I love everyone :) Every time I read your reviews I get so inspired! I never expected this to take off so well, it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. Thank you for whatever ideas you may have (like MBooker's comment about putting Jonathan in rehab...can I use that?:) They really stir up my imagination, so keep 'em comin'!

PZB, I think I could sit down and recite that whole movie if you asked me to. Probably my fave quote, though, is Lydia's "We're women. We don't have to say what we want but we reserve the right to get pissed off if we don't get it. That's what makes us so fascinating. And not a little bit scary!" :) Right on, sister.

I'm pretty sure Deana will like this chapter ;) Let me know ;)

5: Spontaneous Combustion

This was ridiculous. He was responsible for the life of the President of the United States, for goodness sake. He should have been able to keep track of four people. Now three of them were missing, and one of them was tripped up on cocaine. His back was turned for just a second, he swore, and when he turned back Jonathan had been...well, Jonathan had been someplace else. "Next time we let you in the White House you're getting strip searched," Bey muttered.

"You say something?..."

"No. Now would you please stop fidgeting and answer the damn question?"

"What question was that?"

"Where," Bey said slowly, "did, your, girl, friend, go?"

Jonathan laughed. "Oh, the girl's a free spirit. I never know when she'll show up next."

"Right. But where did she GO?"

"Go? Yes, she had to go to the bathroom. Have you checked in there?"

Bey sighed and sat back in the metal chair. "Yes, Jonathan, I've checked there. That was last night."

"Is something getting you down, old buddy?"

"I think I'm in the wrong line of work."

"Hmm. I see. Have you considered being a gigolo? The ladies would like you."

"I don't think my wife would appreciate that, Jonathan."

"Ah, right, Deana. How's she doing these days?"

"She's well. You can give me career advice later, Jonathan. Right now we've got to find your sister and that bastard O'Connell."

"My sister's in town?"

Bey shook himself mentally, imagining the day of his retirement so he could officially beat Jonathan up and not get a lecture from the president. "No, she's on Mars. I have an idea where they might have gone. Come on."

"Why do I have to come?"

"Because you have the mentality of a twelve-year-old."

"What was that?"

"Because you are a valuable part of the team. I need you by my side, Jonathan."

"Well, I guess if you put it that way."

Evelyn awoke to the scratching of claws against wood. She raised a weary head from the couch (couch?...what the hell?...) and saw a pudgy white cat at the door (she didn't remember that door...), crying to be let out. She didn't own a cat. Hell, she didn't even like cats.

She managed to drag herself upright and stumbled over to the door. The cat shot out into the morning sun, a white blur of cursed allergy inducing fur. She slammed the door behind it, soon regretting it when the noise only increased the incessant throbbing of her head. She remembered only too well why her head throbbed so, but the memory was a bit hazier when it came to why she'd woken up on an unfamiliar couch the next morning.

It was then that she caught sight of the note on the coffee table. Evelyn, it read, don't worry. Apparently you're not a very fun drunk. You spent the night on my couch because I didn't think you'd like explaining to the president why you and your brother's girlfriend drank away his private liquor stash. Hope you don't mind. Although after all you drank yesterday I'm not sure you'll want any food, there's some in the micro if you'd like something to eat. --Rick.

Well, that was reassuring...sort of. She wasn't sure she could trust O'Connell, but he seemed nice enough. The fact that she was still wearing the suit she'd had on when she'd arrived in the U.S. was a good sign, at least.

After spending a good bit of time sitting on the floor of the bathroom, Evelyn finally decided she felt enough like a human being to take a shower and eat something. Wondering if her luggage was still in O'Connell's jeep in that alleyway, she peeked timidly into O'Connell's closet (tidying as she went), finally grabbing a Seattle Mariners sweatshirt from the top of a drawer. Her suit was a wreck, what with the car accident, the assassination attempt, the hangover...God, she needed a vacation from her vacation.

The food in the microwave turned out to be a breakfast burrito set neatly on a little paper plate, with a note attached that said, Done throwing up? Good. Eat this. Evelyn couldn't help but smile. She supposed O'Connell was rather sweet. After all, he'd taken a bullet to save her...but that had, after all, been his job once. It had probably just been instinct.

As the microwave hummed in the background, she snapped on the radio and a song she didn't recognize floated gently through the airwaves...

How long have I been in this storm?

So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form

Water's getting harder to tread

With these waves crashing over my head

If I could just see you, everything would be all right

If I could just see you, the darkness would turn to light

And I will walk on water

And you will catch me if I fall

And I will get lost into your eyes

And everything will be all right...

Evelyn wiped a tear out of her eye as the song continued to play softly in the background. What was wrong with her? It was insane what this guy was doing to her emotions. One moment she was fine, going about her business, perfectly fine on her own without a boyfriend or a husband or...anyone. The next she found herself head over heels for a man she didn't even know! "I'm nuts," she muttered to herself, turning off the radio with a click.

Unfortunately, she was not as alone as she thought she was. "Talk to yourself often?"

"O'Connell! I didn't know you were there."

"Obviously. So why are you nuts?"

"What?"

"You said you were nuts."

"Oh. That. Nothing."

"And why are you wearing my shirt?"

Evelyn looked down, and the Seattle Mariners logo looked back up at her. She looked back up and O'Connell had suddenly gotten quite closer than he had been moments earlier. "Oh. Well, my luggage is still in your car that alleyway and I needed some clothes."

"Yeah, I got that. I was wondering more about the part where you chose not to put pants with that particular outfit."

"Oh. Right. They, uh, didn't match."

"It's impossible to get a straight answer from you, isn't it? You should have gone into politics, you know that?"

"Yes, well, the field of library science was just too exciting to turn down."

"I see. Fun job?"

"No, actually, it's incredibly boring. And I never get to..." He was definitely too close now... "...meet new people or..." His hands... "...do new things...." He was leaning in...

"Why were you crying?" he asked softly.

"I don't know. I think I may be in love with you."

"Yeah. That's what I thought."

"Just kiss me already, O'Connell."

"You can call me Rick."

Evelyn smiled. "Rick." A more perfect moment she could not have imagined, standing barefoot in the middle of a kitchen about to share a first kiss with a guy that made her stomach do flip flops. She stood on her tiptoes to meet his lips, and the previous perfect moment was instantly topped by what followed.

If a kiss had ever smoldered, it was this one. A tentative spark...then flames, explosions, fireworks... His hands crept slowly up her back, entangling hopelessly in her wet hair, desperately fighting not to get lost in one little kiss, not to fall in love...it was useless. They were both goners.

Buttercup and Wesley had nothing on this one.

~*~*~*~

Dang, that was fluffy. Major thesaurus work on that one. It's really getting harder and harder to write romance like that because it's all been done so many times. But it's a great change writing present-day, because you can reference culture that you can't when you're writing in a 1920's setting.

Side note: I'm writing a modern day fic, I had to put the Mariners in it in some small way:) So sue me, Mariners rock!!! TWO OUTS SO WHAT? bwahahahahahaha...Any other Mariners fans out there!?!?

The song on the radio was "Storm" by Lifehouse. Don't own it, they do (obviously:).

RSVP:)