Chapter Two

A/N: A huge thanks to those who made the effort to review the first chapter! We are definitely only just getting started, so here's hoping that the rest of the story is just as interesting to you. If you have the time, we'd love you to leave some feedback.

Bianca Donnell

April 2019

The scent of Chinese food wafted through the Shatterdome as Bianca waved her newly-acquired pass and headed in with a plastic bag slung over her arm. Andy had been working long hours lately, and just like Rosa, she liked to ensure that he was well-fed. Bianca wasn't as brilliant a cook as her mum, but Rosa had taught her some recipes after complaining that Chinese take-out just wasn't the same.

"Excuse me," Bianca called out to the nearest person, "Do you know where I can find Andy Warner?"

"He's probably out in the Jaeger bays."

"Thanks." Bianca wondered if that was one of the no-go zones, but headed down there anyway. She'd seen Jaegers on TV of course, but she'd never witnessed one up close. The prospect was a tempting one. Swiping her card, she was pleasantly surprised to find out that she apparently did have access to the bays - not bad for a civilian, although she doubted she would have this privilege if she wasn't related to Andy.

Bianca let out a low whistle as she craned her neck to look up. Both of the Jaegers were currently stationed in individual bays. Lucky Seven was the more battered of the two, which sported a number seven with wings. Vulcan Specter looked to be in better shape. It was a bit smaller than the older Jaeger, but had a more sleek build. She guessed that it was likely faster than its predecessor. It probably wasn't difficult to be impressed by such massive machines. Soon they'd be joined by the world's first Mark 5, a machine that the government had apparently spent $100 billion on.

"Oi!" The sharp voice was accompanied by a dog's indignant bark. Bianca spun around to see none other than Chuck marching over to her. There was a bulldog trotting along by his heels, which astonished Bianca. She hadn't been aware that animals were allowed inside the Shatterdome, but she supposed that when you were Chuck Hansen, you could do whatever you wanted.

"Chuck. Hi."

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, folding his arms over his chest. The bulldog began sniffing curiously at the plastic bag under Bianca's arm.

"I'm here to bring my brother dinner." Bianca frowned at his open hostility, a little uncertain on how to respond to it.

"You shouldn't be in the Jaeger bays."

"Um, my card got me in here." Bianca held it up, her cheeks flaring with heat. She felt utterly embarrassed. "I didn't think it'd be a problem. I just wanted to find Andy and someone said he'd be in here."

"Chuck." A woman's firm voice made both teenagers look around. A blonde lady, probably a few years older than Andy, was walking over to them with a thoroughly displeased expression directed at Chuck. "Why are you harassing this girl? Don't you have more productive ways to be spending your time?"

"She's a civilian," Chuck argued. "She shouldn't be in restricted areas."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is Andy's sister."

"Yeah, I know, we met her at dinner the other night."

"Then clearly she's been given permission to be here." The woman planted her hands on her hips, before completely ignoring Chuck and turning her attention to Bianca. "I'm sorry about the antagonistic reception. I'm Julianne Caldwell."

"Bianca Donnell." She shook the woman's hand. This must be the 'Dr Caldwell' that Herc had been talking about the other night. "I'm not trying to be an inconvenience. I just brought Andy dinner and…"

Julianne waved her protests away. "It's fine. Chuck's just forgotten his manners. I suggest he goes and finds them."

There was a tense moment as the two stared each other down, Chuck's glare heated while Julianne's gaze was cool, calm. After a moment, he swung around and stomped off, the bulldog trotting away after him.

"Did I miss something?" Andy walked over to the two women with his hands in his pockets. A grin spread across his face at the plastic bag swinging by Bianca's side. "Is that...homemade Chinese?"

"You just missed Chuck being his charming self," Julianne shrugged casually. "But he should get the message."

Andy swooped in on the plastic bag, all thoughts of Chuck's behaviour forgotten in light of the food his sister had brought him. Julianne shook her head slowly and left him to it, striding away from the Jaeger bays. Bianca handed him a fork as he started to hop into the sweet and sour pork, with muffled exclamations of delight as he shovelled it down.

"Pig. Always thinking with your stomach."

"You're the best, B," Andy responded through a mouthful of fried rice.

"Is that Chuck's dog?" Bianca blurted out. She'd been questioning the bulldog's presence ever since she'd watched the animal following Chuck around.

