The Field Trip

[The Mighty Thor]

Taking on a look of humiliation, 'Vok glared at Chandi, "Is that all I am to you...a chance to make your ex jealous? That seems to be a running theme with the lassies o' this team. Seems I’m only good to have around as bait for other boys." The dejected pirate slumped back into his seat and crossed his arms, doing his best to pry a reaction out of Chandi. Of coarse his feelings were anything but hurt. In fact, he rather liked being passed back and forth amongst the Guardian's fair femmes. But he'd be damned if he wasn't going to have some fun with them in the process. Besides, long term relationships had never been a possibility for ‘Vok in the past. Life on an intergalactic pirate ship didn’t exactly leave a lot of opportunities for interaction with the fairer sex. So he had learned to take his fun as it came and leave any thought of monogamy behind him. But he had learned one thing while aboard the Starjammer...girls of the feline persuasion made for good company. Hepzibah had proven that. And ‘Vok intended to see if Chandi could carry on that tradition.

Of coarse she made it hard for ‘Vok to hold onto his mock morose demeanor as she slid closer to him in the back of the dark little cab. He couldn’t help himself. He was a sucker for a flirt. Due to the unquestionable cuteness of the girl, ‘Vok was forced to relent his moody position. He uncrossed his arms and stretched them wide, letting one casually fall over the back of the bench seat while the other rested on his knee closest to Chandi. He looked her straight in the eye, smiled and then let his left eyebrow quirk up just slightly in order to let her know he was curious to learn more. “So, what kinda place is this Club Hellfire? I’ve never heard of it before.” Looking down at his semi-casual attire, he frowned a bit. “It sounds like a place with a certain style, and somehow me thinks this won’t do at all.” He hesitated for a moment, closing his eyes in concentration, as his form began to shift ever so slightly before his companion’s very eyes. And then, in a flash, it was done. Chandi now found herself sitting beside a man whose hair was no longer falling messily about his shoulders. It was suddenly tied back into a much neater ponytail. But his hair was only the beginning. His loose-fitting casuals had quickly been replaced by a stunning reproduction of a John Varvatos suit. It was black from head to toe and fit the man perfectly. A perfect fit was just one of the lucky things that came along with being a shape shifter. Another stroke of luck happened to be the billboard that they had passed two blocks back that prominently displayed the exact same suit. A little inspiration always helped, especially considering ‘Vok knew little to nothing about fashion. But he did not let it show, as he flashed another wry smile and asked, “Will this do?”

[Enchantress]

A slight frown crossed AJ's features at the mention of her mother. Now really wasn't the time to talk about Morgana. Grabbing up the sheets she headed down to the laundry and started the process of cleaning up Vicki's temper tantrum.
"Yeah, that was an invitation, just didn't know if you were up for it." There was a challenge in her statement and even as she hopped up on the washer and sat down, she smiled.
Pulling her shoes and socks off and tossing them into the floor, she wiggled her bare toes for a second until she felt Vicki's tongue on them.
"Oh no! no no no! You are so not making up to me yet!" Hopping down, she knelt down in the floor and wrapped her arms around the dog's neck.
"Darlin, Ah think maybe you should head outside for a while, maybe chase some birds?" She looked into Vicki's dark eyes and smiled.
"Go on now.." standing up, she watched as the dog moved towards the kitchen, where the doggie door was. But not before Vicki looked over her shoulder, shooting Cameron a mean look.
Standing up, AJ pulled off her green shirt and threw it into the pile of bedclothes in the floor. Stretching, she smiled at Cameron. Still clad in her shorts and a pink satin bra, she hopped back up on the washer again. Grabbing him by the front of the shirt, she pulled him to her and kissed him soundly.
"Now..." she said breathlessly as the kiss ended... "Ah've waited over a year for you...and Ah'm not waitin' any longer."

