A/N: Thank you you guys so much for the favs/follows/reviews! I love them all!

I apologize for the delay but here is the next chapter!

Please enjoy!

"What do you think you are doing daydreaming during your lessons?!" Cynthia Thomas, Olivia's etiquette instructor, snapped as she smacked Olivia's wrist with a ruler. "You should have finished embroidering that handkerchief by now!"

Stone faced, Olivia dropped her embroidery onto her lap and nursed her wrist, not saying a word.

Ms. Thomas grabbed her by the chin and forced Olivia to look her in the eye, at her wits end with her once bubbly pupil.

"Tsk! Look at you! You have bangs under your eyes, your hair is oily, and you have lost weight you can't afford to!" Ms. Thomas shook her head, tutting under her breath. "Just what is going on with you, Olivia?"

Olivia just stared blankly ahead, her once vibrant green eyes now dull and gray.

For the past week and a half, she hadn't slept all.

Every time she closed her eyes, Alucard's past tormented her dreams and Olivia would wake up screaming, her pillow soaked in tears and her body drenched in sweat.

Even in her dreams Olivia couldn't save him in his childhood nor could she save the people he slaughtered in his adulthood.

So, she decided to not sleep anymore.

In fact, Olivia decided not to do anything anymore.

She stopped going on missions because the thought of killing anything made her vomit.

She stopped training because every time she picked up her bow, it became Vlad's sword.

And she stopped leaving her room all together because she didn't want to face the reality that the vampire she once loved had willingly slaughtered countless of innocent people and sacrificed his own subjects for the sake of his disillusioned goals.

She didn't care to know why Alucard served the very family that defeated him nor the details of his unlife as Count Dracula.

She wasn't curious about anything anymore.

Curiosity brought her nothing but torment.

The only interaction she had with the outside was when Martha brought her food (which was left untouched) and when Ms. Thomas came for her lessons, not allowing Olivia's isolation to halt her studies.

Olivia didn't have the energy to send her away and just sat there until Ms. Thomas either gave up or lectured her until she gave herself a headache.

"Look at yourself!" Ms. Thomas smacked her on the wrist again, noting that Olivia flinched but still didn't speak. "Where is the girl who was full of life and took pride in being a Hellsing soldier?! Where is the girl who made up for her shortcomings with hard work and enjoyed singing and dancing because it reminded her of her parents?! Where is she?! Where-?!"

Olivia shot out of her seat and threw the entire sewing kit box against the wall, causing Ms. Thomas to jump back in fright.

"If you are done," Olivia murmured, her voice hoarse from lack of use, "then please gather your things and leave, Ms. Thomas.…I've had enough for today."

"S-So she speaks!" Ms. Thomas stuttered, trying to compose herself. "And how dare you speak so plainly to your instructor! I taught you better than that!"

Olivia just walked away and sat on the edge of her bed, giving Ms. Thomas the silent treatment again.

"So be it then!" Ms. Thomas huffed, shoving her lesson plans into her bag and stomping towards the door. "I weep for this organization if one of its finest is a pitiful coward like you! I thought you were a strong minded young lady, Olivia, but I can see I was wrong!"

The door slammed shut behind her, rattling the empty tea cups on the table.

In the distance, Olivia could hear Martha chasing after Ms. Thomas, begging her to calm down, while her instructor ranted on about how Olivia was completely hopeless and she couldn't teach a student who wasn't willing to learn.

Throwing herself off the bed, Olivia sprinted towards the window and threw the curtains across it, plunging the room into complete darkness and shutting out the outside world.

Olivia knew she was causing trouble for everyone with her sudden isolation, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her room.

Not when she would have to face her biggest fear if she did.

Falling to the carpet, Olivia curled into the fetal position and buried her face against her knees, trying to block everything out.

She didn't know how to feel about Alucard or the organization anymore.

But, mostly, Olivia didn't know how to feel about herself.

Because….when she looked in the mirror, she saw not her reflection but little Vlad's.

