Written by Leah, Shelonei, and Alison
Finally pulling himself together, Hobbie exited the
'fresher. And moved to sit in a chair... the kind other people can't sit
in it with you. Can we say, aloof time?
Fenig watched him with deeply attentive eyes, very
very worried about him. 'You're just going
to sit there, aren't you?'
"Probably. You asked me to stay. I can go," he made
to get up out of the chair.
'Sit back down and talk to
me. I don't like that your mood changed so much while you were gone.
If Wes said something that
bad about me, I think I deserve to know!'
"Don't worry about it, Fen. He's just being a hothead,
he'll come around."
'Yeah, so you say,' she sulked
lower into the couch
He had no answer for that. He really was never much
of a talker anyhow. So he sat there, looking at the caf table between
them.
After a REALLY long silence he stood. "I think I'll
go now," and headed for the door.
'Yeah,' she mummbled to hsi
back.
He stopped, as though about to answer her, then sighed
and went to palm the door open.
'Hobbie?'
He stopped again, not turning. Afraid if he turned
he'd do something stupid. "Yeah?"
'I'm sorry Hobbs. I shouldn't
have taken my frustration out on you. You're too good a friend for
me to do that to. I'm sorry.'
"Don't worry about it, Fen. I know you're all over
the emotion charts right now." Yes, his back was still turned. But it
wasn't cause he didnt want to look at her as he spoke, it was because he
DID.
Before he knew it, she was
hugging him from behind, her cheek pressed agianst his shoulder blade,
'I love you, Hobbie. You're
the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you for that.'
He spun in her arms and hugged her tightly. "Any
time, Fen."
The spin surprised her, but
not enough to let him go.
Surprised him, too - but that was alright. He didn't
want to let go either.
Soon enough, she had to break
and wipe her cheeks. She'd actually started to cry a little.
He looked down at her worriedly, "Fen, what's wrong?"
He brought a hand up to help her brush the tears away.
'I'm not sure. Just needed
to cryI guess,' she smiled meekly, a sort of lopsided, unsure smile.
He pulled her into his arms again, "Nothing wrong
with crying."
Welcoming the second hug,
though she didn't cry again this time.
He rested his chin atop her head and sighed.
What to do now? Fen craned
her neck back, his chin sliding from the top of her head to her nose. 'Hey
Hobbs, I can see up your nose.'
He pulled back and laughed. "Why thank you, Fen.
I don't think I could have survived without knowing that."
'Yeah, I know.' Before pulling
away to stand up straight, she kissed his chin softly and laughed.
'All men need ot have their
noses looked up every now and then. It deflates the extra ego'
"Hey, I need all the ego I can get!" he shook his
head.
His stomach growled, reminding he hadn't eaten since
that morning... it was now well past supper time.
She chuckled softly and finally
let all the way go. 'Wanna go get some dinner? I'm a fair cook most
of the time.'
He shrugged, 'I probably should. Wanna come with?"
'Uhm, duh?'
He chuckled, "Go grab you jacket, then."
'Alright. Onesecond then'
she winked and disappeared into her closet from which a few thuds and
a swear word sounded before
she emerged in more public appropriate clothes, shoes and a jacket.
He chuckled and pallmed the door open, motioning for
her to preceed him.
Preceed him she did, but not
without grabbinghis ahnd and pulling him after her.
Yup, spirits definately lifted
he quickly palmed the door shut and locked and stumbled
after her. "Do you have anything particular you want?"
"My treat."
'Nope, though I'm taking you
out. No arguments.' She flashed a bright smile back at him, twining
her arm with his.
"How about going Agamar?"
'No deal.'
"Fen."
He shook his head. "No."
'Hobbie.' She shook her head
too. 'Yes'
He stopped walking, "are you arguing with me?"
'Yeah, that's pretty much
it,' she gave him a petulant grin.
"Just checking." he pulled her along. "C'mon. I'm
hungry."
They soon were at a Ralltiiri restaurant, seated,
with food.
Fenig sniffed experimentally
at her plate, making a show of wrinkling her nose at what Hobbie ordered
for her. 'I dunno, Hobbs...'
"Try it." He took a big bite of his food (mediterrenian
style) and munched.
