Integra dropped the spoon into the bowl with a clatter, and sat back. It was a lot easier now, drinking the blood…she kept wondering what it might taste like warm. She remembered Seras' explanation of how she hunted…maybe she should ask to join her someday?

Could warm blood taste anything as good as the cold but unbelievably rich meal she had drunk from Seras' arm?

She tried not to think about that…that only led to what had happened after. Oh, how stupid could she be? How weak, and irresponsible, how…sordid? To ask such a thing…and Seras had had no illusions about what she was asking, she was sure by her reaction…how damned stupid could she be. Of course Seras wouldn't share those feelings…how could she? She had had a normal, healthy upbringing, loving home and everything, nothing like her eccentric and tragically blighted childhood. How could she share such feelings…?

Seras was sitting in her room as well, thinking hard. Her mind kept dwelling on what Integra had asked her…why? Why had she asked? Had she known what she was asking? No, surely she had…her embarrassment, her shame at Seras reaction made it evident. But why? Did she need some sort of comfort, some solace in Seras arms? Was it that her recent ordeals had finally broken the strict moral codes of her upbringing, and twenty-odd years of repressed sexual urges had rushed through, the blood bond making Seras it's object? Was it simply the product of Integra's new, dark, vampiric desires? Or was it some complex mixture of all of them, or none of them? Seras had to force herself to think through all of this, she wouldn't have peace of mind otherwise. She had always been shy about matters like this. She had never discussed sex with other girls at school, never read teen magazines…if she watched a film on her own, she tended to fast forward through any sex scenes, and if she watched them with someone else, a rare occurrence nowadays to be sure, she would just blush and look at her feet till the sounds of heavy breathing stopped. She had been a virgin when she was turned, and had made love one time only in her unlife, with Alucard, and could seriously say she had found it an intensely unpleasant experience. It had not been Alucard's fault, she was sure. He was, underneath it all, quite a romantic. She remembered her turning, how tender he'd been, the bit about closing her eyes…he was the same in bed (well, if you could call it a bed…) a sensual being, so wildly different from the grinning monster she had seen annihilate hordes of FREAKs and ghouls she would have thought he was schizophrenic, if not for the fact that she too had the same urges and desires as him running through her mind…and yet, she had not enjoyed the act at all. When he had penetrated her she felt…violated, as if she had been raped even though it was consenting. The other bits had been ok, she supposed, the licking and the biting and all that, but the act of penetration…it actually sickened her to think on it.

There wouldn't be that with another woman.

She had to admit that was true. But…no. It was wrong, simply wrong. Her upbringing, whilst not very strict, had been quite conservative. Her father was a senior police officer, and although he didn't quite want to bring back hanging, he certainly thought that some crimes were deserving of nothing less than life imprisonment. And he certainly had his views on things like homosexuality…he was a good man, but he had strong opinions, and she supposed she shared them, in a way. He had been her hero figure, her role model for so many years.

Oh hell, she could imagine her father looking down on her. She fails as a police officer, becomes an animated blood-drinking corpse, and ends up contemplating lesbian sex with another animated blood-drinking corpse who just happens to be her boss. You've done me proud, my little angel…

She shook her head. Damn it, what did his opinions or views matter anymore? He'd been dead now for longer than he'd ever been alive during her life, she could hardly even recall his face, without aid of a photograph. A dim and distant shadow of a past left long behind her, bright days of childhood sinking forever into the shadows where she now dwelt.

It was like becoming a vampire all over again. This…disorientation. A part of her she thought she knew would be with her forever coming adrift and disappearing, lost forever. First her humanity, then her heterosexuality…she chuckled to herself. When you put it in those terms, it sounded a bit odd. She thought about it for a few moments longer. Was the whole idea really so bad? It seemed less sickening with every moment she thought of it…like drinking blood. It was all so similar. And blood, when she had finally given in and drunk it, had tasted better than anything else in the world.

Scary thoughts.

But how would she ever know unless she tried, at least once? She had no answer…maybe….then, her mind came back to Alucard. Damn him. She could just imagine him walking in on them, laughing. All their explanations, all her feelings, all Integra's wants would be as nothing, for they would have given in to him, to his cruel little remarks and insults…and oh, what if he told everyone? What if Walter or one of the other staff was to walk in to her room at dawn, put down her breakfast on the table, knock on the lid of her coffin…only to find it occupied by their entwined forms. If it was Walter, the poor old man would probably have a heart attack.

Their entwined bodies… she gave a little shiver at the thought, her mind racing. Integra's darker skin tone on her milky white…that was an image designed to evoke some poetry.

Suddenly, she felt something at the edge of her mind. Someone closing to the door…there was a knock. She shook her head slightly and coughed. "Come in." she said.

