It Came From Denny's

"More coffee, hun?"

Those were the magic words that pulled Jesse out of the world he had gotten lost in, while reading. He looked up from his book and grinned at the waitress, "You sure know how to keep a boy happy, Jenny! Yes, please."

Jenny smiled gently as she carefully used two of her light pink tentacles to refill Jesse's mug, before walking away.

Jesse picked it up and blew on the hot liquid before tentatively taking a sip. Shifting in his seat, he was about to return to his book when movement across from him caught his eye.

Looking over, Jesse was slightly surprised to find a black cat perched on his table staring at him. The cat's piercing gold eyes looked him up and down, as if appraising him. He wondered briefly just how long the cat might have been sitting there.

"Hello there," said Jesse as he set his coffee mug back down. "Tonight, must be special; I don't normally have such lovely company."

The cat didn't react in any way, except to stare at him, so Jesse continued, "Can I offer you some coffee?"

The cat looked down at the coffee mug and then back at Jesse, "No, but thank you for the offer. I never cared much for it."

Jesse grinned at the cat's reply. Under normal circumstances Jesse might have been surprised that the cat actually spoke. But having spent so much time in Denny's he knew that nothing should ever be considered a surprise. Least of all a cat that could talk. After all, that wasn't super strange considering the friends he'd been known to make.

So, Jesse quickly decided to press on, "Well then, what can I do for you?"

"I need help finding someone." The cat stated.

Jesse nodded, "Oddly enough, I hear that pretty often, so I kind of expected you might say something like that. Should we start at the beginning?"

"I'm not sure yet if I can trust you." The cat paused and looked Jesse over again. "You're a pretty hard person to find, despite the directions to find you being fairly easy. And everyone seems to know you, yet no one does."

Jesse hummed knowingly, "Mmm, yeah, most people just need a little help. They don't really stick around afterward. So, I know a lot of people, but they kind of just come and go."

"No one I spoke with mentioned your interesting attire, either," the cat added.

"Oh, come on, no one mentioned that I like denim and spikes?" Jesse said with a bit of a giggle.

The cat quietly watched him for a few more moments before seeming to make up its mind.

"My name is Leaf. I'm a familiar."

"Familiar? Oh! You mean like a Witch's Familiar?" Jesse said excitedly realizing that coming to that kind of conclusion about a talking cat was probably a bit stereotypical, but it did make sense.

"Yes, exactly like that. Though I doubt you actually really know what that means, but that isn't really important," said Leaf. "I'm a familiar to a young Warlock named Aiken. I've served his family for centuries, but Aiken is my current partner."

"And I'm guessing that he's who's missing?" said Jesse.

"Yes." Leaf replied simply. "He went on a trip with his aunt and hasn't come back."

"Okay, I'm with you so far," Jesse said casually. "But you're the only one looking for him? Does he have any other family?"

"His mother isn't worried because his aunt has a habit of never being on time. And his father is far too busy to really be super involved in Aiken's life."

"If his mother isn't worried then why are you?" Jesse asked curiously.

"His aunt...she's a complex woman. She's NOT the kind of person whose company I enjoy. She's impulsive, selfish, and plays with others to get what she wants."

Jesse grinned, "I'm guessing that's why you didn't go with them?"

"Yes, actually. Aiken was very excited to get to travel with her and I didn't want to rain on his excitement. So, I chose to stay behind."

"Okay," Jesse said as he picked his coffee back up and took a sip. "Do you have any idea where they were going?"

"Yes and no," replied Leaf. "They've been traveling to many different places, such as Arcagaten, Danglacan, all of the exciting places that young people think it would be fun to visit."

Jesse shook his head, having heard of none of those places, "Okay, I'll take your word for it."

"Well, Aiken's been writing me letters. I think mostly to make up for leaving me behind, but I appreciate the gesture either way," Leaf said casually. "The last letter I got from Aiken said they were going to visit the lost city of Nimbostris. But I don't really know how they thought they could do that."

Jesse slightly tilted his head, "Why not?"

"It's called a lost city for a reason," Leaf said frankly.

Jesse laughed, "That's a pretty good point! Okay, but that still gives me something solid. Will you be coming with me?"

Leaf's eyes narrowed, "Wait, so you're going to take the job? We haven't even discussed payment yet."

"Do you know what I typically ask?"

"I've heard rumors." Leaf answered slowly.

