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John & Bob

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Part Three - Chapter 16Innocent Morning Pt2

Chiana dozed fitfully in the sun until she heard noises coming from off to https://jerkplanet.org/ her right facet. She looked to her proper to see a teenaged human boy staring down at her from the balcony of a nearby constructing; one which Crichton known as a skyscraper. Chiana snorted in disdain. Skyscrapers? These buildings have been tiny compared to a few of the ones she'd seen on a dozen different worlds. Buildings that stretched into the sky to this point that their tops have been misplaced within the clouds. 'Humans,' she thought, shaking her head, 'at all times thought they had the most important and best of every little thing. They had no idea. Well no less than one did.'

Chiana heard more sounds to her proper and regarded to see practically half a dozen teenage boys now gathered on the nearby balcony. 'Young males,' Chiana grinned then sighed in annoyance, 'Identical to those human bananas, they are inclined to are available in bunches.' She didn't want to leave the good, warm sunshine, but John would have a match if he knew she was out here bare the place anyone might see her.

Chiana stood and stretched slowly, giving her audience a full view. "Woooo!" she heard them whoop. "Motherf*ck'n arduous*ss," considered one of them loudly mentioned. Another spoke over that, "F*ckin sh*t scrambled eggs." Another replied to the other, "And she do not get you a f*ckin throb within the knob? You f*ckin queer." The boys laughed and made some extra hoots and hollers.

She sauntered slowly over to the terrace railing and posed there, occasionally switching positions, teasing and taunting the boys. Listening to the hoots and hollers coming from them, she hid a grin and pretended to disregard them. "Hey baby, what's yer title baby?" "Work it lady, show all of it baby," was what she heard as she slowly turned and swayed seductively towards the terrace doorways, still pretending to disregard the boys. At the door Chiana paused and turned and blew a kiss on the boys earlier than darting inside.

Chiana chuckled as she walked into the kitchen. 'Males,' she thought, 'no matter what age or species....soo alike.' Chiana snagged another piece of fruit out of the refrigerator and leaned in opposition to the counter to eat it when she heard the entrance door open. Before she might react, Doug entered the kitchen.

Doug was disheveled, his eyes watery and bloodshot, his clothes ruffled and soiled, his hair sticking up in locations. He was additionally drunk, very drunk, Bob noted, as he swayed on his ft, a full bottle of liquor in each hand and what looked like more tucked below his arm. He stumbled slowly towards her lastly noticing she was there when he was almost on prime of her.

"Hey Bobbie," he slurred as he stumbled past her to place the bottles on the counter, not seeming to notice that she was standing there stark bare. Not that Bob minded.

"So where's that prick you shack up with Bobbie, he desert you too?" he stated as he struggled to open one of many bottles. Bob stepped ahead and took the bottle from him and opened it with a deft movement born of lengthy experience with these things. She handed it again to him, considering as she did so that maybe him drinking more liquor wasn't such a good suggestion. But he snatched the bottle from her and took an extended swig from it before setting it on the counter.

He wiped his mouth, more or less, and checked out Bob. "Sorry, where's my manners Bob, you wanna drink. Course ya do," he stated, not ready for her reply. Doug started trying by the cupboards for glasses lastly grabbing two from the cupboard by the sink. He reeled unsteadily again over to the place Bob stood and put the glasses on the counter, picked up the open bottle of booze and splashed some messily into the glasses.

"Here ya go Bobbie," he said, shoving the drink at her. Bob picked it up and took a sip. Her stomach rebelled out of the blue and she choked a little but Doug didn't seem to note. He klinked his glass towards hers and lifted his glass in a mock salute, "Here's to all the pricks we have cherished before, including Prick of the Year, John Crichton."

Bob held a skeptical take a look at Doug, questioning what introduced on that remark. She had overheard their struggle the night time before, and wondered if this was instantly related or not. Bob shifted uneasily. Doug was very drunk, and drunks have been notoriously unpredictable. She did not suppose Doug would really damage her, however Bob tensed up anyway, prepared for anything.

"You recognize what these bastards did Bob, no you don't know what they did, they shut us down." Doug stepped away from the counter, weaving unsteadily, and waved his glass within the air, sloshing liquor throughout. "Oh they did not shut it down permanently, no, no, no, funding issues, they stated. Just temporarilyary till more funding. Comes by way of. Bull! They shut it down trigger they think our beloved shit, that is John to you and me, offered us out, offered everybody out, including me, for cash. Frickin' Prick."

Bob watched silently as Doug wove his manner again to the counter and refilled his glass earlier than persevering with his diatribe. "This complete thing Bobbie, this whole thing, the medical tests was just a ruse so they might get him back to investigate. And since they suspects him, the remainder of us are under suspections too. So the project'ssss on ice, ssshut down and I'm out of a job."

