Dark Hands Washed
Author's note: I know this has been done before and my titles are all really lame but I hope you enjoy! Also, like many fanfictions, this is pretty AU. It takes place sometime in season two, somewhere…
R&R if you don't mind
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Rat amongst Men
Valmont glared down at the street from his building that over looked menacingly. His back was turned to the young girl that sat on his desk. Yes, they shared a few similar characteristic…high forehead, a slight sallow face, a cold stare and both were British, but that is were the similarities ended, well, at the skin deep any way.
He raised his eyebrows before turning around to look at this girl. She had cocky arrogant teal eyes that looked up at the ceiling, avoid Valmont's gaze. Her soft pale skin was slightly blushed from embarrassment, face in a pout.
"So…" Valmont began, breaking the dead silence in the room. The girl gulped, pretending the ceiling was much more interesting than him.
"My dear cousins think I have nothing better to do than babysitting a spoiled brat?" He snapped at her, like a venomous snake.
"Of course, they just scheduled parental death to upset your schedule." The girl retorted, finally looking down at the man in front of her.
"Don't get smart with me!" Valmont roared; the girl flinched slightly, slumping like a hurt animal.
The hurt in her eyes meant Valmont, who cleared his throat. That hurt turned quickly to hatred as she gripped her hand into a fist.
"Well, I'll just be sending you to that charming little public school." He continued, in a calmer voice (although as sarcastic as usual).
The girl made a noise of mirth.
"You start tomorrow…" He turned from her and walked through the doors, not before saying, "You've made your bed Emma, now you must sleep in it."
The next day at that stinky little public school she was forced to attend.
Emma stood outside the building, reflecting on that morning. Her dear cousin had locked that large office where she had left her suitcase full of clothes and things. No one seemed to be up or about the morning, so Emma was forced to find clothes for her self; wearing the something twice, what an awful thought!
So, she stood there, in a lime green suit four sizes to big for her. Emma had to roll up the four times and use two belts, which she conveniently found as well. She didn't understand why the office was locked and not his bedroom.
The red fluffy shirt she wore fluffed in the breeze as a girl walked next to here.
"Hey, you're going to be late for school." The girl said, adding a friendly punch to her arm.
Emma literally jolted from her though and looked down at the inflictor of the punch.
"Oh, right. There are starting times at these public mandatory places." She said, in her dry sarcastic sounding voice.
"You must be new here, I'm Jade!" The girl sound enthusiastically.
"Um, hello Jade, I'm Emma" She brushed her golden blond hair from her face and held out a hand to the younger girl.
Jade took Emma's hand, shaking it under the rolls of the green fabric. Emma let go of her hand quickly, Jade narrowed her eyes as she saw her wipe her hand off.
"Come on, I'll show you around." Jade hiked her book bag up and lead the way into the building. "Aren't you, like, suppose to be in high school though?"
Emma's face twitched, she hated improper grammar so. "I just happen to have hit puberty earlier than most." She followed, her footsteps silent in comparison to Jade's. "I'm only eleven."
"No way?!" Jade made a confused face as they walked through the halls. "Well, here's my room." She grinned at her jovial at Emma and disappeared into her classroom.
"Great. I hope all American are as…useful…as that one." She hissed though clenched teeth as the late bell rang.
Later that day during recess.
Emma looked left and right. The coast was completely clear, she thought. She curled up her hands into a coughing fist. Although she didn't cough, however, but burped quietly as one could into her hand.
"Hey!"
Emma jumped, nearly swallowing her tongue.
"I see you got to class all right." Jade continued, behind her other kids from Jade's class. A black boy with glasses was the first of the group to talk next.
"Jade said you're from another country." He said, in a voice that dared her to challenge.
Emma simply nodded, either regurgitating her tongue or being stolid.
The bespectacled boy narrowed his eyes, "You don't look foreign, where're you from?"
"I am from the U.K or whatever you whatever you little heathens call it." Emma simpered.
"You should so totally play with us in kick ball." Jade grabbed her pant leg suddenly, and tugged like a small dog thing would. "With your long legs, we're sure to win!" Just as sudden as she let touched her pants, she let go.
"What?" Emma asked, looking in suspicion at Jade's curious face.
"You look familiar." She said finally. "Where'd you get those clothes?"
"Who cares?" The boy replied for Emma, starting to walk away. "Come on, the games going to start!" The group walked away, making fun of Jade in their laughter.
"Your friends aren't very nice." Emma said her voice silky smooth.
"Eeen (Whatever that noise is), who needs them?" She shrugged, and sat on the ground besides her. "I just won't show up, see how they'll win without their star kicker."
Emma looked down at her, slowly; she sat down on the ground next to her.
The two sat in silence. This silence was only broken by Jade's fake coughs.
"Well, Emma, tell me about yourself." She said in all the false cheerfulness she could muster.
Emma stared at Jade before replying, "I'm the daughter of the wealth meat company owner." She looked up at the fluffy clouds as they past by. "Is it really my fault…what I did, what had happened…I really don't remember. I don't like it here, Jade."
"Oh, come on. I came from Hong Kong, but I liked this place instantly." Jade folded her arms. "What did you do?"
"Not here….I'd rather not talk about it."
"Hmm, how about at my house?" Jade stood up, once again, as the bell for the classes to begin to ring.
