Who: Dita and Greg What: Greg leaves before he wears out his welcome When:Backdated to (last?) Saturday Where: Dita's house in Texas
He had taken more than a week off but he hadn't really intended to stay that long. He figured he'd drive around after he left and see where the road took him. He hadn't counted on hitting it off with the crew the way they all had, and he'd figured Zoe's reincarnate would have gotten sick of him and pitched him out long before this. They'd hit it off pretty well too though, and he was almost reluctant to leave even now.
Greg tossed his bag into his car, along with the box of cookies that he was inevitably leaving with. That damn woman had definitely found his weakness there. Then he went back in to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything and to thank Dita before he hit the road.
He found her in the kitchen, of course. "Guess you're finally gettin' your house back." He gave her a bright smile. "Thanks for everything, Dita."
---
"It'll be weird to have it quiet again, and no one to cook for. Hate when I have to cook for just myself." Dita smiled up from what she was doing - making him a few sandwiches for the road, or more wrapping them up and putting them in some bit of tupperware. "So you don't have to eat fast food all the way home."
She slid the container over to him, brow raised. "I bet you're going back to eating really bad diner food or something. It's a shame. How ever will you live?"
Dita leaned against the counter, arms lifting to cross loosely about her middle, her head tilted. It would be strange not having him around; she could do it, but being alone sometimes wasn't all that great. It usually meant nightmares or the shakes or some ridiculous thing that had nothing to do with her life but Zoe's. She'd live; both the women were good at living.
"You'll be safe?"
---
He took the container, grateful and not really surprised at this point. He laughed and shook his head. "After the way you've been spoiling me? Anything else would be a disappointment. Your one hell of host."
It was going to be strange not having someone around all the time after this week. He'd been enjoying the company. "If you ever get the urge to visit New Orleans you ought to come down and stay with me. I definitely owe you one." He grinned slyly. "And I promise not to cook."
He ran his hand through his hair, amused that she was concerned about his safety. Then again, everyone seemed concerned about Kaylee, so maybe it wasn't that strange, it just wasn't the sort of thing he was used to. "Yeah, I'll be safe." He drummed his fingers on the counter, not leaving just yet. He had a last question he wanted to ask her. "Speaking of that... are you really joining up with that Camelot group?"
---
"I haven't spoiled you. I've just made sure you were well fed." Dita smiled at him, watching him really. Then she had to laugh. "Well, I couldn't stay as long as you've stayed here." She stood up straight, putting a finger up before he could apologize or anything like that. "And I'm not complaining; I just have to be in school. They're a little picky on how long their teachers up and leave. I wouldn't mind visiting for a weekend. Take the MTN; see if I puke when I get where I'm going."
The moment got awkward, and Dita had no idea why. He seemed a little hesitant? A little...oh.
"Yes." There wasn't an explanation, or clarification. Really there wasn't anything left to clarify. "You?"
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"Someone has to test out that fancy system of theirs. See how it works." He smiled again. "Can't think of a better reason too, or a braver woman for the job." The MTN did seem like a handy thing. As much as he liked getting out on the road, instant transportation would save a lot of time. It hadn't occurred to him that there was any chance there wouldn't be a lot of visits between the various crew members. Not now that they'd all met.
She went a bit quiet when he asked about the war. Or maybe he just imagined that slightly awkward pause becuase he was expecting it. He nodded. "Yes. I didn't bring it up with the group because I didn't want to cause some sort of kerfluffle, but, well, we can't just sit this one out. Not when there might be something we could do to help. I figured we could fix stuff, and I'm decent in a fight. Never been trained or nothing, but I get in a few shots..."
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Dita looked at him. "I think I'm going to miss the very odd compliments." She laughed and lightly swatted his arm before pushing off the counter. "Well, I expect them to be used quite a bit, maybe. It's not like we can hop in cars and take very long road trips. Well, some of us may be able to, but others of us have to be responsible." She sighed, but she was teasing him, a little. There was something nice about the way everyone else could just stick around; it seemed natural, even if it was beyond unnatural.
