December 29th...Hellsing Manor, Basement levels.

The shattered remains of the chair rested at the base of the wall, papers still fluttering to the ground from their sudden upheaval. Seras was doing her best to cradle the sobbing young woman in her arms, listening to her mixed anger and grief. Using her police training Seras followed through the steps for helping people in mental distress. Hopefully there was some way of making this right. Lina had recounted the events over and over again for the last five days. Having to sit there as photos of the damage done to her where displayed, being talked about like she wasn't in the room. To try and carry herself with dignity and pride while it was clear she was not okay from the times she cried silently into her handkerchief. For those men to judge like that. All it amounted to was an insultingly low monetary offer and the news that her attacker had already been killed. They hadn't even spoken to her about their offer, but to Vlad.

Lina had lost it.

Lina had completely broken down. Crying hysterically, she had tossed the cup in front of her directly into the head of the Iscariot agent. It had broken on impact. Blood running down the man's face before he could react. Integra had ordered Seras to remove Lina before the young girl could pull out Alucard's gun from his waistband.

Soon the sobs became just heaving breaths as Lina struggled to breath, this was all too much. Vlad said she had done everything right, so why hasn't it worked? How could they think for a moment that money would be enough to repay what they had let happen. Lina was feeling light headed as she struggled to breath, clutching Seras like a lifeline as the world seemed to tilt out of control. It was like a dam had broken. All the emotions she had pretended weren't there had just come roaring to the surface, the victim act no longer an act. They had made her feel so weak.

She loathed it.

She wanted so much to kill that man just to prove she wasn't weak. She hadn't even realized she had been reaching for Vlad's gun until she had been pulled away. She had made a mess of everything. She had over reacted. Vlad was going to be furious with her. Time was meaningless to her as she clutched Seras to her heaving frame, trying to keep herself from breaking.

"Master...what's happening up there?" Seras asked gently as Vlad walked into the room, surveying the aftermath of the fit. He honestly hadn't expected the glass to hit. He figured the agent would have the reflexes to dodge. Oh well. He was missing his hat and red coat today, wearing a more formal, and modern suit for the meeting, but leaving the butts of his guns flashing from his waist. Good thing she had failed to reach the guns, the kick back would have done worse damage to her healing arm.

"It doesn't matter, the council is taking a break to discuss and the Iscariots are bandaging up the priest she maimed."

"I'm right here!" Lina sobbed, looking up at him with red eyes, stains on her cheeks from drying tears. Her lip quivering as she demanded to be acknowledged. He slowly turned to look at her, seeing just how high strung she was. She was equally liable to try and attack as she was to curl up and want to die. Possibly both.

"What do you want from them instead?" He asked her in a deep, soothing baritone, his red eyes flashing as he imposed his will to calm her emotions. He didn't plan for this outcome, so all ideas were welcome. With her emotions so fragile Lina couldn't defend from his gaze, and part of her didn't want to. She needed his strength right now or she might just…

"I want them to feel just as violated and insulted as I do." Her voice while calmer was full of unbridled loathing.

"I highly doubt sodomy is on the table dear." He chuckled, seeing her calm as she surrendered to his power, separated from her feelings for now. "You took out a good portion of the man's forehead. He'll have scars for the rest of his life."

"They have to reverse your excommunication, and can't excommunicate you as long as we're married."

"Excuse you?" His smirk faltered at the ridiculous request. "To what end? I'm not going to church now or ever again."

"I know...I just want them to have to sit there across from you, and have to treat you like a full member of their precious religion. Walk into any catholic church you want, force them to listen to you confess every last one of your sins. And they can do shit all about telling you to leave because you'd be a full fledged 'catholic' again. Hell, if you want to go to the vatican on easter sunday and get mass, you can cut to the front of the line to watch the pope wash your fucking feet."

"That's not all that insulting." Why on earth did she think this was fair trade for her own value. He didn't want it, so she wasn't doing him any favors.

"It will be to Anderson." She hissed out, wishing she had claws to rip the man apart with.

"So spite is what we're going with. Pure, malicious spite?"

"And if we have any children, they have full rights to the church too."

