A/N: A shorter chapter to make up for the gargantuan one last time. Enter another phenomenal character. Hope you like it!


When Maria woke up, she was surprised to realize that she was not alone in bed. Alucard lay beside her staring boredly at the ceiling. The moment she awoke he turned to look at her, a trace of the previous night's anger smoldering in his eyes.

"Hello," she said.

"You're an idiot," was his icy greeting, and his grip on her wrist was tight enough to leave a bruise as he held her hand up to her face. Her arms from mid-bicep and down had broken out in a heinous, fiery red rash that burned with the intensity of the sun. Alucard's cool skin seemed to alleviate the ache somewhat, though.

"It only hurt a bit when I was outside," she murmured. "I had no idea…"

"When you drink my blood you gain the strengths and weaknesses of the night," he snapped. "You will cover yourself up when you go outside at day and you will avoid the morning light."

She nodded mutely as she stared at his chest, unable to meet his furious gaze. The hand at her wrist was suddenly on her chin, however, forcing her to look up at him.

"You disobeyed me."

"Yes," she admitted.

"Do you regret it?"

Seras' devastated look upon seeing the fate of her men flashed through Maria's mind, and then the embrace and thanks she had given the teen before she slumbered.

"No," she answered, and braced herself for his wrath.

His lips were set in a hard line, his crimson orbs boring into her own as if he were trying to see through them and into her soul.

"I have no need for a disloyal queen," he said in a deadly soft whisper.

"I've sworn to spend all of eternity with you," she said, a bit of frustration bleeding into her voice. "My entire life I have heeded your every word, and I will continue to do so. My loyalty to you is absolute. But sometimes your judgement isn't correct. Seras is your fledgling, and by extension mine in a small way. She's still so human-she needed that kindness last night."

"So you will disobey me if you feel I am wrong?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation.

The ancient vampire regarded her with that same menacing stare before rolling onto his back and gazing at the ceiling boredly. "I am seldom wrong."

She nodded in agreement and when he put his arm back around her she curled up against him once more, her body relaxing as she realized he was no longer angry.

"How was your fight with the other vampire?" she asked presently.

"Disappointing. I ended up letting the dog eat him."

Maria chuckled. "And where did Mr. Eyes get that sword from?" It currently hung by its sash from the back of the chair at her table.

The vampire tossed the blade a disinterested glance. "It's mine."

"It's so cool!" she exclaimed. "Why don't you ever use it?"

"It's merely a relic now," he dismissed. "It suits you, though."

She propped herself up on her sore arms and leaned over him so she could stare directly into his bored eyes with a knowing smirk on her lips.

"You have a thing for women with swords, don't you?" she whispered. "You're always watching Sir Integra from the shadows when she practices."

A dark grin curled his lips as he took her by the hips and pulled her fully on top of him. The two of them were completely nude and she gasped in surprise at the sudden contact.

Alucard claimed her mouth in a kiss that was as playful as it was vindictive and when he pulled away his cool breath fanned across her cheek as he said, "It's unsettling how well you can read me."

Maria laughed and kissed him again, daring to nip his tongue and relishing his growl of pleasure.

"Please tell me we can spend all night in this bed," she begged as he sucked at her neck, his fangs gliding across her skin but not breaking it. He had only just begun to touch her but she already yearned for more.

He merely chuckled as he pushed her off him and covered them both with the blanket just as there was a knock at the door. Walter entered carrying a tray of food and ten packets of blood.

"Good evening," he greeted the two of them as he placed the silver platter on the table. "How are the both of you?"

"Fine," Maria answered. "And how about you?"

"These bones are a bit stiff," he admitted, a slightly sad smile on his lips. "I'm not as spry as I once was."

Maria and Walter made small talk and the butler informed her that she and Seras were to guard the manor tonight since the Hellsing organization was only thirteen strong if you included the soldiers, Sir Integra, Walter, and the two vampires.

Once he left, the two of them sat up and Alucard used his shadows to bring the large tray of food to his lap. An assortment of her usual breakfast foods were waiting for her, but her hunger was dwarfed by her thirst. She took a packet first and drained it in less than twenty seconds, then reached for another.

The vampire watched her guzzle down pack after pack with a morbid fascination. Completely absorbed in the velvety perfection of the blood, Maria failed to notice his open-mouthed grin until she was on her third one.

"What?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious. "Am I drinking too much? What is too much?"

He suddenly had a wine glass in his hand, but the red liquid within it was much too viscous to be merlot. He sipped from it languidly before saying, "Drink until you no longer crave it. You have a larger appetite than I anticipated."

"Well, yesterday was a bit hectic," she said sarcastically as she took another long drag from the packet, "and I imagine this sunburn is making me thirstier than usual as well."

"So you don't feel it then?" he asked, a hint of disappointment creeping into his baritone.

She gave him a bewildered look.

