A/N: OK, I actually wrote this part the other day, but then after reading through it I was just like OMG, this sucks so bad! It just didn't seem like it made any sense at all, so I pretty much rewrote the whole thing and hopefully improved it to the point of being understandable. I dunno, I think I was going for mysterious and I just screwed it up somewhere. I wont lie to you though, this part can still get very confusing, and I know I'm gonna get some questions about what's going on here. Now hopefully it's not quite as confusing as I think it is, but I guess I'll just have to see.
So anyway, thanx to everyone who reviewed the first part! I really appreciate it!! And to those of you who asked and/or wondered what the heck Hilda's doing in here, I just figured that it was about time someone brought her back! I thought Hilda was a kewl character! Was I the only one who was like in shock when she died? Oh, and just so you know, I am so going by dub standards on her death, (Not that she's dead here, but... *Shrugs*) because in the original there was really no way at all that she could have survived. And remember, this *is* an AU fic. Anything can and will happen! Heck, the fact that it's a fan fic tells you that much. So anyway I really, REALLY hope this part makes sense to you people! And that you still like it even with all it's confusion and weirdness, and the fact that romance isn't exactly one of my stronger points. But anyway, please r/r!
~~~
Bounty Hunted
---
Part II
~~~
"Shhhh..."
"Hilda? Is that really...."
"Quiet, Jim, it's not safe to talk here. They'll hear you."
"Who?"
"Shhh...." Hilda said again, this time quieting the boy as she lead him silently through the dark alley. She knew that they had to be some where safer before they could talk, and that he would have a lot of questions. That much was inevitable. But how exactly she would answer them she wasn't yet sure. All that she was sure of now was that she had to get him out of the alley and somewhere safe. Somewhere where they could talk. "Come on, this way." She whispered pulling Jim along behind her as they neared the other end of alley way and were greeted by the warm light of the afternoon.
"In here." She said indicating to a small building on their right, apparently a restaurant of some kind, and entered with Jim in tow. Conveniently enough the place was remotely empty, save for a few costumers and a dark haired man standing behind the places bar, whom glanced up briefly upon their arrival before casually going back to the glass he was cleaning.
"So just what the heck is going on here?" Jim asked staring up at her for the first real time, an almost overwhelming sense of shock rushing through him at the sight of her. The boy was so confused at that moment, how could that really be Hilda? How could she have survived? And what exactly had she been talking about back in the alley? His mind was so full of questions now that he felt he might burst at any given moment if he didn't get some answers soon.
And yet Hilda remained silent as she and Jim each took a seat at the table farthest from the other customers. "Well?" He asked growing impatient as Hilda tried to think of a way to explain the situation clearly. "Hilda, come on! Answer me! How is it that your here? How could you have survived?"
"That's not what's important right now." She replied simply.
"What do you mean it's not important? Hilda your supposed to be dead! This doesn't make any sense at all!" He exclaimed, gaining the two a few unwanted stares. But at this point that mattered little to Jim, he just wanted to know what was going on. There was no way he was just going to let Hilda play it off like she'd been on vacation or something, he wanted some answers. Some real ones, and right now!
"Look, Jim, I know you want some answers..."
"Your Damn right I do! Hilda what is going on here?"
"I know you want some answers," She said again, this time a slight hint of irritation in her voice that told the boy to let her finish what she was saying. "But there are more important things to worry about right now."
"Oh really?" Jim asked skeptically. "Well, sorry if I happen to think your coming back from the *dead* is priority one right now."
"I was never dead, Jim. Close, but not dead. Now will you please pay attention because I'm not the only thing you need to be worrying about right now." She replied, knowing that it was a pretty flimsy explanation but caring little as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of golden paper and handed it to the boy across from her. "This is what we really have to worry about."
He sighed knowingly as he unfolded the paper he'd seen on the building before. "Gene." He said his friends name aloud, his tone changing completely as worry overpowered his frustration. "We have to warn him."
Hilda merely shook her head at his words. "Don't you even want to know whose behind this?"
Jim's eye's traveled back up to her as she spoke, worry evident in his expression. "Does it really matter?" He asked setting the paper down. "All I know is that Gene's in trouble and I need to go help him before something happens."
"It was the Kei pirates. That's who I didn't want to hear us before." She said as though he'd actually taken some interest in what she was saying. "And let it be known, Jim, that they're after you as well."
