Disclaimer. I don't own Monsters, Inc or any of the characters in the movie.

Shame shame on me for being so late with this, but I have been busy with other things.

Chapter 5

XXX

Liss could see the change in Danielle. The happier step in her walk the silly little smile on her lips. In class Liss watched her closely and saw that Danielle was tapping her foot and wagging her pen as she chewed on her pencil happily. Liss chuckled. It seemed that Danielle and Randall have made up.

Randall Boggs.

Who was this guy? She had only met him on the phone and at Mardi Gras…and that had been in a costume. And even in her drunkenness…something was forever puzzling her…. that 'lizard' costume…it was too realistic to be leather and papier-mâché

And the fact that, he never took the head off…the fact that Danielle would never let them met in person. Danielle wasn't the horribly jealous and overpowering type to keep the few friends she had away from her boyfriends…then disappearing for the four days and lying…Danielle just wasn't like that.

Something was up. And Liss believed that it was enough. Either she tells her what was up…or she'll take an unexpected trip out there.

XXX

Danielle hurried through her last bit of paper work and filing. It had been a slow night for a Friday and they hadn't needed her out on the floor that she sometimes worked. She would be able to finish and hurry home when it was still being light. She had the next two days off and she was determined to spend them sleeping and spending time with Randall.

As she did a few quick stamps she hurried and typed the numbers in. Thanks to Randall her math had greatly improved and she was able to work much faster. She then smiled and put the files up and then turned the computer off. She grabbed her wallet and jacket and then clocked out. She hurried through the back and was then ambushed by Liss.

"Hey D…"

"Hey. You got another hour huh?" Danielle asked as she shifted her shoulder bag.

"Yep…but I'm on break. I'll walk ya to your truck." Liss smiled as she followed Danielle.

"Sounds good." They made it out the back and to the dented green truck that Danielle adored. "You know what else sounds good? Going home…taking a long hot bath…eating dinner and…."

Liss smirked, "And a roll around in the hay…" She hinted deviously.

Danielle went red, "Liss! My God! There is more then just…that…."

"Yeah…a lot more…" She grinned, "How much more?"

"You are worse then some guy you that?" Danielle growled as she pulled the door to the truck open.

"I never denied it." Liss then leaned up against the truck. "So…now that I've embarrassed you for the day…when can I met him?"

Danielle froze. "Uh…well…I talked it over with him and…"

"Great! I'll see you after work tonight! And he better be there…" Liss then got a hurt look on her face. "I mean…don't you trust me?"

Danielle groaned and then her head nodded. "All right…tonight…."

"Great D!" Liss chirped and had kissed her cheek and hurried back inside before Danielle could call after her.

Danielle's head fell against the steering wheel. It would have happened eventuality. Liss was very nosey and very determined to always get her way. Praying and hoping that all would go well Danielle started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot and made her way home.

XX

When she walked into the house the wave of odors of dinner reached her before she got to the kitchen. Bread bounded over to her and she patted her head and she made her way into the living room and then into the kitchen. She walked in, breathing deep in pleasure.

"Something smells amazing," she remarked seeing Randall at the stove. He turned his wide head at her and grinned in pride. "You know…I think I just about got this Jambalaya down."

"Oh…well it smells great Randall," said Danielle with a smile. "Need any help?"

"Well, can you set the table?" he asked.

"No problem." Danielle got out two plates and sets of silverware, laying them out on the

table. When she was done she walked back over to Randall and once again she wasn't able to keep her hands to herself as she ran her fingers up his back, touching the smooth scales, loving the feel of them, both velvety smooth and hard and nice and warm from his body heat. He wasn't a reptile, only had the look and traits of one. He was mammal through and through. His warmth and the habit of burning her up in the bed. She swore that he was part toaster sometimes.

Randall arched his back at her touch and his tail curled around her wrist. Danielle chuckled and then her lips caressed the side of his head. She smiled at him and kissed him again. "I'm goin' to grab a shower…" Her smile faded some. "Then…we got to talk…about Liss…."

