Hello my lovelies. This chapter may seem...inconsistent, at first, but trust me, it's valuable.

Now, it has come to my attention reading a bunch of demon-Ciel fics that people like to portray him as having completely lost his humanity, being as he is a demon now- but I think Hanna was a really good example of the fact that demons are, in fact, capable of empathy and even compassion, to some muted degree. Ciel has never been especially empathetic, but I like to think he still has an "echo" of his human thoughts and feelings somewhere. Also, I think part of what sparks the drastic difference between his demon and human selves in a lot of fics is the theory that he is only being possessed...here, that is not the case whatsoever. You'll see what I mean later, hopefully.

Now, lets move on shall we?

WARNINGS: Edginess (? Not all that much I think, but whatever...). Implied Sex scene. (of a yaoi variety...though we aren't getting into the smut yet) Vague allusions to events of episode X of Ultimate.

Onwards!

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"We hope you are...comfortable, here." One of the newer butlers of the Hellsing manor stated with a dreadfully nervous sweat. Why? What in Gods sweet name had Integra been thinking, allowing these, these- these ungodly, isepid, utterly unholy creatures into their, into his home?! Wasn't it bad enough that there were not one, but two vampires running around the place- now she was letting full-fledged demons into the estate?! Had the woman lost her ever-livid mind?!

"Thank you, Arthur." The taller one said, voice smooth and dark as red satin. It made him shiver involuntarily as he backed away from the door to the room they would apparently be boarded in. Seriously, what the devil was Sir Hellsing thinking? Was she trying to get everyone here killed?

No, he reminded himself dutifully. Integra did everything with a purpose. She wasn't one for whimsy. If she'd allowed freaking demons onto their estate, she'd done so with some kind of elusive confidence in her ability to control the situation if it got out of hand. Right?

'I sure as hell hope so. Its bad enough I have to worry about being accidental vampire chow- I really rather not be demon food, either...no matter what part of me they eat.'

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Ciel looked around the temporary room they'd been given- and were permitted to keep only on the condition of good behavior. It had been his own idea to set up base here, at Hellsing, rather than his own estate. Integra had agreed to train them both to fight Vampires here at their HQ (which, as it happened, was just on the other side of London) so that they both could then relay that information to their own forces. She'd made it perfectly clear that they were only allowed to stay here on good behavior, and that- and he'd laughed at her for this- if they ate any of her men, they would be "removed in whatever way she seen fit".

Apparently she didn't understand that they were immune to bullets- blessed silver or not.

'At least I know Sebastian is. I've bloody watched him be shot with a full cartridge in almost every part of his body and the pain not phase him in the slightest. I imagine blessed silver might hurt a bit more, but I know for a fact that holy objects don't affect him at all. Even Holy water doesn't hurt him, much to my surprise.' He knew for a fact, having tested on himself, that Holy water did burn a little, but it was a pain hardly worth noticing. Nothing compared to the agony of being branded by hot iron, in any case.

They brought no belongings besides a fresh change of clothes- they didn't really have any. Besides each other, as it were. "Has Integra said anything to you about the training routine? I hardly imagine she will be teaching us using guns. Neither of us have any use for the damned things, and besides, they make a most infernal noise."

"No. She only said that we would begin tomorrow evening. It would appear we are being trained by the vampires themselves how to handle their kind, and are expected to return the favor in kind, since they are battling the same demons we are." Ciel scoffed at the notion, bt did not miss the mischevious glint in Sebastians eye at the prospect of training with the creatures. Frankly, it should have made him worry. But Sebastian was, ultimately, bound to his command- even thoug he knew that Sebastian was more than capable of defying him anyway, he held on to the fact. It gave him a flase sense of security, at least.

But then, so did Sebastian.

"Come here," he beckoned as he sat on the bed. He'd alerted Integra of the fact that demons like himself didn't need to sleep the same way humans did- and had been promtly alerted to the fact that vampires, apparently, did.

