The Universe's Mixer

Ted was excited to hear from the Mayor and learn if he had a new job or not. He'd managed to keep it from Charlie, to keep from even hinting at it, which wasn't easy. But he didn't want to jinx it. He wanted to be able to go to his friend and say 'Hey! I got a job with the Mayor!' and have it be a complete surprise. Though, since the Mayor was going to use Charlie as a reference, maybe it wasn't going to work out quite like that.

But at least Ted would get to say the confirming words.

He was just leaving his favorite little coffee shop to go home. It was almost dinner time. He was hoping to get to have dinner with his friend and a quiet evening just reading or something along those lines. Maybe they could pop in a movie.

If he'd spoken this aloud, maybe Ted would have had the thought that he and Charlie had become like a married couple. Since he didn't, he wasn't worrying about it at all. Just looking forward to the potential night.

As he turned the corner, he ran into somebody. He backed up and tried to scoot out of the way with a muttered apology, but the guy mimicked his movements. Ted's attention centered, then. The guy was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with his hand in the front pocket, and there seemed to be a heavy bulge there.

Ted sighed.

The bulge - a gun, Ted was sure - was waved at him, and he looked behind. There was an alley there. He was going to be mugged in an alley. That was great. That was really fantastic.

He carefully backed himself into it. He wasn't the kind of guy to fight back. He just hoped this ended with the mugging and didn't get any more serious. If he just did what the man wanted him to do, maybe then he'd get away with his life.

Jack hadn't had much time for working out over the last few months. He was stressed and a physical outlet was definitely in order. He'd found a dojo in the City and he was now suited up and ready for a workout.

The class he'd signed up for went well and afterward, people started to break into pairs for sparring. Jack took his station near the wall and watched as each pair fell into the graceful dance of trading blows.

Sam had heard a rumor, and he wanted to check up on it, and make sure he wasn't completely crazy. Not that he had any doubt that it was possible. After all, he'd seen stranger things in the city--like King Kong on the front page news. But it had been him and Dean for so long--and most of the time these days they just did their own thing--that hearing about someone else from home was a bit of a surprise. So he headed off in search of the roadhouse, determined to keep driving until he found it.

And sure enough, he did.