name = Allenna Sinclair
email = hayden_d@yahoo.com
title = Sleeping with the Enemy part 2
warnings = not yet
story = Chapter One: A Book By Its Cover

'Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.'

"Jimmy is married and lives down south," a sweet soprano drifting out into the hall from a nearby bar.

A hooded figure paused and turned his head towards the siren's song. After a moment he walked toward the bar, which in gaudy
letters proclaimed its self as the Mirage. Entering the bar, the figure stood hidden by the shadows gazing at the source of the
enchanting voice.

"He'll say I don't know why we met, the simple truth is always the best, C'est la vie -- what's done is done, and there's somebody for
everyone-," her voice quivered with emotion. "Jimmy has debts and Jimmy has ties, that he can't get out from under, if you look far
enough into his eyes --," the singer's fingers skillfully strummed a guitar.

Neroon was amazed that such a voice could come from a human female. Especially one that looked so young--she couldn't be more
than eighteen, if even that! He couldn't believe that the voice that drawn him to this--this place was possessed by such a creature.
Such a gift was wasted on the stupid chit.

     "It'll rock you just like thunder
     Jimmy broke locks and Jimmy broke bolts
     Just to get himself out from under
     When you feel like you're lying in a prison cell
     It'll kind of make you wonder

     He'll say it's destiny we met
     The simple truth is always the best
     Don't you see what's done is done
     And there's somebody for everyone..."

The singer's eyes met Neroon from across the darkened room. Her eyes burned into his, bright beacons in a place of shadows. 

     "He'll say you get just what you get
     The simple truth is always the best
     Don't you see what's done is done?
     And there's somebody for everyone"

As the song ended, demands arose from the patrons for more music and the young woman was forced to obey. Neroon almost
pitied her--she was oblivious tired and had probably been on stage all night. Then again the stupid creature probably didn't know
any better. Neroon told himself he'd stay for only one more song, as he had better things to do than listen to a human sing. Then
another and another and another, until Neroon realized he'd been there almost three hours. The young woman on stage curtsied
and walked gracefully off the stage into the back, holding her guitar by the neck. Another woman came up on stage, much older
than the first. Gray streaked this female's hair.

"Thanks Hailey--you did great kid! Anyone who'd like to hear and see our Hailey again, please come on back tomorrow night at
nine. She'll be back up here singing and playing her heart out for you great folks!"

'That woman is a very good liar,' Hailey thought smiling slightly over Abby, the blind woman was manager of the bar. She
shrugged a black cloak on over her skimpy black dress and grabbed her purse, slinging the guitar across her back. After saying her
good-byes, the young woman known as Hailey Calei Kuffs walked towards the door. Ignoring the vulgar comments and lewd
looks, Hailey made her way through the maze of tables. As she walked out the door she noticed a tall cloaked figure watching her
from a short distance away.

Hailey looked the figure over and tried to do a surface scan with her weak telepathic powers. She could only pick up that the figure
was alien and meant her no harm. She recognized the figure now, it had been there the whole evening, watching her. Something
about his mind was intensely familiar. Curious.

Hailey was too tired to think anymore on the subject and left the bar. She headed wearily towards the lift, unaware that she was
being followed. She entered the lift and said her floor. Before the doors could close the figure from the bar slid in, his hood now
down. Hailey was strangely, not surprised to see he was Minbari. Hailey shifted uncomfortably and inched away from the man.
Neroon observed her actions with a small smile. Humans -- they were all the same. 

"Which floor?" She asked him, out of the blue.Neroon turned his head towards her, a little surprised she had the courage to talk to
him. When he didn't respond, she looked at him strangely and asked again.

<"Which floor, sir?">, she said in perfect Vik, the only form of Minbari she knew. Neroon's mouth almost fell open in shock. This
human spoke Minbari? And Vik at that?

<"I will decide once I arrive there, human.">, he said coldly.

"Suit yourself," she said, with a small shrug of her shoulders. She forced herself to look away from his enthralling cinnamon hued
eyes.Neroon gazed at her a moment more before speaking again. Maybe there was a little more to this female than meets the eye.

"Your singing was very -- satisfactory -- for a human," he said.

"And you have a way of making a person extremely nervous, Minbari!" She bit back. She was annoyed that this Minbari had
chosen her to harass.

"Do I make you nervous, human?" he asked hovering over her.

"No, but you made a whole lotta other people nervous. You scared away half the business tonight!!" No Minbari was gonna try and
put her in her place! This one had to be one of the warriors, for she'd met some of the religious and worker types and as a rule they
were pretty nice.

"That must have been a great loss to you!" he growled. Neroon had seen the dress she'd been wearing on stage and had a few ideas
of what she did OFF stage. Hailey understood his meaning entirely. Her amber eyes whirled in anger as she glared up at him. If had
been a human male she'd of smacked him.

"Tell me just how many credits did you lose out on this evening?" Neroon leered at her. "I assume you usually do not go home
unescorted."

"How dare you -- !" Her hand flew on its own accord to strike him. Her eyes seemed to turn to flames.

Neroon caught her wrist and bent it back painfully. Hailey flinched in agony as his massive hand almost crushed the delicate
bones.

"You forget yourself, HUMAN!" Neroon roared, pushing her away, clamping down on his anger. Hailey glared angrily at him,
mumbling Irish curses under her breath. Her uncle was right, these -- these monsters were animals! Or at least the warriors were,
she conceded, unwilling to damn the entire race.The lift slowed and came to a stop announcing it was Hailey's floor. Hailey didn't
notice, she was to busy trying to control her rage. She rubbed her throbbing wrist gently, ignoring the damage his hand had left.

Neroon was taken aback for a moment by the fury in her ethereal amber eyes. He would have laughed out loud but felt that the
human female wouldn't have appreciated it. Not that he really cared. She wasn't afraid of him. That was an odd thing even among
his own. Females of his own race too often seemed frightened by him. But not this creature. He would have to think on this.

"I believe we have reached your floor," his tone was more respectful now.

Hailey blinked and saw that he was correct. She nodded at Neroon and left the lift. As the doors closed behind her she heard the
Minbari call after her.

<"Until tomorrow night, Hailey.">

Hailey turned but the doors were already shut. She stared at the lift door for several moments before heading to her quarters.
Arrogant, rude, self-centered, heathen!! That's what that -- that Minbari was! He made it sound like he was doing her a favor by
talking to her! Hailey could forgive many things, but excessive pride and ignorance was not among them!

Still there was something in his eyes..... 
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