A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry for the late update! I know I promised a lot of you I'd post this chapter LAST friday but I came down with glandular fever, do you know how hard it is to write coherently when you feel THAT crap? Eugh, hope I'm not sick like that again for a while!

Anyway, thanks for being patient. And thank you all for the faves/follows/reviews! I noticed quite a few people recently started faving/following this fic so I must be doing something right! :P

Alright gang, here's chapter 19; I've slightly changed the way I lay out my chapters now. I'll be going back and editing the previous chapters to match the format but nothing about the story will change...for now. I'm still seriously considering doing a re-write of this fic, so that my writing style seems more fluid. But I'll wait until its complete before I do that.

Anywho, I hope you enjoy! R&R as always you lovely people! As always I apologise for any errors, I'm only human :3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hellsing, it's characters or anything else related to it. I only claim ownership of my OC's

XXX CHAPTER 19 XXX

"Can I have a scotch please?"

Integra watched impatiently as the ice cubes were gently dropped into the glass, they chipped slightly upon impact with the hard surface. A small amount of mist formed around them as the warm air was cooled before a healthy dose of scotch was poured into the glass. The sudden introduction of the warmer liquid caused the ice to crack, forming strange and intricate patterns through the translucent structure of the cubes. The young barman gently slid the drink over the smooth surface of the bar to Integra, with a small nod she took it and begrudgingly left; apparently she was needed at a table. 'Lord, I hope this evening passes quickly.'

She walked through the heaving sea of tables and patrons in search of Irving and the others; frustrated by their immaturity, she had made straight for the bar without checking to see where they'd be seated for the night. It was a rare thing for Integra to get fired up about something so juvenile as her 'physical appearance', especially when it came to the opinions of other men. Thankfully she felt the scotch calm her as she took a few frugal sips during her search for the table; it brought a slight warmth to her that was not at all unpleasant. Normally she was not one to drink spirits so eagerly, but seeing as she was on holiday for eight weeks Integra thought she might as well cut lose and get on with it. It might even help to make the evening a whole lot more bearable.

Her eyes slowly found themselves wandering, taking in the restaurant's features. The Royal Pearl's design was quite curious, and its spherical shape required the employment of a unique floor plan. It consisted of two ring-shaped dining areas, one at ground level and the other was a floor above; they were very regal in their design and reminded Integra of the Royal Albert Hall in their opulence. The centre of the restaurant was a large hollow space that went from the floor up to the glass roof, which offered a beautiful view of the night sky; a large dance floor dominated the centre of the restaurant. It was multi-purpose and could be used for anything from music functions to proper 'old-school balls' as Irving had called them.

Integra found herself so enthralled in her observations that she forgot her bearings and walked straight into the back of an unsuspecting woman. There was a slight yelp from the other woman and the sound of a glass shattering on the floor as Integra's hand had lost grip of her drink; In her fright Integra stumbled over her own feet and she fell with a thud onto the hard carpet of the restaurant floor.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry my dear!" The woman cried woefully as she held out a hand to the fallen Integra.

"No, no. I wasn't looking where I was going," Integra groaned as she was pulled to her feet. 'I'm going to feel that one for a few days.' "It was my own silly fault." She dusted herself off and cursed under her breath when she noticed her drink had spilled onto the light fabric of her blue dinner jacket.

"Oh dear, that's going to stain something horrid if we don't get that cleaned up." The woman shook her head as she pinched the fabric of Integra's stained jacket between her fingers. She looked at it critically before tutting in annoyance. "Come with me, there's some cleaning products out the back."

Integra went to protest, however she was silenced as the woman pulled her quite hurriedly across the busy restaurant floor, and the force of it was enough to make her wince as the woman's grip on her arm was uncomfortably tight. Integra was led through a set of double doors and suddenly found herself being tugged through a busy kitchen; clearly the woman, whose vice-like hand was cutting off the feeling in her arm, must be a member of the restaurant's staff.

Another door quickly slammed open and they were in a small room, it had a few sinks in it and there was a row of vacuum cleaners lined against the wall; clearly this was the staff's cleaning room. The woman released her hold on Integra's arm, and the blonde sent a small payer to the lord for his mercy; there was the disorganised sounds of cupboards being searched, the occasional item being tossed asunder, until the woman finally found what she was looking for.

"Ok love, have off with your jacket and I'll chuck it in for a quick wash." She smiled merrily. Integra quickly complied, hoping it would appease the woman and keep her talons away from her remaining un-bruised limbs. The woman took the jacket into another small room across from them, and Integra heard the sound of a washing machine rumbling into life.

A few moments later the woman returned, flattening a small crease on her dress before turning her attention back to the flustered form of Integra. Appearing to look in her fifties, she was rather overdressed; wearing a fancy evening dress with a fur throw-over draped across her unprotected shoulders. Her faded blonde hair was impeccably permed, and dangling from her slightly drooping earlobes was a pair of large emerald earrings. Integra was instantly reminded of the rich wives of the council members; except this woman already seemed to have more sense than the rest put together. And she was prettier, much prettier.

"Ah, that's better; so sorry about that," The woman huffed. She held out a hand and Integra tentatively accepted the gesture, praying her slender fingers wouldn't be crushed like her arm. "My name's Amelia Henderson, owner of the Royal Pearl; it's a pleasure to meet you Integra, though I wish it had been under better circumstances."

This was it, the first night, the first test.

