Look what the cat didn't drag in. Who: David and Felicity What: Dave surprising his sister When: 10.11.11 - Tuesday Evening Where: Felicity's house Warnings: None really save for some language
Dave had been plotting about moving closer to his sister for a while now but things all fell into place. He found a nice house that was in his budget and close to his sister and then got the opportunity to take on a job in and around the memorials in Washington D.C. and everything just seemed to be perfectly laid out before him. So he snatched up the opportunity, spent the weekend moving and most of Monday and Tuesday unpacking and getting his place in order. He decided that it was about time to surprise Felicity and when it was well after the time that she was to be getting off work, he headed over to her place. He wasn't excited about seeing Brutus the evil cat of doom, but it was a small price to pay to get to surprise his sister. Knocking on the door, he waited patiently for her to come to the door, somewhat hoping that the little bastard cat was sleeping somewhere. Like Hell for example. That'd be nice.
Brutus had been napping until that knock on the door. He cast around and let out a little hiss, scurrying under the couch. That was a hint to Felicity it was somebody her cat didn't like. Which was a long list of people, really. He was a fussy thing, the poor baby. "Coming," she called, as she walked across the living room. She'd ordered dinner from the Chinese place near work, feeling like indulging herself a little. Sometimes, the best way to unwind from and be prepared for another long day at work was to have a glass of wine and something disgustingly fattening and bad for you.
She smiled brightly when she saw her brother standing there. "David!" she greeted him, grabbing him with her free arm in a hug. "You should have called. I would have ordered extra." It wasn't like him at all to come visit the night before the full moon. "Okay, what did you do? Tomorrow's the full moon. You never visit then."
He hugged his sister back and grinned a little at her. "Well where's the fun in that?" he questioned. "I wanted to surprise you and that wasn't going to happen if I called first," he pointed out. "And must you have so little faith in me? I've done nothing. Well, nothing bad at least."
"Oh well, it isn't like I can't just order more food," she agreed, letting go so her brother could come into the house. "The driver can probably use the tips, what with the economy the way it is." Felicity chuckled. "Well, it explains why Brutus bolted for under the couch. You might want to sit in my chair until he slinks off somewhere else." She gave him a look. "I didn't say you did anything bad. I said this unusual timing makes me think something's up. So while I pour you a glass of wine, you can sit down and tell me the good news."
David entered the house and did take her seat instead of the sofa. That little fucker would have taken the opportunity to rip into his ankles sure and certain and he'd be damned if he let him have the pleasure in doing so. "Well, I've got a few things to tell you," he admitted. "First I guess I'll start with the fact that I got a new job." Which was nice and he was still pretty much on cloud nine about that. "Pays a lot more than the last one," he added.
Brutus stayed under the couch, but he let out a nasty hiss when David sat down. He growled a few times at him for good measure, only thing visible of the cat himself under the couch was his furious yellow eyes. Felicity shook her head, pouring her brother a glass of wine and bringing it over to him. "Well, congratulations," she said, giving him another hug before handing him the glass. "I'm so glad for you. Where are you working?" She sat down on the couch, smiling happily for her brother.
David growled right back at the little bastard under the couch, but only once and as quietly as he could manage with Felicity still around and likely to reprimand him. "Thanks," he said, accepting both the hug and the glass of wine. "At the monuments and memorials in D.C.," he explained. "Which meant that it was going to be a pretty decent car ride until I decided to move. Which is what I've been doing all weekend."
Felicity rolled her eyes at her brother. "Leave him alone, Dave," she scolded gently. "He's just afraid of you because you're the bigger, badder predator here." They'd been through this before. Every time he came to visit even. Digging a piece of shrimp out of her combination fried rice, she dropped in on the floor just under the couch. Brutus immediately surged forward to retrieve it, never talking his eyes off David as he skulked back a few steps to enjoy his treat.
She smiled even more at that. "So you moved to the city?" Felicity said. "You should have told me. I'd have helped you find a place and move in." She was glad to have her brother closer, regardless. "And look at it this way, now I can visit you and leave Brutus at home."
"Well not all the way into the city," he told her. "The lights and noise aggravate me, but yeah, not far from here," he explained. "And I like the sound of that. Leave him at home. My house is a no cat territory." Which was a firm decision as far as David was concerned. "I would have told you, but I didn't want you to think I was doing it just to check up on you. Even if that is kind of why," he sighed. "I just don't like being that far away from you, even if you do choose to live with Lucifer."