Both she and he were driven by revenge for what had been taken from them, and Vlad let his anger and pain consume him.

That was Olivia's biggest fear: to end up becoming the very thing she despised.

For years, Olivia had fought against becoming a monster and justified her actions by telling herself she was killing the evil and saving the good. But, that was exactly how Vlad felt when he fought for his country and for his God.

So, in terms of justification, Olivia was no different than a ruthless, blood thirsty tyrant.

The vampire she had once loved and admired was no different than the people who drove her family out of Hungary.

What was she supposed to think of Alucard now?

What was she supposed to think of herself now?

Olivia's tears had run dry long ago, but her body still shook like she was crying.

"Anya, Apa," She whimpered, her hand going to her heart. "It still hurts…."

Walter's hands curled into fists as he stood outside of Olivia's door, listening to her muffled cries.

"That old bat was in there for only five minutes." He scoffed, slowly raising his right hand and letting it hover above the doorknob. "How long are you going to keep this up, Olivia?"

He had been there that morning when she began her isolation.

For some reason, he couldn't go back to sleep and decided to go ahead and start his chores.

As Walter exited his room and strutted down the hallway, he noticed Olivia's door was open and light was coming from it.

'I guess she can't sleep either.' Walter had thought to himself, approaching her doorway with a lazy grin. 'Maybe we can spar some before I make breakfast.'

"Hey, Olivia, why the hell are you up so….?" His voice trailed off as he realized the room was empty and the light was coming from a candle on its final wick.

A chill ran down Walter' spine as he crept further into the room, noticing Olivia's bed was untouched and her bath towel from the night prior lay on the ground near her vanity, meaning Olivia had abruptly left sometime during the night.

"Shit!" Walter hissed, slowly backing away towards the door. "Did she sneak off to the dungeon? If that idiot gets herself caught, I-!"

Walter nearly leapt out of his skin when his back made contact with something and he whirled around, ready to fight the sudden foe, only to find Olivia standing there, her eyes unfocused and blood caked on her knuckles.

"Jesus Christ, Olivia!" Walter cried out as he stumbled back. "What happened to you?!"

She was deathly pale, and as she slowly made eye contact with him, Walter felt his heart drop to his feet.

Olivia had the eyes of a corpse.

And then, in a voice that didn't sound like hers, she asked him to leave so she could sleep.

Walter's mind told him to demand answers, but his body obeyed her request and he quietly shut the door behind him, a million questions flooding his mind.

What the hell had happened to her?

Why were her knuckles bleeding like she had been fighting something?

D-Did Alucard do something to her?

That question in particular made Walter's blood boil, and he almost charged down to the dungeon and ripped that creature to shreds.

But he didn't.

Not because he was afraid of Alucard or too weak to fight him.

But because if Walter fought Alucard, Sir Hellsing would get involved and he would inevitably learn of Olivia's trips to the dungeons.

He couldn't let that happen, not when Olivia trusted him to keep it a secret.

So Walter bit his tongue and went down to the kitchen to start breakfast, hoping Olivia would come to the kitchen like usual and explain herself.

But…she never came and he hadn't seen her since.

Returning to the present, Walter placed his hand on the doorknob, a battle raging in his mind.

Now that Walter finally had the guts to seek her out, what could he say to make Olivia open up?

This was all foreign to him since it was always Olivia who reached out to him and rambled on about love and affection; Walter didn't believe in love or 'mushy shit like that' because those feelings would only hinder his work.

He was the Angel of Death—a nightmare to all creatures of the night and the loyal butler to the Hellsing family, nothing more and nothing less.

But Olivia was different.

She was a fearsome solider in her own right, but that didn't stop her from loving her master, the maid, the monster, and him with all her heart, believing them to be her family. Walter thought Olivia was stupid to think such a thing and detested it when she treated him like a younger brother.

But now….Olivia had locked herself away and Walter finally admitted to himself that maybe—just maybe—he missed her.

Just a tiny bit.

What could he do though?

