A/N: Shout out to Mobiusman3 who picked up on something from the last chapter, I wrote a bit in just for you :P

I was actually amazed when I realised this fic had hit over 100 pages on Word. I went through and re-read a lot of it and noticed that my writing style can be very changeable at times; with that in mind I'm thinking of doing a full rewrite of this fic when it's complete. There are some things from the earlier chapters I'd like to change, and I'd like to make the introduction to the story more interesting and eye catching as I feel its a bit of hard work to read the first few thousand words.

Let me know what you think? :)

Anyway, as always read and review you lovely people; here's chapter 17!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing, or its characters etc; I only claim ownership of my OC's. May god have mercy on those who try to steal my babies from me!

Chapter 18

Integra crossed her legs in frustration as she watched the trees race by the window of the car. If she couldn't get out of this thing and have another cigar soon she'd kill someone, and at the moment anyone was fair game, even the driver. The resulting car crash and fiery explosion would be worth it for just one puff of the damned things; her fists clenched in bristled irritation.

What was supposed to be a five minute stop at the Neptune villa turned into a two hour chit-chat between Irving and Walter. Irving had made sure that the villa looked like a little slice of England, and Walter was more than impressed. The pair had spent nearly an hour alone talking about a single grandfather clock that sat in the living room; if Integra had her way the ticking monolith would have been reduced to splinters, but Walter had disarmed her before she got the chance.

It was only after some extreme pressuring from Integra that Walter and Irving conceded to continue their bromance another time. After seeing them off, Walter retired to his room for some much needed rest and Integra hurried Irving on to show her to her villa.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the villa finally came into view and the car pulled up to the bottom of the small cobbled driveway; it was quite opulent in its design and Integra assumed it was one of the more prestigious villas that Kumaju had to offer. She didn't care too much for luxury though, as long as she had room to smoke and a warm bath to lie, in Integra was happy; the other creature comforts could wait.

"Here we are; the Aurora villa. One of the most prestigious properties in our menagerie; she has played host to several key figures in the past, including members of the royal family." Irving opened the door of the car for Integra, who gave him a small smile in thanks. "Inside you'll find a spacious living area attached directly to the kitchen and dining room, there's a billiard room towards the back of the villa; upstairs you'll find the large master bedroom equipped with an en suit bathroom. There are two balconies, one surrounding the lower level of the villa, and the other is a small private balcony attached to the bedroom. There's also a small bar in the dining room, and it comes equipped with a cigar humidor, just for you Sir Integra."

"Even if you forgo all of the other luxuries, I'd still be happy with just the cigar humidor." Integra replied, impressed and a little flattered with the man's attention to detail.

"Don't start thanking me yet Integra, wait 'till you see the inside." Irving boasted as he led Integra along the driveway to the villa. The driveway was lined with a variety of large trees, which did a good job of keeping the hot sun off Integra's back, and it offered a good level of privacy from the road. Irving opened the door to the villa and bade Integra entry; she complied and stepped through the threshold into what would be her home away from home for the next eight weeks.

XXX

It was late in the afternoon when Alucard finally woke, the sun was yet to sink below the horizon and it was burning the sky a deep orange tint. It was early for him to be up, but the recurring nightmares he'd just experienced meant that all desire for further sleep had been extinguished. With a weary growl he cast his gaze over to the small suitcase that sat neatly in the corner of his room; unlike the Police Girl he actually had a sense for organisation and tidiness that didn't require half a dozen bags of luggage. Still, the suitcase wasn't going to unpack itself (sadly) and Alucard remembered he had a few important items he needed to get hidden away in-case a certain blonde vampire went snooping where she wasn't supposed to.

He quickly opened the suitcase and pulled out his two 'gifts' for her, one being the black bikini he bought for her (A/N: See chapter 7), and the other was still wrapped in its protective packaging. Gently, Alucard unwrapped the item, placed it onto a coat hanger and hid it away in the wardrobe. He picked up the bikini, a grin spreading across his lips at the thought of Seras wearing it, and tucked it away in dresser that sat across from the bed. Satisfied with the security of these items, Alucard decided it was time to kick back and get into holiday mode.

Starting with that wine downstairs.

He glided down the stairs, making sure to produce as little noise as possible as Seras was still sleeping; he headed for the living room where the fridge was. Alucard didn't understand why they were storing red wine in a fridge, eventually chalking it up to the islands hot climate and the fact there wasn't a cool wine cellar to store them in. He sat down on the leather sofa and summoned over one of the wine bottles, a fine merlot, and a crystal wine glass. He gently uncorked the bottle and allowed it to sit and breathe for several moments, savouring the heady aroma that tickled his senses.

