An English Spring

Author's Note - This story is a request for a user named Ryu19 from deviantART.

She hated that face.

That arrogant, playful face was her mask, and when that was taken away, another would fall down in front, but with different motives and incentives behind it. Those violet eyes troubled her, as they were filled with such dangerous energy that was never put to use for the right causes. She could see them spark every now and then when she looked into them, but that was only because the owner of the eyes was watching her every move, analyzing them like a hungry predator. Even when all odds were against her, she still persisted on playing her games. It angered her rival to no end to see her like this, sitting back with no care in the world and with that smug look on her features.

Cammy looked away and found the action oddly comforting. She didn't want to start anything or do something she would regret, even if the woman behind those iron bars was asking for it. Her job meant much more to her than giving into anger. Her mates were depending on her, even if it was something as simple as keeping watch. Her partner trusted her to do what was right. Just thinking of that edged the woman's fingers away from her holstered pistol.

Ah yes, Chun-Li. The very thought of her was enough to make Cammy smile. As a fighter and agent of Interpol, the Chinese woman truly deserved her title as 'The world's strongest woman'. She was a friend, a partner, and a mentor. She garnished much respect from all fighters, regardless of standing. Even Cammy looked up to her as a source of inspiration, her towering pillar of strength. Not only was she beautiful and strong, she had unwavering dedication to her friends and her duties.

While Cammy would have wanted to dwell more on those thoughts, the voice of the Korean rustled her out of it.

"You're thinking of her again."

It wasn't a question, more so a statement. Cammy turned back to look at the woman, smile ripped from her face to be replaced with a frown. Could she not even have peace in her thoughts around that witch? In the short time she had known her, the Korean had killed roughly two dozen innocents, stolen her sisters, and put Chun-Li in a hospital bed for a week. She was a murderer, nothing more. There were many more atrocities she had committed, ranging from espionage to terrorism. It was only a matter of time before she would be brought to justice.

However, what was unexpected and in a sense remarkable was the fact that Juri had chosen to face justice. She appeared before Chun-Li when she was at her most vulnerable; here in England in the company of her partner where she believed it to be one of the few remaining sanctuaries in the world. Chun-Li was unarmed and off-guard, yet the Korean did not attack. Juri could have easily killed her if she put her mind to it, yet she offered her wrists as well as information. She sold out her organization when she could have run the world atop her throne of death. She even relinquished her hold on Cammy's brainwashed sisters, a deed that did not go unnoticed by her.

She could have done so many other things… Cammy reluctantly found herself appreciating the fact that Juri turned herself in.

"I'm afraid don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"Lie all you want," Juri said from her bench. She gestured to herself. "You can't fool me, no matter how hard you try."

Grumbling, Cammy glared at the woman. This reaction only encouraged Juri to giggle, further discomforting the British woman.

"I know what you're thinking now," Juri said in a sing-song voice as she wiggled her fingers. The chain that connected her wrists rattled. "Is that cell to keep her in or to keep me out?"

"What are you, psychic?"

"No, you're just easy to read. Kinda boring though when you think about it."

"Why are you trying to goad me? Where is that going to take you?" Cammy stood up and approached the bars, keeping a safe distance. "Why turn yourself in if this was what you had planned?"

"Pissing you off wasn't in my plans," Juri replied with a sneer and a shake of her head. "You're getting angry on your own, only because you choose to do so. I simply wanted a… change of pace." She stood up and approached the bars as well, looking into Cammy's blue eyes. "The grass is always greener on the other side, as the proverb goes."

Cammy looked into those violet eyes of Juri's, seeing not a woman but a murderer and a weapon. The Feng Shui Engine that was her left eye was still intact, and it was still available for the woman to use. When Delta Red attempted to remove it, Juri backed away from the advancing members, her voice filled with reason and a pinch of venom. The eye had grown on her, in a way, and removing the device could potentially kill her. When Cammy's mates proposed designing a device to deactivate the eye, Juri brought to their attention that if she wanted to use it, she would have done it a long time ago. She had no incentive to start using it again, no matter how enticing the offer.

However, Cammy would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to think Juri was telling the truth. At least, that was what she thought.

"Where you're going, you'll be lucky if you see a single blade of it."

"Don't be so sure of yourself," was the reply from Juri's lips. "I've got a feeling our lovely little relationship won't end here. I'm going to enjoy every moment of your company, but more importantly, your succulent China doll."