[Local Hero]

For a long moment, Cam didn't say a word, simply looking into the green tinged brown eyes before him. The corner of his lips curled upwards as he slowly traced his fingers up AJ's side from their resting place on her hips. Leaning forward as his hands caressed over her almost naked back, Cam pressed his lips to the her collar bone, savouring the heat from her skin and her scent in his nostrils. Looking up again into her face his eyes twinkled as with a subtle flick of his thumb a flimsy clasp gave way, allowing his hands to roam unhindered over the soft flesh of her back. "Aye hon." he said softly between kisses. "It's been far tae long." His arms wrapped around her a little tighter as he allowed his energy field to envelop them both, lifting them into the air.

[Enchantress]

Time passes, as it is known to do...

Angelee wasn't quite sure still how they had managed to make it into her bedroom. Raising her head up and propping herself up on her elbow she blinked a few times before pushing her hair out of her face and looking at the clock.
"Oh mah.." she whispered with a grin before letting herself fall back down on the bed. Snuggling close to Cameron she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the ocean as it filtered through the open window. Occasionally, she would hear a few barks as Vicki was most likely chasing pelicans off the beach again.
"Mmm..hhmm.." she muttered contently and laid her head against his bare chest before opening her eyes to look up at him.
"Ah missed you." her voice had a husky quality to it as she raised her head up enough to give him a kiss.
"But if ya don't tell me what those Avengers were all smily about...you may nevah find out if repeat performances are given on demand."

[Local Hero]

Cam lay with one arm behind his head and the other wrapped around AJ, listening to the sound of her breathing as she lay next to him.
With a low chuckle he reached down to the floor to rummage in his discarded jacket. "Ah.." he said as his fingers traced the distinctive shape of their target.
Pulling the item from the pocket where he had secreted when their 'boys club' was interrupted unexpectedly Cam presented the case to AJ. "Ah think ye made a couple o' good impressions hon."

[Tessa]

Kei had stripped out of her clothes quickly once she had secured the knowledge that she was alone in the bathroom, rummaging through the bag she found the black dress that AJ had been referring to and had to just sit and gape at it for a couple of moments. Not her usual style, but it was a nice dress.
“Here goes nothin’, like ridin’ a wave ya ain’t sure is gonna bif ya.” Kei muttered to herself as she slipped the dress on over her head, took one appraising look in the mirror and decided she looked decent. Throwing her stuff into the shopping bag she made her way back downstairs, a borrowed pair of heels on her feet; she would have to make sure they didn’t get ruined or else she was pretty sure Wanda wouldn’t be happy with her.
“Ya ready?” She asked as she stepped back into the living room, noticing Pietro lazily relaxing in one of the armchairs, dressed in a suit. Kei also noted the look the crossed his face when he saw her, it was the usual dumbstruck guy look.
“Yeah,” He finally responded, “I know this little restaurant that I’m sure you’d love.” He winked at her, standing up from the chair and offering his arm.

The duo were soon in the middle of downtown New York, awaiting a table in a small, ambient restaurant, joking with each other ambiently in the dim light of the building. Kei was feeling just a little like a fish out of water, she had been to nice places before, but New York City was a lot different than Honolulu; everything was more open on the island, and neither city smelt like the other one. She still hadn’t gotten used to that, no matter how long she was in New York, or on Twilight Cove she would never adjust to the difference in smell.
“Nice.” Kei said out of the blue, having finally taken it all in, her dark eyes sparkling just a small bit, “Not what this wahine is used to, but I’m sure I’ll adjust.” She noticed the woman at the nearest table eyeing the two of them and laughed softly, leaning closer to Pietro.
“Ain’t used to gawkers either.”
Pietro looked over his shoulder, giving the woman a devilish grin before turning back to Kei, “Shame, your probably the most interesting thing that woman has seen all night.” He jerked his head just barely to indicate the woman’s date or husband that was droning on in a monotone.

