What happens when you're bored:

~

December 24, 2069

Neil,

It's Christmas Eve. Or what would be Christmas, if there weren't so many people doubting the existance of Christ. I myself don't even know if I'm a Catholic or ... Whatever the term can be for it. Gaia-ic. ...Right. That didn't sound idiotic. So Cris and Samma did indeed come up today, and we all went out to lunch. (By "we" I mean Ryan, Cristy, Samma, Gray, Aki, myself, and Bryant, unfortunately...)

Now, I knew something was going to happen from the moment Bryant said "It's on me". The jerk can't buy himself a beer without complaining he spent out of his own pocket. And that's, what, a couple of bucks versus twenty-plus? It didn't really surprise me when he hit on Cristina. It *did* surprise me, however, when she flirted back. Especially after the rest of us had warned her what an idiot he was.

"So what do you do?" She asked him, grinning flirtatiously at him.

"I'm the tech." He nodded. "Best there is."

"Oh? But I thought you were taken in second." She stated, and I started to catch on to what she was doing. He snorted derisively.

"If the first was the best, he wouldn't be dead, would he?" He asked, grabbing his glass and taking a swig of soda, just in time to miss her hurt look. So the game went on.

"I suppose not. How'd he die?" A snicker this time.

"Ask Janie. She was there. She actually caused it." My eyes narrowed at him dangerously, but I forced myself to stay seated as Gray gave him a level stare, and he simply gave a smile that reflected how much of a jackass he really was. "Poor, stupid bastard... I mean if you turn your back to flirt with *Proudfoot*..." He let out a harsh laugh, and I flinched, but ignored it, my fingers tightening as he kept it up. Either I was going to crack the fork in my hand in half, or it was going to slice through my skin. I felt a sharp pain in my hand. The latter it was, then. "God, even to *trust* Proudfoot to watch his back, do you believe it? What an idiot..." Obviously he was the idiot, because Sam, Ryan, and Aki were staring at him, the girls open-mouthed and Ryan just blinking at him, squeezing my hand under the table, and I didn't quite know why. Gray had given him a warning glare before, but he looked about to hit Bryant himself now. I was stiff in my chair, my back ramrod straight, and my knuckles white, a miniscule drop of blood ready to drip off of the edge of my fist. But my face showed no emotion, and I verified it by glancing in a mirror on the wall opposite us. I looked cool, and calm.

How the fuck I pulled that off, I have no idea, but I think it's why Ryan was running his thumb over my hand supportively. Another glance at Cris showed her pale as anything, her eyes narrowing as she picked up her own drink, pouring it out on his lap before standing. "No, Bryant..." She said in a sickly-sweet voice. "You're the idiot." She turned on her heels, walking out quietly as realization came over the ass's face.

"Bryant..." I started, standing. "You really need to learn how to fuck off." And with that, I set out after the younger girl. We'd been dining at a seafood diner down at the beach, and I finally spotted her, sitting by the waves, curled with her knees on her chest, her arms on her knees, and her face hidden away in a mix of the two. I sat down next to her, inanely putting the hand with the cut into the sand as I lowered myself, rubbing her back a little. "Crissy, baby, don't listen to her." I said, and only later realized Neil had been the only one who called her Crissa or Crissy, but it came as if it were a habit... I'm blaming it on Casper. It's easier.

"He's such a jerk... my broth- my brother wasn't an idiot..." She said, picking up her head to look me straight in the eyes. You two look exactly alike, it's always sent a chill down my spine- you had an eleven year gap and you had the same eyes, hair color... like fraternal twins with a really big interval in between. And you'd always told me, as we were lying next to each other in the dark, about your childhood, how you protected her, how she'd been your best friend and you'd taken the fall for things she'd done, just because you were afraid of what your father would do to her. How you still wanted to protect her and were thinking of trying to buy her a nice house at the beach after the "Phantom problem" was solved. At the time, I think you'd told me because you thought it would get my mind off of feeling guilty for what we'd just done, but the guilt was non-existant. I just managed to pull off the look right. And if you thought I wasn't paying attention, just randomly muttering "Mm"'s or thinking your monologue was filler, you're wrong. I wasn't. I was too busy hanging on every word coming out of your mouth. And today it still amazes me that if we fell asleep next to each other, we'd end up curled together. That's why so many times you woke up alone. And I'm sorry. If I could do it now... over... fuck, who the hell am I kidding? I'd do it exactly the same, I'd feel nervous when I woke up, and wouldn't want to get caught, so I'm not going to lie to you and say I wouldn't.

"No, Crissy, he wasn't. Your brother was really brave, very strong and smart." I smiled soothingly at her, something I wasn't sure I could pull off but something I did anyway. "He was anything but an idiot." She sniffed, wiping at her eyes while I smoothed the hair out of her face.

