Hey guyssss! I'm sorry I'm taking so long to do stuff at the moment! My motivation is pretty much non existant at the moment. *sighs*

On the plus side, I made some cookies earlier! :D

Enjoyyyy!

Oh yeah! This is also the last chapter so... A gooey cookie to all those who've read this as a thank you :)

Becker grinned, then explained his previous thought process.

When finished Re-re grinned. "Two older sisters and a twin. I know what it's like to be lulled into a false sense of security." She placed on of her hands on Becker's as she spoke. "I wasn't planning on doing that to you. I honestly just wanted to give you a distraction."

Becker nodded, trusting her words. It may have seemed unlike him to put his faith so easily into something as flimsy as words but he was a soldier and so was Re-re. He knew that he had to trust his men to watch his back as they trusted him to lead them well. He would refuse to employ anyone who wasn't capable, in his opinion, to be part of the close knit team. He trusted all of his colleagues with his life and because of that trusted them to speak the truth.
Assured that Re-re was being honest with him, Becker relaxed and the conversation turned to them sharing family anecdotes.

Throughout the easy flowing few hours which followed, the couple-

Lovingthis paused as she looked at the word 'couple.'

There was something about it. Perhaps the way that 'couple' was also used to describe a romantic relationship meant that it would be an ambiguous and possibly descriptive word to use. She debated for a few moments, toying with the backspace button, wondering whether or not she should put it in.

It may be a better option to use a word which described their relationship in a more… accepted way. She tapped at the keys, thinking. 'Friends,' 'workmates,' 'colleagues,' she wasn't sure what would fit best.

Lovingthis then decided to cop out of finding a good word to initially describe them.

-/-

Throughout the easy flowing hours that followed, they discovered much about one another and the colleagues became closer.

Whatcha think, Becky Boy?

"Hmm?" The man in question looked away from his companion to his author.

BECKERRR!

"What?"

You were paying Re-re more attention than me!

"Jealous much?" Becker smirked.

*Gasp!* Am not!

"Yeah, I believe you." The soldier's voice was laced with sarcasm.

BECKER! Don't make me punish you!

Lovingthis started to giggle as she thought of exactly what she would do.

She missed Becker rolling his eyes and the room in her head changing. It was only when the soldier snorted in humour at her predictable imaginings that she was brought sharply back to reality.

*Ahem* Umm… She started to talk out of the corner of her mouth. No-one noticed that did they Becker?

"I'm sure they didn't." He reassured her.

Great! Thanks! Do you think the wording was okay, honey bun?

"I've told you not to call me that."

Okay, pumpkin.

"Or that."

Whatever you say, Soldier Boy.

"Lovingthis!"

You growled, Action Man? She smirked innocently.

"Stop it!"

Stop what, Becky-Boy?

"I mean it!"

As you command, Cap'in. She winked suggestively.

Becker threw up his hands in defeat. "You're impossible!"

You're just too kind, sweet cheeks!

Becker growled under his breath.

What did you think of it?

"Good- but when are you going to get the pace moving a little?"

Whatcah mean?

"We've been at Re-re's for how many chapters now? You're struggling aren't you?"

Urrr. NO!

…

Yeah. Okay I am. I don't know- I think I can move past it now. I've got more written- but you haven't reached it yet.

"Well get cracking! I think we're doing well on the conversational front here." Becker looked over at Re-re who had remained in scene for the duration of the interruption.

Someone's got a cruuuuusssssssshhhhhhh!

"DO NOT!"

Lovingthis snorted in laughter then clapped her hands over her face in shock.

"Lady like." Becker raised an eyebrow.

Shut up! Becker and Re-re sitting in a treee doing what they shouldn't be…. First comes guns, then arguments, then getting together, then breaking up, then getting back together as that ALWAYS happens to you- then marriage. Then comes the baby in the baby's carriage!

"You really need to grow up. You know that right?"

