A/N: I just want to say thank you to the few people who reviewed my previous chapter. There weren't many, but thank you for doing that!
Thank you as well to those who put my story in their favorites/alerts! You rock (now read, and push REVIEW)

A/N 2: I don't really like this chapter myself... it's the longest chap so far, but I don't like it. Try to survive this...
And last, I'm still trying to make Brian true to show!Brian, but he always ends up a jerk... I can't help it... it's the plot bunnies doing it to me. And him

Disclaimer: I still don't own TNLOCK. I wish I did, but I don't.


CHAPTER 3

The next day, Chloe was sipping from her coffee during her break from work and reading a gossip magazine when Brian walked in. With a big smile on his face, he sat down next to her, reading over her shoulder.

"What have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you as much as I would have wanted to." He said softly, his breath tickling her ear.

"Just… stuff…" she tried to avert the conversation. What she had been up to was something she couldn't share with him.

"Was it interesting stuff?" he asked now, not willing to let go of the subject.

"Not really, you'd get bored to death if I told you." For some reason, Chloe started to think he was becoming a bit pushy. She had made it clear to the guy that she only wanted friends, and at first he'd gone along with that decision. But here he was, invading her personal space. Chloe got up, walking back into the store area with the excuse her break was over.
The doorbell chimed, but neither of them paid any attention. When Chloe listened carefully, she could make out a familiar heartbeat, but Brian being so close to her didn't give her the chance to focus closer.

Alek sat down at a table away from the door, still able to hear what Chloe and Brian were discussing. That is, until Amy entered and placed herself right in front of him.

"What?" he asked rudely, hoping he'd annoy her. Mission failed.

"You should start working on your bedside manners, mister. It's not because you have a pretty face that you can treat people like crap." She said even without blinking.

"Geez, thanks for the tip. Now, what do you want? I'm kind of in the middle of something." He tried to see past the human girl in front of him, but she didn't let him, moving every time his eyes moved to a different direction.

"Dude! Can you focus for like, one minute. I'm right here!" she snapped her fingers and waved her hand.

"Amy, I'd love to listen to the latest gossip, but I'm working."

"Yeah… I can see that… but it's not working." Amy looked at her painted fingernails, finally gaining his attention.

"What isn't working?"

"What you're trying to do." She replied smugly. Alek could probably threaten it out of her, but Chloe might kill him if he did.

"Oh enlighten me, you bright one." The British Mai still couldn't hide his arrogance.

"You're trying to push her away from Brian. And it's not working. At all. I know you think he's no good for her, and it might be dangerous and stuff, but that still no reason to keep her away from him like that. There must be…" She rambled, but suddenly it was as if a switch got turned inside her head and she finally connected the dots spraying around in the life of her best friend and her protector.

"You like her!" she cried out.

"AMY! Keep your bloody voice down!" he hissed to her, not even trying to deny the statement.

"So you do, you really do like her. Like, like like her. Oh man, things are getting clear right now." At this moment in time, the young woman was talking more to herself than to anyone else, including Alek.

"Who says I do?" Alek asked, his composure as steady as ever. Chloe was still in the store, putting clothes on shelves, tailed by Brian. The male Mai couldn't help but look at her.

"Your face." The boy was actually turning half a shade more red when she pointed at him.

"Don't worry," Amy stated, "it's only natural to have feelings like this. You only have to tell her."

"Hell no! She can't know this! Amy, you have to promise me you won't tell her anything. Please don't make me regret telling you."

The young man's eyes betrayed just how serious he was about this. Amy looked at him for a second longer, not saying anything, just looking. By the way he looked at her best friend, she realized he did really care about her. The look in his eyes displayed she wasn't a fling to him, but so much more. But Amy didn't like the fact that she couldn't talk to said best friend.

"I refrained from threatening you earlier, but I can still change my mind."

"Calm down, boy, don't get your knickers in a twist. I'll stay silent." She shushed him reluctantly.

"Thank you." Normally Amy would think it'd pain him to say those words, but this time he sounded genuine.

The girl got up from her seat and made way to the door when she suddenly changed her mind and strode back to Alek.

"Just for the record," she began, sighing heavily, "I like you better."
Alek didn't know how to react. Should he say something? A nod, maybe? Or a wink? Nah, that'd be too arrogant.

"Thanks… I guess…" he said, smiling. It seemed for the best, and Amy seemed satisfied with the answer as she walked out of the coffee shop. Alek stayed seated, now able again to listen in on the conversation between Chloe and the human. And to be honest, he didn't like the way that talk was going… Slowly he got up and moved towards the store. Being part cat – or something like that – made it able for him to move swiftly and soundlessly.
When he reached the door separating the coffee shop from the clothing shop, he could just listen in on something he wasn't glad to hear.

