Integra remained calmly seated on her bed, breathing out plumes of smoke from her cigar, reveling in the unanswered question, letting the silence enter her excessively large bedroom and allowing it to hang heavy upon her.
"You never answered my question." Suddenly that dark velvet voice stripped the room of silence and brought Integra back to her current conversation.
Her icy blue eye dared to look the ancient vampire in the face as she retorted, "Do you merely wish to give me immortal life or are you honestly afraid for Hellsing?"
"I'd say you are in no position to bargain here. The Hellsing Organization has no heir." His deep voice rang like a bell in that stone lined room. Integra never grew accustomed to that feeling of his eyes watching her from every angle, especially since it had been gone for thirty years.
She dropped the cigar into an ashtray by her bed and snuffed the flame out.
"Something has changed in you, Alucard. Would I rather rot with age or become like you, a monster?" She thought out loud. "I have a question for you, Alucard, were you ever human or were you born a monster?"
He smirked slightly then said, "I was born human as you were, however, unlike you I was not born a monster."
The smallest of twitches nearly moved her lips into a smirk, but then they quickly changed back to the default of a straight, emotionless line. She had missed this mindless banter that was certain.
"You would say something like that." She mumbled under her breath, knowing full well he could hear every word.
"What will you choose, Integra?" he asked, almost harshly.
"I suppose I could continue hunting vampires until I grow old or until one of them finally kills me."
She raised her eye for a moment and for that short second, Alucard saw the fear and vulnerability in that one eye through the frames of her glasses. Alucard still thought she was beautiful despite her age, however he was still angry with the major for shooting out her beautiful eye. She blinked and that vulnerability was again masked by her need for control. That coldness Alucard often found there, which she never trusted him to penetrate, even after all these years.
"You know you are too good to die by the hands of time." He said.
She chuckled and said, "But not at the hands of a vampire."
"I am offering you immortal life, not by some selfish need, but for the reason that you would be absolutely unstoppable. You are too beautiful a creature to let time waste you."
"Alucard, I have not seen you in years. And even when you were here, our conversations were rather short and you would usually disappear by now. If you make me immortal, what will I do with my time? Who will I spend my eternity with? You? By God, that would be a lonely way to spend eternity."
"You know I never truly leave your side. I have always been with you, a part of me is always with you."
"I don't quite understand you. You have your freedom now. I no longer bind you by blood, yet you still are attached to me."
"If I wanted to, I could have left you years ago. Your power over me has never been an issue of blood."
Integra peered up at him, looking in the direction of his glasses, knowing that his gaze was focused directly on her, despite not being able to see his eyes.
She remained quiet for a few minutes, not knowing how to respond to his persistence. She knew if she said no today he would only keep asking, probably until the day she died. She took a cigar from her nightstand and lit it with a match.
"I am still amazed I have not died due to lung cancer from all these cigars."
Alucard laughed quietly. "Smoking is awfully bad for you, Master."
"I don't recall asking you for health advice. Though I wonder if I became a vampire if I would lose my desire for them." She said as she took the smoke into her mouth and exhaled slowly.
"I truly believe you could never lose your desire for them. As I will never lose my desire for you."
Integra gave him a severe look, then she sighed and rubbed her temple.
"I feel my age. In my body and my mind. I will not be able to do this much longer. Maybe another ten years. Meanwhile you and Ceres never change." She turned to look at him as he stood leaning in front of the large window, the moonlight illuminating his figure from behind, leaving his face in shadows. "The truth is when the Major shot me in the eye, I feared I would die from it, I realized how vulnerable this human body of mine truly is. I hoped you would return and if you asked me then whether I wanted your immortal life, I would have leapt at the opportunity. But then you did not return, and after years I gave up on the idea. I realized my fate was to die as any other human. I realized I did not need that strength from you anymore because I no longer fear death. I welcome it."
"Master, I cannot sit idly by and watch as death reaps you of your beauty and power. It's a cruel fate, one which you can and should rise above."
"Alucard, I am tired. There are days where I wish death to come so that I may rest in peace. In fact, I think this conversation is now over and I am going to bed."
"Yes, my master." He smiled, knowing that he was far from ready to drop this topic of conversation, but he knew he would plant the seed and allow it to grow on her. He had only been back a week, he had time.
The following day, Integra woke up early to fence; she forced herself to do this to keep from becoming stiff and lazy. Mr. Penwood was no notable adversary but he would do for now until she found someone better to fence with.
As she predicted, she won every match, and by the time they were finished, lunch was being served. She sat in her office, her head hanging over a pile of papers, barely touching her meal. She removed her glasses to take a moment to relax; she closed her eye and put her head down on her arm.
When she came to, the sun was already setting and she cursed for letting herself fall asleep when she had so much work to do.
"Relax, Master, it has all been taken care of." She heard the voice before the shadow appeared before her.
"Alucard, I do not need your assistance when it comes to doing my job."
"Oh, but I would have felt awful if I had disturbed you. You seem so peaceful when you are sleeping."
She was not amused.
"I need my…"
"Tea? It's right here, Master." He pulled out a tray with a fresh cup of tea and biscuits on it.
She eyed it suspiciously, but accepted it. She took a sip then sat back in her chair, realizing now that all her work for the day was done, which was pleasant, but then she remembered why Alucard had done it. So he could spend his time trying to convince her.
"Master, what were you like in your thirties and forties?"
"Alucard, how do you think I was?" Memories were conjured up.
Alucard saw her memories of herself through her mind, and he was quite satisfied.
"I knew you would never change. Your heart is of stone as is your will." Alucard smirked. "But I don't understand why you have been alone all this time."
