"You’ve got mail." The laptop on the desk cheerfully informed. Noelani groaned and rolled over. Opening her eyes, she found the new message on the list of unopened mail.
Zechs still had his arm draped securely over her waist and was fast asleep. With agile movements, Noelani wriggled free of the warm confines of her lover’s arms and got out of bed. The realty of morning soon set in as she reached for the first piece of clothing that she could find. It happened to be the men’s tailored shirt that Zechs had been wearing the night before.
It came down to her knees. {Oh well.} her mind argued. {Not like he minds.}
She sat at the laptop in time to hear Zechs stir from sleep. Smiling to herself, she opened the new mail. After a moment of waiting, it loaded to reveal it’s contents. The picture came into focus and Noelani swallowed. Hard. {This *can’t* be good.}
Zechs rose from the bed and threw on the pants he had been wearing yesterday. Moving quietly, he wrapped his arms around Noelani from behind and began to kiss a sensitive spot on her neck. When she didn’t respond, he glanced at the focus of her attention. An astute sense of doom swept over him as he too was mesmerized by the screen.
"We seem to have a problem." Noelani simply stated.
"I’ll say." Zechs answered.
It was some time before the pair could tear their eyes away. "I’ll have to call them." Noelani said, surprisingly calm for the situation. "How about breakfast?"
Zechs nodded absently. As he rose and left the room, Noelani turned to the vid-phone that was next to the laptop.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
*Ring*
Ara slowly returned to the land of the living to the sound of the video phone.
*Ring*
She sat up on the couch, realizing that she had fallen asleep there after hours of searching (unsuccessfully) for a way to get her damn ship fixed. {Piece a shit.}
*Ring*
"I hear you!" She rubbed her neck to ease the cramp caused by the couch. Reluctantly, she rose.
*Ring*
"I’m comin’, I’m comin’. " Ara muttered to herself, glancing at her watch. {Jesus. It’s *four* in the morning. This had *better* be good.} Plopping into the seat, she flipped the switch and bluntly demanded, "What?!"
Noelani arched an eyebrow. "My dearest cousin, such attitude coming from your mouth."
Ara rolled her eyes. "It is four in the morning, I fell asleep on the couch with my clothes on, and I’ve recently had to deal with Blitz and Thea. I don’t need a damn lecture right now. Okay?"
"Never have been much of a morning person have you?" "Is there a reason you called? Or was it just to piss me off?" Ara let her temper flare as she talked to the slightly older woman.
"Sadly, there are methods to my madness this time. What did they want?"
"I’ll give you three guesses." She responded, giving her a look.
"I see. Where are they?"
"Last I saw physically, they were speeding off toward the docks. If they took the bait, and I stress the word *IF*, they were headed to Mars shortly thereafter. That was," Ara looked at her watch, "seven hours ago."
"What do they know?" Noelani asked, seemingly indifferent.
Ara glared. This conversation was ticking her off and doing it fast. "They know you’re trying to take over the world, you’re worth 50 million wuolong, and that Zechs Merquise is training your troops."
At the mention of Zechs, Noelani paled. Ara noticed her discoloration. "Why do you look so nervous," Ara arched an eyebrow, "dearest cousin? Is the name of my ex-fiancée striking fear into the hearts of everyone these days, or just you?" Naturally, Zechs picked that moment to return with breakfast for the pair. Setting the tray on the nightstand, he moved behind his lover, unaware of with whom she was speaking.
"Who are you talk …" Zechs’ sentence cut short as his attention came upon the screen.
Rage, enough to strike terror into the heart of, well anyone, crossed Ara’s features. "Hello Zechs." She spoke slowly, clearly attempting to control the anger now seething through her veins. "How nice to see you again."
"Ara," Zechs tentatively spoke, "what a pleasant surprise." There was a slight tremor in his voice.
Noelani tried to calm the now enraged woman. "Ara, really, it’s not what it looks like. We, …"
"Really?" Ara bluntly interrupted. "It looks like my trusted cousin is in my ex-fiancée’s shirt, he isn’t wearing one, and judging by the condition of the room behind you," Ara paused to breathe, "well. It’s not exactly rocket science to guess at what activity led you to your current state."
