Title: The Chain of Trust.

Anime: Vandread.

Rating: Shoujo ai. Angst. There's a lil fluff. Oncoming stupidity.

Disclaimer: The usual stuff. I don't own the cool anime and its superb characters. I'm just a poor student who's trying to find little happiness in writing fanfics.

A/N: This is my first Vandread fanfic. I'm not really obsessed with the anime but I kinda think of it as really...sugoi! And if there's any mistake in names or common knowledge of the Vandread world, feel free to review and right it, ne? I had a hard time thinking up a name for the fic but as I'm not a really good name-inventor, the name kinda sucks. *sigh* I'm usually imune to flames but patient has it's limit. So, read, enjoy and review, minna!

Summary: BC, Hibiki, Dita, Duero, Bart and Pyoro had returned to Nirvana from Talark with more men for the 'uniting' program of Meger and Talark. One particular *gorgeous* guy fell for Jura, who as you've probably known, still obsessed in making a baby with a man. Barnette got jealous and challenged the guy in a 'courting battle' for the blonde. She swore that she would never lose but, what if she did? A JuraBarnette fic. Dedicated to the cutest couple of Vandread!

        *

Chapter One: Return of the Men.

"Aah... It's so boring here without Hibiki and the other guys."

Barnette looked up from polishing her huge collection of guns and ammo and arched an eyebrow at a yawning blonde before her. She placed the firearm neatly into its place and closed the metal box. "Jura, Bart just called thirty minutes ago. Didn't he told you that they'll be back today?"

"I know that," Jura tilted her head, staring at the glowing Paeksis from the bridge where she and the Dread pilot were having their conversation. "Ne, Barnette, do you think the men that'll come wants to have baby with women?"

"I thought you've got over this baby thing already," scowled the brunette.

Somehow, there was something inside her that stung whenever she heard Jura talking about having a baby with man and she didn't like it at all. Barnette, after all, was a proud woman. Ever since Hibiki and the others had departed to Talark, she kept thinking that she must have lacked something in some aspects. If not, why would Jura kept wanting a baby but not with her? The thought bugged her and made her day tiring and her night restless. She couldn't tell Jura how she felt, she didn't want the blonde to think of her as a weakling.

"Hello, Jura to Barnette," the pilot blinked and was greeted by a pair of bright emerald orbs staring straight at her. "You totally zoned off. Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing."

Though Jura looked unconvinced, she didn't ask any more question. They spent several minutes enjoying the comfortable silence between them before a rather red-faced girl barged into the place, hands flailing wildly above her head. Jura and Barnette exchanged puzzled glances, turning their attention to the girl, who had begun talking.

"The men... the men had returned from Talark," her face reddened even more, almost matching the redness of her long hair. "With more men. Boss wanted everyone to greet them and afterwards, there will be a welcoming party at precisely ten minutes from now. Make sure you're there in time. Ja!"

"Thanks, Edelle!" yelled the blonde as the girl dashed into another passageway to spread the news. Jura gave Barnette an impatient poke on her right rib. "Come on. I can't wait to see them."

"Okay, okay," the pilot sighed deeply. "Lead the way."

        *

The atmosphere was... if you put it in a way, not really cheerful. Hibiki and Dita were happily chatting away in a secluded corner, oblivious of everyone else. Pestered by Parfet and Paiway, Duero looked incredibly like a prisoner who was searching for some kind of escape from a torture chamber. Bart, in the other hand, had engaged himself in a hushed conversation with BC. The Vice-Captain was laughing softly.

Still curious and cautious, the newly-arrived men from Talark gathered in a group, standing near the EXIT door while the crews of Nirvana; Jura, Barnette, Meia and Misty included, were eyeing them with a mixture of amusement and something near to excitement from across the room. Once in a while, these men would whispered urgently to one and another, casting dark glances at the girls.

"Attention," BC's commanding voice echoed from the stage, Bart standing sheepishly behind him, er... I mean her. " We welcome the men of Talark to Nirvana, a place where hopefully you will learn how to cooperate with women. Now, I need Hibiki Tokai and Duero McFile to come here for a brief meeting with Boss. Thank you and enjoy the banquet."

Nirvana crews applauded enthusiastically at the short speech but only some of the men clapped their hands, those who knew and still respected BC as their commander. Hibiki whispered something into Dita's ear that made the girl blushed slightly before the Vanguard pilot scrambled onto the stage. Duero found BC's order as a perfect excuse to get away from the two Ps (Parfet and Paiway) and obliged right away. They greeted the Boss, or Grandma as Hibiki called her, and were led into a different room.

"Mou, what're they doing in there?" asked Parfet as she took a seat besides Jura, handing the blonde a glass of juice. "Duero was just telling me about the military systems of Talark. Do you know that their radars are more sophisticated than ours and that the weapons..."

