BETWEEN: PART 2

Snake Eyes was mostly alone in the dojo that night. Moments ago, one of the glass doors opened and Snake Eyes didn't need to open his eyes to know it was Theresa. He could hear her sniffling and a muffled high-pitched whine as she tried to stay silent; she'd spent most of the day alone in her room refusing food and company, so Snake Eyes was available for other duties but more specifically training. Now with the threat of Cobra becoming more apparent, new recruits had been flown in and most were not especially well-versed in hand-to-hand combat.

A therapist had been posted outside her room but Theresa did not ask for counsel, the therapist left after a few hours of silence.

Softly closing the door, she turned and stared blearily behind her at the wall made entirely of glass which allowed everyone a chance of viewing Snake Eyes's training regime. There were at least three glass doors to enter and exit from, and across the glass on the other wall with tiny portholes stuck near the roof where Theresa could just barely make out starlight. She walked along the slanted panels of light until she was embraced by the darkness of the room, sitting against one wall and idly moving her fingers between the darkness and the light, casting thin shadows that didn't stretch far.

She watched Snake Eyes for a long time, waiting for him to respond to her presence. Her head still pulsated with numbing pain from all the crying she had done, and one part of her felt incredibly tired while the other balanced sickness and agony.

As the lights in the hallway started flickering out, Theresa stared down at her naked toes as Snake Eyes slowly shook himself out of his mediation. He stared around the room and took in Theresa curled up against the wall, knees tight against her chest and arms lying flat on either side of her body. He padded over to her and knelt down in front of her, placing his hands on her cold feet and waiting until she looked up at him. She would not look at him directly, focusing on a space over his shoulder. There was a bit of blood on her lip from where she'd been biting it and she let out a shaky breath.

"Taiga's gone," she croaked, flinching at the sound of her own voice.

Snake Eyes sat down and kept his hands on her feet to warm them.

"He was Logan's dog and because I ain't goin' home, Mom oughta have him."

She shut her eyes and dropping her chin into her chest, choking back a sob and moaning. Snake Eyes reached up and grasped her shoulders comfortingly, watching as she dropped her knees and clasped her face. He sighed and gently helped Theresa stand up, guiding her towards a circle of cushions deeper in the darkness of the room. He lit a few lavender and jasmine scented candles and passed her a blanket. He reached up into a closet for a box of tissues and pushed a garbage pail towards her. The ninja sat down across from her, watching her wipe her eyes on the backs of her hands as she took calming breaths. He rose to his feet again and pulled a small box of chocolates from a secret stash and placed them on the ground in front of her. A ghost of smile lit up her face but then she almost instantly dropped it, biting into her lip as the corner of her eyes watered. She pulled the blanket up over her head and took another deep breath, peeking out at Snake Eyes and eyeing the box.

"Eat some. You'll feel better."

Theresa raised an eyebrow, one corner of her lips quirking into half a smile. She grabbed a handful of sweets and leaned against the wall, carefully putting one after another into her mouth.

"I want you to teach me how to fight," her voice was strikingly softer to the point where Snake Eyes wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. But she looked up at him, looked him straight in the eyes and repeated herself, her voice wavering slightly.

"I want you to teach me how to fight."

"No."

Snake Eyes pushed on his knees and stood up quickly, a wave of anger passing over him as Theresa hurled a pillow at the back of his head. He turned around very slowly, giving her the full opportunity to either apologise or run but she held another one, it sailed through the air towards his face but he batted it aside as Theresa stood up. Her eyes darted around the room and her face brightened, she took off across the floor and Snake Eyes ran after her. Theresa skidded to a stop in front of a table of recently polished knives and she was able to pick up two curved blades, Snake Eyes pressed himself against her back and caught her wrists in his hands. She hissed and stomped down on his foot and Snake Eyes grunted, the two of them stumbling backwards as she continued stepping on his toes.

"Let go!" she screeched and Snake Eyes dug his chin into her shoulder in attempts to force her down. She raised one of her feet and slammed her heel into one of his knees, Snake Eyes wobbled for an instant and let go of one of her hands, so Theresa swung her freed arm behind her. Snake Eyes caught the blade and wretched it out of her grasp, so she drove her free fist into his face.

It hurt, of course, and she certainly knew what she was doing but Snake Eyes faced worse. He hooked a leg around one of Theresa's and brought them both to the ground, he held her close so the impact wasn't as painful. It still, however, dislodged the other knife from her grasp and Snake Eyes snatched it up and threw it across the room.

"I'm gonna kill him!" She screamed. "I'll kill him, I swear to God, I'll kill them both."

Snake Eyes carefully lifted himself off her body as Theresa rolled onto her side and sobbed, her breath coming out so quickly he was worried she'd pass out. The ninja rubbed her back and waited patiently until she calmed down, they returned to the small seating area where Theresa continued avoiding his gaze.

"Why won't you teach me?" she asked, her voice toneless and her eyes hard.

"If I'm going to teach you anything, it will be how to defend."

She gave him a dubious look, staring right into his visor, and then instantly focused on a point lower on his face.

"You have every right to feel upset, Theresa. And anger can be channeled positively in battle but you need time. All this pain and anger will do nothing but hinder your training. You'll just want to fight me, not learn from me."

"Is that experience talking?" she wondered wryly, a grimace on her face.

"Yes and I'm telling you what my master told me." Snake Eyes paused for a moment and looked away, Theresa raised an eyebrow.

"I had a twin sister once and she was taken from me in an accident. I wandered around for years until the Arashikage took me in and it took even longer for them to properly train me. I was violent and picked fights with those miles ahead of me in strength. I didn't care who I hurt, I didn't care if I got hurt."

Snake Eyes looked down at his hands and then up at Theresa who wore an expression of unease. He felt similarly, it wasn't as if he went around telling everyone about his past so freely.

"And her name was Theresa too."

"Oh God, Snake –"

"So, please. Give yourself time to grieve and maybe, one day, I'll take you up on your request."

So yeah, two chapters in one day. Just finished writing Chapter Twenty-Three and it looks like this story will be under 30 chapters long...Meaning I should get started on planning the sequel. Thank you so much for your patience and reviews, and to paraphrase a friend- the more reviews I get, the faster I post! ...no? ehehe, nevermind ;P