I'm finally free from school after so many years of spending my precious young life there! Can't say how awesome it feels to stand on the doorstep to new life. Thanks for everyone who's been supporting me with my fanfiction story and wishing me luck on my exams - MiniMeani, BellatrixBlack12 and hunter G - I passed better than I expected:)
Hope you will enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think about it:) Comments are always very welcome:)
Time was lingering and every second felt like eternity. Thousands of thoughts, memories and questions crossed the mind of a certain black-haired man, as his hand was clutching on the door handle and pushing it forward. Jack made a step and entered the room, nearly falling, as he accidentally stumbled over a dark wine colour carpet. Regardless of the irked state of mood he was in, the young man managed to suppress curses, that were about to escape from his mouth. He gritted his teeth in irritation and roughly pushed the edge of the carpet with his boot, so it could fall on the same place it was. Jack angrily huffed and walked in the room, slamming the door. That second he couldn't care less about anything that was going to happen, especially J's reaction. Why shouldn't he allow himself to do so, if he is that pissed off?
J was lying on her back in her spacious double bed, with her soft beige blanket on. Her short silver locks were scattered all around the pillow, some falling over tightly closed eyelids of the young woman. Jack came closer and heard her frequent and shallow breathing. He looked at the white pale face and covered with dry blood half-open lips and felt his heart shrinking. Although he was warned that his female commander was in poor condition and he understood that there was nothing threatening her life, the sight awakened pity and compassion. It was visible that she had to make a lot to the full recovery. Jack helplessly looked at a white bandage on her left arm on the place, she had been injured in. The piece of white cotton tissue contrasted with the black t-shirt the woman was wearing. The skin around the bandage was swollen and covered with ugly red spots, looking like allergy reaction. J had some sort of portable medical device attached to her arm. It reminded a small portable drop counter - a slightly yellow viscous liquid was slowly dropping into the needle that was placed in her vein. Jack could only guess at what pain the woman was, and wished that the pain faded away. All his hatred had involuntary gone the very second he saw her. She made him go through pain, but he couldn't and didn't want to wish the same for her. It was against his nature.
Jack glanced at his female commander one more time. She was sleeping, and hadn't been aware of his presence. Jack sighed in relief.
"At least no scandals this time," the black haired man thought and came to a huge window with thick glass that overlooked a field with blooming yellow flowers. It had always been exciting to look outside windows, as the ship had always been changing its destinations and always landed in different was no chance to see the same panorama twice. In the golden sunshine of setting sun, the canary flowers seemed to be more bright and sparkling. The whole field seemed to be in a constant move because of thousands of small bug pokemon, dancing around the flowers, picking up nectar and carrying it away. Jack sank in the memories of his past while looking on the field, and these were pleasant memories. He felt cosy and warm inside. The sight of peaceful nature removed his anxiety, anger and fear. Never before he felt that calm and relaxed. Long stripes of soft light were lying on the floor and on edge of J's bed. He turned his head to look again at the infamous hunter.
"Strange, I don' feel hatred towards her I've been feeling before. I feel...compassion. Yes, I feel sorry for this woman being injured. How weird... I thought I wouldn't be able to be with her in the same room, that strong I hated her. And now she seems so helpless and miserable... Man, how weird..." Jack thought in confusion and turned his attention from J to her room.
Hunter J's room was a really spacious one, probably, the most spacious in the whole airship. Creamy wallpapers, dark wood furniture and a bordeaux carpet on the floor made an impression of a cosy one, where it was very pleasant to relax and spend time. Jack liked the design and the atmosphere, and was slightly envious that he had never had such a room. Next to J's bed there was a small table, with a few cases and a night lamp, standing on its surface. On the opposite side there was a wardrobe, made of dark wood; a bigger table, with a mirror above it, and a small corridor that lead to bathroom and kitchen. Jack walked to the table, glanced in the mirror and looked through J's personal belongings. On her table he found her headset, a glass with some liquid left on its bottom, a comb and a yesterday newspaper. J seemed to be a person who didn't approve mess of any kind - nor in a room, nor in a head. Nothing grabbed Jack's attention much. More attractive seemed books and magazines on the shelf above the table. The black haired man moved closer and stared at the books in hesitation. Although he really wanted to know what was the hunter reading on her leisure, he felt like it's not good to interfere in such a private area.
A warm light of sunset reached half of J's face. The young woman quietly moaned and turned her head away a bit. She wasn't asleep now,but was still lying her eyes closed. J felt the warmness on her face and it made her feel good. The light brown background she saw still having her eyes closed gave her a feeling of comfort and safety. She loved sun, its presence always made her mood brighter. She slightly moved her fingers, ignoring the feeling of pins and needles, touched the surface she was lying on and smiled as understood that she was in her comfortable bed. Pain was still felt, but it wasn't so intense and unbearable anymore. Her life was getting better and the silver-haired woman was happy about it. J was lying and enjoying the sounds of silence and the state of being alone. As she thought. Sound of footsteps made her wince and return back to reality. Someone WAS in her room. She quickly opened her eyes and rushed into a sitting position, intending to open the case of the table next to her bed and pull out a gun. It wasn't definitely a good idea, as she her body wasn't recovered yet and didn't listen to her properly. The head appeared to be too heavy to lift from the pillow and her left arm was shot by overwhelming pain as she made an unexpected movement. Angrily swearing, J fell back on her pillow.
Jack, disturbed by the sounds, switched his attention to the huntress. The black-haired man came up to the bed, carefully put aside a piece of blanket and sat on the edge of her bed. J was still lying with her teeth gritted and eyes tightly closed. She was still suffering from the pain because of the attempt to abruptly sit up. When the pain partially faded, the infamous poacher made a deep sigh and opened her eyes to look at the person sitting on her bed. From the expression of her glare Jack could tell that nothing good was going to happen. The feeling of J's defenceless condition was totally ruined within the first seconds she opened her eyes.
