We were still at the bar, the girls were still having drinks with some of the twins’ fellow racers at the bar. Nayre and Rui left earlier than usual, wanting to stay as far away as they could from us and from our “weirdness” as Nayre likes to call it. meanwhile, I was watching over the girls from afar. Mave was at the end of the bar watching the girls, probably keeping an eye on the boys around his sister, I thought.

“C’mon, princess, it’s your shot.” Chad puts down the drink in front of her.

Huntress shook her head, “I think I have had enough for tonight Chad.”

“Oh c’mon princess, this is the first time we all get to drink with you.” Joey says.

“And your hardly drunk at all.” an, obviously, fly guy teased.

“You planning to get her drunk are you?” I heard Lei asked and laughed, “Good luck to that.” I was surprised that even Iris was joining this foolishness and was blushing from the alcohol.

“Well, drunk is different from trashed, right?” he grins.

Then Huntress picked up the drink and drank it up, I rolled my eyes.

“Hope that made you happy.” Huntress said.

The people around them cheered, and I saw Mave shake his head. I reached for the bridge of my nose, pressed it and closed my eyes then chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” someone asked. I opened my eyes and was surprised to see Huntress just a foot away from me. “What’s so funny?” she asked again.

“You, that’s what’s funny.” I said casually.

She pouted like a little brat, “That’s rude.”

“Well, you are acting like a drunkard and I know how much you hate liars, so there.”

“That was still very rude.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Sorry.” I said. Great, now I feel bad. I sighed.

“You ok?”

“Yeah. Just a bit tired.” I smiled, I looked around. “Hey, where’s your brother?”

She smiled, “Probably at the rooftop. We always stay their when we get enough alcohol in our system.”

I raised a brow, “Should you even be putting alcohol in you? You’re already too much of a troublemaker when you’re sober.”

Huntress grins and shook her head, “I can’t really say, but we never really get tipsy, much more drunk.”

“Probably with all of Master Shisek’s medicine.”

Huntress laughed, “Probably.” I laughed as well, “Anyway, I just walk over to thank you.”

I looked down at her, questioned, “For what, Huntress?”

“For earlier, about Mave.”

“Oh,” I frowned, “that…”

“I just never had anyone have my back like that.” She said, “And what you did was actually unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary?”

“Yes, you didn’t have to hit Mave.” She frowned and looked away, “I don’t want you and Mave to have some sort of gap because of me.” this took me by surprise, “I can’t fix what I can’t hold, Jed.”

We were quiet for a moment, and then I smiled and reached for her forehead and tap it, making her face me.

“Idiot…” She looked up at me surprised. “As much as you can’t fix what you can’t hold?  You can’t tell me what I should not do, either. I did what I have to do.” I put my hands in my pocket, “Like I told your brother, I always wanted a little sister.” I heard her shrug, I laughed and reached for her hair and ruffled it, “Don’t worry, I won’t be a pain in the butt like Hunter, promise.”

Huntress laughed and nodded. “Fine, I guess you can never have a little too much of the good things.” she smiled, “Just make sure you don’t break that promise.” She said, giving me a wink.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” I raised my right hand and crossed my heart. “Anyway, I should go look for your brother, before he gets in trouble.” Huntress nods and turns to leave, “Hey, wait a second young lady…” She stops and faced me. “Go light on the drinks, you’re draining the bar dry.”

She snickered and nodded. “We will…” she paused, “big brother.” I grinned, “I’ll see you later.”

“Ok… and be good.”

“I will.” she raised her hand up, I watched her joined the girls back at the bar. And saw Taea take another shot, I laughed and shook my head.

Then I left and went to look for Hunter. I walked up to the stairs leading to the rooftop. I stepped out and looked around. I finally saw Hunter in one of the corners of the rooftop talking with someone on the phone.

“Yeah, fax that to me tonight. I’ll send it back to you tomorrow evening.” I heard him say. “And what about the new employees?” paused, “And have they been briefed? Good. I’ll fly in in a few days, yeah… if I can’t I’d probably get one of my people here to send it to you their personally” then he sighed, “Thanks for this Andy, yeah, I owe you big one.” Then he laughs. “I know I know… I hope to see you soon then. Good night.”

He hung up and shrugged.

“Business at two in the morning?” I asked, he turned around and eased up when he saw me, “You’re a slave driver.”

He laughs, “Guilty as charged.”

“But seriously, man, you’re on top of a bar with a party in full swing downstairs and you’re out here doing business calls?”

“Pathetic isn’t it? but duty calls when it calls and I have to answer.” He sighed, “Pathetic.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” I said. Hunter chuckles. “Anyway, how are you?”

“Me?” he asked, I gave him a look, then he understood, “Oh, that… yeah… well, I’m pretty ok I guess. Just got a bit angry, thanks for cutting in though.”

I shook my head, “I know it isn’t good to take sides but Mave was wrong to say that.”

He turned and looked me over, “Huntress talked to you didn’t she?”

I shrugged, “She just thanked me, said that what I did was unnecessary. Idiot.”

“Pulled out the ‘I don’t want to be a bother line’?”

“Yup.”

Hunter nods and looking at the view, I stepped toward him and stood beside him. “That’s how she is.”

“I know.” I said, “And it’s really annoying isn’t it?”

Hunter tips his head to the side, “Hm, and why is that?”

“Cause she acts like she’s so harmless when she does that. And yet she’s the total opposite.”

“She can’t be strong always.” Hunter said, looking back at the scenery, “She does that way too much in NSA. That’s why she didn’t want the people here to see her.”

“Which is weird.” I pointed out, “She continues to pull a lot of attention and yet she keeps it all in the dark. Doesn’t your sister ever have a quiet hobby? Like embroidery or stitching?”

Hunter snickered, “Huntress could kill using those sticks and needles. That would be a wrong idea. Anyway, she does painting and sculpture, remember?”

“Who wouldn’t? That’s all she ever did when we were freshmen. Fill in room after room of her art.” I shook my head, remembering one of the black list classes. “Anyway, she’s downstairs drinking with the girls. Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“What happens when Hun gets drunk?”

Hunter thinks for a while, then shook his head, “I don’t know, I’ve never seen her drunk.”

We exchanged looks and after a second we laughed out loud.

Hunter grins, “She’s beginning to see you as a real big brother huh?”

“I don’t really know, we haven’t tried throwing fireballs at each other yet.” Hunter laughed. “Maybe we’ll out read each other’s minds.”

“Hah!” Hunter says, “That’s something I’d like to see.”

We laughed and talked some more until the girls and Mave came up and asked us to go home.