One Bird, Two Stones

Jocelyn hated the woman. How she answered the phone, how she hung up. How... everything. She shivered at the thought as she walked to the Gym, giving some time to get there before Dinah. When she got to the gym, she got into a pair of tight Lycra workout shorts and a sports bra and decided to put in some work while she waited for Dinah. She also needed to work out what her plan is. She had an idea, but she really didn't like it.

She had taken up a spot in the corner, doing some rope jumping while she waited for Dinah. She didn't even have to turn to know it was the Englishwoman. The brute's obnoxious voice could work as a ship's foghorn.

She let out an exasperated sigh, straightened her face and turned to greet Dina with the most pleasantly forced smile she could think of. "Over here, mate!" She chirped. "Didn't hear ya come in." She said and nodded at her. "She looked at Dinah's outfit and couldn't help but frown. Maybe her plan would have a wrench thrown in it but she shrugged it off. "How are ya doin?" She said, figuring the woman would want nothing with pleasantries. "I thought we could get together a game plan..." She said, throwing it out there. "Though... I was hoping when I said gym you might have brought a change of clothes. I know how strong you are and I thought that maybe... " Jocelyn turned her head. "Some of your talent might rub off on me a bit."

Dinah strode up to Jocelyn until she was an arm's length away. She towered over the little Chinese girl, her broad shoulders and curvy hips and strong arms dwarfed her, and the threat she posed just from being in arm's reach was something she had become accustomed to. She found people were generally much more cooperative if they were at least a little scared of her.

"I'm not here to train you. Where's Sarah?" She said bluntly. Whatever the girl was looking for, she wasn't having any of it. They had an arrangement, and while Dinah had tried to be nice at first, her patience was wearing down with every day she spent outside of England.

Still, Jocelyn was her best hope of getting her hands on her wretched cousin. It couldn't hurt to grease the wheels a little. She sighed, and her eyes drifted over Jocelyn's skinny but athletic body. She reached out and gave her bicep a squeeze.

"Are you interested in adding some meat to these chicken bones?" She asked.

Jocelyn swallowed hard when Dinah approached. Jocelyn knew she couldn't show weakness in front of Dinah. "Sarah ain't here, mate." Jocelyn said quickly. She let her lips twitch up into a smile. "She's a tough nut to crack, you know. Better than me, maybe?" She added.

Her eyes widened slightly as she watched Dinah roughly grab and squeeze her bicep. Jocelyn was toe for sure, but she hardly had the bulging sort of muscles that Dinah had, and probably thought were the best thing to have. Jocelyn, as a martial artist, was someone who preferred fluid motion over strength. She couldn't have bulky muscles weighing he down. But, in the face of such a beast, would any of that even matter? She sucked it up. Dinah seemed to be interested in going for the next step.

"That's right." She said and smiled. "You seem to be the strongest looking bird I've seen so far. And, I have my techniques but... I think it's time I took a different approach when it came to solving problems that required a physical edge. I figure... that it would be best to learn from someone who is the best."

Dinah sneered. Jocelyn was so obviously trying to flatter her, but it was no surprise. Dinah was used to that sort of treatment, especially from people like Jocelyn.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but your problems can't be solved in an hour." She said with a laugh, and gave Jocelyn a little push with one hand. "What problems are you trying to solve anyway, little flower? I can only imagine this is related to Sarah. Most problems are, it seems. She certainly has a way of making everyone's life that much worse."

She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "I'm afraid we do need to get to the part where you produce Sarah, and quickly. I've no intention of making my home here, and I'm not overly fond of hotels. What do you need to give you the confidence to face her?"

Maybe Jocelyn was too intimidated to confront Allison, and that's why she seemed to be dragging her heels. Dinah's patience wouldn't last forever, though.

Jocelyn nodded. "Yeah, I understand. I wasn't looking for a miracle cure or anything like that." She turned her head. Allison problems? Yes, she certainly had those. But her problems went much, much deeper than that. She was an angry young girl caught up in an unhealthy relationship with an unhealthy woman. Where, o where to begin? "Mostly." She said. "I'd be nice to say she was a thorn in my arse."

She could see the irritation in Dinah's words and smiled. "Believe me, I'm tired of waiting too. What do I need?" She asked. "It's something simple and probably something you wouldn't mind doing anyway. I just want a spar. That's all I need. And then, I should have everything I need to get Sarah and bring her to you."

