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

Here is the next chapter and it is another emotional one!

Please enjoy it and I welcome all new and returning readers!

And, Anthem of the Night, your reviews never fail to make me laugh. :D

"Do you hate me?" Arthur leaned against one of the tables in his laboratory with his hands in his pockets, staring at the battered, beaten girl in front of him. "Do you resent me for deceiving you? For making you my puppet and giving you the power to control Alucard against your will?"

Olivia didn't reply, choosing to keep her head bowed and her hands at her side.

"Well answer me." Arthur prodded. "Do you hate me for cursing your arm?"

Olivia just stood still and stared at the linoleum floor with a blank expression for a while longer before finally answering.

"…..I don't feel anything," Her voice was raspy and coarse like a rusty knife scraping against a glass bottle. "I don't hate you. All that matters is we won. The end justifies the means, r—ight?"

Arthur closed his eyes when he heard Olivia's voice crack and the injury on his wrist suddenly felt like it was on fire.

"Olivia…." He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he pulled out his pistol from inside his jacket and held it out to her. "Go ahead and shoot me in the arm. I won't call for the guards and Alucard won't attack you, I promise you."

"You….promise…?" Olivia muttered, her right hand twitching. "Are you sure about that, Sir Hellsing?"

"Olivia—!"

"With your permission, I would like to check on Walter in the hospital ward and get my wounds dressed before I stain your floor further." She bowed and turned to leave. "Goodnight, Sir Hellsing."

"Don't you want your revenge?" His words made Olivia stop, but she didn't turn to face him.

"….For the past eight years, I've been driven by nothing but revenge. I have killed both the monstrous and the innocent without ceasing. And I will continue to kill because that is all I know how to do. But for tonight," She finally looked him in the eye and Arthur felt like he had been hit by lightning. "I think I have done enough killing." She bowed once again, the movement causing the 'bandages' on her arm to slip off and reveal the tar-like skin underneath. "I will take my leave now. Congratulations on your victory, Sir Arthur Hellsing."

Then she left and Arthur fiddled with the pistol's hammer, a wry smile growing across his face.

"Yes….I believe that's enough killing for tonight too." He removed the bullets from the cylinder and tossed the pistol into the incinerator. "I believe that is enough for a lifetime."

The war didn't officially end until a year later on September 02, 1945.

The streets were filled with cheers and cries of celebration that had not been heard in years, and Olivia listened it all as she hung the laundry out to dry. For a moment, she paused and allowed a single tear to cascade down her cheek as she waited for a similar sense of jubilation to wash over her.

But it never came, so Olivia wiped the tear away and continued to pin a sheet to the clothes line.

For the past year, Olivia had taken on the household chores while Walter focused on studying for his admittance into Oxford the following summer. Her cooking and cleaning were nowhere near as immaculate as Walter's, but no one dared to complain. Olivia still spoke when addressed and wasn't rude when approached, but it was obvious her mental state had declined since the Warsaw operation. That bubbly, naïve little girl who played pranks on Walter and babbled on question after question was nothing but a distant memory. Now, as a 17-year old girl, Olivia appeared to be walking through life purely out of obligation than passion.

And the same could be said about Walter, who isolated himself in his room with the excuse of studying when it wasn't humanly possible to study fourteen hours straight without a break.

However, while Olivia's eyes were dull, Walter's eyes were clouded over like he was lost in thought about something, but he would attack anyone who questioned him about it.

Both children, who once filled the halls with their laughter and bickering, had become hollow shells, and that only reaffirmed the Councils' stance on how it was a horrible idea to send children off to fight in war. Many called Arthur's sanity and authority into question, but with the support of Sir Islands, Sir Penwood, and Princess Elizabeth herself, the petitions were put to rest, but that didn't stop the whispers.

Arthur didn't know what he had expected to happen. They had won, but he didn't feel pleased. He was honored by the royal family, but he didn't feel elated. The puncture wounds on his wrist had healed with only faint scars remaining, but Olivia's arm never healed and she had taken to wearing gloves that covered up to her shoulders. He still waited for the day Olivia would march into his office and shoot him, but it never happened.

