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Junior Agents of SHIELD (DemonicOne & Dbspock)

dbspock

dbspock

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Joined
Oct 21, 2023
"Almost there!" Barbara Whitmore called out happily, though truthfully she wasn't as happy as she sounded. How long had it been since Courtney had said anything? Two hours at least, since they had stopped for lunch, and that had been only so Courtney could order her food. Mike wasn't any better, though of course Barbara didn't know her new stepson nearly as well. From what she could tell, Mike was quiet by nature, so his silence wasn't necessarily alarming. From what Barbara could tell, he was playing some sort of video game, but he had the earphones connected, so if it was making noise, no one else could hear it.

It had been a long drive, and Barbara and Mike had both dressed for comfort, not fashion. Barbara was wearing shorts with a red blouse, while Mike had opted for jeans (shorts made him self conscious) and a T-shirt with a Star Trek logo on it. School wasn't due to start for the pair for nearly two weeks...hopefully enough time to get the kids settled. Barbara didn't like taking Courtney away from her school and friends, but the job opportunity Mike had was too good to pass up.

A small frown appeared on Barbara's face when she rounded the corner and could finally see their new house...a house. A marked improvement over the apartment they could barely afford back in LA. Sure enough, there was her husband...husband...that was an adjustment too...Pat's car...but where was the moving van? Barbara pulled into the driveway next to Pat's car...yes, the driveway was wide enough for that...and Mike almost shot out of his seat. Barbara wasn't sure if the kid just wanted to stretch his long legs, or get away from the icy atmosphere it seemed Courtney had created. In any case, Pat came out to greet them, and after giving Mike a quick hug, to the boy's chagrin, Mike headed inside to explore.

Pat headed over to the car and gave Barbara a quick kiss. "The moving van's been delayed, I'm afraid. Flat tire. They aren't sure when they will arrive yet." He explained the truck's absence before he addressed Courtney. "Hey Courtney." He didn't try to hug her...he knew better than that. "Mike's inside. I figured you two could have the run of the basement..decorate it how you like..w.ithin reason...and figure out who gets what room. Better get inside before Mike takes over and hangs starships everywhere."


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It had not been a good couple days for Skye. She'd been to the mall for a bit of shopping, only to return home and discover that everything was being packed up. Worse...it seemed she was not going with them. The people who had been responsible for her the past couple of months hadn't even told her in person...that had been left to a man Skye had never meant before. And it seemed not only was she losing her home, but the town she had been living in. The man explained her new home was several hours away.

Skye had packed up what few belongings she had...when you moved as often as she did, you didn't get much stuff...and the man had at least helped her put her suitcases in the car before he'd driven her to a very dreary building. It didn't seem to be a foster home...no other kids were around. Indeed, it seemed more like a prison, as Skye wasn't free to leave. The man at the desk had made that very clear. Thankfully Skye had only had to spend one night there before she was put into another vehicle, with another strange man who hadn't really answered any of her questions, before she was driven to the CPS office in another town. Skye didn't really need to read the sign on the door to know that...she'd been in enough of them in her life to practically smell them.

Skye had been ushered into a conference room, without anyone bothering to ask if she'd eaten, and told to wait. As the door was locked, she was left with few alternatives. Two hours later, the door opened and a middle aged gentleman walked in. He, at least, had the decency to place a bottle of water on the table, as well as a McDonald's bag. If Skye opened it, she would discover it contained a burger and fries. As for the man, he wasn't wearing a suit like everyone else Skye had met today...instead, he just wore a leather jacket and a button up shirt.

"Hello, Skye. I'm Henry." Henry began, sticking out his hand for Skye to shake if she chose. "We're...going to be living together for a while." Henry tried to choose his words carefully, not wanting to imply Skye didn't really have a choice. "I have a son, about your age. His name is Barry. Would you like to meet him? And Jane...that's my wife...is cooking up a big pot of spaghetti for us. Do you like spaghetti?" He sked with a smile.
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Courtney sat in the back seat of her moms car staring blankly out the window as the scenery passed by. She was to say the least displeased with having been uprooted from her life back i the city and being forced to move into a small town where she didnt know anyone other than her mother. Sure she technically knew her stepbrother Mike and her new stepdad but did she really "know" them? Not if you asked her. Hearing her moms enthusiasm didnt do much for her mood either.

She understood why they were moving, her stepdad just got a new job and it was in a different town and it paid too good to pass up on and was too far to just drive back and forth. That didnt mean she had to like the idea of being uproot in the middle of her high school career and moved to a whole new city with an entirely new school and a whole new group of teachers to get to know. The 16 year old was just starting to find herself in life and now life as she knew it was being changed.

Eventually they pulled up to the house and her stepbrother who had been enthralled in his video game instantly jumped out of the car followed by her mother before she herself begrudgingly got out of the car and made her way up the driveway passing her stepdad as she did so. She heard what he said but she couldnt be bothered to care. She wanted to go back to her old home in the city.

She was dressed rather simply given the weather. A t-shirt and a skirt with a pair of reasonable shoes to go alongside the outfit. Something that would keep her cool but at the same time also not show off too much. She walked into the house and down the stairs where she found Mike wandering. "Well I guess we better decide who gets what room. Id prefer the one closest to the bathroom. Especially since theres only the 1 and Im a girl and whatnot. But really I dont care what room I get. My REAL room is back in the city at the house I had to leave behind."

****

Skye had been bounce from foster home to foster home for longer than she could remember. Some better than others and some...well lets just say some only saw her as a girl and leave it at that. So when she got home from the mall that day to find all her stuff had been packed up and everyone else had simply moved on without telling her. She was...less than surprised. In fact she had almost suspected this would happen. It didnt piss her off any less but what was she going to do about it?

When the man tried to help her load her things into the truck she shoved him away and insisted on doing it herself. "Move! ill do it myself! If you want something done right the first time you should just do it yourself." She said as she roughly threw her bags into the back of the car and got in slamming the door behind her. It was clear she had become very angry with the world after everything she had been through. Having been moved around and told that you arent wanted by anyone would have that effect on a person.

The man eventually got in the car and drove them to a building where Skye stayed for the night. Despite it being made clear she wasnt allowed to leave that didnt stop her from trying to simply walk out the front door only to be caught and sent back to her room. The next day she was loaded into another car with another man who only seemed to manage to piss her off more. How was that even possible? She was already going nuclear on anyone who spoke to her. What could possibly have made it worse? Simple. She asked what was going on and where she was being taken next and the man either didnt understand or chose to ignore her.

When they eventually got to the new city and the inevitable stop at the local CPS office she did everything she could not to punch the man as she took her bags and walked into the office of her own accord as she was ushered into a conference room and then ignored some more. Alone, hungry, angry and whether she would ever admit it or not, a bit scared, Skye was left in the room for 2 hours before another man came in. She swore to herself that if the next man through the door was wearing a suit she was going to punch him so fortunately he wasnt wearing a suit and he came with a peace offering of water and what she hoped was a bag of food.

She made very quick work of the food as it was all she had eaten in the last 24 hours while the man sat across from her and introduced himself as Harry and told her she would be living with him for awhile. She didnt respond to this directly but instead gave a grunt and rolled her eyes. When he mentioned having a son around her age that thought didnt particularly move the needle one way or the other. However the mention of more food? That did it. "All right. Anything beats spending another night here."
 
Pat repressed a sigh when Courtney brushed past him without saying a word. Truthfully he wasn't surprised...he knew she blamed him for the move, and rightfully so. But what was he going to do about it? He couldn't try and bribe her to like him, the new job didn't pay that well, and he didn't want her to become a spoiled brat. He'd hoped the offering of the basement for the kids would make a dent in her demeanor, after all it was as big as their entire apartment back in the city, but it didn't seem to make a difference. "She'll come around." Barbara whispered to Pat quietly, and he could only hope it was true.

