A/N: Trick or treat, everyone?

To zolmana : Thank you for the kind words. Hope you'll continue enjoying it.


"You don't think she is ready yet? How curious, and yet you offered her your blood some thirty years past." Integra did not pretend to understand Alucard. In faith, she didn't want to understand him in the least. As consequence, the fact that he had once been almost eager to set his minion free, only to have rescinded the offer should not have taken her by surprise or produced in her a moment's worry. But thirty years with Seras by her side could not be so swiftly pushed aside. In effects, she had a longer relationship with her servant's servant than she had with the vampire himself, which in turn meant her wellbeing was no longer of no consequence. "How is she not yet ready?"

"Master, surely you do not think I would keep her closely bound merely for my own amusement." She frowned at the words. She thought him capable of a great deal worse and directed that judgement at him unreservedly. A grin was her response. Integra narrowed her eyes against the beginning of a headache. "Flattery will get you nowhere. There are things to teach her still."

"I have spoken to her about it, you know?" Integra watched him arch an eyebrow. She would not be so easily deflected. "Thirty years may mean nothing to you, but rest assured both myself and Seras have felt the passage of time." She paused to bring forth a self-deprecating smile. "To varying degrees, I grant you. She is very well aware of her choices."

"Her choices?" His voice was low and cool, as though he hoped to freeze her over. Fortunately, Integra was nowhere near as shaken as she might have been. With Alucard, one had best tread lightly. Even if he did not wish to corner her from the outset, he was still a skilled deceiver and possibly twice as heartless as any devil. "And what, pray, does my police girl think her choices are?"

Disconcertingly enough, he'd done that a great deal recently, joining a particle of possession to his fledgling. Did he seek to remind himself or the world? "Do not be deliberately obtuse. She will be bound to my house or she will meet the same fate as all other monsters." It was so easy to forget the girl was one of those creatures; her bright smile and innocent mien readily brought to mind a far dearer being. All the same even the least monstrous of Midians remained a monster. "You object, servant?"

"And why should I object? She is mine; it stands to reason she will share my fate." A feral sort of grin bloomed on his face. "I am curious, though, how did she react to that little talk of yours?" Integra leaned back in her seat, lifting the cigarillo up to her lips. She took a long drag, pondering the relative ease of their conversation. She kept from poking into her servant's head; most of his emotions had been far too intense for her to handle on her best days as a young woman.

"Seras has been loyal from the very beginning. She won't need convincing, of that I can assure you. Mind me, servant; she will be bound to us one way or another." She blew out a puff of smoke, bringing the cigarillo down to the ashtray. "How long until she is ready then?"

"That would depend on her." Always answers that were not truly illuminating with Alucard. Integra wondered at times just how much entertainment he got out if it; surely it couldn't be enough to keep up at it for so long. Yet someone she was proved wrong time and again. Served her right for thinking she could have a normal conversation with the vampire. The years must have mellowed her more than she'd expected. "But not long. It should be within your lifetime, my master. Perhaps you will even bind her to your bloodline as you say."

Was the monster insinuating she might fall off her perch before she managed to go through with it? Integra chuckled. "I assure you, Alucard, I mean to see it through." She pushed no further than that, however. Instead, she handed him the file containing Thomas Farnsworth's report. "Leaving that aside for the time being, do have a look at this and tell me what you make of it." Alucard glanced through the report. It sounded fairly standard until the last few paragraphs. A neat hand had detailed the interior of a home, complete with blood splotches, a dismembered body and a missing heart of all things. "Seras is of the opinion the boy was not fed upon. The coroner concurs. Which leaves us with the question of the missing heart. Tell me, do you have knowledge of what a couple of vampires might do with a child's heart?"

"A human heart?" the vampire pondered out loud, his expression sombre for once. "There are rituals; but one heart is hardly enough for any of them. Besides, from what I can see, my Master, the organ has been incorrectly removed. If one wishes to use a heart, then it must be unblemished. This one, however, has been sliced open during removal."

"What could they possibly hope to achieve?" she questioned, leaning slightly forth. If her servant proved to be correct, and knowing him, he likely was, then this boy was only the first in a long line of victims. She had to know how to stop it; sooner rather than later, if denizens of the night were involved.

"Very little; most rituals, as is their wont, are fickle things, to be used only by the desperate. If, however, these are harvested for some creature other than a Midian," he trailed off with a shrug. "One body is hardly sufficient an argument to draw any conclusions upon." Integra nodded, understanding his position all too well. Suspicions were all good and well, but the King would authorise no move on their part unless she had solid evidence to offer. And as of that moment, she had very little indeed.

"From now on, the two of you will join forces on missions of a similar nature. It may reduce our speed to some degree, but it might be better to sacrifice that for the time being." Alucard agreed with a nod, eyes flickering over the report once more. Integra have him the time to finish whatever it was he found so interesting, but no more than that. "Well, servant?"

He had little to say to her. "If my Master has no further need of me, I shall depart." Alucard waited for no answer, sinking into the floors beneath, swallowed by a yawning blackness. The report so carefully put together by one Sergeant Farnsworth had shed some light on his childe's behaviour.

