Got a Bad Feeling | Alex

[kendra joan adams]

SHE COULD BE A JOAN OF ARC

She took a deep breath, allowing the salty sea air sooth her. Kendra had only been on leave for a couple days so far and yet she could already feel the difference in her mood. Turned out being under less stress really lightened the weight on your shoulders. Of course she loved her job and wouldn’t give it up for the world, she knew that she was making a difference and saving lives on a daily basis when she was overseas. Many would point out that she could be doing the same thing here but she always questioned if it counted as the same thing. She saved soldiers lives, which were saving others lives by risking their own. What did the people she would save here do for the world? She could never seem to talk herself into quitting the army, she thrived under the rush and the pressure she was always under. In fact she wasn’t quite sure how she was going to survive this leave of absence.

Kendra had agreed to it because the army psychologist had threatened to put her on light duty if she didn’t take at least a month away from the combat. It was hard leaving, knowing that she was still needed but she could understand why. Most of the people she had worked with for the last year had died in the bombing of the hospital. They were worried that she had PTSD after such a traumatic event or at least survivor’s guilt. And to be truthful Kendra wasn’t sure one way or the other. It would make sense for her to feel guilt or anything but at this point she just felt numb and closed off. She had allowed herself to get close to the people she worked with and where did that get her?

A sigh broke her lips as she watched the waves roll in. The ocean had been one of her favourite places all her life. Though she only saw it when her family managed some sort of vacation her time spent there stayed with her. She felt a smile grace her face, maybe she would get used to this. It was nice to have all the fancy equipment at the local hospital. ”I will enjoy this. Even if I have to force myself to.” Her voice came out a mixer of sadness and determination. If there was one thing that could completely change a person, it was the army. You could lose yourself so easily, everyone always told Kendra that you had to take time off to make sure this didn’t happen but part of her thought it was too late. How does one go back to living as a civilian after what she experienced?

”What is wrong with me, I came here to take my mind off everything.” She mumbled under her breath and started walking with her hands in her pockets. It truly was a wonderful day which was why she had opted for the beach and now she had wasted most of it on reflecting. Though she supposed that was partly the point to all this. After all she had a lot to think about, the man in the hospital had made sure of that. "Pleasant dream, my dear" Who says that after grabbing someone's ass. Who grabs someone's ass when they don't even know them? The whole thing still raised some bizarre feelings in her. Of course she was furious that he was getting kicks out of treating her like a piece of ass but on the same token it had been so many years since someone showed such interest in her that it intrigued her.

Shaking her head, she decided to give up on the thoughts. It wasn't like she was going to see him again so it didn't matter. When she had been called back in to do her surgery she had made sure that someone else took care of the pre-op and post-op. Not overly professional of her but it was the only way she felt she would be able to do the surgery and since no one else wanted to it was her only choice. It turned out to be a successful surgery and Kendra had hopes that with a couple more his scars would be less visible. "Not your problem anymore though, Kendra. So stop thinking about it."

Having stopped awhile back to stare out at the sea someone Kendra jumped a little when something pulled on her shorts. Glancing down, she saw the cutest little face looking up at her. bending down to be at the boys level, Kendra smiled. "Why hello there, where are your parents?" She asked, looking around to see if anyone was frantically calling for a lost child.

[/size]
[/div]

OUTFIT CLICK TAGGED Luna & Alex NOTES <3

TEMPLATE BY WE WERE INFINITE ! OF CAUTIO 2.0

[/center]

[Lt. Alexandre C. Lowell]

It wasn't often that Alexandre went to the beach. Part of it was that he just couldn't stand to be around so many people, especially shirtless where people stared and pointed at him and part of it had to do with feeling the sand beneath his feet made him worry. He never knew when another attack would be triggered, after all. However, his sisters had decided to throw their kids at him for the day and after three hours of Barney (never... again... will he allow the twins to watch that purple pedophilic felt covered reptile) Andre had decided to ask if they could go out, Sebastien suggesting the beach. By this point, the poor french man was so stir crazy, he was more than willing to subject himself to acute humiliation, just to escape.

It took nearly two hours just to get everyone ready, because they had to rush back and forth between Abbie's house, his house and Aimee's house, constantly forgetting things and having to turn back. Finally he managed to get the three year old twins, the seven year old boy and his own awkward preeteen out the door and to the beach, forgoing the car stupidly to instead try to walk it. Ten minutes in, he realized how stupid he was and realized how out of the parenting game he really was. Fifteen minutes, his boys were bitching and complaining. Twenty, they were scrapping. Twenty-five, he had to stop and get them some ice cream. Thirty, he was ready to strangle them all. The moment they arrived, Andre bolted for the beach, causing Alex to rush after him with loud exclamations in French and English. He had a girl in each arm and the seven year old followed closely behind.

