Maggie placed her order for the chicken nuggets happy meal and then skipped
off into the picnic/play area. As she waited patiently
She spotted the other man from earlier and little girl, she didn't
recognize. Maggie waved merrily at them.

Darien, being the nice and sweet person he is, paid for Maggie and Claire's
stuff. He followed them outside and started watching all the little rugrats
run around the place. "This is not what I had in mind to do today."
He muttered to himself.

Darien looked at Claire with a somewhat shocked look. "Oh, wow, I totally
forgot I was suppose to be meeting someone today, actually," he glanced at
his watch. "right now. You don't mind me bailing do you?" he asked but didn't
wait for an answer. "I didn't think you would." He pulled out his car keys
and handed them to her. "Here so you're not stranded...I'll walk...have fun!"
with that said and done Darien left.

Maggie watched curiously as Darien left waving to him. "Thank you," she
called remembering her manners, something that did happen occassionally. As
she nibbled her very late lunch.

Okay so he lied about the meeting someone but it was the only way out without
having to go invisible and just ditch them there. Darien walked down the
street heading somewhere when he saw Hobbes talking to some woman. Curious
and wanting to be nosy Darien walked over to them. "Hey! Hope I'm not
interrupting anything here but I just thought I walk on over and say hi."

Lucy handed Hobbes the card and nervously asked him if he was utterly positive
he wouldn't allow her to buy him a drink. Stepping back, she was internally calm
but also admitting to herself this wasn't going as ideally as possible. But, quite
suddenly, her thoughts of doubt were shaken abruptly from her mind.

It was Fawkes and he was quite visible. Lucy struggled to hold back her laughter,
thinking 'If only Arnaud could see me now.' She stepped back again, her expression
not betraying any of the humor she saw in the scene. She looked to Hobbes, then
to Fawkes, appearing rather uneasy.

"Not at all...I'm just waiting for a tow...I *can* assume you're not talking to me,
right?" She said with a slight, uneasy laugh, glancing back at her car momentarily.

"Hmm..." Darien glanced over at the car then back at Lucy. "I'm talking to
whoever wants to talk back to me. So you two old friends or did you just
happen to bump into each other here out on the street?"

Lucy seemed to lighten up a little, taking out another cigarette and lighting it.
It seemed to finally occur to her she was chain smoking. Glancing briefly at Fawkes
and Hobbes, a cocky smile spreading rapidly, she dropped the cigarette to the ground,
kneading it into the asphalt.

"Not exactly." She said, still apparently nervous. "You see, that foreign junk pile
quit on me again and," Lucy turned to Hobbes again. "Sorry, still don't know you're
name. This Samaritan allowed me use his cell phone." Lucy turned back to Darien,
smiling her dodgy half-smile. "So now, I'm just waiting."

Darien watched Lucy pull out a cig then end up stomping on it three seconds
later. What was the point of that? Looked like a waste to do that...then he
took another glance over at the car. "So thats your car? What did Hobbes
do, scare it, now it wont work?" He jokingly asked.

Lucy found herself laughing, slightly and staring back at it, once again damning
herself for such an obvious ploy. But it seemed that Fawkes had come to her rescue,
much to her shigrin. Hobbes would have fallen for her eventually, it just would've
taken time. But perhaps there was still a chance.

Speaking to Darien, she kept her eyes on Hobbes. "Who knows what it is. Bloody
Jerry car, I think it knows I'm British. Hasn't worked since I bought it."

Hobbes gave Fawkes that 'watch out for her' look but didn't really say
anything, just let whatever was going to happen, happen.

Darien saw the look Hobbes was giving him so he gave him a some type of look
back then put his attention back on the girl. "Maybe its time to dump
that car and get a new one."

"Yes, I've been thinking about it." Lucy crosses her arms, and leaned against the
nearby building's wall, looking from Fawkes to Hobbes then back again. "Well,
obvious you two boys know each other, I'll let you alone then."

"It was a pleasure meeting both of you, though I have utterly no idea who you
are." Smiling, she inclined her head to Hobbes. "Mr. Hobbes, I presume," she
hesitated briefly, "If you ever want to take me up on that offer of a drink, I will
be more than happy to oblige. Good Day, Gentleman." Lucy smiled again and began
to turn slowly.

