Helping

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

07/05/97:

Things had not been getting better... to start with, Oriana
was still verging on suicide, though getting slowly better.
Though she was very much on edge, jumping at everything.
Sierra was even staying away from her. Sora was being even
worse. She and Oriana were somewhat friends, but she could
not stop sparing at Oria. Though now that she knows what
happened, she's tried to stop, though not very well.

At least Oria had stopped drinking. After having to deal
with her being drunk for over a week, her spending a week
sober was rather pleasant, mostly. She mopped around the
house, dressed usually in just a robe, or maybe sweets and
one of my shirts. Some times she would go down into the cave
and tinker on some things, but that usual didn't last for
more then a few minutes.

To be honest, it hurt me a lot to see her like this, I had
no idea what to do to help, and every time I tried to do
something it either seamed to backfire, or I just wasn't
able to do it.

I was lost with this, she needed me help so much, and I
wasn't able to do a thing. So I did the only thing I could
think of to try to get my mind off of it, I went back to
work on _The Falcon_.

There had been a few minor changes in the design, the tanks
had been moved from for and aft to port and starboard
(apparently the Brothers hit the wrong button or something
and screwed up the blue prints). The good thing was that it
didn't need any changes to the tanks themselves, both of
which were now welded into place inside the ship.

I also had the real landing gear installed, and a boarding
ramp. All in all I was only a few days behind schedule.
Though with how much I had been working on it in the past
few days I excepted to be ahead of schedule soon.

Right then though, I was working on getting some of the
inside hull plating on top of the tanks when I heard a voice
calling my name.

Expecting Burke, to top of this as a bad week, I started
down the ramp. I was very happily surprised to find that
Rachel instead. Sitting down on the ramp so we were about I
level, I smiled a bit. "Hello there."

She smiled back. "Hello yourself."

The conversation stopped there. We just looked at each other
for a minute, nether one of us even trying to talk. Finally
I found something to say. "I saw that you had your first
full Council session sense the Hammerheads today... how did
it go?"

Rachel smiled, standing a bit straighter. "Surprisingly
well. We were able to get most of the old rules reinstated,
as well as finally making Sothia an official member of the
Council. You remember her, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm happy that's finally settled."

"We also got the other two of the first level members chosen
from the current members."

"Oh, anyone I know?" I asked. This was actually a big deal
as when they went to the first level, they would have to
leave there old position as representatives, as the first
level members only represented the council. Though this was
only true with the Council Head, as that member could not
come from the politics of any world.

Rachel smiled. "Yes, Theodore Wraith, the cougar who roused
out the members who threatened you."

I smiled. "I remember him, yes."

"The second member is Laina Drave."

I shook my head. "Don't know her."

"I'm not surprised, she has only been a member for a couple
months. Still quite new at it. You can't miss her in the
sessions, she's the only bunny."

I chuckled. "Ah..."

The conversation petered out again.

Finally I sighed. "So... what do you want to talk to me
about?"

She seemed to deflate a couple of inches. "Page told me what
happened with Oriana."

I frowned. "I wish I could do something for her."

"I can."

I perked up. "What?"

She sighed. "Forget about it."

"WHAT?!" I bellowed, standing strait up.

She looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry Fox, but I can't
know about it. Assassination is murder and a crime, and the
guild is illegal under the laws of the Council, as well as
being a member of it."

"Oh..." I said, sitting back down on the ramp.

Rachel sat down next to me. "It's all I can do Fox... but I
do suggest you try to cheer her up, get her out to see some
of her friends."

I shook my head. "The only real other friend she knows off
her world is Kalie, and she trained her in weaponry, so
she's not to keen on calling her to Prid to visit."

"She doesn't know anyone else?"

I shook my head. "Not that she's ever told me. She knows my
friends, but that's about it. I think the only other one
that is even close to a friend is Steven Mason, and he's out
on business someplace."

"Ever think of getting everyone together? Sort of a party to
cheer her up."

I shrugged. "I was thinking of a barbecue so Sora could meet
everyone, which makes more sense as she got word today that
she passed everything to be certified for a portal
controller. But now that this has happened I didn't think
that it was such a good idea."

She placed her paw on my shoulder. "Fox, it just might be a
perfect idea, get her with some of the people she knows. It
might help."

"Or it might make it worse."

She shook her head. "And sitting around doing nothing isn't?
Fox you have to do something! Even if it doesn't work to
make her feel better, she at least know that she has people
looking out for her, who would be willing to help her. That
might make all the difference in the world. You are just not
enough to do it by yourself."

I ran my hands though my hair. "You think so?"

"Yes Fox, I do."

I nodded. "Then I'll have to do it."

-----

This story is (c) 1997 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This
story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission
of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.