Steve's Graduation Part 1

[BattleNymph]

Steve liked the way he looked in his dress whites as he examined himself in the mirror for flaws. Not a thread, button, or medal out of place. He fingered his qualification medals from Basic Training and smiled. There were other mavericks in his class, but he was the youngest and least experienced.

He looked over his shoulder at his roommates, two of whom had a full plate of salad on their chests from years of enlisted service.

Steve straightened his shoulders and went out to join his class in ranks. He marched in line with the rest of his class, passing in review.

At the marine sergeant's order "Eyes Right!" he turned his head and saluted just as he'd been taught, and almost tripped when he saw her in the stands, one hand held up to shade her eyes even under the big floppy hat. It was her.

Aefe fidgeted in her seat. That damn sun was angled right in her eyes. You’d think after making the deep, soul-sucking sacrifice to wear the stupid hat that Evelyns butler had picked out for her that it would at least keep the sun out of her eyes.

Her life had taken an abrupt about face since she’d said yes to being trained by Evelyn and her kind. Weeks of heavy study. A certain amount of isolation and the ever present awareness of Supreme Court case #13 had almost made her a little paranoid.. Being out here in the open made her feel vulnerable and she certainly wasn’t used to that.

When she’d received the invite to the big muscle-bound cretin’s officer graduation she’d been tempted to just toss it. But then hadn’t been able to bring herself to do it. He’d saved her life.

The sun went behind a cloud for a moment and she sighed in relief and lowered her hand….and there he was. Her breath caught a little. Damn, but did he look good in that white uniform!

Steve stood at attention, then at ease, then at attention... He stood for a long time, eyes fixed ahead, his peripheral vision noting that she sat through the entire ceremony, including the presentation. He knew that the butter bars marked him as the lowest of the low, but he also knew that the Marine Sergeant who had been busting his ass for the last thirteen weeks had to salute him.

He was looking forward to it.

As he walked across the stage to get his certificate, he stood to salute the Admiral and shake his hand, but there wasn't the flash of a camera like there was for the other graduates. The Admiral seemed surprised, but he went on to the next graduate for his photo op.

As he crossed the rest of the stage, he saw Aefe again, standing in a... dress? Wow. She sure cleaned up nice. He could only see the tattoo on her wrist. He walked back to his place and waited for the rest of his group to graduate. After the last member graduated, they all threw their hat covers into the air and everyone walked to meet their families and go to the reception.

Steve seemed confused as to what he should do. Because of his future job, he'd had to hold back from making friends with the other candidates, and he didn't really want to go to the reception.

As he was deciding, he looked over to where Aefe had been, and she was gone. He was disappointed for a moment, but then he felt her take a hold of his left arm. He smelled her perfume before he turned his head to look her in the eyes.

She smelled great.

“Hey there muscles, looks like officer school was good to you.” Her words were accompanied with a smile as she took his arm to keep herself from tripping in these faigh muin heels. No one else was coming up to him she noticed before she looked up and caught his eyes looking down at her.

A frozen moment as something less cerebral and more visceral flashed through her at that warm gaze.

And then a forced laugh and she looked away, leaning into him and gesturing with her free hand at the other graduates and their satellites moving away.

“Should we be following them?”

"Free food, but I'll probably never see any of them again. They're just getting ready to fight people. We can go if you want." He said, hoping she wouldn't make him endure their repeated questions about what he was going to do next.

"I have reservations at a really nice restaurant if you'd be interested. We can talk openly there."

He enjoyed her warm hand on his arm. Her neatly trimmed nails reminded him of... He buried that memory and put on his sunglasses.

"What's your pleasure?"

“Well, a really nice restaurant would be a grand thing.” She looked after the others with a momentary curiosity. Would one of them come hunting her some day?

Now where did THAT thought come from she silently chided herself, but couldn’t repress a slight shiver. His arm felt safe where she held it. Strong and warm. Suddenly she really did want to get out of there.