"Whats there to think about?" Darien asked taking another quick look at the
car. "If its against you, get rid of it and get something that'll like you."
He took a look at Hobbes. He was quiet, again. What was wrong with him? "I'd
take that offer if I were you." Darien told him then started to walk away.

Hobbes knew something was wrong with Lucy, but he couldn't quite
put his finger on it. "I'll catch you later, gotta finish doing...something..."
He said to Fawkes as he walked off.

Lucy smiled coyly at Darien, desperately attempting to hold back her laughter at
the double-talk she picked up in his comment. She brushed the hair from her face
and returned her large black glasses to their place on the bridge of her nose. 'Very
strange,' she thought drawing nearer to the convertible, 'That Fawkes is loose without
a watcher' Sure, he had done this before, but never so near the Agency.

She drew out another cigarette from the gold case, realizing quite blindly now
that there was an inscription on the inside top lid in French. It was signed
'ARNAUD' in large golden script. She snapped the case back, almost gagging at
what a stupid git she was. Glancing back, she saw Fawkes speak briefly to Hobbes
then begin to walk away. It hit her. There was only one thing Darien ever did in
this part of town that didn't involve the Agency.

Glancing back up at Hobbes, she jumped over the door and into the front seat of
her car, attempting to start it once again. She blew a lock of hair away from her
face as the car attempted to start. Apparently, she *had* done something more than
snap some random wires. Electricity was flowing however and she was able to put up
the top. Locking it, she left it and began to walk back to Hobbes.

"You may not need one, but I'm in desperate need of a drink." She smiled passing
him by. "If you change your mind, I'll be in the pub. I think I passed one on the
way." She grinned inclining her head, hoping he might answer or at least follow.

Lucy continued on till she reached the place she suspected Fawkes had taken a
detour to. Pushing open the door, she looked around. Not exactly her type of place,
but she'd been in worse.

Somewhere on the more decrepit side of town, in an old but newly refurbished brick
apartment house, an alarm sounded. A man's head rose from beneath to sheets and he
blinked wonderingly at the clock. At almost this same time, a large German Shepherd
bounded it's way into the cluttered, yet tastefully decorated bedroom.

The brick work was apparent and large posters from movies and the theatre were stuck
onto it. In one corner sat a fishbowl, in the other a large ceder dog bed. Between
them, a queen sized bed in all black and beige which had the appearance of not having
been made in several months.

"Go on, Dante!" Said one Marcus Johnson, mouth muffled by the pillow that was
stuffed inside it. The dog however, was not one to give up so easily. He leaned
forward, planting one slightly more slobbery than normal lick on his cheek. "Okay,
okay, I'm up...see?"

Looking about, Marcus blinked again, his eyes focusing on the hairy beast which now
stared him directly in the eyes. Once he had gained some bearings on the situation,
Marcus threw the coverings off, the dog toppling in the excitement.

Stretching his arms, he stood and yawned. Marcus attempted to stagger to the nearby
mirror, however this effort was inhibited by the dog which was now attempting to
wind figure eights around the man's legs. Finally reaching the mirror, Marcus looked
himself over. Truly, he had seen worse, but not much.

His eyes were puffy and bloodshot and he was still wearing the previous night's suit.
He ran one hand through his ruffled hair, attempting to make some sense of it. Giving
up on that front, he took to the search for his glasses from the nearby table. Finding
them, he slipped them over his nose and the world within several feet became clearer.

He yawned again, scratching lazily at his chest before advancing to the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, Marcus emerged, dog still underfoot and a beige towel wrapped
around his waist. He now seemed in brighter spirits. His sudden appearance frightened
the cats at the windowsill, but they were back in moments, yowling for food and
attention. "Uh huh, I know." he said, grinning sleepily at the cats.

Five minutes between the closet and bathroom and Marcus was impeccable. Okay, so
maybe impeccable was stretching it, but he was still very well dressed, by his
standards. He wore no tie and his dress shirt was unbuttoned for at least the first
two buttons. His hair was still disorganized and was falling over his boyish expression
at odd intervals. The glasses were gone however. No doubt replaced by contacts.

