A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but I was rather anal about perfecting this last piece. Especially as it is my 'closing word' to you all, I wanted it to be at least near perfect. I'll really miss writing this… it's so hard to end it here. I'm considering doing a sequel… If I do, it will begin at the end of Blood Candidate and span the six months Eva was at Hellsing, then repeat the epilogue, and continue on. Then again, I'm not completely sure I'll even do a sequel.

Thanks to everyone who gave me their support and clamored for updates. My ego and I appreciate it. Cookies to you all. Back to the proposal (Which is still open):

AxI: 5

AxS: 1

Sequel: 2

Anything but AxS: 2

Other plots: 1 (AxS)

1 (AxI)

1 (Neither)

Thanks to everyone who responded to my query. I'll take your thoughts into consideration when I start writing again. Until then…

-MzMoon

Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing, or any of its characters. Hellsing is (c) Kouta Hirano. However, this storyline, Eva and The Staircase are (c) me, MZM

Six months later

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Please, just one more day."

"My boat is leaving in twenty minutes, and finding another that will accommodate my needs will be more than tough, Mistress."

Seras sighed unhappily. "You don't have to call me that anymore." She looked at the other vampire with sad eyes. It was too soon… she wasn't ready to say goodbye to Eva.

"I know. I'm not either." Seras jumped, and then scowled at her ex-fledgling. Eva had inherited the annoying power of listening to other people's thoughts, a skill that had all but skipped Seras. Eva, however, had received it in spades. Then again, the other vampire didn't have the strength Seras possessed. Each of them came into the Blood in their own way. Except her Ma- er, Alucard, who as far as Seras was concerned, was the Blood.

"Don't do that, Eva." Eva gave a rare, broad smile, then placed a hand on Seras' shoulder.

"I don't want to go with all my heart, but it's necessary. If I stayed around forever, Sir Integra would eventually have shot me." Eva clenched a fist, then gently uncurled it.

"I guess you're right." Those two never got along. They were too alike. That, and Eva once told Seras that Integra resented her, because she was like the Hellsing… with what the Director had mentally called, "A dash of Alucard." Seras could completely understand that. Eva just thought it was annoying. Alucard considered it funny as Hell.

"Yes. This is best. Besides, constant combat would bore someone like me after a while. I want to go see the world, Seras. There's history being made off this tiny island, and I want to see it happen. Hell, I've got the strength to climb Everest now. What's to stop me?"

"Still… Eva… I'll miss you!" Seras leaned forward, almost falling on Eva and enveloping her in a hug. The other vampire wrapped her arms around her ex-Master, and the blonde buried her face in the other's dark, wavy hair. Seras let loose a deep sigh that threatened to turn to tears, and listened to Eva's sluggish heart as she spoke soft reassurances.

"I won't be gone forever! I'm coming back for visits, don't worry, darling. Not even the Iron Maiden herself will stop me. I promise. Don't cry, hon. It's okay. We have all the time in the world. You'll see me again."

Seras whispered into her hair, "But what if hunters find you?"

"You forget of whose blood we are. I can look after myself."

The thought made Seras shudder. What if… Hellsing…?

"Nonsense. You know just as well as I do that Sir Hellsing and I have an arrangement. You will never, ever have to hunt me. Besides, I think your old master's too pleased with how I turned out to dust me." Seras pulled her face away to look at Eva, who was giving her that Why-do-you-insist-on-being-so-naïve look. Apparently, Eva, being of Alucard's blood, was also bound to Sir Integra's orders, just like Seras. Hence, Eva would always have to drop everything and run to the Director should Sir Hellsing so choose. This was security, a leash, and the only way Integra would allow Eva to go off on her own. That, and she'd sat down with Eva, and they'd worked out an order that would allow Eva to defend herself and destroy evil, but protect innocents. Integra had read it off the paper, and now it was physically impossible for Eva to kill anyone who'd done nothing to her or anyone else. She couldn't even kill while feeding. It had been complicated, and both women had emerged in terrible moods. Again, the No-Life King had been overjoyed.

"Eva… just a little longer?"

"No, hon."

Seras buried her face in Eva's black locks one last time, and breathed in the heavy scent of cloves that lingered in her hair. She loved that smell. Spicy, exotic… When she'd first asked what Eva used as perfume, the fledgling had smiled, and replied, "Cloves, Mistress." Seras had been shocked. She puts Garlic on herself? Eva had smiled, taken her by the hand, and lead her to the kitchen. From the pantry, she'd produced a bottle, labeled 'Cloves.' Indeed, it smelled just like Eva. "My soap is cloves-scented." She'd smiled, and from that day on, Seras loved that scent.

The sweet traces of human blood still hung around them from feeding that morning. Then there was Seras' own scent- vanilla and gunpowder. Eva never smelled like guns… because Eva never used them. That was a memory for later though.

Eva rubbed Seras' back, then stepped away. "I need to board now, and settle in for the trip. It's time."

Seras nodded, and looked down at the floor. Eva leaned over and left a peck on the girl's forehead, then turned and walked up the gangplank. Seras lifted her head, and watched the figure go. A whisper escaped her lips. "Goodbye." The scent of cloves lingered in the salty air, and Seras breathed it in before walking back to her car. If she ever really began to miss Eva, there was a jar of memories in the spice drawer, and if she was careful…. Walter would never know.

The vampiress smiled to herself, and turned the keys in the ignition. Eva would be back someday, and then they'd all have time for a new beginning.

The office was dark, the only light coming off the computer screen. It was a very artificial light, and it threw his Master's features, both flattering and not, into sharp relief. She'd been staring at that screen for a while now. Probably to avoid him… "Stop staring at me, Alucard, I'm trying to get this done."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Don't do that, Alucard."

Alucard sank back into his chair, and smirked. "But Master, Eva gets to say it!"

Integra blinked. "To Seras, yes. Not to me. Not ever."

Alucard grinned, then looked at her thoughtfully. "So… Eva is gone. Seras will mope around for weeks." Integra smiled.

"Yes, I suppose she will. But with any luck, she'll snap out of it quickly. There's work to do, and the world doesn't stop because she's separated from…" Sir Hellsing raised an eyebrow, searching for a word that would describe what Eva meant to Seras.

The Nosferatu thought as well, and swiftly came to a conclusion. "It doesn't matter." We both understand. Sir Hellsing leaned back in her chair, and a ghost of a smile lingered on her face. He'd bet they'd shared the same thought… no 'black magic' involved.

"About those cultists…" She gestured to the screen, as she fumbled around in the dark for a cigar. Taking the few extra moments to find the damned thing didn't seem to matter; turning on the light and admitting her weakness did. Alucard watched her in amusement, and still managed to pay attention to her words. "They seemed to be situated in downtown…"

She went on to detail their strategies, beliefs, and crimes. He took in the data, eyes lazily dancing upon the golden glow of her lit cigar. She leaned back in her chair, and outlined the evening's mission, particularly his part. Her pale hair was set afire by the darkness in his vision. If she only knew how really- "Alucard! Are you paying attention?"

"Yes, Master. Of course."

Everything was back to being perfect.