The little draculina had been plagued by the faces of the forever-departed. She had dragged him into her memories time and again by dint of undeniable pull and he would find the reason to her distress, if only to get some uninterrupted rest. And to bring the both of them some relief if naught else.

In his thirty years of absence, her voice had rung throughout his sea of nothingness, always a beacon, more so than any other, planting the seed of a most peculiar bond. Alucard had chosen the girl for her tremendous will. The same resolve had solidified itself into an iron grip on his psyche, calling him back, constant, undaunted and faithful to the last. Having been thus tethered, he could do no other but return to her the devoted care, albeit unknowing creature that she was, Seras would not make it easy on any of them. Even as his thoughts churned, the sleeping draculina dreamt of her ghosts. He did not go to her, moreso that he may later observe her and find what she understood to do, for in her he sensed little other than confused desire tugging her to and fro. And he remained, as before, awaiting a moment to respond to her.

Alucard had thought her nearness would quell the pitiless tug, at long last satisfied by her presence. It hadn't happened quite like that. Exasperating fledgling that she was, Seras seemed to think that all he could do for her was offer consolation; stand guard, perhaps, as she slumbered the uneasy sleep of unsatisfied vengeance. Too narrow was yet her vision and too meek her plans; would the day came when she became a true No-Life Queen, walking the night under her own will; though perhaps not by her lonesome self.

It would be a lie to say he was not taken aback when he understood the nature of his own plans in that regard, but neither would he deny the reality of the matter. And so, he had best find his way to Seras and see what he might glean from the unguarded mind while slumber yet held her in its grasp. She could be worked upon, for though she was stubborn, he had yet more cunning and then the advantage of experience.

The trouble with the worms crawling from the darkness was that they never required anything other than bluntness. The vampiress he's sired excelled as far as wielding force went; she crushed her foes and ripped them apart with beautiful ferocity. To her misfortune, however, she had no notion of how one confronted a foe dealing in tricks of the mind. To her even greater trouble, he was not above taking advantage of the circumstances and so once he stood before her coffin there was no hesitation in removing the lid, revealing his childe, sleeping still, unaware of the danger nearby. Foolishly trusting, as ever.

Curling around her was a moment's work, pleasurable though it might be to feel her weight settle against him. In her usual manner, Seras greeted his arrival with unwitting delight, a soft, wordless murmur marking the moment she embraced his presence. The draculina burrowed against him, hands rising to rest against his chest. As she sank into him, he glided his way into her unprotected mind, the fortress having had its gate lowered and its moats drained.

Seras he found sitting on the steps of an unfamiliar house. Glancing up at him, the young Midian frowned. "Wait, this isn't right. You weren't there, Master. What are you doing here?" She stood, gore sliding down cloth and flesh. "Seriously, this isn't that upsetting a memory and I'm here because I want to be. You, on the other hand–"

"Police girl, what did I say about that tongue of yours?" That shut her up well enough. "Never let it be said you don't learn; albeit one would appreciate a bit more haste." He climbed the steps, towering over the petite figure at his side. "Come along now, I wasn't there, as you so eloquently put it." Jolted along, she stepped into the house before him, the soles of her shoes painting bloody marks against a light-coloured carpet. He followed along, enjoying the fine tension in the air. A distinctive scent registered; Seras must have taken it in and found it wanting for as soon as he felt it, it was gone, as though his childe pushed it from her memory.

Lying on the ground was a dismembered body, much in the way it has been described. The corpse had been split in pieces, nothing missing but the heart. Though much of the skeleton had been pushed inwards, causing matters to cave in. The face had been pulverised. "Why did you want to see this, Master?" she questioned, not taking her eyes off the child.

"It is unsettling you, police girl." She gave him a look, as though that wasn't much of an answer.

"Of course it is," Seras answered. Pointing to the corpse, she continued, "this boy didn't deserve this fate. It's so unfair."

"What has fairness to do with it? Besides, this was not your only discovery, was it?" He waited for her to nod and step over the boy, making her way to a small basement. Thus it came back to her parents, he was quick to understand.


She would have liked nothing more but to wipe that smug smirk off Alucard's face. He enjoyed it, riling her up was a means of amusement. Worse yet, she played into his hand almost every time. Her heart had almost jumped out of her chest to find him inside her coffin, of all places. Twined around each other like vines, they'd woken moments apart, her ready to give him a piece of her own mind, him more than prepared to not take her seriously for as long as a moment. "You could at least have asked, Master." The arm around her waist seemed to pull her tighter into him. The cramped space enclosing them did not do her any favours either. In spite of the suggested closeness, she got the sense that such was a mere pale shadow to what true intimacy was.

"Why? Were you planning to refuse?" Said with the self-assured arrogance of a man who could not even entertain the possibility. Now now, police girl, there is no need to take on so. I have told you before, I merely responded to your call. Odd that; she did not recall having called out to him any way. Unless her master was trying to trick her, and she did not think that was the case, as his usual jests usually called forth a reaction of intense fright, she truly had called out to him. Which begged the question of just what she'd been doing to achieve that; she had to stop it at once. The last thing she needed was her master getting annoyed at her again about having his rest disturbed. Not that he seemed in the last bit disturbed at the moment; in fact, by the way he kept the both of them practically glued together, she would even go as far as to say he was enjoying himself.

