04 - Breakfast

//--Daniel
He stands square in front of the window, arms crossed, watching the light change, until the sun is fully up. Then he pads quietly over to the bathroom for a shower.

//--GM
The bathroom is small, but very well arranged, somehow encompassing all the usual suspects as well as a glass shower enclosure big enough for three people not on speaking terms and almost deep enough to stopper for a bath. A locked door at the opposite end probably leads to a room mirroring Mandy's. Scrubbed and smelling of coconut milk shampoo and citrus body wash, Daniel heads back to the kitchenette.

//--Daniel
Afterwards he looks around in the cupboards to see if it's feasible for him to put something together later. If not, he'll call up some place he knows (or get a recommendation from Duncan, given they're in a new part of town) to have huge amounts of excellent breakfast food delivered after noon... including the scary-sounding pancakes.

//--GM
Daniel finds about three quarters of what he'd need before having to give up on home cooking, although there's plenty of mint jelly, if need be, and bagels to tide him over if he gets hungry before Mandy stirs. There was a great order-out diner near the old place, but two hours drive is a lot of cold and lumpy, even if they could be persuaded.

As soon as Daniel rings him up, Duncan says, "Well, I guess I lost a bet. Here, let Kaylee know what you're looking for..." and he hands the phone over without any further explanation. Daniel has just enough intuition to cover up the earpiece so Kaylee's delighted squeal doesn't wake Mandy. "THIS IS SO COOL!" she cries, before down-shifting into waitress mode, albeit at an even more squeaky-perky pitch than usual. Kaylee promises to have everything perfect by the time Daniel suggests, and says she'll leave everything outside, "so as not to interrupt. *giggle*"

Apparently, neither of them really sleep much, although for different reasons.

//--Simone
[I was just contemplating whether or not Daniel'd ever slept with Kaylee... Not if she were seen to be connected to Duncan in any way other than employee, but possibly otherwise. I imagine there was a lot of laughing and giggling, if so.]

//--GM
[I think Daniel might have been tempted early on, but Kaylee seems like the type to form fierce attachments, so he wouldn't think it would be good for either of them. As for whether she's sweet on Duncan, it's hard to say, given how very sweet she is to everyone... and Duncan - bless his heart - is a bit obtuse when it comes to the ladies.]

//--Simone
[Ah. Yes, on both accounts. Daniel wouldn't get involved in something that would mess up things for Duncan, and he's tried to be reasonably (though not perfectly) careful about "casual" relationships that could turn hurtful too easily.]

//--GM
[Since I imagine Daniel has done this evaluation in his mind, if only subconsciously; Sally and Nikki are made of sterner stuff, but Sally might be a bit more reserved than Daniel would like, and Nikki would probably charge for her time.]

//--Simone
[As they've been with Duncan a while, he probably has tried flirting with them, even so. Nikki sounds a bit like a challenge. I mean, hell, if she said that to put him off, he'd probably ask her to quote a rate, and he'd disappointedly say that it would only cover two thirds of _his_ rate, and so she might miss out on the glorious finish. ;-) He'd keep after her a bit. Has she no romance in her heart? Is every man a transaction? etc. But only hoping for success to the point of good nature, not past the point that she signals it's neither funny nor likely to succeed.]

//--GM
[If Daniel relished the challenge, Nikki was willing to play, and say about a year ago they had a good roll... and she left a few large ($) on the nightstand for him, like she'd lost a bet or was closing out the contest. She's been friendly ever since, but hasn't asked after that weekend, although if Daniel offered she'd probably make time for him.]

//--Simone
[Given events of the past year, there hasn't been time, but Daniel had been friendly back and not closed the door on that.]

//--GM
[Kim and Sandy are possibilities; old enough to handle bar crowds, but still with that 'fresh-from-the-nest' feel.]

//--Simone
[But they've just arrived, right? So he hadn't had a chance to lay any groundwork yet, and given he's suddenly distracted with Mandy, he puts them to the back of his mind.]

//--GM
[They were hired after Nikki's 'challenge,' but before the move - maybe nine months to a year ago. Back burner makes sense.]

//--Daniel
That done, he slides into bed alongside Mandy and encircles her with one arm before falling soundly asleep.