Doug leaned unsteadily against the counter. "All my goals, everything I ever wished to do, gone, gone in 60 seconds, or less, all as a result of of good oooold pal John Crichton." He laughed drunkenly, bitter and near hysteria as he poured himself one other drink. He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Bob looking at him sympathetically.

"Hey, it's going to be high quality," she mentioned, smiling tentatively at him.

Doug stared at her for a moment earlier than grinning again. "Sorry Bobbie," he mentioned, "did not imply to dump on you."

"S'okay," she replied.

Doug stepped back and looked at her realizing for the first time since he'd are available that Bob was naked, completely naked. The grin turned right into a leer as he seemed her slowly up one facet and down the opposite before his gaze settled on the fluffy white down between her legs.

"So Bobbie, you're a natural blonde. Should be why that prick likes you so much. He likesss blondsss you understand." Doug peered closely at her. "You wearin' a wig or somethin'." He shrugged turning away for an additional drink. "Doesn't matter," he mumbled to himself at his drink. "Who cares, man, who f*ckin' cares."

Bob turned away from Doug, uncomfortable underneath his scrutiny and not figuring out why. Doug blundered around her, reached out and stroked her cheek whereas gazing down into her bottomless black eyes. "I feel I can see what he sees in you Bob," he whispered. Doug moved even nearer until Bob might really feel the counter pressing in opposition to her again. "Would being with you...." he swiftly bent down and kissed her. His lips were delicate and heat and he tasted like the booze he'd been drinking, but Bob didn't protest as he kissed her. She nonetheless didn't protest when he reached down and lifted her up and perched her on the sting of the counter.

Bob whimpered somewhat when his mouth left hers as he trailed a line of kisses to her ear. He drew back, turning pleading eyes on her. "Please Bob, please." With a groan he kissed her once more pressing frantically against her, trying to pry her legs apart. Bob moaned into his mouth as she opened her legs extensive and wrapped them around Doug's waist, drawing him nearer in to her.

Doug brought one hand up, awkwardly stoking the sleek, comfortable gray skin of her collarbone. 'He really would not know what he is doing,' Bob thought, as she reached for his hand and brought it expertly to her breast. His fingers fumbled with a tough black nipple for a moment, then he all of the sudden froze. Bob whimpered and tried to force her breast farther into his hand.

Doug's voice trembled as he withdrew his hand and pulled away from her. "I'm sorry Bob, this issshn't right," he whispered. "I'm sorry; I am unable to." He turned away from her and took a deep breath. "I simply wished a piece of him Bob...." His face crumpled and Bob was pinned in opposition to the counter once more, solely this time her arms have been stuffed with crying human male.

Bob did the one thing she may do under the circumstances; she wrapped her arms around him and held him as he silently sobbed against her. Bob crooned softly as he cried, stunning herself since she didn't see herself significantly as the mothering sort. But she understood all too well what Doug was going by, they both had something in common. For cycles she had liked John, more than she had ever beloved anybody, except Nerri, however John had loved Aeryn, only Aeryn. Bob sighed, realizing the futility and hopelessness of loving John Crichton too much.

Doug pulled away from her after a few minutes, wanting slightly sheepish again. "Sorry Bob, did not imply to...."

Bob chuckled, putting him at ease and patted his cheek. "S'okay," she stated. "C'mon, ya want meals and sleep."

Doug grimaced. "Nnno, however sweep souns good." He swayed unsteadily, so Bob wound an arm around him and guided him toward his bedroom, Doug leaning closely on the slighter Bob. He stopped just as they were about to enter his room. "Please don't inform John about this please Bob," he pleaded.

She looked up at him and patted his cheek. "Won't tell," she assured him. Doug sighed in relief as Bob helped him into the room. Bob steered him over to the bed and started to help him get undressed, since Doug had problems unbuttoning his shirt. He allowed her to unbutton it, however took it off and flung it to the flooring. Bob chuckled as he batted at her hands when she unzipped his pants, however stepped away to let him get them off himself. After a couple of minutes of fumbling he lastly did, then fell closely back onto the mattress.

Bob grinned as she famous that Doug was extra of a short man fairly than the boxers John wore. Maybe she may get John to put on the briefs, they undoubtedly showed more. Bob got Doug settled into mattress and pulled the covers up to his chin, feeling strangely maternal as she did so. "Poor human," she barely whispered to herself. She leaned down, kissed him on the forehead, and turned to go when he grabbed her hand.

"Thanks Bob for everything," he mumbled sleepily. "You're so nice, much nicer than some other girlfriends."

Bob froze. "Other girlfriends?" she finally managed to stammer out.

"Yeah," Doug murmured sleepily, "like Stephanie and Caroline, buncha others, tol' chu' he is a fprick didn' I. You're the nisssesst." Doug let go of her hand and snuggled down into bed and fell asleep, leaving Bob staring at him in dismay.

