Full Summary:
Anya is fed up with Damian avoiding her! She's ready to take drastic measures to ensure they get closer now that they are both in their 10th year. She knows he thinks about her- even has fantasies! And she's more than willing to use this information against him because with how Damian is, it isn't like she can just ask him to be her girlfriend! Besides, that would be too easy and Anya's mother and father have trained her for years, I mean, prepared her for all life's challenges!
Of course, there is more... like, why is Becky forcing these two into some dramatic scenarios? And what does Donovon Desmond have to do with human experimentation- in particular, Anya?
Warnings: Eventual Smut, Wordy and Dirty is how I am. I have only vague plans so I will add warnings as I go too.
Prologue
The handsome blonde man stared at his short, smol daughter, unwilling to concede. In his mind she is still six, speaking with a little lisp and asking him to play bondman games. When had she stopped reaching for his hand when they went into town? It had happened far too fast in his opinion.
"No." He answers, his girl's nose crinkling in distaste, her arms crossing over the table. He secretly liked her little pout, he expected it now, but she looked deep in thought instead of petulant. Another sign that she was grown, and growing.
"Papa," Anya stated, her hands coming up before her with her fingertips touching, making a small steeple. "Commuting has always put a distance between my classmates and me. You have insisted on the importance of friendships, especially at this time of my life. High school is where true independence begins. Besides, new students have been accepted on top of the elite that has been going for years. Think of the connections."
Anya couldn't come right out and say, 'For operation Strix, where progress has been slow for years, living on campus will open a new avenue of attack for plan- 'getting invited to Damian's house!'' Of course, with all the other contacts Loid has gained through Eden Academy the operation has been more than worth it for him. On a few levels.
She also couldn't tell him how much more studying and learning she would do as Anya figured Loid would insist on her being home so he could ensure she studied. Anya internally winced as she vows to herself to stay on top of her schoolwork on her own.
The dark-haired beauty sitting beside Loid cleared her throat. "I can provide an allowance for food, and I'm sure Anya will visit on weekends and we can always meet her for dinner." Loid turned to his wife, Yor's smile so forced her eyelids are pinched so they are barely open.
"I agree to those terms!" Anya interjects as her father thinks a thousand counter-arguments but the loudest of his thoughts being, 'how can Yor accept Anya leaving us so young!' The young girl reaches across the table, touching her Papa's hand as he had thought about them holding hands when she'd been a kid. "I'll always be your little girl, but I need to try to take care of myself- or at least as much as I can."
Loid squeezes her hand, still undecided.
"I'll prove you can rely on me!" Anya declares as his thoughts turn to her many shortcomings, her impatience, immaturity, and her scatter-brainedness.
"It can be dangerous for a young girl on campus," Loid mutters, looking to Yor. Her eyes flash, her thoughts turning murderous as she imagined anyone laying a hand on her innocent little girl. 'I'd kill anyone who touches her!' The violence that she imagines is graphic, blood splattering and necks slicing open, but Anya is accustomed to the turns of her mother's mind. "If you can pass my test, my safety test, I'll allow it."
Immediately Anya stands, turning their comfort handhold into a handshake, making a deal. Her father already making plans on how to fail her but Anya wouldn't. This very man had trained her by way of bondman spy games with increased intensity over the years and that was on top of Yor's 'exercises'. She smiles, "I'll study for your safety test right now!"
Of course, this pleases all three of the Forger family members for very different reasons.
Anya is confident her subtle hint that she misunderstood what kind of test her father would be implementing on her, which of course she knew would be a field operation with a series of traps, pleases her immensely. She is also excited at the prospect of being tested as her training has been a mix-matched patchwork of lessons all masked as something it wasn't.
Loid is pleased as he knows his daughter needs to constantly be learning how to keep herself safe due to who he is, but also because the world is unpredictable. Yor though, she is pleased as her husband and daughter had come to an agreement about something they differed on in such an adorable manner that she simpers. 'That was the cutest business agreement I've ever seen.'
