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Fic: Wooly Bully
Title: Wooly Bully
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Glitch, DG, Cain and a few OCs (mention of Raw, Jeb and Ahamo)
Rating: PG
Summary: Glitch and DG are shopping for yarn
Warning: post-series and pre- Merry Holidays, Cain Seriously, this is so pre-slash it's gen. *Written for Round 10 of prompt-in-a-box. Prompt: "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." (Dr. Seuss). For kseda, who stepped up to my challenge. Also a special thanks to characteraday for the setting and for Harper
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The OCs are mine.
Wooly Bully | Game, Set, Match | Merry Holidays, Cain | Best Intentions
"How about this one?" DG asked, holding up a green mass. Glitch gave it a look, scrunched up his nose and shook his head, continuing to search through the piles. The two of them were standing in front of a large wall of yarn, in every color, size and texture.
Jaden’s was a staple of Central City Square, going all the way back to Dorothy's day. Fabrics, yarns and every notion imaginable - beads to buttons to trimmings - could be found in the shop; it was a crafter's dream. One entire wall of the shop was devoted to nothing but buttons: large and small, round and square... even shiny and dull.
It had taken almost twenty minutes for DG to pull Glitch away, reminding him of the mission at hand. She had been telling her friends about the holiday traditions of the Other Side as the weather began to turn and had been surprised to find that some of them had counterparts in the Zone. Gift-giving wasn't widely practiced, but Glitch had taken a shine to the idea and asked DG to assist him.
So, now, here they stood in the shop. Glitch already had an armful of different-colored skeins and was dropping others as the pile grew. DG kept leaning over to pick up the fallen ones and was constantly catching the looks from the older man behind the counter, who was watching the two of them while assisting a woman with a bolt of fabric.
She noted that he didn't look terribly happy at their presence and flashed to the memory of some of the merchants she'd harangued in her youth - the ones who would rather ban children from even being allowed outside.
A grumble from Glitch brought her attention back to her friend and the princess watched as Glitch tossed the skeins back into the dividers in a haphazard fashion. DG's eyes went wide as she tried to slow him down, moving the colors into the right spots before the man behind the counter had puppies.
"Slow down, Turbo," DG whispered, catching his arm and staring Glitch down. "Let's start this again," she said calmly, helping put the last skeins away. Glitch made a face and she laughed. "Okay, you pick the colors and I'll hold them," she offered. "What color did Cain say he liked?"
Glitch looked back to the yarns and frowned. "Red," he huffed and reached for a bright red bundle. DG smiled, wondering if Glitch realized he'd need more than one. "And blue," he said a moment later, grabbing a royal blue. He passed that to DG and sighed, staring at the rainbow before him.
"And green and brown... and black and red and blue," Glitch rattled off. DG bit her lip, trying not to hear Donny Osmond in her head as Glitch pulled the various colors from the wall.
"That's a lot of favorite colors, Glitch," she offered, giving him a smile.
"I didn't even find the yellow yet," he announced, grabbing a pale yellow and grinning.
"You sure these-" she hemmed, looking at the pile growing in her arms.
"He said red. The next day, blue. Green and brown the next and then went from black to red to blue in a matter of hours, DG. And I have the memory problem?" he huffed, picking out a grey, then a light blue. He held the blue up to DG's face for a moment then shook his head and tossed the blue back down and picking up another.
"May I help you?" the man from the counter asked, stepping behind DG. They both turned and Glitch raised an eyebrow.
"We're quite fine, thank you," he snapped before turning back to the yarn selection. The man's breath hitched as Glitch tossed the new blue in with the oranges and DG breathed slowly. She reached down as Glitch compared two purples and grabbed the blue, returning it to its friends and giving the man a look.
"Are you sure I-ah," he said a second later, pulling both skeins from Glitch's hands as they moved closer to the greens. Glitch reared back slightly, snatched both purples from the man and tossed them into the pile in DG's arms.
"I believe those ladies need help with the button hooks," he announced, pointing to two women in large hats at the end of the counter. The man huffed and hurried away, continuing to give Glitch and DG dirty looks from across the room.
"Glitch," DG warned.
"Oh, what?" Glitch snapped back, letting DG know that Ambrose was currently in control. And Ambrose had a habit for being quite a bastard. She sighed and glanced back toward the counter at the sight of movement and watched a girl about her age enter from a doorway behind the counter.
DG didn't think it was possible for a person to be paler than Wyatt Cain, but this girl surely was. DG watched as the girl shared a quick word with the man and then glanced in their direction as he pointed. As she stepped around the corner, DG fought a snort as she watched the girl make a face.
