I think I might be addicted to writing this story. Every day I'm not writing, I'm bouncing up and down in anticipation for when I can keep going. Because I'm having severe withdrawals if I'm not in the process of finishing this. Guess I'm crazy. Cool. Good to know.

I haven't had internet for the past week, so… darn. But I should be able to update more again soon!

And hey, thanks for reviewing XxBlue and CrimsonxX, imagine believe, teamBLAZE, CAPJHMAPAgirl, and MikariStar! I'm super lucky to have reviewers like you guys. Much love. :)


Go Green


"Thanks to the kind, understanding executives at headquarters, we have our very first, official progressive business tool!"

Everyone flinched as Popuri brightly held up a shimmering weapon in her fist. The peppy smile she always wore was growing increasingly more insane as she continued to visit the outer office of Persuasive Papers for her seminars.

"Wow, a safety axe!" Luke gawked. He waved his hand excitedly around his head, bouncing in his chair. "Can I have a turn with it?"

"It's really more of a hatchet," Popuri corrected him. She cleared her throat. "And this is the part where I tell you to stuff it or suffer—"

With a powerful wallop, the pink representative smacked the sharp end of her corporate-approved hatchet into the table, soundly wedging it there. "The consequences! Now. Let's see how our productivity increases with the new edition, shall we?"

Those gathered in the conference room had no trouble in paying rapt attention to the overhead projector Popuri brought with her. She began to spritely pace as she outlined her presentation on environmental health and keeping the office green.

"You know, I think we kind of improved her," Molly whispered to Vaughn, lightly nudging his arm for his attention. They watched as Popuri prattled on, waving around her mesmerizing hatchet. "Toughened her up."

"If that's what you wanna call it," Vaughn scoffed under his breath, rubbing his temple.

Molly chuckled with a hand over her mouth to stifle it. "Sully's too much for ya?"

"Shut up," he smiled, avoiding looking at the all too bright projector light.

Every man in the room who had been at Sully's the day before was looking worse for wear. Except Luke, who apparently had the same, irritating superpower as Molly and was immune to hangovers. But at least Vaughn didn't have it as bad as some. Say Allen, who was swaying slightly back and forth with persistent nausea, or poor Gill who had his head tucked in his knees in the back of the room.

"The company has been using environmentally friendly cleansers since 1992," Popuri hummed with pride, lightly adjusting her black headband.

"Like what? Air?" Dan muttered.

"Yeah, Terry doesn't clean shit," Allen grumbled beside him. He hiccupped once, getting a startled reaction from his companion, but the illness passed. Dan gave him a sympathetic pat on the back, unable to nurse the pounding headache of his own.

"Did it do any good?" Molly whispered, eyeing to see if Popuri had caught them chatting. "Gill doesn't look any better…"

"Yeah, actually… I think he'll be okay," Vaughn reassured, skeptically studying the blond in the corner. He turned back to Molly on his left. "Kind of came to an understanding. Can't remember what it was…"

Molly giggled again and watched as Popuri pointed to her next slide. "All of our waste is carefully sorted and sent to our nearest recycling facilities. All of the pencils and toilet paper we receive is all made of recyclables, too! Isn't that great?"

"That explains a lot. We're using staple paper," Dan snorted. Rod snickered.

Popuri flashed her hatchet. "I SAID ISN'T THAT GREAT?!"

Dan paled at the blade pointed at the tip of his nose. "Y-yes, it's great!"

"Super!" She chirped, retracting the hatchet and changing the slide. "We also support various animal charities and habitat building societies across the globe to keep our little world greener!"

There was a rapid knocking, and all of the guys held their heads groaning in complaint.

"Ahem!" A light cough on the other side of the locked and double bolted conference room door called out nervously. No one was shocked to find that Popuri didn't want their boss in the room, but the power drill and various locks she bought from the local hardware store were a twist. She had installed them in record time, locking their supervisor firmly out.

"I told you we're having a meeting!" Popuri shouted at the door. "You can't play nice, so you have to wait outside!"

"B-but—!" Hamilton whined.

"I'll use my hatchet!" She shrilled, brandishing it threateningly.

"I just need Vaughn!" Hamilton said. "The Superintendent has requested him in my office!"

