"Welcome home, Count."

"I am home, Countess."

Relieved, but slightly miffed, Seras left Ingera's room to her own chambers below. She had taken up sleeping in a room next to her old master's, and had slept comfortably for the past thirty years by being so close to his fading scent. She entered her room to find a blood pack on the table. The new butler was sweet, she'd give him that, but was no Walter. She sucked down the stale and cold blood with a grimace she'd never outgrow.

I take it you didn't miss me.

It was a voice unmistakable for any other. For a bit. I always knew you'd come back. She tossed the empty plastic over her shoulder and headed for her wardrobe. The night was still young, and a few of her favorite lively clubs would just now be getting hopping. Adrenaline always made them so much better.

Oh? And how did you remain so confident, Seras?

I- She paused. He didn't call her that stupid nick name? You drank from me, Alucard. Possibly, just maybe, were they finally on first-name terms? She fingered the wounds that she never allowed to heal. I figured so long as I hoped, you'd come back eventually.

Hope is for fools.

She winced at his harsh octave, but continued pulling clothes out.

Though, I suppose it means something that at least you never gave up on me.

If her dead heart had beat before, it would have stopped then. What was he up to? Master, I don't believe Integra ever gave up hope.

Maybe not, but it became weaker. I stopped hearing her voice after ten years. Yours though, Police Girl, never ceased.

She pulled on a short and tight zip up black shirt and black school girl skirt. It might have been our Master/Childe relationship. Then again, I was always a nuisance to you in the living realm, why not in the realm of the dead?

His end of the line went silent while she rolled black stockings on. So that had been it. She was only a nuisance, nothing more. Seras jerked her knee-high combat boots on a bit more fiercely than she wanted.

Then excuse me, but the night is calling. She called up a black portal. But let me tell you, I have not just been sitting around the past 30 years, moping about and crying for your return. I have become true nosferatu. Leaving him to his thoughts, she left the Hellsing Manor to a side alley club. In her rush to leave, she had forgotten to change her appearance. In the reflection of a large puddle, she allowed her hair to grow long past her shoulders, and her now vibrant red eyes to fade to her old blue. She manifested a ring to her lip, and blue eye shadow over her eyes. Satisfied, she entered down the stairs to the second level of the club, playing Prodigy's "Spitfire". It was up here she could scope out possible prey.

She chuckled, remembering back to a time where she didn't ever want to take human life. But, such as a large cat in Africa must kill to eat, so did she. Leaning over the railing, making her breasts seem much larger than they already were, she began to search, looking for any who had taken notice. So far, no one had picked up on the fait pheromones she released. Someone would, in time. They always did.

"I always believed you to be against this sort of thing," a voice whispered in her ear.

She nearly leapt out of her skin as chills erupted over her body.

"Relax Police Girl."

Once Seras heard that name, she knew who had followed her, but chose to not look at him. "I would believe you'd be resting, or catching up with Master Integra."

"A few drops of blood sustained me enough to come out to hunt. A few drops of that blood told me everything I needed to know of what happened in my absence. And despite her still being pure for over fifty, her blood isn't like I remember."

"Well that's just it, isn't it?" Seras continued to stare ahead blankly. "She's aged. She's still beautiful, but that doesn't change that her blood is going to age as well."

"I suppose it's too late to turn her."

Seras scoffed. "You remember her sworn oath that she stood by. To remain pure and untainted to serve the queen. She wouldn't turn even if you had come back in five years and not thirty."

"Be that as it may, you can't deny she would have made one hell of a vampire."

She'd give him that. "But would you really convert someone who treated you like a dog?"

"She did not always do that." The frown was evident in his voice. "Why are you refusing to look at me?"

"I don't want to. I'm searching for prey." It was a half truth, but a truth at that. The song changed to the fast tempo song of Yoji Biomehanika's "Samurai". She could smell the adrenaline rushing of the ravers below.

"When did you actually decide to hunt?"

"Two years after you left. I decided enough was enough, and to stop starving myself. I guess watching Animal Planet helped me realize this is nature. Kill or be killed, and those who kill themselves are pitiful. I also realized after awhile, criminals tasted disgusting. But I put up with them for twenty more years. Then, after a confrontation with a male hopped up on ecstasy, killing in self defense, I figured out those hopped up on adrenaline have the sweetest tasting blood."

"You've learned well in my absence."

"A self taught vampire has a 50/50 chance of surviving. I just happened to have some good back up basics from the top vampire himself." She smiled despite herself, and could've sworn she sensed her master smiling too. "So why did you come find me?"

"Curiosity. I wanted to see what you meant when you said the night is calling."

"Food is what I meant. It's been a week since my last decent meal. That's the only drawback to using these places is I have to be discrete." It was then she noticed she had caught the attention of an older man, one in his late thirties. "Ah, snared one. Now to reel him in." Staring the victim in the eyes, she smiled seductively and twirled a strand of lengthened hair, motioning to him with another finger in a "come-hither" way. The man smiled stupidly and stumbled through the crowd. She finally turned her attention to Alucard, who proceeded to catch her off guard with his appearance. Tripp pants, facial piercings, a tight fishnet shirt, and his usual choppy flowing hair to his midback, she had to admit it was a very nice improvement from his usual garb. Swallowing hard and hoping he hadn't noticed her stares, she looked away again to the stairway where the man was coming up. "If you'll excuse me, this next part is dirty work."

He narrowed his eyes. "Dirty how?"

"Stick around and find out if you'd like." She winked in his direction before meeting the man. "Hey stud. I saw you dancing down there. You really do know how to dance."

"Growing up in the 2000s you pick something up." He had a raspy voice. "I'm Stefan. And you are…"

"How about we skip names, and head out to my car." She tilted her head up in the direction of the exit into the alley.

"Whatever you say, Babe." He hooked an arm around her shoulder and supported his drunken weight on her. She pretended it affected her.

"Stefan! I don't think I can support you."

"Oh, sorry Babe." He let out a burp. "Wasn't thinking."

She led him out of the club further into the alley, where it curved around to a dead end.

"I thought we were going to your car?"

"I figured this would be faster, so we both go on our ways after." She captured his lips, holding back a grimace at the beer-loaded breath of the man. Blegh, not even decent enough to get mixed drinks. This one was a pure boozer, and given an estimated blood-alcohol level, he'd be a high risk to those on the streets. Seras pushed him into the wall, not sensing a strong emotion tendril of jealousy in the air around her.