He glanced to the clock on the bed stand "Damn." Racing into the kitchen of the
apartment he took cold cuts, cheese and an old pizza from the refrigerator. The
pizza was slithered from the grease-proof wrapping and into a large stainless steel
bowl the floor. The dog dove in immediately and the pizza vanished in seconds.
Opening the window, he threw the deli meat and cheese to the cats who mewed
appreciatively. "Welcome."

Grabbing his briefcase, he stuffed it full of files and papers before setting out of
the door. He was careful to lock all five of the door locks. Reaching the street below,
he searched briefly for his G-Ride. Finding the black sedan, he set off. Flipping
through his radio dials, he settled on a Big Band station which was currently playing
what sounded like Glenn Miller. Rolling down his windows he drove, carefree despite
the normal traffic, to his downtown office.

He pulled into his usual spot in the parking lot and flashing a dodgy smile to no one
but himself, jumped out of the sedan, spring in his step. Grabbing his briefcase from
the back seat, he attempted vainly to straighten his hair once again.

Whistling the Glenn Miller song, he walked into the building, his high spirits obvious
to anyone who saw him. This was definitely not the shy, and reserved Marcus Johnson
they were all used to.

All of the management higher-ups had left for a meeting in San Francisco, leaving
him, temporarily at least, partially in charge. Blowing into his the office with the
same enthusiasm he showed downstairs, his demeanor quickly changed. Once again
becoming shy, reserved and apparently slightly embarrassed, he flicked a smile to the
secretary before proceeding in the direction of the office.

Opening the door, he threw the briefcase into a corner and sat in the Official yet
very uncomfortable Government issue chair. It squeaked slightly as he leaned backwards
in it, rummaging through a stack of papers that had been left for him on the desk
planner. He laughed slightly and was reminded of an escapade of paperwork he and
his former partner, Robert Hobbes, had worked on while with the FBI.

He leaned back in his chair even further, his thoughts straying as they had a habit to
do. He thought of what had become of Hobbes, if he was even still in Government
employment. Another thought struck him, but this was roughly interrupted by a louder
than normal screech from the chair and he soon found himself toppling backwards.
There was a rush on the door as his fellow agents stared at him. Some in disgust,
some in humor and very few in worry.

He stood, brushing himself off, and saying "I'm okay, really, I'm fine, thanks anyway."
He rose his hands, attempting to push them back out of the office. "Really, I'm fine,
really." The crowd subsided and Marcus took a moment to straighten himself again.
Shaking his head, he sat on the edge of the desk, sipping the coffee which he now
realized had been placed there and reading over a rather thick file.

The day wore on. He wasn't used to the desk job and he certainly didn't like it. He
felt almost helpless and his depression began to set in slightly. God, what he wouldn't
give to be out in the field, he'd even put up with Morales' crap about 'rules' and how
many he happened to be breaking that particular day.

Fed up, his temper rose as he jumped from the desk. He shut the files into the
briefcase and snapped it with a sharp click. He sat back onto the corner of his desk,
wishing he had taken the offer of the new chair. Thinking for a moment, he
considered just leaving, taking up that case that had crossed his desk yesterday. But
the morning's thought came rushing back. Bobby Hobbes, what happened to him? He
reached over for the black phone which lay on his desk and quickly dialed a number.

"Hello? Yeah, Hadley? Uh huh, I need a favour." On the other end of the line, Hadley
scribbled down the information Johnson was giving him. "You've got to be kidding,
Johnson. Hobbes? Wasn't he your partner here?"

"Yeah," Marcus was distracted by a file briefly. A Basque terrorist that was supposedly
scene in the nearby area. Shelks, Vivian. He shook his head, pitying the kid and her
obviously tough life. "Oh ah, yeah, right, Hadley."

"You listening to me, Johnson. This is the third time I've done this. You owe me big."
Hadley shifted his voice into an attempt at darkness. "You know what is required."

"Yeah, Hadley, I know, I know," Hadley and Marcus spoke at the same time. "Keep
your/my mouth shut." "Okay, Johnson, hold on." Marcus held for what seemed like
eternity before Hadley came back on. "Okay, here it is."

Marc reached for a pad and wrote down everything Hadley said. "Yeah, thanks. And
I know, I owe you." "That's right, Johnson." Marcus slammed down the phone and
rolled his eyes. "FBI, and I wonder why I left?" He ran his eyes across the pad and
locked onto a cell phone number. Picking up the phone again, he dialed the number
referring to the pad and mouthing the number.

