Fort Muirso

[Hayes Muirso]

One of the larger trees around the living quarters was inhabited. Large as it was it was sturdy enough to hold the weight of the man who was perched within the branches, legs dangling down as he looked around the area. It wasn’t exactly high above ground, but it was above eye level and unnoticed to most people. He had a water pistol in his hands.

Today Hayes was feeling immature.

[Abagael Zellan]

"Uh huh. Yeah. No, no, I can swing five o'clock. Yeah. Uhhhm...I can’t do dinner, what about drinks in the lounge and setup for a second date? Great. Alright. Yeah, I’ll see you then Em.”

Abagael glanced through her dark glasses at the stack of papers in her right hand as she marched towards her quarters. She was on a lunch break from the office, and because it was a nice day she’d decided to drop her suit jacket off. The aquamarine skirt and white top would be a relaxing change. She had just literally turned off her comm. when the unit began to beep again. Abby sighed.

“Zellan. Oh, Judge Re’i. Hi.”

She grimaced and swung her briefcase in frustration.

“No, I didn’t forget about the bail hearing, I sent my understudy….Because I couldn’t make it…No, I’m not becoming remiss in my duties, I’m still very much on the case but—”

[Hayes Muirso]

Shuffling forward a bit he took aim. Yes, Abby did look busy and as though she would bite his head off if he made a move, but something told him that squirting her would maybe ease her up a little. Maybe she’d see the funny side and feel a bit lighter for it. Or maybe she’d shout at him and storm off in a huff. Only one way to find out!

Ready. Aim. Fire.

[Abagael Zellan]

“No, I do not want you to assign the case to someone else, I—!”

A thin stream of water interrupted the conversation, splattering against the back of her head. Abagael jumped, nearly dropping her folders.

“Krasst!”

Her face went white.

“No, no, not you Judge Re’i I just…stubbed, my toe. Where am I? I’m at home…No I didn’t take the day off…Sorry, your Honor. I’m just dropping off some work that—”

Splat!

Again the woman leapt, and glanced about furtively. She took a calming breath and whipped off her glasses.

“I’m going to have to call you back your Honor.”

She shut the unit off, shoved it into her briefcase and put her hands on her hips, still unaware of where and who the hooligan was.

“All right, now what the hey is going on?”

[Hayes Muirso]

“Yer trespassin’ on Fort grounds, ma’am!”

Hayes called out, in his best farm-hand accent as he scooched up against the trunk of the tree trying to hide, the pistol behind his back.

[Abagael Zellan]

What? Abby’s face scrunched in confusion. Having just come from work she was still in a mechanical frame of mind, and was trying to reason this out.

“Sorry? ‘Fort’ grounds?”

Setting her briefcase down the woman brought a hand up and rubbed her forehead. She was covering her eyes, trying to shield whoever it was from spotting her searching gaze. For a moment, Abagael could see nothing. And then she spied a leg. Though irked, she decided to play along. Abby cleared her throat and tucked a long strand of hair away from her face.

“What Fort, am I trespassing on might I ask?”

[Hayes Muirso]

“Fort Muirso,” he proclaimed proudly, holding back laughing. He’d done this as a kid, playing it in the streets of Coruscant with his friends.

“The bestest of all Forts,” he added, darn proud of it.

[Abagael Zellan]

Taking a few stomps towards the tree, Abby glared angrily at Hayes.

“Hayes Muirso! That was not funny!”

The index finger was out now, pointing at him with gusto. She found it somewhat unusual to be pointing at a grown man in a tree but she certainly couldn’t let him get away with it. Her cerulean eyes sparked, with only the tiniest hint of amusement.

“Do you know who that was? Judge Re’i!”

[Hayes Muirso]

Kicking a foot out against the tree Hayes pushed himself down, grabbing onto a branch to swing his way to the ground.

“Who?” the Padawan grinned.

[Abagael Zellan]

She bit her lip. She would not smile. This was absolutely not funny at all. It was completely serious. She was a businesswoman who was working. Abby covered her mouth, hiding the smirk that had crept across her face.

“Judge Alayana Re’i. Only one of the most respected legal officials on the planet! I just cut her off!”

