Disclaimer: I do not own Janice or Mel, Xena or Gabrielle the whole verse is owned by someone who has some much money that they feel no need to make a Xena movie and that is very sad. Anyway in short form I own nothing.
Subtext: Its a Xena fanfic... for me it can't be a Xena fic without some good old fashioned women loving women.
Violence: Janice does tend to pick people up a lot... and threaten them but other than that.. surprisingly enough she doesn't hurt anyone enough to go to jail.
Accent: I'm not American... I'm Australian so I don't actually know how to write a Yankee or Southerner accent, I tried but please use your imaginations.
Final note enjoy my first attempt at Xena fanficition...
DEBRIEFING THE RULES
“Doctor Janice Covington Ah will not be treated like a child, ya hear me?” yelled Melinda Pappas as the good doctor in question stood at the entrance to their tent.
Janice sighed, shaking her head in an attempt to move the red-blond tresses of hair out of her eyes. They had been having this same argument for over an hour and Janice was beginning to suspect that her natural Yankee stubbornness was rivaled in Melinda’s Southern upbringing and this was the cause of their round about argument.
“Mel... just stay here till I get back... the new men need to be briefed and you're a distraction,” said Janice exasperated as the Southerner once again scowled at her shorter partner.
Over the last six months since the discovery and shortly there after the loss of the Xena Scrolls, Doctor Janice Covington and her newly acquired partner Miss Melinda Pappas had been all over Greece avoiding Nazis and attempting to track down the most illusive brush salesman in all of New Jersey.
Since their fight with Ares God of War, Janice had seen Mel in a completely new light. Not that Janice did not have an appreciation for Melinda’s stunning body before; Janice was not blind to beauty after all. However watching Mel fight the God of War, regardless of the fact that Xena inhabited her body at the time, had been so dare Janice admit it arousing. The power and passion Xena displayed shone through Mel’s face and since then Mel had proved herself to be anything but the “spoiled Southern brat” Janice had originally pegged her as.
Now for instance was one of those times when Mel’s Southern upbringing was overshadowed by her dark ancestor’s prowess and if Janice would ever actually admit it, this side of Mel was both arousing and somewhat frightening.
“Distraction!” yelled Mel standing abruptly from the bed to come toe to toe with her partner, as such the action caused Janice to be face to face with Mel’s well-endowed chest and if she had been any other woman than Doctor Janice Covington, she probably would have fainted.
“Ah won’t say anything Ah’ll sit quietly.... like a good little child” Mel carried on sarcastically oblivious to Janice’s internal struggle to stay on her feet. Janice Covington was simply infuriating and Mel wondered if her anger was not at the situation but rather anger that Janice still saw her as a southern brat.
“Mel you are anything but a child,” Janice’s voice was horse and she only just managed to tear her eyes away from Mel’s chest before the taller woman looked down. There was something in those stunning blue eyes that Janice had not seen before but she shook her head quickly, breaking the contact.
“And that is why you can’t come to the meeting….” Janice said quickly taking a step back. Mel’s smile from Janice’s compliment dropped just as quickly as it had come.
“But why Ah….”
Janice cut her off with a look of pure frustration.
“You’re too fucking gorgeous, ok?” yelled Janice turning on the Southern belle.
Mel was shocked not only had Janice yelled at her, complimented her beauty but had also sworn at her, all in the same sentence and it was simply too much for Mel to take in at once. She simply had to sit down as her Southern breeding came into play.
“Oh My” she breathed sitting on the bed whilst Janice just stared, not believing what she had just said. Janice quickly crossed the tent kneeing in front of Mel trying to see if the taller woman was actually still breathing.
“I’m sorry Mel… It’s just you distract the men…” ‘And me’ she didn’t add, Janice’s voice took on soothing tones as she tried to comfort Mel.
“So please just stay in the tent…. Please for me” Janice was actually close to begging now and Mel looked down into pleading green eyes, not trusting her voice she simply nodded.
‘For ya anything, Janice’ Mel thought, as she continued to nod.
