Seras stared at the picture at the bottom of the drawer for several minutes before she picked it up. She didn't want to but she something in her could not resist. How could one picture make her feel so much pain? Her eyes started to fill with tears and Seras wiped them with her sleeve. Why was she crying now? Seras thought she had shed enough tears for her Captain. Sometimes Seras wondered if all that she ever would ever feel was pain. She wished for a second that she were like her Master. Alucard wouldn't cry over an old lover would he? If he saw her like this, Seras was sure he would be disappointed. At least there is something I can do without failing, she thought. Disappointment is the one good thing I'm good at.

Seras got up and sat down in the chair and stared at the photograph. She couldn't help cracking a smile remembering how Pip had teased her that day. Of course, Seras had wanted to kill him. He had followed her around pretending to be a fashion photographer, asking her to strike a pose. The idiot had even started singing that old Madonna song, Vogue. The Captain could be so silly when he was drinking beer.

Although Seras protested during his whole charade, she had secretly liked it. He had called her…beautiful. No one had ever used that word to describe her. Beautiful. Seras had always felt like a clumsy tomboy. When Seras had caught him staring at her she couldn't help but feel that he probably knew. Why else did he go on for so long?

As she looked at the picture the memories started to flood her mind. Pip singing dirty songs to her when they first met. Pip teaching her to become a better soldier. Pip saving her life. And that kiss. She would never forget it or what happened afterwards. Drinking his blood and defeating Zorin with his soul inside of her. So much had happened between the two of them and she would never forget him. Teardrops fell from her eyes but this time she didn't wipe them away. I wish I could be like my Master. He's not weak like me. I bet he would never cry over someone---

"You might be surprised, Seras Victoria." Alucard spoke in the dark.

Seras jumped at the sound of his voice. "I'm sorry, Master. It is just that I-I-I…"

Alucard studied his vampiric child in the dark. He had first thought of scolding her for being so sentimental but had looked inside her mind instead. There was something so familiar about what he saw. He felt a strange sense of deja-vu. He had felt like that once and it wasn't so long ago. He grinned recalling the woman who had made him that way. Mina. He had felt so much like Seras did now when van helsing took her away from him. Alucard chuckled at the thought, although the memory still brought him pain. I can't very well scold her when I was guilty of the same sentiments.

He walked towards Seras. She really did fill him with pride. His fledgling had proved herself worthy of his gift. At the moment, Seras was trying hard to regain her composure. He wondered if she realized just how strong she was. Alucard stood in front of her waiting for her reaction.

"Master? I know I shouldn't---" Seras said.

Alucard lifted her chin up with his gloved finger and looked into her eyes. He pushed a few stray strands of her hair from her eyes. "You're wrong. Sometimes even we feel pain. Just don't make a habit out of it." Alucard wiped a few red tears from her cheek with his glove.

Seras nodded and smiled. She rarely got this much attention from her Master. Her smile grew brighter as Alucard tousled her hair. "Yes, Master."

"Come Seras Victoria, let's go have dinner. My Master is waiting for us."

Seras' mouth dropped open. He was inviting her to have dinner with himself and Integral? "Yes, Master!" As she followed Alucard up the stairs to the dining room, Seras Victoria couldn't help but feel she had been given something that fate had taken away from her so many years ago, a family of her own.