"Can't you find someone who care, Parfet?" Jura snapped boredly, her green eyes skimming the floor for Barnette, who had disappeared when BC started her speech earlier. Instead, she found herself staring back into two icy blue orbs. A pair of eyes that did not belong to any of the people that she knew. The contact was only for a second, broken when Barnette skidded to a halt in front of Jura. The blonde blinked. "I was searching for you."

Instead of apologizing, as Jura thought the Dread pilot should, Barnette just grinned and grabbed a turkey sandwich from the nearby table. Biting a huge chunk from it, she stared wildly around and after making sure that everybody were either busy chatting or eating, she leaned towards Jura and said, in a low voice, "Meet me in my room after this."

The blonde narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "What're you up to, Barnette?"

"It's a surprise," she finished the sandwich and added, "Jura like surprises, right?"

The blonde's feature brightened. "Jura love them! Make sure it's a nice surprise, ne?"

"I assure you it is," the brunette nodded happily and for a mysterious reason, she looked kind of wolfish.

"Attention," BC's voice echoed again. He, I mean, *she* directed her gaze at Boss and back to the audience. "We'll start the icebreaking session. Hibiki, Bart and Duero will handle the men. I want Jura, Barnette and Meia to handle the women." When there was no whatsoever response to the order, a throbbing vein appeared on her temple. "Move, NOW!"

Hibiki smirked as he and the doctor ordered the men to the center of that room. Bart was having a hard time slapping away mischievious hands that tried to touch his shining light-bulb head and cursed the laughing men viciously. After covincing them that women would not eat their livers for the thousandth times, Hibiki led them to where Barnette and Meia had gathered the beaming crews. He stole a glance at Dita, who smiled back.

"Hey, long time no see," the raven-haired man cheerfully shook Meia's hand and grinned at Jura and Barnette. "We've got about twenty men here. And I guarantee you there's no ugly and dirty ones." He gave a thumb up at the blonde.

"So, are you and Dita, you know, are thinking 'bout making a baby yet?" Jura asked slyly, nudging at a blushing Hibiki. The man sweatdropped.

"Can't you think of anything else to say?!"

"Jura."

She turned around abruptly when she heard Duero silently called her. The blonde stretched out her hands and to Barnette's dismay, hugged the expressionless doctor. A cute pout adorned her face as she finally let go of the man. "It's always that bald man who called me, you never did call."

"I was busy," said the man in his monotone voice. He pushed Jura slowly away and straightened his white lab coat. "Someone wants to see you."

"Eh?"

A tall man made his way gracefully through the crowd. The first thing Jura noticed about him was his pair of stunning sapphire eyes. The second thing was that he was damned gorgeous. Silver hair fell gently on his shoulder, framing his heart-shaped pale face and made him look almost feminine. Unlike the other men who wore typical Talark soldier uniform, this man was donned in a loose black silk shirt and a pair of slacks of the same color, giving him a distant air of eleganceness. He stopped besides Duero and gave a short bow, his eyes locked at the confused Jura. Barnette and the other girls were petrified, as they certainly was not expecting this.

"Meet Lucifer D'Larua, one of the five Medical Geniuses of Talark," that man held out a hand, took Jura's right hand and kissed it gently, inviting pink patches on the blonde's cheek. Some of the crews giggled while the other just stood staring, open-mouthed. Meia and Hibiki had a hard time restraining Barnette from pouncing on the silver-haired man.

"Er...nice to meet you, Mr. D'Larua," Jura began awkwardly, not being the highly confident woman she used to be.

The man shook his head and smiled, revealing a row of perfect white teeth. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Elden. Please, call me Lucifer. And may I have the honor to tell you that you look extremely ravishing today."

"Uh, thanks, I guess," she looked at Duero for some kind of help. The stoic man arched one visible eyebrow.

"Lucifer, if you don't mind, I want you to meet Boss," the stoic man muttered. "You should check on her heart problem, as I've already told you before."

"Magno Vivan the pirate, huh?" Lucifer looked thoughtful but not for long. His eyes drifted back at Jura. He gave the blonde another bow. "I have to go for now, fair lady. My only wish is that we'll meet again. Farewell."

They watched as the two men strode towards Boss and BC. Barnette had calmed down visibly but was still glaring at a flustered Jura. She gritted her teeth and without a word, stormed out of the room. No one seemed to notice her disappearance because the other crews were crowding around the blonde. No one except Ezra, who held Kahlua close to her chest and had her fingers entwined with Rebecca's. The line of her mouth thinned and a frown formed on her motherly feature.

"Is there something wrong, Ezra?" Kahlua's Homme spoke out. When her mate did not answer, Rebecca slid a finger lovingly across Ezra's cheek. "If you feel uncomfortable because of the noise, we can go back to Paraiso. It'll be quieter there."

"No, I'm okay," Ezra smiled brightly and tore her eyes away from the Exit door. She turned to a girl wearing a teddy bear costume with a hole big enough to show her face. "Celtic-chan, can you please get me some more of these cake? Kahlua-chan's having fun nibbling on it."

TBC

Everybody. Will. Suffer.


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