Wry and Watchful (wryandwatchful) wrote in solsticerp, @ 2011-03-23 22:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | jane, june 29 2009, sean |
Monday: Remembering How to Get Along
Who: Jane and Sean
Where: some trees down by the beach
When: Midday
Jane was off work already. She'd gone in at five, and gotten off at noon, and she really didn't want to go home. Well, okay, didn't want to stay home. Her house didn't have air conditioning. So she'd stopped by, changed into cut-off shorts, picked up the little monster, and called her brother. One of the ones she could stand.
Now she was waiting down by the beach, in one of the few patches of shade she'd been able to find, with the little monster romping around in the sand and sun ahead of her, his little chicken-wings spread and all six legs pumping and tossing sand everywhere. He was almost cute. Well, "he". She didn't know whether it was male or female, but "it" was getting old, in her head.
Sean had been considering getting a haircut when Jane called him. The fact that his sister had taken initiative to spend some time with him meant a lot, and definitely took precedence over cutting his shaggy hair. Since he was meeting her at the beach, Sean dressed in his faded jeans and a t-shirt, leaving his jacket at home since the weather outside was ridiculously hot. He shoved his cap on over his messy hair, scratched absently at the growing stubble on his cheeks and chin, and then headed out to meet Jane. On his way, he stopped by one of the side street shops and bought two bottles of water.
He was already halfway through gulping his before he found Jane by the beach. She'd brought that.. thing with her, which caused him to wince, but thankfully there weren't many people around. Smart folk, he reckoned, staying inside where it was cooler. "Hey," he greeted as he approached, offering her one of the bottles.
"Well, look who's looking scruffy?" Jane said, looking up at the sound of his footsteps. She took the bottle-- she already had one of her own, but it was almost gone, anyway-- and motioned for him to sit. The little monster scampered over to pounce his foot, though since it didn't have claws and wasn't trying to bite, it probably wasn't going to hurt any. Jane was just a little tense, ready to beat somebody if Sean tried to kick it. The thing wasn't even as big as his foot-- probably only half the size.
Sean didn't kick at it, since it belonged to Jane. Although that didn't mean he wouldn't have give the thing a little boot if it did try to bite him, which so far, it hadn't. He tried to ignore it instead, which was a bit difficult since it was on his shoe. "Scruffy?" Sean reached up to touch his cheek again. "Yeah, haven't had time to shave," he lied with a shrug. "Been meanin' to get a haircut, but... eh. Don't look too bad, do I?"
"It's a good look. Lots of people out here in the West are all scruffy," Jane assured him, while her pet tried to chew on his shoelaces. "Hey, stop that," Jane told it, reaching over to scoop it off and toss it off into the sand once more. Readily distracted, after a little mouse-like squeak of protest, it went back to playing in the sand. The hot sun didn't seem to bother it any.
"Oh! Well, brilliant then. I was hopin' to fit in." Sean finally sat down, thankful for his hat. The sun was hot today and he had a feeling he was going to be walking home with something close to a sunburn, even in the shade. "How've ya been?"
"Oh, moderately rotten, but that's life," Jane shrugged. "Joel and I got stuck on the ferry yesterday, when it broke down for no reason." And her job was rotten, too, and potentially stalked by crazy moron escapees from an insane asylum. She wasn't going to mention the last part, though. The last thing she needed was them worrying about her more. "You?"
"Heard about that," Sean said. "I went over t' the island on the ferry before that one, t' see Sorcha. But why moderately rotten? Can't just be because of th' ferry." Maybe she and Joel had gotten into an argument. Which wouldn't have been too surprising to Sean, since Jane seemed extremely argumentative.
"Huh? Oh. Just work. I got a shitty job bagging groceries. We'll see how long I last before I get fired, or get caught with my gun under my shirt and get arrested, or something like that." Jane pushed her hair back and picked up her first bottle of water-- it was old and had been refilled from the sink many a time-- to polish off the last of what was in it.
"Ah." Sean tried to imagine Jane at work, bagging someone else's groceries with a scowl on her face and a gun hidden on her person. His lips twitched, wanting to smile, but he somehow managed to resist. He looked at her with an amused look in his eye. "Don't get arrested. I haven't got th' bail money t' get you out."
"Hell, neither do I," Jane grumbled. "Won't even have rent until I get a paycheck. I'm hoping to not get arrested, no. But it's still possible. Maybe then I'll have to take Joel up on his offer to spot me." She rolled her eyes, at that idea. The little monster came trotting back-- however he managed, with all siz legs moving in concert, she hadn't yet figured out-- making the creeling noises that usually meant he was hungry. "Again?" she demanded of him, which only got her another creel.