Waiting...waiting...ringing..."Fish and Game? Hobbes at F&G? What a waste." he
said aloud as he continued to wait for Hobbes to pick up.

Darien walked to his usual hang out...he sat at the bar and ordered his usual
then started to look around the place just in time to see Lucy walk right on
in. He didnt do anything, thinking maybe Hobbes was going to walk in right
after her but since it looked like Lucy was alone...he grabbed his drink then walked
over to her.

Lucy looked up, avoiding bringing her gaze directly to Fawkes. Thus she looked very
surprised when Fawkes approached her, drink in hand.

"Hey, so we meet again." Darien said.

Removing her glasses, she tucked them into a pocket and glanced up smiling. "Oh,
well, yes, apparently we do." Again her sly smile spread across, her charm once again
radiating. "Pity about your friend." She said softly, advancing to the bar and ordering
a vodka. She turned back to Fawkes and carefully removed another cigarette.

"Who? Hobbes? Ah, his loss." Darien said following her back over to the bar.
He watched her pull out another cig, wondering if she'd get rid of this one
in five seconds.

"Lucy de Vere." She said, managing to hold out a hand and light the smoke at the
same time.

"Darien Fawkes." He said shaking her hand.

"It's a pleasure Mr. Fawkes." Lucy smiled slightly, inhaling the smoke and pushing
it out in quiet. This was always a time of introspection for her and she seized it
every time. Turning to her drink, she closed her eyes and downed it before turning
back to the bartender and ordering another with the flick of her hand.

"So, what do you do, Mr. Fawkes? I deal in fine art. Damn boring job if you ask me."
Lucy said, laughing slightly.

"What's with the formal crap? Pick one name and leave out the mister." Darien
told her as he sat down in the seat next to her's. Oh I work for an agency that
treats me like a lab rat among other things...ok so he wasnt going to say
that but it was just a thought. "Hey mine isnt so exicting either...
Department of Fish and Game whoop-de-doo!"

"Sorry," she hesitated, her rather silly lopsided grin returning. "Darien, force
of habit I guess." She continued to blow out the heavy smoke from the foreign
cigarette.

Lucy laughed as she brought her drink to her lips and downed it again. Fish and
Game, hah! She was now feeling *much* better about this whole affair. Hobbes had
tempted her violent temper and she had come very close to losing it. But it appeared
as though Darien would be much simpler. And he was, after all, her final target. She
would be handing the gland to Arnaud on a silver platter before long.

"Fish and Game? Government then? My father wanted me to go into MI6." Lucy said,
laughing again and crushing the cigarette into the ashtray. "Was never meant to be."
She lamented, staring at the embers in the tray before cheering again. "Still, it
sounds much more interesting than what I do." She crossed her legs and twirled
slightly on the barstool.

"Mr. Hobbes works with you then?"

Darien nodded his answer to the F. and G./Goverment question. "What sounds
more interesting? What I do? Ha! Its not...If you're bored with what you do
then why do you do it? Why not do something new?" He didn't really understand
why people stayed in jobs they hated or found uninteresting. Why not find
something better then ditch the dull job? He finished off his first drink,
ordered another then answered her last question he almost forgot about.
"Yeah, we work together."

Lucy smiled and shrugged. Tapping the barkeep for a cognac this time, she turned
back to Darien. "Well, I suppose that it's all a matter of circumstances. I currently
happen to make damn good money. But, if the correct opportunity came along, I
would jump in an instant."

"And aren't you being slightly hypocritical? You tell me you're job is equally as
ho-hum, yet you stay."

She wasn't quite sure where she was going with this conversation, but she was
enjoying it all the same. This was the first time she had actually spoken to Darien
and she found herself lamenting the fact that this could only end up one way. But
she shrugged it off, sipping lightly at her drink.

"I have no choice. I have to say but believe me if I could leave I would in a
heartbeat." Darien told her and hey he would too if he could. "Dont ask
either; dont feel like explaining."

Lucy cocked an eyebrow and took another sip of her drink. "I understand." Which,
in a way, she did. But all in all she was devastatingly pleased with her current
employment.

