a/n: Ok, I'm gonna do a thing I haven't done in months. It's gonna be a double-chapter weekend. It's taking way longer (in story) to get where this chapter was meant to end, so y'all are in for another chapter sometime tomorrow.

Call it a double-feature.

As always, thanks for the reads. Y'all are truly the best.

Cheers,

EQT.95


"It's open," came a shout through the door.

Sophie let the door swing inward and peered inside, catching sight of James posted up in his usual position, nose-deep in a video game.

"Have you seen Melvin?"

"He went home for the weekend," James answered with a grunt of frustration at the game.

"He went… really? Why?"

James shrugged.

"He didn't tell you?"

"He's not my boyfriend, Sophie," he shot back.

"Uh… ok," Sophie said, sensing a tone of annoyance. "You still up for movie night?"

James shrugged again.

"It won't be Die Hard, but-" James groaned, "-but Tony is proposing Mission Impossible."

A smirk of recognition and consideration crossed James' face.

"I'll see you there," Sophie chuckled, retracing her steps to exit the way she entered.

"Hey, did you know Melvin went home for the weekend?" Sophie asked, stepping into the lounge.

"Yea," Kate said, without looking up as she slid a couch into place.

"You know why?"

"Nope," Kate replied, pausing to study the layout.

"You sure?"

"Sure. Why?"

"Because you two tell each other everything."

Kate glanced over at Sophie, hesitating briefly. "That feels like an accusation."

"Only because it's not wrong."

"I… I don't know? Maybe? Where is this coming from?"

"Sometimes I'm not sure if you're in a relationship with me or him."

"The funny part is that you're the one in a relationship with both of us," Kate teased back.

"And yet somehow I never get told anything."

"I… do you think I don't tell you everything?"

"I know you don't tell me everything," Sophie corrected, her tone righteous but with a flare of annoyance. "You spent practically an entire year using him as a sounding board before we started dating."

"Oh, right," Kate confessed, adjusting one of the couches slightly to better align with the television.

"He didn't say anything?"

"Are you sure you want to be in the military?"

"I… what?"

"Because you've gotten a bit of a detective streak going these last few weeks," Kate remarked, earning her a scowl of mock disapproval. "GCPD might be hiring-"

"Kate-"

"-but honestly, you're probably already overqualified as it is-"

"Ok, I get it-"

"-you might consider getting a small corrupt streak going; maybe deal a few drugs, get in with a mob ring, mug a homeless guy-"

"Kate."

"Yes, babe?" Kate asked, taking advantage of the privacy the lounge door was providing them.

"I know what you're doing," Sophie said, glancing back at the all glass partition separating their conversation from the hall.

"And what is that my beautiful, clever, uncompromis-"

"You're deflecting."

"Am I?"

"Which means you're lying."

"I don't think-"

"Where is Melvin?"

"I already told you; he went home-"

"Kate, I…" Sophie began sharply before catching tone and words. "Right, let me clarify: you don't have to tell me."

"Ok…" Kate's eyes narrowed, sensing a trap.

"But please don't lie to me about it," Sophie continued.

Kate looked like she might deny it but instead remained silent, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty.

"You two have a thing; I get it."

"Soph, I wasn't trying to-"

"Just, hold on," Sophie interrupted. "You two have a thing. He talks to you. There's probably a reason he didn't tell anyone else, right?"

"R-right."

"Which is fine, ok?"

"Ok."

"I don't need to know, but I'd like to know you know."

"I… I don't understand," Kate replied, searching for clarity but concerned she'd already said the wrong thing.

"I just mean you don't have to lie about knowing. We're a team, right?"

"One hundred percent," Kate replied without hesitating.

"So, then maybe… maybe when I ask you if he told you - you don't have to tell me, but please be honest with me about it."

"I was just… You're right. He told me, but I promised I wouldn't say anything."

"Is he ok?"

"I think so. At least, I think he will be. Still working through that part."

"Ok, thank you," Sophie nodded in understanding before turning toward the door.

"Hey, Soph?"

"Yea?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Sophie offered up a small smile of reassurance. "But maybe you should apologize for the movie choice tonight. Mission Impossible? Really?"

"Oh, don't even get me started."

"Any update from Riley?"

Kate shook her head. "Ghosted."

"At least Reyes can't say you aren't trying," Sophie assured Kate, gesturing toward the assembly of chairs and couches.


"What, no diet?"

Kate suppressed another groan of frustration as she forced an apologetic smile to the group at the latest interruption. A collective scowl from the popcorn stand was all she needed to know Riley's sudden appearance and unrelenting desire to cause a distraction every five minutes was going to cause an early and quick end to the night.