Noelani and Zechs both flushed a slightly red color. At their reaction, Ara drew a deep breath that did little to calm her. "Good bye, Noelani." Ara harshly flipped the switch to ‘off’.
Hanna and Kincaid were ripped from sleep at the sound of a battle cry, and the vid-phone crashing through the window.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Hanna, who was nestled snuggly into Kincaid’s arms, hesitated only a few moments before rising from her position. There was only a certain amount of time that Ara could go unattended when she was angry before she did something rash.
"Kincaid," She shook her husband lightly, "come on. We gotta calm her down."
"What do you mean *we* ?"Kincaid answered. "I’m not going anywhere until she’s been tranquilized! Just how stupid do you think I am?" Hanna started to speak. "Don’t answer that." He said quickly.
"Alright. Alright. If I’m not back in an hour, come after me."
"Uh-huh." He muttered, rolling over and pulling the covers over his head.
"Wuss." Hanna accused, getting up from the bed and moving towards the door. Slowly, she opened it, poked her head out, and looked both ways down the hall. There was no sign of Ara. {Breathe Hanna.} She thought to herself. {If you were Ara, and you were enraged beyond all reason, where would you be?} She paused in the middle of the hallway. {The kitchen.}
She moved swiftly through the house and into the kitchen, where she slowly peered inside. Still no sign of her. {Well, at least the knives are still here.}
After a slow and thorough search of the house, there was still no sign of life, save the gaping hole in the window, and the light snoring of her husband. A thought finally dawned on Hanna. {Uh-oh. She didn’t *leave* did she?}
Immediately, Hanna turned on her heels and ran to the hanger that was located behind the house. There she found Ara, or rather Ara’s feet, sticking out from underneath her ship, The Gilgamesh. There was an occasional curse word emitted from her position; Hanna was careful to stay out of the way as she got Ara’s attention.
Hanna lightly coughed. "Ara?"
"What." Ara stated bluntly.
"Are you … um …calm?"
"I’m fine Hanna."
"What was that all about?" Hanna was full on her guard as she asked, fearful that Ara would lash out at any moment. It was bad enough when she was pissed off and screaming. But, when she was pissed off and silent, things could get really ugly.
"A visit from an old flame, you could say."
"Right."
Ara suddenly rolled out from underneath her ship and looked at Hanna, who promptly moved behind a nearby stack of crates. "Pack up. Tell Kincaid to get all the equipment on my ship. Get rid of any signs that we were ever here." Hanna opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off. "Don’t ask questions. Just do it. And be quick about it." She promptly disappeared underneath the Gilgamesh and went back to work.
/////////////////////
It was three hours later when the trio was ready for departure. They had been over the house with a fine toothed comb, gathering all the equipment from the basement ant washing their existence from the walls and carpets. Ara was standing in front of the fuse box. Ripping a few of the wires, she grabbed a handful of grass from the edge of the house and placed them in. Next she grabbed her zippo from her pocket and ignited it. She lit the grass and watched the fire start.
There was a smile on her face as the live wires began to crackle and spark. The fire was merrily burning and beginning to consume the wall as she turned and walked to the hanger.
Kincaid and Hanna were patiently waiting for her. "Get on the ship." She demanded, rather potently. There was a gun at her hip and two more in her shoulder holsters. The pair knew full well that they were loaded and Ara didn’t believe in the "handy safety lock". "And start her up!"
Under normal circumstances, Hanna would have laughed and said something to the effect of ‘That’s his job’, however this time she restrained. She and Kincaid boarded the Gilgamesh and started it’s engines.
Ara grabbed a nearby can of gasoline. {To hell with cover up.} her mind said as she watched the fire now consuming the house. Uncapping the can, she poured a trail from the house to the hanger. There, she poured it onto several wooden crates and threw the can back into the house, where it consequently exploded.
Ara grabbed the headset microphone near her lips and told Hanna, "Bring her out of the hanger and out of the way."
Hanna did as she was told and when the ship was about a hundred yards away with the entrance hatch open, Ara lit a match and dropped it into the gas-drenched grass. The trail of fire blazed through the yard and into the hanger, setting it aflame in seconds. Ara moved to the ship, got in, and took off no more than a minute later.
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