Title: Operation: Mistletoe
Author: Geekgrrllurking
Feedback address: Geekgrrl.lurking@gmail.com
Date in Calendar: 24 December 2008
Fandom: Bionic Woman
Pairing: Jaime/Ruth
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1910
Summary: A good Berkut operative knows when to use all available resources to save a mission.
Archiving: ShatterStorm Productions and Passion_Perfect, otherwise just ask
Advertisement: Part of the FSAC:DW08

Disclaimer: Bionic Woman and its characters are the property of NBC. No infringement intended.

Author's Note: Written for the FemSlash Advent Calendar: Dead of Winter 2008. It’s my second calendar, Whoot! I’m on a roll! Thanks for letting me play again ladies.

Beta: Thank you as always to Ms_Josephine

Jaime Sommers kept a tight grip on her cell phone as she tugged the collar of her leather jacket a bit higher to keep the chilly December air away from her neck. She turned and tightened the focus parameters of her right eye, zooming in on the hulking brute of a man following her down the alley.

Her eidetic memory drive was helpfully running through her mind several defence tactics at her disposal, highlighting that the best vantage point was from the fire escape to the right while simultaneously analyzing the limited potential weapons available to her in the dingy alley. Ignoring the streaming information, Jaime simply picked up her pace and started walking faster. She had been so sure that she had ditched him two streets ago.

“The incredible bulk is still on your tail.” Nathan’s voice crackled through the phone, steadying her nerves somewhat even if he was merely stating the obvious.

“Thanks Nathan, I had no clue…” Jaime sighed sarcastically and just shook her head. How in the hell had she gotten into this awkward situation in the first place? Oh right, Jonas.

“Y’know I can totally tell when you roll your eyes right?” Nathan sassed back. Jaime could hear several voices in the background, bickering and giving multiple opinions. Great, now she was being handled by committee. Did someone just say shoot him and be done with it? This night was just getting better and better.

“Ruth says to duck into the door on the right.” Nathan finally relayed the message. Ruth was there? Thank God. Jaime didn’t have time to analyze her wave of emotion, the relief and something – other, suddenly rushing through her, she simply trusted the older woman implicitly.

In fact Jaime had been desperately trying to ignore how much she noticed the blonde lately. It was getting harder and harder to deny her not so professional her feelings for the mysterious older agent. Jonas hadn’t been helping either, unwittingly assigning Ruth as her handler on several cases now. They still met weekly for Jaime’s therapy sessions but it was the real friendship that had sprung up between them over several lunches that she truly treasured. She was coming to depend on the woman on so many levels, and if she was honest, she kind of liked it that way.

“What door?” Jaime scanned further down the alley, knowing it had to be there somewhere. Suddenly she picked out a dim shadow to the right. Moving in a blur, she quickly found the door, turned the handle and pushed.

“Nathan, it’s locked.” Looking around quickly to see if there was another door she had missed somewhere, Jaime saw the huge man still lumbering along behind her. She was running out of time and options here.

“Hello, you’re bionic Jaime. Give it a shove and break in.” Nathan was right of course. She hated it when he was right. Sighing, she tried the door one more time just in case but it was to no avail.

“I’ll call you back when I’m inside Nathan.” Jaime flipped her Blackberry closed and slipped it inside her jacket. Jaime heard the big guy shuffling and wheezing his way towards her as her hand tightened around the handle, preparing to break and enter.

“Wait!” The man stumbled over a toppled trash can, buying Jaime valuable seconds as she suddenly felt the door open behind her with a whoosh. A strong hand grabbed her by the collar and pulled her into the dark interior. The heavy door slammed shut and the lock was quickly clicked into place as Jaime spun, grabbing the person behind her and shoving them hard back against the door, pinning the stranger as she prepared to attack whoever this new threat was.

“Jaime, whoa! It’s me, you’re safe!” Ruth Truewell clutched at Jaime’s leather jacket sleeve, the unnatural strength of the girl’s right arm tight against her, their bodies pressed so close together she could feel the girl’s taut stomach muscles moving against her own.

“You’re ok, I’ve got you now…” Ruth kept whispering, trying to calm and soothe with her voice, to diffuse the situation, waiting for the volatile woman to come back to herself, to tame the machine instincts currently on overdrive.

Behind them they heard pounding on the door as their eyes locked and held. Jaime relaxed feeling the adrenalin rush start to fade as Ruth’s words finally sank in and she pulled back slowly, reluctant to let the older woman out of their close proximity, finally setting her loose.

“Follow me, we have a plan.” Ruth rubbed at her throat, more aware than ever of her young charge’s strength and the seductive memory of her body pressed against her own. Grabbing Jaime’s hand, Ruth pulled her from the small delivery alcove into a bustling restaurant kitchen.

“God, what the hell was Jonas thinking?” Jaime grumbled as she dodged a rolling trolley of deserts and pastries. “Surely the man has more pressing things to do other than setting me up with his cousin Richard?”

Ruth smirked remembering the last time Jonas tried his hand at matchmaking. Sarah Corvus had nearly made poor ‘Dick’ wet his pants. He was just lucky that Jae swooped in to rescue him from certain doom. The large man didn’t stand a chance with this bionic woman either if she had anything to say about it.