"He loved you, you know." She told me, and I sucked in a breath. I knew what she wanted to hear, most likely, but I still couldn't say it. So I took the wimp's way out.

"I know." She leaned into my hug, and I put my chin on top of her head, looking back over at the group standing in the parking lot waiting, just in time to catch Ryan push Bryant. It took a hell of a lot to get Ryan mad, so I could just imagine... But I didn't get up to run over, as much as I'd wanted to. Crissa needed emotional support right now, even if it was just a hug, so I offered her one. Later on, I'd got the rest of the story from Aki. As much as I don't like the doctor, she'd told me everything, straight-up, without sugar-coating it. Ryan was still calming down and needed time, and Gray and Samantha had told me to ask Ryan. So Aki was my last resort, and apparently my best. They'd all filed out of the diner, waiting by the boardwalk/parking lot for us, giving us time. Bryant did indeed have to pay, since everyone else walked out and he'd had enough kitchen duty from when he'd provoked me. He was childish, immature... and he had a small attention span. (And I'm willing to bet on Ryan's life that that's not the only small thing he has...) ... Now *I'm* being immature... ... sorry.

So he got easily bored, and started whining after awhile. "Can't we go now? They're crying over Fleming, can't they do it at home instead of here?"

"Bryant, can you just be *kind* for once and give them time?" Ryan questioned, sounding a little annoyed.

"Oh, *I'm* sorry, *Sarge*, ya mad I made your little girlfriend cry, or are you mad I dissed your corpse of a boyfriend?" And that had been it. Ryan had pushed him, hard, right up against a car, putting a small crack in the window.

"Ryan..." Gray gave him a glance and Samantha touched his arm supportively. He nodded, walking off a few paces.

"Sorry, sir." And that had been it. Ryan lost his temper - something that happens as often as Hayley's-fucking-Comet comes around, and I basically missed it. I mean, I never want to be on the receiving end of Ryan's temper, but I'd like to be caught in a dark alley with Bryant advancing on me with a knife and a pissed off Ryan off to my side. God, I'd love to see how bruised Bryant's face would be after that. Gray's eyes caught my own, and his gaze softened into a worried, 'Is she alright?' look. I picked up my head, nodded a little.

"How 'bout we go home, okay?" I asked, and she nodded silently, getting up from the ground. She caught me staring at the boats, and she asked me why I was lost in space. I studied her a minute, held up a finger to signal to Gray we'd be there in a minute, and a different one to Bryant when he looked over and Gray looked away, then walked over to the boats with the girl.

I didn't tell her *why* we'd been under there in the first place... I honestly don't remember how we'd snuck away, but we had, had our secret little fun under a dock, and then I'd sat there as you carved something into the plank above us. Back then, for some unknown reason, they'd kept part of the beach barriered. God knows why, it wasn't like you could get a tan or anything... But I digress.

~ "Neil, what are you doing?" I asked, reclining on my elbows as the water lapped up around my bare feet. ~

Cris moved up to it, tilting her head a little as she read it.

~ "Carvin' our names, Janie, dear." You beamed at me, the grin that would've made my legs feel like jelly and give out under me if I wasn't already on the ground. ~

A grin spread on her face as she realized what it stood for, who had carved it... her fingertips traced it softly.

~ "That's so original." I stated, staring at the crude NF-Hearts-JP you'd written with your pocket knife. You smirked. ~

A tear dropped from her eye, and I couldn't blame her. It was proof to the world Neil Fleming had existed. True, you're a war hero, but all war heros are forgotten. Ask a kid who was the first person on the moon, they probably couldn't even tell you. They'd think 'Sputnik' was some sitcom from the 1990's, and leave it at that. But this was solid, firm evidence. NF. Neil Fleming. You were there, in the spot beneath my shoes.

~ "It's not *supposed* to be original, Janie, it's supposed to be *sweet*." I raised my eyebrow at that, and you just laughed. You always laughed at the dangerous looks I gave you when we weren't in public. "You just wait, Janie... some day... we'll be back here, and you'll do it yourself." ~

All the while, Cris had been inspecting it, smiling sadly. Now she started back, and I informed her I'd be there in a minute as I reached into the bag slung over my shoulder, pulling out my pocket knife and quickly carving a reply to that message next to it. 'JP-Hearts-NF'. Even if I can't say it, couldn't write it, won't admit it, the one simple four-lettered word... at least a heart doesn't count. But God, you were right. Because we were there, me, and you, though not in a solid, human form that I could see or touch, but you were there. I knew because the tears threatening to pour as the letters formed disappeared when it was done, and a feeling of happiness, cheerfulness replaced it.

But we were there.

And I'd done it myself.

Jane

~

FLAME!