Abagael tried to look sternly at him.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

[Hayes Muirso]

Whipping the gun back out and training it dead center on her, he slurred – whilst giving his best rugged squint:

“Stick ‘em up!”

[Abagael Zellan]

“Hayes, I have to be back at the office in twenty minutes, I can’t—”

He raised the gun a little. Abby looked genuinely concerned. She was wearing a white top after all, and work would be interesting if it got wet. She leant over, placed her files on the ground with a little pat and then raised her hands to her shoulders. One carefully shaped eyebrow arched.

“Are you quite satisfied? I’m going to be late.”

[Hayes Muirso]

Striking a satisfied pose – mentally he had just adjusted himself from western outlaw to the role of a highway man, he pushed the butt of the gun forward a bit as he took a few paces forward.

“Your money or your life, madam.”

[Abagael Zellan]

“Hayes. Oh, God.”

Abby closed her eyes and shook her head.

“My life, because it’s going to end anyways if I’m late.”

She suddenly whipped her lids up, and held her hand out.

“Okay, c’mon, it was funny. But we’re both adults here, and adults have responsibilities…”

Hayes didn’t look as if he were going to give up so easily.

[Hayes Muirso]

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you leave the Fort, now that your life is mine.”

Behind his glasses there was a roar of a laughter waiting to get out. Brandishing the water pistol as threateningly as if it were a real gun, he sidled up to Abby and poked her in the stomach with the barrel. Hayes rose an eyebrow.

“You do realize you have to come live with me forever in the tree now, don’t you?”

[Abagael Zellan]

Sigh.

"I'm sure it will be a very happy uniting. Of course our chiropractic bills will be through the roof but..."

Abby shrugged and tried to take a step past Hayes. He blocked her way. She stepped to the right. Blocked again. Despite herself, Abby laughed, a hint of giving up in her voice.

"Ha-ayes! Augh!"

[Hayes Muirso]

The gun lowered down to his side, and he smiled lopsidedly.

“Ah come on… call in sick. Play water fight with me.”

It seemed he had calmed down a bit, but while he was staring into her eyes he squeezed the trigger on the gun and squirted Abby in the stomach.

[Abagael Zellan]

There was something irresistible about the request. He sounded like a little kid in a candy shop and Abagael was on the verge of buckling when the sharp spray belted her stomach. She looked down at the patch of wet fabric on her belly and then looked up at Hayes.

“Oh.”

There was a glint in her eyes.

“You are so dead.”

She pulled the comm. from her bag and lifted it, raising a finger as a signal of ‘time-out’.

“Hey Grey, it’s Abby. Yeah, uh I’m not doing so good actually. I think I ate something, and I’m just…No, I don’t think I’ll make it to the office. Going to go and see a guy about it right now. My stomach, yeah. All right. Thanks Grey, I really appreciate it. Forward my calls to home, the recorder’ll get them. Bye.”

Abby turned it off slowly, and deliberately dropped it into her bag nonchalantly.

“You are so dead, Sir Hayes.”

[Hayes Muirso]

“Oh yeah?”

He danced back a few steps, lifting his hands up defensively.

“Come on, free shot! Do your worst!”

[Abagael Zellan]

Shaking her head, Abby slid her heels off, lowering her height a good three inches. She didn’t have a gun but that didn’t stop her from mimicking Hayes’ footwork, moving forward instead of away. She kept her eyes on his face, trying to grab the gun from his hand.

“I’ll get it one of these times…”

But after five minutes of unsuccessful attempts, Abby snorted.

“Frell it.”

She dove forward and with her hands of death, began to tickle him.

[Hayes Muirso]

Chain reaction goes as follows – Abby ticklets, Hayes looses control, Hayes squirts Abby, Abby tickles more. Finally getting back far enough away to escape for a breath, he drenches the Padawan. Other apprentices passing by watched confused, or shook their heads, as the two grown adults play fought right in the middle of the pathway.

[Abagael Zellan]

She was trying desperately to cover her chest, the shirt now clingy and see-through. Dripping over to her things, Abby pulled her jacket on again and buttoned it closed. She waggled a finger at Hayes, shaking her head.