Seras had been mentally steeling herself over the course evening since Alucard had told her they'd be dining together. If Integra was right about her suspicions the evening would prove a good experiment in which to test the proverbial waters with her master. She wondered what he would do, would he do anything? She didn't need to think long; of course he would so something. Alucard had become increasingly friendly towards her over the past two days, clearly something was going on in that closed mind of his; whether or not it meant something of an even remotely amorous nature, she did not know. All she knew was that she definitely had more than just a few amorous feelings when it came to the man; lord knows the R-rated dreams were evidence enough.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She must control these emotions, these urges, if she was to succeed in her mission. Yes, a mission; that's how she should think of it! She was on a mission for Sir Integra, a mission to explore the mysteries of the emotional bonds that could develop between two nosferatu; though she couldn't really claim herself to be anything like that yet, she was but a fledgling, a girl. 'A girl who caught the eye of Alucard.'

Seras leaned on her hands as she looked out across the large expanse of the restaurant, trying to distract herself from her own blushes. They were all sitting in what Irving called his private 'dining box' on the second level of the building. It was a sort of booth that overhung into the central space of the restaurant below, much like a box in an opera house. Everyone else was already seated at the table, but Seras stood away from the table as she had wanted to take in the beautiful atmosphere; that was before her mind had begun to wander.

The upper level of the Royal Pearl was definitely designed for its wealthier clientele; everything from the furniture to the ornamental wall decorations, and the service, had been dialled up to eleven. A jazz band had started playing below, Seras thought they were very good; Alucard had said he'd prefer a nice concerto, but to him any music that wasn't either composed before 1901 or wasn't some sort of black metal was considered 'crap'.

"Wherever she's gotten herself, I do wish she'd hurry up." Alucard grumbled from his seat. "I'd like to start drinking my dinner before the sun rises again."

"Hush you," Seras snipped playfully. "Sir Integra will be here soon, I saw her down at the bar a moment ago so she can't be too far away."

"Pfft, alcoholic." Alucard scoffed.

"Oh you're so mean; I have half a mind to tell her you said that." She warned, wagging her index finger at him disapprovingly. "Then you'll be in trouble.".

"You'll do no such thing. You are a Police Girl. Police Girl's do as they're told." He retorted in a seductively teasing purr. Seras bristled and turned away from him again, determined not to let him get the better of her at their new game of cat and mouse. 'Why must he use that voice!' She had to stick to her guns, and do Integra proud by being as assertive and womanly as possible.

"Actually…I think I can do what I want tonight." She declared strongly, though she didn't face him from fear of her mental armour failing so early on in the night; she needed a lot more wine to be able to tackle Alucard head on in a true battle of wits. Instinctively she downed the half empty glass in her hand.

"Oh really?" Alucard asked, his brow rose in an exaggerated fashion. He got up from his chair and glided over to lean against the railing beside her. "Has our frightened little kitten found the courage to be a cat?"

"Eager to find out if I have any claws?" She asked mockingly, not completely realising the amount of courage the wine was already giving her. If it was one thing she was going to inherit from Alucard, it would be his confidence. "I wouldn't want to cover that delicate face of yours in nasty red scratches."

"You wouldn't be fast enough, my draculina." Alucard purred, making sure a wisp of his breath tickled her neck enough to send a string of shivers up her legs and through her spine.

"Once day I'll be fast enough, and strong enough." She nudged him away defensively. He wasn't going to be getting to her that easily.

"Hmm, we'll see." Alucard took his gaze away from her and looked out into the busy restaurant.

'Oh you'll see master, don't you worry.'

"Are they always like this?" Irving whispered to Walter, trying not to disturb the curious exchange the pair were witnessing from their seats at the table. "I've seen many things, but the courting of a vampiress is not one of them."

"It's a relatively new development," Walter replied quietly. "If you're knowledge on Alucard is what you claim it to be you should know he has never sired before. This whole thing with Miss Victoria is almost a complete mystery to us; Sir Integra doesn't even fully understand why he chose to turn her in the first place. I think that's why she's letting them go along with it."

"What do you mean?" Irving asked.

"Well, she's letting Alucard court Seras." Walter reiterated.

"Is that not normally allowed?" Irving seemed a little disturbed by the tone of Walter's implication.

"Well no, not normally. Integra is the head of an organisation that hunts down and destroys vampires. Allowing them to breed would be counter-productive." Walter explained.

"How strange, the way you run things over there." Irving hummed. Walter's eyebrows arched; what exactly did the man mean by that?

"I don't think we humans are ever meant to know the inner workings of a vampire's mind." Irving mused loftily. "They seem to operate on a whole other level of cognition, well that's how I perceive it anyway."

"I've been meaning to ask; how exactly do you know so much about vampires?" Walter whispered. "I don't meant to seem rude, but it was a little unnerving to see you talking with Alucard at the airport as if he weren't the monster you knew he was."

"Ah yes," Irving smiled mischievously, as if he'd just been caught telling a lie. "I suppose I'd better explain that little mystery. I was going to wait for Integra to get here but there's no harm in filling you in on some of the facts. You see I-"

*Beep* *Beep*

"Ugh, of course the bloody thing rings now."

Irving cursed under his breath at the unwanted interruption by his phone. He sighed in agitation as he retrieved the offending object from his pocket, only to have his brow furrow even more at the sight of the number flashing on the screen.

"Walter, I know why Integra's running late." He sighed, pinching the top of his nose. "It looks like we'll have another guest joining us for dinner."

He accepted the call and brought the phone up to his ear with a grimace. "Hello, mother."