A/N: Hello my fine readers! After much waiting another chapter is here! YAY!

I apologise for my tardiness; writer's block has been an absolute bitch to deal with. I have also been dedicating a lot of time to my actual novel that I've been writing, so the fanfiction side of things got left gathering the dust a bit.

Once again I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to all of the lovely people who've reviewed, faved and follow this story! You're the reason I keep writing this story, and your feedback is greatly appreciated!

This chapter in it's original form is truly massive, so I'm splitting it into two parts; expect part 2 to be up within a few days, I'm just tweaking it a little before I post.

I hope you all like it, for some reason I found this chapter VERY hard to write, which is one reason why it took so damn long to finish!

Enjoy! And remember to R&R you lovely people! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it etc

CHAPTER 20

If one were a patron dining at the Royal Pearl on this particular evening, they might be forgiven for thinking themselves as witnesses to one of the strangest assemblies of dinner companions in history. It isn't every day that a table is shared by two vampires, their vampire hunting master, a retired vampire hunter (and butler), a twenty-something governor of a tropical island, and his four centuries' old mother.

Who, as it turned out, was also a vampire.

And also an ex-lover of one Walter C. Dornez…

Yes, you would be forgiven for thinking that was a rather odd, and dare-say awkward situation to find yourself in. And this is where each member of the table found themselves.

The events leading everyone to this situation went thusly:

A few minutes earlier…

"I'm sorry, but did you say Henderson?" Integra asked quickly, eyeing the woman before her with a new-found sense of curiosity.

"Yes I did," Amelia nodded; she slowly stepped around Integra in a small circle, regarding her with a curious eye. "I take it you've met my son then?"

"Yes, he's actually invited me and some colleagues here for dinner." Integra said as she re-adjusted her newly exposed shirt, feeling a little insecure underneath the sudden scrutiny of this stranger. "I was actually looking for his table when I bumped into you. Again, sorry about that."

"Not a worry, dear." Amealia waved off her apology. "Oh goodness, what a bad impression I've made; almost drowning our honoured guest with whisky before she's even found her table!"

"I've had worse," Integra shrugged as she chuckled at the woman's exaggerations. "Though I think it might be a good idea to find Mister Henderson before he starts to worry where I've gotten to."

"You strike a fair point," Amelia nodded; she reached down into the bust of her dress, which earned a befuddled look from Integra, and pulled out a phone and dialled into it, holding it up to her ear as the tone began to ring.

"Oh don't give me that look," Amelia chided innocently as she waited for an answer. "I'm sure you've stuffed a pistol down your bra at least once in your life, heaven knows you-oh, Irving honey! Yes it's me. Look, I've bumped into that charming Hellsing girl you were telling me about; I'm afraid I spilled a bit of her drink on her jacket so we had to go and clean her up…oh very funny! No I'm not drunk, you childish buffoon…yes, yes, we'll be up shortly. You go ahead and order drinks; I'll grab mine and Integra's on our way up to you. Ok. Ciao!"

"You really are Irving's mother," Integra said as she lit up another cigar. Amelia had kindly permitted her to smoke in the laundry room whilst they waited for her dinner jacket to dry in the tumble dryer. "You have my condolences." She added dryly.

"Oh he's not always that bad," Amelia laughed with a dismissive wave of her hand as she put her phone away. "He's just a typical boy sometimes; afraid his dear old mother with show him up in front of guests."

"Do you?" Integra asked jokingly.

"Oh the temptation is there, that's for sure," Amelia said as she went to re-apply her lipstick which had begun to smudge in the hot room. "But I would never actually do it. It wouldn't be good diplomatic form if the Island's governor was the product of open mockery by his own family."

"I suppose that's a valid reason," Integra smiled as she took another drag from her cigar. She realised suddenly that there was an aspect of the situation she'd neglected to address, and chose to indulge in a niggling question that was lurking in her mind since meeting Amelia. "Speaking of family, does Irving's father live here too?"

"No dearie, sadly Marcus passed some four years ago." Amelia sighed with a shake of her head. Integra winced, a look of guilt flashing across her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Integra replied quickly, Amelia put up a hand in protest.

"No, no. It's quite alright; I came to terms with his death a good while ago," Amelia smiled. She turned around when she heard the gentle ping of the tumble dryer, letting her know it had finished its cycle. "Though I would avoid mentioning Irving's father around him… they didn't have the best of relationships." She said as she pulled out the freshly cleaned dinner jacket from the dryer.

