Tomorrow Morning..., A Then and Now Myth....

[Holly Sands]

Then.....

The newly monikered Holly Sands crept along the dusty brick wall, slinking through the shadows that night so generously offered. She had two pockets full of stolen cash, and didn’t want to get snagged, because she had absolutely no way to justify that much cash.

Hands on the outside of her pants, keeping the few coins she’d lifted from offworlders from clinking together as she dodged this sheriff and that Alliance patrol, she kept a wary eye out. Least of all did she want to be found by some of the wandering Tong crews. They were by far the worst. Stupid, cruel bastards who’d disappear her quicker than she could scream. Nope. She didn’t want that at all.

And so, she kept herself hidden as she made her way back...where? Home? Base? Camp? She wasn’t sure which it was, and which it wasn’t. She supposed that base was close enough. She knew she was safe there, and that she could sleep peacefully, without having to worry about someone disappearing or killing her in her sleep.

Up the wall, using specific bricks as climbing hand and footholds, mortared into place just a little bit further out than the rest of the bricks, she clambered up onto the roof of the building, and followed the route shown to her the previous night.

The network of rooftop bridges was cobbled together with anything and everything imaginable. Ropes, actual ladders, scraps of wood or metal. There was even one section that’d been woven out of the thick grass that grew on the outskirts of Persephone. She made her way across specific bridges, turning at specific bridges, like the chipped paint section that looked like a foot, or the smokestack that constantly put out delicious spicy smells.

In due course she came upon her destination, a rooftop trapdoor, set into the stonework, camouflaged by a field of drying sheets, billowing in the gentle breeze. She lifted the trapdoor, and slipped into the waiting darkness below. Her feet found purchase on the stairs, and she found her way down, keeping one hand on the wall to her left. She emerged into a room lit by candles. Here and there, little groups of kids (not children, exactly, but not young adults yet either) huddled around portable heaters and radios and a scavenged cortex screen.

It was much as she’d seen it the previous night, except that when Alyssa came up to her, she had a wickedly excited gleam in her eye.

“What’s up?”

Alyssa grinned.

“They want to meet you.”

Holly cocked her head to the side, just a bit and shoved her hands into her pockets, her fingers tightening on the cash contained there. The way Alyssa said “They” was off. Holly got the immediate impression that “They” were going to want a major part of her earnings. She’d had a few “organizations” approach her already, offering “protection” or “mutual benefits” should she choose to give them a percentage of her take. She didn’t mind sharing, of course, as long as the other parties were willing to be equitable. Most weren’t.

“Who’s they?” she asked, suspiciously.

Alyssa’s grin widened.

“Jack and Jonny. They’re the leaders of this outfit. They’re okay, actually.” Alyssa said, tugging on her arm. “You know. As okay as boys can be.”

Holly followed reluctantly, moving deeper into the building. Alyssa led her to a medium sized room that contained a poker table littered with cigarette buts, a few empty bottles (of what, she wasn’t sure, but the place didn’t smell like stale beer), and the remains of a meager dinner for the two young men sitting at the table. Alyssa stepped forward, and placed a hand on one’s shoulder.

“This is Jonny Appleseed, and that’s Springheel Jack.” the younger girl said, gesturing to the two men in turn.

After “Jonny Appleseed”, Holly didn’t hear much. The man under Alyssa’s hand smirked at her, gray eyes flashing in the dim light. His beard looked just a little manly, but he still had those awkward scruffy patches that made him look like it hadn’t decided if it would be a full on manly beard or leave him trapped in scruffy adolescence. He took a long drag on his cigarette, and blew smoke into the air with a decidedly disinterested air. His arms had black linework on them, but there wasn’t any shading yet, and Holly couldn’t really make out the tattoos that were in progress in the dim light.

He grinned, and the hard nosed girl who didn’t take sass from anybody was momentarily replaced by the blushing belle that her parents had raised. She quickly recovered, however, and nodded to each young man, though her eyes rested on Jonny.

“Hey.”

She couldn’t decide whether the arrogant, uninterested “Peter Pan” air he had was attractive or annoying, though it was definitely captivating.

She’d decide tomorrow...