Arthur also hadn't sent Olivia or Walter on a mission since Warsaw, fulfilling his promise to let them choose their own path. Walter was preparing for university like planned, but Olivia had yet to declare what she would do. Arthur didn't expect Olivia to magically be her old self again, but he figured she would at least be at peace. And, in the back of his mind, Arthur thought she would try to get closer to Alucard, but he had only seen them together at night under their tree in the garden. They never spoke or touched, but instead gazed up at the stars with Olivia sitting on a branch and Alucard leaning against the trunk with his arms crossed.

In his 33-years on Earth, Arthur had only felt guilty about three things: crashing his father's car during a joyride when he was 15, allowing Martha to die, and now, breaking Olivia's trust.

He wanted to drink himself into a coma, but fortunately and unfortunately, he received an invitation to attend the celebration ball at Buckingham Palace and had to play the part as the 'Great Director of Hellsing'.

And Walter and Olivia would play their parts as his loyal bodyguards instead of being praised for their part in ending the war.

No, they would be there to honor the war heroes, when they should be the ones being honored instead.

They would never be written about in history books or have monuments built in their names, but that was the price of being a Hellsing soldier.

And that would never change.

On the night of the celebration ball, the halls of Buckingham Palace were bustling with chatter and laughter from distinguished guests and neighboring royalty. The air was filled with the scent of delicious food and the sound of beautiful music, and all in attendance were enjoying the atmosphere and the Allied victory to the fullest.

However, on the far side of the palace in a dressing room all alone, was Olivia.

The room was dark, save for a lit lamp perched on the vanity she was sitting at, and the sounds of Khachaturian's "Masquerade Suite Waltz" drifted from the floors below.

She didn't want to come but knew it was her duty, and she didn't want to wear the dress, accessories, and make-up Princess Elizabeth had picked out for her but knew she couldn't refuse.

So Olivia got dressed and sat at the vanity, putting on the make-up with one phrase echoing through her mind: 'My reflection is a contradiction'.

She wore an off-shoulder white ball gown with lace and jewels decorating the bodice and skirts and wore a collar necklace of diamonds that glittered against her skin; she had her hair pin up with pearl ornaments and a silver headband, and she wore blush that give life to her pale face, mascara and eye liner that brought out her green eyes, and pink lipstick that made her lips look soft and dainty.

But the dress exposed her shoulders, which was riddled with scars, and exposed her forearm, which stood out against her dress.

Upon first glance, Olivia looked like a princess, but she wasn't one.

She was nothing more than a soldier playing dress-up in a dollhouse she had long outgrown.

Sighing again for the fifth time in the past three minutes, Olivia reached out for the bottle of perfume Princess Elizabeth had lent her and was about to apply some on her neck when Alucard suddenly descended from the ceiling.

"I will never understand why you humans enjoy saturating your bodies in such foul odors." Alucard snatched the bottle out of her hand, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "The bottle says 'Evening in Paris' but I don't recall Paris smelling like the rear end of a skunk."

"Put a clothes peg on your nose and suck it up then." Olivia replied, holding her hand out expectantly. "That perfume is not mine, please return it."

For a moment, it looked like he was going to hurl it out the window but he dropped it back in her hand and leaned against the wall, watching her fiddle with the lace glovelettes Elizabeth had also prepared for her. While they did cover most of her mark, it still exposed her fingers and that caused Olivia to hesitate.

"You know," Alucard vocalized, sliding his glasses down his nose. "The solider I know would be out there with her Lord and partner and not hiding up here like some frightened child."

"I'm not hiding!" Olivia snarled, pulling the glovelettes on before bending forward and sliding on a pair of matching white heels with silver accents. "I represent Hellsing so I have to look perfect! Is it a crime to take care of one's appearance?!"

"You've had two hours to get ready, and the ball began an hour ago." Alucard retorted, his gaze and tone like steel. "Where is the fiery soldier who captured my heart and attention? She is the one I came here to see."

"Shut up!" She shot out of her seat and marched towards the door. "If you have come here to lecture me, I don't want to hear it! I already know my duties and obligations, so leave me alone!"

And she slammed the door behind her and raced down the hallway, her heart pounding in her ears.