"There are better things we can get out of this negotiation. I mean, what good does this do you or me, we would actually have to go out of our way to spite these people like this. You will never wake up that early for mass." Nor would he ever go.

"Our children also get full rights to be in the order of the dragon." Her voice was even, and she was slowly wiping her tears away, trying to make herself presentable again.

"Lina, I don't want any of these stupid things. I want nothing to do with this church or it's god that failed me. Your heathen gods did more for me than him. Your gods actually banished a werewolf from you. Plus the last member of the order died a long time ago, it's defunct now."

"You are undead. You still are not dead, so the order has one member."

"Why are you demanding these stupid things?" He growled in frustration. This was not what he wanted. He didn't want it to look like he was coming back to the church some snivelling child that had been taught a lesson.

"Because I want them to feel just as horrified, disgusted, and unclean knowing you and our children are part of their precious flock as I feel knowing I will never get back what they stole, or even get an apology for what they did or said. I want them to squirm as they kneel in their pews, and know that you are one of them. And they can't stop it."

"So I am a punishment now?" His voice dropped dangerously low.

"No...you give out punishment." Lina mumbled softly, looking drained as he rejected her idea. Tears renewed their path down her face as she curled up, and Alucard dismissed Seras so he could have time alone. Seras looked down at the girl in her arms, not wanting to leave but she had no choice. Squeezing the younger girl reassuringly Seras pulled away and left the two alone in the room. There was silence. A subtle battle of wills as they sat there without a buffer.

"I just...they threw you out after everything you did for them...I know you won't ever love me...but...you used to love your God...and...if we ever had kids or something...I would want them to have a choice...I want them to have something to bond with you over." She started sobbing again. "Your faith made you fearless, it made you into the man I love...and...you ended everything we had over it...I just want you to be ha-" He pulled her to him, shushing her words and letting her grip him and vent the emotions that seemed determined to possess her and take his control of her away. It was easy to forget that she was feeling more than her own sorrow. Her past life as his first wife left deeper scars than he had realized.

"I have no desire to be part of their flock, I refuse to be their lamb for slaughter again. I promised on my beheading, I would never let their church control me." He felt her try to nod her head through her tears, gripping him tighter.

"Yes Vlad." Lina mumbled against his chest, his power pushing inside and tapping down the emotional energy threatening to break through his suggestion of calmness.

"You may request that our children be given the right to join. But nothing concerning us. You and I have no need of their salvation." He was satisfied with her submission, and so letting her demand such a small thing seemed acceptable. His heir would learn from both of them, and likely reject it, but her pride, honor, and heart needed soothing.

"Thank you." Her voice was full of warmth as he pulled his control of her emotions. "Is Sir Integra mad at me?"

"No more than usual." Sir Integra had actually found it a tad bit gratifying herself. It was nice to see his master's vicious streak when it did appear.

"Are you mad with me for making a scene?" Lina asked more carefully, it clear she didn't want to displease him.

"I did give you permission." He was meeting her half way, amusement in his voice. "I just didn't expect you to actually hit anything."

"Seras had been making me do field training." Lina said in a soft pout, enjoying being held so close to him like this.

"Then I guess that makes her the guilty party." He stroked her head like a pet, teasing in his voice.

"If by guilty you mean the responsible one. She was actually trying to make me into a capable field agent, not just scaring the shit out of me." A gentle tap to the back of her head was her warning, but Lina was feeling a bit better. "I'm not allowed back upstairs am I?"

"Not for the remainder of the discussions no." He moved to stand, letting her slide down to the table he had been sitting on. "Hold out your hands." He ordered, and Lina obeyed, watching as he placed a small red marble of energy in her hands. She quickly had to focus her own energy to try and make sure his didn't dissipate and so she could cleanse it. It took her some time, but it faded to her own mellow lavender hued energy from his vibrant red one. "They won't be seeing you, so your state of health is no longer acceptable." Lina understood, absorbing the energy into herself to heal the remainder of her injuries, feeling much better as the skin of her legs regrew, and the ache in her arm from her bones stopped.

