Chapter 12:
{A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. Have mercy on me. ::Looks pitiful::}
I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was finally gone. I felt my tears slide in silvery streaks down my face. I tried to hold them back, but it was no use. I couldn't do it.I'd held them back for far too long already, and it was just too much now. I turned away, not wanting the others to see just how utterly wretched I was at that moment.
"Are you all right, Layla?" Obi-Wan asked.
Qui-Gon glanced down at me, concern shimmering in those stormy blue eyes. I smiled, deeply touched. "Are you sure you're all right, love?" he asked.
I nodded. "I will be in time," I answered reassuringly as I allowed him to wipe away the tears. Then I turned to Casey, my curiosity at her comment of some kind of condition having finally gotten the better of me. "Hey, Casey. What did you ask that jackass spirit or whatever in the hell he was to do?"
She didn't answer, but instead she turned towards the still-open balcony door. She whistled, and a moment later, two adorable mutts that I would have recognized anywhere came running into the room, barking and wagging their tails happily as they ran over to us. The larger of the two had brown eyes and beautiful golden fur, while the other was considerably smaller with nearly black eyes and pretty black and white fur.
"Yogi! Stella!" I yelled cheerfully. Stella jumped up on my lap, putting her paws on my shoulders as she started to lick my face. I laughed. "Whoa, Stella! Down girl, down! Yes, I'm happy to see you too!" I shrieked.
Meanwhile, Casey was petting Yogi and murmuring to him. "Hey, my little golden boy! Whatcha doing, huh? Yes, I love you too. Come here, you little varmint," she said affectionately.
Qui-Gon reached over and gently scratched Stella on the head. "You certainly have beautiful dogs," he said.
"Thanks," Casey said.
I handed Stella over to Qui-Gon and said with a laugh, "Here, you take her for a while. I'm going to go see if I can find something to eat around here. I'm starving. Does anyone else want anything while I'm up?" as I stood up and headed for the kitchen.
"Yeah, sure. Might as well see what there is," Casey said with a shrug.
"I've got a better idea. Why don't we go out tonight? I overheard someone earlier talking about a resturant that's supposed to be good. It's only a short distance from here," Obi-Wan spoke up.
"Dude, that's the first good suggestion I've heard all night," Casey said.
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and as long as we don't have to walk there, believe me, I'm all for it," I replied.
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, we'll take an air taxi," he said.
"Oh, okay. That works. Oh, and by the way, I'm calling dibs on using the shower first," I said.
"That's fine, because you need it," Casey smirked jokingly.
"HEY! That was cold!" I shrieked, smacking her on the arm playfully. "Besides, look who's talking?!" I added.
She gave me an innocent look that I wasn't buying into for a moment. "Meow? What? You totally set yourself up for that one," she pouted.
"Okay, now you're just mocking me, aren't you?"
"Me? Mocking you? No, gee, you think?" she joked.
I rolled my eyes. "All right, that did it! You want a piece of me? Bring it on, chica! We'll take this out into the parking lot and I'll kick your butt!" I remarked, making a 'bring it' gesture.
"Umm, Layla? There is no parking lot," Casey said, pointing out the obvious.
"That's beside the point. I'll find one, and then I'll kick your butt," I replied serenely.
She shook her head. "Yeah, sure. Okay, whatever Layla. You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag with a lightsaber," she commented.
"Oh, be quiet. You're just jealous," I said jokingly, whacking her upside the head with one of the cushions from the sofa.
She gave me a wounded look and I laughed as I headed for the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
*Ok, here's the next chapter, in all it's corny glory. LOL. Layla and Casey tend to go at each other like that throughout the whole fic. ::looks innocent:: Hey, I had to put some humor in there somewhere to lighten up the angsty mood. ::grins:: Sorry this took so long to post. I'll have the next chapter up asap. I promise! ::ignores doubtful look from my muse::
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
{A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. Have mercy on me. ::Looks pitiful::}
I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was finally gone. I felt my tears slide in silvery streaks down my face. I tried to hold them back, but it was no use. I couldn't do it.I'd held them back for far too long already, and it was just too much now. I turned away, not wanting the others to see just how utterly wretched I was at that moment.
"Are you all right, Layla?" Obi-Wan asked.
Qui-Gon glanced down at me, concern shimmering in those stormy blue eyes. I smiled, deeply touched. "Are you sure you're all right, love?" he asked.
I nodded. "I will be in time," I answered reassuringly as I allowed him to wipe away the tears. Then I turned to Casey, my curiosity at her comment of some kind of condition having finally gotten the better of me. "Hey, Casey. What did you ask that jackass spirit or whatever in the hell he was to do?"
She didn't answer, but instead she turned towards the still-open balcony door. She whistled, and a moment later, two adorable mutts that I would have recognized anywhere came running into the room, barking and wagging their tails happily as they ran over to us. The larger of the two had brown eyes and beautiful golden fur, while the other was considerably smaller with nearly black eyes and pretty black and white fur.
"Yogi! Stella!" I yelled cheerfully. Stella jumped up on my lap, putting her paws on my shoulders as she started to lick my face. I laughed. "Whoa, Stella! Down girl, down! Yes, I'm happy to see you too!" I shrieked.
Meanwhile, Casey was petting Yogi and murmuring to him. "Hey, my little golden boy! Whatcha doing, huh? Yes, I love you too. Come here, you little varmint," she said affectionately.
Qui-Gon reached over and gently scratched Stella on the head. "You certainly have beautiful dogs," he said.
"Thanks," Casey said.
I handed Stella over to Qui-Gon and said with a laugh, "Here, you take her for a while. I'm going to go see if I can find something to eat around here. I'm starving. Does anyone else want anything while I'm up?" as I stood up and headed for the kitchen.
"Yeah, sure. Might as well see what there is," Casey said with a shrug.
"I've got a better idea. Why don't we go out tonight? I overheard someone earlier talking about a resturant that's supposed to be good. It's only a short distance from here," Obi-Wan spoke up.
"Dude, that's the first good suggestion I've heard all night," Casey said.
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and as long as we don't have to walk there, believe me, I'm all for it," I replied.
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, we'll take an air taxi," he said.
"Oh, okay. That works. Oh, and by the way, I'm calling dibs on using the shower first," I said.
"That's fine, because you need it," Casey smirked jokingly.
"HEY! That was cold!" I shrieked, smacking her on the arm playfully. "Besides, look who's talking?!" I added.
She gave me an innocent look that I wasn't buying into for a moment. "Meow? What? You totally set yourself up for that one," she pouted.
"Okay, now you're just mocking me, aren't you?"
"Me? Mocking you? No, gee, you think?" she joked.
I rolled my eyes. "All right, that did it! You want a piece of me? Bring it on, chica! We'll take this out into the parking lot and I'll kick your butt!" I remarked, making a 'bring it' gesture.
"Umm, Layla? There is no parking lot," Casey said, pointing out the obvious.
"That's beside the point. I'll find one, and then I'll kick your butt," I replied serenely.
She shook her head. "Yeah, sure. Okay, whatever Layla. You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag with a lightsaber," she commented.
"Oh, be quiet. You're just jealous," I said jokingly, whacking her upside the head with one of the cushions from the sofa.
She gave me a wounded look and I laughed as I headed for the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
*Ok, here's the next chapter, in all it's corny glory. LOL. Layla and Casey tend to go at each other like that throughout the whole fic. ::looks innocent:: Hey, I had to put some humor in there somewhere to lighten up the angsty mood. ::grins:: Sorry this took so long to post. I'll have the next chapter up asap. I promise! ::ignores doubtful look from my muse::
~*Celestia Vitaria*~