Seras shuffled through the cupboards in the kitchen, It was 7:00 AM and she was completely exhausted. She had recently made it her goal to temporarily turn herself around to a more human lifestyle, but it was not working for her. She had taken a nap last night to try and rest for the coming day, but that did little to help, the light was not her friend, no matter how she looked at it. Nevertheless, it was all for Vladimir... Afterall, someone had to watch him, and Integra was busy all day... but then there was the problem with the FREAKs!

Nothing was mixing, nothing could have happened at a worse time...

Maybe its just fate...

Oh well, at least she wasn't alone in her panicked yet drowsy state. "Right! Here's the coffee... The rest of the servants live in another wing, and I don't normally drink it, so, you know... things get lost..." She said in an upbeat tone, as she sat the tin of coffee down on the table infront of the crumpled and half asleep mess that was Vladimir Layne.

He lifted his head to look over at her, but she was already fumbling with the coffee machine. He rubbed his eyes then dropped his head back down on the table with a heavy thump.

"So...exhausted..." He mumbled.

"You're not much a morning person, are you?"

She received a low groan in response, and something roughly along the lines of "I didn't sleep".

"Right..." She replied, turning on the coffee machine. "Well, you'd best get yourself turned around or I don't think you'll last too long here." She added, although she knew it was a complete lie, Integra would be keeping him here no matter what he did... It was just a priority right now to keep him employed, or else he'd grow suspicious. Of course, he already was suspicious, he just seemed to be keeping his mouth shut.

"I think I'll quit..." he mumbled "Then I can get a different job, a normal job...and then I'll get a nice house on the country side..." his voice was rather muffled and his speech was becoming little more then a tired ramble. "...and a dog... I'll get a big black shaggy dog..." he yawned... "...and name it..."

Seras leaned in over him suddenly, "Baskerville?" she interjected.

He lifted his head to look up at her with half open, yet surprised, eyes.

"...Yeah...actually..." He rubbed his eyes one more time, then brushed his hair away from his face, just as Seras slid a mug of coffee over the table to him. He would have questioned how Seras knew that, but he was too out of it in the morning to even fully notice the strange coincidence. The cup stopped about a foot infront of him, and he reached over, wrapping his slender fingers around the handle.

"Well, I don't see the point in quitting now, last I checked you only just started. You haven't even been here for a full day..." She remarked, then slid some cream in his direction.

He took a deep drink of coffee, then looked down and handed the cream back over to her.

"No thanks... I like it black." he stated, then took another drink. "...I'll stay...but this place just doesn't seem right, not to offend but...you don't really seem right."

"Well, not a phrase new to me." She responded in a rather monotone way, as she stirred the cream into her coffee, then faked taking a sip. She then spaced off for a moment, looking around the room, up at the clock, over the countertops, and finally onto Vladimir's coffee mug, which he was still resting one hand on. She shrugged, looking at the pattern on the cup, then staring at the back of his hand for a moment, oblivious to the sounds that should have been ringing through.

"...Seras...I mean...Miss Victoria...are you listening...I...hello?"

Seras blinked a few times then rested her eyes once more on his face. "Oh, umm, sorry...what?"

"..Nothing...n-nothing at all..." He said, dropping whatever subject was on his mind before, Seras saw through that in an instant, but took no mind to whatever he may have once wanted to say.

"Oh, well, 'right then." She said, getting ready to shift her subject. She pointed to his hand. "What's that...?" She said in the most casual tone she could manage.

"What's...what..?" he took a moment to follow to where her eyes where resting, then answered. "Oh, that."

He looked down at the top of his hand. "I honestly don't know... scars, or something."

What both their eyes where resting on where several marks on his skin, scars from rather deep slices, and looking closely they almost seemed to resemble a pentagram, though it was extremely faint.

"What from?" she responded quickly, her heart started to race abit, then she suddenly stopped herself. "Oh...I'm sorry, Its not really any of my business." She said, nodding ever so slightly, though she believed it to be completely her business.

