#(i don’t know anything about one direction besides “who do you fink gave you the teef” and “niall crawling into your ear and he is in there

[unholyscrearn]

roose selling ramsay to one direction

[missmensis]

no gods, no masters, iii.

Pairing: Benny x F!Courier

read ch. 1 here, read ch. 2 here. read ch. 3 on ao3.

They were all feeling a bit beaten-up after fending off the Legion; the victory was just that, but it felt hollow. They'd be sending assassins after Ava until there were none of them left or she kicked the bucket. The latter was unlikely. She was being quiet as usual, but this quiet felt different. She wouldn't stop looking over her shoulder, a vacant stare in her eye as she did so, and her pace had slowed down considerably compared to the last few days.

The ambush had taken more of their time and energy than they'd planned, and they decided to stop at the 188 Trading Post for the night. There were a handful of NCR soldiers occupying the spot, so it'd be safer than just stopping on the side of the road or off the trail. There were no free beds to spare, but all they needed was a relatively safe place where they wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open; nobody was new to the occasional necessity of sleeping on the ground.

Once they found their own little area to hold up for the evening, the Courier sat down to rest and make a fire. They gave her some space. Boone pulled Benny aside, far enough so that Ava wouldn't hear.

"Right, so," Benny stuck his wrists out in front of Boone, "Gonna leash me back up, huh?"

Boone shook his head, "Actually, no. At least... not now, anyway. That's up to her. About today-"

"Oh, yeah," Benny chewed his lip, taking the gun out of his waistband, "Here you go."

He held it out for the other man to take, but Boone waved his hand, "Keep it. For here. Just in case."

Benny gave him a funny look, "You sure, cat?"

"Yeah," He nodded, glancing behind Benny in Ava's direction, "Just... watch her, alright? She's hurting."

"I will-" Benny moved to stick the pistol back in his pants, but not before Boone grabbed his arm.

"Take advantage, or try anything and I swear to god," Boone said, lowering his shades to look Benny straight in the eye, "I'm not far away. I will be watching, and I will put a bullet in you."

"You're gonna have to come up with a new threat," Benny replied with ire, "That one's getting stale, dig?"

"Be less of an asshole and then maybe I won't have to threaten you." Boone rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. He whistled for Rex, who trotted to the sniper's side and followed along obediently to keep watch.

Boone's 10mm in hand, Benny made his way back to check on Ava. He stashed the gun in the back of his waistband again, hoping he wouldn't need to use it. At least, not tonight, anyway.

Ava was sitting in front of the small campfire she'd made, her legs splayed out in front of her, the toes of her boots tapping together to some beat only she could hear. There was a bottle of whiskey in her lap, and it looked like she was making solid headway on it.

"Hey, hey," Benny crouched down next to her, "What's shakin'?"

"Benny," She turned to him, a dazed smile on her face, "I’m trying to get drunk. Shakin' with you?"

"Ah, nothin' much," He settled down, stretching his legs out next to hers, "Gettin' smashed, huh? Can I get some of that?"

"Mmmmmhm," She hummed, handing him the bottle and watching as he took a deep swig, "It's good shit."

"It's... not bad," Benny swished it around a bit before swallowing, "Got better shit at the Tops, though."

"Yeah, yeah, you're so high and mighty at the Tops, aren't you," Ava poked him hard in the side with her finger, her eyes hazy, "'Benny's gonna show you the Tops', hah."

"Shut up," He snickered, "I did, though. The dent in that mattress was permanent."

She looked over at him, the light from the fire dancing on her features, "I remember."

It was astonishing how terrifyingly stunning she was. That handful of months ago now, when she'd been kneeling on the ground in front of him, her life flashing before her eyes, she'd just looked like a kid, nothing more than a clueless girl who had no idea what kind of package she was carrying.

How had that not been enough in itself to make him reconsider what he’d been doing at the time? He hadn't even thought twice; once he had that chip between his fingers, it was a done deal. He could've let her go, she probably wouldn't have come looking. Even the Great Khans had reservations about the whole thing, but it hadn't stopped him. Shit. He was a piece of shit, an untrustworthy fink, and he knew it. She knew it. Everyone knew it.

Benny looked over at her out of the corner of his eye, "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

Benny rolled his eyes, "Good goddamn lord, woman."

"I'm fucking with you," Ava mused, "Go ahead."

"Last night in Novac. And... earlier today," Benny started carefully, "You, uh, kinda freaked. You looked really messed up."

Ava looked down at her hands, averting her gaze, "Yeah."

"What happened?"

"Ah.... yeah... so, my head does that every now and then," She answered with tight lips, "Ever since... y'know, I got a bullet to the brain from this checkered bastard I know."

"Right," He said guiltily, "Shit."

What could he say that wouldn't sound stupid or disingenuous? He'd shot her in the fucking head and now she was living with the consequences. God, there was a lot he wanted to tell her, but none of it would come out the way he wanted it to.

He sat next to her, quietly cursing himself when she spoke up again, "I get these like... migraines mixed with small bursts of panic attacks. I don't understand them. I've even asked a doc and he doesn't know. I have dreams all the time about people that I don’t recognize. I see their faces and it’s like I’m supposed to know them and I just don’t," She sighed, the heaviness of the conversation beginning to sober her, “And even when I’m awake, sometimes, I see them, too. In the back corner of a mirror, in the desert heat, they're just watching me. Like I'm riding on Daytripper in a bad way, but I'm stone-cold sober. I'm living with ghosts, Benny. People I'm supposed to know, to feel something for, but all they do is confuse me and make my head spin."

Benny frowned, "You don't remember them. Not at all?"

"No. Don't even know if they're dead or alive. It's not like anybody's come looking for me," Ava shook her head, taking a small yellow and green box out of her pocket that said MENTATS on it in rusted red lettering, "The way I see it, everyone from my past is dead, or I'm dead to them. Or I'm just not someone worth searching for."

She said it with bitterness, her brows furrowed and eyes glued to the horizon as she popped a Mentat on her tongue.

"Do they help?" Benny asked, gesturing to the box of chems as Ava rubbed her thumb across the letters.

"Kinda? I mean, everything from before Goodsprings is a blank. I haven't forgotten anybody I've met since then, but I get these, like, little flashes of moments that seem like they're mine, but they're not. At least, not mine anymore. That's when it hurts. When it turns into something like what happened today. I saw somewhere else, like here, but worse. More desolate, if you can believe that. It was like the whole place was in pain, screaming at me. Kinda think it's better that I don't remember."

