The Dance of Life: The Race Begins
'Some people call me the Space Cowboy,
Some call me the Gangster of Love,
Some call me Maurice,
Because I speak for the Politics of Love….'
'The Joker' by the Steve Miller Band.
'We're here!' shouted Claire, jumping out of the car, holding her dress up, and trotting in her heels. Claire's eyes sparkled as she surveyed the scene, her eyes roving over the busy car park. She could barely recognise some officers out of their uniform, and she caught sight of many couples, the men dressed in formal suits and women tottering around in casual/formal dresses, hobbling from the unfamiliar high heels.
She stopped and watched as she saw a red Mercedes drive up and park, and from the passenger seat stepped Jill, gracefully sweeping out of the car, not a hair out of place and looking comfortable and at ease in her blue strapless dress and plain blue wedge heeled sandals.
Chris emerged from the other side, well groomed, in his suit and formal shoes. He still managed to maintain the military look even in a suit, so he looked like a young version of James Bond. He looked slightly uncomfortable in his crisp blue shirt and tie, but his face glowed with happiness as he watched the scene of activity unfolding before him.
'Leon, you look great' complimented Jill, pleased with the Rookie's appearance. Leon usually looked cutely dishevelled in his cop uniform, but in his smart suit and bow tie (courtesy of Claire) he looked like a well-assured, handsome young man socialising with his friends.
'Thanks, you too' returned Leon, taking in Jill's ever-stunning appearance, trying not to snigger at the foundation rubbed on her neck and chest to hide her burns. Claire tugged on his arm and pointed to a pale blue Saab that had just pulled up.
A striking girl with red hair and brown eyes stepped out, dressed in a pale purple long stretchy skirt with a slit up the thigh, and a matching tube top and stilettos, wobbling slightly in the heels but holding her head up high.
From the passenger seat came Carlos, brow hair slicked back, dressed in a suit but without a tie or bowtie, the top button undone, giving an exotic feeling and Spanish style to his suit.
This contrasted well with Phoenix's fiery red mane, which was flaring up a spectrum of copper, gold and auburn in the evening sun. They were standing together, Phoenix watching the activity around her with shining eyes and Carlos with his arm around her slender waist, a happy expression matching the others in the group.
'Hey Mis Amigos, what's happening?' called Carlos, as him and Phoenix walked over to them.
'We've all just arrived. We're waiting for Jack and Becks now' answered Jill, squinting at the road, and finally spotting Jack's red hatchback pull into the busy driveway.
Jack parked and got out quickly, and opened Becca's door for her, immaculate in his dark blue suit, bearing resemblance to a Bishounen hero, spiked blond hair and eyes as blue as the suit he was wearing. Bec stepped out daintily, dressed in her little black dress and wavy red hair falling lightly to her shoulders.
Carlos couldn't help but notice the way her hips moved in the dress when she walked, the fluid motion hypnotic, and how her grey eyes seemed fresh and pure in her tanned skin. He shook his head lightly and pulled Phoenix a fraction closer, increasing his smile.
'Jack, you ready?' asked Chris nodding towards the mess hall, which had been turned out and decorated for the dance.
'Yeah. Lead the way' he said enthusiastically, catching hold of Bec's hand and following Chris. Claire and Leon came in behind them, Claire twittering, clutching Leon every few seconds to catch her balance as she was having trouble mastering her heels. Carlos and Phoenix followed at the end, Carlos catching the infectious feeling of excitement, excitement at the dance and something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Claire was leaning heavily on Leon's arm as they stepped into the hall, fairly dancing with anticipation and looked appreciatively at the newly decorated hall. The tables had been moved out of the way, save a few holding light refreshments and drinks, the walls adorned in flower arrangements that scented the room sweetly.
The statues the normally stood in the main foyer of the RPD had been placed in the hall, around the edges, the main statue of Lincoln situated in the middle near the refreshment tables.
The sound of lilting tunes was filling the hall, and many people were already dancing, or mingling by the edges. Claire spotted the police chief, squeezed into his formal suit, downing his wine quickly, surrounded by his cronies. The wallflowers that wished they hadn't come were standing hopefully by the edges, eagerly, like dogs waiting for their masters.
The blond bombshell of the RPD team, Liz, was causing a stir among the men, flouncing around in her skimpy blue dress and killer smile. She was giggling over what another officer had said, swaying dangerously in her heels and diamante jewelry. Claire scooted over to listen in on the conversation.
The man who had caused Liz to laugh suddenly turned to the whole group, smiling.
'You know,' he said, grinning at Liz who twittered. 'When I met her, I thought, great, she laughs at my jokes' he then paused for the benefit of the group. 'I then realized, she laughs at anything' he finished, a roar of laughter from the group and Liz storming off to another part of the hall, blond hair flying, heeling clipping angrily on the floor.
Carlos came up and joined Claire, nodding at her, watching the scene.
'Things are just like high school here' he mused, snagging a mini quiche from a passing waiter. 'We just saw the Left Quarterback rebuke the head cheerleader'.
Claire smiled at this, and pinched the last bit of Carlos's quiche, and stuffed it in her mouth before he could protest. Carlos quickly stole her glass of wine, and downed it in one gulp, and handed it back to her, an equally devilish smile on his face.
'Be prepared for counter attack, Claire' he quipped, chuckling at her surprised expression. A rousing, uplifting tune started up from the band hired to play, and almost immediately a crowd of people shifted to the dance floor to sway to the music.
Claire's feet danced, and she looked around for Leon, but finding him in engaged in the art of shoving Greek olives up his nose surrounded by an astounded group of admirers, she dismissed the thought. Carlos noticed this, and swiftly fell into place.
'Can I have this dance, Claire, ma chica?' he asked extending his hand and throwing her a flashy smile. Claire half stepped towards him, but backed away, looking around nervously. He mouth tugged up into an uncertain smile.
'Love to, Spanish Amigo, but wouldn't Phoenix mind?' she asked, a little embarrassed. Carlos shrugged and looked around, and found her chatting contentedly to a group of officers with Chris. She looked happy and unconcerned, so Carlos decided to go for it.
'She looks kinda busy the mo'. She won't mind. Well?' he stated, plunging his hands into his pant's pockets. Claire finally smiled and stepped towards him.
'How can I refuse an offer like that?' she replied, excepting Carlos's hand. 'Let's go!' she said, dragging him to the dance floor, weaving their way in between swaying couples and finally finding a spot that wasn't completely taken up. Carlos dropped his arms around her waist in a friendly hug, and she looped her arms around his shoulders.