A wicked grin slid slyly across her face. "I also understand that if I don't get out
of the Arts business soon, I think I'll go batty. My da was in MI6, my grandfather
was in MI6. If da hadn't disappeared, I would've gone in too, but oh well." She
hesitated, becoming overly dramatic. "Of all the sad words from tongue or pen,
the sadest are these: It might have been!" She smiled her cockeyed smile and
laughed.

Pulling out her matching gold business card case, she wretched the same card she
had given Hobbes. "If you ever need a 17th century vase, please, let me know."
She laughed mildly before slipping into an almost comatose appearing state.
Contemplating her thoughts for a moment, she stared into her drink and sighing
heavily. The world was becoming slightly fuzzy, however she never actually became
drunk, she had an amazing tolerance for liquor.

She looked over to Darien again, becoming rather mercurial in the attitude; a
complete reversal from her former attitude. "Fish and Game, right? Well, you know,
I think you're exactly who I should be speaking to." She shifted, turning to face
him fully. "During my last visit to Taiwan, I met several Americans who've been
smuggling Tiger hides." She hesitated, her attitude not at all mirroring the seriousness
of the sudden shift in conversation. "If you're interested, I can give you names."
She lit up another cigarette, waiting for his response.

Darien took the card from her and looked over it. What is with the gold?
Everything he has seen of her's has been in gold. "Do you have some type of
obsession with gold or something? Everything I've seen you pull out is gold"
He asked while pocketing the card. "Hmm....thats nice." Darien didnt really care
about the smuggling of anything right now.

"A, ah," Lucy couldn't help the smile breaking her lips, "The set was a gift from
a *very* good friend of mine." She bit the sides of her mouth in an attempt to hold
back the humorous irony of it all. She put the case back inside her blazer, still
laughing to herself. "And yes, I do have a bit of an obsession with gold, well, any
luxury really."

Lucy looked at him for a moment, an eyebrow cocked. "Ah, so Fish and Game aren't
monitoring the Lacey Act anymore? Well, that's good to know. They mentioned
something about a tiger coat anyway." She chuckled into her glass as she took
another sip. "Joking," she said with a smile.

"So, Darien, what else do you do? Hobbies? Sorry if I'm babbling, but you're the
first person I've talked to in days."

Darien looked over at her, grinning. "So is this tiger thing something you
just made up or are you being serious about it? Its not like I really care at
this point but I'm just curious." Hmmm...hobbies he had to think about his
for a moment. "You're not babbling and if you are I haven't noticed
then...Does driving people up the wall count as a hobby?"

Lucy had to admit, Darien's grin was infectious. She grinned back, the left side
of her mouth as always, slightly higher than the other. "Nope, I'm quite serious
about it." Lucy replied, attempting a serious expression that just wouldn't come
across correctly. "You see, I meet quite a few," She hesitated her trademark foxy
smile creeping back into her features. "Unsavory types in my line. You'd be amazed
the sorts who are interested in Fine Art."

Finishing off her cognac, she stared at the empty glass briefly before ordering another
and looking back up to Darien, her black eyes twinkling.

Lucy laughed again. "Only if I can count it too. Not to mention sarcasm and
kleptomania." She stared directly at him, her expression unchanged for a moment,
pretending to be quite serious before cracking with laughter. "Sorry, getting rather
tipsy, I suppose. Doctor says I shouldn't combine alcohol and lithium, but what the
hell? You only live once."

"Oh I can imagine whos all interested in fine art." Darien said, finishing
off drink number, lost count somewhere back there. "Then I guess we have the
same hobby. Thats interesting." He stood up tossed some money on the counter
then looked back at Lucy. "I dont know about you but I'm tired of being
here...I want to go do something." He said with a grin.

Lucy shot up from the stool with a grin to match even Darien's. "Sounds good to me."
She snapped her purse shut after throwing a hundred onto the bar. She'd bought the
barkeep's silence along with some information that had come in handy. Winking at him,
she joined Darien at the door. "So, any ideas?" Drawing the blazer around her lithe
form, her gun hidden well.

"Nope." Darien replied as he walked out of the place. "You wouldnt happen to
have any ideas would you?"

