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Anna Navarre groaned, slowly coming to. Her hands were cuffed and so were her legs. That was surely not a successful mission. She turned her head at the sound of clanging, and sure enough, Gunther Hermann was trying to break his own restraints.There was a low, definitely male chuckle and she felt a gun being pressed at her head.'Stop or she gets it'She stared back at her assigned partner, hoping that he would not do anything stupid. This time, sense won over his anger and he stopped struggling.There was another chuckle and their captor slowly slid his hand down her front, leering at her. Dread snaked down her back. She pulled at her cuffs, but they held fast.The man outright laughed at her reaction. He pressed the gun a little harder into her temple.'Don't struggle or I'll put a hole in your pretty little head'Against her own will, Anna shivered. She was not afraid of death or blood, but rape was a completely different case. Then she remembered they were on duty and forced herself to focus.Jacobson, we are captured, need backup ASAP, she sent over the infolink.Their captor's hand, meanwhile, trailed lower and she desperately tried to stop her shiver of revulsion.'Don't you touch her!' Hermann had evidently cottoned on to what was going on in spite of the darkness.The man laughed again, nastily.'You are so cute when you protest. I will do whatever I want, though.'Their captor yanked at her clothes roughly, tearing them. Navarre swore and tried to fight back, only to have him press the gun to her temple again, in a silent reminder of what would happen if she did not give up.Still holding her at gunpoint, the man forced her to her hands and knees, and she heard the snap of the chains. She yanked on the restraints as hard as she could, but she could not change her position in any significant way that would make her less vulnerable.The captor picked up a can of something and pressed it to her lips. She tried to twist away, but he held her head firmly and pinched her nose shut. After several seconds, she was forced to open her mouth in order to breathe.Gunther was smarter than her in a way and did not try to avoid drinking whatever the hell it was. Anna supposed that their augmentations would take care of any ingested toxins, regardless.The man walked back to stand in front of her, leering openly.'You know, I am in a good mood, I will give you a choice, girl.''A choice?' she repeated sceptically.'Me or him?'Just to make his meaning clear, their captor slowly palmed himself, his hand at her eye level. Navarre's gut lurched.'Option three: no one' she snapped back.'Bad answer, girl' he said and pressed a gun to her heard. 'Me or him?' he pointed his finger at someone behind her back.She twisted her head to look, and sure enough, 'him' turned out to be Gunther, who was looking more and more upset by the scene.'Hermann, then' she said, willing her voice to be steady.Their captor leered at her again.'You know, most girls pick me instead of their unfortunate acquaintance...' he waggled his eyebrows. 'Aren't you curious to know why?''No' Anna said sharply.'Suit yourself' he grinned and left his field of vision.She heard a clanging of chains and Hermann's slow footsteps. Evidently he was trying to stall, to buy them time. Then the rhythm was disrupted and he swore, and there was a familiar sound of his belt unbuckling.'Hey! You want me to do anything, you uncuff my hands!' Gunther shouted.'You don't need hands to fuck her' the captor said.'In that case, it'll be over before it starts, I don't do 'em dry. And you know, my girl swears by my fingers-' Navarre tensed, did he have to run his mouth now? '- and we'll see if Navarre likes them, too'Nice deflection, Gunther, she thought. There was a moment of silence, and a sigh of relief from him, as the man probably saw logic in his statement and unchained his hands.'What was that drink?' Navarre jumped at the chance to know.The man laughed nastily in her face and cranked up the lights. The sudden brightness almost blinded her, and judging by the curses, it did the same to her partner.'You'll know soon enough...' the man said before calmly seating himself in a chair several meters away, facing her.Alex Jacobson swore loudly and switched from Agent Navarre's infolink to Hermann's. At least he would have a better awareness of what is going on, or at least he told himself so. He couldn't imagine what Anna was feeling, reduced to this, only able to turn her head.He slammed the emergency button.'Sir, Agents Navarre and Hermann requested backup. I suggest sending a larger troop, so that their safety is assured.''Alex, you believe they are in danger? I will send men out as soon as possible, if you have their coordinates''They are definitely in danger, the fucker seems to like holding a gun to Navarre's head.''Can't she fight them off?' Manderley was nonplussed.'I'd like to see you fight an armed man naked and cuffed to the floor-' Jacobson's attention was arrested by the infolink feed. 'Oh... Fuck. Fuck. Fuck that sick fucker.''Jacobson, did you forget that I'm still on the line?' the chief's cultured voice asked, but Alex paid him no attention.'Hermann, you there? It's not a time or place for chivalry, just go along with whatever he wants. Backup is on their way.'Jacobson pressed his hands to the bridge of his nose and continued to swear under his breath.'Raise Reyes in medical and have him go over probable chemicals used in rape pills and the like. I think the fucker dosed them both with an aphrodisiac of some kind...'There was a shocked sound from Manderley's end of the line.'... okay, make that 'definitely did dose them'. Damn, I'm gonna need a cold shower or a two after today. And you might want to tell whoever's gonna go in not to freeze, no matter what they see, otherwise the fucker has a free shot at Anna and possibly Gunther, too.' Alex continued after a long moment.'I will put Reyes on standby, then. How serious is the problem?''Let me put it this way, you know both of them, sir, and there's no fucking way they'd both get going with a stranger watching, not to mention, um, they wouldn't do it more than once.'Manderley swore colorfully, which almost made Alex drop the phone. The chief pretty much never swore.Corporal Collins carefully toed open the door. The room was brightly lit, a complete opposite of what the UNATCO team was expecting. A man who was definitely not Agent Hermann was seated on a chair, his back to the door. A wave of Collins' hand had the men swarming over to him, taking him down with nary a sound. Granted, the criminal was way too busy watching... others... to even notice them come in.The corporal took a deep breath and dimmed the lights first. It was not possible to ignore the sounds, but at least the men would not see the details. He swallowed and set to undoing the cuffs, trying his damnedest not to look or touch. They'd sort of hoped that whatever Hermann and Navarre were dosed with would have worn off, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. They didn't even seem to register the chains were gone.Collins tapped Hermann's shoulder rather forcibly, hoping that the gesture would knock some sense into the man. It didn't happen, so the only option was to separate them forcibly. The man went calmly enough, but Navarre fought like a wild animal, clawing and biting only to get closer to her- mate.The troopers couldn't really restrain her for a longer time, however, and the moment they released their grip, Anna launched herself at Gunther again, with seemingly no care or realization that there were others in the room.'The fuck we do, Corporal?' someone asked.Called out, Collins could only shrug helplessly, and then a whisper caught his attention.'R-Reyes?'His head whipped around only to meet Gunther's gaze. Collins forced himself to get closer to- his workmate.'Reyes is waiting in the medbay' he explained as gently as he could.For a moment, he wasn't sure if the words even reached the other man, considering the state he was in. Then Hermann slowly stretched himself on the floor, pulling Anna on top of him. She made a soft sound, and to his horror, Collins saw drops of blood. Apparently even a mech-aug's body had limits on how much it could take.The man freed his hand from Navarre's grasp for a moment to tap on the floor, purposefully. The corporal glanced back at his face.'Put... to sleep...' Gunther forced out.He nodded to show he'd understood and started rummaging around in his belt for tranquilizers. The German wasn't done speaking, though.'Sleep... Anna... first...'At first it seemed like a bout of old-fashioned chivalry, but the longer he thought on it while searching for the darts, the more it made sense. Navarre was a smaller target and therefore would take less shots to be put to sleep. Moreover Hermann was at least partially lucid and more likely to cooperate.Collins started at a hand on his shoulder. One of his men was offering him a whole magazine of tranq darts, which meant Gunther's voice was stronger than he'd thought. He took the darts and decided that the easiest way to proceed would be to stick them in by hand, considering no one seemed to have thought to take a crossbow.'On the count of one, tranq Navarre. As many darts as it takes, and then we put the rest into Gunther and hope it's enough'The men nodded, looking relieved to have something to do.'But we don't have crossbows!' protested a rookie.'You have your own two hands, stick them in her shoulder or back. She won't be fighting back either way.' Collins rolled his eyes.True to his own words, the corporal jammed the first dart into Anna's shoulder. She did not even twitch, so he did the same with the second. Collins wasn't counting, but finally she slumped forward, and he thought he heard a sigh of relief that wasn't his own.Before he could give the order, Hermann rolled to the side, his back to them, his arm cushioning Navarre. Collins frowned, but then the man stayed completely still, and after a couple seconds he realized the German had given them a perfect opportunity to tranquilize himself.Gunther cracked an eye open when he felt Navarre shuffle closer to him. Was she cold? She could be - it had taken Jaime Reyes the whole night to get the drug cocktail out of their systems, and she had to be restrained for most of the time, and was too sore to tolerate even a thin hospital gown.She murmured something and pulled on his hand. The way she did it was oh so familiar and he let her. A moment later, Anna let out a hiss of pain - apparently even the lightest touch of his thumb was too much for her sore body.'Gun-ther' she