23.Reno

Bored; Bored; I'm so FREAKIN BORED Reno thought to himself as he sat in a dark booth with Rude and the girls he picked up. The one Rude was working on wasn't half bad. Her name was Alexis; she had long gingery-red hair, vibrant green eyes, her lips were sort of thin, and a nice nose. She seemed bearable enough; her friend Gina on the other hand… She was short; short blonde hair (dyed a few too many times by the look of it), brown eyes, and was quite literally slathered in a barrage of cosmetics. Her voice was the worst; when she spoke it sounded like a thousand sacks of mice being thrown into a thousand paper shredders. "We're gonna hit the little girls room" she whispered, no squeaked, into his ear. He shuddered as they walked off "Boy you sure can pick 'em partner…" he smirked "I dare say you owe me for this one…"

"Yea, not if you don't get a move on" Rude laughed as he took a swig of his beer "I get the sneaking suspicion that I'm gonna be spending the night alone" he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh relax; I can seal the deal in 3 moves or less…"

"Wow someone thinks he's God's gift to women…"

Reno laughed "Hey; can't help the truth brutha…"

"Arrogant prick…" Rude joked.

"Seriously though; chicks know how the wing man system works. She knows she's comin' home with me; whether I like it or not" he played with a swizzle stick that was sitting on the table absent-mindedly.

"What makes you think that?"

He smiled "Celestia told me" he chuckled a bit "she claims it was invented by a group of drunken guys trying to take out the mother hen. It actually worked and thus the wing man system was born…" He frowned slightly as he spoke, remembering the conversation he had with 'Thena earlier. He had told her that Celestia was smart; that she'd get out of there if she thought she was in imminent danger. He wasn't sure he believed it himself; Celestia was one of the most stubborn women on the planet sometimes.

"You're worried about her aren't you?"

"…Yea. She'd hate to hear that but I am…"

"She'll be alright…"

"I hope so."

They passed a minute or two in silence; Rude checked over his shoulder for the girls as he began to speak. "So tell me; honestly what'ya think of her?"

Reno's whole face seemed to light up. "I think she's great. She's funny, smart, sexy, awesome cook and the best big sister I've ever seen. She's a really amazing person."

Rude laughed "I meant Gina"

"Oh…" his face fell

"Wow, you've got it worse than I thought…"

"What?"

"Never mind. So; Gina…?"

Reno chuckled "I wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy's dog…"

"Now that's not very nice" Rude laughed.

"Well in that case let's switch" Reno laughed.

"Not on your life" Rude laughed back "Game face partner…" Rude nodded towards the girls who were on the way back. Gina slid in the booth and started rubbing his leg; a little too intimately… He grudgingly slipped an arm over her shoulders. She responded by biting at his ear. He hated biting; nibbling he liked. Nibbling was sexy, very sexy in the appropriate situations and moods; biting on the other hand was, well not.

She yawned in a way too dramatic matter "What time is it" she went back to working his leg, like he was a dog or something.

'Time for you to take a cold shower; crazy broad' he thought as he looked at his watch. "Ten thirty; the night's still…" Rude gave him a swift kick under the table. He must've been sporting steel toes… Reno winced "Oh yea; that's right you've got that thing in the morning don't ya partner? I guess we've gotta call it a night." Gina made some whinny noise as she pulled on his sleeve like a little kid; crazy fuckin' broad…

"Well I mean maybe we could go back to my place and watch a movie or something" Rude started like a true pro "I've got a bunch of good Kung-Fu movies."

Reno gulped and geared up to take the plunge. "Well I dunno partner; your living room is kinda small; are you sure we wouldn't be in the way?"

Gina wrapped an arm around his neck "We could always go back to your place…" she whispered, no squeaked too loudly into his ear

He got an approval glance from Rude; Alexis was snuggling up on him as he slid an arm around her. "Well I 'spose; as long as you don't mind the mess…"

"Well if you play your cards right I might not even have time to notice" she giggled in the way a mouse might giggle; if said mouse had chewed through a whole sheet of blotters. He groaned inwardly, it was gonna be a long night…

24.Reno

"Hope you don't mind the mess…" he said as he unlocked his door, switched on the lights and kicked his shoes off.

"I didn't come here to perform an inspections of your cleaning skills Red…" he was tempted to throw her out on her ass right now for using that name; that was Celestia and 'Thena's name for him. He never realized how personally he took it until that crazy wench tried to use it.

"Ug; don't call me that" he said before he realized what he was doing. Of course she pouted dramatically for a minute but stopped when she realized it wasn't getting her anywhere. Sure he felt bad for snapping but he wasn't about to explain his nick name to her.

"Well I didn't come here to perform an inspection of your cleaning skills anyway…" she rammed her mouth into his… oh Lord she really is a biter. She was kissing with her teeth did she really think men found that sexy?

He pulled away; he really wasn't prepared to be mauled quite yet. "Um I'm kinda thirsty" he sauntered over to the fridge "Can I get you something to drink? I've got uh…" he surveyed the fridge "Water; Cherry Cola, Orange juice, I could put some coffee on…" she tried to sneak up on him from behind; he whipped around before she could.

