"Ugh!" Jade groaned from inside her closet, clothes being tossed behind her in her wake, "What should I wear?! I have nothing to wear! Abso-frikken-lutely nothin!"

In all actuality, she had something to wear. She had more than something; she had too many things to wear. Claira just stood at the door of the closet in wide eyed amazement. Jade's closet alone was two times as big as her room! The little one so had a new place to hide. Jade stood at a full wall length mirror, holding this dress and that up to herself.

"Pick a pink one!" Claira called in.
"Pink is a cliche for a first date!" Jade called back... like her six year old daughter was supposed to know what that meant.
"Black...?"
"Black is classic... But I want it to be something out of my norm. I wear black all the time. And shouldn't a first date be casual? I need casual!"

Even the little one knew it was a trade marked facepalm moment. So Claira did just that. Jade stared at her daughter with a 'what?' look. The mini sighed. Jade always went into a tizzy over simple thing. But she was nervous. Give her a break, would ya?

"This one or this one... or this one... Oh! And this one," Jade held up a series of thigh high black dresses that all were similar and one blue dress.

"I like the blue one... mmhm," Claira nodded as she picked up one of her mother's hats and put it on, "Mommy, what's a date?"

She smiled at the clearly too big hat on the mini before looking back to the blue dress, "Yea, I think I like this one better." And she tossed the other dresses onto the floor that was the mess of her closet. Hey, she could fix it in a snap - why worry so much? "Hm, a date. When two people go out to see if they are interested in each other enough to start a relationship. If they like each other enough, they may even go on a second date or a third date." She paused and thought. Yea, that should be good enough for a child.

Claira picked up a pair of her mother's sunglasses and put those on too as she made her way farther inward into the massive closet, "Oh! A re-la-tion-ship... like you and the bad demon. But mommy, I don't remember you and the bad demon ever goin' on one of those dates..."

She didn't even flinch. She moved the hat up a tad and set a kiss on her daughter's forehead, "Well... Damien and I weren't the datin' kind of relationship. Sometimes that happens. We didn't know the meaning of 'taking things slow'." With that she slipped the dress over her head. It took a good few tugs to get the dress over her bust and hips.

Jade gave a spin. The fabric was a kind of shiney metallic sea blue color. The dress was just above knee length, the back was scooped out right to her shoulder blades, and the neck was scooped out modestly in a almost teasing bit. It was a light short sleeved dress just time for spring, "Hm, how does it look, sweetie? I'm thinking I should wear that thick black belt with over the middle. What cha think?" Yes, she was asking her daughter. Claira had clearly gotten her fashion taste... to some extent.

"I like it, mommy!" The little head bobbed, wild black curls bouncing every which way, "Ooo, yea! The belt! Maybe even that black headband with the blue trim stuffs around it."

"You are brillant, my child! Truly genius!" Jade smooched her nearly eighty times before dashing to nab the belt from her belt rack that held too many studded ones, "Bella, can you find that headband for me?" She slipped on the belt then.

The little one giggled at the kisses then nodded, "Sure!" And she began running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

Jade kneeled by the mirror, looking over herself. She wiggled her nose and her hair had the perfect curl to it. Another nose wiggle and her eyeshadow was a smokey blue color, lips perfectly crimson as usual. She smiled to her daughter as she produced the headband. Jade set it on her head, turning this was and that as she stood once more, "Sooo?"

"Pretty!"
"Ya don't think I'm too done up?"
"Nope!"
"Nah... It's casual, I would think. Though, I'd feel like crap if he jus came in jeans."
"Nope, mommy! He'll look pretty for you too!"
Jade gave a laugh, "That he will."

The nanny called from below, her voice shouting as she was used to doing in the CZK house - sorority houses could get noisey, "Jaaaade! You got ten minutes to get your tush down here!!"

"Oop!" she looked at the clock. Sure enough - ten til eight. She dashed to the massive shoe section of her closet and nabbed the closest pair of black pumps. She looked in the mirror, shoes in hand, "Ya sure I look fine?"

"Dyn-o-mite!" Claira giggled.
"What have they been letting you watch?"

Jade turned and started out of the closet; Claira trailing her.