//--Mandy
Daniel awakens as the baby kicks under his hand. Mandy'd shifted his embrace just enough so he could feel it. Snuggling back into his arms as soon as she feels him move, Mandy purrs, "I could stay here all day, but Danielle caught mommy sniffing breakfast and doesn't want to play nice anymore." The coconut / citrus smell is fresh on Mandy again. It's been a while since Daniel was at ease enough to let a woman sneak out of and back into his bed when he was clean and sober,

//--Daniel
Never. Wow. He thinks that through and wakes up completely, suddenly, though he doesn't get up other than to move his hand over the contours of her.

//--Mandy
Mandy is quiet until the baby stops kicking, and then purrs softly at your lingering touch.

//--Daniel
"Mm. What time is it? Breakfast should be here. The only thing you had ingredients for was mint jelly pancakes without the pancakes." Daniel raises himself to one elbow and looks down at Mandy. "And please tell me you're not going to call that poor baby 'Danielle.'"

//--Mandy
"I thought 'Dani Blue' had a nice ring to it, and 'Danielle Howethorne' has a certain gravity that I like. Beats the heck out of 'Mandolynne' at least..." and then she stops cold, hardly believing she spilled her given name. She turns and fixes Daniel with a look that promises ten hells of pain if he calls her Mandolynne where someone else could hear.

//--Daniel
Daniel raises an eyebrow. "Lynne is very nice. Mandolynne is goofy but kind of sweet--sorry about the childhood tortures you must have endured, but it's really not so bad." He grins. "I admit, Dani Blue is pretty good. But, you know, having a child named after you is kind of..." he shrugs. "It's feels a little weird." He plants a kiss on the side of her stomach and stands up out of bed.

//--Mandy
Mandy covers her eyes with her hand for a moment, processing his assessment of her childhood torment. She sits up slowly, a thoughtful expression crinkling her face. "So... weird like 'I'll need time to get used to it' or weird like 'I know I can come up with something better if she lets me.' I don't want my daughter tortured like I was, for sure, and I don't know how 'Danielle' sounds to someone who's from... where you're from."

//--Daniel
He assesses his thoughts on it honestly. "I don't think I'd get used to it, but I can let it go, especially if it's really Dani to us. But Lynne has a good ring to it, if you have to name a baby after someone. Amanda's not bad." He snorts suddenly. "When my dad and I used to run scams together, he'd call me Chance. It'd make him crazy if you called her that."

//--Mandy
"Crazy in a good way? I mean... I hadn't really thought about a middle name, so Dani Chance...." She stops for a second, changing tacks a bit without entirely changing the subject. "Should we talk about last names yet?"

//--Daniel
"As far as I know Random has no 'good way' of crazy. Amusing to me, I meant." He smiles, but there's some sour to it that he shakes off. "Mm, last names. I'm not wed to those one way or the other. I use Howethorne because my mother deserves it, and it bugs Random. Again. I hate to see a baby lumped with my name because of an incident between us I don't even remember, when it's you doing all the work. Doesn't seem fair. But because of that, you can pick what you want. If you want my name for the baby, you have it with my blessing. I won't be any less attached if she has your name or some other name all together."

//--Mandy
Mandy takes all that in, kinda chewing it over with her breakfast. After a bit, "I think I'll stick with Dani for now, and worry about an alternative if she doesn't look like a Danielle to us when she's done 'baking.' When she's old enough, she can decide if she's a 'Blue' or a 'Howethorne...' or a 'Chance,' for that matter. As for how much 'work' she is, right now she's no trouble at all, aside from playing football with my insides from time to time. It's when she's out in the world that I'm a little nervous about... but Duncan says he'll make any accommodation we need... assuming we can stay here." Another question seems to dance behind her eyes for a moment, but she files it away unasked.

//--Daniel
"I know he will fulfill any promise he's made. And he's no stranger to this situation. When you're here you're in no danger of being alone, if you take the help that's there for you. And I should be here pretty often... I was even before I had so much more reason to come by."

//--Mandy
"They are really great. I've already got a few volunteers to go to the birthing classes, which shouldn't have surprised me, but it did." She nibbles her bottom lip briefly before asking, "Is that... something you want to volunteer for, too? I realize you can't promise too much, but I'd really like it if it were your hand I was breaking when I squeeze Dani out." She smiles playfully, but can't hide the hoping behind her eyes.