She shoved the Mentats back into her pocket and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she filled herself with the dry Mojave air, "Everything before Goodsprings doesn't matter anymore, not really. Who I was before is gone. I just want to make sure I remember who I am now."

There was a beat of silence, the two of them just sitting and staring at the fire as the wind began to pick up around them. Ava tucked her knees up and rested her chin on them as she stared at the sun slowly making its way towards the edge of the world.

"I'll make sure you don't forget," Benny said quietly, "Been a goddamn fink to you so... I owe you that much. I'll never stop being sorry. I mean that."

Ava turned her head to look over at him, her brows slightly raised in disbelief at his words.

"And for what it's worth, if anything at all," He continued, "I think you're someone worth searching for."

Her eyes softened; he'd never seen her look at him that way before. It was something like... fondness? Appreciation? A lapse in judgment from the whisky and chems? Whatever it was, it pulled at the corners of his mouth. Ava smiled back, the first real one he'd ever seen from her, and it was infectious. Her cheeks dimpled, and she looked almost a little nervous before she settled into it, which made Benny wonder just how many reasons she'd even have to smile these days. A gust of wind blew through their camp, and Ava visibly shivered. Wordlessly, Benny shrugged his jacket off and put it over her shoulders.

"I'm still really fuckin' mad at you," She whispered, "But thank you, Benny."

She didn't wait for him to reply before she scooted closer to him so that their sides were touching. Ava reached for his arm and gently slung it over her shoulders as she rested her head against his chest. He was stiff for a moment, not quite sure if this was a sick joke or not, but when she didn't do anything else besides lean into him, he finally relaxed.

The girl knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to take it; he dug that.

They sat for a while, neither of them saying a word, as the sky grew darker and darker. Vegas glowed like a lantern off in the distance, a stark contrast to the rest of the Mojave bathed in black. With how brightly the skyline shone, the stars had a hard time competing, even though the sky was littered with them. It wasn't often that Benny spent a night out in the dust - that was now more a thing relegated to a former life - and though he wasn't one to live in the past, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia as he stared up at the constellations. Years of his life spent as a nomad walking the Mojave with the Boot Riders, countless nights just like this, and how quickly he'd tossed it all aside for caps and comfort. He'd have done all that again, he knew, but as he felt Ava relax fully against him, he had more than one regret in the back of his mind. Benny was careful as he glanced down at her, her eyes closed and mouth slightly open as she slept soundly on his shoulder, and gently moved some of the hair away from her face. As he did, his eyes caught the edge of the scar from the bullet.

Yeah, sure-as-shit, more than one regret.

[lovlydovlyjaycie]

The Walking Dead : A World Changed

The walking Dead :  A World Changed

Hii so this is gonna be a story about a crossover but also not really a crossover from the walking dead and supernatural.

Here is part two of AWC. I took a little time off for the holidays, hope you had a good one too! Enjoy!!

Summary: Y/N is from Boston and moved to Los Angeles to be a nanny, she’s been doing it for a while now and loves the two, soon to be three, children like they were her own. One day she goes to work and it seems like the world around her is falling apart. People are dying, unbeknowst to her they are coming back to live. She is trying to find a way so she stays alive and the people around her too and she needs help, but she’d rather does it on her own.

Characters: Y/N, OC Alice, OC Mark, OC Birdy, OC Clark, OC Jayden, eventually Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester and more characters to come.

Word count: 2,400

Masterlist

Warm shadow - Fink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLBSpm_HfiE

Part 2 Hiding

Clark was sitting againsts the door his little brother sleeping next to him. Cloud gazing, he saw all these different shapes. One looked like a star another one looked like a bunny. He really wanted to see a bunny, he hasn’t seen one in a while. That made him a little sad so he looked down. He was now looking at the bell ‘only use it if there are monsters or bad people.’ He remembered. He started throwing it up and see how high it could get and if he could catch it. He did this 4 times until it dropped and rolled away from him. He stood up to go and get it, but he couldn’t reach it because he was tied to the door. “No.” Clark tried to stretch as far as he could and he could touch it, but every time he touched it it went further away. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw something moving. He turned his head towards the movement and saw a tall man climbing up the roof. Clark was panicking now, trying to get the bell so y/n knows there is something up there with him. He started crying, because he was so frustrated he couldn’t get the bell. “Hey, hey.. it’s ok I’m not gonna hurt you ok.” The tall man said. He kept walking towards him. Clark still couldn’t reach the bell, so he did the only thing he could think of, scream. “AAAAHHHHH!!” The man looked panicked now. “Hey, it’s ok calm down I’m not gonna hurt you I’m just checking if you’re ok.” But no luck for the man, because Clark was still screaming. Now Jayden woke up from his nap and started screaming and crying too. “The dead will here you, please calm.. thank you.” Clark had stopped screaming. But the tall man felt something pushing against his back. “You better stop talking to my children, before I kill you and make you one of the dead. ”A woman was threatening. It was y/n.