Now.....

Holly lifted her head, and found a familiar pair of eyes staring at her in the bar’s mirror. Gray, as always. Stupid gray. It was a stupid color. The dark charcoal of his shirt made the pale silver of his eyes stand out, sparkly and clear in the bar’s dim light. He stood behind her, staring into her eyes, holding her there with his gaze. She took a moment to breathe, and regretted it immediately.

He smelled so good it made her stomach rumble.

Chefs (for he was much more than the simple cook he professed himself to be) had their own individual spices that they liked to work with, and Jonny’s food was always spiced amazingly. His scent identified him to her as much as a fingerprint or retinal scan might. And underneath it all was the smell of him. Just him. Himself. Unbidden memories of the two of them rolling over and over in the sheets until she smelled like him for long hours afterwards rose to the surface of her mind. She hated him for the effect that he had on her, and hated herself even more for it.

She waved towards the bartender and ordered two more drinks, draining the glass of whiskey in front of her. She caught his eye in the mirror, and stared hatefully at him as she finished the drink, not even flinching when he blinked at her obvious intoxication. She wasn’t the most pleasant of drunks.

She nodded to the barstool next to her, and he sat.

“Hey.”

She couldn’t decide whether his quiet acceptance of her drinking and her invitation was infuriating or touching. He accepted her for what she was, and always had. Stupid grey color. She wasn’t sure if this would be one of the meetings that she’d hate him for afterwards, or love him for.

She’d decide tomorrow...

[Jonny Appleseed]

Then.....

Dust. Everything on this gorram planet was coated in the stuff. A pale yellow haze that hung in the air, made it thick and heavy and hard. It was impossible to avoid. It went through every tiny crack, invaded every space. It was the worst thing about Persephone. Especially for a kid who grew up in the great wide open spaces.

Jack was nuts, though. He always talked about building their empire here. According to Jack, it had started with just Lucky and himself. An orphan and a gypsy. As a two-man operation, they'd done pretty well. One usually acted as the distraction while the other did the lifting. They'd usually do well enough to keep them fed and drunk. Not that it took much for two skinny, thirteen year old boys.

After a while, they started adding to the crew. They found an abandoned building and set it up as a sort of base of operations. They put the word out that any kid that needed a place to call their own was welcome. So the gang expanded more, the numbers swelling with orphans, runaways and kids that just needed something to do rather than go to school. Money was made, parties were thrown and fun was had. Sometimes, someone would end up in lockup, but usually the Feds had bigger problems than a pickpocket and would let 'em loose.

When Jonny'd landed, it didn't take long for him to take notice of Jack's gang. He was just a green kid, but he started picking up on their tricks quickly. Jack had sent a heavy-set kid called Palmer to find him one day, saying he wanted to meet up. Apparently, Jonny'd been noticed, and Jack liked what he saw. He invited Jonny into what he was calling his Inner Circle. Said he was looking at a bigger picture than just picking pockets and stealing food. Jack wanted to start making real money now, he said he wanted to build an empire here.

But all they had so far was an empire of dust.

Sure, they'd made some money, but a lot of it went to keeping the kids fed and protected. The food was easy, for the most part, but the bribes were costly. And the weapons they used against whoever they couldn't bribe weren't cheap, either. So far, they'd managed to carve out some territory, but it wasn't as easy as Jack had made it out to be. They were still fighting. Still scraping. Still buried in the dust.

"What about the redhead?" The boy called Springheel Jack mused, as if there were maybe a hundred things he was more interested in. Jack's aloofness didn't really bother Jonny, though. With his hawkish features and dark eyes, Jack was always thinking, always looking for an angle. No matter how disinterested he seemed in what was going on, the gears were always turning. That was why Jonny agreed to go along with him in the first place.

That being said, Jonny was surprised to hear him mention the redhead. He knew which one, out of the half-dozen or so there were around the flop, even without Jack having to elaborate. Truth be told, Jonny'd had his eye on her for a while now. Not because of her skills. Well, maybe a bit because of her skills. He didn't think she'd even brushed Jack's radar, but that was the thing about Jack: those wheels were always turning. "Her, huh? Well..." He studied the dark eyes across the table, puffing on a cigarette during the pause. Now he found himself wondering just what Jack knew about her. His guess was 'everything.' "I hear she's pretty good... Probably wouldn't hurt to have a look."

