Chap 11

Wow! Everyone seems to have adored June, I'm glad she's such a popular character. This chapter sees everyone else getting up and everyone(Yes, even Beach) getting ready to go shopping. Ninja's before coffee... erk...

As you undoubtedly saw, I took off time of writing this, in order to write a plot bunny. Lil Beachie can't keep me from writing plot bunnies!! He just can't! Especially when he's under a coffeecup.

I have no rights to GI Joe, I'm not making $$ off writing this, and none of this.. ever.. happened... except in the deep dank recesses of my brain which is a terribly dark and scary place at times, and most folks stay the heck outa there!

Thank you all for reading!

On to the story!

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Scarlett frowned as she poked her head into her youngest sister's room. "Look, if you want to go, then get up and get ready. Otherwise, we'll just leave without you." She was grumbled at in sleepy tones, and closed the door on the protests. Either she would get up and be ready, or she would leave her behind, and deal with the whining after they got back.

Up the hallway, she slipped into her room, moving across the floor to the bed. Snake Eyes twisted restlessly under the covers, his breath coming quicker than it should for a sleeping man. "Snakes... wake up.. you're dreaming.." He coughed softly a few times, and then came awake suddenly, thrashing his way up out of the covers. "Easy.. you were just dreaming.. it's okay." He blinked and sat up, scrunching the blanket around in his lap, and wiping his face. "You okay? Having a nightmare?"

He signed at her shortly. *Tuesday. I hate tuesday mornings.* He shivered and she reached to pull the blanket up over his back. She tried to scoot next to him and he shifted away instead.

Taking the not-so-subtle hint, she got up and pulled clothing out for him instead. Getting a soft long sleeve blue shirt and khaki slacks out, she held them up, raising an eyebrow. "These okay?" He was scowling at nothing in particular and lifted a shoulder as his only reply. "Alright, I'll leave them out for you." She got her own outfit out, choosing a long green skirt and white blouse, pulling her favorite yellow sweater out to go with it. Carrying the clothing with her, she went to shower, leaving the brooding ninja seated on the bed.

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They had breakfast of poptarts, toast and muffins among them, Snake Eyes taking his toast with jam out onto the back porch to eat. Dressed in pajama pants and shirtless, the commando looked bleery-eyed and sleepy, wearing a bandana across his face and his blond hair sleep-tossed. His torso showed the scars from his years of fighting, but he didn't seem to mind those being visible. BeachHead walked out with him, carrying a second cup of very excellent coffee.

He glanced over at the man. "You look like crap this morning."

Snake Eyes glared at him sideways and tugged the bandana up higher before he signed crossly. *I always look like crap, congratulations on being the first person of the day to remind me.* Before BeachHead could apologize, he stalked back inside, ignoring the morning greetings from Sean and Jack who had appeared. The two brothers were dressed in pajamas still.

The younger of them jerked his head at the retreating ninja as he took the stairs two-by-two. "What's eating him? He get up on the wrong side of bed?"

BeachHead grunted. "He's moody this morning for sure." Scarlett reached for a second muffin and offered Beach half of it. "No thanks."

She shrugged. "Don't worry about Snake Eyes. He'll be okay. If you're done with breakfast, you can go grab a shower first. Avoid the rush."

Sean motioned at his gun as he started to get up. "You can leave your pistol in Dad's study if you want. We keep all the weapons locked in there while there's kiddos running around." BeachHead hesitated but nodded. He followed Sean into the small office and peeled off the shoulder holster. Then he thought about it and pulled out the two smaller .40 caliber handguns from the small of his back and his front pocket. Sean raised an eyebrow. "Umm... is that all of them?"

BeachHead looked at him. "Does it need to be?" At Sean's nod, he sighed and pulled a smaller pistol from the top of his boot. "I'm gonna feel naked."

Sean shook his head at him. "You Army guys are paranoid. Besides, it's not like you aren't probably carrying a couple of knives on you anyway."

The sergeant gave him a strange look. "Well.. seven.. but who's counting?" Sean shook his head and locked the door behind them. "There's a few more guns in the vehicle.. but Scarlett locked it." He started up the stairs and then leaned to ask the young man. "Soo.. do you guys disarm Snakes too?"

Sean laughed softly. "Would you?"

"Point taken.. I'm getting a shower." He walked up the stairs. As he passed the room Scarlett and Snake Eyes were staying in, he poked his head inside the open door. "Hey.. oh.. sorry." He looked away from where Snake Eyes was applying his facemask. He'd worn the rubber lifelike mask before, but BeachHead had never seen him putting it on. "I just wanted to let you know, Scarlett said to get cleaned up and ready.. but I guess you already know."

