Disclaimer: All of Hellsing and its characters are copyright to Kouta Hirano. Any original characters belong to the author of this fanfiction.

HELLSING

EREBUS

Here standeth the Bird of Hermes,

Eating my own wings to make me tame...

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

First Mission

Wednesday Morning, February 11, 2032, Hellsing Estate...

Palpitations ran rampant as Alex stood in her boss' office. A woman staring thoughtfully at the girl with a small cigar between her teeth. For days, Integra had debated on whether to go through with it. She had weighed the pro and cons, the latter outweighing the former. Coming to a difficult decision, she had summoned the girl to her office first thing this morning. No doubt the silence was making Alex nervous.

"After much consideration, I've come to a decision. Based on what Alucard and Van have told me of the events in Canada, you showed some promise when dealing with threats." She clipped then lit the cigar, inhaling the carcinogens and blowing out the smoke through her teeth. "Given the circumstances, Iogically I would keep you stationed within the grounds. However, you need field experience. And although you're a target, the risk is somewhat moot since you will always be accompanied by vampires. Therefore, I'm giving you a field assignment."

Astonishment was evident on Alex's face. She could believe it. "An assignment, sir?"

Integra could hardly blame the girl. When she informed Reese of this, who showed just as much shock. "Yes, officer. However, it's because of the circumstances that it will be an unrelated mission. I won't have you near anything that even remotely smells of Gabriel so long as I can help it."

"I understand." Alex didn't want to deal with that kind of stress again so soon anyway. After what happened in Canada and on the ship, just the thought of Gabriel brought her chills. "What's my mission then?"

The woman smiled, pushing forward a file. The young soldier stepped forward, picking it up to read it over, grimacing at the photos. "There have been reports of people going missing at Bleadon village, located in Somerset. The nature of these disappearances give no indication on whether it's a human or vampire, except that no evidence is left behind. The police have been investigating this matter for months and have no leads."

Alex frowned. "So, it's not for certain on whether it's a vampire?"

"No. Your mission is to head to Bleadon, accompanied by Seras. Alucard will also be present on this mission as backup. Otherwise, he is only there to observe. You and Seras will investigate the true nature of these disappearances, locate the missing locals, and if necessary, eradicate any supernatural problems. Otherwise, you're to report your findings, if any, to the authorities. I've already briefed Captain Victoria and Alucard. You will head to Bleadon tonight and begin your investigation immediately upon arrival." Inhaling from the cigar, she let out a puff of smoke. "You're dismissed."

Wednesday Evening, February 11, 2032, Somewhere in Somerset, England...

Alex couldn't believe she was on her way to her first official mission, even as she sat in the back of an inconspicuous pick-up truck. To be honest, it was not what she had expected. The assignment had detailed that they would have to use fake names and remain utterly discrete, otherwise the locals may get nervous and even the would-be vampire would be alerted and possibly run off. Alex was assured by Alucard that he already had the perfect back story in mind, his telltale smirk proving to her that he was up to mischief again, making her exasperated.

Beside her was Seras in her civilian clothes, her eyes hidden by a pair of black round shades. Unlike Alucard who wasn't with them. His job was to observe, as Integra said, so Alex had no doubt that even if she couldn't see him, he was certainly watching. The trip itself was taking close to the two hours before Seras told her that she could see the village, but it took another hour to finally reach the outskirts. The truck drove off, leaving them with their bags. Seras removed her glasses, crimson staring at the very quiet countryside with little houses and plenty of farm land. With her sight, she could see a church, an apple orchard, and a small suburban area.

"There's an inn we can check into," she said.

Alex turned to the Draculina. "Is it clean?"

Seras blinked and shrugged, smiling. "It looks clean. I can see far, but I can't see through walls. Best we get going." And like so, they both grabbed their luggage and started walking. Conversationally, Seras said, "You must be excited to be on your first assignment!"

The brunette thought about it. "I guess. It doesn't really feel like my first though. I mean, after what happened in Canada." She turned her brown orbs to the blonde. "What was your first assignment?"

Seras sighed wistfully, "Not long after my master had turned me into a vampire, we were assigned to kill two vampires who were going across England, killing whole families that left blasphemous messages on the walls in blood. Master had killed the one and I shot the other. She was my first vampire kill. That was the night my master taught me about my third eye. Back then, I still thought like a human."

