"Whoa..." Ahsoka looked up and down at the three story house and then heard a loud barking. Bella-Boo and Juno ran at them, ready to lick a new person. Nelly sighed. "Bella-Boo! Juno, come on! Feeding time! Come on, guys!" She patted at her legs before running in the other direction, taking them both towards the barn. Ahsoka looked up at it. "Wow... That's a tall building." She said.
"It's not really a building. Our barn. Where the horses, chickens, roosters and cows are. Speaking of which... Hey, Nelly! We need more milk for the market tomorrow!" Duncan shouted at the barn. Nelly groaned. "I know! Sure, Tommy's gonna wake us up at the butt-crack a' dawn!" She shouted back. Duncan nodded. "Damn straight. Come on, you two." He lead the strangers up the rickety porch and pulled back the screen door. Duncan wiped his forehead and picked up Nelly's tool belt.
"So... How old are you two anyway?" Anakin said, looking around. "I'm 17. Nelly's 19. We've been living here since I was 13, just after our parents died." He said, tossing it on the couch, kicking the uneven leg. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize-" Anakin started.
"It was a long time ago. We don't even care up to this point." He shrugged. "Alright, just upstairs there's a faucet. Wash yourselves off and then make yourselves at home. I've got my work cut out for me." He said and then heard a loud bang followed by a groan. "DUNCAN, IMMA KILL YOU!" Nelly shouted from the barn. He snickered. "Excuse me." And then ran out the screen door, yelling, "It wasn't my fault this time!"
Ahsoka laughed. "Fun family." She remarked. "Yeah... Little rough around the edges, wouldn't you think?" He said, running two fingers down a crack in the wall. "Well, it is old. Still made of wood." She said, touching the table that had little red puddles of soup on it. Bella-Boo should've licked it up by now. "No more weird than what relationship we have." Anakin said. She turned around. "Meaning... Saying we're twisted?" She said, putting her hands on her hips, twirking to her left, a smile playing on her lips.
Anakin laughed at her sass. "No. I'm just saying we're constantly yelling at each other. Sounds the same." He shrugged. "Right... In the meantime... I'm going to go find that refresher." She said and walked upstairs. Anakin looked around the rest of the house, stumbling into what must've been the living room. Dusty and rarely used. Several tapes lay on the floor, a thick coat of dust covering it. He blew on it and picked one up. Bizarre picture. Followed by a bizarre title. "Murder By Death".
And then, someone rushed inside. "Murder by Death? 70's movie." Nelly said, picking straw out of her hair. "Uh... Sorry. I found this, I was just-" He had no idea how to react. Nelly held her head. "You really aren't from this planet. Look, if your gonna go out in public, you can't be wearin' that thick Northern accent. And put down the polite... "Passion". Nobody in the market talks like that... Uh... Carry a weapon?" She looked at the silver cylinder at his waist.
"Yes, ma'am." He said, standing up. She was almost his height. "Dangerous for pets? Go off on trigger? Better yet, what the hell is it?" She said. He pulled it up and opened it. But then, put a smoking hole in her ceiling. She jumped back and he closed the glowing blade, looking up... "Okay! That's not coming out. Give it." She held her hand out... "I don't think that's wise, miss." He said. She growled. "Gimme the damn thing, alien." She said. He slapped it in her hand and she held it up in her hand, walking away. "May I ask where you are taking my lightsaber?" He said. "Someplace safe, it'll be under lock and key, I promise... Does... that girl have any weapons?" She asked.
Anakin was hesitant. "Two lightsabers, miss." He said. She groaned. "Call me miss again, I'll put a smoking hole through your head!" She threatened, stomping up the steps. Nelly walked into her Dad's study and placed the lightsaber in his chest, taking the key out from the false bottom and locked the drawer, slipping the key in her left pocket. She rounded the corner and then heard a shout. "Nelly!" She opened the window and looked down. "What?" She shouted. "We need to finish up on the truck!" He yelled. She groaned.
"Be right there! Having lovely conversations with our house guest." She said, closing the window and running down the steps and ruffling her hair, getting out the remains of straw and running up to Duncan. "Right... Where were we?" She said. "You got black gunk on your face." He said. She growled. "Yeah, knew that. Gimme the flat head." She held her hand out before pulling herself under the car on her skateboard. She twisted some screws loose and then held her hand out. "Phillip's." She said. He slapped the screwdriver in her hand and she twisted it, and then, the wires zapped her. "Ow! Son of a hamster." She swore, retracting her hand.
