Chapter 4

Jeff shot up from his bed, his breathing ragged and uneven. He sat silently for a moment as the cold sweat collected on his forehead. He'd been having the same dream for 3 nights now…ever since he'd seen that woman.

Growing tired of the reoccurring dream Jeff sighed and pushed back the covers. He swung his legs out of the warmth of the bed and headed straight to the bathroom where he splashed his face with freshening cold water and patted it dry on a cream towel. Jeff wandered back out to his bed and sunk into it tiredly, hating the fact that a woman he'd only seen twice nearly half a week ago was haunting him as if he'd fallen completely head over heels for her. Which of course he hadn't. Had he?

Jeff dismissed the thoughts as tired babble and lay back in his bed, pulled the covers back over his exhausted body and hoped that when he next closed his eyes she wouldn't revisit him……

Soft familiar music lingered gently in the background and Jeff wiped his eyes drowsily. He sat up fully then continued to get to his feet. He took in the romantic surroundings that he stood directly in the middle of. He acknowledged the scenery to be his lounge back in Cameron but its starry-eyed additions were definitely not what he was used to.

To his left he noticed a large collection of lit candles that glowed delicately and to his right there was a single wooden chair, adorned with a cherry velvet cover and beaded threads of scarlet droplets. The floor he had previously been laying sleeping on was scattered with crimson glitter and several more candles were dotted around the room.

But slowly the reds faded to silver and the music turned to a deadly silence. As Jeff looked around him with aroused inquisitiveness a tall, curvaceous, turquoise haired stunner entered silently and seated herself with equal quietness on the only chair inside the room that had now turned hard and silver. His eyes finally found their way to her slender figure and before he could question the strange environment she slowly and seductively pushed herself up from where she sat.

"Confusing isn't it?" she commented, unhurriedly making her way over to him.

He nodded mutely, somewhere along the line losing his voice.

She laughed quietly, "Welcome to my world…I assure you its nothing like what you'd expect" she trailed her fingers flirtatiously across his now bare shoulders as she passed him and with a flick of her hand cameras appeared within every 5 ft of them.

Jeff's brow furrowed, the explanation vaguely offered within seconds. The nameless woman smiled sadly,

"I'm sorry but this is how it has to be. At least until I can free you" she informed him miserably, reaching down and pulling his hands up by the cuffs that had suddenly appeared. "But I promise you, it won't be long"

She waved her hands over the handcuffs, which dropped off instantly and with a point one of the many cameras exploded.

"How did you—" Jeff began, the goddess interrupting him before he could finish his predictable question.

"—That's for me to know and for you to wish you knew" she winked cheekily. "Well, if you want your freedom I've really gotta get to work…I guess I'll see you soon"

Another wink and she began to wander off towards the descending fog.

"Wait" Jeff called out after her, glad to see that she stopped, "What's your name?"

"You'll know soon enough—just keep dreaming" she blew him a kiss that was sexier than any other physical contact he could think of and then she was gone.

Jeff shot up from his bed again.

It was going to be a long night.

***

Tyana brushed her short hair slowly, still not quite used to what little amount of time that took. She sighed at her reflection in the mirror, disbelieving she'd matured 6 years in a total of 4 days. It just couldn't be possible…it wasn't possible.

But then again everything about her life these days seemed impossible.

Tyana picked up her only backpack that was crammed with a wallet of currency, a hairbrush, toiletries, a coat and her communicator and strapped it over her chest. She pulled her communicator out of the front pocket she had it stashed in and flipped the lid up,

"Bret, I'm really going to have to get some clothes. The discomfort of revolving two outfits is really beginning to get to me." she stated as she picked up her folder of mission info that she had read the night before and held a lighter up to it, the flame licking hungrily at the paper pages.

"Of course Ty. Tell you what, once you're at your next destination you can have a day for observation and, uh, shopping, then we'll get stuck right in. Does that sound fair?" Bret suggested.

Tyana nodded, her mentality nearly up to the maturity of her body.

"Thank you. Ok, so when's my flight leaving exactly?"

"11am approximately. Which means you should be getting a cab to the airport as we speak."

Tyana smiled knowingly, "I'm doing it right now" she informed as she locked up her hotel room she'd been lodging in for the past 4 days since her arrival on this plane.

"I'll speak to you when I get there Bret. Good luck finding out about my first assignment" she wished thoughtfully as she leaned up against the door.

"Thank you, and I hope you have a good flight. I'll see you in a few hours then?"

"Sure thing, bye"

"Bye" she hung up the connection by closing the top down. Ty stayed leaned up against the door and stood silently in a short moment of contemplation.

Her life was suddenly moving so fast now. Just two months ago she'd stormed out of her establishment of learning and after deciding to dedicate herself to freeing the other dimension from her dimensions eyes she underwent a month of vigorous tests and training to ensure that the leap between realities wouldn't have a severe or maybe life threatening effect on her. Then after a long and somewhat tedious mission statement she finally jumped into this world and it was 4 days ago now that she showed up.

