~ Chapter 1 ~

Alucard knelt before the young girl who was now in front of him, “What’s your name?  They call me Alucard.”

The little girl gave the boy a firm look with her eyes sparkling like sapphires, hiding back the fear of what had transpired in the alleyway.  “Integra Hellsing,” the girl said with some resilience. 

“You’re brave little Integra,”  Alucard said with a smile to his face.  He offered her his hand and said with a calm, and soothing tone. “Let me walk you home, I’ll make sure you get there safely.”

Integra took Alucard’s hand, and lead him to where she lived.  Nothing was said between the two during their walk, except for an occasional direction being given.  Eventually, they made their way to Hellsing manor, from the outside Alucard couldn’t believe his eyes. “Just who is this girl?” He thought, “She is either royalty or really fucking rich.”  He looked down at his torn ragged shoes as they approached the front doors to the estate.  “Hell, maybe they’ll offer some reward and I could get a new pair of shoes before winter.”  He thought to himself hopefully. 

They were at the first step leading to the front door when the doors swung open. “INTEGRA!”  a booming voice shouted, with clear relief ringing though out, came from an older middle-aged man with hair as yellow as wheat fields, and eyes that sparkled like sapphires.  The man was clearly her father, which was confirmed when Integra broke from Alucard and ran up to the man, yelling back “FATHER!”  before hugging him. 

Alucard looked on at their reunion, and he smiled to himself.  As much as he could have used a cash reward, something in him felt it would be wrong to stick around to see if one would be offered. So he turned and walked away, leaving the father and daughter to their reunion. Alucard made it to the gate before he felt a tiny hand grab his. “Allie, where you going?” Integra said as she ran around him.  Alucard knelt in front of her, once again.  He smiled as he placed his hand to her cheek, and with a warm friendliness in his tone, he told her, “It’s because I got you home Miss Integra. My job is done.”

As he stood up Alucard felt a much larger hand placed on his shoulder. “Thank you for bringing my Integra back to me, can we give you a ride home?  Your folks deserve to know you’re sort of a hero to us.” 

Alucard stared at his feet, unsure of whether he should lie to the man and have her father just drop him off at a random house, but if the man wanted to tell Alucard’s parents what a hero he was, that wouldn’t work.  So Alucard just continued to look at his feet, and said quietly, “I don’t have those things, sir.” 

“Look at me boy,” Arthur said and as Alucard looked up to look the man, meeting his eyes. “Is what you say true?”

Integra piped up, “Look at his eyes father, aren’t they pretty!”  She said with a child's innocence and excitement.  Her father simply smiled and nodded at the young girl. 

Alucard’s cheeks shone the smallest hint of a blush, and he replied to her father.  “Yes, Sir. I ain't telling you no lies.”

Arthur laughed softly, “You aren’t telling me any lies.” he gently corrected Alucard, who just stood there looking puzzled at the man. “That’s what I said, ain’t it?”  Alucard retorted.  Arthur let out a much larger, warmer laugh this time before asking, “How about we offer you a warm bed, and some hot food at least.”

Integra looked at the somber expression that crossed Alucard's face and tugged on her dad’s coat.  “Can we really keep him, father?”  She asked with the innocence that only a child can bring.

Arthur looked back down at his daughter, “He can stay for the night if he chooses.”  Arthur lifted his head staring the young man in his eyes again, putting an emphasis on the last part of the phrase. 

“I would like that very much.  Thank you, Mr. Hellsing.” Alucard said with a mix of excitement and anticipation.  He couldn’t remember the last time he had an actual hot meal,  he wasn’t sure if he has ever had a real hot meal. 

“Well follow me then, Walter should be setting the table for dinner as we speak.  Tell me, son, what’s your name?  And call me Arthur, Mr. Hellsing was my father.”   Integra’s father said, with a laugh and a wink. 

“Of course Mister... “ Alucard caught himself, “Arthur, sir. I'm Alucard”  As Alucard followed Arthur into the manor, he felt Integra grab a hold of his hand.  He looked down at her, and couldn’t help but return the bright smile she was giving him. 

Integra beamed as she went to grab Alucard’s hand to pull him towards her home, giggling as she called back to him. “Come on Allie!” She was moving as fast as her little legs would carry her, attempting to semi-drag the older boy, feeling quite elated that her father was allowing her savior to stay. She hoped he would, in case her uncle came back… which was a thought that frightened her slightly.

She giggled the entire way into the dining room, running past Walter and startling the butler slightly. “Ms. Hellsing, please slow down.” Integra flashed a sweet smile back at Walter before coming to a chair, pushing Alucard towards it before attempting to climb up into her own chair, frowning when it seemed just a bit far from the table. Hopping down she went to push it closer to the table before climbing up into it once more, beaming at her accomplishment. 

