Chapter 32-Guy Stuff

Standing on the pier Jay bid Hammer, Weasel, and Jaffa farewell. Jaffa had decided there was no place for him with the Mallrats, Pirates, and other Fleur Isle inhabitants. And nobody would miss him, not even Salene, who had saved his life, had given much concern for his deciding to depart. Thus he took Liv's place on the slave trading boat, as the woman had decided to stay claiming there was no home to go back to.

"Where are you going to go?" Jay asked Hammer. It was mid morning now, almost noon. He couldn't understand the rush to leave.

"I'm going home," Hammer told him, "Believe it or not I have a wife to get back to."

Jay fought to hide his surprise, he hadn't imagined someone so intimidating to have a wife. "And what about the slave traders?"

"These dirty scoundrels are gonna learn some hard work," said the bigger man pointing at the five men tied up like a chain gang on deck.

"And you two? What will you do?" he asked Weasel and Jaffa.

Jaffa shrugged, "It's time to re-invent myself. Now that I'm sane, I need a fresh start far away from the people I've hurt."

Weasel shrugged as well,"I never had a home can't hurt to watch these five suffer. Wish Liv was coming, she sure is pretty," he smirked.

Jay laughed, "She's a lively one, I think she's gonna cause quite a stir around here. Maybe you're better off."

"Besides she may be blind, but I don't think you're her type," Hammer patted Weasel on the back, "She seems to take a liking to your brother though," he said to Jay, "better watch out for her."

He nodded, "It's not just Ved it is Darryl and KC too. KC's the only bachelor, she's got her work cut out for her."

"Well mate, if the misses and I are ever this way again, we'll drop in. But I've been gone for too long, we better head out. It's a three day journey!"

Jay nodded, giving the boat a tap to let them know they were clear to go, "Take care of yourselves."

"You too. Tell the misses it's been a pleasure."

Ruby had been more than hospitable toward the two men and Liv who had made sure Jay returned safely to her. After Ved's proposal to Cloe there was no need explaining why he'd been out there in the rainforest anyhow. And Ruby didn't ask. She was just thrilled to have Jay back.

The boat roared to life as Hammer disappeared behind the helm. As the boat began to jut through the water away from the pier, Jaffa seemed to have something to say. Jay strained to listen, but all he heard was, "They're coming."

Everyone had always said he was a nut case. Perhaps this was one of those times. He nodded at the man and sat on the pier a long time watching them fade into the horizon.

It was clear to him he had lost the game to Slade where Ebony was concerned. He had admitted that defeat even before it was Ruby coming to his rescue that morning. Like Ved had said Ebony had moved on. Now it was his turn.

"I hope you know you were almost short a Ruby yesterday," Slade sat down beside him.

He hadn't heard anyone approaching, but he wasn't startled, "Do I want to
know why?"

"Ruby has it in her mind that you and Ebony are involved in some sort of relationship."

Jay opened his mouth to speak, but Slade interrupted, "The thing is if I didn't wake up with her and Thunder by my side every morning I'd think the same thing. Now I've been nice and I've ignored it, but enough is enough, you need to back off."

"Or what?" Jay asked though he had already surrendered this fight. He was just taken aback by this conversation. Slade had never seemed like the in your face type.

"I don't need to threaten you, I've already won," he said standing up.

With a bitter, yet defeated tone Jay simply replied, "Good luck holding onto her."

Slade winced internally, but didn't let it show to Jay. He simply walked away leaving the other man to think. Jay could have had everything Slade now clung to, but he threw it away by falling in love with Amber.

Jay could still have all that with Ruby he realized, but he hadn't expected it to be so hard to let go of the past. Now it was truly time. He loved Ruby. He knew that for sure, and she had stuck by him even in his confused state. If that wasn't true love, then he didn't know what love was.

It was time to start showing her the love and respect she unwaveringly showed him. He stood up, feeling as if a heavy burden had lifted off of him, and made his way back to the hotel.

