Janine released a deep breath as she ran the oiled cloth down the blade of her weapon, staring down at it with an almost regretful half-smile. The crafting of this weapon, her gunblade 'Vengeance', had been the only duty that had kept her sane after Jennifer's death. Each minute and hour that had gone into its planning and design had been a very deliberate involvement, and she had done her best to pour every thought and feeling of despair, sorrow, and rage into the shining blade and the etching of fire.
"One day, girl. One day you'll get your baptism of blood." It was a promise she had been whispering to the weapon for three long years. Ever since...
"Hello, Janine."
Looking up, Janine's hand paused the working of the cloth as she offered Cmdr. Squall Leonhart a smirk and a nod. "Commander. I'm afraid I only left you a grat here and there. All the T-Rexaurs are afraid to come out. Believe me. I tried everything."
Cmdr. Squall only returned a very small smile, and she'd come to notice that while her initial impression of the Garden Network Commander had been 'moodiness', she hadn't seen him display any extreme emotion. That made her begin to wonder if he was a bit more jaded than she had given him credit for. Unfortunately, because of security, the history on Cmdr. Squall was pretty choppy.
He came to stand opposite of where she sat upon the large rock in the outer section of the Training Center. "It doesn't matter," he said simply. "They usually come out when I go in."
Janine perked up. "The hell ya say!" Then she motioned to the great metal doors on the right. "Mind if I go with ya? I'm itching for a fight, and the grat's die if I sneeze."
This time Cmdr. Squall's smile looked a bit... fuller. "Sure. Whatever."
And she bit back the smart-ass quip of being a 'charmer and a ladies-man'. Instead, she stood and walked beside him into the T.C.
As she'd noticed before, he was a tall and lanky kid. Well, maybe not a kid, but he certainly didn't seem nearly 21. Janine smirked. She herself was about to turn 23, and sometimes it rubbed her the wrong way that a squirt like Cmdr. Squall Leonhart should be commander of the entire Garden Network while she was only an Instructor of Battle Theory, with the occasional lecture on weaponsmithing. Of course, he had been part of Garden since the age of seven.
She sent him a sidelong smirk and raised eyebrow, which he seemed to ignore as he freed his latest creation from the scabbard at his waist, the sun glinting off the shimmering light-blue adamantine of the blade. As before, she noticed the scar on his face, remembering again the rumor that his was given by Seifer, and vice-versa, during a sparring session before both had taken their Field Exam. And after watching Cmdr. Squall fight in the T.C. the week before, Janine could tell he was just as good as Seifer. Only, there was something a lot different in their style of attack. Something that Janine hadn't been able to pin down yet.
Her smirk twitched, and her eye wandered down... She withheld the urge to give his butt a smack. Niiiice. Though it likely wasn't as tight as Seifer's. And she'd heard rumors that he didn't... fraternize with fellow-SeeDs. Too bad. She was curious, more than anything. Though she doubted anyone or anything could surpass the rush she got from Seifer.
Giving a slight shiver, she focused ahead. Damn. Yeah. Definitely.
"Janine."
Janine met the commander's gaze, her smirk present even though she felt a hint of surprise at the somewhat serious expression in his pretty blue-gray eyes. "Sir?"
He seemed to debate with himself really harshly before giving a slight shake of his head and looking away again. "Nevermind."
That arched an eyebrow and made her watch him a little deeper than a moment before. "Problem, sir?" she prompted. "If someone's complaining I'm working them too damn hard, I'd like to know so that I can tell them to pull their head out of their ass."
The desired affect of a smile came, followed by a barely heard chuckle as he once more focused on her. "They're complaining, but I tell them to take it to Headmaster Cid. If you haven't heard from him, then don't change what you're doing."
Janine saluted. "Yes, sir."
Then Cmdr. Squall's smile faded again, back to the serious expression. This time he halted and fully faced her. "Janine."
Halting, she crossed her arms, doing her best not to look a smart-ass. Here we go again. "Sir?"
"I noticed it's been a year since your last visit with the psychologist."
Janine nearly grimaced. "So?"
"Make an appointment."
Her temper rustled as she adjusted her crossed arms, still holding his still-serious blue-gray eyes. "Is that an order, sir?"
"It's a suggestion. A strong one. If you won't without an order, then I'll make it an order." He paused, and the intensity on his face didn't lessen, giving Janine a slight glimpse into why he was Garden Network Commander. "Don't make me make it an order," he told her, voice as calm as before.
Momentarily clenching her jaw, she curtly nodded and then motioned deeper inside the T.C. "Now I really need to beat shit up. ...Sir."