Well, there was one idea. Perhaps it was her intoxicated state. Or perhaps is was
because Arnaud's Invisible Man was currently at her side but she wanted nothing
more than to wreak a little havoc. The first item that came to mind were the
Romanov jewels which were currently on display at the art museum in Balboa Park.
But logic won over and showed her that neither she nor Fawkes were in any condition
for such a grand heist. It could wait for another day.

She shrugged as she turned to Darien. "A few, but none of them are worth anything.
Other than that, I'm clueless."

"That doesn't help out much." Darien said flatly, looking around the
street, trying to figure out what to do. "Does anyone have any idea for what
we can do?!" He yelled out not caring about any looks he'd be getting from
that. He shrugs then looks back over at Lucy. "Are you sure you don't have
any ideas?" He askes then grabs onto a metal pole and starts swing around
it. "Around and around I go where I stop no body knows!"

"Sorry Dar," she said looking up at him with a raised eyebrow as he called out for
the assistance of any of the passersby. She burst into a fit of laughter as she
watched the looks from the people who now passed them. "Damn Yanks and your
sense of public reserve!" She yelled at a pitch equal to Darien's. So this was how
Arnie's precious gland was being used. That thought sent her into hysterics again.
How many drinks had it been? She didn't know, but she hadn't been this intoxicated
for at least a year.

While having no control over emotions, she was, however, still mentally alert.
Though Lucy doubted Darien had the same harness over himself.

"Are you sure you don't have any ideas?" Lucy bit her lower lip. The thought of
the jewels came back, but her original thoughts about Darien's conditions were true,
he was in no shape. "Nope, but I'm up for anything! Hell, that even looks like fun."
She grinned as Darien twirled around and around the pole. If he lasted through *that*
he had more guts than she thought.

"Oh yeah this is sooo much fun! You should try it." Darien let of of the pole
moved over to Lucy's side then ended up falling over into someone's lawn.
"Went around too many times....Everything's spinning!"

Lucy stepped up, bowing slightly and buttoning her blazer. "Why thank you, sir."
She gripped the pole, not for the enjoyment. Rather, her inbred need to be better,
to last longer, now made itself known. She bowed again and started to spin around
the pole similar to what Darien had done moments before. A minute later she stepped
off, brushing her blazer and staring at Darien with a cynical look.

"I always heard American's were much better at drunken mayhem." She smiled
attempting to hold back the laughter that was bursting to the seems inside her.
What the hell was she doing? She blinked several times, trying to regain her
composure and remembering who it was that lay on the grass only a few feet away.
Taking out another cigarette, she lit it and stood there, waiting for Darien's world
to stop spinning.

"We really need something good." Lucy looked around, still biting her lip, her brow
furrowed in thought.

Darien sat up after the spinning went away. He couldn't help but to laugh at
Lucy as she went swinging around the pole. She looked silly doing it. He got up
off the ground then looked over at the house. "hmm..." He walked towards the
porch then stopped at the door and looked back over at Lucy.

Lucy cocked an eyebrow at Darien who was grinning madly at her from the porch
of the house. She was back in control now, smoking always had that effect. She
watched Darien, her cynical expression not changing. "Darien, that's not a good look.
What *exactly* are you going to do?" She said with a voice that didn't mirror her
misanthropical expression at all. She knew exactly what he was going to do, and
while she would have paid to watch it, it was most definitely not a good plan to
do it now.

"Want to come along and see what I'm up to?" He asked loud enough for Lucy to hear
but not loud enough to attract the attention of the people from within the house.

Lucy looked at the people who were still passing the street and the house. She
scanned them, her eyes darting with masterful observance through the crowd.
And then she spotted him. There was a man who stood watching him yet casually
looking away at intervals. Lucy knew Arnaud had sent him for her help, but she
also knew he reported back to her 'partner' every day. She nodded to him, knowing
Darien was too far out of it to realize anything.

"It's not worth it, you do realize that." She said walking to Darien, her right hand
on her hip and the left arm folded and still holding the cigarette.

"It's bad enough I have to hear everyone else telling me don't do this and
don't do that and anything else they feel like telling me but do I have to
hear something similar from you? You don't even know me." He jumped off the
porch then started walking back down the street. He was going to find
something to do...didn't know what exactly but it was going to be something.