He shrugged "No, its not a big deal." he paused for a moment, thinking of the right words, then finally answered her question. "I don't really think I had these until the attacks on London...I was there when it happened, or at least on the outskirts of the city... yeah, I don't really remember much."

Seras lowered her head solemnly, things shifting into place, little by little. He noticed her actions and stood, walked over to set his empty cup on the counter, about to pour himself more. "...Its alright. I mean, I'm fine. I'm completely fine." He assured her, with a half smile on his face.

"Yeah...Yeah. I'm sorry, ...I have to be going soon. I was hoping to give you a run down this morning, but there's conference down the hall that I need to attend." She smiled back at him. "...but I won't be long." she stated, walking towards the door.

"Right... and I'm supposed to just sit here?" He said, exhaling and looking around the room.

"Oh..yeah... Tidy up the kitchen abit while I'm gone? Then when I'm back I can give you the whole tour thing...?" She said, uneasily, as she had almost completely forgotten everything that was supposed to be going on today. "Just...don't break anything, please." she added quickly to the end of her sentence.

He rolled his eyes at no one in particular.

"Once. That happened once." he mumbled, as she closed the door behind her.

-------

Integra re-examined the report as the round table conference was called into order. The Iscariots still had not arrived yet, only adding to her irritation over the recent events. She felt a cool chill down her back, just as Seras phased up through the floor, giving a bow to her master, and to the rest of them.

"Any news?" She said, as she sat down on the edge of the table next to Integra, much to the disgust of the other eleven englishmen in the room.

"No. We have yet to learn from the Iscariots about our new adversaries, though I doubt they'll know anything that we don't already."

Seras gasped and looked around the room. "Wha? They aren't here yet? They should be here by now, shouldn't they?"

Integra nodded, "Yes... Those fools... Although their tardiness really comes as no surprise."

Sir Islands looked across the table at Seras and scoffed, she merely smiled back at him in the most obnoxious way possible.

"Should that... thing really be attending, Sir Integra?" he muttered "My God, you let it run all over..."

Seras slipped off the table to stand next to Integra's chair, somewhat put off by the mans current behavior. Integra smiled somewhat, blowing smoke out over the table. "Yes. I do."

"Well, you never would let the previous family pet just trample over these affairs, and your father would have never-"

Integra slammed her hand down on the table, then, in a calm as possible tone added, "Why yes, Sir Islands. I would have never let Alucard attend, but I believe Seras has a little more self control, you see, she's not the type to kill anyone who troubles me... and please, if you must compare me to my father, it would be crucial to note that during the time you knew him best he was a pathetic little alcoholic." Her lips turned up into a smile.

"Now, if we could possibly continue the more important issues..."

Seras shot a small mocking grin at Sir Islands, as Integra shuffled through a few files infront of her. At this precise moment the double doors on the room where pushed open and several agents in priests robes stepped into the room, behind them was a woman about Integra's age, who was dressed the same, though a little more elaborate then the others. She had short dirty blond hair, and her face was badly scarred, the right half still covered by a few bandages to hide the severe damage. She was a rather muscular woman, and the cross dangling at her chest shined in the light as she entered.

"You're late, Wolfe." Integra murmured, not even turning to face the woman.

"Ja. There vhere some...delays." She replied, her thick accent causing each word to filling the room.

"Take a seat, please." Integra responded, gesturing to an empty chair at the table. She took several steps, her guards staying close behind her, as they where in enemy territory, and took her seat.

Once seated and semi comfortable, she then pulled out a large envelope. "Vell, I am sure you have been vaiting for this. As have I." She slid the confidential papers out of the envelope, and laid them on the table, pushing them closer to the center.

"It vould seem that someone ist using Millenniums technology, und I have no doubt that they where previously involved." the left side of her mouth twitched up.

"Sir Integra, I do not celebrate the idea of working with you filth... but I vould be more then happy to kill every last one of these bastards."

