be embarrassing for you turning up on Judge Judy and winning my whole collection of lint and paper clips!
Read on and stuff, once again italics indicate direct thought. Otay!
The very first thing the escaped girls had done was to put as much distance
between them and the base as possible, catching the
earliest farrier to colony L4. They had gotten skeptical stares from
the other farrier passengers, five badly beaten up young
women were bound to be interesting at the least. They huddled together
in the very back bench, all sporting wide smiles inspite
of the once again surfacing injuries.
"I can't believe we're out, it was almost simple!" Brandi exclaimed
with a happy sigh.
Ivy absently cleaned her glasses on her coat, "I don't mean to bring
down your spirits, but most likely they'll be after us soon."
"I've anticipated that very thing, and that's why we have to start
our lives anew."
"Come again?" Tara cranked her head at Felicia, trying to interpret
her meaning.
"What she's trying to say is that we get to live normal lives, of course
under falsified aliases in case they do in fact com a runnin."
Brandi was beaming in her seat, "That means we'll get to cook, and clean,
and shop!" Her eyes turned hopefully to Ivy and then
to Tara. "Right?"
Tara giggled "I guess it dose! But I ain't cleanin'."
The tensions from their escape and the deep seated fears of capture
seemed to ebb away with their continuous chatter of their
new lives, of jobs and possible schooling. The mention of being able
to date brought a content sigh from the group.
Tara hummed a merry tune as she made her way back to the complex, a
large bag of groceries cradled to her chest. It had been
a month, and now she was under the alias of sixteen year old Tara Prososki.
She rounded a corner into a pitch black alley as it was the quickest
route to hers and the other's apartment complex, as she
took her first step into the black hole she collided with what seemed
to be a brick wall. With a soft grunt she fell to the cement,
her groceries spilling out around her. With a nervous twitch of her
tail she rolled to her knees, then her eyes raised upwards.
What was mistook for a misplaced wall was in fact a boy, smiling down
at her.
"Hey there, sorry about that!" His cheery voice called down to her.
Tara took in the sight of this new youth. He was indeed
good looking by any standards, with large exited amethyst eyes, an
inviting grin playing over his mouth, and a full bouncy head
of deep chestnut hair. His bangs appearing to perhaps alter vision
as they branched off around his fore head in large shapely
clusters.
His clothing consisting of what once was a deep blue jean jacket, though
like Tara's ensemble, was cleanly shredded to end
under his pectorals and at the same length on both arms. Under lay
a tight fitting black muscle shirt, and slightly baggy black
jeans.
As Tara took in his looks she failed to notice that he had dropped
to his knees and was already gathering up her spilled food.
Her face flushed and she began to help him, though his eyes never left
her face. After her bag was once again full Tara easily
shifted it to one arm, letting the other lay along her side's curves.
"That's all right, it was my fault anyway." She jeered happily at him,
giving a smile of embarrassment.
He grinned face splittingly wide, "Okay now that we've blamed each
other......." He thrust his hand out at her, "Name's Duo.
Duo Maxwell."
She gave him her own cheeky smile and placed her hand in his, Duo then
surprisingly brought it to his lips and placed a
gentleman like peck on it. "Umm, I'm Tara Prososki. It's nice to run
into you."
He gave a hearty chuckle, "Ditto! Hey, ya need any help caring those
things?" He eyed the bag then his eye's tore back to her,
giving her total undivided attention. It was only then that she noticed
the thick four foot long chestnut braid that swung around
behind him.
"I think I can manage thanks."
"No really, I feel bad for makin yah crash and burn like that. At least
let me walk you home!" He armed himself with his best
pleading face which gave forth a giggle from Tara.
"Well, I suppose you could do that." She started ahead and gestured
with her tail for him to follow. "Come on." He jogged up to
her side and walked casually with his hands stuffed in his pockets,
his braid flowing behind.
Felicia raised a curious eye brow as a head of red hair whipped past
her, the body attached to it carelessly flopping the
groceries onto the clean kitchen counter and then racing to the window.
"Tara?" With no response Felicia whipped her hands on a rag hurriedly
and rushed to see what the interest at the window was.
Her suspicions were confirmed, from Tara's back she could see the young
cat girl dreamily waving to a man far below. Upon
further inspection Felicia witnessed the man raise his hand to his
moth, kiss it, then seem to shoo it up to her. Then walk away
backwards, until he had to turn into the ally then he disappeared.
"And who was that?" She scolded Tara jokingly.
Tara heaved a heavy sigh, then turned around to sweep a disgruntled
Felicia into a sort of waltz. "That was a guy I met, ain't he
dreamy?"
