Thanks for reading people (Looking at you queenemily, Guest and MoonGirl1155). I'm not sure who's following this since it's kind of a weird pairing. But I appreciate your time. Sorry, if you're looking for something more explicit. I don't think they're up to it yet in their relationship.

I do not own this.

Caesar finished talking with the last potential client of the day. Since it was a three day conference, he left the material at the booth. Sure he could have brought the flashy machines and crazy experiments he was performing here but then he wouldn't be sure if they were just enamored by the glitz or if they were serious clients. He looked at his watch. Maybe he had time to join Beverly at the beach. He just had to figure out which one. He was glad Beverly didn't force him to go with him. He was not much of a beach person unless there was some invention to test. He dialed her phone. Strange, it went directly to voice mail. Caesar frowned. Well, maybe he would head over to the hotel room. The thought of sharing a room with Beverly made him nervous. They hadn't so much as kissed yet. He was sure she wasn't ready for that yet not to mention he wasn't ready for it either.

Hopefully, there were two beds otherwise he'd have to sleep on the floor.

Walking out he squinted in the sun. It was still bright out. He took a few steps to call a cab but then noticed something on the floor. It was Beverly's guide book. He'd recognize it anywhere. She had been showing him all week. It also didn't hurt that she wrote her name on the inside cover.

Now Caesar was worried.

"Olá, senhor." A scruffy looking kid said to him. "You looking for the girl who owns that book."

"Sim, have you seen her?" Caesar racked his brain to remember some Portuguese.

"Some guy took her in his car." The boy said.

Startled Caesar asked, "Who? Where?" He looked around as if he could find them now.

"It happened three hours ago."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Caesar glared at him.

"Nobody believes a kid like me." He shrugged.

"Do you know any details?"

"I might remember if I had something to eat." He hinted.

Caesar looked at the boy. He was thin and gaunt. He reminded him of his brother and he hoped if Rex was in a similar situation someone would take care of him. "Sure let's get you something."

0o0

"Okay, so now that you've eaten what do you know?" Caesar asked impatiently. The sun was starting to go down and Caesar knew it would be more difficult to find Beverly in the dark.

"Ask her." The boy pointed behind Caesar.

Caesar turned around. His mouth dropped open. The girl standing in front of him looked very similar to Beverly but older.

"Perdoe-me senhor, it seems I may have gotten your girlfriend in some trouble." The woman sat at the table uninvited.

"Who are you?" Caesar eyed her suspiciously.

"My name is of no consequence but I work for a highly secret organization within the government that specializes in the retrieval of sensitive information." She smiled wryly.

"So what has been stolen?" Caesar wasn't sure what to make of this.

"Some vital information had been stolen but it was reclaimed and I was sent to get it. Unfortunately, the person mistook your girlfriend for me and gave her the information. The men following him saw this and took her."

"Then she is in danger." Caesar said alarmed.

"It seems that we have a mutual problem. You want your girlfriend and I want the information back. Perhaps you'd like to form a temporary alliance?" She said coyly.

Caesar didn't like her tone. "I just want my girlfriend back. What's to stop me from contacting Providence and telling them?"

"Because they would kill her immediately if they even suspect that she is not me." The woman answered bluntly.

Caesar thought about it. "So what do we do?"

"They will be most likely trying to use the Carnival tonight to try to smuggle both of them out."

"Then how do we stop them?"

"Leave that to me."

An hour later Caesar was standing outside a costume shop wearing something that left little to the imagination. He looked at his costume skeptically. He then looked at his companion who was in a matching costume.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" He tried to keep his eyes above her neck.

"How else are you going to blend in and look for the kidnappers?" She winked at him.

Caesar tried to find the flaw in the plan but couldn't see one. "How are we going to find Beverly?"

"Most likely she will be in one of the floats." The woman answered.

"And how are we going to look in every float?" Caesar asked.

"Just follow my lead." She smiled slyly.

0o0

Beverly slowly gained consciousness. Her tongue felt thick and dry in her mouth. When she tried to move she realized that she couldn't move. Then she remembered what happened. Her head shot up and she looked around. She was lying on her side with her arms tied behind her back. Beverly felt the ground move. She tested her bonds. They were tight and her arms were getting numb. So she shifted around. As she turned she felt something sharp. Carefully feeling her way around she realized it was a little hook holding a door on the floor closed. Shifting some more she felt the hinges as well. And they were rusty and frayed. An idea came to her as she wiggled into position. She began moving her hands back and forth until the ropes snapped. She quickly pulled off her blindfold and worked on getting her legs free. When she was done she undid the latch on the floor. It was then she suddenly realized that the floor underneath was moving. She paused. Did she dare jump down? She wasn't given a choice when the vehicle lurched. She tumbled out though the trapdoor. As she lay on her back she saw a giant dragon loom over her. She quickly realized that it was just a float attached to a moving bed. She held her body as close to the ground as she could as the float rolled over her. There was just enough clearance and when the float passed over her she pushed herself up before the next float could crush her.

"I wanted to see Carnival, but not like this." Beverly muttered.

"Hey! She's getting away!" Beverly heard someone yell.

Beverly didn't bother turning around before she shot out into the crowd.

