ForevaXena's FanFic . . .

Blue Oblivion

by Jp

© December 1999

_{No part of this text may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without expressed consent of the author}

Disclaimers: Technically, these swinging chicks belong only to me, but…they may resemble a couple of cool ladies that belong to RenPics. This is not for profit just a little fun and what a bad case of writers’ block, a boring job, and a jolt of inspiration can inspire.

Violence: There’s a couple of moments of swift ass-kicking. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d give it: 3 or maybe 4 buckets of blood.

Sex: Where? When? How much? And how come nobody told me? Nothing too bad, just some sweet grrl on grrl fumbling. If that gets your panties all in bunch then look elsewhere, no harm no foul.

Language: I didn’t think virgin ears was still a concept, so naturally, I ignored it.

Other crap: ‘Charm City’ is my home when I’m not at school, so it inspired me. I’ve taken a few liberties with the landscape, but in an off hand sort of way, it’s right. Uh, I’m supposed to warn about hurt/comfort…so I’m warning.

By the ways and thank yous: Yes, this is my first jaunt into the genre of UBER!!! By the way the Serenity prayer isn’t mine. I’d like to say that I came up with all those wonderful lyrics but actually they belong to: Gershwin (The Man I Love); Young, Crosby, Washington (Ghost of a Chance); Webster/Livingston (12^th of Never); Ellington, Gordon,Mills (Prelude to a Kiss); Strayhorn(Lush Life); (Angel eyes). I don’t really have anyone to directly thank, but special big-ups go to all those kick ass writers (T. Novan, Missy Good, Morrig, LN James, yada yada, the list goes on) who have kept me up way past my bedtime and have made all my last minute paper writing sessions possible.

Lunchtime: Feel free to drop me a line and tell me whatcha’ think, whatcha’ hate, whatcha’ like and all that. Be easy, be gentle, but if it’s constructive criticism give me your best shot. catwoman59@hotmail.com

Suggested reading tips: Fix a Martini and grab a stack of cd’s that include: Diana Krall, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Cassandra Wilson( just to name a few) and then

Chapter 3

Technically, Conner was not a murderer. The last thing Conner had actually killed was a deer when she was 12, and it was at the behest of her Great Uncle Charles who liked to take her and her brothers on trips to Allegheny, Maryland for camping trips. Emotionally, Conner equated herself with Jim Jones. Emotionally, Conner felt responsible for thousands of people and not just the eight that hung on her every word. Technically, Conner just kept the books clean and the money accounted for. Technically, she was a small voice of reason amongst mercenaries. In reality, Conner was a member of the clan. By birth and by right she was a princess in a dark dynasty that had reeked of blood for at least four centuries. In reality Conner was at the top of the food chain relishing in the spoils of victory and conquest. In truth, Conner wanted out.

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His suit cost him $3,000., not including the black dress shirt or black silk tie. He wore black leather motorcycle boots that were tipped with silver. Except for the glints of silver on his wrists, ears, fingers, and the canines in his mouth-he was a shadow. His curly dark brown locks hung loosely just above his shoulders. He wasn’t a hulking mass of muscles, but his level of fitness was clearly apparent as it was balanced through his 6’2" frame. He had a smooth and young looking face. Besides the fact that his goatee implied that he had gone through puberty, his ruddy cheeks and round face gave him a school boy charm. However, his eyes betrayed him. They were misty green that harbored green and gold flecks when he was in the right mood. Mostly, they whispered his age and they bellowed out his life story. To say that one saw death behind his eyes was too easy, too know of that death was the last thing that most people saw if they got that close.

Ewan McGreely walked into the club on Eager, like a superstar. He walked in with only two bodyguards and left the other three out front. He flashed even white teeth at those around him as he made his way into the club. He did a quick search for Conner, but he didn’t see her. An olive-skinned man who wore leather gloves, pulled out a chair for Ewan and then stood behind him as he took a seat. The other man sat across from Ewan with his hands folded across his chest. Before Ewan could even tap out a cigarette on his case a thin black girl sat a bourbon neat in front of him and walked away. Ewan put on his game face as made no obvious attempt to even act aware of the eyes that fell upon him in recognition. Instead he lit his cigarette and started chatting with the man across from him as he waited for Conner.

