Chapter 4:

In case things didn't go well with Scarlett, Allie had her Plan B, namely another set of silk sheets, ready to go. The red head hadn't acknowledged her for several days and until this point, their paths had not crossed. Allie had been kept busy proving herself to the men that not only was she a good actress, she was also a capable soldier. She hid her discomfort and pain that the training sessions called, relaxing at night with the heating pad she had brought. She knew she was out of practice since she had left MI-6, even though she kept herself in shape with light workouts.

Her grit and determination, not to mention never complaining about any of the training she was put through, bought her some more admirers on the Joe team. Her sessions that she led, more of lectures, really, on covert operations, also earned her some friends as well. She tried to make it interesting and informative as she helped the Joes learn how to see through a spy's disguise, as well as how to beef up their security. Because of her easy infiltration, she also changed the way the MPs checked personnel in and out at the gate. Hawk seemed pleased with her progress and told her so after one of her sessions.

"I'm not sure if I'm making any friends, but at least your men will be more alert," she said simply. Hawk tried not to wince. He knew that how he had introduced Allie to his team had hurt some egos, but he had hoped they were over it by now and accepting of her. Allie could be one of the most easy-going individuals around. He also knew she had a biting temper as well, but so far, he hadn't seen any cause for that. However, he knew that she had yet to make friends with Scarlett and knowing the two needed to work closely together, he decided to push that forward.

The two women met in the gym the Joes used for training. A simple ring was constructed in the center, with exercise equipment lined up along the walls, including weights, treadmills, and stair climbers. Most of the men in the room seemed to be focused on lifting weights, but their attention shifted when they realized the two women would be sparring in the ring.

"You ready to go down?" Scarlett growled, stretching.

Allie decided to keep this light. While she was not going to let Scarlett win, she would neither humiliate her in front of her team. "Only if you are," she replied cheerfully.

"Let's do this," Scarlett said, frowning at the other woman's light tone. She wanted to show her what being a Joe was, and that it was more than just dress up. Granted, she had heard Lady Jaye had not complained once during training, and the men had grilled her hard. She knew it took a lot to prove yourself capable to the Joe team, especially being a female. A lot of the hardheads, she knew, didn't believe women should be in the military, let alone on a specialist team.

The two were equally matched. Scarlett showed some skill with martial arts, Lady Jaye noticed. She herself had a limited background in that area, but was able to compensate with what she knew in other areas.

Exhausted, the ladies called a break and one of the men tossed water bottles up their way. Allie noticed money changing hands and rolled her eyes. Scarlett caught her expression and grinned. She came over to where Allie leaned against the ropes and held out her hand.

"I have to admit, you gave as good as you got. It doesn't mean I like you. However, I do admire skill," Scarlett admitted.

Allie took her hand and shook it. "Truce," she said, smiling tiredly.

The men around the ring groaned. They wanted to see an end to the match, that one woman come out on top.

The women looked at one another conspiratorially.

"Show's over, boys," Scarlett announced, climbing out of the ring and holding her hand out to help Lady Jaye, who accepted it trustingly. She knew she had proven herself to the female agent and was relieved. While she could pretend to Duke that it didn't matter, she knew she'd rather be liked than deal with hostility each day.

Speak of the devil, she thought, as she saw the blonde hurrying towards them as he entered the gym. Obviously, word had spread that the two women were sparring.

"Everything okay?" he asked, frown lines wrinkling his brow.

Scarlett patted his back and handed him her empty water bottle.

"Sure! Why wouldn't it be? Coming, Lady Jaye?"

"Certainly, Scarlett," replied Allie, echoing the same tone, giving Duke the same enigmatic smile.

When the women entered the suite, Lady Jaye turned to Scarlett. "I know we're supposed to use code names and all, but when we're alone, it's Allie."

Scarlett smiled, nodding. "I feel the same. Nice to keep our own identity at times. I'm Shana, but I'm sure you already know that."

The women took turns showering, then settled on the chairs in the common area of the suite. Allie looked around and took stock.

"Pretty barren," she sighed. "And military ugly."

Shana nodded, echoing the sigh. "Yeah. I have to say, I don't spend too much time in here. Now that I have a roommate," she smiled, "maybe we could scrounge for some items to make it a bit more homey. There's a storage closet not too far from here that has some odds and ends."

Allie chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Hawk asked me to stay for a month, on a trial basis, but if I do decide to stay, I have some furniture in storage I could talk him into letting us have in here. Especially some decent beds," she said, groaning in exaggeration as she held her back.

"Oh, I am so with you on that!" Shana exclaimed. "Granted, normally I'm exhausted once I get to bed each night, there are times, after certain days, that I'm so stiff in the morning thanks to that damn excuse for a bed."

Allie nodded sympathetically.

"Well," said Scarlett, getting up. "I guess we should get to work. Your office isn't too far from mine. We need to go over some specs Hawk gave me this morning for the latest mission. I think you and Flint are slated to go on it," she said over her shoulder as she gathered her things.

The man who had questioned her qualifications. Great.

"He's not really that bad," Scarlett said when she saw Allie's face. "Very by the rules guy, though. Can be a bit arrogant as well, which is why he took your revelation so hard. He prides himself on having everything around here run like clockwork. His MO is Warrant Officer, but he's the best military strategist we have."