Chapter 1: Meeting You

When I woke up, my head was killing me and my body didn't feel right. I looked down. My pajamas were red silk.

"These aren't my clothes."

Was the first thing I said, and the second was…

"And this isn't my room."

I looked around. This room was posh. I mean Richie rich style. The walls were – and the floor was carpeted with plush Persian. The furniture included a closet like wardrobe, a vanity table and chair, and dresser drawers all made from solid burgundy oak. The bed itself was a four poster bed made for a princess.

"How the hell did I get here? And what happened to me last night?" were just two of the questions that I couldn't answer. The only thing I remembered from last night …was the color red.

I got up with the purpose of finding my host and either thanking him for saving me or killing him for kidnapping me; which decided mostly on his attitude toward me when I found him. I went to the bathroom to clean up and when I got out of the bathroom; my room was awash in morning light. I nearly went blind; obviously someone had been in here while I was in the shower. And as unnerving as that was, that someone could come and go without my knowledge, it was a sign that they meant me no harm, at least for now.

When my vision returned I found the bed made and a set of clothes on the bed waiting for me. I wondered how'd they know they'd even fit me, but then I remember that I was wearing pajamas also given to me. They already knew my size and probably most intimately.

I got dressed. They were simple black slacks and a white dress shirt. Not bad, but if these were their "play clothes", I was in trouble. Even the black loafers screamed everyday elegance.

"Hell with it. I'll find out when I find my host."

And then I proceeded out of the room door.

--

I was standing in the hallway, looking like an idiot, when I suddenly realized I had no way of finding my host except by ambling through the house and hoping I ran into one of the servants. Unfortunately for me, there was nobody, nobody at all. It was so still that I could hear my own heartbeat.

"Oh, for the love of …Just go down stairs to the main floor and ask…or escape. At least, I'll look better going out than I came in." I told myself.

I still couldn't remember what happened last night. But it was no good just standing here. So I started walking. The halls were all white; the floors were all red carpeted. The walls were covered in historical artwork and portraits. And even so often, there would be a table with a vase or human bust of somebody important.

"Good grief. This place is a museum for the dead. I bet only one person lives here with thousands of servants. They work constantly and have no children."

"That is almost right. You deduced at that just from our décor, did you?"

I whirled around in a slight panic. Whoever it was had heard me and I could only hope that they wouldn't take offense. Not to mention that this guy snuck up on me without a sound. He was elderly gentleman, about 70 years old or so, but not weak. He looked in full control of his faculties and then some. He was dressed in black pants, white shirt, and a black vest. I guessed he was the butler.

"No offense sir, but if you had children here, the walls wouldn't be this clean."

He looked around as he though about it.

"They would if they were well behaved children."

"I don't know any, do you?"

He gave me a small smile. Well, at least he was friendly with a sense of humor.

"Do you know where my host is at this hour? I'd like to thank him for his hospitality."

"I find you rather polite for an American. By the way you were dressed last night, I expected you to be quite the opposite."

"My parents insisted on a classical upbringing. 'Just because we were black didn't mean we had to act like uneducated Negros.' My mother used to say that to me all the time."

"Hm, smart woman. You'll be better received here if you stick to your parents' philosophy. Follow me please, Sir Hellsing wishes to meet you."

"May I have your name first, sir?"

"Dollneaz, Walter Dollneaz. I am the Hellsing family retainer."

"Coven, Jessie Coven. I'm…lost."

He smiled.

Yeah, it sounded like a stupid thing to say, but it was the truth. I wasn't anybody particularly important, with a degree or title, so I had nothing to tell him.

"Well, said, Miss Coven. This way please."

He proceeded down the hall and turned left. I practically had to run to keep up with him. For someone as old as he was, he sure could move and he wasn't even running. He was just walking. He reminded me of Pepe LaPew; no matter how fast his opponent ran, Pepe could always catch them. Finally, after going up a flight of stairs, he stopped in front of a heavy set of solid oak doors. He knocked twice, waited and then entered. I wondered if I should follow after him or wait here. But he did say that I was expected, so I followed him.