"You shouldn't make such quick movements, or you can hurt yourself..." Jack gently began, but was cut off.
"You... What have you forgotten in my room?!" J hissed venomously and gave the black-haired man a look that could kill.
"I'm here to make sure that everything is ok with my mistress, and to help her if she needs any sort of help," Jack replied calmly and pressed himself to smile.
"I don't need such things. Leave my room and go back to work," the silver-hired woman angrily shot back, staring at Jack.
"No can do, mistress. Didn't you forget that the most important rule is to protect our commander and make sure she's ok?" he muttered. Deep inside he wanted to leave her room immediately, but the feeling of responsibility was holding him.
"Especially for those who are deaf or too stupid to understand: leave me alone right now," J was now talking more calm, but anger, boiling inside her, was clearly heard in her intonation.
"Sorry, can't obey. I've given a word to your doctors that I will stay with you till your full recovery. So, no matter if you like it or not, I'm not going anywhere. I do obey orders and I do my work perfectly, till the end," he concluded, with an air of importance.
J grumbled something under her breath and rolled her eyes. She wasn't excited about his presence at all. It was driving her mad. A deathly silence filled the room for several minutes. The young black-haired man was first who decided to break it.
"Do you feel better, mistress J?" Jack asked, trying to be as polite as possible, though it was very hard to be nice with a person, whose glare told to get lost.
"Yes," the woman dryly stated with a wry expression on her face. She wasn't definitely in a mood for talking, and was doing her best to make Jack understand it.
"I see. That's good news," Jack added with an insincere smile on his face. J skipped his comment and continued looking at him as a hungry seviper on a ratata or any other rodent pokemon. He felt quite uncomfortable under such a look. It was obvious that she was pressing on him in such a way to make him get out of her room. Jack quickly came up to a conclusion that if his commander was in good health she would kick him out very quickly by force. So he was grateful that this time he wouldn't suffer from a physical pain. Her facial expression was getting on his nerves, but still, the young man decided to act decently. At least in order to prove himself that he knows how to keep his tongue and communicate with people he can't stand.
"Not much of a talker, huh?" Jack tried to continue.
"Why should I spend my precious energy for conversations with someone like you?" Arrogance and coldness was heard in the young woman's voice.
"Of course you shouldn't. The thing is, I thought that you might feel a bit bored since you have nothing else to do, but lie and examine structure of ceiling. I just wanted you to spend your time, let's say, in a more entertaining way."
"How sweet of you," J commented in a scornful way, not impressed by his speech at all. She was mocking at him. Again.
Jack gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. How did she dare to be so ungrateful?! From the corner of his eyes he noticed a smirk on the huntress's face. She was definitely enjoying making fun of him.
"Ok then..." He noisily breathed out air of his lungs and massaged his temples. "Let me know when...IF you'll be willing to talk."
J defiantly turned her head away from him and closed her eyes. Jack silently exhaled ans gritted his teeth. "That's for the better" Jack thought to himself. "At least I won't feel that cold glare on me. Why the heck am I doing this job? Why me and not another henchman? Am I the only one who is capable of listening to her harsh comments?! Why is that for?!... Ok, stay calm, you do your duty and that's it. You'll be free after finishing your task, Jack, so come on, just a little more...Darn, what for did I need to suggest her to have a conversation?
All because I felt sorry for her, that miserable she looked when she wasn't awake. Haha, and you really believed she would be nice and defenseless. What were you thinking about that second, Jack?! Damn, I can't believe how stupid I can be sometimes...Well let's hope she decide to enjoy silence and won't involve me into any things connected with her."
J closed her eyes and tried to relax. Finally she wouldn't see his face. She could think about anything she wanted and nobody would disturb her. She could even sleep, if she wished to. However, it was easier said than done. J was used to living alone, and now the presence of someone else in her room sitting on the edge of her bed made her tense. She just couldn't relax while he was there. J noisily huffed and turned her head to another side. The coppery taste of blood in her mouth was getting on her nerves too. She needed to get rid of it as soon as possible. The taste made her feel sick. J opened one eye and searched for a glass of water, but it wasn't on the table near the bed. The only way to get a glass of water was to get up and go to the kitchen. J tried to lift her body from a pillow a bit, but helplessly flopped back with dizziness and piercing pain. Well, maybe she could go without water. Of course, the taste of blood wasn't the best, but it was bearable. With all strenght J tried to persuade herself, thinking over convincing arguments, but the taste was getting stronger, and with every minute she was getting even more sick of it. J deeply sighed. As much as she hated to think about it, she had to do it.
"Could you please bring me a glass of water?" J muttered, wrinkling her forehead and closing her eyes, as if admitting her little defeat.
Jack indifferently looked at her and got up from bed. In a few minutes he returned with a glass full of water.
"Thank you," J weakly muttered and tried to sit up, but it was a hard task for her. Her coordination was bad, head dizzy, all body trembled. J tried to sit up, but it always ended the same way - she flopped back because of the pain and dizziness.