Three days later, with help from Franky, Sylvia, and a slew of other spies, he implements his test. It is meant to last all day, seventeen tests in total but in a matter of moments, Anya fails. She follows right along with an actual stranger who asks if she wants to pet his puppies in his van down a dark alley. His little girl skipping along with the stranger, telling him all about her own old dog Bond and he fumes as that man isn't even part of the test!
Chapter One- Moving Day
Loid drives, adjusting his rearview to look at his sweet daughter sitting in the backseat reading an action manga. 'She is too sweet for this world' he thinks, worrying that she models after Yor with how gullible they both can be. "Stay on campus," Loid demands, Yor's mind filling with images of Anya getting lost, of her getting snagged off the sidewalk by kidnappers, and then of her falling into a sewer grate and drowning.
Anya's spine straightens, her father's thoughts not much different, thinking about her not waking up in the mornings and missing all her classes. Of getting locked out of Eden by missing curfew and sleeping on the street, then he thinks of her getting sick and not being there to make her soup. She notes he doesn't seem all that concerned about his mission, he still thought about it but it isn't his focus with her anymore. It hasn't been for years.
"Do your assignments on time, don't punch Damian this year unless he deserves it, and don't, under any circumstances follow a stranger to their van." Anya flushes scarlet at her father's words, knowing she's guilty of doing all three things. "You're lucky we even agreed to this after you failed your safety test."
Anya mumbles under her breath but ceases when Loid slows down, turning up Eden High's drive. The high school campus is on the other side of the Elementary one. A field between them. She still marvels at it, the towering building reminding her of a castle with its beautiful architecture, clean long windows, and detailed statues.
"I've learned my lesson- and I passed all the tests after that first flop!" Anya fumes, as he hadn't been thinking anything bad when he asked about the puppies! It was after they neared the van that his thoughts turned... gross. She shivers, disgusted at the man's lude imaginings of her. He'd been older than her father!
"She'll be fine." Yor pats Loid's hand as he parks near her dorm, his hand still on the gear shift. They had started actually dating years ago, they 'renewed their vows'- but to them, they actually got married, five years ago. "We'll keep an eye on her." They both share a look, not realizing the two of them were abnormal as they both make similar plans of stalking her and implementing shifts to watch over her at night.
She should feel imposed upon or angry they didn't have faith in her but instead, she feels lucky. Anya spent years working hard to help her father and mother maintain world peace and find love with one another to keep her family together. All while managing her mind reading, growing up, and the intensity of Eden's learning. She's never made imperial scholar, but Anya is proud of herself for everything she's balanced thus far.
Her parents duck their heads together, whispering their plans, neither thinking the other is overreacting or considering what a typical family would do because this is their normal. Anya watches them, knowing she is going to miss seeing them every day. Then the two nod to one another as if this is just another of their missions or assassinations.
Anya rolls her eyes, getting out of the car before her parents to smile up at Maple Hall. One of the all-girls dorms of Eden High Academy. The other, Magnolia Hall, was much more expensive. She doesn't mind. Maple Hall provides her with a little room, she just has to share the common room, the bathing room, the laundry room, and the hallways. They had taken a tour weeks ago and she feels the excitement within bubble up as if she is a shaken carbonated drink waiting to burst.
"Come on!" She bounces on her heels, shutting the car's door after pulling her backpack from the backseat.
The thoughts bouncing in her head grow with the increased number of minds around, she has grown accustomed to the constant chatter others accidentally press upon her. She hadn't wanted to live on campus before for that very reason but now she can mostly drown it out. Like a song stuck in your head, repeating in the background, or a constant buzz that is annoying but no longer impeeding.
Anya has never been good at controlling her power, but she excels at not paying any attention at all!