“There’s a good….” Janice caught the glare and stopped before she said anything stupid that would potential set the whole argument aflame again.
“I mean… thank you, Mel” Janice stood, dusting off her knees.
“I’ll send in TJ, just so you’re not alone, Ok?” asked Janice.
Mel smiled, her only friend besides Janice, on this particular dig site was a friendly young Greek man that everyone called TJ as his actual name was too hard for the Americans to pronounce in English, they found it easier to call him TJ, so everyone did.
He was one of the few men around the site that Janice trusted enough to be alone with Mel, he was too mild mannered and polite to try anything, not to mention previously spoken for, unlike the rest of the men.
“But shouldn’t he be with the rest of the men?” asked Mel, confused as to why TJ was not needed for this meeting, he was just as hard working as the other diggers. It seemed unfair to exclude him just because Mel needed company. Not that Mel suspected TJ would mind of course but she liked her friend too much to risk his job.
Janice turned back from the entrance that she had made her way to and smiled displaying very clearly that she knew something that Mel didn’t.
“Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. He’s already been briefed.” She laughed at Mel’s confused expression and left.
Mel was puzzled for a few minutes until TJ knocked on the outside post Mel bid him in.
“How many times do Ah have to tell ya, TJ. Just walk in.”
Mel bid him to sit with her at the table and TJ smiled taking the offered seat.
“Well, Miss Pappas… Doctor….” He stopped himself before he revealed too much.
“What? What’d ya say TJ?” asked Mel getting some tea for them both.
“Ah nothin’ Miss Pappas, thinking out loud” his hand massaged his neck subconsciously, Doctor Covington’s warning still fresh in his mind.
He had no idea what treatment was in for the rest of he camp but was just glad he was trusted enough to be Miss Pappas’ company when Doctor Covington was busy. It was a great honor and as TJ caught a peek of Mel’s thigh as she sat, also a very challenging one.
If it wasn’t for his sweetheart back home he would have been flirting with Miss Pappas a long time ago but both his love and fear of his betrothed stopped him. It was because of his arranged marriage that Miss Pappas originally struck up a conversation with him, as he had defended his love in front of some of the men and Miss Pappas had later congratulated him.
TJ smiled at the memory, it was then that Miss Pappas had revealed her attraction to Doctor Covington and TJ had been so tempted to vent what was actually spoken at the meetings that Mel didn’t attend, but again his life was worth living, and betrayal of Doctor Covington almost certainly granted a short life.
“Oh you should have seen her today, TJ. She’s just so… so…”
“Scary” muttered TJ under his breath as Mel sipped her tea trying to think of the right words to describe the blond.
“Well Ah don’t know TJ…. Ah just know she thinks of me as nothing more than a child… Ah just wish Ah knew what she said at those secret meetings of her’s.” Mel gazed expectantly at TJ, who almost choked on his tea.
“Oh no, no, no… Miss Pappas” TJ tried but the look Mel gave him battering those baby blue eyes pouting with her hands under her chin, TJ knew he was a goner.
“But Miss Pappas… Doctor Covington specifically told me to keep you safe and….” He tried desperately, but Mel was already on her feet racing about the small tent.
“So keep me safe by helping me.”
“But Miss Pappas…”
“No buts TJ…. Either ya help me do this and Ah have a chance at survival and so do you… or Ah do this without ya and we both go down… your choice.” Mel finished staring back at TJ with cold calculating eyes.
TJ sighed resting his head on the table between his hands, cursing in his native tongue. Mel looked triumphant.
“Ah knew ya’d agree TJ.” She smiled picking her supplies patting him on the back as she passed TJ just continued to curse the gods that caused him to ever got wrapped into digging in the first place.
Janice Covington surveyed the men assembled before her by the camp fire, there where about twenty of them in total, at least half where new. She would have liked a bigger bunch but the university had not agreed to sponsor a larger dig after the last one was blown up. It was only Mel’s quick wit and charm, not to mention her money that had secured them the dig site in the first place.
