Moral of this chapter? Never play Truth or Dare with a drunk mountain lion... xD

Oh, and it was supposed to be one long chapter, but it got too long so I decided to split it in two parts, so the next part will be up in a jiffy ;)

*** Chapter Eleven : Truth Or Dare? ***

Bentley considered himself lucky to be working in the stables that day. Chucks back had been acting up a lot lately, so therefore they were in need of an extra hand. The overseers hardly ever bothered to monitor the stables, they knew that the critters required too much work for the workers, so slacking off was mostly out of the question. And he knew that more trouble with the overseers was the last thing he needed right now, as he was already number one on their hit-list.

He liked working in the stables and with the critters, especially with the roadrunners. The birds reminded him about the ostriches his uncle told him about, just smaller and not as dangerous with their kicks. Even if a kick from an all to angered and annoyed roadrunner COULD give one pretty mean wounds and possibly break a bone or two, and they seemed to have a thing for jabbing their sharp beaks close to peoples eyes.

Later that evening, Finn and Bentley stayed behind to finish up in the stables. All that was left was to throw in some extra straw to Gabby, seeing as the javelina was expected to give birth any day now. The two hyenas were talking about Finn and Ellies great grandfather as they threw down straw directly from the loft through a hatch in the roof using pitchforks. Apparently, he had been a prisoner of war, sold by the lions who imprisoned him during a raid and ended up on a cotton plantation just outside of New Orleans, back when it was still legal to ship slaves across the Atlantic.

"Makes sense!" Said Bentley with a nod as he jabbed the pitchfork into a bundle of straw and shoved it down through the hatch. "Everyone knows it's always been tense between Spotted Ones and Simb... errm, I mean lions! Not only do they fight over territory and huntin' grounds, but from I've heard there was once a mercilessly long drought that caused a war between hyenas, leopards, and lions! Yer great granpa might be from that war!"

Finn nodded as he leaned on the pitchfork. "Yeah... I just think it's so amazin'..."

Bentley frowned and tilted his head. "What's so amazin'? The war?"

"What? No!" Finn hurried to shake his head. "I meant it's amazin' that you're actually from the place me n' Ellie only heard vague, retold stories 'bout! You've really been there!"

"Actually, no, I ain't been to the plains where the Spotted Ones live. In fact, I never left the jungles before, very few of us did..."

"That doesn't matter, you still know a lot, don'tcha?"

Bentley shrugged. "A little bit... But just like you I've just heard vague, retold stories"

"Wow... It's still just... Wow!" Finn chuckled and shook his head disbelievingly. "Y'know, I've always wanted to return home, but after everythin' you've told us all just 'bout the jungles I've really made up my mind: I WILL return home someday, an' I hope Ellie, Toby an' you wanna come with me then. I mean, ya wanna go back home to yer family an' friends too, right?"

Bentley stopped with the pitchfork in the air and his shoulders slouched when he thought of his home. Everyone whose names he had forgotten, his aunt and uncle, his cousin and his sister. And father. He nodded sadly. "More than anythin'... Wait, ya ain't still thinkin' 'bout runnin' away with those Willow Hill slaves, are ya?"

Finn hesitated. "I... I have been thinkin' a lot 'bout it... And to tell the truth; I really wanna! But I can't..." He sighed and continued his work. "I can't leave you guys b'hind, an' I can't take y'all with me either in case Chuck is right an' the Catchers will catch us! I promised our ma I wouldn't let anyone harm Ellie, but if I drag her with me on a dangerous run like that, I'd just break my promise... Again!"

"So... You'll be stayin' then?" Bentley asked with a faint, relieved smile and Finn nodded in response.

They were both silent as they continued to shove straw down the hatch until they both decided on a reasonable amount and proceeded to go down and continue to chuck the straw over to Gabbys pen. As they were doing that, Finn looked over at Bentley with a curious tilt of his head.

"Hey, Bentley..." He said and Bentley paused to hear what Finn had to say. "There's one thing I've been curious 'bout for years now, an' if ya don't mind me askin'; what happened?"

"Eh?" Bentley frowned nervously and cocked his head to the side, even if he knew what Finn was asking about.

"Well, what happened? How did you get here in the first place? I know it was captain Tip who kidnapped you, but how could he have done that? You said so yourself that ya never leaved the jungles, and so far I know ships can't sail on the rivers?"