Jack laughed and took a swig from his bottle. "Right, like you haven't looked already..." Well, that confirmed that. "She is pretty good, though. And I think she might bring something to the Circle that we sorely lack. Might be we need a feminine touch around here." He leaned forward and motioned to a skinny girl who was sitting in a group nearby. She grinned excitedly and hurried over. Jack smiled back at her. "Alyssa, is it?" The girl nodded and blushed, excited that Jack knew her name. But Jack had a photographic memory... he knew the name of every kid under his roof. "Holly Sands... you know her? Do me a favor and bring her here, will you dear?" Alyssa nodded again and hurried off into the flop. Jack leaned back in his seat, grinning with self satisfaction. Jonny got the idea that he loved the way people acted around him.

It wasn't long before Alyssa returned, with Holly Sands in tow. “This is Jonny Appleseed, and that’s Springheel Jack.” the younger girl said, gesturing to the two men in turn.

Jonny felt his cheeks get a bit hot at the sight of her. He'd been watching her for weeks, but he'd never been this close. Close enough to see those beautiful green eyes. He tried to cover it up, he took another drag on his cigarette. He wasn't sure if he was succeeding at acting like it was no big deal. She was sun-kissed and bright; not a speck of dust on her, somehow... The silence was a bit deafening. He decided to break it.

"Hey."

She beat him to the punch. She wasn't like Alyssa, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet like an excited puppy. To Holly, this really was no big deal. He couldn't decide if that was cool or disappointing.

He gave her a nod. "Hey."

He'd decide tomorrow.

Now.....

His eyes caught hers in the mirror, those emerald pools he'd gotten lost in so many times when they were younger. But the pools were a maelstrom right now, the multitude of emotions in that look conveyed in a way that only Holly Sands was capable of. The good Padre had seen fit to try and arrange a reunion between the two of them ever since he found out his two favorite wayward sheep had history. Standing there, in the bar, with Holly staring back at him... he wondered now if the Padre wasn't a gorram idiot.

She hates me. And who the hell could blame her for doing so? After all they'd been through together, back in the empire of dust. The way they'd run when things went south, her laugh filling the air with its music and cheering him on. The way she'd dance to any old song when she got drink in her. The way his bed smelled beautifully of woman after they spent a night celebrating a big score. Right now, he wondered if she was remembering the same things, the good times. And he was wondering whether that made her feel better... or worse.

She waved to the bartender, and he brought her two drinks. She already had three empty glasses beside her. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch. She had a head start on the drinking, and he again couldn't decide whether that was good or bad. She motioned to the stool next to him, and he slid up onto it, turning his head toward her. She didn't look back at him.

"Hey."

Typical Holly. She kept it close to her chest. He'd had to stop playing poker with her because when she didn't want to be read, you weren't going to read her. He hated the uncertainty. Whether he was going to regret this night or not would remain to be seen.

"Hey."

He'd decide tomorrow...

[Holly Sands]

Now...

Stupid Padre. She hated him a little bit, for bringing Jonny Stupidhead back into her life. She also loved him for it. She loved the big man with all her heart for being so understanding through all her years of trouble and heartbreak, and knowing exactly what she needed and offering it without judgment. As much as she hated him, she loved him more, and didn’t really hate him at all.

It wasn’t in her to hate him. Try as she might, she just couldn’t bring herself to hate a man who’d had such a significantly positive impact on her life. Just like Jack. Stupid, skinny Jack, with his pointed nose, dark eyes, mellow voice, and knowing smile. He was the one who’d brought her and Jonny together, ultimately.

And Jonny...stupid sweet Jonny. Here he sat, by her side once again. Willing to overlook whatever shortcomings she showed him. It was sweet, if a little innocent. If she’d been in his place, she’d have left herself long ago. She was good for no one, least of all someone trying to love her.

