Meg looked up at Jo when she pulled away, and smiled at her.
"You think so, Jo?" Jo nodded, and Meg's smile only got wider. "I'm glad."
Jo slowly began to pull it off of Meg, and Meg allowed herself to be undressed. On the outside, Meg was calm, her movements slow and deliberate, but her mind was racing a mile a minute.
'Maybe...maybe Jo will kiss me tonight. Or...something more?' Meg's wishful thinking was interrupted when Jo dropped the jacket onto the floor. Jo's hands reached down and grabbed the hem of Meg's black shirt, pulling it up and over her head.
"J-Jo..."
Jo didn't acknowledge that she had spoken, and her eyes travelled all over Meg's body. Meg blushed, and wondered if Jo liked what she saw.
"Meg..."
"Y-yes, Jo?"
"What is this?" The warrior asked plainly, pointing to a dark bruise forming on Meg's left shoulder. Meg instantly deflated, knowing her wishful thinking had been just that.
"A bruise." She said flatly. Jo blinked at the change of tone in her voice, but did not comment on it. "How did you get it?" Jo asked quietly.
"From the recoiling M-60." Meg answered shortly. Jo's brow creased, and a worried look came over her features.
"You have been injured because of me." Jo said.
Meg looked up at her, and shook her head. "It's hardly an injury, and it was through no fault of your own. I did this. I wanted to help you."
Jo gritted her teeth, and in the most aggressive display of emotion Meg had ever seen from the girl, grabbed Meg around the waist and pulled her close.
"You are mine, and I will do everything in my power to keep you from coming to harm." Jo said, staring her in the eyes. Meg shook her head. "We had this discussion already, Jo. Remember, we didn't get anywhere? You're the only one in this world I cannot live without, and I will do anything it takes to make sure you come back to me safely. This...is nothing compared to what you have gone through."
Jo said nothing; all her counter-arguments wouldn't get her anywhere with the difficult girl. She sighed, and Meg leaned her head on Jo's shoulder. They were both silent for a minute, and Jo`s grip on Meg never loosened.
"Well, we should finish getting dressed." Jo said, after a minute. Meg whined, obviously very comfortable where she was, but Jo was insistent. "Come on, you can sleep with me tonight if you want." She coaxed. Meg agreed instantly, and released her grip on Jo.
Jo pulled away, and pulled off her own shirt. She dropped it onto her floor, and rummaged through her dresser. She found what she wanted, and pulled out a pair of black yoga pants. She slipped them on, and Meg watched from the corner of her eye as Jo pulled them up, up, and over her black lace thong. Meg licked her lips, as Jo bent over to dig through her drawers again. A second later, she stood and pulled on a tight black V-neck t-shirt that clung to her amazing figure. Jo stood, and turned around, looking at Meg. Meg's heart skipped a beat, and she was sure she had never seen a more beautiful girl in all her life. Jo's sensual form was neatly outlined by her tight clothing, and her silver hair contrasted sharply with her dark clothing. Her dark red eyes were focused on Meg, and Meg felt like she was going to pass out.
"Oh...Jo..."
"Yes, Meg?"
Meg shook her head, and stuttered out an apology. "S-sorry, I was spacing out." She said.
'Spacing out thinking about your body...'
Jo walked over and retrieved her jacket from the floor. "Well, I am going to the roof to watch a movie." She said. "You can watch if you like, otherwise, I will see you when it's bed time."
Meg nodded, and watched Jo walk out, the door closing softly behind her.
Meg sighed, and walked to the door. She opened it, and looked left and right for either Leo, or the cook, before running to her room. She slipped inside, and shut the door. She walked over to the small closet, and pulled down a pair of navy blue sweatpants. She pulled them on over her white panties, then folded the waistband down a few inches. She reached back into her closet, and pulled down a black zip-up hoodie. She pulled it on, and zipped it up just far enough to squeeze her breasts together, but not far enough to conceal a decent amount of cleavage, and the edges of her red lace bra.
Meg slipped her hands along the back of her neck, and flipped her hair out. She turned to the mirror on her wall, and examined herself. A self-satisfied smile crossed her face as she realized that although she looked like she was too lazy to dress decently, she was definitely still sexy.
