Who Am I? Redux

Disclaimer: I didn't Create Hellsing, I don't own it.

Chapter 2: "You Mean I'm what?"

"You REALLY fucking did it this time kid!"

Max looked up from cleaning the old Colt 1911 to Jack's flushed red face as the large man slammed a folder down on the coffee table. He set the gun aside and flipped open the folder, "What the hell are you talking about Jack."

"The stray you brought home is EXACTLY what we thought."

Inside the folder was a very official looking print up from the London Police Authority with a picture of their guest attached to it. "Seras Victoria, age 19, member of D11. Missing in Action, presumed dead. Jack I see nothing here to indicate that she's a vampire. And as I recall, weren't you missing presumed dead once after D-Day and once during the Gulf War."

Jack ignored the comment and sat down in his chair, striking a match to light his cigar, "According to what it says there she went MIA after an operation in a small town three hours outside London called Cheddar. I remember hearing something about it from one of our boys out here. Worst incident of vampire attack in the history of England, whole town, dead, the cover story was fucking art."

A cloud of smoke escaped Max's lips as he spoke, "Still no seeing your point here big guy."

"I don't understand why you keep trying to find reasons why she's NOT one of them Max. This is just more proof. And incase you haven't noticed, she hasn't fed in almost a week. At this rate it's going to get the better of her and…"

"What's going to get the better of me?"

Both men looked up in unison to see the girl they now knew was Seras Victoria standing in the door. The tattered uniform she had been warring when they found her, replaced by a pair of Max's sweat pants, the draw string pulled as tight as possible and a shapeless grey t-shirt.

Max leaned forward, snuffing out his cigarette, "Come grab a seat and we'll tell you everything we can."

Vampire…

The word conjured up images of sharply dressed men skulking about in the night, slipping from the shadows to find a pretty girl then dragging her back into the darkness to turn her into his evening meal.

Was that really what she was?

It was well after midnight now, and both her hosts were sound asleep, leaving her alone, stretched out on the couch with nothing more then her thoughts.

"Are you starting to see now Police Girl?"

That voice, that taunting voice echoing in the back of her mind.

Not you again…

"Yes, me again Police Girl, you will never be rid of me no matter how hard you try. I will always be part of you, I made you, gave you your unlife."

An image flashed across her minds eye, a dimly lit church, moonlight pouring thru the windows, casting deep shadows. A priest tightly holding a blonde girl in some kind of police uniform tightly.

The moon light illuminated blood pooling in the aisles, flowing forth from bodies between the pews.

The damnable voice once again filled her ears, "I know you don't want to die tonight."

It seemed to be coming from a lone figure clad in scarlet standing before the splintered remains of the door, an impossibly large handgun aimed towards the girl and the priest.

"So, do you want to come with me?"

A gunshot rang out and her eyes snapped open, greeted by the darkness of the living room. The shot echoed in her ears before the infernal laughter of the voice drowned it out, "The choice was always yours Police Girl, now remember the truth."

She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them, letting out a timid whimper.

She wanted nothing more then to remember the truth, remember who she was. She wanted to remember something, ANYTHING.

Her mouth felt dry, like she hadn't had anything to drink in months and a warm smell filled her nostrils. Propelled by some unseen force Seras slipped off the couch, her bare feet falling mutely to the hardwood floor. She was scarily aware she was even moving now as he crept swiftly down the hallway towards one of the rooms.

Her slender fingers took hold of the knob and turned it, pushing the door open a crack she peered inside.

Max lay face down on the bed, snoring loudly, and one hand under his pillow.

The smell, that warm inviting smell was coming from him. Traces of other smells hung in the air; most evident among them was cigarette smoke as well as something else, something familiar that she couldn't put her finger on.

Her tongue ran over her lips, wetting them. She tugged on the knob again, prepared to pull the door fully open when she felt something cold and metallic press against the back of her head.

"You're going want to stop what you're doing right now sweetheart, or we're going be cleaning up your brains in the morning," Jack's voice rasped in her ear from behind.

Seras blinked several times, suddenly fully aware of where she was.

"Problem with your kind," Jack began as he busied himself in the small kitchen separated from the living room by a counter at which Seras now sat, "is that if you go too long without feeding, the hunger takes over and it takes over."

"What would have happened if you hadn't…?"

"If I hadn't stepped in, you would have most likely killed my best friend, and I would have been VERY unhappy with you."

A rather large gun hung from a shoulder holster he wore over his wrinkled shirt. He turned to face setting a tall glass of thick red liquid in front of her on the counter, "Drink up."

He leaned back, picking up another glass for himself and bringing it to his lips.

"Jack, why do you have a gun?"

He took a sip from the glass then brought the glass down just enough so he could speak, "Can't tell you that."

She took a sip from the glass and cringed at the taste, "The bloody hell is this."

"Just answered your own question."

Seras scrunched up her face in confusion, "What?"

"It's blood."

"But you're…?"

He drained the last of the glass and set it down on the counter, "I was born in 1898, hick town in upper state New York, mother was a young woman who got involved with a vampire that had taken up residence in the town."

"So you're…."

"Half vampire, d'hampire is the correct term. Unlike you I can walk in day, lack the silver allergy and all that shit, but I still got all the strengths, but the thirst is still there."

She looked up at him, fingers running numbly over the glass, "Jack, have you ever….killed someone?"

He gave a nod, "Plenty, but never to feed."