Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure Warner Bros. owns this, so...

~What Might Have Been~

Chapter 1: Hiding Places

It was a normal day at the Loonatics headquarters in Acmetropolis. Slam was inhaling food by the minute, while Tech chased Rev around his laboratory for touching something highly important. Ace was on his meditating pedestal, doing just that: meditating.

Well, that, and thinking about a certain female bunny.

She was starting to cause problems for him, what with her wreaking havoc on his senses every time she was in the same room. She wouldn't stay out of his mind, and he was losing sleep over her. And even when he did sleep, it was only to dream of her, anyway.

Cut it out! he told himself, you're MEDITATING, not thinking about…

"LEXIEEEEEEEEEE!" he heard Duck screech. He heard very feminine giggles, and a fast padding coming his way. His door opened, and in dashed the object of his thoughts.

"Ace!" Lexi shrieked. "Hide me!" She ran around him and crouched behind his stand that he was still sitting upon, barely peeking out from behind it.

"What are you —?" he started, but then Duck came crashing in, looking frazzled and slightly demented.

"WHERE IS SHE?" he demanded, coming up next to Ace, glaring him in the eye. Ace chuckled and said, "Lex? Haven't seen her since training this morning. Why, is she up to something?"

Duck narrowed his eyes, and said, "Yes, and I know that you know that I know that you know something about this." Ace's eyes widened in false innocence. "I'd have to say I know not a thing about where our lovely lady friend went."

That seemed to convince the duck, for he stormed out the way he came in, muttering, "I swear, if I miss my soaps because of this…!" Ace laughed, and turned to where Lexi was hiding. She had a murderous expression on her face.

"'Lovely lady friend'?" she quoted darkly. He shrugged and said, "I got rid of him, didn't I?" She rolled her eyes, then stood up, brushing herself off. "May I ask why he was searching for you?" he inquired, watching her. She smirked, recalling what had happened earlier…

"I sorta…um…well, you see…" she seemed to have trouble starting out, then it didn't matter anymore, because she was giggling so much. "I…I…I hid his S-special Edition My Little Pony toy in…in…in my room, and I l-locked it, and he's FURIOUS and it's…it's…!" She dropped to the floor with the force of her laughter.

Ace couldn't help but smile. She looked so cute rolling on the floor, holding her middle as if it hurt her to laugh any more. She was so out of breath from expressing her amusement at her friend that her giggles were coming out soundless. Pretty soon she was gasping for air, which she used just to keep right on with her merriment.

After a while, she calmed down, wiping her eyes where tears had run from laughing too hard for too long. She sighed in contentment, then gasped for a new reason: Duck was standing in the door, shooting daggers at her with his eyes.

"Why you little – !" He leaped for her, but she dodged and grasped Ace's hand. "RUN FOR IT!" she screamed, pulling him along behind her. He obeyed, and they were running off down the hall, with Duck close behind. They took a few turns, then she whispered, "Quick! In here!" and pulled him into a dark hideaway closet with her. It didn't give them a whole lot of space, but he found that he didn't mind being so close to her.

They listened as their pursuer ran past them, with no inkling of where they really were. She was doing all she could not to let her giggles escape her, but it turned out to be too much of a battle. They started leaking out of her, and Ace pulled her into a hug so as to smother them against his muscular chest. She brought her arms around his midsection to secure her closer to him to more effectively muffle the noise. He could feel her shaking with pent-up amusement, and couldn't help feeling a rush of affection for her.

This will definitely NOT be helping my sleeping, he thought ruefully. She sighed, and, if possible, cuddled even closer. He caught his breath as she looked up at him, her emerald eyes sparkling with mirth and something else. Maybe he was just seeing what he wanted to see, or maybe it was the lack of lighting, but he swore it was love in her gaze.

He let his eyes drift down to her pink lips. How soft and kissable they looked up close like this, even in the dark. He watched them as she closed her eyes, whispered, "Ace…" and tilted her mouth up in an invitation for his to join hers. He leaned down and obliged her, shutting his own eyes and gently moving his lips over hers.

It was a sweet kiss, very light, but there was a whole lot of emotion packed in. They broke apart, their breathing a bit choppy. They stared at each other for a few moments, letting the implications of what they had just done sink in.

"Lexi, I – " he started, but she cut him off. "Please don't apologize," she said, putting a finger on his lips to shush him. "Now, let's see if we're safe to go." And with that, she withdrew from him and opened the door a crack.

"It's clear," she cheerily informed him. He was almost sad that they're time together was already over. Oh well, if she could act like nothing had happened, then so could he. "All right," he said smoothly, and motioned for her to lead the way out. She bounced out, light as one of Duck's feathers and as graceful as a ballerina. He wanted to snatch her up again and kiss her senseless for being so cute and adorable.

GAH!, he chastised himself for such thinking. Note to self: keep your hands OFF the second in command... He strode out of their hiding place like it was the most natural thing in the world and watched her prance down the hallway, her pink little cottontail swishing to the beat of her steps.

…and your thoughts, he finished hopelessly, traipsing to his room.