Crazier than Crazy

Juanita gave Shaun's hand a kind squeeze, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiled.
"You both deserve great happiness." She smiled at him. "I have to get some things before my husband comes home, but why don't you tour her apartment?" She asked him, fishing into her pocket for a keyring. She was an easily trusting old soul, and a romantic. "She left some of her things there. Lock up on your way out!" She told him.


The apartment was still as Rosetta had left it. Her furniture was all in place, all of the decorations. Her clothing and shoes were gone, however, there was one box left forgotten on the top shelf in the closet. Inside was a picture of a teenage Rosetta and Maggie at 4H Camp, and Rosetta in full army combat attire standing next to a massive, muscular man. The last picture was taken in front of a sign that said Rockbrook. Rosetta was on a beautiful brown and white horse, waving at the camera. She had a shirt on that said staff.

Shaun was about to protest when she gave the keys, but he sighed. He headed up to the apartment and went inside and he started looking around. He found the box and started rumaging through it when he found the pictures. He started going through it and tilted his head at the last picture seeing the name.
"Huh, no wonder I like you. Fellow army brat..." he mumbled to himself. He put everything back and was about to leave when he heard a tapping on the window.

"Shaun!" Gabriel said excitedly. "Did you get the messages?"
Gabriel was a scrawning kid, seventeen years old and practically idolized Shaun. He had met him during his short time in the private sector.
"I'm working, don't you have school? Why do you keep following me?"
"I'm bored. And kinda? You're not my dad."

Rosetta slung her backpack over her shoulder and left Maggie's, looking around before crossing the street. She'd have to move, again. She was getting sick of moving around because of Marcus. She had tried, unsuccessfully, to kill him on more than one occasion, but either he managed to escape and survive or someone took the bullet for him. She had moved once all the way to California, but she had been attacked there too, and so in the end she had come back to New York because distance seemed to do her no good.
"Fifty thousand dollars, Jesus. I should turn myself in for that." She muttered, rubbing her hands together before starting the long walk. She'd have to find a hotel for the night.

Shaun groaned internally and he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Meet me outside." He mumbled grabbing the box and heading out of the front door. Gabriel jumped from the ledge and scaled down the building as Shaun rolled his eyes. "You gotta teach me that."

"You always say that but you never respond to me." Gabriel said. "What's in the box?"
He peaked in but before Shaun could shoo him away he grabbed the pictures and started looking through them. "He she's all over the scope."

"Scope?" Shaun said freezing in his tracks. "Same person or different people?"
"Same person by the look of it." Gabriel shrugged. "She popped up on Scope the other night, and then again two more times. They really want her dead i guess."

Rosetta made it to a Marriott, checking in under her middle name as her first name and using Maggie's last name as her last name. She got to the room and flopped down on the bed, sighing. She had been in deep shit before, so it was nothing new. Still though, it was getting tiring. She unpacked her laptop, sending Maggie and IM saying she was safe.

Shaun frowned slightly, unsure how he felt. If other people were looking for her it'd make it difficult for him to get what he wanted. If he let it be she'd end up dead anyway. There was no happy ending for her in any case.
"You know...you're to young for this shit." Shaun mumbled.

"Dad thinks I should start now..." he mumbled. "You could sponsor me."

"I don't sponsor. Get your old man to do it."

"But you're more fun." Gabriel said.

"I'd be more fun if you pissed off." Shaun mumbled.

"Fine I get the hint..." Gabriel said. "But I'd hurry up if you're gunna het her by the way. Valenti looks like he's already on her trail."

"Good to know..." Shaun mumbled. He said goodbye to gabriel and started texting Cloud, seeing what was the deal with Rosetta and see if he knew where she was.

Aeris rang Cloud about a minute after Shaun's text got to him.
"Hey, grandpa. I got a hit on her friend's IM and traced the IP. She's at the Marriott in Times Square." She told him, before hanging up. She didn't know Cloud very well, but she was paid to assist him with tracking people.

Cloud was nearby when he got the call and text.
"Thanks, Blue Eyes." he said before hanging up. He dialed Shaun back. "Ginger, I could actually use you for this one. We can split it."

"You split it? Nah I don't believe it..." Shaun chuckled. "But sure, the ads don't say much, do you know anything?"

"Just that she's an easy 50k." Cloud said. "I'm at the Marriott. I'll buy you a drink, come down and we'll discuss your roll."

