Chapter 5

It was an hour before sunrise. Things in the Hellsing mansion had long since wound down with the exception of Integra's outburst. Pickman stopped by Zoey's room only to find her sound asleep. He decided to leave her be and make up their cancelled date the next day. All was quiet except for the late night staff making their rounds throughout the house. Integra and Kenneth were asleep in their room. They had to take advantage of peaceful nights while they could. Once the baby came along, there would be a lot of late nights between the two of them.

Alucard sat in his room mulling over the situation. His eyes began to grow heavy as he found himself drifting back into memories of his human past many centuries ago. He saw himself back in his native land of Romania dressed in armour. His hair was long going almost to his waist. A thick mustache and beard covered his normally clean shaven features. A beautiful young woman stood beside him dressed in a regal gown. Long black hair cascaded down her shoulders in elegant curls. She wore a worried expression upon her lovely face.

"Beloved, you almost never smile anymore. You carry such heavy burdens upon your shoulders when it is I who should bear them."

"I cannot help myself Vlad. Every time you ride from this castle, I am frightened it will be the last time I ever see you. I fear the day I will be told of your death in battle. If anything were to happen to you..."

"Elizabeta, you cannot lose faith. You must understand I fight for the good of our people and our country. I fight for you and the children we will have in the future. And when those children are born, Romania must be free of the Sultan's oppression."

"I know Vlad. But sometimes the odds seem so impossible. The Sultan's armies are numerous, plus the nobels that side with him make things even worse."

"The Sultan has numbers, but I have the hearts of the Romanian people on my side. I have the strength of her sons and their swords. I have the might of God in my favor, and above all else, I have you. My beloved wife, have faith in our lord. He will bring us victory against the wicked enemies who threaten this country. And when all is said and done, those same wicked souls will know the terrible judgement they have brought down upon themselves."

As soon as he spoke he captured the lips of his bride in a passionate kiss. They looked at each other for a moment. "And when this war is done, you and I shall begin the next generation of the Dragon. This I swear to you my love."

The vision faded as Alucard suddenly snapped back into the present world. He felt something against his cheek. He touched his hand and looked down. A drop of scarlet now stained his white gloved fingers. A single bloody tear rolled down stopped only by the hand that caught it. He shook his head trying to bring his mind fully back into the present.

He said nothing as he rose from his chair and left his chamber. He phased into Seras's room where she was still resting. With sunrise not far off she would sleep through the day. His presence there would not disturb her. He walked over to her coffin-bed and just gazed at her slumbering form. He looked at her flat belly and gently laid his hand against it. He felt no movement. Strangely it did not bother him that he felt no movement from the child. He knew it was still there. It was, like its mother, deep in slumber.

"When she sleeps, the child sleeps. When she is awake, the child is awake." He said to himself. For the rest of the time he was there he was silent. Though he might never have expressed it openly, deep down he always had one regret about becoming a vampire. He had lost all hope of passing his legacy onto a true heir of his blood. While he'd had many dark fledgelings in the five hundred years he'd existed, he never considered any of them his true children. They were merely humans made into vampires through his blood. And the only one he ever held most sacred was the young woman lying before him.

"A child...our child." He said softly.

He vanished from Seras's room leaving her to sleep through the day. He materialized back in his own chamber and opened his coffin. It was time for him to rest as well. It took him a little while to sucumb to the trance the day put upon him. His mind was full of questions and anxious thoughts about the future. The only thing that was certain to him was that the next several months were going to be very busy.

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Stewart stopped by Zoey's room the next morning. She had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock at the door. She hurried to her door and opened it. "Stewart. I'm so sorry about last night. I tried to stay awake but I completely zonked out." She said apologetically.

"It's all right Zoey. Recruits kept me pretty busy last night so I was wiped out myself. Zoey, you ok? You look like something's wrong." Stewart asked.

"Well, I'm not sure if it's something bad or good." Zoey answered.

"I don't follow." Stewart replied confused.

"Seras came to see me last night. She told me something that was quite frankly astonishing." Zoey said.

"What was that?" Stewart asked.

"She's pregnant." Zoey answered.

"Bloody hell." Stewart replied in shock. "But that can't be possible. Seras is like Alucard. She's undead. Undead people can't make babies...can they?"

"That's what I thought. But somehow appearently Seras got pregnant." Zoey replied.

"Good lord...Alucard and Seras having a kid? Good thing Sir Integra isn't too far along in her own pregnancy. She'd have gone into labor for sure." Stewart said.

"Well she wasn't too happy to hear the news from what Alucard told Seras and I. She must have really screamed his head off." Zoey replied.

"Wouldn't be the first time. I wouldn't worry too much about Alucard. He likes it when she yells at him." Stewart said with a shrug.

"Look, I got the day off so why don't you and I go grab something to eat? That should make up for last night."

"All right. I'd like that."

