Chapter 5

In the morning, filtered sunlight came into Jun's quarters, as various colorful fish swam by her window. She quickly discovered that her partner was gone, but this time, she had expected as much.

Yet, the ache of disappointment, at not knowing her lover's identity, was as strong as ever.

However, he had left her another rose: this one yellow, liberally streaked with red. Yellow: for friendship. Red: for passion.

It was the perfect combination.

As she contemplated the pleasures of the previous night, her bracelet beeped.

"G1, G2, G3, this is Nambu." came Hakase's voice.

"G3 here." Jun responded, and she heard Ken and Joe do the same.

"The Yellow Alert has been cancelled. It has been confirmed that the South Ameris riots were not caused by Galactor." the Doctor reported.

"I could have told you that, last night." Ken pointed out.

"I told you this Alert was a waste of time." Joe grumbled.

"Nonetheless, it is over." Nambu replied dryly. "You are all free to return to Utoland, if you wish."

"Thanks, Hakase." Jun said, ending her side of the communication. She knew that the Doctor was about to lecture Ken and Joe on their behavior, and didn't really feel the need to listen in.

How could such an ordinary conversation occur, after such an extraordinary night?

But, then, was it truly extraordinary? This was the second night in a row. How many more nights would her mysterious lover come to her? There was no question in Jun's mind that she wanted these… rendezvous… to continue.

For now, though, there were no more answers than there had been twenty-four hours before. And while Jun craved answers, she was starting to wonder if she would ever get them.

Jun spent the rest of the day returning to the Snack J and cleaning, in preparation for the upcoming week. Hopefully, she would be able to open most nights, and recoup some of the income she had lost this weekend by being closed. Jinpei and Ryu were due back tomorrow, and Jun was glad that the Swallow would be helping her again. It really was a lot of work to run this place by herself.

Her white and crimson rose from the day before had survived, in a cup of water, and Jun placed it, with the yellow and red one, in a vase on the bar. Jun hoped that if her lover came in, he would see them, and know that she was thinking of him.

As afternoon gave way to twilight, Jun heard a knock at the door. Walking over, Jun was pleased to see that Ken and Joe had come to pay her a visit.

"Come on in!" she greeted them. "I was hoping you guys would stop by. I was just about to finish up, for the evening."

"Then, we arrived at just the right time!" Joe declared.

"You sound like Jinpei: allergic to work!" Jun commented.

"You wouldn't insult us so easily, if you knew that we had brought you dinner." Ken responded, raising a large paper bag in his hand.

"Oh?' Jun raised an eyebrow. "And I don't suppose you brought any beverages…"

"Well, we were hoping that you might be kind enough to provide us with a few beers..." Joe drawled. The Eagle gave her a soulful look, batting his baby blues at her.

"Uh huh…" Jun laughed. "Why am I not surprised? Well, at least you brought food. Ryu eats and drinks up all of my profits. Let me see what I can dig up."

"I knew we could count on you, Jun!" Ken cheered.

As they had the previous night, they talked and joked, with no indication at all that this was anything out of the ordinary. At first, Jun watched both men carefully, to see if either one of them showed any sign of recognition, when they saw the roses on the bar. But they mentioned nothing, and she remained without any clue as to who the giver of the flowers had been.

They enjoyed the food, but unlike the other night, they limited themselves to one beer apiece. After they had eaten, Joe stretched out in a booth, with Jun and Ken sitting on the other side.

"So, Jun," Joe said slyly, during a lull in the conversation, "have you made your decision, yet?"

"Decision?" Jun was taken aback. Surely, he couldn't be talking about…

"The other night." Ken said, slipping his arm around Jun's shoulder. "We talked about it. Don't you remember?"

Jun looked over at Ken, trying to discern whether or not he was being serious. They had all been drunk, and Jun could hardly believe that they actually expected her to…

"You promised to choose one of us." Joe insisted, sitting up. "Two days, you said. And that's how long it's been."

"But…" Jun protested, "We were drunk… you guys were joking… right?"

The Condor did not back down from her gaze. She turned to see the Eagle staring at her intently.

"Just put him out of his misery, Jun." Ken said quietly. "Tell him that I'm the one you want."

"You're deluded, Ken." Joe drawled confidently. "You'd better enjoy it while it lasts. She's going to choose me."

"You guys are insane!" Jun cried, tearing herself away from Ken and getting up to stalk across the room.

"Well, it's not like I haven't been accused of that before." grinned Joe, "But usually, the women don't mind."

"We're only asking you to do what you promised, Jun." Ken pointed out. "You agreed to make a decision."

"You agreed to something as well!" Jun answered, relieved to find a loophole in their request. She walked back to the booth, to stand in front of both of them, her hands on her hips.

"You both agreed to give me a chance to learn about you!" she pointed out. "I need to know what you guys have to offer!" It was a stalling tactic, and Jun knew it. There was no way she could ever choose between them.

But… if she knew which one of them had been with her for the last two nights, then she could choose. She would be willing to be with the man who had brought her such pleasure.

"Are you sure about that?" Ken questioned her.

"Haven't you experienced enough of what we both have to offer you?" Joe asked her, nodding his head slightly, to indicate the vase with the two roses, on the bar.

Jun's mind was awhirl with the implications of the Condor's words.

Both of them…

Two nights…

Two roses…

Two lovers…

Jun looked at the Eagle and the Condor. They sat in the booth, gazing up at her expectantly, with smug expressions on their faces. They were enjoying her surprise, and shock, at what they had done.

Jun thought for a moment. Their revelation didn't make her decision any easier, yet they were both waiting patiently for her response. She collected herself, then placed both of her hands flat on the table, leaning on it as she spoke.

"I certainly have learned a lot, these past two nights." she said quietly, making eye contact with both of them. "One of you is tender; the other is strong."

"One of you is relentless; the other, giving."

"One of you is fascinating; the other, intense."

"One of you is understanding; the other, demanding."

"How can I decide, Gentlemen?" Jun asked, pulling herself to a stand and raising her hands, palm up, in the air.

"I want it all." she declared.

Ken and Joe started at the Swan, and then each other, in confusion. This was not what they had been expecting.

"So…" Ken asked, his expression perplexed, "What you're saying is…"

"I want it all." Jun repeated smugly, crossing her arms in a Condor-like pose.

After a long moment of silence, Joe spoke.

"I can do that." he offered.

Ken looked from Jun, to Joe, and back again.

"I can, too." he gulped.

"So," Jun asked slyly, "do we have a deal?"

"Deal." said Joe, admiringly.

"Deal." Ken croaked nervously.

Jun grinned. She turned, walking a few steps away from the table, then stopped mid-step, to look back over her shoulder. She smiled seductively at both men, then continued to walk away, her hips swinging invitingly with her every movement.

Slowly, Jun walked up the stairs, and to her bedroom.

Alone in the Snack, the Eagle and the Condor sat in shocked silence, wondering what had just happened.

Ken looked at Joe, and the Condor grinned challengingly at him.

They bolted from their seats, racing for the stairs, the Eagle a fraction of a second in the lead.

Swans were more predatory than they appeared, after all.