Hallo! Lightheart77 coming back with chapter 15! I'm sure you're all wondering what's coming up and let me tell you, many things happen. We hear more about Chase's past first then we get back to see how he's doing with Alexa. It's a shocker that will make you crack up.
Announcement! I am happy to say that I now have quick sketches for the entire gang. Jamie, Ken, and Chase are up on deviant art. Just remember, same name as FF, and please leave a comment. I want to hear what you all think about what our characters look like.
And with that note, the winner of the final drawing poll is: (drum roll) (opens envelope (very dramatic aren't I)) an Alexa and Chase picture :) But know that later on, there will be an all group picture… I don't know when but eventually, promise!
Well, other than that, it's about time we move on and read. And review at the end!
Chapter 15: The Plane Ride (part 2)
A fifteen year old male raccoon was sitting on the edge the building across from the Cooper's residence. He was eating a candy bar, bored after that day's excitement. He let out a sigh but noticed movement in by window the tree. The window slid open and Alexa Cooper stuck her head out, looking both ways, and then leaped across the space to the tree. She then sat up against the main part of the tree and began to read a book that she brought over.
The boy stared at her for a moment then sighed, taking another bite of his treat, mumbling, "I'm not helping myself by saving her… this will only make things harder."
"I'll say," came a voice behind him.
"Gah!" the raccoon gasped, startled by the voice. He nearly fell from the edge of the roof but he regained his balance quickly and gave a sigh of relief.
You'd think he'd be concerned with whom the voice came from but he knew it well. He then grumbled, "Will you stop doing that Ryu! You nearly gave a heart attack!" The raccoon then turned to see the nineteen year old, white furred wolf chuckling from the boy's surprise. He wore a black over coat that went over his jeans and T-shirt, which were as well black.
He walked besides the boy and said, "I have to keep you on your toes, Chase. You never know when someone will attack."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'To be prepared is to live,'" Chase quoted with air quotes.
"You shouldn't take that lightly. After all, you've been on your own for about two years. I would think you'd learn that lesson," the wolf said matter-of-factually.
"Well, I'm doing fine, and that's good with me." Chase then looked up to the sky, wanting to get the thought that had been bothering him for the past couple weeks out: "How's Chris?"
"Better. I was able to get him more food with some medicine, so his flu will go away soon. But father's getting edgy… he nearly killed Chris the other day," Ryu explained mournfully.
"Damn it!" the raccoon exclaimed, hitting the building's roof below him. "Why can't this girl just be a…" he trailed off, thinking about her again.
"Would that make it easier?"
"Well, yeah. If she was cruel, horrible, and unbearable to everyone, I wouldn't have any regrets and I don't think people would mourn that much. But she's kind, respectable, smart, and even beautiful. Everything about her is good and so many people adore her… I don't think I could do this to someone like that," he explained.
"I understand," Ryu nodded. "I have talked to father about it… he shouldn't have sent a thirteen year old in to do this."
"I'm fifteen now, thank you very much," Chase retorted. His voice then went soft with sadness when he continued, "But, it's still not easy…"
"Don't worry about it too much. Just observe for right now. And please don't get that close to her again… or use your brother's name when you introduce yourself."
"You saw that?" he questioned. He never knows when Ryu will show up and watch over him. He sighed and continued, "Sorry. I knew I wasn't suppose to give my name, so Chris's was the one I came up with first in that instant. Besides, like she's going to find me; I'm too stealthy," he grinned.
"Alright," Ryu replied, ruffling Chase's hair, "you better keep your word."
Chase laughed, fixing his hair back with his hands, "I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee anything."
"Oh, speaking of Chris, that reminds me." The wolf put his hand into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a picture. "I think you'd want this. After all… you haven't seen him in two years," he noted, passing the picture to him.
Chase took it into his right hand and examined the picture. He then smiled with tears streaming down his eyes.
"I took it on his birthday with the gifts you've sent him the past two years. You realize how old he is?"
Chase wiped away the tears with his sleeve and looked back the picture, "Yeah… He's seven in this picture, right?" The young raccoon in the picture was smiling, sitting on a wood floor cross-legged, his jet black hair was a mess as usual and his blue eyes were bright with a huge grin across his face; he had two gifts in his hands that were at his side. The first Chase sent him was a book on cars of the world, one of Chris's favorite things. Then the second gift was a video game with cars, since Chase knew father allowed Chris to play some games when he was in the mood. Chris treasured these simple things so much: all of those treasures were from his old family, his brother.
Ryu nodded, "He misses his big brother."
"I miss him too. Will you tell him that for me?" Chase asked.
Ryu gave a warm smile, replying, "Of course."
"Thanks, Ryu. I'm glad you're here for me and Chris. You're like the big brother we never had."
The wolf took a seat next to the young raccoon, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I know. And I'm glad I can be there for you, the little brothers that I never had."
There was silence between the two for a moment until Ryu then stated, "You do realize that you're falling for this girl seriously, right?"
"I KNOW!" Chase exclaimed in frustration, throwing his head back.