There was a daunting pause. All eyes were on Vaughn like he was being called to the principal's office in elementary school.

Popuri looked over the workers with a sigh. "Well? Mr. Vaughn?"

"Go on!" Molly shoved him from his stupor.

Vaughn had been frozen, trying to mull over what Vivi was going to do to him. He didn't even know she was visiting. Usually, it was a big to do. But it had to be centered on Harvest Hobbies. And what he did to Taylor with the cake. He'd be taking the fall for it, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

He stood, not giving anyone a second glance as he went to the door and began unbolting it one shot at a time. As he finally twisted the knob and released it, Popuri stopped him.

"Ahem," she daintily cleared her throat. She directed him to a big, cardboard box she had brought with her. "I'll need to have a word with you after you're finished with this new business to finish the presentation. Everyone needs to be fully briefed."

"Yeah, yeah…" he reluctantly agreed and disappeared.

Popuri went back to her audience after desperately clawing to relock the door. "Alrighty, then! Let's continue, shall we? Earth Day is coming up—"

The door slammed shut behind him, and Vaughn stared down at a nervous-looking Hamilton. He was wringing his hands, and he couldn't disguise the uneven chuckle. "W-well! Right this way, Vaughnie!"

"Don't call me that," he twitched uncomfortably. "…sir."

"Right, right!" Hamilton agreed, opening his door for him. Vaughn looked about the room uneasily. As Hamilton bolted the lock behind him, he was surprised to find they were the only two in the room.

"Hamilton! Hamilton, did you get him yet?! I haven't got all day!" A whiny voice emitted from the computer monitor.

"Yes, coming, Vivi!" Hamilton skipped around behind his desk. He jovially waved at the monitor in greeting.

"Well?! Turn me around!" She ordered.

"Right!" Hamilton nodded. He struggled to work his way around the desk, twirling his computer along with him. Once it was fully around, an irate, silver-haired woman was drumming her fingers on her desk in the image.

"Vaughn," she said, her voice crackling from a lagging connection. The picture hiccupped and gained resolution, stabilizing and giving off the appearance that she could actually be there in the room with them. She indicated the two chairs placed in front of Hamilton's massive, wooden desk. "Have a seat."

"Yes, ma'am," Vaughn obliged, taking up a chair for himself.

Hamilton plopped down beside him, folding his hands neatly in his lap with anticipation.

"Turn the camera down so I can see you. I feel like a giant," Vivi griped.

Vaughn took the webcam hooked to the top before Hamilton could, bending it down. He sat back in his chair.

"Very good," Vivi smiled, folding her hands on her desk. She looked between them expectantly. "Well."

Vaughn fidgeted. "Am I going to be fired?"

"Fired?" Vivi asked, wrinkling her nose. She looked up and found her secretary holding out a cup of hot coffee for her. She blushed and thanked him, waving him along. After she watched Gale leave, she sighed and turned back to the video call. Her face fell as she stirred her cream and sugar in. "Hamilton, introduce the subject – I'm not caffeinated."

"Mr. Taylor contacted our Superintendent about his visit," Mr. Hamilton explained, twiddling his thumbs. "He, um, wasn't pleased with your… balloon cake."

"So… I'm fired?" Vaughn repeated.

"For Pete's sake," Vivi dropped her spoon. She chugged her coffee and took a deep breath, leaning in towards the camera. "The little brat was offended. I wasn't pleased you sent him to me whining."

"My apologies, but I stand by—" Vaughn couldn't defend himself as Vivi continued.

"I'd rather if you had him crying…" she sipped her coffee again. Vivi smirked, nodding to Vaughn. "You've got guts, kid. Immature to a fault, I'd say, but definite guts."

Vaughn scratched at the back of his head, envying her coffee. "Uh… thanks?"

"Now," Vivi folded her arms. "What makes you so cocky?"

"Ma'am?" Vaughn asked in confusion. It seemed Hamilton was just here to listen to… whatever this was, as he wasn't contributing unless Vivi specifically told him to.

"What are you planning?" She blatantly asked, orange eyes flashing. "What do you have on Taylor that we don't?"