The girl looked up to see DG watching her and she flinched slightly as she continued toward them. "Good afternoon," she said with a smile as she stepped past DG to adjust the window shade - the second sun was beginning to hit the counter and, DG assumed, it would soon be eye-level.
DG nodded to her and looked back to Glitch, who said nothing. He jumped a second later when her boot made contact with his shin and he turned. "Good afternoon," he forced, throwing a look to DG. The girl smiled and DG gave her an apologetic nod.
"Are you finding everything?" she asked, smiling again at the pile of yarn in DG's arms.
"Yes, thank you," Glitch responded, reaching for another green. DG noticed the girl blink and glanced to the green. It wasn't a bad shade, but the girl didn't seem to find the man's compulsiveness.
Or his attitude.
"If you have any trouble, just let me- I'm sorry," she interrupted herself. "May I ask what you're making?" she asked with an interested tone. Glitch turned, mid-huff, then stopped and remembered his manners - not to mention the memory of DG's kick.
"A sweater," he said with a nod. "Miss?"
She smiled. "Harper. For friend or foe?" she asked again, nodding to the green.
DG snorted slightly as Glitch's head cocked to one side. "Friend..." he answered, as if he wasn't sure what the right answer was. Harper smiled again.
"Does this friend wear sweaters, regularly?" DG let the laugh out this time as Glitch shook his head. Harper nodded to the pile in DG's arms and reached for the green. "If I might make a suggestion," she started slowly, holding up the green and reaching for a nearby beige.
Glitch shook his head, as beige wasn't in his color scheme, and was soon met with a horrible scratchy feeling against his cheek. Screwing his face up, Glitch reared back and glared at the green in disgust. "If your friend isn't a sweater-wearer, they'll be uncomfortable enough. This particular blend isn't-" She shrugged and lifted the beige to Glitch's cheek. "This might suit you better."
Glitch pulled the yarn from Harper’s hand and ran it along his cheek a second time before leaning toward DG and repeating the motion on her cheek. "Very nice," DG grinned.
"Of course, the choice is yours," Harper said, holding the green up again. "But you might not have much luck with them keeping the sweater on." DG and Glitch both looked away with a smile and recovered quickly as Harper's brow lifted slightly.
"Right," Glitch nodded, reaching for the skeins in DG's arms. "Take three!"
"Just set them there," Harper stated, pointing to the basket in front of the window. DG's gaze went to the counter, where the man was still glaring between the women. "Ignore him," Harper shrugged, not terribly concerned with propriety. "He doesn't seem to remember that customers are here for the goods and not his name."
"Is he Mister Jaden, then?" DG asked, dropping the last of the skeins to the pile as Harper shook her head.
"Greene, actually. His grandmother was a Jaden," she mused, reaching for a light purple Glitch had just picked up. "Excellent choice," she smiled, but held up a finger and pointed to a brown in Glitch's other hand. "Small detail You see how this one is puffed," she asked, pointing to the purple. He nodded and she fingered the brown.
"And this is fuzzy." Glitch and DG both nodded. "Both are excellent for sweaters, but mixing them isn't your best option. This one is meant for a tight knit, whereas this one stretches quite a bit." Glitch frowned and looked back to the basket. "Ah," Harper said, holding up a finger. She moved around DG and reached for a pale blue.
"What do you think of this one?" Glitch stared at it as if he'd just discovered the Holy Grail and DG chuckled. He held the skein up to her face again and nodded in satisfaction, as the shade complemented her eyes perfectly.
"Perfect," he announced.
"What colors are you looking for, exactly?" Harper asked, glancing at the odd combination in the pile.
"Every color," Glitch announced, waving his arms in the air. "Some red and blue and green and..." DG held up a hand, calming Glitch's pre-misfire.
Harper smiled and reached for a basket near Glitch's feet. "Take this," she ordered, pushing it into his hands. "Look around," she said with a wave to the shop. "You see a color you like, you put it in the basket." Glitch pointed to the wall of yarn and Harper shook her head as she held up the blue. "This is special, and I can make it any color you want."
"Any color?" Glitch asked.
"Any color," Harper nodded. "Look at the fabrics, the buttons the... zippers," she added with a nervous smile, catching sight of Glitch's zipper. Glitch raised a finger to his forehead and his eyes went wide.
"Can you get this color?" he asked quietly. Harper's eyes moved to DG long enough to see the smile on her face and she smiled.
"I think I can," she nodded. Glitch blushed a little and looked away as Harper took a deep breath.
