| Title : Strength and A Thousand Faces Chapter : Prologue Author : Thalia Stalk Her? : «email» smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : A fearsome serial killer and kidnapper is out in the loose, and Lita Woods (Agent Jupiter) and Nicholas Steller (Agent Nephrite) are on his tail. Will their work partnership progress to something more? A/U * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = The two men stood under the silvery-green eucalyptus trees. One held a rifle, the other a chainsaw. Both were big and burly, and carried machetes at their belts. All in all, they did not look like people to mess with. They were standing in the virgin forest of the Australian outback, and judging from the mean, ugly sneers on their faces, they were obviously not supposed to be there. The man with the chainsaw approached a tall, beautiful tree. High in its branches, there was a mother koala, its baby clinging to its back. The chainsaw man jerked his head at his companion, who raised his gun and aimed. All of the sudden, a rustle in the branches behind them suddenly magnified into a swooping breeze, and a pair of strong, slim, muscular legs enclosed in khaki shorts and sturdy brown hiking boots kicked out in opposite directions, knocking both men to the ground, rifle and chainsaw flying out of their hands with the sheer force of the kicks to their backs. Dazed, the man with the rifle looked up to see an astonishing sight. A tall, coppery-haired woman, wearing a white blouse, khaki vest and shorts, hiking boots, a safari hat and a pair of binoculars on her chest, standing a good six feet tall in her boots, looked down upon their startled faces with a pair of mocking green eyes hard and bright as emeralds. In one slender, slightly tanned hand, she grasped a smooth green vine, that she had obviously just swung down from. She was a beauty, but in such a way as Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons might have been beautiful. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw rifle-man's hand reach towards his dropped weapon, and quick as a flash of lightning, whipped out a small hunting knife from behind her back, and sent it hurtling towards the gun. The knife lodged right in the place where the trigger was, and effectively pinned the gun to the ground. The woman looked at both men with a half-smirk on her feminine, one rosy-bronze eyebrow quirked challengingly. "You men DO know that felling trees and killing wildlife in this forest is illegal, don't you?" She said in a low, silky but chilling purr. "Oh, how silly of me. You two make your living this way, how could I forget? Naughty, naughty..." As she was saying all this, her hands were flying behind her back, and as she finished her statements, those two hands once again appeared from behind her back, and in an instant, the men found their hands bound with lengths of black rope, similar to the type used to make cables for rock-climbers. The woman then leaned forward, and jerked them to their feet. Grinning at the mutinous expression on the face of the chainsaw man, she whispered, "I used to be a girl scout, and old habits die hard. Don't even try to untie it, you'll just end up chafing your hands. Let's hike." With that, she shoved the two with amazing strength forward, and gave a perfect whipporwill call. On cue, a lanky young man, with a full auburn beard and twinkling blue eyes stepped out of the shadows from behind another tree, and the woman nodded towards the chainsaw and rifle dropped on the ground. "Peter, let's get to the chopper." "Sure thing, Lita." Peter was obviously an Australian native, and cheerily picked up the fallen items. Then, smirking at the men that Lita had in tow, he led the way out of the forest towards a forest clearing, where a camouflaged heliocopter stood. Peter opened the door, and mockingly bowed rifle-man and chainsaw-man to their spots, where they were bound, and separated. Then, Lita got into the cockpit, and the chopper flew away from the middle of the Australian forest. ~ ~ ~ A month later, Lita, no longer wearing her wilderness gear and slightly less tanned, sat in a comfortable office. She was one of those rare people who could look equally at home in the woody wilderness and in the staid office. Now dressed in a forest green cowl-neck sweater that brought out her eyes and a pair of slim black jeans, Lita sat in a cream-colored armchair across from a dark-haired, business-suited woman who was rifling through a bunch of manila folders. "So, what have you done during your vacation, Leets?" The black-haired woman asked as she ransacked her filing cabinet. Lita shrugged. "Australia's beautiful this time of the year. It's summer there, and the outback is full of different types of landscapes and terrain. Plus, the aborigine culture is quite interesting." Lita said, her cheeks pinked with enthusiasm. "Luna, we should all go traveling there sometime. You and the rest of the girls too." Luna quirked an eyebrow. "Perhaps we shall, someday. Oh, and one thing." Luna fixed piercing brown eyes on Lita's face. "I got some news of some mystery woman foiling a bunch of land-rapers. The news report said that she was tall and had an American accent. Would you happen to know anything about that?" At that moment, she seemed to finally find the file she was looking for, and handed it to Lita. Lita shrugged. "Perhaps. So, I'm taking it that my newest assignment is in?" Luna nodded, and Lita opened up the folder. Her brow furrowed slightly as she read the