"There! All finished." Lexi exclaimed proudly, gazing upon the creation before her. The blankets were stretched across the table and couch, along with the chair that they pulled closer, then there were pillows blocking the table openings, enclosing the whole thing in a small cramped space. Law raised a brow, not quite sure what she found so fantastic about it.copyright protection220PENANAPMCYYYQOhm
"Now we can watch movies on my laptop." She said, walking over to the kitchen. "And eat. Food is important."copyright protection220PENANAQbIqGB7LZU
Not quite sure how to respond, Law said nothing. Though his throat began feeling dry again and sent him into another coughing fit. He hoped whatever medicine Nana and the engineers were able to bring back would help this sickness. He hated being ill. Part of being a doctor.copyright protection220PENANARMFl8Nh31O
"Do you like popcorn?" Lexi called from the kitchen, rummaging around in the pantry for things. "And hot chocolate?"copyright protection220PENANAejraZh7Uzv
"Popcorn?" He asked in confusion. "I've never heard of such a thing." Law said, approaching the kitchen tiredly. This sickness was beginning to wear at his strength and energy. The brunette poked her head out from behind the door, an expression of shock marking her face.copyright protection220PENANARTQZmKVYbD
"You've never heard of popcorn? What? That's a sin, my friend." She joked, turning away to sneeze into the crook of her elbow. She went back to the pantry, reaching up to one of the higher shelves.copyright protection220PENANA09CeilQKg3
"What is it?" He asked, watching as she pulled out a flattened brown bag from a box.copyright protection220PENANAlVJAeA6bk2
"Popcorn is just popped corn. Pretty self explanatory." She went to the microwave and opened the small door, placing the bag inside and closing it again. Then, she pressed a button on the panel and it purred to life. On the inside, the rotating plate slowly turned the bag around.copyright protection220PENANAhagllh38gl
"Hmm…" He hummed, curious as to how such a thing existed. In his world, corn was eaten plain. Nothing special was done to it. He wondered what it would look like in the end…copyright protection220PENANAiuJxZpcrLY
"What about hot chocolate?" She prodded, snapping her fingers to get him out of his head. His eyes focused on her and frowned.copyright protection220PENANArjOWSbfq1a
"I suppose."copyright protection220PENANA7b3vdDV2sy
She sighed at his noncommittal answer. Moving over to the fridge, she opened it and took out a dark brown bottle from the door. Law glanced at the label. It said 'Hershey's.'copyright protection220PENANAtKcXEGdu0D
"Chocolate syrup." Lexi said, noticing his ever-present look of confusion. He nodded silently, and she retrieved two mugs from the cupboard. Then frowning suddenly, she turned to Law. "Where's Bepo?"copyright protection220PENANAD9EuCdPcgf
"He went outside for some air. He doesn't like feeling cooped up inside." She nodded, continuing with her work.copyright protection220PENANAqcQsEEy6IQ
A popping sound from the microwave caused Law to swing his gaze that direction. Inside the machine, the bag steadily grew larger.copyright protection220PENANAYV8k2FGu9f
"Is that normal?" He asked, and she chuckled.copyright protection220PENANAUso23V1UXp
"Yeah, all the corn kernels are being heated, so when the gases inside try to escape the covering, it pops open. That's what that noise is." Her grin didn't disappear as she poured some milk into each cup. "The wonders of popcorn, huh?"copyright protection220PENANAxqU3lqwj4k
"I see." He replied seriously, the sarcasm passing way over his head. Lexi sighed again, realizing that most things that would be funny in her world were still foreign and probably considered serious in theirs. Still, it would be fun to mess with them.copyright protection220PENANAighduFglMc
After stirring in the chocolate and taking out the popcorn bag from the microwave, she replaced it with the cups and set it for two minutes. While that was going, she dug out a big purple plastic bowl from the cupboard, placing it on the counter.copyright protection220PENANAqWq32ofEsK
