Becky was in the middle of doing what she does best: filing her nails. She was admiring her fine work when the door gets kicked. She almost dropped the nail file!

"Where be the person tha' be in charge o' this rag o' lies. I be wantin' some words wit' them I do!" Said the man at the door armed to the nines.

Oh no, he did not! She didn't get paid enough to put up with this. "Please have a seat, Sir. Someone will be right with you." She points to the chairs by the wall with a well-manicured hand while the other pushes a button under her desk.

Out from the side door opposite of the stairs comes Bubba and Bertha, the stockboys. Well, more like stockpersons if you want to be policatlly correct, but they look more like stocky people if you ask Becky.

Bubba and Bertha stand with their arms crossed over their chest before the man. "Sir, we are gonna have to take your weapons."

Several miles away another pirate was also reading the Oracle and was enjoying it until he came to the Gossip column.

Then he started to really enjoy it, except that the coffee he was sipping was suddenly spewed over the page as he choked.

?Wyh, lass!? he called out from the sunroom where he and Wyheree usually shared their breakfasts. ?C?mere, m'love! I need me a pirate lass t? sit on m? lap.?

When she was all comfy he pointed to the paper and grinned, ?Look a? this. They say ye gave ol? Stephen a ?beard test? wi? ye hand. Now tell me, whose face be smoother?? He gave her a wink and they both had a good laugh. After breakfast and a good deal of cuddling and kissing, Captain James Black headed off to the Oracle office. He had strapped on his saber, and out of habit he slipped both pistols into his waistband. Pirates often carried more than one pistol because the moist salt air of the sea could dampen the gunpowder and cause a misfire ? something that was not likely to happen in the Oracle office.

- - -

The front door of the Oracle office was already wide open and so he just walked inside. Two stocky people were asking for the weapons of the afore referenced pirate, and as anyone should know, you never ask a pirate to surrender his weapons.

?It?s weapons ye want?? he said with a smirk and stood beside Stephen. He drew both pistols and aimed at the two stocky persons. ?Then I think ye be havin? to try t? take ?em from th? both of us; and from th? last I?ve heard, lead in th? head is as annoyin? t? large folks jus? as much as th? small ones.?

He gave a quick glance to Stephen and winked. "Ye be far too accomodatin', sir. Take back ye weapons and let's go pay a friendly visit t' th' Editor."

Stephen was a bit shocked at first at the sight of James, but then broke into a smirk.

"I be nae as accomodatin' as ye might thin'. "

Tapping the cuff of his coat in conspiring way to reveal to James a third small pistol hidden up there. Some knives and other various weapons were still undoubtedly still upon his person. Looking at Becky who was taking his things he frowned a bit.

"I dun remember sayin' tae take them anywhere. Beside look a' tha' ye 'ave gone an' messed up yer pretty nails."

"If'n by editor ye mean the person in charge then aye lets pay them a visit."

Jewell was sitting in her cushy office she had built not too long ago, feet up on her desk, flipping through a fashion magazine. Sometimes it was good to be the Empress. Her office had been purposefully positioned at the center of The Oracle world to ensure that she wouldn't miss anything exciting going on. Usually at least one exciting event occurred a month and it seemed The Oracle was starting out strong this month.

The door to her office was left open a crack and through it she heard the raised voices of both Stephen and James before Des joined in. It didn't take a genius to come to a conclusion on why those two picked today to visit the newspaper, Jewell had read the gossip section earlier in the day herself; it was the first section she turned to each time because she was bound to find something unpleasant about herself in there.

She was just going to let Becky try and handle both her new love interest and her brother-in-law, she didn't really like that girl anyways. Besides, it would be fun to listen in and hear what the two men had to say to dear Amal anyways. However, things took a turn when Des stepped in. She knew the situation could get ugly so she snuck out of her office and, ducking behind different cubicles and people, made her way stealthily towards the lobby area.

She was just coming up behind Des when one of the young interns, some starry-eyed young man with zits exploding all over his face, greeted her. "Hi Ms. Jewell!" He screeched out, effectively blowing her cover. Usually she found his complete adoration somewhat cute and useful because he often did all the paperwork she didn't care for. Today she wanted to ring his neck.

