A/N: W00T! Two in one night! I so rocketh! Well, kudos to Safrawr and Death's Integrity for managing to be the only two to review before I posted this one up. Well, Safrawr, glad you liked it, and here's the next one so you don't have to wait. Death's Integrity...

WHAT IS A MARY-SUE?

Eva: Alright, calm down now. I'll do the disclaimer. Disclaimer: MZM doesn't own Hellsing, or any of its characters. Hellsing is (c) Kouta Hirano. However, this storyline, me and The Staircase are (c) MZM. Which is a pity, because I have to do what she says.

MzM: I have the power. (Muahaha.)

How dreadfully dreary…

Seras shuddered. This place wasn't only depressing, but kinda creepy too. This isn't any sort of place to grow up in, orphan or not. Sherry led her up a rickety flight of stairs, and then down a frightfully narrow hallway. She stopped in front of a door, and beckoned to it. "The spare room. Yours." Sherry then shuffled back down the hall, around the corner and out of sight. Seras hesitantly pushed the door open, the creak seeming to echo in the desolate silence. She winced again, and slipped inside, then poked back out to pick up her suitcase and close the door.

"No."

"Seras…"

"No."

Eva sank down onto the edge of the table. "Seras, come on now-"

"NO."

The woman sighed, and Seras looked up at her. "You're a VAMPIRE, damnit. Seras love, drink it."

"Not until you tell me where you got it."

"That's really not that important. Did you ever ask the butcher where he got the pork? Does it matter?"

"To me, it does."

"You really are something else, hon."

Silence.

Eva put out her cigarette, and crossed her legs. This was the second day of Seras' week at The Staircase with her, and they'd been at this for over half an hour. She clicked her stiletto-heeled boots together, and thought. The girl wouldn't embrace this gift. Damn… What she would have given to get the same sort of- No. Thoughts like that were for long rainy nights, when she was alone. She had other business at the moment.

Seras stared defiantly at the glass in front of her. No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no.

Her red kitty shirt was as bright as the crimson liquid; she could even see the white kitty reflected in it. Her white face frowned up at her. She couldn't see Eva in it; her dark, ankle-length skirt and turtleneck sweater-tank were too dark to reflect in the crimson liquid.

Eva spoke, her silken voice low and teasing. "I'll drink some if you will."

Seras looked at her teasing chocolate-brown eyes in shock. "You're joking." She thought for a second. "No. I don't want you to end up with some sort of disease."

Eva grinned. "Then I'll drink it if you don't. Wouldn't want it to go to waste."

Seras paled, which was a nice trick for the undead. "Y-You wouldn't!"

Eva lowered her eyelids playfully, and leaned over the glass. "Oh, but I would, darling. Life is about taking risks, is it not? Besides, some of us don't have eternity to try new things out. It's not like I don't risk the kind of disease this might bring often."

Seras gulped, and looked back at the glass, blushing at what she said implied. She wasn't going to think about that. Nope. She redirected her attention back to the glass. It seemed to laugh at her. The ruby depths were mocking her.

"B-But... Eva…"

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't!"

Eva reached over and grabbed the glass, dipped a finger in, examined it, shrugged, and brought it to her lips. Seras watched in fascination and horror as Eva closed her eyes and ran it along her lips. The human opened her eyes and smirked at the stunned vampire, and then went to lick the finger.

"OKAY! JUST DON'T DO THAT!"

The finger dropped, and Eva brought a napkin from the table up to wipe off her lips hurriedly, along with the finger.

Seras broke out in a crimson-tinged sweat, and picked up the cool glass. She closed her eyes, and tipped it back like it was cough medicine. It was fantastic, marvelous, and her body screamed for more. Her head, however, wanted her to throw it back up. She put the glass back on the table, and put her face in her hands.

She felt a warm touch on the back of her neck, and Eva kissed the side of her hand, where her cheek was hidden. "That's my girl." Then, with a few clicks of a heel and the opening and closing of a door, she was gone. Seras took her hands away from her face, and noticed Eva mustn't have gotten all the blood off.

The vampiress looked at the bloody kiss mark on the side of her hand, and began to cry.

A Monster. This is what I've become.


The pained quiet stretched on, the office only absorbing the sounds of Integra's labored breathing, and Alucard's occasional rustles and sighs of leather.

She couldn't work; the pen slipped from her fingers, her vision jumped in and out of focus, and nothing she read made any sense. There was no bloody chance she was going back to bed, however. This was not a time she could afford to be weak, or indecisive. However, at the moment, she was both. And done of this is making any sense! Damn it all to Hell!

He still seemed very interested in the carpet. She still didn't really care.

It was irritating, that he wouldn't either say something or leave, but since he was quiet she'd let it go. Integra looked up from her papers in time to see his brow furrow, and watch him look up in mild alarm.