If she wouldn't talk to Martha, she sure as hell wouldn't talk to him.

Ah, it was all so vexing!

Ripping his hand away from the knob, Walter kicked the wall opposite and marched down the hallway with steam pouring out of his ears.

"If she wants to isolate herself, then fine!" He grumbled under his breath. "I am not going to waste my time fretting over some stupid girl!"

Yet, as he did his chores, Olivia continued to plague his mind and he found himself making mistakes where he shouldn't have.

Burning Arthur's macarons to a crisp.

Tearing a hole in the curtains.

And now, dropping a very expensive vase that belonged to Arthur's father.

"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Walter kicked the porcelain shards to the side and bolted down the hallway. "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

Arthur's office came into sight and he threw the double doors open, finding Martha pouring Arthur a cup of tea.

"Good morning, Walter." Arthur greeted, casually sipping his tea as if he'd been expecting him to burst through the door. "Finished dusting the foyer already?"

"Sir Hellsing!" Walter slammed his hands on the desk and glared at his superior, forgetting decorum for the moment. "What are you going to do about Olivia?! She hasn't left her room in days, and I am tired of waiting for something to happen! Please do something before she withers away!"

Appalled at Walter's impertinence, Martha pleaded for him to calm down, while Arthur simply took another sip of his tea before setting it down on the platter.

"What do you want me to do, Walter?" He clasped his hands together and leered down at the boy. "Drag her out by her hair and demanded she fight? Shove a funnel into her mouth and force food down her throat? I don't know what happened to her, but maybe you can give me a clue. You obviously have something to say if you are going to tear my door down like that."

Arthur held a hand out in invitation, while Walter gulped and took a step back, wilting slightly under his iron gaze.

"Forgive me, Sir Hellsing. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything." He bowed at the waist. "I just think it is ridiculous for Olivia's isolation to go on for so long. That is all."

Arthur studied him for a moment before nodding and leaning back in his chair.

"I understand your concern, and you are correct. This has gone on long enough, and I need to put my foot down. I do care about Olivia and she has helped Hellsing tremendously but like I said before, this is an organization and I need soldiers, not children. If she doesn't have a change in attitude by the end of the week, I will dismiss her from Hellsing. That is my final decision and I will stand by it."

"What?!" Walter and Martha exclaimed in unison, not fazing Arthur in the slightest as he continued to drink his tea.

"Ar-I mean, Sir Hellsing," Martha gulped, wringing her apron in her hands. "You can't mean that! Olivia will have nowhere to go!"

"Then she better get her act together. She made the choice to be a solider, but if she is having second thoughts, then I have no choice but to let her go." Arthur then turned and made eye contact with Walter. "Olivia is your partner, right? Why demand action from me when you spend the most time in her company out of the rest of us? Why haven't you done anything?"

"That's because….I….I don't…" Walter balled his hands into fists and stared at the ground, unable to give Sir Hellsing a clear answer.

Martha watched the war raging inside Walter and cleared her throat, taking Arthur's attention off the young butler.

"Well, it is almost 5 pm and I need to run some errands. Walter, please accompany me and let Sir Hellsing get back to his work."

"Huh? Why do you need my help? You can-Ack!" Martha grabbed him by the ear and proceeded to drag him out of the office, ignoring his threats with ease.

"We shall return before nightfall, Sir Hellsing." She bowed before closing the door behind her, Walter's shouts still audible through the cracks.

Arthur stared at the documents on his desk for a moment before facing the picture frame nestled at the edge of his desk which held a portrait Olivia had drawn for him.

It was supposed to be a portrait of him but the proportions were so far off that it resembled a mole rather than a human.

He chuckled and ran a finger down the glass covering, a melancholy smile on his face.

"Don't you dare give up now, Olivia." He muttered, letting his true feelings show. "Don't you dare go back on your promise and force me to go back on mine too."

"You were very bold in Sir Hellsing's office." Martha hummed as they walked down the sidewalk. "You should apologize when we return."