"Well, yeah. If they're after Gene then they're after me anyway."
"No, Jim." She said seriously. "They're after you."
"Yeah, but..."
"No, Jim." She repeated. "They're after *you*."
"Me?" Jim said, finally grasping what Hilda was telling him. "But the poster says they're after Gene." He stated, confused and alarmed by the others remarks.
"And your always with Gene." She said honestly enough. "But Gene is more easily recognized and well known. The pirates know that." She paused, and the boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "The pirates know you."
Jim winced at her words, she seemed to know so much. Too much. About him. About the pirates. But how? How could she know? How could anyone? He'd never told anyone and he barely even knew Hilda. How could she know? 'No.' He thought, shaking his head slowly as though he'd said the word out loud. He wouldn't let panic set in just yet. He'd wait and see if there was a better explanation for what she'd just said rather then jumping to conclusions. She couldn't know the truth, she didn't even know him. And so rather then letting her see the near fearful look in his eye's he dodged her stares and decided that it would be best to play it cool and hope that his assumptions about what she knew were wrong. They just had to be.
"What are you talking about?" He asked praying that he didn't already know. "Why would the pirates be after me?"
"Do I even need to answer that?" She replied with a question of her own, staring at the boy across the table knowingly. A stare that scared Jim half to death. "I think we both know what I'm talking about."
"No." He said shaking his head nervously. She couldn't know. No one knew. Not her. Not anyone. No one.
"Jim, I know about your past." She said exactly what Jim had feared she might say. "I know what happened to you. I know what you did."
"No." He said again, this time standing up and pounding an angry fist against the table as he continued to shake his head now violently. "You don't know what hell your talking about! Gene doesn't even know that, how the hell could you?" 'Okay, Jim. Don't panic. Don't panic.'
"I've been fighting the pirates for years." She began her response, to which Jim couldn't help but look back at her, the word "pirates" catching his ear. "And you don't fight someone for that long without knowing who your enemies are."
And that was it. She did know. Those last few words were all the evidence Jim needed. Someone really did know about his past. About the things he'd done, the people he hurt, and the enemies he'd had. The enemy he'd once had in her and the enemies he'd made when he'd escaped that old life of his. The old life he'd wanted to forget ever existed. The old life that haunted him still.
Hilda immediately noticed the bewilderment in the boys blue eye's and felt almost bad about telling him what she knew. "I also know that it wasn't your fault." She told him in hopes of making him feel better. Hopes she knew couldn't be full filled.
"Are you going to tell Gene?" He asked doing his best to regain his composure, his tone serious as he tried to push his worry to the back of his mind. A failed attempt he realized as his voice came out almost meekly.
"No, I wasn't planing on it." She replied, causing him to sigh in at least some relief. "But I think that you'd better, before someone else does."
Jim turned away from her again at this, not wanting her to see the confusion and sadness in his eye's. How could this be happening? She really did know. But Gene? He shuttered at the thought. "How can I?" He asked, worried at the thought of what Gene might say. Of what he would think. "We don't get along as it is, how could he possibly understand?"
"Jim, it wasn't your fault." She said again. A statement which was now becoming quite redundant. "That was just the hand life dealt you. You had no say in it."
"How would you know?" He asked turning on her suddenly, forgetting to remain calm as his anger at the current situation grew inside of him. "You weren't there. You didn't know me. All you knew was that I was your enemy. That's all you knew. How do you know it wasn't the life I chose for myself? How do you know I'm not still your enemy?"
"Because I know you better then that."
"You don't know me at all!" He retorted haughtily, his hands balled into fists at his sides. She was right though, he didn't choose that life himself. He didn't even want that life. He'd always hated it. But that never stopped him from it. That didn't keep him from fighting, or hurting people, or destroying. It didn't keep him from destroying lives and following the ways of those he hated most. The fact that he didn't like it didn't change a damn thing to make it any better. If anything it only made things worse, for both him and those he'd wound up hurting. And none of his regrets no matter how strong could change the things he'd done. It didn't change who his father was. And it couldn't change the inevitable.
"All right, then." Hilda began, knowing better then to let the boys words hurt her. She knew he was just angry. And that actually he was right, she didn't know him that well. But then again he didn't really know her either. "We need to figure out what we're doing here." She said in an attempt to change the subject, to which Jim gladly obliged.