The wine was delicious, it had strength and body, but wasn't too overpowering; yes, Alucard liked this wine very much. He had half a mind to share it with the Police Girl; there was more than enough wine to go around, and should they run out he could simply order more from Henderson. The Police Girl, no-Seras would no doubt jump at the offer of sharing in one of his favourite pass-times. It would provide a healthy dose of sire-childe bonding; and after the nightmare he just had, he needed it.

"No…not nightmares…"

"Memories…"

XXX

Meanwhile, back at the Aurora Villa…

Integra was sitting at a table on the rear veranda of her villa, which overlooked the sea, sipping on a glass of champagne, her cheeks tickle pink. She was still trying to process what had just transpired…

"I take it you're satisfied with the Aurora villa, Integra?" Irving asked as he opened up the back door that lead to the veranda.

"Very much so," Integra replied warmly. She'd been rather surprised by the lengths Irving had gone to make her feel as comfortable as possible. The villa had been retrofitted with a lot of the creature comforts offered by the Hellsing manor back home. It had similar furniture, similar light fittings, even the wallpaper was a stark reminded that Integra, though far away, was never truly out of touch with her home. She had all of the pleasures of the Hellsing manor without the mountain of paperwork and drawbacks that came from running a full-time organisation.

"I think this is the first time I'll actually be able to enjoy my house, though I'm half a world away." She smiled as she ran her hand down the door, which had also been made to replicate those of the mansion. "Surely all of this must be expensive to maintain, I can't image it's easy to re-fit these villas for each new client that comes by."

"Oh we don't do it for everyone, just a select few," Irving smiled, he extended an arm towards a small table at one end of the veranda, Integra eyed an ice bucket with champagne sitting on top of it. "After reading up on everything you've done for our Queen and country, I thought you deserved the special treatment."

"Why-thank you," Integra replied hastily, a little flustered by the comment, though she quickly regained herself. She pulled out another cigar and lit it, holding it up in-front of Irving. "But you really didn't need to go through so much trouble; like I said before, the cigar humidor was enough."

"It's no trouble. Maintaining the villas provides a good supply of work for the locals." Irving placed a hand on the wall of the villa. "Before the resort was built here, the Kumaji people were almost wiped out when white men first came to the island; they'd never been exposed to diseases such as smallpox or tuberculosis and many hundreds died. To save the population a mission was sent to the island to provide medical care for the people, and after many years the population stabilized and eventually rebounded. A few years later a Dutch nobleman built a small retreat on the island for members of the royal family; fast forward a hundred and fifty years and you have the resort you see today." Irving sat down at the table and cast a proud gaze out towards the ocean. "We try our best to do right by the people; we always employ locals first over foreigners, and part of the resort's revenue goes towards the sustainability of the island."

"That's very considerate of you," Integra sat down across from him, suddenly feeling guilty for thinking the resort was nothing but a money-making machine for those who own it. Irving seemed genuine in his intentions, both as a good host and a good human being; he was a rare specimen in her eyes, a man of wealth who wasn't yet corrupt.

"Enough about that now, it's time to celebrate the start of your new adventure." Irving pulled the champagne bottle out from the bucket of ice, gently uncorking it and allowing the bubbly foam to spill out from its neck onto the stained wood deck of the veranda. He put the bucket under the table, revealing two glasses that were concealed behind it and poured a healthy dose of champagne into each one.

"A toast; to many happy days and the continued prosperity of Hellsing." Irving put his glass to Integra's gently; Integra nodded in response and took a large sip of the bubbly beverage. She hadn't drunk champagne since her eighteenth birthday, much preferring the taste of a well-aged scotch, but she found the flavour to be more appealing this time round and enjoyed the cool sensation the drink brought her in the humidity of the afternoon.

They spent a while sitting there, drinking their champagne as Irving ran through what Integra could do on the island. She smiled when he mentioned that there was a giant water park on the island, Seras would no doubt drag Alucard along for that; the thought of Count Dracula wearing swimming trunks was enough to make the usually stoic head of Hellsing choke on her drink. They shared more than a few jokes at the old vampire's expense, Integra having the distinct feeling that he was probably listening in on them; all the more reason to goad him.

She was a little vexed when Irving mentioned her 'relaxation schedule', but the strength of the champagne had begun to subdue her temper. Irving placed a few pamphlets on the table; he'd ask a question now and then and she'd simply nod. Gradually, she found herself gazing at this man, not really listening to the words he said. Integra felt a flicker of heat when she had to check herself from staring at Irving's distinct jawline as he spoke. She quickly set the champagne glass down; clearly it was having a stronger effect on her than she thought.

"I'm sorry; I'm boring you aren't I?" Irving chuckled, seeing how distracted the protestant knight was; he poured himself another glass of champagne, seemingly unaffected by it.

"No-not at all," Integra replied hastily, looking down at her glass in an attempt to hide her embarrassed blush; for the life of her she had no idea what he'd just been saying. "I don't think the champagne is agreeing with me." She lied.

