Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ My Happy Ending ❯ Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 16: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

“Some boys take a beautiful girl

And hide her away from

The rest of the world -

I wanna be the one

Who walks in the sun

Oh girls just wanna have fun.”

-Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”

When Brad and Shera returned to the house, it was dark. The two came in through the front door, hung up their coats, and made way for the kitchen. It was well known that Brad could make a wonderful hot chocolate, so he put on some water for boiling. Shera asked to change into her nightclothes, so Brad showed her the bathroom upstairs. As Shera was changing, Raye came into the kitchen and dropped off some dessert plates in the sink.

“Hey, where'd you and Shera go?”

A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Brad's mouth. “For a walk.”

Raye looked at her brother for a moment. “A walk huh?” Then she grinned. “You sure it was `just a walk'? You look like you're hiding something.”

Brad couldn't contain himself any longer. The chocolate haired man beamed and turned crimson. “Well…I…”

A grin crept across Raye's face. “What happened, Brad?”

“She kissed me.”

The redhead's mouth dropped. “Do what?! She…she kissed you?! Oh my gawd!”

The sister squealed with delight and hugged her brother as Brad smiled embarrassedly.

She let go of Brad, grinning wider than a Cheshire cat. They kissed! They kissed! Raye was absolutely excited for Brad, and she couldn't wait to have girl talk with Shera later.

“Well?!” the girl exclaimed.

“Well what?” Brad said as he poured hot cocoa into two mugs.

“Details! I want details!”

“What do you want to know?”

“How long?”

“Mmm…a while.”

“French?”

Brad grinned. “Maybe.”

“Is she a good kisser?”

Brad laughed. “Why? Do you want to kiss her?”

“NO!”

“Oh, yeah, that's right; you're saving all your kisses for Cid,” the sibling teased.

“Shut up!!” Raye yelled.

Brad laughed hysterically as he placed the mugs on a tray along with some chocolate chip cookies he baked a few days ago.

Soon Shera entered dressed in a flannel pajama set with little flowers printed on the material, and Raye beamed at her.

“Shera, I have some blankets in the closet for when you go to bed. Brad can get them for you. I'll...uh…leave you two alone now.”

The redhead smirked as she left the kitchen and retreated to her room for the night.

“She knows, doesn't she?” Shera said as she took her mug.

Brad was sweating a little. Was she mad about that?

“Yeah…she does.”

“You couldn't resist, could you?” the woman said with a slight grin.

“What? Raye's my sister! I tell her everything. Besides, even if I didn't tell her, she'd still find out.”

“Oh, it's okay,” Shera said warmly. “I know you two are really close.”

The new couple went out into the living room, curled up in a flannel blanket, and spent the rest of the evening talking and watching a movie on the television upstairs.

When bedtime came, Brad took the tray with the empty hot cocoa mugs into the kitchen, and he returned to find some blankets.

“I wish we could have an actual guest bedroom, but as you can see, space is pretty limited.”

“I understand,” Shera replied. “Besides, I slept on a sofa for five years. What will another night hurt?”

Brad looked at Shera. “Who says you have to sleep on the couch?”

“Well, where else am I going to sleep?”

“In my bed.”

A look of shock crossed the engineer's face, and Brad immediately noted the expression and knew that phrase came out wrong.

“Wait, wait! I didn't mean it like that! Aw man…” he said, panicked. “What I meant was you can sleep in my bed, but not with me…well, unless you want to share a bed with me…”

Shera giggled. “But where will you sleep?”

“On the couch.”

“I don't want to take away your bed, Brad.”

“No, no. I don't mind. Honestly.”

Shera smiled. “No. How about we just make everything easier and we both sleep in your room.”

The young man's face blushed hotly. “Umm…well…heh…you sure you're comfortable with that…?”

He could already hear his sister's taunts.

“Sure. Besides, we shared my bed when you spent the night in my place that one time when Raye broke down, so I know you won't try anything on me.”

“Uh, well…” Brad smiled. He wasn't going to argue with the woman. “Okay...if that's what you want.”