"And if what you've heard didn't stop you from seeking me out, then I think we're all set." stated Jesse, as he quickly set down his coffee mug and stood.

Leaf looked up at Jesse with surprise, "You're serious?"

"Aren't you?" Jesse replied.

"I...yes, I am," Leaf stumbled to reply.

"Cool. Would you like to hop up on my shoulder?" offered Jesse.

"Why would you allow that?" asked Leaf.

Jesse shrugged, "Would you rather walk beside me? I'm sorry, I just assumed it would be easier to talk if you rode on my shoulders. Plus, it would look cool as hell to have a cat riding on me. I mean, who does that?"

"Very well," Leaf said as he leapt from the table and gently landed on Jesse's shoulders as if he weighed nothing at all.

"You're pretty light for a cat," commented Jesse.

"I am but a leaf on the wind," replied Leaf, getting a giggle out of Jesse. "I'm not really a cat, remember."

"Right, sorry, I didn't realize that applied to everything about you," said Jesse, as he headed for the front door.

Leaf looked around briefly in confusion, "Wait, do you know where you're going? I don't remember you mentioning a plan."

"Of course! I mean, I've never been there, but I'm sure they have a Denny's!" said Jesse as they reached the front door and started looking it over. He turned to the hostess, who was standing a few feet away, "I'll be back later, Tiffany."

"Okay, hun, I'll let Jenny know," the young slug looking lady replied. "Depending on when you get back, Sheila might have taken over, but either way we'll make sure to hold your table for you."

"Thanks, Tiffany," Jesse replied as he started tapping on the door.

"So, how exactly are you going to get there from here?" asked Leaf as he watched Jesse go about his tapping.

"I already told you, they probably have a Denny's," said Jesse as he finally firmly gripped the handle on the door.

Leaf gave Jesse a skeptical look, "Are you just going to wish yourself there?"

"Something like that, there might be a little more to it than that," giggled Jesse. "Too many questions!"

"Well, I just want to understand, are you using magic or..." Leaf started to say as Jesse quickly pulled the door open and walked through. However, rather than ending up in a busy city, or anywhere Leaf might have expected, they now found themselves standing in the ruins of what looked to be an abandoned street.

"See, here we are!" Jesse stated as he looked around. As he turned around, though, Jesse frowned. "Oh, that could be a problem."

Leaf looked at the piles of rubble that clearly used to be a Denny's, "I take it that we won't be able to go back the way we came?"

"Hmmmm, yeah probably not," Jesse said in thought. "I'll think of something, though. Always gotta be thinkin' of back up strats."

"So, what is it about Denny's that allows you to travel in this manner?" Leaf asked as Jesse turned back around.

"Something about the life poured into it," Jesse half answered as he looked around.

The ruined street they were standing seemed to go on into a crumbling city in one direction and a cliff in the other direction.

Jesse wandered a little closer to the cliff edge before asking, "I'm sure I should have asked this before we came here but...what kind of lost city is this?"

For once Leaf chuckled, "You really do live up to your reputation, willing to rush in where angels fear to tread."

"Hey, if you over think something then you're going to talk yourself out of it," Jesse said in his defense.

"Well, the lost city of Nimbostris used to be a city that was high in the mountains," explained Leaf. "Exactly where and what mountains, no one remembers. What everyone does remember is that at one point the city became airborne. The inhabitants called themselves the Sky Children, and they lived in a magical city that floated around the world."

"That sounds idyllic," said Jesse as he looked around. "I'm guessing that something happened?"

"I'm actually not entirely sure what happened," Leaf answered honestly. "I suppose about 800 years ago, when I was much younger, they slowly started to distance themselves from the rest of the world, and finally vanished."

"800 years? Exactly how old are you, Leaf?" asked Jesse.

"Old enough to sound ancient to you, but young enough to still be seen as one of those pesky kids among my own kind," replied Leaf.

Jesse giggled, "Alright, I'll not bring it up again. What was it that Aiken and his aunt wanted to find this city for?"

"I'm not entirely sure," said Leaf. "For Aiken, it was probably the thrill of rediscovering something lost. But knowing his aunt, she probably discovered something that she could make money from, or at the very least gain something that benefited only her."

"Sounds like there's a lot more to why you don't like this woman," laughed Jesse. "If she's his aunt, doesn't that make her part of the family?"

"No. Not particularly," Leaf said flatly. "She has made the Percival family very oddly structured, which is a first for this prestigious family. But she only has any real relation to Aiken. It's very complicated but I don't see her as part of our family."