Walter didn't reply, his hands stuffed in his coat pockets as he hopped over the rubble from the last airstrike.

The once lively, bright city was now nothing more than a wasteland of bomb shelters, debris, and a canvas for war propaganda posters.

Hellsing hadn't been called to participate in the war, but if the time came, Walter figured it would be rather exciting and maybe he could show those Yanks overseas a thing or two.

Olivia, on the other hand, had confided in him about how she loathed war, although if Sir Hellsing ordered her to fight, then she would.

'Such a stupid girl.' He kicked at the charred remains of a post box absentmindedly, recalling how distraught Olivia was whenever they discussed the war's progression. 'A soldier fires when ordered and shouldn't bother with the details.'

But that was what made Olivia who she was, and even if he had the power, Walter wouldn't change that about her.

Martha continued to study him, noting the far off look in his eyes and the tiny smile on his face.

"You really do care about Olivia, don't you?" She whispered, smiling when he screeched to a stop and scowled up at her. "Well, don't you?"

To be honest, Walter didn't know how he felt about Olivia.

He accepted her as a worthy comrade and occasional rival since their bickering did bring some entertainment into his life, and he enjoyed her presence while he did his chores, even though Olivia had a tendency to go off on tangents.

So, in summary, Walter liked her and, when he wasn't busy liking her, he was irritated with her.

And when he wasn't busy either liking or being irritated with her, Walter felt….well, he didn't know what to call it but it definitely wasn't love.

He would rather chug a can of moldy sardines than be burdened with loving someone, especially Olivia of all people.

But, at the same time, he wasn't completely disgusted by the idea.

Ugh, it was all her fault for locking herself away and forcing him to think such foolish thoughts.

He was The Angel of Death, for God's sake!

And yet, despite his reluctance and confusion, Walter knew he wanted to see Olivia again and he was willing to play the fool if that was the cost of having his partner back.

And when Olivia did come back, Walter would make sure to get his revenge.

"Don't overthink it, Walter." Martha smiled, patting him on the head. "Just be yourself and do what your heart tells you to."

Walter thought that was rich coming from Martha of all people since she loved Arthur but never confessed, always insisting she was a simple maid and it would be improper to cross the line.

'You've already slept with him numerous times, I think the 'proper' line has already been crossed.'

Walter didn't care about his master's affairs because it wasn't any of his business, but unlike the other women, Martha actually grew up with Arthur since she has served the Hellsing family since she was a small child.

But that was for another time.

"…I don't know if my words will reach her." Walter confessed, looking like the child he was for once. "Olivia is the one who is full of warmth and affection. Not me. She has comforted me countless times over the years, yet I don't….I don't know if I can do the same. I might end up making it worse."

Martha placed a hand on her chest, suddenly remembering that Walter was only an eleven year old boy who still had yet to develop emotionally.

Since birth, Walter had been groomed to be a soldier and a butler for the Hellsing family and never had a chance to interact with children around his age until Olivia came along. Olivia was the first person to treat him like a friend rather than a soldier, and Martha could only assume how confused and uncertain the usually confident and iron hearted boy felt.

Sighing, Martha got down on one knee and placed a reassuring hand on Walter's shoulder.

"You know more about her than Sir Hellsing and I do. If there is anyone who can reach out to Olivia, it is you, Walter. And maybe Olivia doesn't need words, but actions. If you don't think your words will suffice, let your actions do the talking then. "

Walter mulled over Martha's words before nodding, a determined glint in his eyes.

"I understand. Please excuse me then, Martha. There is something I need to do."

And Martha watched him sprint back towards the estate and whispered a small prayer under her breath.

"Please, God, let Walter's feelings reach her before it's too late. And…may I be able to follow his example someday."

Upon his return to the estate, Walter locked himself in his room and got right to work

As part of his butler duties, Walter had taken up studying weapon making in the hopes of creating first class weapons to add to Hellsing's arsenal.

But he never thought he would be using his skills to make something as trivial as this, yet Walter knew this was the only way he could reach out to Olivia.