contents. "Wilson Wiley, known as the Wiseman. Serial killer and kidnapper. Known to masquerade as professors in varied and numerous scientific fields. Victims always hard to find, expert in the wilderness despite old age and dimishing physical strength. What joy..." Luna nodded. "You're to work this case out with Agent Nephrite, I believe you met at that Christmas party at Darien and Serena White's mansion, after Amy and Agent Zoisite's case against Demando? Is that right? Lita? LITA?!" Luna stared at the junoesque young woman in front of her. Generally tomboyish and very down-to-earth, Lita now had a glazed look in her verdant eyes, and a tiny smile played at the corners of her rosebud lips. "Nicholas Steller..." She murmured softly. An image of a tall man, one who had a few inches even over her, with nut-brown hair spilling over his broad shoulders and dreamy eyes like sapphire stars, appeared in her mind, and Lita's pretty face was suffused with a hint of rose. Luna smirked, "Yes, that's him. Now, why don't I have Art Cato call him in, and you two can get acquainted." Lita nodded quickly, and Luna picked up her telephone. "Oh, and Lita, for heaven's sake, do try to spend your time with him WORKING, not flirting, no matter how attractive he is, okay?" Lita nodded automatically, a grin breaking out over her face. The other girls had found love. Maybe, just maybe, it was her turn at long last. Title : Strength and A Thousand Faces Chapter : One Author : Thalia Stalk Her? : «email» smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : A fearsome serial killer and kidnapper is out in the loose, and Lita Woods (Agent Jupiter) and Nicholas Steller (Agent Nephrite) are on his tail. Will their work partnership progress to something more? A/U * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = Lita was eating her lunch and shuffling through her files when a soft knock sounded on her door. "It's open." She called out through a mouthful of Chicken Julienne. She didn't bother wiping the sauce from the corner of her mouth or taking the pencil from behind her ear, figuring it was probably one of the girls. However, the door opened to reveal someone who was 6'3", broad-shouldered, blue-eyed, beautiful and most definitely male. Nicholas Steller peered in just in time to see the tall, green-eyed woman blush furiously and swipe at the corner of her rosebud lips with her hands. Hurriedly, she stood up, and pulled out a chair for him. "Oh, hi, I thought it was one of the girls. Sit down." She muttered distractedly, brushing at her lips and shoving the delicious-looking tupperware of chicken to the side on her desk. Nephrite watched her silently, half in amusement, half in admiration. He'd met Lita once before, at that party at those two clients of Zack and Mercury's, they'd talked a bit, and had gotten along fairly well, although they still barely knew each other. She was highly intelligent, but very practical and down-to-earth as well, the type of girl who could be as at ease changing a flat tire as mingling at a socialite party. She was quite the looker too, with her cascade of shiny mahogany curls that she usually wore tied back in a ponytail, her forest green eyes, and a complexion that reminded him of a gilded rose. She was extremely tall, but with her easy, unaffected grace, her height, which would have been ungainly on almost any other female, only made her even more stunning. And right now, she was dabbing at the corner of those deliciously full pink lips, wiping away the remnants of her lunch. But Nicholas Brian Steller, agent, astronomer and mathematician, was nothing if not patient and disciplined. If he had any inclinations towards the idea of kissing the food from the corner of her mouth, none of it showed on his handsome face. Lita, for her part, was mortified. 'Great, the hottest of the hot comes in, and you're covered in food...' But she forced herself to look up at him and smile brightly, praying to the (hopefully) benevolent gods that there was nothing in her teeth, "So, how are you these days Nephrite?" Nick laughed, "Pretty good, but call me Nick. I heard from Artemis that we're going to be working together on this new case." "Yep!" Lita said cheerfully. "The Wiseman. Serial killer. Kidnapper. The big bad wolf that all little kids are warned not to follow into the forest or let into their homes. Truly, from these files," She carelessly gestured towards the papers on her desk, "Wiseman is the stuff nightmares are made of." "Yes, I've read the reports." Nick grimaced. "Truly sick in the head, that man." "Yeah, true enough. Which makes it strange. Venus is the one who is generally assigned to deal with the most psycho criminals, not me. She's a psych major, and messes with people's minds like no one's business." "Yes, so I've heard." Nick gave the green-eyed woman an amused smile. "I've heard a great deal about her. I'd never thought that our laconic Kevin could possibly have so much to say about anything. But he speaks highly of her." "Yes, and she of him. It's quite cute that they, as well as Raye and James and Amy and Zack got together, don't you think?" Lita said, then blushed. WHY was she acting like some giddy teenage gossip? 