"Alright, fair enough," said Jesse as he started walking towards what might have once been the center of town. "Tell me about the Sky Children."

"I'm not sure there is much to tell," replied Leaf. "No one really knows or remembers what they look like. And their entire way of life kind of...I'm not sure if this is the right term, but it almost vanished from history."

"And that doesn't sound odd to you?" asked Jesse.

"Not really," said Leaf. "Often times, most magical places and people wish to vanish from memory than be remembered. It happens more often than you'd realize."

"So, the Sky Children became reclusive and then just wished themselves out of existence?"

Leaf nodded, "Yes, that about sums it up. Many people, since then, have been trying to find the lost city of Nimbostris but I don't know of any record of anyone finding it. At least not until some punk and his client cat stumbled through a Denny's doorway and onto the streets of this forgotten city."

Jesse suddenly spotted someone else in the street and quickly jumped behind a crumbled wall.

"What? What did you see?" Leaf asked in a panicked voice as he dug into Jesse's denim vest.

"There's someone else here," Jesse said quietly, as he poked his head around the corner.

Whoever it was, was quickly moving away from them, almost running in the direction that Jesse was originally walking.

"Looks like the chase is on," Jesse whispered as he left his hiding place and followed after them.

"Are you insane?!?!" Leaf quietly commented as he did his best to hang on.

Jesse giggled, "I'd certainly hope so."

"I mean, I'm shocked that anyone is here at all," Leaf added, ignoring Jesse's comment. "But if they happen to be any of the people that lived here, then you must understand that these people are extremely xenophobic."

"I think you mean in extreme need of a friend!" Jesse said as he worked to keep his distance but not far enough behind that he would lose them.

"Yeah..." Leaf said skeptically. "I can't yet tell if you're serious or joking."

"It looks like they're heading for that large church like building," Jesse commented, as he slipped behind some rubble and popped his head out.

They were just in time to see the person they were following slip through the enormous wooden doors of a massive building whose architecture could only be described as Gothic with too many feathers.

"You know, there seems to be a particular theme to that building," Leaf said as he looked around and noticed that many of the building that were not completely destroyed also had feathers as their key feature.

"Yeah, I'm guessing that the 'Sky Children' are a bit obsessed with anything sky related," said Jesse. "But something a bit more interesting, that church looking place is the only building that isn't in some state of disrepair."

Leaf looked around in surprise, "You're right. I didn't even notice before."

Jesse darted out from behind the pile of rocks they were hiding behind and dashed for the door.

"Wait! You can't just go in through the front door!" exclaimed Leaf.

"Do you have a better idea?" asked Jesse as he slammed against the door and slid into a crouching position.

Leaf looked around the door and spotted an open window, "We need to go up. It'll give us a better view and advantage."

Jesse looked up and nodded, "Yeah, okay I like the way you think...but how are we supposed to get up there?"

"Like this..." Leaf said as he leapt off Jesse's shoulder, towards the window, and as he did, he transformed. Suddenly there was a rope, hanging from the window, right down to where Jesse stood.

Jesse carefully grabbed the rope and immediately realized that it was both black and furry.

"Did you just become the rope we needed to get to the window?" Jesse asked in amazement.

"Yes, now climb before I decide this is a bad idea," said the rope.

Jesse chuckled as he started to pull himself up, using the door as leverage, "I don't even want to know where your mouth might be right now."

"Good, because it's more important that you keep climbing," came the reply.

Jesse quickly made it up to the window, and as soon as he was firmly in the frame, Leaf suddenly was back on his shoulder as a cat.

"That's a neat trick," Jesse said quietly, as they looked into the well-lit cathedral.

"I told you, I'm a Familiar," Leaf said simply.

Jesse nodded, "Right, but I think you also said I wouldn't understand what that meant."

"Actually, the fact that I can do what I just did, while traveling with you, means that there is more to you than meets the eye," added Leaf.

"Nah, nothing but my reckless personality," said Jesse as he motioned into the room. "It looks like we're observing some kind of ceremony."

Leaf looked to where Jesse was indicating and saw that at least fifty people were gathered around some kind of altar. While the entire scene might not have seemed odd at first, upon closer inspection it appeared that everyone throughout the room were all wearing masks and donning robes. Each masked looked to be hand carved and made to depict the faces of different kinds of birds. Their robes only added to their bird like look, as they were covered with different brightly colored feathers.