Mike was already in the basement, of course, and he glanced over at the stairs when he heard someone coming down. When he saw who it was he just as quickly glanced away, his face turning a bit warm. Why had Courtney decided to wear a skirt, of all things? he didn't have the right angle to look up it as she came down the stairs, and he wouldn't have looked even if he could, but the temptation was there, and he didn't want her to think he was trying to sneak a peek at her panties. They had to live together, after all. But...why did his stepsister have to be so darn cute? And with such a nice pair of legs?

Mike blinked as Courtney abruptly addressed him for the first time today without so much as a hello. Thankfully what she said wasn't complicated and he managed to follow it. "That's fine." He agreed when she said she wanted the room right next to the bathroom. He'd glanced at both rooms, and they looked almost identical, so there was no point in arguing about it. Especially with the mood Courtney was in. He had no reply to her statement about her real room...there was nothing he could do about that...though he did turn a bit red at her reminder that they would be sharing the bathroom. In other words, they would both be in the shower...naked. Not at the same time, of course, but still...

"Ummm...Dad stocked our fridge down here with Root Beer." Mike said instead. It was his favorite drink, but he quickly realized he didn't know if Courtney even liked it. "And there's some lemonade too. And the water dispenser works..." Mike trailed off. He was supposed to be nice to Courtney, he'd promised Dad, but he wasn't sure how to do that. Talking to cute girls was not one of his gifts. "Or I could help bring the luggage in and set up the air mattress. We might be spending the night on the floor again..."

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Good call. Henry silently congratulated himself when Skye all but inhaled the food he'd given her. Of course, that meant she probably hadn't eaten for at least today which pissed him off but didn't surprise him. Typical government bureaucrats, not thinking about things like feeding those in their so-called care. Her response to the revelation that he was her new guardian didn't make her happy, but then he hadn't really expected it to. At least she didn't punch him or refuse to go with him. That was a start.

"I couldn't agree more." Henry said with a smile, though it was a bit forced. She hadn't responded to a possible friend her age, or confirmed the fact she even liked spaghetti. All she'd said was that it was better than staying here in the dreary conference room. A very low bar indeed. "Shall we?" Henry asked as he rose to his feet, and if she didn't stop him he would take one of her bags, leaving one for her, not wanting to create the impression he thought she couldn't handle it.

The door, tellingly, hadn't locked behind Henry, so he had no problem opening it and ushering her outside. He removed the key fob from his pocket and opened the trunk of the Honda Accord...not the flashiest of cars, but not the junkiest either. He waited for her to place her other bag in the trunk before he climbed into the driver's seat, repressing the urge to be overly polite and open the door for her. He had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate it.

The car rumbled to life as soon as he pushed the on button, and he waited for Skye to settle into her seat before backing out of the parking lot. "So...we'll be passing pretty close to a Wal-Mart on the way." He told her as he began to ease into the traffic. "Anything special you might like? Barry's a Root Beer guy, and I like Mountain Dew, and we got a couple of Cokes at home, but we can stock up on your favorite too. And grab you some snacks. Oh...do you have any allergies or food preferences I should know about?" He didn't want to poison his charge, and her medical records had gone 'missing', but he didn't want to offend her by offering her meat if she was a vegetarian, for example.
 
Courtney, having come to a qrather quick and rather sensible agreement with her new stepbrother on their rooms was left in an awkward situation where she didnt know what else to say. "Well that was uh....easier than I thought it would be." She said admittedly referring to their choices on rooms. In all actuality both rooms were practically identical and were probably no more than a couple feet difference from the bathroom. But she did enjoy having the ever so slightly shorter trip even if it meant she had to pass by Mikes room to leave the basement since there wasnt a door leading outside form down there. She would need to talk to Pat or her mom about that and see if something could be done about it.

"Huh? oh uh....root beer is fine. Im not normally much of a soda drinker but you cant really go wrong with Root Beer." She looked around and her stomach started to rumble. "Damn, didnt realize it had been that long since lunch." She said mostly to herself not hearing the rest of what Mike had offered. But then after her stomach quieted she took a moment to process what he said. "Yeah, judging by what mom and Pat were talking about earlier it sounds like the moving truck may not make it tonight." She sighed now wishing she hadnt worn a skirt if it meant she was going to have to sleep in it since her luggage didnt have her pajamas in it.

"You can probably just leave my stuff in the car. Not much in there but some books and a few other things. Most of my clothes were in my dresser when we loaded it into the truck." She sighed. "So I guess we should get to work setting up our air mattresses?" She hoped the moving truck would at least make it by tomorrow since she was hoping to sort her wardrobe out ahead of school starting in a couple of weeks.


**********

Skye watched carefully as Henry picked up her bag. Now that she was less hangry and more just her normal angry she was more inclined to accept help from others. She didnt immediately snap at him and he had left one of her bags for her to carry so he was clearly respectful enough to know she could handle her own luggage but he was just trying to help so she wasnt gong to fault him for that.

She was wearing an old "golds gym" shirt that looked like it was meant for a guy 2 or 3 times her size and a pair of sweatpants that had been given to her by one of her foster sisters a few years back. One of the few presents that she enjoyed even if they were cheap. She loaded her suitcase into the back of the Accord before getting into the backseat. She wasnt used to being allowed to ride in the passenger seat so she often defaulted to the back. Somewhere she could be "seen but not heard" as it was often put to her.

"I uh...dont think I have any allergies. I dont know. When you grow up bouncing from foster home to foster home and being treated like I was you dont get much say in your diet. You eat whats in front of you or you go to bed hungry." She shrugged. "As far as drinks? I wasnt usually allowed soda much either so I guess water is fine with me." She wasnt used to being treated like an actual human being so she was a bit on edge but if Henry continued to show he seemed to give a shit then maybe she would open up and soften up a bit more. But right now she was still very guarded and on edge half expecting this to be a dream.
 
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Mike couldn't resist a small smile at her reaction to his agreement. "Well, I could argue about it if it would make you feel better." He attempted to tease her. So far, talking to her was almost like talking to a human...maybe having a step sister living in the next room wouldn't he the end of the world. She also surprised him when she accepted his offer of root beer...Pat wasn't a fan, so Mike usually got it all to himself. Sharing his stash was going to be...different. But Courtney said she didn't drink much, so maybe he wouldn't have to hoard it to protect himself. In any case, Pat had bought a case, so he could easily spare one. He got one out for each of them, and handed Courtney a can of root beer. "I don't think there are any glasses." He said with a shrug. But at least it was cold. The fridge had an icemaker that was working, but without glasses there wasn't an easy way to use it.

Mike actually hear her stomach rumble and glanced over at her stomach...he then just as quickly looked away so she wouldn't think he was ogling her chest. "Well, it was kind of a small lunch, and we kind of skipped breakfast too in all the moving stuff." Mike agreed, then grinned at her. "Hey...maybe if we gang up on them, we can convince them to order pizza." Mike suggested...yes, having a sister could have its advantages.

Mike nodded when she said to leave her stuff in the car. It didn't make a lot of sense to him since she'd have to bring it in eventually, but there was no point in arguing about it. It was her stuff, after all. it was only after she mentioned her clothes being in her dresser that he made the connection with her earlier sigh. The skirt...wasn't the best choice to sleep in, probably. "Ummm...Ihavesomesweatpantsyoucanborowifyoulike." Mike suddenly blurted out as he tried to get the words out before he lost his nerve. He wasn't trying to judge her body, but it was obvious she wasn't fat, and they were at least close to the same height...he bet his sweatpants would fit her.

He nodded at her suggestion to get the air mattresses and headed back up the stairs, hoping she wouldn't notice his red face. Had he really just offered to let a girl, of all things, wear his clothes?

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Henry hadn't had any kind of briefing about Skye, so he didn't think there was anything unusual about her allowing him to carry one of her bags. The one thing she did that did surprise him was when she climbed into the back seat. He glanced over and confirmed there was nothing in the passenger seat to prevent her from using it, so what was the deal? It wasn't like anyone else was present to try and claim shotgun. "Uh...where to?" Henry asked with a light chuckle as he glanced at her in the rear view mirror. She made him feel like a cab driver.