Their dinner came and Alucard ate happily, not giving a care to the fact Integra was giggling at his ignorance of why there were more than one of spoons and forks. One of the servants passed by him mumbling to herself about the Lord of the manor bringing in some beast of a boy, having no manners at all, again, he didn’t care he was having his first real hot meal in longer than he could remember.  Integra though would have no part of it and made the servant woman stop, yelling at her about he wasn’t a beast. Alucard stopped for a moment, putting his hand on Integra’s shoulder, speaking to her in a calm and understanding tone, “It’s okay Tegs, let her be.”

“No! My name is Integra Fairbrook Wingate Hellsing!”  She said defiantly back at him.  “And I will not tolerate anyone speaking badly of you after you rescued me!” She shot a look at the offenders, looking quite defiant herself, standing up on her chair. “If anyone has an issue with this, they can speak to my Father!"  The 8-year-old spoke with the authority of her father, and at such a young age, Alucard would not have been surprised in the least if the young girl grew up to be next head of her family.

After dinner, Integra insisted on playing games of Hide-and-Go-Seek with Alucard, and she giggled tremendously at his severe disadvantage in not knowing the estate at all.  As the night wound down, they were called to clean up and head to bed.  Integra lingered at her open door, watching Alucard as he was being shown to his room for the night.  Looking back over his shoulder he could see the fear creeping back into the young girl’s facial features, and his heart sank a little feeling sorry for the young Integra.

It wasn’t long after Walter left Alucard to his own chambers when he heard a soft knock at his door.  Alucard opened the door to his room and looked down to find Integra, her sapphire eyes sparkling at him in the low glow of the room’s lights.  “Allie, let me stay with you.  I don’t want to be alone.”  After a long pause, she added, “I’m scared.”

Alucard once again knelt in front of Integra, to speak to the girl in a calm but understanding manner,  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, your father would be terrified if you weren’t in your room in the morning.  What I will do though, is I will go with you to your room, and I will watch over you.  How’s that sound?  No one is going to harm you as long as I’m around.”

The little girl met his fiery amber eyes, and simply beamed at him as she nodded in agreement.  She grabbed his hand and he followed her to her room, and as she climbed into bed he made himself comfortable in the recessed window.  Alucard couldn’t help but smile while he kept an eye over the little girl as she quickly and easily fell asleep herself with a smile on her face.  “Well, you’ve given up your once chance to sleep in a warm bed…but it was worth it.”  Alucard thought, and with a grin still on his face, he fell asleep in the alcove.  

Alucard woke up, and looked around realizing he was still in Integra’s room.  He didn’t plan on falling asleep there, and his heart raced.  He thought for sure that he was going to be in trouble with the household. As he woke up a bit, he realized that sometime in the night, someone had come by and covered him in a blanket.  Just then Integra ran into the room, “Mr. Card, my father requests to speak with you!”

Alucard laughed at the young girl saying Mr. Card, and he told her with a smile.  “Just Alucard little Integra.  Now lead me to your father.” 

Integra grabbed his hand and once again ran while dragging him through the manor, nearly knocking over the family butler, Walter.  “Sorry, sir!”  Alucard shouted as they darted past. She lead him to a very large room, about twice as big as her bedroom, with walls lined with books and an impressive mahogany desk at the end of the room, with her father sitting behind it.  The man sent Integra off to her studies and motioned Alucard to take a seat in front of him.

“Integra told me what you did for her last night, that was very kind of you to keep watch over her, son,”  Arthur said the young man who was now sitting across from him. 

“It was nothing sir.  I'm used to sleeping in unusual places, and I ain't never slept in a bed before anyways, so it’s not like I could know what I was missing.  Plus the girl was scared, I couldn’t not go and watch over her, it was the least I could do for the kindness you all have provided me.” Alucard said with a slight smile on his face.

Arthur eyed the boy, attempting to take his measure.  The man always thought himself to be a good judge of character, and his gut told him the boy sitting across from him was a good kid. He’d be lying though if he said there wasn’t doubt in that instinct though, everyone else but Integra seemed to think the boy was bad, almost rotten down to his core. The only way to really know for sure was to talk to the boy.  So he started with something easy, “So Alucard, tell me about your parents.”

Alucard looked at the man across from him, the mention of his parents making him slightly uneasy, but he swallowed hard and answered, “I don’t have parents.  I guess I could say I was thrown away, that my mother took one look into her child's eyes and threw me away in terror. Or perhaps she was a religious woman and a 'demon child' was her punishment for having sex out of wedlock. Maybe she died in childbirth.  All would make a more interesting and tragic backstory wouldn’t they sir?  But the truth is, I don’t know.  I was taken in and raised by a group of homeless people. I don’t have any parents, or even know my own birthday.”

