So not all is perfect in the Pit, of course not! No person is perfect! Just a little more of the day-to-day before things begin to happen.... As always thank YOU for reading my stories, and please review and tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you would like to see, and what you think is going to happen! This storyline right now stands at over 28,000 words already written, so there's plenty yet to come!

Chapter 3:

Snake Eyes sat lotus style on the floor of his room. He'd managed to dismiss both apprentices without being jumped in the hallways, snitched a sandwich to eat alone in his room, and now intended to finally relax his body properly. Dressed in only loose cotton pants, he was breathing slowly through his nose. There was just enough free space between his small desk and his bunk for him to settle in to meditate. Achieving the relaxed state for proper meditation was difficult tonight. Scarlett seemed to always find a way under his skin, even when she didn't get upset. He rolled his neck. He cared for her deeply, and they normally did quite well at balancing the relationship with being teammates and his being her teacher in the dojo.

He shifted his weight about a little bit and settled into stillness. Pond in sunlight... field without wind.. stones in sand... his inner peace slowly spread, relaxing his body and allowing his thoughts to still into the meditative state he sought.

*Knock knock knock* He ignored the noise. Still water... reflecting sunlight...

*Knock knock knock* He opened one eye and looked at the inside of his door. If he didn't go open it, the person would probably leave. He closed the eye again and concentrated.

*Knock knock knock* He sighed and got up fluidly. Plucking up his cloth mask, he slipped it over his head and opened the door. Scarlett stood there, hesitantly giving him a half smile.

"Hi." He blinked at her. "Ahh... is it a bad time?" He shook his head and stepped back, letting her into the room. Reaching around her, he scooped the books off his bunk and waved her towards it. She perched on the edge of it, while he turned his chair around to sit.

*Good evening* She fiddled with the edge of the blanket.

"Good evening to you too. I'm umm... I'm... Did I interrupt you doing something?" He shrugged.

*Nothing important. What is wrong* She looked at her knees a moment.

"I just.. I'm sorry about in the gym." He gestured to make sure she was paying attention and signed.

*It is fine, you don't like to not be the best, I should have phrased it better* She shook her head.

"No, I mean.. I'm sorry I turned my back on you. It was really rude, and hurtful. I did it because I didn't want to... well.. listen to you." He sat for a moment and she continued. "I really didn't think at all how it would.. it would be hurtful to use your.. I mean.. take advantage of.. ahh.. to.." She suddenly let out a huge breath, frustrated. He leaned towards her and gently touched her knee.

*You did not think how it would point out my disability.* She nodded.

"I just.. I sooo do NOT think of you having any disability. I honestly don't.. you're just... you're so frighteningly competent at everything.. and I guess I didn't think how it would just point out the one thing you can't do." She looked at him and smiled. "Why are you wearing your mask?" He reached up involuntarily to touch the edge of it. "You know it doesn't bother me." She knew that she was one of the few he would allow to see him, and even so, he would refuse when he was moody. After a few seconds, he pulled it off, looking away as he folded it on his desk. She smiled at him again. "Better. It's hard to read your expressions under that thing."

*I don't like you having to look at my face* She shook her head. *No. Don't. I have a mirror, and I know how horrible I look.* He frowned, the scars twisting grotesquely. Her hand reached out to cover his on the edge of the cluttered desk and she smiled as his expression gentled.

"You never look horrible to me. And... and I will remember not to act like a big jerk." He laughed silently, the short pants of air the only sounds to show his amusement.

*Until you get angry at me again* She grinned and mock slapped at him.

"Until I get angry again. But you can remind me again then, after you wipe the dojo floor with me... again." His laughter continued. "Sooo.. tell me how the mission went.." She curled her legs under her as he signed the short report to her. His hands so gracefully shaped the information out of the air, conveying so many nuances of the situations to her, that she wondered that anyone thought talking was so superior. Finally he wound down.

*And Hawk was upset that I took the extra day to report in. I guess I should have taken the civilian plane. I didn't know he was in a bad mood though." She nodded.

"Yeah.. he's been on a tear lately. I think it's budgeting and dealing with the Jugglers again. There's a couple of the big wigs on the board that just spend their lives trying to think up ways to raise his blood pressure I think." Snake Eyes nodded and watched her lean back against the wall. "While you were gone, Flint took a few of the guys and they took out that annoying installation Cobra was running in Nebraska." Snake Eyes looked surprised.

*The pig farm?* She laughed.

"That's the one. I gather there was a lot of hand to hand, and everyone came back and burned all the clothing they were wearing. It was fragrant, worse than BeachHead on a hot day." That made him laugh again.

*BeachHead is a good guy.* She held her nose.