He nodded when she claimed she didn't think she had any allergies. Who wouldn't know something like that? Skye, apparently. "Well, if you ever start to feel queasy after eating something, let me know." He requested, not knowing any other way to find out. He did know enough about her past to know that asking her about any family medical history was a bad idea. He frowned when she explained how dinners used to work. "Well, it's not like that for you anymore." Henry declared. "Everyone in the house is allowed to determine one food they won't have to eat. Mine is radishes. Barry can't stand peas. Nora...that's my wife...she got called into emergency surgery tonight...can't stand peanut butter. When you discover what yours is, just say the word. Other than that...yes, you are expected to eat what everyone else is eating, but you also get to pick the menu once a week. You can thank Barry every time we have pizza...the spaghetti was my idea. And of course you can have water, but if you want to try a couple different sodas and you find a favorite, just say the word, and I'll stock up on it. "

She didn't say anything about stopping at the store, so Henry drove past the exit. They could always come back at some point once Skye had a better idea of what she might need. And yes, Henry had noticed her ill fitted clothing, but wasn;t sure how to broach the subject. That seemed like more of a Nora thing.
 
"I mean I probably wouldnt want to start an argument with me. I was captain of the debate team back home. I can come up with a counter argument for any argument anytime anywhere." She laughed. That was one thing she was quite proud of, her debate team. She had leaft them in what she had hoped were capable hands. Who knows maybe she would end up facing them in the State finals one day? For now she would have to get used to a new school and hope they had a debate team.

"Thanks." She said cracking open the can and taking a small sip. "I try not to drink too many of these. I dont need the sugar." She laughed and looked around. While this wasnt her old home back in LA she knew she didnt really have much say in this move and so she may as well make the most of it. "Yeah, maybe. I know we passed a pizza joint on the way in. Maybe we can talk them into going back so we can try some of the local food instead of the fast food joints all over the place." She was going to have to get used to the idea of having a sibling. Not to say she didnt want one, but she would have preferred a sister or at least a brother who was a few years older. Having one around her age made her feel a bit awkward but Mike seemed like a good enough boy that she didnt feel the need to be too concerned with him.

Then he blurted out something about sweatpants? The two were the same age and fairly similar in builds from the waist down so what was the harm. "I uh..." before she could get the words out though he had taken off running back upstairs. "Oh, okay" She said sipping her root beer before going to sit down in her room and scroll through her phone to see if any of her friends from back home were online.


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Skye looked at him oddly when he asked her where to. "Uh....Home? Or whatever I guess?" It was clear the joke went over her head as she sat in the back not thinking about much of anything really. Its not like she had any fond memories to look back on or any friends she would miss from her old home. She typically avoided making friends at school just to make the inevitable good by ethat much simpler so she didnt have them to think about either. All she could really do was focus on the present and right now she was staring out the window at the clouds as they drove.

"Oh...okay...sure sounds good. If I have anything I find doesnt sit right or makes me sick Ill be sure to let you know. I dont have much of a memory of anything doing it though so I guess for now its safe to assume I dont have any." When he mentioned picking one menu item per week she just nodded in agreement. "Thanks uh...I dont realy have a favorite food either. Ive learned not to get too attached to things. Food is food. Especially in some of the homes I grew up in with 4-5 other kids of varying ages."

She continued to stare out the window mindlessly watching the clouds go by as he continued to drive. Occasionally she would hum songs to herself that she remembered from various places either advertising jingles or actual songs she had heard on the radio ot TV theme songs. Anything to pass the time so she didnt have to be the one to initiate the conversation.
 
Laughed. She actually laughed. And it was a nice laugh too. Had he said something funny? Mike didn't really think so, but he wasn't an expert on humor. "Hey...unfair advantage." Mike protested when she said she was part of the debate team, and he recalled seeing some of her awards when he helped pack up their apartment. He simply nodded when she said she didn't need the sugar...Dad said the same thing, but Mike didn't really pay attention to that. He had been too engrossed in his video game to pay much attention to their surroundings, and had missed the fact there was a pizza place close by. He found himself nodding in agreement with her. "Sounds like a plan, Miss debate Queen." He tried teasing her.

It was only after Mike was back up the stairs that he realized if Courtney had answered his question about borrowing his sweatpants, he'd left before he heard it. And where was she? Hadn't they just agreed to gang up on their parents to get pizza? And wasn't she supposed to help with the air mattresses? Well, she was the captain of the debate team...there was probably some loophole in their discussion he wasn't remembering correctly.

One of her friends, Bethany, was indeed online and waved at Courtney when her activity bubble turned green. Bethany asked the expected questions about how was the move going, and what was it like to suddenly have a brother of all things.

Mike returned after a few minutes, Courtney's luggage in hand. Yes, Courtney had said to leave it, but Pat had other ideas. Mike's arms were also full of the air mattresses and the pump...the teenage boy was too stubborn to take two trips. he navigated the stairs all right, and got across the living room, but he couldn't really see where he was going, and he did NOT see Courtney sitting on the floor of her room. he didn't know she was there until he tripped over her, and went sprawling, Courtney's luggage and the air mattresses flying though the air as Mike face planted on the floor. THEN he saw Courtney, and the angle he was at...he could see right up her skirt.

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"Home it is." Henry stated, thinking Skye had gotten the joke and was playing along. In any case, it confirmed his earlier thought that she didn't want to stop at the store. He nodded at her promise to let him know if she discovered she had allergies...there wasn't much more he could do with that. He nodded sympathetically when she mentioned 4-5 kids fighting over food. "Well, you don't have to worry about that here. Barry's the only other kid you have to worry about." he promised her. "And that's all right. When you decide, you just let me know. And it's not a lifetime decision. You can change your mind anytime you want."

Henry hoped they had covered enough of the basics to assuage any fears she might have. He didn't want to overwhelm her, and when she didn't ask any questions, he didn't ask her any either, giving her her space. The rest of the ride passed silently, except on the occasion that Henry recognized a song she was humming...then he tried to join in a couple times, hoping it would relax her.

A few minutes later, Henry pulled into the driveway, noting the vehicles that were now in the driveway. "Well, looks like our new neighbors have arrived." He mused to himself, not expecting Skye to reply. As Henry climbed out of the vehicle, the front door burst open and Barry rushed out, grinning when he saw Skye in the backseat. "Hi!" He told her as he dashed to the rear of the car and grabbed both of her bags in his eagerness. "Come on...I'll show you your room!" Barry promised her as he headed back into the house, not thinking to look back over his shoulder to see if she was following.

Henry, for his part, chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah...that was Barry.' He told Skye.
 
Courtney had plopped down against a wall in her room and had forgotten she offered to help Mike but he took off so quickly and it looked almost like he might have been a bit embarrassed by something so she didnt think twice about going after him and instead opted to sit and talk to Bethany. She told her about how boring the move was, that her mom was trying to make her feel better but it wasnt really helping and how she missed her old place. She told her Mike wasnt a bad guy, he did seem a bit awkward but she hoped they would overcome that in time and be friends.

Just as she finished talking about Mike she heard him stumbling down the stairs and she was about to get up and go help him when he made his way into her room and she inadvertently tripped him and left him at such an angle that he could see up her skirt. She had on a simple pair of panties, solid black in color. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that he could see up her skirt before she blushed and quickly closed her legs and got up to try and help him. "Are you okay?" was the first thing she asked trying to dismiss the thought of her stepbrother having just seen up her skirt (not that there was much to see since she had on simple underwear thankfully.

She knelt down beside him making sure to keep her skirt opening behind her as she started to help him pick up the things that had spilled out of her luggage which unfortunately for her included her vibrator that she used on occasion. She was still a teenager after all and she had needs of her own to address from time to time. But she quickly gathered it blushing profusely hoping against all hope that Mike hadnt seen that.


