He couldn't recall the last time that she had decided to wear something even remotely femme to sleep. Now this...this was interesting he observed as he peeled his form out of the darkness.

He drew closer to the woman slumbering before him with an expression of intense interest. The vanilla-colored silk chemise-like slip that she wore had ridden up on the back of her thighs as she slept curled on her side, long pale locks spilling over the side of her soft white pillow.

She had grown quite a bit since he had first laid eyes upon her. She was no longer a straight-figured youth that he had encountered so many years ago in the dungeon of the basement. When those hips had formed and curved was beyond him.
When those breasts had firmed and grown was also a mystery. Even her voice, no longer the squeaky little vocals common to prepubescent girls had deepened with both age and authority. She was a beautiful young woman now he remembered as he came closer to the sleeping figure.

He reached out tentatively, gloved hand resting gently over her shoulder, shuddering at the feel of the heat beneath his palm. She was absolutely stunning in her oblivious state.

He yearned to glide his hand lower...to rest upon the perfect curve of her hip but he refrained. During the final battle she had been so stern.
So strong.
So unweilding and demanding... never weak... never yearning for protection but needing it...

So bold... so fearless...

So...he wrinkled his nose.
...masculine...

But he could change all of that. His smile widened. What he would give to remind her of that moist passage between those slender thighs that she was so intent on ignoring.

A soft whimper escaped her dreams and her brows furrowed. Alucard's brows drew down suspiciously as he moved closer.

What was that woman dreaming...

He loomed over her beautiful frame, face just inches from her own. The living mortal heat that her body exerted was almost too painful for him to endure now. He let his form linger in a half-hazy state for a moment, shadows darkening his features as he put his wide mouth close to her ear and chuckled..

She sighed softly as he returned to the dark dimension from whence he had emerged, intent to wander elsewhere.

Integra nodded from her position behind the desk, white gloved hands folded neatly upon the polished wood. Her new young commander sat before her, perfectly poised. Stiff and neat, his face was set into the practiced expression of indifference as he awaited his boss's next words.

"I understand the situation," her voice was low and authoratative.

The man before her smiled a smile of approval beneath his light mustache as his right index and thumb slid repeatedly over the silver cross ring of his left middle finger. His lucky ring...

"So..." he inquired, raising one thin gloved hand to his chin, his thumb and index twitching in anticipation. "Given the situation, will you send in the rest of my troops?"

The woman behind the desk stared impassively at the man before her. She wasn't going to risk that many lives, not when there was someone more appropriate for the job, not to mention a hell of a lot less cantankerous than an entire troop. For a brief second, a most minute moment in time, the man in uniform was certain that he had caught a flicker of emotion flash through that reputable stone-cold gaze.

The air was tense for a few seconds as he waited for a response. Integra's gaze lifted from the table, heavy dark lashes almost veiling her narrow eyes. Her voice was in the air before the general realized it and he blinked in response.

"The decision has been made. They are not necessary."

The older man sighed and stood, trying his best to conceal his disappointment.

Guess the ring wasn't so lucky afterall.

"But Sir... With our new weapons, I'm sure that we could-"

"You are dismissed..."

The man's face visibly fell and he nodded, pushing back to rise from the chair he occupied.

"Yes... Sir..." he turned and left the room, his face scarlet with anger.

Why was this woman so difficult...

Integra kept her gaze on the night sky.

Perhaps she should send a small squad with them, but the reinforcements were too much. A small squad would do. Besides, that police girl always seemed to work better with company.

Or maybe...she thought to herself...she should step outside for a night and take a look at the battlefield herself.

It had been nearly a month since she had set foot outside of the organization, that is after she had managed to control some of the more important paperwork involving the clean-up effort that was sought after the destruction of Incognito.

The last few weeks had seemed entirely like hell with the doctor's orders hampering her efforts at making the new foot-high stack of letters and unsigned documents do a disappearing act.
She was normally faster than this...

With a sigh, she gently sat her glasses upon the desk, pulling her gloves off and then putting her fingers up to rub the bridge of her nose soothingly.

The darkest corner in her office darkened further and the hairs stood on the back of her neck as she stared down at her paperwork. Where her dimension ended, the darkness released a whisper of a breeze and then all was silent.
She felt, rather than heard him approach.

There was a deep sigh from directly behind her and she relaxed inwardly, gathering her thoughts. He had been pining over her for the last few weeks, ever since that Incognito business had ended. Whether it was out of concern for her or smug boredom now that the target had been destroyed, she was not certain.
"What are you doing here..." she spoke softly, lethargy invading her voice.

"Watching you work," he stated without hesitance, his voice quiet. She didn't have to inquire to know that he was still concerned over her nearly healed injury, as well as anxious to find amusement in her presence.

She sighed. It wasn't like him at all to watch her so closely.

"You have come into my study for a week in a row. Why..." it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Because I want to watch you..." his voice was dripping with some unexplainable emotion. His tone managed to make her tense, but she closed her eyes and brushed it off. In times of stress...it would appear as though just the sound of his rich voice was in fact the best medicine.

It was moments like these that made her reconsider her sanity...

Every time that deep voice lowered and softened...his choice of words becoming less threatening.
Every time she caught the sultry edge of excitement in his voice, it soothed her.

"As I stated last week, Alucard, there is no need for you look after me at this time," she kept her gaze on her work, folding her hands before her.

"I know..." he stated.

She smiled faintly.

"You exceed your duty to me by extending your.. concern. Is there a reason?"

He grinned wider. He loved her stubborn nature, as well as her attempt to hide her discomfort from him. She was such an intriguing woman...

"I just know stress when I see it," he explained.

She exhaled short and tempered, unpleased by his conclusion to her behavior.

"I am not stressed, Alucard."

"You were a moment ago..."

"That was then. This is now, and now I am alright..."

He chuckled.
"Because I entered the room."

She paused for a moment, trying to pinpoint his exact meaning, and failing.

"And just what is that supposed to mean, Alucard..." she said as she reached into her drawer and pulled out a fresh new cigar.

"You like the sound of my voice."
Her hold on the cigar faltered for a moment at the sound of his words so near to her ear, closer than he had been not minutes ago. There was an odd scent about him that was quick to assault her senses. It was like a faint spicey musk...and it made her brow furrow and her body tense.

In a moment of brief anger she set the expensive stick upon her desk and tried to regain her composure. After a moment of silence she spoke again, turning to see that he had snaked around to the front of her desk, grinning, the scent fading.

"Desires long since forgotten are aroused by the sound of your voice..."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she inhaled.

"I know..." his voice purred.

"You're going out, tonight..." she stated. She could sense his pleasure and she put out her cigar. "You must be restless to come into my study..."

He was silent save for his ridiculously wide-ass grin.

She sighed softly as she stood. She was more than anxious for a little show tonight...