(((Thank you Gaara-frenzy, Moonlight Calls, and Smile-Evily for your comments. Im already started on chapter 27. ^_^)))
~Joker's POV~
He had been watching her all day. He was a bit ticked off that she was going out with that flashy billionaire 'again', but he kept reminding himself that she was in a slightly different position now than she was before her father died. She had more of an obligation to do what people expected. Granted she had never been the type to do what people expected. He must have been a partner to the company in some way. He probably had known her father. So she couldn't be rude to him. It made sense.
Joker had been surprised to find out that that annoying prick of a pretty boy had moved to Gotham. When Ann had stormed out of the opera house he had assumed that the billionaire Bruce Wayne had done something to make her mad. But no. Chamberlin had showed up and said something to piss her off instead. Knowing Chamberlin, it was probably something that insulted Joker. He thought it was ironic. He had told the little punk that they would meet again. He was equally surprised when Wayne had knocked the little prick out cold when he tried to grab Ann. He never thought a pretty boy billionaire would know how to fight. Once they left it would have been the perfect time to remind Chamberlin of the threat he had made the last time he had seen him. But if he had stayed to take care of it he would be letting Ann get away. He felt like he had an obligation to follow her. Especially since the night before when she didn't even bother looking in the ally and almost got herself raped. If he hadn't been there she very well may have been. So he stayed hidden and watched Wayne escort Ann to the limo at the front of the building. He thought it was a bit amusing how she looked in every direction for him. He wasn't really sure how he knew she was looking for him. He just did. When the limo puller out he and the two people he had with him followed.
About ten of fifteen minutes later the limo arrived at her newly acquired apartment and Joker watched as Wayne escorted her up to the door. He was watching from a building that was about three or four levels shorter than her building. He would have preferred a taller building, but this was the only one that was on the correct side to provide an inside view of the apartment. Joker, Devin, and Sniper waited for them to get to the top of the building. The three of them were laying on their stomachs on the top of the roof. Sniper was watching the apartment through the scope of his gun. The gun he was using was a 308 Tactical Savage. It was one of Joker's personal favorites when it came to long distance sniping. Joker had hired Sniper because of his special ability. Joker would normally have done it himself, but he figured it may come in handy to have Sniper around if he ever needed a shooter in one place while he was in another. Joker was watching the apartment through a set of binoculars.
A few minutes after Ann and Wayne entered the building Joker saw the door to her apartment open. Ann looked on edge. Extremely on edge. He could understand her being a bit upset about Chamberlin. But it even looked like she was having those 'private conversations' that she has frequently when she's upset. She only let one of those show when she was really having problems. Joker assumed they were problems with how much she missed him.
Joker couldn't see very well because of the angle and the fact that they were standing in the doorway. He had a pretty nice view of Ann's ass though.
After a minute Wayne stepped through the doorway suddenly and kissed her. Joker felt his blood boil as his anger level rose unbelievably. Joker was suddenly in an unbreakable silence. He was on the verge grabbing the gun and shooting Wayne himself when Ann broke away from the kiss. She looked even more upset now than she did before.
That must have been what she was dreading.
He would have said that she looked distraught or very close to it. His anger level rose again slightly when they hugged. But Wayne left directly after that. Joker watched the smug looking billionaire walk back out to his limo and drive off.
Ann wasn't looking so smug. She banged her head against the door several times purposely. It wasn't long after that when Ashley showed up. Devon seemed to brighten up at seeing her. It was like he had turned into a silent and heart broken little kid. The dumb blonde was all he talked about. Ashley, Ashley, Ashley. It was enough to drive Joker mad.
After the blonde had been there a bit he found out something about Ann that he had never known before. His little Shadow was a smoker. The building Joker was on happen to be just within earshot of the balcony that the two girls were sitting on. They wouldn't be able to hear Joker and his men because they were quiet. But the girls weren't even attempting to keep their voices down. Joker discovered that Ann had been a smoker several years ago.
Looks like she's about to pick back up on her old habit. And its all my fault? Goodie.
