DISCLAIMER: The Bionic Woman and its characters are the property of NBC. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Good Answer
By Calliope
What the hell?! That was my first impression of Heaven, and let's just say, I got a perverse pleasure out of torturing the kid with round after round of psychological mind fucking.
With one little sentence from that arrogant, rich brat, my world was thrown completely off kilter, and I enjoyed getting even.
Is she a lesbian? Damn her…and that look that Jaime gave me. She didn't jump to say no on my behalf, but that look. Maybe she knows. I didn't even know how to respond to the twerp. I just stood there dumbfounded, and Jaime seemed to get a kick out of all of it. Damn, that look and those eyes! Stop it, Ruth. Stop that train of thought, right now!
It's the same look she's giving me now as she bandages up my leg, and I have to look away.
"What the hell were you thinking, Ruth?" I laugh out loud at the irony. "What's so funny?"
"I was just thinking the same thing," I wince when she tightens the bandage on my leg, "Hey, careful there."
"Sorry," but I see a little bit of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
"Uh, huh, you're just trying to make me pay for being so foolish."
"Well, you have to admit it was kind of nuts," she finishes securing the torn shirt sleeve over my thigh, "Why did you do it, Ruth?"
I look down contemplating how to answer that. Jonas had cut Jaime loose when she refused to bring Sarah down the way he wanted. Jaime wanted to trust Sarah and my gut told me that she was playing with fire, so I followed her. When that psycho bitch tried to attack her, something in me snapped. Before I knew what was happening, I had tackled Sarah to the ground. My sense of triumph didn't last long. With a simple roundhouse kick to my ribs, I went flying into the wall and blacked out. When I came to, I was battered and bruised but alive, and Jaime was there begging me to wake up. I wanted to believe I saw a tear in her eye and relief on her face when I smiled at her, but it could have been a hallucination. If so, it was a good one so I'll store it away as a fond memory.
"Hey," her fingers caress my cheek, "you okay? Are you going to blackout again?"
I smile at the gentle touch, another moment to store away for later, "I'm fine."
"Good, then answer my question," the girl was like a dog with a bone!
I sigh and hedge my answer as best I can, "Jonas would kill me if you got hurt. There's some really expensive hardware in you. We gotta protect our investment, you know?" Jaime actually looked a bit hurt and I saw a wall go up right before my eyes.
"Oh yeah? Well, fuck you, Ruth! Fuck you and Jonas," she makes a move to stand but I grab her wrist.
"No, Jaime, wait! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," I loosen my grip on her so I can take her hand in mind. I swallow my nervousness as she stands there staring down at me with pain and hurt written all over her face, "I didn't want you to get hurt. Jonas doesn't give a shit, but I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. You didn't ask for any of this and I didn't mean to rain down more shit on you."
She kneels back in front of me, still holding my hand, "Do you mean that?"
I can only nod my head as I am again swallowed up in her eyes. A small, almost imperceptible, smile graces her lips. Her green eyes dance when they flick down to my lips then back to my eyes. For a moment she looks feral and wild, and I shiver. She barely touches her lips to mine as if teasing me.
"Good answer."
The End