Not that any of these men knew that their pay cheques where signed by Miss Pappas, they responded as Janice knew they would to the very natural state of packs, and as Janice had with the last two groups of workers, she would be sure to set herself as the alpha male. Regardless of the fact that she was all woman the men responded well to the idea that Janice was the boss, and you didn’t touch the boss’ shit, which happened to include one tall raven-haired Southerner.
“Good evening gentleman!” yelled Janice quieting the rumble of voices as those that where new where quickly warned by the older veterans of the dig site.
“We have a few new faces and as such you are all to be debriefed over the rules of this dig site. If you don’t like or won’t follow the rules please leave now.” Janice waited a few minutes as no man moved to leave, she did however notice out of the corner of her eyes as two new diggers quietly joined the group.
‘No time like the present to set an example’, Janice thought with a feral grin.
“Excuse me… Yes you!” she yelled pointing to the two that had just joined the group.
The new diggers stood up uncertainly, their cloaks covering their faces from view in the firelight. They looked between each other obviously frightened. Janice sensed the fear waving them to sit down again.
“Try not to be late again” she said, the group sitting before her murmured.
“You get chances!” she yelled silencing them once again.
“With most things you will be given a couple of chances, people make mistakes, they fall over… things get broken. You over sleep... once. Understand me?” every man nodded.
“But there is one thing… One thing that will not be forgiven… You will have no second chances…”
Every man held their breath as Janice looked each one of them in the eyes, TJ was quivering under his cloak, praying Miss Pappas would be quiet when Doctor Covington finished, his life depended on it.
“Miss Melinda Pappas…” Janice started, but the whooping and appreciative wolf whistles from the crowd stopped her, she let the new bees have their fun for a brief period of time the older diggers watched knowing what was coming.
Melinda watched on fascinated and a little frightened as the men all hollered about her body, her legs and more than a few commented about her behind. She was in complete shock, not one of the men had said anything towards her on any dig and yet here they where saying in explicit detail what they would do with her in their cot. Mel listened as one near Janice started boasting about how he would take Miss “I-have-the-perfect-upbringing” Pappas.
“I'd bring her down to roll in the dirt like the....” his boasting was silenced as Janice pulled him up roughly by his shirt collar, silencing all the other diggers immediately.
“What’s you’re name?” she asked roughly.
The man in shock simply nodded his head. Janice shook him till he responded.
“Ro… Rogers, sir… ma’m” he whimpered.
“Well Rogers… and this goes for the rest of you… Miss Pappas is never to be addressed as anything other than Miss Pappas, you will treat her with respect that you would and should show your mother, you will not touch, ogle or even try to get Miss Pappas alone.” She looked into every eye before settling furious green orbs back on Rogers.
“And if heaven forbid you decide these rules don’t apply to you… I will have you removed from the dig immediately…” Janice spoke with deadly calm as she leaned in further to Rogers' sweating face.
“That is provided you live that long” the threat lingered in the air as every face watched Janice drop Rogers to the ground with a painful thud.
“Ok, well now boys what do you know about digging?” asked Janice in a cheery tone as she dusted her hands.
Everyone watched her slowly seeing if this was a joke, eventually the men decided it was safe enough and the discussion changed to a pleasant one on the topic of archeology. Melinda sat rooted to her seat; she couldn’t believe this was happening. No man except TJ talked to her because Janice had pretty much threatened his life. She had a fair reasoning as to why Janice would go to these extremities but she had to know. She had to hear Janice say it.
TJ shook Miss Pappas’ arm trying to shake her from her daydream, they’d heard what Mel had wanted to and now he really wanted to go before their cover was blown, but before he could stop her. Mel raised her hand.
Janice looked over the hooded figure with his hand raised; she raised a blond brow suspiciously and nodded for the man to speak.
“Well Ah….” Mel gulped trying to silence her accent and replace it with a gruff male voice.
“What claim you got to this woman!” yelled Mel more harshly than she had intended.
“Excuse me?” asked Janice starting towards the man, who surprising everyone stood to meet her.