"What size is this friend who doesn't wear sweaters?" At the looks from Glitch and DG, she laughed slightly. "Tall, short, thin... big-boned?"
"Linebacker," DG replied quietly, catching Harper's logic. "He's very... broad," DG explained, puffing her chest slightly in an imitation of Wyatt Cain. Harper smiled and nodded, knowing the shape.
Glancing away quickly, Harper gave a nod to the two ladies as they passed behind her and then closed her eyes as she turned back to DG and Glitch; Mr. Greene had made a point of dropping the ledger to the counter with a thud, signaling that there was work for her to tend to.
DG gave her a sympathetic smile, feeling her pain completely. Harper turned to glance at the large clock near the door. "We close at half-past six," she said with a single nod and looked over her shoulder to where Mr. Greene was refolding bolts of fabric.
She turned back to Glitch and DG and leaned forward. Glitch and DG did the same and Harper dropped her voice: "He leaves about ten minutes after that. Meet me here at seven and we'll continue," she said, with just a hint of questioning.
Glitch nodded and Harper smiled as she straightened. Raising her voice for Mr. Greene's benefit, she continued: "So, fill the basket and let me know when you're done." Glitch nodded again and DG smiled.
"Thank you," DG said, rolling her eyes slightly as Glitch took off for the beads. Harper watched them for a moment as DG followed after him and then turned to the pile of yarn with a smile.
Almost an hour later, DG and Glitch moved to the counter with a full basket. Harper smiled at the collection of items and nodded to Glitch. "That's going to be one colorful sweater." Glitch turned to DG with a victorious grin and then did a double-take at the sight of the pencil Harper had just set down.
He reached for the pencil and turned to DG. "I like this better than this," he announced, pulling a yellow button from the basket and trading it for the pencil. DG let her head drop in defeat, knowing there were already nearly twenty colors in the basket.
What Glitch needed was the yarn that went from one color to another. But that would require a trip to a WalMart and DG doubted she could sell that to her parents.
Harper reached for the basket and nodded to Glitch. "I'll put this somewhere safe," she assured him. Glitch watched the basket with concern, but his head snapped up a moment later when Harper said: "There's one more thing I need you to do."
Glitch nodded and patted his pockets, trying to remember how many Platinums he'd brought. DG shook her head and turned to Harper. "What's up?"
"I need you to get an idea of the size of your friend. That way, we'll be sure to have enough," she explained, holding up the blue yarn again.
DG nodded and put a hand on Glitch's arm. "We can do that." Mr. Greene pushed back into the shop and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Glitch and DG still there. "Thank you," DG said quickly, pulling on Glitch's arm. "We'll be back tomorrow with payment." Glitch frowned as DG gave him a look and mouthed 'seven' to Harper.
Harper nodded and gave them a wave as DG pulled on the door handle. "Thank you," she said cheerily and shook her head with a silent chuckle as she pulled the pencil from the basket.
-*-
DG moved through the halls of the palace heard a clicking sound coming from one of the large parlors. A smile spread across her face as she ducked into the doorway and spotted Jeb and Raw in the midst of their regular exercise routine.
Raw was definitely not a fighter, but battling with Jeb gave him the opportunity to shut everything out and focus simply on the movements. It also made him feel useful to Jeb, letting the younger man work out his own issues. Sometimes, DG would just watch them, amazed at the complexity of such simple movements.
Raw picked up on her presence and raised a hand to Jeb. They both turned and looked her way and she gave them a guilty smile and a wave. They both gave her a nod and went back to what they were doing as DG pushed away from the door frame. She still had a few things to do before heading back into the city with Glitch.
Taking a deep breath, DG headed for Cain's room. When she reached his door, DG knocked and stuck her head into his room. "Cain?" she called quietly, not seeing him. She hurried into his room and moved straight over to the cupboard where Cain kept his clothes and she pawed through the shirts, looking for one in particular.
"Ha!" she cheered quietly, pulling a shirt out and removing it from the hanger. Looking up, DG found herself eye-to-crossed arms with Cain. Her eyes went wide and DG quickly pulled the shirt behind her back as Cain simply stared at her.
"Can I help you with something, Princess?" Cain asked, his expression never faltering.
"Uh..." she stammered, suddenly at a complete loss for words. She forced a foolish grin and asked: "What's up?" Cain breathed and blinked once. He had nothing but time and could wait the girl out.
DG huffed and brought the shirt from behind her back, waving it in front of him. "I'm just borrowing it. I'll bring it back." Cain continued to stare at her, saying nothing. "I promise," she added, knowing that wouldn't suddenly make her stealing his clothes all right.