“Why are you up here?” The man slowly turned around. He was very tall looked strong with brown hair. But he was wrong if he thought he could take me. I still had the upper hand with me pointing my machine gun at him. “Me and my brother were followin-“ I let out a huff of air. “You were following me? Doesn’t make yourself look good now.. you do realize that.” I narrowed my eyes at him ready to shoot if I had too. “We were just making sure you were ok.” I laughed. “So we’re still doing child protective service? I got it handled.” The tall man looked away. “Hey no put the gun down.” He said quickly. I looked quickly to who he was talking to. My guess it was the man that was following me in the store. He was tall too with lighter hair, his face looked like he was angry.. or concerned, it was hard to read him. He was pointing a gun at me. I looked back at the other man. “So two people from child protective service now. I suggest you both go our separate ways, before I kill your college here.” I said angry. I was over it, they scared Clark and Jayden had just calmed down from the scare he probably had from when Clark was screaming. “We are just trying to help. Ok? I’m Sam and that is my brother Dean Winchester we have a-.” He got interrupted. “Hey what are you doing, we don’t know her.” His brother interrupted him. “She’s alone Dean, we can help her.” The tall man Sam looked back at me. “We have a group and a place where you can take your children, there’s more than enough room.” He looked with pleading eyes. He looked concerned, like I couldn’t handle it by myself. “No, now get lost before I kill you.” I pointed the gun at his head now. “Hey, we’ll go. Come on Sam, she doesn’t need our help.” The other man Dean said. Smart of him. “No, I just wanna make sure you have enough supl-.” Sam said quickly. “I don’t think you understand SAM I’ll kill you if you don’t leave now!” I was over this bullshit. “No I believe you would’ve done it already if you really wanted to. You have your children here, I know you won’t.” He was testing me. I pointed the gun away quickly and shot in a direction where nobody was standing. And then I pointed the gun back at his head. “That is what you don’t understand. If you are trying to come close to my children, you best believe I’ll kill you. And I’ll do it quickly. If it means protecting them I’ll kill you right where you’re standing right now.” I was angry, irritated. I was kinda bluffing, I didn’t want Jayden and Clark to see me kill them, but if I had too to protect them, I would. “SAM, WE’RE LEAVING NOW! COME ON!” Dean was yelling, now I could read him, he was fed up with it. Good. Sam let out a sigh. “Alright we’ll leave you alone.” I nodded my head to the side motioning for him to get a move on. He started walking towards the edge of the roof and started climbing down. The whole time I was following him with my gun, so he wouldn’t think to do anything stupid. “We really can help you.” He said before he climbed down. I followed them to the edge still pointing my gun at them. “You better hurry up, cause the dead will have heard the gunshots.” I told them, so they would hurry up and leave. When they were out of sight I lowered my gun and let out a deep sigh of relief. I ran to Clark and Jayden. “Are you ok? Did you get hurt? Why didn’t you ring the bell?” A lot of questions for a almost two and three year old. “I dropped the bell, I’m sorry mommy.” Clark started crying. “Hey it’s ok.” I said and hugged both of them tightly. They were scared, I was scared. They are like my children I am all they have. To them I am their mom. ~ After a couple of hours of staying in the roof I thought it was time to go. Only five of the dead showed up. That’s what you get in a small town where nobody lives. I first went down to kill the dead. When I was sure there weren’t any other dead ones walking around I got Clark and Jayden down. “Ok let’s find a house somewhere we can stay for the night, ok.” We started walking in the opposite direction Sam and Dean walked to when I scared them away. After half an hour Clark had picked a house where we would stay the night. It was a big house and looked abandoned. Even though most houses looked abandoned now a days. We walked in and I checked if there was nobody in the house, dead or alive. After ten minutes of checking I didn’t find anybody, which means it’s safe. We went up the second floor and blocked the stairs, so even if there were dead ones they couldn’t come up and I’d be able to sleep tonight. It was getting dark already, so I got one of the cans I found in the store and opened it. We were sharing it and it was gone one quickly. When it was pitch dark outside I put Clark and Jayden down for their sleep. I was tired too, but I did one last round of checking if there really wasn’t anybody around the house. After a while I couldn’t find anything, so that meant it was clear. Time for bed then. I started walking towards the room where I put Clark and Jayden down. It was the master bedroom. We always slept together. It was the only way to make sure they were ok and with me. They were both fast asleep. Clark was laying on his belly with his arms covering his face. And Jayden was laying on his back with his mouth slightly open. I walked up to the bed they were both laying on and sat down on the edge. My back hurt from carrying Jayden almost everywhere. Hopefully this will be a good night of sleep. Day 733 We stayed in the house that Clark found for three days. It was good to have a slight break from walking around the whole time. It gave me time to teach Jayden some words and have him run around too. It was nice for Clark, because whoever lived here before had children a girl. So he played with those toys. Toys are toys now, he had dolls to play with and could dress them up. The time that we could stay here have me some rest for my back, because it was killing me, but now it was time to go again. Our food was running out and this wasn’t a secure place to stay long term. I wanted to go to a farm or something. Be able to live of the land and not needing to leave. I would just need to figure out how to farm. I packed our things and then it was time to move on. Nobody was excited to leave and walk again for a long time. So I decided to look for cars I could try and start up. Which was hard, because a lot of these cars had no gas or the battery was dead. After what felt like me trying to start the hundredth car and I still had no luck I was about to give up. Frustrating where am I supposed to take Clark and Jayden. I have no car, no map and no idea where I am. So there was nothing to do beside walk and see where we end up. After a while of walking I saw a sign that said I was now entering Kansas.. great. A state were nobody lives at all. How am I supposed to find anything here. I decided to stop at one of the farms that we passed by and stay the night there. I walked in assuming nobody was in there, but boy was I wrong. Five dead ones. And I was holding Jayden, and Clark was standing beside me. This was a bad idea. I picked up Clark and ran out on the road. I put them down quickly and got my knife out. I got the first two easily and could get two more after that, but when I was trying to kill them I didn’t see that one of the dead ones was getting too close to Clark and Jayden. But I was struggling getting one down. I couldn’t help them. “RUN!” I yelled. Clark and Jayden were crying and trying to run, but the dead was catching up and about to grab Jayden. Jayden was screaming. And then the dead thud to the ground. I finally got the last dead one that was trying to get me when I noticed it was Dean that killed the dead that was trying to get to Clark and Jayden. Sam was standing beside Dean while he was helping Jayden up. I was looking at my bag and my guns that were laying beside my bag. Dean and Sam noticed, but they didn’t pull out their guns and pointed it at me. They dropped their weapons. “We’re not here to hurt you, ok. We saw you needed help.” Dean said calmly testing what I would do. I straightened myself, deciding against getting my guns. “You were following me again.” It was not a question, I knew they were following me. “You are all by yourself with two kids to take care off.” Sam stated. “You don’t think I can do it? Who are you to judge a stranger. I’ve been handling it just fine since this started.” I talked back to him. “Well we can see you got that handled.” Dean jumped in. “Excuse me?” How dare he, he doesn’t know what I’ve been through. “Well it could’ve almost ended really badly here, you do realize that.” What?! “So! You still followed me.. and you’re implying I can’t do this.. who even ate you!?” I was getting angry at them, maybe I should have gotten my guns. “Hey no, I don’t mean it like that. It’s just.. we can help you out alright.” Dean looked at Sam. Clark and Jayden ran back to me. “We have a group not far from here and there is enough room for you and your children. We have food and we are very well hidden.” In reality I do needed a place for them. If they were telling the truth it could be good for them. They did just actually help me. But they also offended me. I was not sure what I should do. I don’t know them. I sighed. “Why?” Sam looked confused, but Dean understood me. “Ok. No offense, but we actually can help you alright. There’s plenty of food where we live, enough beds, good honest folk. We really don’t mean to hurt ya. We just wanna help.” I thought Dean had put that nicely. I signed again. We have been on the road for so long and I haven’t been able to sleep normally in.. I don’t even remember at this point. “Let me talk to my kids first.” They nodded, looking questionably at me for why I would need to talk to toddlers about this. “Ok, what do you guys think about this? Do we wanna go there?” I knew I wouldn’t get anything out of Jayden, but Clark was very opinionated. “I wanna go.” Clark stated. “Are you sure? Why?” I looked at him if he would have a reason. “I don’t wanna walk all the time. I’m really tired.” That is a good reason he was just a little kid and I’ve been making him walk for very long distances. I turned around towards Dean and Sam. “How far is this place that you’re from and how many people are there?” They looked at me and then Dean answered back. “It’s still a couple of hours south if we walk, but we have a car close by. And we are with thirty six people.” Not too big of a group, I just don’t know how long I can walk for if I had to hold Jayden. I looked back at Clark and Jayden I hope the decision I was about to make wasn’t the wrong one.

