A/N: I thank you all for the lovely favs/follows/and reviews! I love them all and you all so much!

The chapter title is based off the song "So She Dances" by Josh Groban, and there is a link to it on my profile! Give it a listen!

Please enjoy! I welcome all new and returning readers!

Walter loathed restless nights.

After spending all day cleaning up after his master and managing the domestic affairs of the estate, he wanted nothing more than to pass out for the few hours he had before repeating the same cycle the following morning. Unfortunately, sleep was eluding him so Walter decided to head down to one of the training rooms and let loose on some unfortunate mannequins.

Lighting up his third cigarette in the past hour, Walter strolled down the dim hallway with his hands in his pockets and savored the rush of nicotine. He had stolen a pack from Sir Hellsing's desk since they were high quality unlike the generic brands sold in the smoke shops.

'This war better end soon,' Walter grumbled to himself, sliding down the foyer stairway banister. 'The government keeps rationing shit and hoards the decent crap for themselves.'

Then, just as his feet were back on the floor, he heard something drifting from the second floor.

"The hell?" He turned around and strained to listen, soon realizing it was someone singing at the top of their lungs. "It is 2 in the morning! Who on Earth could that be?!"

Peeved, Walter marched back up the stairs and followed the singing to its source. It sounded like the mysterious songstress was doing vocal warm-ups since they were vocalizing syllables rather than singing lyrics. But even so, Walter had to admit the voice was pleasing to listen to. The voice was soothing yet strong, and he could tell they were putting their heart and soul into it. Now his curiosity was starting to outweigh his irritation, and moments later, Walter found himself standing in front of the ballroom double doors.

The doors were slightly ajar, allowing the chandelier's light and the voice's melody to flood out into the hallway.

'It must be Martha.' Walter sighed, leaning forward to peek inside. 'She is probably cleaning or something and forgot to close the door.'

But, as Walter peered into the room, he nearly choked on his cigarette at the sight of not Martha but Olivia standing in the middle of the dancefloor.

'What the-?!' He rubbed his eyes to make sure this wasn't some bizarre dream. 'Olivia?! Ms. Tone deaf can actually sing now?! This can't be real!'

But it was real.

There she was, swaying back and forth in her nightgown as she showed off a year's worth of harsh vocal lessons from an equally harsh instructor. Her voice didn't crack anymore, and her transitions from key to key were no longer choppy but smooth.

'Damn, the old bat is a miracle worker if she can tame the screeching banshee.' Walter noted, unconsciously leaning closer and closer.

Unaware she had an audience, Olivia continued to practice, her eyes closed and a concentrated expression on her face. And as Walter watched her, he noticed her singing ability wasn't the only part of her that changed. Perhaps it was the lighting, but Olivia looked…older, more mature and refined compared to the insecure, starry eyed child he met almost six years old. She now carried herself with confidence and grace on and off the battlefield, and Walter wondered if he had grown as well. He would soon be twelve and the quicker he left childhood behind, the better.

Lost in his thoughts, Walter didn't notice his cigarette tumble out of his mouth until it landed on his hand.

"Shit!" Walter jumped back and swatted the cigarette away, giving away his position. As a result, the singing ceased, and he gazed up to find Olivia leering in his direction with Sic Parvis Magna in hand.

"W-Walter?!" Olivia gasped before a scowl graced her face. "You scared me to death! What are you doing up at this hour?!"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Walter fired back, stamping the cigarette out with his heel. "I heard your 'singing' from the bottom floor! You could wake the dead with such racket!"

"I don't see Alucard here, do you?" She made a dramatic show of inspecting the room from top to bottom. "And I will have you know that Ms. Thomas said I have improved substantially, so my singing cannot be a 'racket' as you claim it to be."

Walter just glared at her and crossed his arms as he walked into the ballroom, never in a million years willing to admit Ms. Thomas was correct.

"Why are you practicing so late? Sir Hellsing isn't going to be pleased if you are half awake during the briefing tomorrow."

"Well, I had an epiphany just as I was going to sleep." Olivia laughed, sitting down and patting the spot next to her. "I hopped out of bed, wrote down the lyrics, and raced over to hear how it would sound in the ballroom."

"And what was this epiphany?" Walter sat next to her, noticing her fingers were bandaged. "Care to share?"

Olivia grinned and scooted closer to whisper in his ear.

"I am going to steal Sir Hellsing's heart."

"…..Come again?"

"Well, Martha has confessed to me that she loves him yet she foolishly believes he is too good for her, and Sir Hellsing is too thick to realize her dilemma. So, if I can make Sir Hellsing realize how wonderful and enticing Martha is, then he will confess and there won't be anything to stop her from accepting the relationship! And, in addition to the song, I have a little trick up my sleeve to ensure he will have eyes for no one else but Martha!" At this she flexed her bandaged fingers and threw her hands in the air. "They will be married by the coming winter, and we will all be a happy family together!"

Walter just stared at her in disbelief.

'Nevermind. She is still the same as before.' He sighed and reached into his vest pocket to pull out his lighter and another cigarette when Olivia placed her hands over his.

"What are you-?" His voice caught in his throat as Olivia leaned in close, their noses almost touching. "H-Hey! I can smell your-!"