'Come on, DG. You've pulled more out of your ass with less,' she told herself. It shouldn't be too hard to make something believable up. "I wanted to relive the scene from Risky Business and I needed a long shirt," she shrugged, knowing that the reference wouldn't work with Cain. "Okay," she breathed and moved over to sit down on the edge of the bed in a dramatic fashion.
"My father's birthday is coming up," she said quietly, as if Ahamo would be walking past the door and overhear. "And I don't know what to get him or what he needs, so I figured I'd make something. And, I kinda rocked Home Ec, so I thought I would make him a shirt." Holding up Cain's shirt, she continued: "But I need something to use as an example for size and shape and all."
"So you decided to steal one of my shirts?" Cain asked, giving her a look.
DG huffed. "Well, I can't take one of his, Cain. I'd end up taking the one he wants to wear and then there's questions and it ruins the surprise. You guys are about the same size and please just let me borrow your shirt, Cain," she whined, giving him a pout.
Cain breathed slowly and shook his head. He'd never understand the girl, that was certain. "Does it have to be that shirt?" he asked. After all, that was his favorite shirt. Which is exactly why DG grabbed it. The shirt he wore most often would be most comfortable for him, and it stood to reason that the size would be just right.
Make a sweater slightly bigger than that and the project would be a success. DG huffed and again and threw a hand in the air. "See, I fail at taking the shirt no one would miss! This is why I didn't go through Dad's stuff."
Cain let his chin drop to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath. "Just take it," he said, knowing it would be easier in the long run. DG jumped up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you," she said, giving him an honest smile. Well, it was only half a lie.
Cain turned as she stepped around him and he called after her: "Better come back in the form it's leaving!" DG acknowledged him with a wave and hurried down the hall.
-*-
It was roughly 7:02 - give or take a minute - when Glitch and DG arrived outside Jaden's. Harper was standing near the door with her hands in her jacket pockets and nodded to DG as they crossed the street.
"Sorry," DG shook her head. "Had a little trouble getting out."
Harper smiled and raised her eyebrows slightly. "Any luck?" Glitch gave her a confused look and DG jumped slightly before reaching into the bag on her shoulder.
As she pulled the shirt out and gave it a shake, DG informed Harper: "Anything happens to this, we're all dead. Just so you know," she finished with a smile. Glitch looked from the shirt to DG and cocked his head slightly. "What?" she asked, shrugging.
"This way," Harper said, nodding down the sidewalk. As they neared the end of the building, she pushed on a large wooden gate and ushered Glitch and DG into the small alley and latched the gate after pushing it shut. "It's just a bit-" she nodded ahead of them.
About half-way down the length of the length of the building, the alley opened up into a large space. DG could see that Jaden's was an L-shaped building, and a lean-to had been added on, filling about half of the empty lot. Off to one side was a small pen, lined with straw and smelling like a petting zoo.
Harper pushed on the door of the smaller structure and turned the light switch, bathing the room in a soft, yellow glow. Glitch's eyes lit up at the different pieces of equipment and DG took in the pile of clothes, obviously in turn for alterations; as well as some items under construction.
Harper moved over to the far wall and waved Glitch over to a small table and chair. On top of the table was the basket of items he'd collected earlier that day, including the pencil. DG could see a collection of large tubs, each stained with colors, and she assumed they were used for coloring the yarn sold in the shop.
The sound of movement on her left caused DG to turn and she noticed a llama, stretching its neck over a wooden gate. Harper moved over and ran a hand along the animal's neck and smiled to Glitch. "She's going to help us make your sweater," Harper announced. Glitch stepped over and held out a hand, not quite making contact with the beast, as he wasn't sure if he should be afraid or not.
"It's all right," Harper nodded. "She has very good manners." Glitch half-smiled and held his hand just a bit higher, allowing the llama to nudge his hand with her nose.
"There's gonna be enough?" DG asked, trying to imagine the yarn versus the llama's coat. She'd been around enough sheep shearings to know that a little didn't always go a long way.
Harper smiled and ran her hand along the llama's neck again. "Dolly won't disappoint."
DG snorted. "The llama's name is Dolly?" Harper nodded and DG had to look away.
"She does that," Glitch shrugged, rolling his eyes in DG's direction and moving his hand to the other side to Dolly's neck. "Hello, Dolly," he said with a cheery smile.
That's when DG had to sit down.
______________
there will be more, because Harper and Steve got together and invented a whole back-plot for her. But that's okay, because I like Harper.