"We have to warn Gene." Jim stated seriously, still having some trouble remaining calm. "We have to hook back up with Gene and Melfina and tell them what's going on."
Hilda shook her head at this. "I really think that we'd be better off staying away from them for now." She said, surprising the boy.
"How could that help?" He asked confused. "There's safety in numbers, wouldn't we be better off together?"
"Well, if we stay apart and one of us is attacked then at least the other'll still be okay." She replied logically.
"Yeah, but the other wont be." Jim reminded her.
"Look, Jim, your the one they're after, your the one they want alive."
"So?"
"So if your with Gene and they find you Gene's gonna fight and most likely get himself killed." Hilda explained to him. "And if they do go after him he's better off not knowing where you are. It's the best for both of you."
"Oh." Was all he said as they finally reached an understanding. What she said did make some sense and he certainly didn't want endanger Gene anymore than he already had. "I guess your right." Hilda nodded. "But can we at least go back to the hotel and get some of my stuff?"
"I guess we could do that." She replied, standing up from her chair. "But we'll have to hurry, we don't want to run into them."
"OK." Jim agreed on his way to the door. "Then lets get going." He was still a little weary of the way they were handling this but somehow he preferred it. At least now he wouldn't have to tell Gene the truth just yet, an act he dreaded more than anything. But he couldn't worry about that now. He had to stay focused. And yet the mere thought of it still plagued the boys mind as they went on their way. How would Gene react to the truth? To the fact that his very own partner had once been the enemy? That Jim, much like his own father, was once a pirate?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a sullen look upon Gene's face as he and Melfina reached the hotel, sighing almost angrily as he turned the door knob to their room. They still didn't have a job and things it seemed were only getting worse. They were all ready worse. And under the current circumstances Gene had no idea what to do.
"Gene?" Melfina said her friends name, entering the room behind him. She'd been so worried about him ever since they'd found that wanted poster. He'd been so happy for a moment there, excited at the prospect of finding himself a good job. But all that had changed so fast at the sight of whose picture was on the golden sheet of paper. She too couldn't help but worry. "Gene, are you okay?"
"Do I look like I'm okay?" He nearly shouted back at her.
"Oh, okay, sorry." Was all Melfina could think of to say, as she looked down, barely giving Gene the chance to see the hurt now present in her eye's.
"No, I'm sorry, Mel." He said, regretting his words immediately. "I'm just kind of frustrated right now, ya know. I really think we need to get out of here."
Melfina nodded, easily excepting his apology. "Yeah, your probably right. We wouldn't want anyone to recognize you."
"Yeah," Gene agreed. And then taking a look around himself got a rather puzzled look on his face. "Jim?" He called out his younger friends name, receiving no answer from the boy. "Hey Jim, are you here?"
"His cars gone." Melfina noted alarmed as she glanced out the window. "His stuff is too. Gene, I thought you said he'd be back."
"Dammit!" Gene exclaimed upon hearing her words. "Can things get any worse?"
"Gene, don't get so upset." Melfina advised him. "It wont do you a bit of good."
"Well, how am I supposed to act, Mel?" Gene asked her, taking a quick seat on his unmade bed and resting his fore head in his hands. "I'm a wanted man, with no job and no money, and to top it all off I've somehow managed to drive away one of the few real friends I have! How am I supposed to act?"
"But maybe he'll still come back." She suggested taking a seat beside him. "You said he would."
"Well, apparently I was wrong." He replied sharply. "You don't take your stuff if your planning on coming right back."
"Well, where do you expect him to go?" Melfina asked.
"How should I know?" Gene answered with a question. "When I first meet him he was living on the streets, no doubt he can do it again."
"Oh."
"But I don't want him out there like that, Mel." He said honestly. "He's just a kid. He shouldn't have to be. This is all my fault!"
"You shouldn't blame yourself." Melfina said moving closer to him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not all your fault, Gene. It just happened. And Jim is just as much to blame as you are."
"Yeah, I guess." Gene said lacking enthusiasm, as he worried about his young friend. And then upon looking up at her and noticing the saddened expression on her own face he gave her kind of a weary look as she let her own eye's travel around the room. Was something wrong with her? She looked so sad. "And what about you?" He asked
"Huh?" She looked up.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, me? Yeah, I'm fine." She replied turning away from him. "Just a little worried is all."