It was the second attempt in as many weeks to 'make amends' with Riley since Reyes had threatened to open a case into Kate's enrollment. She had swallowed her pride and invited Riley shortly after her and Sophie came up with the plan. After a few minutes of Riley gloating at Kate's 'patheticness', as Riley put it, she waved a hand of ambivalence and advised she'd need to check her calendar first.

The first week resulted in a no-show, and the group couldn't have been more relieved - Kate included. She had used what little persuasion and pull she had with the group to give up the first part of their Saturday nights for the next few weeks. Once they understood the gravity of the situation with Reyes, they were more than happy to help Kate make a case that she was trying to play nice with Riley; however, now that she had actually bothered to show up, Kate was regretting asking them. The week before had turned into a pleasant social experience, with everyone staying well into the night when Miller ran back to his room to retrieve a bottle of bottom-shelf bourbon.

The only silver lining now that Riley was part of the equation was that Kate had intentionally set the start time early enough in the evening to still get a few hours in over at Wilfred Hall for those looking to party away the latest week of class.

"Fresh out, sorry," Kate muttered softly, hoping that'd be the end of it.

"Well this regular is just going to go straight to my waist," Riley continued at a regular volume, either unaware of or ignoring the conversation coming from the screen. Kate rolled her eyes as she leaned forward to stand, catching a smile of reassurance from Sophie who was sitting one couch over from her.

"First of all," Kate muttered, walking toward Riley, "I've seen you inhale two burgers and three servings of fries in one sitting. You have the metabolism of a hummingbird. I think regular will be just fine."

"Oh, Katherine, I didn't realize you noticed me like tha-"

"Secondly," Kate interrupted, "You're a brat. Now, get your drink and go sit down."

"Do you use this tone on Sophie?" Riley asked, her eyes going wide with feigned innocence.

"I am not even entertai-"

"A little demanding aren't you? Bet you get off on that dominance stuff. Oh, you've got to be dying," Riley cooed sarcastically. "Having to behave with that smokin' babe right next to you."

"You're right again, Riley. I really have the hots for Erwin," Kate replied, unwilling to put up a fight.

"What's the female version of blue balls?"

"Wouldn't know."

"Well you should look it up, because that's you. I'm starting to worry that if you don't release this pent up frustration you'll be permanently broken."

"Good thing I'm not worried," Kate replied casually, checking that their voices weren't carrying back toward the group. She noted Sophie's head was tilted ever-so-slightly toward them, as though straining to pick up on the conversation, but everyone else's focus had returned to the screen.

"I guess I'll just worry for both of us," Riley sighed in exaggerated strain.

"Not necessary. Are you done?"

"Unless you've been unfaithful. You wouldn't be preying-"

"Drink ok?"

"-on other innocent young female cadets on campus-"

"Did you want a sippy cup for that?"

"-because then I'd have to go to-"

"No? Great."

"You've been no fun lately, Kane."

"And here I was hoping you hadn't noticed," Kate said, moving to leave.

"Keep it up, and I may have to change my terms."

"Like hell you will," Kate said, a glimpse of anger sneaking into her voice. Before Riley could formulate a response, Kate stepped back toward the group, leaving her with a grin of satisfaction.

Sophie limited her glances to Kate until Riley had completed her dramatic walk to the last remaining free spot next to Martha. Martha did her best to hide the disappointment as Riley extended her act to ensure every eye in the room was on her. For this she received another round of scowls for her latest antics which only seemed to widen her smirk. After a few nervous minutes, everyone finally settled into watching the movie, Riley included, and Sophie chanced a look at Kate. They were sitting on different couches with James next to her and Erwin next to Kate which wasn't ideal but maintained their illusion.

Kate's focus was on the screen which meant Sophie could interrogate the subtlety of Kate's expression for clues. Generally she did a frustratingly good job of hiding her feelings and now was no different. Recently there had been moments when that facade fractured and broke, and Sophie knew something especially trying had occurred. She'd done her best to catch glimpses of the conversation between Kate and Riley but between the volume of the movie and the hushed voices from the duo, she was completely in the dark. Her only hint was at the very end when Kate's voice jumped. No one else's attention was drawn to this shift, but Sophie noted it was tense and louder than the rest of the conversation.

There was something about Kate and Riley that was beginning to eat at her. She couldn't quite figure it out, and Kate was mum on the issue. Since Riley was the last person in the world she'd look to for guidance on the issue, that left her in the dark. Instead, she relied on these moments of confrontation to guide her perspective, and, contrary to the ease with which Kate dismissed it when asked, that perspective was telling her it wasn't just a casual feud.


"Are we done?"

"Not yet," Sophie answered, giving a measured response as she navigated toward the next subject. Not only had Riley been twenty minutes late, she hadn't come prepared for half the subjects they were meant to cover during their two-hour session. They were now running over by five minutes, and Riley's temperament was pushing Sophie to get rid of her as quickly as possible. "Where's your review for Chambers?"

