From:	Ratinac, Rand (NSW) RRatinac@*****.redcross.org.au
Subject:	Sacrifices: Chapter Four
Date:	Wed, 7 Jun 2000 10:01:03 +1000

The continuing adventures...:)

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Chapter Four

Alex's head throbbed. Her legs felt like jelly, her breathing was
hard and laboured and sweat coursed off her body in streams. A shy smile
crossed her face. She felt good.
Pushing the door open, she slipped into the dressing rooms. The
first thing she received was a dirty glare from a small, voluptuous blonde.
"What's wrong with Tracy?" she asked no one in particular as the door swung
shut behind the blonde.
A tall woman, whose brilliant, red hair came straight out of a
bottle, smiled up at Alex. "What do you think? She has to go on after you."
Alex laughed. "I feel sorry for her. Maybe I should quit."
The redhead grinned. "Oh, don't do that. The rest of us mere mortals
need something to aspire to."
Alex's face closed up and the redhead hopped out of her chair. "Oh,
I'm sorry, honey. I know...I didn't mean anything by it." She sighed,
patting Alex's arm gently. "I shouldn't have opened my big mouth."
Alex smiled sadly. "It's okay, Dana. Forget it. I'm going to take a
shower."
Dana leant forward, resting her head against Alex's. "Then I'll
field your legions of fans when they flood us."
Alex laughed softly. "Thanks, Dana. I'll be back in ten."
Hot and cleansing, the shower refreshed Alex. By the time she
stepped out her spirits, momentarily dimmed had been restored. She towelled
off, before dressing in another skimpy costume, and slipped a translucent
rose-coloured bathrobe over it. She was just tying the robe shut when the
door cracked open and Dana stuck her head in.
"I've got two admirers here who want to see you."
Alex frowned. "I thought you were going to field those for me," she
replied, only half-joking.
Dana smiled. "I think you'll want to see them, honey. Well, one of
them at least."
Alex sighed, then reached up to undo the loose knot she'd tied her
hair into for the shower, shaking it out around her shoulders. "All right.
Who've you got for me?" Dana opened the door wide and Alex stepped out -
then sighed again. "Hello, Jimmy."
A devilish grin surmounted Jimmy's lips as his eyes roamed over her
body and Alex suddenly wished she'd grabbed a heavier robe. "Oh, sweet, fair
princess! As always, 'tis a true wonder to behold you. Might I have the
honour of introducing you to my companion, the charming Lady Victoria?"
Alex's lips twitched disdainfully. "Laying it on a bit thick, aren't
you?"
Jimmy's grin broadened until it almost seemed as if his entire face
was going to split in half. "I'm afraid I can't help it, my dear; your
divine presence brings out the best in me."
"Or the worst." Alex smiled ruefully as Jimmy bowed his head in
agreement. Turning to Jimmy's friend, her expression became more sincere.
"Hi. Nice to meet you, Victoria."
"Please - it's Vicky."
Alex was as surprised as Jimmy when Vicki stepped forward, holding
out her hand. She took it gently, noticing how clammy it was and how it
trembled. _God, she's a nervous wreck_. She looked closer at the younger
woman. _Girl, more like it_. Alex wouldn't have put her age past fifteen, or
sixteen at the most. She was pretty, but her fixed smile just made her seem
even more nervous. She held a long coat closed around her with one hand -
Jimmy's coat, Alex noted with a professional eye. From the way she held
herself, Alex was sure she was naked underneath - or just as good as, she
corrected herself, nothing the tight, black leggings that hugged Vicki's
calves. Alex had seen pants like those before - on prostitutes. They didn't
leave _anything_ to the imagination. "Vicki, then," she replied, trying to
put the girl at ease. "Do you want to sit down?"
Vicki nodded enthusiastically and Jimmy smiled. "Sure, but could I
have a word first, princess?"
"Certainly. Dana?"
