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Post by skybright on Mar 12, 2009 22:58:26 GMT -5
Daws glanced at him thoughtfully. "I'm glad of it happening, then." She said. "Even if it was a lousy way for you to have it happen -- I like this line of work a lot more with you around."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 13, 2009 22:29:39 GMT -5
Vance grinned crookedly back at Daws. "I'm not too sorry myself, anymore."
Then he sobered. "Not that I'm exactly loving life much as an underground rebel leader. I could deal with it when it was just Tiernan. Now, it's..."
"It's the government we used to fight for," Nate finished for him grimly. "Or at least some especially nasty part of it."
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Post by skybright on Mar 13, 2009 22:42:16 GMT -5
Steph clasped her hands tightly together, pursing her lips. "That's such a frightening thought." She murmured quietly.
Beaudry nodded grimly. "You'd have to be crazy not to be scared by that."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 13, 2009 22:46:08 GMT -5
Nate grinned kindly at Steph. "Well, you two won't have to worry about 'em, at least. A lot of things may change, but we'll figure some way to get you safe and settled again. We always do."
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Post by skybright on Mar 13, 2009 22:54:01 GMT -5
Steph smiled thinly. "Thank you." She ducked her head. "It . . . doesn't really seem fair, though. All of you having to take these risks while we end up 'safe and settled'."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 14, 2009 22:27:46 GMT -5
Nate shrugged ruefully. "It may not sound like it--but the fact is, we all chose to get into this mess. If we can put other folks out of harm's way, it probably wouldn't be too much harder to disappear ourselves, if we wanted. We just can't stand to turn our backs on what's happening."
A crooked grin crossed his lips. "Or else we're just cracked, of course. That's generally the answer to everything."
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Post by skybright on Mar 14, 2009 22:59:09 GMT -5
Daws laughed. "And a frighteningly good answer, actually." She shrugged one shoulder. "It's true, though -- in my case, anyway. I was already making a living out of sticking my nose where it wasn't wanted and taking risks other people wouldn't."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 15, 2009 22:29:58 GMT -5
"And we're gonna keep right on doing it." Vance shrugged and stretched lazily. "Anyway, Handy and I'd better get on back to base camp and take care of our group's usual business. Nate, you can stay here and give our friends some security."
Nate grinned, giving Steph a quick glance. "Sure. I can do that."
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Post by skybright on Mar 15, 2009 22:48:36 GMT -5
Beaudry grinned crookedly. "Thanks, all of you. We're not in much of a position to pay you back -- but I know we're both grateful."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 16, 2009 22:15:35 GMT -5
"We're the ones in your debt," Proteus said sincerely, glancing first at Beaudry and then--with more significance--at Steph.
Vance stood up. "Need a lift anywhere, old man?"
Proteus shook his head. "I think I'll stay here a little longer, before I go finish resting up. I've still got that phone you gave me, if you need me."
"Sure." The Major turned to Daws. "We'll drop you near your place if you're ready to call it a night, Regina."
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Post by skybright on Mar 16, 2009 22:30:56 GMT -5
Daws nodded and reached for her fedora. "Sounds good." She smiled crookedly at Langston. ""Hold down the fort, huh?"
The older man nodded. "Be careful out there, all of you."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 16, 2009 23:06:44 GMT -5
Vance gestured Handy ahead of him, then strode out to the car at Daws' side.
"People are beyond me," he remarked around his cigar, as he slid into the driver's seat. "Mutant or not, most of 'em would as soon walk on you as look at you--and then you find a couple like those two in there, thanking us for wrecking their lives."
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Post by skybright on Mar 16, 2009 23:13:49 GMT -5
"It's odd, no doubt about it." Daws agreed, flicking her tail out of the way before pulling the passenger-side door shut. "Not that I'm complaining -- it's one less thing for us to worry about that they're taking all of this so well."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 16, 2009 23:25:59 GMT -5
"That's actually part of the reason I'm leaving Nate here," said Vance, as he eased the car down the driveway. "Not to say those two norms being so friendly is completely too good to be true... but I'm not taking anything for granted. Not now. Not in the middle of all this."
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Post by skybright on Mar 16, 2009 23:31:25 GMT -5
"No arguments on that." Daws sighed. "The more we can cut down on the risk of any more complications, the better."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 16, 2009 23:46:01 GMT -5
"It's all up to Cole and Caddy and Jai for the moment," Vance muttered. "I don't like this waiting, but there's nothing else to do. About the only thing I can try right now is to get in touch with my mole at Tiernan's--which is tricky ever since the Bat tightened his security."
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Post by skybright on Mar 16, 2009 23:53:25 GMT -5
"Yeah, I can imagine." She shrugged.
"At least between the three of 'em, it shouldn't be too long before we come up with some lead to run down." She frowned, "Of course, that doesn't tell us if it'll end up being any use or not."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 17, 2009 21:18:02 GMT -5
"Yeah." Vance fell silent, scowling fiercely. Several long moments passed before he spoke again.
"If all our own chances fail, Regina... I'm not completely shutting out the idea of tipping off Tiernan."
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Post by skybright on Mar 18, 2009 0:08:24 GMT -5
Daws frowned thoughtfully. "We have a lot of options to work through before we get to that solution -- and as solutions go, it's not much of one. It'd bring down almost as many problems as it'd solve."
She glanced sideways at him. "But you know that."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 18, 2009 21:57:06 GMT -5
"Yeah." Vance clenched his jaw, glancing very briefly at Daws before reverting his gaze to the road again.
"I'm in some spot, Regina--between the man who killed my daughter, and the people who are twisting everything I used to fight for. If I didn't have people I care about right here and now to protect... I couldn't keep on with this. Any of it."
He sighed. "I'm not even sure how I'm doing it now."
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