Okay. I redid to chapter. It's still not my best work, but a vast improvement, I think. Hope you like.
Mindy still couldn't believe all that had happened to her in the past couple of weeks. Even now, it didn't seem like it was real.
The night she had been kidnapped, Max hadn't left her side until someone had been ordered to take her home. Even then, they had been reluctant to part.
Josh had been waiting anxiously on the porch when she got back, just as the first rays of sunlight began to show over the horizon. She had rushed right into his waiting arms. After that, he had been adament about taking time off from work to spend with her.
Max had called her a time or two since that night to check up on her, but she hadn't actually seen him since then. A source of great disappointment for Mindy.
She and Josh were at the airport now. Her flight was leaving within the hour.
Pete had wanted to go with them and see Mindy off, but Laura had stopped him. It had taken some convincing and nagging, and pointing out that Mindy was at the point where she was just looking for a reason to kick his ass, but he had finally agreed. They had said their goodbyes earlier at Josh's house. That way, Mindy and Josh could have a little time together.
"Flight 117 is now boarding at Gate 14," came the voice on the intercom. It had been saying the same thing for about ten minutes now. Mindy was waiting until most of the other people boarded before she got on the plane herself. As of now, more than half of the people on her flight had boarded. She would be boarding soon, herself.
"Well, I guess this is it," said Josh.
"Yeah." Mindy looked around for the umpteenth time that day.
"Um, are you looking for someone?"
"Yeah, I- uh- I was kinda hoping I would see Max again before I left. I told him I was leaving today."
"I'm sure he would have liked to come see you, but was just too busy." He felt an unexpected and quite ridiculous little pang of jealousy against his own alter-ego. Mindy obviously cared about Max a lot. Well, at least she didn't have a crush on him or anything. That would be really gross. "Besides, you'll be back pretty soon."
"Yeah. Well, I guess I'll see you in a couple weeks. Try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone."
Josh sputtered in mock indignation. "Me? What about you? You get into way more trouble than me."
"Only on rare ocassions. And, as I recall, most of the trouble I get into involves you somehow."
Josh knew that she hadn't really meant anything by that. It was very apparent that Mindy had no idea that he and Max were one and the same person. He was very thankful for that. As nice as it would be to not have to lie to her about it or mislead her, it was safer if she didn't know. "When have I ever gotten you in trouble?" he retorted.
"Well, let's see. There was the time you talked me into helping you take apart Uncle Jeff's power tools to see how they worked. And the time that you tried to make milkshakes and forgot to put the lid on the blender before you turned it on and got chocolate all over us and the walls and ceiling."
"Okay, okay. That's enough now."
"Or that time you borrowed Uncle Jeff's four-hundred-dollar suit and spray-painted it black so we could play Zorro."
"Alright, enough already!" he said very loudly. Loud enough that people around them all stopped what they were doing to look at him. He flushed slightly. Clearing his throat, he gave them a weak smile.
"Making a scene in the airport and making everyone stare at us," she added.
He glared at her.
Mindy snickered. "Not that that stuff wasn't fun, but..."
Josh tried to continue glaring, but sterness and laughter were chasing each other across his face. Finally, he gave up and laughed, pulling her into a hug. "I'll see you when you get back."
"Flight 117 now boarding at Gate 14."
"I'd better get going," said Mindy with a sigh. She picked up her carry-on bag and slung it over her shoulder.
"Oh, before I forget..." he took a small gift-wrapped box out of his pocket.
"Oh, Josh, not another birthday present," she protested. He'd already given her a digital camcorder and a couple of cd's this morning. Not to mention Uncle Jeff's gifts, which had also been a bit extravagent.
"Relax, it's not from me or my dad."
She looked at him, confused. "Well then, who's it from?"
He shrugged. "I mentioned to Berto that your birthday was coming up. I don't know what it is. Why don't you open it?"
Mindy's eyebrows shot up. "Berto?"
"Uh-hu."
She took the box. For nearly a full minute, she just stared at it curiously.
"Well? Hurry up and open it. I'm dying here!" demanded Josh. Mindy jumped.
"Okay, okay. I'm opening it. Jeez, don't get your panties in a bunch."
"I don't wear panties."
"Um," Mindy said, trying to hold in her laughter, "Josh?"
"What?" Then he noticed the very funny looks he was getting. He felt the blush rising to his face and did his damndest to suppress it. "I'm a guy. I wear boxers," he said, trying to grasp what was left of his dignity. It proved quite elusive as people smirked at him. "And I suppose you guys wear panties?" he asked, glaring at the amused males.
"I think I'm going to open this now," said Mindy, traces of laughter still in her voice.
Berto watched anxiously through the vid-link as Mindy took the box and began to unwrap it. He wondered how she was going to react.
Mindy's eyes widened in surprise when she opened the box. Inside was the necklace she had seen at the fair. She removed it from the box and stared at it. Finally, she looked up at Josh. "Berto got this for me?"
"Yep," he nodded.
She hadn't seen a necklace like this anywhere else besides at that booth at the fair. Had he gone back for it? Or had he gotten it that day? And why would a guy like him buy a nice, expensive gift for a girl he barely knew?
She bit her lip to keep from smiling. When she got back, she just might have to get to know Berto a little better.
Then a thought came to her. She looked suspiciously at Josh. "How did you get this past security?"
"Uh, um, well, uh-" He tried to think of an answer that wouldn't get him smacked or yelled at.
"Final boarding call for flight 117 at Gate 14."
"You'd better go before you miss your flight."
She tried to scowl at him. "You so lucked out." She put the lid back on the box and stuffed it into her designer backpack. A gift from her uncle. "Bye." She hugged him again and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye. Hurry back."
"Oh, sure, you say that now. When I get back you'll probably be begging me to go home," she joked.
"Yeah, probably. Get going Morgan."
"I'll see you before school starts. We still need to go shopping for supplies."
He groaned. She laughed evily.
Josh watched her her go through the gate. He moved to the window and tried to spot her at any of the plane windows. "I think she liked it, bro." he said quietly.
"I hope so," said Berto.
Josh waved to Mindy as she took her seat. She pressed her face against the window and waved back.
"You know, it's going to take more than nice gifts to win her over."
"We've been over this," said Berto in an exasperated tone. "I just think she's interesting. I never once said anything about dating her."
"Uh-hu. Sure. And I told you I'm not buying it. You have a crush on her."
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Do not!"
A dog started barking in the background and Josh stiffled his laughter as Berto groaned.
"Excuse me, I have to walk my new bundle of fur and fleas. We will continue this later."
Josh nearly lost control and doubled over as he heard Berto yelling for the dog to get off of him and to stop slobbering on him. Berto was definately not thrilled to have been suckered into keeping the dog that Psycho had used to lure Mindy out of the house that night. Josh couldn't keep him himself and he didn't want to take him to a shelter because he would probably be put down. So, he had turned to Berto, who had immediately refused. But, he had finally given in after enough agents had told him that he needed something else in his life besides a computer and his job. He was even less thrilled with the idea upon finding out that Kat had taken it upon herself to name the dog. The name she had picked? Buttons. Because he was "cute as a button." Now, that was a phrase Josh had never, ever thought he would hear his partner say.
Surprisingly, the dog had taken an immeadiate liking to Berto. He was constantly sitting up against him and licking him. With his leg healing nicely, he was also able to jump up on Berto. A source of great annoyance to the young scientist and great amusment to everyone else.
"Well, one thing's for sure," he said to himself as he watched his cousin's plane take off. "Life is definately about to get a lot more interesting."
The End...
For now.