The Words He Never Said: The Wyvern Arrives Part XV
"What possessed you do go after such a dangerous criminal like that?!" Kara kept her lips pressed tightly together to prevent her from saying something that would earn her another hour worth of scolding from her cousin.
"You almost got yourself killed over him… what were you thinking?!" Clark bellowed.
"Clark, calm down." Lois was trying to get her husband's shouting down to a more acceptable level (the people down the block could probably hear him…)
"You're making too big a deal out of this!" his wife admonished.
"Lois, I was told by Bruce that his left shoulder and collar bone were broken and his right shoulder was dislocated. That is a big deal." Clark pointed out.
"He hurt him." Kara finally spoke up.
"What?" Clark was incredulous at the statement.
"He hurt CJ and his family. I didn't want that to happen again." Kara held her cousin's gaze as she spoke.
"I wasn't about to let a friend be hurt like that. I care about him too much to see him cry again." Clark seemed shocked at her comments.
"Kara, you barely know him. Even Bruce and Diana don't know this person that claims to be their son." he argued.
"Diana has a special bond with him." Kara admitted.
"She has a what?" he'd never heard of this from Diana.
"She has an empathetic bond with CJ." She clarified "She can tell if he's in danger or happy, she can feel his emotions. She said it's a bond she has with a part of her soul."
"Okay, the Lotus is prepped with a full tank. You still think this is a good idea CJ? It's not too late to go to Miami or the Bahamas." Deus tried to reason.
"I'll never understand how some people can spoil such a work of art with an automatic transmission." CJ joked as he settled behind the wheel of his seventeenth birthday present.
"CJ, I'm serious bro… this could turn out bad." Deus stated.
"You have a virus or something Deus?" CJ was really shocked. "What? No, why?" the OS almost sputtered.
"Because, and correct me if I'm wrong, you told me ages ago there were things I should have said when I had the chance." CJ recalled.
"You actually mean to go through with telling her?" he could almost see Dues jumping for joy.
"It's like mitera said Deus, I have made the choice to start over here. Besides, it's what they would've wanted." Deus knew he was remembering his sisters and how much they enjoyed spending time with Kara. While his life had been marred with a great many tragedies, CJ was determined not to let this opportunity slip away.
"That could be some magical aspect of his armor, didn't they say it was forged by Hephaestus?" Clark huffed.
"Diana would know if it was that Clark. She'd be able to tell if CJ was lying to her." Lois spoke up.
"Lois, he could be using Diana's emotions to." Clark's argument was cut off.
"Oh enough of this shit! I can't believe you're standing here trying to bash the son of your two best friends." Kara could no longer hold her tongue at Clark's asinine excuse for reasoning. "Why do you hate someone that proves they can be happy? Don't Bruce and Diana deserve even a little of what you and Lois have?"
"He isn't even from this world Kara!" Clark spoke, as if that argument proved his point.
"Newsflash Kal-El, neither are we." Kara turned & walked out of Lois and Clark's apartment, leaving her cousin unsure of how much worse he may have made things.
As he approached the outskirts of Metropolis CJ was already planning what to do if things didn't go exactly as he hoped. 'With any luck she'll be there in the next few days. Nothing in the rules against me scouting the club out first.' He'd remembered Cassie and Kara talking about A.C's Club, the most popular nightclub in Metropolis. Knowing he'd have no issues with getting into the upscale club CJ calmly drove through downtown Metropolis, taking in the sights of the city, and drawing more than a few curious glances at his car.
Kara ignored the pick up lines thrown in her direction as she walked to the main entrance of the club. "Hey Kara, everything alright?" the bouncer asked.
"I guess Mo, is A.C in?" Kara seemed eager to get away from the crowd outside.
"Yeah, boss lady's here. You having family issues?" Mo asked knowingly.
"You nailed it. I found a nice guy that isn't spoken for, but my cousin is in over protection mode." she admitted.
"No worries Kara," the head of security at the club met her just before the door. "A.C has an ear for you to bend and your favorite tea to let the conversation go on."