As an outbreak of chatter began among the men, Integra turned to Heinkel and spoke over whatever theories and issues those fools where blathering on about.

"It looks as if they have several key points in their operation, and your reports say london. I believe they may be hiding out in some old building there, they could easily go undetected. I believe the attacks in Ireland where a diversion. I plan to send my men to patrol ever last corner of the city tonight."

Heinkel nodded, and added her plan, but Seras was now looking around the room in sudden concern. Something felt wrong...very wrong...

She looked up and took a sniff at the air. "...Sir Integra..." she whispered, Integra turned to face the girl behind her.

"Seras, what?"

She took a moment to look around the entire room, then suddenly that feeling faded away...no...something WAS here... just for a moment.

"Seras, what?" she asked again, just as the vampire came back to reality.

"Oh...Yes, nothing, Sir." She said quickly, with a small bow of her head.

Several hours passed at the same pace, as finally the convention of twelve poured out the twin doors, until only Integra, Seras, and Iscariot's leader remained. Seras paused, looking over the heavy arsenal Wolfe's body guards had under there robes, but said nothing, although she took a moment to run her hand down the scar on her neck that Anderson had left so many years ago.

Heinkel ran her hands through her hair, relatively tired, but pleased that the meeting was over. She adjusted the wrapping on her face and shook her head solemnly. "Leave." She muttered under her breath, causing her confused priests to walk silently from the room, though they where still concerned for their leaders safety. Seras glanced over at Integra, who merely nodded, and with that, she phased out the door.

"If it ist Millennium..."

"It can't be, they're all dead, Wolfe. Their cause is dead." Integra responded, opening her tin and offering Heinkel a cigar. She shook her head, but reached into her robe for a pack of cigarettes.

"...If I could use your lighter?" Integra slid the metal object over the table, as the other woman continued. "Ja...but ve are both sure that whoever ist involved vith it, once vorking under Millennium aswell."

"Yes... That is correct." She paused for moment, then added "...Heinkel? Are you... alright?"

There was no answer for a moment, but eventually she responded. "...Nein. It ist too much. Too much at once." she replied, shrugging.

"Hm...Don't worry yourself too much, Wolfe... I am experiencing a far more severe case of your same ailment." She stood, snuffed out her cigar and walked from the room.

------

"So they're staying here until this is sorted out?" Seras questioned, nervously.

"Yes..." she responded. "It will be easier that way... and harder."

Seras nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. "We can't let them see Vlad, that's for sure... Not to pry, but what on earth did you two talk about."

Integra blinked and adjusted her glasses. "Oh, nothing. Just further theories, then we quarreled for abit." She pointed down the hall. "You should go see how he is doing, make sure he hasn't found out too much, or broken anymore glasses. If you wish to speak to me, I'll be in the library again." Integra descended the flight of stairs, and was soon out of sight. The draculina nodded once more, and turned in the direction of the kitchens, just in time to hear the hiss of a whispering voice, and a cold chill down the hall.

"...Pip..?"

"Yeah, Mignonette?" She felt him hum through her head, and heard something like a yawn aswell.

"...Am I the only hearing and feeling this...am I actually sensing something, or am I crazy?"

There was silence on Pips end for several minutes, as Seras listened for both him, and kept her ears open for the whispers echoes in the halls.

"...Non...I 'ere eet too..."

She clenched her fists and continued to the kitchen. She knew this feeling, it was impending disaster, and it was on its way to Hellsing.

((Hey guys, guess what happens on the 20th this month? I leave for France. For a week. Yes. I'll probably get another chapter up before I leave, but if I don't, and you guys get no updates...thats why, I'll be in france. Dun worry, I'll keep my eyes pealed for red headed, eye patched, frenchmen. xP So, hows it going? You enjoy? I decided I wanted to have Heinkel and Integra develop something kinda like a friendship, well, at least as close a friendship those two could ever have. But they do have SOME scale of a nice relationship. ; Reviews? ))