sighed, and by now he knew that exact tone of her voice by heart.She reached for him, and he did not try to stop her even though he could see how sore and chafed she was. Anna tried to press herself into his torso, but even the slightest contact made her hiss.Hermann knew her too well to ask if she was sure, and he'd fared marginally better, but he couldn't see a solution that wouldn't end badly. Option one, he lets her take the initiative, Navarre ends up hurt. Not very badly hurt, but still not something he'd like. Option two, he refuses and she is not hurt, but knowing her, she'll be pissed at him for the next couple of days.He glanced at the bedside table and a bottle of lotion that Reyes left 'for the chafing' caught his gaze. Unfortunately he doubted any amount of lotion would work to prevent more chafing... and then an idea occurred to him.'Not here...' he murmured and easily picked Anna up.Several long steps brought them to the bathroom. He managed to locate a plug that he couldn't honestly recall using - long soaks were not his thing, really - and started to fill up the tub. He balanced precariously on the edge while testing the temperature of the water. Satisfied, he dumped Navarre in and enjoyed the shriek of momentary shock she gave.'Mmm... bath... nice...' she sighed.'It's about to get even nicer' he smirked, pulling his shirt over his head.Anna's augmented eye dimmed, indicating she was either sleepy or aroused. He hoped for the latter, since the rest of her face was not visible from his vantage point. Gunther made quick work of his trousers before carefully climbing into the bath. Moving almost on instinct, she shuffled to the side, making space for him.Even in this new element, his fingers found her easily. This time, there was no hiss of pain, just a soft, lazy smile.'I don't think we've done it before... I like it'He smiled back at her before proving that yes, he liked it too, especially the wonders it did for their chafing... parts.
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UNATCO headquarters
Jaime Reyes nearly jumped out of his skin, when someone's hand clapped him on the shoulder and then tugged him to the side room.'Hey, doc. When was Navarre's last health checkup?' asked the quartermaster.'Several weeks ago, after that debacle with the pervert. I still don't know everything that was in the cocktail. Why the interest?''Reyes, you know I was once a field medic in the Army. And I couldn't help but notice her being sick as a dog recently.''She probably caught the bug that is going around'Carter lifted an eyebrow at that.'In that case, that's a bug that only affects females. A specific group of females, namely those that are not virginal' and the man winked his one good eye.The medic spluttered for a long while.'You- you really think she's- no, you're having me on, it is not possible! If it were, it would be the case already-''With the amount of times she and Hermann fuck? I admit I'm surprised it hasn't happened earlier...''It hasn't because it can't. She is infertile, has been so ever since she has been augmented.''I don't think you can ever be 100% certain, except maybe surgical removal of certain... organs. If I were you, I wouldn't discount the 1% chance, Reyes.'Thoughts running a mile a minute, the medic walked down to the medbay and called Navarre 'for a checkup, just to be sure'.Twenty minutes later, he was switching off the analysis machine and trying to figure out how to break the news to Anna. He settled on taking hold of her hand, which of course alerted her immediately because it was not something in his patient routine. He coughed.'Ordinarily, I would say 'congratulations', but considering... everything... I don't know what to say, so I will stick to the facts. You are with child, and based on the timing I am almost 100% certain that the cocktail you were dosed with had something to do with it.'Navarre blinked at him, stupefied.'You're pulling my leg, Reyes. You and I both know it's not possible-''I know what your file says, but well, miracles do happen. You should probably start thinking about how to tell Gunther he's gonna be a father in eight months or so.''You are definitely joking- you know I am- infertile-' Anna spluttered.'Los milagros occurren' Jaime repeated sententionally and watched as his meaning slowly sank in.'You think this is a- miracle?!' Navarre went from shocked to furious in a blink of an eye. 'I think this is a fucking mess, that's what I think! I still don't know half the thing that were in that shit we were dosed with!''Neither do I!' Reyes shot back 'That's why I believe at least one component must have been a fertility enhancer... And because of the circumstances, well, being what they are, I suppose I should remind you: this is the 21st century, you do not have to keep it if you don't want to. This is your choice... yours and Gunther's'Jordan Shea glanced up and down the corridor. Navarre was behaving... weird, pulling Hermann out of a meeting because she insisted she had to talk to him right now, and then locking themselves up in the office. Luckily for her, picking a lock was a child's play, even without a proper lockpick.Anna was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands.'I don't know what to do' she said quietly.The man slid off the couch to hug her.'We'll figure it out, step by step. Reyes gave you a rundown of the options, didn't he?'The woman nodded, looking very miserable.'See, we have time to decide. Weeks if not months. We don't have to do anything right now... but for the record-' and here, the German switched to his native language, but even to a non-speaker like Jordan, it was obvious the phrases were cut-off and incomplete.By then, Gunther was on his knees on the floor, one of his arms around Navarre's back, the other pressed to her front... no, her belly. In fact, he seemed to be whispering in German to her belly...Jordan's blood turned to ice in her veins. In the bar she was helping out in, she'd seen men do it, when their sweethearts were pregnant. Was Anna?- But she couldn't- Just like her-Ice turned to fire and Shea took quick steps back, out in the corridor, and then ran down to the medbay. She barely noticed that Mr Manderley was there, she was so focused on the medic.'What did Anna do?!' she shrieked at Jaime. 'What did she do that she got the Augmentations to reverse it?!''Reverse what?' the medic sounded completely confused. 'Why are you yelling at me?''Why Anna and not me?! Did you help her- them-' belatedly, it occurred to her that Hermann, being the father, was probably in on everything.Jordan took two more steps, ready to tear the Mexican a new one.'What did they promise you? Make you godfather, maybe?!'A male voice said 'WHAT?!', but Shea did not pay any attention.The medic pinched the bridge of his nose.'Just great, the way I wanted the day to go... Jordan, listen, you're not talking sense. No one reversed anything and no one promised me anything. And I have to assume you were listening in on a private conversation, otherwise you couldn't possibly know what you apparently do...''So what if I did?! How can Navarre be pregnant if she's supposedly infertile? Or maybe her file is one big lie!''It is not' Reyes said tiredly.'So, how? You know I would-''Be careful with what you say now-' the medic warned her.'I would do anything to-''And what does your definition of 'anything' cover?' he smoothed down his rumpled uniform mechanically.When Jordan failed to answer immediately, he continued 'Does it cover being handcuffed to the floor? Drugged out of your mind? Forced to... perform... for a pervert who has a barrel of a gun to your head, or your lover's?'Shea slowly sank into a chair as the words penetrated her mind.'You mean- you mean that's happened to Anna? Oh shit-'Jaime Reyes sighed heavily, resting his forearms on the armory's counter.'I need a drink, Sam' he complained.Sam Carter checked the last lock before leaving what most people considered his territory.'I think I have a sixpack stashed somewhere, let's sit down in the rec room and you'll tell me about it, doc'True to his word, he opened a pack of beer hidden behind the vending machines and the two men sat down in rickety plastic chairs.'So, a bit of R&R?' the retired general winked.'I wish...' the medic groaned 'No, I think my problems are only just starting.''Oh?' the damage to his eye meant his eyebrows didn't quite move properly, but Sam could still convey surprise.'You were right, Carter. That was not a stomach bug'The quartermaster whistled loudly.'Seriously? More proof that there is no method that is absolutely certain, I guess. So, what is she going to do? Does Mr Manderley know?''Damned if I know, she looked really confused when I told her. And yes, I guess he knows. I was gonna sound him out first a bit, but then Shea barged in shrieking and yelling and 'why Anna and not me' and she totalmente ruined my plan. I can only hope she wasn't making enough sense for him to catch on'Sam rubbed a hand over his face.'Hot damn, but that's a mess. I didn't think of the other female augmented agent catching wind of the situation.... and what of him?''Hmm?' the medic was too busy chugging his forty to pay attention.'You know, it takes two to tango...'A cough interrupted their conversation. Gunther Hermann pulled out a third chair and carefully maneuvered himself into it.'I think I need a Bier, too'Sam and Jaime exchanged a look before rolling a can over in the German's direction. He nodded gratefully before chugging half of it in one go. The quartermaster whistled softly.'I guess you really wanted that beer, man. A mission gone wrong?'Hermann shook his head before peering critically at the can, as though hoping to find answers to whatever questions plagued him now.'So, she told you?' Reyes asked softly and it was enough to make Gunther jerk and topple the can over.He righted it quickly to avoid the golden contents spilling and glared balefully at the medic. Having been on the receiving end of the looks for years, the Mexican didn't even flinch.'Yeah' Gunther grumbled finally. 'What the fuck do we do now?''That's the million dollar question' said Carter.'Riight, laugh it up, Carter, you don't have a child-' the man's morose expression transformed into horror as his brain caught up to his tongue. 'Mein Gott, I didn't mean-'The quartermaster decided the best course of action was chugging more beer and pretending he didn't hear. The medic kicked Hermann under the table, glaring. The fate of Carter's wife and children was something everyone knew but no one really wanted to discuss. A horrible reminder of the lengths the terrorists might go to.
