THE CONDITIONING

"Jensen can you hear me?" A voice he didn't' recognize filtered through the haze in his head.

"It was Barnes." He muttered trying to force his eyes open. "Arandi is she ok?"

"Barnes has been terminated." Jared's voice was there.

"Getting hit by you might have been more dangerous than the car but I'll live." Arandi huffed.

"I told you he does that." Jared sighed.

"I'm right here Jay." Jensen finally pushed his eyes open blinking at the brightness of the hospital room that he was in.

The doctor in the room asked him questions and Jensen answered them watching Arandi who stood off in the corner biting the inside of her lip nervously.

Oh he couldn't pass this up. He moaned dramatically and put his hand to his head.

"What's wrong Agent Ackles?"

"A shooting pain in my head." He pressed making his heart race and the machine he was connected to went off.

Arandi was grabbing his other hand staring wide eyed.

Jared stood by worriedly with a raised eyebrow unsure of what was happening.

Jensen squeezed her hand moaning and promptly passed out.

"What's wrong with him?" Arandi asked her voice laced with concern.

"He did take a significant hit to the head agent but all the tests came back clear so I believe it's just the shock of what happened." The doctor explained.

Jensen only smirked on the inside; he was good enough to fool a real life doctor.

"I'll keep him here overnight just to be safe."

Jensen opened his eyes again slowly still playing the role to perfection. "What happened can I go home now?"

"I would like to keep you overnight."

"I'll be fine at home Jared will stay with me, wake me up every couple of hours the whole nine yards." Jensen gave his best wide eyed puppy dog look which he still couldn't quite do as well as Jared.

"Remind me why we're still friends?" Jared huffed.

"Because you love me." Jensen sighed. "And I have an owie that you can kiss."

"Alright agent I'll allow you to go home with supervision." The doctor said.

Jensen glanced at Arandi and she looked upset.

"You sure you're alright." He asked her.

"Jensen I was bitching you out for doing things like this it would have served me right for you to just stand there and let it happen."

"Not in my nature wouldn't have served to my hero complex." He grinned.

"Why haven't you killed him yet?" She turned to Jared.

"The fucker has the lives of twenty one cats." Jared huffed.

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It wasn't until he had stood up that he realized just how bruised up he really was and his already injured shoulder was screaming.

The doctor insisted on giving him the good stuff and Jensen really didn't like the good stuff because it made him talk too much and he got really touchy feely.

Jared decided to take him to his own apartment so that Jensen could use the guest room and Jared could still get some sleep.

He lead Jensen to the guest room and Jensen was pulling clothes off left and right eyeing the bed like it held the secrets of life.

Arandi watched with a raised eyebrow as Jensen stripped down to his boxers. She knew from being tackled by him that he was in great shape but he was in hot as hell shape and she flushed when she realized that Jared was amused with her expression.

"He's got so many bruises." She played it off or at least she thought she did.

"Usually happens when a two tons of fiber glass and metal runs into you." Jared grinned slyly. "Do you mind keeping an eye on him while I shower?"

Jared was gone before she could respond and she couldn't help but smile at Jensen wrestling with the sheets on the bed.

"Want me to fight them for you?" She asked.

"It's a fucking thousand thread conspiracy." Jensen whined.

"Just lie down." She instructed.

Jensen huffed but did as told and Arandi easily pulled the sheets up over him.

"That woman's touch thingy." He sputtered waving his hand in the air.

"They just know who's boss."

Jensen's eyes were heavy lidded as he looked at her. "I'm sorry I come off as such a dick."

"I wouldn't call you a dick." Arandi said not meeting his eyes.

"Oh yeah you would." Jensen insisted. "It keeps people from getting closer than necessary."

"You don't like people getting close to you?"

Jensen smiled tiredly. "I'd like you plenty close but….."

"But what?" Arandi persisted.

"No one deserves a fuck up like me." Jensen whispered as he lost the fight to stay awake.

Arandi sat pulled the sheets up tight around him and stared at him. Just how did a man go from saying that he was the best of it all too then calling himself a fuck up?

It was going to take some getting adjusted to her partner.