[BattleNymph]

“Lets go get some grub.” At his raised eyebrows showing over the sunglasses she waved a saucy finger towards the parking lot. “Oh, and you’re driving, so I hope you can drive.” She led him back to the little blue rental car she’d gotten for the day and paused to wave back at the one Evelyn had sent to watch her… ostensibly for protection, but probably also to keep her in line if she said too much.

As they strolled back towards her car, she couldn’t help a little giggle. At his questioning look she laughingly explained. “Here we are walking all sedate and refined… just like proper grown-ups.” A quick glance into his very blue eyes and she flushed a little. “I feel like really we should be racing to the car, like we did when we were kids. All this grass you see….” He watched as she bent down and slipped her shoes off, still holding to his arm for balance.

And then with a laughing shout over her shoulder she was off, running for the car. “I hear lots of muscles make you slow!”

He laughed at her antics, surprising himself, and gave her a good lead, then took off, running in his perfectly polished shoes. As he passed her, he turned around and began dancing backwards, watching her run after him.

"You're right," he said with a grin. "This IS fun."

They reached the car and she threw him the keys. He opened the door for her and joked "Hands clear?" He waited until she showed him her hands, one dangling her shoes, before shutting it.

Then he walked around to the driver's side and slid in, carefully adjusting the seat and the mirrors before whispering, "There's somebody following us." and turning the key.

Aefe leaned back against the seat and sighed. “I know. It’s like that always when I go out these days.” At his questioning look she sighed again and then elaborated. “I’ve been training too, while you’re doing your officer school. Only my training is…..sensitive…. so the faigh muin government has me watched. Fortunately right now it’s by the ones training me. That’s Michael. He’s alright.”

A quick glance at him as he pulled from the parking lot. “So, where are we going to eat? Do I have to put these faigh muin shoes back on?”
"It's a nice day. If you want, we can go to my favorite Scottish restaurant and they can make us up a picnic basket." They left the base and came to a stoplight. He turned to her.

"What do you prefer? Left to the fancy restaurant? Or right for Scottish food?"

"Scottish food?!" You do realize the Scott's learned cooking from Sean-dhruisire, dirty old men who'd lost their sense of taste and smell right?" She grinned at his chagrinned look and then leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I'm kidding. I love Scottish food. I think our tail though would feel safer if we were in a public place. Are you willing to chance their ire by us going off on our own for a bit?" The questioning tilt of her head didn't indicate which she'd prefer.

"Either way, we'll be in public. Lady's choice. Mickey-Ds or fancy?"

"Micky-D's? You Bod!" Aefe gave a loud harrumph and then leaned back and closed her eyes. "Well, then, I think you need to spend the money to show me a good time. I even put on a DRESS. Fancy it is."

An imperious gesture of her hand and a sigh......

As he pulled into the intersection though she cracked an eyelid to peer at him and ask, "Aren't you afraid you'd get ketchup on that pearly white uniform?" before peeking to see if the car behind them was still visible.

"Ketchup? Nah... I've been wearing uniforms since my parents... I mean... since I was a kid. So I'm a neat eater, but you do look nice all cleaned up."

She wasn't sure with the wrap around glasses, but she got the distinct impression he was checking her out with quick glances as he drove.

"Nice hat, too."

He pulled up in front of a restaurant and handed the valet key to the man who stepped up. Then he opened the door for her, helping her out with a strong arm as she put on her shoes. He realized that she wasn't showing affection by holding his arm. She was seriously in danger of falling.

He handed a fifty to the maitre d' and whispered something in his ear, gesturing over his shoulder. They were seated not far from a waterfall, just as he'd specified. Their tail was barred entrance. He didn't have a reservation.

"Just us. We need to talk."

[BattleNymph]

A low whistle as she surreptitiously checked out the place around them. Fancy dining wasn’t a frequent thing when raised by a cop and a nurse. Neither of them particularly high paying jobs. A quick glance at her rather imposing escort and with a deep breath she visibly relaxed. “I’m assuming you don’t come to places like this often, not on a military grunts wages. I know I don’t. Is there… something different I should be doing?”

“You’re doing fine.”