[Enchantress]

AJ pushed her hair out of her face as Cameron handed her what seemed to be a DVD case.
When she read the title, her cheeks went as pink as her hair.
"You mean ta tell me, that mah all time hero idol Hawkeye got ta see me pole dancin' durin' Mardi Gras? Oh mah god..Ah thank Ah'm gonna die now." she buried her head against his chest and let out a sigh.
"That's tha last time Ah listen to Lala about makin' a quick buck." her voice was muffled against his chest as a slight bit of mortification filled her.
Being who she was however, it didn't last long. Her head raised up and she gave Cameron a smile.
"So, did they enjoy it? What about you? Ah mean, if Ah'm doin a good job, then those smiles mean tha world ta me." grinning like a cheshire cat, she jumped up and straddled him.
"Come on sugah...admit it, that video is tha reason ya wanted ta come home so bad!" letting her fingers slide down his side, she began to tickle him unmercifully.

[Solace]

Peering up at ‘Vok Chandi raised and eyebrow clearly having figured out that the handsome space pirate was not at all offended by being used as a tool to upset her ex. “Can I help it if I’m unable to pass up the chance to prance about with a handsome bloke on my arm?” The dark haired young woman gave him a cheeky smile, having not spent must time with the islands resident pirate Chandi was cherishing the fact that she had all night to get to know him and it helped that he wasn’t half bad looking. The young Australian had always been rather blunt and sarcastic, though she’d toned downs since entering her early twenties she could still be as blunt as all get out. “Nah, John your not only a easy way to make my ex anger…you’ve got the possibility of being a one-night stand with no strings attached, oh and don’t forget your ripper company.” Chandi sprawled most of her weight across ‘Vok as she made like she was peering out his window to see the view he saw, making a few little comments as they passed by some of her favorite places in New York. Might as well have a little fun with the pirate while she had the chance, after all seemed dear ole’ Kei had in wrapped around her little finger most days. Shifting her weight again Chandi sat back down in her seat and laid her head on ‘Vok’s shoulder, closing her green/gold eyes which still appeared very cat-like despite her otherwise human appearance.

“The club? It’s kind of secret society consisting of some of the worlds richest and shadiest characters around…mutant and otherwise.” Opening one of her eyes Chandi lifted her chin to peer upside down at ‘Vok having noticed he’d shifted his attire and now appeared much more fitting to be rubbing elbows with some of the worlds wealthiest. “That it is, they’ve have one hell of a style.” Chandi had to fight back a giggle when she picture what ‘Vok’s reaction might be to the Inner circles female attire, though that thought soon fled her mind so that she may return to telling her teammate what the place was like. “It’s really rather brilliant, my adoptive father of sorts is what the club calls the Black King which would be somewhat of a president in the club. He’s the whole reason I ever got involved in the place, thought it’d be fitting for the daughter of Australia’s very own Ruaidhri Atkins mob boss extraordinaire to join the club.” Pausing briefly Chandi wondered why it was she was letting someone know her past so freely, when for most of her life she’d held her cards close to her chest.

“So being a naïve 19 year old I joined not realizing what it was I was doing at the time, because my mind was so clouded with what had been going on in my life for the past two years I didn’t know which way was up and which was done. Though turns out the club was good for me, dare I say I even have a respect for many people involved with the Hellfire Club. Way I see it is the worlds not black and white, so sometimes you have to join in on the gray areas and make up your own right and wrong.” Letting a deep sigh escape her Chandi flipped a curl out of her eyes and took a quick glance down at her attire, noting that the white pinstripe suit which she’d fallen in love with during the girls earlier shopping adventure wasn’t exactly Hellfire Club apparel it’d have to do, after all the bright pink lace tank top underneath the nicely fitted jacket didn’t really scream sophistication as much as it did uniqueness, but the matching pleated skirt and Manola Blahnik heels made up for it and if anything else she’d dazzle the club’s members with her sex appeal. “Course your attire will do, compared to you I look like a everyday Jane.”

