Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the characters of Anna, Isabelle and Roger Duncan and of course Ebony Siren and anything else you don't recognise from the movie.

I'm so so so so sorry for the lack of updates on this story! I've had the worst writers block, which as been ridiculously frustrating, because I know where this story is going I just can't get the flow right.

Anyways, thank you all for the follows/favourites and reviews, hopefully this next chapter will be worth the wait.

Let me know if you think anything needs adjusting, I'm still not sure this flows right.

xx

Chapter 16.

Anna sat on the edge of her narrow bunk and looked around at her tiny box of a room, as small as it was it still felt empty. It had been like that ever since Izzy had taken quarters nearer the medical wing.
She had hoped to sleep for a few hours before finding Chuck, but sleep had evaded her and instead she found herself wide awake and nursing her ever present headache, which had for the moment lessened to a dull ache.
Chuck, her heart fluttered at the thought of him, had she really agreed to Drift with him? A smile tugged at her mouth and she chuckled to herself, she was doomed.
The recent announcement of the compatibility test, reminded her that Raleigh was due in the kwoon shortly, in the hope of having Gipsy Danger reinstated.
Maybe she'd go and watch the trials, offer Raleigh some moral support. Not that the man needed it, he could handle himself just fine, but a friendly face couldn't hurt. Rising to her feet with a small stretch, her stomach rumbled and Anna frowned, okay so maybe she'd get some breakfast before she did anything else.

Almost as soon as she entered the cafeteria she was immediately accosted by Herc Hansen, the older pilot wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her towards their table. "I don't think I've ever seen that boy, look so bloody content," he commented in a low murmur.
Following Herc's meaningful glance, Anna realised Chuck was seated at the Australian Jaeger team' table, watching them.
He was sat with his back to the table and his long legs, stretched out in front of him, his feet crossed at the ankles. His expression was warm as he caught her gaze and a lazy smile tugged at his mouth.
At the sight, Anna felt her own smile tug at her lips, god she suddenly felt like bloody school girl.
"Like I said before, you're good for him, sweetheart," Herc reminded gently, "Now go grab a seat, while I sort breakfast. Anything you fancy?"
Anna glanced over her shoulder as he headed for the food line, "Coffee and something sweet. Thanks Papa H," she grinned and headed down the steps and took a seat beside Chuck, her smile widening when he offered her smirk and turned to straddle the bench so he was facing her.
"I was coming to find you," he admitted softly.
"It's okay I had a few things to do after debrief," she explained softly, "Then I thought I'd grab a power nap."
His expression was gentle as he regarded her, taking in her pale features and tired eyes, "Everything alright?"
She nodded with a sigh, " as well as it can be, I suppose."
Before Chuck could question her any further, Max barreled out from beneath the table and launched himself enthusiastically into her lap. With a breathless gasp, Anna caught the flailing dog, just before his momentum sent him tumbling off her legs and onto the floor. "Jesus Max, I think you just winded me," she chuckled, snatching him behind his ear. As the wriggling bulldog attempted to lick her chin, particularly trembling with excitement, Anna realised Chuck was watching the whole exchange with a look of complete ease, he looked almost indulgent.
At her curious look, he grinned, "I was just thinking I know exactly how Max feels."
With a teasing smile, Anna quirked her eyebrow at him, "What, you have an insatiable need to lick my chin too?"
He matched her teasing smile, the heat flashing in his gaze as he leaned forward to murmur in her ear, "not just your chin, sweetheart."
The pale blush rose over her cheeks and he smirked triumphantly as he pulled away.
The sound of Herc approaching, stopped Anna from replying but her smile remained.

"There's plenty of room at our table…"
Turning slightly at the sound of his father's voice, Chuck frowned.
Following his line of sight, Anna saw Raleigh approaching the table with Herc, tray in hand.
Sliding a tray across the table towards her, Herc smiled, "eat up sweetheart, pancakes and coffee."
"Thanks, Papa H," she grinned immediately grabbing a fork. Her mouth watering as the sweet scent of syrup and baked goods hit her.
As she tucked into her breakfast, she offered Raleigh a warm smile, the mark 3 pilot taking a seat opposite her, "morning, Raleigh."
Beside her, Chuck picked up a second fork and helped himself to her pancakes.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow, "get your own."
He smiled at her, eyes gleaming with mischief, "we'll be sharing more than just pancakes soon enough." He murmured in a whisper, flashing her a wink.
"So you ready to take the compatibility test?" She asked Raleigh, ignoring the chuckling Australian beside her, who was helping himself to another forkful of her pancakes.
"As ready as I'll ever be I guess," Raleigh replied with a soft shrug.
"So Ray, when was the last time you jockeyed?" Chuck wondered coolly, placing his fork on the table, beside Anna's tray.
Anna immediately shot him a sharp look, willing him to stop.
He caught her look and shrugged, "It's a valid question," he defended, turning his attention back to Raleigh with a cocky quirk of his eyebrow.
"Five years," Raleigh answered, almost gritting his teeth as he caught her gaze.
With a smirk, Chuck shifted beside her, "And what were you doing for those five years?" He pushed, "something pretty important, I reckon."
The fair haired pilot opposite her hesitated before he answered, "I was in construction."
"Oh, well, that's…that's great," Chuck chuckled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. With a shake of his head, he glanced around at the rest of Eureka's crew who were trying to appear like they weren't listening in. "I'm sure that'll be really helpful, Ray."
"Chuck, that's enough," Anna snarled, she wasn't about to let Raleigh be belittled, not when the pilot had a service record like he did. He deserved better than that.
Chuck ignored her as he continued, his sarcasm turning acidic, "If we ever need to build our way out of a fight, I know who we can count on."
As Anna opened her mouth to intervene, Raleigh spoke across the table his tone, calm and deathly cold, "It's Raleigh."
"Whatever," Chuck scoffed, "You're Pentecost's idea, and my old man seems to like you and Anna trusts you, but from where I'm sitting you're a liability. You slow me down, I'm going to drop you like a sack of kaiju shit."
Listening to Chuck's sniping comments, Anna felt her anger rise. He had promised he'd try to be polite and respectful to Raleigh.
The arrogant bastard! She should have known better.
Without another word, Chuck rose from his seat beside her and left the table. "Come find me when you're done," he told her, loud enough for most of the canteen to hear.
She could already hear the rumor mill kicking into full gear, as people began discussing the workings of her relationship with Chuck Hansen.
He didn't wait for her to reply and merely strode from the canteen, Max at his heels.
Which was probably a good thing as he might not have appreciate her response.

