Disclaimer:  I do not own Jane, Neil, or the Houston Military Academy.  Or anything else from the FF:TSW universe.  Square owns 'em all.

Author's Note:  Yay, another big romance.  And, since this one is going to have to span about three years, it could be very… ambitious.   If there are any discontinuities with what you know about their pasts, I apologize.  Just pretend this is AU or something, in that case.  I've also taken some liberties with Jane's background.  And, as for the title, it's named after a line in the song I was listening to when this idea came to me and I was planning everything out.  I couldn't think of anything better!  See if you can guess the song and group…  By the way, I won't directly tie this in to "Out of the Ashes" or "Heaven's Fall," not right now, anyway, but it can be considered to be part of that continuity.   Oh, and you'd better all appreciate the effort that went into typing this…  Thanks to my computer, this is the second time I had to type this out!  I was nearly so discouraged I didn't even want to put this fic up.

LIFE'S RIVER SHALL RISE

Chapter One

A Whole New Year…

Year One:  2056-2057

This year was going to be good, Jane Proudfoot thought as she greeted the friends she hadn't seen in two months.  The first year at Houston Military Academy, her brother Louis had told her, was the worst, with the instructors and older cadets pushing the newest ones to their limits, weeding out those too weak in body or spirit to be soldiers.  After that, HMA became easier, in a matter of speaking.

Jane was looking forward to this, her second year.  Although the classes, mixed with thorough military training, promised to be more rigorous, she knew she could do it.  The Proudfoots had a long tradition of military service, and Jane wasn't going to let her family down.

Jane stood at attention in the main hall next to her friends, remembering how, last year, she had been alone and a little frightened as she was scrutinized by the older cadets.  There she'd been, a scrawny eighteen-year-old in a crisp new uniform and a face pale despite her best efforts to seem indifferent.  Being raised in a military household hadn't quite prepared her for this. 

Now her uniforms were comfortable with use, her body filled out with muscle, and her face remained stoic as she scanned the new cadets.

Over a hundred of them, she observed.  A third of them wouldn't last the semester.

All stood attentively as Major Wilkes, the head of the Academy, began his welcoming speech.  He explained that the HMA served both as a training center for future USMF soldiers, and as a university, strengthening both body and mind.

Jane had heard it all before.  She examined the new cadets, relishing her seniority over them.  No longer would she and her fellow year-group be chosen for the most menial tasks!

She turned to her best friend, a woman a year her senior with the unfortunate name of Winnifred – Freddie for short – and smiled faintly.  "So, how many do you think will last?" she murmured as Major Wilkes assigned the new cadets to rooms and senior cadets to assist them.  Because Jane's room was currently full, she knew they wouldn't be getting any first-years, nor would they be assigned to escort any around.

Freddie, who had a talent for picking out who could endure the academy and who would wuss out, murmured, "Well, there are five I can already guess won't last the week.  Her," she pointed, "him, him, that short girl cowering by the tall black girl, and him."  This last was a small, sandy-haired youth who was twitching nervously.  Most of his fellow cadets were giving him wide berth, as if sensing he was doomed.  "He's the littlest guy here," Freddie observed.

Jane met the younger man's eyes, and he gave her a weak smile before tugging at his disarrayed uniform.  Definitely a goner, she thought idly.

The cadets were dismissed, and Jane followed Freddie back to the room they shared with two other girls, where they began to prepare for their first inspection.

*    *    *

Neil Fleming hadn't realized how… big everyone else would be.  He'd been small in school, he knew, but among the military cadets he felt like a gawky teenager who hadn't completely gone through puberty.  He was eighteen, dammit!  Why did he still look like a child?

The other cadets noticed, too.  The third-year who was showing him and three others around kept casting him sympathetic looks and, when he'd stopped to speak with another classmate, Neil was certain he'd heard the first say, "Won't last a week," after a surreptitious glance in his direction.

His older siblings hadn't shown much confidence in him, either.  "Your technical skills can serve you better elsewhere," his brother Robert had said.  "You don't need to join the military."

Neil would show everyone.  He'd become a technician-class Deep Eyes soldier, one of those rare few who had both fighting skills and the knowledge to use almost any kind of hardware or software.  It meant he had a bigger classload than most of the other first-years, with some of the classes being at more advanced levels.  Meaning he'd be with older cadets, and likely the butt of their pranks.

They'd be surprised.  Neil would handle anything they threw at him.  He'd roll with the punches, toss a few of his own, and come out on top.

He would make certain he lasted more than a week at the Houston Military Academy.