//--Daniel
Daniel smiles, but is all serious. "It is too important a thing for me to promise, Mandy. The way time flows between places... I know I will have to do some travelling between now and then. I lost six months here in a week there last time. What I can promise is to tag back here often. And you can use that card of me that I showed you, if it's getting near the time. What I can't be sure of is if I'll be in a position to answer."

//--Mandy
"I'm just glad you want to. If you can't make it, I might curse you out more in your absence, but I won't stay mad. How can I argue with the flow of time, right?" crinkling her face slightly at the sound of what she just said. "I'll call, and you'll try: that's all I'd ever expect."

//--Daniel
"If you're not getting this breakfast, I am." He goes straight to the door, naked, and unless stopped he opens it, picks up the trays or bags or whatever, brings in the food, and kicks the door shut behind himself with his heel.

//--Mandy
Mandy leans enough to get the whole show as you walk to the door. The big serving cart with the lawn tractor wheels crouches in the hallway, with three big (2') covered hotel serving platters stacked on its three shelves. Getting it all in one trip is a minor feat of agility, but from the expression on Mandy's face, Daniel would guess he looked good doing it.

//--Daniel
He grins at her and give a little bow.

He starts laying stuff out on the little card table and on the tray on the bed, then heads to the kitchen for silverware.

//--Mandy
Giggling, "Are we dressing for breakfast, or are you planning on using up the rest of my mint jelly?" her eyes flicking between the 'spreadable' portions of your anatomy and her own. "I've never had breakfast with a man I've slept with, so I don't quite know the etiquette here." (No palpable dismay in her words - just an amused statement of fact.)

//--Daniel
Daniel picks up a piece of bacon and starts eating it. "What? That's one of the best bits! Giant. Freakin'. Breakfast. Personally I'd rather eat it than roll in it, but I don't know what you foreigners prefer, so I'll take my cue from my hostess." He sits down, smiling happily, with a plate carefully covering his lap. He starts to fill the plate with absurd levels of food.

//--Mandy
She watches him pile it on, her smile starting to bubble into laughter. "At least you won't be teasing me about MY appetite." She leans over to grab Daniel's shirt off the floor and tugs it on without bothering to button anything. If Daniel moves toward any of his clothes, she stops him. "Unless you're chilly, you can just stick with naked breakfast, sir. So speaks the hostess," smiling as she stacks on the pancakes.

//--Daniel
Daniel is too busy eating to bother trying to get dressed, but he does say after a swig of coffee, "The hostess is strict!"

//--Mandy
Mandy seems to think better of the 'hostess' game for the moment, too blissed out to play bossy for long.

//--Daniel
He eats, enjoying everything, until completely full, then tips over sideways onto one elbow with a happy sigh. "I'm going to regret that last biscuit. I hope we don't have to run anywhere soon. It would create an embarrassing spectacle."

//--Mandy
"You should talk," Mandy says, teasing them both in equal measure. "I'm not sure how much you tinkered with my schedule, boss, but - worst case - I shouldn't have anywhere to be until six tonight, at the earliest. You've got time to sleep... or work all that off."

//--Daniel
"Mmm. Sleeping. Sleeping and working with more sleeping."

//--Mandy
She continues nibbling at her food, pausing occasionally to play with Daniel's hair or otherwise let her fingers and toes wander over him. "Do you think Duncan can spare me for another night?"

//--Daniel
Daniel sighs. "Probably not without me stretching his patience." If she looks worried, he adds quickly, "Don't worry, he'd blame me, not you. But I should check in with Oshi, and I'm waiting on a call from Random. Which is not to say I won't be around when your shift ends, if you're not too exhausted. And even if you are, I figure I owe you at least a zillion backrubs for your tolerance before. I'm really really sorry about... what I put you through."

//--Mandy
Mandy puts her breakfast aside, as she hadn't eaten anything in the last few minutes anyway. "I can't promise that I won't put you through some stuff before this is over. I'm gonna get scared, and I might even get mad. Tell you what; I'll accept your apology, if you promise you'll take mine when I make them." She leans in close enough to seal the deal with a kiss.

//--Daniel
He returns the kiss, accepting. He raises an eyebrow and looks straight at her. "You keep doing that with your foot and you won't be getting a lot of sleep before work."

//--Mandy
In a sweet, husky voice, "Why would I need sleep? I've been dreaming since I brought you up here last night." She lets Daniel's shirt fall to the floor. "I've got hours I wouldn't waste sleeping with you here... and we can always finish up in the shower if it gets late."

