As college resumes and I will go back to the grind, I have been trying to finish as much of current works in progress as I can before I possibly go on hiatus until further notice. This is, of course, not what I would like to do, but as I am taking 18 Honors credits for my double-major and working up to 20 hours a week, this cannot be helped if I want to maintain a 4.0 Grade-point average. Hopefully, I will still be able to update once in a while, but I can make no promises, except that I will try to finish as many chapters of my current fics as I can before classes start next week.
That being said, here is the next chapter of "Strength and A Thousand Faces". I hope it is to your liking, review and tell me what you think!
Disclaimers apply. You know the drill. I don't own the characters.
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Wiseman sat in his cabin, pale blue eyes narrowed to slits of icy fury. That thrice-damned agent...two weeks ago she was right in his palm. His trophy...his greatest conquest! Now, though he combed the neighboring towns for her day after day, she had disappeared without a trace! Now, Lita Woods was not a woman who could easily do a disappearing act, agent or not. Someone so tall and Junoesque, even if she were to wear shabby clothing and a wig or mask, was bound to get noticed. But, there were no signs of stately warrior maidens anywhere. No...stalking his prey would come to an end right now. No...now he would have to take drastic measures.
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Lita did not hear Wiseman's maniacal laughter that morning. In the privacy of the motel room, she sat on the bed wearing a pink terrycloth bathrobe, sans disguise, her hair down to mid-back as she sipped her coffee. By her side, Nick sat, shirt open, reading the newspaper. Draining her cup, she leaned her head against him, snuggling close to his warmth. He smiled down at her, and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
After she had escaped from Wiseman's clutches, she had been sharing his motel room. As there was only one bed, he had gallantly offered to sleep on the floor, despite her protests that SHE was the one who was more used to sleeping on the ground from various nature excursions, etc. He had insisted, but after three nights of it, Lita noticed the dark circles under his eyes and insisted that he take the bed before he got sick. Finally, after a brief period of argument, they decided that since it was big enough, they could both use it.
After she had gotten over her initial nervousness about that arrangement, she found that it was...very nice. With him, warm and solid and comforting, lying next to her, she slept like an angel every night, without nightmares or sleeplessness. One morning after an especially good night's sleep, she awoke to find herself cuddled up to him, probably having rolled into his arms in the middle of the night. Unable to resist, she had leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. He awoke, and the two kissed for several more minutes. They both had the good sense not to let the kisses turn into anything more...serious...for now, at any rate. It seemed that the two of them had an unspoken agreement, that they would wait until this assignment was done, to pursue this developing attraction and perhaps cultivate it into a relationship.
Wiseman had not been seen in town yesterday. The tracking device that Lita had planted on his truck indicated that the vehicle had not been moved from by the cabin since yesterday. This, of course, did not mean that he could not have come here on foot, but it was somewhat more unlikely. Lita was sure that the psychopath was plotting something. Well...she would not let him get the better of her now.
After finishing her coffee, Lita went to the bathroom to put on her disguise for the day. Ten minutes later, the woman disappeared as a sandy-haired man stood in her place. Lita addressed Nick, "Let's order some breakfast, then we can head for town. I KNOW that Wiseman is up to something."
Nick nodded, and headed for the shower. Lita called for room service. Fifteen minutes later, there was a soft knock and a sweet-looking girl no older than 18, with big brown eyes, a dainty nose and long black braids, dressed in a blue uniform with silver tassels and buttons and pushing a food cart, stood there when Lita opened the door. The waitress blushed slightly when seeing the tall, golden-handsome man smiling down on her. "Here's your food, sir."
Lita grinned, unaware that her disguise was making the girl's heart do flip-flops. "Thank you, Rose," she said, glancing at the girl's name tag, "Here you go." Handing the girl cash for the breakfast as well as a generous tip, she took the trays and shut the door gently, leaving the young waitress Rose to stand there with a silly smile on her face before she pushed her cart away.
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Later that day, Lita, still disguised as a man, was walking out of the bookstore, Metalworking Crafts by Karl Newman tucked under one arm. Nick was at the appliance shop next door. At that moment, Lita heard a cheerful female voice her. "Hello there, you're staying at the Weston Inn, aren't you?" The waitress Rose from that morning was standing in front of her, and she seemed quite eager to make conversation.
"Yes, I am. You're Rose, you brought my breakfast this morning, right?"
The girl blushed and giggled somewhat, "That's right! You remembered! What is your name, by the way?"
"Oh, I'm Fred Kendall. It's nice to meet you. So, how long have you been working at the Inn?"
"Oh, I just started this year...doing this part-time. I just graduated last year from high school and I want to work a bit before I start college. I want to be a music major..." Rose started chattering on. Lita smiled wryly, the girl thought she was a man, and had a crush on her. 'Well, if I WERE a man named Fred Kendall...but I'm not.'
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Kendall...sir." the girl said at last, "But I have to go home. I'll see you later!"
Lita waved at the girl and watched as she walked to her car. Rose opened the door, and then, a piercing female scream filled the air, to be muffled a moment later, and the car tore off. Rose was obviously not driving. Lita's eyes widened, and she ran towards Nick's motorcycle. Hopping on, stun gun strapped at her waist, she streaked off after the car in hot pursuit.
Nick emerged from the appliance shop just in time to see her zoom out of the parking lot. Hurriedly getting on the truck, he followed at her heels. Whatever she was doing...he HAD to make sure she was safe. It was a matter of life and death for him, because he loved her.
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Yeah yeah I know....cliffhangers are bad...but there's nothing you can do about it. Depending on how much time and inspiration I can have before Friday afternoon, I MIGHT be able to complete another chapter. I REALLY don't know. If I have no time, this fic will be on hiatus until further notice. I apologize, but it cannot be helped.
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