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In another part of London:

"You're sure of this? The blood was the only thing used of the slaughtered cattle?" Asked a gentleman.

"Look sir, all I can tell you is we were instructed to save the blood only, not the meat. Bloody hell if I know what it was gonna be used for. We were offered a handsome sum for the blood and nothing else. I've probably gone and said too much already. What's it to you anyway?" A burly man demanded.

"My associate, his name is Eric shipped those cows off without my knowledge or permission. They had an experimental hormone that could be potentionally dangerous to the public if any part of those cows are consumed. My partner tried to have me killed because I had a sense of ethics and he didn't. Now I'm afraid his greed may very well cause problems for this entire city if not the whole country." Simon explained.

"He told me the cows were sterile and too old to be of any use to him. He didn't say nothing bout no experiments being performed on them. You have any idea what this is gonna do to my business if what you say is true?" The owner asked.

"Sir, I don't know what repurcussions this may have but any shipments you had made I would advise that you get them stopped any way you can." Simon insisted.

"I can't. Most of the meat's already been sent out."

"Oh no. This is not good. I've no idea what the hormone may do to humans who consume it. Eric and I had planned upon marketing this treatment to sterile couples who otherwise would have no hope of having children. I didn't realize until it was too late that Eric was in this for the profit, not for the good of others." Simon said.

"Yah, well if you see this Eric character, tell him I'm gonna be suing his ass for every penny its worth if I get in trouble for this." The owner said angrily and stomped off.

"Dear lord...what have you done Eric? What have you done?" Simon asked himself as he walked out of the slaughter house with a most concerned look on his face.

As soon as he left a woman walked up to him. His eyes widened when he realized who it was. He gulped nervously when she approached him.

"Miss Le Fay." He said.

"Simon..."

"Miss Le Fay, something terrible has happened. Eric...I fear has let greed take him over and forsaken the purpose of the experiments he and I were performing. And a great many people may come to harm because of it." Simon explained.

"I know where the blood was taken. You're going to come with me. We must both pray that ill has not come of this. I should have known better than to trust such a powerful thing with people."

"Megan, I know it's partly my fault that this happened. I didn't realize what Eric was planning. But I swear to you I had only good intentions." Simon pleaded.

"Simon, many people have only the best of intentions, but for whatever reason it ends up like most gifts given to mankind...his own benifit. Now come with me. My driver is waiting for us."

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Back at the Hellsing mansion:

"I've never seen anything like this and I've studied medicine and medical theory for twenty years now." Said doctor Travalion. He continued observing the blood sample under his microscope.

"You're saying that this could be what caused Seras to become pregnant?" Integra questioned.

"I can't be completely certain, but I think so. I've studied a blood sample taken from a cow from another slaughter house upon your request. That sample was absolutely normal. This sample though has me absolutely boggled. You say it was only after Seras started consuming the blood from the cattle from this slaughter house that she began feeling strange." The doctor answered.

"Then I believe it would be safe to assume the blood taken from the cows of this particular establishment have been given something in order to facilitate fertility. And for whatever reason this anomoly has made it possible for Seras to concieve a child with Alucard. The question remains how could Alucard have sired a child? He's undead like she is. The only thing I can surmise is the tainted blood must have affected him too." Integra replied.

"So far I've detected no abnomalities in any of the blood sent by the Red Cross. It was only the blood from this particular slaughter house that is in question." The doctor explained.

"Then we've isolated where the tainted blood came from. Now we have to figure out what the blood was tainted with and make sure this doesn't happen again. From now on all blood rations will be screened for any abnormalities before they are given to Alucard and Seras." Integra ordered.

"Yes Sir."

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Integra returned to her office where Walter was waiting for her. "Is there something you require Walter?" She asked.

"I just wanted to see if there had been any update on the situation with Miss Victoria." Walter replied.

"It seems that the cattle blood given to Alucard and Seras was tainted with something. We've traced the tainted blood to the slaughter house we secured it from during the blood shortage. But as to what it is that has tainted the blood is yet to be figured out. Doctor Travalion has been studying the sample, and he is baffled as to what it could be. While we don't know what it is, we most certainly have found out what it can do. A fertility treatment that can cause vampires to become fertile is not a very settling thought, Walter. If our enemies were to get a hold of this..." Integra paused.

"I don't even want to think about the repercussions. We have to make sure no more of this, whatever it is gets out. It can be a potential threat to the populace even if vampires don't get their hands on it. We've no idea what effect it may have on humans." She continued.

"I agree Sir Integra. What measures are to be taken?" Walter asked.

"The blood can be traced back to a paticular establishment. It is quite possible they may not have known about the cattle being tainted. Nevertheless, I'm going to make sure they take better measures to keep such things away from the public, not to mention Alucard and Seras." Integra answered.

"That would most certainly be the proper recourse to take Sir." Walter replied.

