Chapter Seven
"A Slight Problem"
The next morning, Elias woke up fairly early. He carefully climbed out of bed so as not to wake Mina, got dressed, and slipped out into the living room. He was slightly surprised to see Julie-Su awake and sitting on the couch.
"What are you doing up so early?" Julie-Su asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," Elias responded.
"Oh, come on. I'm an early bird," Julie said.
"Shall I get you your worm?" Elias teased.
"Very funny," Julie answered, smiling. "What are you doing up so early? After your, err, 'playtime' with Mina last night, I thought for sure you'd both sleep in."
Elias turned red. "You heard us?"
She laughed. "No, no, not at all, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what you two were doing last night."
Elias's blush deepened. He gave Julie-Su such an icy look that she stopped making fun of him.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" she said. "So, what are you planning to do today?"
"Job hunting and house hunting," he answered. "I don't want to trouble you too long, so I think I better get to looking for a place right away."
"You shouldn't have too hard of a time," Julie said. "One of the apartments down the hall is available. All you have to worry about right now is finding a job for yourself."
"That's great!" Elias said. "That is really great! I can't wait to tell Mina when she wakes up."
"Which would be now," came a sleepy voice from behind them. They turned around and saw Mina standing there in her robe and with a bed head. Julie had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.
"You know, you two are incredibly loud when you tease each other," Mina said.
"Sorry about that Mina," Elias said. "How are you this morning?"
Mina was about to answer when she suddenly grabbed her stomach and her mouth. Gagging, she ran to the bathroom.
"I guess that's a semi-lousy," Julie-Su remarked. Elias gave her another icy look. Julie cringed. "Will you stop looking at me like that?"
"Stop the teasing then," Elias said. "It's not funny to make jokes about Mina being pregnant."
"You're right. I'm sorry," Julie said.
Mina re-entered the room, looking distinctly ruffled. "I think I'll stay in bed today. That plane trip last night and my being pregnant is not being exactly kind to my stomach."
Elias got up and came over to Mina. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes, don't worry," Mina reassured him, smiling. "I'm sure it's nothing a good day of rest won't fix." She gave him a quick hug and went back to bed.
Elias smiled grimly. "That Mina will do anything to try and keep me from worrying about her." He shook his head and turned around to look at Julie- Su. "Will you keep an eye on her while I'm out today?"
"Sure, no problem," Julie replied. She glanced at a clock. It read 8:34. "Maybe you'd better get started on your job hunt. It'll take a while, so you need all the time you can get."
Elias nodded. "Tell Mina I'll be back by 7:30 tonight."
"Okay." Julie hugged him. "It's really great having you up here, you know."
"It's great to be up here," he responded. "I'm out." He left. Julie sat back down and turned on her television. The news was on.
"Our top story today comes from the Kingdom of Knothole," the reporter was saying. "It would seem that the Prince Elias has gone missing."
Julie sat right up. "Uh-oh," she thought.
"The prince and his apparent fiancée, one Mina Mongoose, both vanished late last night after a fiasco at the palace."
"Holy shit!!" Julie swore. "MINA!!!!!!"
Mina came right out of her room. "What is it?"
"Look at this!!!" Julie said. Mina looked.
"One Miles Prower has been questioned as to the whereabouts of the prince, but he has not yet spoken. King Maximillian and Queen Alicia have issued a reward for anyone who can give information about the location of Prince Elias."
Mina swore in a very foul manner. "What are we going to do? Everyone will be looking for him now!"
"I don't know!" Julie replied urgently. "Right now, I think I'd better go stop him from going out!" With that, Julie-Su was out the door. Mina sat on the couch and waited. A few minutes later, Julie-Su came back followed by a very confused Elias.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Elias, they're looking for us," Mina said.
"What?" he exclaimed.
"It was just on the news!" Julie said. "They've got a reward going around and everything!"
"Damn it!" Elias yelled. "Now what do we do?"
"You stay here," Julie said. "You haven't got a choice now. I don't mind at all. In fact, I'll be glad if you stay here. At least I know you're both safe here."
"Okay, okay!" Elias said, backing away from Julie-Su slightly. "We'll stay."