"Wow," Olivia blinked before a wide smile broke out across her face. "You've grown quite a bit, haven't you?"

"Eh?!" Walter felt the hair strand up on his neck. 'Can she read minds?!'

"No, really. Your baby fat is almost gone, your eyes have gotten brighter, and look," She lifted up his left hand and placed her palm against it. "See, they are almost the same size! Once upon a time, your hand was about the size of my palm!"

"You make it sound like I was some type of gremlin." He scoffed, finding it difficult to imagine his hand was once that tiny.

"That is because you were, and sometimes still are, but," She kissed him on the nose and laughed. "You are a handsome gremlin, and I'm proud to see how much you've grown."

Walter wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended or pleased, so he settled for a mixture of both.

"Your hands are cold and clammy, you twit."

"I love you too, Walter." Olivia cooed, placing another kiss on his nose. "Make sure to grow up into a proper English gentleman."

"Stop treating me like a kid." Walter yanked his hand away and rubbed the 'Olivia germs' off on his pant leg. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to, I guess it's just the old big sister instincts kicking in again." She sighed, reaching out to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "But don't grow up too fast. The day you get taller than me, I will cry because you'll be all grown up."

"But when I do get taller than you, will you treat me like an adult?" He wanted to slap himself for revealing one of his deepest wishes in such a childish manner.

"I do treat you like an adult." Olivia giggled, kissing him on the nose again.

"Well you are doing a terrible job, you prick." Walter swatted her away, immediately regretting the words and action as a crestfallen expression fell upon Olivia's face. 'Fucking fantastic, Walter. Now you really are acting like a four year old brat!'

"What's got you in such a foul mood?" Olivia placed a hand on his shoulder, concern and sorrow laced in her tone. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." He pushed her hand away and shot up to his feet. "I feel tired all of a sudden. I'm going back to bed."

"Wait, Walter," Olivia latched onto his sleeve before he could take a step away. "I have been meaning to ask you something."

"….What is it?"

"You can play the violin, right?"

"….Yes?"

"Then could you play at the ceremony? I have the sheet music in my room and you will play alongside the other soldiers I have asked."

"…I thought we were hiring an official band."

"We are in the middle of a war, Walter. Besides, a band with Hellsing soldiers will drive my point home." Olivia got on her knees and clasped her hands together in prayer. "Please, Walter, you are a talented violinist, and it would mean the world to me if you were a part of this."

He stared down at her pleading expression, the guilt of taking out his frustrations on her still gnawing away at his stomach.

"…Fine." He sighed, hoping this gesture would make up for his tactlessness.

"Yay! Thank you, Walter!" Olivia picked him up and spun him around. "I'll drop the sheet music by your room in the morning. We only have six months left, so let's work hard together!"

Then she skipped out of the room, leaving Walter to crack his back from her iron grip.

"Stupid Rabbit."

Then, just as he was leaving the ballroom, he noticed a familiar black dog perched behind one of the pillars. It flashed him a haughty grin before vanishing out of sight, and Walter's hands curled into fists as he scowled at where the dog once was.

'Filthy mongrel."

The day of Olivia's 14th birthday/graduation party soon arrived and Sir Hellsing couldn't help but applaud her for her diligence over the past year.

In addition to composing a piece for her presentation, Olivia had also decorated the ballroom herself and even invited Sir Islands and Sir Penwood to the celebration. He asked her if she would also invite Richard, and Olivia nearly snapped an arrow in half at such a horrible idea; Arthur allowed the idea to slide since he knew Olivia and Richard weren't exactly best friends.

Taking a sip of his champagne, Arthur carefully scanned the circular ballroom. Blue streamers hung from pillar to pillar, and bouquets of blue hydrangeas were placed on every table. Hugh and Shelby were off chatting near the desserts table, and Walter was tuning his violin with the other 'musicians'; Arthur just learned that quite a few of his soldiers were musically proficient. And the star of the show, Olivia, was discussing something in great deal with Ms. Thomas. For some reason, Olivia opted out of dressing up and instead, reminiscent of her first days here, wore a button-up, slacks, and tie like Walter. When he asked her why, she just smiled cryptically and said she wasn't the crown jewel of the party today. He had no idea what that meant and was going to confide in Martha about it, when he noticed she was nowhere in sight.

"Where on Earth could she be?" Arthur mumbled into his drink, looking for the comforting sight of curly red hair when Alucard suddenly appeared beside him.

"Would you like me to fetch her, Master?"

"Alucard?!" Arthur spat out his champagne and braced himself against a pillar. "Did I give you permission to come up here?! This is a private party, invitations only!"

"Ah, but I was invited." He gestured to Olivia, who immediately waved at him. "I will follow your every order, Master, but I am here under her orders as well."

"Who do you answer to again? Me or her?" Arthur grumbled before sighing. "Well, besides Walter and the soldier band, Hugh and Shelby are the only outside attendees and they already know about you, so I don't see any harm in you staying. But one wrong move and it is back to the dungeon with you. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Alucard bowed deeply with his hand over his chest. "You are too kind to me, Master."

