NA/Merc/FoDs: A Bonnie Night for a Meeting (1/1)
Authors: Christy & Mildred
Time: Saturday, July 7, late evening
All persons, real and fictitious, and locales used with permission.  Special
thanks to the FoDs for allowing us to meet at their HQ.


It was solo mission time. Unfortunately, Jackson refused to allow Christy to
go solo. He was sticking to her like glue, and the Nunketeer still had not
quite decided whether she liked it or not. Nonetheless, here they were
inside the FoD deli waiting for the Merc Mommy General.

Security was tight at MercCentral, so Christy couldn't go to their HQ. With
a perturbed Patt probably running around the Shrine thinking up new and
unusual punishments for insubordinate subordinates, Christy certainly didn't
want to meet anyone *there.*  Especially a Merc, which could get Christy put
from insubordinate to *in-lots-of-trouble.*

With any luck, the Nunketeer thought, she could find Bons quickly. Patt
could hardly be upset with her for leaving the Shrine if she dragged Bons'
unwilling body back to be coronated. So it was that Christy and Mildred
determined that the deli was appropriate neutral ground for this meeting.

Tacky Seventies decor assaulted her eyes from the moment they walked in the
door, and the bright shirts of the deli's denizens left afterimages on her
retinas. Still, she had to admit, they made a mean souvlaki. Christy munched
on hers as she waited in the booth. Jackson had excused himself to make a
phone call.

The door opened and a fair-skinned blonde walked in, obviously either
looking for someone or checking for booby-traps. She had a wary air about
her, and Christy recognized her from the candy demo table at the party at
the Raven the previous night. Further substantiating her identification, F.
Hugh flitted to the blonde's shoulder.

Mildred spotted Christy and joined her in the booth. (Let's face it, it was
hard *not* to spot someone wearing mouse ears in public. The good people of
Toronto were just too polite to point and stare.  Mildred also recognized
the ears from the group of NA who she had buttered up with Nunkies Pops at
the Raven Party.  Christy was the one who had really liked the Janette
Jellies)

"All right, I'm here," Mildred stated. "You got a job for the Mercs?"

F. Hugh hovered over Christy's souvlaki, drooling, and she swatted at him.
"Hey! Don't get Evil Fanfic Fairy drool on my food, you!"

A large hand snatched the Evil Fairy in midair. Jackson Hugh regarded
the little creature with a wicked grin, and F. Hugh cringed. "Don't worry,
ladies," Jackson stated. "I'll entertain our little friend at the counter
while you conduct your business."

Mildred stood up and growled.  "You hurt even one hair on his head, and I
will bring every resource that the Mercenaries have down on top of your
head.  And if you think that's bad, it will get worse.  Laurie, the Grand
High Poohbah will be angry.  I'm *nothing* compared to what she's capable
of."

F. Hugh struggled, but couldn't break the boat repairman's grasp. He changed
tactics, sneezing an amazing amount of fairy snot onto the offending
appendage.

"Hold still, little cousin," growled the big man. "We have some business to
conduct, ourselves."

At the mention of the word "business," F. Hugh settled down. Jackson carried
the Merc Fanfic Fairy out of earshot of the women. Jackson placed an order,
and the two disparately-sized Hughs began negotiations.

******************************
Back at the table, Christy faced Mildred with a set look. "I know you have
our almost-leader. Bonnie is missing. The Mercs have kidnaped a High
Priestess before. Precedent has been set."

Mildred coughed, then said. "*This*is why you asked me here? I don't know
what you're talking about. I can assure you that your not-so-High Priestess
is *not* at MercCentral. Neither were we hired to kidnap her on behalf of
another client. You'd already have a ransom note by now if we were involved.
We're not Knighties or NatPackers. Mercs don't bounce, we pounce," she
stated flatly.

"Besides, your previous High Priestess after she, and others of your
faction, kidnapped *our* Grand High Poohbah, Laurie.  And inflicted not only
the Addicts' own forms of torture on her, but left her to the tender mercies
of the *entire* troupe of fanfic fairies.  Which was an attack on our
faction, and the kidnapping of your High Priestess was retaliation for that
attack.  We also don't hold grudges.  It's bad for business."

Christy considered the logic of Mildred's statements. Had Bons been
kidnapped by Mercs, they *would* have been interested in acquiring their
profit quickly. She nodded. "Okay, I'll give ya that. Unfortunately, that
means that Bonnie is still out there somewhere...probably suffering horribly
as we speak."

Sensing an opportunity for profit, Mildred smiled a little and offered, "I
have
any number of able bodies who would be more than willing to help you
search... for the right price, of course."

"I'm not authorized to spend Shrine funds on anything but Coronation
decorations and I have very little in my own pocketbook."

"Oh well, I made the offer."  Mildred tucked the little mention of a
coronation away in her memory.

"However," the Nunketeer added brightly, "I *do* have enough to place an
order for a case of those yummy Janette Jellies!"

The Merc Mommy General's face brightened, and she rubbed her hands together
in anticipation of profit. She'd known the demo table at the Raven party was
going to bring in customers for the additions to the Guild's candy line.

********************
At the counter, things weren't going so well for Jackson.  F. Hugh staunchly
refused to help him get his sword back, and there was no way to force him.
With a shake of his tiny head and a quick raspberry in the frustrated larger
Hugh's direction, F. Hugh popped back over to Mildred's shoulder as she and
Christy headed out of the deli, discussing delivery options for the Janette
Jellies.  Jackson glowered at the smug Fanfic Fairy, paid his bill, and
followed the mouse-eared Addict.
*********************

End