Chapter 3

When she awoke in the morning, she was alone.

Disappointment swelled up in her chest, partly because she longed to know the identity of the man who had swept her away the night before, but also because she was already craving his attentions again.

She turned over, stretching herself out lazily, and her gaze fell upon something next to her.

It was a single rose.

Rather than being red, its base was white, with tendrils of pink melting into a crimson stain at the tips of the petals. Jun blushed, realizing the metaphor for her passionate awakening the previous night.

She raised it to her nose, enjoying its delicate scent, attempting to discern the giver from the gift.

She had as little success with that, as she had had the night before.

Which of her two self-declared suitors had it been? Which one of them had been capable of taking her to heights of pleasure that she hadn't even known existed?

Could it be Ken? He was so intuitive, and sensitive. She could easily imagine that the Eagle had been in tune enough with her, to cause her body to respond as it had.

Of course, Joe certainly had a way with women as well. She could certainly believe that it had been Joe's touch that had caused her to react that way.

Jun was still no closer to figuring out the identity of her lover.

Her lover… that had a nice sound to it. She could easily imagine spending night after night with him.

No matter who he was.

Jun was embarrassed to be thinking such a thing, but it was true. She loved both Ken and Joe equally. They were so different, and yet they had both found their way into her heart.

Combine that love, with the passion she had discovered the night before, and it was an irresistible combination.

And yet… her lover hadn't revealed who he was. He obviously didn't want her to make her decision, based on his skill in the amatory arts.

But it was so tempting.

Jun checked the time. She was due at the Crescent Coral Base, for a training session, in three hours. Both Ken and Joe would be there.

When she saw them face to face, she would know.

She had to know.

88888

When she arrived in the training room, Ken and Joe were already there, sparring in Birdstyle.

"Bird… Go!" Jun announced her arrival by transmuting.

"Well, look who's finally arrived!" smirked Joe. "She must have been sleeping in, after being up so late last night."

Jun grinned to herself. It had been Joe! Why else would he make a comment like that?

"As it happens," she responded tartly, her hands on her hips, "I'm right on time. You two are the ones who were early."

"I stand corrected." Joe winked at her. Jun smiled back at him.

"It seems that Jun doesn't regret her behavior last night." grinned Ken.

Wait a minute. Had Ken just been referring to…

Suddenly, Jun wasn't so sure anymore.

It occurred to her that they could easily be talking about staying up late and drinking so many beers. Their whole conversation last night had likely been a joke, brought on by the excessive alcohol consumption.

Had she imagined what had happened afterward? Had it even been real?

There was the rose… but maybe one of them had left it there, this morning? It didn't prove that anything had happened.

But then, she had woken up naked, to find her nightie crumpled on the floor and her body pleasantly sore.

It had happened.

But she had no more information now, than she had when she had woken up this morning.

Ken stood staring at her, waiting for a response to his comment.

"No…" Jun said, "I don't have any regrets." She looked up expectantly, hoping for one of them to give her a hint, a clue… anything.

But they just stood there, smiling at her, as they did every day.

"Then, let's get started." Ken suggested, and they began their usual routine.

Even when they weren't on duty, the Science Ninja Team got together to train at least three times a week. It helped them stay in shape, and kept them prepared in case of a call to action. They were used to the sessions, although Ken tried to vary them, and they slowly increased in intensity over time.

Today, Jun was only half-concentrating, as her mind was focused on her two partners. They didn't seem to be behaving any differently from usual.

Damn! How was she going to figure this out?

Toward the end of the session, they got a call on their bracelets.

"G1, G2, G3, this is Nambu." came Hakase's voice. "We have been getting reports of a potential Galactor attack in the continent of South Ameris."

"A potential attack?" Ken asked, confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means, that these days, when anything happens, people like to blame it on Galactor." Joe huffed. "Then they don't have to deal with it, because they can dump it in our laps."

"That's not a very complimentary description of the South Ameris governments, Joe," the Doctor chided, "but in this case, it's reasonably accurate. I'm fairly certain that the riots that have been troubling their major population centers aren't the work of Galactor, but that has yet to be confirmed."

"Just in case, I'm putting you all on Yellow Alert." Nambu finished.

"What?" cried Joe. "You mean, we're confined to Base? That's not fair! I have a race I need to prepare for!"

"Joe, you know, as well as I do, that personal considerations are secondary to your duty as a member of the Science Ninja Team." Hakase lectured.

Joe rolled his eyes as Ken smirked at him.

"I understand." the Condor replied, but his facial expressions said otherwise.

When the communication ended, Jun commiserated.

"I know how you feel, Joe." she shrugged. "The Snack was closed last night, and now I won't be able to open it tonight either. And tomorrow is Sunday, when I usually keep it closed anyhow. That pretty much kills my income for the entire week, especially considering how many free beers I gave away last night." Jun looked pointedly at the Eagle and the Condor.

"Hey, we bought the pizza…" Ken protested weakly.

"Well, tonight, you guys can buy me dinner at the cafeteria." Jun joked. The team didn't actually have to pay for anything at ISO installations.

"That suits my bank account." Ken grinned.

"What bank account?" Joe mocked him.

"Exactly my point." Ken replied.

It was so… normal. The guys were talking, complaining, joking… just like they always did. It was as if nothing had happened.

But something had happened. Jun's body burned with the memory. She found herself growing quiet, but her absence from the conversation was noticed.

"Hey, Jun," Joe asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, "are you okay? You're awfully quiet."

"Is something wrong?" asked Ken, concerned.

"I… I don't know." Jun replied quietly. "I'm fine, guys. Really. Let's just head to the cafeteria, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Ken looked worried.

"I'm fine." Jun repeated. "I guess I'm just hungry. I haven't eaten yet, today."

"What?" Joe exclaimed. "I know you want to keep that hot figure of yours, Jun, but you've got to eat!"

"I guess… I just woke up so late, and I got distracted… and then I came to our training session…" Jun smiled sheepishly. "Let's just go get some food!"

"Your wish is my command." Joe grinned, bowing and de-transmuting at the same time. The effect was bizarre, yet strangely elegant.

"And don't forget, I'm buying." Ken winked.

"I guess I'll have to order the most expensive thing on the menu, then." Jun replied mischievously.

How quickly and easily they slipped into their usual camaraderie. But Jun's mind was still preoccupied with the events of the night before. While outwardly, she appeared the same as usual, inside she was reliving her night of passion, searching for any hint of whom her mysterious lover could be.