Chapter Five

The Plan

Jake entered the colllege with an air of arrogante all around him. He had a tall figure, his hair perfectly curled about his ears, and had deep green eyes. Girls about him stopped and stared, but he didn't pay attention, he simply smiled, and headed down to the library, where some of his friends were waiting for him.

"Hey there Jake" A girl quietly greeted him. She had long blonde hair that fell about her shoulders, and progressed to the middle of her back, with intense blue eyes. She gave Jake a small smile and proceeded to walk by his side.

"Eliza, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay out of my life" He answered to her greeting, not turning to look at her but simply walking on.

"Oh but that would just be too easy! To be rid of me just like that, you wouldn't like that would you? You need some excitement in your life…" She replied with a sweet yet serious voice.

"You know that I'm not joking Eliza, I need you to stay out of my business for a while, I can't afford a mishap of yours again, I'm not going to tolerate your carelessness more then I have to." Jake shot back coolly, he made around the corner and headed to a table fairly hidden from the view of others in the back of the library, by wall sized windows that looked out into a courtyard. The boys in the table took note of him, and stopped all quite chattering as he approached.

"I don't know what your are playing at Jake, but you shouldn't treat me like this if you know what's good for you" Eliza threatened giving him a glare.

"I have no idea what you are talking about" Jake muttered sounding bored.

"Don't you tell me that! You know that you went and asked the meek Meryl girl to some date without my knowing! You know that's considered cheating… I wonder what she would do if she knew that you had a girlfriend." Although her message was urgent, her voice remained clear and quiet.

Jake turned to her and met her gaze with is green eyes. "That is none of your concern Eliza. You may be my girlfriend and all, but you know full well that you're trying to play with fire. You may want to join in my scheme, but last time you tried to do this you put me at great risk and I'm not going to risk that again"

Eliza narrowed her eyes. "You think I am of no use to you? You're mistaken, I can be a great deal of help dealing with that ….girl"

Jake's eyebrows raised. "So even you get jealous Eliza? You know that I toy around with girls more often then not….you should be used to it by now…." His face lowered to meet hers.

Eliza was used to the way he tried to charm even her, and although her heart skipped a beat she tried not to let him know that he could even control her feelings. " I'm not jealous of her, I'm not a stupid girl, I'm just protecting what is mine, but if you have no need of me, that's completely fine, I know well enough not to disturb where I'm not needed" she turned on her heels to leave but Jake held her arm and made her turn to face him yet again. He laughed softly as he bent down close to her ear.

"Don't be so hasty, If you really feel the need to help out, I'll let you, but don't you dare try to change my mind on any of my plans you hear?" Eliza nodded, and with that they made their way towards the table where everyone was already seated and pretending to be busy at work. Eliza and Jake took their seat, and took a book of their own.

"So I see your attempt to kidnap the girl was not at all successful Jeremy" Jake commented casually.

"There was a bit of a mishap sir, nothing too serious, if we had known that there would have been such a thing, we would have sent better people to do the job" A red head answered.

"Jeremy, that's not the point, I told you clearly to let me handle the capturing of the girl, you think her father hasn't already figured out that we have been trying to break into her house? We don't need anything to bring attention to ourselves." Jake snapped

"I know, but Jake, don't you think it's a bit too much to wait until Friday?" The same boy asked timidly.

"We've waited six months, I think you can handle waiting one more week Jeremy, but that's not why we are here today, although that attempt failed, and I told you clearly not go ahead and do it, I'm willing to give you one more shot this following Friday. I want everything to go perfect, no interruptions whatsoever, I need not tell you that it may not be out last time in a mission, this type of thing takes time, and delicate planning, so don't you dare tell me you can't wait more time, because if that is the case I will not hesitate to dismiss you." There was a silent nod from everyone.

"So what's the plan chief? A boy with the same color hair as Eliza and same blue eyes asked boldly.

Although everyone expected Jake to dismiss him, he smiled at the boy. His name was Elitot, Jake's best friend and right hand man in any of his schemes. Jake simply responded. "It's not that complicated, we found out a lot about Meryl on our little visits to her house, her likes and what not, we saw that she didn't live there anymore, but we collected valuable information. If Meryl indeed left to be free, and wants nothing to do with her father's money, then I had to come up with a plan to fit this in her father's eyes and raise no questions. I'm going to get her to marry me" A gasp went around the group.

"Marry her?" Eliza asked coolly "Do you really need to go that far Jake?"

"Don't you worry love," he said with a sideways glance at her "it's only until she gives me what I want…it doesn't have to be a real marriage if everything goes as planed"

"That's true enough, but why marriage?" Asked Eliot

"Because, there is no other way to be fully independent of a parent then to be married with someone, I'm going to make myself so appealing to Meryl that she won't have any objections, oh and in case anything goes wrong and we need quick cooperation from her, then I will have to make her consider her father's health" He smirked at the thought. It was something he had been thinking about very thoroughly, he wanted the money that girl was so confident of giving up, even if she had to marry her, it was nothing more then patience that he had to have to accomplish his goal.

"You really will go as far as marrying her?" asked Eliza one more time.

"I told you that it probably won't go as far at that if everything goes according to plan, one day in the hidden mansion and she will agree to anything I say." He replied calmly. " I have not forgotten my promise to you Eliza, I won't go back on my word" He added so only she could hear.

Jake stood up with that everyone went their separate ways. Eliza still stood by his side, and so did Eliot. "Eliot, I want you to find out who this waiter was, the one that rescued Meryl and her friend."

"How come? Does he really pose a threat?" Asked Eliot with an amused look in his eyes.

"He may not, but I don't want to take any chances, you know what happened with…." Jake didn't finish his sentence. "I just want to make sure he is harmless understand?"

Eliot nodded "Okay, I'm on it, see you in class" Eliot made his way towards the door that lead to the courtyard and made his way out quietly.

Why could you not be as good as you twin Eliza?" Asked Jake toying with Eliza's hair.

Eliza stood still, Jake had promised to marry her, with them to married, they would hold an outstanding power over anything, their families were wealthy, but she did not want to marry him because of the power, her soul longed for something more. "If you want someone more like him look for another girlfriend who will stand by all your dirty schemes"

Jake put his arms around her wais pulling her towards him, and put his lips by her ears once more "You're as guilty as me love, and don't you forget it" He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and made his way out of the library. Eliza caught up to him. She felt a chill go down her spine, she didn't want to bring up that subject.

"When we are in class please try not to be too attached to me Eliza, I need to appear single…I agreed to let you in on this because I need you to befriend Milly and make her busy on the days that I'm with Meryl, just in case I need a quick escape, her best friend will be with you and won't be a problem you hear?" Eliza nodded, and without so much as a wave turned on a hall.

Jake walked on and made his way to class, going by the usual girls trying to get a glimpse of him. This is going to be easier then I thought he thought recalling the way that Meryl had been so eager to talk to him and the way she had not taken a second to agree to a date on Friday. A smirk formed on his lips, and before entering his room, he stopped a second to collect himself and put an innocent look in his eyes. He walked in confidently, with not so much a care in the world, for he had planned to sit by Meryl today and flirt as much as he could so that she would be smitten with him, but as he looked around for her, his smile quickly fell, and a frown slowly replaced it. He realized this and quickly put on a placid look on his face before anyone noticed his sudden change of moods. Across from him, he saw Meryl fairly close to another person. His hair was blonde, and had sea foam green eyes, but what disturbed him more was the smile that he had on his lips as he talked to Meryl.

Disclaimer: Don't own any Trigun :D

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