I wasn't sure I was going to add this pairing (Tseng/Elena) when I first started this. It seemed a natural development from "Betrayal and Redemption", but at the time, I didn't know how it was going to work. Now, it just felt natural. I don't know how much time we will spend with them yet, but I hope you enjoy this bonus pairing, and I hope I get them in character.
There are references here back to a conversation they had in "Betrayal and Redemption", but it is paraphrased, so it's covered in the event that it doesn't ring a bell.
Italics were used to voice Tseng's thoughts. I don't think I've done that in a fic yet, but it seemed right; let me know if it doesn't work.
Enjoy.
fire mystic
New Developments
"Who authorized time off for Reno?"
Tseng looked up from the ghostly glow of the computer screen he was studying. Rufus was becoming pushier by the day, not even bothering with small courtesies like knocking on doors.
"I did." He answered, his voice so calm, as usual, giving away nothing of what he was thinking.
"Why?"
Tseng clicked out of the file he was studying as Rufus closed the distance between them. Until he found what he was looking for, there was no need for Rufus to know what he was looking into.
"He has time coming to him and he asked for it. I saw no reason to deny him."
"What about the training he's supposed to be doing with the new recruit?"
Ah. So that's what this is all about. Fortunately, Tseng had been prepared for this, thanks to his Turks pointing some things out to him.
"He asked for two days, Rufus. It's hardly enough time to worry over, and will certainly not negatively affect training. In the meantime, I will have the new recruits work through simulations and with the other Turks. It will be good for them to experience a variety of techniques." He was very careful to generalize, avoiding the mention of Dara's name specifically, though he knew that was the recruit Rufus was referring to. Why he was giving special consideration to Dara, Tseng wasn't sure, but he thought it better to keep his cards close at this point.
Rufus studied Tseng for a moment, the eye contact uncomfortable, but Tseng did not flinch away. Rufus smiled. It was an evil, cruel smile. Tseng hated it when he smiled like that, but at least it gave him some warning.
"Tell me, Tseng. Does this time off have anything to do with that girl he's been shacking up with lately?"
Prepared as he was, Tseng had to fight not to wince. Rufus actually sounded pissed. Why? Because Reno was involved with someone? Because Rufus didn't like Bryn? And why was he making it sound like Bryn was just another anonymous lay? Rufus knew Bryn's name, knew the girl, although not well, and was certainly aware of the circumstances behind Reno and Bryn being together, though he didn't know the particular details. So what was the problem?
He decided ignorance might be the best policy.
"I don't know, Rufus. He didn't specify why he needed the time. He said it was important, and I assumed it was personal. Would you like me to find out?"
Rufus shrugged. Tseng didn't like that gesture, either. Despite what he had been through, which Tseng had hoped taught the man a valuable lesson or two, Rufus was acting like a petulant child lately.
"No. Don't bother. Two days. That's it. After that, all personal time has to be approved by me."
Tseng hated to ask, but he had to. "Is that just for Reno, Sir, or for all the Turks?"
Rufus considered briefly. "All of the Turks. Including you, Tseng."
Tseng watched him leave; the first thought that came to his mind? He was locking his office door from now on.
His cell phone rang, and he glanced at the screen; Rude. He flipped it open.
"Yes, Rude."
"I'm on the range, Tseng. I think you need to come down here."
The connection was lost, and Tseng stared at the screen for a moment before heading out the door. What the hell is going on?
There was no one on the observation deck of the range, or out on the catwalks. Rude should have been there; he was supposed to supervise while Elena worked with the recruits. Tseng quickly traversed the catwalk, inspecting the range beneath him, and finally caught a flash of light in the sun; Rude's glasses. Back to a wall, edging his way cautiously, Rude was carefully but urgently signaling to Tseng to cut the training short. Making his way to the sound panel, Tseng picked up the microphone, turning it on and turning up the volume.
"Attention all training personnel: Stand down. You are under immediate orders to cease training activities and clear the range. I repeat stand down and report to the staging area immediately."
He waited a few heart beats, and then repeated the announcement. He was worried; Rude was still being far too cautious on the range, moving as if he expected to be attacked.
Turks and recruits began to arrive at the staging area from various divisions of the range, but when Tseng arrived, his eyes searched out three people in particular. Dara strolled casually off the range along with two other recruits. There didn't seem to be anything wrong; they were chuckling and whispering among themselves. Rude was a few seconds behind, immediately making his way to Tseng's side.
"We need to talk."
"What happened here?" He was still searching, the one person that concerned him most still not accounted for.
"I have no idea," Rude gritted out. "But we're not talking about it here. Not now. We need to find Elena."