That only spelled trouble for her. Master, if you feel bored, then by all means, inspect the troops. Or bother Sir Integra; it's not late enough yet for her to have gone to sleep. That earned her a hair-raising, spine-tingling chuckle. I'll take that as a 'no', shall I? She twisted in his grasp, pushing on the lid of the coffin. The soft hissing sound of parting wood was the only warning before light flooded her vision. Instinctively, Seras recoiled, falling back into Alucard who caught her, she presumed out of sheer instinct.

"Miss Victoria?" The warm tone of Grant's voice penetrated the solid wall of discomfort. By the sound of it, he'd seen her master as well; not that anyone could possibly miss Alucard unless he wanted them to. A good thing no one asked questions around these parts. With a sighs and a stab of irrational fear that her master's presence in her coffin would reach Sir Integra's ear and cause trouble, she climbed out of her resting place. "I did not mean to disrupt anything."

"You aren't," she said, turning the full heat of her glare upon her master who was sitting in her coffin as though he owned the place. Seras directed her attention back to the other man, "What do you have there?"

"The requested motion pictures. The delivery ran a bit late." She had been wondering about that. Grant handed her the package, nodding at her words of gratitude. "Shall I leave all the blood packs here?" For a brief moment, confusion took over. And then, with her master's presence positioned threateningly behind her, Seras realised just what the poor man meant. They usually took their meals in her master's chamber. Not quite certain that she wished to follow through with that, Seras was just about to tell him he could take Alucard and his meal away.

"By all means, leave them." As the distress of other provided endless entertainment to the older vampire, Seras was not precisely taken aback to feel arms twine around her middle. She let out an exasperated sigh, nodding her head for Grant's benefit. The sooner he was out of her room, the sooner she could vent her spleen. And so, with minimal fuss, her desire was thoroughly accomplished with a soft scraping noise and an ensuing thudding sound. As soon as their guest had departed, his arms retreated. Seras missed the touch immediately and did not waste the opportunity to curse herself for a fool, then doubled the expletives when Alucard swiped her package with almost fiendish glee, holding it aloft when she lunged after it.

"Very mature, my Master. Whatever will you do after, tug on my hair, trip me on the stairs perhaps?" Sometimes, he seemed an overgrown child. "Give it back."

"I am merely wondering how your tastes have evolved, police girl." It was a thing of no effort to rip the paper away. Since it would be much easier on her to leave him to it, Seras decided against kicking up a fuss. She scowled at him and dropped into a chair while Alucard inspected the contents with something akin to mild curiosity. "What is this, police girl?"

"Pride and Prejudice; quintessentially British fare." She refused to believe he'd not heard of it. But then, why should he have knowledge of it? Gracious, the last thing she needed was to explain the plot to him. There was a reason she usually kept her entertainment and her master well away from each other.

"Odd; I recall your tastes being of an entirely," he paused with meaning, giving her a telling grin, "livelier bent." She blushed, understanding all too well he was referring to that time he'd caught her reading a frankly sappy, cringe-inducing romance novel, leaning rather heavily on the more mature side of love. While she wouldn't lie and say that had been the first time she'd ever read such a work, or the last, the years had worn away at her excitement for such stories. They all sounded the same, and rather trite while at it.

"I recall you telling me those would rot my brain; just take it as I listened to you, Master." He had scoffed at the time, treating her embarrassment with disdain. Granted, she didn't think he was entirely wrong about the brain-rotting effect of such novels, given what she'd seen of the outside world on her missions.

"That smart mouth of yours is sure to get you in trouble." There was no heat behind the admonishment, however, and Seras, having keen enough senses to see his shadow twisting at her feet, made good use of her own to warp behind him and out of the way.

"You'd have to catch me first," she replied teasingly. "Tag. You're it." She darted to the side, using shades and speed to evade her master's playful grab. "You'll have to do better than that." Had she a sense of self-preservation, she might have known it was never a good thing to challenge a born predator. Unfortunately for Seras, she didn't consider her actions were goading the beast. Much like an unknowing child inviting disaster, she leaped head-first into the game.

For a time, she had little trouble escaping his attempts at capture. She drew teasingly close from time to time, going as far as to reach out. Thing tendrils of blackness snapped around her, curling and twisting, tangling with her own shade as she ran to the side and then to the head of the coffin. On the advice of impulse alone she stuck out her tongue. "Looks like you're all talk, Master." Aping a disappointed mien, she ruined the effect by breaking out into a wide grin as his own neutral expression gained a wolfish cast. That was a second mistake on her part. All the same, as soon as the words left her mouth, all light was swallowed by a terrible blackness, effectively caging her with no sight of a way out.

"Are you sure about that, police girl?" Given her current position, his voice gave no indication of where he stood, but rather came from all sides, crashing into her like unrelenting waves upon a most receptive beach. Twisting as the air shifted, she barely managed to dodge a gloved hand running at her. From the low crouch she landed in, Seras pushed herself forward, navigating through the darkness. Once upon a time she might have feared the nothingness surrounding her. But no more, she jumped and ran, assured that her pursuer kept close on her heels, toying with her, from what she could tell.

