AUTHOR'S NOTE - Whatever happens between light and darkness that influences events around us? And what happens when we willingly depart life to an existence beyond life itself? Do we vainly hold on to the light and hope not to be totally consumed by the darkness? Or do we lose ourselves, embrace the darkness and try to destroy the light? But most of all, the greatest question is... WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED BETWEEN PARTS EIGHT AND NINE OF 'THROUGH THE YEARS'!? For that last question, I offer this extra chapter, hoping to cover the time between Rally Vincent's death in the warehouse and her rise as a vampire later on. Believe me, this is going to be a stretch for me, so if I happen to drift out-of-context, please excuse me. With that done... on with the fiction. XXX Firemen directed a search inside an abandoned warehouse following an explosion and collapse inside. Standing near the battalion chief, Detective Roy Coleman made a cursory explanation, hoping the story he was concocting is half-way believable. He was still trying to deal with what had happened earlier, and was thankful that Becky 'the Nose' Farrah was able to drive Irene "Rally" Vincent's Cobra away before the fire crews arrived. "Well, I'm glad this guy was the only one there and reasonably unhurt," the chief said, pointing to a handcuffed Alfie, who was sitting in the backseat of Coleman's car. "We'll take it from here." "Thank you. I'll take this guy into headquarters and get out of your way." Coleman then got inside and buckled himself in. "Alright Alfie, I'll make this brief," he growled, "the fact that Rally was in that warehouse is NOT to get out to the public! You make any mention of this... and I'll personally feed you to Alucard! Have I made myself clear?" he plainly said. "As crystal, Detective," Alfie replied, relaxing in the back seat. "To be honest, I'll feel safer in the joint where Goldie won't be after me." He thought for a minute before adding, "But I was wondering... did Rally make it out before the remainder of that roof came down? I didn't see her with you, and those strange guys that were with you already took off." Coleman hesitated for a moment before answering. "Uh... yeah she did. As for those others... the same as Rally. Understand?" "Understood," said Alfie. Coleman then started the car and began for the precinct, his mind still going over the events of earlier: they had found Rally buried under at least a half a ton of concrete and rebar, injured so greatly that a normal death was minutes away... until Seras Victoria, under the bequest of Rally, gave his friend ANOTHER death - the undead existence of a vampire. Just before the firetrucks arrived, Seras and Rally, along with Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, Alucard, Walter C. Dolnez and Becky 'the Nose' Farrah, had left the scene. 'That girl vampire said Rally was dead, but she got to her in time,' Coleman thought to himself. 'Strange thing... I didn't see Rally breathing, nor showed any signs of life. If she's right, I wonder what kind of 'life' is Rally in for?' RALLY AND MAY'S HOUSE, SOME MINUTES LATER... Using the Cobra's remote, Becky was able to open the garage door and drive inside. As soon as the engine was shut-off and the door shut, she exited, followed by Seras Victoria, who sat in the back seat. "So far," the information expert said, retrieving her laptop, "nobody's followed us, except for Sir Integra. At least that's something." "Indeed," Seras added. "Have you got any keys to the house?" "Why of course... Rally gave me an extra set in case I needed to get in... which reminds me," Becky said, "Seras, could you get her?" "That was the first thing on my mind, Becky," the Draculina answered, going to the passenger side. Seated in the front passenger seat, tightly wrapped in a blanket, was the dead body of Rally, her head poking out of it. After opening the door, Seras carefully gathered-up the lifeless body of the bounty hunter, cradled her gently, then closed the door. Nodding to the information expert, she followed her inside the house. Just as Becky walked inside the living room, she heard the tapping on the door. Making her way to the front door, she unlocked and opened it. Standing at the entrance, Sir Integra, still dressed in her torn and soiled suit walked inside, followed by Walter. "I trust your trip was uneventful," the Hellsing leader tursly said. "If you mean nobody - especially that crazy priest Anderson - followed us, then the answer is yes," Becky added, then noting the condition of Sir Integra's suit added, "I'm sorry you had to get dirty back there." Sir Integra finally took note of her suit. "It is nothing, Miss Farrah. I have other suits back at the embassy. It is Rally that I am most concerned with," she said. Looking around, she added, "Where is Seras?" "She should be behind me," Becky answered. "She's getting Rally. I think she should be about..." Then Seras showed up, Rally in her arms. "Oh... there they are." The Draculina noticed the two. "Sir Integra, I'm taking Rally upstairs to get her cleaned up. Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked. Sir Integra shook her head. "No, not right now. You go ahead and get her cleaned. I will stay down here." Seras nodded. As Seras carried the lifeless Rally upstairs, Becky turned to face Sir Integra and said, "If there's nothing I can do right now, I think I'll help out Seras." "Go ahead. It will be a while before the sun sets again." Sir Integra then sat herself down on the sofa and situated herself. "If you would," Walter added, "do you think you could obtain Miss Vincent's sidearm? I will see if I can clean it for her, as well as... well... modifying it to her new condition." "I'll do just that, thank you," Becky said, ascending the stairs. The two then proceed to Rally's bedroom, where Seras gently set her down on the bed. Wisely, Becky goes to the bathroom, where she returns with towels, soap, and a basin of warm water. "I think I can handle it from here, Becky," the Draculina told the information expert as she re-entered the bedroom. "Why don't you go downstairs and see to Sir Integra. She must be exhausted from the night's events." "I guess," Becky answered, taking Rally's CZ-75 as per Walter's instructions. "Let me know if you need help." "I'll remember that," Seras said. After Becky left the room, she then proceeded to undress Rally, discarding her blooded and soiled clothing, taking from them a slip of paper from her coat. 'I bet this is important,' she thought of herself, placing the paper in a pocket. Pausing briefly, she looked at the nude form lying on the bed and smiled. "And you thought I had a beautiful body, Rally," she remarked as she gently caressed Rally's naked right breast, as well as slightly pinching the nipple, then proceeded to towel-bathe her. This took a while, but soon Rally was cleaned. Carefully maneuvering the bounty hunter into the bed, Seras pulled the covers over her naked body until only her bare shoulders and head protruded from them. She then gathered the towels and basin and returned them to the bathroom. It was while leaving the bathroom she ran into Alucard, who was leaning against the wall near Rally's bedroom. "Care for a little company, Seras?" he asked. "I guess it wouldn't hurt, Master," the Draculina replied. The two then entered the bedroom, where Seras took-up a position besides Rally's bed and the nightstand, then slumped down to the floor. "I hope I did the right thing, making her a vampire and all," she finally said. "Rally deserved to be a human, and I'm not so certain she realizes what life she's in for." "I wouldn't worry about it much. It was her decision to make, Seras," the No-Life King said, pulling-up a chair next to his former fledgling. "There is still the matter of her kidnapped friend May to deal with. As for the future," he then smiled, "well... I'm certain you will be up to the task of showing her what's in store." Alucard took another look at Seras and added, "And besides... I think she would benefit from having a master who will not make her regret her choice. You DO remember MY tutelage of you, do you?" Seras looked up and smiled wryly, "You were an arrogant bastard who threatened, intimidated, tormented and bullied me every opportunity you had... but I learned a lot from it, and I'm grateful about it." She glanced over to Rally and added, "I hope I can be as good of a teacher to her as you were to me." "She already has the basics to start," Alucard said. "We - you and I - will need to expand upon that." "What do you mean 'we', Master?" Seras asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I have no qualms about your ability to instruct her in the finer points of being a vampire... but you don't think Sir Integra will solely rely on your teachings?" Alucard smirked. "She's more than likely to have me help you out." Seras thought for a second, then smiled. "Oh. I... guess it wouldn't hurt if you do, Master." DOWNSTAIRS, AT