After sending a murderous glance his way, she strolled up towards Des and the others without hiding behind anything. "Des, I sure hope you aren't threatening two of my most favoritest men in RhyDin, are you?" She had heard that comment about the daggers! "I'm sure they don't mean harm to anyone who doesn't totally deserve it."

All they needed was for Wyh to show up and they could make The Oracle's little comment about a three-some come true, maybe throw James and Des in there to make the story even juicier.

Becky stood behind her desk, which was behind Bubba and Bertha, which were behind Des and Jewell who were before Stephen and Black. You could almost hear her smug "hmph!"

But that was until Stephen reached for a copy of the Oracle. She looked annoyed. How rude of him.

"Who be writin' these lies?" Asked Stephen.

Becky, back to smiling smugly, points to the inbox marked as Gossip which is located to the side of the room.

Wyh and James had indeed enjoyed a good laugh over the gossip tidbit about her in the Oracle, and so she gave it little thought when he mentioned visiting the office - that is, until he did not return from his usual morning walk straightaway. Since she needed to stop by the Office anyway, she thought about her icy desk, the area just behind it, kept clear for just this purpose - and she disappeared from the sunroom.

Reappearing in a swirl of ice and mist behind her desk, the first thing she heard was Stephen yelling. so she slipped quietly to the front of the Office. Her silver eyes swept over the scene - Stephen with the Oracle held before Des, James next to him, Jewell on the other side of Des closest to her own office, Becky with that "I am not getting paid enough for this" look on her face, and Bubba and Bertha blocking off Amal's office. One husband, one sister, one best friend and one dear friend - this had all the makings of a front page story, one she was quite keen to avoid.

She slowly stepped into the open reception room, noting the two buckets - familiar from when she hosted with Des. With a shake of her head and a grin, she headed into the fray. "James, I did not expect your walk would bring you here - and Stephen as well, what a surprise. And good morning Sissy and Des! I stopped to see if there was a story I needed to do for the next Oracle - and I see one is brewing as we speak!"

"Mary muther, Joseph an' sweet baby jaysus!"

Stephen exclaimed as Wyheree showed up on the scene. He was getting a bit anxious to begin with, but now he felt as if everyone was watching. Des still had not answered him when he saw Becky's smug grin and her pointing to the box. Wheeling arround to face her the third pistol he had kept hidden up his sleeve was now in hand. There was no wasted motion as it slid into his hand it was cocked and leveled at Becky's head. This was not at all how he had seen this playing out, but the thought of wiping that smug look off Becky's face did make it worthwhile.

"Are ye claimin' responsiblity lass?"

Stephen had not bothered to check before he acted, so he was surely hoping to hell James still had those pistols leveled, and protecting his back.

Des had been surprised to see Jewell joining her but always happy to see her Keg Sister. ?Howdy Keg Sister! Now would I be threatening somebody right here in The Oracle office building?? While she was speaking she was doing her best to inconspicuously shove her full buckets of incriminating ice water off to the side under Becky?s desk with a foot. That is not to say that she didn?t know darn good and well that Jewell had already seen the evidence. It only meant she was trying to now hide it to get herself out of trouble.

The next thing she knew though Stephen was also checking out her infamous, or famous, buckets that she always used to head off trouble when necessary to calm tempers as she had been given a talking to by that nasty Miss Partinger about Queens not being allowed to go around stabbing whoever they pleased with daggers.

Hence now the buckets of ice water first but oh how she missed being able to just gut people instead. Oh how she still hated that prim and proper deportment teacher Miss Partinger, highest mountain top in Westridge or not as that woman?s new home. Des smiled to Stephen as she glanced to the paper while Becky pointed to the anonymous box labeled GOSSIP nailed to the wall when he asked who wrote the column. She was about to answer him when James spoke up.

She turned to smile to James. ?Howdy James and a right fine mornin? it is indeed. Sad to say I only had a half a cup of coffee so far and if I ain?t allowed to gut none of you boys I am positive that y?all ain?t stringing no one up by the yardarm for words on a piece of paper.?