[The Mighty Thor]

Opportunities such as this did not prevent themselves every day, so 'Vok seized the moment and gave Chandi a good swift swat on the back side as she leaned across his lap. It wasn't even a conscious effort, but more of an instinctual reaction that fell upon him as her perfect posterior came into view. In a very playful tone the Skrull pirate scolded her, “You can’t be invading me space that way, girl.” Indicating her side of the back seat ‘Vok explained, “This here be your space and this over here be my space. And I don’t think we know each other nearly well enough to be so blatantly infringing upon each other this way.” His fake scoldings were apparently ignored as Chandi scooted closer to him and proceeded to lay her head upon his shoulder.

As she explained her history with the Hellfire Club, ‘Vok thought to himself how grateful he was that he did not let the Battle-ax run him off that first day upon the island. If he had acted on logical decision making alone, he would have high tailed it off the island the first day. But as he was want to do, he allowed his amorous ways control his actions. And look where it had gotten him. Surrounded by the most flirtatious, fun loving women he had ever met. He thought back upon his life and quickly decided that it was the one and only time his libido had actually managed to help him catch a break. Usually it only helped him to catch other sorts of things altogether.

Noticing Chandi’s critical eye focusing upon herself, ‘Vok reassured her, “The only reason I even changed into this is because I am trying desperately to keep up with you, doll. Trust me. Plain Jane you are not. One foot inside this Club Hellfire of yours and the boys will be drooling all over themselves. For I can guarantee you that they ain’t seen nothin’ as beautiful as you inside those walls since the last time you visited.”

[Solace]

“Keep up with me? Oh alright I’m a bit of a slave to fashion.” Chandi smirked while shifting her weight a bit so that she could look up at ‘Vok without giving herself a neck ache. “Truth be told you could walk into the club in a tattered old shirt and cut off shorts and still look ripper.” Turning her gaze to glance out the window Chandi watched as the mansion came into view, and the little tiny butterflies in her stomach began to flutter about. “Here’s our stop.” She said as the driver came to a stop in front of the enormous gates. “Looks like are little game will have to continue inside.” Chandi smirked and made a motion for ‘Vok to exit the care first hoping that the pirate had enough manners to know that it was always polite to help your date out of the car, especially if said date is wearing very high heels and a very short skirt. “Oh and Johnny, I’ll be getting you back for that little swat earlier.” Her eyes twinkled as she peered up at him from her seat in the car.

The club hadn’t changed much on the outside at least; they still met in the giant mansion and it appeared as if they were still a very private club. This all made Chandi’s butterflies fluttered at a feverish pitch, it wasn’t that the young woman was nervous but more so anxious to see how it was the club was doing while she was away. Oh and explaining that she’d joined one of those ‘do-gooder’ teams wasn’t going to be easy, after all the club was full of mostly criminals or wealthy business men with shady pasts.

[The Watcher]

It wasn’t long before everyone had made their way back to the island after their whirlwind New York adventure. Everyone, that is, but De.
After a few days, Kei rummaged around and found Pietro’s cell number and gave him a call to see if he knew where De had gotten off to.
“No sweetheart, haven’t seen Jenn either. But you shouldn’t worry. It’s not unlike Jenn to just up and disappear for months on end. As long as he’s with her, he’s got no worries. Now…what are you doing this weekend?”

Chandi and Vok had painted the town various colors of red and upon returning to the island, got a stern phone call from one Val Cooper.
“This was supposed to be a learning trip. Not a chance for you to hang out with old friends like the Hellfire club!”
Not that the phone call phased either of them as they merely rolled their eyes at the mere idea that they had done anything wrong except getting drunk, flashing the TRL crew in Times Square and it getting caught on tv.

Cameron and AJ had enjoyed the quiet time they had together and were able to get the house back into some semblance before everyone had gotten back. Vicki was still a little mad, and had taken up with Chandi and was sleeping infront of her door for the time being.

But late one night, the group got a visit from a shadow stranger who merely slid an envelope through the door and left through whatever means he had gotten there.