"What is it?"

"Seras. I could feel a while ago but- It's nothing, master."

She sighed, and rested an elbow on the desk. "Seras Victoria is dead, Alucard."

He looked at her searchingly, confused. "Master?"

"I shot her shortly before you returned from your mission, regrettably. I would suggest that you enter a period of mourning, but since I appear to have killed you as well through a …" She rested the other elbow on the desk, and groaned quietly. "… through an obscure ritual. It really was such a pity." She lowered her head, and the curtain of her hair cut her off from view. She made a brief noise of pain, and tried to bite back a scream. It hurts so damned bad…


Initially, her words had made absolutely no sense, but after she went on about killing him, he understood. I guess it's the restraints that stopped me from feeling her as well as usual. Then she groaned again, and he was briefly torn between three urges. His initial urge was to go up to her, and check her over, then carry her back to her room kicking and screaming. Then he remembered that calm face chanting the words to bind him to a torture she was ignorant of, and he suddenly didn't feel like caring at all.

He compromised.

Carefully, the No-life King approached her desk, and when he stood in front of it, he waited for her to acknowledge him. She probably wouldn't. And then it wouldn't matter. But if she did…

"What is it, Alucard?"

… he'd bother her mercilessly until she returned to her room.

He grinned, and leaned over the desk. "Master, you're not well yet. Go back to bed; let your fragile body heal. It is-"

"Shut up."

"Master. Stop being childish. Healing yourself isn't weakness; it's a display of intelligence. Armies don't march on broken legs."

She looked up at him from behind her hair, and said nothing.

"You are no fool, my Master. You know victory. Isn't that what this is? You've succeeded in binding me. Isn't that what you were after?" Here his voice grew bitter, full of resentment. "Haven't you won this round? Go back to bed, and prepare for the next fight. Stop being a stubborn little fool."

His words echoed in the room, and she still said nothing.

Damn it, he's right.

She hated to admit it to herself, but it was true.

Integra pushed herself to her feet, and almost fell. She pulled her weak legs under her, and realized she couldn't support her weight on them. She needed something to lean on.

She looked around, and found herself face to face with her pet, which was bearing a Cheshire-sized grin. Not this again. No.

Her broken body made up her mind for her by deciding to give out, and she fell against the desk. She slid to the floor; tears of pain streaming down her face. Alucard dropped with her, and frowned. "I could have caught you if I had the use of my arms." She only gasped in reply, and he growled. "Convinced? I think a little rest might actually do you some good, Master." She cursed at him, but those kinds of words ran off him like water. "Come now master. Grab around my neck. You cannot stand alone, and I cannot pick you up." Now he was flaunting her weakness, and enjoying it far too much.

"Just be quick.' She reached out and took hold of his shoulders, smoldering in shame. That she would need the help of a vampire merely to stand! He stood, and she held on for all she was worth. The sudden change in height played hell with her head, and she closed her eyes in anguish.

"Master?"

"I'm fine. Just go."

He complied, walking slowly, as she hung on, both of them taking gentle step after step.

Seras began to unpack, neatly placing her clothes in the rotting 'wooden' dresser. The bed was of the same breed, 'cheap' and 'tacky.' That was okay. She kind of needed the break. Eva was more than enough style to last anybody a while. Seras wheeled the bag into a corner, and went over to examine the door. It's got a lock! Great! She brightened a little, then sat down on the hard mattress and closed her eyes, rubbing them with the heels of her hands. She'd never had any idea how much contacts hurt before now. The nice part was her eyes were blue for the first time since her 'undeath.'

The thought made her smile. Master would be soooo mad.

Sherry seemed sorta old, but not terribly mean. Hopefully they'd get along. Seras vowed to do everything she could to help. Sherry and these children needed it badly. As long as they're taking me in, I'm going to do what I can to repay them. And Eva. Then again, she couldn't think of any way to give Eva back what she'd given to Seras. Well, anything she was comfortable with. She rubbed her eyes again.

I guess I should turn in. The sun will be up soon.

She changed into the new pajamas Eva had bought her, and slipped into the bed. Ahhh.

The sun rose, and she settled into a dreamless sleep.

She let go of him, and fell softly onto her bed, stifling a moan of pain.

Alucard smiled, and then felt the warmth coming from the horizon beating through the walls of the manor. "Will you manage from here? The sun is rising."

She pulled the blankets over herself, and removed her glasses with shaking hands. Yes, THANK you Alucard." It was sarcastic, insulting, but a thank-you from Integra was worth the while, if only to see her humbled.

He swept out the door, and her last waking thought drifted back to him as he hurried down the hall. Well, there's something I haven't seen in a long while.