"A Slight Problem"
The next morning, Elias woke up fairly early. He carefully climbed out of bed so as not to wake Mina, got dressed, and slipped out into the living room. He was slightly surprised to see Julie-Su awake and sitting on the couch.
"What are you doing up so early?" Julie-Su asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," Elias responded.
"Oh, come on. I'm an early bird," Julie said.
"Shall I get you your worm?" Elias teased.
"Very funny," Julie answered, smiling. "What are you doing up so early? After your, err, 'playtime' with Mina last night, I thought for sure you'd both sleep in."
Elias turned red. "You heard us?"
She laughed. "No, no, not at all, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what you two were doing last night."
Elias's blush deepened. He gave Julie-Su such an icy look that she stopped making fun of him.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" she said. "So, what are you planning to do today?"
"Job hunting and house hunting," he answered. "I don't want to trouble you too long, so I think I better get to looking for a place right away."
"You shouldn't have too hard of a time," Julie said. "One of the apartments down the hall is available. All you have to worry about right now is finding a job for yourself."
"That's great!" Elias said. "That is really great! I can't wait to tell Mina when she wakes up."
"Which would be now," came a sleepy voice from behind them. They turned around and saw Mina standing there in her robe and with a bed head. Julie had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.
"You know, you two are incredibly loud when you tease each other," Mina said.
"Sorry about that Mina," Elias said. "How are you this morning?"
Mina was about to answer when she suddenly grabbed her stomach and her mouth. Gagging, she ran to the bathroom.
"I guess that's a semi-lousy," Julie-Su remarked. Elias gave her another icy look. Julie cringed. "Will you stop looking at me like that?"
"Stop the teasing then," Elias said. "It's not funny to make jokes about Mina being pregnant."
"You're right. I'm sorry," Julie said.
Mina re-entered the room, looking distinctly ruffled. "I think I'll stay in bed today. That plane trip last night and my being pregnant is not being exactly kind to my stomach."
Elias got up and came over to Mina. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes, don't worry," Mina reassured him, smiling. "I'm sure it's nothing a good day of rest won't fix." She gave him a quick hug and went back to bed.
Elias smiled grimly. "That Mina will do anything to try and keep me from worrying about her." He shook his head and turned around to look at Julie- Su. "Will you keep an eye on her while I'm out today?"
"Sure, no problem," Julie replied. She glanced at a clock. It read 8:34. "Maybe you'd better get started on your job hunt. It'll take a while, so you need all the time you can get."
Elias nodded. "Tell Mina I'll be back by 7:30 tonight."
"Okay." Julie hugged him. "It's really great having you up here, you know."
"It's great to be up here," he responded. "I'm out." He left. Julie sat back down and turned on her television. The news was on.
"Our top story today comes from the Kingdom of Knothole," the reporter was saying. "It would seem that the Prince Elias has gone missing."
Julie sat right up. "Uh-oh," she thought.
"The prince and his apparent fiancée, one Mina Mongoose, both vanished late last night after a fiasco at the palace."
"Holy shit!!" Julie swore. "MINA!!!!!!"
Mina came right out of her room. "What is it?"
"Look at this!!!" Julie said. Mina looked.
"One Miles Prower has been questioned as to the whereabouts of the prince, but he has not yet spoken. King Maximillian and Queen Alicia have issued a reward for anyone who can give information about the location of Prince Elias."
Mina swore in a very foul manner. "What are we going to do? Everyone will be looking for him now!"
"I don't know!" Julie replied urgently. "Right now, I think I'd better go stop him from going out!" With that, Julie-Su was out the door. Mina sat on the couch and waited. A few minutes later, Julie-Su came back followed by a very confused Elias.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Elias, they're looking for us," Mina said.
"What?" he exclaimed.
"It was just on the news!" Julie said. "They've got a reward going around and everything!"
"Damn it!" Elias yelled. "Now what do we do?"
"You stay here," Julie said. "You haven't got a choice now. I don't mind at all. In fact, I'll be glad if you stay here. At least I know you're both safe here."
"Okay, okay!" Elias said, backing away from Julie-Su slightly. "We'll stay."