Alucard liked the man Integra called father.  Even though Alucard had been looking him in the eyes, he never flinched or looked away.  “So much like her father.  She even has his eyes” the boy noted as Arthur's eyes sparkled like jewels.  The man broke Alucard thoughts by asking, “If you don’t have any parents, who named you boy?”  

Alucard knew the question was asked purely out of curiosity and not asked in any sort of accusing manner, but it was still a tough question for him.  “The camp the raised me sir, they said I was just like a vampire that sucked up all their resources and time. So they were gonna just call me Dracula, but decided I didn’t deserve to be named after a Count.  Instead, they spelled it backward, feeling it would be more insulting, and so Alucard.” 

Arthur sat, still looking at the boy as he lit a cigarette.  The man was still attempting to take measure of the boy.   The kid sounded sincere, but he couldn’t figure out why anyone would take care of a child they didn’t want, or even care about, and so he asked the boy.  Young Alucard laughed at the question, “Are you thick old man?  THINK about it.”  Alucard said emphasizing the word think. “Feed a baby, or young child, the minimum… they look more helpless and thus earning much more cash while begging on the streets.  When I stopped raking in money, that's when they sold me to a slaver that owned a mine in Liverpool.  Which as odd as it sounds, was a bit of a saving grace.” Alucard stopped, he could tell that once again his words confused the man across from him.  Before Arthur could even ask Alucard continued speaking, “It was a saving grace in that they weren't smart enough to realize that they could have made a lot more money renting my young ass to local perverts than they got for just straight selling me to a slaver.”

Arthur sat uneasy, not really sure of what to say.  The boy was clearly smart, not in the ways his peers would deem so, but the boy knew horrors this world that they couldn’t even fathom.  He knew so much it almost felt wrong to even call him a boy, but young Alucard was after all, clearly still a child.  Arthur wanted to keep the conversation going while the boy was still willing to talk, “You said when you came in you’ve never slept in a bed.  Certainly, the slaver had some sort of quarters for you…”

“No sir.” Alucard spoke, the memories of his time in Liverpool clearly shown on his face. “I spent the early days just carrying men’s tools, and filling the drams with the coal they had mined or blasted, but as I got older… my days were spent with a chain around my waist pulling the carts through tunnels that were about a meter high.  At night, I had to serve Mr. Tate in his household. Every night before bed, he’d lock me in the barn where I was forced to sleep with the livestock.  Most nights a pig would come in, keep me company and keep me warm in winter.  An Irish wolfhound I think, he was just a stray like me really.  I did try to sneak into the master’s house one really cold night.  I wanted to sleep in one of the many guest beds, I didn't think anyone would even notice. However, I got caught and was beaten so bad I couldn’t work for a week. Then after my first day back to work, I got beaten again… as punishment for not being able to work.”

“Can you confirm this? Is there proof of this?” Arthur asked he could hardly believe anyone would treat someone in such a way.

“I can’t prove anything about the dog, or the work I did in the mines really.  Outside of the fact I’m quite strong for how young I am. Being whipped and beaten… I can prove that to you, Sir.” Alucard said, a little coldness in his voice towards the end. This made him uncomfortable, but he really wanted to be honest with Arthur… and so he stood up, took off his shirt, and turned around showing his back to Integra’s father.
The scars both old and those still healing glistened and shined in the light from the fire.  

“I’ve seen enough. Put your shirt back on and sit down.” Arthur said, a strong sadness entering his voice in seeing proof of what the boy had been telling him.  When the young Alucard had taken back his seat, Arthur spoke again. “I am sorry you have been treated so poorly in your post. You are a worker of the Hellsing family now.  You will work wherever needs the help, if the kitchens need it you will be there, if the groundskeeper needs help then it is there you will work. Do you understand me, boy?”

Alucard nodded, not really sure about what was going at the moment. “But what of Mr. Tate sir? I’m sure he has people looking for me?”

Arthur smiled and said, “You are of the Hellsing Family now, and if this Mr. Tate wants to argue this point I promise you, he will not like what he gets.  So don’t you worry about Tate.  What I will need you to worry about is schooling, along with the housework you will also take private lessons.  Not just lessons of basic schooling, but also lessons in how to be a proper English gentleman. I know it will be tough, but I swear to you these things:  You will not be beaten, you will always have a warm bed to come home to, and that there will always be a meal for you at our table.  This is of course, if you are interested, my son.”

Alucard didn’t know what to say, he just nodded in agreement and said, “Thank you.”