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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 1:39:23 GMT -5
"I understand, Major. Thank you." Hubert shook his head slightly, and muttered "Complicated." under his breath.
Daws briefly patted the scientist's shoulder, and grinned at Vance. "We'll see you later, Major."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 1:50:02 GMT -5
With a grin and a salute, Vance headed out of the gym.
Miriam turned to Daws with a shrug. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 1:58:13 GMT -5
Daws shrugged lazily. "Haven't really got any. Cole won't be back in town until Monday, so I can't discuss anythin' with him -- and there's not much point in my looking around for a scientist who I know very well to be dead and gone."
She hesitated, shot a brief glance at Handy, and added "At some point, I told Sid I'd talk to him about . . . y'know. There's some logistics that need worked out, dependin' on what he decides." She frowned. "I don't want him to feel like I'm leaning on him, though."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 2:06:41 GMT -5
Handy blinked. "About--huh? Oh... y'mean that... thing you were talkin' about at the motel." He frowned. "I dunno if Jerod'll like that."
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 2:11:48 GMT -5
Daws sighed and shook her head. "The world's full of things Jerod Vance doesn't like, Handy."
Hubert shook his head slightly. "I still admit that I don't understand his motivations at all. I'm a long way from believing that I'd choose to look this way, if all things were equal."
Daws chuckled. "Give it time, Hubert. It takes some of us longer to get there than others."
She frowned and glanced back at Handy. "All the same, I'd . . . appreciate it if you wouldn't mention it to Vance just yet. Sid's havin' a hard enough time without the Major breathin' fire down his back."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 2:17:56 GMT -5
Handy gave Daws one of his odd, comical shrugs. "I wasn't gonna anyway. It's... too weird. And none a' my business. I'm only tellin' ya, I don't think he'd just hand over the stuff."
Alex frowned and sighed. "I still don't want Sid to do it. He's got... well... something that almost sorta comes close to a normal life... and I don't wanna see him lose that."
"He hasn't made up his mind yet," Miriam reminded Alex, squeezing his shoulder.
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 2:27:29 GMT -5
Daws shook her head slightly. "I know we're not the best bunch to go by, Alex -- but there are a lot of mutants who live 'normal lives'. No reason Sid couldn't be one of 'em."
She shrugged. "All that matters to me is that Sid does what he feels is right -- what's best for him. He's been good to me, despite the circumstances we met in. I want him to choose whatever'll make him happiest."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 2:45:09 GMT -5
"I know. I'm just not sure the best thing is that," Alex fretted. "Sid seems to think somehow it'll make things easier for Tara--that she'll be happier because she'll think he understands her better. But he doesn't have to go through it to understand. He does already, after being my friend all these years."
He put his chin in his hands and shook his head. "I don't think Tara would be happy to have him go through being different like her--and I think it'd upset Holly and Caleb, too. They have to spend the next few years wondering if they'll be mutants. They need to know at least somebody isn't going to change."
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 2:53:38 GMT -5
Daws ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I can see both sides of that argument, Alex." She said thoughtfully. "It might help 'em just as much to know that what matters about a person doesn't change -- mutation or not."
"A lesson which I'm certainly learning the hard way." Hubert muttered.
Daws smiled wryly. "Maybe I just drew short straws, Hubert -- but in my experience, the hard way is the only way to learn anything at all."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 3:08:24 GMT -5
Miriam leaned her cheek against Alex's shoulder. "Remember, Sid hasn't even looked at the test results yet. We don't even know if it would work on him."
Alex stared down at his fidgeting hands. "Maybe it's wrong of me, but I sorta hope it wouldn't."
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 3:18:41 GMT -5
Daws tipped her head and glanced thoughtfully at Alex. "Nothin' wrong in wanting to protect him," she said quietly. "That's what family does for each other."
Then she shrugged. "The Doc's got a good point, anyway. There's no sense in hashing over a decision that he may not even be able to make."
Hubert frowned thoughtfully. "Completely apart from your friend's dilemma -- I can see where that drug would be of enormous interest for research purposes."
Daws grinned and rolled her eyes. "You and Caddy are gonna get along great -- he said the exact same thing last night."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 3:23:44 GMT -5
Joey, who had been distracted from the group by his teammates, now sidled back over to join them.
"So what kinda work you got for me this coming week, Daws?" he asked brightly.
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 3:30:33 GMT -5
Daws grinned wickedly. "Well, seein' as how the pretending to be a delivery boy wasn't quite interesting enough for you, I thought I'd let you -- do some filing. See what the really exciting end of detective work entails."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 3:39:26 GMT -5
Joey groaned. "Oh, great."
"Least I don't havta do paperwork for Jerod," Handy observed with a shake of his head, and glanced at Daws. "What's a lotta paperwork got to do with detective stuff, anyway? I thought you were s'posed ta look for missin' people an' that kinda thing--not fill out a buncha forms all day."
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 3:48:41 GMT -5
Daws shrugged. "Private detection's a type of 'law enforcement' -- albeit a freelance one -- and the government's got this funny idea that we should keep track of who we work for and why.
"Not that I'm too awful picky about what name goes on the forms -- but it never hurts to have documents that prove you were working for someone, and not just being nosy. Plus, I tend to keep ahold of anything that might be useful evidence later on."
She grinned sheepishly. "The fact that I've got sort of a frustrated literary bug probably doesn't help keep the casefiles short, either."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 3:56:02 GMT -5
"I've read some of 'em," Joey said with a grin. "They read more like stories than reports--and sometimes they're more like scifi than mystery." He shook his head. "Makes me think I'm probably dumb to wanna be in on the interesting work!"
Miriam laughed. "Maybe you should try to sell some of your adventures as science fiction, Daws."
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 4:04:44 GMT -5
Daws grinned. "Ah, I dunno if they'd be that interesting to anyone else -- and some of them are too weird to pass for fiction, anyway." She shrugged amiably. "I just figure writing them like that keeps it interesting."
"Interesting. There's that definition of 'interesting' again." Hubert remarked dryly.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 4:14:56 GMT -5
Miriam smiled ruefully at Hubert. "A lot of times, if we don't see things as 'interesting', we'd have to look at them in much less pleasant ways. I'd rather try to take a situation as a challenge than a disaster. It's all in your perspective."
"You'll see," Alex put in, grinning at Hubert. "Because if it's anything like ours, your life isn't gonna be boring."
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Post by skybright on Jul 11, 2006 4:22:56 GMT -5
Hubert smiled. "Oh, I've no doubt at all of that. If the last few days are any indication . . ." He shook his head and laughed faintly. "I've had more happen to me in the past week than in the past year or so. I'm rather more used to the calm of the laboratory than to the . . . complications of the world outside it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 11, 2006 4:32:03 GMT -5
Miriam frowned thoughtfully. "Someday--if you're willing, and if we feel you're able to handle it--maybe you'll have a chance to join us in fighting the man who's looking for you now."
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