Dream Dresses and Dating Disasters
It was very late by the time Rebecca finally got home from work. She was so exhausted she felt almost dead. It wasn't just from saving the people trapped in the sweltering and smoky Children's Hospital inferno either. She was just so worn out from everything that the day had handed her she just want to sleep for a week. She barely made it home without falling asleep behind the wheel.
"What a day! I wonder what Mom and Warren have been up to since I left this morning?" she wondered out loud as she entered her building. It seemed to take forever for the elevator to get down the ground floor still she just got on and pressed the button. Yawning loudly she got off on the top floor and used her key to open her door.
Walking little by little over the threshold she dumped her keys on the petite oak table adjacent to the door. Yawning once more she wiped the sleep from her luminous sapphire eyes and called out, "Honey! I'm home! Hello! Anyone home? Mom? Warren? Anybody here?"
For a few minutes there was nothing but silence then it was broken by a loud burst of popping. She screamed for a second thinking that someone was firing guns in her apartment. However, the popping wasn't because of guns. It was party poppers and standing in front of her was Warren holding a beautifully frosted and delicious looking cake. Her mom was also holding a large gift in her hands. Rebecca blinked for a few moments and realized that not only was her mom and Warren in the room but also her best girlfriends Kendra, and Lena, in addition to both of their dates were here as well.
"What the hell is going on, Mom?" inquired Rebecca in a stunned tone of voice as she gazed around her home.
Her mom frowned a bit but pulled herself back together rather quickly. "Rebecca, I'm sure you can be a bit more polite then that," she started to say before Rebecca rudely cut in before her mom could finish what she had been trying to say.
"Mom, for starters, hell ain't a bad word. There are no "Good" or "Bad" words. Words are just words and only mean something if you make them mean something. Furthermore, Mom, there ain't such a thing as a lady or gentleman anymore. Everyone cusses and get with the time already! I mean, hello! It's 2040! Get use to it!"
"Rebecca," her mom said sternly. Rebecca looked a bit apologetic at her mom and gave her a repentant expression so her mom would take her unspoken request for forgiveness. Judging from her mom's expression she had accepted her daughter's apology without further problems.
Though to be perfectly honest everyone in the room did agree with her outburst. It was high time the world realized that it for one, ain't perfect, two that again there were no bad words, and finally just get with the times and stop living in the biblical era. After all women by now were a lot more then just simple homemakers as well as feeding the camels. Women in this day and age could if truth be told do a lot more extraordinary things and hold 'powerful' jobs.
"So, Mom, what's with this party? I mean I've got nothing to celebrate at the moment. I mean I've already had my birthday, so what's with the cake and gift?" she asked confused to her mom.
Barbara smiled at her only child with much love. "We're having a pre-celebration for your nomination to the Law and Order Hall of Fame Awards. I thought we could have a small party. If that is alright with you, darling."
"Yeah, Becky, there's no reason we can't celebrate a little early! Let's have some fun tonight!"
"Well, when you put it that way, I'd be glad for a party. Let's me just go freshen up a bit and I'll be right back."
In about twenty minutes the party was in full-swing. Everyone was enjoying Warren's cake and the gift that Barb had gotten for her daughter was beautiful. She'd gotten her daughter an amethyst amulet which would look lovely on her special night.
"Thank you so much, Mom. I really love it! Thanks so much!" she replied gratefully as she hugged her mother tightly.
"You're welcome, sweetheart. I can't wait to see you wear it. Neither can the rest of the family," she added to her daughter confusion. Rebecca cocked a single eyebrow and gazed her stunning blue eyes into her mom's.
"What are you talking about, Mom? First off, the awards dinner isn't for another two and half weeks. Secondly, isn't Daddy super busy dealing with that crazy new cult that sweeping Gotham? How is it possible to have him here for my special night?"
Even though the question had been intended to her mom, it was Kendra whom replied, "Well, that was goin' to be a surprise for you, however now that the cat's out the bag, I guess we can tell you the secret. So, I'll tell you, girlfriend. As you know and probably everyone in this room knows as well, I might add. I've been working as your assistant for the past six and half years," Kendra started to give an explanation, in a proud tone, when Rebecca spoke for a second time, not meaning to be discourteous, despite the fact that she was to some extent.
