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Tweak says, "oh captain, my captain"

Tyra Collette (t_collette) wrote in omega_reality,
@ 2011-11-23 18:56:00

Entry tags:

*complete, 2011 11, character: john connor, dead: tyra collette

RP: Tyra & John
Who: Tyra & John
Where: Team center
When: 23 November 2011 (post-'work')
Summary: Tyra & John talk outside of training.

Tyra was walking through the team center to go home after her afternoon. She'd had fun hanging out with the Major Crime team and she'd found some books in the center that she'd read, wanting to study up as much as she could before Monday. Troy had said the lessons were interesting and that the subject material was composed of things she probably would need to study at some point back in Austin and so she'd decided to get a head start. He hadn't lied, some of the things in there were really interesting and she only wished she could actually be in the classes instead of hanging around for a week. It seemed like a waste of time when she was so keen to get started.

However, it was time to go and get some dinner and she rounded the corner to spot John further down the hall.

"Hey!" She caught up quickly and flashed him a grin. "How was your day? I was going to come into OSP and look around but I wasn't sure if I was allowed or not. Callen seems... Stricter than Derek."

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t_collette
2011-11-23 11:27 pm UTC (link)

"You can say that again," She blew her hair away from her face as they walked. "Honestly, I think tomorrow's gonna suck. I know there's football and that will be awesome and Savannah's making enough food to feed a small army but Thanksgiving is when I go home other than Christmas. I hate to think of not being there."

"I can turn a computer on. That's technologically advanced compared to some people in my town," she teased with a grin. "Add encyrption and bits and I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Brian's your boyfriend, right? What's he like?" she asked, listening to everything he was saying. She found it was easier to warm to people when she knew where they came from. Especially as there was a hotch potch of people and it was all a bit of a mess. "She's nice, isn't she? So was it just you, your dad and your uncle? No brothers or sisters?"

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johnbaum
2011-11-24 12:00 am UTC (link)

"Yeah, can't imagine it's easy. We never made much of a big deal of the holidays. This'll be the first I've actually celebrated in years." John wasn't even really sure what he was supposed to do with Christmas. He didn't really buy presents. But, he wanted to get Brian something. Football and food was easier to grasp.

"Suddenly I'm fourteen again and the only kid in the room who's ever heard of Steve Jobs," he retorted, laughing.

"That's him." He couldn't help smiling a little as he nodded. Of course, then he laughed. "He's an ass to most people. He likes pushing buttons and boundaries. But, he's a good guy if you can get past that. Yeah." He nodded. "She is. I don't think she knows how to not be nice. Nope. No brothers or sisters. It was actually just me and my mom by February. My dad was killed on a mission when I was really little and it wasn't until a few years later that we lived with my uncle. He was killed on a mission as well. About a month before I arrived here. So, yeah, just Mom and I then." And who knew if his mom was still alive by 2011. Even if she was, what were the chances she'd survived cancer and J-Day?

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t_collette
2011-11-24 12:12 am UTC (link)

"There was only me, Mom and Mindy for a few years so it was never a huge deal but we'd get the turkey, watch football, get some drinks in. It was tradition, I guess."

"Steve Jobs- Wait, he was the head of Apple, right?" She paused. "I don't know about this dimension but he just died in ours. Cancer if I remember rightly. I remember reading it in the paper."

"I guess I can try to," Tyra wasn't sure she'd get on with the man if even his boyfriend thought he was an ass but she liked John and Savannah and they both seemed to like him so he couldn't be too bad. Right? "Oh, I'm sorry," She looked at him, concerned. "Wow, I feel awful for asking."

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johnbaum
2011-11-24 06:20 pm UTC (link)

"It sounds nice, quiet. Are you close?" John was trying to remember any Thanksgiving they'd ever celebrated. But, the only memories he had were with foster families while his mom was in the hospital and he'd been ten? eleven? They hadn't really celebrated much in Mexico or Central America.

"Yeah, that's him. Man, that sucks," he said quietly, thinking of his mom.

Chuckling, he shook his head. "He'll try your patience. It's who he is. He's a good guy, just doesn't always sound like it." Smiling, he shook his head again. "No, don't. It's life. It happens, right? In a way, it was good that I wound up here when I did. It gave me a chance to really mourn properly and Brian was there for me when I needed it most. I miss them, but it's good to talk about them, to remember them, too. Here, we are."

Leading the way into the building and to the apartment, he unlocked the door and did a quick visual sweep before motioning her inside. "Let me just grab a spare thumb drive out of our room and then we can settle at the table in the kitchen and let it copy while we talk. Go ahead and have a seat, make yourself comfortable."

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t_collette
2011-11-24 07:19 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, we were," Tyra smiled at John. She didn't necessarily want to think about it but it was nice that people cared enough to ask. "There was only the three of us and mom doesn't act her age that much."

"Yeah, there was a lot of press about it," she said. "And I can deal with people who try my patience so I'll give it a try."