Loid and Yor got out, joining her at either side to look up at Maple Hall with her. Loid speaks, "If you don't like it, you can always come home. Any time you want." She takes both their hands, smiling as she knows this family has been the greatest blessing to ever befall her. Anya gently gazes up, first her father, then her mother, both almost a head taller than her. They all have the same soft expression, their eyes tender, but the unspoken feelings between them pass when another car pulls up beside them.
'Is that notorious war criminal Bartlet?' Loids mind reels before settling on the girl getting out behind him. The gears in his mind click in place as the father to that child hadn't been listed on the intel Loid had gathered, she had taken her mother's maiden name and her means hadn't been enough for this place. 'No wonder he kept this obvious love-child a secret.'
Loid directs his family to the trunk, giving them each a box and taking a third labeled, "Anya's clothes," written in Yor's pretty handwriting. With a quick flick of the lid, his daughter's clothes scattered at the war criminals' feet. Loid motions for his family to go on ahead, before making his apologies and introductions to the criminal, even getting the man to laugh a little when his daughter makes a snarky remark that Liod comments on to the father privately.
"Seven is a lucky number." Yor muses, smiling at her short daughter as she marvels at the entrance, a simple room with a small fireplace and a portrait of a maple tree above it. An older woman sat at the desk opposite, but she recognized Anya and her family. She waves for them to continue on not getting up from her textbook. Yor continues, "Second floor is nice too. Not too many steps but out of the way for burglars."
Yor imagines if a murderer got in, all the girls on the first floor would be killed first, that Anya will surely have enough time to wake up before the violent criminal reaches the second level. Then she remembers running the sweeper right next to Anya, who slept through the whole thing. Yor bites her lip, suddenly worrying that this is too soon.
"Did you remember to pack that door wedge for my room?" Anya asks, using it as a cover to remind her mother of Franky's gift. It is for her to use on the inside of her door so she can basically double lock from the inside. No installation is required. They climb the stairs, the carpet worn but soft under their feet.
"Yes." Yor's imagination improves as she envisions her entire dorm as a massive slaughter but her daughter's door is safely shut, the metal wedge preventing the murderer from spilling her guts amongst her peers. When Anya looks back at her mother, she has a soft smile on her face, pleased as she envisions this very hall with disembodied teenage girls her little girl walking out in her pajamas rubbing her eyes sleepily. "I packed you some food too, snacks, and- oh no, I forgot your water bottle."
They reach number seven, a single room, but Anya doesn't go in as Yor's mind changes to self-chastisement for not caring for her daughter properly- even after all this time. "I have it in my backpack." Anya shakes her pack, "don't worry mom, I'll just come home if I've forgotten anything." Yor sniffs, but nods, her mind teasing her with memories of Anya growing up.
-The first time Anya kicked a man in the face. The first time Anya got the drop of a mugger and the time Anya had forgotten Mr. Chimera for her first sleepover at Becky's.-
"Anya..." Her mother starts, walking into the plain white room, to place the box on the bare twin bed. Its frame is taller to allow storage boxes underneath. She has an empty shelf and a small desk at the end of her twin bed. "Did you remember Mr. Chimera?"
Anya freezes as she places her box next to her mother's. She's slept with that old ratty stuffed animal as far back as she can remember, from before papa and mama even. Tears well and she looks at Yor with unbidden sorrow. "Don't you worry, sweet daughter!" Yor straightens, "I'll find him for you and bring him straight here!"
Yor rushes to the door, agile and in partial Thorn Princess mode, throwing it open but halting as Loid stands in the way. He has two boxes in his arms, Mr. Chimera sitting on the top of them. "You'll never guess who I found hiding in my hat!" Papa set the boxes down on the desk, taking up the entire top of it, before snatching up her old stuffed animal with a flourish.
Anya's teary eyes meet her father's and in a blink, she is across the room and hugging his middle, Mr. Chimera squishes in the middle of them. Loid laughs, glad to come to her rescue in such a small way once more, hugging her back. He wishes her little, to be so small he can carry her around on his shoulders once more, but watching her grow has been his greatest blessing.
