Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kohta Hirano

"Really, Darling, you should calm down. Do you want me to call your doctor again? He told you to watch your blood pressure." A handsome woman, tall, blonde, with brilliant green eyes sat lounging across the fire lit room, a robe tied loosely around her and a cigarette in her fingers.

Her husband stood pacing in front of the fireplace, paying no need to his wife's warnings. "I just don't understand it, I really don't…" He muttered, stopping briefly to pull a cigar from his front pocket and light it. His face was strained with conflict. A man barley twenty-eight already showing the creases and lines of a forty-year old.

The woman sighed and took a drag off of her cigarette. "You needn't keep asking that, my dear. I've told you a thousand times, they're just pushing you. They know you. They want to pry and pick at you until it drives you insane, and your nerves are too frayed to give the command. So calm down and come to bed."

He grunted and turned to look at her. "You're right."

They seemed to be a normal couple with a few nicks in their social standing, but few knew the true seriousness of the life of Arthur Hellsing and his organization. There was the queen, his soldiers, his butler, a few government officials, and of course, his wife. His wife, who even now, when discussing a dangerous and potentially lethal situation, looked calm and even content, proof that she was the wife of a man who confronted death on more than one occasion.

Arthur sighed and shrugged off his jacket and handed it off to a man in the shadows, who took it and bowed, firelight glistening off of his glossy black hair.

"What do you think, Walter?" Arthur asked the man.

The man, Walter, considered. He was taller than Arthur, and older, a servant of the Hellsing family for a generation already.

"Sir, you are the head of this family, I cannot make up your mind, only offer advice. I believe that you should wait until the vampires make another move. Do not become stressed, as My Lady already warned you. When the time comes, you will know when to give the order, and I'm sure Alucard will not let you forget. That is, if you intend to use him. You have hardly used him since you became the head." Walter said.

"I don't trust him. Bad enough that he stalks this place like his own playground, but he taunts me and pretends to obey me." Arthur growled, biting down hard on his cigar.

Walter tilted his head to the side. "Sir, he is bound to your family, he will not go against your orders. However, if I may be so bold as to offer a bit more advice?"

Arthur gestured his consent.

"Sir, Alucard is a creature that cannot disobey any command you give. He respects the Hellsings, and he is loyal to them. However, if you do not use him, and choose to mistrust him and fear him, then he will lose respect for you. You do not want to lose Alucard's respect."

Arthur surveyed his butler critically, searching his face for something, anything that might prove he was lying, but he could not find anything. "You're probably right, Walter. You've known him much longer than I have." He said, walking over to his wife. "Why don't you go to bed, Charlotte? I'll be there in a little while."

A flash of something shone in her eyes for a moment, but she obeyed. Charlotte Hellsing stood, kissed her husband goodnight, and walked out the door.

"Call Alucard to me, I'll be in my office." Arthur told Walter, following his wife out the door. Walter smiled and left through the door on the other side of the room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"You summoned me, Master?" A low drawl that was almost a growl pulled Arthur away from his paperwork. A tall, intimidating man with long, unkempt black hair pulled himself from the shadows, tilting his head at his master.

Arthur drew a breath. "Alucard." He acknowledged. The man nodded and came to stand by his master's desk.

"You summoned me, Sir?" Alucard said, a smile playing across his pale lips.

"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about our current…situation." Arthur began.

"Ah, yes, the little babes that fancy themselves real vampires. I recall you talking about them. And grumbling about them. You haven't slept well lately, have you, Master? That is, if your fitful nights can be any indication." Alucard said.

Arthur growled. "You will not speak to your master in such a way!"

Alucard said nothing, but nodded, smiling all the while.

"As I was saying, we need to talk about them. These vampires. Three murders they have committed, now, not to mention the fire they caused that, luckily, didn't kill anyone. I don't understand how they work, or how many they are. I need…I need your help." Arthur cringed inwardly as the words left his mouth. He had never thought the day would come when he would require help from a vampire.

"Sir, I am your pawn, your tool. Command me, and I will do your will. Tell me to kill these fools, and I will do it. You needn't bother with all of this tedious beating around the bush. It doesn't matter how many of them there are; I'll wipe them all out. Only on your command, however." Alucard sat down, staring Arthur in the eyes, red meeting blue.

"I care about how many they are. My human soldiers will take care of this menace, not you. I will not rely on a vampire as my sword. Vampires cannot be trusted to kill their own kind. As far as I am concerned, my ancestor made the biggest mistake in enslaving you. He should have killed you on the spot. Now your orders are to gain information. Find out how many there are, what they are planning, and when they will attack next. Understood?" Arthur lit a cigar and put it into his mouth, glaring at his servant.

Alucard frowned. Not a frown of anger, but a frown of annoyance, or disappointment. He stood. "There are about seven, but they are multiplying every night. They have no specific goal, they just discovered that they have a little bit of power, and think they can make something of it. They'll probably attack again tomorrow night. Is that sufficient, Sir?"

Arthur stared at him in shock. "You knew all of this already, and didn't come to me with the information?"

"You did not order me, so I did not volunteer. Besides, you always seem upset by my presence, so I did not want to bother you." Alucard gave him a toothy grin. "May I go now, Master? I believe Walter has my dinner waiting downstairs. Unless, of course, you would command me to go to hunting for your little terrorists…?"

"Get out!" Arthur ordered, standing. Alucard bowed and vanished from the room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I wondered when you would finally come to bed." Charlotte's voice trailed over to Arthur as he walked through his bedroom door. He looked up at her, perched on their large bed like a seductive eagle, proud and beautiful. She got up and walked over to him, her robe open, granting him peeks of her smooth, white flesh.