0o0

Caesar followed Beverly's doppelganger down the row of floats that were waiting in line to move.

"It's this one." She said confidently to Caesar as they passed the float with swans.

"How can you tell?" Caesar frowned as all the floats looked the same to him.

"I recognize that gentleman up there." She inclined her head slightly.

Caesar briefly wondered how her headdress which was roughly the size of a midget had stayed on her head but he looked up curious to see who would have kidnapped Beverly. His eyes widened. It was the unpleasant man from the convention center.

"Hey, I know him. Is he wearing a diaper?" Caesar made a face

"It's a costume. Everyone is in costume during Carnival." She said pulling him away.

"He could have picked something more dignified." Caesar grumbled as he subtly tried to rectify his wedgie.

"The floats are moving. Come on, we have to move fast." The lady moved ahead of the floats.

"I don't think I can in these poorly designed sandals" Caesar complained but nonetheless tried his best to follow.

Caesar watched as the woman move to the float ahead of the swan float. She then casually walked to the cab of the truck pulling the float and yanked the driver out. She hopped in and drove the float down a different street. She then hit the breaks quickly causing the swan float to stop suddenly.

Caesar who was watching this narrowed his eyes. He thought he saw a figure get off the floor but the angle of the lights made it difficult to see anything but a shadow.

When he heard someone yell, "Hey! She's getting away!" and the figure run to the crowd, he figured out it was Beverly. He watched two men jump off the float after her. He pulled off his cumbersome headdress and ran after them tripping on his sandals.

0o0

Beverly weaved her way through the tightly packed crowd. She wiggled, pushed, and cajoled her way through the throngs of people. She could see people being pushed behind her. She had no doubt that it was her kidnappers.

In a panic she tried to move quickly but it was like trying to swim through molasses. Beverly felt a hand grab her. She tried to yank her hand away. The man forcefully pulled her to him. She rammed against him and he produced a switchblade close to her face.

"You are more trouble alive." He growled as the knife inched towards Beverly's face.

Before Beverly could scream, the man was knocked to the floor. The crowd moved away.

Caesar who had climbed up on a light pole to find Beverly had seen what was about to happen didn't bother pushing his way through the crowd. He walked on people's head before reaching Beverly's attacker and tackling him. He then punched him.

"Yoww!" He shook his hand in pain.

"Caesar!" Beverly threw herself onto him.

Caesar staggered back but managed not to fall. His arms instinctively went around her.

"Are you okay?" Caesar asked her.

"I am now that you're here." Beverly snuggled into his chest. "What are you wearing... or in this case barely wearing?" She suddenly noticed his lack of attire.

Caesar's face turned bright red. "Ahh, well you see, everyone is in costume during Carnival... or so I'm told."

"I'll kill you!" The man Caesar had punched got up. The crowd parted as the man walked menacingly towards the couple. Caesar pushed Beverly behind him. The man charged but before he got far was knocked to the ground."

"Lights out." Beverly's double said with a baton in her hand.

Beverly peeked from behind Caesar's shoulder. Her eyes narrowed at the scantily clad woman. "Who's that?" She asked Caesar.

0o0

Caesar and Beverly sat in their hotel room.

"So the guy that bumped into me attached the data rod onto my belt without me knowing?" Beverly looked at Caesar for confirmation. He nodded so she continued.

"The guy at the booth who was trying to steal the data saw us and tried to get it from me at the convention center by accusing me of stealing it. But when they couldn't get it they kidnapped me. Then they were going to smuggle me out with the data in a Carnival Float but you and… ahem… that woman stopped them. Did I get everything?"

"I believe that was a good summary." Caesar said with approval.

"So… who was that lady again?" Beverly tried to sound casual.

"No one important, well, important to me that is… other than she helped me find you." Caesar stammered.

"You didn't think she looked… pretty?"

"She looked… all right but I think it's only because she resembled the prettiest woman I've ever met." Caesar replied.

Beverly couldn't help but smile. "So we're good now?" Beverly asked somewhat relieved. "We can go back to our working vacation?"

"I believe so." Caesar agreed.

"So, umm, how do we want to uh do this?" She asked embarrassed.

Caesar's face flushed. "Uh well since there's only one bed I thought I'd take the floor and you can have the bed."

"No, that's not fair. Two nights on the floor would kill your back." Beverly cleared her throat. "Maybe you could stay on the right and I could take the left."

"Oh, uh, sure, if you don't mind." He said not meeting her eyes.

"I don't mind." Beverly shrugged.

"Okay then. Do you want to use the bathroom first or should I?" He fumbled with his luggage.

"Oh, um, can I go first I feel like a shower after all that." Beverly hoped her face was not as red as it felt.

"Of course, go ahead." Caesar offered chivalrously.

When Beverly was done she nervously peeked out of the bathroom. But when she saw that Caesar had already fallen asleep with his clothes on his side of the bed, she relaxed. She smiled softly while shutting off the main lights. Then she settled herself into her side of the bed. Turning to the sleeping man she whispered, "Good night Caesar, my hero." She shut off the lamp on the nightstand and went to sleep as well.

Olá senhor: Hello, mister

Sim: Yes

Perdoe-me senhor: Pardon me, sir