Ryu only laughed at his reaction and ruffled his hair again.
The memory then faded as Chase drifted back to the plane ride, hearing the captain's voice over the intercom: "Hello folks, this is your captain speaking. It is about five minutes to ten and we'll be landing soon. So please put all chairs and trays in the upright position, thank you."
Chase let out a sigh as his eyes opened fully to see he still on the plane and that Alexa hadn't have killed him yet. Always a good sign, he smiled. But then remembered their argument and said aloud, "Well, this was fun but time to get ready to go, I suppose." He tried to get up but something was holding him back. He looked over to see Alexa grasping his arm in hers, with her head leaning on his shoulder.
"Oh… crap…" he muttered in shock and embarrassment. She has my arm… and her head is on my shoulder… Why does she have to do this to me! He pleaded.
He tried again to see if he could get his arm free from her grip but she only tightened it. "Mm… don't go…" she mumbled in her sleep, burying her face into the fur of his arm, "You saved me… don't go…"
She must be dreaming… but who about? He tried to get up another time but Alexa grip just wouldn't give, even in her sleep. Chase let out a struggled sigh, "She won't let go." He sat back down all the way in his seat, debating whether or not he should wake her. He looked down to her sleeping face and decided not to. She's just too peaceful to disturb, he smiled again. He then thought back to what she mumbled, I wonder if the guy she's dreaming about… is me.
"Hm…" Alexa began to stir. Her eyes began to open and she yawned. But then she caught a glimpse of gray fur in her eye sight… a bit too close to her. Her face went red at the realization and she began to think, Oh, no. She looked up to see Chase and that she was grasping his arm.
"Oh, good morning," Chase said, noticing she was finally waking up.
Alexa gasped, "Oh, gawd." She then quickly let go and put as much space between her and Chase as she possibly could, "I-I'm sorry, I… Wait, you were awake this whole time?"
"Yes," Chase replied.
"Then why didn't you wake me?" she inquired sternly.
"I've only been up for a few minutes. I tried to move and noticed that someone wouldn't let go of my arm," he explained.
"Oh… but… I…" she tried to get out the words. Oh, crap… what if I said something in my sleep? She thought through the possibilities of humiliation she could have done to herself in her slumber.
Chase only chuckled and said, "Don't worry about it. You were asleep. You can't control what you do when you're not conscious of it."
Alexa looked down in embarrassment and then looked out the window, murmuring, "I'm still sorry…"
The two of them went quiet for the rest of the flight. It was only about ten minutes, but when there's tension in the air, ten minutes can seem like forever. And Alexa felt it. Although Chase went about his business, packing away the rest of his things, Alexa couldn't help but stare out the window and think about what just happened.
I was dreaming about him again… the one that saved me when I was fourteen. I grabbed his arm and told him not to go. I asked him to tell me his name and that I didn't want him to just disappear and go like the last time… and instead, I grabbed Chase's arm in real life! How embarrassing! She thought as her face turned a darker shaded as the thoughts went deeper.
Soon the flight attendants allowed the other passengers to go, Alexa, already packed, got up so fast with her bag that Chase didn't even realize it until she was half way down the aisle.
"Hey, Alexa, wait!" he called after her but she was already passed first class and off the plane. Damn, she's fast, he thought as he tried to get pass some of the other passengers but it was already too crowded by the time he got up.
Alexa ran down the hall out of the terminal to the nearest lady's room. She busted through the door and then dropped her bag by the sink she stopped at and started to splash water in her face. She then took some deep breaths to relax herself. She then looked at herself in the mirror with a look of frustration. Why do I keep freaking out about him? I mean he's just a guy!
She splashed more water in her face and it soon went back to its normal shade. She looked back to her reflection and her expression had gotten softer with a new realization and a sigh. A guy you like… She then wiped her face with paper towels to get the fur on her face dry. She took a deep breath, grabbed her bag and went out the door.
As she walked past the terminal, Chase caught up to her and said, "There you are. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah… I just needed to clear my head for a minute," she quickly explained. But she noticed that Chase seemed to be following her and she didn't need that right now. "Listen, I have to go to the big loading dock to get the van so—"
"I'll go with you," Chase interrupted, taking her hand into his with an innocent smile. "I have to pick up my ride too."
"What ride?" she questioned, snatching her hand back but her face did turn a little pink from his sudden gesture.
Chase just gave a toothy grin, both from the fact that she used such quick reflexes to get her hand back and the fact that she actually asked. "Can't tell you."
"What is with you and hidden agendas!" she asked with frustration.
"Well, I'm sorry," he replied sarcastically. "But I like to keep my information to myself. Besides, if you really wanted to know, you could easily follow me and see it for yourself."
Alexa rolled her eyes, "No thanks, I'm good. I need to get the van anyway. If I don't, Ken will kill me." With that she ran off.
Chase was about to say something to her but he let her go. That breather she need was because she felt embarrassed and he knew it. "Nah," he muttered to himself, "I'll just ask her later."
Alexa was finally in the storage area and found one of the workers. "Excuse me, but I'm here to pick up my van."