"Well, don't be." He said placing a hand on her shoulder much like she had done for him and forced a smile of reassurance as he practically lied through his teeth. "Everything'll be all right, soon enough."
"You really believe that?" She wondered skeptically. And he nodded even though he really wasn't sure at all. She smiled at this, letting herself lean against his chest as he placed an arm around her. She always felt so safe in his arms. "Thanks."
"For what?" Gene asked.
"For being here." She replied simply. "Just for caring and making me feel safe."
"Oh." Gene, blushed slightly, a little surprised at her words. "Well, then thank you too." He said, still holding her gingerly.
"For what?"
"For making me feel useful." He answered, almost laughing at the statement. It wasn't like him to worry so much over things and right now he really just felt kind of helpless to do anything. A trait that was not his own.
She however was very flattered by his words, the thought of her actually helping him in some way made her feel like she really did have a purpose in life, and her smile only grew, as she sat up to face him. "You've always been useful." She stated moving closer to him. "You've always been there for me. I don't know how I can thank you for that."
"You just did." He told her, his arm wrapped around her once again as he stared longingly into her dark eye's. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. She was always beautiful. So beautiful...
Melfina gazed up at Gene mesmerized by the uncharacteristic vulnerability that was so obvious in his eye's. And she took his hand in hers as she let her own eye's wander once over his muscular body before letting them lock with his. She already could feel him leaning towards her as she was to him, his breathe mixing with hers as their lips edged towards each other. And then....
Both Gene and Melfina's heads snapped away from each other as they heard an unexpected pounding on the door. Gene sighed as he stood to answer it, glancing back at Melfina once more before turning towards the door, a disappointed look upon his face. He was almost there when suddenly the door was pushed, or rather kicked down to reveal a group of about five or six men causing Gene to jump back and Melfina to let a quick scream escape her lips.
"Gene Starwind?" One of them asked, and Gene cocked his head on reflex causing a large grin to spread across the mans face as the others laughed behind him. "Good. Then it's about time we got down to business."
To be continued...
A/N: Well that's it for now. So how was this one? To fast? Bad? Confusing? Probably, but hopefully any confusion will be cleared up in the coming parts. If you have any questions at all feel free to ask. And thanx again to everyone who reviewed last time!! You guys are great!!
So anyway, thanx to everyone who reviewed the first part! I really appreciate it!! And to those of you who asked and/or wondered what the heck Hilda's doing in here, I just figured that it was about time someone brought her back! I thought Hilda was a kewl character! Was I the only one who was like in shock when she died? Oh, and just so you know, I am so going by dub standards on her death, (Not that she's dead here, but... *Shrugs*) because in the original there was really no way at all that she could have survived. And remember, this *is* an AU fic. Anything can and will happen! Heck, the fact that it's a fan fic tells you that much. So anyway I really, REALLY hope this part makes sense to you people! And that you still like it even with all it's confusion and weirdness, and the fact that romance isn't exactly one of my stronger points. But anyway, please r/r!
~~~
Bounty Hunted
---
Part II
~~~
"Shhhh..."
"Hilda? Is that really...."
"Quiet, Jim, it's not safe to talk here. They'll hear you."
"Who?"
"Shhh...." Hilda said again, this time quieting the boy as she lead him silently through the dark alley. She knew that they had to be some where safer before they could talk, and that he would have a lot of questions. That much was inevitable. But how exactly she would answer them she wasn't yet sure. All that she was sure of now was that she had to get him out of the alley and somewhere safe. Somewhere where they could talk. "Come on, this way." She whispered pulling Jim along behind her as they neared the other end of alley way and were greeted by the warm light of the afternoon.
"In here." She said indicating to a small building on their right, apparently a restaurant of some kind, and entered with Jim in tow. Conveniently enough the place was remotely empty, save for a few costumers and a dark haired man standing behind the places bar, whom glanced up briefly upon their arrival before casually going back to the glass he was cleaning.
"So just what the heck is going on here?" Jim asked staring up at her for the first real time, an almost overwhelming sense of shock rushing through him at the sight of her. The boy was so confused at that moment, how could that really be Hilda? How could she have survived? And what exactly had she been talking about back in the alley? His mind was so full of questions now that he felt he might burst at any given moment if he didn't get some answers soon.