THE SAME TIME... Becky handed Walter Rally's CZ-75 as the butler prepared to leave for the English embassy extension compound. "Please make sure this gets back to Rally," she said, "I have a feeling she going need it to get May back." "It should not take me long, Miss Farrah," the old butler and former vampire slayer said. "All I have to do is clean it and replace the trigger spring to one with a stronger pull. In the meantime, I will bring over a replacement suit, as well as toiletries for Sir Integra." He then looked over to Sir Integra, who was rubbing her temples and added, "I will try to return at least an hour before sundown, Sir Integra. I trust you will be well until then?" "I will, Walter," the Hellsing leader sighed. After Walter departed, Becky picked-up her laptop, called-up an alarm clock program and set it to one and a half hour before sundown. "There," she said to herself. "At least we should get some rest before Rally wakes up." She then turned her attention to Sir Integra, mostly because there were still concerns she needed to address. "Excuse me?" she began. "There are some things I need to talk about." "About Rally?" Sir Integra said. Becky nodded. "I was wondering... how much of the old Rally will remain... and how much of her would change." Sir Integra briefly looked up. "In many ways, she will be the same Rally you have known all this time," she began. "However, she will no longer be human. Until she is stronger, she will have to avoid the sun, silver and garlic or be destroyed. But of course... she will, at times, be consumed by an all-powerful hunger for blood, and a need to hunt for it. She will need to learn to control that... or else she will become more of a monster than a rational being. Alucard was just the same when he was bound to my family." A sad look then came over her eyes as she said, "But the worst thing, she will be immortal... unaging and forever beautiful. She will face the prospect of seeing those she loves and cherishes grow old and die... her father, May, Lt. Coleman, myself... and you, Miss Farrah." Becky felt dejected, knowing that Rally existence might be an unhappy one. "Wow, that's... pretty heavy stuff," she said. Then she glanced over to the window. "Hmm... the sun is rising," she observed, walking over to it. She spent a few minutes watching the sunrise. "Rally always loved a good sunrise. Too bad it'll be a long time before she can see another one." Becky than stretched-out and yawned. "Man, am I tired! I'll see if I can get some blankets and bed-in until evening. What do you think, Sir Integra?" She got no answer. "Sir Integra?" Turning around, Becky saw that Sir Integra had fallen asleep on the couch. Walking over quietly, she gently took-off her glasses and set them down on the table, then quietly ascended the stairs. When she got to the second floor landing, she was surprised to see Alucard, standing with blankets in hand. "I believe you were needing these," he drolled, smiling a fanged smile. "Er... yeah, thanks," Becky nervously said, gingerly taking the blankets from the nosferatu's arms. Finding her courage, she then asked, "What about Seras and Rally? I was wondering..." "Why don't you see for yourself, Miss Farrah?" Alucard said, gently opening the door. Peering through, she saw Seras asleep next to Rally, who was lying still on the bed. Becky couldn't help but to feel fascinated that her friend looked apparently unharmed, and at the same time was unnerved that she wasn't breathing. "Is... is this normal, her not breathing?" she asked Alucard. "It is," the No-Life King said. "True vampires only need to breathe so that we can talk. I wouldn't worry about Rally Vincent, though... she may have entered a whole new world, but she will not face it alone. She will have the best of teachers to train her how to use her abilities, as well as learning how to live among humans." "Humans like me and May," Becky added ruefully. "I hope Rally has the courage to face all that." She then looked at the blankets and said, "I better get downstairs. You need anything?" "No, Miss Farrah," Alucard replied. "I'll just repair myself into the basement until just before sunrise." Then in an afterthought, he added, "Oh, you might want to take several blood packets from the freezer. I'm certain Walter will bring more." "Okay. How many?" "Four, if there is that many," Alucard said. "One for me and Seras... and two for Rally." He grinned as he said, "I have a feeling that she might be especially hungry upon waking up." Becky gulped hearing this. "S-sure, why not?" she managed to say, hurrying down the stairs. Setting down the blankets, she went over to the freezer and got out the packets of blood, placing them into the refrigerator. Returning to the living room, she taken one of the blankets and covered Sir Integra. Then finding a recliner, Becky covered herself with the other. 