A/N: Hey, y'all! I'm BAAACK! And guess what? There's not a lot of Viggo/Mac for once! YAY! Actually, it's BOO, but the next chapter... hehe. I've taken some liberties here and there, as you know... Um, yes. So, this was probably long awaited!
I won't be updating for at LEAST a month, just letting you know. I'm gonna be in Europe, almost completely without internet connection. shrugs
Psymon and Griff are getting along well. Heehee. I'm re-writing Oni's intro fic, because it sucked ass. Odette's stays, because even though it sucks ass, it's better than nothing. Hee.
====FLYING FRUITBATS====
The snow was falling heavily as the group lazed around the lodge, unaware as to the surprise coming their way. They all looked around listlessly, some watching the television, some playing poker, and the others upstairs, amusing themselves.
There was a sudden, cold gust of wind as the door flew open. Viggo, Oni, and Elise looked up from their game of poker, blinking at the figure who had come through the door. His hood was pulled up over his face, which was tilted to the side as he closed the door, shielding his face.
"Maudit!" he growled, finally slamming the door shut, and turning around. "Why are you all just sitting inside? This is prime snowboarding weather!" the blonde Frenchman exclaimed, pushing his hood off and grinning charmingly at the group. Oni squealed.
"JP!!" She was up in an instant, and pounced on the man, hugging him tightly. "Ooooh, my JP has returned!" Indeed, said Frenchman had come. His hair was shaggier, and his natural, brown hair color was coming back in, showing at the roots. Everything else about him seemed the same, even though he was a little thinner than he had been.
"JP?" came a voice from the top of the stairs. Odette appeared, and then squeaked, eyes widening. Oni wisely stepped away from JP, as Odette rushed down the stairs, nearly stumbling. JP deftly swept her into his arms, lifting her up and kissing her deeply. She threw her arms around his neck, and they both ignored Oni and Psymon's catcalls.
"So, that's JP?" Viggo asked, looking at the Frenchman appraisingly. "Odette's gotta good eye."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Elise said, standing up as the two Frenchies stepped apart, "Hey, JP. How are you?"
"I'm doing quite well, thank you. You look good, Elise." JP gave her a quick look over, but then wrapped his arms around Odette. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," she murmured, kissing his cheek.
"But no one answered my question! Why aren't you out on the slopes? It's great out there!" Viggo raised his eyebrows.
"It's a blizzard out there!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, but that's what makes life interesting. You are Viggo, correct?"
"The one and only!" He shook hands with JP, and then smirked. "Should I go tell the others you're here?"
"Please do," the Frenchman responded, smiling at the blonde, who easily headed up the steps. "He's gay," JP muttered when Viggo was out of range.
"Just part time, as he likes to say," Oni exclaimed, grinning. JP shook his head and smiled at her.
"How have you been, Oni? I haven't seen you in a long while."
"I've been peachy-king, my man. Everything is going swimmingly. The world will be mine in a matter of time." He nodded.
"I still get France, yes?"
"Yep, you and JP-ette can have your very own country getaway. But don't blame me when my sugar pie decides to launch a nuke at you." She grinned when Psymon wrapped an arm around her waist, "Such a destructive little boy, y'know?"
"Psymon," JP said, nodding to the Canadian, who smirked.
"Froggy."
"Hey, JP!" The group looked up the stairs as Zoe bounded down, nearly leaping onto the Frenchman. "Long time, no see!"
"Good to see you too, Zoe," JP laughed, before frowning, looking past the girl and up at Moby, who was slowly walking down the steps, taking his time. "Hello, Jones."
"Hey, Arsenault." The Englishman and the Frenchman both sized each other up. JP still wore a frown, but it was deeper.
"You've... changed," he said, in a shielded voice.
"So have you," Moby responded, but more openly.
"Hey! Hey, hey!" Oni quickly jumped around, drawing the tension out of the air. "Hey!"