"And, Kendra you've served me extraordinarily well. I wouldn't be able to do anything devoid of you. Sorry, I probably shouldn't interrupt. Sorry about that. Carry on. You're saying?"
"Well, thanks for the compliment, my friend. Furthermore I accept your apology. So as I was saying I was working with you're mom today and doing my other duties, of course. I was checking your schedule out and talking with your mom about the rest of your family. So after many phone calls and double checking and even triple checking I got it all worked out for the next two and half weeks."
"So what has your incredible mind and organization skills come up with?" she asked her blushing along with attractive assistant who pulled out her I-tablet and pressed a button. She scanned the screen for a few moments and then looked up, her teal eyes bursting with richly deserved pride.
"Well, it seems your father, Sam Young, has gotten a lot help dealing with that new cult, with the help of the Batclan," Kendra started to say while glancing at Barb. As police commissioner she wasn't sure how Barb felt about the Batclan. Barb could see Kendra seemed to be pleading to her for an answer so she gave her one. And it was a much unexpected one at that.
"I must admit that neither my husband nor I were at first comfortable or accepting of the Batclan. After all they do technically operate outside the law," she said with a sigh. She took off her glasses for a few seconds to clean them off. She then got a proud smile of her own on her delicate features and continued on,
"Nevertheless, without their help many lives would've been lost, including my husband's on more then one occasion I might add. I guess Gotham will until the end of time need Batman and his team. I though cannot be my father and have a more personal relationship with the Batclan."
"It seems to me," Lena spoke up for the first time as she sipped the last of her ginger ail, "That humanity will for ever and a day need some type of hero, someone who is courageous as well as compassionate, and is willing to take one of the biggest risks ever. For Gotham it's the Batclan, for Eco-City its Sparrow Hawk. Every now and then heroes just aren't the ones who carry a badge. I wouldn't mind getting to know Sparrow Hawk more personally."
Warren held up a hand like he was answering a question in school, and everyone looked at him in surprise. "That all nice and all, but can we please get back on topic here? And hurry, my desserts almost done and I don't want to ruin it."
"Good point, Warren. We did kinda get lost in transaction. So back to me," Kendra said as she reclaimed control of the conversation. "I've done a ton of work and with the help of your hometown heroes, the Batclan; it seems that your father will be able to attend the awards ceremonial dinner."
"That's wonderful! I can't wait to see Daddy again! The best part will be having him come here to my city to see me! Oh, it's a dream come true!" Rebecca exclaimed happily as she jumped up and down and clapped her hands in joy.
"That's not the best part, sweetheart."
"What is then, Mom?"
"The rest of our extended family is coming."
"You mean everyone else is coming? The twins, Max, the Tans, and Bruce and Ace are coming too?"
"Yes, dear, they're coming to see you on your special night. So I think Kendra here is gonna be busy finding them all a place to stay. But that not what we'll worry about tonight."
"No, we won't. So what else is coming up?"
"Well," Lena said as she tossed back her lengthy raven tresses over her shoulders, "We still have to go wedding dress shopping tomorrow. I'd like all the girls to come; of course, I mean I need my girlfriends there! Warren, you can come along too if you want, I just hope that much estragon is alright with you. But it could still be some fun. Could you please come, Ms. Gordon? My own mom can't make it and I feel somewhat better if a mom came along to help me choose."
"I'll come, Lena, dear. Though, I hope I don't sound too insensitive, but why can't your own mom make it?"
Lena didn't speak for a few moments. She looked a bit beside herself as well as nearly in tears. Her fiancé hugged her tightly and dried her tears, and she finally replied "My mom, Vanessa, unfortunately cannot make it. Even if she did live in this city, which she sadly doesn't, she couldn't make it. My parents live in another city in an entirely different state. You see, six months ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she currently at a cancer treatment center, about to get a mastectomy. Hopefully she'll be in better condition to see me wed. Nevertheless she just can't be there to help me shop for the dress. So if you could fill in I'd be deeply grateful."
