Time and Again

Time and Again

Chapter 8

Rated PG (Just in case)

By LynaQT

E-mail: Lyna_Q.T@miakaandtamahome.com

Web site: www.geocities.com/lynaqt

Disclaimer: These amazing characters belong to Tamora Pierce. I haven't a dime, so don't sue. The plot is mine, however.

Chapter 8: A Little Deception

"Eww, what heck is THIS stuff?!"

"Step inside the room slowly." The instant Alexis saw red hair her impressive reflexes kicked in to send a goop of 'vanilla scented body cream' at the object of her enmity. As she observed her prey she noticed a distinct difference: it was a HE! "Damn it ALL! I caught the WRONG redhead!"

"What the HELL?! It smells like…vanilla?" His look of distaste made it seem like he'd been hit on the face with manure instead of body cream.

"Merric is it? I am sincerely sorry. I meant to hit someone else. If you could be so kind as to leave the premises immediately, so that I can regroup for another surprise attack, it would be MOST helpful." Alexis tossed an extra towel in Merric's direction. "If it makes you feel any better I think the body cream tastes as good as any pie, after all it is only composed of edible ingredients. Plus, it makes your skin feel 'silky smooth and smell good too.'" She gently guided the bewildered Merric out the door and closed it after letting out a parting. "Sorry again."

"Ick," Alexis began the process of removing all the crap she had to put on. Her face clear from cleansers, her hair free from condition, and her cuticles dry from soaking, she actually felt half-human. "And this was supposed to be a relaxing experience?! One that people PAY money for! Insane!"

She again heard a knock on her door and prepared armaments. "Alex? It's me, Neal. Merric came to invite you to a study session, but since you have a distinct dislike for redheads they sent me instead."

Alex opened the door, tilted her head to the side, and let out a feminine "Oh," before creaming him too.

Neal wiped his eyes and gingerly tasted the body cream. "Great Mother Goddess!"

"What?"

"This DOES taste good! Do you have more?"

"INSANE!"

* * *

Alexis ended up following Neal to his quarters only to end up outside Wyldon's quarters waiting for Kel with a number of other pages and soon-to-be-squires. It seemed that Kel was in a skirmish defending a new page. "Ouch, that's got to hurt! Would you like me to heal it?" Already Alexis, put her hand at Kel's black eye and called on her Gift.

Instinctively, Kel recoiled from that hand. "No, Lord Wyldon will know. Fix Owen."

Alexis did so, while Neal berated Kel for 'patrolling without us.' Alexis felt a sense of déjà vu watching Kel. She has the heart of a knight already. "I can heal your black eye and put an illusion, so that Wyldon would not know I had healed it. In a matter of days it would dissipate, leaving him none the wiser."

Kel looked at Alex's violet gaze with her one good eye. "No, I would know of the deception."

Alexis already knew that Kel wouldn't accept such help, but felt the need to point out a fact Alexis knew from experience. "A little deception never hurt anyone."

"Deception is not characteristic of a knight."

"Really? Then what are you doing now? If experience tells me correctly, haven't you JUST deceived Wyldon by telling him you 'fell' instead of participating in a brawl? 'Ah. The ground bloodied Owen's nose, split yer lip and punched ye in th' eye, all to once…'" Alexis trailed off for and internal chuckle. Goddess, how I've longed to say THAT! Hindsight is the best! When Alexis regained her composure, she saw that she had everyone's complete attention. Her tone wasn't chiding or teasing, just matter-of-fact. Now was a moment for seriousness. "And where would our King's Champion Alanna be without her deception. If she had never lied about her gender, do you think the King would have allowed her to try for the sword and shield? I think not, and where would we be then?"

"Will you try for the sword and shield?" Kel's tone was matter-of-fact as well, but her gaze never left Alexis's.