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Gunther Hermann's flat, SF
In the semi-darkness of the evening, Gunther stared at the still form of his lover. Anna was stretched out on their bed, her hands on her still flat belly. Unlike many evenings, they were both clothed - neither was in the mood. She did not broach the topic, but the hands were proof enough she was no longer running from it.'Do you want to get rid of it?' he asked, direct as always. 'Considering the circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised...'Navarre rolled to her side, her eyes - gray and red both - studying him. She sighed, a slow gust of air leaving her mouth.'If it wasn't yours, I'd do it' she said bluntly. 'But it is ours, and- it's probably our only shot at- this. I was supposed to be infertile, and Reyes is right to call it a miracle.'Hermann's lips twitched. He supposed the doctor had the right of it. Anna wasn't finished, though.'I never expected to get even that one chance. I'll probably be shit at this, though - you know I had no mother growing up.'The only answer that came to Gunther's mind was a typical statement - "women do it all the time" or some such tripe - so he held it in, correctly guessing Navarre would not appreciate it.'We'll manage' he said instead, sitting down on the bed.His large palm dwarfed Anna's, and as he stared at their intertwined fingers, an idea came to life. The longer he thought on it, the more sense it made, but even he could not predict Navarre's reaction. Hermann looked away, suddenly nervous.'I thought- never mind, it's probably silly- but it might make it easier...'She did not answer, not in words, but he could see she was intrigued.'If we were married, there would be no questions asked. A child is the husband's, end of story. You wouldn't have to think on what happened -although it might have been later that day- but well, you get the point.' he sighed aloud, as another idea occurred to him. 'And it's practical, too. Were I to fall tomorrow, you - and the child - would have nothing. In the other case, you'd be entitled to a leave and a sum of money, as well as anything I'd entrust to you.'Navarre stared at him angrily.'Don't even talk about this!-''Why? We're not immortal, we've been cheating death for fourteen years, one day it's going to happen. I'm rather hoping to see that one born, but no one can guarantee that.'Anna huffed, but no longer argued the point.'And-' he added, as one more thing occurred to him '-possibly, we could tell everyone it happened after we were married, so the first point would be completely moot.'His partner's gaze softened for an instant, and then it was back to the hard look he knew, with a large dose of disbelief.'You would- tie yourself to me for the rest of your life, out of some sense of obligation? This is not the Middle Ages, we needn't be married to have a child-''You think this is about obligation?' Hermann repeated, stunned. 'Anna, I care about you, I care about the child-' it was as close to a love confession as possible, considering what he knew about Navarre's general state of mind.Her hands fisted in the coverlet, her face twisting.'You'd marry a monster like me?! You pretend to 'care' about a freak who can only kill and-''We've already been over this' he interrupted her tiredly. 'I've known you for fourteen years, I know what I can expect and what I can not.'Anna turned her head away.'Normal people marry for love' she said bitterly. 'Something I will never know- or feel'Gunther had no words to this, instead placing his hands on her shoulders in an attempt at comfort.'I never expected you to be a normal woman' he said, only half-joking. 'And I rather like all the ways in which you are not 'normal', as you probably know after the last year'Navarre took a deep breath, and then looked back at him, her gray eye blazing.'If you're really sure you want to- marry me- why not do it now? The earlier the date, the easier to tell people it was just born a bit too early' she pointed out practically.Hermann's mind stuttered to a stop.'But- the rings- the witness-''The registrar can be the witness, and rings are not a requirement' Anna pointed out dryly.Anna Navarre kept her hand tightly wrapped around Gunther's as they took their place in the queue, just in case he got any last minute jitters - not that she would be surprised, considering the amount of times she had to battle his low self-esteem.She glanced wistfully at the other - longer - queue for natches. Not that she'd like waiting longer to get things done, but- how short their queue was, was just proof how rarely augs got married in the eyes of the law. She had no doubts that many quit earlier or just cohabited without formal marriage, unwilling to face possible judgment from the registrar. And to think, ten years ago she would've been still qualified for the other queue, the one that doesn't have to worry about judgmental gazes...A short cough pulled her out of her musings, and she glanced at her soon-to-be husband. He squeezed her hand.'It doesn't matter' he whispered, proving how well he knew her. 'They don't matter'Navarre forced herself to smile at him, thinking it would be expected from a bride-to-be. She was soon proved to be right, as hands were stretched across their queue to congratulate them. Someone clapped Gunther on the back so hard he almost lost his balance, but the glare lost its power at the grin on the other mech's face. It didn't matter that they had no rings, or no fancy dress for her, or no witness.That happy moment passed all too quickly, as the commotion drew the natches' attention.'Look at them! That big mech... he really thinks he's getting married today!''Ha! Just look at his face! No woman in her right mind would ever-'She felt Gunther's muscles stiffen, and then he forced himself to relax. So far, it wasn't any different to the things he heard whenever he ventured beyond Augmented District off-duty.'Bet she's gonna hang him out to dry, and his stupid red eyes won't even notice-''Think he'll cry when it happens?''Nah, he probably can't, I mean, look, it's all augmented''Did you notice her eye's augmented too? Would be funny if something happened to her other eye...''Ha-ha, then they would match...! Ha!'Without conscious thought, Anna's hand twitched to where she normally wore her gun. Her partner was wound tight, ready to explode any second now. The other mechs responded, some calling for the natches to apologize, and some resorting to name-calling back. The registrar pushed through the crowd to see what the commotion was about, and that was the last straw for Anna. She turned on her heel and ran, only dimly aware that Hermann followed in her footsteps.Anna Navarre sat heavily on their bed, her elbows on her knees. She said nothing, still seething at the words that were said. A line had been crossed. She had heard a lot of things over the last ten years, ever since she was augmented - but never did anyone wish her harm, and to make it worse, it was just setup for a crude joke. She shuddered. The damn natches would see her made even more of a freak, just for their own personal entertainment.'They would match! Ha!' the words reverberated in her mind.
