"Diana?" North asked whilst pinning down Tex who was slowly losing the desire to fight.
"North Dakota," She returned, eying him.
"You two know each other?" Wash sat on the sidewalk rubbing his now, thoroughly bruised buttocks.
"Diana's been trying to be a freelancer., North explained, not really answering the question.
"Oh well that makes sense. All the freelancer girls are overly aggressive bitches," York said beside Tex who shot him the stink eye.
"With a performance like that I'm surprised she isn't one already," Wyoming said sore from hitting the hard concrete.
"You're doing good," North commented as she rounded on him again, swinging another hit to his jaw.
"Good won't get me a spot on the team, I have to be great," she replied, spinning and aiming a high kick to his helmet, which he caught and shoved her back with.
"Don't get worked up about it then, keep a cool, level head and focus on what you can do," he responded blocking her punch.
"I've got a lot riding on me," she breathed.
"I know, and you're going to get through it, I'll help you," he said, slowing down.
"I know," she sighed, stopping.
"Take a break, get some water and come back with a clear head," he ordered and she nodded, walking away.
"So being a freelancer is your way of being close to your family." North continued.
"Yeah, well my dad mainly. I never really new my mom. She died when I was just a baby so I never really knew her, I'd like to get to know her now though. And, I want to defend the families. So many people out there with nobody because this fucking war tore them apart."
"Sounds like a pretty noble reason to me." North said putting a hand on her upper back.
"You know, if you're looking for extra bodies, I'd be more than happy to help out with your training," York offered.
"Yeah, me too," Wash jumped in, looking at the blonde girl in front of him.
"Hey, she said she wants to get in to Project Freelancer not end up like Georgia," York laughed, clapping Wash on the back.
"Why will nobody tell me what happened to Georgie?" Wash whined.
"Wait, what happened to Georgia?" Diana asked, looking between the two men.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know," York replied, shaking his head.
"I really do though," Wash responded, crossing his arms.
Diana laughed and shook her head, walking ahead with York who was catching up to North. The skinny girl followed along behind the crowd, making sure to give a wide birth to the other blonde girl she'd just gotten into an all out brawl in the street with.
"I'm not going to bite you, you know," Tex grumbled, stepping closer to the younger, skinnier, girl. Diana stepped to the side and meekly nodded, not making eye contact. "I'm not!" She yelled, looking at the little woman beside her.
"Suuure," York leaned in, laughing.
"Oh fuck off York," she shoved him away.
"So, you didn't really know your mom?" Tex fished, learning down to look at her smaller companion.
"No, not really. Sometimes I think I do, a flash of blonde hair or a laugh but it's nothing. I'm confused, it was a long time ago. Sometimes, sometimes I even remember someone else, I know my father is my father, there's no doubt in that, but I swear, I swear there was some other man. But it's a faint memory and it might not even be real," Diana explained and Tex just nodded.
"Maybe you are confused, or maybe you do remember it and it did, whatever it was, happen. You'll never know, I wouldn't stress over it," the older woman replied.
"Why are all you guys so nice? Like, I just met you," Diana asked, shaking her head.
"I guess you're just lucky," She laughed and walked away to Wyoming.
"So what's your deal with this Diana girl?" York asked, looking at his friend.
"Yeah, she looks barley on the side of legal," Wash snorted, pulling off his grey and yellow helmet.
"Shut up Wash," York shook his head. "You're like what, 19?"
"Yeah so, I'm not the one in question here," the younger soldier argued.
"She's just a friend," North responded. "I'm helping her out because she's exactly that, a friend," he shook his head. "Honestly, what kind of guy do you think I am?"
"Hey, she could be a model you know, I wouldn't be so quick to just pass her up," York replied, earning a overly hard punch to the upper arm. "Ow, hey, I was just kidding."
"Honestly, you two are something else," North shook his head, heading for the showers.
"So, if you're not interested.." York started, grabbing a towel and heading over to the showers himself. "Can I go for her?"
"I imagine if you try she'll bust out your other eye," North responded. "Plus, I thought you had that thing going with Carolina."
"Man, I don't know what's going on with Carolina," York said, turning the nobs to the shower. "I thought we were really hitting it off at Club Erra, but she doesn't seem that interested now we're at the project."
"I'm sure she's just got a lot on her mind, trust me, she likes you," North assured his friend, rubbing shampoo through his blonde locks.
"Are you saying that because you think it's true or are you saying that because you don't want me to go after that Diana girl?" York joked.
"York!" North yelled at his friend from his cubicle, throwing a block of soap over the wall at him.
"Dude, you drop your soap?" York laughed. "You know what they do to guys like you in here?"
"This is the army not prison," North shook his head.
"You say potato.."
