So my muse has been running at full bore these last two days – must be over fuelled by so many cookies...Kiki, you know who you are. (Although, being British, I keep wanting to say biscuit, my apologies) Set somewhere in the 2 days between chapter 16 & 18. This is a first of who knows how many – enjoy, I hope.

My favourite colour...

Jane had come up to London for a meeting with Major Ferguson, regarding some of the experimental things she wanted him to test with the troops. Afterwards, she decided to look up Josh while she was there. Turns out he was off duty and they commandeered the common room sofa with tea and biscuits. Idle conversation filled their time, until Jane introduced a subject that she knew would have her brother up in arms, in an instant.

"So..." Said Jane blandly, reaching for another biscuit. "I've decided that I'm going to do it."

She popped it into her mouth and chewed while Josh choked on his tea and looked at her in horror.

"Are you mad?"

"No. But I'm doing it."

"No you are not." Josh issued the command in his best drill sergeant tones.

She gave him a mulish expression and the middle finger.

"It's mine; I can do whatever I want with it. Besides, it's not like it's important."

"It is!" he protested. "It's more important than you're giving it credit for."

By now they were both shouting, and other residents of the barracks decided to steer clear of the latest Smith argument. More than a few speculated on who was going to get their way with this particular argument. She shrugged and continued drinking her tea, looking at him over the rim of her mug.

"Jane," he pleaded. "You really can't do this. It's so much a part of you."

"Exactly." She scowled. "It's mine and I can do away with it if I want to."

"But what about your promise to mum?"

Jane sighed and pretended a deep and abiding interest in the bottom of her mug. She was kind of hoping that he wouldn't remember that conversation. But her hopes were now broken, like a pile of crumbs. Putting her mug back on the tray, she rubbed between her eyes.

"Well?" demanded Josh. "Don't you remember that you promised mum that you'd wait until you got married?"

"I know." She said through clenched teeth. "But you don't know how hard it's become."

"Please Jane, don't" said her brother gently. "I know that it's hard and difficult but it'll be so worth it on that day, I promise you."

She sighed again, feeling bad from the first class guilt trip that her brother was taking her on. And then she felt so frustrated that he just didn't understand where she was coming from. And of course, her temper rose to the surface.

"You don't know how hard it is!" she snapped. "You couldn't possibly understand."

"I'm just saying," he started.

But she cut him off, getting up off the sofa. Since he wouldn't listen, she'd have to make her point in more obvious manner.

"When was the last time you actually saw it?" she demanded.

"umm, I think it was, well.." he stammered, not really knowing how to answer this without earning himself a few bruises.

"Exactly!" she shouted. "You don't know how hard it is to sleep at night."

He stared up at her, not knowing how to persuade her not to go ahead with her plan, because he knew that she'd regret the instant that it was over. He stood up as well, and put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, saying angrily:

"You take a good look!"

She glanced around to make sure that the room was clear, and reached back to pull the pins out of the ever present bun on the back of her head. A quick jerk of her hands sent pins flying and a wealth of thick auburn hair cascading down her back, coming to rest somewhere near her waist. It was shot through here and there by strands of lighter colour, making an altogether very different picture of the woman that most of Hellsing were familiar with.

Josh whistled with male appreciation and then nodded.

"You're right, I didn't realise it had gotten so long."

"It smothers me when I sleep, attacks me like a wet blanket in the shower, it's a beast." She complained, noticing that her brother had not stopped looking a t her hair.

"It looks just like mums." He said wistfully.

Jane's heart gave a painful thump and she knew then that she was defeated and that she would not be cutting her hair anytime soon. She couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her brother's eyes. She shook her head ruefully and said:

"You win."

She was practically suffocated by his hug and she banged on his back after a moment.

"Alright you clot. I still need to breathe."

"Same old Jane." He grinned.

"Sod off and help me find my pins so I can get this lot back in its cage."

The pair paced the carpet, looking for the many pins that she had dislodged in her frustration. Suddenly Seras burst into the room calling:

"Josh, Major Ferguson is...oh." she stopped her rush, and stood staring.

At the same time, Jane was reaching down for a pin, when she noticed a large black boot appear in front of her. A white gloved hand beat her to the pin and she closed her eyes for a moment, knowing she was going to have to make nice when all she wanted to do was hide under the sofa. Inwardly cursing in three languages, she tried to put on a bland expression as she looked up.

Alucard looked Jane full in the face as she took the proffered pin from his fingers. She murmured her thanks and was about to turn away, when he took up a lock of her hair in the same hand, rubbing it between his fingers. She stared at him, her hand automatically reaching for her sidearm, when he brushed the tip of it under his nose and said in a low tone that only she heard.

"Red - my favourite colour."

THE END

(Speaking as someone that had hair so long I sat on it, I can honestly say – it attacks you in your sleep and we wont speak of clogged shower drains.)