Her first bite, though not
tiny, wasn't very big either as she taste tested it.
After swallowing, she smiled
a bit, 'Not too bad...'
"if you don't like it you can get something else."
'No! I like it. Goodness.'
She made a face at him and continued eating.
He half smiled, and they ate in silence.
When the cheque came, he snatched it up.
'HEY! We agreed!'
She leaned over the table,
putting her elbow in her food, trying to grab the check.
"No... YOU agreed." he held the cheque out of reach.
Slipped from her chair to
get a better reach for the check. 'Tough cookies. I'm paying.'
While holding the cheque out of reach wiht one hand,
he pulled out his wallet with the other and the right amount of credchits,
and quickkly tossed the bundle to the waitress. "Too late, Fen."
'Damnyou.' she hissed, mock
glaring at him. She'd just get the creds to him later.
he just looked back innocently. "You have krischara
all over your elbow."
She hmphed and swiped a napkin
from the table to wipe her sleeve off with.
Though before he left the
table, she picked up a spoonful of krischara and flung it on his shirt.
'Now you have it on your shirt.'
Hobbie just shook his head and wiped it off as he
pushed away from the table.
Smiling proudly, she waited
for him to get up before slipping her arm through his. 'We're even now.'
"Sure, right we are." They left the restaurante.
It was late, really late, and started to walk back to base.
Suddenly there was a blinding pain to the back of
his head... then nothing
A group of guys holding pipes stepped over Hobbie's
inert form. "Now, lady.... give us all you've got..." they sneered.
She blinked at them for a
moment, the situation not really fully sinking into her mind. 'I don't
have any cash on me.' Prolly
not the best reply...
The lead man leered as he got closer, "I guess I'll
have to get things another way," he moved forward......
she stepped back, frowning
deeply. 'I wouldn't do that if I were you.'
Hobbie had waded his way back to consciousness, and
took a flying leap at the lead man, knocking him out of the way. "Get
outta here!"
Another of the guys hit Hobbie over the head with
a sickening crack, and he went down like a sack of tubers.
-=snaphiss=- A lightsabre lit in the darkness, and
sliced straight through the first two of the five thugs.
Another thug screamed in terror as the violet-red
blade came down and he suddenly silenced as he was sliced diagonally in
two.
Yeah, like she was going to
leave Hobbie.
The last two, scrambled to run away,
but were stopped in their tracks as A man dressed in black came down on
them like an avenging angel and sliced them to pieces where they stood.
Fenig
felt a strong wave of nausea rising for her throat. Yeah, she was a bit
relieved that she
didn't have to tell them she
had a scorching case of herpes, but killing them...? Knowing full well
who her belightsabered hero
was, she leaned over the railing of the walkway and vomited.
Kyp pulled off his cape and mask, stuffing them into
a small bag before he went to go check on hobbie. His eyes, if she saw
them, were cold, dead... lifeless.
She refused to look at him
yet, her eyes purposefully avoiding his face as she wiped a sleeve across
her mouth before kneeling
next to Hobbie. 'You didn't have to kill them, you know.'
"They would have killed you when they were done,"
he said with complete conviction as he assessed how badly hurt hobbie was.
Her hands shook as she sat
and pulled Hobbie's head onto her lap. 'You don't know that.'
"Actually, yes I do. They killed a small family two
levels down, but had too much of a lead on me," he said darkly. He sat
back.
"He'll live. Needs bacta. I don't want to try carrying
him, he could get hurt more."
She sighed and pulled out her comm. C>' Durak
to medical. I need a med team on <insert street name>
I have a pilot down.'
They responded that some medics would be there shortly,
and the com clicked down.
"I'll stay until they get here." Kyp told her as he
stood and moved to lean back against the wall.
She looked up to Kyp, a deep
sadness in her eyes. 'Kyp, I think you should leave. Leave before I
turn you in for this. This
isn't right.'
He shrugged noncomittaly. "I'll be gone before they
know I was even here, but I'm not leaving you in this condition."
'Kyp, it's all too obvious
that you were here,' she struggled to keep her voice calm, motioning to
the cauterized slices
"I know that. But they won't catch me. Theyhaven't
yet," he smiled grimly.
