Disclaimer: Mmm… like you need to be reminded…

Here's chapter 8! I hope I left you on your toes last chappie! It was kinda the idea. Have fun!

Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing walked up the stairs, heading to the roof. It was a lovely, though cold, night, and she needed some air. It had been two nights since the pretty much failed mission that had resulted in Niko in such a deplorable shape.

She knew she was kind of chilly being outside but she needed the cold air in her face. So she firmly opened the door and stepped outside, towards the spot she used to sit when, as a child, Alucard would show her to appreciate the beauty of the night. One of the few nice moments she remembered him being a fatherly figure for her. Otherwise he would behave childish and taunting toward her.

Alucard wasn't there, of course. But there was someone else.

Wrapped in his long, black uniform cape, and absently smoking a cigarette, Lieutenant Colonel Gingetsu stared at the city lights. He was relaxed, sitting in the security wall and leaning his back on the wall behind him.

Integra hesitated, surprising even herself, and thought maybe of coming back down… but she found she wanted to talk to him. He attracted her, but in a different way that Alucard had done or some other man time ago. He intrigued her, to which she was no longer used to.

Then Gingetsu turned his head and saw her standing there. His blue-violet visor was turned off. She wondered why he would wear it outside and in the night… could he see with that on?

"I'm sorry… is it wrong for me to be here?" he asked frowning a bit. Integra shook her head.

"No this space is common. I didn't know you were here, Lieutenant."

"I needed some quiet time." He answered. He stared at her direction, though she couldn't really tell if he was looking at her. Then he reached for the visor and took it off, looking at her now with his sparkling green eyes. He gazed at her awe. "You don't like them on, correct?"

"Oh… thank you."

Silence. Gingetsu turned back to the city, inhaling deeply from his cigarette. Integra approached the wall to see the light too, keeping a polite distance between them. Gingetsu didn't acknowledge her movement.

"Is agent Nagisa getting better?" she asked before she could even realise. She wanted to speak.

"Yes… she drank a lot of blood. Alucard is with her now."

"Kazuhiko…"

"He is getting better. He's so weak he can barely open his eyes, but he's gaining strength."

"Walter told me you've been at his side since you got back."

"Yes… Seras Victoria pushed me out of the room. She said Nagisa insisted in me sleeping." Gingetsu finished the cigarette. "I don't sleep enough anymore…" he said almost to himself.

"Any particular reason?" she asked smiling sarcastically.

"Nightmares." Gingetsu simply answered, surprising her. "I've had them since a kid. Now they're getting worse. I can't actually say officer Victoria pushed me out of the infirmary room… hospitals still scare me to death." He added sincerely. "I have never gone to one ever since I left the Lab, even when badly injured."

Silence.

Integra breathed in to make a question, but immediately discarded the thought. Who was she to make him answer such a question? She had asked too much already.

"It seems Walter did not share with you what I am positive he heard when leaving the computer room that day." Gingetsu commented, still not looking at her. Integra stared back at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked confused. She was surprised to find that her mask was off around that strange man. Apparently so was his, because when he turned to her his eyes were amused.

"I was talking to Kazuhiko but Walter overheard me I'm sure… I said I would answer whatever you dared ask, Sir Hellsing, as long as it was asked to my face." Though his eyes were amused somehow his face was still straight and emotionless. She wondered how was that possible. So much like Alucard… and yet so incredibly opposite.

"No, he didn't tell me."

"Maybe I sounded insolent to him." Gingetsu commented. "However you get where I'm going… ask your question and I will answer."

"… any question?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

That is a good first question, Gingetsu thought to himself. "Because I saw your eyes while I told you my story. You might feel sorry about me Sir Hellsing but I didn't see pity in you. I loathe being pitied. You have the same attitude towards what you know that Kazuhiko and Niko do. I feel you a reliable person."