Chapter 17Frelling World

Chiana walked away from Doug, thinking of how his revelation wasn't news or even surprising, simply wondering distantly why her legs had been shaking badly. Of course he had different girlfriends. Why would listening to it from Doug be news? Unsteadily making her option to the room she shared with John, Chiana sat heavily on the bed. After some time, she distantly realized that she did not know how long she had been sitting there. Her thoughts gave the impression to be refusing to work. Finally shock gave way to emotion, spilling twin rivulets onto her cheeks.

Bolting up onto her feet, Chiana shrieked and swung her arm in a wild arc, knocking the whole lot off the nightstand. Chiana turned and frantically ripped the blankets and sheets off the mattress, throwing them right into a heap on the floor earlier than collapsing and sobbing into the pile of bedding.

After a couple of minutes, emotion gave option to some thought. Chiana raised her head and wiped her eyes, refusing to provide in to any extra tears. 'Stupid, stupid,' she scolded herself. She struggled to assume or feel out a motive why this upset her. In fact she was his f*ck buddy, as Humans put it. Anything more than that introduced Aeryn to thoughts, and she hadn't anticipated him to move previous that. She had all the time wanted John, needed him so dangerous she'd adopted him time after time, even to this drenhole of a world. Now she had him, or his physique not less than. But, she laughed bitterly, apparently so did every other girl on this backwater planet.

Sitting up in the pile of blankets, she whipped her head and sniffed in her juicy nostril. Perhaps it was his not being open to her about this, instead placing on a front of expecting her to be honest and appearing as if he was. It made her marvel if they had been even associates anymore. At the very least she'd had that before.

Chiana sighed. She should not be surprised, she lectured herself. She'd suspected this for some time. He hid her out at the cabin out of sight from anybody. When he got here house, if he came home, she noticed that he sometimes smelled of different women or their perfume. When she joked about it, to hide the harm, he at all times had a plausible explanation and she had pretended to imagine him because it really hadn't mattered a lot; he always got here back to her.

Chiana laughed bitterly, the sound bordering on hysteria. He'd used her, used her, but then if she was trustworthy with herself, she had let him. What a idiot she'd been to assume he may ever love her, Chiana the tralk. He only cherished Aeryn, always had, all the time would. He'd just taken what was freely provided.

Chiana laughed once more and struggled to face, the laughter bitter and hollow and her legs too weak. She had at all times hoped that John would find a love like he'd had with Aeryn, if not Aeryn herself. She had ached for him when he had beloved Aeryn so hopelessly, but Aeryn treated him so badly. She nonetheless needed to punch Aeryn for the way she had handled John, each earlier than and after returning to Moya. John had been so misplaced without her.

After struggling more, Chiana finally stood up within the heap of bedding. Coming to Earth was such a foul idea it made her snigger at herself to think that she had completed it. Frelling tinked is what it was, but she could not steer clear of John Crichton, no matter how laborious she tried. She knew that someway her life and her destiny, if she had one, were wrapped up with him, so she was frelled no matter what. What pissed her off probably the most about the whole thing was that now she was trapped, trapped on this drenhole with no means off. How might she be so silly to lure herself on this backwater world due to anybody? Never thoughts a man who didn't love her as a lot, by no means would, and leave herself no method of getting off.

Chiana looked at herself within the bedroom mirror, gazing depthlessly into her eyes, attempting to recall what she had been thinking. But she soon shook her head and chuckled. She hadn't been considering, a minimum of not along with her head.

Suddenly she could not have a look at herself any longer. Peeking in on Doug, she checked to see if her outburst had disturbed him. It hadn't. He lay in the same place she'd left him, snoring fitfully.

Walking into the kitchen, Chiana went on to the cupboard the place she'd hidden the booze. She was going to go against her advice to Doug and get frelled drunk. That was the best resolution for now. The temporary oblivion that the alcohol promised was sorely wanted, and she did not care what John or anybody else thought. Frell him and frell this complete frelling world.

Chiana took out both bottles and opened up one in all them. She held it up in a mock salute. "Here's to Crichton's tralk, frelled stupid enough to get herself caught on this drenhole planet with that frellnik," she saluted herself aloud. Scorning to make use of a glass, Chiana bent her head again and began to chug down the bottle of liquor until it was half-means empty. Suddenly her knees buckled, knocking the bottle over in her effort to seize the counter. She sank down onto the floor retching uncontrollably. Behind her, the bottle smashed on the floor, sending broken glass and alcohol in every single place. Chiana crouched on her knees, vomiting repeatedly until her stomach was completely empty.

Finally the vomiting fit was achieved with her and she sat again, fastidiously avoiding the broken glass littering the ground, shaken by her sudden illness. 'Frell,' she thought. 'What's this doing to me?' She was nearly never sick, and she'd by no means had that reaction to alcohol before, at least not before getting dren-confronted drunk first. 'This frelling planet of that fekface Crichton,' she muttered.

Chiana pulled herself shakily to her toes, gripping the countertop and attempting to steady herself. Another wave of nausea gripped her, and she leaned against the counter, combating the dizziness that threatened to ship her back to her knees. After a few minutes, the nausea and dizziness finally passed, leaving Chiana feeling drained and exhausted.

