Leave of Absence
A Jun, Jinpei fan fic
By JIMP.
Prologue
Jun enters Doctor Nambu's office and throws a set of leave papers on his desk.
"Taking some time off Jun?" Nambu asks Jun as he looks over the leave papers. "Hmm... Washington State. It's nice up there this time of year too and I guess the lull will do you and Jinpei good. Here you go Jun, stay in touch with us in case your needed."
Jinpei stands nervously outside the door as Jun exits. "Well?" The boy asks excitedly. "Did he sign em Oneechan?"
"He sure did! Pack your stuff up Jinpei so we can get out of here before anyone else finds out we left. This is just for me and you so keep your mouth closed."
" You can count on me sis!" Jinpei gave her a sharp salute as he ran off to get packed. For once, Jun was happy to finaly get some time alone with her little brother for a change.
***********************
Quiet,warm, and peacefull. Jun couldn't have picked a better place than this heavily forested corner of Washington State just North of Burlington for a vacation. The war with Gallactor gave few periods of ease where she and Jinpei could have any time together and it was making her a bit upset, till now.
She watched him from a much safer place than he was, God knows why she was letting him launch himself off some very sharp cliffs into the narrow river channel below. The place was deep enough for him, she made certain to check before letting him do his little stunts.
At the moment, Jinpei was doing a perfect handstand on a small outcropping about 40 feet above the river. "Show off." Jun thought as she watched him sit perfectly motionless. Of course, the ten year old boy was never without motion. He was very hyperactive by nature and to see him enwraped in any prolong concentration drill was a surprize. Jun just wondered where all his energy came from, he should have been dog tired after the long ride from Yutoland City in California.
Now he lowered himself, his arms bending, his chin touching the rock. With a strong push he threw himself into the air, tucked into a tight ball, and sailed so close to the rock face as to make his sister howl. Down he flew, opening almost flawlessly...well almost..... he crashed into the water with a sickening smack!
"Jinpei!" Jun screamed as she ran down the steep dirt and rock trail that led to the water's edge. She caught Jinpei as he stumbed out. " That's enough! I shouldn't have even let you do those crazy dives to begin with!" She said with great concern as she tried to look at his chest and stomach.
" Sis!" Jinpei said as he brushed her hands away. "I'm fine! I just had the wind knocked out of me that's all." Jinpei said as he winced. "Oh...that's gonna leave a nasty red mark in the morning!"
***********************
"Come over here and lay down for a while." Jun said as she took Jinpei by the hand and sat him down on his towel atop the grassy embankment. Of course, Jinpei tried to fight her as she made him lay down.
"Don't! Jun smirked as she took out a tube of coco oil from her bag and proceeded to rub it on her brother's very red stomach."
"Jun!" He protested, but not for long as the soothing took effect and he flopped back down on the towel with hs eye's closed.
" Relax mister embarrassed, how else can I get you to sit still for once." She said as she continued to massage Jinpei's smooth skin. For a boy of ten, Jinpei was very well toned out. He was skinny dispite Jun's cooking and the fact that he ate like a shark. He just wasn't building up any fat. Of course, the fighting with Gallactor certainly did this but there was also his hyperactivity. Jun could feel him tensing and trembling like a tiger ready to pounce.
She looked over his skin, noting the many small scars and cuts he'd built up from both the war and his own childish antics. There was the road rash scar on his upper left leg from when he tried to ride her Harley and dumped it last May. The other scar was on his upper left brest. He jumped in front of her to take an explosion and some shrapnel. She thought about the many close calls over the years since she found him at an orphinage in Japan. How she wished she could have kept him out of Gatchaman at times, but how proud she was of him.
"Ok, turn over." Jun said quietly, which Jinpei thought rather odd.
" You OK Oneechan?" He asked as she rubbed his back.
" I'm allright. Just thinking of something that's all." She returned.