"Is it just me, or is this bird theme going much deeper than just an architectural choice?" Leaf questioned softly.

"Yeah, but it's about to get very un-bird like real quick," said Jesse as he started looking around. "I'm not sure if you noticed the altar, but it looks like we're about to have ourselves a problem."

Leaf focused on the altar, at the front of the room, to find someone wearing an owl mask, with a knife in hand, leaning over something that was laid out on it. He looked closer and realized that it was a person on the altar, and not just any person.

"Aiken!" Leaf hissed. "That's Aiken!"

"Yeah, the lack of feathers kinda gave him away," said Jesse.

"We have to stop them!"

"Yeah, that's what I was planning. Unless you like him full of holes," replied Jesse. "But I have to wonder, why would they be about to cut him open in the first place? And how can our timing be this good?"

"What does it matter!?" Leaf said in a frantic whisper.

"Because we don't want to end up on the altar with him," said Jesse, as he reached out and climbed up into the rafters.

"You mean suddenly the eager boy is cautious," Leaf said almost sarcastically.

"I have my moments," replied Jesse as he continued to climb.

"We commend our souls to the Sky Father, he who soars and brings life to our world," the person wearing the Owl mask proclaimed. "He heard our cries and delivered to us this magical being. While he has given us such magical gifts before, this one is a fountain of magic that replenishes what we take almost overnight. This gift will sub-stain us for all eternity and allow us to assent back to the heights of our past."

The Owl Priest put the knife to Aiken's wrist.

"We take only what we must."

"They're going to hurt him," hissed Leaf.

"Yeah, but they aren't going to kill him," Jesse replied as he climbed closers to the front of the room. "They're using him. In fact, it sounds like they're using him to keep their city afloat." Jesse paused. "I wonder what they were doing before he came along."

"What does it matter? We have to stop them," said Leaf as he watched the Owl priest cut Aiken's wrist. "They're going to bleed him dry!"

"Yeah, I don't think that's their intent," said Jesse as he stops just above the altar. "The priest is talking about him being the solution to their problem for all eternity. That also implies that your boy will live forever."

"No warlock lives forever," said Leaf as he paced back and forth across Jesse's shoulders.

Jesse looked around at the congregation, "Hey Leaf, are the Sky Children magical beings?"

"What kind of question is that," Leaf replied frantically as he watched the Owl priest's every move. "Of course, they are!"

"That's what I thought," said Jesse. "Hey Leaf, where are their children?"

Leaf tore his gaze away from the altar and looked up at Jesse, "What?"

"Where are their children?" Jesse repeated. "Look around. I don't see any children."

Leaf looked out over the people gathered in the church and after a few seconds he gasped.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," taking Leaf's reaction as confirmation of what he was thinking. "Aiken is replacing their children on that altar."

Leaf's eyes narrowed as looked back at Jesse, "You're not going to suggest that we leave Aiken here so that their population can recover, are you?"

"Nope," Jesse replied simply. "I don't like anyone that uses others to gain something. Not even Sky People in a forgotten city."

They watched as the Owl Priest bandaged Aiken's wrist and then stepped behind the altar.

"We make our offering to you, the Sky Father, and to the very core of our city," the Owl Priest said, as he held the bowl up.

Suddenly, the stone floor beside the altar, started to shift. As it did, it revealed a cavity under the floor. The Owl Priest leaned over the opening and started to pour the collected blood into the darkness. As he did, the hidden room lit up, revealing the strangest combination of strange things Jesse had ever seen.

The light revealed what appeared to be a large tabby cat, and strapped to the cat's back was the largest piece of buttered toast Jesse had ever seen. The blood splash across the cat, seeming to bring the cat to life.

Jesse had to stop himself from laughing.

Leaf stared in disbelief at what he was seeing and then glared at Jesse. "That isn't funny."

"It's hilarious!" replied Jesse. "It's a giant cat, with a piece of buttered toast strapped to his back!"

"I don't understand why this would be the thing keeping this city in the sky," Leaf stated, managing to sound offended at the very idea of this cat. "It's the most absurd thing I've ever seen. And I've seen quite a bit."

"Oh, come on! It's genius!" said Jesse as he shifted to try and get a better look at the cat. "A cat always lands on its feet, and a piece of buttered toast always lands butter side down. Strap them together and..."

