Who: Maria, Dick, NPC-Alfred, +OPEN to Wayne Manor people When: 10/14 (backdate) Where: Wayne Manor, Gotham What:Dick offered cake and intel; Maria's not about to turn that down, level of confort notwithstanding. She hadn't been back to Wayne Manor since Dinah and Bruce had told her that they were going to have a baby. Partially it had been legit; the nature of SHIELD meant that she didn't get many days off for herself, even if the world - or just the election - wasn't imploding at any given moment. But even if she'd left on more or less good terms, by the end of the evening, there had been the lingering awkwardness of her initial reaction and continued hesitation. It was best that she keep herself and her mood away from the excited, happy couple - who anyways had plenty of happy family willing to jump in and celebrate with them.
Maria told herself that it didn't hurt to be coming back to the Manor, still not knowing where any of it stood, and when that didn't work because it was her own fault anyways, shoved the whole thing down and parked her Jeep around the side of the Manor, heading in through the back entrance: she was here for business, for Dick, so that was fitting.
If Alfred was surprised to see her appear at the back door, all he said was a polite, "Ms Hill," as he let her into the kitchen. "Shall I inform anyone of your presence?"
Maria left off admiring the shining chrome and copper of the pots hanging over the range, the double-doored fridge, the butcher block square of countertop amid all the stone. "Yeah - is Dick around? he let me know that he needed a word or two."
"I'll see if he's available; would you care to wait in the study?"
"Here's better," she said as she circled the island, resisting the urge to trail her fingers all along that wonderful stretch of open workspace, with its own sink and everything. "Doubt I can stay long." Not just because of work, but for her own comfort as well. The kitchen was one thing; she belonged in a kitchen, with all the knives, but she still doubted her welcome into the rest of the place.
Alfred gave something that was almost a sniff, a squaring of the shoulders. "Regardless, there is no reason you shouldn't wait in comfort." Maria wondered just how far she'd get with arguing that she was perfectly comfortable in the kitchen and she wasn't here to socialize with anyone - and really didn't want to take the risk of sticking her nose out of the servant's wing of the manor and attracting attention.