“No more on the shirt!”

A passing Knight seemed to find some humor in that and Abby blushed slightly as he chuckled and continued on his way.

“I think that we would be less conspicuous in Fort Muirso.”

[Hayes Muirso]

“Oh so now we’ve warmed to the tree?”

He wandered back over to the trunk and gave it a firm pat, glancing back to Abby as he chuckled.

“Need a lift up?”

[Abagael Zellan]

She rolled her eyes and nodded. With her skirt on it was decidedly difficult to even walk normally, much less climb a tree. She looked up at the wide branches with a bit of hesitation.

“I’ve never been in a tree before. Are you sure there’s nothing creepy up there?”

With a grin she corrected herself.

“Nothing creepy besides you?”

[Hayes Muirso]

“You know, I don’t know…”

Half crouching he held out both hands, making a little step with his palms.

“You’ll just have to find up once you’re up there.”

[Abagael Zellan]

With a look of uncertainty Abagael placed a hand on the trunk and lifted her bare foot into the cup that was Hayes’ hands. She let out a whoop of surprise as she was half lifted and half pulled herself up, shimmying her belly onto one of the braches. Scooting forward on her stomach with a grunt, Abby tilted her head.

“Not one comment about the view back there.”

Finally getting to her feet shakily, clutching a branch above desperately to steady herself, Abby looked down.

“It’s a bit dirty.”

She grinned.

“Your housekeeping sucks.”

[Hayes Muirso]

“I just captured the fort – I haven’t had time to spring clean yet, your majesty,” he laughed, poking his tongue out up at her as he scrambled back up into the trunks bough – rather difficult whilst holding the water gun.

[Abagael Zellan]

Tottering shakily over to Hayes, hands still glued above her, Abby shook her head.

“I think it’s just because you’re a man. If I’d captured the fort there would be curtains up already.”

[Hayes Muirso]

As Hayes hauled himself up fully onto the branch the tree shook, and he laughed as Abby let out a little squeal at the prospect of falling.

“I don’t think I’ll be staying long enough to need curtains,” he laughed.

“I have a feeling the groundskeeper will be evicting me from here later on.” :D

[Abagael Zellan]

Shaking her head, Abby lowered herself to a sitting position, hugging the trunk with a tight grip.

"I can't believe this...my suit is going to be ruined."

She looked down at the silky material, streaked now with remnants of tree and dirt. WIth a look at Hayes, and then at the upward reaching limbs of the tree, Abagael 'hmmmed' curiously.

"Is this what you've been doing all day? Sitting in a tree waiting for people?"

[Hayes Muirso]

“Not all day,”

Leaning in against the opposite side of the tree, he sighed to himself.

“I don’t have much to fill my days up now… college is out for the summer so it’s not like I could go in and teach.”

[Abagael Zellan]

"I've got the opposite. I'm always looking for more time. There aren't enough hours in the day."

Abby lowered herself to an awkward sitting position, her skirt prohibiting too much leg movement.

"Sometimes I think about quitting my job."

She sighed.

"But then the real me pops back in and I double my workload. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do without it. I'd...shrivel up."

[Hayes Muirso]

“Don’t you think it would be better if you did?”

Resting his head back against the tree he smiled at the upside down Abby that he could see.

Hayes corrected himself, “I mean you’d have more time to spend here in training, and more time with Trent… you’d be more relaxed. It’s not like you need the money really, since the Jedi provide most everything we need.”

[Abagael Zellan]

"It's not the money. Mostly, not the money."

Abagael shrugged.

"I don't do well with staying at home. And Trent...we're not a Bonnie and Clyde sort of pair. I was in love when I had him, and didn't know what I wanted and when that ended I realized that what I didn't want was a--"

She stopped.

"Well, that's not important. What's important is that...this works. I don't want to risk messing it up."

[Hayes Muirso]

“If it’s what you want…”

Hayes felt some sympathy for Abby. After all it seemed as though things had happened in life she’d not planned on happening, and there was no way on going back on them now. It would have an affect on her for the rest of her life and limit just what she could and could not do. Hayes hoped he would never have to experience that.

