Monsters and Angels

Sorry this has taken so long to get back to and that the update is so short. Hope you all enjoy and I will try to be more regular on my updates. :)

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Integra sat at her wide desk, the watery light framing her. Her hands, gloved as usual were steepled before her. Her eyes sharp and shrewd as she surveyed the man before her. A member of the round table council, come to flaunt his concerns to her. She was not fooled in the least. He had arrived without warning in the middle of the day.

No, he had come to confirm the validity of the rumors. Was she human or not? Alucard, clever as he was had made certain that the storm lingered above the city, blocking the damaging rays of the sun from his fledgling mate, however allowing just enough light to cast doubt on her new state. "Well Sir Hellsing?" the gray haired man prompted. Integra tossed a packet to him carelessly, "You worry for no reason, Canterbury was cleansed some time ago. Surely you were aware of that Williams. A report was sent, business as usual". Her tone was clipped and cold, her manner decidely frosty.

Williams lifted his tired eyes to her, "I shall be frank then" he drawled in his nasal voice, "How are you feeling of late? It's being said that you departed the winter ball rather abruptly". She snorted, "I detest such functions" she replied honestly, "I have more important things to do, you are aware of that". He studied her closely, her mannerisms, everything, yet nothing indicated that the rumors were true.

It Integra Hellsing was a beast of the night, she certainly didn't appear it. She was awake, fully alert in the middle of the day. Her eyes were that icy blue that he'd always admired, her cheeks pale, but she'd always been. "Where is your pet?" he asked, treading closer to dangerous ground. A pale brow arched in question, "Confined" she replied sharply, "As his kind are wont to do during the day".

'He tests you Integra' came the silky purr in the back of her mind, the tendrils of his voice igniting an instant reaction in her. 'Really?' came her sarcastic reply. Alucard chuckled from the shadows. He was by no means confined anywhere, in fact he was close enough to the round tabler to take a bite if he so wished. "There is something you can tell me about Williams" Integra was saying and he pulled his eyes from his potential prey. Williams cleared his throat and leaned back in his seat, appearing far more relaxed than he had yet.

"If I know I shall be more than happy to assist you" he told her. She reached over to take hold of a cigar, rolling it between her fingers, "Rome." she said baldly, "How many agents do they currently have in the city that you haven't told me of yet?". Williams was visibly taken aback, "Whatever do you mean?" he asked. She set the cigar down, "They have been interfering with my men and missions of late. So far, eight have been reported to us, however, we both know that the number is larger".

Flawless, there was no other word for her, Alucard decided. She was tired, the hour was pulling heavily at her. Yet, only he knew that. She conducted herself no differently and he knew from poking around in the man's head, that Williams would do nothing more than return to the others and report that there must have been some mistake. Sir Hellsing was quite herself. It worked out perfectly. They would be so caught up in double checking their sources that they would not notice he and Seras double checking them.

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'You grow too weary' he warned Integra an hour later, 'You will have to rest soon'. He was correct, she felt it, the sluggishness of the day sapping her strength. She was pleased she'd lasted this long, all she wanted to do was lie in the darkness and feel Alucard's power surround her. "Are we quite finished?" she asked Williams, "You'll forgive me but I have far too many matters to see to today".

The older man flushed, and rose, "Of course. Excuse me. Good day Sir Hellsing". He walked through the door and into the hallway, where Walter waited with his coat and hat. "Good day Sir" the butler said with all the pomp he could muster. Which was quite alot. Williams shrugged into his coat, set his hat atop his head and was escorted to the door.

Integra held herself at the window until the car vanished down the long tree-lind drive. Damn them all. She silently seethed. She had to find the hidden link, the unknown connection between the two. Or she and Alucard would not be safe, Hellsing wound fall. She gritted her teeth, gloved hads fisting at her sides. "That won't happen". Reaching out, she pulled the cord and let the heavy drapes fall into place, blocking out the small amount of light.

her body felt bruised from the force of the light, something she hadn't been counting on. Had her master been lesser, the paltry light would have scarred and burned her tender flesh. She felt him stir in the shadows behind her, and turned. He was draped across the seat Wiliams had recently abandoned. "No" he told her, "It will not happen, and you shall not fall. Not while I walk this world".

