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Post by Jordanna on Jun 18, 2006 2:46:53 GMT -5
"You knew you weren't gonna win that one." Alex set aside his coffee and pulled a blushing Miriam down onto his lap. She chuckled, shook her head, and gave him a light, hasty kiss.
"Congratulations," Sid's voice drawled from the kitchen doorway. Dressed in a bathrobe, he stood regarding the pair with folded arms.
Miriam cracked a smile at Alex. "You were right."
"Hey, it's convenient for me." Sid shambled over to the table and dropped himself in a chair, barely suppressing his playful grin. "If Foxy moves inta the basement with you, I won't haveta turn the attic into another bedroom."
Alex blushed darkly. "We're not there yet, Sid!"
His friend ignored him. "I wonder if Padre does weddings..."
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Post by skybright on Jun 18, 2006 2:53:30 GMT -5
"Oh, sure he does." Daws joined in with a perfect deadpan expression. "The best part is, Mrs. Abramoff who lives across from Our Lady has the ability to change flowers any color you want 'em. Save a fortune on the floral." She took a drink of coffee (suppressing a grin behind the rim of the cup) and continued "Now, I think maybe some blue hydrangeas . . ."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 18, 2006 23:58:42 GMT -5
"Oh, you're both ridiculous." Miriam slipped off of Alex's lap with a sheepish smile. "Give it time. There's too much to think about now--too much to deal with."
Her expression grew troubled as she turned away, staring out the window at the morning sunshine. "I'm afraid thinking about the future will only get us all hurt."
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 0:10:00 GMT -5
Daws ran her fingers through her hair and made a chiding noise. "No use in plannin' the future out, that's true," she said quietly, "But no use bein' afraid of it, either."
She shrugged one shoulder and refilled her coffee cup. "Y'know, I heard a guy givin' one of them streetcorner sermons once. Most of it was nonsense, but he said one thing that stuck. Life, even in a terrible time, is right and true and, at its heart, worth living."
The detective smiled crookedly. "More poetic than I usually run to -- but I've always thought it made sense. And y'know," she shrugged again, "Things like this weekend just kinda prove it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 0:51:57 GMT -5
Miriam glanced back at Daws, smiling pensively. "If I didn't think life was worth living, I could never have spent all these years doing what I did. It's just... different, for me."
"No it isn't." Alex stood up and stepped closer, putting a hand on Miriam's shoulder. "I can't let you live with those nightmares any more. If I have anything to say about it, you'll never use those powers of yours again."
Miriam turned to face him. "Don't say that, Alex. If I can use them to help, I'm going to. It's the one thing I can do."
He sighed and drew her closer. "Well, maybe I won't always be able to stop you, but you'd better get used to being protected. You're a figurehead, remember?"
"Oh, that again..."
The conversation was cut short by the sudden invasion of the kitchen by three well-rested, bright-eyed children--who, upon seeing Miriam in Alex's arms, gave forth a medley of whoops and whistles.
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 1:00:44 GMT -5
Daws grinned. Leave it to Sid's children to lighten up a serious conversation -- not that she was complaining.
She winked and elbowed Tara gently in the ribs. "Think this means we're gonna have to start makin' our own meals -- since Alex's busy?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 1:11:42 GMT -5
"Hey, who's been in here making breakfast for two hours?" Alex retorted, letting go of Miriam and turning to the stove. "Set the table, 'cause it's all ready!"
With a grin and a wry shake of her head, Tara moved to take down the plates. "And all this time I thought you were gonna wait for me to grow up," she teased Alex.
"Oh really? Then what was all that business trying to set me up with your friend's mom--you know, what'serface with the nose ring?" Alex swatted Tara with a dishtowel, then added to Daws with a grin, "These kids've been trying to marry me off for years. I think they wanna get rid of me."
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 1:22:30 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow. "And lose your cooking? That's just plain craziness talking.
"Heck," She added, jumping up to give Tara a hand with the teetering stack of plates, "I've been eatin' better since I met you than I ever have in my life. This keeps up, I'll lose my girlish figure."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 1:35:00 GMT -5
Holly and Caleb both giggled at Daws' remark.