Bentleys ears drooped and he lowered his head as he continued to throw in straw for the javelina. He was quiet for a while, and Finn was about to believe that he didn't wanna answer when he finally opened his mouth. "I disobeyed my father, and dragged my sister into the mess as well..."

"Soo, this was kinda yer punishment?" Finn paused and Bentley hesitated before he slowly nodded. "No offense, but yer father seem like the harsh kind, wasn't he?"

"Definitely not!" Bentley hurried to retaliate and his tone made Finn flinch in surprise. "He was anythin' but harsh! My dad was the fun and forgivin' kind! Perhaps too much fun and forgivin'..." He let his shoulders slouch again. "He'd let me and my sister get away with anythin'... Maybe I wouldn't have run off with my sister if he had been more stern? I knew I wouldn't get into much trouble for it, so it didn't seem like such a big deal back then... But if I had known that we'd get caught by the Spotted Ones, and taken to the slavers, I wouldn't have left in the first place! And definitely not if I would have known that dad would be killed for tryin' to free me an' her!" He gritted his teeth and his grip around the pitchfork tightened so his knuckles turned white. "Dad was shot b'cause of me... He was killed b'cause of me! That's what I keep seein' in my nightmares; dad gettin' shot right in front of me. I can still feel his blood splash on my face. He must really hate me for what I've done, or else he wouldn't let me see it again over and...!" He was interrupted by a heavy, yet careful, hand on his shoulder. He noticed that his eyes were getting teary, so he hurried to wipe them with his sleeve before turning to face Finn.

"Hey, I'm sorry, Bentley. I didn't know..." Finn had a sympathetic look on his face, sad even. "I shouldn't have brought it up, I'm sorry..."

"It's alright..." Bentley replied and looked down at the ground and chuckled weakly. "I always get too emotional when I talk 'bout dad..." He scooped up the last of the straw on the floor before throwing it into Gabbys pen. "We're gettin' late for dinner, aren't we?" He said to switch the subject, and when he turned back to Finn, he almost began laughing at the spotted hyenas shocked face.

"Damn! You're right!" He exclaimed and slapped himself in the forehead. "Man, Ellie's the one who was s'posed to be doin' the cookin' t'day! She's gonna kill me for bein' late!"

Bentley looked around hastily before nodding to Finn. "You can go if ya want to! I'll finish up here, no worries!"

Finn blinked in surprise at the teen before smiling gratefully. "Really? Thanks!" He hurried to leave the pitchfork hanging on a hook on the wall before bolting out. "I owe ya one, Bentley!" He shouted before disappearing.

Bentley chuckled and left his pitchfork right beside Finns before getting a big brush. It wasn't that much left to do; only to swipe the floor, close the hatch to the loft, make sure everything is locked and turn off the lights. Finn didn't owe him THAT much, really.

"Finally! I thought he'd never leave!" Bentley had been busy in his own mind while brushing all the dust and debris into a big pile on the floor, so when the familiar, feminine yet surprisingly rough and husky, voice was heard from the loft, he yelped and almost dropped the brush when he jumped to the side.

He snapped his head up and saw Cornelias head peeking out through the hatch. "C-Corny?! What the...?!" He exclaimed, his voice higher pitched than normal. But when he remembered that far from everyone was asleep this early, he lowered his voice to a hiss. "What the hell are ya doin' here, Corny?!"

"Oh nothin'! Just tryin' to escape my jackass family an' couldn't help but to overhear you an' that other hyena talkin'" She lied down on her stomach and let her elbows rest over the edge. She held something bottle-like in one of her hands. "Sorry to hear 'bout yer dad, bro"

"H-how long have you been up there!?"

"A couple of hours" She said with a roll of her eyes. "Aren'tcha gonna join me up here instead?"

"Sorry, gotta... Gotta finish up here first!" Bentley hurried to continue the floor swiping. "But what if they come here lookin' for ya?!"

"Nah, I doubt anyone in my family would want to see me right now, I threw a porcelain bird at my dads face before lockin' myself up in my room. I think I heard it crash!"

Bentley stopped swiping and looked back up at Cornelia. "Why did you do that?" She hesitated and took a gulp from the bottle in her hand. He frowned when he saw the bottle. "And what is that?"