She gained speed, allowing her senses to bleed out and around her, not stopping for even a moment. She didn't need it. It would be a long time before her body gave in to exhaustion. It was not long, though, before she gave in to her master's guile, his form emerging before her; so close that she didn't quite manage to swerve out of the way and crashed her full weight into Alucard. He suffered no ill effects and the loss was all hers, for as even before contact was made, she felt the thin tendrils winding up her legs.

"Stingy, Master. You could've given me more time." Her complaint was met with a dead-eyed stare. But he'd caught her and that meant he had won. "Guess I'm it now." Still, he made no move to release her, or to alleviate the shadows around them. "If you could let me go," Seras trailed off, cocking her head to the side. Alucard didn't seem to be all there.

"Enough games, police girl." The shadows retreated. The brightness of artificial light came back, causing her to flinch. "Master is calling."

Pouting, she hurriedly hid her disappointment. The No-Life King disappeared before she could say anything else. But when she glanced to her desk, she saw her precious entertainment was safe. "No sense in wasting time." But really, Sir Integra had the worst timing sometimes. She glanced up at the ceiling, concentrating on transporting herself through the distance between her room and the other woman's office.

The knight was busily puffing on her cigarillo, glaring at her servant with an unholy gleam. Seras had to wonder what her master had done to annoy Sir Integra yet again. She didn't get a chance to ask before a file was pushed into her hands as Grant moved into view, his soft, apologetic smile indicating his feelings all too clearly. While Seras might have thought it had to do with her interrupted evening, she was quickly corrected as soon as her eyes took in the few lines outlining the main focus of the mission.

It was one of those outings; she would've rather fought an army of ghouls empty-handed. Pushing aside her distaste, Seras squared her shoulders. "Sir, if I may be so bold, why exactly should I not approach the target? Even if he has some knowledge of vampires, I don't believe he would be able to readily detect it in me."

"Unfortunately, in spite of our best efforts, the man has grown suspicious of the surveillance. It would be best to send in new faces and I am told there is a number of vampires loitering about, at least two. Sending in human operatives is asking for trouble, but so is acting too fast. For now, keep an eye open. As for you," the woman continued, her gaze sliding to Alucard, "there is another location–"

"Would it not be better to join up with the police girl? If you are uncertain of the number of vampires." Seras for her part had a hard time believing her master was the least bit worried for her well-being. But Sir Integra seemed only too happy to give in, though she did not hesitate to pull her gun on the pestering Midian when he suggested she order Seras into a more appropriate outfit. Her master's only response was to laugh as the gunshots rang out.

"Your mission begins tomorrow night. I expect you to keep a low profile and not bring me trouble." Understandable demands, but hardly anything she had to hear. It was more Alucard than her who tended to court notoriety. Why, she was perfectly capable of being inconspicuous.

Police girl, surely you cannot mean that. He continued that particular thought by pointing out he'd chosen her. Seras shook her head.


She was in a world of trouble. Gulping down her unease, Seras gave in to the command and looked into the other Midian's face, even if all her senses advised her to tuck her tail between her legs and take off for the hills.

Hypnotic, vibrant red held her in thrall. She felt her lips part gently, as though in preparation of speech. But she had no words, her mind was drawing a blank and not because her master was using his rather persuasive seduction skills on her. Seras knew the pull of his seduction, albeit it had never quite been directed her way. On the one hand, she'd always known he was handsome. Even in that God forsaken church, when he'd been shooting a bullet through her, underneath the panic and sheer terror, she'd been able to recognise his charm easily enough. On the other hand, she was well aware she ought to guard her heart against him. Suave, smooth-talking, bewitching creature that he was, he'd eat her whole, devour her in a far more dangerous way than merely feasting on her blood. In spite of such pertinent, tempering thoughts to bank her undeniable attraction to the man, she still found herself standing stupidly as his face neared hers. They weren't breathing; they didn't need it. His lips hovered above hers, one pleasantly cool, long-fingered hand cupping her cheek; a mere hairsbreadth parted them.

The whole world had narrowed to only them, her and him. The sturdy wall behind Seras was the only reminder of reality in that moment. She couldn't hear the loud music of the club, she couldn't see the piercing lights flashing from time to time, though she was certain if she concentrated she would note their haloing effect on Alucard; she couldn't even make out their target any longer, though his current location abovestairs should have made that easy enough. But she could see her master. She could see the dark tendrils of hair running down one side of his face like unruly streams of murky water. She could see one ruby-red eye, pinning her in place. She could see the self-assured smile, with its customary cruel edge, tugging at those firm, pale lips she sometimes allowed herself to wonder about. What would it feel like if he removed all distance between them and took her mouth with his?

