Adjustments

"You know," Lexia mused, "when...um...Commander Myers agreed to this, do you suppose he had this exactly in mind?"

"Knowing Dad," Alice answered, sounding rueful, "probably."

"Cadet Collins, Cadet Myers; this isn't supposed to be nap time! Now get your sorry asses off those mats and try again." Taylor's voice was strident, echoing through the gym.

Lexia moved her head to look at Alice. "Do you suppose she knows?"

"Huh?" Alice met her gaze. "What?"

"That this is our fault," Lexia explained.

"I'm waiting!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Alice returned.

Resigned to the inevitable, Lexia slowly rolled to her feet, aware of Alice following suit beside her. Their 'opponents' for this exercise, two absolutely huge Silver Guardians, stood just opposite them. Both looked sympathetic.

Taylor, on restricted duty thanks to the shoulder wound she'd incurred when the East Hills training centre was blown up, glowered at them in such a way that Lexia was almost positive the older woman knew exactly who had orchestrated that explosion.

"Again," she snapped. "And this time, see if you can keep your sorry asses off these mats for more than thirty seconds."

The two Silver Guardians started to move forwards in attack.

"Here we go again..."

~*~

Rick fought the urge to fidget as Foster gave him a critical look before nodding.

"You're unlucky," Foster said eventually. "You've got a very rangy build and you're not quite sure of yourself. You're awkward -- all arms and legs -- when you move. In a fight, or on patrol, that could cost you dear. Which is where I come in."

Rick nodded, embarrassed at hearing himself described that way, although Foster was not unsympathetic.

"What I'm going to do," Foster continued, "is teach you how to move." So saying, Foster gestured Rick to move out of the way. "A lot of people," he explained, "walk with a bounce." So saying, Foster walked across the training room, an exaggerated spring in his step.

Rick watched, mystified.

"It's not a problem," Foster elaborated, "but it makes for a lot of excess movement, particularly if you're built like you are. And on patrol, particularly hostile patrol, that can be deadly. So you need to learn how to move without presenting a nice, fat target."

So saying, Foster walked back across the training room. Rick couldn't put his finger on what was different, but the whole motion was far more controlled, graceful, almost dance like and yet it flat out looked predatory.

"The trick," Foster explained, "is to keep your body still -- from here to here." And Foster indicated first his shoulders and then his knees. "Or as still as you can keep it. You almost walk with your knees together. Give it a try."

Rick gulped. Help!

~*~

John looked from Barbie to Gina and back.

"You're kidding."

"On the contrary," Barbie answered, folding her arms. "We don't 'kid'."

"But...but..."

"You have a choice, Cadet Myers," said Gina. "You can either opt to learn office management or field medicine. Your choice."

John gaped. This couldn't be happening! He was a fighter. Was supposed to be a Silver Guardian trainee...and they were telling him he had to learn...

"Cadet Myers," said a commanding voice behind him, "courtesy of the information implanted in your mind, there is very, very little that basic training would teach you." John didn't need to turn round to know his father was irritated. "But you are far from a qualified Guardian. And seeing as you've now wasted a good twenty minutes of this session, Guardian Hines, he's all yours." Eric paused. "Ms Miller, would tomorrow morning suit you for starting your course?"

"What?!" John exclaimed. "But..."

"Silence!" Eric's tone brooked no argument. "Consider this your final warning, Cadet Myers. One more step out of line and you will be doing punishment duty." John gulped. "Ms Miller?"

Gina smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow will be fine."

"Good. Cadet Myers, you will do two sessions a week on office management and three on field medicine." John said nothing. "Guardian Hines -- he's all yours."

Barbie smiled.

John blanched.

~*~

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Lexia groaned as she dropped down into her seat in the SGHQ canteen.

"Seconded," Alice replied. "I didn't think you could possibly be this stiff and still move."

"Hey guys," Rick offered as he joined them. "Ow -- you look rough."

"Commander Earhardt's idea of 'combat training'," answered his sister with a grimace.

"Beats what I've been doing," groused John as he arrived in time to hear Lexia's response.

"Oh?"

"Still can't believe dad's actually making me do this," John continued, dropping into the one remaining seat at the table.

"Do what?" asked Rick.

"I thought you aced all the physical tests," Alice observed.

"I did."

Their entire first week as Silver Guardians had been taken up by test after test after test which -- so Eric had told them -- would decide what training they each needed. They'd learned the results that morning, and soon after that they'd been split up.

"So?" said Rick. "What have you been doing?"

"Field medicine. With Guardian Hines."

"Ooh -- Barbie," said Alice with a smile. "She's good fun."