"Hey what?" Zoe asked, raising her eyebrows.
"We need to go! Out! Like, tonight!"
"We just went out last night," Moby grumbled good-naturedly.
"You'll want to wait a day or two, anyways," JP said, smiling in a particularly Cheshire-Cat way.
"Why?!"
"Because Odette and JP haven't seen each other for nearly a month and a half," Elise responded to the girl's cry, "And I'm sure they want to catch up. Right, JP?"
The Frenchman nodded, and then scooped up Odette. "Can I borrow her for a few hours?" he asked, grinning at his girlfriend when she giggled and threw her arms around his neck.
"Go out and have fun," Zoe said, grinning. Odette waved at them as JP pulled the door open and took them out into the blizzard.
"Aww, young love. There ain't nothin' like it," Oni cooed, sighing when she felt Psymon put his arms around her.
"I know summin' like it," he responded, pushing her lightly towards the stairs. "Hey, Griff, we're gonna need the room for a bit. Tell Nate to keep his ugly face out, eh?"
"Sure, Psymon," Griff responded idly, having barely looked away from the TV. Oni grinned and yelped when Psymon poked her, scampering up the stairs with the Canadian hot on her heels.
"I'll reiterate... crazy kids," Zoe muttered.
------
Griff rolled about restlessly on the ground, nearly writhing as he whined. "I'm bored!" he cried.
Mac rolled his eyes, turning off his Gameboy. Kaori blinked at him. "Are you done with Mario and Luigi already?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
"Nah, I've barely started. Stupid mini-games." He put the game aside and looked down at Griff, who stared up at him, glassy-eyed. "Uh, dude, are you okay?"
"I want to go outside," the young boy whimpered pathetically.
"Hey! I'm goin' boarding, who wants to come?!" Viggo called, leaping down the stairs two at a time. Mac and Kaori looked to him.
"It's really bad out there," Kaori responded, "Are you sure you should?"
"Hey, Kaori, I grew up in Sweden. Just because this is bad weather doesn't mean it's too dangerous. Come on, it'll be fun."
"I'll go!" Griff exclaimed, jumping up. He frowned. "Oh, man... My board's in the room, and Psymon and Oni are in there..."
"I'll go get it for you," Kaori said, standing, "I'll come."
"So will I," Mac agreed, grinning, "After all, you newbies might need some vets around to keep you in line."
"Are you sure you should go up there?" Viggo asked as Kaori passed him. She smiled.
"I know how to handle them." Kaori went up to the door of the room, and knocked loudly.
"God damn it, Nate, go the fuck away!" came Oni's breathless voice. Kaori grinned.
"It's Kaori, Oni! Griff-kun needs his board!" She heard Psymon swear, and then a few thumps. The door opened, and Psymon glared down at her, leaning his head out of the door. Kaori caught a glimpse of Oni laying easily on the bed, grinning like a cat with a mouse, before the Canadian thrust one of Griff's boards into her arms, slamming the door. She looked down, then frowned, "Psymon-san..."
He opened the door and threw two boots at her, then slammed the door again. "Now go the fuck away!" he shouted, "I'm spending quality time with my lady friend!"
"Hai, Psymon-san! Have a pleasant time!" Oni laughed loudly, then shrieked, and the bed creaked. Kaori shook her head, and picked up the boots, carrying them and the board downstairs. "Here you go, Griff," she said, handing him the boots and board. "Mac, let's go get ours." Mac nodded, and followed Kaori back up the stairs. Viggo stepped to the side, and Mac brushed past him. The Swede looked after the boy, frowning. Had he actually-
"Viggo?" Griff asked, looking at the older male with curious eyes. The blonde shook his head, and grinned at the younger boarder.
"Yeah, man?"
"Do you like Mac?" Viggo blinked, eyebrows raised high. The boy gazed back at him easily, seriously.
"Why?" he asked cautiously, slipping down the steps, regarding the boy with a carefully blank expression.