It was also four days ago that she had met Jeff Hardy, the man that had inspired her to join the mission effort…

Ty, shut up and focus you limra she cursed herself silently, using slang that loosely translated to idiot in this dimension. Now get your but down the stairs and get a cab! She did as the little voice in her head ordered and trotted off down the hall to the elevators. She hopped in the one she'd taken the other day and exited the building in no time at all. Tyana stood on the curb outside, a little unsure of exactly how you got a cab. She remembered vaguely that you were supposed to do something with your…thumb? But she couldn't quite remember. She froze while she thought but the sharp whistle that sounded on her left distracted her. Her eyes covered the four foot distance where a large man as standing with a hand in the air looking off at something in the street calling 'taxi'. Surely enough what Tyana had observed to be a cab pulled up to the side walk and after jumping inside it sped off.

That's it? That's easyyyyy, she encouraged noiselessly, sticking her thumb up into the air.

"Taxi" she called out, confident that her apparently well-known request would be fulfilled. A few seconds later a yellow checked vehicle pulled up and Tyana smiled proudly as she hopped in. She could do this!

***

Jeff trailed after his red headed friend, his boredom unconcealed.

"Aimz, come on, we finally get an afternoon off and you're making me shop with you! Do you even know how evil you are?" He whined childishly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he followed in tow.

Amy rolled her eyes at her companion, "Oh shut up and hold this will you" she ordered more than asked as she threw a pair of denims and a top into the arms that Jeff pulled up quickly to prevent the unpaid for clothes from falling on the floor.

It was his turn to roll his eyes now as he continued to follow the diva like a sheep to a Shepard. 10 minutes later she had at least 6 possible non-clashing outfit combinations all stacked up in Jeff's arms with accessories to match piled up too.

"Amy would you please just try these on!"

"I will, just one more outfit and then we'll go."

"No, ok, no. This is it! And I swear if you end up sending all this back I'm gonna kick your nancy a—"

"—Ok, ok, let's go" she gave in only because she knew Jeff had very little sleep over the past few nights for a reason he'd decided he'd rather not share and as a result he was highly irritable. She waved for him to follow her and after a sales assistant counted the number of hangers Jeff held Amy was handed a numbered tag. She smiled, taking the outfits and saying thank you to him before disappearing into a changing cubicle. Jeff found a thoughtfully placed seat in the corner of the room that contained 6 cubicles and a large mirrored wall and slipped into it exhausted. He waited patiently for Amy to emerge for an opinion on the first outfit of many and as he waited he slowly began to drift off…

"Jeff, hello, what do you think?" Amy inquired, stepping out of her cubicle and placing herself in front of the mirror.

"Oh, yeah, lovely" he replied half heartedly before shifting position in his seat so that he could prop his chin up on the hand he leant on the chairs arm. Amy rolled her eyes at him, realising she would have been better off leaving him at the hotel to catch up on some much needed sleep. She admired the outfit for a second then disappeared back into the singular dressing room.

Jeff didn't bother trying to sleep now because he knew Amy would be back out in a minute or two to ask for an opinion.

He began to fidget with the cuff of his long sleeved shirt as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world until a door swung violently open. Jeff looked up stunned assuming Amy would be standing there expectantly but instead found a woman with turquoise hair wincing at the noise her entrance made. She smiled sheepishly to herself, not yet noticing the man with widening eyes and edged further into the room to glance in the mirror.

It's…it's her Jeff stumbled mentally as he watched her smooth out the short black skirt she wore with a long sleeved black netted top and a pink halter underneath. She smiled weakly and pushed some bright locks from her eyes. Seizing the moment Jeff pushed himself to his feet and wandered up behind her.

"It looks good, you should really buy it," he offered nonchalantly, peering over her shoulder at her reflection.

The nameless female's eyes shot up from where they inspected her skirt to meet his in the mirror.

"Thanks, I think I might" she replied quietly, smiling sweetly.

Jeff stepped out from behind her and stopped next to her side,

"No problem…so I never actually got your name" he hinted with an impish grin.

The girl turned to face him fully, her eyes softening,

"I'm Tyana." She introduced as she thrust a hand forward. Jeff grasped it gently,

"Jeff" he continued to shake her hand kindly with their eyes locked, both smiling genuinely. Jeff's gaze wavered from her beautiful violet eyes and settled momentarily on her pouty pink lips. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to capture the girl from his dreams lips in one sweet kiss…

"Ok Jef…" Amy trailed off when she noticed the familiar woman standing with Jeff, their hands glued together. The hair instantly gave her away to be the woman Jeff had been severely preoccupied with over the past few days and so Amy smiled sweetly. She crossed the room to stand with them and while grinning she nudged Jeff painfully in the ribs,

"Jeffery don't you want to introduce me to your friend?"

Jeff sighed, feigning a smile, "Tyana this is Amy Dumas. Amy this is Tyana…"

"Tyana Malée, it's nice to meet you Amy" she extracted her hand from the warm clasp of Jeff's and offered it Amy who took it politely.

"And you. You've got a beautiful name"

Tyana blushed openly, unaccustomed to compliments of any nature, "Thank you"

Amy smiled and moved to inspect the outfit in the reflective panels. Tyana stood still as she watched the red head admire the ensemble, unsure of what her next move should be. She gratefully returned the smile Jeff offered her and when a constant beeping sounded from her cubicle her eyes quickly dashed to it. She excused herself and left them to answer what they assumed to be her cell.