Boredom

Another six months flew by. Stryker sat in Alice's dorm room after a long day of difficult classes. He was still trying to absorb what was said in Diplomatic Functions and alien customs.

He sat backwards on a chair while Alice was lying down on her bed, studying security tactics for over an hour now. Meanwhile Stryker was getting restless, sitting in relative silence. If there were anything more stressful than a bored Edenian, it probably hadn't been invented yet, Alice mused.

"Note to self: boredom and Edenians do not mix," Alice commented, not glancing up from her two PADDs. "I'm sorry. I'll be done soon."

"Promise ?"

She looked at him, "I promise."

She turned back to her computer screen and stared at the information in front of her, but nothing sank in. She completely lost the focus she had earlier and her brain stubbornly refused to cooperate. Alice signed as she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Tired ?" Stryker inquired.

"Yes." Alice answered, sitting up.

Stryker got up and next to her on the bed. When she did not resist, he started gently massaging her neck to soothe her. Alice leaned into his touch.

"Usually when I needed to study, Laenia would be bugging me. Or I'd be bugging her when she needed to study." he smiled, recalling fond memories where he managed to drive her absolutely crazy. But Laenia managed to become pretty proficient at going the same to him. "I guess I sort of need someone to fight with."

"Why don't you go pick a fight with Mouse ?" Alice asked.

He entertained the idea. "No, its too easy. Besides, she's been a little short temptered lately."

The door slid open. Stryker mentally cursed the return of Alice's three roommates. QEntis stood in the doorway, prompting him that its time to leave. Besides its almost 2230 hours, pretty late.

Late night ...

Alice sat in the lobby of a club that she had decided to go to, instead of the usual café down the street she visited. The unchanging atmosphere had made her restless.

She sat curled up in a big, comfortable armchair; her attention focused on her current book. She didn't look up until she heard a door open to her right and behind her. She turned and saw an attractive man enter the room.

His shaggy black hair was slightly disheveled, some of it falling into his face, just barely covering his deep, dark brown eyes, which held fatigue inside them. She guessed he hadn't gotten much sleep. His clothes were all black He was fairly tall and somewhat muscular from what she could tell.

The man looked her way, Alice smiled at him. "Hello." She softly greeted.

"Hello." he replied. He headed toward her, returning her warm, welcoming smile.

"Would you like to join me?" Alice asked, looking up at the man.

"I wouldn't want to impose ... " Adam said uncertainly, looking at the open book in Alice's lap.

"Oh, you wouldn't be imposing." Alice said, putting a bookmark in her book and setting it in her lap. "I can finish this later. To be honest, I was getting kind of bored. I would love to have some company." She assured him.

Adam smiled at the girl and nodded. "Thank you."

He studied her. He could also tell that she was fairly tall, about up to his shoulder, even though she was still curled up in the chair.

"I'm Alice." She introduced herself once he had gotten comfortable.

Adam extended his hand to hers and shook it. "My name is Adam Malkovish. It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice. What ... I saw you before ... The Academy, Diplomatic Manners. Josie McCoy sits next to you."

Alice nodded. "Yes. I am sorry. I do not recall sitting you around campus."

Alice smiled at him once more, which he returned.

"You're Swedish." Alice guessed outloud.

"Yes. Let me guess ..." Adam said, "you are either Japanese or Vietnamese."

"No." Alice laughed softly.

Adam couldn't help but admire her sweet, innocent smile and seemingly friendly attitude. It had been a long time since a girl had acted casual and calm around him. They usually flitted around, batting their eyelashes at him, putting their arms around him and touching him, obviously in search for more than just friendly chatter. Adam could tell that Alice's intentions were pure and instantly liked her for it.

"So, Alice. Do you come here often?" Adam inquired. "I'm here a great amount of time, but I've never seen you here."

"Well, I just moved her about a month ago. I usually go to the café down the street. It's usually quieter than this. But today it was crowded and loud. Besides, I wanted a change of scenery. And I must say, this place is pretty nice…from what I've seen." Alice added.

Adam smiles and nodded. "It is pretty nice. You should come here again. But it's about to close." He said, getting to his feet.

Alice looked disappointed. "It is?" She sighed. "That's kind of odd, a club closing at ten."

Adam shrugged. "It's not the kind of club you think."

