Chapter Two
Acceptance
AN: Sorry for the incredibly long wait on this.....
His cheek still stung from her fist.
He'd never met any woman who had the guts to slug him. Most of the norms he spent time with were much more interested in other things. And his fellow soldiers had smacked him around in training but that was different.
No norm had ever slugged him because of his words.
She just jumped about five notches on his ladder of respect. She knew he could twist her neck and end her life in two seconds but she hit him anyway. He was beginning to like her.
Oh she was still a huge bitch, but she did have a mean right hook. And you had to give her credit for that.
He watched her storm out of the room and bump into Original Cindy.
"Whoa girl. Slow down. Where ya headed in such a hurry?"
Alec hoped O.C. would not see him sitting on the couch, he hoped Asha would keep her mouth closed about him. He didn't know O.C. very well but he did know her type. Loyal to a fault and opinionated beyond belief. She'd let him know exactly what she thought of him and he was sure that if she found out he was the reason Asha was leaving, she would never shut up about it.
He slouched further down on the couch, hoping the cushions would swallow him. He'd rather that then be on the wrong end of O.C. accusatory finger.
"Sorry didn't see you there." Asha tried to distract O.C.'s searching eyes. She didn't want O.C. to know that Alec had gotten her upset. O.C. would take it the wrong way, give her a knowing look and make her feel like an idiot. Alec was not worth the trouble.
"Is Alec causing trouble again?" Original Cindy asked, hands on hips, looking very much ready to kick the guys rear when she found him.
"No.... I... Bathroom. I have to use the bathroom." She was about to give herself a pat on the back when O.C. just raised her eyebrows and sent her a strange look.
"Right Sista girl." O.C. stepped aside and waited for Asha to head toward the bathroom.
The problem with Logan's penthouse was that the bathroom and the exit were in two different directions. And with Original Cindy watching, Asha was left with only the bathroom excuse to fall back on.
Damn Alec. He'd regret his stupid little show. Reluctantly she made her way to the bathroom.
Alec sunk deeper into the couch trying not to laugh. So she didn't want to be discovered either. He'd have to thank her for that. Maybe throw in an apology in the process. After all she'd saved him from a lecture, she deserved an apology for that.
"You know Original Cindy don't care much where you're from wonder boy, if you mess with her you gonna be in a world of hurt." He heard as someone flicked the top of his head.
"Ouch." he complained loudly as Cindy walked around the couch and sat next to him.
"Baby," she flicked his ear.
"I don't know what you're talking about and stop doing that," he complained scooting farther away from her.
"Asha. You haven't let up on her since she walked in the door. She's just trying to help your sister. YOU of all people should respect that..."
He knew what she was thinking. It was his fault that Logan was spending time with Lydecker. If he had listened to Zack, if he had been more careful... Max never would have needed to escort him to the border. Lydecker never would have gotten the chance to get his hands on Logan.
It was after all what everyone was thinking. Stupid Alec screwed up again, and now look who was paying for it. Max had to hate him for sure now. If she hadn't thought he was already a screw up this would seal the deal. Honestly he didn't understand why she hadn't come tried to kick the crap out of him yet.
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Closing the door behind her, Asha slipped quietly into Logan's bathroom. Her shoes soundless on the floor, change jingling in her pocket.
She had more to worry about then just Logan's disappearance.
Leaning against the sink she stared at her reflection, thousands of thoughts flittering through her mind.
Everything seemed to choose this moment to fall apart. Everything was coming unraveled and there looked like no hope in sight for all of it.
Tugging on a strand of hair by her ear, a nervous habit she'd developed lately, she tried to sort out the crumbling bits of her life as they fell around her. Twisting and tugging as if by doing so everything would just magically work out, glue itself back together, and keep from crashing around her.
Slipping one hand into her pocket she removed the loose change to count what was left of it, tossing a gum wrapper into the trash can, folding the piece of paper that held her next S1W appointment, and slipping it back into her pocket.