"Did he offer? That was nice of Joel." Even if Jane wouldn't see it that way. Somehow it wasn't surprising for Sean to hear that bit of news. Despite being apart for so long, Sean firmly believed that the desire to help one another out was still instilled in every single one of them, even if it was buried beneath conflicting emotions. Sean cocked an eyebrow at the animal, insect, whatever the hell it was. "You get anymore news on what that thing is?"
Nice, sure. Wanted? Not so much. Jane half-turned to dig into her shoulder bag for the baggies of cheese, fruit, and lunchmeat she'd brought along for the monster, then settled back facing front again to open them. "Nope. Though I'm guessing some weird kind of mammal, maybe related to rodents." From the face and body-build, anyhow. The feathers and egg suggested bird, but there was no beak, and what bird had such a round, rat-like body?
"Yeah, I can see that," Sean said with a wide grin. Rodent for sure. The thing was ugly and he still didn't trust it wouldn't grow into some horrific monster that wanted to eat Jane. Not that saying so would do him any favors. "You seem to be takin' care of it all right though. It's not givin' ya any trouble, is 't?"
"Aside from wanting to be fed and played with at all hours of the night, no," Jane said, and fished out a cube of cheddar for it. The little monster sat back on its haunches and criiiiiied. "He loves cheese," she confided in Sean with a grin, of her own-- as if it wasn't obvious!-- and then tossed the cube to it. It pounced on it and began gnawing away happily, long tail thrashing around behind it.
Cocking an eyebrow, Sean tried to look interested in the thing. How odd that Jane's little monster creature could prompt a smile out of her, but her own siblings couldn't. He wasn't sure what to make of that. "Clearly," Sean said, as Jane fed the thing. "Let's hope he doesn't start craving something else, yeah?" Like flesh and bones.
Rolling her eyes, the smile fell away into exasperation. Maybe she could smile at the little monster because he expected her to take care of herself and him, while all her brothers-- and her sister!-- seemed to think she was stupid and helpless, besides. "I'm his mother, as far as he knows. Only insane humans attack their own mothers, not animals. Jesus, you and Will both. Look at him. He's not going to get any bigger than a cat-- if that-- and his teeth aren't even all that sharp. He's not dangerous, and he's not gonna be."
Snickering, Sean pulled his cap off, revealing his shaggy, tousled hair. He ran a hand through it, scratching absently at the back of his neck. "Maybe it's an insane...whatever it is, that'll attack it's mother once it's bigger. You can't know, can you? I'm not sayin' he's gonna be dangerous, I'm just sayin' you don't know. You can't even tell me what it is, Jane. I don't care if ya wanna keep 'im, it's your choice. I'm just tellin' you what I think."
"You could act like you trust my judgment, instead of like you think I'm a moron who needs to be told her new pet might be psychotic," Jane retorted. As if anything in the little monster's behavior suggested he might be "insane" at all! He acted, at worst, like a spoiled puppy, not a budding attacker-- not like a "monster" at all. No, it was just some stupid fear of the unknown, however harmless it might appear, and over-concern for her, like she couldn't think for herself.
"Never said you were a moron," Sean replied simply. "Never said I didn't trust your judgment either. Just worry about you is all. Can't stop that part of me. I'm your brother... it's in my DNA to worry when there's somethin' I see that I can't really explain." He could only express his concern, and that was that. If the thing did end up attacking Jane, there would be non-verbal looks of 'I told you so'. "You're a grown woman who can make your own decisions. I'm not stupid enough t' think otherwise."
"Then stop harping on stuff you've already told me," Jane sniffed at him. "I'm well aware you think the little guy is going to be trouble, and you're well aware I don't care, so stop bringing it up like I need reminding. Okay? If I can't take care of myself, at least when it comes to something as small as him, then I don't deserve to be out here at all." And since she could, she did, dammit.
Sean nodded, shrugging his shoulders gently as he brought his knees up and rested his arms on top of them. "Yeah. But I think ya need to get it through your head that we're not all out to get ya, Jane. You don't have to fight with us on everythin' we say, or any concern we express. It doesn't mean we don't think your capable of takin' care of yourself, and it doesn't mean we think your a moron."