Barbara looked a bit stunned for a minute, very taken aback by the beautiful Asian woman's answer. Whatever reason she thought that Lena would've said she definitely didn't anticipate that to be the reason, that this young lady couldn't have her own mom there. After all if there were two special events in any mother and daughter's life it was these two, a bride's wedding, and the second most important occasion is the birth of their daughter's first child. Nothing was more special or important then these two events. As a result she felt exceedingly sad that Lena's mom might not even live to see her own daughter's special day.
"I'm really sorry for your sorrow and unfortunate events. I'll gladly give it my best shot to help you find your dream dress."
Lena started to cry both tears of elation and also sadness. It sucked that her own mother was about to get her breast removed, but she was happy that her best friend Rebecca's mom could fill in. So she was both happy and sad at the same time.
"Thank you so much, Ms. Gordon. I'm really thankful for your help."
"Call me Barbara, please, Lena."
"Okay."
Afterwards everyone got right back to partying. They cranked up the tunes and started to have fun dancing and enjoying the cake. The fruit punch that Kendra's date had concocted to go with the cake was perfect. It seemed to Rebecca when she took a breather that Kendra might have found someone to love her. This Ernie Cooper was an extraordinarily benevolent in addition to well-mannered gentleman, and he wasn't bad looking either. He was extremely tall with lovely auburn hair and hazel eyes. As the pair danced under the moonlight it looked at least to Rebecca that they're both genuinely in love with each other. So she hoped that this lead to something more. At the very least the spark was burning brightly indeed.
However all good things come to an end. Around eleven o clock everyone was worn out and their sugar rush had run its course. It was time to get some sleep. So everyone said their goodbyes and left the penthouse. It took though an extra twenty minutes for Rebecca and her mom to clean up the place. One thing neither of them could stand for long was an untidy room.
"Well, that was some party, wasn't it, Becky?" inquired Warren kindly as he finish washing the dishes. He held out the silver serving dish and gazed fondly at his reflection, seeing just how clean it was. His mom was the neat-freak in the family; his dad though was a tad on the sloppy side. Still even he had to agree a clean home made a person feel more proud and happy then a messy one.
The redhead collapsed on her mauve recliner and sighed in tired tone. "It was a great party indeed, my love. However, I really need some sleep! We've got to keep Lena's 9:30 am appointment tomorrow. We've got some great fashion designers here in Eco-City. You saw how popular 'Ivy's boutique' was, remember?"
"That's the store that sells green clothing right, Becky? The one we visited right?"
Nodding she brushed her long hair out of her eyes, "Yes, and that just one of the normal outlets for clothing. We've got an astonishing bridal boutique called "Anya's Bridal Dreams" It's the preeminent bridal shop in the whole city and for many other cities. No store in any of the major cities I know of can beat it. Not in Gotham, nor Metropolis, or even Central City. Anya's dresses come in each and every style known to mankind and are very affordable. They make all the bridal shops look like a kiddy's costume shop in comparison."
"You really love to sing your own praises about this city and its wonders, don't you, Becky?"
"I feel like Eco-City deserves some credit. Being so new and unknown it needs some recognition. So yeah I'm gonna brag a bit. All the same we need to get some sleep. So let's get some shut-eye, alright? I just need to set my security system and I'm off to dreamland!"
First light came all too soon for Rebecca, who was incredibly reluctant to get out of bed at first. Despite the fact that she wasn't hung-over, like some idiots would've been, if they'd been carousing with the poison of alcohol, she was still on the sluggish side. Yet she knew how important this day was to one of her best friends. Therefore she dragged herself out of bed and got dressed.
Already awake was her mom and she could hear the shower going meaning Warren was trying to wake up too. "Hello, Mom."
"Hey, sweetheart, my you look still like you just got out of your grave!"
"If that's your way of saying I look dead tired, then I guess I feel that way. Still I did make a promise and you always told me that one should keep their promises."
"As they say you can't glue back together a broken promise. Lena is counting on you for more then just helping her chose her gown, you know. She needs your love and friendship to help her have hope for her mom."