"Ahem...I know that you cherish your independence and like to do things on your own and I shouldn't disturb you with my useless support. Besides, I do only things that I'm ordered or asked to do, and I didn't hear you saying anything about helping you and I finally DID draw a conclusion for myself and it's your problem, you should solve it on your own, as you always like to do... But this time, please let me help you," Jack gave the silver haired woman a warm smile. No matter was she going to like it or not, he just couldn't look at this anymore. Jack put one arm behind her back and gently pulled her, helping her to sit up. J, whose head immediately started to spin like crazy, heavily leaned to his shoulder. With another free hand, Jack took a glass of water and brought her to her face, but this seemed to be too much for J. With shaky hands she wrested the glass out of his hands and took a few sips from it, spilling half of the liquid on blanket. When she finished, Jack gently took the glass out of her hands helped her to lay. J didn't thank him and hastily closed her eyes, as if trying to forget the horrible experience.
Deep inside J wanted to scream and shout. She gritted her teeth in irritation. She couldn't say anything to him, she had nothing to reproach him for. He had been gentle and caring and he offered his help to her. And indeed, she needed it and they both knew it. Still, J was tortured by a feeling of awkwardness. How could it be, that she, the infamous hunter J that could bring to life the most difficult task, was so helpless that couldn't pick up a glass by herself? She had never asked anyone for help, so the feeling was new to her, and so far, she hated it. But more than anything in the world she was bothered by one question. Why? Why he genuinely wanted to help her? Why was he so kind, attentive and caring to her, who never showed any of the feelings towards him?
Jack looked at J in a state of compassion. Not only her pale face and shallow breathing was nourishing his feeling of pity. He could easily guess how she felt inside, so didn't get offended that she didn't thank him. His hatred again, was gone. He felt sorry for a woman, who apparently never saw anything good and true in her life. For a second he felt that he had never felt hatred towards her and like she had never tried to cause him pain. To his surprise he caught himself thinking that he could gladly help her and take care of her if she only let. J opened her eyes and with unfixed gaze looked at the black-haired man. Jack felt his heart sinking. J was looking like she was going to say something important to him, to confess something. It seemed like she finally wanted to talk to. Jack smiled and gave her an encouraging look.
"You can't stand me, right? C'mon, we both know it," J said with a smirk, teasing the black-haired man. Jack sweatdropped and hung his head in disbelief. This was the last thing in the world he expected.
"You're not too forthcoming either," Jack replied with a wry face, his fit of ruth instantly fading.
"So, you're admitting that you can't stand me?"
"I'm admitting that this is a two-sided feeling. But I think it's better than telling white lies and pretending to be friends."
"Can't but agree with you. So... if I bother you that much, why don't you leave me? There is plenty of work to do, why cling to this one?"
"I still want to live," Jack replied and gave the infamous poacher a gloomy look.
"Ahhh, I see the story about the poor guy, who's been driven to the edge of sanity, spreads faster than I think. Don't worry, I can tell you a little secret - I eliminate only those who possess valuable information and can harm me if they reveal anything to the police. Your name takes the honourable last place in this list," J said with a smirk.
"You think it's fun to hurt and insult people, right?" the black-haired man asked with some sort of sadness in his voice. J sniffed and let out a chuckle. Jack ignored her reaction and looked at her with eyes full of pity. "Have you ever thought that all your suffering is the price you pay for causing so much pain?"
"Yes, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. I do what I do, I am who I am and I'm not going to alter anything. And if my current messed up physical condition is the pay, well, let it be. It's ok for me to pay such a price."
"I'm sorry to hear that you really think that way."
"If you're trying to make me feel guilty forget about it. The whole situation is simply ridiculous. The only one who feels guilty is you. Exhibiting yourself as a decent law-abiding man, but at the same time committing crimes? You reason about consciousness, but your words don't match your actions. That's really a shame. And it could even get worse if your family and friends get to know what you are doing. You don't want to disappoint them, right? Oh, and if they learn, that would be such a disgrace for all your decent and righteous relatives, that they won't hesitate to send you to a nice place called jail. But of course, you are not looking forward to the trip and decide to stay with me. You have nothing to lose and all you can do is to get on my nerves and utter morals in order to awaken my consciousness. I have to warn you in advance, that I'm not a good listener and if you want to preach you should find another place and another public. But of course, as you said before, your conversation is meant to entertain me, so I guess I should praise you give you a cookie," J finished her speech with heavy sarcasm, which made Jack boil inside. "You have no right to judge me."
"I never tried," Jack replied, feeling cold inside because of menacing tone of the speaking woman.
"Good to hear. It's better not to push your luck. For your own sake," J warned him and deviously grinned. The silver haired woman felt her body becoming stiff and tried to change her posture, but accidentally put too much weight on her arm. A piercing cascade of pain ran through her body and J angrily grumbled.
"Damn it... damn everything..." J muttered under her breath in a state of deep irritation. However, not only her health state caused this dissatisfaction. Predicting the answer in advance, the silver-haired woman still decided to ask the question. "Have you contacted the client and set off the deal?"
'I have no idea, as you could notice I spent all the time there. But that shouldn't worry you much, you should relax all these days," Jack gingerly said, trying to avoid revealing any information he knew.
"Are you kidding? When I return nothing will be done! You hear me? Absolutely nothing!" J erupted in anger.
"Can you stop thinking about your precious work even for a millisecond?" Jack asked, annoyed by the reaction of his commander.
"The client mustn't suffer. He has to get everything done in time. This accident mustn't influence the whole process. Otherwise, it will be unprofessional from my side and can harm my reputation," J said in a firm and steady voice and Jack saw seriousness in her light blue eyes.
"If you care for your professionalism so much, you should have performed better at the mission and shouldn't have done so many useless things. I shouldn't point you, as you perfectly know by yourself that you overkilled with setting everything on fire. It wasn't necessary at all," Jack commented with a grave face, but J noticed sparkles dancing in his eyes. He was trying to mock at her.
"I don't do anything without a reason."