--

"Good morning, Sir Hellsing." he greeted…her?

That was a woman, I was sure of it, with that long flowing blonde hair. Had her hair been shorter, I may have had a tough time telling. And here I though my host was a man. Guess that's what I get for assuming things.

"That remains to be seen, Walter. How is our guest doing?"

"Quiet well, sir, and not at all like we expected. Please step forward Miss Coven."

I had been assessing her office when I heard my name called. Her office was huge, much too big for the single mahogany desk and chair that resided here. Four huge windows allowed for maximum usage of solar energy and a single portrait of a man hung on the eastern wall. I was most likely her father, handsome guy, but had a smug look about him. I stepped forward when Walter called my name.

"Good morning ma'am. Thank…"

"Sir."

"What?"

"I am called Sir. My name is Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing. Please try to remember that."

"Yes, sir." I said, saluting her.

Then I automatically when to parade rest. I didn't even think about it, I just did it; comes from being raised in a military family.

"Military brat or academy trained?" she asked.

"Both, sir."

"Do you believe in vampires?"

I was taken aback by this question. Who the hell believes in vampires, but satanic quacks?

"No sir, but I still believe in Santa Claus, if that helps."

Walter gave a small chuckle. I heard it. But Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing didn't seem to find it funny.

"Tell me again why I should keep her."

I thought she was talking to Walter, but then I heard another voice. A deeper voice, a darker voice; and then all of a sudden, I remembered what happened last night.

"Because she saved my life." he said.

I turned and I swear, I saw him bleed right though the wall. He stepped into the room as if stepping out of a worm hole in space. And all of a sudden, the room got colder. He looked at me and a great smirk spread across his face.

"Hello Dino." he laughed.

"Stop calling me that!" I yelled.

"Dino?" she questioned.

"It's what her classmates called her at the academy. She has a very excitable and fast paced nature, like the dog on the Flintstones TV show."

"Walter."

"It's an American cartoon for children that came on in the 1970s. It displayed the life of Fred Flintstone and his wife Wilma as they live in prehistoric times."

"Hm, Then tell me how she could possible save the live of an undead immortal?"

"He's immortal?" I gasped.

I must have looked at shocked as I sounded.

"Yes, he's a master vampire and I use him to kill other vampires and their ghoul armies."

"Riiight. Wait a minute, if your immortal why didn't you help me defend those people?!"

"One, you were doing so well that I didn't want to get in your way. And two, It's not my job to protect humans. My job is to kill vampires."

"Damn prick. Wait, I was…shot."

I looked down at my stomach and felt for it through my shirt. It didn't feel like I had any holes. Come to think of it, when I took my shower this morning, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. I was as whole as if nothing had ever happened. How was that possible?

"Yes and you're delicious."

I stepped away from him and stood closer to Walter.

"What do you mean I'm delicious?"

"You would have died if I hadn't sealed your wounds."

"So that's what took you so long last night, you were snacking in between meals again!"

I looked at Sir Hellsing. She was pissed at him, but didn't look it. It was her tone of voice as she spoke. As I rifled though my memory for last night's events, I also tried to remember everything I ever heard, read, or learned about vampires. She on the other hand, just picked up a cigar, placed it in her mouth, and waited for Walter to light it.

"So then why the hell did you bring her here?"

"As I told you, she saved my life." he chuckled.

"Alucard."

So that was his name; the giant man in the blood red coat. Last night, I got caught in a fire fight on my way home from work. Some…terrorists, or at least I thought they were at the time, were firing on police. People were screaming and running everywhere. So why didn't I run too…I don't know. Or maybe I do…I was curious. I watched as the battle unfolded.