The two went upstairs, and Brad showed Shera into his room. He closed the door behind him, and Shera looked around. Brad had a full size bed in the left corner of his room, and across from it was a dresser with a mirror over it, and there were some items on the top of the dresser, one being his cologne. There was also a closet, a desk with what appeared to be unfinished poetry, and a…electric bass? The walls were decorated with posters of some of his favorite bands, some old metal street signs, and pictures of his family and friends. A photograph that Shera noticed in particular was one in a frame on Brad's desk of a red-haired woman, similar to Raye in appearance, with green eyes, fair skin, and dressed in what looked like something that was worn in Cosmo Canyon.

“Is that your mother?” Shera inquired curiously.

Brad looked up at Shera, and then he went over, picked up the picture, and sat down next to her with it in his hand.

“Yeah, that's Mom,” he replied.

Shera adjusted her glasses and took a closer look. “Raye looks a lot like her.”

“Yeah, she does. She acts a lot like mom, too, from what Dad tells me.”

“You have her eyes.”

Brad smiled. “Yup. Sure do.”

“Brad?”

“Yeah?”

“I don't mean to pry, but what happened to your mom?”

Brad sighed and placed the picture back on his desk. “She died when I was fourteen.”

“Oh, Brad…I'm so sorry.”

“Oh, it's okay,” the young man replied reclaiming his place next to Shera. “She's in the Lifestream and in a better place now.”

“Still, it must be hard.”

“Well, yeah, there are times when we all miss her, times like today, but that comes with the territory of losing a parent. We manage just fine, though, we've moved on, and that's what Mom would have wanted.”

A sad look fell into Brad's eyes, and Shera decided it would be wise not to press the issue further with him.

“Let's go to bed. I'm pretty tired.”

The young man smiled warmly. “Alright, then.”

He turned down his blanket and allowed Shera to slide under the covers. The woman laid her head down on one of the pillows as Brad changed into his own nightwear from inside his closet. He stepped out in just a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and no shirt, and the female in his bed couldn't help but to gawk at him.

The younger man was…absolutely hot! His upper body was rather firm and toned, probably from working down in the shop for so long. He had broad strong shoulders, and slightly toned arms. She studied the features of his body and face as he folded a shirt, watching closely at his muscles flexing. Bradley Shields was no pansy that was for sure. Although he didn't have as much of a build as Cid, he was still one hell of a handsome man. Brad looked up and caught Shera staring at him.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

The woman smiled as she placed her glasses on the bedside table. “Oh no. Nothing.”

Brad shrugged, turned out the light, and snuggled into bed with Shera. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body, she turning over to face him in the dark, leaning in and kissing him again. The pair made out for quite a long time, and she reluctantly pulled back.

“Whoa…what was that for?”

She smiled. “Just a goodnight kiss.”

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Raye stood quietly in front of the blonde-haired pilot awkwardly, not knowing what she should do or what to say. Suddenly, Cid leaned forward and kissed her quite passionately on her full, soft lips, his mouth parting hers, and their tongues dueling. His arms encircled her protectively, eyes closed, impassioned with a burning desire he held hidden within him for so long.

The redhead's eyes flew open in the dark, and she shot up like a bullet. What the hell? She didn't really dream that did she?! Raye rubbed her eyes and glanced over at the clock. 4:36 am. The female mechanic groaned as she made a mental note to beat the crap out of her brother for all his teasing about Cid. All that shit was pissing her off, and she would be damned if she was going to let the asshole invade her dreams, too.

The young woman lay back onto her pillow, and she adjusted her blankets. Okay, she would admit that Cid really wasn't a bad guy. In fact, she did like him as a friend, but why in the hell would she dream of him kissing her?! Raye tossed over onto her side. Maybe it was because it was so long since she was in a relationship that she almost forgot what a kiss tasted like, or maybe it was because deep in the back of her mind, she wanted what Brad had - someone to belong to. Still, why Cid Highwind, of all the men in Gaia, why him?!

Raye sighed. Maybe this was a question for Grandmother. Or, better, yet, maybe she should just keep her damned mouth shut about the whole thing or it might really come true. Raye took her pillow and vainly buried her head underneath, as though it would help her escape her own mind. She had to stop thinking about it. After all, it was just a dream, right?

Raye agreed with herself, placed her pillow back under her head, and closed her eyes to go back to sleep. She was going to be up in a few hours, so she had to be fresh.

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The alarm went off irritatingly, and the redhead slid a hand out from under the blankets, clumsily smacked the `snooze' button, and disappeared under the folds again. Raye dozed back off to sleep only to again be greeted by the alarm once more.