"How stupid," Leaf said in a very critical tone. "They created an anti-gravity device, to keep their city in the sky, out of a cat and some bread."

"It's the coolest thing ever!" said Jesse excitedly. "I wonder what they need magical blood for, though."

Leaf studied the cat for a moment and then stated, "It's dead."

"What?"

"The cat, it's dead," Leaf clarified. "They're using the blood to bring it back to life again."

"Oh...OH!" Jesse said in surprise. "And as the blood dries..."

"They need more blood," said Leaf. "That makes perfect sense."

"Says the guy who was just criticizing the coolest anti-gravity engine ever," commented Jesse.

Leaf stared at Jesse, "It's still stupid."

"You're no fun," said Jesse.

"You already concluded that they've killed their own children to keep this thing alive, and yet you still think it's 'cool'."

"Okay, it sounds really evil and kind of judgy when you say it that way," replied Jesse as he tried not to laugh.

"Are we going to save my warlock or are we going to sit here until this city falls out of the sky?"

"With your 'warlock' keeping it afloat? That'd be a really long time from now," giggled Jesse.

Leaf just stared at Jesse.

"Okay, okay," Jesse said as he shrugged his shoulders, "I'm happy, I only wanted to figure it all out first."

"So? Now what?"

"Well, you've already shown me you can be exactly what we need," said Jesse. "If I need you to help me out?"

"Yes, yes, I should be able to 'be' whatever you might need," answered Leaf. "I'm actually still a bit surprised at that, since you aren't a magical being. At least, you aren't one I've ever met before."

Jesse gave Leaf the most innocent look he could muster, "I'm not magical, unless you count my sunny disposition."

"Fine. Does your sunny disposition have a plan?" Leaf said dryly.

Jesse sighed, "Yeah, but I'm not sure this is going to be fun for anyone."

"As long as I get results, fun can take a back seat," said Leaf.

"Alright," Jesse said has he grabbed Leaf from off his shoulder. "I need a way down. Be my parachute?"

Leaf looked somewhat uncomfortable being man handled but almost instantly changed shape.

Jesse grinned and then leapt out of the rafters, dropping towards the altar. He quickly threw the black furry parachute above his head and floated down, but he purposely overshot the altar.

"We've missed the altar!" cried a voice from the parachute.

"Yep," said Jesse. "I'm aiming for the cat."

Jesse quickly pulled the end of the parachute, as he got closer to the cat, and as he did, he thought about what he wanted, and Leaf immediately transformed. Jesse was now falling towards the giant tabby cat with a black furry knife in his hand.

He heard cries of panic behind him as he sunk the knife into the cat's head.

"THIS IS YOUR PLAN!" came a voice from the knife.

"No need for more offerings, no need for more lost lives," Jesse muttered as he pulled the knife out of the cat's head and watched its eyes roll back as it died one final time.

"You're insane! This city is going to fall out of the sky!" cried Leaf.

Jesse flipped the knife around and thought about what he needed again. Suddenly he was holding a long furry black pole. He quickly leapt off of the cat, jabbing the pole into the over-sized piece of bread and catapulted himself out of the chamber and up onto the altar.

"I have seriously underestimated your understanding of what I am," Leaf said as Jesse whipped him around and was quickly thrust into the Owl Priest's chest, sending the creature flying backwards.

"Yeah, I'm a quick learner," replied Jesse as he glanced down at an extremely shocked boy beneath him. "Hi Aiken! We're here to rescue you!"

Aiken nodded as Jesse pulled Leaf downward, turning him back into a knife, and quickly cut Aiken's bonds. Jesse then offered Aiken his hand and pulling him up into a standing position beside him.

"Leaf, I've never seen you transform so fast," Aiken said in a somewhat hoarse sounding voice.

"This boy is wielding me like I'm some kind of super tool!" Leaf cried as Jesse flipped him around again and transformed Leaf back into a pole like staff.

"Yeah, only because you're like coolest cat ever!" replied Jesse.

By now, the rest of the congregation was completely freaking out and rushing towards the altar.

"Do you have a plan for them?!" said Leaf.

Jesse grinned and he whipped Leaf around again, smacking the first bird masked citizen away. "Kinda, yeah. I'm kind of hoping that..."

Jesse paused as the entire building began to shake, causing the approaching group to stop and cried out in fear.

"That's what I was hoping for," grinned Jesse. "Down we go!"

The city had started to fall.