“I feel a bit guilty for asking you to stay off now,” he laughed weakly.

[Abagael Zellan]

Abby shook her head with a grin.

"Oh shutup Muirso. I'm not that sorry. I'd be stuck in a meeting if it weren't for this convenient little duel."

With a nervous expression she loosed her grip on the trunk and smoothed her dirtied skirt, the corporate imaging instincts holding on to the end.

"Besides, how many opportunities does one get to be held hostage? It's kind of exciting."

She winked.

[Hayes Muirso]

Lolling – which looked very uncomfortable – over the branch, Hayes laughed to himself. He tightened his knees around the bough and, pushing himself up, swung so that he was hanging upside down – his shirt falling over his head as he dangled.

“We can go back to base if you want. I can guarantee it’s more exciting there,” he called, his voice muffled.

[Abagael Zellan]

"Oh, a gaurentee is it? Well then Mr.Muirso, if you care to make that legally binding, which of course you must,"

Abby leaned forward as much as she dared and managed to poke him in the side.

"I'll need some form of...assurance that you'll come through on your word."

[Hayes Muirso]

Hayes traced his finger across where his heart would have been, if it wasn’t lost behind the crumpled t-shirt.

“Cross my heart,” a muffled voice said from somewhere by the cloth.

[Abagael Zellan]

"You remind me of Trent."

She gave him as cheeky a smile as she could muster as her fear of falling once again took over.

"In a good way. However, now that you've entered into a binding contract, we have to follow through."

Abby looked at the ground, which wasn't very far at all, and winced. When had she become such a chicken?

"Which means getting down. Preferably now."

[Hayes Muirso]

It would have been all too predictable for Hayes to simply fall from his hanging position and luckily for the Padawan he didn’t. It took a good few tries to get back up onto the branch though, and when he did he was red in the face.

“Hop down then,” he beamed and slid away from the bough, his sneakers hitting the ground and sending a shudder all up his body that he was sure was going to make his teeth chatter.

Stood akimbo, he turned and looked up at Abby, who didn’t appear to be moving.

“I thought you were coming down?”

[Abagael Zellan]

"I am!"

She didn't mean to snap. But getting down just looked so much harder. Clinging to the trunk the lawyer frowned. She'd be killed.

"Hayes..."

Abby closed her eyes and grit her teeth.

"I need..."

Argh.

"...help."

[Hayes Muirso]

Hayes positioned himself beneath the branch where she was sat and spread his arms.

“Come on!” :D

[Abagael Zellan]

If looks could kill...

"Hayes, I'm in a suit! I'm in a suit, in a tree, and you want me to jump?"

Judging from the look on his face, he did. Abagael shook her head, and then looked down again.

"Oh hell... I'm never going to get down. I should have never let you talk me into this."

She sat up straighter and sighed.

"If you don't catch me, I'll sue you."

Carefully she began to lower herself, closing her eyes tightly. This was a mistake. Her arms suddenly gave out, and with a little scream, Abby fell on top of Hayes. She kept her eyes closed.

"Am I dead? Hayes?"

[Hayes Muirso]

Hayes, who had folded like a house of cards, simply replied:

“Yes.”

Then, as an afterthought added:

“When I get out from underneath you, you are.”

[Abagael Zellan]

"Oh!"

With an apologetic look, Abby rolled off him, kneeling beside the man.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..."

And then , with a devil-may-care grin, she shurgged.

"It's really your fault. You took me hostage."

[Hayes Muirso]

Hayes sat up, looking a little groggy, and tried to shake a little dizziness out of his head.

“You’re going to have to take tree climbing class, Abby. You’re really awful at it.”

He poked his tongue out at her.

“Didn’t you ever do that when you were younger?... Obviously not!”

[Abagael Zellan]

"Why would I have done that? I would've gotten dirty."

Abagael looked sincerly mystified, as if the thought had never truly entered her head.

"Besides, I'm a girl. I preferred to play house."

She stood, retrieved her briefcase and then shrugged.

"C'mon. We'll settle out of court this time."

:)

[Hayes Muirso]

“I’m going to need some settlement to persuade me from not taking legal action.” :D

[Abagael Zellan]

With a seductive grin, Abby leaned next to his ear.