Back in the room, Alucard simply sighed and let his head fall back against the wall.

"See, Master?" He chuckled slightly. "She is not completely emotionless."

Olivia kept running until she reached the grand staircase and collapsed against one of the rose covered banisters.

"Don't you think I already know what I am?!" She panted, falling to her knees. "Do you think I want to feel like this?! Do you think I wanted to become this?!"

Olivia pulled her knees to her chest as her shoulders quivered yet no tears came. She could hear the end of the "Masquerade Waltz Suite" faintly from the floor below and she knew she should hurry before it ended, but Olivia couldn't find the energy to move.

But life thought otherwise and Olivia felt a gloved hand tap on her shoulder and heard a concerned voice ask her if she was alright.

It was one of the royal guards, and the look of concern on his face made Olivia's stomach churn in embarrassment.

"I'm fine." She sniffed, taking his outstretched hand and allowing him to help her up. "Please excuse me. I need to head to the ballroom and apologize for my absence."

She started down the stairs again but was intercepted by the guard stumbling in front of her and holding his arm out.

"Please, ma'am. Allow me to escort you to the ballroom. It's my duty to ensure the safety of Their Majesties' guests."

Olivia stared at the guard—who looked a year or so older than her—for a moment before nodding and placing her hand on his arm.

"Alright. Thank you."

The sounds of laughter and music grew louder as they descended down the stairway and veered into the right hallway. Olivia could feel the guard inspecting her from the corner of his eye but made no effort to acknowledge him, embarrassed to have been caught in a private moment.

Finally they reached the double doors leading to the ballroom and Olivia slipped her hand from the guard's arm.

"Thank you for escorting me here. I appreciate the kind gesture, Sir." She curtsied and went to open the door when the guard spoke up.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but if you were distressed because someone insulted you, I must say they are blind because you look beautiful!"

The compliment took her off-guard and if she wasn't so surprised, Olivia would've probably laughed at how earnest the guard was in his declaration.

But she settled for thanking him once again and opened the door, allowing the sounds and smells of the celebration to wash over her.

The waltz had just ended, and the orchestra was preparing for the next one. All the guests were so glamorous and beautiful that Olivia felt like she was in a fashion magazine for a moment. She spotted Arthur on the far end of the room, conversing with a gorgeous woman wrapped in silks and furs, and was about to hurry over to him when the next waltz began and she was swept away in someone's arms.

"The fuck took you so long to get here?!" Walter scowled, dressed in a tuxedo and looking very handsome. "So many old bats have been hounding me for dances and keep flirting with me! It's disgusting!"

"Sorry. My make-up took longer than I thought." Olivia bit her lip, allowing him to lead her out to the dance floor with the other couples. "You've become a handsome adult, Walter. I don't blame those ladies for falling for you."

"I have waited nine years to hear those words, and of course it's in the stupidest circumstances." He grumbled, taking her hand in his and placing his left hand on her waist. "You can make it up to me by allowing me to have the first dance."

"Fair enough." Olivia smiled slightly, placing her right hand on his shoulder and following his lead as they waltzed in time with Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty Waltz".

As the couples spun and twirled around, their colorful, silk capes and dresses looked like blooming flowers on the dancefloor and with the violins' serenade, it truly was like one of Olivia's childhood fairy tales.

"I'm going to miss you when you go off to university." Olivia confessed, wincing when she noticed people staring at her scars and fingers. "Will you miss me too?"

"Maybe a little." Walter mumbled, picking her up and spinning around before placing her back down. "I will admit it will be strange to be with people around my age, but I doubt any of them have handled a gun or fought in battle before."

"I doubt most normal teenagers have." Olivia pointed out, curling up her fingers so they blended in with Walter's coat. "I hope you will be able to make some friends though."

Walter didn't reply for moment, his eyes clouding over as he twirled her around before drawing her close again.

"Olivia…." He mumbled, resting his cheek against hers. "I'll kill you if you ever repeat this to anyone else, but thank you for being my best friend for all these years. And, about last year in the cathedral, I don't regret what I did but I apologize for how I did it." His grip on her hand and waist tightened and he kept his cheek pressed against hers to ensure she wouldn't see his stone mask break for a moment. "No matter what happens or what I do, I wasn't lying when I said I love you, Olivia. And even though we've had our differences, I enjoyed every second of growing up alongside you on and off the battlefield and—."