"I dunno. Sometimes you just get that look in your eyes. Like what you just had," the redhead responded, shrugging. "Like Oni looks at Psymon."
"...You're a really perceptive little kid, you know that?" Viggo finally said, leaning against the wall and watching the boy put his boots on.
"So do you?"
"....Yeah, I do. But it's best not to bring it up with him, or anyone else, for that matter."
"I won't, don't worry."
"You guys ready to go?" Mac asked, appearing on the staircase with Kaori. The two beamed up at the others.
"I've never been so ready in my life," Viggo responded.
------
"You know, we should've listened to Kaori."
"Probably right. The wind was pretty strong, wasn't it?"
"Get me down, you guys!!"
Viggo and Mac peered up through the snow, up at the tall tree. One of the higher branches had snagged the back of Griff's shirt when a strong wind buffeted him off the course mid-jump.
"Um, so, you're going up there?" Mac asked Viggo, who shook his head.
"I'm Swedish, not a freakin' monkey! That's gotta be at least twenty feet!"
"Well, I've never been able to climb trees in my life," Mac responded.
"Why aren't you guys helping me?!" Griff wailed, "This branch isn't going to hold forever!"
This was confirmed when the branch creaked loudly.
"I told you that you needed to lay off the hot dogs!" Viggo called up. "I'll call back to the lodge."
"With your Comm?" Mac asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Naw, I brought my cell. I'll call the room... Oh, wait... Damn, Moby's out having dinner with Zoe..." He sighed, then dialed a number. There was a click, and then loud yelling. "Psy-Psymon! Yeah, I know that you're with Oni, and- yeah, this is the second time that we- I'm sorry, okay – no, I don't really – Psymon, listen! Yeah, I know that it's hard for both of- Look! Griff's caught up in a tree and we can't get him down!"
There was silence, and then Mac heard Psymon cackle over the line.
"It's not funny!" Griff shouted, apparently hearing Psymon.
"Look, can you just- I dunno, don't you know how to climb a tree? Come on, he's going to fall, and it's like twenty feet, man! I'm not a monkey, I can't do – No, Mac's here." Viggo looked at Mac, raising an eyebrow. "He wants to know how much we'll pay him."
"He should be doing this out of the goodness of his heart!" Mac exclaimed. Viggo lifted the phone back to his ear.
"Oni, thank you. Can you get him- er, anyone, really, out here? We're just off the SnowJam course... Use your Comm to track us, okay? Okay, cool. Hurry up, though, we don't know how long that branch is going to last. See you in a few." He cancelled the call, and looked up the tree. "Psymon and Oni will be here soon, Griff! Just hang on!"
"I don't know if I can do that!"
Mac's Comm beeped, and he looked down, frowning, "It's Kaori." He took it off his belt and talked into it. "Hey, Kay. Sorry we couldn't make it to the finish line, but the little guy got caught up in a tree. Oni and Psymon are coming to get him down. Head up to the lodge, alright?"
"Hai, Mac-kun... Viggo, I was right!" Kaori responded, before terminating the signal.
"See? Told you." Viggo shrugged.
"You guys!" Griff shouted, frantic, "The branch is cutting into my back and this really hurts, and it's breaking!"
"Hold on, man!" Mac shouted, "Psymon'll get you down!"
"What the hell's going on here?" The two turned, and blinked. Nate held his board, raising an eyebrow up at the tree. "Who got stuck this time?"
"Griff," Viggo said slowly, stiffening. The mountain man glowered at him slightly, then looked back up.
"You okay up there, Griff?" he shouted.
"Not really!" came the boy's response, "When's Psymon getting here?"
"Psymon?" Nate asked, looking at the two.
"We can't climb this thing, it's too tall. Psymon said he'd do it." Nate chuckled darkly.
"I'd like to see that," he growled.
