11:45 AM - Jane and Bunny
“Maple and bacon?” Her voice wavered a little, a thread of hope wound through it, but her gaze caught Jane’s and held it. The sergeant was not a woman who engaged in small talk except when the situation forced it, and she'd had no need to come up and give Bunny an opinion on doughnuts, of all things. Maybe -- it might've been foolish, but Bunny clung to the possibility that Jane was starting this conversation because she wanted to.
So even though she'd been sizing up the cinnamon sugar a moment before, wondering whether having one would taste like Christmas, Bunny reached for the kind Jane suggested instead. “I appreciate you steering me right,” she said, smiling despite the swarm of honeybees that seemed to be buzzing around in her stomach. “Thank you, Jane. Can I get one for you too?”
“Sure,” Jane replied. She had already eaten two doughnuts over the course of the morning but she’d house a baker’s dozen if it meant Bunny would talk to her. She accepted the proffered pastry on a plate from Bunny and set in next to her on the table. Jane picked off a bite and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly as she desperately tried to come up with something to say. She wasn’t sure if she should start out with small talk up and work up to the apologies or if it would be better to simply take the bull by the horns and say what was on her mind.
“I’m glad you came,” Jane arrived at finally. It was a little bit of both worlds, really. Broad enough that Bunny could interpret it and proceed with the conversation in whatever way made her feel comfortable while at the same time allowing Jane to express how she really felt.
“It was nice to look across the room and see a friendly, familiar face in the crowd.” Jane thought back to her and Coldiron’s one-on-one earlier in the morning. There had been a few tense moments but in the end it hadn’t turned out all to be the brawl Jane had been expecting. Jane had felt Bunny’s influence in both her and Coldiron’s sides of the conversation. Hazel Dolan easily made up some of the best parts of both of them. “I talked to Bode earlier,” Jane started, made a weird face, and then quickly amended, “...Coldiron, I mean.” Bode didn’t sound right coming out of Jane’s mouth. She probably could have called him Bishop (it certainly rolled off the tongue easier than Bode) but Jane saw it as a Hellhound nickname and even though she was really trying to make an effort with Bunny she really couldn’t abide the silly moniker. Coldiron may have come off, well, cold to Bunny but it felt more authentic for Jane to use than anything else she might call him.
“I tried reassure him that my friendly face looks a lot like other people’s annoyed face. Even though you and I both know it’s true, I’m not sure if he believed me or not.”
Jane offered Bunny a tentative smile. It wasn’t a joke per say but it was a step in a lighter direction.