Disclaimer: Integra, Seras as well as their last names, belong to Kouta Hirano. Mine is Duke, Emmanuel, and I can't say the Wild Geesse so, nope, not mine.

(Re) Building an Empire

Anniversary

"It has been a difficult year for all of us, the remnants of the massacre England had witnessed has brought the perish of our beloved ones. We've lost mothers, fathers, children, wives, husbands… I know it's a hard lump to swallow, even though, don't cry over the defeat my people. For the death of that many people brought with it strenght. This nation was formed by power, wisdom, and faith. It is clear now that anyone, a single man or an entire country, declaring war against our nation, it's not rival to the power of England…"

A blood colored dress stood in the way between the TV and Integra's vision. The Head of Hellsing moved the head aside don't minding the obstacle for continuing watching the commemorative day of the London massacre. The Queen certainly knew how to stir people's faith through her words.

"Sir," Seras's shadow grew wider, engulfing the entire screen into darkness "you promised. You have to..."

"I don't recall ever receiving orders from a servant."

Right, she had promised going with the Draculina to visit the family's graveyard. Bad idea, the place was still wrecked, didn't care to restore it anytime soon thanks to the recent additional graves her servant had made last year. Seras was yearning to bring her respects to the deads; Integra, the other side, wanted to forget they were once alive.

When she finished watching the transmission, her pet vampire had left the room more than an hour ago. Expecting to get back to work, she scanned some papers on the table, which made her realize how much they have done that year, but still how much it was left to do. As it seemed, some things needed time to get done and she wasn't going anyway worrying for them during a holiday. Because her Majesty had ordered national mourn day as a holiday! Figures what effect that could bring in people's damaged hearts. That day was pretty idle, no new notice of random local vampire, no more claims for international help, no rescuing team interested in Hellsing's services. In the last year, Integra had avoided certain places in her mansion. The reparations had finished a couple of months ago, even so, she had changed her office to somewhere less open, the library for instance. Also, the basement, intact as it was left in the battle against Commander Zorin, was a no go place for her. She knew Seras continued cleaning Alucard's coffin monthly, even if the room was sealed away with chains, that dealt no problem to the vampire girl. Sometimes she wished for the cheerful, positive attitude of the Draculina to stop. She wished Seras would let go the idea of Alucard returning, among others that hurt her boss more than the undead girl expected.

Even if it was already night time, Duke was sleeping in the office. Again.

She poked the elder vampire. Slapped her. Pushed her down the couch. That always worked, except for this day. Her male-now-female pet vampire spent the last week dozing off here and there after the sealing. It was taking her more time than Seras to get accustomed to the new leash. Integra knew there was an added a punishment on the conjure-program in case of disobedience, but she had reserved it as a last resort instance. She just hoped that slightly change wouldn't affect the vampire in a deeper level, other way Jack Clemens and his lawyers would be over her in no time. Anyway, she didn't need her vampire's services that afternoon, it was only she felt bored. So she strolled to the kitchen. The Wild Geese and a couple of new recruits were drinking on the table. They all went silent upon her boss' arrival.

"Sir Integra," From his wheelchair, Emmanuel prompted everyone to act normally "we're giving cheers for our long lost friends. Mind joining us?"

"No. I was just curious of what was all this turmoil about." Aiden and Julius were already on their seventh beer, their speech already slurred, started singing an old Edith Piaf's song remembering it was their Captain's favorite. Morris didn't share the same emotion, he started weeping while recalling some things his dead partners used to say or do. "Have you seen Captain Seras?"

"She went with Captain Pip -God knows he's still with us- to the cemetery, I thought you were going with them." One of the new recruits, Noah if she recalled, sipped his beer after saying this.

It has been hours since the Queen's message had been interrupted by the Draculina's request. She might have already returned and maybe she was enjoying her dinner in the basement. There wasn't any need to budge her, Integra had decided to go back to the library when Emmanuel called her back.

"Sir? Do you mind if we take one for the old butler?"

"I don't, if you don't mind cheering for a traitor." The last word had a bitter taste in her mouth. The Geese never saw Walter turned into a vampire, yet they believed hearty what their boss had told them about the old man.

"Excuse me, Sir. But it seems you misheard." The old doctor opened another bottle of beer, the foam coming from the muzzle in a sizzling way. He was taking the licences for being familiar to her, just like Walter used to be. "I said if we could cheer for the old butler… as far as it concerns me, the traitor was a young appealing vampire with the same name."

Today she was feeling nostalgic. Integra barely smirked and with a nod she left the kitchen. The cheers from a group of somewhat unknown men for a very known one made her ache. How much time would she be angry at a dead man? Alucard would laugh at her stubbornness, in fact, she could barely hear in the back of her mind the throaty chuckle of her monster. A date back when she struggled with esgrima classes and her tutor told her she would never excel in the discipline, at most she could aspire to minor league. That amused laugh the red clad vampire gave her every time he dodged her stockades ringed in her ears, along with the clinking of her butler's favorite tea set being placed on the table near the training grounds. His soft voice calling both for a break, they had been practicing all night and it was unhealthy for a young lady. While smelling the warm tea, Integra observed both her servants standing near the table and invited them to have a seat. At first, Alucard asked for some struggle by saying she wouldn't need to share a meal with a monster; but before hell broke loose, Walter convinced him to follow the child's orders. As the three had a midnight snack, one of many, she realized that even if she missed her father, she had acquired a new family.

And now that family was gone. Ten years of love couldn't be erased by a single day of treason. Integra found herself fast pacing the mansion's hall directly to the door. That morning she had woke up wondering if that memory really had happened or her mind was tricking her. Decided to at least pay her respects to the loving substitute father she was given at the age of twelve, she went out to the grounds in her pyjamas. The sun was already high, not only she had dreamt of her past but also overslept. The elongated Hellsing family graveyard had flowers in most of the epitaphs. As she approached to the one she cared the most, a red mass on Walter's grave turned visible. Seras was uncomfortably perched to the tombstone, eyes closed tight for the sun was messing with her. Her gloved hands were slightly burnt, some tombs had holy objects around them that had might hurt her while cleaning.

Integra ignored her servant for a moment to look directly on the epitaph.

Walter C. Dornez

1930-1999

No message, no description, an unknown victim of the massacre among others. Seras had made them all, remembering the places where she had buried each member of the wild geese or the occasional child that she couldn't save on time from the debris. The Draculina had an eternity to mourn them, Integra the other had, had decided to forget and keep walking. None of them were right. Her gaze got lost in some point of the rock that led to the infinite. A grumble from Seras brought her back to reality. Sometimes, she was even sillier than Duke.

Integra lifted the young vampire, it was always surprising how ethereal the no life queen was. She walked away from the grave remembering the last words Seras had told to Walter "thanks for everything", thankful that she did what in that moment her boss wasn't able to do, knowing that perhaps in the future, having not said these words would make both repent before their beloved family member's grave.

Author's Note: Another piece I had written a while back. I always thought that Integra was a tough person when it comes to forgive someone, and Walter deserved a little of love even after his betrayal. Promise next will be Seras returning to normal, already working on it ;)