Cupping her hand around the change she shook it gently, listening to the pieces of metal bounce off of each other, staring at her hand as if she could magically make more appear.
One dollar and five cents.
Her entire net worth. One dollar and five cents.
Shaking her head and smiling she slipped the coins back into her pocket and turned her attention back on the mirror. Twisting her short blonde hair between her fingers again as she contemplated her reflection.
She wasn't half that bad looking, she supposed. If things came down to it she could find a bed to sleep in for the night. She'd done that once or twice, not that anyone else knew that. Or would know that. It wasn't something she was planning on spreading around.
She wouldn't have been so worried about it before. As a professional squatter... She smiled at her reflection... a professional squatter... Her neighbors had jokingly used the term to describe the bunch of them that shared the abandon building she lived in. As a professional squatter, she knew that coming up with her part of the "rent" money--or more officially the money used to pay off Joe their lovely sector cop--was important if not vital for the well being of the group.
Missing payment once or twice was acceptable, money was set aside every month in a case of such emergencies. They watched each other's backs and the missing payments were always paid back.
But she'd missed two months and two of her fellow squatter's had recently lost their jobs. That coffee can couldn't afford to have three people's rent pulled from it. It couldn't even cover one person. And if they didn't come up with the money... Joe would not hesitate to kick them out.
She would be fine on the street; she knew that, she'd done it before. But the others... Mary and her new baby... John and family, including his elderly mother, who barely managed to make it around their small apartment... Daniel with his poor health... For them things wouldn't be as easy.
And it would be her fault.
The S1W paid with the knowledge that you were doing something right. Cash was not part of that payment.
Things hadn't been so bad when she was playing barmaid, but work, for Eyes Only and the S1W had eventually gotten her fired. And no one was looking to hire. No one that she was willing to work for anyway.
Leaning against the wall she slid to the floor, arms around her knees.
The ironic thing out of all of it. S1W and Eyes Only both seemed to be falling apart.
She chuckled dryly and ran her hands through her hair, pressing against her temples with the heel of her palm.
She should have stuck with being a barmaid.
When she'd left home she'd told herself she'd never ask for money. She'd make it someway or another.
Up until she walked into Logan's door she'd kept that promise. But the walk over was not easy. Logan had money and he would have been happy to lend her something until she could get back on her feet. It was pride that kept her from doing just that for two months. She'd lost a good twenty pounds that she knew she really couldn't afford to loose. Her hair was starting to come out and she knew that the way her cheekbones stuck out was not a good sign. A loaf of bread could last you a long time if you needed it too.
She'd eventually decided however that she couldn't keep going on without some help and she'd decided to ask Logan. Problem was when she'd arrived Logan was in some cell in Manticore. Which was just another stupid problem for her to deal with.
Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet and turned on the water. Splashing some of it in her face and hoping she didn't look as bad as she felt and that she was just seeing things in the mirror. That people couldn't really tell how bad off she was just by looking at her.
She paused staring at her reflection and knowing that she couldn't pretend that she didn't look like hell as she twisted a strand of hair again and it broke free in her hand.
Sticking it under the cold flow of the water she watched it disappear down the drain then shut the water off and wiped her wet face with a towel.
Taking a deep breath she turned and opened the door, remembering what was waiting for her in the other room.
Alec.
Could things get any worse?
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"Look we don't need another person. She has no idea what she's getting into and it's not going to be on my head when she ends up dead." Alec finally argued back.
"You don't need nobody else yet Max was set on making a broadcast and calling all your brotha's and sista's back." Original Cindy offered with a raised eyebrow choosing to ignore the rest of his comment.
Alec rolled his eyes and slouched further into the couch before turning to face her.
"That's different." He offered plainly, his look mocking Original Cindy's intelligence.
"Care to explain how so?" she smiled a little too sweetly.
Why was she getting all defensive of some chick she didn't even know anyway? What was the point of this whole conversation?
He tried not to take it personally.
He'd already planned to let Asha help out behind the scenes anyway. So what was the point of this interrogation from Miss Sticking-my-nose-where-it-doesn't-belong-once-more.