"That's something we have in common then." Integra grumbled solemnly. Her own childhood memories of her father weren't exactly all roses and sunshine; it usually consisted of the occasional pat on the head for her doing a good job at school, or her father allowing her to the occasional round table conference for 'observations'.

"Yes, well, Arthur was never good at expressing himself emotionally." Amelia said musingly, Integra's cigar nearly dropped from her mouth at the words. "I always thought he never had enough love as a child; he was a very distant man."

Though not one to be easily surprised, Integra's eyebrows still managed to arch at the words. "You knew my father?"

"Of course I did," Amelia replied matter-of-factly. "Now that I think about it I'm surprised I didn't recognise you sooner, you've got all the hallmarks of a Hellsing; blonde hair, tanned skin, and let's not forget the infamous glare of a pair of blue Hellsing eyes."

"I see; how did you meet?" Integra asked, taking a few more drags from her cigar.

"Oh goodness, a long time ago…" Amelia sighed wistfully, looking up to the celing in some attempt to recollect her thoughts. "I think it was in the February of '54…or was it '55? No matter. Your father was investigating strange reports of a vampire in Prague."

"Prague?" Integra replied. "My father wasn't one to take foreign assignments, not after the war anyway."

"Indeed, but it seemed the report he received was too interesting to resist." Amelia smiled.

"Go on." Integra nodded, carefully depositing a large stub of cigar ash into her ashtray.

"Well you see, the report on the vampire was odd," Amelia began, leaning up against the wall next to Integra. "It wasn't wreaking havoc, or frightening the locals, there weren't even any reports of it killing anyone, not a soul. Apparently the vampire was trying to recruit others to join a coven of 'peaceful' vampires outside of Europe, in a place where they could avoid persecution and such."

"Hmph, sounds like a ruse to me." Integra smirked.

"That's exactly what your father thought," Amelia replied. "So anyway, he went out there with a few of his men to hunt down this elusive vampire. He was put in contact with a young-and dare I say beautiful-woman who could assist with his enquires with the locals."

"I take it that's where you come in?" Integra asked sarcastically.

"My, my, however did you guess?" Amelia chuckled. "Yes, your father was put in contact with me on the recommendation of a few locals."

"So you had heard of this vampire?" Integra asked.

"You could say that," Amelia replied, twiddling her fingers through her hair. "I must say it was rather thrilling to be involved in the whole thing looking back on it. Your father, his men, and I spent several weeks searching; during that time I learnt a good deal about him, you know."

"Indeed?" Integra hummed through a puff of smoke.

"He was a kind man, and one I wouldn't immediately peg as a vampire hunter. He had his moments though, and the drinking and the womanising weren't his most redeeming traits; but overall he was a good soul, dedicated to a worthy cause of ridding evil, there was no darkness within him, save for his own personal demons."

"Where are you going with this?" Integra asked, trying to push back the emotionally charged memories Amelia's words were summoning from the back of her mind.

"If your father weren't a kind man, he wouldn't have spared the vampire when he finally had it cornered." Amelia replied.

"What? My father spared it?" Integra blurted, almost losing her cigar in the outburst. "Why on earth would he do that?"

"Because one of his men had actually discovered the vampire many days previously, and he had, through his own foolishness, fallen in love with her." Amelia explained.

"You can't be serious?" Integra gasped. "What man would be foolish to do such a thing, and why have I never heard of this incident until now."

"The man was Mister Walter C Dornez," Amelia replied quietly, as if she were almost embarrassed to speak of the subject. "At the time he was Arthur's butler, and also a skilled vampire hunter in his own right."

"Walter?...oh my god." Integra whispered, her knees almost buckling from the shock of it all.

"Sadly it is the truth."

"What did my father do?" Integra asked.

"He was furious, of course," Amelia replied; propping up Integra with one arm before she completely slumped to the floor. "Arthur felt betrayed; but his love for the young butler was strong enough for him to listen to the man's defence of this vampire."

"You mean to say that Walter, 'Angel of Death' Walter, managed to convince my father not to kill a vampire?" Integra asked, disbelieving her own words as she spoke them.

"That's the long and short of it, dearie." Amelia replied with a small smile. "Your father spared the vampire, but had her banished from the continent on the terms she would never attempt to contact Walter, and that she would never openly hunt to kill humans. He even made arrangements to have the vampire followed for the first few years to make sure his rules were adhered to. I confess that I was amazed at how merciful he was."

"But what could have convinced him so?" Integra asked.