He was cut off by Olivia burying her face in his neck and bringing their waltz to a halt.

"Why are you making it sound like you are going away forever?" She whispered, her grip on his shoulders tightening. "You are not going back to war; you are going to university and leaving me alone for four years." She whimpered, yet another crack growing on her heart. "You made these past nine years bearable, and I love you too, Walter. You are my best friend and partner, and I already miss you."

"Olivia…." Walter breathed out, immediately embracing her and not giving a damn that people were gawking.

To hell with being a cold hearted soldier.

This was the first time they had hugged in years and neither wanted to be the first to let go, especially Walter.

He knew the moment he had taken the transmitter from the Major, he had willingly sacrificed the right to love Olivia and have her love in return. But the urge to defeat Alucard and be immortalized as The Angel of Death outweighed his loyalty to Hellsing and feelings for Olivia, but he was human and humans were selfish. Walter was going to get all he could before his betrayal comes to light and Olivia inevitably turns her bow on him.

"I will come back to you, Olivia." He kissed the scar on her neck, just as the waltz drifted to an end and the dancers applauded the orchestra. "I promise you that I will come back to you."

"Promises, promises! Is that all you people ever do?!" Olivia wiggled herself out of his grasp and averted her eyes, her fists and shoulders trembling. "I'm tired of being promised the world and receiving nothing but death and betrayal in return!" She whirled around on her heels and pushed her way through the crowd, leaving Walter to call out after her.

He tried to give chase but his 'admirers' crowded around him and it was not socially acceptable to tell duchesses to 'fuck off', so Walter could only watch helplessly as Olivia's form disappeared from sight with a pained expression.

"…..You look beautiful, by the way." He muttered, the first genuine compliment he'd ever given her falling on deaf ears. "The most beautiful solider, bride, and princess I've ever seen."

Olivia threw open the doors to the garden and slammed them shut behind her, her heart pounding in her ears and her eyes stinging.

The vast gardens, illuminated by only the moonlight, was a breathtaking sight to behold but Olivia was too distressed to even notice as she raced into the heart of the grounds.

Once she couldn't hear the laughter or music anymore, Olivia collapsed onto her knees and screamed until her throat was raw.

All of the emotions she had repressed for the past four—no, the past nine years were consuming her from within and she couldn't control it.

Fury.

Despair.

Longing.

Guilt.

Hatred.

Loathing.

Regret.

They ate her alive from the inside, and no amount of screaming, crying, or repressing would cease their assaults.

Olivia was a monster and this was her punishment.

She didn't deserve peace or love.

For abandoning her family, she was damned to be abandoned in return until dying as a miserable old woman.

This was her fate and she had accepted it.

So…why did it still hurt?

Why did she still cry?

Why did she still cling to love and the hope to be loved in return?

Hadn't she learned anything by now?

"DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!" Olivia punched the cobblestone repeatedly with her demonic arm, praying it would become a bloody stump instead of this hideous form.

Then, right before her knuckles split open, a hand shot out and snatched her arm up.

"It would be a shame to ruin such a pretty dress." Alucard hummed, yanking her up to her feet.

"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?!" Olivia snatched her arm out of his grasp. "Did consuming those Nazi soldiers impair your hearing?!"

She turned to race further into the gardens but screeched to a stop when she heard Alucard shout something that made her blood boil.

"Coward."

"…..What did you just say?" She slowly turned around, her voice dropping an octave.

"Running away from what ails you and choosing to repress your feelings instead of expressing them." Alucard glowered down at her with an equally sharp glare. "You are nothing but a cowar—."

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence when an arrow shot through his neck and beheaded him, causing his head to slam against the cobblestone with a hard 'THWACK!'.

"If you are looking for a fight, Alucard," Olivia growled, lacing up another arrow and aiming it at his reforming head. "You've got one."

Alucard's bark of laughter echoed as he applauded, his skin reattaching itself to his muscles.