Alex skidded to a stop, falling on his ass as he nearly ran right into a young woman, the curly haired boy reaching up to tug insistently on her pants. Alexandre could only laugh in his awkwardness, trying to pull himself upright without dropping the blonde twins in his arms. "I'm right 'ere, docteur Adams." He grinned, bouncing Noemie in his left arm, grimacing a little at the weight, "Sorry, zis is my son Andre, et zese are my nieces Noemie et Noelle, et mon nephew Sebastien." He glanced, making sure that the dark haired seven year old was still by his side. "So, 'ow 'ave you been? My gut still 'urts from last time." He smirked at her, trying to hide his discomfort. Well, at least he was a little more put together than last time.

OUTFIT

[kendra joan adams]

click • Luna<3 • Hehehe

Kendra smiled down at the boy, ruffling his hair slightly before the sound of someone’s voice dragged her back. At first she was thankful that a parent had come looking for the child but soon her brain caught up and recognized the voice. ”You’re got to be kidding me.” The woman huffed under her breath before standing up just in time to see the very man she had been avoiding fall on his ass. A hand quickly went up to her mouth to stop a laugh from coming out. If there ever was a way to meet someone again this would be how. Kendra didn’t know why she was surprised, the first time he had been naked and now they were both basically half naked, why would it be any different.

Shaking her head at the man, she smiled down at the little boy again. ”Nice to meet you Andre, I’m Kendra.” A laugh bubbled out of her when the child extended his hand, taking it gently she shook it before stretching her body upright. ”They’re adorable.” She said, speaking to Alexandre for a moment. A slight blush extended over her cheeks at his next words but she quickly pushed it back, placing a hand lightly on her hip. ”Yes well as I recall you deserved it.” Her voice took on a slightly playful tone as she spoke.

After a moment she got an idea for a little bit of payback. Normally she wasn’t one to be bothered with getting revenge but this moment was too sweet for her to pass up. After all, he had children with him so it wasn’t like he could stop her or respond to anything she said to him as she suspected he normally would. ”Oh, I’ve been alright.” Taking a step forward she smirked at the man, ready to begin the game. ”Had some interesting dreams...I’d tell you about them but you know.” Her head went up, a single finger sliding slowly down the length of his chest before she stepped back, titling her head slightly to the side.

She found herself checking him out, only a little and it couldn’t hurt. He wasn’t hard on the eyes, if she was being honest, however she was still pissed at him for how he treated her back in the hospital. It was the ultimate hot and cold situation. But now it was her turn to give him a taste of his own medicine and she was going to milk it for all it was worth. Turning her attention to the little boy who had ran up to her, she quirked at eyebrow. ”Now you know you shouldn’t be running away from your uncle, right?” She noticed that the boy didn’t fully understand what she was saying. Taking a moment, she gathered her thoughts. ” Vous devez rester avec votre oncle quand vous sortez.”

Kendra repeated herself in French, more confident in her abilities since the last time they saw each other. Meeting him reminded her of why she had learned the language in the first place and so she found herself spending a few minutes every day practicing. She noticed it was almost like riding a bike, you never truly forgot what your learned in all those language classes. Once the boy nodded his head she ruffled his hair again and stood back up, pulling her hair over one shoulder.

Lyrics from Turning Tables by Adele. Picture by Aurora. Table by (( Aurora !! of Caution 2.0.

[Lt. Alexandre C. Lowell]

Despite what people may think, normally Alexandre wasn't all that flirty or pay attention to women. His focus was almost entirely on his career or his son -- the only time he really took notice of a woman or flirted was if he wanted something out of her, like cheaper service at a restaurant for example. But things were a little different with the fire cracker that was his surgeon. He made no secret of his attraction, looking her up and down once or twice before giving a little nod of approval. "I approve of zis outfit much more zan ze last 'un, I must say." he grinned playfully towards her, finally deciding to put his nieces down on his arms and stretch out his shoulders, muscles rolling and rippling beneath his tanned and scarred skin. He smiled down at his son, chuckling a little as he politely offered his hand. "Bonjour, madame..... t-tu est tr-tres belle.." he stammered nervously, grey-blue ducked nervously under his mop of curly brown hair.

Alexandre couldn't help but smile, placing a hand proudly on his son's shoulder, the other resting gently on Sebastien's head. Things were still awkward between him and his son -- due to all of his time in the past ten years being spent back and forth overseas, he hadn't really had a lot of time to spend with Andre -- but they were getting better, he was glad to report. "I agree, zey are adorable." He grinned, getting a mild glare from the curly haired boy in question. His face brightened as he once again saw that blush he enjoyed bringing from her, giving her a little crooked grin even as the bolder of the twins, Noemie, darted for the woman's legs, her little blonde hair coming out of its pigtails already. Unlike the rest of them, the twins had a better grasp of English, as they were still learning to speak for the most part. "Bonjour! 'iya! J'apelle Noemie!" she squealed happily, grinning over at her smaller twin. Alex couldn't help but chuckle, "You are probably right on zat, I likely did deserve it."