"Huh," grunted her brother. "And I start office management tomorrow. What the hell use is office management anyway?"

Lexia snickered. "Typing is a rare skill, Jonno."

John snorted and retreated into his lunch.

"So Commander Earhardt's been tossing you two around the gym all morning," said Rick, changing the subject.

"Not her," said Alice. "She had two class-A giants to do it. She's still on restricted duty because of her shoulder."

"And I think she knows we were responsible for her injury," Lexia contributed. "Either that or she's just a flat out sadist."

"Shsh! Lex -- you might wanna keep your voice down a little," Rick hissed. "She's just walked in."

Lexia paled. "Oh God -- like I wasn't in enough shit with her."

"It's OK -- don't think she heard you," John put in. "Looks like she's sitting down on the other side of the room anyway."

Lexia slumped back into her seat; only to wince as the action upset her assorted bruises.

"So how about you, Rick?" asked Alice. "You can't have gotten off lightly. Not if there's any sense of cosmic justice."

"I've spent most of the morning on my butt cos I can't walk and chew gum," he admitted. "Lex, say nothing."

"Who, me?" she said innocently.

Alice snickered. "Some kinda coordination course, huh?"

Rick nodded. "I kinda need it, I know," he said. "But..."

"Who's that with?" John asked.

"Commander Foster."

"Oooh -- lucky!" muttered Lexia. "At least he's patient."

"I get Commander Earhardt tomorrow," Rick pointed out. Someone started to hum the funeral march. "Har-de-har-har."

"So what do we have this afternoon?" John wondered. "Dad grabbed me almost the second they finished reading out the test results so I didn't get to hear this afternoon's entertainment."

"All of us have blaster practice on the firing range, then we get to finish the day off with Commander Johnson," said Alice.

"D'you know who's doing the blaster practice?" Rick enquired.

Alice shook her head. "Not a clue. Just know that we have to be on the range at two pm sharp."

"Wonder why they're including me in this," John mused.

Rick glanced at his watch. "We'll find out soon enough -- it's quarter to two, guys. We ought to get moving."

Lexia winced. "You had to mention moving, didn't you..."

~*~

"...either that or she's a flat out sadist."

Lexia's voice floated clear across the busy canteen as Taylor walked through the door. No prizes for guessing who the 'she' is, she mused with a sigh. I'm not training them to make friends, I'm training them so's they stay alive.

With a shake of her head, she collected a tray and proceeded to select her lunch, picking out a light pasta salad and a carton of orange juice, then, on a whim, she added a carton of chocolate mouse.

"Taylor Earhardt, that's not some calories I see on your tray is it?" joked Mayanne, the jovial SGHQ canteen overseer.

Taylor glanced down at her tray self-consciously. "Guess I'm having kinda a bad day."

"Well I won't tell no-one if you won't," said Mayanne, smiling. "Besides," she added, "a little sin now and then's allowed."

Taylor smiled faintly. "I guess."

Mayanne chuckled and waved her on.

Taylor sighed and took up a seat at an empty table. She started picking listlessly through the pasta salad, unable to really muster an appetite. Her gaze wandered across to where the four 'kids' were sitting, obviously comparing notes. Considering what they'd been through in the last few weeks, they were getting on amazingly well, she decided.

"Penny for them?"

Taylor started. Ben looked both hurt and amused -- an expression that she was fast growing to hate.

"Sorry, Ben -- I was miles away."

He flashed her a grin. "No kidding -- may I?" He gestured to the seat opposite her.

"Of course." Inwardly, Taylor winced that he felt the need to actually ask that. Then again, the last few weeks had been filled with tension between them.

Ben slid into the seat. "So how did this morning go?"

Ah. Safe topic. "OK -- I think. Pretty sure I'm now on Alice and Lexia's shit list, but that's what officers are for."

Ben smirked. "They'll get over it."

Taylor glanced across to the quartet. "Probably."

"Think they're gonna cut this?"

Taylor returned her attention to Ben. "Why shouldn't they?"

"You mean you've not seen the schedule Boss's worked up for 'em?" Ben queried. Taylor lifted her eyebrows. "PT with you and Fos every morning; shooting practice for an hour every afternoon then a bunch of 'classes' with me and Wes to finish off the day. It's punishing stuff."

Taylor winced. "D'you get the feeling there's something 'more' behind this than just the kids wanting to make amends?"

Ben nodded. "It's either that or someone's seriously pissed daddy off."

Taylor's gaze wandered to the quartet once more as they started to get up, presumably heading off for the afternoon's activities.

"So -- think they're gonna cut this?"

