Mission accepted.

Johara had accepted a very risky mission indeed; her very life depended on its success. It didn’t matter; she would go through any hardship to see it through to the end! No evil could stop her from reaching the goal! Her true mission was to rescue the victim from certain peril, trapped within the confines of his own home as a prisoner. Nothing could stand in her way from saving her beloved Uncle Brody!

Alright, so maybe she was kind of bored right now….actually she was extremely bored! There was nothing to do and she hadn’t seen Brody around lately so she decided to pay him a visit. To more precise Johara was making sure he was still breathing, not starving to death, and not being attacked by crazy women. All of which were very believable theories when her Uncle Brody was concerned, he really did attract such scary looking females minus her mother.

Anyways, Johara was currently on her way to where she knew her Uncle Brody lived or at least she thought he did. In truth she had never been there before and a part of her was a little excited, it was a new place even if she had probably passed by the building before. ”Enemy hideout has been located! Preparing to move in” Jumping around a box she tip toed around the side of the building inspecting the perimeters. ”Alls clear, preparing to charge in” Alright, she realized she was attacking a bit immature right now but she was bored and no one was around to see it anyways. She was enjoying playing the part of a hero but that would make Uncle Brody the damsel, didn’t quite fit him but oh well.

”Preparing to look for target” Johara went straight to the window and a frown soon formed on her lips. Being short was troublesome; she couldn’t get a decent look into the house. Taking a look around she noticed a box, it would have to do. Pushing it towards the window proved to be quiet difficult. It actually made her hungry; she would ask Uncle Brody for a snack after she rescued him. Standing on the box Johara peered in the window but as far as she could tell it didn’t look like anyone was home.

”Is he not home? What a terrible damsel he is”

The one thing Jacen couldn't complain about -- and he really wanted to find more things to complain about, these days -- was the size of the little abode he shared with Brody.

It was certainly small -- claustrophobically tiny, even. However, he'd lived in tighter spaces, on the sea, stuck for months at a time with the same crew of sweaty, familiar men. Here, at least, whenever he went outside, he could see anything. Do anything and not be confined by the deck and the vast emptiness of blue. Monotony didn't exist anymore.

Did he miss it?

Yes, yes he did.

Jace was returning to the house when he noticed the tiny figure climb to look inside their house. Frowning, he quietly walked up behind the little street rat and picked her up by the back of her clothes, holding her at arm's length.

"Wrong house to steal from, little one," Jacen said, unimpressed.

Busted!

Being caught meant she failed her mission and if it had been real, it meant death. It was a good thing she was just messing around but she still might be in trouble if she couldn't get out of this situation. She had let out a small yelp of surprise when she had been hauled in the air.

"I am no thief!" Johara could be considered a thief’s accomplice since she had helped Penny get away but she had never stolen anything. This man didn't know that which meant she had to convince him that she was just an innocent little girl. "You better put me down mister, my uncle Brody lives here and he could easily beat up three of you" Johara might be stretching the truth a little bit but what he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

Johara thrashed a bit to try and escape his grip but the only thing she was hitting was the air.

"Uncle Brody!" Jace repeated sceptically, feeling the ends of his mouth twitch outwards amusedly. "Will he? Beat me up? No, wait -- beat up three of me." Laughing, he put her down. She knew about Brody living there, so she couldn't possibly have been just some random thief. "I happen to live in that... house." Would he even call it a house? "So, little one, I'd appreciate an explanation."

The strange man didn't sound like he believed her; she would just have to sound more convincing. "That’s right, three of you! All before lunch too"

Weird he had put her down and stated he lived in the same house with her uncle Brody. She found that hard to believe, Johara couldn't really imagine him with friends. He was friendly and an awesome person, but he always struck her as a person who didn't form bonds. "Oh, got any proof? Uncle Brody seems like a loner to me"

She ignored his question for now, Johara would not reveal anything unless she knew she could trust this man.

He grinned again. "So he seems like a loner to you. You don't know he's a loner." Muscly arms folded themselves to his even bulgier chest. The more she used 'uncle Brody', the least inclined Jacen was to believe she even knew Brody.

Oh, the strange man wasn't just a simple minded idiot.

That was amusing but there was no way she would back down just because he was alot older then her. "Even if you are his roommate, that doesn't mean he's not a loner" Johara wasn't even sure why she was bantering with this stranger on this subject, but it didn't really matter.

His grin intensified. "That's correct." Smart kid.

He waited.

She was correct? So now what, she hadn't really planed what she was going to do after she won.

Perhaps she would humor the man.

"I haven't seen him around lately so I came to visit"

Visit?

Then something ridiculously obvious dropped on him like a ton of bricks.

"Are you little Johara?" he asked, incredulously. The little princess?

Oh, so he knew her by name well that convinced her.

"Thats right, so you must really be his friend if you know my name" He probably wouldn't tell random people about her so that meant she could trust the stranger. "So, who are you mister?"

"The name's Jace. I'm Brody's friend. We... we're sharing this place," he simply explained.

"Uncle Brody has friends that are guys?!" Woah, wonders never cease.