Snake Eyes nodded and flicked his hand in a motion for him to leave. BeachHead shut the door behind him. Crabby ninjas were not on his list of things he wanted to mess with. His shower took only a few minutes and he dressed quickly in the bathroom, then went back to his room to find a clean shirt. Olive drab pants and a white teeshirt, and he drew on a button-up matching long sleeved OD shirt. Replacing his weapons, he rolled the sleeves up as he descended the stairs. He didn't see why he should have to go out and buy civilian clothing. These were perfectly fine.

The kids were on the living room floor when he came through and they looked at him as he walked by. One grinned at him.

"Look! It's a real Army man!" He flashed a quick smile at him in reply and stepped into the kitchen.

Jack looked at him from the toaster where he was burning perfectly good bread. "Hey.. stylin'. Do you own anything that isn't green?" He smirked at him in reply. "If you were just taller, we'd call you the Jolly Green Giant."

BeachHead rolled his eyes at him. "Har-de-har-har. Such a comedian. I'll leave the dressing up to you boys." He stepped over and appropriated Jack's buttered piece of toast. "By the way.. really cute jammies.. love the little sheepies on them." Jack turned red and punched at his shoulder. "Ouch.. really.. that just was almost as painful as a mosquito bite."

Sean snickered at his teasing of his brother. "Jack, give up, you're not even awake, stop trying to win a battle of wits this early." Jack made a mock-punch at his brother.

Scarlett pointed at him. "Jack.. stop it. Go see if your sister is getting ready to come with us. Snakes will have his face on soon."

Scott had just poured juice and snickered at her comment. "You're the only woman I know that talks about her man 'putting on his face'." He glanced up and sobered at the look on her face. "What? Oh come on.. I was just saying.." He watched her eyes go to the doorway behind him and he put the glass down with a resigned expression. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

Snake Eyes reached past his arm to take the glass of juice. He dropped a straw into it and sipped, watching Scott the entire time. The mask, although skillfully applied, didn't conceal the scars around his eyes. The glass thunked back onto the counter.

He signed at the younger man. *If I get shot another few times, I'll have to put on my butt every morning.* General relieved laughter rang out, and Scott elbowed the ninja in his ribs.

BeachHead grinned, because he remembered the recent incident where a Cobra trooper managed to shoot the renowned Joe.. in his right buttcheek. The commando had shot the trooper between the eyes before he could pull the trigger a second time. Then he'd shot him four more times, just because he was so angry he wasn't going to get to beat him up for shooting him in the butt. Although it could have been a disastrous situation, since that one trooper had the drop on the entire patrol, Snake Eyes quick reflexes had stopped the attack before anyone else was injured or killed. It hadn't made him any happier about being shot in the butt though.

Sean noticed his grin, and reached to poke at him. "Hey.. it wasn't you shooting our bud in the heinie, was it?"

BeachHead shook his head. "Naw.. if I got mad enough to shoot Snakes, I wouldn't miss. Nothin' worse than a angry ninja chasing ya down."

Scarlett shook her head and pointed at the kitchen chair in front of her. "Alright Beach, sit yourself down." He tilted his head backwards suspiciously. "Sit." She brandished a brush at him. "You had your chance to comb it, it's a disaster, I'm doing your hair." He shook his head, and started to back up only to run into Snake Eyes and Sean who took him by his arms and urged him over to the chair.

He sat down into it by Snake Eyes kicking him behind his knee. "Hey! I'm fine, I'll comb it.. I promise!"

Scarlett leaned over his shoulder from behind. "Too late. Just sit still, I'll make you look nice." He grunted as she patted him. Snake Eyes leaned against the counter and watched. Scarlett sprayed water on his head, and rubbed a hand over his hair.

He winced as she dragged the brush through his hair. "I should have shaved it off.." She hummed as she continued pulling tangles out. "Ouch! Take it easy.."

"Don't be a baby." She picked at a lump of hair, pulling it apart before attacking it with the brush as well. "Beach, don't you ever comb your hair? I've seen four year olds with fewer tangles." He twisted his head as she tugged another tangle loose. "Hold still."

He squinted his eyes and fidgeted. "Well I always have my balaclava on, OW!! Dang it woman!!" She flicked her comb onto the top of his head. "OW!"

"Stop moving." She waited until he clamped his jaw shut and sat still. "I'm trying not to pull it too much, but it's a mess. Maybe you should just shave it short."

His voice sounded sulky. "I don't like it shaved short." He glared at the onlookers, who were enjoying his distress. "What are you lot looking at?" Snake Eyes propped his chin in one hand and pointed at him. "Shut up, Snake Eyes. Your hair doesn't look much better than mine."

The ninja reached up and ran fingers through his blond locks. *Mine isn't tangled.*

BeachHead snorted at him. "It's longer than mine, I'd think you'd keep it short as much as it's hidden under your mask."