And then, quite suddenly, his heart stopped. Blue eyes, as blue as the sky, wide as saucers. Cheeks scarlet, lips parted, mouth dry. Wherever her finger touched, a fire followed. A low groan came from the thirty-six year old's lips, eyes falling closed as he allowed himself a moment of weakness. He was startled out of this moment by a pulling on his legs, the seven year old Sebastien looking up at him with big, questioning eyes. "pourquoi vous avez brûlé déjà?"

[/i] he asked quietly. Alex stammered nervously, not quite sure how to answer this question. Andre, the preteen he was, knew the appropriate response.

"C'est parce qu'il est un bande--" he started mischievously, the anxious male's eyes somehow managing to widen even further.

"Assez, Andre!" He snapped with reddened cheeks, cuffing the back of his head before chancing a peek at Kendra, "Pourquoi savez-vous à ce sujet? Vous êtes seulement douze ans!" He hissed, earning himself an incredulous look from the boy in question. He even looked at Kendra, as if to check to see if he was serious.

"Vraiment, papa? Vraiment? Aller prendre un branlette." He laughed, only to squeal and scream as he was tossed over his father's shoulder.

"Zat's it, into ze water you go." Alexandre grumbled, walking over to the dock and tossing him off with a chuckle, returning to the beach with a smile. That is, until he looked back at Kendra and felt his cheeks return to their red state. Another tug was felt on his shorts and he looked down, dreading the next question.

"Quel est un branlette?"[/i] He asked softly.

Alexandre coughed nervously, eyes wide and cheeks red yet again. "Je vais vous expliquer quand vous êtes plus âgé" he muttered, turning his attention back to Kendra. "I'm sorry about zat, mon famille... welll......" He laughed, "By ze way, Kendra is a pretty name. Do you go by Candy or --" He was cut off suddenly as a very girly scream made it's way out his throat. The "manly man" danced around, trying to reach around and pull the seaweed out of his shorts while the dripping wet preteen laughed, satisfied by his revenge. Andre's attention went back to Kendra with a smile, nodding a little.

"Je sais, mais il est lame." he shrugged, watching his father dance with an evil little grin. When the seaweed came flying towards him, he ducked and laughed even more as the seaweed missed him entirely and, instead, attacked Kendra. Alex's eyes widened. Well, fuck.
[/font][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[kendra joan adams]

click • Luna<3 • Hehehe

With her hand still on her hip Kendra watched the man as he checked her out, rather proud of herself for putting effort into her outfit today. Not that a bikini top and shorts screamed effort but normally she wasn’t the type to show a lot of skin. In reality she had the horribly hot weather to thank for it. ”Mhm, I’m sure you do. However it’s not the best one I have.” Shrugging nonchalantly, Kendra smirked at him. Oh it was going to be fun messing with him, if he thought he could do what he did and get away scratch free, he was wrong.

At the sound of another voice, Kendra bent over with a bright smile on her lips. ” Merci, vous êtes très beau.” The woman replied, a slight blush moving over her cheeks. It was always nice to hear that you were beautiful and hearing it from a child just made it adorable. Children were one of her downfalls, if she ever had to treat one she could not keep herself level headed. Half the time she would be forced off the case since she would be anything in her power to try and save them even if it was obviously a lost cause.

That had been the one thing she was never able to comprehend about the logic of war. How someone could go into a town and murder everyone, including the children was what kept her up at night. If you managed to save the parents than they hated you because their child was dead. The only thing she learned from caring for children was that the parents would be anything for them, including trading places and being the one that was dead. It tugged at her heart, she had no idea how anyone could be a pediatric surgeon even over here will all the advanced medicine.

Kendra found herself shaking her head when something else grab at her leg, forcing her mind to push the horrible memories aside. ”Bonjour.” She couldn’t help but smile at the adorable little girl staring up at her. ”I love your hair.” Kendra spoke as she reached down to quickly fix the bits that were falling out of the ponytails. Standing back up, she allowed her attention to go back to Alex for a moment. ”Oh no, you definitely deserved it. However I hope I didn’t bruise any ribs, wouldn’t be a good selling point for a doctor after all.”

She wasn’t quite sure what drove her to push things so far, she was only planning on saying a few thought provoking things but instead she actually touched him. Of course all the children were still young but she was sure that she son could piece together what was going on. And she wasn’t disappointed, she couldn’t stop herself from laughing at what was going out of the children’s mouths. She could only pick up on some of it since they were talking in slang that she didn’t fully understand but she was getting the jist of it all.