Alex was intrigued. Part of her wondered what it would be like to be a creature of the night. "Reminds me of Van a little. Why'd he have to stay behind anyway?"

"Apparently, he's still investigating into the matter about that mercenary faction."

"I see." Alex looked forward. "Where's Alucard hiding?"

"Who says I'm hiding?" purred a girlish voice from behind them, the girls spinning on the spot to find not Alucard, but some girl dressed in white, with long black hair with straight cut bangs. She was grinning, her eyes that familiar crimson.

Both girls blinked in confusion and astonishment, never seeing this person before. She couldn't have looked any older than fourteen. After a moment of being dumbfounded, both girls dropped everything and drew their weapons of choice. Alex had her revolvers, Apollo and Artemis trained on the stranger, while Seras' left arm transformed into a black mass of swirling shadows. However, this didn't phase the vampire before them, not surprised by their immediate suspicion. The girl grinned toothily and with a flash of her eyes, Seras squeaked as she fell face first into the grass and dirt. Alex was ready to pull the trigger, but the girl disappeared just as something grabbed her from behind. A white gloved hand slipped over her shoulder and gently forced her to lower one of the guns.

"Is that any way to greet me?" Alucard purred with his normal voice, causing Alex to shiver. His pointed nose pressed into her hair behind her ear.

His behaviour evoked her into a minor rage as she spun and punched him in the nose. "What the hell is wrong with you?! And since when can you turn into a girl?!"

The Count laughed, his shoulders shaking as his bleeding nose healed. For a human, she packed a wallop when induced into a rage. "I can turn into whatever I wish." He turned his mirthful expression towards the Draculina sheepishly spitting out dirt. "Police Girl."

She jumped to her feet. "Sir!"

"You're too slow." Her shoulders sagged. After a moment, his smile softened. "You must be vigilant at all times...Seras."

Squaring her shoulders, the blonde took his words to heart. "Yes, master." Satisfied with that, Alucard turned towards the village, but stopped when Seras spoke up again, "Um, I didn't know you could transform like that, master."

Alex crossed her arms, a deep scowl on her face. "Curious, indeed."

The flaps of his coat swayed ever so slightly from the light breeze. "Yes, you haven't seen that form at all, have you?" He turned with a smile. "You were on that blimp with our master during my battle with the Angel of Death." Seras nodded. "As I mentioned, I may take whatever form I wish. The shape of my trappings means little. All it really does is serve the purpose of hiding my true identity." The wind picked up and when Alex blinked, he was a girl once more, dressed in a simple white suit. "It is a form I choose on a whim," he explained with a smirk, his masculine voice still present.

The girls made similar expressions, both perturbed. "That is really weird hearing your voice coming out of a girl," Alex murmured while Seras only nodded her agreement. She shook her head. "Never mind that. Why'd you hide till now? And what's the plan?"

The smile widened. "The plan? You've both been briefed on the situation. I'm merely tagging along." At Alex's deadpan expression, he digressed, chuckling lightly. "To put it simply, we're on holiday. The Police Girl and I will be taking on the role of sisters, while you, my dear Alexandra, will be the friend from overseas who came to visit and explore the lesser known parts of England." The girls nodded before he changed his voice into that of a British teen, "We mustn't keep our would-be vampire waiting. Let us go."

The disturbed expressions returned to the girls' faces. "That's just as weird," Alex put in, Seras nodding again.

A twenty minute walk later, they arrived in the village, Alex looking around both out of genuinely awed curiosity, and to play out her role. There wasn't much to the place, but it was pretty in its own way. Every house was practically a cottage, with cobblestone fences, long flower pots latched onto windows, vines climbing up walls of brick. Not that she was an expert in such things, but she figured a lot of the places had been renovated in some of the more recent years. Even the concrete streets looked pristine. Snow was abundant here, and Alex could smell the salt of the sea. Eventually they came upon a two-story bed and breakfast, which was three times as large as most of the houses around. It even had a pretty little porch with wooden chimes hanging from the deck's awning.

Alex followed after the other two as they climbed the steps and went through the door with a large glass window. Alex looked at the window to see the words Bilbie Bed and Breakfast painted on the glass. Seras walked up to the front desk in the main hall beside a set of stairs. No one was present, so the Draculina rang the bell. After a few moments of waiting, someone came shuffling through the archway that would have led to the kitchen. It was a middle-aged portly woman with a sweet looking demeanour.

