The problem with all of this unwanted thinking is that you never know where you're headed when you decide to take a stroll, Jr. thought with a sigh. He immediately vetoed heading toward the bridge, since Tony would take one look at his face and start in with the merciless teasing about Shion. With the current mood he was in, Jr. was more than a little afraid that he would end up tossing Tony out into space or, even worse, lose control of himself. He couldn't take that chance. At a loss as to what to do, he heard this strange beeping coming from the blank U.M.N. screen. His curiosity piqued, he changed direction and stopped in front of it. An image filled the screen, causing Jr. to jump back with a yell.
"Jr.! I didn't think anyone was around, since I tried the bridge and nobody answered. I was hoping someone might walk by if I tried this one, though."
Jr. took a step forward. "MOMO, does this mean what I think it means then? It has to mean you've at least got part of the new network up and running. What the hell took so long?"
MOMO giggled. "It's good to see you too, Jr. Don't you worry about a thing. I'll tell you everything that's been going on here since you've all been gone. Doctus and I managed to get part of the new network running. The whole communication aspect is working perfectly. We just can't seem to get the gate jumps back online. Doctus doesn't know what the problem is. So, this means we can talk to you guys, but we can't speed up your journey or your return home." Her eyes moved over his face. "You look different for some reason. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, you know."
Jr. gave his trademark devil-may-care grin. "Yeah, I've managed to grow a grand total of two inches since ya last saw me. Anyway, so what exactly do you mean when you say the communication aspect is working? What all does that actually entail?" Feeling MOMO's searching gaze upon his face even through the screen, he glanced away. He'd known all along that MOMO had a crush on him, but he didn't return the feeling. He never had. She was the little sister he'd promised Sakura he'd look after. Caring about her in any other way would have violated that promise, in his opinion. He didn't want to hurt her, though, and so had never spoken of any of this to her.
MOMO answered, her voice conveying her confusion, "It means that everything but gate jumps is in working order. We can access the U.M.N. again, but only to a certain extent. As I said, we can use it to communicate, buy things, Encephalon dive... Well, we could buy things if there were any stores that had survived. Unfortunately, there's almost none left. The ones that did manage to survive have only the bare necessities." She cocked her head to the side, her golden eyes taking in Jr.'s posture. "Why do you seem so uncomfortable, Jr.? I've really missed you."
Jr. chewed on his bottom lip, not knowing how to respond to that. "Hey, where's the old man? I want to talk to him then and see if he's been taking care of things the way he should. Is he in the general vicinity, MOMO?" Giving him a quick nod, MOMO disappeared from the screen and soon reappeared with Ziggy in tow. "Hey old man, how's it going? You all been doing okay? Alby hasn't been giving you a problem, has he?" And just who the hell is Alby? The thought stabbed into Jr.'s mind like a needle. Jr. aimed a thought back at his brother. I'll tell you later. I don't have time now.
Ziggy folded his arms across his chest. "We haven't had any problems that need to be spoken of. MOMO and Doctus have been working on the new network almost constantly, and I've...been kept busy looking after the dog." A faint wrinkle appeared at Ziggy's brow, the only hint that he found this distasteful. Almost on cue, a frantic barking sounded and a streak of white zipped past MOMO and bounded into the air. Alby landed on Ziggy's shoulder, tail wagging ecstatically at seeing his master on the screen. Ziggy turned his head to look at the offender, and Alby licked his face. Jr. couldn't contain his laughter at seeing what Ziggy had been reduced to.
"Well, it seems like you're all doing fine then. Alby has adjusted well, and most of the new network is up and running. As much as I'd love to continue this entertaining conversation, I've got to go and let everyone know the newest development. Keep in touch, okay?" Jr.'s last glimpses of MOMO and Ziggy were of MOMO turning away with sad eyes and Ziggy reaching up and removing Alby from his shoulder as though he were contaminated.
On the way to round up everyone so he could share MOMO's news, he had a bit of a mental battle with Albedo. First, I demand to know who or what this Alby is. You have the time to tell me now, Rubedo. Jr. sighed good-naturedly. "He's my dog, Albedo. I entrusted him to MOMO and Ziggy for safekeeping since he'd have more room to roam with them." He felt the warring emotions before Albedo even spoke again. While I'm overjoyed you didn't erase me from your memory, I'm finding the idea of having a dog named for me rather revolting. There are times I just don't understand you, Rubedo. Jr. laughed but sobered up almost instantly. "Albedo, can I ask you a question? When Shion was talking to me, why the hell were you being so nice? It's not like you even give a damn about her." Albedo was silent for a few seconds before answering. I give a damn about you, and since you care so much for her, I didn't want you to screw things up by shooting off your mouth. You've never learned the art of being silent when the moment calls for it, you know. Jr. narrowed his eyes. "And you haven't changed one bit. You're still determined to get a rise out of me. Well, forget it. Now, I just need to grab Allen and then tell everybody what's going on."