...

..

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I hope you liked it! let me know what you think about it and I’m gonna try and get part 3 out this week as well!!

[movedyourchair505]

Napule Nights - cinque 

- chapter navigation -

x

Upon arrival back at the headquarters, two more men stepped out to start unloading Jade's stuff from the car, Helders accompanying Miles to meet with Turner, while the other security guard gestured for her to follow him, to be taken to meet with Serena.

"W-What about my things?" Jade questioned, turning around worriedly to look over her shoulder and see the men carrying her bags inside not very carefully.

"It's all gonna be taken care of" the man informed her, seemingly annoyed at her questions and she went on to follow him silently, knowing that despite having felt rather at ease in Serena's company, she wasn't going to feel as safe now, knowing what was at stake because now she'd had a taste of this, was inside and getting somewhere, and she wasn't ready to give it all up again right away.

"What's your name?" She asked, regretting the additional question to the security guard the second it left her lips, but she was desperate for any sort of distraction, even if it meant getting on bad terms with yet another of Turner's men.

"Cook" the man grunted.

She nodded slowly, fiddling with her bracelet, falling behind as she couldn't stand feeling like a prisoner being escorted to their hearing, a hearing that would decide it all, and that's probably how this man right now saw her, like nothing more than a prisoner, someone who might just be gone by tomorrow to be never heard from again. "C-Can you tell me what's going to happen?" She asked, another attempt to communicate, this time to ease her mind rather than sway it.

He shrugged, unlocking a door at the end of the corridor and holding it open for her to go through before following, the crash of it shutting making her jump. "Yeh're gonna give Serena the information she needs" he said, his voice surprisingly soft now, a raw edge to it, but he didn't seem as restrictive to talk now, was at least giving her something to work with.

"What if it isn't enough?" She asked. She supposed she could ask him, because what was the worst he could do? If she was right with her assumptions, her telling him in advance about her worries would not have any impact on the outcome of the situation, if she didn't know enough, it wouldn't matter anyway and if she did, he would probably not speak against her.

But once again, she was merely guessing, Turner and his whole team were unpredictable without exception.

"That's up to her to decide" he shrugged. "She will expect a certain level of confidential information, to start training you."

Her eyes widened. "Training me?" She repeated in disbelief.

Cook shrugged. "Yeh, teh work, be useful teh Turner, find out more on the enemeh, do jobs for 'im. Wha' did yeh fink yeh was goin' teh do for 'im?"

"I just didn't know it was going to be this fast, that she was going to train me so to speak."

He stopped, looked at her over the edge of his sunglasses, then knocked on the door they'd reached at the end of the corridor.

"Si?" Serena's voice rang through the door and Cook pushed it open, once again holding it for Jade, giving her somewhat of a reassuring look, if she squinted and tilted her head a bit, and then he was gone, the door fell shut, and she was alone with Serena.

She'd expected another office type room, Serena's office perhaps, if she had one, but the dark space she'd entered now looked like an interrogation room at a police station, drawing up memories Jade would've preferred to forget. It had been a while, but being interrogated in the middle of the night, being taken in just stepping down from the pole and dressed for the occasion, a girl didn't forget that as easily.

"Sit down, Jade."

Her voice was professional, formal, not as understanding and helpful as when she'd explained things to her previously, given her advice, and as attracted as she was to Turner, Jade wouldn't have enjoyed sweating under his gaze, him asking her questions, expecting her to tell him certain things, him being the one that decided her fate.

The room was significantly colder than the rest of the hallways and rooms she had been in so far and she shivered as she approached the seat opposite Serena's, the echo of her heels clicking on the ground keeping her mind from wandering. She had to focus now, observe, no overthinking, no assumptions, more than just winning Serena over was at stake.

She wondered if Mancini had been in here, or if she wasn't regarded quite as low as him just yet, desperately hoping it would stay that way.

"I'm going to record our conversation."

Serena's voice snapped her out of it, already catching her mind drifting, thinking when she'd just sworn to focus but it was always too much, so many things she noticed and wanted to explore, so she wouldn't be surprised, would figure it out beforehand.

There was no friendly introduction now, no easing her into it, she was just another informant, just another puppet in their game, and Serena was treating her as such, no trace of the woman she'd met before. And that, that was even more worrying.

Before Jade could give any sort of response, Serena pressed the button on the recording device and leaned back in her chair, one leg resting on the other, eyes staring Jade down in a way she'd only seen from Turner. She had learned from the best.

"At what time did you enter Alfonso's club last night?" She questioned.

Jade had carried the information, the memory of the night before with her for less than twenty-four hours, she remembered it all vividly, especially right now when it mattered the most. "After my shift" she stated. "So ... I must've been inside twenty minutes to one."

Serena gave a nod of approval. "This was Buio, yes?"

"Yes" Jade confirmed. "Alfonso's biggest and oldest club."

She expected amusement, some comment about how specific she was, that she'd done her research but no such thing came back, Serena simply gave another nod. "Who did you interact with besides Mancini?"

"I tried to get everyone's enough" Jade assured her quickly, just so she wouldn't think her work was sloppy. "Some seemed rather unimportant, I didn't recognise them, but those were the ones that slipped up the most, they..."

"Stop" Serena cut in. "I doubt that anyone who would let anything slip, any nobody would have information I'm interested in. Who did you talk to that actually is somebody?"