“Alright already!” she grumbled, throwing off the blankets and shutting off the alarm a second time.

The girl went down to the bathroom on the second floor and took a shower. Then she dried her hair with a blow dryer, applied some make up, and went back to her room to change into a pair of dark blue denim jeans and a black v-neck sweater with red stripes down the sleeves.

After this the girl came downstairs to find Brad happily bustling about in the kitchen as Shera sat at the small table holding a mug of vanilla flavored coffee. The man was cooking eggs benedict along with some biscuits and white gravy.

“Hey, Sis. Are ya hungry?” he asked the girl.

Raye yawned a little and headed for the fridge. “Yeah, I'm starving.”

Brad smiled. “It's almost done.”

Shera looked up at Raye. “Have a seat.”

The other girl sat down in front of Shera after pouring a glass of orange juice.

“You ready to go?”

The glasses-clad woman smiled warmly. “Yes! I can't wait. As soon as we eat I want to leave because I don't want to miss the good sales.”

Raye laughed. “Well, we better hurry then. I have to warn you, though, shopping in downtown is hell. That and there are some places that are still undergoing construction, which makes it even harder.”

Shera giggled as Brad set out plates of food for the women. The other boys were awake and seated at the table out in the dining room, so Brad went out and served them as well. He came back into the kitchen and took the third seat between Raye and Shera.

“So what else are you going to do besides shop?” Brad asked, taking a bite of his eggs benedict.

Raye and Shera looked at one another.

“I dunno,” Raye replied. “Probably shop and…eat…”

“…and shop some more!” Shera finished with a laugh.

“Whatcha getting me for Christmas, Raye?” Brad teased.

The sister looked over at Brad with a smirk. “I dunno, yet. What are you getting for me?”

A shit-eating grin crossed his face. “I have an idea - I just have to see if I can find a way to get him to do it.”

Raye scowled at her brother as Shera looked on in confusion.

“It is too early for you to start with that!” the sister protested.

“Start what?” Shera asked confused. Obviously, she had missed something.

Before Raye could reply, Brad broke in. “Oh, I give her shit about this one guy that comes around.”

Shera smiled mischievously. “Guy? Oh, I want to hear about this later, Raye.”

“Hear about what?” the redhead indignantly replied. “There is absolutely nothing to talk about!”

Brad just smiled and kept eating his food.

Afterwards, the two women finished their breakfast and prepared to leave. As Shera was tugging on her coat, Brad came over to her, pulling out his wallet.

“Before I forget,” he said. “I noticed there were a lot of things you needed for your apartment still. Here - you take this and don't argue with me about it. Buy some things you need and a little something for yourself.”

Brad stuffed a little wad of money into her hand that he had been putting back for her. Shera accepted it, bewildered that he was just giving his hard-earned cash away.

“Brad…I can't accept this. You work too hard for it.”

Brad shook his head and curled her hand around the Gil in her hand. “No. I saved it especially for you, and you're gonna keep it. Besides, I have other money saved elsewhere, and you've been spending all your marina money on building supplies, paint, and other things. You need this more than I do, so just take it and no more about it.”

“Don't argue with him, Sher. It's completely useless. If he wants you to have something, just take it,” Raye pointed, wrapping a scarf around her neck.

Shera looked down at the Gil in her hands and then back up at Brad. “I…I don't know what to say…”

Brad took her by the hands. “Don't say anything - just take it.”

Shera looked at Brad as though she were going to cry. In fact, the woman almost acted like it was the best gift she had ever gotten. She gave Brad a joyful kiss on the lips and pulled back quickly, her face quite red. Raye looked on at this exchange with a huge grin on her face.

“Aww, aren't you guys so cute?” she cooed.

Brad turned pink, and let go of Shera's hands.

“You go with Raye and have fun, okay? My sister is a blast to hang out with,” Brad said, kissing Shera on top of her forehead.

“Now, Brad, you sure you and Dad will be okay down in the shop?”

“Nah, we'll be fine. Go on and do your thing.”

Raye and Shera smiled, left the house, and headed for the new truck Raye bought weeks ago and found it running since Rick apparently came out and warmed it up for the girls. The women hopped in, with Raye in the driver's seat and they headed for downtown.

“This is so nice,” Shera sighed. “I haven't gotten to do anything like this in a long time.”