"Of course. The purpose of this action was to raise your self-esteem and to nourish vanity. And back to the subject of professionalism, if you were thinking more about the mission and not about how to show your perfection and power, you would notice that it was a very windy way. So there's no wonder, that when you were riding, the poisonous sting hit you. And what is more, the owner of the absol was a top coordinator and a champion of many contests, so there's no wonder his pokemon were more powerful than average."
"If you're that smart, why don't you become a boss instead of me?" J's lips twisted in a smirk.
"I think I'll intently miss this exceptional chance," Jack grinned, meeting the glance of ice piercing eyes.
"And this is all you could take out after three years of studying aeronautical engineering at university in Floaroma town. Interesting, what could five months of work in auto repair teach you? Oh, forgot to mention your work as a bartender for two weeks in a pub... and two months of wandering, trying to find a better life," J casually noticed, intently looking at the ampule with liquid attached to her arm.
"How do you know?" Jack's jaw nearly dropped from surprise.
"I have eyes and ears everywhere," J smugly replied. "And if you want to know, I know more about each of my workers than you could ever imagine. I know your name, surname, place of living, your parent's occupation, your friend's names, the date you went to school and ...even the cemetery where your grandfather is buried," J couldn't help, but smirk. "See, I could write a detailed biography of any of you"
"I don't believe a single word you said," Jack retorted with some sort of unexpected hatred and aggression. He could hear his heart pounding madly and threatening to jump out of chest."How can you know this?"
"I have my own sources. Are you so naive to think that I can't get access to governmental systems? I use them for many years to dig up the information I need under the nose of police without them even knowing about it. And so this didn't sound as empty words, I can give a fact about you. For example... you got kicked out of the university for not being able to pay for education."
"That's interference in private life," Jack scolded and shot the silver-haired woman an annoyed glare full of irritation.
"If you can't deal with my methods then quit. Or money are stronger than the desire to fight for justice, huh?" Jack saw J suppressing laughter.
"Do you ever get tired of mocking at people?" Jack asked in a mix of irritation and indignation, but at the same time he felt relieved inside. At least J's knowledge about true reasons was superficial and she wasn't aware of the whole story. Less than anything in the world Jack wanted her to poke her nose into his past.
"Do I really seem so bad, mmm?" J asked with mischief sparkling in her eyes.
"I base my opinion on the way you treat people and pokemon. If you would think for a second what cruel methods you use, the answer would definitely be yes."
"And what's wrong with treating pokemon?" the notorious poacher asked with a genuine interest.
"So you're uninterested to hear what's wrong with treating people," Jack, whose jaw nearly dropped at her surprised expression, taunted. J heavily closed her eyes.
"Don't you think you allow yourself too much?" the silver-haired woman hissed through her teeth.
"Now I guess I should apologize and beg your forgiveness," Jack replied, his voice dripping with heavy sarcasm.
"As if my forgiveness meant anything to you," J scornfully sniffed.
"Something's telling me that the moment of leaving your organization is very near," Jack gingerly noticed and glared at his female commander.
"What an insight," J commented with a smirk. "With each comment the grave you're digging for yourself is getting deeper and it's fun to observe this. But straight to the haven't finished, what's wrong with treating the pokemon?"
"And what's right? You have no respect for their lives and you ask me what's wrong! You just think that you can take it away from its home, its family, its friends and destroy its home place if needed. You just think you're the master and the one who would decide its fate, so you just do poaching without any remorse. And I'd better keep silent about the method you use for capturing poor creatures. You just fire that weapon, loaded with some sort of unknown energy, that turn alive beings into lifeless stones. You freeze them and transport to the client and if the client refuses to have business with you, your trofee can exist in such frozen indefinite state for months. And you still ask that dumb question why it is wrong," Jack discontentedly grumbled and glanced at J, who seemed not to be caring too much about his words.
"Believe me, I'm more humane than every poacher, who tries to push pokemon into different cages, rooms, pokeballs and use ropes, shackles and injections to keep them in one place. It can negatively affect the physical condition of the pokemon and therefore reduce its price on black market. My wrist cannon is a sophisticated piece of technology, that allows me to do everything in a more fast, painless and secure way. It helps me avoid the resistance of the pokemon, and everybody seems to be pretty happy."
"Speak for yourself," Jack barked at J, what only made her smile.
"So you think that it would be better to shove pokemon into cages?"
"I'm not trying to convince you, I'm just saying that I don't approve your methods."
"I couldn't care less about your opinion so you could not spend your efforts to utter it," J casually noticed and smirked.
Jack felt himself captivated in some sort of game. There were only two players, he and his female commander. J was obviously enjoying the game and seemed to be content, as she said the finishing phrase which the black-haired man couldn't retort. She was having fun, and to his surprise Jack realised that he was as well. Sharp remarks became a certain language, which was hiding the sense behind the words. Jack started to like having J as his opponent in their oral battle, as each phrase she said appeared to be a challenge. She was smart and provocative, and there was something about her that made blood freeze in veins in a good sense. It was looking like if she was testing him. But what for?
Jack looked back into the grayish blue light eyes and felt a shiver running down his spine. But this time it wasn't from fear. Jack got scared of the new emotion but decided to hold him in hands.
"You know, we both have something in common."
"Like what?" J asked, sounding uninterested, but Jack could have sworn deep inside the woman was dying from curiosity.
"We're both lonely and doing too many wrong things," Jack replied with a sad smile. Even if this was not a thing J expected to hear, she didn't show any sign of astonishment.
"Speak for yourself and don't generalize. The last part of the phrase was an add-on from me," J teased the young man, eyeing his dark chocolate eyes.