She glanced at Gunther and recalled vividly the hundreds of times when she misunderstood him simply due to the fact that the augmented eyes were completely unable to express emotion. To wish that on her... no, never! Her hands balled up into fists.His large hands crept closer and started gently unrolling her fists.'You shouldn't- get upset- it can't be good for-' he said, his voice sounding strange.Anna peered at him through the darkness - after all, it was nearly night-time - only to see his face reflect more light than she expected it to. Intrigued, she let him unroll her fist only to reach forward to touch his cheek.Her hand came back wet. Hermann was crying - something she didn't expect to be possible, considering - and all because of those up-jumped bastards. She stood up and hugged him close, feeling his tears moisten her short hair. Navarre reached up and used her thumbs to wipe them, but more kept coming, so she tried to kiss them away. He gave a soft bark of bitter laughter and said something about them not getting married ever.She shook her head, determined, as she recalled something... someone. Anna reached for the phone and pulled up the directory of numbers. Finally locating the one she wanted, she punched it in and waited.'Father Semyon? It's Anna... yes, I know it's late. I- I want to get married.' a longer pause 'Tomorrow, after our shift ends. Yes, there will be a witness. Yes, I know it's a rather short notice- no, I won't even consider it after how they just treated us- wait- I don't know, just ask him-'Navarre pressed the phone into Gunther's hand, who recovered enough to wipe the last of his tears.'Yes?' he asked, his voice still hoarse but understandable. 'Uh, that might be a problem-' here, the tone of his voice clearly implied 'I'm a problem' and she scowled at him '- I was raised Protestant, I don't know if- -would it even be valid?'As she watched, his face visibly relaxed. Clearly Father Semyon laid his doubts to rest. He glanced at her and back at the phone.'Uh, one more thing... no, not about me, it's about Anna.' he sighed 'uh- it's a long story and it starts when they augmented her, and made a mess of it...'Anna looked at him, nodded sharply to show she understood, and left the room. She had no wish to listen to Hermann and Father Semyon discuss her- shortcomings. Would their union even be possible, considering her state of mind? That was one thing she hadn't thought through, a religious union would place much stress on things such as mutual love, respect and the like.Several draining minutes later, Gunther showed up and passed her the phone.'I believe we can cite extenuating circumstances, Anna' Father Semyon's accented voice sounded in her cochlear implant. 'I can see no obstacles... see you two tomorrow, then?'
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UNATCO headquarters, SF
Jaime Reyes rubbed his eyes. They were tired after spending hours staring at the screens and printouts. Not much to really do today, but paperwork waits for no one. A soft knock on the door made him look up and realize it was getting close to the end of his shift - and he had a visitor.'Change into your mess dress and meet me at the plaza in front of the HQ in fifteen' said Anna Navarre.The medic looked at her a bit perplexed, but then shrugged. A last-minute op sometimes needed his skills, or maybe someone got hurt at a high-profile event? He hoped the person hurt was not Gunther - but it was probably not the case, or she would be going ballistic.When he found Navarre at the arranged spot, he was startled to realize she'd changed into her mess dress, too. Of course, he'd known she owned a feminine version of it - with a skirt instead of trousers - but to actually see her in it was very rare, he could barely count on one hand such occasions in the last couple of years.Anna led the way to wherever she wanted him to go. She seemed nervous, checking her uniform a couple of times. Finally they came to a stop in front of a small nondescript building. There was a soft cough and Gunther Hermann moved out of the shadows - unhurt, and in his mess dress uniform, too.Navarre visibly relaxed upon seeing her partner, who decided to be a gentleman and open the doors for her. More than a bit bemused, Reyes followed them in.He had to blink a couple times for his eyes to adjust to the dark. An unfamiliar man was standing close to the entrance.'You've arrived. Good.' said he, and then he switched to a language Reyes didn't know. Probably Russian, Anna's native language, since that was the only option that Hermann didn't know.The man nodded to whatever she told him, asked a question to which she patted her uniform pocket and pulled out a small pouch.In slightly accented English, he said:'I am required to inform you that for a marriage to be valid in the state of California, you need a single witness''Not a problem' Gunther interjected, nodding at Jaime.The medic blinked and pinched himself, to make sure he was not dreaming.'Uh, I'm honored?' he stuttered, only to realize it sounded like a question.The older man just laughed at his surprise. Navarre opened the pouch and slid its content into Jaime's hand - two rings, one silver and the other a peculiar blue-black color.The man - the priest - walked over, and slid the blue ring onto Anna's ring finger, and the silver one onto Gunther's, only to instruct Reyes to exchange them three times. In the end, it turned out the silver ring was the bride's and the blue one the groom's.The medic shook his head bewildered. It still was weird, thinking of his workmates in those terms. Navarre said something in Russian to the priest, who nodded, looking vaguely bewildered. They proceeded to the altar, Anna on the right, Gunther on the left. The priest sang something in Russian at length, and Jaime found himself fidgeting, annoyed by the fact he could not understand a word. It seemed that Hermann was instructed beforehand what to expect - while he did not say a thing, he did not fidget.The bride winked at him and whispered:'Be glad he agreed to forgo some of the usual. I told him that we're very short on time because we're supposed to report back soon.''You mean it's usually longer?' Reyes asked in an undertone.'Yes' she said.Two ornate contraptions on the altar turned out to be crowns, which the priest placed on the bride and groom's heads - and instructed the witness to hold them up if necessary. They must have been fairly heavy, but there was no such need, at least for now.The priest read from the Bible, in English this time - Jaime wondered if it was for his benefit or whether it was the custom. He heard vaguely that the Orthodox churches in different countries could differ quite dramatically.After that, Anna and Gunther shared a cup of wine. As the ceremony came to a close, they were led three times around the altar, Reyes holding up the crowns, before they were removed and put aside.The priest was obviously familiar with Anna, Jaime realized, as he snapped a picture of all three of them in mess dress - Hermann fairly beaming, Anna smiling at the camera and himself standing a bit awkwardly to the side, but managing a smile for the occasion too.Then he asked their names to write them down in the record book. Reyes happily provided his, signing on the line as instructed, but both groom and bride withheld their last names. The medic supposed they had good reasons, and belatedly realized that he was probably the only person to know of the wedding. The whole hurry and secrecy...He waited until they left the chapel before speaking up.'You know, me being the unit's medic, I can make up some sudden onset but not overly dangerous illness so that no one calls on you tonight, even for emergencies. And I will make sure Alex gets this memo' Jaime grinned, recalling the multitude of times Jacobson missed the hints and managed to interrupt or anger the two.Gunther looked touched, and so did Anna, for that matter.'You are really a good friend, Reyes. Do us one more favor and don't mention it to anyone?''Does 'anyone' include Mr Manderley?' Reyes asked suspiciously and was somehow not surprised when he received an affirmative response.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Gunther Hermann's flat, SF
Gunther stared openly at his wife, as of the last few hours. Anna was smiling, a small smile but still a smile. In fact, she hadn't stopped doing it ever since the priest pronounced them man and wife.With a flourish, he opened the front door only to surprise her by sweeping her off her feet and carrying her over the threshold. There were some time-honored traditions worth sticking to, he throught.She giggled and tilted her head down for a kiss, which he gladly provided. He shut the door with a kick - something which was pretty much a routine - and continued carrying her to the bedroom, determined not to let himself be distracted.Any other time, Hermann would probably happily take her sooner, but this... this was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, and should not probably happen on the kitchen floor, he thought wryly.He deposited her on the bed, gentler than usual, and Anna shot him an annoyed look that pretty much screamed 'I am not made of glass' before pulling the gun out of her initialed holster and placing it far enough away for it to be safe.He recalled the last time she had worn her mess dress uniform, and grinned at the memory of the fantasy she had admitted to back then. Deciding to make it real, he clambered onto the bed quickly, somehow not really feeling the weight of all the metal in his body, for once not feeling like a huge deadweight that makes the bed dip every single time.He took the top edge of the skirt between his teeth and Anna gasped, realizing what he was planning to do. Her human eye was shining and Gunther wished his eyes were natural so that his feelings could be conveyed instead of being obscured by the augmentations.Hermann shook himself, he shouldn't be moping about on his own damn wedding night, one he had never expected to happen, let alone with this very woman. They could manage with his facial expressions alone, after all they had done this for a year.Instead, he applied himself to tearing off Anna's uniform with his teeth alone. He took extra care not to literally tear it, having to get a new one would raise too many questions back at UNATCO. And Carter would probably have his