Sun was sinking low in the sky as Ino, Colby, Suzanna and Kiba slowly woke up from their mid-day nap. The shade from the trees had kept them out of the sun, and the birds sang as the cry of a whistle echoed through the village. Inoichi and Tallus were still in the kitchen talking about their children and swapping stories as if they were old friends. Colby and Ino were the first ones up and they both had marks on one side of them from the lawn chair. Inoichi and Tallus chuckled as they saw the imprint of the lawn chair on them.
"You two sleep ok?" Tallus said with a grin on his face.
"Yeah, and yes I know the chair left it's mark on us." Colby said as he got two cans of Moxie from the fridge and gave one to Ino. The can popped as he opened it.
"So what you two been talking about?" Colby asked as he sat down next to his father. Ino came up from behind him and place the cold can against the back of his next. He instantly froze up as Ino rolled the cold can down his back.
"Gaahhh! That's cold babe!" Colby cringed as Ino giggled and she sat down next to her father. Tallus and Inoichi both laughed.
"You are gona get it soon enough" Colby said with a grin on his face like he had a plan in his mind.
"Alright Colb no need to scare her away with your craziness." His father joked.
"Dad, she met Uncle Jerris, Jason, George and cousin Denny. Not even they freaked her out. At this point do you really think she is afraid of our craziness?" Colby said.
"Nope not at all, but I am afraid of you leaving me." Ino said as the smile she had went away and she looked down at her drink. Inoichi and Tallus looked at each other knowing what was going through Ino's head. Colby sighed, 'She had to dampen the mood didn't she Shinkasen?'
Shinkasen's voice echoed through his head. "She loves you Colby and she doesn't want to lose you."
"Why would I leave you? I can't think of a reason why I would leave you. All I got are reasons why I want to be with you, and only you." Colby said trying to cheer up Ino. He swirled his can of Moxie before taking another slip. "Hey take a drink of your soda before it gets warm." He said trying to change the topic of the conversation.
Ino grinned as she opened the orange can and took a sip. At first it tasted ok to her then she swallowed and the bitter after taste kicked in. Ino shuttered and pushed the can away from her. The look on her face made Tallus, Inoichi and Colby laugh. Ino got up and went to the refrigerator and got a can of Root Beer.
"Don't like Moxie?" Colby chuckled as he took another sip. Ino glared at him as she open the can of Root Beer.
"How bad could it be Ino?" Inoichi said as he grabbed the can and took a sip. He looked at the can a moment as the drink went down and the after taste kicked in. He made a face of approval as he nodded. "That's actually pretty good."
"Really Dad? Wow you don't have any taste buds left do you?" Ino said as she downed the can of Root Beer to wash away the taste of the Moxie.
"Well looks like you and Colby have something in common now. Back home, he and a few of his cousins were the only ones in the family who drank the stuff." Tallus chuckled.
"I can see why. That stuff is nasty." Ino said sticking out her tongue and shaking her head.
"Hey Moxie is the nectar of the gods ok. Best stuff in the world" Colby laughed. Ino rolled her eyes and grinned.
"You are nuts." Ino said but Colby shrugged his shoulders as Tallus and Inoichi laughed.
"You are just figuring this out now?" He chuckled. Suzanna and Kiba then came walking in.
"What the hell is that smell?" Kiba said as he made a 'what the?' kind of face. Kiba then saw the cans of Moxie Inoichi and Colby had.
"Not that stuff!" Kiba said as Suzanna rolled her eyes.
"You would have your Moxie bro." Suzanna said rolling her eyes. The she looked to Ino. "You tried it didn't you?"
"Yes and never again am I going to drink that stuff." Ino said as she got up and walked over to Colby and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Yes?" He smiled as he kissed her on the cheek.
"Nothing. Just you will never have me drink that stuff again." She looked at him with a sleepy grin. Suzanna and Kiba laughed as did Tallus and Inoichi.
"Hey Dad I'm going to head to the round house for a bit. You want to come Ino?"
"Can I Daddy?" Ino asked.
"Sure but be home no later than 10:30." Inoichi said. Ino smiled as she went over and hugged her father.
