Title: A Beautiful Winter
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, Professor Oak or Tracey. Don't sue, no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Here's part two, where we learn a little more about Janna, and some chaos ensues.
Chapter Two: The Calm Before the Storm
The lake was shining temptingly, the sun reflected off the water and everything looked so wonderful that Janna's spirits were lifted even higher at the sight. It was Saturday and all of her tasks were finished, the professor was inside treating a Growlithe who fractured one of its forepaws. She ventured outside, dressed in a white cotton skirt and a lightweight cotton tank top with her plain black bathing suit underneath, clutching a bottle of sunblock in one hand and some goggles in the other.
She walked to the sand just at the lake's shore and set all her things down. Janna squinted through the bright rays of sunlight, trying to make out her Lapras in the distance. After a few moments of searching, she was unsuccessful, so she shrugged and took a seat on the ground.
Pulling her tank and skirt off, she carelessly slathered on globs of sunblock, anxious to go for a swim. She had to wait a bit for the lotion to dry but soon she was fully prepared. The final touch was her clear goggles which fit snugly around her eyes so that she could see where she was swimming.
She cautiously stepped in just in case the water's temperature was colder than she expected. To her delight, it was perfect, crisp yet comfortably warm like bathwater almost.
Now she was confident and moved farther into the water so that she was waist deep. Janna peered up at the sun again, marveling at how clear the sky was. The last time she had swam for leisure was such a long time ago that she could not help but relish every moment of the marvelous feeling.
Janna was deep enough in the lake where she could submerge her entire body. She dove headfirst and kicked off with one smooth stroke, approaching the cliff where the sand dropped into a deep bowl that seemed to be everlasting.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She kicked more forcefully now, seeing all the space she had to move, and her arms reached as far as they could whenever she pushed them through the water. Schools of Magickarp, Polliwag and Staryu floated near the middle. Many of the water Pokemon frolicked happily, they seemed to be unmindful of her presence.
She swam farther and deeper until she had to surface for air.
When she dove back in, she spotted two young Marill swimming in her direction. They cooed adorably, the sounds were distorted by the water, but she smiled back at them and held a hand out to them. They looked at her curiously and poked her in examination. Finally, they gave up on exploring her hand and released her.
As she watched them swim away into the dark blue waters ahead, she began to feel a little apprehensive of what else was in those dark waters. She did not realize that there were also some Pokemon in the lake that were not very welcoming of humans in their territory. Fear crawled up her spine as she anxiously kicked up to the surface to breathe.
She floated there for quite some time before she let go and submerged herself once again. Janna could see lots of Clamperl and Shellder nestled in the sand, their shells were nearly indistinguishable from the murky sand at the bottom of the lake. As much as she wanted to stay in, she knew it was probably not a wise idea to stay any longer.
Just as Janna began to paddle backwards to shore, she sensed movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned quickly, spotting a rapidly appraoching shadow from the distant darkness.
What is that? She thought worriedly.
The shadow was nearer than ever, but it was still hidden by the ridiculously long seaweed that obscured her vision. When it was close enough for her to see, full fledged panic gripped her heart.
The shadow was actually a ferocious, famished Feraligatr.
Professor Oak was just finished talking to Nurse Joy, who had come to the lab to pick up some hydrocortisone cream for the Pokemon under her care who suffered from skin irritation and various rashes. They were standing in the main workroom next to the enormous bay window, where the fields and the lake were visible.
"Thank you very much for doing me this favor, Sam. I hate to bother you when you're so busy, especially when I can't really do anything in return for you..." Joy trailed off warmly as if asking what he would like for her to do in return. He wondered mildly if she would say yes to a nice dinner for two at a local restaurant, but he automatically swatted those thoughts away. He cringed inwardly at the perverse old man he was slowly but surely becoming.
"You're very welcome, my dear. Please, let's not keep track of any favors, otherwise one of us will always be owing something to the other. Besides, it is my pleasure to help such a beautiful young woman," He wanted to kick himself for the complete idiocy of his remark. He hoped she did not slap him in anger.
Thankfully, she just laughed and nudged his arm playfully.
