Seras took a deep breath and released it slowly, an unnecessary thing that took Integra by surprise. She looked up from her paperwork and stared at Alucard's fledgling, smiling as she noted the look of concentration on her face. "You know, Seras... If you stare at that window any harder, you might just break it." She watched as the vampire snapped out of her revalry, fixed her gaze on her face. "What's on your mind, Seras? You seem to be...distracted?"

Thirty years. Thirty years since Alucard had been gone. He'd shown up the night before and since the night before, after he'd fed from Integra, he'd been in his coffin. When the night began, he'd not risen to come and sweep around like he used to do. It kind of bothered Seras, as she'd expected him to be front and center when he came back. She'd expected him to hover around Integra like he used to do, to be there. "Master isn't up yet. Shouldn't he have already been up? It's nearly midnight already."

Integra laughed and put her pen down next to her paperwork. "Is that what you're worried about? Alucard has been gone for thirty years, trying his absolute best to get back. The reason he's not up yet is simply because he's catching up on sleep. If you're that worried, then by all means, go down there and see about him. I'm sure that he'll be glad to see you. He missed you."

That didn't sound like her master. Seras wrinkled her nose and tipped her head over, picking at her fingernails. "Master didn't miss me. ...Did he?"

"He told me he did, and Alucard isn't one to mince words when it comes to things of the nature. Usually, at least. He might have gained a sense of whimsy in the time that he's been among humans." That had always amused her. She remembered asking her servant a time before why he'd turned Seras. She could still remember his answer, and held it close. She knew why, but she wasn't about to let Seras know the details of why and how. "Go see Alucard, see what he's up to, but I can guarantee that he's sleeping."

**********

And that was what he was doing. Seras stared into the darkness as she stepped into her master's dungeon. It was as bare as the day that she'd first stepped in there, save for his high-back chair, the table next to it, and the coffin over in the corner. She stared over at the sleeping quarters of the vampire and stepped a little closer. The dungeon had always creeped her out. She'd been able to make her own portion of it a little more manageable, a little bit of a personal touch installed in it, but Alucard's part of the dungeon had remained as filthy and desecrated as a grave. He didn't clean it, he didn't care to clean it, and he wouldn't let anyone else clean it either. There were still chains on the wall from days gone by, and she noted how well taken care of they looked in comparison with the dank, smothering surroundings. Did Alucard take care of them? Hardly, she figured. He had better ways of torturing humans and other things than chaining them to the wall. She didn't know what he would use them for, but she figured that if he used them at all, it was likely not for the purposes they were meant to be used for.

Seras took a few steps further toward the coffin, feeling nervous, as if she didn't belong there. The smooth black wood shone with the little bit of light that streamed into the massive open door, and it seemed to scream 'Go away!'. She walked right up to the edge of the coffin, trembled a little, then leaned down to knock on the edge. Just, before her knuckles were able to touch the edge, the lid jerked up suddenly. She screamed and jumped back, but calmed down as she noted she was staring down into the grinning face of her master. Vlad Tepes, Vlad Dracul, Alucard the Vampire, the No Life King. How...ironic all of his names were. Seras sighed and stepped closer. "Master, why are you still asleep? It's midnight."

Alucard raised from the coffin, stretching as he peered up at his buxom fledgling. "Why... Thank you, police girl. I have no sense of internal timing and absolutely no way to figure out what time it is. My, it's midnight? What a surprise." Seras could be clueless sometimes, but she caught that sharp edge of sarcasm in his voice. "Is the darkness dark?"

She ignored the psychotic grin on the vampire's face and huffed at him. "Master, that isn't funny. I came to see if you're alright. I figured you would be up and about." She was surprised to see his face fall slightly, watch him look at the lid of the coffin, away from her. "Master?"

"Ah... I needed rest and a time to think. Nothing more. I came back and things have changed. Lots of changes have occurred and really..." He pushed his hand up into his hair, fanning the fly-away strands from those eyes. Seras caught her undead breath when she saw his eyes and the hair that flopped right back over them. "I don't know if I still belong, police girl." The words sank in and she felt confused. She didn't stop him, though. Alucard rose from his coffin and stepped out of it, wandering past her. He was so close that she could smell him, and it made her stomach turn a strange flip that she couldn't explain away. She wandered after him as he sat in the high-back chair and sat down. Seras took her place at his feet. He looked down at her and made her smile. "I don't know if I still belong. Things have gone on without me. Things have gone just fine. Life didn't end, life continued. Integra has aged." He smiled weakly. "She's turned even more beautiful in her age, but..."

"But, master?"

"But she's getting old and it disturbs me. Not because of the way she looks-" He dropped his voice slightly. "Master is going to die sooner than she was before I left. I'm going to miss her, Seras."

The fledgling felt her heart skip a beat. "Is that why you're so depressed, sir?"

"In a way. I never really pictured Integra getting old. I planned on turning her when she got old enough. I just knew that I could wheedle my way into her heart, into her soul." He swallowed and stared at the wall. He didn't know why he was talking to Seras, but maybe, just maybe it was because no one else was there to talk to and he needed to vent. Thirty years of work to get back, and he felt more empty than normal. "She's going to die and free me from my servitude. But with no Integra around... I love her, Police Girl. When she's gone, I don't want to be around. I fought for thirty years to get back to her." He caught her expression and smiled sadly. "Of course, you too. But she's my master. It's hard to explain what I'm feeling because I don't think I've felt this way in a tangible sense ...since I was a human."

Seras felt disturbed as she saw a stream of blood pour from the corner of his visible eye. She guessed that the same was happening with the other, but his hair was falling across his face. "She'll be gone someday soon and we'll be free. But I never want to be, Seras."

"Master... Are you scared?"

"... Yes." Seras Victoria never felt a stronger urge to hug her master. Therefore, he forgave her when she actually did, and went as far as to circle one of his arms around her in return.