Morningstar Manor

Allan had been working like fuck today, and hadn't had much time to eat so dropped by one of his favourite bars on his way home.

A couple of pints and a plate of stew and colcannon later and he was feeling better and looking round for something to do.

Charlie got out of the lift on the first floor in a bit of a rush, having volunteered to taken Nia down to day care and Penny had kept him chatting for longer than expected. Some bizarre and unpleasant stains were seeping through the new paintwork on the nursery ceiling and wall and she was considering having it all repainted. Charlie had suggested some pictures instead, and she had jumped at the idea and had co-opted him into volunteering to frame them once she had chosen them.

He was quite happy to talk about that - but later - and apologised and dashed off again.

The lift door closed behind him just as a voice called "Hold the - oh damn," and he grinned at Kris then looked beyond him to Demitri in his doorway looking deliciously tousled.

"Morning guys," Charlie said and smiled broadly enough that the top of his head might hinge off. "Have you seen Deacon?"

The start of a new week and the Mocha was hopping.

Deacon had dropped Nia off at the daycare already as he and Charlie both had things that needed to get done. Charlie of course had the gallery. Deacon needed to take the cars to get their new inspection stickers and do some general shopping. But first - coffee. Charlie was still getting ready and had had to take a phone call and Deacon would likely be gone before he got down there so Deacon just got himself a coffee and found a place to sit and enjoy it before going on the first of his errands.

****

Eris was in the Mocha as well, once again at a table and looking through brochures on warm sunny beaches.

****

Seth entered the Mocha just after Deacon had left, passing in the doorway and exchanging a few words. Now, coffee in hand, he sat at a table and sipped his drink as he happily sketched the passers by.

****

Gabe was in the Mocha as well, sprawled on a couch and sipping his coffee and idly flipping through a fashion magazine.

****

There was one customer not quite at the Mocha yet but oh he was ready for it. Rhys had just gotten off a forty eight hour shift and was slouched in the back of a cab headed for the Manor. He was exhausted and looking forward to his bed but his stomach was rumbling and he didn't have the energy to make something so he'd stop in the Mocha first, get something to eat and some decaf coffee and then sleep for a day. Maybe two.

He coughed, and that cough turned into a bit of a coughing fit and when he could breath again he murmured an apology to the cab driver. Looks like his boss had been right. Rhys was sick. And a sick doctor was not what you wanted in the ER of a hospital. Maybe that forced time off wouldn't be so bad after all.

Jackson and Evans had booked leave at the same time. This happened in even the best regulated offices. When one man said his vacation was end of February and the other said his was first week of March it sometimes took a while to catch on that those dates included a common weekend. So they had drawn straws who would cover the Saturday night and Vincenzo, fuming, had picked the wrong one. It didn't help that he also had the Saturday afternoon shift as well.

But coffee would keep him going. Lots of coffee.

He stood in the queue and waited his turn, thinking about what he had planned for Emily tomorrow.

###

Fin had a book and some coffee and no commitments at all - which meant he was on edge and unhappy. He was a man who dearly loved a dead line. Also he had just had a very disturbing encounter with Andy Andrassy. He didn't dislike women in general but some were scary and she was just plain terrifying.

Lots of coffee was what he needed too.

###

Another man with a book was Leo Beck, reading through that years edition of the writer's handbook with a slightly bemused expression on his face. Occasionally he reached out and stirred his tea - which was getting cold.

###

Allan was garnering evil looks from the barista because he had been struck with a brilliant idea for a sculpture and to help the thought process was constructing a maquette out of pipecleaners and damp napkins. He always thought better if he had something to do with his hands.

###

Gil had nothing at all to do for the moment - not even a paper to read - and was enjoying the comparative silence before he had to go to work. Not that he disliked his job - he loved it - but a few moments calm before the madness was to be relished.

###

Del was less happy. He had worked last night, had a thick head, and suspected that Eris was making her mind up to move on. He'd go, of course - if she asked him to.

If.

He sipped his latte and wondered what he'd do if she didn't.

