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Post by Jordanna on Aug 29, 2006 23:04:11 GMT -5
Vance cleared his throat and glanced at Daws, smiling slightly. "Well, speaking of odd couples on the dance floor, how about adding to the ranks? I mean, I'm no Gene Kelly, but I think I can manage not to step on anything."
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Post by skybright on Aug 29, 2006 23:08:53 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I'll give you fair warning, Major -- I've been dancing a grand total of once.
"But if that doesn't scare you off," she set her punch glass aside, "Then why not?"
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 29, 2006 23:39:32 GMT -5
"You won't be any worse than me," Vance replied, taking her hand gallantly and leading her onto the floor. He didn't move with the ease and confidence that Alex had when the entertainer taught Daws how to dance, but he was at least a little more experienced than she was.
"Not too bad for your second time," Vance remarked after a few minutes. "Not that I'm any judge. Who taught you?--No, lemme guess. Sid's court jester over there." He tipped his head toward Alex, who looked positively blissful as he glided across the floor with Miriam in his arms.
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Post by skybright on Aug 29, 2006 23:45:12 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Yeah. I never really had a reason to learn, until I fell in with this bunch. But Alex offered, so I figured I'd give it a shot." She chuckled. "Life in this resistance is just one learning experience after another."
Daws grinned and raised an eyebrow. "What about you, Major? Is this something they cover in basic training?"
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 30, 2006 0:01:10 GMT -5
Vance cracked a smile. "I told you I'd been chased in my time--and I didn't exactly discourage it. My old classmates and I had a pretty decent social life way back in our Academy days. Plenty of college girls around who dreamed as much about being stars as we did about earning stars. Of course, between kids and career, there wasn't much romance after I did get hooked." His hand moved briefly from Daws' shoulder to make an indifferent gesture.
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Post by skybright on Aug 30, 2006 0:12:41 GMT -5
Daws smiled somewhat ruefully. "I'm sorry to hear that."
She shrugged one shoulder. "I've never really understood how people drift away from each other." She said, nodding slightly at Alex and Miriam. "How they start out like that and end up total strangers."
Then she shook her head. "I'm not sure I want to know. That's one reason I don't do divorce work." She chuckled. "It'd shipwreck whatever optimism I've got in that department."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 30, 2006 0:21:19 GMT -5
"Yeah... kind of hard to tell what makes people change sometimes." He sighed, giving the palms of his hands a brief glance over Daws' shoulder. "And sometimes it isn't. All the responsibility for what happened to my marriage is on me."
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Post by skybright on Aug 30, 2006 0:28:27 GMT -5
"We all make mistakes." Daws said quietly. "It's the one thing we've all got in common."
She fell silent for a moment, then asked "You . . . ever thought of trying to patch things up with her? Y'know -- after all this is done with?"
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 30, 2006 21:58:34 GMT -5
"No. That's one bridge that's washed down the river for good." Vance cracked a slight smile. "What's the matter--you worried about me going off the market, detective?"
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Post by skybright on Aug 30, 2006 22:05:30 GMT -5
Daws laughed. "Call it my terminally nosy disposition. I never was any good at figuring out what is and isn't my business."
She grinned teasingly. "And besides, like I said -- you keep things interesting. I might get bored without you around to shake things up."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 30, 2006 22:36:27 GMT -5
"Hmm." Vance raised an eyebrow and grinned at her slightly. "Well, I'll try to keep you entertained."
Handy and Grace whirled past them then, almost bumping into them. Both were laughing--or more accurately giggling--and while it was hard to tell in their flash of movement, there was some cause to question just where all of Handy's hands were.
The Major stared after them with a slightly consternated look. "Well, how d'you like that..."
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Post by skybright on Aug 30, 2006 22:45:47 GMT -5
Daws laughed brightly. "I seem to recall a certain conversation regarding Handy finding himself a nice girl to fuss over." She said, smiling. "Maybe you better be careful what you wish for."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 30, 2006 22:51:54 GMT -5
"I never would've thought he had it in him." As the dance ended, Vance disengaged from Daws and began moving back toward the table where most of their closest comrades sat.
Sid smirked up at Daws. "Why don't you two just admit you're dating and get it over with?"