-Vampires need to sleep like humans do. Its something they don't inherently lose. The fact that they are gregarious also does not change once they are transformed into vampires. She'd explained. They are prone to "covening", forming social groups that have a strict, power-based hierarchy. "The big dog gets to eat first," in a sense. -

-and I presume that Alucard would be the "big dog" of the house; besides yourself, of course.-

-Indeed. As reluctant as I am to admit it, yes. He has reigning dominance over nearly everyone here besides myself. Were I you, i would respect that, particularly as you are on his turf. Alucard sees Hellsing as his "home away from home" in a sense. The fact he is allowing you, for all intents and purposes "competition" into his perceived territory is an honor not many get the chance to possess. He is, after all, a Vampire King.-

-We will do well to heed him, then.- Sebastian had replied with a knowing smirk.

They both were then shown to their chambers by an understandably nervous servant, and here they were. Ciel felt the impending mischeif rolling off of Sebastian in waves, and felt the need to remind him that he was supposed to be well behaved. Sebastian obedienlty sat beside him on the bed. No more had he set down then Ciel moved onto his lap facing him with practiced motions. Sebastain made no move to stop him, made no obvious expression until he leaned forward and nudged Sebastian's jaw with his nose, licking the side of his neck, asking for silent permission- not that he needed to, Sebastian had never turned him away, but it still felt necessary for reasons his no-longer-human mind could not really understand. It was as if some distant echo of his past came forth in these situations, demanding some sense of courtesy that he felt for no one else at any other time. Maybe it was because he respected Sebastian, but he also liked to think sometimes that his humanity hadn't been completely lost with his transformation. It gave him some small comfort, at least.

Sebastian wasted no time placing his hands on Ciels hips, letting his fingers play absently with the hem of his shirt. Ciel could practically sense the smugness on his servants face. They may not have been able to make trouble with the men or the vampires directly, but that didn't mean they were going to lie down like obediant dogs and bend to the will of their food.

"My, you certainly have a way of being rebellious, young Master," Sebastian whispered in an all too familiar voice beside his ear. "I can't imagine Alucard will be thrilled if he finds out we were doing such obsecene things beneath his watch on the first day," Ciel knew Sebastian was teasing, and it only served to excite him more as he absently ground his hips into his servants in a silent demand. Sebastian's hands wasted no time travelling down to his arse, fondling him in a deceptively gentle manner.

"Just remember we aren't allowed to break anything," he wispered in the older demons ear, licking his neck in a smooth, slow motion that somehow still came out to be cat-like with its dainty delicacy. A very deceptive delicacy, if Sebastian had anything to say for his master's surprisingly sharp tongue and feroucious strength, when either was warranted. He'd never seen his master lose his cool, in demon or human form, but here was something to be said for that- his wrath was not one you wanted to incur. Especially as his demon blood gave him a most fitting ability...

"We should be quiet. Alucard, I can handle pissing off. Integra, however, has the real control here." Sebastian chuckled at him then, promting him to pull back from where he was not-so-affectionately nipping his servants thoat to look at him sternly. "Do not make the same mistake as your opponent, Ciel, or you are no better than they are. It is not wise to underestimate a foe like Alucard." Sebastian warned him, voice and eyes swimming with smug mirthiness.

"I know. But it is also equally unwise to underestimate the will of humans." This made Sebastian pause in his musings with Ciel's hair as he pulled away the eye patch. Ciel continued, ultimately devesting him of most his clothes before he responded with a light chuckle.

"I suppose it would be." They finished removing each other's clothes, neither in any terribly big hurry. They had all day, after all.

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"Seras," Alucard's voice echoed in her room before he materialised through the wall. Something about his tone seemed...meloncholy.

"Yes, Master? Is something the matter?" there was a long, though familiar silence as she patiently waited for him to continue, setting her hairbrush down on the table. She was tired after her mini-freak-out about there being demons who were presently being allowed to preside above them in one of the guest rooms upstairs. At first she'd been disgruntled that they'd been allowed up there, but then she recalled that they were technically servants (or slaves, in Alucard's case) and that the two above them were guests. As such, it panned out.

But she still wasn't looking forward to having to "train" them tomorrow evening.