'And that just leaves the two of us.' Nick pondered silently to himself. Aloud, he said, "Well, it seems that our target is fond of intellectual and scientific pursuits, and likes to masquerade about as a professor or scientist. In various fields. I think that's why we were assigned to this case." "Yeah. Luna told me. I was just looking into the files of his past cases, victims, you know, the whole schpiel. To see if I could find anything besides graphic descriptions of how much bloodshed the creep was responsible for," Lita explained to her partner. "Good idea. I'm trying to see if I can detect a pattern in his attacks. And see if we could somehow anticipate his next move." Nick smiled down at her. She laughed slightly. "You sound like it's a complicated chess game. Amy would love you." She remarked. He arched an aristocratic eyebrow. "I believe that Zack already has that position. And I would really rather not have her shift her affections my way, flattering though that may be. I don't particularly think that having Zack as my enemy would be at all conducive to my well-being in any way." Lita laughed fully now. "True enough. But we should get to work and stop gossiping. I'll continue what I'm doing, and you can continue what you're doing. And we can regroup later on, see if there's anything worth noting." "Sounds like a plan. How about we meet for dinner tonight at Antonio's Italian restaurant at 7:00?" He knew he was taking a gamble, but figured he could always chalk up the date invitation as a means of discussing business. Lita grinned. "It's a date then!" She blushed. "I mean..yeah..that's fine..you know what I meant..." She trailed off in utter humiliation. Nick laughed. "Yes, it's all right. Give me your address, I'll pick you up at 7:00 tonight." He privately wondered at his own boldness. But she smiled, and jotted it down on a slip of paper, and handed it to him. "3510 Sylvan Park? This is quite a distance from the city." He remarked. She blushed slightly, "Well, I grew up on a farm, actually. I like space. Trees. Flowers. Not some apartment so high up that I couldn't feel the Earth under my feet. But if it's far or out of your way, don't worry about picking me up, I can just meet you there." Nick held up a hand. "It won't be any trouble at all, and it's understandable." His partner was something else, indeed. This should be a highly memorable experience. "I'll see you later tonight. Til then, take care." With that, he gave her a slight nod, and walked out of her office, wholly unaware of the smile playing at the corners of her mouth as her eyes followed him out the door. Title : Strength and A Thousand Faces Chapter : Two Author : Thalia Stalk Her? : «email» smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : A fearsome serial killer and kidnapper is out in the loose, and Lita Woods (Agent Jupiter) and Nicholas Steller (Agent Nephrite) are on his tail. Will their work partnership progress to something more? A/U * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = At 6:30, Lita was rifling through her closet, her wet auburn hair wrapped up in a towel and her usually unruffled face wearing a look of slight panic. 'What to wear...what to wear...' was the thought that ran over and over again in her head. Narrowing her eyes, she gave herself a mental shaking. "Come on Leets, it's not like it's a date or anything. Just find something casual, yet flattering. Something not too girly nor too tomboyish. Something that both looks good and is comfortable. Something that....Oh for Chrissakes I'm acting like a freaking actress trying to decide what to wear on Oscar night!" Finally, she gave her head a shake, and composed herself. Walking over to the other side of the room, she grabbed a fencing foil. Then, she walked back to her closet, closed her eyes, and jabbed. The fencing foil snagged a mint green frilly blouse with quaint shell-pink ribbons lacing up the front instead of buttons, and Lita put it on. Then, she put on a long, comfortable khaki skirt, and flat thong sandals. Then, a tiny pair of gold stud earrings. As the door knocker sounded, Lita hurriedly spritzed herself with a dash of rosewater, and dashed to the front door. Nick had actually gotten there about ten minutes ago. He'd started out early, because he only had a very vague idea of where she lived. It was a good hour's drive from the city, but he found that it was quite worth the distance to be able to live at such an idyllic, quaint little place. There were not a lot of people here in this area. Lita's house was a small one, but had a large garden. It was one of those white-picket-fence, tall-oak-tree-out-front-complete-with-a-tire-swing, robin's-egg-blue-shutters houses out of storybooks. The lawn was neat, but not manicured-looking, with a tall oak tree and a row of fragrantly blooming, pink-and-white magnolias. The fence edging the walk was cloaked with sweet golden honeysuckle. By the house itself, there were five plots of colorful flowers. The first had shy spring violets, sweet lilies-of-the-valley, and tall spires of smoky blue delphiniums. The second, bright, deep aureate marigolds and pink-and-red bleeding-hearts against a background of snowy daisies. The third consisted entirely of purple and yellow irises. The fourth had fiery poppies and black tulips, the darkness broken with feathery sprays of silver artemisia. The last plot had elegant pink gladioli, emerald ferns, and luscious, sweet gardenias. The back yard, from what he could see from the driveway, was entirely planted with roses of every type and color. Creamy tea roses, crimson China roses, heavily fragrant damask roses, lush rambling roses, stately golden English roses...Nick made a mental note that Lita loved roses, then wondered why he did such a thing. Finally, after gawking at the carefree, dream-like beauty of the place