“Who the hell do you think you are… telling us we can’t have a taste, I mean she’s got one fantastic behind… just cause you aren’t getting any!” yelled Mel, six months of repressed feelings and unsatisfied nights, next to the object of her affections, coming through in her anger. She looked around at the men at her feet.
“Am I right or what?” she yelled rallying the men.
Janice watched on as the men started timidly at first but grew in appreciation for this hooded digger who stood up to the Doctor Janice Covington.
“You can’t have her because I LOVE her!” yelled Janice without thought, silencing everyone.
The silence was deafening as the men took in this new revelation.
“Everyone out!” yelled Janice.
The men looked uncertain for a minute.
“GET OUT!” yelled Janice and the men quickly scurried to their respected tents.
Mel helped TJ to his feet and started toward the tent when a deadly calm voice stopped her.
“You stay” Janice seethed.
Mel turned back gulping as she took in Janice’s fury, she had certainly pushed the rights buttons.
TJ stopped also, sensing the danger that Miss Pappas was in, Doctor Covington had told him to protect her at any costs, did that include disobeying Doctor Covington.
“You get out” Janice continued pointing to TJ, he didn’t move though he shook with fear.
“Fine stay …watch me explain how things in my camp work to your friend here.” Janice grinned with absolutely no humor or kindness and Mel actually shivered.
“No” TJ found his voice was smaller than usual when he dealt with Doctor Covington.
TJ stepped between Doctor Covington and Miss Pappas, he turned to the Southerner bowing his head in silent wish for forgiveness, and then he turned back to Doctor Covington removing his hood as he turned.
“I am sorry, Doctor” he bowed his head as green eyes widened in surprise.
“TJ.. what?” Janice couldn’t understand why TJ would support someone that was so against the rules and Mel’s safety.
The blond grabbed him in a strong yet gentle grip by one shoulder.
“I trusted you!” She yelled making him jump back.
TJ hung his head trying to stop the tears from running down his cheeks, he knew he’d lose his job for sure but at least Miss Pappas would be safe.
“Janice let him go” Mel spoke in her Southern accent.
Janice turned at the voice she could never forget.
“Mel?” she asked weakly.
“Yes, Janice…. Ah made TJ sneak me in”, said Mel removing the hood.
Green eyes boar into blue as they regarded each other, Janice released TJ without another word, stomping past them both to the tent, every step showing her anger.
Mel immediately hugged TJ.
“TJ Ah am so so sorry… Ah….” Mel started but TJ put a hand on her shoulder pushing her from him gently so he could regard her face.
“Tell her Miss Pappas” he spoke with no stutter and she smiled at him.
“Call me Mel… Ya earned it.” She smiled and TJ blushed before shooing her off to her tent.
Melinda Pappas had done some scary things in the last six months not to mention the battle against Ares God of War, but none of them had felt near as scary as this and nothing in her life had ever felt this right either. She all but sprinted to the entrance to the tent, tapping on the post she waited for a reply when none was forthcoming she stepped into the dark tent.
“Janice?”
No response.
“Janice, I’m really sorry I didn’t mean to push you so hard… but I’m glad I did… I mean it was good to know that…. That you feel the same way I do.” She spoke quietly a part of her praying Janice was asleep and the other part hoping the blond was listening.
Mel’s ears picked up a faint sniffling and Mel’s heart skipped a beat as a light by Janice’s cot grew as the blond lite the lamp. Mel looked on with complete lust as Janice smiled back at her from beneath the blanket, not one stitch of clothing on her beautiful body.
“Well Mel… You want to talk all night about this love or act on it?” asked Janice in a seductive whisper her cocky grin back in place.
Mel didn’t respond just pulled her cloak over her head, she had never undressed so quickly in her life and as she slipped into the oh so inviting cot with one very warm Doctor, Mel suspected she would be undressing a lot quicker from now on.
Janice’s arms where around her waist in an instant, guiding her down onto the cot, Mel lay down on her side staring into Janice’s eyes as they never left hers. Their lips met tentatively at first, but surprising Janice, Mel soon turned the innocent kisses to passionate long exchanges as she pushed Janice onto her back sitting to straddle the blond.