"I'm still sorry though," She put her hand on his arm for a moment. "I've noticed things seem to happen in a strange way around here so maybe it was a good thing you ended up here when you did but if you ever do want to remember or talk about them, I can listen. Offer's there."

Tyra stood back while John did all the relevant security checks, still slightly surprised by how ingrained it seemed in some people. When he said it was fine to walk in, she did. "Sounds good to me," she said, heading towards the kitchen to take a seat. She wasn't entirely sure what a thumb drive was but she guessed it was some kind of memory stick or something similar.

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johnbaum
2011-11-24 09:02 pm UTC (link)

"You still are," he pointed out gently. John didn't believe ties like that severed just because of distance, even trans-dimensional.

Smiling, he nodded. "I might take you up on that sometime. The same goes for you. You need an ear for anything, just holler."

Going into the bedroom long enough to grab a drive, he came back out and set his laptop up on the counter. "So, we were going to talk about the teams and requirements," he said, bringing the system back online and plugging the drive into the computer. "OSP is kind of like the muscle of the operation, I guess. But, we're not assassins. There is training in how to kill, yes, but it's for protection, survival. Out there in the field, sure. And when Major Crimes goes to bring in a suspect, or UnSub, I guess they call it over there, Callen plans to have some of us from OSP go with them. But, most of what they're teaching us is to help us survive in a greater sense.

"Eventually, we'll get to be too many, or they'll catch on to the three pregnancies, and they'll decide a base full of people with super powers from other dimensions are too dangerous to keep around. And by 'they' I mean the government. When that happens, we're all going to have to go on the run or be killed. And, that's what they're training us for really. That's why all the heightened security protocols and general sense of paranoia.

"Major Crimes is investigating the murders, when it's time to bring them in it'll likely be some from both groups that go, judging from how Callen's got us organized." With the computer copying files over for he, John moved about as he talked, fixing them each a couple good-sized sandwiches to get them through training. "It's scary to think about, I know. But, if you go out there, you'll have people to watch your back. They won't send you out on your own. And they'll teach you what you need to know to stay alive."

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t_collette
2011-11-24 09:14 pm UTC (link)

"I know. I'm just- It's not like I'm going back any time soon, right? And I know they did nothing to cover up Tim's disappearance," She shrugged. "I don't know what they'll think. And I don't know if they'll be an 'are' again or whether they'll stay a 'were'," Tyra paused. "Does that make any kind of sense to you?"

Tyra leaned forward when John started to talk and rested her chin on her hands, trying to take everything in. She'd heard some of it before but it was all so fragmented that she was more trying to piece everything together rather than learn everything anew. She hoped that it would be like Alexis said- People would keep telling her and eventually she'd learn.

"Thanks," she said, taking the sandwich. "So OSP doesn't do anything unless Major Crimes asks for back-up? Or do you just train when you're not helping out?"

She paused, not sure what to think. There was all this talk about being ready and running and killing and Tyra didn't want that all. She just wanted to be back at university writing her paper for her English class.

"Alexis told me about the two guys that died. She said that there's a killer on the loose who doesn't even have to touch you to kill you. Doesn't that scare you?" she asked. "And running or being killed... Doesn't seem like much of an option to me. Sorry if I'm being negative, this is just... A lot. Still."

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johnbaum
2011-11-24 11:01 pm UTC (link)

"It makes sense. I just don't think, if you're close, it's something that can be destroyed so easily." Moving to sit down at the table, John set his own plate down but didn't pick up the sandwich to eat just yet. "My mom, she was hospitalized for awhile. It had been just us for as long as I could remember and then she was gone. Three years. I was bounced from foster home to foster home, crashed on friends' couches. When I saw Mom again, it was tough. Three years is a long time, especially at thirteen. But, we found our way back to what we had before. When we get home, however long it takes, you and your family will have that chance, too."

Taking a bit of his sandwich, he let her take a moment to digest what he'd said. "From what Callen has said, we'll go out to back-up Major Crimes and we'll continue to go out when new arrivals come through. At least, the ones close enough for us to reach from here. But, yeah, I think there's going to be a lot more training when we're not out there. They want to make sure we're ready for whatever comes at us."

John put his sandwich back down when she mentioned the others. "Nate and Peter." There was an internal debate with himself about what to tell her. But, he'd figured out a while ago that he needed to go with the middle ground between the original cover story for his life and the one Brian had suggested months ago. He couldn't give details, but he couldn't pretend not to understand some things. "It's okay. Honestly, it's not much of an choice. Does it scare me that there's someone out there who can kill anyone with a look? Yes. It can't not. But, what scares me more is that instead of me, it could be Brian or Parker, Savannah or Sam, Sean, Nell. You, too, partner. That's what keeps me training, knowing that people I care about, friends, family, they're the ones in danger and relying on me."

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t_collette
2011-11-24 11:09 pm UTC (link)

"Me neither but at the moment, thinking about them only makes me want to be at home right now watching crappy TV and thinking about how I want to be back in Austin and not in Dillon," She listened and bit her lip. "That must be have been hard. What was your mom like?"