Aefe nodded and then leaned forward and touched his hand. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for saving my life. It’s…. not something anyone’s ever done for me before.” She glanced up into his eyes and saw they were still covered. Leaning over the table a little she removed them gently and put them near his water glass. And then she looked straight into his eyes and her words were very sincere…almost ritualistic. “I owe you the debt of my life. Until I pay that debt, my life is yours.” A moment of real truth in her eyes and then she sat back and added, “At least, as much as Evelyn will let me. My life is hers too right now so you have to share.”

He leaned close to her and whispered. "I accept. Now let's eat. I'm famished."

They discussed the specials with the waiter and Steve enjoyed explaining what the food was, translating from the fancy way they talked.

He ordered appetizers and a Del Monico medium rare and turned to her. "What do you think you might like?"

Aefe grimaced at the menu. “Well, steak is always good, although what the hell a Del Monico is I couldn’t tell you. Hmmm… perhaps it’s time for a little exploration.” Her finger hovered over the menu and she closed her eyes and touched down, holding it in place. Eyes opening she looked where her finger was and then spoke to the waiter, “I’ll have that.”

As the waiter took the menus and disappeared Aefe took a drink of her water and sat back, her demeanor a little more business like. “So, we need to talk you said. I can think of many things to talk about with such a handsome, muscle-bound young man but I have a feeling you have something specific.” A quick glance around them and then.

“I’m rather a to-the-point kind of girl, if you hadn’t noticed. What is it you want to talk about?”

Steve leaned forward and whispered. "We've been together during a few incidents, and it wasn't an accident. We're going to be working together for the foreseeable future, and I've been asked to plan strategy for the team, including you, me, Jimmy, and Mike. I want to understand how we can work together best so I can plan. More than that, I want to get to know you better."

“Get to know me better?” Her face sober Aefe was quiet a moment. “Who asked you to plan the strategy? “ she looked up at him with an unreadable expression. “And are you sure you want to include Mike?”

Steve looked at her quizzically.

"You're working with Evelyn, right? The military arm of the organization that she works with sent me to Navy OCS so I could learn how to best develop our strategies and tactics. In order to do this, I need to know everyone's strengths and weaknesses. I guess what I'm asking is: What do you know that I don't?"

“I don’t know what you know, so I can’t answer that with any authority.” Aefe paused as the waiter came by and refilled her water glass, her silence uncomfortable. Once he’d left she spoke again.

“I saw something when that thing attacked Mike. Later he came by the gym and tried to find out if I’d seen it, and got very upset when I had. He wouldn’t tell me though what it was that he was so afraid of us finding out. I will find out though.” Her hand clenched unconsciously around her water goblet’s stem. “The little Caochan punk assed Navajo.” A quick sip of water to regain her equilibrium and her temper and then she smiled a little wryly at Steve.

“For myself, I’m afraid I’d need to know you better before I told you my secrets.”

Steve paused for a few moments, gathering his thoughts. He spoke clearly, but softly.

"Aefe, I know you are frightened."

She opened her mouth to protest.

"Please don't tell me you're not, because I know you are. You know the danger you are in, and my mission is to stand physically between you and that danger. That's the reason they are sending me to get all of this training. That's the reason they are giving me a team, and that's the reason you came to graduation today."

[BattleNymph]

He leaned in, looking left and right to make sure nobody was looking at them. He dropped his voice even lower, putting his lips close to her.

"The world we once believed to exist never did. The truth is that everything we've ever dreaded was under our beds, but told ourselves couldn't be by the light of day? They're all real. We have certain gifts, you and I. The rest of the team do as well, or they'd never have been asked to join."

His voice became hoarse with emotion as he choked back tears, "My parents died fighting this war, and I expect that I will spend the rest of my life fighting it as well. This is OUR time. This war is more important than any of us individually, but I have made a solemn oath to lead this team, and I will put myself physically between you and the danger to keep my word. There is NOTHING more important than that, which means there is nothing more important than you."

A single tear trickled down his cheek and he sat back in his chair, ignoring it. He downed the rest of the wine in his glass and refilled it, awaiting her response.