"It's about time you fought back! I feared you regressed back into that sniveling little rabbit again! Yes, excellent! Fight, scream, attack me!" He whipped out his pistol and took aim with that infamous grin on his face. "Shall we dance then, draga mea?"

It was a miracle that none of the guards or guests heard the gunshots over the music, but Olivia and Alucard 'danced' while harming everything but each other. The nearby rose bushes and statues were destroyed yet the two of them remained unharmed.

However, while narrowly dodging one of Alucard's bullets, Olivia teetered backwards over a particularly large shrubbery, only to discover there was a cliff hidden beneath it.

Before she had a chance to register what was happening, Alucard had caught her in his arms and gently lowered them to the bottom of the cliff.

"Release me!" Olivia leapt out of his grasp and scurried away from him with her bow ready. "That doesn't change any—!" She reached for another arrow hidden in the folds of her skirts, only to discover she had fired them all. "Fuck…"

"Out of ammo? Tsk tsk!" Alucard wagged his finger and placed his pistol back in its holster. "The match is mine, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh shut up!" Olivia flung Sic Parvis Magna at him like a boomerang but he caught it easily with one hand and threw it back up the cliff.

"Oops."

"YOU ARE FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE, YOU KNOW THAT?!" Olivia marched up to him and yanked him down to her level by his cravat. "DOES RUBBING SALT IN MY WOUNDS BRING YOU JOY?! DOES CONSTANTLY POINTING OUT MY WEAKNESSES THRILL YOU?! YES, I AM A COWARD! I KNOW THAT AND I DON'T FUCKING NEED YOU TO—WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SMILING FOR?!" She jostled him roughly, hoping to shake that infuriating grin off his face. "WHAT IS SO FUCKING AMUSING?! HUH?!"

"There you are." Alucard chuckled, cupping her face in his hands and leaning in close so their noses were touching. "The warrior I love has finally shown her face again. For a moment, I feared you may have frozen to death underneath the ice you've buried yourself in."

"….You are crazy." Olivia shoved him away and marched in the opposite direction, hoping to find a path back up to the main gardens and ignoring Alucard's ever diligent footsteps trailing behind her.

Unfortunately, it appeared this part of the gardens had been forsaken for years and the trail led to a dead end.

"Of course." Olivia groaned, placing her hands on her hips and taking in her surroundings.

A large muddy platform covered in wilted flowers and vines rested before them with a rusty old pipe lining the perimeter. It looked like this area was once intended to be a dance floor of some kind but was abandoned after it barely got started.

"Perhaps you can fly us back up to the main gardens." Olivia mumbled, rubbing her arms as a breeze drifted past. "Otherwise we might have to—."

"Do you know why I fell in love with you?" Alucard's voice interrupted her ramblings, and all the hairs on Olivia's body stood up.

"I don't want to hear this." She whispered, placing her hands over her ears.

"I fell in love with you because you were unapologetically human." He stepped forward, the grin completely gone from his face. "You cried when you were sad, laughed when you were happy, screamed when you were angry, you never shied away from your feelings. You had your principles and beliefs and, despite how childish and naïve they were, you fought for them."

"Shut up." Olivia bit her lip and shut her eyes, bile rising up her throat. "Don't say another word."

"And you, a mere human girl, shed tears for something like me." He was inches away from her, the edge of his cravat tickling her right earlobe. "You, a mere human girl, held onto your humanity and clung to life, something I was too much of a coward to do." Suddenly, he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, burying his face against the back of her neck. "You embraced life with such vigor, and even now, although your eyes are dull, I can still see that same girl fighting on beneath that wall of ice you've submerged yourself in."

"Stop it…." Her lips trembled and she placed her hands over her mouth to stifle her sobs. "Don't do this to me…."

"This heartbeat…." He murmured, feeling it beating underneath his right palm. "This heartbeat, which you shared with me, is the most beautiful thing I ever heard. It continues to beat even after it has been broken countless of times." His left hand slid up and came to rest over her eyes, his gloves becoming stained with her tears, and he placed his lips against her ear. "Don't do it, Olivia. Don't forfeit your emotions and become a monster….a monster like me…."

