"Lisa, I know you're trying to be indignant and pouty right now, but I made dinner special and I'm not forcing you into anything," Jackson yelled to her. He paused to take a breath and lovingly turned to lookat the magnificent meal he'd concocted on the table behind him. "But you should know that I have my cell phone in my hand right now set to speed-dial. To the guy outside your dad's house. I'll give you ten seconds. Ten…"

There was a loud slam, then the door to Lisa's bedroom swung open and Lisa appeared in all her flustered anger. There was a large red mark on her cheek and he wondered from what. Nine, eight, seven, six. Jackson's lips curled into a smile as she clenched her fists in the doorway.

She eyed him with apparent disgust for a minute or two before her mouth turned drastically downward into a scowl. "You think you're pretty clever, don't you?"

"I'm a goddamn Socrates, Leese," Jackson replied, losing interest and talking back to the kitchen. Lisa followed, her feet scraping obnoxiously on the floor. Jackson growled. "Is that necessary?"

She ignored him and plopped into a chair. "Why do I have to eat with you anyway?" she complained. "I'm not hungry anyway."

Jackson rolled his eyes and tossed two paper napkins onto the unset table. Then he pulled two plates from the refrigerator. "You didn't have to. You chose to."

Lisa looked like she wanted to fire a line of insults at him but bit her tongue as he set a paper plate before her. "The 'special dinner' is peanut butter and jelly?"

"With carrot sticks and chocolate milk to balance out," Jackson responded innocently as he sat. "And, if you're a good girl and eat all of it, there are cupcakes for dessert."

"I don't believe this," she grumbled, practically throwing herself to the floor. Jackson placed his napkin gingerly in his lap.

"I cut the crusts off, Leese, no need to get picky," Jackson fought a grin as he chewed. "Anyway, I thought you wanted to be treated like a child."

"What the hell gave you that idea?"
It came upon him again. That dragon, the fiery monster that burrowed deep within him and sprang out unexpectedly. He actually felt chest pain as his anger came. "The little stunt you pulled in the kitchen. How you tried to throw your cedar chest out the window-yes, Leese, I heard you. And how you eavesdropped on my conversation, lastly, and the way you so nobly stampeded into the bathroom in a tantrum. Those all seem pretty damn childish to me, you know."

"I can't believe your gall!" Lisa yelled. "Dragging me all the hell way out here and then not expecting me to be upset!"

"There goes that female-driven shit, again," Jackson snapped. "Did you listen to me at all on the plane?"

"Kinda hard not to," Lisa snorted, "when I practically had a knife at my throat."

"I never did anything like that, Leese," Jackson snarled. "You know that. I never hurt you once." I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't hurt you like I wanted to. You were lucky.

"Sure," Lisa quieted. "The headbutting and choking was all in good fun, right?"

Jackson fell silent and shoved his sandwich into his mouth. What to say? She's right. You knowshe's right. Tell her she's right. "You don't know the first thing about 'fun', Leese," he slurred through gluey lips.

Lisa stared at him for a minute, like a toddler with confused awe at a bird in the clouds, before glowering and slamming her fist on the table. He watched her as she sat for a moment, trembling, and then gingerly picked up her sandwich and took a small bite.

"Lisa." If we can't have a normal conversation during dinner, we'll knock it up a level and talk about the necessary.

She looked up and nodded coldly at him. "What?"

"I'll need you to stay here alone tomorrow. Can I trust you?"

"I don't know, Jack, you seem to be a pretty good judge of that," she snapped. Jackson bristled.

"If you can't handle it, fine, but unless you feel like going without clean clothes and toothpaste for two weeks, I'd quit it with the bitchy remarks."

Lisa shot daggers at him. "I can handle it."

"I'm glad."

She swirled a carrot idly in ranch dressing as she slouched on her fist. "What am I supposed to do while I'm stuck here anyway? Categorize your knives?"

Jackson smirked. "No. You think I'd let you that close to them?"

Lisa peered up sweetly under her lashes at him. "What happened to that trust thing we had going?"

Jackson was, for once, at loss of words. He finally choked out a reply. "It hasn't begun yet. You need to prove yourself to me."

"Screw that," Lisa said coldly. "I'm not going to bother wasting my time kissing your ass for favors."

