A/N: Next chapter! I really do like writing these moments with Holly and Claire. They’re normally such outgoing people, but when they’re around each other they get all shy. I think it’s kind of cute. (Well duh! You’re the one writing the story. They’re your characters!)
Claire awoke as sunlight streamed in through her window. She glanced over at her alarm clock. 8:30 A.M. She rolled over in her bed and stretched her arms. She was so warm. Sleeping in was one of the great things about the weekend. Claire threw the covers off of her and got out of bed. Her sketch book lay haphazardly on her desk, and she straightened it and her pencils before they fell off. Claire walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and peered inside. They had plenty of eggs, so Claire took out a carton and set it aside on the counter. Soon the sound and smell of eggs cooking filled the kitchen. Claire was putting bread in the toaster when her mother shuffled in.
“Morning mom,” Claire said as she flipped the eggs over in the frying pan. “Do you want your eggs scrambled or sunny side up?”
“Scrambled, please.” A little later Claire handed her mother a plate of eggs and a cup of coffee. Her mother nodded in thanks as she took a sip of the coffee. Since Claire’s father had run off, her mother to work extra hours just to make ends meet. Claire was worried about her so she did anything to help, even if all she could do was make her mother a cup of coffee and kiss her on the cheek.
“So how’s David doing?” her mother asked. Claire snorted.
“The best we could have hoped for.” Her mother sighed and gave a tired smile.
“The place is disaster, but there are no immediate structural damages or health hazards” Claire nodded as she sat down at the table with her own breakfast. She reached for the orange juice and poured herself a glass.
“Yeah, you’d think a med student would keep his place healthier” Her mother nodded in agreement as the dug into their breakfast.
“Claire,” her mother suddenly asked, “Did you get any responses from the colleges you sent applications to?” Claire nodded.
“A few. I got a couple acceptances and a refusal. I’m still waiting to hear back from the Academy of Art University.” Her mother sighed and put her dishes away in the sink.
“I’m going to be so lonely when you go off to college in the fall.” Claire got up and gave her mother a hug.
“Don’t worry Mom,” she told her. “I’ll write every week and I’ll be sure to visit you whenever I can.” Her mother returned the hug.
“I know sweetie, it’s just you and David are off in school and with your father gone…” Claire’s face darkened at the mention of his name. Claire freed herself from her mother’s arms and went to put her own dishes in the sink.
“If you ask me, we’re better off without him!” she said angrily as she turned the faucet on and scrubbed her plate clean fiercely.
“Claire…” her mother said placatingly.
“No Mom!” Claire turned off the water and slammed her hands against the edge of the sink. She gripped the sink so hard that her knuckles turned white. Angry tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes. “How can you miss him?” she said in a fierce whisper that seemed all the louder in the silent kitchen. She whirled around to look at her mother. “Do you remember the way he used to treat us? All the yelling, fighting, screaming. Coming home drunk half of the time.” By now the tears had welled over and ran down her face. A vortex of emotions seemed to swirl within Claire. She was angry, sad, and indifferent. Though she wouldn’t admit it to herself, her father leaving had hurt her as well.
“Claire,” her mother said while taking a step forward. Claire took a step back. She didn’t want any sympathy.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she muttered quietly before running upstairs. Claire opened the bathroom door and locked it behind her. She took off her clothes and threw open the shower curtains. She turned on the shower and stepped inside. At first the water was cold and she flinched, but she remained in the shower. The water soon heated up and was tolerable. Claire leaned against the shower wall and let the hot water spray against her, washing away all of her anger. Soon her salty tears joined the water being sucked down the shower drain. Claire reached for the soap and began wash up.
15 minutes later she emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her chest and her hair. She walked into her room and began to get dressed for the day, trying hard to keep her thoughts from turning to the painful subject of her father.
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A sound suddenly was suddenly heard in the room. It sounded like a pig being stuffed down a garbage disposal. Holly opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Her eyes went to the couch. It was just David snoring. His mouth was open and drool began to accumulate in the corners of his mouth. He had forgotten to take his glasses off and they rested haphazardly on his face. Holly sighed and looked over at the clock on the bed stand. 8:53 A.M. She had slept in. Normally she would have been up hours ago, stretching and exercising. Holly looked down at her leg and frowned. She hoped she wouldn’t get soft during her recovery time.
Holly carefully got up and grabbed her crutches. She shuffled past David who still lay snoring on the couch and into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took out a box of pop tarts. She placed them in the toaster and pressed the lever down. Holly went back to the fridge to see if there was anything potable to drink. There were several expired cartons of milk with something fuzzy growing on the bottom, Holly noted. Near the front there was orange juice. She picked it up and checked the date. It had only expired two week ago. It would be fine. She grabbed a glass and poured the orange juice into it. The pop tarts were finished and Holly eagerly tucked into her breakfast.
By the time she had finished, David had stumbled into the kitchen rubbing his eyes tiredly. He went over the coffee maker and set the pot on. He completely ignored Holly until the coffee was ready. After taking a sip he seemed to notice Holly for the first time.
“How did you sleep?” he asked her as he sat down.
“Alright, I suppose. Why is it that I have to sleep in your bed? What’s wrong with the couch?” David held up a finger.
“Well for one, you’re my guest. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t offer it to a lady?”
