The day of Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing's funeral was appropriately overcast and gray. Over a thousand people tried to cram into the cemetery, everyone eager to pay their last respects to a woman who had touched so many in her life. There were old, retired soldiers who looked as though their time would be next, young recruits with their families, captains, servants, and more government officials than could be counted. They gathered around the raised platform where the priest gave his eulogy, praising the late Ms. Hellsing's Christian works and subtly reminding everyone that death and taxes were the only two constants in life.

Only two of the enormous party didn't gather among the rest, instead standing apart. If one didn't know better, the pair could have been bystanders simply stopping to hear the eulogy and appreciate the crowd. However, the people gathered naturally shied away from the quiet, observant beings that stood under a lone elm tree in the distance, paying their respects in a less obvious way.

If one took the time to look closer, ignoring the instinctive fear that pawed at their insides, they would have realized the people under the tree were nothing special or amazing to look at. A man and a woman; the pair seemed to be together, and yet they spoke not a word nor touched. The woman kept brushing her blonde bangs out of her eyes as she watched the crowd with a melancholy look. Her companion wore a blank expression, his stark black garb only accented with a scarlet necktie fashioned in a strange, complicated-looking knot. The differences between the two were dark and light, night and day. The only thing tying them together- besides the mutual creepiness- was their strangely colored eyes. The bright red irises shone brightly against their pale skin and made them seem inhuman.

But no one paid them any attention, or at least tried not to as the priest wrapped up his sermon and the elegant coffin was laid in its final resting place. The humans quickly prayed and ended the ceremony; some ran off immediately while others mulled about and spoke to each other, having no pressing matters to attend to on such a gloomy day. One lone person, a beautiful olive-skinned woman with thick curly hair that spilled down her back, ascended the hill to finally greet the pair that stood apart from the rest.

"Captain Seras, I'm glad you made it after all. If I knew you were coming, I would have stayed behind and let you ride to the cemetery with me; that way you wouldn't have had to walk." The woman smiled friendlily, sneaking a quick glance at the male before moving closer to the blonde subconsciously. Seras gave a quick, short nod before speaking, her hair falling back into her eyes as she stared down at the woman's shiny black flats.

"It's all right. I wouldn't have wanted you to go out of your way, and it's not like I walked here alone. Days like this are nice to me, since I can go outside without having to dress heavy, you know?" she murmured in reply, sounding sad and bored at the same time. The woman's smile froze and she gulped quietly before turning to the man with a determined air.

"Yes, I can see that. How are you, Mr. Alucard?" she said forcedly. The man simply glared at her before stalking down the hill to the now-deserted mound of fresh dirt and flowers. The smile faded from the woman's face and she shivered, rubbing her arms. She looked at Seras and seemed to be lost for words. Finally she cleared her throat. "Well, my son is waiting on me at home, so I'll see you Monday, I suppose. Bye, Captain." She hurriedly made her exit and Seras watched her leave, standing alone for a long moment before walking down to join her companion at the gravestone.


Seras walked among the stones, looking at the countless names and dates carved into the surfaces. She stopped at three little headstones in a row. Each represented an infant, born and dead on the same day. The three were three years apart, and it was easy to see that they belonged to the same family. Seras felt a pang for the poor mother of the babies. To try three times in a row, and each child didn't live longer than a day… how horrid. She sniffed sadly and went back the way she came, where Alucard still stood at the foot of his deceased master's grave. They'd been there for at least a few hours now and the other mourners had all left, but Seras didn't mind. She had eternity where they didn't; time wasn't quite as important to her anymore, and she never felt bad wasting it.

She reached her destination and craned her head to look at her silent master, surprised to see that he was simply staring. Usually when he stayed in one place for long, he was lost in thought and his eyes were distant, or he was standing still but looking around at something, or waiting for Seras to catch up to him, her short legs in overdrive. Never did he stand and stare at something just to stare. It was... unnerving.

"Master?" she touched the sleeve of his suit, which she'd never seen him wear before. It was different from the business suit he'd worn to Rio; it seemed more formal and sad, as if it was covered in nothing but bad memories and pain. She felt the same way about her "funeral dress"; it was the only black thing that she owned in her entire wardrobe, so it automatically defaulted to mourning garments whenever someone passed.

