Morningstar Manor

Some mornings were just to nice to stay inside. This morning was one of them. With the weather warming nicely they decided that once breakfast was done it was time for a bit of play in the gardens. Coffees in hand (and some apple juice for Nia) Deacon and Charlie and Nia headed down to the gardens and soon enough were sitting on a bench watching Nia chase butterflies and occassionally playing catch with the ball they'd brought down.

It was a lovely way to start the day.

Nia had been happy enough all day but towards evening had become clinging and a little more demanding than normal.

Rather than fight it, because they were both feeling subdued, Deacon and Charlie had made the evening a family one and had cooked and eaten and played together until Nia was so sleepy she had dozed off across their laps.

Charlie had seen no point in waking her just to bathe her so gave her sleeping face a quick wash, sat her on her potty then tucked her up in bed.

He watched Deacon stoop over her to kiss her goodnight, smiled as she smiled at the brush of his stubble, then went to the kitchen to get a couple of beers.

He felt that they had earned them.

Charlie was waiting for Deacon at the appointed time without a trace of a hangover either. He smiled his way round to the passenger seat of the big black car and got in with a cheery, "Hello - oh, damn, no leather pants!"

Then they headed out of the city.( Read more... )

Mini summary: D takes Chas to meet his mum, they make a startling family history related discovery, and Chas decides he really doesn't want to repeat history and go home.

Deacon firmly believed that everything happened for a reason. Like his insane idea to take Charlie Shaw out shopping yesterday. Okay yes he'd had fun - quite a bit actually - and yes Shaw was good company and... Oh who was he kidding. He was attracted to the little Brit and that was probably a very bad idea since Shaw was one, only here temporarily and two, a victim in a case that the force was working on. Okay so it wasn't as bad as if Deacon himself had been involved in that case but still.

Generally a bad idea.

But that shopping trip had lead Deacon to learn a bit about Shaw's taste in clothes and some of the outfits he'd lost when his bag was stolen and so when Deacon happened to catch sight of a young man in Vine Square looking a bit shifty and watching a couple of women who were window shopping close and wearing a rugby jersey identical to one Shaw had said he lost - well maybe it hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

( Read more... )

For once it seemed like Deacon's luck was turning for the better. The pusher in the ER had given him information that he'd been looking for for what seemed like ever. That Allan Kinyon was involved in some major dirty dealings they'd known for a while but they'd never been able to find enough to get him. But with this new information Deacon might just be able to work something out to buy them a little time.

Sitting at one of the coffee tables in the Morningstar Manor coffee shop, the Mocha, he sipped his coffee and read over his notes again. Yeah - this just might work.

Less positive was Charlie, entering from the lobby and looking a sight with a very black eye and a pair of borrowed jeans that were too short for him. "Tea please," he said to the blonde at the counter and raised his eye brows as she snickered. The tea when it came was weak and watery and her grin was even more malicious.

"Have you ever heard the term schadenfreude?" he asked and when she said she hadn't he suggested she look it up sometime. She didn't seem pleased, but that, Charlie decided, was HER problem. He had other things on his mind.

Deacon had watched the exchange and chuckled softly. When Shaw turned away from the counter he waved, catching his attention, and motioned him over to the table.

( Read more... )

Detective Deacon Ferrell sighed as he stepped out of one of the cubicles in the ER. He jotted a few more notes down on his pad then closed it and tucked it into the back pocket of his jeans. The pusher was one of the usual suspects and Deacon wasn't surprised to see he'd gotten on the wrong side of one of his suppliers and wound up in ER - again. This time he'd been a little more forthcoming with information and Deacon would have a good deal of paperwork to do tomorrow when he got back to the station.

As it was he was supposed to have been off duty a good hour ago and was more than ready to get back home and relax.

"Detective."

Deacon looked up at a uniformed officer that was headed his way.

"Ah c'mon, Drew, I was about to go home," Deacon said with a groan and the uniform smiled.( Read more... )

Deacon had been a bit late joining the party at the Lamb and when he'd arrived Charlie had already been quite merry and Deacon had been quite amused. He was even more amused this morning because tequila and mice didn't always mix.

He felt sorry for him, he really did, but a hungover Charlie was just adorable.

"I have coffee," he said, voice pitched low as he came into the dark bedroom. "And asprin."