“I thought chivalry was dead,” Holly said before draining her glass of orange juice. It wasn’t that bad. She had much worse while on active duty in the field.
“Yeah, a lot of people would say that,” David admitted. “Besides, you need support for your leg. The couch would be too cramped for that.” Holly shrugged as she placed her glass in the sink.
“I suppose you’re right.” A thought suddenly occurred to Holly and her eyes widened in alarm.
“When was the last time you changed our sheets?” David laughed.
“What are worrying about?” he said smiling. “I changed them…” his voice trailed off and he tilted his head to the side in contemplation. “Come to think of it,” he admitted, “I can’t remember the last time I changed them.” Holly shuttered and grabbed some of the clothes Claire had lent her and headed towards the bathroom.
“I’m taking a shower,” she told him.
“I’ll change them later today if you want!” David called out helpfully. Holly firmly shut the door behind her. She placed the clothes on the sink and laid her crutches against the wall. She was about to open the shower curtains when a problem occurred to her.
David looked up at her in surprise.
“I thought you were going to take a shower.”
“Do you have a trash bag I could use?” she asked.
“Oh, that’s right. You can’t get your cast wet.” David reached into a cupboard and pulled out a black trash bag. “Here you can use this. Hold on a second.” David went over the table that had all of his medical text books. He reached into the pile and searched around for something. He found what he was looking for and handed Holly a few rubber bands. “You can use these to secure the bag. Do you need any help?” Holly reached out and punched him hard in the arm. David cried out in pain and clutched his arm.
“I don’t need any of your help you pervert!”
“That’s not what I meant!” David said as he rubbed his arm and winced. “You have quite a right hook,” he told her. “I hope it doesn’t leave a bruise.”
“Serves you right,” Holly informed him as she went back to the bathroom, this time making sure to lock the door behind her. She looked down at her fist in contemplation. Maybe she shouldn’t have punched him. He was letting her say in his home after all. Holly shook her head free of those thoughts and focused at the task at hand. She took off her clothes and threw them in the corner. Fortunately removing her pants proved easier than getting them on. Holly went up to the mirror and frowned at what she saw. She hadn’t bathed in days. Her skin was covered in a combination of sweat, grit, and dried blood. Holly ran her hands through her short hair. Her hair could use a wash as well; it was all greasy.
She grabbed the trash bag and pulled it over her cast and then secured it in place with the rubber bands. Then Holly carefully stepped into the shower, reaching out with one hand to lean against the wall as she went forward. She drew the curtain back and turned on the water. She gasped as the cold water beat down on her. She turned the tap and the water shifted to hot water. Holly let a blissful sight as the hot water poured down her aching body. She grabbed the soap and began to wash herself clean. The water had turned a peculiar shade of brown as it went down the drain. David didn’t have much variety of soaps and shampoo. There were a couple different kinds of Axe body washes and one bottle of shampoo. Holly popped the cap open and sniffed it cautiously. Deeming it adequate, she poured some in her hands and began to wash her hair.
Steam had begun to accumulate spread throughout the bathroom. It hung thick and warm, like the mist of a jungle. Holly reached for the faucet twisted it to turn off the water. She drew back the curtains and grabbed the towel that she set out and dried herself off. Holly got dressed and the issue of underwear once more presented itself to her. She didn’t have any. They weren’t salvageable, torn beyond any further use. She had thrown them out. That presented a problem. It was one thing to borrow some of Claire’s old clothes. To ask for underwear would be… Holly struggled to find the proper word. Embarrassing? Demeaning? Just plain awkward? Holly’s face turned red at the mere thought of asking Claire that. What if she misunderstood and took it the wrong way?
Holly opened the bathroom door and shuffled into the living area. David sat on his couch looking over a medical textbook. Every now and then he would dot something down on a post it or scribble something in his notebook. Holly went to the couch and sat down next to him.
“What are you reading?” David looked up briefly at her before returning to his work.
“Oh nothing, just going over some basic human anatomy. Why? Do you something about it?” Holly thought for a minute. She was trained in several forms of martial arts and knew over 35 ways to take out a man without killing him. Holly shrugged.
“Just a little I guess.” There was a knock at the door. David got up and went to answer it. Holly perked up and turned towards the door. Maybe it was Claire. The door was opened and Holly was immediately disappointed. It was someone else. He was in his early twenties, five ‘o’ clock shadow, and curly blond hair. He looked like he was straight out of a potato chip commercial, one that took place at the beach and everyone was having fun.
“Hey Paul. What’s up?” David greeted him. Paul shook his head.
“Not much man. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute.”
“Come on in then,” David said with a gesture. Paul shook his head.
“Thanks but no thanks. I’ve got to get my place cleaned up. My girlfriend’s coming over for the first time and I don’t want her to think I’m a slob or anything.” David laughed and placed a hand on Paul’s shoulder.
“It’s best that she finds out now. You can’t continue to live a lie much longer,” he said with a straight face.” Paul grinned.
“You may be right but I don’t want to risk it. The thing I wanted to tell you about was these strange men I saw lurking around the outside of the building.” Holly’s blood ran cold and she listened more intently to the conversation from her position on the couch.
“Strange men?” David asked. Paul nodded.
“Yeah, it was really weird. They were all dressed up in suits. Not the kind you just rent from a shop for a hundred bucks. I’m talking tailor made. The strange thing was that it seemed they were looking for something.”