Randall frowned some. "What about her?"

"I think that…."

"She's coming over huh?"

Danielle nodded. "She is. In about two hours…" She then took his head and kissed him. "No matter…. no matter what happens…I will still love you."

Randall's fronds flattened as his belly churned, he still kissed her back however. When she pulled away, he didn't want to let her go.

He sighed and turned the Jambalaya, trying hard to focus on fixing dinner and not to picture Danielle in the shower without much success.

When the rice and the shrimp and peppers and other bits was done, he spooned it out on plates as he heard Danielle come into the warm kitchen he looked up and his mouth went dry.

She'd changed into a fresh gray t-shirt and a pair of cut-off jeans-shorts, which showed off her shapely legs to good advantage. Her longer damp hair curled enticingly around her face. Simple…but then she never needed anything more.

She didn't pay any attention to him as she got out two sodas.

It wasn't until she turned and looked at him questioningly that he realized he was staring.

"What?" she asked.

Randall only gave her a grin and a flash of mischief cross his face.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked playfully.

"I don't know," he said innocently. "I guess you'll just have to think of something."

XXX

After the wonderful meal of the Jambalaya that Danielle had drummed into Randall's skull ever since he had shown an interest in learning a few of the dishes, Danielle was washing the dishes. She was just about done when hands grabbed her sides tickling her.

Danielle screamed and shot away. "Randall!"

He appeared behind her laughing.

Danielle glared at him. "What's the big idea?"

"I just felt like it…you was standing there and it was just too temping."

"Yield not to temptation…."

Randall shook his head, "I never had much luck yielding to temptation." He smirked moving in on her then.

Danielle's hazel eyes widened, "Don't even think about it…" She warned.

"I'm thinking…"

Danielle then shrieked as he lunged toward her and she took off running through the house Randall hot on her heels. "How old are you?!" She screamed back at him as he chased her.

"Old enough to know that you're enjoying this too!" He taunted.

Danielle squealed and giggled hysterically as she darted around her attempts to escape.

Randall threw back his head and laughed maniacally as he chased her. It was very childish what they both was doing, running through the small house like two hyper active children, but it helped them forget for the short while the stress that Liss would be let in on their little secret.

She could help keep their world together…or break it.

"Eeeeek!" Danielle shrieked and the sound drove Randall on. He caught her as she slowed and began to wheeze. His arms wrapped around her and he twisted her and they tumbled onto the floor as his hands mercilessly tickled her sides and stomach. Danielle squealed and giggled hysterically as she squirmed and writhed in her attempts to escape. She began to gasp for air. Randall stopped and she pulled her inhaler out of her pocket and took a few heavy tokes on it. When her aching lungs stopped spasming out of control, she looked up at Randall as he leaned over her. The wild playful grin was gone and he had a soft look on his face that he saved for moments like this. He raised a hand and brushed her red auburn hair back and then leaned down and kissed her, ignoring the bitter taste of the inhaler medicine on her tongue.

Danielle's head wheeled as he kissed her and her arms went around his long thin neck. She let out a soft hmm when his forked tongue slipped into her mouth.

It took them both a few minutes to realize that Liss was knocking on the door. Danielle and Randall pulled away and looked at each other for a few seconds before Randall disappeared.

Danielle got up and answered the door.

Liss beamed and swooped in and hugged Danielle. "Ok! I'm here! Where is this Randall?"

Danielle was none too gentle as she pushed Lissette down on to the couch. "Hey…. Danielle…. what the hell?" She looked up at her unusually aggressive friend.

"Lissette…we have been close friends since high school…you know me…I know you…or I think I do…" Danielle began.

"You think? What's going on? Ever since you started dating this Randall guy…you have been acting very funny…." Liss looked confused and worried, her brow wrinkling.

Danielle sighed and the short red head regarded her tall friend. "I'll tell you...but only if you give me your word that you'll never tell anyone about what you see or hear tonight."