Tyra nodded. "That makes sense," she agreed. "So by bringing back new arrivals or whatever- Was that like with me? They're knocked out and brought back to base? That was awful waking up like that. I had no idea where I was."

"Yeah. She showed me photos of them and the case file," Tyra explained. John's words made sense but she still wasn't sure if she could do it. One brush with murder was more than enough for a lifetime and they'd only killed him accidentally. "I wouldn't want anybody else hurt, that's true. I'd just... Prefer my own life back. I guess adjusting might take longer than I think, huh?"

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johnbaum
2011-11-25 12:32 am UTC (link)

Nodding his understanding, John picked at his sandwich a bit while he thought of his mom. "She was...frustrating, demanding, over protective, and the strongest person I've ever known. Life threw her the mother of all curve balls and she stood up, fought back, and told life where it could stick it if it thought to get the better of her. And she did it on her own after my dad was killed. There's really not many like her."

If he focused on the sandwich, chewing, swallowing, he didn't have to think about whether or not she was still alive.

"Something like that," he confirmed. "Local SWAT does it when the location's as far as you were. It does suck. If there was another way to do it, I think we would. Less chance someone gets hurt this way, though."

There were so many names on the list of people he'd liked or loved and lost. John wondered if this kind of numbness the thought of Nate and Peter brought was part of what Sam had been talking about the other night. He smiled softly. "Yeah, it does. Even when you think you're good with it, something happens eventually down the line that just smacks you in the head and you really get the reality of all this."

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t_collette
2011-11-25 12:47 am UTC (link)

Tyra heard John talk about his mom and it seemed like she was a remarkable woman. She also wondered if there was hidden depths to John; there had to be with such a strong character bringing him up, right?

"Sounds pretty kick-ass to me," she said with a small smile. "You sound incredibly proud of her, that's really just... Great," she said simply. "You can tell you're close even if you had those hard years."

"I'll watch out for the smack in the head then," she said. Tyra started eating her sandwich and ate a little quicker when she realized how good it was. "You do make a good sandwich. Thank you for making me one."

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johnbaum
2011-11-25 01:35 am UTC (link)

"She was very kick-ass." John smiled softly once more then shook his head, clearing away the ghosts. "She was my rock and she gave up a lot to make sure I got the life she wanted for me." And he hadn't appreciated it until he'd lost her.

"You do that," he said with a chuckle. "And if you need help standing again after, come on over." Grinning, he finished off his own sandwich. "You're welcome. Looks like those notes are almost copied. Should be pretty extensive. We had a twenty week course back then, so there was time for more discussion and practice. When it finishes copying, we'll set a password so you can open it on your laptop."

John glanced at the clock on the computer screen. "We've still got some time before training if there's anything else you had questions about?"

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t_collette
2011-11-25 01:50 am UTC (link)

"I can get that. You're lucky to get somebody who cares so much," she said. "I don't know because I'm not her but she probably wouldn't have seen it as giving up something to give you the right life. That's what makes them unbelievable parents, right?"

"Twenty week course? That's... Long. It's seven weeks now, right? They must have condensed it a lot," she decided. "That sounds great. I can deal with password but much more than that and I'm handing it back to you," she teased. "I do appreciate this. Thanks John."

"I probably do, I just need to write down everything in my head first. Oh- Alexis talked about going out to do Christmas shopping on Saturday with Savannah but before that she'd mentioned exit strategies and all those kind of things. I take it you can't go off base without a few people- Sorry, agents, right? At least that's what it seemed like," she said, talking away without realizing how much she was going on.

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johnbaum
2011-11-25 08:36 pm UTC (link)

"I was very lucky," he agreed with a grin. She couldn't know how lucky he'd really been. If he'd had anyone but Sarah Connor for a mother or Kyle Reese for a father, Derek Reese for an uncle. Charlie, Riley... So many people had given up their lives for John Connor. "Yeah, I think that's about right."

John nodded. "Yeah, it was. But, it was the first group and they had the time. They shortened it when it started to become necessary to have agents out there sooner. It's more independent book work now, homework and supplemental reading, I think. But, they also added extra training with the advanced training Sam does. So, it gets balanced out with more practical time, I think." Laughing, he rested his chin on his hand. "Lucky thing I can encrypt it and program it so all you need is that password, then, huh?" He winked at her before shaking his head. "Don't mention it. Happy to help. I remember what it was like coming in two weeks behind everyone and working my ass off to catch up."

Chuckling, he got up to start cleaning up his plate. his appetite and ability to polish off two sandwiches in a matter of bites was one way in which he was definitely a normal eighteen year old. "No worries. There's no expiration date on the offer to answer them. But, yeah, going offbase comes with restrictions. While you're training to certify, you can't go anywhere without someone who's already certified. Once you're certified, just make sure you've got someone with you as back-up. Group outings take more planning, making sure everyone's safe, that if anything happens we can all get out fast. Exit strategies, watching for tails, things like the checks I did when we got here." John huffed softly. "A casual night out with friends doesn't really exist here unless it's the theme nights at the club or just time spent in our apartments."

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