for a good ten minutes, he walked up to the door and knocked. It opened to reveal his partner, and it struck Nick that her home fit her. Both the place and the person exuded an air of sweet, unaffected beauty that was much more enduring than the brittle splendor of cold marble mansions or the equally brittle beauty of diamond-dripping, silk-and-feathers heiresses. It was quite refreshing. But all he did was give her a heartwarming smile and offer her his arm. "Ready to go?" "Sure, let's go." Lita grinned, took his arm (what a gentleman!) and together they headed to his car. ~ ~ ~ The car trip there was rather long, but it gave the two of them time to get better acquainted with each other, and by the time Antonio's Italian Restaurant came into view, Lita had lost most of her nervousness, although her attraction to her partner had not diminished a bit. He was highly intellectual, cultured and very gentlemanly. And, of course, looked like the brawny, bright-eyed, byronic heroes on the cover of romance novels. The two ordered salad, lasagna and fettuccini, two cups of caramel cappuccino, and two servings of tiramisu, and as they waited for their food to arrive, they discussed their case. "So, did you find out anything new about the target?" Lita took a sip of her cappuccino. "I was poking around through the reports of his old cases, and there seems to be a pattern in his attacks." "Oh? And what might that pattern be?" Nick asked curiously. "Well, you know how the man operates: he poses as a scientist in a particular field, goes, gives a few lectures and whatnot, then impresses some naive young person with his charisma and intelligence, then offers them the 'chance of a lifetime' opportunity to go on some trip or seminar, after which, when the poor schmuck arrives there, gets directed to a godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere, ritualistically tortured, then killed. Unlike some serial killers, he does not particularly have a gender or appearance preference for his victims, although I notice that they're all people with high levels of education. Well, anyway, the pattern is, he always does a Life Sciences seminar, followed by a Physical Sciences seminar, followed by an Earth Sciences seminar. For instance, his 1st seminar was on Genetics, his second was on Nuclear Thermodynamics, his third was on Meteorology, etc. His last one had been on Quantum Mechanics, so it's pretty much for certain that the next one will be on an Earth science. Which plays right into our hands, since you are an astronomy major and I am an ecology major. As soon as we find out the details about his next scheme, we can just make sure to be there. Now, we just have to figure out where 'there' is going to be." Nick nodded, studying the reports that he had lain on the table carefully. All of the sudden, his eyes lit up. "There is another pattern here! Look, the states he's done his lectures in, they're all in reverse alphabetical order. The last state he did was North Carolina, Duke University. Next up is New York." Lita nodded slowly, and smiled. "So now, we search for all upcoming Earth-sciences-related seminars, lectures, etc. in New York, as well as try to find more patterns in his attacks. See if we can narrow it down to a few places he would potentially be at, and turn up at those places." "Exactly." Nick smiled. Their food arrived, and they ate in the companiable atmosphere that inevitably results from two people who understand each other being in the same place at the same time. ~ ~ ~ Two hours later, Nick found himself walking Lita to her door. As she dug in her green macrame knapsack for her keys, she turned to him with a gracious smile. "Thanks for a nice evening, that was fun!" Nick nodded, "The pleasure's all mine. May I call you sometime tomorrow if I find any more new leads?" "Sure, may I do the same?" "Certainly." Nick gave a somewhat awkward smile. This was not a date, so there should not be any expectation for a kiss at the door. What a pity... Lita hesitated a moment, then leaned over, and gave him a warm, friendly hug and a peck on the cheek. "Have a nice night, Nick!" She called out over her shoulder, as she walked in through her opened door. Nick smiled to himself as he walked back to his car. Yes, he would certainly have a nice night. Title : Strength and A Thousand Faces Chapter : Three Author : Thalia Stalk Her? : «email» smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : A fearsome serial killer and kidnapper is out in the loose, and Lita Woods (Agent Jupiter) and Nicholas Steller (Agent Nephrite) are on his tail. Will their work partnership progress to something more? A/U * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = Lita, as soon as she had shut her door behind her, made a beeline to her beaten but comfy blue couch. She had picked it up, used, and in dire need of new upholstery, a few years back. And instead of getting it professionally reupholstered with plush or leather or silk, Mina had come up with an idea that would be much more suitable and homey-seeming in her little haven. The girls had all agreed enthusiastically, and had donated Lita all of their worn, old blue jeans, overalls, denim shorts, jackets, etc. And together, they had reupholstered the sofa themselves, and now, it was covered in patches of blue denim of various shades and and shapes, worn soft but durable, and the strange couch fit very well with the rest of her house. Plopping down on the couch, she kicked off her shoes and picked up a laptop that was sitting on her coffee table. Opening it up, she started to type. ~ ~ ~ 'Patterns..patterns...patterns...' Recognizing patterns was one of Nicholas Steller's hobbies, and something that he, as a mathematician and astronomer, was extremely good at. Elegant, long fingers slowly flipped through a stack of reports and his face turned thoughtful as he scanned them for vital information...patterns... All of the sudden, his fingers paused in their descent across a printed page. 