Morningstar Manor

"Say it."

It had been awhile since they'd had to meet at the Lamb for one of their heart-to-heart chats, but Adam had made sure not to disappoint.

"Say it," Adam demanded again, when Joseph just stared at him.

"Fine," Joseph finally said, sighing heavily. "I promise. I don't know why I'm promising, but I promise."

( Because... )

Having a maid made Joseph uncomfortable, but he didn't see any other immediate solution. He'd planned all the details of his move carefully, save for one...that now loomed so clear in front of him he wondered how he'd over looked it.

477 had been something of a storage space during the time he'd spent with Lil and now it was filled with miscellaneous junk and a layer of dust and grime.

Who knew dust bunnies were capable of not only breeding, but revolting?

He'd unpacked as much as he could over the weekend, but the working week was upon him once again and he was due to spend the bulk of it in court. Cleaning would be the last thing he wanted to do when he got home.

Hence the maid. But just until the apartment was restored to a liveable condition. Then he'd let her go and get back to taking care of things himself.

Adam had offered to take the last box down to 477, obviously assuming Joe would want time to himself in the apartment.

He didn't. But he was touched by the thought.

He moved from room to room, checking last minute, final details. Lights were off, windows were closed, refrigerator had been emptied of perishable items. He paused in the living room to straighten a decorative bowl Lil had gotten on one of her many travels he'd never thought to ask about and then took one final look around.

It didn't look like he'd ever lived there, appeared spot-for-spot the way he remembered it the first time he'd ever set foot inside. Minus the music sheets scattered everywhere of course.

Enjoy life's journey, but leave no tracks.

He pulled an envelope from the back pocket of his jeans and crossed to the fireplace, where he propped it against a basket on the mantel. Then he turned, and without a backward glance, exited and closed the door, the lock clicking softly into place behind him.

In the quiet still, the envelope reading simply "Lilith" sat. Unlike the man leaving it behind, it could wait forever.

There was something urgent, some reason why Joe was heading back to the Manor at this god-awful hour, but he found as he parked in the garage and walked away from the Taho, locking it behind him, that he couldn't really remember what it was.

Hmm. Certainly, if he'd forgotten it already, it couldn't have been that important, could it?

~.~

Jazz started awake somewhere around dawn, coming out of a dream where she was slowly being crushed by a giant trash compactor, and spent a good minute and half wrestling with the blankets before realizing that it had in fact been a dream.

She fell back onto the bed, and rubbed at her eyes, wiping beads of sweat from her brow.

That was it. She'd have to tell Jason that she couldn't eat-whatever it was they'd had-before bed anymore.

He'd stopped trying to call, but he hadn't stopped trying to get in. Every free minute, when he wasn't needed he spent driving back and forth, loitering in the front of the building, waiting for...anything.

He'd been there for two hours today before giving up and returning to the station.

Now he sat in his office commiserating over a cup of coffee, and trying to avoid looking at his rumpled pullout.

An hour before her shift started, Jazz disappeared into the woman's bathroom. With fifteen minutes to spare "Esteban" exited. Shooting a cheeky grin at the female customer who blinked and sputtered, "he" marched for the jewelery department.

Without even a single swish of "his" hips.

~.~

There were rules against costumes-maintaining integrity or some shit like that-but they found ways around it.

One of the guys at the north gate had made himself a rather fetching devil's tail that was only visible from the back...Another had found a set of bug-eye goggles that were easily removed in the event of an approaching officer.

Adam himself had sprung for a set of fangs. Meant he had to be careful who he smiled at, but it was worth the looks he got.

~.~

With no Manor ball to worry about, The Reyes opted for a quiet night in. Alec prepped bowls of various Halloween goodies while Ang poured glasses of cider. Emma turned up with popcorn (and the boy).

Together they set up camp in the living room, the tv turned to any scary movie on offer.

~.~

Alone in his office, Joe fussed over the pullout. He could have slept upstairs in the provided bunks, but that was all but encouraging Halloween pranksters.

He had enough to worry about without adding fears of shaving cream and warm water. Idly, he touched the cell phone in his pocket, almost like were some sort of comforting talisman. Thus for it had remained silent.

He could only hope that it would stay that way.

~.~

The garden was still and quiet. The mysterious singer, for the first time in some while, absent at her post.

Somehow, that seemed more ominous than comforting....

He'd been thinking about it for awhile, but it had taken his birthday-the passing benchmark of another year spent alone-to spur him to action.