"Oh Sam, you crack me up. Anyway, I better be going-" At her alarmed look, Professor Oak frowned.
"What's wrong, Joy?"
Her eyes flashed with fright and he was compelled to turn around.
"I think there's someone in the lake!" She cried. There was a lot of ruckus happening in the center of it with so much water being slung in every direction that it was nearly impossible to tell what was happening. Professor Oak merely stared, gobsmacked, before he got a hold of his senses once more.
"Come on, we have to break it up before one of the Pokemon are hurt." He said, taking off at a brisk jog with Nurse Joy at his heels.
Janna had floated there, frozen, for a sheer moment before she kicked her legs and swam up to the surface, as if it would do her any good. The Feraligatr was coming for her, it would surely snap her in half with its huge jaws in a mere second. There was no way she could escape. She opened her mouth to scream, but her throat filled with water instead. She choked and clutched her neck in pain, wondering if she'd die from drowning or if she'd be eaten alive by a wrathful Pokemon first.
She looked down and sure enough, there was the beast, charging right at her. Its arms were outstretched as it reached for her feet, its mouth agape slightly in eagerness to tear her limb from limb. She had never seen such terrible wildness in someone's eyes the way the Feraligatr was looking at her. It was crazed, utterly determined to have its proverbial cake and eat it too. She closed her eyes, dreadfully anticipating that first bite...
And felt its teeth sink into her leg, instantly piercing through her flesh. She tried to scream again, but she swallowed a lot of water like the last time. She kicked and struggled against the beast, unsuccessfully of course, but she would have rather died trying than resigning herself to her fate.
Suddenly, she felt a huge rush of water, an invisible jet hit her with such force that she thought both the Feraligatr and her moved several feet. She opened her eyes to see her Lapras charging full speed toward them, a steely glint in her beautiful blue eyes. She rammed into the Feraligatr, attempting to get it off of Janna's leg, but the result was further tearing of her skin and what felt like her bones cracking. She began to see stars, the pain was so intense. All she could do was watch, dazed, as the two majestic Pokemon thrashed and attacked each other in a battle over her body.
Feraligatr disattached its mouth from her leg, finally, and she started to sink to the bottom of the lake.
Lapras triumphantly raised its horned head and rammed the dejected Feraligatr once more time with all the power it had in itself. The Feraligatr roared its displeasure and turned away at last, stalking off to lick its wounds and pick up its pride.
In turn, Lapras swam down to Janna's limp body, manuvered her slowly onto her back and took off at full speed to the surface of the lake.
By the time Professor Oak reached the shoreline, he had spotted the Lapras approaching with a body on her back. He stared in horror as he recognized the black locks of hair and distinctly feminine figure. It had to be Janna, Tracey was out of the question and no one else but them would be out in the lake like this.
He held out his arms as Lapras shrugged the body off. Janna fell into his grasp, complete deadweight and dripping wet. Professor Oak turned her face up and immediately began to pump her sternum area, forcing her to breathe. He contemplated giving her mouth to mouth recessitation but was startled when Nurse Joy had yelled at him.
"Hurry up Sam, you have to do it quickly before it's too late!"
Her words snapped him into action, he bent down and exhaled roughly through Janna's lips and then counted to ten as he pumped her sternum again. Janna looked so pale, as if she were already dead, and he was handling a corpse.
He kept trying, however, about five minutes later she started to convulse and cough up water. The professor helped her sit upright, but he was extremely startled to see the damage her leg had sustained. He was so worried about getting her to breathe again that he did not see the two gaping holes in her thigh bleeding profusely.
"Unh...Professor it hurts!" She said through clenched teeth. Janna could not tell if it was her own tears or the lake water that was trickling down her face, but it was making it very difficuly to see anything.
"I know, my dear, I know, let me get you inside and we can patch it up okay? Now, I need you to hold onto my neck, and I will try to lift you. Understand?" He asked calmly, with an undertone of conern mixed with urgency. Janna heard him but she could not possibly focus on anything other than the sheer torture she was experiencing.