He meant that and she took comfort in his voice. The world that she had known, moved at it's fringes had become her own. She disliked having anything less that total control, but she was adapting. With Alucard as her mate and master, her concerns became his. And despite his long years of servitude to the organization, he felt more than mere loyalty to them. Hellsing had become his home. He held his hand out in a silent command, pleased when the pale goddess of his desire moved to his side.

His arms slid around her waist, drawing her closer and he caught the lowest button of her pristine shirt in his teeth, brilliant eyes locking with her own. She threaded her fingers in the vastness of his dark hair, bringing his face closer to the cushioning of her stomach. "Seras has found something" he murmured against her body, knowing she would hear him.

Using the link between them, he let the images and words flow from his mind to hers. She accepted the rush of information, closing her eyes. Seras had indeed been working hard. Nearly exhausting herself and only beating the sun back to the manor by minutes. Her work had payed off, a face swam into view. An unknown, but his methods were familiar enough.

A priest. A young priest. A vampire. Armed with the weapons of the Iscariot. Clearly he was not a fledgling, he was able to move freely in daylight. Why though? Why would he serve Iscariot? 'Why do I serve you?' Alucard asked silently, 'There is an unseen reason. And we'll not be finding it in England'. She nodded, that was true. So it had finally come, the thing that she had dreaded but had been inevitable. "We go to Rome then".

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Walter began making the arrangments that evening, taking every precaution to insure no one would know. They would have to use every dark connection he and Alucard had to have success. He had argued valiantly against Integra going, however Alucard was of the opinion that she was safest with him. He was not limited by the restraints of an aging assassin after all. It chafed, but it was tue enough.

Seras and Alucard were to hunt the young priest and monitor him. Alucard was well aware that any such activities would not remain hidden from the other vampire. He'd just phrase his activities as a territorial challenge of sorts. How had a vampire of advanced years escaped his notice? Something wasn't adding up, but that would be remedied soon.

Integra was quiet that evening, pacing her old bedroom, peering out into the night. Seras had invited her out, but she felt the need to remain inside. The night was growing stormy, the clouds that had been present earlier had thickened, nearly blotting out the brightness of the moon. The air was heavy with the scent of coming rain.

Integra closed her eyes, willing her mind to locate Alucard. She found him deep in the slums of the city, where lower level ghouls might be found. He'd slaughtered half a dozen already, gleaning small bits of information from them as he did so. They had been commanded by the priest, to seek him out.

So it was to be a game of cat and mouse, he liked those the best. He pondered the one in his grasp at the moment, not completely ghoul, more of a drone. A messenger. Leaning close, he took in her scent, lifting the tiny increments of her master's as well. "Go back. Tell him I am coming for him". Then he released her, watching as her stiff limbs worked almost mechanically to do his bidding.

He had felt the small instrusion of Integra into his mind and smiled, 'I return now'. He felt her relief in his words. She was fretful, as newly made ones were prone to be. The bonds of their matings grew stronger with each passing moon and her progress in the ways of their kind went swiftly.

'Seras' his call washed over the city, 'Return to the manor'. Far off he heard her acceptance of his orders and he let himself dissolve to shadows, riding the wind back home.

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Integra felt his approach, shedding her garments, she stood before the chilled panes of the windows. Her body hummed with desire, needing to feel his weight, his power. 'Hurry' she sent out, her senses sharpening to a nearly unbearable level. What was this feeling washing over her?

Alucard cursed softly, her scent had been changing over the last week. She was nearing a heat cycle. While her body was no longer fertile, mated vampires often suffered from them. She'd been under a great deal of stress of late and her own energy stores were depleted. He'd have to replenish her tonight and perhaps each night this week.

They could not enter Rome without being at their strongest. Seras, as his child could easily be revived with a small dose of his blood. Integra would take more.... enjoyable measures. With a renewed burst of speed, he raced onward.