“Yeah? How come?”

“Well…I just didn't have the time or money.”

Raye nodded, but she felt there was something further. “You sure it wasn't because you didn't have the freedom?”

Shera shook her head. “Oh no. The Captain wasn't that asinine. I wasn't his slave, and I could do pretty well what I wanted.”

“But he treated you like a slave.”

“He didn't really treat me like a slave. I respected the Captain, and I probably always will. I only allowed myself to be treated like that because I felt bad for messing up the launch.”

“But you told Brad he blamed it on you.”

“He did, yes,” Shera agreed, but then her eyes fell to her lap. But I also blamed a lot of it on myself. I stayed there for so long because I wanted to punish myself for what I did to him. That and I…well, I loved him.”

Raye looked thoughtful. “Brad told me about how you felt about this `Captain' of yours. You may have loved him, but the way I see it, you were doing your job. You would have been in that room regardless of who was piloting the rocket.”

“I suppose that is true,” admitted Shera.

“I just have to know something, though,” Raye said. “How do you feel about him now?”

Shera paused for a moment. “Well…I don't know… I thought I loved him, but now… now that I am on my own, I think that's…changed.”

“What would you do if you ever saw him again?”

“I have no idea what I would do. I know he has to be angry with me for leaving the way I did. I didn't even leave him so much as a note.”

“You did what you had to do,” Raye said empathetically. “You loved him, he didn't love you, and he didn't appreciate you. So, why stay? You took the logical way out, and you should be happy.”

Shera smiled, but her face fell a little. “I am, but I wish I would have left on better terms.”

The redhead shrugged. “Well, sometimes you have to do what you have to do. You were at your breaking point, and when you get there, it's time to get out. Just keep in mind that what goes around comes around, and I bet he's getting his right now since you've been gone.”

The smile returned to Shera's features. “You're right.”

Raye took the highway out of her neighborhood and drove to the downtown area. There, she slowly circled the roundabout where construction of a memorial monument depicting Meteor was underway. The redhead turned down a street lined with shops, and came to a halt to wait for pedestrians to cross.

“Why in the hell can't these people use the damned crosswalk?” she muttered.

Shera giggled as the other female stepped on the gas pedal and continued on their way. She drove until she found a parking spot and carefully parallel parked on the boulevard. After shutting down the engine, the two women got out.

“Where should we begin?” Shera asked.

“Well, usually how I do it is I go down this street, then I cross a few blocks down and come back up toward my car,” Raye explained. “This whole block is nothing but a shopping district, so there'll be plenty to do.”

“Sounds good to me. Listen, Raye, can I ask a favor of you?”

“Sure,” the red-haired girl replied leading the way into the first shop.

“Will you help me look for a gift for Brad?”

“Hell yeah, I will!”

Shera beamed. “Good. I want to get him something nice.”

The two companions entered the first shop that was a clothing store. The boutique was decorated brightly, and Shera noted everything about it for ideas to apply to her own up-and-coming business. She noticed the kinds of clothing they carried, accessories, color scheme, and there was even a case for perfume and cologne. Raye browsed the items of clothing in the men's section looking for items that she thought would suit Brad and her other brothers.

After they looked around but didn't find anything, the women ventured into other stores, Shera looking at themes and ideas for her store as well as gifts for her family and Brad.

The two friends' adventures eventually led them to a hobby shop and went inside.

“A hobby shop? Shera questioned.

“Yeah, they carry RC airplanes in here,” the redhead explained.

Shera looked around to see all kinds of model and RC planes hanging from the ceiling. A shelf hung and extended all around the upper part of the room where a train layout ran the perimeter of the place, and the model itself would let out a whistle once in awhile. There were boxes upon boxes of model car and plane kits, paints, glue, wood, train tracks for layouts, buildings for train table set ups, kites, and other types of miscellaneous items. Raye came to the counter and spoke with the owner of the shop.

“Hello and welcome,” the proprietor greeted. “Can I help you?”

“Hi,” the other girl replied. “I wanted to make the last payment on an RC airplane I had in layaway.”

The shopkeeper smiled. “Oh, yes. I know who you are. You bought our last P-51 Mustang model.”

“That would be me.”

