A/N~ I am so sorry for the long delay. I lost inspiration for a little while, a pity since I had already written 120,000 words at the time. But I am currently reviewing everything and working on getting what I have posted.

The hotel room had not been as peaceful as it was the night since the first day of their arrival. Integra slept soundly, pleased with the return of her servant and (dare she say it) loyal companion. Seras was a remarkable person and a powerful vampire but she had only had to deal with the freak trash leftover from The Major's game and had never tested her abilities against one of the true undead. She had worried for her in the beginning of their trip, once they had caught the gist of what was to happen she had feared the Draculina would not be able to pull through – though she knew she would give it her all – and fretted over their options. Calling the Vatican would have been her last resort, a sign that she was willing to let go of her pride in order to do what needed to be done, but Alucard had returned just as her hand was inching towards the phone. She would be lying if she claimed it was not a huge relief on her part.

So her dreams were relatively stress free but instead featured some of her best memories. Familiar faces made a reappearance: her father, Walter, Sir Pendragon even, all the while she heard Seras's voice "I told you my master would return!" echoing in the back of her mind.

Everything was going to be just fine.

When Andrews woke early that morning he took a good while to prepare himself for the day. It would be his first time working with the monster of Hellsing and the realization left him in a strange mood. The thought that he might not survive this battle, despite Integra's confidence, left him feeling melancholy in the silliest of ways.

His room was quiet, the dark burgundy carpet and drawn curtains seemed to absorb whatever sound may have filtered into the room. He pushed himself out of bed and pulled the curtains aside, throwing the morning light across the room and illuminating the particles of dust that danced about in his wake. The sunlight seemed to darken his mood a bit but he decided to take a shower before preparing the morning tea.

When he stepped out of his room he paused upon sighting the two vampires lounging on the couch. They were both asleep to the best of his knowledge. Alucard had propped his head up with a hand and his other arm was thrown over Seras's shoulders, whose head was resting on his. The image would forever be ingrained in his memories as the first time he had ever seen Seras truly happy. She was a bright person by nature but the woman he had known also tended to be very nostalgic and saddened at times. She did her best to inspire happiness in others while she ached for lost companions. But now she slept against her closest companion of all and even her dreams she was smiling.

He did not know Alucard. There was no memory who could base his observations off of but he could guess that, by the way his face was relaxed and bare of any wrinkles (caused by his leering grin or snarling rage), that he too was content.

Sunlight streamed across them from the window and he glided over to pull the drapes shut. While the sight was pleasant he was sure that it caused them some form of discomfort and would no doubt wake them eventually.

Rather than disturb them with the racket he was sure to make if he went about preparing tea, he left the room and traveled down stairs to retrieve the morning paper and pick up a pastry or two from the café for Integra.

The lobby was filled with a few early rises when he stepped off the last stair and he noted the general buzz of excitement for the day. He only just then remembered that they had missed out on several reenactments and events that Seras had originally been excited about. He sighed as he walked, wishing that it was not so, if it weren't for the vampires infesting the city they would have been able to enjoy themselves for a change. Perhaps Seras would be able to enjoy herself at the ball despite the species of her fellow partygoers. He highly doubted it.

He returned not twenty minutes later and took a tray of the pastries into Integra's room and roused her from her sleep.

"Andrews?" she muttered, rubbing at her eyes and patting down her platinum hair. She sat up in bed and gave him a puzzled look. "Breakfast in bed?" she questioned tiredly.

"Unfortunately the living room is being occupied by the dead," he explained with a chuckle. He set the tray on her lap and went about opening the curtains and lighting the room.

"What does that have to do with me eating in said living room?" she asked through a mouthful of fruit filled pastry. She took a sip of the purchased coffee to wash it down. It was just hot enough to be pleasant and wakeful.

"Well," Andrews paused in the middle of pulling out clothing for the day, "Well, I think they're sleeping."

Integra stared out him thoughtfully and frowned, "Those idiots. There is a perfectly fine bed in her room." She groused and muttered while she ate but she could not deny that breakfast in bed was rather pleasant. She had never been treated as such.