"Oh, you mean Max." Andy nodded vehemently, scraping out the last remnants of food from the container. "Yeah, Herc got him not long after Scissure. They show that dog more affection than they show each other."

Bianca thought that was a bit sad, although it didn't shock her. Chuck didn't seem to want much to do with anyone, including Herc. She'd hoped that maybe they could be friends, but it looked like that was off the table. The dog was cute, though. Bianca didn't have any pets of her own, so she didn't think she'd object if Max came bounding over during a visit.

"How's Linden?" Bianca asked. She hadn't seen her brother's co-pilot in a little while now, since he'd skipped out on dinner with them.

"Yeah, he's doing pretty good." Andy popped the fork and the empty container back into the plastic bag. "Just a lot of intense training going on around here. Always prepared for the next attack. You know how it is. Lucky Seven is…"

He paused, hesitating, which only made Bianca all the more curious.

"No, go on. What were you about to say?"

"Don't get me wrong, I really like the Hansen brothers," Andy leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest and flicking his fingers up toward the older Jaeger. "But Lucky Seven is starting to age. So are they. I can't help but think...I mean, it'll good when we finally get the Mark 5."

Bianca personally believed the Hansens were an amazing duo, but she wasn't one to question what Andy was saying. It wasn't as though her brother had ever claimed otherwise. He'd just said that both they and their Jaeger were beginning to slow down - and when it came to the kaiju, you wanted the fastest and strongest Jaegers and pilots that you could get.

"Hey, kiddo!"

The vaguely familiar voice made Bianca pause in her walk to the Shatterdome exit. It was Scott Hansen, a wide grin spread across his features. Although she didn't particularly appreciate the term 'kiddo', at least it was a more pleasant greeting than his nephew's.

"Scott. Hi."

"Come to see Andy, huh?" He strode over, hands in his pockets. "Your brother's a good guy. Works hard too."

Bianca tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Mum and I are very proud of him."

When the kaiju attacks were streamed live, everyone had a tendency to gather around the nearest screen to watch attentively. Vulcan Specter had only had three deployments since its launch, but every time Bianca had felt sick to the stomach as she'd watched them fight. For her, it was more than just making sure the kaiju never made landfall. It was hoping that her brother would make it home to them in one piece. Granted, the Jaegers were doing extremely well in combating the kaiju, but that didn't make them infallible.

"Apparently Chuck ran into you again." Scott shook his head slowly. "He's headed back to Kodiak Island for his final trimester at the Academy soon. Hopefully he gets a boot up the ass. It's what he needs."

Bianca's smile broadened a little at the remark. She couldn't exactly say she disagreed.

"So he wants to be a Ranger one day? Like you and Herc?"

"I wouldn't exactly say like us." Scott withdrew his hands from his pockets, folding his arms over his chest. "He's competitive. He wants to be better than us. A next-generation Linden Blayne if I ever saw one."

Bianca said nothing. Linden and Andy were close enough to be brothers, but Scott wasn't wrong. Andy saw his job as a solemn duty. He wanted to protect his country. Linden saw it as an opportunity for glory and fame. He was a decent man, but sometimes Bianca didn't understand how someone so different from Andy could be his best friend, could Drift with him so seamlessly.

However, from what Andy had said about Scott in the past, he was no different. Scott liked women and alcohol. Linden wasn't particularly interested in either of those things, but it just proved that it wasn't only the younger generation of Rangers who enjoyed the rockstar status their job afforded them.

"Not something you wanna do?" Scott asked, tipping her a knowing wink. "Too focused on school, huh? If you're anywhere near as smart as Andy, I'd bet you get exceptional grades."

There it was. The comparison to Andy. Although it wasn't unfavourable, Bianca had grown resigned to hearing about herself in relation to Andy's achievements. She was only fourteen and still figuring everything out, but she could feel the pressure weighing down on her. Everyone would expect her to do something exceptional and noteworthy. She was living in Andy's shadow and while she loved her brother dearly, she hated the expectations she was already faced with.

When would she stop being Andy's little sister? When would she be Bianca instead? She had plenty of time to think about who and what she wanted to be. There was no doubt in her mind though - whatever she did now, it would be different. She didn't want to be Chuck, following in his father's footsteps. She wanted to make her own path, one that didn't lead to comparisons with Andy. They were two separate people, with an eight-year age gap between them.