~Bruce Wayne's POV~
Bruce had just arrived back at his mansion. He was floating on air. His date with Ann had gone great aside from that guy at the opera house and the kiss. Well, the kiss was great too, it was what she had said after the kiss that bothered him. It didn't matter. He was determined to help her get past who ever Jak was and move on. So far he absolutely adored everything about her. He wasn't about to give up just because of one little set back. And the Joker had been strangely absent the last week or so. He hadn't seen him or the mysterious woman since the incident at the police station. So his 'Bat time' was at a stand still. It was nice having a bit of peace for a change without having to clean up after that mad man. He still couldn't wrap his mind around that woman though. He just couldn't understand why anyone would willingly want to be with the Joker. Ever since Bruce had seen that woman he had been mystified. It was a good thing he had Ann to take his mind off her. She could be exactly what he had been looking for.
"That's it then. I won't stop till she's mine."
~Flash~
Jak looked down at her sleeping on the grass next to where he was sitting. She was several years younger than he was. He was still attracted to her. She seemed so innocent and pure. But something about her threw him off. There was something about her that made him think she wasn't so innocent.
She looked like she might be a bit cold. Jak took off his gi and wrapped it around her shoulders. She was sleeping on her side so the task was fairly easy. Something just wouldn't let him leave her outside. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and began walking. He had no problems navigating the narrow ledge. The moon gave him plenty of light. Besides, he knew the entire way by heart. Once he reached the stairs he shifted her so that he was holding her bridal style then continued up the stairs. He already knew where she was supposed to be sleeping. He had seen her earlier that day in the village. She had her own room. Well, technically it was a one room house.
Her 'house' was on the other side of the small village. Jak carried her right down the middle of the village. He wasn't worried about prying eyes. Most everyone was asleep.
As he turned the corner he barely caught the feeling of someone watching just before it disappeared. Jak was unaffected. He walked up the stairs to the room she was supposed to be sleeping in and opened the door. He laid her in the sleeping cot on the floor and covered her with the cotton blankets. He then walked out and shut the door, leaving his gi where he had placed it around her shoulders.
As he walked back down the stairs he was able to identify who had been watching him. "Never seen you acting so nice. Even gave her the shirt off your back." The man said. "Hai, sensei." Jak said as he nodded his head slightly out of respect. "Taking a liking to the girl?" Jak's sensei asked. Jak looked back over his shoulder at the door. "Hai, sensei." The sensei smiled. "Go get some sleep." He told Jak, then walked off.
~Fades to white~
Ann woke up a bit earlier than she would have liked. It was Thursday morning. Ann rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but the dream she had had was still stuck firmly in her mind. She still wasn't completely sure if it was a dream or a memory. She rolled back over and looked at the clock. It told her it was 6:33 am. Ann climbed out of bed and stumbled in darkness to the kitchen and turned on the light. She started a pot of coffee and turned around to see Ashley sleeping half way on the couch. She laughed. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that." She walked over to Ashley and nudged her with her foot. Ashley groaned and twisted a bit. A second later her lower half fell off the couch and she woke with a start. She gave a confused look around the room then up at Ann. "Ya passed out on me last night, girlie." Ann told her and laughed. Ashley groaned and held her head. "You got any aspirin or anything?" Ashley asked. Ann smiled and went to the bathroom to get the Advil she kept just for these occasions. She handed Ashley the Advil and a cup of coffee. Ashley nodded a thank you and picked herself up off the floor as Ann went to her bedroom to get dressed. "You wanna go out to eat?" Ann called from the bedroom. "Sure." Ashley yelled back. "You wanna borrow some clothes?" Ann asked. Ashley suddenly perked up. "That'd be awesome!" She said and joined Ann in the bedroom. Ann wore a pair of black pants and an off the shoulder grey shirt. She then grabbed her leather blazer and strapped on the gun that went under her shirt. She had been careless lately and she wanted one with her. She couldn't wear the second one. Her pants were a bit too tight. Ashley borrowed a pair of white skinny jeans and a red tank top. She kept her fuzzy pink jacket that she had worn the night before.
A half hour later Ann was sitting in a Denny's next to Ashley. Ann was looking at the menu. Ashley was trying to decide what to drink. "This one looks good." Ashley said and held up a picture of some fruity looking drink. The waitress came by for a third time since they had been there. "Have you decided what you would like to drink yet ma'am?" Ashley pointed to the drink she had just shown Ann. Ann rolled her eyes.
It's probably goinna take her another hour to figure out what she wants to eat.
You're the one that invited her.
