It had been two days and Zen was drawing a picture of their latest escapade. It was when they had all sat down to play Hoodlum Wars. There was Kiera with a perplexed look on her face as Val showed her what to do on screen. Stephan was perched on a sofa, one fist in the air and a jubilant expression on his face. Beside him was a tense Marek gripping the armrest. On the floor were Marco and Isaias. Marco was leaning slightly forwards, one hand on Isaias’s shoulder while Isaias was screaming and had both his hands raised in fists.

Zen was by the other sofa coaching a laughing Edline her hand pointing to the glowing Holo V where the characters were busy beating each other up or scrambling around for their strongholds to heal. It was a very detailed picture. You could almost feel the emotions radiating off the people in the picture. It was Zen’s specialty. Stephan walked by and examined the picture whistling.

“That’s amazing Zen,” he said stopping to watch as she delineated Edline’s face. She looked up and blushed.

“Thanks,” she said. “I’m not a master but I try.”

“That’s a matter of perspective. You are really good. Can you draw maps?”

Zen quirked her left brow. “Yes, why?”

“Cause he really needs one,” snickered Marek from the common room. He was playing with Skin although how you played with a giant iguana was beyond Zen. Can it even feel the tickles?

“Oh come on! I’m not that bad,” muttered Stephan.

“Yes you are, “ Replied the crew, making Isaias laugh and Marco grin.

“Still hopeless with directions, Stephan?” Marco asked, smirking.

“He needs me to read them to him. Not even the regular compasses work. It has to be by hand,” said Marek grinning.

“What is this? Pick on Captain day,” muttered Stephan from Zen’s side.

Zen smiled. “I can draw a map of most places if I study them. Where do you need it?” She asked.

“The Deadlands. I don’t have a map of that area yet. You were lucky we found you,” Stephan said, grinning his familiar grin. She was coming to like that grin.

“Ok, give me some pictures and a new pencil and I can draw you the Deadlands.”

Stephan looked at her pencil. “What’s wrong with the one you have now?”

She raised it to show the nub that was the tip and smirked. “See? I can’t draw with this one anymore.”

“Oh,” Stephan scratched his head. “Sure. Kiera has a few. She can lend you one.”

“I can sharpen that one as well,” said Kiera as she put the Medical Miracle magazine down and looked over to the counter where Zen and Stephan were from the left couch.

“I’ve used the eraser of this one almost up. I’ll need a new pencil anyway but thanks for offering Kiera,” said Zen as she stretched from her position. Stephan’s eyes watched her for a minute before looking away a slight blush on his face.” I’ll go get the pictures then,” he muttered walking away and ignoring Isaias’s glare.

Marco was sitting on the right couch a political thriller in his hands and was ignoring the storm brewing. He kept an eye on Isaias though, ready to stop him from forming one with his brother. He still couldn’t touch Isaias consciously but if he forgot he was touching a male and only thought of Isaias he could manage a small brush. Something was something!

Stephan came back loaded with pictures of the Deadlands and a map of the US. An old one.

“I was hoping you could use this map as a guide,” he said dropping the pictures on the table and unrolling the map. It was a large map of the U.S. before the tsunami. Zen studied it. She had never seen a map this old.

“You’ll have to remove the three states that were destroyed and reshape the map a bit but...you listening?” Stephan asked as Zen traced the state of Texas.

She looked up blushing. “Yeah sorry. I’ve never seen a map this old. Where did you find it?”

“I’ve got lots of old maps of Earth. It’s kind of a hobby and with how bad at directions I am, also necessary at times. They’re rather useless for anything else.”

Zen hmmed and took a picture of the Deadlands as they looked from an aerial view. What a difference! “I can do it. I have a before and after view. Should be pretty simple to reorganize the states to match the pictures. I’m assuming you want the compass drawn by the side as well,” she said grinning.

“If it’s possible,” he replied smirking.

“It is.”

Zen began her drawing of the map as the others decided to play another round of Hoodlum Wars. Stephan played a round before joining Zen on the table and helping her organize the shots in a timeline beside the map.

“That goes there, Stephan,” she said as she sketched the debilitated empire state building for a ruined New York. It was all that survived of the large city. Stephan moved a picture further down the imaginary timeline Zen had. There were pictures mostly aerial of a ruined U.S. How she knew where everything went from vague hints of an old map, he’d like to know. Then I wouldn’t be so lost all the time!

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He let his hip rest against the counter as he watched Zen sketch out the contours of the first states then slowly start to fill in the small details. Stephan picked up a pencil and started drawing on the other side of the map. It wasn’t as grand as hers but it was decent.

“Where did you learn to draw,” Zen asked as she penciled in the mountain range that was nearly flooded with water in the tsunami.

“I had to draw my own maps when I was in BEI,” he replied sketching in the caldera and labeling the Yuka caves a little farther down drawing a crystal and a cave.

Zen smiled and drew in the city of Chicago in miniature.”You’re not half bad. What is BEI?”

“The military force of Gaia.”

Zen stopped drawing and turned to face him. “You come from Gaia? What is it like?”