It wasn't until Cammy heard the door to the cell block open that she noticed her hands were clenched into fists. Turning around, she looked up at the Chinese woman in her Interpol uniform. Her mere presence was enough to calm the Englishwoman, but not enough to make her smile. Business was business, and the two had a job to do. Chun-Li looked over at Cammy, her hazel eyes analyzing the situation.

"Is everything all right?" she said, empathetic to her partner's self-appointed position as the court bailiff.

"Yes, everything is all right," she replied. 'It always seems to be with you around,' she thought, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

Chun-Li leaned back and folded her arms, looking between the agent and the woman behind bars. Two pairs of eyes were on her. One held respect and trust while the other pair held a playful, if not lustful fire. Chun-Li focused more on the respectful gaze of her partner, smiling somewhat even under the current circumstances. That woman was a wonderful, determined person, one she was honored to call her partner. If any woman could put up with the predatory Korean in the cell, it would be her. She offered her hand to the woman, gesturing with her fingers for an item.

Standing up, Cammy reached her hand into her fatigues, pulling out a set of keys. While she preferred her green leotard, the court system did not exactly approve of the outfit when she was to stand near the judge for all to see. It took several pleas from the American Air Force Major Guile before Cammy finally understood why people did not approve. It wasn't her fault, Chun-Li said. She was used to the outfit when she was out on missions. Taking the keys, Chun-Li turned to the cell door, unlocking it.

"Did the, uh, court come up with a verdict?" Juri asked softly.

The cell door opened, allowing the Chinese woman to enter and grab the occupant by the shoulder. It was then that she truly heard what the woman had said, and how she had said it. She reminded herself that Juri had come to her to turn herself in, and she was actually concerned with her future. She wasn't the demon she and her partner had originally made her out to be. Her voice was a mixture of confusion and melancholy, the former more prevalent than the latter.

Nodding solemnly, Chun-Li gently nudged Juri forward and out of the cell.

"Yes, they have. And now we'll hear it."

As they left the small area, Cammy could help but allow a small, proud smile to surface. Today would be the day the Korean would be brought to justice. No matter what she did when she turned herself in, her romp of undoing her sins could not be ignored. She had to pay, and she had to face the consequences of her actions. At the very least, she would be left in a cell to rot for all eternity, and Chun-Li would be able to put that dark passage in her life behind her.

Finally the two women would be able to have some peace and quiet, if not only for a few years.

"They pardoned her!"

Chun-Li winced at the anger and shock in her partner's voice, somewhat glad she was in her apartment instead of in a public place. She was none too pleased with the outcome of the court case, but at the same time, she wanted to express some doubt, even give some of that doubt to the Korean. Her personality and mannerisms were almost unbearable, but her recent deeds were enough to shed some doubt. Ten years would have been a suitable sentence, she thought.

She knew how terribly this hit her partner, as well as herself. Having been robbed of the chance to bring the leaders of Shadaloo and S.I.N. to justice thanks to Juri's slaying of Bison and Seth respectively, the two lawful women were infuriated and eager to catch the only enemy left. They trained tirelessly and supported each other for the day they would fight the Korean again, determined to not let her slip through their fingers again.

The court did not ignore the woman's crimes. There were innumerable counts of murder and assault, charges of terrorism and espionage, and one recorded instance of theft. The possibility of the woman pleading insanity was high, yet she nodded and admitted to her crimes. There were no excuses that she gave personally for what she had done, although a lawyer she had employed did his best to offer a few. When the court made their decision regarding Juri's fate, everyone was surprised. When she turned herself in and sold out her organization, the court viewed it as an act of redemption.

There was no jail or death sentence, but there was no pardon. Finding the woman on trial to be genuine enough, the court gave her some leeway. Abysmal fines were fired, all of which Juri noted could be paid off from S.I.N. coffers, leaving a substantial amount for her. However, murder and terrorism couldn't be paid off with money alone. To combat this, the court decided to keep Juri in England under heavy surveillance for a period of nine months. This would allow her to prove herself by using the time to behave in a morally acceptable fashion, doing jobs and services for the community, and show that she could understand and abide to the laws and rules of society. It was intensive probation, but, to Juri, it was reasonable.

Personally, Cammy believed the men who issued the decision were under the influence of something at the time, as she was thrust into the position of Juri's probation officer.

