Undercover Werewolf

The Carnival

Palmer looked over at Bailey as they walked towards the carnival. It was a typical, lively carnival with crowds of people and screaming, excited children as they dashed around to look at the rides and the games. The smell of popcorn and hot dogs filled the air as they got closer. "Are you alright?"

Bailey looked over at him. "What?"

"I asked if you were alright."

"Oh. Uh, yeah, I am." Bailey looked around the carnival, his gaze following the many people walking around.

"Good. By the way, don't call me Palmer while we're here."

"Why not?"

"Do you want to draw attention to me?"

"Why would anyone care if you have an illusion on you?"

Palmer paused, looking over at him. Was he teasing him? "Well, perhaps they won't. But I'd still prefer not to take any chances."

"Alright, alright. What do you want me to call you?"

"Evan."

"Evan? Okay, then you're Evan."

"You agreed too easily."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did."

They were interrupted by a ticket seller calling them forward. Palmer stepped forward, paying for 40 tickets for them both.

"You didn't have to do that." Bailey grumbled, his cheeks red.

"Yeah, I did."

"Why?"

"Because I like you. As a friend and, hopefully, as more."

"Hopefully?"

"Well... Rosa was right. We do need to get to know each other better. As I'd said before, it's been nineteen years since we'd seen each other. People do change, after all. I can't exactly pursue a relationship with you if I only remember what you were like when you were twelve."

"Who says I want a relationship with you?"

Palmer shrugged his shoulders. "Well, no one did but I'm willing to wait if that's what it takes."

Bailey looked over at him. "Have you ever been in a relationship? With a guy."

"Yeah, I have. Remember Owen Williams?"

"Of course. He was the Chess Champion for the full four years that I was in Sita High. Wait, you dated him?"

"Yeah, for about a year before we broke up. Then there was a guy in college but that was it."

"No one else?"

Palmer shrugged. "Well, I'll admit I've fooled around with some of my co-stars but nothing serious. What about you?"

Bailey looked down at the ground, scuffing the toe of his tennis shoe through the dirt. "Well, you know about my stalker ex. Lukas Anderson. He was my first and only boyfriend. There were a few others, including that blind date I told you about but that's it."

"Excuse me." A woman with messy hair and wide eyes looked at them both. "Have either of you seen a little girl with brown hair? She's about five or six."

Palmer could see Bailey shift into bodyguard-mode instantly, his shoulders and back straightening as he looked at the woman. "Where did you see her last?"

"Over there." The woman pointed at the carousel. "She was riding on the horse. I only looked away because someone bumped into me! But when I turned around, the ride had stopped and she was gone! Please, I don't know what to do, I've looked around and can't find her!"

"It's alright, I'll look for her. Do you have a photo of her?"

"Oh, uh, yes, I do." The woman turned, digging in her purse until she pulled out a photo of a girl with messy brown hair, her eyes crossed as she looked at the picture taker.

"What is she wearing?" Bailey asked as he took the picture.

"A-A... A yellow tshirt and blue shorts. The shirt has polka dots and her shorts are striped." The woman grasped Bailey's arm tightly. "Please, find her!"

"I'll find her, I promise. Pa- Evan. Can you stay with her and calm her down please?"

Palmer nodded his head. "Of course. We'll be right over there." He gestured at a bench under a tent, taking the woman's hands to lead her over.

"Wait! Her name's Emily. Tell her that her mother sent you if you find her!" The woman called as she walked with Palmer.

Bailey nodded and watched them both, only turning away when Palmer sat down. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. He'd caught a whiff of the little girl's scent when the woman opened her purse; a brief scent of bubble gum, cotton candy and peanut butter mixed with the scent of lemons. He guessed the lemon was from whatever laundry detergent the woman used. He pushed that thought out of his mind, instead concentrating on the scent until he thought he knew where it went.

Opening his eyes, he wove his way through the crowd, pausing every now and then to make sure that he was going the right way. Eventually the smell merged with another smell, one that was decidedly feline and went between two tents. He squeezed himself through, finding a grassy area behind it. Curled up on the grass was a little girl with brown hair, wearing a yellow shirt and blue shorts, a tiny grey kitten in her arms.

The kitten looked up at him, meowing as it scrambled up onto it's paws, tottering a little. The little girl - sensing it's movements - leaned up and froze when she saw Bailey. "Who are you?"

"I'm Bailey. Your mother asked me to help find you."

"Mama? Oh no, she doesn't know where I am!"

"Hey, it's okay. Let's get you and your friend back to her." Bailey looked down at the kitten who'd made it's way to him, bracing it's front paws on his shoe as it's mouth opened wide with a loud meow. "Does she have a name?"

