Collaboration between Ghost Shadow, The Roman07 and YoshiSkittlez --------------------- The sound of running water filled the small enclosed space of Detective Roman's bathroom as Kate eagerly filled the tub. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so stressed from a single day’s events, and the only thing better than taking a hot bath to relax in would have been a full-on Jacuzzi, but she wasn't about to complain. Stripping herself of her clothes, she slipped into the steaming water without so much as a splash as she slipped inside and exhaled deeply, immediately feeling the hot water relax her muscles, more obviously her wrist which she was pretty sure was either broken or severely sprained. Finally, her mind was at peace...if only for just a few moments... [i]Ugh, Rin Stone. Out of everyone in the world that could have been, it just had to have been my inspiration. Right? Of course, because life isn't ever fair. She's associated with the creation of Lucid for Chris' sake! And it's hard for me to even decide if she was trying to just get Detective Roman's shirt off for ’medical reasons' to begin with. Hell, if I were a doctor that had a patient like Roman, I would-"[/i] Kate's mind snapped back, raising her head out of the water as she had completely submerged herself to get her hair wet. Breathing in sharply, she ran her hands over her forehead, slicking back her hair. Something in her chest was starting to feel a little strange...her heart beating a little...awkwardly. Was that a flip-flop? A heart palpitation? She paused to rest her hand over her heart, feeling the tiny thing beating fast against her skin. [i]I really should think of something to thank Detective Roman for all of this. He's putting his own job on the line for me...but I'll only stay here tonight. If things don't smooth out by tomorrow morning, I'll get out of his hair... He does have nice hair now that I think about it, and that goatee is just the icing on the cake. I remember a guy in my Advanced Trigonometry class having a goatee, he wasn't too bad looking...[/i] Another inconsistent heartbeat, this time to the point where it made her gasp. She closed her eyes hard, the water droplets dripping down her forehead and off of her nose. With her eyes closed, she saw a sudden flash of Jack's smiling face, and in another flash his prosthetic hand had outstretched to be placed delicately on her shoulder when she had been crying earlier. He was there for her; she could see that now, as a friend. A good friend. That's why he was doing all of this, because he genuinely cared! Kate's green eyes opened back up, now with a smile on her face as she relaxed back into the water, feeling her fingers absent-mindedly brush against her thigh, her heart skipping in the same fashion as it had before when she thought back about Jack, about the way he looked at her while she was examining his arms and chest. Oh God his chest... And that's when it hit her, she had a crush on him, and it had started from the very moment he had put his jacket on her when it began to rain the night before now. She felt her fingers brush between her legs, if only for a moment, feeling the now addicting feeling of her heart going bezerk run through her body. She proceeded to do it once more and let her fingers wander, lingering until she had finally found a small area which had immediately gone stiff in excitement. Soft moans came from her throat as she continued to move her fingers, being extremely sensitive since this wasn't exactly a common activity for the young woman. She had to wonder...with a smile that looked that great on Detective Roman...what would it be like to feel those lips on her own? Or what a kiss in general would feel like, she had never known. Her thoughts continued to wander, putting in images of fantasy situations of 'what would it be like if', and her pleasured moans only increased. Sektor had sat on the floor, downtrodden by its master's retaliation. It began moving the Monopoly pieces around the board once more, its movements sluggish and lazy. However Sektor perked up upon hearing odd sounds coming from the bathroom. The robot stood up quickly and approached the closed door; listening carefully. "Katherine Saunders is in danger." Sektor said aloud, literally kicking the door down with a single kick. Water splashed everywhere as a very frantic Kate slipped and slid around in the bathtub, having been startled to death of being 'caught in the act.' Her heart-rate sky-rocketed, her face crimson in embarrassment as she hid herself behind the wall of the bathtub and peeked her eyes over the edge. "SEKTOR! GET OUT!" She hissed, praying to GOD that Detective Roman didn't decide to come see what the commotion was about. "Initiating combat programs, switching to thermal scan overlay for cloaked assailants, rescuing Katherine Saunders." Sektor sprinted over to where Kate was, literally scooping her out of the water and running out of the restroom. "Beginning evacuation protocols, this unit will protect you!" It reassured loudly, gently dumping Kate onto the couch and holding up its modified weapon into the bathroom for any assassins. "No hostilities detected; false alarm, resuming dormant guard program." Sektor finally said, sitting down next to the game board. It looked up at its still-nude maker. "Does Katherine Saunders wish to play Monopoly?" It asked innocently. Jack was still in Michelle’s room completely lost in thought. Why did Rin give him the