"I dunno, but there's a shitload of alcohol in it!" She replied and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Want some?"

Bentley stopped brushing the floor and frowned worriedly at his friend. "Corny? What's happened?"

"Nothin'" She mumbled and averted her eyes. "Rich-girl-problems, y'know..."

"But, why are ya drinkin'?"

"No! I ain't drinkin'!" She protested and took another gulp. "It's just that..." She paused and slouched over the edge again and sighed. "Nevermind..."

"What's wrong, Corny? I can tell somethin's wrong, so stop tryin'...!"

"Do you guys believe in marriage?"

"M-marriage?" Bentley blinked in confusion. "Y-yeah, some do... But what has that to...?"

"You guys can marry anyone ya want, right?"

"Yeah, if master allows us to... Corny?" Cornelia was silently staring down at the floor below her. If he hadn't known better, he'd think that she looked sad.

"You guys are so lucky, y'know that?" She mumbled after a while. "Yesterday I found out that my parents, and the Willows has been planning mine and Phillip Willows marriage ever since I was five... Without tellin' me 'bout it!"

"And that's bad, I guess?"

"Of COURSE it's bad, dumbass!" She exclaimed and looked back down at him with an angry frown. "You've never met the Willows, have you?!"

"Obviously?"

"Well lucky you then! They are nothin' but a bunch of humor-freed snobs with personalities like rocks! And their son is worst of them all!" She shuddered. "I've never met someone like him b'fore! I mean, c'mon! He smiles like this!" To demonstrate, she glared at him with a flat, expressionless face.

"Oh..."

"I can't stand that guy! And guess what?! Yesterday, he proposed to me! Ev'ryone probably expected me to faint with happiness or somethin'!" She clasped her hands together and continued with the girliest voice she could: "Oh, Phillip! Yes! I do! Oh I do! I've been waitin' for this day ALL my life! HURK!" She made a gagging sound and stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"So, I guess that's not what you said, was it?"

"No. I punched his ugly face and ran away!" She got up on her knees and took another swig from the bottle. "Dad told me that they will come here tomorrow, and when he asks me here I better answer yes... It's no use in tryin' to create my own life an' future, since my parents already took care of that for me..." She leaned backwards and sighed. "I fuckin' hate my life..."

Cornelia vanished from his sight, so Bentley sighed and leaned the brush against the wall before climbing up the narrow, steep stairs up to the loft. He saw his friend sitting with her back against a big haybale, her knees pulled up to her chin and her tail curled up in front of her feet. Her ears drooped and she hugged her legs tightly as her eyes flickered to him.

"I don't wanna marry him, Bentley. I can't stand him, never has and never will..." She said lowly when he sat down next to her. "Even if I did like him even the slightest, I don't wanna marry anyone! At least not yet! I'm not ready! And I've told my dad that but... But he doesn't listen to me. He never does... Nobody ever listens to me!"

Bentley tilted his head and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I listen to you, Corny!"

She looked at Bentley from the corner of her eyes. "Wow, great! One guy listens to me, and he's a fuckin' nobody!" She mumbled and rolled her eyes. But when she saw him turn his head away and slowly remove his hand her shoulder, she cursed and turned to face him. "Damn, I'm sorry, Bentley! I-I didn't mean it!"

"Yeah you did..." He turned his head back to her and smiled again. "But it's okay, you're right!"

"No I'm not! I don't know why I said that!" She protested, and Bentley did his best to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. Cornelia just had to be right! Always! "You ain't no nobody, Bentley! You're a somebody! You're my friend!" She took another swig of the bottle and grinned at him. "Whaddya say, friend? We talk 'bout somethin' else? Seriously, I didn't come here to cry 'bout my problems, y'know!"

"Actually, I gotta finish up my work here and then head back home. I'm already late for dinner, and neither Ellie nor granny are especially fond of people comin' late. Sorry, Corny, maybe later?" He was about to stand up and walk over to the hatch to close it when Cornelia grabbed his shirt and pulled him back down on the floor.

"Hey, I didn't say ya could leave!" She growled and grabbed the front of his shirt again to hold him.