Felicity nodded. "Understandable," she agreed. "I don't care for it much myself. That's why I live in the 'burbs on the edge of the woods. Much quieter." She took a drink of her wine and shook her head. "I know you did it partially because of that. I don't care, so long as your closer. I like having you around, even if Brutus doesn't." She grinned a bit and fished the cat out from under the couch and into her lap. "You poor baby," she cooed. "He won't hurt you." Feeding the cat another piece of shrimp from her dinner, she managed to pacify Brutus enough he settled for just glaring at David. "You'll have to give me the insider tour of the monuments."
"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm on the edge of a wooded area too for obvious reasons. And I'm going tomorrow to that Mercy place for the full moon. Seems easier than heading out to the damned police station. Less intrusive." The fewer questions he had to answer, the better as far as he was concerned. He watched his sister coddle the fat orange cat and contemplated how delicious the little fucker would likely taste. He didn't say as much, however, knowing just how much Felicity loved that damn thing. What she saw in him Dave had yet to discover. "I can do that," he agreed with a little nod. "I'm supposed to start up fresh next week and they're really great about giving me the moon off and the following day which is nice."
They'd grown up in such a house, which was probably why they both had chosen similar locations as adults. Their childhood had been nothing but happy, which was why Felicity always held David had coped so well with his curse. He'd had a good, supportive upbringing. So many of her clients lacked that base to start out with. "Hmm, oh let me know how it is," she said. "I've been looking for places besides the police station to refer my clients to. I just haven't heard any firsthand reviews on Mercy's whole setup and everything." Brutus decided he'd had enough shrimp and David watching him and stalked off towards the kitchen. Felicity shook her head at the both of them. "That's great," she told him. "I'm glad they're understanding. More places are than people think."
David was tempted to chase the little bastard as he made his way to the kitchen, but he fought that urge and let him go. "I'll let you know how it goes," he agreed. "I talked to someone on the phone about it and it sounds pretty decent. They've got security detail and the sedate everyone so it's a lot better than the usual alternative." He didn't want to think about the negative effects that could happen when a cursed were wasn't contained. He was living proof of those happenings and he didn't want to relive them ever if possible. "So how are you doing anyway?" he asked her. "How's work?"
She nodded again. "I've been curious," she admitted. "But yeah, security is a must. Last full moon there was a hunter out there gunning for weres. He was never caught and he actually got a few. I try to discourage my clients from just going loose into the woods. Makes them too vulnerable and it's too close to populated areas to be safe." It was sad when they didn't listen, but she couldn't really force them to do anything. She shrugged at his question, picking up her chopsticks and taking a few bites. "Same old, same old," she said. "Trying to save the world from its own mental breakdown without chemical intervention. I finally got Rupert to ask Izumi out. So that was a bonus."
Yeah, anything close to populated areas, especially this close, wasn't the smart option. David had done his share of stupid things over the years, but he was smarter than that now. While being caged wasn't something he cared for, it was a small price to pay for the safety of everyone around him. "Really? How'd you manage that one?" he grinned. He didn't dislike Rupert, but the man was a bit high strung for his tastes. It seemed he was always fluttering about doing this or that and David was far too laid back for that to mesh very well with his own personality.
Rupert was a total spaz, bless his soul. Felicity adored him like another brother, but his ability to panic over his personal life was exhausting. It just wasn't that critical. Felicity grinned and took a drink of her wine. "Want some?" she offered him the carton of food she'd been eating out of. "There should still be a couple of egg rolls. I was planning on not cooking tomorrow either." Felicity shrugged. "I told him I was tired of watching them not look at each other and sigh like lovesick teenagers. His sister has a new boyfriend who's quite a bit older, so it gave me the perfect opening to push. Really, you'd think a shrink would be more willing to tell conventional hang ups to go take a flying leap."
Dave shook his head. "No, thanks. I'll probably eat something at home later now that I'm all unpacked and situated," he smiled. As for Rupert and his lack of initiative with Izumi, David just chuckled. "Well it's about time anyway. Maybe she can loosen him up a bit. He's wrapped up so tightly that sometimes I'm worried he's just going to snap," he admitted.
"Your loss," she said. "I need to take you to this place. The food is fantastic. Rupert eats there nearly every day. I think he may be solely responsible for the place staying open for a couple of months there." Felicity took a few more bites. "Honestly, I hope she does. He needs to relax. Unwind. Stop worrying about everything. He should know better. Stress is bad. He never takes time off and works way too much." She shook her head. "Not that I haven't told him all of this. Repeatedly. But doctors make the worst patients." She gave her brother a grin.