"Hmm." Arthur's attention was quickly placed back on Olivia as she cleared her throat and greeted everyone.

"I thank you all for coming out to celebrate my graduation. Hopefully I have grown to be a young woman worthy of high society." Walter snickered at this and Olivia's glare was so sharp it could cut through steel. "Ahem, anyways, to properly showcase my studies and to thank Ms. Thomas for her guidance, I have prepared a song for your listening pleasure. Please enjoy."

She gestured for the band to start, and as an enchanting melody filled the room, Arthur was surprised that Olivia did not walk towards the center of the floor but to the doors.

Olivia glanced at him over her shoulder and shot him another cryptic smile before opening the doors as she began to sing.

A waltz when she walks in the room

And there was Martha, wearing a blue dress with sequins sewn into the bodice and woven through her hair. In all his years, Arthur had never seen Martha wearing anything other than her uniform and his mouth suddenly felt dry. As for Martha, she blushed under all the attention she was receiving, but allowed Olivia to lead her inside, her eyes on no one else but Arthur.

She pulls back the hair from her face

She turns to the window to sway in the moonlight

Even her shadow has grace

Then Olivia took Martha's hands in hers and began to dance with her, showcasing how gorgeous and ethereal Martha looked as she twirled around the floor. Olivia wanted the melody and visuals to capture Arthur's heart, so he would never want to dance with another. And from the awestruck look on his face, it was working.

A waltz for the girl out of reach

She lifts her hands up to the sky

She moves with the music

The song is her lover

The melody's making her cry

Walter played his violin with ease, watching Olivia and Martha waltz around and recalling the night from six months ago.

'So this was the plan you were conjuring up. How clever of you.'

Then his gaze turned to Alucard, who was laughing at his master's flushed face and mumbling something that made Sir Hellsing's ears turn red. But…he also didn't miss how Alucard was also watching Olivia and he nearly hit a sour note at that.

So she dances

In and out of the crowd like a glance

This romance is

From afar calling me silently

Martha was perplexed the day Olivia approached her with a plea to be part of her performance, with the promise to make her a beautiful dress. Sewing was never one of Olivia's fortes, so when she presented the gown to her this morning, Martha could see the love and dedication in every stich, and her chest was full of warmth as she pulled it on. And accompanied with Olivia's singing and how Arthur's eyes were glued on her, Martha felt like a princess and as beautiful as Arthur's high class women. Maybe even more beautiful in fact. And from the knowing grin on Olivia's face, that is exactly what she was supposed to feel.

'What a fine young woman you have become.' Martha held back a sob as she grinned back at her. 'Thank you so much, my little Olivia.'

A waltz for the chance I should take

But how will I know where to start?

She's spinning between constellations and dreams

Her rhythm is my beating heart

Then, with only a glance as his warning, Olivia suddenly twirled Martha out of her arms and into Arthur's, jumping back and spinning around as the music crescendoed.

So she dances

In and out of the crowd like a glance

Arthur and Martha could only stare at each other, frozen in place as Olivia's voice goaded them on from the side.

This romance is

From afar calling me silently

I can't keep on watching forever

I give up this view just to tell her

Then, finally realizing who he had in his arms, Arthur smiled and Martha did the same. This beautiful, supportive, benevolent, crafty, patient woman was in his arms and he knew he never wanted to dance with another. So, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, Arthur moved his hands to the proper position as they began to waltz.

When I close my eyes I can see

The spotlights are bright on you and me

We've got the floor

And you're in my arms

How could I ask for more?

So she dances

In and out of the crowd like a glance

This romance is

From afar calling me silently

I can't keep on watching forever

And I'm givin' up this view just to tell her

And as the music slowly faded away, Olivia watched in anticipation as Arthur and Marta slowed to a stop, drowning in each other's eyes. Then, Arthur wrapped his arms around Martha's waist and drew her in for a kiss.

A public kiss.

A public kiss acknowledging true feelings for the other, regardless of social class or position.

Olivia nearly broke her wrists applauding as the rest of the party soon joined in.

Sir Penwood and Sir Islands shot each other knowing glances as they applauded, both well aware of the attraction between their friend and his maid, and Ms. Thomas discreetly wiped her eyes, not wanting to show how proud she was, while the soldiers whistled and cheered for their boss.

Olivia wrapped her arms around herself, feeling like her heart was about to burst.

'I did it. I made Martha's wish come true!'

She turned to Walter who was fighting back a smile and she shot him a thumbs up, which he quickly reciprocated. Then, Olivia turned to Alucard who was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed, that infamous grin on his face. Without saying a word, Olivia grasped the ends of her imaginary skirt and curtsied, mouthing out 'A performance worthy of a prince?'

And she could see his chest rise and fall as he laughed and nodded, and Olivia felt like she could fly.

Nothing could ruin this feeling.

…Nothing.

A/N: *bangs pots and pans together* A storm is coming! A storm is coming! Now, we can get into the nitty gritty of the fic and move towards the final part of this arc, which leads right into The Dawn. But I just wanted to have one happy, lovey chapter before violence and pain start back up again.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review! I love them so much!

And I'll see you in the next chapter! Please look forward to it! :D