Disclaimer: 7:35 pm and I still don't own Hellsing.

Chapter Five

" Alucard, stop fidgeting. You're behaving far too much like a two year old, now stop tapping and be quiet." Sir Integra, Walter and Alucard sat in a fairly large limousine. However, each of them were dressed for a special occasion. Even Alucard had left behind his hat and usual attire to gain a regal black tuxedo. He had even gone to the trouble of slicking his hair back, allowing it to hang, long and loose. However, he had refused to leave his glasses. Beneath all of his clothes, he still was Alucard, of course.

The rest of the party had done much of the same, each wore a specially made tuxedo. While all of these Hellsing members gathered together (dressed quite well none the less) there was an even stranger element to this strange equation.

" Zat is a perfect way to put it, Zir Integra."

" That doesn't mean that I want any input from you…" Integra's cold voice now oriented on Pip. Pip clamped his mouth shut and put on a puppy-dog like face, pointedly shooting it towards Integra. Alucard glared angrily at him. Daggers seemed to shoot from Alucard's eyes at Pip as heat seemed to steam off in waves from the elder vampire. Actually, Alucard wasn't quite sure why he seemed so angry at Pip. Perhaps it was the fact that he was annoying, or perhaps it was simply that he was French.

That put aside however, Alucard could understand Walter and Sir Integra being there, but why on Earth was Pip there?

As Integra turned the other way to look out the window, Pip turned and stuck out his tongue at Alucard, thereby demonstrating yet another child-like attribute. All that did was add fuel to the flame. A low growl emitted from Alucard as he nudged his glasses down to glare Pip in the eye.

" Alucard, not only have I already told you to stop, but I could have sworn that I told you not to bring along your glasses or hat, this is supposed to be a fancy dinner, not some club."

" I don't have my hat Master… and you can't exactly expect me to go out with my glasses, now do you?" Integra was forced to admit, though not verbally, that he was right, he hadn't brought along his hat. Integra was actually a bit surprised that he had taken her order to such lengths. Secretly she would have been pleased if he wouldn't have had his hat…

Still, she was tired. Even she, Integra, hadn't known why she had been sent the invitation. Of course she knew it was from, that much was easy to figure out, but why, oh why, had Pip been given an invitation? Staring out the window, this mistake became even more apparent as the two slowly trudged their way into a knee deep heated argument.

Integra growled, pinched at the bridge of her nose, and turned back them.

" Jzust because I rezieced an invitation also, does not mean zat you need to get all snappy at me!"

" I don't care whether or not you were invited to go or not, I will still rip open your stomach and-"

" ALUCARD! PIP! BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Almost immediately both of them ceased the talking. Even with her terse reprimand, the two continued to evil eye each other. The tension was overwhelming.

" We haven't even gotten there and already I have a migraine. If neither of you shut up, I'm going to throw you both out of this car myself."

Silence filled the car now. Alucard wasn't sure, but he was starting to think that Walter may have fallen asleep. The Hellsing retainer was slightly slouched over, already breaking his usual code of conduct. Besides that, his head was leaning over almost touching his chest with his chin. As the car rolled over a bump, his head bounced and rolled as though it had no spine attached to it.

Integra looked over at him and sighed. She could have easily awoken him, but instead, she chose to ignore him. In fact, Alucard could have imagined it, but he could have sworn that Integra had looked almost fondly at him. Much the way Integra would have, at one point, looked at her father.

Still, he was getting bored and twitchy. He had no idea who had sent him that invitation and, at first, he hadn't exactly cared. A grin spread across his face. In fact, he really hadn't tried at all to figure out who had sent it. He would have stayed at the manor and brooded, but he had been ordered to go by Sir Integra. Another low guttural growl escaped his lips.

An idea popped into his head. Perhaps someone else knew what the hell was going on… To start with, perhaps he should, maybe, enter Pip's mind… maybe do a bit of damage…

Without a thought for comfort, he plunged into Pip's mind and found something very odd indeed. Besides a deep cringe and shiver (accompanied by a sharp rap on the head) no one else in the car seemed to notice what he was doing.

" Where is zat Polize Girl? I zink zat she is ze one who sent me the invite, but why? Is it possible zat she is coming out about her feelings for me? Oh, zis is ze happiest day of my life!"

Behind his colored glasses, Alucard's own eyes widened then narrowed angrily. How dare that French pig think that Seras was even interested in him. Inwardly he smoldered, trying not to allow his anger to take flame. He refused to let that pervert see what was going on in his head whatsoever. Pip, however, wasn't even focused on him.