It was the middle of the set and Benny was working his way through spastic bass solo which he would hand off to Max on the drums and then back to Blue to end the song. She was hamming it up with Sam as she took a swig of drink and rested on her stool. She had found the woman again as she leaned against the back wall next to the archway that led to the bathrooms. Blue made no qualms about the fact that she was sizing up the young girl and Conner did her best to stand up straight and give her an unhindered view. Conner slid her hands into the pockets of her black slacks and let a small smile grace her pink lips. Conner wore a tan long-sleeve v-neck tonight that clung to her body, giving a small hint to the muscles that lay underneath. A small silver chain with a Celtic cross hung below the dip in her shirt. She reminded Blue of an imp, with the mischievous smirk that graced her round face and the reddish-blonde spikes of hair that pointed to imaginary vectors. Blue found herself smiling at her genuinely. ‘Well if she isn’t the one, she certainly is a cutie.’ Blue laughed inaudibly at her thought as she continued to keep time with the drums. Blue let her eyes wash over the crowd as she waited out the next four measures to come in.

A full measure before she was ready to come in, she saw him. He was sitting where Conner had sat only two days before and she could almost swear he had the same eyes. But no, it wasn’t the tender green of young girl she had been flirting with, it was the malicious green of a murderer. It was a green that gave way to oblivion and pointed to her own hell as it had more than a decade ago. Blue felt herself drifting off into images of blood and screams that sounded like saxophones. She snapped her head in Sam’s direction as she realized she had missed her cue. She let Sam play for another bar as she came in and finished the song at least a minute earlier than normal. Sam raised a concerned eyebrow at the woman seated on the stool and she only shrugged in reply. She leaned away from the mic, and mouthed ‘instrumental’ to Sam, who shook his head in understanding. Blue figured if she sat at the piano she wouldn’t have to look at Ewan’s face and then she could rush to the back and clear her head. She didn’t want to rush the song, but apparently the other band members sensed her need to rest and sped the song along. The spotlight dimmed as the song was finished and the applause started. Blue didn’t even look up to the corner, she just jumped off the stage and hurried down the back hallway. Blue ignored the sound of her name behind her, and walked past the office and right out the back entrance. She was well aware that she shouldn’t be smoking, but right now she needed something to chase away the past.

Conner still continued to hold up the wall, as she watched the tall woman flee from the stage. She had watched blue eyes widen in response to something. Had that been fear, no anger. Conner wasn’t sure, but a wave of nausea rushed over her all the same as she tracked the singers gaze to Ewan’s table, and made the assumption that it had something to do with Ewan.

When Conner had exited the bathroom she saw the back of a person who was unmistakably Richard. She was familiar with the black suit and the wide build, as well as the thick brown hair that adorned his head. She heaved a heavy sigh as she pushed off of the wall and made her way to Ewan. Conner pressed her body through several seated patrons and showed up at Ewan’s side, at the same time that Rick made eye contact with her. Rick was seated across from Ewan, and his thin lips curved into a tight smile as his eyes rested on Conner’s small frame. Ewan saw the smile form on the mans’ lips and knew that it was only Conner that could elicit such a response. Ewan turned his head to his right and looked up. Two seats of misty green eyes locked in on one another and smiled.

"Rabbit." He beamed. A thick Scottish accent rolled around the aficionado. Conner smiled and leaned down to plant a quick kiss on Ewan’s cheek. Richard moved behind Conner and pulled out a chair for her, which she accepted and sat down.

"Hey Ewe, what’s up?"

"Just enjoying the sounds, rabbit. You need a drink?"

"Please."

"Hey Rick-" The seated man stood up before Ewan finished his sentence.

"I got it.", he replied to the unspoken request.