"You do realize that we have no way off of this falling city, right?" said the furry black pole in Jesse's hands. "Your exit is a crumbling ruin!"

"Leaf, you gotta look for that silver lining!" Jesse said as he jumped down from the altar, pulling Aiken with him. He quickly started to dart around the crowd, taking advantage of their shock and panic. "They won't kill us if they're too busy freaking the heck out!"

As they got to the door, and slipped back out onto the streets, Jesse took a moment to survey their surroundings before cutting right and sprinting towards what was clearly the edge of the city.

"Where are we going?" cried the furry pole.

"To the edge of the city, of course!" Jesse replied.

He swung the pole around, and allowed it to become a cat again, as he brought it to his shoulder.

Leaf dug into Jesse's vest and looked around in panic, "Why?"

"Well, how else are we going to get off of this disaster?" Jesse said cheerfully.

"What?!?"

"Oh, come on Leaf, haven't you ever dreamed of jumping off of a falling city before?" said Jesse.

"NO!" cried Leaf. "And that's your plan?!?!"

Jesse grinned, "Nah, just the part that's making you nervous."

"Are we really going to jump off of the city?" Aiken asked from Jesse's side, sounding thrilled with the idea.

"Yep! That's part of the plan!" said Jesse.

"Don't encourage him!" Leaf hissed at Aiken.

"Is he always this much of a stick in the mud?" Jesse teasingly asked Aiken.

"Yes, usually," said Aiken. "But that's kind of his job."

As they approached the edge of the city Jesse sped up.

"Wait! What are you going to do after we jump!?!?" shouted Leaf.

"Too many questions!" Jesse giggled as he jumped from the falling city, pulling Aiken with him.

Aiken and Leaf clung to Jesse, both in a different state of panic, as they started to fall.

"Turn....turn me back into a parachute!" Leaf screamed.

"Actually, I have a better idea!" said Jesse as he grabbed Leaf and pulled a spoon from his pocket.

Leaf suddenly transformed into a black furry coffee mug.

"What the hell?! A coffee mug?!?!" shouted the furry mug.

Jesse grinned as he quickly struck the mug with the spoon as hard as he could, causing the furry black mug to shatter. And then suddenly, with a bit of a jolt, Jesse and Aiken were standing in the waiting area of Denny's, with a very confused looking Leaf sitting in Jesse's hands.

"Back so soon, Jesse?" the hostess said, seeing them standing there.

"Yep! Just went for a short stroll."

Tiffany looks Aiken up and down, "You're cute, honey, but you're going to need Shoes and a Shirt if you want to eat here."

"Nah, they aren't stickin' around, Tiff," giggled Jesse. "So, Mr. Leaf, did I complete your case to your satisfaction?"

Leaf looked up at Jesse with a terrified expression, "HOW?!?!?"

"Too many questions!" exclaimed Jesse. "Some things are probably best left unexplored."

Jesse turned to Aiken, "Are you okay?"

"That was awesome!" Aiken replied enthusiastically. "But, who are you?"

"The name's Jesse and your friend Leaf hired me to help find you," grinned Jesse. "Although it looks like we did more than just find you."

Aiken nodded, "Yeah, just a bit more. Thank you."

"Glad to do it!" said Jesse. "Leaf, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Leaf stated as he leaped out of Jesse's hands up onto Aiken's shoulders. "We are heading home, my warlock smells like dead birds."

Jesse giggled, "There are worse things to smell like."

"Oh, trust me, this is the best I've smelled in weeks," Aiken said with a grin. "When we were at Arcagaten we ended up in the pit of..."

"That's enough! Home! We are going home," declared Leaf.

"Alright, fine," said Aiken. "Leaf knows best."

Leaf gave Jesse a stern look, "You are certainly unconventional, but effective. Thank you. I'll be by later to make payment."

Jesse smiled, "That's fine, I'll see you then."

Jesse looked at Aiken to find him checking him out. Realizing he'd been caught Aiken grinned but began to blush. Jesse just wagged his eyebrows at him, "You can come too."

"That's the last thing I need," Leaf quickly said before Aiken could reply. "Home. Now."

Aiken shook his head but started for the door, "See you later."

Jesse nodded enthusiastically as he watched them leave.

"Ooooo, Jesse's got himself someone he likes," Tiffany chanted from her hostess stand.

"I should be so lucky!" exclaimed Jesse, as he started back towards his table. "But that might be fun."