"I do okay." Bianca shrugged her shoulders. She liked Herc and she disliked Chuck, but she hadn't quite made her mind up about Scott just yet. He just seemed a little too familiar for someone she didn't know all too well.

"If you ever want me to show you around Lucky Seven, let me know. Those Jaegers are pretty cool."

"I hear we're getting a Mark 5 soon."

Scott's brow furrowed slightly. "Late in the year, apparently. Striker Eureka."

It was an interesting name. "Do you think you and Herc will be the ones to pilot it?"

"Hopefully." The smile was still there, but more strained this time. "I guess since it's going to be so new - I mean, it's the first Mark 5 - they probably want some more experienced Rangers piloting it. They could give Lucky Seven to some fresh pilots."

"They didn't do that with Vulcan Specter," Bianca replied, before wondering if she should have spoken at all. It was true that the newer Jaeger had been given to younger Rangers, but she thought perhaps saying that was like twisting a knife in a wound. She didn't want Scott to think she was questioning his ability, or Herc's for that matter.

Scott laughed. "They don't do a lot of things like they used to, sweetheart."

She thought she disliked the pet name even more than being referred to as 'kiddo'.

"I should head home."

Bianca walked out of the Shatterdome without a backward glance. She couldn't really explain why Scott made her nervous, but she found his conversation with him had been even more awkward than her encounter with Chuck. Around the others, Scott was fine - but when she was on her own with him, his overly friendly manner made her feel anxious.

Andy Warner

The recreation room was a favourite for most of the younger PPDC personnel. It was open 24 hours with various vending machines, an abundance of card games and a huge plasma screen for watching shows or electronic games. The mood in the rec room tonight was light-hearted, as it usually was for the first while after there'd been another kaiju kill. Andy cast around for Linden, but his co-pilot was nowhere in sight.

Heading over to one of the vending machines, Andy slid his PPDC card in and keyed in the code for a Tooheys Extra Dry. The can rolled out of the machine into his outstretched fingers, and there was a hiss as he popped it open. Striding over to the couches, Andy flopped across some cushions and took a deep gulp of the beer. Of course there were strict regulations in regards to drinking for Rangers - this would be the only beer Andy was having tonight.

Someone was cursing loudly at the screen, playing some old Call of Duty game that Andy vaguely recognised. Realising that it was Chuck, he eased himself to his feet with a sense of purpose. Tonight had been the second time that the kid had been unnecessarily rude toward Bianca. Herc didn't say much to the boy, so Andy felt obligated to.

"Hey." The word was sharp. "Mind turning the volume down?"

Chuck gave him a filthy look. "Bugger off, Warner."

"I don't think so." Andy snatched the controller from Chuck's hands, resulting in a heated glare from the teenager. "Look. Lay off my sister, yeah?"

"I didn't do anything," Chuck protested, reaching for the controller. Andy was tempted to rap him across the knuckles with it, but took the high road and instead held it over his head.

"Yeah, you did. Trying to tell her she shouldn't be here, making out she can't go look around the Jaeger bays…"

"She's a civilian!"

"You aren't a Ranger yet." Andy's tone was uncharacteristically stern. Anyone who knew him would say he was a patient person, but that patience was beginning to wear thin with Chuck and his attitude. "You might be a cadet, but you haven't earned your stripes. So maybe think about that before you decide to tell others what they should and shouldn't be doing."

"Between you and Dr Caldwell…" Chuck muttered under his breath.

"You know what? I'm glad Jules put you in your place. Someone has to."

That made Chuck spring to his feet, hands balled into fists. Andy rolled his eyes.

"I'm not brawling with you in the rec room, Chuck."

"Scared I'd beat you?" The boy sneered.

"The opposite." Andy handed him the controller back. "I'm afraid I'd flatten you and have to explain myself to your dad."

Insulted, Chuck went at him. Andy shoved him hard onto the couch, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows at the red-faced, fuming teenager. He wasn't a violent person and he didn't pick fights - that was Linden. Chuck might infuriate him, but Andy wasn't going to lash out at him or brawl with him to prove who was the alpha male.

"You heard what I said. Don't be a dick to my sister."

