Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who keep reviewing. Sorry about the
slow posting my beta reader forgets until I go you know all those people
who reviewed are really waiting. I also apologize for the interesting
fonts, I can't fix the chapter once it's uploaded. Enjoy! :)
Ned was seething as he and Finn walked home. He hadn't been able to get anything for dinner. Of course, it was hard to track game when Finn was constantly underfoot. He was walking slightly ahead of Finn, eager to get home. As he neared the electric fence, a crossbow bolt shot just in front of his foot.
"What are you doing!" he demanded, spinning around.
"There was a snake," Finn said innocently as she trotted ahead of him to retrieve her bolt.
"A simple warning would have sufficed," Ned said through clenched teeth, then turned around and headed to the gate.
"You could at least say thank you," Finn yelled just loud enough for him to hear.
"Thank you! Thank you for what?" Ned exploded, turning to face her again. "For wreaking every shot I took? I can do without your kind of help!"
Before Finn could say anything more, Ned reached the elevator. Without waiting for Finn, he climbed in and started up to the tree house.
"What was that all about," Veronica asked as he got off the elevator.
He refused to answer as he put his things in the rack.
She put down her paint brush and stepped towards him, concerned by his behavior. "What's going on?"
"Nothing! I don't want to talk about it." Ned gave her a disgusted look and walked into the kitchen to get a drink.
"Why were you yelling at Finn?" she demanded.
He took a big gulp of water before answering, "Do you know what hunting with her is like?"
"Yes, I do. She's good," Veronica said calmly.
"Good?! She interfered with every shot and practically stomped through the forest. And to top it all off, she started shooting at me," Ned bellowed, unable to keep from yelling at Veronica.
Veronica planted her hands on her hips as she stared at the red-faced reporter. "Ned I think you're being unreasonable. You've only just meet her," she said, defending her friend.
Ned threw his hands in the air and stomped into his room. "I'll be working on my journal if you need me," he called over his shoulder before disappearing into his room.
Veronica shook her head at the conversation. She hadn't seen Ned behave like this in a long time. Not since he and Marguerite came to an agreement about his journals. With a sigh, she turned to greet Finn, who was just getting off the elevator.
"What happened out there," she asked, determined to get to the bottom of this.
"I don't know," Finn answered airly, putting her rifle away. "Malone seemed to have a hard time hunting. Is he usually that bad?"
Seething, Ned stalked into his room. He would have given anything to have a real door at the moment. Slamming it would have been very satisfying. He settled for flinging a journal across the room. It made a satisfying thud as it hit the far wall and slid to the floor. He still couldn't believe Veronica had taken Finn's side. He found himself missing Marguerite and Roxton. Veronica and Finn had explained that the others had left only a few days before he returned. Challenger had finally figured out the wind currents, and they'd found a successful way off the Plateau and a way of returning. At first, he'd been sad that he had missed the trip to London, but Veronica had explained that they'd taken his journals and Marguerite had promised to send word to his parents that he was okay. He could always count on them to look out for his best interest. Especially Marguerite, who would no doubt negotiate the highest possible price for his journals after she was finished "editing" them. He smiled as he imagined what those two were doing in London.
Ned was seething as he and Finn walked home. He hadn't been able to get anything for dinner. Of course, it was hard to track game when Finn was constantly underfoot. He was walking slightly ahead of Finn, eager to get home. As he neared the electric fence, a crossbow bolt shot just in front of his foot.
"What are you doing!" he demanded, spinning around.
"There was a snake," Finn said innocently as she trotted ahead of him to retrieve her bolt.
"A simple warning would have sufficed," Ned said through clenched teeth, then turned around and headed to the gate.
"You could at least say thank you," Finn yelled just loud enough for him to hear.
"Thank you! Thank you for what?" Ned exploded, turning to face her again. "For wreaking every shot I took? I can do without your kind of help!"
Before Finn could say anything more, Ned reached the elevator. Without waiting for Finn, he climbed in and started up to the tree house.
"What was that all about," Veronica asked as he got off the elevator.
He refused to answer as he put his things in the rack.
She put down her paint brush and stepped towards him, concerned by his behavior. "What's going on?"
"Nothing! I don't want to talk about it." Ned gave her a disgusted look and walked into the kitchen to get a drink.
"Why were you yelling at Finn?" she demanded.
He took a big gulp of water before answering, "Do you know what hunting with her is like?"
"Yes, I do. She's good," Veronica said calmly.
"Good?! She interfered with every shot and practically stomped through the forest. And to top it all off, she started shooting at me," Ned bellowed, unable to keep from yelling at Veronica.
Veronica planted her hands on her hips as she stared at the red-faced reporter. "Ned I think you're being unreasonable. You've only just meet her," she said, defending her friend.
Ned threw his hands in the air and stomped into his room. "I'll be working on my journal if you need me," he called over his shoulder before disappearing into his room.
Veronica shook her head at the conversation. She hadn't seen Ned behave like this in a long time. Not since he and Marguerite came to an agreement about his journals. With a sigh, she turned to greet Finn, who was just getting off the elevator.
"What happened out there," she asked, determined to get to the bottom of this.
"I don't know," Finn answered airly, putting her rifle away. "Malone seemed to have a hard time hunting. Is he usually that bad?"
Seething, Ned stalked into his room. He would have given anything to have a real door at the moment. Slamming it would have been very satisfying. He settled for flinging a journal across the room. It made a satisfying thud as it hit the far wall and slid to the floor. He still couldn't believe Veronica had taken Finn's side. He found himself missing Marguerite and Roxton. Veronica and Finn had explained that the others had left only a few days before he returned. Challenger had finally figured out the wind currents, and they'd found a successful way off the Plateau and a way of returning. At first, he'd been sad that he had missed the trip to London, but Veronica had explained that they'd taken his journals and Marguerite had promised to send word to his parents that he was okay. He could always count on them to look out for his best interest. Especially Marguerite, who would no doubt negotiate the highest possible price for his journals after she was finished "editing" them. He smiled as he imagined what those two were doing in London.