"I am not looking forward to it either." Alucard suddenly said, his voice taking on an almost disgusted tone. "But frankly I'd rather not think of them right now." Confused, Seras shot him an imploring look. "You do not want to know what they're up to right now. Believe me." Seras could swear she seen her master turn green for a split second in a look of utter disgust, but chose wisely not to coment on it. If it disturbed her master, she right well believed she didn't want to know what they were up to.

Then again, what on earth could distrub Alucard?

"Okay...but- and correct me if I'm wrong, but you seemed quite excited about them earlier, Master."

"Hn, that was because I was looking forward to fighting that taller demon- Sebastian, as he calls himself. However, training is not fighting. Besides-" He once more turned vaguely green, looking genuinely nauseas. "Are you all right, Master?" she asked, suddenly concerned. Could Vampires get sick?

"Never mind. Keep my mind occupied for a while, Seras. Entertain me, if you will." He smiled mischeivously then, and her earlier concern vanished in light of his apparent smugness. She knew his "if you will" was meant to taunt her- she really had no choice, lest he find other ways of entertaining himself with her. She daren't think about what that might mean, either.

"Indeed, you would most certainly be unappreciative of the ways in which I could rightly entertain myself with you, Police Girl." He echoed her thoughts mockingly at her. She turned away from him then, setting herself on her coffin-bed. She wasn't really in the mood to entertain today. It was past sunrise and she was tired. Not that he seemed to care, of course.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" She commented, letting the barest bit of sass color her tone. She knew how much he disliked her disobedience. It was her own way of taunting him, like a game that they played.

'my God, how far have you corrupted me already, Master?' He seemed to laugh at her thoughts, despite them not being directed at him. Damn his ability to eavesdrop like a silent death upon her thoughts.

He suddenly materialised within his shadow a strangely familiar looking box. He bent over to pick it up (odd since he usually used his shadows to lift objects from the ground) and placed it on the table before peicing it together, as apparently it had not been a whole object. It then occured to her as he was placing the bell on it that it was the old record player from his room. How he'd managed to conjure it here she had no idea.

"Does that thing still work?" she asked incredulously. It had to be over a century old, at least.

"Yes, quite well considering its age, as I'm sure you've noticed." he grinned mirthily, once more pulling from seemingly nowhere what looked to be a glass record.

"What on earth are you doing, Master?"

"Can I ask you a favor?" He asked her as he placed the record on its table with a soft tink that proved it was, in fact, glass. 'How ancient is that contraption?'

"I would appreciate it if you didn't insult one of the few precious possessions I own." He voiced into her head.

"A-and what sort of favor, exactly, are you asking for?" She stammered, blushing despite herself when he rose again after setting the record to spin with a monotonous swhirrr sound. He came well within her personal space bubble, as he was apt to do purposely just to mess with her. She refused him the satisfaction of watching her shiver, instead looking up at him with naive, imploring eyes. He held her gaze steady, his glasses and fedora absent from him presently. His eyes held his usual air of mischeif, but something deeper, something sadder lay hidden behind it. He suddenly offered her his hand, palm turned up in an inviting gesture.

"Will you dance with me?"

She felt herself light up like a red christmas bulb at his request, suddenly feeling awkward and embarrassed. She looked into his eyes, surprisingly expressive, to find that he was being absolutley serious. A quiet melody began to play from the machine, a even-tempoed but rather sad piano waltz that sounded strangely familiar to her. "M-master-"

"Please, Seras, I implore you- dance with me." he repeated, hand raising higher in emphasis.

"B-but I don't know-"

"Then I will teach you." he said, suddenly coming a step closer, bringing their chests centmeters apart as he gripped her waist with a shockingly gentle hand, turning his other hand to the side, still offering it. She reluctantly lifted her hand and placed it in his delicately, surprised when he seemed to return the gentleness of the action. This was a side of her Master she had never seen.

"There are many facets of me you have not seen, Seras. This is but one of them. I may no longer lay host to a thousand faces, but I still remember them all." Something about the tone he used sounded whistful, adding to Sera's wonder.

They began to move in a slow rythm, Alucard guiding her moves with a tap of his fingers against her waist here, a light squeeze of her hand there. The sheer tenderness of the whole thing entirely dumbfounded her.