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When they finally pulled up to the house Henry mentioned the new neighbors and she saw a boy probably about her age taking what was clearly way too much stuff into the neighboring house as the adults stood outside looking for something. Then when Henry got out and the young man ran up to her and grabbed both her bags it took everything in her power not to snap but even that wasnt quite enough. "Dont touch my stuff! I can carry my own bags!" She snapped at him and snatched her bags away.

When Henry introduced Barry to her she glared at them both. She could see the resemblance between them. If this was how he was going to be, over eager and clearly overstimulated, then this was not going to be a happy relationship. Especially since he seemd to be her opposite in every way. She was quiet, reserved and generally not an outwardly friendly person while he seemed to be the guy everyone wanted to be friends with and that wasnt quite going to work well for her.

She followed him into the house and up to her bedroom where she proceeded to close the door in his face and lock it before siting down against the back of it so no one could push it open. After that encounter she had enough of dealing with people for awhile and wanted to be left alone.
 
"I'm fine...landed on the air mattress..." Mike told her quietly, but his face was beet red as he processed the fact he now knew what kind of panties his new step sister wore. Black. Did the color mean anything? Probably not, but it did mean that his first view of a woman's underwear on an actual woman, not on a mannequin or on TC or a magazine, was Courtney's. And that was a memory he would carry with him for the rest of his life. Well, it could have been worse. He told himself. At least she HAD been wearing panties. If she'd gone commando, like he heard some girls do, he never would have been able to get that image out of his head.

Mike didn't even look at her as he focused on picking up the stuff she had dropped, so he didn't notice how careful she was not to give him another view. He did notice her vibrator, but he had no idea what it was or what it was for. In his mind, girls were some weird alien species who had a bunch of stuff he didn't understand, and that was just another example of it. And since he was being quite careful not to look at her, he didn't notice her blush either.

The way Mike was focused on his task, it wasn't long before Mike had her air mattress all blown up. He carefully laid a pair of his sweatpants on top as well. Courtney hadn't said yes, or no, so Mike had been torn on whether to lend them to her or not, but seeing up her skirt had clenched the deal in his mind.

"Uh...I talked to Dad and Barbara. It's a go for the pizza place..." Mike muttered.

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"W...what?" Barry asked, dumbfounded. Dad hadn't asked him to help her inside...it had been his own idea. He had no idea what she had been through prior to her arrival, but if she was coming alone it had to be pretty bad, and Barry wanted to try and make her feel welcome. Clearly he had failed, but he didn't know what more he could have done. He just started after her as she entered the house, afraid of what else to say. Or do.

Henry would have to deal with Barry later. For now, he followed Skye as she headed into the house...a house that seemed in much better repair than the one she had lived in the past couple of months. Clearly the Allen family, while not rich, at least made enough money to be comfortable. The living room was tastefully decorated with family photos, and Henry, sensing Skye's desire, just gestured for her to head downstairs. The basement, similar to the one next door as all the houses on the block had been built at the same time, had a computer workstation along one wall, with a rack of computer equipment humming along quietly. Henry ushered Skye into her room...a room that contained a bed, at least, with blankets and pillows, but absolutely nothing else at the moment, except for a window that offered a view of the backyard, which contained a pool Skye could catch a glimpse of.

Henry didn't object when she shut the door in his face, and no one tried to open the door after she shut it. After a few minutes, though, there was a light knock on the dinner. "Your dinner is here." Henry called out, then she could hear him going back up the stairs. If she opened the door, she would find a tray with a plate of spaghetti, salad, and French bread. There was also a glass of water and a can of root beer. Sitting next to the tray was a well worn stuffed rabbit.
 
Courtney quite often DID go commando when wearing a skirt. It just felt more natural. But something told her to wear panties today so she did and thankfully so at that. If she hadnt been wearing them who knows how much more awkward things would have been with her step brother. As it was he saw p her skirt. Being seen in her underwear on a normal day down the road may not have bothered her so much. But today? Today it was awkward. She had known Mike for a bit, ever since their parents started dating, but that didnt make her comfortable enough to let him see her in her underwear.

"Oh, thats good then. Still, that looks like it hurt. Do you need a bandage or some ice or something?" She said as he started to blow up the air mattress. "Im uh...sorry I didnt come help. You uh...kinda just bolted away so I didnt know if you wanted me to follow you or not." She said awkwardly as she began to place some of her things around the room. She didnt have much in her duffel bag mostly just books and pictures of her and her mom or her and her friends.

"Oh yeah? Awesome!" She said excitedly as her stomach grumbled again this time a bit louder and longer than before. Once he finished blowing up the air bed and put the sweat pants on her bed she smiled again "Thanks Mike. Lets go see if Pat and mom are ready to go. Im starved!" She said and stood up fixing her skirt before walking up the stairs


************

Skye spent the next few hours alone in her room. It was a simple room. It had a bed, and a window. More than she was used to. And it had a door that locked. Two things she wasnt entirely used to either. The biggest thing she wasnt used to was privacy. Having her own space. Too often she had to share with her foster siblings or if she did have a single room it never had a door let alone a lock on it.

It didnt take long before Skye passed out from emotional exhaustion as she was sitting with her back to the door in a quiet room by herself so when Henry called out food was ready she woke up slowly and replied. "Th-thanks...." She opened the door and took the tray of food and slowly started to eat. It was the first home cooked meal she had in a few days what with her last foster family simply abandoning her and then she was forced into that hole in the wall place.

Eventually she finished the food and brought the empty dishes back upstairs she looked around for Barry to apologize but she couldnt find him. She did spot Henry and who she could olnly assume was Nora sitting at the table together and she walked over placing her tray and dishes on the counter. "Thank you for dinner." She said politely before she made her way back towards the stairs and down to the basement where her bedroom was.
 
Mike had no idea how close he had come to seeing far more of Courtney than was remotely appropriate, and it was just as well. He was having a hard enough time with the fact he'd seen her panties...with her in them. If he'd had any idea what the vibrator was actually for, his brain probably would have exploded.

Now Mike actually did look at Courtney when she asked about his fall. Did she actually care about him? Did he care about her? Mike actually thought about it for a moment, then concluded yes. If Courtney needed something, he'd go out of his way to provide it, more so than he would for a stranger. It was a weird thought...they weren't friends...but could they be? Mike snapped himself out of his reverie as he recalled he hadn't answered her question, but was just staring at her. "No...I'm fine." He insisted, then grinned. "Which is just as well...I'm not sure we could find a bandage."

Mike blushed again when she pointed out how he had run after offering to loan her his sweatpants. He wasn't sure how he could explain that one, it had just seemed right at the time. "No problem...it all worked out." He said, then blushed once again as he recalled the result of his trying to carry everything. He turned back to the air mattress and focused intently on that...not that putting the plug back in took that much concentration, but it was the only excuse he had. Courtney soon provided a better excuse, though, and he looked with interest at the photos she was placing around her room. "Who's that?" He asked curiously when he saw a picture of Courtney and Bethany.

Mike chuckled as he heard Courtney's stomach rumble again. "Your welcome." He said, still not sure if she actually wanted his sweat pants or not. Was she tanking him for that, or for the air mattress? Why were girls so complicated? He grinned as she mentioned she was starved. "I can tell." He told her as he headed out of the room, then paused as he saw the bathroom. "Uh...I'll be up in a minute." He said, thinking he should use the toilet before they headed out again. He frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Oh...uh...do you shower in the mornings or evenings?" He asked her. It felt weird asking her when she took a shower, but they needed to coordinate their schedules.

*****************************

"Your welcome." Nora called out, but she didn't pursue Skye when she left. The adults were just thankful Skye had eaten. "If you get hungry later tonight and want some more, help yourself. That goes for anything in the fridge." Nora informed her. From what Henry had told her, that wasn't what Skye was used to in her other homes.