"Ok you let's get going" Colby said as he grabbed his overalls and denim jacket as he and Ino headed for the door.
"Colby." Inoichi called after him.
"Yes sir?" Colby said turning right around.
"I want her home at 10:30. No later it's 8:30 now" Inoichi said giving him a stern look.
"Ok. 10:15 right." Colby said as he and Ino headed out the door. Inoichi, Suzanna, Kiba and Tallus chuckled when the door closed.
"That's my boy. Always getting the girl home early" Tallus said. Inoichi nodded in agreement.
"By the looks of things you have raised him very well. I don't think there will be any issues." Inoichi said.
"Nope, I hope not. Now you young man could learn a thing or two from Colby." He chuckled Suzanna looked at him.
"Really Uncle Tallie? Don't tease Kiba like that." Suzanna said jokingly as she hugged him.
"Well hey, you are more like a daughter than a niece to me"
"I know, but still" Suzanna said.
"Well, I think I should get going and sharpen my kuni" Inoichi chuckled.
"I understand. I've had to clean my gun a few time when Suzanna would introduce Colby and I to a new boy she had met." Tallus chuckled and smiled.
"Well it was nice talking with you Tallus. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of each other. Suzanna, Kiba hope to see you two soon." Inoichi said as he headed for the door and left.
'What do you think Colby and Ino are going to be doing at the round house?' Suzanna asked as she and Kiba sat down at the table.
"Well he will either be giving her the grand tour of the place, or showing her the engine, but probably he will impress her with the tour, and then engine, then have a little romance with her." Tallus said " Typical Colby. Always wants to be around his two loves at the same time."
Colby led Ino through the part of the yard known as the 'Staging Tracks' where locomotives that had just come from the round house were loaded with coal and water for the steam engines and diesel fuel for the diesel locomotives. There were ten separate tracks. Six tracks for steam engines and four tracks for diesels. On track number five sat a small locomotive with one set of wheels up front and three sets of driving wheels and a set of wheels under the firebox (2-6-2). The tender behind it was a small one. It looked old and tired with all the brass covered in soot. The engineer was oiling the running gear and the fireman was loading the tender with water from the water tower.
"Hey Joe what's up?" Colby said as Joe looked up from oiling. Joe was tall and skinny like Colby with short brown hair. The blue overall and denim jacket he wore was almost completely black with coal dust, soot, grease and oil.
"Hey well if it isn't Colby! How you been bud?" Joe asked as he shook Colby hand then slapped him on the shoulder. Ino stood behind Colby.
"I have been good. My Dad and I got our crew based switched here and we have been getting use to the area. What have you and Alex been up to?"
"Oh you know switching cars day in, day out." Alex called down from the top of the tender. He was shorter than Joe and Colby and had red hair with glasses and freckles.
"Still haven't let you two yahoos out of yard limits have they?" Colby joked.
"I think they are afraid to let us go beyond yard limits with this engine. She is an old soldier and has it's personality, but I think she is just about at the point where they are probably going to retire her." Joe said as Alex climbed down from the tender.
"Yeah. As good an engine she maybe she doesn't have the power to put together the bigger trains." Colby said.
"Well I heard you picked up a girl from the Leaf. This must be her." Joe said smiling and he took off his gloves. "I'm Joe. I would shake your hand but think I'm a bit too dirty to do that."
"I'm Ino Yamanaka, and that ok." Ino said with a giggle.
"I'm Alex." Alex said as he did a quick wave with his hand. "You going to show her the round house?"
"Yeah I was and my engine" Colby said as Alex and Joe laughed.
"You mean your father's engine." Joe chuckled.
"That engine will be my engine one of these days." Colby said with a bit of pride poking through.
"I don't doubt that just it's not going to happen anytime soon." Joe said.
"Alright I better get to showing her the round house. I got to have her home by 10:15. C-ya guys later" Colby said as he and Ino headed for the round house.
"Take care Colby!" Joe shouted after them.
