Once again, I don't own Outlaw Star. But I bow down to those who do. ^_^
Here's the next chapter all. Keep the reviews coming please.
Chapter 3: Wedding Day Blues, The Sounds of Battle Rage Again!
Dawn was always Mel's favorite time of day, when the streets were still somewhat quiet and the birds could sing aloud, their songs uninterrupted by the swarming of cars and the yelling of voices in the heavily trafficked part of town. Even the air smelled better to her, which made next to no sense, but that was the way she perceived it. The only thing that made a nice, clear, sunny morning better in her eyes was when she had a job to do. And today, she had probably the biggest job she'd ever had. Well.almost the biggest.
"Mel, could you hand me the chopsticks, please?" She nodded, Jim's voice snapping her back from her daydream of a pretty morning. She peeked over his shoulder, which was now almost level to hers, and nodded with a smile.
"Perfect!" she said with a happy sigh. "This is going to be the best catering job the planet has seen in years!" Jim gave her an affectionate squeeze with his free hand, keeping the chopsticks away from her clothing and nodded.
"Mel, your cooking is always a hit. I'm sure this job'll go off without a single hitch." He placed the last strawberry carefully on the platter with a grin, and then settled back to admire his work. He had to admit, he was becoming quite the chef himself. Then again, with Melfina in the house, there was hardly a day that went by when he wasn't helping out in the kitchen.
Mel sighed again, this time less enthusiastically as a sudden thought creeped it's way into her head. "My only concern is Gene." She took a seat next to the counter, rearranging a small tray of maki rolls. "Do you really think he'll do this?"
Jim nodded, cracking his knuckles and shooting her a big smirk. "Oh, he'll play along. Even if I have to stuff him into the outfit and make him serve at gunpoint." Melfina chuckled at that thought. An image of Gene in a wait staff outfit tied at the ankles popped into her head, and it was all she could do not to go into a giggle fit right then and there.
Jim wiped his hands on his apron and offered her a smile. "Don't worry about it. Hikari and I are going along, and as long as we can keep Gene away from the sweet table everything should be just fine. That jerk should be happy we're even giving him something to do!" He pulled off his apron and flung it over a stool. "If we wanted to be really mean we could just sick the bride on him."
"Personally," said Melfina with a thoughtful blink, "I think sicking the bride on him is the preferable choice, given the circumstances."
* * * * * *
The sobbing of Fred Lowe could be heard several rooms away, though just out of earshot of his newlywed. "I can't believe I've sunk this low!"
Gene shook his head from his spot on the wall, clear across the room from his grieving business associate. He tapped one foot against the wall as he leaned casually, his arms folded. "Personally," he grumbled, "I think I got the lousy end of the stick here." Fred looked back at him, an absolutely miserable look on his face as that last shred of hope entered the man's eyes.
"Gene," he said desperately, "You mean you.you may have-"
"Now don't go getting any ideas Fred!" he said suddenly, pointing a finger at the sobbing groom. "I meant this monkey suit Mel made me wear." Fred's face fell, and he sunk himself back into his pitiful position, arms folded on the dressing table, head down so that just his eyes were visible.
Jim swallowed nervously, almost hesitant to say anything at all. But how could he not feel somewhat bad for the guy? Even if he was.well.Fred. "Aw c'mon," he chided in his usual optimistic way, "it could be worse! At least no one's arguing yet. That's a good thing."
Fred shook his head, burying his face even deeper in his arms. "I don't care," he sighed. "Let the whole world hate each other. My life is over." Gene rolled his eyes at that one. Here he went again, all melodrama and flamboyance. That was the way of Fred Lowe. And it was precisely why Gene Starwind avoided him at all costs.
"Hey!" A short knock on the door was merely a warning as Hikari stumbled in, looking mildly frazzled as he shot Jim a pleading look. "Guys we're getting a little busy out here. Can I convince you to give Mel and I a hand?" Jim nodded, heading out of the kitchen and into the reception hall where people were swarming in. "Don't sweat it Fred," Jim said in an unusually calm voice. "We'll get it taken care of. You just cool your heels in here for a bit." He shot Gene a forceful look. "Gene, come on!"
"Yeah yeah." Gene yawned, grabbing a tray and heading for the door. "Remind me again how you talked me into this."
Jim narrowed his eyes in frustration. "Because Mel asked you to! Why is this always my fault?!"
Gene patted the younger boy's head as he passed into the hall, leaving Jim simmering in anger. "GENE STARWIND GOD DAMN YOU!"
* * * * * *
Gene Starwind. There was the name he had been waiting to hear. Sitting back slightly in his chair, a mass of black clothing and muscles, Ivan Blackstar watched the seventeen or something boy known as Jim Hawking run across the room with a tray, his face painting a picture of complete frustration. Ivan almost laughed. Almost.