And it dawned on him. Superintendent Vivi, Hamilton – whoever else was up at corporate, were just as desperate to end Taylor as he was. Even more so. Vaughn was a grunt, so he could find grunt work somewhere else. These people built this company from the ground up. It was all they had, and they didn't intend losing it to an ambitious twelve year old with no business ethic.

"See, big business is like playing a never-ending game of cards… or chess," Vivi went on, giving him time to think up an answer while Hamilton wriggled impatiently beside him. "When you lose a pawn or bishop or rook, it's no small matter, but you can bow out with grace to your opponent. Because you just might take a few pawns and his knight for your own. It's all give and take. But it's just bad manners to cry checkmate without conversation, don't you think?"

She lazily clicked her spoon against the saucer in rhythm, still staring down Vaughn the entire time. "So. Where are we placing our queen?"

Vaughn chuckled. "I can't keep up with your metaphors, ma'am… But."

"Hm~?" Vivi hummed.

"But… I'd like to introduce you to my good, friend Taro."


Popuri huffed at the loose strands of hair escaping her headband. "So… I think that just about covers it! I hope you all learned something today about going green!"

The nodding heads, floating 'z' characters, and snooze bubbles told her otherwise. With a huff, she went to the light switch and flicked it on with her trusty hatchet. Everyone moaned at the light, yawning and stretching back awake.

"Alright! As my presentation comes to a close, I'd like to hand out these pansies!" Popuri lifted a pair of potted sprouts from her big box. She handed them to Louis and Rod in the front. "I'm going to be returning on Earth Day for a follow up. Headquarters wants to show just how much we care this year as we plant our flowers out before our office spaces! So each of you need to care for a flower for the next couple of weeks until then."

"What if mine dies?" Tina asked, knowing she didn't have a green thumb as she clasped her little pot between her hands.

"Oh, I don't think any of you would be so careless to allow your flowers to die," Popuri chortled. She tapped the blunt edge of her axe head against her palm. "After all… there would be dire consequences. So! Care for your plants, and you may exit in single file! Buh-bye, now! Buh-bye!"

"Wow, Allen, your sprout is so pretty!" Rod stared at the little green plant in Allen's palm. "What are you going to name it?"

"She's going to be my Princess~" Allen cooed, setting his plant lovingly down on his desk, positioning it just right between his stapler and the framed picture of himself.

Basil exited the conference room behind them, looking at his own plant to care for.

"Hey, Basil!" Rod goaded with an evil grin. "Did you name yours Basil? Because that's a plant name."

"Did you name yours Rod? Because… it's like… like a stem? And… whatever – don't touch my Nina!" Basil growled, diving in his box. He could be heard muttering within. "Don't worry, Nina, I won't let them hurt you… you'll get used to the dark here. Where it's safe! Safe… here… sh…"

"This is so fun~!" Tina giggled, twirling with her own plant as she raced Luke back to their office. "My sprout's going to grow so big and tall!"

"Not as tall as mine!" Luke challenged, elbowing ahead of her and blocking the door, holding aloft his plastic pot.

"Nu-uh!" Tina argued. "Mine's so gonna outgrow yours!"

Luke scoffed. "Your plant's a wussy! Mine's extreme!"

"Wanna bet?" She stuck her tongue out.

"Just screw already!" Dan held his pillow over his head to drown them out. He gave his own plant a pat on its leafy green head.

"Charles is obviously the superior species of pansy…" Alice sighed, poking at the thin leaf bobbing about. She dug in her desk drawer and produced a pack of Mentos. Looking over her flower, she decided he looked hungry and shared her candy by jamming one into the dirt at its base. "Aw! I'll bet you're happy now. Aren't I such a good Mommy?"

"Hey, Molly, did you name your plant?" Louis asked, carefully holding onto his own with both hands.

She nodded, presenting the little guy to her office buddy. "Yeah! His name's Kasey. I hope he's a blue one!"

"Neat!" Louis laughed. He studied his plant bashfully. "I think I'll name mine Lyla… that's a pretty name for a flower, I think…"

"Aw, that's a great name!" Molly congratulated. She gasped, shoving their plants together. "Oh my gosh, our plants should totally date."

"Oh, no!" Tina whined. She smacked Luke upside the head. "Now look what you did! My plant's missed out on dating Kasey! I totally shipped them!"