And yet Hilda remained silent as she and Jim each took a seat at the table farthest from the other customers. "Well?" He asked growing impatient as Hilda tried to think of a way to explain the situation clearly. "Hilda, come on! Answer me! How is it that your here? How could you have survived?"
"That's not what's important right now." She replied simply.
"What do you mean it's not important? Hilda your supposed to be dead! This doesn't make any sense at all!" He exclaimed, gaining the two a few unwanted stares. But at this point that mattered little to Jim, he just wanted to know what was going on. There was no way he was just going to let Hilda play it off like she'd been on vacation or something, he wanted some answers. Some real ones, and right now!
"Look, Jim, I know you want some answers..."
"Your Damn right I do! Hilda what is going on here?"
"I know you want some answers," She said again, this time a slight hint of irritation in her voice that told the boy to let her finish what she was saying. "But there are more important things to worry about right now."
"Oh really?" Jim asked skeptically. "Well, sorry if I happen to think your coming back from the *dead* is priority one right now."
"I was never dead, Jim. Close, but not dead. Now will you please pay attention because I'm not the only thing you need to be worrying about right now." She replied, knowing that it was a pretty flimsy explanation but caring little as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of golden paper and handed it to the boy across from her. "This is what we really have to worry about."
He sighed knowingly as he unfolded the paper he'd seen on the building before. "Gene." He said his friends name aloud, his tone changing completely as worry overpowered his frustration. "We have to warn him."
Hilda merely shook her head at his words. "Don't you even want to know whose behind this?"
Jim's eye's traveled back up to her as she spoke, worry evident in his expression. "Does it really matter?" He asked setting the paper down. "All I know is that Gene's in trouble and I need to go help him before something happens."
"It was the Kei pirates. That's who I didn't want to hear us before." She said as though he'd actually taken some interest in what she was saying. "And let it be known, Jim, that they're after you as well."
"Well, yeah. If they're after Gene then they're after me anyway."
"No, Jim." She said seriously. "They're after you."
"Yeah, but..."
"No, Jim." She repeated. "They're after *you*."
"Me?" Jim said, finally grasping what Hilda was telling him. "But the poster says they're after Gene." He stated, confused and alarmed by the others remarks.
"And your always with Gene." She said honestly enough. "But Gene is more easily recognized and well known. The pirates know that." She paused, and the boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "The pirates know you."
Jim winced at her words, she seemed to know so much. Too much. About him. About the pirates. But how? How could she know? How could anyone? He'd never told anyone and he barely even knew Hilda. How could she know? 'No.' He thought, shaking his head slowly as though he'd said the word out loud. He wouldn't let panic set in just yet. He'd wait and see if there was a better explanation for what she'd just said rather then jumping to conclusions. She couldn't know the truth, she didn't even know him. And so rather then letting her see the near fearful look in his eye's he dodged her stares and decided that it would be best to play it cool and hope that his assumptions about what she knew were wrong. They just had to be.
"What are you talking about?" He asked praying that he didn't already know. "Why would the pirates be after me?"
"Do I even need to answer that?" She replied with a question of her own, staring at the boy across the table knowingly. A stare that scared Jim half to death. "I think we both know what I'm talking about."
"No." He said shaking his head nervously. She couldn't know. No one knew. Not her. Not anyone. No one.
"Jim, I know about your past." She said exactly what Jim had feared she might say. "I know what happened to you. I know what you did."
"No." He said again, this time standing up and pounding an angry fist against the table as he continued to shake his head now violently. "You don't know what hell your talking about! Gene doesn't even know that, how the hell could you?" 'Okay, Jim. Don't panic. Don't panic.'
"I've been fighting the pirates for years." She began her response, to which Jim couldn't help but look back at her, the word "pirates" catching his ear. "And you don't fight someone for that long without knowing who your enemies are."
And that was it. She did know. Those last few words were all the evidence Jim needed. Someone really did know about his past. About the things he'd done, the people he hurt, and the enemies he'd had. The enemy he'd once had in her and the enemies he'd made when he'd escaped that old life of his. The old life he'd wanted to forget ever existed. The old life that haunted him still.