Claire wasn't short but she wasn't the tallest. Bec was the petit one of the group. She was able to talk to Carlos easily from her position, being a couple of inches shorter than him. They began to sway to the music, and Claire leaned back for a long chat to Carlos.
'So howz things going then?' she asked, carefully moving her feet out of the way of Carlos's slightly un-coordinated feet. She tried not to wince when he landed particularly hard on her foot, and hobbled slightly before getting back into the rhythm.
'Fine, I think life has gotten a lot better' he replied, checking his feet quickly, and quickly stepping out of the way of Claire's foot.
'I saw you' said Claire simply; staring into his eyes, green orbs hardening a fraction. Carlos was taken aback, and stared at her for a couple of seconds before finally catching Claire's trail of thought.
'I'm allowed to look at her' he defended himself, landing hard on her other foot. Claire hobbled, and dug her heel into his foot, making him wince.
'Carlos, I have to admit I've been totally damn wrong in what I've been telling you to do about Becca' relented Claire, hopping on the spot to dodge Carlos's feet, and feeling slightly sweaty in her dress. Carlos cocked up and eyebrow and waited for her to continue.
'You got that one right' he condescended, with a patently fake smile, which immediately vanished when Claire stamped on his foot.
'But Carlos you gotta tell me. Do you still have feelings for her?' said Claire seriously, staring at him. Carlos couldn't read her eyes and felt rooted to the spot. Around them, couples continued to dance, Leon was demonstrating how he could fit a large number of grapes in his mouth to his growing group of admirers, Becca, Jack and Jill were talking and Chris and Phoenix were still engaged in conversation. Carlos swallowed and tightened his hold around Claire.
'Is there a better place where we could discuss this?' he asked uneasily, biting his lip. Claire nodded, and together they sneaked out of the mess hall and into the STARs office.
'The trick is, to partially mush up some of the grape' Leon said, demonstrating. The group, which mainly consisted of the wallflowers, a few of the female rookie cops and other such people were watching Leon fit 15 grapes in his mouth.
'Wow, where did you learn this stuff?' asked a pretty brunette, all amazed, fixing her big eyes on Leon. Leon chuckled inwardly.
'Well, you never know when you might have to fit 15 grapes in your mouth, so I have been practicing hard until the day comes' he said, feigning seriousness. The entire group nodded, with equally serious faces. Leon was a little startled, as he had expected them to notice his sarcasm.
Before he could come up with a witty comeback, he spotted Claire and Carlos leaving the room together. He furrowed his brow in thought, and was considering the idea of following them. It wasn't that he didn't trust Claire. He just felt he should check.
'Well guys, I must depart, I have to spread my wisdom elsewhere' he deadpanned to the admiring circle. The brunette pouted.
'See you around, Leon' she said, fixing him again with her large eyes. Leon bowed and grinned.
'Adios, Mis Amigos' he said before the words left his mouth. Carlos was beginning to rub off on him more than he expected. The group looked impressed at his Spanish farewell, so he decided that it wasn't such a bad thing. He casually ran his hand through his hair and sneaked out of the mess hall to find Carlos and Claire.
'So your Carlos's new girl?' asked one of the officers to Phoenix. Phoenix nodded politely and smiled. Chris felt like a first class heel, making small talk with these guys when he should be dancing with Jill. He closed his fingers around the object in his pocket and decided to bide his time.
'This here is Phoenix Gully, she's a nurse at the Robertsville Hospital' said Chris, introducing her to the greasy men of the lower RPD. The guys seemed impressed and began to chat to her, and she politely replied to their questions.
Chris looked around, trying not to look impatient. He felt panicky and could feel himself begin to sweat in his formal clothes. He shifted uneasily, and tugged at his collar, which was beginning to color up his neck red. He couldn't leave Phoenix with these guys, Carlos would kill him and he felt a brotherly need to look out for Phoenix.
She really reminded him of Rebecca. Hell, they even looked alike, both tanned and red hair, save the fact that Bec had grey eyes and Phoenix had brown eyes. But in manner and personality, they were dead ringers for each other. Shy. Sweet. Kind. Humorous. He looked around again and noticed Claire and Carlos leave the room. He frowned, not certain of Carlos's intentions. He shortly saw Leon leave the room as well.
Chris's interest was now piqued, and put the disappearances all down to something was up with the prank. If it had anything to do with the prank, he decided to track them and see what was up. He noticed that the group of men has moved on, and Phoenix was smiling at Chris.
'Where's Carlos?' she asked, looking around the bustling hall. Chris felt tongue tied, but quickly came back.
'I don't know. I might have a look for him, I'll be back soon' he said quickly, thankful that Jill, Bec and Jack were heading towards them. Before Phoenix could reply, Chris was out of the room.
Jill was puzzled when Chris suddenly left the room when they began to approach. She decided to not get herself worked up about it. She hadn't done anything wrong. But her confusion increased when she realized that Carlos, Leon and Claire where nowhere to be seen.
'Hey, how are you?' asked Phoenix, breaking Jill's trail of thought. She turned to the group and pasted a smile on her face.
'I'm fine. This here is Jack King, an Officer here and I believe you've met Becks' introduced Jill. She had figured that something was up, and Chris's sudden disappearance from the room had meant he was looking into it. Which meant she had to stall these guys until the others reemerged.
She groaned inwardly, she always had the job of stalling. She sighed and began to make small take with the mismatched group.
'Great Dance' commented Jack, looking around the room, still holding Bec's hand. Bec was looking particularly radiant, smiling and looking happier than Jill had seen her in a long time.
'Great' endorsed Jill, eyes scanning the room for the others.
'I love your dress, Becca' ventured Phoenix. Jill felt a rush of comfort for the girl. She was obviously trying to mend the break in between herself and Bec, after the scenarios with Carlos.
'Thank you. You too' added Bec, continuing to smile. Before any more talk could continue, the three reprobates finally returned to the room. But neither of them looked very happy. Jill felt a rush of dread and waited to see what would happen.
Claire and Carlos walked into the STARs office and slammed the door. Claire walked over to the air condition, and turned it up full blast and stood in front of it. The packed hall, combined with the tight dress was making her sweat. Her cheeks had a pink flush, and her hair was slightly damp from sweat. She perched on the desk on front of the desk, and watched Carlos.
Carlos was pacing the room, looking agitated. He finally stopped and stood in front of Claire. He raked a hand through his damp hair and took of his jacket and placed on the desk.
'Out with it, Amigo' said Claire curtly, not knowing what to expect.
