The only characters I own are Alex, Sonny, Mel, Michael, William, various vamps that die, minor characters. Yes, I do have to lay claim to Marvin "the Martian" Marcellini. All others are not mine though I wish they were ;)

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Reviews are very welcome!

Thanks for the review: Kaida Ukitake.

Let's hope everything turns out for the best.

;-)

Additional AN: Corrected Anderson's speech to include two "ye"s were he seemed to go to the usual you.

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I knelt and perused the pile I had stolen. Borrowed meant I intended to return it. Not so with this.

The skimpy hospital gown fluttered in the wind as I matched up clothing in sets.

Two preacher outfits missing the collar, and one nun outfit which may end up being too small for me.

If I went as the preacher, I'd stand out. Women didn't wear priest clothing. Dratted religion. Why couldn't Anderson belong to a religion where men and women wore the same outfit?

Nun outfit it was.

In minutes I was sheltered from direct wind exposure. Didn't have underwear so if anyone managed to look up the skirt that dropped to three inches above my ankles, they'd either think I was naughty or was posing. Wrapping the other outfits into a bundle with the IV bag secured in the center, I walked into town.

It was quiet, still in the early morning hours. I scanned, sensing a few people awake and working, and some dogs alertly watching me for transgressive behavior. I made my way to the center of town.

Cyst. A church. Two inside. A man and woman.

I turned to move further into town when the woman's emotions spiked with compassion and concern.

A door creaked open, "Lassie?"

I paused, looked back inquiringly, "Ma'am?"

"Donna, ma'am me, lassie. We may na be o' the same denomination, yet we are sisters in faith."

I didn't really think so I replied, "I don't think we are of the same faith, Sister."

"Ah," a creaky voice came with the bent body of the man, "You are on a pilgrimage, lass."

I held up my hands, "No, you are mistaken."

"Lass, we get all sorts who are questioning God here. Come inside. At least a warm bed and a good meal would set you rights afore the menfolk get up and may be able to take you further up to Ennis," he shuffled inside, "This cold wind is not good for my bones so please be quick."

I was a humanist, so the least likely place for me to be hiding would be in a church. I bowed my head to play the role of a humble pilgrim trying to resolve my faith. I sure as cyst hoped they didn't find out and rat me out to Anderson, or if I was unlucky to Brendan.

"Thank you, Sister, Father," I stepped inside, helping the Sister close the door.

"Ye are lucky. Tonight is a blood moon," the Sister patted my shoulder, "Oh, ye have grown since ye last had yer robes taken in."

I looked down, figured she was better off with that assumption than knowing what I was and who I worked for, "I guess so. At least I can still wear them. That is good enough for a traveller."

"Ye sound of the Americas. Ye are far from home, lassie."

"I came to this country to find my way," that was the truth.

A path solely mine without the interference of Anderson and monsters. Yet here I was. Smack in the center of them. One of them possibly the basis for a story that echoed in the minds of all humans. Blood-drinker, vamp, nosferatu, demon.

"Come this way, lassie. Ye'll be better with a bowl o' stew. We only have a pallet for ye ta rest though."

"That is alright, Sister. It is better than a cold doorway."

"Ye would have slept in a doorway? How odd."

"There are many who would not welcome a stranger into their midst, for they fear the earthly devil than the fiend in Hell. Or would take in rubbish to profit," I sighed, "This path has shown me few acts worthy of Angels or Saints, and plenty of greedy men."

"Pity they forget the morales of Beauty and The Beast. Those of the least appearance often are the best of us, lass," the Father sat on a pew, rubbing his gnarled hands, "I can tell from your words and actions that you are strong to follow a path many women have abandoned quickly for marriage, though it seems you have an offer."

I looked at Alucard's ring, a moment of delight that I hadn't lost it. What was wrong with my head? Probably too exhausted, or I was still purging drugs from my system. I should have checked sooner.

"I don't even know if he is serious, Father."

"If he gifted such a ring then he is serious. Would he be from our fair shores, lass?"

"He's in England, where my ship came to port for the first leg of my journey here, Father."

He raised a hand, "Please call me Sean. That is Agatha."

"As you wish, Father...Sean."

"Here, lassie. Have some o' meh stew ta warm your belly and body."