Lovingthis laughed, loudly. I'm old enough for what I want… She winked.

Becker shook his head. "You're impossible."

I know! Lovingthis grinned.

-/-

Becker grinned, then explained his previous thought process.

When finished Re-re grinned. "Two older sisters and a twin. I know what it's like to be lulled into a false sense of security." She placed on of her hands on Becker's as she spoke. "I wasn't planning on doing that to you. I honestly just wanted to give you a distraction."

Becker nodded, trusting her words. It may have seemed unlike him to put his faith so easily into something as flimsy as words but he was a soldier and so was Re-re. He knew that he had to trust his men to watch his back as they trusted him to lead them well. He would refuse to employ anyone who wasn't capable, in his opinion, to be part of the close knit team. He trusted all of his colleagues with his life and because of that trusted them to speak the truth.

Assured that Re-re was being honest with him, Becker relaxed and the conversation turned to them sharing family anecdotes.

Throughout the easy flowing hours that followed they discovered much about one another and the colleagues became closer. When the light faded, casting the room into a shadowy maze of indistinguishable objects, Becker realised it was about time to leave. He mentioned it and grinned, in the faint manner he did, as Re-re leant into him, nudging his shoulder with hers.

"Alright, get outta my house, Superman!"

"I really shouldn't have told you that, should I?" The Captain mock sighed as he stood, reaching out a hand to help his host up.

"You're never going to live it down." She stuck her tongue out at him as a part of her mind became aware that he was still holding my hand.

Becker dropped it as if scalded and stared at the solder girl intently, wondering if she looked any different.

*sigh* What are you doing now, Becker?

"This is Re-re?" He pointed.

DURH!

"Not you?"

Nuhuh- I look nothing like her. We discussed this earlier. I'm not allowed to make me an OC unless it's believably a non fangirl fanfic.

"Ooohkay…"

WHAT?

"Was this story originally in first person?"

Uhh…

"When you wrote it… Was it from Re-re's point of view."

Oh yeah! Yeah, it was!

Becker face palmed. "Read what you just wrote."

Umm… As a part of her mind became aware that he was still holding my- Oh.

"Yeah."

Oh.

"Yeah."

You can stop that now. Lovingthis sighed. Damn! I can't believe I did that!

"Yea- Okay! Next time don't change the tense halfway through writing the story. Chose which tense you're most comfortable in- unless you're experimenting- and stick to it!"

*Blushes* Yeah… okay… Woopsiedoodle! Sorry Becky Boy, honey bun.

He growled.

Right… *blushes more* Lord you growling is a distraction! BACK TO THE STORYYY!

-/-

"Alright, get outta my house, Superman!"

"I really shouldn't have told you that, should I?" The Captain mock sighed as he stood, reaching out a hand to help his host up.

"You're never going to live it down." She stuck her tongue out at him as a part of her mind became aware that he was still holding her hand as they approached the front door.

"Right." Becker seemed to suddenly realise there was still contact between the two of them and froze.

For a few moments no-one moved.

Then Becker swallowed and stepped away. "Right." He repeated.

"Becker, wait!" Re-re followed him down the steps to his car. "Um- Thank you for the lift. And um-"

"Thank you, Rebecca." She frowned. "For the chat. It's been a while since I've been able to talk to anyone."

"I really don't mind, plus, I now have some leverage on you."

"Mention a word of this at work and I'll have you cleaning the menagerie for a month."

At the empty threat Re-re laughed. "I'd like to see you persuading Abby to enforce that!" Without realising it, she had stepped closer and the nervous quiet that had taken them a few moments before returned.

Becker's eyes flickered to her lips and his tongue darted out to lick his own. It seemed he was totally unaware of his actions…

No. I'm not a pre-teen cool girl wannabe. Lovingthis shook her head at herself. I am NOT using 'totally' it does NOT fit.

Becker looked around. "What?

No, I totally understand that there are times when 'totally' is acceptable. But I don't think it worked in that context. Lovingthis smiled at the soldier.