Kyp raised a hand and the parts of
the bodies of the attackers all rose into the air and floated down an alley
to lie just as they had at the mouth. "There, now you don't have to look
at 'em."
'Gee, thanks, Kyp. I really
do think you you should go. I'll be fine.'
He shrugged, "Suit yourself." With
that he grabbed his small bag and jumped up to climb a fire-escape to the
next level.
She
watched him for a moment, feeling that deep nausea still in her stomach.
A medic team soon arrived with a speeder, they saw
her and Hobbie and made their way over. "We'll take it from here, Ma'am."
Another medic looked down the alleyway, "Hey take
a look at this!"
The first looked down, and let out a low whistle.
"Man oh man...." he shook his head and worked to put Hobbie on a backboard.
"You better come back with us - Doesn't look too safe out here."
As they lifted the pallet and moved to bring it to
the ambulance-speeder, Hobbie groaned.
Once on the speeder, they pushed a sedative into him.
Judging by the blookd on the back of his hair, he probably'd cracked his
skull.... a night in bacta should take care of it.
Kyp stood out of sight, watching the scene unfold
below him. He couldn't feel any remorse for what he'd done... somewhere
in the back of his mind, he wonderd why.
When everyone'd gotten into the speeder, including
Fenig, he finally turned his back, and settled at an easy pace along to
embrace a dark destiny.
Fen sat in the ambulance next
to him, holding his hand the entire way.
Once there, the medics pulled hiim into the medbay
and got him ready for some bacta treatment. Another went and commed Wes
Janson.
Fen tried to tell them not to, but they
wouldn't listen. Just like when she asked for a sedative for Hobbie a few
days ago. SO she sat in the waiting room, looking quite put out.
Hey, it was standard procedure with those two. one
gets hurt, the other gets called.
_=buzzzzzz=-
C> Janson residence
C> This is the med-ward. Colonel Klivian's in
bacta again.
She snorted derisively. AGain. They
made it sound like a daily deal.
C> Is he dying?
C> No....? -=the nurse sounded befuddled=- Skull
fracture.
Glad to be sitting by the door, listening.
"Dying?! What kidn of question is that?"
C> Is anyone there
already with him in the waiting room?
C> Yes....
C> Lt. Durak came in with him.
C> Good. Call me
if his situation changes. -=click=-
The medic just looked at the comm unit dumbfoundedly.
"Well... that's different."
She was absolutely shocked to hear
that he hung up on them! Pulling out her comm, she started to dial Wes,
but stopped, realizing that calling him mad might not be the best idea.
SO she breathed deeply to calm down.
Once calm, then she commed him.
C> hello, you have
reached the comlink of Wes Janson. he is currently busy. Please leave
a message at the tone and it will be stored for three days on the system.
-beep-
Yeah,
her calm lasted about three seconds until that beep sounded at her. "DAMNIT!"
she yelled and whipped her comlink against the far wall of the waiting room.
It shattered before falling to the ground.
Luckily, the staff was used to this sort of thing
happening when the Rogues, Wraiths, or any other of that ilk were involved.
So nothing was said.
"Frelling baby!" she yelled at the comlink,
but meaning Wes.
She turned a firey glare on the med
staff. "Com me if anything changes," then she calmed, realizing she'd just
destroyed her comm unit. "Uhm, comm my quarters in the barracks." She
tried to keep that angry air as she slipped from
the med bay, fully intending to make
a beeline for Wes' apartment.
Finally,
after a long enough walk for Fen to calm down for real this time, she buzzed
his door.
No answer.
She sighed and reached for her com,
her hand diving into an empty pocket. "Sithspit," she hissed, turning to
lean against Wes' door, trying to think of where he would be.
Well,
after the apartment, she tried the gym, the cafeteria, Downtime, pool, but
not necessarily in that order. And she certainly couldn't comm him again
since he had that message on. So going back to her own quarters, she left
a
rather vague message for Wes and sat
and waited.
Several hours later, her comm buzzed.