But that’s what it all came down to in the end, wasn’t it? Love? Love is what makes the ‘Verse go ‘round. Either the love one has, or the love one craves. Hell, that’s how Holly made her living. Love. Love of money, love of women, love of status. She preyed on them all, and on humankind’s weakness for love.

It’d be poetic, if it wasn’t so pathetic.

“Fiddles, badgers, and lonely hearts.” she said, softly. “I lie and cheat, steal and seduce to make money. And you...you’re a cook. What the hell kind of ‘Verse is this, that we’d be who we are? So much the same and still so different...”

She trailed off. Jonny had that effect on her. He didn’t judge. He’d always made her feel truthsome...

Then...

She watched the pair, scrutinizing her. It would’ve normally made her feel defensive, but there was something different about these two. Something...not terrible. The way they stared wasn’t so much appraising as it was appreciating. And not in the evil, lecherous way that some men did.

Well, maybe a little bit of that from the one named Jonny, but not too much. She broke his gaze by clearing her throat as Jack spoke.

“So I understand you’re a bit of a sneak, and quite the actress as well.” he said, tapping the end of his cigarette on the ashtray between the two men. “Alyssa’s told us all about you. She’s very impressed by your skills, and that’s saying something. She’s not one to fawn over a little pickpocketry.”

Holly supposed it couldn’t hurt to show these two (and Alyssa, who’d brought her here in the first place) a little sample of her skills. She gave Jack her brightest smile, ignoring the others, and shrugged, blushing slightly as she rolled her eyes.

“Well, gee, mister. That’s very kind of you to say, and I’d love to continue this conversation, but a lady like me doesn’t stand around and chatter like some airheaded debutante.” she said, folding her hands in the most ladylike way she’d been taught. “Are you going to invite me to sit, like a gentleman, or would you have me stand here all evening?”

Jack’s sly smile widened into a full grin.

“Oh, that’s good.” he said, chuckling as he glanced at Alyssa.

She stepped back into a darkened corner of the room and returned with a metal folding chair, which she set up for Holly, who sat down and pretended to adjust her many petticoats. She gave Jack a look of superiority, and in half an instant, her expression moved from one of disinterest to one of pure panic.

“Please, mister, ya have ta help me! My ma got trampled by some ai ya horse gone fong luh back behind the building” she sobbed in a border world accent, falling to her knees out of the chair, crawling forward across the dusty floor with tears streaming down her face. “Please! She’s gonna die! Ya gotta help me!”

She reached up and grabbed his hand that wasn’t holding a cigarette, clutching it to her chest with feverish intensity as he watched, his grin back to an amused half smile.

“I’ll do anything, sir, please, anything ya want. Just please help me.” she said, her last words whisper soft against his fingers.

“Oh, my dear, I think I may have misjudged your skills. That was very good.” Jack said.


She sniffled, and rose to her feet, smiling her normal smile. Not superior, not coquettish, not innocent. Just her.

“It was, wasn’t it?”

She turned towards Jonny, and her smile widened just a bit. She didn’t immediately want to play him, which was something new in her experience. She wanted to be honest with these two, but him more than Jack.

Something in his face, his eyes, his hint of a smile...it made her feel truthsome...

[Jonny Appleseed]

Now...

The drunken musings of his beautiful ex-friend were almost musical, as she spoke of their respective paths through life with a certain confusion. How was it that the girl who had been born into a good life, only to have it ripped from her by scheming relatives, was the con artist? And the con artist, who had recruited that girl into a band of thieves, was living on the straight and narrow. It was a valid point, and one that boiled down to a simple truth: one of them had run away when things got hard, and the other had stayed to face the consequences.

Holly was a symbol of all of his failures, rolled up into a beautiful, flame-haired, damaged package. Seeing her again made him feel excited and miserable, all at once. That sort of seasick feeling that sets the stomach on edge and makes a man ten kinds of uncomfortable. He was more than happy when the bartender delivered his drink, and took a nice long drink from the chalice of liquid courage.

But he'd have to say something. He owed her that much. An explanation, maybe? An apology, for sure. Certainly not excuses, nor the drunken ramblings he was more than likely going to disappoint her with.