She scowled at him. "Maybe if you people didn't express a concern over every little fucking thing, it'd be easier to ignore," she shot back. She leaned over to give the little monster a small chunk of turkey, and he licked her fingers once before plucking it up and scampering away with it. "Besides," she added, a little more quietly. "I'm used to being on my own. Anyone who had 'concerns' about me, before, usually wanted to shove them down my throat. I don't like having people 'concerned' about me. Means less people to tell me I'm messed up. I'd be happier if you all just minded your own damn business and kept your noses out of mine...."
"What have I expressed concern over, besides that thing?" Sean asked, motioning toward her pet. "You've got family here, so you're gonna have to get used to people bein' concerned. No one wants concern. Do ya think Joel wants it? Or Sorcha? No, but they've got it anyway. It's part of bein' a family." He wasn't arguing with her, and his tone wasn't defensive, just matter of fact, and calm. Sean didn't like arguing, or fighting, but that didn't mean he was going to back down when Jane was so obviously wrong about them. Or at least him. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "You think it's easy for us to stay out of each others business at this point?"
"I manage just fine," Jane grumbled at him. Sean had expressed his "concerns" before, she was sure of it. Just because she couldn't remember right this minute what it had been about didn't mean it hadn't happened. And Sorcha sure as hell had been "concerned"-- the only reason she was here were those stupid dreams. She scowled quietly for a minute more, then gave up trying to remember the rest. "Just stop harping about the little guy, okay? I get it, you don't like him, whatever. You can stop reminding me."
"Sure." Sean shrugged again, grateful that she didn't seem to want to continue arguing. He didn't know if what he'd said got through to her at all, but he wasn't going to apologize for being protective of her. Maybe she didn't like it, but that was life. "I really didn't mean t' give ya a hard time about 'im."
"Yeah, well, you sure all manage to do it, whether you're trying or not," Jane muttered, and picked the little monster up when he came trotting back, setting him on her shoulder. "He's sweet," she explained, wishing Sean-- and any of them, for that matter-- would just accept that and not expect him to start chewing on her face at any minute. "And he doesn't ask anything of me except to keep him fed and to play with him now and then." She scratched under one wing, and he thrummed contentedly.
"Or maybe you're just too defensive," Sean pointed out. There was no 'maybe' about it. She was, but that was just part of who she was, and they would all have to get used to it. His gaze landed on the thing that was now on Jane's shoulder. "If you say he's sweet, then I believe you. I've only seen him the couple times we've been together and you brought him. Since you're still in possession of all your limbs, I can't say much else about it, can I?"
"No," Jane agreed firmly. "You can't." She wasn't going to comment about being to defensive. Being defensive was instinctive, now, after so long having to defend herself just to keep herself safe, and she couldn't stop if she wanted to-- and she didn't want to. What did it matter to her, if her family didn't like it? Maybe it would get them to leave her alone about stuff they didn't understand. She shook herself out of that train of thought, and said, "Whatever. Enough about me. I'm sick of me. Tell me how you're doing."
Sean thought that question over before finally answering. "I'm fine. Nothin' special goin' on with me, other than makin' plans to research the town a bit. Talked to Sorcha yesterday about it. Gonna go to th' library and look up some old newspapers around the solstices in the past to see if anything strange was reported then. Odd things are happenin' around town every day, but sometimes they're so vague, no one's really noticin', ya know?"
"All I really noticed was the storm, and the stuff that washed up after," Jane said dubiously. She'd heard about the fires, she supposed, but not much else. Most of her attention had been taken up by the job search, the little monster, and the escaped insane asylum inmates. "What else's been happening?" It would be better to know, and thus be prepared, she figured.
"Th' fires, storms... th' weather alone is enough to catch my attention. Th' birds at th' lighthouse yesterday. I know that might not seem like much, but somethin' like that is odd, especially since there were doves. How often do ya see a dove, let alone that many? Dead bodies bein' found." Sean paused and replaced his cap on his head. "Stuff not many people would pay attention to, but I do."
"Dead bodies turn up all the time, back in New York," Jane agreed. "I suppose turning up in a town like this is something different, though...." Huh. It did sound pretty weird. She hadn't heard about the birds at the lighthouse, but that was probably the weirdest of all. Weather could be confusing at the best of times, there were insane inmates on the loose to kill people, but a bunch of random doves at the lighthouse? Very weird. "What did Sorcha think of it all?"
"Definitely different. People notice more in a small town. Place like New York, ya almost expect it, yeah?" It just made sense to Sean, to research. To look at past occurrences, try to lock them all together. He glanced at Jane with a sheepish smile. "I didn't talk to Sorcha about it much. She seems t' have a lot on her mind. Th' weather could easily bring in a bunch of birds to the coast, but... doves? And all around that lighthouse. I don't know. I've gotta look into it a little bit more. See what I can find out about th' town, and th' people who live here. The locals don't seem all that surprised by th' stuff goin' on."