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Glitch, DG, Cain and a few OCs (mention of Raw, Jeb and Ahamo)
Rating: PG
Summary: Glitch and DG are shopping for yarn
Warning: post-series and pre- Merry Holidays, Cain Seriously, this is so pre-slash it's gen. *Written for Round 10 of prompt-in-a-box. Prompt: "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." (Dr. Seuss). For kseda, who stepped up to my challenge. Also a special thanks to characteraday for the setting and for Harper
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The OCs are mine.
Wooly Bully | Game, Set, Match | Merry Holidays, Cain | Best Intentions
"How about this one?" DG asked, holding up a green mass. Glitch gave it a look, scrunched up his nose and shook his head, continuing to search through the piles. The two of them were standing in front of a large wall of yarn, in every color, size and texture.
Jaden’s was a staple of Central City Square, going all the way back to Dorothy's day. Fabrics, yarns and every notion imaginable - beads to buttons to trimmings - could be found in the shop; it was a crafter's dream. One entire wall of the shop was devoted to nothing but buttons: large and small, round and square... even shiny and dull.
It had taken almost twenty minutes for DG to pull Glitch away, reminding him of the mission at hand. She had been telling her friends about the holiday traditions of the Other Side as the weather began to turn and had been surprised to find that some of them had counterparts in the Zone. Gift-giving wasn't widely practiced, but Glitch had taken a shine to the idea and asked DG to assist him.
So, now, here they stood in the shop. Glitch already had an armful of different-colored skeins and was dropping others as the pile grew. DG kept leaning over to pick up the fallen ones and was constantly catching the looks from the older man behind the counter, who was watching the two of them while assisting a woman with a bolt of fabric.
She noted that he didn't look terribly happy at their presence and flashed to the memory of some of the merchants she'd harangued in her youth - the ones who would rather ban children from even being allowed outside.
A grumble from Glitch brought her attention back to her friend and the princess watched as Glitch tossed the skeins back into the dividers in a haphazard fashion. DG's eyes went wide as she tried to slow him down, moving the colors into the right spots before the man behind the counter had puppies.
"Slow down, Turbo," DG whispered, catching his arm and staring Glitch down. "Let's start this again," she said calmly, helping put the last skeins away. Glitch made a face and she laughed. "Okay, you pick the colors and I'll hold them," she offered. "What color did Cain say he liked?"
Glitch looked back to the yarns and frowned. "Red," he huffed and reached for a bright red bundle. DG smiled, wondering if Glitch realized he'd need more than one. "And blue," he said a moment later, grabbing a royal blue. He passed that to DG and sighed, staring at the rainbow before him.
"And green and brown... and black and red and blue," Glitch rattled off. DG bit her lip, trying not to hear Donny Osmond in her head as Glitch pulled the various colors from the wall.
"That's a lot of favorite colors, Glitch," she offered, giving him a smile.
"I didn't even find the yellow yet," he announced, grabbing a pale yellow and grinning.
"You sure these-" she hemmed, looking at the pile growing in her arms.
"He said red. The next day, blue. Green and brown the next and then went from black to red to blue in a matter of hours, DG. And I have the memory problem?" he huffed, picking out a grey, then a light blue. He held the blue up to DG's face for a moment then shook his head and tossed the blue back down and picking up another.
"May I help you?" the man from the counter asked, stepping behind DG. They both turned and Glitch raised an eyebrow.
"We're quite fine, thank you," he snapped before turning back to the yarn selection. The man's breath hitched as Glitch tossed the new blue in with the oranges and DG breathed slowly. She reached down as Glitch compared two purples and grabbed the blue, returning it to its friends and giving the man a look.
"Are you sure I-ah," he said a second later, pulling both skeins from Glitch's hands as they moved closer to the greens. Glitch reared back slightly, snatched both purples from the man and tossed them into the pile in DG's arms.
"I believe those ladies need help with the button hooks," he announced, pointing to two women in large hats at the end of the counter. The man huffed and hurried away, continuing to give Glitch and DG dirty looks from across the room.
"Glitch," DG warned.
"Oh, what?" Glitch snapped back, letting DG know that Ambrose was currently in control. And Ambrose had a habit for being quite a bastard. She sighed and glanced back toward the counter at the sight of movement and watched a girl about her age enter from a doorway behind the counter.
DG didn't think it was possible for a person to be paler than Wyatt Cain, but this girl surely was. DG watched as the girl shared a quick word with the man and then glanced in their direction as he pointed. As she stepped around the corner, DG fought a snort as she watched the girl make a face.