~0~

"It's too hot for these uniforms," Dragon complained as he and Kyra combed through Krait island in search of the village or at least the farmer's trade market.

"I told you to change out of the stupid thing in the first place," Kyra rolled her eyes. At times Dragon was just like the boy he'd been as a child. Hard-headed and silly.

"Never heard you refer to one of your designs as stupid before," he smirked.

The Technos had started out in basic training military wear. But Ram thought camouflage was too cliche for the Technos. At the time the empire was growing and Dragon had started heading up troops. So Kyra went rummaging through the city at HQ and found a single black, lycra one piece. From there it transformed into a two piece because they needed something comfortable yet asserting. With a few added "Tech" designs, she presented it to Ram, and he had been pleased.

Now years later she sometimes hated herself for it. It wasn't always the most comfortable or appeasing outfit.

"Well I had only been trying to please the man. I didn't think we'd be wearing them for so long."

Dragon smiled, "You had a crush on him."

"I did not."

"Did too! You were always at his beck and call, you and Tai-San."

"He had a way with women okay!?" Kyra blushed, "How else do you think he scored two wives? Sisters at that?"

"Beats me, the boy was petrified of germs."

They laughed and continued walking. Kyra shook her head, " I don't think we're going in the right direction," she looked at her compass, "Do you hear that?"

Dragon nodded, "Sounds like a waterfall."

"Dang it, we were supposed to head right, not left!" she said in frustration, pocketing the compass.

"Well it can't hurt to cool off before we correct ourselves."

Kyra shrugged and followed him towards the sound of the rushing waterfall. She nearly ran into him as he stopped abruptly in front of her.

"What?!" she walked around him to witness what he saw.

At the edge of the pool of the waterfall, there stood a woman frozen in shock at the two intruders. Attached to her was a sling hammock carrying a baby.

"Oh I see," Kyra smirked, as her brother struggled to find his voice, "It's been a couple years, but no other woman can leave my brother speechless."

Finally Dragon found his voice, "Éowyn?"

~0~

Danni and the others had been on land for an hour, bored and hungry while Kyra and Dragon went in search of the Krait Village.

"I wonder what's taking them so long," Patsy wondered.

The two men Kyra regarded as her navigator and weatherman, Skipper and Geo, were left to keep watch of the boat while Patsy, Danni, and Josh sat on the beach. There was an abandoned fale they could've sat in, but it didn't look too safe.

"Well with Dragon a numerous of reasons, if Kyra wasn't with him," Danni laughed, "we just gotta be patient Pats."

Patsy who had been pacing, suddenly slumped into the sand beside her, "Do you ever miss it...ya know home?"

Danni's smile faded. It was apparent she was speaking of the mall and not Techno HQ.

"That place holds nothing but bad memories, I don't miss it at all."

The younger girl frowned I do sometimes. I miss Cloe especially, I bet you miss Br..."

"Don't you dare say that name! He left me to die at the hands of the Tai-San and the Chosen."

"I bet he tried to save us Danni."

"No! I never meant anything to him. I should have listened to Salene when I had the chance."

"Salene?" Josh's interest grew in the conversation.

"She was a Mallrat, I'm sure you came in contact with them in your role as Mega, I bet you even knew Bray's precious Amber unless of course Salene finally got what she wanted."

Amber. Now that name surely struck Josh as familiar, even Bray had a familiar ring. "I think I knew them both," he said with some distaste. He must not have cared much for Amber as Mega.

Just as Danni was about to respond to his tone, through the two great palms and flowers Dragon and Kyra had disappeared earlier, three figures emerged. Patsy's eyes gleamed while Danni's rolled.

"I guess we know what was taking so long."

"It's always a pleasure to see you too Danni," Éowyn responded, shifting the sling that carried Keahi.

Danni smiled at the sling, "Boy or girl?"

Éowyn knew exactly what Danni was thinking, she was sure that everyone was thinking Keahi was her child. But she knew Danni's asking was only to smite her. The two girls had never gotten along. Danni didn't know it, but Éowyn knew how the woman felt about Dragon, and she knew how Dragon felt about Danni. It's part of the reason she left Techno Island in the first place. She had been gone for so long it wouldn't surprise her if they were a couple.