Jo climbed onto the roof, portable television under her arm. She set it down, and sat down with her back against one of the hydraulic rams that opened Django`s bay. She reached forward, and flicked it on. Underneath, a flap opened, and ejected the VHS she had been watching a few days ago. She carefully removed it, and inserted a new one. It took a few seconds to load, and white lines flashed across the sea of black that filled the screen, before slightly distorted audio came from the speakers. A half smile settled over Jo`s face as she watched the video slowly fade in.
"Come in." The strong voice commanded, responding to the three sharp raps on the heavy oak door. The door slowly opened, almost without sound on the sturdy hinges, and only the confident footsteps of the man entering sounded in the vast room.
"Ahh, Tetsuo, what brings you up here?"
The man smiled, as Sei's grandfather slowly turned in his chair to greet the visitor.
"I have come to discuss something of great interest, and perhaps...importance, with you." He said.
"Then by all means, have a seat."
Tetsuo seated himself, and his dark eyes found the elders'.
"You, sir, control a vast majority of people, doing all kinds of work for you." He said.
The leader of Bailan nodded. "Yes, this is so."
"It is important that you be able to control these people, lest they do something that is not in the interest of Bailan. You agree?"
"I do."
"It is to my attention that there is a very powerful warrior in your employ."
"I employ many a powerful warrior. It is key to becoming a mighty force that has weight to throw around. They are the legs that this entire operation stand on."
"Have any of these legs ever turned traitor to Bailan?"
"The very few that have were quickly taken care of. I do not tolerate any of my Dogs of War biting their Master's hand."
Tetsuo smiled, and stroked his short, jet-black, immaculately groomed beard slowly. He would have to step carefully at this point. The leader of Bailan did not have time to entertain bush-beating, and a point must be made, and soon.
It is also to my attention that one of your dogs is particularly strong...unstoppable, some say. She has certainly never fallen in battle as of yet."
"No warrior would be of much use if they fell in battle."
"The one I speak of is much more exceptional than the other high-class warriors you employ." Tetsuo said. "And I would like to ask you...what if the strongest warrior you had, turned on you and came to wreck everything you ever built?"
"Surely that warrior could be killed. No one is invincible."
"You know the warrior I speak of, I presume." Tetsuo said.
"Jo."
"Yes. She is a fine Dog of War, yet she remains uncollared. If she were to get it into her head that she does not like blindly following your orders, what would you do?"
"Eliminate her."
"Correct. But that would be a terrible waste of a dog, wouldn't it? Can you not collar her, restrain her, show her that it is, perhaps, in her best interest to have Bailan's interests always in her heart?"
"And how do you suggest that?"
"Jo's battlefield partner, Meg. They seem quite close. From observations, Meg is Jo's leash. Jo will do anything that Meg asks her to. I too have nothing but Bailan's interests at heart. I thought it prudent to discuss possible measures for ensuring a strong warrior does not turn and ruin so much work that has been done here. If you take the girl Meg, Jo will have one of two possible reactions. She will attack blindly, and kill everything in her sight, without fail, until sheer numbers are amassed to bring her down. Or, she will reason with you for Meg's safe release, then be on her way."
The aging Bailan leader smiled slowly, and he regarded Tetsuo with an amused look.
"Well, Tetsuo..."
"Yes?"
"There is a reason I sit in this chair, and not someone like yourself." The Bailan leader said, shaking his head. "While you are correct in assuming that we need some sort of defence from the girl, your logic is flawed. If we do, as you say, capture the girl, Jo will react as you say, slaughtering everything and not stopping until she is either dead, or Meg is freed."
"The-"
The Bailan leader held up a hand, not liking to be interrupted. When he paused, it was to let others think about what he had said. Too many people spoke first, and thought later. This was exactly why what he was going to say next would put the young man in his place.
"And, as you say, if Jo sees that she has the chance to rescue Meg diplomatically, and without violence, she will indeed take it. For the survival of Meg is first and foremost in Jo's mind, always. However, once Meg is away and safe somewhere where we cannot reach her, Jo will come back. Jo's pride will not let her walk away from something like that for long. She will come back, and she will be furious. We will all pay with our lives for taking Meg from her, and that is not a desirable situation."