Jinpei smiled and let out a small laugh. "It's Ken isn't it? Your just falling over him arn't you sis?"
Jun just laughed. Jinpei made Ken his number one sniping target. He'd been knocking Jun since training about the Commander's obvious affections towards her and her's in return. But it was more than just fun for him, he was always curious about such stuff.
"No, it's not about Ken. And may I ask you why you keep needling me about it?" She asked as she gave Jinpei a healthy pinch in the neck!
He rolled onto his back and tried to push her off but Jun grabbed the flailing boy's arms and held them down. "Now.. If you don't want me to tickle you to death, answer me."
***********************
Jun allowed Jinpei to get up but still held his arms. "Now tell me. Your not fixated on Ken just to play games with me are you?"
"Isn't this supposed to be vacation?" The boy answered back smartly. "And what's wrong with me asking questions? It's not like you two hide it when your around me."
" I told you before we left Yutoland that I wanted us to know each other better. We don't get these chances often Jinpei and I've missed alot of things with you that were important."
Jinpei crossed his arms and pouted. "You wana know the truth! I hate Ken allright! That's the truth!" Jinpei almost turned before Jun told him to stop.
" Go on..let it out. I knew this might be it. Your afraid Jinpei...your afraid I'll marry Ken and leave you behind is that it!"
He just stood there, fixated, she could tell he was hurt. He started to cry. "Would you? I'd be such a pain in the neck to you two."
Jun grabbed him by the shoulders and held Jinpei close to her. "No, Jinpei, No! Your not a pain, never have been, never will be. You've been my joy for a long time ever since I found you!"
Jun cleaned his eyes off and gave him a quick kiss to make him feel better. "Comeon fish brain, let's see if you can jump off the rocks the right way this time!"
***********************
Evening brought a sort of tired peace to the end of the day. Jun watched as Jinpei sucked another melted marshmellow into his mouth and laughed as a little trail of it dangled from his mouth. The slight unpleasentness of the afternoon had dulled too. Jinpei realy didn't hate Ken at all, just the thought of her getting married to him and possibly leaving Jinpei alone was one of the last remaining thoughts of a small boy becoming a teenager.
That's what Jun wanted to know more of, what was cranking inside that small head of his? for a ten year old, Jinpei was as smart as whip and rather wise, if not in a child's point of view. She wanted to know what he wanted so she could steer him in the right dirrection, and keep him that way.
" Tell me Jinpei, you think about what you'd like to be when your 18?" She asked him as he wolfed another marshmellow in his mouth.
" A ninja fire fighter." He returned as he licked his fingers. "No..Ninja....postman! Yeah that's it! Can you see me tackling a pit bull?" He said with a smirk that made Jun choke on her soda with a spray of liquid and laughter thrown in.
"I'm serious!" She said as she recovered from coughing. "I mean, have you even thought about it?"
"Well...I realy like cars. Joe thinks I'd make
good stock car driver, even a mechanic! I think it'd be cool to bust hump on a hot pit crew. Then again, there's always the old fashioned "Run away and join the circus bit. Presenting the Great Sparrow Jinpei on the high wire!"
Jinpei jumped off his seat near the fire and landed in a handstand next to Jun! She was amazed he could hold himself like this, it was uncanny!
"What about you sis? I bet you got some big plans after this mess with Gallactor is done. When's the wedding? Do I get to be an uncle and spoil the kids rotten?"
Jun lost it, totaly lost it. She fell back dying of laughter as Jinpei crashed on top of her and kept on sniping at her. " Oh...I get it....my job's to raise the kids so they end up like me insted of you and Ken! Now your in trouble Sis!"
***********************
"mmm......Pancakes!" Jinpei said as he sat up in his sleeping bag as the morning sun woke him up. Jun was already up before him so he quickly scrambled out of the tent and looked for her.
"Sis!" He called, but Jun was no where around. "Hmph...must have gone into town for some more food. That's ok!" he said as he pulled the warmed plate of pancakes off the hot plate over the fire and went to town on them.