syringes? Is she assuming I needed them or was it just something she figured we could use as a bargaining chip? Jack picked up one of the syringes and watched the reflective liquid turn and mix. It seemed much brighter and almost amber in color in comparison to the Lucid he has seen on the streets. Pulling the hypo gun out and loading the vial into it, he couldn't help but think what would happen if he injected it. "Slows down time huh?" He said staring blankly. Just then, a loud CRACK came from inside the house. Jack grabbed his Revolver and ran into the next room instinctively clearing the area. Sektor came running out with Kate in hand and Jack quickly ran toward the bathroom to see the threat. The room was clear aside from a extremely wet floor and shards of broken wood everywhere. "What the hell happened? Is everyone oka-" Jack stopped short when he turned around and saw a Naked Kate on his couch and an occupied Sektor playing Monopoly. "Umm... yea... should I ask?" He asked while staring directly at Kate’s birthday suit. The second Kate got dropped onto the couch; she scrambled around trying to get up and looked around, desperately trying to find something to cover her up. "For God's sake Detective, turn around!" Kate hissed, feeling her entire body go red with embarrassment as she grabbed for his coat that had been tossed onto the couch earlier. She stood up, slipping into it and until she was fully satisfied being covered up did she then look at Sektor. "What the hell was that all about?" She demanded. Sektor turned and looked at her simply, slowly handing her the dog piece of the game. "This unit heard odd noises coming from the bathroom; statistics suggested you were in trouble, this unit issued evacuation protocols." Sektor responded, waiting for her to take the piece. "Sektor..." Kate warned. "Also, this platform's computers suggest, in hindsight, that the moaning sounds uttered by your vocabulator earlier were sounds of [i]pleasure[/i] and not [i]pain[/i]. Was Katherine Saunders preparing herself either for mating with Detective Jack Roman or this mystery organic male whom your marital platform speaks highly of?" Sektor stopped for a moment, pondering. "This units scans suggest this is, in fact, the first time Katherine Saunders has pleasured herself via stimulation. Did you use a vibration or insertion device to stimulate intercourse?" Sektor asked curiously, sufficing to drop the game piece on her lap before returning its attention to the game. "SEKTOR!" Not finished yet, Sektor continued to add on. "This unit is capable of receiving upgrades that allow it to mimic such functions, should Katherine Saunders experience such feelings once more. Running Extranet search protocols...pending...consensus reached. Vibrator function: 45 standard credits. Insertion device add-on: 60 standard credits. Extranet confirms a '2 for 1' sale. Both add-ons may be purchased for a mere 75 credit total purchase." "SEKTOR!!! Commence Immediate Shut-Down!" "Confirm command." Sektor repeated before falling limp, its photoreceptor dimming until the bright light was completely gone. It toppled over quite comedically onto the game board. Jack did what Kate yelled and turned around, albeit rather slowly. He couldn't help but listen to Sektor’s ramblings. The image of Kate still fresh in his mind. "Have to admit... for a code programmer who sits in front of a holopad all day, your pretty fit." Jack joked. Covering his mouth to hide the low laughter from Sektor’s online search for "Upgrades". Jack couldn't help but give another quick peek. It’s not every day a soaking wet naked woman lays down on his couch.... this time she managed to cover herself with Jacks coat. Part of him wished he'd put it in the kitchen when he walked in. "Well, I’m pretty sure that two for 75 credits deal was pretty good." Jack smiled as he slowly turned back around once she was covered. Gesturing towards Michelle’s room he put his gun down on the table near the monopoly board. "Spare clothes are in there... and tell Sektor once he wakes up he can clean up the bathroom and keep the board game.... I think he's earned it." Kate immediately shot Detective Roman a look that clearly indicated that she was not at all amused by his remarks, even if the first one was supposed to be somewhat of a compliment. She pulled the coat over her front tightly and stalked back towards the living room, her wrist continuing to throb in a dull pain. "I'll clean up the couch later..." She grumbled before slamming the bedroom door shut right behind her, and then collapsed onto the bed with an agitated growl. One hour. That’s how long it took for Kate to gather herself again. By the time she had changed back into her old sweat pants and long shirt (tucking the long shirt into the sweatpants) she glanced over at the old makeshift clock. Realizing that it was nearly four in the morning...and she still had a mess out there to clean up. She said a silent prayer that Detective Roman had turned in for the night before slipping out of the bedroom and to the living room where she manually activated Sektor, finding that she had her arms crossed across her chest as a wave of self-consciousness hit her hard. Maybe she should have searched the closet for a large sweatshirt before she came back out here. Not that it would matter. She could have been garbed in an Eskimo outfit and would have still felt naked. Jack lay in his bed in the other room eyes shut but mind wide awake. Thinking