When the clock struck midnight and the moon was high in the sky, Walter smugly admired his handiwork and patted himself on the back.

And since he was already in the deep end, Walter scribbled a few words down on stationary paper before wrapping it and his creation in an old handkerchief and used one of his ties as a ribbon.

Then, after looking both ways, he slipped out of his bedroom and tiptoed down the hallway, on high alert for anyone who could still be awake.

In hindsight, there was no need for Walter to sneak around, but if one of the other soldiers caught him with a handmade gift, that would be another strike against Olivia after he kicked the unfortunate soul's ass to kingdom come.

When he finally reached her bedroom door, he hesitated again, staring down at the gift in his hand before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door.

"Olivia, it's me! Open up!"

There was no reply, so Walter knocked harder.

"Hey! Wake up! I need to talk to you!"

Once again, no reply.

'Fine! To hell with being polite!'

Walter placed the gift inside his vest and kicked the door open, hearing a squeak of surprise drifting from the inside.

The room was pitch dark so he flicked on the lights and found the room in disarray and Olivia huddled under the blankets.

"Get up, Olivia. I know you aren't asleep." Walter marched up to her bed and glared at the mound beneath the blankets. "We need to talk. Now."

The mound shifted under the blanket, yet she still didn't reply.

Running a hand down his face, Walter took a seat on the edge of the bed and crossed his legs.

"I'm not leaving until you look at me, so might as well get it over with, Olivia."

All was silent for a minute before a pale hand slithered out from inside the blankets and pulled them down until Olivia was staring him in the eye.

"You look fucking awful." Walter stated immediately, wondering how a twelve—almost thirteen—year old girl could look like she was seventy. "When was the last time you took a bath? You reek of sweat."

He reached out to brush the hair out of her eyes, but she pushed his hand away and turned on her side, facing away from him.

"What do you want, Walter?" Olivia murmured, wondering why Walter of all people had come to see her, especially at such a late hour. "You should be in bed. Sir Hellsing will be angry if you are too tired to work tomorrow."

"I'm not the one who has been locked away for almost two weeks." Walter fired back, crossing his arms and leaning against one of the bedposts. "So….care to explain yourself?"

Olivia didn't reply, staring at the wall and wishing Walter would just go away.

She didn't need his sharp tongue right now nor was she in the mood to rebuke him like usual.

She just wanted to be left alone.

"Still not talking then?" He sighed before leaning forward and whispering in her ear. "Are you aware that Sir Hellsing is going to kick you out if you don't stop this foolishness at once?"

Olivia's body stiffened and her eyes widened a fraction of an inch.

'W-What? Sir Hellsing is actually going to kick me out?' Then she thought about who Sir Hellsing was and closed her eyes. 'No, I shouldn't be surprised. Sir Hellsing's priority is to his organization and nothing else.'

"So, are you going to let him toss you out on the streets or are you going to tell me what the hell is causing you to act like a feeble rabbit?" Walter inquired, pleased with the progress he was making and how the words flowed easily from his mouth.

Martha was right. It was easier to be himself.

Olivia pulled the blanket up to her nose, debating whether to tell Walter what happened or not. On one hand, she knew it was only a matter of time before her isolation bore consequences, but at the same time, her fear of continuing her lifestyle and becoming like Vlad outweighed her fear of losing her home.

Nothing could be worse than becoming a monster…right?

So, she gradually began to pull the blanket back over her head, but Walter wouldn't allow it.

No, he didn't spend days worrying about Olivia just to have her shut him out.

"Enough!" Walter ripped the blanket off her and pinned Olivia in place. "I've had enough! I don't know what the hell Alucard did, but the Olivia I know would never want to leave Hellsing willingly! She came here on a mission and nothing was going to stand in her way! Not God, not the Devil, and definitely not some vampire on a leash!" He punched the pillow next to her head and his body hunched over so Olivia could only see the top of his head.

Olivia laid there in stunned silence, never expecting Walter to be so vocal with his emotions.