"You can't…"

"Sit down, shut up, and play your game."

Chuck opened his mouth to offer some retort. There was no doubt in Andy's mind that he wanted to have the last say. Instead he clenched his jaw, turned his gaze back on the screen and pressed play on the game. Andy resisted the urge to say 'good boy', a phrase he usually reserved for Max.

Heading back over to his previous position on the couch, Andy reclined with his can of beer. He couldn't help but watch as Chuck continued gaming, restarting with dogged determination each time he 'died'. Andy wondered what drove a kid that age to want to become a Ranger. Despite his sullen temperament, Chuck worked damn hard. According to Herc, he was getting top marks in all areas, despite being the youngest cadet.

Andy knew how difficult it was to become a Ranger. He'd been 20 when he'd been assigned to Vulcan Specter. Chuck wasn't even sixteen yet, and if he was in his third trimester soon and still hadn't scrubbed out, odds were that he would actually make the cut and become a Jaeger pilot. The only problem then was who the kid would be able to Drift with, considering how difficult he was to get along with.

Andy finished his beer, throwing the can into a recycle bin as he got up and left the rec room. He might not particularly like Chuck, but there was something to be said about a boy that age doing so well in an environment as tough as the Jaeger Academy. Andy could pin few positive traits on Chuck, but resilience was certainly one of them. Maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised. The kid was, after all, Herc's son.

Julianne Caldwell

As the Ranger Medical Officer, Julianne often found herself with a lot of downtime. While she basically oversaw every aspect of the Jaeger pilots' livelihood, there was only so much to be done between four individuals. Occasionally there were cadets she looked over too, such as Chuck, but their inevitable return to Kodiak Island made most of her efforts redundant.

So, she involved herself in other medical dilemmas. The Sydney Shatterdome employed hundreds of personnel. Accidents were bound to happen. The engineering sector alone saw dozens of employees injured or worse every month. Getting injured on the workforce with the PPDC was the ticket to a good life, some people said, but people weren't at the Shatterdome to make a quick buck. They wanted to make a difference, in any way they could.

That week in particular had been a quiet one, with only a few follow up cases that had been swept up by other doctors long before she thought to try. Julianne had thought about going home, but the thought of facing her brother again so soon did not sit very well with her.

Which brought her back to her current dilemma.

She was sitting in a chair, leaning over the table, staring at the vial of blood lying a foot away from her. It would not be hard to get it tested. PPDC personnel were on a weekly rotation for drug tests. No one could even think of touching the multibillion dollar Jaegers with drugs in their system.

Julianna just wasn't sure she was ready to be disappointed again.

She loved Jackson, truly, but he hadn't made it easy, not for the past ten years. Even before Scissure changed everything, her family was always cleaning up Jackson's messes. No one knew what started it, his descent into drinking and drugs. He never told them. All they knew was that he went to college, and before freshman year was up, he was different.

Scissure just made everything worse. She had tried to get closer to him, he was all she had left after all, but the guilt of survival just made Jackson spiral further. They had seen each other on and off for the past five years, and each meeting was a little cooler. Maybe she was just tired of trying.

The door hissed as someone entered the room. Steven Forrest, Commander of the Sydney Shatterdome. He was a man just past his prime, with a receding hairline while the rest slowly turned gray; he had a kind face, but that should not fool anyone. The man was tough as nails when he needed to be.

"Commander," Julianne greeted, grabbing the vial and standing properly.

Steven eyed her closed fist with a raised eyebrow. "Any of our Rangers in trouble, Doctor?"

She shook her head. "Just standard testing. As the Jaegers age, I've taken to monitoring blood samples more often, to see if there are any negative effects we haven't considered."

The Commander nodded, impressed. "Well, then I won't question it. I'm sure you attempting to explain the intricacies to me would fall into the realm of me explaining military tactics to you."

"Something like that."

"Well, then let me get straight to the point, Doctor Caldwell," Steven replied, leaning against one of the desks. "As you know, we've got a Mark 5 on its way to the Shatterdome. My superiors are uncomfortable with the idea of giving it to some green Rangers just out of Kodiak, and I agree. We have two capable teams here, both have kills under their belts. I'd like your expert opinion on which would be better suited to our new Jaeger."

