The Bet

By Varen4747

Chapter 1

It had been a long day, an unbearably long day, and Integra was not happy about it at all. And the company she had was not making things any easier. "And that should be it for today."

Integra was about to explode in frustration, if there was anything she hated it was budget meeting. "Is it really, because you have said that at least three times in the past half hour, Mr. Penwood."

Integra had no dislike for this man at all in fact if it wasn't for his incompetence she would very much like to spend more time with him, but the last 4 hours of budget organization and such had put her in a less than good mood. "My apologies Sir Integra this time we are actually done. Thank you again for your hospitality and understanding."

Mr. Penwood had finally left and Integra was alone in her office, at last. The budget meeting while annoying went surprisingly well, the meeting started as a means to address the problems with the odd expenses that were mostly the work of Alucard, what with all the noise complaints of the people near the Badric hospital in Ireland, along with the mysterious disappearance of Arthur Hellsing's old car, and some mysterious expenses under the entertainment section of last year's budget. In the end however the financial advisors caved and gave her the money she needed, only after they heard about what happened to the last few hundred people that Alucard didn't find entertaining. But now it was finally over.

Integra called the front office of the estate hoping that there was nothing left to do today. "Hello, front desk is Walter there."

The familiar voice that came over the speaker was always a comfort to her even in the worst situations. "Speaking Sir is the something I can do for you."

"Yes Walter is there anything else in the schedule tonight?" She asked hoping for a no.

The shuffling of some papers could be heard over the speaker before her trusted butler answered. "Let me see… No it looks as though we are done for the day."

Never had those words been more relived by those words. "Thank the Lord."

"Heh, indeed." Walters comforting voice sounded over the speaker. "On that note I have a favor to ask a favor of you. I know it is rude to ask but may I have the evening off?"

Integra was surprised by his request, she was by no means mad about it but it was very unusual, Walter usually didn't take a break from work even if she told him to. "Of course Walter, but may I ask why?"

"Well you see, one of my old friends from back in the Great War is in town and I wanted to see how he was. We were going to go out for a late dinner."

Integra chuckled to herself, "Of course, have fun, you have earned it."

Walter's voice picked up, "Thank you sir. By the way Seras was looking for you. I will be back late tonight if you need me my cellphone will be on."

"Alright, I will call you if there is an emergency, but I'm sure Pip and Alucard could handle it anyway." She replied confidently.

"Have a good night Sir Integra." And the phone hung up.

Integra was about to go look for Seras when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in."

Apparently Seras had saved her the trouble of looking for her. "Hello Sir Integra." She said in her usual cheery voice. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."

Integra wondering what she could be asking about. "Yes, what is it?"

Seras looked a little embarrassed touching her fingertips together in a way that Integra secretly thought was adorable. "C-can I go out tonight?"

Yet another odd question from her subordinates. "Well, yes I suppose so but why?"

Seras blushed a little and her voice started quivering ever so slightly. "Well I'm… see I'm meeting somebody."

Ever since she was recruited Integra secretly looked at Seras as a sort of little sister, maybe even a daughter in a way. "Meeting someone are you. A man perhaps."

Seras was all red in the face. "Y-yes he is of the male gender. Heh heh."

Integra showing a side of her not often seen asked more questions of her little Draculina. "Do I know this person of the male gender?"

"Well, yes you might, but I'm not quite sure if you know him that well yet." Seras was starting to look even more embarrassed.

Integra decided to spare her any more embarrassment and let her go. "Alright go have fun on your date with this mystery man." Seras blushed a bit and left very happy about her fortunes.

Integra was happy for her but was still wondering who this mysterious man was. She started to gather up the paper work on her desk and began to relax for the first time since before the Cheddar incident. She started thinking to herself, how long had it been since she had been able to relax. It felt like ages since she was able to take a relaxing cat nap or a nice bath. Her train of thought was broken by the door opening again but this time it was her mercenary captain Pip Bernadotte.

He toke the half smokes cigarette from his mouth and spoke in a tired accented voice. "Alright my shift is done for today I'm going to hit the road."

Integra regaining her normal stern attitude, "Alright then, make sure the guards are stationed correctly before you leave."

Pip smiled casually saying, "Yes Madam Hellsing. I'm going to get going I have a little appointment to keep." And he closed the door behind him.

Integra always liked Pip's accent it made her feel at peace for some reason. She had always been a little curious about him and even felt a little attracted to him, but romance was never a strong suit of Integra's, in fact, though she didn't like to admit it she was actually still a virgin. She had told herself long ago that she would never bind herself to a man and would never give into one either, to her it was a symbol of her eternal conviction to stay strong.

At last the day was over and she could finally get some much needed rest. She toke off her normal suit and tie then unbuttoned the top few buttons of her shirt deciding to let her skin breathe a little, she fell back into the chair behind her desk and started to feel her eyes get a little heavy. She decided to lay her head back and rest her eyes for just a minute.