She
woke slowly, lifting her face from the couch cushion it was pressed in to
stare at the com in her room. "Huh?" Stumbling over, she slapped 'answer'
"Durak *yawn* here"
C> Lieutenant, you asked for a comm when things
changed. Colonel Klivian will be getting out of bacta in about ten minutes.
"I'm on my way," she replied wearily.
Hanging up, she pulled on her shoes and smoothed over her hair before heading
out.
And soon enough, though probably 9
of those 10 minutes, she arrived at the med bay
Hobbie got out of bacta and took a quick shower.
He knew he'd never get the
bacta outta his hair by now, so why bother spending
twenty minutes trying to? About twenty minutes after feni got the call,
Hobbie entered the waiting room on his way out.
He didn't expect to see anyone there, and was glad
to see Feni's face.
She was nearly falling asleep in the
formed plastic chair, but when Hobbie came out, wet hair slicked back and
all, she woke up a bit more. "Hey there you."
"Hey, what're you doing here? What the sth happened?"
"Well, it started as a mugging, when
I said I didn't have any money on me, it was going to turn into a raping.
K-The masked vigilante jumped out and cut most of them down." She didn't
seem pleased at all to be telling him that
last part.
And in retrospect, maybe she shouldn't
have.
Hobbie frowned, "Did he, now...."
"Uh.....no?" Well, she tried.
He almost growled, then sighed. "Well... at least
you're safe. You should have run when I told you."
"Yeah, like I was about to leave you
there. ALone. With a bunch of guys with pipes and lecherous grins. Real
good plan, Hobbs."
"Dammit Fen - don't do that again."
"Don't get hit over the head with a
pipe again," she spat back.
He moved forward, "Listen. You remember what I told
you about being bad luck? Well, it's true, I can promise you that. You're
just damn lucky that crazy kid decided to show up."
"I would have been fine." Heh, prolly
not, but still. "And that bad luck poodoo is just that. And a big steaming
pile of it too."
He shook his head, "When'll you learn?"
"When you do."
He shook his head, "I learned a long time ago. C'mon
I'll walk you to your quarters."
"Nah, but I'll walk you to yours. Afterall,
you're the one who has the head injury."
"No deal. I've had plenty - I want to make sure you
don't 'forget' to lock your door again. Especially now."
She sighed, "Hobbie, really, I'm fine.
I'm worried to all the levels of Hell about Kyp, but I don't think he's
going to come after me. He said those muggers tonight had killed a family
a few levels down." Yeah, like that was a
good defense argument
"I don't care. You know I don't trust him."
"YEah, well, I do." I think... She frowned quite convincingly
at him though. "If you're so frelling worried, then flippin stay on my
couch! I doubt a locked door will stop a damned lightsaber anyway."
Hobbie thought a moment, "your'e right." He held
a hand out to her, "c'mon."
Blink. "Uh....ok." She took his hand,
everything having come out of her mouth so quickly that she'd managed to
confuse herself. Good job, Fen!
He helped her up and took his hand back and shoved
it in his pockets
She sighed and started for her quarters.
Today had been....an interesting day. "You know, I wasn't serious about
that couch thing...."
He said nothing, "You're going back to your quarters,
doors locked."
"Yeah...alright." There was nothing
in there about *staying* in her quarters though.
Whey they got to her quarters, hobbie waited for her
to punch in the door code. Sure he had an override code to all his personel's
doors, but he had no reason to use it.
HEr code entered, door open, she stepped
inside and paused to turn around. "Hobbie, I'm sorry about tonight. That
all of that happened."
"None of it's your fault, Fen."
"If we hadn't gone out for dinner, if
we had just stayed in, maybe cooked dinner ourselves..." She frowned and
shook her head.
"If I hadn't-" she stopped, roling her
eyes at herself before turning back into her quarters, leaving the door
open as an invitation for him to come in if he wanted to.
"Fen, don't get into a 'who's screwed up the most'
contest with me."
He stayd standing in the doorway.
"Yeah, you'd have no contest," she
winked half heartedly, standing in the middle of her quarters, looking at
her best friend standing in her door way. She felt so guilty that he'd
been hurt, and was so mad that Wes didn't even care
Or at least didn't seem to. "Contact
Wes in the morning, will you?"
He shook his head, "No."