It wouldn't be her first kiss. But then the slide of Pip's lips on hers as she was crying out his name, blind and despairing, the thick scent of his blood in her nose, had shocked her more than anything. The furtive dart of his tongue against her razor sharp teeth had worked to add a coppery taste to the whole mesh of flesh. It was nothing like what she'd ever envisioned a kiss to be like. It hadn't been so much a kiss as it had been a goodbye. All the same, Pip had been the first man to give her such an experience. Looking back, she didn't know what to think of it. Tinged with grating ire and spearing terror, she looked back upon their lip-lock with a shudder and a great deal of regret. She wished she'd been able to discern his interest sooner, if only to settle matters between them in proper fashion. He deserved to know that she had never looked to him as a lover. Never even considered the matter seriously.

Something very much like electricity bolted up her spine, effectively pulling Seras from her memories, Frowning at her master, she bit back a sigh. He'd been distracting her in order to peek at her thoughts. Before she could say anything to that, his mouth sealed up against hers. It started as a simple brush of lips, as though he meant to satisfy her curiosity. For what seemed like an eternity, Alucard kept a steady, soft pressure, the tilt of his head permitting such a feat. Seras, having stiffened in his grasp, couldn't quite believe what was happening. One of her hands came to rest against his chest, just above where his heart ought to be, if he even had one. Her master could be so very vexing. Just because she expressed a passing curiosity didn't mean he had to offer an answer. Especially considering the nature of it all. She hoped he heard that while he was knocking about in her head.

A soft chuckle rasped against her lips. She felt his conscience bearing down upon her, willing her cooperating, inviting her along. Alucard often saw fit to read her thoughts. He rarely returned the favour. If she were a smidgeon more clear-headed, Seras might have told him that the middle of a mission was probably not the best place to proceed with such endeavours. As matters stood, however, she could only allow herself to be drawn in, reaching out to him, somewhat aware that anyone looking their way would mistake them for a pair of randy lovers.

She fell into a pool of feelings without clear description. If her own mind was somewhat organised by such markers as time and space, her master's head contained a labyrinth; a maze without a clear centre and she seemed to have fallen straight into its trap. Ever so slowly, crawling from within the shapeless dark around her, a thin thread wrapped itself about her person, snaking its way around her ankle, tethering her, as if in preparation. Emotions not her own hit her, intense and deep, powerful enough to see her lost at sea. Sharp needle-thin teeth sank into her with unmistakable hunger, ripping at her flesh, burrowing their way beneath her skin, filling her with a foreign sensation. To feel so strongly and yet exhibit no signs of it; Seras was once more in awe of her master.

Once the unidentified sentiment was focused under her scrutiny, she managed to catch a glimpse of something very like longing, but smoother. One only longed for something one did not have. Her master lacked no such assurance of ownership. Like a whip, it flayed against her, its mark proclaiming the truth for all to hear. The undertones of affectionate care, however, softened the sting of the brand, dulling the ache into a honey-sweet compliment. She was his, but it was not the possession of objects being exercised upon her. She'd not been placed then or at any other point on equal footing with her master's belongings. It was a manner of custody, nevertheless, yet less irksomely cutting. It embraced her in warmth and comfort rather than suffocate her like the vines of a clinging obsession.

Belonging; that was the world she was searching for. Less bitter than its counterpart, holding something of almost human touch to it; Seras was struck by the thorns of its unbreakable stem. One assumed such bonds to come about in time, forged and nurtured by interactions spanning years and situations. It wasn't the case for them. A childe of the night such as herself was, indeed, servant to their master; yet was not mere servant. That she'd not understood, not until that fateful, eye-opening moment. And to think she was blind to the truth. Her only consolation was that she'd managed to understand herself at long last on that particular point. Belonging was something she'd not felt in an awfully long while. Not since her parent's demise, she didn't think.

The darkness reared back, as though seared by her realisation; as if she'd lit a match in the middle of the blackness, it dissipated. Pressure eased. Lips glanced off of hers. The world bled back into her sight and hearing. Colours of all sorts splashed across her vision, drowning out the beautiful red of before. An odd, too-fast rhythm much at odds with her own flow broke the tranquil sensation which had settled over her. She had returned to reality and it wasted no time making her aware of her current position. It felt like a thousand years had passed. Slowly, she came out of the daze.

The target, she directed towards her master, unwilling to break the silence between them lest she blurted out some truth she herself hadn't come to grips with yet. Dragging her eyes away from her master's face, she glanced at the gallery above. Where is he? Panic welled up inside of her, threatening to upset her balance. Her fingers curled into cloth and flesh. Her gaze slipped. One hand on her master's chest, the other pinned to the wall by one of his; she was anchored to him, as she'd been from the beginning. Her grip relaxed, his persisted. We have to find him, Master.

Police girl, you never learn, do you? She blinked, more out of habit than need. She shouldn't have been surprised; her master always landed on his feet, as it were. Of course he'd have returned to himself long before her, his sharp senses ever aware. No others of their kind yet then; master would have surely made some snide remark about her abilities had she overlooked the danger.

But I do learn, she contradicted, pulling her hand from his chest. I doubt you'd have kept me with you otherwise, Master. She knew him well enough, at least, to know that much. Seras tugged her other hand free of his and moved around him, searching for their target. Found him.