Ann continued scanning the menu. She decided on a grand slam with over easy eggs, sausage, hash browns, and pancakes. She knew she wouldn't eat the pancakes. Not all of them anyways. She never did. Ashley took forever to order. Ann felt sorry for the waitress. Ashley finally decided on a south western steak burrito and fries. After they ordered Ann finally started to enjoy herself. It was nice to go out and eat without having to worry about reporters. Ann and Ashley talked a lot about a lot of different things. The most common topics were Bruce and Joker. Ashley still had questions about what happened with Joker. Ann was in a bit better mood today and the wound wasn't quite so fresh. So she went through everything that had happened. She made sure that they never 'actually' mentioned Joker. She also made sure that no one was listening. That morning there was only a few coffee drinkers sitting along the far wall.
After breakfast Ashley went with Ann to work. Ann unlocked the office and walked over to her desk. It
was about 15 before 8. So Misa wasn't there quite yet. Ashley bounced in and jumped on the couch.
Ann flicked the tv on so she would have something to entertain her. It was the news again. Ann turned
on her computer and logged in. She was browsing through the last weeks business deals when
something the blonde reporter was saying caught her attention and she looked up to watch. "Hey, Ann.
You should listen to this." Ashley said from the couch. Ann got up and walked to sit on the couch. "Police
are not answering questions about the number of casualties in the bank bombing last night. Some eye
witnesses say that the Joker was involved, although the purposes behind this bombing is unclear. We'll
have more on this story as it unfolds." Ann shrugged. "Why do I care? It's not like it has anything to do
with me." Ann said with a slight bit of distain in her voice. Just then there was a knock at the door. Ann
and Ashley both looked over their shoulder to find Bruce Wayne leaning against the open door. Ann
looked a bit surprised. She regained her composure and waived him over. "Well, what are you lovely
ladies doing?" Bruce asked as he came over to sit by Ann. Ann pointed at the tv. Ashley was transfixed
on Bruce. She nudged Ann. "Oh my God. He's friggin gorgeous! And he's all over you!" Ashley
whispered. Ann squinted her eyes and rubbed her forehead in embarrassment as Bruce laughed.
Ashley's eyes widened a bit. "Did he hear me?" She whispered to Ann. Ann nodded her head. "Yeah. He
did." She told Ashley. Bruce laughed some more. Ashley leaned over Ann. "Hi! I'm Ashley!" She said and
stuck out her hand, which caused Ann to nearly fall backwards. Bruce smiled and shook her hand. Ann's
growled and thumped Ashley over the head. Ashley glared at her for it. "What was that for?" "For tryin
to knock me off the couch you klutz of a flirt." Ann told her and crossed her arms. Just then Misa walked
in. She threw her coat off and set her purse on her desk just outside the door. "What? You guys having a
party without me?" She laughed and jumped onto the couch between Ann and Ashley. This caused a lot
of arguing between Misa and Ashley and a lot of panic from Ann as she was pushed up against Bruce. He
wasn't complaining a whole lot. "Ugh. What is the matter with everyone today? It's like your both trying
to sabotage me!" She yelled at the two arguing girls who ignored her. Ann pushed against Misa trying to
get one of them off the couch. It didn't happen. After a moment she gave up and tried to get
comfortable. After a moment Bruce raised his arm and put it over the back of the couch to help
accommodate her. He was smiling. Ann suddenly turned bright red as her body came into contact with
his and he put his arm over her shoulder. Ashley and Misa were still semi-wrestling on the couch next to
them. Ann was sill blushing madly. Just then Bruce pulled her into a small embrace and held her there
for a moment. That was when she lost it. She jumped up and made for the door. "Just remembered
something at the lab. Bie!" She said as she ran off. Ashley and Misa had been seconds from pulling at
each other's hair. They both exchanged looks. Bruce smiled and got up. "Nice talking to you girls. It was
'interesting'." He then laughed and walked out. Ashley and Misa waited till he was gone then high fived.
"It worked!" Misa said in excitement.
~Meanwhile at the research lab.~
Ann was so out of it. She was embarrassed and pissed. Her friends were so annoying. She could almost
bet they did that crap on purpose. She finally made it to the research lab and unlocked the door. No one
was there yet. If Ann remembered correctly, they didn't come in till around 9. Ann flipped on the lights and walked over to the firing range. She really needed to unleash a bit of rage. She pulled out her gun and took aim at the paper target at the other end. She unloaded a round then hit the button and watched patiently as the paper target moved towards her. She already knew her aim had been perfect. She looked the target over for a moment then replaced it and doubled the length of the firing distance. She re loaded her gun and unloaded another round of shots. Once again, her aim was pristine. She was starting to feel a bit better. She had just reloaded her gun a second time and was about to zoom the target back down the range to unload again when she heard someone cough behind her. On instinct she spun around and aimed at the intruder.