"That your way of saying your girl talks too much Ty?" Kara joked.
"You'll never hear those words come out of my mouth Kara." She laughed as she spotted her friend at the bar and made her way over.
As he'd expected, his silver Lotus was not that out of place at the club.
'I'll have to remember to thank Deus for the suggestion on the car.' As he handed the keys to the valet he could sense the eyes of many of the patrons watching him. Not for the first time, he was glad he could only sense his mother's emotions.
'Kind of the last nail in the coffin of my argument.' CJ thought as he made his way to the door.
"Dude, no cuts!" CJ turned, sensing the hand that was about to be placed on him.
The young man appeared to be in his early to mid twenties and his looks spoke to a great deal of time nursing a narcissistic streak. CJ's initial glare, even with his sunglasses on, was enough to stop him. For good measure CJ lowered his sunglasses, he'd purposely left out his concealing contacts and his slit pupil gaze caused the clubber to run away as fast as he could. As he continued to the door, he felt more intense stares from the women waiting to get into the club.
"Hold up just one sec there man." The large bounder reached over for a concealed object, though CJ saw just over two dozen ways to render him unable to fight if he pulled a weapon.
"Precaution for everyone." He replied as he waived the metal detector over CJ. "Thanks by the way."
"About?" CJ asked, a little confused.
"That punk ass little bastard you chased off. Saves me from having to turn him away. Guys got more restraining orders than he has hours at the gym." Despite his build and intimidating demeanor, he used impeccable grammar. "You're good to go sir."
"It's Christian." CJ spoke up.
"What?" the bouncer was obviously caught a bit off guard.
"My name is Christian, but, my friends call me CJ." he pointed out.
"Making more friends Mo?" a new voice broke in.
"Sup Ty. CJ here helped out with chasing off the Bitchuation." the bouncer laughed.
"Really, thanks man." the newcomer held out a hand.
"My pleasure. Now if you will excuse me gentlemen?" CJ answered after shaking the offered hand.
"Go ahead." The bouncer waived him ahead, though he didn't make much of an effort to hide it, he was still surprised the newcomer almost missed his slipping the hundred dollar bill into the bouncer's jacket pocket.
It never failed, the moment A.C left, she inevitably had a handful of hopeful club goers try to pick her up. She normally at least seemed to ponder their proposals before brushing them off, but tonight, her mind was elsewhere.
"So, what're you drinking beautiful?" She noticed A.C returning to the bar.
"Nothing you're buying." As she tried to make her way to the bar the self nominated leader of the pack tried to stop her.
"Hold up honey, we haven't finished." he spoke up as he moved to put a hand on Kara's arm.
"If you want to keep that hand, don't put it anywhere near me." Despite her being shorter than the obnoxious clubber, Kara's glare and tone of voice sent him towards the other side of the club in all haste. As she glanced back towards her friend, she noticed a commotion amongst the female club goers.
'What is going on?' As she got closer she saw the one person she never expected to run into.
He'd started to regret his choice of attire shortly after entering the club. The gray shirt he had on was form fitting, leaving his physique clearly visible in the lighting of the club.
'This jacket's about useless.' CJ mentally griped as he approached the bar.
He saw a younger bartender start to move towards him, but his movements were aborted as something else caught his attention. As he glanced back CJ saw black streaks highlighting red hair and framing a face that was distractingly attractive.
"What can I get ya babe?" She flashed a smile that he didn't doubt would send most men's minds (as well as a great deal of blood) heading south.
"Tea, or coffee, if that is possible." CJ requested.
"You sure I can't tempt you with something else?" Her voice was practiced to elicit a response, she was good at her craft.
"No, thank you, I will be driving later" CJ admitted.
"Now why can't I meet good looking guys like you more often?" the bartender spoke up, flashing a coy smile.
"I thank my mother for blessing me with intelligence, else I would end up like the rest of this lot." CJ eyed a group of twenty something men laughing at a crude joke.
"So, now you show up at my favorite club. A girl might think you were stalking her."
