"Old Habits"

Safehouse 1

Bella approached Gray, her stride as steady as her gaze. He glared at
her, not a happy camper.
"Medical. Now." His voice was quiet and ominous. This triggered
Bella's danger responses and she had to suppress a smile. She didn't
stop; she just marched on beyond the two figures. She hadn't even
acknowledged Rebecca's presence.

Medical

She sat on the side of the bed, zoned out while the physician tended
to her shoulder, checked it out, fished the bullet out, and dressed it
properly. Her mind had gone back in time to a time when things were
simpler, sweeter, and naive.

Just outside London – 1989

The road spiralled around the hill, green pastures filled the space
either side of the road. The two young figures at the top of the hill
raced along the dead centre of the largely untravelled street. The
young boy was on an old beaten up bike, the girl on a shiny new one.
It was her third bike to his one, she kept trashing hers. They
laughed as they pushed themselves, each trying to gain on the other,
but as the road curved downhill, the young boy began to go ahead of
her. He looked back after a moment or two and smirked at her, his
words weren't loud but she heard them
"Told ya."
This caused her to frown and poke her tongue out at him. When he
turned back to the road in front of him she began to look around. She
could see the little yellow letterbox that marked their finishing line
on the road below them. The only thing between her and the mailbox
was a field, considered by most too rocky to ride through. Bella
smiled when she noticed a rock formation creating a jump that would
land her just meters away from the finishing line. She slammed her
foot down and twisted her bike to the side. As soon as it was
directed in the right direction she put all her might into peddling
again, rising straight for the formation.
She stood in her seat as she approached the jump and as she took to
the air she closed her eyes, enjoying the freeing sensation she got
from flying. For a few seconds she could was completely free. She
laughed and opened her eyes moment before she was to land; she
straightened her handles, and readied herself for the impact. When it
came she kept the bike steady and immediately got back into her seat,
peddling the last stretch the finishing line.
As soon as she was across the line she jumped of her bike and dumped
it on the ground sitting next to it and smiling sweetly at the boy who
was just coming into side on the road ahead of her. She frowned at
her as he pulled his bike to a stop in front of her. He looked over
at the field and eyed off the jump.
"That's three times your height Bell."
"Yep." She didn't see his point at all.
He looked at her closely and laughed. When he calmed down a little he
scowled at her mockingly. "You could have hurt yourself.' His voice
was mocking, and high pitched as if he was imitating a woman. He had
puffed up his chest and put both hands on his hip, stood over her and
frowned down at her, a twinkle in his eye.
Bella stood and resumed her usual reprimanding position: right hand on
her hip, the other fidgeting, running her thumb across her index
finger nail and studying the action closely. She didn't look like she
was listening and she was suppressing a smile.
"But I didn't."
"That is not the point young lady."
"It was kind of mine."
"Don't you talk back to me. And that bike of yours, I refuse to buy
you another one if you break that one."
Bella nodded, knowing that that was a lie. The woman who had taken on
their guardianship kept promising not to buy her a new bike when she
broke one. But in order to get her out of the house and not breaking
things a new bike was always bought. The whole process took about…two
days.
Bella laughed at the young man, and he broke his own adopted pose to
tackle her to the ground.

The pain in her shoulder bought her back to reality.

"Hey! Watch it." She snapped at the Doc.
The doctor didn't respond negatively just smiled at her.
"You're done here."
"Thanks" Bella stood and left the med bay turning toward the
debriefing area, sighing, and readying herself for a reprimand and a half.

Her left thumb began to trace across her forefinger nail.