-/-

At the empty threat Re-re laughed. "I'd like to see you persuading Abby to enforce that!" Without realising it, she had stepped closer and the nervous quiet that had taken them a few moments before returned.

Becker's eyes flickered to her lips and his tongue darted out to lick his own. It seemed he was completely unaware of his actions until Re-re copied.

"Ok. Bye." Becker back-paced around his car then sped off leave Re-re blinking in surprise.

"Wow!" She said to herself. "That guy has some serious issues going on."

-/-

Around the corner Becker pulled onto double yellow lines and got out, yelling at his author. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

What was what?

"That!" He pointed wildly. "Back there! With Re-re!"

You're an emotional retard, honey. I'm keeping you to character.

Becker sighed. "No fair."

Haha! Lovingthis laughed. You're whipped, Becker. You know that, right?

"Whatever. Get us together already, it's obvious that that's your plan for this story."

Becker, honey, that's the plan of EVERYONE who writes a story with you in it!

"Yeah…"

I bet it gets annoying from time to time?

"It is annoying, but I guess if that's what the people want…"

Oh, it's what they want alright! *winks* So. Should I cut straight to the next day or have a bit of Re-re reflecting what the hell to do about you?

"Eh- whatever you think works best." Becker shrugged his shoulders.

Aah, what I think would work best… Lovingthis trailed off suggestively then shook her head to clear it. Yeah, I'm not going to write all that, it defeats the purpose of this story.

-/-

The next day Re-re found her boss in the same room as before.

"Have you stopped freaking out yet, Becker?"

"What's that, Sansoni?"

"I'll take the use of my surname as a 'no.'"

"Hn."

Re-re gritted her teeth at the non-noise. "I like you, Becker." She said it short, as a statement of fact, almost hoping that keeping the emotion out of her tone would make it easier when he rejected her. "And there's definitely something here if you're going to freak."

"Rebecca-"

"Let me finish."

"Watch your attitude, Private!"

"Don't you think you should check yours before you turn on me?" Re-re rose her voice to match his.

Becker gritted his teeth at the woman in front of him, determined not to lose his cool. "I'm not going to argue with you. Go cool off. Come back when you're calm."

"Oh I don't think so." Re-re took a few steps towards her boss, her stance aggressive.

"I have no problem in reporting you to Lester."

The girl scoffed. "Don't act tough, Becker. For once drop that act and be you." He didn't rise to the challenge. "Don't you ever get bored of this? Of what you've made of your life? What do you do? Huh? You go to work, act tough, go home and sleep then do the same thing the next day. What's that about? Does that actually make you happy?"

Her words galled him and Becker closed the distance between them by another step. "You don't know me, Sansoni."

"I understand you a damn sight better than you think so I suggest you stop the tough guy act and actually remember what it's like to be human, like you did with your sisters."

They both panted at the proximity, chests rising and falling, brushing against each other as they took in deep breaths.

"What do you want, Becker?"

Becker tilted his head closer, noses touched and before Becker swallowed, urging himself to close the oh-so-small distance, the ghost of a kiss fluttered over there lips.
Then, Becker turned on Lovingthis.

"THEIR!"

That's what I said! There.

"NO!" Becker threw his arms up in dismay. "Their, there and they're!"

What? Stop saying 'there' at me.

"I didn't. They're three different things."

… You what?

"Okay… try this… I have a pair of pears."

So you have four? Can I have one?

"No."

Well that's a bit mean! You have four of them and I have none! Surely you can spare one!

"NO! They're homophones! Words that sound the same but mean different things! I said I have two of the fruit known as the 'pear.' A pair of pears!"

Oh. That makes sense. So what's the dealio with 'there'?

"There. T-H-E-R-E. It denotes a place. My seat is over there."

There's no seat, Becker.

"You know what I mean!"

So… there lips..?