Julianne opened her mouth, but quickly shut it, realizing she had nothing to say. She tucked her hair behind an ear, stalling. "Sir, I'm not at liberty to pit one team against another."

"I thought you'd say something like that," the Commander said, crossing his arms. "Both teams have their pros and cons. The Hansens are more experienced, but getting older. Warner and Blayne have youth on their side, but less combat drops, not to mention Blayne is a little rough around the edges."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting public reception of the Rangers is a deciding factor?"

"We're looking at everything, Doctor. To be frank, we're lucky we even got the green light to build this Jaeger in the first place. Cost us a fortune. If the public isn't happy with who is using their tax dollars, we'll be paying the price."

Julianne took a breath, mulling it all over. To hear what the Commander had just spoken would have broken the poor Ranger's heart.

"I know you're looking for something more definitive, sir, but I can't choose between the teams. All I can tell you is that both are physically capable of piloting the Mark 5."

Which was a lie, and she knew it.

April 2016

The Jaeger Academy, Kodiak Island

The Kwoon Combat Room was filled to near capacity. Everyone on base wanted to witness the program's best and brightest duke it out on the mats. People stood on boxes outside the doorways to get a clearer look, while other blocked views with upheld phones. These were the future defenders of Earth. They all wanted a piece.

Sitting against the far wall, their view from the fights unobstructed, sat half a dozen doctors, each from a different country, with different backgrounds and motivations for being there. The only common link between them was their youth.

"You came to us highly recommended," the commander had spoken to them earlier. "Top of your respective classes, best jobs lined up to start your careers. But what you may have noticed is that all of you lack experience. No chiefs of residency, no world renowned surgeons. You are fresh, clean slates, and that is what made you the perfect candidates.

"We are in uncharted territory, both physically and mentally. What happens to these pilots will be unlike anything anyone has seen. Without the pride that comes from experience clouding your judgment, you can make the outlandish calls that this job will ask of you. Watch these Rangers you are assigned to. Memorize their movements, understand their strategy, know when they deviate and why. You must come to know more about them than they do. They carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, and you must too."

There had been a collective pause as the commander finished his speech, but Julianne had not felt terrified, or even nervous, by the demands he had laid bare before them. She felt inspired, driven, maybe even excited. It was the sort of feeling she thought to never feel again after Scissure and she was going to relish every moment of it.

So now, Julianne watched the latest duo to hit the mat, Herc and Scott Hansen, brothers from Sydney, whom she was assigned to and would travel back with when their shatterdome finished construction. She watched their fight, what many would deem a brawl, but what she could see as almost a violent dance. Their hits were actually few and far between, based on mistakes or environmental interference. The two were so in tune with one another, they could predict the other's move. It had been more or less the same with the others, but she had not paid as much attention to them. These men belonged to her.

"What can you tell me about them?" the commander asked from behind her. She had been vaguely aware of similar questioning to her fellows.

Her eyes narrowed. She was hardly an expert in the realm of psychology. "They don't fight like the others. They're older, so they go with what they know, but it works for them. They fight hard, harder than they should, because they were there."

Everyone who had been in Sydney that day knew that look, that drive. It was a sort of anger that was unfathomable.

"A dangerous tactic," commented the commander.

"A necessary one. Ambition alone isn't enough to drive these things."

"What else?"

Julianne paused. "Herc is reserved, defensive, patient. Scott is everything he's not. Reckless, aggressive. They perfectly cancel one another out."

In a rare mistake, Scott left himself open, which Herc promptly took advantage of. The older brother relinquished his boxing technique, using one of his legs to sweep the younger off his feet. Scott landed on his back with a loud thud.

As the crowd cheered, the younger Hansen looked up at Julianne. A wide smile spread across his face.

"Well, hello there, lovely. You enjoy the little show I put on for you?"

Unfazed, Julianne turned to the commander. "And this one has delusions of grandeur."

The commander ignored the humor in her tone. "Ranger, I don't want to hear you addressing anyone in this tone again. You represent your country in this uniform."

"Yes, sir," Scott replied as he stood, in a tone that clearly indicated he would do anything but.

"Gentlemen, this is Doctor Julianne Caldwell. She will be overseeing all of your medical needs as well as your physical and nutritional regimens."

Herc took her hand. "I take it you're from Sydney too?"

"I am."