Barry had been in his room, next door to Skye, when she had gone upstairs. When he heard her leave his room, he peeked out, and noted with disappointment his peace offering, Fluffy, the stuffed animal he'd had for as long as he could remember, was still lying by her door. "Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid." He cursed himself. He had no idea how old Skye was, but clearly she was too old for stuffed animals. But Barry had no idea what else she might like. One of his shirts? It would probably fit her better than what she had on, but he knew better than to comment on a girl's clothing.

Barry stepped out of his room and walked over to the computer console. he flipped on the power switch that turned on the servers, then slumped in his seat as he waited for it to boot up. He heard Skye coming down the stairs and couldn't resist glancing over at her before he turned his attention back to the dual monitors. 'Don't bother her don't bother her don't bother her.' He reminded himself sternly.
 
Courtney nodded when he mentioned he would be along in a moment. "Um...I can do either. I dont really have a strong preference. It depends on the day really though. Like school days im probably more inclined to shower in the morning than the evening. Ive got limited free time in the evening as it is with after school clubs and then homework along with chores. I dont really want to worry about my personal hygiene on top of that. Easier to do it in the morning and get it over with. Oh and to answer your question, the girl in the picture is my BFF Bethany. We had known each other going back to Elementary school. I could uh...introduce you. You know if youre interested?" She teased. It would be awkward to have her step brother possibly dating her best friend but Mike seemed like a nice enough guy.

"Okay well, Ill go see if mom and Pat need any help getting things unloaded or whatever before we go get dinner." She finished heading up the stairs and found her mom "Hey mom, do you and Pat need any more help getting things brought inside? Mike is using the toilet then he'll be up so we can all go get some dinner." She said as her stomach grumbled again. "Sorry about that! Im just REALLY hungry. Lunch was so long ago and we skipped breakfast this morning to finish packing and get on the road."


*************

Skye nodded and gave a slight bow "Thank you." she said before disappearing back downstairs. It was when she got back down that she realized that in addition to the tray of food there was an old stuffed rabbit that had been placed next to the tray. She walked over and knelt down before picking it up and putting it on her bed. She may have been too old for stuffed animals in most peoples eyes but she never had any growing up so it was a nice gesture, one she appreciated.

Then she heard a computer start up (or what she thought was one anyway and noticed that the room next to hers had an open door and was empty. Looking inside it was clearly Barrys room. It was the most typical teenage boy room she had ever seen. Cmoic book heroes everywhere, half naked girls (who werent actually wholly unattractive to Skye)

Then she looked over and saw the boy slumped over in a chair and she walked up cautiously. "H-h-hey. Barry was it? At least I think thats what Henry called you? I uh...I wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier. Im still getting used to the idea of having people who seem to give a shit and actually want to help. Ive gotten used to being so independent my whole life and the only time anyone ever helped without my asking for it was when that thought I couldnt do something on my own so...I wanted to say thanks and...Im sorry." She said before she quickly rushed back to her room. She left the door open in case he wanted to come in but she was still uncomfortable around people for extended periods of time so she decided it was safer to occupy herself with a hobby, drawing.

She wasnt the most talented artist out there, far from it, but she was good at it and it was one thing she could always do anywhere she went. Foster homes always had paper and pencils for her to use and she was quite often left alone so she had plenty of time to practice. She decided she would try and draw her own version of a female superhero. Someone similar to the posters Barry had hanging in his room but this would be a girl. Someone who would protect other girls like her who had been abandoned and abused by the system and woiuld protect anyone who needed it. The type of hero she always imagined she would be one day maybe.
 
Courtney seemed to take his question about the shower in stride, and Mike let out a small breathe of relief. It had been a valid question, or he wouldn't have dared ask it, but asking a girl when she took her clothes off, if not in so many words, was nerve wracking. And her answer wasn't entirely helpful, as she stated it depends. Mike gave a small shrug himself. "Well, I like sleeping in as long as possible, so I usually take mine in the evening." He told her, unable to repress the blush that came with the thought he'd be taking his clothes off with her in the next room. "Oh...uh...what time to do you get up in the mornings, usually? Or go to bed?" Mike shrugged. "I'm a night owl, so its usually around 10 PM for me, and I get up around seven." With only one bathroom between them, they'd have to coordinate their schedules a bit.

He nodded when she told him about Bethany, then turned bright red when she offered to introduce him. "NO! I mean...sure...I'd like to meet your friends...I mean...to be polite...not because I'm interested...not that I'm not...but...um...I've gotta go." Mike vanished into the bathroom.

Barnara shook her head at Courtney's question. "We didn't have much to unload, so we're pretty much done until tomorrow. Good news...the truck should be here in the morning, so we only have to rough it one night. I didn't hear any yelling...so you and Mike worked out the room issue?" Barbarba asked with a grin, then hugged Courtney briefly when she heard her stomach growl. "Well, let's get you something to eat before you fade away, then." She said as she left an arm around Courtney's shoulders and they started heading for the car.

*********************************************

Barry kept his gaze fixed on the computer monitor, keeping up his promise not to bother Skye, or even so much as look at her, until she started speaking. He glanced over at her curiously, and nodded when she asked to confirm his name. His eyes widened a bit as she apologized...he hadn't expected that. He blinked as she used the word shit...not a word he would ever use in this house, but he knew better than to try and correct her. He winced when she revealed why she got upset with him...that hadn't been his intention at all. He opened his mouth to accept her apology, but she darted back to her room before he had a chance to. But...she didn't shut the door. Was that deliberate? Barry thought so...he'd barely met Skye, and he was already pretty sure she didn't do stuff like that on accident.

He stared at her door for a minute, then his eyes widened as he saw Floppy was gone. Had she taken him? There was only one way to know for sure, and Barry took a deep breathe before he rose to his feet and walked over to her room. He tapped lightly on the door to get her attention, but he didn't set foot inside her room. He didn't want to crowd her...clearly she liked her space. His gaze fell on the stuffed bunny on her bed...she'd taken Floppy after all...and he also noticed her drawing pad. He wasn't an expert and didn't get a good look at it, but she looked pretty good at it.

It was only after he knocked that he realized he should probably say something as well. "Hey..." He said, then winced. He should probably say something more creative than that. His eyes lit up as he finally came up with something. "Ummm...if you have a phone or a laptop or something, I can help you get on the house Wi-fi." Barry chuckled. "Dad works with hi tech equipment at Star Labs, but he still has trouble getting a router to work, so he leaves that to me. I can get you a log in for the computer so you can check your email and stuff...if you like..." Barry took half a step back, prepared to retreat if Skye either ignored him or snapped at him again.
 
Courtney hugged her mom and walked out to the car with her. "Yeah it wasnt hard. Theres not really much difference between the two room. Theyre both equal size, both about the same distance from the bathroom. Only difference is one is slightly closer to the stairs. Which is something I wanted to talk to you about. Is there any chance we can get a door or something downstairs that leads outside? That way we dont have to come al the way upstairs just to go outside? I mean it just makes sense if you think about it." Courtney went on to lay out her argument for why there should be a door downstairs including mentioning in case of a fire or other emergency

Eventually Mike came out and they all 4 got in to the car. She looked at Mike and said "You asked me earlier about my sleep habits? Im much more of a morning person. Im usually up around 5 or 6. Maybe earlier on school days depending if we need to get the bus or whatever. I usually go to bed around 8 or 9 and Im a pretty light sleeper and I sleep with earplugs in because otherwise pretty much any noise can keep me up so if its an emergency youll have to come in and wake me. Oh and dont worry, I sleep in regular pajamas. Tops and bottoms not like some girls who sleep in night gowns that dont even go to their knees. So if you need to come in you wont see anything. I promise." She said with a smile


***********

Skye looked at Barry with a nod she understood technology but she didnt own a cell phone or a laptop or anything fancy like that "Thanks for the offer but I dont have any of that. Heck I dont even have an email for that matter. All my old foster homes computers were for school work only and even then it was mostly for the upper class kids, you know juniors and seniors." She shrugged and went back to her drawing not paying too much attention to him aside from that

"So I noticed you like comic books? Whos your favorite?" She said as she was trying to be polite and attempt to make some kind of conversation even though it was mildly uncomfortable for her. "Mine is Wonder Woman. Shes such a strong role model for girls." She said as she put down her pencil and looked out the window. It was starting to get late, probably 6 or 7 by this time and the sun was starting to set

She quickly flipped the page on her notebook and began to draw out the sunset as it was happening in real time. She could come back to the super hero later. The sunset had given her an inspiration to draw it since it was so pretty and from her window she could see it perfectly without it glaring through and blinding her.
 