"You will." The three turned, and saw Psymon and Oni there, both undoing the binds on their snowboards. Psymon walked over to the tree, and looked up, grinning. "Hey, red! Where are you?"
"Over here!" The Canadian followed the voice and raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "Psymon, could you hurry?! It's not going to hold-" There was an ominous creak, and Griff whimpered.
"Be up in a second!" Psymon called, before planting a foot firmly on the trunk, grabbing the rough bark with his hands. He hauled himself up, and grabbed onto a few branches, using one to pull himself up and another to put his foot on it. He scrambled up the tree easily, hugging it tightly. He reached the top, and winced. "Damn, that doesn't look good."
Griff was hanging by the back of his shirt, which was tightly snagged over a weak looking branch, a long red cut up his back. He whimpered pathetically. "Psymon, it's not going to hold..."
The branch cracked, and Griff screamed. Psymon jerked out a hand and grabbed the boy's arm, holding onto it tightly. "Oh my god!" the boy cried, eyes screwed up tight.
"You're still on the tree, Griff. No free-falling here," Psymon grumbled, hauling the boy up to him. "Put your arms around my neck, alright?" Griff nodded and did so, his shaking hands clasping behind the older male's neck. "Okay, hold on real tight, yeah?" Psymon looked down. "Hey, honeybunch, how far up do you think I am?!"
"I'd say about.... seventeen, eighteen feet!" Oni called back. He grinned.
"Okay, back off, alright?"
"You're not gonna jump, are you?!" Nate called up, disbelief in his voice. Griff clung to the other tighter, whimpering.
"No, I'm going to fly with my super powers! How else am I getting down?!"
"You'll break your legs!"
"You're acting like you care!" Psymon growled, and then frowned at the boy. "Don't worry, red. I've jumped down fifty feet and haven't got a scratch." He called, "Besides, you're assuming that I'm planning on landing on my feet!" With that, Psymon pushed them off the tree.
Griff shrieked into the other's chest, feeling the wind whip around them. They hit the ground with a whump, and the boy slowly opened his eyes.
Psymon was laying under him, grinning up at Nate cheekily. Everyone but Oni was shocked. "Hey, red, hop off, alright?" Psymon said, pushing the boy off him lightly and sitting up. "Did you break anything?" he asked the boy, who shook his head, slowly. "Good." With that, the Canadian stood easily, brushing snow off of him. "Let's get you back to the lodge and fix up that cut, eh?"
"...A-Alright," Griff murmured, staring up at Psymon.
"What?" the Canadian asked, raising his eyebrows.
"...That was so cool." Psymon cackled, and ruffled the boy's hair, before going over to Oni and looping an arm over her shoulders.
"Come on, already. I don't got all day. The Jeep's just over the ridge."
"I think he's crazy," Viggo murmured, staring after the two as they walked off. Griff ran to catch up with them.
"I think he should be locked up," Nat muttered, before strapping on his board and taking off down the ridge, moving onto the course. Mac scowled.
"Man, that guy is such a creep," he muttered.
"Who, Nate?"
"Yeah. He just pisses me off." Viggo shrugged.
"He's just confused. He'll get better. Hopefully." Mac shook his head, and started after Psymon, Oni, and Griff. "Hey, Mac!" The American boy looked around at the Swede, frowning.
"Yeah?" Viggo carefully approached the other, knowing he could easily run away.
"Um... when... back at the lodge...." Mac raised his eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
"Uh... Did you... Never mind," he finally muttered, "It's not too important. Let's catch up before they decide to leave us here."
Mac frowned, blushing slightly. He was glad that Viggo hadn't confronted him, since he himself didn't really know why he had touched Viggo's hand like that. He followed the Swede, sighing deeply.
====KILLER MONGOOSE====
A/N: I've always wanted to have a character get caught up in a tree. Yay. Viggo/Mac next chapter, mates! Not to mention, some confrontations between a pair of egotistical European men... REVIEW, I beg of you!