"Ugh," Riley whined.

"You brought it, right?"

"Yea, but…"

"But what? It's due tomorrow."

Riley snorted with laughter. "It's a wonder you sleep at night."

"Sorry?"

"You're so uptight. You ever consider loosening up a bit? Maybe turning something in late? Or like, procrastinate a bit? Most people haven't even started. I bet Melvin hasn't started. You gonna get on him about it? Or that roommate of his, hm?"

"It's James, and no," Sophie answered easily Riley's line of questioning. "Now where is it?"

"I don't have it."

"But you just said-"

"I mean I haven't printed it out."

"Oh, ok, can I see your laptop?"

"Ew, no. Here," Riley said, sliding her bag over and digging through the front pocket. After a moment she pulled out a bright red fob and tossed it across the table at Sophie.

"Wh-what is this?"

"It's on there."

Sophie quickly connected the dots and slipped out her own laptop before plugging the USB end into it. She navigated to the temporary folder and scowled slightly at the single file on it.

"Do you use this for anything else?" Sophie asked, not hiding her confusion from Riley.

"Sure."

"But it has just the one file-"

"I like to stay organized," Riley waved, and Sophie had to force her jaw closed for fear it would hang open in disbelief. After weeks as her roommate, she couldn't help but question the legitimacy of that statement.

"Uh, ok, can I make a copy of this?"

"Sure, as long as you don't steal it for yourself when you realize how good it is," Riley challenged.

"Right… ok, we're good then," Sophie said, pulling the stick from her computer and sliding it back across the Riley. "I'll review this and send through any comments tonight."

"Sure, whatever," Riley said before snatching her bag and bolting from the seat. She yanked open the door and came face-to-face with a surprised looking Kate. "Ah! Katherine," she grinned.

"I'm not interested," Kate said, slipping past Riley to enter the study room.

Riley in turn gave a small pout of disapproval at being ignored. "Not interested in being bested today, Kane?"

"You win," Kate replied easily, ignoring Riley's antagonistic tactics as she settled into the seat Riley had just vacated.

"It was more fun when you put up a fight," Riley sneered.

Kate shrugged indifferently before she heard a perturbed sigh of disbelief before the door slammed shut.

"Not bad," Sophie smirked, glancing across toward Kate who was grinning with amusement.

"Apparently indifference helps. Really gets her worked up."

"Worked on me," Sophie said distractedly skimming through Riley's document before her brain caught up a moment later. "Wait, I didn't mean-"

But it was too late; Kate was already laughing at Sophie's slip.

"Got you all worked up, did I?" Kate grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"No, you stay right there," Sophie said with a knowing look. "I have to finish this…"

"But after?" Kate asked hopefully.

"Uh…"

"I could really make it worth it…"

Kate watched Sophie scowling back at her screen.

"Maybe I'll go ahead and get naked."

"Uh-huh…"

"Maybe just take you right here on this table."

"Sure."

"Sophie," Kate sighed.

"Hm?"

"Not even listening..."

"Hey, can you explain something?"

"Uh…" Kate faltered, unsure how to interpret Sophie's tone but also not remotely surprised by her girlfriend's distraction. "Sure?"

Sophie swiveled her laptop to face Kate.

"What am I looking at?" Kate scowled, seeing a word document glowing back at her.

"Riley's essay."

"Uh… ok? Is there something I should be looking for?"

"The document owner."

"And… where do I find that?"

"Upper right."

Kate felt the blood drain from her cheeks. "That's weird."

"Can you explain that?"

"Hmm," Kate muttered, scowling at the information on the screen glaring back at her:

Author: K. Kane

"No."

"Honestly?"

"Yea. That's super weird. Maybe I didn't log out of the library computer?" Kate offered as she skimmed through the rest of the document.

"What?"

"Yea, Riley doesn't have a laptop; she uses the public computers."

"How do you know that?"

"How do you not? Aren't you her tutor?" Kate joked back, earning a scowl of skepticism.

"But you have a laptop. When have you ever used a library computer?"

"All the time. Usually when I'm not confined to a windowless study room in the library's forgotten basement," Kate gestured toward the faded off-yellow walls around them.

"You use the public computers?" Sophie asked in obvious disbelief.

"Which isn't a diss on study rooms."

"Kate-"

"The company is actually pretty good. There's this one girl-"

"When do you use the public computers?"

"Whenever - between classes. I don't always have my laptop and they're super convenient for checking email," Kate said, glancing over the top of the screen at Sophie. Sophie's scowl suggested she was unsatisfied with the explanation as Kate casually spun the computer back toward her. "I'll be more careful in the future," Kate offered in consolation.