*    *    *

"Well, well, if it isn't Cadet Proudfoot," a voice sneered, and Jane stiffened in irritation.  She had her first class of term in ten minutes, and she didn't want to waste time talking to the likes of Cadet Peter Harrison.

Jane slowly turned to face the other student.  "You remembered my name," she responded coolly.  "I'm surprised, considering how few brain cells you have left after you last spoke to me."  Harrison didn't frighten her; he was the sort of bully who used his imposing bulk to frighten younger cadets, but never backed up his threats.  Jane knew she could take him in a fight, and actually had near the middle of her first year.

"The Indian girl," he said.  "How could I forget a stupid name like Proudfoot?"  Harrison glared down his broad nose at her.

So he's not going to let that go…  Jane was one-quarter Native American, on her father's side, and she was proud of it.  When Harrison had ceaselessly tormented her about her heritage the previous year, she had knocked him down, straddled his back, and grabbed his hair, asking if he wanted to be scalped.  Since then, Harrison had been wary about getting too close to her.  His friends refused to take part in tormenting her at all.

"Perhaps you had to write it on your hand, Harrison?" she spat.  Harrison's eyes narrowed.

"That's Cadet Captain Harrison to you," he snarled.  "But I wouldn't expect you to know that.  I'm surprised a dumb savage like you made it to the second year," Harrison continued when she stared at him numbly.  Cadet Captain?  "You're daddy must've had to pull a few strings."

Jane bit back her sharp retort.  Her father was the other subject of Harrison's bullying.  Just because she was the daughter of a general…  A general who's having a hard time staying sober whenever he's home…  No.  She wouldn't think like that.  She wouldn't let Harrison get to her.  This was his fourth and final year.  She could survive him, even if he had somehow made the rank of Cadet Captain.

Ignoring Harrison's taunts, she shoved past him, hurrying to her first class.  It was a technical class; the first she was taking at the Academy.  HMA not only thoroughly trained soldiers, it offered classes for the USMF scientific division as well.  Those students rarely interacted with the cadets, having their own separate wing for barracks.  They ate meals and attended classes at different times, as well.  However, in this age where science played a large role in the battle with the Phantoms, all soldiers had some scientific classes with the others.  Jane wasn't looking forward to it.  She far preferred straightforward combat.  She just wanted a weapon and a target to shoot it at; she didn't care about the actual mechanics.

It was a moot point.  She was stuck with the classes whether she wanted them or not.  She entered the classroom, thankfully with minutes to spare, and slipped into one of the few vacant seats before curiously examining her classmates.

About half of them were second-years, like herself, while the others work the pale uniforms of the scientific students.  The student diagonally to her left, however, was a surprise.  She recognized him as the small first-year Freddie predicted wouldn't last the week.  What was he doing here?

Was he training to be a tech?  Techs were in short supply, due to the difficulty of the double load of being a soldier and having technical expertise.  Techs were often guaranteed a spot in the elite Deep Eyes squads.  Jane suppressed a feeling of envy.  IF he did the impossible and actually completed his training, he'd fulfill Jane's dream of becoming one of the elite.

The cadet seemed to sense her scrutiny and turned to face her.  "Hello," he said, with more cheer than any first year had the right to exhibit.  "I'm Neil Fleming."  He extended his hand.

Jane eyed it uncertainly, and was saved the awkwardness of responding by the arrival of their instructor.  She quickly put the young tech out of her thoughts.

*    *    *

Neil knew he should be concentrating on the class.  After all, it was a challenge few first-years had to sit through.  He did listen with half a mind, enough to realize he knew most of what the teacher was covering.

He was far more interested in the girl who had just come in.  Despite her small stature, there was an inner strength he could sense, and she carried herself with an ease and confidence he envied.  Out of the corner of his eye, he admired her dark eyes, her sharp but attractive features, the dark hair she wore cut to about three inches…  He wished he knew her name.

"Does my class bore you, Cadet?"  the teacher said suddenly, and it took Neil a moment to realize the man was addressing him.

"No, sir," Neil said hastily.  The entire class was looking at him now, and he flushed.  "I was paying attention, sir."

"Oh?"  the teacher, a middle-aged man in a scientific uniform, arched one brow, then said, "Perhaps you'd care to repeat what I just told the class?"

Everyone was leaning forward now, eager to see a first-year screw up on his first day.  Neil smirked.  Not today, he thought, and proceeded to repeat what the teacher had said verbatim.

All the while, he watched the dark-haired girl out of the corner of his eye.  She didn't look impressed, he thought glumly.  She looked… disgusted.  He thought he saw her lips form the words "show off" before she turned away.