"Nearly every day?" he questioned, blinking a little at that little revelation. How the man remained as thin as he was eating that sort of food every day surprised him but more than that was how he was alive eating like that every day. Dave liked Chinese food with the best of them, but he couldn't eat the stuff every day. "How is he not having a heart attack with all of that MSG and whatever else that makes it taste good in there?" he asked. He agreed that Rupert needed to relax. "Maybe you should force him to take a vacation," he commented.
"I have tried to get him to eat food that is better than this," she assured her brother. "He's one of those men who thinks if it isn't bad for you, it doesn't taste any good at all. I'm his business associate, not his doctor or his wife." Which answered the other question. "I sicced Izumi on him. Which will hopefully relieve all kinds of stressors. I'll set her on his diet next, because like you said, it just can't be good for his arteries." She shook her head. "As little as I like quote old wives' wisdom, sometimes it is right. He needs a good woman to sort him out. Because he's doing a crap job taking care of himself."
It wasn't Dave's problem. Rupert would take care of his own arteries or he wouldn't and that was just the way it was going to be. Perhaps Izumi would take care of getting him to do better with his food. Either way it didn't much matter to Dave. Rupert was a grown man. He could do what he wanted. "I can't say I blame him much. Listening to other people's problems all day must make him want to eat to hide his own."
Felicity rolled her eyes. "You don't take your work home with you," she reminded him. "That is why I live in my little quiet house on the edge of the woods and spend my me time listening to calming music, reading funny books and watching romantic comedies. I get enough drama at work for a lifetime. When I get home, I want to relax and enjoy myself. Which is basically what dear Rupert has forgotten how to do. Enjoy life."
"Sounds like Izumi has her work cut out for her," he said, shaking his head a little. He sure as hell didn't envy that poor woman and the task she had to accomplish. Or at least the man she had to deal with. She was a braver and more calm soul than he.
Felicity smiled. "She's a very strong, smart girl," she assured him, getting up to put away her food for later. She could have a very unhealthy breakfast tomorrow even. "I have faith. In the meantime, I am content that I have no such drama in my life. I have yet to find a man who wants to cheat on my job with me." She gave her brother a grin. "How about you?" He'd just moved, so she doubted he'd made any connections yet. But it didn't hurt to ask.
"Well men must be stupid then," he commented. He didn't know what was wrong with people in this town if they let his sister go without a serious dating partner this long. He hoped they'd wise up sooner rather than later. As for his own love life, he shrugged. "I'm still holding out for the girl I feel like I can trust to tell everything to that isn't my sister," he smiled. "I might be waiting a while."
Felicity rolled her eyes. "Please, like I have a lot of time to dedicate to it?" she reminded him. "Not everybody wants to be with someone who works crazy hours with crazy people. I'm not too worried about it. It isn't like I don't date." She nodded. "Well, if I meet her, I'll send her your way. In the meantime, you're on your own there, big brother." She grinned. "Although maybe we should go to the new place opening this weekend. Bar and grill, Jayne's boyfriend owns it with his sister and her guy or something. Details are shaky, but sounds like your kind of place. I know I could use a night out."
Dave didn't doubt that the right guy would come along for his sister and that he'd hate him on principle because that was what big brothers did. Going out that weekend, however, sounded pretty good to him. "Perfect," he agreed. "It'll give us some more time to catch up. I can show you the place before we head out," he offered. "Make a day of it."
"Then it's a date," she agreed. "You want to spoil your dinner with some ice cream? I have plenty to share. I have been good about rationing it. I don't need it, really." David was lucky to have a were's metabolism. She didn't get off that easily. "Oh good, that gives me time to get you a housewarming gift you'll stare at and wonder what I was thinking and never drag out unless I'm there. Works for me."
"Ice cream sounds great," he agreed. He didn't comment on her not needing it because as far as Dave was concerned his sister was perfect just the way she was, thank you very much. "Buy me a George Foreman grill and I'll use it," he smirked. "Or anything that helps cook meat for that matter. Or you could just give me Brutus. He'd make a tasty treat."
Felicity meant healthwise. She exercised, watched what she ate, destressed and did everything she could. Losing weight hadn't happened with all of that, so she'd learned to accept herself as she was. It was a little hypocritical of her to criticize Rupert's lifestyle if she didn't keep her own regulated. Scooping out a much larger portion of it for him than herself, she brought the bowls back into the living room. "Okay, cooking apparel we can do," she agreed, then shoved the ice cream bowl into his chest. "You do not want to eat Brutus. I have heard that predators taste terrible because they have no body fat. And he's eight years old. So he's probably not even tender. And you wonder why he hisses and growls at you? He knows you want to eat him."
