Longer chapter, as promised. Read, enjoy and please please please review! Hugs and butterfly kisses, ravenclawdancer4999

From then on, the two kept their pact. Julia attempted to be patient with Krayonder and Krayonder tried his best to be a good student. Amazingly, they managed to tolerate each other quite well when they weren't biting each others heads off. However, their conversations never seemed to stray from tutoring until one particularly frustrating night roughly a month later.

"I can't do this," Krayonder groaned, "I'll never remember all this for my engineering test next week!"

"Yes, you will," Julia replied calmly, "You just have to work for it."

"I'm not like you," he shook his head, "I'm just stupid." He buried his head in his arms in shame and frustration. Julia paused for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"…Krayonder, you may be a lot of things," she admitted, "But stupid isn't one of them." The private looked up from the table, looking halfway amused.

"You know, I think that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me," he chuckled.

"I think you might be right," she mused, the slightest trace of a smile flickering across her lips, "But if you want to pass that test, we'd better get back to work." A week later, Krayonder came running into the library, waving a paper excitedly.

"I passed!" he yelled enthusiastically, putting the paper down in front of her. A bright red C plus was written in the corner of the exam. She looked at the paper, then back up at Krayonder, looking at his proud grin.

"Well done," she nodded, "However, I still think we can get your score higher."

"But I already worked so hard just to get the C," Krayonder complained, "Come on, Specs!"

"Specs?" Julia raised an eyebrow. Her immediate thought went back to the day she first met Krayonder, and he had mockingly called her by the same name

"Sorry, it just, came out," he admitted, looking halfway apologetic, "That's just the nickname I have for you; I guess it stuck after that first day. I won't call you that, you know, if it really bothers you."

Julia paused for a moment, looking curiously at Krayonder. No one had ever really called her by a nickname before, unless you counted Nicole calling her 'Jules.' A month ago, she would have dismissed the name immediately, but now, she wasn't so sure. In all honesty, what had shocked her most was Krayonder apologizing for something and actually taking her opinion into consideration. Maybe in the absence of his rude remarks and her spiteful comments, he was a somewhat bearable human being and she had never noticed. She considered her options before speaking again.

"How about we make another deal?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"I will let you call me Specs, but only if you can get at least a B on your Calculus test on Thursday."

"But that's only three days away!"

"Then I guess you had better start studying."

Julia didn't realize how seriously Krayonder took her advice. He studied constantly; during meals, before he went to sleep, even between training sessions. Four days later, Krayonder waltzed into the library, a grin on his face. He slid a paper face down across the table.

"Read it and weep," he smirked. Julia picked up the paper and scanned the top. It was Krayonder's Calculus test. A dark red ninety-three percent was circled in the corner. He had gotten an A.

"Excellent," Julia nodded, genuinely happy for him, "See? I told you if you just applied yourself you could do well!"

"You've got to hold up your end of the bargain," he replied smugly, "I get to call you Specs now."

"I suppose I'll just have to get used to it," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

Julia hadn't expected what came after; within a few weeks, not only was Krayonder calling her Specs, but the entire crew as well. The nickname simply stuck and strangely, she didn't mind as much as she thought she would. In fact, she hardly ever thought of herself as Julia anymore.

A few weeks later, Specs sat at her desk, working diligently on her latest project. Biting her lip thoughtfully, she continued sketching on the blueprint. A series of loud knocks startled her, causing her to drop her pencil before she got up and went to her door. Pressing a button, the air-locked panel slid open.

"Krayonder?" she said, looking befuddled, "What do you want?"

"You gotta hide me," he begged, glancing over his shoulder frantically, "If she asks, I'm not here." Without waiting for an invitation, he barreled into Specs' room and dove behind her issued army cot.

"Who?" Specs called after him, slightly disgruntled, "Now you listen to me, you can't just come barging in here without-"

"Have you seen Joseph Krayonder come down this way?" a nasally voice cut in, making Specs jump slightly.

She turned back to the door, only to be met face to face with a female ranger, hands on her hips and looking very cross. Specs sized her up; her first impression was, blonde.

"May I ask who wants to know?" she responded slowly, trying to block the doorway best she could.

"I'm his girlfriend," the blonde replied, pursing her lips impatiently, "And I need to talk to him."

"Well, I haven't seen him," Specs lied unconvincingly, "He certainly isn't in here."

"I could have told you that," she sniffed, looking Specs up and down before stifling a laugh and walking off down the corridor. Only once he was sure she was out of earshot, did Krayonder crawl cautiously out from behind the bed.

"So I, see you've met Stephanie," he smiled weakly.

"Charming," Specs grimaced, "Is your girlfriend always that pleasant?"

"Ex-girlfriend," Krayonder admitted sheepishly, "She doesn't quite understand, that we, wanted different things."

"You broke up with her?" Specs said incredulously, "And you're running?"

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"May I ask why you broke up with her in the first place?"

"She's annoying."

"That's it? Then why did you date her?" This last question seemed to fluster Krayonder slightly; he looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I don't know," he shrugged, running his hand nervously through his hair, "It gave me something to do."

"So you're saying you never actually liked Stephanie?" she replied, crossing her arms, "You just decided it would be acceptable to play with her affections until you got bored?"

"No that's not it," he stammered, "It's complicated and-" Specs had heard enough; she walked over to the cot and grabbed Krayonder roughly by the shoulder, pulling him up with a surprising amount of strength.

"Get out," she growled.

"Specs-" he pleaded

"Out."

Just when you thought things might be starting to get better between them...