Chapter 3 – Hurt

With tears filling her eyes Gine let herself slide against a kitchen cabinet on the floor. She buried her face in her arms. The small letter she still held in her hands. She didn't know how to feel about this. Yesterday was so heavenly with that man; beside that she was free from the army now. But that money, what kind of nonsense was that? She wasn't a prostitute or something like that!

She squeezed the letter in her hand, feeling so cheap and almost dirty. She had lost herself in desire; she had given herself to him and then this? Had he waited to sign until he had just fucked her once? he wouldn't see her again.

Angry, she stood up; she had some self-worth too. Gine pulled a duffel bag from the closet, threw in some clothes and the box. She grabbed her resignation letter. First she returns that box; she wasn't just going to be bought off like that.

She rushed out of her house; first she would bring back the damn box. Gine walked in quick stride and a furious look on her face across the army base. Gine`s thoughts went to last night, Bardock was so sweet and tender. But he was just a jerk just like she expects to be every man!

Arriving at her captain's strategy room, she banged on the door. A loud voice called through the door "who is it?" Gine took a deep breath "It's Gine" she called through the door. Slowly the door slid open.

Bardock sat behind his table in astonishment; Gine took large steps toward him. She looked at her captain sternly and with fluent motion set the box on his table. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked angrily.

The man behind the table stood up and walked around the table. "What do you mean; you didn't read the letter that came with it?" Gine shook her head "Yes, but why are you giving it to me? Do you do this to all the women?"

"What?" Bardock was stunned at the way she was thinking. "What`s in that box gives you an advantage outside the army walls, don`t you get it." Bardock grabbed the box and pressed it back into Gine`s hand. Gine pushed it back "I get it, I am a weakling. But I don`t need your pity!"

The large man set the box down beside him and grabbed the face of the woman in front of him. "Gine, listen to me" he tried to force her to calm down. Gine did become calmer but still looked angry; she didn't want to be angry. Not at Bardock, not after last night.

"Please, Gine! I mean this; if you turn in that letter you will be stripped of everything here. At least this will give you the opportunity to live somewhere decent." Gine`s hands also grabbed Bardock`s face, she didn`t know whether to be grateful or offended.

The small woman sobbed "I want to get out of here, I can't do another mission. But last night, you, me. Didn't that mean anything?" Bardock's heart broke; he didn't know what to say. All he could do was press his lips against hers for a passionate kiss.

With tear-filled eyes, she answered his kiss. His lips were strong, but moved so gently. Bardock let go of her face with his hands and placed them on her hips, steering toward the table. Why did she always have such power over him anyway, she is an enigma.

She sat on the table, his arms on either side of her small body. Gine`s hands slid from his face, down his neck to his shoulders. His body close against hers. Bardock pressed Gine`s lips apart, their tongues massaging each other eagerly. His hand moved to her upper leg, the hunger was back.

They were so caught up in each other that they didn't hear the door slide open a coughing sound brought them back to this world. Together they looked at the door, Tora stood with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "Now I'm sure I'm interrupting something."

Bardock stepped away from the table, away from Gine. "Taro, what do you want?" Taro looked at the box on the table for a moment. "The new mission, we were supposed to go through it together". Bardock sighed "Yes, right. Gine, could you possibly come back in thirty minutes? We'll talk it through further then".

Gine could not believe what she was hearing; she picked up her bag from the floor and looked at her captain. "It was an honor to fight alongside you sir, all the best to you." And with that she stormed out of the room.

Taro walked up to Bardock and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Cap, are you still here?" Bardock looked at his friend, not knowing what he meant. Taro continued "Hopefully now you can get back to fighting fully instead of playing the babysitter." Bardock sighed, he hated this but Taro was right.

The team was better off without Gine. He could fully be the captain again. Bardock grabbed a map from under the table and spread it out. Together they began to go over the plans. It was a lot easier to make the plans, but not to keep his head in the game. He felt, uneasy.