I took the stew, sensing nothing but Good Samaritan emotions from these two. Better than some of the stuck up collared priests, nuns and preachers I had the misfortune of meeting in America. Including the institution one that insisted that only God could save me. I had made it a point to ignore him, or quote Shakespeare. He hated anything made by the Bard.

"I am grateful to find a house of God willing to shelter me for a night. You were right in that the winds were beginning to become bitterly cold," the first sip of stew settled my stomach instantly, "I forget the last time I had a meal with good company."

"Aye? Then it was fortunate ye found yer way ta us, even if we belong ta different sects," Agatha hummed happily, "Perhaps, ye can tell us o' why ye lost yer faith?"

The truth would be best here. I'm sure they would appreciate this.

"I love quotes from many authors outside of any religion or creed. One that prompted my disillusionment of...to be frank with you, of any religion was from Edmund Burke. 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' I saw all the wars, violence and self-centeredness of so many and wondered why no one did as they promised. We promise to aid this country with their aggression upon another to get at oil, land, routes. We never seem to aid for no aggression as it's the right thing. It put me into a state to realize that the reward of Heaven was equally greedy for acting good in this life was for a better one on the turn of our last breath," I sipped the stew, looked up at Sean and Agatha, "I didn't want to do good only for a heavenly reward. I wanted to do good for it was the correct thing to do. To help better this life so we don't so carelessly look only for the next."

Sean chuckled, "See Agatha. I am not alone in this world."

"Aye, ye have now a friend who donna know what ta believe. Ye are as duck to a swan."

"Well," I smiled sipping another spoonful of stew, "They are birds of a feather."

Sean laughed creakily, "I have spent some forty years looking for a woman of the same opinion and I had to be an old man."

"I'm sorry," was he one of those who serve the faith while they believed differently?

"Young ones these days are all about getting nothing for laziness. I believe your Americas have a story about a hen?"

"The bread maker hen?"

"Yes, that one. She worked herself at every stage and all the other animals don't lift a wing nor hoof to help her, lass. Then at the end they are struck silent by the realization they had no right to the fruits...well breads of the hen's labour."

I smiled, "I feel that is the case with anyone, faithful or not."

"Let me take a shot, you are leaning towards no faith?"

Agatha gasped, "Now Father!"

I held up my hand to stall her outrage, "That seems to be the path that has unravelled under my feet. I think it may be the best path as I do good for the sake of doing good. Not for heaven, not for greed, not for a reward."

Sean smiled, "I believe that good should be done for being good as well. I try to work inside this great body of religion to show that. Unfortunately, I am but a breeze against a hurricane, lass."

"Then you come to the quandary of achieving power to make changes and tempted by the corruption such a position holds."

"She talks as ye do when ye are tired, Father," Agatha huffed, "Perhaps ye two should move the stone uphill then?"

"Provided it isn't the one Sisyphus was forced to bear alone in Tartarus," I smiled.

"Ye donna know even one of yer own religion," she huffed.

"'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,'" I smiled, "always works well with Edmund Burkes."

"That is a rather curious one," Sean countered with, "'And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'"

I nodded my head, "From sight unseen to wildest imagination, we are but dust upon the wind and our actions the only memory carried beyond our last descendent."

"That was one our newest poets. How curious," Sean looked up as chimes rung in the distance, "Its already so early in the morn? My, my. Please do stay the night..." he shook his head, "I went straight into a discussion again. What is your name, lass?"

"Alexandra, though I imagine if I had been a man it was in honor of one of the great conquerers," a small half truth.

I was born Alexandra. Just never used it before myself.

Sean grinned, "Your folks must have been something."

"In the time I had with them, yes. Through times good, ill and chaotic, they were the ones I looked up to the most."

I missed them all the more without the company of those at Hellsing. Having the horny men, the iron willed leader, the crazy vamps, made this all the easier to bear that of my family, I was the last.

"Agatha, would you see Alexandra to a bed? I'll extinguish the candles."

"Are ye sure?" Agatha started as I offered, "I can assist in that."

We looked at each other, then we all laughed.

"Ah the vigor and politeness of youth," Sean stood, obviously in pain as he shuffled over to an open door, "I'll leave the two lasses to the chores, but do get to bed. We have to get her out to Ennis with the menfolk."