What the hell? "Find…?" Was that panic he heard in his voice?
"She went down during the simulation and I lost her." Rude was already moving back onto the range, his previous caution unnecessary now that it had been cleared. Tseng dismissed everybody else, ordering them to closed quarters until further notice.
"Are you sure you don't need some help, Tseng? What's going on? Is someone hurt?"
Dara was approaching him, but unlike the other recruits, who looked puzzled and nervous, Dara was relaxed, her stride easy.
And she was smiling.
Tseng went cold inside. It reflected in his expression as he narrowed his focus on her.
"Closed quarters, Dara."
Her smile brightened. "Of course, Sir. Just thought I'd offer a hand."
Tseng considered himself a very generous person. He tried to be considerate and level-headed at all times, but he was failing miserably as she strolled away.
"Your inability to follow orders will be noted in your file," he informed her, and then followed Rude onto the range.
They found Elena out cold inside a small shed-like structure, blood smeared across her face, blossoming from a cut within a darkening bruise on her face.
Tseng dropped to his knees beside her, pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket, dabbing gently around the wound to soak up the blood and keep it from running into her hair.
"Elena." She didn't open her eyes, but he was relieved when she groaned and rolled her head. Rude bent to lift her, but Tseng brushed him away. Picking her up and cradling her to his chest, he made his way out of the range and across the compound, bypassing the medical bay on the way to his office.
By the time he placed her on the leather couch, she was starting to come around. Holding her head, she tried to sit up, but a gently placed hand on her shoulder kept her in place.
"Relax, Elena. You've been hurt. Let me take a look at it."
She blinked, clearly disoriented, and took in her surroundings.
"What happened? How did I get here?"
"I was hoping you could tell me that." He went to retrieve a small ice pack from the small refrigerator. "I brought you here. I thought it would be more comfortable than the medical bay." He wrapped the ice pack in a cloth and placed it on her cheek. "Hold that there. I'm going to get cure material."
Lying there with nothing to do but wait and try to ignore the throbbing agony in her cheek, Elena managed to sit up and survey the room. Why had Tseng bothered bringing her here? Yes, he was right, it was more comfortable than the medical bay, but that would have been the much easier option, and not only for him. This felt like he was taking care of her, and her heart ached that it was nothing more than concern for one of his Turks and not something more. At least she could have avoided that deceptive feeling in the medical bay.
"You really should be lying down." He approached through the open door that she hadn't heard him open, attesting to how out of it she was. He guided her back onto the couch and perched himself on the edge to administer the cure.
"It's not much, but it should close the wound and keep you from scarring. Do you remember what happened?"
She could feel the cure working through here, and the tight pain in her cheek lessened a bit, as did the pounding in her head.
"I got hit. Blindsided. One minute we were going through the simulated mission, and the next everything became serious, like it was real. A bullet hit close, startling me, and lodging in the wood. When I looked at it, I realized it was real, but we were supposed to be using blanks on the range. I had just let Rude know that something had gone wrong when everything went dark."
Tseng took a small packet from his coat and ripped it open, pulling free the alcohol wipe from within. Carefully moving her hand with the ice out of his way, he deftly removed the last traces of blood that marred her face.
"I'm going to investigate, but I have a feeling I will find nothing of use. I'm looking into a couple of things, but until I find something concrete, I think we should all stay on alert."
"We?"
"You, me, Rude, and Reno. Especially Reno, I think."
He had been concentrating on what he was doing, so much so that he just now caught the way Elena was looking at him, and how close she was.
He remained as he was.
"What is it, Elena?"
There was something so tender in the way he was administering to her wound, some subtle difference in his close presence. Could she dare hope that there was real concern in his eyes, concern that went beyond a boss taking care of one of his Turks? Did he realize how intimate his actions seemed?
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
Tseng blinked, slowly. "Have I ever not been nice to you, Elena?"
"No, Tseng. You're always nice, but distant. This feels very…informal for you."
He was intent, his eye glittering, softening around the edges, and then he dropped his head so she couldn't see his expression anymore.
"You once spoke harsh words to me, Elena. Words that suggested I have no sympathy for others feelings because I have none of my own."
Her breath caught and her heart twisted in her chest. There was real pain in his voice. She had said that thinking he would think nothing of it. This was the first indication she had of how deeply she might have hurt him. The small sound made him look up at her again, studying her face, her lips pressed together, the curve of her cheek, her eyes.
"I've been haunted by those words." He put a finger over her lips as she opened them to speak. "I do have feelings, Elena. I keep them well hidden, but they are there, and perhaps," he hesitated, drawing a breath. "Perhaps, with you, I don't want to be so distant, so formal anymore."