"Well, there are some who would argue just for the sake of arguing in your position. I'm proud of you." Barbara said as she leaned in to kiss the top of Courtney's head. She knew Courtney was less than pleased about the whole move thing, so she appreciated her not creating a scene. She then frowned thoughtfully at Courtney's question. It seemed reasonable, Barbara just wasn't sure how practical it was. "Pat?" She asked her husband, who chuckled softly.

"Your first day and you already want to remodel?" He teased her, then frowned thoughtfully. "It's possible...do you want it badly enough to help?" Pat asked. Hiring it out would be quite expensive, but if all they had to do was turn a window into a door and dig down a bit, Pat could do that. And while he didn't really NEED Courtney's help, it would give them a chance to spend some time together. And she might learn a thing or two about construction, never a bad thing. Now the question was, would Courtney chicken out when she realized a door wouldn't just magically appear? Or did she want it bad enough to put some work into it?

Mike climbed into the backseat next to Courtney...after their road trip, it felt like it was their usual seats. Mike scrunched up his face when Courtney said she was a morning person. "Dad! I think Courtney's an alien." He protested, the very concept of being a morning person so foreign to him that anyone who was, had to be from another planet. He nodded when she gave him permission to enter her room if needed, then blushed when she explained her sleepwear to him. For a minute there, he thought she was going to mention sleeping nude or something. Having a girl living in the same house got his brain working on overtime.

***************************************

Barry's eyes widened in surprise. How could anyone not have email? A laptop, sure, but email? How did that work? You couldn't even log onto a lot of web sites without email. "Ummm...I have an old...real old...laptop you can hove." Barry offered hesitatingly. He was a hoarder, and had a hard time giving up anything electronic, but truthfully the laptop was so old he doubted he could get anything useable off it anyway. "I mean...you probably couldn't play games or anything, but if you wanted to check email or write up a school paper, it would be fine for that. And I have my own little server set up down here...I can get you an email address. I mean...if you want." She didn't seem that interested, though, so Barry took half a step back...until she mentioned comic books. Then his eyes lit up.

"I have a Wonder Woman bust." Barry told her. "But I don't have many of her comics. All that Greek mythology stuff, I have a hard time relating to it. One of my favorites is probably GI Joe...I have the entire run of that so far, including Special Missions and the yearbooks." He glanced down curiously as she changed the page on her notebook, but from his angle he couldn't quite see what she was drawing.
 
Courtney listened as her stepdad asked if she wanted it enough to help out with the work. "Absolutely!" She said "Im not afraid to get my hands dirty if I see something I want. Mom can tell you that. If I want something bad enough Ill do whatever I need to in order to get it even if it means putting in some hard work." She meant what she said. Becoming captain of the debate team as a Freshman was a massive undertaking but she proved she could put in the work and was one of the best on the team as a result.

Hearing Mike call her an alien she laughed. "If anyones an alien I think its you. Who stays up that late on a school night?" She teased back. While she still wasnt overly thrilled with the move and she still very much resented having to make it she was mature enough to understand why it needed to happen. That didnt make leaving Bethany and the other back home sting any less.

"So siince im 16 now can I get ny learners permit so I can start learning to drive? I want to be able to go visit my friends back in LA next summer when I turn 17 and I cant do that without a drivers license. Besides if at least 1 of the 2 of us has a license then we can start driving to school which will save time for everyone since you guys wont have to get up to make sure we get up in time for the bus and we dont have to worry about missing the bus." She once again made very solid points about why it would be beneficial for either her or Mike (if not both) to get their licenses. If there was one thing Courtney was good at it was making very logically sound arguments that were hard to dispute.


************

"I mean if you arent using it that would be cool. I know how to do things on computers Ive just never had one of my own before. It either wasnt allowed or there was no reason to give me one since I wasnt staying permanently. Or at least thats the reasons they always told me. Same reason I dont have a cell phone. I wasnt part of the family for real so they didnt want to buy me a cell phone and pay for it if i wasnt going to be staying." She said to Barry. It was clear that most of her foster families only used her for the money they got from the government for keeping her and once she became more trouble than she was worth they kicked her to the curb without a second thought

Once she finished sketching out the sunset she held it up to show Barry. "What do you think? Its not my best work ever but its pretty good right?" She said awkwardly almost afraid he was going to critique her rather harshly and ruin her little bit of self-confidence that she had. "Yeah G.I. Joe is great but I dont know. Something about the Greek mythology. I love all those old legends and myths. Its fascinating. Really makes you wonder how we went from all that to where we are now." She shrugged and flopped down on her bed staring at the ceiling.

"Its quiet here. Im not used to that. Im used to having people always running around and making noises and well you know, being people? I guess that makes sense? You dont really have that here. I mean before I got here it was just you, Henry and Nora. Must be nice having the peace and quiet."
 
Pat raised an eyebrow when Courtney enthusiastically agreed to help out with the door. He wasn't sure she had any idea what she was in for...digging a hole could be a lot of work, and it was entirely different work that studying for a debate. But Pat nodded in agreement. "I'll tell you what...I'll call tomorrow and get a locate on any water and gas lines...there's really only one wall we can put it on, and if its clear...and the architect says its okay...AND if you dig out the hole for the stairs to the door...we'll put a door in. BUT...it will be alarmed at night. Just in case." He didn't want Courtney, or Mike for that matter, to think having their own door meant curfew no longer applied.

"Um...normal people." Mike stuck his tongue out at Courtney after he said that, then burst into a fit of giggles. This ride seemed to be going much better than the earlier one.

"Wow...you want everything." Pat said with a laugh when Courtney brought up driver's licenses. Still...she did make a good point, and it was clear just why she had all those awards that were on her wall. "But that's not really up to me, you know. The state issues those things...if you pass the test. So I guess you'd better start studying. And by the way...you have to pass my test too. You aren't driving until you learn some basic maintenance." That was Pat's rule, not the cities, of course, but it was nonnegotiable. Courtney may not be his biologically, but as far as he was concerned it didn't matter. He was going to treat her the same as he treated Mike, who already knew basic car maintenance, and a lot more. Pat and Mike had restored a classic automobile together, after all. "But you know...there is a bus that goes to LA from here." Mike pointed out, unwilling to let that point pass without comment. But if the kids could drive...it would make the mornings easier. He'd give her that one.

*****************************************

"Hey." Barry got a frown on his face, then risked actually entering her room and taking a seat on her bed. The conversation had taken a more serious turn than he expected. Mom and Dad and I had a long talk about your moving in her. This isn't some temporary stopover or whatever. This is your home, until you turn 18, and even after you go to college...your welcome to come back whenever you want. I have no idea what's going to happen with the official paperwork, but as far as I'm concerned, I know have a sister. And if my sister needs a laptop, she gets one." Barry was pretty sure Dad planned to get her a cell phone as well, but he wasn't going to speak to that and get her hopes up if it didn't happen for some reason.

Barry grinned as she trusted him enough to show him the drawing. "That's awesome." He said sincerely, then picked up the bunny and made it nod. "See...Floppy likes it too." Barry chuckled. "Can I see some others?"

He shook his head when she mentioned legends. "For me, I need something more concrete, I guess. If I haven't experienced it and can't reproduce it, it's not for me. That's why Dad keeps saying I'll be a scientist if I ever grow up.