"Hm," Sophie replied, unable to articulate her skepticism. She shot furtive looks back at Kate as she unpacked her bag to join in on the study session.

"What?" Kate asked, finally catching Sophie's eye.

"I… nothing. It's nothing."


"You ladies ready for this?" James snickered. "We won't hold it against you when you have to drop out halfway through."

"Are you forgetting Kate has literally been running this course twice every week since the semester started?" Melvin chimed in before Sophie or Kate could.

Sophie and Melvin let out amused chuckles as James considered Melvin's words. "Oh, yea… right."

Their year had achieved the unthinkable: every one of the cadets had not only completed the second year course, they did it well under the allowable time limits. On top of that, it had been achieved during the fall semester which was a feat no previous year in the history of the Academy had ever accomplished.

While she'd deny it, everyone in their year knew the reason for this success was because of Kate. She had managed to train the stragglers and 'weak links', as drill sergeants called them, into fully capable squad members over the first few weeks of the semester. It was this shift in performance that got the class past this landmark.

Unfortunately, as their reward, the second year was assigned to the fourth year course. Kate speculated that it was the drill crews' way of keeping the second years humble, but there was a streak of pride that came with knowing they'd outperformed enough to merit this particular kind of punishment.

This course was very unlike the second year run. Where the second year run forced participants to have a baseline stamina to get through the various tasks. Typically one task would exercise a set of muscles while the next task would focus on something else, allowing the earlier strained muscles a moment of reprieve.

By stark contrast, the fourth year course was broken into parts where each section was filled with a series of drills designed to strain a set of muscles without rest. For this reason alone, Kate expected half the participants would drop out within the first fifteen minutes. The second years were good, but they were nowhere near prepared for this kind of rigor. She surveyed her peers and concluded maybe a dozen would even make it to the wall. From that she didn't hold out much hope that any more than a handful would survive beyond it.

She was already psyching herself up for what she considered a relaxing task: as Melvin had so astutely pointed out, Kate was used to running the course twice in a row at the crack of dawn, courtesy of Lieutenant Reyes and her inability to hold her tongue. Running it once in the middle of the day would be a breeze, and she was actually excited to get going.

"So how does this work? Same concept?" Melvin asked, surveying the mass of fellow cadets standing around in wait.

"Sort of. Instead of staggered groups of ten everyone is separated into sets of three. Each group is separated by four minutes, and you've got an hour to complete," Kate explained easily. "You work together to get through."

"And if someone fails?"

"Then you're down a squad member," Kate replied. "If you're the last left, you get absorbed into the squad behind you, but you take any time lost waiting for them to catch up. Usually falling back for one or two groups isn't so bad, but more than that and it'll hurt you."

"That's some bullshit," Melvin replied, his competitive streak getting the better of him.

"Yea, well, that 'bullshit' is the point of the course: it's not about you getting a good time by yourself. It's about making sure your squad gets a good time. Once you get past the wall though, it's a free-for-all, but that last section is really just a formality."

"But isn't it a mile run?" James balked.

"Yea."

"How is a one mile run a formality?" James continued, not quite believing Kate's words.

Kate let out a small chuckle. "If you get through the rest of it you'll understand. A one mile run is a stroll in the park after all this," she said, gesturing at the battleground of obstacles before them.

"How are the groups assigned?"

"You pick them-"

"I call Kate!" Melvin quickly interrupted, earning a glare from James and Sophie, knowing one of them would be the obvious man - or woman - out. "What? Just cause you two are slowpokes-"

"I doubt anyone is going to do very well at this," Kate added bluntly. "And I really doubt it matters who we get partnered with."

"Kate's probably right. They aren't putting us on this course because they think we'll do well. They're probably trying to teach us a lesson," Sophie said, having had the same internal observations as her partner.

Unfortunately for the second years, that is exactly what the drill sergeants had in store for them. On top of having to run the course, they were given one quarter less time than afforded to the fourth years, and instead of allowing squads that had dwindled down to one a chance to be absorbed into the group behind them, they were instead immediately disqualified. Worse still, the groups were predetermined - an obvious sigh of disappointment resonated from Melvin at this information. Lieutenant Reyes had graced the cadets with his presence to outline the parameters of the drill; typically he was exclusively engaged with third and fourth years. That he showed up impressed upon the class how significant their success as a year had been.

"Bennett, Potts, and Miller!" Reyes shouted. Another sigh of disappointment could be heard next to Kate as Melvin trekked off toward his less than desirable fate.

A number of other names were rattled off. Tony, Chelsea and James managed to find themselves in a group together, and Erwin had been paired with two others from the class that Kate wasn't closely acquainted with. Each group wandered off to their designated patch of grass where they'd wait their turn to begin the course. Kate glanced around, noting that a dozen or so remained, and she speculated on who she'd end up with. She doubted Reyes would stack her with Sophie, but a small sliver of hope for it remained. She had to hide the smile though as Reyes called off the next group:

"Kane, Moore, and… Thomas."

