A/N: Okay, first, before I forget, there was a footnote in last chapter. It was in reference to the chairs in the Guards' Room. This is because the white plastic chair was not the chair Vash was sitting in when he…**shudder** Anyway, he was actually sitting in the good, blue camp-chair. Not a fun thing to know. -_-;; Oh yeah, Deathstorm this chapter. Hope you enjoy seeing what it is like to be in LO for a Deathstorm.
A/N II: Wow, guys, I am SO sorry this has taken so long. My muse (abt!Dutchy) left me for a bit, and when he came back, he wanted to work on Promises and not this. ^_^;; Now, however, I have three new muses! Pippin!muse, Faramir!muse, and Eowyn!muse. I give them major credit for this update. Well, them, and Luthien, whom I love dearly. I'm on a big Lord of the Rings kick right now, so that's why the last part of this sucks so bad. Oh yeah, the rest of Thursday morning will be the next chapter, whenever that happens.
Shouts!
Cassie: Child, I don't know how, but you left two signed reviews for last chapter. I'm puzzled. And here's your update.
Luthien: Dear, I love you! Thanks for getting me on this again, and it's up to you if you want to start that or if you want me to.
Gryffin: I'm not a whore! See!! I prove that in this chapter. ^_^ And again, here's your update, since I'm such a nice person.
Brownie: Thanks for the review! Love you dear, for your support!
Luna: Love you hon. Really, I do. Promise next chapter will have some Cowboy in it. Just need to think this out. ^_^
Storm-A: Thanks for the review, hon. Will try to put you in more chapters, honestly!
Maddie: Love you Maddie! I'll try to fit in using the voice on you sometime, if I can. Maybe while I'm doing badge work sometime. ^_^ I need to laugh. ^_~
Artemis smiled in her sleep. She had met Snitch earlier that evening by the doors to the Trading Post. Very rarely did anyone go back there, and Artemis had checked the schedule to make sure no unit would be by. When Snitch had arrived, she'd immediately embraced him, simply enjoying the feel of him. Then they'd started kissing, and, well… She'd been breathless when they'd finally stopped.
But that was all several hours earlier. They'd spent some time sitting on one of the small Haven couches watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Snitch didn't necessarily understand all of the jokes and references but did chuckle when the other inhabitants of the Haven began yelling at Artemis for quoting nearly the entire movie. She rewarded his tolerance and humor with a glare and a moderate smack on the arm. He responded with a poke to her side, which caused her to shriek briefly and jump. That caused the whole room to laugh, and Artemis shot wounded glares to all present.
Now, though, she was curled up in her sleeping bag on her Golden Bed, dreaming of the tall, dark-haired boy two tents over. She didn't notice as the rain got steadily worse, though her tent-mates did.
"Luna?" Storm whispered. The older girl turned over in her bed to face the inside.
"Yeah, Stormy?"
"Is that thunder?" Luna paused for a moment.
"Yeah. Think we should wake up Artemis?"
"Yeah. We'd better start storm-lashing, too." Storm turned on her stomach and faced Artemis' bed. "Artemis…" she called. The smaller girl didn't move.
Luna gave it a try, calling from across the tent. "Artemis. Artemis, wake up." Still, she didn't move. "Jillian Leigh Stelzner! Wake up!"
Artemis groaned and rolled over, eyes still closed. "What?" she mumbled, clearly wanting to return to her rest.
"Artemis, it's thundering," Storm said.
"Goddammit. Do I need to get up?"
Luna replied. "Probably. The way this is sounding, we might be moving inside."
"Damn." Reluctantly, Artemis pulled herself from her warm, comfortable, dry sleeping bag and began hunting for socks. "Heard anything from the unit staff yet?" she asked as she pulled on her GUARD jacket and brown bucket hat.
Luna snorted derisively. "Do we ever?" she retorted rhetorically. Artemis was forced to accept the statement. By this time, Storm was storm-lashing (pun not intended) her second corner and getting ready to do the third. Artemis shoved her feet into her shoes with the bright, bright yellow duckie booties over them and began lashing the corner of the tent by her bed. Raindrops pounded loudly on the tent.
"I'm gonna go work on some camper tents and see if the unit staff have woken up yet," Luna grumbled as she exited out the front of the tent. Artemis sighed.
"God, I hate this weather."
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A half-hour later she hung up her soaking jacket in a corner of the Haven to dry. All of the girls from Laurel Oaks and Christy had spread their sleeping bags and pillows about the main room of the Haven, and the staff moved to the back rooms. The only problem was, there weren't enough bunk beds for all of the staff.
Fawn sighed. Somehow, she'd known this would happen, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "Staff, listen up." All of the staff present gathered in the hallway to listen to their Assistant Camp Director and Head Nurse speak.
"Alright guys. I know there aren't enough beds, so some people are going to have to sleep on the floor…or double up. Anyone doubling up must stay in the other room," she pointed to the room not containing her own bunk, "and I don't know about it, okay?" With that, the older woman left the group in the hall to work things out for themselves.
Snitch wrapped an arm around Artemis' waist. "I know what room we're in," he murmured in her ear. She smiled at him.
"I call a top bunk!" she said loudly. At Snitch' raised eyebrow she grinned and whispered, "Harder to tell if more that one person's up there." They moved back to the room, and Luna called after them.
"Behave you two!"
Artemis giggled as they placed Snitch's sleeping bag on the mattress and settled themselves on it. Snitch threw her a questioning look. She shrugged.
"Just…happy, I guess. I haven't been really happy for a while." Snitch pulled her close and she wrapped on arm around his waist the other around his neck.
"Den that's all dat mattahs," he said, punctuating his statement with a brief kiss. Artemis sighed and turned around, letting Snitch spoon against her. He was surprised at her behavior, but he knew she had some ghosts in her past that needed dealt with, so did not question her, as much as it hurt. He merely held her against him, nodding off to sleep beneath her sleeping bag.
Artemis, meanwhile, could not fall asleep. Her thoughts ran in circles. Why am I doing this? This is how it was with Dan…look what happened there. But…with Snitch…it's different. I feel like he really cares…but does he? How do I know? She did not get much sleep that night, only nodding off near four out of exhaustion.
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Snitch woke the following to the sounds of the Barn staff leaving for morning feed. He watched silently as Storm, Luna, Jack, and Boots all exited the room, then looked down at the small figure curled in his arms. Artemis, had, sometime during the night, pulled her knees in towards her chest. He found her adorable, and decided not to wake her until at least the bell had rung.
End Chapter Nine