He sighed and tried to pry her hand away. "Calm down, Corny! I'll be back later, don't worry!" He said and managed to get her to loosen her grip. "I bet anyone sooner or later will come back to look for me, and then they'll probably find you and we'll both have a lot to explain. Now does that sound temptin'?"

She growled and reluctantly let go of his shirt. "Fine!" She hissed and watched him as he got up and closed the hatch. "But don't be late! I'll wait here, so don't keep me waitin' too long!"

"I wouldn't wanna risk it!"

So he finished up the work in the stable, under constant reminders from Cornelia to NOT be late, and ran as fast as he could back to Amas cabin. Lucky for him, there was still some food left. But as he already figured, Ellie and Ama instantly bombarded him with questions of why he was so late. Ellie loosened up a bit after hearing that he was late because he took over for Finn.

Bentley quickly gulped the, by now cold, soup and the stale piece of bread and pretended that he was sleepy enough to fall asleep right there on the spot. But he waited until everyone had returned to their homes and Ama gone to bed until he sneaked out and made his way to the stable. It was quiet and dark when he got there, as usual, and the first thing he did was to run up the steep wooden stair up to the loft and look around. Nothing was seen, or heard, from the hills of hay and straw, so he was about to climb up the ladder to their usual rendezvous point when suddenly someone covered his eyes with her hands from behind.

"Guess who!" Cornelia chirped, and Bentley rolled his eyes and yanked his head away.

"Umm, Corny?" He said when he turned around and noticed the silly, slightly dazed, grin on her face. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?! Am I okay?! Are you kiddin' with me!?" She giggled and spun around on the spot. "I feel GREAT!"

Bentley frowned. "W-where's that bottle?"

"No way! It's mine!"

"Corny, I'm not gonna take it away from you! Just, where is it?" She giggled again and pointed at something that glimmered in the straw. He walked over to the dark green glass bottle and picked it up. It was nearly empty, except for a little swig swishing on the bottom. "Holy cow, Corny! You're drunk!" He turned to her with a frightened look on his face. "We gotta get you back home!"

"No! I don't wanna go back! Never ever!" She exclaimed and pouted. "I'm happy here and now!"

"That's just because you're drunk!" Bentley hid the bottle among the straw and hurried over to her. "Don't worry, I'll help you down the stairs" He tried to grab her arm, but she yanked herself free from him.

"I thought you were my friend, Bentley!" She whined dramatically, and Bentley groaned in annoyance.

"Please, Corny! Stop, you're shitfaced right now and can't think straight. You HAVE to go home!"

"You're not my mom! You can't tell me what to do!" Suddenly her pouty frown was replaced by a sneaky grin as she catwalked up to him, causing him to take an uncertain step back. When she threw her arms around his neck, he yelped and tried to take another step back.

"C-Corny?!"

"You're so damn tall... I used to be taller than you, y'know!" She smiled and nuzzled his neck. He gulped when he felt her long whiskers tickle. "I miss those good ol' days..."

"Y-yeah, sure" He said and tried to pry her arms away from him. "Good times, good times! Could you please let me go now?"

She pulled her head back and smiled slyly as she loosened her arms around his neck. But instead of letting go, she suddenly pushed him back and giggled when he yelped in surprise, staggered and fell backwards in the hay. She squatted down in front of him and waited for him to sit up, smiling innocently.

"What was that for?!" He mumbled bitterly and tried to pick the dried straws out from his hair and mane.

"Let's play a game!" She giggled, and he looked up at her with a frightened look on his face.

"A-a game?"

"Yeah! Let's play Truth or Dare!"

Bentley frowned and shook his head. "I don't think that's..."

"I wanna play Truth or Dare!" If she could, she would've stomped her foot on the ground.

"Fine! But on one condition!" He said and raised a finger at her, she curiously tilted her head. "That you go home afterward, and don't object! You're really drunk right now, and I don't want you to go and do anythin' stupid!"

She thought about it for a while, or at least tried as well as she could, before nodding. "Okeydokey! You first; Truth or Dare!"

"Eh, Truth!"

"Wimp!" She snorted. "Anyway, do you ever masturbate?"

"W-WHAT?!" He flinched and felt his entire face blush.

"Answer the question! And you picked Truth, so you have to tell me the truth!"

Bentley now felt even his eartips turn brightly red. "N-no! You can't just ask...!"