The struggle to smile became a struggle to hide her obvious disappointment. She glanced to her left and saw a glowing Riley grinning back at the duo.

"Well, we're fucked."

"Relax. You know this course like the back of your hand," Sophie muttered, but Kate noted her voice was strained as though not quite believing her own words.

"Maybe she'll drop early," Kate muttered hopefully as they found their designated waiting location. A scowl of disapproval shut her up as Riley came bounding over, her signature glimmer of mischief plastered on her face.

"Riley," Kate greeted plainly.

"Ready to get bested again, Kane?" she grinned.

"That's not… were you even listening?" Kate asked, confounded by Riley's question.

"Yea. And it sounds to me like two can finish just fine-"

"Yes, which means Sophie and I will do great when you drop-"

"Kate," Sophie cut in, giving her girlfriend an eye of warning. Kate's quick scowl of disapproval was met with a sneer from Riley.

"Better behave Katherine. You're upsetting mom," Riley replied cooly. "Looks to me like you're being a bit of a third-wheel," she added out of Sophie's earshot.

"Wait, I need a minute," Riley gasped.

"You get thirty seconds," Kate replied, her own breathing just fine. She glanced over at Sophie whose breathing struck a balance between theirs: labored but not bad enough to need a break. Kate shot her a small smile of pride before she glanced around at the other squads running the same drills. As expected, they were dwindling quickly. A very upset looking Melvin was trying to cheer Martha through a drill; they had been the third squad to start which was over thirty minutes ago. At this rate Melvin would be lucky if they finished the course in four hours. Whether he found it fortunate or not, at least he had the benefit of automatic disqualification once forty-five minutes had expired. Perhaps Martha would be the real winner in that limitation.

Kate, Sophie, and Riley were one of the last squads to be given the go ahead. They'd managed to survive the first section even with Riley weighing them down, and Kate figured they were now on track to get close to the time limit. Typically the four minute delay between squads provided enough of a gap that the field didn't get too overwhelmed, but given that the second years were so obviously ill-equipped meant that a majority of groups were crowding the first part of course.

The silver lining to that was the rest of the course was practically wide open for their use. Kate checked her watch, counting down the seconds before Riley's breather was over.

"Ok," Kate concluded.

"No… no wait, just a little-"

"Either come with us or drop out" Kate said, her voice direct and uncompromising. Even though Kate had offered a choice, the way she said it carried with it a decision: Riley would continue with them. It was a tone Sophie wasn't familiar with, but fit her. She'd heard from others in the evening training sessions that Kate was a hard-ass, but now seeing it on the course, she understood what they meant. Kate took charge; she was a natural leader, and it helped that she had so much experience with the course. Through the entire first set of drills, she'd verbally guided and commanded her and Riley through them, ensuring they had a leg up even when facing them for the very first time. This kept their pace and allowed them to swiftly pass through the first phase. Sophie barely had time to register the exhaustion in her legs until Riley had gasped for rest.

The second phase was no different, and she was beginning to understand why, even among the fourth years, so few closed out the course. It wasn't that there wasn't enough time - although that was certainly a factor because it forced everyone to continue through the drills - it was that halfway through each section of the course, fatigue in the muscles made cadets want to surrender and take the fail.

Somehow, against all odds, the three of them stood at the base of the sloping wall.

"Riley you'll grab the left rope. Soph, you go right and mount first. Riley, you're second-"

"What?! Why does she get to go first?" Riley whined.

"Because your dead weight at this point-"

"-hey!"

"-and you won't be able to get yourself over that ledge. Sophie will help you from the top."

"But why can't I be middle?" Riley continued.

"Same reason. You're dead weight."

"Wh-?"

"You can use the lip at the edge of the wall to thrust off, and you're right handed, so you'll be better positioned once you're at the top to climb over."

These were all things Sophie hadn't considered when they approached the wall, and she wondered how much of Kate's direction came from fourth years handing down guidance and how much was just Kate's ability to strategize through an obstacle. Her gut was siding with the latter: it was becoming more and more obvious that Kate had an intuition about these things.

Riley looked like she might argue but slumped into submission. "You better be fast, Sophie," she muttered as the three of them grabbed their respective ropes.

It didn't take long for Sophie to understand why this was the hardest of all the drills. After thirty minutes of racing through each and every drill, this slow, strained climb highlighted how every muscle in her body was screaming for rest. The only thing that kept her going was realizing the only thing between her and the finish line after this was a light run. She smirked through a grimace as she realized how true Kate's words from earlier were. After all of this, the one mile run was the least daunting thing to face.