"Oh! Hello there, my dearies! I'm Mrs. Matilda Abbott. I was just cleaning up the kitchen. Checking in? Do you have a reservation?" she rambled loudly in a high pitched voice as she scrambled to get behind the desk.

"Well, no," Seras replied sheepishly. "We just thought this place looked really charming and we were hoping there was a vacancy available."

"Well, you're in luck, sweetie. I do have one room available. I hope you all don't mind sharing a bed." The three of them shook their heads. "Well, that's good. Luckily for you lot, it's a very large bed. You'll all be perfectly snug!" She opened a black book and turned it towards Seras. "It's forty pounds per night. Breakfast is five pounds per person, ten for lunch, and fifteen for supper. Internet and television is inclusive. Now, each room has its own lavatory with a toilet, shower, and sink, but no tub I'm afraid." Alex inwardly sighed at that knowledge, already missing the big cast iron tub at the manor. "I must tell you that you are responsible for any damages done and for your own belongings. Any questions?"

"Do you have any laundry facilities?" Alex asked, surprising the woman.

"My, what an accent you have, young miss. Are you from America by any chance?"

Alex's mind went into overdrive, uncertain to what the rest of her back story entailed. She resisted the urge to look to Alucard and Seras for a clue, instead saying the first thing that popped into her head, "Y-yeah. I'm visiting all the way from...New York."

This seemed to please the woman. "My, my, what a busy place that must be. I suppose you came here for a change of scenery."

I said New York, not New York City, Alex thought. "Yeah, I guess. Always wanted to travel the world too."

The manager smiled. "Well, we do have laundry in the basement, but that is for house laundry. I'm afraid you will have to go to the local laundromat. It's just down the street. Anything else?"

"No," Seras replied, taking the pen and putting in a fake name. "We completely understand."

Moments later, they were led upstairs and down a pretty little hall. The manager unlocked room number five before handing a spare key to Seras. She left them be after telling them to call her if they needed anything. The trio stepped into a cozy room. A small telly in one corner, a sitting area in another, a tall dresser, and a queen sized bed. Alucard was quick to take his place in one of the cushy upholstered chairs, crossing one leg over the other, while the girls put their luggage at the foot of the bed before Alex went into the bathroom do quickly do her business.

Coming out, she asked before going into one of her bags to pull out a file, "So, what's the first order of business?" The folder was flipped open and she lied it on the bed, sitting down. "According to the police reports, there hasn't been any sign of struggle. There was nothing seemingly missing or stolen, and as far as they know, there was no indication that these people were going to leave. I mean, the fact that they left behind all their belongings rules that out."

Seras leaned over to look at the file herself. "Well, how about we ask around town. The local pubs would be the best places to start asking questions. There's also the option of taking a look at the scenes ourselves. It's possible the authorities have overlooked something when sweeping each place." She looked at Alucard. "What do you think, master?"

The old vampire had his girlish head rested upon a propped up fist. "You're the Police Girl, Seras. This is your assignment. I have other duties."

Alex sighed, "Ignore him, he's just here as a precaution. Either option is a reasonable start, but let's go to a pub first. It'll help us solidify our cover."

"Good idea. I'll go ask Mrs. Abbott about any hotspots in town." Seras turned and left, leaving the Count and Alex alone.

Alucard watched her from beneath his straight bangs as she examined the reports for the tenth time. She hunched over them, head hanging low as she supported her weight on her right arm while using her left hand to push aside the pages. Absolute focus glimmered in her eyes as they darted side to side. She raised her left hand to brush some of her hair behind her ear, some of the strands not quite making it as they fell free, hanging loosely beside her face. The coppery locks had gotten slightly longer over the last three months, he realized, as the tips of her hair brushed her shoulders. Without her notice, he stood, only catching her attention when his weight shifted the bed behind her, and she looked over her shoulder into a man's face.

"What is it?" she asked.

The vampire said nothing, reaching up to hold a lock of her hair up to his nose, freely inhaling the clean scent she wore. He analyzed that it was oranges and tea tree. Closing his eyes, he remained like that, even as she sat up straight, putting his other hand gently on her shoulder. Though he had agreed to give her the space she needed to figure things out for herself, it was difficult to keep his distance. Every moment he was parted from her, the more his blood ached for her. Only keeping this kind of contact dulled his insatiable desires.