Ann lowered the gun and sighed. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on an armed lady?" She asked him jokingly. He smiled. "I didn't know you could shoot." He said as he walked over to her. She smiled. "Would you like to learn? I hear I'm a good teacher." Bruce looked her up and down. "I'll bet you are." He said as he walked over to her. "Hey now. You forgot I still got the gun." She told him. He craned his neck a bit to look at the gun. She held it out to him. "You wanna try?" She asked. "Sure."
Ten bucks says he wont hit a damn thing.
Ann handed him the gun and then pushed the button for the normal distance on the range. Bruce walked over to the range and aimed at the target. He unloaded on the target. Ann's mouth dropped open slightly.
Well, what u got to say bout that smart ass.
…. Lucky shot.
"Nice." Ann said as she looked over the target. "I think you killed it." She told him. He smiled. "Still think I need lessons?" He asked her. She laughed. "Naw. I think you got it handled." She told him. He handed the unloaded gun back to her. "That's a pretty nice gun. Where'd you get it?" he asked. She locked up for a second. "Um, it was a gift." She told him as she put the gun back in its holster. "So what are you doing here so early anyways?" She asked. He looked off in the other direction. "Well, the truth is, I'm hiding from my butler." He told her. She gave him a strange look. "Oh. He's mad with me because I haven't introduced him to the lovely lady I've been seeing." She smiled. He stepped a bit closer to her. "You know, I could probably fix that problem. Would you like to come to dinner at my place tomorrow night? It sure would get Alfred off my back." He said. She laughed. "Sure." His face lit up in obvious pleasure. "Great. It's a date." She smiled. "Sure is." She told him. At that moment his cell phone rang. "Crap. Hold on a sec." He pulled out the phone and answered it. "Hello." Pause. "Yes." Another pause. "I told you-" a slightly longer pause. "Yes I asked her." Another short pause and he turned away from her. "She said yes." He said in a hushed voice. "I don't know. Something nice." Click. He hung up. Ann was giving him another strange look. "Your butler?" She asked in amusement. He had obviously been telling the truth about hiding from him. Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Apparently he's a bit excited. Believe it or not, it's been awhile since I took an interest in anyone." She smiled. "Well aren't I the lucky one?" She said sarcastically. He laughed. "Pick you up at 8?" He asked as she began walking towards the door and he followed. "It's okay. I'll drive." She told him. He smiled. "I don't suppose you need directions?" She laughed. "I think I can find it." She told him as he placed his hand on her back. She noticed, but she went along with it. It was actually a bit nice.
Touched by a billionaire. How fortunate.
Ann ignored Akira's mocking and let Bruce escort her back to her office. Misa was sitting behind her desk with a smug smirk on her face and Ashley was still on the couch watching tv. Bruce lingered at the door for a bit before giving her an elegant kiss on the hand and exiting.
And let the annoyance begin.
As soon as the elevator doors closed both Misa and Ashley let out a series of squeals and ran over to her. Ann tried her best to ignore them as she walked over to her desk and sat down. "He is such a friggin hunk! Oh my God! Why haven't you jumped that yet?" Ashley said excitedly. Ann ignored her. "That was so romantic. He's such a sweet heart! He must really like you." Misa told her. Ann ignored her as well. "Have you seen his ass girl? Damn! I'd be all over it!" Ashley exclaimed. "Yes. Yes. He's a hunk that's really sweet with a nice ass. I got it." Ann told them as she tried to find some kind of escape route to get her away from the match making women. "Don't I have paperwork or something to do? What's with all this 'oh my God he's such a prince crap'?" Ann asked in frustration. "What did you talk about? Did he ask you on another date? When is he coming back?" Ashley asked. Ann threw her hands up in annoyance. "I give up." She said as she stood and dramatically walked over to the couch to watch tv. The blonde reporter was back "New news involving Gotham's new favorite couple. Bruce Wayne and Mary Giovanni were seen together again last night." Ann growled and turned off the tv. "What the hell is with everyone?" Ann screamed at the tv. She then turned to glare at Ashley and Misa. "Oh come on. You guys would make an awesome couple." Misa told her. "Yeah. Not to mention he's super cute." Ashley said. Ann rolled her eyes. "Can we just drop it please."