Jade swallowed, her heart starting to race at the tone of the other women, disappointment and impatience ringing through, the mask of calm crumbling slowly, she really was Turner's right hand and it was making more and more sense. "I talked to Mancini. And Salvestro. He bought me a drink."

Serena raised an eyebrow, placing both her feet on the ground again and shuffling closer to the table with her chair, elbows resting on the surface as she leaned in to look closer at Jade, the name had sparked her interest. "Salvestro" she repeated. "He had no suspicions about you?"

Jade smirked. "Honestly, I have no idea. He barely looked at my face, was too busy eyefucking me, but he really lost track of what he was saying. Thought I was just some bimbo so he didn't watch his tongue, assumed I wouldn't understand anyway. I tried to make it seem like I was one of Mancini's girls, because I'd talked to him earlier."

The other woman nodded, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. "Right" she said. "What did you find out?"

"I gave him a bit of a lap dance while he was on the phone" Jade went on. "He was talking to this man called Paolo, but I think it was the Blade."

Serena seemed impressed, Jade could see it flicker across her face for a brief second, and it eased her mind at least slightly, brought her some peace. "The Blade?" Serena questioned. "You know who you're talking about there?"

Jade gave a nod, now trying to seem as nonchalant as she could. "I do" she stated. "Alfonso's inofficial assassin."

Serena cocked an eyebrow, nodding slowly. "Indeed. You've really done your homework, Jade. Are you sure you're really as independent as you make yourself out to be?"

And there it was, the accusation she'd been worried about, that the research she'd done, all the intel she'd gathered in the scene would be her downfall. She tried to play it cool, standing her ground. "Would I really lay out all this information if I wasn't?"

"Well, that's how spies operate" she said, shrugging. "Making it seem like they're trust-worthy by sacrificing something."

"Sacrificing Mancini? And myself? Would be a bit too much, don't you think?"

Serena sighed. "Alfonso doesn't shy away from great risks" she said, standing up slowly, her flat hands pressed to the table's surface.

Jade swallowed, she hadn't thought through how to prove she wasn't working for anyone, so she tried to stir the conversation back to her information. "Don't you want to know what the Blade and Salvestro were talking about?"

"What if they figured you out and gave you fake information?"

Jade squinted, leaning back and crossing her arms in front of her chest, her breasts pushed up from the position and she held Serena's gaze. "I thought I was supposed to give you helpful information. This isn't something they'd just make up."

"Then how is it something they'll discuss in front of some stripper?"

She sighed, knowing the comment was rather directed at her insignificance to Alfonso's men than her occupation it itself. "I know more."

Serena bit her lip. "Go on then" she nodded, sitting back down.

"He told the Blade to meet Alfonso tonight, that he'd arranged for them to meet, that they were going to carry out an attack. As you said, Alfonso is quite fond of risk, so why not have someone like Salvestro chedule their meeting?"

The woman opposite her gave another nod, approving for her to continue, now clearly intrigued as Jade pieced the puzzle together, demonstrating that she was in fact not just some stripper.

"They'll meet in neutral territory, if you want to send someone, to make sure it's none of Turner's that they're planning to attack, especially because you have Mancini here."

Her eyes widened visibly, something Jade hadn't expected. "Right" she said, playing it off quickly  and hoping Jade hadn't noticed. "What else?"

"Next week they're receiving a large delivery down by the Box."

Serena swallowed. "What's in it?"

"They didn't specify" Jade said. "They said midnight, they said the Box, but no date and not the delivery's content. I assume it's the new drug they've been selling, though."

Serena glared back at her. "How do you know about that?"

"Unimportant."

"No" she disagreed firmly. "Everything is important."

"I cannot say" she insisted, already regretting having mentioned it, the desire to impress her and be useful so strong, but now her conscience was catching up with her. "I can't."

Serena gritted her teeth, once again standing up, leaning over the table and down over Jade. She wasn't much taller than her, didn't tower over her like Turner or Helders, but was intimidating nonetheless. "You can. And you will."

She swallowed, now she'd made things even worse. "What if I don't?"

"I ask the questions."

She bit her lip. "Will it stay confidential?"

"Between me and Alexander."

Jade knew she had no other option than to trust her, knowing that she would only have her word anyway if she would get out of this with Serena on her side. "One of the girls down at the club tried it and she's been in the hospital for a week."

Serena swallowed hard. "Is she safe?" She asked instantly.

"None of us have gone to see her, we knew it would only be a matter of time until Alfonso found out, and they'd get rid of witnesses."

"This is brilliant" Serena said. "And do not worry about her. I'm going to send someone to make sure she's safe as soon as we're done. We're going to use this, if you don't mind. As soon as she is safe, of course" she added, the Serena she'd met, that had helped her visible for just a second.

Jade bit her bottom lip worriedly. "Will you put her safety first? I cannot take responsibility if something happens to her, I..."

"This is what you wanted though, isn't it?" She asked, her eyes cold again. "You knew we could use this to harm Alfonso. And we will. Alexander is going to love this."

The other woman had gone quiet now, as confident as ever, but worried too.

"Is there anything else you haven't told me that could be of use?"

Jade shook her head, in complete disbelief at this whole conversation. She had not expected it to turn out this way, thinking deeper and deeper about what she maybe had done wrong, what consequences sharing this information with this family would have, she didn't feel capable of continuing, but she knew Serena would ask more, demand more. When the door opened, she froze, expecting the worst.

"Yeh're done 'ere."

Her head snapped around and she looked at Turner over her shoulder, the look in his eyes sent shivers down her spine and he held gestured for Jade to stand up, then holding his hand out for her.

She glanced back at Serena for just a second who looked anything but amused and crossed her arms in front of her chest and Jade noticed her gaze flicker up, the only thing she could make out against the dark ceiling a small blinking light so Jade quickly rose to her feet, following Turner out of the room, the heavy door falling shut behind them. Jade was confused, couldn't quite put her finger on what'd just happened.

As soon as they stepped into the corridor, Helders and Cook were by their sides, a third man staying behind by the doors, presumably waiting for Serena to step out, whenever that would be, and however she was supposed to interpret that moment back there.

"Where are we going?" Jade questioned, biting her bottom lip instantly at her own question as she watched Turner subtly from the side, his large hands rolling up the sleeves of his silky plum coloured shirt, more rings accentuating his fingers than before.