"Boy," she said lifting the baby out of the sling. He squinted at the sunlight turning his head into her chest. She could see Dragon avert his eyes out of the corner of her eye, "Isn't he adorable," she asked returning him to the comfort of the carrier.

"He is," Patsy and Kyra agreed.

"You haven't introduced me to your friend," she told them. Josh was staring at her clearly aware of the little game she and Danni were playing.

"He's no friend of my," Dragon spat.

"Well he's my friend, and his name is Josh," Danni went and stood by the man, taking his hand in hers.

Josh sensed the dislike between Danni and the woman, but he was polite. With his free hand he shook Éowyn's outstretched one.

"Careful Josh, she's strong, she could break that arm of yours right off."

Éowyn clenched her jaw. That was initially how she and Danni met. She had accidentally broken her sparring partner's arm in practice and had to take him to see the doctor who unfortunately was Danni.

"Skipper and Geo are onboard," Kyra said. She could feel tensions rising.

"Splendid. Get them on land and I'll show you guys the village. The famer's trade took a beating once some slave traders came through here yesterday, but they didn't get away with too much of this week's harvest."

Kyra smiled, "Good thing. We're famished. I can't wait to meet Charis."

"I'm sorry you won't get the chance," Éowyn answered sadly.

"Why?"

"She's dead."

"That's too bad," Danni said.

"Shall we get moving? If I'm gone for too long Kai will come looking, he's a bit overprotective," she said ignoring Danni's comment. Charis' death still lay heavy on her heart.

"Let me just fetch the guys," Kyra said.

When they had returned Éowyn led them on a trail to Krait Village. It was a good thing they had taken a wrong turn and ended up at the waterfall with her. With her leading, no one would try to kill them on arrival.

~0~

Ram sat in a chair opposite the stove watching Trudy going through the motions of cooking. He loved watching her. He used to think maybe she was a basket case given her history, but then he started getting to know her. She was merely a girl who got dealt a bad hand early in life. She did what she had to do to survive and protect her daughter. Now she kept those sad parts of her locked away, but sometimes he caught a glimpse of them. She was like a puzzle he couldn't quite make out and he liked that.

She turned around with a huge smile on her face, "I want to make Cloe and Ved something special for their engagement, but…" she began when she noticed a doofy smirk on his face, "what? Is there something on my face?"

"I was just enjoying the view," he approached her, stroking her cheek.

She blushed, "No flirting while I'm cooking," she said smiling. It still surprised her he could be so doting.

He stole a kiss, "Well then you shouldn't be so alluring."

Once Trudy recovered from the kiss, she was still blushing, "That's it, you're banned from the kitchen. I'll never get this recipe right with you here."

"Fine, I'll go," he gave her a pouty face. It was one Brady gave him all the time when she wanted piggy back rides.

She laughed, "It doesn't work when Brady does it. Out you go!"

He kissed her cheek, "Alright. There's something I need to do anyhow."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really, guy stuff."

She laughed, "Guy stuff? Like with Jack and Slade?"

He smirked, "Contrary to their beliefs I can hold a wrench!"

She was still laughing when he left. Contrary to everyone's beliefs, he could hold a wrench. But that's not the kind of guy stuff he was up to.

"Hey Jay," he called to the man who was walking the same path.

"You're in a chummy mood," Jay responded.

"The guys and I are planning something special for tomorrow."

"The guys?"

"Well Ved proposing got us all thinking. We're meeting right now in the lounge, in fact I'm a little late."

"What are we all thinking about?"

"Don't you check the calendar anymore?"

"What for?"

"To keep track of important dates like say…Valentine's Day!"

"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day?" Jay's grin grew into a smile, "Well that's perfect!"

It was Ram's turn to ask the questions, "Perfect for what?"

"To begin smoothing things out with Ruby."

"Well then put some pep in your step, the guys are waiting."