Aefe sat silently for a long time, looking at her plate. The waiter came and brought the salads and still she sat there with Steve watching her over his glass, both their food left untouched.

Finally she took a deep breath. “Do you know about Supreme Court case #13? If you do, then I’ll tell you that I will fall under it’s jurisdiction if I survive my training. I have a gift for.. .magic. Will you be able to protect me then? If I have to kill something in my own defense? You say nothing more important than me. Well, I have my doubts very much about that. If you receive orders to kill me because I killed some freak that had become a monster, would you do it? Am I more important than your orders?”

She looked up at him then. “I’m pretty sure Evelyn will continue to have me with the team there like she has before. But I have a different perspective. You work for the people who can summarily kill me out of hand. I want to trust you, I really do.” Her voice got rough at this point. “But I’m being trained quickly to not trust. Now you know my secret. What use will I be if I can’t kill or harm any of the monsters we go against because it will mean I’m harming a citizen of this country and will be killed myself?”

Steve bristled at her attack, but quickly calmed himself, reminding himself of her mortal danger at that moment, realizing that if she went rogue, it would be his job to put her down like a dog.

He cut a thin slice off of his thick steak, and speared a miniature potato on the end of his fork.

"Aefe, you must know that part of our job will be to dispose of rogue magic-users, and that as part of a team, you will be called upon to use your talents in the service of our government. True, if you use those talents outside of my authority, you will be held responsible, and you know that there is only one penalty."

He popped the food into his mouth and chewed slowly. He really loved to eat more than anything. For some reason he couldn't figure out, he was always hungry. He watched the fear in her eyes melt as she realized the implications of what he was saying.

Her oath before was literal. He could take her life at any time he chose. He really did own her, but yet he had just offered to protect her with his life. Which was he, her jailer, or her protector?

He swallowed and chased it with a swig of wine.

"You are on my team. So long as you are, I will stand between you and anyone. ANY. ONE. who might try to harm you."

He continued eating his steak, humming a bit to himself as he did, waiting for her to make her decision.

He had left unsaid what they both knew. That if she went rogue, his new team would be tasked to kill her.

It was now her decision. If she left here without agreeing, she would be assigned to someone else's group and they would most likely never see each other again.

If she agreed to work with him, she would be assigned to his team, to be his specialist. She figured that she had until he finished that steak to decide. She looked down at her meal.

She didn’t even recognize what it was. What the hell had she ordered? It felt like a faigh muin year since they’d walked in the door laughing. Well, time to play grown up.

“You know, with all that drama you really should be Irish.” He paused in his chewing a moment to cock his head at her.

“I will join your team.”

She paused a moment and then leaning forward began to arrange the silver and dishes in front of them into a crude pentagram. Moving the candle on the table to the center of the pentagram she held her open hand, palm up, over the flame as if inviting him to take it and spoke some words in a language even he didn’t understand.

“But…I’m being taught the real power of a vow made sincerely. I’ve given you mine for my life. I’d like yours back. I’d like a ‘vow’ from you that you will protect me, even from our government as I join your team. As I put my powers, whatever they will be to the teams protection.”

Steve carefully put down his fork and knife and wiped his hands on his napkin. Finishing what was left in his mouth, he wiped that too, and took her hand in his, gripping tightly, as though expecting her to pull away, then flipping their hands so hers was palm down, his palm up, over the flame.

She did try to pull away when she smelled his burning flesh and saw the black smoke whisping around the edges of their joined hands, but he gripped her tightly, not allowing her to escape.

"I... So... Swear..." He said through gritted teeth, then finally let her go, wrapping his hand in a napkin and cutting himself another piece of the rapidly diminishing steak.

"You chicken casserole is getting cold." He gestured with his fork. "You should eat it while it's still hot." He paused, reflecting, and smiled at her with his best panty-melting smile.

[BattleNymph]

"Besides, who says I'm not Irish?"

She smiled a little and some of the tension went out of her body.

“You don’t swear enough to be Irish. Here, let me see that.”

