Disclaimer: IT BURNS! IT BURNS!

A/N: Haaaaaallelujah! I can write again! I have ~t*i.m*e~ to write again! *does happy dance; swings Jack around by the arms; Jack curses and swears helplessly and rather colorfully* I've got three chapters for now, and hopefully more in the coming days. I still have 2 papers to write for finals, but that's it. And I'll be living on my trusy airmattress in the craft/computer room again all of next week, so that means unlimited comp time. (So long as the parental units don't find out, and I spend time with the old people.) But yeah. I've stalled y'all enough; here's chapter 90.

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Petrified Tears
chapter 90



Carefully, he angled himself from the car, precious cargo tucked against his chest. His clients watched him curiously.

"This is where I leave you," he told them, stooping before the door, peering inside, feeling the girl in his arms shift instinctively, curling an arm across his shoulder and behind his back, nuzzling her nose into the hollow of his neck.

The old man watched him anxiously, as if suddenly worried for his well-being. The boy simply smiled, making his way out of the limo and standing before him, drawing up to his full height, only about 8 inches difference between them, rather than the foot that he had originally thought.

Trunks watched, curious, as the boy reached into his pocket and withdrew the deck of cards, pulling the cards from their tattered and well-loved box, shuffling through them quickly, looking for a certain card. A moment later, Jack found the card he was looking for and pushed the others back into the box, careful to keep them from spilling out the bottom, and placed the deck back into his pocket. From his left leg pocket, he pulled an old ballpoint pen, leaning against the side of the limo to scribble something on the card. Trunks watched him, perplexed now, as the boy put the pen back into his pocket and turned back to him.

"May I?" he asked, waving the card in gesture towards Pan. Trunks wasn't able to catch the words, but he was able to catch the card—the ace of spades. Trunks nodded slowly, and Jack took the girl from his arms, handling her carefully, pushing locks of midnight away from her face as she slept, his fingers brushing against the side of her face.

He dropped her feet gently to the ground, supporting her against him, as he held the card between the fingers on one hand, slipping his other under Trunks jacket to fiddle with the mock-corset strings along her back.

Deep blue eyes fluttered opened, smiled up at him with the simplicity of dreaming through the haze of sleep. He looked down at her, somewhere between drained and flushed, embarrassed and content, terrified that he'd wakened her, his chin tucked in as he looked into her eyes. But her eyes closed and she snuggled against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and subsiding into him with a sigh.

Jack relaxed, an awkward smile on his face as he shifted her in his arms, cradling her more tenderly, careful not to disturb her again. He slipped the card into the back of her dress against the flesh of her back, quickly retying the strings, fumbling a little in embarrassment, but not disturbing her.

He lifted her back into his arms and handed her back to Trunks, nodding to him and moving to step back into the limo. The half-saiyan's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Nothing needed to be said to get his point across. Jack turned back around, hesitating for a moment, eyes wary and looking away, before he spoke.

"She'll know what it means."

He disappeared into the darkness of the limo, closing the door behind him. Trunks took a step back, and the limo disappeared into the darkness of the surrounding woodlands, heading back towards the city. His throat immediately constricted as his clients left...there was no more stalling. He had to face this. Turning slowly, his eyes drifted towards the roof, and the half-saiyan who wanted him dead.

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A/N: *twilight zone* Oooooo, suspenseful! Remember now, McDonald's may have shitty fries, but the smiles are free. Kinda like how reviews are time-consuming for you, but free for me! ;P

~Panabelle ;P
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