They had only to observe, as happened during all beginning stages of such missions. Seras bit back a frown, reaching out for her drink. This sort of missions she despised the most. When other vampires were involved, she couldn't simply walk up to the target and seduce the information out of them. Thirty years ago it might have worked, but then the world hadn't been so very aware of their kind; knowledge of their skill had been obscured by myth and old wives' tales. Yet after that disastrous battle of epic proportions, the world could no longer remain blind. More than ever, given the circumstances, did Sir Integra insist they keep well away from the public eye. That meant missions such as hers would have to be carried out the old-fashioned way, meticulous and slow, with as little use of her powers as possible.

Weight settled on her shoulders. "I don't think they'll be coming; too close to dawn now." She leaned into Alucard to complete the fabricated, lover-like closeness. He made no sort of reply, but she felt his hip press into hers firmly. If he wanted to work on that, she'd let him. It was her mission after all; he'd only insisted to come along for some unknown reason of his, possibly in order to stave off boredom. Since Sir Integra had been most cross with him for bothering the soldiers and had insisted he leave them be, that only left her master with Seras as means of entertainment.

And in truth, he'd not disrupted her mission. If she had company, it merely meant the patrons of the establishment did not approach her. In the past, such outings had resulted in more than one proposition levied her way. But then that was nothing new; even when alive, men had looked, and some braver souls had even approached. With Alucard's arm proprietarily around her, though, she needn't go through the rather awkward dance of finding some excuse or another to distance herself. Rejections did not come easy to her; she hated the looks of disappointment and the undertones of pain, even knowing what she was doing was for the best.

Their target was speaking to a woman, a buxom redhead whose endowments put even Seras to shame. Cor, but the look was very near grotesque. He leaned in, ear near her mouth as she spoke, nodding along. Even with enhanced hearing, given the noise all around them, she couldn't make out what was being said. She thought she understood a word o two by reading the woman's lips, but given their generous proportions, she wasn't exactly willing to bet her life on it. "Blimey," she muttered when realising the man's eyes had fallen to the woman's partially exposed chest. No wonder he was nodding foolishly along. He wasn't hearing a thing, was he? Amusement swamped her. "She could stab him right here and now and he wouldn't even notice. Oh look, they're coming down." True enough, the target and his heavily-curved companion were making their way out of the abovestairs gallery and down towards one of the exits."That's our cue. Let's get out of here."

She wanted her coffin and a long rest. Perhaps she would even have enough energy for an actual shower. While not strictly necessary, as the shadows were more than capable of removing any impurity from her, Seras still liked the rush of warm water gushing over her skin from time to time. It was a lot like a hug, all-encompassing and wonderfully warm. A treat after a particularly draining mission, something to lift her mood a tad. She made to stand, only to realise her master was still holding firm, which in turn kept her from making any sort of progress. Master?

Distracted again, are we? She scoffed, eyeing him with something akin to annoyance. Only he wasn't looking at her. Instead his attention was fixed to a man on the other side of the room. Seras perked up; she'd seen him with their target. An associate, as far as she could tell. Seems he has eyes only for you, my dear. Holding back on the frown threatening to break through her masked of assumed indifference, she deliberately put a hand on her master's shoulder, fingers curling inward. He obliged by looking at her.

Then we've not wasted our time. She had even adopted a ridiculous getup for the whole affair. While her uniform boasted a rather short skirt, perhaps some jest Sir Integra had never deigned to share with her, Seras did not, generally, enjoy displaying herself. Ghouls and vampires rarely seized her up in a blatantly sexual fashion, however, thus she'd endured with the knowledge that her enemies simply did not care one way or the other. It was another feeling altogether to be watched with lust. She didn't like it. Standing to her feet, she resisted the urge to tug on the lower hem of her dress. She coyly shot the bloke across the room a glance, careful to linger on him before turning on her heel, knowing her master could see to his own departure just as well as she could.

Seras had no desire to allow the sun to catch a glimpse of her on the street. In her current state, the light would only create a world of discomfort for her. Before she could take more than a couple of steps, a steadying hand fell to the small of her back. The familiar touch urged her to relax. She looked up at her master, the distance between them diminished by her heels. She still came just up to his shoulder though.

Outside, the streets was seemingly abandoned. The streetlights shone neither in brilliant fashion, nor softly. It was something in between. It would have been none too bright for the human eye. For herself, Seras closed her eyes in order to deflect the glow. She stepped forward with the confidence that necessarily accompanied her in Alucard's presence. Since she'd known steps awaited her, Seras negotiated carefully down as her eyes opened. The last thing she needed was to fall flat on her arse. She didn't know which would burn worse, the humiliation of such a situation or the fact her master would likely find a great deal of amusement in such an incident.

Taking hold of his arm, Seras leaned into Alucard. "Just a moment, Master," she whispered, wincing at the pain shooting up her heel. Blasted high-heeled shoes; she knew she should've worn those things more frequently. If nothing else, they would make great torture devices. She ought to suggest as much to Sir Integra. Index finger under her chin, it only took a small amount of pressure to move her head. Once more she was caught in the spider's web that was her master's gaze. "This is most unfair," she complained, keeping her voice low.