###

Charlie glowed happily as he sat in the corner and drew. Deacon was watching the sport, Nia was having tea with Aunty Andy and Unka Ekka - he snickered every time she called Erik that, and Charlie could feel the gentle pressure of his little collar under the fold of the scarf swathing his neck.

He smiled across the Mocha, his pencil moving with confident strokes, and drew anyone who crossed his line of sight.

Last night, on the way back from his workshop, he had heard familiar acccents, had accosted them and had been welcomed to a shebeen over on Ferry Road. It had been a grand and gaudy night with much drink taken, craic spoken and music played.

Now he had a head like a foundry and a belly desperately in need of food. Mocha coffee and cookies would have to do.

He joined the queue and stood quietly suffering as the line shortened.

Del, at a loose end, lounged on one of the couches reading a novel in Spanish and sipping iced coffee and dreaming of white beaches, brilliant sunshine and girls in hardly anything at all. Winter - he hated it. Not that he wanted to go anywhere - his job for De Rossi was still fun - but some sun would be nice.

~

Brendan had come down to buy a bag of coffee beans because, while Zack was still too poorly to drink much of it, Brendan needed the bursts of caffeine to keep him going. He thought the crisis was past, thank God, but Zack didn't seem to be improving quickly. Between tiredness and worry Brendan needed all the help he could get.

~

Andy had come home from work early with a crashing headache and a general down on the entire world. It was just one of those days and she didn't much care who knew it. With her aching forehead propped on his fist, she flipped through a copy of Smashing that someone had left there and thought snide things about the glamour pusses within.

~

Finally Allan breezed in to the Mocha with his duffle bag on his shoulder, having dumped the rest of his luggage on a trolley in the lobby. Someone from maintenance would be along to help him move in just now, he had been assured. Meantime - coffee!

Obviously, with new schedules and working practices, one would have days where people got confused.

Today was just such a day where Charlie and Andy had arrived almost simultaneously and Allan had ambled downstairs, looking like an unmade bed, to see if he could score some coffee and craic.

So there they were, going about thir business in their own ways - and just as well too since none of the desk staff had turned up.

Elspeth had a thick file, as usual, but this one was different. This one had photos. And...resumes...sort of. If you could call Height, Weight, Eye Color and Occupation part of a resume. So far she hadn't really seen anything that melted her butter, but she supposed the men perusing her file might feel exactly the same.

She had coffee, though. That was making this a little bit easier.

Pushing Nia's stroller with his elbows, Charlie peeled an apple for her with the smallest blade of his Swiss Army knife and passed pieces down.

"'Nuther bit, peeeeees," she said, waving a hand, and he put a slice if apple in it and grinned as she, unprompted, chanted, "'N'koo, Daddy."

Sometimes being a Dad was just grand.

The cafe next to the gallery did a very fine breakfast but Allan was going to be moving equipment today and knew that he'd need more food and at regular intervals. So he popped out of the workshop, an icy cold and echoing space tucked away alongside the loading bays for the farmers, and went into the market to see what it had to offer.

Pretty much anything one could wish for. impressive.

Generally Kara wasn't one of those that hated Mondays. It was simply another day. Today however she was fully in agreement that Monday's sucked.

The Karma tea had sold like mad and even though they'd gotten a shipment in just last week it was already nearly gone. And she'd been told the next shipment was running late. Which made for some bitchy customers.

On top of that she'd woken with a horrible headache that didn't seem to show any signs of going away no matter how much pain reliever she'd taken, Molly was going to be late due to car issues and Jack was working overtime at the Manor.

Yes, Mondays sucked.

A heavy engine stuttered outside as a truck pulled up on the road beyond the Manor's drive. It idled there for a moment, getting a furious blast of the horn from a cab that wanted to pull out into the road,and the driver and the man who had just jumped down from the passenger door of the cab grinned at each other and slapped hands.

The truck pulled away, the cab following it and Allan looked up at the Manor.

"Jeez," he said and went across to the entrance, his duffle bag bumping on his hip.