"No? Why no?"
"He needs time to cool down."
"Well....fine. Do what you like. I
don't like all of this secrecy from you two. Really does a great job of
getting under my skin."
Hobbie sighed, and turned, humming a popular song
to himself.
She
crossed her arms over her chest loosely and listened for a moment. "What
song is that?"
He stopped humming, "Huh? Oh,... just a song."
"What song? I haven't heard it before."
"It's from a Holofilm," he shrugged, and turnd, leaning
in the doorframe. "not important. Just one that's come to mind recently,'sall."
"What film?" HEy, he's the one who
changed the subject.
"Centre Stage."
"NEver heard of it."
"You should see it sometime - I highly recommend it."
"What
time do you have to get up in thr morning?"
"Huh?" he looked at his wristchron. "A few hours...
I probably won't go to sleep, slept fine in the tank.
"Wanna rent it then? I'm not tired
either."
"I have it, I'll be right back..." he turned, then
called over his shoulder, "Lock that door."
Well, considering he was catering to
her late night partial insomnia, she adhered to that little request and
locked the door behind him
How considerate of her...
Almost twenty minutes later, Hobbie returend and tried
the door. He was glad that it was locked, so he knocked.
So she'd wait. And wait a bit more,
for him to get back. Hey....here's an idea...popcorn@
Having changed to better lounge clothes
-shorts and a tshirt- she asnwered the door with, "What's the password?"
"I brought the holovid."
"That's not the password!" she laughed
softly and opened the door.
"Well, what IS the password?" he raised an eyebrow
while he brought it in with him.
"Uhm....'I am the midnight stalker who
only stalks at midnight'?" She shrugged and closed the door behind him.
"I made popcorn. Want anything to drink?"
"Got lum?"
"Nope. Juice and fizzes. You know
I'm not a big drinker."
"Oh yeah.... sorry, I just could use one. I'll have
a fizz, thanks."
"It's alright. NExt time we have a
spontaneous movie night, I'll be sure to stock lum." She winked and grabbed
two fizzes from the tiny lil cooling unit under the counter of the tiny
little kitcheanette.
Hobbie, meanwhile, set up the holovid for the film.
Big bowl of popcorn, two bottles of
fizz, and a comfily dressed Feni with bare legs. Woo. Hot time in the
old town tonight!
She
sank into the couch, propping her feet up and munching a handful of popcorn.
He got the holofilm running and moved to sit wth her,
sharing the popcorn and drinking the fizz.... as it got to the point where
the song he'd been humming would play, he excused himself to the 'fresher.
She'd gotten into the movie enough
that she didn't catch it enough, but after the first verse, she finally
caught on. Her. Jaw. Dropped.
HE couldn't possibly be thinking....
It is a catchy tune..... that's got to be it. Right?
-=The song......=-
I see the way he treats you, I feel the tears you
cried, And it makes sad, and it makes mad, There's nothing I can do baby.
Cause your lover is my best friend, And I guess that's
where they story ends. So I've gotta try, to keep it inside. You will never
be, never be mine but
If I was the one who was loving you, baby. The only
tears you'd cry would be tears of joy. And if I was by your side, You'll
never know one lonely night
And if it was my arms you were running to, I'd give
you love in these arms of mine. If I was the one in your life.
f I could have just one wish, I'd wish that you were
mine, I would hold you near, Kiss away those tears. I'd be so good to you
baby.
You're the one I want next to me, But I guess that's
just not meant to be. He's there in your life, And he's sharing your nights,
It'll never be, never be right.
Yeah, baby. I wanna reach out and view beside me,
Right here beside me, babe. Take you in my arms right there,
Scream 'I love you' right out loud. Some day I pray,
that I'll find the strength, To turn to you and say,
If I was the one who was loving you, baby. The only
tears you'd cry would be tears of joy. And if I was by your side, You'll
never know one lonely night
And if it was my arms you were running to, I'd give
you love in these arms of mine. If I was the one in your life. If I was
the one, if I was the one, In your life.
-=end song=-
Speechless.
At that point, there
was a loud knocking on the door. "Feni!" a drunken voice called out.