Barry looked around with a shrug when she mentioned the environment. "I guess I've never really thought of it before...it's just always been that way. And yeah...I get what you mean about people running around...that's what schools like..and hey...I guess we'll be in the same grade. I wonder if we'll have any classes together."
 
Courtney nodded in agreement "Thats completely fair. I wouldnt expect it not to be alarmed. I just want it there to make it easier in the mornings or in case of an emergency. I dont intend to break curfew unless its an emergency. Like I just told Mike Im usually down when the sun is so yeah." she shrugged. "Ill do my best. I promise. It wont be the prettiest hole ever but it will be a hole." She had never dug a hole that big before but she was willing to if it meant having a door downstairs that they could get in and out of easier in the mornings or as she kept pointing out in the event there was an emergency.

"Dont worry, if theres one thing I can do easily its pass a test." she laughed "If you want to teach me the basics Ill be happy to learn. Im always looking to learn something new. Even if it isnt normally something you would think a 'girl' would know or care about." She smiled and sat back in her seat and pulled out her phone and texted Bethany to let her know she was going to start studying for her learners permit

"Well yeah but that takes the long route to get there. They dont go on the interstate so it takes like twice as long to get there on the bus. Besides once you get to the city youre gonna want a car to get anywhere. Walking is nearly impossible and the busses are always late because traffic SUUUUCKS. But you knew that already." she laughed


**********

Hearing Barry mention that this was her home for as long as she wanted it made her actually kind of happy. She finally had someplace she could call 'home' that wasnt just some foster home or a group home with dozens of other kids of varying ages. This was her home. "Thanks. That means a lot." She said. Knowing that she had a home actually made her feel that much worse about snapping at Barry earlier but she had already apologized. She would find some way to make it up to him, she just wasnt sure what that would be yet.

"Floppy? Oh you mean the bunny? Youre the one who left that there? I thought it was Henry or Nora. Its really cute. Thanks. I dint get to have a normal childhood like you can imagine. Bouncing from home to home all the time." Hearing him ask to see more of her drawings she nodded and got up off her bed and walked over to her suitcase and bent over digging through it trying to find something specific not realizing that her pants were falling down slightly and showing her underwear from how she was bent over.

Once she found the book she stood upright and realized her pants had fallen slightly so she pulled them back up and walked over to Barry and showed him her drawings. Most of them were of various different landscapes throughout the city, some were of celebrities or other famous people (those werent as good sense she had to do those from memory) and some were comic book characters too including (mostly) Wonder Woman.

"Ha ha, yeah I dont think Im cut out for a career in science. Numbers arent really my thing either they knd of make my head hurt. But I LOVE history. All of it going back as far as you can imagine. And obviously I love my art so who knows maybe Ill be an artist or some kind of historian or maybe Ill work at a museum." She shrugged
 
Wow...all the practice raising Mike seemed to be paying off as Courtney agreed to all his condition without debate. Of course, it probably helped that his conditions made perfect sense, at least in his mind. he was pleased that Courtney felt the same way. There was one hole in her logic, though , that he couldn't resist pointing out. "If there's an emergency, you have my permission to go out the window." He told her. "But no...you can't just use the window instead of the door." He countered the argument he predicted she'd have before she could make it. "And in that case...I guess its a good thing we didn't move to Alaska." Pat chuckled. He'd been on a business trip there before, and it had been disconcerting to see the sun at midnight. "And pretty doesn't much matter, as we'll probably be filling it with concrete anyway." He was curious if she'd still want a door when she found out how much work it was, but there was only one way to find out.

Pat nodded when Courtney agreed to learn. "All right...once we get settled in then, you can spend the day with me at the garage." He declared. he figured one day would cover it to get to the basics. She didn't need to rebuild an engine, just change a tire and jump the battery. The same things Mike had had to learn. He didn't think there was such a thing as boys and girls subjects. "And yeah...LA traffic sucks. That's why you have to drive accident here free for a while before you get to drive in LA." Pat warned her, but he was letting her know a visit to LA was a possibility if she kept her nose clean. Something he and Barbara had already talked about.

And there wasn't much traffic in Blue Valley, so they had no issues on the short drive to the restaurant. Pat had no trouble parking either, and he opened the door and led the group inside. "So...any preference?" he asked Courtney as they were escorted to a booth and given menus.

**********************************

Barry nodded at her thanks. If he remembered her anger earlier, he gave no indication of it. He chuckled as the talk turned to the bunny. "Yeah...there were no other kids around, really, so I had to make my own friends. Floppy was the leader of the pack." Barry confirmed. He couldn't really imagine what Skye's earlier life had been like, so all he could do was nod in agreement.

He automatically followed her with his gaze when she got up from the bed, realizing too late the slight wardrobe malfunction she was having. Hit with the sudden reminder that he was talking to a girl, Barry's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to let her know, then abruptly shut it again. he didn't want her to know he had seen her underwear, though he couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing a bra. Before he could resolve the dilemma in his mind, Skye was already standing again and had noticed the problem herself.

"Hey...I know her." Barry said with a light chuckle as he saw a drawing of one of his favorite actresses. It wasn't a perfect likeness, but he could easily tell who it was supposed to be. "Do you take commissions by any chance?" He thought it might be nice to have a picture she drew hanging up in his room. He nodded when she talked about her possible career. "Who knows...the sky's the limit. Maybe you'll be President one day." He chuckled. "Then I can get interviewed for your biography."
 
While Courtney didnt quite realize how much work was going to be involved in getting the door she wanted she was willing to at least try. In her mind it was better to try and fail than never have tried at all. After all if he was willing to put in a door for them to get in and out easier in the evenings or mornings it made sense for her to be willing to put in some of the work. And its not like it had to be done in a single day, she could work on it over the course of several months as long as she got it done.

"Thats fair. I wouldnt want to drive in the city anyway. Just driving to the city would be enough. Theres plenty of places to hang out that arent in the city. In fact one of the best shopping malls in the area is outside the city by a few miles." She had only ever been there once but she enjoyed the view. "And dont worry, Ill get a part-time job somewhere to help pay for the gas and insurance. I already told mom I wans looking to get a part time job anyway either this summer or later this year after we got settled in from the move."

When the group arrived and walked into the restaurant Pat asked Courtney if she had any preference "Pepperoni or cheese. Its simple so you cant mess it up too bad and if they do mess that up then you know you need to find a new pizza place." She laughed but it was true. pepperoni pizzas were kind of the most basic type next to cheese so it was hard to mess those up too badly.


*********

"Floppy is a rather cute name for a stuffed rabbit. I always imagined having a stuffed animal. I didnt care much what kind, I just wanted one. So Im glad I have one." She said as Barry flipped through her sketches. "I taske requests. Sure. Ive never had anyone offer to pay me to draw something though so I wouldnt know what would be a fair price to charge for it." She shrugged

"Yeah, Im not cut out of politics. My temper wont allow me to put up with the lies and corruption. Id get fired the first day." Skye laughed "I need to learn to control my temper though and probably should clean up my vocabulary a bit but swear words were always the simplest, most effective way to let someone know how I was feeling so they kind of just stuck." She shrugged.

"If they ever interview you for my biography then I either did something very very wrong or something very very right." She smiled before yawning slightly. "What time is it?" She asked having not yet set up her room so she didnt have her clock set and her watch had been wrong for months but she never bothered to fix it. "Also. wheres the bathroom? I didnt exaclty give anyone a chance to give me a tour when I came in."
 
mike repressed the urge to glare at Courtney. He knew she wasn't trying to make him look bad...or at least he didn't think that was her goal...but all this talk about learning and jobs and driving and digging made her sound incredibly motivated, while Mike just wanted to relax a bit. If Pat noticed his discomfort, he chose not to address it. "Well, I guess your the expert on shopping malls." Pat told her with a chuckle. "I've never been to that mall." he nodded, impressed, when she mentioned getting a job. "I'll keep my ears open." He promised her. "Would you be willing to work in the lab, by any chance?" Some kids refused to have anything to do with their parents at work, while some were fine working at their parents job. Pat was curious where Courtney might stand on the issue.

Pat laughed when she suggested pepperoni. "Did you and Mike talk about that too?" he asked, not even needing to check with his son to know that's what Mike wanted. He put in the order for two large pizzas...one to eat here, and one to go. With all the moving in they were going to be doing tomorrow, it would be nice not to have to worry about dinner.

*****************************

"Yeah...when I saw the ears, the name just came to me." Barry said with a grin, and indeed as he shook the bunny the ears flopped around a lot. Barry playfully brought the bunny closer to Skye's face, until one of the ears hit her lightly in the nose. "I'm glad you like it.' Barry said, then got a thoughtful look his face. He had no idea what a fair price might be either, but he wasn't exactly rich. "Hmmm...how about...twenty dollars an hour for a drawing of Scarlet?" Barry asked. He had no idea how long it would take her to draw it, so an hourly based pay made sense to him. He just hoped it wouldn't take her more than four hours...he didn't have that much birthday money left.

Barry laughed when she said she'd get fired her first day. "Oh, from what I've heard about how slow government moves, I bet it would take at least a week." He teased her, then glanced at his watch when she asked the time. "2106." he told her, giving away the fact he was indeed a GI Joe fan as his watch was set to military time. "Oh...I can give you a quick tour. You've already seen the living room and kitchen...that's pretty much all you need to know about upstairs." Dad's study and their bedroom was up there as well, but Skye probably had no need to enter either room. "The bathroom is right there." Barry pointed at the door...it was the only other one in the basement besides the storage closet and his bedroom. "Hot tub and pool are out back...we can look at them tomorrow, Too late for a swim now."
 
Courtney heard Pats offer to work at the lab and she shrugged "Honestly, money is money. I don't care if you work there or whatever. Not like I have much room to complain. I don't know where else I'd work at." She had a feeling Mike was glaring at her or at least that's what she thought. She wasn't trying to make him look bad. She just wanted to keep herself busy so she didn't have time to dwell on missing her old friends or her old school.

"No, oddly enough we didn't. I just mentioned seeing this place and Mike came up with the idea to see if you guys would agree to it. I was supposed to come with him but I guess he got too hungry and decided to ask about it." She shrugged. "Pepperoni is a good choice for a pizza. I usually go for one with some vegetables on it too for a bit of a balance but not until I know they won't mess up a simple pizza."


***********

Skye listened to his offer of $20 an hour for a picture. "Who is Scarlet?" She asked "I will need something for reference if I'm going to draw her. But otherwise that sounds like a fair price." She shrugged. She didn't want to take Barry's money but if he was going to offer it then she wasn't going to say no

She couldn't help but laugh at his comment. "Yeah a week for them to make the decision then another week to decide what kind of paper then 2 more to decide what color. And then another month to decide who gets to deliver it." She laughed some more.

When he gave her the time in military time she nodded. Thankfully she had dealt with enough government types to know how to interpret the time. "Thanks. Explains why I'm sleepy. Lights out used to be in about 10 minutes at my last home." When he pointed her to the bathroom she nodded. "Thanks. I'm going to go shower. Do you uh...do you need anything before I go?"
 
Pat grinned when Courtney agreed to work at Star Labs. He'd been looking to find a way to bond with her, and now they might be working together. Or in the same building, at least. "Great." he told her, "I'll talk to the director about it tomorrow. If sweeping floors and filing papers isn't beneath you, that is." He teased her. "And you've already got your security clearance, so that part won't be a problem, giving you a leg up on the competition."

Pat raised an eyebrow when Courtney said this wasn't a conspiracy. "Well, great minds think alike, it seems." He said as he glanced at Mike, who grinned, seeming to forget to be upset with Courtney already. He nodded when she said it was an easy way to test the quality of the pizza, and he had to admit it came to the table quickly. Well, it wasn't a complicated order, they probably had the basic pizza cooking already. And it ce4tainly smelled good. Pat got a plate and began dishing up the pizza for everyone, placing a couple slices in front of Courtney. When he was done with that, he began dispensing drinks next.

*************************************

"Scarlet is one of the GI Joe operatives." He told her. "And if you need a reference, I've got a pile of comics you can look at." He smiled when she agreed to his price. He had no idea if it was fair or not, but it was what he could afford.

he laughed when she added to his government joke. "Then after that, it gets sent back to committee so they can start all over again, and wind up giving you a raise instead of fire you when they are done."

He frowned when she said she had a 2100 (he didn't think anything about her ability to translate the time) curfew. "Well, we don't really have an official curfew here, though Dad likes me in bed by 2300 and up by 0800." He told her, then blushed a bit when she mentioned showering. "Oh...right...umm...just a selfie?" He asked suddenly, as it occurred to him he didn't have a photo of her. He picked Floppy up off the bed and placed it on her shoulder, then he put his face next to the bunny. "Smile." He said, but it didn't matter to him whether she did or not as he took the photo.

"Oh...ummm...do you...have any clothes...to change into?" He asked. She'd only had two bags, after all, that apparently contained everything she owned. It didn't look like she had much in the way of clothes.
 
She nodded "it beats flipping burgers or selling overpriced clothes to others." She shrugged when he mentioned sweeping floors and filing papers. "And like i said money is money." She laughed.

When Pat served up the food and drinks she thanked him. "Thanks again for agreeing to this. It had been a long time since lunch and we skipped breakfast to get on the road early so we could be here in time for dinner. Though admittedly we hoped to be moved in by now but oh well." She shrugged and took a sip of her drink before she dug into the pizza


********

Skye nodded. "I'll get those from you tomorrow. Comic book characters are easy enough to draw. I should be able to get it done in 2 or 3 hours tops." She yawned again and got up from her bed where she was sitting

"Oh uh..." She said half thinking he wanted a different kind of selfie. She hadn't taken one of those before on her own. She had one of her foster brothers take one of her a few months ago. She wasn't comfortable with it but she didn't have much room to say no.

Then he pulled her in for a selfie with Floppy and told her to smile which he happily did quite relived she misinterpreted his intentions. "Oh yeah I've got some shorts and a baggy shirt. That's my usual sleepwear. They're in my suitcase along with the rest of my clothes." She grabbed her pajamas opting not to grab underwear since she would just end up going to the bathroom first thing in the morning so she would put some on then.
 
"Probably. Certainly more interesting, anyway." Pat told her with a grin. He wasn't sure if he was asking for trouble or not having his daughter work in the same facility he was, but she hadn't given him any indication it would be a problem, so he gave her the benefit of the doubt.

"Your welcome." He told her when she thanked him for the pizza, then laughed when she said she thought they'd be moved in by now. "I think that's optimistic, even if the truck had been on time. It'll probably take us months to figure out where everything goes." He warned her before he took a bite of the pizza himself, and nodded approvingly. he wasn't a pizza expert by any means, but as far as he could tell, this was good pizza.

***************************************

Barry chuckled when she mentioned comic book characters were easy. "Yeah...for some people." He teased her. "I can barely draw a stick figure." He nodded with relief when she said she'd be done in a maximum of three hours. He could afford that.

Barry had no idea she thought he meant something else, and looked with satisfaction at the photo of him and his 'sister'. "Cool...I think I have a new screen saver." Barry said happily, then nodded when she claimed she had enough clothes, not knowing if he should be happy she didn't need to raid his closet, or sad he couldn't share with her. He did wonder briefly what she meant by 'baggy shirt'...did she think the one she had on now fit? But he didn't pay attention to what she grabbed, so he didn't notice her lack of underwear.

"Well, if you need anything, I'll be out here working on the computer." Barry told her as he turned back to said computer. He'd been serious when he said he was going to use their photo as a screensaver.
 
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