He shrugged.

"Answer the question….Jack."

His lip curled distastefully at the unpleasant name and he spoke edgily. "You can help me with cleaning and things. Watch television, movies, eat, sleep, read. Eventually, again, if I can trust you, I'll let you explore the place a bit. The library, the gym."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Assassins read? Wow. I'd have thought that too nerdy for the brazen conquerors."

Jackson laughed. "Yes, we do. Usually more than…civilians, in fact. I have quite an extensive book collection, but I've a feeling you've read most of them."

Lisa shoved her plate away. "I'm done. Can I go back to my room now?"

"You don't want dessert?" Jackson pretended to pout. Lisa glared at him.

"I'll take a raincheck."

"Don't stay up too late, now!" he called out with a long chuckle as she stormed back to her room.

Oh, how I burn for you.

xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX xX

Alec tossed his magazine into its woven webbed holder in front of him and sighed in boredom, glancing idly at the sleeping girl next to him.

Her dark hair with lighter natural auburn highlights was tossed haphazardly in front of her face, hiding her olive-colored skin and dark brown eyes. He rolled his eyes. He liked her when she was sleeping. She doesn't talk or whine as much. He mused at the capability of a sixteen-year old to stir anger in him that was impossible to rile with larger, older targets. Alec had no idea why to feel so intimidated by the junior student from the middle-class generic two-car family. After all, that was all she was. Middle. Mediocre. Nothing was incredibly special about her other than the way she spoke. Eloquently. And not fake-eloquently like a common socialite, but intelligently. With meaning behind her words. Every phrase she spoke had something hidden in it, she never settled for typical "yeah's" and "um's", she always had to add something more. Although she'd already proven that curse words weren't beneath her, she had a way of adding them colorfully to an already biting comment.

For some reason, that fascinated and repulsed Alec at the same time. He'd never been one for girls, taking in mind more their body than their IQ. He wasn't into long-term things, twelve hours was the max for his relationships. His need for women was primarily physical, nothing more. Rachel was nothing different, but he had to admit she had that difference. Weird would be the best word, he decided, but not in a bad way, though she annoyed the hell out of him with her endless supply of comments.

He felt somewhat slighted that she had something in her past that he didn't know about. He'd seen her staring past him at some guy and wondered why. Was desperate to know why. Well, he figured, I'll know by the time this whole thing is over, I guess.

Alec's legs began tingling and he stretched and unbuckled. Bathroom break, I suppose, while the fire is temporarily extinguished. He climbed into the aisle and made his way down the humming, sleeping cabin to the lavs.

Once he locked himself in and done what he'd needed to, he contemplated his reflection. Not too bad at all. His straight blonde hair was tossed casually over one eye, forming a bit of fringe that gave him a preppy look. He liked that. It gave the public eye a more respectable vision of him. After all, why would an upstanding young gentleman kidnap a girl? She surely must be his slightly insane sister, cousin, or girlfriend.

Can't get better than this. Not at all. He smirked at his reflection and tugged his sweater tighter over his shoulders, admiring his respectable chest as it bumped through the fabric. He nodded and released the hem. I'll get back into my routine at the gym when we get home. Hell, maybe Rachel'll get into it. Then, he nearly laughed as he realized, Not really, on second thought. That girl is way too intellectual. She'd probably read a dictionary than use the leg press.

Alec scowled slightly. This plane was freezing. He'd have to ask the flight attendant to bring him a blanket when he got back. He'd given Rachel his sports coat back in the car to replace her shredded peacoat. She hadn't seemed all too willing to take it but he'd insisted and the coat had been discarded inside. He noticed she'd crumpled his coat into a ball on the floor as soon as they'd boarded the plane. Figures. Doesn't appreciate anything, middle-class snob.

Alec heard a rap on the door outside. "Ok, hold on a minute!"

He flipped his hair once more and stepped out, squeezing against the door to allow room for the waiting balding gentleman past. He smiled politely and strode confidently back to his seat.

Goddamn, not again. Rachel was out of her seat.

A/N-Hope you liked that latest installment. Mostly a humorous little mindplay. Please review, I'll give you Alec's sports jacket. It's quite lovely, actually.