Disclaimer: Damn it! I just DON'T OWN HELLSING!

Chapter Eight

Seras ran faster than a terrified rabbit that had just been grazed by a speeding car over to where Pip lay, conked out and, quite frankly, seeing birds and stars. Once she finally made if over to his side, Sir Integra was already kneeling beside him and was busily checking his pulse. The Police Girl felt the familiar prick of tears at the corner of her eyes as she too dropped to her knees and waited to see if he moved. While she wasn't exactly a fan of the strange French talking man, no one deserved to be smacked in forhead with a tennis ball.

After what seemed like an eternity, though it hadn't been longer than three minutes, Integra finally announced…

" He's not dead. But he's not going to be playing tennis anytime soon." Seras winced as though she had just been slapped. There was a deep hint of malice in the words that her Master's Master spoke. It almost seemed as though there was a deeper feeling that simply caring for her teammate… Seras shook her head, she wasn't about to start thinking things like that, who knew who could be reading her thoughts?

" Sir Integra, I am so sorry! I wasn't even awake! I was just yawning! I didn't mean to hit him…" Integra looked up at her and did a mixture of sighing and looking confused. While Seras did indeed look sorry, what had she meant sleeping? WHO IN THERE RIGHT MIND PLAYS TENNIS WHILE ASLEEP?

While all of this was happening, Walter was attempting to suppress a laugh. It wasn't, however, working all that well. He hated to admit to such things, but he wasn't all that pleased with Pip. The Hellsing retainer wasn't all together sure why, but he simply did not like the perverted man who now lay awkwardly spread on the floor with a softball size lump on his forehead.

Whether Sir Integra realized it or not, she was beginning to fall for Pip, and Walter could plainly see it. While Sir Integra was not the kind of person who wore her feelings on her sleeves, there had been noticeable changes that only Walter seemed to be able to catch. Sir Integra allowing Pip luxuries that most soldiers, whether playing tennis with her or not, would never have been allowed to have, speaking with less of a bite to her words whenever he was around, and (most noticeable to Walter) the almost special way she seemed to look at him when his back was turned.

Walter felt as though he was Sir Integra's father. He cared deeply for her, and would rather kill a man then see her suffer. The relationship between the two would not work, and he simply wanted to spare her the pain, he understood well enough how much love could hurt.

Shaking his head, he turned on the microphone. Whether he liked it or not, Pip did look pretty unconscious and he was sure to be blamed if he died.

" Will the doctors please make their way over to the northern side of the tennis courts please?" His voice held an undertone of annoyance to it. Why on earth hadn't they there earlier?

The Lower Basement Areas of Hellsing…

" Damn it! That's the third time in a row you've beaten me! Is it because my thumb is to bloody small or something?"

" No, it's because you're reflexes are awful, what else?"

Grumbling, the two doctors, Phil and Alex looked up from their heated game of Thumb War to acknowledge the call from Walter. Taking this to hid advantage, Alex quickly defeated Phil for at least the seventh time that day.

" I win."

" Oh no you don't! You cheated on that round! No matter, if you have to result to cheating, then you're bound to loose! Once we're finished with this call, then you're going DOWN man, DOWN!" Still arguing about who was going down, the two doctors ascended the stairs, stopped to pick up their doctoring supplies, and then quickly headed to the tennis courts, still fighting the entire way. Although what they were doing in the basement of all places, one will never quite know.

Back at the Tennis Courts…

Why has Seras been over there for so damned long? All she did was hit Pip in the head with a tennis ball. Yes, it was quite funny but why is she getting all worried about him, why does he matter so much?

Alucard's spiteful thoughts were easily portrayed through his eyes. If there was a plate of cookies and a glass of milk nearby, the elder vampire's glance would have soured the milk and turned the cookies to dust. Or he would have shot at both until nothing but dust was left. Either way, he was fairly angry. The dark energy of his hatred seemed to come off of him in waves, sickening those near him.

Growling low under his breath, he traversed through the net over to where Sir Integra, the Police Girl, Pip and now the two doctors knelt.

" So it's settled. Pip is unable to play for the rest of this game, and unless someone can think of something else, the game will have to be canceled."

" I don't think so."

" Alucard, shut up." Alucard raised his eyebrows. Sir Integra was most certainly in a bad mood. While he was annoyed and fairly angry with Seras, Sir Integra seemed to be shooting daggers at his young apprentice. He growled a bit, but subsided. He didn't particularly like the way that his Master was looking at Seras, he was the only one allowed to do that.

Something had to be done. There was no possible way that they could leave the game like this.

Someone would have to win.

"Master, why don't we do a one on one match?" Sir Integra looked up then at him. Although covered in beads of sweat and exhausted looking, she still looked fairly formidable. He grinned his fangy grin at her, unperturbed that her gaze was enough to sour the milk and mold the cookies. Almost as dangerous as his gaze. But not quite…

" Yes, you against me. Seras and 'Pip' (scorn seemed to drip off his tongue with this word; Integra's eyes darkened at this but she said nothing) will stay off to the side while you and I battle it out. What do you say?"

Integra's answer came much faster than Alucard had thought it would. Despite common belief, Integra wanted to finish this game just about as much as Alucard did. She knew that they would win, even if Pip was seeing birds.

" Fine. But I think we should do a time-out for now." Integra stood up and quickly walked over to their team's side, the doctor's carrying Pip away towards the infirmary.

Alucard shook his head at her retreating form, attempting to suppress a grin. Finally Master, we shall have our battle… This thought cheered him up a bit. He glanced down expecting to see Seras. Indeed, she seemed to have slunk away and was seemingly hiding between the to benches on the opposite side of the court. Using his vampiric abilities, Alucard phased himself over to tower over her, planning on giving her the third degree on why she was so worried about Pip.

