Disclaimer: Not mine, no money. Go away.

Authors Note: I'm going to deviate from the cannon here – and I hope that I can keep it interesting enough to keep you despite that. Any errors or changes are entirely mine – but hey, that's why its fiction right? Oh, and the chapters will be longer too.

Chapter 6

"Dear Gun Owner,

Since no one has seen fit to grace me with your name, I trust the above salutation will suffice. From the delivery method, I'm sure you can gather that I shouldn't be doing this, but I cannot remain silent any longer.

The plain fact is that you have outgrown the gun that you are currently using. Your hand strength is compromising the grips and threatening to distort the actual magazine. This can cause a tactically disastrous misfire, or worse, a detonation of the entire magazine itself, while still in your hand.

I'm sure that you have noticed a little extra weight where I have reinforced the grips as best I can for the moment. Unfortunately there was no opportunity to refit the counterweight, although I am confident that you will manage. The rumors of your abilities abound and there must be some grain of truth there.

My findings have been reported and I have repeatedly requested that our weapons specialist be allowed to either re-machine or re-design the gun. Unfortunately, my pleas have been ignored and my reports buried. I implore you to request a review of the joshua, or better yet, request a new weapon all together. I have tried my best to supply the most stable of ammunition, but you are risking your life with every pull of the trigger.

It is my firm belief that this inaction is not mere apathy – I believe that it is betrayal.

Please, heed this warning, and take action.

Yours in hope,

Jane Smith

Alucard sat for a while, drinking and re-reading the letter. Occasionally he lifted the paper to his nose. He had indeed noticed a weight difference when he had holstered his gun and like the writer had guessed, it had been nothing to adjust to it. Taking the pistol out, he examined the grips and could see that they were different. His hand tightened around the grip and he squeezed with his considerable strength. And with his preternatural hearing, he could hear the minute crackles as the grip started to splinter in his hand. He grinned as he opened his hand and looked at the damage.

He holstered the pistol and stood up. Slipping the coat and gun harness off, he draped both over a chair post, and sauntered to his coffin. Getting comfortable, he realised that he had left the note on the table and he opened a shadow beneath it so that it dropped into his hand. He folded it and slid it into his waistcoat pocket. He could still smell it, although the scent was degrading rapidly.

As the coffin lid closed, he closed his eyes and sought sleep. He was going to be very busy soon enough.

Later the following evening:

Walter raised an eyebrow as he finished reading the letter that Integra had shoved into his hands a moment earlier. He handed it back to her and when she didn't reach for it, lay it on her desk.

"Is there any truth to this?" he asked.

"Personnel records show we do have a Jane Smith working at our munitions factory in Cardiff. She falls under the direct supervision of Peter Wiggins, who would be the person she is accusing of burying the reports." she replied, waving her hand in the vague direction of her computer terminal.

"And so what do we do now?"

"I want you to send a team to Cardiff to take Miss Smith and Mr Wiggins into custody, as well as assemble detailed files on both of them. They'll both be at the factory in the morning, so advise the team accordingly."

"I'll dispatch the team and start the research immediately."

He turned to leave and then turned back to the smoking woman.

"Will we be detaining them at the local barracks?"

"No, have them brought to the castle. I'd rather not have this get out amongst the troops. Dissension in the ranks and all that."

"Quite."

And with that remark, Walter was off.

"Dissension in the ranks?" Alucard's sardonic tone echoed round the chamber.

Integra turned to see him lounging in the windowsill again. Swiveling her chair to face him, she drew deeply on the last of her cigar before crushing it out.

"A lie will travel halfway around the world before the truth has time to get its pants on." she said. "And I don't need the troops gossiping about a possible traitor. Or getting ideas, if this is nothing more than a disgruntled employee."

"Churchill." sniffed Alucard. "He was such a windbag."

Integra rolled her eyes at his blase comment and then asked:

"Is there any truth to her claims?"

He uncoiled himself from the sill and came over to her table, while drawing the pistol. Gripping it along the barrel he held the grip out for her inspection. He knew that she would never be able to hold it herself. Integra adjusted her glasses as she took in the damage that her servant had inflicted with his bare hands. Using two fingers she turned it over, or rather he turned it over so she could see the other side.

"And this is the re-inforced grip she claims to have put on?" she looked up at him, lamp light flashing off her glasses. He nodded as he put the gun away.

"I believe that part, the gun was heavier when I took it from its case."

