Chapter 11: Party

Tai-san had managed to get almost everyone in the mood for a party. The rains had stopped and it just seemed like a party was needed.

Gel on the other hand was hard to reason with.

"Gel please," Jack was begging. They needed music for the party and she was the only air-head to grab any in the event of running for their lives.

"No, no, no, no, no, and no!" She shouted, "I'm not coming and neither is any of my music, and that's a shame cause I have darn good taste."

Alice cracked her knuckles, "Let me handle this."

Jack smiled at the fear that swept over Gel's face, "No Al, I got this. What if I promise you a dance with Lex?"

"He's a pig! No!"

Jack was losing his patience, "What do you want from us?"

"To be left alone!" she slammed the door in his face.

He grunted. Alice smirked, "You should of let me handle it."

Jack scowled at her then a light bulb went on in his head. "Shampoo, what if I get you shampoo?"

The door opened a crack, "Well why didn't you say so, here," Gel opened the door handing him her cd case.

He relished in his victory and headed back to the Rec room. It was time to get the party started.

The last thing May wanted was a party. She was more interested in getting off the island. She was no paradise flower; she was an alley cat, a city crawler. She missed cement and tar land. The closest she got to that on the island was a strip of corroding road that she didn't dare explore in fear of running into the Technos.

"You want something to drink?" Trader nudged her. He had noticed she was standing by herself off in a corner.

"Unless it's some real hard stuff, which it's not, no."

An awkward silence fell between them. Trader didn't know how to tell May that what went down between them was something special to him. It wasn't just some sleazy trade for him when it came to May. He had developed something for her. She was a plague suffocating his mind.

"You uh…want to hit the dance floor?" he asked.

May laughed, "You and me? No, I don't think so," she walked off leaving him alone.

"Love Jones," a voice helped him sober from the rejection.

"What?" he asked the voice. Turning to see her face, it was Amber.

"You're sick with love for her. I can see it in your eyes and demeanor," Amber smirked.

"Yeah. But some things have gone down between her and me, stuff I don't think she can overlook, and that I know I'm guilty of."

"You'll never know, unless you try…why don't you just tell her."

"Like I've said, we've had this on and off relationship. She wanted me at one point, but now she can't stand me. And why? Because I'm a sleazy trader. So of course using that four letter word with her is out of the question."

"I see…" Amber nodded. At least he admitted he was a sleazy trader and that he had some faults.

Amber looked around once more for Bray who had disappeared. A pang of sadness swept over her, but quickly faded. Maybe if he saw her dancing with Trader when he reappeared he'd pay her a bit of attention.

"How about a dance? Since my date has disappeared and May isn't interested. Let's show them both what they're missing out on."

Trader smiled, "It can't hurt," he extended an arm grabbing the one she was offering.

Bray sat alone underneath the stars thinking.

He loved Amber, he truly did, but something or rather someone had interfered with their love. Some things he couldn't overcome.

There was someone else who had stolen his heart while being with the Technos. It shouldn't have been there for her to steal. It should have been drenched in Amber's name, but it wasn't, and he let it get taken over by another woman.

What had been innocent flirting between captor and captive flourished into a dangerous relationship. It's why he was deported, shipped away. She had requested it in fear of him getting hurt.

He thought being back around the Mallrats and with Amber again, seeing her, seeing his son, and being far away from Kyra would be enough. That he could play house with Amber and things would be fine. But he found himself thinking of her every waking moment he was with Amber. It's the reason he requested Amber and he sleep in separate rooms.

"You're missing the party," Ebony sat next to him.

"You are too if you're out here. Besides I'm not in a partying mood, I've got a lot on my mind."

Ebony peered at him in the starlight, "I know you Bray, you've got a woman on your mind, and it ain't Amber, otherwise you'd be inside dancing with her instead of Trader. Who is she?"

"You're not going to take this and crush Amber's spirit are you?"

Ebony pretended to be wounded, "Ouch," she smirked. "Tonight I'm turning over a new leaf with you, no scheming. You mean a lot to me, and I just want to see you happy."

"What have you done to Ebony?" he looked at her in mock fright.

"She's hiding behind an enlarged abdomen, swollen feet, and love for something growing inside of her that she hasn't even met yet."

Bray chuckled, "I don't remember Amber being this different when she was pregnant."

"Well everybody's different, besides this transformation began before the pregnancy. But enough about me, who's this woman?"

"Her name is Kyra. We had a…fling…one all too dangerous. Kyra was a Techno."

"Sounds like Jay and I."

"You and him…whoa."

"Yeah. Amber managed to steal him away from me like she did you. She got a dose of her own medicine though, well maybe double dose seeing how Trudy had him for five minutes, now Ruby's got him. Is she going for a triple dose?" Ebony got excited.

"I don't know…I may never see Kyra again."

"So you stick it out with someone you don't love?"

"Yes…no…I don't know. I mean I do love Amber, but her name isn't written between the walls of my heart. She's just the mother of my child and the first woman I let toy with my heart next to you."

"What does your heart tell you now?" Ebony said after some silence.

"I don't know…Kyra stole it."

"Then you have your answer."

"I do?" he looked at her with a quizzical expression.

"Your heart belongs to her. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you can't string Amber along any further, it's not fair to her or your son."

Bray was speechless. Ebony was so understanding, so kind. Had he never saw the real her because he never gave her a real chance? Had he been the cause of all her evil, scheming, and self-centered ways?

More silence fell between them, then Bray spoke, "What really brought you out here?"

"Intuition," she smirked, "that and the temptation."

"Temptation?" he questioned.

"Well it's not really a party with the Mallrats unless something goes wrong," she smirked.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing…yet," she made her way to Slade as everyone filtered out of the boring little Rec room. They were attracted to the beautiful night sky, one they hadn't seen since the rains began.

Bray noticed Ebony winked at him as he gave her one last curious look. Amber then threw herself in his lap and made to kiss him when a water balloon hit her.

The culprit had been a very giggly Brady in Trudy's arms.

Bray laughed as Amber jumped up, "Clever. She's definitely got her father's sense of humor, come here," he began to chase after his niece who had managed to escape her mother's arms.

Ebony pitched a water balloon at him. Then suddenly there were water balloons flying everywhere, letting the good times begin.

He smiled at Ebony, "I knew you were up to something. Even got the youngsters involved."

Ebony returned the smile and went back to war with the others. She had found the balloons in the Rec room when they first cleaned it out. Three giant bags, unopened. Most of them were useless, but there just enough to fill and scheme to have a great time.

A great time most of them hadn't experienced since the virus hit.