Cowboy, Take Me Away
Part one
Duo stepped into a small diner of "Lake Melody." The name of the place made him gag but he tried not to let it get to him too much. This whole small town thing wasn't working for him, he already missed the anonymousness of the city. He was in his favorite civilian leather jacket, a comfortable pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. The diner looked almost like they were closing for the night so he was ready to turn around and head back out the door when someone started talking to him.
"So, Mister, What can I get ya?" the voice asked him. He looked to his left and saw a strikingly beautiful woman with stoplight red hair that was a curly mess smiling at him while tying an apron around her waist.
"Um... I'll have whatever the special is..." he said looking around the tiny diner. She turned to behind the counter.
"Hey B.J.! Is the grill still hot enough for a Crappie Filet?" she called. A young man with equally red hair stuck his head out of the kitchen for a moment.
"Yeah I hear you, Christy, you don't have to yell," he said. She threw her waitress book at him but missed.
"Older brother," she and smiled a sarcastic smile while pointing with her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen, "For some reason, he only has a sense of humor when making fun of me."
Duo chuckled.
"A Crappy Filet? Think I can ask what that is?" he asked.
"No, a Crappie Filet. It's a fish. You're from the city aren't you?" she asked rolling her eyes. He shrugged. He was tempted to flirt with her but some part of him made him decide not to, he figured it was the part that was still trying to hang on to Hilde.
There was a resounding crash that came from the kitchen followed by swearing. "Bet Thea slipped on that cooking oil B.J. spilled a minute ago," Christy said walking in to the kitchen to save her brother. Shortly after that another strikingly beautiful woman came out of the kitchen holding her funny bone. She had black hair that was tied in a low ponytail at the back of her neck. She had on a ragged pair of jeans and a tight white t-shirt that said "Cruze Right Through Cruzer's Dinner".
"Oh, hi," she said noticing Duo immediately. Their eyes met for a moment but left as she walked over to the small platform with a microphone at the other end of the diner. While watching her out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pick up a black guitar case that was sitting next to the platform on one side. She set the case back down on top of the platform and opened it revealing a beautiful, black, acoustic guitar. She took it out and slung it across her shoulder, "Hey, got any requests?" Duo, realizing that she was talking to him, faced her, "Since you're the only one here and there is no way in hell I'm going back in that kitchen," she said smiling.
Before thinking, he replied with the first song title that popped into his head.
"Do you know "Little Moments?" he asked grasping immediately that it was a mistake, it was his and Hilde's song.
"Brad Paisley?" she asked making sure she had the artist right. He nodded thinking that it was too late to back out now. "Sure, I'll give it a shot," she said sitting on the platform. She started their song and didn't change a word.
"Well, I'll never forget the first time that I heard
That pretty mouth say that dirty word
And I can't even remember now
What she backed my truck into
But she covered her mouth and her face got red
And she just looked so darn cute
That I couldn't even act like I was mad
Yeah, I live for little moments like that"
Duo couldn't help but take out his wallet and look at the old picture of him and Hilde. He couldn't believe how happy they looked. It would figure that it would end not long after. He nearly jumped when the kitchen door swung open and Christy came out with his food. He quickly flipped his wallet upside down on the table, to hide the photo. Christy set the filet down on the table.
"Enjoy your crappy filet," she said laughing. Duo forced a smile as she turned and went back into the kitchen.
"That's like just last year on my birthday
She lost all track of time and burnt the cake
And every smoke detector in the house was going off
She was just about to cry
Until I took her in my arms
And I tried not to let her see me laugh
Yeah, I live for little moments like that"
She continued. Duo picked up his fork and listened to her. She really did have a wonderful voice for that kind of music, he thought. Her voice was soft and feminine, perfectly melodic to the rhythm of the song.
It dazed him.
He finished the delicious meal in record time and decided to re-read the mission details before heading back to his dingy motel room. He pulled out the folded over manila folder from his pocket and opened it.
"I know she's not perfect
But she tries so hard for me
And I thank God that she isn't
Because how boring would that be
It's the little imperfections
It's a sudden change in plans
When she misreads the directions
And we're lost but holding hands
Yeah, I live for little moments like that"
There were two photos enclosed with the cruddy Intel report. The girl in the photos looked no older then fourteen so he expected to look for more of a woman then a child. He read on. She has no known family, probably a test-tube baby. Most augmentations were. Her ethnic decent, it said, was Korean. Duo raised an eye brow then glanced back at the pictures. He could see it now, the dark hair and almond shaped eyes. Other then that, she looked as mainstream as his friend Quatra, who was Arabian but you wouldn't know it unless you heard his middle name.
"When she's laying on my shoulder
On the sofa in the dark
And about the time she falls asleep
So does my right arm
And I want so bad to move it
Because it's tingling and it's numb
But she looks so much like an angel
That I don't wanna wake her up
Yeah, I live for little moments
When she steals my heart again and doesn't even know it
Yeah, I live for little moments like that..."
Duo was so enthralled in his thoughts of the mission and the occasional reflection of Hilde that he didn't notice Christy come by and pick up his empty plate. After a few moments he closed the folder and shoved it back in his pocket. His wallet was still sitting face down on the table. He picked it back up and brushed his thumb across the picture. He would never forget the day he got home from a long mission to find a note addressed to him taped to the front door with Hilde's key inside. He was so shocked-
"Girlfriend?" a woman's voice came from behind him that made him jump. He turned to see the woman that was singing just a moment before leaning on the back of the booth-chair behind him, looking over his shoulder. She had a sweet smile on her face. Duo was silent for a moment trying to think about what to say, but was incapable.
"Yeah-well, uh-no, actually we just split up a while ago," he stuttered. Her sweet smile turned to a compassionate, sad one.