"What the..." She set the bowl aside
and crossed to the door, opening it to a very inebriated Wes. "Wes, what
are you doign here?"
His breath STANK of
alcohol. "I came to tell you somfing..."
Waving her hand in front of her face,
she leaned back to give him room to come in. "Well, sit down before you
fall over."
Hobbie was about to re'enter the living room.... when
he heard Wes' voice. He stayed hidden, and listened.
Which he did just that...
fall over on his way to sitting down. He sat on the floor with his legs
spralwed and looked up at Feni. "Feni... I'm sowwy..." he said though his
slurr. "I've been a majer asshole..."
She took a seat on the floor across
from her, leaning back on her hands as she reguarded him with a raised brow.
"Yeah, you have. Why is that, anyway?"
"I don't like you, feni...
" he waved his hands in the air. "I mean, i don't like you dat way...
i nefer understoood vhy you like-ed me..."
That
took her by major surprise. "Then why....why did you sleep with me?"
"Cause you vanted to
sleep vith me... i thought that vas vat you vanted."
She
shook her head, her eyes lowering to the carpeting. "I only wanted to be
with you, Wes. I didn't care about the sex. Not like that."
Behind the door Hobbie mentally swore.
Her mind spun with thousands of different
thoughts, tangents, possible responses. Finally, she picked one. "Wes,
I think you should leave."
"No... not until i tell
you... I may be a jerk, feni... but I'm sowwy... and I will help you in
any way I can with what you want to do with the baby..."
Hobbie paused with his hand over the doorswitch....
should he?
"Get out, Wes. Please," her voice
didn't sound angry. More hurt than anything else.
Yeha, he should. Hobbie pressed the switch to open
the door to the livingroom.
Fen
looked up, surprised to see Hobbie out of the 'fresher. She had a feeling
he'd been eavesdropping -which was fine- but she didn't expect any of this.
"Feni, please understand..."
Wes slurred, not comprehending Hobbie's entrance.
Hobbie moved forward and picked Wes up using his collar.
"I'll be back," he told Feni as he hauled Wes to his feet.
"Wes...." she started until Hobbie took
action.
"Let go ooff me!" Wes stated, trying to bat Hobbie away.
"The lady said out. And you're drunk.
C'mon Buddy. I'm taking you to your apartment,"
Hobbie was almost growling as he hauled Wes off.
"But I don't want to
go home... it smells bad."
"Your own fault, Wes."
Hobbie dragged him to the door.
"The oven did it."
"Sure Wes... the oven decided to blow up all by itself,"
Hobbie said patiently.
She watched up at the scene before
her, between her best friend and the father of her illegitimate child, her
eyes wide.
Hobbie sighed and palmed the door open, dragging wes
out into the hallway.
Wes was about to answer
when his eyes rolled back into his head and he sagged in Hobbie's arms.
They were only just through the open door when it
happend. Hobbie sighed and put him over his shoulder. He called back
to Feni, "I'll be right back. Lock that door." then he headed to Wes'
place.
Crawling
over to the door, she locked it as requested and sat back on the floor.
Waiting.
Five minutes later, Hobbie had coded in the override
to Wes' place and brought his best friend inside. He put him in his bed
and went about removing his boots.
Wes snored really loudly.
He finally flipped a blanket over him. "I love ya,
bro - but you're a complete idiot," he sighed and left, making sure the
door was locked behind him.
Fifteen minutees after Hobbie left, he knocked on
Feni's door.
She reached up, her hand hovering over
the controls. "What's the password?"
"I am the midnight stalker that only stalks at midnight?"
Hobbie repeated what she'd said earlier.
he looked down at his chrono, "Or five in the morning,
it seems."
She hit the controls and smiled mildly
up at him, though her heart was hardly in it. "Hey..."
He moved in and palmed the door shut and locked behind
him. Then he pulled her into his arms and held her gently rubbing her
back. "I'm so sorry."
She leaned a bit limply against him,
her chin on his shoulder. "Is that what you didn't want to tell me earlier?"
"I'm sorry."
Her arms wrapped around his waist loosely
as she buried her face against his neck and sighed heavily.
He said nothing, just gently rubbing her back.