"Seras," he responded, acknowledging her presence but nothing more. She was at a loss for what to do next. Usually, her gut-feeling won out in these situations, and right now she felt that she should stay next to the silent man. She turned and stood at his side, her bare arm brushing his sleeve as she also gazed on the script carved into granite. They stood still, rivaling the angelic statues that dotted the landscape in their motionlessness as the wind caught their hair, lifting it up and foretelling of rain. The prediction came true a few moments later, the first sprinkles making patterns in the dirt. Seras tilted her head towards the grassy fields in the distance, hearing the coming downpour. A shadow enveloped her head and she grasped it to see Alucard had draped the jacket to his suit over her hair. "Let us leave," he said finally, turning to walk towards the wrought-iron gate. Seras adjusted the jacket to keep the rain out of her eyes and followed him, her heels already dragging in the newly formed mud.


He acted more informally than he'd ever been around her during the long years together. Draping a long arm around her shoulders, he held her close as they walked the crowded streets while dodging umbrellas. They weren't headed in the direction of the manor, but Seras hadn't truly expected that anyway. She was more than content to simply walk, allowing him to guide her wherever he wanted. People glanced at them as they went by, peering out from under their flimsy handheld shelters. Seras smiled out from under the jacket, nodding as they passed by and getting only gawky stares in return. Soon, she stopped bothering and pulled herself deeper into the black material. Finally, they stopped beside a tall building and Seras looked up to see it was the terminal that ran to the airport. They stood in line for tickets behind a man in a business suit, talking quietly on the phone while juggling his suitcase and umbrella in his other hand. He dropped the case and fumbled in frustration, prompting Seras to bend down and pick it up, handing it to him with a smile. He nodded in thanks before finally getting his ticket and scurried off. She looked after him curiously as he left while Alucard spoke to the lady behind the counter.

"What is it? Did you know him?" Alucard put his arm back around her shoulders and led her inside the terminal, picking out a secluded bench to sit on. She shook her head, pulling the jacket off and draping it around her shoulders instead. She looked up to see Alucard was already dry, although his short hair was back to its messy appearance instead of the neatly combed mass it had been at the cemetery.

"No… I don't know really. He just seemed to be so busy." She looked out over the crowds that bustled by, eager to board their trains and leave for destinations unknown. "They're all so busy. No, I suppose I've simply slowed down, haven't I." It wasn't a question as much as a statement; a fact that left a strange, unfamiliar hole in her heart.

"It happens. You'll find that the world will leave you behind quickly, Seras." His eyes grew thoughtful. "You lose track of how fast it runs when you stay in one spot too long." He looked down at his lap and grew silent once more. Seras looked over on her shoulder to look at the pristine white glove resting there, wondering how he kept it so clean. It looked wrong, and she realized that it was because the runes were missing. Did they disappear when Sir Integra died? She reached over to grab the hand resting at his side and removed the glove, looking for the first time at his bare hand. She turned over the smooth appendage and studied the marks and faint scars before squeezing it and returning the glove to its proper place.

"Where shall we go?" she asked him curiously, looking out at the trains pulling into the station.

"To my home," he replied, his voice quiet. She looked over to see that he seemed mixed between nostalgic and irritated. "It's been years since I've been there, and if anything my castle will be covered in dust where foolish humans neglect their work." Seras nodded, not really agreeing with him as much as she was just doing it because she could.

"And our coffins?" she felt silly asking; since Pip died, she'd been regularly drinking blood and didn't have to sleep in a coffin anymore if she didn't want to. However, she still felt slightly wary leaving it behind, where curious hands could open and touch and break and… she fought a shiver and leaned in closer to his side.

"Don't worry about them. I will make sure that they get there as soon as I make sure that you get there. You're the one I'm worried about. As soon as I turn my back you'll get yourself lost in the woods or fall of a cliff of some sort; I just know it." She huffed and turned her head, not looking at his smug grin.

"Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"No," he conceded, "but you're a silly, distracted little thing who enjoys getting herself into trouble." His eyes grew thoughtful again. "I wonder how they'll react," he added to himself. Seras frowned in confusion.

"They? Are we meeting someone?" He shook his head before looking at the electronic screen and standing. Seras mimicked him and they walked together to a newly arrived train at the end of the platform.

"No, but they'll come anyway. Integra is dead and my power is freed from control. They'll feel it." He looked at her perplexed features. "The others of our kind, that is. The King returns, and they're probably spitting at the mention of my name right now." He helped her up onto the train and they picked a seat in the back. The train filled slowly and it seemed like no time before they were speeding through fields. Seras looked out of the window at the rolling landscape, realizing that she hadn't really seen any of it since she was a human. She felt her master settle beside her and turned her attention back to him.

"Spit, you say," she muttered. "Why would they do that?"

"Because, my naïve little fledgling, since I've been preoccupied in England, they've had free reign. Now their little party is over, and I've got punishments to dole out and rules to reinforce. It's going to be quite glorious." He leaned his head back, a vicious grin twisting his features. "I can hardly wait." Seras pursed her lips and tried to steer the conversation back to nicer things.

"I can't wait either." She looked out of the window again. "I've never left England before, except for going to see Rio de Janiro that one time. Seeing another country will be nice. I don't know any other languages, though."

"You will. Time is an excellent teacher, and you have lots of it. I will help you." Alucard kept his eyes shut, and Seras felt the fogginess of sleep pushing though her growing excitement. She leaned her head against his arm, closing her eyes with the intention of resting until the train stopped. She felt Alucard shift to wrap his arm around hers and moved to allow him room.

"Master?" she voiced once she was back in a comfortable position.

"Hm."

"You're touching me a lot more."

"I'm allowed to now. I no longer have to follow the orders of a dead family." She bit the inside of her cheek at his offhand statement. Even if he hated it, she was still sad over Integra's death. The woman had been her friend, and it hurt that she'd never see her again.

"I'm going to miss her, even if you're not." It wasn't a gesture of defiance, she was just simply putting it out there. She understood his point of view: whether or not he respected or even liked the woman, she was still his oppressor and a daily reminder of his defeat long ago. "But why would she keep you from holding my arm?" Her weariness wasn't letting her think straight, and the answering fatigue from Alucard through their bond didn't help. They were supposed to be asleep right now.

"I'll explain it to you when we arrive on the mainland. Until then, sleep if you wish. I'll wake you when we get to the airport." She hummed in agreement before allowing herself to slip into a quick catnap.


Alucard watched the landscape pass over his sleeping companion's head as the train barreled towards the airport. She moved against him and sighed softly, and he gently pushed his arm around her and trailed his fingers along her leg. Her quiet slumber eased his own lethargy somewhat, and there were still many things to think about before they reached his castle. He looked down at the top of her hair, admiring her quiet nature. She didn't breathe when she slept, not that she needed to; her body no longer required air and she only breathed when she was awake because, like he, she was simply used to the feeling.

He was honestly surprised with her willingness to follow him to another land. He knew that she was fond of his former master, and had only postponed his inevitable trip to allow her to attend the funeral. Not that she knew that, of course. He hadn't wanted to let her know of his plan to leave England, simply because he hadn't known what her reaction would have been. He didn't want to have to force her into going with him, but he wasn't leaving her behind either. Yet, not only had she immediately agreed, she'd also asked him… she wanted to know why he'd been banned from touching her. He wondered how he should phrase it. He had told her that he would explain it to her when they reached Europe's mainland, and he abhorred lies of any kind. He'd have to be true to his word, but how could he voice something like that? He'd never been the most emotional of people, and even his childe thought him to be heartless. Not that he wasn't, of course: his heart was as black as they came. He just felt more than he'd ever let on. Men in this day and age disgusted him, going around with emotions on full display. Why, in his day-he smirked. In his day. He sounded like an old man. Well, he'd just think of that when it came time.

The bell rang and an automated voice warned them to sit, as they were about to brake. He sighed; time to wake the police girl and try to coax her sluggish, undead weight onto the plane. At least this time, he wouldn't have to trick her into being nailed into a coffin.