A/N- Shout outs to my Ro (Ro Chyo), for being damned awesome! ^^ Love ya!

~~
.:.Lyssa*Proudfoot.:.

... Do you guys know how hard it is to actually get someone to help me with this plan? Frankly, I don't see the danger in trapping them in an elevator. We trapped them in a freezer, for godssakes! But I digress. So the elevator thing won't pan out. ...Next good idea? I grinned to myself, laughing slightly. Ryan's looking at me warily from across the room, but I shook my head. "Nevermind, I'm fine." He blinked before going back to his own business. Anyway, the next plan, you ask? Why, stranding, my dear Watson. I mean, when you live in New York and are on a mission to the right-hand-corner of the middle of nowhere to save some starving soldiers... people can be left behind accidentally...

~
.:.Jane*Proudfoot.:.

To be straight with you, I don't like this at all. It's too early for Neil to be back out here, even if we are just going to go out there and get some people and come right back. He's pale... is he always that pale or am I overreacting? Maybe I'm just making up excuses because I have barely been in the same room with him for the past week, but sitting back here for a half an hour is a half an hour too long, especially considering Gray's busy talking to Aki, who came along, and Ryan keeps to himself mainly unless his ear catches something that interests him, or someone talks to him. Which leaves Neil and I, and unless Neil feels compelled to talk to Serge, I'm the lucky victim. What am I supposed to say, anyway? No one else is talking, and silence will seem weird to them!

... Christ, listen to me. I think I just had a breakdown, then realized I usually stay quiet during these things anyway. And would you believe Neil's giving me this smug smile, like he knows what I'm thinking? ...Does he?

Fuck you, Neil, you dweeb. You'd probably be living in your mother's basement if you weren't in the MF.

... Huh. Obviously he doesn't. But now I know there's something wrong with me because as soon as I finished thinking it, I wanted to kick myself for conjuring up something that evil to say to him. I don't know what he's doing to me, but I know it started happening thanks to a certain SOMEONE. And I know EXACTLY who it is, too. ... ... Aki Ross... Damned doctor thinks she can meddle in everything, but you know what? I'm not some stupid plant or animal who is gonna save the world, and there's no need for her to stick her nose in our business.

"Our" business? Is it just me or have I been getting slightly mushy with Neil and I and pretending we're this lovey-dovey couple just because he's having some luck with playing the right cards. I closed my eyes, since the only other option was to stare at him or out the window. The first I wasn't stupid enough to do and the second didn't interest me. I opened my eye to look at my watch. 28 minutes and 35 seconds. Great.

~
.:.Neil*Fleming.:.

Something's up, I know that much. Jane's been avoiding me more than usual. Friendly banter was dismissed with a turn of the head, and I have to admit that it's reminding me of when we just met... God, I don't want that. She was so hard to reach back then, and if you think she's a hermit now, she was completely impenetrable before. And if she absolutely has to be in the same room with me, she moves as if I'm watching and as if she knows that she'll drive me wild. Of course I usually am and she does... She keeps glancing at me, but I know she's not going to say anything, because if her eyes aren't on me they're either looking at the Cap and Serge, closed, or looking at her watch. Why did that watch look familiar? ... I never bought Jane a watch for any holiday... There was that Valentine's Day I bought her that bracelet... of course, I've never actually seen it on her, but I caught it on the dresser in her room once... I grinned to myself.
"...Why do you keep smiling?" The angel herself spoke up, slightly glaring.
"Why, jealous I'm thinking of other women?" I grinned again.
"...Not really. It's just getting a little annoying." She stated, and I frowned.
"Jane, the playing hard to get thing is getting a little annoying, but you're showing no signs of stopping anytime soon." I moved to sit next to her, and smirked when she sighed. I took her wrist, looking at her watch. It still looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. "You still have ten more minutes with me, sweetie." I grinned at her.
"Unfortunately I've noticed, Neil." ... Wow... I just got away wi- "And *don't* call me sweetie." She glared, and I smirked, nodding.
"Sorry peaches." I squirmed back over to my old seat before she could hurt me and struck up a conversation with Ryan quickly. I will also admit, however, that the constant flirting is definately fun.

~
.:.Gray*Edwards.:.