//--Daniel
Daniel grins. "You have a way with logic that is difficult to argue with." He scoops the breakfast things off the bed onto the tray and gives it a gentle push to send it a few feet out of the way.

He lets Mandy lead him to start, but in spite of her words he is mindful of the likely mismatch between his stamina and hers. In a few minutes, he changes the power dynamic so the pace is his, and concentrates completely on pleasing and exhausting her before letting himself finish like a low sweet note at the end. Lying spooned up behind her, he evens his breath until she sleeps, sets an alarm for them in time for her to shower before her shift, and burrows back into sleep himself for a few hours.

//--Mandy
It takes Daniel a little longer to wipe Mandy out than he'd anticipated, but they'll both have almost two hours sleep before the alarm goes off. When the buzzer sounds, Mandy immediately slithers out of the bed to shut it off, then rummages for work clothes before heading for the shower. She's quiet unless Daniel strikes up a conversation, or moves to join her.

//--Daniel
"Mmm. Mornin' again." He puts his hands behind his head and watches her appreciatively. As she's stepping into the bathroom, he adds, "Lemme know when you're ready for the shower. And do you have a spare toothbrush in there?"

//--Mandy
She slips into the bathroom, comes out and hands her toothbrush to Daniel.

//--Daniel
"Paste," he adds, holding out his hand.

//--Mandy
Mandy blinks, spins, goes back, returns with both paste and floss, "Just in case." She goes back in, slightly hurried, even though she isn't due for almost an hour. Through the door, "Sorry, I haven't entertained anybody here who had to walk any farther than the elevator to get home. ...Well, I'm not sorry, exactly, but... you get the idea. The only thing I did to prepare for you coming over is three months out of date."

//--Daniel
Daniel listens, amused, to her patter while he quickly brushes his teeth in the kitchen sink.

//--Mandy
She sounds a little frazzled, and it takes a while before she finally unlatches the bathroom door and invites Daniel to join her in the shower.

//--Daniel
When she opens the door Daniel politely but firmly pulls her out, kisses her, and goes inside, leaving her there whatever her complaints. "Bladder," he says briefly as he closes the door. He lets her back in a minute later.

//--Mandy
She does look like she's going to protest, but catches herself. Through the closed door, she mutters, "Sorry... should've realized."

//--Daniel
In the shower Daniel washes Mandy's back and helps with her hair... sensual but not too directly sexual, and lets her wash him, too.

//--Mandy
She's nibbling at her bottom lip a lot, and balancing herself with one or both hands against the shower walls, like she's really into it. This is apparently a girl who's had very little pampering in her experience.

//--Daniel
I would guess given how close she lives, they'll get her to Duncan's in plenty of time unless she's really insistent that they delay... Daniel is reasonably responsible when he's straight, but he's not going to force someone else to be if they insist otherwise

//--Mandy
As you switch places, Mandy starts fairly slowly, one hand low on Daniel's waist as she runs the knit loofah up his back with the other. Just loud enough to be heard over the shower jets, she says, "I hope you weren't too disappointed after breakfast. You were great, but I guess I just didn't realize how tired I was."

//--Daniel
Daniel tilts his head back to speak without interrupting what she's doing. "Hey, pregnant lady, you were delicious. And it was my turn to focus on you. Besides, I've got a long way to go to make up for fumbling around on a rat-infested concrete floor. I can't believe you let me pull that shit on you. I was not exactly at my most magnetic."

//--Mandy
"You were a lot more charming before you started shooting up," she explains, blushing for both of you.

//--Daniel
"Who isn't?"

//--Mandy
"I know this might sound funny, but I knew from the moment you shook my hand that you were something special, something different. Someone I wanted to know, because I might never meet someone like you again. It's not like there was a long line of 'princes' beating a path to my door. One night with a guy who could convince me that he might care whether I lived or died after just meeting me - rats and all - beats the hell out of all the guys who couldn't tell me from a warm hole in the floor. I had a few ulterior motives, sure. You had money, and I wanted to earn as much as I could talk you out of. Maybe latching on to a regular gig, instead of scratching by, ducking crazies every night. Not wanting to miss out on... whatever you were. I didn't set out to get knocked up, and I still don't understand all you're mixed up in, but I don't regret anything, even now. If things go badly with your family, or your business, or the things Duncan will have me doing, at least I'll be hurting for a reason, instead of for just being in the way of some Old Town freak on the wrong night."