"Yeah..." It came out in a croak, and barely at that. Not an auspicious start. He took another sip of the whiskey and gave it another go. "Funny how these things work. I ain't proud of the way it all happened, Hol. I regret my dumb pigu runnin' away every day of my life. It ain't gonna make it all better, but..." He gave a long sigh.

Then...

He had to admit, the performance was impressive. If he had been some dumb pigu tourist, he'd have been eating right out of her palm, no question. Hell, two years ago he'da been following her around like a puppydog with that little show. But he had to play it cool. She was good, but she didn't seem the type that wanted some boy fawning all over her. Nah, better to be smooth about it.

He looked over at Jack, who had that gorram gleam in his eye already. Jack could be stone cold when he wanted to, but he had a tendency to get that stupid look when he let his guard down. This Holly girl was a charmer, for sure. Jack was already dreaming up the plays to use her in. Jonny gave a smirk. "She's all right..." He turned his eyes back to the girl, looking kinda proud of herself, though she was trying not to. He was about to put her to the test. "I mean, she's cute an' all. But you gotta understand, Miss Holly, that the folk who live on Eavesdown are hard folk. They ain't often like to fall for that baby doll act. Fact is, a good many of them are as like to do unseemly things to a lost little girl." He stood up, tall and lanky for his age. "You gotta be more than a pretty face, considerable pretty as you might be. Gonna have to be tough, too."

He shot Jack a cocksure glance, before turning his attention back to the girl. "You tough, Holly Sands?"

[Holly Sands]

Then........

"She's all right.

Holly raised a slightly insulted eyebrow at Jonny, and put her hands on her hips, her whole body screaming “Oh, really? Why I oughtta...“. He glanced over at her with an appraising look, trying to look disinterested.

It was adorable, really.

Jack seemed to know what the other young man was thinking, because he smiled in a knowing way, and blew smoke out his nose.

”Is that so? Jack asked, reaching over to the bottle of amber colored liquid on the table, and pouring himself a drink over the almost melted ice in his glass.

"I mean, she's cute an' all. But you gotta understand, Miss Holly, that the folk who live on Eavesdown are hard folk. They ain't often like to fall for that baby doll act. Fact is, a good many of them are as like to do unseemly things to a lost little girl."

She shrugged. She’d met those kinds of folks. Dirty, in more ways than one, evil people who wanted her body for their own purposes. They didn’t give a good gorram what she felt or thought or deserved. They wanted theirs and they were willing to take it from her. They’d disagreed on that part.

Most of them left with bruises, broken bones, or stab wounds. She wasn’t a fan of people putting their hands on her without her permission, and was rather insistent that they listen to her preferences.

“I’ve run up against a few of those. I’m still here, and smart enough not to pick them for marks.” she said, smiling. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the big, bad, dirty men. Won’t let them hurt a hair on your pretty little head.”

"You gotta be more than a pretty face, considerable pretty as you might be. Gonna have to be tough, too."

He thought she was pretty? Considerable pretty, he’d said. She watched him stand up, all wiry muscle and cocky attitude, and had to fight to keep the blushing, girlish smile off of her face, remaining carefully neutral as he stood there in front of her, loose and laid back and all manner of attractive.

"You tough, Holly Sands?"

She smirked at him and glanced at Jack, sort of in askance. He raised his glass to her, and she nodded at Jonny.
“Why? You wanna fight a girl? I’m tough enough for the likes of you, Jonny Appleseed.” she said, rolling her shoulders and loosening up. “Shut up and go a few rounds with me, if it’ll make you feel better.”

Now..........

"Yeah..."

She didn’t even look as his voice caught in his throat. He always had trouble approaching the subject of their past when she was feeling...moody. She matched his drink, draining half her glass. Go se, she couldn’t get drunk fast enough.

"Funny how these things work. I ain't proud of the way it all happened, Hol. I regret my dumb pigu runnin' away every day of my life. It ain't gonna make it all better, but..."

She rounded on him, on her feet in an instant. She scowled, fury burning in her gaze.

“Don’t you dare apologize to me, Jonny Appleseed. Don’t you dare.” she hissed, poking a finger into his chest. “You haven’t earned the right to apologize to me. Not by a long shot. And you’re right. It ain’t gonna make it all better. If anything, it’s going to make me punch you in your stupid face.”