With everyone gathered on the bridge, Jr. proceeded to tell them all that MOMO had related to him. Tony was disappointed by the lack of functioning gate jumps. He was anxious to get back to the women as quickly as possible. "No offense to all of the charming ladies on board, of course," he said with a dashing grin. Hammer rolled his eyes, but wisely decided not to provoke his best friend.
Matthews was matter-of-fact about it. "No sense in crying and whining over something that ain't working. It's not like we got other places to be at the moment. We just keep on heading in the direction we been heading in, and we'll get there soon enough. We'll worry about the return trip if we got to once we reach our destination." He scratched the back of his neck, looking guilty. "Sorry, Little Master. We've been without communication for so long, that beeping sound didn't mean anything to us. It's a good thing you talked to MOMO, or else we'd still be in the dark."
Jr. shrugged. "Ah, it's not a big deal. She just would have kept trying until someone had the damn sense to know what was going on. Okay, I guess we're done here. Just try to keep an ear open in case she contacts us again." He waved a hand, indicating dismissal. As everyone filed out of the room and Jr. turned to follow suit, he was surprised to see Mary waiting for him. "What's up, Mary?"
Mary's blue eyes twinkled. "We got things to discuss, Little Mastah. Since Shelley and Shion are headed back to our cabin, how about we use yours? I got the feelin' that what I got to say ain't somethin' ya want anyone overhearin'." Without waiting for Jr.'s answer, she turned her back on him and sauntered off. Jr. rubbed the back of his neck, somehow already knowing where this conversation would be going. Despite that, he made his way out of the room and headed after his blond companion.
The door slid closed behind Jr. and he turned as though facing an executioner. Mary started laughing when she saw the look on his face. "Oh Little Mastah, relax! I just wanted to talk to ya about Shion." Jr. eyed her with suspicion but kept his mouth shut for the time being. Mary took a deep, calming breath and sat down on one of the beds. "I kinda think it's best if I just say this outright, so I ain't beatin' around the bush to spare your feelin's. Considerin' your track record, Little Mastah, and my own personal experience with ya, the word best used to describe ya would be 'player.' While the women you've been with in the past were peachy-keen with that, Shion's just a lil' different. If ya want a relationship with her, it'll be time to settle down."
Jr. threw himself into his black leather chair. The violence behind the action warned Mary that he wasn't overly happy with the topic at hand, but she also knew that he'd been expecting it. His expression at the door had been proof. This didn't mean Jr. was prepared to have the expected conversation gracefully, however. "First of all, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your nose out of my personal life, Mary. Just because you managed to make it into my bed doesn't mean you know all about my views on relationships. Second of all, a relationship with Shion is totally freakin' impossible for me! Just look at me! Do you think she'd want people staring at her, wondering why she's making out with some kid?! The women on the Foundation and the Durandal knew the score and didn't care what others thought. Shion's not going to feel that way, and you know it. Unless something drastic happens, you're worrying over nothing." He grabbed a book off of the shelf next to him, indicating he, at least, was done with the discussion.
Mary stood up and made her way slowly over to him. "Little Mastah, I know ya all too well and that attitude ain't scarin' me one bit. Shion don't care one way or the other for what people think when it comes to what she wants. I want to make sure that the relationship I see comin' won't be all shot to pieces by your thinkin' ya can waltz in and out of her life as ya please." She bent down and stuck her face in his, hands on hips.
Jr. ran a hand through his crimson hair, sighing as he did so. "Mary, although I don't see any reason why I should still be talking about this with you, I'll give you the answer you're obviously looking for. You won't leave until you hear it, even though you know what I'm going to say." He fell silent for a moment and looked away. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke again. "I love her, Mary, and that's all."
Mary patted his shoulder in a sisterly way. Her stern look had disappeared and she gave him a sunny smile. "I know, Little Mastah. Ha, I did know what ya were gonna say, but I think ya needed to hear yourself say it. Now ya can stop avoidin' it and start concentratin' on what ya gotta do to win her heart. Maybe ya could get her a really nice Christmas present that'll give her a good idea of how ya feel." On that note, she exited the room, leaving Jr. to his own thoughts.