"Do you ever perceive seriously things, not connected with your beloved work?" Jack felt smile appearing on his face. J smiled back and closed her eyes, leaving this question without a reply. Jack massaged his temples and ruffled his pitch black short hair. His gaze got again chained to J's arm and he felt his hands becoming limp because of the dark blue bruise caused by a badly made injection into vein and bright red allergic spots scattered all across the arm. A white bandage placed higher than the place of bruise, on the spot where the poisonous sting hit her, was almost the same colour as J's skin. Jack felt a lump involuntary rising in his throat. However, J interfered his again awakening sense of compassion.
"The answer is no, the only things I perceive seriously are the things connected with work. That's why this time I ask seriously - did the client receive the absol?" J questioned with her eyes closed. Jack noticed her forehead wrinkling a bit . Although J was calm and restrained, Jack could say for sure she was trying hard to suppress her inner irritation and indignation.
"I have no idea," Jack said with the most innocent look and faked a smile, but J didn't see it. She was still resting with her eyes closed.
"You're lying," Jack heard a hardness of a steel in the woman's voice. "What happened with the pokemon?" J asked with annoyance, still not opening her eyes.
"Ok, sorry," Jack replied with a quite guilty look. "Um... well... the client cancelled the deal"
"He what?" J jumped off her bed, but instantly fell back because of the overwhelming pain.
"Please, just lie still. Now I understand why doctors didn't want to see you in the hospital. Nobody wants such pain in the neck."
"Have you finished with philosophizing? Maybe you'll finally tell me what happened?" J mumbled crossly.
"The police scared off the client and he refused to do business with us. We offered him to meet at other time and other day, but he didn't change his mind."
J closed her eyes and shook her head, as if trying to shake away the dizziness she was feeling, among with the fact of losing the client and with the feeling of not being able to do anything with it.
"Just don't take this personal and get rid of any thoughts of that kind. It was none of your fault - not yours, not anyone's of the crew members. The client is just a bastard and you can't change it. Everything was done properly from our side," Jack hurried to assure his female commander.
"I can only guess how these freaking idiots built a dialogue with him," J opened her light blue eyes and glanced at the young handsome man, sitting next to her. Jack could see that she was disappointed, but at least she wasn't overreacting.
"I didn't hear their conversation, but I think my teammates were presentable and everything went smoothly and decently. You know, you underestimate your workers, many of them are smarter than you think".
"Well, if an expert says, he knows," J's lips curled in a smirk and Jack had a strong urge to roll his eyes.
"Why am I not surprised by your answer?" Jack replied and smirked back. He just couldn't miss the chance to tease the silver-haired woman. "Then my question to the great guru of carrying out investigation on people's lives - how does it feel to receive, literally saying a knife in your back, from a trusty old client? How does it feel to know, that you haven't done enough research and underestimated him? I guess it's a bitter pill to swallow."
"Seems I'm not the only one who enjoys jeering at people," J smugly smirked.
"I'm not that kind of person who would attack first, I'm patient enough and can close my eyes on many things. You're smart enough to comprehend that my words are the reflection of your words."
J questioningly lifted her eyebrow.
"And don't tell me that you can't recall everything that you told me," Jack said, with some sort of offense and reproach in his voice.
"Shut up," J authoritatively cut their dialogue off and turned her head away.
J grinned and closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep. Why should she spent her precious energy for conversations with her henchman? Of course she did remember every word she said and now to her displeasure she could experience how this felt on her own skin. That man... he was driving her crazy. She hated that cold look full of despise he gave her, hated the way he replied, hated him for his straightforwardness and insolence, but at the same time she felt some sort of respect for showing off these traits. She just couldn't forgive him the way he attacked her in their verbal battle, the twinkle of malice in his dark chocolate colour eyes, as he was trying to insult her. He was biting her and deep inside she knew what it was for and admitted it was fair. Her head was about to explode because of her physical condition and now in addition to everything, because of him. J helplessly gritted her teeth and silently groaned. He was just too unbearable. However, the question that captivated her mind was how he could combine such traits as being kind and caring with feeling hatred and the desire to cause pain. Less than an hour ago he was genuinely forthcoming, attentive to her problem and not deaf to her pain. J noisily sighed. She had been hurting his feelings and treating him like rubbish under her feet, so now no wonder it would take time for his wounds to heal. It was pain that made him act that way and attack without waiting to be attacked. Maybe he was right, and they had more in common than she though?... J stretched in her bed and tried to sleep. She had to recover as soon as her much displease, she found out again that she couldn't sleep. She could barely lie with her eyes closed. And it was not because she was afraid that the next sitting man would hurt her or cause her any sort of misfortune. It was just inner tension, that captivated her all body and made every muscle go stiff and prepared for action. J understood that her behavior was irrational and illogical, but she couldn't do anything about it. She had been alone for too long and she had probably forgotten how it felt to be with other people. To talk to them, to be near them, to feel their presence. She had become wild and unwilling to communicate with the rest of the world, hiding her thoughts and emotions deep in herself. J nervously fidgeted, vainly trying to get rest.
"You're so tense, just relax. Listen to your breath, listen to your heartbeat and feel the serenity enveloping your soul,"Jack, noticing this uneasiness, caused by his presence, began, but was cut off by a sharp look from his boss. The black-haired man felt a chill running down his spine. "Relax. I know you don't like people, but I don't bite," Jack gave her a smile
"A few minutes ago you proved otherwise," J glared at him and her lips curled into a smirk.
"I don't bite without a reason. So if you at least try to pretend that you're on your best behavior, I guess I can be nice with you."
"You're not in the position to do me a favour... I would like to see you in my shoes, when you were in a room with a stranger," J helplessly scolded her fate in despair.