Lucy found herself laughing once again as Darien turned on her and started off
down the street. She ran after him, quickly catching up to him, secretly relieved
he was had decided against that particular activity. "Dar, I never said you *shouldn't*
do it. I just said it wasn't worth it." Her voice was lively and her proper accent
sounded quite out of place.

"And after all, that place was a dump." She added with a grin as she tossed the
cigarette to the ground.

Darien shoved his hands into his pants pockets then started whistling some
stupid tune until Lucy cought up to him then he stopped. "It's the same
thing...I just wanted to go mess with the people inside...Don't judge a book
by its cover you never know what kind of goods you can find inside."

Lucy cocked an eyebrow and attempted her cynical look, but it just didn't come
across right. Shrugging at Darien, she said quietly, "Alright then, we'll have it
your way. No more protesting from me." She grinned at him, then bit her lower
lip in an vague attempt to think straight. 'What the heck,' she thought, 'It'd be
fun'.' And tonight, after months of being quite serious, Lucy needed a little fun.
"Okay, Darien, what's your plan?"

"Good to know." Darien grinned and patted her on the back. Now! back to what
he was going to do...mess around with whatever house full of people he can.
He stopped walking and looked at a house that seemed to be pretty much alive.
He held out his hand to Lucy. "Grab a hold..."

A thought of what Darien was planning shot through Lucy like a fierce, chilling
zephyr. She grinned, attempting to hold back the nervous excitement she felt,
instead portraying a rather curious look. "Whatever you say, Dar." Glancing briefly
to the house next to them, she bit her lip again in an attempt to hold back the
hysterical laughter that seemed to crop up at inopportune moments. She stepped
forward, taking his hand firmly and looking up with a devastatingly mischievous grin.

Darien grabbed a hold of Lucy's hand then looked over at her. "You're going to
love this." He said as they walked up to the porch and then quicksilvered
them both. "Time for some fun."

Lucy was, for possibly the first time in her life, utterly speechless. "Bloody hell...."
She said, watching the quicksilver spread across her body before disappearing. She
gulped looking up to where Darien should have been, not worrying about hiding the
expression of daze yet trying to imagine how someone who had no idea of this
possibility would react. "Ah, Dars, I think I'm more inebriated that I originally
thought..."

"You're not imagining this if that is what you are trying to say." He pushed
open the unlocked door then walked inside. "don't let go unless you want to
be seen..." Darien whispered to Lucy then walked further inside of the house.

There was a child, sitting on the floor watching the TV. "Perfect," He
breathed then went and grabbed the remote to turn off the television. It
wasn't that big of a deal but hey gotta start out somewhere.

The kid gasped then quickly turned around to see who had turn off the TV but
no one was there, so she shrugged then turned it back on just to have it go
off on her again.

Darien grinned even though no one can see his expression but hell this was
somewhat fun. He started looking around the living room. There was a stuffed
bear laying on the couch. He grinned again then grabbed the bear just in time
for the girl to see it flying through the air. Her eyes went wide and she
jumped up from the floor. Darien made the bear face her then yelled. "BOO!"
The girl ran out of the room screaming. "MOOOOMMMMYYYY!!!!"

Lucy audible gulped again. Another first, she was actually quite nervous, but her
adrenaline was running high which drove her further. Opening her eyes finally,
Lucy looked around. Her world was silver, in was utterly inexplicable. Had she
been visible, her almond-shaped eyes had reached a size one wouldn't think them
able to. She nodded to Darien's comment, but stopped when she realized the nodding
wouldn't be seen, simply whispering "I won't let go if you don't, Darien."

She followed behind him, attempting to adjust herself to this new vision. Nervous
and, though she wouldn't admit it, afraid, she held close to Darien, her breathing
heavy. Had she been in any other state of mind, she would have been wanting to
try this new ability to it's fullest, however, still very tipsy, her thoughts strayed
back to the havoc she wanted to cause earlier. The two turned a corner from the
hall and arrived in the living room. There was a kid on the floor, entranced in the
cartoons which blared through the speakers.

Lucy found herself successfully stifling her laughing fit again as she heard Darien
say, "Perfect." Lucy hated kids and this would definitely be worth a little fun.
She watched the remote raise up and flick off the TV. Okay, it was a start, but
she wanted more. Darien was obviously thinking along the same lines as he manipulated
the bear, ending the child's utter shock which had now turned to fear.