Frell she was drained, and she'd solely been up for a couple of hours, however she all of the sudden needed to relaxation. Chiana rapidly rinsed out her mouth in the sink and, avoiding the shards of glass scattered in all places, she started to make her means down the corridor to the room she shared with John.

Chiana stopped abruptly in the hallway exterior their room, struck by an acrid irony. How many of his groupies and his little conquests had been in that room, in that mattress, with him? She knew the difference between her relationship with John and all of the frells she'd had for neccessity, sport or pleasure, it was something she felt to her soul. To hear that he was still engrossed with casual frells introduced residence issues in her past that now gave her guilt, and made her deeply unsure about him and his view of her.

Suddenly she couldn't face going in that room and sleeping in that bed. But the place may she go? Tears refused to come back and wash away the bitter coldness. She was simply so drained unexpectedly. Chiana briefly thought about going into Jack's room, however she instantly didn't wish to be alone.

Dragging in her steps, Chiana turned round and a few quick steps later was standing by Doug's bedside. Doug nonetheless slept peacefully, useless to the world, as hopeless and helpless as her beloved, poor trelk John usually appeared to her. Chiana looked at him for a second earlier than going to the opposite facet of the bed and crawling in.

Doug solely stirred slightly as she snuggled up next to him. Chiana felt his warmth begin to permeate the coldness that had settled over her and began to doze off.

The telephone rang, starting her a bit, however she did not answer it. 'Probably John,' she thought. 'Frell him, not answering. He can kiss my eema,' was her last thought as she shut out the noise of the phone and drifted off to sleep beside Doug.

Chapter 18Crude Awakening

"Damn, where is she and why is not she choosing up the damn cellphone?" John requested the cellular phone as he pressed redial once more. "I informed her not to depart the apartment."

Driving behind the wheel of John's rented yellow Mustang, Jack chuckled. "Since when does Bob ever listen to you?"

"That was useful dad, thanks," John sarcastically assured him. "And you don't have to drive this on the velocity restrict when everybody else is rushing by. Unless you want somebody to shorten the rear much more."

"Can't help it if it's true, son," Jack remarked. "Just stating the details as I see 'em. Besides, John, do you truthfully think she's gonna keep put proper where you leave her? Which will have labored up at that remoted mountain cabin, however as soon as she's seen the town it's arduous to maintain them down on the farm, boy." John glared as Jack chuckled at his personal joke. Sensing John's want for urgency, nevertheless, he sped up.

It was dark now. They'd been at the bottom all day and into the evening. Jack needed to admit to himself, if to not John, that he was also nervous about Bob. There had been delays all day for the each of them. Delays to see the best folks, delays in meetings, one other interrogation for John, or as the suits at IASA known as it of their pathetically phony acts at being informal, a "query and reply session." Now right here it was, night, and neither had heard from Bob all day, regardless of repeated cellphone calls.

Jack looked over at John. He was exhausted, and the pressure of the interrogations and now the worry and fear about Bob was showing. Jack regarded down at the speedometer on the car and noticed that it was approach over the pace restrict. He eased up on the accelerator. Wouldn't as a result of get a ticket this close to the residence.

A couple of minutes later he pulled into the parking garage and parked the automotive. John was out of the automobile and sprinting for the elevator nearly before Jack put the automotive in park. John waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive and fidgeted always as they rode it as much as their floor.

John was out of the elevator in a flash however he fumbled with the keys as he tried to unlock the condo door. He finally obtained it open and went inside. The residence was darkish and appeared to be deserted.

"Bob!" John yelled. "Bob are you right here?"

Jack flipped on the lights as John went down the hall to his room. John stood within the doorway frowning as Jack joined him.

"What within the hell occurred in here?" Jack asked as he and John stared at the wreckage of the bedroom. The bedclothes were in a heap on the flooring and no less than one of the bedside lamps was mendacity smashed on the floor.

"Somehow I do not think she was just altering the sheets," Jack mentioned as he surveyed the harm. "What do you suppose happened right here?"

"I do not know however we'd like to seek out Bob. Dad, I'm gonna look in here, could you begin looking out the rest of the residence in case she's right here and simply ignoring me," John instructed, neither of them willing to think of worse simply yet.

"Sure son," Jack agreed. A minute later he referred to as out, "John, you'd better come see this."

John raced down the corridor. "I'm in right here son," Jack told him from the kitchen. The odor hit John before he even entered the room. "Geez dad, what an incredible scent you've found," he quipped.

"Funny son, simply get in here," Jack instructed him.

John stepped into the room. "What within the hell happened in here? Looks just like the aftermath of a rave. Not that I've ever been to one," John claimed.

"Uh huh," Jack skeptically glanced at John. "Be careful where you step son, there's damaged glass in every single place. Is that what I think it is?" he said pointing to a pile of chunky blue goo on the flooring.