'Well…I love Phoenix, but I love Becca. I love them both…' Carlos trailed off, his eye having a faraway in them. Claire felt her shoulders droop and thought quickly.
'You can't have them both. You have to decide' she said sternly, getting tired of Carlos's seesaw love interests and wanted to be out on the dance floor with Leon.
'I know…I figured that much' he said lightly, sitting down next to Claire, staring at the ground. Claire turned to face Carlos, and held his gaze with intensity.
'Amigo, I can tell you love Becca. The way you smile at her, the way you change when she's around, how you change from a loser to a charming guy when she's around' she added, smiling slightly to try and break the tension. Carlos chuckled at her last remark, beginning to smile.
'That obvious, huh?' he asked wryly, smiling weakly.
'And the way you check out her ass, instead of your girlfriend's butt' commented Claire, shrugging lightly the air beginning to clear.
'Well lately I have had feelings for her…stronger than the feelings for Phoenix. I love Phoenix, she's a lovely person, but I think I love Becks' he finished, now tongue-tied he had made known his feelings. He dropped his head dismally.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up into Claire's shiny green eyes, which were glittering slightly. Her face was slightly sad.
'You hafta tell her Amigo, cause if you don't tell her, you'll regret it' she said simply, tightening her grip on shoulder, her eyes shining wetly.
'But what about Jack, she's pretty much hooked up on him' he stuttered, biting his lip and looking towards Claire. She seemed immersed in thought and turned to him.
'So, if you get shot down, return to Phoenix. That way you would have got a lot off your chest, and be able to live without tiptoeing around Bec' she said, simply. Carlos nodded and swallowed and felt Claire's arms snake around his neck, enveloping him a comforting hug. Carlos gratefully slipped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her hair.
'Thanks' he whispered softly.
The pair exited the room, Claire feeling the trickle of sweat going down her back, and Carlos feeling happier. They met Leon on the way back.
'Hey!' he shouted, jogging up to both of them. 'Where've you guys been?' he asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly. Carlos's jaw dropped, but Claire came to his aid.
'Carlos was just showing me some files and stuff' rattled on Claire, grasping Leon's arm and smiling brightly, chattering away quickly to evade any more questions. Carlos inwardly thanked Claire and breathed a sigh of relief. They began to head back to the hall, when the older Redfield came running up.
'Where'd you guys disappear off to? Carlos, Phoenix's wondering where ya are' he said, looking the trio up the down. He observed Claire's red, sweaty face, Carlos's untidy suit and Leon's glowing face, his mind thinking up scenarios….
Claire intervened before her older brother could give birth over the matter.
'It's not what it looks like!' she pleaded to Chris, while he looked more doubtful by the minute. Leon started chuckling, and wrapped his arm around Claire's waist, and gave Chris a conspiratorial wink.
'Carlos couldn't get enough of her' drawled Leon, squeezing Claire's waist and causing her to gulp like an expiring cow. Carlos grinned and draped his arm over Claire's shoulders, smacking her firm rear naughtily. Claire jumped like a firework and gave Carlos a murderous look.
'Okaaaaay' muttered Chris, tired of having to figure out his sister's sexual habits, which ranged from kitchen table adventures to now threesomes with her colleague and boyfriend. Claire finally rose to the occasion and put on a fake smile.
'Big bro, do you know there are 28 positions, 32 if you're flexible?' she purred, throwing her head back and smiling sweetly at Chris who stared at her as if she had sprouted another head. He merely grunted and led the 'threesome' back to the hall.
The band had struck up another tune, and the dance floor was full of couples dancing, the wallflowers which had been huddled by the entrance had disappeared, having left or wallowing in wine by the drinks' table. Chris scanned the room, and his eyes came to rest on Phoenix and Jill talking by a food table.
Bec and Jack were nowhere to be seen; Chris guessed they were on the dance floor. Phoenix looked happy, but slightly peeved and Chris could understand how annoyed she must be feeling. Carlos had jus upped and left her by herself in an unfamiliar place. Chris could see Jill was kindly making conversation with her.
'Hey Babe' said Carlos, walking up to Phoenix nervously and offering his hand. Phoenix took it and dragged him off in the direction of the dance floor. Claire and Leon stumbled off in the same direction.
'Where did you four go?' hissed Jill, tugging Chris's arm indignantly. Chris looked as puzzled as Jill and tried explain where they had been in a coherent fashion.
'Well I ran off to find Leon, who had left the room and as I couldn't see Carlos or my sister, I decided to look into it as I wondered what those three were up to' explained Chris, carefully picking his words. Jill looked at him expectantly.
'Well, I don't know what happened, but Claire was all red and sweaty, Carlos's clothes were untidy, and Leon looked all happy' finished Chris, shrugging and looking at Jill. Jill raised an eyebrow and fixed Chris with a level stare.
'So your telling me, that your sister, her boyfriend and our Amigo were 'doing stuff' in an office?' questioned Jill disbelievingly. Chris shrugged and raked a hand through his hair.
'Do you have a better explanation?' he asked Jill, looking bemused.
'Come to think of it, I don't. What the hell, come on Redfield' she said, grabbing Chris's arm and dragging him onto the dance floor. Chris complied and led her to a vacant spot, next to Claire and Leon and dropped his arms around her waist.
The couple began to sway to the music, forming two halves of a whole, perfectly in sync. They contrasted with the likes of Claire and Leon who were giggling uncontrollably and stumbling about as if drunk out of their minds. Jill sidled up closer to them and laughed over their antics.
'So I hear that you, Leon and Carlos have been up to stuff' said Jill suggestively, swallowing back a laugh as Claire accidentally kneed Leon in his manhood. While Leon was temporarily hobbling about in pain, Claire untangled herself and went over to Chris and Jill.
'Oh you know, table tops, and having two men was an awful lot of fun' twittered Claire convincingly; twirling an auburn lock of hair around her fingers and giggling like a loon. Jill looked taken aback and stared at Claire open mouthed.
'Carlos is with Phoenix though' said Jill, confused. Chris and Jill both stopped and looked at Claire who was turning every colour of the rainbow under their critical stares. Claire giggled, to try and hide her own confusion and to give her more time to wildly think up an excuse.
'He…uhh…he…hey, where's Leon gone?' asked Claire, turning around to see where Leon had gone. Leon's form could be seen running out of the room. Chris suddenly stopped dancing and frowned.
