Times They Are a' Changing, But Some Things Never Do

Lime Ricky's was packed and swinging like any other Friday night. Kids age 6 to 12 were enjoying a great assortment of sodas and each other's company to celebrate another school week survived. At a booth on the far side from the door sat two Friday night usuals with a reputation from causing commotion, plus two guests who were also no strangers to the bar. Patton was nursing his second root beer while Fanny was half way into her third (she always had to be at least one ahead of him, especially when he was paying). But the rabble rousers were rather quiet this particular Friday though, for they had company tonight; Abbigail Lincoln was playing with an empty can of orange pop, and Hoagie Gilligan, Jr. was sipping on a club soda (a recent preference Abby was sure had only come about so Hoagie could look more sophisticated).

"Numbuh 5 was hoping she and Numbuh 2 weren't the only ones gettin' the heeby-jeebies from the Numbuh Infinity," the jazzy twelve year old said, adjusting her hat so it remained over her eyes, "That boy's starin', it creeps Numbuh 5 out. Like he's always lookin' for something, you just never know what."

"Seriously," the portly pilot added, followed by another sip of club soda that garnered a hardly distinguishable grimace. He then added bitterly, "Every time that guy shows up it's bad news."

"Our sentiments exactly," Patton said, Fanny adding a contemptuous snort to approve his statement between her final two gulps of root beer.

She finished her drink and slammed the glass down on the table heartily before standing half way up to yell over Patton's head, "One more for the night Ricky!"

Lime Ricky sent one of his servers off with Fanny's drink and shot back playfully, "It had better be Numbuh 86, I was about to cut you off. Shouldn't keep a girl who drinks, Numbuh 60!"

"Ah stuff it Ricky!" Patton hollered back jovially, long accustomed to Ricky's silly insinuations, "If you want her, you take her!"

"Nah," Ricky hollered back with a chuckle, "Last time I said something sweet to her she almost bit my hand off."

"How do you think I lost these?" Patton returned, holding up his right hand with his pinky and ring finger bent so it looked like they were cut off at the first knuckle. Fanny gave him a smack in the face with her little green beret she had taken to wearing in place of her old colander helmet (much to Patton's relief), and when she took her drink from the server she made sure that some root beer foam smeared on Patton's face. Patton chuckled as he wiped away the foam. He gave Fanny's knee a little nudge unseen under the table with his own, and she returned the nudge not unkindly, smirking smugly behind her glass.

With the moment of fun passed, it was time to return to business. "So you'll do it?"

Abby tipped her hat up to wink at them and said, "Yeah Eskimo, we got'choo. Infinity won't clean them creepy shades without you knowin' it."

Fanny smirked more at Abby's recent pick-up of one of Patton's nicknames. Abby had been using it since the foursome's last visit together to Ricky's a couple weeks ago.

"Any particular payment you'd like for this one?" Patton asked. He always paid them if favors unique to a fellow of his position. To this day, he was exceedingly surprised that Fanny did not protest his methods and report him to Rachel.

'The Fanny of yesteryear certainly would have,' Patton thought to himself, 'I suppose even the Red Devil herself can change. Heck, the ME of yesteryear would've reported me. I guess even Eskimos have to adapt to the heat.'

"Another shot at Adult Industries," Numbuh 2 said full knowing that it was an impossible request. It just felt good to say.

"Impossible soldier, and you know it," Patton said sternly, not particularly enjoying that deep of back alley dealing, "The Council of Kyd made it clear that, at the very least, the public front of Adult Industries is now just short of untouchable by the KND. And totally unapproachable by Sector V."

Patton had two theories as to why the KND's brand new judicial branch had come into existence: 1. Rachel's ever present and deepening depression that now more than just Fanny and Patton had noticed, or 2. Numbuh Infinity. Last time Patton had seen Numbuh Infinity, he had made a beeline to Numbuh 362 and stayed attached to her hip for three days. And not a full twenty-four hours after he left, the Council of Kyd (named for the location of the courthouse facility on the Moon, Kyd Crater) was born.

A heavy silence descended on the four KND veterans' table. After half a minute of uncomfortable pensiveness, Hoagie couldn't help it, "Heh. You rhymed."

Numbuh 2 received a simultaneous hat smack from both the girls at the table.

"Ow!"

The girls replaced their hats as all but Hoagie had a good laugh, much welcome following the melancholy silence.

"Thanks Numbuh 2, it's nice to not be the one receiving that once in a while," Patton said. An instant later he deftly caught Fanny's wrist as she attempted to give him another smack. A stare down followed.

"Ye have three seconds ta let go a me wrist."

He didn't.

"One."

Patton dare not even blink now. This staring contest with the Irishwoman was now a duel to the death.

"Two!"

"Three," Patton finished for her.

A rabble rousing for the ages followed.

A/N: For those who find this familiar, this little ditty is in fact directly ripped from my story Operation: WAR. This was pretty much one of the, like, three parts of that story that I actually enjoyed (most were also Fanny and Patton moments).

I think I'm drawn to this pairing because of its ambiguity. It kinda just appeared out of the air one day and stuck around. We know enough about both of these characters to use their voices, but their history and chemistry are total open canvasses.

Anyhow, this chapter is just to get things kickstarted with this story, and to ensure that I didn't start it and never do anything with it. And start the little plot bunny, too. While not the centerpiece of every chapter, it'll come up enough. We'll see how deep I go into it. Still, I hope it was a bit of fun at least.