“Did you go down ask them what they were looking for?” David asked. Paul shrugged his shoulders.
“Nah. I chickened out. I mean, what could they have been looking for. They were searching along the alleys. I even saw one guy digging through the trash and another hop into a dumpster.” David nodded in thought.
“That is pretty weird. Well thanks for telling me Paul. I’ll let you know if I see anything.”
“Thanks man.” And with that Paul was gone and David shut the door. Holly folded her hands in her lap and looked down at her feet. They were still looking for her and they were close. Holly looked up and out the window. Out there was the enemy, the enemy who wouldn’t hesitate to kill her to get back their information. Holly just sighed. That was the way the world worked sometimes. People often ignored the value of life to achieve their goals. That was one of the reasons she had joined Titan, to stop people like that. David sat back down and opened his book once more. They were silent for several minutes.
“Are those men looking for you?” David finally asked without looking up. Holly closed her eyes. She felt a headache coming on.
“Perhaps,” she replied noncommittally. David nodded. “Are they from the Mafia? Are they still looking for you after what happened to your brother?” It took Holly a moment to register what David had said. She recalled the yarn she had spun to win over the sympathy of Professor Humphrey. David was talking about that. About her fictional brother who had been taken by fictional mafia members. “They probably are,” Holly said. She looked at David. “I’ll leave before it becomes a problem that could endanger Claire or you.” David shook his head.
“No. You don’t have to worry about that. You’re my guest.” David suddenly stood up and swung his arm out dramatically. “What kind of man would I be if I turned out a lady onto the streets and into mortal peril? I’ll tell you what kind of man. The kind of man that can’t look himself in the mirror,” he finished with a deep and dramatic voice. A key jiggled in the lock and the door swung open. Claire stood in the doorway observing the strange scene: David striking a dramatic pose and Holly looking part amused, part annoyed. Holly looked over at Claire.
“Claire, you’re brother is really weird.” Claire nodded.
“Mom tried taking him to several doctors but nothing worked. That’s why I think he became interested in medicine, so he can cure himself.” David collapsed and sat down on the sofa.
“Claire,” he told her. “Words can really hurt,” he said tapping into his bravado. Claire walked over, picked, a cushion, and flung it at him.
“Yeah, yeah,” she sat down in a chair. She turned to Holly.
“How’s your leg feeling?” Holly glanced down and moved it a little.
“It still hurts a little bit, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” Holly looked at Claire for a moment. There was something off about her. Her training told her that Claire was uneasy, maybe emotional. Her eyes were red and she trembled slightly every now and then. “Have you been crying?” Claire looked up in surprise and hastily wiped her eyes.
“What? No, it must be my allergies acting up again.” David took the cushion off his face.
“Claire, it’s January. I doubt that your pollen allergy is giving you trouble.” Claire glared at him.
“It’s nothing, just drop it.” David sighed and rubbed his head.
“Sorry for being concerned about my little sister. I didn’t know that it was a crime.” Claire responded by throwing another cushion at him. David held up his hands in protest.
“That’s enough. I surrender.” Claire laughed. Holly gave a small smile. It was odd. It was nice seeing Claire smiling. She felt odd warmth in her chest. Perhaps it was a side affect of her pain medication. She would have to remember to ask David later. Holly was shaken out of her silent contemplation by the sound of Claire’s voice.
“Earth to Holly,” Claire said as she shook Holly’s shoulder gently. Holly looked up in confusion. Usually her senses were so alert. Nobody should have been able to catch her off guard, nobody but Claire that is. Lately her thoughts were all over the place. Holly just chalked it up to her injury. David leaned forward and shone a small flashlight in her eyes.
“Maybe it’s a symptom of her concussion. We should take you back to Professor Humphrey. He seems to like you.” Holly swatted the light of David’s hands and it bounced of the table and landed on the carpet. “Hey, don’t break it!” David protested.
“I’m fine,” Holly told him. “I was just thinking.
“What about?” Claire asked. Holly recalled her train of thought and reprimanded herself for blushing slightly. She shook her head.
“Nothing important,” she said shortly. Claire regarded her for a moment, but seemed to have accepted her answer.
“Okay then. So Holly, do you want to go shopping?”
“Shopping?” Holly said as if the word was foreign to her. Claire nodded.
“Yeah, you know. Go to stores, look at clothes, try them on, maybe buy them” Holly considered the offer. One the one hand she needed clothes. It didn’t feel right having to borrow from Claire. Plus she needed underwear. On the other hand it appeared that Iverson’s men were still looking for her. She should try to stay one in place and remain hidden. She was in no condition for additional confrontations with the likes of them. Holly gave an embarrassed smile.
“I’d love to but I don’t have any money,” Holly offered up as an excuse. Claire remained unperturbed.
“That’s fine I brought some and there’s this sale going on at this store I know. We can get some good deals.” Holly shook her head.
“Really,” she said, “I don’t want to impose on you anymore.”
“Would this reluctance have anything to do with the men outside who are looking for someone,” David said offhandedly as he leaned back and stretched on the couch.
“What men?” Claire asked her brother. David looked up.
“Paul stopped by just before you got here. He said he saw some strange men in suits poking around outside as if they were looking for someone.” Claire immediately turned to Holly.
“Are they looking for you?” Holly looked down at her hands.