She stared at him for a long moment, letting her rage subside.

“If you have to sit here with me, then sit here. But don’t you dare apologize. If you can do that, fine. We’ll see where we are later, but for now just...just...” she said, suddenly so gorram tired.

She sighed and sat back down on her stool.

“Shut up and go a few rounds with me, if it’ll make you feel better.”

[Jonny Appleseed]

Then....

She was totally serious.

The redhead was all fire as she stared across the table at him, fists clenched and shoulders loosening up. She really thought that they were about to scrap, right here in front of God and Jack. Jonny's eyebrows raised, and he appraised her for a moment. She was definitely cute, that red hair framing her face and catching the light and shining like the fire that showed in those green eyes. She definitely hadn't been on world long, by the looks of her. She still had that three-meals-a-day look to her, not the malnourished scrawniness that most of the kids around here had.

He stared at her for a moment, wondering if she really could fight. Wondering if she had ever been in a situation where she'd have to fight. He wondered how her lips tasted, or how her warmth would feel when he held her in his arms. He wondered where that thought had come from and laughed.

He looked over at Jack and laughed more loudly, then turned his attention back to the girl with a grin. "Yeah, you're definitely all right. Okay, Holly Sands, I think you pass the test. As far as I'm concerned, you've got a fire we haven't really seen from most of these kids. If you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, and clearly you're not, then I think you're going to be able to make a name for yourself around here..."

He flashed her his easy grin, giving her another look over, and not being particularly shy about it. "I gotta say, Jack, I think it's long overdue that we had a woman's touch around here. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jack laughed and shook his head. "Appleseed, you're unbelievable. You're gonna scare the poor young lady off with this game of yours..."

Jonny flashed his friend a wink. "I think she's proved she doesn't need you protecting her, Jack. She's more than capable of takin' care of herself.." He turned his attention back toward Holly then, eyes sparkling. "Aren't you, Holly?"

Now....

She was right, of course. He hadn't even remotely earned the right to just apologize and get off scott free. She was clearly setting the terms here, and he was going to have to follow them if he had any chance at redemption. For a minute, he saw that fire that he'd seen in her that first time. And then, well, it was gone. Drained away. No doubt by years of dealing with the aftermath of his betrayal.

"All right, Hol... I'll share a few rounds with ya." He glanced over at her, his fingers brushing over the surface of his glass. He'd never seen her so sad, so weak. They'd had their ups and downs, and she'd had her share of off-the-rails benders, but she never looked like this. He tried to force a small smile. "And honestly, you're welcome to punch me in the face if it'll help. I deserve so much worse."

He exhaled deeply, and took a long smooth sip from his glass. He carefully considered what he was going to say next. He knew he had to say something. "I'm a coward, Holly. Plain and simple. Things got so hot with the guys getting killed off, and I knew that it was me and Jack they were really after. I thought that if we left, they would leave the rest of you alone..."

He snarled into the glass and drained it. Just thinking about it made his nerves tingle all over. He had been used to watching his back before people started dying, but everything changed once the Tong started moving in. He'd felt so claustrophobic all the time, started staying at the base more. He hadn't been so afraid since he left Hera. But as worried as he was about himself, he was worried about Holly more. He knew they might use her to get to him and then... he'd never have forgiven himself if anything had happened to her.

But he couldn't tell her that. He knew she'd resent him for using her as an excuse. Maybe she'd take him up on that face punching offer. But some part of her wanted to reconcile, too. She wouldn't be here otherwise.

"You know what? Maybe I've done enough talkin'. Maybe I oughta start listenin' for once."

[Holly Sands]

Now....

"All right, Hol... I'll share a few rounds with ya. And honestly, you're welcome to punch me in the face if it'll help. I deserve so much worse."

Holly snorted and slammed down her drink, grimacing as it burned her throat, and signaled the bartender for another.

"I'm a coward, Holly. Plain and simple. Things got so hot with the guys getting killed off, and I knew that it was me and Jack they were really after. I thought that if we left, they would leave the rest of you alone..."