Tetsuo licked his lips nervously. "Th-then how do you control the girl? Are you merely wishing and hoping that she finds no interest in bringing down everything we have built here? It certainly is a long shot, but one must be prepared for all eventualities."
The Bailan leader nodded slowly. "If the unfortunate day comes where Jo, or any of the others decides that they do not need us anymore, and they feel it would be a good idea to mount an attack, then that is something we cannot accept. We will have to hit them hard, and hit them where it counts. We will need to disable their greatest weapon, Jo."
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
"By utterly destroying that weapons entire reason for operating."
"Y-you mean..."
"If Jo ever bares her teeth at us, we will kill Meg."
"But thats..."
"An extreme measure, yes, and one that is highly unlikely to ever happen. However, they are mercenaries by nature, and will do anything if offered enough money. The only reason they are so loyal now is my granddaughter, Sei, is the one who hired Jo, and they have become friends, somewhat. Also, we just happen to be paying top dollar for her skills, so she feels no need to go anywhere else. Regardless, thank you for bringing such a thing to my attention. She is a dangerous warrior, but Bailan can handle its own. You are dismissed."
Tetsuo nodded, and stood. He bowed low, and exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Meg was already curled up in Jo's bed, yawning, when Jo entered. Meg had opted to not go watch the movie; instead she had gone and talked to Sei, inquiring as to why they were currently jobless. Sei simply shrugged, and said there were no jobs coming down the pipe, and that the only downside to working for Bailan was that it was nearly impossible to find work on the side. Bailan was involved in some very intricate political webs, and making one false step with a side job for another company could instantly make them Bailan's enemy. Sei had then asked if Meg was broke, and if she needed money then she would be happy to lend some. Meg had told her that money wasn't the issue. She still had plenty for how often she had bought things completely on impulse, and wasn't in a rush to make more.
"I'm just all mixed up." She had said. "Part of me is bored and wants work regardless of the pay, and the other part of me is glad that Jo has time to rest and wants this to last forever."
Sei had given her sympathies, and said she understood. However, all they could do for now was take it one day at a time.
"Already in bed, Meg?" Jo asked. The lights were already out, and the room was dark. Meg nodded. "I'm tired." She replied. Jo said nothing, as she pulled off her jacket. It once more fell to the floor, as Jo made her way over to the bed. Meg slowly moved over to make room for her, as Jo slid into bed. Meg pulled the covers up over the both of them, and turned on her side to face Jo.
"Jo, I-" Meg was cut off as Jo reached forward, pulling Meg close. Jo was laying on her right side, and her left arm went around Meg's waist, as her right arm went under Meg's head to support her.
"What were you going to say, Meg?" Jo asked quietly.
Meg shook her head slowly. "Nothing. This is fine."
Jo said nothing, and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, and Jo could feel Meg's gentle touch on the side of her face, fingers running through her hair, fingertips sliding down her cheek.
Jo felt her heartbeat increase as a particular thought crossed her mind. She could control where this night went, and it was up to her if it went anywhere fun.
Slowly, Jo began sliding her fingertips around in small circles on Meg's sweater covered lower back. After a few minutes, Jo slipped her hand underneath Meg's sweater, to her bare skin. Her hand travelled slowly up and down Meg's back, and over her hip. Meg practically purred in pleasure as she pushed herself up against Jo. Jo continued rubbing Meg's back, and had to admit that she liked the feeling of Meg's smooth skin beneath her fingers. Meg slipped her hand around the back of Jo's neck, entangling her fingers in her hair. She pulled Jo closer, and pulled on her hair, tilting Jo's head back as Meg's lips found her throat.
Jo had never felt anything like this before, and it was an interesting contrast to the feeling of war. Meg's lips on her throat generated so many feelings that she had never felt before. Jo had rarely ever been sexually aroused, and never to a point like this. Meg slid her tongue around Jo's throat and up the side of her neck, gently nipping her earlobe. Jo felt a shiver slide down her spine, and a small moan escaped her lips. Meg smirked.
"You like that, eh Jo?" Meg whispered in her ear. Jo didn't answer, but opened her eyes. Meg slowly sat up in bed, then flipped over so she was straddling Jo's waist. She leaned down, and attacked her neck again, as Jo's hands found their way back to Meg's waist.