Rosetta periodically looked out the window, eyes scanning the parking lot. So far a handful of people had came and went, but she didn't see Shaun. Not that she was really expecting to, she covered her tracks relatively well. She eyed a blonde haired man as he entered the building, then closed the blinds once again.

Shaun arrived twenty minutes later, moving towards the bar area. He saw Cloud and moved to sit but Cloud stood up and waved him to follow.
"I got a room, we can fool around a bit before we get down to business?" Cloud laughed.

Cloud was almost ten years older than Shaun, yet something about him that made Shaun unable to keep away.
"I think this time, we shouldn't mix pleasure into business." Shaun laughed, but when they were in the elevator, Cloud pressed up against him.

"Come on, I liked the sound of that little moan when I bit down on your neck last time." Cloud purred, lips brushing against his ear.

Rosetta sighed and stood from the couch, turning off the T.V. She was debating just taking a bus somewhere, not looking back. But it was late, and she was tired. She grabbed the ice bucket and put it under her arm, black t-shirt long enough to almost cover her jean shorts. She left the room barefoot, following the signs when she got to the elevators.
"I would pick a room on a floor without ice..." She muttered, pressing the down button.

Shaun was melting in Cloud's arms and he hated himself for it. He pressed up softly against the man, lips seeking his when the door dinged and there stood Rosetta with an ice bucket.
"Oh thank god, I thought you were my wife." Cloud laughed taking Shaun's hand. "Come on, Horatio!"

Shaun's face couldn't have been anymore red, it wasn't like he was out, even if she was a complete stranger, it still made him feel like he was back in high school and someone was going to beat the shit out of him for it.

Rosetta didn't bat an eye at the two making out, although her lips twitched. When Cloud spoke, she raised her eyebrows, laughing.
"Hey man, not my circus, not my monk-," She cut off abruptly when she saw Shaun. Her eyes barely widened before she slammed the bucket down over Cloud's head, sprinting back toward her room.

Cloud barely had time to react when the bucket slammed down on his head. Shaun immediately ran after her, grabbed her by the waist and attempted to yank her down with him.

Rosetta cried out when Shaun slammed into her, landing roughly on the ugly carpeting. She clenched her teeth and turned in his arms, hard punch aimed right for his face as she brought her knee up into his groin.
"Fuck off me!" She hissed.

Shaun groaned, trying not to let her hit him. He crawled over her, trying to hold her down.
"Your face is being plastered all over the city, do you really want to cause a scene?" he whispered.

Rosetta glared at him before she slammed her forehead up, aiming to hit his. Let his head fucking spin, bastard deserved it.
"Cause a scene like Horatio and Ken did in the elevator?" She asked him, laughing humorlessly. "I don't give a fuck about my face being plastered anywhere, asshole."

Cloud ran over just as Shaun was headbutted and he grabbed Rosetta by the hair and pulled at her.
"Come on, dolly, we're going for a walk." he growled, shaking his head.

Rosetta reached up and grabbed her hair by the root, kicking at Shaun's face as Cloud tugged her.
"I liked you better with the bucket on." She grumbled, twisting in his grip.

Cloud laughed and he continued to pull. Shaun was struggling to go back on his feet between the struggle.
"Where's your room?" Shaun asked her. "Come on, let's not make this harder, Rose..."

Rosetta hadn't expected anything from Shaun, certainly not kindness. But then again, maybe she had. Maybe she figured that somewhere out there, there was maybe one person that was decent, other than Maggie. Clearly, she had been wrong.
"My room number is fuck you, at the corner of go to hell ginger." She spat.

Shaun rolled his eyes, but he was secretly amused. He wondered what it would have been like if this wasn't happening, if they were just two normal people, meeting normally.

"I can arrange that sweetie." Cloud mumbled, reaching down and groping around for her room key. He wrestled it free from her pocket and found the number it belonged to before unlocking the door.

"Oh by all means, pull harder. I love it." She rolled her eyes at Cloud, not amused. Once he hauled her through the doorway she reached up and grabbed him hard by the testicles, twisting viciously. "Now let go, unless your boyfriend is into eunuchs."

Shaun smirked and he looked at Cloud and shrugged his shoulders.
"I mean, I can probably find a better lay anyway." he mumbled. "So, go ahead."

"Fuck you!" Cloud said letting go of Rosetta's hair. "I personally think I'm a good lay."

Rosetta snorted, letting go of Cloud and scrambling away from him. She smoothed back her hair, her scalp tender from the dragging.
"Clearly not good enough." She mumbled, glaring at Cloud. "What do you assholes want? The bounty? You won't get it."