"This is the best part." She said, gesturing him closer. He did so, looking at the expanded bag. Steam rose from the small crack in the top. Taking hold of each side, he watched as she slowly pulled apart and the top ripped open. The steam rose faster as cooler air hit the inside, and a heavenly smell accompanied it. Unwittingly, he took a deep breath, inhaling the scent.copyright protection220PENANAxPBfallQQa
She must have noticed, because she laughed a little. "Smells good, right?" He nodded, eager to taste something that smelled so wonderful.copyright protection220PENANAkaILNE1PWv
She pulled apart the other side and dumped the contents of the bag into the bowl. Law raised a brow at the white, fluffy appearance of the kernels. That was not what he'd expected. Grabbing one, Lexi popped it into her mouth with a crunch. She took one from the top and held it out. "Try it."copyright protection220PENANA9go8lIIj6m
Taking a bite, he was amazed that it had a distinct buttery taste. Perhaps the crops in Lexi's world were modified to taste different…copyright protection220PENANAoDyJ0Kk4ki
"Take this and I'll meet you in the fort." She smiled, handing him the bowl of popcorn. Giving her one more glance, he stalked off to the living room where their makeshift shelter stood. He still wasn't very impressed by the outcome, but for the sake of avoiding an argument he didn't say anything.copyright protection220PENANAp32tfndyNG
Crouching, he crawled inside with the purple bowl, taking care not to get caught on any of the hanging sides of the blankets. He was sure that if he ruined the fort in any way he'd never hear the end of it from their host. She had looked so proud putting it all together, after all.copyright protection220PENANA480BhehHbr
Stretching out his legs, he was surprised that be was barely able to fit. If he had been any taller, there'd be no room. His head only had an inch or two of clearance above him before the blanket they'd stretched across the table hit him. The laptop was already inside, resting on the floor with the screen facing him.copyright protection220PENANAWvX80JP0qW
A moment later, he heard Lexi's footsteps approach softly on the carpet. Her shadow moved across the wall, and then she appeared at the 'doorway.' Though it didn't look much like a doorway in his opinion. She held out a mug of the hot drink, which he took carefully. The rich smell of chocolate hit his nose, and he took another whiff of it.copyright protection220PENANAnc5JIPiCRJ
"I make the best hot chocolate. Nana might tell you otherwise, but don't believe her." She boasted, suddenly making a shooing gesture at him. "Scoot over."copyright protection220PENANANZBLvkT3v5
Careful not to spill his drink, he moved over to the left enough for her to get inside. After settling herself nicely, she took a sip from the drink and set it beside her. Then, she leaned over for the laptop, placing it directly in the middle of them so they could both see.copyright protection220PENANAwQFYpsbDT2
"Alright, what should we watch?" She asked, turning to him. He frowned.copyright protection220PENANAtQ9BrvkKRQ
"How do you expect me to answer that exactly?" She glanced away, realizing she'd forgotten that Law knew nothing about visual entertainment in her world.copyright protection220PENANAGVO606kOI6
"Right…yeah, forgot you're not from around here. Anyways, there's movies or TV shows. Take your pick."copyright protection220PENANAWJg5EwyhRU
"What is a movie?" Lexi shook her head, typing in her password with a deep sigh.copyright protection220PENANA5zeUvZ4uuF
"They're like really long TV shows. Anyways, I'll decide. Since you apparently know nothing about anything." Ignoring the angry glare from the pirate, she clicked a few things on the screen and came to a gray page with bolded red letters that read 'Netflix."copyright protection220PENANApD5ya7Elzf
After another few screens, there popped up a list of pictures and words attached. Reading some of them, 'House of Cards,' 'Supernatural,' 'Sherlock,' they made no sense to him, but he did assume they were these movies or TV shows that Lexi spoke of before.copyright protection220PENANAM7dXgeCmfO