"Mmmm Jo..."
Jo felt her body react to the way Meg moaned her name, and her hands slowly slid down until they were cupping Meg's perfect, soft, tantalizing ass. Meg hummed softly, and pressed her hips against Jo. She straightened up and smirked down at Jo.
"I know you want to touch more than that, Jo." She whispered teasingly, slowly twisting her torso from side to side. Jo's eyes fell to Meg's breasts, and saw them barely contained by the half-zipped sweater. Jo blinked nervously, as Meg leaned back, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. Meg's hands slowly slid from the side of the bed, to her thighs. Her fingertips traced a teasing path up her thighs, to her stomach. Meg could tell Jo was following her with her eyes, and slowly her hands went higher until she slowly caressed her breasts, pressing them together. Meg massaged them slowly for a few seconds, then slid her hands up her neck, and through her long red hair. She let herself moan a bit as she slowly let her hands fall to her sides, before lowering her head, and opening her eyes. She gazed at Jo, and slowly reached out, touching the tip of Jo's nose with her fingertip.
"Your turn." She said.
Jo's eyes widened. That was easily the hottest thing she had ever seen Meg do, and she had done it for her.
"I'm all yours Jo...have your way with me." Meg whispered. She leaned down and licked Jo's throat again. "Or use me to fulfill your every desire."
Jo felt her body heat up with raw desire, and she reached up to stroke Meg's back again. This time she dug her nails into Meg's soft skin. Meg arched her back and moaned.
"Mmm yes...I love it rough..." Meg moaned. "More, Jo..."
Jo twisted to the side, and threw Meg off her, before climbing on top. Meg smiled seductively up at her, her hair strewn all over the sheets.
"You own me Jo...play with me as rough as you want." Meg said softly. "Or would you prefer that I beg for it...?"
Jo couldn't ignore the overwhelming desire she held for this girl stretched out beneath her. And here she was, offering herself to Jo in every way Jo had never imagined.
"M-Meg..."
"Mmnyes, Jo?" Meg asked, biting her lip. Her fingers tugged at the waistband of Jo's yoga pants. Jo leaned down, and whispered in Meg's ear.
Meg smiled, and giggled softly. "Of course, Jo. Anything for you."
Sei picked up her cell phone, and excused herself from the table. It vibrated again, insistently, in her hand, and she hurriedly walked down the hall toward her room. Once she was a good distance away from Leo and Amy sitting at the table, she flipped open her cell phone and brought it to her ear.
"Grandfather."
"Sei, how are you?"
"Getting destitute, Grandfather. We have no work. You have good news, I presume?"
"The opposite, unfortunately. We are in the middle of a political stalemate, and our work must reflect that. You are ordered to not engage anyone except in self-defence, in the name of Bailan."
"For how long! The girls are getting more and more restless, day by day. I do not know if I can control Jo, if we tell her she cannot fight for however many more days."
There was a lengthy pause, and Sei had the feeling that she may have said something wrong.
"A week. Stay clean for a week, and I can arrange something for you, if you and your girls are restless and looking for action."
Sei nodded, and audibly confirmed her understanding. "Okay. I will do that, Grandfather."
"I will wire-transfer some funds to the usual account, do as you please with it. Distribute it amongst the girls, and send them off to do some shopping. It should entertain them for a while."
"Thank you Grandfather."
"Sei."
"Yes, Grandfather?"
Another lengthy pause. "I am sorry. I do love you, and you are doing a great job."
The line went dead in Sei's ear, and her heart started racing faster than it ever had before. Everything about that conversation had been irregular, especially the ending. Something was going on, and she wanted to know what it was. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and compose herself before she rejoined Leo and Amy.
"What was that about, Sei?" Leo asked when Sei had reseated herself. Sei shook her head.
"Nothing in particular, Bailan checking up on us."
"How's work looking?"
"None for a week." Sei said quietly.
Leo was quiet, and slowly stroked his chin. Amy glanced at her over the top of her laptop, then a few seconds later, the sound of rapid keystrokes filled the air.
"Don't bother looking for more work, Amy." Sei said. "We were told not to act on our own, so as to not aggravate the delicate position Bailan is in, politically."
