M is for Mannly Beauty (Alan Eppes/Margaret Mann)
Author: Jelsemium
Pairing/Characters: Alan Eppes/Margaret Mann
Rating: G
Word Count: 600
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I do not own them, or Alan would not be a widower
** ** **
Alan Eppes wanted to see her again, the dark haired beauty who had stolen his heart. He lurked around the lunch line, hoping that Margaret Mann would show.
His patience was finally rewarded.
"Margaret!" he said happily.
"Don't talk to me," Margaret snapped.
"What? What's wrong?" Alan asked.
"I made a mistake," Margaret said stiffly. "I thought you were one of the good guys."
Alan blinked. "But, I am a good guy!" he protested.
"I meant, I thought you were one of the people who were fighting to help these poor people," Margaret said. "Not one of the monsters who are trying to take their homes away."
"Hey!" Alan said. "We're not monsters! There's more to this situation than that!" He gestured vaguely in the direction of the disputed area. "Those buildings are not fit for human habitation!"
"Well, it's better than living on the street!"
"No it's not!" Alan said. "These buildings are death traps. The stairs could break. The wiring could start a fire. The paint alone contains enough lead to kill an elephant. And what about the next earthquake? Do you really want these people to be buried alive?"
Margaret opened her mouth. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she shut it again.
"These people need help," she said.
"I agree," Alan replied. "What would help them would be some jobs."
Margaret's face went maroon and she slammed her purse into Alan's face.
Alan staggered back a few steps and lifted his hand to his face. "Hey! What was that for?"
"You arrogant, stuck up..." Margaret drew her arm back for another strike, but Alan intercepted the purse.
"Stop that!" Alan ordered.
"How dare you insinuate that these people are poor because they are too lazy to work?" Margaret hissed.
Alan bit back the urge to swear. They already had a big enough audience. "Don't put words in my mouth!" he hissed. He let go of her purse and drew himself to his full height.
Margaret's eyes went wide and she took a step back.
"I did not say they were lazy!" Alan growled. "I never implied that they didn't want jobs! I said that they needed jobs!
Margaret put her hand over her mouth and blushed.
Alan gave her a severe look.
Margaret's blush went from pink to rose red. "I am so sorry," she said. "I really have to learn to keep my temper." She sighed and shot Alan a shy look.
"Well, you can make it up to me," Alan said magnanimously.
"Ah, of course, what do you want me to do?"
"You could marry me."
Neither noticed the sniggers from the spectators.
"That seems..." Margaret gaped at him as her mind wrapped itself around his words. "WHAT?"
"I said, you could buy me lunch," Alan said blandly. "Why? What did you think I said?"
"I..." Margaret closed her mouth. She stared at Alan for several minutes.
"Kiss him!" one of the spectators shouted.
Reminded of their audience, Margaret blushed again and turned away. "Mr. Eppes, would you care to join me for lunch?" She rolled her eyes and added. "If you say, 'Why, are you falling apart?' I will kiss you."
There were some hoots from the onlookers.
Alan's eyebrows went up and his pulse started racing. "What?"
"I said, if you use that hoary old joke, I will kick you." She smiled sweetly. "Why? What did you think I said?"
Pairing/Characters: Alan Eppes/Margaret Mann
Rating: G
Word Count: 600
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I do not own them, or Alan would not be a widower
** ** **
Alan Eppes wanted to see her again, the dark haired beauty who had stolen his heart. He lurked around the lunch line, hoping that Margaret Mann would show.
His patience was finally rewarded.
"Margaret!" he said happily.
"Don't talk to me," Margaret snapped.
"What? What's wrong?" Alan asked.
"I made a mistake," Margaret said stiffly. "I thought you were one of the good guys."
Alan blinked. "But, I am a good guy!" he protested.
"I meant, I thought you were one of the people who were fighting to help these poor people," Margaret said. "Not one of the monsters who are trying to take their homes away."
"Hey!" Alan said. "We're not monsters! There's more to this situation than that!" He gestured vaguely in the direction of the disputed area. "Those buildings are not fit for human habitation!"
"Well, it's better than living on the street!"
"No it's not!" Alan said. "These buildings are death traps. The stairs could break. The wiring could start a fire. The paint alone contains enough lead to kill an elephant. And what about the next earthquake? Do you really want these people to be buried alive?"
Margaret opened her mouth. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she shut it again.
"These people need help," she said.
"I agree," Alan replied. "What would help them would be some jobs."
Margaret's face went maroon and she slammed her purse into Alan's face.
Alan staggered back a few steps and lifted his hand to his face. "Hey! What was that for?"
"You arrogant, stuck up..." Margaret drew her arm back for another strike, but Alan intercepted the purse.
"Stop that!" Alan ordered.
"How dare you insinuate that these people are poor because they are too lazy to work?" Margaret hissed.
Alan bit back the urge to swear. They already had a big enough audience. "Don't put words in my mouth!" he hissed. He let go of her purse and drew himself to his full height.
Margaret's eyes went wide and she took a step back.
"I did not say they were lazy!" Alan growled. "I never implied that they didn't want jobs! I said that they needed jobs!
Margaret put her hand over her mouth and blushed.
Alan gave her a severe look.
Margaret's blush went from pink to rose red. "I am so sorry," she said. "I really have to learn to keep my temper." She sighed and shot Alan a shy look.
"Well, you can make it up to me," Alan said magnanimously.
"Ah, of course, what do you want me to do?"
"You could marry me."
Neither noticed the sniggers from the spectators.
"That seems..." Margaret gaped at him as her mind wrapped itself around his words. "WHAT?"
"I said, you could buy me lunch," Alan said blandly. "Why? What did you think I said?"
"I..." Margaret closed her mouth. She stared at Alan for several minutes.
"Kiss him!" one of the spectators shouted.
Reminded of their audience, Margaret blushed again and turned away. "Mr. Eppes, would you care to join me for lunch?" She rolled her eyes and added. "If you say, 'Why, are you falling apart?' I will kiss you."
There were some hoots from the onlookers.
Alan's eyebrows went up and his pulse started racing. "What?"
"I said, if you use that hoary old joke, I will kick you." She smiled sweetly. "Why? What did you think I said?"