Felicia narrowed her eyes, "Do you even know this dreamy guy's name?"
"Of course! It's Duo Maxwell!" Then she gave a tiny gasp, "I've got
to tell.....someone, anyone! They'll be soooooo jealous!"
"Brandi's still at work, you might catch Ashley there. Bring them home
for dinner when you're done bragging." She added with a
smile before Tara was once again ripping away.
Ashley leaned heavily on the small round table, her eyes ever widening
as Tara recalled her meeting over two mild drinks.
"I can't believe your luck girl! And he said he was gonna stop by tomorrow?"
Tara nodded enthusiastically, "Yup, he wanted to see that new music
shop they opened. With the new discs from Earth
ya'know? Anyway, I kinna hinted that I was dying to see it and.....well,
you know." She took a long sip of her pink colored
drink, pushing the little umbrella aside and never keeping her sparkling
eyes off Ashley over the glasses rim.
Ashley rolled her eyes playfully, then turned to the stage as the house
lights went out. Tara's focus also was directed at the stage
where a giant black curtain was being lifted around the stage, revealing
the faint outlines of seven people in the pitch dark. A
series of low pitched and extremely high based notes began to play
through the club at a set rhythm, along with the beats various
lights of brilliant colors flashed all around. Suddenly the beats and
lights halted and a main light beamed at a figure standing
somewhat ahead of the others, then Brandi's head snapped up at the
beginning of her song. An alluring smile flashing at the
males in the club, many who dove desperately to the dance floor space
in front of the stage still cheering wildly.
"Hey, boy, don't you know
I've got something going on (Yes, I do)
All my friends are gonna come gonna party all night long
I know, you know, I just want us to go
The fun we'll have fun you'll never be alone
So boy, won't you come?
We will party till the dawn. Listen to me..."
Brandi's voice boomed with a confidence only a troupe of backup singers
and booming music could bring to the normally docile
blonde. Ashley physically dragged Tara to the dance floor and both
were moving with grace the mother of all cat's would
cherish, and of course gave encouraging smiles and waves when they
caught Brandi's emerald eyes.
"I want you to know you could be the one for me (Yes, you could)
You've got all I'm looking for
You've got personality
I know, you know, I'm gonna give more
But boy you know, I never felt this way before
So, boy won't you come?
So, boy won't you come
And open the door?"
Brandi's voice echoed deep and nearly gospel, she also went through
her assigned dance moves flawlessly. At times one of her
male back up dancers would move to her side and the two would dance
as the one's in the crowd, sensually close and fluid
movements that would appall many adults and give others near heart
attacks.
"I want you, I need you
You know that I believe you
We got it, you know it
So, if its real, just show it!" She and the back up singers neared
the end with smiles abound at the still cheering audience.
"All I want is you (Come over here baby)
All I want is you (You make me go crazy)
All I want is you (You better cross the line)
I'm gonna love you right (All I want is you)"
The seven dancers/singers ended with a rehearsed pose, the noise of
the approving crowd was near deafening at the song's
finished. Brandi panted slightly, though still with the painfully wide
looking smile. Her large emerald eyes shot to the back as
Ashley let forth a shrill whistle for encouragement. Brandi's smile
broadened, then with a last bow with her group she neatly
hopped off the stage into Tara's arms. With a few words of congratulations
the three began to move to their back table to finish
and order drinks.
Hidden in the shadows near the exit, deep emerald eyes softened considerably
as they witnessed the small female chatting
joyously to the others. Turning his head so that his vision wouldn't
be impaired by his uniquely styled bangs, Trowa found
himself glued to his target.
Blessed with soft sandy colored hair that seemed to be cruelly caught
in a wild haze between the very lightest of brunettes and
the darkest of blondes, simply styled with a straight part down the
middle. One side in a sloping curve from being tucked behind
her ear and the other hanging near the corner of her left eye, a tiny
rouge strand lie in the middle of her eyes and twisting to a
slight curl near her small nose, every length cut to taper around her
cherub like face. Brandi's eyes big and wondrous flashed
around with a carefree gleam Trowa doubted he'd ever see again in a
human, they held a brilliant color pattern in that it's main
emerald color held large specks of smoky blue. Long eyelashes fluttered
around them and forming rich dark half moons under
her eyes, a few tiny freckles causing her to look even more childish
if humanly possible. Her ivory skinned glowed with a holy
appearance under the club's shimmering lights.
Trowa blinked himself out of his content gaze as a hand placed itself
gently on his shoulder, his head turned slowly to see a
familiar set of penetrating blue eyes. As if some unheard signal passed
between the two they moved towards the back exit to
rendezvous with the others, their time of examination complete.