'Oh Rally,' she thought to herself as she took off her glasses and settled herself for her nap, 'for May's sake... for EVERYBODY'S sake... I hope you wake up with as much of the same Rally that we all know.' XXX AN HOUR BEFORE SUNSET... Other than the news of the warehouse ceiling collapse, the day around Chicago was rather uneventful. People went about their business like just any other day. As for the neighbors around Rally's house, few of them took note of a Rolls-Royce pulling in front of the house, followed by a late-model sedan. Roy Coleman exited the sedan and saw Walter leave the Rolls, carrying with him a fresh suit for Sir Integra and two cases, although rather unsteadily. "Here," Coleman said, "let me take those off your hands." "Why thank you, Lt. Coleman," the old butler said. "I must admit, I am not exactly as young as I used to be. There was a time long ago I could handle such a load with ease." "Oh I wouldn't say that," Coleman said, smiling. "From what Rally told me, you were able to handle that priest Anderson very well." Then his smile faded. As them walked up to the door, he sighed and added, "About Rally... do you know what to expect when she wakes up?" "It is hard to tell, Lt. Coleman," Walter replied, noting Coleman's concern. "How one reacts to becoming a vampire varies with the individual. If we were to cite Miss Victoria's example, she might come out of this quite well, albeit quite clumsily. However," he added darkly, "if Miss Vincent cannot handle the transition well, she may go insane... which could mean she would have to be destroyed quickly... before she kills innocents in her madness." "Well... let's all pray for the first part," Coleman remarked. Using a key he had, Coleman opened the door. He noticed that Sir Integra and Becky were asleep in the living room, so he motioned Walter to enter quietly, which the butler did. Then the alarm Becky had set went off, prompting the information expert to wake up. "Oh, it's you, Roy," she said sleepily as she shut it off. "Sorry about being late, but I was going over reports on the roof collapse and then had to get some shuteye before coming here," Coleman said. Noticing that Sir Integra was also awakening, he added, "Anything happen coming here?" The Hellsing leader yawned briefly before saying, "No, we came here without incident." Seeing Walter, she added, "So is Rally's gun ready, Walter?" "Indeed it is," Walter said, producing the CZ-75. "There wasn't much to do, the craftsmanship of the gun was already superb. However, I did craft a new spring for the trigger, taking into account the possibility of Miss Vincent's increased strength. I am also thinking of fabricating a titanium nitrate-plated barrel, noticing that she is in the habit of using overpressured 9mm rounds, from what I studied from the clip she had, and figured she might benefit from the increased strength. Perhaps later, I will fashion armament that might be suitable to her in the future, should she choose to accept." He handed the suit to Sir Integra, as well as an overnight bag. "Here you are. I also chose to pack appropriate toiletries for a shower, if not a bath." "Thank you, Walter." Sir Integra then turned to Becky, "I was wondering if there was, by any chance, someplace I could at least shower here?" Becky thought for a minute. "There is the downstairs guest room," she said. "I know it has a separate bathroom, nothing fancy though." "Good. At least there will be someplace for me to shower and change," the Hellsing leader said. Taking the suit and toiletries, Sir Integra is escorted by Becky to the guest room, but not before saying, "I should not be long. Walter, see to it that preparations are made for Rally's awakening." "Yes, Sir Integra," the old butler answered. "Oh I made sure there were several blood packs placed in the refrigerator," Becky added, turning around. "Why thank you, Miss Farrah. I will attend to them immedietly," Walter replied as he made his way to the kitchen, with Coleman following close behind. As he placed the blood packs into a bowl and emptied several ice trays into it, he noticed Alucard