"I told yeh I'm gunna take yeh teh me club."

Her heart skipped a beat as she realised what this meant, she couldn't speak, just focused on the men's heavy steps, how close Turner was to her side as they walked, the way the corridor didn't seem so cold anymore.

"Do you want me to escort Miss Rivera?" Cook asked.

Turner shook his head without turning to look at the man behind him. "No" he said firmly. "She's wif meh."

[jos-corner-of-the-world]

Unexpected (8)

Part 7

Yoongi had sent you a quick “we’ll be there” text before you had even reached home.

You smiled to yourself as you put your phone down as the light turned green.

Tonight was nice, just talking to Yoongi, but you weren’t sure what happened towards the end.  He seemed as thought he was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders, but also looked like he could murder someone.  Neither were things you liked seeing etched on his face.

By the time you got home and settled in, Clara was walking in with Lily, fast asleep in her arms.

“I see someone can’t take being a princess for too long” you said, laughing at your daughters zonked out form in Clara’s arms.

“Royalty is hard work.” Clara said, playing along.

You followed Clara to Lily’s room and tucked your sleeping daughter into bed.

Clara followed you out into the living room and sat with you for a bit.

“How ya holding up sweetheart?” she asked, noticing the worn look on your face.

“I’m tired.” you admitted.

“I think it’s more than that.  You’re worried aren’t you?” she asked kindly.

“I am.  What if it fails, and I have to close down my studio?” you asked her.

“This isn’t what you want to hear, but that’s a possibility.  But honey, you need to remember, you’re so talented and you’re so young. You have your whole life ahead of you.  If this fails, then you find something else that you love doing just as much as you love your studio.”

You knew Clara was right, but it didn’t make you feel any better.  Your studio was one of the things you had left here in Chicago, and you weren’t sure what to do after that.  You kept your options kind of limited because you didn’t want to take any more time away from Lily than was absolutely necessary.

“So...I hear you guys have had some visitors?” Clara asked, effectively changing the subject.

“Lily finally told you huh?” you asked, laughing that it took her this long to spill the beans.

“Told me? The girl accidently let it slip this morning, and then once the dam broke, she didn’t shut up about it for the rest of the day. She’s very excited about this.” Clara said.

“She’s not the only one.” you admitted.

“You too huh?” she asked knowingly.

“Well yeah, but them too.  You should see the interactions they all have together.  It’s actually really sweet.” you admitted.

“Oh...have you taken a fancy to one of those sweet boys?” Clara asked.

You found yourself laughing a little.

“Taken a fancy to?” you repeated.

“Oh I’m sorry, is that old fashioned?  Is there a boy you think is cute? Is that better?” she asked, tone light.

“Um..” you started, but didn’t finish.

Your mind immediately went back to earlier tonight with Yoongi.

“I see.  Well, when you know, you know.” Clara said, not needing you to say more.

“But I don’t know, that’s the thing.” you admitted.

“It’s all so weird and surreal. They won’t be here much longer, a couple months at max.  They live in a whole different country.  I feel so bad that Lily has gotten attached and they will be leaving.” you admitted.

“Oh honey, I’m going to tell you something right now, okay?” Clara asked, and waited for you to nod your head before she continued.

“Bonds like that take a lot more than a few thousand miles to diminish.  There are wonderful things these days that let you talk to people all the way on the other side of the world.  And there’s planes that can take you to and from.” she said.

“I know that Clara!” you laughed loudly with her.

“Don’t worry about it then sweetie.  Just, let it play out as it should.  Don’t force yourself to hold back on account of what could or could not happen.”

You smiled at Clara’s words, because they were right.

“So...can I see a picture?” Clara asked dramatically.

You smiled as you took out your phone, opening saved images you’d had from throughout the last couple of weeks.

“Well it’s easy to see which one you have taken a liking to.” Clara said, noting Yoongi was in almost all of the pictures.

“Well, you’re not wrong.  But it wasn’t intentional, he’s kind of just...always there.” you said.

Clara smiled at you knowingly, but didn’t say anything else on the topic.

The next morning, you had been woken up bright and early by Lily.

“Five more minutes” you begged your hyperactive almost five year old.

“No. Get up momma.”

“Lily, five more minutes please.” you begged her again.

“No, I don’t fink so. Get up now” Lily said, climbing up on your bed.

“It’s time for mommas to get uuuuup” Lily sang, jumping on your bed.

“Lillian Harper, no jumping on the bed.” you said, but your voice held no authority.

“I’m sorry momma, but you gots to get up” she said, throwing her little body on top of yours.

“Would you lay down with momma for a few minutes if I told you a secret?” you asked her.

“Oh, I like secrets.” she said, coming to lay next to you snuggling into your side.

“The guys are coming over for lunch today.” you said lowly in her ear.

“What?! Really?! But momma then you have to get up.” she emphasised.

“Why? I told you a secret, you’re supposed to lay with me. Thems the rules Lily!” you whined at her.

“But momma, our house is so dirty! We have to clean if before they come over? Do you want them to think we live in a barn?!” she asked, using the same words on you that you had used on her countless times.

“It’s not that bad.” you said, burrowing into your covers more.

Lily snickered from beside you.

“Mkay momma, let’s let the boys see all your undies you have hanging up in the bathroom then.”

That woke you right up.

“Alright Lily! You tackle the living room and momma will do the rest!” you said getting up out of bed, Lily’s laugh trailing behind you.

After you’d given the directions to your apartment, Yoongi told you that the guys were on their way.

“I hope the guys like lunch Momma, we worked hard.” Lily said, coming to stand by the door.

“Lily, it’s tacos.  If they don’t like tacos, I don’t think we should be friends with them anymore.  Momma doesn’t trust anyone who doesn’t like tacos.”

“That’s true.  That’s like not liking baby kittens, it’s horrible” Lily agreed.

Lily sat dutifully at the front door, waiting for the guys to come as you laid out the rest of the food on the counter.  You had a little bit of everything anyone could want to put on a taco or nachos.  You may have gone overboard, but what doesn’t get eaten means more for you and Lily later on.

A few minutes, and ten sighs from Lily later, there was a knock at the door.

“It's them Momma, it's them!” she said excitedly, running for the door.

“Okay, but Lily even if that's so, you can't just open the door without checking first.” you reminded her.  She huffed a little, but stepped back.

You came over and held Lily up so she could look through the peephole.