"Got anything… Hard" she pressed up against him with a raised eyebrow; he shuddered at the double implication.

"Well I've got whatever's in the liquor cabinet over there by the door" he knew it would take her a minute to breeze through the interior. She tried to look sexy as she leaned over to examine the contents of the cabinet. He had to hold in a laugh; she looked like one of those horrible garden cut out things that people in the suburbs were obsessed with about ten years back. "Hey; I'll be right back I have to wash my hands."

"Hurry back doll" she winked

He washed his hand in the bathroom; splashed some cold water on his face and brushed his teeth. He didn't really need to but he didn't want to go back out there yet. He thought he heard her talking to herself at one point; then he heard her slam the door. 'Now why in the hell was someone at the door at this hour?' it was about eleven thirty. He decided he couldn't stay in there all night so he sauntered back out.

"Thoughtchya fell in" she laughed too hard at her own joke. "I made you a drink" she held out a glass from where she was sitting on the sofa.

'No thanks devil woman; you probably drugged it' he thought to himself. "Oh; I'm good with just water thanks…" he pulled a bottle out of the fridge. "Was someone at the door just now?" he asked as he tossed the lid from the bottle into the garbage.

"Yea; someone looking for some guy named Reno, what kinda name is Reno right?" she laughed.

'That's my name you fuckin' loon' thought to himself. "What did he look like?" he figured it was probably Jack from a floor down; whenever he had a girl over he came up to borrow one of Reno's CD's. The poor kid had the worst taste in music.

"Not a he" she laughed "thought she could pass for one the way she was roughed up; I bet she was a drug addict or…" he cut her off as he tossed the bottle into the sink.

"I've gotta go" he said to her; then aloud to himself "Where the hell did I put my keys…AH! There they are" he grabbed the keys and the phone as he dialed for a cab.

"What are you talking about?" she pouted again "We just got here…"

"Yea; and now I gotta go…" she couldn't really be this dumb… "Hi! Yes I need a cab at…" he rattled off his building's address as he started to put his shoes on. Once he was done he walked over and started to throw her shoes on her feet.

"What are you doing? We just got here…" the water works were coming; he could feel it.

"I have to go… the night's still young; I'm sure you can dig your claws into some other unsuspecting sap…" he stood up "The cab will be here in five minutes; it's already paid for. It's been real" he walked towards the door.

"You're leaving me to chase down some crazed hooker?" Cue waterworks…

He was annoyed by her at first; now he was mad. "She's one of my best friends and she needs my help!" he opened the door and felt her clinging on him. He shook her off. "Look; it's an emergency now I've got to go!"

"YOU BASTARD!" she shrieked. "No one has ever walked out on me before!"

"There's a first time for everything honey; good luck!" he heard something smash against he floor as he fled down the stairs.

It was pouring like all hell when he got outside. He kind of wished he had brought an umbrella but there was no way in hell he was going back up there; that chick was cracked… He wasn't sure which way she went; hopefully she hadn't made it too far. It was hard to see in the rain. He ran about half a block right; nothing there. He back tracked and went half a block left. He was almost ready to attempt to call a cab; maybe he could cover more ground. She was sporting a pretty bad limp and had some sort of huge duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

"CELESTIA!" His voice was lost in a sea of background noise. He jogged to catch up to her; when he finally did he gently touched her shoulder. She almost decked him in return.

"Red! You scared the daylights out of me!" she scolded. To say she looked pretty rough was an understatement. She had a black eye, split lip and maybe even some bruises on her neck; he couldn't tell in this light. "You really shouldn't have left your date…" she trailed off.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him" his voice was dark and cold.

"That's really not necessary" she stifled a cry as she looked at the ground.

He slid his hand under her chin and lifted it up. "Have you seen yourself? Trust me, it's necessary."

"Well… I don't…" he cut her off.

"Don't you dare try to defend him!" he felt bad for yelling; poor girl was beat up and soaked to the bone. The last thing she needed was to be yelled at. "I'm sorry." He squeezed her shoulder; she slid her ice cold fingers over his hand and squeezed in return. "I'm gonna get you somewhere safe and I'm gonna go take care of him…"

Her eyes were back on the ground "don't…" she started.

"You can't expect me to let this go… Celestia he has no right to…"

"Don't leave me…" she continued; barely audible.

"What?"

"Oh Reno!" she fell into him. She had never called him by his name before… "I don't want to be alone…" she cried as she wrapped her arms around him; shaking. "Please don't leave me alone…" He felt his anger melt away with her words. There would be a time to take care of Trent later; right now she was the one who needed his help.

"Well then can I at least get you out of this rain?" He asked as he ran his hand through her hair as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Alright…" she whispered in a raspy voice.

Author's note: I just want to readdress the whole sexism issue. As I previously state I'm about as feminist as they come; but I'm also all about honesty. There are crazy chicks like Gina out there; and there are guys that like 'em. If anyone is seriously offended by the character lemme know; I probably won't change her (I like her; she's quirky) unless there is like a huge outcry; but I will listen to your complaints

KFConti