Stretching in the chair before getting up, Alice looked up at Adam. "Will I see you again? I wish we could have spent more time together. You seem like a nice guy."

Looking into her eyes, Adam saw a hopeful look in them. Adam took Alice's hand. "Let me walk you home." He said, guiding her to the front doors.

Holding her book with her other hand, Alice allowed Adam to lead her outside. Stryker followed them from a safe distance, keeping to the shadows as much as possible.

It was well past one in the morning when Alice and Adam walked to the City Center. Alice took the aero-train northbound, while Adam Malkovish was on the train heading east.

... and Early morning

Stryker tried to keep up with Alice as she jogged down the deserted city street.

Alice took in a deep breath. "Just look at that sunrise. What a perfect start to a brand new day."

Stryker kept quiet. "Getting up early opens your mind, heightens your senses. Makes you much more aware of everything."

Puzzled by his silence, Alice turned her head, "Stryker ?"

She had to stop and jogged back twenty meters. Stryker used a tree as support, his eyes closed. "Not a morning person, eh ?" Alice laughed.

Supporting the team

Stryker and Alice cheered on from the sidelines, both was wearing rugby jerseys with the trademark Maple Leaf embroiled on their backs.

In the middle of the wet field, and with her head trapped between two people who seemed like human walls, Deanne struggled to look around. "GO!" the Scrumhalf yelled out.

"BALL!" the girl to Deanne's left called out. Suddenly as if on cue, which it really was, Deanne was squished against HumanWall number 1 and HumanWall number 2. Shuffling her feet around Deanne stretched for the ball appropriately enough had Barbarian written on both sides.

Isn't that comforting, she thought to herself before being pulled back after hearing a member of the rival team yell out 'pickle' among other things. Damn code words, Deanne thought as the opposing team got the ball, and the scrum broke up. Everyone rushed forward, trying to tackle the ball carrier. Ball carrier number one, two and three was tackled. But the ball was successfully passed.

Deanne scrambled to get to the ball carrier to bring her down. She saw HumanWall number 1 closing in on her target. Uh crap ... Deanne thought, I would hate to get in Samus's way!

HumanWall number 1, who turned out to be a blonde haired girl named Samus, lunged at the girl carrying the ball and pulled her down. Rushing forward, a red headed girl, Sharon Alexander bent down and plucked the ball from the loose scrum that was forming around the fallen players. She passed the ball to Dawn Enjo a nanosecond before being tackled. Dawn passed it to Deanne.

Deanne ran at top speed, holding the ball firmly. Turning slightly, she saw Elle Jansen and Ruby Halloran to her side running slightly behind her, ready to catch the ball should Deanne lob it to them. Deanne sidestepped an opponent as she crossed the 22 meter white line. That was when she saw a massive girl, Claire Johnson barreling down on her and decided it would probably be best for her health if she passed the ball right now.

Turning slightly, Deanne attempted to pass the ball to Elle. But before she could let go, the massive girl latched on to her and slid her arms down around her waist. Feeling her pants begin to slip, she screamed "PANTS!" when her pants fell to her knees and she fell towards the ground. Somehow, Deanne did manage to pass the ball, albeit a little too high.

Ruby jumped and grabbed the ball mid-air and made a run for the end of the field for a Try. Seeing her opponents gathering behind her, Ruby dashed as fast as her legs can carry her. She dived across the scoring line, sliding a full four meters across the wet grass before stopping.

Deanne laid there for a moment catching her breath and rubbing her side where someone had accidentally kicked her on her way down. "That look suits you." Deanne smirked, looking at Ruby's muddy and grass strained jersey.

"Nice thong," Ruby said jokingly.

Deanne's face blushed cranberry red, "Yeah. I guess I shouldn't wear sweatpants with no draw-string."

"No, probably not," Ruby agreed, grabbing Deanne's outstretched hand and helped her up.

"OK! Everyone, scrum up!" the coach yelled. "Halfway line."

"Here we go again," Deanne grunted before taking her position in the center of the scrum and popping in a mouth guard.

After practice, Deanne half limped towards Julie James, their coach. "Wanted to see me ?" she asked.

"Yes Deanne." Julie paused. "I think you are much better suited as Flyhalf or maybe Fullback. Your strength is in speed."

"Okay." Deanne nodded.

Julie smiled, "Good workout today kid. Go get changed. See you, same time tomorrow."