"Thanks Vlad." Lina unwrapped the bandage around her arm, her face falling as she was greeted with the bite mark still visible on her arm. On her pale skin the bite mark stood out, two horseshoe like sets of scars, one on each side of her arm. The impressions of Sean's teeth preserved on her, showing his inhuman status as instead of the flat lines human teeth made, her flesh had indents from each and every fang. "Gods Damn it! That stupid wolf just won't let go!"

"You still have energy?" Alucard asked calmly, his voice clinical and measured.

"Yeah I still have some but it didn't get r-AAAHHHHHHH!" Lina hadn't even seen the motion. Full of horrific pain as without a hint of hesitation Alucard had skinned the part of her arm with the bite marks. He held the piece of flesh between his fingers watching as Lina started hyperventilating from the pain. He once more pushed her emotions down under his control, using that to calm her so she would focus on his instructions rather than her own instincts.

"Heal it." He ordered her, and under his control she did as he suggested, and he observed as the flesh mended unnaturally fast. The flesh he held in his hand dripped blood onto the floor. He looked in displeasure at the skin that was once more covering the muscles of her arm. The bite mark had not faded by much. It was better, but he did not want to see this vile claim of another on his property. "Do you have enough to heal again?" She was only able shake her head, and he could sense that doing this again so quickly would force her to resist him. Her other selves would rally to her defense and then she would be injured and unable to heal in her panic. With a resigned sigh he released her. "Go home with Seras, I have to stay on our behalf." Lina jumped away from him in as respectful a way as she could, seeing her skin held in his fingers like a bloody handkerchief. Lina stood there for a moment, confused about what to do before she just walked out the door. Seras had been waiting against the wall across from the room. As she looked in Alucard smirked at her, opening his mouth and taking a bite from the flesh, Seras blanching and chasing off after Lina. Her skin was a bit tough from the scarring but as he ate the flesh it did ease the ache in his stomach. He would get the wolf's claim off her. No matter how many times it took.

As he chewed, he noticed something hard, using his tongue to push it out of the chunk he was snacking on. He examined it, confused as he stared at the scale. Shrugging he tossed it aside as he ate her skin like beef jerky. He walked back towards the meeting room, letting the blood stain his hands and face. No sense in letting them off easy. He was a monster, let them remember that his bride-to-be wasn't the dangerous one. The room fell silent as he re-entered, slurping the last pieces of flesh as he took his seat again, his tongue chasing the blood down his fingers to his wrist. Eyes were transfixed on the gruesome sight. Finishing with his snack he withdrew his tongue, forcing himself into their minds and reading their fear.

"Miss Khayam won't be returning for the rest of the meetings. But she has informed me of her demands. Money is not going to cover the pound of flesh she is owed. She wanted that wolf's heart in her hands to be crushed, and instead you've...dispatched him out of earthly justice."

"What was that you were just eating?" A young priest asked before he could stop himself, the room fell silent in fear that such a question would set the predator off. Alucard smiled inhumanly wide, his cheshire like grin filled with shark like teeth, eyes glinting darkly with promise.

"My future wife's skin." Even Integra flinched in disgust at the idea he had actually...Lina was supposed to come back and apologize before being dismissed...had he? "Like I said...a pound of flesh is owed. Now...how do you plan to pay it?"

January 13th...Dracula's town home...3pm

Lina was standing before the front door of the home she was returning to. She had decided to go back to Los Angeles after that last incident with Alucard. She had felt kind of shitty about it but...well she had been terrified. She had asked Seras to take her back home, packed a bag, and asked Seras to drive her to the airport. It had taken some arguing with the ticket counter but eventually she had gotten them to accept the travel insurance she had and transfer her to another flight to get home. Seeing her family had been long overdue. She hadn't realized how much she missed them and how close knit her family was till she had been isolated from them and rejoined. Her little cousins had grown so much, her grandma had more wrinkles on her face, and without her at home her mom and dad had started fighting more intensely. She needed to talk with Alucard. She needed to go home more often. She wasn't meant to live alone. Phone calls just weren't good enough.