Alexis pondered that question for a moment knowing that this wasn't time for deception. "Not in this lifetime. If the situation was different, I would. If I hadn't just appeared a few days ago like an apparition maybe I'd try to be a knight instead of some pseudo-semblance of a lady." Alexis broke her gaze from Kel's and started walking down the hall. With a wry smile and a contemplative air, Alex said the only thing that she could. "I'll just have to be content living vicariously through you, Kel."

It was the first time someone truly wanted Kel to be a knight, except for her mysterious benefactor. This wasn't merely a girl, but a relative to Alanna herself, who also seemed intent on learning warrior art as well. Kel should have to earn the admiration and respect of Alexis, but it seemed that Alexis had already given it, no questions asked. "Besides, we wouldn't want you to break Neal's record for the oldest Tortallian Page, right?"

"Dear Mithros and our Mother Goddess, Keladry of Mindelan made a joke!" Neal clenched a hand to his chest in mock-heart attack. "I knew that Alex would be a good influence!"

* * *

It was an hour later, when Alexis made her way back upstairs to her room. It had been an hour of introductions, storytelling, and laughs. Tentative bonds of friendship were made and strengthened as well as brain cells being collaborated. The others were marveled to learn that Alexis had finished all her studying earlier and tried mercilessly to learn her secret. She would only smile and say some drivel about hindsight…

It was at the doorway of her room that she saw her prey by the bed stand. "Alanna?"

Alanna saw the signs of ire in the youth and asked the obvious, "Why are you in such a temper?"

"Why?!? WHY? Wouldn't you like to know? You are me, so why don't you TELL me?"

"Is this about George? He told me that he tal—"

"A HUSBAND?! Okay, I could understand that. I suppose one day VERY, VERY far away that I would become lonely and want someone to cook for me. THAT I could understand. And George?!? OUR George, my mentor and friend, if I had to HAVE a husband, he would be a 'good catch' to borrow Lady Wyldon's words. THAT I could understand!"

"So where is the problem?"

"The problem," Alex emphasized 'problem' with a poke at Alanna's forehead, "was that YOU didn't tell me! You couldn't tell yourself and I…I had to HEAR it from Wyldon, that chauvinistic muscle head. THAT I cou—"

"Couldn't understand." Alanna finished nodding. "I know. I was planning on telling you this and everything else tonight, but it seems I was too late. I'm sorry, but did you really want to hear that the second you landed here? Do you want to know the challenges you will face in the future?

"And I'm not talking about the Immortal Wars or Roger or any of that. I'm talking about a week from the day you left your time. Do you want to know what happened on you 17th birthday? Are you able to hear what I have to say on things that have already occurred and be able to go back, changing nothing?"

Alexis did wonder about the future, a LOT now-a-days, but being in the future had changed her opinions as of late. "Before this experience, I would want to know…. know the terrible truth, instead of imagining worse, but now I think I shouldn't know. No one should know her own future. I don't want to involuntarily change this future with my knowledge of this time."

"So you understand my hesitation, right? Truce?"

Alexis paced her bedroom floor, contemplating how to respond, until she was directly in front of Alanna. In one fluid movement, Alex flung the last of the body cream at her companion. "Sure, truce."

* * *

A/N. It has been a LONG time since the last update, partially from my vacation, my comp failure, and the dead server here. SORRY!!! I do not wanna go to school…I see 'back to school' sales everywhere!!!

So how did you like my sorry attempt at humor…READ AND REVIEW!!! I need reviews to get me to the next chapter…I kno…PATHETIC…I'm thinking of starting a new fic….a mix of my fave things. It will be with the people of Tortall, but a definite alternate universe.

Do you guys like romance? Do you want a romance for Alex? READ AND REVIEW!!! I need to know otherwise I'd get people trying to cream me…flame me or something…

How would you like it if some other people came back? READ AND REVIEW…

Check out my web site. It has anime winamp skins, my fanfic, and I PROMISE other stuff soon. www.geocities.com/lynaqt

Thanks to those that have reviewed!!! It make me want to write BETTER!

Plot © LynaQT, August 2001.