Stephan scowled. “Not the paradise everyone thinks it as. You would think higher humanoid beings would be smarter but not Gaia. They start wars with distant planets and use kids in their armies.”

“That’s terrible!”

“Edline can’t go back there. She’s wanted.”

Zen tilted her head.”Why her?

Stephan snorted. “Because Edline is the perfect mix between Traveler and Elemental. Marco is more Traveler than Elemental, and I’m more Elemental than Traveler. It means I can do a hell of a lot more with my element than Marco, but he can do a hell of a lot more as a Traveler than me. Edline can outdo us both. She was going to be trained, as the secret weapon of Gaia. Not that I would have allowed it! I’d have died first then see my sister become another unfeeling soldier in the ranks of BEI. I’m glad she ran away, not so glad she was captured by the General Alliance of Assassins though.”

Zen nodded. “I’d do the same for Isaias.”

Isaias grunted. “Back at ya, Zen.”

Zen smirked and waved through the opening to the common room and the kitchen.

Stephan sighed and went back to drawing. He wished it was so simple with his family but Edline had run away as well leaving him with no one. Mom is a bitch.

He scoffed and returned to his work hoping to push the nightmares back for when he was asleep. They always rose up then. He gazed at Zen as she finished the contour for the middle of the states. Her ponytail had fallen to her shoulder and fly-away hairs were everywhere as she stuck her tongue out to concentrate on drawing the dry river bed of the Mississippi. His hand rose to that flyaway hair and he gently tucked it behind her ear. She turned her face to him in question.

“Thanks for this,” he said pointing to the map.

She nodded blushing and went back to her drawing.

He blushed lightly and bent over his half.

Isaias did not like this! Not one bit! Sure, he knew his sister was bound to attract boys someday but not a pirate! Not a pirate! As long as she…Zen looked over at Stephan and grinned before looking back down at her end of the map. Isaias growled. Uh Uh! Nope! Not happening! Zen does not go for pretty boys…at all!

What do you know of her likes, Isaias?

Isaias glared at a grinning Marco.

“A bit. We are twins, From the same cell and all.”

“She’s almost a woman and my brother isn’t so bad,” said Marco as he leaned against the couch.

“He’s a pirate! He’s wrong for her!”

“Everyone is wrong for her right, Isaias? She’s growing up. She’s bound to like someone soon,” said Marco.

“I concur,” said Kiera as she watched the two adolescents over by the counter draw their map. Their heads were slowly drawing closer. Soon there wouldn’t be room for either. She looked at her timepiece. After nine at night. She bade the others goodnight and went to her room to read peacefully. Marek scooped Skin up and followed Val to his room where the terrarium was. Isaias laid the makeshift bed on the common room floor where he slept while Marco headed for the med room where he slept. Edline headed for Stephan’s room yawning.

Zen and Stephan were up another hour. They now stood side by side.

Stephan’s hand brushed Zen’s and their eyes met. They noticed how close they were to one another. Zen blushed and backed away slowly her hand brushing his. He grinned and stepped closer.

“You know,”

“I know you’re not cornering my sister, Pirate,” said Isaias as he leaned on the kitchen entrance.

Stephan rolled his eyes and stepped closer to Zen grabbing her hand and lifting it to his lips. Zen blushed and he leaned over. His breath brushed her right ear softly. Her heart was jackhammering in her chest.

“Later,” he whispered and stepped back to meet an incensed Isaias.

“Didn’t I tell you not to corner her,” he growled.

Stephan smirked. “You did. I didn’t listen.” He turned to Zen “Goodnight,” he said walking past Isaias and ignoring his glare.

Isaias turned to glare at Zen who was still blushing, a hand on her ear.

“What?” She asked turning to the map and deciding to leave things as they were and finish tomorrow.

“You encouraged him!”

Zen growled. “I did no such thing! All I’ve been doing is drawing, Isaias.”

“You’ve been making goo-goo eyes at him all evening!”

Zen blushed.” Have not and it’s not any of your business, Isaias! I don’t get between you and Marco,” she whispered.”

“Really? Who else knows I like guys? Be honest, hermanita.”

“Zen sighed. “Only Marie Elena and that’s because she had to explain the attraction thing to me so I could answer you.”

“Uhuh, and what gave you the nerve to tell our loudmouth cousin that I’m gay?”

“Isaias I wanted to help you, honest! That’s the only reason and she’s the only one who knows.”

“Geeze, Zen, can’t I tell you something private and have it stay...private,” he laughed rubbing his face.

Zen blushed. “You can. That was a slip! You were niggling me about something that bothers me, Isaias. I acted without thinking and I’m sorry.”

“You messed things up for me.”

“I don’t think so. Marco was bound to notice one day. He noticed a little early but really it didn’t hurt things. It was always going to turn out this way. You’ve got your work cut out for you, hermano. At least now you have him trapped with no choice but to rely on you,” said Zen shrugging.

Isaias ruffled her hair. “Get to bed. We still have three days left on this trip.”

Zen smirked and headed towards the med room.

I wonder what Stephan meant by later? Was he going to kiss me?

She blushed and got into her med bed. Three more days of this...nervous anticipation. Would her uncle find her? Would there be a later?

I hope there is a later.