"Of all the things those men could have done, they pardoned her!" Cammy shouted, raising her arms in disbelief. "They don't know her like we do, and to add salt to the wound, they make me her probation officer! I'm going to watch over a sadistic murderer for nine months! That's certainly going to be a conversation starter!" Chun-Li looked on with a bemused expression as Cammy clasped her hands together and struck an innocent pose. "Why yes! I am Cameron White of Delta Red! Yes of course I'm that murderer's probation officer! I'm having a splendid time! But enough about me, good citizen. How are you faring now that there's a new Jack the Ripper on the streets?"

"While I do agree with her sentence being too easy on her," Chun-Li started, absentmindedly stroking the cream colored cat on her lap, "don't you think you're overreacting a little?"

Cammy dropped her arms and stared wide-eyed at her friend.

"Overreacting? Chun-Li, you out of all people should be the one stirring up a storm about this! You've her with your own eyes. You know what she's capable of!" Her voice softer, she continued, "I don't think I need to remind you of that night in Asia where we first met her. My partner was caught off guard by a lunatic who held no regard towards others. I was beside myself in anger when I was at your bedside, cursing myself for not going with you. I don't want that to happen again."

Chun-Li looked at her partner for what seemed to be the longest time. Yes, she remembered that night, not only because it introduced her to Juri but because it showed her a side of Cammy she found to enjoy at times. When she awoke, she was told by the nurses that the British woman fussed over her like an injured kitten, cursing and mumbling under her breath. While the sympathies and care offered by her was touching, what was commendable was the fact that Cammy quickly picked herself back up and tended to the wounded back at the site of the skirmish as she waited for her partner's condition to improve.

It was a motherly characteristic, one that Cammy rarely showed to others except for her precious cats. Protection, care, and sensibility. The woman was honorable enough to lay down her life for her partner's. She was kind enough to look after her partner when she fell. She was strong enough to put duty and common sense above her feelings. In all honesty, Chun-Li couldn't wish for a better partner than her.

Still, the Chinese woman felt this was the right time to remind her partner that she was there as well to watch her back.

"It won't," she replied, gently nudging the cat off her lap as she stood up. "And I'm going to make sure as well that Juri won't hurt you either. I certainly remember you telling me what she did to you and your sisters. I'll get her if she gives you any kind of trouble, and if she even dares to lay a finger on you," her voice darkened significantly, "I'll kick her ass."

The Delta Red agent blinked, wringing her wrists. While Chun-Li was normally a cheery, lawful woman, there were a few times she would discard that sense of justice for a moment and lapse into a dark mindset. She had heard of the time her partner was sick and tired of having Bison slip through everyone's fingers and obsessively cleaned her firearm, prepared to use it on the dictator when he appeared next. Of course, that dark mindset never tended to last long, and Cammy always preferred the optimistic yet serious partner with the prevalent sense of justice.

She was stronger than she seemed on the inside.

"T-thank you, Chun-Li," Cammy stuttered out, glad to have someone at her back.

"We're partners Cammy," Chun-Li replied with a smile. "You got my back, I got yours. And you can just call me Chun if you want to."

"Oh, uh, alright," was the British woman's response. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged before adding, "Chun."

Chun-Li grinned at the utterance of her name, happy that Cammy was able to discard that sense of professionalism again. There was something about taking off those two letters that brought forth a sense of familiarity and comradery. It was a good feeling, as if the simple shorting was enough to bring the two women closer as partners, to cement the idea that they were there for each other. She approached her partner and enveloped her in a firm embrace, to which Cammy could only stand still in shock.

"There we go," Chun-Li said over her partner's shoulder. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it together, alright?"

Ignoring the urge to salute to that, Cammy simply blinked and glanced at her partner. The embrace was unexpected, as she only received such interaction with a select few people, all of which were her mates in Delta Red, a small child, or her cat. She would have to admit, this hug, no matter how innocent it seemed, felt oddly comforting coming from the Chinese woman. A simple touch was enough to calm someone, but in those arms, Cammy felt secure and reassured, enough to return the embrace by wrapping her arms around her partner's waist.

It almost felt normal to be in the arms of the woman…

"R-right. We're partners after all," Cammy responded, cocking an eyebrow.

"To the end," Chun-Li added, sighing before she gently tore away from the embrace.

'To the end…'