"Ooooh yeah," John mentioned with a grimace on the smell. "It ain't The Fresh Clear Scent of Mountain Air fabric softener. Looks like Bob got sick again. God, it smells like a distillery in right here."

"Yeah, it does. Looks like she had some help in getting sick," Jack noticed, pointing to a full bottle of liquor on the counter.

"Yeah possibly," John replied as he gingerly stepped over the vomit and damaged glass on the flooring. He grabbed the bottle and looked at it. "Where did she get this? We only had beer within the home." John appeared nearer on the bottle. "Hey, wait a minute, this is the rotgut that DK likes."

"Maybe Doug came back, they'd some of this, she got sick, so he took her somewhere?" Jack recommended.

"There's a helpful thought," John mumbled. "I will verify his room, see if he is here and if he is seen her. Back in a sec."

Jack wrinkled his nose on the stench. "I'll start cleansing up in right here son."

"Good idea, the managers ever see something like that, they're going to rip the taxpayers off even worse," John mumbled as he walked out.

Jack had simply taken the broom, dustpan and mop out of the broom closet when he heard John call. "Dad, could you come right here?"

Jack hurried to Doug's room. John stood there, trying down at Doug, who was asleep or passed out, the covers pulled up to his chin. There was a distinct odor of stale booze and, oddly enough, coffee, about him.

"He's wasted," John noticed, shaking his head in disgust. "We're gonna have to sober him up if we're gonna get something outta him." John reached down and shook Doug vigorously by the shoulders. "Wake up dude, where's Bob?"

Doug barely stirred, so John shook him once more, tougher this time. "Get up DK!"

A mumbled "What?" drifted out of Doug.

"Rise up!" John loudly ordered.

"Go away," Doug quietly muttered as he pulled the covers over his head.

John sighed in exasperation. "Why are issues by no means simple?" he muttered. He grabbed Doug and shook him vigorously till he stirred. "I mentioned stand up. Now where the hell is Bob?"

Doug sat up abruptly. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, and his hair was doing a superb imitation of Don King. "Okay, okay, mmm up. Could ya keep it down," he stated quietly wincing even at that amount of noise. John grinned at Jack. "Whatta you want?" Doug asked, his bloodshot eyes focusing blearily on John. Realizing it was John, Doug glared at him. "Oh, its you, traitor." He fell again onto the mattress. "I'm too busy sleepin' go away."

"You're drunk," John advised him. "I'm in search of Bob."

"Haven't seen her, go away," Doug muttered as he started to show over however found something blocking his manner. "What the hell," he mumbled as he poked at the lump he instantly observed beside him. The lump moved immediately.

"Holy sh*t!" Doug exclaimed as he tried to scramble out of the bed but bought all tangled in the bedclothes. The mouths of all three males dropped open as Bob sat up in mattress next to Doug.

"Not dren," Bob objected. "Just me." Bob smacked Doug within the arm. "Nuhhh, stop poking me," she snapped at a horrified Doug.

"You're, you are bare," Doug stammered out.

Bob smirked and regarded left and right. "Yeah," Bob then replied with a cheeky grin.

"What in the damnedest denches of Dante are you doing in bed with my girlfriend," John hotly yelled at Doug.

"Sh*t, holy sh*t," Doug exclaimed as he desperately tried to claw his approach free of the bedclothes. "I swear dude, I swear dude, I swear I did not know she was in there," he stated as he lastly fought his method free and stood on rubbery legs. John grabbed a blanket and draped it round Bob.

"Let me go, you slijnot," Bob snapped as she angrily tried to push him away.

But John grabbed her and dragged her bodily out of the mattress while struggling to keep the blanket securely wrapped round her. He finally simply picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "We'll be back in a minute," John said as he carried the struggling Bob out of the room.

Doug turned to Jack. "I swear, Jack, that nothing occurred. I did not even know she was there. I swear. You understand me, I'd never."

Jack patted Doug reassuringly on the shoulder. "I believe you, son. Maybe you should go get cleaned up, take some aspirin earlier than they come again. I'm positive John's gonna want an evidence. It will probably look better in case you weren't doing your Don King impression when you have been at it."

Doug sheepishly tried to easy his hair down. He winced as he moved his head. "Yeah, aspirin sounds good," he muttered as he made his method to his bathroom.

Jack left the room. He might hear raised voices coming from John and Bob's room as quickly as he entered the hallway. He determined to let the 2 of them deal with it between themselves and went into the dwelling room to wait. Several minutes later, simply as he discovered an excellent program on the television, he heard their door open.

"You can't tell me what to do Crichton," Bob yelled as she emerged from their room, dressed in her general get-up. She came into the living room, adopted carefully by John.

"What's your problem?" John asked.