"Hey, tell the bartender, who it’s for, and he’ll know what I want." Conner gave Rick a toothy grin.

"Sure thing Conner, I’m on it." He returned her smile and waded into the crowd of people

Conner turned her attention to Ewan as she folded her hands on top of the table. "So, what’s the word daddy-O?"

"What’s the word? I haven’t talked to you in days, kid."

She sucked her teeth. "Ewan, I talked to you last night." Her tone held slight irritation, but Ewan ignored it.

"Yeah, for a split second and besides, I haven’t seen that face in at least a week."

"Well good thing I didn’t get that plastic surgery done, or you would have never found me." She shot him a light smirk to ease her own tension and he responded in kind.

"Whatever smartass, but look enough chit-chat. what’s up with the bills?"

"Ah, your true motive." Before Ewan could come up with a comeback, Rick found his way back to the table, laid out a napkin, and placed a blue tinted Martine glass down in front of Conner. "Thank you sir." She bowed her head in a regal manner, and Rick blushed slightly. Ewan just shook his head.

"Rick, you marshmallow." Rick stood up straight and lost his grin.

"Uh, I’ll be at the door." He scurried off, as Ewan just nodded.

"Anyway, where were we?"

"You were just explaining your real motives for missing me." Conner took a gingerly sip from her drink and waited.

"Ha. I confess your pretty face and witty banter is no longer enough."

Conner closed her eyes in a mock moment of pain and said "ouch". They shared a quick giggle and then both reached for their respective glasses.

"So seriously, the bills."

"Yes. The bills. Do you need something special?"

"Well besides the usual, Manny told me there were some discrepancies." Conner ran a hand through spikey hair and silently willed Ewan to continue. "Just minor ones, but they were occurring often enough to warrant an inquiry."

"Well, I’ll get on it. I haven’t seen anything of late, though. Is it off shore accounts or mainland?"

"Little bit of both."

Conner scrunched her brow in thought. "Well, yeah, I’ll get on it." She released a breath and took a sip from her drink. "Other than that, what else is new?"

Ewan opened his mouth to speak again, but he was silenced as Conner turned her head towards the dimming lights and light thumping of the bass drum on stage. He watched Conner with a thoughtful expression as her eyes focused on the tall woman that stepped onto the stage to the sound of light applause. Ewan did find himself transfixed as the dark woman took a seat on the stage, and a brief wave of déjà vu passed over him. Unlike Conner, Ewan’s gaze was not filled with admiration and awe, but with anger and anxiety. He tried to shrug it off, but his uneasiness clung to his words.

"I doubt if she’s your type."

"Huh?" Conner turned her head back in Ewan’s direction.

"That beast of a woman on stage," He crooked a finger in the direction of the stage. ",I say I doubt if she’s your type."

Conner let out a deep laugh. "Beast of a woman, huh? Perhaps she’s not your type Ewan, but I’m quite sure she’s mine." Conner smiled a little harder than she wanted too, but quickly curbed her expression by taking a large gulp of her drink.

"What is she-6 feet, maybe 6’2". You’d look like a dwarf."

Conner slitted her eyes at Ewan’s rib and ran her tongue across her teeth in thought. "On the contrary Ewan, I’ve got a feeling I would fit rather nicely into all the right places." She let a wicked grin spread across pink lips and then she quickly downed her Martini.

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Blue took a seat on her stool and listened to the tune up. She closed her eyes and ran over lyrics, the song list, piano solos, how many drinks she had, and the score from the basketball game. Anything. Anything, to not have to look out into the crowd and see was she thought she saw.