Hilda immediately noticed the bewilderment in the boys blue eye's and felt almost bad about telling him what she knew. "I also know that it wasn't your fault." She told him in hopes of making him feel better. Hopes she knew couldn't be full filled.
"Are you going to tell Gene?" He asked doing his best to regain his composure, his tone serious as he tried to push his worry to the back of his mind. A failed attempt he realized as his voice came out almost meekly.
"No, I wasn't planing on it." She replied, causing him to sigh in at least some relief. "But I think that you'd better, before someone else does."
Jim turned away from her again at this, not wanting her to see the confusion and sadness in his eye's. How could this be happening? She really did know. But Gene? He shuttered at the thought. "How can I?" He asked, worried at the thought of what Gene might say. Of what he would think. "We don't get along as it is, how could he possibly understand?"
"Jim, it wasn't your fault." She said again. A statement which was now becoming quite redundant. "That was just the hand life dealt you. You had no say in it."
"How would you know?" He asked turning on her suddenly, forgetting to remain calm as his anger at the current situation grew inside of him. "You weren't there. You didn't know me. All you knew was that I was your enemy. That's all you knew. How do you know it wasn't the life I chose for myself? How do you know I'm not still your enemy?"
"Because I know you better then that."
"You don't know me at all!" He retorted haughtily, his hands balled into fists at his sides. She was right though, he didn't choose that life himself. He didn't even want that life. He'd always hated it. But that never stopped him from it. That didn't keep him from fighting, or hurting people, or destroying. It didn't keep him from destroying lives and following the ways of those he hated most. The fact that he didn't like it didn't change a damn thing to make it any better. If anything it only made things worse, for both him and those he'd wound up hurting. And none of his regrets no matter how strong could change the things he'd done. It didn't change who his father was. And it couldn't change the inevitable.
"All right, then." Hilda began, knowing better then to let the boys words hurt her. She knew he was just angry. And that actually he was right, she didn't know him that well. But then again he didn't really know her either. "We need to figure out what we're doing here." She said in an attempt to change the subject, to which Jim gladly obliged.
"We have to warn Gene." Jim stated seriously, still having some trouble remaining calm. "We have to hook back up with Gene and Melfina and tell them what's going on."
Hilda shook her head at this. "I really think that we'd be better off staying away from them for now." She said, surprising the boy.
"How could that help?" He asked confused. "There's safety in numbers, wouldn't we be better off together?"
"Well, if we stay apart and one of us is attacked then at least the other'll still be okay." She replied logically.
"Yeah, but the other wont be." Jim reminded her.
"Look, Jim, your the one they're after, your the one they want alive."
"So?"
"So if your with Gene and they find you Gene's gonna fight and most likely get himself killed." Hilda explained to him. "And if they do go after him he's better off not knowing where you are. It's the best for both of you."
"Oh." Was all he said as they finally reached an understanding. What she said did make some sense and he certainly didn't want endanger Gene anymore than he already had. "I guess your right." Hilda nodded. "But can we at least go back to the hotel and get some of my stuff?"
"I guess we could do that." She replied, standing up from her chair. "But we'll have to hurry, we don't want to run into them."
"OK." Jim agreed on his way to the door. "Then lets get going." He was still a little weary of the way they were handling this but somehow he preferred it. At least now he wouldn't have to tell Gene the truth just yet, an act he dreaded more than anything. But he couldn't worry about that now. He had to stay focused. And yet the mere thought of it still plagued the boys mind as they went on their way. How would Gene react to the truth? To the fact that his very own partner had once been the enemy? That Jim, much like his own father, was once a pirate?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a sullen look upon Gene's face as he and Melfina reached the hotel, sighing almost angrily as he turned the door knob to their room. They still didn't have a job and things it seemed were only getting worse. They were all ready worse. And under the current circumstances Gene had no idea what to do.
"Gene?" Melfina said her friends name, entering the room behind him. She'd been so worried about him ever since they'd found that wanted poster. He'd been so happy for a moment there, excited at the prospect of finding himself a good job. But all that had changed so fast at the sight of whose picture was on the golden sheet of paper. She too couldn't help but worry. "Gene, are you okay?"
"Do I look like I'm okay?" He nearly shouted back at her.
"Oh, okay, sorry." Was all Melfina could think of to say, as she looked down, barely giving Gene the chance to see the hurt now present in her eye's.