about everything that happened today. So much to process... He couldn’t rest, he needed to get up. walking out in nothing but boxers he decided to wander half asleep into the kitchenette and grab a half empty bottle of vodka, when he took a swig he noticed the Lucid was moved from Kate’s room to the kitchen again. Jacks mind started wandering again... "Lucid... Prime eh?" Jack picked up the syringe and stared at the liquid once more. "Enhanced focus and reflexes." He muttered to himself. If he took one right now nobody would be the wiser, they are all asleep and if one syringe disappeared he could... could... "Jesus Christ...don't you ever wear clothes?" Kate had wandered into the kitchen, having just assisted Sektor in cleaning up the bathroom before leaving the bot to his own programming to put the door back up. Her hand moved up into her direct vision, using it as a barrier to cover Detective Roman so that only his head was visible. "Not that I mind...it is your home. I mean, you should be comfortable but...oh God that didn't come out right. You just startled me is all...and I suppose I'm not used to seeing men with great bodies-" She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes. "You know what...I'm going to leave and come back, and this conversation never started, and I'll try again." She cleared her throat and then moved to leave the kitchen to gather her thoughts before re-entering the kitchen, still holding up her hand as shield. She cleared her throat again. "Anyway...did you ever give your girlfriend a call about the...the...lucid?" Jack jumped being startled by Kate’s voice and put the syringe down on the table. Looking down at himself he blushed a bit and moved slightly behind the end table. "Oh, sorry... I’m not really used to, well guests..." Jack quickly put the Vodka back into the fridge and poured two glasses of water from the sink. Passing one across the small table between them. "She’s not my girlfriend..." Why did he say that? What did it matter to him if she thought... "Besides, I tried to call her but there’s no answer. She’s probably still giving a police report and covering our asses." Jack mumbled. Kate mouthed a quiet "Oh" and found herself now staring at the glass of cool water he had slid over to her. Hesitantly, she sat down at the table and took a drink, making quite the obvious indication that she was trying to avoid looking at him. She was quiet for a moment, swirling the water around in the glass, slightly wishing that he hadn't put the Vodka away. "If anything bad happened to her...to you...if either of you got caught..." She swallowed hard, feeling her throat going incredibly dry despite having just quenched her thirst. So she decided to change the subject. "Sektor is putting your door back up now. Again...sorry." She said, still refusing to look at him. "It’s part of my job Kate." He said jokingly. "I’m not running out not knowing what I’m gettin into." Jack took a swig of the water and winced. He really wanted Vodka but needed a clear head. "I know I’m going a little further than usual here but... I don’t like people getting taken advantage of..." Tossing the water out he pulled out the Vodka anyway and poured a shot, leaving the bottle on the table. "Yea, mind explaining to me what that little scene was about? does that happen often?" At the sound of Detective Roman getting up from the table, she chanced a look to see what it was that he was doing, and spotted the Vodka. Getting up herself, she moved beside him to pour her own half-glass, but didn't drink it just yet. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said firmly. The best way to deal with this was to try to convince him that it never happened. She reached her hand up and tapped gently on one of the neurode sensors by his eye. "I think these things might be screwing with you." A small smile wafted across her lips before turning her attention back to her glass and downed the contents, rather quickly, enjoying the burn as it slipped down her throat. Kate tapped on his head and he couldn’t help but grin a bit. "Man I’m sorry to hear that, usually these things screw up and blur my surrounds... but I’m pretty sure I saw something quite clear." Jack joked and followed it by a swig of his drink. Jack stared off into the faraway window. "The woman who lived here... She was my sister." Jack said refilling up his glass. "Our parents... well let’s just say they didn’t want us. Instead they wanted a new life in Alpha and couldn’t pay the tax for a ten year old and a six year old." Jack said before downing another round. "You saw nothing." Kate said, finding the slightest amount of amusement in her voice. Her soft smirk disappeared though the moment he began talking again, his own jovial tone now gone replace with something she could relate to as sorrow. Her mind drifted back to the woman she saw in the picture on the computer, now a small amount of the mystery had been revealed. As he continued on, it made her suddenly feel very grateful for her own parents, both of which were born into a substantial amount of money. Kate had never known what it was to be poor, to need something, and as the small details came back to her about Detective Roman's situation, she felt her heart go out to him. "What...what happened?" She asked softly, the tone in his voice indicating that this story didn't exactly have a happy ending. Jack banged the glass down a bit harder than he wanted. the drink already making him feel