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Post by Jordanna on Feb 8, 2007 1:24:13 GMT -5
"Anybody who needed more than that didn't make it," Vance replied ominously.
Miriam met them downstairs, with her own small suitcase in hand. "How are you, Major?"
"Too cranky to care how much I hurt." Vance raised an eyebrow. "The boyfriend get back yet?"
Alex's voice piped up from the kitchen doorway. "I wouldn't miss seeing Miriam off. Hi, Padre, Caddy... Nice to see you up, Major." He smiled at the men--perhaps a little emptily, because of his impending temporary parting with Miriam.
She stepped over to him and squeezed his ribs. "I'll be back in a couple of days."
"You'll be seeing me before that." Alex kissed her. "I'll stop by before I get to the Club in the evenings. Just let me know if you want me to bring anything."
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Post by skybright on Feb 8, 2007 1:29:44 GMT -5
Daws grimaced faintly -- apparently Miriam's attempts to talk Alex out of visiting Henry's hadn't gone over particularly well. "Don't worry, Alex -- we'll all watch out for her for ya." She said. Then she shrugged. "We're gonna have a busy couple of days trying to get this Spook thing under control."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 8, 2007 23:02:59 GMT -5
"Just tell me what I can do to help," Alex said generously.
Sid stepped over and clapped him on the shoulder. "You can start by doin' some cookin' after hours at the Club. The Major's gonna let us know how ta get it to the Spooks."
"When we've got some Spooks to give it to--if any of 'em will take our charity," Vance put in.
Miriam wrinkled her nose at him. "Out to the car, you. If I've got to keep you off your feet for the next couple of days, I'd better start now."
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Post by skybright on Feb 8, 2007 23:07:27 GMT -5
Daws grinned wickedly as the group moved out the front door and towards the battered car she and the Padre had arrived in. "You're gonna keep Vance off his feet, and I'm gonna try and track down a shapeshifter who probably doesn't wanna be found. Something tells me I've got the easier job here, Doc."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 8, 2007 23:18:32 GMT -5
Miriam shrugged. "I'm not used to patients who argue. In fact, I'm not used to patients who have a pulse. Are you coming over to Henry's with us, Daws?"
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Post by skybright on Feb 8, 2007 23:26:31 GMT -5
"Might as well." Daws shrugged. "It'll save me a subway ride back to the City."
She stowed the Major's duffle bag in the trunk and then moved to open the passenger-side door. "Your chariot awaits." She said with a grin.
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 8, 2007 23:34:18 GMT -5
Vance rolled his eyes slightly, and awkwardly allowed Sid and the Padre to maneuver him into the car. Miriam exchanged a last hug and kiss with Alex, then slipped into the back seat beside him.
"I'll call you later," Vance assured Sid, who nodded.
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Post by skybright on Feb 8, 2007 23:43:04 GMT -5
"All right then." Padre shook Sid's hand and clapped Alex on the shoulder. "You boys take care of yourselves. We'll be in touch."
He slid behind the steering wheel of the car and shut the door. "Next stop -- Henry's place."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 9, 2007 0:06:18 GMT -5
When they arrived at Henry's house, he was there to meet them and help Vance out of the car.
"I've heard the news about Spooktown," he said, as he and the Padre helped Vance limp toward the front door. "What is going on out there?"
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Post by skybright on Feb 9, 2007 0:10:58 GMT -5
Daws sighed and shook her head. "Tiernan didn't buy our bluff, and he took it out on the Spooks. Now they're regrouping as best they can in Mutietown, and Proteus . . ." she shrugged.
"We don't really know where he is. Once he heard the news about Spooktown, he bolted."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 9, 2007 23:22:43 GMT -5
Henry frowned and shook his head. "I imagine things couldn't get much worse."
"Sure they could," Vance grunted, as he was deposited on the sofa in Henry's living room. "Proteus might give himself up. The Spooks might rat us out. Or this might turn into an all-out war between mutants and humans. Or all of the above."
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Post by skybright on Feb 9, 2007 23:43:31 GMT -5
"Yeah," Daws sighed, unshouldering Vance's duffle bag and perching on the arm of the couch, "And no way of telling which option we might be lucky enough to end up with. Even if I can track Proteus down, even if the Spooks decide to be generous and not turn on us for what's happened, there's still that last option." She grimaced. "And that's the one that puts us really in over our heads."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 10, 2007 22:28:35 GMT -5
Vance sighed and frowned, glancing at Daws. "Have you talked to Cole yet? He's the closest thing we might have to a go-between in mutant-human relations."
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Post by skybright on Feb 10, 2007 23:41:44 GMT -5
Daws gave a frustrated sigh. "I talked to his personal secretary. He's got a whole raft of meetings lined up with police officials and citizen's groups and things -- trying to drum up some positive press from all this, I guess. He'll call me as soon as the message catches up with him -- but that could take a while." She shrugged.
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 10, 2007 23:44:08 GMT -5
Vance growled under his breath. "Fine. Will somebody get me a phone? I need to get in touch with Handy. Let him know he can reach me here."
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Post by skybright on Feb 10, 2007 23:55:12 GMT -5
As Father Rick went in search of a cordless phone, Daws shrugged and glanced at Vance. "I guess Handy and your boys'll be in and out of here for the next couple of days. I'll stop in when I can, in between meeting with Cole and lookin' for Proteus. You got anything specific you want me to tell Cole when I see him?"
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 11, 2007 0:00:17 GMT -5
"Yeah, tell him--" Vance cut himself off, shaking his head. "No, maybe not that. Just tell him it's time to put his money where his mouth is, and we need action--not talk."
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Post by skybright on Feb 11, 2007 0:07:22 GMT -5
"Got it." Daws pushed her fedora back. "As for what I'll say to Proteus . . ." she trailed off with a humorless chuckle. "Well, I suppose I'd better not get too far ahead of myself on that one."
At that moment the Padre returned to the living room with a cordless phone, which he held out to Vance.
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 11, 2007 22:41:26 GMT -5
"Thanks." Vance took the phone and proceeded to dial the number to his own cellphone, which was currently in Handy's custody. Within a few moments, he was busy punctuating a status report from his sidekick with corrections and instructions of his own.
Miriam smiled longsufferingly at Daws. "Looks like I'll have my work as a nurse cut out for me."
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Post by skybright on Feb 11, 2007 23:21:09 GMT -5
Daws chuckled. "You sure will."
"And Heaven help you." Father Rick added with a smile. He nodded to Daws. "I suppose we'd best be on our way. The folks down at the Parish will be in need of some directions, themselves -- and the sooner you start in on lookin' for Proteus, the better."
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