Bob whirled on him so fast that he nearly tripped over her. "You wanna know what my drawback is Crichton?" she whipped her head in a sideways jerk, raised her elbow high and poked him within the chest. "It's you, all the time you Crichton." She turned round, leaving a puzzled, pissed off John staring at her, and plopped herself down on the sofa subsequent to Jack.

"How are you feeling, Bob?" Jack directly requested.

Bob smiled wanly at him but didn't reply.

Doug type of slunk into the room a moment later, wanting very sheepish. His eyes were nonetheless bloodshot and watery, however his hair was combed and he was dressed. He sat down on the sofa on the other facet of Jack. John sat down on the third sofa.

Jack tried to watch his program but had to maintain glancing at his conspicuously silent companions. "Well youngsters," Jack stated, at size, "form of you to let me watch my Tv in peace and quiet. I'll watch it in consolation too, if one in all you guys can be ok to take the lady right here out for some recent air and maybe even some purchasing if she feels as much as it."

John objected and Doug groaned.

"You guys may use a break from things. Best approach's to get out for a while, so I'll see you later."

"Neeeeot!" Bob screeched, then settled back down clutching the couch throw pillow. "Crichton. John. Me. No." Bob went back to blankly gazing ahead.

"Enjoy some outing, Doug," Jack concluded. "Fresh air will do you good."

Doug and Bob bought up and dutifully walked out of the residing room, leaving the Crichtons watching Tv in silence.

Chapter 19Spreadin' the News

"Got the donuts," Doug announced. "No less than something will probably be good about the morning, every time it finally comes. Sure you don't need any?" Doug requested, parking the four boxes of a dozen donuts per onto the again seat area of his Honda.

Bob turned a pat take a look at him. "What? Are you certain it's safe to eat? I mean it won't get lunged back up when you try this funny stop and go factor at stoplights?"

"Oh ha ha," Doug got in and stuffed a raspberry donut from the closest box into his mouth. "Ffo fou fon' fike fy far anf fou fon' fike fy fofuts. Fafy fing fou fo fike? Foile Cafafian fick."

"Yeah I like males that do large, not discuss huge," she pushed the dangling end of his donut into his mouth with a quick, deft finger, "and do not resolve I'm worse than I am. I'm Pip. Not a foile Cafafian fick."

"Well sorry," Doug lastly spoke clearly after swallowing, "have one?"

Bob held a petulant look at him for a second before taking a donut. "Fine. Mm but I do not wanna eat it in here. Let's go over there," Bob gestured to the second story patio of a closed restaurant.

"Can't," Doug shrugged. "They're closed."

"It's extensive open," Bob disagreed. "What, they've a force shield round it?"

"No," Doug snorted. "Even if we got up there, people will see us up there and call the cops, and subsequent factor we all know we're being escorted in cuffs again to America."

"And why," Bob asked with an incredulous sneer on her face, "would people care if we sit up there?"

"I dunno, man, I imply Miss, people are nuts," he shrugged. "Oh crap, so's this donut. I informed them, no nuts!"

"A no nut donut?" Bob led. "Individuals are nuts," she agreed, with an amused smirk. "So let's go over there."

"I'm not gonna get in any worse hassle over that," Doug shrugged off the suggestion.

"Okay, then let's go over there and never go up onto the patio," Bob insisted.

"Uh," Doug seemed over there after which back at her with a small smile. "I'm sorry, Miss, I mean, he's my good friend."

Bob studied her donut just a few moments earlier than trying again at him. "Uh, about earlier...."

"Hey," Doug waved his donut defensively, "it is not like that. John knows he did not see something, he's simply posturing, it is a guy factor."

Bob took a tiny nibble off the donut and was instantly overcome by starvation. She stuffed a big bite into her mouth. "What shade am I?" Bob asked between chews. "My hair, my physique?"

Doug was confused for a moment before rigorously responding. "It isn't that I've any problems with it, okay?"

"You don't remember?" Bob requested.

"I'm not saying I do, I do not, I mean," Doug unclarified. "I'm not saying either, what I'm saying is just that."

Bob nodded barely by means of his babble. She'd had a hunch he was too drunk and that he would not remember straight. It made her smile on the irony that the one part of their encounter he could and did overlook about was the one part of it that she didn't have any regrets about.

After a couple of minutes of companionable munching, a automotive pulled up and blasted its horn. Doug's donut flipped up onto his dash and he hurriedly started the automobile and pulled away. "Forgot I stopped of their loading zone," he muttered.

"Weren't we loading our faces?" Bob prompt.

"Ha! Darn you're right!" Doug laughed. "And they only wanted me to maneuver so they might load up theirs." Doug turned around and stopped alongside the curb opposite the donut shop. The automobile stopped prematurely, so he needed to take that as ok to the spot he was aiming for, however looked at her as if he'd aimed for exactly the spot he was now in and that she might need been the one wanting the properly lit area twenty ft forward. "You want up there?"

"We just-" Bob gestured to the shop.

"Thought you mentioned you wished to eat it over right here?" Doug replaced the burden of cause onto her.