The tears wouldn't cease and Olivia cursed Alucard's name to Hell and back, yet for some reason, the only thing she could think of was, 'Who knew bloodstained hands could touch me so gently?'

Who knew such a fearsome monster could speak to her so lovingly?

Olivia could hear, hidden within his plea, the ever lingering regret and self-hatred he had for abandoning his humanity, and she turned around in his arms to face him, finding his hat and glasses gone.

She gazed into his eyes, and he gazed into hers.

Then, without thinking, Olivia unwrapped herself from Alucard's embrace and held his hands in hers. Slowly, she backed up, leading him to the center of the abandoned platform while never breaking eye contact.

"Break the pipe over there." She uttered, and Alucard didn't hesitate to whip out his pistol and shoot the pipe, causing water to gush onto the platform.

"What now?" He inquired, noticing the water was clearing the mud and dead plants away.

And, traveling on the night's breeze, Olivia could hear the beginning of another waltz, one she did not recognize.

"The stupid, cowardly rabbit asks the equally stupid, cowardly dog to dance." Olivia cupped his cheek with her right hand. "Shall we?"

Alucard closed his eyes and nuzzled his cheek against her palm, mumbling his answer against the lace glovelette.

"I would be honored."

Then he bit the edge of the glovelette, yanked it off her hand, and spat it to the side, smirking at how her cheeks flushed at the bold action.

"That is also something else I missed." He chuckled, kissing her 'demonic' hand before lacing their fingers together and placing his other hand on her waist, drawing her close.

And so they waltzed together and the water covered platform reflected the sky above, giving the impression the two of them were dancing amongst the stars.

'She's spinning between constellations and dreams.' Alucard thought with a laugh as he swept her up in his arms and spun around.

The water rippled with every step they took, and with every ripple, their reflections changed.

First, there was a conniving count dressed in Victorian garments and a young woman dressed as an opera singer.

Next, there were two war torn soldiers dressed in bloodstained armor.

Then, there was a little prince dressed in rags and a little girl wearing a blue dress.

And finally, there was a prince dressed in Romanian royal garments, and there was a princess—a bride, dressed in a gown with both the Romanian and Hungarian royal crests on her ring finger.

All of these incarnations had a sword rammed through their hearts…. yet even so…..every single incarnation….was smiling.

They were grinning and laughing like they were the only two people in the galaxy and, despite the holes in their hearts, they had each other.

The waltz soon came to an end, and their reflections returned to normal, yet they did not release each other.

No, they just continued to stare at the other as the water settled beneath their feet.

Alucard's words and their dance hadn't magically healed Olivia and her insides still felt like the heart of a hurricane, but….for the first time in years, she felt like she could breathe.

She felt...warmth.

And she knew what her next step would be.

Yes….after Walter left for university next summer and the world began to heal, Olivia would do her own healing.

But for now, just for right now, she was content with being in Alucard's arms as they drifted along in a sea of constellations.

A/N: The real magic here is how Olivia could fight in heels. Lol. And i just want to say Alucard is a sadistic, edgey asshole but he does has feelings (he freaking cries the most out of everyone in the damn manga) and while he is thrilled Olivia has become a warrior, he fell in love with her because of *gestures to all of Olivia* well...Olivia being Olivia and he didn't want her to go down the same path he did.

Anyways, if anyone can guess what anime inspired the dance scene at the end, they will be crowned as "Ruler of Fanfiction Land". And Alucard made a reference to "So She Dances". Lol. And Olivia's dress is the new cover art and it can be seen, along with the staircase and ballroom inspiration, on my tumblr blog: theloveandthedead. And you can hear the songs used in this chapter through the links on my profile! The chapter title comes from the name of the waltz Olivia and Alucard danced to: "And the Waltz Goes on" composed by Anthony Hopkins and performed by Andre Rieu. Please give them a listen!

So I am finally giving Olivia a break! Can anyone guess how she plans on healing? I can give you a hint!

It involves traveling. Lol.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and enjoy the music too! Please leave a review! I love, love, love, love them so much! :D

Thank you for reading this chapter and see you in the next one! :D