"Oh! Here!" And the mini sprayed her with perfume.
Gag. Choke. Cough cough, "Thank you, baby."
"No problem-o! Oh, mommy? Is he nice?"
"Mmhm. I've known him for a long time now. He's harmless."
"Good!"

"Plus," She faced her daughter, kneeling eye level to her, "I'd kick his tush if he was ever bad to me!" And she made a little muscle with a mean face.
Claira giggled, "K!" And she made a littler muscle and made the cutest mean face, "And I'd blow his head off!" She pointed at that nose of her's.

Jade's eyes grew wide at that, "Okay, maybe not that far, baby. We'd want him beaten... not dead."
"Ohhh..."
She snickered and scooped Claira up, "Oh, it's okay, baby." She started traveling down the hall. Daughter in one arm, pumps in the other.

She slipped the pumps on and waited at the foot of the stairs. All that was left to do was wait. Wait a few more nerve racking minutes.

Kick kick to the first step of the stairs, not wanting to go down until the last possible minute. She bounced Claira in her arms, humming nervously. But that lil empath... she picked up on her mother's tension. Claira gave Jade a nudge and made a face. Jade made a face right back and sighed.

"Jus nervous is all..." Jade mumbled.
"Why?"
"First dates 'r always like this. Awkward."
"Ohhh..." A pause, "Why?"
A blank look creeped onto her face, "They jus are. Neither of the people going on the date know what the fudge the other will think of them."
"Ohhh..." Another pause, "But I thought you said that you've known him for a long time."
"I have... but it doesn't matter. Awkwardness and nervousness is still at a all time high."

After a moment of silence, Claira spoke up again, "Can I meet him?"
Her face became totally serious, "No. I'm going to make you stay in the back room while mommy runs off." But she started to snicker, "Yes, you can, baby."
She blinked... then giggled, "Awesome! What does he look like?"
"Hmmm... He's dark complected, reeeeeeally tall, an' long black hair. The most genuine smile ya ever did see. He's an Indian."
"Indian? Like the Thanksgivin' ones... with the Pilgrims?! Does he wear funny feather hats and cloth diapers over his no no boy bits?!" Her big jade hues were wide in excitement under her mother's shades she had on.

Jade was so glad Dakota wasn't here to hear all that. No no boy bits resounded in her head. She couldn't help but laugh, though her cheeks were a rosey pink color. She gave a smooch again to her child's cheek, "Kinda... but promise meh you won't ever ask him that. Please."
Claira pouted but nodded, "Mmmmmk. What's his name?"

At that time, there was a knock at the door. Jade yelped and nearly jumped ten feet in the air. Claira's mouth went into a lil 'o'.

"Dakota!" She said in mid-yelp.
"Mommy, you make funny noises when you're scared."
"No no! That's his name. Dakota!"
"Ohhhh! I see!"

"Jaaaaaade! Your date is at the dooooor!" The nanny yelled.
"I realize this!" She shouted back as she ran, child in arm, down the stairs like a herd of cows. Stampede!

In less than ten seconds, she was standing at the door. Her hand was out hesitantly towards the door knob. Biiiiig breath.

"Open the door!" Claira shouted.
"Hush! He'll hear you!" Oi... cover blown. She made a face at her daughter before gripping the door knob and pulling it open quickly.

A bright smile washed over her features as she saw him. She looked him over and nearly let out a sigh of relief that he wasn't in jeans. A laugh twinged at the corners of her mouth, but didn't fall past her lips.

" 'Ey, Kotes," She bounced the lil mini in her arms, "Ya clean up well."

The mini bounced in Jade's arms as she took the flower. Giggles spewed from her before she was silenced by herself. For the first time in her little life, she was shy. She blinked at Dakota under those sunglasses. Jade made a face at the fact that she hadn't removed the hat and sunglasses before answering the door. Well, it was too late now.

Claira stared doe eyed under those shades uuuup at Dakota. She sniffed the rose and beamed, her lil cheeks a rosey color, "Thank you... Mister Dakota." Nod Nod.

Jade quirked that pierced brow at her daughter's actions. Good Lord, she was being shy. The Tiny Terror was actually being shy. She smiled at her none-the-less. Her daughter had learned some manners in less that two seconds... it was a feat that she thought would never be accomplished.