'I'll see what's happening' he said quickly, pecking Jill's cheek and running off in pursuit of the fleeing rookie. He suspected Leon had gotten sudden cold feet and had done a runner to avoid his part in the prank. Chris wasn't going to let the rookie ruin his chance of winning $300 for himself. He decided to give Leon the 'being a player in the game' talk and then drag him back into the hall. Regardless of whether he was kicking and screaming.
Jill and Claire watched as Chris set off at a faster pace out of the room. Jill let out a low growl and tapped her foot agitatedly.
'Damn, on the one RPD social event Chris and I bother to attend he does the disappearing act the whole evening' fumed Jill, her fists clenched as she stamped off to the edge of the dance floor, with Claire in tow.
'Well, it isn't his fault. It's partly Leon's, Chris is continually having to chase after him' conceded Claire, scowling. Around them, people danced, drank and ate and the band played on cheerily, while Claire and Jill fumed angrily at their partners.
'Ummm…I guess. Chris has been acting strangely all evening though, so I have no idea what's happening' mused Jill thoughtfully, examining a manicured nail.
'To hell with men! Where better to wallow sorrows, than the drinks table?' asked Claire, standing up and stretching, and pulling Jill up at the same time.
'Lead me to the sherry' Jill passionately declared. The two, slightly wilted flowers headed off to the drinks table to find solace in alcohol.
'So Carlos, where did you go?' asked Phoenix sweetly as her and Carlos swayed to the music.
'I had to quickly look over some files, I'm sorry I left you like that' said Carlos apologetically. He felt mean, leaving Phoenix like that, and was dreading what he was going to have to say to Becks later, and felt guilty at dragging Claire into the mess as well.
'Ohh, all right. It's just that Leon and Chris seem to be pulling the disappearing act all evening, and I thought you were gonna as well' said Phoenix lightly. Carlos couldn't think of a suitable excuse or come back, and just brushed a tendril of red hair off her face and planted a light kiss on her lips.
Phoenix pulled back and looked at him thoughtfully out of brown eyes.
'You Spanish Charmer' she said jokingly, resting her head on his chest and continuing to sway to the music.
Meanwhile, while Leon and Chris were pulling the disappearing act, Carlos had allegedly had a threesome with Claire and Leon and Jill and Claire had gone off to find happiness in the drinks table, Becca and Jack were completely oblivious and having a good time.
Bec was still trying to get used to the feeling of being held close by Jack and swaying to the music, as she had never overcome her feeling of feeling self conscious while dancing. However, the evening was turning out to be exactly as she had imagined it, which is a rare occurrence. She had on a dress, her make up and hair done, and was dancing with a charming guy at a dance.
'What you grinning at?' asked Jack jokingly; looking at Bec's flushed, smiling face.
'I'm just happy' she replied her smile broadening. Jack chuckled and dropped a kiss on her forehead and whispered into her ear.
' Yours or my place tonight?' he asked. Bec felt a rush of excitement and tried to keep her cool at the question.
'We'll decide when the time comes' she said coyly, winking at Jack, who grinned and leaned in to kiss her again, except this time on the lips. His tongue darted out and lightly touched her lips and Bec felt a trill of anticipation shudder through her body.
'I can't hardly wait' she said, flushing and resting her head on his chest, just tucked underneath her chin.
Chris's feet were killing him. Not just aching, but goddamn rubbing his feet. Then again, his formal shoes weren't designed for running. Leon didn't seem to slow down, so Chris had to carry on pursuing him through the winding corridors of the RPD.
So far he had spent the whole evening tracking members of his party, instead of being out on the dance floor with Jill.
'Hey Leon, wait up!' he shouted as his shoes clattered on the floor of the RPD. Leon stopped running, and Chris breathed a sigh of relief. Leon waited for Chris to catch up with him.
'Where ya off to?' asked Chris suspiciously. Leon seemed calm enough, no signs of hysteria on his features. He wasn't wielding a knife. He seemed composed enough.
'I'm getting the props together for the prank' replied Leon.
'All right. I'll sneak a hint to Carlos to get a move on, when you've got your stuff together, make your way back into the hall. The lights should cut, and the rest of the plan follows, okay?' briefed Chris. Leon nodded back, assured.
'Here, you'll need this to carry out your part of the plan' said Leon, handing Chris a paper bag, with his 'prop' in. Chris took the bag and placed in one of deep pockets in his blazer.
The two pranksters sneak back into the hall.
'Hmmm….this is good sherry' said Jill, draining the last of the red liquid in her glass. It was the 4th glass she had downed now. Jill's years in the Deltas and STARs team had made her tougher, and she could easily chug away the whole night without feeling tipsy.
Claire on the other hand, was a totally different story. Claire was tougher than the average person, but she wasn't able to withstand as much the others could. Most parties, nights out on the town involved carrying a passed out Claire back home. Claire tottered about in her high heels, swaying dangerously. She reached for another glass of wine, but Jill darted in front of and snatched it away.
'I think you've had enough Claire' hinted Jill, placing the glass out of the Claire's reach. Claire pouted at Jill, her eyes crossed in stupor.
'On Tuesdays, my name is John' was Claire's rather slurred reply. Jill looked about frantically, and tried to think up a way to lead Claire away from the drinks table. With Chris disappearing all evening, she didn't want a passed out Claire on her hands as well. Jill was spared from this by the arrival of the two reprobates.
'Hey honey' Leon said jubilantly, pulling Claire into a hug. Claire hugged him back and grabbed his butt, causing Leon to jump.
'Hehehe…wait till we get home' squeaked Leon, removing Claire's hand from his ass.
Jill looked about for Chris but couldn't see him. She tapped her foot agitatedly; she was getting tired of him frequently disappearing. It was strange, as Chris wasn't like this. Leon was occupied in dragging Claire away from the drink's table, and around her, couples danced. Jill felt drained by the events on the evening.
All of a sudden, the lights cut out. The music stopped abruptly, and room was completely black. People stopped dancing and stared around in amazement.
Leon had draped Claire over a chair, far from the alcoholic drinks and was making his way to the podium.
'The lights have appeared to have gone, I'll go and check the fuse box' he said to the room. At this announcement, people looked relieved and continued to chat and mill around in the darkness, waiting for the lights to come back on so they could resume dancing.
Leon smiled cheekily to himself, and stowed quietly out of the room, and down the corridor to the cupboard where his props were stashed. Grinning, he stole into an empty office and began to change into his 'costume'.
Author's notes: Well, sorry for the long wait but I've been trying to get this chapter right for a long time. I didn't want it to be all angst, Cus that's boring and I placed down a few clues as to what's guna happen in the next chapter.