"Thank you I'm honoured." She said in a low voice, very awed by his statement. Gingetsu gave a slight nod and lit another cigarette. Seeing him, Integra reached for one of her own cigars. As she put it in her lips Gingetsu slowly leaned forward and lit it for her. Their eyes locked for just a second before Gingetsu leaned back to the wall.

Integra inhaled the cigar and gave a slight shudder. She hadn't expected to stay out this long and she was getting colder.

"Did you ever regret it… letting the scientists die I mean." She finally asked, without looking at him.

Gingetsu didn't answer immediately. He looked for the answer… he had never wondered himself. He looked at her thoughtful.

"I don't think so. I wasn't completely rational at the time, and I haven't given it that much thought… did you ever regret letting Alucard kill your uncle?"

Integra looked at him, eyes cold. "No."

Another nod from him, and silence again.

"About your father…" Gingetsu looked at her. He had waited that question of course. It was natural for her to ask. And it didn't really pain him that much anymore. Sometimes, yes, but most of the time, he didn't even remember him. "Did you ever see him again?"

"No. Neither him nor my mother. They didn't want me back and neither had I wanted them ever. There was no point in looking." He answered. He caught her shiver again and frowned.

With a liquid movement very similar to Alucard's or Walter's fluid grace he got up and walked to her. Integra was distracted on his answer and didn't catch the motion. Until she felt him putting his heavy cape on her shoulders. She gulped and looked at him, stunned.

It was only that. After doing it Gingetsu went back to that spot near the wall and sat there smoking his cigarette. Integra was puzzled. Was it an act of care, or simple formality…? He was even harder to understand that Alucard. At least with Alucard you usually knew the hidden reason behind his actions…

Gingetsu gave it no importance as he watched the city so Integra made no comments. But the cape was warm and soft, and she liked it. It obviously was too long for her and the shoulders were too big, but that didn't really matter.

Integra got distracted with an almost impalpable smell that the cape had. Being surrounded by men her whole life Integra had learned to identify smells from them, but she was a bit puzzled by this. Alucard smelled slightly of blood, which for her made sense, and Walter wore a soft male perfume to him that she liked, but none of those was close to this one.

They stayed there, quiet, for a long time. Integra looked at him directly for a second, studying him, but either he didn't notice, or he just didn't acknowledge it, because he didn't turn back to her.

He didn't seem to be cold. As the night closed further on them she saw her breath, and his, turn into small white clouds. But he didn't move, he didn't shiver, he didn't light another cigarette. He was just there, like he was waiting for something. It was the same kind of feline presence Alucard had, only he wasn't the predator. He was the prey.

Then his visor that rested on the wall next to him, sparkled and made a sound. Gingetsu took it and put it on. He waited for a second.

"Kazuhiko, get off that bed and I will knock you back into it." He growled later. Integra smiled. Kazuhiko seemed to be a little kid when it came to infirmary stuff. Besides being as impatient as he was it was difficult to expect him to remain lying and still. "Seriously."

Gingetsu shook his head irritated and stood. "I need to go Sir Hellsing. It was a pleasure."

He walked past her toward the door.

"Ah, Lieutenant, your cape!" Integra said turning and sliding it off her shoulders.

"It's alright." He answered looking at her from over his shoulder. "Keep it as long as you need it."

And he left the roof, leaving behind him a very startled and… somehow touched Integra Hellsing.

Alucard was sitting on the only chair in the room. He had his legs crossed, elegantly but always so manly, and was calmly reading a book. Niko was deep asleep yet. For the last four or five hours she had been falling and coming out of unconsciousness repeatedly. But now she was fine.

The sigil, whatever it meant, had taken almost all her blood and made very deep, bad burns. Alucard had given her his blood three times already, so she was looking pretty again, but she remained weak and shaky.

The elder vampire raised his eyes from the book he was reading to look at the lid of the closed coffin.

He was thankful that reckless man Kazuhiko was had jumped in front of her, protecting her from the sigil. As stupid as it had been, it had worked. Kazuhiko could have died, and actually, as Gingetsu had said, he was alive only because he was too stubborn to die just yet.

