I realize I haven't updated This Thing Called Life in awhile, but Annie and Seth are annoying me. As much as I love Duchess's world, I need a break from it. I need to explore my own world in writing. Also, I've had this idea for a series of one-shots for awhile. There's too much fanfiction about what happens after the start of Hellsing. What about backstory? Things had to have happened in those ten years. And now, pretties, I'm going to share those stories with you.

Enjoy, and, as always, review! I love you all.

Disclaimer :By the way. I'm sure you can figure this out on your own, but I don't own Hellsing. Sadly.

Suggestions For Master

Sunshine streamed in. Birds were chirping. A cool, soft spring breeze was making the leaves dance in the trees. Flowers bloomed, with morning dew still on their leaves. Soft, white, fluffy clouds were floating in the sky. All around, the happy tidings of spring were manifesting themselves. Everything was the picture of peaceful perfection. Except for one thing.

The young Integra's alarm clock was going off.

Loudly.

Right. In. Her. Ear.

Groaning, she rolled over and hit the offending noisemaker, perhaps harder than was necessary. However, if you've ever experienced such an occurance yourself, you would most like be inclined to extend your sympathies. Actually, you'd probably sit there rooting her on and offering her more..destructive items to use on it. Nevertheless, the obnoxious noise was quickly silenced, and Integra rolled out of bed. She smoothed down her night gown and daintily stood before her closet. Out of habit, she reached for a blouse and skirt. Then, as an afterthought, grabbed a dress-suit jacket as well. She dressed quickly, brushed her hair, adjusted her glasses, and hurried downstairs for her breakfast.

0o0o0o

Our heroine was right in the middle of taking a sip of Orange Juice when the room dropped just a few degrees. Her brow furrowed. It couldn't be the vampire, could it? No. He wouldn't be up at this time. Her father had always taught her that vampires go to sleep when the sun rises. Her father wouldn't have lied to her, and he couldn't possibly be wrong. So it must be the air conditioner. She opened her mouth to call out for her trusted butler.

"Wal-"

"If you need anything, my master, I should be willing to take care of it for you."

Shoot. So it was the vampire, after all. Integra was not at all amused. She wasn't sure yet if she liked this...creature...man...servant..thing who'd come to take up residence in her home. Of course, he'd obviously always been there, but she hadn't always known. She didn't know who to curse most: Her father, for not telling her; her uncle, for forcing her down there in the first place; or Walter, for keeping her father's secret. Still, it was pointless casting blame at the moment. No matter who was most at fault, there was still this arrogant vampire interupting her breakfast. He must be dealt with before she could peacefully partake of her morning nourishment and have any particularly venemous thoughts about any of them. She had a pretty good idea that the vampire could pick up some of her thoughts, and she didn't want him to think she thought anything but the best about her family and trusted family servant. Well, at least her father and Walter, anyway. She didn't particularly care if he knew how much ill-will she held towards The Traitor. She knew he didn't like, him, either.

"What are you doing up?" she asked him coldly.

He shrugged." I wanted to see how you functioned in your newly acquired position."

"I'm doing just fine, thank you." She sniffed and went back to eating.

He grinned. "So the council members are giving you due respect? You are, after all...less than intimidating."

Integra bristled. " I'm doing just fine, thank you."

"What a multi-purpose answer. You've used it twice in such a short period of time. Tell me, didn't they teach you any other responses with that private education they must have been giving you? Or did your governess feel all you needed to know was pleasantries?"

Integra took offense to this. "My father personally oversaw my education."

"Ah. That would explain it. Even Islands would agree, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Capable, competant, and shrewdly intelligent, but no one ever accused him of being able to hold a proper conversation. He loved his drink too much."

The young girl was agast. How dare he say such things about her father? He had been the greatest man she'd ever met before he died! And certainly better than this creature that stood before her, speaking ill of him.