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"Jensen wake the fuck up man." Jared yelled in his face.

His eyes seemed glued shut and try as he might he was only able to get them half-mast.

"What Jared?" His voice sounded hard and scratchy.

"Dude you have been out of it for an entire day every time I tried to wake you up you would mumble something about guns and Arandi and be out again.

"You know what pain meds do to me Jay." Jensen huffed. "Just help me to the shower and I'll be good."

Once he felt the water on his body and face he started to come alive but then so did all the aches and pains.

Fresh and clean he stepped into the kitchen and kissed Jared on the cheek when he handed him a cup of coffee.

"Why are you wearing your running clothes?" Jared asked.

"I'm going to go running you know it helps me clear my mind." Jensen said not meeting Jared's eyes, he could tell Jared wasn't going to go along with idea just by the way his body tensed up.

"You were in a bar fight and then hit by a car less than a day ago Jen you need to rest."

"I'm achy and running will help." Jensen insisted.

"Dude you haven't eaten and you've been out of it for hours don't push it." Jared said a bit harsher.

"Jared I know my own body."

"That's bullshit spread on burnt toast." Jared growled. "The only thing you know about your body is how to push it beyond its limits, fuck Jen you're human not fucking Robocop."

"How often do I listen to you?" Jensen asked.

"Never." Jared hissed.

"Why start now." Jensen said with a wag of his brows and headed out the door.

"Don't come crying to me when you can't move." Jared yelled behind him.

"If I can't move I can't go to you now can I genius?" Jensen yelled back and started running.

He headed toward the track that they had on the complex and was a bit surprised to see Arandi rounding the track.

So she liked to stay in shape the way he did. He began to run closing out everything but the sound of his breathing and the pounding of his feet.

He made it two full times around before he was willing to admit although not out loud that Jared had been right he was not ready for this and the speeding up of his heart only made him feel like crap.

He knew Arandi had had to have noticed him by now and he didn't want to look weak so he did the most logical thing to him, he ran faster

He passed Arandi and kept going until his vision began to blur and he was trembling. If he was going down it was wasn't going to be because he didn't try.

His knees buckled so he veered toward the grass and fell headlong breathing hard seeing stars.

"Jensen?" Arandi was beside him. "Hey are you ok?"

"I'm peachy." He said before passing out.

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"Of all the stubborn jackass moves…" Jared roared.

Jensen stared at the suddenly very interesting pattern on the comforter of his bed. "Alright mom how long am I grounded." He mumbled.

"You are staying in bed for the rest of the day and all day tomorrow if you even think about moving I will fucking tell Misha that you are in love with him and watch him try to dry hump your leg."

"Stop being such a whiny bitch." Jensen groaned but mostly from the ache still in his head.

"Sure as soon as you stop being an insufferable jerk."

Jensen stared at the comforter taking apart his colt in his mind and putting it back together.

Jared watched him seeing the lack of sparkle in his best friends green eyes and the slight pout that made most women swoon.

"Jen I worry about you ok, you're like a pain in the ass big brother so as my brother I know when you do stupid shit to cover up things."

Jensen took his gun apart again.

"You're not weak Jen but you are human." Jared said softly.

Jensen lifted his eyes to Jared's.

"Subject dropped." Jared muttered because he knew better than anyone when Jensen's eyes were that cold you didn't push it further.

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Arandi walked in with a tray of food a couple of hours later when Jensen was waking up from a nap.

He watched her carefully as she set the tray on the bed for him and then sat down on a chair.

"I'm going to get straight to the point. I get that you want to stay at the top and that you are good at your job but being suicidal shouldn't be on that list."

"Because I'm your partner and what I do reflects on you right?" Jensen growled. "Don't worry princess I won't tarnish your precious rep now please leave me alone."

Arandi glared at him and stood up. "I am sorry that you got hurt because of me, maybe next time you won't be so anxious to come to my rescue." She walked out of the room.

Jensen stared after her wondering why she would say something like that.

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Jensen dared to leave the bedroom the following day if only to sit on his ass watching TV all day just so that Jared wouldn't yell at him but he couldn't wait until the next day when they headed to boot camp.