"Why it was dear Walter, of course," Amelia replied. "He threatened to abandon Hellsing, and Arthur had no choice but to spare the vampire, for he knew full well he couldn't stop Walter, nor could he afford to lose such a skilled hunter."

"But why haven't I heard of this before?" Integra pressed.

Amelia looked at her with marked incredulity. "The prized vampire hunter of Hellsing falling in love with the very beast he was meant to hunt? If the news got out, the scandal would have surely brought Hellsing to its knees!"

"Yes, I suppose it would." Integra agreed, hadn't considered that little point until then, though it was almost immediately overridden by the shock at the words she was hearing. "But how could Walter?…My Walter…how could he have done this?"

Amelia's face drained of colour. "What do you mean 'My Walter'?" She asked hesitantly. "I was under the impression that Mister Dornez died some years ago."

Integra turned to her, confused. "What? No. Walter isn't dead, far from it; he's actually here with me tonight…who on earth told you he was dead?"

"It was…well, never mind that now," Amelia half laughed, though her shaking hands were betraying other emotions that Integra easily picked up on. "Well this slightly complicates things now, doesn't it?"

Integra's eyes narrowed. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Amelia swallowed gently before turning away from Integra to retrieve the dinner jacket from the tumble dryer. "Well my dear, there's no easy way to say it so I'll just get straight to the point. I was the vampire you father was sent to track down in Prague... the same one that dearest Walter fell in love with..."

Meanwhile, back upstairs...

"So, your mother's joining us for dinner? That doesn't exactly sound like a cause for total alarm." Walter said casually, a little perplexed at the amount of sweat forming on Irving's brow.

"She's my mother, Walter," Irving sighed, rubbing his head worriedly. "She's always a cause for alarm."

"Afraid she'll show you up over dinner?" Alucard sneered from across the table. "Imagine what Integra would think of the situation, I'm sure she'd find it most amusing."

"I only wish that were the worst of it... no, I can guarantee you that any minute now you'll probably hear reports of gunfire, if I know Integra." Irving glanced down at his watch.

"What on earth are you going on about?" Walter asked.

Irving shook his head, clearly a little apprehensive about what he was about to say. "I wanted to discuss this before Integra got here, but no doubt she'll find out herself. Lord Alucard and Miss Victoria are not the only vampires on this island; we play host to many being that are not human, my mother being one of them."

"Come again?" Alucard asked hastily, certain that he misheard the man.

"You heard me. My mother is a vampire."

'Amelia...vampire...Walter...'

The words didn't register with Integra at first; whether it was out of sheer disbelief or stubbornness, or her refusal to accept the truth staring her in the face. She didn't speak for a good few moments, merely taking an extra-long drag from her nearly exhausted cigar. Until finally...

"…well fuck."

*THUD*

"Oh good heavens, she's fainted." Amelia winced at the crumpled form of Integra lying on the cold laundry room floor.

She quickly plucked away the burning cigar that had rolled perilously close to Integra's hair, stubbing it out on the ashtray. Picking up Integra, she summoned over a small glass of water and splashed it onto the blonde's face; within a few moments Integra's eyes fluttered open again. At first Integra didn't seem cognitively aware of anything; but she quickly remembered when she saw the subtle red glow in Amelia's eyes now that they were so close.

"Oh god, It wasn't a dream!" Integra shrieked, flailing backwards and falling onto the floor. She reached down to her ankle, where she always concealed a firearm for emergencies, pulled out her pistol, and unloaded six rounds into Amelia's face; conduct that is usually frowned upon when it comes to the elderly.

Luckily, though much to her horror, this didn't seem to faze Amelia, despite the fact they were blessed rounds. It only took a few moments for her head to properly regenerate; something Integra only believed Alucard could be capable of.

"Get away from me!" Integra screamed, pointing the gun back at her target. Where was Alucard? Usually he'd be able to sense her distress through their connective bond by now; and yet he wasn't there, which made Integra feel very vulnerable.

Amelia chuckled, shaking her head. "You really are a bit of a drama queen, just like your father. You really think I intend to harm you?"

"I don't know what you intend to do." Integra said defensively, cocking the pistol.

"I intend to do nothing other than make your pleasant acquaintance," Amelia reassured her, holding out a hand. "You really think I'd want to harm you, when your father saved my life? Honestly you Hellsings need to get it out of your heads that all creatures like me are inherently evil."

For some reason Integra found herself believing the woman, even though the little voice in her head screamed 'KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!'
She lowered the pistol, her hand shaking from the sudden surge of adrenaline that was being pumped through her body, and reached out to take Amelia's hand.

