The STARS Office, 7:55AM

Chris picked up the note left on his desk. It was from Brad…

Hey Chris

Rebecca's feeling kinda depressed since we went to see that shrink, so I'm taking her on a little date to the amusement park to cheer her up, so we won't be in.

Chickenheart

Amusing, Chris thought. Still wants to go by his old nickname? Well, maybe he was growing a spine, doing something like that with Rebecca.

He dressed much more casually than the pervious day. He wore street camouflage pants (STREET CAMO = Grey, not so grey, and black), with his standard boots, although not tucked in as with regulation. All that covered his chest was a blank tanktop. He crumpled up the note, having finished it, and tossed it into the trash. The chief would probably be by soon to pick him and Jill up. Or perhaps just one of them?

He heard the door open, and turned around.

Jill was standing in the doorway, wearing the baby-tee she had purchased the day before. An extremely short pair of black shorts revealed her rather nice legs, her university sweatshirt wrapped around her waist once more. The shirt revealed her naval and about an inch above it as well. A pair of brown hikers covered her feet.

Both of them stared at each other. Chris's eyes were locked on her legs, Jill's on Chris's exposed arms. Chris was the first to snap back into reality…"G'mornin Jill."

Jill covered a yawn with her left palm, looking to Chris after…"I should have let you drive ahead first. I got lost…"

"Aww," Chris started, "Sorry. I guess it just didn't come to mind."

Jill nodded, looking around the office…"Did someone make coffee yet?"

Chris looked to the coffeepot. It was full of fresh java. Chris shrugged…"I guess Brad made some before he left with Rebecca."

Jill walked towards the pot, wanting to let some of that warm liquid run down her throat…"Hmm?"

Chris remembered the note. "I guess Rebecca was feeling down yesterday, so Brad took her to the fun park today to take her mind off things. And since Barry's gone fishing, he won't be here either."

Jill's heart was smiling lightly, had it been given a mouth. At least she'd have the day alone with him. Unless he decided to drive off to 'Think' again. She poured the coffee into her coffee mug, labeled "Jill's Mug – Do not touch if you value your life!", and took a long-awaited sip. She smiled and moaned in content. "I needed this…my damn coffeemaker decided it was gonna bust up…"

Chris noticed his coffee mug was missing, so he picked up Barry's NRA mug and took the pot, pouring himself some…"Again, Jill? I'll take a look at it later…"

"Could you? Thanks, Chris."

Jill walked over to her desk, and bent over so she could pick up a note on her desk, from Rebecca.

Chris took the mug and raised it to his mouth. He let some of the coffee slide into his mouth, before his eyes rested upon Jill's back, seeing just how short those shorts really were. He spat the coffee out a quarter of a second after he saw her.

Jill, already slightly wired, jumped up in surprise, had picked up her Beretta from the desk, and aimed it at Chris. She aimed for a moment, then lowered her aim, setting the pistol back on her desk…"Sorry Chris…what happened?"

Chris looked at the mug, then to Jill. He set the mug down, trying to invent an alibi…"I don't think Barry washed this yet."

Jill looked at her mug. Odd, it seemed clean. She shrugged off the thought, and took another sip, smiling and moaning in said fashion. She suddenly remembered something, and set her mug down. She posed somewhat for Chris…"Like my new clothes?"

Chris chuckled as she posed, and nodded…"Yeah. You look…" What was a good word? Sexy? Cute? Interesting? Go with cute. "..Cute, Jill."

"Aww…thanks, Chris." She blushed. He liked it! Well, she was doing something right. She might as well compliment him in return…"You look just as buff as ever, Chris."

Chris had realized he had forgotten to toss on another shirt over his attire. Staying up late driving and not getting any caffeine until eight AM can do that to a person. He smiled…"Oh. Thanks."

The fax machine's phone began to ring. Chris picked it up, and listened…"STARS Office…uh-huh…yeah…alright, we'll be down in a few minutes…" He hung up, and looked to Jill, slightly unhappy now…"We have to go see the psyche now…"

Jill frowned, lowering her head…"Shit…now I wish I'd gone first…"

Chris looked to her with concern. He extended his hand, gently pulling her chin back up…"Hey, it won't be so bad. I have to go too, remember?"

Jill paused, then nodded…"Alright Chris…let's go…"

Twenty minutes later, the two STARS members were sitting in the interrogation room, being interviewed, being asked a series of questions both on and off topic. Chief Irons shook his head, looking on from the two way mirror. He was alone in the other room. He had witnessed the interviews of Burton, Vickers, and Chambers. And none of them had even bothered to lie.