The letter inside the envelope only said

“Cooper’s sacked, I’m in charge now… first task… You’ll be going to Japan before weeks end. Typhoon approaching with “odd” identifiers to it. Your task? Find out what’s causing the weird weather. I’ll meet with you when you get back.
Regards,
Spooky.”

[Enchantress]

"Spooky huh?" was all AJ said after she read the note from their new benefactor.
"Well, Ah guess at least it ain't Val Cooper anymore." she snickered, knowing that John would be so thrilled it would be immeasurable.
Heading towards the back door, she opened it and pulled off her shirt to reveal a bright blue bikini top and let her wings unfurl for the first time in days. With a glance of her shoulder to Vicki, she coaxed the dog along.
"Come on honey, let's head down to tha beach. Ah only got a few days left at home, an' Ah don't want any repeat performances." the dog loped happily out the door that AJ held open. Giving Cameron a look, she smiled.
"Care ta join me?" before she headed out the door, she called out to everyone else, god only knowing what directions of the house they were in.
"If any of ya'll hear from De, give us shout out. We'll be out on tha beach."

[Local Hero]

Cam looked at the note for a few minutes, then pinned it up on the notice board. "Ah guess this is what passes fer an office memo around here eh." he said with a shrug as he turned back to the counter. Picking up the blender jug he poured the contents carefully into the large flask he had found in the cupboard. "Ah reckon this should keep the margaritas chilled enough" he said as he added some icecubes to the mix before screwing on the lid. He added the flask to the small rucksack, which already contained some tumblers, and a few bottles of beer. Glancing down as Vicki brushed past him, Cam chuckled, she still looked at him funny, but he assumed with time things would get easier. He looked back up at AJ as she spoke. "Just try and stop me." he replied as he slung the rucksack over his shoulder, slipping his sunglasses on at the same time. "A beach, some booze and a beautiful babe. What mare could a lad want?" he said with a chuckle.

[Tessa]

Kei quirked an eyebrow at the note as she read it, “Are we glorified weather people now?” She asked no one in particular, “But hey, at least I know the language. But some of ya ain’t gonna fit in too well over there.” Kei commented, thinking immediately of how her Grandma would react to her teammates and multiplying that reaction by an entire country. It made her laugh quite honestly, “’Course Chandi’s short enough to fit in.”

[Solace]

Chandi walked into the kitchen to hear the tale end of what Kei had said, “Are you callin’ me short?” She tried her best to get a glare to grace her cat-like features, for at the moment Chandi was in far to good of a mood to go traipsing about looking ‘normal’ plus it did take a lot out of a girl to keep and illusion like that up. “So the Shelia’s gone? And De is missin’ in action?” She questioned hoping up onto one of the barstools in the kitchen, looking a right mess with her hair in a messy tangle of curls and still wearing her p.j’s with consisted of a pair of pink flannel bottoms which were about four inches to long for her and a white tank top.

“You know what, I’m glad that shelia’s gone. She can’t go tellin’ me who I can and can’t hang out with.” Chandi’s voice held a hint of angry tone to it, the Hellfire club might not be the best of clubs. But hell at least they didn’t tell her what she could and couldn’t do. “Wonder who this Spooky character is…”

[Enchantress]

"Beach? Who said anythang about tha beach sugar?" AJ winked at Cameron as the door closed behind them and they started walking down one of the many winding paths around the main house.
"See, Ah was tha lucky one darlin, Ah was here before everyone else, Ah know all the nice and secrety spots."
Grabbing on to one of the smaller coconut palms that littered the path, she spun around it expertly and let her head snap up, her hair flying everywhere as she looked at him with a playful gaze.
"Would you like to go explore all the unexplored, beautifully lush areas of...me?" she giggled slightly, let go of the tree, and ran ahead of him.
"See ya there!"

