After this chapter there is just one more chapter and then this story will be complete. Review please

A Dangerous Mission

Things were quiet for the most part in the Hellsing house hold while Integra was away. There was the odd job taking care of a freak or two which Alucard willingly attended to. Cat mostly relaxed except for one night when the wild geese decided to have a party. Cat was left with the clean up which included dragging very drunken soldiers back to their bunks and holding back an incredibly drunk Pip's hair while he threw up all night in her bathroom.

It was six in the morning and Cat was lying awake in bed. She had awoken from a bad dream around five and had not yet been able to fall back asleep. She was contemplating whether or not she should bake a cake for Integra and Alex's return. They would be back around noon the next day and she assumed they would be tired, but it would still be a nice gesture. When her thoughts had moved to making a welcome home banner instead she heard Walter in the hall.

"What do you mean they're downstairs?" his voice faded quickly in then out again like he was passing by very fast.

Cat slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of sleep shorts. It could not be Integra and Alex. Their flight did not leave for almost another twenty four hours. She looked over at her guns on the night stand and decided she probably would not need them since whoever was downstairs had made it into the house fine. It must be someone they all knew.

"Only one way to find out," Cat crept out into the hall and followed the way Walter had gone to the grand stairs. The voices were hushed, but as she got closer she could start to make hem out. It was Integra and Alex home early. Cat straightened up from her sneaky crouch and skipped down the stairs.

"Why on earth are you home an entire day early?" she looked at Alex who looked slightly bummed and worried at the same time and then to Integra who looked as serious as ever.

"I got a call. There is serious business that needs to be tended to," she handed Walter her small suitcase and immediately headed for the stairs.

"Now wait a minute!" Cat turned around baffled and followed after her, "You can't just come home and say you got a call and be off the hook! I want to know what's going on."

"It's the Germans yet again. They've sent out more freaks and they're headed for London. It going to be a massive attack and I couldn't leave it to just the soldiers and Alucard to muss up on their own," Integra took the stairs two at a time.

"So should I go and get ready?" Cat rushed up the stairs after her and when Integra stopped abruptly she passed her by six stair steps before realizing.

"You won't be going on this mission. I'll need you to stay here with Alex and Walter," Integra shifted her eyes guiltily.

"How come?" Cat stepped back down the stairs so she was on Integra's level.

"It's much too dangerous Katherine something could happen and everyone will be so busy…it just isn't a chance we are willing to take," she twiddled her thumbs for a bit and then clenched her hands into fists and held them rigidly at her sides.

"Well…can I at least know what's going on?" she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable and child like. She did not like to be left out of things.

"I would prefer you not know too much about it until the mission is over. It isn't that you're not trusted Cat it's only for your protection. I will be going with Ferguson to a special base closer to Germany. You're to stay here with Walter and Alex. We brought you a bunch of souvenirs. You and Alex can open them together. He's quite fond of you," she offered Cat an awkward smile and then hurried up the rest of the stairs and towards her office.

Cat stood for a moment slightly hurt and annoyed at the secrecy. She was not sure why it mattered to her so much. She was always complaining about the missions she was dragged along especially the very important ones that were high risk. She should be happy now that she was getting a break and was going to stay home and open presents and relax with her new friend and new man of the house. So why wasn't she happy?

"Hello Cat!" Alex came bounding up the stairs like a loyal dog that had not seen its owner in a while.

"Hello Alex," Cat tried to look peppy, but failed miserably.

Alex crushed her in a bear hug regardless of her sallow look and kissed the top of her head, "Oh, it's not so bad that you'll have to stay home with me is it! We'll have lots of fun. We've brought you plenty of interesting things from Japan and loads of weird snacks and things. Are you tired? Do you want to open some now? I think Walter is almost finished unloading the car."

"I think I'll go back to bed for a little while if that's okay. I woke up around five and I couldn't fall back to sleep," Cat feigned a yawn.