The door opened slowly and Integra stood there, looking very nervous. If she had still secreted pheromones, the scent of it would have been overpowering.

"Seras…" she began.

"Come in!" said Seras, probably too quickly. "Sit down, come on." Integra entered almost cautiously, throwing a look over her shoulder before she closed the door and sat in Seras' armchair.

"Erm…Seras, I wanted to ask you something." Seras felt herself catch her breath, "What, Integra?" Could she have summoned up the courage again, so soon? If so, should she accept this time, should she…

"You know you said how you sometimes go hunting?" the younger vampire asked nervously, rubbing her hands together.

"Yes?" asked, feeling a strange mixture of disappointment and curiosity. What did she want?

"Could you…show me?" asked Integra, slowly. Seras eyes widened.

"You mean, how to hunt?"

"Without killing." Added Integra quickly, "yes, I want to learn how to hunt for blood without killing my victims…and, well, I want to taste…you know."

Seras nodded, smiling slightly. "I see." She said. "Well, sure, why not? Tonight?"

Integra blinked "Tonight? But I….well…" she trailed off. "Are you sure there won't be a mission? I couldn't deprive Hellsing of its supposed leader and one of its best operatives over some whim…"

Seras looked at her watch. "It's nine o'clock. Anything major would probably have already begun. If anything does come up, Walter and Alucard could probably take it."

"You…want to do this?"

Seras grinned. "Why of course! Why shouldn't I? Fresh blood is most appetising, and if I have a chance to teach and socialise with my beloved fledgling at the same time, I would be a fool to turn it down, right?" She watched as Integra seemed to flinch or start at the word 'beloved'.

"I…suppose so…" she said, finally.

"Then what are we waiting for? Get dressed to go out, I'll go arrange things with Walter." She stood up.

"Erm…Seras?" said Integra, as she was about to leave.

"What?"

"I don't have anything to wear to go out."

Seras smiled. "We'll have to get you something then, won't we?" This was going to be fun, thought Seras. Shopping and a snack with someone she could just be falling in love with. Just the thing she needed to brighten up her unlife.

The shop was one of those large department store complexes built up on the edge of London, the ones that stayed open twenty-four hours a day, selling practically everything. A great place for shopping when you're nocturnal. They arrived in Seras' old but well-kept mini*, which she still used for travelling about London despite the fact that she had become comfortable with methods of vampiric travel, since using any of them in a built up area tended to attract attention. Integra was wearing just her trousers and shirt under a leather trench-coat which made up part of her official regalia, and Seras was clad in her habitual rain-coat, though over a more jovial attire than she wore on duty: stonewash jeans and a heavy dark blue fleece. She wore black gloves to cover the pentagram scars on her hands left by the seal.

"So, Integra." She said, as they stood at the bottom of a bank of escalators, "what shall we buy you? What's your image?"

Integra thought…her image was, well, her uniform. She was a power dresser, always neat and smart, perfectly composed…but apart from that?

"I…don't suppose I have one, outside work." She was beginning to reconsider this whole idea…when she thought about it, she was pretty sure she'd never been 'out' in any sense of the word. The only social gatherings she had ever attended were society balls and the like, and she normally caused at least a mild social stir (at least the first few times) by wearing suits to those as well. No damned way they were going to get her into some frilly dress just to attend some meaningless social function. What on earth would she wear. Something a bit like Seras, she thought, not particularly revealing or anything just…nice looking.

"Erm…" she began "Where do you normally shop?"

Seras gave a little chuckle. "Oh, it's going to be like that is it?

Eventually, they got Integra looking like someone who could contemplate at least a quiet night on the town. She wore long baggy black trousers, a blue Kashmir jumper, her trench-coat and smart black shoes. She had also tied her hair back into a long ponytail, which altered her appearance dramatically (Just in case anyone we know watches the security cameras, Seras had explained when Integra protested at the idea). Sitting back for a moment, Seras thought they looked just like two best friends, who worked at some office somewhere, heading out for a quiet drink after a hard days grind. Or at least, that's what she would thought. How could the people they now walked past as they headed through the bustling night-time streets have any idea these two women had spent their day sleeping in a coffin, before rising and having a refreshing drink of human blood? There was no way they could know, no way any of them could ever know. That was Hellsing's mission: the public must never be aware of the Midians lurking in its midst, some secret, some out to kill, some out to protect, but all equally terrifying to the average person. She would never be able to reveal herself to these people, they would always be apart.

And always together, rose the unbidden thought in Seras' mind. She had thought that after she had first turned Integral, a mere ten days ago. Things moved so fast. So many instants… But when she had first thought it, it had not been for the reason she thought it now…she almost came close to blushing at her thoughts. Maybe thirty-five years without enjoyable sex is enough for anyone. She imagined how Lieberwitz, Anderson and the other Iscariot might think. They were all virgins, had to be for the regenerator transformation process to work. They would never know anything, not even the terrible experience she had had with Alucard. No fun on earth, and they're stuck here, away from their heaven. She had more respect for them than they deserved.