Andrews had set out a grey pair of slacks and white blouse, perfect for the sunny day, though he would have preferred black as was his habit but he tried not to inflict his fashion sense onto others as best he could. It was bound to be a hot day anyways what with the lack of cloud cover.

"I am sure Alucard and Radu spent the night reconnecting and he simply found himself too comfortable to move," he theorized while he stood at the bedside with his hands behind his back.

"I doubt it," she said. "He probably did it knowing it would hinder you. He enjoys making others uncomfortable." She finished the pastries and sipped at the coffee before setting it on the bedside table and pushing the covers back.

"Yes, I had noticed, though he is beginning to grow on me. I do love his flair for theatrics," Andrews admitted as he reclaimed the tray and moved out of her way.

Integra laughed and stood, "Don't tell him that, he has a big enough ego."

Andrews left her room with the tray of dishes and set them on the counter of the kitchenette with a sigh. While Integra showered and dressed he would need to make a few calls. They had to prepare for the upcoming event, and though he was sure Integra would be fine going dressed in a suit, he was determined to do it properly. Seras as well, though she would be easier, she had been excited for a ball before they had even left England. While he and Integra would be joining the Pope at the Lightner Museum the vampires would be arriving at Flagler College. Amusing to say the least as the two buildings were situated directly across from each other with nothing but a small two lane street to separate them. Regardless, he would see to it that both ladies were elegant and well versed in the ways of the elite.

When Integra had stepped out of her room she paused, just as Andrews had, to take in the sight before her. She smirked and quietly shut her door, moving passed the couch, and headed for the desk to claim her cigar box from the drawer.

"Master," Alucard's voice startled the two humans, though it was quieter than his usual volume.

"Yes?" Integra asked, returning to her task, not at all bothered by his wakefulness. She glanced over to him, finding that his eyes were still closed, and struggled not to smile.

"Bring me back some wine," he said.

She snorted but responded with, "Of course, servant." She could see the smirk on his face and it both irritated her and pleased her to see him in a good mood. She would scour the wine festival going on the morning for his favorite as a small thanks, for what, she did not know.

The two left the hotel room to shop about for a proper dress and accessories and Integra would insist on visiting the wine festival.

When they were finally gone Alucard took an unnecessary breath to take in the morning air. As strange as it was he had always loved the morning, perhaps it had something to do with the way the sun painted the sky in reds, then oranges, before it turned that irritating shade of blue. Still, there had been a point in his life when the clear sky had pleased him, though it was centuries ago. Or maybe it was just the assurance of the one constant in his existence: the sun would rise, set, and night would fall . . . And then light would come again. He had lost far too much, watched his life slip between his fingers like so much sand, and the constant flow of change was only ever marked by the sun and moon.

He had unknowingly tensed while he spoke with Integra and the action made him aware of the fact. He leaned his head back against the couch and reclaimed the darkness of unconsciousness, true sleep for the first time in thirty years, vacant of any need to fight or struggle in an effort to return to reality. It was magnificent.

Now if Seras would stop snoring all would be perfect.

Integra and Andrews returned later in the day. The sun was still high in the sky and Andrews had been loath to disturb the two vampires with their presence but Integra had claimed that seven hours was more than enough sleep for Alucard and Seras had been sleeping for nearly two days straight. They had climbed the hotel stairs, Andrews laden down with shopping bags, and Integra leading the way.

Integra pushed the door open and paused, taking in the scene before her for the second time that day: Seras sat on the floor with that monstrosity of a house cat she had seen just two nights ago. The thing looked rather familiar now that she thought about it. She made a mental note to speak with Seras on picking less noticeable meals, the park had published an article in the news about the 'missing' jaguar.

Alucard was nowhere to be found but she doubted he wasn't far.

The two humans entered the room, Andrews set the bags of purchased items down, and Integra moved over to the desk as was her habit.

"How did it go?" Seras asked as she pet the head of the jaguar. The big cat purred lazily, ignorant of the new arrivals, and let out a content yawn that displayed his set of teeth nicely. Funnily enough the two humans did not find those fangs threatening in the least. There were used to quite a more deadly set.