"He's got plenty of body fat. The thing probably weighs twenty pounds," he told her, smirking a little when she shoved the bowl against his chest. "I'm sure he'd be delicious the way he eats around here." But he left it at that. It wasn't his fault that Brutus was an ass and growled and hissed at him every time he came over. He'd started it, Dave was sure.
"He weighs twenty three pounds," she corrected. "Or at least he did at his last vet's visit. He is not all fat. He has free run of the great outdoors and get plenty of exercise." Especially chasing the mailman and scaring off the nearest neighbor's dogs when they wandered into his territory. Yeah, Brutus started it. She could see that. Right. "Eat your ice cream and stop picking on lesser mammals, ya brat."
Dave rolled his eyes. "I've been around longer, you should side with me, not the heathen," he commented. Brutus was a hellion. Attacking dogs and the poor mailman. "One day he's going to attack some random kid and you'll have a lawsuit," he teased. "And you'll be all 'I should've let Dave eat him when I had the chance'," he grinned, taking a bite from his ice cream.
Felicity rolled her eyes back. "The little heathen is an animal who is only following his instincts," she reminded him. "You should not take anything he does personally. You have the ability to think higher than he does." She snorted. "He's a cat, he avoids children. Except for Odette, because she's quiet and calm and brushes him."
"Yeah, yeah," he said, shaking his head and deciding that this fight would just be postponed until the next time he visited. It was an on going thing the whole time she'd had the damned cat and likely would continue until it keeled over. Unfortunately Dave was pretty sure that Brutus would outlive him. Only the good died young, after all. "More visits at my place," he told her. "Problem solved."
It was not a battle David could win. She'd had Brutus for eight years. He was her baby. Yes, he could be a bit spirited at times, but he was a sweet kitty most of the time. He'd kept her company when she was lonely since her roommate had gotten him for her as a graduation present. Which was probably why he hated most males. He was jealous and possessive. Like most men were. "Agreed," she said. "Then I don't have to listen to you whine about how the big bad housecat is such a threat to world." Really, it was ridiculous.
Sweet kitty. Right. And Satan sold ice water to the people in hell to make it more manageable to live there. "I'm not whining," he told her, even though he totally was. "Eat your ice cream and quit siding with your evil spawn."
Felicity rolled her eyes. "You are whining," she told him. "But don't worry, I can love you both, even if you hate each other." She grinned and shook her head. "I'm glad you moved here. I missed you." She didn't like to go too far into that feeling, because it often led David down the guilt lane about how long he was gone from her life. She understood that. But she was glad he was back and that was all that mattered.
"I missed you too," he told her, flashing her a little smile. "I don't like living that far from you anyway," he said to her as he took another bite. "It's not right. You're part of my pack, I should at least live in the same damn city." If he'd really had his way about things, he'd likely have moved in next door if he could have found a house that made that possible.
She smiled. "Exactly," she said. "So I'm thrilled you moved here. Now you'll worry less about me. And I'll worry less about you. Everybody wins." This gave them some personal space, which was good for both of them.
"So how long will it be before you start setting me up on dates?" he teased, flashing her one more smile. He was glad she didn't take any offense to him moving closer. It made his wolf less stressed and him less stressed as a brother. Like she'd said. Everybody wins.
Felicity laughed. "Is that a request?" she asked. "Because you realize I don't know any single women who really should even be considering dating right? Okay, I take that back, but somehow, I don't think my professional friends are your type." Dave was good looking, friendly and sweet. If he really wanted to attract females, he could do it on his own.
"I think I'll try to find someone on my own," he told her. "But it's not something I'm really trying all that hard for. It'll happen when it's supposed to happen," he shrugged. He knew he wasn't getting any younger and his inner wolf wasn't happy with his thoughts about 'it'll happen eventually', but there wasn't much the wolf could do about it. Thus far no woman he'd been with had interested the wolf much at all. He figured he'd know when the right one came along and until then, he was fine on his own. "Maybe we'll both find someone this weekend," he teased.
She shook her head. "Hey, you brought it up," she reminded him. "So long as you are open to the idea, I am not going to nag you about it." She shrugged. "I'm with you. It'll happen when it's supposed to happen. So I'm not worried about it."
"I'm open to the idea," he told her. "Just have to find someone I think can handle helping me carry all my baggage." He wasn't going to lie or withhold any of his own truth for a woman. Whoever he ended up with had to accept him and all the shit he'd done and been through in his life. It sure as hell wasn't a small task. "See, that's the way to live anyway. Besides, I'm not done having fun yet," he grinned. He hoped he wasn't done with fun for a long time.