“I can’t be a hundred percent sure. I mean, I haven’t seen the men myself. It’s possible that…”
“Holly,” Claire said gently. Holly looked up Claire who was looking at her with concern. “Are they looking for you?” Claire repeated seriously. Holly already had a lie planned out, but it ripped at the seams the moment she saw the way Claire was looking at her. It was odd. Claire was looking at her attentively with concern and sympathy. Questioning the hold this girl had over her, Holly found that she couldn’t lie. Holly nodded once slowly.
“Probably, yes.” Claire nodded and took the information in stride. She fingered a lock of her hair absentmindedly as she thought out a plan. Yes, it might work. Claire turned to her brother.
“David, do you still go to those cartoon, what do you call thems?” David sighed and rubbed his head tiredly.
“You mean anime conventions?” Claire nodded and snapped her fingers.
“Yeah, those ones.” David nodded.
“Uh huh. I’m actually planning to go to Anime North this year.”
“Do you still have some of those costumes lying around?” David moaned and shook his head.
“Claire,” he said exasperated, “how many times to I have to tell you? It’s called cosplay.” Claire shook her head.
“Whatever. So do you?” David finally sat up.
“I have a few here. Why?” Ten minutes later Holly took a look at herself in the mirror. She had to admit, she did look different. From a distance she would look like someone else. Only someone close up and who knew her would able to tell who she was. The color contacts were a nice touch. They changed her eyes from brown to a light blue. Holly placed her hands on her head and adjusted the wig, making sure that none of her hair spilled out from underneath. David came up behind her and took a picture which earned a glare from Holly. David shrugged.
“What? You look good with my Sousuke Aizen wig. It’s the only normal one I have. All the rest are blue, red, or some other ridiculous color and would defeat the purpose of being unnoticed.” Claire nodded and stepped forward. She grabbed Holly lightly and spun her around gently to see her wig from all angles while Holly tried not to blush at the close contact. She could smell the perfume that Claire was wearing: lavender with the hint of something exotic or tropical. After giving Holly a quick one over, Claire had to agree with David.
“You look nice Holly.” She turned to David. “You don’t have any costumes that Holly could wear sometime, do you?” David shook his head.
“Not unless she wants to crossplay,” Claire looked at him confused.
“What’s that?”
“Dressing up as a character of the opposite gender,” David elaborated. Holly shrugged her shoulders.
“It doesn’t really appeal to me.” Claire picked up her bag and turned to Holly.
“Are you ready to go?” Holly shook her head.
“Hold on a second. I need to use the bathroom.” Holly shuffled over to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She removed her bag from the corner of the bathroom and opened it up. Should she take her gun? They were only going shopping, but they could still run into trouble. Guns were rather obvious and might be hard to conceal under her clothes. She did have a silencer though… In the end, Holly decided to do without the gun. Instead she strapped her knife to her left leg, concealed mace up her sleeve, and pocketed several small, non-lethal grenades. Now she was ready.
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Claire shifted her jacked as they walked down the street. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone high in the sky, helping to cut the chill in the air. Claire turned to Holly, her breath visible in the air.
“Is that jacket warm enough for you?” Claire asked her. Holly looked up at her and Claire was once again slightly surprised by her appearance. The contacts worked really well at concealing her brown eyes. Holly shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s fine. Thank you.” Claire smiled.
“What are friends for?” Holly nodded softly to herself. Friends. Holly didn’t have many friends. Colleagues, comrades, and acquaintances sure, but friends? Holly navigated over a particular worn out section of pavement with her crutches. She was getting better at using them. It was just a matter of bracing the crutches with both her hands while swinging forward with her good leg. Once she had a rhythm going, Holly found that she didn’t even have to think about it, which allowed her to keep her sense open for other things.
Claire glanced at Holly out of the corner of her eye. Holly kept glancing around at her surroundings as if she were committing them to memory. Her head turned toward to any new sound she heard. Claire frowned.
“Holly.” Holly’s concentration was broken and she stumbled and would have fallen if Claire hadn’t caught her in time. Claire caught Holly by the arm and supported Holly’s weight. Claire turned to her.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine!” Holly said roughly as she grabbed the crutch and continued on her way, ignoring Claire’s injured look. They continued for a block in silence before Holly stopped. She muttered something so quietly that Claire didn’t hear it the first time.
“What did you say?”
“Sorry,” Holly repeated louder. Claire shrugged.
“You don’t have to apologize” Holly shook her head.
“No, I do. I’m just frustrated with this broken leg of mine and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Here you are, taking me out shopping, while I’m wearing your clothes, and I snap at you. Not to mention that I owe my life to you as well,” Holly added quietly. Claire blushed and hid her face behind her long hair.
“I just did what anyone would have done,” she told Holly. “That’s all.” Holly looked out at the towering skyscrapers in the distance. Their windows seamed to shimmer in the sunlight as the buildings themselves pierced the sky.
“You’d be surprised how many people wouldn’t have helped. The world is a cruel place these days, not saying that it hasn’t always been cruel. People seemed to have reached new levels of cruelty. You’re the last of a dying breed Claire: a good Samaritan.”
“Wow. That’s pretty pessimistic of you Holly,” Claire noted. Holly shrugged as they came to an interception and waited for the light to change.
“I’d prefer to think that I’m a realist.” The light changed and they began to walk along the crosswalk.
