Title: Bonds That Break (2/?)
Author: Jaycee
A/N: I own Sheilah. Don't steel her! :)
See Part 1 for other disclaimers

"You look good enough to eat, my Master."

Integral didn't look up from where she sat, meticulously brushing her hair. "I'm sure you think that all the time, bloodsucker," she responded casually.

Alucard faded into view. He had exchanged his usual red coat for a black tuxedo jacket, and his hat was nowhere to be seen. His black hair hung in his face, framing the pale skin and setting his blood-red eyes off. "But I have never seen you dressed this way before," he replied, his trademark smirk gracing his lips.

Integral was dressed in a tasteful white gown, ivory silk setting off her naturally dark skin exquisitely. She had flatly refused to wear the traditional frills that went with a wedding gown, and in the end her wedding planner had caved. It may have helped that Walter had let slip that the woman was likely to force Sir Hellsing to change her mind about wearing a suit to her own wedding.

"You're looking quite dapper yourself, Alucard," she replied. "Why are you here? Come to offer your blood one final time before I'm forever out of your reach?"

The vampire grinned. "You've been out of my reach for longer than you realize. No, I come to give you a gift from one who couldn't be here." With that, he set a red rose down on the stand next to her with a flourish, and vanished.

Integral frowned at the empty space where he had stood. She reached over and picked up the rose. A small card was attached with a string.

Best Wishes.

S.

Integral jumped slightly as she felt a thorn prick her finger. She quickly set the rose down and grabbed a handkerchief, wrapping it around the injury before the welling blood could spill onto her dress. She gingerly picked it up again with her other hand, wary of the thorns this time.

It had been little over a year since Seras had disappeared. She had disconcerted the troops with her angry order to silence the young vampire if spotted, and it had taken some serious discussions with Walter and Commander Deitrich before she would give in enough to simply say that she was to be contacted immediately if the former officer were seen. It had taken her by surprise to see how many of her troops liked the girl - she had assumed that Seras was as much of an outsider as Alucard or herself was.

However, in the end, it hadn't mattered. No one had spotted Seras. The vampire wasn't in England, and apparently she wasn't going to return anytime soon.

Integral had stopped asking Alucard why Seras had left. He continued to be as vague and enigmatic on the subject as ever, at one point even going so far as to say it wasn't his place to tell her. She had gathered that Seras had fancied someone, and that they had refused her, but when she'd brought that up to the ancient vampire he'd just laughed even harder and vanished.

A knock on the door broke her revelry. It opened to reveal her wedding planner and her hairdresser. With a sigh, Integral set the rose down on the stand and prepared herself to be pampered and primped within an inch of her patience.

Seras stood on the hillside, gazing out over the ocean. The full moon made the waters sparkle with silver, lighting up the beach below as if it were a faery world. She didn't move as she felt the presence of a vampire materialize behind her.

"I thought I might find you here," came the soft, feminine voice as a woman, appearing to be only in her mid-twenties, stepped up next to Seras to watch the ocean with her. "Gazing towards England again?" Her voice only held a slight French accent, betraying her country of origin.

The young vampire nodded. "Master told me it was tonight. I... I couldn't stay inside. I'm sorry I missed our lesson, Sheilah."

Sheilah gave a small sigh and came over to Seras, wrapping her arms around the girl from behind while resting her chin on her shoulder. "I understand, ma cherie. The strings around your heart are still tightly held by that woman."

"I wish I could give you more," Seras said, feeling herself start to choke up. "I don't understand. It's been over a year."

"You are a vampire, Seras," Sheilah said as she held the younger woman to her tightly. "As you shall exist for a long time, your emotions shall as well. Once a vampire gives it's love, it can never truly take it back again. I do not want more than you can give me - I am content with how we are." She kissed her lover on the ear. "Maybe in the future, when the world as we know it has gone and that woman is no longer around, I can claim your heart."

"Thank you for helping me with the rose," the younger vampire said.

Sheilah smiled. "I promise you, as long as you love her and as long as she keeps it, the flower will never fade." There was no bitterness in her voice in having helped prepare the gift - she knew that in the long run, Sir Hellsing would die and Seras would remain to be hers.

Tears of blood started to trail down Seras' cheeks. "It hurts, Sheilah," she whispered, and turned around in the older vampires arms to bury herself in the comfort she found there.

The two vampires stood there, one comforting the other as the tide broke on the beach below.

Far, far away, wedding bells rang.

end chapter two