Aefe reached across the table to take his wrapped hand, unwrapping it and looking at the scorched flesh. An unreadable look at him and then she raised the burned hand to her lips and kissed it, very gently. “To make it better.” And then dipping the napkin in her ice water and placing it over the burn she re-bandaged it in a surprisingly professional manner. “To make it better for real. It’s going to scar you know.”

Then sitting back she began to eat her chicken.

Steve cleared his throat nervously. He continued eating, looking at her occasionally.

He slowed down with his food so she could keep up. He'd had to do this before. The pain in his hand was already fading. What burned more was the kiss.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been shown the least affection. They ate for a while in silence.

"I... Um... I don't scar. But I do swear. In several languages..."

He then spoke in fluent Gaelic.

"Just not around a lady."

“A lady… .right.” Aefe smiled. “Buchaill maith.” She sat back and let the waiter take her now empty plate.
Once they were alone again she cocked her head at him. “So, now what?”

"I'm gonna go talk to Jimmy next."

Steve paid the bill and left a generous tip, then got up and held Aefe's chair for her, offering his arm.

"How about a ride back to base?"

They traveled back to base, waving as they passed their tail on the way out of the restaurant parking lot, beeping the horn and laughing.

**********

"Do you think they knew we could hear them?"

"They were prepared for technological eavesdropping, but not us."

"She joined him."

"Yes. He's a lot like his father. He has the gift."

"Even so, I still won the bet."

"So you did. So you did. Are you going to let her go with him?"

"I think not. She has much yet to learn before she's ready."

"Yes. She's not ready for him. One airplane ride and you could lose her to him forever."

"Smartass."

"Me? I'm a man of the cloth. Ego te absolva."

"Don't welsh on your bet, Priest. A framed, signed original Bill Waterson."

"As you say."

[Mouser]

I am Mouser, and I approve this message.

:D

[Mouser]

Origen:

Any thoughts on this or the other stuff we sent you?

[Origen]

Origen:

Any thoughts on this or the other stuff we sent you?

I wanted to read it a couple of times when I wasn't stressed.

I read it twice this morning.

It is an excellent piece. I wouldn't change a thing.

Thank you. If you want further comment, you can PM me.

[Origen]

On the other side of the waterfall was a small romantic table where the waiters sometimes sat discreet couples who didn't want to attract attention. The various businessmen on lunch dates with their mistresses, bored trophy wives with their strong young hunks, or couples who simply couldn't keep their hands off of each other often asked for the table.

Today, however, only a man sat at this table alone.

He'd passed her in the lobby, and paused briefly to smell the air around her. She wasn't tainted. Like a flower in the spring, her soul was fresh and pure.

Evidently, the information he'd received was either incorrect, which bothered him; or premature.

Either way, he finished his steak, wiped his mouth his napkin, and then sat back and stared at the couple. The thin tendril of intimacy between them was visible, and growing. He'd already taken three pictures of them out in the parking lot, but he wanted to commit their faces to memory. His face lost all expression for a moment. He looked at her. When the contours of her face were committed to memory, he looked at the man. Military, so that made it easier to find out more about him later.

He paid his bill. His job was done, here. At least for now. There were two reported child prodigies down in Georgia that required investigation. The loss of the girl, recently, had hurt his reputation. He should have sent more experienced operators, but he hadn't expected opposition, either.

It was a mistake he wouldn't make, again.

[BattleNymph]

Uh oh.


*the ominous music builds* Dun dun duuuun

[Mouser]

Somebody should compile these into one big file.

Somebody with time on their hands.

But who could we ask?

Who?

<wracks brain>

:D

[Paulypalooza]

Somebody should compile these into one big file.

Somebody with time on their hands.

But who could we ask?

Who?

<wracks brain>

:D

*looks at Mouser's post count*
you appear to have plenty of free time

[Mouser]

*looks at Mouser's post count*
you appear to have plenty of free time

Free?

Everything has a price...

:D

[Paulypalooza]

Free?

Everything has a price...

:D

You have to pay for you Internet connection at work? Dude your getting hosed.