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<< This story takes place directly after the confrontation with The Vatican at the museum, enjoy!>>

The fire was truly beautiful with all its blues and reds. It seemed to tell itself what to do, where to go. It burned what it wanted and seemed to turn away from other places. The fire of course was yet another carefully planned attack on the Manor. The perpetrators had snuck in under the cover of night and dumped gasoline around the mansion. They then through fire bottles in through the windows and ran like hell.

She awoke in a haze of smoke, yelling and screaming bouncing in her ears. She rolled off her bed and onto the hard wood floor. The air was lighter down here and didn’t seem to want to claw its way back out of her lungs as much.

“Help!” She screamed crawling towards the door. There was a small cracking sound, like a snap of bones coming from outside. She flung the door open just as the ceiling in the outside hallway collapsed and burst into flames.

She thrust herself back and crawled to a far corner, away form the door. She placed her hands over her eyes to stop them from burning, and curled up close to the floor so she could breathe easier. A whimper escaped her lips as she tried to pull herself together. Everything was so cloudy. She couldn’t think straight. Her thoughts weren’t sharp like daggers, now they just seemed to flow past her. Only one thing kept coming to her mind: They won’t be able to get to me. I’m trapped. I’m gonna burn.

Then a word came to mind… a name.

“Alucard,” she whispered to the smoke and flames, “Help me.”

She felt a sort of floating feeling as the flames lapped at her feet. She could see the red of the flames through her closed eyes. And then it was black, like a shadow had been cast over her. She opened her burning eyes to see her guardian. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms. Over his shoulder she could see the flames backing up; the heart of the fire telling itself where it could not go.

“Its okay you can stop crying, I’ll get you out of here.” He whispered.

Integra touched her cheek; her tears were so hot she hadn’t even felt them. He turned around and began to walk out of the room. The fire leaped up the walls and out of his way. She watched it hiss at him as a thick red fog began to surround them. At last they reached the staircase. Bellow was a sea of flames, the heart of the fire. He stood completely still.

“Alucard wait for the fire team.” Integra ordered. She had seen what fire did to vampires, and even though Alucard wasn’t ordinary, she still couldn’t help the terrible knot in her stomach.

“I have a duty to protect you my Master,” Alucard whispered, “And I will not break it.” He lifted up his hand and placed it, palm to the flames. “Releasing control restrictions to level 3… 2… 1. Situation recognized.” Bellow there feet appeared a thick carpet of red eyes. The eyes began to descend the staircase and cover the fire. Alucard also began to walk down the stairs. The eyes and flames seemed to take the forms of giant snakes in a duel to the death. They each lashed at one another, attacking and hissing. It pushed harder and harder. A pathway down the staircase seemed to be forming. Soon enough they were at the bottom.

Alucard groaned.

A small trail of blood trickled from his mouth. Integra began to remember the agonizing screams of the vampire couple she had watched burn to death when she was little. “Stop Alucard,” She said with all her force, “I order you to stop.” But the words seemed to come out lightly. Like a little girls wish.

He walked across the floor, the eyes creating a small pathway for them to the door. The fire, however, refused to stop. The eyes grew closer to them, creating a sort of bubble around them. The fire couldn’t get passed it.

Alucard bit his lip.

Integra pushed against him trying to make him stop. But even though his arms held her in the gentlest of ways, he wouldn’t move a bit. They were almost to the door now. His mouth fell open his fangs hanging down. The fire seemed to become the ceiling eating away at the wood. She looked into his eyes. They were bright red; perfectly matching the flaming sky. She stopped fighting and instead incased him in her arms. She could feel the intense heat brushing against her skin. But it was better then his.

He stopped in front of the door. The eyes pushed forward opening the door for them.

“Master!” Integra heard Police Girl yell from far off. Integra felt Alucard’s arms leave her and instead she was now surrounded by people. In a moment she had an oxygen mask over her face, people checking her heart and eyes, and someone asking her annoying questions.

“Stop.” She ordered, the power returning to her voice. They all took a step away from the stretcher she had been placed on. “I’m bloody fine, now go help the people with the third degree burns.”

In an instant she was completely alone.

Integra noticed Seras helping the fireman try to put out the inferno and laughed. The action made her chest hurt and she shivered against the tingling pain. Suddenly she felt a blanket fall over her shoulders.

“Are you alright Master?” Alucard asked stepping forward to look at her.

The blood drip had been wiped away from his mouth, but she could still see the smear. His hat and sunglasses were gone and she could see the burn marks on his coat. “I should be asking you the same question.” She replied.

Alucard looked away from her questioning eyes and laughed, “I need to drink.”

“I’m sure there’s some blood in the ambulance.” She replied pulling out the I.V. needle from her arm.

Alucard looked down at her again, “They stuck a needle in you.”

“Unfortunately you’ll never get to experience the bloody wonders of human medicine.” Integra muttered sarcastically. She looked back down at the small red dot just above her wrist and smiled. She held up her arm, “Make it quick.”

Alucard looked at her puzzlingly until he understood and the confusion was replaced with a pleased smile. He lightly held her arm and in a swift motion licked up the drop of blood and took a small sip of his Master. He stood back up straight and let go of her arm.

“Thank you, my Master.” He smiled giving her a small bow.

“Thank you Alucard,” Integra whispered, “That was quite human of you.”

Alucard’s expression changed into something she couldn’t quite read and he casually looked back towards the house.

“The fire seems to be out.” Integra said quickly.

“So it is, where shall you go now Master?” Alucard asked.

“Until the repairs are completed there’s a large house owned by my family near by. We almost never use it so it should be safe from future attacks.” Integra answered. “It also has quite a large basement.” She added.

“I shall follow your car then,” Alucard replied turning back to her, “Until then I think I shall try and help find whoever was stupid enough to do this.”

Integra nodded and met his gaze. He picked up her hand and gave it a gentle kiss before she could protest. “Goodbye, Master.” He smiled, and walked off.

“Goodbye,” Integra whispered, though he was to far away to hear, “My Count.”