The pool house area was cordoned off and work was proceeding. Charlie stood with his hands in his pockets and watched, heart aching, and wished he was in a position to help. But the times when he had been in the thick of such things was long over and now all he could do was watch.

He sighed and kicked a bit of rubble and strolled along to the place where his secret 'herb' garden had been, now just a mass of wreckage.

One of the little girls in the daycare was having a birthday so Nia had insisted on going. So Deacon had gotten her ready and dropped her off then stopped by the Mocha and picked himself and Charlie up a couple of coffees.

"I bring caffeine and sugary goodness," Deacon called as he returned to their apartment, and kicked the door shut behind him.

Charlie was well laden when he got home. He had Nia on one hip and his bag slung across his back and was juggling with a large cardboard box as well.

Both he and Nia were giggling and shooshing each other as he pushed the door closed with his butt. Coats off, bag put down and Nia was bouncing around like a kangaroo saying, "Where Daddy D? Where Daddy D? Whezzis pessint," while Charlie hastily put a bow on the box.

"Shoosh," Charlie said. "Come on, let's creep - like mice." Hand in hand they crept into the livingroom put a chair near Deacon's office door with the box on it and a card saying, "Happy Easter - better late than never? xxxxx Nia and Mouse."

Then they knocked on the office door and ran away to hide behind the sofa, giggling even harder.

They couldn't have asked for better weather. Here - away from the City and the Manor - Spring was stirring and even though the wind coming off the lake was still cool the day was warm. Warm enough for light jackets anyway and breakfast on the back deck.

This time Deacon had gotten up early to start breakfast, letting Charlie sleep in a bit - or at least as long as he could before Nia woke up and pounced on him. Nick arrived shortly after Deacon had gotten the coffee going and Deacon had sent him out to hide the eggs. When he came back in Deacon handed him a big cup of coffee.

"None hidden to high for little girls right?" he asked the big man.

"Nope," Nick said with a grin. "But I hid a few little things at about Seth's eyeline. Don't see why the kiddies should have all the fun." ( Read more... )

Charlie was well aware that he had probably been a pain for the past few days. He had been anxious and clingy and had spent more time than usual watching Nia play, or following Deacon. In fact he had got underfoot more times than he could count.

In the end it was Nia who told him off about it.

"Fuss, fuss, fuss," she chanted tugging her foot out of his hand and snatching her shoe as well. "Want to do dis mySELF. Go play."

Charlie's face fell and he sat back on his heels while she got the shoe back on and did up the velcro straps, then she turned onto her tummmy and kicked her feet in the air while Winnie the Pooh danced across the tv screen.

Charlie bit his thumb nail and got up and went to see if Deacon wanted anything - and if he was okay.

he would be - but Charlie really needed to see.

"No you paint yours," Charlie said. "I can manage mine on my own."

Nia pouted but carried on finger painting and Charlie took moments to give her proud glances in between his own brush strokes.

All was peaceful for maybe ten minutes - which was good going for Nia - then there was a ping from the doorbell and Nia squealed, "Who dat?" and dashed off to see. Charlie followed and peered through the Judas in the door.

"Ooh, I dunno if we want to let this one in," he said.

Deacon had dropped Nia at the daycare and headed to the gallery to take Charlie to lunch. They'd opted for The Far Pavilions, getting a warm welcome from Raj and shown to their usual seat. Orders placed and a couple of beers in hand they waited on their food.

"So was Allan excited about that guy with the horses?"

They couldn't work on the pictures Charlie had been cutting out until after Nia went to bed so instead Deacon was looking through pictures on the web searching for ideas for Charlie's tattoo.

"I'm thinkin' we should keep a bit to the Celtic theme," he said. "Ya know, our rings, my tattoo..."

They'd both had long days. Charlie had been working hard at the gallery and Deacon had taken a couple of extra lessons at the dojo so by the time they'd picked up Nia and gotten home they were worn out. Now dinner had been eaten, Nia had been bathed and put to bed and now Deacon and Charlie had a chance to wind down.

They were curled up on the couch, the TV on to something or other on the Discovery Channel, and they each had a beer. Deacon had his arm around Charlie's shoulders and his fingers were stroking idly along the column of his neck.

"I got an idea," he said. "How about tonight we not stay up until midnight. I know, I know, crazy idea."

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