"I never had the time. Especially after you left. When it came to chasing ghouls, Ceres would do, but it took so much longer and more effort to do everything when you were gone. There were many times where I went into battle myself just to hurry everything along."
"That is a shame, Master, for I believe you would be a passionate lover, since you are such a passionate fighter. Though, it is never too late."
A moment passed between them, Integra looked away, embarrassed that they were speaking of her non-existent love life, and the fact that she was still a virgin, and more embarrassed that Alucard was making advances towards her, even at her age. She knew nothing of love, had never experienced it, had never touched it or felt it. The closest she had ever been was the moment when she realized Alucard would disappear, and she ordered him not to. It was not until after he was gone that she knew she felt something for him. Not quite love, but there were nights that she longed for him to come back, just to hear his voice and see that devilish grin. But years of waiting took its toll, and now she was scared he would disappear again. She was afraid to let him back into her world and in the past week the thought that it would have been easier if he had not come back had crossed her mind countless of times.
"You have many deep thoughts, Master." Alucard snapped her out of her train of thoughts.
"What did I say about reading my mind?" She practically yelled, mostly out of the frustration Alucard seemed to always put her through. She threw a book off her desk at him but it went right through him and hit the floor with a loud smack.
"Integra, do you know why I fought all of those memories inside of me?"
"Because you know nothing other than war."
"Ah, I thought so too at first. Then I realized the real reason why I battled one after the other with no rest, with seemingly no end."
"Why then?" She asked, though somewhat apprehensive about the answer.
"Because I wanted to return to you as fast as possible."
"Why?" Integra stood from her desk so they could be on the same level.
"So I could protect you."
"Why does my insignificant human life mean so much to you?" She crossed her arms and sat on the front of her desk. She lit a cigar.
"Because I love you, Integra. That is my answer."
The cigar fell out of her mouth.
"You are a monster and nothing more. Monsters do not love."
"But humans do, and as hard as it is to believe, the Count was once human. And even when he became a vampire, he loved Mina Harker. Why else would he have come all the way to London? Face it, Integra, you have known all along that we were destined for each other. You are the great granddaughter of the man who last slay me, and you became my master, I became your guardian because I felt something within you, which you yourself have never felt. And that is the capacity to love a monster. I knew you were capable of loving me for what I was from the moment I tasted your blood. That is why I have never been able to let you go."
"And you wish for me to become your vampire bride? Is that it?"
"Only if that is what you desire, Master. I ask you to forget Hellsing for a moment, forget your familial duties, forget your honor, and find what is in your heart. I have seen what is in your heart, but I cannot force this on you, I can only make you realize the truth for yourself. It has always been my aim."
"You mean, your aim has always been to make me a heartless, wretched bitch. You have always prepared me for the day I would become a monster like you."
"No, Integra, you prepared yourself for that day. I only did what was asked of me by your commands. It was your hands that pulled the trigger."
She marched to the center of the room where he stood and slapped him across the face.
He laughed and said, "I see you still have fire in you."
"I'll show you fire," she pulled her gun out of her holster but before she could shoot he caught her arm and held it twisted above her.
"Why do you fight me, Integra? Why do you fight your desires? Why do you punish yourself?" His lips were mere inches from her cheek and she could feel his cool breath and it made her shiver.
She let go of the gun and suddenly her back was slammed against the wall of her office and Alucard had his hand on her neck. The wind was knocked out of her so she couldn't scream when he put his lips on hers.
He kissed her for what seemed like ages, but she still resisted, which only fed his hunger. He released her lips and said, "You want to fight me? Become a vampire." And he let her go. She fell to the floor, her back sliding down the wall and she held her throat, which was now sore from his grip.
She remained there, looking up at him, desperately trying to catch her breath, which came in short wheezes.
"Get out!" She finally screamed. "You fucking monster! If this is what you call love, you are a sick bastard."
"Fight me, Integra! Show me what a human can do!"
"I will not give you the pleasure." She said, while using the wall to rise to her feet.
"But you already have, Integra, even after all this time you still amuse me." He cackled.
Integra took two steps towards him then suddenly collapsed to her knees.
"Alucard…I think…I'm having a heart attack…" She clutched her chest, feeling a rush of intense pain that she could not subdue.
"To think, I'd be done in by my own heart." She laughed, even as the pain grew and she fell to the floor.
"Master," He removed his gloves and kneeled down and took her into his arms. She never remembered a time when he removed his gloves before. Those gloves were full of his power and he never risked taking them off. She felt his freezing hand on her face, perhaps it was only so cold because her whole body felt as if it was on fire.
"Master, please, forgive me for my actions, and allow me to soothe your suffering. Let me end your human life for I can hear your heart weaken, it won't last much longer and I feel that this is wholly my doing. Let me save you, Integra."
"Alucard, was it true what you said?"
"I have never lied to you, Integra. I fear that if you die I will become nothing more than a monster. No one will be able to control me. I will have no reason to live." The look in his eyes was sincere, beyond any emotion she had ever seen from even another human being. His eyes appeared terrified and lonely.
"I love you, Alucard. I'm not ready to die."
"Master, say the words, or I cannot perform the action."
"Alucard…" She could scarcely breathe, she felt the end nearing, her heart clenching, she felt her body spasm in his arms but he held her.
"Make me…a…vampire…" She could not believe she finally said the words. After all the years of endless debates in her mind, of countless propositions from him, she finally uttered those simple words that would change her fate.
"Yes, Master," was all she heard before he sank his teeth into her neck and the world became night.