The rest of the day went by fast. Ann didn't have much to do. Ashley and Misa kept trying to bring up Bruce but Ann would ignore them every time. When Ann got home she felt a little tense so she went down to the bottom level of her apartment and kicked the bag for awhile and practiced her Aikido. She did that for the remainder of the day until it was about 7 pm. She then went up stairs and took a shower. After her shower she let her hair air dry and she then dressed in black and red silk shorts, a matching shirt, and a matching robe. She left the robe open then went to the living room. She sat on the couch for a minute and out of boredom she turned on the tv. With the way things had been going lately she half expected to see some crack pot bull crap about either her relationship with Bruce or one of Joker's crazy stunts. Luckily for both her patience and hot temper, it was just some rerun of House. Ann stretched out on the couch and watched for awhile.
About half way through the program there was a buzz at the door. Ann stood and walked over to the little box and pushed the button. "Who is it?" She asked. "I brought a present for you!" Ashley's hyper voice chirped from the other end. Ann groaned and pushed the button that opened the door then went back to lounging on the couch. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.
That's weird. No one knocks.
Ann got up and went to the door. Ashley was standing in the doorway with a big smug smirk on her face. "Now. Don't be cross with me. It was Misa's idea." Ashley told her. Ann gave her a confused look and put her hands on her hips in annoyance. "What the hell are you blabbing about now?" Ann asked with an annoyed look. Ashley smiled a cheesy smile then reached over to pull on the other door's handle. The door slowly opened and Ann nearly fell over.
In stepped Bruce Wayne. He was in a black shirt and some blue jeans. He looked her up and down and a smirk appeared on his face. Ann stared blankly at him and her face turned a bit red. It was mostly blush, but a hint of it was anger. She let her gaze drift back to Ashley who started backing up. "Now Ann, I warned you not to be cross." She said as she raised her hands. Ann grabbed her by her shirt. "Can I have a word with you, please." She said as she rather forcefully dragged Ashley across the room. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why'd you bring him here, you dunce?" Ann asked in a hushed voice. "I thought it would be a good surprise!" Ashley said back. Ann slapped her upside her head. "Now hold on a minute! That wasn't all I brought you." Ashley complained loudly. "He's a 'he', not a 'that'." Ann yelled at her. "I brought you something else too!" Ashley said. "That's not the point you dolt. Look at me. I'm not dressed." Ann said quietly. "If my opinion counts any, I think you look marvelous." Bruce put in from across the room. Ann felt her face twitch slightly as it turned a bit red again. While Ann had her attention on him he took the opportunity to hold up a plastic bag that looked like it had a box in it. "Look see! A surprise." Ashley said as she pointed to the bag. "Bruce was nice enough to carry it for me." She said as Bruce handed the bag to Ashley and Ashley handed it to Ann. Ann looked suspiciously at it. "I think you just brought it to cover your ass for bringing him." She mumbled as she took the bag and sat on the couch. Bruce closed the doors and sat next to her. Ashley followed suit and sat down as well. Ann opened the bag and pulled out the box. She looked at it for a moment. "An Xbox?" She asked. Ashley shook her head. "Nope. It's an Xbox 360." She informed Ann. "Ash, I haven't played a video game since I was a kid." Ann told her. Ashley's eyes got wide. "You mean you haven't played an Xbox yet?" Ann looked at her like she was dumb. "No. I haven't played an Xbox." "You just have to try it!" Ashley exclaimed as she grabbed the box and began pulling things out of it and hooking them up to Ann's tv. Ann rolled her eyes and headed for the kitchen. "You want something to drink Bruce?" Ann asked as she opened the fridge and pulled out a Dr. Pepper. "Sure." He said as she grabbed another one and closed the fridge. She handed Bruce the drink and opened the door that led out onto the balcony. The cold air that blew in felt refreshing and it made Ann feel a bit better. She stepped out on the balcony and took a drink as she leaned on the railing and looked out over the city lights. A moment later she felt someone's hand on her back.
I'll be damned. He sure is persistent.
She turned to look over her shoulder as he stepped up to lean on the railing beside her. "Nice view." He commented. She nodded. "Yup." After a minute his hand on her back turned into his arm around her waist. Ann felt a bit uncomfortable but she was beginning to get used to his affection.
Well, he seems like a nice person. He's got a kind of chivalrous air about him.
Appearances can be deceiving. Just remember that.
Maybe it would be a good idea to know more about him. He is making a habit of hanging around an awful lot. I normally don't let people get this close to me and my friends unless I really know them.