She felt his grip tighten ever so slightly. A look passed between them, a knowledge of shared hurt.

This was what had separated her from the other doctors. They all had families to go home to, intact lives that, so far, had escaped the carnage of war; they were there for the advantages it would give or for some shot at glory.

Julianne was here because if she couldn't fight the damn Kaiju herself, she'd make damn sure someone else had the ability to.

2019

More often than not, Julianne was still seen watching her Rangers in the Kwoon Combat Room, if her schedule allowed it. Keeping up with changing tactics was just as important as monitoring for physical afflictions, given that any fighting style had its own pros and cons when it came to bodily impact.

This time, of course, was slightly different.

Herc and Scott were fighting one another with bo staffs. Though they knew their way around the weapon, it was clear both individuals were uncomfortable fighting with anything other than their own bare hands. But the fight wasn't about their compatibility. It was too easy to use one arm over the other in a boxing style match, so Julianne had insisted on the staffs, so she could see if Herc's arm was starting to heal properly.

Aside from the occasional wince, Herc seemed to be handling everything alright, and appeared to have full range of motion in his shoulder again. Though she knew from experience, it all could be a facade.

Plopped to the right of where she sat, Max gave a snort. Julianne moved to scratch behind the bulldog's ear again, extracting a happy whine from the recipient. Whenever Chuck was back at Kodiak Island, Max stayed behind with Herc, which meant he found himself in her presence more often than not. She had grudgingly allowed the dog inside her lab on the basis he sit precisely where she told him to and go nowhere else. Max had, surprisingly, been keen to obey her. Herc insisted it was because she was a woman.

Still, it hadn't kept him from chewing up the cords in the recreation room, which had gotten him banned from the room and was precisely the reason he was with them now.

"Are we done now?" a clearly frustrated Scott asked.

Julianne looked up from the notes she had taken, finding herself being stared down by two very sweaty Rangers. She could think of a dozen media outlets that would pay her good money for the image in front of her.

She nodded, standing up slowly, much to Max's chagrin. The bulldog rolled over to the empty space she had vacated, groaning.

"Yeah, that should do fine for now," Julianne replied, walking over to Herc. She had taken her shoes off long before entering the room. There was nothing more terrifying than facing the fightmaster after walking on his mats with shoes on. "How'd the shoulder hold up?"

Herc shrugged, barely resisting as she took his staff in her hand and began poking his shoulder with the other. "Stiff, but better."

"And the wincing?"

"You were watching the fight. Scott got a couple a good hits in."

Her blue eyes met his, searching. She had once thought that Herc was just a terrible liar, but it might have been that she had grown accustomed to spotting his lies. Otherwise their little charade would have been over a long time ago.

"Seems to me I should get myself one of those chronic injuries," Scott interrupted, stepping behind her. "Then you won't be able to keep your hands off me either."

Julianne rolled her eyes, unaware she had also quickly removed her hand from Herc's shoulder. She turned to Scott, gently lifting the staff that was conveniently nestled between his legs; she didn't say anything, only waited until he noticed something pulling at the fabric of his pants.

Scott, however, was not one to be intimidated. He only grinned. "Don't make threats unless you can back them up, sweetheart."

In one swift motion, Scott lifted his leg and slammed down on the end of the bo staff with his foot. The weapon shot out of Julianne's grasp, flying toward Scott until he caught it with his free hand. He wink, the grin on his face turning decidedly evil.

"You know," he started, twirling one staff around. "I bet you'd get more of that medical insight bull you're always on about if you actually learn to fight."

Julianne scoffed. "You want me to pilot Lucky Seven too?"

Scott shrugged. "Why not? You already Drifted."

It was true. All of the doctors had been subjected to the trauma of the neural bridge in order to understand what their Rangers experienced, apart from the fact that none of them had any compatibility oncesoever. The memories were jarring. Half of them got sick; the other half chased the rabbit.

Julianne had the misfortune of being one of the latter.

"No," was her curt response. "C'mon, Max, let's leave the boys to clean up."

The bulldog perked up immediately, trotting to her side, though he took the long way around. Even Max knew better than to touch the mat.

"Tell you what, Jules, if you beat me, I'll stop flirting with you."

Julianne whipped around, eyeing the younger Hansen before turning to the older. Herc looked as suspicious as she felt, watching his brother with a leery gaze.