"Your hair has grown," he finally said.

"Hair tends to do that," she lightly quipped. "Why are you so interested in it anyway? You want me to shave my head so you can wear my hair as a wig or something?"

He smirked, opening his eyes halfway. "Nothing so drastic. It's just one of the few pleasures I like to partake in."

Alex just allowed him the indulgence. Now that she thought about it, she didn't really know much about him beyond his reputation and what she knew of his past. "Alucard?"

"Hm?"

She hesitated, almost feeling embarrassed that it had taken her this long to ask such a thing, "Besides my hair, what other kind of things do you like?"

His eyes were fully open as he stared into her chocolate orbs. He leaned his head back slightly, face thoughtful as he pondered his answer. "I'm afraid that is difficult for me to answer. I have no hobbies beyond what I do for Integra. I'm not one to cling to material possessions either, with very few exceptions." He sighed, somewhat stumped by her enquiry. Alucard knew there was something, not wanting to disappoint her. "I've lived with nothing but constant battle, so I get some enjoyment from that."

Typical, she thought. "Well, don't you have a favourite colour? Did you have a favourite food when you were human? Simple things like that?"

He smirked. "It is not as simple for me as you may believe. Even as a child, such things didn't matter to me."

Alex shifted in her spot to face him, since her neck was starting to hurt. "There must be something. You strike me as a red kind of guy. As for food...um, well, I dunno. My personal belief is that all men like steak, but you're Romanian, so maybe one of the local dishes from there?"

"To me, food was nothing more than nourishment." He watched the way she deflated and he smiled wryly. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. You've had a rough life, so I understand if such things are pointless. I just...I feel like I don't know anything about you. You've lived such a long time, so I just thought that maybe you lived an interesting life."

"It's had its moments," he said dryly. After a moment of silence, he quietly added, "I've started a collection of sorts since I met you." She blinked and he grinned. Reaching into his coat and into the infinite shadows of his powers, he pulled out the box she had given him before Christmas.

She showed astonishment at this. "That's the..."

"Yes," he confirmed, opening the lid to show her what was inside.

She leaned forward to get a better look, seeing a lock of her hair wrapped in a red ribbon. Something else caught her attention and she reached in, lifting a black lacy bra, sending him a disapproving scowl. "What the hell is this?"

He bared his teeth more as he tried to feign innocence. "A souvenir? I believe I found that in someone's drawer in Canada a couple of months back."

"This is mine?!" she shrilled. "Why the hell did you steal my underwear?!" The perverse glint in his eyes did not fade, nor did he answer, except to shrug. Scowling some more, she reached in for the matching set of underwear. "I'm taking these back, you pervert!"

"Just as well. I'd rather see you in them."

A fire was ignited before he received another blow to the nose, knocking him off the bed, the vampire dropping the box onto the mattress. Alex panted, teeth grinding together, fist clenched, cheeks flushed red. "Keep that up and I'll be talking to Integra about grounding you or something!" The vampire just remained seated on the floor, chuckling heartily. She looked at the box, about to close it up before something caught her attention and she reached in, picking up two pieces of jewellery. Anger forgotten, she asked, "What's this?"

Alucard's laughter died as his gaze landed on the objects in question. The vampire stood, walking over before Alex handed them back to him, dropping them in his gloved hand by the thin silver chain that bound them together. He traced a thumb over one of the rings, debating whether to tell her or not. A moment later, and he put them back in the box, quietly closing the lid, putting it away amongst the shadows. Crimson bore into the girl, smouldering with an emotion Alex rarely saw from him.

"They're wedding bands. Mine and hers."

Alex expressed small surprise, watching him as he resumed his seat in the corner. The Count closed his eyes just as Seras came through the door. "Mrs. Abbott gave us a relatively small list, at least to start," she announced but stopped, sensing the tension in the room. She looked between Alex and then her master, surprised he had changed back, but no one said anything for awhile.

Finally, Alex stood, grabbing her suitcase. "I guess we better get changed for our roles then."

Wednesday Night, February 11, 2032, Bleadon Village...