The keystrokes stopped momentarily, then resumed at a slightly slower pace.
"Well that's stupid." Amy remarked. "Is Bailan compensating us for our downtime at their hands?"
Sei nodded. "Once the funds are in my account, I'll redirect them to each of your personal accounts. I'll notify you when I complete the transfer."
Amy sighed. "Better than nothing, I suppose. I'll just go trash someone's site for fun. Or find a personal server to break into."
Sei raised an eyebrow. "And the destruction of others' personal data is entertaining to you?"
Amy frowned for a minute. "Well considering there is no one out there smart enough or skillful enough to stop me, it IS a bit like using Thor's mighty hammer to smite innocent villagers, and other vermin. So that DOES make me a cruel and petty person."
Sei waited.
Amy's inevitable grin broke across her face, and she giggled. "Time to smite some poor fools!"
Sei sighed, and crossed her arms under her voluptuous breasts. "Just don't get us in any trouble, or I'm withholding your part of the pay."
Amy waved her off. "Ahh. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."
Sei stared at her for a second, before turning to Leo. "You haven't seen the girls at all, have you?"
Leo shrugged, recalling the last time he had seen Jo. "Can't say that I have. Probably holed up in one of their rooms though, their stuff is still here."
Amy snickered, and Sei turned to her. "Something to add to the conversation?"
Amy shook her head. "Not a thing!"
"Do you need to speak to them?" Leo asked, ignoring Amy.
Sei turned to face him once more. "I should let them know whats going on for the next week. Jo, without work, might go crazy, but hopefully Meg can keep a tight hold on her temper. You know how Jo can get when her need for violence and fighting isn't satiated."
"Maybe Meg can take Jo's mind off the violence by satisfying something else." Amy said, shaking her head.
"Amy!" Sei exclaimed.
"What? Don't tell me you didn't hear those two last night!"
Sei froze. "Hear? What exactly did you hear...?"
Leo cleared his throat, and got up from the table. "Coffee, anyone? Think I'll excuse myself and go get coffee!" He left hastily, lest he hear anything Jo could prosecute him for.
"Oh, you know...this and that..." Amy said slyly.
"Amy, don't kid around! You know as well as I do that something was bound to happen eventually, but I need to know how the team dynamics have changed. Once...a relationship of a sexual nature develops, things change. And if their relationship fails, things could change for the worse."
"Well, you know sweet and innocent Meg? She was practically begging Jo it give it to her hard, rough and fast."
Sei's eyes narrowed. "I didn't hear anything and I was up all night doing paperwork. How exactly did you come across this...information?"
Amy shifted her eyes away from her computer screen. "There may have been an electronic component to my voyeurism..."
"You spied on Jo and Meg!"
Amy grinned. "Sooo...how much was that information worth to you, Sei?" Amy asked. "How much do you value your team dynamics?"
Sei smiled coldly at her. "How much is it worth to you that I don't tell Jo on you?" Sei asked, her voice sickeningly sweet. Amy's grin disappeared. "Because I'll tell you one thing, Amy, my team dynamics don't change much if Jo takes you out."
Amy slowly shrunk back behind her laptop screen. "I may have...uh...miscalculated...a bit..."
Sei reached over and patted her on the head. "It was a nice try, sweetie, but you have years to go before you can even think of pulling one over on me. Give me credit, I'm not Meg. You can't kid a kidder."
Amy shrugged. "A for effort?" She asked. Sei hummed. "B plus." She conceded. "Good enough for the girls I know." Amy replied. Sei raised an eyebrow. "Thats an interesting phrase."
Amy rolled her eyes. "The things kids learn on the internet these days, my word, I tell you what."
Sei smiled fondly at the young girl, and got up from her seat. "Well, I'm about to go wake Beauty and the Beast, hopefully I'm not about to intrude on anything,"
"I don't think Meg would appreciate it if you referred to her as the Beast." Amy said.
"Well, luckily for me, I don't particularly care."
Amy laughed, and Sei disappeared down the hall, heading toward Meg's room.
A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. One more to go! It's so exciting! As always, reviews are definitely appreciated. Let me know what you think! Feel free to point out errors, spelling mistakes, breaks in continuity, and inconsistencies. It's the only way I'll get better.