"Don't slow; climb through it," she heard Kate's voice just below her when she felt herself slow. Sophie felt a jolt of renewed focus and a small sense of victory as she noted even Kate's breathing was strained under the task. She took advantage of the small lip that ran along the vertical, tapering edge of the wall, using it as leverage to pull herself up and as a small lip when she needed to pause.

It took only a few minutes of labored pulls before she felt her fingers grip onto the top ledge of the wall. She steadied herself, not wanting to rush and make an error in the last few seconds before pulling herself over. A wave of pride and success shot through her as she sat upright, taking in the view of the obstacle course. They were the first, and likely only, squad to make it to the wall. The remaining groups were stranded between the first and second section of the course. Most had been pulled for failing to complete in time. The rest were nearing the end like Sophie, Kate, and Riley.

"Oy!" came a grunt from below and Sophie quickly returned her attention to Riley frantically climbing the last few feet to the top. Sophie prepared herself to help noting Kate was lingering at the wall's halfpoint to give as much clearance for Riley as possible. She could tell Riley was struggling. Her climbing was erratic; at least, as erratic as climbing vertically can be performed.

When Riley was one last pull away, Sophie readied herself. "Ok, give it two more goes and you'll be high enough to get a good hold on the top."

"One," she gasped, and before Sophie could register what Riley was implying, she leapt from the rope toward the top.

"Hey, wait, no-" Sophie shouted, reaching out too late as Riley slipped and lost her grip on the top ledge. Kate looked up from her own ascent just in time to see Riley's chin crack against the top lip of the wall before Riley's body began descending toward her. Instinctively, Kate released one hand from the rope and grabbed the passing fabric of Riley's jacket. She felt Riley's weight throw her center of gravity off as she rotated downwards, still gripping tightly against the rope as they both slammed into the planked wall.

It took a moment for Riley to register what had happened, unsure why she wasn't facedown in the pit below her. Unfortunately, with her awareness came the return of her undesirable charm.

"Aw, you saved me again," Riley smirked, dangling like a rag doll from Kate's arm, forgetting her exhaustion from moments earlier. Kate noted a streak of blood was making its way down Riley's face from the fresh cut under her chin, and she felt the smallest tinge of remorse for her.

"Kate, are you-" Sophie asked, peering over the top, pausing when she saw the situation unfolding below her.

"Grab the rope," Kate muttered through a clenched jaw as she began to swing Riley toward one of the two limp and unused lifelines against the wall. Riley reached out and grabbed it with ease. Kate held on until she was sure Riley's grip was secure before returning her hand to her own rope. "You first," Kate nodded toward the narrowing top.

"Because I'm a lady-?"

"Riley," Kate hissed. While she'd had more experience than anyone else on this course and the stamina to match, she was starting to feel her own muscles begin to fatigue. She glanced down and found a small divot in the wood to set her foot and try to take some of her weight off her arms.

"You could wait at the bottom; I might be a minute," Riley teased as she began to heave her way up, her breath still labored from the last ascent. Kate felt her jaw clench in annoyance. They both knew dropping meant an immediate disqualification. She glanced up at Sophie who was still at the top, waiting for Riley to reach her. She shared a small smile of appreciation as Riley slowly climbed her way back to the top.

This time met success, and Riley scrambled over the top, releasing Sophie to continue down the other side. Kate sighed with relief as she continued her own climb, eager to relieve her strained arms. She managed her way to the top with relative ease, and she took a moment to check her surroundings before lifting one hand off the rope toward the ledge. It was then that she realized Riley was still there.

"Why are you…?" Kate began, leaving the question hanging in the air.

"Thought I'd help," Riley said, and it was then that Riley's signature mischievous grin curled over her face and Kate felt the tension in her rope slack. She glanced down just in time to see Riley's fingers retract from the rest of the knot as it began to unravel.

"Riley what are you-? No - don't!" But it was too late. The rope slipped loose and Kate felt the pull of gravity grab her into a free fall toward the pit below. She felt her legs graze the sharply sloping wall, and her fingers tried frantically to slow her fall by reaching out to grab hold of the flat surface.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of growing confusion and speed, the ground met her with an unceremonious thud and a single pop. She felt herself utter a small cry of pain as she rolled over, gripping at her left wrist which had taken the brunt of Kate's weight in the ungraceful landing. She inhaled sharply, trying to let her lungs catch up to the air that had been expelled from them as she looked up and saw Riley give her a small wave before feigning a voice of concern:

"Kate? Kate, are you ok?!"

Kate snarled in anger as a drill sergeant quickly closed the distance and she made out the face. She groaned realizing it was Lieutenant Reyes.

"All that practice and still can't manage to complete the course, Cadet Kane?"

