CHAPTER THREE! How exciting! If anybody wants to give me an idea for a new chapter, just pick your favorite episode and describe it to me in an email (Nosuchangel@Hotmail.com) and I'll see what I can do. Reviews (even bad ones) are always appreciated...!
WHAT YOU WISH FOR CHAPTER THREE:
Rival
Janus' first kiss to Jesse was short and unspectacular; he had held her close and brushed his lips against hers in an effort to cheer her up, and it had worked. They had shared their first meaningful kiss in Jesse's room, after they'd returned from a particularly long trip to South America.
Jesse dropped her jacket on the floor, sighing. "I never want to see another spider as long as I live," she said emphatically. "What an awful trip."
Janus shrugged as he watched her from the doorway. " I would think you'd expect this kind of thing to happen by now. That's why I'm here."
"I know," Jesse picked up her hairbrush. "It's just-spiders?" She shuddered. "Eugh."
Janus ventured a few more steps into the room, closing the door halfway. "You don't like spiders?"
"They don't usually bother me," Jesse admitted, "But there were just so many of them-remember? All over the temple walls and floor."
"I remember." Janus came up behind Jesse and put his arms around her waist. "You were very brave, though. You didn't look one bit scared."
Jesse smiled, leaning back against him. "Thanks." She twisted around so she could look up at him. "Were you scared?"
"Only when you fell into that pit."
"Why?"
"I thought I was going to lose you."
Jesse remembered Janus diving into the pit after her and saving her. She'd been so scared that she hadn't stopped to think about what he might be feeling. "Oh," She said softly. Silence descended.
Janus held Jesse's gaze for a long moment, then leaned forward and kissed her gently. He took her hand in his and turned her the rest of the way around, placing his other hand in the middle of her back. The kiss lasted for a second, maybe two, before Janus pulled away and smiled down at Jesse. She glanced almost involuntarily at her bed, at which time Janus quickly bade her goodnight and made a hasty retreat.
Jesse smiled in spite of her sorrow as she remembered kissing Janus. It had been the first of many; a big step in their relationship as they grew closer and closer together. At the same time, her father disapproved more and more of their relationship, frequently pulling Jesse aside to remind her why guardians came to be--they had sinned, they were evil, they were not to be trusted. "He must've done something so bad that even the powers that Be were shocked," Race would often whisper. "That's why they had to step in."
Jesse couldn't bring herself to believe that Janus was really that evil, no more evil than the rest of society, anyway. She did often see him glare at their enemies with a coldness in his eyes that scared her, but that was their enemies. She was different--he loved her... But not enough to stay...
Pulling the covers over her head, Jesse recalled the only person besides her father that had threatened to pull her and Janus apart.
Jonny gaped up at the woman standing in the doorway. "Y-you're looking for who?" He stammered, his face heating up.
The woman, a tall, intimidating blonde with shoulder-length hair that curled defiantly at the bottom and intense gray-green eyes, looked down her slender nose at the wide-eyed boy. "Janus. Hunter. Understand? Fetch him, I know he's here."
Jonny closed his mouth, swallowed hard, and ran up the main staircase, calling Janus' name. The woman stepped into the entryway and closed the door behind her, then straightened her hair and clothes with a hint of anxiety. She looked up as Janus came out of the guestroom and down the stairs.
As Jesse watched from the upstairs banister, she saw Janus stiffen, and slow his progress down the stairs. Finally, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and said incredulously, "Estre?"
The woman smiled, looking like a smug cat. "Janus." She held out her arms. "It's been a few decades, Janus, aren't you even going to say hello?"
"Hello, Estre," Janus mumbled, avoiding her eyes. "What can I do for you?"
Estre stepped forward and enveloped Janus in her arms. "You can greet me with a kiss." She pressed her lips to his.
Janus stood shocked for a moment, then grimaced and pushed the overeager woman away. "Estre, really. Maybe when it's a little more appropriate?"
"It depends on what you deem 'appropriate'," Estre purred.
