Morningstar Manor

Jason - had the night off. He didn't really know what to do with a night off. He'd gone to the Lamb and had one to many drinks and now stood in the chilly garden with another beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He wasn't plastered, not by a long shot, but he was definitely over the legal limit.

From one of the apartments music was playing and it drifted out over the garden. He'd heard this one - seen the video too. Rihana and Eminem - Love the Way You Lie. It made him remember certain people. A certain person.

He exhaled on a deep sigh, smoke drifting from his lips and took another drink from his bottle.

Now the children were back in school the gallery was back to normal and Charlie was splitting his time between the office [paperwork] and the desk [being nice to people] and the studio at home.

But drawing was fun and so he sometimes took the opportunity to do a bit while he was waiting for customers or was bored with poking the computer.

Today he was drawing his favourite subject - Deacon - from all kids of angles. He'd need to hide the drawings from anyone other than D - or possibly Seth. Seth might enjoy them.

Gabe was in the spa cleaning up. It was nearly closing time and he was ready to head back to the apartment for some food and rest. He made a mental note to call Sarah too. He'd had to take a rain check on their night out due to an omgemergency hair issue with a very high end client.

***

JJ hadn't had a chance to hang out in the Mocha since he'd moved in and tonight - since after the band try out he didn't have anything else planned - he decided to give it a shot. He sat in one of the overstuffed chairs, sipping surprisingly good coffee and playing with his iPad.

***

Jason was technically off duty - and out of uniform - but he was still strolling the Manor grounds. Out in the gardens he paused to light up a cigarette and take a sip from the bottle of beer he held in his other hand. He looked up at the night sky, unable to really see any stars due to the city lights. But still - it was a nice night.

***

At the Lamb Kara wiped down the bar and smiled at the regulars. Tuesday nights were slow but that was okay. After a busy Labor Day she could use an easy night. She looked at the clock and then caught Jack's eye, giving him a nod.

Jack grinned at her and cleaned up the last table. His shift was over so once he put this in the kitchen he could go home.

Monday morning. Kids were back in school, people back to work, and at this time the major morning rush had already come and gone leaving the Mocha relatively quiet.

Deacon had dropped Nia off at the daycare and was enjoying a coffee and muffin. He'd texted Charlie as he walked across the lobby. Bfast in Mocha?

***

Seth was in the Mocha too and he'd waved to Deacon when he spotted him but didn't go to join him. He was sketching away in his book, sipping coffee, and bopping about in his seat as he listened to this music coming through his headphones.

***

Gabe was stretched out on one of the couches, coffee in one hand and phone pressed to his ear in the other. "Darling I know I wasn't there but honestly - what where you thinking? It was the Emmy's! You could have at least gone to Angels. I mean I might not be there but my people are good. Cuz honey - your hair..."

***

Demitri was up early. He didn't have a class until later this afternoon. And though he no longer ran the Mocha he liked to see that it was doing well. He sat by the window, looking out at the street and the people going by and thinking on the things that had happened in the past few months. And smiled softly.

***

Max and Micah sat at another table, both drinking coffee and looking through the paper.

Someone is getting married.

That someone is meeeeee! <333

It was good being Irish on St Patrick's Day, but really bad the day after.

Robbie was looking pale and nauseated, his dark hair all ruffled up and a stubble covering his jaw, when he finally in late afternoon made it out of his apartment. He supported himself against the counter of the Mocha, and had to look away from all the doughnuts and cookies because just seeing the sweets made him feel worse. All he wanted was coffee. And after that, maybe pizza. If he could stomach it.

Lee walked towards the door of the Manor and pulled out his cell to text Sarah.

Snap - In the lobby! Come tell these guys that I'm with you before I ask them to show me their night sticks.

The next time you have a moment, stop and take a deep breath. Remind yourself you're fabulous, and believe it.

The Mocha was jumping today and many Manor regulars were out and about.

Deacon sat at a table reading over an email Seth had sent to him. It spoke of collars and other alternatives to them and had gotten Deacon thinking. But when Nia insisted on climbing into his lap he closed the email and instead opened up the video player to one of her Winnie the Pooh shows. He'd have to take her to daycare soon so that he could go to the dojo but until then they had a bit of time. So she sat happily in his lap, munching on a cookie and watching Pooh Bear and Deacon sipped his coffee and smiled down at her curly head.

****

Erik had been on the phone when he'd first arrived in the Mocha - speaking to his estate agent and working out everything that would need to be done before he and Angela returned home. Moving everything from their flat here back to Norfolk was a daunting task and so when that call ended - and he'd gotten his tea and found a table - he took a moment to simply sit. He'd had a bit of time before the next call needed to be made.