Sayonara!
'Some people call me the Space Cowboy,
Some call me the Gangster of Love,
Some call me Maurice,
Because I speak for the Politics of Love….'
'The Joker' by the Steve Miller Band.
'We're here!' shouted Claire, jumping out of the car, holding her dress up, and trotting in her heels. Claire's eyes sparkled as she surveyed the scene, her eyes roving over the busy car park. She could barely recognise some officers out of their uniform, and she caught sight of many couples, the men dressed in formal suits and women tottering around in casual/formal dresses, hobbling from the unfamiliar high heels.
She stopped and watched as she saw a red Mercedes drive up and park, and from the passenger seat stepped Jill, gracefully sweeping out of the car, not a hair out of place and looking comfortable and at ease in her blue strapless dress and plain blue wedge heeled sandals.
Chris emerged from the other side, well groomed, in his suit and formal shoes. He still managed to maintain the military look even in a suit, so he looked like a young version of James Bond. He looked slightly uncomfortable in his crisp blue shirt and tie, but his face glowed with happiness as he watched the scene of activity unfolding before him.
'Leon, you look great' complimented Jill, pleased with the Rookie's appearance. Leon usually looked cutely dishevelled in his cop uniform, but in his smart suit and bow tie (courtesy of Claire) he looked like a well-assured, handsome young man socialising with his friends.
'Thanks, you too' returned Leon, taking in Jill's ever-stunning appearance, trying not to snigger at the foundation rubbed on her neck and chest to hide her burns. Claire tugged on his arm and pointed to a pale blue Saab that had just pulled up.
A striking girl with red hair and brown eyes stepped out, dressed in a pale purple long stretchy skirt with a slit up the thigh, and a matching tube top and stilettos, wobbling slightly in the heels but holding her head up high.
From the passenger seat came Carlos, brow hair slicked back, dressed in a suit but without a tie or bowtie, the top button undone, giving an exotic feeling and Spanish style to his suit.
This contrasted well with Phoenix's fiery red mane, which was flaring up a spectrum of copper, gold and auburn in the evening sun. They were standing together, Phoenix watching the activity around her with shining eyes and Carlos with his arm around her slender waist, a happy expression matching the others in the group.
'Hey Mis Amigos, what's happening?' called Carlos, as him and Phoenix walked over to them.
'We've all just arrived. We're waiting for Jack and Becks now' answered Jill, squinting at the road, and finally spotting Jack's red hatchback pull into the busy driveway.
Jack parked and got out quickly, and opened Becca's door for her, immaculate in his dark blue suit, bearing resemblance to a Bishounen hero, spiked blond hair and eyes as blue as the suit he was wearing. Bec stepped out daintily, dressed in her little black dress and wavy red hair falling lightly to her shoulders.
Carlos couldn't help but notice the way her hips moved in the dress when she walked, the fluid motion hypnotic, and how her grey eyes seemed fresh and pure in her tanned skin. He shook his head lightly and pulled Phoenix a fraction closer, increasing his smile.
'Jack, you ready?' asked Chris nodding towards the mess hall, which had been turned out and decorated for the dance.
'Yeah. Lead the way' he said enthusiastically, catching hold of Bec's hand and following Chris. Claire and Leon came in behind them, Claire twittering, clutching Leon every few seconds to catch her balance as she was having trouble mastering her heels. Carlos and Phoenix followed at the end, Carlos catching the infectious feeling of excitement, excitement at the dance and something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Claire was leaning heavily on Leon's arm as they stepped into the hall, fairly dancing with anticipation and looked appreciatively at the newly decorated hall. The tables had been moved out of the way, save a few holding light refreshments and drinks, the walls adorned in flower arrangements that scented the room sweetly.
The statues the normally stood in the main foyer of the RPD had been placed in the hall, around the edges, the main statue of Lincoln situated in the middle near the refreshment tables.
The sound of lilting tunes was filling the hall, and many people were already dancing, or mingling by the edges. Claire spotted the police chief, squeezed into his formal suit, downing his wine quickly, surrounded by his cronies. The wallflowers that wished they hadn't come were standing hopefully by the edges, eagerly, like dogs waiting for their masters.
The blond bombshell of the RPD team, Liz, was causing a stir among the men, flouncing around in her skimpy blue dress and killer smile. She was giggling over what another officer had said, swaying dangerously in her heels and diamante jewelry. Claire scooted over to listen in on the conversation.
The man who had caused Liz to laugh suddenly turned to the whole group, smiling.
'You know,' he said, grinning at Liz who twittered. 'When I met her, I thought, great, she laughs at my jokes' he then paused for the benefit of the group. 'I then realized, she laughs at anything' he finished, a roar of laughter from the group and Liz storming off to another part of the hall, blond hair flying, heeling clipping angrily on the floor.
Carlos came up and joined Claire, nodding at her, watching the scene.
'Things are just like high school here' he mused, snagging a mini quiche from a passing waiter. 'We just saw the Left Quarterback rebuke the head cheerleader'.
Claire smiled at this, and pinched the last bit of Carlos's quiche, and stuffed it in her mouth before he could protest. Carlos quickly stole her glass of wine, and downed it in one gulp, and handed it back to her, an equally devilish smile on his face.
'Be prepared for counter attack, Claire' he quipped, chuckling at her surprised expression. A rousing, uplifting tune started up from the band hired to play, and almost immediately a crowd of people shifted to the dance floor to sway to the music.
Claire's feet danced, and she looked around for Leon, but finding him in engaged in the art of shoving Greek olives up his nose surrounded by an astounded group of admirers, she dismissed the thought. Carlos noticed this, and swiftly fell into place.
'Can I have this dance, Claire, ma chica?' he asked extending his hand and throwing her a flashy smile. Claire half stepped towards him, but backed away, looking around nervously. He mouth tugged up into an uncertain smile.
'Love to, Spanish Amigo, but wouldn't Phoenix mind?' she asked, a little embarrassed. Carlos shrugged and looked around, and found her chatting contentedly to a group of officers with Chris. She looked happy and unconcerned, so Carlos decided to go for it.
'She looks kinda busy the mo'. She won't mind. Well?' he stated, plunging his hands into his pant's pockets. Claire finally smiled and stepped towards him.
'How can I refuse an offer like that?' she replied, excepting Carlos's hand. 'Let's go!' she said, dragging him to the dance floor, weaving their way in between swaying couples and finally finding a spot that wasn't completely taken up. Carlos dropped his arms around her waist in a friendly hug, and she looped her arms around his shoulders.