I'm not sure about this... Why I'm listening to a thirteen year old on matters of the heart, I have no idea... she could get half my squad killed in five minutes, and I still trust her. It's got to run in the family, is all I know. I watch Jane and Neil step off the Copperhead and the other soldiers getting on. I even catch Jane's eyes before the hatch closes, without the two inside. I could blame it on technical problems, but like I said, Jane's eyes met mine, which means she'll know I'm lying, and Neil would question the codename of such a problem. As the aircraft flew away, I watched them fade out of view, and can't help feeling a sense of guilt and responsible for leaving two of the youngest in my company behind. Ryan nudges me.
"They'll be okay." He says, but I can tell by his face that he's worried too. Neil looked pale on the way over, and now I just dumped him out there with nothing but land for a good ten miles.
"We should go back." I stated, but by the time I said it, we were more than halfway home. What was it with me and this obsessive disorder to put my friends in immediate danger?
~

.:.Jane*Proudfoot.:.

...Great. It was this whole big scam to strand me in the middle of nowhere out here with Neil, who's even paler now, if that's possible... . I grabbed his arm and helped him straighten up.
"We'll have to walk to a town." I stated, happy I had left my armor behind. Neil had done the same.
"Yeah... so which way?" He questioned, and I closed my eyes, trying to think. No one had so much as looked as a map on the way over, And I didn't even know what state we were in.
"Any idea where we are?" I asked him.
"... No..." Have I mentioned he looks REALLY pale? I think I have, but I'm starting to worry.
"Are you okay?" I asked him after we decided on a direction.
"I'll be fine." He stumbled, and I caught him.
"That was a 'no'..." I muttered, putting my arm around his waist as he put his arm around my shoulders. I took his hand to keep his arm over my shoulders.
"You know, Janey..." I ignored the nickname as we walked. "Under different circumstances... This'd be very... ro... romantic... of you..." I forced a smirk so he didn't see how much his condition was bothering me.
"Yeah, I'm sure..." I dragged him along. The ground was hot and the few times we fell I thought I'd end up with burns on my hands from pushing us up.
"Jane... Just... leave me, you'll get there faster... yourself." I looked at him.
"I'm not leaving you behind, Neil..." He glanced at me sadly.
"It's the only way... we'll get help... before nightfall..."
"Then we'll just have to walk AFTER... nightfall."
"Jane..."
"I'm NOT leaving you behind!" I said, looking into his eyes. "I can't..." Our eyes met, and we drifted closer to each other with each breath, our lips about to meet when a male voice broke through the silence.
"Well whadda we have here?" It was rugged and rough around the edges, and went back to only supporting Neil to look at the owner of the voice. About 10 men were behind him.
"Shit..." I muttered under my breath. I could take down at least four if they were unarmed, but with Neil down, chances of me being able to take down the other six alone were slim. Two of the men started to circle us, and I tightened my grip on Neil for a split second before they grabbed us, holding knives to our necks. I struggled, but it only got me a tighter grip that made me grit my teeth and a blade inching closer to my neck. I glanced at Neil, who looked very unnerved by the everything.
"Let him go." I growled out, and their "leader" looked over at me.
"Did anyone ASK you, Princess?" I glared, and I noticed Neil's weak glare. I also noticed he was getting worse and sweating more than I was. In short, he looked like he was on his death bed.
"He's SICK." I said, annoyed.
"Well, I think we can get a nice ransom for you." I felt my pocket, cursing that we were unarmed. "Eh, boys?" They cheered stupidly.
"Well, *boys*... Hate to burst your bubble, but I doubt it..." I said to them, keeping them busy and looking at my face as I pressed the button on the small beeper in my pocket, through my pants. It sent waves out to any MF base or ship within reach. It was a modern day SOS, and though I usually snorted at it because everything was hi-tech, now it was saving my life. ... Neil's life, anyway... ... And it would only save *his* life if we were close enough to a base, because if it didn't hit the sensor at the unit, then no one would know and come save us.
"So how much do you think your mommies and daddies will be willing to pay...? Three mil...?" He asked as I looked up at the sky, wondering briefly if Aki and Gray would come back.
"Praying to your God we'll let you go?" Leader asked, and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm really not scared of you, so I don't see the point in praying to anyone's God anyhow." I said simply.
"Not scared... you've got guts to say that, missy."
"Well, you really... really have a bad strategy... if we had rich parents what the hell would we be doing out here?" I questioned. Leader opened his mouth, and I smirked. "Wait... can you read?" They glared.
"Are you questioning our intelligence?" Leader asked.
"No, I was just wondering if you realized we're in the military... And..." I paused, and at the last minute grabbed the guy's arm, twisting the blade away from my neck and then moving behind him, twisting his arm behind his back. "I can do that, then report you all out here and have someone come take you away." Grabbing the knife, I held it to the younger one's neck. "You really should think more before you attack." 'Hypocrite,' I thought to myself, and a glance at Neil told me he was amused by me, of all people, saying that. When we're in danger I usually just stike without thinking... ... No... There's a difference. Whether I had thought it out or not, it worked.
"Let him go, or this one dies." I said, glaring at each of them.
"Please... you think we care about one casualty?" Leader was pissing me off. He circled me. At the last second I let the young boy go and grabbed the leader instead. The younger one was shaking so much he fell to the ground and shimmied over to the others as I pressed the blade to Leader's neck. A chorus of gasps came from the crowd.
"Maybe that's your problem then." I said, then glared. "Let. Him. GO." I said sternly. Now they obeyed and let Neil go as a ship appeared overhead. That had been a nice little visit...
~
.:.Gray*Edwards.:.