Upon seeing her close-up, she was truly a wreck. For once in his long after-life, Alucard felt something tugging at him that may have just been pity.

Seras was sitting on her butt with her knees curled up to her chin, her head resting on her knees. Every so often she hiccupped for she was crying so hard. Alucard sweatdropped as he stood, towering above her and not quite sure what to do…

" I didn't mean to hit him!" She wailed loudly. Alucard jumped a bit. Vampire though he was, he was still surprised, wouldn't you be? He then sighed, and crouched down so that they were knee to knee.

" Seras." Still she wailed and sobbed on.

" Seras…" And sobbed…

" SERAS!" This finally seemed to get her attention to the point where she lifted her head up. Her eyes were a puffy red and her cheeks were tear-stained. Apparently she really was torn up over this. Alucard wondered why.

" Why are you crying?"

" Master?" Seras herself was confused. She had sort of expected to be left alone. Yet here was her Master, asking why she was crying… Sniffling, she wiped her nose and hiccupped once more before putting together a meager sentence.

" I-I was gi-ven the chance to teach you something! To be of at least-least-least some use to you since I'm basically worthless… And what do I do? I KILL PIP! OF ALL THE THINGS TO DO!" She then started to hit her head with her tiny balled up fist, muttering "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" under her breath.

Alucard was a bit confused. He hated being confused. Truthfully, he never really was confused… ever… Still, he had to do something…

" Seras." Instantly the young woman's head snapped back up so that her eyes met with his. Visibly she relaxed, her body releasing the tension that it held. Her eyes were red and puffy… well, more than usual, from the crying.

" You didn't kill Pip, unfortunately, and for now he's only knocked out. If it makes you feel better, you can go over and check for yourself. Other than that, you really need to get a hold of yourself." Then, in quite an un-Alucard type fashion, he rested his gloved hand atop her head. A blush worked it's way up Seras' neck and onto her cheeks.

" And, in case you're wondering, I'm going to beat Sir Integra. After that, we shall get our reward." He ruffled her hair gently and stood up, walking back over towards the tennis court. Overhead, the speakers crackled to life.

" Will Sir Integra and Alucard please make their way back tot he court. The game will be starting within the next five minutes. Thank you." Alucard continued to stride over the court. He knew that he would win. Regardless of whether or not he won, he would get the prize, whether it meant leaving with or without permission.

Back over in her corner, Seras was still burning red.

" Oh my… Yes, Master's right… I didn't kill Pip… But I'll go over there just to make sure… yes…" She stood up, still shaking a bit, and quickly (being careful to not be spotted, her embarrassment was great enough as it was) snuck back out into the hall towards the infirmary.

However, she found that she couldn't just enter the room. She almost killed Pip… what if there were other people in there who would make fun of her? Regardless of being a vampire, she didn't exactly enjoy being called a loser, but really, who does?

Finally Seras entered the room. Almost instantly she saw that there were two people in there. Sara, and Pip. She groaned angrily at herself and covered her eyes.

" I really am sorry Sara and Pip… I didn't mean to hurt you guys." Sighing, she edged past Sara's bed and made to sit in a chair next to Pip.

" Well… you're breathing, I suppose that that's a good sign. I'm sorry that I hit you in the bed with a renegade tennis ball…" Finally she sat down on a chair that was provided. Sighing, Seras leaned onto the bed, looking down at him. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and thought about this game. Why was Alucard so insistent on winning? Was the prize really that great? In fact, what was the prize? And, most importantly, why hadn't Alucard told her anything about it before the tournament?

Despite her eyes being closed, Seras sensed movement from below her. Her eyes snapped open as she eagerly looked down on him. Was Pip regaining his consciousness?

" This will be a simple match. Because Seras isn't playing, Sergeant Jeff will be overseeing this quick match. The first person to score one point wins the prize. Afterwards, the winner is to meet with me to discuss the fine points of the prize, and the two will meet and shake hands. Are we all agreed? Good. Then let the final game begin!"

Despite the two being separated by the entire court, Integra and Alucard were still glaring daggers at each other. At that very moment, the two were alone, ready to finally battle it out.

Integra held the ball, and from across the courts the two shared a single ambition. To win. Without breaking eye-contact, she served the ball, and the last round began.

" Pip? Pip, are you alright? Say something!" Pip's eyes were still closed, yet his lips began to move, speaking words that not even Seras, with her heightened hearing, could only discern the words, 'come closer'. To get a better perspective, Seras stood up and leaned over, placing her ear right over his mouth.

" Go on…"

" You… You.."

" Yeees!"

" You 'ave a perfect rack, and quite a plump ass." Without realizing it, Pip had performed a double maneuver and had one hand on her butt, and one on her chest.

For a moment, nothing happened, it seemed as though time had stopped with these to in a ridiculous position.

" You… You… YOU PERVERTED,FRENCH SON OF A-" Seras shouted and yelled, and cursed until even Pip was a bright pink color. Not only did she curse until even Pip was embarrassed, but she then proceeded to beat the living daylights out of him.

He really shouldn't have touched her.

A/N: I think I'll have one more chapter for this. However, when that one is finished, if people want me to, then I will write another story stemming off of what ends up happening. And for those of you who care (those two or three people) I plan on putting up my new story from one of my favorite movies. Oh yes, please forgive me if Alucard isn't exactly acting how he would usually act. But then again, this is my fic, and well, that's just how the cookie crumbles. Please R&R, thanks! .