"But we still know each other a little bit, right?" Jack asked, trying to cheer her up. J didn't miss a chance to roll her eyes.
"Ok, you know everything about me, but to be aware of biographical facts doesn't mean to know a person. It's a deeper idea, to know his traits, habits, thoughts, something very personal. Bet I can tell something about you without doing any investigations?"
"Go ahead," J said, sounding intrigued.
"Let's begin with the fact that you're secretive. Very secretive. I'm speaking about the bullet-proof glass door with a 5-numbered digital code in the corridor, leading to your room. Your doctors gave me the numbers, so I could enter," Jack said, eagerly awaiting to hear J's reaction.
"It is rational to provide yourself with a certain level of security. Do you think it would be right if everyone had access to my room?" J lifted her eyebrow.
"According to what I heard, half of the crew knows the code and are often guests in this room at evenings. And I won't believe that you change the code every time one of your numerous lovers leave the room," Jack said and evilly smirked, hoping to make J feel embarrassed or at least see her denying this fact.
"Looks someone is really jealous and envious. It always hurts to watch those who are having the time of their life and realize that such small things of joy are absent in your life. But it's your problem, not mine. We deviated from our subject. What else can you say about me? " J indifferently asked, so far not impressed by Jack's deductions.
"Should I tell you that I have never seen such a bitch and won't probably see in my future life? Arrogant, egoistic, shameless and heartless bitch..." Jack thought, wrath boiling inside him. Howsoever he wanted to say these words aloud, he decided not to pay attention to her provocations. "All I'm trying to say is that you're secretive. I'm more than sure, the books on the shelf above the table contain blank pages or different information from what is written on the covers."
"Of course you didn't miss the chance to check it and delve in my personal belongings. Have you opened my wardrobe and checked what colour and size of underwear I wear?" J said with venom in her voice. "You're not the first and not the last person who is searching for something, no one knows what, in my room."
"Don't flatter yourself, the only person who is interested in what colour and size underwear you wear is you and only you. Other milliards of people perfectly enjoy their lives without possessing such valuable information. And if you want to hear, I didn't open anything and it's only a guess of mine. I just thought that if I were you, I wouldn't keep any important valuable things in such easily accessible place. And the assortiment of what you were reading, was kinda... strange. I will never believe that there's a place for history books, love stories and language dictionaries in your life."
"What's wrong with the subjects of the books? Maybe I like to read on my leasure?" J casually asked.
"Maybe, I'm not trying to deny it. I'm just saying a more likely variant. But the manual of how to use an oven throws on certain thoughts. Can't remember seeing that device in your kitchen," the black-haired man teased, giving the woman a challenging glance.
"Threw it away two months ago. It is none of your business where's that damn oven," J grumbled in dissatisfaction. "Do you have anything else to say?"
"I can bet you have at least two guns in your apartment" Jack smirked, glancing over the whole room, as if trying to predict the place of the weapons.
"Three," J smirked and Jack saw pride and self-satisfaction glittering in her grayish blue eyes. The young black-haired man rolled his eyes and massaged his temples. J was getting too paranoid at times.
"You're one of few people who can be proud of their perfect memory. It seems that you like the language of numbers. They are everywhere - the codes on the door, the number passwords to computer systems... even your henchmen have their numbers" Jack looked at the patch that was sewed to the shoulder of his dark gray uniform. Number 87. And I'm only 87. Not a person, not a part of a team, just a number. With no name, no past and no future, with no destiny. Kind of sad," Jack thought aloud. "But I do understand, that this makes it easier for you. Name is still very personal, and a number is a soulless symbol. You have no bond with people-numbers, and if you lose them, you couldn't care less about it, as you lost one of a hundred, a faceless worker. What should happen to a person so that he started to regard other people this way?" Jack asked with sadness in his dark brown eyes.
J only smirked. "I understand that you still can't come in terms with a thought that I won't cry because of you, or because of any other henchman, but face it, that's life. I can't let anything to interfere into my life and distract me from my work."
"Have you officially proclaimed your work as your spouse?" Jack couldn't skip his tart comment.
"Only if your Majesty will give his permission to me," J retorted in the same sharp tone.
"Speaking seriously, you're a workaholic. Your work is your obsession, you can't live without it. Years ago you worked for the money, now you work only to work. To see a kaleidoscope of events rushing beneath your eyes and to experience the intoxicating feeling of adrenaline every day. Every new mission is a challenge, that you gladly accept. It's like you try to prove something to yourself, that you can do this, that won't fail even this time, that you're always perfect. You drive yourself till the edge of your abilities, but at the same time till endless exhaustion. And you know it by yourself. You would like to slower the pace, but you can't, that way you'll lose everything you've been working for this hard. You would probably like someone, call it a right hand, an apprentice, whatever, who could do a part of your job. But the thing is, you can't find the right man, as you're not trusting anyone. And with women it seems that you have hard relationships," Jack concluded.
"A woman aboard is a bad sign. The only exception is if she is the commander," J replied, avoiding giving a direct answer.
"You can't find a common language with girls, right? Why is this so? Is this because you got betrayed by your best female friend or because you don't like to share men's attention with other candidates, hmmm?" Jack teased the silver-haired woman. J rolled her eyes.
"If you haven't still figured it out, I can have any man I wish by a snap of my fingers. But, at one point you're right. I don't like to share with anyone and I'm speaking not only about men. I want the thing, whatever it can be, to belong fully to me or don't be mine at all. I don't approve middle. Everything, or nothing, that's my credo."
"Isn't it hard to live with such life position?" Jack asked, meeting the gaze of his commander.