"Well enough," Integra grunted.

"It was quite successful, actually," Andrews added. He searched through the plastic bags while he spoke. "I managed to find a dress that was both elegant and to Sir Integra's liking, and I happened to spot a pair of earrings that I think will go nicely with the dress you picked out before we left." He pulled out a small box and padded across the carpet to offer it to Seras. Aranu growled at his approach but Andrews simply smile and patted the cat on his head, "He is really a remarkable creature."

Seras took the box offered and grinned at the indirect compliment, "Thank you Andrews, I felt a connection with him and decided that I couldn't leave him to wither away . . ." She trailed off as she opened the box, finding a pair of intricate black metal earrings, obviously hand crafted, with several red gems set into the wirework.

"It's a cat," Alucard's voice floated to them from Seras's room where Integra presumed he had retired to sleep after Seras had woken.

Seras, distracted from her gift, corrected over her shoulder, "He is a jaguar not a cat"

"It purrs, it kills for fun, and it hacks up hair balls. It's a cat," his voice could be heard to say. His tone was dry and amused in a way only he could manage and it both infuriated Seras and made her happy. She was just glad to have him back.

"Master, just because you like dogs doesn't mean I have to, quit being so rude," Seras called back. She returned to facing Andrews and smiled up at him, "These are lovely Andrews, I do appreciate it. They'll go perfectly with my dress."

"Will you forever refer to me as master?" Alucard's voice suddenly sounded much closer and the three turned to find him standing in the doorway of the bedroom wearing a teasing grin.

Seras scowled and turned away, "My apologies, Alucard, it will not happen again." If he was so intent on separating himself from her then she would not stand in his way. She dropped her gaze down to Aranu who had rested his head in her lap sleepily and rubbed at one of his ears absently. She ignored the way his name felt awkward and heavy on her tongue and let out a snort.

"When did this happen?" Integra exclaimed. Honestly, she could not handle any more surprises on this trip, if it wasn't long lost relatives returning from the dead, Seras's health, or a megalomaniac vampire lord, then it was something else.

"Last night, she was rather passionate about it," Alucard responded with a leer. He stood behind Seras and loomed over her in such a way that she was forced to lean forward from her position on the floor in an effort to escape his shadow.

"Don't make it sound so lurid," she grouched.

"You should have told me sooner," Integra growled, rubbing at her forehead. "Seras is a special case, I allowed her to work with the organization because she was under your control, Alucard, now what am I to do?" She threw her hands in the air and leaned back in the chair to take in the sight of the two together.

Alucard's face remained blank for several seconds but he quickly lowered it to eye the woman over the rims of his glasses intensely. Just like that the previously light and amused mood that had overtaken the room was dissipated and swallowed up by his threatening presence. Integra glowered at him in warning.

"Do not threaten me, Vampire," she snapped. A cigar had found its way to her mouth and she was now gnawing at the end of it in anger. There had been many a time that they had butted heads over such situations and Integra always came out on top, however, there were a handful occasions in which Alucard's words had won her over. Rare though they were. Integra chose not to recall them often.

"You will not bind her," Alucard growled.

Seras glanced between the two and spoke up calmly, "I wouldn't mind Integra, you know I'd do whatever it takes." She had never in her life thought of deserting Hellsing or going off to forge her own path. She owed her continued existence to Alucard and Integra and she would not abandoned them for selfish reason. It saddened her the Integra felt the need to bind her to ensure her further services, and that she remained under control, but it would not sway her opinion of the woman that she had grown to love like an older sister.

The two seemed to ignore her assurances and Alucard clenched his fists in anger, "You seem to have forgotten the century of torture I endured, I will not have her become some science project for the next generation after you are gone."

"How dare you," she ground out through grit teeth, the cigar had been all but bitten in half. She did not comment on the fact that she had no heir to carry on the Hellsing name, and thus free Seras and Alucard at her death.