Dana grinned. "I'll keep Vicki entertained, don't you worry," she
said, leading Vicki over to a sofa beside one of the dressing tables.
Alex watched Vicki's stiff back, waiting until they were out of
earshot before rounding on Jimmy. "So what is it, Jimmy? Have you come here
to brag? This is a new low, even for you."
Jimmy blinked in surprise. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on, Jimmy. How dumb do you think I am? A fifteen-year-old,
for frag's sake! She's just a kid!"
Bewildered comprehension dawned on Jimmy's face. "Hey, it's not like
that at all."
"Oh, really? I saw you in the audience. You were all over her."
"I was not!" Jimmy protested. "I was _comforting_ her. She'd just
had a run-in with Victor the Toad. You didn't see _that_, did you?"
Alex hesitated. "All right," she replied grudgingly, "I'll give you
that - but what are you doing with a fifteen-year-old anyway?"
Jimmy shook his head. "She's sixteen, and...hey, how did you know
she was that young, anyway?"
"Because I look past the makeup and the flashy clothes - or lack of
them - something you seem incapable of doing. How old did you _think_ she
was?"
Jimmy blushed. "Twenty, twenty-one maybe. Hey, she certainly wasn't
dressed like a sixteen-year-old." As he beheld Alex's expression, he raised
his hands defensively. "I know, I know, I'm a flawed man; but isn't
admitting that I've got a problem the first step on the road to redemption?"
He smiled sheepishly at Alex's sceptical look. "Or maybe not. Anyway, as I
was about to say, it isn't like that at all. Billy rescued her from Cherry
and Niko and he asked me to look after her. Come on, you think I would've
given a half-naked woman my coat if I wanted to get into her pants?" Jimmy's
smile faltered. "Err...wait - that's not what I meant..." He trailed off as
Alex crossed her arms and stared at him coldly. Jimmy returned her look with
a pitiable hangdog expression until she rolled her eyes and gave in.
"At least that explains her dress-code. So why did you agree to
help."
Jimmy looked hurt. "Can't a man do something out of the goodness of
his own heart?"
"When it's you - no."
"You know me too well," Jimmy said with a chuckle. "Yeah, Billy owes
me a favour now."
"Do I want to know?"
"No, probably not."
Alex looked at him suspiciously. "So why did Billy agree to that?"
"Because she's Kimberley's sister."
Alex blinked. "Kim's sister? You're kidding." Jimmy nodded with a
cheeky grin and Alex shook her head. "I guess that explains why Billy was
willing to go into debt to you." She glanced over to where Vicki sat talking
animatedly to Dana. "She doesn't look like a Sorenstam."
"She doesn't look sixteen either." Alex shot Jimmy a venomous glare
and Jimmy glanced towards the ceiling, a look of pure innocence on his face.
"I meant to say, she must take after her mother's side of the family."
Alex couldn't help herself; her lips twitched in amusement and she
breathed a sigh of relief that Jimmy was still looking away. "And you
brought her in here why? So you could see us naked?"
"No - that's just a bonus. I was hoping we could get her some decent
clothes to wear."
Alex frowned. "Clothes we can do. Decent may prove a bit more
difficult. Dana will know."
"Shall we return, then?"
"Yes - no, wait. Did you see Lacy out there before?"
"I can't say I did," Jimmy replied. "Is she coming tonight?"
Alex quirked an eyebrow at him. "I'm dancing tonight, Jimmy."
Jimmy nodded. "Of course she is - silly question. Well, perhaps I
simply missed her. It is, after all, a big place and a big crowd."
Alex shook her head. "No, if she was in the club she'd be back here
by now, fooling around with Dana. Never mind; she's probably just late. I've
still got my R-rated set later. I'm sure she'll be here then."
As she finished speaking, Alex finally noticed that Jimmy's eyes
were as wide as saucers. "Lacy and _Dana_? But...I thought...she was..." His
finger rose to point at Alex, but she shook her head again.