The intensity in his expression lessened somewhat. "Give them a second," he told her as he faced forward, looking into the deeper greenery. "Sometimes they try and sneak up on me."
The thought sounded so ludicrous that Janine couldn't help but laugh.
« »
Seifer continued to smirk as he sipped from his coffee mug on the way up to Squall's office. Damn. A week. An entire goddammed awesome week of sharing secrets and strokes and secret rendezvous at the 'Forbidden Area' in the Training Center, pushing the thrill to the very edge and then backing off. And each time was a damned thrill because she always did something different. Slow-dancing to music being his favorite - Seifer began to wonder if she had worked as a stripper before enrolling at Garden.
His control and her patience both amazed the hell out of him.
The thrill of confessions had fallen to the wayside, sacrificed to the one of keeping their fling a secret. Occasionally Janine would reminisce about candidate mishaps she'd had, but that was usually only to try and one-up him. Seifer's lips twitched higher. She always let him win.
Most of the time now they argued about Garden politics, Seifer's newly acquired policy of 'tread cautiously but carry a big goddammed gunblade' catching her totally by surprise. Janine, like everything else about her, leaned more toward the aggressive side. The discussions, heated debates, or very-vocal arguments - whatever the hell they really were - were damned fun, and the two usually found themselves laughing by the end because of some damned funny smart-ass quip the other launched right in the middle of the hottest part.
Seifer chuckled and stepped off the main elevator to move to the secondary. It came down, Squall aboard.
"Seifer," he greeted, "I was just coming down to security to talk to you."
Seifer took another sip of coffee as he crossed his arm under his other. "Regarding?"
"Larabie. Did you ever get that sub-file on her from Trabia's chief of security?"
"No, and it's annoying the hell out of me. Contacting him today. Can I threaten?"
Squall's lips twitched slightly as he gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Whatever." Then his expression grew serious. "You OK now?"
Seifer raised an eyebrow. "With what?"
"I noticed a few mistakes last week," Squall explained. "Not like you, only I didn't get a report from Ahndra... Is it handled?"
Seifer's smirk returned. "Completely."
Squall nodded. "Good. I don't have anything else. Just let me know about Larabie's sub-file. What you've reported so far is fine, but I'd like to have a complete record."
Seifer curtly nodded. "I'll get on it."
Squall turned and boarded the secondary elevator again as Seifer about-faced and re-entered the main. He pressed the button for the basement level and again sipped his coffee with a slight smirk and a chuckle. If this is what Dincht and Marshal have every damn day... Seifer cursed himself for missing out this long.
The elevator opened and Seifer stepped out. Sally was just sitting down at her computer with a handful of reports. "Regal."
She looked up as he approached her desk and timidly smiled. "Good morning, sir."
He nodded a reply and then asked "Any response on that record request sent to Trabia? It's been nearly two weeks."
Sally motioned over her shoulder, half-turning while pointing to his office. "It came while you were with the Commander, so I put it on your desk."
Seifer headed for his office. He securely closed the door before picking up the file and scanning it. He paled and slowly leaned against his desk. "...shit..."
« »
"Oh you're kidding."
Janine shook her head. It amazed her some of the answers the candidates gave to explain basic Battle Theory. Some of them were quite ingenious. Others were downright strange.
Chuckling, Janine wrote out the explanation as to why the answer was wrong. "Try again, dear. And this time read the assigned chapter."
Her computer in the second-story classroom chirped, waking from stand-by to show 'Accept Message?' for a secure webcam window. Janine noted the I.D. and smiled. She hit return and Seifer's face appeared.
Janine lowered her pen. "Hey, big guy," she greeted in her favorite tone of voice. "How's my favorite Head of Security?" The smirk and smart-ass quip didn't come. Janine's smile wavered, and when he didn't look up, she turned toward her computer. "Seifer? What's wrong?"
"Report to my office," Seifer said in a guarded tone. "Immediately."
He didn't sound pissed. In fact, he didn't sound anything at all. "Sure, Seifer," she acknowledged slowly. "I'll be there in five."
Seifer absently nodded, and his gaze still didn't meet hers. Then he terminated the connection and the monitor returned to the operating system screen. Janine tapped a rhythm on the table with her fingernails. She hadn't seen Seifer like this since... since day one. Or that day we were asses both and backed off when we should've spit in everyone's eye.