It was her apartment. It always had been. He was just a guest that had come to visit...and than hadn't had the good deceney to know when his welcome was worn out.

His reason for staying had seen the lines in the sand and flown the coop. It was time he accepted the truth as well.

( What they'd had, whatever it had been, was no more. It was time to let go. )

The brothers McClaren had set themselves up in the Mocha and were talking in low voices about the upcoming holiday.

"I'm staying at the station," Joseph told his brother. "The night before and the night of." There wasn't a power strong enough on this Earth-at least not anymore-that could get him to stay in the Manor over Halloween.

"But what if we're-" Adam paused and leaned in a little closer, "-needed again?"

Joseph just smiled. "You're the knight in shining armor. I have faith in you."

~.~

Across the Lobby and in the mailroom, Alec sifted through the day's mail, a large box stuck between his feet.

He'd made it clear to his mother, as delicately as possible, that Ang didn't really feel up to a large babyshower. As as a result his mother had seen it fit to sent a box nearly every week of things she was sure their baby would need.

He was certain at this rate they wouldn't have buy anything for the kid for at least a year.

~.~

In the gardens, Jazz nibbled a cookie she'd gotten from the Mocha and tried to read what she'd been told to. It was slow going though, between the cookie and her ongoing curiousity about the mysterious singer from a few nights ago-yes, that was part of the reason she was out here-she had yet to turn a single page since she'd sat down and before long she would lose the light.

They arrived together, in Icene's Hummer as it was decided her's was probably the best vehicle for the task, Adam and Joe proving once again that they could clean up nice in their sharp black affairs and Icene looking rather like a beautiful, bright flower sandwiched in between her dark companions.

"You really didn't have to do this," Joe was still saying-he'd been repeating it on a nearly constant loop since leaving the Manor-as they left the car and approached the front of the resturant.

"Oh, will you shut up," Adam told him, buttoning his jacket over his dark red shirt. "It's your birthday. I'm treating you. Deal with it."

Jazz had awoken that morning to find that she hadn't spend the night nearly as alone as she thought she had. Indeed, she'd been horrified to discover that sharing the space between the sheets with her was one of the textbooks Mr. Michael's had given her. And not only had she apparently slept with the damn thing, but she'd managed to injure herself on it as well. She was now sporting small, oddly triangle shaped bruise that seemed to be darkening by the second in between her ribs were she must have laid on the corner edge of the book cover during the night.

What the hell? This was not like her. Not at all.

She had to do something she decided, something wonderfully self-absorbed and self-centered to counteract this bizarre, un-Jazz like behavior. After work, and a quick costume change later, she was marching with purpose to the pool house. An hour or two of baking time would make her feel better.

~.~

Just like Icene's accusations had only been a matter of time, so was Joe's disappointment. Adam could try to avoid them, but, sooner or later, they'd catch up with him. At least with Icene though he'd had a choice...his brother cornered him, without a fair headstart, in the Mocha.

They sat, in silence, at one of the tables. Joe staring with reprimanding eyes while Adam did his best to look properly contrite.

He was failing. With flying colors.

Calling it an early day, Adam was down in the gym, putting on quiet the show. Barechested, he sweated to the '80's, singing along to the music that poured through the iPod tucked into the waistband of his shorts.

~.~

Out in the gardens Alec sat, scanning the paper, reading without really seeing. His mind was elsewhere-upstairs with teenager still too frightened to leave the apartment and on the nameless, faceless figure that was stalking the city streets.

~.~

Also in the gardens, and also reading, was Joe. He, however, had opted for the table just outside the Mocha. Here he could enjoy the late afternoon sunshine, and be close enough for a refill. The best of both worlds.

~.~

Saturday and Sunday, Jazz had worked, spending her whole shift on pins and needles, expecting at any moment for Mr. Michaels to turn up and tell her that he'd changed his mind. But he hadn't. And now she was forced to consider that maybe, just maybe, he'd meant what he'd said.

Figuring it couldn't hurt to at least look, she sat in the Mocha and flipped through the various pamphlets Michaels had given her. School, huh?...Who'd a'thunk?

Classes start tomorrow, here be my last "hurrah" of the summer. ;P Get 'em before they're gone.

Enjoying the new found length to the days was Joseph who was up on the seventh floor balconies, rereading an old leather-bound classic, a cup of the Mocha's finest sitting within comfortable reach.