"Oh, that's awful," she said. There was a moment of awkward silence then suddenly Duo felt slightly angered at her intruding into his personal life, and more angered at himself for telling her about his and Hilde's current status.
"Is there somethin' you wanted?" he asked to break the silence, and tried not to be too rude. She shrugged and decided to invite herself to take a seat across him in the booth.
Okay, this lady was a little off...
"Not really, you're just pretty quiet for someone comin' in this late. Usually the folks we get this time a night are from the tavern about four blocks that way," she said pointing in the direction opposite of where Duo came from. He wished he knew there was a tavern in town before he came here. Getting extremely drunk sounded good at the moment. "And most of them come in here just to hassle me and Christy," she said rolling her eyes, "I was just wondering why you seem so good natured?" a sly smile crossed her lips. Duo felt most of his anger towards her leave him.
Yep, maybe more then a little off, but then again, when he looked at his friends, she seemed positively normal.
"I guess it's just the way I was raised," he said quietly, looking away from her, he didn't feel right talking to her, but he couldn't seem to help himself. As though on queue, three middle-aged, highly unattractive, bearded men stumbled into the diner. Her back facing them, she sighed, obviously not needing to see them to know who it was.
"I swear you can set your watch to these guys..." she said. Duo watched them. the first one sat down at the counter and demanded a chili burger from Christy, who was still inside the kitchen. B.J., instead of Christy, came out of the kitchen with an extremely sinister look on his face.
"Christy is not here today," he lied. The first one asked about the woman now sitting across from Duo, with her back facing them. B.J., seeming to not know what to do, glanced over where she was sitting by reflex. The second one saw this as he followed B.J.'s glance to the booth. His grin widened as he reached over and put his hand on top of her head. He turned it sideways so he could see her face. They were eye to eye, her feminine face barely two inches from the drunk's foul-mouthed one.
"Evenin', Love" he said with a sadistic grin and a intoxicated slur. She glared at him and took her hand to remove his from the top of her head. Before she could yell at the intruder, B.J. spoke up.
"I told you that I didn't want to see any of you here again or I'd call the cops," B.J. said warningly. It appeared to have no effect on the three drunken men. The one that was already harassing the woman in front of Duo was now putting his fingers through her ponytail.
"Back off, Asshole!" she said with a start.
"Oh, she must be on the rag today guys," he said to his buddies with disappointment in his voice. He put his hand on the side of her neck and she looked ready to kill him with out a second thought.
"She said, back off," Duo said very dangerously. The whole room went silent, almost as though they didn't know he was even there until then.
"What are you gonna do about it, Girlie-boy?" he said with a half smile.
Did he just crack on the braid? Oh no, he's toast.
"What Preventers do best," he said dangerously. The man blinked a few times and moved his hand off her neck.
"You're a Preventer?" he said trying to keep his careless tone, but failing. Duo stood and grabbed his name tag that also served as his badge from the other inside pocket of his jacket. While reaching in his pocket he moved his coat just enough so he could see the nine millimeter in its holster at his side. The man took a step back and straightened up. He was almost as tall as Duo. "You can't interfere here, it's local police," he said.
"If I did, who would know? I don't think he'd care too much," Duo said referring to B.J., hoping it would do the trick, he didn't have a back up plan.
Barely thirty seconds later the three men were gone. "You two better go, in case they come back," said B.J. Duo nodded and waited for her to get up out of the booth. The girl looked up towards Duo and he noticed he was almost a foot taller then her.
"You'll have to come around more often, Preventer," she said and smiled at him with an extremely temping and sultry smile. Duo held the door open for her and they left.
Christy walked out of the kitchen and walked to her brother, who was watching out the door Duo had just exited. She stood next to him but did not look his direction. She also started at the door, lost in her own thoughts and sure they mirrored her brother's.
"There's a Preventer poking around. I don't like it," B.J. said, breaking the silence.
"You should call Tate and see if she knows anything about this," she suggested.
"I don't see why I can't take care of him like we used to take care of people who can't mind their own business. Especially when they're sniffing around Thea."
She turned to look at him for a second with a half disgusted, half exasperated, look on her face, "For Christ's sake B.J., the war is over," she said, her voice tired, before turning away and walking back into the kitchen, "I'm tired of fighting, and I'm sure Thea would be too if she knew half of what the three of us have been through."
Darkness had blanketed the small town no differently then it did when he first entered the diner. Duo glanced at his watch, it was almost eleven. "Can I walk ya home?" he asked, his tone light and completely different from what it was a few moments ago.
"No," she said. Duo raised an eyebrow at her odd answer, "I don't want to go home yet, the park is this way, I'll let ya walk me there," she said mocking his chivalry. They began walking in the direction of the tavern but turned right after a block. After another block he could see what looked like a swing set and a few other pieces of equipment you would find at a park. She sat down on a swing and waited for him to sit down next to her. "So... Preventer, you got a name?" she asked.
"Duo," he said, "What's yours?"
"Thea... Hey, I appreciate you kickin' those pigs out. They don't listen to B.J. or us anymore. The cops, or cop really, doesn't think much of us either."
"How could I resist? I'll always help a damsel in distress," he teased. She giggled.
"Glad to know I can't take care of myself," she said laughing.
"I never said that, but why do it if you don't have to?" he said shrugging his shoulders.
"Okay, then you can be my bitch and do all my dirty work for me," she laughed.
Duo gaped at her for a moment, he didn't expect the comment, and his body was almost curious enough to take up the offer. He chuckled slightly and shook his head. Then realization hit him like a title wave. He was such an idiot, not focusing on the mission at all. He was sitting right next to Arethea Fox, his target. He could have hit himself, why could he never think with the head on his shoulders?