There she was again. The little strawberry blonde, with the sweet pink lips, and the misty green eyes. Her misty green eyes. She was seated next to Ewan and they were in an animated conversation. Blue watched as the girl smiled lasciviously at Ewan and gulped her drink. She saw Ewan smile at the girl and lean into her, whispering into her ear. She watched as the girl threw back her head in laughter exposing what she imagined to be smooth alabaster skin. The girl leaned in and squeezed Ewan’s arm and held on as she said something to him that he found equally funny. Blue watched the two interact and felt her stomach clench. She couldn’t decide if she was jealous or disgusted that the young woman was with Ewan. Blue raised an eyebrow unconsciously as she asked herself a silent question: "Are they together?" What does it matter, they’re breathing the same air. She chose to be disgusted. Blue shook the thoughts from her mind as Sam started the intro to "Lush Life". She watched the young girl lean over and embrace Ewan. She could see that it was an embrace filled with emotion, maybe they were together. Blue felt her heart break as she closed her eyes and let a soft moan bleed into lyrics.

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Conner pulled away from her embrace with Ewan with a shudder. Conner sat there staring up at the seated woman hanging on her voice and trying to comprehend the swell of emotion that she was feeling. And just as she was about to pass it off as paranoia, something broke inside of her as well, as the words pierced something on her insides. "Life is lonely again and only last year, everything seemed so sure. Now life is awful again, a trough full of hearts would only be a bore…..I’ll forget you I will, while yet you are still burning inside my brain, romance is mush, stifling those who strive, I’ll live a lush life in some small dive….." Blue was pushing her out of her thoughts with as much force as she could muster just short of screaming. She watchedthe pair embrace and she was no longer concerned with being worthy, she was just angry.

Ewan watched as Conner’s face lost its bright smile and became stone. The look in her eyes gave way to something he couldn’t quite register as pain, but she certainly looked as if something was gnawing at her.

"Rabbit? Rabbit." He touched her arm gently as he spoke. "Rab-" She jerked her head back in his direction and they locked eyes. One pair of green eyes were old and ravaged by unspeakable acts, while the other pair seemed to be paling as if someone was slowly dimming the lights.

Conner realized Ewan hadn’t said anything. She breathed out, "what?", and even managed to smile.

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve got good music and good drink." She held up an empty glass. "That may be the problem." She stood up and Ewan stood with her.

He straightened out his jacket with a few quick brushstrokes, and wished he could do the same with the tension. "Well, I’m gonna get out of here. I gotta’ go to the club." He smiled a wicked grin as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Shut up you perv. Walk me to the bar." Conner walked back to her original corner and was pleasantly surprised to see her barstool unoccupied.

"Hey cutie. Saved your seat." Conner looked over at Greg, the bartender, who was giving her tooth-filled grin. Then she found herself almost bursting into laughter as the color drained from his face. Ewan was sending out mental daggers in the direction of Greg’s face.

"Oh God." Greg looked down at the counter avoiding Ewan’s green-eyed glare. "Mr…Mr. McGreely. I-I uh, apologize, um.."

Conner placed her hand on top of the young boy, who was fiddling with his dishtowel. "It’s alright Greg, Mr. McGreely is just about to leave." She smiled up at Ewan, who was beginning to let the muscles in his jaw relax. "But not before paying his tab of course." Conner used a smile to cut through the green glare that Ewan gave her, as his eyes widened in surprise. Greg bit his lip and wiped absently at the countertop. Ewan rolled his eyes at Conner as he dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a wad of money clipped with a silver circle that outlined a Celtic symbol. Ewan flipped off a couple of twenties without thought and handed them to Greg.

"Thereya’ go Greg, keep the change. And uh, keep your eye on my cutie." He raised an eyebrow at Greg and pouted his lips playfully at Conner. He received a kiss on the cheek for his efforts. Conner held her smile as she watched Ewan exit the club with his two brick walls right behind him. Conner slumped onto the stool and leaned into the wall on her side. Thankfully, the saxophonist was ripping up his solo, so Conner didn’t have to be assaulted by the lull of a smooth alto that sounded like honey laced with arsenic, as it hit her ears.

"Greg, hit me with a couple of those flame thingys, and a nice tall black Russian." Greg’s brown eyes grew wide.

"I can only handle two myself, are you.." Conner cut him off with a wave of her hand. "You set ‘im up Greg, and I’ll knock ‘em down."

Chapter 4

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