The cops were not winning the fight. I don't know why, their shots were hitting their targets. It's just that these guys wouldn't die. So they were over run and the terrorists started eating the cops. One bite was all it took. The cops died and then…got back up. I thought they'd start shooting the terrorists again; but instead they joined them. They started shooting their friends and comrades.

Amidst this madness, there was this kid. I call him a kid only because he was younger than me. We both worked at the same job. I never paid him much mind, but he was always so happy to be at work. He had told me about his life and what a struggle it was.

He struggled through high school, his parents struggled to put him through college, and he had struggled in job interview after job interview until he finally landed this position. His parents were so proud of him. And all I could see as I watched these terrorist head for him was the sight of his parents weeping in front of his grave; and all their struggles being in vain.

It was that thought alone that pushed me into action. I ran for him and pulled him out of the way. I grabbed one of the dead cop's guns and started firing away.

"Run, Jim, Run."

I didn't have to tell him twice and that was the last I ever saw of him. I wonder if he made home OK. After that, I rescued anyone I saw in trouble. But these guys moved fast and they didn't stay down when you hit them.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, came this monstrously huge guy all dressed in red. He came out grinning like a cat with a mouse and started shooting all the terrorists dead. God, those were some powerful shots; the air rung like a death bell every time his gun went bang. He just laughed a maniacal laugh as he walked passed me and into the mists of those "zombies".

But suddenly, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. It was coming up fast. I don't know if he saw it or not, cause he was just standing there, laughing and firing. I saw that blur had a muzzle flash and I didn't think, I just moved. I ran right in front of the man in the red coat and BANG; just like that I was struck down. The last thing I saw, the last thing I heard, was him laughing and shooting.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard them arguing about me.

"We are not keeping her!"

"You need soldiers and she's a soldier."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-three, sir." I answered, automatically, still stunned upon remembering last nights events.

"And she's the same age as you."

"That has nothing to do with it. She's not trained to handle this job."

"That didn't stop her last night."

"You're only twenty-three too. And you own all this. Man, I'm a slacker."

"Ha ha ha, don't sell yourself short. She inherited it."

"Alucard!"

"Yeah, but she ain't no Paris Hilton."

"Ha ha ha, now that would be something; Sir Integra Hellsing, party goer, drunk driving, indiscreet affairs."

"Shut up, Alucard! Walter, send her home."

Alucard immediately stopped laughing and told her straight to her face.

"You're making a mistake."

"You don't make the decisions here. I do."

"Excuse me, can I ask a question?

"Such as?"

"What happened last night? Where am I? And why am I not dead?"

"Technically, that's three questions. All of which are classified. If you were staying, I would answer you. But as that you are not, I will not answer those questions. Just be glad you're alive and continue on with your life." she snapped at me.

"Yes, sir."

I gotta stop that. People will think I'm a damn mindless automaton. But Academy training and a military upbringing are so ingrained in me that I, usually without thinking, automatic obey my superiors.

"Dismissed."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"I still think your making a big mistake."

I heard Alucard say as Walter escorted me out.

"Why? Because she tastes good." she growled.

Even I had to laugh at that one.

"No, because she killed a vampire with a simple lead bullet."

I did what? I don't remember doing that.

"Here's a coat and I will drive you to the airport." said Walter, helping in to a windbreaker jacket.

"Airport? We're not in America?"

"No, you're in England."

"How the hell..?"

"Alucard brought you here."

"I…thanks."

I didn't know what to say. I should have asked how I was supposed to get back into the country without a passport. But it didn't matter, once I handed the customs guy the letter that Walter gave me, I was passed on like a VIP. And two days later, I was back at work…and asleep at my desk.

"Hey, Jessie wake up. Don't let the old man catch you sleeping."

"Thanks, Jim."

"So where have you been for the past five days? Everybody thought you died that night in that terrorist incident."

"I don't know. They wouldn't tell me. They said it was classified."

"Oh, the MIB got you, did they? Wow! So what are they like?"

"Crazy English people." I said, remembering the experience like a half remembered nightmare.