"Of course it is! You go get some sleep and I think I will too. We took a special plane back so we could arrive faster, but it wasn't a very comfortable flight and I have jet lag," he gave her another quick squeeze and then headed back down the stairs to help Walter with the bags.

Cat dragged herself up the rest of the stairs and back to her room where she sat down on the bed with a morose sigh. She lay down and stared up at the ceiling trying to convince herself that she was not upset about being left out of the mission. She closed her eyes for what seemed like only a second and when she opened them again the clock said 7:30. She looked around the dark room and her eyes landed on a black shadow in the corner. She froze for a moment and then relaxed, "What are you doing in here. Aren't you supposed to be going on that oh so special mission?"

"You're coming with me. Get dressed," he did not move from the corner and Cat strained her eyes to try and see his face.

"I can't Integra said that I have to stay here. She said it's really dangerous and everyone is going to be too busy to watch out for me," she rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in her comforter.

Alucard flung her uniform across the room so it landed on the bed next to her, "Just get dressed. I'll take you with me. You'll be fine with me of course, I can easily take care of things and look after you at the same time. Integra is just being extra cautious because now she is married and someone else has their unwanted personal opinion to give about your safety."

"You mean Alex? Who cares if she's married now she's not going to take orders from anyone. I really don't think it's just because Alex doesn't want me to go. If she doesn't want me to go it's probably for a very good reason and I really don't think that I should…"

"Would you just get dressed and come with me Katherine!" Alucard came out of the corner and the other shadows in the room quivered around their edges.

Cat stared for a moment with wide child like eyes. Alucard had yelled at her before, sure, but never so desperately. She slowly nodded her head and tried to find her voice, "Yeah okay…just…give me a minute to get ready." She slid off the bed and pulled her clothes along with her to the bathroom.

Why was it so urgent that she had to go with him when he knew it was against Integra's wishes? But, then again, when had that ever mattered. She got the feeling that he was plotting something, but what could he be plotting that involved her going on this specific mission? Was she being stupid by going along with him? It was not as though she had to. She could just refuse to get dressed and go to Integra and tell her Alucard was trying to force her to go. Would she even make it that far? He could always just grab her and pull her through one of his icy portals.

She was dressed and ready by now anyway and she was curious about the mission. She would be safe with Alucard, she always was.

"Are you ready?" he opened the door without waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, sure. So are you going to tell me what this mission is?" she folded her arms over her chest and pushed as much of the suspicion she could manage out of her mind.

"You remember the fairy children of course," he reached out and took her by the shoulder and began leading her to the window.

"Of course," she rolled her eyes. Like she could ever forget.

"Well, they were made by the Germans as you know. And what I've always liked about the Germans is the way they never give up even when they fail miserably. It's a very good quality in such a powerful country. Even somewhat endearing," he pulled the window opened and stepped out onto the roof.

"Endearing to something such as you, sure," Cat stood inside the room looking at him out the window and waiting to see what her next instructions were.

He reached his hand out to her and continued on his rant, "Well, they have yet again created some of their curious fairy creatures."

"More poor children?" she took his hand assuming she was meant to come out on the roof as well.

"They were far from poor Katherine. You should know that. No, they haven't created more fairy children. They realized their flaw in that soon after I disposed of them all. This time they have created fairy adults and nearly perfected the process I might add," he pulled her out through the window and she nearly tripped upon hearing this news.

"Well that is precisely why I'm not supposed to go!" she weakly attempted to climb back through the window, but he had a heavy grip on her wrist.

"Don't you want to finish what we started?" he smiled at her maliciously.

"Not really, no, I don't and it wasn't me who started anything it was you! I've just been dragged along this entire time like always. You're going to be in so much trouble if something happens to me," she glared at him hoping that being in trouble meant just a little bit to him.

"Would I ever let anything happen to you dear Katherine?" he opened up a dark hole in the chilly night air and smirked at her.

She managed her most sinister smirk back and thought to her self, "I'm really not sure anymore."