The shopkeeper went to the back and retrieved the box containing the parts to a scaled airplane. An RC airplane was a remote control aircraft that looked, ran, and flew just like a real one only it was a smaller version. The controller of the craft built everything from the engine, to the body, and even painted the thing. A radio controller with a throttle and a control stick navigated the model.

“Would you like this gift-wrapped?” the keeper asked.

“Yes, please.”

The manager collected Raye's money and took the box back to the storeroom to wrap it.

“An RC airplane?” Shera curiously asked. “Who in your family is into that?”

“My little brother Thomas,” Raye answered her. “He wants to be a pilot someday, and he loves anything to do with aviation.”

Shera smiled, thinking how cute that was. “Really?”

“Yup.”

Raye collected the gift-wrapped plane and exited the shop. Next door to the shop was an art supply store that the woman also entered.

“Art supplies?” the engineer inquired. Then she remembered something. “Oh! For you!”

Raye smiled. “Yep. I gotta have the right supplies if I'm going to do that mural of yours.”

“So how much art do you do?”

“Oh, I just do a little drawing and painting in my free time,” Raye explained, “but mostly I airbrush designs on cars and paint them. My specialty in the shop is body work.”

“Really? I can't wait to see your artwork!”

“You know I had this idea,” Raye said thoughtfully. “I painted a mural in my room, and I thought maybe I could do one in your shop or something with my airbrush kit.”

Shera's face lit up. “Really? That would be wonderful!”

The two smiled at one another as the redhead hunted for some drawing paper, new pencils, oil paint, and paint for her airbrush kit. The girl paid for the items and the two walked out hitting other shops and talking about ideas for Shera's business.

When they came to a house wares shop, however, Shera found a lovely dish set that she wanted to buy for her apartment and a pot and pan set. The woman gathered these items and waited her turn to pay for her things. A rather large, rich woman suddenly came up and rudely bumped Shera out of line and took her place. Instead of protesting, Shera meekly took another place in the back of the line.

“Wait a minute…Shera, what the hell are you doing?!” Raye protested, stepping in front of her. “That bitch just forced your spot from you, and you're just going to let her?!”

Shera hesitated and averted her eyes to the floor. “Well, I don't want to start trouble…”

“Bullshit! She shoved you out of the way, dammit, and I ain't letting that happen!”

The fierce redhead grabbed Shera by her arm and practically dragged the hapless woman along. She tapped the person irritatingly on the shoulder causing her to turn around and give Raye the dirtiest look.

“Excuse me,” Raye said hotly, “but my friend was here first! The end is back there, so I suggest you get there now!”

The woman looked startled, but seeing how serious Raye was, she gathered her things and reluctantly took her place in the back of the line. Raye pushed Shera back into her rightful spot and stood with her.

“Raye, you really didn't have to…”

“Give me a break, Shera. You need to learn how to be more assertive! You will never get what you want if you don't learn to take what you want. Get mad! Get outright pissed off! Don't let anyone push you around. You took that shit for too long, and that is over with as of right now, got me?”

Shera looked at Raye and decided she was right. In fact, Raye was right about many things. From now on, she was going to straighten up and not let her shyness overcome her. The two women paid for their items, left the store, and took a quick trip back to the truck to relieve themselves of the two heavy boxes of cook and dishware.

After this, they soon found other places to go, and as they ambled along the avenue, Raye suddenly paused at a window of a jewelry store and peered in. In the window sitting neat and pretty in a box was a lovely watch. The watch face was made of sterling silver and had a brown leather watchband. The face of the wristwatch had glow in the dark hands, Indiglo features, and even had a digital part that registered military time. Raye leaned in for a closer look at the price.

“Wow…Cid would like that…” the woman muttered.

Upon finding that Raye abandoned her, Shera turned to find her companion staring into the window of a shop. The chestnut-haired woman walked curiously up to the window to get a look at exactly what it was she was gawking at, peering in through the glass as her gaze finally rested on the object Raye was looking at. The timepiece didn't look like anything Brad would wear, and why would he need one that displayed military time anyway?

“What are you looking at Raye?”

The redhead jumped. “Er, nothing! Nothing at all! Heh…”

Shera eyed Raye skeptically. The other girl said that way too fast for it to be just nothing. “You do know that is a man's watch, right?”

“Yeah, of course…heh.”

Shera peered at Raye though her glasses suspiciously and a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“What are you hiding?”

“H…hiding? I'm not hiding anything!”