Seras pushed herself to her feet, sending Aranu rolling across the floor, and stood between the two's line of sight with her feet spread and hands on her hips. "My fate is my own," she declared in a tone of voice reserved for her men. The two stared at her, one shocked and the other irritated, while she spoke. "Sir Hellsing. My position within the organization will not be effected by this altercation. If you feel it is necessary to assure my continued compliance then I will willfully submit to the binding, though it hurts me to see that you have such little trust in me after all that we have been through," her tone softened as she continued. "Even if I did turn on Hellsing, Master would stop me."

Alucard watched Integra's face morph into one of regret and he smirked. The woman seemed to genuinely care for Seras, something he was sure developed in his absence, and it clearly showed in the way she scowled and looked away. While binding the draculina to the bloodline would ensure her cooperation for the rest of the existence of Hellsing it would also be a betrayal of the vampires trust and loyalty but if she were to allow her to remain free the possibility of her one day revolting could only be handled by him. Something he would be loath to do but if ordered he would have no choice.

"She is not like me," he reminded her, "She is not a monster set on bending others to her will. She has not led countless men to slaughter as I have."

"It doesn't matter," Integra groused with a sigh. "You both would be freed once I'm dead."

Seras frowned but made no comment, instead choosing to drop her eyes to the carpet floor beneath her feet. Alucard was silent.

"Now, Andrews and I decided it would be best to have dinner before we part ways," Integra shifted the conversation to something lighter.

"Pete's Alley?" Seras mumbled hopefully.

Integra smiled down at her, "Of course. We reserved one of the private rooms while we were out so Alucard can join us and still remain under cover."

Alucard scowled and moved back towards the bedroom, "I will not go to a restaurant and sit and watch you two eat while we twiddle our thumbs."

"Oh, but Master, it's different," Seras stated, she had turned on the floor to see him. "They serve people 'from all walks of life'," she quoted, even going as far as to use air quotations and a deep voice to mimic their previous waiter.

"Oh?" he turned back to her curiously.

Getting ready for an event, especially one such as a ball, was an interesting experience when it came to the Hellsing Organization. Integra was irritable and disgusted with the gown she was forced into by Andrews and the butler did his best to assist in her preparations. He had spent many a night watching his nieces and had become an expert with hair, makeup he avoided, but by the time Integra had called for enough her tresses were piled atop her head in a fashionable and pleasant up-do that had Seras looking rather jealous. She tugged at her short hair sadly and returned to her room to pull on her own gown. While Seras was moping over the unfairness of Integra's hidden elegance, Integra was arguing on the benefits of wearing a bra under the low cut dress, Radu stepping in to the madness to immediately be approached by a frustrated Andrews, Alucard sat on the couch wearing a pleasant grin and listening to the madness.

"Must you come now?" Andrews exclaimed from across the room while he struggled with an armload of coats for the two women to choose from. "I don't suppose you need help getting ready as well?"

Radu lifted his hands in apologetic surrender and joined his brother on the couch with his own pleasant smile. He was already dressed in a tailcoat and a rather old fashioned top hat while his brother had yet to change.

"Andrews!" Seras called from her room, peeking around the door helplessly, "How do you get this thing on?"

Andrews sighed and dropped the coats onto a chair and hurried to her door.

"Is it normally this hectic before a party?" Radu asked with a laugh.

Alucard chuckled, "Hellsing does not attend parties," he said simply.

Integra stepped out of her own room wearing an off white gown. It was simple in design and fell from her shoulders gracefully, the back was low cut, and the trailing strands of gossamer white fabric accentuated her bare back and olive skin. She had put on a light layer of makeup on her own to cover any uneven skin tone and brighten up her eyes but as far as she was concerned it was far too much. She stood with her eyes closed, struggling to contain and irritation, and let out a sigh.

"You look lovely, my master," Alucard complimented, though it was equal parts teasing.

"Thank you, servant," she acknowledged grudgingly and remained standing while they waited on Seras and Andrews. "She's been going on and on about the ball since the day we got the invitation," she said after a moment of silence.

"That doesn't surprise me," Alucard said with a snort.