Well,
the events of that night, her feelings of being pushed aside from before,
and now Hobbie's comforting embrace coaxed the tears from her eyes, and
soon enough, she was full out crying.
Hobbie gently moved with her to sit on the couch,
holding her as she cried, whispering non-words of comfourt.
AFter about 15 minutes of sobbing and
sniffling and puffy eyes, she calmed down, breathing in slight hiccups as
she turned from him, hiding her face from him.
He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered
it to her.
She
declined it, opting to bring her knees up to her chest, hugging a throw
pillow between her and her knees, burying her face against it.
"Do you want me to leave you be?" he asked softly.
She shook her head, sniffling a bit.
"No, please stay."
"I will." he said softly and reached over to rub her
back in small circles.
She leaned over, laying her head on
his knee, facing away from him, hugging that throw pillow for dear life.
"What did I....what did I do wrong?"
"You did nothing wrong, Fen."
"Then I don't understand what happened...."
"I wish I could tell you...."
Sniffle.
"He didn't tell you? When you two were talking yesterday?" She wiped
her cheek on his pant leg, trying to do what she could to swallow the rest
of her tears.
He looked down at the floor. "He told me that he
likes you..... he told me he was no good for you, that you needed someone
more stable...." Hobbie spoke quietly. "Man has not tact when he's drunk."
She
hiccuped as she tried to take a deeper breath. A frustrated grumble became
muffled as she pressed her face against his leg. "But he just told me
that he doesn't like me." Yup, like all scorned women, she took that 'break
up'
of his to the extreme
"No, he likes you. He just doesn't like you the way
I do," Hobbie's breath caught. did he just say what he thought he said?
He hoped not.
HEr head turned, her cheek resting
on his knee. She stared at the door for a long moment before she turned
on her back to look up at him with red, puffy eyes. "The way you do?"
Hobbie silently brushed a strand of hair out of her
face. "Did I say that out loud?" he asked, looking away from her.
He SO didn't mean to say that out loud!
"Yes you did. Uhm....care to elaborate
on that?" Her voice never rose above a nervous whisper.
"I ...." Hobbie sighed.
"Shouldn't?"
She waited a moment, studying his face
intently. And hey look! She stopped crying.
He half changed the subject and looked down softly
at her. "I'm bad luck, remember?"
"Don't start that again. I'm just as
much bad luck as you. I have to know what you meant."
Again, gently he stroked her hair a bit. and looked
at her.
She
shook her head. "NEvermind, I figured it out."
Turning
her head to the side agian, she sighed. "I just never realized that he
disliked me so much. Gods! I...I feel so used."
How could he answer that? Wes got scared when she
was pregnant, but... Hobbie sighed, then moved her off his lap and knelt
on the floor beside where she lay on the sofa. "Don't."
She curled up more around the throw
pillow, hugging it tightly. Green eyes made grey from the water held against
them looked deep into his for a long moment. "Why not? He just told me
that he didn't want to be with me. He pretty
much used me. I certainly hope he
treats his other whores with more respect."
"I think he's scared."
"I seriously doubt it," she scowled,
tightening around the pillow.
Hobbie shrugged, and brushed some more tears from
her cheeks. "I don't know what to say."
"Say that you know it'll all be ok,
that my baby will have a father who loves him and doesn't run from responsibility."
Hobbie was silent for a long while, as a battle of
three armies, Mind, Heart, and Belief, waged war within himself.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
Finally he came to a decision. "You thought wrong."
"Oh yeah?"
He paused, and looked her in the eye. "I just wanted
to make sure I wasn't lying when I say this. I can *promise* you everything will turn out alright.
I can *promise* you that your baby will have a father to love him and be
responsible to him."
He reached out and tucked another stray hair that
had fallen in her face, behind her ear. "But I can only promise those
things on one condition...."
Here it comes... she grummbled inwardly. "What's that?"
"Marry me," he whispered. Almost amazed at himself
for being so bold as to make such a request.
She didn't know what to say, didn't
know what to do or how to respond. It didn't even occur to her that her
silence would hurt him more than saying no. "Hobbie.... I don't know what
to say."
"Say you'll let me be the one to love you," his eyes
almost pleaded with her.