Integra had been asleep for about an hour and the sun had set behind the hills outside her windows. Darkness had fallen and with it came its darkest entity. The shadow of the No-Life King himself slithered across the floor behind the sleeping body of Integra Hellsing, and from the shadow came Alucard. His deep scarlet eyes danced across the body of his sleeping master. Alucard removed his hands from the gloves that almost always covered them and began to move them gently across the skin of the vampire's master, his hand carefully caressing her cheek and lips. Then his eyes were drawn to her bare neck, the vampire's mind suddenly became a sort of frenzy his razor like teeth glistened in the moon light as his mouth was drawn closer and closer to her neck. His mouth opening and his teeth barred he moved in to feed. The moment the teeth made contact with the woman's neck one of her eyes cracked open just a bit, BANG!

The bullet of silver pierced the vampire lords head through his right temple and exploding in his skull just before it was to leave. Alucard head was thrown back by the force and surprise and he fell on the floor back first. A large chunk of his head had been completely obliterated and the pool of blood was rapidly spreading through the carpeted floor. Integra satisfied with her work got up pistol on hand and waited for the vampire to regenerate.

The blood was already rushing back into Alucard's body just as it always did, the pieces of skull that had been blown off were reforming, "Heh heh heh, ha ha HA HA HA. That was a good shot. An excellent kill if I do say so myself."

This wasn't an incredibly uncommon occurrence but Integra could never quite get used to these incidents. "Alucard, why do you keep doing this I have told you time and time again that I will not become a vampire and I don't intend to go back on my word."

Alucard now completely regenerated stood up and smirked devilishly. "But master, on a night such as this your flawless amber skin called to me like never before I could not just let such an opportunity go to waste."

Integra had gotten up and was putting her normal attire back on cursing the wretched vampire under her breath. "Just because you chose to live as a monster doesn't mean that I want to Alucard."

Alucard was watching her redress ignoring completely her cruel remark. "You know, master I have always wondered to myself why a stunningly beautiful woman such as yourself, with such perfect skin hardly ever shows any of it?"

Integra was taken aback a bit by the question, but then she remembered that Alucard was never without sarcasm. Integra responded in her usually way, by answering sarcasm with seriousness. "That would be very unprofessional don't you think Alucard, in such a male dominated society it should be only natural that I try to look as professional as possible. Could you imagine the director of the Hellsing Organization in a dress, I would never be taken seriously."

Alucard's grin widened and his scarlet eyes shown in the dimly lit room, "Oh, I disagree completely, your beauty is one that should be acknowledged and respected by all, men and women alike should bow in the streets as you pass your beauty is one that would turn the gaze of God himself."

Integra was completely dumbfounded by this Alucard had acknowledged her supposed beauty many times but this was something else and this time he was serious there was no hint of his normal sarcastic voice in what he had just said. Her voice quivered as she spoke, "D-don't be ridiculous, I am no beauty to be admired by my people. I am the director of the Hellsing Organization." She toke a long pause before speaking again. "You overestimate my beauty I am no one to be revered for my looks and there are few men who would be attracted to a woman as… a woman like me."

Alucard walked past her heading toward the door but stopped between her and his exit. "Perhaps if you were to wear more… complimenting clothes people would be more likely to prove you wrong. In fact I would bet anything that if you were to go to a party in more womanly attire you would turn every head in the room. I would bet my immortality on it."

Integra thought about that and there was no doubt in her mind that Alucard was entirely wrong. Integra was proud of her herself for many things, in general she was a very prideful person, but one thing she had never been confident about was her own looks. She always envisioned herself as very masculine and unattractive to the average person. "Why would I do that, you know as well as anybody that I hate parties. And even if you were right the only people that go to those parties are cheap bureaucrats and rich company heads no one that I would be interested in."

Alucard stopped and put his hand up to his chin thinking for a moment, "That is true, people like that are not worth your time, you need a man of more substance, one who is more intellectually powerful. One who you can call you're a rival no an equal, one that can be with you in body mind and soul. Someone like… me."

Integra was now more surprised than ever, had Alucard just suggested that he was not only interested in his master and believed he was worthy of her. A monster like him, he had to be joking, this was Alucard so that was very probable. And she wrote it off as just another one of his jokes. "Preposterous, you think yourself my equal monster?"

Alucard looked back at her with wide eyes and barred teeth. "I am over 500 years old I'm sure that I could be your intellectual equal, and despite what you may think I am more a man than any of those bureaucrats you hate so much, and sometimes a monster might be just what you need, a little of my madness for your sanity an attraction of opposites perhaps, monster and human, madness and sanity, darkness and light, taint and purity." Integra could only stare at her servant vampire this was a side of him that she had never seen. Alucard started to walk away from his mater again. "Good night my most beautiful master." And with that Alucard made his usual exit by walking right through the wall.

Integra was now alone with her thoughts, and did she have a lot to think about. She walked back to her room and laid down on her bed and for the first time that oversized bed felt very empty to her. Like there was a void there that she had never noticed before but had always been there.