"She seems the fairytale type," Radu admitted with a chuckle.

"You have no idea," Integra grumbled.

Andrews stepped out of her room with a sigh but quickly straightened and smiled, "May I present to you the Lady Victoria."

"That's not funny Andrews," Seras muttered.

She stepped out of the door, fidgeting under the gaze of the three other occupants of the room, and adjusted the collar of the gown that fell to the floor. It was solid back up until it reached the top of her breasts and broke into a lace collar. Her arms were bare and it was only then that she was truly grateful that she had been able to recreate her once missing limb. Andrews had managed to braid her short hair into a small wrap around up-do to please her and she felt more sophisticated than she ever had in her life.

The two women posed quite the contrasting image: Integra in her flowing white gown and Seras in her black. Seras chuckled nervously at the thought and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Shall we go?" Integra prompted.

The brothers stood from the couch while Integra shoved her cigar case into the small clutch she carried.

"Sir," Andrews offered his arm to Integra who took it without a thought and the two led the way.

"Alucard," Integra called over her shoulder, "Aren't you going to change?"

Alucard had yet to move from where he stood but a cloak of shadows enveloped him before pulling away to reveal his black suit, red shirt, and black tie combination. He smirked at Integra who rolled her eyes and followed Andrews out the door.

"May I?" Radu asked from where he stood next to Seras, his arm extended.

"Of course good sir," Seras joked and took his arm obligingly. "It is a fine evening for a ball, don't you think?"

"Oh, I agree madam, perfect for lovely ladies such as yourself," he responded in kind.

Seras snorted as they followed the other two out the door, "if I am a lady then you're the queen of England."

"What I do in my spare time is none of your business," he shot back with a smirk.

Alucard trailed behind them with his hands in his pockets, the usual grin no longer present as there was no excitement currently taking place, and allowed his eyes to wonder from behind orange lenses as they passed through the hotel lobby. Several other guests were dressed to impress and lounging about the grand concourse, some were on their way out to dinner like them, while others were waiting on others to join them. They were all human, he noted, but he could sense the hundreds of vampiric auras inhabiting the city, pressing against his mind, and forcing him to dampen his own lest he be easily discovered.

They stepped out into the night, whatever humidity would have been present in the air was blown away by the cool sea breeze, and headed towards the main street of the old town accordingly. Heels clacked against cobblestone, drawing Alucard's eyes to the draculina in front of him. When he had first come across her, bringing her into the world of the night, she had been rather clumsy and accident prone but that had obviously changed. She wore heels tall enough to make her level with his brother who, though shorter than him, was not lacking in height by any means. He eyed the back of her gown thoughtfully, deciding that it was far too boring for the kind of party they would be attending.

Shadows rose up from the ground, crawling across the cobblestone from his feet, and rose up to meet Seras's form. Feeling the cool darkness against her skin she turned back to scowl at him irritably but when the shadows pulled away her dress had gained a sparkling quality to it and had grown a fairytale worthy train that dragged across the ground as she walked. She blinked, glancing down at the trailing fabric behind her and smiled. She did not voice her thanks but she lifted her eyes to his and flashed him a joyful grin.

He simply cocked his head to the side and continued to follow behind.

Radu watched the two from the corner of his eye and smirked.

They arrived at the Pete's Alley just on time. They were thankful that Andrews had thought to make a reservation as the restaurant was packed beyond belief and a waitlist had started nearly two hours ago. As per usual, the guest were all well dressed, even more so due to the grand parties to take place, and servers rushed about to accommodate the growing crowd to the best of their abilities.

Their little crowd piled up in front of the host stand with Integra and Andrews in front and Alucard standing in the back looking rather apathetic to the flustered staff and high class guests. But he did notice the surprising amount of vampires scattered about the establishment, seated with their own kind, and drinking thick red wine and eating tomato soup. He quirked a brow while Andrews spoke to the hostess and gave them their name.

Seras was practically beaming as the hostess led them to their private room. French doors stood open, allowing them into the small and dim lit room, a large round table took up the center and was covered by a white tablecloth and decorated with a vase of wildflowers. Even in that room the walls were painted maroon and accented with dark wood.

