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The door opened and a bell rang over the door loudly, and kept ringing. Three tall males had just stepped in, but the first one was so broad through the shoulders that the other two had to move to be noticed. "So we're just gonna stop here before taking me back to school?" a familiar voice asked. "Kinda... cutesy for you two, don't you think?"

"Don't diss it, boil, this place has cinnamon rolls bigger than your head," the biggest man said, grinning wickedly. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he asked, catching sight of a very familiar looking baku girl. "Isn't that--"

"Xiu?" Roch asked, looking over.

"Dad, Granddad," Roch said, slapping each in turn with the back of his hand before moving to stand between her and the two. "Xiu, uh... what are you doing here?"

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Just look at this place, he thought. "Never mind, I ah, think I know already. We're just here for the cinnamon rolls--"

"We're waiting for The Pumpkin Park to open," Austin said, draping an arm over Roch's shoulders. "It should be open in fifteen or so, you want to come?"

Roch jerked, looking up at his dad incredulously.

Roch blinked down at the little guy. "Dude, that look doesn't work," he told him, digging through his pockets. "My cat gives it to me ALL the time," he said, pulling out a little baggy of jerky and tugging out the last piece he had left.

"Is this guy yours?" he asked Xiu, taking a bite of the meat and offering the uneaten part to him. "This is how I passed my exams, too. But seriously, you don't--"

"You won't be interfering! Hell, since it IS his sixteenth birthday, I'd think he'd WANT one of his pals along, right?"

Roch jerked. "Jack, it's the fifteenth?" he asked blankly.

"He'd love that," Austin said before Roch could speak. "After we have some breakfast, that is. Have you gotten yours yet?" he asked her, grinning.

"Ah, you don't gotta get me anything, seriously!" Roch said, a bit of red creeping up the back of his neck. "Besides, how would you have known when I didn't even remember? Hell, I didn't even bother telling people about my first birthday, I probably wouldn't have mentioned this one, either--"

He blinked as Austin rubbed the side of his head again. "Would you STOP that? You creeper," he complained, shoving at the hand.

"Hell no!" Roch said. "These two played this trick on me the other day, so they're paying for EVERYTHING today," he told her, jabbing a thumb at them. Austin snorted.

"You're the one that actually bought the whole 'out of gas money' line," Austin said shamelessly. "So we got a little show out of it. And by the way? Bones is gonna have your a** for that little sliding problem you've picked up."

"Just get me a cinnamon roll," Roch said. "Bones can yell at me later," he added, clearly showing he knew EXACTLY what he was doing wrong.

"Because I asked Lattice for it," Roch said, grinning. "Ain't it gorgeous? I wanted to get this cuz--" He stopped, looking at his dad and granddad with a slight frown. "Well, cuz I wanted her to see me coming next time," he said blandly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You know... in case something's happened, I wanted her to know we were comin'."

"What... other than stuff from her group, would happen to an Engraver?" Austin asked curiously. "And kid, if you think I'll let you get involved with Engraver business, you got another thought coming."

"Not her clan," Roch said. "Just... things. Xiu, you want a cinnamon bun too?"

"We got ten minutes!" Vegas called from where he'd taken over one of the delicate looking tables, making it look like a toy set. "So pick and get movin'!"

"At least tell me what you want, you annoying old geezer!" Austin called back.

"One of those cinnamon buns, hell boy, why you think I chose this place?"

"Xiu, seriously, if you got plans--or a date--or something, you don't have to--" Roch started out. "I mean, this is just a last minute thing, and I doubt that--I mean, if I was--"

He couldn't say it. He jackin' well couldn't say it, and he had been SO pissed at Lizzy when she did something just like it. He ran a hand over his face, feeling like such a hypocrite. Here his dad was, dragging her on a jackin' DATE--although did it count as a date if parents were involved? No... then it was more of a--well, he didn't know for sure, he'd never been taken places with friends by his dad, but obviously nothing could happen that would make it date-like. Not even hand holding.

Ahh, this sucked. But still there was this stupid little smile on his face as he BS'd his way through letting himself drag her to the amusement park without guilt.

"We'll take four of your cinnamon rolls, extra frosting," he dad said, jerking him back to reality.