His attention diverted as a young woman poured a small glass of champagne. He flashed a quick smile at the girl, who immediately seemed aware of nothing else In the world but this man's smile and his deep chocolate hued eyes peering out at her from under unruly yet perfectly controlled hair of the same color. She only stopped ogling when the man looked down at the table where a small pool of the bubbly liquor was collecting. She gasped, and Ivan managed to keep the smile on his face, though every muscle in his head wanted to let him roll his eyes.
"Would you mind pouring one more for me, please?" He leaned in a little closer, offering the closest thing to an innocent look he could muster. The girl's knees wavered for a moment before she nodded complacently, her shaking hands pouring another glass before she rushed off into the kitchen as her cheeks stained a pretty scarlet. Ivan picked up one glass and pressed his lips to the glass, never swallowing but enjoying the flavor as it seeped into his tongue. No drinking for him tonight. It would not do to get drunk and fail his mission. Ivan Blackstar had never once in his life missed his mark, and he had no intention of starting now.
It was a very frazzled Jim who made his way to the table that Ivan was seated at, a big smile on his face. "Can I get you anything sir? Dinner should be served shortly." Ivan had to admit, the boy was probably a lot smarter than he looked. Sure he was sort of young, not even nineteen, and his build was nothing to be impressed with really, but he had a keen eye. The way he checked the right places for concealed weapons without even knowing he was doing it, the way he seemed to always be looking through you not at you, yet exuded an aura of comfort everywhere he went. That was the mark of a true professional, and Ivan could see this Hawking kid was no slouch. He'd have to be careful; Careful, but not naïve.
"Actually, yes," he said with a polite smile. "You can tell me where I can find Gene Starwind." Jim's smile immediately dissolved. This sounded all too familiar.
"Mr. Starwind isn't here tonight," said Jim, the lie easily slipping off his tongue. "I'm his associate. Anything you would need to deal with him you can d-"
"I asked you a simple question." The barrel of the small compact blaster was easily concealed within the folds of Ivan's trench, and Jim cursed himself for not having his scanners on and in place; a stupid mistake, one that apparently might end up costing him his life. Not good. "Now unless you feel like eating lead instead of your lady friend's lips this evening, I suggest you do as I ask and bring me Starwind."
Jim couldn't help but let his eyes drift to where Mora was standing, talking with Melfina. 'Bad idea, Jim,' he thought to himself. 'Gene was right. Never invite a girl you're interested in to a wedding.'
Ivan smirked. "Well? What's it gonna be?"
Chapter 3: Wedding Day Blues, The Sounds of Battle Rage Again!
Dawn was always Mel's favorite time of day, when the streets were still somewhat quiet and the birds could sing aloud, their songs uninterrupted by the swarming of cars and the yelling of voices in the heavily trafficked part of town. Even the air smelled better to her, which made next to no sense, but that was the way she perceived it. The only thing that made a nice, clear, sunny morning better in her eyes was when she had a job to do. And today, she had probably the biggest job she'd ever had. Well.almost the biggest.
"Mel, could you hand me the chopsticks, please?" She nodded, Jim's voice snapping her back from her daydream of a pretty morning. She peeked over his shoulder, which was now almost level to hers, and nodded with a smile.
"Perfect!" she said with a happy sigh. "This is going to be the best catering job the planet has seen in years!" Jim gave her an affectionate squeeze with his free hand, keeping the chopsticks away from her clothing and nodded.
"Mel, your cooking is always a hit. I'm sure this job'll go off without a single hitch." He placed the last strawberry carefully on the platter with a grin, and then settled back to admire his work. He had to admit, he was becoming quite the chef himself. Then again, with Melfina in the house, there was hardly a day that went by when he wasn't helping out in the kitchen.
Mel sighed again, this time less enthusiastically as a sudden thought creeped it's way into her head. "My only concern is Gene." She took a seat next to the counter, rearranging a small tray of maki rolls. "Do you really think he'll do this?"
Jim nodded, cracking his knuckles and shooting her a big smirk. "Oh, he'll play along. Even if I have to stuff him into the outfit and make him serve at gunpoint." Melfina chuckled at that thought. An image of Gene in a wait staff outfit tied at the ankles popped into her head, and it was all she could do not to go into a giggle fit right then and there.
Jim wiped his hands on his apron and offered her a smile. "Don't worry about it. Hikari and I are going along, and as long as we can keep Gene away from the sweet table everything should be just fine. That jerk should be happy we're even giving him something to do!" He pulled off his apron and flung it over a stool. "If we wanted to be really mean we could just sick the bride on him."
"Personally," said Melfina with a thoughtful blink, "I think sicking the bride on him is the preferable choice, given the circumstances."
* * * * * *
The sobbing of Fred Lowe could be heard several rooms away, though just out of earshot of his newlywed. "I can't believe I've sunk this low!"