As soon as Alex’s cheeks started to redden, she lost control, having to cover her mouth to stop everyone from hearing her laugh. When Andre looked at her she just shrugged her shoulders. Obviously Alex didn’t know how much kids learned at a young age now. However it didn’t take long for Alex to take action, throwing his son over his shoulder and heading for the water. Eyebrow quirked she just watched as the boy was tossed in the water. Suddenly she was glad she decided to come to the beach, she couldn’t have planned a more perfect way to spend her Saturday. Embarrassing Alex might become her favourite pass time.

Once he returned she just shrugged her shoulders as his comment on his family. ”They’re wonderful. Your son is quite...talkative.” She replied with a laugh, trying not to embarrass him more on that subject matter. ”How do you know my...” Her brain thought back, mentally slapping herself for letting it slip. She had tried so hard to keep her first name from this man the entire time she had to deal with him at the hospital and yet a cute little boy could ruin all her hard work in seconds. ”Thanks.” She muttered back at his compliment, Kendra was never sure about how to accept them, especially from this man. ”Ugh, say that again and I’ll be forced to punch you in the stomach in front of the kids.”

A sudden scream from Alex caused her to jump before she realized what was going on. A wide grin of approval spread over her lips as Andre walked back over to her. ”Impressive.” She nodded, giving the boy a high five. Turning to watch Alex again she burst into laughter. ”That was very mainly.” Kendra called over when he finally got the seaweed out of his pants. It took her a moment to notice what was happening and when she finally did it was too late. A bunch of slimy seaweed landed against the skin of her stomach with a slap. Glancing down at it she was forced to admit that Alex had good aim, had Andre not ducked it would have hit his head.

Pealing the plant from her side she looked back over at Alex, thinking over what she should do. Once she decided she was quick to act, throwing the plant back at Alex, hoping to hit him in the face before she ducked behind Andre, hiding. She could have been grown up about the whole thing and just drop it back on the ground, but smacking Alex with something other than her hand was too good to pass up. Peaking over the boys shoulder, Kendra giggled, hoping to see his face when it hit him.

Lyrics from Turning Tables by Adele. Picture by Aurora. Table by (( Aurora !! of Caution 2.0.

[Lt. Alexandre C. Lowell]

Yes, Alex enjoyed this outfit much more than the last one. Not just because it was more flattering than the traditional surgeon uniform, but also because it sort of resembled all that he stood for. A woman represented innocence and purity to him. Not necessarily this one, but close enough. However, that wasn't what was going through his head when she mentioned she had better swimsuits. Visions of her in different swimsuits, each one all the more revealing, ran through his head and he allowed a half smirk to grace his face, pleased by the fact that she would have no idea what he was imagining.

He was also glad that his shorts were pretty good at hiding some certain biological reactions. Not the best, but good enough.

Alex looked down fondly at his son, running his fingers through his curly brown locks with a small smile. ”mais bien sûr il est beau, il est mon fils.” he said, chuckling. His expression soon grew dark, however, as memories flashed through his mind. Memories of fighting, of not knowing whether he'd make it back. Memories of each time he was re-employed, and of how many milestones he missed. Memories of the self-loathing – how could he have enlisted? His son didn't have a mother, why risk him not having a father, either? – and memories of all those children out there, of their bodies strewn haphazardly. Memories of his son superimposed onto these children. He swallowed hard, clenching his other fist to his side.

He could remember fighting. Seeing other soldiers torture, kill and maim the civilians as if they were enemies of the flag. It hadn't made sense to him. It had horrified him, disgusted him. They all had families – mothers, fathers, sons, wives, nephews, nieces.... they were all human, regardless of where they were born and what languages they spoke and what religion they followed. He took a deep breath, startled out of his reverie by the feeling of his son's hand touching his. He gave Andre a grateful look and focused back on the events that were occurring now.

Noemie giggled and reached back to play with her pig tails, cheeks reddening in delight. “Oui! Zank you! 'Ave you met mon soeur? I'm ze older 'un, which means I'm smarter 'n better.” She grinned happily, earning herself a pinch from the younger twin. “No you aren't! First ze worst, second ze best!” She exclaimed angrily. Alex sighed and scooped them both up, shaking his head.

“Girls, girls, enough of zis. We are in ze public space.” He said sternly, pausing only momentarily as his brain reminded him this wasn't necessarily the right phrasing to use. “You two are boz ze smart 'n pretty filles, zere is no need to fight.” He kissed each on the head, earning a giggle which relieved the man, and he once again put them down. He chuckled at her retort, pleased. “Wow, witty AND beautiful. Must 'ave men lining up at your door, n'est-ce pas? Mais, non, no bruising of ze ribs. It would be visible, non?”