His daughter pulls away, looking up at him in shock. 'I'm papa's greatest blessing?' Loid starts, looking behind him before focusing back on Anya, but she recovers, her desire to help her father and his mission redoubling with his feelings always drive her forward. "I won't let you down, Papa! I'll make you proud, Mama!"
Yor laughs, "I'm already proud." Anya flushes, pleased while Yor starts unpacking her decorations box with exceptional speed. Anya opens another, digging to find her family's portrait from when she was little, propping it open on her bookshelf at her height level. Her parents stay, hanging her peg/cork board and making her bed, even tacking her poster of Ultra-Spy, a more adult manga character but much the same as the Bondman cartoon she still loves.
The goodbye is hard, Loid makes excuses and Yor goes so far as to refold her clothes before putting them in the open boxes under her bed, the lids on the bottom, like make-shift drawers. Anya can't even spot them under there with the ruffle Yor had situated under her mattress. "Thank you." Anya hushes as they finally reach their car, Loid stopping at every suspicious noise. "Thank you for being my family."
The three share a rare group hug, squeezing one another before breaking apart and making plans for dinner that weekend. She waves as her parents drive away, her excitement still bubbling but she feels flatter, a little lost without them to guide her. Briefly, she thinks of Damian and how he's been on his own at school since their first year together.
Becky always commuted, so she had her parent's support more frequently. They had written over the summer as she had gone on an extended vacation and this year she will be staying at her own apartment a few blocks away from campus. She'd gotten it a week early to get it set up, but Anya hasn't seen it yet.
Anya hadn't been lying when she said commuting had put her apart from her peers, but she had been primarily talking about Damian. She knows, having been privy to everyone's inner thoughts, that his ire all stems from wishing he got to see his parents as often as she got to see hers.
She is excited to see them both at school tomorrow. Becky had said to meet her at the front gate before class to compare schedules but Anya knew that Loid had rearranged her schedule to match Damian's, again. Each year they had every class together, but Becky and Anya haven't been so lucky.
If only Becky had been a Desmond instead of a Blackbell, but of course, Loid had gotten plenty of information out of her family as a bonus. Still, she wishes Damian hadn't been so weird last year. They had been friends up until then, playing games and eating lunch together. She'd even been invited to his birthday in eighth grade- Loid had been thrilled, joining Anya on his Yacht voyage around the bay to talk to all the parents while she got to 'play'.
Something had changed last year with Damian. He'd always been snappy to everyone and although he'd grown out of his overly cocky tendencies he still had a superiority complex. He had plenty of people who knew him but not many people who actually liked him, and only she knew that. People always wanted something from him, and although she wanted something from him too she didn't count herself as one of them.
Because she actually likes Damian Desmond.
Her reasons for getting close are for the continuation of world peace, to make papa proud, and because she misses him. So this year, she wants to do things differently! This year, she will win Damian back as a friend no matter what it takes!
Anya, standing in front of Maple Hall, power poses with her legs wide. She punches the air, amping up and falling back to some of Yor's sets. A few students, also being moved into the hall mutter to their friends, about how strange she is, or shy away from her nervous about getting hit, only one proudly recognizes the moves as a legit exercise- her mother who sat with Loid on the roof of the building across the way, watching her.
Anya showers, wearing her flip flops, her excitement making the experience all the better with her mesh bag of supplies. She explores the halls to relearn the paths to the common areas before heading back to her room as no one is up for talking to her. The 12th year in the laundry room tells her, "I don't want to make friends, I'm busy" and Anya knows she isn't lying. She had her imperial scholar cloak folded on the top and she was already studying for classes that haven't started yet.
When she sits on her bed, her lamp on, she pulls out her textbooks, after arranging her school bag, Anya tries to pre-study intent to make better grades and start a scholar-habit, but in a matter of moments, she's asleep. A little drool dripping on her new book, leaving a wet ripple on her pages.