[Local Hero]

Hiking the rucksack higher onto his shoulder Cam walked out into the warm sunshine streaming through the canopy above.
Raising his face to the sky, he let the warmth wash over him for a few minutes before starting down the path after AJ, chuckling as she span around one of the small palm trees which lined the path, talking all the while.

Cam arched an eyebrow over his sunglasses, still smiling at her question. "Ah thought ah had already explored them all, but if ye think there are a few secluded spots ah missed then ah'm definitely up fer another expedition." he said loudly as he strode quickly after her.

[The Mighty Thor]

At the crack of noon, some three days after the team had made it back to their island home, the Skrull pirate known as Xlorvok finally cracked an eye. He wasn't quite sure what they had put into his drinks at Club Hellfire, but he knew for certain that as soon as his head cleared a bit, he would want more.

‘Vok found himself lying in exactly the same spot that he had left himself three days earlier; on the floor mere inches from his intended target; which just happened to be his bed. He had a faint cloud of hang over still swirling about his brain, but that didn’t keep him from remembering most of what he and Chandi had done with their time spent perusing New York City’s night life. And unfortunately it also didn’t keep him from remembering the bitchy phone call he and his feline cohort had received from the Battle-Ax upon their return to Twilight Cove. She really was a pain in the ass.

Pulling his arms up to his sides, ‘Vok laid his palms against the floor and pushed himself up onto his knees. His head spun a bit with the effort, but at least he hadn’t passed out again. He had tried the same maneuver three times in the past so many days and each time his efforts were met with defeat. The alcohol induced fog that swirled about him had been alarmingly heavy. After all he was a pirate and as anyone knew, they could handle their liquor with the best of them. Granted, he would admit to imbibing a bit more readily than normal while at Club Hellfire, but he didn’t expect this type of reaction. He couldn’t help but wonder if that Shinobi fellow hadn’t been a bit more jealous than he let on. Even if Shinobi had attempted some shenanigans, apparently ‘Vok’s alcohol tolerance combined with his alien physiology had been enough to beat back the worst of the effects.

Willing himself to move forward, ‘Vok steadied his legs beneath himself and stood upright for the first time in days. Figuring some of his fellows might be getting curious as to his condition, he made his way to the kitchen, which had become the team’s unofficial hang out. Upon entering the kitchen, ‘Vok found the most lovely welcoming committee the team had to offer. As he slid past Kei, who was leaning against the fridge, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and whispered, “Mornin’ girl.” He wasted no time in making his way over to Chandi and giving her the same greeting he had their surfing teammate. Looking down at the note that Chandi held in her hands, ‘Vok began to read. Although he couldn’t bring himself to move beyond the first few words. He read them over and over in disbelief. And then, as if the cloud about his head had suddenly been lifted, he began to skip around the kitchen singing a moving rendition of “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.” Finally coming to a halt on the opposite side of the kitchen, ‘Vok stopped dancing and showed the girls the biggest grin he had ever managed. With a tone of complete exaltation, he said, “Well that’s the best news ever, ain’t it girls? Just goes to show you, dreams do come true.”

[Enchantress]

When Cam caught up to AJ, she was sunning herself on a rock near a small lagoon. The sight was amazing. Flowers and trees enclosed the pool and a waterfall rushed off a nearby cliffside into it.
Angelee sat propped up on her elbows and smiling as Cameron caught up to her. Vicki was racing around the lagoon, chasing whatever wildlife was there.
"Tha great thing is, Ah found it, so it's mine. But... there's a cave behind tha waterfall, leads under tha house to the dock there."
Rolling over on her stomach, she looked down at him from her perch.
"Sparky...Ah...uh...that is...Ah think maybe we should have a serious talk." Standing up, she let her wings carry her back down to the ground.
"Ah don't wanna seem like Ah'm regrettin' anythang, but Ah need ta know what you expect out of this...us."
Pushing her toes into the warm sand, she looked down for a moment before looking up into his eyes.
"Ah'm all for fun..." she said as she pushed a long swath of pink hair from her greenish-brown eyes.
"But we gotta grow up sometime sugah, and in our time apart, Ah did."
AJ wasn't really sure what she was trying to say. Searching his face for a moment, she tried to measure his reaction to what she had said so far.
"Ah remember a long time ago, you told me you were out for nuthin' but fun. An' Ah'm ok with that, really. But if Ah ain't got a snowball's chance in hell of havin' anythang serious....then Ah don't think Ah wanna keep walkin' down the path were on."