Vance did his best to look miffed. "My relationship with Miss Dawson is purely professional."
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Post by skybright on Aug 30, 2006 23:03:07 GMT -5
Daws cleared her throat and assumed her I'm a professional, you shouldn't doubt me tone. "What he said. And besides which," she said, smoothing her skirt as she sat down, "I don't think any dictionary in the world would define 'waging guerilla warfare' as a form of 'dating'."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 31, 2006 21:22:23 GMT -5
Sid grinned. "Yeahyeah. An' what you were just doin' over there was only combat practice."
Vance opened his mouth to protest--and then his head tilted to one side, as he caught sight of a new arrival over Sid's shoulder. The sturdy, middle-aged figure stood out by reason of his rather worn clothing, which vaguely suggested an old seafaring life. He looked around, saw Daws and Vance, and approached them.
"Hello, Proteus," the Major murmured, narrowing his eyes. "How did you find out about this little jamboree?"
"I have my sources." Proteus bowed slightly to the group, then added, "Think of it as observing you in your natural habitat. I'm still curious about your people."
Vance sighed. "Folks, meet Proteus, the leader of the Spooks."
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Post by skybright on Aug 31, 2006 21:30:49 GMT -5
Hubert, Padre, and a few of the others nodded and offered casual greetings; but Caddy's eyes widened. "No kiddin'?" He fairly bounded to his feet and stuck out his hand. "Jeeze, is this ever a trip. I've done some mobile clinic work in Spooktown, with some other guys from the Lef. Heard a lot about you -- well, a lot of sort of half-rumors, anyhow. Didn't think you actually existed, though. No offense."
Daws shook her head in familiar exasperation. "Proteus, the verbal whirlwind is my friend Doctor J.C. Ollivard. Feel free to ignore him." She shrugged good-naturedly. "He won't go away, but it's still worth a shot."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 31, 2006 21:48:18 GMT -5
Proteus smiled graciously. "I don't mind anybody, so long as they're interesting. Besides, he was invited--I wasn't." He sat down beside Vance, then swept a quick glance over the group and shook his head. "I wasn't sure about the dress code. Apologies."
No sooner had he spoken than his clothes shifted, smoothing and darkening into a crisp black tuxedo. The display of his ability particularly impressed Sid's children, who gasped and murmured in youthful awe.
The shapeshifter smiled, somewhat ruefully. "I don't like to show off. That was just out of consideration for the lady of honor here." He glanced at Tara. "Miss Rosenstein, the birthday girl?"
Tara blushed and nodded.
Alex and Miriam chose this moment to wander over from the dance floor, and Miriam looked quizzically from Proteus to Daws and back again. "Hello... I don't believe we've met?"
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Post by skybright on Aug 31, 2006 22:05:09 GMT -5
"If you have, you didn't know it." Daws grinned and gestured at the shapeshifter. "Alex, Miriam, this is Proteus -- he's the head of the Spooks I told you about. Proteus, meet Alex Malone and Miriam Van Linden."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 31, 2006 22:26:51 GMT -5
Proteus had stood up, and bowed politely to the couple. "A pleasure." He shook Alex's hand and kissed Miriam's, leaving them both looking somewhat bemused.
"Apparently our vagabond king is a gentleman." Vance regarded the shapeshifter skeptically. "You know, there's something a little too quality about you for a Spook. You could do anything you wanted. Why hang around that crowd?"
"Maybe I just can't be bothered," Proteus murmured lazily. "Or maybe I've already done everything else." He glanced at Sid's children with an impish smile. "Someday I'll tell you some stories."
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Post by skybright on Aug 31, 2006 22:38:24 GMT -5
Daws smiled. "Let me know when 'someday' gets here. I'd like to sit in on some of those stories."
Hubert laughed faintly. "The life you lead, I'd think you had quite enough stories of your own to go looking for other people's."
Daws grinned at the lavender-skinned scientist. "That's where you're wrong, Hubert. You can never hear quite enough stories."
Veeru Patil, who had been chatting with a few friends nearby, ambled back over just in time to hear that. He made a faint chiding noise and grinned. "Nosy."
"Always have been," Daws replied brightly, "And always am gonna be."
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