"I am feeling nostalgic tonight, if you must know." He said conversationally. It wasn't often he tried to strike up a conversation, adding to her befuddlement. "You know I was married once, yes?" The statement caught her completely off guard as she followed the easy motions of his feet as if she'd been doing it for a lifetime. Apparently she could dance, as long as it was slow like this.

"I-I heard you had a wife once, but...what's that to do with me?"

"You are the total opposite of her. Yet, somehow, you still remind me of her sometimes." Seras lit up again at the admonishment, eyes falling to the floor. He took his hand away from her waist suddenly, and used it to lift her chin to meet his gaze; once more the touch was almost tender.

"Keep me company today, Seras. " She nodded dumbly as she looked into his eyes, finding them mesmerising suddenly. He wasn't hypnotising her- she knew what that felt like- but there was swirling storm inside his gaze just then, making him look almost...tormented.

"Okay, Master." She said softly. He suddenly took her arm away from her body, moving it in a tell-tale pose that required her to spin. She felt the heat on her face again and wondered how many times she was going to blush tonight. He laughed softly, apparently having heard her disgruntled thoughts. The laugh itself seemed almost tortured, though she may very well have been imagining that. She felt something for him then that she didn't feel for the borderline sociopath very often- pity. She half expected him to comment on it, but he stayed silent, allowing her to break her gaze from his as her eyes once more found the floor. The song came to a halt, and so did they.

"Thank you, Seras."

Her master, thanking her now? What on earth had gotten into him? Had he been bewitched by the demons or something? He laughed suddenly, and once more she got the impression her thoughts were not private.

"I don't know if I would say bewitched. But it would seem they have started a train of thought that will not leave me alone, no matter how I beat it away." His voice sounded normal for the most part, but again came that sad, whistful undertone. It bothered her for some reason.

"Allow me to stay with you today, Seras. I promise to mind myself." He grinned at her again, and she suddenly didn't feel as bad for him anymore. Were he human, she'd of punched him in the arm, but she figured that was not wise considering who he actually was.

"Fine, but stay on your side of the damn coffin. I don't want to wake up to find something...unpleasant." She said with a feirce blush. Looking up expecting to see him grinning, she instead found his expression to be affronted, as is she'd offended him.

"I may be a monster, but I'm not that kind of moster, Seras." Again, his voice sounded sad. It made her really wonder about the things he'd seen in his life.

"Believe me, you'd have nightmares if you did." Was all he offered her before moving toward the record player, which was quietly playing another, much more meloncholy melody. He turned it off, removing the glass disk and placing it on the table beside the machine. He then turned and went to her coffin-bed, lying on the far side of it on his side in a pose that might have come off as suggestive, but to her Master was likely just a normal thing. Hell, almost everything about him seemed suggestive at times, a thought she was not at all afraid of broadcasting to him. After all, its not like he ever got her hot under the collar...

She derailed that train of thought with a mental slap before climbing in next to him, careful to keep some measure of respectable distance between them as she pushed the covers aside. He had the decency, it would seem, to stay above the covers, at least.

"Goodni- good day, Master."

"Good day Seras."

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Seras awoke midday to feel something stirring behind her in her coffin. She'd left the lid open to allow both their bodies to move more freely if need be, and turned to look at the vampire behind her- only to find his arm drapped around her waist. She was about to react by pushing him off, but he made a noise. It wasn't quite like any noise she'd heard him make before, almost like a deep squeak, if that made sense. The beggining of a noise that never got finished.

"Master?" she asked quietly. He responded, so she imagined, by tightening his arm around her waist, and she felt his breath fan across her neck with a blush. It then occured to her that vampires didn't have to breathe when they slept. Either he was awake, or...

"Master?" she inquired again, louder. Still he made no obvious stir to indicate he'd heard her. Rather, he made a soft, almost pained moan. "Master?" He voice rose with worry at the noise. It then occured to her what was happening, and the realisation hit her harder than she thought it should have.

'He's having a nightmare.'

-"...You'd have nightmares if you did"- the thought came echoing back to her as she felt him stir uneasily behind her.

