Arriving back to the headquarters, the two temporary partners were exhausted.

It was silent at first walking down the hall.

"Crikey! What happened back there?" Pip asked.

"I don't know." Seras answered.

"Weird, the way how things went eh?" He joked; wincing at the pain.

Apparently, while they were trying to escape the mob, on of the villagers threw a rock, which broke the back window; unfortunately Pip happened to be next to it.

"What's wrong Pip?"

"Oh it's nothing, just a cut. Bloody glass." He cursed.

He winced again.

"Here, let me have a look at it." The police girl offered. "I have a first aid kit in my room."

"Um…are you sure that's a good idea? I mean you haven't eaten in 3 days." He said worriedly. "Ferguson said so."

"Nonsense! I'll … be fine." She replied.

She was starting to catch the scent of his blood; a sweet aroma with a tinge of alcohol; he had been drinking earlier before the mission.

"Alright, but don't bite me." He joked.

Seras glared at him. "Oh come on! I'm not going to bite you Pip."

"I'm just say'n."

"Whatever."

He winced again as she pulled his arm toward her. His shirt was bloodied; she had to contain herself.

She pulled his sleeve back revealing the wound. The scent was stronger this time, and it was bothering her.

"I think it needs to be cleaned." He told her.

"I'll say. Come on, my room is down stairs that way." She grimaced. Grabbing his good arm, she led him downstairs to the basement.

Her room was how she left it: coffin opened as a canopy, clothes put in a basket (obviously her dirty laundry), and the lights were still on. However, on the table was what she detested: her dinner.

"Why does Walter continue doing that, when he knows I'm not going to eat it?" She thought to herself.

Pip sat down in her chair, resting his wounded arm on the table. He saw the medical blood lying there in ice, but didn't say anything. He had other things to worry about.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" He asked. "You're kind of inexperienced."

"Maybe I should let you just sit there and agonize a while." She said under her breath. "Of course I know what I'm doing."

She got some warm water from the bathroom nearby, peroxide and some bandages from her first aid kit, and placed them all on the table.

"Okay, this is going to hurt…. a lot." She warned him, as she grabbed the bottle of peroxide.

After 5 minutes of screaming and curses, the fledgling was finally able to wrap the bandages around his arm. Inspecting the work done, Pip weakly smiled.

"Not bad." He said.

"See, that wasn't so bad was it?" She teased as she put the peroxide away. "Big Baby."

"Am not! It just hurt like hell!" He defended, in a whiney tone; he kind of did sound like a child.

Seras grabbed one of the boxes that sat off in the corner, and pulled it up to the table; she sat there across from him; the medical blood sitting between them.

"Disturbing isn't it?" She asked. Pip was looking at it again, and then looking at her. She moved it a little to the side.

"You know," Pip started. "People are starting to say things."

"I don't care."

"Look Seras," He replied seriously. He reached over for her hand; in the other hand, he grabbed the cold medical bag.

"We're concerned. You're getting weaker by the minute…please."

It was now in her hands. She looked at it for a while, hungrily. Just as she was about to put it to her lips, she hung her head in shame.

"No … please. Don't be like my master. Forcing me to do something that I simply cant' do."

"But Seras…I-I care about you." He said squeezing her hand a little.

"It's for the best…I'm sorry." She got up, and left him…alone.

Running up the stairs, she bumped into a tall looming figure.

"Oh…sorry Sir." She said.

"Officer Victoria, you seem distressed." Integral noted dryly.

"I…I feel like I'm falling apart. I'm so confused, and it's driving me mad!"

"Why don't you tell Alucard about it?" Integral asked.

"He wouldn't understand. As far as he's concerned, I'm useless and a weakling."

Integral nodded. Maybe there was something she could do? Right now, it seemed that Seras had no one to turn to.

"…Come and walk with me."

Authors note: Okay right now you're either thinking what the heck happened to the previous chapters, or what the heck is going on? Or you could be thinking hey, this isn't so bad. Personally, I can't agree with you more. It's much better than what I had originally posted. Well, that's' the end of this chapter…please review.