Integra shuffled the last of the papers together and sighed. At about this time, she would have normally rung Walter for a tray of sandwiches and some tea. Perhaps…no. Having blood brought up to the office was simply too risky. If one of the troops or secretarial staff were to happen to burst in...she knew how fast things spread in an organisation such as this. There had been rumours that she was a vampire long before she actually was one. But these rumours had never been taken seriously, like the rumours about her sexuality…goodness, if the troops were to discover the truth.

She chuckled. Maybe she could still try some tea? Seras kept going on at her about how she could still enjoy liquid refreshment, but she had never felt inclined, really…what the hell?

She pressed the button on her desk that summoned Walter, and leaned back in her chair, massaging the back of one icy hand with the other.

The knock that indicated Walter's arrival was prompt, as normal.

"Come in Walter," she said, leaning forwards again to adopt a more official posture.

Walter entered, his usual light smile on his face.

"Yes, Sir Integra?"

"Bring me a pot of tea, Walter."

"For two, if that's not any trouble," came a voice from behind Walter. He stepped aside to let Seras move past him.

"I'd like to share a pot with my fledgling, if that's alright by the both of you?"

Integra smiled.

"Tea for two, Walter."

Seras sat herself down in an armchair off to one side of Integra's desk and smiled sweetly.

"What's all this about Seras," asked Integra curiously. Seras merely put a finger to her lips.

"It's important, I'll talk after Walter's come and gone."

Walter returned promptly with the tea and set it on Integra's desk.

"Thank you, Walter," she said, "Could you see that we are not disturbed?"

"Of course, Sir Integra," said the Butler, stepping back through the door. "I'll be certain to."

He turned, closing the huge oak door softly behind him, leaving the two vampires alone.

"So, Seras…" Integra began, pouring herself a cup. "What is it?"

"It's a very important matter, Integra," said Seras, as she took the pot to pour herself some, "It's about our bond…and when it should be cut."

Integra set her cup down. "Cut?" she said, a edge of worry creeping into her voice.

"It won't affect our relationship!" Said Seras, quickly, "Well…that's a lie, but it will make us more equal…in a way…"

She was floundering. Oh hell…this wasn't holding water at all, was it? They were equal now, both bound to serve the other…if one of those bonds were to be shattered, that would leave the other in a dominant position, the male role of the relationship, if you will.

Integra thought as much herself.

"Is it…that you don't like being my master?" She said slowly, possibly injecting just a little more emotion than she actually felt.

Seras practically squeaked. "No! Well, it's just you see…It's a part of the hole thing really, of truly becoming a vampire…you're still only three-quarters of the way there."

Integra cocked her head. "Three quarters…I was aware of the difference between fledgling and true vampire, what are the other two 'grades'?"

Seras looked a bit uncomfortable. "Alucard explained it to me once. When someone has just been bitten, they are hardly a vampire at all. Their body is weak, barely animated, hungry. This is the first stage…if a vampire remains in this stage without feeding, it will begin to revert to a ghoulish state, eventually losing its sanity and becoming one of those shambling abominations. You were in this stage for barely half a minute Integra, because the next step is drinking blood, any blood. The third stage, the last you passed, is drinking blood from a living human. The fourth stage will be for you to drink my willingly offered blood, cutting yourself loose and becoming a no-life queen….It's all down to drinking blood, really. That's why it's so important, why I forced you through the first stage particularly…if you were to remain starving yourself, your hunger would have overtaken you and you would have become little more than a mindless feeding machine."

"Being cruel to be kind," said Integra, blowing icy breath onto her tea before taking a sip.

"Well, not cruel exactly," said Seras, smiling. "Drinking blood isn't exactly the worst thing in the world for a vampire, is it?"

Integra shook her head slowly, and sipped again.

"Well, there you go…but, it's important, when you go through the last stage. I held myself back for a long time…I should have become a No Life Queen in the police mortuary the night we fought Anderson, but, well, I chickened out. And I suffered for it later. A No Life Queen wouldn't have been so harmed by Incognito's magic, for one thing…and even though you're not exactly front-line, you should really be at your best."