Snake Eyes reached up and fiddled with his hair a little, looking uncomfortable. *It has to be longer to cover the.. bare spots..*

Jack looked at his head. "What? You getting bald early?" Snake Eyes gave a half shrug at him.

Scarlett wasn't looking at either of them as she answered. "No.. it's scars. But it looks fine with a little length." Suddenly she stopped and ran her fingers through the brown slightly curly hair under her hands. "You know.. I've never seen someone with more cowlicks. How do you ever get it to lay right?"

BeachHead rolled his eyes up to look at her. "I keep it covered up with a balaclava headmask... remember?" She waved the comb at him again. "Okay okay!! Don't thwap me!"

She narrowed her eyes as she ran the comb through his hair a few more times. "Jack.. why don't you bring me some of that gel you use?" BeachHead opened his mouth to object and saw Snake Eyes wagging a finger at him.

*Give in, you'll end up letting her do it anyway.*

By the time Jack returned from the upstairs, Scarlett was finishing combing out his hair, and he had to admit, to himself at least, it felt nice.

The redhead unscrewed the jar and applied just a little bit of gel, rubbing it through the hair. "You have nice hair. If you take care with it, you'd look very nice." He grunted at that. She began combing again, and he sat still, wondering what exactly she was doing. "Between the cowlicks and the scars, I think it would look really weird if you clipped it short." He shrugged a little bit. "There... all done. That wasn't too bad, was it?"

He got up quickly, restraining himself from reaching up and messing with his hair. "Yeah, it was peachy." He watched Snake Eyes seat himself and look up at Scarlett. "What are you doing?"

Snake Eyes tilted his head back slightly and smiled. Scarlett began to comb his hair out for him. *I like it when Scarlett brushes my hair.* She smiled at his signing and bent to kiss the top of his head. *Thank you.*

It only took a minute for her to arrange the mute's hair for him. He got up and hugged her, then stepped back to look her over. *You look lovely, I like that skirt on you.* She preened, and he turned to the sergeant. *Don't you think so?*

BeachHead jumped, and then looked the woman over. "Scarlett always looks great. Shoot, you could wear a gunnysack and look good."

She dropped a mock curtsy at him. "Waahh, thank ye good sir.." Her exaggerated southern accent made him frown. "Ah do daclare, you're about ta make me blush, good sirrah.."

He grumphed in reply. "Are you makin' fun of me?" She laughed at his expression and gave him a hug, which he endured.

Turning to the stairs, she looked and smiled. "Finally! Sallah, we were about to leave without you. You look great."

The young girl came down the steps slowly. She was dressed in a flowing skirt and a light blouse, and had done her hair up in an artfully tousled manner. BeachHead looked up at her.

She gave him a shy smile. "Do you think I look okay?"

BeachHead started to reply and spotted Snake Eyes off to the side fingerspelling over and over. *c..u.t.e... c.u.t.e... say c.u.t.e...*

He cleared his throat and glanced at the ninja before looking at her. "Ahh.. yeah.. you look.. umm.. you look cute." He wasn't prepared for the angry look he got from the girl.

She scowled at him and stomped the rest of the way into the kitchen. He looked over at Jack who was hiding a snicker behind his hand, and Scarlett shook her head at him. Snake Eyes gave him a thumb's up and then turned to Sallah.

*I think you look lovely.* She smiled at him, turning to give BeachHead another scowl.

Her voice was icy. "Thank you Snake Eyes. At least SOMEone appreciates my efforts to look nice." BeachHead glared at his friend. He got a innocent hands up gesture in reply. "Are we ready to go?" She followed Scarlett out the door.

BeachHead grabbed the ninja by a arm. "What the heck was that?" He hissed at him. "I'm trusting you here man.. you threw me under a friggin' tank!"

Snake Eyes looked through the door, making sure that the ladies were outside. Then he signed quickly at the perturbed sergeant. *If you say she's 'pretty', she becomes MORE infatuated with you. 'Cute' means you see her as a good kid.* He paused. *Kid. Not eligible young woman.*

Beach puffed out a breath. "Isn't there some way to discourage her that doesn't make her think I'm a huge jerk?" He watched the ninja's shoulders jerk in silent laughter as he put on his sunglasses. He shook his head and motioned at the door. "Great.. this 'stress relief' trip is killing me. Psyche-Out should have given me training before shipping me out with you guys."

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End chapter:

Hey... another QUIZ!!!

Who can tell why Snakes said "Tuesday. I hate tuesday mornings."?

If enough people can guess the answer, the last and FINAL chapter of the "New First Date" gets posted. Normally Lil Beachie would get to have his say.. but he got so irate over the plot bunny I wrote that he ended up in time out, and thus didn't get his bit written. That muffled cursing you hear is him under a coffeecup. If he behaves, he'll get to say his bit next chapter!