She then turned her head. "But, I gotta question, mate. What're ya gonna do? Just beat her up? I get the feeling you could make bloody chunder outta her and she'd just shrug it off like no big deal."

Dinah looked at Jocelyn like she'd just said the dumbest thing in the world, and then shook her head.

"Well that's rather stupid, isn't it?" She said. "Why on earth would you want that? Of all things. How about if I just give you some money, and you give me Sarah and go away? Wouldn't that make you happier?" She laughed. "I'm not even dressed properly, but I hardly think I'd break a sweat."

Her smile quickly faded when the subject turned back to Allison, and again she was humorless and severe. "Sarah can't shrug me off." She said forcefully.

"It doesn't have to be right this second!" Jocelyn said. "Change... or something." She turned her head and blushed. "I just want a spar. I want you to go hard. I don't want you to hold back. I don't need money." She said as if the thought of someone thinking of her as low class was suddenly an insult. She had tried hard to conceal her status. It wasn't something she wanted to use to get by in the world. She wanted to live her own life free from her father's iron grip. He was a respected military officer and an ambassador. She could live the most comfortable life she wanted and if she had been born a pure blood Chinese girl then whatever this woman THOUGHT she had as far as wealth and privilege, Jocelyn could run circles around it. She probably already could but she didn't want to give this woman any sort of satisfaction.

"I don't see why it's got such a bugger up yer arse." Jocelyn said, trying to dismiss the tense atmosphere. "Get me a proper spar, a real fight and I'll work fast to get you Allison. Though..." Jocelyn said, turning to look at DInah. "She seems to be doin a right proper job of it so far. I seem to have an easier time of getting her attention than you and your stompin about."

Dinah made a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a groan. She looked the little Chinese girl over, as if taking stock of her for the first time. Sarah deserved to have her around. She was every bit as petulant and disrespectful and irritating as Sarah was at that age, though she had none of her finesse.

She rolled her tightly muscled shoulders and stretched her neck. "Yeah, alright." She said. "I'll give you a round, if you last. Just don't go crying like a baby if I happen to knock out a few teeth, yeah?"

She felt the need to respond to Jocelyn's remarks about Sarah giving her the slip and put her in her place, but she stopped herself. She hadn't let on anything about her relationship to that woman yet, and she didn't mean to. It was easier that way. The less Jocelyn knew the better, but she still needed her to cooperate. Regardless, she'd make Jocelyn pay for her comments in a moment.

"What... specifically, do you have in mind?" Dinah asked, looking around and expecting to find boxing gloves and the like somewhere.

Jocelyn turned and motioned to the ring. "If you're ready to go now, then let's go on. I guess if you aren't dressed for it, then think of it as a handicap I'd need just to be able to handle you. I don't expect much from myself. I'll definitely try, but I if you're half as strong as you look, then I'll stand no chance. Jocelyn clenched her teeth. She hated to admit it, she really did, but she was sure she was right. But, shouldn't her wu shu be enough? Shouldn't she have the ability to fell such a large tree with her agility. Even if she did, she might not do it. She was out to prove something to herself.

She slid into the ring and looked at Dinah. "Grapple, punch, kick. I don't care. Pin to a three count and that's it. I guess a submission or knockout is good, just like any match. So, if you're all cut out for it, then it won't take long at all to get this over with, right?" Jocelyn said with a wide smile on her face.

Dinah laughed, and it sounded almost good-natured. "You're either completely out of your mind, or a genuine masochist." She said, and gave Jocelyn a pat on the arm. "You said you're a wrestler, is that right? You want to toughen up for the ring, or for Sarah? I can show you the difference between that pretend fighting for the camera and how it goes in the real world."

She leapt easily up onto the ring apron and ducked through the top and middle ropes. Even for her size, Dinah wasn't over burdened with muscle or excess weight. She was muscular and powerful, but sleek and agile. A combination that had made her rather dangerous in the ring when she boxed in the RAF.

"I'll do my best not to hurt you too badly, I will." She said. "But if it doesn't hurt, you won't learn anything." She began stretching her arms and legs, and pulled up on her shirt to un-tuck it from her slim dress pants. She unbuttoned a couple buttons on her shirt so that she'd have more room to move.

"Tell you what, if you impress me, when we finally meet Sarah I'll give you some free shots at her. How's that sound?" She grinned.