"Trent's at his fathers for the weekend...which means,"

Eyes twinkling, Abby continued her whispered offer.

"We get all the cookies to ourselves."

[Hayes Muirso]

“Oh boy,” Hayes swooned, “do they have chocolate chips? They make me weak at the knees.”

[Abagael Zellan]

She frowned.

"Actually, they're low-fat. I'm on a diet. That's kind of sad, isn't it?"

[Hayes Muirso]

“Diet? Are you kidding?”

Hayes feigned total shock.

“Damnit woman, we need to get some chocolate in you - Stat!”

[Abagael Zellan]

"No, no, no, no..."

Abby put her hands up.

"Chocolate and I don't mix. I'm recovering from an addiction. Trust me, it wasn't pretty."

She jerked her head toward the building.

"But we have dee-licious low-fat cookies waiting. They even have dried fruit in them."

[Hayes Muirso]

Hayes muttered something along the lines of low-fat my <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont>.

“Fruit? Cookies aren’t supposed to have fruit in them. They are supposed to be filled with all sorts of things that are bad for you. That’s what makes them gooood.”

He shook his head, “For shame, Abby. For shame.”

[Abagael Zellan]

"Well I don't know about cookies!"

Abby looked genuinely distressed.

"I don't go shopping often. I've got an apple and some stale pizza and the cookies... I buy Trent food every night, and I eat...whatever. Salad or something."

She frowned.

"Am I supposed to have junk food in the house? Is it a faux pas not to?"

[Hayes Muirso]

“Of course it is! Junk food is the staple diet for all mankind.”

Hayes shook his head.

“I see you have a long way to come, grasshopper – but I will guide you down the path to enlightenment… to fried chicken.”

[Abagael Zellan]

"You don't even eat fried chicken."

But she was smiling again.

"But really, Trent is gone for the weekend. Amazingly enough his dad actually picked him up."

[Hayes Muirso]

“I bet he was happy about that,” Hayes smiled, then adding.

“Which makes two of us. He gets his pop, I get cookies. Or should I say, cookies.”

[Abagael Zellan]

Abby nodded and then gave Hayes a funny look.

"Y'know, after I picked him up from your place, he had some pretty interesting theories about babies. And cake."

[Hayes Muirso]

Hayes rolled his bead back and held up his hands.

“Look, he asked about it, and cake was the best thing I could come up with at the time without going into graphic detail.”

The Padawan grinned coyly, “I taught him well. He will go out into the world wanting to become a cook.”

[Abagael Zellan]

"If I'm lucky."

She rolled her eyes and then chuckled.

"But at least he doesn't hate you anymore. Just strongly dislikes. Sorry."

Abby began to walk toward the LQ, glancing at her watch.

"Shoot it's early. I've never been home at this time. I hope you're proud of yourself, making me a lazy workerbee."

[Hayes Muirso]

Hayes followed, pushing his hands into his pockets as he walked.

“I don’t know why you’re complaining. I’d be glad to get away from all those…”

He made a face, pulling his lips back over his teeth and hissed,

“Leeches... not that you’re a leech of course!”

[Abagael Zellan]

"Of course not. I'm a mosquito. Daintier."

She stopped on the path, just in front of the doors.

"Hayes...."

A smile as she glanced at him.

"What exactly are we?"

[Hayes Muirso]

“Human, last time I checked.”

Hayes smiled defiantly.

“I don’t know. We’re friends? I’m your babysitter?”

[Abagael Zellan]

She couldn't help laughing.

"You're not a babysitter. I wouldn't torture you by handng Trent off on a regular basis."

Abby reached over and pulled a leaf from his hair.

"Hayes? I'm glad you're my friend."

After a moment she corrected herself.

"Well, friend with....extras."

[Hayes Muirso]

“Well I’m glad you enjoy my company. I aim to please.”

Hayes looped an arm around Abby’s shoulder and pulled her in.

“Now… how about those extras?”

[Abagael Zellan]

With an eloquent nod of her head, Abby looked pointedly at the doors.

"After you, Captain Muirso."

One had to take advantage of such promising situations.