Post details ok'd by GM

[Local Hero]

"At the time that was true. Ah wasnae lookin' for a relationship any mare than ye were. Things change though hon. I had a chance tae dae a lot o' thinking while we were apart." said Cam as he propped the ruck sack at the base of a tree. "If ye want tae ken if ah'm still o' the same mind, then the answer is no. Right now ah'm all fer seeing where this takes us. Ah'm in this fer the long haul darlin'. What about yerself?"

[Enchantress]

Angelee had been looking at the ground when he was speaking, so she looked up when he questioned her.
"You bet yer sweet ass Ah am!" the smile on her face was a show of immeasurable happiness. She was a creature of habit. Always gravitating towards the same sort of people, into the same kind of relationships, and Cameron had just proven to her that theirs was going to be something different. It was more than a one night stand...or a three night stand.
"If only Morganna could see us now." she smiled as she walked towards the edge of the pool, reaching down, she plucked a large purple flower and tucked the bloom behind her ear.
"Ah mean, honestly Ah thank she just wants me ta be happy hon, an' Ah bet what ya just said, would have made her very happy. It did me." dipping her toes into the water, she let out a little sigh as her wings dropped to their relaxed state and she slipped off her shorts to reveal.... a scandalous sight... she was actually wearing the bikini bottoms that matched her top!
"Hey, a girl's gotta keep a few secrets, otherwise, no one wants ta get ta know ya." she laughed softly before stepping into the sun warmed water.

[The Truth]

"I still don't see why you don't just call your friends and tell them what happened. I'm sure they'd understand and would be willing to help."

Jen's voice had taken on a somewhat annoyed tone as she spoke, having argued the issue with De at least a half dozen times that mourning alone. She stood before him, between his line of sight and the television, hands on her hips, her palms resting right at the top of her low rise jeans. Her top was covered in a non descript black t-shirt neatly tucked in and she was, as always, cleanly groomed and self confident in her apperance and her opinion, looking down at Niles as he sat with his arms crossed about his chest, a slightly dejected look upon his face.

"Like I said luv....this isn't exactly the kinda thing a man openly discusses. 'Ell....you wouldn't even know about it if you hand't been there, because there's sure as 'ell no way I would have told ya. Sure as 'ell no way..."

For the first time in nearly a decade, Nathanial "De" Niles, was clothed in something other than a suit of some sort. Instead he'd garnered a pair of jeans that were entirely to baggy for his tastses, a pair of boots (though the local blokes called them Lugs for whatever reason), an old basketball jersey of some team known as the 'Nuggets', and some pair of knickers gone awry known as a "Do-Rag". Stupid Americans.

"...Besides, It can't be helped at this point anyway. What's done is done, who's dead is dead, and that which is gone.....is sadly enough....gone."

It was true that he had lost a very important peice of himself during his excursion with Walters, but he knew he couldn't dwell on it for to long lest he suffer another 'episode' and have his Jade Goddess put the hurtin' on him again.

"Call them."

"No."

"Call them.

"Nyet."

"Call... them..."

"Nein!" he replied indignatly.

"Call them or I will.....and I'll tell Ms. Atkins what it is you were muttering in you sleep last night."

At these words De was finally able to pull his eyes away from where they had been resting on Jen's bosom and met her eyes, arching a brow in a "You wouldn't." kind of way....only to have her respond in kind, her own facial expression saying "Try me."