Meanwhile, Gine stood with the general, handing in her signed letter; she also had to hand in her scouter and the keys to her house. It felt so relieving and so tense at the same time. The man said nothing, except the summary of what she had to hand in. She had to leave the grounds immediately; Gine was already prepared for that.

With a pounding heart she walked across the grounds, suddenly she heard a woman's voice calling her name. When she looked back she saw her teammate Fasha. "Are you leaving us without saying goodbye?" Gine sighed, she already felt so stupid partly because of what had happened with Bardock.

"Fasha, hoe did you know? I`m sorry" Gine`s voice was softened. "Girl! I heard from Taro, you are free, that calls for a celebration right? Tonight we are going to the Zero". That was a pub on the base. "Sorry, I have to leave the grounds right away; I am not welcome here anymore".

Without warning, Fasha locked her former teammate in a hug. "You let me know where you are ok, do you still have your scouter?" Gine looked down, "no" she whispered. Fasha grabbed her own scouter and pressed it into Gine`s hand. "Sometimes I just lose something as stupid as a scouter, disappears in a friend`s bag or something."

Gine hugged her friend back. "Thank you" she said softly. With that, their paths separated. Fasha walked towards the army building and Gine towards the edge of the army base. For a moment Gine looked back, was this really the best choice? She doubted for a moment.

When Fasha entered the stratigraphy room there was a strange atmosphere. The captain was grumpy, this was nothing new but he was also a bit absent-minded. Taro searched for eye contact with Fasha, he pulled her to the side for a moment.

Taro stood close to Fasha "Bardock and Gine, do you know anything about that?" Fasha shook her head. Taro continued speaking "I just caught them, making out I mean. She is no longer part of our team now and Bardock is not himself".

Fasha walked up to Bardock and slapped him across the face. Bardock looked angry "What the hell Fasha?" Fasha shook her head. "Why did you send her away? You know it's rough outside the army base. We are a team; we look out for each other. There had to be another way". The captain looked furiously at his underling,

Furious, Bardock pushed Fasha away "because she wanted to, she doesn't belong here." Bardock turned around and was startled to see the box standing there. "Shit" he growled. "What?" snarled Fasha. Bardock sighed "The bonus, she could use it for a cottage or something. Now she has nothing". Fasha walked back to Taro and yelled "Captain you are an idiot!"

Just outside the army base stood Gine, thanks to her ex-teammate's scouter she was able to make a call. On the other end of the line she heard a familiar voice. "Bertha, I need your help" said Gine cautiously.

An hour later, Gine was sitting with her old friend. Bertha was also an orphan just like Gine. Bertha had managed to be adopted by a butcher and his wife who could not have children. Bertha was small, chubby, and had short straight hair up to below her ears. She was a few years older, but they were friends from the start.

"Of course you can stay here for a little while, but you have to help me back in the butcher shop. Since father passed away it is hard work, I could use some extra hands". Gine jumped up and grabbed her friend's hands; she didn't know how to express her gratitude.

That night Gine laid down on a bed, but she couldn't sleep. Her heart felt so broken. She was so happy but so sad. She turned on her side, she felt stupid, but why? Then Bardock popped into her mind, tears stinging her eyes. She had given herself to a man who had only one love and that was fighting. But then again, he was so gentle with her. She was confused,

Meanwhile at the army base, Bardock sat on his own couch with a boring meal from the canteen. He had no desire for people around him. Normally a beer in the army pub the Zero was fun. But now he didn't feel like it. He wasn't even hungry; as captain, he had made a good choice. But was this really the best choice? He worried about Gine, was she even safe?

These two, what a pair! He's trying to act tough and she doesn't understand him either.

As already expected there will be another chapter of course.

Xxx Vino Lilly

Ps: The Zero is a pub I used to go to.

PS: Bertha is also the after of a type of bell pepper.