Then suddenly there was James? wife joining them and the amount of room to maneuver in the reception area was cut down drastically. ?Fearless Wyh!? She smiled warmly to her but then suddenly things took a very wrong turn as Stephen produced a pistol and pointed it straight at Becky?s head. ?Lordy be! Duck Becky!?

It was in that moment that everything hunting down Brian had taught her came back to her. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Everyone looked to be moving in slow motion. Des slid a hand around to the back of her waistband of her jeans and withdrew her own pistol, fast as could be, to take deadly aim straight at Stephen?s jugular without hesitation nor fear for what might happen she pulled the trigger! The gun went off sending a dart hurtling at the Pirate?s exposed throat!


KER-PLUNK!!! Was the sound of her nerf pistol going off in the closed in space.

"Put your weapons away or I'm gonna shoot y'all and then I'm gonna call Amal to start dropping houses boys!"

Wyh had moved by her husband's side, still keeping her silver eyes on the rapidly escalating situation. Jewell had effectively vaporized the water, whch soon became mist as the steam neared her, Stephen had a pistol trained on the ever annoying Becky - Wyh personally would not mind seeing a more qualified receptionist take her place, Des firing her Nerf pistol at Stephen - and now James with his pistol to his own head? If they were all fated to make the front page of the next Oracle..

With her eyes glowing, and a slight wave of her hand, ice began forming along the floor, radiating from where she stood by James, creeping up over Stephen, wrapping around the little pistol he had aimed at the receptionist, over Des, ice glutting up the odd weapon, and finally over the pistol in James' hand. The cold meeting the steam made the whole office fill with thick, swirling mist.

"I do not think pistols will solve this particular problem, whether aimed at the "lovely" rceptionist or anywhere else." She gently pulled the pistol away from James' head. I am sure Amal will not object to a little article detailing the truth of that gossip piece, now will she, Des? It is far better than having bullets and darts and houses flying about this poor Office."

She kept the ice held in place, and turned her eyes to Bubba and Bertha. "Perhaps you two could go find Lady Amal?"

Jewell gasped as Des just went ahead and shot Stephen in the throat. Sure, it was a nerf gun and all--she was very familiar with this brand of toy after dear Uncle Brian armed all of her children with them at one point--but it was the principle of the thing.

As Wyh went about diffusing the situation by freezing everyone's weapons and James held a gun to his head (she was starting to doubt the sanity of her brother in law) Jewell stepped over to Des. *Smack!* She thwapped her Keg Sister's arm lightly, "How dare you shoot my Stephen! I'll get Amal to drop a house on you!"

Becky ducked when she heard Tera, she heard all the commotion from behind the desk. No, no, no.. this is not worth it! I do not get paid enough money to put up with this. That's it!!

She stood up from behind her desk, people and guns frozen. Her face angry.

"Will someone jus' tell me who the blazes be writin' these lies!" Asks Stephen.

"No one does! We get annonymous tips, you... you... you... pig headed pirate!" Becky screams at him. She picks up her stuff and slams the desk drawer. "That's it! I quit! I don't get paid enough to put up with this!!"

And out the door she goes.

Jewell seemed to take Des quite seriously about killing Becky. Perhaps she really didn't want that stupid Marco hearing about this incident so he could say she needed anger management again or maybe she was just annoyed that Becky had called Stephen a "pig headed pirate." It could even be that she had been waiting for this chance for many months now.

Whatever the reason may be, The Empress was in action. She grabbed Stephen's pistols from the receptionist's desk and handed them over to him in exchange for pulling that rubber dart off his neck, "Go get her, baby. It's all her fault."

James heard the shattering of glass, the shouted curses of one Mr. Forester, the screamed curses (nearly in harmony) of the rapidly retreating Becky, and the gasps of those in the Oracle?s reception room.

He slid his pistol in his belt and took a deep breath.

?Well, it?s been a pleasure to see ye all, an? I wish ye a most pleasant afternoon.?

James turned to Wyheree, ?Darlin?, I do think it?s time that we head for lunch without delay.? He held out his arm for her.