In the morning, she's bouncing, soaring through getting ready, and as a last-minute thought, adjusts her little hair cones. She jogs across campus, getting her blood pumping, her face flushing, and her hair dancing behind her. She arrives at the determined meeting spot, eyes dancing with joy. She digs in her bag, pulling out her class schedule, ready.
Outside the air was chilly, her uniform keeping the cold from her chest but her legs were bare and she wishes silently that her socks were longer. Anya shifts her knees together, rubbing to create some heat. It will warm as soon as the sun comes out from the clouds. She shifts her backpack, the paper in her hands crinkling as she looks around.
Students are milling about. Anya recognizes some, even waving at a few that she likes and they wave back, much to her pleasure. She smiles sweetly to herself, her hair tousling in the wind when she picks up a thought in the haze of them buzzing in the back of her head. 'It took me weeks to get her out of my head and that stupid commoner is even more alluring!'
Anya turns, knowing they are thinking about her as it is her face in their minds, her flushing cheeks, her form a little curvier, and her hair dancing in the wind. She doesn't think she looks that way, but someone sees her like that, but too many students in the same uniform are scattering in each direction. It's then, as she's peering across the grass of the front entrance that a car pulls up. Becky's driver rolls down their window to greet Anya and she politely returns the platitude.
"Give it to me," Becky demands, stepping out of her car with her hand out expectantly. Anya doesn't fuss, just passes the schedule but takes note of her friend's hair. "Ugh! Only first and last lectures. I wish your schedule hadn't been delayed or we could have demanded to have our lunch breaks at the same hour!"
With a flustered flourish, her friend returns Anya's schedule, not wanting to face so many classes without Anya. She's her only true friend in the world, after all. Anya flushes at her friend's thoughts, smiling purely. Becky's driver pulls away, the two girls walking nearer their first building. "You cut your hair." Smol Anya points to the dark locks now shoulder length. "I like it, it reminds me of when I met you."
"Well, I only grew it out to look like Yor." Becky smiles, inwardly pleased at her friend's notice and compliment but thinking -I'm over Loid, mostly, I'll find a man my own age this year who looks exactly like Loid.-
The two enter their classroom, the tall ceilings stealing Anya's attention before she scans the desks looking for Damian. He isn't here yet, so the two girls take their seats in the front, nearest the door. Anya sits on the outside so she can try to get Damian to sit beside her. While Anya is distracted, Becky looks over her friend and smirks, "Your boobs are bigger than last year."
"Yes! Aren't they great!" Anya pulls her uniform a little tighter to give Becky a better view, as they are not big but last year they were barely there. "My mom had to take me bra shopping this summer." She flushes, as Becky thinks of Anya's mom's huge boobs compared to Anya's little ones as, -hardly even a handful.-
Near the end of middle school, a lot of Anya's classmates had hit a strange stage in their development, puberty. Everyone had been constantly thinking about their changing looks and what people thought of them. Some people even had naughty fantasies. It's what really helped her drown everything out, it was just harder not to get certain thoughts- especially if they were about her. Almost like the thinker was sending her the thoughts directly.
It was then, as Anya presses her chest out while holding the sides of her uniform back, that Damian walked in. He looks, spotting her curves and flushes as he averts his gaze, wondering about her areola color- imagining they were the same pink shade as her pouty lips. His flush grows deeper when her soft voice calls out to him. "Sy-on boy, there is a seat next to me!"
He wants to, but he can't, he has to focus and her gravitational pull overcomes all his defenses. Damian breezes right past her, taller than last year, his chin a little stronger and his body a little leaner. He looks good but he does not acknowledge her. Anya frowns, and when Damian chooses a seat in the back she stomps her foot, turning to point at him. "But I have boobs now!" He gaps, his mouth falling open and his face turning beet red.
The few students in the room snicker, Anya fuming as her plan is already failing since he's acting the same as last year.
"You're an idiot!" Damian snaps, glaring and scowling before pushing his nose into his textbook while doing everything in his power not to think about Anya freaking Forger.