AJ was not a morning person. Neither, really, was Nick. So, at four o'clock in the morning, when the two Boys found themselves standing in Heathrow waiting for their flight to Germany, they were like walking zombies in the waiting area. The two of them were leaning against a wall, their eyes half shut and nodding their heads, trying not to fall asleep. Even Agents Bryant and Focque looked tired, after having stayed up half the night discussing what they'd found out at Scotland Yard the night before after Ivana had finally arrived. Bryant had promised to fill all three of the co-agents in on what Lt. Cregg had told him about the ballistics test. So far, he hadn't said anything to anyone. Likewise, Nick and AJ planned to tell Bryant about the Polari when they reached Berlin.
"I'm tired," Nick whined quietly from his place beside a plastic plant. He touched the leaf to confirm it was fake and frowned.
AJ sighed, annoyed. "EVERYONE is tired, freak, shut the hell up."
"But I'm REALLY tired," Nick pressed.
Bryant looked up from a folder he was flipping through. "You can sleep on the plane, Nick."
"Yeah," Nick mumbled. Then he perked, "OR I could wake up on the plane...they'll have in flight coffee, right???" His eyes suddenly had shine to them.
"More than likely," Bryant responded, glad something might at least make the kid stop whining.
Suddenly over the intercom came a crackled, static voice. "Now boarding flight seven-twenty-eight to Berlin, seven-twenty-eight to Berlin now boarding, thank you."
"YES!" Nick leaped forth from his seat, grabbing his bag in lightening speed, and rushing to the gate. AJ and the agents did the same... just, at a slower pace. "Pllllllleasssssse tell me ya'll got coffee on the plane," Nick said to the attendant as he handed her his boarding pass.
She blinked in surprise. "There.. usually is..."
"YES!!!!!" Nick shouted again, frolicking onward into the little tunnel, "COFFEE!!!!"
AJ rolled his eyes. "He's having caffeine withdrawals," he explained to the attendant.
"Right." She smiled politely.
-----
They'd barely sat down before Nick called the stewardess over. "Can I get the biggest ass cup fulla coffee that you got on the plane? Like.. in a bucket, if you got it?"
The stewardess paused, "Yes, sir. Right after we take off."
"Thank you!" Nick cried as she staggered along in her high heels down the aisle toward the front of the plane. He turned to AJ, "I'ma get cofffeeee!"
AJ nodded, "Yes, because just what you need is more energy... Get sleepy again, will ya?"
"I can't... there's COFFEE."
"Coffee? No kidding? I didn't know that..." AJ responded, "I must not've heard the news the first seventy-three times you've said it."
As the Boys argued in their seats, the Agents were settling into their own seats. Bryant watched as Focque sat down. Now, Agent Bryant was a smart man, and as far as guys go he was pretty intuitive. This was why he'd become an agent to begin with. He had the gift. Now, his "gift" senses were tingling, and he'd been struggling with a thought most of the night. One that didn't quite make sense to him. He looked at Agent Focque, and wondered. "I'm glad you finally arrived to Scotland Yard yesterday," he told her, "You missed quite the briefing though before you got there."
Ivana Focque blinked up at Bryant in surprise, "Oh?"
"Yes," Bryant nodded. He glanced back at the two Boys, where Nick was craning his neck to spot the stewardess and AJ was looking out the window deep in thought. "I was going to wait until we got to the Berlin office, but..." he paused. "Lt. Cregg said that the ballistics tests they did on the bullet that shot Paris revealed evidence that it may have been a woman that did the shooting. Therefore," he added, "The Masquerade Murderer is more than likely a woman." He paused, watching her eyes as they widened, searching for hints... clues... anything that didn't quite fit. But all that came was the appropriate surprise.
"Could it be a copycat?" she asked, "We were so sure it was a man..."
"Could be," Bryant relented cautiously, "It was a different gun that was used, but the style was so similar to that of the Masquerade Murderer's that it's hard to believe the crimes aren't related."
Ivana looked around her nervously at the people on the plane. "So the murderer could be anyone.." she murmured.
Agent Bryant nodded, "He.. or she... could be any of the people here on this plane."
Ivana stuttered, "I do believe you're trying to frighten me, Mr. Bryant."
Agent Bryant chuckled quietly, "Perhaps I am."
-----
"Hurry up, I got one," Nick whined, "Hurry, hurrrrrryyyy -- Hurry! Or I'll forget it!"