Then, something happened that shocked her further.

Walter's form began to quiver, and when he made eye contact with Olivia, she could still see the anger in his face but also…sorrow.

"How fucking dare you?! You always babble on about how we are your family and you will defend us to the very end, but then something happens and you suddenly give up?! You blood coward!" This time Walter punched her in the face before hoisting her up to his eye level by the front of her nightgown. "Does Alucard have that much of a hold on you?! What about your family that you swore to avenge?! What about the people you swore to protect?! What about Sir Hellsing and Martha?! What about me?!" His voice cracked as he jostled her roughly. "I….I won't let Sir Hellsing throw you out on the street! I will protect you like you protect me because…" Walter shut his eyes as he forced the vile words to come out, "because….you are my family too, Olivia."

After years of him denying it, to finally hear Walter consider her his family…Olivia felt her heart skip a beat and the gray in her eyes faded away slightly.

"Do…." She gulped, staring into his eyes. "Do you…really mean that, Walter?"

"Don't make me repeat myself!" He jostled her again, embarrassed to act so weak in front of her. "You always ask me to trust you, so now, I demand the same from you! Tell me what happened that night! I'm not leaving here until you do!"

Olivia didn't think it was possible for her to cry again, and yet the tears flowed freely from her eyes as she feebly nodded and confessed everything.

Hearing Walter, the great Angel of Death, call her his family and comfort her by tearing through the wall she had built around herself, it was like a splash of cold water to the face.

"So Alucard showed you his past." Walter mumbled, taking a moment to think before punching Olivia again. "That is why you became a literal zombie?! You are bigger idiot than I thought!"

"But I have the same reasoning as him!" Olivia fired back, her fears rearing their ugly heads again. "What if I kill all the demons in the world, and I desire more?! What if I keep killing until there is nothing left standing and I become no different than the monsters I've hunted? What if I become just like Alucard?!"

There, she had said it.

And what did Walter do?

He threw his head back and laughed, taking Olivia completely off-guard again.

"Wh-What is so funny?!" She demanded, still being jostled as Walter continued to laugh his guts out. "I open my heart to you, and you answer by laughing at me?!"

"It's because you are such a stupid girl! The thought of you becoming like Alucard?! Bahahaha! You can barely aim a gun let alone shoot one!"

"What?!" Olivia snapped, grabbing him by the collar and flipping him over, still finding the strength to put Walter in his place. "You know damn well I can outshoot you anytime, anywhere! Don't underestimate me, you obnoxious brat!"

And at the sight of Olivia's vexed face after so long, Walter couldn't help but smile and cup her face in his hands.

"There you are." He whispered, not minding that the 'not love' feeling was fluttering in his chest. "You stupid, cowardly girl, are you really that weak minded? Didn't you say you were in control of your own destiny or was all that just bullshit?"

All anger dissolved from Olivia as Walter continued to smile and caress her face, when suddenly….she felt it.

That fire that made her take Alucard's hand that day and what caused her to constantly reaffirm she would maintain her humanity was burning brightly in her chest once more.

She was Olivia Emese Song, a proud soldier of Hellsing, and nothing could take that from her.

Nothing.

She wasn't some pawn of fate and was in charge of her own destiny.

Alucard may have taken another road in his life, but that didn't mean she would do the same.

She would fight to maintain her humanity and would not allow her past to cloud her future.

And all it took for Olivia to remember her vow was for Walter to beat some sense into her.

Literally.

"You obnoxious brat," Olivia chuckled under her breath, smiling for the first time in days. "Don't you know? In order to be brave, you must first be a coward."

Walter rolled his eyes and shoved her off of him, figuring if she was spouting corny bullshit, then she was the Olivia he knew once again.

But for Olivia, while she had regained her grasp on reality, Alucard's past still haunted her.

She couldn't go back to being that naïve little girl who believed he wasn't a monster and defended him until her dying breath.

No, Olivia now knew what kind of creature Alucard truly was…and yet, her heart still ached at the thought of him.