Time passed as the interview droned into a second hour. Irons had left the room, having heard enough. Chris was just staring blankly at the shrink. Jill had buried her face in her arms, and had been sobbing for the last half-hour. Finally, the suited man closed his binder…

"You two are free to go now."

Jill looked up, her face stained with drying tears. Chris snapped back into reality, having gone into a bit of a trance. They stood there, staring at the shrink. He tugged at his collar…"Erm…just doing my job…"

He quickly exited.

Jill leaned into Chris, her eyes closed. Chris blinked, and slipped one arm around her, the other one rubbing her chin…"It's okay Jill…we can go now…"

It all seemed like Déjà vu, from four days ago. Jill was hesitant to move, so Chris was left with no other option than to pick her up off her chair, and carry her out of the room. The Chief stood there, as if waiting for them…

"I can't believe this!" The Chief started. "You'd think perhaps you would have given me a plausible lie, but no!"

Jill pulled her face out of Chris's chest, and spat at the Chief's face. She snarled…"Go to hell…"

The saliva slowly trickled down the Chief's face, as he appeared to be none too pleased. He eventually wiped it off…"I'm going to pretend that never happened…"

Chris walked past the chief, and not wanting to be in the station with that man at the same time, carried Jill towards the parking lot. He had jogged to the station that morning, but Jill lived too far away to walk. He managed to locate her red two-seater. He sat her down on the hood. She immediately pulled up her legs, and wrapped her arms around them, sniffling quietly again.

Chris held out his hand…"Keys?"

Jill unhooked one of her arms from her legs, and dug in her right pocket. She tossed a keychain with about seven or so keys attached to Chris. He unlocked the doors, as he got into the driver's seat. The first thing he did was adjust the seat. He then unlocked the door for the still-sniffling Jill, as she got in. After turning on the car, and being forced to turn down the stereo's volume on account of it blaring Limp Bizkit's "Rolling", the car eventually pulled out of the garage, and towards Jill's apartment.



Jill was clinging tightly to Chris the moment they set foot out of her car. Her arms were like a beartrap around Chris's waist, which he didn't mind, but it certainly made manouvering difficult. He eventually found Jill's apartment, and using the same set of keys, unlocked it.

Shutting the door and hitting the lights once they were in, he led Jill, who had calmed down, but was still very unstable and wobbly on her feet, towards the same sofa he had slept on before. He set her down, lying upon it, as he managed to ward himself out of Jill's grasp, who didn't let him go willingly.

Chris then made his way into Jill's room, and came back with the warmest blanket from her large bed. He kneeled before her, and managed to wrap her up in the blanket, her arms and upper body sticking out. Jill grabbed a hold of Chris the first opertunity, and didn't let go. Chris tried to pull away for a moment, then figuring it was no use to bother, propped Jill up, sat at the end of the cough, and set Jill down. One arm was around Jill's back, the other on top of the blanket where her lap would be. Jill pressed her face into Chris's chest once more, not wanting to move…

She sniffled again…"He's going to kill us…"

Chris blinked…"Who, the chief?"

Jill nodded…"This is so unfair! Why do we have to go through this, Chris?"

Chris placed the hand that was originally in her lap, and used it to caress her hair…"Please calm down…take a deep breath…please…"

A few seconds later, her face rubbed up to his chest, as she closed her eyes. She was so upset and flushed, her mind so focussed on the one joy her life had now. She spoke quietly…"Please don't let me be alone Chris. I'm so afraid…"

Chris looked at her in a solemn manner, holding her tighter than before…"I won't Jill, I swear…"

She loved him. She loved him so much. She couldn't go any longer without telling him…"I love you, Chris…"

Chris blinked and swallowed. What did she say? He let the words echo in his mind for a moment…

Jill grew nervous, afraid that he was ready to burst out laughing. She looked up and into his eyes…"I love you so much, Chris. For so long, I have. Please tell me you love me…" Tears welled in her eyes. She meant every word of it…

Chris looked into her blue eyes…"I…I love you too, Jill."

Seconds later, they embraced their newfound love with a romantic kiss…

*****

Boy, Chiefie isn't very nice, is he? Well, so far, school hasn't killed me YET. So…um…review O_o. I've run out of things to say, I'm just gonna shut up now O_o.