“If you expect the worst in people, you’ll find that you won’t be disappointed often,” Claire pointed out. Holly nodded. She did have a point. Holly suddenly remembered something from earlier.
“Hey Claire…” Holly asked somewhat hesitantly.
“Hmmm.”
“Why were you upset earlier?” Claire gave smiled weakly, but Holly could tell that her heart wasn’t in it.
“So, you saw through my clever ruse,” Claire said jokingly.
“You don’t get much pollen in January, at least not in this part of the country.” Claire sighed and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.
“It was my mom. We were having breakfast. She brought my… my dad up and I…” Claire shook her head ruefully. “I don’t know. I got really upset and kind of stormed out of the house afterwards. That probably wasn’t the best thing to do now that I think about it.”
“You don’t get along with your father?” Holly asked.
“You could say that,” Claire replied. “He just took off four years ago without a word. We haven’t heard from him since.”
“Oh,” Holly said quietly. Both of them were silent for a moment. “I- I didn’t know Claire. David never mentioned anything.” Claire placed a hand reassuringly on Holly’s shoulder.
“It’s fine Holly. David wouldn’t have brought it up. He won’t admit it, but Dad leaving affected him just as much as it did to me. And it’s like you said, you didn’t know.” They came to a particularly busy intersection. Claire reached out and pushed the button to make the light change to green. Not getting an immediate response, Claire impatiently pushed the button half a dozen times before realizing that Holly was watching her with a bemused expression.
“Calm down Claire. You’ll break it.” Claire immediately jumped back from the button and stood next to Holly. The sign lit up indicating that they could walk. “Well, at least you still have your mother, right?” Holly said as they crossed the street. “That’s one more parent than I can say I had.”
“Holly.” Holly shook her head.
“I don’t need pity Claire. I’m just stating the facts.”
“Was it hard growing up without them?” Holly nodded slowly as she recalled her childhood. It certainly wasn’t like many other girls. Other girls didn’t have to worry about keeping warm or whether or not they could steal their next meal.
“It was. Eventually social services got a hold of me and they shipped me from one foster family to another. Some seemed to genuinely care, but most of them didn’t. I was just a paycheck to them. Eventually Titan came across me, and I had… certain qualities that they were looking for.”
“So now you have a happy ending, right?” Holly looked around. Trash littered the street, a car sped past spraying them with exhaust fumes, and a homeless man sat against warm, shivering in an attempt to keep warm. Not exactly a picturesque fairytale.
“Happy endings are only for fairytales,” Holly said. “Life continues on. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not. It’s never simple, that’s for sure.” They turned the corner and came to the store that Claire had been talking about. Claire immediately grabbed Holly by the hand and pulled her along as fast as her broken leg would allow. Holly’s head was still spinning as Claire shoved her into a changing room and began handing her clothes over the top of the door.
“These are all half off! Try this one; it’ll good with your eyes, your real eyes, not the contacts.” A pile began to accumulate quiet quickly.
“Claire!” Holly exclaimed irritated as pair of pants landed on her face. Claire peaked over the door and looked down at Holly inquiringly.
“Yes?” Holly took the pants off her head and sighed.
“Could- could we slow it down a little bit. We’re not training for the shopping Olympics or anything. I can’t keep up.” Claire looked down at the pile of clothes that she had chosen for Holly. There were a lot… Claire grinned sheepishly.
“Sorry about that. I guess I got carried away.” After that they resumed shopping at a much more leisurely pace, actually going up and looking through the racks instead of grabbing everything in sight. Claire hummed a tune under her breath as she flicked through the racks of clothes. Seeing that Claire was distracted, Holly went over to the lingerie section and discreetly chose a few pairs of bras and panties. She then quickly grabbed a shirt and hid them underneath. “Oh! This is cute!” Claire held up a red top with abstract shapes embroidered along the sleeves. “I’ll think I’ll try it on.” Claire walked over to the changing room and closed the door behind her.
Holly continued her own search. The store had a wide selection, and though she wasn’t particularly interested in clothes, it was nice spending time with Claire picking them out.
“Hey Holly, can you take a look at this?” Claire called from the changing room.
“Sure.” Claire opened the changing room door and stepped out. She spun around a few times in order to display her shirt.
“What do you think?” Holly nodded appraisingly.
“You look nice. What’s the material made of?” Claire checked the label.
“Polyester and cotton.” Holly nodded thoughtfully.
“I guess that will do. You want to have clothes that are made out of durable materials. Ideally they should be waterproof, resist tearing, offer minor protection from foreign objects, provide camouflage, and keep you warm.” Claire just looked at Holly strangely. Holly cocked her head to the side. “What? Did I say something weird?” Claire shook her head.
“No, not really, it’s just that we’re here to buy clothes, not purchase body armor.” Holly coughed nervously and turned around to look at a rack of clothes.
“Of course. Sorry about that. I read too much,” she offered as an explanation. About forty minutes later they were ready to pay for their purchases. Despite Claire’s many protests, Holly only chose a couple articles of clothing to buy.”
“Come on Holly, you can pick out a few more things.” Holly shook her head stubbornly.
“No. You’re already paying for everything as it is. You’ve already done so much for me already,” she murmured quietly. Claire sighed and rubbed her head tiredly.
“Has anyone ever told you how stubborn you are?” Holly shrugged and smiled.
“It’s been the subject of many conversations I’ve had with Sid.”