While the hostess set out their menus Andrews pulled out a chair each for the ladies of the group and the two sat together. Andrews sat on the other side of Integra, Radu claimed the seat across from Seras, and Alucard, having waited for them all to seat themselves, sat next to his former fledgling.

"Would you like the doors opened or closed?" the red headed hostess asked.

"Closed, please," Integra answered while she picked up a menu.

The doors swung shut, muffling the chatter from outside, and the five sat in silence.

Seras eyed the single empty chair left thoughtfully. They group felt a little lopsided because of it. Rather than voice this thought however she simply called forth a friendly face in her mind and her own shadows crawled forth from beneath her and formed into a familiar figure.

"Glad I was invited," Pip muttered dryly.

The occupants of the table turned to take in the Frenchman, wearing his white suit, and watched as he claimed the last seat. He leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs, sending an irritated glance to Radu.

Seras smiled, "We needed one more person," she explained with a shrug.

"It's been a while Frenchman," Alucard greeted with a grin.

Pip smirked, "You as well my dark prince," he cooed.

Alucard laughed outright, causing Integra to sigh and Radu to scratch at his cheek nervously. The atmosphere, though not unpleasant, was a bit tense due to the new addition, but Seras reveled in it. She enjoyed surrounding herself with as many familiar faces as possible. The only one missing was Walter himself but she refused to allow herself to go down that path again and shook her head.

They withheld from saying anymore as their server came in and shut the door behind him.

"Peter," Seras greeted in surprise. It was the same server they had had last time. He looked a little stressed but at the sight of Seras, Integra, and Andrews he let out a small sigh and smiled.

"Welcome back!" he said with a chuckle. "I had a feeling you would show up again."

"Of course," Seras agreed.

"Will you be dinning with us tonight this time?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Seras agreed with a chuckle.

"That makes this easy on me," he responded with another laugh. He moved over to the table with a hand on his chin in thought. "I only have to take three orders tonight then," he guessed with a smile.

"Is it that obvious?" Seras questioned curiously.

"It's a talent," he responded with a shrug. He turned to the three supposed humans of the table expectantly, "Do you know what you would like to drink?"

"I'll have a gin martini," Integra declared.

"Of course," Peter remarked.

"Just a water for me," Andrews added politely.

Peter nodded and turned to look at Pip, "And you?"

"Do you have Stella?" Pip asked curiously, excited by the thought of having an actual drink for the first time in thirty years. Now that Seras was a full-fledged vampire his body was much more corporeal and the thought of hunger and thirst became something of a necessity while he existed outside of her.

"We do!" Peter exclaimed happily. "I'll be back with those for you." And just like that he was gone, leaving them to once again sit and stew in the awkward but pleasant atmosphere. What a strange combination but no one seemed to be too bothered by it. The humans and familiar were engrossed in the menu and the three vampires were content to sit in the quiet while they thought.

"I am sure this is completely unnecessary," Integra spoke up after having set her menu down and taking in the rest of the table, "But are we all aware of the plan tonight?"

"Of course," Alucard drawled, he had lent back in his chair and crossed his legs as was his usual and rested a hand on the back of Seras' chair.

"You are the one I'm worried about the most," Integra stated dryly.

"You wound me," he said.

"I know Seras will play her part well, as will Radu I'm sure, it's you that I'm afraid will ruin things," she added. She had pushed the menu aside and clasped her hands on the table in front of her. The commanding image she usually wore was a bit ruined by her elegant wardrobe but it made her all the more demanding. "You are to only act if they are in danger. This is strictly reconnaissance until Flagler reveals his true plans, you must not attack before our men arrive and the area is evacuated, stall until then."

"Yes, my master," he nodded once. When Alucard had returned home, the Hellsing med had immediately jumped into action and followed the vampire to America, albeit at a much slower pace. They had gotten in contact with Integra just as they were flying over seas and she was grudgingly combing through isles of ballgowns.