That night, Jr. found himself dreaming about Shion. This didn't come as a surprise to him of course, considering all that he'd been through during this mess of a day. This time, though, there was something different about the dream when compared to all of his others. In every other dream he'd had, Shion was just as untouchable as she was when he was awake. With this dream, the first thing he noticed that was different was he had taken on his true form, the one Gaignun had shown to him before he disappeared. The second thing he noticed was that he was at the Foundation. This was obviously impossible, since the Foundation hadn't survived the crisis. The final thing he took note of at that point in time was that he was dressed as he'd never been before. He was wearing a black tux, a deep red tie, and shoes that had been shined so much, he could see his reflection in them. Glancing around, he saw he was in the Four Flowers restaurant, which was the only concession Gaignun had made to upper society.
Glancing at his watch, he saw it was nearly midnight. He heard a tapping sound heading toward him and he lifted his head to look in the direction of the sound. His mouth opened but nothing emerged as he drank in the sight of Shion. She was dressed in a white cocktail dress with thin spaghetti straps at the shoulders. It clung to her every curve without being overly revealing. Her hair was caught up in an elegant chignon, showing the diamond teardrop earrings she was wearing and a necklace of three small-cut diamonds set in a dropping row nestled in the hollow of her throat. She crossed the room almost silently to stand in front of him with a small smile on her lips. "Hello, Jr.," she said softly. "I'm sorry that I'm late, but I got lost trying to find this place. It's tucked out of the way where no one can see it."
Jr. cleared his throat, tried to speak, found his voice far too croaky, and attempted to take a deep breath. He put out an arm for her to take and told her quietly, "You look beautiful tonight. You should have let me pick you up, though, and you wouldn't have gotten lost." This last bit was said with a teasing smile, and Shion laughed up at him as she put her hand in the curve of his arm. "I take it you liked the necklace then?"
Shion brought her free hand to the necklace. "Yes, it's perfect, Jr. The past, present, and future concept behind it was a very nice touch. I'm a tiny bit surprised you thought of it, honestly." She wrinkled her nose at him to take the sting out of her words, although he wasn't offended by them at all.
Jr. grinned at her. "I'm a bit surprised myself, actually." The grin disappeared almost immediately to be replaced by a soft smile. "We have the past where we thought we were just friends, we have the present where we know we're so much more, and we'll have the future where nothing will ever separate us. As soon as I saw it and read the poem that went with it, I knew it was meant for you to have." Blue and green eyes locked, and it was a moment before either one moved. Finally, Jr. gave a low laugh and said, "I'm thinking we came here for dinner, Ms. Uzuki, and standing here isn't going to get that dinner to us. Shall we?"
Dinner passed by uneventfully and Jr. stood up, stretching out his hand to Shion. "The band has been playing all of this time, and there's nobody on the dance floor taking advantage of it. We don't want to make them feel like they've been useless, do we?"
Shion's laugh was infectious, since Jr. was all too aware of why she was laughing in the first place before she spoke. "How could anyone be on the dance floor taking advantage when we're the only ones here? And of course, this wasn't set up deliberately for us to have the restaurant all to ourselves, right? You being the director of the Foundation and all?"
Jr. aimed an innocent look her way. "I don't have that kind of power around here." Shion scoffed, and the innocent look crumbled. "Okay, so it may have been premeditated to have you all to myself with no one around. Is that really such a bad thing?" Shion finally took his proffered hand, and he led her out to the dance floor where he reveled in the simple joy of holding her close to him.
Much later on, they had left the restaurant and Jr. had walked Shion back to her hotel room. His reason for this was so she didn't get lost again, and Shion had smacked him lightly on the shoulder when he said it. Standing outside her room, Shion turned to Jr. and quietly spoke. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Jr. It was the perfect evening, even though you stepped on my foot two or three times." Her emerald green eyes sparkled up at him mischievously.
Jr. chuckled and said in reply, "I took ballroom dancing lessons back in the day, because Gaignun forced me into it, so I couldn't possibly have stepped on your foot. I felt a heel come down on my foot once or twice, though." He grew serious a few seconds later. "I had a great time tonight too. How could I not, with such a beautiful woman at my side?"