She smiled more so at Kota's words. Win over the child before proceeding with caution. Good man. She nodded and took the rose, sniffing it as well, "Mmm, roses. My favorite." She tossed a wink in there for calling her beautiful, but she'd get to that in a moment.

Jade nodded again to Kota and began to set Claira on the floor. She kneeled eye level again and smooched her cheek, "You behave for the nanny, K? I dun want any trouble, ya hear?"

Claira just nodded silently. Cat had her tongue.

She smiled and moved the hat so she could ruffle those wild black locks, "Mommy will be getting home later, sweetie. So dun stay up for meh. Be a good girl." She stood and straightened out her dress, motherly smile still in place, "Ooo, go get Ly's tape recorder and sing meh a song while I'm gone, will ya, baby?"

Blink! That knocked her out of that shyness, "Oh boy! Cool!" Another moment of shyness as she gave a little wave, "Bye bye, Mister Dakota." Annnnd she ran off to do deeds that had to do with finding Ly's tape recorder and singing loudly.

Hands on her hips, she turned around to face Kota, "Well... I be thinkin you put my daughter under a spell 'r somethin... she hasn't ever been that shy." She turned her head to call over her shoulder, "I'm leavin Miss Lanett!"

"You kids have fun!" The nanny called back.

Jade groaned inwardly. She was older than the nanny... by far. But she beamed uuuup at Kota. The height difference was killing her, "Heh, ready." She tilted her head and slipped out the door, shutting it behind her. "The place is called Smokey's... It's a lil place that serves jus 'bout anythin. An' yer in luck," her thumb jerked out to the marketplace, "It's in walkin distance... iffin ya dun mind walking." She smiled again, twirling the rose in her hand.

Jade listened to him as he spoke while walking. Her left hand twirling the rose; the right snug in his left. His voice was so deep and southern. Southern like her own. Yes, very much peas in a mother effing pod.

She was comfortable with him now, not nervous at all. All the awkwardness she had spoken with her daughter had been promptly left at the CZK door. She smiled contently as she listened to him speak of his sister. She could tell that she meant a lot to him by just the way he spoke. The soft smiles and the far away look his eyes held. A bitter sweet memory. Jade was glad that she was a part of his remenencing, but what she didn't know was the fact he actually hadn't spoken of her in many years. If she had known that, she would have been taken aback a few good notches.

She listened none-the-less. She added in every now and then when need be, but she mostly let him talk. How often would someone get to listen to Dakota Steele speak like that? Living in a memory that she was pretty sure that only a very special few had ever heard.

Then they arrived at Smokey's. It was a small place was all. It was mostly a steak house, but served just about anything. They were seated and her hand only left his when they were ordering. For the sake of her date, she didn't order her prime rib still bleeding and mooing. They shared stupid stories about this and that as they waited for their food to come. They laughed heartily... and yes, people stared. Her stories were mostly about the CZK girls and living in the sorority house. Oh boy.

The food came and she decided to switch gears as they ate. Plus, telling a story kept her mind off of scarfing down that prime rib in a very unlade like manner. That'd be a little more than embarassing. Slowly... small pieces, she was set. Something special for his special memory. Though, she hadn't forgotten about his sister... but they had all the time in the world to talk about it.

Jade spoke of her family. It was something rarely, if not ever, she spoke of. She hadn't ever had to speak of her long past family. But the subject was totally out of the blue. She could have easily spoken about Claira, or something else in the here and now. No, that'd be too easy, wouldn't it?

Those jade hues held that far off look that was often there. She didn't lie about it being somewhere in the 1800's when she last saw her mother alive. She didn't want to scare him, but he already knew what she was and had accepted it. Why start hiding things now? So, she didn't. She didn't go much into her mother, only stating that she turned into a evil bitch after her father had died... and the fact that she looked exactly like her. She spoke highly of her father, though she remembered little about him.

"He died when I was only five. I can't remember what had happened ta him. Back then it was known as the 'sickness'. He would have probably lived iffin it was this day an' age. Hm. He had the kindest blue eyes... like the calm sea on a hot summer day..." She trailed off looking back at him with a sheepish smile on those crimson lips. She felt like she was babbling, so she stopped. She didn't even dare to go into about how she died... that was for another time in itself, folks.