Angrily she slammed her hand down on her desk, wincing slightly with the sting.

"Dammit."

Alucard hid his smile at his masters characteristic show of temper. She hated to have anything but complete loyalty from her people and this discovery was bothering her. Idly he picked up her hand and started to rub away the sting.

Integra snatched her hand out of his grasp and snapped:

"Enough of that. It didn't hurt."

"If you say so."

His sardonic tone grated on Itegra's last nerve and she snapped.

"Out! Go make yourself useful and silence another vampire."

"Another one?"

"Reports show another one in the next village over from the one you and Seras went to last night."

"That's unusual, they don't normally operate in such close proximity to each other. It lessens the food supply." He grinned toothily.

"Whatever it is, find it and silence it. Captain Jones and his men are already waiting."

"Of course Master."

He was halfway out the door when Integra was struck by a pang of concern.

"Alucard?"

He turned back to her and looked out from under the brim of his hat.

"Yes?"

"Will the gun hold up for another operation? Or should I just send a human squad?"

He tilted his head scornfully and suddenly her desk was writhing with shadows, lifting her pens and fluttering her papers.

"Good evening Master."

He left the room without another word and her desk returned to normal. She glared at her desk for a long moment, daring it to move and then lit up a cigar. As she smoked, she rubbed the hand that she had smacked on the table.

A few hours later, in the countryside:

Seras put her boot through a ghoul's head with a satisfying squelch. She turned around to see if there were anymore shambling undead but the street was empty, apart from the corpses that she had left in her wake. She was eager for more and she felt a hot flash of disappointment and hunger.

Slow applause from the rooftop startled her and she looked up to see her master leering down at her.

"Well done Police girl. You're getting faster at this."

She smiled at the unexpected praise and then gasped as he threw something towards her. She caught it easily, super reflexes acting without thought. Looking down, she realised that she was holding a blood pack. She looked up at her master and he said nonchalantly:

"I thought you might like one, exterminating ghouls is thirsty work."

He was right, she was thirsty. Without thinking, she tore off the top of the tube, and drank quickly.

The blood was cool and sweet as it went down and for the first time, she emptied the packet and licked the corners of her mouth clean. Spying a nearby bin, she threw the pack into it and turned around as her hear Alucard land in the street behind her.

"So where to now master?"

"The village park, I can feel our prey there."

He strode past her and she took her up usual place at his side, trotting to keep up.

Inwardly Alucard was exultant. His plan for getting his picky little eater to set aside her misgivings had worked. He had counted on the combination of violence and exertion to create a thirst that would overcome her natural revulsion, and he was right. Now he just had to keep her drinking, and not just in combat.

The vampire was waiting for them in the park, just as he had felt. This time it was a woman, sitting on a bench. She looked up at them and smiled sadly.

"I know why you're here. To do away with me."

"And you offer no resistance?"

"No. In fact I am grateful."

This was not what Alucard had been expecting and he decided to let it play out according to her her rules. He could always shoot her if she turned violent. He walked a little closer to the bench while waving Seras to stand a little apart. She did so, looking at the woman with curiosity.

She sighed and looked down at her hands.

"This is not what I expected. If I had a little more courage, I'd wait till sunrise. But I'm a coward."

Alucard took his hat off, handed it to Seras and sat down next to her and said:

"I need information before we get on with it."

"Like?"

"Who made you?"

"I don't know, I can't remember anything from before the accident."

"Accident?"

"I remember driving in the rain, and I hit a puddle and the car started to slide. I hit my head and blacked out."

"And when was that?"

"A week ago. I woke up in this park and I hid in the bushes. I knew I was different than I used to be. I just didn't know how different."

"And there was no one with you?"

"No. I burned myself in the sun when I tried to come out of the bushes so I hid until dark. By then..." she trailed off and then whispered: "I was so thirsty."

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed bitterly.

Alucard sighed and gathered her into his arms and said softly:

"Its okay, its all over."

He curled his fingers into his sleeve and felt the weight of a knife drop into his palm. The moonlight glittered on the sliver blade for an instant before he buried it in the woman's chest. She jerked and then sighed, slithering into a pile of dust in his hands.

He slid the blade back into the concealed arm sheath and stood up, smacking dust off his coat. He took his hat from Seras' nerveless hands and said quietly:

"Its time to go. Our master needs to know what's going on."

In silence the two left the park, leaving the evening breeze to carry the dust to all the corners of the world.