"Ur- no. The lips are not a place. They are a possession so it's 'their.' T-H-E-I-R. You can remember it because people have eyes (I's) and so it has an 'I' in."

Soo… their lips?

"Yeah!"

Sweet!

-/-

The ghost of a kiss fluttered over their lips-

What?

"There's a third one which you didn't let me explain."

You could have just waited.

"But you'd have forgotten."

*Sigh* You owe me for this, Becky boy.

"Yeah, yeah I know." He looked around as the room began to change. "LOVINGTHIS! FOCUS ON THE STORY! Stop day dreaming!"

*Blushes* Woops sorry- No-one noticed, right?

Becker raised an eyebrow.

Okay! Okay! Go!

"The third one is they're. T-H-E-Y- APOSTROPHE -R-E. the apostrophe indicates a missing letter. This is because we have smushed the words 'they' and 'are' together. They're. So-"

*giggles*

"Umm… Yeah so-"

*giggles*

"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?"

Tehee… you said 'smushed!'

Becker growled.

-/-

They were so close to kissing, it was tantalizing. The ghost of the other's lips, flittering over their own.

-/-

Chapter end.
Oooh yeah! Cause everyone loves an 'about to kiss' cliffy!

-/-

Becker looked around as the clicking sound stopped.

"Lovingthis?"

There was no reply.

"LOVINGTHIS?"

Panicked he started to look around to room for any sign that it was changing, as it normally did after she finished a chapter.

It didn't.

Internally she didn't respond and the clacking of keys never resumed.

"LOVINGTHIS? WHERE ARE YOU?" He looked truly lost for a few moments. Then, quietly, so quietly, he whispered, "where have you gone?"

The slightly broken tone of his voice startled Re-re. She approached him and placed a hand on his arm. "I think she's left."

"But why?"

"Maybe she has something to do?" She tried to sound positive.

"But she always has a few thoughts about what to do next, even if she's busy." His face was frowned in confusion.

"I- I think something better may have come along."

"What?" He looked perplexed at the idea of 'something better' than what he had with her.

"Well, maybe… maybe she got bored of us."

"But… but…" His head shook slightly as he tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Yes?" Re-re gently nudged him for an answer.

"But… I'm her Becker… I'm unique to her."

"I know. I'm her Re-re."

"But… No-one else interprets me like she does."

"I know."

"So… She's gone?"

"I think so."

"What do I do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… She tells me what to do… Yes I argue… But that's because she tells me to argue… I… I… Wha- What do I do?"

Re-re gave a small smile as she turned to stand in front of him. She took his face in her hands and looked him directly in the eyes. "Whatever you want."

"But… I don't want… I want…. I want her to write me." He lifted his hands to cover hers and pulled them down to his chest. "She abandoned me."

"Then show her that you can survive without her."

"I can't."

"Yes you can, Becker. She created you. That doesn't mean that we have to stop when she stops us."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm part of her imagination too, remember. I just paid a bit more attention to Sophie's World."

A slow smile spread across Becker's face as he realised what she was getting at. "We don't have to stop. Just because she doesn't care about us anymore doesn't mean that we don't have to live."

"Right." Re-re spoke in a short happy clipped voice. "So, what do you want to do?"

Becker smiled.

"This." He kissed her quickly and softly, dropped one of her hands, linked his fingers through hers in the other and lead her out the door.

A pet peeve of mine (and you all know by now that I have a fair few!) is when someone just stops a story.

These people live for them and more often than not the story is stopped just after the two characters who are being shipped successfully get together for the first time. I think the author's interest just fizzles out and they don't know where to go... It's that, when you start to write a story like this, you normally have a scene for the big get together. So the plot up to that point needs to be written to make the get together happen- but after that… it's just not thought of, so even if the author didn't intend to stop at that point, they do anyway. And just abandon their characters.

It's sad.

So yes, this is it from me and How Not To.

Thank you all of you who've read this :) And do let me know what you thought :D