They finished their dinner soon after, plates clean. He pulled her chair of for her as she stood and scooted it back in. Then they headed to pay. They didn't quite argue about who would pay because it was a first date. But she wasn't to happy about him paying. She would never lose her independence. She understood the male pride thing, so she didn't cause a fuss. Though, she promised to pay him back for her side of the bill. She was going to be that way; he'd deal with it. One draw back, they were both stubborn as all get out.

After a few moments of silence while they started towards the beach she had promised, they started lightly teasing each other again - hands lacing back together. It wasn't the shortest of walks, but she did like walking. The pumps were killing her lil feet, but he'd have a helluva time trying to get her to admit it. The moon was out and she was happy. In the moonlight her pale skin even seemed to glow.

They ended up at a small hidden away beach thirty or so minutes later. Thankfully, she hadn't started hobbling.

She wasn't looking at him like he was crazy at all. Jade was laughing. Not in a mocking manner either. One word popped into that head of her's: cute. It probably wasn't the right word at all. Well, at least to someone else if they were watching. But this little Zilla thought it was terribly cute as he stripped his boots and socks, rolling his pant legs up.

As they walked, she held those black pumps in one hand and his hand in the other. She winced a tad as she began to walk in the sand. Yea, those heels were a killer.

"Hm, heels bite," she mumbled a laugh.

She enjoyed hearing how Thomas and Megan were doing. Frankly, she just enoyed children. She had seen them both at one point or another with Char. She was glad to hear that they were doing alright. She hadn't see them in Lord knows how long. She just imagined how big they had to be!

Jade told him about Claira. More so then she had already told him. About how she was cloned after herself and Darkmere, a close friend. About her 'father', Michale, who she was with at the time. He was engaged now, to a sweet little girl named Sarah. And how she couldn't have children of her own because of the vampirism. But while she spoke, Jade held the sweetest motherly smile. She was blessed to have Claira. The mood was light even.

They soon settled at the waterfront. Jade's smile was as beaming as ever. Her bare feet splashed his legs with the cool water. She giggled and they fell into a sweet silence. Her pumps had been left somewhere behind them, so her hands were free as he wrapped his arms around her. If her heart could flutter or thump, it would have. But sadly she didn't have that body part anymore. Not that she really needed it.

She set her hands on his and swayed with him. Jade smiled lightly as she looked out to the water. It was perfect. The two swaying under the moonlight, her black polished toes wiggling in the sand as water lapped around their ankles.

Then he spoke. She pursed her crimson lips and shook her head. Silly boys. She even gave a light laugh. Jade smiled once again and cranned her neck to look at him.

"Of course I'd wanna go on 'nother date with you, Kota. I've had a marvelous time, hun. Why wouldn't I?" She tilted her head and set a small kiss to his cheek. It was a simple gesture that he could take any which way he chose. She even let out another mumbled laugh as she looked back to the water, "Silly boy."

Jade couldn't help but purr at his touch. She cursed herself. Blast, that damn animalistic part of her. But that couldn't even stop that inane smiling. It seems that was the only thing she was doing tonight. A good night indeed. Her lips still tingled from the kiss as they stood there in each other's arms, her hands roaming his shoulders ever so gently.

She nodded sagely before speaking, "Next time yer pickin where we're goin and such. I'm nae too good at this datin' stuff." She bit her lower lip at her honesty. At least she was telling the truth!

Jade swiped her pumps that she had set down somewhere as they began to walk away from the beach. She too was barefooted for most of the walk home, a trait she had picked up from the Scathes. Though as her feet became dry and de-sanded, she slipped her pumps on once more.

While they walked along that half hour walk (which turned out to be a little longer because they were both dragging along), they teased each other about this and that again. Though, they both seemed to be molding into each other's southern comfort. Don't forget the rose she had. For the most part, she held it in her hand, but at one point she stuck it inbetween her headband and her hair. That caused him to laugh because it looked like it was growing from her head. She swiftly took it out.

The two finally found themselves at the CZK house doorstep. She looked at him bashfully, a arm sneaking around to rub the back of her neck.

"I suppose this is meh stop, sugar. I had a wonderful time," Jade bit her lower lip and tip-toed, setting another kiss to his cheek. That would do as a goodnight kiss, right? "Good night, hun."

With that she grasped the doorknob, and turned it. She backed into the house, waving to him all the way until she fiiiinally shut the door.