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A few hours later, Cutter found himself sprawled out on the couch near the kitchen with a white towel in his hand. Blinking, he brought the towel closer to his face to smell the lingering scent.

"Oh to be young and not have back problems to worry about," Mendelsohn muttered as he passed by. Cutter sat up quickly and felt sore.

"Ah," he cracked his neck, "What time is it?"

"10:30," Mendelsohn was wiping down the counter, "So can I start showing up late for work too?"

Cutter examined the room and saw no sign of Sheena. Where did she go? Hmph. Where does she always go? He threw the towel onto the kitchen counter and headed for the bedroom.

"Hey!" Mendelsohn moaned as Cutter continued on his way.

Once he reached his bed, he found a note from Sheena:

Sorry to dash—

I needed to see Kali about tonight's ceremony. Meet up with me later?

S.

"Since when do I get letters?" Cutter mumbled as he tossed the note back on the bed and took off his shirt. He grabbed a white crewneck tee from the drawer and turned to find Sheena sitting on his bed. "Jesus Chr—."

"I thought you'd be up by now."

Cutter scoffed, "You know, you and Mendelsohn are more alike that most would give you credit for. Both cynical and conniv—."

"Kali's missing."

"You never let me get a sentence out, do ya?" Cutter finished putting his shirt on and paused. "Kali's what?"

Sheena stood up and walked beside him, "No one saw her yesterday and I've spent all morning looking for her."

"Are you sure she didn't just go off to pray or meditate? You know, she doesn't really like to be scheduled."

"I'm sure of it. Something's happened." Sheena gestured to Cutter to get a move on.

"Whoa, no. No no no. I have a job, Sheena," Cutter sounded exasperated, "I can't just run around with you in the jungle every day."

"This is Kali." Sheena had this look that she gave Cutter anytime she thought a simple glare could get her her way.

"No."

"Please?"

"What…?"

"I said please, you know, it's what people say when they are given the wrong answer," Sheena shrugged.

Cutter winced, "You can't be serious. Please is a courtesy, not a bargaining tool."

"What would you consider a good bargaining tool?"

"I don't know, perhaps something the person wants?"

Sheena was looking at the bed that she had been sitting on moments before and then turned to Cutter. Smiling, she closed the distance between them and brought her lips even closer to his ear, "And what is it that you want?" Cutter gulped. His heart was picking up in pace and his mouth seemed dry yet also over salivated.

"Florida to be in the top ten bracket, this damn heat to fade…," he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, "the electoral college to be eradicated." Sheena pulled back from him and furrowed her brow at the last comment. "Hey, it's 2015. What's the point anymore?" Sheena nodded slightly and turned to walk out the door.

"Well, I can see about the weather."

"You can control the weather now too?"

Sheen paused and glanced back at him from the corner of her eye, "I can talk to the animals. They sense the weather before we do." And with that she was gone.

Cutter chuckled to himself as he noticed the sweat that he developed on his skin.

Not much later, Sheena was outside in Cutter's jeep ready to tour the jungle. Kali was likely somewhere deep in the La Mistas and she would want Cutter as backup.

It's weird, actually, because Sheena had been defending her people and the animals of the African jungle without Matthew Cutter's help for many years before now. But, without reason, she seemed to gravitate to him whenever an issue arose. It began to bother her, now always depending on his help and even having to convince him of a cause, but there was something that always brought her back to him. An allure.

Sheena knew that there were some feelings harbored by Matthew Cutter for her, but aside from physicality she couldn't pinpoint why. They hadn't of talked too extensively to become close, nay close enough to become romantically involved, but still… she couldn't see him as someone who would waste his feelings on just a physical aspect.

As they began on their way, Cutter popped in an old mix CD from his college days. "What is this?" Sheena asked with her nose curled up.

"Marvin Gaye, this is a classic…." Long as you prove it, there's always a chance. Somebody watchin', might wanna make romance. "You know what, we should go dancing sometime."

"Dancing?"

"Yeah, we both dress up nice or maybe not too nice, we would have to decide. But then we go out and dance to some music, maybe get some dinner?"

"Are you asking me out on a date, Cutter?"

Matthew Cutter paused for a moment, "I'm asking you, my good jungle-crazed friend, Sheena, to spend some time with me outside of, well, work."

"Oh."

"Hey, if you don't want to get to know me better that's cool." Cutter took the turn around a tree a little sharper than he should've as the lyrics of the song played on, Let me step into your erotic zone. Quickly, Cutter switched the CD to the next song, High time we made a stand and shook up the views of the common man and the love train rides from coast to coast. "This is Tears for Fears."

"Thank you."

Cutter glanced over at her, "For what?"

"Well, letting me know who sings this song."

"Hmm," he grunted. Sheena sat there in silence, pondering her answer to his question. At this point, her silence pretty much gave him an answer but was it the one she wanted to give him? Matthew Cutter, why do you have to make this complicated? Maybe I'm the one making it complicated.

"Yes."

"Next?" Cutter misheard as he switched the song again, There's a rainbow in the sky all the time, don't be blind. There's a rainbow in the sky all the time… don't be blind… don't be blind. Said you I'm living in my fantasy, but is you who are blinded from reality.

"No that's not what I—wait, is this Ziggy Marley?" Sheena smiled widely as she recognized the song.

Cutter shook his head, "You know of Ziggy Marley?"

"Know of? I met him when he visited Africa with his organization. Kali got new medicine supplies and books for the children of our village."

"But of course," Cutter chuckled and turned up the volume so Sheena could sing along. She was no Mariah but Cutter couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice reciting the lyrics to 'Rainbow in the Sky'.

As the song faded to its end, Sheena turned to Matthew Cutter, "We can go dancing."


And that's the second chapter. Regardless of how you found this story, as one of only two in this category, please FAV/FOLLOW/REVIEW to let me know what you think! I plan to update this one every couple of months.

Be sure to check out my Sailor Moon, TVD and Patriot fanfictions!

~Sessediz