She didn’t argue at first. She just watched the bartender pour her drink, the amber liquid swirling around seductively in her glass. She slammed that one down too, and glanced up at the mirror above the bar, ready to agree with all he’d said and give him more, but what she saw there stopped her in her tracks.

She his expression twist into something she hadn’t seen in a long time. It was his angry face, the one he used to hide behind when he was scared. He drained his drink, and sat there for a long moment not talking, as lost in his memories as she was in hers.

"You know what? Maybe I've done enough talkin'. Maybe I oughta start listenin' for once."

That was Jonny. Always there, always ready to help those in need. That stupid scoundrel image of himself that he loved so very dearly really did hide a heart as big as the ‘Verse. He slept around, probably drank a little too much from time to time. He definitely smoked too much, but he couldn’t ever turn away from someone who needed him. It wasn’t in him.

When it came right down to it, the anger she felt towards him (and there was heaps of anger) wasn’t rooted in some terrible character flaw in his makeup. It was in the one single time he’d shattered her illusion of the wonderful, amazing, perfect man that she’d had in her mind, and in her heart.

She didn’t hate him for leaving. She hated herself for believing that he never would. She’d been abandoned by her family once, and it’d hurt. Holly Anne Sanderson was a scared and lonely little girl all alone in the ‘Verse and Holly Sands had saved her. Holly Sands didn’t need family, or friends, or anybody else to take care of her.

But like Holly Anne Sanderson, Holly Sands was completely, irresponsibly, irreversibly in love with Jonny Appleseed, and she needed him.

“I don’t wanna talk, Jonny. I don’t wanna talk, I don’t wanna listen. I just...I just wanna be.” she said, softly. “I just wanna be us, Jonny. Just for tonight, I just wanna play the game again. The Jonny and Holly game. The one we used to play, where it was just us against the ‘Verse, and the ‘Verse could go rutt itself for all we cared.”

She took a shaky breath, and let it out, tears burning at her eyes. She had to force her words out, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned away from her drink and buried her face in his shoulder.

“I just wanna be us, Jonny. Please?”

Then...


"Yeah, you're definitely all right. Okay, Holly Sands, I think you pass the test. As far as I'm concerned, you've got a fire we haven't really seen from most of these kids. If you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, and clearly you're not, then I think you're going to be able to make a name for yourself around here..."

Holly rolled her eyes. Oh, Jonny. She decided that she liked him. She could see the boy beneath the man, but the man he was becoming was nice too. She could get used to him. Jack didn’t seem too bad either.

“Of course I am, Jonny boy. All you have to worry about is being eclipsed. I really hope you can keep up with me. I really don’t want to see the look on your face when Jack tells you that I’ve replaced you.” she said, trying very hard not to smile as she turned to Jack. “I can’t stand it when boys cry.”

Jack gave her a smirk, his eyes flashing in the dim light as he blew smoke out through his nose, giving him the appearance of a dragon scheming her demise. Or the best way to use her talents. She wasn’t sure which, though she wasn’t particularly worried either way.

She’d been abandoned with nothing before. She could always start over.

"I gotta say, Jack, I think it's long overdue that we had a woman's touch around here. Wouldn't you agree?"

“Appleseed, you're unbelievable. You're gonna scare the poor young lady off with this game of yours..."

Jonny stretched his hands out and interlaced his fingers behind his head, relaxedly slouching in his chair, putting all of his long, lean frame on display. She didn’t bother trying not to look.

"I think she's proved she doesn't need you protecting her, Jack. She's more than capable of takin' care of herself...Aren't you, Holly?"

“You bet your very nice backside, Jonny Appleseed.” she said, smiling as she leaned forward to rest her folded arms on the table, revealing her own not entirely insignificant charms to him. “Okay, now that we’ve got that settled, here are my terms. No you and me. No them and us. It’s just us. If I’m in, I’m all in. I’ve had enough of people trying to run me, and my life. If I do this with you boys, we’re all an equal partnership. Take it or leave it.”

She turned, putting her slightly melancholy, innocent and coy face back on.

“I just wanna be us, Jonny. Please?”

This post has been edited by Holly Sands on Jun 6 2012, 08:28 PM