In pain or not he wasn't the sitting around type and he was ashamed for snapping at Arandi but he was awful with apologies.

"So is the lion's den safe?" Jared said at the door.

"I wasn't that bad." Jensen huffed.

"Worse actually and taking it out on your partner so not good."

"You should be used to it by now."

"I wasn't talking about me and you know it."

Jensen sighed. "She started it."

"Very mature Jen boy but daring to put my head in the guillotine Alexis burned you and not everyone is Alexis."

"Fuck you Jared it has nothing to do with her and you know it."

"You can keep lying to yourself all you want Jensen but I was there when you put up the shield and I still remember who was behind it so get mad all you want but Arandi is Arandi." Jared walked out leaving him alone.

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"Arandi the man saved your life or at the very least saved you from getting hurt and you give him the ninth degree." Jade pushed at her sister.

"I'm not a fucking damsel in distress and the man is injured and he goes jogging who does that really?" Arandi scoffed.

"He's not Scott."

Arandi's eyes darkened. "You of all people know better than to bring him into this."

"Of all people I know when my sister is reinforcing walls."

"If you don't want to have a limp tomorrow drop it now." Arandi warned.

Jade sighed and left her sister alone.

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Blythe had their asses alright from the moment they finished breakfast it was running, sparring and a multitude of exercises that worked forgotten muscles.

By the time lunch rolled around they all knew that they were going to be making good use of the spa.

After lunch came the shooting range and once again Jensen and Arandi excelled even though they had barely exchanged two words.

Jensen's sniper skills out did everyone that had ever passed through the complex so he got to rest a bit extra while Blythe made everyone practice over and over and then went into archery.

Jensen, Jared, Arandi, and Jade were the only ones that had extensive training and were sent off to practice something else while the rest of the team got the full on training.

Jared and Jade went off to play tennis while Jensen opted to take out some tension on a punching bag after an attendant taped his hands.

Not too far off Arandi practiced her kickboxing and he wanted to talk to her give her some pointers but that would look like he thought he was better than her.

He punched the bag harder until he was dripping in sweat and breathing hard.

"Please tell me what the punching bag did to piss you off so I dare not make that mistake." Misha said beside him.

"It asked annoying questions." Jensen breathed.

"The punching bag is talking to you so just how hard did you hit your head?" Misha chuckled.

"This hard." Jensen growled throwing a hard punch but making sure it cleared Misha's head as he ducked with a shriek.

"What the hell crawled up your ass and died?" Misha growled back.

"I got hit by a car and you?"

"Are you still whining about that, I remember when you used to eat nails for breakfast and shit out sheet metal, when you would break a hand and then arm wrestle with it.

"When I used to hide bodies in my backyard that didn't include close friends." Jensen added coldly.

"Dude we have been here three days and you've been a level one dick form most of it."

"Gee I think I broke the give a damn you thought was I about to give."

"We are needed at another exercise oh pissed off one." Misha groaned and walked off.

Jensen sighed pulling off the tape as he walked.

"He tried to fucking run me over!"

Jensen stopped as he heard Arandi yell.

"If his job was so important to him trying to get a new hood ornament shouldn't have been on his mind."

"All of you coming here was a mistake." Another female voice yelled.

"Then you take that up with the director." Arandi responded. "You go tell him that their choice to bring us in was a mistake and see how well that goes for you. If any of you did your job as well as you're supposed to we wouldn't have even been considered and then all you do is bitch and moan about it like pathetic losers."

Jensen crossed his arms and watched the exchange amused when the other female agent took a swing at Arandi and Arandi had her face down on the floor arm pulled back hard with her knee buried in the agent's back.

Jensen watched as others from her team came forward. "I wouldn't if I were you." He warned cracking his neck. "They look like their wearing their big girl panties and can take care of themselves."

Arandi looked up at him, her eyes burning with fury.

One of the other's scoffed and came forward and was promptly rewarded with a clothesline from Jensen.

"We're partners get used it." He said before she could comment on a thing.

A loud frustrated sigh announced the director's presence. "Have Team D.A.R.T. disassembled and transferred. It seems they are all having issues with our new agents."

Protests went unheeded as they were led away.