hide. They both laughed when it landed on the floor, hopefully still usable for the next occasion.Gunther lifted himself to a kneel and started pulling off his mess dress jacket, when Navarre's hands arrested his movement and clutched at the lapels.'Keep it on' she said huskily 'Trousers off, though'In that moment, he would gladly do anything she asked of him, not limited to the choice of clothing to wear - or not - to bed. To their marriage bed. He pressed a kiss to her silver ring as she slowly let go of the jacket.He did not really know who took off the lower part of his uniform, only that it was a fairly quick job, even though they were in no hurry. Bless Reyes for the sickness excuse giving them the whole night with no interruptions.Hermann trailed lazy kisses over her arms and her front. Once she let go of his jacket, she kissed him back, and her hands snaked underneath, tracing random patterns over his sides and back. Unlike pretty much every night, they could afford to go slow - no risk of being called in or otherwise interrupted.Anna's hand slid down to his hip and then to what probably was her target all along, and he smirked, knowing it was fully visible even with his uniform jacket on.'Like what you see? Hmm? Mrs Hermann?'He bit his lip almost immediately after realizing what slipped out, but he needn't have worried. His new wife's human eye shone, and she kissed him with even more force than before. She stared back at him and said three words softly - not in Spanish. In her native Russian. He had to admit he liked their soft sound.'Da, moi muzh'Gunther didn't know any Russian, but could easily guess at the meaning. He nodded back, smiling, leaning over her, and drew her into yet another kiss.Navarre's augmented eye grew darker and dimmer and as he slipped his hand between her thighs, he was sure he would find her wet. He was quickly proven right, but on this one night, the revelation did not make him lose his mind with want. Instead of burying himself in her immediately, he slowly brought his mouth lower and lower, punctuating his path with kisses.Anna moaned loudly when he kissed her there, and he slipped his fingers - still wet - into her mouth to muffle the sound. Unfortunately he kind of forgot how much she liked them, and that included sucking on them. Hermann briefly debated getting up and turning on the noise dampener, but then he shook his head.'To hell with it. This time, you get to be as loud as you want, Liebling' he murmured.He did not know if it was the endearment, or the idea, but his wife made her appreciation very clear. Both then, and for the rest of the night.Anna Navarre - well, Hermann now, but getting used to the idea will probably take longer than the wedding itself did - smiled softly when she felt a kiss, and then another, slowly rouse her from sleep. She did not really get much sleep last night, but she definitely wasn't about to complain. Out of habit, she glanced at her watch, and felt a brief moment of panic. Their usual shift began two hours ago!That thought was quickly relegated to the back of her mind, as her new husband was not in any hurry - at least when it came to actually getting dressed. He kissed her again and muttered a 'Good morning', in a low voice that made her tingle. At least he hadn't said it in German, or they would be starting the day the way they ended the last one...Gunther laughed when her stomach rumbled, reminding them both rather forcibly of other needs.'Hell, I guess we did burn a lot of energy last night?' he smirked 'There should be something in the kitchen, I'll bring it'The woman watched him get up and march off - yes, march off, even in their time off his gait still had that unique military quality to it - completely uncaring of his state of undress. The way his muscles rippled underneath the skin made him even more attractive to her, if that was even possible.He came back after a short moment, carrying a metal tray with some food and a bottle of wine. Navarre glanced at the bottle briefly, but she was more interested in sating her hunger. She reached for the bread, but he was faster - and to her surprise, he ripped it up into pieces. The surprise did not last long, though - he slipped one of them into her mouth, and then the other, and then he did not protest when she responded in kind.Eating breakfast this way took them much longer than usual, but was definitely turning more and more memorable with each morsel of food they snapped up from the other's hand. Finally the tray was empty, and Hermann simply shoved it onto the floor, uncaring of the clatter it made.'You know what? I want to spend the whole day like this- with my wife in my bed...' he mused.'Alas, as much as I would like it, too, we have to show up today.' Anna glanced at where their mess dress uniforms laid, her husband's jacket included, discarded sometime during the night.'We could take the night shift?' Gunther suggested. 'Leaves us with- nothing- to do for the whole day..'She smirked and stretched herself alongside him for yet another scorching kiss, her lips tasting of the wine - just a sip or two for the taste.'Sounds good... or- ' she stopped as a sudden idea occurred to her 'Or we could use our leave. I think we could even take way more than a day, we've probably accrued close to sixty days already - and Reed will start bugging us about it soon.''Take it or lose it?' he clarified. 'Maybe we could take it- a whole month. We don't have much, but I guess there's someplace nice we could afford?''Doesn't Shea work afternoons at a hotel now? We could ask her, she's bound to know of one''I guess... see, we get to spend the whole month like this-' Hermann grinned again and reached for the landline phone next to the bed.'Not complaining, but- what are you doing?''Calling Reed to let her know we're taking a month off?' her husband replied, and she had a feeling that if not for the augmentations, he would be rolling his eyes.Navarre smiled and shifted to her side, ostensibly to make it easier for him to reach the receiver.'Good morning, Janice. How many days of leave did I accumulate?- And Anna?... Hm, how about we take 30 days each, starting- hm' he was distracted briefly as Anna bent her leg at the knee and started sliding it along his side, showing unquestionable proof of what they did last night '- starting right now, actually? If that's possible?'Reed's answer must have been very confused, as Gunther just laughed at the phone 'Yes, we want to take some time off. Yes, I know it's surprising. Yes.'Finally, the secretary must have given an affirmative answer, as he gave her a thumbs up even before pressing the end call button.'Looks like we're getting a honeymoon' Anna said, still a bit bemused by the very concept - and it probably showed on her face.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Unspecified location, SF
Anna Navarre glanced around at the hotel lobby. Out of a habit, she first scanned it for threats before locating the front desk. She tilted her chin in the direction and allowed Gunther to lead her to it. She supposed they must have made quite a sight, both of them in mess dress uniform, and Hermann's arm around her would leave little doubt as to the nature of their relationship. And the rings - shiny and brand new.The woman manning the desk looked up, saw the rings and her mouth formed an 'o' of surprise.'Congratulations' she said automatically.Anna smiled briefly and Gunther nodded back.'You'll probably be looki- oh.'The woman suddenly stopped and changed tack.'I'm afraid that the honeymoon suite is probably out of your league. It's 500 credits a night, that tallies up to 6500 for the whole month.'Navarre bit her cheek in order to stop herself from pointing out that 500 times 30 is 6000. Her husband bristled at the assumption that they could not afford it.'We'll take it' he said.The receptionist looked panicky and glanced around for a moment, before her eyes landed on the computer screen.'Oh, terribly sorry, but the price has just gone up to 1000 a night.'They looked at each other, not believing her for a moment.'In that case, we want to look at some other accomodations''There are no vacancies currently, I'm sorry' the woman said, her voice so insincere that Anna had no illusions as to what her real feelings were.Gunther must have seen the same thing, for he pulled on her arm without saying one more word.'Why did she suddenly change her mind?!' Navarre exploded once they were outside.'She probably saw the augmentations' Hermann said plainly.The woman seethed for a moment, but decided to let go this one time. The second place they picked turned out to be way beyond their price league, so they checked out the third.'Congratulations' said the person manning the front desk.This time, Anna did not smile. She had already heard the automatic reaction to their request to book the room for a month - and the rings - more than she wanted to.This time, they did not even get to hear the prices.'We do not cater to your kind. I have to ask you to leave, or the security will escort you out.'Gunther's hand on her arm was the only thing stopping her from doing- something rash. As it was, her hand still drifted down to her gun in its holster, at which point he squeezed harder in warning. He grunted something affirmative at the clerk and stiffly led her out of the building.'Shea, your friends are asking for you.'Jordan looked up at the waiter, who stopped next to her seemingly by accident.'Friends?''The two mechs that had a candlelit dinner here several months ago?''Oh. Them. All right.' the woman shrugged and then immediately glanced at her shoulder to check that the tank top strap hadn't slid off. That was one thing she hated about her outfits - they easily moved around, and she couldn't really wear anything more concealing, not with the law being what it was, and her arms augmented up to the shoulders.Shea walked up to the back door the man indicated, collecting empty glasses and other paraphernalia as she went so as not to look idle. She couldn't really afford to lose this job even though the most recent job at a hotel paid slightly better.The man was right - Hermann and Navarre were waiting for her, twin expressions of annoyance on their faces. That feeling, however, was not directed at her, as she quickly found out.'We're looking for a hotel that serves mech augs, and isn't too pricey' her male colleague said without beating around the bush.Anna's face tightened at the first part of the statement and Jordan could guess they were booted out of an establishment or two. Unfortunately, the owners were within the law to do so - unethical as it might be, the augmented folks were indeed second class citizens. 