"How does the Avengers sound?" She asked, clicking on the picture with the words 'Marvel's Avengers' underneath it.copyright protection220PENANAkKlAjm1Q5L
"What is an Avenger?" He asked, and she chuckled, reaching over for the popcorn.copyright protection220PENANAdfgIU8VNdF
"Shh. You'll see." She cut off, pressing her volume button several times as the opening scene began to play.copyright protection220PENANAqtgZKhkdP2
"Shit. Shit…" Shachi mumbled, walking beside Penguin as they searched aisle after aisle for the old woman. "She's got to be here somewhere, right?"copyright protection220PENANAfrKYiGgfvA
Several people nearby gave them strange or dirty looks but they ignored them, already used to such treatment as pirates back home. They picked up their pace, Penguin still holding the bottle of medication that Nana said they needed. Now, all they had to do was find Lexi's grandmother.copyright protection220PENANACOCw6rxS3c
"It didn't take us very long to find that stuff, right? She can't have gone far…" Penguin tried reassuring himself and his friend. At least, he surely hoped she couldn't. That old woman was full of surprises.copyright protection220PENANAkuuKxmxObR
"Umm…hey, you." Shachi stopped and pointed at a middle-aged man pushed a metal cart of some kind. He frowned as they approached.copyright protection220PENANA2qjfDBs5gk
"Yes?" He questioned.copyright protection220PENANAXmxvBkDcml
"Have you seen an old lady, white hair, blue pants and a green shirt, anywhere? Maybe within the last few minutes or so?" The man thought for a moment before shaking his head, his eyes scanning around them just in case.copyright protection220PENANAdbwbFqrdT6
"No, sorry." He started pushing his cart away, and the two friends cursed under their breath, back to square one with the search.copyright protection220PENANAos2FVnmaax
"What if we split up, cover more ground?" Shachi suggested. Penguin shrugged.copyright protection220PENANAc8eiSkBakR
"Sounds good, but how are we going to find each other again? This place is pretty big and we could be going around in circles for hours."copyright protection220PENANAelSQrm0BYF
"Hmm…that's true. Alright, well then we'll meet right here in twenty minutes whether we've found Nana or not."copyright protection220PENANAW1MjJQZ84g
"Alright, I'll see you back here soon." They fist bumped, then turned opposite directions in search of the old woman, hoping that wherever she was, she wasn't having another one of her episodes.copyright protection220PENANAckYLjvKATA
"Nana?" Penguin called, searching back and forth as he walked down the main walkway. People passed him and gave curious glances, but otherwise left him be to return to their own business. The pirate cupped his hands around his mouth. "Nana?"copyright protection220PENANAnnk3NTTXmA
The aisles around him were full of clothing on either side. One section looked like garments for small children and babies, while the one opposite was for female attire. Women perused the ladies section, picking up pants and shirts and holding them against their bodies to see a relative size. He circled the clothing, trying to see if the older woman was within the racks and shelves.copyright protection220PENANA7Uy59Nb4nW
While searching, he caught a glimpse of the underwear and bra aisle. Penguin let out a small gasp, stifling it quickly by stuffing his hand in his mouth and biting. Now wasn't the time to go full pervert. There would be opportunities later, or so he told himself. Anything to get away from what could possibly be the thing that got him kicked out or arrested. As Lexi would have said. Shaking his head vigorously, he forced his feet to walk another direction.copyright protection220PENANArGOL4J0ztB
Shachi stood in front of a strange cage-looking device, cocking his head curiously. There weren't any bars, unless you counted the widely spaced strings that ran vertically along the whole thing. Inside were an assortment of plastic balls in various colors. Some were large, some were huge, and others just a little smaller.copyright protection220PENANAHWFjZ8NaPu
"Nana? Are you in there?" He paused but didn't hear an answer. Maybe she was sleeping? Deciding that it would be better to check, he took out the first ball, pulling it through the ropes until it broke free. Tossing it behind him, it bounced away and he reached for the next one.copyright protection220PENANA6DbejapUvs
An elderly couple passed by, staring sternly at him as if he was doing something wrong. He didn't understand what they were so angry about and so he shrugged and proceeded to empty the cage of plastic play toys.copyright protection220PENANAhCZitSbIo1
*One Hour Later*copyright protection220PENANABTedB7Sz2m
Penguin found himself being escorted to the front of the store, his shoulder gripped by an intimidating security guard who glared at everything he looked at. The man had a tight hold on him, so there was no possibility of escape. Resolutely, Penguin sighed and allowed himself to be led to a room that said 'Customer Service and Security.'copyright protection220PENANAvG2WMGKOXH
"Sit down." The guard said, letting go of his arm and pointing to a set of chairs. Surprised, Penguin's eyebrows rose when he saw his friend already waiting there. He approached and sat beside him.copyright protection220PENANAR0s7WNBMYN
"Dude, what happened?" He asked, and the red head crossed his arms with a pout.copyright protection220PENANAu8d38ROdQD
"I tried looking for Nana in some weird cage-looking things filled with plastic balls, but apparently you're not allowed to take them all out and climb to the top to see further." He glanced at Penguin. "You?"copyright protection220PENANA1b945cG3bQ
"Well, I found this set of doors that looked important, and I went inside. There was this huge warehouse-type room and I tried moving all the boxes around to find her, but no luck. Oh, and I got caught and they brought me here." He mentioned, scratching the back of his neck.copyright protection220PENANAFZaDtQkDCS
Shachi sighed. "And we're still no closer to finding Nana…" He muttered, slumping against his seat. One glance at the front desk made it very clear that they were being watched carefully by the guards. "I doubt they'd let us go either. They look mean."copyright protection220PENANAhiOaVwJR8Y
"Let go of me, you commie bastard!" A voice said, and the two pirates swung their gazes towards the entrance. There, a very irritated Nana was being led to a nearby seat by a female security guard.copyright protection220PENANAth40K4r2Bl
"Ma'am, I'm gonna need you to calm down. Is there someone you can call?" The guard asked, assisting Nana into the chair. The older woman complied, albeit with a scowl.copyright protection220PENANAoCAnmQYztq
"I ain't giving you any information! No way I'd give up the security of my country!" She shouted, shoving her hand away. Sighing, the guard stood and walked over to the desk where the others waited, then whispers something to them.copyright protection220PENANAhGoz7VuI7t
"Wait, we're with her!" Shachi called, getting the guards' attention. They all frowned.copyright protection220PENANA3K3r09QW8f
"Oh really?" Doubt edged itself into one of their voices. He turned to Nana and gestured to the engineers. "Do you know these two?"copyright protection220PENANAn5XemwqCGH
Nana turned and squinted in their direction, then clarity returned to her eyes. "Oh yes! You two are those exchange students Lexi brought home!" She glanced around suspiciously. "Boys, it looks like we're gonna need an escape plan to get out of this Nazi bunker. Did you see any exits?"copyright protection220PENANABDFcBlEbWU
"Alright…" The female guard said, sauntering over to the two pirates. "Since you guys are from out of the country as exchange students, I can't advise you to drive. Is there someone she knows you can call and ask to pick her up?"copyright protection220PENANANb8ctyd0dN
"Yeah, Lexi-chan! She can help us." Penguin answered. Then, he remembered something. "Oh, and we have to get this medication for her since she'd sick. How do we do that?"copyright protection220PENANA7LD7JSSmKG
The guard glanced around for a moment, looking for the answer. Then, eyes falling onto Nana once more, she sighed again. "I'll take care of any purchase you may have." She reached out for the bottle and Penguin handed it over.copyright protection220PENANAF2rhGRfJx8
The two pirates walked over to Nana. She looked up in surprise, as if only now realizing they were there.copyright protection220PENANA4ETZn0sgfM
"Nana, we need Lexi-chan's phone number so we can call her." Shachi explained. The old woman's eyes narrowed.copyright protection220PENANAsbFwUdQfpL
"Are you gonna tell her we need reinforcements and a way out of this compound?" She asked skeptically. Exchanging a glance with Penguin, they shrugged.copyright protection220PENANA1YCyYhvXOv
"Uhh, yeah, sure."copyright protection220PENANAotg3rT9G3C
With a satisfied nod, Nana dug into her purse for her phone and handed it to the two. They pressed the front button, just like Lexi's was, and came to a screen with lots of pictures.copyright protection220PENANA3okTFDVrXS
"Hmm…how do we find her number?" Penguin mumbled, staring down at the phone in confusion.copyright protection220PENANAoseSNZ5ms8
"Here, try this button!" Shachi pressed an icon on the screen, both of them hoping it was the right one. These phones were really confusing…copyright protection220PENANAVVMPp6qH4K
Law watched as a bunch of words moved upwards and off of the screen, a list of hundreds of names. Not quite sure what to do, since Lexi was fast asleep leaning against his shoulder, he simply waited until perhaps the thing would stop itself. At least he got the opportunity to be up close again. He knew that she got all embarrassed about things like that once she realized what was happening. He thoroughly enjoyed her flustered reactions. They were amusing. And the fact that she looked rather attractive wasn't bad either...copyright protection220PENANABKU1wO45kJ
In all honesty, he hadn't understood most of what Lexi had tried explaining to him in regards to the movie, too engrossed in trying to keep up with half of what the technology was throughout the movie. There were too many terms and sciences he didn't know, and therefore he couldn't enjoy it much.copyright protection220PENANA4EXbHNTG6k
There was a loud buzzing noise between them, and Law looked down to see Lexi's phone vibrating. The screen was lit up with the name 'Nana' on it. A green button and a red button was below that, and it continued to buzz.copyright protection220PENANAHB7u09oEvy
Unsure of how to respond, Law decided that he'd better wake up Lexi herself. Gently shaking her shoulder, he leaned over to whisper.copyright protection220PENANAYSyRkL2PP6
"Lexi-ya, wake up."copyright protection220PENANACaUTqR3jjm
She mumbled a few indecipherable words before cracking one eye open. Her eyes widened when she realized that her cheek was shoved against his upper arm, and she quickly pushed herself off before he could say anything. She didn't miss the amused smirk though, and he didn't miss the faint blush forming on her cheeks. Gaze directed downwards at the phone, she straightened up and grabbed the device. Holding it up to her ear, she rubbed at her eyes to try to wake up, all the while hoping that Law would let this little incident go. "Hello?"copyright protection220PENANABxUphHDH0C
"Hey, Lexi-chan!" Shachi basically shouted into the phone. The brunette had to hold it away from her ear so it wouldn't hurt. "We have a little problem…"copyright protection220PENANAtVMvjuwyTm
"What happened?" She mumbled, still not fully awake. Yawning, she covered her mouth and awaited the bad news.copyright protection220PENANAHvov3pQFQU
"Well, the good news is that we found the medicine! It wasn't too hard, and didn't take too long…" He rambled, but Lexi was having none of it.copyright protection220PENANAxlGY8jJLsx
"Shachi, get on with it." He laughed nervously on the other end.copyright protection220PENANAegU39Q4Bok
"Ah, right…well, Nana sort of started thinking she's in the war again and now we don't have a way of getting back."copyright protection220PENANALeaumA2D86
Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the couch cushion. "God dammit…" She muttered, catching the interest of Law who still sat beside her. He patiently munched on a couple popcorn pieces while she finished her call. "I don't have any way of getting there, you guys have the truck."copyright protection220PENANAdC0Pz8CIi2
"Well, what are we supposed to do then?"copyright protection220PENANAf3d8IaTYfy
Quickly thinking, Lexi sighed. "I can try asking if Brittany can pick you up. Where are you guys at?"copyright protection220PENANAOXldRp21dP
"Umm…Walmart, I think."copyright protection220PENANAVBKjUaHOWP
"Well, which one? Do you know?"copyright protection220PENANAEPcEl9aOQ2
"No…"copyright protection220PENANAGPMJr8sSfU
Lexi rubbed at a quickly-forming headache, wishing that everything wasn't so complicated and messed up. Why couldn't she just have one day to relax and rest without something horrible happening?copyright protection220PENANAgs6Jdb7G1L
"Ok, well are you guys at security?"copyright protection220PENANAkAjXS4y63d
"Yeah, and they look really scary." He admitted.copyright protection220PENANAodTPFDLZVV
"Ok, ask one of them which town you're in." Barely, she could hear Shachi asking someone where they were. A moment later, she heard the phone rustle as he brought it back up to his ear.copyright protection220PENANAf3R7U4kCm7
"We're in Bakersfield."copyright protection220PENANAjIsT3nU3p7
"Alright, well at least that's not too far away. Stay there and I'll call Brittany to see if she can help. Don't move or leave the security guard's sight. Understand?" She clarified, emphasizing her instructions so they knew exactly what to do. With them, you could never be too careful.copyright protection220PENANAGeJEO5rxvt
"Roger that."copyright protection220PENANAxeSA5jTVu7
"Ok, I'll call you back when I hear from Brittany." She hung up the phone, slouching in her seated position.copyright protection220PENANADXzsIOsTpB
"Problems I assume?" She didn't bother to answer, instead picking the phone back up to call her friend.copyright protection220PENANAumDHw1sHsn
She waited a few seconds as the line rang, hoping beyond hope that she would pick up.copyright protection220PENANARK0XKkAEhK
"Sup, Lex?" She answered, and Lexi sighed in relief.copyright protection220PENANAaMvO3ywTLc
"I need to ask a favor. Are you doing anything important right now?" There were a couple voices on the other end that didn't sound like Brittany.copyright protection220PENANAMwuylc4ibV
"Uh, kind of on a date right now, waiting on him to get back from the bathroom. But what's up?"copyright protection220PENANAstB3WGtN7A
"Nana went to the store with a couple of the…exchange students to get medicine. Law and I are sick and they have the truck. She had an episode at the store and now they're stuck there since the other two can't drive."copyright protection220PENANA09Vli8FIUC
"Ah, geez. That really sucks. Where are they at?"copyright protection220PENANA1ndlrdSxRG
"The Walmart in Bakersfield. I really don't wanna ask since you're busy, but I don't have very many options right now…" She hesitantly admitted, knowing she could always call a neighbor, even though they could be grouchy about doing them favors sometimes.copyright protection220PENANAvpTyW4WSWH
"Sure, no problem. I'll head over and pick them up, then I'll bring you back so you can get the truck?"copyright protection220PENANAa74Cpd1sv1
"Yeah. Thanks, you're a life saver. And are you sure? You said you were on a date." Lexi hated feeling like she was a burden, or that she was being an inconvenience so she just wanted to make sure.copyright protection220PENANAyjlNSaIw60
"Honestly? I'd give the guy maybe a 6 out of 10. I'll pass on him. You know, since you're my best friend. Sisters before misters. Chicks before dicks. You feel?"copyright protection220PENANAM04dc37qk4
Despite herself, Lexi gave a chuckle. "Right, but thanks again."copyright protection220PENANA7Qf2a6p2Fy
"No problem babe, see you soon."copyright protection220PENANAs8VS1E82cZ
Lexi hung up and let her phone fall the the floor. "I'm so done with today…" She muttered, covering her face with her hands. Law chuckled beside her, before going into a fit of coughing again.copyright protection220PENANApViTs6Pt7Z
ns54.85.57.0da2