"I never knew....Hobbie, why didn't
you tell me sooner?" Without meaning to, she had just asked him 'why didn't
you win my heart before it got broken?'
"Simply because you wanted someone else... and that
someone's my best friend. So I helped you, because that's what you wanted,"
he said quietly, looking down at the floor beside
him at the confession. "That... and I'm afraid for you."
"Afraid
for me? Why?" She started to sit up, propping herself up on an elbow,
wiping the delicate skin beneath her eyes with gentle fingers.
"I didn't want you to leave... to die, as well."
"Hobbie...." she pleaded softly, "did
I ever tell you about Chris?"
He shook his head, "No."
He looked back to her, "Only that he was your best
friend on Corellia... and why you became a Rebel."
"Chris and I grew up together. He
wanted so much to be a pilot for CorSec when he grew up and when we heard
of the Rebellion, he dreamed of leaving Corellia and joining up." She
sighed sofrtly and sat up fully, leaning back
Hobbie stayed seated on the floor, looking up at her.
against the couch. "He took me out
for our one year anniversary and my 18th birthday. We were mugged in an
alley he pulled me down for a kiss and..." she shut her eyes a moment,
drowning out the memory of Chris' voice before she
went on. "I wasn't so good with a
blaster then and I shot him instead of the mugger. That's why I left Corellia.
That's why I joined up. When I met Jake... When I met Jake I was afraid
that the same thing would happen. Then
Rafe..." She stopped, knowing that
this was all rather pointless. "I'm just as much bad luck as you Hobbie.
I can't marry you. I'm sorry."
He hung his head, looking down at the floor quietly.
when he spoke, his voice sounded odd. "I understand." He sighed and
got up without looking at her. "It's late, I'd better get to work."
Gods....this is not what was supposed
to happen. "Hobbie, wait."
He stopped, his back turned, usually straight shoulders
wilted. "yes?"
She fidgeted with the corner of the
pillow, "How long have you felt this way?"
"How long?" he laughed bitterly. "Months, at the
least."
She rose from her seat in silence,
a bit of a nervous gait to her steps as she closed the distance between
them. A few side steps took her to stand in front of him. She took his
hands in hers, putting them gently around her waist
Her hands were now free to slid up
his arms to wrap around his neck. "Maybe we can start from the beginning?"
He raised an eyebrow as he looked down to her, not
really comprehending.
Her smile twinged a bit bigger as she
read his clear confusion. "Hobbie, I really like you. Maybe we should
go out sometime?" The beginning. Rather than jumping from friendship
to marriage explore the realms of dating?
He nodded then. "One request, t hough?"
"Name it."
"May I kiss you?"
She nodded once, "I would like that
very much."
He smiled then, slightly, then leaned down to gently
kiss her.
Her arms tightened around his neck,
pressing her lips more firmly to his. Gentle kiss indeed.
His hunger for her was too deep for him, and he deepened
their kiss.
Through this kiss that was fast moving
through the 'lighter' levels of passion, she made a mental note -before
her mind became too clouded in him- to be extra careful, to prove to Hobbie
that he wasn't bad luck.
Finally he breathlessly pulled away from her. "Fen...
I really had better get going...."
"I'm not sure I can let you go that
easily. I mean, if it's an emergency, sure, but just for paper work? No,
what kind of girlfriend would I be if I let you do that?" She smirked
devilishly.
He half smiled at her use of the term 'girlfriend.'
He shook his head, "Trust me... if you don't want something to happen,
it'd be best if I left now."
She seriously thought a moment, but
ultimately decided that he was right. Loosening her embrace on him, she
nodded. "Alright. Would you like me to bring you lunch?"
"Only if you want to, Fen."
"Maybe I'll surprise you then."
He nodded, "maybe you will." He gave her forehead
a quick kiss, then departed. "Don't forget to lock that door," was his
parting remark.
Just as he was almost out of reach,
she grabbed his hand and tugged him back for one more kiss.
Which he gladly gave her.
Breaking it before it carried too far,
she pushed him him from her door. "Alright, go pretend to work and take
a nap. I'll see you later today." She winked playfully.
"I'll see you later, Fen." He left.
-------end----------