“I thought I’d lost him when I slipped out the front of the restaurant, but he just kept after me.” Jaime watched Ruth striding just ahead of her, becoming pleasantly distracted with the view as they continued on towards the far end of the kitchen, to the swinging doors the servers kept swarming in and out of.

“Jonas means well. His taste leaves much to be desired mind you. Come on. The Berkut Christmas party is finally in full swing and I think we can hide you in a booth by the buffet table. We were able to secure it from the forensic geeks with only a little intimidation.” Ruth pushed her way past two waiters, still holding Jaime’s hand as they entered the bustling dining area filled with a loud throng of Berkut staff having too much fun.

“It never really gets going anyway until the Black Ops boys have had a few and start singing Jonas Got Run Over by a Reindeer…” Ruth muttered knowing that Jaime would still be able to hear her over the noisy party.

Nathan was nestled in a booth along the far wall, his laptop open and linked remotely via encrypted wi-fi to Berkut HQ and Jaime’s streaming visual feed. Jae Kim sat beside him nursing his drink, glaring menacingly at one or two geeks still milling near their booth, and checking his watch ready to bolt from the party as soon as possible.

Glancing down at their entwined hands, Ruth paused, thoughtful. The girl’s bionic hand was warm, her grip firm and steady and as she watched Jaime shifted, threading their fingers together for an even tighter grasp. Ruth liked having this skittish bright woman at her side.

Jaime meanwhile avoided looking down at their hands and instead severed her link to Berkut, cutting Nathan out. No need to give him more ammo to tease her about. Glancing over the crowd, she saw Dick enter the far side of the dining room, scanning the party looking for her.

“Ruth, he’s back.” Jaime moved behind Ruth slightly to avoid being spotted. True they were currently tucked off to the side, hidden from most of the party revellers, but it was definitely too late now to make a dash to the booth without being spotted. Ruth scoured the area for an escape route and suddenly smiled. It was a perfect solution, as long as Jaime didn’t freak out.

”Jaime.” Ruth stepped closer to the brunette, her hand sliding under the black leather jacket along the silky blouse underneath. “Look up.”

Pulling her eyes away from the hazel ones before her, Jaime looked over her head. Attached to the frame of the doorway they were lurking in were three small sprigs of green with small white berries. Mistletoe.

“Do you trust me?” Ruth stared hard at the young woman, trying to gauge her reaction to the plan. There may be hope after all.

Jaime looked into the hazel eyes, seeing calm confidence. She knew it was now or never. Swallowing hard, she smiled at Ruth, soft and sure, her gaze laced with barely concealed desire.

“Always.” Jaime exhaled her answer, feeling the weight and truth to the word.

Jaime knew what Ruth wanted to do and realized it was a step she very much wanted to take, a step it seemed they both wanted to take. She had felt this building in her for a long time, so it was almost inevitable that they would have come to this point anyway sooner or later.

Hidden in the shadows by the kitchen doors, surrounded by co-workers too busy drinking and laughing to notice them, the room had narrowed to just the two of them. She swallowed hard, self conscious yet excited, glancing down to Ruth’s full lips and waited.

Ruth’s mouth was close, offering up a slight smile, before moving to hover before her. Glancing up into hazel eyes, their eyes met, locked and connected. Jaime watched helpless as Ruth trailed sure fingers along her flushed cheek, into the dark hair before threading through the long strands.

Jaime’s desire to know was too much. Leaning forward, ever so slowly closing the distance between them, she felt the warmth of their breath mingling together before finally tasting Ruth’s sweet lips, pressing, soft at first, gentle and sweet. The fingers in her hair held her steady, as Jaime melted against the older woman, warm and needy.

Jaime’s hands found their way to Ruth’s waist, sliding around the trim form before sliding up and under the dark blazer, the white shirt soft beneath her fingers. Drawing her closer still, she clung to the other woman, holding Ruth right where she wanted her, not wanting the moment to end.

A soft moan from deep in Ruth’s throat reassured her that they were both enjoying the moment. Ruth’s lips parted slightly before stroking her tongue against Jaime’s mouth, a silent request to deepen the kiss, permitted to explore as lips parted and tongues playfully slid together.

Across the room, Jonas Bledsoe smiled. His plan had worked like a charm and it wasn’t even 9 o’clock yet. Matchmaking wasn’t an easy job but someone had to do it. Luckily he had professionals at his disposal.

Pulling a wad of bills from his pocket, he rolled a few off and handed them over to his special agent. “Nice job Richard. I’ve been trying to get the two of them together for months now and you take care of it in under 2 hours.”

“Anytime Jonas.” The large man took his bonus with a small salute and shuffled out of the restaurant, leaving the party in full swing.

Jonas turned back trying to find the women hidden in the shadows. He could just make out Jaime and Ruth pressed together, nuzzling and softly talking, probably planning their escape from the increasingly rowdy party. Tucking his hands into his pockets Jonas wandered over to make sure Nathan deleted the photos he had been taking with his cell phone.

“Happy holidays ladies and here’s to the New Year…”