"I don't know." Emily stood up clumsily, watching him cautiously as she walked towards him to scoop up the screaming ball of fur. "I don't think she has a home. I saw someone try to kick her."

"Well, that's not very nice." Bailey crouched down to get eye-level with the girl, holding out one hand to her. "What do you say, Miss Emily. Can I escort you back to your mother?"

The girl giggled, freeing one hand to take his. "You're silly."

"That's what my mom tells me." Bailey straightened up, helping her to get between the tents with the kitten.

"What's your mom like?"

"Well, she likes to cook, likes to garden. She has her own vegetable garden."

"Yuck! I don't like vegetables. Except corn. Do you want to know a secret?"

"Sure."

"I don't think of corn as a vegetable. It's sweet, like fruit."

"Hmm, I see your point." Bailey smiled down at her. "But there's other vegetables that are sweet."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Like what?"

"Well, peas can be sweet."

"Peas?" Emily scrunched her nose. "But they're green! I don't like green things."

"I'll have to take your word on that. I can't see the color green."

"You can't? Why not?"

"Well, do you know about genetics?"

"What's genestics?"

Bailey smiled. "Genetics. Basically if two people have a child, their child will get something from each of them, such as green eyes."

"So one of your parents gave you the power to not see green? I wish I had that power. Green is yucky!"

Bailey chuckled, though he didn't say anything else, seeing a figure running towards them.

"Emily!!" Emily's mother ran to them, picking up the little girl to hug her tightly. "Where were you? I told you to wait for me when you got off the ride!"

"I couldn't, Mama!"

"Why not?"

"Because I saw a bad man try to kick a kitty!"

The woman paused, looking at her daughter. "Someone tried to kick... You mean, you ran off for a cat?"

Emily nodded, opening her arms to show the grey kitten curled up against her chest. "I saw him try to kick her, Mama. And you've always told me we need to be nice to animals cause they can't help themselves!"

"So, you went to help her..."

"Yeah! But I had to chase her through tents and people and I got lost, Mama! But Bailey found me!"

"Yeah, he did. I'm glad he found you." Emily's mother shifted her grip on her daughter, looking at Bailey with a smile. "Thank you so much for finding her. No one else stopped long enough... so, really, thank you."

"I'm just glad I helped." Bailey replied, glancing at the kitten in Emily's arms. "What are you going to do with the cat?"

"Oh, she'll come home with us." The woman looked down at the kitten before looking back at him. "Emily is right that we need to take care of animals. And this one seems to need a home."

He nodded, stepping out of her way. "Well, have a nice day, ma'am."

"Thank you. I'm glad you and your boyfriend were here." She smiled, walking past him.

Bailey flushed, looking over at Palmer. "Boyfriend?" He asked drily.

"Well, I couldn't tell her the truth." Palmer replied with a shrug. "'Oh, don't worry, ma'am. My bodyguard will find your daughter.' I'd have to explain why I needed a bodyguard, for one. It was just easier to tell her that."

"I see. So... shall we go on some rides now?"

"Yeah, let's go on some rides."

Palmer looked over at Bailey as the car they were in started to rise up, watching the other man.

"You're staring."

Palmer felt his cheeks turn red. "I am not."

"Yes, you are." Bailey turned to look at him. "Why?"

"Well..." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You were good with that little girl. Emily. She trusted you."

"So?"

"So... It made me think that you might be a good father."

Bailey coughed, tilting his head. "For a moment there I thought you said I'd be a good father."

"I did."

"I'm gay. Besides, I don't want kids. I'd rather be the fun uncle. What about you? Want any mini Palmers running around?"

Palmer thought about it before shaking his head. "No, no kids for me. I'm an actor. While I could provide for kids, my job is just too unpredictable. I could be here filming a movie and then I'd be off to... to Prioji to film in the snow. Kids need stability and I couldn't give that."

Bailey nodded his head, looking out the window again as they reached the top of the Ferris Wheel. "You know, it doesn't seem so tall from down there but being at the top.."

"It's 550 feet tall. How can it look smaller from the bottom?"

"I don't know. Perception, I suppose. Is it really 550 feet?"

"Yeah, you didn't know? Though I heard that Yadra is trying to build a bigger one."

"Seriously? 550 feet is plenty tall enough. What do they want to do, give their customers a heart attack?"

Palmer chuckled, shaking his head. "Who knows. I doubt very much that I'll ever get on it if they do build it though."

"Good. That means I won't have to embarrass you by dragging you off of it."