As if things couldn't be more embarrassing, he could tell Kendra was just dying to laugh. And that was precisely why his son needed to go swim with some fishes. He tried to shrug it off, cheeks scarlet even as he did so. Nervously, he asked, ”so, 'ow much of zat did you understand, exactlement?” all while dreading her answer terribly. His dread turned to amusement though upon her comment, nodding his head. ”Oui, c'est vrai. Quel phrase 'speak when spoken to' does not translate well in our famille, apparently. 'E 'as spent too much time wiz 'is aunt Adelaide, it seems.” he grumbled, ”seriousment, 'e is twelve. Why does 'e know of such zings. Maybe I should limit 'is time on ze internets.”

A low whistle left his lips, raising an eyebrow. ”Why is zis? Candy is sweet and sugary. Good tasting, too.” He winked, preparing himself mentally for another round of beating. While maybe it wasn't the best option, he really couldn't help himself. He saw the opportunity and he took it, and even if it did wind up with another beating it was still very much worth it. At least, not when it came to this.

However, the effect was ruined by his “manly” squeals, and another glare went to the laughing children. Noemie and Noelle were bolting for the ocean, trying to grab more seaweed to add to the “game” and Sebastien was just hiding behind Kendra, hoping to god he wasn't hit by the slimey 'water snakes' as he called them. It was made even worse when the seaweed hit Kendra and was immediately returned, smacking him in the face before he even had time to react. He gagged and swiped at his face, unable to remove the disgusting taste as he threw it back towards her, laughing.

[kendra joan adams]

click • Luna<3 • Hehehe

If Kendra was being honest, she would say that children hadn’t been her favourite through most of her life. To most they signified innocence and hope but in her eyes she only saw despair and death. Of course that came with the fact that she was an army child and that was what she saw in most children she grew up around. The ones on the base either had both parents off at war or no parents at all. It was horrifying to think that a child would have to grow up without a parent. That was the main reason she decided against having kids. Her boyfriend in medical school had been quite excited about the thought so when she told him of her idea to go overseas their relationship pretty much ceased to exist. At first Kendra had been devastated but after a couple days she realized it was for the best. After all, had he asked her to stay she would have without a second thought and that scared her more than the thought of being alone for the rest of her life.

It was a lot like the situation she was in now, she knew she was drawn to the man in front of her but she also knew that he was bad news. He was the kind of guy she had stayed far away from in high school and now here she was, half naked surrounded by his family. The entire situation was a little surreal in her mind at the moment, which was what she was using as her reason for still being in front of him. Her brain screamed at her to leave and yet it was as if her feet glued themselves to the sand. It was rude to leave in the middle of a conversation after all.

A rosy red blush moved its way up her neck at his comment, pushing it away and replacing it with a sly smile instead, Kendra placed a slender hand on her hip. ”Well I do have auditions going on right now, I leave a signup sheet on my door so they don’t bother me quite as much.” The words came out lightly, passing off as a legitimate statement. Shrugging her shoulders at his next words she used it as an excuse to look at his chest. ”Most of the time yes but if it’s only slightly you don’t always see discolouration.” It amazed her that there wasn’t any bruising, from what she remembered she had punched him pretty good. Obviously she was getting rusty.

The next sequence of events through her for a loop, she was able to pick up on bits and pieces of what she was saying however even with what she was understanding she wasn’t sure if it was correct. Were they actually talking about boners? No, she must be mistaken, Kendra couldn’t say she had ever been good with French slang. She wasn’t even that great with English slang so it was easy for her to mess up her words in the other language. Though when he turned to her and asked what she picked up it drove it home that she had indeed got the right word. Placing a delicate hand over her lips to hold back a laugh she shook her head, trying to place an innocent look over her features. ”Me? Oh...nothing.” She found herself enjoying the blush that was consuming his face far too much.

”When does it ever with kids?” She smiled, watching the young ones fondly. You could say it was motherly drive or whatever but she felt happier around them. They were like a ray of sunshine. ”You should be lucky it took him till 12 to pick up on the stuff.” Grinning she shook her head, it was crazy what TV shows and websites said now a days. ”Trust me, if it wasn’t the internet it would be classmates.” A light shrug followed the words. ”Kids have a desire to learn after all.” Personally she was surprised that Alex didn’t know how kids learned things early but at the same time she could understand the cultural differences. Still, it made her laugh.