But, for right now, Olivia had found her fire again and that was enough.

Smiling, Olivia reached out and took Walter's hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over his palm.

"Thank you, Walter. You really are an angel."

He swatted her hand away with a scowl and rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes to the ground.

"Oh come off of it. You can thank me tomorrow by dragging your bony ass to breakfast. I need you at a reasonable weight again so I can kick your ass for making me act like such a sap."

Olivia giggled and nodded, feeling how oily her hair was.

"I'll make sure to take a bath first."

"Please do." Walter wrinkled his nose as he headed to the door. "Well, now that I've done my duty, I guess I'll catch up on the sleep you've robbed me of."

"Don't blame me." She mumbled, a teasing grin on her face as Walter left the room…and immediately came back in.

"Shit, I nearly forgot about this." He dug into the inside of his vest and tossed a small 'package' into her lap. "I spent seven hours making that, so you better appreciate it."

And he was gone again.

Curious, Olivia unwrapped the 'package' and gasped as she took in its contents.

Nestled in the center of the handkerchief were three silver bracelets that shone in the light and a note that read:

Olivia, I nearly burnt my hand three times to make these damn things so you better wear them forever.

Silver is supposed to symbolize protection, so wear these and fight alongside me again.

I'll even let you call me your little brother if you so damn well please.

Like the breaking of a dam, Olivia clutched the gift to her chest and wept once again.

Only this time, her tears were of happiness and not sorrow.

"Thank you, Walter." She whimpered, the bracelets pulsing against her chest. "I will not falter again…..This I promise you."

Sir Hellsing had just finished his final report for the night when there was a knock at his door.

'It must be my date.' He quickly checked his breath and smoothed back his hair before giving the order to enter, a slight purr in his voice.

Except the person who entered was not a lady of the night, but Olivia.

From her wrinkled nightgown to her bruised cheek, she looked like a total train wreck. Yet, the silver bracelets she wore on her right wrist and the familiar gleam in her eyes told Arthur the White Rabbit had returned to them.

"So you've finally reclaimed your fire, Olivia?" Arthur smirked, leaning back in his chair and plucking out a cigarette from his coat pocket.

"Yes, Sir Hellsing. I apologize for my absence, and I intend to make up for lost time." Olivia bowed with her hands clasped behind her back. "I thank you for your patience."

"If you want to earn my forgiveness, then take a bath and get a goodnight's sleep." He retorted, reaching into a cabinet and slamming a thick pile of folders on top of his desk. "You have quite a busy day of catching ahead of you, Ms. Song."

"I understand, Sir Hellsing." She bowed once more, this time maintaining eye contact. "But before I take my leave, I would like to ask for a favor."

"A favor?" Arthur snorted, lighting his cigarette and taking a long drag before exhaling. "You isolate yourself for days on end and now you are asking me for a favor?"

"If you would please, Sir Hellsing." She pleaded, her eyes burning into his.

Taking another drag, Arthur exhaled a large stream of smoke before extinguishing his cigarette and leaning forward in his chair.

"Alright," He nodded, intrigued by what she could possible want from him. "Enlighten me on this favor of yours, Olivia."

A/N: Olivia is still not completely okay. For now, she feels secure but the next chapter, her struggles continue. And Walter is still only eleven. He is learning how to deal with people, so I figured it would be awkward for him to comfort Olivia, but once he got into it, he would be able to convey his emotions eloquently. And Walter and Olivia have grown up together and only have each other. Tomodachis for life! And Olivia's struggles are not over, although this was quite a battle in her fight to maintain her humanity. Olivia really did look up to Alucard, so seeing his fall from grace would make her question herself, but with a little help from Walter, she remembers who she is and that she won't let anything keep from from clinging to her humanity. Her confrontation with Alucard and the favor she asks of Sir Hellsing will be in the next chapter! And yes, the bracelets Walter made are the ones Olivia wears in all the cover art!

Thank you very much for reading! Please leave a review and look forward to the next chapter!