The girl looked up to see DG watching her and she flinched slightly as she continued toward them. "Good afternoon," she said with a smile as she stepped past DG to adjust the window shade - the second sun was beginning to hit the counter and, DG assumed, it would soon be eye-level.
DG nodded to her and looked back to Glitch, who said nothing. He jumped a second later when her boot made contact with his shin and he turned. "Good afternoon," he forced, throwing a look to DG. The girl smiled and DG gave her an apologetic nod.
"Are you finding everything?" she asked, smiling again at the pile of yarn in DG's arms.
"Yes, thank you," Glitch responded, reaching for another green. DG noticed the girl blink and glanced to the green. It wasn't a bad shade, but the girl didn't seem to find the man's compulsiveness.
Or his attitude.
"If you have any trouble, just let me- I'm sorry," she interrupted herself. "May I ask what you're making?" she asked with an interested tone. Glitch turned, mid-huff, then stopped and remembered his manners - not to mention the memory of DG's kick.
"A sweater," he said with a nod. "Miss?"
She smiled. "Harper. For friend or foe?" she asked again, nodding to the green.
DG snorted slightly as Glitch's head cocked to one side. "Friend..." he answered, as if he wasn't sure what the right answer was. Harper smiled again.
"Does this friend wear sweaters, regularly?" DG let the laugh out this time as Glitch shook his head. Harper nodded to the pile in DG's arms and reached for the green. "If I might make a suggestion," she started slowly, holding up the green and reaching for a nearby beige.
Glitch shook his head, as beige wasn't in his color scheme, and was soon met with a horrible scratchy feeling against his cheek. Screwing his face up, Glitch reared back and glared at the green in disgust. "If your friend isn't a sweater-wearer, they'll be uncomfortable enough. This particular blend isn't-" She shrugged and lifted the beige to Glitch's cheek. "This might suit you better."
Glitch pulled the yarn from Harper’s hand and ran it along his cheek a second time before leaning toward DG and repeating the motion on her cheek. "Very nice," DG grinned.
"Of course, the choice is yours," Harper said, holding the green up again. "But you might not have much luck with them keeping the sweater on." DG and Glitch both looked away with a smile and recovered quickly as Harper's brow lifted slightly.
"Right," Glitch nodded, reaching for the skeins in DG's arms. "Take three!"
"Just set them there," Harper stated, pointing to the basket in front of the window. DG's gaze went to the counter, where the man was still glaring between the women. "Ignore him," Harper shrugged, not terribly concerned with propriety. "He doesn't seem to remember that customers are here for the goods and not his name."
"Is he Mister Jaden, then?" DG asked, dropping the last of the skeins to the pile as Harper shook her head.
"Greene, actually. His grandmother was a Jaden," she mused, reaching for a light purple Glitch had just picked up. "Excellent choice," she smiled, but held up a finger and pointed to a brown in Glitch's other hand. "Small detail You see how this one is puffed," she asked, pointing to the purple. He nodded and she fingered the brown.
"And this is fuzzy." Glitch and DG both nodded. "Both are excellent for sweaters, but mixing them isn't your best option. This one is meant for a tight knit, whereas this one stretches quite a bit." Glitch frowned and looked back to the basket. "Ah," Harper said, holding up a finger. She moved around DG and reached for a pale blue.
"What do you think of this one?" Glitch stared at it as if he'd just discovered the Holy Grail and DG chuckled. He held the skein up to her face again and nodded in satisfaction, as the shade complemented her eyes perfectly.
"Perfect," he announced.
"What colors are you looking for, exactly?" Harper asked, glancing at the odd combination in the pile.
"Every color," Glitch announced, waving his arms in the air. "Some red and blue and green and..." DG held up a hand, calming Glitch's pre-misfire.
Harper smiled and reached for a basket near Glitch's feet. "Take this," she ordered, pushing it into his hands. "Look around," she said with a wave to the shop. "You see a color you like, you put it in the basket." Glitch pointed to the wall of yarn and Harper shook her head as she held up the blue. "This is special, and I can make it any color you want."
"Any color?" Glitch asked.
"Any color," Harper nodded. "Look at the fabrics, the buttons the... zippers," she added with a nervous smile, catching sight of Glitch's zipper. Glitch raised a finger to his forehead and his eyes went wide.
"Can you get this color?" he asked quietly. Harper's eyes moved to DG long enough to see the smile on her face and she smiled.
"I think I can," she nodded. Glitch blushed a little and looked away as Harper took a deep breath.