Shion rolled her eyes at him. "Still the charmer, aren't you?" Like with Jr. before, the humor left her quickly and she took his hand, twining her fingers through his. Jr. looked down at her and saw the longing in her expressive eyes. He pulled her gently into his embrace and then used a finger to tilt her chin up. Their mouths met in a butterfly-soft kiss at first, but it quickly ignited and changed to something much more passionate. And then, everything started to dissolve...
Hovering somewhere between sleep and waking, Jr. was lying in his bed, his eyes moving rapidly behind his eyelids. Rolling onto his side, he muttered, "Shion..." Tony, who was walking by on his way to the shower, shook his head when he heard it. "Jesus, Little Master, you have got it bad. You can't even forget about her when you're sleeping." Resolving never to speak of what he'd heard, lest he have his head handed to him on a silver platter, he sighed and headed into the shower room.
Jr.'s blue eyes opened and he gazed blearily around. "What the hell?" He grasped his head in his hands, feeling as though he had a major hangover. And that was when he focused on a 4'9" frame instead of a 6'3" one. The dream had been so vivid to him, that being confronted with the reality of waking up caused him to start raging in frustration. "This is all Mary's goddamn fault!" he yelled. "If it wasn't for her insisting I needed to hear myself say I love Shion, I wouldn't have even had the damn dream!" He punched the wall next to him, barely even feeling the pain that resulted. Rubedo, came Albedo's reproachful voice, is there a reason you woke me up with all this yelling and shouting? I was sleeping rather peacefully. Jr. shouted, "Just leave me alone, Albedo! Get out of my head for now, or I swear I'll make you regret it!" Fine then, talking to you when you're in such a violent mood does nothing but waste everyone's time anyway. Jr. felt Albedo's presence draw back, and a malicious sense of satisfaction over it shot through him.
Having found it in himself to shower and dress, Jr. was now wandering the Elsa with no particular destination in mind. He'd headed for the lounge at first, determined to drink himself into oblivion, where Shion couldn't haunt his every thought. He'd quickly turned around at the door, though, when he'd seen Tony and Hammer sitting at one of the tables. He was in no mood to deal with Tony's joking when it came to his feelings about Shion. Jr.'s heart was just too bruised from the dream to have Tony even speak Shion's name to him. So instead he took the elevator down to the lower floor, where he encountered the Professor and Scott a minute later. "Professor, the Christmas lights aren't high enough! Someone's going to walk into them and get hanged!"
The Professor shrugged this off. "You worry too much, Assistant Scott! Go get the other string of lights and we'll hang them over the monitor. Hee hee hee, we'll make this ship glow so bright, everyone will have to wear sunglasses!" He did his crazy little dance that caused everyone aboard the Elsa to put their hand to their forehead, praying for patience.
Jr. stopped dead in the doorway to the room they had taken over. He eyed the goings-on with a glare. "What are the two of you doing? Did you even ask if you could put this crap up? I can't see Matthews being okay with it. And don't even say you're gonna do this to the whole ship, because I'll toss the both of you right the hell out into space right now. I'm not looking at a bunch of Christmas lights blinking in my eyes or listening to stupid Christmas songs from the Lost Jerusalem era. So take all of it down, right now!" He yanked viciously at the set of lights in Scott's hand.
The Professor hopped up and down furiously. "Just who do you think you are, sonny? No Christmas spirit at all!" He came over to where Jr. and Scott were having a tug-of-war over the lights and hit Jr. over the head with the golden metal star he'd been about to hang in the middle of the room.
Jr. staggered, clutching his head. "Dammit, old man, why do you keep hitting me in the head?"
The Professor cackled. "Because you're sadly lacking any brainpower, my boy. So you shouldn't feel much pain when I do that."
Jr. grabbed the star out of his hands and flung it into a far corner. He drew himself up straight and said in a very low and dangerous voice, "When I come back, if this crap is still hanging up, the Elsa will be dropping off two uninvited guests. Since we're out in the middle of nowhere, and I won't be giving you any spacesuits to wear, just how do you think you'll survive your sudden plunge into space?" His blue eyes shooting sparks, he folded his arms across his chest. "Am I in any way unclear to either of you?"
Scott looked terrified and shook his head. The Professor had a mutinous expression on his face, but taking in Jr.'s aggressive stance, he jerked his head at Scott and barked, "Get up on the ladder and take it all down! We wouldn't want the little one blowing his top over a few Christmas lights, would we?" Scott hurried off to do the Professor's bidding, and Jr. left the room, his aggression not having faded in the slightest.