"Do you need any help?" They heard a voice say. Nelly looked up at Ahsoka who was resting her hands on her knees, looking under the truck for Nelly's face. She looked up. "Know anything about fixing a truck's dry engines?" She said. Ahsoka shrugged. "Can't be any different from the Twilight." She said. Nelly looked up at Duncan who shrugged. "No harm in trying. Nelly pushed out from underneath the truck and Ahsoka laid down on her back, pulling herself under the truck. She messed with the wires and pushed some different gears together. "You do know you've cracked the gas lines?" She said. Nelly looked up at Duncan who bit his lip.
"Duncan! What you run over this time?" She said. "No, wasn't from an animal... Doesn't smell like one. They cracked from the weight on the end of the vehicle. Carry any heavy loads in and out of here?" Ahsoka said. Nelly shrugged. "Every day." She said. Ahsoka sighed.
"Well, the good news is these can be welded easily and fixed in at least an hour." She said, picking around the gravel for the blow torch and putting the goggles on her eyes but not around her head. Duncan sighed. "And the bad news?" He asked. She clicked her tongue. "No bad news. She'll be up and running in two hours." Ahsoka said. Nelly took a breath. "Wow. How'd you get so good with machinery?" She said.
"Been around starships most my life. I think I know more than my Master does." She joked, chuckling to herself. "And... Who's your master?" Nelly said.
"Anakin." She said. Nelly looked up at Duncan... "Right... Well, dinner's at 7. Better get back to the loft, finish the repairs." She said, standing up and running into the barn, setting the ladder back up and climbing up. Nelly snapped on her tool belt and got back to the repairs. Just then, the barn doors opened. She looked down at Anakin. "Oh, hey! House was a little... deranged, I reckon. But that's home." She said. "No, the house is fine... Just wanna know more about who I stay with, that's all." He said.
She grinned. And then looked down at Anakin's outfit. She dropped the hammer. "Look buddy. You can't be walkin' around town wearin' that! I have some clothes for you to wear while you stay. Same goes for her." She pointed to where Ahsoka was. He glanced in that direction. "We don't mean to be a problem... Nelly." He said. She grinned. "Remembered something, I see. It's no problem, Anakin. Least I can do before you crashed on our land." Nelly put down her tool belt and jumped from the loft, onto the ladder and in front of Anakin. He looked at the side of her face.
"Uh... You got something on your cheek." He said, touching his own. Nelly touched hers a wiped black gunk away. "OK... Guess I didn't get it all. "Follow me inside, Anakin." She said, walking out of the barn. Nelly ran up to Ahsoka and kicked her foot lightly. She pushed herself out from underneath the truck.
"Yes, Nelly?" She asked. Nelly held her hand out. "Come on. You both need new clothes." She said. "Whats wrong with my clothes?" Ahsoka said... Nelly clicked her tongue. "That won't work here. You can wear my clothes for a few days. Then we'll go buy you some. Come on. Duncan! Get your tail out here!" She shouted. She saw Duncan jump the pasture fence and ran towards her. "Help him find something else to wear. Pull out dad's old jeans and t-shirts." She said. He sighed. "Yes, ma'am." He rolled his eyes. "Come on, partner." He pushed on Anakin's arm, running up the porch and pulling the screen door back.
"So hows the truck?" Nelly asked, pulling the rubber band out of her hair. "Almost done." Ahsoka said, wiping her oily hands on her dress, leaving a black stain. Nelly stopped, flipped her head down and ruffled her hair, shaking the dirt and straw out. Not to mention sawdust. She flipped her hair back and ruffled it again. "Come on." She said. Ahsoka stared at her hair. "Hope you don't mind me saying, but I really like your hair. Color suits you perfectly." Ahsoka smiled. Nelly smiled. "Thanks. It's in need of a cut though." She shrugged. "Oh, no! Where I come from, the longer your hair is, the more power you have." She said. Nelly reached for her hair... "Well, learn something knew everyday. Come on, babe." She lead her inside and up the steps, coming around to her room. "Sorry this place is such a mess. I haven't been able to sort it out over the barn, truck, and loft. Not to mention I've got a new hole in the roof to fix. Thank your friend for that." Nelly grumbled.
Ahsoka looked around at her room... Her bed was covered in a silk sheet that had a black comforter over it with a silk pillow. "How is..." Ahsoka started but bit her tongue. "How is the bed sheets nicer than the house? Don't worry, babe. I get asked that a lot! They were my mother's sheets... She slept in these a night before she was killed. Along with my father." She said. Ahsoka held her breath. "I didn't mean to offend you." She said.