"Ah, now that's better!" Amelia smiled. She gently plucked the pistol from Integra's other hand and shoved it into the black depths of her handbag. "I'll hold onto this for now, I don't want you starting a firefight in a public place; think of the guests!"

"You'll have to forgive me for being a little trigger-happy," Integra snarled. "Vampire hunters have a habit of expressing their displeasure with gunfire. Especially when they've just learned their beloved friend -whom they thought of like a father- had been seduced by a vampire, and then met said vampire within thirty seconds of the revelation!"

"I'll have you know that he came onto me, thank you very much." Amelia replied haughtily.

"I don't believe you, vampires are famous for the seductive talents." Integra simply couldn't process the thought that Walter would willing give himself to a vampire.

"Believe what you want, but Walter was one hell of a charmer back then," Amelia continued. "We weren't together for long, but my goodness it was a lot of fun; that man truly had magic hands... you wouldn't believe some of the things we-"

"NO! I do not need those images!" Integra cut her off, rubbing her eyes roughly with the palms of her hands. No, no! Get out of my head! Ew...

Amelia giggled at her prudishness. "I wonder how he's going to react when he sees me?" She wondered aloud, ignoring the panicked look on Integra's face at her words. She retrieved a small mirror from her handbag and held it up to examine herself. "I wonder if he even recognises me? Perhaps I should change back to my younger self, the one he remembers..."

Integra's jaw dropped, she couldn't believe this woman. Or vampire. Or whatever. "That's not exactly our number one priority right now!" She snapped. "I'd like to know why there's a vampire living at this resort!"

"There's vampires, werewolves, shifters, and many more living on this island, Sir Integra." Amelia said calmly, not looking up from her little mirror. "Unlike Hellsing, the Henderson family has dedicated itself to protecting certain paranormal beings; that is, those who are worthy of protection."

"Are you serious?" Integra said, almost mockingly. This evening was just getting better and better. Jibes at her figure, nearly getting drowned by whisky, and now it seemed that the island she'd be spending eight weeks on was a sort of petting zoo for freaks.

"I'm deadly serious." Amelia put the mirror back in her bag, eyeing Integra seriously for the first time since their meeting. "This island is a haven for those who do not wish to be found."

"Why wasn't I told about this?" Integra asked impatiently. She'd read nothing about this in her reports, hell not even in the last ten years had there been mention of an island filled to the brim with monsters. Being deceived was something she never took kindly to, especially if it involved vampires. "Hell, why does the Queen own this island? Surely she must know about this?"

Amelia nodded, appearing pleased at the intelligent question. A flicker of pride dashed across Amelia's eyes that slightly reminded Integra of Alucard, not exactly a reassuring thing. "There have been certain members of the royal family that have been, well, of a supernatural persuasion in the past. My family has helped them in one way or another for the past two centuries, in exchange for complete anonymity."

"Oh god...the Queen has been in cahoots with a vampire coven...my life is a lie." Integra buried her face in her hands.

"Now, now, no need to stress," Amelia soothed as she patted Integra's shoulder. "It's a bit of a rough pill to swallow, I know."

"If that's the case I feel like I've overdosed." Integra grumbled.

"Ok, that's it, you need another drink," Amelia declared, grabbing Integra tightly by the arm. Integra now understood why Amelia's grip was so tight, damn vampire strength. "Explanations can wait, the island is full of monsters, Walter and I had a fling, what more do you want to know, really? That sort of covers all the bases dear."

"How about why yo-"

"Nope, we're going to join the others for a drink, hold tight!"

"Wait! No! Don't phase me, I-"

Sadly, Integra's words came to late as she found herself being pulled up through the ceiling.

"I'm sorry, but could you run that past me again?" Walter asked incredulously.

"Yes, I agree with Walter," Alucard concurred with an equal look of shock etched into his features; Seras was staring in stunned silence as she clung to his arm. "For a brief moment there I was under the strangest belief that you -a human- had declared your mother to be a vampire. Clearly my hearing has been damaged by my fledgling's incessant babbling." He chose to ignore the elbow that was promptly thrust into his ribcage, for there were more concerning matters at hand.

"No Alucard, your hearing is perfectly fine," Irving replied coolly as he took a sip from a fresh glass of cognac. "My mother is indeed a vampire, a rather ancient one in fact."

"Impossible," Alucard declared irritably. "If she really were a vampire I'd have been able to sense her the moment we got-"

*SMASH*

Alucard's eyes cast themselves over to the shaking form of Seras, whose gloved hand was now stained red with a mix of red wine and blood after crushing the fine wine glass.