Janine slowly stood and headed out of the classroom and into the corridor to the main elevator. The week with Seifer had been incredible; nothing but a collection of arguments, thrills, sarcasm, and damned awesome nights of passion taken to the brink and then cut off. Janine had been around the bend quite a few times before, but Seifer was the first man she didn't mind waiting for.
Stepping aboard the elevator, Janine pressed the button for the basement level and then crossed her arms. There wasn't anything wrong with their 'relationship'. The thrill burned just as bright. The chase had just taken on a different focus. One that Janine didn't know how to explain. But it was a rush.
Damn
The elevator stopped and opened. Janine stepped off and headed down the hall past Ahndra's office and toward Sally, who was positioned on the corner of the entry hall and the path leading to Seifer's office. Sally gave a shrug in answer to Janine's silent What's wrong?' Janine gave a slight nod and continued on. She tapped on the door and then opened it.
Seifer briefly looked up from a report before gesturing her inside. "Shut the door."
"Sure." Janine clicked the door shut and then stepped forward.
"Have a seat."
Janine lowered herself into the chair across from his desk while examining his face. He continued to focus on a folder on his desk. His expression looked... shaken. "So what's going on?"
Seifer slowly closed the folder in front of him before lifting his eyes to meet her gaze. He leaned back in his chair. "It's been a wild week, Janine. We haven't given over deeper secrets."
And his expression wouldn't let Janine believe this was foreplay. "I didn't mind all that much," she said carefully, still watching his expression.
A single finger on Seifer's right hand began to tap a solid rhythm on the arm of his chair. "Give me a secret, Janine."
Janine crossed her legs as she leaned back a little in her chair. "Sure. How juicy you want it?"
Seifer lowered his gaze to the folder on his desk. "Whatever," he said, and his voice was uncharacteristically soft.
"All right." Janine cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "Um... Let's see... I... Oh. I'm afraid of the water."
Seifer's lips twitched and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "You? Afraid of something?"
Janine smirked, but his teasing still didn't ring right. "Yeah, well don't expect me to admit to being afraid of anything else."
"Why water?"
Janine adjusted her crossed arms. "Mom once said I nearly drowned a couple times when I was a kid. It was only in a couple inches, but it was enough to scare me shitless. Now I can barely stand the sight of water. I have to be drunk off my ass before I'll set foot in it."
Seifer's lips twitched upward again as his gaze lowered back to the folder. "It seems we're all talk."
Janine scoffed. "Hell. Everybody's afraid of something. It's just whether or not they let it control their life."
Seifer's expression went blank.
That made Janine lean forward. "Almasy, what's wrong?"
"What would you say if I gave you the opportunity to speak to the one responsible for the Galbadian missile attack on Trabia?"
Janine leaned sharply back. "Wha--"
Seifer lifted his gaze again.
Janine shook her head. "That isn't funny, Seifer."
"I'm not joking."
"What would I say?" she repeated, frowning. "What would I say? I'd storm down to weapon lock-up and see if we had a missile I could ram up their ass. I'd burn the hell out of their friends and see how well they deal with it! I'd blow the shit out of their ears and leave them begging for mercy! But what would I say?"
Janine glared at Seifer with clenched jaw and sparking eyes... and then noticed the dark look in his eyes and the pale color of his cheeks. Her anger dwindled, but only because of the dread once he looked back to the folder.
"...oh shit no..." Janine uncrossed her arms and clutched the chair. She very slightly shook her head. "...no."
"I gave the order."
And Janine felt as if she'd been stabbed. Her heart raced, and her stomach twisted so violently that she vomited. Seifer stood and moved to her side, making a motion as if to comfort or console her- Her anger went solar and she turned on him, eyes flashing as she staggered to her feet.
Seifer held her gaze, eyes a dark emerald. "Jani--"
Janine grabbed his shirtfront and slammed him against the nearest wall. "You bastard," she hissed. "You took away my chance to ever hear a damn thing again!" She slammed him again. "You killed my friends." And again. "You killed Jennifer!" Then she punched him hard in the face, and he didn't even raise a hand to block it.
"You feel like a big man now? Jerking around the one you stole everything from? Huh? I'm talking to you, soldier!"
Seifer didn't answer. He only stared at her with dark eyes and blood oozing from his split lip.
Janine pushed away and spat in his face. "You don't deserve to wear the uniform."
Seifer held her gaze, still silent.
Then Janine reached behind her ears and detached the assists to throw them in his face. "Go to hell," she hissed, and she slammed out of the office.
Seifer lowered his emerald gaze to the small black pieces of technology at his feet... He slowly bent to pick one up, fisting it in his hands moments before he turned to slam his fist into the wall. "Fuck!"