"The smell of war," he said, and when he grinned all of his teeth were needle-sharp fangs. "Last night was merely the opening act."

Maria frowned. "We lost almost all of our men last night."

"Master is already securing more," he dismissed. "There will always be more of them."

A new question grew in her mind, but she wasn't sure she should voice it. Alucard watched her hesitate and gave her a prompting look.

...Will we always serve the Hellsing family? she asked.

Dynasties rise and fall in the blink of an eye. And when this one falls, you and I will truly ascend to our throne.

She smiled up at him and went back to draining the medical blood. Once she finished that one, Alucard presented her with her own wine glass already full.

"Mulțumesc," she thanked him. When she took a sip from it, she gasped as she was overwhelmed by the power within the blood. She shot him an astonished look. "You gave me your own blood? You only gave me some yesterday."

He took a sip from his own glass before commanding, "Drink it."

She didn't have to be told to do so; his blood was calling to her and she gulped it down in the blink of an eye. She poured a final packet of medical blood into the glass and once she had drained that grabbed a piece of toast and went about getting ready for duty. The redness and burning in her arms had faded since she had drunk, and for that she was thankful. When she emerged from the shower, she was both surprised and a bit disappointed to see that Alucard had left the room. Considering his voyeuristic tendencies, she wondered if he had been summoned by Sir Integra.

Maria changed into a fresh uniform, readied her weapons, and met Seras outside the front gates of the castle where they would stand guard for the night. The draculina looked tired and upset, but with a bit of coaxing on Maria's part they were able to chat about the newest rom coms and other banal girl talk. They passed the night together easily, and when the sky lightened to deep purple to the east they were relieved by two regular soldiers.

Maria's nights slipped into this new routine. Her lessons with Mr. Willows had been postponed until the ranks had been replenished, so she and Seras had guard duty from sun down to sun up every night, and when they were finished she would crawl into bed to find Alucard waiting for her, more often than not with a bit of his blood to give her. She had asked him a couple times why he was suddenly giving her so much more, but he always distracted her with his tongue and fingers.

It was nearly a month until Sir Integra and Walter secured new soldiers. When Maria had heard that they were mercenaries, she had been concerned that they would be employing men who could be so easily swayed, but Sir Integra had assured her that the Wild Geese were the best of the best, and would remain loyal so long as their paychecks were on time.

Integra had taken Seras with her to show them what a vampire was, and Alucard had been ordered to stay away from the men so as not to terrify them. Maria was given no special orders and had the night free from duty, so she and Mr. Eyes were playing tag. Alucard had rolled his eyes and muttered something about her childishness, but the fact of the matter was that it provided her an excellent opportunity to practice phasing.

She chased the hellhound down the corridors, through walls and floors, and even through the ceiling. The great black dog's tail was wagging as it narrowly evaded her grasp and vanished through a painting. Maria laughed and darted after him at full speed. Her shadows seeped into the wall ahead of her and she passed through the portal they made as though she were walking through air, and in a split second she emerged on the other side. Mr. Eyes was already on the other side of the room and about to phase through the floor, and she rushed after him. Each time they played she found that she grew faster and faster. Last week she had nearly touched his tail. Tonight she would finally fulfill the promise she made to defeat him nine years ago.

So intent on catching the hellhound was she that she didn't even realize what parts of the manor he was leading her to. They passed through Alucard's dark dungeon, the kitchens, Integra's bedroom, and countless other rooms and hallways, and with each new room she gained a few more centimeters on the hellhound.

Maria's outstretched fingers were a mere hair's breadth from the black dog's tail when they both leapt through a wall, and when they emerged on the other side Maria screamed in triumph and pounced on the hellhound, who growled playfully as they tumbled to a stop in the center of the room. The great six-eyed beast was bearing its fangs and snarling above her but Maria just giggled and stuck her tongue out at it.

"Suck it, Mr. Eyes! You lost fair and square!" she gloated.

The dog's snarl faded, but its eyes were baleful.

Maria laughed again and scratched it behind the ears. "Okay, this time I'll be it. Sound good? Just don't bite me too hard, okay? I'm just a fragile human, afterall."

"What ze fuck?!"

The brunette looked up and her emerald eyes widened in shock as she saw a motley crew of rough-looking men all gaping at her in varying degrees of alarm. The Frenchman who had cried out upon seeing her nearly dropped his cigarette in surprise.

"Ah, wonderful. This is Maria, who is one of our special operatives." Integra stood in the doorway, a smug smile on her lips. She always got a perverse joy out of these introductions. "Stand up and introduce yourself properly."

The hellhound stepped away from Maria and allowed her to stand. The girl straightened her short skirt and deep purple tank top before tossing her tousled curls out of her face. She fixed the men with her best innocent, unassuming girl smile and said, "Hello. I'm Maria. I've been an operative for ten years, so you won't have to worry about me holding my own. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."