"Alright then. Do you have plans tonight? Want to go see a movie?" Brian asked, seeming himself again. Chloe nodded. She didn't have training, and tomorrow was as day off, so her mother would not object. And as long as she and Brian were friends, they could hang out together. She'd actually enjoy that, since she still liked the guy. A smiled appeared on her face when she thought of spending time with him.

The steady heartbeat she had noticed earlier had just increased. It went faster and faster, and when she felt Brian give her a soft kiss on her cheek, she noticed Alek standing in the doorway, swiftly turning around as soon as she'd noticed him.
As if struck by lightning, she moved away from Brian.

"So, I'll see you tonight. Gotta go. Bye!" she said, not even reprimanding him for his actions, something she later felt bad about.
When the blonde girl got to the coffee corner, there was no sign of Alek anywhere.

"Dammit." She sighed. Why did her life have to be so damn complicated?

About a mile away from the store, Alek found himself sitting on a bench looking out over the harbor. Why did he let her get to him like that? It wasn't like she was the only Mai girl on the planet, so why did it matter so much what she did? And who she did it with? Alek couldn't wrap his head around it. Of course, Chloe wasn't most girls, but to get to him like she did, that wasn't something he was familiar with.

The entire afternoon there was no sign of Alek nor Jasmine, nor Amy. Chloe had an easy time working, and yet her head was full of thoughts with nowhere to go. The girl got off at six, Brian picked her up at seven.
As expected, her mother didn't give her any grief for going out with him. She knew that Meredith was secretly rooting for the pair, and with that thought, she sighed again.

Chloe got outside after having the rules laid out to her again by her mom, but when she closed the door behind her, she saw Brian standing at his car, giving her the once-over. The young Mai was wearing her dark jeans with black converse and a red halter top with a leather jacket over it.

"You look amazing." Brian said as he opened the door to her.

"You don't look that bad yourself." She complimented him. They drove in silence, despite Brian's attempts to make some small talk.

They got into the theatre with popcorn and soft drinks. As the gentleman Brian was, he let Chloe pick the movie, preparing himself for some random chick flick. Instead, the girl went for an action movie, one she'd been dying to see.

"Well well, there's more to Chloe King than just the pretty girl." He winked at her.

"If you'd only knew…" she whispered soft enough for his ears not to hear. What Chloe didn't realize, was that Alek and Jasmine were there too.

"Now why did I have to come again? You're perfectly capable of protecting her on your own." Jasmine hissed as they took their seats on the last row of the theatre.

"Because, Jaz, I don't want to be the only one that has to listen to him being all slimey. And now I have someone with me to use as an excuse." His trademark smirk was all over his face, but Jasmine could tell something was off. Never had he behaved like he did towards Brian.

The movie started and everyone in the room went silent.

Is this supposed to be a date? Because that would make things a lot more complicated than they already are. Chloe thought to herself.
Halfway through the flick, Brian made his move. First he bumped his hand against Chloe's, probably an accident, so she didn't read too much into it. It didn't take him long before he reached for her hand with the full intention of grabbing it. Her Mai senses had already picked up on his accelerated heartbeat, so she pulled her hand to herself as soon as she knew what he was up to.

Hadn't she made things clear between them? Hadn't she explicitly told him they could only be friends? Yes, she wanted to be with him too, but they couldn't, it would kill him. If he couldn't accept her decision, they couldn't keep hanging out.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her several minutes later. Chloe put on her most genuine smile and shook her head.

"No, everything is perfect." She said softly, not even sure if she meant it.
Alek notices something was up, and he elbowed his cousin, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

"Jasmine, if you drool on my jacket, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." He warned her.

"Sorry, I'm just so tired. I haven't slept in days." Alek looked at the girl next to him.

"Fine, you go home, I'll stay on watch tonight. But tomorrow it's your turn again." He stated.
With a smile on her tiresome face, Jasmine got up. On her way out, she patted her cousin's hair.

"Tomorrow it's my turn. Promised." She winked at him before leaving the theatre. That left him alone, watching over his Uniter. Wait… THE Unitor. Not his, definitely not his.

A few rows down, Chloe was having difficulties with keeping concentrated on the movie. Brian might or might not have been the cause of that.
She did have feelings for him, but the last few days, things had changed even more. Only friends, nothing more, nothing less… that's what she needed right now. And if that meant she'd have to tell him again, then she'd tell him again.
About fifteen minutes before the movie would end, the guy sitting next to her managed to grab her hand, fingers entwined and everything. Brian threw her a sideways grin, not even realizing this wasn't what Chloe wanted. Her head was searching for a way out of this.
Reach for my phone? No, other pocket. Grab popcorn… dammit, it's gone. An itch? Nah, that's too obvious. This might not even be all that bad. No, Chloe. NO! You can't do this, it isn't fair towards him.

Only one solution: wait till the movie is over. And that is exactly what the young Mai does.


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