"Which means it's kind of normal, or at least close enough to normal to not freak them out too much," Jane mused. "Lemme know what you find out? If there's a problem to deal with, I wanna help out." She could earn her keep a little, better than just with a job at the grocery store packing up people's food. She always felt better when she had a hunt to focus on.
Nodding, Sean glanced up at the sky, squinting a touch at the sun. "Yeah, of course I will. I'd keep all of ya in the loop, especially now." Sighing, Sean shook his head. "Guess I should see about buyin' a new gun. I haven't used one in a really long time, but I imagine nothin' much has changed in the way of loadin' and shootin' em, right?"
"You don't have a gun?" Jane repeated with a startled blink. "Fuck, man. How'd you get along without a gun?" No, they hadn't changed much-- unless he hadn't had a gun in a decade, or something, which would be really stupid and insane. She was amazed he hadn't gotten himself killed yet. Unless, unlike the rest of them, he somehow managed to avoid the trouble she imagined followed all of them... kept his head down. Which she guessed was possible. He didn't really strike her, now that she thought of it, as the kind of guy who liked trouble.
Laughing at Jane's reaction, Sean shrugged. He wasn't terribly surprised by the look on her face. Hell, most of his siblings would probably look at him the way she was. "I haven't... let's just say I stopped hunting a long time ago. After... th' accident, really. I dunno why, so don't ask me, but... that's just how it is. I know how to take care of myself without havin' to use a gun to do it." Is this where he admitted he didn't go to church anymore either? Why not just see if her eyes could bug out of her head.
"What accident?" Jane asked, eyes narrowed. She looked him over suspiciously, as if she might find some scar or something that could explain why he'd stopped carrying a weapon. She didn't really want to know how he took care of himself without a gun-- probably he used magic or something. Ugh.
Sean glanced at her again and then frowned. "Their accident," he said, not wanting to say their parents names. Or even mom and dad. He never talked about it, even to people he felt close to it. Just thinking about his parents sent up an icy wall inside of him and made him want to withdrawal quickly. "In any case, like I said, I do fine without guns. Or at least I did. Things might be different here."
"Oh." Jane looked sour. That accident. She didn't really want to think about that, either-- that had been the turning point that turned her life to shit. Instead, she focused on the time interval-- it'd been that long? Seriously? Jesus, how had he even gotten by? "They might be. If things are really as weird as they seem like. I know I wouldn't go without a gun, in this town." Though she had different reasons for that. If she'd had a gun during that incident at the quick-mart, she'd not be having the problems now she was having, and life would be much more bearable. "I might have an extra, if you want one, at least until you get your own."
Sean didn't need to point out that Jane probably needed a gun. Sean didn't. He had his magic, and his strength, whatever benefit that may be. He'd just never felt the need to hunt after losing his family. Or believe in God. Or anything that would provide any bit of optimism in his life. Depressing, yes, but it was what it was. "Maybe. We'll see, I guess. If I really need one, I'll let you know. I don't want to jump into anything that might get me, or someone else killed."
Another thing Jane didn't want to talk about: other people in her family with their magic. Maybe if she had something like that, she could get by without a gun, too. But she didn't, so she couldn't, and she made do. She gave him another suspicious look at his waffling, but let it go, scooping the little monster from her shoulder and letting him hop down into the sand again. "Whatever. It's your choice, I guess."
"Yeah, it is," Sean agreed with a small nod. Just as that little creature was Jane's choice. Still, he smiled at his sister. "You can always give me shootin' tips again, if I get a gun. Help me make sure I haven't lost my touch, yeah?" Maybe it would do him some good to go to a shooting range somewhere, just to get a feel for a gun again. Hell, he might even have one in his trunk, from when he packed up a moved from New York. Who the hell knew what he had packed back there.
See? Jane could stay out of her family's business if she wanted to! Like not harping about him having a gun to protect himself. She could totally do that. The suggestion that she help out, though, brought a surprised and even slightly shy smile to her face. When was the last time anyone-- family or not-- had wanted her advice? "Well, sure. Whenever you want, I'd love to."
"Okay, then. I'll let you know when," Sean said. Of course he'd ask for Jane's help. He had no hesitation in that. She was strong, and seemed to know how to take care of herself. Sure, she was stubborn as hell, but she was a McDonnell, wasn't she? They were all stubborn, some just more so than others. "What're you plans for the rest of the week?"
