| "Golden Towers and Small Potatoes" | ||
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Paige's Place May 18, 2008 1000 hours The Golden Tower stood proudly. It had been built with care one piece at a time and covered in golden liquid to fortify it. However strong it was, though, it would not withstand the fury that would soon come to pass. The silver sword glinted brightly as it poised in her hand ready to strike. Someone else was there too, someone to be dealt with before the Tower could be destroyed. "Imagine my surprise," she said quietly, her eyes never leaving the Golden Tower, "seeing you on my couch when I woke this morning." "Imagine mine when I awoke to find you had actually cooked something." Her eyes rose to meet his. "I don't think frozen waffles count as actually 'cooking' something." "For you," Joshua grinned at her, "it's cooking." He eyed the Golden Tower of waffles. "You gonna eat those all by yourself?" She glanced back down...she had heated the entire box that consisted only of eight waffles...this was merely an appetizer. "Yeah," she replied stabbing her fork into the top of the Tower and wielding her knife next to it. She cut through most of it as the maple syrup oozed like blood from its wound. She stuffed the bits into her mouth and chewed happily grinning up at him. "That's a good look for you," he said smiling. She stabbed another little stack of waffle and nodded her head in thanks. He walked by her and tilted her head up gently, "Good morning sweetness," he said as he kissed her forehead gently. He then grabbed her wrist and forced her hand near his mouth and stole her waffle bite. "Thanks," he grinned and straightened. "Thief," she replied stabbing another mouthful. "I've been called worse," he said as he rummaged through her fridge, "don't you have any bacon?" She took another bite and quite aware of her manners spoke with her mouth full anyway. "There will be no pig, nor cow, nor any other barnyard animal in my fridge, Joshua." "Damn vegetarians," he replied opening the freezer and pulling out another box of waffles. "I'm not a vegetarian," she said. "Yeah? What meat do you eat?" "Hot dogs at baseball games...nothing like them in the world." "That's because they're not from this world, see...they aren't really meat." "That's true, they are made out of small children and giant foamy finger hand thingies," she said quietly. "You're disgusting," he grimaced and placed the frozen waffles on a cookie sheet. "I've been called worse," she nodded in agreement. When he was done heating his waffles he sat across from her and he ate in silence as she sipped her coffee not paying any attention to him. "What are you thinking about?" he asked her suddenly. She looked to him with an amusing smile, "having sex with you," she said simply. He coughed choking on his waffle, "kidding?" She got up, "damn right," she said flatly before walking past him. "How's Eric doing?" A challenge? she thought. She turned towards him peering over her mug of coffee. "I know he came here," he said waving his fork absently in the air, "you two work out your differences?" "I'm sure you already know the answer to that then as well," she said flatly. He nodded, "I do...but now that I have your attention, did you know he followed you and Baz into the city?" This was news to her and she allowed it to show on her face. "Yep, tailed your asses all the way in...how's that for small potatoes?" he grinned and took another bite of waffles. "What do you know?" she demanded. He chewed for a moment, perhaps enjoying getting a rise out of her, before swallowing and answering her. "I know Gray had sent him over but only because he was worried about you. You of course blew it way out of proportion..." "Through no fault of your own," she snapped at him. He shrugged, "true...but you owe him an apology, an explanation at least." "And what pray tell should I say?" "How about the truth?" "There's a novel idea." "He's a quick study, persistent, you'd tell him eventually anyway..." "No," she shook her head, "I don't think Kihn would take to kindly about what happened that night at SH2." "I'm not Gray," Joshua said flatly as he gazed at her. She simply looked back. So he knew about the threat she had posed to Gray then. She sighed defeatedly. "You can't tell him we gave you the Directory..." "Forced," she reminded him. "Forced...the Directory, but you can tell him in the least you were under surveillance and that I put it on you. It would certainly explain your behavior." "Is that what you want me to tell him?" she asked. He shrugged, "it's up to you but you owe him something. He did after all, go extremely out of his way to watch you." She narrowed her eyes feeling that familiar hatred towards him, "and telling him anything...what purpose would that serve you?" "Why do you think I have a purpose?" he said getting up and walking slowly towards her. She held his gaze on his approach until he stopped so close she almost felt lightheaded. "Because you do nothing without a purpose." He brushed her golden hair from her shoulder and smiled gently. "It's about time you figured that out." She took a step backward, at least now she knew where she stood with him. His face softened considerably apparently unhappy she had backed away from him. "Paige...you have to understand I'm..." the shrill creek of a cell phone interrupted him. She could tell by the sudden clenching of his jaw that it was his. He took a controlled deep breath and walked over to his jacket as it once again demanded his attention. He fished it out of the pocket and flicked it open. "What?" he said harshly. Paige sipped her coffee and turned to walk away. "Wait," he said snapping his fingers. She dutifully ignored him, she was not, nor ever would she be, someone's toy that simply came bounding over with her tongue hanging out begging for pets when someone snapped their finger. She flipped him off without looking back and headed towards the kitchen. She grabbed his plate and dumped the remaining waffles in the garbage, on purpose, to piss him off, and put the dish in the sink with her own. She ran the water hot and poured the detergent swirling the bubbles into the syrupy mess. "I wasn't finished with those," Joshua's gruff voice filled her ear as all of a sudden he was everywhere around her. His hands grasped the sink on either side and he pinned her to the counter. She chose not to answer him and rubbed the sponge over the dish. "And I am not finished with you." He grabbed her hands gently and turned her around. "Let me go," she said staring at him. He obliged but did not back down. "I don't often enjoy doing the things that I do, mostly I hate them, but I understand that there are things out there that are bigger than me, things that can hurt me, things I have very little control over." "What do you want?" she mouthed the question slowly. "I want you to understand that there are things bigger than you, bigger than the SIA or the Section, things have been set...what's wrong?" She grimaced feeling a tingling sensation in her right arm. She pushed him back, "I dunno, cramp..." she rubbed her shoulder. "Let me see," he rubbed her shoulder, "does it hurt?" "No, just a weird...tingly feeling," she flexed her hand. He continued rubbing her shoulder for a moment before she shrugged him off. "It's alright, it's nothing." "I just don't want you to hate me," he said softly. "I don't hate you Joshua," she replied, "I think...I'm just disappointed...and that's not your fault, that's mine." "How is that yours?" She paused for a moment considering her words carefully. She often found herself not able to inflict pain with her hands instead having to rely on her words. "Because I never should have expected anything." "That's harsh Paige," he said grimacing. Paige shrugged and moved away from him, "I'll see you around," she said softly with a sad smile to him...then walked away humming softly. She went to her bedroom and flopped down on the bed. "Why oh why can't I find a nice boy toy?" she asked the ceiling. It, unfortunately, had no answer for her. She waited until she heard him leave then pulled the toolbox out from the closet. Apparently she had used some of the tools though she didn't remember it. She grabbed some screwdrivers and went to work on the locks at her door. It felt good, finally, to be alone in her abode and not bothered by the watching types and clear thoughts in her head. She had dismissed Joshua, reducing him to what he really was - another boss, another operative, another toppler of Golden Towers and bearer of small potatoes. Either way, she had a lot to think about and spent the next couple days doing just that. Sorting out her thoughts, sometimes at home, sometimes in Edison at the training facility, sometimes just sitting on her balcony free of worry. Then the doorbell buzzed... Return |
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