'William Rhodes...Warner Milton...Wayne Richardson...Wyatt Forrest...Winston Tate...Jonathan Wyndham...Bryan Westingarde...Conrad Wharton...Emmanuel Webb...Jeremy Wasserman...' All of Wilson Wiley's numerous aliases included a W as an initial. 'Well, that narrows it down a bit more. Good. Let's see if there's any more patterns...' By 2:00 AM, Nicholas Steller was smiling triumphantly. He had, through an enormous, formidable amount of analytical deduction, narrowed when and where Wiseman would next strike to one upcoming seminar, with a calculated rate of accuracy of 95%. He glanced at his watch. Hmm, it would probably be too late to call Lita, unfortunately. Even the his fellow agents, none of them were ever up at such an hour unless strictly necessary. And to call someone at this hour would only have negative reactions. Zack would have simply hung up on him, James would have launched into an irate diatribe, and Kevin would have listened to whatever he had to say, but give him dirty looks all week. Lita...he wondered if she would still be up. 'Probably not.' he thought. And he had no intention of losing the green-eyed beauty's good graces so soon in their acquaintance. Shrugging to himself, he went to his computer, intending to type an email to her about his findings instead. However, as soon as Nick opened up his email account, he was surprised to find a new email for him, sent a scant five minutes ago, from "Lita Woods" (woodnymph@lune.com). A dark brown eyebrow arched upward over a sapphire eye as he opened up the email. "Good evening Nick! It's late, so I doubt you're still up. Anyway, I have been doing some investigating on our case, and I think that his next strike will be at the 'Outer Space: Possible Homes for the Future?' seminar held at Cornell University from the 9th through the 12th of February, and he will be the speaker under the name of Gordon Wilkins. Do you agree, or do you have a different idea? Well, you're probably not going to get this email til tomorrow, but I just wanted to send it to you anyway (I'm the only one I know who's ever up at this hour voluntarily, the others would be making vampire jokes had they not known that garlic is one of my favorite seasonings...ha!). Oh, and I had a lovely time tonight with you. I guess I'll see you tomorrow or something. ~Sincerely yours, Lita" Nick's hands shifted from the computer keyboard to the phone, and quickly, he dialed her number. ~ ~ ~ Lita was sitting in her living room on the comfy blue couch, sipping a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings when, surprise, surprise, the phone rang. 'Who in the world besides me is up at this hour?' She wondered as she picked up the phone. "Hello?" "Hi, Lita, this is Nick. Is it too late to call? I just got your e-mail." His voice was as smooth and warm as the cocoa in her cup, sweetly caressing her ear. "Oh! Hi, Nick! It's quite all right, I just don't generally expect anyone else to be up at this hour. What are you up to? Is there anything you would like to talk about?" "Well, as I said, I got your email, and I just wanted to let you know that I had come to the same conclusion as you about where Wiseman is going to strike next. Actually," Nick chuckled, "I was just going to send YOU an email about it, when I got your email. I thought you would likely be in bed at this hour." Lita laughed softly, a resonant, rich but soft and mellow sound that reminded Nick of the small wooden xylophones that they'd played in elementary school music classes. "Funny how that worked out, eh?" "Yeah, very funny. So, now that we're fairly sure where to be, we should go about getting plane tickets." Nick said casually. Silence. "Lita? Are you there?" "No, let's not get plane tickets." Lita said flatly. Nick frowned. "Why ever not?" "I just...I avoid plane travel in general. I can take the occasional helicopter, but planes...no." Lita's voice had faded from vibrant to toneless in seconds. "Is there something the matter with planes, Lita?" Nick's voice was concerned, not condescending. Lita took a deep breath, before continuing. "My grandfather was in the air force for the World War II. He got bombed out of the air by the Axis. My mother grew up never knowing her father. My parents...they were taking a pleasure trip to New York last autumn...they....they were in the World Trade Center when...when...." Lita turned her face sharply away from the telephone receiver so that Nick wouldn't hear the incriminating choking noise she made as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Ever so slowly, she whispered, "It was their 30th anniversary..." Nick was quiet for a few long moments, before he said softly. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Lita. The sky must lose its beauty for you, then." Lita gave a rather pathetic chuckle, "Yeah, well, my family doesn't seem to have a great deal of luck when it comes to planes. So, please, let's not talk about plane tickets right now." Nick assented, "I'll get train tickets, then. We'll work it out." Lita smiled a bit to herself. "Thanks, Nick. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have a good night." "You too, Lita. Good night." He answered. She bid him farewell, and hung up. Nick glanced at the clock. It was now nearing three o'clock in the morning. Satisfied with the day's work, Nick wrapped everything up, and headed to bed. The last image he had before falling asleep was a pair of deep emerald eyes, fringed with feathery copper eyelashes. 'Sweet dreams, my fair wood nymph.' He chuckled a bit at his own sentimentality as sleep claimed him. Title : Strength and A Thousand Faces Chapter : Four Author : Thalia Stalk Her? : «email» smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : A fearsome serial killer and kidnapper is out in the loose, and Lita Woods (Agent Jupiter) and Nicholas Steller (Agent Nephrite) are on his tail. Will their work partnership progress to something more? A/U * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = The next day, Nick arrived at Lita's office bright and early in the morning. It was really a nice, easy-on-the-eyes place. Nick smiled to himself. Her office was just like her...homey without being too chintzy, not too formal, genuine. The floor was covered with forest green plush carpet, the walls were a pale blossom pink, and the window was open slightly, letting in a cool breeze that ruffled the cream-colored silk curtains that hung there. On the windowsill, Lita had several flowering plants: a fragrant white hyacinth, a pale yellow spider chrysanthemum, a crimson Mexican daisy, and a rosy-hued pink. She had a large desk of polished oak, with a computer, printer, fax machine and phone on top, as well as a rustic pencil holder made of driftwood, and a glass vase holding a huge bunch of silvery pussy willow. Along with books, her bookshelf held a large metal tool box, and a microscope. On her wall, there were photos of just about every landscape and climate one could imagine, and Nick was fairly sure that they were not taken from magazines. He sat down on one of the green-cushioned rocking chairs across from her desk, and smiled at the young woman facing him. "You've some lovely plants in here." He remarked, giving an appreciative glance to the flourishing flowers on her windowsill. Lita laughed lightly. "Oh, you should see Amy's office. I have flowers, Amy...you know, she's Agent Mercury, our poisons specialist. She's got, in her office, narcissus, thorn apple, castor bean, caladium, pennyroyal, oleander, henbane, fly agaric and monkshood. Most people who go to her office think it's a pretty paradise of fresh flora, until they find out exactly what those plants are and what they're used for." Nick laughed. His impression of Amy, from the little that he'd seen of her, was that she was a sweet, caring, unassuming type. 'Well, she HAS to be sweet-tempered to put up with Zack and not ever try to permanently incapacitate his reproductive system...' As if reading his mind, Lita remarked, "Amy's quite a dear, certainly the most cool-headed of us, I'd think. But she's also the deadliest when she's truly worked up. The absolute single-mindedness and iciness of her rage...well...let's just say that I wish Zack lots of luck in not pissing her off..." She gave another chuckle, then sobered up. "Okay, enough of that, let's get down to business. Did you get the train tickets?" "Yes I did. They're for next Sunday morning. This way, we can arrive there in New York a week early, and get settled in. We can also get ourselves registered for the seminar, stuff like that. What do you say?" Lita nodded approvingly. "That sounds fine. Let's do it." ~ ~ ~ A week later, Lita was walking into her train compartment, a picnic basket in one hand, a valise in the other. Nick was already there, sitting gracefully in the seat, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Lita set down the picnic basket, and swung her valise up into the overhead compartment. Nick inspected the wicker basket that she'd set down in front of him. "Wow!" Was all he could say. Inside the basket was a luscious wealth of food: A dozen brownies, two grilled chicken sandwiches with lettuce, spread with a creamy sauce of some sort and smothered with melted cheese, a tupperware container filled with savory mushroom quiche, still warm, another with fresh fruit salad, and a tall bottle of white grape juice. "I hope that you don't mind, I made us a bit of lunch, I was going to add more stuff, but I didn't have the time to." Lita explained. Nick goggled at her for a moment. "Mind?! Call me shallow, but I think you're now my new best friend. You know the whole thing about winning a man's heart through his stomach..." Lita grinned and grabbed a sandwich for herself. The rest of the train ride was fairly pleasant, as the two of them discussed where to stay in the city, etc. ~ ~ ~ That afternoon, they had arrived in New York, and with a stroke of good luck, had managed to secure lodgings in a flat within walking distance from the Cornell campus. The two had signed up for the seminar, as two former Cornell alumni now in graduate school, under the aliases of Stanley Nichols and Willow Leighton. As Nick finished up registering for the seminar, Lita grabbed a warm winter coat and headed for the door. "I'm going out for a walk, I'll be back in an hour or so, probably with stuff for dinner." "All right, I'll see you in a bit, have a nice time!" Nick answered, as Lita walked out the door. Lita, her breath coming out like tiny puffs of steam in the cold winter air, strolled through the