"So far I wasn't disappointed with it," the infamous poacher calmly replied. "Have you finished? If so, I'm not impressed at all. You could do better. You imagine yourself to be the greatest detective of all time, but I must disappoint you, that almost all of your deductions were wrong. You know me to the extent I let you know me."
"Of course, and I'm not going to convince you. Everyone has his own truth. But "almost all" gives me an encouraging hope that I wasn't that bad," J saw sparks dancing in dark brown eyes of the next sitting man and hardly suppressed a desire to hit him.
"You're going too far and getting on my nerves too much. You'd better shut up or you'll get a bullet straight to your head. My gun is always next to me," Jack heard the menacing voice of his commander, but didn't give a damn about it.
"Have some pity at least to your classy bordeaux carpet. I think you wouldn't like to see it stained with blood and brains," Jack joked, giving the hunter a funny look.
"I could live with it," J gloomily replied, understanding that feeling of anger was releasing her.
"Ok, ok. But please relax, just these three days. Then I let you kill myself at any time and any place as well as any way you like. But now, just rest," Jack gave J a warm smile, that made her heart skip a bit. Her face was impenetrable, but if only anyone knew what storm of emotions was inside her. The infamous poacher felt her feverish mind wildly racing, her hands becoming sweaty and shaky. J hated to admit, but she was... confused, by how this man told all these things to her. How on Earth did he figure it out? Although Jack didn't say anything out of order, J felt as she appeared naked in front of him. He was like a spy in her life, who didn't take part, but watched from side and gathered all the facts together. He was intelligent and managed not only to collect information, but to draw right conclusions. He was smart and observant and had a sharp mind. If only she could get him. Get his full trust. He could be the perfect apprentice, the one she had been searching for so long. He's not like other idiots she helds. He is suitable for other sort of work. No, she won't fire him, she will promote him. His personal traits could make him a perfect supervisor. At last she found someone who could understand other people and foresee their behavior. Someone... like herself.
Jack looked at the young woman who was staring somewhere in front of her with an unfixed gaze, as trying to recall something. Trying to make her snap out of this state, Jack decided to ask her a few more questions.
"How's your wound?" Jack asked, trying to change the subject.
"On the same place as it should be," the silver-haired woman replied negligently.
"What?!...I'm serious, J."
"I'm mistress J for you," Hunter J replied and gave him the smirk he had seen so many times today. The man noisily breathed out and ruffled his hair. His commander tended to be too unbearable sometimes.
"Ok, then I'll rephrase my question...Does your wound hurt?"
"Yes," J replied calmly. Her look was now telling to drop any further interrogation and Jack only now noticed the tired expression of her eyes.
"And...?"
"Nobody died from pain yet. I don't want to get a addiction from painkillers, it affects the performance of the whole organism in a negative way."
"Of course it's better to torture yourself and to prove everyone around what tought person you are," Jack said with sarcasm.
"Do you offer me to start complaining aloud and crying over my fate?" J asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Please save me from this and keep this exciting show for someone else. I'm just trying to say that there's no need to be that tough and... spiky and scare by such behavior everyone away. Showing weakness makes you alive in other's eyes and show that you're the same as other people, that you have the same feelings. When you share your pain with somebody else, it hurts less and you recover faster. It becomes your mutual pain, that you split into half. While comforting each other, people become kinder and more caring and can find a common language with a person they thought they could never be friends with. Sometimes it happens to discover, that a person who you don't know at all is dearer and closer than a member of your family. Have no idea if it's good or not, but family ties don't always mean the same as spiritual connection and mutual understanding," Jack replied and fixed his eyes in anguish on the classy wine colour carpet. Suddenly he felt as lonely and meaningless as never. J didn't bother him and just kept silent. He had no idea why she did so, but he was grateful to her. She gave him time to gain control over his emotions. When he was back to normal restrained state, he peeked at his mistress. J was thoughtfully examining dancing lines of light on the ceiling. Soft glowing pink rays of evening setting sunshine played on the walls and the ceiling, whirling into quaint shapes. Such thing could only be seen for a few seconds,as with each moment the light faded and the evening was getting closer and closer.
"Has it ever occurred that you found someone who would understand you better than your family?" J asked all of a sudden and questioningly looked at the young black-haired man, sitting next to her.
"This is very personal... but I will answer it. So far no, but after what I've done I don't know whether my family will ever forgive me. Maybe I have burnt all the bridges and there's no way back for me to their world. Some things can never be brought back. It's like a door that opens only in one direction. I don't know if there's a handle on that door, that could let me out of the criminal world I entered," Jack nearly whispered. J noticed shattering pain, enveloping the dark beautiful eyes and their owner. A chill ran down her spine and she felt a heaviness pressing somewhere on the left side of her chest. For a second the silver-haired woman got scared of despair and sorrow that radiated these eyes.
"They're your family and will always be there for you. They will always be waiting for you and they will just be happy to see you alive. I'm more than sure they will forgive and understand you," J uttered nearly in a whisper.
"May your words be true. Sometimes it's hard for me to cope without my family members. Not physically, but mentally. It's hard to fight the loneliness with nobody by your side... Do you miss your family?" Jack sluggishly asked. Only now he noticed how exhausted he was after all today events.
"When you don't have it, you can't miss it," J replied, changing her attention back to him from curls of light on the ceiling.
"Sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to make you pain," Jack replied, feeling himself a bit guilty of asking such a question. A heavy pause, as if someone had died and alive had no clue of what to say, filled the air. Jack felt that he had gone too far in his questions and touched something J didn't want to be disturbed. "She must have been through many things in her life. It's not surprising then that she's so tough and emotionless." He quickly looked at his boss, who was staring indifferently at the ceiling.. "Poor thing. Nobody ever carried about her. So how can she be warm and caring?..."