“It's them momma, and Suga is wearing a headband he looks so cool.” Lily sais loudly.

You could hear laughter from the other side of your door. You unlocked the deadbolt and let Lily open the door herself.

“Welcome to my home” Lily said as she threw the door open.

“It smells great in here” Jin said as soon as he entered.

“We made tacos. If you don't like them momma says we can't be friends. So even if you don't like them pretend you do okay?” Lily stage whispered to them. They all gave you withering looks, but agreed with Lily.

“This is a nice place you have” Namjoon said

“I mean it's not much but it's perfect for the little miss and I”  You said, patting Lily on the head.

“So tell us more about your showcase” Jimin said during lunch. All of you were spread between the living room and the kitchen table that was adjacent to the living room.

“What do you want to know?” you asked him

“Anything” Jimin laughed.  “We don't know much.”

“Well, it's being held in five days at one of the small event centers on this side of town. There will be a total of five dances. There was six, but there wouldn't be enough time so I cut out my solo.”

“That's a shame” Yoongi said, speaking for the first time today.

“I mean, not really. If I have to cut one that is the one that makes the most sense. I want to be able to have all the students showcase their ability. I'm already doing the duo one so it made sense. And I'll participate in all of them but the kids one.” you said.

“What are the dances?” Taehyung asked.

“There's the Paper Hearts contemporary dance, a hip hop dance, the duo, a dance for the young kids and then the whole studio will finish up together.” you said.

“Are you nervous?” Namjoon asked

“Terrified.”

“Of dancing in front of people?” This time it was Hoseok that asked the quesiton.

“Oh, no. I'm used to that. I've been dancing my whole life. I'm nervous for the outcome is all.” you admitted.

“Well I for one am really excited.” Jungkook said.

“Oh, we officially got the okay from PD Bang.  It took a little convincing that you weren’t using us, but once we explained how genuine you were, and how you absolutely hated the idea of broadcasting Jungkook’s involvement, he agreed easily.  So, that’s a non issue now.” Namjoon said.

“Will if it doesn't work out there's two options I know of” Jin said before you could respond to Namjoon.

“What's that?” you asked, amused.

“You could be a chef.”

You laughed loudly.

“Jin I literally cooked meat and seasoned it.” you said, laughing at the idea of you being a chef.

“Which is literally what cooking is” Hoseok laughed.

“Okay okay...what's the other option?” you asked Jin.

“Competitive eating.”

“I told you my momma was a pig.” Lily said loudly.

“Alright that's it! You two go to time out!” You pointed to Lily and Jin who were laughing together at the table.

“But I'm older than you!” Jin argued.

“Don't argue with momma” Lily said taking Jin by the hand.

“Trust me, you won't win. And you don't wanna see my momma angry. She turns into the Hulk.”

“Lillian!”

“Sorry! We're going we're going!” Lily said, pulling Jin from his chair

“No Jin. Food isn't allowed in time out, leave your plate at the table” you heard Lily instruct.

You watched as Lily went and sat in her time out chair, Jin sitting on the floor next to her pouting.

“I can't believe that actually worked” you laughed at the sight.

Part 9

[sfgooglebooks]

Cover Story by Rachel Bailey

"What sad person would want to smash an innocent gnome?"

That's right, Simon said she was the one to coin the word 'gnomicide.' "What about the neighbors? Maybe it was the result of a dispute?"

Her jaw dropped. "Good lord, no. No one around here would stoop to that level."

I rested the end of my pencil on my bottom lip as I thought. "Funny, that's what Simon said."

"You think we're wrong?" A bejeweled hand fluttered up to cover her gaping mouth.

Frankly, I couldn't blame her for the reaction - who'd want to live next door to a vandal? Especially one who picked such appallingly trivial targets. "One thing I've learned in this job is there's always more to every story. Maybe someone has a resentment they've been repressing or a... or ah... ahh..."

Dammit, I was going to sneeze. There's nothing I hate more than sneezing. So I don't. I do this funny little "fink" sound and stop it. At least I'm told it's a funny little sound - I'm not usually paying attention at the time. I'm also told I can burst a blood vessel in my brain by doing it, but hey - I like to live on the edge.

I made my "fink" sound.

"Bless you!" Dot raced to get me a tissue then hovered, looking like she wanted to tuck me into bed with chicken soup. "You poor thing, that was the strangest sounding sneeze I've ever heard."

"I'm fine. Allergies." I blew my nose and tried to recapture my professional air. "Did anyone on the street see anything?"

"I haven't had the chance to ask them all, but Valentina next door, said she and the Sinclairs, on the other side, didn't see anything." She paused and checked in the direction of the hall. "I asked Gerald, Anna's grandfather, but," she gave an apologetic shrug, "he's... not quite all there... so he's not much help."

I turned as I heard a noise behind me.

"Sorry to keep you, Ms. Fletcher, but I thought it'd be better for me to put Anna to bed and let you speak to my mother first."

As Simon pulled out the chair beside me, I noticed he looked tired and I felt that tug at my heart again. "You can call me Tobi."

He smiled and suddenly didn't look so tired anymore. "Are you getting anywhere, Tobi?"

There you go. Tugging at heartstrings leads to familiarity, which leads to flirty smiles. Not a constructive progression of events. I cleared my throat and tried to put on the professional face again. "Not much to go on at the moment, but I'd like to speak to the neighbors, if possible." 'Like' was probably an exaggeration, but I was going to write this story if it killed me.

Dot reached out to pat my arm, smiling with what was probably maternal pride. Not that I had much experience of being the subject of maternal pride myself, but I'd seen it before in other people's mothers. "I knew when Simon told me about you that you were the one." She threw Simon a satisfied smile then looked back at me. "If you come back tomorrow, Anna and I'll take you around some of the neighbors. We'll miss a few who work, but it'll be a start for you."

"Thanks, Dot, I appreciate it. Nine o'clock suit you?" She nodded as I put the pencil back in my bag and moved to get up. I could feel another sneeze coming on and I didn't want to do it again in front of Dot - she might not be able to resist the chicken soup thing this time.

"I'll be leaving then." I tried to rush, but couldn't stop the "fink" sneeze.

Simon cocked an eyebrow in amusement but I didn't give him a chance to say anything. I lifted my chin and strode out the door, oblivious to any grinning that may or may not have occurred.

"You know," he slowed his steps to look at me, "you don't have to solve the crime. It could have been anyone this side of the city. The chances of you finding them are pretty slim."