At last, they found a suitable looking place, the Wheatsheaf, and entered. Seras night eyes scanned the dark and crowded room. There was space up by the bar, and, with their supernatural strength, the two had little trouble getting through the packed bodies, though they did get more than one look of surprise or shock as they hefted aside someone far larger than them. Reaching the bar unscathed, Seras turned to Integra.

"What will you drink?" she asked. Remember, you can't get drunk, so have whatever you want. She added via telepathy.

Integra thought for a moment. "Can I have a scotch, please?" she asked, eventually. Seras smiled and turned back to the bar. "One scotch and a Bacardi, please."

Their drinks were handed to them, and they leaned back, against the bar, eyeing the crowd.

So…erm…how do you normally do this, Seras? Asked Integral, telepathically. I have no idea how to…

It's simple Integra. Replied Seras, All we have to do is pretend to get a bit drunk and then find two men who are a bit drunk and voila. Not too drunk though…they taste horrible when they're too drunk. All the poisons in the blood. She shivered slightly, as if shaking off an unpleasant memory. Integra laughed. They finished their drinks, and ordered another, in silence for a while. Finally, Integra spoke up mentally. Seras was constantly surprised at the aptitude she showed for this, she remembered that it had taken her months before she had learned how to speak to Alucard without him starting a conversation. But then, the method to initiate contact was very similar to the method for calling bound vampires through the seals. Integra had had practice as a mortal.

Seras…She began.

Yes, Integra? She replied, taking a sip of her Bacardi.

How often do you do this? She asked, cautiously

About once a month, whenever there's a slow night. Why, exactly?

It's just…she paused mentally…it seems really boring. She smiled broadly, remembering to keep her teeth concealed.

As far as I see it, Integra, we have to get used to being bored. After all, what are we to do with all the time in the world, eh?

The fledgling had no answer, but instead returned to scanning the press of bodies for any likely 'victims'.

It took another hour before they got some. Two actually quite charming young men, stock brokers apparently. They talked, Seras, with the help of her mental link to Integra, managing to spin them a convincing set of lies about their names, employment and personalities. After finishing their drinks, Seras suggested they go somewhere a bit more lively. The two men agreed, and they set off through the streets of London. After maybe half a minute, Seras managed to manoeuvre them into a back-alley.

Now, when I say 'Go!' knock your one out, but remember how strong you are. A light flick or tap on the head should do it.

Okay.

"Go!" Said Seras, suddenly, as she delivered a light slap to the back of her charges head, felling him instantly. Integra caught hers a little harder on the ear, knocking him against a wall.

"Oh god!" she said, backing away somewhat, "Is he alright?"

Seras looked at him for a moment. "He's fine, Integra. I can sense his mind perfectly, you haven't damaged him. Now, drink up quick before someone comes, but remember to keep the puncture wounds small, and don't drink too much." And with that, Seras kneeled down and, opening her mouth to expose elongated fangs, bit carefully into the unconscious mans neck. Integra looked down at her own 'meal' as it were. Wow. Less than a fortnight ago, would she have believed someone who told her she would be coshing people in alleyways and drinking their blood? She very much doubted it.

Well, all things change.

She leaned down, brushing a strand of displaced hair out of her face, and slowly pierced the warm flesh with her fangs. The taste, when it came, was simply unbelievable. She hadn't had anything warm to drink since her turning, though Seras had told her she was more than capable of consuming anything liquid she just couldn't stomach it. This…well, if the cold blood was like fine champagne, this was like some sort of intensely rich blend of liqueur coffee, made with unimaginably fine beans. It was warm, rich, nourishing, everything the thin and cold transfusion pack blood was not. She could drink oceans of this, she could drink it forever…she suckled hungrily at the wound, feeling the mans pulse, his heartbeat, his breath, all feeding her, all…

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, you've drunk a bit too much already."

With great reluctance she pulled herself away from the delicious meal, leaving the little bloodstained puncture wounds slowly beginning to dribble blood.

Seras looked down at the neck where her fledgling had been feeding, and sighed. "I'll close it for you…" she half muttered, leaning down to lick at the wound with her long tongue. As she lapped at it, she tasted the heady concoction left there on the skin, human blood mixed with Integra's saliva.

Sitting back up again, the bite wound already beginning to close, she reached out to touch Integra's neck, pulling at the collar of the jumper slightly to revel the two delicate pink scars where she had bitten Integra, that fateful eve.

"So much has changed." She murmured, before gently kissing the younger vampire on the lips.