"NO SHIPPING THE PLANTS," Rod robotically shouted, turning on them all. He held up a hand to guard his plant from the rest of them.

Gill stared at his plant with both hands under his chin. He frowned down at it. "You're obviously of the violet variety of your everyday garden pansy. As you're now on my desk, you must have a proper, categorical place and name. Perhaps you'll be Luna. Luna, do you think it's possible my mother's able to reproduce asexually? No? Yeah, I didn't think so…"

He looked up with a start, after a light laugh told him he was being overheard. Gill immediately looked back down, fiddling with the pens that were already perfectly aligned on his desk. "Uh… um…"

"Oh, don't worry, I just wanted to talk to you about that report," Alice said cheerily, stock still on her high heels.

"R-report?" Gill asked. He couldn't ignore how she was staring straight into his eyes in an almost unnerving manner. Like she was trying to use telepathy on him.

"The one we went over a couple weeks ago," she provided easily with a roll of her eyes.

She knew anyone could listen in whenever they wanted, so she wasn't speaking openly. Rather, in casual office code. Gill finally caught on, looking guilty again as he repositioned his pencil holder. "Of course… I…"

"I can take care of it," Alice said.

Gill looked up, confused. "What?"

"The report," she repeated. She gripped the notebook she was holding tighter to her chest. "I know you have a lot on your mind right now, so… leave it to me!"

Gill understood what she was doing. He looked around behind her, and though no one appeared to be eavesdropping, Allen and Molly were both nearby. Everyone was absorbed with their flowers, though. He shook his head. "That's really not—"

"I insist," Alice smiled. She started to blink faster. "It's the least I can do in a… time like this. Like I said, you don't need to worry about that anymore. The report, I mean. So just forget about it, okay? I was never here."

"Alice, I'm not going to just let it drop like it doesn't matter," Gill muttered, trying to look casual and failing. "It does."

"Nope, I've got things covered!" She brightly shook her head. Her hair was loose today, and she tucked a long lock behind her ear. "Thanks though!"

"Alice, wait—" he stood, but she was already walking away. Gill watched as she sat back down in her chair, swiveling around to her desk. She smartly stacked her paperwork and began typing on her computer, not batting an eye. She was a better actress than he was…

Hamilton's door opened and Vaughn stepped out first. He was wearing his poker face, but there was no mistaking he was more chipper than usual. At his appearance, Gill quickly sat back down and got to work.

"Alright! That's that, then! Aha!" Hamilton laughed, clapping Vaughn on the back. Since he was so much shorter, it wound up being his lower back, making Vaughn cringe. "A, um, misunderstanding then."

"Right…" Vaughn agreed, unable to play off of his boss' poor subtly.

Hamilton exaggerated a wink with his hands on his hips. He bounced once on his feet. "Ahaha! Well! Back to work, then!"

"Yes, sir," Vaughn nodded.

"Ah! Mr. Vaughn!" Popuri scurried up, juggling her hatchet, the empty box, her briefcase, and the projector all at once.

"Do you need any help with that?" He volunteered, already catching her briefcase before it hit the floor.

Popuri tossed her hair back. "Phew! Thank you! I'm needed back at headquarters, so I'll keep it brief. Take care of this pansy, and I'll see you on Earth Day!"

Vaughn took the pot shoved in his nose and returned her briefcase. "Er… is everyone doing this?"

"New company policy! You, too… Mr. Hamilton…" she nodded. Struggling, she warily reached past him and tossed a pot to Hamilton. Nearly dropping her bag again, she grabbed the handle of her hatchet in her teeth. "Okay, job's done! Toodles!"

"Later…" Vaughn waved her off. Popuri waddled to the elevator and promptly dumped everything in once the doors opened for her.

"Ooo, a pansy!" Hamilton giggled at his plant.

"So what's the name of your plant, Vaughn?" Allen popped his head up from his cubicle, his Cheshire grin already spreading.

"Name it? Why?" He asked, scrunching his brow suspiciously.

"Well, everyone's pairing off their plants, so I wanted to know if yours wanted to get cozy with mine. Her name's Princess," Allen explained, showcasing his highly attractive flower baby.

"No, thanks," Vaughn shook his head, marching straight for his seat.