Taking a steadying breath she knew she was in for a fight with Alucard, she had left without warning, and she wouldn't be surprised if he was livid with her. As she gathered her wits and tried to calm her mind from the thousand thoughts racing through it her hand shook as she reached up to put her key in.

"I'm not mad. So you can stop being so frightened." She jumped in surprise, letting out a small shriek as she turned to face Alucard. He was sitting on a bench in the garden, comically holding up her parasole she had bought at a second hand store, a chinese dragon painted on the paper that was attached to the wooden frame. He was wearing just his white undershirt and black trousers, his hair disheveled and he looked tired, like he hadn't slept. She stared at him, unable to look away. He held up a hand and motioned her to join him. "I figured you would run away. I'm a monster. I literally ripped your flesh off to eat it. Not to mention how emotionally distraught you were." He watched her sit, his red eyes not glowing, more a slight shine to them in the light. She was tense, fidgeting in her green long sleeve sweater and thick bluejeans. He sighed and reached out to gently pull her closer, able to feel her nervous energy. "Seras told me while it was happening. You were muttering quietly for human hearing, not a vampire." Lina felt him pull her to him, and with a shuddering breathe she slumped into his side curling into him and nuzzling his neck, waves of relief that he wasn't mad flooding her system.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you...or call you. I just...I needed to see them." He rubbed his fingers lazily on her back as she confessed her guilt to him, "I was worried you wouldn't let me."

"Setareh's memories of being cut off from her family and her life and culture are not the same worries you need to have. I have more knowledge now than I did then, much more power, and no desire to make the same mistakes twice. A loyal wife is a good possession for a king. If the trade off is frequent visits home so be it. You came back even when you were thinking I would be furious, and I needed some time to finish up the negotiations. It all worked out well." He was rubbing her neck and a small smile touched his lips. "How is your arm?"

"I don't want you to rip my skin off again. I really like this sweater." She mumbled into the crook of his neck and shoulder as she curled closer to him, chilled by his skin but her heart feeling warmer.

"It's just till that bite mark is gone. But I won't do it today." He adjusted his arm to create more shade for the pair of them as the sun was shining in the sky. It was a cloudless day and the blue sky was a calm background to their garden scene. "I hate daylight. It's painfully bright, and it makes it impossible to see the stars." He closed his eyes as he relaxed more into the bench.

"We can go inside if you want." She clung to him as she looked out over the yard, thinking about what she wanted to plant when it warmed up. She waited a few minutes for his answer but it never came, and as she looked up at him she saw he had drifted off to sleep, and she slowly removed herself from him. His eyes opened once more as she pulled her heat away, only to relinquish his hold on the parasole as she took it from him, sliding herself to the edge of the bench. He allowed her to move his head into her lap, relaxing as her fingers absently played with his hair while she shaded them both. "Thank you for understanding."

"Hm." Was all he answered as he drifted off to sleep in her lap, his long legs dangling off the edges of the bench, resting in the light layer of snow. One arm wrapped around her waist and the other tossed over his chest, a final false breathe before his features were deathly still. Lina sat there as his pillow, accepting the mild punishment. Doing her best to not jossle him as her muscles adjusted over the hours between her return home and dusk when Alucard opened his eyes, the rubies now their usual hellish glow. He reached up and patted her head lightly like a dog but she gently brushed his hand off, miffed with the gesture.

"Did you get the engagement ring you wanted from your family?" His voice was more playful now that he had rested. The roll of her eyes and her pout answered his question. "You didn't ask." The side eye she gave him was amusing, his hand staying to play in her hair as her hands had played with his own during his repose.

"They want to meet you first." Suddenly the weeklong hunt Alucard had been on trying to track down a vampire feeding ring disguised as blood donation trucks seemed less tedious. She looked a bit sheepish as she looked away, trying to figure out how to voice her thoughts. "I told them I would have to ask since…"

"You invited them to stay with us, didn't you?"

"Well of course, we have more than enough room, and I'm not making them pay to stay in a hotel. I'll make sure to move a freezer for your food to the basement and abstain from cooking garlic while they are visiting. And it wouldn't be till summer anyway."