"Oh, that's a shame. I'll have to remember to order something different when we have dinner tonight." He replied nonchalantly as he took another sip from his re-filled glass.

"What do you mean dinner?" She half cried in alarm, her face colouring; Irving arched a brow at her in confusion. What the hell did she just miss here?

"Oh dear, the jetlag's hitting you that hard?" Irving chuckled. "I was saying as a way of welcoming you to the island I wanted to take you out for dinner. It's not every day a lady as beautiful and as refined as yourself visits us here; usually I'm forced to cater for trophy wives and old shrews, neither of which are entertaining company. There's a lovely restaurant in the resort called the Royal Pearl, I'll take you there tonight; my treat?"

'Is he…asking me out?' She thought in alarm.

"Don't you think you're being a little forward? It's highly impertinent to be asking your newly arrived guest out for dinner." Integra's voice may have returned to its usually stern tone, but she was summoning all the strength of Christendom to keep the panic at bay. The last thing she expected was to be propositioned by a man on her first day, regardless of his handsomeness.

"Since when has it been illegal for me to invite you out for something to eat?" Irving asked curiously. "It's not like I'm asking you out on a date; unless that's how you see it?"

"Of course not!" She blurted; Integra's nose wrinkled with embarrassment at his coolly spoken words.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Irving winked as he took another sip from his glass. "Don't worry; I'm not one to proposition young ladies on first meetings; no matter how pretty they may be."

"No, but you seem more than happy to flatter them into a coma." It took a significant amount of willpower for Integra to stop the blush billowing into her cheeks as she spoke through gritted teeth.

'He acts like Alucard, he's as smooth as Alucard; this could be a problem…' She thought nervously. The last thing she was looking for on this island was a man hankering for her affections; it was bad enough the council had been pestering her to settle down and find a husband and sire an heir. No; none of that was going to happen unless it was on her terms. Smooth Irving Henderson could try all he liked; this was one bottle of champagne he wasn't going to uncork.

"It's not called flattery if you're being honest," Irving smirked; Integra grimaced slightly at what could go down as the corniest line in history. "But if it's so offensive I suppose I could desist for the day?"

"That would be greatly appreciated, if you read up on me you should know my disdain for chauvinism." Integra replied sternly; a flicker of sadness passed across Irving's face but it was enough for Integra to see.

'That's right little boy, know your place.' She smirked inwardly, ignoring the fact that he was more than likely a little older than her, though not by much; she was light years ahead of him in other ways though…like maturity, for example.

"Would you still like to come with me for dinner tonight, though?" Irving asked hopefully. "I promise you the seafood at this place is to die for; once you try Kumaju crab you'll never want for anything else." Irving finished his glass and put the-now mostly empty-champagne bottle in the bucket under the table.

"Very well; but on the condition my servants accompany me." Integra hoped that Alucard, or Walter at least, would keep Irving behaved if he had any more inclinations to engage with her in such ways again.

"That's fine, I was going to invite them anyway; you'll all entitled to a proper welcome after all." Irving said as he brushed a few imaginary flecks of dust off his suit.

"If they're all invited then why did you make it sound like a date?!" Integra shrieked; utterly furious that all of this silly embarrassment could have been avoided. Was this man simply playing with her? If this was all part of his 'relaxation shedule' she'd have Alucard impale him on a flagpole. Apparently Irving caught an idea of what she was thinking and laughed.

"Because there was no fun in that; your reaction was priceless. But I was being honest-when I said that I wouldn't actually dare ask you out alone, upon our first proper meeting, however tempting it may be." Irving's grin widened as Integra's icy glare grew colder, and her face pinker, by the moment.

"On second thought, I think I might stay at the villa tonight. I somehow doubt that my vampires would be well fitted to a restaurant environment, you don't want all their blood drinking to frighten off the guests." Integra snarled sarcastically; suddenly feeling sorry for Seras; this was the kind of crap she'd have to put up with from Alucard's advances.

"Integra my dear, you really don't know what this place is, do you?" Irving winked (yes winked) cheekily. "You're fanged friends will be more than welcome, as well as Walter, the 'Angel of Death'."

"You know about him too, hmm?" Integra eyed him suspiciously. How much information had the queen, or sir Irons, given him on their organisation? "And what don't I know about this island, pray tell?"

"All will be explained in due time, but for now I must sadly take my leave." Irving rose and gave Integra a curt bow, extending a hand out to her; when she took it he brought her hand up to his lips and placed the gentlest semblance of a kiss on it, sending electric jolts up Integra's arm. She almost slapped him instinctively, but was thankful her self-restraint won out; instead she looked away from him with a huff.