warmer. "What would a ten year old do when his parents abandon him? Cry... we cried for days wandering Beta... hungry and trying constantly to sneak into Block 9." Jacks hands shook slightly as he poured yet another glass. "Every time we got caught... pushed back away and left for the rats to keep us warm.... I promised Michelle id take care of her no matter what." Jack downed the glass and shoved the empty glass aside. "Both of us... had to do some fucked up shit just to live. Our childhood behind us, we took odd jobs from gang members running packages and...planting bombs under cars." Jack stood up and leaned back on the sink as he started to feel the wobble. "Nobody would suspect a little kid who 'accidently' kicked a ball under a car to be lining the gas tank with C4." He pictured the c4 in his hand and had to rub his eyes to get the image out of his head. "Till this day I don’t use a personal vehicle because I’d think of how easily it could be sabotaged." Kate bit her lower lip, everything Detective Roman told her going into vivid detail in her mind as she picture two small children, fighting for survival. A knot formed in her stomach, the kind of feeling of 'guilt' welling up inside of her. She knew it wasn't her fault, but it didn't make the fact that she had more money than she knew what to do with any easier. A slight layer of mist covered her eyes, forcing her to clear her throat once more before moving to the Vodka bottle, capped it and put it back into the fridge. "You did what you had to do." She said simply, keeping her back to him and still facing the fridge. What else could she say? "I could have done more..." Jack muttered. Leaning back over the coffee table getting a little too close to Kate. "I want to.... fix what’s broken here." Jack said a little bit slurred. The lack of blood flow to any upper limbs made the alcohol course through his system faster than normal. "I refuse to stop until it’s fixed, even if it kills me." He mumbled the last part. "I’m not giving up on you Kate and you sure as hell can’t stop me." Jack stumbled over to the nearby couch and plopped down his head swishing from the vodka. Kate blinked her bright eyes, not sure when or how the conversation had turned back to her and her situation. Watching Detective Roman disappear back into the living room, she sighed, rinsing out her glass and set it aside to be washed later before doing the same with his. Joining him back in the living room, she sat sideways on the arm of the couch, trying to keep her attention on his head rather than the exposed parts of him. "You're a cop, Detective; you've done more for this city than you give yourself credit for. I'm from District 4 and I've even heard of the work you've done. Of how many lives you have saved. You're being way too damn hard on yourself and you know it." "I’ve killed more than I saved." Jack muttered. "Forty six... forty six dead... you can make that a rounded off number by the end of the week I promise." Jack stretched out his arms on the back of the couch, resting his head back while looking at Kate. "Once this is over, you really need to fix your robot. He’s... Strange." He gave a slight grin as he felt his head start to spin. Kate got up from the arm of the couch and walked over to the back of it, looking down at Detective Roman's face in a slight upside-down fashion. She rested her hands on either side of his head, really unsure how to take what he had just said. Was he really going to kill others? And was it for her sake? Thankfully, the topic once again changed. "Don't I know it?" She chuckled lightly. She debated for a couple seconds of just coming out right then and there, telling him everything about Sektor. It was evident that she could trust him, but the fact that it might just pile more onto this whole mess kept her mouth shut while she thought it over. "Detective..." She started, leaning in a bit closer to him, unsure of how well he would be able to hear due to his intoxicated state. Jack watched as Kate hovered above him. He let out a long sigh and slowly caught his eyes squinting at hers. "Yes Katherine?" He could feel her breath on his forehead, cooling the warmth from the alcohol down. His eyes got heavy and he closed them imagining the two of them after all this was over... where would they go? Would they go their separate ways? "Where do we go from here?" He whispered before completely nodding off. Kate hesitated, the words slowly coming to her mind of what she wanted to say, what she [i]needed[/i] to say, but before she knew it, the alcohol had taken his body over, and he was asleep. Sighing somewhat in relief, she raised her nimble fingers a bit and lightly pushed his hair to the side before standing up fully and walked back to the spare bedroom, noticing Sektor on the way. "You done with that door yet?" Sektor, still only recently activated and still disoriented, looked at her, its photoreceptor lit dimly to stimulate sadness. "Do you love him?" Was all Sektor asked, its tone weary and broken. "I..." Kate started, feeling her feet shift underneath her uncomfortable. Just what [i]was[/i] this anyway? The logical part of her brain, which she had used fully her entire life was telling her that all this was, was a case of 'damsel in distress,' however the other part of her mind, which she had just recently discovered, said otherwise. "That’s none of your business." She then said flatly and went into the bedroom, allowing Sektor in before shutting the door.