Claire wasn't short but she wasn't the tallest. Bec was the petit one of the group. She was able to talk to Carlos easily from her position, being a couple of inches shorter than him. They began to sway to the music, and Claire leaned back for a long chat to Carlos.
'So howz things going then?' she asked, carefully moving her feet out of the way of Carlos's slightly un-coordinated feet. She tried not to wince when he landed particularly hard on her foot, and hobbled slightly before getting back into the rhythm.
'Fine, I think life has gotten a lot better' he replied, checking his feet quickly, and quickly stepping out of the way of Claire's foot.
'I saw you' said Claire simply; staring into his eyes, green orbs hardening a fraction. Carlos was taken aback, and stared at her for a couple of seconds before finally catching Claire's trail of thought.
'I'm allowed to look at her' he defended himself, landing hard on her other foot. Claire hobbled, and dug her heel into his foot, making him wince.
'Carlos, I have to admit I've been totally damn wrong in what I've been telling you to do about Becca' relented Claire, hopping on the spot to dodge Carlos's feet, and feeling slightly sweaty in her dress. Carlos cocked up and eyebrow and waited for her to continue.
'You got that one right' he condescended, with a patently fake smile, which immediately vanished when Claire stamped on his foot.
'But Carlos you gotta tell me. Do you still have feelings for her?' said Claire seriously, staring at him. Carlos couldn't read her eyes and felt rooted to the spot. Around them, couples continued to dance, Leon was demonstrating how he could fit a large number of grapes in his mouth to his growing group of admirers, Becca, Jack and Jill were talking and Chris and Phoenix were still engaged in conversation. Carlos swallowed and tightened his hold around Claire.
'Is there a better place where we could discuss this?' he asked uneasily, biting his lip. Claire nodded, and together they sneaked out of the mess hall and into the STARs office.
'The trick is, to partially mush up some of the grape' Leon said, demonstrating. The group, which mainly consisted of the wallflowers, a few of the female rookie cops and other such people were watching Leon fit 15 grapes in his mouth.
'Wow, where did you learn this stuff?' asked a pretty brunette, all amazed, fixing her big eyes on Leon. Leon chuckled inwardly.
'Well, you never know when you might have to fit 15 grapes in your mouth, so I have been practicing hard until the day comes' he said, feigning seriousness. The entire group nodded, with equally serious faces. Leon was a little startled, as he had expected them to notice his sarcasm.
Before he could come up with a witty comeback, he spotted Claire and Carlos leaving the room together. He furrowed his brow in thought, and was considering the idea of following them. It wasn't that he didn't trust Claire. He just felt he should check.
'Well guys, I must depart, I have to spread my wisdom elsewhere' he deadpanned to the admiring circle. The brunette pouted.
'See you around, Leon' she said, fixing him again with her large eyes. Leon bowed and grinned.
'Adios, Mis Amigos' he said before the words left his mouth. Carlos was beginning to rub off on him more than he expected. The group looked impressed at his Spanish farewell, so he decided that it wasn't such a bad thing. He casually ran his hand through his hair and sneaked out of the mess hall to find Carlos and Claire.
'So your Carlos's new girl?' asked one of the officers to Phoenix. Phoenix nodded politely and smiled. Chris felt like a first class heel, making small talk with these guys when he should be dancing with Jill. He closed his fingers around the object in his pocket and decided to bide his time.
'This here is Phoenix Gully, she's a nurse at the Robertsville Hospital' said Chris, introducing her to the greasy men of the lower RPD. The guys seemed impressed and began to chat to her, and she politely replied to their questions.
Chris looked around, trying not to look impatient. He felt panicky and could feel himself begin to sweat in his formal clothes. He shifted uneasily, and tugged at his collar, which was beginning to color up his neck red. He couldn't leave Phoenix with these guys, Carlos would kill him and he felt a brotherly need to look out for Phoenix.
She really reminded him of Rebecca. Hell, they even looked alike, both tanned and red hair, save the fact that Bec had grey eyes and Phoenix had brown eyes. But in manner and personality, they were dead ringers for each other. Shy. Sweet. Kind. Humorous. He looked around again and noticed Claire and Carlos leave the room. He frowned, not certain of Carlos's intentions. He shortly saw Leon leave the room as well.
Chris's interest was now piqued, and put the disappearances all down to something was up with the prank. If it had anything to do with the prank, he decided to track them and see what was up. He noticed that the group of men has moved on, and Phoenix was smiling at Chris.
'Where's Carlos?' she asked, looking around the bustling hall. Chris felt tongue tied, but quickly came back.
'I don't know. I might have a look for him, I'll be back soon' he said quickly, thankful that Jill, Bec and Jack were heading towards them. Before Phoenix could reply, Chris was out of the room.
Jill was puzzled when Chris suddenly left the room when they began to approach. She decided to not get herself worked up about it. She hadn't done anything wrong. But her confusion increased when she realized that Carlos, Leon and Claire where nowhere to be seen.
'Hey, how are you?' asked Phoenix, breaking Jill's trail of thought. She turned to the group and pasted a smile on her face.
'I'm fine. This here is Jack King, an Officer here and I believe you've met Becks' introduced Jill. She had figured that something was up, and Chris's sudden disappearance from the room had meant he was looking into it. Which meant she had to stall these guys until the others reemerged.
She groaned inwardly, she always had the job of stalling. She sighed and began to make small take with the mismatched group.
'Great Dance' commented Jack, looking around the room, still holding Bec's hand. Bec was looking particularly radiant, smiling and looking happier than Jill had seen her in a long time.
'Great' endorsed Jill, eyes scanning the room for the others.
'I love your dress, Becca' ventured Phoenix. Jill felt a rush of comfort for the girl. She was obviously trying to mend the break in between herself and Bec, after the scenarios with Carlos.
'Thank you. You too' added Bec, continuing to smile. Before any more talk could continue, the three reprobates finally returned to the room. But neither of them looked very happy. Jill felt a rush of dread and waited to see what would happen.
Claire and Carlos walked into the STARs office and slammed the door. Claire walked over to the air condition, and turned it up full blast and stood in front of it. The packed hall, combined with the tight dress was making her sweat. Her cheeks had a pink flush, and her hair was slightly damp from sweat. She perched on the desk on front of the desk, and watched Carlos.
Carlos was pacing the room, looking agitated. He finally stopped and stood in front of Claire. He raked a hand through his damp hair and took of his jacket and placed on the desk.
'Out with it, Amigo' said Claire curtly, not knowing what to expect.