"No, I'm sorry, Mel." He said, regretting his words immediately. "I'm just kind of frustrated right now, ya know. I really think we need to get out of here."
Melfina nodded, easily excepting his apology. "Yeah, your probably right. We wouldn't want anyone to recognize you."
"Yeah," Gene agreed. And then taking a look around himself got a rather puzzled look on his face. "Jim?" He called out his younger friends name, receiving no answer from the boy. "Hey Jim, are you here?"
"His cars gone." Melfina noted alarmed as she glanced out the window. "His stuff is too. Gene, I thought you said he'd be back."
"Dammit!" Gene exclaimed upon hearing her words. "Can things get any worse?"
"Gene, don't get so upset." Melfina advised him. "It wont do you a bit of good."
"Well, how am I supposed to act, Mel?" Gene asked her, taking a quick seat on his unmade bed and resting his fore head in his hands. "I'm a wanted man, with no job and no money, and to top it all off I've somehow managed to drive away one of the few real friends I have! How am I supposed to act?"
"But maybe he'll still come back." She suggested taking a seat beside him. "You said he would."
"Well, apparently I was wrong." He replied sharply. "You don't take your stuff if your planning on coming right back."
"Well, where do you expect him to go?" Melfina asked.
"How should I know?" Gene answered with a question. "When I first meet him he was living on the streets, no doubt he can do it again."
"Oh."
"But I don't want him out there like that, Mel." He said honestly. "He's just a kid. He shouldn't have to be. This is all my fault!"
"You shouldn't blame yourself." Melfina said moving closer to him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not all your fault, Gene. It just happened. And Jim is just as much to blame as you are."
"Yeah, I guess." Gene said lacking enthusiasm, as he worried about his young friend. And then upon looking up at her and noticing the saddened expression on her own face he gave her kind of a weary look as she let her own eye's travel around the room. Was something wrong with her? She looked so sad. "And what about you?" He asked
"Huh?" She looked up.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, me? Yeah, I'm fine." She replied turning away from him. "Just a little worried is all."
"Well, don't be." He said placing a hand on her shoulder much like she had done for him and forced a smile of reassurance as he practically lied through his teeth. "Everything'll be all right, soon enough."
"You really believe that?" She wondered skeptically. And he nodded even though he really wasn't sure at all. She smiled at this, letting herself lean against his chest as he placed an arm around her. She always felt so safe in his arms. "Thanks."
"For what?" Gene asked.
"For being here." She replied simply. "Just for caring and making me feel safe."
"Oh." Gene, blushed slightly, a little surprised at her words. "Well, then thank you too." He said, still holding her gingerly.
"For what?"
"For making me feel useful." He answered, almost laughing at the statement. It wasn't like him to worry so much over things and right now he really just felt kind of helpless to do anything. A trait that was not his own.
She however was very flattered by his words, the thought of her actually helping him in some way made her feel like she really did have a purpose in life, and her smile only grew, as she sat up to face him. "You've always been useful." She stated moving closer to him. "You've always been there for me. I don't know how I can thank you for that."
"You just did." He told her, his arm wrapped around her once again as he stared longingly into her dark eye's. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. She was always beautiful. So beautiful...
Melfina gazed up at Gene mesmerized by the uncharacteristic vulnerability that was so obvious in his eye's. And she took his hand in hers as she let her own eye's wander once over his muscular body before letting them lock with his. She already could feel him leaning towards her as she was to him, his breathe mixing with hers as their lips edged towards each other. And then....
Both Gene and Melfina's heads snapped away from each other as they heard an unexpected pounding on the door. Gene sighed as he stood to answer it, glancing back at Melfina once more before turning towards the door, a disappointed look upon his face. He was almost there when suddenly the door was pushed, or rather kicked down to reveal a group of about five or six men causing Gene to jump back and Melfina to let a quick scream escape her lips.
"Gene Starwind?" One of them asked, and Gene cocked his head on reflex causing a large grin to spread across the mans face as the others laughed behind him. "Good. Then it's about time we got down to business."
To be continued...
A/N: Well that's it for now. So how was this one? To fast? Bad? Confusing? Probably, but hopefully any confusion will be cleared up in the coming parts. If you have any questions at all feel free to ask. And thanx again to everyone who reviewed last time!! You guys are great!!