The bull dog worker turned to her and nodded, handing her a clip board, "Sign name here, and I'll need an ID."
She signed her false name on the paper and then showed him the fake ID Jamie had made for her. There was no way they were going to risk putting their real names out there. With all policemen at every corner, this was the safest way to get around.
"Alright," the dog said, checking the signature and ID. "You check out." He gave the ID back to her and pointed down the pathway, "Just go straight down to number fifty there and it will be on your right."
"Thanks," she called as she ran down to the van's back doors. She looked back to make sure no one was watching and she pulled the door open, saying, "Hey…" but her voice trailed off as she noticed her two teen friends sharing a bed with Jamie in Ken's arms, sleeping away peacefully.
She slowly closed the door, and then jumped up, "Yes, finally! I was right! Ha, ha," she laughed as she got the spare key out of her pocket and hopped into the driver's seat. "So happy Murray taught me how to drive a stick shift, otherwise I wouldn't be able to let these two keep their couple moment," she grinned as she started the van and drove off.
It took about an hour to get through the traffic and city limits before she finally was able to get the van in the outskirts of Paris. Then finally, at around noon, she found her father's old safe house. "Perfect," she said, parking next to the old cable car that her father's gang once call home.
She cut the engine and saw that Ken and Jamie were still sleeping. She grinned an evilly as an idea popped into her head. She grabbed the high-power flashlight from underneath her seat and whispered, "This is gonna be good." She out and went around to the back doors and turned the flash light on.
"One… two…" she whispered, getting ready to pull her prank, "Three." She then pulled the doors open loudly and yelled in a deep voice, "Alright, you kids! Hands up!" she shined the light in her friends faces so they couldn't see that it was her.
Both woke with a start, putting their hands up and looking to each other nervously. This wasn't exactly the best way to get caught.
But then the two heard laughter behind the light as the deep voice disappeared, "You two are under arrest…" Alexa then pulled away the light to reveal her grinning face with some laughter, "…for being such a cute couple."
"Alexa!" they both gasped.
Alexa only smiled, turning off the flash light, saying, "Come on you two. We're at the safe house. So don't worry about the screaming and yelling."
"Oh…" the fox and wolf looked out and noticed the desertedness around them and realized she was right. And then they realized that they were still like they were when they passed out, in each other's arms.
"Uh, you can go first, Jamie," said Ken, releasing her.
"All right," she nodded, her cheeks a little pink. She straightened up as she stood, getting her clothes fixed back the way they should.
Ken then followed her suit and was right next to her. He asked, rubbing the back of his head, "Did you sleep well?" thinking he might have been uncomfortable to sleep on.
"Uh-huh," she smiled, taking his hand. "Thanks for listening."
Ken grinned back and put his forehead to hers saying, "You're welcome."
That's when the two realized that Alexa was still there, watching them. They looked to her and she only giggled waving her hand, "Oh, don't mind me. You two just continue on with the talking and being together."
"Shut up!" the two shouted, pushing her aside. Soon they were all pushing each other back and forth, as if they were back in the first grade, just laughing and being kids. Though two were together, they would always be a great trio.
The hours passed as they got themselves settled in. They all had changed into their average thieving clothes, of a dark blue or black. It was past six by the time Alexa had finally gotten all of her things together in her room. She was wearing her black jeans and a tight shirt with her thieving shoes on, and her hair was up in the usual ponytail. She had just put up the last box of her things and had organized them along with her friends things since Jamie had to set up the computer and Ken had to check the van just to be sure everything was working.
She let out a "Phew" and sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Now that that's finished I can go and see what Jamie has planned for that meeting tonight with dad's old friend," she muttered to herself, getting her thoughts together. She was about to go when she heard something come from her binucome in her bag.
Odd, she thought, taking it out and then examined it. I'm not that far from anyone… why wouldn't they just talk to me in person? Unless… she held it up to her ear and asked, "Hello?"
"Hey, what are you up to?" came that same familiar voice.
Alexa's eyes went wide with shock, "How did you get this frequency! This is a private line!"
"It wasn't too hard obviously. But don't worry. I closed all of the lines I opened to get this one," she could hear a grin in Chase's voice; how much more annoying could he be at the moment. But then he asked in an almost shy, embarrassed tone, "Listen, it's about dinner now and I was wondering… would you like to go out with me?"
There you have it! That's it for this chapter. (Crowd boos and throws rotten food at her) Hey, I'm sorry, but I didn't want this chapter to get too long. And you guys had three good moments to hold you over till the next chapter, so :P, just kidding. I really am sorry about the suspense but I have to keep you all waiting for something.
Okay, so like I said before, quick sketches for the rest of the gang are up. That means Chase, Ken and Jamie are now in picture form, WOOT! Sorry, I'm just happy I could finally get them drawn after about a year of writing about them :) So be sure to check out deviant art when you get the chance. I have the same name, therefore are not that hard to fine. Leave some comments please and check any other pictures I have up. I really want to know what you all think.
So with that, leave a review (please and thank you) and I'll be coming up with the next chapter soon.