You've been under a lot of pressure lately. I forgive you for your stupidity.
You can just kiss the darkest part of my ass. Point is, I need to know more about him if he's goinna be hangin around all the time.
"So, what's the most important thing to you?" She asked him out of nowhere. He gave her a surprised look. "Well, I would say family, but I really don't have much of that left."
Ok. That was the wrong question.
"What about you? What do you value most?" He asked her.
Well that sure worked. He went and turned it all around on my ass.
Maybe he has more brains than I gave him credit for.
"I don't have any family either, so I'd have to say my friends." She told him. He laughed slightly. "Okay. Family and friends aside. Then what would it be?" He asked. She thought about it for a minute. "The ability to protect them, what ever it takes." She answered. He turned his head to look at her. "And what exactly does that entail?" He asked. She smiled. "That entails anything and everything that I can use to keep the people I care about safe. My mind, physical fitness, common sense, and a willingness to act." She told him.
Looks like he's finding out more about you than you are him.
A lot of help you are.
"A man said that to me one time. Someone I really respected." She looked at him funny at the lack of detail. He sighed. "He said that a willingness to act was what separates the victims from the oppressors and the protectors. To make a difference, you have to be willing to act." He said. She smiled then looked back over her shoulder to see Ashley still trying to figure out all the wires to the Xbox. She was beginning to look a bit annoyed with the whole project. Ann couldn't help but laugh.
"If you could go anywhere, where would you be right now?" Bruce asked her out of nowhere. Her mind flashed back to the visions she had been having of when she had been in Japan with Jak. "I'd be in Japan. No question." She told him as she looked longingly off into the distance. "You ever been there?" He asked. She smiled. "Once when I was younger." She replied. He smirked. "It's a beautiful place. If you know where to go. But if you don't, you can wind up in places you don't want to be in really quick." He told her. She looked over at him. "Sounds like your speaking from experience. Can't imagine what would take 'you' somewhere you didn't wanna go." She mused. "I traveled around a lot a couple years back. Went looking for something, anything, meaningful." He said with a slightly forlorn look. "Did you find it?" She asked him. He hesitated for a minute. "Part of it." It was silent for a few minutes and Ashley's constant grumbling and cursing became slightly audible.
There's something deeper about him. Like there's something he wants to keep from everyone.
"Think she has any idea what she's doing?" He asked in amusement as he nodded in Ashley's direction. Ann laughed. "I don't have to think to know that." She told him. He laughed slightly. "So what do you look for in a guy anyway?" He asked. "You asking so you know how to act, or are you just curious?" She retorted. He smirked again. "Just curious." He told her. She smiled. "Well, he has to be smart. The kind of person that seems to out smart you at every turn. Has to have a good sense of humor. " She told him. He nodded slightly. "Damn it! I give up. Your system is all jacked up." Ashley said as she stepped out onto the balcony. "Ooh. You two sure are getting close." Ashley said upon seeing Bruce's arm around Ann's waist. Bruce just smirked at Ann and Ann glared at Ashley. Ann sighed and went into the living room. She looked at the entertainment system that Ashley had bungled. She looked it over for a few moments then switched a few things around. She then turned on the tv and the Xbox. "You won't get it to work. I tried everything I could think of." Ashley said from the doorway of the balcony as Bruce took a seat on the couch. Ann picked up the tv remote. "Did you think of this?" She asked as she hit a button. The Xbox logo popped up onto the screen. "Oh. Whatcha ya know bout that. It works." Ann said sarcastically. Ashley flipped her off and grabbed the Xbox remotes. She handed one to Ann and one to Bruce then kept the third for herself. Then Ashley pulled out a game case from the bag and put in Halo 3. They didn't bother hooking it up to the internet yet. In no time at all they were playing against each other.
After Ann figured out all the controls she started developing different tactics to use against Ashley and Bruce. On bigger and more open maps she would use a sniper and a battle rifle. On smaller maps she would use a shot gun and an assault rifle. She had to find the weapons on the maps first. But once she figured out where most of the things were she had no problems. She was whooping some ass. Ashley out did her quite a bit at the beginning since she had actually played the game before. Bruce did better than her also. But after the first several games Ann began to get the hang of it. After that there was no beating her.