Janus glared. "Estre." He glanced around at the Quest family, which had gathered while Janus 'greeted' Estre. He sighed. "Everyone, this is-"
"Estrelania," The visitor finished for him. "I'm a very-" She smiled. "*Very* good friend of Janus'."
Janus sighed and shook his head again. Jonny was the first to speak up. "Nice to meet you! My name's Jonny!" He came down the stairs, where he had been watching Janus with Jesse.
Jesse half listened to the rest of her family introduce themselves while her mind raced(no pun intended, hehe). *Janus didn't tell me about her,* she thought, panicking. *What is she to him? They're lovers, I know it. How could he do this to me?*
Hadji nudged her. "Jesse, they are waiting for you to introduce yourself."
Jesse nodded and walked down the stairs, then held out her hand for Estre to shake. "My name is Jessica," She said shakily, trying to make her name sound exotic. "It's a pleasure."
The rest of the Quest team stared at her while she shook Estrelania's hand calmly and went to stand beside Janus.
The visitor flipped her hair over her shoulder carelessly. "It was lovely meeting you all, but if you'll excuse me, Janus and I have to have a little talk."
Jesse cast a glance up at Janus, and saw that his expression was dark, angry, and annoyed. She almost smiled. Maybe this 'Estre' person wasn't as big a threat as she thought. Estrelania took Janus' hand and led him up the stairs into the guestroom without another word. The door closed silently.
"I knew it," Race growled softly. "Look at the kind of people he hangs out with. The girl's a hussy."
Jonny reddened. "I thought she was nice."
"She certainly was... Friendly," Hadji put in.
"I hate her," Jesse declared. "And Janus does, too. I can tell. She's rude, and--and slutty, and--"
"Whoever she is, and whatever she's here for, she won't be staying long," Dr. Quest interrupted. "Guardians aren't allowed to have long-term guests. We'll just put up with her until she leaves. She is a friend of Janus', and you all know how much he's done for all of us. Be considerate to Estrelania, at least for his sake."
There was a heavy silence for a moment, then the children and Race agreed to be polite to their guest-for the time being.
((That'll be all for now, since my friend (Who has the hand-written rough draft of the story) has gone on vacation for two weeks. Sorry, you'll have to wait for the whole thing.... Ja ne!
--Samalander))
WHAT YOU WISH FOR CHAPTER THREE:
Rival
Janus' first kiss to Jesse was short and unspectacular; he had held her close and brushed his lips against hers in an effort to cheer her up, and it had worked. They had shared their first meaningful kiss in Jesse's room, after they'd returned from a particularly long trip to South America.
Jesse dropped her jacket on the floor, sighing. "I never want to see another spider as long as I live," she said emphatically. "What an awful trip."
Janus shrugged as he watched her from the doorway. " I would think you'd expect this kind of thing to happen by now. That's why I'm here."
"I know," Jesse picked up her hairbrush. "It's just-spiders?" She shuddered. "Eugh."
Janus ventured a few more steps into the room, closing the door halfway. "You don't like spiders?"
"They don't usually bother me," Jesse admitted, "But there were just so many of them-remember? All over the temple walls and floor."
"I remember." Janus came up behind Jesse and put his arms around her waist. "You were very brave, though. You didn't look one bit scared."
Jesse smiled, leaning back against him. "Thanks." She twisted around so she could look up at him. "Were you scared?"
"Only when you fell into that pit."
"Why?"
"I thought I was going to lose you."
Jesse remembered Janus diving into the pit after her and saving her. She'd been so scared that she hadn't stopped to think about what he might be feeling. "Oh," She said softly. Silence descended.
Janus held Jesse's gaze for a long moment, then leaned forward and kissed her gently. He took her hand in his and turned her the rest of the way around, placing his other hand in the middle of her back. The kiss lasted for a second, maybe two, before Janus pulled away and smiled down at Jesse. She glanced almost involuntarily at her bed, at which time Janus quickly bade her goodnight and made a hasty retreat.
Jesse smiled in spite of her sorrow as she remembered kissing Janus. It had been the first of many; a big step in their relationship as they grew closer and closer together. At the same time, her father disapproved more and more of their relationship, frequently pulling Jesse aside to remind her why guardians came to be--they had sinned, they were evil, they were not to be trusted. "He must've done something so bad that even the powers that Be were shocked," Race would often whisper. "That's why they had to step in."