"Dude, the object of the game is to try to think of more than you do," AJ answered. Nick bounced in his seat like a five year old trying not to go to the bathroom, causing the seat to squeak, just enough to get on AJ's nerves. "Jesus, calm the hell down."
"C'mooooooonnnn," Nick whimpered, "It took me forever to think of this one!"
AJ sighed, "Okay fine, fine. German chocolate. Happy now?" Nick's face registered blank. "What?" AJ asked, "What's wrong?"
"You took my idea!" Nick whined.
AJ laughed. "That's what you get for rushing me. And for thinking so loud."
"What?" Nick looked confused, "How does one THINK loudly?"
AJ shrugged, "I can read minds."
Nick's eyes widened, "Really???"
AJ rolled his eyes, "Nick... what the hell? Even if I COULD read minds, yours would just be a big messy, jumbled up cryptogram in a foreign language."
"Nickenese," he supported with a grin.
"Whatever," AJ answered. "So c'mon.. think of one."
Nick paused, scrunching up his face, "Uhhmmm... Oh I know! German shepherds! Like the dog with the cops."
AJ nodded, "Very impressive." He paused, "Okay ... Well, the German crime scene." He nodded, "We know that's real."
"Cheater," Nick hissed, rolling his eyes.
"Not any worse than when you said 'fruit cake'," AJ retorted.
"Nuh-uh, fruitcakes ARE German," Nick argued.
"They're Bavarian," AJ answered, "Like éclairs."
"…clairs?" Nick looked surprised, "Those are German?"
"No, they're Bavarian."
Nick paused a moment, "Is Bavaria in Germany?"
AJ raised an eyebrow, "No.. Bavaria is a country."
"Like North America?"
"No," AJ shook his head, "No, that's a continent."
"So where's Bavaria then?" Nick asked, scratching his head.
AJ sighed. "It's by Austria."
"Austria?" Nick paused, thinking, sifting the country name through his brain. "Austria... like... where the kangaroos and Vegemite are?"
"You're hopeless," AJ responded.
Nick exploded into sound, "What?? noo.. Is it? Serious? Dawg?"
AJ shook his head, "I'm not even answering you anymore."
"Fine then, I'll google it..." Nick flipped his cell phone open, clicking over to his web browser. "I'm soo gonna kick your ass." AJ looked out the window at the ground far below and sighed wistfully.
The Stewardess appeared at Nick's shoulder, "Can I get you boys anything?"
"Coffee," Nick responded, "I'm still waiting on my coffee."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she answered, "I'll go get it right now."
Nick turned to AJ, holding up his cell phone, "Bavaria’s the south most part of Germany and is the area where Munich is... It's IN Germany."
AJ looked over at Nick, surprised, "What?"
"Bavaria’s in Germany, not Austria."
"It's right next to Austria," AJ argued.
"But it's IN Germany, which means my fruitcake holds water."
"Barely," AJ stated.
A moment later, the stewardess returned with a cup of coffee for Nick. "Thanks," Nick took the cup in his hands excitedly, holding it, then sniffing it. "Oh sweet nectar of heaven," Nick whispered, inhaling deeply of the aroma that was wafting in the steam from the hot liquid inside.
AJ raised his eyebrows. "Are you gonna drink it or snort it?"
"Drink it," he answered. He took a big gulp, then spit, spraying coffee onto the floor of the aisle. "SHIT THAT'S HOT!" Several people turned to look at him, including the two agents. Nick blushed. "Sorry," he mumbled.
Ivana got up. "I need to use the ladies’ room," she stated, and moved past Agent Bryant. She paused at the Boys' seat. She smiled at them, "I'm glad you finally got your coffee, Nickolas..." she looked at AJ, smiled a bit more, then kept going down the aisle.
Nick looked at AJ. "Dude you're right, she is acting weird at you. I mean this morning she was all up mackin' on that guy in the hallway, that Jefferson or whatever his name was... and tonight she's all baby eyes are you. What's up with that chick?"
"I don't know," AJ answered. He glanced back in the way she went. He leaned closer, "You don't think she could be the---" But AJ didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Nor did Nick get to take the sip he was about to take of his coffee. Because in that instant, loud and sharp, came a screech from the direction of the bathrooms, followed by two gun shots. AJ and Nick's eyes widened and they leaped to their feet and rushed down the aisle, only milliseconds ahead of Agent Bryant.
Saving the Day for Blondes 2: The Amazing Story of How Nick Apprehended The Infamous Masquerade Murderer Without ANY Caffeine In His Body! by Pengi
