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 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:21 pm
Maia looked concerned for a moment, and then saddened. That meant Toby and Dari we're going away for a while. What if something happened to them? "Oh, when?" she asked. "You'll be safe, won't you?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:24 pm
He knew she wouldn't feel too good about being alone, but her face punched him right in the gut. Dari reached out and touched Maia's arm.
"The day after tomorrow, and yes, we'll be safe," Toby said. Of course he actually had no idea. Some things supposedly benign ended up dangerous. It was impossible to tell until you were in it. "We'll go to the lake when we get back, alright?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:33 pm
Maia still seemed concerned, studying each of them. Her eyes lingered on Dari and she wrapped her arms around the alien. "Take care of him. And yourself."
The day after tomorrow? That was short notice. "Alright," she agreed.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:47 pm
Dari accepted the hug and gently rubbed Maia's back in what he hoped was a comforting manner. "I will."
Two days later, or three if you counted midnight a new beginning, the partners were getting prepared to leave. Toby had purchased a new cork board specifically to help Maia during this time.
"We can't give you our numbers, but if we get some time we'll call, okay? It'll come up as 'private number' and either a strong of zeroes or 'private number,' I don't really remember." Toby was standing in the kitchen with his luggage, speaking rapid fire. "So that's Lori's home number, and that's Annie's, and that's Lori's address. If you need him you can call him, he just lives around a couple blocks. This is all of the delivery places and here's a card for food or whatever you need." He was gesturing to each thing, and lifted and dropped the debit card. Dari's. He had offered it. Toby's would keep them afloat in the field. "This is the police non-emergency line, and the emergency line is nine-one-one, but I'm sure you'll be fine. I think you should be good with food if you feel like it. Throw the chicken out in three days or throw it in the freezer if you don't use it. Uh..." He turned to Dari. "Am I forgetting anything?"
"How would I know?"
Toby turned to Maia. "Am I forgetting anything?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:57 pm
"Yes," Maia said, hugging Toby tightly. The info was all good, he'd certainly covered everything. "This." She kissed his cheek. "I'm gonna miss you guys. Be safe." She hugged Dari too, so Toby wouldn't suspect. That was the last thing he needed on his mind when he was busy on The field.
"Try to call at least once," she said.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:03 pm
Toby returned the hug and even leaned his cheek a bit into the kiss.
"I'll at least call you to let you know we're coming home." Before they destroyed or wiped the phones used in the field, whatever it was they did. "Maybe we'll come back with a good story." He started out of the kitchen, giving Maia a smile and a little wave. Dari returned the hug and smiled to her as well.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:25 pm
Maia waved to Toby, looking decidedly unhappy. "Be careful," she told Dari. "I love you," she said. She looked to the board. "Call me when you can." She supposed she'd read tonight. She was still concerned.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:35 pm
The boys were gone. The television was silent. No one had called yet. Back at HQ, though, Lori had noticed a change in his student. He knew that Toby and Dari had left her with his number, but she hadn't called. She probably wasn't comfortable with it. They barely knew each other. That didn't mean he could just let her sit in an empty house and worry, though. Having your friend and a crush out on a silent mission couldn't feel very good.
This in mind, he took to jog one morning and arrived back around toward home, passed by and approached Toby's front door in a tank top and running shorts with a red doberman on-leash at one hand and a white paper bag in the other. He pressed the doorbell with a knuckle.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:08 pm
Maia opened the door, hoping for Toby. A "Surprise, we're home!" would be welcome. She was disappointed to see it was Lori, but she didn't let it show, instead moving to hug him and then greet his dog.
"Hi puppy," she smiled at Rosie. "Hi Lori. Do you want some tea? I was making some."
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:14 pm
She might not have shown it in her face, but Lori knew. He was just a friendly acquaintance, not her loverboy. At least he got a hug, and he returned it before Maia turned to the secondary intentional distraction, which was his dog. She was considered a "red" doberman and was a four-year-old rescue with neatly cropped ears and a docked tail. Personally Lori didn't like the idea of mutilating a dog's body parts for whatever standard aesthetic had been arbitrarily decided.
"That's Roisin," Lori said, "but we call her Rosie. Oh! Uh, sure. I brought some doughnuts. I figured you might need them." Toby and Dari had been in constant contact with HQ, but he couldn't be sure if they'd found the time to call Maia. This assignment was proving to be a lot of hard legwork.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:53 pm
"Hi Rosie," Maia said, smiling at the dog. She straightened from petting her and led Lori inside. She hesitated, not sure what to make of the gift. "Why?" she asked. Had something happened? Was that why they hadn't called?
"Have you heard from them at all?" She asked. "I know you probably can't tell me anything. Secret mission and all. But they're alright, aren't they?" No news was probably good news, but she wished they'd call.
She went to the kitchen and added enough water into the pan she'd had on the stove for a second cup of tea. "Do you want anything in it? Sugar?"
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Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 7:45 pm
Lori saw a brief worried look cross Maia's face. Oh man. He probably should he preempted this with "nothing is wrong, but..."
"Yeah! Yeah, they're fine. They have to check in with HQ constantly." To be completely honest, Toby had asked to speak to Lori specifically and then asked a few questions regarding the case and then once if he could please go visit Maia, she hated being alone. Thinking it couldn't be all too awkward with a dog to break the ice he had agreed. He probably would have anyway.
"Sugar, yes please." He came inside and closed the door behind him. He'd been here often. Nothing seemed alien to him except, of course, the selkie. Rosie however found the place quite interesting and followed after Maia. Food? Food was made in places like this.
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Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:00 pm
Maia was clearly relieved. She gave Lori a smile for providing information. "Good," she said, "I was worried about them, with their not calling." She went to check on the water, lowered the temperature on the stove and allowed the tea to steep.
She offered Rosie a cookie. "Here you go," she smiled at her. Well, LorI had discovered a great way to break the ice! Pets. She filled two mugs, turning off the burner. She offered one to Lori.
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Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:15 pm
"Generally you're not supposed to make personal calls from the field. It's not a rule or anything. If it calms down a little out there I'm sure they will." In fact Toby had said he would try to. Lori stood to accept the mug and smiled.
"No chocolate, right? That's bad for dogs." So was sugar in general but Maia was clearly hurting for some company, so why bother? "Thank you. So." He grabbed a plate and headed for the dining room table. "I wasn't sure what you like, so I got a few." He began to place them around the plate.
Lemon-cream-filled, jelly-filled, chocolate-iced with sprinkles, glazed, and chocolate glazed.
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Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:21 pm
"Toby seems to break a lot of those "generally not supposed to" rules that aren't actually rules," Maia mused. "He brought me here." She paused, looking to Rosie. "Oh no, peanut butter. I found a recipe online. Dogs are supposed to like that, though. Seamus might too..." The cat sidhe hadn't objected last time she'd cooked for him.
The selkie followed Lori to the dining room table, selecting a jelly filled donut. "Thank you," she said. "Do you want to stay a while? We could watch something, or whatever you like. Have a pizza, even." She was itching for some company.
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