"Well Agent Ackles and Agent Remington now that we are minus an entire team you're missions begin sooner rather than later."

The director walked out.

Jensen looked at Arandi and shrugged. It wasn't like they didn't have the experience.

Blythe stepped up over excited. "Well agents I hope you got plenty of rest this weekend because you're training double time now."

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It was after midnight when the agents dragged back to the bar where they were to report.

They found mugs of cold beer and fillet mignon with baked potatoes with all the trimmings and the most mouthwatering salads ever waiting for them.

They ate and drank with gusto letting their bodies wind down from the long day.

Ms. Kane handed them each a file. "This was supposed to be the other team's mission but since they all seemed to have gone into adolescent mode it is now yours. It only requires four of you so you decide by morning and the mission happens Wednesday night. Goodnight agents." And she was gone.

"Arandi and I are going." Jensen answered immediately.

Arandi smirked her acceptance.

"I think that we should have the same equal chance." Bronte offered.

"Right between the rest of the six of you because Arandi and I are going." Jensen stressed.

"We're in this because of you hot head." Marcus threw.

"I was defending myself and missions is what we are here for." Jensen said sternly.

"So why are you set to go?" Reyes asked.

"Guys I'm willing to bet that this is another test so we really need not to argue about this unless you are into lots and lots of ice." Jared said in his diplomatic voice.

"Three cameras trained on us as we speak." Jensen whispered. "And Arandi and I are going."

"Fine Agent Ackles you win but the next time there is a four agent mission you should be excluded." Marcus sighed.

"Sounds awesome." Jensen smiled but winked at Arandi and she rolled her eyes. "Is there a problem Agent Remington?"

"It seems Agent Ackles that you think me incapable of taking care of myself or making decisions on my own."

Jensen took a deep breath; he was too tired for this shit. "With all due respect Jared has been my partner forever and he's accustomed to my little idiosyncrasies as I am to his and you must give me time to adjust to you even though you look nothing like him." Jensen licked his lips to stress what he meant.

Arandi stood up. "Then get used to this agent, I may be a female but I function quite well on my own and as my partner I expect you to start respecting that."

Jensen stood up as she walked past him and grabber her arm.

Arandi glared up at him looking all the threat that she was about to clock him a good one.

"I respect anyone male or female that doesn't act like a bitch." Jensen said coolly.

Arandi's eyes became icy cold. "If you think this is bitch Jensen then you don't know shit about me."

"Your parents must be so proud." Jensen hissed.

For the first time since meeting her he saw her falter as her eyes dropped then lifted to his filled with sadness.

"I wouldn't know my parents were killed when I was twelve." She murmured pulling free and walking away.

Jensen felt like a complete heel, he had read her file and knew her parents were deceased but his tired muddled brain had filed it away.

"Son of bitch." Jensen growled slamming his fist into the table.

"That's putting it mildly." Jade said walking to follow her sister.

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Arandi walked to her apartment more upset about the way that she was acting than about what Jensen had said. He was only defended himself against her sudden need to prove she didn't need anyone.

She knew one thing, they needed to get past this because she didn't feel like ended up in a worm hole separated from her sister.

"Arandi what the hell?" Jade caught up with her.

"It's just being in a new place and being thrown in with a new partner Jade I'll be fine."

"If I didn't know better I would say that the two of you are so attracted to each other that you're willing to drop dead before allowing such it."

Arandi's face burned. "Yeah if this is attraction I would hate to see the opposite."

She was just about to open her apartment door when she heard Jensen's door slam shut. She sighed and walked in her apartment with her sister behind her.

Seconds later Jensen's door slammed again and a bit later it was followed by the roar of a motorcycle.

Arandi looked out the window in time to see Jensen speeding away toward the race track.

She should just go to bed and let it be for now but then if Jensen was off doing whatever and wasn't with her in the morning would they ship her off because of that?

She wasn't willing to take the risk, and waving her sister off she grabbed her own motorcycle helmet and headed out the door.

TBC

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Just a chapter to set up the building of Jensen and Arandi's relationship, the missions are coming and of course hurt and comfort.

Thanks for reading!