When she reached him she shrugged her robe off completely and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her ample breasts against his chest. "I missed you." She whispered, kissing his neck.

He looked down at her, kissed her head, and pulled away from her. "Not now," he said as he walked over to his bedside table and poured himself a glass of brandy from the bottle sitting there. His wife glared at him, her arms folded across her chest.

"You drink too much of that stuff." She said, reaching for her robe.

"Don't start that again." He said, wincing as the liquid burned its way down his throat. She was always telling him he did something wrong. He drank too much, worked too much, smoked too much, didn't know where to touch her. Their five years of marriage seemed like ten.

"I won't bother. You never listen anyway." She said, climbing into bed.

Arthur looked at her back, which was turned to him. He opened his mouth to say something, shook his head, and climbed into bed with her.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next morning found Arthur sitting at his desk, head in his hands. His wife stood behind him, massaging his shoulders.

"Sir, I've already passed on your order to wait for the vampires at different locations across the city. They'll all be ready by tonight. And your plane will be ready this afternoon." Walter said, coming into the room.

Arthur looked up and nodded. "It would have been easier if that cretin had given us the whereabouts of the vampires. I can't believe he doesn't know where they are."

"You're leaving?" Charlotte asked, shocked.

"Just for the night. Walter is going, as well. The Vatican has requested an audience with us. I'll be gone for only a day. I should be back the day after tomorrow." Arthur replied before turning his attention back to Walter. "So, what do you think are our chances of finding the Vampires tonight?"

"Honestly, Sir? Slim. Vampires are clever, they'll probably avoid the areas we have stationed completely. Sir, I implore you, send Alucard. He's the best soldier you command." Walter answered.

"No. I will not rely on a vampire. My strongest soldiers are humans, not the undead." Arthur said, sticking a cigar in his mouth, which Walter swiftly lit.

Walter said nothing else, but left the room. Charlotte followed him out without a word to her husband.

Arthur buried his face in his hands again. His head hurt, the stress was getting to him. He knew that Walter was right, he should send Alucard, but his goddamned pride wouldn't let him rely on a vampire. Not when he had perfectly capable humans to help him.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Walter waited by the car that afternoon for his master, suitcases already loaded. Across the drive he saw Arthur kiss his wife goodbye and head toward him. He felt uneasy. He knew Arthur should leave Alucard to fight these monsters, but he refused for reasons Walter could not fathom. Alucard had worked with him before, and while he could be a jerk, he was a mighty weapon, and would never disobey orders. But how to get his master to see that?

He opened the door as his master reached him. Walter closed the door, walked to the other side of the car, and they drove off.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

That night Charlotte sat in the study, her robe wrapped tightly around her against the cold. She had just stepped out of the shower, and had immediately headed for the one room closest to her she knew would have a fireplace going. What she didn't know, however, was that it was already occupied.

Across from her Alucard sat in a chair, a worn book in his hands, barely acknowledging her presence. He looked, well, bored, to her.

"Vampire." She said. He looked up. She had to admit, he was quite handsome. Handsome in other ways than her husband. Handsome like a devil, as opposed to Arthur's angel. Angel, Ha! An angel that drank and smoked far too much and had no time for his wife. It had been ages since they had last made love.

"You called, Mistress?" He asked, setting his book aside.

"Come here." She called. He stood and walked over to her. His lithe body amazed her and scared her, taking her breath away. She felt her body reacting to him already. When he was close enough, she reached up to grab his tie, pulling him closer to her, the heat rising in her body the closer his got to hers. He grinned.

"Tell me, vampire, Alucard, are you bound to me in the same way you are to my husband?" She purred.

"You are a Hellsing." Alucard replied simply, his smile fading. He stilled seemed bored, as though he had seen this kind of thing many times over and this life simply no longer surprised or interested him. Well, she would change that.

She pulled her robe down, revealing her breasts to him.

She bade him to kneel, he did so. She pulled her robe completely off, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. His hands caught hers.

"Mistress, do you know the consequences of your actions?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion. She placed a finger on his lips.

"Who is the servant to command the master?" She asked. She was through waiting for others to grant her wishes. She had power over this man, this beast, and it thrilled her. She took one of his hands in hers and placed it over one of her breasts. She kissed him deeply, inviting him. Still, he made no response.

She smiled. "I order you to kiss me." She breathed against his lips. Immediately she felt his mouth come to life, demonstrating hundreds of years of experience. She pulled her mouth away.

She pushed him into a sitting position and lowered her naked body onto his lap. His face was a mask. She pushed off his shirt, splaying her fingers across his marble white chest. "Lay down." She said, and he did so, her straddling him.

Her hands dipped into his pants, and he caught her hands again. "Are you sure this is what you want?" His voice was nearly bare, but had the softest hint of reluctance. His manner seemed almost reluctant. "If so, I cannot argue with you." He said, dropping the most subtle of hints.

She either didn't hear it, or didn't acknowledge it. Instead, she leaned down to him, and whispered, "I order you, Alucard, to make love to me. I want to forget my husband tonight."

Alucard gave the faintest sigh, one almost of anger, and rolled her onto her back. "You may regret this, Mistress." He sank down on her, and fulfilled her orders.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

In his hotel room in Rome, Arthur looked out the window at the moonlit sky. Paperwork lay abandoned on his floor. He was tired, worn, and worried. He was worried about his job, his wife, and his country. It would be a long day tomorrow, and he knew, just before he fell asleep, that he may not be ready for it.

A/N: So I've set the stage. We have a husband who drinks too much and is unsure of himself, an unfaithful wife unsatisfied with said husband, a worried butler, and a bored vampire. Throw them all together, and you have a wonderful plot! Whoo-hoo!! So, If you like it, I'll continue. If not, I'll give it up for a bust. Please review!