"I still can't believe Seras is pregnant. How in the world are we going to deal with this? How will Alucard and more importantly Seras deal with it? We're equiped to monitor human pregnancies. But I don't think anything in the history of medicine ever prepared Doctor Travalion for a pregnant vampire."

"We must deal with it Sir as we deal with most events in Hellsing, as each day comes." Walter said.

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That night Integra summoned Alucard to meet with her in her office. The red clad vampire appeared before her as she instructed. She looked up to meet his crimson eyes.

"I know I was very harsh on you last night Alucard. I still cannot understand how Seras has become pregnant, but I understand that we must now deal with this sudden developement. One reason I summoned you here was to...was to..."

"Yeeesssss..." Alucard replied in a condecending tone. He knew what was about to take place and knew Integra didn't really like the thought of it.

"I...apologize for screaming at you." She said silently.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't quite hear that. Could you repeat it?" Alucard asked feigning innocense.

"I apologize for screaming at you last night." Integra repeated with a slight growl.

"Could you say that one more time? It's not often I hear it at all and..."

"Keep it up, and I will be apologizing to Walter for making him scrape your internal organs off the rug." Integra snarled.

"Very well. What was the other reason for summoning me master?"

Integra quickly composed herself to continue her explanation. "We have some information upon the situation at hand with Seras. Doctor Travalion has studied the blood sample taken from the slaughter house cattle. He's found some abnormality within it but has yet to determine what it is. Samples from other establishments have been taken and studied and no such abnormality was found. Only in the blood we recieved was this present."

"And you believe this is what caused Seras to concieve?"

"I think so. Though I still don't understand how she could have concieved with you. You're an undead being like she is and should not be capable of sexual reproduction. I can only determine that the blood affected you as well."

"You seem to forget something master. The experiments your forefathers performed upon me. They used occult magic and they may have inadverently caused me to be able to sire children. That along with the tainted blood has effectively given Seras and I a child."

"I honestly don't know how you and Seras are going to deal with this Alucard. But can you honestly tell me that you are prepared to be a father if Seras is able to carry to term and give birth?" Integra asked.

Alucard was silent for a moment. He looked away pondering the question.

"Alucard?" Integra asked again.

"I was ready to be a father when I was human. My wife and I planned on beginning a family after the war with the Turks ended. After all, I was a prince and it was only natural for me to want heirs to continue the family line. I always felt my children would be my source of immortality in this world. They would be the part of me that was left behind after I was gone. Not long after my wife and I made those plans, she was dead."

Integra could feel a sense of sadness in her vampire servant as he spoke. He'd lost so much in his long existance, and this was one more thing to add to the list.

"I am sorry." Integra replied quietly.

"Ironic it is that five hundred years after my 'death' that now I may be given a chance to have with Seras what I could not have when I was human."

"I will need to speak with Seras. If she is worried then you can assure her that I will not be angry with her. She didn't have any more knowledge in this than you did. But arrangements do need to be made."

"As you wish master."

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Seras was finishing off the second blood ration for the evening. Walter had left three in her pale. She would have to drink more blood than normal to sustain both herself and child now growing inside of her. She looked down at her belly and placed her hand against it. "What's going to happen to me?" She thought with a sense of apprehension.

She sat down on her bed with a worried look on her face. Becoming a vampire wasn't half as frightening as the prospect of becoming a mother and a vampire mother at that. Would the pregnancy go smoothly? Would the demanding hunger of the child take its toll on Seras? If it got to the point where her existance was threatened, would Alucard sacrifice the child to save her?

"God, will I even make a good mother? Am I even fit to be a mother?" Seras asked herself.

"We'll know in another eight months." A voice said. Seras looked up to find Alucard standing inside the doorway to her room. He walked over and knelt in front of her.

"I know you are scared. I too have known fear. I learned it in the sultan's dungeons. I've been both reciever and giver where fear is concerned. I have used it and have had it used against me. I know all too well what it can do." He said.

"I am scared Alucard. I don't understand how this could happen." Seras sighed.

"Integra has been informed by the doctor that the cattle blood we drank was tainted with something. No one knows what it is, but it has somehow caused you to concieve. It is plausible that it affected me as well, though it is also possible that if you had remained human you could still have concieved. The experiments performed upon me by Integra's ancestors may very well have given me back the power to sire children." Alucard replied.

"You mean, you can get human females pregnant?" Seras asked.

"I don't know. Before I was captured I never stayed around long enough to know if a human female I mated with concieved. Most of the women I was with were made into vampires so if they had concieved the child would not have survived. It was only after my capture and the experiments done to me that it may have been possible." Alucard answered.

"Do you want this baby?" Seras questioned.

"Yes, I do. I want this chance, the chance I never had as a human." Alucard answered.

"You do?"

"Seras, this child is a part of us. It is you and I. It will be an extrodinary offspring with our strength and power. I have never doubted you as my mate, and I do not doubt you will be a good mother to our child. I was Hellsing's greatest achievement. This child shall be ours."

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