“Uh huh. That watch isn't for Brad, I know that. Why would he need two different time displays?”

Raye blanched and began to get nervous. “Umm…deliveries?”

Shera grinned. “You're hiding something! I know you are!”

“I am not!”

“Oh you are, too, so you might was well spill it. It's about that certain guy Brad teases you about isn't it?”

“Oh my gawd! You are as bad as he is now! Damn him for infecting you with all his idiot ramblings!”

Shera began to giggle.

“There is no crush!”

The other woman threw her head back and finally let out a burst of raucous laughter. “Suuuure! I believe you.”

“I do not have a crush!”

“Come on, Raye, tell me about him. Are you dating him? Is he cute?”

“No, he is not cute, and no, I am not dating him!” Raye indignantly said, almost yelling. “I hate the bastard!”

“Strong opposition can mean only one thing: denial.”

“Shut up!”

Shera hooted with amusement. It wasn't often that she got to tease someone the way she was teasing Raye. She actually had a soft sense of humor underneath all that shyness, and it felt good to show a side of her no one else got to see once in awhile. Normally, one had to get to know Shera pretty well to see such a different face, and even the Captain had been teased a few times, but with Raye, it was different. Raye was an open, outgoing person, and Shera felt comfortable around her.

“The guy is a jackass!”

Shera continued to laugh. “Oh come on, Raye! It's okay to admit a silly little crush! I won't even tell Brad.” She stopped in front of a coffee shop. “Coffee?”

“Sure. And it is not, I repeat, not a fucking crush! He's rude, loud, ill tempered, dirty, and he's…old! AND he's an asshole!”

Shera paused awkwardly. “That sounds like someone I know…”

The redhead wrinkled her nose as she ordered a hazelnut coffee. “How would a nice girl like you come to know a crusty old fart?”

“I wonder that myself sometimes,” Shera replied with a sigh, taking her coffee off the counter.

The women had a seat next to the window, and Raye glanced out at the passersby.

“But I just have to tell you something that has been driving me nuts all day…”

“What is it?”

“Well, I'm…I'm kind of afraid to tell it, though.”

“Well if you don't it's just going to eat at you,” Shera said. “Just spill it.”

“Well…I had this dream last night,” Raye began. Then she scoffed. “It's so stupid, really. I was standing there all nervous and clueless as to what I should do or say, and this guy that I hate so damned much was there.”

“Oh?” Shera leaned forward with interest.

“Yeah, and, well…” Raye blushed embarrassedly. “In the dream, he…”

“Go on…what happened?”

“He…he…” Raye lowered her voice. “He kissed me.”

The other woman raised her eyebrows and adjusted her glasses. “Really?”

“Yeah…and it was almost…real. I woke up fast, and I was trembling like I really was there.”

“Interesting,” Shera ruminated. “You claim you hate the guy then you go off and dream about him?”

“I do hate him, thankyouverymuch,” Raye said in a huff. “But it worries me that I had a dream like that.”

“How come?”

“I dunno. I know according Cosmo Canyon belief, if you have surreal dreams involving powerful emotions like love or loss, it can be a premonition of things to come.”

“So what would be so bad about dreaming of falling in love?”

“Because that guy is an asshole! I don't want any assholes in love with me! I hate that jerk, and that's final.”

“Are you sure it's hate?”

“Yes!” Raye protested. Then she relented. “Well…I don't know.”

A huge grin crossed the chocolate-haired woman's face. “So you do like him, even a little.”

“I do not! I just…well…not in that way. See we got off on the wrong foot, and after talking with him, I find he isn't as bad as I thought he was. He's…okay…I guess. I will admit, though, he has pretty eyes, and that's what stood out the most in the dream.”

“What color are they?” Shera asked curiously.

“Blue.”

Shera thought for a moment. The person Raye was describing seemed so familiar. Still, the odds of them meeting were a long shot. It was just a coincidence.

“I still think you have a crush,” Shera finally said. “You just won't admit it.”

“I do not dammit! It is not a fucking crush!”

The former engineer leaned against the back of her chair and thought about many of the actions and things Raye said and did over the course of the day.

She smiled. “You know, Raye, some of the things you do remind me of the Captain. I bet if the two of you met, he would really take a liking to you.”

“Ah, but there is one thing I would not have in common with your Captain,” Raye replied getting up. “I am not an asshole.”