A swish of air and a loud slap rang throughout the dinning room as Ivy
flopped a thick newspaper down in the middle of the
table, the other's jerking their heads up at the sudden eruption.
"Read it." Ivy stated firmly, her hands supporting her on the table
as she leaned inwards. With a quick swallow of the piece of
food she was chewing Felicia raised up in her chair to look at the
article that stared up from the front page.
"Coalition organization to move special forces to Colony L4 at first
of month."
A noodle of spaghetti fell forgotten from the corner of Brandi's mouth
as the reading's meaning hit her, the other's looking
surprised as well.
"They've found us?!" Tara spat, flinging red sauce at Ashley's face.
"I can't say for sure, but this sudden base move is suspicious. I'd
recommend not leaving the premises for a while until the
controversy about this whole thing has ebbed."
Her response came in perfect unison, Ivy lowered her eyes and winced
as she readied for their outburst. "Stay here all day?!"
Ashley was the first to put in her own comment, "Come on Ivy, you can't
be serious!"
"Yeah, some of us have to work you know!" Brandi shook her fork with
an endearing point.
"I've thought of that, which is why none of us will go ANYWHERE without
the other four."
The group seemed to soundlessly ponder, save for Tara who was mumbling
uncertainties about still going on her 'own damn
date' alone.
With a cheeky grin Duo came galloping into the room which served as
their meeting place, from a folding table Wufei and
Trowa parted their stares from an ongoing virtual chess game at his
arrival. While Heero's insistent typing came from an
oversized arm chair, his one fascination besides missions had been
pacified by the holographic laptops this era had developed.
"Ahhh, so how's your guy's missions going?" He quipped before leaning
over Trowa's shoulder, spying the match and rubbing
his chin in a pondering matter.
"If it was any of your concern, I still wouldn't tell you." Wufei muttered
as Trowa checked his knight.
"Sheesh, grouchy aren't we?" Duo pulled a face and stuck out his pink
tongue. "How about you Trowa?"
"I think I've found a tactical way to gain 004's trust," His eyes grew
softer, but it was gone instantly.
"Huh? 004? Ohhhh, you mean that Brandi chick don't ya?" Duo nodded
his head happily at his ability to decipher Trowa's
sentence fragment.
"And you?" Heero's monotone came from the couch over the faint clicking
sounds.
Wufei's keen black eyes caught the startled expression on the braided
youth, seldom used in the place of his annoyingly
cheerfulness. He raised a delicate eyebrow for lack of better response
to the slightly evident blush creeping over Duo's cheeks.
"Eh, piece o'cake! I've got her wrapped around my pinkie!"
"Heero? Have you any plans for capturing Ashley?" Trowa quipped as
though he was speaking lightly of the weather.
Duo gave a snort from his current position while rummaging through
the fridge, "He hasn't even tried to make contact! He of the
'I'll never fail a mission' religion hasn't even....."
"Unlike the rest of you I'll waste no time becoming 'friendly' with
my target, I'll simply abduct her or something quick of that
nature." Heero cut off Duo in mid sentence with an out lash of sorts
on his part, which was pardoned and even ignored by the
others at the fact that Duo had dared to even question Heero's mission
capabilities. Finding no back up in his comrades Duo
huffed an exaggerated sigh and slid from the room with his carton of
milk in hand, "If Q-man was here he'd be on my side."
Brandi seemed to be having great fun getting in Tara's way the next
morning, as the red head rushed around the house getting
ready for Duo's arrival. She was in the midst of adjusting her hair
in the mirror when the doorbell rang, with an exited gasp she
ran to the door. The others just 'happened' to be lounging around the
living room when he arrived, all giving the half opened
door death glares. When it opened to a cheeky brunette holding a black
rose their jaws dropped and eyes widened, but Tara
looked like a girl on Christmas morning.
"Ohh Duo!" She sighed as she gently took the rose and cradled it to
her chest. "You shouldn't have!"
He grinned and shrugged his shoulders, then his amethyst eyes darted
just passed her shoulder to where the others still stared in
shock. "Hey there!, roomies I presume?"
Tara grabbed his arm and tugged him to each girl, "Yup this is Brandi
Brown, and this here is Ashley Tisdale, and Felicia
Benson, and of course Ivy Maginnis!"
Brandi snapped herself up with politeness and shook his hand exuberantly,
"Nice to meet ya Duo, been hearing a lot about
'cha!" A sudden crimson color crept to Tara's cheeks.