"And Seras," Integra turned her gaze onto the vampire next to her, "I understand that you are excited for the ball but remember that this is a mission. Please refrain from any . . ." she trailed off, watching as the draculina scrunched her brows together in confusion before finishing, "Childish behavior."

Seras dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap, slightly miffed, and muttered, "I'm not childish."

"Of course you are," Alucard remarked.

"At least I never had an imaginary friend," she muttered.

Alucard paused, a slight note of confusion written between his brows, before he leveled a look on his brother who was currently twiddling his thumbs. He reached up and pulled the glasses from his face, folded them shut, and slid them into the breast pocket of his suit. "Is nothing sacred anymore?" he asked, a hint of irritation coloring his voice.

Pip burst into a fit of laughter just as Peter returned with their drinks. Along with the ordered beverages he also carried three glasses of blood, disguised as dark wine, and set them in front of the vampires first. When he had delivered the ordered drinks to the last of the guests he stood back with the tray held against his chest.

"Have you all decided?" he asked. His blond hair was a bit disheveled and a sheen of sweat covered his face due to the busy crowd outside of their room but he still managed to grace them with a smile.

While the humans ordered the brothers eyed each other and Seras chuckled. The image of her former master flustered by the revelation that she knew about his imaginary friend from his past life was too much to pass up. She would admit that the comment had slipped out without thought but the resulting reaction was worth it. Across from her Radu shot her a betrayed look which caused her to laugh all the more.

Pip leaned forward in his chair while Andrews placed his order and said, "So what was his name?" He wore such a shit eating grin that Alucard could not simply ignore it.

"His name was Raphael, he was a demon hound sent from hell to guide me in my conquest over the eastern hemisphere. He told me of the darkness and turned me only after I had slaughtered thousands and claimed my throne." He leered at the familiar as he spoke and when a rather disgusted look had come over his face he laughed.

"You were sick even as a child," Pip groused.

"No he wasn't," Radu shot down Pip's idea with a wave of his hand and a sigh.

"His name was Marcellus the Mouse," Seras provided with a smirk before taking a sip of her drink. While it was mostly blood she was pleased to note that there was a bit of wine mixed in.

Alucard scowled down at her and took a sip of his own drink irritably while the Frenchman laughed. He slapped the table and shared an amused glance with Radu before calming down enough to place his own order. But the thought of Alucard having an imaginary friend that was a mouse of all things would continue to amuse him for the rest of eternity.

The audacity of the situation was lost on all at the table but if one were to step back and examine the situation one would find it odd that, just before a serious mission, they were talking merrily over a shared meal with no worry for the upcoming confrontation. As strange as it was this was all due to the presence of Alucard and their own military forces not but a few miles away. With no need to worry about the lack of communications, and their most powerful weapon in their midst, dealing with a power hungry vampire seemed simple. Nothing like the attack on London which had been planned and brought about over a fifty year time span in which the enemy had studied and prepared against Hellsing. The king had returned and would need to discipline his subjects after his absence, that was all.

So the reviewed the plan one more time, assured themselves that all knew what their part to play was, before tucking into their meals. Really, it was child's play.

When they were all sufficiently filled and Peter had returned with the bill and bid them a goodnight, they had left as a group, filing down the long thin hallway, and paused out front of the restaurant to bid their farewells. They all wore varying forms of expressions: Seras looked determined, Radu had an easy going smile, while his brother grinned wolfishly in excitement. Pip had remained in the physical world up until they had walked through the hallway when they were relatively alone and deemed it safe to return without causing a scene.

Integra looked at her watch, noting the hour (Nine O'clock) and leveled the three vampires with a stern gaze. "If anything goes wrong, meet back at the hotel by two. If Flagler, for whatever reason has not made his move by then, we will regroup and gather information."

And like that the real night began. They group split, Integra and Andrews following the main street down, and the three vampires turned down an alley to utilize the shadows. It would not due to arrive by foot when other vampires would, without a doubt, be showing up in as dramatic a way as possible. While several had taken up roost within St. Augustine they were certain several more had yet to arrive.