"I do feel very sorry that she's goin' through something so sad. No-one likes to think that someone they love is dealing with cancer. Even after all this time we've yet to find that cure. I'm wondering if it's even possible to find one. Still it must hurt a lot to lose your breast. I know she needs me to be there for her and I will. Still I can't believe she wants me to marry her and not a pastor or priest. It feels a little weird."
"It may seem to be strange, honey. Yet I think she just really wants to have her friends there for her."
"Yeah, I can remember perfectly the day we first met. It was about three weeks after I moved here. I was the new girl in the city, and unfortunately I accidentally ran a red light, after getting lost on my way to court. I was running behind for one of my first big cases."
"I pretty sure I committed to memory that particular case, given it was your first big one. Wasn't that the one dealing with a young pop star, whose ex-boyfriend was in a near car accident, because they blamed her songs for that?"
"Yeah, it was. The pop superstar was a teenage vocalist named Penna Alicorn. She was sixteen at the time and her ex-boyfriend was a nineteen-year-old male model. He had cheated on her and it was a big scandal. It was on both the Web and all the news channels. Anyway, I was running late that day, and I was in such a hurry I ran a red light. It was Lena who chased me all the way to the courthouse. It was her first day on her job as well. And like me she wanted to make a good impression. She gave me my ticket and a warning but stayed to see the case play out. She'd been on scene for the accident. She turned out to be a surprise witness, because she just happened to have the car accident files on her, and it proved the accident was no accident. The cheater had staged the accident in hopes of winning a lot of money and deliberately damaged his breaks, but unlike if it had been Penna or a fan, he didn't get the lyrics right. So yeah it was my first big case and it formed a bond of friendship I'll never forget."
"And in next to no time afterwards Kendra came to work for you and you three all became best friends, correct?"
"Yeah, that is pretty much how it all occurred. I'm so appreciative for both of them in my life. It's nice to have a good friend. Finding a true friend is harder then most people realize. So yeah we've got to be on our best today to make this all perfect!"
Not long afterwards the entire group got together outside Anya's. The boutique hadn't even opened by the time they'd gotten there. Lena was on pins and needles waiting for the revolving glass doors to open. The doors at last opened up and they hurried inside. Waiting in the cozy reception area the girls just took a deep breath and gazed at all of the mannequins with sample dresses, it was like heaven with dresses of every kind. It was enough for even those not engaged to find a dress. Still both Rebecca and Kendra would have to wait till their boyfriends proposed
"I hope you've got a reasonable budget in mind for this dress, Lena. I understand you yearn for your dream dress, nevertheless, please remember you're only gonna wear it once, so don't spend a zillion creds on it," Warren remarked wisely as he gazed at a strapless sweetheart dress on the left mannequin.
He thought Becky would look divine in that dress. Still he knew the rules. One was one of the most important and came into play today. And that vital rule was no foxes in the henhouse when a bride picked out her dress. The number two rule was it was bad luck to see the bride in the dress before the wedding. So he would've to just dream at the moment. Yet he did remember this was Lena's big day not Becky's.
After waiting for what seemed like forever a young woman with medium length sable hair and green eyes came out. She wore a periwinkle DKNY business suit and looked stunning. She bowed once and spoke with an accent that the group couldn't quite identify.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Angela Destine and welcome to Anya's! We're the best bridal store in the whole city and maybe the whole country. So who today of you lovely three young ladies is the bride?"
"I am, Lena Kohaku. And I brought with me my best girlfriends, Rebecca Young, Kendra Burgess; I also brought along Rebecca's boyfriend Warren, and her mom Barbara."
"Nice to meet all of you, splendid, well this should be an exciting day! So what's your budget for this dress?"
"I'm willing to spend 3000 creds."
"Okay, that sounds reasonable. So what kinda style you looking for? I mean what the dress of your dreams looks like?"
"Well I'm partial to fit and flare style with a semi sweetheart neckline, maybe even some spaghetti straps, because it shows off my hourglass figure. I would like a little ruching on the top not to much beading, maybe a few details."
"Do you have fabric and color choices you want? Where is this wedding being held?"
"I was hoping to get something maybe in organza or silk, no taffeta or satin. I was thinking more of light cream or eggshell, pure white isn't my style. This wedding is taking place in the afternoon at Eve's Eden, the city's park, so I want to be comfortable."