“Did I mention I love you?” asked Janice, followed by a lengthy moan as Mel kissed her neck, sucking on her pulse point with such passion that Janice suspected it to be outlawed in good old South Carolina.
“Mmm… I picked up on that when you almost gutted me,” giggled Mel kissing down Janice’s neck.
“But you know right? That I love you?” asked Janice as she stopped Mel’s exploring hand at her inner thigh.
Janice’s insecurities shone through at this moment and Mel would have noticed it was the first time she had ever seen Janice truly scared, but she was too preoccupied trying to quell Janice’s fears.
Janice’s lips where seized with passion that not for the first time that night she would wonder where Mel had gotten so good at the art of seduction, then decide that she really didn't want to know as long as it didn't stop.
“I love you too….” Mel’s words where cut off by more kisses as Janice’s tongue joined the exploration of Mel’s mouth.
“I love you so much, so much Mel.” Janice finished by flipping Mel with unmatched strength to lye atop the raven-haired beauty.
Mel moaned as Janice left her own searing kisses across the Southerner’s flesh.
“Keep loving me, Janice… Don’t stop” Mel husked.
Janice’s hand left the raven hair and went on it’s own exploration of flesh, finding its goal between Mel’s legs as the Southerner’s hips rose to met the eager hand.
“I have no intention of ever stopping… Mel”
Mel had never heard her name sound so seductive before that it took all her will power not to simple come at Janice’s sweet words. They moved together in unison as Mel moved her hand down Janice’s body to feel every sweet inch of the archaeologist.
They melted into each other in the throws of passion and no one in the whole camp would forget the first night Mel and Janice consummated their love or the following nights. The rules didn’t change except for one such newly added rule, which Rogers was the first and last to break.
He’d just awoken from the most restless night as was usual for the man who’s tent was right next to the new lovers and he had stumbled down to the lake to take a cold bath to simply cool off before breakfast. But the sight that met him did anything but cool him off.
In the middle of the lake with her back to him was a goddess he was certain. Her womanly curves accentuated in the early morning light, her red-blond hair hanging down her back making her appear taller, he had gone in for a closer look when a noise behind him made him turn suddenly.
“New rule Rogers,” bellowed a voice, which sounded awfully like the hooded digger from the couple of nights before.
“No one stares, touches or thinks about my woman in an…. inappropriate manner” Mel spoke with her accent but did not lose the unwavering strength that her ancestor had displayed. She watched as Roger’s looked down at his trousers, he looked suitably embarrassed that Mel tried very hard not to laugh.
“My apologies Miss Pappas” he bowed slightly and ran off towards the camp.
“Your woman huh?” asked Janice from the middle of the lake only her head out of the water as she grinned mischievously up at Mel.
Mel took off her shirt with complete ease and seduction that Janice gulped. The shirt was shortly followed by Mel’s trousers on the bank by the lake. Taking her time with her undergarments knowing Janice’s eyes never left her body.
“Well if ya don’t wanna….” Mel left the comment hang as she slowly eased into the water swimming out to meet Janice.
“No no I want… to be yours” Janice looked down and Mel grinned.
“Of course. Just like Ah’m yours”, Mel spoke sensually throwing her arms around the archaeologist, as she brought them together for a searing kiss.
Janice laughed breaking the kiss.
“You know I knew it was you under that cloak.” Mel pulled back at Janice’s words.
“How?”
“Behind” mimicked Janice laughing again as Mel swatted her arm.
“No digger says behind... ass, butt, bottom maybe but behind… that’s very very Southern” Janice closed the distance between them again kissing Mel with passion.
“Well ya Yankees and your damn rules” said Mel with a giggle to show she was only teasing. Janice just smiled a true smile one born of love and desire.
“Damn I love you and my Yankee rules”, responded Janice, kissing back with equal passion.
“Ah love ya too Janice” mumbled Mel as they once again explored each other.
The End