"Yes, he's the best drill sergeant ever.. but he can stink worse than a platoon of motorpool grease monkeys." She watched him roll his eyes. Despite the fact that BeachHead took personal exception to the ninja breezing through most of his obstacle courses, the two sergeants got along famously well. She supposed it was being instructors for the Joe team, and being responsible for training them to keep themselves alive. It bred a camaraderie. Scarlett did some hand-to-hand training, being the second best at it in the unit. She patted the blanket beside her. "Are you really fond of sitting in that chair?" His crooked smile seemed shy and he moved to sit beside her on the bed. She grabbed his pillow and stuffed it behind him and then scooted over to sit back against his chest. "Much better. I need a stuffed ninja to cuddle with when you're gone on missions." He softly chuffed at her, pretending to be insulted. "Well, it's lonely when you're not here." He reached around her to sign in front of her, resting his chin on top of her head.

*You have a roommate, you can talk to Lady Jaye* She jabbed his ribs with her elbow. *Ow* She giggled.

"It's such a funny sign when you say 'ow' in sign language." He smiled and closed his eyes.

*I made it up. Apparently most mute people don't have the blazing need to express their pain often enough for a good 'ow' sign* She laughed with delight.

"You make up a lot of signs. Remember when you called Duke a ... what was it?" He chuckled with little silent puffs of breath.

*You mean a 'chair brick leaf'. He stayed confused for a week.* She grinned.

"Yeah.. if it wasn't so long, I'd say you should have made that his name-sign." He pulled her in tighter to his chest, hugging her gently. "Mmm.. I love you." He made the sign against her belly.

*I love you* She purred with contentment. The signed affection seemed somehow more than mere words. Her eyes closed and she relaxed in comfort in his arms.

Breakfast time:

"Is that ham or spam?" Snake Eyes peered through the sneeze guard.

*I think it might be pineapple* Scarlett snorted at him. The disinterested cook slopped some of whatever it was onto her plate. *You eat it and tell me how vile it is*

"Gee thanks. What are you having?" He pointed. "You can't eat just eggs." He shrugged and took his plate, pointing at the bread. "Oh... eggs and TOAST. You need to eat more than that." He shook his head at her, and nudged her side with a elbow to move her down the line. "I'm serious." She reached to set a bowl of fruit on his plate too. "No, you eat that too." He sighed at her. "Don't sass me or I'll make you eat the spam.. err.. pineapple too.." Smiling as he gave a mock shudder, she picked a table at the edge of the room, and pointedly didn't look at him while he ate. It was hard enough to get him to eat in the messhall with everyone already. If he thought people looked at the small amount of his face exposed, he'd go back to eating in his room all the time. She jumped when he rapped the table with his knuckles.

*Do you want anything else?* She shook her head and he walked his tray over to the pass through to the kitchen. When he came back, he set a pint of milk in front of her and raised his own in salute as he reseated himself. *You should drink more milk, it's good for your bones.* She made a face but opened it up.

"Coffee is good enough for breakfast." She chewed the last bites. "I really think you were right about it being pineapple... and that's a really scary thought." He clucked his tongue in amusement.

*I should break one of Roadblock's legs next time we spar, then he would be on cook duty for weeks* She gasped in fake horror.

"I'm telling him you said that!" He shook his finger at her.

*Don't you dare* She shook her finger back in imitation.

"I will tell, and then he will be so grateful, he'll let me have some of his infamous german chocolate cake!" She could detect the deep scowl through the facecloth as they left the messhall.

*I will steal half of your cake and thus profit from my misdeeds.*

"Like you could steal cake from me! How are you going to steal something that valuable from under my nose!?" He skipped a step ahead and turned to sign cockily at her.

*I'm a ninja* He suddenly dropped into a dramatic martial arts pose, then bounced up and moved out of her range. *I'm told we can steal all sorts of things from under you gaijin's noses.* She laughed loudly and waved.

"You're outrageous. I'm off to the offices, gotta compile the intelligence reports. See you later." He lifted a hand and walked away down a different hall to the lifts to head up to the obstacle courses aboveground.

"Sergeant Snake Eyes." He trotted across the finish line and turned to look at the greenshirt standing there. "General Hawk wants you in his office." He nodded at the young man who gratefully disappeared before he could be dragooned into the course by the approaching drill sergeant.

"Ninja my fat butt! My granny could have crossed that footbridge faster! What's wrong with you Snake Eyes? First you send those no account apprentices out here, and they take all danged day to get it right, now you go meandering through it yourself! Gotten all soft from hanging out with the girls too much?" Snake Eyes rolled his eyes. "Run it again, and this time don't lollygag around!" He signed that he needed to leave and BeachHead shouted at him louder. "I don't care if General Hawk himself wants you, you'll run this course again!!" The ninja took just a little relish in his reply.

*It is General Hawk* BeachHead sputtered at him.

"Well... gole dang it!! Fine! You'd just be slowing down all the rest of these worthless louts!" He strode off, already yelling at the next hapless set of Joes gamely making their way through the razor wire and across the series of rickety boards. They both knew the commando had done the course in record time, but the drill sergeant would never admit anyone was doing one of his courses with ease. On occasion he managed to slow the skilled ninja down enough to mollify his pride. The rest of the time.. he just yelled a lot.

End of chapter 3:

What's Hawk want? Is it time for action? Maybe so? Maybe no? Review and let me know how it's going!