"But-"

"Promise me Lissette May Miller!"

Liss jumped at the strong commanding force in Danielle's voice. "I promise," she nodded and crossed her hands over her chest.

With worry and fear on Danielle's face she turned to the hallway. "Randall…"

Everything moved in slow motion to Liss as a outline of a 5 foot 5 creature appeared and slowly one cell at a time it seemed until Liss sat staring in a state of complete shock staring at a very large purple lizard with three pink tipped fronds, four arms four legs and a long light blue tail. He stared at her with bright intense green eyes that half glared at her. For the first time in a very long time, Liss was frozen like a deer in the headlights.

Liss simply stared down at him in complete shock as he frowned at her and crossed all four arms and a foot tapped. "Well? You gonna scream or what?" His large mouth opened and Liss saw razor sharp teeth. Three things then went through her head. One was this was the costume at Mardi Gras…it wasn't a costume…this guy is for real!' the second was 'how can Danielle kiss him and not get her lips sliced off', and the third was, 'Where does he hid his junk?'

What she said was…."Oh...my…God..." She stood up and took a step closer. "Is he for real?" she noticed that she was almost a good head taller then Randall.

"Yes, he'svery much for real," Randall said with the attitude that he always shown with her on the phone.

"Yep…you're Randall all right…how…did you two really met?" Liss asked carefully, "I mean…" Liss blinked a couple of times. "The meeting in a coffee shop has to be a lie…I was hurt that she never tried to introduce me. Now I understand why."

Danielle's entire body had trembled. If Liss had freaked…. how were they to get out of this…what would have become of her and Randall. When she saw Liss pale but slowly became used to it she began to relax. After all Liss had met Randall in 'person' before.

Randall and Danielle looked each other and Danielle walked over and had Liss to sit down again. Then both Danielle and Randall her everything. Not just how he and Danielle met but how he came to be in the Human World, With the exception of details pertaining to their intimate, personal lives, nothing had been held back. The key was to try and make Randall seem as human as possible...to show Liss that he deserved to live as normal as he could without being turned into fodder for the media.

When the two had finished telling their tale, they sat in silence...allowing Liss to process it all as Danielle and Randall held their breath.

"You're actually 'involved' with him?" Liss asked, still trying to wrap her head around the concept.

"Yes," Danielle blushed but held her friends' gaze

"How...how does that even work?" There was an expression of genuine curiosity on Liss's face.

Danielle blushed furiously. "That's not really any of your business!"

Randall had only smirked. He then moved up closer to her. "I don't think that we need to stress on how important it is to keep your trap shut…. or else…" he added.

Both young women shot Randall a dirty look. "Randall!" Danielle pushed him some and he only grinned back at Danielle.

Liss rolled her eyes at the playful banter the two began but could not help smiling as she watched them. She marveled at how comfortable they were with each other...how they had transcended their obvious differences and come together in genuine love. Keeping their secret was imperative. She could not in good conscience allow their love to be ripped apart. She loved Danielle like a sister and she had seen such a welcome change in her normally stick in the mud friend. "Your secret is safe with me," she said to them getting their attention. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

They let out a breath they did not realize they had been holding. "Thanks."

Liss then stood up and walked over to Randall and tapped his crest and then grabbed his fronds.

Randall gasped and jumped back. "Hey!" He barked.

"Wow…you do have feeling in them!" Liss was looking at him wide eyed.

"Well yeah! They are attached to my head you crazy human! How about I pull your hair?!" Randall growled, feeling shocked at her boldness and a little violated at her just gabbing him like that.

"Grump…what's the big deal?" Liss asked.

Danielle rolled her eyes as she smiled. "Liss…it's part of him…it's like…umm if you grab your…" Danielle flushed and gestured to her own breasts.

Randall snickered, but nodded. "So…hands off!"

Liss looked back at Randall. "What are they really for?"

Danielle burt into giggles as Randall smiled slyly, "What do you think they're for?"