"I think you already know why it's different..." he let out slowly. Hoping she'd catch his drift and he wouldn't have to explain it to her. He didn't know if he could without making it sound offensive and if there was one thing he had figured out about this Original Cindy, it was that she could make a pretty good ally. He certainly didn't need her as his enemy.
Even though she found criticizing him great fun. And apparently she was willing to take any side but his. He still believed that he could turn her to his side. But not if he offended her by comparing Asha to his siblings, who were obviously better.
"Hyped up DNA don't make you special." she offered giving him a glance over, her face showing disgust. "So don't give me any crap bout how you and your sibs stepped out of the better half of the gene pool. Cause Original Cindy ain't buying it. Logan sure as hell didn't need no animal DNA to work alongside with Max. He didn't even need legs. So any crap about how Asha, a trained member of an underground movement, with the use of both her legs, ain't good enough to help out Original Cindy ain't gonna buy."
He offered her a sarcastic smile and rose to his feet.
"Gee I'm glad I bumped into you." He turned to face her completely. "And for your information Asha is helping. That's already been decided. So why don't you go bark up some other tree? Cause we're done here."
With that said he hurried out of the room and down the hall, bumping right into the source of all his problems.
"Ouch. Watch where you're going!" Asha demanded rubbing her head where his chin had smacked into it.
He wanted to throw out a comment about her watching where she was walking as well. Followed by a general verbal abuse session in which he yelled at her about the conversation he'd just gone through with Original Cindy, but one glance over his shoulder told him that O.C. could still see the two of them and was watching with great interest.
He muttered something about how he hoped she was getting a kick out of this then much louder, "I'm sorry. Are you ok?" through gritted teeth.
Asha smiled, he may have mumbled the first but she'd caught it, and glancing over Alec's shoulder she saw the source of his comment. She couldn't help but feel an infinitesimally small amount of sympathy for the guy. She hadn't known O.C. long but she knew she didn't want to be on the wrong side of her accusatory finger.
"I'm fine." she managed trying to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up too much. He caught her trying not to laugh and simply glared.
"I'm glad you find this amusing." He whispered roughly.
"It was my fault anyway. I should have been watching where I was walking. I'm sorry." She offered with a slight nod toward Original Cindy who was now trying to look as if she were otherwise occupied.
For the first time since the incident, Alec noted how close they were standing. She hadn't stepped back and neither had he. And for a small moment he searched her eyes for some kind of meaning but she didn't appear to notice that the gap between them wasn't nearly large enough. She only offered him a questioning look, one eyebrow raised, her bottom lip caught in her teeth.
Asha watched amused as he blinked and cleared his throat, rolling her lip between her tongue she wondered just what he was thinking. The look in his eyes was unreadable. He must have had a lot of practice with blocking people and emotions out. Which made sense considering where he grew up.
It still bugged her that she couldn't tell what was going on in his head though.
She tilted her head to the side and twisted another strand of hair, not quite ready to give up reading him.
Smiling he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her backwards down the hall. Her instant reaction was to grab his wrists and try to escape. He was lucky she didn't put her knee in a very uncomfortable location for him. Only the fact that Original Cindy was in the other room saved him from a world of pain.
Wondering what in the world he wanted she let him lead her backwards, still trying to figure him out. He obviously wasn't going to hurt her, but was he expecting something from her? Where was he taking her anyway? The only thing down the hall was Logan's bedroom and the bathroom and they just passed that.
Alec noted the small flash of fear cross her eyes and her instant reaction to his touch. When she let him lead her backwards down the hall however he realized that her reaction was second nature and not an intentional diss on him. He'd have to ask her about that later. Ask her why she flinched when people touched her.
Suddenly he stopped and released her shoulders.
"Thank you." he smiled and turned into the door on her left--the bathroom. As he closed it behind him she rolled her eyes.
"You could have asked me to move." she called in after him.
"Takes the fun out of it." he called back.
She knew he was smirking.