Oddly, there was really only one pub that truly attracted the locals. It was a family-run joint that was considered a favourite, except for the tourists who seemed to favour the Queens Arms. The girls had decided on the former option, coming upon a well-kept saloon with their Christmas lights still up and blinking. A sign swung back and forth, creaking slightly from the gentle wind, reading The Empty Stein. Together, they walked through the screen door, looking around nervously as many of the patrons looked up from their drinks and away from the football playing on their telly screens. The ladies looked at each other and headed for the only empty table.

"What now?" Alex muttered, removing her scarf. "I've never done this before."

"I used to be a police officer once, so just watch and learn. Excuse me?" the blonde called out. A waitress walked over as Seras asked, "May we have two orders of whatever the favourite brew is?"

"Sure thing. Be right back, loves."

Alex sighed. "Seras, I should probably tell you that I'm not much on liquor."

"I hardly drink or eat anything...normal, but it's for our image," Seras assured her, removing her shades. Alex stared at her, bewildered by the cerulean hue she had never seen on Seras before. "What is it?"

"Weren't your eyes different?" she asked, awed.

Seras smiled, whispering, "These are my human eyes." She looked up just as the waitress returned with two glasses of beer. "Thank you."

"Anything else I can get you?"

"No, thanks. We're fine." The woman shrugged and walked off.

Seras looked around with her blue eyes, not surprised to see a few of the men were ogling the pair of them. She and Alex had settled on modest apparel, the blonde wearing jeans and a white blouse with a pink cardigan. Still that didn't hide the size of her bosom, much to her own chagrin. Alex also wore jeans, but just donned a simple white button up dress shirt that made her quite tomboyish in comparison to Seras' more feminine appearance. Still, they were both a pair of pretty girls, and the vampire sensed the men were hungry for a little taste. Something nagged at her instincts and she glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

It didn't take long before they were approached by a couple of guys, both in their late twenties. One had light brown hair and hazel eyes while the other had black hair and brown eyes. Mr. Brown Eyes was the first to speak, "May we join you?" The girls looked at one another before smiling politely, nodding. Both males grinning with triumph, they took their seats. "I don't believe I've seen you two before. Visiting?" Seras nodded again. "Well, I'm Jake and this is Eddie."

"I'm Katie," came Seras' easy lie before she turned her expectant gaze towards Alex.

It took the brunette a moment to process before she finally replied, "Oh, um, I'm...Alice." She nearly winced at her choice, finding the name too similar to her own.

Eddie smiled, raising his beer glass in a small toast. "And whereabouts are you ladies from? You don't sound like you're from around here...Alice."

"New York," she reiterated for them.

"And you?" he asked, looking at Seras.

The Draculina just smiled. "Leeds."

"And what brings you lovely ladies to our humble town?" Jake enquired.

"I actually came overseas to see the lesser known parts of England. Katie and I have been friends for years, and this is the first time I got to visit, so we decided to make a holiday out of it," Alex explained easily, raising her glass and resisting the urge to grimace at it, putting it to her lips and forcing herself to swallow the first intake. It took everything she had to maintain an impassive expression.

"And so close to Valentine's Day too!" Eddie pointed out. "Were you two hoping for some excitement?"

Alex really did cringe this time, having forgotten that the commercial holiday was only a few days away. This time of year always made her shudder unpleasantly. In the back of her mind, she wondered how Alucard felt about such a day. He found Christmas pretty annoying to begin with, but Alex had the feeling that he had a different opinion on Valentine's Day. She was a bit biased herself, finding that the holiday was just an excuse for lovers to pander to one another. It lacked any real feeling. Even while she was involved with guys, the holiday held little meaning for her.

After a moment of considering her options, she decided, "Yeah, we were, actually. Though, this town seems way too quiet for anything interesting to happen."

Seeing where Alex was going with this, Seras followed suit. "Us being mostly city girls, the peace and quiet is a bit lost on us. We just wanted to try something new by getting out of the rural areas. Places like that are never quiet, but now that we're here, it's too quiet."

The gents looked at one another before they both leaned forward. "Actually," Jake started smugly, as though he was the only person who had the goods, "if excitement is what you're looking for, there's been some going-ons as of late."

Both intrigued, the girls also leaned forward. "Oh?"