"Apparently," Kate growled, forcing herself to her feet.

"I hope you've got more to say than that," Reyes remarked threateningly.

"sir," she finished.

"Injured?"

"I… no," Kate replied, letting her arms fall lamely to her sides, ignoring the sharp pain radiating from the left one.

"Very well. You'll be marked as incomplete," Reyes continued with a sigh of disappointment as he surveyed the field of cadets still running the course. "It's a shame. You are becoming quite the disappointment."

Kate remained quiet, already familiar with Lieutenant Reyes' tactics. If she didn't know any better, she'd have figured he and Riley were related.

"That will be all Cadet Kane," he continued when he realized the bait would go untouched.

Kate turned to leave with a relief that came too soon.

"Cadet Kane," she heard him say with a level of amusement.

"Sir?"

"You didn't think I was serious, did you?"

"Yes, but only because your jokes are never very good, sir," Kate challenged, and felt a small triumph as the smile on Reyes' face fell to a scowl. She knew a second later her response was bound to double whatever punishment Reyes was about to dole out.

"I'll see you Saturday, Cadet Kane. Clearly you need the practice."

"Any chance anyone else from our year has been honored with this same practice?" Kate shot back.

"Why would I do that? They performed exactly as intended. My point was made."

Kate opened her mouth to argue before Reyes interrupted.

"One word and I'll have you running courses every Saturday until you graduate," he threatened.

Kate felt her mouth close in compliance, feeding into the enjoyment she assumed Reyes was basking in.

"Now you may go, Cadet Kane."


"Kate, it was clear as day. Miller and James saw it."

"They were clear on the other side of the course and don't know what they're talking about."

It was six hours later in the library's forgotten study rooms. Sophie and Riley had managed to be the only cadets who finished the course, and it didn't take long for stories of Kate's fall to circulate through their year. Sophie had watched in confusion as Riley arrived at the finish line minutes after her with no sign of Kate. When she pressed Riley for an explanation, Riley simply shrugged and muttered something about Kate not having the chops to finish the climb.

It was a dig that made Sophie immediately skeptical, and when whispers of what happened hit her ears, she felt an unexplainable anger toward Riley that shattered her patience and made her unwilling to accept the explanation Kate offered.

"Why are you protecting her?" Sophie continued, her eyes narrowing in frustration.

"I'm not protecting her. It was my fault - I wasn't looking and - and, what?"

"I really hate it when you lie to me."

"I'm not…"

Kate's resolve wavered at Sophie's look of disappointment.

"I don't like lying to you either," Kate confessed. "But look… it's just not what you think it is. It's not that big of a deal, ok?"

"You could have died," Sophie reasoned.

"Hyperbole doesn't suit you," Kate waved off.

"Fine, but you could have been more seriously injured. And will you please go get that checked out? You're in pain," Sophie said, nodding toward Kate's wrist with a wince.

"No I'm not."

"You should get better at hiding it if you expect me to believe you."

"I've literally done nothing to suggest-"

"You won't hold anything with it, you practically dropped your tray in the mess hall earlier because you couldn't use it, and you haven't moved it since you sat down. You're doing everything with your right hand."

"It's just a light sprain," Kate challenged back.

"It's probably broken."

"I didn't realize you were in the company of Superman," Kate mocked.

"I don't suppose Melvin has been graced with an explanation," Sophie accused, returning to the topic of Riley with a hint of resentment in her voice.

"Are you looking for an argument?"

"No, Kate. I'm looking for some honesty from you. I'm starting to lose track of all the lies you've told me."

"Probably because you've been focusing all your attention on a sprained wrist."

Scowls of silence followed as Kate sat stubbornly, unwilling to fold under Sophie's glare.

"Kate-"

"Sophie, I'm not telling you."

"Well I suppose that's something," Sophie replied dryly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"At least you've finally acknowledged something's going on."


"Cadet Kane," called a familiar voice over the field.

Kate paused, taking the moment to relieve the sharp pain driving through her wrist. "Sir?"

"When a commanding officer asks if you've been injured, honesty isn't optional," he chastised.

"Sir, I-"

"Two days ago we stood not thirty yards from here and you lied to me, Cadet Kane."

"I… I don't-"

"You took an oath the first week of term, Cadet Kane, or have you forgotten?"

Kate fell silent, only half remembering the words said in chorus with her peers.

"A cadet shall not lie, cheat, or steal, nor suffer others to do so," Reyes repeated for her. "Does that ring a bell?"

"Yes, sir," Kate replied, vaguely placing the words she'd not given much thought to for over a year.

"Is it confidence, Cadet Kane? Is that what motivates you? Or is it pride?"

"I don't- I don't know… both?" Kate replied, honestly unsure for herself.