She watched as the four 'kids' headed out of the canteen. Alice and Lexia were both moving a little gingerly but both John and Rick were hanging back, offering them help if necessary, rather than striding off ahead.

"Yeah -- I think they will."

Ben gave a sigh that drew Taylor's attention back to him. He had a strange expression on his face that she couldn't begin to read.

"You're getting broody," he observed.

"I am not," Taylor retorted, blushing all the same.

"You are." Ben shook his head. "What's wrong with being broody, anyway?"

"Nothing -- I'm not broody."

"Right. Sure." Ben shook his head again. "Taylor, we really need to talk."

Suddenly the pasta salad was the most interesting thing in the room. "I can't do this now," she murmured.

"When, then?" Ben asked. "You've practically been avoiding me...I know you don't know what you want to do, but it's not just you. This involves me as well and you're shutting me out."

"Not now."

"When, then?" he repeated. "When do you let me in, Taylor?"

What little appetite she'd had departed. "Later, Ben."

She pushed to her feet, intending to leave the canteen.

"And what about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" she replied suddenly feeling exhausted.

Ben got to his feet and gestured towards her barely touched lunch. "I can deal with you pushing me away. I can deal with you avoiding me. Hell, I could deal if you told me you'd already had an abortion. What I can't deal with is you not taking care of yourself."

"You're not my keeper," Taylor snapped.

"No -- no I'm not." Ben grimaced. "But right now, I wish I was."

"How dare you! I..."

"I dare," Ben cut in coldly, "because, God help me, I love you. Not that you make that easy. You have to take care of yourself."

It was on Taylor's lips to snap again but at that moment, the world greyed. The next thing she knew, she was sitting again, with Ben crouching beside her. She half expected him to say 'I told you so'. Instead, all he said was, "Are you OK?"

She nodded. "Just..."

To her surprise, Ben took hold of her hand and gently squeezed it. "Taylor, babe, please. Even if you don't want me to be any part of this decision, promise me you're gonna take care of yourself."

And for some absurd reason, Taylor found herself crying. "Oh God," she murmured, suddenly finding herself nearly hugging the life out of Ben. "What a mess."

"It's OK, babe...it's OK," Ben answered. "We'll fix it. I promise."

~*~

Jen put her hands on her hips and watched as the four 'kids' trooped into shooting range's reception area. She was actually dying to laugh at the consternation on their faces but that would definitely be a bad move, so stern and forbidding it was.

"Mom?" Lexia queried.

Jen nodded. "I will be overseeing your target practice and blaster training. You will have a certain amount of leniency as far as how you refer to me goes, but please try to remember that in here, I am Commander Collins or sir. Calling me ma'am will earn you punishment duty."

"Which is just what Barbie said," John murmured.

And we all thought we were gonna have trouble with Alice... "Another thing to note," Jen continued, fixing an icy glare on John. "If I am speaking you do not." Jen was gratified that no-one so much as twitched at that. "Because there is only one of me and four of you, I have an aide for these sessions. Because one of you achieved top marks in the assessment of your blaster skills last week, that aide will be one of you."

John looked as if he was going to say something. Jen turned up her glare until he flinched and visibly shrank.

"That person is Rick." Rick looked blatantly stunned. No amount of glare prevented John's mouth from opening. "John. You have something to say?"

What happened next nearly caused Jen to bite through her lip in an effort not to laugh. John opened his mouth to say whatever was currently on his mind only to actually let out a squeak of pain as Alice elbowed him, hard, in the ribs. He finally managed,

"No sir."

"Good. We will be going out onto the range in one moment. Assignments are as follows. Lane one will be Alice. Lane two will be Lexia. Lane three will be John. Rick, I would like you to work with Alice -- who had the lowest score in this particular assessment." Alice blushed at that pronouncement. "Lastly, a blaster safety lesson. Pointing your blasters at each other or at me, even as a joke, is not safe. Being stunned is not pleasant. Anyone who opts to ignore the former," at that she fixed John with another glare, "will learn the latter the hard way."

Four separate gulps met that pronouncement.

~*~

Ben entered conference room number two for his session with the four Vengeance Rangers still somewhat preoccupied by his lunchtime conversation with Taylor. He had no idea what he was going to do about the whole mess that was his private life, but the sight he was treated to as he walked into the conference room was more than enough to jolt him from his thoughts.

All four of them looked exhausted, Alice and Lexia in particular. Wonder just what Taylor did to them this morning! Ben debated what to do. He was sorely tempted to send the quartet home to get some rest, but on the other hand, Eric had devised this schedule with something specific in mind and as fully active Guardians, the quartet would have far more strenuous days than simple training.

