…Forbidden…

With no mother around to teach her all those womanly skills, some of which she managed to pick up anyway, her father had no objections from anyone about her learning the business, and learning it well. There were plenty of tricks, rules, and tips to bounty hunting, and she knew them all. More than once, they'd help save her life.

Number forty: if it seems someone's out to get you, they are.

She especially loved sixteen: if someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.

Nine: never go anywhere without a knife.

Two of the most important, two she'd never really had much of a problem with were ten and eleven. Never get personally involved and when the job is done, walk away. When that happened, there was emotional investment, and listening to emotions made for stupid mistakes. Stupid mistakes made for dead bounty hunters.

So while Jun rode Nyla down the docks to a ship that would take them – including Piandao – to Kyoshi Island to deliver the recovered weapons, essentially going above and beyond her duty of simply finding, she thought of another one of dear old Dad's rules.

Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

There was no doubt in her mind, he was rolling in his grave.

…Gentle…

They've been traveling together for weeks, for reasons neither one will say aloud. During this time, Jun has spent more time thinking about this single man than any other. Quarry didn't count. But this Piandao, this Lord of Shu Jing wasn't like any man she'd met before.

In the past, nobleman she'd dealt with had been snooty, condescending, and morons. While he had a certain walk, that held more to self-confidence. Though she never really had a high opinion of most, he was smarter than most generals she'd encountered. He looked down at no one.

She was beautiful and aware of this. Men saw her and leered, and she'd let them until they tried to touch. Then that knife came in handy, but most times she didn't even need it. She'd caught him looking more than once, and he never actually tried to hide it. It was respectful, in a way. Appreciative rather than starving dog and piece of steak.

As a warrior, on the occasions when they'd run into trouble, he made it look easy. Jun preferred not to fight with blades because of the whole blood and death thing. Yet he wove around them, making cuts shallow enough to be nearly harmless but hurt. He'd even play with them a little before putting them down, not breaking a sweat. It was reflective of her own style, and how could she not like anything pertaining to herself?

He wasn't conceited or arrogant, though he had cause to be. He wasn't a pervert or crazy. He wasn't gay or married. He wasn't needlessly violent or easily provoked.

He was so weird.

…Health…

Jun planted a hand on her hip and pulled a disbelieving face, swaying dangerously. She could only stare, blinking a moment. Her chivalrous hero straightened from his low fighting stance, metal glinting in the moonlight.

"You know, you really shouldn't wander off like that."

Then she narrowed her dark eyes, and her full, red lips pulled into a sneer.

"'Scuse me. D'you just 'd'fend my honor'?"

Piandao glanced aside, absently flicking his sword clean then sheathing it.

"Well, let's see. Obscenely huge men, dark alley, tipsy woman –"

"'M ain't tipsy."

"I was being kind," he shrugged and went on. "Then the lewd innuendoes and comments you made about their mothers didn't help at all."

"Look, I gotta reputation t' hold-up, and I can handle myself. If you value breathin' right, ya won't do that 'gain."

He turned to her, head tilted. With a direct look, he leaned forward with brows raised.

"You're welcome."

She scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever."

She sauntered past him toward the end of the alley, kicking one of the five downed, groaning thug as she went by. Piandao waited a beat, sure that she would figure it out momentarily, but she really didn't seem to like him being helpful. Which is exactly why he decided to be so.

"Jun."

"What!"

"Nyla is the other way."

She came to an abrupt halt, and he heard her growl before she spun on her heel stalked back his way. One of the other men moaned as he struggled to sit up. Jun slugged him, and he went back down quietly. Not even bothering to hide a smile, Piandao stared straight ahead and over the top of her head as she continued past him, muttering about stupid creatures and worthless animals. He wasn't sure if she meant Nyla or men in general. In any case, he turned to follow her before she left him stranded in the little town.

A/N: Daddy's rules are Gibb's rules from the show NCIS which isn't mine either.