"Now is there a designer we should be looking at?"
"I'm partial to Vera Wang or Kenneth Pool. More so to Kenneth Pool because he's more opened to alterations and time crunches if a problem arises."
"Okay, follow me back and we'll get started," Angela replied as she whisked the Japanese young woman out of the lobby. She soon disappeared around the corner so the group went to the other room to wait for dress number one to be shown.
"I had no idea that trying on a dress came with so many complicated questions or qualifications! I just assumed you found a gown and tried it on. I didn't think that there was that much work into it!" Kendra remarked with a slight yawn. In view of the fact, that she had been on hardly any dates in her life, and hadn't been even proposed to yet, she if truth be told didn't understand the whole process.
"I guess we're all in for a surprise or two. Personally I didn't think it would be so complicated myself, Kendra. Still let's hope this goes smoothly," Rebecca whispered to the fair-haired young lady patiently.
Kendra nodded in agreement and readjusted her seat some so to sit more comfortable. Yet both she and Rebecca looked at all the racks around them and sighed. This could go on for quiet awhile and though they wanted to be supportive to Lena, they knew that both of them really wanted to go out on their own dates later tonight. So hopefully this wouldn't take all day.
They didn't have to wait long though. All eyes and heads snapped to attention after ten minutes of waiting. Angela was leading Lena back into the room with the first pick. Everyone gazed upon her fondly and held their breath.
Lena was wearing an A line gown with a little beading of crystals accenting the waist and trimming the sweetheart neckline.
"Well, ladies and sir? What do you think about this one?" inquired Angela as she helped the policewoman onto the mini stage.
"I think it's lovely and flattering," was the first thing out of Rebecca's mouth. Lena smiled and gave a quick twirl and it just sparkled very beautifully. Rebecca was smiling happily as her friend shimmered so brilliantly.
Personally she really loved the way the crystals caught the light. It was like magical pixie dust causing a glittering effect. Furthermore, the crystals only made her look more like a mythical creature. Warren had been right when he said Lena looked like a naiad, or a water nymph. It was an exotic nevertheless an ageless beauty that Lena possessed. There was no doubt about that, as a result they had to find the right dress to display this quality about her.
"It's a beautiful dress, I'll admit that. It looks charming on you." Barbara commented as she tried to examine it closely. In view of the fact that she was filling in for Lena's mother she had to be careful about how she perceived the dress.
"I think with the correct hairdo and some jewelry it'd look even more beautiful." Warren responded truthfully. He thought she looked hot and it seemed flattering to at least his eye. Though he truthfully knew that he didn't really know too much about gowns, so he had to be objective and supportive.
Lena turned to face Kendra who up till now hadn't said anything. The blond looked at her seriously and her sharp teal almond shaped eyes went up and down a few times. After a few tense moments she spoke her opinion.
"I think the color is nice, Lena, I really do. However, my friend, it's not the best choice for your flawless skin, or the right color for your personal skin tone. Its' just not the right shade and you need something a little lighter so it doesn't clash. And you need something that will really stand out when you walk down the pathway to the alter. So I don't think this is the right dress for you."
Lena frowned for a moment and did a double take in the full length mirror. She turned to face her entourage and then faced Angela. "Do you agree with Kendra? Please don't say you like the dress without considering everything about it. Please don't try to be nice. I want some honesty to be sure that I'm getting the right one. So what do you really think?"
"Well," Rebecca started to say then bit her tongue for a moment, and then she answered back. "I like the crystal's magical effect. However, I do agree a bit with Kendra. The color nice but it ain't perfect."
"The shape is looks good on you, Lena. Don't worry about that, dear, yet is it the perfect shape or color? I think you can do better. What did your mom's dress look like? And what kinda bride do you want to be? Just a beautiful one or do you want to be a goddess? Because you've got the looks of a goddess and you want to make sure that the dress gives that statement loud and clear." Barbara replied honestly to the young woman.
Everyone at this point turned to Warren for his second opinion. Though to be honest he looked a bit timid to answer. He was nervously playing with his hands and looking scared.