Upon Alex’s next statement, Kendra’s hand went up to poke him in the chest just as the seaweed fiasco began. Dropping her arm she watched it unfold until it came to her and smacked her in the stomach. Without a moments debate she threw it back at Alex, smirking when it slapped him right in the face. Aim had been a strong suit of hers. When the slimy mess was returned to her she turned around and handed it to Sebastian. ”Why don’t you take the others over to the ocean and play there?” Watching as the kids retreated to the water, Kendra smiled, they were all incredibly adorable and she found herself feeling slightly sad that she didn't have any of her own. However she knew she wasn't mothering material, she was married to her work and Kendra knew nothing would change that.

Once she saw they were safe she turned herself around to look at Alex, a sly smile crawling along her lips as she walked over to where he stood, a single hand placed delicately upon her hip. Biting her lip slowly she blatantly ran her eyes along his chiseled body. Bringing her eyes back up to his face she ran a hand through her hair."Well I think I'm going to go for a swim." She said, running a finger along his arm before twisting to walk away.

Lyrics from Turning Tables by Adele. Picture by Aurora. Table by (( Aurora !! of Caution 2.0.

[Lt. Alexandre C. Lowell]

Alexandre hadn't always wanted kids, of course. In fact, Andre hadn't even been his decision. Being fifteen and an orphan, raising his infant sister with the help of his elder sisters, he'd been turned off from kids entirely. Not that he didn't love Adelaide, she was beautiful and he could barely remember a life before her, but it had been rough on the teen, and having all that responsibility on his shoulders from such a young age had caused him to rebel in his twenties. When Andre was dropped on his doorstep at a month old, he had, for just a moment, considered giving him up for adoption. It had been an awful thought, one he regretted having immediately, but it had been a viable option. Who was he to raise a child all alone? Especially the child of Victoire Delacroix. Any memories of her and her husband (because he had checked up on her a few times -- apparently she was married now, with a daughter and a son in a wealthy neighbourhood in Paris) stirred him into both anger and sadness, remembering the happiness they had once shared, before she ran off with one of his friends.

Still, he supposed it was for the best. She'd always been a little bit shallow, a bit of a flake, and he couldn't imagine that they would've stayed together much longer anyways. Although he'd been a playboy casanova in college, and even now he was still a major flirt (especially when he was on white wine -- red wine, however, turned him into more of a romantic), he'd never really been into the superficial plastic life. Even before he'd gone off to war, he'd known the horrors in life. It made him want to enjoy what he had even more, knowing that it could be taken away from him in an instant. He needed someone that could understand that. Someone that could handle his moodswings -- the self-loathing for leaving his son, the anger he felt for Victoire and Stephan, the sadness from losing his parents and the fear, oh god, the fear. Fear of returning to war, fear of the events he'd seen, fear that the people who'd killed his mother and father would return for the rest of his family, and especially the fear that his son would grow up to hate him or, worse, grow up to idolize him. Grow up to think war was okay, and go overseas. He believed in peace, even if peace required countries to intervene with others, but he would never wish a soldier's life on anyone. The thought of his son, with his innocent eyes, going off to fight for a cause that probably wasn't even possible, going off and getting killed for a noble yet improbable cause, well, it kept him up at nights.

He needed someone to understand him, be his equal and help him through his issues, just as he would help her through her issues, whatever they may be. He feared this woman before him, beautiful that she was inside and out, because he was drawn to her. Drawn to her in a way that he hadn't felt in such a long time, since Victoire, and it made him a little scared. He tried to brush it off as best as he could, just flirting casually, but he couldn't deny the chemistry. He had to fight to keep from getting too close, prevent the attraction from turning into anything more, even though it was hard to stay away already.

A sly grin spread across his face as he paused momentarily to crack his back, chuckling at her. "A sign up sheet, hm? Now zat is a smart idea. I'd add mon nom to ze shit but zen it would not be fair to ze ozers, as I would blow zem out of ze water, non?" He smirked, licking his lips reflexively. When the conversation turned to his ribs, though, his fingers went to the spot he'd been hit, testing the ribs for some sign of weakness and, though tender and a little sore, didn't find one. It hurt, sure, but no bruise. "Oui, well, my skin is used to zings far worse zan punching, so I would be ashamed if a punch were to bruise over, even zo it was a good 'un" He explained, offering her a small smile.

Everything was moving so fast, Alex was hoping, praying even, that the french flinging between the family would be too quick for her to pick up on, the slang too difficult for her to understand. However, he knew the likelyhood of this, especially as she struggled to hold back her laughter and feign her innocence. He felt his heart drop into his stomach like lead, utterly embarrassed. "Oui, zis is true. But I still feel like..... it's wrong, tu sais? I mean, ever since 'is mozer... well... and I missed so much of 'is life, 'un of ze zings I regret about enlisting in ze war, tu sais?" He sighed a little, licking his lips again.