Ashley gave him another once over, then with a smirk moved forward
to give him a complex hand shake. She nodded amazed
when Duo performed it without fault, "Hey, nice moves."
"All ways, you know Tara you really should've told me you have such
gorgeous roommates! I have a couple of friends that
would kill to get a date with them!" He added with a wink.
At the prospect of also obtaining men they all snapped to their feet,
"Really?!" Came the signature four voices at once.
"Oh yeah, hey maybe later this week we could have a little group date!
If ya want that is."
Ashley slid up to Duo with eyes now nearly as large as Brandi's in
her best puppy dog gaze, "How about tonight?"
Duo seemed to ponder for an instant before snapping his fingers, "Sure!
We'll by by around six'ish?"
"Great!" Brandi chirped, "We can go to the Massion, it's a club I work
at. You know where it is?"
"Oh yeah, that place is always happening! It's a date then!"
Ivy suddenly spoke from the kitchenette, "Not me I'm afraid."
"Oh Ivyness, can't you take one teeny tiny night off?" Brandi tried,
measuring about an inch with her index fingers and with a
pleading face.
"No, I really can't." Proving the end of the conversation Ivy made
her exit from the room.
"Aww man, it was too perfect! And one of them's not going, I think it's
the leader type one, so it'll make our job a little easier!
One for each of us!"
Duo rambled on mindlessly as they made their way through the back alleys
to the familiar five story apartment complex, familiar
in that for the last week they had been staking it out. They were aware
of everything from each girl's room, their early morning
routines, the routes each took in their daily activities, to what cereal
they preferred in the morning. If not for their mission for
excellent ahead of step dating material as Duo had conveniently pointed
out.
Heero lagged at the back of the group, looking a bit peeved. It had
taken an awful lot of convincing to bring him along and to
keep him from simply jumping Ashley in a dark alley.
Finally they arrived at the front door, Duo gave it five quick knocks
and it opened to reveal four beautiful smiling faces, all with
hints of makeup and added accessories to enhance them. As if they needed
any.
Duo and Tara of course were instantly in each other's arms, now fully
comfortable with how close they were becoming. After a
chaste kiss they turned to introduce the other couples, Tara took the
initiative stepping forward and dragging Brandi's slim body
over to the doorway where every guy had shuffled in. Duo slid over
and nudged Trowa forward, nearly causing him to collide
with the tiny blonde who was easily as tall as his shoulder.
"Umm, sorry about that." She murmured as her face grew hot, she nervously
tucked a portion of hair behind her ear then at
Tara's elbow to her side offered her delicate hand to him.
Trowa's hand crept out and took hers, then following Duo's example
that he had heard every detail about raised it to his lips and
placed a whisper of a kiss on it. Brandi smiled so that her top teeth
played slightly over her bottom lip, which was covered in a
thick and inviting looking vanilla lip gloss. "I...I'm Brandi, Brandi
Brown. It's really nice to meet you."
"Trowa Barton, pleasure's mine." At his deep cool voice Brandi looked
up into his face, both staring unblinking.
Ashley nudged past the staring teens to recieve her own date, an almost
frightening boy stepped forward unbidden and bowed
his head slightly. "Heero Yuy."
She smirked and gave him an obvious once over, "Nice, I like your name.
And I'm Ashley Tisdale." The two didn't bother with
shaking hands, Ashley simpley taking the initave and leading him away
from the door to make sufficiant room. Heero did a
complete diagnoses of the out going individual, then jerked his eyes
away as she caught him staring near her back side and gave
him a wink. It didn't take the giggleing Duo to tell Heero a blush
was covering his slightly tanned complexion.
"Felicia Benson, this is Wufei Chang....but he loves to be called Wu-man,
or even Wu-bear!" Duo announced as the two timidly
stepped forward and exchanged greetings in nods. Felicia's face brigthened
as Wufei's hand lashed out by his side, Duo's
pained yelp the only evidence of his impressive hit.
Soon the small army of teens were heading out into the night, the males
trying to forgive the fact that they were allowing
themselfs to lower their guard. Even the perfect soldier's mind seemed
to be in an agreeable haze as Ashley walked leaning up
against his shoulder, he didn't even bother to resist as she intertwined
their fingers together.
I'm just completeing the mission. I'll take the best corse of action
to reach my goal, and right now that seems to be
gaining her trust. He turned his gaze from the street ahead of them
and looked down to where her head was resting
comfortably against his chest panes. She smells good.
Author's rants- Annoying aren't I?! I won't gibber on this time, I just
wanted to point out this one little thing.........the plot
thickens! Bwahahahaha! Lovins to yeh!