"Some of the folks 'round here, people who've lived here a long time, have just up and—fwip!" Jake raised a thumb quickly, tossing it over his shoulder. "They just disappeared. Some think that they simply left." He shook his head. "Others say differently. Why? Well, they never took their things. They left no note or anything."

Alex's eyes widened. "No way."

"Way," he added, nodding.

"Is that all?" Seras asked. "Surely they could have gone somewhere. Aren't the police looking into the matter? People don't just disappear. They must have found something!"

"Sadly, no," Eddie said. "Everybody has just heard rumours. Being a small place, such folly is spread right quick."

The blonde frowned. "Rumours?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Oddly, each victim apparently saw something lurking outside their house the night before they would disappear. They'd talk about it all of the next day, and sometime in the night, they'd be gone." He shrugged. "They'd ramble on about something with red eyes, but was as small as an elf." Eddie looked around to make sure no one was listening in. "Don't tell no one about what we told you. People 'round here like their affairs to stay quiet. Even the cops are being all hush-hush 'bout it."

Alex's brows drew together. "But why?"

"Well, they like to pretend we don't know nothin', but the truth of the matter is, this has been going on for years. People come and go. Old people, adults, and tourists like yourselves." Alex and Seras' frowns deepened. "A lot of the older folk are a superstitious lot, saying the village is haunted or cursed by an angry spirit. A demon born from violence."

Seras' blue eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Like a poltergeist?"

He shrugged again. "Well, sure! If you believe in that sort of thing."

Jake took a large gulp of his beer, setting it down again once he swallowed, smirking with amusement. "Just a bunch of nonsense if you ask me. They've been going on about that for over thirty years. Longer than we've been alive."

"Thirty years?" Seras repeated quietly.

"Yeah, apparently some village not too far from here got quarantined due to an extremely dangerous contagion. Bunch of people died; no survivors. It's long since been repopulated, as the area was completely swept of any biohazard."

Seras grew quiet, but Alex was intrigued. "What kind of biohazard?"

Both men shrugged as Jake answered, "All we know is what we heard from the older generation. They seem to think that this spirit, or whatever you ought to call it, is the manifestation of those poor souls who died."

Thursday After-Midnight, February 12, 2032, Bilbie Bed and Breakfast...

After wheedling out as much information as they could from those two men, it took some doing just to get rid of them. Seras made up a lie on the spot that they had to return to their room to make sure her sister was okay before it became too late in the evening. On their way back, Alex had noticed a change in Seras. She was more quiet than usual. She didn't have that warming smile on her face. In fact, she looked as though she was incredibly deep in thought. Not wanting to interrupt her during her process, Alex didn't ask for the time being.

Upon their return to their room, they found that Alucard had not moved from his spot at all. His eyes were closed, as though sleeping. Alex arched a brow. "Not every night you see a vampire sleeping."

The corner of his mouth twitched before he opened his eyes, smiling contently. "I've slept with you, didn't I?"

It took less than a second for Alex's face to turn into a cherry when Seras blinked and gaped at her in question. "Don't word it like that!"

"And how should I word it, my dear Alexandra?" he asked knowingly, adoring that face she made for the hundredth time. "That I enjoy our spoon sessions?" The Count was almost certain that her head would explode judging by the darker shade of red filling her face. Merciless, he grinned with great glee. "Especially so when we shared my coffin."

The brunette cursed loudly, "Would you just shut UP! We actually had some luck at the bar..."

"Oh?" Alucard turned his gaze to his servant, his face sobering upon her expression. She looked so...troubled, and lost in the past. He would have words with the Draculina when Alexandra had long gone to bed.

A/N: Ah, made it! Wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to post this before I would have to go to bed tonight (work tomorrow). I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter, but I got through it. So, this and the next chapter are filler-type chapters before I get back into the main plot at hand. Though that doesn't mean these aren't important. It is, after all, Alex's first official mission as a soldier of Hellsing. Anyway, I made a reference to the Abridged series in this, just because. And I sorta made a reference to Twilight with Jake and Eddie. Now, don't get me wrong, I fucking hate Twilight, but people are free to like whatever the hell they want, and I didn't want to think too hard on names for unimportant characters. But, yeah, I made this chapter only around 5000 words, which is my minimum word count for each chapter in this story, so it's shorter than usual. Hopefully this will tide you all over until I can write up the next chapter.

Until then, thanks for reading, and please leave a review.