After a moment of tense silence, Raleigh spoke his voice a mix of disbelief and irritation, "You know, I'm trying to work out what you see in him."
Tearing her gaze from the empty doorway, that Chuck had just left through, Anna blushed slightly and offered Raleigh an apologetic smile, "He's not always like that, I'm sorry. Sometimes he engages his mouth before his brain. Don't listen to him."
"Don't worry about it," Raleigh told her, offering her a soft smile.
Herc cleared his throat, "You can blame me for that one," he admitted, "I raised him on my own. Smart kid, but I never knew when to give him a hug or a kick in the ass."
Releasing a small chuckle, Raleigh swallowed his mouthful of bread and glanced at the older man sat beside him, "with respect, sir. I'm pretty sure which one he needs."
Despite herself, Anna laughed and took a sip of her coffee to stifle her grin, "He's not all bad, I promise."
He flashed her a look that clearly stated he'd take her word for it.

Chuck paced the area in front of Striker Eureka's massive feet, he was battling with himself again. Angry for his ridiculous show of arrogance in the canteen, the display that had been spurred on once again by bloody jealousy.
He'd gone from contented teasing with Anna and enjoying having her beside him, to jealous twat the moment she'd flashed Raleigh Becket that beautiful smile of hers.
"Bloody idiot!" He snapped at himself.
"Where do you get off?" The angry voice demanded.
Turning around, he came face to face with a angry looking Anna Duncan. Even furious she was stunning.
What took him by surprise, wasn't her anger but the stinging slap she delivered to his left cheek. The skin on skin snap echoing around the nearly deserted hanger.
"You arrogant…you had no right to say those things to Raleigh!" She fumed, glaring at him.
He stepped up to her, his cheek burning and eyes narrowing as he crowed her personal space, "I reckon I was on the money with what I said, sweetheart. He's been out of the fight too long and he could risk everything, get us all bloody killed!"
"He's a good pilot," Anna defended sharply.
"He was a good pilot, right up until he got his co-pilot killed," Chuck interrupted.
"He's a good man and deserves our support! We need every experienced jaeger pilot we can get," she continued fiercely, refusing to back down from the advancing Australian ranger.
Chuck took another step towards her, until he was almost towering over her, dominating and invading her personal space. Jealously roared through him, irrational and fiery. "You're awfully quick to defend him, something I should know?"
Almost immediately she narrowed her beautiful sapphire eyes on him and there was a mix of hurt and anger in her gaze, "I can't believe you just asked me that! For a man who has a list of sexual conquests longer than both our arms put together, you've got some fucking nerve!"
Her offended anger matched his jealousy and before she could react he jerked her towards him, turned swiftly on his heel and pinned her roughly against Striker's toes. "Yeah before I met you, I was perfectly happy for a quick fuck with any pretty woman I pleased," he snarled, gripping her wrists in one powerful hand and trapping them against her stomach, "and then you bloody ruined me. One night with you and that was it, you were so bloody far under my skin, in my head..." He left his words unfinished and shook his head in frustration.
"Raleigh Becket and I have history, but not in the way you seem to think," Anna told him sharply, "I knew him and his brother, long before we ever met. Izzy and I were stationed at the Anchorage shatterdome with Gipsy Danger.
My defense of Raleigh doesn't stem from anything other than my respect for him as a pilot and as a friend," she paused and rolled her injured shoulder, testing the stiffness and felt his grip fall away from her wrists in guilty response. "If you can't see passed that, then we may as well stop this before it's begun," she added quietly, the words heavy on her tongue.
"Fuck," Chuck snapped sharply, his heart plummeting into his stomach as a bitter chuckle slid passed his lips, "it's a bit late for that, sweetheart." He mused leaning down until his mouth hovered against hers, almost touching but not quite, "I warned you, you bring out the worst in me, but believe it not I am in this for keeps, I wouldn't have asked you to Drift with me otherwise," he smiled ruefully, "I don't reckon I could let you go now, even if I tried."
Those words seem to defuse the rest of Anna's anger and she smiled at him, but before she could say anything else, he reiterated his words with a bone melting kiss.
"I'm sorry," he murmured against her lips, chuckling softly when he heard her breathless response.
"I forgive you."