~.~

Also enjoying a cup of coffee in the evening sunshine was Jazz, but she was doing it from one of the loungers up by the pool. Rather than reading, however, she was busy tap-tapping away on her laptop.

~.~

Going against the grain, Adam had decided to spend his evening holed up in the game room, bonding with an old friend. The pool table.

Erin had been cleaning the designated women's area in the firehouse today when she was interrupted. One of the men just opened the door, grabbed the paper towels and walked back out. Perplexed by the action, Erin caught up with him in the hall. After a bit of arguing, he admitted to swiping the paper towels because there weren't any in the men's room and took off again.

Now, Erin was a little calmer, and knocking on Joseph's office door. While it might not be something to take higher, she needed to know what to do about the matter at hand.

On his way back from a nearby grocery store, Alec stopped by the mailroom to empty the boxes for 8160 as well as 113 since Emma never seemed to remember to do so. He tucked the mail for Emma into the bag by his feet while he flipped quietly through the mail for him and Ang.

~.~

Sitting just outside the Mocha at one of the garden tables were Joseph and Adam, who besides enjoying cups of coffee after a pair of long days, were catching up on recent events. Which included, of course, Adam's trip with Icene last weekend.

~.~

Also trying to unwind after a long day was Jazz, but she'd bypassed the coffee and had directly for something stronger.

Ah, soaking in the hot tub with a cold beer...Was there anything better?

Alec, par the normal, took Faith out to the garden. Where he then spent the next several hours chasing and being chased.

~.~

Jazz decided to spend some of her free time today in the ballroom limbering up by tying herself into some very interesting knots.

~.~

The McClarens were in the Mocha, discussing the BBQ. In other words, Adam was trying coerce Joe into helping, and Joe was resisting.


OOC:Free at last! I celebrate thusly. :) Grab 'em anytime you like, matters not to me. The brothers can be had together or separate as you please.

Jazz sat under the front awning just outside the Manor. She had no real desire to go inside, but had no where else to go.

~.~

Adam was in the game room, trying to enjoy a game of pool, but his heart wasn't in it. Rather he spent long moments staring at the felt without really seeing it, lost in thought.

~.~

In the garden, Joseph sat quietly thinking about Lil and wondering how long before the first flowers came in.

~.~

Alec was in the Lobby, waiting on the elevator and going through the mail, separating Ang's from his.

Pointedly ignoring his last visit to the garden, Alec took a break from packing to play a game of fetch with Faith. He wasn't going to let one grumpy individual ruin one of his favorite past times.

No sir.

~.~

Joseph had staked out one of the tables, spreading out his paperwork for easy viewing and reference. But only half his mind was focused on it. The other half was divided into two camps: part wondering about the gossip he'd overheard at the station today and the other part was wondering why he was wondering about the gossip he'd overhead today.

It really wasn't any of his business....

~.~

The scent of freshly made cookies had coaxed Jazz into the Mocha originally, but after purchasing she'd made her way out to the garden to enjoy the last bit of sunshine before night stole over the city. She took up residence on a bench, breaking her gooey cookie into bite sized pieces as she pondered.

Days later and she still hadn't completely digested her last conversation with Jason. She wasn't sure if she should give into the idiotic grin that threatened whenever she replayed the memory, or if she should resist and take it with a grain of salt. Just in case.

~.~

Adam was home from work, but he had to actually go into the Manor. He was still out in the garage, tending to his truck. He'd encountered a bunch of mud on his way off the base and he refused now to call it night until his baby was once again shiny and clean.

When Ang enjoyed her day off by sleeping in, Alec headed down to the Mocha. Coffee for him, he'd decided, tea for her, and muffins for them both. What better way to start off the day?

He stood patiently in line, nodding politely at those about that he recognized, and even went so far as to whistle happily while he waited.

~.~

Jazz returned Mr. Reyes nod with a pleasant smile, but turned away as his attention moved elsewhere. She was lounging on one of the couches, cooling down after a morning in the ballroom with a hot chocolate and a cookie. She'd earned it, she thought.

She nibbled and sipped, absorbed, but not disinclined to company...should any turn up.

~.~

The McClaren brothers lingered even after their coffees were finished, chatting animatedly.

Well, Adam was chatting animatedly, Joseph was watching avidly, ready to duck should any of Adam's grand gestures swing near his face.

( Spencer )
*~*
( Raines Bros )
~*~
( Icene )
*~*
( Firehouse delivery )
~*~
( From the Kennards )