The round house was a massive structure made of steel and concrete and true to it's name it was round. With forty separate stalls for locomotives. There was a turntable at the center which allowed locomotives to be rotated and switched from their stall onto a track that lead from the turntable to the staging area. All the stalls had large wood doors and were numbered from one to forty. The round house was painted with a two tone green paint scheme. A leaf green for the building, and a Neon green for the trim work.
"This place is huge!" Ino said as they started walking in front of the stall doors.
"It has to be for the locomotives we keep inside. Now here we are stall 10." Colby said as he opened on of the large doors. Ino smiled a little as she looked at the number 10 painted in white on the door that was still closed as a tear formed in her eye as the memory of her old team and teacher came back to her. The door creeked and groaned as Colby propped it open as was about to open the other door when the distant look in Ino's eyes caught his attention.
"Hey. You ok?" He asked as he saw a tear roll down her cheek.
"Yeah, I'm fine it's just old memories coming back." Ino trying to smile as her voice got shaky with emotion. Colby opened the other door as the orange light from the sun set lite up the engine as it sat quietly facing Ino and Colby.
"I know what happened to Asuma, if that is who you are thinking about." Colby said as he walked over to her and hugged her. "Want to watch the sun set?"
"Yeah" Ino said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Colby wrapped his arm around her as they walked towards the engine. Colby climbed on the pilot of the engine and as he stood up he banged his head on the bottom of the headlight.
"Ow!" he said rubbing his head as Ino giggled.
"You ok?" Ino said trying to hide her smile.
"Yeah I'm fine. Uh? Hey what you laughing at silly girl" Colby said as he held out his hand to Ino.
"Oh just this silly boy I have in front of me" Ino giggled as she grabbed Colby's hand and he pulled her up onto the pilot and into him. Her face came right up to his as he wrapped his arms around her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck. In the glowing light of the setting sun, he smiled as he press his lips to hers. Ino closed her eyes and melted into the kiss.
"A hopeless romantic when it comes to pick spots to kiss Ino aint you?" Shinkasen's voice echoed in his head as the ringing bell of a Joe and Alex's engine sang through air as they and their engine left for the yard.
"Hey there is nothing wrong with this spot." Colby thought back.
Shinkasen only laughed as Colby focused back on Ino. He broke off the kiss with her as he brushed back her bangs. Her skin glowed with the light from the fading sun.
"Every time" He chuckled as he felt himself being lost in her blue eyes.
"Every time what?' she asked.
"Every time I look into your eyes I get lost in them" He said.
"You are so sweet Colby" Ino smiled and blushed a little.
"You want to see the rest of the engine or do you want to finish watching the sun set?" He asked.
"We will have plenty of sunset's together but this one is special." Ino said as she sat down. Colby smiled as he got down and climbed into the cab and got a kerosene lantern. He sat down next to Ino on the pilot and lit the lantern. The flame glowed as the sun dipped behind the roof of the round house and the shadows crept in. Colby took out his pocket watch and looked at it.
9:00
"We got just over an hour before I got to get you home" Colby said.
"I wish we had longer." Ino said as she snuggled up to him. The lift from the lantern cast a soft glow as the flame danced on the wick. Colby adjusted the wick and dimmed the lantern.
"Why you dim it?" Ino asked.
"If I have the flame too high in the lantern it will smoke up the glass." Colby said "Oh hey I got something for you" and he took off and headed for the cab.
"Uh ok?" Ino questioned. "What could he possibly have for me in that dirty cab?" She thought as Colby came back with a large plastic bag that had something init.
"What is it?" Ino asked as he handed the bag to her.
"A little something I got from my village before my dad and I came here. I hope you like it." Colby grinned. Ino opened the bag inside was a clear plastic case. She opened the case and inside was a blue fuzzy blanket. Ino stood up and shook it out to see how big it was. Even with it her arms stretched out there was still some blanket left on either end. She gathered it all up and smelled it. It smelled like fire and grease but to her that was ok because it's what Colby smelled like. She cuddled with it as the last of the sun's light faded into night and a cool summer breeze kicked up.
"I love it Colby" Ino said tackling him into a hug.