"Is it?" He was having a bit too much fun. Seras shot him a look and straightened, allowing him to lead her along. They rounded a corner leading into a small narrow street. On one end a tall building made quite the roadblock, while the other end opened into a small passageway. Her master took the way of the aisle. Anyone who'd seen them would assume they went there either to relieve some of the night's tension or that they meant to go down to the subway. At that time of night, there was not a soul around. It was the perfect spot from which to shed their human form and make their way home.

Only that wasn't quite what happened. Before she could even think to morph her limbs, a stab of pain knifed along her ribs and the side of her face met the brick of the walls surrounding them. "Oi, what's the big idea?" she muttered crossly.

"Hush now." We're being followed. He crowded her, the words losing their way in her unpinned hair. Seras turned in his hold, guessing well enough his aim. Sir Integra had been clear in her instructions and if one dead body popped up on what was supposed to be strictly recognisance, both her and Master would be in big trouble. Her senses expanded; she found the intruder soon enough, just as her hand circled the older Midian's neck, tugging him towards her. It might have been better to grab a cab. Why hadn't she suggested that? They fit well enough together come to think of it, Seras mused as she felt their little peeping Tom retreat. For a brief moment she'd been worried. Alucard moved his head down, holding her steady. She tried not to flinch when she felt herself being lifted just as his face hid in the crook of her neck. She supposed it would look convincing enough even if he wasn't doing a thing to her. He's leaving, Master. She expected him to release her. It took some effort to convince herself she wanted to be released, that whatever bound them together in that moment was too close to surface, that it might force her into admitting what she had no wish to put out in the open.

Frankly, Seras suspected her master was only too aware of the signals, great and small, that her body sent his way. Goodness gracious, the man had lived hundreds of years; it was child's play to him. His conquests, as it were, were legion. She refused to even entertain the possibility that he was blind to her reactions. Any other man, she might have held in enough doubt for a flicker of uncertainty, but not him. Yet the song of flesh was easily clacked up to lust, momentary desire, circumstances even. The old scar he'd pierced into her tingled. Seras stiffened, feeling elongated fangs scrape against the thin layer of healed tissue.

Vampires rarely scarred. Seras herself had no map of battles upon the expanse of her body. If she was cut, the flesh knit itself back together, if limbs fell off, other took their place. The only blemishes she'd retained were those she'd had in life. The bullet wound and subsequent surgery, master's fangs striking; that was all she had. All she would ever have if her luck held. All the same, the danger of a predator such as Alucard hovering over her caused her muscles to tense and bunch as if she planned to leap and make a run for it. Only, she wouldn't escape; not if he truly planned to capture her. Besides, master was only pushing her buttons as much as he could within the confines of their mission. He'd grow bored just as long as she didn't make it too entertaining for him. That helped her relax. For all of a brief moment, that was, until the other vampire nudged into her, pressing Seras deeper into the wall. It was just the two of them, the charade had gone on long enough. He's gone now. You can let go.

Has it occurred to you, police girl, that I may not want to let go? She gasped as the words finally registered, pushing at him with enough force that he had to retreat a step. You gave the impression that this was what you wanted. The low rumble of his voice beset her mind. The leech, he knew very well what he was doing. He still held her aloft, though she half-feared she'd crash to the ground soon enough.

"I'm not talking about this with you." The sound of her voice rang out in the lonely corridor. She sounded overloud. Expecting that she'd incurred his ire, Seras shifted her gaze to the side. Avoidance would buy her time at least. "So no pestering me with questions, Master, or I'll appeal to Sir Integra."

"Hiding behind my master, police girl? That is beneath you. Just because you run from the truth doesn't mean it won't catch up in the end." Mutinously, she refused to give him any manner of answer. Master would have to learn sooner or later that things wouldn't always go his way. "That is a lesson well learned." She snapped to attention as his words filtered through her ears. She really needed to keep better track of her shields. Too much slipping and master would have the freedom to trespass whenever he so chose. And that she would not stand for.

"It bears repeating then. Now, my Master, I am going home. And you may do as you please." Turning from him, she called to mind the familiar form of a winged rodent. Batman had nothing on her. She flapped her wings with care, waiting until she detected a familiar chittering in spite of her earlier outburst. From there it was all too easy to find their way back to the manor. In the guise of a bat, the world was altogether different. She'd pondered the fact when she had first managed to unlock the trick to morphing into such a being. It remained entirely transfixing nevertheless, the feeling of wings beating on air, the weight of her body lifting and riding currents, the way she world sounded and smelled, much sharper than before. When Seras was a bat, she did not merely take on the flesh and fur, she became, in essence, something other than herself. And the change was met with glee.

Once at long last the gates of the estate came into view, Seras paused, hovering in place. While assuming a beastly guise was easy enough, returning to the skin of a human took her a great deal of concentration. She closed her eyes and forced her mind to empty of all. In the void, she called to her an image of herself. Pain shot through her limbs as bones grew in width and length, organs became heavier, her body expanded. This was her least favourite part, Seras thought as her feet touched the ground, a wave of nausea overtaking her. Without compunction, she knelt down, bowing her head. If master as much as muttered some snide comment, she would give him what for.

