"This is inexcusable!" Elizabeth shouted, slamming her palm down on her desk. Diane stood at attention, eyes fixed on the window. Elizabeth had called her into the office as soon as they landed.

"You are charged with protecting human life! You are one of the best shots we have. How could you kill a monk?"

"It was my only shot, sir." Diane said.

"I do not believe you. You took out two with head shots. Why did you not do that then?"

"I had changed bullets, sir. Incendiary rounds would have killed the monk either way."

"Why did you change the round?"

"I felt it best under the circumstances, sir. The distraction…"

"Bugger distractions. You had a job to do and you failed. I am disgusted with you." Elizabeth huffed and sat down.

"You are a severe disappointment, Agent Richter."

"With all due respect, Sir, you knew exactly what I was before you put me in this uniform." Diane shifted her gaze down to the furious woman behind the desk. "Are you regretting the decision?"

"It would appear I misjudged you, Agent Richter. I thought a woman of your circumstances would appreciate the opportunity the Hellsing Organization provided. We had given you a home…"

"You gave me a dungeon, Sir Hellsing. Your pet gave me nightmares and your crypt gave me a horror I cannot forget. Your opportunity has been worthless to me." Diane said bluntly. Elizabeth's eyes flashed blue fire and she surged to her feet.

"You will not speak to me so disrespectfully! I am your superior officer!" Diane looked at Elizabeth and held out her hand. "What?"

"My blade. The mission was a success. You promised."

"The mission was NOT a success, Agent. Until you can prove you care for human life more then your own sick pleasures, the blade remains with me."

"My…sick…pleasures?" Diane hissed, pulling her hand back as a fist.

"'Say the Mass in honor of Hellsing.'" Elizabeth mocked.

"You work with Catholics on a regular basis. Is it such a crime for those of that faith to want to bless you?" Diane whispered, putting her hands behind her back.

"Your attitude is what's the problem here, Agent. You know my feelings about Catholics."

"The fruit never does fall far." Diane snapped, glaring. "You sanctimonious, hypocritical witch. You carry the same prejudices as your mother, yet you married an agent of Iscariot! How dare you!"

"THAT WILL DO!" Elizabeth thundered, jumping to her feet. "Agent Richter, you are hereby confined to quarters until I say otherwise."

"Go to hell, sir." Diane whirled on her heel and marched out.

"I have not dismissed you!" Elizabeth screamed. The door slammed, making the walls shake. Elizabeth sat back in her chair, tapped a button. Bernard appeared.

"Yes, sir?"

"Have Agent Richter followed."

"Yes sir." Bernard left the room. Elizabeth folded her hands and brooded.

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Diane stormed down to the firing range. Hunting through the drawers, she found a cutter suited to her purposes and pocketed it. Snagging a nearby flashlight, she headed out onto the grounds. Seras met her at the crypt.

"What are you doing?" The vampire asked, staying away from the door. Diane shoved it open.

"Making my decision." Diane tossed over her shoulder as she walked in. Thumbing on the flashlight, she headed right for Rowan's crypt. The glass had been replaced.

"Accuse me of sick pleasures. Congratulations, Sir Hellsing. You've just earned a monster." She muttered, cutting a large hole in the glass. Jabbing the knife into the center, she lifted the glass out and put it gently down on the ground. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the dagger, not touching the urn behind it. She stepped back and pointed at the urn with the blade.

"This is your fault, you know. If you hadn't chickened out, I wouldn't have been born." Diane whirled and ran, leaving everything else behind. Seras joined her at the gate to the graveyard. Her red eyes glowed in the dark.

"It's time then."

"Where's Arucard?"

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Arucard looked up from his post-mission bottle of blood. Someone was coming his way. He smiled as Diane appeared at the door of his study, eyes blazing.

"Little thief. What brings you down here?" Diane looked around.

"Don't you have a private room somewhere?" She asked. Arucard cocked his head. Suddenly, he smiled triumphantly and stood.

"This is no place to entertain a lady. Come." He offered his arm. Diane took it and he walked them through the wall to where he kept his coffin. It was a simple, bare room, pitch black.

"Stay right here." He whispered in her ear. She nodded and he left. After a few minutes, he returned and lit a candelabra. The six candles flickered, revealing his coffin. Diane smirked.

"No table?"

"No need." He set the candelabra on the floor next to the wall and turned back to Diane. "Now, what brings you here?"

"You know why."

"But I want to hear you say it." He said, smiling. Diane smirked and took a blade out of her thigh holster. Arucard hissed when he saw it.

"Your precious Master would not give me mine, so this will have to do. I will not suffer my treatment here any longer."

"What do you want?" Arucard asked in a hiss, his tongue sneaking out to curl around his fangs.

"I want what my first two lives were afraid of. I want eternity. I want to be your companion, to hunt with you. I choose to become a No Life King."

"Aaaaaaa." Arucard sighed and walked over, taking her shoulders. "Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that?"

"How long?" Diane asked, tipping her head back. Arucard bent and put his mouth against her ear.

"One hundred and sixty years." He whispered, licking her ear. She shivered.

"Patience is a virtue." Arucard laughed delightedly and stepped back.

"True. But there's something you must do first." Diane smiled, a predatory smile that had Arucard's tongue hanging out. She put the dagger back in its sheath and reached for his hands. He hissed as she showed him the catch of the collar.

"Now, you have the right." She whispered. He undid the catch and tossed the collar aside. It rang as it hit the wall. Arucard was staring at her throat, licking his lips. Diane slowly took the cuffs off, tossing them towards the collar. Drawing the dagger one last time, she plunged it into her stomach. Arucard caught her as she collapsed. He pulled the dagger out, grinning, and threw it away. It hit the collar and slid off, leaving a trail of blood against the silver.

"This is the part where you're supposed to close your eyes." He murmured, dipping his head.

"I think not." Diane said softly, staring at his coffin. Arucard chuckled and sank his fangs into her throat.

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Bernard knocked on Diane's door an hour later.

"Miss Diane? Are you in there?"

"Yes, Bernard. Please come in." Diane called. Bernard opened the door and froze. Arucard stood behind Diane, hands caressing her shoulders. Diane lifted her head, red eyes locked with Bernard's gray.

"Tell Sir Hellsing the thief is dead at last."

"I…see." Bernard looked extremely uncomfortable. Diane smiled, revealing sharp new fangs.

"It was my decision, Bernard. Sir Hellsing should be pleased. She has three vampires now. Three exclusive garbage removal units. I will follow her orders as Arucard does. I will swear loyalty to her if she wishes."

"I shall go tell her." Bernard fled the room. Arucard and Diane laughed.

"Loyalty?" Arucard asked, handing Diane a glass of blood. Diane drank it eagerly. He smiled, very pleased with his new fledgling. "After everything she did to you?"

"As long as there is a bond between you, I will serve her. But all bonds must break eventually." Diane said, twirling the empty glass in her fingers. She threw it against the wall, smiling as it shattered.

"I hear Romania is lovely in the winter."