"...But then, time does change people, I suppose," Alucard went on. " And that young wife of his was a visible good influence on him. Pity. He was much more fun when he was always half-drunk. Still, I can't imagine him being a very good teacher to anyo--"

"Will you just shut up?!" Integra exclaimed, cutting him off.

Alucard was cut out of his reflective musings, but not without a smile at his new master's outburst. "Oh-ho! So the cat does have claws. How delightful!"

Integra had had quite enough of her "servant," and she resolved to tell him so. "If you are truly bound to my orders, then tell me what is on your mind, the thing you came here for, refrain from insulting my father, and then kindly remove yourself from my presence. You've spoiled the lovely breakfast I was having." She glared at him as best she could over top of her large, round glasses. He laughed at her.

"You'd best work on that glare, master, if you intend for anyone to feel threatened any time in the near future. Where's the spark and spunk with which you stood up to your uncle? Ah well. I suppose a more permanent development of that should come in time. Just look how your father started out, after all." Something seemed to greatly amuse him, but Integra was only annoyed. He'd already said too many horrible things about her beloved father already, and she wasn't going to ask anything that may give him permission to say more. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Yes, yes. Get on with it. Obviously you had something you wished to say." She primly turned back to her food, which was beginning to grow cold.

As if reading her mind, he gestured to her plate. "Eat your breakfast."

"Don't tell me what to do," she snapped. He shrugged, apparently uncaring about what she did. "What do you want?" she asked again.

Alucard gave her another cheshire-cat grin. "Why does my master continue to wear a skirt, I wonder?"

"I'm a proper English young lady. Proper English young ladies wear skirts."

" A proper young lady no longer. Proper young ladies do not run vampire hunting orginizations. They are not the heads of families. The wait for their prince to come along and save them in everything. Tell me, Master, is that what you wish for? Do you wish to be saved?"

" I can save myself." She didn't mention how his involvement in the fiasco with her unlce had, in fact, been crucial.

"Indeed. So young and already able to kill her own family."

Integra felt her eyes grow hard. Oh, she hated to be angry, but he was such a nuisance! She wished her father was there. He'd make him behave and speak to her properly. But the late Sir Hellsing wasn't there. She'd have to learn to deal with him on her own.

"Perhaps I should be less discriminatory with a gun. Perhaps I should personally start eliminating vampires."

He laughed. "Oh, you wouldn't want to kill me, little master. I'm much too great of an asset to you."

Integra didn't really want to get rid of him anyway. In the dungeons, that first day, a sort of alliance had been formed. And although he was bothering her, he kept a sense of levity around that she didn't have otherwise. They weren't "friends", but he was perhaps the closest thing she had to one, next to Walter. And really, who was ever friends with the butler?

"And as such, you should give me suggestions, not insults."

"First suggestion, then. Switch to suits."

"Pardon?"

"Suits. They'll gain you more respect. Find some, or rather have some made, that will hide your figure. They'll know you to be a woman, but there will be a greater air of authority. Not to mention they'd be far more comfortable, and practical, for field work."

Integra grimaced. "That's horrible."

"Horrible but true. Trust me, it will be worth it."

Integra pursed her lips. The idea did have merit, but she wasn't going to say so. Not right away. "I'd need time to consider. And ask Walter. Now, I've had enough of your presence, and my food is cold. Leave." Then, as an after thought (should she be polite to such a monster? Especially after the things he'd said.)" Please."

He vanished into the walls, laughing. She scowled.

Turning back to her meal, she sighed and took it back to the kitchen to be reheated.

0o0o0o

Nothing more was said on the matter of clothing, but Alucard noted with satisfaction that within a week tailors had been summoned to his young master's chamber with patterns of pant-suits in hand. Maybe when she got older he'd introduce the concept of "Armani" to her. Ah, nothing would beat having a fashionable master for once. Abraham's sense of style was non-existant, and Arthur's wasn't much better, although both were handsome enough to make up for this shortcoming in human's eyes. Now, if the Hellsing genes bred true...

She was certainly bound to be attractive.

A devious smile crossed his face. That would have to wait.

For now.