Passing by Captain Kidd, Captain Black placed his hand on his shoulder and smiled. ?We should get together for drink an? song an? general pirate partyin?.?

Stephen looked up the stairs to Amal, and tried to look appropriately regretful.

"Um well wit' all due respect lass I thin' I already terminated 'er employment 'ere"

The cowgirl Queen who had shot one of her best friend?s love interest gasped and whirled to face their Boss as she came on the scene that had turned into something from one of Marco?s wet dreams with the addition of the Forester's soup and Becky?s escape and now the Editor of The Oracle. And just how could James stand there so calm and collected talking about having dinner when the ex-receptionist was on the run with such a tale to be told no doubt to anyone that would listen!

?Amal meet Stephen Jewell?s boyfriend. Stephen this here is Amal our Boss and Editor of The Oracle. But we ain?t got time for making nice y?all. We got to go and catch Becky before she gets away! This here is serious y?all and where is my shotgun!? Who stole it!??

Amal blinked, and double blinked when Jewell swatted her fingers.

"Becky is dead?!" Then she frowned again. "Why isn't anyone writing her obit?! Get to work everyone! And have that photographer take some pictures of the dead body!"

Gavilean came down the stairs completely clueless of all that has happened in the reception area.

He sees everyone gathered there but it really doesn't dawn upon him that anything is amiss. He's bright and cheerful as he looks over those gathered.

"Hey! Has anyone seen Becky? I need to borrow her nail file."

He wonders why everyone is looking at him like he has two heads.

The cowgirl Queen had her priorities straight! At the first sight of her beloved husband all other thoughts scattered as she ran to him and threw her arms around Gav in a hug and kiss of greeting. "Babe! I had missed ya! Would ya like to go out for a long lunch today? We could go by home and see our little one then I seen this here book that I was wanting to buy in that there Arcane Lore place so maybe we could stop by there and after that we could go to that nice little coffee shop that is just around the corner from it that opened up that I really like goin' to."

"Actually, Amal...we thought we might wait to see if she stays dead or not before we go writing her Obit. up. You know, saves us the hassle of having to retract it later, which we always end up doing." Cheeky grin for the Boss-lady at her swift explanation.

An explanation that was totally blown out of the water by Stephen's admittance that he didn't even hit her. "What!?" She squeaked out, high-pitched. "How could you miss? She was like...three feet infront of you!"

She failed to notice her friends abandoning her with their husbands for lunch one-by-one! Et tu, Wyheree? They were going to leave her all alone to deal with Amaltea's wrath without even warning her first!

Oh, and on a side note: "Gav, Becky ran away, though she wasn't killed like we thought," glance to Stephen there, "but she has a drawer of extra nail files. Top right one."

Now back to the real matter at hand...which seemed to be somewhat resolved by Amaltea's ability to change topic directions at the drop of a hat. Did Stephen want to work for The Oracle? She leaned up near him and whispered loudly, "Get away while you still can. I'll hold her back!"

Stephen started to move away slowly backing his way towards the door, letting Jewell keep Amaltea busy. He was neaarly at the door when curiousity got the better of him.

"'ow well do ye pay?"

The pregnant dragon really needed to get out more, so she descided to wander over to the Oracle office to see if she could catch up with her sister, only to be run into by a woman who screamed, then fainted. Was she really that scary? Picking up the woman, she continued on till she reached the offices, pushing the door open, and unknowningly having Becky in her grasp, she moved, dropping the woman near Amal.

I think you may have lost something..:: a nod to the still feinted woman laying on the floor, she ran into me while I was walking, I don't know, think I frightnened her.

That it is Stephen, a smile to him, her sister Jewel, and even one to Amal, as she nudged the body once again.

Looking back to her sister, the dragon blinked, then gave a grin, I could eat her if you want..., usually the dragon wouldn't even consider eatting a person, but she had little ones to feed, as she nudged Becky again with her snout, flicking her tongue over the passed out woman's face.

"No, no, no... cannot have her eating Becky. I still need a receptionist. She can get behind the desk when she wakes up." Amal smirks then smiles broadly as she looks at Stephen. "As for you, Stephen. When do you want to start?"