'Well…I love Phoenix, but I love Becca. I love them both…' Carlos trailed off, his eye having a faraway in them. Claire felt her shoulders droop and thought quickly.
'You can't have them both. You have to decide' she said sternly, getting tired of Carlos's seesaw love interests and wanted to be out on the dance floor with Leon.
'I know…I figured that much' he said lightly, sitting down next to Claire, staring at the ground. Claire turned to face Carlos, and held his gaze with intensity.
'Amigo, I can tell you love Becca. The way you smile at her, the way you change when she's around, how you change from a loser to a charming guy when she's around' she added, smiling slightly to try and break the tension. Carlos chuckled at her last remark, beginning to smile.
'That obvious, huh?' he asked wryly, smiling weakly.
'And the way you check out her ass, instead of your girlfriend's butt' commented Claire, shrugging lightly the air beginning to clear.
'Well lately I have had feelings for her…stronger than the feelings for Phoenix. I love Phoenix, she's a lovely person, but I think I love Becks' he finished, now tongue-tied he had made known his feelings. He dropped his head dismally.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up into Claire's shiny green eyes, which were glittering slightly. Her face was slightly sad.
'You hafta tell her Amigo, cause if you don't tell her, you'll regret it' she said simply, tightening her grip on shoulder, her eyes shining wetly.
'But what about Jack, she's pretty much hooked up on him' he stuttered, biting his lip and looking towards Claire. She seemed immersed in thought and turned to him.
'So, if you get shot down, return to Phoenix. That way you would have got a lot off your chest, and be able to live without tiptoeing around Bec' she said, simply. Carlos nodded and swallowed and felt Claire's arms snake around his neck, enveloping him a comforting hug. Carlos gratefully slipped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her hair.
'Thanks' he whispered softly.
The pair exited the room, Claire feeling the trickle of sweat going down her back, and Carlos feeling happier. They met Leon on the way back.
'Hey!' he shouted, jogging up to both of them. 'Where've you guys been?' he asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly. Carlos's jaw dropped, but Claire came to his aid.
'Carlos was just showing me some files and stuff' rattled on Claire, grasping Leon's arm and smiling brightly, chattering away quickly to evade any more questions. Carlos inwardly thanked Claire and breathed a sigh of relief. They began to head back to the hall, when the older Redfield came running up.
'Where'd you guys disappear off to? Carlos, Phoenix's wondering where ya are' he said, looking the trio up the down. He observed Claire's red, sweaty face, Carlos's untidy suit and Leon's glowing face, his mind thinking up scenarios….
Claire intervened before her older brother could give birth over the matter.
'It's not what it looks like!' she pleaded to Chris, while he looked more doubtful by the minute. Leon started chuckling, and wrapped his arm around Claire's waist, and gave Chris a conspiratorial wink.
'Carlos couldn't get enough of her' drawled Leon, squeezing Claire's waist and causing her to gulp like an expiring cow. Carlos grinned and draped his arm over Claire's shoulders, smacking her firm rear naughtily. Claire jumped like a firework and gave Carlos a murderous look.
'Okaaaaay' muttered Chris, tired of having to figure out his sister's sexual habits, which ranged from kitchen table adventures to now threesomes with her colleague and boyfriend. Claire finally rose to the occasion and put on a fake smile.
'Big bro, do you know there are 28 positions, 32 if you're flexible?' she purred, throwing her head back and smiling sweetly at Chris who stared at her as if she had sprouted another head. He merely grunted and led the 'threesome' back to the hall.
The band had struck up another tune, and the dance floor was full of couples dancing, the wallflowers which had been huddled by the entrance had disappeared, having left or wallowing in wine by the drinks' table. Chris scanned the room, and his eyes came to rest on Phoenix and Jill talking by a food table.
Bec and Jack were nowhere to be seen; Chris guessed they were on the dance floor. Phoenix looked happy, but slightly peeved and Chris could understand how annoyed she must be feeling. Carlos had jus upped and left her by herself in an unfamiliar place. Chris could see Jill was kindly making conversation with her.
'Hey Babe' said Carlos, walking up to Phoenix nervously and offering his hand. Phoenix took it and dragged him off in the direction of the dance floor. Claire and Leon stumbled off in the same direction.
'Where did you four go?' hissed Jill, tugging Chris's arm indignantly. Chris looked as puzzled as Jill and tried explain where they had been in a coherent fashion.
'Well I ran off to find Leon, who had left the room and as I couldn't see Carlos or my sister, I decided to look into it as I wondered what those three were up to' explained Chris, carefully picking his words. Jill looked at him expectantly.
'Well, I don't know what happened, but Claire was all red and sweaty, Carlos's clothes were untidy, and Leon looked all happy' finished Chris, shrugging and looking at Jill. Jill raised an eyebrow and fixed Chris with a level stare.
'So your telling me, that your sister, her boyfriend and our Amigo were 'doing stuff' in an office?' questioned Jill disbelievingly. Chris shrugged and raked a hand through his hair.
'Do you have a better explanation?' he asked Jill, looking bemused.
'Come to think of it, I don't. What the hell, come on Redfield' she said, grabbing Chris's arm and dragging him onto the dance floor. Chris complied and led her to a vacant spot, next to Claire and Leon and dropped his arms around her waist.
The couple began to sway to the music, forming two halves of a whole, perfectly in sync. They contrasted with the likes of Claire and Leon who were giggling uncontrollably and stumbling about as if drunk out of their minds. Jill sidled up closer to them and laughed over their antics.
'So I hear that you, Leon and Carlos have been up to stuff' said Jill suggestively, swallowing back a laugh as Claire accidentally kneed Leon in his manhood. While Leon was temporarily hobbling about in pain, Claire untangled herself and went over to Chris and Jill.
'Oh you know, table tops, and having two men was an awful lot of fun' twittered Claire convincingly; twirling an auburn lock of hair around her fingers and giggling like a loon. Jill looked taken aback and stared at Claire open mouthed.
'Carlos is with Phoenix though' said Jill, confused. Chris and Jill both stopped and looked at Claire who was turning every colour of the rainbow under their critical stares. Claire giggled, to try and hide her own confusion and to give her more time to wildly think up an excuse.
'He…uhh…he…hey, where's Leon gone?' asked Claire, turning around to see where Leon had gone. Leon's form could be seen running out of the room. Chris suddenly stopped dancing and frowned.