They played Halo for several hours before Ashley finally gave in to exhaustion. She mumbled something about passing out then dragged herself to the spare bedroom. Ann and Bruce sat in silence on the couch for a few moments after the door to the spare room closed. "So, now what? Wasn't she your ride?" Ann asked. Bruce nodded. Ann's face fell. "Great." She mumbled.
She so did that on purpose.
No doubt.
"Well, you can stay here if you want. Or I could take you home." Ann told him. "It's up to you. I'm more than willing to stay, if you want me to." He replied.
I'm going to kill her.
"You'd probably be more comfortable at your place. I don't exactly have any clothes that you would fit into. Your welcome to try though." She said sarcastically. He smirked. "I think I'll be fine in my own clothes." He told her. She smiled. "Okay. I'll get you a pillow and some blankets." She said and got up to go to her bedroom. He gave her a strange look as she brought back a blanket and a pillow and sat them on the couch for him with a smile. "Here ya go." She said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "So I guess that means I'm sleeping on the couch?" He asked. "Ding ding. We have a winner." She said happily as she went to the kitchen and got herself another drink.
She was about to go back to her bedroom but she froze as she turned to leave the kitchen. She watched from the kitchen as he pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it on the floor by the couch. He apparently hadn't noticed her yet as he started unfolding the blanket over the couch. Ann watched as the muscles on his back rippled. He had scars also. Not like the ones Joker had, but they were still there. When he was done fixing his temporary bed he turned around to see her standing there and smirked. Her face flushed and she looked the other way. He walked over to her and stopped. She looked back at him to see what he was up to. He leaned around her to open the refrigerator door and get a drink. She belatedly realized she was in his way and backed up a bit. As he closed the fridge he kept his hand on the door and leaned in closer. Her eyes widened slightly and she backed up further but her back came into contact with the fridge. She was trapped between his arm on her left, the fridge at her back, and the kitchen bar to her right. He leaned in closer as he sat his drink on the counter and their lips touched softly. Her mind clicked off and her eyes closed slowly. This time she noticed how soft his lips were against hers. It was so foreign and different to her. His free hand moved to rest on her side and he pulled her closer to him. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. She arched her back slightly when his hands found her hips and he pulled to grind against her slowly. She couldn't help but moan slightly.
Do something! Move!
Akira's voice snapped her out of it and she suddenly broke the kiss and ducked under the arm that was supporting his weight on the fridge behind her. He looked over his shoulder at her with a smirk. She backed up a few paces. It was silent for a moment as they stared at each other. "Good night." She said with a slight quiver in her voice then she turned and quickly made her way to her bedroom and shut the door. She stood there for a moment with her back against the door trying to calm herself down.
No way I'm sleeping now.
Well, now your stuck in here. If you can't sleep, what are you going to do?
Ann thought for a second. Then she turned out the lights and walked over to the spiral stairs that led down to the second level. She descended in darkness. Once she got to the bottom of the stairs she flicked on the lights and went to the spacious room that had her punching bag. After she took off the silk robe she pulled her hair back and kicked at the bag for a few minutes. Then she paced along the large windows that lined one side of the room. After a few minutes of that she went back to beating up the bag. She alternated between the two for about an hour. Finally she gave up on her frustration and sat in the corner of the room and stared out the window that she was letting herself lean against. The glass was cool on her forehead. She fell asleep starring out the window at nothing.
~Bruce's POV~
He sighed as she shut the door to her room. He could tell that it would take a lot more than sweet gestures and a charming attitude for her to want him. She wasn't the type to just give herself away.
I'll bet she's only ever been with one guy. That's probably why she so attached to him.
He grabbed his drink and walked back to the 'temporary bed'. He sat there unable to sleep for a few hours. For the first hour he was plagued by strange thumping sounds coming from the floor below him. Finally curiosity got the better of him and he quietly made his way to the back bedroom.
I just want to see her sleep.
He slowly opened the door.
What? Where is she?
He looked around and found the staircase that led down. He quietly descended. The lights were on so he had no problems seeing his way once he was at the bottom. He walked down the hallway glancing in the rooms that had open doors. There wasn't much to look at. As he came closer to the end of the hallway he saw a table that had an array of knives and guns sitting on it. It also held a katana. It was black. He could tell the sheath was made of wood. The handle was double pinned. That most likely meant that the blade was folded steel. He got a bit closer and admired it. He noted that all the weapons on the table looked to be part of a collection. He wondered why the silver knife upstairs on the coffee table wasn't with the rest of them. It looked like it was the most valuable aside from the katana.