Jace burst out laughing. "I'm not that kind of friend," he muttered, scratching the tip of his nose.

"I didn't mean it that way, umm, Uncle Jace" She quite liked her nickname for him, if he was Uncle Brody’s friend than Jace would be forced into their slightly unusual family. "Uncle is kind of a lady's man , I don't remember what that means but females flock to him like a candle"

Her poor poor Uncle Brody, he needed constant protection.

"Just the other day I witnessed him making a retreat from a man who was claiming Uncle Brody slept with his wife" What was so bad about sleeping next to someone? She slept in the same bed with her mom all the time. "Is Uncle Brody coming home soon?"

Jace had to cover his mouth and stifle the laughter that was threatening to burst out. Uncle Brody is kind of a ladies' man, she'd said. That brought him close to chuckled again.

"I have no idea, young one. He is his own man, when it comes to his bedtime."

Uncle Brody had a bedtime?

Wonders never ceased. Johara frowned now that it clicked that Uncle Jace had no idea when he would be home, "Do you think he's....coming home?"

"I wouldn't presume to know the answer to that question, either." Brody wasn't exactly the 'share and care' kind of guy. If he returned for the night, he returned for the night. Otherwise, he was probably spending quality time with some lady or the other. Either way, Jacen wouldn't know of it until it was either evening time and Brody walked into the house and settled into bed, or it was morning and Jace woke up to an empty house.

"...Oh?"

What if he didn't come home? What if he was planning to leave again? Johara could remember a brief time in her life where he was nowhere to be found. She didn't want to think that could happen again. "Can I stay and wait for him?"

Jacen arched a long eyebrow. "Your mother would surely worry, Johara."

Johara shook her head, "I told Mum earlier that I was going to play with Uncle Brody, so please?'

He frowned. "What if Uncle Brody does not come back to sleep here tonight?"

Johara brightened up, "He definitely will! cuz be and Uncle Brody share a connection so he'll definitely feel it in his gut and come home." Yes, she had switched from Brody might have left to he was definitely coming home.

Jacen's scepticism was evident on his features, but he let the girl in anyway. "If it gets too late, I'm taking you home," he told her in a tone that didn't allow any 'buts'. Then Jacen settled by the fiery hearth and opened the book he'd been reading that morning.

Joharas eyes lit up with happiness, maybe it hadn't gone completely her way but at least she could stay for a while. She walked in her curiousity instantly perking, so this was where Uncle Brody stayed. As soon as Uncle Jace sat down with his book she went to exploring starting with the kitchen going through cupboards.

She pulled out a bottle giving it a quizzacal look, this was that juice for adults right? Her mother always said she wasn't aloud to have any but she wanted to know what it tasted like.

Where was he? He'd read that bit...

Jacen flicked through his book, trying to avoid thinking about the kid.

Johara peeked around the corner to make sure Uncle Jace was not paying attention before tipping the bottle taking a sip. It tasted...awful, how did grownups drink this stuff.

Wait!

A guy in her moms tavern said it tastes better the more a person drinks it. Johara shrugged her shoulder taking another sip.

hic up

Jace lounged in his chair - as much as someone could lounge in a rickety, small thing which was his chair - and turned the page. A few moments later, he yawned and leaned over to put another couple of logs in the fire. Hopefully, Brody would come home that night.

She had already had over four sips and it still tastes awful, that guy at her mum's tavern lied! Johara stood up but fell back down, that was strange, the walls were spinning. She crawled out of their kitchen, "Uncle Jaaaacccceee, whhhhich room issss uncle brooooodys"

She was tired, maybe she would take a nap while she waited for him.

"Not sure he'd appreciate you scavenging through is room, little one," Jace replied, still looking at the page. Children were quite annoying. Loud. Smelly. Nosy.

"I just want to know that he's still here...that he's not going away again" Johara laid her head down on the floor as she let out a yawn. Maybe she would just take a nap hear, she was starting not to care at the moment.

Jace turned his head lazily only to see the child practically passing out on the floor.

"Hey." He stood up, leaving the book on his seat. "Do you have any idea how dirty that floor is?"

Johara lifted her head up staring at jace for a long time before a bright smile adorned her face, "Uncle Brody! I knew you would come home!"[/b]

He looked at her confusedly and crouched down to pull her up.

It was then that he smelt it.

Jacen blanched. His eyes widened, his breath caught.

What did you do, you silly little girl?!

Pulling her up, he swooped her up into Brody's room and laid her on the bed. A firm frown had settled on his already stoic features. His long nose flared with displeasure.

"Little girls should not drink adult drinks," he grumbled.

"It tasted terrible Uncle Brody"

Yawn, "Please don't tell mum..."

She snuggled into Brodys pillow with another yawn, "I love you Uncle Brody...please don't go away" Thats the last she said before she was out like a light.

Jacen pursed his lips, standing up. He went into the kitchen and found the bottle. Sighing, he put it somewhere high where she wouldn't be able to reach - in case she changed her mind.

Then Jacen Brant went back to his book.