Because of her reticence, Professor Oak had no choice but to deliver a sharp slap to her cheek. She flinched and glared at him but instantly did what she was told. She wrapped her arms around him, groaning when he touched her injured leg, and he lifted her into his arms. Nurse Joy took her things that were left scattered on the sand, following closely behind.
Lapras watched the humans as they retreated back to the house, a concerned glint reflected in those expressive eyes.
The first thing they did when they reached the lab was wrap Janna's leg with tape to stop the bleeding. Professor Oak attempted to make her more comfortable in one of the examination beds reserved for Pokemon usually but Nurse Joy immediately voiced her disapproval.
"Samuel, she can't stay here like this. She needs to see a doctor at a real hospital where they are equipped to care for injuries as severe as hers." Joy was looking on in concern as Professor Oak paced back and forth agitatedly.
"Yes, I realize it would be wiser if I took her to a hospital. Oh, but why did she have to swim in the lake? Did she not know that these Pokemon exist as they would in the wild, with nothing to limit themselves except the boundaries of the grounds? Foolish, ignorant girl!" He ranted. Joy stared at him and then back at the unconcious young woman on the bed, feeling much pity for the both of them.
"Would you like me to help you take her?" She asked quietly. He seemed startled by her query, like her words had snapped him out of his heated venting.
"Er, no, I'll manage. But thank you anyway, Joy."
She smiled, her lips curving upwards a bit.
"Okay then. I'll just be going...If you need anything-"
"You'll be the first person I'll call," He assured her. Joy smiled again and turned to the door, she knew the way out of the huge building. Once she was gone, Samuel turned back to the sleeping woman who had nearly given him a coronary.
"Well, I guess it's just the two of us then, Miss Winter." The professor said, wishing he had never hired a second assistant at all.
When her eyes opened, she became aware of the acute sensation of stiffening pain that assaulted the whole of her body. The room around her was completely white, the walls swam in and out of focus. She heard a monitor beeping faintly in the background but other than that, everything was still and silent.
She wanted to laugh at the thought that she could in fact be dead, or hallucianting about everything, but when she tried, her side seized up and she began to cough violently.
As soon as she recovered from her coughing spell, she became slightly more lucid. Janna remembered being attacked by the Feraligatr in the lake, but she was unaware how she could have ended up here of all places. She was absolutely certain that she was going to die right then and there, she was quite unprepared to wake up and find that she was very much still alive.
"Damn it." Janna muttered under her breath.
She just realized that her injured leg had been wrapped in a cast and it hung awkwardly above her. There was an IV needle in her arm, but other than those two things, nothing else was amiss.
She spoke too soon, she could feel the telltale beginnings of a very painful migraine stirring in her temples. She groaned and fell back on the cushions in frustration.
Unbeknownst to her, Professor Oak had silently crept into her room while she was lost in her confusion.
"Janna, you mustn't overexert yourself. The key to recovery is to sit back and let your body regenerate itself. Silly girl, you got yourself into enough trouble as it is." He chastised her sternly.
She had the grace to look contrite at that. At his biting words, she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Not only had she proved incapable of being a decent employee, but she had humiliated herself in front of one of the leading Pokemon researchers in the world.
"I'm really very sorry sir." Was all she could muster without sounding bitter towards herself.
He paused and took a seat at her bedside. He felt a tad regretful at his previous tone of voice, yet he was unable to say anything about it. He had never been particularly good at apologizing.
He reverted to his usual tactic of brusqueness.
"Back to the 'sir' business? How many times must I remind you to call me Sam?"
She exhaled subtly, he recognised some annoyance in her attitude.
"Alright. Samuel, what I would like to know is what happened to me in the lake? Why wasn't I torn limb from limb? The Feraligatr must have been at least eight feet long, armed with jaws that could instantly mangle the thickest piece of metal."
"Lucky for you, one of the Lapras came to your rescue. It battled with the Feraligatr until it was convinced that eating you for lunch wasn't worth the hassle."
She chuckled slightly at that, but he could tell the motion pained her. She had also sustained a few bruised ribs from the Feraligatr's grip around her torso.
"Well, I'll definitely have to remember to thank her once I get back." Janna murmured absently. Her eyes widened suddenly as she snapped her gaze back at the Professor.
