The White Sheep and The Black Wolf Part25

"We'll need to dry her off. I'll handle that. You just bring as many pillows and blankets and make a bed for her. Get moving, quickly," Rosa said as she nudged the door open, with Elle in her
arms.

X had just stepped into the house when a small hairy creature began yapping at him.

"Chico, no! Leave him alone," Rosa commanded. She glanced at X over her shoulder. "He doesn't like strangers. Just ignore him and get the bed ready."

"Down boy," X muttered as he tried to edge his way around Chico, who continued to growl at him.

X sped about the house searching for anything to warm Elle. Ironic, he thought. She had saved him and now he had to save her. But as soon as she was okay, he would end his life.

Elle awoke, finding herself covered by mounds of blankets. In an unfamiliar place. Where am I? she thought.

Suddenly a stranger's face appeared above her. A smile crossed her dark face. "Oh, good. You're awake. Are you hungry, dear? Hold on, I got just the thing."

Before Elle could reply, the woman left as fast as she came. Elle sat up, grimacing as her head throbbed. But it was not as painful as her sinuses. She sniffled, then let out a loud sneeze.

"Oh great, just what I need, a germ-spreading human. I hope you're not contagious," a voice said nearby.

Elle turned her head and saw X leaning against the door frame. "Oh, it's just you." She frowned. Her stuffy head made it hard for her to recall the previous events. "Tell me, how did we get here?"

"Hmph. You must be sicker than I thought. Alpha almost scrambled your brains, when guess who came to the rescue? Me." He sighed. "Must it always be the alien who saves the day?" Elle felt too miserable to rebuke him.

Then a shrill barking interrupted them. "Get away, you mutt," X said as the dog growled at him.

Elle giggled. "And who might this be?"

"His name's Chico," the woman said as she came in with a bowl of steaming soup. "He's won first place in the Brooklyn Pet Convention twice in a row." She beamed.

Elle accepted the bowl gratefully. "Thank you so much for
everything, Mrs....?"

"Miss Rosa Edwards. You can call me Aunt Rosa."

"I'm Laurel." Then gestured her head in X's direction. "He's Xavier."

X, who had been trying to avoid Chico, looked at her with a frown. What kind of a human name was that?

Rosa sat herself onto an armchair. "So are you two FBI?"

"Yes. We were working undercover and had a little mishap," Elle replied.

"Hmph. I'll say. And let me guess it was your partners fault, right?" Rosa gazed suspiciously at X. "He looks like trouble to me, mm-hmm."

X shook his head. He had enough of this happy hour. He turned to leave.

Suddenly Chico hopped up from his place on Elle's bed sheets. With one leap, he sank his teeth into X's pant leg.

"What the...? Hey let go me!"

Elle watched in amusement.

"Chico, NO!!" Rosa cried. She scooped him up. "Sorry, Xavier. He doesn't usual act this way. He usually stops harassing stranger when I tell him to." Looking down at Chico, she said, "What's wrong with you today?"

X rolled his eyes. "If anyone want me I'll be in the kitchen." With that he left, earning one more bark from Chico.

Rosa signed. "Your partner reminds me so much of my nephew James. They're both so stubborn."

Elle looked up from her bowl in interest. "Do you mean James Darrel Edwards?"

"Mm-hmm. Do you know him?" Her face showed concern. "Do you know where he is?"

"Er. Yes and no. The FBI filed him as a missing person. I worked on his case but gave in after a few months."

Rosa nodded. "That's just what every agency told me. But where ever he is, I have faith that my baby could watch himself."

More than you can imagine, Elle thought. This was Jay's aunt, whom he had described as a hard, but a very loving woman.

"Well enough reminiscing. What matters now is your health now. I'm afraid you have to stay here for a week to recover. Care if I refill that bowl of yours?"

Elle nodded and thanked her. Rosa departed the room, with Chico in tow.

Suddenly there was a clamor which sounded like it came from the stairs. Two young girls came into the room; apparently they been playing tag. Then they saw Elle and stopped.

Elle smiled. "Hello, I'm Laurel. What are your names?"

Both of them shuffled their feet.

Elle frowned. "What's wrong?"

One of them, the younger girl who was about age 6, spoke up. "Auntie says we musn't talk to strangers." She earned a hard glare from her 12 year old sister.

Elle laughed. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'm a guest in your house. I'll be staying for a while, along with my partner Xavier. So maybe we can get to know each other until my partner and I leave."

The younger girl smiled, revealing a grin with a missing front tooth. "I'm Lisa," she said shyly.

"My name's Mary," the other said suspiciously.

Lisa approached Elle. "Do you like dolls?" She lifted a Barbie doll towards Elle that had its hair tied in a neat braid.

Elle nodded. "Of course, but it has been a long time since I played with one." She cradled the delicate doll in her hands and fingered the braid carefully. "Did your aunt do this?"

Lisa beamed. "Nope. Auntie taught me how to braid and I did that all by myself."

"It's lovely. You know you might consider becoming a hair stylist when you grow up."

Elle enjoyed this normal conversation. It was a pleasing change from the talk of aliens, invasions, plagues, or weapons she usually talked about. However she knew she couldn't stay for a week. She had to leave as soon as she became well enough to walk. There was no telling how far the Hook'tak treated MIB.

Rosa came in with another bowl of her soup. But it was not the only thing she brought with her. Her face bore a look of puzzlement. "Funny, your partner told me he'd be in the kitchen. He's
not there though."

"What?" Elle frowned. Where could he had possibly gone off to? Unless... unless he planned to run away again, she thought angrily.

It was then that Mary spoke up. "A strange man came up to me. He said that he had business to take care of. Then he left in a taxi."

Lisa turned her head to Elle. "Yeah, and he was such a meanie."

Elle gritted her teeth. How could X just leave like that? What if Alpha found him? She couldn't imagine what he would do to him. She could only pray that he would be safe and consider
returning. Suddenly the thought of herself facing Alpha alone made her lost her appetite for the soup.