"Yes I can! I can ask whatever I want!" She giggled and her grin widened. "It's a simple yes or no!"

"Ugh... I... I..." He stuttered and fumbled with his hands in embarrassment, which caused Cornelia to burst out in a shrill laughter.

"I take that as a yes!" She batted her eyelashes at him, drunkenly. "Do you ever think of me when you...?"

"NO! DEFINITELY NOT! ONE QUESTION ONLY!" He yelled with an abnormally high pitched voice, his face more red than ever. "Y-your turn; Truth or Dare?" His voice was still shaky.

"Dare!" She replied instantly and stuck her tongue out.

"Fine! I dare you to go home and go to bed!"

"Nope! I refuse!" She folded her arms across her chest.

"What?! You can't refuse!" He retaliated and gritted his teeth. "You made me answer that stupid question, now you have to do what I say!"

"No, I don't!" She snickered and tilted her head upwards. "B'cause my family owns you, and that means that you're mine as well! You CAN'T tell me what to do b'cause you belong to ME!"

Bentley flattened his ears to his neck and gave her a flat frown. "I hate you right now..."

She giggled. "Truth or Dare?"

"I don't wanna play that with you anymore!"

"Truth or Dare or I'll scream for my dad?"

He growled bitterly and averted his eyes. "Dare..." It seemed to be just what she had been waiting for, as she smiled mischievously and crept closer to him. He frowned and tried to lean back to get away. "Corny? What...?" He gulped nervously when she stopped, her face only a few inches away from his.

"I dare you to kiss me" She said lowly, still with that mischievous smile.

"Kiss you?!" He exclaimed and tried to crawl back, but lost his footing in the loose hay. "I-I can't do that, Corny! I'm sorry, but if anyone finds out...!"

"Oh c'mon, just a kiss?" She tilted her head to side and straightened up. "A kiss won't kill anyone!"

"B-but..." He stuttered and his eyes flickered to the side. "I can't!"

"Why not!?"

"B'cause... Well... If yer dad finds out 'bout this he'll KILL me!"

"Then it's an order! I'm orderin' you to kiss me, buster!"

He slowly sat up straight and looked at her with a mix of confusion and worry. It was bad enough that Mr Aventine would go ballistic if he ever found out that his daughter had been meeting secretly with one of his slaves for the last ten years... Bentley sighed and slowly shook his head. "O-okay then..." He cautiously leaned closer to her and planted a quick peck on her cheek. "There, happy now?"

The redhead looked far from happy. "What was that?!" She growled bitterly and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I-I kissed you, happy now?"

"That wasn't a kiss..."

"Yes it wa...!" He didn't get to finish the sentence until she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer, silencing him by pressing her lips against his. The kiss caught him off guard and his eyes widened in surprise. At first, his mind went blank and he was at a loss at what to do, but then he slowly placed his hand behind her neck and kissed her back.

She chuckled and broke the kiss, pulling her head back. "THAT was a kiss, dummy!"

"I see..." He couldn't help but to smile and nestled his fingers into her red hair. She leaned closer again. "Another, huh?"

"Hell yes..." She mumbled and locked lips with him again.

Now it was his turn to break away and sighed; "What the hell are we doin'?"

"We're 'bout to do somethin' very stupid, now shut yer trap an' kiss me..."

Next morning when Bentley woke up, he felt disoriented and for a second he thought he was sleeping on the loft. After a few moments of clarity, he realized: he WAS sleeping on the loft! He mumbled something incoherent and sleepy and tried to sit upright, but something on his chest held him down. That was when he heard it; a strange purring sound. He was a bit scared to look down and when he did, he instantly regretted it.

Cornelia was heavily sleeping, curled up around him with her head resting on his chest. Her long, red hair was tangled and strands of hay was sticking out here and there. She was the source of the purring sound. But suddenly she went silent and shifted, probably waking up as well. She tilted her head up, narrowed her sea-green eyes at him and growled lowly.

"Oh hell no..."

"Umm..." Bentley laughed nervously. "G-g'mornin' Corny!"

Is it just me who feels as if Bentley just cheated on Priscilla? Even if this takes place 10 years before her?

Oh, and I was chatting with Niko while writing the TOD part, and I think we might have had a bit too much fun with that xD