"My pansy will date yours!" Hamilton raised his hand over his head to get his attention.

"Oh, come now," Allen pouted. "What's wrong with Princess? Not your plants' type?"

"Mine's a girl," Vaughn grumbled.

"What does that change?" Allen winked.

"I will give you twenty dollars if you let my plant date your plant," Hamilton bid, bouncing before Allen's cubicle wall.

"Fine! Say what you want!" Vaughn grouched, opening up Excel on his computer.

"Ha!" Allen shouted. He turned to Rod. "I told you he'd come around! Five bucks, loser."

"Oh, chicken nuggets…" Rod grumbled, pulling out the bill from his wallet.

"Thirty dollars! We can have a threesome!" Hamilton upped the numbers, still hanging over Allen.

"Nice flower," Molly snickered, hopping atop Vaughn's desk with her own flower pot in tow.

"You naming yours, too?" Vaughn looked away from his computer in faux annoyance.

"If you don't, I'll go get Popuri and tell her you threw yours out the window," Molly challenged.

Vaughn sighed and thought a minute. He looked to the plant for help and only came up with: "Sabrina."

"Sabrina?"

"Yeah."

Molly pouted her lip in thought. "Huh… unique. Cute!"

"Okay," Vaughn rolled his eyes in good humor. Molly's collar was fluffy and ruffled, so it was easy for him to grab it and pull her closer. He pretended to ignore her instant flush. "I figured it out."

"Figured… what?" Molly's head was reeling, but she pinpointed the topic and gasped. "Harvest Hobbies?"

Vaughn nodded. "It's been officially approved. Vivi's in on it now, too."

"In on what?! What is it? What's going on?" She whispered in bubbling excitement.

Vaughn sat back smugly in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "Classified. You'll find out."

"Oh, come on! Now it's a surprise? You sure are confident about this plan of yours…" she drummed her fingers on the side of her sprout's pot, biting her lip. "It must be the real deal though if the Superintendent's got your back… wow! Can you give me a hint? Please?"

He sat back up, rolling his chair closer to his desk. He picked up his plant dubbed 'Sabrina' and held it out to her. "How do you kill a plant?"

"Don't let Popuri hear you…" she chuckled.

"I'm serious!" His voice rose. "What would you do to kill a plant?"

"Okay, okay!" Molly laughed harder at his irritation. She calmed down and thought about his question, trying to come up with an unusual answer. "Hm… since this is obviously an analogy to Harvest Hobbies… you dig them out?"

Vaughn half-nodded. "Almost, yeah. You get them at the root."

"At the root…" Molly hummed. "What's Taylor's root?"

"I only agreed to one hint," Vaughn set down his plant and went back to work.

"Hey…!" Molly whined. She glared as she tried to think it over. "Taylor's roots…"

Vaughn lightly shrugged. "You've got all of the information you need to figure it out yourself."

"You liar," Molly grouched, crossing her arms.

He surrendered that much. "Well, you don't know exactly how we're going to do it, but you can logic your way to where we're going."

"You're only making this more confusing," Molly glowered.

Vaughn scoffed, scrolling down the lists of forgotten contact numbers he had been neglecting the past week. He also needed to remember to run copies of the last sale report and renew Flowerbud's order. Or he could just make Basil run copies. Interns were good copy fodder.

"It's kind of weird, but I'm proud of you," Molly admitted, sliding off of his desk and fixing the things she had pushed aside. Vaughn stopped what he was doing. She smiled and picked a stray piece of Styrofoam out of her plant's pot. "How you really stepped up to this Harvest Hobbies thing. Like… I'm proud to know you. It makes me feel involved or something."

"That is weird," he answered straight faced.

Molly's expression deadpanned. "You're such an asshole."

"Thank you," Vaughn grinned. "And… for the record… you are involved. I wouldn't care so much to keep this shitty job if—"

"Vaughn, Molly," Hamilton appeared, hanging his plant down over Vaughn's monitor. "Fifty dollars. Plant ménage à trois."

Molly promptly spun on her heel, and Vaughn made the excuse of getting coffee from the break room. Hamilton sadly slumped. He brightened with hope as Vaughn returned, but he only came to take his plant with him, eyeing his boss suspiciously before quickly leaving him behind.