Pip was staring out at nothing in particular with a strange look on his face. Alucard wished that he could wipe the smile off his face, even if that meant eating his face…

Until the car was parked, Alucard kept the image of himself tearing off and eating Pip's face… Slowly the car began to decrease speed until finally they were parked.

" Walter, we're here. Yes, Alucard, that does mean that you can get off of the bloody car, just keep quiet." Integra was the first off the car. She shook her head a bit, perhaps to clear away the fuzz that had settled in during the hour or so ride, and re-focused her attention on the sign in front of her. Her eyebrow raised as a thin smile appeared and disappeared just as quickly.

Next out of the car was Walter, followed by Alucard and Pip, each of them vying to be the first one out.

" Where are we… And why are we here…" Alucard's voice had a harsh bite to it and Integra's fingers itched to hit him upside his head.

" Where the hell do you think we are Alucard. Are you incapable of reading?" Alucard growled at her, and Integra growled back, surprising all in this group. Dealing with Alucard, a jealous Alucard none the less, how else is one supposed to act? However that was soon forgotten when they were quickly ushered inside. Walter seemed to stumble ever so slightly. The cobwebs that had appeared during sleep were still clinging tightly to his thoughts.

They each had presented their invitations (which, ironically, happened to have tickets on the other side) and had quickly been brought to a table close to the stage.

The Red Rose Restaurant was indeed a proper restaurant. The lights were dimmed and candles were placed artfully in the middle of the tables. Besides that, the room was fairly chilly, yet comfortable. While Alucard wasn't all too into dining, or eating for that matter, he had to admit that this place was snazzy, he would have to remember it should the need come up.

Once all of them had ordered and were awaiting their respective foods, for each of them had ordered a fairly vintage wine, the owner of the restaurant had made his way up to center stage.

As Alucard sipped from his glass of wine, the man was greeted by polite applause by most in the restaurant.

" Welcome, one and all, to our special karaoke night. We have several wonderful singers set up for you tonight. Each of them have their own stories to tell to their own special people. I hope you all enjoy your night, meanwhile, our first singer is up. Let's have a round of applause for Samantha!"

Various people applauded, one particular table applauded especially loud. No, it was not the table with the Hellsing organization. Instead, Alucard groaned inwardly, hoping that whatever was to happen would happen quickly before his ears were demolished by the horrible singing he knew that was to come.

Meanwhile, behind the stage, sitting on a chair, was Seras Victoria. Her hands shook ever so slightly, her stomach felt as though thousands of butterflies flew within her stomach.

"Don't worry so much." She turned around abruptly, a bit surprised.

" Sorry, say that again?"

" I said, don't worry about this so much. Don't worry about this, whoever you're singing to tonight will understand, so be cool." Seras smiled at the young man in front of her. His name, she had heard, was Jake and he was singing for a very special woman. Apparently, he planned on proposing to the woman he was about to sing to. After much consideration, Seras had allowed him to go before her. Truthfully, she wasn't ready to do what she had planned so early anyways.

" I suppose you're right… I'm just so nervous…" Jake smiled softly and pulled her up by her hands. He then hugged her tightly.

" I've been dreaming of this night ever since I met Susan, the girl I'm proposing her. Believe me, if anyone can understand your nervousness, it's me." He released her and looked her in her color contacted cerulean eyes.

" I know that if I can do it, so can you." For some reason, Seras could feel most of the butterflies leaving her, the shake was almost gone.

" Thank you Jake… I'm glad that I'm going ahead of you… Now I can watch your performance. I'll be rooting for you, all the way." The smiled at each other, and as he walked away, she called once more for him.

" Wait! Erm.. do you think that you could look out there and tell me if they're here yet?" She described them quickly and stood back from the curtains. The person singing was finished now and applause erupted now, much more enthusiastic than before. People were sobbing and the woman was happy now.

There were only two more people left now before it was Seras' turn. She gulped deeply and waited until Jake came back.

" They're here! Just like I told you they would be! Besides that, there's a tall man in that group, his hair is slicked back and he wears orange tinted glasses. He looks sort of angry though…" Seras sighed visibly.

" That certainly sounds like him, thank you Jake…" He smiled and saluted her gently, she followed suit and allowed him to leave.

Before long, it was her turn. Gulping nervously, she checked her image in the mirror and stepped behind the curtain, her head bowed as she prepared herself for what she was about to do.

" And now, honored guests, is a young woman who seems to be stirring up quite a few bars, or so I've heard. She's been practicing diligently for quite a while, and now let's see if she manages to pull it off. Please, put your hands together, for Alison!"

That name spiked a bit of remembrance within Alucard. He was certain that he had heard that name before… where?

" You named your kitten 'Alison'?"… Slowly, Alucard's eyebrow raised in remembrance and curiosity. Was this, perhaps, the little kitten who had kept her 'talent' hidden for so long?