"I guess you thought wrong."
"But..._Dana_?"
A wry smile curled Alex's lips. "See any other tall, redheaded elves
around here?"
Jimmy's eyes darted from Alex to Dana and back again, a look of
understanding dawning on his face. "Oh. And Dana's okay with that?"
"You think she'd be sleeping with Lacy if she wasn't? They really
seem to enjoy each other's company. I think it might be good for both of
them."
Jimmy turned to look at Dana and Vicki, planting one hand on his hip
and running the other through his short, dark hair. "I never imagined her
like that. She always seemed so...mature."
Alex giggled. "Wouldn't you if you were a grandmother?"
Jimmy's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he spun to face Alex.
"_What_? No way! She couldn't be more than-"
"She's an elf, Jimmy," Alex broke in gently.
"Oh...yeah...but a grandmother?" Jimmy looked subdued. "How old is
she?" he asked.
"Oh, come on. You really expect me to answer that?"
"But...she's got grandkids?"
Alex nodded. "Two. They're really quite sweet."
"But...but why does she do this, then?"
Alex shrugged. "You'll have to ask her that yourself."
Jimmy glanced back at Dana, a look that came very close to fear on
his face. "I...I almost..." He yelped as Alex dug an elbow into his ribs.
"Why don't you?" she asked, her tone insinuating. "She must be
_very_ experienced." Jimmy's jaw dropped, but before he could say anything,
Alex shoved him forward. "Come on, let's get Vicki dressed."
Vicki looked up as the pair approached. Her cheeks flushed, but she
seemed much more composed than before. Alex smiled at her gently. Dana had a
knack for putting people at ease and it seemed Vicki was no exception.
"Dana, Vicki needs to borrow some clothes. Think we can help?"
Dana looked at Vicki critically and nodded. "We can raid Tracy's
wardrobe while she's not here," she said with a wicked grin. "Come on,
Jimmy, you can help me."
"I, uh...I, uh...sure," Jimmy managed to get out. Dana looked at him
curiously as they left, leaving Alex with Vicki.
Alex eased herself down on the couch beside Vicki, in the spot Dana
had just vacated. As she did, her robe parted revealingly. A soft gasp
caught her attention as she began to rearrange the garment and she glanced
up to see Vicki staring at her milky-white legs. _Ah...that explains it_.
She tugged her robe back into place, breaking the spell.
Vicki looked up shyly. "You're very beautiful," she said, her voice
barely audible.
"Thank you, Vicki."
"And...the way you danced...you were _amazing_. I...I want to be
like you." Vicki stared at her appealingly with soft, brown eyes. Alex could
read the secret message behind her words, however, and moved to quell
Vicki's hopes as quickly and gently as she could.
"No, you don't. You don't know what this life is really like, Vicki.
You don't want to do this."
"But my sister - she's a dancer like you." Vicki leant forward, her
tone firm. "If she can do it, so can I."
"I'm sure you could, honey, but that's not the point. Have you ever
spoken to your sister about it?" Vicki shook her head. "I have," Alex told
her. "You don't know how many regrets she has about this choice. Sure, there
are good things about it, but her life could have been so much more. I know
what your father is like, but I also know he's very rich. Use that - use it
to get to where you really want to be. Then you can leave him behind if you
still want to. This?" Alex glanced up and gestured around the dressing room.
"This is the easy way out. This is running away. It's not worth what you'd
be giving up."
"So why are you here?" Vicki asked, her tone miserable.
Alex looked at the disappointed young woman for a long time before
answering. "I had to run." Silence fell over them. Finally she spoke again.
"At least talk to Kim about it, Vicki, before you decide on anything."
Vicki sighed and nodded. "All right; but I'd still like to learn to
dance like you."
Alex laughed. "Not like that, you don't," she replied. "Some things
just aren't done in polite society." Her smile was infectious and Vicki
grinned girlishly as Alex leant forward to pat her knee. "I'll tell you
want, though; I know a lot of other dances and I'll be happy to teach them
to you."