Shera followed suit and went with Raye out the door and back into the busy, cold street. “Ah, but the Captain could be really sweet when he wanted to be.”

“I don't care. An asshole is an asshole, and as I said, I don't want any more assholes in love with me. I had my fill of just one for a lifetime.”

“Are you referring to the situation you mentioned back in the shop that was similar to mine?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Raye told her.

“But that's all behind you now, right?”

Raye paused a moment but then smiled. “Right.”

Boy was that a lie…

The two women went into other places of business, Raye and Shera buying their respective gifts for their families. Raye helped Shera pick out Brad's gift, and they soon settled on a watch that was more suited to Brad's taste. The watch had a silver face with a light-up background that displayed the seconds digitally, the numbers as big as the face. The band was made of sterling silver metal link. It was a little expensive, but Raye knew her brother had his eye on it for quite sometime, so she helped Shera buy it.

Once the girls purchased the last gift, they lugged their bags back up the street, crossed over, and came back to the truck. Raye unlocked the doors, tossing the items into the backseat of the extended cab.

“Phew,” Shera breathed as she climbed in. “That was some work.”

Raye laughed. “Well, they coin the phrase `shop `til you drop' for a reason.”

“Well, I don't know about you, but I am certainly dropping when I get back. My feet are killing me.”

“Ugh, mine too,” Raye agreed looking at the clock. “Brad should have supper ready by the time we get there.”

“Oh, good. I was just thinking of how nice that would be,” Shera replied with a relieved smile. “I just love your brother's cooking.”

Raye giggled. “You and everyone else.”

The woman started the ignition, turned on the heat, and carefully maneuvered her way out of the parking space along the curve. Some driver behind her parked too close, and so did the person in front of her, so she was slightly aggravated that she had to back up so many times to get out, especially since a truck had a lot of blind spots. That and oncoming traffic didn't make it any easier since nobody would be nice enough to stop and let her out.

“What is wrong with these people?” Shera asked, seeing the agitation on Raye's face.

“Well, A. they are stupid, and B. holiday shoppers are always this damned rude.”

Once Raye found her way out of the parking spot, she maneuvered her way through the busy streets of what was left of Midgar. She decided to take a different route home, thinking it would be shorter, but she didn't know that heavy construction was going on in the sector she was taking. They wound up in a traffic jam for about an hour with Raye cursing and bitching almost the whole time as Shera giggled at her friend's behavior.

Finally, the women made it home, and they opened the door just in time to smell Brad's cooking and the rest of the family seated at the table.

“Hey! You're back!” Rick said with a grin. “You ladies have a good time?”

Shera smiled. “Sure did!”

One of the twins looked at Raye eagerly. “Wha'd you get me? Wha'd you get me?”

The older sister smiled. “I ain't telling, Thomas, but I know you'll flip!”

Thomas grinned and began to eat his dinner as Brad came out with the last of the chow.

“Hey, you two actually made it!” he came over to Shera clad in his apron and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You have fun?”

Shera smiled and nodded.

“Oh, she had a blast,” Raye said walking toward the table to join everyone with Shera following suit.

“I assume you'll have to leave tomorrow, Shera?” Rick inquired.

“Unfortunately,” she replied, “but I have a lot to do.”

“You get any ideas for the shop?” Brad asked.

“Yes, we did a lot of looking, and I think I have a few thoughts.”

“I'm gonna paint a mural!” Raye piped.

“I can't wait to see the results, then,” Brad assured them. “Maybe if things go smoothly, we can have it open before Christmas to get in some business.”

“I'm hoping so,” Shera sighed.

The family talked, dined, and soon went to do separate activities. Brad took Shera up to his room where they talked and cuddled on his bed for a few hours.

“I sure hate to see you go,” Brad told her sadly.

“I know. I really like it here. I feel so welcome with your family.”

“So you don't think they're nuts?”

Shera laughed. “No, I think they're just fine. I like everyone.”

“Good. I think they like you, too.”

“Brad?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think your mom would have liked me?”

Brad paused, and then he smiled. “Yeah, I think she would have. In fact, I know she would've.”

Shera smiled and snuggled closer to Brad. He was so warm and made such a good pillow that it was hard for her to not get comfortable. Shera closed her eyes for just a moment as she lay on his shoulder…just one moment…