Discliamers: Janice and Mel belong to the Xenaverse and I do not intend to make money from the XWPfrancise.

Title: Cabin Talks

The cabin was roomy two beds, a dresser and an ensuite. This was a second class trip back to the States.

"Mel, thank you again for paying for the cabin. I promise to pay you once we get back." Janice spoke as she placed her rucksack and the suitcases on the bed underneath the porthole. Chucking her ladies hat in the corner of the room, her companion placing hers on the dresser.

The tall brunette followed behind the blonde and locked the cabin door. "No problem Janice. I had the extra money to pay for this trip home for first class but I am happy to be travelling with a companion." Mel Pappas replied in her southern drawl.

Janice put her suitcase under her bed and pulled her strawberry blonde hair out of its coif. She shook it out and flopped on the bed. "I still can not believe that Jack whatsaname got my sack, after all the hard work and searching by both me and my father for what some nobody to take what is rightfully mine. I suppose I can't be ruffled about it as we are leaving now. I heard from a few of my crew at the site that the Nazis were going to be invading in a month. It is a rumour but I thought after this expedition with the Xena scrolls. It is best to leave while we can".

Mel sat on the end of Janice's bed. Stretching her long legs in front of her, she turned and looked at Janice. Who now had her forearm shielding her eyes. "Well I hope we don't run into trouble, say lets play questions?" Mel asked in a chirpy tone.

An audible groan came from the blonde. "Oh come on Janice Covington. I want to get to know you. A few people I know from the university have said some things about you and I want to know if it's true."

This made Janice sit up, her face turned into a curious expression. "Really and what have they been saying? That I'm a grave robber like my father." She snorted.

Giving Janice's leg a gentle pat, Mel scooted forward. Her glasses slipping down her nose as she smiled. "No, just that a few have said some things and I don't know if they are true. Can I ask?"

Rolling her green eyes, Janice nodded.

A grin appeared across the brunettes face. "Okay, well they said that you act like a man because you want to be one. Is that true?"

Tilting her head, Janice scratched her neck. "Mmmm, well do you mean clothes, behaviour or relationships?"

"I am not sure. Just that ..." Sitting and thinking of the right words Mel crossed her right ankle over her left ankle and tucked it under.

"Well...perhaps I should enlighten you huh? Describe things about me then."

"They said that you uh...rather be out partying and being a man then marrying and playing house." Came the quick response.

Janice sat staring at Mel in disbelief and then she turned her head away. A gurgle of a laugh escaped her lips.

"What is so funny?"

"Oh Mel. My life is to hectic to be playing house. " Janice responded with her fingers making inverted commas to the word "house". "As you so kindly call it, no I don't see myself settling and marrying. Though I once had a fiancé when I was sixteen."

Mel's blue eyes widen at this fact. "Florence told me that Janice preferred the company of women then men. Perhaps it is wrong and this just another rumour."

"Really tell me more."

"Lets see, his name was Peter Heathcote. I had met him while I was left in a boarding house at fourteen. This was when my father had gone on his own expedition. Peter was my landlord's son. A very sweet kind man. He was five years old then me and treated me like a kid sister, he would take me to the pictures on Saturday nights and give me candy when I came home from school. When I was fifteen, I noticed he took a more mature shine to me. I didn't really have feelings for him...not in that way." She paused reached over the bed for her rucksack. Pulling out a silver cigarette tin, she pulled out a cigarette.

"Can you pass me that dish over there on the dresser."

Mel got up from the bed as Janice fumbled in the rucksack for her lighter. Mel placed the dish on the small bedside drawer between the beds. "Thanks." Janice spoke with the cigarette between her teeth. Flicking the lighter on, she held it to the tip and felt it catch alight. Inhaling slightly she pulled it from her lips and exhaled.

"What happened?"

"Peter finally asked me out to be his girl. I was flattered and thought why not. Any girl would be thrilled to have a catch. He worked as a junior accountant and was well behaved. He gave me my first cigarette and he was my first lover."

A blush crept on Mel's cheeks at the last fact. "However Mel I decided to split from him. I didn't want to live with him and settle down. I was young and had my whole life ahead of me. He wanted a wife, kids and a four bedroom home with a picketed fence. That wasn't me and I knew that if I married him I wouldn't be happy and couldn't keep the facade. I broke it off with him and he understood."

"Do you still keep in contact?"

Shaking her head and inhaling again. She blew the smoke from the side of her mouth. "No, the last I heard he meet a Russian immigrant by the name of Olenka, Tatiana, Mashka, Irina something like that and their very happy, from what I heard. I think her family was from royalty or wealth before the revolution." Janice paused and grinned back at Mel. "Now Mel tell me why at the age of twenty six you are not married?"

~*~

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Czar.