****

Micah sat in one of the chairs near the Mocha door, sipping his coffee and staring at nothing in particular. He was still furious with Robert Rossi's assumption that he could be bought off like that and hadn't yet said anything to Isabella about it. He'd need to though and likely soon. He'd also need to tell Max about the baby. That was a conversation he wasn't looking forward to.

****

Across the room at at a table Max was reading a paper and enjoying coffee and a bagel before it was time to head to work. Something was up with Micah, he knew, and he'd give it a bit more time before pressing the issue. Then there was the matter of Sterrin and her ex. Granted Max hadn't seen anymore of the man he'd sent to the ER but the fight had obviously caused a riff between Sterrin and her brother - something Max wasn't pleased with.

He sighed and turned a page in the newspaper. Relationships could be such a bother.

****

Rhys was back in the Mocha as well, dressed for work in slacks, a button up and a tie that hung a bit loose around his neck. A duffle bag with a change of clothes and his scrubs sat at his feet and he munched on his bagel and drank his coffee and mentally prepared for his shift.

And in it this note:

We've spent most of the night trying to identify all the pieces. Oh Sarah it's the most lovely gift - warms us body, heart and soul! BTW I spotted the bits of that dress - the one we put on Deacon, New Years 2004 when he got so sozzled. You have still got the negatives, haven't you?

Love you LOADS

Charlie and D xxx

"Girl, I'm not even going to lie, I think I shot sparks outta my rear when he was finished," Lee  explained as he worked a dress over a manequin's head, then started to pin the fabric to make it fit.

"Jesus," Rhiannon said with a laugh. "How do we always end up talking about this at work?"

"Cuz it's the only time I ain't biz-ay," Lee said and smirked over his shoulder at Rhiannon and Miri, who burst out laughing. 

It was a fun place to work, at least. Now they just needed some customers.

The box was full of a quilt Sarah had made -- yes, made! From scraps and bits of colorful fabric all sewn together in a crazy patchwork. There was a bit of one of Deacon's old t-shirts, and a piece that might've been part of an old maintenance jumpsuit, if you looked just right. Sometimes being a packrat had its advantages. Don't ask where she came up with these things -- she just had. She'd worked on it for a long time before leaving, and finished when she came back, and had put it away for a bit before deciding a gift was meant to be given.

The note said, "Yes, it's clean, and yes, it's washable. xoxo, Sarah"

Sarah had been finally cleaning out her boxes and bags she'd had shipped from all her travels -- and she'd found this small trinket which had screamed ERIK to her at the time...it wasn't anything fancy, just a small carved figurine of a man in along coat. It looked like him, a little, sort of stern but handsome and somehow kind. It was very polished from the rubbing of many fingers. The shop owner had said the figurine was meant to be rubbed for luck -- but Sarah never had. Rubbing a little man that looked like Erik Desler seemed sacriligious, somehow. But she'd tied into a small box along with a note that read, simply,

"Cleaning out my boxes and found this. Meant to give it to you long ago. Respectfully, Sarah."

She sort of missed him. Well, not even sort of. But not in a romantic way -- she knew he was seeing someone, that lovely dark-haired woman. Angie, maybe. Andy?

There was actually a lot she thought she could talk to him about, now, not in the way they'd done when he'd first moved in and she'd been the perky, annoying neighbor who baked brownies. She'd grown up.

Her tastes had...changed.

She thought more than anyone, he might understand.

But for now, the token.

It was a weird whim, but what did you do when you thought about someone a lot?

Well, maybe not a lot but more than normal. And he'd been thinking about Sarah Roth.

Why?

He knocked on her door, determined to find out.

There was a large box filled with cupcakes on a black tray that looked surprisingly like an iPhone, complete with the apps.

Included was a note that read:

Look at how bored I am! I'm making fucking cupcakes into iPhones!!!!

Girl date? Stalking? Something full of flava?

PLEASE?!

- Bea

The height of fashion was Gabe and so he was waiting at Abrams's desk in well fitting jeans that looked suitably worn, boots, and a snug fitting Affliction t-shirt with angel wings down the back that nearly mimicked his tattoo perfectly. Leather jacket draped over his shoulder he waited for Sarah.

"Hello gorgeous. I am in need of a beautiful woman to hit the town with tonight. Know anyone that might be interested? Give me a call."

Drew hadn't really dressed up tonight because putt putt and dinner at the Motherclucker wasn't really a black tie affair, but his jeans  were nice and the black button up he wore was clean and soft and comfortable.

He knocked on Sarah's door right on time and waited, hands in his pockets.

Sarah was drinking cocoa and eating muffins, why? Why not?

It was the Sunday thing to do!