"I'm glad you like it. Now we got to get going before your dad gets pissed." Colby said standing up and turning up the wick on the lantern. The sun had fully set and the moon glowed in the night sky.
The headlights of locomotives gleamed in the darkness as the engines slowly made their way towards the round house as Colby and Ino left it. The lantern lit their way until they made it to town. The village was lively with the start of the weekend as Colby and Ino walked through the part of town with all the Bars and Brew Pubs.
"You always take this way home" Colby asked as a drunken fight started up outside one of the bars.
"No but it's the fastest way home. I make it a point to avoid this part of the village at night." Ino said as she walked closer to Colby.
"Don't worry I'll keep the drunks away from you." He smiled and wrapped his arm around Ino as she smiled.
They made their way through the bar side of town as they passed the Rail Spike Tavern.
"Hey Suzanna works here. I wonder if she is working tonight?" Ino said.
"Maybe but we can't stop for long we still need to get you home" Colby said flatly.
"I got an uneasy feeling Shinkasen." Colby thought to his demon partner.
"Don't go in. There is trouble inside." Shinkasen warned.
"Hey Ino, maybe some other time we will stop in and see if Suzanna is working." Colby said trying to get Ino home.
"Oh come on. It will be quick." Ino said.
"Don't go in Colby" Shinkasen echoed in his head.
"No Ino. We don't have the time to, now come on and let's go" Colby was starting to get frustrated with Ino's persistence.
"Too bad I'm going in." Ino said defiantly as she walked into the tavern.
"Fuck my life, we are going to be late." He said to himself.
"Indeed, Sasuke and Chouji are inside." Shinkasen said. Colby eyes nearly popped out of his head in surprise as he darted into the tavern after Ino.
"Brat" He muttered to himself and Shinkasen.
" Sasuke is at your 3 and Chouji is at your 12. Ino is at your 2o'clock." Shinkasen gave Colby the heads up.
"Thanks now be ready I may need to go demon possibly, if things get out of hand. Actually maybe I won't need to go demon. I got plenty of backup here." Colby grinned as he saw a lot of guys he knew from the railroad at the bar talking with Suzanna.
"Suzanna is working the bar tonight I'll give her and Rensha the head up" Shinkasen said.
"Right, so the plan is. Get Ino, meet with Suzanna and get out."
"You got it."
The tavern was crowded and smoky as people drank, smoked and sang out of tune with the jukebox playing in the corner. Sasuke and Chouji were drinking at seprate booths and Chouji had a table full of food before him. Colby eyed them as he made his way to the bar.
"Hey Suzanna!" He shouted to get her attention. Suzanna looked at him as did the rest of the railroad crew. They cheered as they all lifted their glasses as Suzanna walked over to him. Sasuke and Chouji looked up from their drinks and spotted Colby instantly. They hadn't yet noticed Ino sitting at a both talking with Sakura.
"Hey Colby what are you doing here. Shouldn't you be getting Ino home?" Suzanna said as she poured him a shot of Jack Daniels.
"Ino wanted to stop in and see you for a bit, but I'm sure you already know. Also can you hang on to this for me?" He blew the lantern out and placed it on the bar.
"Yeah Rensha told me. Yes bro I'll bring it back to the house and you may need this." Suzanna grinned as she pushed the drink towards him.
"Heh. Not right now. Afterwards I will though and sorry if shit hits the fan." He smiled and got up and started walking towards Ino and Sakura.
"You guys are gonna help him out if he needs it right?" Suzanna asked the crew of railroaders in front of her.
"We have known you and Colby since you were nothing but little tikes. Of course we are going to help him out." One of them spoke up, with that the rest of them raised their glasses as Suzanna poured them all another round.
Colby walked past Chouji without looking at him and walked over to where Ino and Sakura were sitting.
"Mind if I have a seat?" He asked.
"Sure babe." Ino said as she moved over and Colby sat down next to her
"Sasuke and Chouji are here if you didn't notice. We really need to get going before something starts." Colby looked at her with an urgent look on his face.
"They are?" Ino asked then she spotted Chouji then Sasuke. "Great. Alright let's get out of here. Bye Sakura see you later."