"Impressive, police girl; but slow. In the time it took you to go through the whole transformation, an enemy would have been upon you, perhaps even delivering a finishing blow." She bit her lower lip to keep from reacting. It wasn't a jab, but more so a well-deserved critique. He was still her mentor. She could quibble about silly things, but that was not one of them.

Climbing to her feet, she forced a deep breath, sucking in air before pushing it out. "I've tried. No matter how do it, it remains slow." He grinned, pointed fangs unveiled. Seras shivered.

"You didn't expect me to give everything away, did you?" It made sense he hadn't. Seras found the journals Sir Integra had allowed her to pursue interesting enough. Bygone masters of her master had filled in pages upon pages on the nature of vampires. Some of it was a personal history of her master as well; though it was rare enough to find such nuggets of knowledge. "Human need only know so much."

"I'm sure Sir Integra would disagree," she answered lightly, stepping one foot in front of the other. The slight unevenness in the road grated unpleasantly against her yet unsettled stomach. But she would rather not have one of the soldiers shooting at her again because she'd frightened the wits out of him. Much as the bullets might not cause permanent damage, they did hurt. She was not fond of suffering pain.

Her master's presence, never far from her, steadied the world, anchoring all to him, as if he had his own magnetic field; a force which more than attracted all in nearness. "She does as a matter of fact. But that is no concern of mine." She'd expected that; her master was a prideful creature. Even bound, he was not truly a mere servant. "You will learn, in time, how to best go about such things." Seras gave a shallow nod, wondering if he would take the time to actually teach her.

Granted, the time they'd spent together in the beginning, she'd found him cold and lacking in understanding. What he said, he said in mocking tones and when praise was delivered it was always mitigated by some manner of censure. Time had twisted her hand into recognising, nonetheless, that her master had taught her a great deal, even if she would have preferred a more familiar approach. Her thoughts drifted once more. This time, however, she made certain her shield would not be easily penetrated. They were nearing the stairs and would part soon enough. No more danger then; not so close to daybreak.

She would have a report to fill in, undoubtedly. But that could wait until she managed a few hours of sleep and perhaps a pack of blood or two. She was feeling rather peckish. Hopefully Grant had foreseen that much. He was getting better and better at it. So far, she'd only had to summon him once in the past week. Unwittingly, she quickened her pace.

The soldiers on duty greeted their arrival with no more interest than on any other day, although Alucard did manage to produce a spike in their fear with his maniacal laughter when one of them dared to remark on the fairness of the night. Seras heroically held back from rolling her eyes, smiling at the man and agreeing that the night had been a good one. No need to alarm anyone with suggestions of otherwise, or Sir Integra would be called down and that woman was not a particularly cheery morning person, let alone a four in the morning person. In fact she needed all the rest that she could get, if her physician were to be believed.

The two of them made their way to the basement. "Sleep well, Master," Seras said just before a yawn overtook her. She sighed and wondered whether she would have to reconsider that shower. She phased through the door, not wasting anymore time with opening it. Thankfully, Grant had more than foreseen her need for sustenance. A blood pack had been left to chill in a small bucket just near her coffin. The darling man must have assumed she'd snack on it and head for bed. Seras happily allowed the shadows to disrobe her, noting that Pip seemed to have sunk deeper into the blackness. She could barely make him out when she glanced inward. But then that could just be her weariness. Fatigue ever so rarely helped with these things.

She padded her way to the bathroom, eyeing the shower with an intense look of gratitude. It was a small indulgence Sir Integra had allowed her. For good behaviour, she'd said; but Seras knew that no matter what the woman claimed, she'd done it for decency's sake. Stepping into the shower, she drew back the sliding door and turned on the water. Within moment her body heated up pleasantly. Reaching for the bath sponge, she allowed herself a soft groan of contentment. With her free hand, she sought out the body wash, inhaling the subtle scent as soon as the cap came off. Peonies were lovely plants; she regretted nothing could thrive in her room, or she would have brought one or two plants. As it stood, she had to make do with the body wash instead.

Her mother had loved peonies as well. Seras could still recall it was the print of her favourite floral dress. It was a way to keep close to the woman. No matter her horrific end and the images that had left seared into her brain, Seras still held some good memories close to heart. One day she might even be able to look back upon her parents and not experience a moment of crushing bleakness. Although she rather thought that was a long way off. Perhaps she'd have to wait until she was as old as her master. Hundreds of years, by God; she was an everlasting vampire and she could barely imagine it. In a few hundred years what would be left of this room of hers, of the Hellsing organisation, of the lot of them? She could not help but wonder.

She supposed it didn't affect her overmuch. She would still be Seras, forever nineteen in looks. And yet very different within, she did not doubt. Scowling softly, she looked down at her stomach as she lathered herself. "All this hunger will make a philosopher of me yet. And worse still, one with musings the value of a dime." She washed herself thoroughly before stepping out of the shower.

Grabbing hold of a clean towel, she dried herself off, calling forth the shadows to dress her for sleep. She'd get some of the padding in her coffin wet with her hair if she didn't dry it, but by the time Seras had her fangs into her light snack, she was more than aware that her body would force her to rest if she didn't acquiesce by her own accord.


A/N: And so, the end of the chapter. Thank you everyone for your attention. I know this was a bit on the longish side.