campus of Cornell University. Looking every inch the graduate student, she inspected the sundial in the center of the Engineering Quadrangle. All of the sudden, a shadow fell over the sundial, and she looked up to see the face of a tall, thin man with silver-gray hair and ice-blue eyes. Dressed in a suit, he looked like a professor. Lita automatically gave him a disarming smile. "Good afternoon." "Good afternoon to you too, Miss..." The man's voice was soft, with a slight British accent. "Leighton, Willow Leighton." Lita responded promptly, taking a hand out of her pocket and proferring it to him. He gallantly inclined his head over her hand in a slight bow as he shook it. "A pleasure, Miss Leighton. Are you a student here at Cornell?" "Oh, not any more, I graduated a few years ago, but I had my undergrad here. I came because there was this seminar that is coming up, and I signed up for it." "Excellent." The man smiled charmingly, his pale eyes glittering on his face. "So, where are you headed right now, Miss Leighton?" "I'm just walking around, getting reacquainted with the place. You know, so I won't do something stupid and not be able to find Clark Hall the day of the conference." Lita responded lightly. The man chuckled. "A wise idea. However, I was wondering, if you would be willing, of course, to come and share a cup of coffee with a boring old professor. It's kind of nice to meet new people." His voice was slightly wistful. "I have no family." Lita felt a wave of sympathy for the old man, and readily agreed. "Sure. Where do you want to go?" She gave him her arm, which he took gently, and they walked to a small cafe close by. They entered, and both ordered hot cappuccinos, Lita's companion insisting on paying for both of them. "So, Miss Leighton, you say that you are here for the seminar, did you major in astronomy?" "No, actually, I majored in electronic engineering with a minor in ecology. But the seminar sounded interesting, so my friend and I both signed up for it. HE majored in astronomy." Lita explained. "Oh, that's nice. I hope you enjoy the seminar." The two had finished their cappuccinos and stood up. The man offered her his arm again. "Would you like a ride back to where you're staying, Miss leighton?" "Oh, that's okay, I need to stop by some other places anyway, it was nice to meet you though, Mr...?" "Wilkins. Gordon Wilkins." Lita felt the blood drain from her face as the man smiled, and she noted for the first time the sharp white teeth reveals in the grin. She grabbed the edge of the table to stop herself from falling. "Is there something wrong, Miss Leighton?" "Oh, no...nothing at all...I'm just...surprised, yes, surrpised, that's all." Lita gave a weak smile. "You're the one who is giving the seminar!" 'And not to mention, probably planning at this very moment how to kidnap and torture me before killing me.' She thought grimly. "Indeed I am." He said smoothly. Lita forced herself to keep the smile on her face, and mutter something about it being an honor to meet him, etc. before taking her leave, all too aware of the Wiseman's eyes following her out the door. Well, she had found her target... Title : Strength and A Thousand Faces Chapter : Five Author : Thalia Stalk Her? : «email» smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : A fearsome serial killer and kidnapper is out in the loose, and Lita Woods (Agent Jupiter) and Nicholas Steller (Agent Nephrite) are on his tail. Will their work partnership progress to something more? A/U * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = "So, enjoy your little campus tour?" Nick asked amicably when Lita walked in. Lita gave no answer, as she plopped down on the couch hard, causing Nick to walk over, a plate with a slice of pizza in his hand, cerulean eyes shining with concern. "Lita, is something wrong?" Lita gave a hollow little laugh. "Well, nothing is WRONG, per se, except for the fact that I just went out for coffee with a freaking SERIAL KILLER!!" The plate dropped out of Nick's hand, and would have fallen to the floor, had Lita not shot out a hand and caught it. Nick sat down next to Lita, pizza forgotten. "You're kidding, right?" He asked in a strangled sort of voice. Lita shook her curly head. "Nope, not at all. I was just strolling around through the Engineering Quad when this distinguished old professorly looking guy pops out and starts talking to me, then invites me to coffee. At the end of the coffee, he tells me his name is Gordon fucking Wilkins. Imagine my surprise and dismay. And imagine me having to COVER for the surprise and dismay. I'm not an adroit liar like Mina is in this sort of case." Nick was instantly alarmed. "Do you think that you will have trouble with him then? He's smart. Do you think he'll do something to you?" Lita was a bit shaken still, but for Nick's sake she put on a smile. "I will be sure not to let my guard down around him in the future. And I am fairly certain that even if he suspects something, I will be better able to take care of myself than, say, your average grad school student at the seminar." "True enough." Nick conceded. "But I still worry about you." His face took on a stubborn look, "Don't ever go out anywhere again without me." He spoke in a voice that brooked no arguments. Except Lita was never one to accept orders just like that. "Look, Nick, while I appreciate your concern I think I am a judge of how well I can take care of myself." She said, her voice slightly irritated. Nick arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm not trying to patronize you here, okay? I'm just trying to make sure that you don't end up killed." "Well, I've been in many difficult and dangerous cases before, Nick, no less than you. And though I'm flattered by your touching concern, I believe that I am able to take care of myself." Her voice was now decidedly nettled. "If you want me to never go out alone, you should do the same thing. It's only fair. I can't stand not being treated as an equal by someone I'm working with." She declared, lifting her chin and blazing green eyes staring challengingly into his own blue ones. Nick sighed, then agreed. "Fine, have it your way." So she had a temper. He made a mental note to keep that fact in mind. Gosh, he seemed to be making a lot of "mental notes" where she was concerned! Lita smiled beatifically, her good humor returned like the sun after a storm. "Good, I knew you'd see it my way." She said in a satisfied voice before sailing to her bedroom to hang up her coat. ~ ~ ~ The next few days gave Lita mixed feelings. She and Nick spent most of their time together, exploring the campus and getting to know their way around town. He was good company, a great friend and stimulating conversationalist. Her crush on him had not decreased, but he did not seem to have any problems with her. However, wherever they went, the Wiseman also seemed to turn up with a startling frequency. Oh, he was always impeccably polite, tipping his hat at her gallantly, asking politely for "Miss Leighton" to "be so kind as to introduce her companion". It was all Lita could do not to react the way she wanted to and kill the man with her bare hands whenever he came in sight, but she knew that she had to have substantial, concrete evidence of his crimes to be able to do anything. 'Only a few more days.' She would remind herself feverishly each time after she saw him, and let him pass unharmed. One morning two days before the seminar was set to begin, they went on a special excursion. Slowly, they walked out of the taxicab, and Lita, two dozen white roses in her hands, slowly walked up to two white crosses. Nick followed, close behind. "George Woods, 1942-2001. Devoted father, brother and husband. Rest in peace. June Woods, 1945-2001. Loving mother, daughter and wife. Rest in peace." Nick softly read the simple inscriptions on the two tombstones. Lita gave him a wan smile. "My parents were simple folks. Lived in the country all their lives. They were never ones for fuss or finery, just simple living, loving each other and looking out for the family. It didn't matter if you weren't the best or the brightest, as long as you tried your best and never did something malicious. I was the first in my family to go to college away from home, but my parents were always so proud of me. Every Christmas, when I went home from college, my mom and I would just spend the entire day baking pies together. And talk about classes and cute guys and anything else under the sun. And it was like, we weren't going to fancy restaurants to celebrate or anything like that, but that just made everything so much more...real. After college though, I got pulled to agent training, and besides sporadic phone calls, I never had time to come home and see them." Lita sighed, and gently placed a dozen white roses on each grave. "I was never like the people around us. A bunch of neighbors thought I was strange. A 'queer genius'. But mom and dad were always behind me, every step of the way....Oh hell, I'm one of the best goddamn agents in the country! I can navigate, assemble, dismantle and hotwire 75 different types of vehicles! I can brave any terrain on this planet! I can shoot a gun and hit a target 100 feet away through thickets and vegetation at night time while hanging upside down on a tree branch! I have attained high levels in different types of martial arts that most people have never even heard of! I know the latin names, habitats and characteristics of 2000 different organisms off the top of my head! I can fucking kill a man twice my size using only my index finger! And yet, I can't even protect my own parents! And, I never even got a chance to tell them what they meant to me..." Nick gently tilted her face up, so that she was looking him in the eye. "Yes, I know it hurts. But, there's something else that I think you're missing. You said that they were always proud of you. Well, they still are. Wherever they are right now, I think that they see you, see what a strong, beautiful, brilliant young woman you've become, and I know that they couldn't be more proud of you. I know that it hurts, that you couldn't save them. But you're human, and things like that just happen. This is why we're agents in the first place. We knew what we would be going into from the start, we knew the danger and work involved, but we went through with it anyway, because we want to use what skills and abilities we have, to stop some of these criminals." He stared into her bright green eyes. She looked like she desperately wanted to believe him. Nick, not quite sure of what he was doing, leant forward slightly, close enough that they were sharing breath, leaning his forehead against hers. "Don't be sad, Lita, you'll always be loved." he whispered softly, and then, bent to kiss her. Lita made a soft, muffled sound against his lips, then put her arms around his neck, returning his kiss hungrily. Neither of them noticed a stealthy figure observing them from the shadows, half-hidden behind a large tree at the edge of the cemetery. |