Interestingly enough the sigil had disappeared after Kazuhiko covered Niko. So it didn't attack on humans as a basis. It was against vampires.

For a moment, after gazing at the red moon Alucard had feared the man in his arms was dead, but then he had heard a heartbeat. Weak yes, and slow, but a heartbeat nonetheless.

Even if she didn't quite know it yet, Alucard had realised Niko was very deeply in love with that man. He found that, she being her former lover, he had to take care of her happiness, that meaning Kazuhiko needed to be alive. Which meant… Alucard had more people to babysit. Marvellous.

The door opened and Walter came in. He carried two more blood bags. Alucard smiled.

"I have fed already Walter, and Niko is asleep. But you can leave them in the bucket and she will drink them when she wakes up if she thinks she needs them." He said closing the book.

"Alright Mr. Alucard." The butler said, obeying. He hesitated a bit.

"Would you like me to stay with her for a while? Miss Victoria has come back from the mission she had and now Lieutenant Gingetsu replaced her back watching Kazuhiko."

"Hm? What is that Walter? You advise me? To go to my fledgling?"

"It was just an offer Mr. Alucard." Walter replied.

"Don't get sensitive on me old friend, I'll take your offer." Alucard grinned and got up. "When she wakes, call for me."

And he banished into the darkness of the corner. Walter sighed looking at the coffin. How bad he had felt looking at that beautiful girl in such shape…! Gingetsu had not allowed anyone close to her until Alucard had given her blood of his veins. Walter had thought it possessive at first, but then when she woke her instinct had taken over, and he realised it was for safety. She was dangerous in that state.

But Gingetsu didn't even back away from her, not even when Alucard had to restrain her with his arms. He stood there looking, calm.

Cold. So cold. Kazuhiko had told him Gingetsu was changed. But for him, he was a machine. So… how had he been before?

Seras was on her room, sitting in her chair. Kazuhiko had awoken and called for Gingetsu, so Seras was free again. The Captain had been very lost at first, being his first lucid moment since Master had brought him back in arms. But Gingetsu was back at his side in a flash.

Seras thought it should be great to have someone worrying so much about you. Cool!

She was thinking about this as she cleaned the barrel of her Halconnen. The mission had gone well too. Master would be pleased about that.

Seras raised her eyes to the newly installed shelf on the wall of her room. It had been Niko's idea, because she had taught her to work with cold porcelain in the free time they had together and convinced her that her works were so cute that they deserved to be exposed.

So there they were.

Seras finished cleaning the Halconnen and started working with a bit of porcelain. She was making a cute little doggy for Niko. Niko had said she really liked dogs.

For two hours she worked on the doggy until she got what she wanted. Oh, it was so cute! She smiled to herself. Niko was going to love it.

She gulped as she felt the room get colder. Oh, right.

Alucard appeared next to her, relaxed as always, leaning his waist against the table. Arms crossed, he looked at her sitting figure, towering over her. He smirked.

"How nice Police Girl… now you know how to earn a living when Hellsing no longer has a need for you."

She shrugged and he chuckled. He was so annoying at times. This was her room! Or did he think he owned the whole damn mansion?

"Well considering I have lived here for more than everyone else currently alive, I dare say I actually do." He smirked again.

"Stay out of my head Master!" she snapped at him frowning.

"Oh but it's just so fun to see you annoyed!"

She shrugged again and stood. But she couldn't reach the shelf from there… and Master wasn't moving. They were very close now. He arched his eyebrows innocently, feigning ignorance to the problem at hand.

"Why is there something you need, Police Girl?"

"I need to put this in the shelf Master." She answered low. He was up to something.

"Oh? That shelf?"

"The only shelf in this room Master." She glared.

"Oh alright." He answered. But he didn't move! Not an inch! He stood there, still blocking her way with his long body, his crossed legs, and grinning at her.

"Master!"