'No Irish, no dogs allowed.' Change it to 'augs' and it works just as well.'Gossip says you two took some time off? Enjoy.' she grinned and then grew more serious 'I don't blame you for wanting to get out of the district. Not many lodgings will serve our kind, though. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one' and she rattled off the address. 'I suppose it qualifies as affordable, I mean I couldn't afford it on my single wage, but if you two pool your credits...'Anna and Gunther looked at each other briefly.Jordan Shea flopped down on the chair and started tugging on her tank top in order to change into the standard maid outfit.'Hi, Shea. Thanks for referring your friends here, they just paid for the whole month.' the man at the front desk said.'No problem' Shea shook her head free of the top and started pulling the outfit down.'I offered them the suite, but they wanted room #22, the one with an exit to the beach''Wait, what suite? I doubt they could afford the luxurious luxury that one is...''Not the luxury suite, the honeymoon suite' he clarified.For a moment, the sentence failed to compute.'Honeymoon?' she finally stuttered out.'Are we on the same page? Two military mechs much like you, the man has augmented eyes and the woman has augmented arms.''Uh, yeah, I referred them here, but- where did you get the idea?'He grinned at her.'I think the dress uniforms, the rings and the general sappy grins speak for themselves-'Shea pinched herself once and then twice, hard.'Sappy grins? Anna? You're pulling my leg, Axel'The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of other maids. They were too busy giggling to acknowledge Jordan, and one of them was an impressive shade of red.'I need some water' the one wheezed.'Your own fault for looking' giggled one of her friends.'What was I supposed to do? I do room service, I got room 22 assigned... It was high time for lunch, and they didn't say they would not be- coming down for lunch.'A fresh wave of giggles.'Honeymooners, what did you expect?''Certainly wasn't expecting what I saw! The middle of the freaking day-'Jordan felt her own face turning red as she slowly realized what had happened. No doubt whoever the couple in room 22 really were, they did not limit their- activities- to night time.'In fact, it's time for supper to be served. Jordan, you get room 22 - I just got notified that they want meals sent up - I hope you can handle whatever made the other girls behave like this' said her boss's voice.Shea groaned quietly. Her military service meant she was definitely not body shy and would probably have no issue with whatever was going on in said room, and she unfortunately worked here long enough for the boss to know this. Seeing no way out, she took the tray and started walking towards the room. She would gladly poke some fun at the expense of some couple who decided to play a joke on her by pretending to be her workmates.Room 22 was quiet as she walked in. She glanced around and placed the tray on the table. Two sets of mess dress uniforms, with lapels in special forces branch color, were folded neatly on a chair closest to the door. The distinctive color was almost enough to dash her hopes that this was a huge misunderstanding.The bed was a mess. The covers were nowhere to be seen, and it clearly saw a lot of use already. Her eyebrows raising, Jordan pulled up the info on the room from the hotel's system. They had checked in shortly before lunch. She couldn't really imagine how they got the bed to this state in one afternoon.Spooked by the silence, Shea checked on the bathroom. Empty. She started wondering whether it was a setup to some great prank, when she heard muffled voices. A moment later, the back door - the one leading out to the beach - opened and Gunther Hermann himself walked in, his completely naked body still glittering with water droplets.He said something about towels, head turned back so he did not see Jordan, who was completely frozen on the spot.'Towels? Who said anything about towels, Liebling?' asked a familiar voice.Shea pinched herself as Anna Navarre's augmented hands slowly snaked around her workmate's hips.'Your German is getting better and better' Gunther joked.Navarre must have been still unaware of the fact that they had an audience, as her hand slowly trailed lower. Body shy or not, her tolerance had its limits and Jordan yelped before it reached its destination.'I don't need a damn demonstration, thank you very much!''Jordan?!' the German was the first to react, his head whipping around.Lightning fast, his right hand wrapped itself over Anna's right wrist to pull her hand back to his hip. The action resulted in a glint of metal - more glinting than Shea would have expected from her workmate's hand alone. Actually, the light was reflected from a silver ring on Navarre's ring finger, and slightly less so from a dark ring on Hermann's matching finger.'Hells' Jordan said aloud. 'Axel wasn't joking when he mentioned uniforms and rings'Shea slowly sank down into a free chair as the woman herself peeked from behind Hermann's broad back and yelped 'Jordan?!''In the flesh' she shook her head to clear it. 'And here I was thinking someone was getting people mixed up... Honeymoon suite, right'The sarcasm in her voice must have gone completely over their heads, as Anna tilted her head up to give Hermann what probably amounted to a sappy grin, as far as Navarre was concerned. Jordan pinched herself and only then remembered the tray. She picked it up and looked around for a moment.'Just put it here' Navarre shrugged, pointing at the bed with her free hand, as her right was now entwined with Gunther's.As the two started eating - if it could be called eating, to Jordan it looked like the bed would be seeing some use again soon - she let herself out quietly only to slide down the closest wall after slamming her head against it a couple times, on purpose. Just to make sure she wasn't in some weird dream.'Fuck me, they really got married' she said to herself under her breath, as she returned to her spot next to Axel's desk.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Unspecified location, SF
Anna Navarre smiled briefly, tilting her head up at the sun. Her fair skin, however, would burn quickly, so she was never one for long sunbathing episodes. Instead, she ran to the water's edge, casting glances over her shoulder to see if Gunther followed. He did, so she tried to outrun him, only to get tackled into the sea waves.Laughing, they both toppled into the shallow water and splashed a bit. For a moment, she felt like a child again, and this was indeed a childhood dream come true. They'd never gone to the seaside when she was a child in Russia - too far and too pricey for a single parent.A moment later, Hermann pulled her closer and she was abruptly reminded that as childish her reasons for choosing this room - and not some other - were, she was definitely no longer a child and neither was her partner - her husband, now.His nostrils flared, revealing his arousal as much as certain body parts did. Anna let him pull her close, as close as physically possible, but the waves rhythmically buffeting them quickly made it impossible to stand. Unwilling to abandon the pleasantly warm sea, she simply sank to her knees in the surf and so did he, a heartbeat later.The water gently lapped at their bodies as she closed her eyes. This once, it was not a hurried, passionate joining as it usually was - they had all the time in the world and the certainty that they would not be going back to the field any time soon, definitely not this month. She relished in this knowledge, allowing herself to relax completely and surrender to his rhythm, which matched the gentle waves.Some time later, they rolled around on the surf's edge, so that she didn't risk inhaling water as she lay beneath him, but the sea still pleasantly lapped at their feet and calves. Her strong legs trapped Gunther's hand where she wanted it - she was not done, and honestly, she couldn't imagine a scenario in which she would be bored of this, with him, ever.The sun reflected off his blue-black ring almost put sapphires to shame, and the rays also made his augmented eyes shine. Were she a more romantic person, she would probably be telling herself that it was his feelings for his wife.Jordan Shea sighed, half jealous and half angry. The sounds reaching her ears made it impossible to doubt what she would see once she actually made herself open the door to room 22. Never mind that it was bloody dinner time and even randy newlyweds should be doing something else for once. Did they ever rest? Even augs had to, after all... and Hermann was no spring chicken, no horny boy of twenty.She grit her teeth and pushed the door open. Averting her eyes did little for her peace of mind, because the sounds still stayed, even after she slammed the tray down on the table with a bit of excessive force.The two didn't seem interested in the food, not at all. When the pitch changed abruptly, Jordan made the mistake of glancing at them - only to see Anna all but arching off the bed as her husband licked at her. Her moans were now small and breathless and she was clearly close. For a moment, Shea wondered if she'd crush her partner when she came - she knew firsthand the strength hidden in Navarre's legs and thighs.When the moaning stopped, the agent-turned-maid deemed it safe to look... and was quickly proven wrong. They'd merely switched positions, Gunther now flat on his back and Anna comfortably nestled between his legs. Jordan coughed, assuming the two were on their way to sleep.'Dinner time!'Navarre rolled her head to the side in order to glance at her, her augmented eye dimmer than usual, and then firmly shook her head.'I'm hungry... but not for food...' she said, her smile turning sly as she went back to looking at her husband.Gunther groaned lowly at the way she gazed at him, and Shea decided not to waste any more time. She turned around to leave, but a sound - not like any she'd heard over the last couple of days - made her turn back.Only to find out Anna was nothing