“Who’s Sid?” Claire asked curiously. Holly froze and winced inwardly at the information she had let slip. Titan wouldn’t stay a secret much longer if she didn’t keep her mouth shut. Why did this keep happening whenever she was around Claire? Claire had a knack for getting her to relax and lower the barriers she had always kept up.
“Um… Well… Sid is my…” How could she answer this without saying superior officer?
“Boyfriend?”
“No!” Several nearby people turned to look for the source of the outcry. Holly winced and looked down. If this kept up she would blow her cover. Claire laughed lightly.
“Well,” she said. “I think even Sid must have heard that. How will he take the bad news?” Holly frowned.
“It’s nothing like that. Our relationship is strictly professional. He’s my… advisor at Titan. He helps me out with choosing courses and discusses my future with me.”
“Oh.” For some reason Claire felt a bit of relief that Holly wasn’t going out with this Sid guy. Against her better judgment, she decided to pursue the subject. “So… you don’t have a boyfriend?” Claire asked without meeting Holly’s eyes. Holly shook her head.
“No. I’ve been too busy for a relationship. My… studies take up a lot of my time. How about you? You probably have a boyfriend, don’t you?” This time it was Holly’s turn to avoid Claire’s eyes.
“No I don’t.” Holly looked up at Claire in surprise.
“Really? I thought the guys would be knocking down the door. You’re really pretty, Claire” Claire blushed and looked away.
“You’re just saying that.” Holly shrugged and placed a hand on Claire’s shoulder. Claire turned to face her. Holly felt her stomach flip and swallowed nervously. Her throat was dry. When you were thirsty you were already ten percent dehydrated. Dehydration had many symptoms such as dizziness… She struggled against that train of thought and returned to the situation at hand.
“I am just saying it. I’m saying it because it happens to be true.” Holly lost her courage and was forced to turn away. Claire smiled.
“Thanks Holly, and I’ll say it again, you’re pretty cute yourself.” Holly scowled and walked over toward the checkout.
“You need to rethink your definition of cute,” but despite her accusation, Holly couldn’t help but feel a bit warm on the inside. They paid for the purchases and walked out onto the street.
“Do you want to get some lunch?” Claire asked Holly. “I know this really good sandwich shop not too far from here.” Holly nodded.
“Sounds good to me.” As they were walking down the street, Holly noticed something. A man she saw several times, despite how many times they turned a corner. Somebody was following them. Holly glanced over to Claire. She hadn’t seemed to notice. That was good. It wouldn’t do any good to upset her. It might alert their tail. Holly decided to check for sure if they were being followed. “Hey Claire, do you know any faster ways to get to this shop.” Claire shrugged.
“I guess. If we cut across Baltimore Avenue and then head down Hansen Way we could get there faster, but it’s pretty busy this time of day.” Holly nodded.
“That’s fine,” she said quickly and with that she swung her crutches forward and took off so fast that Claire had to run to keep up with her. Crutches weren’t as fast as running, Holly thought. But then again, outright running could alert the man following them that they knew of his presence. It was best in a situation like this to lose a tail without looking like it was intentional.
“Holly, wait up!” Claire called after her. Holly glanced over her shoulder. The man had turned the corner and was quickly walking after them. He wore a black tailored suit and pointy tweed shoes. He carried a briefcase alongside him which he handled with particular care, as if there weren’t mere documents inside. It was probably something much more sinister considering it was one of Iverson’s men.
“Son of a bitch,” Holly muttered under her breath. Either he was late to a meeting, or he was following her, probably the latter than the former. Claire caught up to her, the bags containing the clothes they had bought in her hands.
“What’s the rush?” Claire asked her. Holly ignored her question and instead glanced ahead. Claire was right, it was busier here. A crowd of people quickly hustled and moved along in a giant convulsing mass. Holly saw the man approaching them out of the corner of her eye. It was now or never.
“Claire,” Holly spoke low but urgently. “Follow me and keep your head down.” Holly shuffled off as fast as she could, not looking checking to see if Claire followed or not. They moved through the crowd as quickly as the people and Holly’s leg would allow them.
“Sorry!” Claire apologized for the umpteenth time as they plowed through the crowd. People stopped and stared for a moment before continuing on with their business. The man following them wasn’t as patient. He violently shoved and muscled his way through the crowd, not caring who got in the way. Holly didn’t need to look back to know where he was. She could tell by the indignant cries and protests of the people he shoved out of the way. Holly spotted a narrow alleyway off to their left.
“This way,” she told Claire as she quickly headed toward it. Claire followed her. As they entered the alleyway, Claire decided that she had had enough.
“Holly! What the hell is going on? Why did you-” Holly quickly covered her mouth with her hand and pinned her against the alley wall. Claire’s eyes widened enormously as Holly leaned in close to her. Holly’s skin was so soft, Claire thought absent mindedly as Holly’s face approached her own. And she was so warm. Claire could feel her warmth even through both of their jackets. Claire was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. She couldn’t help but feel a tang of disappointment when she realized that Holly was just leaning in to glance around the corner of the alley. But then, what had she been expecting her to do? Claire couldn’t answer that question, but the disappointment still lingered.
Holly could hear the man’s footsteps approaching and she hastily ducked her head in. She looked at Claire.