She reached over and squeezed Integra's gloved hand in her own. "It's the best thing for you, really."

Integra smiled, clasped Seras' hand in hers, feeling the cold limb warm slightly as Seras forced the blood within her veins to flow and burn slightly, flushing her skin pink, but draining her reserves of energy somewhat. It could hardly be fun for her. Suddenly, Integra realised why she loved Seras. Selflessness, a sort of air of common sense and decency, of general niceness seemed to pervade the air around the vampire. The older soldiers, who had come to know her, had all remarked on it during her regular 'chats' with them, which she used to keep an eye on goings on in the ranks. Seras was far too nice to be a vampire. She seemed to defy every stereotype, never killing, returning her victim's money, wearing pastel shades. No-one had ever told Seras that vampires should not wear pink. Despite what she was, what she did, out of everyone that was a member of Hellsing, she seemed the most untainted, the most free. Her opposite, she who had never known anything else but the grim Victorian mansion, lessons in the occult, free time at the shooting range…she embodied everything that Integra had ever wanted to be, she realised as she caught Seras blood red eyes with her own. Alucard had meant her to make Integra jealous, to make her angry…but what had he done instead? Shown her that there were some things darkness could not corrupt, and given the former virgin of steel her first true lover, an exemplar to look up to, as master, vampire and woman.

And what of Seras? It would perhaps of surprised Integra to know that her feelings were mirrored in the blond vampiress. She admired, envied even, Integra's enormous strength of will that could survive seemingly any trauma, any destruction, and come through rebuilt on the other side. She never gave up, and that had inspired Seras, both when she had been Seras' commander and now. Integra would take on anything and win, would never despair no matter what. She would fight, lie, kill, even mutilate herself to achieve her mission, her goal. Admirable ruthlessness. Seras had been forced to acquire a measure of this quality, otherwise her job was impossible. Those with bite marks, even the whimpering little girl, her arm mauled by a ghoul, crying out for her mother, could not be allowed to live. A few times, she had actually been unable to do it, and the soldiers had marvelled at the demon that wept tears of blood at the death of innocents.

Integra, she knew, would never have hesitated. No matter the damage to her mind and soul, she would have done what needed to be done. This was someone Seras could respect, could cling to as the authority figure her life had lacked since her freeing from Alucard's bonds. Seras was not a leader in any major sense. She could tell soldiers how to enter a building, but not which building to attack. She needed someone above her, a curious position for a vampire, cutting against her natural instinct to rise to the 'top of the food chain' or what you will. Integra was that someone. Alucard had been ok, in some ways…but you had to love your leader, and she had never really loved Alucard, only the false love created by the bond. Once that was broken, she saw his insanity, the mile-wide flaws in his arrogant personality. Integra, as far as she could see, had no flaws. Iron will in a body that could bend iron bars. Perfection embodied, her love.

She stared back at Integra. Please Integra, put yourself on top again…I can't stand the responsibility of being your parent anymore… Integra cleared her throat. "I suppose then that it must be done. When?"

Seras grinned. "Tonight, if you want! Alucard insisted on a full moon, but in some ways he's a hopeless romantic…did you know he has his own copy of Dracula?"

Integra's smile broadened. "I brought it for him myself, as a joke…I hadn't counted for his vanity."

They both laughed a bit at this. Seras finished her tea.

"Do you think there'll be a mission tonight," asked Seras, looking at the grandfather clock against one wall, "It's eleven thirty."

"You know as well as I do, Seras, that most things come in before or just after midnight…I think one o'clock, maybe?"

"I think we should have some more tea," said Seras, reaching for the pot. "Then, we can, well, retire, I suppose is the nicest way of putting it." She giggled slightly.

"Is that the promise I think it is," asked Integra, leaning forward across the desk and smiling.

"You bet, honey," said Seras, leaning forward to kiss Integra on the lips, "You bet."