He was right, of course, but if I could just get an outcome - a result - from this absurd assignment, I might be able to salvage some pride. "I hate loose ends."

"The loose ends don't matter. We just wanted people to be vigilant and to consider the effect of vandalism on someone like Anna." Love for his little girl shone from his eyes - something I found oddly attractive. What was that about?

I blew out a breath. "Yeah, but it'd be nice to solve it, too. I... I..." I could feel a sneeze coming but managed to hold it off. I'd forgotten to take more antihistamines with dinner.

"You were saying?" We'd stopped at my car in his driveway.

"I'm sorry, I forgot." I was much more concerned with avoiding a sneeze before I could make a getaway. I could feel the pressure building behind my nose and my face starting to contort. Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. There was no stopping it; it was like a loaded freight train.

"Ah... fink."

When I opened my eyes, Simon was regarding me like some creature at the zoo. "You know you could hurt yourself doing that - maybe burst a blood vessel or something."

I rolled my eyes. "So I've been told."

He rocked on his heels, hands in his jeans pockets. "Then why do you do it?"

"Thank you for your consideration, but I'm more than capable of handling my own sneezing affairs." I tried for my steely gaze to put him off.

"You're welcome," he said, unfazed. "Why don't you just let yourself sneeze properly?"

Why was everyone so hung up on my sneezes? Surely they had other things to occupy their minds? Although, I supposed, all evidence was to the contrary.

I folded my arms. "For your information, it's not that simple. I've tried, but it's a habit now and I couldn't have a proper sneeze even if I wanted one."

His eyes danced and the corners of his mouth were turned down, repressing a smile. "Has anyone ever told you that you're uptight?"

"They have, actually, but I'll add you to the list." I turned to get in the car.

"You should let go a little." His voice dropped a note. "Relax and have some fun."

Oh, that was rich. I turned back to him. "And you're basing this advice on knowing me in a purely professional capacity for less than thirty-six hours?"

He shrugged. "You journalists haven't got a patent on observation."

Of all the conceited, cocky men... "And you think... ah... ahh... you think... ahhh... fink." Dammit. "Look, I have to go. Can you say goodnight to your mother for me?"

He grinned, damn him. "Sure. 'Night, Tobi."

I scrambled into my car and made a quick getaway. What did he know about me? I stopped at the liquor store and bought some cheap red wine - I'd show him I could relax!

"So you're not excited about the new puppies?"

Her eyes widened in shock. "Surely you can't be serious? They'll be mongrels."

Even though I wasn't a dog person, I thought that was a little harsh. I finished my green tea and set down my cup. "Thanks for the chat and the tea, I've got to get back to the office and... ah... ahh," dammit, "ahhh... fink." My antihistamines must have worn off.

Ethel was all concern. "That sounds terrible, dear, have you had it seen to?"

Not again. "No, it was just a sneeze."

She brandished a shortbread cookie at me. "That, my dear, was not a sneeze. You should see a doctor about it."

I stood, madly searching through my bag for the antihistamine packet, but couldn't find it. I'd have to stop at my apartment or a drug store on the way to the office. I made my farewells and hastily retreated to the sidewalk, still searching my bag in the vain hope that I had a spare tablet hanging around from an old packet. I was so engrossed in my task, I failed to notice which house I was passing. It all happened so fast. From the shrubs on the right, a black shape flashed toward me. Needle-tipped claws dug into my ankles, then the shape streaked off again toward number five.

I stifled a scream that was part surprise, part pain. That damn Attackcat had broken skin. I bent down and saw that he'd left five scratches, three parallel lines on one side of my ankle and two on the other. He'd also managed to ladder my stockings but, thankfully, he'd missed my trousers. Those claws would have ripped the cotton.

"Damn you, Winston, I'll... ah... ahh... fink."

Shaking my head, I rushed over to my car. I managed to get in, but before I could make a getaway, my cell rang. I glanced at the ID, groaned, then answered.

"Hi, Mom."

"Tobi, dahlin', I saw your little piece on the garden gnomes the other day. Very cute."

I gritted my teeth and made my voice even. "It wasn't cute, it was a waste of newspaper space and a waste of my time." Too late, I realized my mistake.

"Well, sugah, if you felt that way, why didn't you give me a call? What's the use of having a mother on the board of the publishing company if she can't pull a few strings every now and then? I'll just call Kevin - that's your editor, isn't it? - and tell him to make better use of my baby's talents. What would you like to write a little story about? I'm organizing a spectacular fashion show next month to raise money for sick children or something, I’ll tell him to have you cover that instead."

"Mother." Was there any use telling her that a journalist would have written countless articles by then? No, probably no. "Mother," I began more softly. "Please don't call Kevin, everything at work is fine."

"If you're sure..."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I am. I... ah... ahh," dammit, "ahhh... fink."

"Tobi, dahlin', take an antihistamine, will you? You don't want people seeing your sneezes - you know how unattractive they look."

"I will," I said through a clenched jaw. "Mom, I have to go, I'll call you later."

"Oh, if you must. Ta-ta."

I disconnected and beat the cell against my forehead several times.

"That's probably not good for the phone, let alone your head."

I whipped my head around to the source of the now familiar voice. Too wrapped up in the drama with my mother, I hadn't noticed Simon's car pull up on the street behind mine.

"The welfare of my phone is the lowest of my priorities at the moment." But I dropped it back into my bag anyway.

"Want to tell me about it?" He leaned an elbow against the roof of the car and ducked his head a little to peer down at me.

"Not really... ah... ahh..." Oh, no, not in front of Simon again, please. "Ahhh... fink."

I opened my eyes and chanced a look up at him. He was clearly amused.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

"I'm not laughing at you." But the grin didn't recede. "Why can't you let go enough to sneeze properly?"

"I don't want to." I put the key in the ignition.

"You know, they feel great. You should let yourself have one. They're one pure second of letting loose." His voice became almost imperceptibly huskier. "Don't you think you'd like that?"

I narrowed eyes that were already starting to puff up from my allergies. "Are you flirting with me?"

"I wouldn't dare to." His voice had changed back to the amused tone, which was just as annoying. "Why do you hate sneezing?"

"If you'd grown up with a pollen allergy, you'd hate springs full of sneezing, too."

"If you say so." He was smiling and the warmth in his eyes told me he was teasing, but I resented being challenged by a virtual stranger on my personality flaws, just the same.