"Really?" Vicki's eyes were wide as she stared at Alex. "You mean
it?"
"Of course. On one condition."
"What's that?" Vicki asked with sudden suspicion.
"Promise to think about what I said."
A smile of relief burst across Vicki's face and she nodded. "I
will."
"Well, these will probably be a bit loose around the bust, but
that's nothing to be ashamed of, honey. Tracey's had so many implants that
an elephant would have trouble filling her clothes."
Vicki giggled and Alex turned to see Dana approaching, Jimmy
trailing after her, his arms laden with clothing. "If I didn't know better,
I'd swear you'd been shopping," she said.
Dana laughed. "Oh, please, don't tell me you think my taste is
_this_ bad," she shot back, holding up a mesh top made of an eye-hurting red
plastic.
Alex smiled sweetly. "Perish the thought." Vicki tried to muffle her
giggling as Alex crossed her fingers behind her back. "Jimmy, take Vicki
into the bathroom. She can get dressed there."
"And you don't need to help her," Dana added sharply.
Jimmy sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Come, Vicki dear. We shall have you
suitably attired in but a matter of moments." Casting one last glance Dana's
way, he led Vicki off to the bathroom, peering over the pile of garments he
carried.
Dana glanced at Alex. "She's got a serious crush on you, you know."
"I know." Alex smiled. "I promised to teach her to dance. That
should cure her."
"If anything would - slave driver," Dana replied with a wicked grin.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
Alex giggled. "I doubt it, but it's worth a shot."
"Well, you've got to try something, I guess." Dana plumped down
beside Alex and jabbed her with a rather sharply pointed elbow. "Hey, what
did you say to Jimmy? He kept looking at me like I was about to grow wings
and a tail and eat him alive."
Alex smiled innocently. "Oh, nothing much."
Dana looked sceptical. "Come on, hon. I know that look."
Alex glanced at her sidelong. "I don't know. It might be better if I
didn't tell you."
Dana's chin jutted out comically as she did her best to feign a mean
glare. "Am I going to have to beat it out of you?"
Alex raised her hands in surrender. "Not in the face," she replied
with a wink. A loud squeak drew her attention and she looked up to see Jimmy
closing the bathroom door behind him. Leaning closet to Dana, she smiled
wickedly and whispered, "I convinced him you're a grandmother."
Jimmy's head, and those of most of the girls in the dressing room,
whipped around as Alex and Dana broke into howls of laughter. Alex buried
her face in Dana's shoulder in a vain attempt to muffle her hilarity, while
tears streamed down Dana's face. "You realise," Dana managed to gasp, "that
I'm going to have to seduce him now." Alex only laughed harder.
"What did I miss?" Jimmy asked, hurrying over to rejoin them, his
expression intensely curious.
Dana wiped away tears and sighed. "Nothing, honey. Don't you worry
your pretty, little head about it." Reaching out, she stroked his hand in a
decidedly intimate fashion. "I'll tell you about it in private." Jimmy
yanked his hand away, looking at Dana as if her touch had scalded him and
Alex fell back against the sofa, laughing helplessly.
Jimmy was watching the girls suspiciously by the time they pulled
themselves together again. Rejoining the trio, Vicki could only wonder what
was going on.
"Now _that's_ a better look," Dana said approvingly. Vicki had
chosen a tight, high-necked and long-sleeved, sapphire-blue shirt that was
only a bit loose on her, and a black, thigh-length coat that leant her pants
a semblance of modesty.
Alex grinned. "I'm just glad she didn't choose that mesh top you're
so fond of, Dana."
Dana scoffed. "At least I could do justice to it."
Alex's reply was cut short, however, as the door to the dressing
room banged open and Billy stuck his huge, horned head inside. "Alex," he
said, fixing a sad-eyed look on her. "It's Lacy."