"Yes, well, the war talk does tend to lead to kerfluffleness?" Her brows furrowed at the word. "I'm not even going to try and figure out the proper way to say that...kerflufflosity? Kerfluffling? Kerfluffles? You can stop me anytime here." She smiled, but that smile faded at the mention of being trained. "Not you. You can't. Dammit, Greg. It's bad enough that you've got Kaylee in your head. You don't even have training. You know how much good your few shots would be? None. You can't just head off into battle...head first. You have to...you've never had any self-defense? Have you ever held a weapon of any sort? Anything?"
She looked up at him, definitely concerned, then sighed. "Why did you bring it up now?" There had to be a reason after all.
---
"Kerfluffage?" he suggested. Colorful speech got you into trouble once you started trying to conjugate it and then everything just went all caddywompus.
Greg sighed at her protestation. It was about what he'd expected, although he assumed Dita would be more reasonable about it than some of the others. She probably was being more reasonable about it. "Like I said, I've never had any sort of training. Not a lot of experience with weapons either, unless you count shooting coke cans with a pellet gun. I did go after a guy with a baseball bat once. Crude, but effective." He wasn't sure if sharing that was a good idea or a bad idea, but he figured he'd be honest. Kaylee cringed at the thought. It was funny, his memories seemed to get to her far more than hers got to him. He hadn't heard of many other reincarnates coming at things from that angle.
"I brought it up... well, 'cause I thought you might be willing to help me out. I don't just want to dive in head first." He bit his lip, not sure if he was feeling guilty about dragging Dita into this or dragging Kaylee into it. It had been Kaylee's idea though, the insistence that they do something to help was all her. He was just going along with it. "I'm not looking for a fight, I'd be happy enough just fixing things, but I don't think that's very realistic, and I don't want to be unprepared."
---
Dita's lips quirked at his suggestion. Really now was not the time to create a special language. Now was the time to smack a certain mechanic for being heroic. It was one thing for Dita/Zoe to be Big Damn Heroes, more Zoe than Dita, but it was another for Greg/Kaylee. He just said it himself that he wasnt' looking for a fight, but sometimes getting ready and being prepared was enough of a signal for the fight to rear its ugly head. Dita's eyes closed; for a moment, they were silent. Zoe didn't want Kaylee in war, even if Greg looked like he could handle himself with the proper training, but looks weren't everything. Dita didn't want Greg in war, especially with someone like Kaylee riding in the backseat. Her dark eyes opened as she let out a breath she'd been holding; if Kaylee wanted something, she'd pine away, or she'd go after it - she'd be forlorn, unhappy, or do something stupid. Through in the Greg variable...
"How did you think I could help? I can't run interference - everyone and their gorram mother's going to be unhappy and want you benched." She paused. "Wow, two sports references. Anyway, the only thing I might be able to do is give you lessons, train you. The head of Camelot seems to think I'm not bad." She was being modest possibly. "He got me hard too..." She turned a little and pulled her up her shirt to show the bruising on her hip and waist. It wasn't a kidney shot, but the bruise might have made it look that way. She had a few other bruises, older ones. "Jake's been working with me," she quickly explained.
"I can train you, if you want, I guess." She looked at her hip a little longer before pulling down her shirt. "I don't know when, where, or how, but I don't want you getting in something stupid - and a bat? Why did you go after a guy with a bat?"
---
"I can defend my own decisions. Margo and Max will see reason, I'm sure. And Asher's already lookin' to join up himself. Jake is the only one I'm worried about, and I'm sure I'll think of something. Eventually. When he finds out." He looked at her levelly. "The lessons though, that's I'd take you up on. I figure Zoe knows more than a thing or two. And you must know a few things about teaching even the most difficult students." His breath slipped out in sympathetic hiss when she displayed her bruises, but if that made him rethink what he was asking, it didn't show on his face.
"Why a baseball bat? Because I didn't own a billy club, so I thought I'd improvise." He tried to lighten the mood, but it wasn't actually funny at all, so he went back to the truth. "Because he slept with my wife and took my money. That sort of thing tends to upset a guy." Upset was clearly an understatement, though not everyone would have jumped straight from there to baseball bats. In retrospect, he was lucky the bastard hadn't pressed charges, though at the time Greg hadn't really cared what happened next or about the future in any way. Now he did care, but caring was looking like it might get him into just as much trouble as not caring had. Possibly more.