"Now that's pancakes!" He said with a satisfied tap of the tummy as he reached into a cooler for an orange juice.
Suddenly, something rapped him off the head from behind. "Ouch!...Hey!" He screamed as he turned around to face the heavy patch of forest in front of him. Another small pebble smacked him off the forehead!
"Quit it! Sis, is that you!" He said with a slight scowl as he held his forehead.
" What's the matter Jinpei? Your getting slow! You should always be on guard you know!" Came Jun's voice from the woods.
She hit him again! another pebble smacked him as he turned around to ignore her. "THAT DID IT!" Jinpei said as he motioned to change to bird style.
"No!....no way baby brother....you have to come and get me the old fasioned way! No bird style."
Jun watched from her concealed spot as Jinpei began to move away and to the right of her, along the edge of the woods. "Good boy, try and circle around me. Let's see if I made it hard for you."
Jinpei stopped at a small trail that ran the lenth of the patch. Slowly he moved down the dirt trail, carefully looking about as he stepped. The sudden gleam of a thread of piano wire ,strung across the trail at his ankles, caught his eye.
'Oh ho....nice try." He was about to side step it when he noticed the piles of leaves on both sides of the wire.
"Snares? How long did she spend trapping this place?" He thought. "Well...there's always the trees!"
Jinpei coiled himself and jumped towards the nearest branch but to his sudden shock, it gave way under his weight and down he fell into a pile of leaves!
Jun was laughing sillently, watching her little brother throw one of his famous kicking fits against the pile. " Good! I got him realy angry now!" She said as she threw another pebble at his head!
" Ouch!...dam it!" again Jinpei exploded, almost coming near tears. "What the heck are you trying to prove Jun!" He screamed as he dropped to the ground pouting and swearing.
" I'm trying to help you get over your one nagging weakness Jinpei, you never keep your head when you get pissed off, and you start doing things you shouldn't. It's got you into alot of trouble lately."
"So what! I never get into anything I never walk away from!" He said as he sat in the pile of leaves.
"I'm only trying to help you Jinpei. Now get up and find me.....and keep your head this time!"
Jinpei just sat there. "Obstinate as always." Jun said to him as she threw a rock this time and hit the tree beside him! Jinpei jumped to the dirt.
"Come on baby........or are you chicken!" She could hear him swearing up a storm now. But at least he was moving.
***********************
" Some vacation." Jinpei mumbled as he crawed along the ground. " I thought it was going to be hot dogs, swiming, getting a nice tan, but nooo......my sister wants to drill me like I'm in the Army or somethin..."
Another pebble found it's mark on top of the boy's head. "Will you stop that!" He yelped as he could hear Jun laughing again.
"Keep your mouth shut and your mind on what your doing! I can't beleave you can do a ten minute handstand and not something this simple!"
All of a sudden, it hit him. "Ten minute handstand?" He thought. "Hmm....." He smiled as he looked about for the nearest bush. It took him a few minutes but Jinpei finaly got himself under a stack of thick kudzu. "Now. " He thought as he placed his chin on a clenched fist." Let's see you wait this out sis!"
THREE HOURS LATER.......
Jinpei was calmer now, and still sitting perfectly still in the same possition he was three hours back. "Comeon crazy..you can't sit still without checking to see if I'm alive." He thought as he grinned.
Jun was checking. Jumping from tree to tree and trying to pick him out. He was thinking well for once which pleased her and drove her mad. He could be a devious little shit when he set his mind to it.
A sudden sense of movement took Jinpei by surprize. He froze his grin and snickered. "Oh big mistake Onechan, big mistake......" He slowly assumed a crouch in the kudzu and at the right moment, leaped atop what he thought was his sister.
Insted....Jinpei got a face full of fur..black fur.
He staired right into the snout of a baby black bear cub! and where there was a cub there was a bigger and very pissed off......
ROARRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jinpei took off like a bullet with one angry sow black bear nipping at his heels!
"DAM IT JUN!! WHERE ARE YOU!!" He screamed as the bear gained on him fast!
Suddenly, Jinpei felt a sharp jerk as he was lifted clear of the sow as she leaped to catch him! He and Jun, who was dressed in her bird costume, landed on a high tree branch together.
Jinpei pushed himself away from her forgetting where he was! Jun grabbed him by a flailing arm just as he slipped off the branch.
"Are you crazy!! I could have been killed!" He screamed as he dangled fronm the branch and wrapped his arms and legs tightly around it.
"I have to say you did quite well handling that. I bet you want to take that little bear home with you now huh?"
Jinpei gave Jun a vicious frown. " I should kill you for this!" The frown suddenly changed to a smile. " Can I keep him?"
Jun took off, leaving her little brother to get himself out of the tree.
***********************
"She changed the lock on my front door.... Now my key won't fit no more.....Move it on over.....rock it on over....Move over nice dog the big old dogs movin in!....."
Jun thought this must be revenge for messing with her little brothers head. The tracker was screaming along the highway from Burlington heading for Deception Pass bridge and Whidbey Island beyond. She told him he could pick the night spot and the Eastern Dragon sounded like a nice, if not crazy, spot to take him out to dinner.
Jinpei was just singing away, swinging his head this way and that, enjoying the music and the drive. That was another good quality she liked in her little brother, he could set himself at ease after a tough mission so quickly, like it never happened. The bear encounter didn't even stay a conversation piece for very long.
She pointed out the scenery of the massive two part bridge that towered two hundred feet over deception gorge and Jinpei could help but think if Ryu couldn't scream the Pheonix between the supports. He'd have to tell him when they got back to see if he could dare him into doing it.
They arrived into Oak Harbor around 8pm, usualy a dead time between the end of the dinner hour and the start of the late night party hours, so the Dragon was mostly empty.
Dinner became interesting though, Jinpei waisted no time in trying to talk to the waitress, of course Jun had to bat him down before he went to far and got smacked. Insted he had the girl rolling and falling dead for him. "The mighty swallow romeo." Jun said as she tapped him about the head.
"Forune cookie Jinpei?" Jun asked as she tossed him one and he broke it apart in his hand. He read it and crumpled it up in his pocket.
"Well?" Jun asked. "Mine said " You shall be endowed with charm, wisdom, and good fortune." What's yours?"
Jinpei put his chin to his hand as if in thought. " You'll be blessed with a good sex life."
He just ducked Jun's swinging hand and ran with her in tow down the stairs to the bar below the restaurant. He stopped her just short of the door. "The music. Can't run to this music." He began to strut his way into the multicolored lit bar like he owned the joint.
Jun could see allready that this was going to be a late night.
***********************
"ffftttt....." The dart made a familliar hissing sound as it flew across the bar to a perfect bullseye on the board. Jun had warned her little brother about showing off his Ninja prowise, but here it didn't realy matter. They were the only one's in the bar beside the tender and Jinpei wasn't getting too wild with his throws, just casual flicks of the wrist.
"Wow..." The female tender admired the accuracy. "You ever think of getting him into baseball? He'd be a dam good ptcher."
Jun laughed, "It's not his knack. He'd end up dodging every ball. My little brother's good at pitching, lousy at fielding."
"I heard that!" Jinpei said as he flicked three darts from his left hand with a deft toss. They straddled the bullseye in a perfect line!"
Now from the juke box came an old George Thorogood song that made Jinpei jump off his seat. He grabbed Jun by the arm and pulled her into the hard wood dance floor.
"Comeon Sis! Kick it out!" He said as he started cutting circles and wildly jinking to the heavy tonk tone. She tought him how to dance during their off times at the Snack and he seemed to learn quickly.