Jesse couldn't bring herself to believe that Janus was really that evil, no more evil than the rest of society, anyway. She did often see him glare at their enemies with a coldness in his eyes that scared her, but that was their enemies. She was different--he loved her... But not enough to stay...
Pulling the covers over her head, Jesse recalled the only person besides her father that had threatened to pull her and Janus apart.
Jonny gaped up at the woman standing in the doorway. "Y-you're looking for who?" He stammered, his face heating up.
The woman, a tall, intimidating blonde with shoulder-length hair that curled defiantly at the bottom and intense gray-green eyes, looked down her slender nose at the wide-eyed boy. "Janus. Hunter. Understand? Fetch him, I know he's here."
Jonny closed his mouth, swallowed hard, and ran up the main staircase, calling Janus' name. The woman stepped into the entryway and closed the door behind her, then straightened her hair and clothes with a hint of anxiety. She looked up as Janus came out of the guestroom and down the stairs.
As Jesse watched from the upstairs banister, she saw Janus stiffen, and slow his progress down the stairs. Finally, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and said incredulously, "Estre?"
The woman smiled, looking like a smug cat. "Janus." She held out her arms. "It's been a few decades, Janus, aren't you even going to say hello?"
"Hello, Estre," Janus mumbled, avoiding her eyes. "What can I do for you?"
Estre stepped forward and enveloped Janus in her arms. "You can greet me with a kiss." She pressed her lips to his.
Janus stood shocked for a moment, then grimaced and pushed the overeager woman away. "Estre, really. Maybe when it's a little more appropriate?"
"It depends on what you deem 'appropriate'," Estre purred.
Janus glared. "Estre." He glanced around at the Quest family, which had gathered while Janus 'greeted' Estre. He sighed. "Everyone, this is-"
"Estrelania," The visitor finished for him. "I'm a very-" She smiled. "*Very* good friend of Janus'."
Janus sighed and shook his head again. Jonny was the first to speak up. "Nice to meet you! My name's Jonny!" He came down the stairs, where he had been watching Janus with Jesse.
Jesse half listened to the rest of her family introduce themselves while her mind raced(no pun intended, hehe). *Janus didn't tell me about her,* she thought, panicking. *What is she to him? They're lovers, I know it. How could he do this to me?*
Hadji nudged her. "Jesse, they are waiting for you to introduce yourself."
Jesse nodded and walked down the stairs, then held out her hand for Estre to shake. "My name is Jessica," She said shakily, trying to make her name sound exotic. "It's a pleasure."
The rest of the Quest team stared at her while she shook Estrelania's hand calmly and went to stand beside Janus.
The visitor flipped her hair over her shoulder carelessly. "It was lovely meeting you all, but if you'll excuse me, Janus and I have to have a little talk."
Jesse cast a glance up at Janus, and saw that his expression was dark, angry, and annoyed. She almost smiled. Maybe this 'Estre' person wasn't as big a threat as she thought. Estrelania took Janus' hand and led him up the stairs into the guestroom without another word. The door closed silently.
"I knew it," Race growled softly. "Look at the kind of people he hangs out with. The girl's a hussy."
Jonny reddened. "I thought she was nice."
"She certainly was... Friendly," Hadji put in.
"I hate her," Jesse declared. "And Janus does, too. I can tell. She's rude, and--and slutty, and--"
"Whoever she is, and whatever she's here for, she won't be staying long," Dr. Quest interrupted. "Guardians aren't allowed to have long-term guests. We'll just put up with her until she leaves. She is a friend of Janus', and you all know how much he's done for all of us. Be considerate to Estrelania, at least for his sake."
There was a heavy silence for a moment, then the children and Race agreed to be polite to their guest-for the time being.
((That'll be all for now, since my friend (Who has the hand-written rough draft of the story) has gone on vacation for two weeks. Sorry, you'll have to wait for the whole thing.... Ja ne!
--Samalander))