"Yes, Police Girl?"

"I need to pass!"

"So pass."

"You're in my way!"

"Oh… how sad." He smirked.

She glared daggers at him. He was acting like a five year old. She wondered if the lack of blood did that to him, maybe he was taking too much care of Niko. Finally running out of patience, she actually got over him lifting her legs over his and got to the shelf. Damn Master! Why did he have to be a child right now?

Knowing he wasn't moving, she lifted her leg again to pass over him. But as she did he leaned forward and suddenly planted a kiss below her ear. Then he straightened again. Seras froze where she was, his legs between hers, stunned.

With wide eyes she turned to him. She was beginning to understand… "You… are leading me somewhere, right Master?" she asked quietly. "There's something you want me to do?"

He grinned wider, arching his eyebrows. "You're getting smarter Police Girl. I'll have to start watching myself."

"A kiss?" Seras asked stunning him with her sharpness. "Is that what you want?"

Silence. Staring from both sides.

A true smile cracked through the wicked grin. "If you would like to take the initiative…"

Seras looked at him hesitant. Then very slowly got close to him. Alucard lowered to her height to find her lips in a very soft, gentle kiss. He let her lead at first, wanting her to learn to kiss him in a way he would enjoy, but she was too shy for his taste.

He gently put his hands in her the sides of her waist and took control. Seras liked that more… she drove her fingers to his hair and intertwined them there. She was surprised when he groaned low. He had always loved it when women toyed with his hair. He was very sensitive there.

But he quickly realised having Seras playing with his hair was not such a good idea… he started getting heated. In an impulse too high to control he drove his arm to her waist and brought her to him, pressing her body against his.

Seras got scared. She moaned in the kiss, to his mouth and pressed against his chest. Alucard realised and broke the kiss, letting her go by the waist as well. They were both panting.

"Ok, ok." Alucard shook his head to clear his sight. "I'm sorry…"

"I'm really sorry Master but I…"

"No no, Seras you're right. I got carried away. I apologize." Alucard straightened, and looked at her with a little smile. "I've actually been trying to do that for a year a half you know?"

"You didn't seem to be trying to get closer over that time Master…" she replied. She felt more confident with him acting this intimate. He was more… approachable.

He shrugged. "I've heard that two times already this week. You're the third. But then again you could have done something yourself, hm?"

"Yeah right and get my head ripped off."

"Oh no, you would believe me capable of such thing?" he asked, faked innocence in his handsome face as he placed his glasses back on his nose.

She scoffed.

"No Police Girl I wouldn't do that to you!" she smiled weakly. "I would shoot you, of course." The smiled faded.

"You're not funny Master."

Alucard straightened more and his eyes gain a far off look. He seemed absent. "My Master calls."

Seras blinked.

Gingetsu leaned back trying to understand what he had just been told. Having informers all around the world was finally working… he had almost all the information he needed.

Considering the information the Intelligence Agency had managed to gather, the sigil was some kind of summoning portal. Or portal, plain. Where it headed or from where it came they had no idea. But something could go through it, that was positive. And most likely, coming to this side. Which was rather preoccupying.

One more thing. So nice… Barus was in London. Apparently he still hadn't given up on the idea of taking Kazuhiko to his house as a souvenir… and place him right next to his left hand. Kazuhiko was going to be thrilled with the idea… Gingetsu's eye would have twitched if it could. It just wasn't in him to do so.

Gingetsu leaned further in the chair trying to decide what to do. He could send Kazuhiko home, of course, keep him safe from Barus with the excuse of him being badly hurt… which wasn't completely a lie. But he could imagine Kazuhiko's anger and he just wasn't in the mood to yell at him. Nor Court Martial him again. He had pulled that one off once already.

Besides, the chances of Kazuhiko going anywhere when Niko and Gingetsu himself were staying here were… rather slim. Damned his caring heart.