"What size is this friend who doesn't wear sweaters?" At the looks from Glitch and DG, she laughed slightly. "Tall, short, thin... big-boned?"
"Linebacker," DG replied quietly, catching Harper's logic. "He's very... broad," DG explained, puffing her chest slightly in an imitation of Wyatt Cain. Harper smiled and nodded, knowing the shape.
Glancing away quickly, Harper gave a nod to the two ladies as they passed behind her and then closed her eyes as she turned back to DG and Glitch; Mr. Greene had made a point of dropping the ledger to the counter with a thud, signaling that there was work for her to tend to.
DG gave her a sympathetic smile, feeling her pain completely. Harper turned to glance at the large clock near the door. "We close at half-past six," she said with a single nod and looked over her shoulder to where Mr. Greene was refolding bolts of fabric.
She turned back to Glitch and DG and leaned forward. Glitch and DG did the same and Harper dropped her voice: "He leaves about ten minutes after that. Meet me here at seven and we'll continue," she said, with just a hint of questioning.
Glitch nodded and Harper smiled as she straightened. Raising her voice for Mr. Greene's benefit, she continued: "So, fill the basket and let me know when you're done." Glitch nodded again and DG smiled.
"Thank you," DG said, rolling her eyes slightly as Glitch took off for the beads. Harper watched them for a moment as DG followed after him and then turned to the pile of yarn with a smile.
Almost an hour later, DG and Glitch moved to the counter with a full basket. Harper smiled at the collection of items and nodded to Glitch. "That's going to be one colorful sweater." Glitch turned to DG with a victorious grin and then did a double-take at the sight of the pencil Harper had just set down.
He reached for the pencil and turned to DG. "I like this better than this," he announced, pulling a yellow button from the basket and trading it for the pencil. DG let her head drop in defeat, knowing there were already nearly twenty colors in the basket.
What Glitch needed was the yarn that went from one color to another. But that would require a trip to a WalMart and DG doubted she could sell that to her parents.
Harper reached for the basket and nodded to Glitch. "I'll put this somewhere safe," she assured him. Glitch watched the basket with concern, but his head snapped up a moment later when Harper said: "There's one more thing I need you to do."
Glitch nodded and patted his pockets, trying to remember how many Platinums he'd brought. DG shook her head and turned to Harper. "What's up?"
"I need you to get an idea of the size of your friend. That way, we'll be sure to have enough," she explained, holding up the blue yarn again.
DG nodded and put a hand on Glitch's arm. "We can do that." Mr. Greene pushed back into the shop and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Glitch and DG still there. "Thank you," DG said quickly, pulling on Glitch's arm. "We'll be back tomorrow with payment." Glitch frowned as DG gave him a look and mouthed 'seven' to Harper.
Harper nodded and gave them a wave as DG pulled on the door handle. "Thank you," she said cheerily and shook her head with a silent chuckle as she pulled the pencil from the basket.
-*-
DG moved through the halls of the palace heard a clicking sound coming from one of the large parlors. A smile spread across her face as she ducked into the doorway and spotted Jeb and Raw in the midst of their regular exercise routine.
Raw was definitely not a fighter, but battling with Jeb gave him the opportunity to shut everything out and focus simply on the movements. It also made him feel useful to Jeb, letting the younger man work out his own issues. Sometimes, DG would just watch them, amazed at the complexity of such simple movements.
Raw picked up on her presence and raised a hand to Jeb. They both turned and looked her way and she gave them a guilty smile and a wave. They both gave her a nod and went back to what they were doing as DG pushed away from the door frame. She still had a few things to do before heading back into the city with Glitch.
Taking a deep breath, DG headed for Cain's room. When she reached his door, DG knocked and stuck her head into his room. "Cain?" she called quietly, not seeing him. She hurried into his room and moved straight over to the cupboard where Cain kept his clothes and she pawed through the shirts, looking for one in particular.
"Ha!" she cheered quietly, pulling a shirt out and removing it from the hanger. Looking up, DG found herself eye-to-crossed arms with Cain. Her eyes went wide and DG quickly pulled the shirt behind her back as Cain simply stared at her.
"Can I help you with something, Princess?" Cain asked, his expression never faltering.
"Uh..." she stammered, suddenly at a complete loss for words. She forced a foolish grin and asked: "What's up?" Cain breathed and blinked once. He had nothing but time and could wait the girl out.
DG huffed and brought the shirt from behind her back, waving it in front of him. "I'm just borrowing it. I'll bring it back." Cain continued to stare at her, saying nothing. "I promise," she added, knowing that wouldn't suddenly make her stealing his clothes all right.