It must mean something to her.
As he looked around he noticed the black silk robe Ann had been wearing laying on the floor. He picked it up and looked around. He found her asleep in the corner of the room on the other side of a punching bag that was hanging from the ceiling.
She's a martial artist. So that's what that noise was. I thought she was a bit jumpy. She's not used to people in her space.
He walked closer and kneeled in front of her. He watched her sleep for a few minutes.
Well, I can't leave her here.
He gently picked her up bridal style and carried her back through the hallway and up the stairs that led to her bedroom. He laid her on her bed and was about to cover her with the blankets when she rolled over towards him which trapped his arm between her and the bed.
This is going to look really bad if she wakes up.
She looked like she was having some kind of dream. He slowly pulled his trapped arm out from under her and then covered her with the blankets. He then slowly made his way to the door.
~Flash~
Ann woke up in the small cot that was basically the only furnishings in the small house. She yawned and sat up to stretch. That's when she noticed the black gi that fell from her shoulders. She looked at it strangely then she remembered the night before.
He must have brought me back. Maybe he's not so rude.
She got out of bed and changed her clothes. After she was dressed she opened the door to her house and then shut it behind her, intent on finding Jak and returning his gi. As soon as she was outside she noticed her father talking to his friend at the bottom of the stairs. She got the impression that her father's friend was rather important in this place. "Ahh. Ann. Did you have a good time last night?" Her father asked her. She nodded as she attempted to hide jak's gi behind her back. Better to not have to explain it. "Did you forget about the festival today?" He asked her. "Oh, I guess I did." She said. He smiled at her. Her father's friend said something in Japanese to a nearby lady who nodded and then walked off. "Follow Tsuba. She will get appropriate clothes for you." Her father told her. Ann nodded and followed the lady. After a minute they ended up at the dojo. Ann followed Tsuba inside. Tsuba went to a cupboard and retrieved some clothes then held them out to her. Ann unfolded the clothes to see that it was a pink kimono. Ann wasn't to keen on pink. "Um, is there anything a little more practical?" Ann asked the lady who gave her a strange look. Ann sighed in annoyance. Just then the door to Ann's right opened. Both her and Tsuba looked to see Jak turn and close the door. He didn't see them until after the door slid closed and he had turned back around. "Sumimasen." He said to Tsuba. He then gave Ann a strange look. Ann realized that she hadn't thought of what to tell him once she found him. Her face flushed a bit and she held out his gi. "Thank you." She mumbled. He took his gi. "No problem." He told her. It was silent for a moment. Tsuba said something to Jak and he looked at Ann. "What were you trying to tell her?" Jak asked. Ann sighed. "I asked if she had anything more practical for me to wear. I don't like pink, or dresses." She told him. He nodded then said something to Tsuba in Japanese. Her face lit up and she nodded and went back to the cupboard. After a moment she held out a selection of kimonos for Ann to choose from. Ann looked through the stack of kimonos. They were all different colors. At the very bottom of the pile was a red one with black trim and a black dragon on the back of it. She put the rest down and opened the red one up. "This one?" Ann said to Tsuba who nodded and put the rest back where they belonged. Ann turned to notice that Jak had disappeared without a sound. She felt a bit disappointed. Tsuba helped Ann figure out how to put on the kimono. Once Ann was dressed she followed Tsuba back outside the dojo. Tsuba pointed towards Ann's father and Ann walked over to him. He was sitting on the stairs that led up to the dojo's entrance.
"There you are. You look magnificent." Her father told her. Her father's friend nodded approvingly. "The festival is in the city of Kyoto. It's one town over. I've sent my best student to fetch the horses for us." Her father's friend told them. Ann was more excited about the horses than the festival.
A few moments later Jak walked up leading three horses. Her eyes widened for a moment. He had changed clothes since she had seen him earlier. He was wearing a black silk gi that was trimmed in silver and black Hakama pants that had silver trim at the bottom. He still had his sword on his hip.
Jak is his best student?
He smiled up at her and she smiled back at him with a slight bit of red on her cheeks. "Jak here is going to escort you." He father told her. She wasn't really paying attention. Jak walked up to the stairs and held out his hand for her. She stepped forward and let him lead her to her horse. He helped her into the saddle then he climbed up to sit in front of her. Her father and Jak's teacher got on their own horses and the four of them headed out of town. Ann was a bit annoyed that she didn't get her own horse, but she wasn't complaining.
~Fades to white~