She stops, clinging to Daniel's back, trembling even with his heat and the hot water. Whispering now, more felt than heard, "I'm going to have to apologize for being scared sooner than I thought. This is as close to the fairytale as I could imagine, and I... I don't think I could take it if you told me the slipper doesn't fit now."

//--Daniel
He turns to look at her, assessing something. Finally he says, "It really depends what the slipper means to you. If it means you've got a friend and sometimes lover, and a person who cares about you and our daughter, you've got him in spades. But I watched my father kill a woman with grief for his absence, and I swore I would never do that to another living person. I would never, never do that to you. But I can't control the variables: time, distance, shadow... as yet--and possibly always--those things are beyond my level of ability. If that means that to avoid it, there are promises I won't make to you. I won't break your heart later on the strength of an easy lie now, Mandy. It's not in me."

//--Mandy
Her trembling eases. "A man who doesn't want to lie to me is all the slipper I need, Daniel." A sobbing laugh breaks free of her throat. "Damn...." She turns her face into the falling water for a moment to recover herself, and then faces Daniel squarely. "I'm going to love you a little, and maybe miss you a lot, but I promise not to waste away waiting for you. If I had you thinking I wanted you to marry me, I'm sorry. Maybe it was that 'nesting' thing I've heard about talking. You might be the sweetest man I've met, and you're certainly the best lover I've ever had, but we hardly know each other. So long as you aren't cruel with the other women you need and don't bring any sickness back to my bed, I think I can let you come and go as you please... but you might not want to test me while Dani's still growing in here." She smiles, the last of the unease falling away. "I'll try not to get so twisted up, now that I understand you a little better, but I'm not as level-headed as I'd like to be right now. This is all new to me."

//--Daniel
"Fair enough, Lady." He kisses a drop of water off her nose and lets the shower finish rinsing them both. "And now we should get out and get you to Duncan's... and me for that matter."

//--Mandy
As she steps out, handing you the smaller towel while she starts drying her hair with one almost suited for the beach, "Are we still on for that backrub afterward?"

//--Daniel
"I would think so."

//--Mandy
Regardless of Daniel's answer, she dries and dresses efficiently, pausing only to playfully lament the uniform that ended up dusting the floor for a day and night after only being worn for an hour. Just before leaving, she asks, "Are you planning on telling anyone what we've worked out, or is it just between us?"

//--Daniel
"Heh. I'll be playing that one by ear, as far as family goes. I'll tell Oshi, of course. And trust me that she'll help defend you and the baby should the situation ever come to that. Beyond them... I dunno. If you're comfortable with it I'll tell Duncan as well -- or let you; you're call."

//--Mandy
She tries not to, but you catch Mandy wincing at the mention or Oshi, just a little. Changing the subject without even saying anything, she says, "Let me talk to Kaylee before you talk to Duncan, and maybe we can keep it to just them for now? I'm not sure the other girls would be as friendly if they thought I was claiming you, even just as my baby's daddy."

//--Daniel
"Your welcome to try and keep that secret. Of course we could invite them all over and put paid to the 'claiming' thing." Daniel looks at her with big, mock-innocent eyes. Interrupting his own tease, Daniel winces. "Damn. When I called for breakfast Duncan and Kaylee both got the news we'd slept together. Of course that doesn't mean they know about the baby and me..." He knits his eyebrows together for a moment, then shrugs. "Anyway, I don't think you have to worry so much about them thinking you've claimed me, or about anyone being upset about it. Actually the only one of them I've had any active thing with is Nikki, and, well, that was more of a challenge than a fling for both of us."

//--Mandy
"You think a party would smooth things over? I just don't want to cause a stir. I don't know if you realize, but even the new girls think the world of you. Sally and Kaylee wouldn't let me believe you weren't coming back for even a minute. If you think it'll be okay, we can be out with it; secrets are a hassle anyway."

//--Daniel
Daniel smiles at the described show of loyalty, and answers honestly, "I have no idea for sure if it will be okay, but my guess from knowing these folks like I know them is, yeah, it'll be fine. But I don't know everyone around here well... not the two relative newcomers... uh, Kim and Sandy? Then again, Duncan hired them. That says a lot."