"And what the hell is that thing?" the Frenchman demanded, pointing a trembling finger to the hellhound that was currently at Maria's side.

She patted the beast's head. "This is my pal, Mr. Eyes. The last person other than me that called him that lost a hand though, so you should probably just avoid addressing him."

"Jesus Christ," someone muttered.

"And you're a vampire too?" the same French guy asked. Maria assumed that he was leader, being as he was the only one speaking up.

"Oh, no," she laughed. "I'm just a human."

"But you just came through a wall chasing a hellhound."

"I'm a special human," she clarified. She crossed the room and held out her hand to the leader. "What's your name?"

"Bernadotte," he said, and he looked at her hand anxiously as though he thought spiders may sprout from her fingertips before he shook it with his calloused hand. "Most people call me Pip, though."

"Pip," she smiled warmly. "Seras and I aren't half as scary as we look, and we protect our men at all costs. We'll have fun working together."

He gave her a nervous smile. "All of you women here are so hard-core," he said in awe.

"Touch this one and you'll find yourself impaled on the flagpole within the second."

Alucard strolled through the wall in full dress, his red glasses obscuring his crimson eyes from the men, but they didn't need to see his irises to realize that he was on an entirely different level than Maria or Seras. The air in the room grew heavier and darker upon his entrance, as though he had drained it of all joy.

"And this would be a real vampire," Integra said, regarding her servant with a cool look.

Walter burst into the room, panting. "Sorry, ma'am. I did try to stop him."

"They're going to be guarding my coffin," the Nosferatu said simply. "I need to see what sort of men they are." He cast about them appraisingly, and only Pip managed to meet his gaze.

"I suppose they'll do," he said boredly. He turned to Integra. "Now that they've arrived, may I depart on my mission?"

"Yes. But don't dawdle and don't kill anyone. That's an order."

He gave a half-bow and then faded into mist.

A mission? Maria asked him. I didn't know there were any missions tonight.

It's a private matter. I'll return before sunrise.

She had never known the vampire to have private affairs to tend to in her entire life. Curiosity burned within her, but she knew that he wouldn't answer her questions even if she asked them.

"Well, if that'll be all…" she said to Integra.

"You may go," the heiress said.

Maria turned to Mr. Eyes with a manic glint in her eye. "Remember, don't bite me too hard. I don't want any stitches this time."

The hellhound crouched down, preparing to bound after her with a fanged grin on its lips. She was just about to blast off into the wall when one of Pip's thoughts floated into her mind.

So I can't touch the brunette, but I can touch the blonde vampire… He was fixing Seras with a furtive look and the vampire met his gaze briefly before looking away, the slightest hint of blush dusting her cheeks.

Maria grinned as a plan began unfurling in her mind.

Don't meddle, Alucard warned.

Oh, it'll be good for her.

Until he dies.

Joykill, she pouted. Who knows? Maybe he'll become a vampire to be with her.

That man is the furthest thing from a virgin.

She paused. But...you weren't a virgin either, were you? You had three sons.

Enough of this conversation, he snapped irritably. Do as you please, but the police girl's misfortune will fall on your head.

He left her mind with an air of finality, though she could still feel a couple angrily pulsing tendrils of his presence in the furthest corners of her consciousness. She wasn't sure what part of her words had upset him, but he was suitably riled with her.

Mr. Eyes gave an impatient growl from behind her and she apologized to the dog before dashing full-speed through the wall with it nipping at her heels.

The hellhound was much too fast and never failed to catch her. After a couple more rounds of tag she returned to her room to study, rubbing at the bite marks she had received with each loss. It had listened to her this time, though, and while the black dog had drawn blood she wouldn't require stitches. Last time she had received five to her thigh, but tonight bandages would suffice.

She was studying Latin for the following night's class with Mr. Willows when there was a knock at her door and Seras entered in her pajamas of t-shirt and shorts, holding up a couple DVDs. Since Maria's ritual had begun several months ago the girls' movie nights had become increasingly infrequent. Alucard was spending more time with his charge, and the ancient vampire saw no merit in staring at moving pictures about fake things and fake humans for hours on end.

Maria closed her books and the two of them moved the ample flat-screen from the top of a dresser to the table that was nearer the bed, along with the DVD player.

"What ones did you get this time?" she asked Seras.

"This time it's Gone With the Wind and Casablanca."

"Ooh, the classics," Maria grinned.

The two of them got under the blankets and lay on their sides, Seras behind Maria with her chin resting on Maria's arm so she could see. Seras had told her before that she missed the warmth so Maria didn't mind when the draculina curled up against her. Maria herself had grown used to a cool body beside her and took solace in it as well.

As Gone With the Wind began to roll, the curly-haired girl contemplated how to bring up the subject of the French mercenary.

"God, what I wouldn't give for some popcorn," Seras groaned.