A moan from the bed. Gingetsu stood and walked to it, trying to ignore the sounds of the medical machines around his friend. They crept him so…

Kazuhiko opened brown eyes blurred by drugs. Gingetsu frowned. How much did they give him?

"I hate… this shit." Kazuhiko muttered recognizing Gingetsu and not even trying to smile at him. He always did, but this time he was too drugged even for that. He had always hated being drugged for the pain. He loathed the way it made him sleepy and stupid.

Gingetsu said nothing. He pressed his cold hand to Kazuhiko's forehead feeling the heat. Kazuhiko moved his face away faintly, uncomfortable. Gingetsu simply put it back. Ryuu kept going from English to Japanese in pieces of words… Gingetsu was having trouble understanding him.

Then his brown eyes focused a bit more clearly on the blonde's visor. He frowned slightly. "I hate that too." Gingetsu shrugged taking the visor off.

"What's with this country and my visor?" he asked irritated in a low murmur.

"I hate this country."

"Fever makes you lovely doesn't it?" Gingetsu retrieved his hand from Kazuhiko's hot forehead. He was still hot, but colder than before. It was a good sign.

Kazuhiko smiled dimly. Gingetsu arched an eyebrow. He made a mental note to tell the nurses to low the doses.

"If it makes you feel better" Kazuhiko said closing his yes, ready to fall to another deep sleep. "I don't hate you."

"Oh. I'm touched." Gingetsu muttered cynically, walking back to the chair and sitting. But then he realised he wasn't being fair. He was keeping information from Sir Hellsing. He gazed at his friend and seeing him sleeping so deeply decided he could leave him for a while. He headed to Sir Integra's office.

Alucard waited for him to be far away not to feel him before appearing in the room silently. He had learned that Gingetsu had overwhelming sharp senses such as his. But he couldn't supernaturally sense him, so if he waited till he couldn't hear him he could be alone with Kazuhiko.

Alucard elegantly sat on the bed next to the man, mentally scanning the area to make sure no one would interrupt him.

He very carefully leaned forward, on hand at each side of Kazuhiko's body, into his pale face. With his mind he lessened the affect of the drugs in the man's system and used his powers to drift him back to some place near consciousness.

Kazuhiko's eyes opened lazily. He didn't seem to recognize Alucard, otherwise he would have been very pissed.

"Hello there Kazuhiko." Alucard greeted quietly, speaking to his eyes.

"Hey corpse." Oh so he did recognise him.

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Doesn't seem like I have choice."

"It's nice to see you calm." Alucard widened the space between them so Kazuhiko could focus on his eyes more clearly. "Tell me does it ever worry you to be so reckless?"

"I'm not…"

"You jumped in front of something that seemed to be powerful enough to kill one of my old brides… that is reckless Captain. So are most of the things you do. You walk a thin line, have you realised?"

"I'm not reckless vampire. I know exactly everything I do and I do it rationally. I know it doesn't seem like it but you of all people are nobody to judge me." Alucard stopped his powers seeing he was getting out of his drugged induced doze. He was quite lucid now. And he was glaring.

"So you say you do nothing out of instinct, you think every little act you do?" Alucard was getting to what he wanted, He smiled pleased.

"Yes… what are you heading at?" Kazuhiko looked at him suspiciously, tilting his head a bit to the side, looking at the vamp a little out of the corner of his eye.

"Do not worry about that Captain." Alucard answered smiling and touching Kazuhiko's forehead softly. Kazuhiko's look turned heavier. "I already have my answer."

He faded away after making sure Kazuhiko was asleep again.

It was time to return Niko's favour.

Wel well well… calm chappie huh? Yeah, it's the calm before the storm.

Speaking of storms, my best wishes and hugs to all those affected by Katrina. Bitch. I wish there was something I could do. In the mean time you have my heart.

Hey what do you think? I see a new pairing forming over there… high up in this chapter… hm.

OK so a lot of kisses and wish you luck

Hey to all those who don't review: you're welcomed too of course!

Bye bye

Namariel out!