I sighed out loud to myself. It figured that something I did to improve a relationship ended up endangering the people involved. Aki looked over at me, touching my face.
"They're fine. They'll be home soon." She said, smiling sweetly at me. I nodded slowly, and kissed her. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without her here to cheerme up. Sure, I had my squad, but there was nothing wrong with having a female companion... Er... that might offend Jane... your *own* female companion... We broke away when we heard someone clear their throat, and I looked up to see the elevator had stopped and the door had opened. Neil was on a bed, grinning though he looked as pale as the sheets, and Jane was by his side smirking, a pad and a pencil in hand.
"Hey, Cap, you're doin' okay, I see..." Neil grinned at me, but I couldn't help feeling even worse when I looked at him, with his eyes barely opened and the sweat rolling down his face.
"Hey, Neil... Jane... how are you two?"
"Eh... I've been better..." Neil smirked. Jane nodded politely. Obviously she knew, but hadn't told Neil. I wouldn't have either if he had been in this condition.
"Okay..." Jane said suddenly, holding the pad up in front of Neil. "One word, three letters." She said outloud when he blinked at it. He smirked.
"Please, try something hard on me... I may be bedridden but I'm not stupid..." She grinned mischeviously at him, and he grinned right back. It was nice to see, actually, the two able to have fun without beating each other. "Uh oh..."
"Okay... One word... Eight letters." She grinned, biting her tongue between her teeth as she did so. I smiled lightly as I noticed for the first time Jane's true feminine air, how innocent and fun-loving she really was under the hard demeanor, how ... delicate ... she really was when you came right down to it.
"Hm... O." She smirked.
"No..." She scribbled something on the piece of paper.
"R?"
"Yeah..." He started grinning.
"G?"
"...No..."
"A?" She smirked.
"Yeah, two..."
"S?"
"One... Would you mind not spelling out sex words, you little freak?" He smirked, and I caught on to what he had been spelling and rolled my eyes.
"What are you two doing?" I questioned. Jane's suddenly cold eyes met mine, and I did my best to stare right back at her.
"Playing hang man, because Neil here needs constant attention and amusement..." Jane finally said something to me. Neil smirked.
"Hey what can I say, losing and seeing that little stick guy with x's for eyes and his tongue hanging out as he swings from a crudely drawn gallow amuses me." Jane rolled her eyes.
"Morbid freak..." She muttered.
"Well, Neil, as soon as you're feeling better we'll go."
"I'm fine, Cap..." Neil said. I was surprised when Jane spoke, and didn't say 'Not like he'll die... and if he does then I'll be lucky because I won't have his blood on my hands!' like she did that one time... I grimaced slightly. At least no one else had been around to hear that...
"Neil, you have a fever, and you're white as a ghost, you're not fine..." She gave him a look. He smirked at her.
"Oh, Janie... so glad you're worried."
"Yeah well I dragged you half-way through the middle of nowhere... Not so you could be an ass about it... we'll go back when you look better." I glanced at Aki, who smiled, amused. Apparently it hadn't been the desert that bonded them, but the trip to the unit and the hospital stay...
...I should trust Alyssa more.

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Wow... *squints* This has to be the longest chapter ever... or at least it has the longest section? I dunno...

Thanks to Terra (Ovo) for her help, and for amusing me! ^______^ *hugs* Beepy Beep Beeper...? (Beepy!)

Jess... *stumbles off, tired*