A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. Please keep in mind that even if I don't write it, I'm really, really thankful that you're reading and reviewing.

Nadilius Weasley de Diethel: So sorry to disappoint you, but for the time being, I think an AxI scene like chapter 3 was really an exception. (sigh) Yes, I really wish there's more...

ALPHA

6.

"Go on." Integra looked at her butler impatiently, who only continued after a while of deep thinking, his forehead wrinkled in a frown.

"For quite some time I thought it was merely a dream. I woke up and could not see quite clearly, but I knew it was Alucard who came near to me. He was covered with blood so initially I thought we were still in the battlefield. He grinned at me and left without a word. Later I found out it took place here, in this house." Walter paused and added a comment, "I presume he knew his doom beforehand."

Integra knew Walter very well, and knew what he called as presumption was often something true whose explanation came later. "How could he? I know he's not human, but he can't see the future, can he?"

"He has access to some things we can only know in a later point of time. That is all I know." He continued, "After that I never saw him again, until just now. I really thought Alucard was as good as dead. I've never been more pleased to find out I was mistaken." A smile accompanied his last sentence.

Mistaken... Integra pondered at this. Had her father perhaps made a mistake? Did he know that? Is that why he did not kill, but just imprisoned Alucard? Or had he probably meant to kill him but was unable to?

"Ah, that reminds me. I have to take care of Alucard's nourishment," Walter said, taking his leave.

"You... just how?" Integra found her voice slightly quivering.

Walter turned and smiled reassuringly. "Transfusion blood, ma'am. It's a very practical and useful family tradition."

Before he did leave, though, Alucard chose that particular time to appear in front of both of them. At first Integra scowled at him innerly, though on the outside her face remained blank. She realized she couldn't send him away without any just reason while Walter was there. Walter might think she was afraid of the vampire. Then she reconsidered and thought Alucard wouldn't dare to do unreasonable things in front of Walter. Or would he?

She eyed the vampire warily, thinking he'd better not tell on me- But why would he do that? Kissing a girl when he's himself a perverse geezer isn't anything to be proud of. It sounds more like underage abuse. But a voice in her head accused her, but you consented to that perverse geezer's proposal.

Integra shuffled her feet uneasily at this nag of conscience – for what else could the voice be? Alucard caught her eye and grinned conspiratorially at her. The grin was anything else but comforting, though.

"Alucard," Walter, who stood between the vampire and his master, was saying, "please be patient until I take care of the blood reserve."

A low chuckle answered the retainer. "Don't worry. I'm perfectly gratified with but miss Hellsing's delightful affection."

Integra stared at her vampiric servant. There was no doubt about it; he was definitely sneering.

Without knowing, obviously both of them had hopped on the train for the journey of constant discoveries of new, unexpected features of the other. If Alucard thought he was only affected by silver, mercury and blessed items, now he learned that a pair of icy blue eyes could glare at him in such a way that it actually hurt.

Walter allowed himself a polite, reminiscing smile, obviously reminded of a memory where another pair of master and servant struggled for dominance over the other, and left the room.

Integra looked at the servant left behind with narrowed eyes, having the most accurate notion that having Alucard in the family obviously meant she had to do some taming consistently. To do that, she needed to know just where she had advantage over him and where the opposite was true. If what Walter said was true, about him knowing things more than his human masters did, what his father and his predecessors had accomplished was truly an achievement. It would be really bad if he could read minds, for example.

"I heard you have some access to things unknown to human. How and exactly what kind of things?"

Alucard's cheeky grin grew wider. Very casually he said, "For instance, I know that you were wondering why I kissed you. And you wonder even more why you let me kiss you."

Integra felt her muscles tightening. She couldn't do anything about her blood running up high, filling the fine veins in her face, but she was still perfectly able to transfer all frigidity to her voice, "It was a mistake."

Alucard let out a self-confident chuckle. "I won't prolong your suffering, Integra. I was, and am, offering you an option. There is a vast scope of other possibilities how we can stand together beside the only old, boring way your father and ancestors know."

Integra smiled. It was all she could do in order not to laugh. "I've made it clear that I won't allow a vampire to order me around. You are and will remain my servant, Alucard."

She had not spoken in an unkindly manner, but as he softly replied, "As you wish, master," and retreated, Alucard very much appreciated the fact that Integra couldn't read his mind.

- - -

It was midnight. Darkness covered Great Britain while the pale moon and the host of stars shone down on the Hellsing house.

Integra was already sleeping, exhausted. The whole time Alucard had constantly showed himself only to disturb the little master, who already had quite a number of things in mind. She had to take care of some matters, like the preparation for the knighting ceremony and the commander of Hellsing soldiers who doubted her leadership very much. Alucard knew her already existing troubles, of course, but that only gave him more the reason to tease her.

Now he'd let her fall asleep, though more out of life preserving reasons than sympathy. He knew her limits and stopped bothering her just before she would actually put some mercury bullets in him. While it meant he could live longer, by now he was bored and decided to slip into Integra's bedroom.

The vampire opened the door and walked inside. His steps echoed in the spacious room. But Integra was sleeping like dead, and did not wake up, even as he knelt by her side, propping his chin on her bed, and watched her. She was dreaming of happier days, when she still had her father and did not have to worry about holding the reins over a horrid vampire.

Alucard grinned.

Her father had been different. He had known Alucard for as long as he could remember and while his own father, Integra's grandfather, was still around. Even for a vampire as powerful as Alucard, teasing two masters were not as easy as one. But now he only had this one master, the blonde teenager curled under her blanket. Asleep. Looking like any ordinary person. Like any fragile human being.

His resentment for her refusal earlier that day slowly dissolved into unsentimental recognition that she was, in fact, his master.

Gently Alucard brushed her blonde hair off her face and rest his hand there.

With all his efforts to rouse her out of her comfort limits, he wasn't merely being mean; all that had educational goals as well as... other goals.

If Integra was meant to defeat the undead, she needed to learn, first of all, how to face fiendish creatures with supernatural abilities exceeding hers. It was a cruel challenge, even if she were a 30-year-old man. And here she was, a 13-year-old girl as the protector of England, who but for a couple of days ago thought vampires were to be killed with stakes.

He chuckled. Arthur must have really resented dying.

Integra turned, but her eyes remained closed. Alucard lifted his hand and stood up, eyes on her.

We'll go through this together. And you, my master, will be glorious.

She let out a deep sigh of content in her sleep.

- - -

tbc