Gene shook his head from his spot on the wall, clear across the room from his grieving business associate. He tapped one foot against the wall as he leaned casually, his arms folded. "Personally," he grumbled, "I think I got the lousy end of the stick here." Fred looked back at him, an absolutely miserable look on his face as that last shred of hope entered the man's eyes.
"Gene," he said desperately, "You mean you.you may have-"
"Now don't go getting any ideas Fred!" he said suddenly, pointing a finger at the sobbing groom. "I meant this monkey suit Mel made me wear." Fred's face fell, and he sunk himself back into his pitiful position, arms folded on the dressing table, head down so that just his eyes were visible.
Jim swallowed nervously, almost hesitant to say anything at all. But how could he not feel somewhat bad for the guy? Even if he was.well.Fred. "Aw c'mon," he chided in his usual optimistic way, "it could be worse! At least no one's arguing yet. That's a good thing."
Fred shook his head, burying his face even deeper in his arms. "I don't care," he sighed. "Let the whole world hate each other. My life is over." Gene rolled his eyes at that one. Here he went again, all melodrama and flamboyance. That was the way of Fred Lowe. And it was precisely why Gene Starwind avoided him at all costs.
"Hey!" A short knock on the door was merely a warning as Hikari stumbled in, looking mildly frazzled as he shot Jim a pleading look. "Guys we're getting a little busy out here. Can I convince you to give Mel and I a hand?" Jim nodded, heading out of the kitchen and into the reception hall where people were swarming in. "Don't sweat it Fred," Jim said in an unusually calm voice. "We'll get it taken care of. You just cool your heels in here for a bit." He shot Gene a forceful look. "Gene, come on!"
"Yeah yeah." Gene yawned, grabbing a tray and heading for the door. "Remind me again how you talked me into this."
Jim narrowed his eyes in frustration. "Because Mel asked you to! Why is this always my fault?!"
Gene patted the younger boy's head as he passed into the hall, leaving Jim simmering in anger. "GENE STARWIND GOD DAMN YOU!"
* * * * * *
Gene Starwind. There was the name he had been waiting to hear. Sitting back slightly in his chair, a mass of black clothing and muscles, Ivan Blackstar watched the seventeen or something boy known as Jim Hawking run across the room with a tray, his face painting a picture of complete frustration. Ivan almost laughed. Almost.
His attention diverted as a young woman poured a small glass of champagne. He flashed a quick smile at the girl, who immediately seemed aware of nothing else In the world but this man's smile and his deep chocolate hued eyes peering out at her from under unruly yet perfectly controlled hair of the same color. She only stopped ogling when the man looked down at the table where a small pool of the bubbly liquor was collecting. She gasped, and Ivan managed to keep the smile on his face, though every muscle in his head wanted to let him roll his eyes.
"Would you mind pouring one more for me, please?" He leaned in a little closer, offering the closest thing to an innocent look he could muster. The girl's knees wavered for a moment before she nodded complacently, her shaking hands pouring another glass before she rushed off into the kitchen as her cheeks stained a pretty scarlet. Ivan picked up one glass and pressed his lips to the glass, never swallowing but enjoying the flavor as it seeped into his tongue. No drinking for him tonight. It would not do to get drunk and fail his mission. Ivan Blackstar had never once in his life missed his mark, and he had no intention of starting now.
It was a very frazzled Jim who made his way to the table that Ivan was seated at, a big smile on his face. "Can I get you anything sir? Dinner should be served shortly." Ivan had to admit, the boy was probably a lot smarter than he looked. Sure he was sort of young, not even nineteen, and his build was nothing to be impressed with really, but he had a keen eye. The way he checked the right places for concealed weapons without even knowing he was doing it, the way he seemed to always be looking through you not at you, yet exuded an aura of comfort everywhere he went. That was the mark of a true professional, and Ivan could see this Hawking kid was no slouch. He'd have to be careful; Careful, but not naïve.
"Actually, yes," he said with a polite smile. "You can tell me where I can find Gene Starwind." Jim's smile immediately dissolved. This sounded all too familiar.
"Mr. Starwind isn't here tonight," said Jim, the lie easily slipping off his tongue. "I'm his associate. Anything you would need to deal with him you can d-"
"I asked you a simple question." The barrel of the small compact blaster was easily concealed within the folds of Ivan's trench, and Jim cursed himself for not having his scanners on and in place; a stupid mistake, one that apparently might end up costing him his life. Not good. "Now unless you feel like eating lead instead of your lady friend's lips this evening, I suggest you do as I ask and bring me Starwind."
Jim couldn't help but let his eyes drift to where Mora was standing, talking with Melfina. 'Bad idea, Jim,' he thought to himself. 'Gene was right. Never invite a girl you're interested in to a wedding.'
Ivan smirked. "Well? What's it gonna be?"