'I'll see what's happening' he said quickly, pecking Jill's cheek and running off in pursuit of the fleeing rookie. He suspected Leon had gotten sudden cold feet and had done a runner to avoid his part in the prank. Chris wasn't going to let the rookie ruin his chance of winning $300 for himself. He decided to give Leon the 'being a player in the game' talk and then drag him back into the hall. Regardless of whether he was kicking and screaming.
Jill and Claire watched as Chris set off at a faster pace out of the room. Jill let out a low growl and tapped her foot agitatedly.
'Damn, on the one RPD social event Chris and I bother to attend he does the disappearing act the whole evening' fumed Jill, her fists clenched as she stamped off to the edge of the dance floor, with Claire in tow.
'Well, it isn't his fault. It's partly Leon's, Chris is continually having to chase after him' conceded Claire, scowling. Around them, people danced, drank and ate and the band played on cheerily, while Claire and Jill fumed angrily at their partners.
'Ummm…I guess. Chris has been acting strangely all evening though, so I have no idea what's happening' mused Jill thoughtfully, examining a manicured nail.
'To hell with men! Where better to wallow sorrows, than the drinks table?' asked Claire, standing up and stretching, and pulling Jill up at the same time.
'Lead me to the sherry' Jill passionately declared. The two, slightly wilted flowers headed off to the drinks table to find solace in alcohol.
'So Carlos, where did you go?' asked Phoenix sweetly as her and Carlos swayed to the music.
'I had to quickly look over some files, I'm sorry I left you like that' said Carlos apologetically. He felt mean, leaving Phoenix like that, and was dreading what he was going to have to say to Becks later, and felt guilty at dragging Claire into the mess as well.
'Ohh, all right. It's just that Leon and Chris seem to be pulling the disappearing act all evening, and I thought you were gonna as well' said Phoenix lightly. Carlos couldn't think of a suitable excuse or come back, and just brushed a tendril of red hair off her face and planted a light kiss on her lips.
Phoenix pulled back and looked at him thoughtfully out of brown eyes.
'You Spanish Charmer' she said jokingly, resting her head on his chest and continuing to sway to the music.
Meanwhile, while Leon and Chris were pulling the disappearing act, Carlos had allegedly had a threesome with Claire and Leon and Jill and Claire had gone off to find happiness in the drinks table, Becca and Jack were completely oblivious and having a good time.
Bec was still trying to get used to the feeling of being held close by Jack and swaying to the music, as she had never overcome her feeling of feeling self conscious while dancing. However, the evening was turning out to be exactly as she had imagined it, which is a rare occurrence. She had on a dress, her make up and hair done, and was dancing with a charming guy at a dance.
'What you grinning at?' asked Jack jokingly; looking at Bec's flushed, smiling face.
'I'm just happy' she replied her smile broadening. Jack chuckled and dropped a kiss on her forehead and whispered into her ear.
' Yours or my place tonight?' he asked. Bec felt a rush of excitement and tried to keep her cool at the question.
'We'll decide when the time comes' she said coyly, winking at Jack, who grinned and leaned in to kiss her again, except this time on the lips. His tongue darted out and lightly touched her lips and Bec felt a trill of anticipation shudder through her body.
'I can't hardly wait' she said, flushing and resting her head on his chest, just tucked underneath her chin.
Chris's feet were killing him. Not just aching, but goddamn rubbing his feet. Then again, his formal shoes weren't designed for running. Leon didn't seem to slow down, so Chris had to carry on pursuing him through the winding corridors of the RPD.
So far he had spent the whole evening tracking members of his party, instead of being out on the dance floor with Jill.
'Hey Leon, wait up!' he shouted as his shoes clattered on the floor of the RPD. Leon stopped running, and Chris breathed a sigh of relief. Leon waited for Chris to catch up with him.
'Where ya off to?' asked Chris suspiciously. Leon seemed calm enough, no signs of hysteria on his features. He wasn't wielding a knife. He seemed composed enough.
'I'm getting the props together for the prank' replied Leon.
'All right. I'll sneak a hint to Carlos to get a move on, when you've got your stuff together, make your way back into the hall. The lights should cut, and the rest of the plan follows, okay?' briefed Chris. Leon nodded back, assured.
'Here, you'll need this to carry out your part of the plan' said Leon, handing Chris a paper bag, with his 'prop' in. Chris took the bag and placed in one of deep pockets in his blazer.
The two pranksters sneak back into the hall.
'Hmmm….this is good sherry' said Jill, draining the last of the red liquid in her glass. It was the 4th glass she had downed now. Jill's years in the Deltas and STARs team had made her tougher, and she could easily chug away the whole night without feeling tipsy.
Claire on the other hand, was a totally different story. Claire was tougher than the average person, but she wasn't able to withstand as much the others could. Most parties, nights out on the town involved carrying a passed out Claire back home. Claire tottered about in her high heels, swaying dangerously. She reached for another glass of wine, but Jill darted in front of and snatched it away.
'I think you've had enough Claire' hinted Jill, placing the glass out of the Claire's reach. Claire pouted at Jill, her eyes crossed in stupor.
'On Tuesdays, my name is John' was Claire's rather slurred reply. Jill looked about frantically, and tried to think up a way to lead Claire away from the drinks table. With Chris disappearing all evening, she didn't want a passed out Claire on her hands as well. Jill was spared from this by the arrival of the two reprobates.
'Hey honey' Leon said jubilantly, pulling Claire into a hug. Claire hugged him back and grabbed his butt, causing Leon to jump.
'Hehehe…wait till we get home' squeaked Leon, removing Claire's hand from his ass.
Jill looked about for Chris but couldn't see him. She tapped her foot agitatedly; she was getting tired of him frequently disappearing. It was strange, as Chris wasn't like this. Leon was occupied in dragging Claire away from the drink's table, and around her, couples danced. Jill felt drained by the events on the evening.
All of a sudden, the lights cut out. The music stopped abruptly, and room was completely black. People stopped dancing and stared around in amazement.
Leon had draped Claire over a chair, far from the alcoholic drinks and was making his way to the podium.
'The lights have appeared to have gone, I'll go and check the fuse box' he said to the room. At this announcement, people looked relieved and continued to chat and mill around in the darkness, waiting for the lights to come back on so they could resume dancing.
Leon smiled cheekily to himself, and stowed quietly out of the room, and down the corridor to the cupboard where his props were stashed. Grinning, he stole into an empty office and began to change into his 'costume'.
Author's notes: Well, sorry for the long wait but I've been trying to get this chapter right for a long time. I didn't want it to be all angst, Cus that's boring and I placed down a few clues as to what's guna happen in the next chapter.
Sayonara!