As she approached the bar she heard his voice, he really was here. Despite A.C's obvious charms, CJ seemed to be holding his ground and not rising to the bait. While Kara found herself hating that CJ was being tested, she was glad that her knowledge of the outcome was proven correct. She caught his comment on getting his brains from his mother, just before the punch line of the lewd joke a group of losers to her left starting giggling like schoolgirls over. A coy smile crossed her lips as she stood behind him and spoke.
"Hello Kara, I didn't expect to see you here." CJ turned as he responded.
"Though, I must admit, I am very pleasantly surprised." His smile matched hers as he looked her up and down, Kara doing the same to him.
"Like what you see CJ?" Kara practically purred.
"Very much so Kara." CJ's own voice seemed low and flirty.
"You sure I can't get you anything else, beer, wine, me bearing your children?" CJ actually looked back at A.C as he spoke.
"You are wearing an engagement ring, I rather doubt your fiancé would appreciate such a proposition." Her smile was one of honest appreciation as she spoke.
"I'll be damned, you were right Kara. A gorgeous guy that doesn't care about his looks and seems to be a one woman man." As he turned CJ missed her signaling the D.J.
"So, what brings you to my side of town?" CJ looked at her quizzically.
"Hey," Kara protested "it's better than 'What's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?'" Now CJ rolled his eyes.
"What's it say when I can predict what your reaction will be." Kara joked.
"That in the short time you've been around me, you've gotten to know me rather well." Kara smiled as the music started.
"All right people, we got a special jam for all y'all couples in the house tonight. Fellas hold your ladies close and let feelings be your guide." the DJ announced.
"So, I take it the proprietors are friends of yours?" CJ glanced back, before A.C. could drop her thumbs up sign. Kara grinned and held her own hand up, her fingers were crossed. As he turned she dropped her hands back to her sides.
"Well," CJ held out his hand "Kara, may I have this dance?" Kara's eyes lit up as a smile spread across her face.
"I take it CJ is the one Kara was talking about?" Ty stood by his fiancé at the bar.
"Yeah," A.C. sighed
"Kara was right, he's absolutely perfect." Ty smirked as he spoke up. "Well, then I'm glad he's spoken for."
On the dance floor the slow music was exactly what Kara would have asked for. As she gently wrapped her arms around CJ's neck she felt his arms drawing her closer.
"I have to ask." Her lips were nearly touching his ear. "Just how close were we in your world?"
"I told you the truth when I said you were my closest friend." His head was bent down, his face almost touching hers.
"You were the only one who survived Earth's destruction. You stayed by my side for two and a half years before you…" As he paused Kara raised her face to look him in the eyes.
"What is it?" Kara could see the pain there as he struggled for the will to speak.
"You sacrificed yourself… to save me." Kara's smile was comforting for him. She knew he was telling her to truth, she could hear his heartbeat.
"You finally told me why you stood with me for so long. What a genius I was, I never saw what was right in front of me." CJ seemed ashamed at his admission.
"That sounds just like me." Her face was alight at how much his world resembled the place he resided in now.
"So, now that you have it to do over again, do you have anything you want to tell me?" Kara hoped the music would hinder his augmented hearing, her heart was beating about a million times faster than normal. As the music ended neither one of them seemed to notice, their eyes were locked onto each other.
"As a matter of fact…" they were moving closer, she could smell his scent, and found that she liked it. He could count her eyelashes and see every curve and twitch of her facial features. They were still moving closer as everything seemed to coalesce into just the two of them. He could almost hear Aphrodite giggling
'One Wayne bachelor down, one to go.' Then his mind, for the first time, ceased to function and his heart took over. He finally let go of the last bit of guilt he'd harbored over Kara's sacrifice and he chose to go down the path he had not gone prior. Their lips met…
A/N: Okay, for all those who suspected; yes. I had always planned on having CJ and Kara become a couple throughout the course of the story. Also, expect more issues with CJ… remember that he still has the death of his own universe and family weighing on him.