"Cya Ino" Sakura said.
Colby and Ino got up and walked to the bar. Chouji and Sasuke also got up and followed them.
"Things are going to get busy Ino." Colby said.
"Let's get out of here." She said nervously
"Too late for that should have listened when I told you not to go in here in the first place" Colby said as he sat down at the bar. "Have a seat let me take care of the crowns." Ino sat down next to him.
"Hey Ino!" Suzanna said as she came to their end of the bar.
"Oh hey Suzanna" Ino said as she looked over her shoulder nervously and saw Sasuke and Chouji standing behind them. The crew of railroaders quieted down knowing things were about to get rough.
"Hey Ino, what are you doing in a place like this? Are you trying to wash that loser railroad kid's memory away? I can help you if you are." Sasuke said as Colby turned around.
"I hope you know I'm sitting right here." Colby bluntly said.
"Buzz off train boy, you are out of your league." Sasukes cool voice put a hush over the tavern. Ev en the jukebox stopped playing.
"Come on Ino let's get you home and away from these pecker heads" Colby said as he and Ino stood up and started to walked towards the door. A bunch on the railroaders started laughing at Colby's comment.
"Hey buddy I was trying to talk to her." Sasuke said as he grabbed Colby by the shoulder. Colby spun around and clocked Sasuke in the face with a punch sending him sprawling into Chouji. Chouji threw Sasuke off of him and went after Colby. He dodged the first punch and launched his knee into Chouji's gut making Chouji lose his dinner. Sasuke got back up and drew his sword as blue sparks came sparking off of the blade.
"Oh shit, Shinkasen I don't have any weapons on me." Colby said.
"Demon Now!" Shinkasen voice rang through him head. Colby instantly made hand signs.
"Demon Jutsu. Demon Form!" Colby shouted.
"Alright guys let's help him out!" One of the railroaders shouted, with a cheer and a last swing of their drinks the dozen or so railroaders lept after Sasuke and Chouji. The two of them were given the beat down of their lives. Colby got into it and landed a barrage of punches on Chouji and Sasuke as empty beer bottles started flying through the air. A few got smashed into pieces as they exploded against Sasuke's and Chouji's heads. As the all-out balls to the wall, down and dirty bar fight raged on. In the chaos and confusion Colby grabbed Ino and darted for the door.
"You ok?" He asked Ino and she stood there shaking a little. She looked at him, his dirty blue overalls and denim jacket had changed into the black camo uniform with the white V on his chest. She hadn't notice but his brown eyes and changed to black.
"Yeah, I'm fine just a little shaky."
"Come, let's get you know. Lord knows you father is already having a fit." His face was full of concern as his demon form faded.
Inoichi was sitting on the front porch sharpening a kuni as Ino and Colby came walking up the path to the house.
"You two reek of booze. Where have you been?" Inoichi said as he looked at the two of them. Ino stared down at the ground but Colby returned his gaze.
"Ino wanted to stop and say Hi to Suzanna while she was at work. It took longer than expected because Sasuke and Chouji were there and they started things up with us." Colby explained as he looked at the clock hanging behind Inouchi. It was 11 o'clock. Half an hour late.
"Young lady get going to your room" Inoichi said obvlously not impressed.
"Yes father. Good Night Colby." Ino said as she kissed him while holding the blanket he gave her.
"Good Night Ino. I love you." He said.
"I love you too" She replied before going inside and closing the door.
"So Sasuke and Chouji were there? What happened?" Inoichi calmly inquired. Colby was surprised at how his mood and changed.
"Sasuke and Chouji tried to get Ino. However a few of my railroad buddies were there and they helped me out when Sasuke tried to pull his sword and that blue lightning jutsu of his, whatever the hell they call it."
"I see. Hmm. I'll talk with Chouji's father" Inoichi said.
"Ok. Cause me having to give them beat downs each time I see them is getting old." Colby yawned.
"Alright you better head home. You will see Ino tomorrow" Inoichi said.
"Ok. Night Mr. Yamanaka" Colby said and headed home for the night.