As if on cue, his breath hitched and he murmured something in a decidedly different language. He moaned something unintelligible as he suddenly rolled onto his back, arm leaving her and falling on his chest. His hand twitched beside her, and his face scrunched up for a moment. If he'd been mortal, she was sure he'd of been sweating. She was reluctant to wake him, unsure what he'd do. Suddenly his head thrashed to the side and his back arched from the bed, a strange noise leaving him, almost a choking noise. Decidedly frightened now, she sat up in bed, thinking on her toes for an answer that wouldn't come as she watched him writhe. He seemed to yell something in his sleep, but the words were again foreign to her ears. A familiar one reached through though, and she felt a stab of pity for him.

"Stop...Inceteaza*...destul*..." He said with surprising clarity. It then occured to her that he was probably speaking Romanian. She hadn't the foggiest what he was talking about, but it seemed to pain him whatever it was. Unsure what to do without putting herself in jeopardy, she settled on placing a delicate hand on his chest, trying to comfort him.

Bad move.

He responded almost violently to her touch, not striking out at her, but at some invivble foe above him. This had to stop, or one of them was going to get hurt.

"Master!...Master! Alucard! Alucard!" Her voice steadily rose in pitch and volume as she tried to rouse him. It seemed to work, for his movements stilled suddenly, and he opened one bleary eye, looking quite confused.

"Unde sunt*?"

"Sorry...?" Seras watched him slowly open his eyes and come to his senses, one hand absenly coming up to rub at his eyes. "Master?" She asked, hesistant. "I...I think you were having a nightmare, Master."

"Hn. Indeed, it would appear those damn demons have affected me." She was very confused by his statement, but made no note of it as his eyes suddenly fell on her with an unplacable expression.

"Did I hurt you?"

"Huh?"

"Did I hurt you- having the nightmare? I know it makes me thrash in my sleep. Integra has told me as much, anyway."

"N-no, you didn't hurt me, but you were moving around a lot..." A sudden question popped into her head, and before she could stop it, in spite of knowing how wrong it was to ask, it slipped out of her mouth.

"What was it about?"

She immediately regretted the question, seeing the vacant expression he gave her as the entire world around them seemed to just stop. He finally gave her a wry, almost pained smile before replying in a way she hadn't expected him to.

"The reason I'm not the kind of monster you thought me to be**." He said nothing more, leaving Seras very confused as he suddenly phased from the bed, appearing on her other side, his ruffled clothing from the nightmare smoothed out and his expression neutral. She tried beside herself to peer into his head, out of concern, but he was locked up tight, as usual. There was a tension in his shoulders, one she felt not many other people would have been able to notice, and her concern for him only increased.

"Alu- I mean, Master," She said, tone betraying her thoughts, though she was sure he could hear them anyway. "Are you going to go back to your room?"

"Yes, I think." She pondered this a moment. Heart acting before her head, as per usual in these circumstances, she once more felt her mouth open before she could bid it shut.

"You should stay here. In case of another nightmare." Seeing his brow raise at her proposition, she hastily continued. "I-I mean, you were sleeping really sound before the nightmare, I think, and...and I'm worried, Master. You've been acting strangely all day." He let out a wry chuckle, a tone of mirth creeping back into it.

"As I said, there are many sides of me you have not seen yet, Fledgeling." Again, she thought about this, stopping him just as he was beginning to dissipate again.

"Would you...let me see the other sides of you?" She wondered aloud, knowing it made no difference. He could peer inside her head almost any time he wished- what did it matter if she said what she was thinking aloud, as long as they were alone? "I...Some part of me really wants to know, Master." She admitted quietly. He stopped, mid-phase, and seemed to wonder about her words.

" I know, Seras. I know."

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Okidokie! This was fun! I won't be giving away spoilers, but I will translate a few words:

ASTERISKS!

*Inceteaza= stop it (on that note, I spelled it wrong because I don't have a Romanian keyboard, so accents are absent)

*Destul= enough

*Unde sunt?= where am I?

And of course, It's in romanian. :)

Hopefully we can continue with the mischeif next chappie, but I had to plant the seed of AluSeras somewhere. In this case, I planted it in the past. Hope you enjoyed! And don't forget to REVEIW if you want another chapter posted!

Aufweidersehen! (german, just so ya know)