"I know what happened to her."

I watched Police Girl's reaction to what I said. Her face was priceless. I felt a nudging affection for her all of a sudden. She was a good girl. To have her so concerned for my master was touching, not just anyone could develop a likeness for someone as cold as Integra, it was an acquired taste. This, however, did not stop me from being grouchy, I was blaming my mood on a certain closet incident.

"How?" Seras looked angry. She really was coming along nicely.

"Please," I sneered, rolling my eyes. "It's what I do."

"What?" she inquired impatiently. "What happened?"

"It's brilliant, the person who took her, they never left Hellsing!"

"Where did they take her?"

"Guess, my dear fledging."

Seras thought a moment. They'd looked everywhere. Where could anyo-

"The dungeons! They locked her in the dungeons for nearly a week?"

"Indeed." I said, nodding.

"Who?" My apprentice had a little mad glint in her eye. I felt a deep satisfaction.

"The knights, they're the only ones with a real motive."

"But Master, why?"

"They want an heir, they need Hellsing, but they're not dumb enough to think that they can run it themselves, and they couldn't. Without anyone to take over after Integra, they'd be forced to work with outside forces. Forces that might not have their best interests at heart. Besides, how humiliating would it be for Protestant knights to have to cooperate with groups like, oh say, the Vatican."

"So, are you suggesting that…that Integra's pregnant?" I purposely didn't answer.

"I have a plan Police Girl, I need you to win her trust. She's gullible now. Let her finish reading her journal, then give her some pictures to back up any doubts she might have."

"But-"

"Seras," I shock her shoulders a little, trying to get her attention. "She thinks she's thirteen. It's bad enough she has to find out she's a heartless military leader, do you want her to find out she might be having someone's child?"

"Master, can't you sense another life, or something?"

I really don't know where Seras gets these ideas sometimes.

"Godammit, I need you to be sane right now!"

She looked little like she was going to cry, but thankfully pulled herself together.

"What then?"

"Then bring her to me."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Integra closed the journal. That couldn't be right. She couldn't possibly have done those things. She was a proper English lady!

She wanted to deny the things that she read with every fiber of her being, but the words, they struck a chord. Somewhere deep inside her they pulled at something, something familiar.

She looked at the book sitting in her lap. It couldn't be true. She didn't want it to be true. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to grow up, marry a well off noblemen, and add to the Hellsing line. She was supposed to be a mother, a wife, an educated aristocrat. This went against every dream and desire she'd ever had.

She sat and looked at the cruel book. Within a few hours, it had shattered every preconceived notion she had about herself.

She felt her eyes fill up with tears.

Was it true she killed her own uncle?

Was it true she employed reject vampires?

Was it true everyone hated her? Did they really call her those horrible names she written down?

Did people really think she was a man?

How did this happen?

Hundreds of questions swam through her; none of them seemed to have answers. She stood up and walked toward the window to look out. She faintly wondered how long it would be until someone came to find her. She felt like such a prisoner, in her own home no less.

One thing bothered her more than all the rest. The book, it said her beloved father…that he had died. Integra turned her heads from the pleasant outdoors to stare at the tile on the floor. How dare it be cheerful when she felt so awful.

"I'm sorry," said a voice. Integra recognized it instantly.

"Shut-up," said Integra.

A long silent pause followed.

"How do I know it's true?" she asked.

"What would we gain by lying?"

"You tell me."

The woman sighed. This was going worse that she planned.

"I have something that might interest you," she said.

"What," asked Integra, "can a vampire possibly have that might interest me?"

Seras looked the woman that she'd known for the past few years up and down. This was how her great and fearless master had started. No wonder her master was so insane.

"A picture book," Seras stated simply.

"A picture book," Integra repeated lamely. She turned around to glare. She was surprised by what she saw.

Instead of a cocky, evil looking creature, she saw a slumped and insecure woman in an uncertain situation. Some part of her felt bad for the image and told her it was her own fault.

"Bring it here," she said, hoping that the thing wasn't hungry.

The woman looked at Integra and smiled. She walked over, almost shyly, and sat down next to the blonde.

"I've been collecting these for a while now," Seras said, handing the thick volume over.

Integra looked it over. She was quickly beginning to hate her once beloved books. Was this nightmare ever going to end?

She opened the first page and saw herself, asleep at her desk.

"Is that me?"

"Yes."

"I look like a man," said Integra woefully. "I went from being a boy to a man. Damn Indian genes."

"Ah, but Sir Integra-"

"Don't you dare give me a speech on 'inner beauty'."

"Oh please," started Seras. "It's not like you're ugly. You choose to look like a man. You like it!"

"Uh?"

"It's a psychological thing. Master told me all about it." Seras seemed more than happy to have an answer to something.

"Oh, I'm a lebian?" Integra stopped flipping through the book to look concerned.

"What's a lebian?" asked Seras, watching her.

"Oh, you know, girls that like other girls."

"Lesbian?" Seras cautiously corrected. "I wouldn't know, you don't share your private life with me. I wouldn't think so."

"Why not?" asked Integra, eager to have evidence to dash what seemed to be obvious.

"Well, if anything I'd say you're just not interested in…things of that nature. You're very…secluded."

"Oh," said Integra. "What does that really mean? Be honest!"

"Well," Seras hesitated. "Most men are extremely intimidated by you."

"Why?"

"Well, there are the guns… and the drinking….and the smoking…and the yelling, besides they know you're smarter than them. It also doesn't hurt to have a tall dark, and handsome vampire servant more than willing to eat anything that you throw at him."

"Alucard," said Integra knowingly, looking at her journal.

"Alucard," mimicked Seras, nodding.

"He's scary," Integra said. She shut the book and set it aside, she'd seen enough. She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I don't like him."

Seras laughed.

"No one likes Master," she giggled. "But trust me, in your case, and your case alone, he is much more afraid of you than you are of him."

"Why?"

"So many questions," said Seras, with a knowing smile. "Let's just say you have something of his that gives you more sway than you could ever imagine."

Seras got up, pulling Integra with her.

"He's the one who suggested your manish appearance to begin with." Integra didn't even bother asking why this time. "He thought that people would take of advantage of you if they saw you as a woman, so he created an illusion. He even taught you how to tie your tie. Notice that you both do it the same?"

"Oh," Integra was being pulled to the door. Seras was grasping her a little too hard and it made her hand hurt. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

A/N Short, and not very entertaining, but it had to be there. Important chapter, you know. Anyway, I'm going to make the next chapter chocked full of goodness to make up for this runt.