his brows went up the tiniest bit. "So I take it that if you wake up hating yourself tomorrow, it will be my fault?"

"Exactly."

Alucard's lips curved into the first real smile she had seen on him. "Then I shall have to make sure you have no regrets."

He stepped to the side and gestured to the room with a bow. Syn chewed on her lower lip in trepidation, then slowly took a step into his room. She felt like she was placing herself in the most vulnerable position possible. (which, of course, she was.) And when the heavy steel door swung shut of it's own accord, she knew there was no turning back.

----------------------------------------
Okay, I KNOW I said there would be lemons... but the chapter was getting reeaalllyyy long, so I decided to cut it off and make that bit the next chapter. Dont hate me please!!!!

This chapter took forever to write anyway. Cause Alucard was being a bitch to me the whole time. HUGE argument about how he wanted it to be. It's gonna take me forever to fix the holes he put into my walls..... >.>