Bob gaped at him a second. "Weird," she decided, and went again to devouring her third donut. "So you ah, wanted to be in house?" she turned round to relaxation her back against the glove field and her legs on the seat, her head turned toward Doug.

"Me?" he asked, as if he'd never had such a thought.

"No, your donut," she gestured to it.

"Whoa kay, I mean, no, not myself, I imply, if it worked it would by some means assist mankind get additional, right?" Doug explained.

"Mmmmight take a bit more than that, but yeah," she nodded, "perhaps."

"If they may cease laughing lengthy sufficient," Doug rolled his eyes.

"What, that slingshot thing?" Bob flew her donut between the two of them. "Fwoooooo....Well I thought it was a bit primitive, however then I noticed this planet and decided it is fairly intelligent of you guys," she complimented with a smile.

"Primitive? Hey," Doug snorted, serving to himself to a different donut. "If it isn't Miss Space Physicist, oh yeah that is the place I heard your identify before, your papers within the journal."

"John didn't tell you he picked me up in his space travels?" Bob casually requested, taking another bite of her donut.

"Oh, chuh, yeah," Doug nodded, taking one other chew but persevering with to speak anyway, "I remember now, I have to've forgot that one."

Doug squinted his eyes at the improbable lady his greatest good friend had found. Nothing seemed to make sense. As far as he was concerned, after the way John had been, this lady was too good for him. Odd, in truth downright nuts, he thought, watching her stuffing away a donut while sitting together with her behind on the footwell, her back arched towards the glovebox and her feet flopping round on the car seat. Still, she was gnarly.

But as Doug saved absently munching donuts and watching Bob, one thing he always thought sort of freaky, Bob's unreal large black eyes, saved looking at him as she ate. Strange, insane thoughts kept springing into the again of is mind, ideas that she was unearthly.

Various flashes from his reminiscence ran previous his ideas. Until one picture sprang into his mind and stuck with thoughts-searing readability. She was gray, had white hair and black nipples. It was loopy to assume there wasn't some reasonable rationalization. But while he was staring at her, with her staring again with a secret in her eyes, he abruptly felt the conviction of fact. He was face to face with an alien.

Staring wildly at her, Doug shoved himself against the automobile door, absently attempting to open it. Once he received it open, he ran.

Her eyes sunk all the way down to stare at the seat, somber in her sorrow for having broken the illusions of another human. Perhaps they might discover rewards, like she did, however they'd by no means be as secure or sated in their self estimations as they have been earlier than. It wasn't the same, but she felt that her closest personal expertise was studying the depths of her personal folks's failings, that forced her to look away from the society most of her individuals arrogantly accepted to be superior and protected.

After sparing a number of more microts for thought, she ran out of the automobile after Doug. Following her own instincts of the place she would run if she had no survival abilities, she discovered him a couple of blocks away, within the back court of a delivery alley. He was on his knees dealing with a brick back wall of a constructing. Her method didn't frighten him. He appeared to expect that she'd be there.

Turning his head and looking up at her, he squinted in opposition to the light of a bare bulb in a doorway behind her. "Did you make him bring you to Earth?" he requested, practically gasping.

Bob knelt over him at his facet whereas he started gasping. "I followed him like a Grebol, without any plan," she smirked at herself. "It's the Crichton charm with females," she jokingly shrugged, undecided if he would hear her over the vomiting he started doing. She rolled her eyes and squeezed his different arm supportively. "Well he stated it'd get messy if people found out," she reminded herself.

After having a fit, he let his head drop again and fell onto his again. "Ow," he stated.

"So look, possibly we are able to get this part of it over quick," Bob fell onto her again next to him and appeared up at the stars. "You already know for a truth I'm so much like you humans you mistook me for one. Got any questions?"

"Why do you folks do these crop circle issues?"

Chapter 20Sharin' the News

John gazed out on the porch with a heavy heart, realizing that somewhere, maybe at this very second, the protected world of his outdated greatest buddy was being irrevocably modified. He had only to assume again to the times when he knew Doug before the wormhole, and he remembered, distantly maybe, what it was like for himself.

In some senses, he appeared again on being on Earth earlier than the wormhole as much like being house as a child. Perhaps Doug would not ever expertise the traumas he met out there, or so John hoped, however it was shocking sufficient to appreciate that in truth there have been other clever beings on the market. Even the wonder of it was scary. It was more horrifying to realize there have been many beings in lots of levels of improvement that could simply threaten human existence.

Jack gave the impression to be taking it nicely. Doug wasn't the stoic, ready kind that Jack was, nonetheless. John may solely imagine Doug having two long-time period reactions. Either he'd wig out, or take it with wonderful obliviousness, not a complete lot extra effectual than Doug discovering one other degree in an area fight video sport. Which one, he was unsure.