“Stay quiet,” Holly breathed. Claire nodded slightly and Holly removed her hand from her mouth. The man had stopped walking. He stood there hesitantly, as if deciding if he should go check the alley. Holly gritted her teeth, and her hold on Claire tightened protectively. Claire reciprocated by wrapping her arms around Holly’s waist. They both held their breath and tried to slow the rapid beating of their hearts. After what could have been hours, but in actuality was probably only a few moments, the man took off running once more, eager to not lose his quarry. Holly let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. “He’s gone,” she told Claire. “That was close.”
“Yeah,” Claire agreed. Speaking of close, the two of them just seemed to realize how tightly they were holding on to each other. Someone walking by could have easily mistaken them for lovers embracing. Both their faces flushed crimson and they immediately let go. Holly had dropped her crutches and would have fallen if Claire hadn’t caught her by the hand. Claire looked down at Holly for a moment before helping her to her feet.
“Th-thanks,” Holly muttered embarrassedly as she tried to gain her composure. Claire bent down and handed her crutches to her.
“Not a problem.” Holly tucked one crutch under each arm and found her balance. “What was that all about?” Holly sighed. It was no good hiding the truth from her now, or at least this small part of the truth.
“We were being followed. Or to be accurate, I was being followed. I’m sorry you had to be there when this happened.”
“I guess the disguise didn’t help that much.” Claire noticed something for the first time. “Holly, your wig’s gone.”
“What?” Holly reached and felt her head. Sure enough, it wasn’t there. “Shit! Somebody from that crowd must have knocked it off. I guess I’ll have to by David a new one.”
“That’s not important now,” Claire said firmly. “What is important is why that man was following you in the first place.” Holly looked away.
“I don’t want to get you involved Claire. It’s dangerous.
“But I’m already involved!” Claire protested. “There were men searching for you the night I found you in that alley. You never told me what happened or why they’re looking for you.
“The less you know the safer you’ll be. I don’t want anything to happen to you Claire.
“And how do you think I’ll feel if something happens to you!” Holly turned around to face Claire. Claire’s lips trembled slightly and the corners of her eyes welled up with tears.
“Claire,” Holly whispered.
“I care about you Holly. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Holly smiled and placed a hand on Claire’s shoulder.
“Claire, nothing is going to happen to me,” she reassured her. “I can take care of myself.”
“There’s a difference between taking care of yourself and shouldering a burden alone. Why don’t you let someone else help you?” Holly didn’t know how to answer that.
“Well isn’t this touching, two school girls bonding and sharing their feelings,” said a voice from the other side of the alley. Three men walked toward them. Well, it would be a stretch to call them men. They couldn’t be any older than twenty. Their jeans were torn, their teeth were crooked, and one of them was unsteady on his feet, obviously intoxicated; on what was anyone’s guess. On their right forearms was poorly done tattoo. Holly and Claire couldn’t tell what was, but it appeared to be a quadruped of some kind.
“Claire, lets get out of before things take a turn for the worse.”
“Where the hell do you think you’re going,” one of them said as he strode forward and grabbed Holly by the arm. Holly glared up at him.
“I’d recommend that you let go before I’m forced to hurt you. The man merely whistled.
“You’re one cocky bitch, aint’ch ya?” Holly smiled.
“I guess I am. At least I’m not some white-trash, wannabe gangsta bastard like you three.”
“What did you say?” he asked enraged. His grip on her arm tightened to the point where it might be considered painful. Holly’s smile only widened.
“You heard me. Or are you too chickenshit to stand up to a girl with a broken leg?” Claire tugged on Holly’s other arm urgently.
“You’re only making this worse!” she hissed fiercely.
“Relax.” The gang member released his grip and shoved Holly back. Holly swung her crutches out and kept her balance.
“I think it’s time someone taught you a lesson.”
“Please begin class then Professor,” Holly said condescendingly. Holly checked her sleeve to make sure that the device was secure. It was. He drew his fist back in preparation and Claire flinched and looked away. Holly quickly slipped the mace from her sleeve to her hand and took aim. Their would-be assailant clutched his eyes in agony and took a step back ward. Holly swung her crutch and knocked him off his feet. She swiftly followed through with a blow to the crotch and then to the temple. He wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. Claire and the other two gaped at Holly in disbelief. Holly looked over at them. “I suggest you stop while you’re still ahead.”
“You little whore!” One of them cried out as he charged. Holly quickly knelt down and removed the knife strapped to her good leg. Holly twisted out of the way of the first swing and struck with the knife, landing a shallow blow. He cried out in pain and Holly hit him in the head with the hilt of the knife, sending him flying back to his friend. Holly decided to not give the last one a chance and reached into her pocket for one of her flash bangs. She pulled the pin and threw it, leading Claire quickly out of the alley and back onto the main streets. It detonated and the sound of swearing, stumbling, and trashcans being knocked over could be heard.
Holly cleaned the blood off of her knife and strapped it to her leg once more. She stood up to see Claire staring at her. Holly looked away.
“I’m not a criminal or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking.
“How did you do that?” Claire asked in disbelief. Holly shrugged.
“I picked up some of it from the street and the rest from training. Like I said before, the less you know the better. Although…” Holly hesitated a moment before looking at Claire. “I wouldn’t… I mean I’d- never do anything to hurt you Claire.” Claire looked at Holly for a moment. She looked so vulnerable, as if one touch would break her into pieces. Claire nodded and leaned forward to hug her.