---
"I had a feeling you were going to ask me to do that. I don't know how I feel about it. No, I know how I feel. It's a bad idea. You don't want to be in this war - I don't either - but..." Dita shrugged, giving a small throwing up of her hands gesture. There really wasn't much she could do. If she told him know, he'd probably find somewhere else to get training, and how would she know it was good training, that he was actually learning something, if she didn't train him herself? She really couldn't trust anyone else to train her friend, one of her crew - it was a strange way to think of him and the others, but she did - they were part of her crew.
"I'm sorry." She winced at the explanation, and she understood to a degree why he'd act that way. It made sense more to Zoe than to Dita, but both women wouldn't be happy if they'd found out their man/woman had cheated on them. She reached over and gave his hand a soft squeeze. "Okay, I'll do it, but you have to promise not to go running after people or getting into fights. It's stupid, ridiculous, and then some. I'll train you." She squeezed his hand again, shaking her head. This was going to be one of her stupider ideas, she just knew it.
---
"I don't want to be in this war," he agreed. "Nobody sane goes looking for a war. But staying out isn't a choice we can live with." He wasn't even sure why he felt so strongly about this, but the more he thought about it, the more he did. Maybe because he knew he could help, and that it might help his friends. And because Kaylee had sat out of so many battles before, because she wasn't a fighter, but Greg was, so that changed things.
"I won't go looking for fights. It's just defense, in case I end up in the thick of things anyway." When she gave his hand a squeeze he held it for just a second, his thumb running across her knuckle. "Thanks. I knew I could count on you." He smiled, even as she shook her head. "Who knows, this might even be fun."
---
"Are you saying I'm insane?" Dita's brows rose, but she was teasing. He knew that she wanted this war less than anyone; Zoe'd seen things, and Dita would rather teach than harm. But, they'd do what they had to to keep theirs safe and sound. Of course, the fact that some of theirs were crazy enough to go running into battle when they did better staying at home...In some strange universe, and she was beginning to think this was certainly a strange one, it all made sense.
"If you're not careful, you'll end up in the thick of it." Her eyes dropped to their hands, but soon they were separated. It was a strange moment of affection, or not so strange. She quickly looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "You think having your ass handed to you frequently by some little female might be fun? I didn't know you were that kind of guy." The smile was definitely teasing.
---
"Only as crazy as I am." He teased her back. There wasn't a lot about their lives that was sane if you really looked at it. Of course, he hadn't had Kaylee with him that long. Maybe at some point it started to seem perfectly normal. He wouldn't want to lose Kaylee, or the crew, for anything, but it still wasn't anything close to sane or normal.
Greg laughed and grinned wickedly. "Well, I was planning on putting up something of a fight, sweetness. Nothing wrong with playing a little rough though."
---
Dita had to laugh. There really wasn't anything else to do. Greg made her laugh, honestly laugh. She swatted his stomach and grabbed up the container of sandwiches. "Com'on. You have to get on the road. You'll need to find us somewhere to train. I've got a place here that Jake and I spar at, but that's here. We'll have to figure out a schedule, and I might have Jake work with you a little. Don't want your ego deflated too much." She reached up, if he let her, and squished his face a little. "But I'll make sure to avoid your face, I'll tell Jake to do that too. Can't have you looking all beat up. Might make it hard to get a date."
She rolled her eyes and stepped away. "Com'on. You'll call me when you get back right?" The smaller version of the warrior woman would lead Greg out to his car; she was almost sad to see him go. Actually, she was definitely sad to see him go.
---
"I'm sure Jake will be all too happy to smack me around a bit once he finds out about this." He got the feeling that Jake (or was it Mal?) didn't fully trust Greg to take care of Kaylee, but it wasn't like any of them got a choice in this matter. It was getting harder to think of everyone all separate like anyway, now that they'd met.
He gave her a skeptical look when she touched his face, but he laughed again too. "No worries, I'm sure I can pull off a rugged, slightly damaged look. We could always go out after a sparring session and you could show off your work."
He walked out to the car with her, somewhat reluctant to go off on his own after spending so much time with everyone, and especially after getting to know her. He gave her an enthusiastic hug, the same way he had when he met her, although this time it was only mostly Kaylee's fault. "Yeah, I'll let you know when I'm safe and sound. Thanks for everything."