"The hell are you on to, Scott?"

His brother shrugged innocently. "Maybe I just wanna make sure our wonderful doctor can defend herself."

"More like you want to stare at my ass," Julianne replied, hands on her hips. In any other environment, Scott would have been long past fired. He was an HR nightmare, but he was a pilot, and a good one at that. He was all bark and no bite anyway. The best way to deal with Scott was to beat him at his own game.

Scott held his hands up in surrender. "Look, I don't even have to train you. Herc's better at this sort of stuff anyway."

Both Herc and Julianne shared a glance.

The younger Hansen tossed the staff back to Julianne, which she promptly caught. "See, got the hand-eye coordination down already. You're a bloody natural."

She eyed Scott, trying to figure out what was going on, but unlike Herc, she found him rather difficult to read. Still, the thought of shutting him up for good was far too tempting, and, in a sense, he had a point. It would do good for her to know how they worked. Also, her personal exercise regimen was...lacking. Yoga if she felt like it and running if she was late for work. That was about it.

"Fine," she replied, shrugging off her lab coat and tossing it in his face. "But only because kicking your ass is going to be so satisfying."

Scott laughed. "That has to be the sexiest thing you've ever said to me."

Herc crossed his arms. "And at what point did I agree to this arrangement?"

"Like you'd actually say no, brother."

There was a small scuffle, the kind brothers get in to no matter what their age. It ended with Herc smacking Scott on the back of the head and hissing at him to get out. Scott complied, rubbing his head and laughing all the while, taking Max with him as he left.

Julianne raised an eyebrow. "Everything alright?"

"Fine."

She couldn't help but grin, watching as Herc fumed. He paced the mat a few times, ever the grumpy Hansen. If he smiled, his reputation would be ruined.

Julianne spun the staff slowly in her hand a few times, admiring how heavy it was.

Herc watched her. "If you're serious about this…"

She shrugged. "It looks kind of fun, actually, not that I'd say that while Scott's around. Good stress relief too."

"Well, you're not wrong there," Herc agreed, reaching out. "May I?"

Julianne handed him the staff, watching him hold it in front of his body, both hands pressed together on the lower end. "This is the universal starting position. Easiest to attack, easiest to defend. Covers nearly every position of the body."

"Then why doesn't everyone use it?"

"Preference. Different fighting technique. And some just really like to show off."

Julianne smirked, taking the staff back. She mimicked his position, her hands running along the grain of the wood. She was hardly dressed to do much in her blouse and jeggings, but she wasn't exactly trying to beat anyone into submission at the moment.

Herc grabbed her hands, calloused skin moving along her fingers to loosen them.

"This isn't a cricket bat. You need to keep your hands loose, ready to change position at any time." He walked behind her, and she felt a light tug on her shoulders. "Square yourself. Balance is key. Not going to do much to Scott if you're falling over all the time."

"Anything else?"

She felt his foot tap her right ankle. "Keep one foot in front of the other, preferably your dominant one. Keeps you ready to move, and less likely to be tripped up."

"So like this?" Julianne asked innocently, taking up a batting position.

Herc snorted. "Christ, you're as bad as he is."

She felt his arms wrap around her, slowly moving her hands back into position. His breath was hot on her ear, and it sent a strange chill down her spine.

When the door opened, neither individual paid it much attention, assuming it was Scott coming back to make more snarky comments. However, the continuing silence managed to, the duo looking up to see Linden Blayne watching them from beside the mat.

His arms were crossed, mouth set in a firm line. Linden was never particularly happy looking (he had a one up on Herc in that department) but there was almost something hostile in his gaze.

"You two look cozy."

Herc let go of Julianne, stepping in front of her, a warning in his tone. "Blayne."

The younger Ranger didn't hesitate. "Guess Striker's as good as yours, isn't it, Hansen?"

Before Herc had the chance to say anything incredibly stupid, Julianne grabbed his wrist, taking her turn to step in front of him, but Linden had already said his piece. He walked back out of the room before any explanations could be made.

Julianne sighed. "Even when he isn't here, Scott manages to ruin things."

Herc snorted. "I'll go talk to Andy. He'll get through to him."

"Emphasis on talk, Hansen."

She could have sworn there was a ghost of a smile on his face. "Yes, ma'am."