"Erm.. Jacqui? You don't happen to have a heal berry, do you? 'Cause, as you can see, my nose is broken.." They had been riding for only a few moments, and Erica's nose was bleeding like mad, leaving a trail of blood down her clothes. Jacqui growled, rummaging in her pack for afore mentioned item, and soon found it. She tossed it to Erica, and sped up her horse.
Erica sighed, eating the berry and feeling her nose repair itself. Why was everything happening to her?! She still didn't know why Denae had attempted to dig her an early grave. What had she done to deserve this! It's all so unfair, she thought.
She knew very well where Jacqui was leading her. They were heading towards their hideout, an old, broken down house near Quartly. It was one of the only buildings around there. It looked as though people had once lived there, as if it had been a small town. She wondered, if in the future, it might once more be lived in. Not as a hideout, but as a town again.
They rode on for quite a while longer, and soon the sun began to go down. Erica was still thinking. She thought of her home, Kevin, her family, Kevin, how annoying Razi had been, and Kevin. For some reason she had recognized him on first sight, while she hadn't recognized any of the others. She also faintly remembered a half-demon and her pure-demon mother, and that she had fought them with her family. She didn't know how she could remember things such as these, and not her family, but she did.
She took her mind of those several subjects, and instead began to formulate a plan of escape. She was not going to let her former friend keep her captive. She had just found her family, and she damn well was going to stay with them! She hesitated as she thought this, not sure whether she really wanted to go back. Denae could put a bullet through her head at any moment.
She smiled slightly at this thought. Denae sure had a temper.
And once again, she began to wonder whom she had killed that had made her new friend hate her so badly. Must have been a relative, or a good friend, maybe? Well, whoever it was, they must have been close.
Another hour passed, and soon Erica could see the faint outline of the large hideout they had lived in for several years, and thought of all the times she and Jacqui had spent together.
There never really had been any happy moments with her former parental figure, but still, Jacqui had taken care of her. She could still remember the day when Jacqui had told her that she could be a great Drifter. She had been so excited about it back then.
They reached the hideout in mere moments, and Jacqui dismounted, helped Erica off her horse, and then shoved her towards the entrance to the run-down old house. She obedientely went inside, and found the old place just as it had been last time she was there. Dirty, moldy, and smelly.
She sat down on a big ol' pillow, " So, Jacqui, why on earth did you bring me back here! Make your own money for a change! I've just found my family, and I want to live with them! I thought you'd be glad to be rid of me." Jacqui chuckled at this statement, "Glad? Why would I be glad to do work myself! Silly girl. You're staying here, get used to it." With that, she locked the door, stuck the key in her pocket, and went upstairs, where she slept.
Erica sighed, stood up, and began pacing the room. How to escape, she asked herself. She could always blast the door open, but Jacqui would hear her if she did that. She could wait until morning, and hope that Jacqui went out, and forgot to lock the door. Naw, she thought, Jacqui would never forget to lock the door. Especially if her 'moneymaker' was at stake.
She soon found herself getting drowsy, and satdown once more. There she spent the rest of the night, trying to find some plan of escape in the far corners of her mind.
…….,,,,,,,…….
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Erica rolled over, covering her head with her arms, not realizing that someone was at the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
She opened one eye, and stared at the door, considering getting up to answer it. Then she remembered the previous night, and how Jacqui had locked it. She sat there a moment longer, and was about to go get Jacqui to tell her that someone was at the door when she heard, "ERICA! ARE-YOU-IN-THERE--!" She recognized the voice immediately, and replied, "KEVIN?!"
Erica jumped to her feet, picked up her ARMs, and yelled, "Get back, Kev! I'm blasting the door open!" She heard the sound of his footsteps moving away, and then pulled the trigger on both her weapons. A loud blast, followed by several others, echoed all around her.
A moment later she stopped shooting, and walked over to the door. She took a large breath, and sent her foot straight at the door. It made contact, and with a loud 'CRACK!' the whole door fell forward.
She ran out of the entrance, and found Kevin standing there, ARM in hand. At the sight of her he ran forward, and caught her in a large, dusty, sweaty hug. Erica laughed, and pulled away, "How did you find me, Kevin?!" He grinned, and blushed, " I, uh.. Well, I..erm.. Followed you? "
Erica scowled at him, and placed her hands on her hips, in a stern way (She's going to make a good mother… Kevin thought, although, not realizing he had thought it). "Kevin! That was really dangerous! Although, I am glad you saved me, why didn't you at least bring someone with you?! Do you know what kind of monsters are over here?! You could have DIED!! Thank you all the same, but next time I am kidnaped, think before you rescue me!!"
