Jarok rolled his eyes as the, in his opinion, psychotic woman behind him ranted yet again over her loss. "Shut up already woman! I'm trying to drive!" He immediately felt remorse and seemed to shrink into himself, fearing a beating. Thank God I haven't married yet. I can't imagine having to deal with someone like her 24/7. After Char's concern over Xanthee, Jarok had left in the super-fast shuttle and headed back for Earth. He couldn't stand seeing Char upset, and out of loyalty wished to make him happier; that ultimately meant making Xanthee happy. He knew the shuttle traveled faster than the Prince's Voyager possibly could, and also knew he could probably intercept the ship around the fifth week of their six-week journey home. He was holding a tight shuttle, much to the annoyance of Raven, his accidental companion. Then again, everything seemed to annoy her. Including the color of his shirt.
"Why the hell are you wearing this shirt? Are you nuts?!" She fingered his silky sleeve and rolled her eyes before turning back to talk to Wolf. "Can you believe it? We're going to see Xanthee again, yay!" She cheered, the horrid, neon shirt momentarily forgotten.
Wolf couldn't help smiling. "I know, I can't wait to see her again," he said, drifting back into his own little dream-world of Xanthee and him together forever, holding his as of yet nonexistent firstborn child, always cherishing her as a good husband should, taking care of her in sickness and health…and more intimate things. He wondered at their companion's silence, wondering why he refused to tell them anything more than he had about himself or Xanthee. He hoped desperately that she was ok and that he hadn't defiled her in any way. God I hope she's alright. He thought for the millionth time since he'd embarked on this journey. Considering the long ride ahead of them, Wolf took the moment to reflect on the days events thus far. It had all started when he met up with Raven at Xan's apartment, both of them there for very different purposes.
"So Wolf," she said with glee, "what brings you to these parts? This is quite a ways away from your normal stomping grounds." She pushed him around and looked under his arms, "And where is that bimbo you normally have attached at the waist?" Raven enjoyed watching the discomfort on his face, aware already of what was going on.
"I…I realized that I…" he sighed heavily. "I really, really fucked up this time, didn't I?"
"Let's see," Raven mockingly pondered his predicament, "leaving her for another girl, not only that but a girl she deeply disliked in the first place. Add onto that all the subsequent insults you dealt her and yea, I do believe you seem to have worked yourself into quite a deep hole my friend." She sneered, generally considering him nothing of the sort. "However, as much as I detested you stealing my friend away from me, I hate this new depressed Xanthee even more. She seems so lost, and no I don't think it's because you're gone from her life," Raven added, watching Wolf's growing smile crumble like an old brick wall, "I think it's just because she's not sure where she's going or what she's supposed to do with her life now. For so long you seemed a permanent fixture and she's struggling to bounce back from the heartbreak."
"But I know I screwed up now," Wolf started hesitantly.
"…But it took you three months to figure it out. If she weren't still on the rebound, she would have definitely found someone who could replace you, and more, in a heartbeat."
"You know what, I'm just going to leave now. You're right, she deserves better than me." He turned and started back towards his little car, shuffling steadily back at a funeral dirge pace.
Raven allowed her conflicting emotions to war within her for a moment. "Fine," she mumbled under her breath, "at least he made her happy. If she's happy, there's a far greater chance that I'm going to be happy."
"Wolf!" She yelled in a louder voice, "wait up will ya? I never said I wouldn't help you." She smiled in satisfaction as she saw him stop in his tracks and licked her lips, preparing to say some of the hardest things she'd said in her life up to this point. "I-I think she needs you, Wolf. I think she needs more than just a friend, and I know that for a long time she missed you dearly. Truly, I think she's only just now getting over you, and she's still only in the beginning stage as far as that goes. Hell, maybe we could even get along, if it means our…mutual friend's continued happiness, what do you say?" She paused with baited breath, not sure entirely how he would respond. On one hand, he could completely blow-up and tell her how little he cared for her or her opinions, or on the other, he might just be so desperate as to take her up on the offer.
Wolf turned to face her, leaning heavily on the tail-end of his car. Unfortunately, the movement also had the bad fortune of rocking a certain yellowy something in the passenger seat.
"What…the hell is that?" Raven said, utterly taken aback. "Wait a second. You didn't bring that stupid little whore with you to apologize to Xanthee, surely?" She could feel the anger mounting in her breast as she raced to beat him to the passenger side of the vehicle, only to break down in a fit of giggles when she arrived. "A giant stuffed kitten." She said flatly. "That's what you were trying to hide from me?" The giggles poured forth more profusely now as she could see first his ears and then the rest of his face color darkly.
"Well, she likes cats," Wolf replied testily through gritted teeth.
"Who doesn't? Looks like you're on the right track, buddy. Now let's see what else we can do."