if not literal, her dark head now moving over him, and Hermann's hands literally left tears in the sheets as he clutched at them.Jordan all but ran out of the room, chased by the sounds the agent made as his wife repaid the favor.Jordan Shea scowled angrily. Being stuck on a mission and waiting for extraction was never one of her favorite things, and even less when the troopers with her started chatting out of boredom. Jaime, clearly identifiable as a medic in his white coat, was patching up one of the men. Somehow, the base was able to get him out there on time, but wasn't able to get them back out as quickly.Her scowl deepened as snippets of conversation reached her. Over the wounded man's prone form, Reyes's eyes met hers and she could see the beginnings of a blush on his face. Clearly listening to others discuss their sexual partners and what they'd like to do - or have done to them - was not what he cared for.'Maldita sea' he swore, as the conversation turned to sizes and the more or less imagined upsides of being large.Jordan could no longer contain herself and she blurted out.'It's not always a good thing, you know-'Jaime's head whipped back to look at her in shock, and she cursed her loose tongue as soon as she realized what she'd said, but the damage was done.'How'd you know, Shea?' asked someone.In for a penny, out for a pound... Maybe if she keeps it vague enough...'I work afternoons at a hotel, and apparently I am the only one who can tolerate a certain couple of newlyweds - even more randy than usual... and well, he's hung like nobody's business and I'm sure even his girl can't take all of him in-'As the men guffawed and some outright laughed, Jordan tried to clear her head of memories- the sight of Anna bent in an arch, Hermann's hands the only thing keeping her anchored to the ground- the sound he'd made when his bride tried to take him-Shea shook her head violently to clear it and she found Reyes staring straight at her. She was aware her face was probably burning, but restrained herself from touching her cheeks to check. The poor medic's eyes, for some reason, were bulging in shock, and then he stepped over his patient to find himself centimeters away from her.'Please tell me you're NOT talking about who I think you mean-' he hissed quietly in her face, then glanced warily over his shoulder at the troopers.Jordan was about to tell him to get clearer, but then the lightbulb went off in her brain. To get married, the two must've needed a witness- did they ask Jaime?'You tell me how you know they got married, doc' she hissed back at him. 'And you and I both know who I mean...'Jaime pinched the bridge of his nose.'I was their witness, and how the demonios did they end up at the hotel you work at?''I bloody referred them there without knowing why exactly they were looking for one-' and here, Shea groaned out loud, realizing she'd most likely be stuck doing room service for the two for the rest of the month.For some reason, Reyes found the situation hilarious, but quickly sobered up.'Poor you. I know their libido knows no bounds, and no, neither of them is augmented in that respect.''He's not?' Shea's eyebrows rose - it was popular knowledge that all of Hermann was augmented.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
UNATCO headquarters, SF
The break room was buzzing with lively conversations when Jordan Shea walked in. She groaned and massaged her temples - she was really tired after yesterday's shift at the hotel, which obviously involved doing room service for room 22, and she could have used some peace during the break.'Jordan, aren't you going to take some time off? You look like you could use it...' said a voice she didn't recognize at first, with all the noise.Only when she turned around did she recognize Janice Reed. The augmented agent sighed.'This once, it isn't UNATCO stuff keeping me awake' she pointed out. 'Just tired from the other job''You've been saying the same thing for the last two weeks. Got some very untidy customers or what?'Agent Shea massaged her temples again, dipping her head and hoping her face wasn't flaming. Not like she could tell Reed the truth.'You could say that...' she hedged instead.Their conversation was interrupted by an outburst of laughter from one of the other tables.'A whole month of leave? Really? Navarre and Hermann? I bet they picked the time on purpose, it's way too fucking hot to function, and it's probably even worse for mechs...''I think they had a completely different reason in mind-' Corporal Collins sniggered briefly.'Did I hear that their times off overlap exactly?''Yes, they do''She must be bored out of her skull by now, and no action at all for the next two weeks...''If I were her, I would find something else to occupy my time' said a rookie Shea did not know.'What does she do in her time off?' an enquiring mind wanted to know.'Her boyfriend' was an immediate answer, complete with an eyebrow waggle.'That's one thing to busy yourself with, but, well, 's not like you can do it all the time? She must have some other hobbies, I don't know-''Like what, knitting? Don't make me laugh. As I said, she must be bored by now, even with all the- things -they probably did over their leave.''You think she can get bored of-?''Well, there's a limited number of ways to do it...' more eyebrow waggling. 'And there's the matter of one's stamina...'Jordan felt her face heating up as her brain caught up to the innuendo-laden conversation. Next to her, the secretary looked as red as she probably did herself.'You think they are doing it right now?' someone asked.If her face was red before, it was surely crimson now - Shea had absolutely no doubts as to what the answer to the question was.Anna tilted her head back, letting the water run over her hair. It had grown a bit longer, so it was no longer a matter of "splash some water, done", but it was still practical enough for her needs. A glance in the mirror assured her the shampoo suds were all gone, so she turned around so that the water would now run down her front and save her the trouble of wiping down all the soap.Heavy footsteps were all the warning she had before the stall door snicked as it was opened. She turned her head to look, but even before she did so, she was certain it was Gunther - the maid would not dare enter the bathroom while the water was running, for obvious reasons. Jordan would be too embarrassed to, and the other girl - she thought her name was Violet - would not because of the hotel's rules on privacy.She was proven right, obviously, as her husband stepped into the shower, ignoring the fact his boxers were getting soaked. Hermann pulled her into a kiss and then his large hands travelled across her back, wiping at a spot or two where she failed to get the soap off.His fingers brushed her wet hair aside as he pressed a kiss or two to the nape of her neck. Anna turned around in his arms, laughing softly. He adopted a hilarious mock-hurt expression, showing that he clearly understood he wasn't being laughed at.Gunther stepped even closer to her, and she could feel and see how excited he was in this new environment. With a grin, his new wife yanked with all her strength on the soaked fabric. Even with the added resistance, her augmented hands tore the bit of cotton apart.She couldn't care less about the water still running down her back, as their bodies came into contact. His sheer size pressed her against the wall, the wet tiles providing no support for her grasping hands. Anna dimly registered he must have pressed the off switch, as the shower was no longer running, the only sounds now their moans - and then a sudden undignified squeak, as she finally lost the losing battle to remain upright against the slippery surface.'Are you alright?' her husband scrambled up first, apparently shocked but none too worse for wear.Instead of answering verbally, she pulled him into a kiss. When they tried resuming the- activities, Anna winced as her shoulder pushed against the wall. She was probably going to discover a bruise there the next day. And then an obvious solution presented itself in her mind.'Wait- not like this-' she gasped, pushing the palm of her hand against Gunther's chest.When he moved back, she turned around so that she braced with her hands against the wall. The woman tilted her head and opened her mouth to speak. She got as far as 'Isn't it be-' before the air left her mouth in a whoosh. After that, there were no more words to be said.Anna shifted a bit and smiled briefly as she felt Gunther's fingers delving into the waistband of her lingerie - not the usual practical plain black panties, something a little bit more... interesting.'Again?' she asked, her own hand sliding to meet his.She felt rather than heard him chuckle.'You have too much faith in my ability, Liebling' his hand directed hers slightly to the side.The woman frowned as her fingers found something smooth and crinkly. She tilted her head down to discover a piece of... paper? Money? Did he think he could buy her-Before she could voice her outrage, her husband's hand slid the offending item higher. It was a ticket. Intrigued, she snapped it up. For a moment, she thought he was taking her to a movie night, or something equally romantic, and made a face.There was a slight giggle and she saw the maid - not Jordan, the other one, grinning at her, before putting the tray down on the table.'Not money, but still works as a bribe? Or not, judging by your expression?'Anna peered at the ticket again, only to discover that it was a ticket to a local gun range.'It works, it definitely does work!' she grinned back, before something occurred to her. 'Gunther, I don't have my gun with me-''Not a problem, they have rentals' he said. 'So, how early do you want to leave?''Right now?' Anna Hermann shot back.The man laughed, and then suddenly stopped. His gaze was fixed on the maid, who was looking between them, visibly perplexed for some reason. As she looked at him closer, she realized she knew this expression - it was his 'I know you but I can't place you' face. She supposed the girl - Violet she thought her name was - looked a bit like herself - dark eyes, dark hair - but she was certain she'd never met her before.Then he shook himself and grinned.'Anna, right now is definitely an option, but much as I like you in this, you should probably be a little more dressed for a firing range?'