That made Jane more happy than she would have cared to admit, which was also kind of embarrassing. She focused on her little monster, rooting around in the sand again. "Work, work, and more work-- speaking of." She glanced at her watch. "I've still got half an hour until I gotta be at mine. Good. You're not looking for a job around here, are you?" She glanced sideways at him curiously.
"Uh, yeah, sorta? Tryin' to find somethin' decent, that I can concentrate on. Was considerin' the library, or goin' into a book store to see if they're hirin'." He had grown used to working around books, and he couldn't see himself pumping gas, or bagging groceries. Only if he got really desperate. "You need a ride home or somethin'?" Sean couldn't imagine Jane was going to take that 'thing' with her to work.
"I've got my car here," Jane said, gesturing vaguely back in the direction of the highway. "So I'm good. But thanks." Lucky bastard, he could get a job at a bookstore. Well, probably, anyhow. She knew she wouldn't last a day in a cushy kind of job like that. It was probably her own fault, anyway, but that didn't mean she couldn't be jealous. "I'm working grocery. In case you ever come looking."
Sean smiled and nodded. "All right. Yeah, actually I may see you sometime soon. Gotta get groceries. Will's a hungry lad, yeah? Wonder how it was ma fed us all properly with how many boys she had." Maybe he'd hit up the library on his way back to the apartment. Check out some old newspapers, and maybe get an application. What better job to have than at the library, where he'd planned on spending most of his time anyway?
"Boys and me, I probably ate as much as you guys did," Jane snorted, but without any actual annoyance behind it. She didn't know that she liked the idea of her brother seeing her in the worst job ever, but it was bound to happen eventually, so she'd best get used to the idea. There were only so many grocery stores in town. It wouldn't hurt to be prepared, though. "So, what, should I be expecting you to drop by today, or something?"
He grinned, thinking she probably had a point there. It just made him admire their mother all the more, that she was able to handle as many kids as she'd had. Thinking about his mother just brought back small bits of dull pain, so he tried to push them away as he focused on Jane again. "Nah, probably not today. Gotta get some stuff done. Maybe tomorrow, if Will and I finish off everythin' in my apartment. There's always take out too, yeah? Why not throw more money down th' drain."
By now, Jane was pretty good at avoiding thinking of their parents. Not even them, really, but about the contrast of before and after. She didn't even have to try, now. "Well, tomorrow I work early as hell, so if you wanna see me, get there before ten." It'd be murder, she knew it, but hey, it was money. And early work meant she was more likely to be gone well before those idiots came looking for her-- she'd take that, even if it came with lack of sleep, over the alternative, any day. "And you should definitely not get more take-out. You'll wind up getting pudgy." She reached over to poke his belly and grinned at him.
"You think? I thought I could use a few more pounds," Sean said, glancing down at his stomach and patting it heartily. "Girls like meat on their men, right?" He was tall, and lanky and Sean was pretty sure he could eat a dozen cakes in a day and still not gain an ounce. He didn't fear becoming overweight, but it was also a pain because he wasn't as strong as he'd like to be.
"Don't tell me. You're one of those amazing-metabolism jerks who can eat whatever they want and not gain anything?" Jane rolled her eyes. Somehow, she'd missed out on that metabolism, but since without it she was able to put on muscle, she supposed it was an all right trade-off. Just meant no dozen cakes a day, for her. "No fair, man. No fair at all."
Sean laughed and lifted his hands in exasperation. "Gee, sorry! I can't help it. If I could gain a thousand pounds, just to make you happy, I would. 's not like I got everythin'. There's trade offs, yeah? I bet you've got skills I'd be envious of. Like, I'm sure you can shoot a gun better than I can. You're probably in better health than I am too. Don't worry, all that take out is takin' it's toll on me, it's just not showin' the affects of it yet."
"Yeah, I know I am. I'm probably way stronger, too. I could probably break you in half, if I tried." Jane gave him a jokingly speculative look, as if to gauge just how much effort she'd have to expend to break him in half. "Just would be nice not to wonder if I'm going to turn flabby on top of everything else if I have too much fast food."
"Aw, come on. Are we gonna do that?" Sean asked with a lopsided grin. "We all know boys are much stronger than girls. If you broke me in half, it's only 'cause I let you." He was teasing her, of course. Sort of. He knew how girls reacted to that macho guy bullshit, and he was sure Jane would glower at him for it.