"Oh my god, am I out of a job? Are you going to fire me? I know I screwed up big time, I swear I'll never do anything as stupid and irrational again! Please Professor-"
He raised a hand to silence her rapid fire remarks.
"Calm down, Janna, I am not going to fire you. You are a competent assistant and you've never deliberately done anything to sabotage me or my lab. When you recover, you will still have a job with me, I can assure you that."
He was slightly amused as he watched her sink back into the pillows, sheer relief written all over her features.
"Thank you, Professor," She said with a charming smile. "And thank you for bringing me to a hospital, it was really very kind of you."
He nodded once in reply. "You're welcome, Janna."
They stared at each other for a few seconds until he was forced to drop his gaze. His cell phone broke out in a shrill chirp, he immediately answered it.
"Yes? Ah, Tracey. Yes I'm at the Viridian City General Hospital. What? Oh yes, I'm perfectly fine, it's Janna who had a little scuffle with one of the Pokemon and she's well on her way to recovery. Yes, I'll tell her. Okay. I'll be there in half an hour depending on traffic...Bye."
He shut his phone and turned back to her, hesitance clearly showing in his expression.
"What?" Janna asked curiously.
He blinked sheepishly at her, looking like a bewildered Hoothoot.
"You'll be okay by yourself? I...I wanted to keep you company a little longer." She was touched by his kind concern, she never really thought the rough around the edges professor was capable of such sympathy.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, you've done everything you could, Professor."
He gave her another small smile before he finally exited her room and she was left alone once more.
Heaving a sigh, Janna tried to close her eyes to prevent her migraine from worsening. She groaned when her head started to pound. She figured she should probably call a nurse to ask for some medication for it, but then she remembered that she was probably drugged to the max from her other major injuries.
She gave up on that idea and resigned herself to sleeping her migraine off. Janna shut her eyes and let her mind drift into oblivion.
She instantly woke up when she felt a cold hand around her mouth.
Her eyes flew open in alarm, she was completely defenseless and she had just lost the ability to scream for help. All Janna could do was stare at her assailant, whose face was obscured by the darkness and the hood that covered their head.
She tried to bite the hand that was clamped over her mouth, but as a result, her attacker just increased the pressure on her face, causing her to yelp in pain.
"Hello, there, darling." The voice, decidedly male, crooned softly. Janna frowned in recognition, comprehension running its course in her mind.
"It took so long to find you, but now I've got you. You know, you used to be good at hiding. It was fun tracking you through Kanto and Johto, chasing you through mountains and forests and cities. You were practically a ghost!" The man rambled on, a hint of excitement in his tone.
"And then you checked yourself into this dump, using your real name! Why this sudden streak of stupidity after such a successful year of hiding?" He mocked, and then slowly moved his hand away from her face. He was right, she had used many different aliases when she traveled from place to place, but she didn't have a chance before Professor Oak delivered her at this hospital to change her name.
"If you so much as squeak, I will kill you right here, and no one would be the wiser. However, if that were to happen, Giovanni would not be too pleased with me." He warned.
When she was free to breathe again, she cleared her face of any emotions that could betray her.
"What do you want, Grey?" She asked steadily.
"The same thing we've always wanted. If you accepted your position at Team Rocket when Giovanni invited you, we would not be caught in this predicament, my dear. All you have to say is yes." The hooded man said, smoothing his voice with conviction.
She paused to think it over, comparing worst case scenarios. If she went with Grey and took a job at Team Rocket Headquarters, she could live a lot more comfortably on the money they would pay her. However, that would be a serious breach of her own moral code. If she refused, that would probably mean certain death at the hands of this despicable man.
"I need time to seriously consider this. I cannot be forced to make this decision right now. My head is swimming with all of these painkillers. Besides, it wouldn't look good for me if I showed up at headquarters looking like a total cripple would it?" Janna said truthfully. She was a bit dazed from the spiral of events that had occurred, and Grey could see that she was clearly out of her element.
"Fine. You have a month to decide and to recover. If you tell anyone about this, the authorities, or your precious little Professor Oak, then you can consider them as good as dead."