However, the sadness soon left his eyes as the game with the seaweed began, only ending when it was handed to Sebastien. The young boy looked at the seaweed with fear and disgust, proclaiming something about watersnakes, before Andre laughed and took the seaweed instead, leading the contingent of children into the water at Kendra's request. Alexandre noticed the sad look in her eyes and raised an eyebrow, deciding not to comment on it. Which was probably a smart thing, because the moment the children were gone, suddenly her expression turned from sad to suggestive, causing him to swallow reflexively. He couldn't believe it; was this woman, the one who had slapped him not once, not twice, but three times for his lusty behaviour only a short time ago, really checking him out? And she wasn't even being that subtle about it, either. It threw him for a spin, for sure, his attention immediately going to the hand in her hair. Her words didn't even register to him as she ran her finger up his arm, a trail of fire following it. It was all he could do to not pin her against a tree or into the sand and kiss her senseless. Instead, he followed her from behind as she walked away, pausing a moment to admire the view (and no, he isn't refering to the landscape, as beautiful as California was) before looping his arm around her waist and throwing her over his shoulder.

"I agree, you are going for a swim" He smirked, her words finally registering to him as he walked back over to the pier. Much like with Andre, he taossed her into the ocean before jumping in after her, laughing and brushing his hair out of his face when he came up for air.

[kendra joan adams]

click • Luna<3 • Hehehe

She only got a few steps before she heard him moving after her, a smirk formed on her lips at the fact she was getting a rise out of him. However what happened had not been what she was expecting but then again it wasn’t like they could have a make out session with the children only a short distance away. The fact that she wanted to feel his lips on hers again bothered her, she had been the one to put a stop to his advances back at the hospital so why was she now the one making the inappropriate gestures and comments? She had to admit that it was fun, in the army you didn’t have much time to think about hormones or basic human needs in the sense of relief therefore it had been a long time since she was able to have this kind of fun.

That had to be the reason why she was still playing this role, no way in hell that she actually wanted this man. It was just the fun of the game that she was enjoying. Not the feel of his lips against hers or his hand on her ass. In fact she felt a great deal of disdain towards the man behind her, treating her like she was a doll to mess with. No, she wasn’t going to stand for it but what was wrong with using him to fulfill a small part of her needs? They would never go further than kissing but even that was enough for her. Kendra could basically hear her body screaming at her for neglecting it for so long.

However when she felt his arm wrap around her waist and lift her over his shoulder a girly yelp escaped her lips. ”Hey! What are you doing!” Slapping him lightly on the back she tried to break free of his grasp. ”Put me down right now.” Kendra whined, trying to hold back a laugh. ”Don’t you dare!” She had just enough time to get the words out before he tossed her into the water, like she weighed nothing. Splashing into the water she came back up for air only to be hit by the wave he created. Glaring at him, Kendra tried to push the hair out of her face. ”I’m going to get you back for that.” Swimming towards him she got close enough so that their bodies touched when either moved before reaching up with a grin and attempting to push him under water.

Backing away to allow him to come up for air, she laughed, sporting a devilish grin on her lips. ”You deserved that.” Nodding her head, brown locks fell back over her eyes. Pausing for a moment she let her eyes wonder, noticing that they were completely blocked from view by the wooden leg of the pier. Part of her wanted to turn and swim away but a more primal part of her brain kept her there, smirking at the man in front of her. And so she waited, wanting to see what he would be next, if something happened so be it. She had no issue using him for one need and never seeing him again, Kendra just wouldn’t be the one to make the first move.

Lyrics from Turning Tables by Adele. Picture by Aurora. Table by (( Aurora !! of Caution 2.0.

[Lt. Alexandre C. Lowell]

'zis woman will be ze death of me, I swear it' Alex thought to himself with a grumble, running a hair messily as he followed the woman. Had it just been the two of them, his next actions would have already been predetermined. He would have her pinned and kiss her senselessly, until she couldn't even remember her own name. (right, kiss, that's it. That's totally the saying). He was pretty sure she was teasing him on purpose, that had to be the only explanation. Well, that and he was a charming motherfucker when he wanted to be. But it was probably just her getting payback by flirting when he was incapable of acting on any horomone.

But god did he miss this sort of thing. The last woman he'd been with was Andre's mother, twelve years ago. More than that, really, considering she'd been screwing other men on the side and hadn't felt the need to satisfy his needs. And, being that he was French, he definitely had needs. Pretty needy needs, to boot. As he carried her, he could only chuckle at her girlish yelp, taking the opportunity to return the slap on the back with a slap to her ass. It was only logical, after all, and it was right there. How could he not slap it? "Are you sure you want me to put you down?" He smirked. She was seconds too late with her warning, however, and moments later the two were in the ocean.