"Uh-huh. Which would totally be why my arm's bigger than yours," Jane answered, giving his shoulder a little punch that was-- mostly-- playful. Since he was teasing, and she was moderately sure he was teasing and didn't actually think that, she didn't glower. This time. "Wimp."
"Don't test me," Sean warned playfully. "We'll end up arm wrestlin' and then you'll be mopin' the rest of th' day when I kick your arse." Of course he would arm wrestle his own sister. Hell, she'd probably welcome it. Sean sort of saw Jane as the type to start problems in a pub, challenge a man to a drinking contest or something equally as silly.
He would be right. Jane made a face at him. "Yeah, right, I'd probably be throwing you into the sand. Maybe next time." She probably really should get going to work. Or home, with the little monster, and then work. "You got any parting words for your dear little sister, or should I just hit you again before I go, assuming they were stupid?" She shot him a joking grin.
Sean laughed and lifted his arms up in surrender. "I think you ought to just hit me. You'd hit me anyway, no matter what I might say." It was nice to see her smile, and even joke around. Jane seemed so serious all the time and Sean had started to believe that maybe the scowl on her face was permanent. It was a relief to find it wasn't.
Jane was capable of something other than a scowl; you just had to know the exact way to go about it, that was all, and be careful not to hit any of the many landmines in her personality. At the moment, Sean was doing okay. She snickered, and punched his shoulder again at the invitation, but it was even more gentle this time, and didn't even hurt a little. "There. We're even, based on whatever stupid thing you were thinking." She picked up her bag and the water bottle he'd brought, preparing to get up and go. "I'll see you-- what, tomorrow at work, I guess?"
Sean pushed himself up, idly brushing his hands against his jeans. "Yeah, tomorrow. I need some groceries anyway, so I'll say hi." Maybe he'd bring Will, if the guy was up to grocery shopping. "Be safe, all right?"
"I'm always safe," Jane said, which was probably a big fat lie, but whatever. She could look after herself. She picked herself up, too, and moved the couple paces away it took to collect the little monster. It protested being picked up, flapping its little wings, but it could do more than that, and cry at her, and it stopped both when she gave it another cube of cheese to chew on. "You be safe, too," she told her brother, turning back to him.
He nodded, grabbing his bottle of water to take back with him, even though it was a bit warmer now than before. Damn hot sun. "I'll be safe," Sean promised. He didn't feel like giving that little creature a pat on the head, because Sean didn't really want to touch it if he didn't have to. It might like his sister, but she had food to give it. Sean was paranoid enough to imagine the thing taking a chunk of his finger off. He started off before glancing at her. "You want me to walk you back to your place?"
At least that wasn't something Jane expected: nobody had to touch her pet but herself, they just had to not act like it was going to turn on her at any minute. So she didn't take any offense, or anything. "You can walk me back to my car, if you want, but it's kind of a long way back to the house," she quipped at him, starting towards the side of the highway where she'd parked. "And I'd want to drive it, anyway. Since I don't think I could get there and back here before I had to be at work, and stuff."
Sean shrugged and followed after her. "Might as well walk you back t' your car then. Make sure no idiots are gonna hit you with their vehicle on th' way." What was he going to do if they did? Use his superhuman strength to stop it? In any case, it was the mere principle of walking her safely to her car. "Thanks for th' company t'day, Jane."
"Hey, everybody needs company sometimes, and you're better than an idiot in a bar," Jane shrugged, thinking of her usual "company". She preferred to be alone most of the time, but when she wanted company in the past, well, bars were pretty much it. She didn't have friends.
"Thanks," Sean said wryly. "Always good t' know." He walked with Jane, pleased that they had gotten through the visit with minimal arguing. Getting to reconnect with his siblings was amazing and unexpected, but he also realized it would take some time for them all to be comfortable with one another, despite how badly Sean wished he could just snap his fingers and be close to them again. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Jane." He reached out to touch her shoulder briefly before turning to head off. A hug didn't really feel right, and he wasn't sure Jane would reciprocate anyway.
For a flash of a moment when he turned away, Jane almost wished that he had hugged her, like he had when she was just a kid. The flash didn't last long-- she knew perfectly well she would have been pissed at him if he'd tried, and she was glad to have gotten through a conversation with a sibling without bloodshed, herself-- and it annoyed her that she'd even had it. "See you," she said, back, and then ducked down into her car, dropping the little monster onto the passenger seat. "Stay out of trouble," she told it, and then slammed the car door and revved up the engine. Time to get a move-on with her day, heat or no heat-- brothers or no brothers.