"Offended? No. Disappointed, yes... They never found their killer. Still running around out there. Come on, babe. I'll get you something else to wear." Nelly opened up her closet and gave Ahsoka a pair of dark denim jeans with holes in the knees and tears at the heels. They were tight on her thighs and her legs. So they might fit Ahsoka perfectly. She also fished out a white tank top and a large plaid button up shirt. Nelly turned around, waiting for Ahsoka's OK.
And then turned back around... "Not bad. But, I think it would be better this way," Nelly took the bottom corners of the unbuttoned shirt and tied them in a knot at her stomach. She folded back the cuffs on her wrists and snapped them, popping the collar. "Much better." Nelly grinned. And then Ahsoka looked down at her bare feet. "Oh, right. I'm sure you'll wanna keep them clean... Ah!" She stepped on a chest, reaching onto the shelf and pulling out a pair of old converse that might be her size. They had paint covering them. Nelly painted them once, just for laughs. She jumped off the chest and in front of Ahsoka. She gave her a pair of white ankle socks and gave her the converse. Ahsoka pulled them on and had trouble tying them.
Nelly got down on her knees and tied her shoes. "Why are you being so nice to us? How do you know we aren't delusional or homicidal maniacs?" Ahsoka said. Nelly smirked, looking at Ahsoka's foot, tying the last knot. "No Homicidal maniac would be bickerin' like a married couple, babe. When you live in Texas, you pick up on a few things. Come on," She finished off with her and walked up to Duncan's room, knocking on the door.
"'Ey, Duncan! You two almost done in there?" she yelled. "Open the door, Nells." He echoed back. Nelly flung the door back... Anakin, no longer in his robes, now wearing boot-cut jeans with riding boots on and a white t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. But it didn't hide his two gloved hands. But Nelly let it go. "Perfect. There's just some things that... We can't hide." She glanced at Ahsoka and she touched her head, smiling.
Duncan rolled her eyes and then the phone went off. "I'll get it!" Nelly yelled, running down the stairs and tumbling over the phone. She picked it up and cleared her throat. "Hello?" And then there was yelling. "Are you completely Mental, Nelly?! You don't threaten someone with a gun!" And it continued on. Nelly pulled the phone away from her ear, waiting for it to end...
And then pressed it back. "Mr. Runsten just spread the news out. You threatened him and destroyed his 99 dollar pistol?!"
"Gavin, the prick walked onto our land and tried to touch Midnight!" She yelled back. "OK, don't bitch at me, Nelly." He said. She ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I don't have time to talk, I've got visitors-"
"Visitors?! What kind?" Was he smiling? She could just tell. "Any of your business, Gav? OK, the girl here probably wouldn't wanna hook up with you anyway. I can Tell she's got her standards." Nelly laughed. "Who is it?" Duncan said from the stairs. "Gavin." She said.
"Well, Nelly, I'm getting' desperate. This town is in the middle of bum-fuck Egypt! No hot chicks ever come out here." He said. "Well, what do you call me? Chopped liver?"
"No. You don't count... When exactly am I getting my horse?" He said. "I knew you'd say that. Dixie's gonna be loaded tomorrow. We'll drive her out to town. You got the cash for it, right?" She said. "Yeah, you know I do!"
Nelly smiled. "Gotta run, Gav. You'll get Dixie around 10." She said. "Alright. Give my regards to the guests." He said. "Shut up." She slammed the phone down and rubbed her head before she yawned... "Tired, Nelly?" Duncan asked her. "Yeah." She fought it, trying to speak. "You should get some sleep." He suggested. "No, there's way too much to do around here and-" He cut her off. "Too bad! I'll have them help me. Something tells me they will be used to manual labor..." He shrugged. Nelly sighed. "If it'll shut you up, fine." A few minutes passed before they heard a loud whinny. Nelly glanced at Duncan before they both darted out the front door, tumbling down the steps. The fence! It was knocked down!
"Oh... That mono-maramount man has gone too damn far!" Nelly shouted... And she saw Dixie galloping away. "Dixie! Come back!" Duncan shouted. Too late. She was already out of sight. "We gotta go after her or we lose a sale!" She said. "Figured that! You think those freshman can ride?" He asked. She shrugged. "Only one way to find out... Hey foreigners! Get down here!" Duncan shouted. They heard loud banging and the two came out the doors. "What is it?" Ahsoka asked. "One of our horses ran away. Can you two ride?" She asked. They looked at each other... And then back at them. "I'll take that as a no. OK, babe, follow me." Nelly grabbed Ahsoka's hand and lead her to the stables. "OK, Iron Man... Ever seen a horse before?" Duncan said to Anakin. He shook his head. "Welcome to Texas, bud. Lets move!"