" I want 47 miles of barb wire. I gotta cobra snake for a neck tie. A brand new house on the road side and it's made outa rattlesnake hide." He sang it with a deeper than usual voice as he spun with Jun across the dance floor and let her go with a snap. She just watched him as she danced a bit slower than he did. He had the most wild, elfish face. It was him kicked into hyperactive overdrive and she loved it!
Jun quickly walked back to the Bartender and pointed to the stage. "You wouldn't happen to have any instruments would you?"
"You bet I do." She answered. "You play guitar?"
"Oh God...." Jun said with a smile. 'What kind have you got?"
"Stratocaster 67." The women smiled together in shear delight as the bartender handed Jun the vintage guitar.
"Oh Jinpei?" Jun said as she held up the Stratocaster............"Now let's play."
They did. Sitting on the dimly lit steps of the stage. Jinpei using the Stratocaster case as an improvised drum and his sister strutting away....no set tune.....just a bunch of improvised melodies thrown together for fun. Jinpei snuck in an ocasional close snug and stole a cheek kiss every once in a while causing Jun to foul up a cord or too, but she snuck a wet willie in his ear that more than made up for the foolery.
They kept it up well into the early morning.
***********************
Dear Onechan,
I wrote this, this morning because I couldn't realy tell you in person without starting to cry like a big baby.
You didn't have to take me with you five years ago when doctor Nambu came for you. I wasn't even on the list and at first he protested it, but you wouldn't quit. You wouldn't quit till he said yes.
We've been through so much together, side by side through all this stupid mess... but you never quit on me, never thought I couldn't do anything or be anything.
I couldn't say nothing to measure the weight of the love in my heart for you, It's impossible. But I do love you. I just wanted you to know that.
Your little brother,
Jinpei.
Jun broke down in the tent. The letter's ink turning into streaks of tear mixed fluid as she held it in her hands. Outside she could hear Jinpei splashing about in the river.
"Hey sis! Are you gonna sleep all day or come in for a swim!" He yelled.
Jun smiled wide as she rose from her sleeping bag then frowned as the aural tone of her wrist com filled the air.
"Oh no!" Jinpei could be heard to yell. He jumped from the water and climbed up the grass and dirt embankment and quickly pulled his swiss army knife from a pants pocket.
" ALERT ONE! ALERT ONE! PRIORITY SCRAMBLE CHARLIE." Came the computer warning followed by Ken's commanding voice. "Sorry you two! We've got an incoming Galalctor war mecha heading for Moscow and it can't wait! We're on our way to pick you both up!"
Jun changed into bird style and threw the camping gear into the tracker as fast as she could. "Comeon Jinpei! Hurry up!"
"Wait a second!" He yelled back as he furiously carved into an old tree trunk.
Jun came up behind him and tried to grab him but he quickly dodged her. She found out why as she looked at the stump.
Jinpei had carved a heart with both their names. " It's to remember this place if we ever decide to came back here again." He said with a smile.
Jun said nothing. She just grabbed him up and held him tight.....and held him....... and held him.........and held him.........
"Uh...Sis? Don't you think we should get out of here?" He asked as she let him go.
"Get changed Mr. Swallow." She said with a commanding smirk.
" You got it Sis! Let's go kick some Gallactor butt!" He said with a punch of the hand and a mean snarl too boot!
As he ran off towards the tracker, Jun stayed back for just a moment to gaze at the stump.......she wanted to remember it too.
"G-3 AND G-4 On our way to the rendezvous point Ken!" Jun said as she jumped into the tracker.
"Punch it Jinpei! Tear up the road!" she said with a smile as the tracker raced up the dirt road and pealed out onto the highway and into the air.
THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!!.........
"This fanfic is dedicated to all our brothers and sisters. May we all remain close no matter how far life takes us."
THE END
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's a fan fic with no Berg Katse, no deadlines, no mecha, no Gallactor, in fact I hope it's quite fun and boring.