"Well, Warren? What do you think?" Lena pressed sternly at him. He looked at her in slightly nervous way and then finally spoke the answer to her inquiry.
"I still say with the right hairstyle along with make-up plus jewelry you'd look stunning in any dress. I strongly believe that will pull the whole together. Yet I think to be on the safe side you should try on a few more dresses. Give yourself some options don't pick just yet till you see what else they've got to offer."
"Alright, I shall do that. Angela?"
"Yes, honey? Should we put this on the 'maybe' rack?"
"Yes, I think we should. Let's try something else. I do agree with Ms. Gordon's opinion. I do look like a goddess and I need to show that off in the right dress. My own mom wore a traditional kimono. But I want something that shows me off. Something that is both beautiful but also unique. So let's find dress number two, shall we?"
Lena tried on three more dresses. Angela's had a good idea what to look for. She was very understanding of Lena's wishes, yet also to find something that might be better then what she thought. After trying on four dresses they finally found the perfect dress. When she stepped out of the dressing room in this particular dress everyone knew it was the perfect one.
It was a stylish fit and flare dress. The top part was fitted to perfection to accent the beautiful along with envious figure Lena had. It had just as she wanted to have with some ruching, that's crisscrossing folds on the bodice with a semi sweetheart which made her look slimmer and to gave her a modest look. Thin straps or cap sleeves would hold the dress on. The bottom of the dress pooled out on the floor with a bit of a dramatic look. The final touch was at her waist was a natural with a beaded belt.
"So, Lena? Is this the dress you're gonna say yes too?" inquired Angela who was getting ready to jack her up some with the flowers and a veil to complete the look. When she did that it was no contest or doubt left. This was the right dress.
"Well, everyone? Is this perfect or what?"
They all said at the same time, "YES!"
"Then I'm saying yes to this dress!"
"Thank you so much for helping me today! I really am grateful for all the help you gave me today. So what are we gonna do with the rest of the day?" Lena asked curiously to her friends, at the same time as they finished paying for the dress. She was a little reluctant to let go of her dress, yet she knew they'd to keep it till she came in for her final fitting.
"Well, Lena, I don't know about you, but me and Ernie plan to go out tonight on a date. How about you, Rebecca? You and Warren got any plans for tonight? Ernie is taking me out to "Rosey's" tonight. I love all their food. It's healthy but crazy. Though, there are a few recipes that you should steer clear of. Like their Supreme Porridge is god awful. And never under any circumstances have Rosey's chocolate egg tarts."
"Yeah, I learned that the hard way. But they've got a lot of good food as well. Like they've got fairy fish sushi, veggie juice, strawberry salad, and their secret recipe for their best dish Satay Max. That is a solid 100 points!"
Everyone burst out laughing very hard at that. The group took a few minutes to breath in the fresh air as they exited the boutique. They'd been there for over two hours so it was about lunch time now. They couldn't hide from the fact they're all hungry, given after the laughter died away it was replaced with the thunderous roar of their empty tummies.
"So were should we go to have lunch, kids?" inquired Barbara curiously to the group. Checking her silver wristwatch she saw it was a quarter past noon. And she herself was very hungry. Everyone was looking at Rebecca like she knew what was best.
"Umm, let's see since we're all going to Rosey's tonight, we should go get some lunch somewhere else. So I think we should go get some burgers."
Everyone agreed to that suggestion so they all went to the finest hamburger stand in the city and had a good time. Promising to meet each other at "Rosey's" at seven everyone went their separate ways for the time being. Lena had to go meet with her fiancé Seth and go over their wedding plans with their wedding planner. Kendra wanted to go to her own high-rise, and take a soothing bubble bath, so she'd look perfect for their dinner date.
Rebecca was fine with all that. It had been an exciting morning and she still had a million things to do. After all she had to get some training in just incase trouble arise. After yesterday's fire and the gunfight she knew that someone was gonna make a lot of trouble and Sparrow Hawk had to be ready. So as soon as she got home she headed straight to the gym to train. Warren joined her after twenty minutes of intense fighting.
"You know you should warm-up slowly, Becky. Why are you being so aggressive?"