So that's how she is…  Perhaps I should try to loosen her up a little…

Neil halted his recitation, noticing the teacher's impressed look.  "Thank you, Cadet…" he trailed off.

"Fleming," Neil supplied.

"Cadet Fleming.  If you understood that as well as you could remember it, then you'll do well in my class."

"Thank you, sir," Neil grinned broadly.

One week.  Hah!  If the rest of my classes are like this, then the Academy'll be a piece of cake!

*    *    *

At five the next morning, Jane slowly came awake.  She was aware of Freddie's cheerful voice rousing their roommates.  It should be a crime to be that lively this early in the morning.  Jane had tried to keep herself trained to awaken at this time over break, but it had been a poor substitute for the frantic scrambling that ensued to put the room in perfect military order as well as ready themselves for the inevitable morning exercises.

"It'll be better this year," Freddie promised both second-years.  Nancy, another third-year, nodded.

"Your bodies will readjust to the rhythm quickly," Nancy said as she precisely folded her bedspread.  "The real fun is watching the first-years do this.  Too bad you guys aren't first-years still," she said wistfully.  "We could use a good laugh."

"Thanks," Lila, their fourth roommate and the other second-year, said sarcastically.

"Once was enough," Jane added.

The girls swiftly readied their rooms, then hurried to the large open area outside the Academy's cluster of buildings.  Despite the early hour, the area was permanently awash in light, from the glow of the barrier overhead.

Jane and her roommates had separated into their year groups and were standing at attention by the time the first-years stumbled drearily out.  Some of them were already in place, thanks to their roommates, while these others had been left to their own devices, like when Freddie and Nancy had left her and Lila.  Surprisingly, the nervous young tech, Fleming or whatever his name was, was among the first kind.  Despite his slightly rumpled uniform, something about his confident stance screamed "military family."  Hmm…  There could be hope for him yet…

She suddenly wondered why she cared.  Why had the idiot tried to get her attention, anyway?

The drill sergeant called them all to order, and they went through the morning exercises.  While Jane enjoyed the vigorous activities, she couldn't wait for the war games the third-years trained in.  But at least this year, they would learn proper equipment management.  Jane couldn't wait to get her hands on a gun.  She'd already proven herself dangerous in the unarmed combat classes, and couldn't wait to see what she could do against a Phantom in real combat when she had a weapon.

She was a little out of breath when the exercises were over, despite her attempts to keep in shape over the break.  But she looked better than most of the first-years, and some seconds, who were keeled over and clutching their sides.

The rest all went to their rooms, changing before going to the mess hall for breakfast.

Jane was just returning to her room when a familiar voice drifted down the hall.  "C'mon!  Move out of the way!  I need to get in!"  It was Neil.

"Why?" a voice challenged.  Jane slipped down the hall, getting closer to the source.  "You think you're so much better than us, just because you're training to be a tech!  Well, I don't like your attitude, Mr. High-and-Mighty."

"What?" Neil sounded genuinely baffled.

"You heard me," the other continued.  "All your stupid books take up the desk space.  All your teachers fawn over you – they always favor techs!  You're such a waste of their time, I don't see why  you're here.  You're too scrawny to be any good at anything, anyway!  Why don't you just leave now, before training kills you?"

Jane watched as Neil bristled.  "I can handle it," he spat.  "Just watch me!"

Neil turned away, ready to go to breakfast without changing if he had to.  He didn't see the other youth come up behind him until he was shoved forward into the wall.  "Shut up, punk!  I'm tired of listening to you – "

"You shut up," Jane said.  She grabbed the tormentor from behind and tossed him to the floor.  Another first-year, she noted absently.  He looked familiar…  "Save it for your training. You're going to need all the strength you can get."  She gave him a savage grin.

"My brother's Cadet Captain," the youth sneered.  "I can do what I want."

"You're brother is Peter Harrison?"  she said with surprise.  Great, just when I thought I'd be rid of one…

"I'm Michael Harrison," he said.  "And I'll be sure he hears about this."

Jane's smile only broadened.  "Tell him Jane Proudfoot says 'hi.'"

Michael Harrison looked confused.  She was supposed to be intimidated by his threats!  He scrambled to his feet, turned, and ran.

"You can get in your room now," Jane said.  "No one appreciates it when you come to the table smelling like sweat."

"I coulda handled him," Neil said, brushing himself off.  "But, er, thanks, Jane.  That is your name, right?"

"We aren't on first name basis," she told him acidly.  "Don't make me regret saving you."

Neil held up his hands placatingly.  "Right, Cadet Proudfoot."

Neil grinned as Jane turned away.   As she did, she thought she heard him murmur, "At least now she knows I exist."

To Be Continued…