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Unspecified location, SF
Jordan Shea shook her head and splashed her face with some water in hopes of cooling it down enough that she would no longer resemble a human torch. She had the bad luck of being assigned to room 22 - Hermann and Hermann's room, to be exact.And the things they got up to... Jordan was no stranger to seeing her workmates naked, after all many missions could call for it, for practical reasons such as swimming, and being body shy was not a good thing in the military. But there were some limits, and those two seemed inclined to push every single one of them. To the point that only she and Violet could handle doing room service without risking succumbing to a bout of apoplexy or mad giggling.'And here I thought they'd cool down a bit towards the end of the month' Shea complained to Violet.The other maid rolled her eyes.'Somehow I'm not surprised...' she lowered her voice. 'You know what I used to do before I found this job?'Jordan nodded carefully. Violet's past was pretty much an open secret at the hotel, but no one really wanted to talk about what a sex worker's job truly entailed.'That was several years ago, but some men are really memorable - I mean their faces, habits - and that one was certainly difficult to forget.' she mused 'He seemed to think he was ugly and did his utmost to make sure I wouldn't be looking him in the face. Either picked suitable positions or- or turned his face away. Not a very common habit, so I'm not surprised to remember him still.''Definitely' Shea nodded, trying to follow the non-sequitur.'Given what he said about the civilians treating him, I was pretty much floored to see him married - to anyone! At least, from what I've been seeing, his bride cured him of that awful habit' and here, the former prostitute giggled.The proverbial light switch was flicked on in Jordan's brain and she stared at the other woman.'Hermann was your- client?''A returning one, at that. One or two times every six months... he clearly had a type and I was somehow not very bothered by that weird habit of his. Especially once he started talking... he seemed to think everyone found him scary and ugly, apart from his colleagues. I thought it was just his insecurities talking, but the anecdotes he quoted sounded real enough. I tried to convince him to find himself a girl, to which he just laughed at me. Later, he revealed the only women he'd ever paid attention to were his workmates - the only ones who could tolerate his looks.'Shea shook her head briefly, impressed - the description was pretty much on point.'He paid attention to his workmates?' she asked, intrigued.Violet grinned.'Mostly to complain that they were too silly or too young. 'And Jordan is not my type'. I was surprised, because he'd spoken so much about the woman he was assigned to, I expected her to be his type.'Jordan was jolted out of her thoughts by the fact that she was mentioned by name, and she tried to hide a grin at the astute observation.'And what did he say to that?''Oh, I'm not assigned to Jordan.' the woman did a passable imitation of Hermann's accent. 'So I told him he had a clear type, that I could guess his assigned partner has dark hair and eyes, I mean I'm not deaf and blind... and maybe he should ask her out. The answer was: 'Anna would not look at me twice, not in a million years'.Shea started laughing so hard she almost fell off the bench. Violet looked very perplexed, even though she was smiling a bit- at Gunther's expense, no doubt.'Not in a million years, ha ha! I've got to quote that one back at him, ha ha!''What's so funny?' the other woman asked a bit annoyed after a couple of minutes did nothing to make Jordan calm down.'Violet, you've been assigned to their room service, after all. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the bride's looks, since you clearly recognized Hermann given your past- familiarity with him.' Shea said once she could speak again.The woman just laughed.'Of course I noticed I resemble the bride a bit, after all, he clearly has a type.'Jordan rolled her eyes.'And what is the bride's first name? I bet you've overheard it at least once...''An- ' Violet broke off, clearly coming to a realization. 'No way!''Yes way!' Shea grinned widely. 'I guess he was waay off the mark with that 'not in a million years' comment, ha ha!''Sooo.... how did that happen?''They drank a little bit too much at his flat after a mission, and Anna kissed him. Well, I think it's good that she made the first move, otherwise he'd probably still be dancing around her, given what you said. So, anyway, he kissed her back, and uh- they didn't stop at kissing that night, or so she told me later' Jordan let loose a string of giggles.'When was it?''They've been together for roughly a year now. Sure as hell didn't expect those two to tie the knot, though, ever.'Anna Hermann groaned softly as she awoke. The sun streaming in through the window of room 22 was enough to bring her out of sleep, conditioned as she was, by virtue of years of service, to wake at a slightest disruption. Her husband was still fast asleep, his hand splayed on her belly, as though he were trying to feel the baby she was carrying - never mind that it was way too early for it to be possible.She tried to get up carefully, so that she wouldn't disturb Gunther, but it wasn't to be. She grit her teeth as a wave of sickness overtook her and she all but sprinted to the bathroom.Once she was feeling a little bit better and her head was less muzzy, she noticed a soft voice that was definitely not Hermann's, asking if she was all right.'G'way, Jordan' she mumbled.'My name is not Jordan, it's Violet. Jordan is coming in later, though.'The maid ignored her death glare and approached closer, tutting in sympathy as she helped Anna get up.'Looks like you and the hubby aren't wasting any time' she smirked.She rolled her human eye in response.'It isn't what you think it is' she said irritably.The woman just laughed.'Pleeeease. You're not the first girl to get knocked up the first night. You wouldn't believe how many of the brides are throwing up already by the time the honeymoon ends. Especially if they weren't using protection....' she trailed off 'Speaking of, I haven't seen any used- rubbers- around, so that's a fairly safe assumption to make.'Anna groaned and let her head fall against the sink. She made some more protests, but the maid was fairly sure her observations were right and would not be dissuaded. And to make matters worse, deep down she knew the woman was right, obviously she did get knocked up.She was kind of hoping that the sickness would not return, not after the initial bout that was probably what had alerted Reyes, but, well, he did hint that it was possible for two or three months. And now it was back, just as the honeymoon was ending and they would be expected to return to duty on Monday.Heavy footsteps alerted her to Gunther standing in the doorway.'Anna? Are you all right?'Fortunately for her peace of mind, the maid remained silent as she assured him something probably did not agree with her - there was really no need to worry him. Several hours later, Jordan Shea showed up with a plate of dry crackers for her in addition to the normal meal.'Violet asked me to bring those' the agent-turned-maid said, not quite managing to make it sound like a question - in fact, she sounded like she'd been expecting such a request.Anna was abruptly reminded that Shea knew of the... situation.'Not a word to anyone at UNATCO' she warned her fellow agent.'You can't possibly try to keep it secret?!' Shea's blue eyes went wide. 'Sooner or later, they'll figure it out-''And by the time it happens, I'll just say it happened on the wedding night. NOT a word otherwise, or you're dead.'