Maria gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yeah. I'm gonna miss the food."

When there was a lull in the movie, Seras asked, "So what do you think about the mercenaries?"

"The Wild Geese? They seem alright. And if Alucard thought they were suitable then they must be."

"Hmm." Seras sounded unconvinced.

"Why? Does something bother you about them?"

The blonde hesitated for a moment and then said, "Well, it's their leader, Bernadotte. He's…I don't know."

Maria paused the movie and rolled around to fix her friend with a concerned look, concealing her elation that she had been thinking about the Frenchman already. She asked seriously, "What do you mean?"

Seras' cheeks were bright red as she muttered, "He grabbed my ass."

The brunette laughed and Seras' blush only darkened. "And? What did you do in return? Punch him?"

"I was so startled I just sort of demanded to know why he did that. And he said that's just how they greet beautiful women in France."

Maria sniggered. "Well, so now we know he's both cute and straightforward."

"And a complete pig!" Seras added huffily.

"Hold up," Maria said with a mischievous grin not unlike the No-Life King's, "you think he's cute."

"What? That's-of all the-no!" Seras sputtered incoherently, but when Maria's smile only grew she added, "I don't even know him!"

She fixed her flustered friend with an exasperated look. "Seras, you don't have to know a guy to think he's hot. I mean, c'mon. He's got nice hair, gorgeous eyes, a mysterious eyepatch, and that killer French accent. I'd say he's pretty bangable."

"Maria!" The draculina was absolutely scandalized.

"I'm just saying," she shrugged. "It might not hurt to get to know the guy a bit. You two are going to be commanding the soldiers together now, so you have to get friendly with him anyways."

"I have to maintain a professional relationship with him," the vampire argued.

"Even if he gropes you?"

Seras rolled her eyes. "Can we not talk about this anymore? I'm losing track of the plot of the movie."

Heaving a put-out sigh, Maria rolled back around to face the tv and Seras rested her chin on the brunette's arm again. "Alright, I'll lay off. But you do need to get to know him."

They resumed watching the film, but Maria wasn't paying any attention to it. Her mind was whirring with ideas about how to get the naive, virginal vampire together with the swashbuckling veteran of love and war.

The two of them watched the second film as well, but Seras dozed off before the end. Maria turned off the tv and dvd player once it was over and she lay in bed beside her friend, who in her sleep had tossed an arm over her side and nestled her face into Maria's neck. Maria didn't mind it, but she wasn't used to having such a clingy bedfellow. It was usually her doing the clinging.

Though the room was pitch black, she was able to see the clock on the wall that read nearly six a.m. The sun was just beginning to rise, yet Alucard hadn't returned. She wondered where he had gone. Normally, she could extend a bit of her consciousness and make contact with his, but he had erected a wall that made it impossible for her to reach him. Whatever his private matter was, he didn't want her knowing anything about it. Naturally, this only fueled her curiosity though.

It was nearly eight when he appeared in the room in full dress. Maria, who had been half-asleep, instantly became wide-awake.

I'm gone for a night and already you have someone new in your bed, he teased. And a woman, at that.

Well, I've got to try a bit of everything, don't I? she grinned. She's a bit too clingy, though.

The bedfellow in question had completely intertwined herself with Maria, an arm around her waist, a leg tossed over Maria's, and her face was still nuzzled against the brunette's neck. It was a bit suffocating.

"Police Girl."

The girl in question shot up in bed at Alucard's call. "Master!" she exclaimed happily, if a bit blearily. "Welcome back. I'll just head back to my room, then."

She bade the two of them goodnight and Maria rose to her feet. She took off the vampire's hat and glasses and placed them on the table before taking off his jacket for him as well. He allowed her to do this in silence, even though they both knew that he could do it in the blink of an eye.

"Did you meddle?" he asked her as he sat on her bed and she unfastened the row of buttons on the back of his riding boots.

"Not yet. I might not even have to."

One of the vampire's eyebrows rose in intrigue.

"Apparently, he groped her already. So first contact has been established. She seems to think he's cute, but she's just so virginal. She'll come around, though. I've got a good feeling about them."

Finished with the buttons, she pulled off the boot and began working on his right one.

"A good feeling?"

"Yeah. You smell war in the air, I smell sexual tension." He fixed her with a long-suffering look and she laughed before changing the subject. "Was your mission successful?"

"Yes."

The conversation ended with that, and once Maria had pulled off his other boot the rest of his clothes melted away, as did hers until they were both nude. She snuggled up against his cool, hard body beneath the blankets and he put a gloved hand on her hip to hold her to him. A content sigh escaped her lips.

"You're a much better bedfellow than Seras," she murmured before drifting off.


A/N: This chapter felt like it was a bit of a lull compared to the previous one. What do you think? Could I have spiced it up somehow? Thanks for reading!