The curtains pulled back seemingly in slow motion. His eyes widened at both the sight and his realization.

" Seras…" He murmured it loud enough for only those at his table to hear. Each of them turned to him then back at the stage in turn. All of their eyes widened at the sight.

Seras stood there looking far different than usual. Her hair had been carefully straightened and placed elegantly upon her shoulders in slight waves. Upon her lips was a red lipstick, slightly sparkly, while eye-liner brought out her almost purple looking eyes while her dress brought out something completely different.

Standing there in that dress she looked nothing less than classy. Reaching from her shoulders to her feet was a red dress, covered in certain places with sequins. It hugged her curves gently and flared out ever so slightly at her feet. Instead of a dress that showed off more than it should have, it was quite simple, yet more elegant than anyone at the Hellsing table had seen.

" This song… Is for that special someone who I'm hoping is watching… no, listening. Please try to understand." Her eyes closed as the song slowly began.

Alucard was, for once in his life, speechless. He didn't even think that he could move for fear that he would break the tranquility that was there. As he watched intensely, he heard the song slowly begin and then pick up tempo just so.

Seras' body waved and bobbed from the left to the right in time with the music.

" Never know how much I love you,

Never know how much I care.

When you put your arms around me,

I get a fever that's so hard to bear…"

Each person at the Hellsing table had quite a look on their faces. Walter's monocle had fallen off, his mouth hung open ever so slightly and his eyes were wide with surprise. Sir Integra's usual cool had disappeared. Her glasses were askew as her hands clenched each other tightly in front of her face. Yet there was a gentle smile on her face. She had been waiting this moment ever since the young woman had approached her with that question

Pip's hair, for once in his life, was sticking out in faces and his eye was as wide and round as dinner plates. However, Alucard had quite a strange look on his face. His eyebrow was raised in curiosity as a sly smile played on and off his face. His hair (for it was quite slicked back for the occasion) seemed to move on it's own accord as various thoughts passed through his head.

Her eyes flitted open, then close, just at the appropriate times. Each time they opened she focused on their table which, luckily for her, had been right in the front. From the stage she attempted to gauge each of their reactions.

" You give me fever- when you kiss me, fever when you hold me tight.

Fever in the morning, fever all through the night.

Sun lights up the daytime, moon lights up the night.

I light up when you call my name, and you know I'm gonna treat you right…"

Sit Integra seemed shocked, yet almost as though she had expected this. Walter too seemed shocked, but he too had a smile on his face, Seras was glad he was enjoying this. Pip, well, Pip truly looked like Pip… Alucard was… was…

" Wow, zat Police Girl can really sing! Nice song, wonder who she iz singing it too zough…" Alucard was, once again, ready to slap the stupid French pig. Alucard hated to admit it, but he was enjoying this, he wanted no interruption right now. Still, the French idiot had a point. This was most certainly a love song, yet was she singing it to Pip? Walter?

He snickered inwardly. That was simply stupid, Walter was far too old for her. And who could love a French idiot? So… did that mean that, perhaps, Seras had a boyfriend that was in the audience? For some reason, that irked Alucard even worse than the thought of Pip and Seras…

"You give me fever - when you kiss me,

Fever when you hold me tight.

Fever - in the morning,

Fever all through the night."

Seras was confident in what she was doing. She knew that she was singing perfectly on key. Before she had done this (while she was practicing at the manor) she had decided to cut some of the song, make it shorter and easier for her to sing. Now, she only had a little bit more and finally, the response…

"Fever - till you sizzle,

What a lovely way to burn.

Oh what a lovely way to burn…
…What a lovely way to burn."

She ended on that note and re-opened her eyes. She wasn't quite sure when she had closed them, but now she caught a glimpse of the audience. At first, nothing but silence greeted her. Then, like in a dream, everyone applauded her, especially those at her table.

Bowing gently, she turned and exited the stage, heading towards the table awaiting her.

" Wow, now wasn't that a hot song hm? Let's have a round of applause for Miss Alison!" Seras felt as though she had cement on each of her feet. She was nervous, to say the least. This was it, would he react the way she wanted? Or would she be rejected as she supposed?

A/N: Yes, sorry for taking so long. I just had to find the perfect way to put the song in. If your wondering, yes, I completely copied that one episode of Charmed, you know, the one where Paige sings to her boyfriend. Heh heh, I just couldn't help it! I hope that it's well written. Uh… That song is "Fever" by Michael Buble (don't hate me cuz I can't spell…). Longest chapter I think I've ever written, it feels a bit rushed though… Oh well, Please R&R. Love. .