materializing near him. "So, another of your children will walk the earth soon... or more accurately a grandchild. Not exactly what the Hellsing Organization stands for, is it not? I must admit, I have destroyed quite a few in my day. I sincerely hope that Miss Vincent will not be one of them." "Oh I have faith that will not occur, old friend," the No-Life King drolled, grinning. "Well, whatever the outcome," Walter continued, "we are going to have to consider Miss Vincent's future. I do not suppose you have any ideas?" "I don't believe in planning for the future, you should know that, Walter," Alucard said plainly, studying the sealing runes on his gloves. "Immortality is an illusion, sought by only the foolish and fearful. I had lived a long time, surviving the demise of my kingdom in Walachia to the Ottoman Turks, draining the lives of those I encountered for the past five hundred years... until I crossed paths with that damnable Abraham Van Helsing, which bound me to Sir Integra's line. Yes, I've lived long... but even I know that I am finite. And I eagerly await my eventual end. My only wish is that Rally Vincent realizes this fact... that, even though she will still be young and beautiful, she will, as well as I, face her demise." "I think you are being too fatalistic, old friend," Walter said, picking up the tray. "Well, no use forestalling this task. Might as well deliver Miss Vincent's first meal." Alucard opened the door as he guided Walter towards the stairs, where they are greeted by Seras. "You asked for me, Master?" she began. "Yes, Seras, I need to talk to you about something." He allowed Walter to enter the room with the blood. "You must realize that, upon rising, Rally will be facing the most dangerous part of her new life." "I do, Master." "Then you must know that, usually, this would be the time a new vampire is the most hungriest - which is also the time where they may go mad upon realizing this." Alucard made an appraising look at Seras and added, "Fortunately, you were able to avoid that part - but there is no way of knowing if your fledgling will have the same luck." "What are you getting to, Master?" the Draculina asked, not liking what he was leading to. "This may be difficult to relate, Seras," Alucard began, pulling out the Jackal from his coat and handing it to her former fledgling, "but upon wakening, should Rally go mad as a result of her turning, it must fall upon you to end her existence quickly, least she make the humans within this dwelling her prey." Seras allowed this to sink in, fingering the gunmetal-black weapon gingerly before stuffing it behind her under her belt. But Coleman saw this, saying, "Now wait a minute - are you telling me is that... in case Rally goes crazy, she has to kill her again?" "It is either that, human - or the situation will become deadly very quickly," Alucard countered. "Now how would you remedy it?" Coleman thought for a moment. "Now that you put it that way... I would imagine Rally would feel quite guilty if she killed people she cared about." He then looked at the nosferatu and added, "Oh, and I would appreciate it if you called me Roy Coleman - or Lt. Coleman if you like. Being referred to simply as 'human' seems a little impersonal." "As you wish, Lieutenant," Alucard replied. "Seras, in any case, regardless of the outcome, I would appreciate that you return my weapon afterwards." "I see," the Draculina replied matter-of-factly. "Well, I better go upstairs then. Rally should be getting up soon." "Do you mind if I come with you, Miss Victoria?" Coleman asked. "I'm the closest thing to a family Rally has here and I like to be there when she awakens." "I wouldn't recommend it, Lieutenant," Seras said. "When Rally does awaken, you might be her first target." "I still like to come up," Coleman insisted. "At least to she her... just in case..." Seras thought for a minute. "Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt if you can see her for a brief time. But if I tell you to leave, you best do so. Understand?" "Perfectly." Satisfied, both Seras and Coleman ascended the stairs. In the police detective's mind, he was sincerely hoping that the friend he knew for years would awaken as more-or-less the same Rally Vincent as always, and not a bloodthirsty killer, and that the Draculina next to him wouldn't be forced to destroy her. Seras' thoughts were the same.
Back to Through the Years: Awakening Index - Back to Hellsing Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction