No Man's Land

Author's Note: I promised that before I started writing chapter 17 I would write this, so here it is! It has no time frame, it just happened. All I know is that it is when Taz was younger cause she's gonna have long hair and she's graduated the Academy and Up is still teaching there. That's pretty much it! Oh... at the end of this there is a super special only gonna get it here summary for chapter 17!

Dedication: This is to Happyasasquirrel! She was my 100th reviewer and this is her reward:)

Disclaimer: Really…

Taz watched as Junior made his way across the crowded bar and appear in front of her.

"This seat taken?" He pointed at the one next to her. Taz opened her mouth but he didn't let her speak. "Well now it is."

He plopped down next to her and turned to the bar tender.

"A beer for me and something tropical for the little lady." He turned back to Taz and winked.

She rolled her eyes as the bar tender set the drinks on the bar top.

"Ya know… I'm surprised this seat was open. Someone as pretty as you should never be left alone." He took a swing of his beer

"What do jou want, Hunior? Did someone not hear who jour padre was again?" She played with the umbrella in her drink.

"Noooo, I was just sitting across the bar. Did you know that there are tons of beautiful women here and I can't keep my eyes off of you?" He asked changing the subject.

Taz chuckled and flipped her side braid over her shoulder.

"So how's training going? I saw you throw that 100 pound weight across the gym. It was pretty impressive." Taz raised her eyebrows at him. "Don't look so surprised that I saw that!"

She shrugged her shoulders and a sip of her drink. She made a face in disgust but Junior was too busy flirting with her to notice. She turned and set her almost full glass on the bar top.

"I think it's time to go home now."

"Well that's forward of you but ok." Taz just rolled her eyes. "You been drinking, I'll drive."

"Hunior, I walked here."

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Up walked into the bar and looked around for Taz. He spotted her sitting next to… Junior? He watched as she laughed at something he said and flip her hair over her shoulder. He gave her a 'what the hell?' look and she just responded with a shoulder shrug.

He really didn't like this feeling that Junior was making him feel. He wasn't supposed to feel this way over a guy talking to Taz. He was a teacher at the academy and the toughest son of a bitch that ever was a Starship Ranger. She was only 22 and he was almost 30!

"Taz! I'm so sorry, but we have to go! I got caught up in grading papers and I completely forgot that we have a meeting!" He walked over to the pair. As he got closer, he heard more of their conversation. He did not like the way Junior was talking to her. "I'm sorry to pull ya away when you look like you're having such a good time."

"We have a meeting?" Taz's eyes went wide.

"Yeah! We're gonna be late if we don't leave, like, right now." He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the stool and out of the bar.

"Up, why didn't you tell me about this meeting?" She stopped running, but didn't pull her hand out of his.

Up pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "Cause there isn't one."

Taz pulled away from him and jerked her hand from his. She gave him a look of disgust.

"What's wrong? Was it cause I took you away from Junior?" Taz didn't say anything and just looked at the floor. "Sorry, didn't realize you two had a thing now."

"We don't have a ding! He was hust talking to me."

"And I really didn't like the way he was talkin' to ya and you shouldn't either. Yeah, I saw you laughing and smiling at the things he said to you. He treated you like one of those girls that he takes home from the bar."

"So jou rescued me? Do jou not think dat I can handle myself?" Her voice was rising. "I'm not jour property! When a guy comes along dat wants jour property, jou fight for it! But dat is not what I am!"

She finished her rant and looked at Up. He didn't have any emotion on his face.

"Let's make a deal: Dating is no man's land. We can't come to each other's rescue when we see someding we don't like. We'll let each other make our own mistakes."

"Deal." He stuck out his hand. Taz grasped it and they shook.

7777

Taz walked into the bar the next night and looked around. It wasn't too crowded but it was early. She saw Junior sitting at the bar and when he saw her, he motioned her over. She looked some more and spotted Up talking to an attractive brunette. She held up a finger to Junior telling she'll be over in a minute.

"Hey, Taz! Sorry, I got done grading those papers early and I guess you fell asleep waiting and I just didn't want to wake ya." Up greeted as she walked over.

The brunette cleared her throat trying to get Up to notice that she was still there.

"Oh, right! Taz this is Amber. She's the girl I've been seeing for a few weeks." Up put his hand on her back.

Taz didn't like that. She actually didn't like anything about this Amber girl. From her brown hair that looked like it cooperated with more than a braid to her perfectly manicured toes that were shoved into four inch heels.

"Pleasure." Amber sneered. "Up, sweetie, let's go get something to drink."

Taz turned away from them and walked over to Junior.

"Something wrong?" He asked as she slumped in her seat.

"Give me the strongest ding jou got." She called to the bar tender. "No, why?"

She turned to him with innocent eyes and Junior couldn't help but chuckle. Hours past and both of them had had five too many drinks

"You are the hardest puzzle I've ever encountered, but I'm going to solve you." Junior said looking into her eyes.

"Is dat a promise or a challenge?" She answered seductively.

Junior didn't answer her for a minute but just cocked his head to the side a bit.

"Go out with me."

"What?" She nearly spit out her drink.

"You heard me. Let me take you out on a date. Hell, we can even bring Up and that new girl of his, who is more like sex on legs than a real person with feelings and a brain."

"Jour ok, Hunior Spaceclaw. I may hust keep jou around." She hiccupped.

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Tonight was the big date and Taz decided that if she wanted to compete with Amber there was only thing she could do.

"De only way to impress Up- I mean Hunior is to look really good. Dere is only one person on dis ship dat can do dat." Taz thought as she marched down the hall.

She hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A sing-songy voice came from within.

Taz was about to turn around, regretting her decision to even come down this hall, when the door was flung open. There in front of her was a perky blonde with boobs bigger than her brain.

"Tazzie! What brings you to my door?" She asked using that ridiculous pet name.

"Hi February." She greeted the girl as nicely as possible. "It's now or never."

"Tazzie?"

"I need jou to help me to get ready for a date." Taz said quietly.

"You're going on a date!" February practically screamed.

Taz pulled the blonde into her room. "SHHHHHH! I don't want de whole ship to know!"

"Ok ok! I've got a gift card to Forever 21000, let me get my purse." February ran over to her bed. She ran back over and grabbed Taz's hands. "I am going to make you look so gorgeous!"

7777

They had decided to have dinner at the Olive Garden. Not too casual, but not too fancy. Taz had to admit February was good at making people look good because as Taz walked in and looked for their table, every guy's head was turning.

"Taz?" She heard a familiar voice say behind her.

She turned around and found Junior sitting in a booth. She sat across from him and when Up and Amber showed up, Taz scooted out of the booth and over to Junior's side.

"Wow. Taz you look amazing." Up said when she stood up.

She was wearing a blue and white striped dress that stopped about 5 inches above her knees. The top was tight, the bottom wasn't and it swayed around her. There was a thick, tan belt that was just above her hips and showed them off. The dress was strapless with a sweet heart neckline and she wore tan wedge heels that matched the belt. Her long, brown hair was in braid that came over her shoulder.

"Gracias, Commander. Nice, tie." She said as she sat down next to Junior. She looked at Amber and mentally praised February for her work. She could compete with this girl.

She was in a plain teal dress that zipped up the back. She had on black pumps and some silver bangles. Her hair was straight and loose, going about half way down her back.

They chatted for a while and ordered dinner. Taz and Up kept noticing little things about the other person's date that irritated them more and more.

Near the end of the date when they were ordering dessert, Taz finally had had enough.

"El siempre se sale con su propio postre." She said quietly.

"I know that Taz but I'm on a date tonight." He responded.

"Mierda! I forgot he took those Spanish classes. Just fire it right back at him." She thought. "Well last week when we were wid dat Amanda girl, jou didn't share jour dessert wid her. Jou said dat was a date, too, remember?"

Amber looked at Up with fire in her eyes. "Whose Amanda?"

"She was Taz's and I's waitress when we went out to lunch two days ago!" He defended himself. He turned to Taz. "Can we talk?"

They got up from the table and walked over to a cart holding some desserts. Amber and Junior had a clear view of them because the cart was at the end of the row of booths.

"What was that back there?" He asked fiercely.

"I hust don't like her. I dink jou can do better." She replied nonchalantly.

"What happened to 'let's make our own mistakes'?"

"I'm hust helping along the process." She smirked.

"Taz, this isn't funny! I've had it up to here with Junior and his sleazy moves and his arrogant attitude, but I haven't said anything!"

"I didn't say anyding about jour date! I only commented on someding about jou! But if I had said anyding about her, it would be dat she is a gold digging, self-centered, tacky, little slut!" People were starting to look at them as their voices started to rise.

"I wonder what they're talking about." Amber said to Junior.

"At least my date doesn't smoke pot!"
"At least my date isn't a whore!"

"At least my date doesn't flaunt around her social status!"

"At least my date had de decency to wear underwear! Jeah, I saw way too much when I went to get my fork from under de table!"

"I think it's us." Junior answered quietly.

The two continued to argue about the promise that was broken and everything that was wrong with the others dates. Finally, Taz just got so angry that she grabbed a small chocolate cake from the dessert cart next to them and smashed it into Up's face. Up retaliated by taking two cakes and smashing one in her face and another on top of her head.

They stopped and looked at each other. They looked around and noticed everyone staring at them. They looked at the ground, completely mortified.

"Todo lo que quería esa noche era para impresionar. I don't even like Hunior." Taz said quietly.

"Taz, you don't need to try and impress me. I already think you look beautiful tonight, even with cake all over you." He added as bent down, he wiped some chocolate off her face, and stuck it in his mouth. "You're also quite delicious, too."

They were almost nose to nose now.

"Dis promise was stupid. When I dink jour wid de wrong person, I want to be able to tell jou."

"Can I tell you a secret?" He took her face in his hands and pressed his nose to hers. Taz nodded and put one of her hands on his. "I'll always think you're with the wrong person, unless you're with me."

Then he kissed her. It was a soft kiss that lasted about a minute. Almost everyone in the restaurant reacted with cheers and awwws. They broke apart and just stared at each other.

"Do you want to go and get cleaned up and then watch the Karate Kid at my place?" Up asked.

"Would I ever! I hust want to be in sweat pants right now. I've worn dis dress for over four hours and dats a record!" Taz cried.

Up laughed as they walked out of the restaurant hand and hand.

"I think they just ditched us!" Amber huffed.

"And they left us with the check!" Junior added as they waiter brought it over.

FINALLY! I finished it:) Ok real quick before I give you the summary of chapter 17! I saw the Hunger Games on the 24th (last Saturday) and it was AMAZING! Really good book movie (read them like two years ago)! Ok that's all I'm going to say and that is all you are going to say too. If you want to mention it in your review all you can say is if you enjoyed it or not, I don't want any fights to start. One quick thing though: I was sitting in the front row bawling over Rue's death when I turn around to look and see if anyone else is too. I'm the only one in the theatre crying! Is that not insane? Ok I'm done talking about it now… onto the summary!

Chapter 17: Title: I'm so 'effing calm!

Jessica starts freaking out when Up isn't back with the rest of the crew and starts freaking out even more when she discovers that they have to stop on Earth to refuel and that it will take even longer to find Up. She is worried that Taz will get close to him and take him away from her. The rest of the crew is worried about Taz and Up but Jessica is only worried about Up.

Quote: First one- Pilot: Ma'am, you have to calm down or we will have to ask you to leave the command room.

Jessica: I'm so fucking calm!

Second one- trainee: (to the pilot) Should I ask her to leave when we rescue them?

Jessica: Why would you want me to leave?

Trainee: (Pilot signaling for him to not say anything) Well cause last time they were rescued, they were half naked.

Jessica: WHAT?

Pilot: Get out. Both of you. Now!

Until next time!

-Kelly:)