One factor John knew: to date, even at worst, this case was profoundly preferable to the best way issues had been before. Doug had been senselessly murdered by a creature spying on John, on the order of the senseless meglomaniac with aphrodesiac breast sweat. But John had modified all that. That effect of the change, saving his friend's life, made all of the regrets that a lot simpler to take.

John thought-about, as he had a number of occasions since returning, why he hadn't had much reaction on the time. When he'd considered Doug's girlfriend, who had additionally been pointlessly killed, he questioned as an alternative on the chance of Doug having had a girlfriend like that to start with. It was then he'd put his finger on a bigger sense, that the whole actuality had one way or the other felt untrue.

Although he was still keenly conscious of how he'd modified, this time, life felt far more actual, he determined, for lack of a greater context. It seemed fitting, to his view, that he was now with Chiana. Like Chiana's nature, he thought, he was at once implausible while being at the identical time extra in contact with himself and the experiences of the here and now.

After his ideas had wandered for a while, he was startled back to the here and now that he was contemplating by a knock on the door. It was Doug's knock. It abruptly occurred to John that Doug's knock had been totally different in that different actuality. This was the knock he recalled from their time collectively earlier than the wormhole. Shaking his head, John tried to cease pondering those issues and started walking for the door.

"That's Douglas Knox, son," Jack called out to John, taking the chance to take pleasure in a extremely dangerous pun on a homophone.

"Uh har har de har dad, I'm getting it," John referred to as again. As anticipated, Doug was there on the door. Bob's head popped over Doug's shoulder for an prompt. There have been a couple of minutes of awkward silence as a bleary-eyed Doug stared at John. Of all of the things he thought he would possibly inform Doug, not one started to cowl it. So John remained silent and hoped Doug would perceive. Finally Doug sighed and entered the penthouse.

John checked out Bob as she followed Doug in. She avoided John's eyes, which advised John every thing he needed to know. John followed them into the dwelling room and stood close to Bob as Doug sat down on the couch and stared by means of the tv.

"Best in case you decide to assist or clear out, sooner the higher," John reluctantly instructed to Doug.

"Okay dude," Doug appeared toward John however kept his eyes on Bob. "You helped me cheat on my SAT's and I wouldn't have gotten into MIT, then right here, without you. I owe you, man. I'll belief you for now."

John nodded. "Sure, sure buddy," he replied.

"So the place will we start?" Doug requested.

"Start what?" John distractedly asked.

Bob reached up and smacked John upside the top. "Start discovering out what's occurring here you frellnick," Bob shook her head. Sometimes people, especially this one, had been so dense.

"Oww, what'd you do this for? I was attending to it," complained John.

Bob rolled her eyes. "Before or after all of us die of boredom, Crichton?"

Jack stepped in before something could escalate. "Now's not the time for this. Kick his ass later, Bob. What my lengthy-winded son is making an attempt to say is, we found out one thing at the moment." Bob and Doug looked expectantly at Jack as he continued. "I had slightly discuss with General Morrison immediately. I didn't be taught much, however he did let it slip that they found an account that supposedly belongs to John."

"Account, as in checking account?" asked Doug. Jack nodded. "How much was in it? He still owes me for the down on the GTO, man."

Jack frowned. "How the hell should I do know? The vital factor is that an account exists, presumably with an unlimited sum in it, and that is why they assume John bought out."

"Do you think your ah, General's slip, was accidental?" Bob requested with a suspicious solid.

Jack shrugged. "I can't be sure, however we return a protracted methods. He's recognized John since he was a baby, and he owes me a favor or two. He couldn't threat his profession by telling me an excessive amount of detail outright, so yeah, maybe it was accidentally on goal."

"Whatever the rationale or the strategy," interjected John, "we'd like to seek out this account after which go from there. So the place do you think it's?"

"Hidden," replied Bob sarcastically.

"No shit, Sherlock, but the place?" requested John.

"Well...." Bob's proper shoulder shrugged up and her head tilted in considered one of her patented quirks. "IASA discovered it, proper?"

"Uh, yeah," John agreed. "Oh so it's either hiding in plain view or...."

"Or someone tipped them to it," Bob accomplished her level, acquired up, went over to Doug's laptop on a dwelling room desk and sat down whereas the males continued to speak.

"She's right," Doug interjected. "These guys may be rocket scientists however working a profitable conspiracy is so not their thing. It must be someplace apparent for them to search out it so simply."

John thought for a second. He held up his fingers. "Okay, we have bought hidden, obvious, and straightforward. So where would that be." John and Jack checked out Doug.

"What? Hey do not look at me dudes," Doug waved a hand at them. "I'm a science geek, not a finance geek. Hell, I can not even stability my checkbook." Doug regarded over and saw Bob engaged on his laptop computer. "Hey, that is my laptop," Doug protested as he walked over to see what Bob was doing. Jack glared at him. "But she will use it," Doug added, stuffing his palms in his pocket with a shrug. "So what are we gonna do, stand around here staring at each other whereas our careers go kamikaze?" Doug petulantly asked.