Kevin looked like he had just seen the most horrific sight in all of Filgaia. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open. He stood there, frozen, and Erica continued scowling at him. A minute later Erica said, "WELL!?" Kevin backed away, and Erica moved forward. She gave him an irritated look, and he finally said, "Well.. Er, yeah.. I..won't do it again, Erica.. Just please, don't kill me?"
Erica smiled, going back into best friend mode, "Well, thank you for rescuing me, Kevin." She grinned, acting as if she hadn't just nearly ripped his head off. Kevin smiled back, though unneasily. Erica started to step closer, and Kevin got a little uncomfortable.
Erica grinned mischievously, and advanced even further, till her face was right next to his. Kevin gulped. Finally Erica made the move, and their lips were about to make contact when-"ERICA!!!" a roar came from behind them, and Erica and Kevin wheeled around, completely forgetting what they had just been about to do.
Jacqui came storming towards them, bayonet held at the ready, "Erica, you get your ass back in that house! I'll take care of your little boyfriend…" Erica scowled at her, and aimed her ARMs at the 21-year-old before her. "I'm not going back into that old cage. I'm going home with Kevin. I don't care if we have to fight you to be able to do so."
Kevin's eyes were wide, "W-we?" Erica glared at him, and he suddenly spouted out, "Yeah! We're going to… Fight you! Yep." He nodded, an unneasy and artificially confident smile on his face. Erica grinned at him, and nodded.
Jacqui had an appalled look on her face, "You mean that you two wimps think yourselves worthy of fighting me?" She let out a loud bark-like laugh. Erica growled, and pulled the trigger on the ARM in her right hand, sending a bullet whizzing into Jacqui shoulder.
The astonished look on Jacqui's face told that she had not expected Erica to attack so soon. She quickly lunged toward the younger girl, attempting to slice her chest, but missed, because the bullet in her right shoulder caused her to drop her weapon.
Erica smiled triumphantly, but wasn't like that for long, as Jacqui picked her weapon back up off the ground, and instead, with her left arm, swung it at Kevin. Kevin wasn't ready for this sudden attack, and got caught in the lower left arm by the sparkling blade.
He cried out in pain, and Erica shot at Jacqui again, this time hitting her in the left shoulder, making it impossible for her to lift the bayonet. Jacqui let out a cry of rage, and shot off in the other direction, mounting her horse, and fleeing.
Erica grinned at Kevin, and ran into the house, soon coming back out with Jacqui's pack. She opened it, grabbed a heal berry, and gave it to Kevin, who gobbled it up immediately. His arm was healed, they had made Jacqui look like a fool, and Erica was acting friendly. What a wonderful day!
…….,,,,,,,…….
"MOM! DAD!" Erica yelled, as they came upon the Bernadette residence.
Georgia and Anthony came bursting out the front door, and ran up to their daughter and [basically] nephew. Georgia was crying her eyes out, and as Erica climbed down from her horse, she was immediately caught in the most cuddly bear hug she could remember.
"Mom, Dad.. you're choking me." They released her, and instead hugged Kevin. "You saved her!" Georgia sobbed into his coat, and Kevin unneasily patted his [basically] aunt's back.
Anthony stood tall, as usual, and suddenly asked, "But.. Erica, where's Edan? He followed Kevin, and.." He left it at that, and Erica's eyes widened, "D-dad.. Edan? We never saw him.. Did we, Kev?" Kevin shook his head. Georgia began to sob once more, and Erica got close.
…….,,,,,,,…….
CiaHottie: [in tears] Wasn't this chapter so touching?
PianZoe: Erm… except for the whole, 'You could have DIED' part… and the fight scene…
CiaHottie: ..Well, yeah. Wasn't Erica just so sweet towards her rescuer? [dramatic sigh]
PianZoe: Eh heh… as sweet as a lemon… next chapter will be up soon! (Or, atleast, it should be… [glares at self])
CiaHottie: Well, until next time: Eat lots of candy, and go to the bathroom seven times a day! And don't forget to watch plenty of movies instead of doing your homework! [if you have any!] Ja ne.
Disclaimer: YES! I own WA3. THAT is the reason I sit at my computer all day, wishing I owned it, and writing WA fanfiction. Uh huh. [nods]