"Your house, what?" Emma cringed, realizing they were speaking in poorly written dramatic prose.
"My house! You'll tell me there, because I'm inviting you to my house." Jade ran off with her group of friends that were down in the spirits since they lost their kick ball game.
Emma stood up and glared after her. Why were Americans always in such a hurry?
Later that day, after school, on the sidewalk
Emma looked hopelessly out at the city. Jade walked up besides her. She noticed Emma's pained face. With out warning, Emma collapsed into a fetal position, hyperventilating.
Jade took two steps back, "What's wrong?" She gingerly patted the panicking girl's back.
Emma's replies were sharp whines about being lost already.
"Oh, it that all?" She laughed, pulling on the arm of her new friend. "You're coming to my house so that doesn't even matter!"
Ah, another time skip, I'm so fond of them…
The two stood in front of Jade's Uncle's shop of antiques.
"This place…" Emma began, her eyebrows creased, eyes wide. "This place is beautiful!" She finished in a squeak, not even waiting to be let in.
"Wait for me!" Jade called, running in after her. She threw her book bag, shoes and jacket on the floor. "Uncle, Jackie, I'm home!"
"Aaaiiii-eee, we can see that!" Her said Uncle appeared from the backroom. "Who is this?!"
Emma looked up; she was shaking with rapture, her pale hands gripping a Maya Calendar.
"This is Emma." Jade replied, getting between her and her (Great) Uncle. "She's new to America."
"Yes, sir, is this store yours?" She asked in awe, her impassionate eyes were actually lit up with emotions.
Uncle adjusted his glasses, leaning over Jade to get a better look. "Does Emma have a last name?"
Emma's face flushed, it was like he was seeing right through her, what was he seeing?
"Y-yes sir," She flustered, "Its Cilona (pronounced See-lon-a), Emma Cilona, sir."
"Hmm, no more sir, call me Uncle." He pushed his glasses back, "And stop touching things." Uncle pulled out a duster from behind a woden deck Emma's pale face turned even redder, she put back the wooden wonder.
Jade whispered loudly behind her hand to Emma, "That means likes you, I think." Emma was about to retort something sarcastic when a man walked out from the back room, holding dusty looking scrolls.
"Oh, hello." The man we know as Jackie put down the scrolls on the counter, with out looking at the two girls. "I'm so glad Jade brought a friend over."
"Hey, I bring tons of friends over!" Jade snapped defensively.
"Demons and cats don't count." Jackie said with laughter in his voice, looking up from the scrolls finally.
"Oh my!" Jackie's eyes widened, mouth open. He quickly had put two and two together. Those clothes she had on…they were the same clothes Valmont wears. It had to be a coincidence.
"Where did you get your clothes from?" He asked, carefully, his curiosity would require stealth. "They're so big for you." He added, just be on the safe side.
"I couldn't get to my clothes this morning." She said, for some reason, she felt she could be truthful with this man.
"Why is that?" Chan asked, looking worried.
"Aw, you two need some chips and soda!" Jade gave two thumbs up and raced out of the room.
"All the doors were locked in place I left my clothes." She admitted, hunching her shoulders. Emma's eyes turned downcast and she leaned against the counter.
"Ah, I see." Jackie noticed this apprehension, she was avoiding eye contact. "Do your parents often do that?"
"No, but then again, I'm not staying with my parents, am I?" Emma sneered, bearing her teeth. Her teeth were eerily white, and far sharper than normal teeth, more like fangs.
"Who are you staying with?" He pressed, moving closer. He knew it would make her uncomfortable, but he would know what he needed to.
"My cousin." She said, sharper than need be. She moved a fraction away from Chan, giving a light hiss through her unnatural teeth. "Actually, he's my second cousin,"
"What's his name?" Jackie smiled, good naturedly as always.
Jade walked in at this time with orange soda and salt and vinegar chips in her arms. "Okay, snack time ready-"
"Valmont" Emma stated.
Jade gasped, dropping the bag of chips and soda. They both exploded on the floor.
"Aaaieee, look at this mess!" Uncle cried; his timing perfect as usual.
"I thought you looked familiar!" Jade cried over Uncle's cries.
"Oh, Jade, you should 'ave asked for help." Emma left Chan's side, grateful for the chance to leave his side.
"I don't need help from you." Jade snapped, gathering the chips up in a messy crunch pile.
"Jade, get a mop!" Uncle snapped, "Why are you being so discourteous to your guest?"
Jade made a sorry face. "I didn't mean that…she's just related to Valmont, it was instinct."
"Well, of course she is." Uncle mewled, patting Emma's head roughly as he shoved the mop into Jade's hand. "A blind koala bear could see that."
"I like koala bears." Emma said in a slightly humble voice. She took off Valmont's coat and used it to absorb most of the orange soda.
Jade laughed shakily, unsure how to react. The silence in the room lasted forever, it seemed, or at least the time it took the two to clean up the mess.
"Is Valmont a bad man?" She asked, finally. The whole room seemed to flinch.
The front door exploded. Emma gave a loud scream as the door smoke disperses dramatically to reveal four men squeeze through the doorway. The three men in the back seemed to huddle behind the large front one. The man in front had wild orange hair, with a sort of blue leotard smirked widely and said in a very sinister overtone; "Mighty tiger finds trapped rat."