"What on earth are you-"

"Look!" She squeaked, pointing to the corridor just outside the dining booth.

Alucard and Walter almost dropped their drinks when they turned to see the forms of Integra and Amelia coalescing out of a thick black mist. Amelia had an arm wrapped around Integra, who looked like she was about to pass out from either fear or shock.

"Good god!" Walter exclaimed.

"Walter, move." Alucard hissed sharply. He summoned fort his pistols from the shadows, a sudden surge of fear for his master bubbling within him.

Walter stood up just in time to avoid the vampire storming past him. Alucard made for Amelia with such speed it was barely discernible, immediately jamming the barrel of his weapon into the neck of his master's captor.

"Wait! Stop!" Irving cried, scrambling from his seat to try and come between Alucard and the older woman. The enraged vampire would have none of it though, and pushed the man back down to his seat with his extended arm.

"Release my master," He growled. "Now."

"Come now, is this really necessary?" Amelia chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the notion of being held at gunpoint by the single most dangerous being in existence. "Surely you realise I have no intention of harming Miss Hellsing, don't you, Count?"

Alucard's finger loosened on the trigger at the word, he was not used to being addressed as such any more, unless it was by his master when she was feeling to flatter him. He cast a quick glance down to Integra, who, despite the fact she looked about ready to faint, gave a quick nod as to say 'I'm fine, I just want to puke.'

"Hmph, I suppose the fact that you've arrived with my master unspoiled proves that," Alucard allowed his weapons to disappear back into shadow, his sharp gaze never leaving Amelia, this vampire whom he'd somehow failed to detect; something that should be impossible. "I'd like to know how you've avoided detection; if you know my title you no doubt know of my powers, I should have been able to pick up your aura with ease."

"We have powerful spells protecting these Islands, Alucard," Amelia explained, stepping past him to deposit Integra into the nearest seat before the woman fell down. "If another vampire were to travel within a hundred miles of here they wouldn't be able to detect us, not even you, dear Count."

"Powerful spells indeed," Alucard regarded her carefully. He could swear that she looked familiar somehow, he just couldn't put his finger on it. That could wait, though; he looked down to his master, who still looked incredibly pale. Perhaps this woman did drink her blood?

"Master, are you alright?" He asked.

"She…just…teleported me through a few walls…" Integra half croaked, attempting to pour herself a small glass of wine in an attempt to sooth her nerves. "Nothing too horrific…though I think I'm going to be sick…" Integra held her hand over her, praying the feeling would pass.

"Oh I'm so sorry dear; I thought you'd experienced that before." Amelia said apologetically.

"I've only ever done that once to my master, and let me tell you the results weren't pretty." Alucard sneered, quickly realising that this wrinkled thing really wasn't a threat; usually the enemy doesn't care for the well-being of their prey.

"Don't you start," Integra said from her seat. "I've now got three vampires to put up with; I don't need your ever pleasant sense of humour to add to the mix."

"Oh leave him be," Amelia teased sympathetically. "I'm sure it can't be that bad playing host to two vampires, I'm sure the Count is a perfect gentleman."

"He has his moments," Seras joined in. "Though mostly he's mean and likes to tease Sir Integra and myself."

"Thanks for the support." Alucard grumbled.

"And you are?" Amelia asked.

"Seras Victoria is my fledgling," Alucard answered before Seras could speak for herself. "I only claimed her recently, so forgive her if she still seems a little...human."

Seras hung her head in shame, but looked up in surprise when Amelia rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Trust me dear, I prefer it that way," Amelia smiled. "If there were more vampires like you, our race wouldn't be hunted to extinction."

"Um, th-thanks I guess!" Seras smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Amelia Henderson."

Seras looked at this other 'new' vampire thoughtfully for a moment, something seemed to click in her mind. She held her chin thoughtfully. "Amelia...hmmm...Amelia...why does that ring a bell?"

"Yes it does sound awfully familiar..." Alucard agreed. "...wait a minute...isn't that the name of-"

*SMASH*

"Ugh, seriously, is this a Greek wedding or something?" Alucard asked. "We need to stop dropping shit."

"No, he has good reason." Amelia said, looking over to the far side of the booth where Walter was standing, his hand still frozen where the glass had slipped through his fingers. His face was one of complete and utter shock, most people would think he was about to drop dead of a heart attack.

"Hello Walter," Amelia greeted him calmly. "It's been a while."