He was still laughing when he was shoved under the water, laughs turning to choking coughs as he fought to get the water out of his lungs. He brushed the hair out of his eyes once more, shaking his head in amusement before taking a quick listen to make sure the kids were okay. "Oui, I suppose I did." He conceded with a laugh, taking another gulp of air. He turned his head, trying to glance at the children to double check, only to realize that they were out of view.

Now, there were two ways he could go with this knowledge. The responsible father and uncle would have moved so that he could see the children and the children could see him. The irresponsible male, however, could take advantage of their position. Clearly the decision was already made for him as he swam closer to her, pressing her up against the wooden leg of the pier. One arm looped around her waist as he pressed his lips roughly against hers, his other reaching out to keep hold on the dock, to keep them from going anywhere or from sinking.

Well, what did you expect? Lust trumps logic everytime.

[kendra joan adams]

click • Luna<3 • Hehehe

If she was asked, Kendra would blame her actions on how little contact she had in an intimate sense with a member of the opposite sex. Anyone who could see them probably thought that were a couple of horny, sex crazed teenagers getting busy behind the pier. The logical part of her mind was yelling about how a child could wander away from their parents and end up witnessing what was happening between the two but it was heavily out voiced by the primal side. Either way, it wasn’t like anything bad was going on, they were just a couple of capable adults flirting. It wasn’t like they were having sex in the ocean...now that would be ridiculous.

Did she have to think about that? As she floated there, staring at the man in front of her it was the only thing she could see now. ”Wow Kendra. First you smack him multiple times for kissing you and now you’re encouraging it? Bec is right, you need to get laid.” Mentally she scorned herself, this wasn’t her. She did not go after men who made sexual remarks towards their doctor and then held a scalpel at them. Where was the logic in that? In fact perusing anything would be far more trouble than it would be worth. At least that’s what she kept repeating to herself as he began to swim towards her, pushing her back against the wooden leg.

This time she allowed him to pull her body towards his, the feel of his arm around her waist igniting patches of fire wherever it touched. It wouldn’t hurt to just give in to this want of hers, right? Kissing wasn’t a crime and he was right here. Before she could weigh anymore options his lips over took hers. Kendra’s mind went blank, unable to focus on except the man in front of her who was managing to awaken every nerve in her body. Slowly her hands ran up his chest stopping to wrap around the back of his neck. Moving forward, she pressed her body closer to his in an attempt to deepen the kiss. After a moment she manoeuvred herself in order to wrap her legs around his waist.

Kendra was unsure what came over her but it took her a moment to realize what she was doing, forcing herself to pull away from the kiss she looked at Alex, her breathing slightly laboured. ”Oh god, I’m sorry. I don’t know what just came over me...” She trailed off, a light blush creeping it’s way along her cheeks. Slowly she began to slide her legs from around his waist, trying to avoid looking into his eyes. ”I should uh...go. I think I work tonight.” Choking out a laugh, she ducked her head,biting her lip as she began wondering if he was actually going to let her go.

Lyrics from Turning Tables by Adele. Picture by Aurora. Table by (( Aurora !! of Caution 2.0.

[Lt. Alexandre C. Lowell]

Try as it might, the logical part of his brain simply could not win against his primal, hormone-driven instincts. And lord, did it try. He knew that water didn't have to be very deep for a child to drown, and that even a current like this could very quickly overpower even Andre, as strong of a swimmer as he was. However, his hormones argued that it really wouldn't take long to get to them, if need be, and it was only a kiss. They weren't, you know, having sex. Though, he mused, that would certainly be interesting and fun. He wasn't too sure if she'd enjoy getting all that salt water in those places, but it would certainly be a fun experiment nonetheless. The thought brought a flirty little smirk to his lips as he licked them reflexively.

He wasn't quite sure why he thought this, but he was somehow surprised to find that she was a good kisser. Maybe it was because she was so uptight, he didn't expect her to have much experience at all. And yet, there they were, and their bodies melded together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle. As her hand trailed up his chest he shivered, his muscles clenching and twitching as his hypersensitive skin burned with desire. He groaned softly as the kiss was deepened, sliding his hand from her waist as he felt her legs wrap around his hips, his hand instead going to her hair, tilting her head back as he continued to kiss her.

The groan turned to one of dismay as she soon seemed to come to her senses and detach herself from the male, his lower lip jutting out in a pout as he turned his glazed-over eyes onto her. "Pourquoi?" he half-whined, unable at that time to even think coherent sentences in French, let alone in English. "Pourquoi tu arrete? J'aime le..." now what was that word for kiss? "bouche." no wait, that as mouth. I like the mouth? Whatever, it was close enough.

As if she was adding insult to injury, she was just going to leave? After all that? His blue eyes, already darkened with desire, further darkened in his frustration as he reached out and grabbed for her arms, making the move to pull her back, though not roughly. "Non." he said petulantly, "Tu do not leave. si'l vous plait, stay."