Wiping the glistening sweat off her brow she simply performed a series of flips, then got right in Warren's face and yanked him close and kissed him. He seemed a bit taken back by the kiss but he only responded with the same passion she had for him.
"You kiss by the book, Becky," he murmured adoringly as they pulled out of the kiss. Smiling widely at him she hugged him tightly. "You okay, Becky?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, Warren, really I am. I just have got a lot of things running a mile a minute in my mind. I mean there is just so much going on and I barely feel I've got time to catch my breath. Plus I really needed to release some anger and rage today anyway."
"You mean that douche bag Darien French? If you want I'll take care of him for you. He may not be getting the message from you. However, I can get the point across if you'd like that."
Laughing gleefully she shook her head. "As much as I would love to see you beat the crap out of him I don't want Lena to have to arrest you for assault and battery. We'll figure out one way or another to get that aggravating jackass out of my life. So come on! Let's fight! I need to train anyway."
Warren didn't ask what she meant by saying she need to 'train' but he got in fighting stance and the two of them battled together for a few hours. Then both quickly washed up and went out to meet the others at "Rosey's"
It seemed everything was going to go perfect that night. They'd order a lot of good food and were enjoying it very much. It only when it came to dessert that things went south. Everyone was enjoying the both the strawberry chocolate buns as well as strawberry chocolate dip things went south.
Kendra had just picked up a large gooey strawberry bun and was sharing it with Ernie who had a bit of chocolate staining his mouth. They each were eating one end of the tasty huge homemade bun, so they'd end in a kiss, and it would've been very romantic, but just before they could lock lips disaster happened.
A thick and nauseating gas had been released into the magnificent dinning room. It extinguished all the lights and everyone screamed and panicked. It was yet another terror attack and it seemed everyone was losing their heads. Well almost everyone. Each and every one of Rebecca's friends all had the present of mind and acted swiftly to help one and all escape before the gas really hurt anyone. In the confusion Rebecca managed to slip away and once again assumed the identity of Sparrow Hawk.
Slipping on a gasmask she reentered the establishment to brazen out whoever was threatening it. She got a bolt from the blue when she entered where mere moments before she'd been dinning. The terrorist who had released the gas bombs was already being beaten up, by no other then Judge Darien French! She was shocked to say the least, still she quickly took out the other guy who'd been gas bombing the place. It was all over in a few moments.
"Thanks, Sparrow Hawk, I'm delighted for the help, but I was handling them pretty well myself," French said to her arrogantly. Still he smiled and ran his hand through his dark hair and smiled at her. "You're a pretty good fighter, I'll say, so good job."
The masked young woman said nothing for a few moments. He didn't know if she was mad or what. Still he waited a few moments and she at last spoke. "I appreciate your help also, Judge French. It's very welcomed and I am glad you weren't hurt. Still I'd like to make sure not a soul makes reckless choices or actions in danger. Why were you here anyway?"
"I was working late at the courthouse, if you must know. I've been working on an extraordinarily difficult case involving some issues at one of the city's animal sanctuaries. It is very hard and tidies work and I decided to stretch my legs a bit and grab some dinner. I noticed these blokes sneaking around back. So I followed them and tried to stop them from releasing the gas. I was a bit too slow but I did my best to fight them. I took self-defense classes in my youth. So I thought I could take them."
Rebecca was finding the whole story fishy but she couldn't tell him that. She had to keep her identity a secret. So instead she merely bowed and said, "Well thanks again for you help. I hope that the cops can deal with all these madmen that have been terrorizing this city this past week. Oh, look here come Chief Lena Kohaku now! Hello, Lena!"
"Hello, Sparrow Hawk! Thank you for saving the day again. Oh! Judge French! What are you doing here?"
"He helped me out a bit catching the bad guys. Still it was dangerous thing to do. But thanks."
Lena took all the men into custody and Rebecca rejoined the group outside claiming she gotten lost in the confusion. She watched suspiciously as Judge French was treated by the paramedics for smoke inhalation. As the news crew covered the event she finally had time to catch her breath. Something fishy was going on, and she was determined to find out what exactly it was. Still for now she was just glad her family and city for now safe.