//--Mandy
"You're probably right. I think it'd be okay, and if someone does have a problem, it'll be their problem, not mine. It's not like Duncan will put up with any catty shit anyway, from me or anybody else." She smiles. "Heck, I feel like partying, and I'm sure Kaylee won't take any persuading to help set it up."

//--Daniel
"No, she would not." Daniel grins to himself at Mandy's insistence on not getting his original jibe.

//--Mandy
Daniel can sense that she's trying not to look for things to be cross about.

She pauses, her eyes downcast for a moment. "As long as we're coming out with stuff, I guess I should ask: While you're here, will I be enough to keep you content until Dani arrives? I don't want to have to swear off of you to keep her safe from whatever you might bring back to our bed. If it's just me, I can trust your good judgment, but I won't risk her. I can't."

//--Daniel
"Neither would I. I know this doesn't answer the question you're asking, but if it's of any interest, I don't get sick. I don't catch and I don't carry--well, I guess if we were all swapping around in the same room I could carry, but I doubt that'd happen with people we don't all trust anyway. There are things out there that can hit me, but our traditional bugs? Uh-uh." He shrugs, a little apologetically. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to derail your question. I guess the answer is, I don't know. Right now I am full of you and wanting more. But like you said, we don't know each other nearly as well outside of bed as in it. You may find my taste in music appalling. Or... secretly I like mint jelly pancakes. You know, something that's a real deal-breaker."

//--Mandy
From the sound of her only half-suppressed laughter, you'd guess the mint jelly pancake thing is the baby talking. Mandy seems relieved that you aren't taking her too-too seriously.

//--Daniel
"But seriously, if you need me to know the answer to that, give me a little time. I know it's not fair to keep you hanging if you've gotta know for yourself; I can make a decision if you need it known."

//--Mandy
"I don't want to paint you in a corner, and right now I can't picture getting enough of you either." She thinks a moment, hovering just inside kissing range. "The doctors said I'm good until eight months or so, and there's things we can do even after that... assuming we don't find enough common ground with our clothes on, of course. I guess I'd just like a little notice - maybe a few days time, if you can manage it - before you look elsewhere... and maybe a few private hours to talk you out of it."

//--Daniel
Daniel's eyebrows go up as he considers that. "Geez, that's harsh, 'a few private hours to talk you out if it.' Harsh on you, I mean."

//--Mandy
Sounding for a moment like a nature show host, "Clearly, I am not a girl unaccustomed to harsh working environments."

//--Daniel
He reaches around her and hugs her from the side, planting a kiss on her temple. "I can definitely let you know if I'm wandering that way, assuming the wandering is local rather than... farther afield. Getting stuck out there, that's my big worry for you. There's not much I can do about it if it happens. Hence the card. And let Duncan know you have it, too. He's been working ages on a way to contact me out and about."

//--Mandy
"Duncan's known for months. I let him keep it once you were overdue, so he could keep trying to reach you. He said I could have it back whenever, but I didn't think I should be carrying it around all the time. Seemed a little too 'stalker' for me." She grins.

//--Daniel
He finishes dressing and helps scrape all the breakfast stuff clean enough to put the dishes in some bags on the cart. "I guess we'll wheel this back to Duncan's, eh?"

//--Mandy
Mandy rearranges the task so she's scraping and you're stacking, and then lets you take the cart as she grabs both coats and her work apron. "Right behind you."

//--Daniel
Daniel heads over at a companionable pace, being careful of the cart. He's looking forward to checking in with everyone (and I believe he just yesterday received the bass from the queen, so there's that, too -- he just has a sense he wants to get his hands on it) and talking to Duncan, who has his head on straight most times.

//--GM
Kaylee is there to take the cart as soon as you two are back in the building, all smiles. Something about her sudden appearance gets Mandy blushing, but Kaylee scoots away with the dishes fast enough that she's not on the spot. Mandy hangs her coat, puts on her apron, and turns to Daniel, saying softly, "I guess I'll see you after... not that I won't see you during...." She seems a little flustered.

//--Daniel
"I'm going to talk to Duncan about just that." Daniel smiles a little mysteriously, kisses the side of her neck, grabs two cups of coffee with whiskey in 'em, and heads off to find him.

//--GM
Kissing her seems to calm her down... but not enough for her to ask any questions.