“I know you wouldn’t Holly. I know you wouldn’t,” she murmured reassuringly. Holly’s arms dangled uselessly at her side for a few moments before lifting to hug Claire back.
“Thank you.” They separated and Claire frowned.
“Are you crying?” Holly looked bewildered for a moment. She touched her cheek and sure enough, there were tears. Holly shook her head.
“No, it’s these damn contacts; they’re irritating my eyes.” Holly removed them and placed them in their case. “See. All better.” Claire nodded but wasn’t completely convinced. “I guess we better call it a day,” Holly said. “I’m sure David has something to eat back at his place. I should try and keep a low profile for the next couple of days.”
“That sounds like a good idea, although I doubt that David will have anything edible. All he eats is frozen dinners and takeouts.” Holly shrugged.
“You’d be surprised what you’ll eat when you really hungry.” They headed back to David’s apartment, shopping bags in tow. This time however, Holly made sure that they took an alternate route, doubling back several times in case they were being followed again. As a result of the evasive maneuvers, they didn’t reach the apartment until it was nearly three ‘o’clock.
“God I’m starving!” Claire complained as she slid her key into the door and opened it. She set their bags down by the coffee table and made a beeline straight for the kitchen area. Holly followed her. Claire began to rifle through the doors looking for anything edible. There was some bread that was only half stale, some cheese that hadn’t sprouted mold yet, plenty of chips and soda, and of course the staple meal of Americans: peanut butter and jelly. Holly looked over Claire’s shoulder at her findings.
“You know… if we toast the bread, it might not be that bad…” A little while later, the two of them sat down to eat their sandwiches.
“Hmmm,” Claire said with a full mouth. “Who knew that toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches tasted so good?”
“Not me, that’s for sure,” Holly replied. After they had cleaned up at Claire glanced at her watch and frowned.
“I should probably get going,” Claire said reluctantly. “I have some homework I need to finish, and I’m sure my mom is worried about me.” Holly shrugged and walked Claire to the door.
“If you have to go, you have to go.” Claire opened the door and hesitated for a moment. She turned around to face Holly.
“I’ve got school this week, so I’m going to be pretty busy. I’ll try to visit as soon as I can.” Holly blushed and looked away.
“No, no, I understand. It’s fine.” Holly looked up at Claire. They both just stood there awkwardly. They didn’t want to part, and yet they didn’t know what to say either.
“I guess this is goodbye then,” Claire finally spoke up. Holly nodded.
“I guess.”
“For the love of God Claire! Kiss her goodnight and then let me get in. These groceries are heavy!” Claire whirled around to find her brother standing next to her holding several plastic bags laden with food.
“David!” Claire bristled irritably at him.
“Hmmm. I seem to have a knack for interrupting moments,” David reflected philosophically. Claire shoved past her brother and glanced over her shoulder.
“Holly, if he gives you any trouble let me know.” Holly gave a small smile.
“I’ll be sure to do that.” Claire smiled back and continued on her way. David walked into the apartment and began putting the groceries away. Holly sat back down on the couch.
“You know,” David called to Holly from the kitchen, “I’d like to know your intentions with my sister. Are they honorable?” he asked teasingly. Holly frowned.
“You need to get your head out of the gutter. It’s not like that. Claire and I are just…” Holly hesitated for a fraction of a second, “friends,” she finished. David shrugged as he walked into the room and flipped on the TV.
“Whatever you say.”
________________________________________________________________________________
The room was very dimly lit. A figure sat behind a desk, leafing through some pictures. His right hand came into view. It was scarred and somewhat disfigured. It was missing two of its fingers. The man glared down at his hand as if it pained him. He lifted it front of him and examined it. He slowly rotated it, picking out the details. The surgery had been quite taxing. The bullet had nearly lost him the use of his hand. Some warning shot. There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” the man said as he picked up his papers once more. A man in a suit opened the door and walked right up to the desk. “I assume you’re here to report the recovery progress.”
“Yes Mr. Iverson.” Iverson looked up at the man before him coldly. The man clenched his teeth and tried not to flinch.”
“Judging from you posture, I can assume that it isn’t favorable.”
“Not necessarily Mr. Iverson.” Iverson frowned and cocked his head to the side.
“How so? The man gulped nervously before continuing.
“One of our agents possibly encountered the target. We weren’t able to get confirmation. The target eluded him.” Iverson frowned.
“Either you and your men are incompetent and can’t trail anyone, or this is the agent we’re looking for. For your sake I hope it’s the latter. Anything else?” The man nodded.
“It also seemed that the target was with someone else, a girl with long blonde hair. My men are currently checking into it.” Iverson frowned for a moment in contemplation.
“This is interesting. Yes, very interesting. Find out what you can about this other girl and report back to me as soon as possible. You are dismissed.” The man nodded and hastily left the room. Iverson turned around and looked out the window. “Everyone has a weakness. That’s why you hide it, keep it secret. It can only be used against you.” Iverson turned to his computer and pulled up a file. It was security footage of Holly breaking into the building that contained the information. He played it and then stopped it as the camera captured the determined look on her face. “Have I found yours, Agent Holly Collinger?”
A/N: Iverson is up to no good and the plot thickens. Please review and tell me what you think of it. I have a pretty good idea where this story is going, but I’m open to any ideas or suggestions.
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