DISCLAIMER: All recognisable characters and concepts...belong to somebody else.


Chapter 4: Friends Only

Indy grumbled as he rummaged through the closet. He could've sworn he left the damn thing in here. He heard a door open and close and then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marion walking in. Her arms were occupied with two full bags of groceries. She was looking at him in something between confusion and amusement. He ignored it and kept rummaging. When she put the groceries down, she walked over to the cupboard next to him and opened it. She pulled something down.

'Looking for this, boofhead?'

Indy stopped rummaging and looked. Marion had the rune Indy had hidden in the cupboard a few days ago. One over. Damnit! Indy went to take the rune from her but she kept a tight grip on it. Indy wouldn't be able to get it off her without potentially damaging it. She smiled expectantly, a silent "you know what to say, Jones".

'Thank you,' he said and Marion let go of it.

'You're welcome, Jones.' Marion grinned. 'What was it doing in there anyway?'

'Hm?' Indy glanced at her before examining it. 'Oh, well, some treasure hunters were hanging around. This is priceless. I don't want to lose it.'

'And they're gone now?' Marion asked.

'Yeah, yeah.' Indy nodded. He'd made sure of that. Those that weren't gone were dead. He looked up at Marion. 'Why are you being nice all of a sudden?'

The telephone rang and Marion grinned as she walked over to answer it. 'I'm nice enough if you behave and I noticed you haven't tried to sneak into my room once.'

Indy chuckled. 'Well, you're too young for me.'

Marion frowned and her brow furrowed as she picked up the receiver. 'Hello?' She brightened up. 'Oh, Elena. You are? How come?' Marion laughed, a light sound that Indy's mind insisted on comparing to music. 'Really? Well, you better hurry up. Abner's been looking at a map of Libya. I assume we'll be heading out there soon. So what's the story?' A pause and then Marion turned to the wall, speaking quietly into the receiver. Whatever this Elena person responded with obviously reassured her of her concerns. Marion smiled and said, 'All right. See you guys next week.' She hung up.

'Who was that?' Indy asked.

'Oh?' Marion turned around. 'Elena Ramon.' She walked over and started pulling her groceries out and sorting them. 'She's this Spanish friend of mine. She's coming to Chicago with her parents next week.'

'Spain?' Indy asked. 'I wouldn't think you'd been anywhere near there. Unless it was something about Akator.'

'Well, they live in Trujillo,' Marion said. 'But they travel around a lot. They ran into me.'

'Ah.' Indy nodded. 'I see. You want me to tell Abner?'

'You may as well,' Marion told him. 'He's never seen them.'

Indy nodded and moved off. He walked up the stairs and to Abner's study. He knocked twice before he walked in. Abner looked up and Indy held up the rune. Abner smiled.

'You've still got it. Excellent. Where did you hide it?'

'In one of the cupboards.'

Abner chuckled. 'A place so ordinary, they'd never look. You're a genius, Henry.'

Indy grinned. Yeah, he was a genius. Now, why wouldn't Marion see that? She was always picking on him. The name "boofhead" that she'd called him just before was a testament to that. Indy paused. While he was thinking on it, he needed to tell Abner. Abner looked up when Indy told him what Marion had said on the phone.

'Spanish friend?' he asked. 'I know nothing about any Spanish friends of hers.'

'That's what she said,' Indy told him. 'Anyway, she said they'd be here next week.' Indy glanced at the map on Abner's desk. 'We're going to Libya soon, aren't we?'

'Hm?' Abner looked at the map. 'Yes. There've been reports that the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra is in the town of El Jawf. I assume some private collector has it. I need to acquire it.'

Indy nodded.

~NQM~

Marion looked out her bedroom window at about eleven at night. She'd heard someone calling out. Her window looked out over the front yard. Indiana Jones was rushing in, evidentially trying to get away from a girl, the same one from the other week. She had blonde hair and she looked a few years older than Marion herself. She was calling to him, something about a date.

Marion chuckled to herself. She may have only been seventeen but she got that one night in bed did not a commitment make, especially if there was no relationship beforehand. It was something this girl seemed to have a problem with. Marion let the curtains fall closed. It was his problem to deal with. But she would help him if he asked.

Marion lay down in bed and closed her eyes. She fell asleep sometime around when she heard Indy's footsteps coming down the hall. When she opened her eyes next, it was because someone was knocking on her bedroom door and it was daylight. Marion rolled out of bed, pulled on her dressing gown and answered it.

Indy was on the other side, looking nervous. Marion could guess but she decided to throw him a bone.

'What's the matter with you, Jones?' she asked. 'Did I leave a wake up call?'

'No, but…' He stammered, fishing for an excuse. 'I…I wanted to thank you for finding that rune yesterday. Abner's down at the university all day so I've got nothing to do. I thought I might take down to the mall. I'll pay.'

Marion grinned and leaned against the doorframe. 'That's unusually gallant of you, Jones. Trying to ditch somebody?' She knew he was.

'No!' Indy said it too quickly.

