Title : Chicken Soup for the Hacker's Soul
Author : Whatever I'm going by now....
Rating : PG
Summary : Yves is sick and Jimmy wants to help her.

~*~

Yves

I wish they'd hurry up already.

It's so goddamn hot in this van, I can barely think. My mind feels like it's fried and I can barely make out the images on the screen in front of me half the time. This fever isn't helping. I should be at home, snug in my bed, and yet here I am, in a stupid VW Van watching some incompetent baffoons try and get their latest story. Every few minutes I feel the threatening taste of bile creeping up my throat, taunting me, reminding me of the hell I'm in.

The door slides open noisily and in hops Jimmy, all radiant smiles. I groan inwardly and turn back to the screens in front of me. Langly is attempting to provide a distraction and I watch him as if he's the most interesting person ever. I don't want to look at Jimmy. More importantly, however, I don't want him to look at me. I'm dirty and sickly, my nose is running and sweat is pouring from every gland in my body. He shouldn't see me like this, and yet I know he's going to look at me, study me. That's what he does. He studies me, as if I'm the most interesting person ever. He sees through me, and frankly, it scares me. I don't want hime to see the real me.

"I brought you something." I turn to look at him as he says this, wiping my nose on a tissue as I do so. He reaches into a brown paper bag and produces a large Styrofoam bowl topped with a plastic lid. "Ta da!" He announces setting it down and reaching back into the bag for a spoon.

I take the bowl and stare at it for a moment. It's definitely soup and I feel my heart swell. He brought me soup.

"I know you don't want to be here," he tells me, sheepishly avoiding my eyes. He's so cute when he's vulnerable like this. "And you shouldn't be either. You should he at home, snug in your bed." Did he read my mind? "And since I really appreciate that you're helping us I thought I'd bring you some soup. I didn't know what kind you liked, so I just brought my favorite."

I look at him gratefully and proceed to open it. Chicken Noodle. I should have known. Jimmy's definitely the chicken noodle type. I'm sure he puts -

"Crackers." He pulls out some Krispy Crackers out of the bag and I smile at him. "I don't know if you like them in your soup, but I do."

I knew it.

"Is there anything else you want?"

Besides you?

"No, I'm fine." I smile at him once more and suddenly realize how pleasant I'm being. I stop grinning like a madwoman and turn back to the screens. I have to be professional. I can't get involved with Jimmy. I can't.

"You forgot your spoon."

Now it's my turn to act sheepish.

"Thanks."

~*~

Jimmy

I can't stop thinking about Yves. I hope she's okay. She looked pretty bad when she finally left. I mean, Yves could never look *bad*, 'cause she's the most beautifully perfect woman alive, but she looked really sick. It's amazing how she can be sick and still look perfect.

The story was a bust. She stayed out for nothing. It turned out the guy we thought was a poacher was really an undercover cop. We almost messed up a police operation.

Again.

Maybe I should go see her. She seemed to like the soup I brought her, maybe I'll bring some more. It's kind of expensive cause the place is so popular and the soup is such high quality, but I'll do anything to make Yves happy. If Yves wants soup, then damnit, I'll bring her soup!

So I'll buy some and go visit her.

There's just one problem with that....

Where does she live?

~*~

Will Jimmy discover where Yves lives? Will Yves get better? Will I stop sounding like a reject action show announcer? Stay tuned cause this story's to be continued.....