Grey was halfway across the room when Janna spoke up.
"You haven't changed one bit. Still the cold-blooded murderer you were years ago."
He turned back and stalked up to her, hovering inches above her defiantly upturned face.
"You haven't changed either. Still the loudmouthed, stubborn bitch you were when I killed your parents. Tell me, would you rather be Giovanni's whore or are things so good with Oak that you'd rather stay in that dump where you live now than join Team Rocket?"
With that, he made his way back to the door.
She was red with rage when she grabbed the nearest object (which happened to be a pen on the bedside table) and flung it pointfirst at Grey's head. In a lightning fast second, he whipped around and caught the pen effortlessly before it pierced him between the eyes.
"Nice try darling, but you're getting rather rusty." He said with a taunting smile, his English accent dripping with disdain.
He was gone before she could do anything more.
Janna was roused from sleep by her nurse.
"Good morning, honey. Oh you look drained!" The chirpy nurse remarked as she bustled about the room.
Janna was distinctly grouchy, her black hair ruffled unattractively and she felt like her head was the size of a watermelon. Not to mention that she had a midnight visit from the man who had haunted her ever since she was sixteen, and had been forced to reluctantly agree to the arrangement she desperately worked to avoid for eight years.
"Oh no, I'm doing just wonderful. The holes in my leg are not nearly as bothersome as they were yesterday, silly me!" She snapped. She felt a stabbing of vicious pleasure as she saw the nurse's expression of insult.
"You'd better be grateful I have your medicine, young lady, or those holes would be hurting far more than they are now!" The nurse returned, tit for tat.
Janna felt a little guilty for her behavior, but it was hard to, especially when she was being treated like a three year old.
She watched silently as the nurse placed a tray of food in front of her. There was a warm muffin, an apple, some orange juice and some oatmeal. She looked back up at the nurse, who was staring at her expectantly.
"Well, Miss Winter, do you intend to eat or will I have to spoon feed you?"
Janna picked up the spoon and quickly began to wolf down the cornflakes as the nurse chuckled.
"My name is Rosie, Miss Winter, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. When you're finished, take these pills, okay? I'll be back to check up on you in a little bit."
She grunted in response, not wanting to talk with her mouth full. Rosie just smiled at her and left the room so she could eat in silence.
By the time she was done with the cereal and the apple, she had no further room for the huge muffin sitting on her tray. She decided to leave it alone until Rosie would come take her tray away.
She watched the clock up on the wall impatiently. It was ten minutes before Rosie returned. The older, plump woman came through the door and was followed by none other than Professor Oak, who was clutching a vase of beautiful wildflowers to his chest.
"Well, dear, you have a visitor. I'll just leave you to it. But no funny business, you two, or I'll be forced to turn you out, you hear?" The nurse threatened, with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows.
Both the Professor and the woman blushed, but for reasons different than Rosie thought.
When they were alone together, Professor Oak was the first one to break the silence.
"Well, good morning, Janna. I brought you these, the Bulbasaur helped me select them."
He moved to her bedside table and placed the flowers at her bedside. She thanked him warmly, but her eyes were dimmed with rememberance of Grey's words from the previous night.
"How is everything back at the lab?" She inquired politely.
He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled at little with the action.
"Everyone's perfect. I took the liberty of tracking the Feraligatr that attacked you and examining it with Tracey's help. We sedated it and took it back to the lab, turns out that there was a blockage in its stomach that had been the cause of its agitation. I took it to the Pokemon Center and Nurse Joy easily corrected the problem."
"That's good to hear," Janna said genuinely. She peered curiously at him, observing his facial expression. "You really do care about each and every Pokemon under your protection, don't you?"
"Of course I do. What kind of researcher would I be if I did not care?" He asked, mildly incredulous.
She exhaled with a half smile, a corner of her mouth tilted upwards. Professor Oak found this to be quite charming, there was something mysterious and compelling about her smile.
"Not a very good one I suppose. " Janna admitted.
"How is your leg?" He asked, changing the subject into a more familiar topic.
"The same. The painkillers are working wonders."