Marion grinned and ran a hand through her hair. 'Whatever. I need some new stuff anyway. Give me time to get dressed.' She closed the door.

~NQM~

Indy leaned back against the wall. With any luck, Caitlin would see him with Marion and jump to conclusions. And if she started a rumour mill, it was easy enough to explain to Abner. Even if it meant spending money…who was he kidding? He wasn't really bothered by spending money on Marion.

Marion came out a few minutes later, dressed in trousers, boots, a button-up blouse and wearing a tan overcoat. There was a twinkle in her pretty blue eyes. He knew she didn't believe his story for a minute but she was taking full advantage of it.

~NQM~

Marion walked a couple of steps ahead of Indy through the mall, looking at all the shops. Most weren't of interest to her, selling clothes for regular girls. Shops for girls that were born, raised, would grow old and die in the bosom of civilisation. Those shops catered for the kind of girls that would only have to worry about their husbands and children. The state of the world and the all people in it would never be a concern in their minds.

Not like it would be in hers. Marion chanced a glance over her shoulder at Indy – theirs, she amended. He was looking around anxiously. He clearly wanted nothing further to do with that girl.

Marion grabbed his forearm and pulled him into a second-hand store, the kind that catered to people that were going off to odd places. She clearly heard Indy heave a sigh of relief. The desk clerk was one Marion knew well. He looked up as they came in and grinned.

'Hey, Jeff,' Marion said.

'Morning, Marion.' He glanced at Indy. 'Who's your friend?'

Marion snorted in amusement. 'Indiana Jones is dad's former student and he's helping him find the Ark.'

'Well, good luck to you.' Jeff picked up his newspaper and opened it. 'I wouldn't like working with the Prof. on that. Swear to God he's got some sort of ulterior motive.'

Marion glanced back at Indy, pretending to look through some women's trousers, to see his reaction. Jeff was right. He'd just never believe what the ulterior motive was. Indy frowned. Marion could see the numbers ticking across his mind as that alternative registered in his brain.

'Like what?' he asked.

'Damned if I know,' Jeff said. 'I could be wrong. It's just a feeling I've got.'

Indy nodded, more to himself, and followed Marion. They were walking around the store for five minutes before Indy froze and muttered "oh, shit" under his breath. Marion looked at him and then followed his irritated gaze. The girl from the previous night was walking into the shop, her eyes glued on Indy.

Jeff noticed because he winced sympathetically and called the girl's attention with some jewellery on sale. Marion turned and looked at Indy. Jeff would only be able to keep that girl occupied for a short time.

'You did bring me here to avoid someone, didn't you, Jones?' Marion nodded her head. 'Her.'

Indy huffed in irritation. 'Look, she's infatuated with me and she won't listen. I told her she was just a one-nighter. She follows me around like a love-sick puppy. I thought…' He trailed off.

Marion nodded. 'You thought if she saw you shopping with me, she'd assume we were together and storm off, dismissing you as a two-timer.'

Indy shrugged sheepishly. 'Pretty much. I'm sorry, Marion. You were the only girl around.'

Marion shook her head. 'It's not a bad idea, Indy. Can't say I wouldn't do the same thing if it were me. But if you really want to get rid of her, I think I know what's sure to work.' And she was looking forward to it.

Indy looked at her desperately. 'All right. Go ahead.'

Marion grinned and grabbed the lapels of his jacket. Without giving him much time to react, she yanked him down and kissed him on the mouth. She'd imagined kissing him so many times and her imagination had been so far off the mark. It was far better than she'd ever dreamed.

~NQM~

Indy really hadn't been expecting Marion to kiss him and he froze for a moment. Then his body took over. His hands drifted over her and he barely managed to keep them in respectable places. He pulled her against him and – oh… – her arms slid around his neck and her body pressed tight against his.

From the tentative way her tongue flickered against his lower lip, Indy guessed this was her first kiss. Shit. But before he could stop himself, his tongue darted into her mouth and stroked against hers. Marion took the invitation and returned the gesture. He felt more than heard his own groan.

One of Indy's hands slipped up into Marion's hair. It was softer than any other hair he'd ever felt beneath his fingers. And that was saying something. At the ends, her curls seemed to twirl around his fingers of their own accord.

She really was beautiful.

Indy was barely even aware of the high pitch gasp and then the demand from someone to know what he thought he was doing. He was barely aware of that Jeff guy sniggering in amusement and, moments later, making some remark about "God, Marion" and going overboard.

Indy's heart was pounding against his chest and his head was consumed with Marion. Her scent, like caramel and strawberries, was in his nose and her taste was on his tongue. She tasted sweeter than he imagined the Gods' Nectar would. And her body fit perfectly to his, almost like they were cut from the same mould.

A loud bang brought them back to their senses and they came apart. Jeff was standing there with a paper bag that he'd blown up and burst. Caitlin was gone. Clearly they'd gotten carried away.

Jeff grinned. 'Let's not mention this to Abner or he just might kill you both.'

Marion chuckled, her cheeks a lovely rosy colour. 'Thanks, Jeff.'

Why the hell did Indy suddenly want to kiss her again?