"Ahem," he coughed, bringing three of the foursome suddenly upright in their seats. "This session is non-physical. I talk, you listen. You ask me questions when you don't understand." Three nods. "I know that it comes at the end of a very long day, but anyone I catch napping," and he brought his hands down on John's shoulders, making the unfortunate Black Ranger, who had been doing just that, jump, "will find themselves on punishment duty." Ben moved to lean against a nearby table. "Any questions so far?"

Lexia slowly lifted her hand. "Um...Un...um...Commander Johnson -- what is this session about?"

Ben smiled a little. "Police procedure, legal terminology and a little history of the Guardians as a unit. And," he added, "just when you think you're safe, Commander Myers has asked me to give you some written assessments."

"Dad would," Alice groaned.

"I'll do you a favour, this once," Ben responded, "and pretend I didn't hear that." Alice shrank into her seat and tried to look inconspicuous. "Today's session is on police procedure, specifically," Ben added smiling, "traffic duty."

All four Vengeance Rangers blanched.

~*~

"So," said Eric glancing around the room at the end of the first week of training. "Can I assume that since no-one's reported to me for punishment duty everything's going well?"

"Reasonably well," Taylor answered. "Alice and Lexia are picking up the techniques I'm teaching them almost faster than I can teach them. Rick is improving."

"Rick is moving slower than the girls," Foster agreed, "but he's having to get used to being six foot three on top of everything -- which isn't a problem the girls have."

"Very true," said Jen. "Even Lex didn't shoot up in height the way Rick did."

"Barbie, Gina?" Eric prompted. "Do I want to hear this?"

Barbie snickered. "You'll be pleased to hear that although he scowls through most of the session, John is doing fine."

"Ditto," said Gina. "For all his scowling, he's got the basics of typing down and he's already learned the filing system here – which is faster progress than the new office junior!"

Eric grinned at that and turned to Jen, the other person in the room liable to have been on the receiving end of John's attitude.

"Scowl-a-lot is a good description," Jen agreed. "I swear he's still sulking over the marksman scores. I do think, though," she mused, "that he was having an off day when he did that particular test. Certainly, he's averaging into the nineties with only the barest coaching."

"How about Alice and Lexia?" Eric enquired.

"Improving," was Jen's response. "I don't think either of them are going to be crack-shots or snipers but..." She shrugged a little. "Now that John's got his score up, I can get him coaching Lexia and do some one-on-one work with Alice."

Eric nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Ben -- how's this week gone for you?"

"I'm fighting two things, boss," Ben answered. "First, my material is pretty dry -- that's the nature of the beast." Eric nodded. "Second, by the time the kids get into the conference room, they're worn out. I'm cutting them a certain amount of slack because I know they're working hard and they're trying, but..."

"But they're not getting as much out of your sessions as they need," Eric surmised. Ben nodded. "OK. We can do something about that. Generally, does anyone have anything else to add about this week?"

Ben shifted a little in his seat. "Um..."

"John," said Jen.

Eric groaned softly.

"He's got an attitude problem," Barbie said. "It's nothing that merits whatever hideous thing you've come up with for punishment duty, but..."

"But he's arrogant," Jen added. "And not necessarily with reason, either. He's got a tendency to showboat -- which I'm hoping the tutoring will knock on the head, but..."

"But I'm more than likely to see him in here before training's through." Eric smiled wryly. "Noted. Thanks."

"Sorry boss," Ben offered.

Eric shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry about. If I'm honest, I'm surprised it hasn't already happened. OK. Next week..."

"Switch PT to the afternoons," Foster recommended. "If that's OK with Taylor?"

"Fine by me," Taylor put in.

Eric nodded. "Then that gives the morning over to blaster practice and theoretical stuff."

"Start with the shooting," Ben suggested. "That way, I can talk as long as I need to without needing to worry about Jen coming and kicking my ass!"

"Or mine, for that matter," Wes stated. "We were planning on starting the corporate sessions this week."

"Good point," Ben agreed. "Even bigger reason for the waffle session not to be at the end of the day!"

"Saying I'm boring?" Wes enquired, grinning.

"Nah, man -- saying what you're talking about is enough to put the energiser bunny to sleep!"

Eric grinned at that. "OK. Jen -- any complaints?"

"Nope -- fine by me too."

"Gina, Barbie? Any problems with switching to afternoons?"

"As long as someone doesn't roster me on patrol," said Barbie with a grin.

"Not a problem," said Ben, who produced the weekly staff schedules.

"Fine with me, too," said Gina.

"OK -- that's that settled. Here's hoping next week's as good as this one..."


TO BE CONTINUED...