"Oh, you think you can drag me anywhere?" Palmer arched one eyebrow, looking Bailey over. "What are you going to do, kick me in the shin if I refuse to get off?"

Bailey opened his mouth to reply, looking Palmer over before he puffed out his cheeks. "I see your point. Don't worry, I'll figure something out."

Palmer smirked playfully. "Honestly, you probably wouldn't have to. I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked."

"Would you? You don't really know me."

"Well, I did know you when we were growing up. There's no way you've changed that much."

"Okay, tell me what you know." Bailey challenged.

Palmer hummed low in his throat, watching him. "Alright. I know that you used to be quiet yet unafraid to confront someone if you thought they were wrong. You're still that way, though you're no longer reckless."

"I wasn't reckless!"

"Yes, you were. That's why you were signed up for aikido."

Bailey's frowned, looking at him. "You're right, I'd forgotten about that. How'd you know?"

"Sylvia. We weren't friends but she was always happy to supply me with information about you."

"I see. Perhaps I should talk to her."

"I'm not finished with you yet. You didn't like aikido at first but you excelled at it. You're a black belt and I know that you still practice it."

"I put that on my application."

"True. Doesn't change the fact that I know it."

"Alright, smartass, what kind of food do I like?" Bailey asked sarcastically.

"Spicy food. Though I'd noticed that you also had a fondness for chicken and salmon."

"...I still do."

"You're colorblind and I recently learned that you had a bad experience with a date because of it. So, now you only wear clothes in shades of black, grey and white."

"Yes." Bailey was watching him now, his gaze locked on Palmer's.

"I also know that you're uncomfortable in suits."

"What gave it away?"

Palmer grinned at the question. "Oh, couldn't be because of the way you were tugging on it at the press conference."

Bailey chuckled, shaking his head. "Ok, ok. Guess that was a big clue."

"You also have a soft spot for children. Or maybe just a passion for helping people in trouble."

"A little of both."

"You have experiences with stalkers and bullies, which helped you become who you are."

"And what's that?"

"One of the most top-rated bodyguards around. Everyone wants you."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm an actor. You're not the most famous around, to be fair, but I've heard your name often enough to know that people want you. You could be a millionaire yet you only choose jobs that resonate with you."

"Resonate?"

"Yeah. Jobs - or people - who match with your ideals. I read up about Maci Piper last night. She's a good person, Bay. You know that she's donated almost half of her inheritance to various charities? And she helps anyone who needs help."

"She is." Bailey replied softly. "It's why I took the job as her bodyguard. She never complained about it. Instead, she was always happy about it, always smiling and always thanking me."

"And that leads me to my next point: you're a good person, Bailey Hunt." Palmer told him softly as the Ferris Wheel spun slowly down until they were at the bottom.

They both climbed out of the car silently, looking around. "Um.. Is there another ride you want to go on?"

"Well, not a ride. Come on." Palmer grabbed his hand, pulling him over to the games.

"Oh, a game?"

"Yeah. This one to be exact." He stopped in front of a tent with balloons attached to the wall.

"Dart throwing, huh. You any good at it?"

"Yeah, I am." Palmer smirked at him. "What about you?"

"I've been known to win dart games." Bailey replied, taking his wallet out to buy the darts.

The man behind the counter laid three darts in front of each of them.

Palmer picked his up, weighing them in his hand before he held one up, aiming at a red balloon. He threw the dart, the tip piercing the balloon and making it pop.

"Not bad." Bailey told him, holding up a dart. "But that one was pretty big. Gave you a big target."

"Think you can do any better?"

"Obviously." He aimed at a small green balloon, throwing the dart at it. The dart flew through the air, piercing the side, the balloon popping.

"That was pretty good." Palmer aimed his second dart at a small yellow balloon. "Think you can keep it up?" He threw his dart, the dart popping the balloon easily.

"Yeah, I can." Bailey grinned, aiming at another balloon and throwing his dart. The dart struck the balloon straight on, popping it.

"Good job." Palmer hummed, taking his time to pick out another target. The balloon he chose was in the top left corner: a small blue one. He threw his last dart, watching it sail through the air, the tip piercing the rubber. For a moment nothing happened but then the balloon deflated.

"Thank you." Bailey threw his last dart towards a yellow balloon near the bottom, biting his lip. But, instead of hitting the balloon, the dart struck the board above it.

"Well, that sucks." Palmer told him, picking out a large purple cat while Bailey got a small stuffed penguin. "Though if you ask nicely, you can have my cat."

"I hate you." Bailey grumbled as they left the stand.

"No, you don't. You love me." The other man threw one arm around his shoulders. "You just don't know it yet."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get back to Sita. It's getting late."