Deanne started walking toward the change rooms when Alice and Stryker caught with her. "Hey Deanne, you look good in mud." he teased.

"Very funny." Deanne smirked.

"Bet you'd look good in mud too Alice." Stryker joked, a look of mischief in his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare ... " Alice said with a threatening tone in her voice.

Adventures in babysitting

"I'm real sorry to have to dump this on you, Alice.", sighed Mouse.

"Oh, don't be silly!", Alice smiled.

"Alice, you're a star!"

Outside the windows, the moon began to smile, as its crescent form emerged from the thick smear of pink in the heavens. As its water lapped against the sandy walls of its bed, the lake mirrored an image of the masterpiece blending and dancing together.

Alice plopped down on the couch, a crying Garnet gently resting in her arms. The baby demon princess reached a new octave in her screams right next to Alice's innocent ears. Grumbling under her breath, she tried to arrange the baby in a more comfortable position, and hopefully one that would send it in to dream land for the rest of the night.

She sank lower into the couch cushion gently rocking the baby in her arms. Garnet's eyes were pinched tightly together, her chubby little fingers were balled into small fists and stayed by her head. Alice's temper was reaching new heights, this was torture.

Garnet though still crying, opened her large, pink-red eyes to Alice's green eyes. Tears trickled out of the orbs quickly, and made slippery trails down her face and dropped off her round chin on to her baby sitter's lap. She has eyes like Mouse, Alice realized for the first time ...

The same colour, soft with emotion but glistening with tears. It wasn't the baby that she wasn't feeling good, it wasn't her fault that she couldn't talk yet and tell somebody what hurt, and what could make it feel better. Everything that suddenly dawned on the clueless red haired woman came out like a flash in the sad eyes of the child.

A blush coloured her cheeks without reason as she held the child close to her, "I'm sorry. But this is all still new for me." she pointed out to the whimpering baby. A sweet melody began to softly escape her throat in a relaxing hum. A pleasant feeling blossomed in her chest, it felt warmer than any spring day. A smile appeared on Alice's face as she stroked the side of Garnet's round, pudgy face.

Forty minutes later, and after the fifth diaper change of the night, Alice finally managed to rock Garnet to sleep. Stryker bravely returned from the basement, he could not stand the baby, his nose and ears assaulted by the shrill screams earlier, crying and odours. But now, the baby lay content in Alice's arms sleeping lightly listening to the rhythm of her holder's heart. "I thought she'd never stop screaming and crying." he said softly.

"Yeah, but she is so cute ... in a slobbery kind of way." Alice admitted. "When she is not upset, she puts her arms out to me as soon as she sees my face and giggles when I tickle her and I even get her smiling on command."

"You are good at working with kids." Stryker remarked.

"It'll be great to be around her more - she's very entertaining." But being around her makes all my mothering instincts kick in. No! No thanks - not for a long time!

Comedy night in Hell

Alice, Stryker and Lucida arrived early and got front row seats.

The Announcer, announcing really loud, "Welcome to the funniest city on the planet, Montréal. Where even the skycrappers and sewer rats pulsate with laughter. Tonight we kick off the 397th annual, Just for Laughs comedy festival where you will see some of the finest comedians in the galaxy !"

The Announcer waited for the cheers to die down. "This year more than eight million people will laugh with us. So ... without delay we start off with a very special guest, all the way from the Gamma Quadrant. Please welcome, WIUEN !" the announcer proclaimed. The crowd applaused.

"This should be interesting." Lucida told Alice. Stryker smirked.

"So winter is finally over ..." Wiuen said, grabbing the microphone and pacing the stage. "The spring thaw came! I thaw it with mine own eyes!"

The entire crowd feel silent. "Vulcans. No sense of humour." Wiuen tried. Except for a few coughs, not a sound from the audience.

"Hey Wiuen, you should move to Andor," Stryker told him. "You'd be a hit there - instead of being hit."

Lucida snickered, Alice had shown less restraint, laughed at Stryker. "Oh, Light, I'm starting to sound like Wiuen," Stryker groaned.

"Ah crap. There is two of them in here." a woman said outloud from the second row. This smart comment, sent Alice and half the audience into fits of laughter.

"I am leaving." Stryker told Alice as he tried to escape the embarrassment as fast as possible.

Next Chapter
Summer Retreat

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