"When you are out in the field and the men and women of your squad are in life or death situations, they need to trust you. They need to know whether you are performing at one hundred percent, ninety percent, or ten percent."

"I… I didn't think-"

"That's your pride, Cadet Kane. That's what keeps you performing below your best and your peers in danger. You'd do well to manage it."

"I… you're right, sir," Kate replied in apology. The words surprised both of them.

"Medical, now."

"What?"

"You're done. Get that wrist checked and braced. You're not to be on my course again until you've been cleared."


"What's the verdict?" Melvin asked.

"Fracture," Kate sighed, collapsing on the couch.

"How long?"

"Four weeks."

"Was black an option or did you dip that in a bucket of paint on your way back to the dorm," Sophie chimed in, gesturing to Kate's cast. Her tone suggested she still wasn't completely over her and Kate's confrontation from a day earlier, but it was also clear she was trying to move past it.

"Tar, actually."

"Sounds fitting."

"Well glitter wasn't available..."

"So naturally you went with the polar opposite," Sophie retorted.

"Cuts out the grey area," Kate smirked.

Sophie glanced up from her book to see Kate had made the conservative choice of sitting on the far side of the couch, providing ample distance between them.

"So, what's the movie tonight? We should probably head toward the common room, right?" Kate asked of the room. What she received were three sets of blank stares. "What?"

"You aren't serious," Melvin said for the group.

"It's Saturday," Kate said matter of factly, scowling in confusion at the rest of the group.

"Yea, but-"

"But Kate, she fucked up your arm," James interrupted Melvin.

"Guys, how many times do I have to tell you: it was an accident. She… the rope wasn't secure. It's not Riley's fault."

"Kate, why do you keep defending her?" Sophie asked, genuinely perplexed.

"I'm not defending anyone; I'm just telling you like it is."

"I think we're going to pass tonight," Melvin said uneasily.

"We? Meaning all of you?" Kate asked in surprise. "Soph?"

"Kate, I… I can't even look at her without wanting to bust her jaw."

"Sophie," Kate said in exasperation. "You aren't serious."

"I think I'm going to spend the night at the library," Sophie replied, rising to leave.

"Soph, wait, come on. You guys are taking this out of context."

"How?" Sophie shot back, the feelings of anger from earlier coming back.

"What?"

"How are we taking it out of context?"

"I already explained that," Kate replied, not understanding the accusatory look coming from her girlfriend.

"No you haven't Kate. You've explained nothing."

"Wh-"

"Kate," Sophie sighed. "I don't want to do this again. We," she said, gesturing at Melvin and James, "we don't want to do this again. Why can't you get that?"

"Soph, come on-"

"Not tonight, Kate," Sophie said, already halfway out the door. Kate stared in shock as the door closed, leaving her with James and Melvin.

"She fucked up your arm," James repeated from earlier. "Think about if it was Sophie in your position."

"That isn't-"

"Isn't what? The same thing?" James interrupted. That he was voicing frustration shed light on the extents and length of time the trio had been sitting with these thoughts.

"James, come on," Kate replied, trying to temper the room's mood.

"You don't get to live by double standards, Kate. Stop disrespecting her," James replied before following the same path Sophie had taken a moment earlier.

Kate stared in disbelief as the door latched shut, leaving her alone with Melvin. Of all the people to call her out, she would have put James last on the list, but his words stung more than any other. Silence followed as Melvin hopped off his bed and moved to sit next to Kate on the couch.

"They're not wrong."

"It's not-"

"It's not a big deal. Yes. That's what you keep saying. That's all I hear everytime something new happens."

Kate fell quiet again at this.

"How's Monica?"

"You deflect too much."

"Did Sophie put you up to that?"

"She's fine," Melvin said, letting Kate's pivot slide. "Better and worse at the same time. They're talking about giving her an experimental treatment."

"Does it seem promising?"

"Yea."

"But?"

"But, insurance won't cover it; my parents just took out a second mortgage to cover the first set of bills. Apparently taking out a third mortgage raises eyebrows."

Kate nodded in understanding, unsure how else to contribute to the conversation but happy Melvin was talking through it. It had taken a number of weeks for Melvin to share more about Monica, and she understood why. Even though she'd never met her, Kate felt a kinship toward Melvin's closest sister. From what Melvin shared, she was quick-witted and never gave Melvin the benefit of the doubt. He looked up to his sister in a way Kate had always looked up to Beth growing up. Sure, being twins meant they were the same age, but she saw Beth for all the strengths Kate wasn't, and for that, she aspired to be more like her.

"I can't keep lying for you, Kate," Melvin said quietly, pulling Kate from her thoughts. "If this keeps up… they're already suspicious in case that wasn't already obvious."

"I know," she admitted softly.