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After bringing Phaerna back from the pediatrician to have her sudden growth spurt examined (and only to be told, incidentally, that he worried too much), Talon had taken the rest of the day to simply relax.

Dolphin had called no less than eight times wondering where he was and he'd not answered a single one. Most people would have advised him against burning bridges at this point, but he'd already signed the contract. He was good for three years of work unless unforeseen difficulties popped up.

"Hold still, Zhane..." he muttered, trying to drag a comb through his son's hair.

"OW!" the child complained swatting at his head every time the toothy piece of black plastic passed over his scalp.

"Well it wouldn't hurt if you'd hold still." he replied impatiently. "Your sister has a lot more hair than you and SHE behaved." Phaerna, for her part, sat on the couch hugging her mouse plushie to her chest in silence, her brown hair tied back with a bit of blue ribbon. It was like comparing apples and oranges, really. Phaerna never protested -anything-.

"Owowowowow! No more!" Zhane demanded, making a grab for the comb.

"You behave yourself, or you're not going with me and your mother tonight." Talon warned. The child's eyes instantly lit up.

"Mummy!" he grinned. It had been nearly a week since any of them had seen Yeande last.

Talon's green eyes watched Zhane for a moment, and then looked sidelong at Phaerna. The two toddlers were dressed in nicer-than-usual clothes that just BEGGED to have things spilled on them or to get torn. Somehow, he knew this was all going to end in tears. "Come on." he told the children, plucking Phaerna off of the couch into the crook of one arm and taking Zhane's hand. "Let's get this over with."

Saying so, the three of them headed out of the house toward Youko's residence.

When she opened the door, she was greeted immediately by two children latching onto her before Talon even got a good look at what she had on.

"Mom-eeeee!" Zhane grinned, flinging his arms around her waist....or as much around her waist as he could, at least.

Talon tolerated it with a sort of resigned annoyance, having gotten used to the idea that not only did kids reflexively favor their mother, but that they were going to be the first to get to hug her as well. As such, he settled for leaning in to plant a kiss on Yeande's cheek.

"You look wonderful." he told her softly. "Ready to go?"

As far as she knew, this was just a dinner date. He'd still not told her about the job shift.

Talon's wings reflexively tensed and then relaxed. For a brief moment, he wished that he'd been able to talk Karma into babysitting after all. Christ, HOW long had it been since he and Yeande had had a moment alone together? But then, he'd been the one stuck with the kids the last week or so and Yeande hadn't seen them at all...that would hardly have been fair.

"Let's get going, then." he nodded, reaching down to pick up Zhane, despite their son's protests that he wanted to walk himself as he let Yeande continue to hold Phaerna and headed for the Honda. "Our reservations aren't for another forty-five minutes or so, I just want to make sure they don't give our table away"

He'd never made reservations before. He'd never HAD to make reservations before. You didn't need them at places like McDonalds or Taco Bell, which had been the extent of his dining out experience. But you certainly needed them at a place like Casa Bonita. A week in advance, even.

"No occasion. Not really..." he wasn't a very good liar, but no, it wasn't their anniversary. Not even as obscure of an anniversary as the day they'd met. He didn't think so, at least. Hell, he couldn't remember.

Opening the left back door, he fiddled with one of the two car seats taking up the space, shoving straps aside and adjusting shoulder loops before placing Zhane into its clutches and buckling him into place. He was almost reaching the age where he was too big for carseats entirely, but for now it still sufficed. It struck him with a sort of bittersweet force to see that Zhane would soon no longer be a baby of any description.

"How have you been feeling?" he inquired, closing Zhane's car door and moving to open the other side for Yeande so she could buckle in Phae. "I tried to call last night and Youko said you'd gone to bed early."

Talon blinked at her, startled. The mental image of her standing over an empty crib and crying was, honestly, heartbreaking. But if that were the case, why was it she'd left HIM with the kids so often lately? He wanted to ask, he nearly did, and at the last moment thought better of it.

"I didn't know." he said quietly, stepping forward to gather her against him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry it had to come to that, but I'm glad they're helping." It was yet another case of being ill-informed due to living under two different rooftops. No wonder there was zilch communication between them these days. Maybe that was something else they needed to discuss.

...they needed a subject change anyway.

Drawing back from her and heading for the driver's side door, he fumbled the keys out of his pocket, unlocking his door and then reaching in to unlock hers for her.

"Its getting awfully crowded in either of those houses." he stated. "I think that might be part of the problem."

Talon's eye twitched slightly. How had SHE heard about it? It figured he'd be the last to know Karma was having another baby. That still didn't mean he felt bad for blowing up at her about it, though.

"We miss you too. Badly." he told her, putting the key in the ignition and starting the car. A moment later, they were rolling out of the driveway and on their way. "That one complains every time I give him a bath that I won't give him soap horns like you do, whatever that means." he added, pointing at Zhane in the rearview mirror who was waving at every car they passed.

"...that and I hate having to ask permission to spend the night with you." he added, flushing a bit unconsciously. That was always lovely and awkward. Its not like Youko didn't know what would be going on when Talon and Yeande closed themselves up in her room for the night, and it made the whole thing just a tad more awkward as he wondered if anyone was listening.

"But...don't look into a job just yet."

"Right." he agreed. Well, at least she was receptive to the idea. He'd been worried there would be theatrics about not wanting to leave the rest of the extended family behind. That had been all well and good when the "extended family" consisted of Karma, Dave, Youko, Envy, Kendall, and Raven, but things had quickly gone downhill about when the fa'e kids had shown up, and quickly following them, several others.

Now either house was like a goddamn page out of a Where's Waldo? book.

"It might happen sooner than we think, you never know." he told her, braking for a red light and putting on the blinker to turn into the restaurant's parking lot.

"Doggie!!" Zhane announced from the back seat, pointing at a man walking a lanky Great Dane. "Ist Doggie!"

Phaerna looked up from staring off into space and turned her head to see what her brother was talking about. Eww....BIG doggie. She clutched her mouse a bit closer and frowned.