'Come on, DG. You've pulled more out of your ass with less,' she told herself. It shouldn't be too hard to make something believable up. "I wanted to relive the scene from Risky Business and I needed a long shirt," she shrugged, knowing that the reference wouldn't work with Cain. "Okay," she breathed and moved over to sit down on the edge of the bed in a dramatic fashion.
"My father's birthday is coming up," she said quietly, as if Ahamo would be walking past the door and overhear. "And I don't know what to get him or what he needs, so I figured I'd make something. And, I kinda rocked Home Ec, so I thought I would make him a shirt." Holding up Cain's shirt, she continued: "But I need something to use as an example for size and shape and all."
"So you decided to steal one of my shirts?" Cain asked, giving her a look.
DG huffed. "Well, I can't take one of his, Cain. I'd end up taking the one he wants to wear and then there's questions and it ruins the surprise. You guys are about the same size and please just let me borrow your shirt, Cain," she whined, giving him a pout.
Cain breathed slowly and shook his head. He'd never understand the girl, that was certain. "Does it have to be that shirt?" he asked. After all, that was his favorite shirt. Which is exactly why DG grabbed it. The shirt he wore most often would be most comfortable for him, and it stood to reason that the size would be just right.
Make a sweater slightly bigger than that and the project would be a success. DG huffed and again and threw a hand in the air. "See, I fail at taking the shirt no one would miss! This is why I didn't go through Dad's stuff."
Cain let his chin drop to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath. "Just take it," he said, knowing it would be easier in the long run. DG jumped up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you," she said, giving him an honest smile. Well, it was only half a lie.
Cain turned as she stepped around him and he called after her: "Better come back in the form it's leaving!" DG acknowledged him with a wave and hurried down the hall.
-*-
It was roughly 7:02 - give or take a minute - when Glitch and DG arrived outside Jaden's. Harper was standing near the door with her hands in her jacket pockets and nodded to DG as they crossed the street.
"Sorry," DG shook her head. "Had a little trouble getting out."
Harper smiled and raised her eyebrows slightly. "Any luck?" Glitch gave her a confused look and DG jumped slightly before reaching into the bag on her shoulder.
As she pulled the shirt out and gave it a shake, DG informed Harper: "Anything happens to this, we're all dead. Just so you know," she finished with a smile. Glitch looked from the shirt to DG and cocked his head slightly. "What?" she asked, shrugging.
"This way," Harper said, nodding down the sidewalk. As they neared the end of the building, she pushed on a large wooden gate and ushered Glitch and DG into the small alley and latched the gate after pushing it shut. "It's just a bit-" she nodded ahead of them.
About half-way down the length of the length of the building, the alley opened up into a large space. DG could see that Jaden's was an L-shaped building, and a lean-to had been added on, filling about half of the empty lot. Off to one side was a small pen, lined with straw and smelling like a petting zoo.
Harper pushed on the door of the smaller structure and turned the light switch, bathing the room in a soft, yellow glow. Glitch's eyes lit up at the different pieces of equipment and DG took in the pile of clothes, obviously in turn for alterations; as well as some items under construction.
Harper moved over to the far wall and waved Glitch over to a small table and chair. On top of the table was the basket of items he'd collected earlier that day, including the pencil. DG could see a collection of large tubs, each stained with colors, and she assumed they were used for coloring the yarn sold in the shop.
The sound of movement on her left caused DG to turn and she noticed a llama, stretching its neck over a wooden gate. Harper moved over and ran a hand along the animal's neck and smiled to Glitch. "She's going to help us make your sweater," Harper announced. Glitch stepped over and held out a hand, not quite making contact with the beast, as he wasn't sure if he should be afraid or not.
"It's all right," Harper nodded. "She has very good manners." Glitch half-smiled and held his hand just a bit higher, allowing the llama to nudge his hand with her nose.
"There's gonna be enough?" DG asked, trying to imagine the yarn versus the llama's coat. She'd been around enough sheep shearings to know that a little didn't always go a long way.
Harper smiled and ran her hand along the llama's neck again. "Dolly won't disappoint."
DG snorted. "The llama's name is Dolly?" Harper nodded and DG had to look away.
"She does that," Glitch shrugged, rolling his eyes in DG's direction and moving his hand to the other side to Dolly's neck. "Hello, Dolly," he said with a cheery smile.
That's when DG had to sit down.
______________
there will be more, because Harper and Steve got together and invented a whole back-plot for her. But that's okay, because I like Harper.