"You like to play a dangerous game don't you, Irving?" She smirked, not making eye contact, lest her façade of toughness fail. "If you want your hand to remain attached to that arm I'd watch it if I were you, especially around my servants."

"Forgive me; despite my young age I'm an old gentleman at heart." Irving bowed again before leaving Integra to herself on the balcony; as he was about to walk through the door to the villa he turned back to her quickly. "Oh, and don't forget to wear something nice; a beauty such as yours should not be covered up by a business suit. I'll have a car pick you up at six thirty sharp."

Integra set her glass down, reaching into her pocket for a cigar; her mind a mixture of emotions.

XXX

Seras woke at around five in the afternoon, her sleep had been periodically interrupted by the unwanted effects of jetlag; it wasn't perfect, but it was still better than no sleep at all. She was actually rather thankful because the jetlag meant that her usually intimate dreams involving her master hadn't plagued her like usual.

As she left her room Seras's ears picked up on the tell-tale clink of crystal echoing up from below, she walked over to the balcony by the stairs and saw her master below, sitting on the leather sofa with a glass of wine swirling in one of his gloved hands.

"Ah, our sleeping beauty is finally awake; good evening Police Girl." He purred, his eyes looking at her over the brim of his glasses as the elder vampire brought the glass up to his lips.

"Master, did you even sleep?" Seras asked tiredly, ignoring his jibe. She walked down the stairs over to Alucard, who was now pouring himself another glass of wine. His crimson eyes looked away from the bottle to quickly inspect Seras before returning to the task at hand.

"I slept well;" Alucard lied. "Henderson was good enough to provide me with some wine of the highest quality." Seras watched as he inhaled deeply, taking in the strong scent of the scarlet drink before downing the glass in one gulp.

"Don't you think it's a little early for drinking?" Seras giggled. Sometimes she believed Alucard loved his wine more than he did blood.

"It's six o' clock somewhere in the world, Police Girl." He replied with a devious grin. "Besides I'm on 'holiday' as they say, I can do whatever I wish, within reason." He held up a gloved hand and beckoned Seras to sit down next to him. As soon as Seras sat down on the sofa a large arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her up against her master; she felt him rest his head upon hers and take in her scent, sending shivers down her spine.

"How much wine have you had?" She asked him nervously, trying to laugh away the blush burning across her cheeks. Alucard let out a long chuckle at the question; Seras felt it reverberate through his chest as a twirled a few strands of her blond hair around the index finger on his free hand.

"Why do you ask?" He whispered, running his fingers through her hair; he loved the feeling of her silky strands as they passed between his slender digits.

"Because you're very 'huggy' this evening," Seras giggled, his fingers were tickling her a little. "Though I'm not complaining." She nuzzled her head into the crook of his arm, enjoying the musty smell of his jacket; it always relaxed her.

Alucard merely grinned in response, with a wave of his hand the other wine glass floated over and sat itself down on the table in front of them. He poured he a glass of wine, though not as much as he'd have in his own, and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She said timidly. Seras gave the wine a sniff, scrunching up her face when she found the aroma to be more powerful than she'd expected. Alucard laughed at her strange expression as he absentmindedly swirled around the wine in his own hand.

"You weren't a wine drinker, were you?" He asked amusedly as Seras took a small sip of the wine, almost as if she were afraid it would burn her in some way. To her surprise Seras found the wine to be quite agreeable, it was a bit strong at first but the aftertaste was enjoyable.

"I was a cop, remember? We didn't drink much; but when I did it was usually gin, or whisky in a pinch." Seras finished her glass, admittedly quicker than she thought, and Alucard poured her another. "I could hold my drink rather well; the boys were always surprised by that."

"I take it they were rather deflated when their attempts to seduce you via alcohol bore no fruit?" Alucard asked dryly.

"You could say that," Seras chuckled. "Though they never went that far."

"Good." Alucard replied bluntly. Seras couldn't help but giggle at the irritation that flittered across his face.

"Master, you can't be jealous of a pair of old bobbys?" She teased, the wine giving her a bit of courage to have fun.

"Of course not; in fact I'm glad their sexual advances failed and they were not able to deflower you, otherwise you would never be mine for the taking instead." Alucard spoke softly; though his face was neutral, Seras knew he'd said that to rile her up, and to be honest it was working.

"Master!" She squealed. "Just what exactly did you mean by that?"

"Perhaps one day I'll show you," He grinned hungrily, causing her body to stiffen. "But for now get ready, we're going out."

"Really?" She asked excitedly, all other emotions being forgotten instantly. "Where are we going master?"

"We've been invited to dinner by our host, now get ready; you don't want to keep him waiting." Alucard ppinted to an ornate clock on the wall. "You've got ten minutes, now hurry up."

A/N: Apologies if there are any errors in this. I re-read it a few times but I may still have missed something. This was a long one but I hope you liked it! :D