"Where we will have to go out all day to take them to tourist spots…"

"No, I can do that, you work night shifts, so you have an excuse to sleep in while they are visiting." Her eyes dropped down and her cheeks turned pink. She was giving him a reason to avoid spending extended time with her family.

"How old did you say I was?" Her blush deepened and she looked down at her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. "Lina." His voice sounded serious but he was snickering to himself. It had been boring without the mundane drama of human life she refreshingly shoved in his existence.

"Well...um...I kinda f-ed up the whole thing...so...I got mixed up while talking about you to my family...long story short they think the Count is your dad...you're 24, and Seras is your little sister."

"Let me guess, younger me is the junior to my father because I'm named after him?" He watched her lips purse in annoyance that he could read her so easily. Lina stood, stretching her legs from hours of inactivity and to escape her embarrassment. "Does that mean I have to dress like your friends?"

"Not unless you want to...they think you're ex-military doing police work, since I figured that would explain your weird hours."

"And my father? Does he live with us?"

"No...I said we live in your family house but it's just us. They think your dad is off in Romania with other relatives."

"Then why is this a problem?"

"Because if our stories don't match I am going to look stupid like I don't know you or like we're lying." They were, absolutely, but not the point. She walked towards the door, opening it up while closing the parasol, eager to get inside the house and relax, moving to pick up her suitcase. Alucard let her carry her own bags in, simply locking the door behind them.

"Do you want to know about what happened after you left the conference?" He watched her shoulders tense, and he felt a little bad for bringing it up. The smile and relaxation she had felt melted away as her shoulders slumped as if she had just been dealt a physical blow. "We can't run from what happened to you. You didn't break from it, it doesn't make you less valuable to me, it shouldn't make you fe-"

"Vlad...I don't care about being virginal for you...if you only wanted me for being a virgin then this wouldn't work anyway. I'm not crushed, I'm not wallowing in sorrow. I'm livid. I'm furious, and I'm devastated. He got what he wanted, he claimed me like property. I fought as hard as I could and still...it wasn't enough. I can't even get even because he's dead. I can't take my power back from him. I just have to live with this defeat. It'll never matter how much I improve, how much I do, this is an albatross around my neck, and I can't even share it with my family. I talked to a therapist and they told me to forgive him and move on but they don't understand...I can't. How can I forgive him? I'm so angry and yet all this rage is useless because he's dead and nothing will let me get back at him." Every muscle was tense in her body, shaking with her building emotions, and yet, there was no where for it to go. Alucard wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her head as he tried to give her support.

"I know...slaughter millions, topple empires, build kingdoms, and yet it's never going to satisfy that need for retribution. That need for vindication and validation by overcoming the person that wronged you. People like you and me...we can't smile and move on with a supportive hand and love like that little girl you're friends with. People like her, good to their core, they forgive and move on. She was more scared of that ghost than her own memories." His voice was deep and soothing in her ears. His own anger a companion flame to the hatred kindled in her heart. But he was right, they were not good people like Samantha, she would forgive and grow into a good person. Lina didn't want to forgive, she wanted to win. She wanted to drag Sean back from the depths of the afterlife. Inflict on him pain and misery till she could finally feel that he had repaid her. The image of Vlad torturing him in a similar fashion to the priest...it eased some of her rage, affection building for his display of empath for her.

"If you want to donate some energy...I'll try and let you get him off me tomorrow." Lina leaned back into him, kissing his jawline. He peered in her mind, seeing her visualizing him exacting her revenge for her. She truly could be vicious, and he would be lying if he wasn't a bit titillated by the idea of destroying the wolf. Leaving her bag in the hallway he picked her up, stepping through his shadows till they were up in his bedroom. "Don't suppose I could take a shower first?" She mumbled into his throat as she felt him settle her back on the ground.

"How about a bath with me?" He purred darkly in her ear, his own hellish intentions coming to mind. She rolled her eyes and nuzzled his neck instead.

"Not yet hun. Not yet."

The End.

Thank you so much for reading my story, for putting up with my slow writing, and for showing me support. You all made this so wonderful for me. See you all in the Case files!