"The doctors say you are doing remarkably for one who just underwent surgery the day before." He reassured her. Her eyes lowered briefly and then met his once again.
"I know I would probably have lost my leg if wasn't for you. They say it would have needed to be amputated if I got here a little later than I had. I'm sorry I'm such a burden." There were volumes of gratitude in her voice.
He placed a hand over her right one.
"It was my duty to get you proper medical care, Janna."
Suddenly, all she could think about was how nice his hand felt over her own. His touch was warm, utterly inviting, and his entire presence seemed to radiate a subtle, masculine sensuality she had not been aware of before.
God, it must be the drugs talking, Janna thought, appalled at the inappropriate direction her thoughts were taking. He's my boss! And at least fifty years old, too. Oh but his hand feels so nice, it would probably feel nice if he were touching me in other places too...
She wished she could slap herself right then, she was sure she was blushing like a fool. She had never been more thankful that the professor wasn't capable of telepathy. If Rosie only knew...And if Grey ever knew of this, he would surely exploit her soft spot for the professor to Team Rocket's advantage.
"Oh, Tracey wanted me to give you this." He released her hand suddenly, but she was left feeling quite bereft without his touch. She was grateful that he was busy searching his pockets for whatever Tracey wanted to give her,
she had a chance to regroup her feelings and thoughts.
"Here you are." Professor Oak handed a white envelope to her. She took it and opened it unceremoniously.
It was a small five by seven sketch, obviously done with great meticulousness and care. She gasped at the beauty of the sketch, she had not realized that the woman in the picture was herself. She had never imagined herself to be pretty in the least, but because of the way her face was drawn, she appeared absolutely stunning.
Tracey had drawn her eyes, nose and mouth accurately, but there was a certain elegance to her face that she was sure she lacked in reality. She was wearing a loosely flowing dress that revealed delicate shoulders and an alluring collarbone, her hair was drawn as if it were flying in the wind.
"Oh my. This cannot be me, surely!" Janna cried through a self deprecating laugh. She turned the picture over and found a little note written by the artist himself. It read:
Hope this cheers you up, Janna. You are the most stunning and intelligent woman ever. Get well soon! I'll try to visit you if Professor Oak lets me.
Sincerely,
Tracey Sketchit
Wordlessly, he took the drawing from her, curious as to what had her so stunned. His jaw dropped at the detail of the drawing, Tracey had gotten everything about Janna to a tee, from her stance, to her expression, to the way her eyes seemed to leap right off the page.
"It seems as though someone has taken a very strong liking to you, my dear." Professor Oak said ambiguously.
This elicited a laugh from her, her ribs less sore this time.
"I'm afraid Mr. Sketchit will be rather disappointed, he's not exactly my type, no matter how wonderful his artistic skills are." She said, thinking of the young man who was always so eager to please her. Everything about him seemed to make sense to her now, she was always extremely obtuse when it came to these things.
"Oh? And what exactly is your type?" He surprised them both with his bold inquiry. She looking momentarily taken aback before she answered.
"Someone who can keep me guessing. I abhor predictability." She said cheekily. He felt so out of touch, it had been years since he'd gone about wooing a woman...At that, alarm bells started going off in his head. She was dangerously alluring, and she didn't even know it. She'd be his undoing one day.
"I have to go," Professor Oak said blankly as he rose from his chair. Disappointment spread across her face, but the sight of it did not stop him. Janna watched him put on his grey coat, feeling quite put out at his sudden change in mood. He was so open just moments ago, and she literally saw the shutters closing behind his eyes as he prepared to leave. She sighed quietly, she wasn't qualified to judge him for being withdrawn and moody. She'd been more isolated than any regular hermit for half her life as it were.
"Goodbye, Sam." Janna murmured, gazing at his retreating back.
He half turned, his hand still gripping the doorknob.
"Goodbye, Miss Winter." His voice was stoic as he bade her an impersonal goodbye.
She could only sit dumbly, stung by his abrupt coldness, when Rosie burst into the room once more. Her incessant rambling went in one ear and out the other as Janna closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall.
TBC...
A/N: Please R and R!