They chatted back and forth idly for a while before Raven informed him of her intent to buy gas. He shrugged his shoulders and continued watching the quiet, empty streets and fields around them. Quite suddenly, a spaceship seemed to appear from amidst the clouds. You've got to be kidding me, he thought.
Raven watched in disbelief, mouth agape, as a very short blue-haired boy who appeared to be 10 stepped forth from the shuttle. Feeling obligated to break the silence, she did so. "Uh, where are your parents, little boy? Are you lost?"
Jarok glared at her coldly. "I'm 18, they're safe back home. If they knew their extremely competent son had returned back to Earth simply for a pathetic Earth girl he barely knew, they'd probably have a heart attack."
"Pathetic…Earth…girl?" Wolf echoed back uncertainly. "Kinda," he cleared his throat. "Kinda short, real skinny blonde?"
"Kind of short?!" Raven scoffed. "Let's write her off as really short and way too skinny!"
Jarok beamed. "Ah, so you are the ones I came looking for! Now get in the ship," he ordered, yawning in boredom.
Wolf eyed it warily. "I need proof."
"What is it with you people and proof?" he said, fumbling in his pocket for the photo he had snuck of Xanthee during the questioning.
Wolf snatched it up eagerly. He scrutinized the photo with glee. "It really is her!" He shouted jubilantly, barely containing his desire to bounce around like a gerbil on X. Hesitantly he started to hand the photo back to Jarok.
"Keep it," Jarok said with a wave of his hand, leading them both to his shuttle. Since then they'd been in this very cramped compartment together. He was glad they were only an hour's distance from the ship, because he wasn't sure how much more he could handle. Raven picked at his sleeve again. She started ranting about the neon orange, saying that Xanthee must have been rubbing off on me. I ripped my sleeve out of her grasp and looked out the front of the shuttle. The ship met my gaze. "Look! There it is! That's where she is!"
Wolf struggled to the front eagerly. "Oh God…" he whispered, the need to feel her close to him again making him ache. He jittered a bit as the shuttle docked into the ship, and as the doors opened he bounded out, trying to be as careful as he could, wanting more than anything to surprise his precious Xan. He snuck around the corner, and was dumbstruck. He watched for a few moments as the only girl he had ever truly loved, the one to whom he was engaged and wished to spend the rest of his life with, watched as she sat on some remarkably familiar stranger's lap and kissed him passionately. He watched as this stranger's hands ran up and down her spine under her shirt as she caressed his neck. Wolf hardly noticed as he clenched his fists and started stalking towards the two, intent on ripping out the throat of this strange man. Everything seemed to be suddenly pink, as though through a haze. Suddenly he felt a hand clap on his shoulder, holding him back just slightly. He shook his head, suddenly dizzy, and the haze cleared, and tears sprung to his eyes.
"Crap." Raven said. She ran up to Wolf and held him, not wishing for him to do anything rash no matter how much either of them deserved to have their guts ripped out. How could she turn on him like this? And then have sent someone to go get him…Poor Wolf! She wasn't used to feeling pity for her friend, and it bothered her.
Xanthee looked up abruptly, and shame colored her face a deep pink. She practically fell off Char's lap while trying anxiously to straighten out her clothes and hair. "Wolf? Raven? What…what are you guys doing here…?" she said, caught completely off guard after having become so comfortable with her arrangement on the ship with Char. She finally felt comfortable enough with him for even this amount of affection, and to see people she loved come abruptly out of her past and into her present startled her beyond compare.
Jarok, unaware of the circumstances, came up behind both Raven and Wolf and clapped his hands on each of their shoulders. "Your rooms are that way," he said, pointing to the right. Their rooms sat directly across from Xanthee's and Char's room, and then he noticed the sorrowful look on Char's face. Uh-oh…He gulped.
All parties stood still in anticipation as all attention fell to Wolf and Xanthee as they stared in shock at one another. The perfect silence was broken abruptly by a crystalline teardrop shattering on the smooth metallic tile of the ship. Wolf shook more tears out of his eyes and ran into his room, followed shortly by Raven. Jarok slumped into a different chair.
Xanthee gulped. "Char…oh God, how could I have known? Did you know?" She searched his face. "Why did you do this to me?" She screeched, grabbing the front of his shirt and slamming him into the wall. "Oh God, what can I do," she collapsed against his chest, shuddering with sobs.
Char rubbed her back uncertainly. "I didn't know." He glared at Jarok, who shrank away from him. "I honestly didn't know. I wanted you to be happy, and mentioned that to Jarok. I'm sorry Xanthee." He felt his heart breaking into a million tiny shards. "How about you go comfort him?" He said, hating himself for it. Even considering how much he loved her, he couldn't stand by and let her ache like this for his rival. He feared losing her, but if it meant her happiness, he could take it. She glanced back at him uncertainly and then nodded, walking solemnly to Wolf's chamber.