"It's a hobby," Alex grinned, dishing out eggs and sausages. "Holly, grab that basket of honey muffins, will ya?--I almost starved for a while when I was just a kid, so food was fun after I could finally afford it." He expertly flipped the last remaining egg from the pan onto a plate.
"The way he burns energy, he's gotta eat all day just ta keep from losing weight," Sid remarked, somewhat enviously. "I think I could take bein' a mutant if it meant havin' a metabolism like that."
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 1:42:53 GMT -5
Daws chuckled. "Careful what ya wish for, Sid -- some mutants I know have the exact opposite problem." She plopped back onto her chair.
"Knew a woman once -- she usedta be an actress -- whose only mutation was a super-slow metabolism. Only burned somethin' like a hundred calories a day -- so everything she ate," Daws gestured broadly, "Stayed put."
She grinned and nudged Sid's shoulder. "Besides, how would you ever manage to be intimidating if you were as skinny as Alex?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 1:53:08 GMT -5
Sid snorted. "Daws, I was intimidatin' twenty years an' twenty pounds ago. Now I'm just a big teddy bear. You go have three kids an' see what it does to your reputation." He grinned and plucked a honey muffin out of the basket on the table. "Not that I don't have some grizzly left in me, when I want to."
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 1:56:58 GMT -5
Daws snatched a muffin for herself and nodded. "Yeah, I've seen that for myself."
She bit into the muffin and added "But you can keep that havin'-three-kids-myself idea, thanks."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 2:04:10 GMT -5
Miriam looked up from her plate, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. "You don't think you'd ever want children?"
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 2:14:20 GMT -5
Daws shrugged and glanced at the Rosenstein kids. "Don't get me wrong -- I really like kids. And they seem to like me, f'r the most part." She grinned. "The fact that I'm kind of a walking plush toy probably helps.
"But," She shrugged again, "I wouldn't know the first thing about bringin' up kids of my own. I mean, they say you learn parenting from your parents. And considering the parenting skills my folks had . . ." She grimaced. "The last thing I want is to put a kid through that.
"Besides," Daws grinned wryly, "Someone'd haveta marry me, first."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 2:21:57 GMT -5
"Don't sell yerself short, Daws," Sid replied with a smile. "I think you're gonna make somebody a great gal one a' these days."
Caleb, who had weaseled his way into claiming the seat next to Daws, grinned up at her. "I'd marry ya."
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 2:27:14 GMT -5
"No kiddin'?" Daws grinned and ruffled the seven-year-old's hair. "That ain't a bad offer. You're honest, you're cute -- and hey," She winked at Sid, "You'd come with a great set of in-laws. I could do worse."
She laughed at Caleb's rather dubious expression and added "But we're both a long way from gettin' married, kiddo."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 2:35:00 GMT -5
Sid chuckled and shook his head, swallowing down a mouthful of eggs and sausage. "So what's everybody wanna do today?"
"We could take the canoe out to the island for a picnic," Alex suggested, earning a chorus of enthusiastic responses from the children.
Grinning, Sid glanced at Daws. "That translates ta me rowing the food across while everybody else just swims over to the island."
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 2:39:01 GMT -5
Daws raised her eyebrows. "I don't think I'm quite up to that kinda swimming just yet. But hey -- if you don't mind a passenger," she grinned, "I'm all for it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 19, 2006 2:46:10 GMT -5
"Fine by me," Sid grinned.
Alex gave a good-humored shrug. "That means I'm gonna be spending the rest of the morning packing a picnic. You guys want me to put in anything in particular?"
"Pickles!" chimed in Caleb, who at his tender age was already proving to have strange tastes and a lead-lined stomach.
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Post by skybright on Jun 19, 2006 2:52:05 GMT -5
Daws shook her head. "Anything's fine by me -- but lemme give you a hand. I may not be the world's greatest cook," she grinned, "But after all these years livin' out of the office fridge, I know I can handle sandwiches -- and pickles." She added, nudging Caleb's shoulder.
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