"Fine. Where's your phone....bleedin' good for nothin green shielas..." he said, muttering the last few words a bit but knowing she could still hear them. His compliance as he would call it, and her pimping him out as she would later refer to it garnered the desired results for both parties, as Jen had to step out of his line to sight to retrieve the phone leaving De happy, who would in turn use said phone to call back to the island where he'd been told the other had returned to, making Jen happy.

She stood over him as he dialed, having gotten the number herself from the Avengers two days before, and now wanting to make sure he didn't try to pull one over on her. De sat there silently fuming as she did, holding the reciever to his ear as he waited for the call to go thru and finally listened to the ring. He was trying not to think to hard about things, focusing more on what he was going to say to whomever answered, instead of on the events of the past few days and nights. He had been right about one thing though.....Jen was wilder than she let on.

"Stupid Americans...."

[Local Hero]

"Oh ah think they all want tae get tae ken ye better." chuckled Cam as he looked over the top of his sunglasses, watching as the AJ disappeared into the water. She had certainly made an impression on the male avengers. That much was certain. "And that was just aifter the video. Ah think they would be drooling in their avenger's issue underoos if ye really turned it on darlin'" Retrieving the flask he had prepared and a couple of tumblers from the rucksack, Cam made his way to the edge of the pool.

"Nae that ah can blame them.." he said softly as the waters calmed enough that her body was visible from the shore. Sitting on the edge of the pool, Cam allowed his feet to dip into the water. "Mmmm. Now that beat's the Atlantic anyday eh." he smiled as he looked around for somewhere to set down the glasses. "Hmm.." A look of consternation came over his face as he realised there was not a single level plane on the surface of the rock on which he now sat. The focus of his eyes then seemed to drift into the middle distance for a few seconds, before a more focused mein took over his features. He held out his hand palm downwards, and as his lips moved soundlessly, a glowing disc began to form below his palm spreading outword until it was perhaps a foot across.

As Cam's hand dropped down to his lap, the disk remained where it was, bobbing gently in the air in front of him. "Perfick!" he said with a broad grin as he balanced the glasses on the virtual tray he had created. Opening the flask, Cam swiftly poured out a healthy shot of margarita into each glass before sealing the flask and placing it on the tray next to the glasses. Pushing himself off the ledge into the pool, Cam submerged totally for a few seconds before popping back up into the sunlight. Sweeping his hair from his face, he began to swim towards AJ, the tray floating above the water a few feet behind him. "Can ah buy ye a drink?" he asked as he slipped his arms around her waist.

[The Mighty Thor]

Just as 'Vok's happy dance came to its triumphant finale, the telephone rudely interrupted. While it wasn't as bad as it would have been forty-eight hours previously, the ringing served to remind the hung over pirate of the ramifications of taking drinks from strangers. If only to make the blasted thing stop, 'Vok reached over to the counter and grabbed the phone, putting a halt to its incessant ringing.

He held it to his ear for a moment, listening for the voice on the other end. After reading the letter that had been left for the team, 'Vok half-suspected Val Cooper to be on the other end, bitching about losing yet another job. But, as luck would have it, it turned out to be De. Not even realizing that the team had made its way back to their island home without him, 'Vok was a bit taken aback at hearing his teammate's voice on the other end of the receiver. Making his voice sound as pleasant as he could manage considering the state he was in, 'Vok asked, "What the hell are you doing on the phone, mate? Ain't you supposed to be here with us?"

[The Truth]

"Aye man....that I am. But this green bird and I ran into a bit of Barney down in Queens....." He signed gently as he closed his eyes and rubbed them with the thumb and forefinger of his free hand. "Long story short...I had to stay about a few and could really use a lift back to the flat right about now."

He pressed himself back into the couch a bit as Jen strode past him, making her way to her bedroom with a glance over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't staring at her ass. Which of course he was. She disappeared behind the door as a light click filtered into the air marking it's being locked, and De was finally able to shift his focus back to the call he'd made.

"So....any chance someone could swing back out here and pick me up?"