"Hey, when's your Birthday?" Jack asked all of a sudden, coming up with an idea how to shake off the heavy feeling of melancholy.
"What?!" J exclaimed in genuine surprise. It was the last question she expected. Jack smiled at her startled reaction.
"When is your Birthday?" he gently repeated, still smiling at her.
"What's the difference?" J asked him with irritation, giving the black-haired man a cold look. She wasn't feeling quite comfortable, answering such intimate questions.
"Just want to know, if you don't mind, of course"
The huntress deeply sighed and precisely eyed the next sitting man. What for did he need to know the date? Should she tell him?
"December 8, if that can tell you something," J muttered in a slight confusion, not sure if she had made a right decision.
"It definitely can, thanks," Jack forthcomingly smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. J didn't answer his charming smile and kept staring at him, her feverish mind still trying to find a rational explanation to his actions.
The pause was broken when one of the doctors entered the room. In his mid-forties, tall and plump, dressed in a white robe, he brought with him the specific smell of hospital. Jack hated the smell of medicine, so winced his nose and involuntary turned away from the physician.
"So, how're you doing? Jackie, what a pleasant surprise to see you still alive," the doctor joked, which caused Jack to let out a nervous chuckle and J to roll her eyes. "Sorry for my words, miss J, next time I'll be more attentive with what I'm saying. How do you feel?" the doctor put all jokes aside and his serious demeanour returned to him.
"Much better, thanks"
"May I examine your wound and see how it heals?"
J silently nodded and didn't show any sign of protest. The medic untied the white bandage on the woman's arm and thoroughly examined the place of injury. He pulled one of the bottles out of his bag and cleaned the area around the cut. The injury was obviously sore and caused its owner pain,as J tightly closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
"Now it will hurt a little. This shot will make you get well faster, reduce pain and neutralize the left poison. Moreover, it will also calm you nerves and help you fall asleep faster. You look very tired, you need to have a good sleep," the doctor stated, changing the ampule with medicine in the drop counter to one with a dense bright orange liquid. "Seems like you have a strong allergic reaction. But nothing too serious, you'll just have to get more intense treatment. Two more days in bed with these medicines and care of this nice guy will make you like new."
"Could you save me from his presence and better inject a double dose of medicine?" J asked with a wry face, what made the doctor burst into laughter.
"No, this guy is in the prescription for your treatment as well as the medicine. So whether you like it or not, you'll have to accept both injections and him being there."
"Have to say that injections are a much more pleasant thing," J replied, wrinkling her forehead and dreading the next two following days in advance.
"What have you done to our miss J that she would better pin a needle in her body that stay with you?" the doctor asked, not even trying to suppress chuckles.
"I can't sleep because of him sitting there and staring at me. It gets on my nerves," J grumbled and shot a glare full of irritation to Jack.
"Thanks to this wonder of chemistry, the problem with sleeping is now solved. But if you insist, I can release him for a night, but tomorrow at 9 o'clock be prepared to meet again. The injection," the doctor waved an empty ampule of medicine in front of J's face, "works for a certain period of time, so when you wake up you'll see him again sitting next to you. What's wrong, miss J? Are you feeling sick?"
"Just leave. Both of you" J's steel voice was cracking from irritation, that she didn't try to hide. Why couldn't she just be left alone?!
"Ok, come on, Jackie. Looks like miss J isn't very happy about the decision I made and the less lucky of us may fall as a victim of her devastating anger. Have a good night, miss J", the plump doctor muttered under his breath, pulled Jack out of the spacious room into the brightly lit corridor and hastily shut the door. Nevertheless, Jack still had time to see the grave face of his commander and feel her cursing everything in the world look fixed on him. The news of having a round two in conversations with J didn't drive the black-haired man into ecstasy as well.
Jack dejectedly dragged himself through numerous halls to his small and stuffy room with a small narrow window near the ceiling. Finally, he reached the door with a number 87. What a coincidence, a person-number living in a room-number 87. Jack vainly searched for a key in pockets of his uniform and noisily breathed out, understanding that the key wasn't there. It had probably fallen out of his pocket while he was in J's room and Jack flinched at the thought of returning back. Sleeping on the cold tile flooring didn't make him excited as well, so Jack slammed the right side of his body with all his force into the dark blue door of his room. Slimsy mechanism made a piteous creak before breaking, the door flew open and Jack fell on the floor in his room. Massaging his shoulder, he got to his feet and somehow managed to close the broken door. Damn that key. Tomorrow he'll have to inform the workers that he had broken the door and then search for his key in J's room under accompaniment of harsh remarks of his female commander. The black-haired man quickly changed his clothes and buried himself under a blanket. Opening his eyes, in the darkness he saw an awfully designed washing basin half a meter away from bed and heard the annoying sound of leaking tap. This was getting on his inflamed nerves. If only he could live in such a cosy room as J did! The door of her room wouldn't just break from a minor kick. Jack heavily sighed, turned on the other side and today events crossed his mind. The conversation with J was running in his head for numerous times, and he couldn't get rid of her voice in his ears. "Interesting, what tomorrow brings? It's not that I'm eagerly waiting for the meeting with her, it's just I'm curious on how far this can get. At last I was speaking to someone smart and sane, and if to close eyes on her harsh remarks, the whole communication could be even called pleasant and entertaining... She's actually strange and ill-tempered, but it's not her fault. She had never seen anything good in her life and.. Wait, am I trying to acquit her in my eyes? Ok, let it be so... 8 December... I should remember that date...there's something about her, what drives me crazy...tomorrow 9 o'clock...mistress J..."
